Blaze the Pony Tale

Chapters

2. Prologue Part 2
3. Friendship is Magic - Part 1
4. Friendship is Magic - Part 2
5. Truths and Answers
6. The Ticket Master - Part 1
7. The Ticket Master - Part 2
8. Applebucking Season - Part 1
9. Applebucking Season - Part 2
(B'tween) Magic 101
10. Griffon the Brush Off - Part 1
11. Griffon the Brush Off - Part 2
(B'Tween) Magick Craft
12. Boast Busters - Part 1
13. Boast Busters - Part 2
(B'Tween) Illusion
14. Dragonsh- Wha?!
16. Bridle Gossip - Part 1
17. Bridle Gossip - Part 2
19. Swarm of the Century - Part 2
20. Forget about it
21. Call of the Cutie
22. Fall Weather Friends - Part 1
24. Winter Wrap-Up - Part 1
25. Winter Wrap-Up - Part 2
26. Suited for Success - Part 1
27. Suited for Success - Part 2
28. Feeling Pinkie Keen - Part 1
29. Feeling Pinkie Keen - Part 2
30. Best Young Flyers Competition - Part 1
31. Best Young Flyers Competition - Part 2
32. Boys' Joys - Part 1
33. Boys' Joys - Part 2
34. A Dog and a Pony Show
35. Green isn't Your Color - Part 1
36. Green isn't Your Color - Part 2
37. Over a Barrel - Part 1
38. Over a Barrel - Part 2
39. A Bird in a Hoof - Part 1
40. A Bird in a Hoof - Part 2
42. New Dog, New Tricks - Part 2
43. The Best Night Ever - Prologue
44. The Best Night Ever - To Meet
45. The Best Night Ever - To Find
46. The Best Night Ever - To Sell
47. The Best Night Ever - To Prove
48. The Best Night Ever - To Whoop
49. The Best Night Ever - To Talk
50. The Best Night Ever - Conclusion
51. The Return of Harmony - Part 1
52. The Return of Harmony - Part 2
53. The Return of Harmony - Part 3
54. The Return of Harmony - Conclusion
55. Lesson Zero
(B'Tween) Lesson Solo
56. Luna Eclipsed - Part 1
58. Brohoof Brodown - Part 1
59. Brohoof Brodown - Part 2
60. Brohoof Brodown - Part 3
61. The Cutie-Pox - Part 1
62. The Cutie-Pox - Part 2
63. Danger in Dodge Junction - Part 1
64. Danger in Dodge Junction - Part 2
65. Danger in Dodge Junction - Part 3
66. Sweet & Elite - Part 1
67. Sweet & Elite - Part 2
68. Sweet & Elite - Part 3
69. Sweet & Elite - Part 4
70. Secret of my Excess
71. A Rocky Encounter - Part 1
72. A Rocky Encounter - Part 2
73. Family Appreciation Day - Part 1
74. Family Appreciation Day - Part 2
75. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 - Part 1
76. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 - Part 2
77. Hearts & Hooves Day - Part 1
78. Hearts & Hooves Day - Part 2
79. Friend in Deed
81. It's About Time - Part 2
83. Dragon Quest - Part 1
85. Dragon Quest - Part 3
86. Hurricane Fluttershy - Part 1
87. Hurricane Fluttershy - Part 2
88. Hurricane Fluttershy - Part 3
89. A Canterlot Wedding - Prologue
90. A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1
91. A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2
(B'Tween) The Calm before the Freeze
92. The Crystal Empire - Part 1
93. The Crystal Empire - Part 2
94. The Crystal Empire - Part 3
95. The Crystal Empire - Part 4
97. The Crystal Empire - Part 6
98. The Crystal Empire - Part 7
99. Too Many Pinkies - Part 1
100. Too Many Pinkies - Part 2
101. Reap What You Sow - Part 1
102. Reap What You Sow - Part 2
103. Reap What You Sow - Part 3
104. Magic Duel - Part 1
105. Magic Duel - Part 2
106. Magic Duel - Part 3
107. Magic Duel - Part 4
108. Magic Duel - Epilogue
109. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 1
111. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 3
112. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 4
113. Apple Family Reunion - Part 1
114. Apple Family Reunion - Part 2 (Re-Edited)
115. Apple Family Reunion - Part 3
116. Apple Family Reunion - Part 4
117. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Opening
118. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Part 1
119. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Part 2
120. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Part 3
121. The Midnight Dour - Part 1
122. The Midnight Dour - Part 2
123. The Midnight Dour - Part 3
124. The Midnight Dour - Part 4
126. The Midnight Dour - Part 6
127. The Midnight Dour - Part 7
128. The Midnight Dour - Part 8
129. The Midnight Dour - Part 9
130. The Midnight Dour - Part 10
131. The Midnight Dour - Epilogue
132. Games Ponies Play - Part 1
133. Games Ponies Play - Part 2
134. Games Ponies Play - Part 3
135. Games Ponies Play - Part 4
137. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 2
138. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 3
139. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 4
140. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 5
141. Magical Mystery Cure - Ending
142. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 1
143. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 2
144. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 3
145. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 4
147. Daring Don't - Part 1
148. Daring Don't - Part 2
149. Flight to the Finish - Part 1
150. Flight to the Finish - Part 2
151. Big Mac's Big Dilemma - Part 1
152. Big Mac's Big Dilemma - Part 2
153. Big Mac's Big Dilemma - Part 3
154. Bats! - Part 1
155. Bats! - Part 2
156. Bats! - Part 3
157. Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 1
159. Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 3
160: Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 4
161. Pinkie Apple Pie - Part 1
162. Pinkie Apple Pie - Part 2
(B'Tween) Midnight Hour
163. Rainbow Falls - Part 1
164. Rainbow Falls - Part 2
165. Rainbow Falls - Part 3
166. Rainbow Falls - Part 4
167. Three's a Crowd - Part 1
168. Three's a Crowd - Part 2
169. Three's a Crowd - Part 3
170. Pinkie Pride - Part 1
171. Pinkie Pride - Part 2
172. Pinkie Pride - Part 3
173. Pinkie Pride - Epilogue
174. Simple Ways - Part 1
175. Simple Ways - Part 2
176. Simple Ways - Part 3
178. The Music Stand - Part 2
179. The Music Stand - Part 3
180. The Bronco Busters! - Part 1
181. The Bronco Busters! - Part 2
182. The Bronco Busters! - Part 3
183. The Bronco Busters! - Part 4
184. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 1
185. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 2
186. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 3
187. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 4
(B'Tween) Alicorn Lessons
189. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Part 2
190. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Part 3
191. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Ending
192. Maud Pie - Part 1
193. Maud Pie - Part 2
194. Maud Pie - Part 3
195. Maud Pie - Ending
196. Button Mash and Burn - Part 1
197. Button Mash and Burn - Part 2
198. Button Mash and Burn - Part 3
199. Button Mash and Burn - Ending
200. Leap of Faith - Part 1
201. Leap of Faith - Part 2
202. Leap of Faith - Part 3
203. Leap of Faith - Part 4
204. Leap of Faith - Part 5
205. Leap of Faith - Ending
206. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 1
207. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 2
209. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 4
210. Trade Ya! - Part 1
211. Trade Ya! - Part 2
212. Trade Ya! - Part 3
213. Trade Ya! - Epilogue
214. Pyrrhic Flights, Pyrrhic Nights - Part 1
215. Pyrrhic Flights, Pyrrhic Nights - Part 2
216. Pyrrhic Flights, Pyrrhic Nights - Part 3
217. The Loss of Faith - Prologue
218. The Loss of Faith - Part 1
219. The Loss of Faith - Part 2
221. The Loss of Faith - Part 4
222. The Loss of Faith - Part 5
223. The Loss of Faith - Part 6
224. The Loss of Faith - Part 7
225. The Loss of Faith - Part 8
226. The Loss of Faith - Part 9
227. The Loss of Faith - Part 10
228. The Loss of Faith - Part 11
229. The Loss of Faith - Part 12 + An early debut!
230. The Reflection of Faith - Part 1
231. The Loss of Faith - Part 13
232. The Reflection of Faith - Part 2
233. The Loss of Faith - Part 14
234. The Loss of Faith - Part 15
236. The Loss of Faith - Part 17 (Re-Edited)
237. The Loss of Faith - Part 18
238. The Loss of Faith - Part 19
239. The Loss of Faith - Part 20: Loss of Reflection... or Reflection of Loss
240. The Loss of Faith - Part 21
241. The Loss of Faith - Part 22 - Time to Wake Up
242. The Loss of Faith - Part 23
243. The Loss of Faith - Part 24
244. The Loss of Faith - Epilogue
(B'Tween) The Secret Origin of Ponykind
245. The Equestria Games - Part 1
246. The Equestria Games - Part 2
248. The Equestria Games - Part 4
249. The Equestria Games - Part 5
250. The Equestria Games (Trinity Cup) - Part 6
251. The Equestria Games (The Duel) - Part 7
(B'tween) Time to Change
252. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 1
253. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 2
254. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 3
255. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 4
256. The Kingdom of Friendship - Epilogue
257. The Cutie-Map - Part 1
258. The Cutie-Map - Part 2
259. The Cutie-Map - Part 3
261. Castle Sweet Castle - Part 1
262. Castle Sweet Castle - Part 2
(B'Tween) From the Ashes, a Dark Cloud...
263. A Living Nightmare - Part 1
264. A Living Nightmare - Part 2
265. Appleloosa's Most Wanted - Part 1
266. Appleloosa's Most Wanted - Part 2
267. Appleloosa's Most Wanted - Part 3
269. The Underdogged Caper - Part 2
270. The Underdogged Caper - Part 3
271. The Underdogged Caper - Epilogue
272. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 1
273. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 2
274. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 3
275. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 4
276. Old and New - Part 1
277. Old and New - Part 2
278. Old and New - Part 3
279. Old and New - Part 4
(B'tween) Progress
281. High Noon Nonsense - Part 2
282. High Noon Nonsense - Part 3
283. Party Pooped - Part 1
284. Party Pooped - Part 2
285. Party Pooped - Part 3
(B'Tween) A Glimmer of Will
286. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 1
287. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 2
288. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 3
289. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 4
290. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? - Part 1
291. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep - Part 2
292. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep - Part 3
293. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 1
294. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 2
296. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 4
(B'Tween) Rising Expectations
297. Made in Manehatten - Part 1
298. Made in Manehatten - Part 2
299. Scare Master - Part 1
300. Scare Master - Part 2
301. Scare Master - Part 3
302. The Pale One - Part 1
303. The Pale One - Part 2
(B'Tween) Spreading our Wings...
304. Here comes the Frost - Part 1
305. Here comes the Frost - Part 2
306. Hearthbreakers - Part 1
307. Hearthbreakers - Part 2
308. Hearthbreakers - Part 3
309. Herd and Bothered - Part 1
310. Herd and Bothered - Part 2
311. Herd and Bothered - Part 3
313. A Star is Born - Part 1
314. A Star is Born - Part 2
315. A Star is Born - Part 3
316. A Star is Born - Part 4
317. The One Where Pinkie Knows - Part 1
318. The One Where Pinkie Knows - Part 2
319. The Hoofields & McColts - Part 1
320. The Hoofields & McColts - Part 2
321. The Mane Attraction - Part 1
322. The Mane Attraction - Part 2
323. The Mane Attraction - Part 3
324. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1
325. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2
326. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 3
328. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 5
329. The Cutie Re-Mark - Epilogue: Hiccups in Time
330. The Crystalling - Part 1
331. The Crystalling - Part 2
332. The Crystalling - Part 3
333. The Crystalling - Epilogue
334. Life in Friction - Part 1
335. Life in Friction - Part 2
336. Different isn't Bad - Part 1
337. Different isn't Bad - Part 2
338. Different isn't Bad - Part 3
339. Different isn't Bad - Part 4
341. The Gauntlet of Fire - Part 1
342. The Gauntlet of Fire - Part 2
343. The Gauntlet of Fire - Epilogue
344. No Second Prances - Part 1
345. No Second Prances - Part 2
346. No Second Prances - Part 3
347. No Second Prances - Epilogue
348. Darkness Before Dawn
349. Party-Prepper - Part 1
350. Party-Prepper - Part 2
351. A Hearth's Warming Tale
352. A Hearth's Warming Tale - Epilogue (Adult Content)
353. Spice Up Your Life
354. Annoying Little Bummer
355. Clear as a Belle
356. Clear as a Belle - Epilogue
357. Bite of the Family Sandwich - Part 1
359. Bite of the Family Sandwich - Epilogue
365. 28 Pranks Later - Part 1
366. 28 Pranks Later - Part 2
367. 28 Pranks Later - Part 3
368. 28 Pranks Later - Epilogue
369. Level Up! - Part 1
370. Level Up! - Part 2
371. Level Up! - Part 3
372. Applejack's "Night" Out - Part 1
373. Applejack's "Night" Out - Part 2
374. Applejack's "Night" Out - Part 3
375. The Duality of Fire - Part 1
376. The Duality of Fire - Part 2
377. The Duality of Fire - Part 3
378. The Duality of Fire - Part 4
379. The Duality of Fire - Epilogue
381. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 2
382. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 3
383. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 4
384. The Ticking Tower - Part 1
385. The Ticking Tower - Part 2
386. The Ticking Tower - Part 3
387. The Ticking Tower - Part 4
388. The Ticking Tower - Part 5
389. The Ticking Tower - Part 6
390. The Ticking Tower - Epilogue
391. Crystal Quest - Part 1
392. Crystal Quest - Part 2
393. Crystal Quest - Part 3
394. Crystal Quest - Part 4
395. Crystal Quest - Part 5
397. Way Off the Mark
398. Way Off the Mark - Epilogue
399. Viva Las Pegasus
400. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 1
401. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 2
402. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 3
403. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 4
404. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 5
405. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 6
406. Cross the Sky in Silver - Epilogue
407. Roll of the Dice - Part 1
408. Roll of the Dice - Part 2
410. In Swamp Water - Part 1
411. In Swamp Water - Part 2
412. In Swamp Water - Part 3
413. In Swamp Water - Part 4
414. In Swamp Water - Part 5
415. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 1
416. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 2
417. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 3
418. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 4
419. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 5
420. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 6
421. Old Burns - Part 1
422. Old Burns - Part 2
423. Old Burns - Part 3
425. Old Burns - Part 5
426. Old Burns - Epilogue
427. Hunted from the Past - Part 1
428. Hunted from the Past - Part 2
429. Hunted from the Past - Part 3
430. Hunted from the Past - Part 4
431. Hunted from the Past - Part 5
432. Hunted from the Past - Part 6
433. Hunted from the Past - Part 7
434. Hunted from the Past - Part 8
435. Hunted from the Past - Part 9
436. Hunted from the Past - Part 10
437. Hunted from the Past - Epilogue
1. Prologue Part 1
15. Sibling Revelry
18. Swarm of the Century - Part 1
23. Fall Weather Friends - Part 2
41. New Dogs, New Tricks - Part 1
57. Luna Eclipsed - Part 2
80. It's About Time - Part 1
82. It's About Time - Part 3
84. Dragon Quest - Part 2
96. The Crystal Empire - Part 5
110. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 2
125. The Midnight Dour - Part 5
136. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 1
146. The Bonds of Harmony - Ending
158. Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 2
177. The Music Stand - Part 1
188. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Part 1
208. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 3
220. The Loss of Faith - Part 3 (RE-EDITED)
235. The Loss of Faith - Part 16
247. The Equestria Games - Part 3
260. The Cutie-Map - Epilogue
268. The Underdogged Caper - Part 1
280. High Noon Nonsense - Part 1
295. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 3
312. Herd and Bothered - Part 4
327. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 4
340. Different isn't Bad - Epilogue
358. Bite of the Family Sandwich - Part 2
380. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 1
396. Crystal Quest - Epilogue
409. Roll of the Dice - Part 3
424. Old Burns - Part 4

2. Prologue Part 2

Midnight marveled at the sights around him as he walked alongside Big Mac through Ponyville. The homely abodes with straw rooftops, the simple architecture, he saw stores here and there, and a nearby marketplace. But everywhere he looked, he saw ponies of all kinds, including some he recognized. He saw Caramel talking with Lucky Clover, Ditzy Doo as she flew overhead with a couple saddlebags full of mail, there was Lyra and her best friend Bon Bon walking towards Sugarcube Corner!
Uh-oh! Midnight thought as he realized he was looking at Sugarcube Corner!

It was a two-and-a-half story building, built to look like a gingerbread house, covered with decorative frosting and goodies, and topped with a cupcake. He knew who owned it, but more importantly, who worked there!

Deciding to keep a look-out for anything pink, he suddenly realized that the ponies were all looking busy, going to and fro with this and that and so and so.
“Say, uh, Mr. Macintosh?” Midnight asked, wanting to be respectful.

“None o’ them formalities,” Big Mac replied with a smile. “Just call me Big Mac, or Macintosh.”

“Okay, well then, Big Mac,” Midnight obliged before asking, “what’s everyone all in a jitter about? Is something going on?”

“Actually, Midnight, ya just arrived in town before sumpin’ special,” Big Mac explained with a chuckle.
“Ya see, the day after tomorrow, is th’ Summer Sun Celebration, an’ it’s bein’ held here in Ponyville. Been a real long while since th’ last time it was here.”

Summer Sun Celebreation? Midnight thought to himself. Then Big Mac’s words struck a chord as he realized something.
And it’s being held here in Ponyville?!

That couldn’t be right – As far as Midnight knew, the story had already completed its fourth season!
So not only have I become a pony and arrived in Equestria, but I’ve also gone back to before the beginning of the story! …What could this mean?

Suddenly, Midnight heard a loud GASP to his left and looked just in time to see something pink streak off. Wait a minute…
Something pink?!

He just managed to keep his composure as he asked, “Did you see who that was?”

Big Mac chuckled and said, “That there was Miss Pinkie Pie. Y’all can expect a party in yer honor real soon.”

Perfect, just perfect. This was exactly what he’d hoped to avoid.
But… it is Pinkie Pie.

But suddenly, a realization reared its ugly head as he gasped, “Wait a minute, a party?! Mac, everyone will see I have a blank flank and I don’t even know why!”

“Everypony can already see,” Big Mac informed him.

Discreetly, Midnight looked around and realized some ponies were giving him odd looks, like they were trying to figure him out. He realized, They’re looking at my blank flank!

All of a sudden, Midnight felt naked. Granted he was walking around without clothes but that wasn’t the point. Now that he knew everypony was looking at him, he had the desire to be invisible. Big Mac noticed how uncomfortable Midnight looked and said, “Would’ja like my saddlebags? They’ll cover yer flank up, if it really bothers ya.”

“Please!” Midnight whispered as he sat down, his back to the cart to hide his blank flank.

Before long, the two stallions were carrying on, Midnight now sporting a couple saddlebags that did the job. While the knowledge was still in some of the locals’ minds, the rest were none the wiser to the blue unicorn’s blank flank.
“Thanks, Mac,” Midnight whispered, his ears drooping. “I felt like some kind of sideshow attraction.”

“Aw, don’t let it bother ya much,” Big Mac assured, “Th’ locals `round here r’ pretty friendly, and a lotta them are good n’ honest folk. They won’t care about yer flank, once they get ta’ know ya.”

“So, where are we going?” Midnight asked.

“Home,” Big Mac simply said, and Midnight understood. I’m going to Sweet Apple Acres!

The trip brought the two to the outskirts of town and Midnight could both see and smell the vast acres covered with apple trees. As they came around a corner of the road, he smiled to see the homestead of Sweet Apple Acres! The barn was nice and red, there was the house nearby, along with a field of corn. There was a pigsty, a chicken coop, a water well, and a fair amount of the land was surrounded by a white picket fence.

“This is a nice place,” Midnight said as he and Big Mac stepped through the gate.

“Eeyup, mah Granny Smith helped get this place started back when she was our age,” the big red pony explained.

They walked right up to the barn where Big Mac unhitched himself.
“She worked it, mah daddy worked it, now mah sisters an’ Ah work it.”

“Yee-haw!”

Midnight looked towards the orchard as Big Mac chuckled, “Speak of th’ devil.”

They saw an orange-coated earth pony mare with a blond mane and tail tied at the ends, wearing a stetson hat, her eyes green like Mac’s while her cutie-mark was a trio of apples. Midnight watched as she galloped right up to a big apple tree and gave it a good buck in the trunk! The tree quivered as its apples were shaken off, falling into some pre-set baskets in an orderly fashion. She shook her mane from the excitement before she noticed Big Mac was back.
“Howdy big brother, Ah see ya brought a guest!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said while waving her over. As she approached, her brother said, “AJ, Ah’d like ya to meet mah new friend, Midnight Blaze. Midnight, this is mah younger sister, Applejack.”

“Uh, hi?” Midnight said sheepishly, but Applejack just smiled and grasped his hoof in a rough shake.

“Well howdy-doo Mr. Midnight,” she said in a hearty manner, “a pleasure makin’ yer acquaintance! Can’t say Ah’ve ever seen y’all around here before!”

“Well, uh…” Midnight tried to think of what to say when Big Mac came to his rescue.

“Ah met him on the way back, and AJ? Midnight here’s got himself a real problem.”

“Well, whattsamatter, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, sounding like she wanted to help.

Midnight looked at Macintosh, who nodded. Sighing, Midnight took off the saddlebags so Applejack could see, her eyes widening in bewilderment.
“I woke up in a field of flowers and ran into Big Mac. And when I woke up, I could only remember a few things, like my name, the name of this town, your farm… and like my flank, my memory is a blank.”

“Well, Midnight Ah sure as sugar can say Ah’ve never seen a pony yer age without a cutie-mark,” she replied as she circled Midnight, giving him a better look, before she stopped in front of him.
“And ya cain’t remember a thing? Not where ya come from, or yer fam’ly?”

Midnight realized he was gonna have to fabricate more to his backstory.
“Well… I think I have a sister, but no. I can’t remember anything. I don’t even know why I don’t have a cutie-mark.”

“Well do ya remember what yer cutie-mark was?” Applejack pushed, “Maybe that’ll give ya a clue!”

Midnight hoped Applejak wouldn’t pick up on him as he said, “No, I don’t remember what my cutie-mark was, or whatever talent I had.”

“Ah offered t' help `im out, AJ,” Big Mac cut in. “So Ah was thinkin’ he could stay with us awhile.”

“Well, Ah don’t see a problem,” Applejack said with a smile but gave Midnight a sly look. “But yer gonna have t’ work some chores `round here!”

“Oh sure! I’ll be glad to help out,” Midnight replied. “What should we do first?”

“Welp, Ah think we cin’ hold off before we get into that,” Applejack conceded before turning to Big Mac, “considerin’ what’s tomorrow!”

“I thought the Summer Sun Celebration was the day after tomorrow,” Midnight brought up.

“Oh it is, Midnight,” Applejack answered, “But tomorrow jus’ happens ta’ be the Apple Fam’ly Reunion!”

Now Midnight was certain – He had arrived at the point of the story just before a certain somepony arrives in Ponyville.

“Why don’t we get’cha settled in?” Big Mac suggested, and he led the two to the house.

Inside, Midnight smelled something delicious, and a sudden growl alerted them all to Midnight’s stomach. He chuckled sheepishly as he asked, “I don’t suppose I could have a bite please?”

Big Mac and Applejack both chuckled as they heard a clutter and Applejack shouted, “Granny Smith, y’alright in there?”

“Eh, don’t you fret,” answered an elderly voice and Applejack led Midnight into the kitchen. There they found the owner of the voice in the form of an elderly earth pony mare, with a light green coat, orange eyes, a mane long turned white pulled into a matronly bun, and her cutie-mark was an old-fashioned apple pie, and she wore an orange shawl patterned with apples.

On the floor was an old tin cup, and she was slowly bending over to pick it up. Midnight hurried over and picked up the cup for her, and placed it on the counter.
“Well, aren’t you a gentlecolt?”

“My pleasure, ma’am,” Midnight replied as he noticed the various apple-based goods in the kitchen. On the counter, he saw loads of delicious looking apple fritters, the table had a couple trays of caramel apples next to a bowl of the stuff and as luck would’ve had it, there was an apple pie set on the window, cooling off.
“Wow, lots of good-looking treats here!”

He reached for a fritter, only to get his hoof smacked by a wooden spoon. He yelped as he pulled his hoof back and found Granny Smith giving him the stink-eye, somehow making a wooden spoon look like a lethal instrument.
“Now where in Equestria didja learn manners, young stallion? Cuz it don’t look like ya have any, just reachin’ for food without askin’, all willy-nilly..."

“Granny Smith, tha’ ain’t no way to greet a guest,” Applejack scolded, but Midnight held up his other hoof.

“No, Applejack, she’s right,” he didn’t want a fight to break out, especially amongst the Apple Clan.
“I really should’ve asked first. My apologies, Miss Smith.”

“Well, tha’s mighty kind’a ya,” Granny Smith said with a smile, “and Ah did overreact a lil’ bit. Help yerself, young’un. Also none’a that ‘miss’ business. Just call me Granny Smith, like everypony else.”

Midnight smiled and took a fritter, but before taking a bite he realized he had yet to meet all the Apples under this roof.
“So, anyone else live here?”

“Our little sister, Apple Bloom,” Applejack replied as she led them all into the living room. “She’s prob’ly off playin’ somewhere.”

As they all had a snack, they explained the situation to Granny Smith, and the old mare, “Well a’course he’s welcome ta’ stay! Tha’s what Apples do after all. If’n somepony’s in need of a helpin’ hoof…”

“We lend ours,” Applejack and Big Mac said at the same time, almost tiresomely but with smiles.

“So… if you’re having your family reunion tomorrow,” Midnight brought up, “what about the Summer Sun Celebration? You’re not gonna partake?”

“We’re darn tootin’ gonna partake,” Applejack corrected, “In fact, we’ve been asked to take care’a th’ grub! And when the Apple Family members get here, they’re gonna bring along their own good eatin’s ta’ help out!”

No wonder they had so much food in that first episode, Midnight thought as he nodded in understanding.

“Why don’t Ah take ya fer a tour in town?” Big Mac proposed. “Since yer gonna be stayin’ wit’ us, y’all should know how ta’ find yer way `round here.”

As much as that made sense, Midnight was hesitant to go back into town, not only because of how self-conscious he was about his lack of a cutie-mark but also he didn’t want to take a chance of running into a Pinkie Pie-patented surprise party. He knew well enough those could strike at any given moment, even in the most unlikely places.
“I don’t know…”

“Y’all can wear the saddlebags again ifn’ ya want.”

Knowing it would be rude to say no, Midnight nodded.

In no time at all, Big Mac and Midnight, his flanks covered by the saddlebags, had made their way to the town square. Big Mac had pointed out several points of interest, like town hall, the train station, the clock tower, the theater, the day spa, but what got Midnight’s interest was the library.
“Can we go in?” he asked as they passed it by. "I think I'd like to get something to read."

Golden Oak Library did not disappoint – It was built within a large tree, a the door was red, there were windows and a couple balconies among the branches, and a sign pictured with an open book was set right next to the entrance.

“`Fraid yer gonna hav' t' look elsewhere,” Big Mac replied as he kept going, Midnight in reluctant tow. “Right now, nopony lives there, but Ah think someone’s s’posed to come soon and be th’ new librarian.”

“Hmm, and I was kinda looking forward to a good book.”

“Rumble, wait up!”

They looked ahead and saw a little gray pegasus colt with a swept back dark gray mane and purple eyes running towards them as he yelled, “Can’t catch me, big brother!”

Not far behind him was a dark gray Pegasus stallion, his mane in a mohawk-like style, colored silvery blue, his cutie-mark a stormcloud with lightning, his eyes a light gold and furrowed as he pursued the colt.

The colt, Rumble, ran right to Big Mac and hid behind forelegs, laughing as his brother caught up.
“Sorry if we’re bothering you, Big Mac. A certain somepony decided to play tag.”

“No harm done,” Big Mac assured as he gently pushed Rumble towards his brother. “Oh, Ah have somepony Ah’d like y’all ta’ meet.”

He turned to the unicorn and said, “Midnight, these are Thunderlane and his lil’ brother, Rumble. Thunder’s on the Ponyville Weather Team.”

“Nice to meet you,” Thunderlane said, holding out a hoof when Rumble popped u in front of him, looking up at Midnight.

“We saw you earlier today, how come you don’t have a cutie-mark?”

Midnight’s ears drooped as he looked away self-consciously, Thunderlane saying, “Rumble, don’t be rude!”

“It’s okay,” Midnight said but sighed while doing it. “My name is Midnight Blaze, and believe it or not, I don’t remember much my life before yesterday. I don’t even know why I don’t have a cutie-mark.”

“Ah ran into him outside Ponyville an’ decided to help `im out,” Big Mac added.

“Sorry to hear that, bud,” Thunderlane said before giving an encouraging smile, “but you’re in good hooves with Big Mac.”

“Big brother, aren’t we gonna go to the-” Rumble was saying but instantly found Thunderlane’s hoof covering the colt’s mouth.

“Uh, ignore my little brother,” he said with a sheepish smile as he then grabbed Rumble and said, “We gotta go, talk to ya later Midnight!”

And with his brother secured in his arms, Thunderlane flew off.

“Wonder what that was about,” Midnight said aloud.

“Probably has somewhere ta’ be,” Big Mac replied, a knowing glint in his eyes Midnight failed to see.

For the rest of the day, Big Mac introduced Midnight to a few friends and acquaintances, sometimes sharing Midnight’s story of not remembering who he was or why he didn’t have a cutie-mark. Before long it began to grow tiresome, and Midnight asked if they could go back to the farm.

Upon arriving, Big Mac, having a distinct feeling, said, “Say Midnight, think y’all could do me a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?” Midnight asked.

“Go in th’ barn an’ get mah hoe?” he asked. “Ah want it on hoof fer tomorrow.”

“Sure thing,” Midnight replied as he started towards the barn, not seeing the smirk on the farmer’s face.

3 – 2 – 1… Big Mac thought as Midnight went in, and all of a sudden, the barn came to life with light and confetti as there was a shout of “Surprise!”

“MACINTOSH!!!” Midnight yelled from the barn, realizing he’d been had.

3. Friendship is Magic - Part 1

“Cock-a-doodle-doo…!!!”

“Uurgh…” Midnight groaned, still feeling the after-effects of last night’s party. He edged his eyes open, seeing the room the Apples had provided him with. He was in a comfy bed, snuggled under a warm quilt, his head resting on a pillow stuffed with cotton. By the door was a dresser, beneath the window was a simple desk and chair, and there was a mirror next to the closet. It was simple but Midnight liked it.

He did not however like the headache he was feeling from last night’s apple cider. It was the alcoholic kind, and unfortunately he’d found himself in a chugging contest with Pinkie. He won.

Thankfully the stuff was the kind for light drinking. But the moment echoed with familiarity, as Midnight felt the glaring sun rays poke through the parting in the curtains and hit him in the face. He was about to try and ignore it when he heard some hoofsteps outside his door. It flew open and in walked Applejack, banging a pot with a ladle, shouting, “Wakey-wakey, rise n’ shiny!”

“Aaugh!!” Midnight yelped as he leapt out of bed, and groaned as he felt his headache. “Applejack…! Please, my head!”

“Oh! Sorry bout that, sugarcube!” Applejack apologized as she kicked the pot and ladle out the door. “Butround here, we rise with th’ sun! Ah’ll getcha Granny Smith’s cider-remedy, always clears up th’ head after some good drinkin’!”

Before long, the Apples and their guest were having breakfast, and Midnight regarded Apple Bloom, the one member of the family he had yet to formally meet. He saw her at the party last night but things got out of hoof before they had a chance to talk.

Apple Bloom was a school-age filly, her coat a gentle yellow, her mane and tail the same red as Big Mac’s coat while she had Granny Smith’s orange eyes, and her flank was void of a cutie-mark.

They sat around the table, covered with plates and bowls and silverware. They were having apple-cinnamon pancakes with maple syrup, buttered toast, eggs over easy, and strips of hay-bacon, along with nice cold apple juice.

“Mmm!” Midnight groaned in ecstasy as he munched on hay-bacon. Midnight recalled ponies didn’t eat meat and was hesitant to try the hay-bacon but was grinning with joy that he’d given it a chance.
“I had no idea this stuff was so good!”

“Well, there’s plenty more where that came from, Midnight,” Applejack assured as she took a swig of juice.

“Ah cain’t believe y’all really don’t have a cutie-mark,” Apple Bloom said as she sat next to Midnight.

“Apple Bloom! Manners, young filly,” Granny Smith snapped, Big Mac agreeing, “Eeyup!”

“Sorry, din’t mean nothin’,” Apple Bloom said to Midnight who just waved it off.

“It’s okay, I’m sure eventually my memories will come back.” Inside, Midnight squirmed a bit, feeling guilty about continuing the charade. But what could he do? Tell them the truth, and sound like a pony gone bonkers?

Putting it out of his mind, he asked, “So… when’s the rest of the family coming?”

“They’ll be here soon,” Applejack answered. “They’re all happier than a june bugs that their visit’ll coincide with th’ Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow!”

“Not t’ menchin they’re brinin’ some a’ their own special dishes ta’ help us wit’ the caterin’,” Granny Smith added with a chuckle.

“Isn’t somepony gonna be overseeing the preparations for the event?” Midnight asked, having an idea.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered, “Ah heard somepony’s comin’ all th’ way from Canterlot.”

Once breakfast was finished, Midnight helped Applejack clean the dishes.
“I think I’m gonna go into town. Y’know, just socialize.”

“Well Ah don’t mind but Ah hope yer here for-” Applejack was saying only to heard a distinctive ‘kapwing’ sound, followed by the slam of the door.

Midnight walked through town, keeping an eye on the sky.
Any time now, Twilight Sparkle and Spike should be arriving! …What do I say?

Recalling the story, Midnight knew what Twilight was really concerned with and was not interested in making friends. He would need the right excuse to stay in her company. Then he was struck with inspiration by Big Mac’s actions yesterday.
Of course! I’ll offer to be her tour guide around town! She’ll have to let me stick around.

Out of the corner of his eye, Midnight noticed Pinkie Pie. The earth pony mare lived up to her name, with her bright dark pink mane and cotton candy pink coat, her eyes were blue, and her cutie-mark was a trio of party balloons. Remembering the story, Midnight looked up and gasped! There they were!

He couldn’t quite see them but made to follow as the Royal Guard-drawn chariot descended into town, and Midnight got a better look. It was her, Twilight Sparkle, a lavender coated unicorn mare with a dark purple mane streaked with magenta, her cutie-mark a magenta six-point star surrounded with six white sparkles. Getting off, she was accompanied by her #1 Assistant, the baby dragon Spike, whose scales pretty much matched Twilight’s coat, aside from his belly, which was light green while his spines were bright green. Twilight thanked the guards for the ride and Midnight saw Pinkie approach them.
3 – 2 – 1…

Pinkie let out a very familiar gasp after Twilight had said hello, and streaked off. Chuckling, Midnight decided now was the time to make his move and approached them, hearing Twilight say, “Well that was interesting all right.”

“Well you’ll find there’s no figuring that pony out,” Midnight called out with a chuckle and the two noticed him. “Hello, my name is Midnight Blaze. You’re here to oversee the preparations for the celebration, right?”

At first, Twilight was alarmed to see an adult unicorn (he looked to be around her age, maybe a tad older) without a cutie-mark! But then she couldn't help noticing how... handsome (felt like the closest word but not quite) he was. He wasn't dashing or rugged, but more humble and just the right amount of cute, which befuddled Twilight, as she'd seen good-looking stallions before but this was the first time in memory she found herself attracted.

Shoving those thoughts aside, Twilight cleared her throat and said, “Yes, good stallion. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this is my assistant, Spike.”

“Hi!” Spike said with a friendly wave.

“Well then, Twilight Sparkle,” Midnight replied, “would you be interested in a tour guide to assist you?”

The way he held out his hoof, smiled a little shyly but also hopefully, and a slight yet noticeable blush appeared below his eyes, which caused Twilight to feel a little warm on her face as well. Spike took it all in, not understanding what was going on.

“That would be most welcome,” Twilight thanked, finding her voice after a slightly awkward moment, “I need to get through these preparations as quickly as possible.”

“Alright then. Follow me,” Inside, Midnight was cheering in success. Now all he had to do was not blow it.

Before long, they were making their way to their first stop, Spike holding a list, saying, “Summer Sun Celebration Official Overseer’s Check-List! #1: Banquet Preparations, Sweet Apple Acres!”

Midnight led the way onto the farm when the three of them heard, “Yee-haw!”

They all looked and Midnight saw the story play out, as Applejack galloped to a tree, giving it a good buck, and apples fell into the baskets she’d set below, and beamed with pride.

Twilight sighed, “Let’s get this over with.”

They approached the farmer, Twilight introducing herself, “Good afternoon, my name is Twilight Sparkle-”

And no sooner did she say her name did AJ give her hoof a welcoming yet rough shaking.
“Well howdy-doo, Miss Twilight, a pleasure makin’ yer acquaintance! Ah’m Applejack, and we here at Sweet Apple Acres sure do like makin’ new friends!”

“Fr-r-riends? Actually-” Twilight tried to say but the farmer’s strength left her shaking as Applejack let go.

“So! What can Ah do ya for?” the cowgirl asked with a wink.

Twilight’s hoof continued to shake so Midnight stepped in and gently brought her to a stop, but Spike giggled to himself, ignoring the look Twilight gave him. Recomposing herself, she cleared her throat and explained, “Well, I am in fact here to supervise preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and you’re in charge of the food?”

“We sure as sugar are!” Applejack replied, “Wooja care ta’ sample some?”

“Say yes, Miss Sparkle!” Midnight piped in, “You haven’t lived till you’ve tried one of their apple fritters!”

“Well, as long as it doesn’t take too long,” Twilight gave in but Applejack had already started ringing the triangle.

“Soouup’s on, everypony!”

Twilight, Midnight, and Spike heard a galloping behind them and turned to see a herd of earth ponies stampede over them, and they somehow wound up seated at a table beneath a gazebo, Applejack popping up beside them, and she said, “Now, why don’t Ah introduce y’all to th’ Apple Fam’ly!”

“Thanks, but I really have to-” Twilight tried to excuse herself but a mare popped up in front of her.

“This here’s Apple Fritter!” Applejack introduced as another mare showed up with caramel apples, “Apple Bumpkin!”

More and more earth ponies approached the table, leaving their own special apple dish, Applejack introducing each of them in turn:
“Red Gala, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Caramel Apple, Apple Strudel, Apple Tart, Baked Apple, Apple Brioche, Apple Cinnamon Crisp…!”

She stopped to take a breath before continuing, “Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, Ah see y’already met Midnight! He’s an honorary member of th’ fam’ly, and fin'ly…!”

She pointed out, “Granny Smith.”

The elderly earth pony was napping in her rocking chair. Midnight went over and gently shook her, saying, “Up n’ at 'em Granny Smith, we got guests!”

Granny Smith snorted and woke up, saying, “Wah- Soup’s on…?”

She ambled over, not quite awake yet as she mumbled “Ah’m `a comin’…”

“Why, Ah’d say yer already part o' th’ fam’ly!” Applejack said with a smile to Twilight who spat out a dish somepony had shoved into her mouth.

Chuckling nervously, she said, “Okay, I can see the food situation is handled! I’ll just be-”

“Aren’cha gonna stay fer brunch?”

She looked down to see Apple Bloom giving her the most mournful puppy-dog eyes she’d ever seen. Instantly, Twilight felt guilty as she apologized, “Sorry, it’s just we have an awful lot to do!”

“Aww!” Everypony sighed sadly.

Twilight looked around, feeling bad, when Midnight whispered in a singsongy tone, “They won’t cheer up till you say yes~…”

Sighing, Twilight said, “Fine…”

At once everypony cheered and the sampling began.

Later, the three of them were carrying on with the tasks at hoof, Spike saying, “Food’s all taken care of, next is weather.”

Behind him, Twilight moaned from an overstuffed belly, “Ohh, I ate too much pie…”

“Wasn’t it delicious?” Midnight asked, slurping the last few crumbs off his muzzle. He was full too, but it was the blissfully satisfied kind of full. He rubbed his belly full of apples with sighing content before asking, “Mmm, best darn pie I ever tasted, ever!”

“Hmm, there’s supposed to be a pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash clearing the clouds,” Spike brought up as he looked skyward, the two unicorns following his example. They all saw the sky was dotted with clouds all over.

“Well, she’s not doing a very good job is she-” Twilight snarked when Midnight shoved her, shouting, “LOOK OUT!”

There was the sound of a whooshing, and a couple “Oomph!”s and the sound of a splash.

Twilight looked to see Midnight and a pegasus pony in the mud. The pegasus had a cynan coat, her mane and tail colored as her namesake, and her cutie-mark was a cloud with a red, yellow, and blue lightning bolt.

“Ugh…” Midnight groaned, regretting taking the fall, which might have been better without a full belly.

The pegasus pony stood up, giggling sheepishly as she said, “Uh, `scuse me?”

“Midnight, are you okay?” Twilight asked in concern.

“Here, lemme help you,” offered the pegasus and they watched as she brought over a small cloud and started jumping up & down on it, bringing a downpour over Midnight. When she was done, she looked over and saw Midnight shivering and soaking wet.

“Oops! Heh-heh,” the pegasus chuckled, “I guess I overdid it!”

“Ya think?” Twilight quipped.

“Um, how `bout this?” the pegasus offered and suddenly, she was zooming around Midnight, creating a rainbow-colored tornado that sucked up all the water and mud away as she exclaimed, “My very own patented ‘Rain-Blow Dry’!”

She came down, saying, “No-no, don’t thank me, you’re quite welcome!”

But then she saw the result of her handiwork – Midnight’s mane and tail were a mess and Twilight had gotten splished by some of the mud, making her look like she had a mud mask. The pegasus tried to keep her cool but let out a bolstering laugh, keeling over, Spike joining her in laughing at the two unicorns’ messy conditions.

“Lemme guess,” Twilight said with narrowed eyes, “you’re Rainbow Dash.”

“The one and only!” Rainbow Dash replied with a pose. “Why, ya heard of me?”

“We heard that you’re supposed to be keeping the sky clear,” Midnight clarified with an edge in his tone.

Sighing, Twilight said, “I’m Twilight Sparkle and the princess sent me to check on the weather.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’ll be a snap,” Rainbow waved off the concern while lounging on a cloud. “I’ll get to it in a jiffy, just as soon as I’m done practicing.”

“Practicing, for what?” Twilight asked.

“The Wonderbolts!” Rainbow declared while pointing out the nearby poster on a public noticeboard, featuring her idols. “They’re gonna be performing at the celebration tomorrow! And I’m gonna show `em my stuff!”

“Psst, play to her ego,” Midnight whispered to Twilight and she got the idea and winked at him.

“The Wonderbolts?” she asked, addressing Rainbow Dash.

“Yup!” Rainbow replied.

“The most talented fliers in all of Equestria?” Twilight went on with a raised brow and smirk.

“That’s them!”

“Please,” Twilight scoffed, “they’d never accept a pegasus who can’t even keep the sky clear for one measly day!”

“Hey!” Rainbow bolted up, failing to see the wink Twilight got from Midnight. “I could clear this sky in ten seconds flat!”

“Prove it…” Twilight challenged.

Rainbow’s eyes furrowed as she got to it. Twilight and Spike watched but they heard Midnight counting, “1 – 2 – 3 -…”

All the while, Rainbow Dash was zooming and zipping to and fro, knocking out every cloud with incredible speed! Not one move was wasted, she seemed to know where every cloud was without even pausing to look around.
“…Loop de’ loop around and…!” Rainbow yelled as she got the last cloud, “Wham!”

“10!” Midnight yelled at the same time, and Twilight couldn’t believe it!

“What’d I say?” Rainbow boasted as she perched on a bridge, “Ten. Seconds…Flat! I’d never leave Ponyville hangin’!”

Twilight continued to gape at the open, clear skies, unspoiled or besmirched, almost like a blank canvass were a canvas colored sky-blue. Midnight reached over and gently closed her mouth.

“Ha, you should see the look on your face,” Rainbow Dash bragged, “priceless!”

“Rainbow Dash!”

They looked and saw Thunderlane fly over, not looking happy.
“It’s about time you got your ass moving!”

“Oh Thundy, give it a rest,” Rainbow waved him off.

“Ergh, why the mayor made you weather captain I’ll never know!” Thunderlane groaned irritably.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Rainbow Dash asked before making a zipping move and creating a rainbow after-image of a ring that soon faded. “I am awesome.”

“Well maybe you should focus less on being awesome and more on being responsible!” Thunderlane countered. “Look, the mayor wants to have a word with you, on the double! Hey Midnight.”

And with that, Thunderlane flew off, Rainbow groaning as she said, “Well, duty calls. By the way, I gotta say, you’re a riot, Twilight Sparkle. I can’t wait to hang out some more!”

And with that, she was gone in a rainbow trail.

“She’s amazing!” Spike said but then giggled at the two unicorns’ messed up mane and coat respectively.

Twilight growled, having been made to eat her own words as she stormed off, Midnight and Spike following as the little dragon said, “Wait! It’s… kinda pretty once you get used to it!”

They made their way into Ponyville Town Hall, Spike noting, “Decorations!”

Looking around, they saw various colorful banners embroidered with gorgeous patterns, Spike swooning, “Beautiful…!”

“Yes, the décor is coming along nicely,” Twilight agreed. “This oughta be quick, I’ll be at the library in no time! Beautiful indeed.”

“Not the décor, her!” Spike corrected while pointing ahead to the auditorium.

Upon it stood an alabaster white unicorn mare with a glimmering purple mane and tail, elegantly and expertly styled, her cutie-mark a trio of soft blue rhombus diamond-shaped jewels. At the moment she was looking at different ribbons.
“No, no, no… Augh! Goodness, no!”

“How’re my spines?! Are they straight?” Spike worried, Twilight just rolling her eyes as she and Midnight approached the unicorn.

“Good afternoon,” Midnight greeted, the unicorn holding up a hoof and not looking at them.

“Just a moment please! I’m ‘in the zone’, as it were!” She then gasped and said,” Yes!”

With her aura, she tied a beautiful red ribbon onto a pole, adding, “Sparkles always does the trick, does it not? Why Rarity, you are a talent!”

Clearing her throat, she turned towards them saying, “Now, how can I help youuuaugh!”

Seeing them she cried, “My goodness gracious, darlings! Whatever happened to your coiffures?!”

“Oh, you mean his mane and my coat?” Twilight asked. “It’s a long story. “I’m just here to check on the decorations and then we’ll be out of your hair!”

“My hair? What about your hair?” Rarity replied and was suddenly behind the two, pushing them along.

“Wait, where’re we going?! Help!” Twilight yelped.
“Don’t bother,” Midnight said with a deadpan expression, knowing it was pointless to fight it, Spike floating after them with a goofy grin and hearts in his eyes.

Rarity took the three to her store, Carousel Boutique, where everything was chic, unique, and magnifique! At the moment, she was in the process of outfitting Twilight with various dresses and outfits, having already taken care of her and Midnight’s hairy problems.
“No! No… No, too green, too yellow, too poofy, don’t like it… Ugh! Disgusting, no.”

Finally, Rarity settled upon putting Twilight into a jeweled corset.
“Ah, perfect, it just needs a tie. Now go on, my dear, you were telling me where you’re from?”

Rarity started pulling the tightening strings, Midnight wincing as Twilight choked, “I’ve! Been… sent from… Canterlot, to- Erk!”

Thankfully, that one word got Rarity’s attention, causing her to let go, Midnight catching her to save her from a nasty fall while Twilight gasped for breath.

“Canterlot?!” Rarity gasped, pushing Midnight away, too starstruck to notice his good deed. “Oh, I am so envious! The glamour, the sophistication! I’ve always dreamed of living there! I can’t wait to hear all about it!”

She pressed against Twilight, saying, “We’re going to be the best of friends, you and I!”

That one word made Twilight uncomfortable when Rarity cried, “Emerald?! What was I thinking? Let me get you some rubies.”

As soon as the fashionista trotted out the door, Twilight yelled, “Quick! Before she decides to dye our coats a new color!”

Midnight made sure to grab the twitterpated Spike on their way out.

“Wasn’t she wonderful, Midnight?”

Spike was so lovestruck that Midnight carried the dragon on his back, chuckling while Twilight pressed, “Focus, Casanova. What’s next on the list?”

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s music,” Midnight piped in, Spike snapped out of it and checked the list.

“He’s right! And it’s the last one,” confirmed Spike.

As if on cue, they all heard birds singing what sounded like a chorus. Following the singing, they looked over a bush and saw a butter yellow pegasus mare with a long and flowing blossom pink mane and tail, her cutie-mark a trio of butterflies. In front of her was a little tree, birds on every branch.

They appeared to be practicing, when the mare said, “Oh my. Um, stop please everyone.”

The birds stopped and she flew up to a blue jay, saying, “Excuse me, sir, I just wanted to tell you your rhythm is just a teeny-tiny bit off. “

Floating back a little, she said, “Now follow me, everyone. A-one, a two- a-one-two-three-”

“Hello!”

She gasped, all her birds flying off, and she looked to see Midnight and Twilight, who said, “Oh my, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten your birds. I just came to check up on the music and it sounds beautiful!”

The pegasus landed in front of her, but looked away, leading to a silence most awkward. Twilight smiled nervously, Midnight whispering, “Introduce yourself.”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, and this is my guide, Midnight Blaze,” Twilight said to the pegasus.

She continued to look away, looking at them through the corner of her aqua eyes, Twilight asking, “What’s your name?”

“Um, I’m Fl..tr…shy,” she said in a low voice.

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I’m …” she muttered, looking nervous.

“Didn’t quite catch that.”

“Fluttershy!” she squealed almost indistinctly.

“I think she’s shy,” Midnight whispered to Twilight, who just wanted to move on and escape that awkwardness.

“Well!” She said, “It looks like your birds are back. Keep up the good work.”

“Mmm!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Oookay!” Twilight said, gesturing Midnight to follow.

But through her hair, Fluttershy saw Spike approach the two unicorns, Twilight saying, “Well that was easy.”

She gasped, “A baby dragon!”

She zoomed forward, Midnight sidestepping, leaving Twilight to get bumped out of the way, Fluttershy saying, “I’ve never seen a baby dragon before! He’s so cute!”

“Well-well-well!” Spike said, giving a smug look to Twilight, Midnight helping her to her hooves.

“Oh my! He talks,” Fluttershy was starry-eyed. “I didn’t know dragons could talk. That’s just so incredible wonderful that- that I don’t even know what to say!”

An aura surrounded Spike and he was unceremoniously levitated onto Twilight’s back as she said, “Well in that case, we’d better be going!”

“Oh wait, wait!” Fluttershy followed, Midnight in tow. “What’s his name?!”

“I’m Spike!”

“Hi Spike, I’m Fluttershy. Wow, a talking dragon! And what do dragons talk about?”

“Well, whattya wanna know?” Spike asked.

“Absolutely everything!” replied Fluttershy, causing Twilight to groan.

“Well… I started out as a cute little purple & green egg,” Spike began and was off, Fluttershy hanging to every word.

Midnight went up to Twilight's side to whisper to her, “Hang in there, it’ll all be over soon.”

A while later, Fluttershy was still following them, as Spike wrapped it up.
“...and that’s the story of my whole entire life!

Midnight and Twilight both groaned, Midnight wondering to himself, How can anypony tell their entire life story without break?!

“Well, up until today,” Spike amended himself, causing midnight to groan. “Y’wanna hear about today?”

“Oh yes please!” Fluttershy happily accepted.

She couldn’t take it anymore, so Twilight whipped around, saying, “I am so sorry, how did we get here so fast?”

Midnight looked and realized they had walked right up to Golden Oak Library.
How did I miss that?

“This is where I’m staying while in Ponyville,” Twilight explained, “and my poor baby dragon needs his sleep.”

“No I don’t!” Spike protested, only to get subtly bucked off.

“Aww, look at that!” Midnight helped along. “He’s so sweepy he can’t even hold his wittle bawance!”

He ignored the indignant stink-eye the little dragon gave him, but Fluttershy swooped Spike up in her arms, saying, “Poor thing! We simply must get him to bed.”

She entered the library, only for Twilight and Midnight to run in and nudge her out, Twilight saying, “Yes, yes, I’ll get right on it. Oh, and thank you for being my guide today, Midnight.”

“Wait a minute!” Midnight was answered with a slam of the door in the face.

Inside, (which was dark by the way) Spike harrumphed, “Rude much?”

“Sorry Spike, but I have to convince Princess Celestia Nightmare Moon is coming and we’re running out of time! I just need to be alone so I can study without a bunch of crazy ponies trying to make friends all the time. Now where’s the light?”

In response to her query, the lights went on and there was a shout of “SURPRISE!”

And the two found themselves surrounded by a Surprise Party. A noisemaker blew in Twilight’s face, making her sigh when a familiar pink pony popped up, shouting, “SURPRISE!”

She stood in front of Twilight saying, “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie and I threw this party just for you! Were you surprised? Were you, were you? Huh-huh-huh?”

“Very surprised!” Twilight said with a nervous smile before grumping, “Libraries are supposed to be quiet.”

“Well that’s silly!” Pinkie replied. “What kind of welcome party would this be if it were quiet? I mean, duh! Bo-ring!”

“I told you, there’s no figuring her out.”

Twilight looked to see…
“Midnight! Were you in on this too?”

“Don’t be mad,” Midnight said apologetically, “but this would’ve happened whether or not you knew ahead of time. Pinkie would’ve made sure of that.”

“He ain’t kidding!” Pinkie agreed as Twilight began to move through the party but the party pony wouldn’t leave her alone.
“See, I saw you when you first got here, remember? You were all ‘hello’ and I was all-”

She made a gasping noise like she did before and said, “Remember? You see, I’d never saw you before, and if I never saw you before that means you’re new! Cuz I know everypony – and I mean everypony – in Ponyville!”

Twilight groaned, Midnight whispering, “She means well. But be sure to avoid the cider.”

Midnight wandered off to enjoy the party, and saw the Apple siblings who waved him over.
“I’m not sure our overseer is… taken with Pinkie’s gesture.”

“Well, she does seem kinda uptight,” Applejack noted, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup!”

“…invite everyone in Ponyville!” they heard Pinkie say, and so they went over, seeing Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Rarity, and Fluttershy had come as well.
When did they get here? Midnight wondered to himself. Come to think of it, how did I get in here?!

“Now you have lots n’ lots of friends!” Pinkie declared when they saw Twilight lurch and turn around looking rather red, with tears welling up in her eyes.

“Are you alright, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, and was answered by Twilight leaping into the air, her mane and tail turning to fire while steam blew out her ears, and she suddenly streaked off.

Why didn’t I remember that?!

Midnight grimaced at his oopsy as Pinkie said, “Aw! She’s so happy she’s crying!”

Spike picked up the bottle Twilight had poured to drink and saw she had unknowingly sipped on, “Hot sauce.”

Pinkie poured it onto a cupcake and chowed down, much to everypony’s disturbed perspectives.
“What?!” she asked with her mouth full. “It’s good!”

Later that night, Midnight noticed Spike heading upstairs, wearing that party cliché of a lampshade on his head.
No doubt to talk with Twilight.

He followed him up and heard him enter Twilight’s room, calling, “Twilight! Pinkie’s started 'Pin the Tail on the Pony'! Wanna play?”

“NO!” Midnight winced, hearing how upset Twilight sounded. “All the ponies in this town are ca-razy! Do you know what time it is?!”

“It’s the even of the Summer Sun Celebration,” Spike answered, “everypony has to stay up or they’ll miss the princess raise the sun! You really should lighten up, Twilight, it’s a party!”

Midnight waited for Spike to come out, who deadpanned, “She’s not cooperating.”

Sighing, Midnight said, “Why don’t I try to talk to her?”

“Good luck.” Spike answered pessimistically, walking past him. “For as long as I’ve known Twilight, she’s often been a real stick in the mud.”

Midnight took a deep breath and approached the door, when he heard Twilight talking inside.

“Here I thought I’d have time to learn more about the Elements of Harmony, but – Silly me! – all this ridiculous friend-making has kept me from it!”

Midnight hesitated, no longer sure if Twilight would welcome his presence. But then he heard her talk more.

“‘Legend has it that on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars will aid in her escape and she will bring about everlasting night!’ …I hope the princess was right, I hope it really is just a pony’s tale.”

Sighing, Midnight knocked on the door, calling, “Twilight?”

The door lit up with aura and opened, and Midnight stepped in, and saw Twilight.
“Hey um… It’s time to watch the sunrise. Can I walk you to Town Hall?”

Sighing, Twilight came down from her bed and said, “May as well go.”

As they made their way downstairs, Twilight said, “Midnight? I forgot to thank you for being my guide today. I’m sorry if I was any trouble.”

“No trouble at all, Miss Sparkle!” Midnight’s hopes reignited, and he said, “I was happy to be of service.”

As they stepped out of the library, Twilight said, “Midnight, I hope you won’t think me rude, but…”

“Why don’t I have a cutie-mark?” Midnight asked for her, knowing that was exactly what she wanted to bring up.

“I’m sorry! I hope I didn’t-” Twilight tried to say, but Midnight waved her off.

“It’s okay, I’ve been getting it a lot lately,” Midnight assured her before taking a deep breath. “To make a long story short, yesterday, I woke up outside Ponyville with only a few of my memories, and yes, without a cutie-mark.”

“Wait, are you saying you’ve lost your memories?” asked Twilight, her curiosity piqued.

“Eeyup,” Midnight nodded, the lie now becoming second-nature, which secretly disturbed him. “All I could remember was my name, the name of this town, and Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh found me and he and Applejack took me in. I don’t know why I have no cutie-mark or if I even had one at all.”

“But you must have!” Twilight insisted. “Everypony finds their cutie-mark!”

“Well, nothin’ in the noggin to tell me otherwise,” Midnight chuckled while tapping his horn. “I don’t even remember how to do magic.”

“Incredible…” Twilight whispered. “I wonder…”

“If it has something to do with Nightmare Moon?” Midnight blurted out, and immediately wished he could take it back.

“How did you know that?!” Twilight demanded with a nervous look while grabbing Midnight's face.

“I… heard you talking before I came to get you,” Midnight quickly answered, which was technically true. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop!”

“Sorry,” Twilight apologized as she released him. “I’m just worried.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Sparkle,” Midnight assured her as they came up on Town Hall. “Everything will be alright.”

Twilight stopped him and said with a small smile, “Please. Call me Twilight.”

Everypony in town had turned out for the event. It was so crowded in town hall, some pegasi were even flapping to stay aloft and to have a better view. Midnight and Twilight entered together, Spike having found them and was now on her back when Pinkie popped up.
“Isn’t this exciting?! Are you excited? Cuz I’m excited! I’ve never been so excited- Well, except for the time that I saw you walking into town and I was all-”

She made the gasping noise again, before saying with a smile, “But I mean, really! Who can top that?”

Almost at once, the music provided by Fluttershy’s birds started as she conducted, to announce the event was starting. A spotlight fell upon Mayor Mare as she announced, “Fillies and gentlecolts, as mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!”

Everypony cheered in response but quickly calmed down for the mayor to continue.
“In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this, the longest day of the year!”

Midnight noticed Twilight looking out the window, and followed her gaze. His heart sank as some stars zeroed into the moon, and the image of the mare in the moon vanished, and the both of them felt cause to be nervous as the mayor went on.
“And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day! The good, the wise, the bringer of harmony to all of Equestria… “

“Ready?” Fluttershy whispered to her birds, and the mayor announced:

“Princess Celestia!”

Rarity pulled the curtains as the light fell upon the balcony above to reveal… nopony?!

Rarity gasped in confusion, as Twilight said, “This can’t be good…!”

“Remain calm, everypony,” Mayor Mare said gently, “there must be a reasonable explanation.”

“Ooh! Ooh, I love guessing games!” Pinkie squirmed. “Is she hiding?”

“She’s gone!” Rarity announced from the balcony, having just investigated.

Everypony gasped while Pinkie said, “Ooh, she’s good.”

But she yelped in fright, as did everpony, when they saw a shimmering haze appear upon the balcony, Twilight whispering, “Oh no…!”
“Twilight!” Midnight whispered fearfully, “Is it….?!”

His question was answered in the form of a tall black alicorn pony, clad in blue armor, her eyes narrowed wickedly as she looked down on everypony, her mane and tail were the haze, resembling a starry nebula, moving as though they were alive, and her cutie-mark was a purple mark covering her backside while her flanks were sided by a moon.

“Nightmare Moon!” the two unicorns whispered, Spike fainting and falling off Twilight.

“Oh, my beloved subjects!” Nightmare Moon welcomed them in a manner elegant yet condescending. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen your precious little sun-loving faces…”

“What did you to our princess?!” Thunderlane demanded as he started to fly at her, only for Big Mac to grab him by the table.

“Nnope!”

Nightmare Moon laughed mockingly. “Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don’t you know who I am?”

“Ooh, ooh! More guessing games!” Pinkie excited. “Um… Hokey Smokes! How `bout… Queen Meanie! No! Black Beauty, Black-”

Applejack took the liberty of shutting her up by stuffing an apple into her mouth.

“Does my crown no longer count now that I’ve been imprisoned for a thousand years?” Nightmare Moon asked rhetorically, glaring at Fluttershy, before turning to Rarity.
“Did you not recall the legend? Did you not see the signs?”

“I did!”

All eyes fell on Twilight, who said, “And I know who you are!”

Midnight stepped up, saying to everypony, “She’s the Mare in the Moon!”

Twilight nodded, and declared, “Nightmare Moon! “

Everypony gasped while Nightmare Moon simply smirked.
“Well, well, well! Some ponies who remember me… then you also know why I’m here.”

“You’re here to… to-!” Twilight just couldn’t say it.

Nightmare Moon laughed wickedly as she spoke, “Remember this day, little ponies, for it was your last. From this moment forth, the night will last… forever! Ahhahahahahahahahaha…!!!!!!!!”

As Nightmare Moon cackled, her vaporous mane rose up in a hurricane, lightning flashing ominously, as Twilight and Midnight looked at each other fearfully.

Author's Note

The artwork was done by Hoodwinked MCShelster, who has my sincerest gratitude

4. Friendship is Magic - Part 2

As Nightmare Moon continued to cackle triumphantly, Mayor Mare took the initiative, shouting, “Seize her! Only she knows where the princess is!”

The Royal Guard ponies present leapt into action, flying straight for the dark alicorn, as quick as arrows.

“Stand back, you foals!” her eyes lit up with a dark light as she cackled, the Guards getting knocked back by lightning, while Nightmare Moon suddenly dispersed into a shimmering mist and flew off.

“Thunder, let’s go!” Rainbow yelled, as Thunderlane managed to get free of Big Mac and the two flew out in pursuit.

“Come back here, you!” Thunderlane shouted, but in no time at all, their quarry was gone. It was also then that both pegasus ponies realized, to their dismay, that the night had not lifted, and they looked at each other in worry.

“Nighttime, forever?” Rainbow sounded uncharacteristically down when Thunderlane heard some galloping and they both noticed Twilight and Midnight running off.

“Now where are they off to?”

Back in the library, Twilight put Spike to bed, who muttered, “We gotta stop Nightmarrr…”

But he fell back to sleep, Twilight giving him a blanket, saying, “You’ve been up all night, Spike. You are a baby dragon, after all."

“Well, Twilight, whaddo we do?” Midnight asked, once she had come down from upstairs.

But instead of answering him, Twilight quickly got to browsing, using her magic to levitate several books from their shelves, muttering, “Elements, Elements…! Urgh!”

She was levitating book after book, checking the titles, when she said, “How can Nightmare Moon be stopped if we can’t find the Elements of Harmony?!”

“And just what are the Elements of Harmony?!” Twilight found herself looking into a pair of cerise eyes, and Midnight saw it was Rainbow Dash, looking rather accusatory, especially when she threw one at Midnight, demanding, “And how did you two know about Nightmare Moon, huh?! Are you spies?!”

Not taking that one lying down, Midnight butted heads with the rainbow pegasus, threatening, “Back off or I’ll stuff a pillow with you!”

"Wha'd you say to me, you-" Rainbow's feathers ruffled as she got threatening when...

“Simmer down there, pardners!”

Behind Rainbow Dash was Applejack, but she was not alone. With her were Big Macintosh, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Thunderlane.

“They ain’t no spies!” Applejack asserted before looking to the two unicorns, “But they seem to know what’s goin’ on, don’cha Twilight?”

“Midnight…” Big Mac’s tone was respectful but he could just hear the wanting for answers.

Twilight and Midnight looked at each other, Midnight nodding to her, so she sighed in resignation.
“I read all about the prediction of Nightmare Moon. Some mysterious objects called the Elements of Harmony are the only things that can stop her, but I don’t know what they are, how to find them! …I don’t even know what they do!”

“‘The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide,’” read Pinkie, as she looked at a shelved book. Zipping over, Twilight knocked her out of the way to get it.

“How did you find that?!”

“It was under ‘e’!” Pinkie answered with a bouncy smile.

“Makes sense to me,” Midnight shrugged as Twilight levitated the book out and turned to a certain page.

“‘There are Seven Elements of Harmony, of which only five are known’” Twilight read.

What?! Midnight was shocked. That’s wrong! There’s only six Elements of Harmony! They’re…

“‘Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, and Loyalty,’” Twilight continued to read, “‘while the remaining two are a long-forgotten mystery. Guarded by three unknown obstacles, the last known location of the known Elements is the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters, located in what is now…’”

“The Everfree Forest?!” Everypony stood before the aforementioned wood.

“Whee! Let’s go!” Pinkie cheered and started to hop forwar-

“Not so fast!”

Everypony looked at Twilight, as she said, “Look I appreciate the offer… but I’d really rather do this on my own.”

“Nnope!” Big Mac refused.
“Big Mac’s right, sugarcube," added Applejack, "we sure ain’t lettin’ any friend of ours go int’ tha’ creepy place alone!”

They all followed AJ in as she said, “We’re stickin’ t’ you like candy on a candy apple!”

“Especially if there are candy apples in there!” agreed Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Midnight giving her a look. “What? Those things are good!”

Twilight sighed, but Midnight said, “It’s probably for the best, Twilight. Nightmare Moon is too dangerous for any one pony to face alone.”

Midnight ventured forth, Twilight in reluctant tow.

Not long later, as they all walked single-file, Twilight asked, “So… none of you have been here before?”

“Oh heavens, no!” Rarity shivered. “Just look at it, it’s dreadful!”

“And it ain’t natural!” Applejack added, as none of them noticed a mysterious vapor slip into the cliff edge beneath them. “This place don’t work th’ same as th’ rest a’ Equestria!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Midnight asked with a quiver in his voice.

“Nopony knows…!” Rainbow Dash said in a creepy voice as she creeped up towards thew other girls. “Know why?”

“Dash, knock it off!” Thunderlane snapped but Rainbow ignored him.

“Cuz’ everypony who’s gone in here…” she continued, “has never… come… OUT”

There was a crumbling sound, and suddenly, the ground beneath them fell away in a rock slide, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Thunderlane all taking flight while everypony else was not so lucky.

“Thunder, Fluttershy, hurry!” Rainbow Dash zoomed down.

Thunderlane followed along with Fluttershy, who worried, “Oh my goodness!”

As everypony did their best to stop sliding, the pegasus ponies came to the rescue. Rainbow lifted up Pinkie, Fluttershy slowed down Rarity, while Thunderlane (to his silent aggravation) helped Big Macintosh, grabbing him by the tail and working his wings overtime to slow him down.
“Ergh! Mac, dude, ya gotta go easy on the pie!”

“Hey!” Big Mac protested. Sure, he might have a bit of a farmer’s paunch, but he was all muscle, dammit!

Applejack managed to grab a root but saw Twilight and Midnight sliding towards the edge. Midnight caught onto an outcropping of rock, but Twilight almost went over, just barely managing to grab hold of the edge. But it looked like she was slipping,.
“Midnight! Ya gotta help Twilight!”

Oh no! Whaddoo I do?! Midnight worried. He remembered the story – Applejack was supposed to save Twilight. If he changed that, it could have serious consequences for the future. Thinking quickly, he yelled, “I think I hurt my hoof, AJ! You gotta save her!”

“Applejack!” Twilight cried out in worry.

“Applejack hurry!” shouted Midnight to her. “You can do it!”

Looking from Midnight to Twilight, Applejack furrowed her brows.
“Ah’m’a comin’!” she yelled as she slid down and quickly grabbed Twilight. But Twilight’s rear hooves were flailing underneath her, trying to find purchase.

“Applejack, what do I do?!”

For a moment, Applejack was unsure when she noticed something above.
“Let go.”

“Are you crazy?!” Twilight snapped.

“No Ah ain’t!” Applejack swore to her. “Ah promise you’ll be safe.”

“That’s not true!” Twilight was beginning to panic. “You just wanna save yourself!”

Seeing this, Midnight shouted, “Believe in her, Twilight! She’s telling the truth!”

“He’s right, what Ah’m sayin’ to you is the honest truth!” Applejack said with a reassuring smile. “Let go and you’ll be safe.”

Looking into Applejack’s eyes, Twilight saw no deception, and Midnight had vouched for her. She put all her faith into their words, and let go.

“AAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHH!” Twilight screamed for a few short seconds, only to find herself in the safe hold of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.
“Phew…”

They dropped for a sudden moment, but stilled themselves, as Fluttershy said, “Sorry girls, I’m not used to holding anything heavier than a bunny or two.”

Twilight watched as Applejack and Big Mac both leaped from ledge to ledge downwards while Thunderlane carried Midnight down, and she saw Rarity and Pinkie were already at the bottom too.

Unknown to them, a dark presence zoomed off towards the darkness, and a roar shattered the forest silence.

Later, the nine ponies were continuing their trek through the forest while Rainbow bragged.

“…and once Pinkie and Rarity were safe,” Rainbow boasted, “me and `Shy loop de’ looped around and wham! Caught you right in the nick of time.”

“Yes, Rainbow, I was there,” Twilight deadpanned, “and I’m very grateful. But we need to-”

A loud thud ahead of them made them look to see…
“A manticore!” Twilight gasped.

The beast was a large lion with dirty orange fur, a brown-red mane, wings like a bat, and a tail like a scorpion. It rose up on its rear legs, waving its forepaws as it roared.
“We’ve gotta get past it!”

The beast leaped at Rarity, who dodged its first swipe. The fashionista surprised everypony with a powerful buck to the manticore’s face.
“Take that, you ruffian!”

The manticore roared in her face with such force and fury, it blew her mane out of its gorgeous style, much to Rarity’s chagrin.
“MY HAIR!”

Suddenly, she recalled she was face-to-face with a pony-eating beast and yelped before retreating, Fluttershy saying, “Wait...”

The manticore chased her, only to be met with Big Mac who reared up, waving his forelegs at the monstrosity.
“Nnope!”

The manticore did the same, and the two behemoths locked hooves and paws, the situation becoming a contest of strength.
“Yee-haw!” Applejack cheered for her brother. “Don’t give an inch, Big Mac!”

Big Mac snorted through his nostrils, taking a step forward, forcing the manticore back. Fluttershy again said, “Wait.” But no one heard her.

For a few intense seconds, Big Mac and the manticore grappled, trying to force the other down. But the manticore raised his tail, and Big Mac was forced to leap back to avoid what would have been a venomous sting.

“Tag in?” Thunderlane asked.

“Eeyup!” Big Mac conceded.

“Count me in!” Rainbow volunteered as she and Thunder flew literal circles around the manticore, again ignoring Fluttershy as she said, “Wait!”

But it didn’t last long, as the manticore lashed out his wings, and the two Pegasus ponies were thrown back.
“RAINBOW, THUNDERLANE!” Twilight shouted in worry.

Deciding to step up to the plate, Twilight met eyes with the manticore, and the two were prepared for their face-off.
“Come on, everypony!”

They all charged the manticore, when…
“WAAAAAAIIIITTTT!!!” Fluttershy had dropped down in front of them and shouted, finally getting heard, bring everypony to a skidding halt.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight was confused as Fluttershy looked at the manticore. But Midnight put a hoof on her shoulder.

“I think we should let Fluttershy handle this, everypony.”

“But-” Twilight was about to protest when Rarity gasped.

“Oh my!”

Everypony looked and were amazed at what they saw.

“It’s okay…” Fluttershy said gently, giving the manticore’s paw a kiss. The manticore looked distressed and held it out, revealing the true source of its strife. He had a big thorn in his paw.
“Aw, you poor little baby!”

“Little?!” Thunderlane echoed.

“Now this might hurt for just a moment,” Fluttershy gently warned as she took hold of the thorn.

*Pluck!*

The manticore ROARED into Fluttershy’s face, Twilight and Big Mac shouting, “FLUTTERSHY!”

But instead of eating the yellow pegasus, the manticore was giving her a grateful lick, as he purred.
“Ha-ha, oh you’re just a little baby cutie, aren’choo? Yes you are!”

Taking that as a cue, everypony quickly hurried past the manticore. Twilight waited for Fluttershy to catch up.
“How did you know about the thorn?”

“I didn’t,” she admitted, her mane now slicked by manticore slobber. “Sometimes we all just need to be shown a little kindness.”

Twilight puzzled Fluttershy’s words, as well as Midnight.
How did he know Fluttershy would get us past?

Deciding to just take what she was given, Twilight smiled and hurried to catch up, not noticing the thorn spin into a swirl of shimmering haze.

As they all carried on, Rarity shuddered.
“My eyes need a rest from all this icky muck!”

No sooner did she say so did the moonlight fade from the thick canopy above them.
“Be careful what you wish for,” Midnight grumbled.
"This is not what I had in mind!" responded Rarity indignantly.

“That ancient ruin could be right in front of us and we wouldn’t even know it!” Twilight worried.

Everypony else started to complain, unable to see the malevolent haze seep into a nearby tree.

“Hold on!” Thunderlane asked. “I think I stepped in something.

“Augh!!” Fluttershy squealed.

“It’s just mud, no big deal,” Thunderlane scoffed as he walked right into a tree… with a horrifying face. “Yikes!”

Everywhere they turned, everypony saw a horrifying face, ugly ,with sharp teeth, soulless eyes, and they began to scream as they huddled together.

“Ha-ha-ha!”

“Wha?!”

They looked to see Pinkie Pie laughing at one of the faces, and making faces back at it.
“Pinkie, what’re you doing?! Run!” Twilight yelled to her.

“Oh everypony, don’cha see?” Pinkie said as a shindig tune started up.

When I was a little filly and the sun was going down….

“Tell me she’s not-” Twilight started to say, but Pinkie kept going.

The darkness and the shadows, they would make me frown...

“She is,” Rarity confirmed as Pinkie hopped around them as she carried on!

I’d hide under my pillow
From what I thought I saw
But Granny Pie said that wasn’t the way
To deal with fears at all

“Then what is?!” Rainbow Dash demanded, the song irritating her, only for Pinkie to hop over next to her.

She said, “Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall
Learn to face your fears
You’ll see that they can’t hurt you
Just laugh to make them disappear.”

Ha! Ha! Ha!

In response to the laughter, the horrid face vanished, revealing it was nothing more than a tree! Everypony gasped, Midnight saying, “She’s right!”

And Pinkie raised her head to say:

So giggle at the ghostly

Fluttershy giggled along with Thunderlane.

Guffaw at the grossly

Rainbow laughed with a skip.

Crack up at the creepy

Rarity raised her brow and laughed.

Whoop it with the weepy

Big Mac smiled as he gave Applejack a lift as she whooped by.

Chortle at the kooky

Pinkie pushed Twilight and Midnight up to a face, and they laughed it away.

Snortle at the spooky

Everypony laughed together.

And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he’s got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just makes you wanna hahahaha… heh…

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuugh!

Almost at once, all the scary faces vanished in pink poofs, revealing nothing more than barren trees, everypony falling onto their backs and letting out life-enriching laughter.

It wasn’t long later when they were all laughing and carrying on, Pinkie hopping ahead when she stopped at a riverbank, everypony bumping into the pony ahead of him or her. Everypony looked past Pinkie, as she said, “How’re we gonna get across this?!”

The river before them was turbulent, and looked too treacherous to cross, and without any idea how deep it was, it was just too risky. But at that moment, they heard a mournful sobbing, making them all, “Huh?”

They followed the sobbing upriver and peered through some bushes. They found the source of the river’s turbulence in the form of a large purple serpent thumping his tail in the water (why he was called a sea serpent for one that lived in a river was anyone’s guess). The serpent had a slicked back orange mane and mustache and appeared to be in distress.
“What a world, what a world!”

“Um, excuse us, kind sir?” Midnight called out. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Well! I was just swimming along, minding my own business,” the serpent explained, “when this tacky little cloud of purple smoke just… zipped past me, and tore off half of my beloved mustache clean off!”

They could see the missing half of the serpent’s mustache, now a mere messy tuft on the serpent’s nose.
“And now I look simply horrid!”

The serpent cried as he just fell over, unintentionally sending a wave to splash the nine ponies, leaving them all soaked.
“Oh gimme a break!” Rainbow gruffed.

“That’s what all th’ fuss is about?” Applejack asked with a tone one might use to say ‘are you serious’.

“Why of course it is!” Rarity spoke up, her nose pointing up. “How can you be so insensitive?”

They all watched in bewilderment as Rarity approached the serpent, resting his head on the bank.
“Why just look at him, such lovely luminous scales!”

Sniffing, the serpent said, “I know!”

“Is she serious?!” Thunderlane muttered, earning him a ‘shush’ from Midnight.

“Let her talk!” he whispered.

“Your expertly coiffed mane.” Rarity complimented the serpent.

“Oh I know, I know!” the serpent ran his hand through it.

“Your fabulous manicure.”

Gasping, the serpent whisper-squealed, “It’s so true!”

“All ruined by your beautiful mustache,” Rarity lamented.

“It’s true! I’m hideous…!” the serpent wept.

“I simply cannot let such a crime against fabulosity go uncorrected!” Rarity swore, and she quickly plucked one of the serpent’s scales.

“Ow! What’d you do that for?!”

Rarity held the scale out, Twilight saying, “Rarity, what’re you-”

They all gasped as the scale slit through the air, the serpent moaning as he fainted, and they all saw Rarity had slit off her own tail!

Her horn shined as her magic levitated her shorn tail to the serpent’s nose, and with her magic, Rarity replaced the lost half of the mustache with her tail, much to the serpent’s joy.
“Oh! Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! My mustache…!”

“You look smashing!” Rarity beamed.

“But Rarity, you’re beautiful tail!” Midnight worried.

“Oh it’s fine, dear!” Rarity waved it off. “Besides, it’ll… grow back.”

Midnight smiled, but Thunderlane muttered to him, “So would the mustache!”

They heard Twilight gasp, "Look, everypony, the river's still enough for us to cross now," and she was starting to wade through the river, which no longer posed a threat. But she found herself lifted up by the serpent’s tail.

“Allow me!” he said as the serpent formed a bridge of his coils, allowing all the ponies lacking wings passage over.

As the ponies carried on, they came upon an open field, centered by a single pedestal. Approaching, they saw some old writing.

“What’s this?” Twilight wondered while Midnight was confused.

This never appeared in the story, he thought to himself and they all heard Twilight read the inscription.

“‘If you come in good will, prepare for a challenge high, if you come with ill intent suffer the wrath of the sky’.”

“What does that mean?” Thunderlane scoffed, and he got his answer as a great cloud formed overhead.

“Twilight!” Midnight brought up, “Before, the book said, that the way to the Elements there would be three obstacles. What if this is one of them?”

Twilight didn’t get to answer, as a lightning bolt zapped around them, and everypony huddled together, as lightning continued to strike, preventing them from going anywhere. The lightning strikes continued, some more intense than others, but before long, they were surrounded as though they were in a cage with lightning bolts as the bars. F a second, there would be a gap but then the second would pass and the gaps would disappear and reappear consistently around them.

“This looks like a job for…” Rainbow Dash paused for dramatic effect, only for a bolt to strike the ground close to her and singe a few of her mane hairs, making her gulp as she huddled back with her friends.
"...somepony else..."

Suddenly, Midnight had an idea.
“Thunderlane! This test is for a pegasus pony! I think it’s meant for you!”

“Me?!” Thunderlane gaped at the cloud above, how dark and dense it was. “Are you crazy?!”

“Trust me, what’s that cutie-mark of yours for?” Midnight gave him a determined smile. “You’re a weather pony like no other!”

Thunderlane could just see it, Midnight believed in him. Then everypony else was giving him looks of encouragement. If they all believed in him, how could he not believe in himself? Smirking, he reached behind himself and pulled out a pair of goggles, snapping them on.

“Vice-Captain Thunderlane of the Ponyville Weather Team, reporting for duty!” He said with a proud salute.

“You get us through this and we’ll be co-captains!” Rainbow Dash promised, and Thunderlane instantly zoomed off.

Thunderlane flew around the cloud, knowing in order to break apart one this big, he’d have to look for the densest part, and give it everything he got. With his highly-trained vigilance, he scanned the cloud, expertly dodging the lightning bolts, when he saw it! It was dark and thick, the very heart of the cloud!

He pumped his wings, gaining altitude with each beat of his wings. Everypony could see him from beneath the cloud until he was no more than a speck.
“Come on, Thunder…” Midnight whispered, Twilight noticing the look in Midnight’s eyes.

Thunderlane took a deep breath… and dived! This was gonna be tense, he had to gain enough velocity and hit the right spot! If he missed, there would be no second chances. He’d go right through the cloud and he wouldn’t be able to pull up… unless he hit the heart of the cloud, which would cushion him just enough to be able to slow down and land.

The wind streaked past his face, howling in his ears. He flipped forward, his rear hooves downwards. Everypony’s hearts were pumping, some of them chewing on their hooves!

POOF!!!

They looked up and saw the cloud’s lightning stop, and sure enough it started to lighten up, the cloud breaking apart into wisps of rainy vapor, and they saw him! Thunderlane zoomed up at a 45 degree angle, and everypony cheered as Thunderlane came down with a cocky look.

They all crowded him with words of kudos.
“Thunder! That was as awesome as… me!” Rainbow admitted with a smirk.
“Well done, darling!” Rarity clapped her hooves.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac raised his own, Fluttershy doing the same as she said “yay”.
“Yee-haw!”Applejack whooped, saying, “That’s even better than a rodeo!”
“Whoo-hoo! Thundy’s so cool!” Pinkie cheered.

Midnight was clapping his hooves, when Twilight whispered, “How did you know?”

“What?”

“Somehow you knew this was Thunderlane’s test,” Twilight admonished, without letting the others notice.

“I didn’t exactly know, Twilight,” Midnight corrected with a smile. “It was just a question of faith.”

And with that, they all carried on. Soon they exited the foliage, and Twilight exclaimed, “There it is!”

Ahead they could see…
“The ruins that hold the Elements of Harmony!”

Twilight galloped forward, Applejack yelling, “Twilight! Wait fer us!”

“We’re almost there!” Twilight protested when she yelped, stepping onto nothing, and gasped to see she was dangling over another edge. She struggled to push herself back, when she felt a tug on her tail pull her to safety.
“What’s with you and falling off cliffs today?” Rainbow cracked.

They all looked to see a great chasm barring their way, and Pinkie complained, “Now what?”

“Duh,” Rainbow wiggled her wings.

“Oh yeah.”

“Hold on, Dash, I’ll help you-” Thunderlane stretched a wing, but winced. “Ooh, my wing!”

Fluttershy gave it a look, and said in a maternal way, “I think you sprained it a little, No flying on that wing, Thundy.”

“No sweat, Thunder,” Rainbow scoffed. “Be back in a flash.”

Rainbow dived down the chasm, and arose the mist below, the remains of a rope-bridge in her mouth, as she lifted the other end towards the other side. But just as she was getting to secure it, she heard something.

“Rain… bow…”

“Who’s there?!”

“Rainbow…”

“I ain’t scared of you!” Rainbow reared up, boxing her hooves for a fight. “Show yourself!”

She looked towards the mist ahead and heard a voice.
“We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the best flier in Equestria!”

“Who?” Rainbow asked rather dumbly.

“Why, you of course!”

“Really?! I mean- oh yeah, me!” Rainbow bragged. “Hey, uh, you wouldn’t mind telling the Wonderbolts that, would ya? Cuz I’ve been trying to get into that group for, like, ever!”

“No, Rainbow Dash, we want you to join us!” The source of the voice approached in a gallop and Rainbow saw three shady-looking pegasus ponies.
“The Shadowbolts!”

They wore purple and black flight suits, with lightning yellow borders, the one in the middle was a mare while her escorts were stallions, Each of them had bone-white coats while their manes were an ominous blue, and their eyes were covered by shady-looking goggles with orange lenses.
"We're the best team of fliers in the Everfree Forest! And soon, we will be the greatest in all Equestria! But first… we need a captain”

Instantly Rainbow got starry-eyed, having an idea where this was going as the female Shadowbolt carried on.
“The most magnificent…”

“Yep!” Rainbow agreed.

“Swiftest!”

“Uh-huh.”

“Bravest flyer in all the land.”

Chuckling, Rainbow said, “It’s all true.”

“We need…!” the Shadowbolt cried dramatically before whispering into Rainbow’s ear, “you!”

“Whoo-hoo! Sign me up!” Rainbow leapt before going over to the rope-bridge. “Just lemme secure this thing, then we have a deal.”

“NO!” the Shadowbolt yelled. “It’s them or us!”

Rainbow realized something was wrong here.

“Rainbow!”

It was Twilight, “What’s taking so long? Oh no!”

Twilight could see Rainbow alone before the Shadowbolts.
“Rainbow!”

The mare Shadowbolt glared at them, her goggles flashing yellow, causing the clouds to cover the others, muffling their voices.

“Oh no, Rainbow’s in trouble!” Twilight worried.
“We gotta get over there!” Thunderlane insisted.
“Oh my, oh my!” Fluttershy fretted.

“Don’t worry about her.”

All eyes fell to Midnight, who looked into the fog with an unreadable look. Applejack stood next to him, asking, “What in the hay do ya mean don’t worry?”

“Believe in Rainbow Dash,” Midnight insisted. “She’ll make the right choice.”

For a few agonizing moments, everypony looked to the mist, so thick they couldn’t even see that telltale rainbow mane they all knew and loved. Then, without warning, they saw the bridge on their side jerk, and the fog parted, Rainbow flying up to them, as they all cheered and made their way across.
“Good job, Rainbow!” Twilight said proudly.

“See? I’d never leave my friends hanging,” Rainbow smiled and flew ahead.

Having made it to the other side, everypony could see the ruins just up ahead.
“We’re almost there,” Twilight whispered.

But halfway to the castle, they heard a rumbling sound and the ground beneath their hooves shook.
“Not again!” Rarity cried out.

But instead of a rockslide, the ground erupted, and something rose from the earth itself, and everypony gasped to see a giant dog made entirely of rock, dirt, and soil. It growled at them, as Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Thunderlane all shied in fear.

But to their surprise, the earth-dog opened its mouth and spoke in a gravelly growl.
“A test of strength against the stone, this contest win by earth pony alone…”

“This must be another of the obstacles for the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight whispered to Midnight.
“And I have a feeling it’s meant for Big Macintosh!” he responded.

As if hearing Midnight, Big Mac stepped forward, his eyes narrowed, his nostrils snorting.
“Go get `im, big guy!” Thunderlane and Midnight cheered.

Everypony backed up, as Big Mac sized up the earth-dog. It was three times his size, and at least four times his weight.

The monster made the first move and charged. Big Mac met it head on, and they grappled hooves against paws. However, everypony could see at once the big red earth pony was outmatched. Big Mac bared his teeth, a vein bulging on his forehead, as he struggled with all his might against the earth-dog. It was like trying to push back a train at full-speed!

Realizing even his hoofaclean strength alone was not gonna be enough, Big Mac fell backwards, pulling the earth-dog, and sent him tumbling head over heels. The beast barked angrily as it scrabbled to its feet, and while it was doing that, Big Mac’s sharp eyes saw it! A big gemstone in the beast’s middle, and it had a big crack on it!

It was then Big Mac realized what this challenge was really about! It wasn’t a test of brute strength, but rather a test of one’s personal strengths, and Big Mac knew besides his muscle, he actually had a head on his shoulders.

Whistling, Big Mac yelled, “Get on over here, ya mangy varmint! Or do th’ rocks in yer head make ya too stoo-pid t' understand?!”

The insults hit home as the earth-dog charged again, everypony gasping, Applejack shouting in worry, “Big brother, be careful!”

Big Mac stood his ground, waiting for the right moment. Suddenly, he bolted forward and the earth-dog ready for another wrestle which would end in his favor. The golem reared up, expecting big Mac to meet their hooves and paws. Instead, Big Mac jumped forward, and delivered a mighty blow to the gemstone in the middle of the earth-dog’s chest.

Everypony gasped as they heard it shatter, and for a few seconds nothing happened, the earth-dog apparently frozen. Then, slowly but surely, the earth-dog fell apart into a literal heap of crumbly rubble. Everypony cheered, and crowded Big Mac, Applejack cheering loudest of all.
“Hoo-wee! Now that’s how an Apple gets business done!”

Everypony laughed, and Midnight said, “Come on, everypony! We’re just about there.”

But as everypony approached the doors of the ruin, they failed to realize another test was staring them in the face. Midnight reached forth to open the door, when Twilight shouted, “Midnight, stop!”

Midnight jerked his hoof back, everypony looking at Twilight as her horn glowed with her aura.
“There’s some kind of barrier surrounding the ruins! I think if you’d touched it you would’ve gotten hurt.”

"Oh great!” Rainbow complained. “We come all this way just so some stupid spell can get in the way.”

“Unless this is another test!” Midnight calmed her down. He looked to the door and somehow he felt it – this magic was waiting for him. Somehow he knew to look to his right, and Midnight saw it.
“Twilight, there’s an inscription here.”

Twilight scrutinized it, and said, “I think it’s a riddle! ...‘In the dark they arrive without being fetched, in the light they are lost without being stolen’!”

“A surprise party?” Pinkie offered.

“Uh, the sun n’ moon?” Applejack tried.

Midnight considered the words when he looked at Twilight. But then he noticed her cutie-mark, that big magenta six-point star.
Wait! …That’s it!

He stepped forward, and called out, “In the dark they arrive without being fetched, in the light they are lost without being stolen! The answer is… the Stars!”

They saw it and they felt it, the barrier seemed to reflect in light, blinding them for an instant before it shattered into shards of magic that quickly shimmered before fading away.

“Well done, Midnight!” Twilight said with a smile, and in they went.

Though the roof was gone, the first chamber was no less impressive. Some windows still persisted, and a few pillars still stood, most of them enwrapped with vines. In the center stood a great monument that held up five stone spheres, each carved with a different shape.

“Whoa…!” Thunderlane voiced what everyone felt as they all entered.

“Come on, Twilight,” Applejack invited, “isn’t this what you’ve been waitin’ for?”

“The Elements of Harmony!” Twilight awed as she gazed upon the spheres. “We found them!”

As Thunderlane still had a sprained wing, Rainbow and Fluttershy both collected the stones, Twilight saying, “Careful, careful…”

“1 – 2 – 3 – 4…” Pinkie counted. “There’s only five!”

“Where’re the last two?” Rainbow asked.

“The book said that when the five are present, one would be revealed through hope, the other by a spark!” Twilight explained.

“Wha’ in the hay is that s’posed to mean?” Applejack asked, thinking it sounded like hooey.

“I’m not sure but I have an idea!” Twilight said as she kneeled before the stone. “Stand back, I don’t know what will happen.”

“Come on y’all,” Applejack said, leading everyone outside, “she needs ta’ concentrate.”

But as they left, the shimmering haze returned, and became a whirlwind, sucking in the Elements, Twilight gasping.

“TWILIGHT!” Everypony outside gasped.

“The Elements!” Twilight shouted as she dove into the whirlwind after them, which blinked away, much to everypony’s shock.

“Where did she go?!” “What happened?” “How do we find `em?” “I don’t see her!”

As everypony dashed around in a mad attempt to locate their friend, Applejack yelled, “Twilight! Where are you?!”

“Look!”

They looked to see Thunderlane looking out a window, and in a nearby a tower, lights flashed from its windows.

“Come on, y’all!” Applejack called as she led the charge.

Twilight coughed, as the haze cleared and she gasped! Ahead of her, on a pedestal, stood Nightmare Moon, the Elements levitating around her, caught in her haze of a mane and tail, laughing wickedly as lightning flashed around her.

Twilight lowered her horn, and stomped her hoof, showing she was rearin’ to charge.

“You’re kidding,” Nightmare Moon scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?”

Twilight;’s horn shined as she charged, and Nightmare Moon responded in sneering kind. But…! Just before the two clashed, Twilight vanished in a FLASH, Nightmare Moon skidding to a halt, as she looked towards the Elements and saw Twilight had teleported to them.

“Just one spark!” she whispered, and channeled her power to the Elements. “Come on, come on...!”

Nightmare Moon growled as she zoomed over in a haze, re-solidifying before she lashed out, knocking Twilight back. But the Elements flickered with energy, Nightmare Moon gasping, “No, no!”

Twilight smirked only for her moment of victory to be dashed away, as the Elements went dim. She gasped, saying, “But… Where are the last two Elements?!”

Nightmare Moon cackled as she reared up and brought down her hooves in a powerful stomp, and to Twilight’s horror, the Elements shattered!
“You little foal! Thinking you could defeat me?! Now you will never again see your princess or your sun! The Night will last… forever!!”

“No!” Twilight whispered.

“Oh, don’t feel bad,” Nightmare Moon mocked, “you won’t be around to enjoy it!”

Without warning, Nightmare Moon shot a bolt of energy at Twilight, who was too downtrodden to notice.

“Twilight!”

Twilight looked and saw a blue figure leap in front of her, and gasped to hear him scream as he took the blow. He fell in front of her, Twilight running over to see…
“Midnight!”

"Ergh… Are you okay?” Midnight whispered, obviously in pain. Twilight looked in dismay to see Midnight's coat singed and blackened by Nightmare Moon's attack, and the point of impact looked like he'd gotten burned.

“Midnight! Why... why did you do that?!” Twilight cried, tears starting to well up.

Midnight smiled, wincing, but said, “What else are friends for?”

Twilight gasped softly, touched by those words and the pained smile Midnight was giving her before she woefully said, “Midnight, I… I failed. The Elements are destroyed! It’s over…”

She felt a hoof wipe her tears away, and saw Midnight smiling still with nary a doubt in his eyes.
“So long as you believe, it’s never over.”

“How sentimental…” Nightmare Moon mocked. “You can share in her fate.”

But before Nightmare moon could charge another energy bolt, Twilight heard voices familiar, and looked behind them to see a doorway.
“Twilight, don’t worry!”
“We’ll be there!”
“We’re coming!”
“Don’t give up!”

And it was then Twilight experienced a revelation!
“You think you can destroy the Elements of Harmony just like that?” Twilight faced Nightmare Moon, “Well you’re wrong!”

She heard them all gallop to her side and declared, “Because the spirits of the Elements of Harmony… are right here!”

The shards of the Elements all glowed and shivered around Nightmare’s hooves and rose up
“What?!”

“Applejack,” Twilight spoke, “who reassured me when I was in doubt, represents the spirit of… Honesty!”

Applejack found herself surrounded by some of the shards.

“Fluttershy, who tamed the manticore with her compassion, represents the spirit of… Kindness!”

Fluttershy hesitated but found reassurance in the shards around her.

“Pinkie Pie, who banished fear by giggling in the face of danger, represents the spirit of… Laughter!”

Pinkie got giddy as shards surrounded her.

“Rarity, who calmed a sorrowful serpent with a meaningful gift, represents the spirit of… Generosity! Rainbow Dash, who could not abandon her friends for her own heart’s desire, represents the spirit of Loyalty!”

As Rarity and Rainbow were surrounded by some shards, Twilight looked down at Midnight, who smiled at her, and she finally understood.
“And Midnight Blaze, who never lost hope and believed in us all, represents the spirit of… Faith!”

Twilight stepped away from Midnight, who became surrounded by the shards that somehow gave him enough strength to stand on his hooves, and he felt his wound begin to feel better as the magic seemed to heal him and even clean his coat.

“The spirits of these six ponies, along with the aid of Thunderlane and Big Macintosh, helped us get through every challenge, yours and the three tests of harmony itself!”

“You still lack the last element!” Nightmare insisted but looking worried. “The spark didn’t work!”

“But it did… a different kind of spark!” Twilight corrected as she faced the others, smiling at them all as they smiled at her.
“I felt it the very moment I realized how happy I was to hear you, to see you, how much I cared about you… The Spark ignited inside me! When I realized that you all… are my friends!”

A light shined above, and the seventh element appeared, floating down towards Twilight, and suddenly, Thunderlane, Big Mac, and Midnight each shined with a golden light.
“You see, Nightmare Moon, when those elements are ignited by… the Spark that resides in the heart of us all, it summons the final Element! The Element of… Magic!”

Everypony shined with power, the shards transforming into necklaces while the seventh element became a crown upon Twilight’s head. Thunderlane, Big Mac, and Midnight found themselves clad in armor, while Midnight’s shards became a helmet.

And together, the nine friends, their friendship tested and true, shined with the colors of the rainbow, so radiant that it unleashed a rainbow towards the dark one. Engulfed in its power, Nightmare Moon cried out, “NOOOOOOO!!!!! AAAAUUGGHHH!!!!”

And like a bad dream she vanished as Twilight and Midnight opened their eyes, releasing a pure white light.

“Ohh…!” Rainbow groaned, as she got up. Looking around, she noticed the others all lying on the floor, stirring as well. “My head!”

“Everypony okay?” Applejack asked.

“Oh my goodness!”

“Why Rarity, it’s so lovely,” Fluttershy complimented, as Rarity posed.

“I know!” Rarity waved her tail, which had somehow been restored to its full length and same beautiful style. “I'll never part with it again!”

“No, your necklace,” Fluttershy pointed out. “The jewel looks just like your cutie-mark.”

Rarity saw for herself the jewel was indeed shaped like one of the jewels of her cutie-mark, colored the same purple as her mane.
“So does yours!”

Fluttershy’s jewel was a pink butterfly, much to her thrill.

“Lookit mine, lookit mine!” Pinkie bounced, her jewel a blue balloon, Applejack’s an orange apple with a green leaf.

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow was feeling pret-ty good, her jewel a red lightning bolt.

“That’s nothing, check us out!”

They looked and saw the boys were clad in golden armor, similar to the armor worn by the Royal Guard, but each emblazoned with their cutie marks (except Midnight). Big Mac’s armor was red and green with gold accents, featuring his cutie-mark, a sparkling sliced-in-half green apple, as an emblem.
Smiling, he nodded approvingly, saying, “Eeyup!”

Thunderlane’s armor was black and silver with gold accents, with his storm cloud cutie-mark.
“Oh yeah! Check me out ladies!” Thunderlane posed.

“Aw! How come you guys get armor?!” complained Rainbow.

“Cuz we’re boys,” Thunderlane smirked with a 'so there' look.

Midnight’s armor was blue and gold with white accents, but he was the only one who wore a helmet, the plume colored the same as his mane, and it sported a white jewel shaped like a pentagon. Removing it, he held it in his hooves to give it a better look.
The story has changed…

“Midnight?”

He looked and smiled to see Twilight wore a golden tiara-like crown topped with a magenta jewel shaped like the six-point star of her cutie-mark.

“Well Twilight, as wild as all this was,” he said to her, “it seems together we all represent the elements of friendship.”

A light appeared as it radiated a heavenly voice, “Indeed you do!”

Everypony looked and through a window, they saw the sun rise in the horizon, as a light came down from the sun, into the ruin with them, dimming to reveal…
“Princess Celestia!”

It was the Princess of the Sun, tall and regal, her coat white tinted pink, her mane flowing with resplendent colors of pink, pale green, turquoise, her wings spread, her horn like a lance of pearl. She wore a crown, hoofboots, and a regalia, and her cutie-mark was a shining sun!

Everypony bowed while Twilight approached her teacher, who greeted, “Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student!”

Teacher and student shared a loving nuzzle, and Princess Celestia stood up with a smile.
“I knew you could do it.”

“But you told me it was all an old pony tale,” Twilight protested.

“I told you that you needed to make some friends,” Celestia gently reminded her, “nothing more. I saw the signs of Nightmare Moon’s return, and I knew it was you who had the magic inside to defeat her. But you could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart.”

Twilight and the others all smiled.

“Now if only another would as well,” Celestia spoke, stepping past Twilight. “Princess Luna!”

Everypony looked and were shocked to see that in Nightmare Moon’s place was a little alicorn, surrounded by the remnants of Night Mare Moon’s armor. She had a deep blue coat and gentle blue mane and tail, wore a little black crown, and had the same cutie-mark. She looked nothing like Nightmare Moon, as she cringed in fear at the approach of the Princess of the Sun.
“It has been a thousand years since I’ve seen you like this.”

Luna looked away in shame, Celestia kneeling down to her.
“It's time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, little sister.”

“Sister?!” everypony gasped.

“Duh, can’t you see the resemblance?” cracked Midnight, only for Big Mac to cuff him on the back of the head.

Celestia stood up, pleadingly asking, “Won’t you accept my friendship?”

Everypony leaned in, hopefully (Pinkie leaning a little too much given she fell on her face), and Luna got up, crying as she nuzzled Celestia, “I’m so sorry! I missed you so much, big sister!”

Celestia shed a tear of joy, replying, “I missed you too!”

Pinkie let out tears and sobbed, crying as she felt happy for the royal sisters united! But suddenly she stopped (somehow the waterworks vanishing) as she said, “Hey! Y’know what this calls for?”

“What, a… party?” Midnight answered, and fainted.

“Midnight!” everypony gasped.

Author's Note

The artwork is courtesy of Hoodwinked MCShelster

5. Truths and Answers

Midnight found himself surrounded by a glowing mist beneath the night sky.
Where am I?

But when he stood up, he realized something.
My hands! I-I’m human again?! Was all that just…

But then, he heard a sobbing sound. Following it, he saw…
Jade!

It was his sister, Jade, sobbing as she cried beneath a tree, and he recognized it! It was the tree where he once climbed when he and Jade were little, risking breaking his neck, to get his little sister’s kite back.

He didn’t break his neck but he did wind up with a broken wrist. But Jade had been happy to get her kite back. Suddenly, he realized, Is this… some kind of dream?

Deciding to go with it, he approached his crying sister, gently saying, Jade?

She stopped and gaped at him.
B-big brother?! I-it can’t be! You died, the accident!

Now he knew. He had died from that accident but it seemed Jade had survived. That brought a warmth of relief in his heart, as he knelt down and hugged his sister.
It’s okay! Everything will be okay.

Jade hugged him tight, making him think she wasn’t gonna let him go.
It’s not fair… We both had such big dreams to work towards. How can I keep going, knowing I survived and you’re gone?

He gave her a gentle smile, saying, Be strong. Jade, you can’t make the same mistakes I did. I was fed up with life, so many times I wanted to give up! Well… life dealt me exactly what I felt. But I give you my word that I’m okay. But you have to keep going! Life is wonderful, something I didn’t appreciate until it was too late. I want you to live your life, Jade. Keep moving forward, live your life to the fullest, and know that I'm never far away. Just keep me close in your dreams.

He kissed her forehead and stood up. As he began to walk away, she called out, Wolven!

He looked back, and she gasped to see him as a pony. But somehow she knew it was still him.
I love you.

Midnight smiled and said, And I love you, little sister. Always and forever.

He groaned, shifting and woke up, finding himself in what looked like a hospital room. Looking down, he was happy to see, I’m still a pony!

Then the door opened, and he gasped to see Princess Celestia walk in.
“Hello Midnight, glad to see you’re well.”

“Um, thank you, Your Majesty,” Midnight felt awkward. He’d always admired Princess Celestia from the show but seeing her in person – Alone – felt a little intimidating.
“How did I get here?”

“You fainted back at the Castle of the Two Sisters,” Celestia explained, “you were just a little overcome with exhaustion. You’ve been sleeping since yesterday.”

“So… what happened while I was out?”

“Everypony is fine and returned to their lives,” she went on. “Although Twilight has taken on a new objective, to study the Magic of Friendship here in Ponyville, so she can remain close with her newfound friends.”

“That’s good to know,” Midnight was silently relieved to know at least that part of the story remained unchanged.

“Although…” she gave him an impish smile. “You already knew that, didn’t you… T.G. Wolven!”

Midnight gasped and gaped at Celestia, his mind racing!
How does she know that!?

“Be calm, my little pony,” Celestia laughed. She turned to the door and closed it, saying, “I think it’s time you and I had a little talk.”

Celestia took a seat next to Midnight’s bed. For a moment he didn’t know what to say, but went with the obvious.
“Do you… know who I really am?”

“You go by your pen-name, T.G. Wolven, you were a human from a world known as Earth, who had aspired to write stories. Well it seems you’ve stepped into one even greater.”

“How do you know all this, Your Highness? Do you… know how I got here?”

“I brought you here!” Celestia answered, Midnight gasping. “You see, my little pony, there exist an infinite number of universes spanning the cosmos! Each a reflection of another, some so similar you could search a lifetime for any distinction. Whereas others…”

“Others, like Equestria,” Midnight gathered, “so different, they defy comprehension.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said with a satisfied smile. “But all of them share one thing in common – The border that separates them, the Betwixt and Between. That is where I found you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Midnight, what you remember is the truth,” Celestia said sadly. “In your world, you died.”

“But if I died… how did I wind up in Equestria? How did I become a pony?!”

“Normally, Midnight, when a life ends, the soul leaves the world into which it was born.”

“Where does it go?”

Celestia smiled and simply said, “On.”

“So… my soul didn’t?”

“No, for some reason, your soul was sent astray, and I sensed your wayward soul,” Celestia answered. “Using my magic, I found you and brought you here. However, the process was shaky, and you wound up outside Ponyville instead of Canterlot.”

“But how did I become a pony?” Midnight asked. “For that matter… how did I become a pony that I envisioned?”

“Perhaps you just answered your own question,” Celestia suggested. “Perhaps, that when you arrived, the magic somehow looked into your heart and gave you a form that reflected your dreams.”

“Wow…” Midnight whispered, looking at his hooves. “But then why don’t I have a cutie-mark? I envisioned that!”

“Midnight, I think you would know that we don’t choose our cutie-marks, and that they must be earned.”

“Figures,” Midnight muttered. “But wait, you said I knew what happened. How did you know that?”

“Gee, how would I know that the mysterious pony, who comes from a world that has a show called ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’, would know how the story is supposed to play out?” She gave him a knowing smile.

“You know about that?!” Midnight gaped at her.

“Midnight, I think you’ll find it interesting to know that while our worlds are so different, we share a connection through our dreams and imagination. Dreams are often dismissed as whimsical visions that have no meaning, when truly they mean more than we can dare to imagine. There are times when dreams become windows to another realm. I believe that the creators of the show dreamt of this world and found inspiration!”

“So…. The show-makers are ripping off your reality,” Midnight gave her a smile.

“Hm-hm, that’s one way of looking at it,” Celestia laughed. But then she got serious. “Midnight, now that we’ve had this talk, what are you going to do?”

Midnight considered a moment, but looked troubled.
“All this time, I’ve been telling everypony I lost my memories… I know it was lying, but… How could I tell them the truth? How could I tell them I know them all from a TV show? They’d think I was crazy!”

“Midnight, I think you’re not giving them enough credit,” Celestia gently scolded. “I understand why you chose to tell a fib, but I think Applejack would agree that Honesty is always the best policy.”

“…Could you tell them?” Midnight asked hopefully but Celestia shook no.

“I think it would be better if the truth came from you.”

Midnight’s ears drooped, but Celestia lifted his face up with her hoof to look at her.
“But I’ll be there to help you.”

Ten minutes later, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, had all gathered in Midnight’s hospital room at Celestia’s request. With all eyes on him, Midnight told the truth. Nly a few times did somepony ask a question, and Celestia was there to make it easier and help.

Finally, Midnight wrapped it up.
“And that’s the story, everypony.”

They all looked at him, still trying to wrap their minds around all that they’d heard. Midnight looked down in shame.
“I’m sorry, for lying to all of you. Big Mac, Applejack, I understand if you don’t want me around anymore. Twilight, I didn’t mean to mislead you or anything, I just…”

He couldn’t help it as a few tears welled up in his eyes, and he looked away. But he felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked to see Twilight.
“Midnight, did you really think we’d be so shallow?”

“While Ah’m admittedly a bit miffed y’all weren’t straight with us,” Applejack said, “Ah cin understand why. Tha’s some story!

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed.

“We’re famous in another world? Awesome!” Rainbow tossed back her mane, as though she were getting ready for a close-up.

“It is kinda cool,” Thunderlane admitted.

“Oh my, are we being watched all the time?!” Rarity fretted.

“No-no!” Midnight assured her. “Just certain adventures, it’s not like some sick reality show.”

“And you were something called a human?” Fluttershy asked.

“Not anymore,” Midnight replied. “Now I’m a pony, and I’m here to stay. Even if I have a blank flank.”

“This calls for….!” Pinkie started but everypony yelled, “NOT NOW PINKIE!”

“So, what’s next for you, Midnight??” Twilight asked.

“That’s just it,” Midnight replied, “I don’t know where to go from here.”

“Well, sugarcube,” Applejack laughed, “y’know ya gotta home with us at Sweet Apple Acres!”

“You mean, you still want me there?” Midnight asked, surprised.

“Well, Ah’m gonna work ya hard,” applejack warned. “Yer gonna earn your keep.”

“Sounds fair,” Midnight sighed.

“Twilight,” Celestia cut in, “I was thinking perhaps Midnight could come to see you now and then, for some lessons in magic.”

“Me?! A teacher?” Twilight considered and quickly found the idea appealing. “Oh! This’ll be such an experience! Midnight, I’ll expect you at the library every weekend, we’ll cover all the basics,-”

“Uh, Twilight?!” Midnight yelped, “Let’s take things one step at a time please.”

“Sorry, got a little ahead of myself,” Twilight replied but she still squealed happily and clapped her hooves.

“Excuse me, your Highness.”

They looked to see Nurse Redheart.
“But I think it’s time for the patient to get some more rest. I must respectfully ask for everyone to leave, you’re already exceeding the allowed number of visitors.”

“Of course, Nurse Redheart, come along my little ponies, Midnight needs his rest.”

Everypony said bye to Midnight, along with wishes to get better. But just before Celestia left, she shared a private word with Midnight.
“Midnight, I must ask something of you.”

“What’s that, Your Majesty?”

“You have knowledge of the future of this world. Your very presence has already changed history, and while you’ve done well to make sure everything played out as it should, I must ask that you never reveal your knowledge of the future to anypony else.”

“I won’t,” Midnight promised. “And I’ll try to make sure everything goes as it should. But Princess, there is something I wanna ask you.”

“And that is?”

“The Elements of Harmony,” Midnight brought up. “Originally in the story, there were only six! And Faith wasn’t one of them. Not to mention Big Mac and Thunderlane’s presences, along with the tests the three of us overcame to help the girls reach the Castle of the Two Sisters.”

“As I’ve already said, Midnight, your arrival here has changed this world’s history, including its past. I cannot give you a definitive answer, but I can tell you this… I am glad that you’re here.”

They smiled at each other and Celestia walked to the door. But just before she went through, she asked, “Oh! Midnight, did you happen to have a dream before you woke up?”

“I did!” Midnight realized as he remembered it. “It was… nice. Would you like to hear it?”

“No thank you,” Celestia declined with a smile. “I heard just what I needed. Sleep well, Midnight Blaze.”

Her horn glowed, and Midnight felt sleep come quickly. As he began to snooze, Celestia closed the door behind her, and she saw her sister.
“He loved it.”

Luna nodded, a tear in her eye.
“I’m glad.”

Author's Note

I felt this would be necessary, so Midnight wouldn't have to keep lying. And I bet u can all guess what Luna did :)

Originally I gave an explanation regarding the dream but others kept poking holes in it so I'll leave them to take what they will, but I will make one thing clear - His sister Jade did not die.

6. The Ticket Master - Part 1

A week had passed since the events that changed Midnight’s life forever. He’d settled into Sweet Apple Acres well enough, despite the rough and shaky start, such as getting up at the crack of dawn (often by a rude awakening courtesy of Applejack or even Big Mac).

At first Midnight simply helped around the farm with simple chores, like gathering up the apple baskets, hoeing the crops, feeding the chickens and pigs, helping Granny Smith around the house, and keeping an eye on Apple Bloom. They promised they’d soon teach him apple-bucking, and he honestly wanted to give it a try.

But today, he was excited! With a pep in his step, he eagerly trotted through town, on his way to the Golden Oak Library. Today he was to begin his first magic lesson with Twilight Sparkle!

He wore his saddlebags but he no longer felt self-conscious about his lack of a cutie-mark. He was just carrying a few things he was bringing to his lesson.

He soon entered the library, and entered the first section, where the room was centered by a wooden bust of a horse head. He also noticed a chalkboard set up and a desk, which Midnight assumed was for him. Sitting in front of it, he slid off his bags and carefully took out the apple he’d brought for Twilight.
If I’m gonna be a student, I may as well milk the situation, he thought with a chuckle.

Setting it on the desk, he waited. He considered yelling out for Twilight but that would’ve been rude, especially in a library. Twilight didn’t keep him waiting long, and a door opened to reveal a wheeled table she pushed in with her magic, the table topped with a few books and objects.
“Oh good! You’re here, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”

“Not at all,” Midnight waved her concern off, and pointed out the apple. “Brought you something.”

“Why, Midnight,” Twilight gave him a sneaky look, “attempting to bribe the teacher?”

“Ha-ha,” Midnight knew she was just joking, but she accepted the apple anyway. She bit into it, and found it delicious and crisp.

“Now then,” she levitated a piece of chalk and wrote, “Welcome to ‘Magic 101’, I will be your teacher, Twilight Sparkle.”

“Given that I already know that,” Midnight smirked with a raised brow, “was that really necessary? Ow!”

Twilight had launched the chalk at his forehead, with a raised brow.
“Raise your hoof if you wish to speak! As to your interrupting question, I read that the best method of teaching is to maintain a professional attitude. Anything else?”

“Sorry,” Midnight muttered as he rubbed the spot where the chalk nailed him. “Please continue.”

“Very well then,” Twilight beamed, inside feeling a little giddy. I can’t believe how thrilling it is to be the teacher for once! And I even got a student of my own, eeh!

“Um, Twilight?”

Twilight snapped out of her reverie, and cleared her throat.
“Excuse me. Why don’t we start with an explanation about Magic! First off, everypony has magic, not just the unicorns. Earth Ponies and Pegasai use magic in a more… subtle way, I guess you could say.”

“You mean like how Pegasus Ponies can walk on clouds and control the weather, right?”

“Exactly,” Twilight said with a nod, “whereas Earth Ponies use a magic even more subtle. Their internal magic gives them a physical strength greater than Unicorns and Pegasi alike. Not only that, they are able to channel their magic into the land they care for, helping them grow crops that flourish under their care.”

“Interesting,” Midnight muttered. “So what about Unicorn magic?”

“Unicorns differ obviously by our ability to actively perform magic,” Twilight answered. “We are able to channel more raw magic through our horns, and by focus and belief, we are able to project magic by casting spells, and affect our surrounding reality.”

“So… it’s focusing on a target, and envisioning the desired effect?” Midnight asked.

“Yes! That’s it exactly!” Twilight was surprised, Midnight figured it out so easily. “So, with that in mind, let’s start with something simple: Telekinesis!”

Twilight walked over to the table with the books and objects. She opened a chest and levitated out several metal orbs, each larger than the next.
“Now, while telekinesis is something every unicorn can learn, each of them has varying strengths in power, measured by how much they can move with their minds. Focus on this weight right here, the 1-pounder.”

She gestured to the smallest orb, engraved with the number 1.
“Focus on it, and envision it moving. Try raising it a hoof.”

Midnight guessed a hoof was Pony for a foot, as in a unit of measurement. He locked his eyes on the orb, focusing, and imagined the orb rising in the air.
Rise… rise!

A pale blue aura surrounded the orb.
“That’s it, Midnight, keep it up!” Twilight encouraged.

The orb wobbled a moment, but then to both unicorns’ shock, it shot up, and they heard a loud noise and they looked to see the orb had driven a hole into the ceiling above, and was stuck, leaving them both at a loss.
“Whoa…” Midnight whispered.

“Indeed!” Twilight agreed, “I think you might have put a little too much… oomph into it.”

“Sorry!” Midnight’s ears drooped. “I didn’t mean to ruin your ceiling!”

“It’s okay,” Twilight assured, as she focused on the orb and it wedged itself free before floating back down onto the table.
“Let’s try again, and this time, don’t try so hard. Just stay calm and think of the orb floating. Like a dandelion seed!”

Midnight got the idea, and took a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked at the orb, and closed his eyes. He imagined it rising up and floating about, thinking of a dandelion seed floating in the breeze as Twilight suggested.

“Midnight, you’re doing it!”

Midnight looked and smiled to see the orb floating above their heads, as whimsically as though it were caught in the breeze. Midnight envisioned it going one way, and it did. He envisioned it bobbing up and down, and it did!
“This is so cool!”

“Well done, Midnight,” Twilight congratulated, “now let’s try the heavier ones.”

As the lesson progressed, Midnight found he could lift all the weights Twilight had brought out, including the fifty-pounder, and to Twilight’s surprise, none of them felt heavy to Midnight! It got to the point where Midnight levitated them all and had them orbit above their heads like a miniature solar system.
“Amazing, Midnight! Not only do you have such intricate control, you’re lifting them all without straining yourself!”

“How would I know if I was being strained?” Midnight asked as he gently set the orbs back onto the table.

“It would feel like a headache,” Twilight answered, “which would become increasingly painful the more you strained your magic. But somehow you don’t seem to be suffering any ill-effects at all!”

Midnight laughed and said with a smirk, “I guess when you got it, you got it…”

Twilight laughed and said, “Why don’t we take a break?”

They moved out onto the balcony for some fresh air, Spike bringing them some ice water. They just talked about this and that, particularly about their lives. Twilight found Midnight’s old world to be quite interesting, such as all the machines and devices humans had invented and made use of everyday.
“We have stuff like what you describe, except they’re powered by magic.”

“Well, be glad that you haven’t reached the technological achievements humanity has,” Midnight dismissed as he sipped his water.
“You wouldn’t believe some of the horrible things humans have made, and what they can do, have done…”

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked, seeing Midnight looked down. “You miss your world, don’t you?”

Midnight shook his head, “It’s not my world anymore. I miss the life I had there, the people I loved.”

He sighed, saying, “And I didn’t appreciate just what I had until it was too late.”

“Do you ever wanna go back?”

“No,” Midnight replied. “My old life is over. Equestria is my home now, and I’m happy to be here. Besides, I found a new family in my friends.”

Twilight got up and gave Midnight a hug, much to his surprise. But he smiled and returned it.

“I’m happy you’re here too,” Twilight said when they parted their embrace, “my faithful student.”

“You were just waiting to use that, weren’t you?” Midnight smirked.

And the two laughed when Spike showed up, shouting, “Twilight! I just got a letter from the princess!”

“What’s it say?” Twilight asked.

Spike undid the seal and unrolled the scroll before clearing his throat and speaking dramatically, “‘Hear ye, hear ye! Her Grand Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, is pleased to announce The Grand Galloping Gala to be held in the magnificent capitol of Canterlot on the 21rst of, uh blah-blah-blah…’” Spike said, skipping a few details, before getting to, “Ah! ‘Cordially extends and invitation to Twilight Sparkle plus one guest!’”

Spike removed two golden tickets from the scroll and Twilight grabbed them in her aura, saying excitably, “The Grand Galloping Gala?!”

Uh-oh! Midnight remembered this, but realized the story had changed again! Because she was giving me a lesson instead of helping Applejack! Gotta play along…

“…What’s this about a gala, Twilight?”

“The Grand Galloping Gala is the most prestigious ball in Equestria! “Twilight explained, squealing with a giddy smile.
“It’s something anypony would give their hoof for, for a chance to attend!”

“It’s really girly,” Spike scoffed, “Too much dancing and…”

“And?” Midnight waved his hoof for him to move along.

“Well, you know!” Spike insisted. “Other girly stuff!”

“Wait!”

They looked at Twilight, who looked troubled.
“I only have two tickets… Who should I invite?”

“Well, count me out,” Midnight shrugged. “I’m not really into dances, but I’m sure one of our other friends would be interested!”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Twilight lamented and Midnight suddenly remembered what was the problem.

And it’s a big problem.

7. The Ticket Master - Part 2

Twilight sighed as she looked at the two tickets on the table. Midnight had volunteered to help Spike do little cleaning. All the while, he would steal a glance at Twilight, becoming increasingly disturbed, seeing her worrying over her dilemma, which she had been for the past forty-five minutes!
I wanna tell her what to do but she has to figure this out herself!

“Um, Twilight, is this really such a big deal?”

“I can only choose one of my friends to take with me!” Twilight reminded him. “Ugh! I hate being faced with these kinds of choices…”

“Maybe you could just take Spike!” Midnight suggested.
“Leave me out of this!” came Spike's voice from the other room.

“No, Midnight, he doesn’t wanna go and I won’t force him,” Twilight insisted, earning a loud 'THANK you' from Spike. So Twilight puzzled while scratching her head with the edge of her hoof, muttering, “If there was just some fair way for me to pick, a method everypony would agree with…”

Then her face brightened as she said, “I’ve got it!”

“What’re you gonna do?” Midnight asked as he emptied a dustpan into a wastebasket.

“I’ll go out and see the girls, ask each of them in turn what they would do if they could go to the gala,” Twilight explained, “without telling them I have an extra ticket! Once I hear their reasons, I’ll determine who deserves to go most!”

“Twilight!” Midnight called but she had already trotted out the door.

Midnight sighed, as Spike came up with a look and said, “That doesn’t exactly sound like a good idea.”

“Ya think?” Midnight looked out the window, seeing Twilight trotting off.

“Should we go after her?” Spike asked.

“We probably should,” Midnight agreed, lowering his backside so Spike could hop on.

As Midnight hurried outside, he said, “Somehow I have a feeling this won’t end well!”

“Where’d she go?” Spike asked when Midnight stopped at a square.

“I could'a sworn she came this way!” Midnight scanned the ponies around them, looking for that lavender unicorn.

Meanwhile, Twilight had decided to see Applejack first. Following the dirt path to Sweet Apple Acres, she considered her idea.
This’ll be simple! I just casually bring up the gala in conversation, ask Applejack what she’d do if she could go, no problem!

She was thinking it, but she wasn’t feeling it.

“Howdy Twilight!" Applejack’s shout broke her train of thought and she looked ahead to see Applejack just applebucking a tree nearby, bushels of apples falling into the baskets she’d set below.
“Yer just in time!”

“Time for what?” Twilight asked.

Applejack chuckled, saying, “Ah just won a bet Ah made with Big Mac! Worked mah rump off t’ get it done, but Ah did it!”

“And this bet was…?” Twilight asked.

“Ah bet Mac I could get all the Golden Delicious apples in th’ barn by lunch,” AJ declared proudly, “an’ Ah did! So now th’ poor saltlick's gotta walk down Stirrup Street in one o’ Granny’s girdles!”

Then Applejack looked past Twilight and started to guffaw. Twilight followed Applejack’s gaze and understood. There, walking by, was Big Mac, his middle squeezed by an old-fashioned pink girdle, covering him just before his flank up to his chest, and it made him look quite thin.
“Well don’choo look just purdyy, Mac?!” Applejack laughed. “Pink’s a good color fer you!”

Twilight stifled a giggle, not wanting to embarrass Big Mac but was surprised he maintained his usual demeanor. AJ noticed too, and they watched as he passed them by, saying, “Mornin’, Miss Sparkle.”

“Oh Big Mac please, just call me Twilight,” she insisted, “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied as he started making his way down the road. Honestly, Big Mac was embarrassed about his situation but knew he could rob his sister of some of her glory by maintaining his stone face. So he continued on his merry way, taking his slice of humble pie, his ego toughing out the bruise.

“Well don’ he know how to rain on somepony’s parade!” Applejack miffed before remembering Twilight, “So what can Ah do ya for?”

Remembering why she was here, Twilight said, “Oh! Um, well, Applejack, have you heard of…. The Grand Galloping Gala?”

“Boy howdy, who hasn’t?” Applejack smiled at the thought of it, “Ah tell ya, Twi, if’n Ah could go to the gala, Ah’d set muhself up a stand to sell th’ very best o’ mah products! Why, with all them hoity-toity rich folk, Ah just know Ah could make mah family a real heap o' money!”

She smiled at the thought, saying, “We could replace tha’ saggy old roof on th’ barn, replace tha’ saggy old plow Big Mac has t’ use, maybe even replace Granny Smith’s saggy old hip! Ah gotta say, Ah’d give mah left hind leg to go to th’ Gala!”

Suddenly, Applejack asked, “Why do ya ask?”

“Oh, um! Just curious,” Twilight replied, before galloping off, “Thanks for telling me!”

Applejack stood there, confused at Twilight’s out-of-the-blue question and sudden departure. Deciding to investigate, she followed after her, wondering, Now what is that filly up to?

Back in town square, Midnight and Spike were still looking for Twilight. Unfortunately, she’d lost them in town square, which, at the moment, was busy with a crowd of ponies going about their daily business.

“Any sign of her?” Midnight asked Spike, who was standing on the blue unicorn’s back, his hands raised like he was looking through binoculars.

“Not coat nor mane,” Spike reported.

Sighing, Midnight wondered, “Where could she have gone?”

He sat his rump down, Spike sliding off onto the ground.
“I wonder if somepony saw her and could point us in a direction.”

“Maybe we should ask Big Mac,” Spike brought up, sounding weirded out.

“Good idea, ya see him?” Midnight looked at Spike, who had a look while pointing. Midnight followed his finger and saw Big Macintosh, and saw why Spike looked aghast.
“Is that…?”

“It sure is…” Spike answered.

They looked at each other and shook off the weirdness before going after the big red farmer, still garbed in a girdle. Unfortunately, they lost him in the crowd.

“Aw fudge! Where’d he go?” Midnight complained, Spike still riding him.

The little dragon gasped and pointed, “Down that hill!”

Midnight looked to see Big Mac almost at the bottom of a sloped street. At the moment, a large cart smelly of the trash it carried, was being pulled by a mare, who was struggling to bring it uphill.
She must be stronger than she looks, that thing looks like it weighs a ton!

Unfortunately, as luck would’ve had it, the harness the mare suddenly snapped, causing her to trip while the wagon began an increasingly fast trek downhill, with nothing to stop it!

Midnight rushed past the mare, to the top of the hill, and saw it was already just halfway down, and he gasped to see Big McIntosh was walking in its path, none the wiser. Midnight thought quickly, at the speed the wagon was going, even if he warned Big Mac, he wouldn’t dodge it in time.
“Big Mac look out!” Spike shouted.

Then Midnight went with the first idea to pop into his head. He concentrated his magic, feeling it flow, as he envisioned the wagon missing Big Mac. The farmer had heard Spike’s warning and gasped when he saw the wagon and how it was too late to dodge, bracing for the impact. Instead of feeling agony, he felt as though the air itself pushed him and in the nick of time too, as he felt the air of the wagon as it passed him by at breakneck speeds.

*CRASH/SPLATTER*

Big Mac shook it off and saw the wagon had crashed into somepony's house! The impact had sent the garbage it had contained everywhere! The house itself was intact with the mailbox in front having helped to slow down the wagon, but the whole front was covered with mucky filth, hay gone bad, and other nasty refuse. And the garbage itself seemed to have propelled in all directions, some of having even flew over roof toops to the streets over.

They all stood in a daze before assessing the situation. Nopony had been hurt, no damages, while the mess… could be cleaned up.

“My house!”

They looked behind them and saw a gray pegasus mare with a blond mane and tail, her cutie-mark some bubbles, and odd amber eyes, looking in different directions. She was wearing saddlebags with mail in them, and Midnight remembered who this was.
Ditzy Doo!

They watched as she flew over to the house, which was covered from roof to foundation in garbage.
“What happened here?”

Thankfully, nopony was looking at Midnight except for Spike. Midnight however was feeling really bad. So he stepped forward and said, “It’s my fault.”

Now all eyes were on him, as Ditzy looked at him, waiting for an explanation. Sighing, he said, “There was a cart uphill that broke loose and it was headed for Big Macintosh. I didn’t mean to mess up your house, honest! I was just… using my magic push Mac out of the way.”

“Boy did you!” Spike phewed, looking at the distance from where they'd been standing and the spot where Mac had been before Midnight pushed him out of harm's way.
“You were able to extend your reach so far! Not bad, Midnight!”

Midnight approached Ditzy and said, “I’m really sorry, Ditzy. I was only thinking of Big Mac, but I should have been more careful. I promise to clean this mess up myself.”

“Ah’ll help too,” Big Mac volunteered, wanting to take some of the flak off his friend. “If Ah’d been more careful this might not o' happened.”

"And me!” the mare who owned the cart spoke up. “I shouldn’t have used such an old harness that could break so easily.”

Seeing the situation and understanding it all, Ditzy smiled a little and said, “It’s okay, you only meant to help Big Macintosh! Accidents happen, and you don’t have to do anything.”

“But I-” Midnight protested, but Ditzy wouldn’t hear of it.

“It’s no big! Besides…” She looked at the mess coating her home. “I’ve… been looking to redecorate anyway. If you’ll excuse me, I gotta go see my boss for permission off duty.”

Then Ditzy flew off, leaving a flabbergasted Midnight, who just sighed, feeling awful. Big Mac came over, saying, “Ah don’ leddit get’cha down. Ditzy’s real nice tha’ way, not a mean bone in her body. Anyway, Ah’m gonna head home. Ah was s’posed to walk all th’ way to Stirrup Street an’ back in this thing but… Ah think halfway’s enough.”

Before turning away, Big Mac said with a chuckle, “Oh an’ thanks fer savin’ my rump, Midnight. If tha’ cart had hit me, Ah’d been outta commission for applebuckin’ this season, and Faust knows it wouldn’ta ended well with Applejack left ta’ do all th’ work.”

Suddenly remembering why he’d wanted to see Big Mac, Midnight asked, “Oh Mac, by the way, have you seen Twilight around, by any chance?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied. “She came over ta’ talk ta’ AJ at th’ orchard.”

“Thanks!” Midnight yelled as he scooped up Spike and galloped off to Sweet Apple Acres, shouting to the mare, “Sorry about the cart!”

“It’s okay,” she shouted after him.

As they made their way through the orchard, Midnight and Spike looked around for the colors orange and lavender.
“Just wait till Twilight hears what you did!” Spike said excitably.

“I just hope she doesn’t cancel my magic lessons forever,” Midnight was just humiliated. “By the way, why was Big Mac in that getup anyway?”

“Dunno, we shoulda asked him,” Spike shrugged.

“Asked who?” said a voice to their left, and they saw Applejack come out from behind a tree. Midnight and Spike yelped at her sudden appearance.

Applejack chuckled, “Sorry `bout that. What can Ah do ya for?”

“We’re looking for Twilight,” Spike informed her, “Mac said she came this way.”

“Ya spoke ta’ Mac?” AJ smirked, “Notice anything different about him?”

She waited for them to laugh, but Midnight just said, “Uh-huh, sure, a real gut-buster. Listen, have you seen Twilight or not?”

Sighing, Applejack replied, “She left to see Rarity `bout five or ten minutes ago. Before she left, she was askin’ me about the Grand Gallopin’ Gala. Ring any bells?”

“Eh… no,” Midnight didn’t want betray Twilight’s confidence and asked, “So she went to Rarity’s?”

“Tha’s what Ah said,” Applejack nodded.

“Come on, Midnight, let’s go!” Spike tugged on his mane, excited by this new development.

“Ow! Okay, we’re going! Thanks Applejack!”

“Anytime, sugarcubes! Anytime!” Applejack waved after them as Midnight galloped away.

But she sighed in frustration, thinking, How could they not laugh at Big Mac?!

Midnight wished he had an invisibility spell as he saw the mess his little telekinetic accident had left behind, as they made their way to Carousel Boutique, all the while minding his step to avoid stepping into any goop or muck. He was just glad nopony knew he was responsible… for the moment.

It was surprising how that impact could've sent that garbage so far from where it had crashed!

Finally, Midnight and Spike arrived at Rarity’s boutique, Spike saying” We’re here! Here I come, my sweet Rarity!”

Midnight chuckled, knowing full well of the little dragon’s big crush on the fashionista, and then they saw her, “Ugh! This blasphemy upon beauty!”

They looked to the right of the house and saw Rarity was in her backyard, cleaning up some of the mess.

“Hi Rarity!” Spike called as he hurried over to her.

“Oh, Spike, Midnight,” Rarity changed her demeanor to friendly, “Forgive that uncouth outburst if you heard it. I wasn’t expecting company, not after this mess!”

Midnight bit his lip, sheepishly as he then asked, “Um, Rarity? By any chance did Twilight see you earlier? We’re kinda looking for her.”

“Oh, I’m afraid you just missed her, dear,” Rarity answered. “She left about ten minutes after all this dreadful waste littered my property! So… About almost half an hour?”

She shuddered as she lifted a spilling garbage bag off the ground with her aura, Spike came over with a garbage can.

“By any chance do you know where she was headed next?” Midnight asked.

“I do believe she mentioned Fluttershy,” Rarity answered, giving Spike a grateful little peck on the forehead. “Just outside of town, right on the outskirts of the forest.

She pointed a path with her hoof, saying, “Just proceed in that direction and you’ll find it in no time at all, darlings.”

“Thanks, Rarity,” Midnight said, starting to make his way. “Sorry about your yard."

“Oh pish-posh, dear,” Rarity said, “It’s not like you threw all this filth on my home.”

“Well, actually, Rarity-” Spike started only to be silenced by a murderous glare from Midnight.

He telekinetically yanked Spike and dropped him on his back, saying, “My-my-my, oh! Would you lookit the sun? It’s time to catch up with Twilight!”

“But I wanna stay with Rarity!” Spike whined.

“Sorry Spike, but I need you to help me look for her,” Midnight insisted though the look in his eyes told Spike a different story.

“Off you go, Spikey-Wikey,” Rarity waved him off. “Duty calls.”

“Okay…” Spike agreed in a pouty manner.

“Thanks Rarity, see ya later,” Midnight called as he galloped off.

But when they were out of hearing distance from the boutique, he glared at the little dragon, saying, “You were about to sell me out!”

Spike smiled nervously, shrugging.

Meanwhile, Twilight had already left Fluttershy’s cottage, oddly yet made aware of the trash incident. She sighed, what had seemed like a good idea earlier was just making an anthill into a mountain. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, all of them had good reasons to want to attend the gala. She only hoped Pinkie and Rainbow’s reasons would not be so equally reasonable.

Entering Sugarcube Corner, she saw Mrs. Cake, a blue earth pony mare, her pink and magenta mane and tail looking like frosting.
“Hello, Mrs. Cake, is Pinkie in?”

“I believe so, dearie,” Mrs. Cake smiled. “You know that filly, she can pop up when you least expect it.”

“Well, do you mind if I check her room upstairs?”

“Go right ahead dearie, can I getcha anything?”

“No, thank you,” Twilight responded as she headed upstairs.

Back at Fluttershy’s cottage, the boys were deflated, having just missed Twilight. Again.
“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy apologized. “I’m afraid… Twilight left around ten minutes ago.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy,” Midnight spoke gently, not wanting to upset her. “Did she say where she was going?”

“I think she wanted to go see Pinkie Pie,” Fluttershy replied. “Perhaps you’ll have better luck at Sugarcube Corner.”

“Thank you for your time,” Midnight sighed as he and Spike started back to town. This didn’t happen at all! Just how much of the story has my presence changed?

“Midnight?”

He shook the worry away and said, “Well, onto the Sugarcube Corner.”

Spike noticed Midnight looking troubled but didn’t say anything.

Before long, they stood in front of Sugarcube Corner, Spike saying, “No sweat, Midnight, even if we missed her, we know she’’ll have gone to see Rainbow!”

“Don’t bother guys!”

They looked up and saw Thunderlane fly down, Rumble on his back.

“We just saw Twilight head off to Dash’s,” Thunderlane informed them.
“Big brother, I thought we were gonna get something at Sugarcube Corner!” urged Rumble.

“Relax, bro,” Thunderlane said, “Just head inside and order, I’ll be right in.”

Rumble smiled and ran in, leaving the two stallions and little dragon outside.
“So… I happened to be flying over town earlier, minding my own business when out of nowhere!” Thunderlane gave Midnight a knowing smirk, “Something that looked like a big garbage bag flew through the air, almost splattered me.”

Midnight winced, Thunder saying with a teasing smirk, “You wouldn’t happen to hear of that, did you?”

Sighing, Midnight asked, “How’d you know?”

“Ditzy told me,” Thunderlane explained. “Hey, no worries, brony! I know what happened. Just glad Mac’s okay, lucky you were there.”

“Not so for Ditzy’s house,” Midnight groaned. “So, do you know which way Twilight went?”

“Rainbow’s place, just gotta cut through Stirrup Street,” Thunderlane answered.

“Thanks, ready Spike?” Midnight asked.

Spike sighed, “Let’s go.”

“Later bronies,” Thunderlane waved it off, and Midnight tore off to Stirrup Street, failing to notice Thunderlane greet three mares with a similar thought in mind regarding somepony who’d asked each of them about the gala.

“Flooie,” Twilight was feeling down as she walked through Stirrup Street. Everypony had given her a good reason to attend the Gala, and she could expect the same from Rainbow Dash. How could she tell the party-loving Pinkie Applejack deserved to make money for her family, or Fluttershy that Rarity deserved a chance to find true love over the timid pegasus’ desire to see the animals in the Canterlot Castle Gardens? What to was she to do? Even if she gave her other ticket up, three unhappy mares there would remain.
She sighed and muttered, “Let’s get this over with."

But then she found her nostrils assaulted by some kind of rank, knocking her out of her puzzling. She looked ahead and was surprised to see a filthy Ponyville ahead of her, ponies here and there working to clean up the trash.

“Ugh!”

She then noticed Rainbow Dash with the local mailmare, and they were working together to clean up a house.
“Rainbow!” Twilight hurried over, covering her nose with her hoof. “Oh! What happened here?”

“You haven’t heard?” grouched Rainbow Dash. “I can’t believe no one told you who did this!”

“Well, who was it?” Twilight asked.

“It was me…”

The three mares looked behind Twilight to see a very guilty-looking Midnight Blaze approach them, unable to meet their gazes, Spike on his back.
“Midnight?”

Midnight sighed, “This whole mess is my fault. I didn’t mean for it to happen, I just…”

“But how did you do this?” Twilight asked, still trying to comprehend it.

“He was helping.”

Everypony looked to Ditzy, Midnight saying, “Ditzy, it’s fine! You don’t have to-”

“Somepony was pulling a cartful of garbage uphill down the street,” Ditzy explained ignoring Midnight.
“It broke, rolled downhill and it was heading for Big Macintosh. Midnight used his magic to save Big Mac, and, well…”

Sighing, Midnight picked up the story.
“I was only thinking about Big Mac's safety. I used my magic to push him out of harm's way and... well ,the wagon crashed into Dity's house...”

"It was amazing, Twi!" Spike spoke up, "Midnight was on that end of the street, Big Mac was right there!"

Twilight looked at the distance between the mentioned stallions' positions as Spike explained, "Midnight was able to extend his telekinetic reach and save Big Mac without breaking a sweat!"

Twilight recalled how Midnight first moved the 1-pound orb like a tiny little cannonball Now she was hearing how far he could reach with his magic without straining himself?
To think he has such power…!

It was astonishing, that this pony, who’d never used magic before today, went from moving small objects to pushing a pony from an entire street away. While such reckless spellcasting deserved a good scolding, she couldn’t do it.
“I think… you learned your lesson.”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash gaped at her.
“Again, what?!” Midnight added in equal confusion.

“While it turned out this way,” Twilight said, “You only meant to save a friend from harm. I think we can forgive this little accident.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Midnight still felt lousy, Spike patting his shoulder.

“Oh, while I’m here Rainbow,” Twilight brought up, only for Midnight to interrupt.

“Twilight! I really don’t think this was a good idea from the beginning.”

Twilight looked at him and sighed, “You’re right. But I just don’t know what to do, how can I pick only one pony?! It wouldn’t be fair to the others, I-”

Twilight looked on the verge of tears, so Midnight put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder, saying, “Twilight, listen. If you just can’t choose, then don’t.”

“What?” Twilight asked, wiping the tear away.

“Sometimes the right choice is not to choose at all,” Midnight explained.

Twilight got the idea and said, “Spike take a note please!

Spike pulled a quill and piece of paper from behind his back (don’t ask where he got them), and stood ready.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight began, “I’ve learned that having to choose between your friends can leave you and your friends feeling pretty awful. A pony should never be put in a position where she can leave her friends feeling unimportant. So, before I make a choice I have no wish to make, I’d like to return the two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“You have two tickets to the gala?!” Rainbow gaped at them. ”And you’re just gonna send `em back?!”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow, but I don’t want to make a choice that leaves everypony else feeling left out,” Twilight said. “So if I can’t take all my friends, I don’t wanna go either.”

Dash sighed but perked, “Any chance you could just give me a ticket and send the other back?”

The two unicorns and the dragon gave her a look, Dash shrinking back, quickly saying, “Just a thought!”

Twilight took the letter from Spike in her magic and scribbled something extra at the bottom, then rolled it up along with the tickets.
“Okay, Spike, send it!”

Spike took the scroll, and Twilight’s burden went up in flames, turning the message into a shimmering wisp that zoomed off to Canterlot.

“Hey Twilight!”

They all looked down the street and saw Pinkie, Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy coming their way.
“What’re you all doing here?” Midnight asked.

“We’re here to inquire to Twilight about this gala business,” Rarity answered.
“Yeah,” Pinkie added, “What a funny word, ‘inquire’.”
“Um, if you don’t mind, Twilight,” Fluttershy asked.
“Wha’s goin’ on, sugarcube?” Applejack asked. “Askin’ everypony what they’d do at th’ gala?”

“Well…” Twilight wasn't sure how to explain, when Spike went ‘hurk’!

And burped up a message, which Twilight quickly read.

“What is it, dear?” asked Rarity.

“Why,” Twilight grinned, “because I have five extra tickets to the gala!"

Midnight and Spike smiled at each other, glad for the girls as they huddled into a mass of squealing, cheering, hugging thankful mares, each taking a ticket before trotting off to talk.

“Yuck!” Spike yelled after them but it went ignored.

“Party at Sugarcube Corner!” Pinkie declared, the girls all cheering.

Midnight and Spike were left high and dry in the street, as the feeling of being left out began to sink in.

“Y'know…” Midnight spoke, starting to feel bummed out, “That gala was actually starting to sound like fun…”

“Well, too late now,” Spike agreed morosely, but then suddenly burped up another scroll.

Midnight took it and it read, “And tickets for the boys.”

Midnight and Spike gasped happily to see four extra tickets, and Midnight knew the other two were for Big Mac and Thunderlane. Midnight and Spike smiled at each other as a tune started up.

I never thought my life would be
Anything but catastrophe
But suddenly I begin to see
A bit of good luck for me

`Cause I've got a golden ticket
I've got a golden twinkle in my eye…

Midnight smiled as he scooped up Spike.

I never had a chance to shine
Never a happy song to sing
But suddenly half the world is mine
What an amazing thing!

`Cause I've got a golden ticket

“It’s ours, Spike!” Midnight cheered.

I've got a golden sun up in the sky

I never thought I’d see the day
When I would face the world and say
Good morning, look at the sun
I never thought that I would be
Slap in the lap of luxury
Cause I’d have said:

It couldn’t be done!

Midnight smiled at Spike, not bothered he cut in before carrying on.

But it can be done!

I never dreamed that I would climb
Over the moon in ecstasy
But nevertheless it’s there that I’m
Shortly about to be

They sang together as they danced through the street.
`Cause I've got a golden ticket
I've got a golden chance to make my way
And with a golden ticket, it’s a golden day

Good morning! Lookit the sun!

Cause I’d have said it couldn’t be done

But it can be done…!!!

I never dreamed that I would climb
Over the moon in ecstasy
But nevertheless it’s there that I’m
Shortly about to be

`Cause I've got a golden ticket

The two did a pirouette.

I've got a golden ticket
I've got a golden chance to make my way
And with a golden ticket
It’s a golden day…!!!

The music came to a close in the flourish, and the two noticed the girls clapping their hooves with smirks.

“Uh! I mean…” Midnight blushed in embarrassment. “Great! Where am I supposed to find a penguin suit in this town?!”

“Yuck!” Spike agreed before shrugging, “But since we were invited…”

“It’d be rude not to go,” Midnight nodded indifferently as the two walked past the girls casually.

The girls just laughed at their attempt to cover up their excitement, and invited them to the party at Pinkie’s.

Author's Note

I couldn't help it at the end, it was just too silly to pass up

8. Applebucking Season - Part 1

Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Midnight all stood upon a hill, overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. The three of them getting primed for the biggest harvest for weeks, it had finally arrived.

Applebuck Season!

“Boy howdy!” Applejack said, gazing upon the massive bounty before them, hard worked, rightly earned.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us, that there’s the biggest bumper crop a’ apple Ah ever laid eyes on.”

She was ready, eager for the challenge ahead.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed (with her observation, that is). “Lucky think Midnight saved me from that cart last week. Ah don’t even wanna know what would’a happened if Ah’d been hurt and you’d been left to do th’ work alone.”

“What am I, chopped barley?” Midnight raised his brow.
“Ya ain’t used to this kind’a work,” Mac responded.

Midnight shrugged while Applejack was frowning, not appreciating what her brother was insinuating.
“Well, Ah guess we’ll never know, will we?”

Midnight realized something.
Uh-oh, I changed the story again!

But again he kept his words to himself.

“Come on, gentlecolts!” Applejack was ready! “Let’s get to it…”

Twilight and Spike were walking through the marketplace, Twilight was looking at one of her famously long to-do lists, while Spike was struggling to carry all the stuff they’d purchased. Twilight looked them over, as well as the list.
“Let’s see…” she said. “Check, check, and… check! All done!”

“Finally!” Spike collapsed, exhausted from the long outing and having to carry all the stuff.

Twilight giggled apologetically and levitated the bags off Spike when she felt a trembling beneath her hooves. She looked around noticed everypony else did as well.

“Run!”

Everypony looked down the street towards a field and saw Midnight running towards them.
“STAMPEDE!!!!”

The vibrations grew stronger, and then everypony saw, just coming over the horizon, a herd of cattle, headed straight for town. The closer they got, the shakier it got in town.
HhHeEeYyY!” Everypony looked to see Pinkie Pie vibratingly sliding as she spoke, “TtThHhIiIsSs MmMaAaKkKeEeSsS mMmYyY vVvOoOiIiCcCeEe SsSoOoUuUnNnDdD sSsIiIlLlYyY!!!”

“Pinkie, not the time!” yelled Midnight as he ran past her, everypony starting panic. Ponies ran to and fro, screaming, others running inside, slamming their doors shut and locking their windows.

“Everypony calm down!” Mayor Mare yelled, trying to control the situation. “There is no need to panic!”

“But Mayor!” cried Rarity in drama queen mode, “Whatever shall we do?!”

“Look there!” called Rainbow above as she pointed towards the cattle. Coming up on each side of the herd was Applejack and Big Mac.
“Y’know what ta’ do, Big Mac!”
“Eeyup!”

Getting to it, Big Mac ran up in front of the herd, moving the cow beside him, and getting into a position to help AJ in case something went wrong. Applejack did the same on her side. Then she leaped onto a cow and sent her lasso flying. Her aim was true as it ensnared the lead cow. She pulled with all her might, Mac pushing the cow towards her right. And just like that, the Apple Siblings led the stampeding herd away from town. Everypony cheered, Pinkie waving a flag with an apple on it (odd as she didn’t have it with her a moment ago).

“Whoa, ladies, whoa!” Applejack yelled, as the herd came to a stop. “Now, what was that all about?”

A cow spoke up, saying, “Oh, begging yer pardin, Applejack but we saw one a’ those nasty snakes!”

The cows all gasped at the very word, the cow saying, “And it just gave us all the willies, don’cha know?”

“We completely understand,” Applejack said, “but next time, try ta’ steer clear away from Ponyville.”
“Eeyup.”

“We will, dearies,” the cow said as she followed her herd, “good day to you, Big Mac.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied in a neighborly way.

Everypony cheered as the brother and sister came back, Pinkie Pie whooping, “Yeehaw, ride `em cowpony!”

“Applejack, Big Macintosh,” Mayor mare spoke up, “that was just… just-”

“Apple-tastic!” Pinkie offered.

“Exactly!” she agreed. “We must do something to thank them for saving the town.”

“I know!” Pinkie suggested, as the scenery suddenly changed into, “A party!”

The town was covered in party decorations, Rarity securing a ribbon onto a tree.
“Everything ready?” Twilight asked her.

“Just one last thing,” she said and levitated a banner with a big apple patterned on it onto Town Hall.
“Now we’re ready!”

“Are Applejack and Big Mac all set?” Twilight asked.

“Actually, I haven’t seen them or even Midnight all week,” Thunderlane popped up, Pinkie adding, “Not since the stampede.”

“But they’ll be here for sure,” Rainbow assured them. “Apples are never late!”

Later, everypony in town had gathered in front of town hall, where Twilight stepped up to the podium, levitating a stack of flash cards.
“Welcome, everypony! Today we are here to honor two ponies we can always count on to help in matters great and small! Two ponies whose contributions to-”

Rainbow interrupted, saying, “Did you all see AJ and Mac’s slick moves out there?! Such athletes!”

Twilight narrowed her eyes as Rainbow kept going.
“This week, Applejack’s gonna help me with a new flying trick, and I know it’s gonna be so awesome!”

“ANYWAY!” Twilight tried to get back in, only for Pinkie to pipe up.

“This week, I get to run Sugarcube Corner for the first time!”

“And what does that have to do with Applejack or Big Mac?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie blinked a couple times and said, “Oh! Applejack, one of the best bakers ever, is gonna help me! Applejack makes everything great, so free samples for everypony!

Everypony cheered, Twilight reasserting her place at the podium, “Yes, yes, that’s great. Now if I could just make a point without being inter-”

“Twilight?”

“Rupted!” Twilight dropped her speech.

“Twilight, I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy apologized, “but I just wanted to mention that Applejack is also helping me this week with the official bunny census, where we count up the baby bunnies that were born this season. She’s gonna help gather them using her wonderful herding skills.”

Fluttershy saw the impatience on Twilight’s face as a cue to leave as she said, “Anyone else? Anyone? No?”

She levitated her cards again, saying, “Anyway, as I was trying to say-”

But then she noticed Mayor Mare all smily, and groaned, letting her cards fly out as she exited, saying, “NEVER MIND!”

Mayor Mare stepped up, saying, “And so, with no further ado, it is my privilege to give the prized Ponyville Award to our beloved guests of honor, ponies of the utmost trustworthiness, reliability, and integrity, Ponyville’s most capable and dependable friends, Applejack and Big Macintosh!”

Everypony cheered as the nearby curtain unveiled…
“Midnight Blaze?”

Midnight stood there, looking tired as he entered the stage, saying, “Pardon me, Miss Mayor, I’m here to accept the Ponyville Award on behalf of Applejack and Big Mac.”

He yawned as he stepped up, saying, “My deepest apologies, everypony, but I’m afraid AJ and Mac are extremely busy with the harvest, it is Applebucking season y’know! Anyway, I am sure they’d thank you deeply for this award, and will appreciate the gesture. Now… I’ll just take this, I have to get back and help with the harvest.”

Midnight levitated the trophy, Twilight saying, “Well… Give them our biggest thanks when you get back, Midnight, for saving us from that scary stampede and always being there for everypony!”

“Sure thing,” Midnight said with a tired voice, but then she heard him mutter, “I’ll give them something alright… A piece of my mind, is what I'll give them...”

As Midnight left, Twilight said, “Was it just me or did Midnight seem…”
“Tired?” Thunderlane offered.
“Snippy?” Fluttershy added.
“Messy?” Rarity brought up, earning her a look from the others. “Well! Didn’t you see him?”

“He seemed fine to me! Whoo! Whoo!” Pinkie whooped but Twilight wasn’t so sure.

Midnight sighed as he levitated several baskets full of apples, and started making his way back to the barn. Boy was he tired! Not just from using his magic but the increasingly-longer trips to and fro. He’d been going between Applejack and Big Mac back to the barn, taking the apples they’d gotten to be stored.

He came close to the road when he heard, “Midnight!”

“Yow!”

The baskets all fell, spilling the produce all over, making Midnight groan.
“Great!”

“I’m so sorry!”

He looked to see Twilight and said, “Oh, Twilight…”

“Hey Midnight,” she said as she concentrated, all the apples floating back into the baskets. “Where are Applejack and Big Macintosh?”

“Ugh! Don’t get me started on those two!” Midnight snapped with a groan.

“What’s wrong?”

“It all started a week ago,” Midnight explained, “Big Mac made a comment how he was glad he hadn't been hurt by that wagon incident, which might have injured him, leaving AJ to do all the work. AJ didn’t say anything at the time, but after the stampede? The issue came up again!”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“Well, AJ was like ‘Are you sayin’ mah mouth is makin’ promises mah legs cain’t keep?’ Big Mac just said ‘Eeyup’, and that’s where it all went downhill. Now those two have split the orchard down the middle and are trying to finish applebucking their half first.”

“So it’s basically become an applebucking duel,” Twilight gathered while thinking, He's a good impressionist!

“YES!” Midnight groaned as he sat down. “And I’m caught in the middle! I’m telling you, Twi, I've been gathering basket after basket of apples, collecting them from one half of the orchard, taking them to the barn, and then going to collect baskets from the other half! It’s stressing me out!”

“Hmm,” Twilight mused, and asked, “Where’s AJ? I wanna go talk with her, and you should probably go speak with Big Macintosh.”

“It’s a waste of time but okay,” Midnight sighed. He pointed in the direction he’d been coming from saying, “That way’s to Applejack’s half of the orchard. I’ll go see Mac. But don’t be surprised if Applejack doesn't listen.”

9. Applebucking Season - Part 2

Meanwhile, a tree was just getting bucked, apples falling into the baskets below. Applejack was working hard, so hard she bucked again but wasn’t anywhere near a tree, almost making her fall over. She panted, and shook off the sluggishness she was accumulating, when she heard, “Applejack!”

She didn’t answer, having already started snoozing while standing.

“Applejack…!”

The owner of the voice appeared in front of her in a flash of light, shouting, “APPLEJACK!”

AJ woke up and said, “Howdy Twilight!”

“What’s going on?” Twilight asked as the farmer stepped past her.

“It’s Applebuck Season,” Applejack explained, Twilight teleporting in front of her as she bucked another tree.

“Applebuck Season?”

“It’s wha’ th’ Apple Family calls harvestin’,” Applejack clarified, “we gather all th’ apples from th’ trees so we can sell `em.”

“But why aren’t you working with Big Macintosh and Midnight?” Twilight asked, following her.

“Ergh! Big Mac… Thinks Ah cain’t do what he certainly couldn’t!” Applejack huffed. “He insinuates if’n he couldn’t work, Ah couldn’t handle the harvestin’ mahself.”

“But that’s what family’s for, Applejack,” Twilight reminded her. “You work together.”

“Big Mac started this, Twilight,” Applejack insisted, bucking another tree. “So we’ve split the orchard down th’ middle, and Ah’m gonna finish mah half first! That’ll show `im.”

“Applejack, I think the harvest matters more than your pride,” Twilight scolded, “and this silly bet of yours has dragged Midnight into the middle.”

“Ah told him, Twilight!” Applejack refused to listen. “He wants to stay, he earns his keep!”

“Applejack, wouldn’t you like some help getting this harvest done?”

“No way, no how!”

“But you can’t do all this work on your own!”

“Is tha’ a challenge?!” Applejack gave her the stink-eye.

“Um, no…” Twilight shied at the accusation.

“Well! Ah’m gonna prove it, to you, to Big Mac, that Ah can finish harvesting mah half of the orchard first!” She walked past Twilight, her nose in the air, “Now if you’ll excuse me, Ah’ve got apples to buck!”

Sighing, Twilight started making her way back to the barn but grimaced when she heard Applejack yelp from a mishap.

Arriving, she saw Midnight and Big Mac waiting for her.
“No luck, Ah assume?” Big Mac asked, apparently made aware of Twilight’s attempt.

“She’s determined,” Twilight admitted, “but I suppose I could’ve tried better.”

“I’m telling you, Twi,” Midnight shook his head. “That pony is as stubborn as a mule!”

“Hee-haw!”

“No offense,” Midnight apologized to his right, and they turned to see a mule (who hadn’t been there a moment ago).

“None taken,” the mule said before he walked away.

“Ah tried ta’ say no when she brought up this silly contest,” Big Mac explained, “but mah sister’s `bout as stubborn as any earth pony.”

“Well I can’t keep being peacekeeper here!” complained Midnight. “It’s stressing the hell out of me!”

“But what can we do if Applejack won’t listen?” Twilight asked.

For a moment, the three of them were at a loss when Midnight smiled.
“How `bout we teach her a little lesson about her stubbornness and what it will cost her.”

“What’re ya gonna do?” Big Mac asked.

“We,” Midnight corrected, “are gonna carry on. But! ...Mac, you’re gonna have some help. We’ll let Applejack keep working alone while we get Thunderlane to help you out. I have to keep going back n’ forth so AJ doesn’t wise up. Once she finishes, we let her show up thinking she’s won, but we’ll show her we finished your half first!”

“But the bet was see which of them can do it first by themselves!” Twilight reminded him.

“Not exactly,” Midnight looked smug. “The exact bet was, whichever side is completely harvested first, that side is the winner.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Twilight considered, “anything else?”

“Yes, we all know Applejack,” Midnight went on, “despite her work, she’s gonna try to honor her commitments to Pinkie, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. I have a feeling those appointments won’t turn out so well…”

“But wha’ exactly is th’ point of this?” asked Big Mac.

“Bottom line, AJ will see how her stubbornness will affect others and once she sees how we got your side finished first because you had help you sincerely needed, the lesson will sink in.”

“It’s a little devious but I think we should go with it,” Twilight agreed.

“Well Mac? It’s your call,” Midnight offered. “We won’t do this if you’re not along with it.”

Big Mac looked towards the side of the orchard his sister was at, and sighed.

The next day, Twilight was sitting on her balcony, enjoying a good book, when…
“…AAAUUGH- Oomph!”

She looked to the railing of her balcony and saw it was Rainbow Dash, her wings looking a little frazzled.
“Can I help you?” she asked.

“I think somepony else needs your help,” Rainbow groaned.

“Applejack?” deadpanned Twilight immediately.

“Yup,” Rainbow nodded.

Back at the orchard, Applejack had just brought down more apples, but had forgotten to place the baskets underneath. Groaning, she started picking them up but as she stood up, “Ow!”

She had unfortunately hit the back of her head against a low hanging branch.

“Applejack, can we talk?”

She turned around to see Twilight, but felt a ringing in her ear as Twilight appeared to be asking something.
“Can bees squawk?!” Applejack asked loudly. “Ah don’ think so!”

“No, can we talk?” Twilight asked.

“Twenty stalks?!” said Applejack, obviously not hearing right. “Bean or celery?!”

“No! I need to talk to you!”

“Ya need to walk to th’ zoo?!” Twilight face-hoofed as Applejack yelled, “Well, who’s stoppin’ you?!”

“I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!!” Twilight yelled.

“Oh! Well why din’cha say so?! Wha’choo wanna talk about?!”

“Rainbow Dash dropped in to see me today!”

“Tha’s quite neighborly o’ her!”

“Yes, except she crashed onto my balcony after you launched her into the air!”

“Oh yeah,” Applejack suddenly remembered she’d helped Rainbow with a trick earlier today but in retrospect, ‘help’ might have been a strong word. She sighed, saying, “Ah wasn’t feelin’ quite mahself this mornin’.”

“Because you’re working too hard and you need help!” Twilight insisted.

“Wha- Kelp? Ah don’ need kelp! Ah don’ even like seaweed,” Applejack shot down, only for Twilight to get in her face.

“HELP! YOU NEED HELP!!!”

“Nothin’ doin’, Twilight! Ah’m gonna prove ta’ you, to everypony, that I can do this on mah own!” She walked into another low-hanging branch, “Ow!”

Backing up, her eyes bulged, as she said, “Now if you’ll excuse me, Ah gotta go help Pinkie Pie!”

Twilight sighed as she watched Applejack wobble off.
“No good?”

She turned around to see Midnight collecting the baskets of apples Applejack had left behind, looking nonchalant.
“Midnight, I’m not so sure about this plan of yours!”

“I’m worried about her too, Twilight,” Midnight assured her as he started carrying the baskets off in his aura, Twilight trotting up.
“But Applejack is gonna have to learn how her pride affects others when she’s being unreasonable.”

“But at the expense of her health?”

“Trust me, Twilight, by the time this is all over, Applejack will be begging us for help. Speaking of which, Big Mac and Thunder are making great progress.”

“I still feel a little guilty about this,” Twilight sighed.

“Twilight, when Applejack sees the end-results, she’ll admit she was wrong and learn her lesson. Now, I think you’d better get back to Ponyville. I have this sudden feeling you’re gonna be needed.”

Midnight’s words came true, as Twilight got a call and, with Spike accompanying her, she made her way to a tent that had been set up nearby Sugarcube Corner, and they gasped at what they saw inside.
“We came as soon as we heard!”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Nurse Redheart worried as she looked at the tentful of patients. “We need all the help we can get!”

Throughout the tent, on set-up beds, were ponies, green in the face, some with icepacks on their heads, others thermometers in their mouths, but all of them groaning, clutching their bellies. There was even a pony emptying the contents of her stomach into a bucket.
“Oh no,” Twilight shuddered, “What happened?!”

“It was a mishap with some of the baked goods,” Nurse Redheart explained, Spike examining a half-eaten muffin and startled when a worm popped out.

“No… Not baked goods!”

They looked to a bed and saw Pinkie as she said, “Baked... Bads!”

“Applejack!” Twilight growled, wincing at the sound of Pinkie ralphing into her bucket.

Once again, Applejack was too-hard at work, bucking a tree, startling when an apple fell on her head. She gathered them up and carted them over to a big basket set in a shallow in the ground, only for the cart to slip in, leaving her hanging from the harness. She might have been angry if she hadn’t fallen asleep.

“Applejack, we need to talk!”

“Wha- Huh?!” Applejack opened her eyes. “Oh, it’s you, Twilight.”

She yawned, saying, “Ah know wha’ yer gonna say but th’ answer is still no.”

“That’s up to your apple-cart but you need help!”

“Hardy-har… and no Ah don’t!” Applejack said while trying to get loose.

“Let me help!” Twilight gently insisted.

“No thanks!” Applejack refused as she continued to struggle, Twilight standing there, silently frustrating over the situation.
“One more… a little! Ergh! There…”

Twilight face-hooved again, but Applejack did managed to free herself, as she set up next to a tree.
“Ah’ll prove that this Apple can handle these apples.”

She started bucking it, saying, “Come on, erg! Apples, ugh! Fall off!”

“AJ, I think you’re beating a dead… tree,” Twilight pointed out and Applejack saw she was right as a dead leaf fell onto her nose.

“Ah knew that,” Applejack muttered as she moved on, Twilight following.

“Actually, Applejack, I have something else to talk to you about.I just came back from Ponyville Urgent Care and-”

“Y’know, Ah’m a little busy to get lectured right now, Twilight,” Applejack seethed.

“But if you’d just let me help-” Twilight tried to say, Applejack groaning.

“NO, NO, NO!!” Applejack yelled, giving Twilight the stink-eye. “How many times do Ah gotta say it, Ah don’ need help from nopony!”

Twilight glared after Applejack, unable to comprehend, “Just how can anypony be so stubborn, huh?”

Twilight turned and once again, there was Midnight, collecting Applejack’s spoils.

“Midnight, this is starting to get out of hoof!” Twilight insisted.

“Yes, I heard about the Baked Bads incident,” Midnight said as he gathered some spilled apples. “But like I said, Twilight, Applejack has to learn this lesson, and that’s only gonna happen if we see this through to the end.”

Twilight sighed.

Later that day, a very familiar vibration was spreading through Ponyville. Rainbow flew up, looking in the direction it was coming from. She squinted, looking towards the distance and realized what was coming.
“STAMPEDE!”

Everypony was prepared this time, running indoors, closing the doors and windows, in fact Carrot Top even pulled in her welcome mat. But then everypony gasped to see it wasn’t a stampede of cattle, but bunnies!

A pony named Lilly fainted in the middle of the street, the bunnies hopping past her.

Just minutes later, Twilight was humming as she was taking a walk when she gasped at the sight in front of her.
Daisy, Lilly, and Rose all lay fainted on the street. But suddenly, they woke up, clearly upset.
“The horror, the horror!”
“It was awful!”
“A disaster, a horrible-horrible disaster!”

Twilight looked around but didn’t see anything wrong.
“I don’t get it,” she muttered.

But Lilly ran over to, “Our garden! Destroyed!”

“Every last flower devoured!” Rose cried, looking at the remains of her potted plants.

“By-” Twilight looked to Daisy. “By… them!”

She looked in the direction the hysterical flower-seller pointed and saw bunnies everywhere! Munching on flowers and bushes publicly planted throughout Ponyville, Fluttershy trying hopelessly to take control of the situation, as the bunnies gorged and ignored her gentle pleas.
“Oh my! Oh, please stop, little bunnies, no-no! Please, let’s go home! Oh my goodness!”

“Alright,” Twilight declared, “This has gone far enough!”

“Keep” – Buck! – “Focus…” – buck!

Applejack stood on a hill, next to the apple tree atop it, wearing a harness with baskets, sleepily still at it.
“Must… finish… harvest…”

“Alright, Applejack!”

She looked and saw Twilight, looking to be in no mood for an argument.
“Your applebucking hasn’t caused just you problems, it’s over-propelled pegasus’, practically poisoned plenty of ponies, and terrorized bushels of brand new bouncing bunnies. I don’t care what you say, you. Need. Help!”

Applejack responded to that with a buck to the tree behind her, bushels of apples falling gracefully into her baskets.
“Ha! No Ah don’t! Look, Ah did it!”

Twilight looked and saw the results of Applejack’s work.
“Ah harvested mah half of the Sweet Apple Acres orchard all by mahself! Ah bet ah even finished before Big Mac. How’d’ya like them apples?!”

Her moment of victory was interrupted by the sound of somepony clearing their throat. They looked to see Big Mac, Midnight, and Thunderlane, her brother giving her a pair of binocs and pointing out the barn as he said, “How do you like them apples?”

Confused, Applejack looked and her jaw practically dropped at what she saw! In front of the barn, and clearly inside, were baskets upon baskets full of apples, carefully organized and ready to be sold.
“No way…!” she whispered disbelievingly, and looked towards the other half of the orchard.

Her mood deflated all the more, as she scanned Big Mac’s half, seeing nary a single apple in any tree! And from the looks of those baskets at the barn, he’d finished quite some time ago!
“How did… all the apples…?!” she mumbled, before keeling over.

“Applejack!”

“Huh?”

“Applejack!”

Applejack woke to find herself in bed, surrounded by Twilight, Midnight, Big Mac, Thunderlane, even Granny Smith.
“Oh! Thank heavens, yer alright, sweetie pie,” Granny Smith sighed as she wiped Applejack’s brow with a wet cloth.

“Wha’ happened?” Applejack asked as she sat up, groaning as her head pounded.

“You keeled over,” Midnight answered, “not surprising as you worked yourself into the ground!”

“The orchard! The apples!” Applejack remembered. “Big Mac? Y’won?”

“Nnope,” Big Mac shook his head and put his hooves Midnight and Thunderlane’s shoulders. “Ah finished, because Ah had help.”

“Wha-?!” Applejack felt the anger rise. “We had a bet, Big Macintosh!”

“No, Applejack!” Midnight snapped. “You had a bet! You turned an anthill into a mountain just because Big Mac worried about what might have been!”

“And unlike you, Big Macintosh was not so proud as to deny help he sincerely needed,” Twilight added.
“Applejack, I respect the Apple Family ways, I mean, you and your brother are always there to help somepony in need! But that doesn’t mean you should allow your stubborn pride to disallow you from accepting help when you truly need it yourself.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“You help everypony in town all the time, Applejack.” Thunderlane brought up, “it’s only natural for us to want to repay you now and then. Even if you’re not expecting something in return.”

Seeing the concern in all their faces, and hearing what they’d said, Applejack sighed, feeling ashamed of herself.
“Yer right, everypony. Ah over-reacted to a simple worry and caused problems not just fer me but fer everypony Ah was trying to help mahself! Ah’m sorry.”

Everypony smiled, Twilight going over and giving Applejack a hug.
“It’s okay, so long as you understand. Now, would you like somepony to collect those last few apple baskets?”

“Please, please, Twilight! Ah really could use some help!”

Twilight, Big Mac, Midnight, and Thunderlane brought in all the last few apple baskets Applejack had left behind (having earlier expected Midnight to collect them) and started storing them,
During the break they took afterwards, Twilight wrote a letter:

Dear Princess Celestia,
My friends Applejack and her brother Big Macintosh are about the best friends a pony could ever have. But unlike Big Mac, Applejack had a problem in finding it hard to accept help when she really needs it, so while friendship is about giving ourselves tofriends, it’s also about accepting what your friends have to offer.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S.
The lesson learned here wouldn’t have been possible if Midnight hadn’t insisted on a course of action. There’s something about that pony…

“Hey everypony!” Applejack called as they sat down in front of the barn. “Ah got some fine applejuice waitin’ for ya!”

They all came over to the picnic table, where Applejack had set some bottles of the beverage, sighing as she said, “Everypony, Ah cain’t thank you enough for this help. Ah guess Ah was acting a bit stubborn…”

“A bit?” Twilight smirked, the boys chuckling.

“Okay, a might stubborn,” Applejack admitted. “An’ Ah’m awful sorry.Now, Ah know th’ town gave me and Mac the Prize Pony Award… but the real award is having y’all as mah friends!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed, “Bottom’s up!”

They all slurped the straws of their drinks when Spike walked up and Thunderlane said, “That applebucking sure worked up an appetite!”

“And I’ve got the perfect treat!” Spike was holding a bunch of half-eaten muffins.

“Uh, Spike? Where did you get those?” Midnight asked warily.

“From the trash behind Sugarcube Corner!” he answered, earning him a round of ‘yucks’ and ‘ews’

(B'tween) Magic 101

Twilight Sparkle hummed merrily as she prepared for her next session with Midnight, and was excited about the lesson and content she planned to share with him.

"Spike! Could you bring out the chalkboard for me?" she called.

"I'm on it, Twilight!" Spike hurried to the backroom, eager to please, making Twilight smile as she made sure she had the right reading material.

She hoped the subject she had in mind wouldn't be too complicated but it was an integral study for her student's magical education. She heard the light squeaking of the wheels as Spike rolled the chalkboard into the main room of the library, "Where do ya want it, Twilight?"

"Just over there," Twilight indicated next to the stairs but not in front of them. "I think I have everything ready here, Spike. Why don't you take some free time?"

"You sure, Twi?" Spike asked, "I don't mind assisting you with Midnight's lesson."

"The lesson I have in mind is rather... complicated, Spike," Twilight assured, "and I'm mostly gonna be doing a lecture. Trust me, you'll rather be having some time off than listening to me go on and on."

"Well... if you're sure," Spike shrugged. "I think I'll go to Sugarcube Corner for some doughnuts, can I have some bits please?"

Twilight smiled and concentrated her horn. Her saddlebags, hanging from a wall-mounted peg near the door, opened and out came a few silver bits that levitated to the outstretched hand of Spike.

"Thanks, Twi! Later!" Spike said as he hurried out.

"Have a good day, Spike!" Twilight called after him just in time before the door closed. She then looked to her textbook and refreshed her memory on the subject she had in mind, and it wasn't a minute later before the door opened and she looked to see Midnight walk in, a friendly smile on his face.

"Good morning, Twilight," he said before asking, "Where'd Spike run off to? I saw him on my way here but he was headed the other way."

"Oh I gave him some time off, and he decided to get some doughnuts from Sugarcube Corner," Twilight explained before clearing her throat.
"Now! Are you ready for your next lesson?"

Midnight went to the desk Twilight always set up for him for their lessons, he set his saddlebags down, levitated out a notebook and pencil before smiling, "Fire away!"

"Alright then, our lesson today will be..." Twilight levitated some chalk and spelled out on the blackboard, "'Magic 101: Magic in Greater Detail'. Today's lesson will be mostly a lecture on certain aspects about magic. For example, did you know there are levels that indicate a pony's magical power and class?"

"First I've ever heard of it," Midnight shrugged.

"Well, among ponykind, there are five levels of magic," Twilight explained, "and as we are unicorns, I shall explain these levels and how unicorns are classified by them."

Twilight wrote five letters on the blackboard, from bottom to top, and took a ruler, pointing it to the bottom letter: D.

"The lowest level of unicorn magic is Delta - Unicorns of Delta-level magic are limited to basic telekinesis, illumination, and they usually can only learn the most basic and simple spells. Usually, these spells they are able to learn relate to their special talents in some way. Also, they can only perform one act of magic, as in, they can use active telekinesis but not be able to illuminate their horn at the same time, and they can only handle one object with their telekinetic aura."

"Hmm," Midnight listened raptly, and took notes. He made sure to pay attention and be detailed because Twilight always wanted to look at his notes after their lessons to see how closely he'd paid attention.

"Above the Delta-class unicorns are the Gamma-level. Gamma-level unicorns have more magic than Deltas, but not that much although they do have more potential," Twilight went on. "For example, Gamma-level unicorns can perform more than one act of magic simultaneously" - She drew a pony levitating about three objects, to provide visual aids - "Such as drawing a circle with one pencil and drawing a triangle with another! Also, they can learn spells that are somewhat more complicated, which are not limited to being something related to their special talents! Such spells can include enchantments or illusions."

"So then, you and I and even Rarity are at least Gamma-level?" Midnight inquired.

"Rarity is most certainly a Gamma-level unicorn," Twilight confirmed, pleased with Midnight's question. "That's obvious by her exceptional skill in telekinesis! As you and I have witnessed, Rarity's telekinetic skills are key to her business and passion as a fashion designer, how she's able to sew and stitch and cut fabrics and manipulate numerous tools to do so and produce a dress or other garments so quickly! Very astute, Midnight."

Midnight smiled and continued to scribble down notes.

"Above the Gammas are Beta-level Unicorns," Twilight continued, "Betas are rare, and have much more magical potential and capabilities than Gammas and Deltas. They have a wider range of mystic arts they can learn, allowing them to master more advanced spells to add to their repertoire. A definite sign that a unicorn is Beta-level is if they are able to perform the art of Conjuration, the magical skill of making physical matter appear out of thin air!"

"Wait a minute..." Midnight spoke up, "Making something appear out of thin air... Would that include Teleportation?"

"Absolutely," Twilight nodded with a proud smile. "Teleportation does indeed fall under the Art of Conjuration. It's why many unicorns who wish to aim higher endeavor to learn and master teleportation. However, a unicorn's magical power can't be increased merely through hard work and study. Ergo, many unicorns soon learn to accept they cannot teleport, which means their magical power is not high enough to be Beta-level."

"That sounds kinda of depressing," Midnight commented, Twilight looking at him in wonder. "I mean... to study and practice so hard, only to find that no matter how much you try that you just won't measure up."

Twilight felt a little sad to cause her student some depression, so she added, "Well, Midnight, Beta-level unicorns don't have it so easy either. You see, the more magic you have, the harder it can be to control and without study and focus it can lash out in the form of magic surges when you're under great stress, and maybe even hurt those around you. It's for that reason any unicorn foal who is confirmed to be Beta-level must receive proper schooling in learning how to master their magic so they don't accidentally hurt anyone. Such incidents have happened before, and the foals had to be temporarily removed from their parents' custody so they could have their powers honed and learn control."

"That sounds even worse..." Midnight could just picture parents holding each other while their little unicorn foal cried as some royal guard or something took them away.

"It could have happened to me."

Midnight looked up to Twilight, who smiled sadly, "When I was little, the first time I watched the Summer Sun Celebration in Canterlot I saw Princess Celestia raise the sun. I was so inspired by that sight that I dove into magical study and wanted to become the best unicorn mage I could! You can imagine how happy I was when my parents enrolled me into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."

She watched as her student thought about it and smiled when he laughed at something he was apparently thinking of.

"But before I could officially enroll I had to pass an entrance exam! The examiners told me the exam was to hatch a dragon egg, and no matter what I tried, I couldn't do it!"

Twilight sighed at the memory, remembering the heavy disappoint of failure she'd felt.

"But right before I could leave, something happened - I heard some kind of explosion and I was so startled that somehow my magic surged and I unleashed a burst of power! I was so overwhelmed, I couldn't think, but I felt magic working around me, random and erratic, and it was only when Princess Celestia stepped in that all of it was calmed and all the magic was dispelled!"

"Lemme guess," Midnight smirked, "Princess Celestia was so impressed by your power she made you her student."

"You got it," Twilight chuckled, "but not only that, that incident of merely tapping into my potential earned me my cutie-mark! I knew then that my path was to learn magic and be the best student under Princess Celestia that I could possibly be!"

"At the expense of your social life," Midnight snarked, "and you came to disregard friendship until your teacher set you straight."

"Yes...!" Twilight admitted with a weary smile. She then cleared her throat, "But my point is, Midnight, I had unleashed so much power and with such consequences I could have been removed from my parents' custody and taken into the school on the spot! I made the egg hatch, the hatchling grow so big his head stuck out the roof, I turned my parents into potted plants! What I'm saying is, such power must be honed, refined, and sharpened, from a lump of ore into a keen and razor edged blade. Without proper guidance and instruction, the potential and consequences are just too dangerous!"

"I... guess that makes sense," Midnight conceded, "but it's still wrong to take a child from its parents."

"Well, I can assure you, that's always a last resort," Twilight swore to her student. "Unicorn foals of Beta-class magic usually go to live in a school of magic, but they and their parents reserve the right to visit each other and keep in contact. Otherwise, they could get a personal tutor and be able to stay home, where they're more at ease. After the princess took me on as her student, that happened to me. I was given a tower to live and study in, and my parents were given permission to enter the castle anytime they liked to visit me, and I them."

"Okay, okay, I'm convinced," Midnight chuckled, "I didn't mean to make this some kind of personal debate."

Twilight smiled, "Well then, the next level of magic is Alpha! Alpha-level unicorns have the greatest magical power among ponies. They're capable of powerful spells, great acts of magic, any Alpha-level unicorn, with great study, training, and discipline, has the potential to become an Archmage, and let me tell you, Midnight! That is one of the most difficult achievements a unicorn can make. In fact, there hasn't been another Unicorn Archmage since Starswirl the Bearded!"

"You're kidding!" Midnight was in awe and the shaking of his teacher's head prompted him to ask, "But how long ago did Starswirl live?"

"Almost a century after Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon," Twilight answered, "and for over eight centuries, no unicorn has ever come close!"

"Could you become an archmage?" Midnight asked, the question catching Twilight off guard. She considered her words before answering.

"Yes, Midnight, and yes that means I am an Alpha-level unicorn."

"Hmm," Midnight puzzled, "What about me?"

Twilight looked at Midnight hard as she thought about it for a few moments, "Well, I can't be sure. You're definitely at least Gamma-level since you were able to levitate all those weights on your first lesson, but seeing as how lifting them all didn't strain you in the slightest I have to say you may very well be Beta-level!"

"Wow..." Midnight now had a better understanding of how strong he was until he remembered the top letter on the black board, an O. "But wait, what about the top level of magic? The one you marked O?"

"Ah yes," Twilight looked reverently at that O she'd drawn before explaining, "The top level of magic in ponykind is called Omega... It's having so much power that one can raise and lower celestial bodies, such as the sun or moon, unaided every day for a thousand years!"

"You're obviously insinuating Princess Celestia is Omega-level," Midnight caught on.

"Correct! And until Princess Luna returned, Princess Celestia was the only Omega-class magic user in Equestria," Twilight explained, earning her a curious rise of her student's brow.
"You see, Midnight, the Omega class of magical power is the highest because it's exclusive to alicorns! Only an alicorn can have that much power, and for a thousand years Princess Celestia alone stood at the top, not just because of her crown but also because of her being an alicorn. Raising and lowering the sun and moon every day for a thousand years is not only a testament to her power but also her skills and capabilities. She can dispel the magic of almost any magic user whose level is lower than hers, which means she can dispel the magic of anyone except likely her sister."

"But didn't Luna manage to overcome Celestia when she returned as Nightmare Moon?" Midnight pointed out.

"True, but level alone doesn't truly define power," Twilight elaborated. "There are still a variety of factors that must be taken into account. Environment, mentality, anything can factor into something like supposedly equal powers that tips the scales to favor one side. I can't be entirely sure of how Nightmare Moon was able to overcome Celestia, but like I said, factors and variables and odds can sway in and out of anyone's favor."

"Hmm," Midnight considered Twilight's words when another thought crossed his mind that he had to ask, "But wait a minute, how do these magical levels apply to earth ponies and pegasi?"

"Now that is a good question," Twilight pointed out before smiling sheepishly, "and one I don't exactly know."

"Huh?!" Midnight gaped at Twilight with a little disappointment.

"Well, I've always focused my studies towards unicorn magic," Twilight admitted. "I only learned basic stuff about earth pony magic and pegasus magic. But the magical levels do apply to them, for certain. Let me explain something to you, Midnight."

Midnight was all ears as Twilight took another deep breath for this next lecture.

"Every pony has magic and every pony's magic flows through them, spreading throughout their entire bodies. Each kind of pony, unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony, has a part of their body they associate with using their magic!

"Unicorns, obviously, have their horns, which is what enables us to focus and project our magic and manipulate it for a myriad of effects and purposes.

"Pegasi have their wings! But when you think about pegasi and flying from a more scientific point of view, you see that their wings aren't perfectly designed for flight. They'd have to be much larger and stronger to get a pegasus airborne. That's where pegasus magic comes in; pegasus magic is focused into the wings as well as the air around them, giving them both lift and speed.

"As for earth ponies, they focus their magic through their hooves, as well as their legs. It's partly for this reason earth ponies have such strength that makes them the most physically superior among ponykind. Not only that, earth pony farmers are channeling their magic into the land they care for, as well as their crops! This channeling of their magic causes the land soil to be rich and fertile, and this also invigorates the growth of their crops, and allows their crops to flourish fast and healthy."

"Whoa..." Midnight made sure he had that down.

"But you see, Midnight," Twilight went on, "all ponies, not just earth ponies, can focus their magic into their hooves. Pegasi do it more than we unicorns do. It's what allows pegasi to walk on clouds and move them, giving their greater control over local weather. In fact, all three kinds of ponies could channel enough magic into their hooves and focus it in such a way that we could pick up objects with our hooves without the need for manipulation shoes!"

"Then why don't they?" Midnight asked.

"State of mind," Twilight answered quickly. "To almost everypony, it's impossible to pick up an object with just your hoof because we don't have the necessary appendages to do so, like Spike's claws or a birds' talons. Also, because we have manipulation shoes, ponies don't bother trying to learn to do so even if they are aware of the fact that they could potentially use their magic to pick objects up with their bare hooves."

"Question - If ponies can pick up objects with their hooves by channeling enough magic into them," Midnight asked, "could they learn to do other things by focusing their magic to different parts of their bodies?"

"Yes!" Twilight smiled proudly, having been about to bring up that very fact. "Some ponies are able to do things that other can't or don't because they are focusing their magic towards a certain part of their body. This is usually done in a way that the pony in question finds natural, maybe they do it subconsciously, often because it has something to do with something they feel comes naturally to them! For some, they're focusing their magic to their ears or eyes and actually enhancing their hearing and vision in some way, and this can lead to some variation of one's talent."

"This is starting to overload my brain," Midnight chuckled sheepishly, and Twilight smiled.

"Perhaps we have delved enough into greater intricacies of pony magic," Twilight admitted. "Why don't we go join Spike at Sugarcube Corner?"

"That's for me!" Midnight smiled and hurried over to the door, opening it with his magic. He then bowed and gestured out the door, playfully acting the gentlecolt, "After you, madam."

"Why thank you, kind sir," Twilight giggled as she stepped out, Midnight following her. She then cast a locking spell on the door but worked it so Spike would be able to get in if he was already on his way home.

As they walked to the bakery, Midnight said, "That was really fascinating lesson, Twilight. You made it all so interesting!"

"I was hoping you'd like it," Twilight smiled at him, "honestly though, I was afraid you might get bored or I might go over your head with it all, or something."

"No way. When you put your love of something into it, there's no greater way to share it..." Midnight chuckled before he bumped his rump to Twilight's, making her gasp lightly. "Last one to Sugarcube Corner buys the milkshakes!"

Midnight charged forward with a coltish laughter, Twilight chasing after him, "Midnight, no fair! You took a head-start!"

But as she chased after her student, hearing him laugh and the words he'd given her, Twilight couldn't help but blush a bit an laugh as well.

Author's Note

I've always wanted to explain magic in my story in greater detail. But sticking to the storyline the way I did, I couldn't find the opportunity, and I am kicking myself in the plot for having looked so long when the answer was right in front of me:

Make your own opportunity.

So I've decided to make these "in-between" chapters that appear between the chapters and arcs that tell the story based on the show-canon. I'm hoping to also use these in-between chapters to add some depth to the characters and my own touches

PLZ NOTE - The Magical Classes of Delta, Gamma, Beta, Alpha, and Omega should not be taken literally and absolute. It's merely a measuring system of magical power and it's actually rather broad and general, and one can't be permanently labeled one class or another.

For example, the weakest level, Delta, simply indicates the pony of that class has a small amount of magic. But Magic is very much like a muscle; the more you work at it the stronger it'll get, but if you neglect it it'll atrophy and weaken. Ergo, a Delta level unicorn could work at their magic and, with enough time and effort, make it all the way to Alpha! That would take a long time and sheer dedication but it can be done.

It's just that some are born with an innate amount of magical power.

Gammas are the most common level of magical power among ponies, regardless of their type. Deltas are less common than Gammas, Betas are rarer than Deltas, and Alphas absolutely the rarest. I don't wanna turn this into some kind of tribal purity thing, but it would make sense that unicorns would produce consistent or even stronger generations by reproducing only with unicorns. Same with earth ponies and pegasi, whereas reproducing with different types of ponies could result mixing the magicks of each tribe and depending on this and that could either result in weaker or stronger magical power.

All the same, with time, effort and dedication anypony can increase their magical power

10. Griffon the Brush Off - Part 1

“Hoof-biting action overload!” gushed Pinkie.

At the moment, she was in Ponyville Park with Twilight and Midnight, visiting during their bi-weekly magic lessons. Teacher and student pouring over a tome as Pinkie continued.
“She was like a stunt superstar, flying higher and higher,” Pinkie explained while bouncing about, “and then Rainbow Dash swooped down – Swoosh! – and right before she hit the ground – Shoom! – she pulled up – VRRRMMM!”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight wasn’t really listening as she and Midnight continued to read the tome.

“And then! She looped around and around like,” Pinkie started twirling about in her attempt to display a visual aid, “Whoo! Whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo-whoo!”

Unfortunately, she twirled a little too much, falling dizzily onto her back.

“…Yeah,” Midnight wasn’t listening either.

They heard an overhead whooshing and perked up just in time to see Pinkie canter off.
“Phew!” Twilight was honestly relieved Pinkie had left, as she turned the page of the book. “Now, perhaps we can have some peace and quiet for your lesson.”

“Aw, Twi, don’t be like that,” Midnight smiled in a good-natured way, “it was just Pinkie being Pinkie.”

“I know,” Twilight said with weary understanding. “But that pony really has to cut back on the sugar. Now where were we?”

“I believe we were here,” Midnight pointed out, “looking over the finer techniques of teleportation. I’m really stoked to try it out!”

“Well not until you’ve done the full study,” Twilight insisted. “Even short-range teleportation can be tricky, and this is a difficult spell.”

“Aw come on, Twi,” Midnight smiled, “I’ve mastered telekinesis, illumination, Hay I’ve even been practicing controlling natural elements!”

“The first two are simple spells,” Twilight reminded him, “and while manipulating the natural elements shows you’re progressing, your progress as a student, as well as your safety involving the magic we practice is my responsibility.”

“Aw Twilight, you do care,” Midnight smirked, earning him a telekinetic slap on the head.
“Heh-hey!”

“Keep that up, my faithful student and you’ll wind up in urgent care,” Twilight smirked back.

“By the way,” Midnight brought up as he looked down the path, “where’d Pinkie go?”

“I don’t know, but I just remembered there’s a book I wanna buy in town,” Twilight said as she stowed the tome into Midnight’s saddlebag.
“Let’s go!”

They made their way through town and got to the bookstore, but just before going in…
“Hey Twilight, Midnight!”

They looked to see Pinkie come up to them, asking, “Have either of you seen Rainbow Dash anywhere?”

“Isn’t that her up there on that cloud?” Midnight pointed out, and they all looked to see a cloud just overhead, a rainbow tail sticking out of it.

“Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie called out, and they saw the rainbow tail streak away, Pinkie bouncing after the direction it went.

The two unicorns shared a confused look and just shrugged.

Not too long later, they were in the library, Midnight listening to a lecture from Twilight when they heard the door open.
“I’m –Hic! – back…”

They looked and saw Spike, annoyed and hiccuping, doing his best not to breathe fire onto anything flammable, carrying one scroll.
“Spike, where were you? Didn’t I ask for twenty scrolls from town hall?” Twilight asked.

“It was – Hic! – Pinkie and – Hic! – Rainbow Dash,” Spike explained, holding his hand over his mouth and holding out the scroll.

Midnight got up and reached to take it when…
“HIC!”

“Whoa!” Midnight brayed as he leaped back, getting only a few hairs on his mane singed while the scroll went up in flames and vanished in a shimmery wisp, Spike groaning and hiccuping more.
“What happened?”

“Oh, it was just – Hic! – a little prank – Hic!” Spike waved off, but moped, “Now I have to go back to – Hic! – Town Hall.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Midnight volunteered, “You stay here so Twilight can help with those hiccups.”

“Thanks, Midnight,” Twilight and Spike both thanked as he stepped out.

As he stepped out of town hall with some scrolls in his bags, Midnight recalled a certain part of the story.
Spike getting the hiccups from a prank by Pinkie and Rainbow… Why do I feel like I’m missing something?

“Ah-choo!”

Midnight looked and saw Rarity stepping past the Flower Fillies’ stalls, wearing a bonnet and sunglasses and levitating a hanky to wipe her nose with. Going over, he asked, “Hello Rarity, ya catch a cold?”

“Oh no, Midnight dear,” Rarity waved off his concern. “Just a victim of a little prank.”

“Pinkie and Rainbow?” Midnight asked immediately with a deadpan expression.

“Oh darling, it was just a little prank,” she assured, “all in good fun.”

“Hmm…” Midnight furrowed his brows.

He returned to the library and found Twilight cleaning up a mess around the alchemy equipment she’d apparently set up.
“Hey Twilight, I got the scrolls. Anything happen?”

“Oh just our two favorite pranksters,” Twilight replied as she started outing the beakers and bottles away.

“Don’t you think this is starting to get a little out of hoof?” Midnight asked with a light tone of concern.

“Well, as long as the pranks are in good fun and don’t harm anypony, I don’t see a problem,” Twilight shrugged, before pointing to a paper she had on her lectern.
“See that paper? And the inkwell?”

The memories flashed and Midnight guessed, “Disappearing ink?”

Twilight giggled, “They got me!”

“Twilight, I like pranks as much as the next pony,” Midnight spoke, “but, don’t you think they’re kinda going on a binge? What if this escalates?”

“Hmm, maybe you’re right,” Twilight considered, “but I have to clean this place up. Why don’t you go speak to them?”

As Midnight walked through town, he considered.
Let’s see, they pranked Spike, Rarity, Twilight, who’s next? …Applejack!

Midnight arrived at Sweet Apple Acres and was weirded out to see so many apples colored and pattered vividly, and Applejack and Big Mac were collecting them all.
“Hey everypony, what happened here?”

“Aw, jus’ a little harmless tomfoolery,” Applejack explained as she dumped a basket of colored apples into a tub full of water.
“Pinkie Pie and Rainbow used paints tha’ wash right off, no harm done, right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup,” the big red pony chuckled.

“RAINBOW DASH!!!”

They all looked down the road and saw Thunderlane flying about erratically, and fall into a nearby pile of hay. Hurrying over, the three went to investigate.
“Thunderlane! Are you okay?”

“No! I am not okay!” Thunderlane popped out and at once they saw he was scratching himself like crazy.
“Ergh! When I get my hooves on those two…!”

“I knew it!” Midnight’s brows furrowed, “Those two have gone far enough!”

After asking around, Midnight found them. They were hiding behind some bushes nearby the pond, Pinkie had something in her mouth while Rainbow was looking through a telescope.
“Ish shumwun ovuh ther?” Pinkie asked the rainbow pegasus. “Who’re we gonna squirt, who’re we gonna squirt?”

“Nopony, if I have anything to say about it!”

They looked to see Midnight, looking cross. But then Midnight gaped at Rainbow and saw the black ring encircling her eye, and quickly realized what Pinkie had done. Stifling a chuckle, he remembered why he was here, and said, “Girls, this pranking’s going too far. Pouring itching powder into Thunderlane’s cloud while he’s napping?!”

“Aw, relax, it’s all in good fun,” Rainbow shrugged, “and we’re just about to get Fluttershy!”

“WHAT?!” shrieked Pinkie, spitting out the thing she had in her mouth. “No-no-no-no-no, we can’t prank Fluttershy, she’s so sensitive! It would hurt her feelings, even our most harmless pranks!”

“Well, that’s very mature of you, Pinkie,” Midnight said with a smirk. But he sputtered a bit when he saw Rainbow, as she frowned.

“I guess you’re right,” she conceded. “We need another victim who’s made of tougher stuff.”

Midnight and Pinkie shared a knowing look and continued to try and hide their giggling, Rainbow saying, “So… who’s it gonna be?”

“Oh!” giggled Pinkie, “I’ve got someone in mind! Heh-heh-heh, the toughest around!”

“Awesome! Who, who? Do I know them?” Rainbow asked, when Midnight pointed to her reflection in the pond.

“Oh yeah!” he chuckled, “You’re really close.”

Rainbow laughed it off, Midnight pointing an incriminating hoof to Pinkie.
“Good one, Pinkie Pie!”

She held out a hoof, the gesture that meant ‘gimme some hoof’. Pinkie tried to but Rainbow kept jerking her hoof away, and the three of them fell into a gaggle of giggles, not noticing Fluttershy looking curiously at the fake turtle on the other side of the pond.

The next day, it was late morning, Midnight enjoying a walk when he saw Thunderlane in town.
“Hey Thunder, feeling better?”

“Yeah, those bath-salts Rarity gave me did the trick,” Thunderlane sighed, still remembering the bliss.
“But I guess I can’t stay mad at Pinkie and Dash, it was a pretty good prank.”

“Well, I think those two will lay off the pranks for a while,” Midnight was happy to report.

But at that moment, they heard a sigh and were surprised to see it came from Pinkie, as she walked past, saying, “Hey Midnight, hi Thundy...”

Seeing Ponyville’s resident party-pony looking a bit glum didn’t bode well, so they decided to talk to her.
“Hey Pinks! …What’s up?”

“Not me, that’s for sure,” Pinkie replied as they took a seat on a public bench.

“What’s wrong?” Thunderlane asked.

“Rainbow and I were gonna do some more pranks today!” Pinkie explained, “But when I showed up beneath her house, she’d made plans with another friend.”

“Who, Applejack?” Midnight asked.

“No, Gilda,” Pinkie said, and Thunderlane instantly looked troubled.

“Gilda? As in Griffon Gilda?!”

“You know her?” Midnight asked.

Thunderlane sighed and said, “Yeah, from me, Rainbow, and Fluttershy's days back at Junior Speedster flight camp. Those two were tight back then, but whenever Rainbow wasn’t around Gilda was a jerk to everypony.”

“How so?” Pinkie asked.

“She treated all of us like dirt,” Thunderlane growled at the memories. “I tried to tell Dash but she’d never listen and always take Gilda’s side. Gilda always put up a very convincing act to make Rainbow believe her.”

“Well, maybe she’s changed since then,” Pinkie suggested, “In fact, I’m gonna go catch up with them! Maybe they’ll wanna do some pranks now!”

Pinkie bounced off, Thunderlane shaking his head, as Midnight asked, “Was she really that bad?”

“Worse,” Thunderlane confirmed, “and I highly doubt that pussy-cat with wings has changed at all.”

Later on, Midnight and Twilight were having an extra study session, when in walked Pinkie, looking like somepony had replaced the sugar in her cake with salt.
“I can’t believe her!”

“Is this about Gilda?” Midnight asked.

“Rainbow’s griffon friend you mentioned?” Twilight asked.

“That’s her! And she’s meaner than a minotaur seeing red!” Pinkie griped.

“What happened?” Midnight asked.

“Y’know, I thought she and Rainbow were just catching up before,” Pinkie explained, “but Thunderlane was right about her!”

“Now, Pinkie, are you so sure that this friend of Rainbow Dash’s is so mean?” Twilight asked, as she perused a book.

“Yeah!” Pinkie exclaimed, “She keeps stealing Rainbow Dash away, she popped my balloons, and she told me to buzz off! I’ve never met a griffon this mean. Well, actually I’ve never met a griffon at all, but I bet if I had, she wouldn’t have been as mean and grumpy as Gilda!”

“You know what I think, Pinkie Pie?” Twilight spoke up, everypony look at her, “I think… well, you’re jealous.”

“Jealous?!” Pinkie echoed in disbelief.

“Green with envy,” Spike added as he sat at the foot of the stairs, reading a book, “well, in your case, pink with envy.”

“Well, yes. Jealous,” Twilight nodded. “Listen Pinkie, I don’t wanna upset you but just because Rainbow Dash has another friend doesn’t make Gilda a grump.”

“Now hold on there, Twilight,” Midnight interceded, “I don’t exactly know where of I speak, but even Thunderlane mentioned that Gilda wasn’t exactly social back when he, her and Rainbow were in flight camp, and he also mentioned Gilda put up an act so Rainbow would always believe her and take her side.”

“Well, as you said, Midnight, we don’t know where of we speak,” Twilight reminded him before readdressing Pinkie, “I mean, perhaps it’s you Pinkie who needs to improve her attitude.”

“Improve my attitude?!” Pinkie shrieked before blithering, trying to conjure more words of argument, but she just screamed in frustration before storming out with a loud slam of the door. Twilight, Midnight, and Spike all shared uncomfortable looks.

“I don’t think you handled that well,” Midnight commented.

“Just let her cool off,” Twilight responded in a blasé tone.

“Actually, I think I’d better go see if she’ll be okay,” Midnight insisted, stepping out.

11. Griffon the Brush Off - Part 2

Unfortunately, Midnight didn’t see Pinkie anywhere and had no idea which way she went. Deciding to try the town market, he went there. As he stepped past various stalls, he heard all the salesponies shouting out deals about their wares, keeping his eyes peeled for the color pink.
“Where could she have gone?”

For a moment, Midnight thought he saw Pinkie but realized the pink mane wasn’t dark enough and then noticed it as the crowd parted just enough to show it was Fluttershy. She was busy leading some ducklings through the area.
Isn’t that just adorable? I think I’ll go say hi.

He made his way towards Fluttershy, seeing her walk backwards and making sure the ducklings followed single file, and speaking soft words of encouragement. But as her attention was on what was in front of her, she failed to notice the griffon she bumped into behind her.

“Hey!” the griffon snapped, and Midnight easily figured this must be Gilda.

She was indeed a griffon, half eagle, half lion, a brown leonine body, her forelegs were eagle claws, her eagle head covered with white feathers, her eyes yellow, and large brown wings. Those eyes, predatory and hostile, narrowed upon the butter-yellow Pegasus.
“Oh! Please excuse me.”

“I’m walkin’ here!” Gilda glared at the frightened pony.

“I-I’m sorry… I was only…” Fluttershy stammered softly.

“Oh I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” mocked Gilda. “Why don’cha watch where your’e going, doofus!”

Midnight felt a fury inside, a familiar protective urge he had felt from time to time since he was little, the kind of protective instincts a big brother has, seeing poor Fluttershy shaking, and Gilda taking a big inhale. Fluttershy’s eyes widened in terror, her ears plastered to the back of her head, her body frozen.

Midnight realized what was about to happen and shouted, “HEY!”

Gilda stopped and noticed him.
“What’s your problem, this don’t concern you!”

Midnight walked over, putting himself between poor Fluttershy and Gilda, as he glared at her.
“Turn around and walk away.”

“Walk away, huh?” Gilda sneered. “And what’cha gonna do to make me, bluey?”

“I’m warning you…!” Midnight narrowed his eyes.

“Thanks for the warnin’,” Gilda mocked as she took another breath, preparing to roar and scare them both off.

Midnight’s eyes and horn glowed as Gilda felt her beak clamp shut, her eyes bulged in shock, as she felt her wings pinned to her back and her body lift off the ground. She gaped nervously at Midnight, his eyes glowing white as he said in a low tone, “You’re going to leave right now, and you’re not gonna give anypony any trouble! Now make like an egg and beat it!”

Midnight used a telekinetic pulse and sent Gilda tumbling a fair distance away, everypony watching as the griffon shook her fur and feathers, looking furious.
“You’ll pay for that…!”

“I said, beat it!” Midnight fired another telekinetic pulse, this one striking the ground near Gilda, making her flinch that it’d been so close and her feathers ruffled at the sound of the ricochet. Growling but knowing this unicorn was not playing games, she gathered the remnants of her dignity and flew off.

Suddenly, everypony in the market started cheering and stomping their hooves, Midnight a little overwhelmed but smiling appreciatively as he waved them all off and turned to Fluttershy, still shaking.
“Are you alright?”

Fluttershy’s eyes were streaming with tears but she nodded. Midnight gently wiped them away, saying, “It’s okay, I won’t let her or anyone else bother you like that.”

“T-thank you…” Fluttershy whimpered as Midnight gently helped her up, Midnight giving her a smile.

“That was stupendous!”

They looked and saw Pinkie bounding towards them, “Good thing you showed up, Midnight!”

“Pinkie! What’re you doing here?”

“I saw the whole thing,” Pinkie explained, “I knew it! I knew that Gilda was a grumpy mean-meanie pants!”

You weren’t kidding!” Midnight agreed. “And neither was Thunderlane.”

“Well don’t worry,” Pinkie giggled, “cuz I got a plan.”

“And what might that be?” Midnight raised a brow.

“I’m… gonna throw her… a PARTY!” Pinkie cheered.

Midnight as well as Fluttershy gave her a look that was unmistakable. It read ‘are you serious’.

“Well that’s not all, silly-willies!” she waved them closer and whispered conspiratorially.

Everything was in place. Midnight hadn’t been certain of Pinkie’s plan until she’d explained to him and Fluttershy in great detail. Now, they were in Sugarcube Corner, ready and willing, now just waiting for everyone to arrive.
“I’m glad to see you and Pinkie took my advice, Midnight,” Twilight said to him.

“Well, when Pinkie decided to throw this party for Gilda, I decided I should get on board,” Midnight replied with a smile.

“So I take it you’ve met her, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Midnight answered with a raised brow, “She’s quite a card.”

“I look forward to meeting her myself!” Twilight smiled but looked around. “So where’s Pinkie?”

“With Rainbow Dash, scrounging up some party favors,” Midnight was looking forward to tonight.

“Hey Twi!”

They looked and saw Applejack waving Twilight over to the other side of the room. Midnight prodded Twilight’s shoulder, saying, “Go ahead, I’m gonna go check on something.”

Twilight nodded and went over while Midnight turned around, only to find himself face to face with Rainbow Dash. And the look on her face was not friendly.
“Just what are you up to?”

“Excuse me?”

“This party,” Rainbow was sounding accusatory, “Gilda told me about a blue unicorn giving her trouble earlier at the market. A blue unicorn without a cutie-mark.”

“Giving her trouble?! I think she left out a few certain details!” Midnight snapped at her.

“I don’t wanna hear it,” Rainbow snapped back. “Y’know, I was willing to let that trash wagon incident fly, but after hearing how much of a bully you are, I don’t want you here!”

“Are you even interested about why Gilda and I butted heads?!” Midnight demanded.

“GET OUT!” Rainbow screamed, drawing every eye in the room on her.

It took everything he had to not lash out, Midnight felt a desire to blast Rainbow but forced it down as he whispered, “Fine.”

He stepped past her, and ignored the smirk on Gilda’s face. But before he could touch the door, somepony yelled, "Now wait just a minute there, Rainbow!"

Everypony looked to see Pinkie giving Rain bow Dash the stink-eye.
"Gilda started the fight, not Midnight, and he only butted heads with her cuz' she was being mean to Fluttershy!"

"What?!" Rainbow gave a questionable look to Gilda, whose feathers look ruffled.

"Aw, c'mon Dash!" Gilda acted as though she were being persecuted, "You don't actually believe this doofus, do you?"

Rainbow Dash's brows furrowed, "This 'doofus' is my friend... Fluttershy, are ya here?"

"Here I am, Rainbow," Fluttershy held up a nervous hoof and Rainbow Dash looked at her.

"Fluttershy, was Gilda giving you a hard time today?"

Fluttershy noticed an evil look from Gilda that made her hesitate but then she saw Midnight look away sadly and continue towards the door.
"Yes! She acted horribly to me, just because I accidentally bumped into her! I was just trying to help some darling little ducklings across the street and I didn't see her. She said terrible things to me, but Midnight came to my defense."

"It's true, Dashie!" Pinkie nodded firmly, "I saw the whole thing!"

Rainbow gave Gilda a glare, the griffoness looking nervous.
"Gilda, I want the truth. Is this true?"

"Well- I- It's just- Oh come on Dash!" Gilda griped, "What do you care what these lame-os think or say!"

"I care because they're my friends," Rainbow went over to Midnight and invited him over as she also said, "and friends tell the truth and don't treat others the way you have been doing, apparently!"

"Dash! You can't tell me you'd prefer to hang with these dorks than with somebirdy as cool as me?!" Gilda growled.

"Gilda, this is not how I thought my old friends would treat my new friends, and if being cool is all you care about," Rainbow answered with a stern look, "then maybe you should go find some new cool friends someplace else."

"Rrgh, yeah?!" Gilda flared her wings angrily, "Well, you- You... are such a flip-flop - Cool one minute and lame the next! When you decide not to be lame anymore, give me a call!"

She turned to storm out but saw Midnight opening the door in mocking courtesy. She growled as she passed him by, only to yelp as Midnight slammed the door shut, hitting her rear end on her way out.

"Not cool," Rainbow commented, Spike adding, "Talk about a party-pooper!"

Murmurs of agreement and comments rang through the attendees as Rainbow Dash announced, "I'm sorry for bringing Gilda here, everypony. I can't believe what a jerk she really was."

"Don't sweat it, Dash," said Thunderlane as he walked up to her. "It just means we should all learn to be better judges of character."

"Yeah, and I really misjudged you, Midnight," Rainbow said apologetically to him. "I should've allowed you to give your half of the story rather than just take Gilda's word for it. I hope you can forgive me..."

"It's alright, Rainbow," Midnight levitated a cupcake to her. "It's not a bad thing to trust your friend, but you must always give the benefit of doubt."

"That's because trust works both ways, Dash," Thunderlane added.

"And Pinkie Pie, I'm really sorry she spoiled this awesome party you threw for her," Rainbow said to the party pony.

"Hey! If you wanna hang out with party-poopers, that's your business," Pinkie shrugged.

"Well, I'd rather hang with you, no hard feelings?" Rainbow held out her hoof and Pinkie accepted it.

*ZZAAP, ZZZTTT*

They laughed and revealed to everypony they were both wearing hoof-buzzers, spurring laughter from everypony else. when it died down, Twilight walked up to Pinkie, saying, "Hey, Pinkie, sorry i accused you of misjudging Gilda. Looks like I'm the one who misjudged you."

"It's okay, Twilight!" Pinkie assured, putting her foreleg around Twilight's shoulders, "Even you can't be a super smart, smarty-smart pants all the time. Come on, everypony! There's still a lotta party to finish!"

That night, everypony had a good time. Rarity won Pin the Tail on the Pony, Rainbow managed to get Midnight to open a can labeled 'peanuts', only for fake snakes to pop out, making everypony laugh, Pinkie served up another cake, and Thunderlane lost a hoof-wrassle with Big Mac.

When it was all over, Midnight and Rainbow talked with Twilight, who got an idea for her next Friendship Report.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned two lessons about friendship! Or rather, I learned one and my friend Rainbow Dash learned the other.

I learned it can be hard to accept when somepony you like wants to spend time with somepony who’s not so nice. Though it’s impossible to control who your friends hang out with, it is possible to control your own behavior.

Rainbow learned how trust runs two-ways, after she realized how she had misjudged somepony and another. Trust must be shared on both sides for a true friendship to survive, but so long as you have faith in a good friend and continue to be one yourself, in the end you’ll be able to tell the difference between a false friend and one who’s true will surely come to light.

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S.
Once again, Midnight has surprised me.

(B'Tween) Magick Craft

Her ruler rapped against the chalkboard, pointing to the words she'd written as Twilight declared, "Starting today, we shall discuss the various 'Arts of Magic'. Today, let's start off with..."

She levitated a piece of chalk and wrote while saying, "Magick Craft."

Midnight sat at the desk Twilight always set up for him during their lessons, excited for whatever Twilight had in store for him, as she began, "This subject in magical study focuses on the art of spells and the general theory of magic, detailing how to wield magic in a variety of means and methods.

"A popular way of casting spells is via Spellweaving."

"That sounds both cool and mysterious!" Midnight commented with an excited look in his eyes, almost bouncing on his seating haunches like a colt.

Twilight couldn't help but smile at her student's giddiness and explained, "It is, because Spellweaving, unlike conventional spell casting, is casting spells using rhyming words for an intended purpose. It's actually quite experimental, and like any experiment, it can fail, and sometimes it can backfire if done improperly.

"Some woven spells caught on, and are used to this day, but some unicorns like to make up their own personal woven spells, for a sense of pride, accomplishment, and so and so. Anyway, Woven Spells have their ups and downs, one of their advantages being because they don't work the way traditional spells do, as a Woven Spell can be virtually anything. This makes them and their effects harder to identify, and more so to dispel or circumvent.

"However overlaying Woven Spells can be unpredictably dangerous. It's a delicate process because the words must be intricate, each effect and intention of each spell working in concert with the rest without conflicting and igniting an unintended and/or unforeseeable effect."

"Whoa...!" Midnight wrapped his head around those details, respecting and appreciating the intricate and delicate nuances of magic to a much greater level.

"Besides Spellweaving, Magick Craft also discusses the general theory of magic, such as experimenting with magic's potential in all kinds of fields and situations, the creation of new spells, and of course how to circumvent, dispel, or outright break spells, these sorts of spells being classified as Counterspells.

"Its sister-study is the art of making a subject disappear, such magical methods or spells called Vanishments. Both Counterspells and Vanishments fall under the subcategory of Abjuration."

Midnight couldn't stop taking notes but then asked, "But... where does a subject go when it's made to disappear by a Vanishment?"

Twilight smiled and cryptically answered, "Into nothing! That is to say, into everything!"

Midnight gave her a confused look, but she went on without explaining her answer.
"The opposite of Abjuration is Conjuration! It's making matter appear out of thin air. The art of Teleportation falls under both Abjuration and Conjuration, due to it working initially like a Vanishment and reappearing from Point-A to Point-B via Conjuration!"

"But how exactly does that work?" Midnight asked. "Could you use Teleporation to appear any where you liked? Any where in the world?"

"Yes and no," Twilight clarified, "Teleportation has its limits. Sometimes it requires a conduit, something to help bridge Point-A with Point-B, enabling the Teleporter to magically transport him or herself between the two points without physically occupying any of the space between them. Such examples is magically creating doors that bridge two locations, such as entering a door on the ground level and exiting a door at the top of a tower! These doors are linked together, enabling instantaneous travel. This type of teleportion is called a Portal. Personal Teleportation like I do doesn't need a conduit but is usually limited to me only being able to teleport to a location I can see, and the greater the distance I teleport the more energy I use. Otherwise, if I can sufficiently visualize a destination in my mind, and if it's close enough by proximity, I don't need to see it.

"There have been documented cases where unicorns attempted to teleport distances so great it literally almost killed them! Otherwise, the teleportation failed and they didn't go anywhere, instead suffering magical feedback."

"I knew Teleportation was difficult, but I wasn't aware it could be so risky!"

"Keep what you've learned in mind," Twilight warned her student, "Our next session will be your first attempt to Teleport."

"You think I can do it?" Midnight asked. "I remember our last lesson about magical levels, and you said only Beta-level unicorns are capable of Conjuration."

"I've seen your magic at work, Midnight," Twilight assured him, "and felt your power. I think Teleportation is within your range of capabilities."

Midnight smiled, and then asked, "What else is there to know about Conjuration? Teleportation can't be all there is to it."

"It's not. There's also Replication," Twilight nodded, and she looked to the wooden bust of the horse head she had in the middle of the library, levitating it over to herself and setting it on the floor. Midnight watched curiously as Twilight concentrated, her horn flaring, and the bust seemed to wobble as Twilight's mana coated it.

The bust then glowed and appeared to tear itself apart and the light dimmed, revealing two busts, perfect copies of each other.

"Ooh...!" Midnight was intrigued and quickly wrote down 'Replication' and looked to Twilight, who smiled and explained.

"Replication is another art that falls under Conjuration, the art of magically copying and creating a physical duplicate of some form of matter. But it's not all that impressive, really. The magic creates a duplicate of the subject but, as they say, nothing compares to the original."

"Why do you say that?" Midnight asked.

Twilight answered by gently tipping one of the busts over and it fell, quickly cracking with bits of sawdust-like particles leaking from the cracks.
"A Replica can look like a perfect copy, but reflects poorly on a subject's physical properties. If I Replicated a gemstone, it would be flawed and next-to-worthless compared to the real deal."

"So... Replication is good for fooling someony with a copy and not much else?" Midnight pondered.

"Well, you could expend more magic in attempt to make a Replica more..." Twilight paused, trying to find the right words, "authentic? Well, not authentic. But having a greater knowledge of the subject you with to Replicate helps in pulling off a more convincing copy."

"That makes sense," Midnight made sure to jot that down.

"Another art of Conjuration is Animation," Twilight wrote the word on the blackboard. "It's to imbue an inanimate object with a facade of the spark of life. To, more-or-less, animate an object to behave in ways similar to a living creature, sentient or otherwise."

"So... you could bring that bust to life?" Midnight asked.

"Not truly," Twilight clarified, "Remember, the spark of life Animation gives to an object is a facade, an imitation, of the real thing. An animated object, no matter how alive it appears to be or however it behaves, is not and can never really be a living thing."

"So then, you could make the bust move and even talk, give it a personality, but it's never really alive," Midnight gathered.

"Correct," Twilight nodded. "Now, let's put lectures aside and start some practicing, but before that, can you tell me what a Cantrip is?"

Smiling as he remembered, Midnight answered, "A Cantrip is a very basic and simple spell that any unicorn can cast. Such spells are for small things like... opening a window, magically sticking papers or other objects that weigh next-to-nothing to the walls, making a quick-and-easy lock on something that any unicorn can break or any earth pony or pegasus can forcibly open, and they are also such easy spells they use virtually no energy at all in casting them. It's why even Delta unicorns can use so many of them, often only having trouble with cantrips that don't relate to their special talents."

"That is also correct," Twilight smiled before looking to a closet, and her mana opened it, levitating out a case, and a nearby table scooted over. She set the case on the table, opened it, and brought out an assortment of small objects, such as a padlock, a rope with a knot in it, a pane of glass with a scratch on it, and other such things.
"Let's go over what cantrips you've learned, and see which of these objects you are able to use them on."

Midnight smiled and his horn flared with his turquoise mana as he got started.

Author's Note

Just something from some old writings of mine

12. Boast Busters - Part 1

Midnight was sitting down on a nice soft patch of grass in Ponyville Park, watching everypony go about their daily business. He smiled at the little colts and fillies playing in the public playground, their moms, dads, or big brothers or sisters watching over them, and noticed other ponies hanging out.

Since that night he and Rainbow made up, things had smoothed out between them. Rainbow had even volunteered to help out around the farm a few times. But at the moment, Midnight was wondering.

Here I am, living every brony’s dream and… he thought to himself. I’m still unsatisfied!

Granted, Midnight was happy to be in Equestria, and he was steadily becoming a better mage under Twilight’s tutelage, not to mention the constant workout he was getting helping the Apple Family around the farm (seriously, Applejack had even said it wouldn’t be long before he could give Big Mac a run for his money in hoof-wrasstling).

But right now, he was wondering what he wanted to do, where he should go from here, and at the same time felt a little bad for wanting more. He was an Element of Harmony, he’d found a new family in his friends, he had a roof over his head, food in his belly… But still, he couldn’t help but feel as though he was in a slump.
Maybe I should step out and get my own place…

Despite the room and board he was given, Applejack and Big Mac had been giving Midnight a steady pay of bits for the work he did. Midnight had been reluctant to accept payment but they wouldn’t hear of it. So far, he’d accumulated quite a lot, having spent only a little for snacks at Sugarcube Corner. He didn’t particularly need to buy anything, as most of what he needed was provided by the Apple Family. If he wanted something to read, he went to check something out from Twilight’s library.
Maybe I should look into the local real estate.

But before he could contemplate further, he heard a commotion, and looked to see several ponies making their way towards the center of town. Curious, he decided to investigate.

Midnight found a crowd of ponies gathering in town square, right in front of town hall as a matter of fact. They all stood facing a stage that must have been set up recently. Midnight wove his way through the crowd to get a better look. When he was close enough, he asked the pony next to him, “What’s going on here?”

“We’re about to witness the Great and Powerful Trixie!” the pony explained, sounding excited.

Uh-oh! Midnight thought went a voice announced, “Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trrrrixie!!”

The stage opened up, props popping out, and in a puff of purple smoke did appear a blue unicorn mare, wearing a star-dazzled wizard hat over her icy blue mane, and a matching cape fastened with a jeweled broach, several ponies cheering from the crowd.
“Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trrrixie performs the most spectacular feats of magic ever witnessed by pony eyes!”

She punctuated her vows with a flurry of magical fireworks, earning oohs and ah's from the crowd.

Midnight’s eyes furrowed, remembering the ego of this particular pony, so full of herself she spoke in the third person. Looking around, he saw Twilight, Rainbow, Thunderlane, Big Mac, Spike, Rarity, and Applejack, and made his way over to them. Just looking at them he knew they shared his thoughts about Trixie, that she thought she was better than everypony else.

“My-my-my! Such boasting,” Rarity commented.

“Oh please, nopony can hold a candle to my teacher,” Midnight scoffed, giving a smile to Twilight, who blushed in response.

But she suddenly looked troubled and asked, “There’s nothing wrong with being talented, is there?”

“Nothin’ at all,” Applejack replied but glared at Trixie as she conjured a bouquet of flowers. “`Cept when someone goes around showin’ it off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed with a lower tone than normal.

“Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us,” Rarity agreed.

“It’s just pathetic,” Thunderlane commented.

“Especially when you got me around being better than the rest of us,” Rainbow added with a laugh but stopped when she noticed the looks her friends were giving her, especially the stink-eye Thunderlane and Applejack gave her.
“Uh, I mean… magic-shmagic. Boo!”

“Well-well-well! It appears we have some neigh-sayers amongst the audience!” Trixie called out, letting them know she’d heard them.
“Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know they are in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?”

“Just who does she think she is?” Rarity made no attempt to hide her attitude.

“And I’m certain that my teacher Twilight-” Midnight tried to say, only for a lavender hoof to cover his mouth.

“Midnight, don’t!” Twilight said desperately. “I don’t want anypony to think of me as a show-off!”

“But Twilight, nopony will-” Midnight tried to say, only for Trixie to cut him off.

“You think this pony here” – she was addressing Midnight but pointing at Twilight – “is more magical than me, the Great and Powerful Trixie?!”

“Oh no, ignore him,” Twilight nervously tried covering up. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Midnight sighed, a little disappointed Twilight wouldn’t stand up to Trixie and put an end to her conceit.

“That’s what I thought!” Trixie said haughtily. “For I am the great and Powerful Trixie, who would be so foolish as to challenge the reputation of a unicorn who vanquished a ferocious Ursa Major!”

At once ponies throughout the crowd murmured and gossiped of Trixie’s words.
“An Ursa Major?!”
“No way!”
“That’s incredible!”

“Allow me to elucidate!” Trixie’s horn glowed and above shined illustrations of her story, appearing as neon lights.
“When the ponies of Hoofington were besieged by an Ursa Major, with nopony else to turn to… the Great and Powerful Trixie stepped forth, armed with her awesome magic, and vanquished the beast, sending it back to its cave in the Everfree Forest, and saving the town!”

The last illustration showed a little Trixie chasing off the big bear to a cave.

The crowd was in awe, astounded by such a feat, as two unicorn colts stepped up, one, a tall and gangly orange colt with a green mane and a snail cutie-mark, saying, “Trixie truly is the most magical, the most awesome unicorn in Ponyville!”

“No!” disagreed the shorter and squat blue colt with a pair of scissors for a cutie-mark. “In all of Equestria!”

“How do you know?!” shouted Spike to them, Twilight looking nervous at his outburst. “You didn’t see it! Besides, Twilight here-”

*Ziipp!*

A magical zipper formed and sealed the little dragon’s mouth shut, much to his ire as he glared at the pony he knew to be responsible, but she appeared to have developed an interest in her hooves.

“Don’t believe the Great and Powerful Trixie?” Trixie went on. “Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians… anything you can do, I can do better! Any takers? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who ever lived?”

Spike managed to unzip his mouth and was already at Twilight’s feet, practically sobbing.
“Please, Twilight! She’s unbearable! Ya gotta show her, ya just gotta!”
“Come on, Twilight,” Midnight agreed. “Just put her in her place!”
“There’s no way I’m gonna use my magic now, guys!” Twilight silently refused.

“How about you?”

They looked and noticed Trixie pointing her hoof at Twilight, “Well how about it? Is there anything you can do that the Great and Powerful Trixie can’t? Well, little hayseed?”

“Tha’s it!”

They looked to see Applejack as she stepped up.
“Ah cain’t stand no more o’ this!”

“You show her, AJ!” Spike cheered, Twilight silently phewing in relief.

“Let’s see yer magical powers do this!” Applejack challenged and everypony watched as she took her tail and lasso, and showed off some amazing tricks. Twirling the lariat around, she leaped back and forth through it never once loosing balance, when she whipped it towards an apple tree, snaring an apple, and whipping it back where it disappeared with a mighty chomp in Applejack’s mouth.
“Whoo-hoo!”
“Yay!”
“Go AJ”

“Top that, missy!” Applejack huffed with a smirk.

“Oh ye of little talent,” Trixie levitated her hat off, showing her wisteria-glowing horn. “Watch and be amazed by the magic of Trixie!”

Applejack’s rope glowed with life as the end rose up like a snake, swaying back and forth in front of Applejack’s face while the other end grabbed an apple. Suddenly, the end facing Applejack ensnared her legs while the other end stuffed the apple into her mouth, causing the ponies in the crowd to laugh, as Applejack indignantly hopped offstage, Big Mac going over to help his sister.
“Once again does the Great and Powerful Trixie prevail!”

“There’s no need to go strutting around and showing off like that!”

Trixie looked to see Rainbow Dash in her face and smugly asked, “Oh?”

“That’s my job!” Rainbow Dash declared and she zoomed off.

Everypony watched as she flew into a windmill, taking it for several spins, and launching up into the sky. She flew holes straight through a series of clouds until she vanished in front of the sun, and suddenly dove back down, going through the holes she’d made in the clouds, bringing along a dense trail of vapor, re-taking the windmill for a spin and launching herself back towards the stage, whereupon she landed, the vapor hitting against her, creating a rainbow above her as the sun refracted through the vapor in the air around her.
“They don’t call me ‘Rainbow’ and ‘Dash’ for nothin’!”

Everypony cheered but Trixie muttered, “When Trixie is through, the only thing they’ll call you is ‘loser’!”

She shot a blast of magic at Rainbow, and the rainbow she created suddenly encircled her and she cried out as she was swept up in a rainbow vortex, sending her spinning through the air above everypony before dropping her onto the ground, her eyes still spinning.
“I think I’m… gonna be sick…”

“Seems like anypony with a dash of good sense would think twice before tussling with the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie mocked as she added injury to insult by conjuring a small storm cloud which struck Rainbow in the rear with lightning, everypony laughing.

Thunderlane and Midnight went over, helping Rainbow up, Thunderlane asking, “You alright, Dash?”

“Ow…” Rainbow rubbed her rump where the lightning had got her, Midnight glaring at Trixie, wishing he knew more spells.

“She’s going too far!” Midnight stated.

“What we need is another unicorn to challenge her!” Spike brought up while elbowing Twilight, “someone with magic of her own!”

“Yeah, a unicorn to show this unicorn who’s boss!” Rainbow seconded

“A real unicorn to unicorn tussle!” added Applejack.

“A unicorn who’s not afraid to stand up for her friends,” Midnight said rather expressively, Twilight looking nervous, as she knew her student was talking to her.

“Enough!”

Rarity stepped up, saying, “Enough, all of you! I take your hint, but Rarity is above such nonsense. Rainbow Dash and Applejack may behave like ruffians, but Rarity conducts herself with beauty and grace.”

Midnight face-hooved, Thunderlane shaking his head.

“Ooh, what’s the matter?” Trixie mocked. “Afraid you’ll get a hair out of place in that rat’s nest you call a mane?”

The boys all inhaled through their teeth as they nervously looked at Rarity, her eyes narrowed.
“Oh… it. Is. On!”

Rarity stepped onstage, saying, “You may think you’re tough with your so-called powers, but there’s more to magic than your brutish ways. A unicorn needs to be more than just muscle.”

Her horn shined as she took the curtain of Trixie’s stage, “A unicorn needs to have style!”

The glowing curtain surrounded her and in a twirling flash of light, everypony oohed and ah’d at Rarity’s creation. She wore a gorgeous blue and yellow dress, her mane piled in a shimmering beehive hairdo but no less beautiful, and she posed confidently whilst saying, “A unicorn is not a unicorn without grace and beauty.”

Trixie smirked wickedly, her horn shining

“Rarity won’t let Trixie get the best of her!” Spike declared to everypony. “She’s strong, beautiful, she’s-”

There was a flash, and everypony gasped at Trixie’s latest trick. She had turned Rarity’s gorgeous hair from its royal purple to a sickly seaweed green.

“Quick! I need a mirror, get me a mirror!” Rarity shrieked as she fretted, “What did she do to my hair?! I just know she did something terrible to my hair!”

“Nothing!” Twilight said with a nervous smile.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac said tensely.
“It’s fine!” Rainbow added.
“It’s perfect!” Thunerlane assured her.
“It’s… stunning!” Midnight said haltingly.
“It’s gorgeous!” Applejack stated.
“It’s green…” Spike blurted out without thinking, and they all gave him the stink-eye. “What?”

“NO…!!!” Rarity cried as she jumped off stage and bawled away. “Not green hair! Such an awful, awful color!”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Midnight shouted, stepping forward. He didn’t care if he wasn’t experienced enough. He could no longer stand by and just watch Trixie trample over his friends.

“Another dares to challenge the Great and Powerful Trixie?” Trixie looked at Midnight, saying, “You again? Ha, and no cutie-mark? What does a talentless loser like you think he can do against the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

But Trixie gave him a look-over and actually liked what she saw. Hopping down from stag, she gave him a seductive look, saying, “However, you’re quite a looker! Perhaps the Great and Powerful Trixie could deign to be your tutor…”

“I already have a teacher, thank you very much,” Midnight scoffed.

“Oh? And who is supposedly so great a teacher you would turn down the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apprentice with the Great and Powerful Trixie?”

“I am!” Twilight stepped forward at last, everypony looking at her.

“You? Oh please, once I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, trounces you into the ground, perhaps he’ll see who his teacher should be…”

“Not until you defeat the student,” Midnight insisted, his horn shining harshly.

“So be it!” Trixie sneered as her horn glowed. For a moment nothing seemed to happen, when everypony gasped as Trixie was risen by a pillar of stone, stretching high into the air before stopping about fifty feet, Trixie looking down on them all as if she were a god.

“Hhmp!” Midnight shot up into the air, Twilight yelling, “Midnight, no!”

But Midnight ignored her, as he continued to levitate until he was eye-level with Trixie. But before she could react, Midnight had waved his hoof as though he was waving a sword, and she felt her pedestal topple beneath her. Thinking quickly, Trixie focused on the rock she stood on and forced it to float, carrying her. She looked to see Midnight had telekinetically slit her pillar of rock clean.

Growling, she focused on the pillar, breaking off a piece and launching it at Midnight. Midnight teleported in a flash, reappearing behind her but she didn’t see him, instead seeing the rock she’d launched at him come to an abrupt halt in mid-air. It suddenly reverted its velocity and went pummeling down, destroying Trixie’s stage.

Trixie gasped and growled, “Why, you little-!”

She concentrated, conjuring another thundercloud only bigger. It rumbled and darkened before unleashing a lightning bolt at Midnight. The blue unicorn dodged but gasped as he realized the bolt was headed towards his friends, No!

He quickly teleported to them and with Twilight’s help, they conjured a barrier, shimmering between magenta and turquoise, the lightning striking it and collecting when it could not overcome it, both unicorns wincing from the assault.
“Midnight!” groaned Twilight, “We have to force the lightning upwards!”

“Got it, I’m ready!” he groaned back.

Concentrating, teacher and student narrowed the barrier in such a way before launching twin telekinetic pulses from inside to the interior above, causing the lightning energy to launch skyward like a reverse lightning bolt, looking like a pillar of light that could be seen from miles around.

Finally it died down, and the two unicorns lowered the barrier. The whole crowd had gone silent as they gaped at Twilight and Midnight, even Trixie was looking stupefied. For a horrid moment, Twilight was afraid.
Oh no, now they think I’m just like Trixie…!

“Whoo!”
“Amazing!”
“Go Twilight, go Midnight!”

Everypony was cheering for them, much to Twilight’s surprise.
“Did you expect any less?”

She looked at Midnight, whose brow was raised at her, before he gave a bow.

Trixie walked up, looking flabbergasted.
“Wha- Bu- Where did you learn that?!”

“Well, it took a while to master,” Twilight admitted, “but Princess Celestia helped me.”

“The Princess?!” Trixie gasped.

“Yup,” Midnight said as he put an arm around Twilight proudly, “My teacher, Twilight Sparkle, is the personal protégé of Princess Celestia!”

“You were taught by the princess?!” Trixie’s mouth all but dropped.

“Oh, did I forget to mention that?” Twilight couldn’t help but be a little smug from the look Trixie gave them.

Trixie looked down and began walking away. She knew she’d been bested and wasn’t gonna stir the hornet’s nest further. She’d lost, it was a feeling so foreign and she didn’t like it. But before she could leave, she felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked to see Midnight.
“It’s okay to be proud of your talents,” he said to her, “but it’s wrong to rub them in other’s faces in the ways you were doing. Instead of showing off your talents, use them to help others. Once you realize how wonderful it is to lend a helping hoof, others will see it too, and then they’ll start calling you the Great and Powerful Trixie for the right reasons. Oh, and… sorry about your wagon.”

Trixie couldn’t help but shed tears, surprised that this pony she had mocked, whose teacher she had mocked, would show her such kindness. She wiped her tears and gave him a respectful bow, Midnight bowing in return.

With a small smile, a humbled Trixie left Ponyville to rediscover herself.

Everypony cheered as they crowded around Midnight, his friends coming over too, Twilight running over and giving Midnight a hug.
“I’m so proud of you for doing that.”

“Well, I felt I should give her something to think about,” Midnight replied, “and maybe next time we see her, she’ll be a whole new pony!”

“I can’t believe you guys did that!”

They looked to see Thunderlane as he, and everypony else, were still in awe of the magical mastery the two unicorns had displayed.

“And Ah’m glad ya fed Trixie her slice o’ humble pie, Midnight,” Applejack congratulated, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup! Good job, there haystack.”

“I knew you were good at magic, Twilight,” Rainbow cut in, “But that was awesome!!!”

“Well, she is the faithful student of Princess Celestia,” Midnight reminded them.

“But why didn’t you do something sooner?!” Dash asked, everypony had the same question in their mind.

“Well, when I saw the way you were all reacting to Trixie…” Twilight admitted, “I didn’t want any of you to think I was showing off like she was.”

“Twilight,” Midnight spoke up, giving his teacher an understanding smile. “There is a difference between showing off your talents and using them to stand up for your friends.”

“We could never think badly of you for doing that,” Thunderlane agreed.

“Hay, we put up with’ Rainbow Dash on a reg’lar basis,” Applejack added.

“Oh yeah?!” Rainbow challenged, getting into the farmer’s face, “Well I oughta-”

But she stopped herself and cooled it.
“Y’know what? She’s right. I mean, Trixie was being a loudmouth!”

“A real hussy!” Thunderlane added.

“All hat and no cattle,” Applejack nodded.

“So you don’t mind my magic tricks?” Twilight asked.

“Your magic is part’a who ya are, sugarcube,” Applejack said kindly, “and we like ya fer who ya are, an’ especially proud to have a couple powerful and talented unicorns as our friends!”
“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed.

“Thanks everypony,” Twilight said and the moment just called for group hug.

Later on Twilight was finishing her friendship report.

Dear Princess Celestia,
I have learned a very valuable lesson about friendship: I was so afraid of being thought of as a showoff that I was hiding a part of who I am. My friends helped me realize that it's okay to be proud of your talents, and there are times when it's appropriate to show them off... Especially when you're standing up for your friends, something Midnight made abundantly clear to me

Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle.

Midnight smiled proudly, as he watched the shimmering vapor fly out of Twilight’s window and zip off towards Canterlot.
Well, maybe this didn’t happen as it originally did but the lesson was still learned.

“AAAAAUUUGGGGHH!!!!”

He looked ahead and saw several ponies run past him, screaming, “Dragon! Two of them!!!”

“Dragons?!” Midnight echoed in confusion and sure enough he heard two loud roars

Author's Note

This is a story retold, and since I didn't include the Ursa Minor, I felt it prudent to instigate a similar situation.

13. Boast Busters - Part 2

Midnight ran towards the sounds, and sure enough there he saw them. Two dragons, one green the other red, were rampaging through Ponyville. The red one deeply inhaled, much to Midnight’s horror, and unleashed a fiery plume that engulfed a whole house. Thankfully, practically everypony had already cleared out. The green one lashed out its tail, demolishing the clock tower.

Where did they come from?! Midnight racked his brain to figure out. The Everfree Forest, obviously, but what had drawn these scaly scourges from their forested haunts to attack a quiet little town? But why they’d come was now pointless, the real question was how was he gonna stop them before all of Ponyville was reduced to ashes?!

Midnight quickly teleported behind a tall building, narrowly avoiding a large piece of debris, and peered around the corner to get a better look of the monsters. The screams of the ponies were receding in the direction he’d come from, so he wouldn’t have to worry about innocent bystanders, now was the time to act. But what could he do?

Besides magic, Midnight had studied other subjects under Twilight’s tutelage and Spike had insisted on a book on dragons. However said book had been rather small and short because ponies didn’t go out of their way to study dragons, rather going out of their way to avoid them altogether. But there had been some tidbits of information in the book. Dragons, like Spike, enjoyed eating gemstones and their scales were resistant to magic. So a head-on approach was out of the question. Suddenly, Midnight recalled how the story had originally played out.
Ponyville was attacked by an Ursa Minor, and Twilight overcame it by lulling it to sleep and putting it back to bed in the Everfree Forest! Perhaps the same method will work here.

It actually made sense, that the trick to overcoming large creatures was how to calm them. Midnight looked around and saw a harp. He racked his brain for a soothing song and suddenly he had it!

The dragons were now exploring the part of Ponyville they’d demolished, apparently looking for anything of interest, when a sound perked their ears. Looking up, they saw a golden harp, its strings being plucked in rhythm by an invisible player, and somehow the sounds were being amplified enough for them to hear it from a distance. Curious, they approached the harp, noting how it was enwreathed in a turquoise aura.

Nearby, Midnight was observing the events unfold, his horn glowing, his eyes narrowed upon the horn. He was humming a song he knew and his magic was playing the melody through the harp.

Nearby, ponies who had been hiding were all poking their heads out, as they saw the dragons’ eyes narrow, the way they swayed their heads as they unknowingly followed the harp as it floated left to right. Finally, the dragons fell over in two thunderous thuds, as steam blew from their nostrils as they began to snore.

Ponies started coming out when Midnight hurried out quietly, saying, “Shhhhh!”

He turned his attention back to the dragons and concentrated. His aura enveloped them both and they slowly began to rise into the air. Midnight envisioned a clearing deep in the Everfree forest he had seen when he and his friends had gone after the Elements of Harmony, and willed for the dragons to be taken there. But he began to sweat, his head starting to hurt and he realized lifting these two dragons at once was causing him to strain his magic. But he couldn’t stop, not until these beasts were well away from Ponyville.

He focused, a vein starting to throb next to his horn, as everypony watched in awe as the sleeping dragons slowly but surely floated away, vanishing over the Everfree Forest.

His head was starting to pound but Midnight had to be sure the dragons wouldn’t wake up and come right back. In his mind’s eye, he could still see the clearing, and maintained the magic. For a few agonizing minutes it felt like he wouldn’t get them there before he passed out from strain when at last, he saw them in his mind’s eye, floating towards the center of the clearing. He eased the magic, slowly setting the sleeping dragons into the soft grass before he broke the spell and started panting heavily, rubbing his head with a groan.

He looked up and noticed for the first time that everypony was looking at him. Panting, he put on a smile and announced, “The dragons are gone!”

Everypony cheered when Midnight had a flash and saw two little unicorn colts running from the forest screaming, and were soon followed by the dragons.

Midnight recognized those colts and scanned the crowd for them. He saw them, quietly walking away and avoiding everypony. He narrowed his eyes and teleported in a flash in front of them, causing them to bump into him.
“Going somewhere, boys?” he asked with a raised brow.

The short and round colt, Snips, chuckled nervously, and said, “We uh, we’re late for…”
“Something!” offered lamely Snails, the tall and gangly unicorn colt.

“Would this something have to do with how it was you two who led those dragons into Ponyville?” Midnight inquired knowingly, and all eyes were on the two colts.

Knowing they’d been found out, Snips and Snails threw themselves at Midnight’s hooves, wailing.
“We’re sorry! We didn’t mean to cause so much trouble!” Snips cried.
“We were trying to find an Ursa Major for Trixie to vanquish,” Snails sobbingly admitted, “we just wanted to see some awesome magic!”
“But we found a dragon cave instead!” Snips concluded. “Please don’t hurt us!”

“Well…” Midnight let the moment hang and took a guilty pleasure in seeing Snips & Snails squirm, before he said, “Alright! I’ll forgive you…”

Snips & Snails both sighed but Midnight suddenly said, “After you both clean up this whole mess the dragons made.”

Snips and Snails looked at the destruction around them and their jaws dropped at how much work was ahead of them.
“But that’ll take forever!” Snips complained.

“Then I suggest you get started,” Midnight smirked and both colts groaned in weary submission.

“Three cheers for Midnight!” cheered somepony, and everypony joined in.

“Hip-hip-hurray! Hip-hip-hurray! Hip-hip-hurray!”

“Party at Sugarcube Corner!” announced Pinkie Pie.

At Sugarcube Corner, everypony had fun (aside from Snips and Snails who were both outside, collecting debris into a wagon under the watch of a couple adult ponies), Midnight smiled as he explained how exactly he’d overcame the dragons, bringing up the harp, which, as it turned out, was dropped by Lyra, whom Midnight thanked for accidentally leaving it behind.

Midnight’s friends were there too, Twilight saying, “I can’t believe you saved Ponyville from two dragons! You really levitated them both to Everfree Forest?”

“It probably would’ve been easier at night,” Midnight answered, “somehow, I notice my magic’s kinda stronger during nighttime, especially when the moon’s out and a’glow.”

“Hmm,” Twilight pondered Midnight’s words but decided to let him have his moment. He challenged Applejack to a cider-drinking contest (and lost), he hoof-wrassled Thunderlane (and won), and danced with Twilight during the party music.

Even so, as night fell and she went home, she made sure to send a letter of the events to Princess Celestia.

After reading the message form her faithful student pertaining to her own, Princess Celestia mused what it could mean. She looked to an old portrait of her own teacher from so long ago, Star Swirl the Bearded.
“Perhaps, old friend… Perhaps Midnight could be the solution to saving somepony close to us both.”

Author's Note

Since I excluded the Ursa Minor I wanted to re-invent the scenario as well as hint towards something

And yes, Star Swirl was Princess Celestia's teacher, read the comics

(B'Tween) Illusion

*YAWN*

"Midnight, pay attention," Twilight rapt her blackboard with her ruler, the noise irritating her student as he got it out of his system.

"Twilight, why couldn't we save this lesson for our next scheduled session...?" Midnight sighed as he slumped onto his desk.

"After the magic you displayed with the dragons Snips & Snails accidentally lured to Ponyville?" Twilight scoffed, "It means, your studies are going to accelerate."

Midnight groaned, which Twilight ignored as she wrote and said, "'Magic 101: Illusion'!"

"I hope by "illusion" you're not talking about Trixie's stageshow stuff..." Midnight rubbed his temple.

"No, I'm talking about a real art of magic dedicated to Illusions," Twilight clarified. "A practice and art of magic that is purported to fool any or all of the five senses into perceiving something that isn't real!"

"OK, you got my attention," Midnight sighed again but now looked a little more... alive, as he stood up straighter and paid attention.

"The Art of Illusion," Twilight got into it, "spells that, as I said, fool any one or more of the five senses, convincing them they are perceiving something that isn't there. Be it a scent, sight, sound, taste or touch. As you can imagine, Illusions' primary purpose is to deceive someone. One schooled in this art could make a fly appear to be a dragon or a marsh a flowerbed."

"Making something appear as something else?" Midnight gathered curiously.

"Those sorts of illusions are called..." Twilight drawled as she wrote the word on the board, "Glamour!"

"So... provided I know how, I could use a glamour to make myself appear as someone else?" Midnight asked.

"Correct!" Twilight nodded, "But there are limits; think of a Glamour as... a blanket that's covering you. If you tried glamouring yourself as someone smaller or bigger than you, like say... Spike? It wouldn't really work because the Glamour can't conceal you enough to hide your larger mass compared to Spike's.

"Also, it's not a transformation. You're still you but the Glamour is making you appear as someone else. If you made yourself look like Thunderlane, you could control your illusory wings but you couldn't use them to fly."

"Could Glamour be applied to an environment?" Midnight asked as he scribbled down his notes. "You said you could use an illusion to make a marsh look like a flowerbed. So I'm guessing you could also, say... make wall invisible?"

"Or make a woodpile look like it's on fire," Twilight nodded. "Glamour is a moderate level of Illusion magic but the simplest illusions are called Figments. The most basic of illusions, nothing more than images or sounds of something that isn't there. Like... Hearing a distant sound, a moaning, whistling, and you think it's just the wind. Or even seeing a fleeting image out the corner of your eye, a shadow or-or a light! You think it's just your eyes playing tricks on you."

"Those sound like cantrip-level illusions," Midnight commented.

"They are!" Twilight smiled in a praising way. "So simple even Delta unicorns can cast them. But no Delta could ever hope to cast a Mirage!"

"A Mirage?" Midnight leaned forward in interest.

"Illusions so powerful they can actually affect reality," Twilight explained. "A Glamour of Fire can look like a fire, even sound like a fire. But it can't feel like a fire..."

"...whereas a Mirage of Fire," Midnight gathered, "can actually feel hot enough to burn!"

"Exactly! A Mirage is an Illusion that can be seen, heard, and felt!" Twilight went on, "However, they have a glaring weakness. A Mirage is only so powerful as how much one thinks they're real. For example, if I cast a mirage of fire and you thought it was real, it could burn you. But if you doubted the fire's existence it could potentially feel less and less hot until you had no doubts and it was nothing more than a three-dimensional image of light behaving like fire.

"But a more impressive example is a Mirage of a bridge over a deep chasm. If you had no suspicions and absolutely believed the bridge was real, you could cross it no problem. But if you doubted, the bridge would weaken and destabilize reflecting your degree of doubt."

"You can make a bridge appear out of thin air to cross a chasm..." Midnight wondered, "and it's never real to begin with... That sounds-"

"Unbelievable?" Twilight interrupted with a smirk. "Oxymoronic, I know."

Midnight chuckled before asking, "What else is there?"

Twilight hesitated a moment before saying, "The next two types of Illusions are a little more... darker, you could say. There are types of Illusions that are purported to be terrifying, to deliberately make someone afraid. To manifest images and sounds of something scary; ghosts, monsters, or something specific. These sorts of Illusions are called Phantasms, illusions with the specific purpose to scare somepony."

"Hm! If I wanted something like that, I'd set up a 'beware of dog' sign and anypony who ignores it would see a big scary dog on my property," Midnight cracked.

"Actually there there is a 'Beware of Dog' Phantasm," Twilight retorted with a raised brow. This spurred more laughter, between both student and teacher.
"But the next type of Illusion is... questionable. It's called a Hallucination: It's an illusion that is perceived only by a selected target."

"Sounds aptly named," Midnight commented.

"Hallucinations have been used by dark unicorn mages to torture victims psychologically and isolate them from their peers," Twilight went on. "Because only the victim could perceive the illusion they were seen as... well, not of sound mind."

"But they were," Midnight stated deeply, "in a way."

"Hallucinations are prohibited these days," Twilight assured, "taught only to unicorn mages who are deemed trustworthy and responsible."

"So you know Hallucinations?" Midnight asked, and Twilight's response surprised him.

"No. Because I chose not to learn them."

"Why?"

"Believe it or not, I do actually think there's some credence to the saying 'too much information'," Twilight quipped but Midnight saw no humor behind it.
"Now finally, we move onto the last type of illusion, the most difficult, possible only to Beta-level unicorns and above: Residuals."

"Resi-what?"

"Residuals," Twilight repeated, "Think of it as an illusion that... manifests a past event in the location the event occurred."

"I don't get it," Midnight said with a dumb look.

"OK, think of... The Castle of the Two Sisters," Twilight suggested, "You remember what happened there."

"...Nightmare Moon, I took a blast of magic for you," Midnight remembered, "and then our friends showed up, you had a revelation, and we were able to unlock the powers of the Elements of Harmony."

"Now think of all that as an illusion playing out those events in front of our eyes," Twilight added, "and instead of reenacting the events, we're observing them."

"...Huh! I think I get what you're saying!" Midnight said as it dawned on him. "Like... hitting the rewind button on the VCR."

"Very much so," Twilight nodded. "A Residual is an illusory "play-back" of an event that occurred in a location. In order to witness a Residual of an event you must go the location where it occurred and cast the Residual. Not a lot of illusionists are able to cast Residuals, because oftentimes we're looking for a specific event and no matter the location so many events have happened in the history of the world, minor or significant."

"It kinda sounds like fishing," Midnight chuckled.

Twilight appreciated the analogy and giggled in agreement, "Y'know what, it kind of is!"

"Here's something I'd like to know though," Midnight brought up, "f you're under an illusion, can you come out of it?"

"Well, yes. Under the effect of certain illusions, you would fall unconscious or you would interact with the illusion because you think it's real," Twilight explained.
"Despite its creative uses, Illusion magic isn't the most reliable and cohesive among the mystic arts. It requires honed skills as well as keen intelligence to make the illusions more convincing. Some illusions can rely on the target's own knowledge of what the illusion is in order to fool them, like... Making an illusion of fire to fool somepony who had a bad experience with fire. Or even show somepony a situation or subject they are an expert on, use their knowledge of the subject against them. Also, some Illusionary spells require the target sees a particular something or even hear it.

"But a good way to break free of an illusion is to experience a sensation that isn't caused by the illusion itself. Like... a loud sound, a pungent odor, or even real pain!"

"So... If you figured out you were under an Illusion, all you have to do is hurt yourself enough to break out of it," Midnight gathered.

"Correct," Twilight nodded.

"Could you try an illusion on me?" Midnight asked.

"I could, but since you'd already be expecting it, you'd realize all-too-quickly you're under an illusion and it wouldn't be as effective," Twilight clarified.
"Remember, Illusions are meant to fool you into perceiving something and thinking it's real."

"Got it. Are there any simpler illusions we could try?" Midnight asked.

"Sure, but let's take a break," Twilight decided as she magicked away the blackboard. "I could got for a nice wheatgrass tea at the cafe."

"Alrighty then," Midnight closed his notebook and followed Twilight out the door.

At the cafe, Twilight and Midnight sat at her usual table and thanked Savoir Fare when he brought them their drinks. Midnight opted instead for an icewater with a lime twist due to his lack of appreciation for tea.

"Twilight... I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Hmm?"

"Based on what you told me about Glamours, it made me think about a particular something I don't see on a regular basis."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"...Uh..." Midnight stalled, and Twilight noticed he was blushing a bit and looked uncomfortable. "You know how almost everypony goes around naked?"

"...Oh!" Twilight's lavender coat pinked up a bit as she realized what Midnight was hinting. "Well... Ahem! You see, Midnight... The reason you don't see... that... is because... Well, a few centuries ago, as pony society became more... complex? Well, a unicorn alchemist, Ignis Flame, noticed how everypony wore more clothes to hide their..."

"Privates?" Midnight offered with an understanding smile.

Twilight rolled her eyes and nodded, "Well, yeah. Anyway, Ignis created a lotion through alchemy that employed a minor glamour. These days, that lotion has become widespread, made in the form of shampoo, soap, even perfume. It makes a glamour that covers us... down there. It was called the Decency Glamour."

"Ah, so this... Decency Glamour is used to conceal our privates," Midnight couldn't help but giggle a bit.

"The formula was refined to be mixed into any kind of coat-care product or soap used to clean one's self, including hoof soap," Twilight went on. "It lasts for half a day, and any additional uses prolongs the glamour by an hour."

"Huh. Wonder what happens when somepony wants you to see them...?"

"Midnight!"

"What?! It's a legitimate query!" Midnight defended with a sheepish grin that Twilight couldn't help but smile at as they shared a nice brunch, and a nice laugh.

Author's Note

Another something out of my old writings

14. Dragonsh- Wha?!

It was a fine day and Fluttershy was busy at home, caring lovingly for the animals around her. She fed fish to the otters, worms to the birds, all around happy with her work, as she alighted down to a small house she had for a little white rabbit, munching on a carrot.
“Not too fast, Angel Bunny, or you’ll get a tummyache.”

In response to her words, Angel gave her a look and simply dropped the carrot before hopping off, Fluttershy giggling at his act as she said, “You really should eat more than that I think. It’s not playtime yet.”

Grabbing the carrot, she flew ahead of Angel, dropping it in front of him, saying, “I know you want to run but… just three more bites.”

Angel pouted and shook his head no.

“Two more bites?”

He shook no.

Fluttershy edged the carrot closer to him, kindly asking, “Pretty please?”

Angel responded by kicking the carrot away, like that spoiled brat he was, and hopping off as Fluttershy sighed. She loved her little Angel Bunny but honestly wished he could be a little better behaved.

*Cough-cough*

“Oh my!” Fluttershy went over to him, asking, “Are you okay? Are you coughing from carrot stuck in your throat? Do you need some water?”

Angel gave a heaving hacking cough while pointing towards the sky ahead before finally pointing Fluttershy’s gaze in that direction, and she gasped! Wafting from a distant mountaintop was a thick trail of smoke.
“Because of that giant cloud of scary-black smoke?!”

She was answered by the carrot being thrown at her head and noticed the stink-eye Angel was giving her. She sheepishly smiled, “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

As the smoke descended towards Ponyville, Fluttershy ran into the park, calling out (in her soft voice), “Help! Help! There’s a horrible cloud of smoke!”

Everypony went about their business, not hearing her.

“It’s headed this way,” she tried again, gasping as she dodged a ball, a rainbow streak intercepting it.

“Don’t be such a scaredy-pony, it’s just me!” Rainbow Dash was bouncing the ball on her head and rump.
“Future Equestria ball-bouncing record holder. Three forty six, three forty seven...”

“This calls for a celebration!” declared a voice Fluttershy knew too well.

“Oh no, Pinkie Pie, this is no time for a celebration,” Fluttershy corrected (in her perpetually soft voice) as the smoke continued to cloud in.
“This is a time for panic, for-”

“Ooh!” Pinkie popped up in front of her, saying, “I’m gonna need balloons, one for everypony in Ponyville!”

“There’s- There’s smoke,” Fluttershy ran, trying to keep up with the bouncy pink pony, “and where there’s smoke there’s fire-”

She crashed into Pinkie (who for some reason had become as solid as a wall in her sudden stop) as Pinkie began counting everypony, “One, two, three…”

At that moment, nearby was Midnight, enjoying the sunshine when he noticed something was blocking it. Looking up, he gasped! He ran over to a nearby bridge, shouting, “ATTENTION, EVERYPONY!”

All the ponies in the park looked to him as he said, “We appear to have an emergency! Look up!”

Everypony looked up and gasped to see the smoke steadily creeping over Ponyville.

“But don’t worry!”

Midnight looked back and saw Twilight and Spike coming, “I’ve just received a letter from Princess Celestia informing it is not coming from a fire.”

For a blessed moment, everypony, particularly Fluttershy, sighed in relief, only for that relief to be stolen a moment later by Twilight stating, “It’s coming from a dragon!”

Everypony gasped, Fluttershy fearfully uttering, “A- a dragon?!”

“Midnight, gather all our friends, meeting at the Golden Oak Library,” Twilight instructed her student.
“At once, Twilight,” Midnight saluted before hurrying off.

Not too long later, the Elements of Harmony, along with Big McIntosh and Thunderlane, had gathered for Twilight’s meeting at the library.
“Wha’ in th’ name o’ all things cinnamon-swirled is a full-grown dragon doing here in Equestria?” Applejack asked.

“Sleeping,” was Twilight’s simple answer, much to the collective “Huh” from everypony present.
“According to Princess Celestia, he’s taking a nap. His snoring is the cause of all this smoke.”

“He really needs a doctor,” Pinkie suggested, “that doesn’t sound healthy at all.”

“This is probably my fault,” Midnight stated, sounding guilty, “After that dragon fiasco Snips and Snails caused, I only sent the dragons that they disturbed into the Everfree Forest.”

“You’re not to blame,” Twilight assured him. “We don’t even know if this dragon is one of the two you took care of.”

“Well at least he’s not snoring fire, bro,” Thunderlane agreed. “But that still begs the question, what do we do about this?”

“I’ll tell you what, we give him the boost!” Rainbow piped up, bucking the wooden horse head bust in the middle of the room, Twilight re-setting it with her aura. But Rainbow was getting into it as she launched herself at the bust, yelling, “Take that!”

But Twilight had moved the bust out of the way, leaving Rainbow to crash into the wall in a slump.

“We need to encourage him to take a nap somewhere else,” Twilight corrected her.” Princess Celestia has given us this mission and we must not fail.”

“Failure will mean Equestria overcast with smoke for the next hundred years!” Midnight added urgently.

Fluttershy gasped while Rarity commented, “Talk about getting your beauty sleep!”

“Alright everypony, I’ll need you to gather supplies quickly,” Twilight instructed as she put on her saddlebags.
“We have a long journey ahead of us. Let’s meet back here in one hour.”

“Fillies and gentlecolts, we’ve got a job to do!” Rainbow Dash declared. “Do we have what it takes?!”

Applejack, Pinkie, Big Mac, Rarity, and Thunderlane all reared up and cheered affirmatively as they headed out, with Fluttershy bringing up the rear, looking nervous. This did not escape Midnight’s notice. He went over and gave an encouraging nudge to her shoulder, saying, “Everything will be alright, Flutters. We all have something to contribute.”

As she watched Midnight follow AJ and Mac back home, Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile a little at his encouragement despite the lingering doubt she felt.

Not long later, Twilight walked in front of eight ponies assembled, saying, “Alright, everypony, I’m mapping out the quickest route, but we’ve all gotta keep a good pace if we’re to make it by nightfall.”

Midnight stepped forward, adding, “And it won’t be easy, as we gotta climb that mountain!”

He pointed to where the smoke was coming from, informing them, “The dragon resides in a cave at the top.”

“Looks pretty cold up there,” Applejack observed, Big Mac adding, “Eeyup.”

“It sure is,” Thunderlane replied, “the higher you go, the chillier it gets.

“Well then it’s a good thing I brought my scarf,” Rarity commented as she pulled it from her saddlebag, a scarf striped into two shades of pink, Pinkie complimenting, “Ooh, pretty!”

Rarity posed with it, Rainbow giggling, “Yeah, that’ll keep you nice and cozy!”

Fluttershy looked to the smoky mountaintop, gulping, and approached Twilight, who was busy looking over a map.
“Um, Twilight? I realize you’re busy but-”

“Uh-huh, well we could go this way,” Twilight wasn’t really listening.

“If I could just have a second-”

“Well, we’ll want to avoid that!” Twilight poked at the map, still not listening.

“So, um, I was thinking that, um,” Fluttershy haltingly spoke, “maybe… I should just stay here in Ponyville.”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight muttered until a few seconds later she realized what she’d just heard. “Wait!”

She hurried over to Fluttershy, who had just been in the process of leaving,
“You have to come! Your way with wild animals will surely come in handy! Oh, and don’t worry about your little friends in the meadow.”

Fluttershy noticed Spike, accompanied by some of Fluttershy’s animals.
“Spike’s got it covered while you’re gone.”

“You can count on me,” Spike said confidently, which was ruined by Angel, who tapped rather hard on his head, scaring the animals off. “Wha- Wait, wait!”

As Spike left to corral the critters up, Fluttershy said, “I’m not really sure he’s quite up to the task. Maybe-”

But Twilight wasn’t listening. Midnight had noticed however and went over to Fluttershy, saying, “I know, she really needs to work on her listening-to-others skills. Fluttershy, I understand if you’re scared. But just remember, Twilight has faith in your skills with animals, and that surely tells you how much faith she has in you! Draw courage from that faith, and you’ll surely be up to the task.”

Fluttershy just squealed nervously.

Meanwhile, Rainbow was having a word with Twilight.
“Are you sure you wanna bring her along? Fluttershy’s scared of her own shadow, she’s just gonna slow us down!”

“Oh she’s just a little nervous,” Twilight scoffed, “Once we get going I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

However, they heard a squeak and Twilight felt her confidence in Fluttershy drop when she literally hid at the sight of her own shadow, Rainbow giving her a look.

Before long, the nine ponies were making their way towards the mountain, and the closer they got, the louder the snores coming from atop became. The snores were so loud, they made the earth around them tremble.
“Whoa, and Ah thought Big Mac’s snorin’ was a waker-upper!” Applejack commented, her brother rolling his eyes. But he noticed somepony hiding behind him, Fluttershy saying, “I-it’s so… high!”

“Well it is a mountain,” Rainbow said with a tone meant for the phrase ‘duh’. “I’m gonna fly up and check it out.”

But Thunderlane barred her way, saying, “Not so fast, Dash! I think we should stick together.”

“Thunder’s right,” Applejack agreed, the others nodding, “safety in numbers an’ all.”

“Oh alright,” Rainbow pouted.

Before long, everypony was making their way up, Rainbow flapping aloft with the same bored pouty look as Rarity said, “I heard the only thing that sparkles more than a dragon’s scales are the jewels they use to build their nests. Ooh, if I play my cards right, I might convince him to part with a few!”

“Oh! You mean like, ‘Welcome to my cave, Rarity’!” Pinkie said in a growly voice. “‘Care for a diamond?’ Rargh!”

Everypony laughed at her little joke except Twilight who said, “Everypony! This is no laughing matter!”

“Unclench, Twi,” Midnight chuckled, Twilight giving him a look. “Better to be in high spirits than uptight like you.”

Twilight growled at his words but let it go as she said, “Fluttershy, you’re the expert on wild creatures. What do you think the dragon will be like? Fluttershy?”

They all looked back and saw Fluttershy was quivering behind a bush.
“Hey! What’re you waiting for, an invitation?” snapped Rainbow.

“Ooh! I think I have one in my bag,” Pinkie said, an explosion of confetti bursting out of her bag.

“It’s- It’s so…. Steep,” Fluttershy shivered.

“It is a cliff!” Rainbow sighed wearily. “You could just, I dunno… fly up here?”

“Come on, Fluttershy!” Midnight called out encouragingly. “We’re waiting for ya!”

Hearing Midnight, Fluttershy stepped out, saying, “O-okay…”

She flapped her wings, rising several feet into the air, when a loud snore made her squeal. Her heart all but gave out as she instinctively closed up her wings and fell back into the bush.

“Urgh!” Rainbow growled, Twilight in agreement as she said, “We don’t have time for this!”

But at that moment, Big Mac took the map from her bag.

“What’re you doing?”

“Lookin’ for another way t’ take Fluttershy,” Big Mac answered. He found a route and slid down to Fluttershy, Midnight coming as well.
“Not necessary,” the blue unicorn assured.

His horn flared and Fluttershy was levitated by his magic, as he said, “I’ll carry her.”

Everypony couldn’t help but laugh a little as Midnight levitated Fluttershy in front of him as they approached, followed by Big Mac. As they carried on, however, Twilight couldn’t help but notice how easily her student was carrying Fluttershy and keeping up with them, all the while apparently under no magical strain. She knew Midnight had a lot of magic in him, especially after learning how he dealt with the double dragon attack on Ponyville. At the time, she remembered Midnight saying it would’ve been easier at night, when the moon was glowing.

“Is something wrong, dear?”

She looked to see Rarity, giving her a concerned look.

“It’s just Midnight,” she said, “He has been a constant surprise to me, not just as a friend but as a student! He’s bypassing everything I’m teaching him so far.”

“Well, that stallion certainly seems to be quite gifted,” Rarity gave Midnight a look-over, And his chores at the farm are certainly doing him a favor…

“Tell me darling, remember Midnight’s story, how he’s from another world and was a different being entirely?”

“What about it?”

“Has he ever… expressed an interest in going back?”

“I asked him that before the tickets for the gala arrived,” Twilight said, “Midnight has no intention of going back to his old world, he even said his life there is over, that his life is now here. He even said he considers us his family now.”

“How darling,” Rarity couldn’t help but feel warmed by that. “But didn’t he mention a sister?”

“He misses her, but don’t you remember his story?” Twilight added. “He said in his world, he died, and Princess Celestia brought his soul here, where he became a pony.”

“Well, dying in his old world? That would certainly be part of the reason he doesn’t want to go back,” Rarity mused. “Can’t just go home and say ‘hello everyone, I died but actually went to a different world and now I’m back’. Imagine the reaction!”

“That makes sense,” Twilight agreed. “But I can’t help but feel despite everything we’ve been through with him, there continues to be more to him than meets the eye.”

“Well, that’s life, darling.”

Before long, they were walking along a ledge, Twilight whispering, “Let’s keep it down, according to the map we’re in an avalanche zone. The slightest peep could set off a rockslide!”

“An ava- ava-” Fluttershy tried to say, Midnight saying, “Shh!”

He set her down and said, “Tip-toe!”

Everypony tiptoed along, not saying a word. But as Rainbow passed under the branch of a tree, a leaf flittered down, and as luck would’ve had it, it alighted onto Fluttershy’s back.
“AVALA-”

Big Mac covered her mouth, everypony going tense with anticipation.

…

When nothing happened, they sighed in relief, only to hear a distant rumble and the suspense built up as they looked up and saw…
“AVALANCHE!!!!”

Screaming, everypony scrambled for cover, dodging huge boulders, zig-zagging through a stony storm, narrowly avoiding a close-call here or there. Finally, it all calmed down, Applejack calling out, “Everypony okay?”

“Thanks to you I am,” Twilight answered, “thanks for the save back there.”

“Ugh!” Rarity shook herself of the dust she’d been covered with, Thunderlane going over to flap it away while Pinkie bounced, “Let’s do it again!”

“PINKIE!” everypony growled with a warning rise of their tones.

“Uh, we might have a problem,” Big Mac brought up and they saw a great pile of dirt and rocks covering the path.

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“It’s alright, sugarcube,” Applejack assured her, Midnight saying, “We’ll just… go over.”

Everypony sighed tiresomely but trekked on. Going up, Rainbow was giving Fluttershy the stink-eye as she brought up the rear. But as they made their way down the other side, Fluttershy was trying to be careful on her way down, when she slipped. She crashed into Rarity and Big Mac, and they slid all the way down.

“Oh, my apologies,” Rarity said as Rainbow helped her up.

“Not your fault,” Rainbow told her in a tone that let Fluttershy know she was to blame.

Fluttershy’s ears drooped but Midnight went over and gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. They ran up to catch up with the others as they went around bend, Midnight saying, “Don’t let Rain bow get’cha down. She’s just…”

“I know…” Fluttershy responded with a tone that said she was down. “I wish I could be brave like her…”

“You can be, Flutters,” Midnight assured, “But look, being brave doesn’t mean being fearless. It means facing the challenge even if you’re afraid but you don’t let your fears stop you.”

“Really?” Fluttershy was genuinely piqued by that. “I always thought…”

“Everypony has something to be scare of, Fluttershy,” Midnight went on. “That’s just the way we are. But being brave doesn't mean you're not afraid. It means you do what you gotta do even when you are!. And I know, when the time is right, you’ll find your own bravery."

Fluttershy smiled at him gratefully when Twilight whispered loudly, “We’re here!”

They all stood before a massive cave, and the smoke was slowly trailing out from the top in a thin ominous flume. Twilight looked to their two weather-ponies, saying, “Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, you two have to use your wings to clear the smoke.”

“We’re on it,” Thunderlane said with a salute and the co-captains zoomed skyward.

“Rarity and Pinkie Pie, you’ll create a distraction for the dragon in case the situation goes south in there.”

Pinkie Pie responded by waving a rubber chicken around, Rarity and Twilight sharing a look.

“Applejack, Big McIntosh, you're ready with the apples in case he decides to attack.”

The Apple siblings confirmed so by bucking some apples into a tree, where they turned to apple-sauce upon impact, Big Mac whispering, “Eeyup!”

“But it shouldn't come to that, because Fluttershy will do what she needs to do to wake him up,” Twilight assured, Fluttershy feeling her heart pound, Midnight putting a comforting hoof on her back. He sighed at how clueless his teacher was, how could she not notice how scared poor Fluttershy was?

“And between her, me, and Midnight, we should be able to get him to understand why he needs to go. Is everypony ready?”

They all nodded, Twilight saying, “Okay then, we’re going in!”

But as she made her way in, Twilight had not noticed she was alone, “So, what is the best way to wake a sleeping dragon without upsetting him? Fluttershy?”

She looked and saw she was alone.
“Midnight?! Oh come on!”

She came out and saw Midnight was shrugging as he pointed to Fluttershy whose face was buried in the dirt.
“Come on, we have to do this!” Twilight said as she started pushing against Fluttershy.

“Unbelievable,” muttered Midnight.

“I know!” Twilight agreed as Rainbow started helping her push. “Come on!” – She grunted as Rainbow pushed – “Every second that dragon” – She grunted as Rarity started helping – “sleeps is another” – She grunted as Applejack started helping – “acre of Equestria that is covered in” – she grunted as Pinkie started helping – “smoke!”

Big Mac and Thunderlane almost stepped in but Midnight shook his head no while saying, “Fluttershy, do you want me to tell them?”

“I-” Fluttershy stuttered, “I- I can’t go in that cave…”

The girls all keeled over in frustration, Rainbow saying, “Oh great, now she’s scared of caves?!”

“It’s not the cave, Rainbow,” Midnight corrected irritably, Fluttershy saying, “Midnight’s right. I’m not scared of caves, I’m scared of…”

“Whassat, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“I’m scared of…”

“What?” Twilight snapped.

“I’m scared of dragons!” Fluttershy finally blurted out, covering her head with her wings with a fearful shiver.

“But Fluttershy, you have a wonderful talent dealing with all kinds of animals!” Twilight reminded her.

“Yes, because they’re not dragons,” Fluttershy replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Come on Flutters!” Thunderlane said encouragingly, “What about the time you walked right up to a manticore? It didn’t seem like such a big deal to you!”

“Yes, because he wasn’t a dragon,” Fluttershy maintained.

“Spike’s a dragon and you’re not scared of him,” Pinkie reminded her with a smile.

“Yes, because he not a huge, gigantic, terrifying, enormous, teeth-gnashing, sharp-scale having, horn-wearing, smoke-snoring, could eat a pony in one bite, totally all grown-up dragon!”

“But if you’re so afraid of dragons,” Twilight brought up, “why didn’t you say something before we came all the way up here?!”

“Because she was afraid to,” Midnight clarified. “I can’t believe you didn’t notice!”

Twilight felt a little bad by that statement, as Midnight went on, saying to Fluttershy, “Fluttershy, all of us are scared of that dragon too!”

“I’m not!”

Midnight gave Rainbow a flat look but repeated, “All of us are scared of that dragon too!”

“Ah-hem!” *Zip!* "Mmph!"

Midnight had used the zip-it spell on the egotistical pegasus mare, Thunderlane chuckling at the disgruntled look on her face.

“But we’ve gotta job t’ do,” Applejack reminded the timid butter-yellow Pegasus. “So get in there with Twilight and Midnight, and show `em what yer made of!”

Despite the encouraging looks she got from everypony (not including Rainbow), Fluttershy stuttered, “I- I- …I’m sorry, I just can’t…”

“Oh Fluttershy,” Midnight whispered as he watched their friend sulk away.

So Twilight and Midnight went in themselves.
“Don’t think badly of Fluttershy, Twilight. Everypony has something they just aren’t ready to face!”

“I know, but I thought we could encourage her to do her part,” Twilight replied, feeling guilty to be disappointed at their friend.
“But I suppose I should’ve been more sensitive to her feelings earlier. Even so, we have a job to do. Between the two of us, I’m sure we can… convince the dragon to move on… right?”

“Uh sure,” Midnight was finally feeling the weight on their shoulders, and it came with its own anxiety as they went further in. They kept their ears alert and their horns just lightly glowing with shield spells at the ready, just in case.

But to both unicorns' bewilderment, they heard nothing other than that wind breathing past the cavernous walls of the cave. Not only that, they realized, the air i nthe cave, chill and musty, didn't reek of the smoke they'd smelled before. In fact, the whole cave seemed rather spacious, large enough to serve as a grand hall in a castle, with a few small passages extending deeper within into smaller caves.

"Uh... Twi? Shouldn't we have come across the dragon by now?" Midnight asked a tad dumbly even though there was a hint of caution in his voice.

"He has to be here! But... you're right!" Twilight couldn't understand what was going on. "I don't hear any snoring, i hardly smell any smoke..."

Then Twilight lit up her horn and cast a spell, a faint pulse of light expanding from her position, spreading out like a ripple throughout the cave walls. Midnight waited a long moment, not wanting to interrupt Twilight's concentration, when the lavender mare's eyes opened and she gasped, "Midnight... there's no dragon here!"

"Are you sure?" Midnight tilted his head, confused.

"That was a dowsing spell," Twilight explained, still sounding incredulous, "It allows the caster to use their magic to sense their surroundings, detecting virtually anything within the area of effect. It spread throughout the main chamber of the cave, but... other than a few bugs and such, there's nothing here! I can detect signs that a dragon most certainly was living here until recently, but... this dragon is gone!"

"Gone, like... he left?" Midnight inquired.

"Gone as in vanished!" Twilight was starting to get nervous, "It's as though the dragon literally just disappeared into thin air!"

"Let's... have a look around, just to be sure," Midnight suggested, "but keep your guard up."

The two unicorns ventured deeper, finding a deep impression in the middle of the cave floor, with faint sparkles that turned out to be minuscule gems and a few gold coins. There were large claw marks in one wall, and another looked like it'd been blasted with fire. But then, at the way back of the cave, something caught Midnight's eye, "Twilight! I got something!"

He hurried to the wall, hearing Twilight coming behind him, and he levitated up what appeared to be a message in a bottle that had been set upon a rock in obvious display. He showed it to Twilight, asking, "What do you suppose this is?"

"Well, only one way to find out," Twilight took the bottle in her magic, uncorked it, and carefully drew the rolled up parchment within to see, "It's a message. Hold on...

"'To those it may concern, the dragon on this mountain no longer poses a problem to the Equestrian skies. With the dragon's snoring no longer producing so much smoke, the air will soon clear on its own though some weather pegasi should help it along, just in case. The dragon is no more and the hoard has been claimed, for services rendered. Thank you and have a nice day-' Whoa!"

No sooner had Twilight finished reading the message aloud, the parchment instantly ignited with blue flames and was reduced to ashes faster than either unicorns could blink. The bottle the message had been in likewise vanished when it popped like a bubble into nothing, leaving the two unicorns perplexed by what had just happened. For a long moment, neither of them said anything, until Midnight took a deep breath, "Well... looks like we came all this way for nothing."

"But- I don't understand! Princess Celestia gave us this task," Twilight flabbergasted, "Why send us up here if somepony else already... resolved the situation?"

"Maybe she doesn't know someone else did," suggested Midnight, "the message said that the dragon's hoard was claimed for... services rendered. Sounds to me that someone beat us here, somehow got rid of the dragon, and took his hoard like it was a payment."

"But who?! Who could make a whole dragon just disappear make off with all his gold and gems like it was nothing?!" Twilight wondered a tad frantically.

"Your guess would be as good as mine, Twi," Midnight shrugged, "There's no point sticking around here. Let's head out, tell the others the dragon is gone, and just go home."

"...I guess that's all we can do," Twilight nodded, still a little disturbed by this unexpected development, and followed Midnight out of the cave.

She lingered a moment to peer back, almost expecting to see some kind of sign that might clue as to what may or may not have happened, but she saw only a gloomy cave, and ventured on. When Twilight stepped back into the sunshine, a pair of glowing eyes watched from the darkest corner in the cave before they blinked out, the few remaining gems and coins vanishing with it.

Author's Note

I never liked what I did with this chapter before becuz i didn't really do much with it originally. I finally took a moment of my time to go back and change it.

Simply put, someone else reached the cave, killed the dragon, and took his treasure hoard "for services rendered".

16. Bridle Gossip - Part 1

It was a nice day and Midnight was taking Twinken for a walk through town.
“Thanks for taking me out, big brother! TLC would’ve dumped me with laundry to do, and I hate doing laundry for the other foals!”

“Well, that comes from living with other ponies, Twinken,” Midnight reminded him, “and yeah, I’m glad you’re here to share such a nice day with me.”

“Thunderlane must’ve gotten up early to clear away all the clouds,” Twinken commented as he hopped onto Midnight’s back.

“But it’s kinda odd,” Midnight said as he brought them into town square, “You’d think everypony would be out enjoying such a sunshiny day but this place almost looks like a ghost town.”

They looked around, seeing not a soul in sight with only few signs of life. One mare squealed as she shut the shutters on her window, while a filly stood outside her door only to be pulled inside by her mother, the door slamming shut.

“Is some event going on?” Twinken asked as Midnight continued through the empty streets.

“None that I’m aware of.”

“If somepony smelled something, I swear it wasn’t me!” Twinken had a sheepish look, Midnight chuckling.

“Do you think that, maybe it’s…” Twinken was sounding nervous.

“Zombies?!”

“Huh?!” The two looked across the way and saw, “Twilight, Spike!”

“Oh, Midnight, and Twinken,” Twilight came over, Spike on her back, as the four of them looked confusingly around the empty streets. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“`Fraid not,” Midnight replied, “I was hoping you would have the answers …And for the record, Spike, zombies? Unlikely.”

“Unlikely, yes, but possible!” debated Spike.

“Psst!”

They looked towards Sugarcube Corner, and saw Pinkie inside, “Guys! Come over here! Hurry! Before she gets you!”

Twilight and Midnight looked at each other, not understanding, but heeded the party pony’s words, hurrying inside, only to get a light flashed in their eyes.
“From who?!” Twinken asked.
“The zombie pony?” Spike added.

“Z-zombie-pony?!” Pinkie echoed fearfully.

“Guys, there are no zombie ponies,” Twilight insisted, Spike and Twinken sliding down.

“Pinkie, what’re you doing here alone in the dark?” Midnight asked.

“I’m not alone in the dark,” Pinkie replied, and the two unicorns’ eyes adjusted to the dark bakery and saw all their friends were present: AJ, Mac, Rainbow, Thunderlane, Fluttershy, Rarity, even Apple Bloom was there.

“Okay, what’re you all doing here in the dark?” Twilight amended.

“We’re hidin’ from her!” Applejack pointed out the window, and everypony looked to see somepony was standing in the middle of the square, wearing a cloak, and apparently digging at the dirt. Suddenly the stranger looked towards them, yellow eyes glaring out from the shadow of the hood.

Everypony cowered and hid, except for Twilight and Midnight.

“Didja see her, Midnight?” Apple Bloom asked nervously. “Didja see… Zecora?”

“Apple Bloom!” Applejack snapped at the little filly. “Ah told ya never t’ say tha’ name!”

Midnight raised a brow and looked again, everyone peering out the window with him, albeit crowding him, to Midnight's chagrin.

“Ugh, the way she’s digging, does she not care about getting dirty?” Rarity huffed.

“Maybe she’s looking for something,” Spike suggested.

“Something evil!” Pinkie added dramatically.

They then gasped as Zecora pulled down her hood and Midnight saw, “She’s a zebra!”

“A what?” Thunderlane asked.

“Y’know, a zebra,” Midnight said, “they’re like ponies but they have stripes in black n’ white.”

“You mean to say they’re all born with stripes?!” Rarity was mortified at the idea of never being able to change the way you look.

“Born where?” Big Mac asked, “Ah ain’t seen any pony like her `round these parts.”

“Well, she’s probably not from here,” Twilight suggested, “and she’s not a pony, strictly speaking. I’ve read about zebras, that they come from a faraway land called Zebrabwe, but I’ve never seen her in Ponyville.”

“That’s because she lives in…” Thunderlane gulped and said, “the Everfree Forest!”

As if punctuating his statement, everypony gasped at the sound of thunder, Midnight snapping, “Boys!”

They looked to see Twinken and Spike had gotten into the cupboards for a snack and had dropped some pans.
“Sorry!” they said sheepishly.

“The Everfree Forest just ain’t nat’ral,” Applejack spoke, “the plants grow…”
“Animals take care of themselves…” added Fluttershy.
“And the clouds move!” Rainbow butted in before she, Fluttershy, and AJ all said, “All on their own!”

“Well, I’m gonna go say hello,” Midnight said, only for Pinkie to bar the door.

“No! She’s evil!”

“And she told you that herself?” Midnight asked with a skeptical raise of his brow.

“Well… no,” Pinkie admitted, “But I wrote a song about it!”

“Here we go,” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

She’s an evil enchantress, she does evil dances

Pinkie was dancing around the shop like a mad-mare

If you look deep in her eyes, she’ll put you in trances

Midnight couldn’t help but feel disgusted.

And what’ll she do? She’ll mix up an evil brew
And she’ll gobble you up
In a big tasty stew

So watch–

“THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH!!” Midnight shouted at her, making her wince away and stop, and everypony was startled by his sudden outburst.
“I am shocked at you all! How can you think such things about someone you don’t even know?!”

“Well, she’s… different,” Thunderlane offered lamely.

“And that alone is why you’re all acting like Zecora’s some kind of witch?” Twilight was equally appalled as she stood next to Midnight. “This is all just gossip and rumors, I mean what exactly have you seen Zecora do?”

“Well… Once a month,” Rainbow spoke up, “she comes in to Ponyville.”

“Ooooh!” Twilight said dramatically, Rainbow frowning in response.

“Then she lurks by the stores,” Rarity added.

“Gasp! That monster!” Midnight said sarcastically to her face, causing her to scoff indignantly.

“And then she digs at th’ ground,” Big Mac brought up.

“Say it isn’t so!” Midnight and Twilight said together, before they both returned to being stone-faced, Twilight saying, “forgive me if we missed something, but what about any of this is so suspicious? Maybe she just comes to town for a visit?”

“Yeah, maybe she’s just tryin’ t’ be neighborly,” Apple Bloom agreed.

“And maybe she’s not lurking around the stores,” Midnight added, “because she’s shopping?”

“Yeah, everypony does a little window-shopping,” Twinken offered, Midnight giving him an approving smile.

“Apple Bloom, Twinken,” Applejack said sternly, “hush an’ let th’ big ponies talk!”

“We are big ponies,” Apple Bloom pouted, Twinken following her equally miffed.

“Well what about her digging?” Rainbow brought up, “Ya gotta admit that’s weird!”
“Maybe she’s digging for innocent creatures,” Fluttershy shuddered.

“Well, I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation,” Midnight insisted. “and if anypony here were actually brave enough to approach her, they’d find out for themselves!”

“Hey Apple Bloom, we’re brave enough!” Twinken whispered.
“Yeah! Come on, we’ll find out ourselves!” agreed Apple Bloom.

And the two foals stepped out the door, but none of the others noticed.

“I never thought ponies capable of segregation,” Midnight shook his head, “especially ponies like all of you!”
“Midnight’s right, you’re all being ridiculous!” Twilight agreed.

“Well I heard-” Pinkie started to say but Midnight cut her off.

“One more bad thing about Zecora out of you, Miss ‘Evil Enchantress’, and I’ll pop all the balloons at your next party!”

Pinkie gasped at that but kept her mouth shut albeit in a pouting way.

“Wait an apple pickin’ minute!” Big Macintosh gasped, “Where’s Apple Bloom?”

“Wait, Twinken’s gone too!” Midnight noticed.

“The door’s open!” Fluttershy pointed out.

“They went outside!” Rarity fretted.
“With Zecora!” worried Rainbow.

“Those fool foals!” Applejack led the charge out.
“Spike, you stay here in case Apple Bloom or Twinken come back,” ordered Twilight as she was the last out.

“Will do!” Spike said with a salute.

Meanwhile, the hooded zebra was just entering the Everfree Forest, unaware of the two foals on her tail, as they popped out of the bush they’d been hiding in and slowly approached the entrance to the frightful forest ahead.
“Maybe we should go back…” Twinken suggested, looking nervous.
“This was yor idea!” Apple Bloom reminded him.
“Well I’m starting to think it wasn’t a good one!”
“Oh come on!” Apple bloom insisted, Twinken in reluctant tow, and they stepped into the shadow of the canopy.

They hadn’t followed Zecora long, who appeared to be avoiding some blue flowers, when she, along with the two foals, heard a distant voice behind them.

“Apple Bloom?!”

They looked and saw everypony catching up, stopping in the middle of a patch of the flowers, Applejack saying, “You and Twinken get yer li'l tails back here right now!”

“Beware, beware you pony-folk, those leaves of blue are not a joke!”

The voice had come ahead of the two foals, and they saw Zecora looking right at them.Applejack hurried up and scooped up both foals, yelling, “You keep yer creepy mumbo-jumbo t’ yerself, ya hear?!”

Everypony else (sans Twilight, Midnight, and even Big Macintosh) were shouting similar words to the zebra, who slowly vanished into a fog, her voice calling out, “Beware, beware…!”

Midnight sighed at his friends’ behavior, but wondered what exactly Zecora had been talking about.

“Yeah, back at you, Zecora!” Rainbow reared and flayed her forehooves out in a lame attempt to seem intimidating. “You an your lame curse should beware!”

“And you two!” Applejack glared at Apple Bloom and Twinken on her back, “Why couldn’t y’all just listen?”

“Well, uh-” Twinken tried to say something but Applejack cut him off.

“Who knows what sort’a nasty curse Zecora was gonna put on you!”

“Just like in my song!” Pinkie brought up, “Evil Enchantress-”

“I warned you! Expect some popping at your next party!” Midnight reminded her, and Pinkie instantly sulked. Midnight levitated Twinken to his own back, saying, “As for you, young colt, I appreciate what you and Apple Bloom tried to do, but that doesn’t mean you should just walk up to strangers.”

“Besides that,” Twilight spoke up, “there’s no such thing as curses!”

“That’s funny, coming from miss magic pants herself,” Thunderlane responded with a raised brow.

“Our magic comes from within” Twilight clarified, “a skill that one is born with. Curses are artificial, fake magic. Y’know, smoke n’ mirrors? The kind of thing used to fool or scare others. Curses have no real power.”

“Actually, Twilight,” Midnight shook his head. “Curses can be real, they’re malevolent arts of magic meant to cause harm to another.”

“Not helping!” Twilight snapped at him before looking at everypony else. “Like, I said, curses are just an old pony’s tale.”

“Well just you wait, Twilight,” Applejack warned her as everypony started to leave, “Yer gonna learn some pony tales really are true.”

Twilight watched them all leave, and looked back towards the fog, a little bothered by Midnight contradicting her words and Applejack’s warning. But she shook off the worry and followed after them, even though the worry lingered.

Author's Note

I liked this episode but I don't like how it's almost a pony-form of segregation and racism.

Any suggestions on what I do to Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane from "those leaves of blue that are not a joke"?

17. Bridle Gossip - Part 2

*SNORE!!!*

“AUGH! Yow!!”

Midnight jolted awake to a sound louder than thunder, falling out of bed. As he groaned and stood up, he started to notice something.
Wha… Why does everything in my room look bigger?

He looked to his bed and realized something was wrong. He was standing up, but his eyes just came up enough to peer over the top of the mattress.

*SNORE!!!*

He yelped as he heard that sound again, so loud it was it made his bones rattle.

“Whazzat?!” he asked, but gasped as he covered his mouth. “Hey, what’s wrong with my voice?!”

He sounded like he was ten years old again. He looked towards the mirror he had in his room and screamed.
“AAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHH!!!”
*SNORE!!!*

“Midnight!”

The door burst open and in came Apple Bloom, yelling, “Wha’s wrong, are you-”

She gasped when her eyes fell upon Midnight.
“Yer- Yer a- Yer a colt!”

Midnight was indeed a colt, just Apple Bloom’s size. He was looking back n’ forth between his reflection and Apple Bloom, when that loud noise sounded again.
*SNORE!!!*

“What in dear Faust’s name is that?!” Midnight yelped.

“Ah dunno, but it sounds kinda familiar,” Apple Bloom suggested. Suddenly, a look of realization dawned upon her.
“Big Mac!”

Midnight followed her and they made their way to Mac’s door. Midnight concentrated to open it but his horn just made sparks.
“There’s something wrong with my magic!”

“Oh here!” Apple Bloom jumped on his back, Midnight yelping, as he wasn’’t quite as strong as he normally was (when he was a stallion), and struggled to stand as Apple Bloom turned the doorknob. They opened the door, only to be met with sunlight, and they gasped!

The wall opposite them, the wall enclosing Big Mac’s room from outside, was gone, and so was Big Mac. In fact, his bed was gone, part of the floor was gone. Midnight noticed it looked like the floor had collapsed under something heavy.
*SNORE!!!*

Midnight and Apple Bloom looked at each other, and slowly walked towards the edge and peered over. What they saw blew their minds!
It was Big Mac, only much - Much! - bigger!

He was lying on the ground, apparently still asleep, explaining the loud noises to have been his snores. But now, he was hee-uge! Midnight estimated if Mac were standing, he’d at least stand taller than the house. His head was propped up against the house, which apparently had been damaged.
“Big Mac?!” Apple Bloom whimpered in shock.
“How did that happen without us noticing last night!?” Midnight wondered aloud. “At the very least, we should’ve heard when he outgrew his room!”

*SNORE!!!*

They covered their ears to protect their beating eardrums, Midnight saying, “We gotta wake `im up somehow.”

“Help!”

“What was that?” Apple Bloom asked, looking back towards the hall. “It was all squeaky.”

“Somepony help me before Ah’m a varmint’s snack!”

“Applejack?!” Apple Bloom wondered and spun around towards the hall.

Unfortunately, her tail lashed out and whipped Midnight in the face, startling him, and he was unfortunately close to the edge.
“Whoa-wha- Apple Blooooooommm!”

The last thing Midnight saw was Big Mac’s mouth as it opened again to snore. The next thing he knew, he was somewhere hot, wet, and tight, like some kind of tube. He heard an alarmed bray, something moving the tube around, and a loud coughing.

*HACK-KOFF-HURK*

GULP!

Mac panted, as he felt whatever fell into his throat go down the tube. He thumped his chest a little but soon realized something was wrong.
“Big Mac!”

He looked and gasped! There was his room, with a gaping hole revealing it to the outside, where he was, sitting on the ground, and his face looking down to his little sister, Apple Bloom. Only she was a lot more little.
“Wha-” He gaped at her, but realized what had happened. “Ah’m bigger?! How in th’ haystack-”

“Mac!” Apple Bloom shouted, and she waved him over.

Big Mac carefully moved his face closer to her, and she looked nervous.
“Now Mac, Ah don’ know how this happened, but there’s sumpin’ else you should know.”

“Whassat?” Big Mac asked.

“Well… Don’t panic or nothin’, but…” she looked nervously, and said, “You kinda… accidentally… just… swallowed Midnight!”

Macintosh recalled his rude awakening of something falling into his throat, momentarily choking him till he managed to get it down. His pupils dilated to pinpricks (or, from Apple Bloom’s perspective, to the size of saucer plates).

“And there’s more,” Apple Bloom went on. She turned so her side faced him. He noticed something on her back and had to squint to see it was, “AJ?!”

“Hoo-whee, Mac, yer bigger than a wagonful a’ apples!”

“And yer as teeny as an apple blossom,” Mac retorted, “but we got bigger problems than mah size! Ah accidentally ate Midnight!”

“Would y’all take whatever yer blabbin’ about somewhere else, dagnabbit!” shrieked Granny Smith from her bedroom.
“Ah’m tryin’ t’ sleep!”

The apple siblings all ‘shhh’d, and Mac put his nose out, Apple Bloom carefully stepping onto it, and Mac tiptoed towards the barn (which, to be honest, still sounded like the banging of a bass drum). He moved his nose towards they hayloft, and Apple Bloom carefully stepped onto it, Applejack still on her back, holding on by Apple Bloom’s mane.

Mac sat his rump down (which made a noticeable boom) and waited for Apple Bloom to come out of the barn, and when she did, she immediately said, “Lie down flat on yer back.”

Mac shrugged and did as she said. He felt her climb onto him, first by going up his foreleg, than chuckled a bit, feeling her walk across his chest to his belly, her little hooves a bit ticklish to him. Apple Bloom put her ear to her brother’s gargantuan stomach, and heard the gurgles inside. But then she heard a muffled voice.
“Where am I?! Can anypony here me?!”

Apple Bloom phewed in relief, and said, “Midnight’s okay, but Ah don’ think he even knows where he is!”

“Well we gotta get him out somehow,” Applejack squeaked.

“But we gotta let him know where he is,” Mac brought up.

“Ah got it!” Apple Bloom beamed. “Wait right here!”

She slid down Mac’s belly, put Applejack onto a nearby barrel, and ran into the house. Not too long later, she came out, carrying a couple things.
“These walkie-talkies oughta do th’ trick!”

“And how are those gonna help?” Big Mac asked.

“Yer gonna swallow one, Midnight gets it, and we’ll be able t’ talk to each other with this one!” Apple Bloom offered.

“Ah dunno,” Mac was reluctant to swallow anything else. But suddenly, they all heard a growl worthy of a dragon, and Applejack couldn’t help but notice Mac’s belly quiver a little, and she realized what just happened.

“Mac! Swallow the dang thing already!” Applejack snapped despite her puny size, “Yer stomach’s growlin’, which means yer hungry! And y’know what’s gonna happen to Midnight if we don’ get him outta ya soon!”

Mac sighed and moved his face to Apple Bloom, holding out his tongue. The filly placed it on the tip and said, “Gulp `er down!”

From where he was, Midnight was starting to figure out his current situation, and was starting to hyperventilate. He’d heard a booming voice from outside he recognized, and, considering the last thing he saw was Big Mac’s gaping mouth…
“I'M IN MACINOTSH'S STOMACH!”

He was surrounded by pulsating walls of flesh, standing ankle deep in a slimy liquid, and he’d heard a loud growling just a moment ago. He’d tried to light up his horn but every time he had, his horn just fizzled with sparks, further confirming his magic had gone flooie. So he couldn’t use his magic, which meant he couldn’t just teleport out of Mac’s belly. He couldn’t help it right now, he couldn’t help but start crying like the little colt he’d been inexplicably reduced to, and sobbed.
“I don’t wanna be horse manure!!”

“Midnight!”

“Huh?!” He looked around, very certain he’d heard Apple Bloom’s voice. “Apple Bloom, are you here?!”

“Midnight, pick up, over!” The voice was followed by static.

And Midnight noticed something flashing red. He made his way over to it and realized it was a walkie-talkie.
“Midnight, pick up, are ya there?”

“Yes, I’m here!” Midnight replied back, so happy to have contact with somepony.

“Oh thank goodness,” Apple Bloom responded. “Midnight, in case ya ain’t aware, you should know-”

“Yes, I’m in Big Macintosh’s stomach, right?!” Midnight snapped.

“Eeyup,” boomed Mac’s voice around him.

“Midnight, y’alright?” came a squeaky version of Applejack’s voice.

“Yeah, but… what’s up with your voice, AJ?”

“No time t’ explain,” Apple Bloom responded. “We gotta get you outta Mac quick, before he starts digestin’ ya!”

“Well, I can’t teleport out, something’s wrong with my magic!” Midnight reported when an idea popped in his head.
“Get Twilight, she’ll know what to do!”

“Okay,” Apple Bloom responded. “Me and Applejack’ll go see `er. Don’ go anywhere!”

“Duh!” Midnight snapped into the walkie-talkie. “And hurry up, cuz I am not getting out of here through Mac’s tail-gate!”

Meanwhile, Twilight was going through book after book, saying, “No, no, no, no, no! None of these books have a cure!”

Twilight had woken up and saw her horn all floppy and polka-dotted blue. She groaned, saying, “There has to be an explanation for this! An illness, an allergy?!”

“A curse!”

She turned to see Spike looking into a big green book, the cover embossed with some kind of herb.

“I would prefer an explanation that doesn’t include nonsense,” she shot him down, “an explanation rational and logical.”

“Well maybe this’ll help,” Spike held the book out.

“‘Supernaturals’?” she read before getting stonefaced, “Spike, the word ‘supernatural’ refers to things like ghosts and spirits and zombies, which are as make-believe as curses. This book is just a bunch of hooey!”

“But what if you’re wrong, Twilight?” Spike said in a considerable tone. “What if this is-”

“Ah pfurse!”

They looked to see Pinkie Pie, whose tongue was sticking out, looking swollen and also covered with blue polka-dots.

“A purse?” Spike echoed, scratching his head, “How could it be a purse?”

“Pinkie! What happened?” Twilight asked in concern.

“Pee pah Zthecora!” Pinkie sputtered, “Sthe put a cursthe on me!”

“Eyuch! Say it, don’t spray it!” Spike wiped off Pinkie’s saliva, when they heard a crash outside, followed by an ‘ow’.

They looked out the window and saw Rainbow Dash repeatedly crashing into it (thankfully, the glass was magically-reinforced an in no danger of breaking).
“She’s” – Thud! – ‘trying to say” – “Ow!” – “Zecora” – Thud! – “Ow!”

She finally got in, this time crashing through the door as she hollered, “Slapped us with a curse!”

They dodged as she zoomed overhead and crashed into one of the bookcases carved into the walls. They saw that Rainbow’s wings were now anatomically in the wrong place, facing backwards as they stuck out from the sides of Rainbow’s abdomen.

“I’m afraid I have to agree.”

They looked and yelped at the hairy creature in front of them. It had purple and white hair, all bunched into dreadlock-like pieces, completely covering its face. But the color of the hair and the voice told them it was Rarity.

“Ah hate t’ say Ah told ya so, Twilight!”

They looked and gasped to see Apple Bloom standing in the doorway, and standing on her back was Applejack, no bigger than an apple.
“But Ah told ya so! It’s a curse, Ah tell ya!”

“Ow!”

They looked and saw Thunderlane had fell flat on his face as he walked in, but the reason that was so was his wings! They were long and dragging behind him.

Twilight went over and helped him up asking, “Thundy, are you ok?”

Thunderlane rubbed his head and explained, “I woke up this morning and my wings were long and limp! I can’t even fold them up so I’ve been tripping over them all the way here!”

“But- Fluttershy seems just fine!” Twilight pointed out.

“Yes, there doesn’t seem to be a thing wrong with her,” Rarity complained, as Fluttershy looked self-conscious, standing next to her (where she suddenly came from nopony asked).

“Fluttershy?” Twilight addressed her, Fluttershy looking embarrassed. “Are you ok?”

“…”

“Is there something wrong with you?”

Fluttershy just nodded her head.

“Would you care to tell us?” Twilight asked with a raised brow.

“There’s no time fer that!” Apple Bloom spoke up. “Twilight, Big Mac an’ Midnight need ya right now!”

“Whatever happened to them, I’m sure it can wait,” Twilight insisted.

"O-K, but Ah hope Midnight enjoyed his last day o’ life before he’s digested!” Applejack raised her brow.

“Digested?!” everypony gasped.

Finally, they all made their way to Sweet Apple Acres and were blown-away by Big Macintosh’s growth-spurt. He was sitting by the barn, and even just sitting, he was its equal in height. He looked uncomfortable as everypony gaped up at him, some looking at his belly.

“So Big Macintosh accidentally swallowed Midnight?” Twilight worried.

“Here, we got Mac to swallow the other one,” Apple Bloom offered her the walkie-talkie.

Twilight looked at the device, and up to Mac, who looked ashamed, his ears drooping.
“Midnight, are you there?”

“Twilight! Thank Celestia!” came Midnight’s voice from the device. “Ya gotta get me out of here!”

“Well, can’t you just teleport out?”

“I tried, but my magic isn’t working!”

“Midnight, what’s wrong with your voice?” Twilight asked. “You sound like a colt.”

“Well, Twilight, I suppose that would have to do with how I woke up this morning in the body of a colt!” Midnight snapped so loudly, Twilight held the receiver away from her ear.

“Maybe Mac could throw him up?” suggested a deep voice and everypony looked to Fluttershy, who suddenly covered her mouth.

“Ba-ha-ha-ha!” Spike couldn’t help it anymore. “This is hilarious, lookit all of you! We-we got… Hair-ity, Rainbow Crash, Spitty-Pie, Thunderlimp, Bigger Macintosh, Flutterguy, Midnight Snack, and…”

He looked at Twilight who returned his gaze with an indignant look, her eyes narrowed beneath her floppy horn.
“Uh… I got nothing. Twilight Sparkle, I mean seriously, I can’t even work with that.”

“Heh-heh-heh,” Twilight laughed sarcastically before getting serious, “This is no joke, Spike! Now head back to the library and look for more books so I can find a cure! We have to hurry before Midnight is digested!”

Spike huffed but left Rainbow Crash (struggling to keep balance from her awkward wings) said, “I think we’ll find a cure to this curse at Zecora’s place!”

“It’s not a curse!” Twilight snapped.

“Ah agree wit’ Dash,” squeaked Apple-Teeny. “We’ll go t’ Zecora’s an’ force her t’ remove this hex!”

“It’s not a hex either!” Twilight was beginning to feel like the only sane one left, and everypony started breaking out in argument.

Apple Bloom felt bad.
This is all mah fault, if Ah hadn’t followed Zecora in th’ first place none a’ this wouldn’t’a happened. I just gotta fix this.

And without anypony (except a a certain tiny one who leapt into her tail) Apple Bloom hurried off.

“I don’t care what you say, Twilight,” Rainbow Crash snapped. “I say we pony up and confront Zecora!”

“Fine! If only to put an end to this nonsense once and for all,” Twilight caved but not for the reasons they wanted.

“Uh…”

They looked up and Bigger Mac said, “Apple Bloom ain’t here.”

“Not again!” Twilight groaned, “Come on, everypony, I bet she went to see Zecora again.”

“Ergh!” Thunderlimp groaned as he tried to follow but he looked saw his problem. “Pinkie, quit standing on my wing!”

“Sthorry!” she sputtered, and Thunderlimp picked up his wings, draping them over his back, hopefully so as not to trip on them again.

“Hey!”

They looked and saw Rainbow Crash being propelled by her wings while upside-down.
“A little help here?”

Bigger Mac carefully reached down and took Rainbow Crash’s wings in his teeth and gently launched her up.
“Thanks!” – Crash! – “Ow!”

Sighing, Mac simply followed, feeling a tussle in his belly and hoped Midnight was okay.

At that moment, Apple Bloom had just entered the Everfree Forest when she heard, “Stop right there!"

She skidded to a halt and felt something on her head.
“Turn around right now, missy!”

She smirked, realizing who her little stowaway was, and said, “No!”

“No?!” Apple-Teeny echoed. “Ya cain’t ignore a direct order from yer big sister!”

Apple Bloom went over to a branch hanging over a ridge and tilted her head, causing Apple-Teeny to slide down onto it.
“Sorry Applejack, but Ah’m the big sister now.”

“Apple Bloom, you come back here right this instant!” Apple-Teeny shouted after her. “Ah’m gonna tell Big Macintosh on you!”

She looked around and sulked at her situation.
“Pony-feathers…”

The others were just entering the Everfree Forest, Twilight saying, “Come on, everypony, we’ve got to make it to Zecora’s!”

Hair-ity tripped over her locks, getting them dirty and twiggy, “Easier said than done!”

“Eeyup!” Bigger Mac agreed as he pushed through the thick canopy.

“Hey!” Rainbow Crash yelled, trying her best to keep control of her flight, “Wait for me!”

However, she lost it and crashed through a bush and into a tree. Groaning, she suddenly felt something pop out of her mouth.
“Rainbow! Thank Celestia!”

Apple-Teeny had been on the branch of the tree Rainbow had crashed into (and miraculously avoided Midnight’s situation). She grabbed a twig and vine, hurrying over as she said, “Ther’e no time t’ lose!”

She made a makeshift set of reins and forced them on Rainbow, “Ah need t’ get t’ Zecora’s pronto! Giddyup, pony!”

“Ex-CUSE me?!” Rainbow snapped, only to feel a jerk as Apple-Teeny 'Yee-haw”d and they rose up, shakily flying to catch up with the others

They had come upon what appeared to be a hut built into a tree, similar to Twilight’s library. There were some tribal masks set outside and some gourds or containers hung from the branches.
“Ugh, I look horrible!” Hair-ity complained.
“Plis place plooks horrible,” Spitty-Pie commented while raising Hair-ity’s bangs out of her face.
“Oh my, it does! Nice decorations, if you like creepy!” Hair-ity agreed.

They all tip-toed (or in Mac’s case thumped) over and peered through the window (Mac with one big green eye). Inside were more masks, more containers, candles, and a door opened to reveal who could only be Zecora!

They gasped and shied from the window.

Zecora was a zebra mare with black and white stripes, a little gray in there, a mohawk-like mane somewhat similar to Thunder’s, and she wore golden jewelry in the form of bangles, necklaces, hoop earrings, and she actually had what looked like a cutie-mark in a tribal-like sun. She poured a container of purple berries into a bubbling cauldron in the center of the room and appeared to be softly chanting in a foreign language.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel like something ominous was going on.

“She shtole my shtong!” Spitty sputtered in an accusing tone.

“Huh?!” everypony asked her.

“She shtole my shtong!” Spitty repeated.

“Pinkie, we can’t understand a word ya say,” Thunderlimp deadpanned.

Spitty looked to Flutterguy with puppy-dog eyes begging. Flutterguy sighed and started singing.
She’s an evil enchantress-

“If anypony sings that stupid song,” shouted a muffled voice and they looked to Bigger Mac as he gazed down at his belly, his brow raised.
“I will personally apple-buck them clear across Equestria… from in here!”

Flutterguy shrugged apologetically at Spitty and she pouted, silently swearing to prank Midnight good.

“Well you can see she’s not normal!” Hair-ity brought up, “Now do you believe us Twilight?”
“Seriously, what more proof do you need?!” Rainbow Crash demanded.

Twilight had to consider the facts: Scary-looking masks, foreign incantations, a great big bubbling cauldron.
She sighed and admitted, “All this does point to Zecora being… bad!”

“Are you kidding me?!”

She looked at the walkie-talkie and realized it was Midnight.
“Now you’re giving in to nonsense?!”

“Well, what else could it be, Midnight?” Twilight responded. “And if we don’t hurry, you’re gonna get digested!”

“I can’t believe you’re actually giving into all these silly fillies, Twilight.”

Eveypony looked and saw, “Spike! What’re you doing here?”

“Never mind,” Spike approached them all, holding a book. “But we are gonna go in there-”

“Ah-hem!”

Spike gazed up at Bigger Mac and amended, “Well, most of us are gonna go in there, and ask her if she knows what’s going on with you all. Midnight’s right, Zecora’s just different!”

Twilight looked ashamed, realizing, He’s right, Midnight’s right! How could I possibly allow superstition to cloud my judgment?

“You’re right, Spike, come on,” she invited.

Spike started following her to the door but noticed the others weren’t following.
“Well?”

The mares sighed and Thunderlimp smiled understandingly.

They knocked on the door and Zecora answered.
“Well, greetings to you, but you look so gloom. Are you the friends of Apple Bloom?”

“That’s us!” Spike spoke up before Apple-Teeny or Rainbow Crash could get confrontational.

“For herbs, I sent her to find,” Zecora gestured them in, “for the remedy right here, so you mind.”

“Remedy?!” everypony echoed in confusion.

“It sure is!”

They looked to the door and saw…
“Apple Bloom!”

The filly came in, carrying a basket of herbs.
“Is this all ya needed, Zecora?”

“This right here and that too,” Zecora looked at the find, “all will complete this curing brew!”

“So, you know what happened to us?” Twilight asked.

“Remember what I said to you, yesterday those leaves of blue?” Zecora inquired, everypony nodding.

“It was them blue flowers that did it,” Apple Bloom added, “they’re called Poison Joke!”

“Hey! I think I came across that in this book,” Spike flipped through the pages and went “Ah-ha!”

He pointed to an illustration and Zecora nodded.
“Much alike to Poison Oak, but instead of a rash, they inflict a joke.”

“Wha’ in th’ hay does that mean?” squeaked Apple-Teeny.

“It means that instead of contracting a rash, like you would from poison oak,” Spike said as he looked in the book, “Poison Joke will induce a silly effect upon the pony that comes in contact with it!”

“That’s right!” Twilight remembered, “When we ran in to save Apple Bloom and Twinken, we ran through the Poison Joke. All our problems are just little jokes it played on us?”

“A joke?!”

They looked outside and again Bigger Mac pointed at his belly.
“You call this a joke?!”

“How absurd,” Zecora commented, “this giant pony speaks without a word!”

“Oh no, Zecora,” Apple Bloom said, “Big Macintosh accidentally swallowed one o’ our friends, and Midnight’s trapped in his belly!”

Again, Mac looked guilty.

“He could teleport out if he could use his magic,” Twilight added.

“I see now but not to worry,” Zecora pushed the cauldron out of her hut . “With this cure, we’ll get him out in a hurry.”

“But what about the cauldron?!” Crash demanded.
“And the chanting,” Thunderlimp added.
“And the creepy décor,” Hair-ity snipped.

“Treasures of the land where I am from,” Zecora explained, pointing out a couple masks, “this one speaks ‘hello’ and the other ‘welcome’. The words I chanted were from olden times, something you’d call a nursery rhyme.”

“And the pot’s fer all these herbal ingredients,” Apple Bloom pointed out the ones she’d collected.
“Th’ cure fer Poison Joke is a nat’ral remedy. Ya just gotta take a bubble bath in it.”

“But for your friend trapped inside your brother,” Zecora poked Bigger Mac’s belly, “the cure must be applied some way other.”

“I have an idea,” Midnight called through the walkie-talkie.

“What is it, Midnight?” asked Twilight.

“Have Mac drink the cure and I’ll be washed up in it,” Midnight explained, “and once the stuff does it’s work, my magic will be able to teleport me out!”

“That’s brilliant!” Twilight agreed, “But one thing bothers me, I looked through every book I had for a cure. What book has this natural remedy?”

“Ah-hem!”

Twilight looked to Spike and showed her the book.
“It’s this one, Twilight! ‘Supernaturals: Natural Remedies and Cure-Alls that are simply Super’. If you hadn’t dismissed it, we could’ve found the cure for ourselves!”

Twilight felt horrible and turned to the zebra.
“I- I’m so sorry, Zecora. I had the answer the whole time, if only I had bothered to look inside.”

Zecora just laughed, showing no harm done, while everypony else looked ashamed for their actions and words about Zecora who simply said, “Maybe next time you will take a closer look and not judge the cover of the book. Now Macintosh, for Midnight within, you must take this remedy and drink it all in.”

Bigger Mac sighed and bent down, taking the cauldron in his huge hooves, not liking the way it bubbled.
“Drink up, it looks worse than it tastes, but hurry now for Midnight's sakes.”

Midnight was tapping his hooves inside Mac’s stomach when he heard a loud GULP!

He immediately ran to the opening above and closed his eyes as he felt a warm bitter-tasting liquid wash over him, and he felt a pleasant tingling that gave way to a strange sensation that felt like his muscles stretching in a way that felt good.

Outside, Zecora was getting started on whipping up more of the cure when they all heard a FLASH!

They looked and saw Midnight, shaking himself dry and a stallion again.
“Midnight!” they shouted but Bigger Mac got to him first, wrapping the blue unicorn in a lung-collapsing hug.

“Ah’m so sorry, haystack!” he hollered, “Ah’m just glad yer okay!”

“Th-thanks, Mac!” Midnight choked, “But can you let go?! I- I can’t… breathe!”

Mac forgot he was still big and chuckled sheepishly as he put Midnight down. For the first time, Midnight was seeing how ridiculous everypony looked and couldn’t help laughing.
“Well, I hope you all learned something today!”

“Yes, Midnight, we did,” Twilight said with a good-natured groan. “You were right and we were wrong…”

“Pardon me? Could you say that again?” Midnight made a show of holding his hoof to his ear.

“GET OVER IT!” Crash shouted at him, and he started rubbing his ear to get rid of the ringing.

Before long, every pony was cured, even Mac was back to his normal definition of big. Everypony crowded around Zecora thanking her.
“To see you normal is thanks enough, now would you kindly help pick up my stuff?”

Everypony helped out in cleaning Zecora’s home while Twilight took the time to write another letter.

Dear Princess Celestia,
My friends and I all learned an important lesson this week: Never judge a book by its cover. Someone may look unusual, or funny, or scary. But you have to look past that and learn who they are inside. Real friends don't care what your "cover" is; it's the "contents" of a pony that count. And a good friend, like a good book, is something that will last forever.
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle

19. Swarm of the Century - Part 2

The next day, Midnight started making towards Sugarcube Corner when he came upon Twilight and Rarity, both wearing saddlebags that looked full and squirming, and he had a pretty good idea of what was in them as Rarity commented to Twilight, “I see we’re having the same problem.”

“Ditto!”

They looked and saw Rainbow Dash flying to escape some parasprites that just wouldn’t leave her alone.

“Has anypony seen Pinkie Pie?” Midnight asked.

“Ugh, that pony was harping nonsense about harmonicas and banjos,” Rarity huffed, “can’t she see this problem is serious?”

Midnight couldn’t take it anymore, he had to say something!
“But Pinkie-”

“But nothing, Midnight!” Twilight spoke up, “The princess is gonna be here soon. Now, Fluttershy knows everything about animals. I’m sure she can tell us how to prevent their multiplying!”

Seeing the girls gallop off, Midnight sighed woefully and reluctantly followed.
Forgive me, Pinkie…!

They arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage quick enough but right before Twilight could even knock, the door burst open in a swarm of parasprites! As they flittered past the three unicorns, Rarity whimpered, “Or not!”

Rainbow Dash joined them at Fluttershy’s door and they watched as was going to and fro in her home, trying to control the little pests, Twilight beseeching, “Do something, Fluttershy, can’t you control them?”

“I’ve tried everything I know!” Fluttershy declined helplessly, barely dodging a Parasprite as it carried a cooking pot.
“I’ve tried begging, I’ve tried pleading, and beseeching, and asking politely-”

She gasped and tried to stop some parasprites as they got into more of her things.

Midnight cringed, unsure of what to do when he saw Twilight’s worrying face that appeared to be staring into nothing. He knew her well enough she was already imagining some worst-case scenario.
“Twilight!” he clopped his hooves together in front of her face, “Come on, snap out of it!”

Shaking it off, Twilight worried as she looked around and saw more of the pests flitting about around Fluttershy’s yard.
“If we can’t get them under control before the princess arrives, it’ll be a total disaster!”

“Ew!” Rarity backed from a parasprite multiplying, “If you ask me it’s already a total disaster!”

“If you think they’re bad now, wait till they start eating!” Midnight warned as he tried to shoo some away from landing on his horn.

“Here’s all them apples ya wanted, Fluttershy!”
“Eeyup!”

They all looked and saw Applejack and Big Mac had arrived, the red stallion pulling a wagon of apples while the orange mare commented, “But why in thunder-ation do y’need so ma-”

Her unfinished question was answered as a buzz of parasprites ate the apples in seconds flat, cores an’ all, Big Mac yelling, “HEY!”

Midnight face-hooved as he thought, Me and my big mouth

“What do we do?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’ve got it!” Twilight pointed at AJ and Mac, saying, “Nopony can herd like Applejack and Big Mac!”

“Yeah!” Rainbow agreed, “We can herd them back into the forest!”

“I suppose it’s worth a try,” Midnight looked to the farmers asking, “What do you two think?”

“We’ll wrassle `em up,” Applejack agreed, “but we’ll need everypony’s help! Rainbow can ya get Thunderlane?”

“Will do!” Rainbow saluted and streaked off.

“Twilight, you and Rarity wait over there,” Applejack instructed, Big Mac adding, “AJ, Midnight, an’ Ah will herd th’ varmints straight at ya like a funnel.”

“Ponyville Weather Team co-captains reporting for duty!”

They looked to see Rainbow and Thunderlane had just shown up.
“Rainbow, Thundy, y’all and Fluttershy stay on top o’ them,” Applejack ordered, “Don’t let `em fly away!”

“Aye-aye!”

The three pegasi flew up, Jack n’ Mac rearing up as they yelled, “Yee-haw!”

They got to it, Applejack herding one swarm towards the one Big Mac was pursuing. Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Fluttershy did a good job keeping the pests from flying away and forcing them to fly lower. Before long, the parasprites had all been herded together, forming a close-knit ball of them.
“All right, y’all!” Applejack called, “Head em up and moveem out!”

The eight ponies started rolling the ball of parasprites towards Everfree, keeping it tight as Applejack calling, “Look out, Rarity! That one’s fixin’ t’ get away!”

“Keep a lid on `em, Thunder!” Big Mac called, Thunderlane pushing a straggler back into formation.

“Hold on, everypony!” encouraged Applejack, “We’re almost there!”

But as they ran, Midnight noticed, “Pinkie?!”

“Midnight, where have you been?!” Pinkie asked him, sounding incredulous. “We don’t have much time!”

“Tell me something I don’t know, the princess could arrive any moment!”

“Well, that’s why I need you to drop what you’re doing and get those instruments I asked of you! Did you get the maracas?”

“Ergh, Pinkie the problem at hoof is a little bigger than maracas! You can find the instruments I got in my room at the farm but right now, I’m busy!”

“Well I hope you also got that tuba, follow me!”

Midnight ignored her and kept in formation but Pinkie scuttled back, running backwards as she said, “I said, ‘follow me’!”

“Pinkie Pie!”

They looked up see Thunderlane giving Pinkie a look.
“You are so random!”

Groaning, Pinkie scuttled off, saying, “And you’re all so stubborn!”

“Never mind her, everypony!” Applejack said, “Focus an’ keep it up!”

Finally, they rolled the ball of pests straight into the Everfree Forest.
“Alright!” Rainbow cheered, Thunderlane saying, “Hoof-bump!”

“We did it!” Twilight cheered, “Great work, Applejack, you too Big Mac!”

“Couldn’t’a done it without y’all,” Applejack beamed, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup!”

“Don’t pat yourselves on the back just yet,” Midnight reminded them, “We still have to clean the mess they made before the princess arrives!”

“Now, we gotta work extra hard to make up for lost time,” Twilight said as they arrived at Fluttershy’s cottage.

The butter-yellow pegasus opened her door, only for a bluer of parasprites to rush past her, leaving a freak tailwind as they zoomed off.
“Where did they come from?!” Twilight cried.

“Well… I may have kept just one,” Fluttershy chuckled nervously.

While the girls gave her the stink-eye, the boys complained, “Fluttershy…!”

“I couldn’t help myself,” Fluttershy whined as she looked at the one she kept. “They’re just so… cute!”

“I don’t care how cute they are,” Midnight snapped, “they’re nothing but trouble and it just means we have to start all over again!”

“We don’t have time for that!” Twilight worried. “Rounding them up over and over will take too long!”

“This looks like a job for…” Thunderlane paused for dramatic effect, Rainbow getting the idea as they slapped on their goggles.
“The Weather Patrol!”

The co-captains took flight to get an aerial view of the problem.
“Time t’ take out the adorable trash…!” Rainbow geared up, Thunderlane suggesting, “Let’s say we take `em for a little spin!”

Rainbow smirked and they let out battle-cries as they zoomed down, flying round n’ around, before they locked hooves and span, creating a twister that easily sucked in the little pests. With well-practiced coordination, their twister sucked in the ones that tried to buzz away while the others took cover.
“Go Rainbow, go Thunder!” Twilight cheered, Applejack adding, “Looks like our problems are solved!”

“They will be with these cymbals!”

They looked to see Pinkie approaching with the aforementioned instruments dangling around her neck. Midnight gasped and ran towards her, yelling, “Pinkie, no…!”

But it was too late. The cymbals were sucked off Pinkie’s person just before Midnight could reach her while Pinkie complained, “Give those back!”

The cymbals became instant flight-hazards for the two weather ponies, who lost concentration of their twister and broke apart as they dodged the discs that came very close to taking their heads off.
“We... can’t... hold it!” cried Thunderlane, Rainbow adding, “She’s breaking up!”

“I’ve got it!” Midnight cast a spell he’d learned from Twilight, shouting, “Get out of there!”

Listening, the two Pegasus ponies got out of the twister just in time to avoid being encompassed in an orb of magic. From outside, they could see the twister trying to escape but slowly die out, the parasprites became visible and were all extremely dizzy.
“Quick thinking, Midnight!” Twilight complimented.

“Thanks,” Midnight said, his eyes focused on the orb full of pests. “But I won’t be able to maintain this spell for long, this is only a temporary relief.”

“We’ve got to get rid of them,” Twilight admonished, “Can’t you carry the orb away from Ponyville?”

“That won’t work,” Midnight winced as he felt the orb struggle against the squirming swarm inside.
“This is one of the more complicated spells you taught me. If it was night, I probably could carry them away but right now, it’s taking all my concentration to maintain the spell!”

“Ergh, Pinkie, what have you done?!” Twilight complained to the pink pony.

“I’ve lost a brand-new pair of cymbals, that’s what I’ve done!” she complained

“Will you forget about your silly instruments for one second?” Twilight admonished. “You're ruining our efforts to save Ponyville.”

“Me?! Ruin?” Pinkie looked shocked at such an accusation. “I'm not the ruiner, I'm the ruin-ee! Or is it ruiness? Ruinette?”

“Oh no!”

They looked and saw Midnight sweating bullets.
“They’re… multiplying in there! I can’t… keep-” he groaned, Thunderlane yelling, “Hang in there, brony!”

“I… can’t…!” Midnight gasped and they all felt their spirits sink as the orb popped like a bubble and the parasprites flittered straight to Ponyville.

“Come on!” Big Mac yelled as he led the charge, Pinkie behind them complaining, “Hey! I'm trying to tell you all that the ruining is on the other hoof. If you just slow down and listen to me!”

The friends all gaped in horror as they saw the parasprites were eating every morsel of food in sight! They ate the sweets outside Sugarcube Corner, an outdoor garden they were everywhere! All the hard work everypony had gone through to prepare for Princess Celestia’s arrival was already ruined.
“At this rate, they’ll eat all of Ponyville out of house and home!” Thunderlane worried, Big Mac agreeing, “Eeyup!”

Applejack gasped as she saw her cart in danger.
“Mah apples!”

“Think, think… I’ve got it!” Twilight announced, “I’ll cast a spell to stop them from eating all the food!”

“Uh, Twilight, maybe that’s not the solution!” Midnight knew where this was going.

“They’ll lose their appetite for any kind of food, what could go wrong?” she scoffed and didn’t wait for a third opinion as she cast the spell.

The spell originated from her horn in purple rings that slowly increased in radius, passing through every parasprite in town. The effect was instantaneous, every one of the little bugs suddenly stopped in confusion.

“Look, tambourines!” yelled the voice of Pinkie behind them but they paid her no mind. “If you could all just- EERRGH!”

Twilight looked at a parasprite as it sniffed at an apple in a basket before turning it nose up at it. She sighed in relief, only to gasp in shock as the parasprite ate the basket instead!

Looking around, they saw the parasprites were now eating objects and the buildings around them. One chomped on a sign, another ate the top of a lamppost, a swarm was munching off the roof of a house.

A wagon was reduced to its wheels and the apples it was carrying.
“It worked,” Thunderlane deadpanned, “they’re not eating the food anymore!”

“Ugh, can’t we get a break?!” Twilight groaned.

“Oh no… If they get inside my store-” Rarity gasped. “Everypony for herself!”

She ran off, Big Mac gasping, “Mah farm!”

And he ran off to Sweet Apple Acres.

“Ugh, Thunder, you and the girls try and contain the situation!” Midnight instructed, “Twilight, let’s get to the library, maybe there’s a spell we can use in one of the books!”

“Right!” everypony broke and took off in different directions.

Entering the library, Twilight and Midnight heard, “HELP!”

They looked and saw Spike hiding under a laundry basket, the place crawling with parasprites that were getting into the books. Twilight gasped as Midnight realized, “They’re eating the words?! How do you eat words out of a book?!”

And yet there was a parasprite nearby slurping up words like spaghetti.

“I’m gonna go see Zecora, try and… do something!” Twilight groaned as she grabbed one of the pests and ran off.

Groaning, Midnight levitated a broom and started whapping the little pains in everypony’s flanks.
“Get out, get out! Shoo-shoo!”

*CHOMP*

He looked to see the end of the broom had been bitten off. He threw it away, yelling, “OH COME ON!!!”

“Midnight!”

Twinken?!

Midnight looked outside and gasped to see Twinken running from a swarm of parasprites, looking scared. At once, Midnight felt a fury most familiar as he ran outside.

He saw Twinken trying to shoo the little pests away from himself, but they kept ganging up on him, licking their lips at the sight of the little colt’s school-bags.
“Twinken, lose the bags!”

“But I need these for school!”

“Just trust me, throw them into the air!”

Whining but listening, Twinken took off the bags and threw them as hard as he could straight up, the parasprites instantly going for them. In that moment, furious that these little monsters had dared to terrify his little brother, Midnight growled, seeing red, as he unleashed an energy bolt from his horn, and the parasprites squealed in fright as they were reduced to charred little bits.

Midnight panted, feeling the after-effect of such a spell, as he felt somepony jump on him, wrapping their arms around his neck.
“Big brother!” Twinken sobbed.

Hearing the little colt so upset, Midnight’s mind cleared and he held Twinken close, whispering, “Shh, it’s okay, I’m here…”

But in a dark corner of his mind, Midnight realized he’d just cast a spell that killed those parasprites that had chased Twinken, that he’d done it out of anger. An anger he had never felt before. And it scared him.

But before he could consider it more, he noticed something in the air. Squinting his eyes, he gasped.
Oh no, the princess is coming!

“Twinken, go hide in the library with Spike!” he instructed, and Twinken did as he was told.

Midnight ran to town square and took in the chaos unfolding. It was a disaster, the parasprites were eating everything, the welcoming committee they’d all prepared for the princess was totally ruined!

“Okay! Here’s the plan!”

“Yipe!” Midnight jumped to see Twilight, her mane looking ruffled and a weird look in her eyes.

“Rainbow Dash, you distract them,” she instructed calmly yet her eyes said otherwise.

Rainbow screamed as she flew past while being pursued by another swarm.

“Good!” Twilight then looked at Midnight, saying, “Midnight, we’re gonna need to build an exact copy of Ponyville right over there!”

Midnight knew at once Twilight was starting to lose it, and was looking for an escape route as the purple unicorn squealed, “We’ve got less than a minute!”

But a distant crash seemed to snap her out of it as she sulked, “Zecora was right – We’re doomed…”

“Well… We can always… rebuild!” Midnight tried to force a smile but the situation just deflated him. Then their ears perked at the sound of approaching music.

“Oh no, the princess’ procession is here!” Twilight worried as they looked to the end of the street.
“It’s all over…!”

“Wait a minute…!” Midnight looked carefully and gasped. “That’s no procession, that’s…!”

Twilight could see it too, and she wiped her eyes to be sure as she gaped at, “Pinkie Pie?!”

The pink party pony was wearing what looked to be a one-pony band, playing multiple instruments at once, an accordion, a banjo, a harmonica, a tuba, even some small cymbals strapped to her legs.
“Pinkie, we’re kind of in the middle of a crisis here!” Twilight screeched, Midnight saying, “Wait, Twilight! Look!”

She followed his hoof and gaped to see all the parasprites had stopped eating, their focus now on Pinkie. They started bobbing up and down, apparently to the rhythm of the music, as they slowly came down towards the pink pony. In no time at all, the parasprites were hopping up n’ down in single file as they followed Pinkie.

Midnight ran over, shouting, “Hey Pinkie, throw me some of those instruments!”

Without skipping a beat, Pinkie wordlessly threw the maracas and trumpet to Midnight, who caught them in his aura. Taking a deep breath and going with the flow, he started playing the trumpet and shaking the maracas at the same time, bringing up the rear of the parasprite line.

Everypony else was seeing it too, Twilight shrugging at them as they followed Pinkie, Midnight, and the pests out of town. Twilight gasped and said, “Look!”

Ahead on the road, Princess Celestia’s escort arrived as the ponies hurried up to meet her, bowing in respect.
“Twilight Sparkle, my prized pupil.”

“Hello, Princess,” Twilight was sweating a little as her teacher approached.

“So lovely to see you and your friends again,” Celestia said warmly, when the music caught everypony’s attention, and they noticed Pinkie march past them, leading the parasprites.

“So, how was the trip? Hit much traffic?” Twilight asked nervously.

“What is this?” Celestia asked when she felt something land on her wing and she noticed it was a parasprite. Giggling, she said, “These creatures are adorable!”

“Not that adorable,” Thunderlane muttered, Big Mac muttering, “Eeyup,” in agreement.

“I am terribly honored that you and the good citizens of Ponyville have organized a parade in honor of my visit.”

“Parade?” Twilight echoed, when somepony said, “Exactly, a parade is the perfect way to honor the Princess of the Sun!”

She looked to her side and saw Midnight smiling in an innocent yet incriminating kind of way, and Twilight got the idea.

“Unfortunately, that visit is going to have to be postponed,” Celestia said with an apologetic look.
“It seems an emergency just came up in Fillydelphia, some kind of… infestation.”

“An... infestation?!” Twilight squeaked, the others wearing their own confused looks.

“Yes, a swarm of incredibly bothersome creatures have invaded the poor town. I’m sorry, everypony, to have to put you all through so much trouble.”

“Trouble, what trouble?!” Twilight giggled nervously.

“Before I go, would you care to give me your latest report on the Magic of Friendship in person?”

“My… report?” Twilight wondered when she felt Midnight nudge her shoulder and not-so-subtly gesture towards Pinkie, who was still playing the instruments as she marched in place just outside of the Everfree forest, directing the parasprites in.

“Haven’t you learned anything about friendship?” Celestia asked.

Looking at Midnight, Twilight and him shared a private smile.
“Actually, I have. I've learned that sometimes the solution to your problems can come from where you least expect it. It's a good idea to stop and listen to your friends' opinions and perspectives...”

They all started at the crashing of some cymbals, as Twilight added, “Even when they don’t always seem to make sense.”

“I’m so proud of you, Twilight Sparkle, and I’m impressed with your friends as well,” Celestia complimented them, “It sounds like you’re all learning so much from each other.”

“Thank you, princess,” Twilight said as they watched her leave on her pegasus-drawn chariot.

Watching her go, Midnight sulked, I wish I could’ve had a chance to talk with her.

Then he noticed the music had stopped and saw everypony talking with Pinkie Pie.

As he approached, he heard Twilight say, “You saved my reputation with Princess Celestia, and more importantly, you saved Ponyville.”

Looking towards town, he sighed and pointed out to everypony, “I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”

They looked and all sighed at the work ahead of them as Pinkie played a 'Wah-wah-wah-wah' moment on a trombone.

Author's Note

I was originally gonna have Midnight ask Celestia for a quick word but it would've felt inappropriate for him to do so when she was just leaving, and in front of the others

20. Forget about it

It had been days since the Parasprite Infestation, and despite all the work done there was still plenty to do. Everypony had pitched in to help repair all the damages and clean up the messes. Fluttershy had sworn there were no more of the little monsters in her cottage and when not a single one of the bugs was seen afterwards, everypony finally sighed inrelief that that menace had passed.

At the moment however, Midnight was in his room. The past several days had been a distraction from his recent worries but after what happened when he’d protected Twinken from the parasprites he felt a real need for some kind of assurance but he didn’t want to voice his concerns to his friends.
I wanted to speak with Princess Celestia but the time just didn’t seem right… I wonder if Twilight would allow me to send her a letter?

Deciding it was worth a shot, Midnight gathered a scroll, quill, and ink.

At the library, Spike heard a knock and answered to see, “Midnight, what can I do for you?”

“Hello, Spike,” Midnight said as he looked around the library. “Is Twilight in?”

“No, she just stepped out to go see Fluttershy,” Spike reported, “she’s been doing that a lot, making absolutely sure Fluttershy isn’t keeping another parasprite. Do you wanna wait for her?”

“No, that’s alright,” Midnight levitated out a scroll. “I would actually appreciate if you would send this to the princess for me.”

“Um, I dunno, Midnight,” Spike didn’t look comfortable. “I’m only supposed to send message from Twilight.”

“Please Spike!” Midnight pleaded, “I… I really need to have a word with Princess Celestia, I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t feel it was important!”

“Well… Okay, if you’re really sure it’s important,” Spike agreed as he took the scroll. One breath of fire later, it was gone.
“Should I expect a reply?”

“Yes, and… can we keep this between us for the time being, Spike? Guy-to-guy?”

Hearing that, Spike smiled and said, “Sure, Midnight. And I’ll let you know when the princess sends a reply.”

In Canterlot, Princess Celestia had just received a message. She took it and undid the seal wondering, I wonder what Twilight has to say, it’s rather soon for her to send another message.

But she quickly saw the message was not from her faithful student but rather from her student’s student.

Dear Princess Celestia,

This message comes to you from Midnight Blaze. I hope you will forgive me for using this means of contact reserved between you and Twilight but I’ve been meaning to request an audience with you lately.

Recently, I’ve been having second-thoughts about the promise I made you back then at the hospital. And recently, something happened to me that scared me, something I did even though I did so to protect my little brother Twinken.

I would be extremely grateful if we could have another talk though I understand you must be busy. If you can find the time to grace this humble unicorn with your presence, let me know through Spike.

I eagerly await your response.
Your faithful subject,
Midnight Blaze

The next morning, Midnight was just stepping out of the house to get started on his chores when he heard a distant shouting.
“Midnight!”

He looked down the road and saw Spike running to the farm, a scroll in hand. He teleported to the fence, much to Spike’s relief as he stopped there, panting.
“The… princess!” he held out the scroll, Midnight eagerly taking it.

“Thanks so much, Spike!” Midnight smiled but looked to the little dragon. “Did Twilight notice?”

“No, she was still asleep,” Spike panted. “As soon as I got the message, I snuck out so she wouldn’t wise up. Got anything to drink?”

Midnight chuckled and said, “Go ahead inside, I’m sure Applejack will pour you some applejuice.”

As Spike went to the house, Midnight hid behind the barn, wanting no one to see the letter before he started reading.

My dear subject, Midnight Blaze,

I understand that you have been feeling troubled and am not irritated that you used private channels to send me your message. From what your message told me, I feel I should indeed lend you my ear. Tonight, go to the spot where you first woke up in Equestria, I trust you can find it, and there we will have our talk.

Yours truly,
Princess Celestia

The sun didn’t set soon enough for Midnight, and waiting for everypony to fall asleep felt almost as long. But soon enough, the house was quiet except for Big Macintosh’s snores vibrating his bedroom door. Midnight looked out his window and concentrated on the front gate of the property, teleporting himself there.

It took a bit of doing but eventually Midnight found the spot where he first woke up in Equestria. It had barely changed at all since the last couple months he’d been there. The same flowers, the same pond, the same view of Canterlot. He sat down and patiently waited, hoping the coming conversation would help but at the same time he felt nervous.
I hope the princess won’t be cross with me, I just…

There was a flash of light and he whirled around to see, “Princess Celestia!”

She stood there, giving him a welcoming smile, and he bowed at her approach.
“Rise, Midnight, it’s just the two of us, there’s no need for formalities.”

Hearing her motherly voice helped his nerves as he stood up and said, “Thank you for coming.”

“I can tell just by looking at you, Midnight Blaze,” she commented. “You are greatly troubled.”

Midnight looked down shamefully, saying, “I’ve just been… feeling so guilty. Princess Celestia, I know I promised you I’d never reveal my knowledge to everypony but… Ever since then, every time there’s a situation, I’ve known the solution, how to rectify the problem, but… I held my silence.”

“And why is that, my little pony?”

“To try and keep the story going as it should,” Midnight explained, “and so Twilight would learn the Magic of Friendship she’s supposed to! I felt that if I just gave her all the answers, she wouldn’t truly appreciate the lessons she’s supposed to learn. But, Princess, I can’t help but feel guilty! I have the answers but I’m not using them to help, and I feel like I’m manipulating my friends!”

It took Midnight a few seconds to realize he had started to cry.
“I don’t know what to do, keep my silence or give the answers, I don’t know!”

He felt something warm around his shoulders and was surprised to see Celestia had wrapped her wing around him.
“Hush now… I now realize I have placed upon you a burden, Midnight Blaze. Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘knowledge is power’?”

Midnight wiped his tears and nodded.

“Well, there are times when knowledge can be a burden. You are torn between wanting to help your friends and feeling it is your duty to make sure Twilight learns the magic of friendship, and making sure that it is so by seeing these things through. Oh, Midnight, forgive me. I asked something of you without considering the burden of such a promise in the long run.”

She helped Midnight back onto his hooves and went on.
“Midnight, I realize you are trying only to make sure Twilight learns and appreciates the lessons of friendship but you must remember! No matter what you do, the story you know and the story you are living are not going to be the same, however similar they might be! The knowledge you have belongs to a story of a different world, and I realize your plight: By friendship, you feel compelled to act on the knowledge you have while the duty you have shown thus far restricts you.”

“I just wish… I didn’t have this knowledge anymore,” Midnight whispered woefully.

“…Perhaps I can help with that.”

Midnight gaped up at the princess curiously.

“Midnight, I propose an arrangement: I cannot purge the knowledge you have because they are part of your memories. And nothing can erase memory because memory is imprinted upon us. Our ability to remember certain things, people, or events can atrophy overtime, but we cannot truly forget. Everything we know and remember is a memory linked to another, forming a chain that stretches throughout our lives.

What I am proposing to you, Midnight, is a seal. I can place upon you a special spell that will seal all the knowledge you have of the story you know. You won’t be able to access those memories because they will be sealed from you.”

“Can the seal be undone?” Midnight asked.

“Of course,” Celestia said with a nod.

“…Do it,” Midnight was certain. “But… Before you do, I’d like to write a few things down. I think you’ll need my help with some things that will surely come in the future.”

Celestia nodded and conjured a scroll, quill, and inkwell.

Not too long later, Midnight gave her a sealed scroll.
“What will happen after you’ve placed the seal on my memories?”

“You will fall into a dreamless sleep, and when you awaken, this will have only happened in a memory you won’t be able to remember. But Midnight, are you sure you want me to undo the seal if any of the events on this scroll happen?”

“Yes, if you can redo the seal.”

“I can,” she confirmed. “But are you certain this is what you want?”

“…Yes,” Midnight confirmed back. “I can’t live with this guilt.”

“Very well then,” Celestia’s horn glowed a gentle yellow as she said, “Sleep well.”

There was a flash of light, and the world went black.

*Cock-a-doodle-doo!*

“Wha?!” Midnight bolted up, and groaned. “Dear Faust, what happened last night?”

Gettng out of bed, he looked to see the sun rising, and he smiled.
Good morning, Princess Celestia.

But then he felt like he was forgetting something. He puzzled a moment before shrugging and made for the door.
Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t important.

And he trotted downstairs, ready for a new day.

Author's Note

This felt necessary to do, but it doesn't mean Midnight has forgotten entirely - The memories are just off-limits for the time being

21. Call of the Cutie

The bell rang as all the little fillies and colts hurried to their desks, but even as the day was just getting started they all had something to talk about when…
“Let’s quiet down please,” requested the teacher, Cheerilee, a purple earth pony mare with light green eyes and a mane in two shades of light pink, her cutie-mark three smiling flowers.
“We have a very important lesson to get to.”

Once the class settled down, she approached an easel, saying, “Thank you” before she pulled a paper out of the way showing various symbols.
“Today, we are going to be talking about cutie-marks.”

“Boring,” muttered a pink filly while Apple Bloom and Twinken were listening closely.

“You can all see my cutie-mark, can’t you?” asked Cheerilee. “Like all ponies, I wasn’t born with a cutie-mark.”

She showed a photo of herself as a young filly, and said, “My flank… was blank!”

“Aww!” said one of the students (with a lisp). “You were stho preciousth!”

Cheerilee giggled but went on.
“Then one day, when I was about your age, I woke up to find a cutie-mark had appeared!”

She showed another picture of herself (with a questionable sense of style), somepony saying, “Look at her hair!”

The class laughed, Cheerilee saying, “I know, but honestly! Lots of ponies wore their manes that way back then. I had decided to become a teacher, the flowers symbolizing my hope that I could make all my future students bloom if I nurtured them with knowledge while the smiles represent the cheer I hoped to bring to my little ponies while they were learning. Now, can anyone tell me when a pony gets his or her cutie-mark?”

“Oh, oh!” a little white pony with a frizzly red mane and purple glasses raised her hoof. “When she dithscoversth that thcertain sthomething that makesth her sthpecial!”

“That’s right, Twist,” Cheerilee said with a smile. “A cutie-mark appears on a pony’s flank when he or she discovers that certain something that makes them different from every other pony. Discovering what makes you unique doesn’t happen overnight.”

All the while, Apple Bloom was taking notes when her neighbor, Diamond Tiara kept giving her ‘psst’s until finally she whispered, “What?!”

An earth pony fill with a coat pink and styled mane white or light purple, Diamond Tiara held a note to her, and she realized she wanted her to pass it to her other neighbor, a gray earth pony filly with a silver braided mane and glasses, Silver Spoon. Sighing, she grabbed it when…
“Apple Bloom!”

She froze and dropped the note, Cheerilee demanding, “Are you passing notes? What could be so important that it couldn’t wait until after class?”

But then they noticed, “It’s blank!”

Diamond Tiara laughed derisively, saying, “Remind you of anypony?”

Apple Bloom looked sadly at her blank flank, when she felt a hoof on her shoulder and she realized it was Twinken, giving her an encouraging smile, and she felt a little better.

Once class was over, Apple Bloom stepped out, feeling low, Twinken following her.
“Hey Apple Bloom, you okay?”

“Mm-hmm,” she muttered.

“Hi Apple Bloom and Twinken!”

They looked to see Twist come up, asking, “Want some peppermint sticks, I made `em myself!”

“No thanks,” Apple Bloom muttered, Twinken silently nodding he’d like one.

“I don’t know why we had to sit through a lecture about getting a cutie-mark.”

Twinken sighed tiresomely, seeing it was Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon as they walked up, the prissy little diva saying, “I mean, waiting for your cutie-mark is so last week.”

The two rotten fillies made sure Apple Bloom saw that they had theirs, and both matched their names. Silver Spoon’s cutie-mark being an ornate spoon while Diamond Tiara sported a tiara on her head that matched her cutie-mark exactly, after ordering one custom-made.
“You got yours, I’ve just got mine! We all have them already!”

Twinken snorted in annoyance when Diamond Tiara snuffed to his face, “I mean, almost all of us have them already! Don’t worry, you three, you’re still totally invited to my cute-ceanera this weekend.”

“It’s going to be amazing,” Silver Spoon added as she and Diamond Tiara circled the other three foals.

“It’s a party celebrating me and my fantastic cutie-mark. How can it not be?”

Then the two prissy fillies did their own thing, “Bump-bump-sugar lump-rump!”

“Gimme a break,” Apple Bloom muttered.

“See you this weekend…” Silver Spoon said as she and Diamond Tiara then walked away while laughing “Blank flanks!”

“Don’t listen to them, girls,” Twinken urged them, “they’re just spoiled brats!”

“Don’t mean they’re not wrong…” Apple Bloom muttered as she walked home.

“Apple Bloom…” Twinken sighed, Twist saying, “I’m sure she’ll be ok. Sthee you at the party, Twinken!”

As Twist left, Twinken felt like he had to do something.

“…and then they walked away, calling us blank flanks!” Twinken complained as he walked in front of the library where Midnight was sitting, reading a book Twilight had given him to study.

“Oh Twinken, you shouldn’t let a couple prissy fillies get under your coat,” Midnight said, dividing his attention between his little brother and his studying.
“Everypony gets their cutie-mark.”

“Says the adult blank flank…” muttered Twinken morosely.

“I heard that!”

“Sorry, big brother,” Twinken apologized. “But I understand how Apple Bloom feels, I want my cutie-mark to come now!”

“Cutie-marks are not chosen, Twink,” Midnight told him, “they are earned. Earned by discovering what your special talent is and how it makes you special. That doesn’t happen at the drop of a hat.”

Twinken sighed as he sat next to the bigger unicorn, saying, “I just wish I could get a cutie-mark and Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would quit teasing me!”

“It wouldn’t matter if you did get a cutie-mark, Twink,” Midnight responded, Twinken looking at him. “Bullies look for any excuse to bully somepony, and if one excuse no longer works, they just look for another. Even after you get your cutie-mark, ponies like Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon, will tease you for some other reason. But in the end, all those hurtful words they used against you are just words! They’ll only hurt you if you let them.”

Twinken considered his brother’s words when he got up and said, “Come on, let’s go see Applejack. All of a sudden, I’ve got a craving for apples.”

As they walked into the marketplace, they noticed a brown earth pony stallion with an hourglass cutie-mark run by, an apple in his mouth.
“Looks like business is booming for AJ.” Midnight commented, when they heard somepony shout, “YOU TOUCH IT, YOU BOUGHT IT!”

They looked to see Applejack apologizing to a purple mare who suddenly zipped off, looking frightened. Then they noticed Apple Bloom pour a basket of apples into somepony’s shopping bag.
“That’ll be four bits.”

“I didn’t put those in my bag,” the mare gave her a look.

“Likely story,” Apple Bloom said with a raised brow. “Four bits.”

“Apple Bloom!”

She cringed at the voice as Applejack and Midnight both gave her the stink-eye, Midnight saying, “Please excuse her, miss. You can have those apples free of charge.”

“Midnight! Ya cain’t give our products away fer free!” Apple Bloom complained but was silenced by a glare from her sister.

“Please excuse her, she’s new,” Applejack said to the mare, who just walked away, taking the apples without so much as a thank you. She then glared at her sister, saying, “Little sis, yer apple sellin’ days are over!”

“But how else am Ah gonna get mah cutie-mark?” Apple Bloom whined.

“Apple Bloom, I understand how you feel,” Midnight spoke up, “but you can’t force a cutie-mark to appear. You still have some… maturing to do. Besides, I’m sure there are other foals in your class that don’t have their cutie-marks.”

“I don’t!” Twinken reminded his friend, hoping it would cheer her up a bit. “And Twist doesn’t either!”

“So wouldn’cha feel better goin’ to th’ party with yer friends, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, her sister nodding understandingly.
“Well there ya go! Bet you three’ll have a great time together.”

“Hey, I bet Rumble would like to go too,” Midnight suggested. “He doesn’t have a cutie-mark either.”

“Oh yeah, definitely!” agreed Twinken before he said, “Come on Apple Bloom, let’s go get Twist and Rumble!”

“Okay, but Applejack, are ya sure ya don’t want me t’ stick around till th’ end of market?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Hey, who was messing with my racket?!”

They looked to see somepony holding a racket sticky with bits of apple, Applejack deadpanning, “Pretty sure.”

“Let’s git!” Apple Bloom suggested to Twinken and the two foals did just that, their older siblings laughing.

“Thanks fer helpin' out there, Midnight,” Applejack thanked, “Ah was a lil’ afraid Ah might end up arguing wit’ tha’ filly.”

“Well, Twinken was feeling kind of the same way,” Midnight replied. “Maybe going to that party together will help those two with their little insecurities.”

The weekend came but Twinken, Apple Bloom, even Rumble were scarce all day. Midnight was talking through town when he saw Thunderlane moving a cloud.
“Hey Thunder, got a minute?” he called to him.

The dark gray pegasus flew down, saying, “What’s up, Night?”

“Have you seen the foals? Apple Bloom and Twinken have both been a little down lately about their classmate’s cute-ceanera and both were insecure about going without their cutie-marks. I was wondering if you or Rumble had seen them.”

“Uh, I think they were hanging out with Dash,” Thunderlane pondered, “Y’know, Rarity’s little sister, Sweetie Belle, mentioned a similar problem.”

“Maybe Sweetie Belle will know,” Midnight suggested, “Are you going to that party?”

“Wish I could but I got some work to take care of,” Thunderlane said with a shrug. “Say hi to Rarity for me, huh?”

“Okay, later!” Midnight said as Thunderlane flew back up.

Finding Carousel Boutique was never a problem – it was one of the fanciest-looking buildings in all of Ponyville, with the pastel color-scheme, a design surrounding the upper part of the building that resembled an actual carousel, and the princess-steeple-like top with a little red flag blowing in the breeze.
Midnight knocked on the royal purple door and was answered by Rarity, “Ah, Midnight ol’ chap, come in, darling!”

Midnight actually liked the interior, finding it more appealing than the exterior. Though he didn’t dare say so to the fashionista; far be it from him to question her tastes, beauty being in the eye of the beholder and whatnot.
“So, dear, what can I do for you?”

“Actually, Rarity, I was wondering if you or your little sister Sweetie Belle had seen Apple Bloom or Twinken or even Rumble. They’re kinda high-strung about going to some filly’s cute-ceanera without their own cutie-marks.”

“Oh, I was afraid of that,” Rarity rubbed her chin in consideration. “Sweetie Belle and her friends Scootaloo and Button Mash were all complaining of something similar. Or rather Sweetie and Scootaloo complained, Button was just tagging along, the little dear.”

“Well, do you know where they are? I’d like to make sure Bloom and Twink are alright.”

“Well, I’m not sure if they do,” Rarity considered, “I’ve never seen them spending time together. Sweetie!”

“Coming…” answered a weary voice, and Sweetie Belle appeared from the next room. “Oh, hi Midnight.”

“Sweetie, dear, aren’t you going to the party?” Rarity asked.

“I don’t wanna…” Sweetie shifted her stance, looking self-conscious about her cutie-mark.

Rarity was about to say something when Midnight whispered, “Lemme try!”

“Say Sweetie Belle, would you feel better about going with another pony who doesn’t have his cutie-mark yet?” he asked, making sure his blank flank was noticeable.

Sweetie Belle eyed him, still looking uncomfortable, when she asked, “Only if Button and Scootaloo will come…”

“Of course, darling,” Rarity agreed.

The two unicorns were soon escorting three foals to the cute-ceanera. Scootaloo was a little pegasus filly with an orange coat and purple mane in a rather coltish style while Button Mash was the earth pony colt Midnight had seen with Sweetie Belle at Sugarcube Corner the day he became Twinken’s big brother (and he couldn’t forget a colt that screamed his head off after a nasty case of brain-freeze).

As they walked, Midnight asked Rarity, “So tell me, Rares, anything exciting happening lately?”

“Well… I have been considering the upcoming gala,” she answered, “particularly what we’re going to wear.”

“Whattya mean?”

“Oh Midnight! Certainly you understand, the Grand Galloping Gala is only the most celebrated of social-gatherings in all of Equestria, of course we’re going to want to look our best!”

“Heh, of course,” Midnight chuckled understandingly. “Though I suppose you’ll look your best in something you make yourself.”

“Would you expect anything less?” Rarity chuckled confidently in return. “After all, I must look my best for the gala… if only to catch the attention of the most dreamiest stallion in all of Equestria!”

“Whoozat?” Midnight asked.

“Why, none other than Princess Celestia’s nephew, Prince Blueblood!” Rarity swooned, Midnight having to support her as she swayed in reverie.
“The most handsome, the most eligible stallion in Canterlot! I can just imagine it… our eyes would meet, our hearts would melt! Our courtship would be magnificent-”

“Okay, okay!” Midnight groaned, “Save it for the gala! I’m sorry I asked…”

But inside Midnight was chuckling although for some reason, the gala and the name Blueblood were buzzing with some feeling if significance.
Why does the name Blueblood sound… Whatever, if it’s important I’ll remember it later.

As they arrived at the party, they were met with party-music and noise-makers being blown in their faces, Pinkie popping out nowhere (as she does).
“Hi Rarity, Midnight! Welcome to the party!”

“Go have fun, kids,” Midnight gestured to the foals and they scurried out into the festive fray.

“Oh wait! Don’t forget your party hats!” Pinkie hurried after them, the two unicorns laughing.

“Hey Midnight, Rarity!”

They looked to see, “Twilight! You’re here too, huh?” Midnight went over, levitating a cupcake to her.

“Ha-ha, thanks,” she said as she took a bite. After swallowing, she asked, “Have you seen Apple Bloom? She was just here a minute ago.”

“So she did come?” Midnight asked, looking around. The place was packed so he could only see a few ponies he knew.
“Do you know if Twinken or Rumble are here?”

“I’m not sure,” Twilight replied, “but just now Apple bloom begged me to use my magic for a cutie-mark. I tried but nothing worked, as I knew it would. I only hope she’ll be okay.”

“Well, maybe she’ll feel better seeing an adult blank flank at this party,” Midnight sighed, “maybe draw the unwanted attention from her to me.”

“That’s so sweet of you, Midnight,” Twilight said, giving him a nuzzle, and Midnight suddenly felt warm.

*POP POP*

They looked towards the counter and saw another blue unicorn with a safety pin cutie-mark, dancing, his horn having apparently popped some balloons.
“Heh-heh, looks like that guy’s getting into the music.” Midnight commented.

“Was that Apple Bloom I just saw?” Twilight asked.

“I’m gonna go find her,” Midnight said, “maybe I can cheer her up a bit.”

“Okay, enjoy the party.”

Midnight was peering around, wondering, Where did that filly get to? For that matter, where’s Twinken?

Then he noticed a purple tail trailing from behind the counter. Going over, he saw Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo hiding.
“Now what’re you two fillies doing back here?”

“Get down!”

“Yipe!”

The two had forced Midnight down behind the counter with them and peered over the countertop, looking around nervously. Midnight joined them, whispering, “What’re we hiding for?”

“So nopony sees our blank flanks,” Sweetie Belle whispered back. “Especially Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon!”

“We don’t wanna get picked on for our blank flanks,” Scootaloo added.

Midnight raised his brow when something caught his eye and he smiled.
“Button Mash doesn’t seem to care,” he pointed out, and the girls saw Button Mash talking with Rumble, the both of them laughing.
“In fact, he’s looks like he’s enjoying himself with Rumble over there.”

“But… they don’t have cutie-marks,” Scootaloo insisted.

“I don’t have a cutie-mark either,” Midnight reminded them, “Is it really that big of a deal?”

The two fillies considered when they heard…
“Wow, that is an amazing cutie-mark!”

They looked to see Apple Bloom in the middle of the party, Diamond Tiara and Silver spoon leering at her.
“Nice try…” Diamond Tiara sneered as she and her best friend said, “Blank Flank!”

Seeing them mock the little farmer filly, who was clearly on the verge of tears, Midnight’s big brother instincts kicked in, as he got up and he walked over, saying, “Excuse me now, but is there a problem here?”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon gaped at him in confusion but then their eyes fell upon his flank and Silver Spoon said, “Wait, is he what I think he is…!?”

“Well lookit that!” Diamond Tiara mocked to Apple Bloom, “At least there’s a bigger loser than you in the room!”

Midnight’s eyes narrowed at the two bratty fillies but then he put on a polite smile as he asked, “Well then tell me, young filly, what does your cutie-mark symbolize?”

“Hmph!” Diamond Tiara smirked, saying, “Well obviously it show that I’m a princess!”

“Really?” Midnight said sarcastically, making a show of looking at Diamond Tiara, much to her chagrin.

“What’re you looking at?”

“What I’m not looking at is no horn, no wings…” Midnight droned before saying, “Because clearly you are not a princess. That title belongs to Princess Celestia. She is wise and benevolent, and kind to all ponies. She treats ponies of all shapes and sizes with equality, with respect and humility, and she doesn't go flaunting her titles or even her cutie-mark in others’ faces like a certain couple spoiled brats who strut around acting like everypony else is beneath them.”

The whole party had turned silent, all eyes on Midnight, who held a stone-faced gaze at the two prissy fillies, Diamond Tiara standing there speechless, unable to find a comeback. Midnight decided to keep going by asking Silver Spoon, “And what does your cutie-mark represent?”

“Well, uh… I… don’t remember how I…” Silver Spoon hesitated.

“You don’t even know why you have it,” Midnight deadpanned. “So one last question, for the both of you: Who is honestly worse off, ponies who go their whole lives without cutie-marks, or the ones with cutie-marks they don’t even know what makes them special in the first place? Because, honestly, I’d like to know what my cutie-mark represents rather than have one I can’t make sense of.”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon stood there, looking like their brains were broken, as Midnight said, “Well, it seems you two have something to consider. Nice party, by the way!”

He trotted away, and suddenly all the other ponies were cheering him. He shook his mane, feeling quite proud of himself for putting a couple schoolyard bullies in their places as he stepped out for some air.

Midnight wound up sitting on a park bench, taking in the day when he heard, “Big brother!”

He turned and was surprised to see Twinken, along with Rumble, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Button Mash, and Scootaloo, along with Twilight, Applejack, and Rarity.
“That was so cool!” Twinken said as he hopped up to hug Midnight, who chuckled as he returned the embrace.

“Thanks for standing up for me!” Apple Bloom beamed at him.

“You were awesome,” Scootaloo complimented, Button Mash and Rumble both saying, “So cool!”

“It was a very nice thing you did for them, Midnight,” Twilight said, “and I think Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon won’t be teasing anypony for a while.”

“Thank ya kindly for standin’ up for Apple Bloom, Midnight,” Applejack thanked.

“Hey, Apples stick together, am I right?” Midnight asked, and Applejack smiled.

Oh, Midnight, you were so brilliant,” Rarity swooned, “and I think these little ponies learned a little something.”

“We sure did!” Twinken said, Apple Bloom saying, “We’re gonna find our cutie-marks t’gether!”

“Totally!” Scootaloo agreed, Rumble adding, “I’m in!”

“Count us in too!” Sweetie Belle volunteered, Button Mash shrugging, “If Sweetie’s for it, so am I!”

“But we’ll need a name for this group!” Apple Bloom insisted.

“The Cutie-Mark Six?” Scootaloo suggested.
“The Destiny Seekers?” Button offered, “What? I got it from a game!”

“How about…” the foals looked to Midnight, who was musing, “the Cutie-Mark Crusaders?”

“That’s perfect!” Rumble cheered.

“Midnight, will you join too?” Twinken asked.

Midnight said, “Well… we’ll see.”

That means ‘no’, Twinken sulked when Scootaloo suggested, Let’s head back to the party to celebrate!”

As the older ponies watched the little ones hurry back, Twilight already had a letter in mind.

Later that day, Princess Celestia was happy to receive another letter from her faithful student.
“‘Dearest Princess Celestia,
I am happy to report that one of your youngest subjects has learned a valuable lesson about friendship. Sometimes, the thing you think will cause you to lose friends and feel left out can actually be the thing that helps you make your closest friends and realize how special you are. Hmm...”

She looked at her own cutie-mark, symbolized as a stylized sun and smiled.

Author's Note

Yes, I know this is out of order, but in retrospect, the episodes Winter Wrap Up and Fall Weather Friends seem out of order. Fall can't immediately start right after Spring just starts!

So expect Fall Weather Friends coming up

22. Fall Weather Friends - Part 1

It was a brisk late-morning, Midnight was busy plowing the cornfield, grunting like the workhorse he was becoming as he pulled the plow with gusto. Nearby Rainbow Dash and Applejack were throwing horseshoes (not the ones they were wearing, mind you, but the kind one throws for the actual game).
Rather ironic for an equine to be throwing horseshoes he thought with a chuckle when…

*BONK*

“OW!!!” he yelled, feeling something hard hit him on the side of the head.

“Sorry!”

Rubbing his head and grateful it wasn’t his horn, Midnight glared towards the girls and saw Rainbow Dash, who shrugged apologetically, as Applejack giggled, “Wow, Rainbow. Ya couldn’t hit a barn door with tha’ kinda throw.”

“Better a barn door than my head!” Midnight snapped, unfastening the harness, deciding to take a break.
“Well, AJ’s turn…”

He plopped down, ignoring the aching bump on his head as he watched Applejack pick up her next horseshoe, furrow her brows… then she let it go!

They watched it twirl through the air… and land perfectly onto the stake, winning Applejack the game.
“Yee-haw!” Applejack reared up in victory. “It’s a ringer! That’s how we do it here on th’ farm.”

“I lost,” Rainbow looked dejected.

“It’s just a stupid game, Dash, get over it,” Midnight, like the bump on his head, was still a little sore.

“I hate losing…” Dash muttered.

“Well it’s all in good fun, Rainbow,” assured Applejack, “besides yer a pretty good athlete.”

But as she trotted away, Applejack couldn’t resist adding, “Ah’m jus’ better.”

“All right, Applejack!” Rainbow fluttered after her, Midnight sighing as he followed as well. “You think you’re the top athlete in all of Ponyville?”

“Well Ah was gonna say ‘in all o’ Equestria’… but tha’ might be gildin’ the lily,” Applejack smirked as she brushed Rainbow in the face with her tail, Midnight rolling his eyes, having a feeling where this was going.

“Well I think I’m the top athlete…” Rainbow remarked, “So let’s prove it!”

“Prove what?” Midnight asked.

Ignoring the blue unicorn, the rainbow-maned pegasus said to the orange mare, “I challenge you to an Iron Pony Competition, a series of athletic contests to decide who’s the best… once and for all!”

“Y’know what, Rainbow? Yer on!” Applejack accepted and they sealed the deal with a spit-shake.

“Well, you ladies have fun,” Midnight said as he began to tro away, “I’m going to Sugarcube Corner for a milkshake-”

“Hold it right there!”

He felt a yank on his tail, making him bray in pain, as he glared to see Rainbow spitting it out as she said, “What’s a competition without someone to witness it?”

Midnight sighed, saying, “Well, then, why don’t you two get ready for your waste of time and I’ll get you a bigger audience!”

And without waiting for her answer, Midnight was gone in a literal flash.

As he walked through town, (having teleported to the square) Midnight planned to get that milkshake when he saw Twilight and Spike.
“Hey Midnight! I’ve got an interesting lesson planned for you!”

“Hi, Twilight,” Midnight sighed tiresomely.

“What’s got you so low this morning?” asked Spike with a raised brow.

“Dash and AJ,” Midnight replied with a wince, rubbing the bump Rainbow had given him and clenching his buttcheeks from how his dock ached after she'd pulled on his tail. “They were throwing horseshoes, I got smacked by one, AJ won, and Dash, being the sore loser she is, challenged her to a series of contests to determine who the best athlete is.”

“Really? Where are they?” Twilight asked, suddenly intrigued.

“Back at the farm,” Midnight replied. “I’m gonna get myself a shake, then round up a few ponies to be an audience for those two hard-heads.”

“Well, I’m gonna head over there,” Twilight said, “This just might be worth seeing! See you there!”

“I’ll see if Pinkie or the others are interested,” Midnight called after her as he made his way to Sugarcube Corner.

After enjoying a delicious shake, Midnight was on his way back to the farm, accompanied by Twinken, Pinkie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Thunderlane, and Rumble.

“This really sounds awesome!” Twinken said as he rode on Midnight’s back. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack are both really good athletes!”

“Don’t forget two of the most stubborn and hard-headed mares you’ll find anywhere in Equestria,” Midnight reminded, prompting a laugh from everyone.

“Well, if I know Dash, she’s gonna give AJ a real gallop for her bits,” Thunderlane insisted.

“But you could still beat her, big brother!” Rumble insisted, “Rainbow may be fast, but she doesn’t have your stamina!”

Thunderlane chuckled appreciatively, rubbing his wing against his little brother.

“I just hope they don’t hurt themselves,” Fluttershy said in concern, holding a first-aid kit just in case.

“Pish-posh, darling,” said Rarity, “Those two are among the very best athletes I know. Granted, they could stand to be a little more feminine but-”

“Ooh, ooh! Look ahead!” interrupted Pinkie as she pointed ahead, and sure enough, the front-yard of Sweet Apple Acres now looked like an obstacle course, as well as a few places for different kinds of competitions. There was a set of bleachers for an audience, a corral, a high striker, a barrel-racing course, and more.

“Hello, everypony!”

They looked and saw Spike, standing on Twilight while holding a twig, speaking into it like a microphone, “And welcome to the first annual Iron Pony competition!”

“Uh, Spike? Who’re you talking to?”

“Us!”

They looked and saw their friends coming, Spike leaping onto Twilight’s head (to her chagrin) as he declared, “Let the games begin!”

Everypony cheered as things got started.

First Event: Barrel-Racing.

Applejack stood before the course, as Twilight walked up, Spike on her back while holding a stopwatch.
“Ready! Set… Go!”

Applejack zoomed past the moment Spike started the count. With agility honed by years of practice, and the skill of a rodeo champ, Applejack weaved around the barrels with uncanny precision… until she gasped and knocked into one.
“Dagnabbit!” she muttered to herself but kept going, quickly making the finish line.

“Time, Spike?” Twilight asked, Spike having just stopped the watch.

“Seventeen seconds,” he reported.

“Yer kiddin’!" Applejack exclaimed as she trotted up to them, "Tha’ breaks mah record from last year’s rodeo!”

“But…” Spike brought up, “you got a five-second penalty for nudging the barrel.”

“How’d Applejack do, big brother?” Twinken asked as he sat on his brother’s lap, everypony watching from the bleachers.

“Well, Spike said AJ finished in seventeen seconds,” Midnight explained, everypony listening, “but because she touched one of the barrels, it adds five seconds as a penalty.”

“Even so, twenty-two seconds ain’t too shabby,” Thunderlane commented, Rumble nodding in agreement.

“Oh, it appears Rainbow’s about to start!” Rarity pointed out.

“Ready, set… go!” Twilight declared, a rainbow blur rushing past her, Spike barely having the time to start the count.

Rainbow weaved through the barrels just as quickly as Applejack had, appearing as a living rainbow blurring through the course. In no time at all, she completed the course. Everypony listened carefully and heard Spike gasp, “Eighteen seconds!”

They cheered as Fluttershy set up a point for Rainbow Dash on the scoreboard, but they knew this wasn’t over by a long shot.

As the competitions flew past, they got more intense while the audience grew in numbers. Even Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Big Mac joined in to watch the two athletes compete. Applejack beat Rainbow Dash on the high-striker, due to her years in apple-bucking, Rainbow Dash won the Bronco Buck (with poor Spike having been the buckee), Applejack won the Lassoing competition (Spike being the doggie who got hog-tied while Rainbow got tangled in her own rope), Rainbow beat Applejack in balancing bouncing balls, Applejack won the haybale throwing event, Rainbow won hoof-wrassling (to everypony's shock), Applejack bucked a Hoofball further than Rainbow did.

“Fillies and gentlecolts!” Spike announced. “At the halfway point, the competitors are tied at five points each!”

“Who are you talking to?” Twilight demanded.

“Them!” Spike answered, and for the first time Twilight noticed what a huge crowd the competition had attracted.

On the bleachers, the others were getting more and more engrossed into the competition, Pinkie was even munching into a barrel of popcorn, the origin of which nopony knew, though she had been sweet enough to provide sodas. Unfortunately (in Rarity’s opinion) this had inspired the boys to try and out-belch each other.
“So uncouth!” Rarity muttered, doing her best to ignore a loud burp from Thunderlane.

Midnight smirked and took a good swig before letting out a growly burp, Twinken, Rumble, and Button Mash all laughing (Button having shown up to watch and had been invited to sit with his friends).

But then Big Mac once again lived up to his name and let out a belch straight from the belly, so loud it attracted the attention of the whole crowd. Midnight and Thunderlane whooped as they hoof-bumped their big red friend when somepony shouted, “Are you guys quite through?!”

They looked to see Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight giving them the stink-eye, Midnight chuckling as he motioned them to move it along and said, “Oh don’t mind us, carry on!”

Before long, the games got back on track. Rainbow won the next event of push-ups, and the Long Jump, she even won the competition of carrying chicks across mud. But Midnight noticed something about her victories as the events wore on – Rainbow Dash was using her wings to win.
I wonder why Twilight isn’t stepping in, this doesn’t seem fair for Applejack.

Midnight could tell Applejack was getting frustrated by the disadvantage but for some reason she wasn’t saying anything. Finally, it was down to the last event, a good ol’ fashioned game of Tug o’ War!

But Midnight noticed that Rainbow Dash was ahead of Applejack by fifteen to five. He intended to play his cards right and wait for this event to be over. Unsurprisingly, Rainbow won again… because she used her wings to lift Applejack with the rope and trick her into letting go and falling into the mud

Midnight teleported down to Twilight while Fluttershy set up the fifteen on the scoreboard, Rainbow boasting, “I win by a landslide!”

But she couldn’t resist saying to Applejack as she glared at her from the mud, “Or mudslide in your case!”

She flew up, a couple pegasi holding up a rainbow banner as she declared, “I am the Iron Pony!”

Her moment of victory however, was stolen as a bolt of energy flew out of nowhere and incinerated the banner, everypony gasping as Midnight stepped up, stating, “Only because you cheated!”

“What?!” Rainbow zoomed into his face, saying, “Who’re you calling a cheater?”

“You, that’s who!” Midnight said unflinchingly. “You used your wings to win over half of those events, and using your wings was not fair!”

“Sounds like sour-apples to me,” Rainbow retorted.

“More like rotten apples, from you Dash!” Applejack spoke up, “Ah cain’t believe it took somepony this long to speak up o’ how unfair this was.”

“What?! Now you’re just being a sore-loser!” Rainbow Dash accused when Midnight stood next to Applejack.

“Rainbow listen, what if I was the one competing against you? I could’ve just thrown the haybale or hoofball with my telekinesis or levitated myself for the Long Jump event. Wouldn’t you feel it unfair that I, a unicorn, was using my magic to win the contests?”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t rebut that because when she thought about, …He’s right.

She sighed, all her gusto gone as she looked at Applejack and said, “Sorry, AJ… I was being unfair.”

Applejack smiled and went over, putting a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, saying, “S’alright, Sugarcube, just glad t’ know yer admittin’ yer mistake.”

“Well,” Twilight spoke up, “since Rainbow is admitting her cheating, she forfeits the points she accumulated from the contests she won using her wings. This means you two are tied again at five points each.”

“And I have an idea of how you two can settle this once and for all,” Midnight added, “Tomorrow is the Annual Running of the Leaves. Since you two are tied, this could be your tie-breaker: Whichever of you crosses the finish-line first will be the winner of the Iron Pony Competition!”

“Ah’m in!” Applejack liked this idea.

“Bring it!” Rainbow zoomed up in excitement, only to be telekinetically yanked back down.

“With the condition of no wings allowed!" reminded Midnight with a firm tone before addign with a raised brow, "After all, you wanna win fair and square, right?”

Chuckling nervously, Rainbow nodded as Applejack approached her, spitting onto her hoof and holding it out. She got the idea and did the same, sealing the pact with a spit-shake

Author's Note

Yes, i know this is outta order but I can't follow the logic of cartoons, as this depicts the season of Fall happening right after winter ends so spring can begin

24. Winter Wrap-Up - Part 1

A blue unicorn snoozed peacefully in his room at Sweet Apple Acres. Never had he felt such blissful slumber, never had the pillows and blankets been so comfortable. Moaning in content, he turned over to his other side to escape the irritating ray of light peering through his curtains. In the back of his mind, fogged by sleep, the light heralded an unpleasantness yet the heavenly bliss of sleep clouded his memory as to what it meant. Sighing, he simply let go of the semi-waking moment, slowly drifting back towards restful darkness…

*Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!*

That rooster is gonna be my new feather pillow if he doesn’t shut his beak… Midnight thought with a grumble, quickly taking one of his pillows and covering his head with it.

Now he was almost awake, and the memories of what morning brought were coming back. Thankfully, he’d had the foresight to place a sound-barrier over his door, as well as a charm to make sure it stayed closed until he himself opened it. Nopony was gonna tear him away from the nirvana he was experiencing-

*CRASH!!!*

“YAUGH!” Midnight bolted up and gaped to see his door had been knocked down and in the threshold stood Applejack and Big Macintosh, both giving him a look, both of them wearing a green vest.

“Ergh, what is it that’s so important you had to tear down my door?!” Midnight grumbled as he tightened his blankets around him, only for Big Mac to snatch `em away with such force, Midnight was sent for a spinning drop onto the floor.

“Up n’ at `em, haystack,” Big Mac said, “It’s Winter Wrap-Up Day!”

“Oh no…” Midnight groaned as he remembered what the family had discussed last night. Sighing in submission, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Applejack’s apple-bucking skills, he forced himself up and said, “So what’s next…?”

The three of them made their way to town square, where everypony was already gathering. Midnight asked, “So, how’s this work?”

“Well, Winter Wrap-Up’s split int’ three teams,” Applejack explained, “Mah team is the plantin’ team, our job’s ta’ get started on plantin’ new crops an’ grow more food.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded when down came Thunderlane, sporting a blue vest.

“Hey guys! How’re ya doing? I’m all psyched to get started!” he flapped in place, his eyes furrowed.

“What team are you on?” Midnight asked.

“The weather team, duh,” Thunderlane pointed out the pegasi up high, all sporting blue vests. “Me & Dash are both heading the weather team, though of course she’s actin’ like it’s just her… Anyway, come on!”

They followed him into the crowd where Mayor Mare was making a speech.
“…bright and early! We need every single pony’s help to wrap up winter, and bring in spring. Now, all of you should have your vests, which assign you to your teams so let’s do even better than last year, and have the quickest Winter Wrap-Up ever!”

Everypony cheered, during which Midnight asked Thunderlane, “Wait a minute, we just ended Fall, how can it already be time for Winter Wrap-Up?”

“Huh?” Thunderlane responded.

But before Midnight could pursue the matter further, Mayor Mare instructed, “Alright, everypony, find your team leader, and let’s get galloping!”

“See ya later, Night,” Thunderlane zoomed off to his team, Big Mac nudging Midnight to follow when Midnight heard some music start up.

Thunderlane:
A winter-load of coolness
Hate to see it fade away!

Pinkie Pie:
We’ve kept our hoovsies warm at home
Time off from work to play

Big Macintosh:
But our food reserves are runnin’ low
We cain’t grow in this cold

Rarity:
And even though I love my boots,
This fashion’s getting old

Midnight Blaze:
The time has come, make way for spring
And all things warm n’ green

Twilight Sparkle:
Cuz it’s also time to say goodbye
It’s winter we must clean
How can I help? I’m new, you see
What does everypony do?

Midnight Blaze:
I’m not allowed to use magic
Someone give me a clue!

Choir:
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

Applejack:
Cuz tomorrow spring-

Rainbow Dash:
-is here!

Choir:
Cuz tomorrow spring is here!

Thunderlane:
Leading home the southern birds
Falls to the pegasi
And clearing away winter’s gloom
Reveals the big blue sky

Rainbow Dash:
We move the clouds
And we melt the white snow

Rainbow, Thunder, and Pinkie:
When the sun comes up
Its warmth and beauty will glow!

Choir:
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Rarity:
Little critters hibernate
Under the snow and ice
Fluttershy:
We wake up all their sleepy heads
So quietly and nice
Rarity:
We get them started in their way
Clear away the snow
Fluttershy:
We welcome home the southern birds

Fluttershy and Rarity:
So their families can grow!

Big Macintosh:
A farmer’s task, it all begins
With a tiny seed
With proper care and sunshine
Everyone it feeds
Apples, carrots, celery stalks
Hay, oats, flowers too
Give it everything you got
Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Midnight Blaze:
We’ve got a job to do!

[Choir]
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

[Pinkie Pie]
'Cause tomorrow spring is here

[Choir]
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

[Twilight Sparkle]
Now that I know what they all do
I have to find my place
And help with all of my heart
Tough task ahead I face
How will I do without my magic
Help the Earth pony way
I wanna belong so I must
Do my best today,
Do my best today!

[Choir]
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
Let's finish our holiday cheer
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
Winter Wrap Up! Winter Wrap Up!

[Twilight Sparkle]
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here
'Cause tomorrow spring is here!

All the while, Midnight had noticed Twilight looking unsure and lost but one particular thought crossed his mind, Where did that music come from?!

Author's Note

I'm sorry for this pitiful chapter, and I virtually regret including the song but it didn't feel right to exclude it

I promise the next one will be better

25. Winter Wrap-Up - Part 2

“Now, Sugarcube, Ah need ya t’ get these haybales over t’ Rarity, lickety-split,” Applejack instructed Midnight, indicating the bales stacked up next to the wagon.

“No prob,” Midnight replied, his horn shining, only for Applejack to slap his shoulder.

“Hey! Stop right there, partner!”

“What?” Midnight was a little taken back by her behavior.

“Midnight, Ponyville was founded by earth ponies,” Applejack informed him.

“Yeah, Twilight mentioned that in one of our lessons together, so what?”

“So… It means we get things done `round here th’ good ol’ fashioned earth pony way,” Applejack made clear, and Midnight got the idea.

“Right, no magic…” Midnight sighed as he looked at the bales.

“Well, git'along there, partner!” Applejack pressured before walking away, “Ah need ya back here as soon as yer done, we gotta lot t’ do.”

Midnight’s ears drooped as he got started hauling the bales into the wagon.

Before long, Midnight was pulling the wagonful of haybales over to Carousel Boutique, bits of hay in his mane after one almost fell on him. He found Rarity standing outside expectantly as he approached one of the tables she’d set up.

“Thank you very much, darling,” Rarity said before making tut-tut sounds. “Though I did expect you ten minutes ago.”

“Sorry,” Midnight said wearily as he started setting the bales out by the table. “So… what exactly do you need these bales for, Rarity?”

“Why, to make perfect little birds’ nests, of course!” She smiled as she brought out several rolls of colored ribbons.

“Birds’ nests? Don’t they just make their own?”

“Oh Midnight, that’s silly! Now, you should get back, I believe Applejack is expecting you.”

“Right,” Midnight started fastening himself to the wagon when he gasped!

”Would you like to try your hoof at a nest?” Rarity asked.

“Would I?!” Twilight was excited, “Yes! Where do I begin?”

“Ok now,” Rarity levitated a basket of hay, twigs, and ribbons over to Twilight’s side of the table
“Take some of that straw and hay over there, and a little bit of branch.”

Twilight had already neatly separated the components as Rarity went on.
“Now, weave them through there, yes. Uh, take some ribbon, yes, oh uh, n... not there, oooh, yes, uh, tuck it in over there, uh but be careful not to... I don't know I guess that would do... oh dear.”

Rarity winced a bit at the “nest” Twilight had fabricated.

“There! It looks just like...” Twilight’s enthusiasm deflated when she saw the difference between hers and Rarity’s. “Yours. Oh my.

“That nest needs to be condemned,” Spike commented dryly.

“Oh, Spa-ha-hike, it's not so bad, ah, maybe birds can use it as a...” Rarity tried to find the right word while also doing her best not to hurt Twilight’s feelings.

“An outhouse?” asked Spike in deadpan.

“Spike!” Rarity snapped before re-addressing Twilight. “It's just fine. It's just a little rough around the edges. Let me lend you a hoof. Let's just untie this ribbon, and let me take out these sticks here, we'll shave this…”

Twilight sulked as Rarity continued to “correct” her mistake, Spike whispering, “I think we lost her.”

…Midnight? Midnight?!”

Midnight jolted as he saw Rarity standing right in front of him, looking worried.
“Darling, are you well? You seemed to be elsewhere for a moment.”

“Uh, yeah! Um, Rarity? I think… Twilight might come by and… Well, either give her step-by-step instructions or… don’t let her anywhere near your work. Good luck!”

And without waiting for her response, he trotted off with the wagon. As he made his way back to the fields, he wondered, What just happened?! It looked like I was seeing… Was I? No way, that’s silly.

“Helloooooo, Midnight! Wheeeeee!”

He jolted out of his pondering and looked to see Pinkie ice-skating nearby. Figuring he had a minute to spare, he unhooked his wagon and went over.
“Wow, Pinkie! I didn’t know you could ice-skate! And so well!”

“Thanks, Midnight, I’ve been doing this since I was an itty-bitty little-wittle Twinky Pinkie!” Pinkie pirouetted, starting to look like a pink whirl.

“So… why exactly are you ice-skating? Shouldn’t you be helping wrap-up winter?”

“That’s what I’m doing, silly-willy! See, because of how good I am, I’m designated the lake-scorer! I cut lines in the ice with my skates, to make it easy as pie for the weather team to smash the ice.”

“Ohhhh!” Midnight nodded in understanding when he gasped again, his mind going elsewhere.

”Hey, Twilight, wanna help me out?” Pinkie asked the purple unicorn

”Would I?” Twilight gasped happily.

“Come on, put on those skates over there,” Pinkie invited, “I bet you'll be a natural too.”

“Okay,” Twilight said as she took the skates and put `em on. But as soon as she stepped out onto the ice, she immediately knew she was no natural, particularly because she’d never ice-skated before. She’d read of ice-skating, but of course real life was a very different experience.

“Yaaaaay!” Pinkie cheered as she zoomed across the ice.

“Uh... maybe on second thought-” Twilight said before falling on her face.

“What are you talking about?” Spike got on her case, still sore about being woken up early for nothing and being woken up shortly after that false-start.
“You said you wanted to be helpful.”

“Yippie!” Pinkie cried happily as she made a graceful leap.

“Now get out there!” Spike insisted, pushing Twilight out into the ice.

“Oh no, whoa, wow...” Twilight scurried to gain control but her lack of experience saw fit to defy her will, and Spike couldn’t help a feeling a guilty delight in watching Twilight’s ice-capade.

“Twilight, steer! Steer!” Pinkie called to her.

“Yaaaaa!” Twilight cried as she came at Pinkie, who cried, “Oh boy...”

However, she didn’t move fast enough as Twilight crashed into her, the two of them screaming as they crashed into spike, the three of them screaming as into the snowbank, the three of them covered in a snowball, making a snowman-figure. They shook it, and the snow, off as Spike laughed, “Ha ha, you are a natural, Twilight. A natural disaster!

He fell over, laughing, Pinkie getting up as she said, “Twilight, you did a great job your first time around. I'm sure my first time was just as wobbly and bobbly and crasheriffic as yours.”

“Really?” Twilight asked with a hopeful smile.

Pinkie thought for a minute before flatly replying, “No.”

Spike chuckled some more, Twilight sulking, as Pinkie asked, “But did I make you feel better?”

“Mm-hmm, yeah, I guess,” Twilight muttered.

…Midnight! MIDNIGHT!!!” screeched a pink mouth in Midnight’s face, making him scream as he fell over onto his rump.

“What happened?! What-what?!”

“You looked zoned out for a minute there!” Pinkie said to him. “Are you ok?”

“Uh, yeah, just… Uh, Pinkie, if you see Twilight, don’t let her help you. She’s not exactly… skilled in ice-skating,” Midnight informed her.

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie then skimmed off.

As he continued on back towards the fields, Midnight couldn’t help pondering, That’s the second time this has happened! If I didn’t know any better, I’d say these were visions of-

“Come on, little ones!” coaxed a gentle voice and he looked to see a little yellow rump with a long pink tail sticking out of a hole in the ground.
“I’m sure you had the sweetest little dreams during your hibernation, but it’s time to get up now!”

“Fluttershy?”

“Ooh!” Fluttershy scooted backwards out, falling back, midnight hurrying over and catching her before she fell onto her back. She squealed a little in embarrassment as Midnight helped her onto her hooves.

“Sorry to startle you,” Midnight apologized, “what were you doing?”

“Look…!” she pointed towards the hole and Midnight felt his heart warm up as a badger and three little baby ones yawned as they ambled out and made their way towards the meadow.

“Aw, I didn’t know baby badgers could look so adorable,” Midnight commented, resisting the desire to scoop one of them up for a hug.

“Aren’t they though? I love no task more than this in the whole season,” Fluttershy sighed, feeling like a mother, “to see all my little animal friends again. I look through each warren and den to wake up all the little hibernating critters.”

“That sounds fun,” Midnight chuckled when he gasped at a familiar phenomenon.

”But just look at all these warrens and dens,” Fluttershy sighed at the work ahead of her. “I’m worried that I won’t be able to wake up every animal before spring comes.”

“Well, I’ll help, Fluttershy,” Twilight offered hopefully.

“Oh you will? That would be wonderful,” Fluttershy thanked, giving Spike her little bell.

“Ok, I’ll start over here,” Twilight decided as she and Spike approached a warren.

Taking the bell, she shook it gently to make th ringing, “Hello? Wake up, little friends, wherever you are. Spring is coming!”

She stepped back, ringing the bell again as she got excited.
“Oh! I wonder what cute furry little creatures I’ve awoken!”

Her excitement was cut short by the sounds of hissing and Twilight gasped to see, “Snakes?! Snakes!”

In her terror, she quickly backed away, not noticing she had backed into a small cave, from which she ran out screaming fro ma swoop of bats. Her terror distracted her from a tree, into which she ran face-first, shaking it and causing a hive of bees to fall onto her head, filling her with blind-fear (in both the literal and emotional sense), causing her to run unknowingly into another cave, from which out came a family of skunks, Fluttershy warmly saying, “Good morning, friends.”

From inside the cave she and Spike heard a groan.

…Midnight? Midnight, are you alright?” asked a concerned voice and Midnight snapped out of it.

Fluttershy looked at him, deeply concerned as he gathered himself. “Uh, just… clearing my head, heh-heh. Um, Fluttershy, Twilight might see you soon, and… I recommend you either supervise her or… send her to find a different task.”

“Keep pushin’, Caramel!”

Applejack stood in the middle of the fields where her team was busy clearing away snow so they could get started planting.
“Tha’s it, bumpkin! Ah know it’s hard work y’all are doin’ great! Yee-haw!”

“I’m back!”

She turned around to see Midnight approach.

“Well it’s about time!” Applejack sounded ornery. “Wer’ doin’ ok but wer’ kinda off to a slow-start. If wer’ gonna get started plantin’ we gotta haul out all these heaps a’ snow!”

Midnight looked to see how much work was ahead of them and sighed as Applejack raised a brow at him.
“I’m on it,” he said as he went over to one of the snowplows.

Getting himself set up was easy, getting himself set off? Another story. Midnight had certainly gotten into good shape since he started living and working at Sweet Apple Acres but for the life of him, he could not move the snowplow! He recalled his little complaint of how magic could make all the work so much easier.
Well… Maybe just this once. I hope I cast this spell right!

Midnight had gotten started at his last lesson with Twilight on a spell for Substitutiary Locomotion, a spell to give life to things without. Perhaps with the proper application, he could make the snowplow do the work for him and all he’d have to do was keep up with the snowplow to give the illusion he was pushing it and plowing the snow himself!

He looked to Applejack who was starting to give him the stink-eye and he gulped.
“Here goes nothing!” he whispered and concentrated on the spell.

Substitutiary Locomotion
Mystic power that’s far beyond the wildest notion
It’s so weird, so feared, yet wonderful to see
Treguna Mekoides and Tracorum Satis Dee

His horn glowed a light blue, as did the snowplow and almost immediately did it inch forward before slowly moving on its own, Midnight almost getting left behind. But he quickly righted himself and looked to Applejack, who was giving him a suspicious look.
Uh-oh…

But in his slowly-heightening anxiety he didn’t notice the snowplow getting faster until the back was pushing against his rump.
Oh no!

He was sweating bullets despite the cold as he struggled to keep up, “Slow down, slow down!!!”

Midnight suddenly realized the snow he was plowing was being rolled up into an increasingly growing snowball. And the plow was getting faster. He even zoomed past Noteworthy, the snow getting sprayed onto the blue earth pony.

“Stop, stop, stop, stop!” Midnight begged, not realizing until it was too late, that he’d crashed into Applejack, who got rolled up into the snowball.

“What’s goin’ on he-” Applejack demanded before gasping as she was rolling in the snowball. “You used magic, didn’t you?!”

Before Midnight could answer, they crashed into a high ledge, bringing the snowplow to a stop. But a rumbling above them made them gasp as the snow on top of the ledge came crashing down and on into an avalanche.

As all the snowplowing ponies started to complain, Midnight and Applejack popped their heads out of the snow, Applejack giving him the stink-eye as she scolded, “Midnight! Ah cain’t believe it, you used magic! Tha’ is not how we get things `round here done, Midnight, especially not on mah farm!”

Midnight had never felt so horrible that he was actually starting to tear up. But rather than let Applejack see his tears, he teleported off, upset and in shame.

Elsewhere, Twilight was walking past town hall as she sighed, Spike saying, “Relax, Twilight, I’m sure somepony around here has something for you to help out in.”

“Well, Rarity didn’t need my help nest-making, Pinkie wouldn’t let me help her ice-skate the lakes,” Twilight droned in disappointment, “Fluttershy almost fainted when she turned me down, and Applejack did not look happy when we saw her at the fields.”

“I wonder what got her tail in a knot,” Spike commented, “and you’d think her team would’ve been further along clearing the snow, even without magic.”

At that moment, they heard a sigh and they looked over a bush and saw a very mopy-looking blue unicorn they knew very well.

“Midnight? What’s wrong?” Twilight asked, seeing her student looking really down in the dumps.

“I’m a winter mess-up…” Midnight moaned as he lay on his belly, his ears drooping. “I was just trying to get my job done but…”

He sighed, Spike saying, “Aw come on, Midnight, it couldn’t have been that bad!”

“Gee, thanks for making me feel so much better, Spike,” Midnight sniped.

Spike, apparently not catching the sarcasm, replied, “That’s what I’m here for, brony!”

“Rainbow Dash, Thunder!”

They all looked to see Applejack confronting Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, demanding, “Y’all need t’ melt the rest of the snow on the ground and in the trees, pronto!”

“Sure thing,” Thunderlane was happy to oblige when Fluttershy stepped in.

“You can’t! The poor little animals’ homes will get flooded if the snow melts too fast!”

“Dash, Ah am telling ya, the snow’s gotta go!” Applejack demanded again.

“No, you simply must wait!” Fluttershy begged.

“Go!”
“Stop!”
“Go!”
“Stop!

“Urgh! Make up your minds!” Rainbow had it!

“Oh, what in Equestria are you all arguing about?” demanded Mayer Mare as she stepped out of Town Hall. “It’s this kind of silliness why we’re always late for spring!”

“Did she say ‘late’?” Twilight asked incredulously as she, Spike, and Midnight watched from across the way.
“I believe she did,” Midnight shrugged.

“I was hoping my amazingly inspirational speech would urge everypony to do better this year,” Mayor Mare admonished them.
“But it looks like we’re going to be later than ever! I mean just look at this catastrophe! The ice scorers made the ice chunks too big to melt.”

Pinkie shrugged apologetically as she looked out to the large ice chunks in the lake.

“The nest designer is horrendously behind, we need several hundred, and she's only made one!”

Rarity started bawling.

"And don't get me started on all the clouds in the sky, the icicles on the trees... This isn't good, not at all!” Mayor Mare complained.

“And it’s all gonna be all to pieces disastrous if we cain’t get all our seeds planted!” Applejack gave Rainbow the stink-eye.

“Chillax, Applejack, we’re bustin’ our chops as fast as we can!” snapped Rainbow Dash.

“No, not so fast,” Fluttershy insisted politely, “we have to wake up all the animals slowly.”

“Uh, AJ?”

They all looked to see big Macintosh and a guilty-looking Caramel.

“Oh good gravy…!” Applejack face-hooved. “Caramel lost th’ grass seeds again, didn’t he?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed, Caramel looking ashamed.

“Thunder!”

A pegasus mare approached him, reporting, “Ditzy Doo accidentally went north to get the southern birds!

“Can’t we get a break?!” moaned Thunderlane. “You’d think she’d have learned since last year she went west!”

Suddenly, all the ponies started bickering, arguing over whose work was more important, Mayor mare trying to calm things down.
“Stop this at once, we don’t have time to argue! It’s almost sundown, spring is gonna be late again! Another year of scandal and shame! If only we could be more organized!”

Twilight beamed and stated, “Spike! Get my check-list and clipboard, STAT!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Spike zipped off.

“What’re you gonna do?” Midnight gave his teacher a bewildered look.

“Just watch,” Twilight said before yelling, “Stop everypony! Stop!”

Nopony paid her any mind due to their arguing when a loud screeching chirp caught their attention. Twilight had used her magic on a bird, which was giving her an indignant look after she let it go.
“Sorry!” she whispered to it before re-addressing the workers, “I know you all want to complete your jobs on time, but arguing is no way to go about it. What you need is organization, and I'm just the pony for the job.”

Before long, with her tools in hoof, Twilight had drawn out a plan, factoring every task, the method to perform it without disrupting another, the step-by-step process, and they had a plan.

Big Mac gathered the supplies for Rarity and her team to make the birds’ nests, and get them where they needed to be.

The ice-scorers worked together, cutting the ice in a grid-formation.

The planting team worked together, one pony in front to plow the snow, a second to plow the earth, a third to plant the seeds, all in line and in succession.

Bells were hung above every den and warren, connected to a single rope for Fluttershy to gently pull and the ringing was able to wake up all the critters without upsetting them.

With that done, Rainbow and Thunder were at last able to start clearing the clouds, making way for the sunshine and before long, the snow and ice were all melting, leaking away and feeding into the lakes, rivers, and streams, all the while moistening the ground.

With the fields moistened and cleared, the teams were able to work better, even as they worked into the night, making sure all the seeds were planted, and the next morning the weather team led home the southern birds, who all settled into the nests that had been prepared for them.

From a vantage point, Twilight sighed as she looked at the fruits of everypony’s labors. The birds were singing, the critters playing, the bees buzzing, everything was as it should be.

“I can’t believe it!”

She turned to see it was, “Mayor Mare!”

“Spring is here, on time!” Mayor Mare stated, everypony else gathering as she said, “And we have you to thank for it, Twilight. If it weren’t for your organization skills we would all be still arguing!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed, spurring a laugh from everypony.

“It was a team effort,” Twilight said modestly.

“And since you helped every team we have an official vest for you,” stated Mayor Mare.

Rarity approached, levitating a new vest as she placed it upon Twilight, Mayor Mare declaring, “We give you the title ‘All-Team Organizer’.”

Twilight marveled at the vest, green on the chest, blue on the back, hemmed in brown, the colors of the three teams.
“Gosh, I don’t even know what to say! Thank you, everypony!”

“I hereby declare that winter is wrapped up on time!” Mayor Mare proudly announced, much to everypony’s cheers.

From the crowd, Midnight looked on, happy for Twilight but still feeling ashamed of how his blunder caused so much trouble. But what really bothered him was the visions he’d been getting.
Do I… have the power to foresee the future? he wondered.

Only time would tell.

Author's Note

I hope this makes up for the sloppy job I did with the prior chapter.

Midnight is technically seeing the future but it's really the seal on his memories of the original story.

I always loved "Bedknobs & Broomsticks" when I was little and thought adding the spell Substitutiary Locomotion would be an excellent nod to it.

26. Suited for Success - Part 1

As the sun reached its zenith for the hour of noon, Midnight was walking with his friend and teacher, Twilight Sparkle, to Carousel Boutique.
“So, why exactly do you need to see Rarity?”

“Oh, I’m hoping she can take some time from her busy schedule to do me a favor,” Twilight said, nudging the saddlebag she wore.
“I have a dress with a bad button I hope she’ll repair. I’m wearing it for the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“That’s getting to be just around the corner,” Midnight recalled. “I wonder if Rarity has any suits for stallions, I really don’t have anything to wear.”

“Well, I’m sure she can help you out,” Twilight assured, “here we are.”

Carousel Boutique, where everything was chic, unique, and magnifique, as Rarity advertised her store, which doubled as her home. Midnight knocked on the door but when no one answered, he said, “Do you think she’s home?”

“She should be, these are her business hours,” Twilight answered, nodding him to go ahead and open the door.

He did so and called out, “Hello, Rarity! Are you here?”

“Shh!”

Twilight pointed towards the seamstress, obviously at work, her eyes furrowed as Twilight whispered, “Can’t you see she’s trying to concentrate?”

Rarity was focusing her magic on some thread and needles, directing the stitch-work of her latest creation, Midnight whispering, “I wonder what she’s working on…”

“Looks like a dress,” Twilight observed.

“Well, duh!” Midnight sighed, “I mean, what’s it for?”

Growling, Rarity turned to them, a smile betraying her shortening patience as she asked, “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Oh, so very sorry to trouble you, Rarity,” Twilight apologized as she pulled out a red garment from her bag.
“But I need a quick favor: Could you fix a button for me? It’s my dress for the Galloping Gala.”

The minute she heard that after seeing the garment, Rarity gasped, “Oh no-no-no! You can’t wear this… old thing. You need a glamorous new outfit for the Gala and I’ll make it for you. No problem at all, it would be my pleasure!”

“Oh that’s so kind of you to offer, Rarity, but it would be so much work!” Twilight politely declined, “This dress is fine.”

“Twilight Sparkle, I insist on making you a new dress.” Rarity said firmly, Twilight about to debate the matter when Rarity waved her hoof, “Not another word! I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Well… In that case, thank you for your generosity, Rarity,” Twilight smiled, “Knowing your handiwork, I know it will be absolutely beautiful!”

Then Rarity gave Midnight a once-over, asking, “And you, ol’ chap? What are you wearing to the Gala?”

“Well… I don’t exactly have anything,” Midnight admitted, “I suppose I could just put on a bowtie and hat-”

“Ah-ah-ah! You cannot be serious, Midnight,” Rarity chuckled, “A bowtie and hat? So bland and simple, I insist on making a suit for you.”

“Well if you’re certain…” Midnight hesitated, “Just… don’t make it… frilly.”

Before Rarity could respond, they all heard a “Look out below!” from outside, and in crashed a certain rainbow-maned pegasus, who landed in Rarity’s mannequins.
“Oops, sorry, new trick. Didn’t quite work out.”

“Hmm,” Rarity regarded the interloper before gasping, “I-DEA!!! I’ll make you an outfit for the Gala too, Rainbow Dash!”

“A… what for the what, now?” Rainbow was stumped.

“Oh, I’ll make gowns for you, and you, and the rest of the girls, and suits for the gents too, ooh!” Rarity was getting giddy.
“And when I’m done, we can hold our very own fashion-show!”

“What a great idea!” Twilight agreed, but added with a raised brow, “If you’re certain you can handle it.”

“Oh it’ll be a little bit of work,” Rarity waved it off as she levitated out rolls of fabrics, “but it will be a wonderful boost for my business. Plus, fun!”

“Ooh! I’m into fun,” Rainbow was starting to want a piece of the action.

“Then it’s settled,” Rarity agreed, “A fashion-show, starring… us!”

“Uh, no offense, ladies.”

Everypony turned to Midnight, “But I’m not the kind of guy to show off, and while I’m certain Big Mac and Thunderlane will appreciate the suits you’ll make for them, Rarity, I don’t think they wanna show themselves off either.”

“Well… I was hoping to show off some work for stallions,” Rarity drew out the comment, making Midnight feel increasingly guilty.

The number of raised eye brows slowly increased to the point where Midnight just had to teleport out of there!

“Phew!” Midnight was relieved to be out of that though he hoped Rarity or the others wouldn’t take it personally. He had teleported out to the park but decided he needed some male advice.
“I wonder what the guys will have to say.”

“Rarity’s making us suits for the Gala?” Thunderlane was stoked. “She’s so generous! We’re lucky to have such a great friend.”
“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed.

The three of them were sitting at a table at the local pizza parlor, Pepper Pony’s, enjoying a mozzarella pizza, topped with sun-dried tomatoes and breadsticks with marinara dipping sauce.
“Well, she is the Element of Generosity,” Midnight reminded them as he bit into a slice.

“I kinda wish I could bring a date to the Gala,” said Thunderlane. “Though I wonder if one of the girls would…”

“Ah’m just gonna help AJ with her apple-stand,” Big Mac stated, “Celestia knows we could use some extra cash for th’ farm.”

“I just plan to have a nice evening,” Midnight added, “though I have to say, I am looking forward to the suits Rarity’s gonna make for us! Although, I hope she doesn’t take it personally when we decline being a part of her fashion-show.”

“Not my style,” Thunderlane shook his head, Big Mac agreeing, “Nnope.”

“I just hope Rarity doesn’t get overworked,” Midnight brought up, “I mean, she’s making dresses for six ponies, including herself, not to mention the suits she’s making for us. That’s nine outfits altogether!”

“Oh I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Thunderlane waved off his concern, “I’ve seen that mare tackle bigger goals than nine outfits!”

A few days later, the boys were called to the boutique, where they noticed Rarity looked a little bedraggled.
“Come in, come in, gentlecolts!” she invited them before leading them up to her bedroom door. “Now close your eyes and follow me.”

The guys all just shrugged and did as she asked, following the sound of her voice as she led them into her room.
“Alright, now open them!”

Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane opened their eyes and gasped at what they saw before them.

“Behold, gentlecolts, your new suits!” Rarity declared.

She stood next to the first one, a large earth-brown western-styled suit with green apple-colored accents, a leather-brown saddle, crimson batwing chaps, a fedora, and a bolo tie with an apple-shaped ornament.
“This one’s yours, Big Macintosh! Very rootin’-tootin’, wouldn’t you agree?”

She then stood next to a dark blue single-breasted suit, much like a blazer, with sapphire-blue lapel, a silver undershirt, coat-tails, star-shaped cufflinks, moon emblems on the lapel and buttons, and a silver-accented black bowtie.
“Oh, what do you think, Midnight? I shudder at just how handsome I envision you in this!”

Then she was next to what could only be Thunderlane’s suit. It was stormy-gray with sky-blue lapel, an electric-yellow tie, cloud-white hems, holes for his wings to fit through so he wouldn’t have to wear the suit over them, and a lightning symbols embroidered onto the collar, an overall likening to a pilot’s outfit.
“And Thunderlane, it took me some real brainstorming to determine the right color-scheme, but I think I got it in the end, don’t you?”

She turned to them, saying, “So gentlecolts, what do you think? Are they not stunning?”

The boys could see a hopeful glint in her eyes but they could honestly say…
“AWESOME!”

They each went beside their own suit for a closer look, Midnight saying, “Rarity! You are a visionary!”
“A real artist!” Thunderlane added, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup!”

"These suits are incredible!" Midnight stated, "Thanks so much!"

“Oh thank Faust…”

They looked and were worried to see Rarity had collapsed and looked exhausted, Midnight hurrying over, asking, “Rarity! Are you alright?”

“Oh nothing to worry about, dear,” she brushed off his concern as she stood up, squinting her eyes.
“A cup of tea and I’ll be right as rain.”

“Rarity, you… don’t look well,” Thunderlane commented in concern, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup!”

“Rarity, was this project more than you could handle? Be honest,” Midnight insisted.

“Well…” Rarity hesitated before admitting, “It’s the girls. I made a wonderful dress for each of them, but they weren’t... satisfied with the results.”

“WHAT?!” Midnight gaped at her, and said, “Well, what didn’t they like about- Y’know what? Show us the dresses you made for them.”

Rarity sighed and soon brought out the original ensembles she made for the girls and the boys were all blown away. Big Mac really liked the dresses Rarity made for his sister and Fluttershy, Midnight was speechless at the gorgeous stars on the dress Rarity made for Twilight, and Thunderlane thought the dresses for Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were just perfect for the athletic pegasus and party pony.

“How could they not like these dresses?!” Midnight was cross, as were Mac and Thunder. “You go to the trouble to make these amazing gowns for them and they have the gall to say they’re not good enough for them?!”

“I can’t believe they don’t appreciate the gesture you did them,” Thunderlane agreed.

“Ah’m gonna have a few choice words t’ say t’ Applejack,” Big Mac stated when Rarity said, “NO! Please, boys, it’s… alright! After all, the customer is always right, and all that. I gave you all my word you would each receive an outfit you yourselves deemed perfect! And while I am thankful you are satisfied with your suits, I simply must keep true to my word. So, please! Don’t bring up the issue with the girls, promise me!”

Though it went against their common senses, the boys could see Rarity desperately needed them to promise, and so they sighed.
“Alright, Rarity… we won’t say anything.”
“Not a word about the dresses,” Thunderlane added, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup.”

“Oh thank you,” Rarity sighed in relief before clearing her throat. “Now, feel free to take your suits but I must get back to work, tight schedule an’ whatnot.”

Rarity placed each suit in a package and gave them to their recipients, and shooed them out. As the guys walked away, Midnight fumed, “I cannot believe this, the girls receive exclusive original dresses, so well made, and they don’t think they’re good enough, and totally disregard Rarity’s generosity. She didn’t have to make them those dresses in the first place.”

“But we gave our word, haystack,” Big Mac reminded him. “We promised not t’ say anything t’ th’ girls about the dresses.”

After a brief moment of consideration, Midnight’s raised brow told them he had an idea.
“That’s true, Mac, we said we wouldn’t say a thing about the dresses although… we didn’t say we wouldn’t say anything about our suits.”

“Whattya have in mind?” Thunderlane asked.

“Huddle up, boys,” Midnight invited them and started whispering.

Author's Note

This is one of the episodes where I was appalled by the characters and impressed by Rarity, by her commitment to satisfying the patronage

BTW, I wasn't really sure of how to describe the suits so if anyone has better ideas, i'm all ears.

27. Suited for Success - Part 2

At the library, Midnight was listening to Twilight’s latest lecture when he deliberately made a show of not paying attention. Twilight noticed and shot a piece of chalk at him, only for the chalk to turn to dust before it was an inch from Midnight’s face. He’d become too familiar with her tricks.
“Midnight! I believe I was in the middle of a lecture…?”

“Oh sorry, Twilight,” Midnight said spuriously, “I was just reminiscing of the amazing suit Rarity made for me! It was perfect, I couldn’t have asked for anything more, and I didn’t even have to! After all, Rarity was sooooo generous to make the suit for me, don’t you agree?”

“Yes, I’m glad you’re satisfied with your outfit,” Twilight said in a tone that implied her patience being tested, “but I would like for us to get back to our lesson.”

“I mean, how generous can somepony be?” Midnight was ignoring her. “to go through all that trouble, taking time from her busy schedule and her own projects, Rarity is such a good friend, and I was honored with the suit she presented to me.”

Twilight suddenly looked uncomfortable, and Midnight smirked to himself.
Bull’s eye!

Meanwhile, Big Mac found Applejack and Fluttershy at the henhouse where Fluttershy was doing some animal care to make sure the new chicks were healthy.

“So whattya think, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked when it appeared Fluttershy was done.

“All the little chicks, I am happy to say, have earned a clean bill of health, Applejack,” Fluttershy reported with a smile.

“Tha’s dandy, `Shy!” Applejack smiled thankfully.

“Eeyup, an’ y’know what else is dandy?” Big Mac spoke up, earning their attention, “Th’ nice new duds Miss Rarity made fer me.”

“Ah take it she made you just what y’wanted, Mac?” Applejack asked.

“Ah din’t ask fer nuthin’,” Big Mac corrected, “Miss Rarity was just kind n’ generous enough t’ give this ol’ workhorse a nice sumpin’ t’ wear t’ th’ Gala! Don’cha think she’s a sweet mare t’ make me a nice outfit just t’ be nice? Ah mean, only a real pile a’ horseapples wouldn’ `ppreciate such a mighty fine gesture.”

Big Mac discreetly noticed his sister and her friend looking squeamish, and walked away with a smirk.

Thunderlane found Rainbow Dash at Sugarcube Corner, making him sigh.
This is perfect, both my targets in the same place!

In he walked and saw Pinkie just serving a few doughnuts to Dash, who said, “Thanks, Pinkie! That workout made me work up a real appetite!”

“Not at all, Dashie!” Pinkie giggled, “Aren’t you as excited as I am for our dresses?! I can’t wait to see how they turn out!”

“You should see how my outfit turned out,” Thunderlane approached them, Pinkie asking, “Oh Thundy! Did Rarity make you a suit just as you wanted?”

“Oh she made me a suit, alright…” Thunderlane pasued before bursting, “A totally AWESOME suit! It was sooo cool, and she knew exactly what I would like, I didn’t have to ask her to include any details, I couldn’t have asked for anything better than what she gave me!”

“That’s great, Thunder,” Rainbow Dash smiled, “though I bet it will only be about twenty percent as cool as the outfit Rarity makes for me!”

“Yeah-yeah, sure,” Thunderlane dismissed her words before getting into it again. “But really, girls? Rarity is such a great gal, making us these outfits, not asking for anything in return, all because she’s our friend!”

He turned to leave but couldn’t resist adding, “You’d have to be real jerk to take advantage of that kind of generosity!”

Thunderlane didn’t need to look to know that Rainbow and Pinkie were looking kind of guilty, so guilty Rainbow had lost her appetite.

The guys met up at the pizza parlor, where they discussed their actions.
“I think I was able to get the message through to Twilight without breaking our word.”
“Me too, what I said is sure to make Dash and Pinks feel like jerks.”
“And mah words to AJ and Miss Fluttershy certainly hit homebase.”

“Well, let’s hope they reconsider the way they’ve been acting,” Midnight said as he reached to take a sip of his soda. But before he could take the straw in his lips, he gasped!

”Rarity? You okay in there?” Pinkie asked, knocking on Rarity’s bedroom door, the girls behind her all looking concerned.
You haven’t come out for days!”

“I’m never coming out!” Rarity sounded upset and heartbreakingly down. “I can never show my face in Ponyville ever again! I used to be somepony, I used to be respected! I made dresses, beautiful, beautiful dresses! But now everypony is laughing at me, I’m nothing but a laughingstock!”

The girls winced as they heard her sob when Twilight insisted, “You’re not a laughing stock, Rarity!”

“She kinda is,” Rainbow Dash quipped, earning a hush from Twilight.

“Please come out and talk to us!”

“Leave me alone!!” Rarity sobbed, in one-hundred percent drama-queen mode, “I want to be alone… I want to wallow in… whatever it is that ponies are supposed to wallow in! Do ponies wallow in pity? Oh listen to me, I don’t even know what I’m supposed to wallow in! I’M SO PATHETIC…!!!”

“Now whaddo we do?” Twilight wondered aloud.

“Uh, panic?” Fluttershy meekly offered.
“That’s your answer for everything!” Rainbow snapped.

“Well we cain’t jus’ leave Rarity here like this,” Applejack insisted.
“She’ll wind up a crazy cat lady!” Pinkie added.

“She only has one cat,” Twilight reminded her in deadpan.

“Give her time,” Pinkie maintained.

…Haystack… HAYSTACK!!!”

“YOW!”

Midnight fell off his seat and onto his back on the floor, Big Mac and Thunderlane looking at him in concern.
“Midnight, y’alright? Ya kinda looked like you were lookin’ a thousand miles away.”

“Uh… maybe we should attend the fashion show,” Midnight had a bad feeling that it wasn’t gonna turn out well.

Night fell and many ponies had turned out for the show. A stage and walkway had been set up right in front of the boutique. Midnight made sure to stand in front, right before the walkway, wanting to make sure nothing went wrong when Thunderlane showed up looking worried.

“What’s up, Thunder?”

“Bad news,” Thunderlane reported, “Spike told me that he mentioned the fashion show to a bigwig fashion critic named Hoity-Toity!”

“Hoity-Toity…” Midnight was certain he’d heard that name before when he noticed Rarity peering from the curtains and saw something in the audience that appeared to give her reason to be wary.

Following her line of sight, Midnight saw who could only be Hoity-Toity approaching the walkway. He was an earth pony with a blue-gray coat, silvery blue/gray mane in an elaborate manestyle, as was his tail, he wore shades over his eyes, a fancy-looking dress collar, and his cutie-mark was a paper fan. He looked very effeminate but walked with a sense of undeserved accomplishment.

He approached Midnight and Thunderlane and seemed to wait a moment before his brow raised. Midnight realized what he wanted and sighed in irritation as he stepped out of the way, Thunderlane doing so as well, so Hoity-Toity could approach the walkway. He then clapped his hooves and somepony brought a cushion for him to sit on and getting his muzzle sat on when Hoity-Toity didn't even wait for him to move.

Midnight looked to the curtains and saw Rarity was beginning to hyperventilate.
Whaddoo I do? Do I stop the show?! Or let it play out? What if I just wind up making things worse?!

The lights dimmed and he heard Rarity yelp before she pulled her head back into the curtains. Bold music got started and everypony heard the announcer, Spike, say, “Since the beginning of time, the elite of Equestria have longed for pony fashions that truly expressed the essence of their very souls. Patiently waiting decades – no, centuries – for the perfect pony gown. Today, at long last, Equestria, your wait is over! Let’s hear it for the breathtaking designs of Ponyville’s own Rarity!”

Midnight suddenly felt a bad feeling and, judging by Rarity’s earlier behavior, he had to act! He cast a spell, knocking out the lights, another to conjure a zipper that closed the curtains, preventing the fashion models from coming out, and teleported onstage, everypony starting to grumble and demand an explanation.

Ignoring the girls from the curtains behind him, Midnight looked to Spike, who was giving him the stink-eye, but telekinetically took his microphone and levitated it to himself.

“Fillies & gentlecolts, my deepest apologies!” he spoke into it, reaching all ears. “But due to some… oversights regarding tonight’s models, I am sorry to say the show must be postponed until tomorrow night. Again I apologize and hope you will attend the show once all matters have been resolved, thank you.”

Everypony grumbled and the crowd started to disperse, Midnight sighing, hoping he’d done the right thing when he felt something yank him backstage, and he found himself facing five angry mares.
“Midnight! Why in the name of Celestia did you interrupt the fashion show?!” Twilight demanded.
“Ya better have a good explanation if y’ wanna keep yer apples between yer legs!” Applejack warned, and instantly Midnight crossed his rear-legs, looking nervous.
“I was looking forward to showing off how cool I look!” griped Rainbow Dash.
“That was just mean!” Pinkie added.
“Forgive me, Midnight, but that was rude,” Fluttershy scolded.

Midnight looked to Rarity and she looked unsure of what to say, when Big Mac and Thunderlane both turned up.
“Wha’s goin’ on back here?” Big Mac asked.

“Midnight stopped the show!” Twilight explained, Rainbow saying, “And Rarity’s so upset she’s speechless!”

“I’m not upset…”

Everypony looked to Rarity as she went over to Midnight and hugged him, saying, “Thank you.”

“Rarity?!” Twilight was flabbergasted, as were the other girls. “Midnight just stopped the show, how can you be thanking him?”

Midnight and the guys were suddenly gaping at the girls as Midnight commented, “Maybe it has to do with what you’re all wearing.”

“Come again?” Applejack looked ready to applebuck somepony’s fruits off.

“Uh, girls? No offense but…” Thunderlane didn’t quite know how to put it lightly so he was blunt.
“Those outfits are just wrong!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed with a solemn nod.

“What’re you talking about?!” Rainbow Dash demanded, “We look… awesome!”
“And Rarity worked so hard on these!” Pinkie added.

“Rarity?” Midnight looked to her, “I don’t wanna break my promise to you, but if you don’t say anything I will.”

“Say what?!” Twilight demanded, Rarity just couldn’t come out so Midnight took a deep breath.

“Girls…” Midnight stepped up. “I’m being honest here when I say… Twilight, you look like a supernova gone wrong, Applejack, you look like a rodeo-clown, Rainbow, you look like a rainbow-colored crash-test dummy, Pinkie, you look like you got barfed on by a party store, and Fluttershy, you look like a dying flower garden turning into a compost pile.”

The girls were all dumbstruck by Midnight’s words but before they could retort, Rarity spoke up, “He’s absolutely right, girls! I hate those dresses, I’m ashamed that I made them!"

Now the girls looked at each other and were finally realizing how ridiculous they looked. Rainbow, Fluttershy, and AJ removed the headpieces they wore, Twilight and Pinkie took off the tail accessories, and they slipped out of the dresses entirely.
“I… can understand why you’d be embarrassed to show these off,” Twilight said sadly.

“Please forgive me, girls,” Rarity apologized, “I was trying to satisfy you all with just the dresses you wanted but-”

“Nah, Rarity, it’s our fault,” Applejack spoke up. “Y’wanted to make us nice dresses and were just tryin’ t’ be a good friend and…”

“Girls,” Thunderlane spoke, “didn’t you catch our hints earlier today?”
“We din’t say nuthin’ cuz’ Miss Rarity asked us not to,” Big Mac added.
“Well, nothing about the dresses that is,” Midnight amended, “But we mentioned to you all how generous Rarity was to go through all this trouble to make us outfits, and she didn’t even have to do that! She was just being a good friend.”

“And we had the nerve to turn down the amazing dresses she originally made for us” Twilight realized shamefully, “and took advantage of her generosity.”

“With these as the results,” Rainbow Dash muttered apologetically, kicking at her dress.

“Wer’ mighty sorry, Sugarcube,” Applejack offered.
“I was too judgmental in the design,” Fluttershy added shamefully.
“We were meanies to turn down the dresses you made,” Pinkie cried.

“It’s alright, girls,” Rarity felt a great weight lift from her shoulders, “I’m just glad you all understand.”

“Y’know…” Midnight spoke up, “If you still have those original dresses, maybe the girls would like some men’s opinions.”

The girls all perked up and smiled hopefully at Rarity.
“Why of course I still have them! And I can’t wait to see you all in them.”

“And I have an idea of how we can show you our thanks and apologies,” Twilight said while looking at the girls.

The girls all started talking and laughing, while the boys smiled at each other and bro-hoofed.

Midnight was relieved, and glad that things seemed to be turning out for the better. He looked at these ponies and smiled at how plain it was to see the friendship they all shared. They weren’t just friends. They were a family, and he couldn’t ask for a better one. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind.
“Oh girls, everypony?”

They all looked at him as he reminded them, “The fashion show isn’t cancelled, remember? I postponed it for tomorrow night!”

“Then we’d better make sure we’re ready,” Rarity said with a determined smile that the girls mirrored with nods.

“And… I think I speak for the guys when I say,” Thunderlane added, “we wanna piece of that action!”

“Eeyup!”

The next day, Hoity-Toity was standing in front of a stage inside the boutique, tapping his hoof as he said, “Take Two!”

Spike closed the curtains so the daylight wouldn’t ruin the effect and Rarity began the show, a light intensifying from her horn before she released a nova-effect of blue and white stars that cleared to reveal Twilight posing in a blue star-themed gown with an outer space background that shimmered with stars.

“Hello…!” Hoity-Toity’s interests had been piqued as Twilight spun her gown, the room being plunged into darkness.

At first, it was pitch black when slowly but surely a silvery-white moon appeared, first as a crescent that waxed into a full moon, then waned to reveal Midnight in his dark blue suit with its own stars, as well as moons a background of a crescent moon brightening the night sky behind him as he posed as well with relaxed smile.

“Ah, eldritch!” Hoity-Toity commented.

But then a bright sun blinded him and midnight was gone. In his place appeared an apple orchard, a bright shiny red apple getting lassoed and whipped as Applejack twirled it away and she posed in her green and brown ensemble, her tail braided, her front legs crossed.

“Simply magnificent!” Hoity-Toity awed.

Then there was a rumble as a meadow appeared and out galloped Big Macintosh in his suit, before he spun `round and applebucked a tree that rained apples as he posed in his own humble way.

“And now I suddenly have a craving for…” Hoity-Toity muttered as he droned, “Dutch apple pie, candied apples on a stick, apple turnovers, apple cobbler…”

But then a light purple and pink mist clouded up the stage, before they were actual clouds that rained sweets, some of which alighted themselves onto Pinkie Pie, who caught a gumdrop and happily ate it before smiling as she posed in her dress, which had a candy-store theme to it.

“Brilliant!” Hoity-Toity cheered but gasped at the sound of thunder and flashes of red, green, blue, and yellow, the same colors as the lightning bolts when a stormcloud appeared and colored rays of light pierced its thickness, an array of colors shining before revealing Rainbow Dash who posed in her rainbow-colored gown, hemmed with cloud-like material, her forehooves in golden sandles, and she wore golden laurels in her mane

“Oh spectacular!” Hoity Toity cheered.

Suddenly, the clouds all suddenly swirled, forming a hurricane-like formation, as lightning struck, almost forming an electric cage, when a bolt struck the center and there was Thunderlane in his suit, posing with a cocky smile.

“Oh, so bold!”

Then he gaped to see vines rise up, flowers blooming and petals falling, and from the fluorescent shower appeared Fluttershy, looking meek but hopeful as she was garbed in a trailing green gown with butterfly accessories.

“What a fashion show! These dresses, these suits, all truly amazing!” Hoity-Toity clapped before demanding, “Who is responsible? Step forward, show yourself!”

He was blinded for a moment and there was Rarity, garbed in her own dress. It was what the girls had worked on, to both thank and apologize to Rarity. It was an amazing ball-gown, pink, magenta, purple, yellow, jewels sewn in just the right places, and a radiant tiara rested upon her head.

“Brava! Brava!” Hoity-Toity cheered and clapped. “Magnifico! Encore!”

“Oh thank you, thank you” Rarity was so happy, that Hoity-Toity liked her designs, happy with the dress her friends worked together to make for her, that her show had been a success and not a disaster.
“Thank you all so much!”

Once the excitement settled, everypony started complimenting and discussing each other’s ensemble while Twilight and Midnight did the new friendship report.
“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight began. “This week, my very talented friend Rarity learned, that if you try to please everypony you oftentimes wind up pleasing nopony, especially yourself.”

“And I think some certain mares learned,” Midnight interrupted, “that when somepony offers to do you a favor, like making for you an amazing ensemble, you shouldn’t be so critical with something generously given to you.”

“In other words,” Twilight gave him a good-natured stink-eye, “you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

Spike finished the letter and sent it on its way as its ashes zoomed out the window, Hoity-Toity approaching the fashionista.
“Rarity, my congratulations to you on a most impressive fashion debut! Would you do me the great honor of allowing me to feature your couture in my Best of the Best Boutique in Canterlot?”

Rarity gasped at such an opportunity but then Hoity-Toity added, “Now, I’ll need for you to make a dozen of each dress and suit by next Tuesday.”

A thump on the floor earned everypony’s attention as they Hoity-Toity looking confused at the fainted Rarity.
“Was it something I said?”

Everypony just laughed.

Author's Note

I like the blatant descriptions Midnight gave the bad dresses LOL

28. Feeling Pinkie Keen - Part 1

It was another fine day in Ponyville, and Twilight was with her student and Number One Assistant, the three of them working on a new spell. Spike posed, with a rock on his head, some leaves around his neck, and holding a stick. Twilight grunted, her horn shining, as she cast a spell, turning the leaves into a nice little tuxedo jacket for Spike, complete with a red bowtie.

Midnight clapped his hooves before saying, “My turn!”

He concentrated, his horn shining, but his spell worked much faster, transforming Spike’s stick into a fancy cane. Midnight beamed proudly, the spell was to turn an object into something else in accordance to another’s wishes, but the difficulty meant the recipient had to concentrate upon the desired object while the caster supplied the magic and was essentially going in blind to transform an object. In other words, both parties had to give the spell total concentration, distraction from either would mess the spell up.

Spike smiled as he looked at it and his new tux, Twilight saying, “Eyes over here, Spike!”

“Uh, sorry.”

Spike resumed his pose as Twilight reminded, “For this to work, it’s crucial we keep our concentration-”

Twilight’s spell managed to turn the rock on Spike’s head into a silk top hat… for a few seconds when Spike heard something, and the hat resumed its original rocky form and fell painfully on his head, and the magic quickly wore off of the tux and cane both of which also reverted to their original forms, Midnight sighing.

“Spike! This magic needs our full attention to make it happen!” Twilight snapped. “There’s no other way.”

“I can’t help it,” Spike then pointed, “Look!”

They all looked and saw a very familiar pink face, as she poked her head out from behind a (rather thin tree, which begged the question how she could hide behind it at all), wearing a rainbow-colored umbrella hat, as she looked warily up to the sky. She quickly jumped over to hide in a nearby bush, slid under a raised platform porch, and somehow slipped under a boulder, all the while keeping an eye on the sky.

“Heh-heh, oh it’s just Pinkie being Pinkie,” Midnight chuckled.

Puzzled, Spike scratched his head as he debated, “Super-extra Pinkie today!”

Pinkie tip-toed out when her tail started twitching, much to her concern as she considered, “Hmm…Twitchy, twitcha-twitcha-twitch.”

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight and the boys walked up to her, “What in the wide-wide world of Equestria are you up to?”

“Oh, it’s my tail, my tail! Its’a twitcha-twitchin’, and you know what that means!”

“Actually, Pinkie, I haven’t the slightest idea,” Twilight admitted.

“The twitchin’ means my Pinkie Sense is telling me stuff’s gonna start falling!” Pinkei elaborated, “You should all be ducking for cover!”

“What’re you talking?” Midnight asked, “There’s hardly a cloud in the-”

He looked up, only to feel something wet and slimy and green fall onto his face, much to everypony’s surprise.
*Ribbit*

“He just said ‘nice catch’ in frog,” Pinkie informed the blue unicorn and he narrowed his eyes at the little amphibian invading his personal space as it ribbited again.

“Oh, I’m so-so sorry!”

They all looked up and saw Fluttershy flying while pulling a tiny wagon filled to the brim with frogs, that she was carrying saddlebags and a basket to carry the rest, including one on her head.
“Are you alright, Midnight? I just couldn’t stand to see the pond getting crowded, what with the frogs hopping into each other an’ all? So I decided to take as many as I can to a new home at Froggy Bottom Bog.”

“I see…” Midnight muttered as he felt the frog crawl on top of his head.

“Bye-bye!” Fluttershy then continued on her way while Pinkie, Twilight, and Spike looked at the frog on the annoyed Midnight's head.

“Uh, Midnight? Ya gotta little something on your face there.” Pinkie pointed.

“You don’t say,” Midnight muttered dryly.
“Did your ‘Pinkie Sense’ tell you that too?” smirked Twilight.

“Nah, I can just see it,” she then trotted away, singing, “La la la la la la la!”

The frog then hopped off of Midnight’s head, Twilight saying, “Come on, boys, let’s find a quieter place to continue our session.”

“Wow, that was amazing!” Spike stated, “Pinkie Pie predicted something would fall, and it did!”

“Oh come on,” Twilight said in a blasé tone, “she said something would fall and a frog just happened to fall a little after she said so, a coincidence! Nothing else to it.”

"Oh come on, Twilight,” Midnight chuckled, “You can’t honestly-”

“My tail, my tail!”

Pinkie was back, her tail going, “Twitcha-twitch, twitcha-twitch! Something else is gonna fall!”

Spike was already scanning the sky but Twilight scoffed and kept walking, “Oh Pinkie please! Nothing else is gonna fa-AUGH”

Midnight, Spike, and Pinkie looked to see Twilight had fallen into a ditch.

“Well, whattya know?” Midnight was honestly impressed.
“Is it safe to go help her?” Spike gave Pinkie a hesitant look.

“It’s okay, my tail stopped twitching,” Pinkie assured before throwing away her umbrella hat and trotting off merrily.

As Twilight stood up, feeling the ache go away, Spike and Midnight leaned from the ledge, Spike laughing, “Ha-ha! That was amazing!”

“Oh please!” Twilight muttered when they heard, “Uh, Miss Twilight?”

They looked to see Big Macintosh, giving them a curious look.
“Why ya hangin’ out in a ditch?”

“Because Pinkie Pie predicted it!” Spike answered as Twilight climbed out.

“Honestly, Spike, she did not," Twilight scoffed, "Two coincidences in a row like this may be unlikely but it’s still easier to believe than twitchy tails that predict the future.”

Mac gasped, “Twitchy tail?! Th' Pinkie Sense?!”

The big red farm pony bolted under a cart, a tad too big to fit under so his red rump stuck out like a sore fetlock. Midnight went over, saying, “Relax, bro, the prediction already came true.”

“Macintosh, don’t tell me you believe in this stuff too?” Twilight could not believe that the stoic, mature farmer could believe in such nonsense.

“Ah know it don’ make sense, Miss Twilight,” Big Mac replied as he pulled himself out from under the cart, Midnight holding it steady so it didn’t tip, “but those of us who’ve lived in Ponyville long enough eventually learned if Pinkie’s a’twitchin’ ya better listen.”

Suddenly, Pinkie popped out, her ears acting funny as she announced, “My ears are flapping, my ears are flapping!”

Spike shied fearfully, “What does that mean?!”

Pinkie looked to Twilight sympathetically, saying, “I’ll start a bath for you.”

Twilight couldn’t help but laugh at that, ignoring the boys backing away from her, “A bath?! This keeps getting more ridiculous than-”

She didn’t notice somepony gallop behind her and accidentally splash her from a nearby mud puddle. She plopped down, growling in frustration.

The boys enjoyed some pastries Pinkie gave them at Sugarcube Corner while she’d taken Twilight up to her apartment for her bath. As they ate, Midnight asked, “So this is for real? Pinkie can really predict the future cause her tail twitches or her ears flap?”

“Not only that,” Big Mac replied, “She gets all kind o' different feelin’s an' such that tell her different things are about t’ happen. This one time, she told me her back got itchy when she saw me, an’ tha' meant it was mah lucky day! An’ y’know what? It was! Ah was runnin’ an errand tha’ day and plum-fergot t’ pack muh lunch but then from outta nowhere, an apple pie landed on mah lap after Ah sat muh rump down t’ rest!”

“Wow, that is lucky!” Spike commented as he stuffed a cupcake into his mouth.

“Well I still don’t believe in this… special power stuff, it’s nothing but a lot of mumbo-jumbo”

They looked to see Twilight and Pinkie coming down the stairs, Pinkie responding, “What’s not to believe? You do magic, what’s the difference?”

“Huge!” Twilight went over and stood on the guys’ table, ignoring the looks they gave her as she cleared her throat. “Magic is something you study and practice. It only happens when you decide to do it, and it’s meant to make something specific that you choose to happen, happen! With you, Pinkie Pie, it makes no sense at all!”

“That’s so not true, Twilight,” Pinkie responded defensively before smiling, “Sometimes it’s a bunch of random things happening to my body at random times that supposedly predict the future. I call `em combos!”

“Combos?” Midnight echoed.

“Sure! Like, ears flap, then knee twitch, then eye flutter,” she went on with visual aids, “that means the sky is about to be graced with a beautiful rainbow!”

“Yeah, sure,” Twilight muttered as she started to take her leave.

“Uh-oh!”

They looked and saw Pinkie as she said, “I feel a combo coming on… Ear flap, eye flutter, knee twitch!”

Twilight gave her a look, only to feel a lot of pain as the door to Sugarcube Corner flew open, and in walked Carrot Cake, “Afternoon, everypony!”

As the baker went into the kitchen, everypony else looked to see Twilight, looking flattened and sticking to the door as it edged shut, and she slid off groaning. Midnight went over to check on her as he looked to Pinkie, “Didn’t you say that combo meant beautiful rainbows?”

“Oh no-no-no-no-no,” Pinkie shook her head, “You’re talking about ear flap, knee twitch, then eye flutter. This one was ear flap, then eye flutter, then knee twitch, that usually means ‘look out for opening doors’.”

“Confusing,” Midnight muttered as he helped Twilight up.

“I don’t believe this..." she groaned.

“You don’t believe it because you don’t understand it,” Pinkie corrected, making Twilight consider her words.

Later on, Midnight was reading what he thought was a really good book! Twilight had suggested it to him a few days ago, and he only got started last night, ‘Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone’.

“‘The mosquitoes buzzed loudly, the macaws cried from the high trees. Yet all of these distracting noises were not enough to cover the sound of the predators following her every step-’” Midnight read when he heard the door open and in walked Spike. “Oh hey, bud! All done with those errands?”

“Uh-huh! Mayor Mare was really glad to get those books she ordered and I also got this week's weather report,” Spike said when he looked around. “Where’s Twilight?”

“Downstairs in that crazy lab of hers,” Midnight answered, putting the book down. “It seems she trying to take a… scientific approach to understanding this Pinkie Sense stuff.”

“It is a mystery,” Spike agreed. “But I gotta ask, what do you think of the Pinkie Sense, Midnight?”

“I don’t think anything of it though I do admit it’s surprisingly reliable,” Midnight replied as he looked at a spellbook. “What bothers me is how vehement Twilight is in denial of it. Has she always been so... narrow-minded?”

“Twilight’s always been one for 'facts and logic',” Spike explained as he did that air-quote thing with his fingers.

“Surprising, for a pony who excels in magic,” Midnight muttered. “Y’know what? I’m gonna go talk to her.”

He headed down the stairs, and threw open the door. He saw Pinkie bounce past him and he asked, “Hey, Pinkie, have you seen Twilight?”

“Uh-huh,” she simply replied on her way out.

Then Midnight heard a groan and walked in, calling, “Twilight? You okay?”

“Ergh!”

He looked and his eyes popped to see Twilight in a familiar situation, given it had happened back at Sugarcube Corner, as she glared at him, “Did you two plan this?!

“Plan what?” Midnight asked, helping her down.

“Ergh, this can’t be happening, it makes no sense!” Twilight protested. “I have to figure this out!”

“Y’know what your problem is, Twi?” Midnight asked as he opened the door. “You’re so narrow-minded that refuse to consider that the impossible could very well be possible, even if it can’t be truly explained.”

“I will know Pinkie’s secret!” Twilight vowed at him, which he ignored with a shake of his head.

Author's Note

I would imagine Midnight's more open to the Pinkie Sense given what's been happening to him lately

29. Feeling Pinkie Keen - Part 2

Midnight met up with the boys at the pizza parlor, wondering if they’d have some advice.
“I really don’t know what to do,” Midnight sighed, “Twilight’s obsessing over the legitimacy of Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense is starting to scare me.”

“Well, when you’ve known her as long as we have, brony,” Thunderlane said as he took a swig of soda, “you just have to accept that Pinkie is just Pinkie.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded as he took a bite of their pizza. “Miss Pie is an enigma tha’ ain’t meant t’ be understood. Tha’s wha’ makes her special.”

“Hey big brother!”

The boys looked and saw the Cutie-Mark Crusaders run up to them, all six of them eyeing their pizza with drooling tongues, as Twinken asked, “Can we have some pizza, please, please, please!”

The guys all laughed at their younger siblings and their friends as they ordered another pizza for the colts n’ fillies to enjoy, they even got them sodas. As the kids drank, Apple Bloom asked, “Hey, d’any y’all know why Twilight’s followin’ Pinkie?”

“I think it has to do with the Pinkie Sense,” Thunderlane answered as he looked at the guys, all of them bearing knowing smirks.

“Well, I hope it was worth all those bee stings,” Rumble commented.

“Bee stings?!” echoed Midnight with concern.

“Yeah, we saw Twilight watching Pinkie from our classroom,” Button Mash spoke up, “Pinkie got an itchy nose and ran off before some bees showed up, and Twilight got stung a lot!”

“Ooh…” the guys all winced.

“Don’t worry,” Sweetie Belle waved off their concern. “Cheerilee had plenty of band-aids for her. We helped her out but we didn’t get any cutie-marks in first-aid.”

The guys couldn’t help but find some relief in that though they said nothing to discourage the kids.
“So… is Miss Twilight still followin’ Pinkie?” asked Big Mac.

“Last we saw, yeah,” Scootaloo replied with a big BURP, everypony laughing as they gave her kudos for impeccable execution.

Later on, Midnight was on his way back to the farm after making sure Twinken got back to the orphanage when he saw Applejack carrying a basket of apples.
“Yo AJ, where ya headed?”

“Takin’ some apples to th’ new apple-cellar,” Applejack explained when they heard someone shout, “TWITCHY TAIL!”

They looked ahead and saw Spike running their way, shouting, “Something’s gonna fall, run for lives!”

Before they could speak with him, Spike had run off hollering when they heard multiple crashing sounds and looked in the direction it came from. Heading over to investigate, they found Pinkie doing something with her tongue, Midnight asking, “Hey Pinkie! Did you hear some crash nearby?”

“Oh, just over those bushes,” Pinkie answered, “though I hope Twilight didn’t get hurt.”

“Whattya mean?” Applejack asked.

“Well, Twilight’s been secretly following me all day without me knowing,” Pinkie responded with a smile on her face.

“You mean you knew ALL ALONG?!”

They looked to see a bruised and battered Twilight march up to the pink pony, giving her a murderous glare, Applejack and Midnight grimacing at the sight of the purple unicorn who was more purple than usual, given those bruises.
“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“Silly,” Pinkie giggled, “that would’ve spoiled the secret!”

Twilight growled with a twitchy eye as Spike popped out from behind her tail, nervously asking. “Tail… still twitching?”

“All done! Clear skies from here on out as far as I can te-” Pinkie was saying when she suddenly started shivering, and no sooner did she did Midnight gasp!

“Is that a hydra?!” Pinkie screamed as she, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike gazed up at four serpentine heads that glared down at them hungrily.

“Who cares?! Run!!!” Applejack screamed and they all started running, the many-headed monster rampaging after them.

…Midnight! Midnight, snap out of it!”

Midnight shook his head and saw Pinkie was still shivering, as he asked, “What happened?! What-what?!”

“Dunno!” Pinkie replied in concern, “Never got one of these before, but whatever that shudder’s about it’s a doozy! Something you’d never expect to happen is gonna happen!”

Her whole body shuddered again before saying, “And it’s gonna happen… at Froggy Bottom Bog!”

“LET'S GO!” Midnight shouted, running off without waiting for the others. I hope whatever that was, whatever Pinkie’s sensing, it doesn’t end with one of my friends becoming a monster’s lunch!

As the five friends made their way into to the bog, Pinkie kept randomly shuddering, Twilight sniping, “Cold? Need a jacket or something?”

“For goodness sakes, Twilight!” Midnight snapped at her, “Fluttershy could be in real danger, and we don’t need any more of your skepticism!”

“Sheesh! What’s got your tail in a knot?” Twilight huffed, a little surprised at Midnight’s outburst.

“And besides, I’m fine,” Pinkie added before shuddering again.

“So… whattya think happened to Fluttershy?” Spike asked Applejack.

“Ah hope nuthin’,” she responded.

“I know, but… whattya think happened?” Spike pressed.

“Ah’m trying not t’ think about it,” she evaded the question.

“Me too… But I’m thinking about it anyway,” Spike worried, “Like, what if she exploded?!”

“Just exploded?” Applejack raised a brow.
“For no reason?" added Midnight, equally skeptical. Even he had his limits about possibility. And nonsense.

“Yeah, like… BOOM!” Spike threw out his arms.

“Whoa!” Pinkie agreed.

“I know…!”

“What if…!” Pinkie brought up, “What if she exploded, and-and then exploded again?!”

“Can you do that?!” Spike worried, “Can you explode twice?”

“O’ course not,” deadpanned Applejack as they carried on.

“But what if- She exploded, and then… exploded again, and-” Spike bantered until Twilight stepped on his tail.

“Would you two stop it?! I am sure she’s fine!”

“Ah hope yer right, for Fluttershy’s sake,” Applejack responded before yelling, “Look, there’s Froggy Bottom Bog!”

The place certainly lived up to its name, in both the local frog population and being a bog. It stank of peat moss and whatever else curdling beneath the murky waters, and the humidity didn’t help.
“Whoo!” Midnight huffed as he tried to fan away the stink from his nose. “I had no idea a bog could be so rank!”

“Fluttershy!” Applejack called, Pinkie and the others doing so as well, as they fanned out for their friend. Twilight walked up a tree, Applejack looked through a root, Midnight looked behind a rock, Pinkie checked beneath a lily pad when out of nowhere, a frog hopped onto it.

Spike looked past Pinkie and saw, “Fluttershy!”

He ran over and hugged her, saying, “You’re okay!”

“Of course,” Fluttershy replied, a little surprised as her friends all closed in.

“Phew, what’a relief,” Applejack sighed.

“I’m so glad everything’s alright!” Pinkie added when Twilight spoke up.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s not nice to gloat but-” She suddenly found her lips being zipped and she glared at Midnight who returned it with a smirk.

“Then don’t, because it really isn’t.”

Growling, Twilight unzipped her lips, as she stated, “Well, I told you all there was nothing to worry about! Pinkie Pie said that whatever she was shuddering about-”

Suddenly, they started coughing as some kind of green mist fogged around them but Twilight kept going, “-a doozy and” - *cough, cough* - “the only doozy here is how right I am!”

All the while she boasted, Twilight failed to notice something rising up behind her, Applejack whimpering, “Um, Twilight?”

“Pinkie’s made a lot of predictions today but-” Twilight coughed again, failing to notice more somethings rising up, her friends’ eyes all widening in terror.
“What is that smell?! But what we’ve seen here is there’s no point in believing you can’t see for yourself.”

Midnight went over to her and pointed her head up as he said, “Well, for once, Twilight, I agree with you!”

Twilight’s eyes followed four tree trunk-sized necks that led up to four serpentine heads, each glaring down hungrily with greedy eyes as Twilight said in dawning horror, “I see it… but I don’t believe it!”

The four-headed beast let out a horrifying roar, Midnight screaming, “IT'S A HYDRA! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"

The hydra wrested itself from the murky water as it pursued the five ponies and little dragon, all the while dodging the hydra’s attempts to snap them up in its four hungry jaws. They soon came towards a rise too steep to climb when Twilight directed them another way, saying, “Everypony up that hill!”

“HE-E-ELP!”

They looked back and saw Spike struggling to free himself of the thick boggy water, the hydra getting closer.
“Twilight, get Spike! I’ll distract the hydra!” Midnight yelled as he and Twilight ran to their little friend.

As Twilight freed Spike, Midnight shot up, levitating himself so he was almost eye-level with the hydra. Focusing his energies, his eyes glowed pure white as they narrowed, and he made a slashing movement with his hoof as he cast a spell with merciless intent. To the others’ shock, the four heads of the hydra fell and from their body and sank into the muddy water. Midnight floated down to his friends, sighing, “We’re safe.”

“No we’re not!” Twilight snapped at him, “Midnight, don’t you know what happens when a hydra loses one of its heads?!”

Suddenly, Midnight recalled the myths he’d grown up learning and enjoying, and remembered a particular fact about the hydra, renowned not for its physical might but for its power of regeneration. They heard something as Applejack whispered, “Tha’ duzen’t sound good…”

They gaped in horror as the hydra corpse stood itself up, the four severed stumps being stretched when, in a burst of slime and discarded skin, eight heads erupted from the body and were leering down at the six puny creatures before it.

“Definitely not GOOD!” Spike agreed as Twilight carried him while they all ran up the hill.

“I’m sorry!" hollered Midnight regretfully, "I was only-”

“If we survive this, we’ll forgive you, just keep running!” Twilight snapped.
“But why’s Pinkie still shuddering?” Spike pointed out.

Pinkie was indeed shuddering and oddly keeping up with the others when she came to a halt.
“Oh lookit that, it stopped. O-h-h-h, t-h-e-r-e i-t i-s a-g-a-i-n!”

They soon came to a cliff and the only way across was six precarious looking pillars of rock, and thundering footsteps behind them told them they had to move unless they wanted to become hydra food.
“He’ll be up here in no time!” Twilight realized, “Quick, one at a time, everypony cross!”

Peering over the edge, spike just had to ask the two unicorns in his current company, “Do either of you know how to turn a hydra into a mouse?”

“Can we do that?” Midnight asked hopefully.

“No,” Twilight responded, looking down the hill
“How bout a squirrel?”asked Midnight. “No!” “Howbout-” Spike tried to ask.
“No small rodents of any kind!” snapped Twilight.

“…What about a bird?” Midnight tried.
“JUST CROSS!!!” Twilight screamed.

Fluttershy went first, Twilight throwing Spike so he’d make it, but Twilight noticed their ever-approaching enemy.
“He’s too close! Midnight, make sure everypony gets across, I’ll buy you all some time!”

“Twilight!” Midnight called but she’d already taken off. Growling, he said, “Hurry girls!”

Taking Pinkie by the tail, Applejack made her way across, and once she’d cleared it, Midnight crossed as well. They all looked and saw Twilight was running back up the hill, the hydra in angry pursuit. But just as she neared the edge, she barely dodged another attack from the hydra by the skin of her teeth. The attack however widened the gap between the edge and the first stone pillar, which toppled the second, then the third, and the fourth, making jumping across a greater risk.

Everypony gasped while they hydra roared in pain of the bump on one of its heads, Pinkie quivering as she called, “T-T-Twilight! You have to jump!”

“I’ll never make it!” Twilight despaired.

“You’ll be fine!”

“No I won’t!” Twilight insisted but the hydra’s roars behind were starting to make her rethink.

“Twilight! It’s a leap of faith, you can do it!” Midnight called out to her.
“I-t-’-s y-o-u-r o-n-l-y h-o-p-e!” added Pinkie with a shudder.

Deciding she’d rather take her chances with the fall then the hydra, Twilight gulped nervously and backed up for a running start. The hydra noticed and went on the attack, as Twilight ran as hard as she could. Before she could reach the ledge, the hydra’s attack knocked the ground she stood upon into the air. Thinking quickly, Twilight leapt, sailing towards the pillar.

“SHE'S NOT GONNA MAKE IT!!” Spike screamed.
Midnight furrowed his eyes as he declared, “Oh yes she will!”

Putting everything he had into it, Midnight concentrated and imagined a pathway of light extending from the ledge he stood upon that reached out to catch Twilight, and that’s exactly what happened! From his hooves, a turquoise energy flared and extended, creating a platform of solidified light, Twilight landing on it. Not knowing nor caring where it had come from, Twilight ran and leaped in blind fear, right into Midnight’s forelegs, and held her close in relief, everypony cheering, glad they were all safe.

The hydra however grumbled, having been cheated of a meal as it stalked off, though one of the heads was not gracious enough to accept defeat as it spat a raspberry at the ponies and little dragon.

“I knew you could do it, Twilight!” Pinkie cheered.
“All it takes is a little faith,” Midnight sighed in relief.

“Well, I don’t know how it happened; coincidence, dumb luck, or what,” Twilight sighed as she looked to Pinkie, “But you said there’d be a doozy in Froggy Bottom Bog, and I’d say we had one hay of a doozy. I mean, that hydra-”

But she stopped when Pinkie shuddered again, Midnight asking, “What’s wrong, Pinkie?”

“That wasn’t it,” Pinkie deadpanned.

“What wasn’t?” Spike asked.

“Wha’ are you talkin’ about Pink?” Applejack demanded.

“The hydra wasn’t the doozy,” Pinkie replied in a bewildered tone, “I’m still getting the shudder! Oo-o-oh, oo-o-oh! See, there it is again! Whatever the doozy was at Froggy Bottom Bog, my Pinkie Sense says it still hasn't happened.”

“Wha- But I- WHAT?!” Twilight snapped as she got… dramatic. “The hydra wasn’t the doozy? How could it not be the doozy?! What could be more… doozier than that?!”

“Dunno, but it just wasn’t it,” Pinkie shrugged, Twilight’s eyes crying bloody murder, her teeth grinding, her ears blowing steam, when she jumped and her mane and tail burst into flames, her eyes angry red, everypony all gaping at her nervously as the flames died, her mane and tail and coat a tad scorched.

“I give up!” Twilight sighed in defeat.

“Give what up, Twi?” Midnight asked his teacher.

“The fight! I can’t fight it anymore…” Twilight said wearily, “I don’t understand, how, why, or what, but Pinkie Sense somehow… makes sense! I don’t see how it does, but it just does. You were right, Midnight… Just because I can’t understand something doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

“Y-y-you m-m-mean you b-b-believe?” Pinkie continued to shudder.

“Yup, I guess I do,” Twilight sighed.

Suddenly, Pinkie shuddered faster, before popping, inflating, stretching, twisting, and then she was back to normal (or whatever definition of ‘normal’ can be used in the case of Pinkie Pie). She gave herself a once-over before gasping, “That was it! That’s the doozy!”

“Huh?!” Midnight and Spike both said with open mouths and raised brows, Twilight saying, “What?”

“You believing, “Pinkie explained, “I never expected that to happen – That was the doozy, and, oh what a doozy of a doozy it was!”

She trotted past them merrily going, “La-la-la-la-la...”

Everypony had a deadpan expression as Midnight muttered, “There goes one of life’s many mysteries, fillies and gentlecolts.”

Everypony muttered in agreement before they all started laughing as they followed after Pinkie.

Later that day, Midnight sat with the boys at Pepper Pony’s and they’d even included Spike, who was munching on a slice of peppers and emeralds with extra cheese.
“Thanks for the pizza guys! I tell ya, running for your life from a hydra sure works up an appetite!”

“Amen to that!” Midnight chuckled as he held up a soda, gesturing the others to do the same. “I propose a toast, boys! To another lesson in friendship.”

“Hear, hear!”

They each took a swig before letting out large BURPS and BELCHES, laughing it off before Spike gasped, “Friendship? Lesson?! Augh! I need to see Twilight, she has a report to send! See ya guys!”

Midnight was about to call Spike back to get his pizza but shrugged, I’ll take it to him when I’m done here.

“Sounds like you all had quite an adventure,” Thunderlane brought up.
“An’ thanks fer protecting mah sister and th’ girls.” added Big Mac.

“I didn’t do much,” Midnight waved it off before sheepishly saying, “If anything, I doubled our troubles.”

“Well, everypony makes mistake, haystack,” Big Mac assured as he gave Midnight a hearty (and painful) backslap. “Jus’ think before ya act.”

“Thanks, guys, I’m gonna bring Spike his pizza,” Midnight stood up, levitating the pizza, “otherwise he’ll gripe about forgetting it.”

Midnight approached Golden Oak Library when out trotted Twilight and Pinkie, both of them wearing umbrella hats. They noticed him as he asked with a knowing smirk, “Twitchy tail?”

“Uh-huh,” Pinkie replied when her tail twitched, “There it goes again!”

“I wonder what’s gonna drop out of the sky this time,” Twilight commented.

“You never know,” Pinkie said with a giggle as she trotted off, Twilight following.

Midnight chuckled as he turned to head into the library when he heard something and looked up to see Spike, apparently about to send off another friendship report. But he noticed him stop as they both heard a descending whistle and from out of the sky dropped Princess Celestia, onto one of the library balconies, Spike gaping at her as he muttered in confusion, “Twitchy tail?”

The princess just smiled and took the report before flying off, Midnight couldn’t help but keel over in laughter of the look on Spike’s face as the little dragon gasped, “Holy guacamole!”

Author's Note

Spike's taste in pizza is actually a slight reference to "On a Cross and Arrow"

30. Best Young Flyers Competition - Part 1

A streak of dark gray and silvery-blue zoomed above Ponyville. It headed straight for a large cloud and encircled it, increasing in speed until it zoomed right up and came down, flying straight through the cloud. But instead of dispersing, the cloud, having been charged into a storm cloud by the high-velocity rotation, followed after the streak in a trail of electrical cloud not unlike that of the Wonderbolts!

Below on the ground, Midnight, Big Mac, Rumble, and Twinken were all cheering as they watched the performance.
“He’s really gonna clean up at that competition!” Midnight was amazed by the sight.
“Eeyup! Cain’t wait t’ see him wow `em all!”
“My big brother is the best flier ever!” Rumble cheered as he and Twinken did a hoof-bump.

Back in the air, the streak, or rather Thunderlane, was gearing up for the last phase of his routine. Flying straight up, the streaming thundercloud following after him, he went higher and higher until he judged he’d made the right altitude and spread his wings while facing downwards.

Below, they watched as the dark gray Pegasus was engulfed in the thundercloud as it streamed right into him but somehow being directed towards his wings. In no time at all, the guys were wowed by what they saw.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was flying in the sky on the other side of Ponyville, soaring upwards as she said, “Here we go, phase three: The Sonic Rainboom!”

Loop de’ looping around, she suddenly dove at a 45-degree angle, a raging circular outline appearing before her as she dove faster and faster.
“Come on…!” Rainbow urged herself, the velocity pushing her lips back, when the effect burst, she was just about to break the sound barrier itself!!

…When all of a sudden! There was a mighty crack of thunder, so powerful it disturbed Rainbow’s flight pattern and broke her concentration.

“Uh-oh!” Rainbow muttered right before she met a serious rebound and was sent hurtling through the sky!

“Last one,” Twilight sighed as she telekinetically placed a book in its proper place.

She turned around to face Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie as she said, “Thanks for all your help, guys – It was a crazy weekend of studying!”

“Do y’all hear sumpin’?” Applejack brought up and sure enough, they did! It sounded like a scream getting increasingly louder… coming from outside Twilight’s window.

*CRASH*

As the dust cleared, everypony groaned and found themselves buried in books, the sudden entrance of a certain rainbow-colored pegasus they knew, having caused the problem, as Fluttershy flew in, saying, “Hey Rainbow Dash, you rocked. Whoo-hoo!”

But then she realized what she was looking at and asked, “Oh my… Did my cheering do that?”

Rainbow stood up, saying, “Sorry about that, ladies, that was a truly feeble performance.”

“Oh it wasn’t all bad,” Fluttershy assured her, “I particularly liked it when you made the clouds spin!”

“I’m not talking about my performance,” corrected Rainbow indignantly, “I’m talking about yours!”

But before they could get into it more, the front door swung open, “Looking lovely in your spring coats, ladies!”

In walked Thunderlane, looking pretty proud of himself, followed by Midnight, Big Mac, Twinken, and Rumble, Midnight saying, “You will not believe what we just saw!”

“Not now, guys!” Rainbow complained, “I’m trying to scold the one pony who will be able to come see me at the Cloudsdale Best Young Flyers Competition!

“What’s that?” Twilight asked, Pinkie butting in, “It’s where all the greatest pegasus flyers get together and show off their different flying styles!”

Suddenly, Pinkie started running around, pretending she was flying, followed by Twinken and Rumble, the both of them laughing along with Pinkie as she said, “Some are fast!”

She came to a stop and pirouetted, “And some are graceful.”

Unfortunately, Twinken and Rumble were a little late in applying their biological breaks.
*CRASH*

“Golly, Ah’d love to see you strut yer stuff in tha’ competition,” Applejack said to Rainbow.

“Yeah, I wish you could all be there,” Rainbow replied, “Fluttershy’s a great support, but her cheering isn’t exactly inspirational.”

“Well, my little bro’s all the inspiration I need!” Thunderlane said as he scooped up Rumble, the both of them laughing.
“I aim to win that competition and give him the trophy.”

“I can’t wait to see the looks on everypony’s faces when you show them the Thunder Flap!” Rumble cheered.

“The Thunder what?” Twilight asked.

“He was practicing it earlier,” Midnight explained, “It’s a totally awesome maneuver but dangerous if done incorrectly.”

“Ooh! As neat-o as that sounds, I’d love to see a Sonic Rainboom!” Pinkie brought up, “I hear it’s the most coolest thing ever, not that I’ve actually seen it, but come on! It’s a sonic rainboom!”

“What’s a sonic rainboom?” Twilight asked, only for Pinkie to get up in her face.

“You really need to get out more. The Sonic Rainboom is legendary! When a pegasus like Rainbow Dash gets going sooo fast... BOOM! A sonic boom and a rainbow can happen all at once!”

“And Dash here is the only pony to ever pull it off,” Thunderlane added.

“It was a long time ago,” Rainbow said with uncharacteristic modesty. “I was just a filly.”

“Yeah, but you’re gonna do it again, right?” Pinkie was just too dang hopeful to say otherwise.

“A-Are you kidding?” scoffed Rainbow with a slight hesitatation. “I’m the greatest flyer to ever come out of Cloudsdale! I can do sonic rainbooms in my sleep.”

“Wow! You pull that off, you’ll win the crown for sure!” Twilight stated.

“Hey, my Thunder Flap is pretty impressive too, and a whole lot more risky,” Thunderlane scoffed. But he gave Rainbow a smile, “Even so, you’re gonna be my biggest competition, Dash!”

“I don’t care about the crown, I want that grand prize,” Rainbow Dash stated, “To spend a whole day hanging out with the Wonderbolts! A whole day of flying with my lifelong heroes…! It’ll be a dream come true!”

“Well, from one aspiring Wonderbolt to another, Dash,” Thunderlane said as he held out a hoof, “may the best flyer win.”

Everypony smiled at the two friends-slash-rivals as they gave each other a respectful hoofshake.
“I’m gonna go rest up. Don't wanna over prepare myself, y'know. Hehe, “Rainbow Dash chuckled nervously before turning aggressively towards Fluttershy.
“YOU, on the other hoof, better keep practicing. I need a cheering section to match my spectacular performance.”

But before Rainbow could take flight, Thunder said, “Hey, Dash, race ya!”

“You’re on!”

And they zoomed off, Fluttershy turning to the others, looking worried.
“She's practiced that move a hundred times, and she's never even come close to doing it. I don't know if I can cheer loud enough to help her.”

“Fluttershy, can you give me a lift?” Rumble asked. “Thunder kinda… flew off without thinking.”

“Oh sure, sweetie,” Fluttershy said as she let Rumble on her back and they flew off.

“Welp, better get this place cleaned up… again,” Twilight sighed but before she could place a book where it belonged, Rarity cleared her throat.
“Yes…?”

“Are you not going to find a spell to get us wingless ponies into Cloudsdale? Did you not see how nervous poor Rainbow Dash was?”

“Nervous? Have you spit yer bit or sumpin’?” Applejack asked with a smirk.

“She was tootin’ her own horn louder than th’ brass section of a marchin’ band,” Big Mac commented in agreement.

Oh puh-lease!” Rarity scoffed. “I’ve put on enough fashion shows to know stage fright when I see it! We’ve got to find a way to be there for her!”

“Well how am I supposed to find a flight spell in this mess?” Twilight reasoned when Pinkie said, “A flight spell? One sec.”

She streaked out of visible view, returning a split-second later, throwing a book to Twilight’s feet, saying, “Page twenty-seven.”

“How’d you do that?” Midnight deadpanned.

“It landed on my face when Rainbow Dash knocked me into the bookcase,” Pinkie explained right off the bat, Twinken saying, “How unbelievably convenient.”

Big Mac agreed, “Eeyup.”

“Here it is!” Twilight announced as she looked at the page, “A flight spell that will allow earth ponies to fly like a pegasus. Ooh, it looks really difficult! I’m not sure I could do it.”

“Lemme see,” Midnight took the big and checked the spell himself and nodded in agreement to the complexity he was look at.
“Hmm, I could probably do this for us all if the moon was out.”

“We don’t have that kind of time!” Rarity insisted. “You’ve got to try.”

“But who’s gonna volunteer to be the test subject?” Twilight brought up.

“I’ll do it!” Twinken hopped up and down, “I’ve always wanted to fly!”

“No, no, no!” Midnight shot him down, “No brother of mine is gonna be a test subject for a spell we’re not even sure we can cast.”

“Oh!” Twinken pouted.

“I’ll do it!” declared Rarity. “For Rainbow Dash, I will go first.”

“Well, alright,” Twilight agreed before looking at Midnight, “Help me out?”

“Like you have to ask,” Midnight chuckled. They looked at the spell and nodded, Twilight saying, “Here goes…!”

The dream to fly, achieved by few,
Like a Pegasus and soar
Gossamer and morning dew,
I dare to open the door

The two unicorns scrunched their eyes as the spell began its work, two ribbons of light, one magenta, the other turquoise, extending from their horns and reaching out to Rarity. She stood bravely as the magic took her in its ethereal embrace, while Midnight and Twilight grunted and groaned at the intensity of the spell. Finally, a spark of light ignited, creating a pulse that knocked away the two mages, Applejack and Big Mac catching them and they gasped at the sight before them!

“I think it worked,” Midnight said, feeling woozy.

Wings flapped in a splendor of colors extending from behind the fashionista as she asked, “It worked! I’m actually flying! Is there a mirror about? I’d like to see my new wings!”

“Here you are,” Pinkie held one up and Rarity marveled!

She beheld a pair of wings akin to a butterfly, colored primarily thistle with patterns of pink, green, pale blue, and gold, all glimmering in brilliance.
“Ah! They’re gorgeous!”

“Too gorgeous, ain’t no way I’m putting wings like that on my back,” Midnight muttered to Big Mac and Twinken, the farmer whispering, “Eeyup.”

“So pretty!” Pinkie gasped.
“Jus’ dandy!” Applejack agreed.
“And too much effort,” Twilight shot down, everypony looking at her.

“Listen everypony, I wanna be there for Rainbow Dash as much as any of you…” Twilight didn’t quite know what to say until Midnight stepped in.

“But that spell is too hard for us to cast on all of us, even with the two of us working together,” Midnight reasoned, “We’ll just have to find another way. In fact…”

Midnight started levitating books, looking for something, “I believe I came across a certain spell that will allow us to walk on clouds like pegasus ponies do!”

“Brilliant idea, Midnight,” Twilight agreed, “and thankfully, I know just the spell you’re looking for!”

The Cloud-Walking Spell turned out to be much easier to cast, Twilight didn’t even need Midnight’s magical assistance and cast the spell on everypony present, as they stood in an open field.
“Now, with the spell in place, we’ll all be able to walk on clouds for three days. Plenty of time to get to Cloudsdale and enjoy the competition.”

“This is too cool!” Twinken hopped up and down on Midnight’s back, “I’m really gonna see Cloudsdale and get to see some awesome flyers!”

“And we’ll be able to surprise Rainbow and Thunder,” chuckled Midnight in agreement. “But how are we gonna get up to Cloudsdale?”

“Somepony need a lift?”

Everypony looked up and gasped to see Pinkie in the same hot-air balloon she rode in with Spike when they did the announcements for the Running of the Leaves.
“Once again, Pinkie comes through,” Twilight giggled at the looks on everypony’s face.

Flying to Cloudsdale didn’t take that long but Rarity flew ahead to find Rainbow Dash. Before long, they rose up through a thick layer of cloud and found Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy gaping at them, Rainbow saying, “I don’t believe it!”
“So incredible,” Fluttershy added.

“This is so cool!” said Rainbow as the balloon set itself down, “You guys made it!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered as he got out, ignoring Rainbow’s “Wait!”

But instead of falling through the cloud beneath him, Rainbow and Fluttershy gaped at how he stood on the cloud like any pegasus, and the others hopped out with no troubles either.
“How’d you do that?” Rainbow asked, “Only pegasus ponies can walk on clouds!”

“Pretty cool, huh?” Pinkie giggled as she cartwheeled past, Twinken following her in merry pursuit.

“Midnight and I used a spell to give temporary wings,” Twilight explained, pointing Rarity out, “but it was too difficult to perform more than once.”

“So Twilight used a simpler spell that allows us all to walk on clouds,” Midnight added.

“An’ we came t’ cheer you t’ victory!” Applejack declared.

“Well, the girls will probably cheer for you,” Midnight conflicted, “but you’ll understand if Mac and Twinken and I cheer for Thunder, won’t you Rainbow?”

“Ah no sweat,” Rainbow waved it off, “and to be honest? I was getting to be just the teeniest-tiniest bit nervous but I’m really glad you’ll all be here. Hey, since we got time before the competition, howsabout Fluttershy an’ I show you all around Cloudsdale!”

“You girls go ahead,” Midnight said, “We’re gonna go catch up with Thunder!”

Author's Note

I know, I know, the episode was called "Sonic Rainboom" but i wanted to give Thunderlane his own special move so I changed the title to something inclusive

And yes, Thunderlane's move broke Rainbow's concentration earlier, purely accidental though. In this story, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane are friendly rivals and both are aspirants to the Wonderbolts; Thunderlane's just more mature and nowhere near the ego-maniac Rainbow Dash is

I like to think of it having to do with his little brother Rumble; it's a reason to be mature and responsible, which is what i'm striving for to mark Thunderlane's character.

31. Best Young Flyers Competition - Part 2

Thunderlane was hanging out with Rumble and two pegasus sisters, Rumble’s usual foalsitters, Cloudchaser and Flitter. They were having lunch at a café table when…
“Thunder, Rumble!”

They turned to look down the block and gasped!

“Midnight, Mac?!” Thunder couldn’t help smiling, Rumble yelling happily, “Twinken!”

The guys laughed as they hoof-bumped, Thunder asking, “How the hay are you guys up here and not plummeting to your doom?”

“How about a little lunch and we’ll talk?” Midnight suggested.

After the explanation, Thunderlane whistled and said, “It’s pretty awesome you guys are gonna be here. I know I said Rumble’s the only inspiration I need, but it’s great of you guys to be here too.”

“Ahem,” Cloudchaser coughed with a raised brow.

“And you gals too!” Thunderlane quickly said to save face. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you girls to help with Rumble when I need you.”

“Oh Thundy, we’re just pulling your tail,” Flitter giggled.

“So Rarity really has wings right now?” Rumble asked.

“They’re only temporary,” Midnight confirmed, “but truth be told, I’m actually glad we resorted to the cloud-walking spell, not just cause it’s easier, mind you. If you saw those wings, you’d understand why no stallion with a shred of self-respect would want them on his back... unless he was gay, that is.”

“That, and Miss Rarity cain’t help showin’ `em off,” Big Mac added.

“I’d like to fly but not looking like that,” Twinken agreed.

“Hey, since you guys are up here, let’s tour Cloudsdale together!” Thunderlane suggested and everypony agreed.

Before long, they were trotting about, checking out the amazing architectural work of the buildings around them. The non-flying ponies learned from their pegasi friends that all the buildings weren't made just from cloud but from a material called Olympumice - Cloudstuff that became laced with volcanish ash that was then imbued with pegasus magic. The resulting material became solid enough to construct floating structures for the pegasi to build their skyward city and housing.

“This place is amazing!” Midnight marveled at it all, Twinken agreeing as he fidgeted on his big brother's back.

“Yeah, it’s cool,” Thunderlane agreed, “but I’m a Ponyville pony at heart. In fact, this is only my third visit to Cloudsdale.”

“So you didn’t grow up here, Thunderlane?” Twinken asked.

“Nuh-uh, born and raised in Ponyville,” Thunderlane explained, “though my dad did come from Cloudsdale. He moved to Ponyville after he met mom.”

“But Cloudsdale is the pegasus capitol and has the biggest weather factory in all of Equestria!” Rumble added, “A lot of amazing flyers came from here, including Rainbow Dash.”

“LOOK OUT!” Cloudchaser yelled as she held everyone back and they almost found themselves getting hit by what appeared to be a jackhammer that fell from the sky and vanished into the cloud street in front of them.
“Where did that come from?”

“Now be careful with those wings, Rarity.”

They looked behind them and saw the girls, along with Rarity fluttering about with her wings, Twilight saying, “They’re made from gossamer and morning dew, and they’re incredibly delicate.”

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Rarity waved off the warning, too caught up in the praise she was getting from the locals, “I’m sure they can’t get worn out from… too much attention.”

“Hey girls!” Midnight called and they met up, the guys saying hello to Rainbow. “Now the gang’s altogether!”

“And while wer’ up here,” Applejack spoke up, “any chance we can get a look at where th’ weather’s made?”

“Great idea,” Rainbow said, “Come on, everypony! To the weather factory!”

The Cloudsdale Weather Factory was unmistakable, what with thunderclouds and rainbows surrounding it, as well as rainbow falls pouring into the lands below. The visitors all got protective work clothes and hard hats as they entered the factory where Rainbow spoke in a hushed voice, “This is where they make the snowflakes, each one hoof-made.”

Everypony looked around, seeing dozens of pegasus ponies at different stations, with tiny carving tools, magnifying glasses, and wearing earmuffs from the cold being pumped into the room to keep the snowflakes from melting. All of them totally focused on the task.

“As you can see, it’s a very delicate operation,” Rainbow went on.

“Ooh! The snowflakes look even better from up here!”

They looked up and saw Rarity flapping near some flakes that had been hung. Unfortunately the beat of her wings caused a strong breeze to blow about, sending the flakes floating and the workers into disarray, as they ran about, trying to catch the flakes.

Rainbow winced as she said, “We’d better move on before Rarity ruins winter and causes a drought.”

They moved to a work area where liquid rainbow was pouring from one container to another below it, Dash saying, “And here’s where they make the rainbows!”

Suddenly, they heard a series of odd noises and turned to see Pinkie’s facing going through different colors and expressions before she was back to her normal pink and panting, “Spicyyyy…!”

She ran off, everypony laughing a bit as Dash said, “Yeah, rainbows aren’t really known for their flavor.”

“Whoa! Where’d you get those amazing wings? I want a pair!”

They looked and saw Rarity showing off her wings to three workers, who took notice of the visitors.
“Oh look, it’s Rainbow Crash again!” mocked Dumbbell, or Billy, as he preferred to be called.
“Heheheyeah, Rainbow… uh,” Hoops dumbly paused for a moment, “uh… Crash!”

“Rarity!” Rainbow snapped, “Why’re you talking to these guys?”

“Oh they were just admiring my wings,” Rarity replied like it was no big deal.

“You know these guys, Rainbow?” Midnight asked.

“Oh we only went to flight camp together,” Billy answered, “Oh and Rainbow? You should just forget the sonic rainboom and get yourself wings like those!”

The three pegasus jocks all flew off, laughing mockingly, Thunderlane suddenly asking, “Hey Dash! Why… don’t you take us to see how clouds are made, huh?”

As they carried on, he whispered, “Don’t listen to those creeps, Dash. You’re gonna do great in the competition!”

“Are you kidding, I can’t do the sonic rainboom!” Rainbow Dash despaired, “And just look at these boring feathered wings, I’m doomed!”

The others shared sympathetic looks, hating to see Rainbow beat herself up.

They soon came to the cloud-making machines, giant purple funnels pumping out clouds of all types, workers making sure there were no blockages so there was smooth flowing, some adding water to the machines to be vaporized and condensed into cloud. But suddenly, a lot of workers dropped what they were doing and went to admire Rarity’s wings.

“What, these old things?” Rarity chuckled, soaking it all up while posing. “Go ahead, everypony, photos are encouraged.”

The guys and girls however couldn’t help but frown at Rarity’s showboating while Rainbow just couldn’t help feeling more and more down.

Noticing that, Midnight hissed, “Rarity! I thought we came up here to help Rainbow Dash relax! Enough with the showing off and put those wings away before I dispel them!”

Gasping, Rarity fluttered upwards, saying, “How can you dare to threaten perfection?”

With her wings towards the sun, Rarity cast a myriad display of colors as the sunlight shined through her wings, the workers all in awe of such splendor. Thunderlane then noticed Rainbow Dash kneeling down and cringing.
“Uh, Dash? You feeling okay?”

“Of course!” Rainbow insisted while sweating, “Why wouldn’t I be? Everyone’s so in love with Rarity’s wings they won’t even notice when I totally blow it in the Best Young Flyers competition!”

“Hey, there’s an idea!” said a worker as she said to Rarity, “You should enter the competition!”
“Yeah, I could watch you fly all day long, “agreed an elderly mare.

“There really isn’t anypony who uses their wings quite like me,” Rarity boasted, “Perhaps I should compete!”

“WHAT?!” screamed Rainbow as the workers followed Rarity to continue to admire her. The friends gathered around the slumped Rainbow Dash as she worried, “What’m I gonna do? I don’t stand a chance at winning now…”

Soon everypony had gathered in the Cloudsdale coliseum. The whole city had had turned out for the event. In the back, where the competitors all awaited, Rainbow Dash was dreading when she felt a hoof tap her shoulder.
“Dash?”

“Thunder! Hey…” she said, noticing it was him.

“Dash, you just have to relax,” Thunderlane said encouragingly, “You’re one of the most confident ponies I know, and one buckin’ awesome flyer! You’re gonna do great!”

“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Hey, be glad you’re number two,” Thunder added, pointing the number out on her flank. “I’m dead-last! Luck of the draw, I guess.”

“I’m going to be a while!”

They looked to the back of the room just in time to see Rarity close the door to the room she was in, Thunderlane frowning.
“That pony needs to sort out her priorities. Anyway, chin up and show `em up, Dash!”

Rainbow nodded but peered out the curtains, seeing the magnificence of the coliseum, so many ponies there… to watch her wash out!

She noticed the girls sitting in one cloud box, Pinkie holding up a #1 foam finger. The boys were all smiling as they sat with Cloudchaser and Flitter in the next box over. But below them were the jocks, Billy, Hoops, and Score, laughing derisively, no doubt there to watch Rainbow crash (and burn). She gulped nervously, as the announcing began.

“Fillies & gentlecolts! Please rise and join me in welcoming our beloved Princess Celestia!”

Flanked by two Royal Guards, Princess Celestia descended into the Royal Cloud box and began waving while the announcer continued.
“Please welcome our celebrity judges for the Best Young Flyer Competition: the Wonderbolts!”

At his words did come soaring in six high-flying Wonderbolts, flying in perfect formation. With amazing aerial acrobatics, they lined up, doing a loop de’ loop, before spiraling out into a fireworks effect, everypony cheering, as the Wonderbolts took their seats at the judges’ table.
“And now, let’s find out who will take home the prize as this year’s Best Young Flyer!”

The competition got underway, and flyer after flyer came out, each displaying their own routine. Some did well, others not so much, and some did amazing enough to impress the judges, given the way they nodded at some of the competitors. But soon the competition was drawing to a close.

In their box, the guys and the sisters were discussing the competitors.
“Number 8 did really great,” Midnight commented, Twinken nodding while sitting in his brother’s lap.
“Yeah! A triple loop de’ loop followed by an axle-spin?! Awesome!”

“Eeyup, an' Number 11 was a mighty strong flyer,” Big Mac brought up.
“I wonder why we haven’t seen Thunder, Rainbow or Rarity?" worried Rumble as he sat between Big Mac and Flitter, "The competitions gonna end soon, I hope they get to go on!”

“Don’t worry, hon,” Flitter giggled, “Knowing those three, they’ll fight to show off their stuff!”

At that moment, however, Thunderlane was sitting against a wall, groaning in boredom, when he realized how empty the waiting room was… empty except for a shaking Rainbow Dash.
“Dash? What’re you still doing here, weren’t you-”

He then noticed her number was now fifteen and it suddenly made sense!
“Dash! Have you been switching numbers so you wouldn’t be sent out?”

Before Rainbow Dash could explain, the official, Lucky Packard, said, “Number fifteen, come on! Let’s go!”

At that moment, a door opened and out walked, “Rarity… is ready!”

Rarity was dressed in an outlandish outfit, her face covered in exotic make-up, posing confidently. Thunderlane, Rainbow, and Lucky Packard couldn't help but gawk and then face-hoof at Rarity's garish appearance.

“Look, you three, I don’t know what to tell you,” Lucky Packard groaned, “There’s only time for one more performance! If you all wanna compete, ya gotta go out there together!”

“Well, darlings, shall we?” Rarity asked Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash.

“And now,” declared the announcer, Madden, “for our final performance of the day, please welcome contestant number fifteen! Oh! And… apparently contestants four and sixteen as well.”

“Uh, good luck, Dash,” Thunder said before Rarity butted in.

“Oh, and darlings I hope you won’t mind that I changed the music – that… rock n’ roll doesn’t really match my wings.”

Thunderlane gave her the stink-eye, which Rarity didn’t bother noticing, before he gave Rainbow an encouraging pat on the shoulder. But suddenly, a score of classical music rang out through the arena and they saw Rarity doing what appeared to be an aerial ballet.

“Come on, Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow muttered, tapping her head, “You can do this! Just remember the routine!”

From their box, the guys and sisters watched as the three simultaneous flyers each did a routine, but Rainbow accidentally bumped into a cloud pillar and crashed against an arena wall, and it just had to be below the jocks.
“Nice work, Rainbow Crash!” mocked Hoops, laughing with his friends.

“Time for phase two,” Rainbow ordered herself and flew out the arena, not noticing Thunderlane doing as well.

The two of them zoomed around clouds but while Rainbow continued onto another, Thunderlane carried on the rotation of the one he’d gone to first.

“He’s doing it, the charge-up for the Thunder Flap!” Rumble whispered to his friends and foalsitters.

Suddenly, a puff of cloud was sent hurtling down to the arena, and everypony gasped when it almost hit the princess. Rainbow winced at her mess-up but couldn’t help looking towards Rarity.

“And now, for my grand finale! To rise up to the sun and beam my beautiful wings over the whole city of Cloudsdale!” She squealed excitably, “They’ll speak of it for years to come!”

Rarity and Rainbow Dash flew straight up, Rainbow concentrating for phase three while Rarity flew right up to the sun and faced down to the coliseum, ignoring the sweltering heat as she declared, “Look upon me, Equestria, for… I… am… Rarity!”

She spread her wings sending another colorful cascade down upon Cloudsdale, to the marvel of everypony. But unfortunately, the rays of the sun made quick work of the wings composed of gossamer and morning dew, and they promptly burst into flames and were ashes all at once. Rarity noticed and uttered, “UH-OH!”

And not a moment later, she started plummeting towards her doom.

“Oh no, her wings evaporated into thin air!” Twilight cried out, Rarity screaming as she fell down the floorless coliseum. Three Wonderbolts took the initiative and dove down to rescue her.

But as they approached her, Rarity, in her screaming panic, flailed out her hooves, accidentally knocking all three of them unconscious, so then four ponies were then plummeting to their doom.

At that some moment, Rainbow gasped when she noticed the four of them falling.
“Dash!”

She looked and saw Thunderlane, “Get after them and give me the signal when you need a boost!”

“Why?!”

“Just trust me, and you’ll save them with the Sonic Rainboom!”

Seeing the faith her friend had in his eyes, Rainbow nodded.
“Hold on, Rarity! I’m coming!”

And with that, she dove straight down in a rainbow streak while Thunderlane dove towards the cloud he’d charged with his high-velocity rotation.

“What’s Thunderlane doing?!” Midnight was starting to freak out.
“I think he’s gonna give Rainbow a boost with the Thunder Flap!” Rumble exclaimed.
“I hope it works!” worried Twinken.

Thunderlane dove straight through the thundercloud, which followed after him in a stream of cloud and electricity, as he dove after Rainbow Dash. At that moment, Rainbow, increasing her diving velocity, started to push the sound barrier, everypony noticing.
“Now, Thunderlane!”

“Right!” Thunderlane fanned his wings and faced the stream of electrifying cloud, which pummeled against him, but he held on as the thundercloud built up onto his wings. He faced downwards and fanned them out, the thundercloud now shaped as giant pegasus wings laced with electricity, and gave them a thunderous flap!

*KA-FLAMP*

The power struck down in flashing tendrils, hitting the sound barrier and Rainbow Dash broke through! In a burst of sound and color, she streaked down, a rainbow shock wave spreading.
“A SONIC RAINBOOM!!” Fluttershy screamed while jumping up and down, “SHE DID IT, SHE DID IT! WHOOO!!!”

Just before the falling four hit the ground, Rainbow swooped them up, streaking a rainbow trail in her wake as she zoomed across the land before rising up and creating a rainbow right above the coliseum! She rose up from the bottom, some pegasus ponies coming down to take the unconscious Wonderbolts and the now flightless Rarity off her hooves.

But as she landed, Rainbow Dash was blown away by the applause, everypony cheering their hearts out, Fluttershy most of all.
“I did it…!” she whispered.

“You sure did.”

She looked to see Thunderlane holding Rarity, who said, “You really did it, Rainbow Dash. And you saved my life! Thank you.”

“Heh, I guess so! Best day ever!” Rainbow yelled.

After the excitement had died down a little, everypony gathered in front of the hot-air balloon where Rarity was, as she never got the cloud-walking spell cast on her.

“I just want to apologize to you all, especially you, Rainbow Dash. When I got my… beautiful wings!” She sighed, “I guess I just lost my head.”

They all gave their okays and no-hard-feelings, and Rarity said, “And Rainbow, Thunder? I am especially sorry for jumping into the contest after you two trained so hard for it.”

“Ah no sweat it, it all turned out okay, eh Dash?” Thunderlane said with a smile.

“Sure, though I wish I could've met the Wonderbolts while they were awake,” Rainbow lamented when she heard somepony clear their throat. She looked and gasped to the three Wonderbolts she saved.
“So you’re the little pony who saved our rumps! We just wanted to thank you."

“Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” Rainbow gasped.
“Put your eyeballs back in your head, Dash!” laughed Thunderlane.

“Princess!”

They all turned to see Princess Celestia approach, sided by her guards.
“Hello, Twilight Sparkle, and hello to your friends as well.”

“Princes, I’m really sorry I ruined the competition,” apologized Rarity, “Rainbow Dash here is truly the Best Flyer in Equestria.”

“Ah, I couldn’t have done it if it weren’t for Thunderlane giving me a boost with his Thunder Flap,” Rainbow admitted sheepishly.

“Who are you and what have you done with Rainbow Dash?” Thunderlane chuckled, as did the guys.

“Well, on both those accounts I agree,” Princess Celestia stated, “which is why for her daring act of bravery, along with her incredible Sonic Rainboom, as well as Thunderlane’s quick-thinking and impressive Thunder Flap, I am presenting the grand prize of Best Young Fliers to this year’s tying winners, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane!”

Everypony cheered as Princess Celestia placed the winner’s crown on Rainbow’s head while the guards presented Thunderlane with the trophy, all the while Rainbow couldn’t stop saying, “Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!” as she and Thunder were carried proudly by their friends.

“So Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Celestia said, addressing her student, “Has this experience taught you something about friendship?”

“It did, Princess,” replied Twilight, “But I think the pony who truly learned it was Rarity.”

“It certainly did,” Rarity admitted, “I learned how important it is to keep your hooves on the ground and be there for your friends.”

“A well-learned lesson, Rarity,” complimented Celestia.

“Uh, Rainbow Crash-” they heard somepony say before another hissed, “Dash!”

It was the jocks, as they approached Rainbow, Billy saying, “Uh, Rainbow Dash. we just wanted to congratulate you on winning the competition. You too, Thunderlane.”

“That Sonic Rainboom?! That Thunder Flap?!” Hoops got riled up. “Totally AWESOME!”

“Well, thanks guys,” Rainbow smiled appreciatively.

“And we’re sorry we gave you such a hard time before,” Billy added.

“Ah, don’t sweat it,” Rainbow waved it off, balancing the crown on her head.

“Hey! Do y’wanna hang out with us? We’d love to learn how you did that incredible trick!”

“Sorry boys,” Rainbow streaked past them and up to two waiting Wonderbolts. “But I've got plans!”

As they flew off, the jocks heard somepony laugh and they looked to see Thunderlane approach.
“I know I’m no Rainbow Dash, but if you wanna hang out, I’d like to introduce you to my pals!”

“That’d be great!” Hoops yelled, and the guys struck out to take Cloudsdale by the storm!

Author's Note

I felt it necessary to say Thunderlane was meant to be last so the three could all compete together, and I wanted for Thunderlane's move, the Thunder Flap, to be displayed as well as aid Rainbow Dash in completing the Sonic Rainboom.

Basically, the Thunder Flap is done by first zipping about to get warmed up, then rotating a cloud at increasing high-velocity to charge it into a thundercloud, then flying upwards at a high enough altitude and then diving straight into the cloud, which follows after the flyer in a stream of cloud and electricity. Normally, Thunderlane would then rise up and catch the thundercloud and it would build up at his wings, which he fans out, the cloud shapes into giant pegasus wings laced with electricity, then he gives a mighty flap and when the cloud wings flap against each other in the down-stroke into a booming thunderclap, the electricity creates a thunderous shockwave while releasing tendrils of energy that look like feathers floating

I also made it that Thunderlane chose to hang out with the jocks when Rainbow went to hang with the Wonderbolts, partly to give Thunderlane a nicer look

I gave pegasus society a bit of depth by giving my own touch - The buildings aren't made of cloud but a material that, when fermented with pegasus magic, is ideal in making floating structures that pegasi can live in among the clouds.

Olympumice is a portmanteau of Olympus and Pumice, a volcanic rock. Olympumice is derived from cloudstuff that is laced with volcanic ash by imbuing it with pegasus magic.

32. Boys' Joys - Part 1

The library was busy one Ponyville morning, as Twilight, Spike, Midnight and Twinken had just met up to help Twilight with the Weekly Rearranging.
“So why does Twilight do this again?” asked Twinken as they entered the establishment.

“Because, little brother,” Midnight explained, “Twilight’s the town librarian, so she has to make sure all the books are in their proper places so ponies will have an easier time finding the books they’re looking for when they visit.”

“That makes sense,” Twinken agreed but both brothers’ jaws dropped at what they saw.

Twilight had apparently pulled out every book from the shelves and just let them drop all over the place.
“Oh! Midnight, you’re just in time! Help me out here?”

“With pleasure,” Midnight obliged and both unicorns’ horns alit, enchanting every book to rise and orbit in a perfect rotation above their heads.

“Let’s see… ‘Unfolding the Universe’ by Omnia Omen…” Twilight checked, telekinetically pulling the book down to look at it, “goes… into the Divination Section.”

It levitated towards a shelf labeled ‘Divination’

“‘A Beginner’s Book of Shadows’ by Mare-ia the Mystic…” Midnight browsed, “goes in… the Beginner’s Magic Section.”

Twinken had only seen them put away two books and already he groaned in boredom, Spike coming over and whispering, “Be glad you’re not here every week to put up with this!”

“Midnight, can’t we do something else?” Twinken asked, “Like… maybe grab a slice at Pepper Pony’s?”

“Sorry, Twink,” Midnight apologized with a small smile. “But I gave my word to help Twilight with this chore, besides she’s already done a lot for me in giving me magic lessons so it’s only fair I help her out every now and then.”

Twinken groaned in frustration and just sat by the door, Twilight suddenly feeling bad.
“Hey Twinken, would you like a quick lesson in magic?”

“Magic?!” Twinken instantly perked up and Twilight held out a book.

“Make the book levitate.”

“Okay! Whadoo I do?”

“Focus your energies to your horn and envision the book floating a hoof off the floor,” Midnight instructed, a little thankful Twilight was giving Twinken something to do.

Twinken nodded as Twilight placed the book in front of him and Twinken stared at it, his red eyes narrowed as he groaned in concentration. Both Twilight and Midnight sensed it, Twinken’s magic was starting to bubble towards the surface as a faint red aura surrounded the book. It jerked an inch towards Twinken’s right, Twinken grunting as he concentrated and kept at it.

Eventually, the rearranging was almost done when Twinken yelled, “I did it!”

The two unicorns looked to the colt and saw he was indeed levitating the book a hoof off the ground, albeit wobbling ever so slightly.

“Well done, Twinken,” Twilight complimented as she took the book, gave it a look, and put it in its proper nook.
“Perhaps you could join us during Midnight’s lessons next week!”

“That’d be so cool! I’m gonna go tell Rumble and Button,” Twinken shouted happily as he ran out the door and Midnight gave Twilight a glancing smile.

“I’d better go after him, make sure he doesn’t get into trouble.”

“Okay, see ya later,” Twilight said as she followed him out.

Once they were outside, she locked the door and hung a sign that said, ‘Out for Tea’, “I’m gonna go see Zecora for a new tea recipe.”

“Okay, just be careful,” Midnight told her, “The Everfree Forest never fails to give me the creeps.”

Midnight found Twinken headed for Rumble and Thunderlane’s house and caught up as the colt knocked on the door, Flitter answering.
“Hiya Flitter, can Rumble come out and play?”

“Well, I’m supposed to be foalsitting him,” Flitter hesitated when Midnight walked up.

“I’ll take `em out, Flitter,” Midnight offered, “I’ll even treat them to an early lunch!”

“Well… I guess if it’s you, Midnight,” Flitter conceded. “Thunderlane does speak highly of you. Rumble! Come on down!”

Down the stairs came the little gray Pegasus colt, asking, “What’s up?”

“Hey Rumble! Midnight’s gonna take us out for the day!” Twinken said as he popped up from behind Flitter for Rumble to see him. The colts smiled and laughed as Rumble hurried over and they high-hoofed.
“Now we gotta get Button Mash!”

“I hope he’s not too engrossed in his games again,” Rumble said as he followed Twinken out the door.

“I’ll have him back by sundown at the latest,” Midnight promised as he followed the colts.

“Okay, have fun!” Flitter called out to them as they left.

Midnight knocked on the door and was answered by a lovely earth pony mare with a tan coat, light brown mane and tail tied near the ends with red hair-ties, ocean blue eyes, her cutie-mark a pink heart and baby bottle signifying her talent as a caregiver.
“Well hi there, Midnight, boys! What can I do for you?”

“Hello Love Tap,” Midnight greeted, “I’m taking the boys out for the day and they wanted to know if Button can hang too!”

“Oh, that’d be good for him, get him away from those games,” Love Tap giggled before shouting towards the stairs, “Button, sweetie! Your friends are here to see you, come on down!”

Silence was their answer, Love Tap about to shout again when Midnight said, “Allow me, ma’am.”

Midnight’s horn shined and not a moment later, they heard, “AUGH! The game! I didn’t even get to a save point, two hours wasted!”

The following bawling made them all shake their heads in pity, Midnight nodding to Love Tap.
“Button! Your friends are here to see you! Come down now!”

“Okay, okay!” Button groaned as they heard him come and he brightened a little when he saw his friends. “Hi guys! What’s up?”

“Midnight’s taking us out for the day,” Rumble answered as Button came down to them.
“And we wanted you to join us!” added Twinken.

“Okay, just lemme get my Joy Boy,” Button turned around only for his mom to stand in the way.

“Not this time, Button,” she stated firmly. “You need to get your muzzle out of those games from time to time and spend time with your friends.”

“But Mom, I’m only two levels away from obtaining the Humgonian Deed of Candor, which will enable me the right to venture into the Valley of Traversity to take on the Earl Immoral!” Button spewed, much to everypony’s confusion.

“Did you get that?” Rumble asked Twinken, who shook no.

Love Tap put her hoof down.
“No! You are going to spend the day with your friends, which means no video games until tomorrow!”

She gently pushed Button out the door, saying to Midnight, “Have him back before sundown, and please make sure he doesn’t play video games!”

“Will do!” Midnight said with a salute.

“Love you, sweetie,” Love Tap said as she gave Button a peck on the forehead but he returned it with a stink eye and muttered some tongue the others couldn’t understand, only for Love Tap to respond in the same tongue, making Button flinch and run off, saying, “Uh, come on guys! Let’s… go hang out!”

As the boys ran off, Midnight asked Love Tap, “What did he say and what did you say in return?”

“Something about cursing a harpy,” Love Tap replied with a smirk, “as for what I said back? You don’t wanna know.”

For some reason, Midnight felt reason to be wary of Love Tap as she closed the door behind her, and he started to catch up with the colts.

Author's Note

This is actually happening during "The Stare Master" but since it involved a slumber party of screaming fillies I didn't want to mix them up with the colts.

However, the next chapter will foreshadow something

33. Boys' Joys - Part 2

The boys had a great day under Midnight’s supervision – On the way to the park, they met up with Fluttershy, who had volunteered to foalsit for Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo and supervise their sleepover at her cottage. The fillies also made sure to give the boys bandannas sewn with the newly-chosen Cutie-Mark Crusaders’ symbol, a rearing golden pony on a blue shield.

At the park, the boys and Midnight played hide n’ seek, soccer, and then enjoyed some cloud-watching, seeing the weather pegasus ponies’ cloud-sculpting. Afterwards, they got an X-tra large pizza with mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and jugs of soda. They belched and laughed and had a great day!

Then Midnight surprised them by taking them to the local toystore, saying they could each choose one thing. Twinken chose a toy periscope, Rumble asked for a scooter (he didn’t say why although he appeared to blush a bit) while Button Mash asked for a new game for his Joy Boy; Midnight bought it on the condition Button didn’t play it until tomorrow, wanting to keep his promise to Love Tap.

They went back to the park where Twinken and Rumble played with their new toys and shared them with Button (who was starting to think he should’ve gotten something else), and Midnight just relaxed on a nearby park bench. Suddenly!

”Girls!” Fluttershy wandered through the Everfree Forest, nervously looking for the three missing fillies.
“Girls!”

She was whispering loudly and flinched at the cold wind blowing against her.
“Get a hold of yourself, Fluttershy! Just put one hoof in front of the other…!”

She failed to notice the twig as she stepped on it and it snapped, making her squeak in fright as she backed up.
“What was that?!”

She didn’t see the tree she backed into, and ran off with a squeal of terror. But as she ran she saw ahead what looked to be, “…Twilight? Is that you?!”

She stopped in front of the figure, sighing in relief, “Twilight, it is you. Thank goodness you’re here, I need your help. The girls are out here somewhere and I’m afraid that they’re-”

Fluttershy gasped in horror as the clouds parted to make way for the moonlight as it fell upon the figure to show it was Twilight except she wasn’t quite right.

“Twilight! What’s happened to you?!” Fluttershy tapped the petrified Twilight on the cheek and squealed as it fell over onto its side in a thunderous thud.
“Oh no! If you’ve been turned to stone it must mean – Oh! Oh no the girls!”

She zipped off but suddenly returned, telling the stone Twilight, “Don’t move, I’ll be back for you.”

She zipped off again, screaming, “GIRLS!”

…Big brother, are you ok? Wake up!”

“Huh?!” Midnight bolted up and found himself lying on the ground in front of the bench, it was well after sundown. He bolted to his hooves, saying, “Yipe! How long have I been out?”

The boys looked up at him, Twinken saying, “We were playing all day we didn’t even notice the time until it got dark. But when we came to tell you we’re ready to go home, you were just lying there, looking like a zombie!”

“Midnight, I gotta get home!” insisted Rumble
“Me too! My mom will ground me till I’m Granny Smith’s age!” worried Button.

“Oh I’m so sorry, boys, uh… let’s get you all home,” Midnight said as he herded them out of the park. And quickly! I gotta find Twilight and Fluttershy!

Midnight apologized up and down to Thunderlane, Love Tap, and the orphanage matron for being tardy with the boys and asked they not be punished for his mistake. After making sure they all got home, Midnight suddenly bolted for the Everfree Forest.
I just hope I’m not too late…!

Midnight hated the Everfree Forest: The tall, foreboding trees that blocked out the sun in its thick canopy, the creepy animals growls, hisses, howls, and chitters, the toxic plants he had to be wary of, especially the carnivorous ones, and the maddening feeling that his every move was being watched.

“Ugh! The Everfree Forest… Why did it have to be the Everfree Forest?!” he whispered anxiously.

“Girls, girls?!”

“Fluttershy?”

He looked through a grove of trees and gasped in relief to see the fillies and Fluttershy as she descended down to them.
“Girls, thank goodness I found you!”

“Fluttershy!”

They all looked and gasped to see, “Midnight? What’re you doing here?”

Midnight flinched and quickly came up with a cover-story.
“I uh… was expecting Twilight to be home a few hours ago and… and she never showed up! So I came looking for her. What’s all the hubbub?”

“We have to get the girls out of the forest, at once!” Fluttershy informed him
“What’re they even doing out here?” asked Midnight.

“We were looking for Fluttershy’s missing chicken!” Sweetie Belle explained.

“There’s no time for that,” Fluttershy insisted, “there’s a cockatrice on the loose!”

“Cockatrice? Why does that name ring a bell?” Midnight wondered out loud.

“It sounds like a’ typo,” Apple Bloom commented.

“A cockatrice! It’s a frightening creature with the head of a chicken and the body of a snake,” Fluttershy explained nervously, wanting to get away from there at once!
“Now come on!”

“The head of a chicken and the body of a snake?”Scootaloo echoed in disbelief. “That doesn’t sound scary, that sounds silly!”

The girls had just walked past Fluttershy when Midnight stepped in front of them as he’d suddenly remembered what he’d read about the cockatrice as he said, “We are leaving, young fillies! I will hear no arguments, unless you’re all looking to be turned to stone!”

“Stone?!” the girls echoed in confusion, Fluttershy stepping in.

“If you look a cockatrice in the eye-”

“There’s the chicken!” Apple Bloom suddenly shouted and the girls chased after the fowl, yelling, “Chick-chick-chick-chick-chick-chick!”

“Girls!” Fluttershy and Midnight shouted as the pursued the fillies.

The girls chased the chicken into a clearing and saw it hide in the bushes but it poked its head out, Sweetie Belle pointing out, “There it is!”

But suddenly, another head popped out, Scootaloo saying, “Two chickens?”

“Ah thawt only one escaped,” Apple Bloom commented.

“Grab them both,” Sweetie Belle insisted as she missed the first one.

But as they approached the second, the saw it rise out of the bushes, and it was not a chicken. Beneath its chicken head was a scaly body vaguely chicken in appearance, with bat-like wings and a long serpentine tail. It growled viciously at the three fillies, revealing its sharp teeth and burning red eyes.

It jumped in front of the poor hen, which was too scared to move, as the cockatrice looked into the hen’s eyes, eyes glowing red, and the fillies all gasped to see the poor bird quickly turned to stone.

“AAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH!!!” they streaked off, crashing through a bush, but Scootaloo tripped on a rock, making the others trip as well. But as they got up the gasped to see the petrified Twilight!

“Girls!” Fluttershy and Midnight ran up to them ,the mare saying, “We have to-”

But she was drowned out by the fillies’ screams and panicking, Fluttershy trying to calm them down when Midnight gasped to see the cockatrice approaching.
“Girls, get behind Fluttershy now!”

The fillies did as he said while midnight stood protectively in front of Fluttershy, who had closed her eyes tight but could still hear the wretched creature as it approached them. But Midnight had an idea, an idea born from rage as he looked at the wicked thing.
“Come and get me, scaly!”

The cockatrice flew up to him and its eyes glowed red to inflict its stone-cold stare, but Midnight’s horn shined and in front of him appeared a mirror! Everypony gasped, the cockatrice most of all, as its powers were reflected upon itself and in no time at all, the cockatrice became stone itself.

The girls and Fluttershy all gaped at the calcified cockatrice and they heard a crackling sound and turned to see Twilight getting up, shaking off bits of stone and dust as she groaned.
“Wha- what happened?”

“Buck-buck!”

They turned to see the chicken had also been restored to feather and bone, Midnight saying, “It’s a long story.”

But suddenly, he gave the fillies the stink-eye and they knew they were about to get it.
“Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo! You three are in BIG trouble! Sneaking out into the Everfree Forest was not only naughty, it was dangerous! What if Fluttershy and I hadn’t been here? That cockatrice would’ve turned you all to stone and that might have been it for you, it’s possible we’d never even find you after such a thing happened! Not only did you worry us and put yourselves in danger, you disobeyed Fluttershy and caused her no end of trouble!”

The fillies all lowered their heads shamefully, looking on the edge of tears, Fluttershy saying, “I think they’ve learned their lesson, Midnight.”

“Well, I’m sorry Fluttershy but they’re gonna have to be punished, and I will be telling their families,” Midnight insisted, not in the mood to be merciful.
“Now girls, do you have anything to say to Fluttershy?”

The girls all nodded and looked to Fluttershy.
“We’re sorry we caused you so much trouble, Fluttershy,” Sweetie Belle lamented.
“We’ll listen t’ you from now on,” Apple Bloom added.
“We promise!” Scootaloo swore.

“Well then, I think we should all head home,” Twilight spoke up, “and turn in for a good night’s sleep.”

“You all go ahead, I’ll catch up,” Midnight shooed them off.

He waited until he couldn’t see them anymore before he looked to the petrified cockatrice, a frightening gleam in his eyes. A look that showed he was in no mood to be merciful… as he reared out and bucked the cockatrice, shattering its body to pieces!

Without a word, and without a shred of remorse, Midnight trotted off to catch up with the girls, leaving the fragments of the cockatrice to languish in the Everfree Forest forever.

The next morning, the girls were playing tag in front of Fluttershy’s cottage as Fluttershy had tea with Twilight and Midnight.

“…and thanks to Midnight, you were restored from stone!” Fluttershy wrapped it up while Twilight was listening and writing at the same time.

“This is gonna make quite a letter to the princess,” Twilight smiled, “I’m glad things turned out well, and I hope the girls’ families won’t be too hard on them.”

“Maybe I did read them the riot act a little hard last night,” Midnight apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

“Well, it’s partly my fault, I suppose,” Fluttershy amended his guilt, “I assumed I’d be just as good with kids as I am with animals and boy was I wrong! I really learned the hard way about biting off more than I can chew.”

“You and Rarity both,” Twilight agreed when speak of the devil the fashionista showed up. “Good morning, Rarity!”

“I hear you had quite an order to fill,” Midnight commented.

“Just delivered it,” Rarity sighed as she approached Fluttershy, “I must admit, Fluttershy, had you not come to my rescue I might not have completed the order. Thanks again!”

“Won’t you stay for some tea?” invited Fluttershy.

“I really must get back to the shop to clean up,” rarity politely declined. “Girls! Pack your things, it’s time to go. Girls?”

Fluttershy, Twilight, and Midnight watched in good-natured pity as Rarity tried in vain to round up the rambunctious fillies, all ignoring Rarity, as she grew increasingly frustrated.
“GIRLS!!”

Midnight looked at Fluttershy with a raised brow and smirk, and she nodded, going over to Rarity.
“Allow me” – she took a moment to clear her throat – “Girls?”

They suddenly stopped and fell in single file.
“Yes Fluttershy!”
“You called?”

“Go and get your things,” Fluttershy instructed, “Rarity’s here to see you home!”

“And…!” Midnight stepped up with three written messages, “I expect these to make it to your families, and I will be expecting to hear from them.”

The girls all groaned as they had an idea of what was written in those messages but couldn’t think of a way out of it so they submitted and took them as they went to get their things. Rarity gaped at the scenario.
“H-how di- How did you do that?!”

Fluttershy snuck a wink to Midnight and Twilight.
“I guess I’m just as good with kids as I am with animals.”

The Cutie-Mark Crusaders ran past them, each carrying their full saddlebags.
“Bye, Fluttershy! Thank you! See ya later!”

“Uh, speaking of which,” Rarity brought up, “I could use your help with Opal.”

“Of course! How `bout later today?”

*ROWER!!*

Rarity turned to show the cat was clawing onto her side as she begged, “How `bout now?”

Midnight and Twilight stepped up next to Fluttershy and had a good laugh.

Author's Note

Kinda merciless what Midnight did to that cockatrice, eh?

34. A Dog and a Pony Show

It was another pleasant day in Ponyville, the guys had gathered at Sugarcube Corner to hang out, as this time they were in the mood for something sweet.
“So the fillies really got it good, I hear,” Thunderlane inquired as he bit into one of the cupcakes Pinkie had served.

“Eeyup, Apple Bloom an’ her friends are all grounded fer two weeks,” Big Mac confirmed with a stern look.
“Thanks again fer savin’ them from that nasty varmint, Midnight.”

“No big,” Midnight waved it off, “I felt a bit bad for being so hard on them but… it comes with the job of being a big brother.”

“Amen to that,” the guys hoof-bumped when Pinkie popped up.

“Hey guys! Did you just hear the most incredibly awesome news?!”

“What’s up?” Thunderlane asked.

“Rarity’s reputation is what’s up!” Pinkie squealed. “You’ll never believe who walked into her store… Sapphire Shores!!!”

“Who?” Midnight’s brow rose in curiosity, Pinkie and Thunder gasping at his question.

“Dude, you can’t tell me you’ve never heard of the Pony of Pop?!” Thunderlane was aghast.

“Sapphire Shores is one of the most amazing-est celebrity singers in all of Equestria!” Pinkie added.

“No fooling!”

They all looked and saw Twilight walk in with Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash.

“Rarity came by earlier and borrowed Spike to help her out in filling Sapphire Shores’s order,” Twilight explained. “They’re out in some gully by the lake just outside town, looking for gems.”

“Well, I hope Rarity’s not on a deadline,” Midnight commented, “Looking for gems sounds time-consuming.”

“Not if you have a unique gem-finding spell,” Fluttershy debated with a smile.

“Gem-finding spell?” echoed Midnight.

“Rarity got her cutie-mark after she had a magic surge that somehow manifested as a gem-finding spell,” Twilight explained. “She found some gemstones and used them to make the prettiest dresses for her school play back when she was Sweetie Belle’s age.”

“Interesting, I wonder if she’d be willing to teach me,” Midnight pondered.

“AAAUUGGHH!!!”

They all jumped as they looked and saw Spike running in, looking panicky as he ran up to them, spewing, “Rarity! Woods! Jewels, Dogs… hole, taken- Save her!”

“Wha’ did he say?!” Big Mac asked, Pinkie popping up with a nonchalant look, holding flash cards.

Thunderlane read them in quick-succession, “‘Rarity’, ‘Woods’, ‘Jewels’, ‘Dogs’, ‘Hole’, ‘Taken’, ‘Save her’.”

“How did you do that?!” Midnight demanded from Pinkie, unable to believe she just happened to have those flash cards with the right words in the matching sequence.

“There’s no time!” Spike yelled, “Rarity’s in trouble, we gotta go help her!”

As everypony galloped, Spike rode Twilight, giving directions and explaining what had happened.
“I was with Rarity, helping her find gems, when- all of a sudden, these creepy guys popped out of nowhere!”

“Creepy guys?” echoed Midnight.

“They called themselves Diamond Dogs,” Spike clarified, “they grabbed Rarity and dragged her down a hole!”

“Well, then wer’ jus’ gonna have t’ go down that’ hole and get her,” Applejack stated determinedly.

But as they came up a rise they all gasped! The gully was now full of holes!
“Holy moly that’s a lot’a holeys!” Pinkie stated.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac nodded.

“Come on, everypony,” Twilight led the charge, “Let’s get started!”

She approached the nearest hole and peered down into the darkness.
“Hello…?”

She was answered by a growling pair of glowing yellow eyes, making her gasp but unprepared for the spray of dirt in her face. Spitting it out she then saw the hole had been sealed up. In no time at all, as everypony peered down a hole, the same thing happened. Dirt spraying in their faces as the holes were filled up.

Twilight shook the dirt off her face, “Quick! We gotta get down one of these holes before they’re all filled up!”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gaped at the holes filling up around her. Pinkie Pie bounced before trying to dive head-first into one, only to fall into a mound of dirt. Big Mac tried to fight against one of the spraying sod and force his way in.
“Nnope!” he growled but got pushed back, the hole filling up anyway. “Ain’t no forcin’ our way in!”

“We’ll see about that!” Rainbow Dash scoffed as she rose up and dove straight down for a hole, flapping as fast as she could, but it filled up, making her gasp and pump her wings to slow down, only to be caught on the soft mound.

“Now Ah’m used t’ ickin’ mahself up an’ dustin’ mahself off,” Applejack spoke up, “But Rarity won’t even touch mud unless it’s imported!”

“Oh Rarity!” Twilight worried as a worse-case scenario filled everypony’s minds, just imagining Rarity in a cold dirty cell, whining as every move besmirched her alabaster coat and royal purple mane, and crying ‘save me’.

“We gotta save her!” Applejack insisted.

“But they blocked up all the holes,” Thunderlane reminded them.

“Then let’s get digging, everypony!” Midnight declared as he jumped onto a mound and started digging, everyone following his example.

But while they were doing so, nopony noticed a grubby paw reach out and snap Pinkie’s tail.
“Ow!”

The tallest Diamond Dog, Fido, popped out of a mound behind Thunderlane and pushed him off of the one he was digging into. Spike ran towards a mound, not noticing a furry leg reach out, and tripped over. Fido and the shortest dog, Spot, popped out of a mound between Midnight and Big Mac.
“Get `em!” Midnight yelled.

But the two dogs disappeared down the mound, as Mac and Midnight crashed into each other.

The lead Diamond Dog, Rover, popped out of a mound, Applejack noticing him. She tried to get him, and the situation quickly devolved into a classic game of whack-a-mole and Applejack was losing.

No matter what anypony did, the Diamond Dogs outsmarted them, tripping them up, pushing them off the mounds, snapping their tails, and vanishing down the mounds before anypony could touch them.

“This is ridiculous!” Midnight snapped, his horn flaring. “Stand back, everypony! I’m gonna split this case wide open!”

He magically raised himself high into the air, his horn flaring with intense light, and Twilight gasped.
“Everypony get back!”

They cleared out just in time as Midnight came down, his magic focused into his hooves as they slammed into the ground. A tremor spread out, everypony yelling as they struggled to steady themselves and they gaped at the slowly-widening crevice Midnight had split into the earth, the walls of the crevice lined with holes leading into tunnels.

But one tunnel caught Midnight’s attention as he saw a tail disappear down it.
“The game is afoot, everypony! Come on!”

They followed Midnight down the tunnel, Midnight and Twilight providing light with their horns, but before long they lost whoever had been ahead of them and came to a chamber that appeared to be the central network of the tunnels.
“All these tunnels, how are we ever going to find Rarity?” Twilight feared.
“Guess wer’ jus’ gonna have t’ start searchin’ `em one by one,” Applejack stated.
“Faust knows how long that could take!” Thunderlane protested.
“There’s gotta be a way to narrow down this search,” Midnight insisted.

“I know!”

They looked to Spike, “I bet they’ve taken Rarity down the tunnel with the most gems!”

“But Spike, Rarity’s the only one who knows how to find gems,” Twilight reminded him.

“No, Twilight, you can! You can copy Rarity’s gem-finding spell,” Spike suggested.

“What a great idea!” Midnight agreed. “Can you do it, Twi?”

“Yes! Rarity showed me how it works a while back,” Twilight replied as she walked up to the mouth of a tunnel. “If I can just remember…”

As Twilight started on the spell, Midnight gasped!

“Oooh, this harness is too tiiight!” Rarity despaired, a rusty metal harness chaining her to a wagon heavy with gemstones, some Diamond Dogs trying to block it out by covering their ears but Rarity’s drama would not be denied.
“It's going to chafe. Can't you loosen it? Oooh, it hurts and it's sooo ruuusty! Why didn't you clean it first? It's gonna leave a staaain! And the wagon's getting heeeavy, why do I have to pull it?!”

…Midnight! Wake up already!”

“Huh, what is it, what?!” Midnight looked around saw Rainbow glaring at him.

“Twilight got the spell going, come on!” she urged and he galloped after them.

As they went down the tunnel, even though they were hidden in the earth around them, the gem-finding spell Twilight was using brightened up the gems, which became increasingly abundant.
“We’re getting close,” Twilight said, “I can feel it!”

Then they heard what sounded like sobbing, Spike pointing, “It’s just up ahead! Come on!”

They came to another chamber and saw a doorway from where they heard the crying, Rainbow saying, “She must be in there, let’s go!”

But from out of nowhere popped more dogs, wearing armor, as they jumped onto the ponies’ backs, growling, “More workhorses!”

And they foolishly threw on rope bridles onto everypony’s muzzle, Applejack narrowing her eyes.
“Hoh, doggies. If you can take this bull by th' horns, y'all better be ready for a ride. C'mon, ponies! Kick 'em up, kick 'em out. Buck 'em up, buck 'em down!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed and with one buck, he sent his unwelcome passenger soaring.

Midnight gave his an evil look and the dog whimpered in fright before he suddenly jumped off howling in pain while holding his rear end.
“Heh, I knew that electrical armor spell would pay off!”

In no time at all, everypony had bucked off their unwelcome rider, the guard dogs running off with their tails between their legs.
“Yeehaw!” Applejack cheered, “Gitalong, lil’ doggies!”

“Really? “ Midnight deadpanned with a smirk at her obvious pun.

They noticed the doorway shaking, which meant trouble. Spike reached up and pulled down a stalactite, wielding it like a sword as he held onto Twilight’s reins.
“I’m coming for ya, milady! Hi-ho, Twilight! Away!”

Twilight gave him the stink-eye, but he pleaded, “Come on, Twilight, just gimme this!”

Sighing, she groaned, “Fine!”

Twilight reared up and charged! They crashed through the door, trotting into the room, Spike declaring, “Lady Rarity, I’m here to save y-”

Their eyes popped as Rover, Fido, and Spot came running, the other ponies piling behind Twilight, as the dogs kneeled at their hooves, making whines and pleads.
“Excuse me?”

“So picky!"
“And critical!"
“She won’t stop talking!"
“And crying!”
“We, uh, give her back, yes!”

Then Rarity appeared from behind them, lugging a wagonful of gems. Spike jumped down and ran over to hug her, “Rarity, you’re safe!”

“Why yes, hello everypony!” greeted Rarity, sounding sunny and quite pleased with herself. “You’re all just in time to assist me."

“Assist you with what?” Thunderlane asked.

“Why with these, of course,” Rarity pointed out several more wagons full to the brims with gemstones

Spike eyed them hungrily as he asked, “You’re letting her leave with all these… jewels?”

“Yes, take them!” Rover demanded as he and his brothers hid behind a stalagmite, “And her with them!”
“Please!” Spot whimpered.

In no time at all, everypony pulled out a wagon from the chamber but Midnight lagged behind as he gave the Diamond Dogs a look.
“What you want, pony?! We give you your friend back, not to mention all our gems!” Rover complained.

But suddenly, the dogs felt a change in the air and whimpered as Midnight’s eyes glowed pure white, radiating a harsh light that made them feel like mice staring up at an owl.
“You tried to enslave one of my friends and make her do your dirty work for you, you greedy mongrels!”

While Midnight spoke, he cast a few spells, the first to ascertain that his friends had all made it aboveground. The second was akin to sonar, spreading out until Midnight found what he was looking for in the tunnel system, the third was in reserve until he had his say.
“Well, I can tell you now that you’ll never again threaten another pony, nor will you ever again enjoy another gemstone, farewell!”

He released the spell, unleashing a powerful shockwave that broke all the support pillars throughout the tunnels. Immediately, the earth around them shook, the dogs all panicking as rocks and gems rained down around them.
“Please!” Rover begged, “Don’t do this!”

But Midnight coldly turned his back and was gone in a flash, leaving the dogs to be buried alive.

Midnight reappeared and found himself aboveground as the others were talking and apparently had not missed his presence.
“I can’t believe you tricked all those dogs, Rarity, kudos!” Thunderlane complimented her.

“Well, just because I am a lady does not mean I cannot handle myself in a sticky situation,” Rarity held her head high, proud of her accomplishment, not to mention the fringe benefits of the gemstones.
“I had them wrapped around my hoof the entire time.”

“I can’t wait to write to Princess Celestia to report what you taught me today.”

“Me, Twilight?” Rarity gave her a confused look. “What did I teach you?”

“Just because somepony is lady-like doesn’t make her weak,” Twilight replied, Midnight adding just to be an ass, “In fact, a seemingly defenseless pony can be the one who outsmarts and outshines them all.”

“Mmm, outshines is right!” Spike agreed as he munched on a ruby. “Now you have enough gems to complete Sapphire Shores’ costumes!”

“Not if you eat them all, Spike,” Rarity giggled as she took the ruby from his grip right before he was about to chomp it.

Everypony laughed but in a corner of his mind, Midnight was starting to feel bothered. Even if they’d tried to make Rarity a slave, the Diamond Dogs hadn’t really deserved the fate had he given them. Had he done the wrong thing? No, a monster that dares to take somepony’s freedom deserves no mercy, he decided darkly.

Author's Note

Another example of Midnight becoming decisively ruthless. Midnight did for a moment feel shame for what he did but something inside made him think a self-righteous justification.
But I will admit... Beneath Midnight's surface, something dark is festering.

Oh, and I skipped "The Show Stoppers" on the grounds that the Cutie-Mark Crusaders were grounded themselves and would therefore not be allowed to participate in the talent show that episode featured; that... and they just looked plain ridiculous in their performance (and I use the term very loosely in that instant)

Also, the part where Pinkie had the flashcards that showed what Spike was spewing while panicked is a nod to a similar happening in Disney's "Chicken Little"

35. Green isn't Your Color - Part 1

“Hoo-whee!” Big Mac phewed, another day of hard work well done as he and Midnight set the last haybale in its place in the barn.
“Ain’t nuthin’ like some good ol’ back-breakin’ labor t’ help you feel truly alive!”

“Yeah…” Midnight groaned as he pressed his hooves against his back and got rid of a crick. “Though I think I’m lucky to still be alive after all that.”

“Y’know, haystack, Ah’d say we’ve earned ourselves a lil’ R & R,” Big Mac commented as they walked out the barn. “An’ Ah was thinkin’ perhaps we could try tha’ spa Miss Rarity mentioned last week.”

“Hmm, seems a little frou-frou, that place,” considered Midnight but the ache in his back made up his mind. “Although! …Perhaps a trip to the masseuse is in order.”

“Heh, an’ Ah got plenty a’ bits to get us th’ royal treatment!” Big Mac laughed and led the way.

Arriving at the spa, Big Mac and Midnight were surprised to see, “Fluttershy?”

She sat in the waiting room, reading a magazine and noticed them as they came up.
“What’re you doing here?” Midnight asked, Big Mac shyly keeping in the background.

“Oh, I’m here for my weekly get-together with Rarity,” Fluttershy explained, “We like to come to the spa every week for an afternoon of relaxation, as well as to catch up and just talk.”

“Well that sounds nice,” Midnight commented as he pulled Big Mac up, the big red farmer looking a tad redder in the face.
“Mac here is treating me to some R & R after all the hard work we did today.”

“Well, that’s very nice of you, Big Macintosh,” Fluttershy smiled up at him.

“E-eyup!” muttered a nervous Big Mac.

Suddenly, the door opened and in hurried Rarity, wearing a stylish hat, no doubt of her own design, complemented with peacock feathers, as she said, “So sorry, Fluttershy, I didn’t mean to be tardy for our weekly get-together. Oh, Midnight, Big Macintosh, are you two here for some relaxation as well?”

“After a whole morning of back-breaking labor?” replied Midnight with a laugh.

“Well then you’re both welcome to join us,” Rarity offered as she said to the receptionist, “The usual!”

They got started with a sauna, the steam provided by the spa ponies pouring water onto hot rocks. They all wore bathrobes as Rarity got to talking, “None of you will believe what happened to me!”

“Is everything alright?” Fluttershy asked.

“Oh it’s much more than alright, dears,” Rarity calmed her. “On my way here, while wearing my latest hat creation, I was stopped by none other than Photo Finish!”

“Photo Finish?” Midnight asked. “Who’s that?”

The spa ponies moved them all where the mares got facials and the stallions got their manes washed and trimmed a little.
“Why she’s only the most famous fashion photographer in all of Equestria, ol’ chap,” Rarity explained, a spa pony placing cucumber slices over her eyes.
“Anyhoo, she saw my hat and thought it was absolutely marvelous!”

“Well tha’ was just dandy of her t’ compliment ya like that, Miss Rarity,” Big Mac commented.

They were moved on where Rarity (and Midnight, much to his chagrin) got horn-icures, Rarity going on.
“She was so impressed that she wants to take some pictures of my shop featuring some of my clothes!”

“That’s wonderful,” Fluttershy praised.

Then they were all getting back-massages, which Midnight so enjoyed he decided to let the horn-icure go.
“This sounds like a real opportunity for your career, Rarity,” he sighed, feeling the masseuse work her magic hooves onto his achy-back.

Once the massage was done, Rarity got a full-body seaweed wrap and had a mudbath with Fluttershy while the guys moved onto the Jacuzzi. As they melted into the steaming, water, Midnight noticed Big Mac sneaking looks towards the mares as they continued to talk. He then recalled how Big Mac acted earlier when they ran into Fluttershy at the waiting room, and it dawned on him.
“Fluttershy’s quite lovely, isn’t she?” he mentioned in a casual tone.

“Eeyup…” Big Mac sighed with dreamy look in his eyes, and Midnight counted to four before Mac realized what he just said. “Uh! Ah mean- Tha’ is- Miss Fluttershy’s certainly an attractive pony an’ all-”

“Oh Mac, stop your fussing,” Midnight smiled warmly. “I think it’s nice if you have an attraction to Fluttershy.”

“Well… Ah gotta admit, it’s… more than just an attraction,” Big Mac admitted. “Lately, Ah’ve been findin’ mahself thinkin’ o’ her more.”

“When’d this start?” Midnight asked, leaning in.

“Maybe a couple weeks,” Big Mad said. “Ah remember jus’ last week I was deliverin’ a hay-bale t’ her cottage, said she needed it fer some a’ her critters’ bedding. Ah brought it t’ her when she noticed one a’ her critters actin’ up and she hurried t’ deal with th’ rascal an’ almost tripped on th’ bale. Ah caught her so she wouldn’t fall, an’ the smile she gave me when she said thank you…!”

Big Mac sighed dreamily and Midnight smiled.
“Well, Mac, if you want one stallion’s opinion, I think you and Fluttershy would be good for each other.”

“How so?”

“Well, she’s so shy and timid all the time, especially when meeting new ponies,” Midnight explained, “But you’re what I’d call a ‘gentle giant’. You’re big and strong but your kind and gentle, and you mostly let your actions speak for themselves. You’re a hard-worker, a good provider for your family, and you’re a great brother to your sisters. Honestly, Mac, I can’t help but admire you and respect you, and, I hope this doesn’t make you uncomfortable but… I kinda think of you as the big brother I never had.”

“Well, haystack, t’ be honest, Ah kinda think o’ you as the brother Ah never had,” Big Mac replied with a smile.

Though not in blood, the two ponies affirmed they were brothers in heart as they gave each other a hoof-bump when they heard Rarity squealing “Please, please, please!!”

They looked to see Rarity, giving a pleading look with a quivering lower lip to Fluttershy. The pegasus mare sighed, “If it’s that important to you, of course I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Rarity gushed, “You’re the best friend a pony could ever have!”

Soon all four ponies stepped out of the spa, feeling fresh as a bouquet of daisies, Fluttershy sighing in satisfaction.
“What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.”

“And to think I almost declined to come here,” Midnight laughed, “But this big lug convinced me in the end!”

“Eeyup,” chuckled Big Mac but blushing a bit when Fluttershy laughed with him. “Uh, anypony up fer a slice at Pepper Pony’s?”

“Oh I’m afraid this is where we part ways, ol’ chaps,” Rarity intervened, “Fluttershy agreed to model for me once Photo Finish arrives to critique my work.”

“Well, alright, good luck, Rarity,” Midnight said as the two mares made off for the boutique.

He then noticed the slightly disappointed look on Mac’s face.
“Hey don’t sweat it, Mac, there’s always tomorrow. Come on, my treat.”

After a delicious pizza-pie, the two were walking through the market when they ran into Twilight, Pinkie, and Spike.
“Hey, boys!” Twilight greeted them, “You won’t believe it, but it appears Rarity was able to impress Photo Finish!”

“That’s great, but then would you expect any less from our own resident fashionista?” Midnight chuckled.

“Right now, Rarity and Fluttershy are attending a photo-shoot where Fluttershy’s gonna model more of Rarity’s clothes,” Spike said with a swoon, “and then all Equestria will know the beauty and talent that is… Rarity.”

Midnight and Mac gave each other a smirk, as Midnight whispered, “Whoa, he’s got it bad!”
“Heeyup.”

“Isn’t it so exciting?!” Pinkie gushed before getting uncharacteristically dramatic, “The camera, poised for its next shot… Fluttershy, garbed in the latest brilliance that shines from Rarity’s creativity! Ooh! Just thinking about it gives me the willies!”

“Why don’t we head over to the boutique in a little while and see Rarity?” Twilight suggested, “I’d love to hear how it went.”

That’s exactly what they did an hour later. Entering the boutique, they went up to Rarity’s room, where she appeared to be sewing something black, Pinkie bouncing, “Howdit go, howdit go?!”

“It didn’t,” Rarity deadpanned woefully as she took the black garb and threw it over her back and securing the neck-pieces. “Photo Finish wanted to work with Fluttershy, not me.”

“What?!” Midnight could not believe it. “What kind of hack is she to not recognize your talent?!”

“Midnight Blaze!” Rarity scolded, “Whatever we may feel, don’t forget Photo Finish is a… certified fashion critique…”

“I’m so sorry, Rarity,” Twilight said gently, “Is there anything we can do?”

Then Rarity pulled up a hood to hide her face, saying, "I just… want to be alone right now.”

Seeing her so down in the dumps, they wanted to help but suddenly Spike got up in their faces.

“You heard her!” Spike said as he held out his hands and herding them out, “She vants to be… alone.”

But then the little lovestruck hypocrite swooned hearts as he turned to start skipping towards Rarity, only for Twilight to bite his tail and drag him out, closing Rarity’s bedroom door. They all gave him the stink-eye, Spike saying, “What?! I didn’t think she meant…alone-alone.”

“But I can’t believe Photo Finish chose Fluttershy over Rarity,” Midnight brought up, but then noticed the look Mac was giving him, forcing him to save his tail.
“Uh- That is, not that Fluttershy’s not model-material, she’s a fairly attractive pony. I just mean, how could Photo Finish not like Rarity’s designs?”

Big Mac closed his eyes and nodded in agreement with a tone, “Eeyup.”

The tone told Midnight he just barely pulled his tail out of the fire.

“Well, even photographers are artists, Midnight,” Twilight reasoned, “Perhaps Fluttershy has something Photo Finish is looking for that she didn’t see in Rarity’s designs.”

“Well, I can’t really see it going anywhere,” Midnight debated, “Fluttershy as a fashion model? I don’t think it's her dream career, all those flashing cameras, ponies gaping at her all day long?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed wholeheartedly. “Miss Fluttershy ain’t tha’ kinda pony.”

But over the next few days, the evidence that Fluttershy’s new modelling career was undeniable. She was in magazines, posters, she had a red carpet greeting at a theater, her face was on all the stands at the marketplace, pegasus ponies were pulling her image on banners across the sky.

Exactly a week passed by since then, and Midnight was honestly finding Fluttershy’s image everywhere to be ridiculous. It felt wrong, like the image of his friend was losing what made it special by parading it all over all day long.

He sighed and tried to ignore it all as he made his way to the library.
“Twilight, I’m here for my next lesson!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Midnight.”

Midnight noticed Twilight fidgeting while looking through a book but didn’t appear to be enjoying her read, and that told Midnight not all was right in the world.
“Is something wrong, Twi?”

“Like you couldn’t imagine,” Twilight responded with a sigh as she put the book back. “I just got back from the spa and Fluttershy missed her weekly get-together with Rarity.”

“Ooh…” Midnight had a feeling of where this was headed.

“And believe it or not, Rarity is actually jealous of Fluttershy!”

“I’m not,” Midnight scoffed, “All that attention? Having your image plastered all over? And just yesterday, I saw some overzealous fans chase Fluttershy all over town! A life of fame n’ fortune? I'll take the fortune, you can keep the fame, thank you very much!”

“Well, for reasons that defy even me, Rarity wants that kind of attention,” Twilight went on, “She made me promise not to tell Fluttershy how she feels, but you won’t believe what happened after she left.”

“Lemme guess, the moment our favorite diva walked out, our unwilling model walked in.”

“Mm-hmm, and you know what? Fluttershy hates being a model!”

“Well what’s not to hate?!” Midnight agreed with an exasperated sigh and roll of his eyes. “She can’t take two steps through town without being mobbed or snapshot! But hey! You can tell Rarity how Fluttershy feels about the modeling career, and Rarity won’t be so jealous!”

“That won’t work,” Twilight lamented, “Cause after she told me, Fluttershy made me promise not to tell Rarity!”

“Oh for goddess' sake…!” Midnight now saw the situation. Twilight had the answers to the problem but was bound by two separate promises to keep them to herself. For some reason, that felt familiar but he shook it off.
“So, why’re you telling me if you can’t tell them?”

“I only promised not to tell each pony in question how the other feels,” Twilight amended, “but I didn’t promise not to tell anypony else! Thank goodness for that, Pinkie Pie’s been popping up everywhere making sure I don’t spill the beans!”

“Urgh, that pony and her ridiculous pinkie-promises!” Miodnight growled, “How can she not see that by holding your silence it’s just letting the problem continue?”

“Because when you give your word to somepony you’re given their trust to keep the promise you made to them,” Twilight explained, “and according to Pinkie, losing a friend’s trust is the fastest way to lose a friend-”

“FOREVER!!!”

They both yelped and saw Pinkie sticking out from between some books on a high shelf, giving Twilight that gesture that means ‘I got my eye on you, sunshine’ before she slid and vanished into the books. Midnight hurried over and pushed the books apart, gasping to see Pinkie was gone, with no explanation as to how she appeared there in the first place.
“That pony will be the death of me, I’m sure of it…”

Author's Note

Yes, I am FlutterMac shipping here, get used to it.

36. Green isn't Your Color - Part 2

Later on, Midnight was walking with Big Mac, who looked a little depressed.

“So, uh… Mac? Whattya think of Fluttershy’s new career?” Midnight asked, trying to break the ice.

“Honestly, haystack?” Big Mac sighed, “Ah don’ like it. Ah mean, seeing Fluttershy’s image like this ev’rywhere an’ all th’ time? It just…”

He sighed again, muttering, “It’s not the pony Ah’m fallin’ for…”

“Well, to tell you the truth, Mac,” Midnight brought up and explained everything Twilight told him, “…and Twilight can’t say anything `cause of Pinkie’s stupid pinkie promise! I swear that pony has such a black n’ white view regarding promises! In fact! I’m gonna have a word to her about it one of these days…”

“But if Fluttershy don’ like modelin’ she has every right t’ quit,” Big Mac protested, redirecting conversation to the real point.

“Didn’t you hear me? She’s doing it because she thinks quitting would disappoint Rarity,” Midnight reminded him. “Except Rarity would just love for Fluttershy’s modeling career to bite the dust but she feels guilty for thinking such a thing about her friend, it’s a messy situation."

Big Mac sighed, “If only tha’ fashion-hack Photo Finish would fine somepony else t' model an’ she’d leave Fluttershy alone.”

Midnight gasped, “That’s it! I gotta go see Twilight, see ya later!”

Big Mac stood there in bewilderment, watching Midnight gallop off.
“Wha’d Ah say?”

At Sugarcube Corner, Midnight met up with Twilight and explained his idea.
“See, Photo Finish is spiraling Fluttershy’s image into celebrity status, but if we can ruin that image Photo Finish will kick Fluttershy out of the modelling business faster than Big Mac can apple-buck all the apples out of a tree!”

“And Fluttershy will be free of all that drama, and Rarity won’t be jealous anymore!” Twilight gathered in turn. “It’s brilliant! Except… Fluttershy could never do something unattractive enough to get Photo finish to fire her or all the fans to lose the appeal they have for Fluttershy.”

“On her own…” Midnight amended with a sneaky look. “But if one of us helps Fluttershy out, with just the right unpleasant presentation at her next fashion show, no one will ever want her to model again!"

“Fluttershy won’t have to do a job she hates, Rarity won’t be jealous anymore, and I’ll no longer have to keep their secret!” Twilight was getting giddy as she clapped her hooves.
“It’s the perfect plan!”

“Order up!”

They saw Pinkie bring them some cupcakes and realized she must’ve heard everything, Twilight saying, “Pinkie, whatever you just heard, you can’t tell anyone about it.”

“Promise you won’t tell anyone about it!” Midnight growled.

Pinkie responded by zipping her lips and then going through a range of pantomime motions.

“So… you do promise you won’t tell or you don’t?” Twilight wanted to ascertain.

“Uh, yes!” Pinkie replied with a tone one would use for ‘duh’ as she explained and repeated the motions, “Obviously, that's why I zipped my mouth closed, then locked it with a key, then dug a hole, then buried the key, then built a house up top the hole where I buried the key, then moved into the house on top of the hole!”

“Obviously…” deadpanned Midnight in response to Pinkie’s smile.

“Now, I think I’d better be the one to help Fluttershy,” Twilight insisted, “I’m more experienced, and it’ll look less suspicious to have a mare backstage than a stallion.”

“Okay, good luck,” Midnight left to go tell Mac the news.

“Soon, big bro, Fluttershy will model no more,” Midnight assured the big red farmer as they made their way to the show. “With Twilight’s help, Fluttershy’s presentation will be so unattractive, nopony will ever wanna see her model again!”

“But… won’t Fluttershy be embarrassed t’ make such a display?” Big Mac brought up, Midnight stopping in his tracks.

“…Maybe I should’ve thought this through a little more,” he muttered hesitantly.

“Let’s get over there!” Big Mac urged and they hurried.

Getting past the ticket booth was no trouble, Midnight simply used a dizzy-spell to incapacitate the security guard. But as they made their way into the showroom, they were surprised to hear, “Bravo! I say bravo! Such attitude, such pizzazz! She’s invented an entirely new kind of modelling!”

“Who’s cheering?” Midnight looked around for the source when Big Mac spotted the cheerer.

“Miss Rarity?”

Midnight noticed her then too. Rarity was clapping her hooves, wearing a gorgeous cape and headdress.
“Wait one apple-pickin’ minute,” Midnight could not believe it. “I thought Rarity wanted Fluttershy to topple!”

Before Big Mac could say anything, the audience started following Rarity’s example, and soon enough they all were applauding and cheering for Fluttershy. But one would have to be blind in both eyes to see the woeful sigh she made.

Once it all calmed down, Midnight and Big Mac went to see Rarity.
“Rarity, I… didn’t expect you to be here!” Midnight wanted to keep Fluttershy’s confidence even though he hadn’t given his word to her.

“Well… If Fluttershy is destined for stardom, it is wrong of me to try and ruin it,” Rarity sighed as they made their way backstage. “However jealous I might be, my friendship with Fluttershy is more important, which is why I must be certain she isn’t upset after that modelling upset.”

She hurried to the room Fluttershy was in, apparently accompanied by Twilight.
“Fluttershy, are you alright?”

Fluttershy hesitated while putting on a smile, “I’m… great! I’m a super famous fashion model, why wouldn’t I be great?”

“Because you-!”

The boys noticed Twilight had her hoof in her mouth and Midnight knew she was trying to stop herself from breaking her promise to Fluttershy.

“Out there on the runway,” Rarity brought up, “everyone turning on you, and- It’s so awful, Fluttershy I- …I wanted them to.”

“You did?!” Fluttershy gasped and Midnight couldn’t take it anymore.

“Argh! This has gone far enough!” he snapped and spewed, “Rarity! Fluttershy doesn’t like being a model, in fact she hates it! Twilight was helping her look unattractive tonight so everypony wouldn’t want her to model anymore! And Fluttershy! Rarity’s been jealous of you ever since Photo Finish passed her over for you! She’s the one who wants all the attention you’re getting!”

Everypony gasped and for a few moments, silence.
“But… Rarity?” Fluttershy broke the ice. “Why didn’t you tell me that you were jealous?”

Rarity sighed, “It’s true, I was jealous Photo Finish chose you and not me, that you were getting all the attention! I even hoped you would blunder and your modelling would be over but… I thought you loved modelling! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Love? Oh Rarity, I hate being a model! All this attention, having my image everywhere, mobbed by fans!” she sighed, “I was afraid to quit that I’d disappoint you for not… ‘shining all over Equestria’.”

“And I thought if I admitted how jealous I was of your success you'd think I was a terrible friend,” Rarity added.

“Well, Ah think we all learned sumthin’ here,” Big Mac spoke up. “Like we Apples say, honesty is always th’ best policy.”

“He’s right, girls,” Midnight added, “If you two had just come clean about how you felt with the situation, all this fuss and drama could’ve been avoided.”

Twilight sighed, “And I would’ve told you this myself but you each made me promise not to say anything to the other!”

The girls sighed, Rarity saying, “I promise, Fluttershy, to never keep my feelings secret again.”
“Me too!”

Then they both pinkie-promised, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

As they all laughed, Photo Finish showed up, ruining the moment, “You were brilliant, brilliant! I’ve already got six photo shoots lined up for tomorrow alone!”

“I’m sorry, Photo Finish, but I won’t be making any of them,” Fluttershy declined.

“Whaaat?!”

“We go!” everypony stated with a hoof-bump as they walked past the hack, whose jaw had dropped.

“Vat… has just happened?”

Fluttershy sighed in content in the Jacuzzi, all of them having retired to the spa, Rarity in a seaweed wrap, Midnight and Big Mac getting their backs massaged, Twilight getting a bubble-bath.
“This… is living,” Midnight sighed
“Eeyup...” agreed a blissful Big Mac.

“What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon,” Fluttershy commented.
“Isn’t it though?” Rarity added.

“Dear Princess Celestia,” Twilight quoted, “Being a good friend means being able to keep a secret. But you should never be afraid to share your true feelings with a good friend… Didja get all that, Spike?”

“I’ll get to it!” Spike promised as he waved a palm leaf fan at Rarity, swooning, “But I’m… a little busy at the moment.

Everypony just laughed and sighed as they let themselves be spoiled.

Author's Note

Nothing to add, really. Just another lesson learned.

37. Over a Barrel - Part 1

A train streaked across the desert, carrying seven passengers, not including the engineer and work staff. Midnight Blaze, Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike were on their way to visit Applejack’s cousin in the new town of Appleloosa, where they were delivering an apple tree Applejack had grown herself to gift to the town’s new apple orchard.

As they all talked in the sleeper car, Rarity stormed in from the back, groaning in frustration.
“That Applejack! The nerve of her to book the private sleeping car for a tree! I wanted that car!”

“Ah, relax, Rares,” Midnight shook his head in good-natured-pity as he read the novel he'd brougth to pass the time on his bed, “AJ’s just… concerned over replanting that tree, Bloomburg, did she call it?”

“Uh-huh!” Pinkie confirmed. “Applejack planted and raised Bloomberg all by herself!”

“Ugh! She treats it as though it were her child!” Rarity pouted as she got into her bunk, conceding to the indignation and thinly-maintained tolerance.

“I can’t wait to get there,” Thunderlane spoke up, “It’s kinda awesome we’re gonna visit a newly started town that’s just getting on its own hooves!”

“Twilight wanted to visit as well,” Spike commented, “But she got a letter from the princess requesting some research and so…”

“She’s diving into another studying binge,” Midnight chuckled.

“I hope she remembers to get some rest,” Fluttershy concerned, “You know how she is, so engrossed in her studying sometimes she forgets to take care of herself.”

“Don’t worry,” Midnight waved off her concern, “I left a few charms in her library to make sure she does just that.”

At that very moment, Twilight was pouring through a tome, ignoring her growling stomach, when…
“LUNCHTIME, LUNCHTIME, LUNCHTIME!!! TIME TO FEED YOUR HUNGRY GUT, GET TO IT, MISSY!”

She yelped in freak-out and jumped to her hooves, looking around for the source of that obnoxious alert, coming from all around her but could not, for the life of her, identify the source.

Back on the train, Midnight chuckled devilishly, remembering the alert spells he placed in the library. They were set to go off at designated events, such as the ‘lunchtime’ alert he’d set to go off when Twilight’s stomach growled. The spell was nigh undetectable so Twilight was unlikely to find it, and it wouldn’t stop until she satisfied the alert’s demand. He wished he could be there for the ‘bedtime’ alert and the ‘wake up’ alert. Or, dare he think it, the ‘toilet time’ alert.

“So don’t worry about Twilight,” Midnight assured Fluttershy. “Let’s just enjoy ourselves once we get there.”

“So how come you’re coming along, Spike?” Thunderlane asked.

“Well, since Twilight won’t get the chance to give the town a going-over, she wants me to document how it’s doing so she can report the town’s progress to the princess after we get back,” Spike explained.

Before long, night fell, and everypony was in their bunks and still talking, except for Rarity and Spike, the both of them wanting to get some sleep, the former sighing, “For crying out loud in the morning…!”

“Urgh! Do you guys mind?” Spike groaned irritably. “I was up early fire-roasting those snacks for you and I’m pooped!”

“Uh, speaking of which,” Thunderlane brought up as he held out his bag of popcorn. “Some of these kernels didn’t get popped.”

Thunderlane gasped and ducked as a tongue of green dragonfire lashed out and torched his bag of popcorn, one single kernel popping.

“Happy?! Then good night,” Spike snapped as he pulled his blanket over his head.

“Mmmaybe we should all hit the sack,” Midnight suggested. “Tomorrow’s gonna be busy for us all!”

“Aww!” the others sighed as Midnight turned out the lamp.

As Spike began to snore…
“Psst, Pinkie Pie, are you asleep yet?”
“No, are you asleep yet?”
“If I were sleeping, how could I have asked you if you were asleep?”
“Oh yeah! Heh-ha!”
“When we get to Appleloosa, do you think we’ll have to carry that big, heavy tree all the way to the orchard?”
“What tree, you mean Bloomburg?”
“…No, Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy isn’t a tree, silly!”
“What’s up?”
“Thunderlane thinks Fluttershy is a tree!”
“I do not think she’s a tree, I was just-”
“Did you say she was a tree?”
“No! Well, yes but- Not exactly-”
“You know she’s not a tree, right?”
“She’s not a tree, Thundy!”
“I’d like to be a tree.”

“For pete’s sakes!”

They heard Spike as he hopped out of bed and went out the backdoor to the next car with a loud slam of the door.

“Well that was kinda huffy.”
“Huffy the Magic Dragon!”

They all started laughing when a light shined, Rarity screaming, “Would you all be QUIET… NOOOOW?!?!”

Seeing the diva didn’t have her face on (what with a mud-mask and cucumber slices, and hideous mane-rolls), they all screamed, Midnight blowing out the candle.

In the private sleeper car, Spike entered, whispering, “Bloomburg? Bloomburg!”

He got into bed with the tree, whispering, “Sorry, I kinda snore a bit. G’night.”

The train was still running as Celestia brought out the sun that morning, but a powerful tremor shook everypony awake. They all looked out the windows and Midnight gasped, “Wow! A buffalo stampede!”

Stampeding alongside the train was a herd of buffalo, many of them with eagle-feathers tied onto their horns or manes, the ponies awing at them, Rarity commenting, “I just love their accessories.”

“I read about the buffalo tribes that live out here in the desert,” Midnight brought up, “But I didn’t think we’d get a chance to see them! They’re amazing!”

“Um, aren’t they getting awfully close to the train?” Fluttershy observed nervously.

That was exactly what the buffalo were doing. But it worsened as they started ramming against the engine and the cars, everypony yelping in fright as they were bounced around the car. As it calmed down, Pinkie said, “Ooh, look!”

They joined her at the window as she said, “Now they’re doing tricks!”

A buffalo jumped onto the back of another as a buffalo calf with a feather banded to her forehead ran up, getting onto one, then leaping onto the buffalo who’d jumped onto the first.
“Ooh, ooh! Now do a back-flip!” Pinkie called.

The buffalo calf instead leaped out of sight, but the slam of hooves on the roof told them where she’d gone.
“Or just… jump?” Pinkie confused.

The sounds of hooves they heard from the ceiling indicated the calf was headed down to the next car, Thunderlane saying, “Something’s up, and it’s no act!”

He flew into action, zooming outside and quickly saw the buffalo calf running down the train car roofs. He landed ahead of her, saying, “Where you off to in such a rush?”

The calf ignored him and ran past, Thunder keeping up in flight.
“Look, you’re obviously here for some reason, perhaps we can help you out.”

The calf continued to ignore him so he tried to bar her way, “I’m talking to-”

But then he gasped as she took a mighty leap, a few front-flips in mid-air and landed on the next car.
“Okay, that was impressive,” he muttered as he chased after her.

But just before he could grab her, the calf vanished between the car before the private car (which was dead-last of the train), Thunderlane crashing into a railroad sign while the calf undid the latch connecting the private car to the train.

She whistled to her herd, obviously their objective reached, and the herd receded, and started pushing the private car the other way. The others all gasped as they watched from the last car, Applejack wailing, “They got Bloomburg!”

Then Midnight noticed someone waving their arms in a panicky fashion from inside the private car, obviously screaming for help.
“And Spike!”

As Thunderlane came to, he noticed the buffalo just as they passed with the private car and heard Spike screaming, “HELP!!”

“Stealing is one thing, but dragon-napping?!” Thunderlane groaned as he rubbed his head.
“Now it’s personal…”

Author's Note

I liked doing the colored dialogue for the late-night whispering

Thunderlane's dialogue is yellow, like his eyes cuz I didn't want to make it gray or black like his coat, it wouldn't have stood out much

38. Over a Barrel - Part 2

Eventually, the train pulled into the Appleloosa train station. The ponies hurried out only to be met with a yellow earth pony stallion, wearing a vest, cowboy hat, his mane golden and flowing, big green eyes, a cutie-mark being a simple apple, and giving them a smile to rival Pinkie Pie as he got friendly.
“Hey there! An' welcome to,” he reared up, flailing his forelimbs as he cried out, “A-A-PPLELOOOSA!”

“Braeburn, listen-” Applejack tried to say but Braeburn cut her off.

“Cousin Applejack, mind yer manners, y’ have yet t’ introduce me to yer compadres! Shame on you!”

“Braeburn, listen, sumthin’ terrible has happened-”

“Terrible is right!” Braeburn went on, “Yer train’s a full seven minutes late! That’s seven minutes less for you to delight in th’ pleasures n' wonders of A-A-PPLELOOOSA!”

And without another word, Braburn started pushing the visitors all over town for a whirlwind tour.
“Boggles th’ mind we settler ponies built all in just this past year, don’t it?! As y’all can see, we have all a th’ finest comforts! Like horse-drawn carriages!”

He pointed out somepony pulling a carriage before he said, “Okay, you pull now.”

“Aw, we jus’ switched,” protested the passenger.

“And those there’re horse-drawn, horse-drawn carriages,” Braeburn pointed out some ponies painting and drawing ponies drawing carriages.

“Uh, Braburn? If we could just-” Midnight tried to say but Braeburn pushed them all in front of the local saloon.

“An’ here’s our local waterin’ hole, the Salt Block,” Braeburn pointed out as a pony got tossed out the swinging batwing doors, somepony, the bartender likely, shouting, “Tha’s enough salt for you!”

The pony, his pursing lips flecked with salt, slurred, “Can’t Ah at least… get a glass a’ water?”

The bartender gathered his dignity and headed back inside, Braeburn pushing things along.
“There’s the office of Sheriff Silver Star!” he pointed to the sheriff’s office, Silver Star relaxing.

“And here’s where we have our Wild West dances,” he pointed out an area full of frisky ponies in a hoedown.

“And here’s where we have our mild west dances,” he pointed out ponies dancing slowly and in relaxed manners.

“But Braeburn, we-” Applejack tried to say but again Braeburn got pushy.

“And here’s th’ most wonderful sight in all A-A-PPLELOOOSA!” he whooped before proudly declaring, “Our apple orchard!”

It was a site worthy of commendation, a tribute to hard work and tender love, to the strength of the earth pony, and any other time Applejack would’ve fawned over it but now was not the time.
“Braeburn!”

“First harvest should be any day now,” Braeburn went on.

“Braebur-”

“Good thing too!”

“Brae-”

“Cuz we need that grub t’ live on!”

“BRAEBURN!” Applejack hollered.

“Uh, yes, cuz?”

“Y’ have a very nice town an’ all,” Applejack stated, Braeburn nodding in agreement, “but we have a HU-UGE problem! Some a’ our friends are missin’!”

“A stampede of buffalo,” Fluttershy informed, Braburn’s eyes popping at the mere mention of the word ‘buffalo’ while Rarity cried, “They took Spike!”

“Thunderlane went after them,” Midnight explained, Fluttershy adding, “And we can’t find Pinkie Pie!”

“And we had an apple tree with us for yer orchard,” Applejack wrapped it up,” They took that too!”

“Did you say… buffalo?” Braeburn sighed sadly, “Them buffalo, they wan’ us settler ponies t’ take every single tree y’see here off'a this land! They sure as hay don’ want any new ones added in.”

“But why?” Fluttershy asked.

“Dunno, but we put a lot’a hard work into this land,” Braeburn went on as he looked upon the orchard, “so we can feed our town, our fam’lies, our foals! An' now they’re sayin’ all these trees gotta go? T’ain’t fair…”’

“Hmm…” Midnight pondered.

Meanwhile, out in the desert, Thunderlane was sneaking about, tiptoeing from behind rock to behind another rock, leaping to another as he whispered, “When I get my hooves on that brat buffalo- Ooh!”

He rubbed the bump on his head, still sore, “Nopony makes a fool out of Thunderlane and gets away with it scot-free!”

“Boo!”

“YAH!” Thunderlane flapped upwards but saw it was, “Pinkie Pie?!”

“Aw, ya caught me, looks like I made a fool of you and didn’t get away scot-free either,” Pinkie giggled.
“You’re good!”

“Shh! What are you doing here?!” Thunderlane hissed, putting a hoof over her mouth. “You’re gonna blow my cover!”

“I am?”

“I’m trying to save Spike,” Thunderlane explained in a low tone, while looking around from behind a rock.

“Ohmygosh, so am I!” cheered Pinkie, making Thunderlane flinch at how loud she was being.

“Well the more of us out here the more likely we’re to get-” Thunder thundered, too late in noticing the buffalo showing up and surrounding them.
“…caught.”

The buffalo snorted, pawing the ground with their hooves, showing they were ready to charge when…
“Hold it, hold it!”

They parted to reveal…
“Spike?!” Thunderlane and Pinkie gaped at him as the little dragon approached.

“`Sup!” Spike turned to the buffalo saying, “Ah no worries, I know these guys. They’re cool.”

“If you say so, Spike,” said one of the buffalo, who hoof/fist-bumped with the little dragon.
“Catch ya later, bro!”

And with that, the buffalo ran off, Spike gesturing Thunderlane and Pinkie to follow him.

Night fell by the time they reached their destination, the buffalo tribe’s camp. Spike led them to a campfire and explained, “Seems they took me by mistake, and they felt bad about it too, the poor guys. But wouldn’t you know it?”

He snapped his fingers and some buffalo pushed some bowls of some kind of mush to Thunderlane and Pinkie, Spike saying, “They totally respect dragons! So they treat me like an honored guest, still don’t like ponies much though but… stick with me and you’re cool.”

“Huh, well I don’t trust them,” Thunderlane snapped as he pushed the bowl of mush away in disgust.
“So I say we get outta here and hightail it to Appleloosa.”

“Mmm, before we finish eating?” Pinkie protested, Thunderlane making a face in disgust and frustration.
“Are you loco in the cocoa?!”

Then Pinkie noticed a buffalo calf bringing Spike a bowl of turquoise, so she asked, “Can I please have some more of that mushy stuff, whatever it was?”

“Certainly,” the calf said with a friendly-tone. “And Mister Spike, you like gemstones, yes?”

“Ooh, turquoise!” Spike licked his lips and gobbled them up. “This here’s Little Strongheart! And these’re my friends Pinkie Pie n’ Thunderlane!”

While Pinkie waved real-friendly-like, Thunderlane only gave a salute but his ears perked in realization.
“YOU!”

“You?!” Little Strongheart gasped.

“Oh we are so outta here!” Thunderlane declared, dragging Pinkie by her tail.

“Wait! Please, accept my apologies for what happened on the train. We didn’t mean for anyone to be hurt!”

“Uh-huh.” Thunderlane scoffed before trying to go a different way but the calf barred his way again.

“We only wanted the tree! The settler ponies have overtaken the land and planted an orchard all over it! Because of their thoughtlessness, we can no longer run over our traditional stampeding grounds.”

“And?” Thunderlane asked in a blasé tone.

“Uh, I think it’s time they met Chief Thunderhooves,” Spike suggested, hoping to ease the tension.

At a gathering of the tribe, the biggest buffalo stepped in front of the campfire, his head bearing a feathered tribal headdress. He could only be Chief Thunderhooves.
“We have a long and winding stampeding trail we have run upon for many generations. My father stampeded upon these grounds, and his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him, and-”

“We get it, move on!” Thunderlane snapped, and even though some members of the tribe found it disrespectful they silently agreed as a few had begun to doze off as the chief had been rambling.

Chief Thunderhooves snorted but dismissed the outburst.
“It is a sacred tradition to run the path every year. But this year, these… settler ponies, these…” – The chief snorted angrily – “Appleloosans!”

He snorted some more but Little Strongheart calmed him down and took it from there.
“They planted apple trees all over it without asking for permission.”

“Well that’s not very nice, right, Thundy?” Pinkie commented, Thunderlane just scoffing.

“The ponies refuse to move their trees!” Little Strongheart got passionate, “So we are stuck here and it is not fair!”

Spike eyed Thunderlane nervously, and asked, “Do you get it now, Thunder? They have a good reason to be-”

Thunderlane suddenly flapped up and landed with a loud stamp of his hooves, the buffalo gasping, fearing Thunderlane was about get confrontational when…
“I’ll say you have a good reason! I think it’s time we had a word with some certain apple-picking Appleloosans!”

The next morning, the friends and Braeburn had gathered just outside Appleloosa, all of them carrying saddlebags, as Applejack tightened Rarity’s.
“Ow! Gently, please!”

“Sorry Rarity, but our friends are out there, an’ we have t’ be ready fer a long hike into buffalo territory if’n we’r gonna save em! Alright, everypony! Headem up and move `em out!”

They started galloping off and from out of nowhere did appear Thunderlane, Pinkie Pie, and Spike, forcing them all to skid to a halt.
“Hi guys!” Pinkie greeted them, getting tackled by Fluttershy, saying, “Pinkie! We’re so glad you’re safe!”

The others all gathered around, relieved their missing friends were not missing anymore.
“How’d you three get here so fast?” asked Midnight.

“We had help,” Pinkie pointed out a rock and out hopped Little Strongheart, to everypony’s surprise, Thunderlane saying, “We promised the buffalo a chance to talk.”

“Oh yeah? `Bout what?” Applejack narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Little Strongheart’s here to explain to the Appleloosans why they gotta move the apple trees off buffalo land,” Thunderlane explained while pushing Little Strongheart up to Braeburn, who smiled, “Tha’ information would be quite helpfu-”

“Tha’s weird!” Applejack piped in, “Cuz mah cousin Braeburn here wants t’explain t’ th’ buffalo why they should let the apple trees stay.”

“That would be a useful thing to-” Little Strongheart tried to say when Thunderlane interrupted, “The land is theirs! Brae, you just planted the trees without knowing that, honest mistake. All you have to do is move `em.”

“Well-” Braeburn started but Applejack was getting hostile. “They busted their rumps here! An’ now they’re s’posed to bust their rumps again, just cuz some buffalo won’ stampede somewhere else?!”

“Plant the trees somewhere else!” Thunderlane insisted.

“Where?!” Applejack pointed out the desert. “It’s th’ only flatland around these parts!”

“The buffalo had it first!”

“The settler ponies need it t’ live!”

Midnight sighed as Thunderlane and Applejack argued so he had to step in.
“HOLD IT!” he shouted while getting between the two arguing ponies and pushing them apart. “First off, kiss already."

"HEY!" Thunderlane and Applejack snapped while blsuhing and Midnight went on.

"Second, both the buffalo and the settlers have good reasons to use this land. I’m sure if we just keep cool heads and open minds we can come up with a solution that is mutually beneficial.”

“Hey! I got an idea!” Pinkie popped up.

“It can’t involve a cheesy musical number that sends some kind of message about the morals of sharing,” Midnight immediately shot her down, knowing her well enough.

“But-” Pinkie protested, only for Midnight to go, “Bzzt!”

“But-”

“Bzzt!” Midnight kept cutting her off, “And that is the last ‘bzzt’ I have on the matter!”

“Hmph!” pouted Pinkie as Midnight turned to Little Strongheart and Braeburn, addressing them in turn.
“Go tell your chief to come to the town and you tell Sheriff Silver Star the chief of the buffalo is coming, we’re gonna have a peace summit.”

“Peace summit?” Spike echoed.

“A convening of at least two conflicting parties to negotiate a truce in the pursuit of peace,” Midnight explained, everypony gave him a look.
“Twilight’s rubbing off on me at her lectures.”

At the town square, the ponies had brought out a table for Chief Thunderhooves and Sheriff Silver Star, with Midnight presiding as the peace-maker while Braeburn and Little Strongheart stood next to their superiors. All the ponies and buffalo stood in the background, anxiously awaiting the summit to get started.
“Ah cain’t believe this…” Applejack muttered, “Traditions can change, livelihoods not so much.”

“Isn’t it better for there to be peace between the tribe and the town rather than a one-sided solution?” Thunderlane asked, but honestly feeling a little irritated himself.

“Shh! They’re starting!” Spike pointed out.

“We are here to negotiate a solution!” Midnight declared for all to hear. “A solution to bring about peace between the Buffalo Tribes and the ponies of Appleloosa! A solution that can mutually benefit both the tribe and town! Peace is the purpose of this summit so peace there shall be for as long as it is in session. Under no circumstances may either the ponies or the buffalo instigate strife or violence. As an outsider, I shall be the mediator, and so I shall invite Chief Thunderhooves and Little Strongheart the first word in explaining their plight.”

“What?!”

They looked and saw Applejack glaring at Midnight, “Why d’ they get t’ go first?!”
“Y’know! We can just skip all this and you can all listen to my song!” Pinkie added.

“Pinkie Pie, Applejack, I know some silencing spells and I’m not afraid to use them!” Midnight snapped.
“One more outburst like that and you can both spend the rest of the day mute!”

He looked to Thunderhooves and nodded apologetically and as a gesture for him to step up. Chief Thunderhooves cleared his throat, and called out, “Ponies of Appleloosa! I am Chief Thunderhooves of the Buffalo Tribe! We are here to declare our rights to the land you have overtaken with your orchard! For generations, we buffalo have practiced our sacred tradition of stampeding across the land every year. I stampeded across these grounds, as did my father before me, and his father before him…”

“And… he’s off, fillies & gentlecolts,” Spike deadpanned, noticing everyone present starting to doze or tap their hooves impatiently.

Midnight cleared his throat and respectfully said, “Uh, Chief? I think you’ve made your point, please move along?”

“Oh yes, of course,” Chief Thunderhooves cleared his throat again. “As I was saying, these lands are sacred to our traditions and we demand that the orchard be moved so we can continue to practice our traditional annual stampede unmolested.”

“Anything more to say, Chief?” asked Midnight.

“I have had my say,” Chief Thunderhooves declined. “And this summit demands I allow you Appleloosans yours.”

“Very well, then,” Midnight announced, “Sheriff Silver Star, you may step up and have your say, as representative of your town.”

Sheriff Silver Star did so, clearing his throat, and yelling out, “Ah’m Sheriff Silver Star, which means it’s mah job t’ look after this here town an’ keep it safe! Tha’ also means Ah make sure mah lil’ ponies don’t go hungry, which is why we planted th’ orchard in th’ first place! It’s our livelihood! Now we understand and respect tha’ ya buffalo got traditions an’ such, but we cain’t just remove the trees! We need `em t’ live! Please understand we meant no offense or disrespect when we settled here. But we worked our hooves till they bled buildin’ this town and carin’ fer this orchard. It’s our home, and we love it!”

Some of the buffalo and ponies actually shed a few tears, Midnight asking, “Anything else to say, Sheriff?”

“Ah made mah point,” sheriff Silver Star declined as he stepped down.

“So!” Midnight called out as he stepped up. “The problem is clear: The Buffalo have a traditional right to the lands and have lived here far longer thence the Appleloosans built their town, and the Appleloosans have made this place their home and so need the orchard to take care of themselves. As I said, the purpose of this summit is to come to a solution that benefits both sides, one that both the Buffalo and the Appleloosans can live with. We must have open-minds clear of any prejudice and reasons selfish and short-sighted. Such a short-sighted solution would simply be: Either one goes or the other. But I must impress into all of you that is not the solution!”

As Midnight went on, a little colt walked up to Chief Thunderhooves, a pie on his back.
“Um, mister chief, sir?”

Thunderhooves looked at the little pony curiously, as he offered, “Wouldja like some apple pie while you’re here?”

Seeing the sincere kindness in the little colt, the chief smiled and whispered, “Thank you, little one.”

The chief took the pie and bit into it, and no sooner did he did his eyes pop. For some reason, the effect earned everyone’s attention. They watched as he suddenly tore into the pie, saying, “Yum!”

They waited till he was done and he declared, “I believe I have an idea!”

That afternoon, the Appleloosans cut a wide path straight through the orchard and removed the stumps, finally settling down some sod to flatten the pathway they’d made. Applejack signaled Thunderlane with a whistle and the pegasus pony galloped in the lead of the buffalo as they stampeded right through the path.

Earlier, Chief Thunderhooves proposed his idea to Midnight, Sheriff Silver Star, Little Strongheart, Braeburn, Applejack, Thunderlane, and Spike.

In addition to the path made for the buffalo to stampede through, the orchard could stay if the buffalo were allowed to share in its fruit, and the delicious apple pies.

At the end of the path, some ponies tossed a pie to each passing buffalo for them to have, and that night, they all convened in the town square where the buffalo treated the Apploosans to a powwow, where Midnight, the Chief, and the Sheriff sealed the truce over a puff of the sacred peace pipe. There was yee-haws, whooping, laughs, good food and good times!

The next morning, Applejack was happy to get her tree, Bloomburg back, and even happier to get him settled. The Chief and Sheriff respectfully bowed to each other before the buffalo stampeded off home though Little Strongheart made sure to wave goodbye to Applejack and Thunderlane.

As Midnight watched them go, he decided to write his own friendship report for the princess.

‘Dear Princess Celestia,

Friendship is a gift to all and can be very powerful. A common goal can unite even the oldest of foes and allow friendship to prosper. So long as you keep an open mind, and allow for understanding and compromise, you’ll be surprised at what you can accomplish. You gotta share, you gotta care.

Sincerely yours, Midnight Blaze’

“Hey!” Pinkie piped up. “That's what I was gonna say!"

Author's Note

I took this as an opportunity to show a positive side to Midnight's character in light of his recent dark behavior. (Inretrospect, I think I also made him look like a bit of a douche)

The 'bzzt' moment was inspired by Mr. Moesby from the "Suite Life" series

39. A Bird in a Hoof - Part 1

“I can’t believe I’m gonna meet Princess Celestia!” Twinken was so excited, as he walked with Midnight Blaze to Sugarcube Corner.

Princess Celestia was soon to arrive for a visit and get-together at Sugarcube Corner but, as always, the Ponyville residents were going out of their way to make the princess feel welcome.

“Thanks so much for inviting me along, big brother!”

“Glad to have you along, Twink,” Midnight chuckled, seeing the happy smile on the little colt. “I just hope Twilight and the others don’t go overboard or anything.”

“But, aren’t you supposed to be all respectful and polite to royalty?”

“Oh sure, you wanna be polite an’ all, Twinken,” Midnight remarked, “But you have to remember, under that crown and all that is still another pony. I know if I had some kind of royal title, I’d get sick of ponies bowing and scraping in front of me, treating me as a royal and not as a pony like them.”

“Hmm,” Twinken considered that as they came up to the bakery when the trumpet of the royal procession announced the princess had arrived.

“Ah, we’re right on time,” Midnight commented as they went inside, “She should be here momentarily.”

“Places, everypony!”

They looked and saw Twilight looking flustered when she noticed them, “Midnight, Twinken, get ready and stand with the others!”

Midnight sighed and lowered his backside, an unspoken signal for the colt to hop on, and he did so. As the ponies lined up, they saw a pair of Royal Guards enter the establishment, stoic and silent, they were burly white pegasus stallions with blue manes and robin egg-blue eyes, clad in golden armor and galea-style helms. Truly however, all members of the Royal Guard wore armor charmed with a glamour to look the same, so as to protect their identities from enemies. Only they and certain members of Princess Celestia's court could see them for who they really are.

One of them spoke, “Announcing, the Ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia.”

And in walked the tall and graceful radiance that was Princess Celestia, and immediately, everypony bowed.
“Now, now, my dear subjects,” she said kindly. “Please, stand, for this is just a visit. There’s no need for that sort of thing on this occasion, and thank you all for receiving me.”

“Hello Princess,” Twilight greeted as she stood up, “Welcome to Ponyville, over here! We have a seat at the table reserved just for you!”

“Why thank you, Twilight Sparkle.” Celestia looked to her guards and nodded, them nodding in return as they stepped outside and stood as sentinels before the doorway.

Princess Celestia took her seat as the honored guest and everypony started to mingle. Midnight went over, bringing Twinken to sit at one end of the table and Celestia noticed them.
“Hello, Midnight Blaze, it is good to see you again. Twilight has informed me of your progress in magical study.”

“It’s nice to see you as well, Your Highness,” Midnight said with a polite nod before pulling a confident smirk.
“And yes, I like to think I’m doing pretty darn good on my magic.”

“And who is this little one with you?” Celestia asked with a smile.

Twinken looked a bit shy but Midnight nudged the little colt closer with his muzzle, whispering, “Just say hello!”

“Uh, hi, um… Princess Celestia,” Twinken greeted. “My name’s Twinken…”

“Oh! You must be Midnight’s little brother,” Celestia guessed as she looked to the older unicorn, “I recall from a letter you sent me some time ago how you volunteered for the Ponyville Sibling Revelry.”

“I did, and Twinken was there waiting for me to be his big brother,” Midnight said with a proud smile.

“Well, Twinken, I hope your brother has been treating you well,” Celestia said with a smile.

“Oh, he’s the most awesome brother ever!” Twinken gushed, “He took me to the Best Young Flyers Competition, he and Twilight are giving me magic lessons too, and he’s so cool and nice to me!”

“I am glad to hear that,” Celestia smiled.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash zoomed in and landed next to Midnight, whispering, “You wouldn’t believe how stone-faced those guards outside can be!”

“Lemme guess,” Midnight whispered back with a smirk, “You spoke to them, made funny faces, not one little reaction…”

“Exactly!”

Midnight chuckled, as it made him think of something from his old life, and an old saying he just had to whisper, “The British are coming, the British are coming!”

“What the hay does that mean?” Rainbow asked but Midnight just wandered off to mingle with the others, knowing Twinken would stick by the princess.

He then noticed Twilight looking out the door, saying, “It’s alright, sirs, she’s on the list.”

She stepped back and in walked Fluttershy sighing in relief.
“Thanks, Twilight.”

“Glad you could make it, Fluttershy,” Twilight sighed, “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

They looked around, seeing the shindig getting a little more energetic. Spike was helping out the Cakes with the catering, using his fire to quick-bake some small cakes, and Carrot Cake took them to be served at the ring of the bell Spike had.

“How’s everypony doing, good?” Carrot Cake asked nopony in particular and when none said otherwise, he chuckled, “Good.”

Meanwhile, Cup Cake was balancing a tray of cupcakes on her head as she asked Celestia, “Anything else we can get for you, dearie- Oh! I mean, esteemed guest!”

“Everything is fine, Mr. & Mrs. Cake,” Celestia assured them kindly, “Though I think my little pony here, Twinken would appreciate one of those cupcakes, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh not at all!” Carrot Cake quickly served Twinken a cupcake, saying, “Here ya go, little fella, enjoy!”

“I’m not little! I’m nine and a half years old!” Twinken boasted.

Celestia couldn’t help but giggle.
“Alright, then a big fella!”

“That’s better!” Twinken smiled as he took a bite of the cupcake.

“Sorry I’m late,” Fluttershy apologized as she walked with Twilight and Midnight. “I had to finish taking care of a patient first, I only made it because Angel reminded me of the time.”

“You mean that demon in rabbit’s cotton?” Midnight commented with a raised brow. “I find that surprising, considering the last time I was at your cottage he threw a carrot into my nose. Took Big Mac and Applejack both to yank it out.”

“Oh! You and your tender loving care for little animals, Fluttershy,” Twilight was clearly edging towards a panic-attack.
“I just know Princess Celestia’s gonna love that about you! I mean – I hope she will, of course she will!”

“Wow, Twilight,” Fluttershy commented, “I thought I was the one who got nervous at social gatherings.”

“What do you expect from a neurotic? “Midnight cracked, ignoring a stink-eye from Twilight.

“It’s not that!” she protested. “I just want the princess to approve of my friends!”

“But she’s met us all before,” Fluttershy reminded her.

“And read about you my letters,” Twilight confirmed. “But this is the first time she’s spent any real time with you, I want everypony to make a good impression.”

“Well, I’m sure you have nothing to worry about," Fluttershy assured, “It’s just a casual get-together, right?”

“Try telling that to her,” Midnight pointed out and they saw Rarity garbed in a gorgeous dress fit for a ball, looking apprehensive of the ponies around.

“Don’t touch me! Watch the dress. Careful! You might spill that on me.”

Rarity was then approached by Cup Cake with some treats.
“Ooh, that looks delicious! Did it stain?! Keep it away from me!!”

“Or… perhaps not that casual,” Fluttershy amended.

Applejack was at the banquet table, looking hesitant to eat but certainly wanting to.
“Eh, which is th’ salad and which is th’ appetizer again? Which am Ah s’posed t’ eat first?”

She almost took a bite out of three different things before she gave up.
“Aw, never mind Ah’m not hungry.”

“Twi, relax!” Midnight told her, “The princess said herself; this is just a get-together, a visit! You really need to stop overthinking things and mellow out. Besides, I’m confident all of our friends will make a great impression-”

But Pinkie Pie chose that particular moment to get rowdy, bouncing about, whooping and squealing in delight.
“Whoo-hoo! Cupcakes, and candies, and pie, oh my!”

She threw a pie into her face when she noticed and shuddered, “Chocolate fountain, goodness!”

She literally stuck her head in, soaking her entire head with liquid chocolate, which quickly hardened, then cracked, as Pinkie munched on the pieces she got in her mouth. She suddenly zipped up to the princess and Twinken, both about to eat more cupcakes.
“Ya gonna eat that?!”

But she chomped both up, Celestia just smiling at the party pony’s exuberance while Twinken protested, “Hey!”

Cup Cake gasped while her husband flinched at Pinkie’s conduct, the former yanking her away by the tail while the latter quickly served up another cupcake along with a cup of tea.
“A thousand pardons, Your Majesty!”

“That’s quite alright, Mr. Cake, thank you,” Celestia assured the baker as he respectfully backed away.
“Twinken, would you like to share this with me?”

“Would I?!”

“Then have first bite,” Celestia offered.

Twinken concentrated and managed to take the cupcake in his faint red aura, wobbling it a bit as he took a bite and then held it out to Celestia, who smiled at him as she took a nip of the treat and sipped up her tea, replacing the cup onto the saucer.
“Empty teacup at 4 o’clock!”
“Uh, I see it honeybun!”

Carrot Cake quickly refilled the cup with more tea, Celestia, saying, “Oh! Um, thank you.”

“Not at all, Your Highness.”

Celestia sipped her tea again, only for Cup Cake to refill it.
“Thank you again.

“But of course, Your Majesty.”

She continued to sip and each time one of the Cakes would refill the cup. Twinken stifled a laugh and whispered, “Does this happen to you a lot?”

“Everywhere I go,” Celestia confirmed but then she gave him a sneaky wink, and pretended to sip her tea.

Carrot Cake poured more and startled when he realized he’d overfilled it.

“Gotcha!” Celestia smiled, Twinken laughing, while the Cakes smiled back sheepishly.

From the right side of the table, Midnight chuckled, “I had no idea Princess Celestia had an impish side to her!”

“And it looks like Twinken’s really enjoying himself,” Fluttershy added while Twilight appeared to worry.

“And what about you, dear, Fluttershy is it?”

They startled a little when Fluttershy said, “Me? Oh yes, Your Highness.”

“I understand from Twilight Sparkle’s letters that you enjoy tending to the needs of woodland creatures,” Celestia brought up.
“Uh-huh! Fluttershy’s so nice!," Twinken butted in, "She takes care of all kinds of animals!”

“Twinken, it’s rude to interrupt,” Midnight chuckled warningly.

“Oh it’s alright, because it’s true!” Fluttershy spoke up. “I love nothing more than to help little animals in need.”

“As do I,” Celestia agreed. “As princess, I care about all creatures, great and small.”

But at that moment, a loud cough startled everypony, directing their attention to a stilted birdcage behind Celestia that oddly they hadn’t noticed before, as some feathers fell from it, and more coughs ensued while Celestia spoke, “Nothing means more to me than the well-being of all my subjects.”

The source of the coughing and hacking made itself known as it flew up onto a hanging perch inside the cage, revealing it to be a pale pink scraggly-looking bird, Celestia taking notice, “Ah, Philomena my pet, you’re awake. Do say hello to our gracious hosts.”

The bird, Philomena, responded with more wheezing and coughing, more feathers popping off its body.
“Oh… my…” Fluttershy uttered in concern.
“What a funny looking bird!” commented Twinken.

“Twinken!” Midnight gave him a look before giving a hesitant smile towards Philomena, “I’m sure once you get past the… hacking coughs and… the mangy-feather-shedding look she’s… a very sweet bird!”

Philomena responded with a particularly loud hack that made him grimace.

“She is quite a sight, isn’t she?” Celestia giggled.

“I, uh… never seen anything quite like her,” Fluttershy admitted in a way so to not sound affront, as she looked at how the bird appeared to struggle holding her head up and coughing more.

At that moment though, one of the guards came up and whispered something to the princess.
“Really?” The guard nodded yes. “Well, if I must.”

She then announced to everypony present, “I’m sorry, everypony. I’m afraid I have to cut the party short.”

Twinken “aww”d in disappointment while Twilight almost did a spit-take with her tea, Celestia standing up as she explained, “The mayor has requested an audience, royal duty calls! Thank you for a wonderful time. It’s been a joy getting to know you all better.”

“Bye, Princess!” Twinken waved, Celestia smiling at him before she walked out, her guards in loyal tow, everypony bowing their heads respectfully as she passed them by. But Fluttershy noticed the princess had apparently forgotten to bring Philomena with her.

“Now Ah can eat sumthin’, Ah’m starved!” Applejack was about to chomp but Carrot Cake had already cleared the table, leaving her to sulk as everypony began to leave.

Twilight sighed, “Well, I don’t know for sure how things went with the princess, but at least no big disaster’s happened.”

“Oh Twilight, must I repeat myself?” Midnight sighed with a smile as he walked up to her. “Relax! It was a fine and enjoyable get-together, the princess clearly had a nice time, and was very gracious in expressing her gratitude. Now, whattya say we all head to the library? Come on Twinken!”

He was answered with silence, the three of them looking around.
“Twinken?”

They noticed the lack of Twinken but what they didn’t notice was the lack of a certain royal pet from her cage.

Author's Note

I'm gonna enjoy this...!

40. A Bird in a Hoof - Part 2

The door to Fluttershy’s cottage opened as she walked in… with Philomena riding her back!
“Oh you poor little thing, how did you get into such a condition?”

She gently placed the bird onto her sofa, the fowl wobbling as her head rested onto the cushion at a weird angle.
“Don’t you worry, Philomena. I’ll nurse you back to health.”

“Can I help?”

Fluttershy gasped and turned around to see, “Twinken? What’re you doing here?”

“I saw you take Philomena from her cage and followed you,” Twinken said, “Are you really gonna help the princess’s pet, Fluttershy? That’s so nice of you!”

“Well, yes, um…” Fluttershy tried to find the right words. “But does Midnight know that you’re here?”

Twinken startled, realizing he’d been caught.
“Well… I wouldn’t say that he knows per se…”

“Oh Twinken, you shouldn’t wander off from him,” Fluttershy gently scolded, “He must be looking for you right now!”

“Please, Fluttershy!” Twinken pled, “I wanna help! I promise, as soon as Philomena starts looking better, I’ll go find Midnight!”

“Well… I suppose I could use an assistant,” Fluttershy considered, especially given Philomena’s condition as the bird wheezed some more.

“Yay!” cheered Twinken.

“And we’ll help Philomena right up,” Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle at Twinken’s excitement. “As a favor to the princess who’s obviously too busy to care for her properly.”

Philomena let out another raspy cough, Fluttershy and Twinken giving each other a sympathetic look as she helped the bird’s head up, “I’m sure the princess will appreciate the help.”

Philomena just dizzily held her head before letting it wobble over again at a weird angle.
“Uh, that angle of her neck doesn’t look right,” Twinken commented with a disturbed look.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy picked up the bird, saying, “We’d better get her to bed right away!”

Fluttershy placed Philomena in a small bed just her size, Twinken pulling on a blanket, saying, “There, nice n’ cozy!”

Fluttershy placed a thermometer into the bird’s beak, and they were surprised at how quickly her temperature flared, made evident not by the thermometer but how she turned red and sweaty. Fluttershy gasped as she pulled off the blanket, Twinken placing an icepack on Philomena’s head.

They sighed when her temperature went down but gasped as she quickly started shivering, turning blue, and her pupils oddly looked like icecubes. Fluttershy removed the icepack and put the blanket back on, only for Philomena to heat up again. Twinken removed the blanket and replaced the icepack, and again Philomena turned blue. The cycle repeated a few more times until the thermometer just burst.

“Is it normal to go between hot n' cold so quickly?” Twinken asked with an apprehensive tone.

“I don’t think so, in fact I’d say this is even worse than I thought,” Fluttershy stated, “What she needs is some medicine, STAT!”

They flinched as Philomena coughed and spat the thermometer out.

In no time at all, with Philomena sitting on a couch in front of a coffee table, Fluttershy placed a plate with a small orange and yellow pill in the center.
“Here you go, Philomena! This will fix you right up.”

They watched as Philomena gave the pill a sniff but stuck her tongue out in disgust, Twinken silently agreeing medicine tasted yucky.
“I don’t think she’s gonna take it.”

“Doctor Fluttershy expected that,” Fluttershy said smugly before pouring some birdseed onto the plate, burying the pill in it.

They watched as Philomena gave it an experimental taste and suddenly started eating away, sounding like a jackhammer, Fluttershy smiling at Twinken, “Always works!”

Twinken’s eyes popped and he pointed out, to Fluttershy’s surprise, that Philomena had eaten all the seed but had not been fooled. The pill was still on the plate!
“I wouldn’t count on it,” the colt chuckled, seeing the look on Fluttershy’s face.

“Well, almost always," Fluttershy amended before Philomena coughed some more.

“Hey! I got an idea!” Twinken spoke up.

A little bit later, he walked out of Fluttershy’s kitchen, levitating a bowl of soup.
“TLC always gives us soup when we’re sick over at the orphanage!”

“Wonderful idea, Twinken,” Fluttershy agreed as she took the bowl, blowing on it a little. “Homemade soup’s always a good remedy!”

She placed it on the floor and nudged it towards Philomena. She gave it one look and turned her beak up at it.
“Come on now, you’re not gonna get better if you don’t cooperate.”

Twinken went over with a spoon, levitating out a spoonful of the soup, saying, “Try it, it’s good!”

Philomena just turned her head away and crossed her teeny wings, Fluttershy and Twinken giving each other a look at how stubborn this bird was.

“Here comes the choo-choo train!” Fluttershy kept holding the bowl towards Philomena’s beak, who kept turning her head away.
“Chugga-chugga, chugga-chugga, woo-woo!”

This went on until Philomena’s body suddenly span as she’d been rotating her neck one way, and she fell face-first into the bowl.
“Ooh!” Twinken groaned.

“I have another idea! Wait with her, I’ll be right back!” Fluttershy went down the hall while Twinken kept Philomena company as the sickly bird ate some birdseed spilling out of a seam in a bag of the stuff.

“Look, Philomena!”

They looked to see Fluttershy had returned, a hummingbird on her hoof.
“I brought a fellow feathered friend to cheer you up!”

“Oh he’s so cute,” Twinken smiled at the tiny bird.

“Yes, Hummingway here was sick once too but he let me help and got better in no time,” Fluttershy explained before nuzzling the bird, “Didn’t you boy?”

The hummingbird hummed affirmatively before he flittered over to Philomena, Twinken saying, “Say hello to your new friend, Philomena!”

Hummingway nuzzled against Philomena’s neck, the bigger bird simply regarding the smaller one as Fluttershy said, "Aw look, I think he likes you!”

Hummingway fittered into the air, Fluttershy rising up to join him and she vocalized, “Ahh, ah-ah-ah, ah!”

Hummingway repeated the tune, Twinken clapping his hooves together.
“Bravo! What a pretty little song!”

“Thank you Twinken,” Fluttershy giggled. “Your turn now Philomena!”

She approached the bird, saying, “Go ahead, you can do it!”

But Twinken noticed Philomena looking odd while Fluttershy vocalized the same melody.
“Uh, Fluttershy? You might wanna-”

*HACK*

Philomena had vomited the birdseed up… right into Fluttershy’s face.

“Um… good try?” Fluttershy said nicely as Twinken got her a towlet.

They then retired to the bathroom where Fluttershy had placed Philomena on a towel rack and wrapped her lower side and top of her head with towels, saying, “I know what’ll help that tickle in your throat – a humidifier!”

She turned it on, the humidifier pumping the air moist, Twinken inhaling and sighing, “That feels good! What about you, Philomena? Better?”

They watched as Philomena took a deep breath, the both of them smiling hopefully… only for them to be dashed as Philomena wheezed out, the both of them groaning as some feathers molted from Philomena.

“Fluttershy? She actually… looks worse than before,” Twinken said hesitantly.

“Don’t worry, I know lots more cures and remedies,” Fluttershy assured him but had a nervous look as well. “We’ll make her better! Um, let’s try… Aromatherapy!”

They set up scented candles and incense around the lit fireplace, placing Philomena in a pet bed near them. However, the scents only made Philomena sneeze, and molt more.

They drew a bath, placing Philomena inside, Twinken saying, “Warm baths are always relaxing!”

But Philomena suddenly soaked up all the water, like a sponge, engorging and looking very uncomfortable. And molting more.

“Ointment?!” Fluttershy suggested as she placed some on top of Philomena’s head… only for the bird to break out, and molt even more!

Later, Fluttershy, looking like a doctor, was concentrating.
“Scalpel.”

“Scalpel,” Twinken echoed as levitated the instrument to her.

“Surgical tape.”

“Feathers!”

Twinken levitated a small basket containing the feathers Philomena had molted, and held it out to her. As Fluttershy worked, her pet bunny, Angel, noticed how she was sweating and dabbed her forehead.

Finally, Fluttershy stepped back, and they regarded the patient. Philomena gasped, her head falling over in a weird angle again, Twinken groaning.

“Oh Philomena! I thought it would be easy to nurse you back to health,” Fluttershy worried. “But I’ve tried everything I know! And now look at you, you’re worse than ever!”

At that moment, they were alerted to a knocking, and in walked Twilight.
“Hi Fluttershy! Oh, Twinken? Midnight’s been looking for you. Anyway, I wanted to thank you both for making such a good impression on the princess today-”

She gasped when she saw the sight in front of her.
“What is Celestia’s pet doing here?!”

“Fluttershy took her to help her,” Twinken spoke up.
“I couldn’t leave the poor thing there, she needed my help!” Fluttershy defended.

“Oh no… No-no-no-no, this is bad!” A thousand worse-case scenarios were buzzing in Twilight’s head like a hungry swarm of parasprites, Twinken and Philomena watching the conversation like it was a ping-pong match.

“How could I not do anything?”

“B- E- She doesn’t belong to you!”

“I had to do something!”

“Without telling anypony, without asking permission?!”

“Uh…” Twinken wanted to say something, as Philomena rasped again.

“I know you had good intentions, but you have got to return the princess’s pet!”

The two mares were so engrossed in their dispute they didn’t even notice Philomena fall off the table.

“Uh, girls?” Twinken spoke up and they all noticed as Philomena pulled herself up, gasping a long breath before suddenly she appeared to freeze in mid-inhale.

“You’re right…” Fluttershy conceded with a sigh. “Okay, let’s” – Philomena finished her gasp with a raspy cough, making them all flinch – “go…”

The three spread out, Fluttershy grabbing a basket, Twilight grabbing the bird, Twinken grabbing the lid as Fluttershy placed the basket on her back, Twilight placed the bird in the basket, and Twinken placed the lid on top.

“If we hurry, we can put her back before anypony even notices she’s missing,” Twilight urged as she opened the door… and gasped fearfully to see the two royal guards who’d accompanied the princess earlier, their expressions stoic and unreadable

They came in, saying, “We were told we could find Twilight Sparkle here.”
“We regret to inform you, miss, but the royal pet has gone missing.”

“Really?! You don’t say,” Twilight said with a nervous smile when a hacking startled them.

Thinking quickly, Twinken pretended that it was him coughing and wheezing, making sure to do it every time Philomena did so from inside the basket
“Sorry!” He said with an intentional rasp. “My throat’s been a little dry today!”

“Well! We’d better take care of our little friend here,” Twilight said as she pushed the guards out, “And you guards should be on your way if you’re gonna find the princess’s missing pet, Philomena was it? Thank you ever so much for keeping me in the loop, bye!”

She slammed the door in their faces, sighing in relief, “Quick thinking there, Twinken!”

“I try,” Twinken chuckled.

Elsewhere in town, Midnight was walking around looking for his little brother.
“Twinken! Where are ya buddy?” He sighed, thinking, I swear that little pony can look forward to a lecture. Maybe I’ll try Pepper Pony’s…

Approaching the pizza parlor, Midnight saw Thunderlane and Rumble at one of the outside tables.
“Hey Midnight, wanna join us?”

“Can’t, I’m looking for Twinken,” Midnight replied. “I lost track of him after the princess left the party. Have either of you seen him?”

“Nuh-uh,” Rumble replied, “Why don’’t you try asking them?”

They looked in the direction he was pointing and saw the two royal guards approaching, and saw they looked concerned.
“Excuse us, Midnight Blaze?”

“That’s me,” Midnight nodded.

“In case you were not informed, the royal pet has gone missing,” the second guard explained. “Have you seen it by any chance?”

“Not since the party,” Midnight shook his head, “But speaking of, have you seen a little indigo unicorn colt with red eyes, blue mane and no cutie-mark?”

“We saw such a colt as you describe with Twilight Sparkle,” the first guard replied. “They were both at the cottage of Miss Fluttershy.”

Suddenly Midnight gasped!

”The Princess’s pet bird!” cried one of the Royal Guards and everypony looked up to the top of the statue in the middle of the public fountain, and there was Philomena, almost completely naked of her feathers, letting out another disgusting hack.

“Philomena, come down from there!” Fluttershy scolded, “You’ll hurt yourself!”

At that moment, the last feather Philomena fell off, and she suddenly started going through a dramatic phase of hacking, coughing, and for a moment seemed dead before jolting back up, gasping as she grabbed her neck, and fell.

Everypony gasped while Fluttershy yelled, “I’ll catch you!”

She hurried as fast as she could and dove for a catch but gasped! Still falling, Philomena burst into flames, and all Fluttershy caught was a pile of ashes. Everypony gasped at what they had just seen while tears welled up in Fluttershy’s eyes.

“What is going on here?!” demanded Princess Celestia as she walked up, her guards bowing as they made way.

…Sir Midnight? Sir Midnight!”

“Huh?! What- What’d I miss?” Midnight shook it off

“You… appeared to space out, Midnight Blaze,” one of the guards said. “Is something wrong?”

“Uh… No, I… think I’ll just head over to the cottage and… collect my brother, bye!” Midnight streaked off, thinking, Oh what’s gonna happen this time?!

As he approached the cottage, he heard a screaming squawk and was surprised to see a very familiar and ugly-looking bird run by, somepony shouting, “Wait, no! Philomena!”

Out ran Fluttershy, Twilight, and Twinken, who yelled, “Big brother, after that bird!”

Chaos and hilarity ensued as the four ponies chased after the not-so-feathery fiend. She led them into the park and started running circles around a tree, the ponies following as they circling got faster till it became a blur. But none of them noticed Philomena had given them the slip by somehow getting up into the tree and then running away along the branches.

They finally stopped, skidding into each other, upon realizing they’d been duped. Looking around, they shrugged and ran off to find her.

Philomena gave the royal guards the slip as they held a picture of her to Cherry Fizzy, asking him if he’d seen Philomena. But he shook his head no.

Later, the four chasers ran past someone reading a newspaper on a park bench, when they came over and asked for their time. The reader looked uncannily familiar as they lowered the newspaper but the mustache threw them off as they explained who they were looking for. The reader shrugged and resumed reading their newspaper.

Although the reader had looked familiar, Twilight, Fluttershy, Twinken, and Midnight moved on, realizing too late Philomena had duped them again when Midnight noticed her throw down the newspaper and run off, the mustache falling off her beak. He skidded to a halt and whistled to the others, pointing out their mistake, and they resumed their pursuit of the ornery ornithological one.

She managed to run past the royal guards unheard, but they didn’t take any chances as they tiptoed behind the guards so as not to attract their attention though Midnight couldn’t help making a face at them until Twilight gave him the stink-eye, making him smile shamefully.

Twilight then noticed Philomena peering out a door and chased her, but she ran into a building just across the way. She came out the neighboring door, Fluttershy following her into the door in the building opposite, Twilight going into the building through another door, Philomena going back to the other building through that first door, Twinken chasing her in, Midnight coming out one and going into the neighboring door, Twilight sticking her head out one door, and saw Philomena do the same from the opposite building. She launched herself at the bird, only to crash into Fluttershy, and then Midnight and Twinken came out, tripping over the two mares, Philomena once again giving them the slip.

The ran past town hall, while Philomena slipped from her hiding place and went the other way, just missing the royal guards as they put up a missing poster for her. But after they left, Philomena appeared and drew a mustache and bushy eyebrows on the image and ran off.

The four continued to run in their search for Philomena when Thunderlane flew up alongside them, Rumble on his back, “Hey guys, what’s your hurry?”

“Are you having a race, can we play?!” Rumble asked.

“Not the time, guys!” Midnight snipped as they kept moving but gasped as they came upon the fountain from his vision, all their friends hanging around it.
Oh no… this is the place but- where’s the bird?!

Fluttershy peered under Pinkie who was eating an apple.
“Excuse me!”

“Beg your pardon!” Twilight said as she lifted Rarity to look under her.

“Put me down!” Rarity gave Twilight an indignant look.

She obliged while Midnight lifted Big Macintosh’s rump to see under where he was sitting.
“Hey!”

“Emergency!” he explained before getting out of his way.

“Wha’ in tarnation?” Applejck gave them a wierded-out look.

“Sorry but we gotta find-” Twinken tried to say but he was cut off as somepony yelled, “The princess’s pet bird!”

They followed their line of sight and gasped to see Philomena, almost completely naked of her feathers as she let out another disgusting hack.

“Philomena, come down from there!” Fluttershy scolded, “You’ll hurt yourself!”

But at that moment, Philomena’s last feather fell and the theatrics began as she coughed, wheezed, hacked, gasped, and for a moment appeared to be dead. But she jolted up, grabbing her neck in a gasp and fell over, Midnight yelling, “SHE'S FALLING!”

“I’ll catch her!” Fluttershy ran as fast as she could but Midnight said, “No, I got her!”

Midnight focused and his aura surrounded Philomena’s falling body and she floated in place, everypony sighing in relief as he levitated her towards Fluttershy.

“Oh thank goodness,” she sighed as she reached out to grab the bird… only to gasp and jump back as Philomena burst into flames!

Everypony gasped as ashes poured to the ground, Fluttershy gaping in shock as tears began to well up in her eyes, her lip quivering as she squealed, upset.

“What is going on here?”

They all gasped to see Princess Celestia approach, her guards bowing and making way. They all bowed as well, as Celestia called, “Twilight?”

Twilight stood up nervously, but sighed.
“You’re Majesty? There’s been a terrible accident.”

“It’s all my fault,” Fluttershy spoke up.
“No, Princess, Fluttershy didn’t know any better. It was my fault,” Twilight insisted.
“I’m the one who did it!” Fluttershy debated.
"But I wasn’t able to save her! You were only trying to help,” Midnight pointed out.
“Some help I was,” Fluttershy scoffed woefully.
“Would you two butt out?! She’ll go easier on me!” Twilight butted in.
“But it’s my fault!” Fluttershy insisted.
“No, it’s my fault!” Twilight argued.
“Ooh! It’s my fault!” Pinkie popped up. “Wait, what're we talking about?”

“Pinkie, butt out!” Midnight snapped as he pushed her out of the picture, in no mood for her nonsense.

“Thanks for trying to protect me, Twilight, but Princess Celestia?” Fluttershy walked up to the princess. “I’m the one who took your pet bird. I really was only trying to help the poor little thing, then I was gonna bring her right back to you, honest.”

Princess Celestia walked past them and peered down at the ashes before her hooves, her face unreadable.

“So… if you wanna banish me and imprison me in a dungeon in the place that you banish me to,” Fluttershy went on, “Then that’s what I deserve.”

“Please don’t be too hard on Fluttershy, Princess!” Twinken was close to tears, Midnight holding him close as he gently told him to shush.

Princess Celestia looked at everypony present then lowered her head with a solemn expression… before she pulled a grin.
“Oh stop fooling around, Philomena! You’re scaring everypony.”

At her words, the pile of ashes shivered before sweeping up in a swirl, to everypony’s shock, as it twirled around before it burst in a flash of fiery light! As the light dimmed, they gasped in marvel to see a flaming red and orange bird, majestic and beautiful.

As it flew over them, Midnight gasped, “Wow! A phoenix!”

“Wha- What’s a phoenix?!” Fluttershy asked in confusion as the bird landed on Celestia’s outstretched forelimb. “And where’s Philomena?”

“Fluttershy, that is Philomena!” Midnight said, pointing the bird out. “Am I right, Princess?”

“Indeed you are, Midnight Blaze,” Celestia confirmed. “As I said before, she’s quite a sight.

“A phoenix is a magical and majestic bird, known for its power of resurrection! Every so often, it goes through a stage of renewal by shedding all its feathers and bursting into flames!”

They all marveled as Philomena flew over them, shrilling happily as Princess Celestia whispering to Fluttershy, “Rather melodramatic if you ask me.”

She then said aloud and held out her limb for Philomena to perch again, “It then rises from the ashes, fresh as a daisy! All just part of the normal life-cycle of a phoenix. I’m afraid mischievous Philomena here took the occasion to have a little fun with you, Fluttershy.”

Philomena sheepishly hid her beak behind her wing as Celestia held her out towards Fluttershy, scolding, “Say you’re sorry, young lady.”

Philomena gave Fluttershy an apologetic tweet.

“So, aren’t you gonna banish me? Or throw me in a dungeon?” Fluttershy asked, everypony looking scared for her. “Or banish me and throw me into a dungeon in the place you banish me to?”

“Of course not, my little pony!” Celestia assured her, letting Philomena fly again. “Where on earth would you get such an idea?”

“Where indeed!” Midnight gave Twilight a smirk and chuckled, ignoring the stink-eye she gave him.

“Fluttershy and Twinken did do everything they could to try to take care of Philomena for you, Princess,” Twilight spoke up.

“And I do appreciate that your hearts were in the right place, my dears,” Celestia understood but added, "But all you needed to do was ask and I would’ve told you that Philomena is a phoenix, and you would’ve been saved all of this trouble.”

“You’re right, I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions,” Fluttershy apologized. “Next time I’ll ask before taking matters into my own hooves.”

Liking the sound of that, Twilight asked, “Should I send you a letter regarding that lesson, Princess?”

“That’s quite alright, Twilight,” Celestia assured her as Philomena landed on her back. “I think I can remember.”

“And as for you, young colt,” Midnight spoke up, giving Twinken a look. “You and I are gonna have a talk about wandering off without telling me where you’re going.”

Twinken chuckled nervously while the guards brought Philomena’s cage. Fluttershy then felt something in her hair and looked up to see Philomena had given her one of her feathers, trilling kindly.
“It’s beautiful! Thank you, Philomena, no hard feelings.”

Rainbow Dash gave those stonefaced guards a look when she had an idea. She flew up to Philomena, whispering something to her. Philomena nodded and landed on top of her cage but she reached down with her wings, tickling the guards’ noses. They struggled to stifle their laughs and hold their composure, but they let it out in life-cleansing laughter, Rainbow Dash and Philomena high-winging as Philomena squawked in success, and soon, everypony joined in on the laughter.

Author's Note

This was fun

42. New Dog, New Tricks - Part 2

*Cock-a-Doodle-Doo!*

“Mmph,” Midnight moaned as his eyes creaked open, but he forced himself up and awake, begrudgingly used to it now. As he stretched and yawned away the last haze of slumber, he smacked his lips as his eyes fell upon the corner of his room, where he had set up a basket lined with a blanket for the wolf pup, fully-expecting the little furball to be asleep and no longer distressing his injured paw, which Midnight had nursed and wrapped up.

The basket was empty. The door was open. Uh-oh.

Midnight got up and started heading for the door when he heard a round of barking, followed by yips of distress and the sounds of a scuffle. He bolted down the stairs and just barely dodged the wolf pup as it leaped past the foot of the stairs, followed by Winona, Applejack’s dog. Seeing the bigger canine bullying the smaller, Midnight furrowed his eyes as his horn flared, the wolf pup becoming engulfed by his aura as he was lifted beyond Winona’s reach over onto Midnight’s back as Midnight glared Winona down, though the dog continued to softly growl.

At that moment, hoofsteps signaled somepony descending the stairs before Midnight heard, “Wha’ in th’ hay is all th’ ruckus so early in th’ mornin’?”

Applejack came down, having hastily tied her mane back, looking irritated when she gasped at the sight of the wolf pup.
“Where di’ that creature come from?!”

“Morning, Applejack,” Midnight greeted. “Sorry about the noise, Winona was bullying my new friend here.”

Seeing the stink eye Midnight was throwing at her, Winona whimpered a bit, lowering her head as she went over to Applejack, who petted her calm.
“Well no wonder Winona raised a fit, tha’s a wolf ya got there, Midnight!”

“Applejack, relax,” Midnight assured, “He’s only a puppy, I found him last night outside the house, the poor thing had an injured paw, and I couldn’t just leave him out in the cold.”

“Ah understand what yer sayin’, Midnight,” Applejack stated, “but that is a wild animal! Ah will not have it on mah farm, take `im out to the forest and leave him there.”

“No.”

“Wha’ was that?” Applejack demanded threateningly.

“You’re telling me to leave him to die in the forest, Applejack,” Midnight stated, his gaze unflinching. “He’s only a baby! He wouldn’t survive out there by himself. I’m keeping him.”

“Midnight, th’ answer is no!” Applejack insisted. “This is mah farm, mah rules! Ah c'not have a wolf here an’ about, gettin’ into trouble. He could get into th’ henhouse or th’ pigsty!”

“He’s a puppy, Applejack!” Midnight insisted back. “He can be trained, taught!”

“Ya cain’t train a wild animal,” Applejack maintained. “He’s gotta go!”

“He’s staying, and that’s final!” Midnight declared and Applejack suddenly felt a chill in her spine the way Midnight looked at her. Midnight sighed, deciding he had to assure her.
“Look, if you’re so concerned, I’ll place spells on the property that will make him avoid certain places, and I’ll be his sole caretaker.”

“Sounds reasonable t’ me.”

They turned to see Big Macintosh descending the stairs, looking unworried about the situation.

“Big Mac!” Applejack protested. “Ya cain’t honestly tell me ya don’ see a problem with this!”

“If Midnight says he can take care a’ th’ pup an’ keep him outta trouble,” Big Mac reasoned as he led them all into the living room, “why not? Ah mean, it ain’t like th’ lil’ feller can cause much trouble.”

But the moment Big Mac sat onto the sofa, his eyes popped in realization.

“Big Mac? Something wrong?” Midnight asked.

Big Mac’s eyes narrowed at the wolf pup as he deadpanned, “Yer gonna hav’ t’ housebreak tha’ critter.”

Midnight and Applejack’s eyes widened in realization as Big Mac sat up and went to the bathroom for a needed shower, and they noticed the spot on the sofa where he’d sat. Applejack gave Midnight the stink-eye, as he chuckled sheepishly.

“Look, I’ll fix this! Uh… Y’know what, I’ll go out later and get you a new sofa, on me!”

“Just take tha’ critter with you,” Applejack sighed, knowing, for the moment, the battle was lost.

“And keep Winona away from him!” Midnight called after her as she went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He sighed and looked at the pup, who returned his gaze with a curious look.

Soon, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith joined everypony for breakfast. Applejack had prepared oatmeal with cinnamon and apple-slices although she’d intentionally put less in Midnight’s bowl.
“Tha’ little puppy is really cute!” Apple Bloom commented sweetly as she looked at the pup.
“Ain’t he jus’ precious?” Granny Smith agreed as the wolf pup came over and made a friendly yip at them.

“Ain’t tha’ cute…” Applejack muttered.

“Well, he’s still a pup and needs to be trained,” Midnight admitted. “Also, you might wanna avoid the sofa until I buy a new one today.”

“How come?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Cuz th’ lil’ feller ain’t housebroken yet.”

They looked to see Big Macintosh come in, still a little damp but clean as a whistle, his cutie-mark even had sparkles surrounding the apple.
“Found tha’ out th’ hard way.”

Granny Smith just laughed a little, “Ya cain’t fault a youngun’ for needin’ to do his business, hon.”

“Well, I promise to get him housebroken as soon as possible,” Midnight assured them, “But he’ll be sleeping in my room cuz I don’t want him outside at night. Also, Winona will have to stay outside until she warms up to him.”

“What?! Now hold one apple-pickin’ minute!” Applejack steamed.
“Ah don’ think that’ll be necessary!” Apple Bloom pointed and they saw Winona was giving the pup a gentle licking as though she were his mother.

“Aw!” everypony said except Applejack who narrowed her eyes at the little traitor as she gave the pup a tongue-bath.

“Well, that solves one problem,” Midnight chuckled.

Soon enough, Midnight was on his way to the local dump to get rid of the soiled sofa, the pup on his back, snoozing peacefully, thanks to the spell Midnight had cast so he wouldn’t have to worry about the pup getting into trouble.

Along the way, Midnight ran into Rarity, “Ah, darling! That puppy is just precious! Wherever did you get him?”

“I found him outside last night, shivering from the cold and he had an injured paw,” Midnight explained. “I brought him in but this morning, he… had an accident on the sofa.”

Rarity noticed the sofa Midnight was levitating and realized the wet spot with a scrunchy nose of disgust, “Oh, I see. Well… I suppose it’s to be expected, him being only a puppy after all. By the way, darling, what’s his name?”

“Hmm, y’know I haven’t given him one yet,” Midnight replied when they heard the pup growl and twitch his paws.

“Oh-ho-ho my! It looks like the little dreamer is onto something,” Rarity chuckled.

Dreamer… Midnight mused before saying it aloud, “Dreamer… I think that’s perfect! Rarity, you just became a godmother.”

“Why Midnight, I'm honored!” Rarity smiled as she looked at the pup, “Dreamer, welcome to Ponyville.”

“Well thank you for the inspiration, Rarity,” Midnight replied. “I must be getting along, this sofa has to go.”

“Oh I quite agree, darling,” Rarity obliged, stepping out of his way. “But on your way back, stop by the library! I hear Twilight found herself a new friend as well!”

Later on, everypony had gathered in front of the library as Twilight and Midnight showed off their new pets. Twilight was delighted to meet Dreamer and Midnight though Twilight’s new owl, Owlowiscious, was perfect for her.

“Oh what a fantastical fluffilicious feathery and furry pair of friends!” Pinkie gushed before she cracked, “I’m… HOOked!”

Everypony honestly found that funny, Thunderlane saying, “Somehow a wolf really matches you, Midnight! He looks like an awesome little guy!”

Dreamer licked Thunderlane in the face while Fluttershy said, “Don’t forget Owlowiscious, he’s just wonderful!”

“‘He’s just wonderful’!” said a mocking voice above and they all looked to see Spike with a book, sitting in a window of the library. He noticed they were all looking at him as he quickly added, “Uh, yes, wonderful! He is quite… the charmer…!”

Midnight was certain Spike had chewed on the word ‘charmer’ but Rarity spoke up.
“And they’re both such little stars!”

She levitated a bejeweled bowtie not unlike the one she gave Spike last night, along with a diamond studded collar.
“I simply had to make these little accessories for them!”

Twilight and Midnight smiled as Rarity placed the bowtie on Owlowiscious and the collar on Dreamer when they heard an angry growl and a slamming sound, and they saw that Spike had closed the window above them.
“What’s he all saddle-sore about?” Applejack commented.

“He’s probably just jealous of Owlowiscious,” Rainbow Dash offered.

“Maybe Spike feels threatened, or worried that Owlowiscious will replace him,” Fluttershy added, Big Mac agreeing, "Eeyup."

“Replace him?” Twilight scoffed, “Ha! That’s crazy. Spike knows he can’t be replaced!”

“Speakin’ a replacin’,” Applejack spoke up, giving a look to midnight, “Where’s tha’ new sofa we were promised?”

“I’ll get it!” Midnight responded crossly. “Look, AJ, in case you forget, the farm doesn’t belong just to you – it also belongs to Big Mac, Granny Smith, even Apple Bloom, and you lost the majority vote – Dreamer stays. Now unless you want me to get you a crappy sofa that’s hard on the rear end, I suggest you drop the animosity and start acting like an adult.”

Midnight trotted off, leaving a jaw-dropped Applejack wordless, everypony shifting their perspectives between her and the departing unicorn.

“Family troubles?” Thunderlane inquired.
“AJ don’ like t’ lose.” Big Mac responded softly.

After Midnight took Dreamer back to the farm he walked through town wondering where he would actually get a sofa when…
“Midnight Blaze?”

He turned and saw a green earth pony mare with her mane and tail in a bun, a lapel collar around her neck, and her cutie-mark was a gavel hammer.
“I am Lady Justice, the resident judge of Ponyville. It is my understanding that you inquired to the adoption process at the orphanage for a young colt for whom you volunteered to be a big brother at the Sibling Revelry.”

“That is correct, um, your honor,” Midnight replied, wanting to make a good impression.

“Oh please, call me Jussy! We’re not in court,” she insisted. “I simply wanted to meet you. See, Mayor Mare received word of your inquiry from the orphanage matron, and she brought it then to my attention.”

“Well, um, Jussy,” Midnight felt like he was walking on thin ice, despite the judge’s friendly manner. “I’ve been acting as Twinken’s big brother for a while now, and… recently I got to thinking of making it official, by becoming his legal guardian, his adoptive brother. But… it’s not just the adoption process that has me worried.”

“Oh? Do tell,” Lady Justice said as they started just walking through town.

“Well… It occurred to me that… What if Twinken was to be adopted by a couple who could be the parents he never had? Would it really be right of me to deny him a family when he’s never had one?”

“Well, I can understand that. I myself spent a part of my foalhood in the orphanage,” Lady Justice spoke, Midnight giving her a look of intrigue.
“I was adopted by a kind couple and they treated me truly as their daughter. I grew up with an interest in studying law and eventually I became a judge and chose to serve Ponyville in this capacity. But I never forgot my time there, which is why I head the charity events for the orphanage.”

“That’s very generous of you, judge,” Midnight said with a hint of admiration.

“Not at all,” she waved it off. “Midnight, I pride myself on being an excellent judge of character, if you’ll pardon the pun, and I honestly find you to be a good pony, and you clearly care about Twinken if you’re considering the possibility that his best interests might not be with you…Not that I’m saying it is so, I am simply saying I think it is most selfless of you to put that little colt’s needs before your own feelings.”

Midnight said nothing, when Lady Justice said, “Which is why I have no reservations in granting you legal guardianship of Twinken.”

“What?!” Midnight gaped at her as she held a document up to him.

“This document declares your rights as Twinken’s legal guardian,” Lady Justice explained with a smile on her face. “I’ve taken the liberty of signing it already. All it needs to become official is your own signature, but before you sign, Midnight Blaze, I must explain to you. For the first few months, there will be visits from an agent of Foal and Family Services, who will come by to your residence and see how Twinken is faring under your care. You must see to it he is healthy, has proper sustenance, safe and comfortable housing, is doing well in school, as well as making sure he is happy. You must provide for him a healthy environment and a good home. Are you prepared to accept that responsibility?”

She was answered with a glomping hug, Midnight already shedding a couple tears as he whispered, “Thank you!”

Although a little surprised, Lady Justice couldn’t help but smile as she pat the stallion on the back.

Midnight hurried to the orphanage and met with TLC at the door, holding up the document.
“I have it! I have legal guardianship of Twinken!”

“Why, Midnight!” TLC was honestly blown away. “I never expected this, to be honest… but I am happy for you, and Twinken!”

“Can I tell him?”

“He’s your brother,” TLC smiled as she stepped out of the way.

Twinken was staring blandly at the math paper in front of him. He wasn’t allowed to play outside until his homework was finished, but a knock at the door ruined his concentration.
“Ponyfeathers, I almost had the answer!”

He stomped towards the door, muttering, “Whoever it is, they’d better be prepared for a-”

“Twinken!” cried Midnight as the door flew open, Twinken leaping back, just barely missing the door.

“Oh big brother! What’s up?”

"Pack your bags, Twink!” Midnight happily said, “You’re coming home with me!”

“What…?!” Twinken gasped.

“It’s true, Twinken,” Midnight smiled warmly, “I’m now your legal big brother, I just signed the paper for your adoption!”

Twinken stood there, looking in shock, as tears suddenly welled up in his eyes, and Midnight found himself in a tackling hug as Twinken laughed, sounding so happy, and they laughed together.

In no time at all, they had packed Twinken’s things and left the orphanage, Twinken took a couple minutes to say see-ya-laters to his friends, and before long they were off, Twinken asking, “So are we headed to Sweet Apple Acres, big brother?”

“Not just yet,” Midnight said. “I promised Applejack a new sofa for the living room.”

“I know just the place!” Twinken beamed.

They were soon approaching a place called Davenport’s Quills & Sofas, a store that sold just that, when they heard someone say, “But the store is called ‘Quills & Sofas’! You only sell two things!”

They saw Spike was confronting the store-owner, Davenport presumably, who replied, “Sorry junior, all outta quills until Monday.”

But then Davenport inquired hopefully, “Need a sofa?”

Spike groaned in frustration and stormed off.

“Uh, hey!”

Davenport noticed the two brothers approach, Midnight asking, “Can you help us? I actually need a new sofa.”

“At your service!” Davenport brightened back up.

Before long, Midnight was levitating the new sofa, Twinken walking alongside him, as they made their way home to Sweet Apple Acres.
“So you had to get a new sofa cuz you got a pet wolf puppy that… had an accident?”

“That’s pretty much the gist of it,” Midnight chuckled. “The pup’s name is Dreamer. I just hope Applejack is satisfied with this sofa, cost me a pretty bit.”

But as they approached the farm, they could hear a loud panicked clucking and immediately, Midnight had a fearful suspicion of what was upsetting the hens.
“Uh-oh, the henhouse!”

He dropped the sofa by the road and galloped towards the farm Twinken running after, yelling, “Wait for me!”

They approached the henhouse and saw the source of the hen’s distress, as he called, “Here chicky-chicky-chicky!”

It was Spike, chasing one of the hens around the chickens’ enclosed area and into the henhouse, saying, “Here chick-chick-chick-chicky!”

The inside of the henhouse sounded like pandemonium when the back fell out because Spike crashed into it. Growling, the little dragon got back up and continued chasing the hen, yelling, “COME HERE!”

It got to the point where he jumped the hen, the two of them thrashing about in a ball of dust, violence, whirling action, and madness as Spike and the hen fought.
“Come here! Ugh! No, not the face, not the face!”

In no time at all, the dust cleared, the hen running off, as Spike laid in exhaustion when he noticed a small chicken feather flutter in front of him, and he smiled.

But then he heard a tapping and looked to see Midnight tapping his hoof and giving him the stink-eye.
“Uh, heh-heh! I can… explain?”

*BUCK*

“AAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHH!” Spike screamed as he hurtled through the air into a nearby haywagon.

“ANNNNND STAY OUT!” Midnight screamed at him before heading back to collect the sofa. Twinken winced as Spike climbed out of the haywagon and rubbed his sore rump, which had a horseshoe shaped bruise on it.

“A lil’ more t’ th’ left!” Applejack directed. “There, perfect!”

Midnight placed the sofa down, finally. Applejack had been fussing over the position of the sofa in the living room. He had already explained to Applejack how Twinken would be living with them from now on. Applejack was a bit sore at first but quicker accepting the new addition of their family, especially since she knew how close Twinken was to his big brother.

As night fell, they had a celebratory dinner to welcome Twinken, Midnight promising to get him a bed of his own for their room.
“It warms mah heart t’ see this family growin’ a lil’ more,” Granny Smith commented, as she placed her hoof warmly onto Twinken’s shoulder. “And Ah’m proud t’ be yer granny, sweetie-pie!”

Twinken couldn’t help shedding more tears of joy when Applejack spoke up, “Ah’d like t’ say sumthin’, if y’all don’ mind.”

As all eyes turned to her, Applejack cleared her throat.
“Last night, Midnight, y’brought a new member fer this family, and it was wrong o' me t' try an’ make ya give up Dreamer. Ah was only thinkin’ a what he might do and not seein’ him as a critter wit’ nopony to turn to. And ya kept good on yer promise about the sofa, and even brought another new addition for the Apple Family! What Ah’m tryin’ to say is… Ah’m sorry, and Ah’m also proud t’ call you both mah brothers!”

“Eeyup!”

“So am Ah!” Apple Bloom cheered.

“Then let’s dig in!” Applejack declared when they heard a frantic knocking on their door. “now who could tha’ be?”

“I’ll get it,” Midnight offered and he opened the door to see, “Twilight?”

“Is Spike here?!” Twilight asked, looking frantic. “Please tell me he’s here!”

“He isn’t, but what’s wrong?” Midnight asked, everypony peering from the dining room.

“I think Spike’s run away!” Twilight worried, “I scolded him earlier for lying to me and trying to get Owlowiscious in trouble! Oh! What if he’s hurt?!”

“Calm down, Twilight! We’ll help you look for him,” Midnight assured her, when Dreamer walked up to Twilight and sniffed at her hoof.

“Dreamer, stop,” Midnight pulled the pup away when Twilight looked at her hoof and gasped.

“That’s it! Spike must’ve-” She suddenly hurried off and Midngiht quickly followed.

“Twilight, what’s up?”

As he galloped alongside her, he noticed Dreamer running alongside him and Owlowiscious flying above them.
“Spike tried to make it look like Owlowiscious killed a fieldmouse but he used a toy one and ketchup to make it look like blood. I think he might’ve stepped in some when he left!”

“So?”

“So… If Spike stepped in ketchup when he ran away, he might’ve left some tracks!”

Twilight was right, and the tracks led into… the Everfree Forest.

“Why is it always the Everfree Forest?” Midnight whined, sounding like a wimp even to himself.

Dreamer yipped and tore into the forest, Midnight gasping, “Dreamer come back!”

“No, maybe he’s picked up a scent!” Twilight insisted, and to their surprise, Dreamer did, leading them to another set of tracks. “Good boy, Dreamer!”

“He does have quite a sniffer,” Midnight added proudly.

They followed the tracks to what appeared to be a cave and they could hear loud growling.
“Tell me that’s not the growl of a dragon!” Midnight begged.

“That is the growl of a dragon!” Twilight worried.

“I said not to tell me!”

“Hoo-hoo!” Owlowiscious flew into the cave, Twilight gasping, “Owlowiscious, come back!”

They followed Owlowiscious inside and gasped at what they saw: A big green dragon glaring down at a cornered Spike. But before the beast could lay a claw on him, Owlowiscious bravely flew up and smacked the dragon, distracting him and dodging his attempts to knock the courageous owl down with his tail… succeeding only in hitting himself, and hurting his head with one of his tail-spikes.

As the dragon groaned in pain, Twilight called, “Spike, over here!”

Seeing the dragon distracted, Spike made a break for it out of the cave to the two unicorns, “Am I glad to see you guys!”

“Hop onto Twilight, I’ll get Owlowiscious!” Midnight ordered as he concentrated.

Owlowiscious was a little shaken as he was enveloped in Midnight’s aura but allowed the blue unicorn to collect him as he held both the owl and the pup and said, “Quick, grab onto me!”

Seeing the dragon storming towards them, Twilight and Spike grabbed Midnight and he concentrated. Before the dragon could slash them with his claws, they vanished in a flash, leaving the thwarted dragon to breath a torrent of flame in frustration.

The group reappeared in a flash of light just outside the Everfree Forest, Twilight saying, "Quick thinking, there Midnight, and impressive distance! Not even I can teleport that far!”

“Helps that the moon’s out,” Midnight remarked when he turned to Spike, “Spike! What were you thinking taking off?!”

“We were so worried about you,” Twilight added, Spike looking ashamed. “I was so worried about you! Why did you run away?”

“I thought you didn’t need me anymore, Twilight,” Spike admitted sadly, “and that… you didn’t love me anymore.”

“Spike! Sure I was disappointed, but you’re my Number One Assistant, and friend! And you always will be,” Twilight admonished. “It’s just that sometimes I need a little help at night! I can’t ask you to stay up late, you’re a baby dragon, and you need your rest!”

Midnight knew what she was saying, and added, “Owls are nocturnal, so clearly Twilight asked Owlowiscious to help her out while you’re asleep. She could never replace you, Spike!”

“Even when you are being a jealous numbskull!” Twilight giggled as she ruffled Spike’s spines.

Spike smiled understandingly and hugged Twilight, apologizing, “I’m sorry, Twilight, I shouldn’t have been so jealous”

“And I’m sorry too, Spike,” Twilight replied. “I should’ve been more sensitive.”

They watched as Spike looked towards Owlowiscious, perched in the branch of a tree near them, “And Owlowiscious? I know no that you weren’t trying to take my job, forgive me?”

“Hoo?”

“Me, forgive me, Spike.”

“Hoo!”

Spike gave the two unicorns an incredulous look, making them both laugh as Midnight said, “I think he forgives you, Spike.”

“Hey!” Spike brought up, “How did you guys know where I was?”

“You can thank Dreamer here,” Midnight said as he petted the little pup. “He sniffed the ketchup on your feet and we followed your trail all the way to the cave.”

“Oh yeah, the ketchup, it looked pretty real though didn’t it?” Spike asked humorously, earning an unamused look from Twilight.

After seeing them home, Midnight and Dreamer made it back to Sweet Apple Acres whereupon arriving, Twinken asked, “Hey big brother, is everything okay?”

“Eh, same old, same old,” Midnight said before yawning. “Let’s go to bed.”

They went up to Midnight’s room where Midnight put Dreamer in his basket and scooted over in the bed for Twinken. Until he got him a bed of his own, he would gladly share his, feeling content as Twinken snuggled up with him, yawning.
“Thanks, Midnight, for being my big brother…”

Midnight smiled and kissed the colt on the forehead, whispering, “Sweet dreams, little brother.”

Then he directed the air to blow out the candlelight.

Author's Note

I honestly just wanted to wrap up the adoption issue, realizing it would just be time-consuming, that and I wanted to wrap this chapter up more so.

The wolf pup's name is Dreamer, which I think is a cool name for a pet.

Next up (at long last...!!), The Grand Galloping Gala!!!

43. The Best Night Ever - Prologue

“Ah! I – can’t – believe – the Grand – Galloping –Gala – is – tonight!”

Pinkie was happily bouncing on a trampoline she’d set up outside Carousel Boutique, Twilight and Midnight nearby pouring over a spell as Twilight said, “Pinkie! Please stop shouting, I need to concentrate!”

“So this spell is to provide us with a means of transportation to the gala?” Midnight asked.

“It will, if I can cast it,” Twilight muttered, still hearing the annoying springs of Pinkie’s trampoline.

“Pinkie! Stop that right now!”

They looked to see Rarity approach Pinkie, “It’s time to prepare for the gala, and I refuse to let you put on your new dress when you’re all sweaty.”

Pinkie screeched to a halt on the trampoline, once again defying the laws of physics, and giving Rarity an annoyed look and hopped over to Spike, as they looked at Twilight, her horn shining, Midnight sitting next to her patiently.

“What’re they doing?” she whispered to Spike.

“Twilight’s got an awesome new spell she’s been working on for the gala!”

“Where are the others, it’s getting late,” Rarity fussed.

“Hold yer horses, girl, we’re here!”

They looked to see Applejack, Big Mac, Thunderlane, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy approaching when Twilight announced, “I’m ready!”

“For what?” asked Rainbow as Spike walked up to Twilight and placed upon the ground…

“An apple!” Pinkie asked, “Are we having pie?”

Spike shushed her, “Watch!”

They watched as Twilight cast her spell, and the apple enlarged, transforming into a apple-shaped carriage, with fancy golden wheels, a little flag on top, and a seat for the driver.

Everypony awed and oohed, Twilight saying, “Thanks, but that’s just the start. Midnight?”

“Rrrright!” Midnight smirked as he cast another spell upon the carriage, and it glowed a light blue before dulling.

“What’d ya do?” Thunderlane asked.

“Cast a Substitutiary Locomotion spell,” Midnight explained, “Properly this time. The carriage will move by itself and take us to the gala!”

“Not bad, haystack,” Big Mac complimented, the two brothers hoof-bumping.

“Well then, everypony,” Rarity announced, “with that out of the way, it’s time to prepare ourselves!”

“Come on, girls, let us in!” Spike complained, the guys behind all annoyed too, as the little dragon pounded on the door.

A few moments later, Rarity gave in and opened it, “Sorry, gentlecolts, some of us do have standards.”

“I still can’t believe we’re gonna be in Canterlot tonight,” Spike commented as he and the guys walked in, seeing the mares all getting their manes done. “Our hometown, Twilight! And the best part is, we all get to hang out together all night long!”

“Eh, I dunno Spike."

They looked to Rainbow, sitting on a couch, her mane toweled up, Rarity putting on a fake eyelash, as she said, “We’ll just have to see.”

“We’re gonna be a might busy,” Applejack added as she did Fluttershy’s hooves while also giving them a spit-shine.

“Busy having fun!” Pinkie added as her mane was straightened out… for a second before it poofed out into its normal style.

“Oh, okay…” Spike sulked.

“Don’t worry, Spike,” Midnight said as he brushed his mane, “I’m sure we’ll all get to spend some time together, eh, guys?”

“Oh sure, no problem!” Thunderlane agreed as he preened his feathers, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup.”

Before long, the carriage pulled up to its stop, everypony spilling out, garbed in dress or suit, the ones Rarity made for them all and the one the girls made for her, Spike awing, “Whoa! You all look… amazing!”

But they didn’t hear Spike’s compliment, as their attention was what lay ahead of them all of them excited, all of them with high hopes, as Twilight said, “I can't believe we're finally here. With all that we've imagined, the reality of this night is sure to make this... The Best Night Ever!”

By the time they made it to the castle-gates and stepped into the entry-hall, Midnight was muttering, “I swear, whoever writes these songs oughta be horse-whipped…”

“Yeah!”

He looked and saw Spike, excited, “This is gonna be the best night ever, know why?! Cuz we’re gonna spend time at the gala to-”

His words were cut short as the girls all streaked off.

Something inside compelled Midnight to follow Twilight, and so he did. He followed her… right up to…
“Princess Celestia!” she gasped.

“Twilight! It is so lovely to see my star student,” Celestia greeted before noticing, “Midnight too!”

"Good evening, Your Highness,” Midnight said politely with a bow.

“Oh I’m so excited to be here!” Twilight butted in, “We have so much to catch up on!”

“Well, Twilight, why don’t you go on ahead and enjoy the gala for a little while?” Celestia suggested. “I’ll send somepony to find you and we can enjoy a nice long conversation!”

“Uh… ok!” Twilight had expected Celestia to make time for her immediately but then she realized that might’ve been expecting a tad too much. “Come on, Midnight, why don’t we go get a drink or something?”

“Oh sure!” Midnight agreed when all of a sudden, he felt a spell was cast and everything around seemed to come to a halt, and there was a spark in his mind as he gasped in realization.

He then smiled knowingly as he asked, “I take it you’ve followed my suggestions?”

“Indeed,” Celestia nodded impishly. “Your instructions were quite thorough, and I think the girls will get the evening they’re hoping for. Just not as they expected.”

“The animals in the Royal Garden?” Midnight inquired.

“Ready.”

“The catering?”

“Taken care of.”

“Your nephew?”

“We shared an… intriguing conversation, and his cousin assured us she would do her best.”

“The Wonderbolts?”

“They’ll have all the privacy their biggest fan needs with them.”

“The festivities?”

“I’m sure the rest of the guests will be quite surprised.”

“And Twilight?”

“I’ll keep my word to her.”

“The seal?”

“It will resume its work once the gala concludes,” Celestia promised.

“Which gives me all the time I need,” Midnight smiled, intending for this night to go in a different direction that from what he knew.

Author's Note

Yes, I know I skipped a couple episodes but I just couldn't wait anymore!

As for what Midnight and Celestia are talking about? Just wait & see...

44. The Best Night Ever - To Meet

Fluttershy had stepped outside when she saw, “A meadowlark!”

She followed the little bird towards a floral archway to a dense area of the gardens, and heard a whistling tune.
“I think she’s calling me, just what I wished for!”

She replied with a quick vocalization, and cupped her ear, hearing the same tune, and joyfully went in, not realizing somepony was following her.

Fluttershy continued to vocalize, calling to the meadowlark she saw, as she followed the whistling deeper into the garden.

“My little meadowlark is right around this bend!” she excited as she turned around the bend and gasped.

The whistling came from an elderly earth pony, raking some leaves.

“Was that you?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yup, I love whistling while I work,” the old stallion said as he continued to do both.

“Oh, well, excuse me,” Fluttershy said as she turned and went a different way when she heard some animal noises.

She came upon a small clearing and gasped!
“Oh, I see a toucan! And a spider monkey, and- oh! Is that a wallaroo?”

She approached the animals, only for them to run away in fright.

“Oh Fluttershy, you’re such a loudmouth,” Fluttershy scolded herself when she heard a light chuckle and she turned to see… “Big Macintosh?”

Big Macintosh looked very handsome in his suit, Fluttershy noticed, inciting a slight blush, as the red stallion said a little shyly, “Um, evenin’, Miss Fluttershy. Ah, uh… saw y’all headed this way an’ thought Ah’d join you.”

“Well, I don’t mind, Big Macintosh,” Fluttershy replied. “Um… but you probably don’t want to waste your evening at the gala with me… I just plan to…”

“Ah know why yer here,” Big Mac spoke up, “But Ah hate t’ tell ya, th’ animals in this garden are skittish a strangers. One o’ the castle staff told me.”

“No wonder they ran from me,” Fluttershy whispered, starting to feel upset.

“Hey.”

She looked and ‘eep’ed a bit to see Big Mac standing right next to her.
“Come over here.”

She watched as Big Mac went over to the foot of a tree and gestured her over. Hesitantly, Fluttershy obliged as Big Mac sat against the tree and said, “Sit in front of me.”

“What?” Fluttershy was starting to blush and honestly so was Mac but she couldn’t see because of how dark the shade made his already red coat.

“Jus’ sit in front o’ me,” Big Mac invited, “Ah promise, yer gonna like this.”

Fluttershy looked around before slowly but finally sitting down in front of Big Mac. He placed a hoof on her shoulder, and held up her opposite arm, whispering into her ear, “Jus’ stay perfectly still… and wait.”

Wait she did, and nothing happened for a couple minutes, her arm starting to ache to be let down, when Big Mac made a quiet whistle, and Fluttershy realized it was a bird-call!

Then she silently gasped as she saw the meadowlark from before flutter down onto her hoof. It stared up at Fluttershy curiously, as she awed at the little bird, but felt more in awe of the big stallion behind her. He surprised her further by holding out a sunflower and gently shaking its seeds onto his other hoof, whispering, “Here ya go, lil’ fella.”

The meadowlark chirped as it then fluttered onto his hoof and ate the seeds, Big Mac chuckling, “Enjoy th’ grub.”

Then the meadowlark flew off, Fluttershy asking, “How did you do that?”

“Critters can be skittish if they don’t know ya,” Big Mac explained as he helped Fluttershy up. “So ya gotta be patient, entice `em a little, and let them move on their own pace.”

Fluttershy was surprised and impressed all at once!

Then at that moment, Big Mac looked a little shy himself as he rubbed the back of his neck and said, “Um, Miss Fluttershy?”

“Yes, Big Macintosh?”

“Would you… do an ol’ workhorse th’ honor…” Big Mac squirmed, not sure how to say it, but Fluttershy got the idea.

Without thinking and just going for it, she reached up and gave Big Mac a peck on the cheek, making him jolt as she said, “I would like that very much.”

It took a moment for his brain to puzzle out what just happened but with a goofy smile, Big Mac held out his foreleg, which Fluttershy took, and they ventured deeper into the gardens to visit with the local animals more.

Author's Note

Forgive the shortness and tardiness of this chapter, and I hope you get a hint of what I'm doing.

45. The Best Night Ever - To Find

Rarity passed some other gala-goers when she saw her target: A big white and well-fit unicorn stallion with a golden mane and tail, wearing a fancy lapel and blue bowtie, his cutie-mark a compass rose, stepping outside.

She squealed excitably as she started to follow him, “Hurry Rarity… Oh, but not too fast. But don't wanna lose him... WAIT! Have to play it cool. Oh, but don't be cold! I can't lose him, I can't! He's everything I imagined!”

She stepped outside to the gardens, and saw him, Prince Blueblood looking dashing as he stepped into a cloistered area.

“Even better than I imagined.” Rarity muttered in desire, not noticing somepony watch her.

This observer then noticed a blue light shining through her dress where her cutie-mark was, and she smiled.
“A match!”

Rarity peered around, wondering where her prince had gone, and curious as to why he was out here, Just where is he? Strange that he would go so out of the way, what is it that’s out here that is more important than the gala inside?

“What am I doing with these imbeciles?”

Rarity squeaked but closed her mouth as she looked ahead and saw some bushes. Carefully, she peeked out and saw Blueblood, looking irritated as he paced around a stone bench beneath a tree next to a rosebush.
“‘Oh hello Prince Blueblood, such an honor to meet you, you’re sooo much more handsome in person,’” Blueblood said in a falsetto voice before scoffing. “A bunch of dim-witted mares or wretched gem-diggers, harpies the whole lot of them! Coming onto me, expecting some kind of fairy-tale prince, who will sweep them off their hooves, marry them and they get a happy ever after?! And then all those annoying business-ponies, kissing up and expecting me to invest in their schemes or give them a loan they’ll never pay back?! Ergh! If Auntie Celestia hadn’t…!”

Rarity could not believe what she was hearing, this was her prince?! The pony she’d envisioned for so long, poking hole after hole into her theoretical dream of love at first sight, as she heard him speak ill of mares seeking his eye and business-ponies with shady offers and deals, and it sounded like Blueblood had numerous yet unfortunate experiences with both. She was so taken back that she didn’t see the twig.

*Snap*

“Who goes there?!” Blueblood yelled, looking in her direction.

Realizing she’d been caught, Rarity sighed and parted the bushes with her aura as she stepped forward.
“My name is Rarity, and… my apologies, I… didn’t know anypony was out here.”

Blueblood’s raised brow was all the evidence she needed to realize he did not believe her little fib. Starting to sweat a bit, Rarity looked from each corners of her eyes when she noticed the rosebush and looked at one in particular.
“Oh my, what a lovely rose!”

“Madam, I strongly advise you go back to the gala,” Blueblood scoffed, “for I am not in the mood to deal with another mare looking for her prince charming!”

“But good sir, that’s not-” Rarity tried to say, but Blueblood yelled, “Go away!!”

Rarity shied back, and turned around, tears starting to well up in her eyes, unable to believe it – Her dream prince had rejected her, her perfect night at the Grand Galloping Gala was not to be.

Blueblood turned so as not to watch the mare leave, too full of anger and hurt but he did for a fact feel a twinge of guilt.

But they didn’t realize it as somepony had been watching the whole exchange and realized the time had come to act, her horn flaring with magic, and the whole scene slowed in time.

The observer stepped from the darkness and looked to Rarity.
“Rarity, don’t give up so easily! You and Blueblood can be… but only if you let go of what you think you are looking for in romance. Only then will you find that which will truly make you happy. Blueblood is afraid you’re like all the other ponies he’s opened himself up to, the ones who hurt him. You have to reassure him.”

She then turned to Blueblood.
“And Bluey… I know why you’re like this, and I’m sorry that your last few romances didn’t work out. Those ponies wanted a prince, not you yourself so you’re afraid of having your heart broken again, to take that risk. But you must realize, that love, real and sincere, is worth the risk. Rarity is real, and her generosity and compassion await your discovery!”

The observer sighed, knowing her time was almost up.
“Remember, life is short, you two, so… Have a better one together.”

She vanished, as did the spell, time resuming its natural pace, as both Rarity and Blueblood halted, feeling bewildered but the words had hit home as they slowly turned to face each other.

“Um, Rarity, is it?” Blueblood asked, looking nervous.

“Yes…?” Rarity looked hopeful, Blueblood now the one sweating.

“I… wish to apologize, I am… unworthy of my title if I do not give you a chance, so would you… that is…” Blueblood was flabbergasted when Rarity had an idea,

She took the rose she’d noted earlier and used her magic to shorten the stem and remove the thorns before placing it onto Blueblood’s lapel, to his confusion.
“You know, this rose goes very well with your eyes.”

And in that moment, the two unicorns looked into the other’s eyes and saw something worthwhile.
“Miss Rarity, would you do me the honor of being my date tonight at the gala?”

“Prince Blueblood, the honor would be mine,” Rarity smiled as they made their way back.

Author's Note

I honestly like the Rariblood shipping, and was deeply disappointed with the show-makers for making Blueblood look like a pompous ponce and snob, when i saw the potential here of Blueblood wanting a relationship real and sincere, with a mare who likes him for him and not for some idiotic fairytale prince they envision him to be.

But, just to be true to the canon, I did add a part of Blueblood being a little mean.

So I made it here where Rarity opens her eyes to the pony she is eyeing rather than the prince she is dreaming.

These gala chapters will coincide as they go along, that I promise you.

46. The Best Night Ever - To Sell

Applejack pushed a roll-away stand out into the gardens, and looked around, seeing a lot of ponies present. She bucked it, and it sprang open, revealing several of her best apple-treats and stood up behind it, and just noticed somepony walk up and not just anypony but a Wonderbolt!

“Howdy, partner, ya hungry?”

“As a horse!” he replied with a slight cocky tone.

“Well, what'cha hankering for? Caramel apple? Apple pie? Apple fritter? Apple fries?” Applejack pointed to each of her foods when the Wonderbolt pointed to the biggest item on her menu.

“I’ll take that big apple pie!”

He paid and Applejack hoofed it over, “Well thank ya kindly, sir!”

She watched him leave but then reared, “Yee-haw! In th’ firs’ minute Ah made mah first sell, jus’ like Ah expected!”

A minute later, Applejack hadn’t had another sell as she said, “Second.”

Another minute later, “Third.”

Another minute later, “Fourth…”

“Applejack!”

She perked and saw Rarity alongside her date, Prince Blueblood, as the fashionista requested, “Two apple fritters please.”

“Comin’ right up!” Applejack cheered when Blueblood cleared his throat.

“Um, Miss Rarity, not to dissuade you from enjoying a treat or anything,” he said calmly, “But why would you buy an apple fritter when there are plenty inside on the banquet table?”

“Beg pardon?” Applejack was intrigued that the gala’s catering included fritters.

“Why yes,” Blueblood said as he pointed out some other gala-goers enjoying apple fritters but not just fritters. “In fact, all the foodstuffs you’re selling here are a part of the banquet, so everypony is enjoying them.”

“Wha- Tha’ cain’t be!” Applejack could not believe what she was seeing! She saw a couple mares enjoying candy apples, a stallion munching apple-fries, another cutting a piece of apple pie and serving it to his apparent marefriend.

Deciding to investigate further, Applejack placed a ‘Back in 5 minutes’ sign on her stand and stormed to the banquet and was furious at what she saw. A fair amount of the foods being served were indeed the same kind as she’d been trying to sell.
“Well no wonder nopony’s buying mah food, this gala is servin’ th’ same menu! …But Ah bet it don’ compare to mah fam’ly recipes!”

She helped herself to a slice of apple pie from the banquet table and took a bite. A moment later, her eyes popped in realization that this wasn’t just the same kind of food she’d prepared for her stand.
This pie was made with mah family recipe!!

Applejack was furious! Somehow, the cooks for the gala had gotten a hold of her family recipes! She tested the other apple cuisine to be sure, and was absolutely certain of it!

“Somepony’s hide is gonna be bucked black n’ blue…!” she seethed.

“Hey Applejack!”

She turned to see Midnight munching on a fritter he’d just levitated off the banquet table.
“Isn’t this great?! All your foods are being served to all these upper-crust ponies so you’re sure to-”

*Gurk!*

“You know sumthin’ about this?!” she growled, grabbing Midnight around the throat.

“Applejack! C-calm… down, please!” Midnight choked, so Applejack narrowed her eyes at him and let go.

As he gasped for breath, he cringed at the malevolent glare Applejack was giving him as she threatened, “Ya hav’ thirty seconds to explain.”

“Applejack, I swear, this is gonna work out great for you!” Midnight said quickly, afraid for his life. “Look, I know you intended to sell your foods here at the gala, but I realized everypony would be more interested in free food rather than whatever you brought, so I… copied down some of your family recipes and sent them to Princess Celestia.”

“Wha’ does th’ princess have t’ do wit’ this?!” demanded the festering farmer.

“Princess Celestia was glad to include your recipes for the gala catering,” Midnight went on. “But she placed special spells on the recipes before she gave them to the chefs! The chefs made the food as your recipes instructed but once the gala is over, the chefs will forget the recipes entirely and all traces of them will vanish!”

“But why would ya do this, Midnight?!” Applejack demanded.

Midnight gave her a flat look as he levitated up a parchment with the royal seal on it.
“Take a look at this.”

Applejack swiped the paper and read it. Realization dawned on her when her eyes popped and she whistled.
“That… is a lot o’ zeroes!”

“It’s payment for the use of your family recipes for tonight’s catering,” Midnight explained. “The princess asked me to give it to you myself.”

“Midnight…!” Applejack was in awe. “This… this is enough to get all we wanted fer th’ farm and hav’ plenty leftover! …Ah’m still a lil’ ornery at ya fer doin’ this without mah permission, but…”

Tears threatened to overwhelm her eyes as she scrunched her eyes shut, and suddenly gave Midnight a hug. Midnight smiled and gladly returned the embrace, whispering, “The least I could do for my sister…”

Applejack collected herself as they separated, but she looked troubled.
“But… Sugarcube, Ah, Ah’m not sure Ah cin take this. Ah didn’t make all this grub fer th’ gala!”

“Well you can’t return it!” Midnight smirked, “No substitutions, no refunds, no returns, no regrets. Princess Celestia’s words. That money is all yours, AJ. Now why don’t you go and enjoy yourself?”

“Y’know what, Sugarcube?” Applejack said as she stowed the parchment into her garb. “Ah think Ah’ll do jus’ that.”

She trotted off, not noticing the proud smirk on Midnight’s face.

Author's Note

I honestly thought this would be the perfect way to give Applejack what she was looking for, a lot of money for the Apple Family. you recall how she wanted to replace the barn roof, the rusty plow Big Mac uses, and Granny Smith's hip.

in hindsight, simply setting up a food-stand where free gourmet food is already available isn't really good business-planning.

47. The Best Night Ever - To Prove

The Wonderbolt, carrying the pie in his mouth, made for the V.I.P. section when one of his teammates walked up to him, “Always hungry after a show, eh Soarin?”

“Heh, yeah,” Soarin replied realizing too late that he’d opened his mouth and gasped as he saw it fall, “MY PIE!!”

But just before the pie hit the ground, somepony zoomed outta nowhere and grabbed it, a somepony named Rainbow Dash, as she held it up.

“You saved it! Thanks,” Soarin said with a smile, but before he grabbed the pie, he gasped. “Hey! Aren’t you that pony who saved my tail in Cloudsdale and won the Best Young Flyer competition?”

“That’s me!” Rainbow Dash said, barely containing her excitement. “Rainbow Dash!”

“Well, Rainbow Dash,” Soarin chuckled, sounding a tad sheepish, “Um… would you… like to share this with me?”

“Uh sure,” Rainbow Dash giddily followed Soarin into the V.I.P. section, but secretly squealed, “I’m… hanging out… with the Wonderbolts!”

And sharing a pie with Soarin!

They sat down at a table where Soarin grabbed a knife and slit the pie in half.
“Hey waiter, can I get a plate over here?”

A waiter pony brought one over and Soarin placed one of the pie halves onto the plate and slid it towards Rainbow.
“Enjoy, I know I will!”

Rainbow Dash smiled before Soarin dug into his pie half, eating a tad messy, when he noticed the confused look Rainbow was giving him. He stopped eating and wiped his mouth off, looking a little self-conscious.
“Uh, sorry if that…”

Rainbow smirked and immediately dug into her own pie half, eating just as messily as Soarin had, much to his surprise, when Rainbow lifted her face up and licked the mess of her mouth.
“As my pal, Applejack, who you got this awesome pie from, would say, ‘that’s good eating’!”

They both laughed, and felt a warmth in their chest as Rainbow asked, “So Soarin, what’s it like being a Wonderbolt?”

“Well… it’s an experience, I’ll tell you that,” Soarin stated, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s exciting an’ all, but…”

Rainbow was a little taken back by the look on Soarin’s face, a look that hinted some regret.
“Well, my dad wanted me to become a Wonderbolt like him so that’s what I did! Believe it or not, I’m still among the rookies on the team right now.”

“Really?” Rainbow was honestly surprised. “Well, I know you’ve only been on the team for a couple years now, but everpony says you’re one of the very best flyers among the Wonderbolts!”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Soarin seemed to debate, “but that’s only because of how hard Spitfire pushes us all.”

“Well she must be doing something right, considering how awesome and successful you guys are!” Rainbow assured.

“Well, Dash…” Soarin now looked afraid, “Honestly? There are times I wish I wasn’t a Wonderbolt.”

“What?! Why?” Rainbow Dash was shocked. Soarin was among the most famous and skilled Wonderbolts and (however much she denied it to everypony) her biggest crush. She’d heard of him when he was training to join and watched him ever since he did. He’d always been one of her most revered heroes, not just because Soarin was an amazing flyer but she’d seen him in the public eye, when he attended publicity events. Soarin had won races and donated nearly all of his winnings to charities across Equestria.

“Well, believe it or not,” Soarin explained, “I’m actually trying to earn a degree in weather management.”

“You’re in college?” Rainbow was truly surprised. The Wonderbolts were rarely shown just as themselves, the personal lives were all but simple facts everypony knew they must have but never really noticed.

“Yeah, but it’s not going well,” Soarin admitted when they heard, “Yo, Soar!”

They turned to see Spitefire walking over, saying, “Come on over here, and pose for this picture with me.”

“Woman, can’t you see I’m talking?” Soarin said, a little more irritably than he had intended, surprising both Rainbow Dash, and Spirfire.

“What did you just say to me?” Spitfire was shocked that Soarin would dare take that tone with her.
“Look, Soarin, I don’t like posing for photos anymore than you do, but-”

“I am talking with Rainbow Dash, here, Spit!” Soarin maintained, sounding like he was trying to contain himself, Rainbow having a bad feeling.

“Soarin, may I remind you that I am the Captain of the Wonderbolts!” Spitfire stated, starting to sound high n’ mighty.
“Now get over here!”

Soarin glared at her and simply said, “No.”

“You can’t ignore a direct order from me!” Spitfire snapped.

“Yes I can,” Soarin said, his eyes narrowed. “I’m quitting.”

Both mares gasped at Soarin’s words, Spitfire saying, “You can’t just quit! You have an obligation to this team-”

“I have an obligation to myself!” Soarin yelled, suddenly everypony looking at him. But he paid them no mind, his fury set upon the flaming yellow mare in front of him, Rainbow stepping back.
“I am sick of travelling around, doing these stupid shows for a bunch of screaming fans, going to public events, smiling till my cheeks hurt when I just want to get it all over with! I want to have a life, Spitfire! I want to have an average life, I want to have a job and earn my living, I want to start my own family, and I want to stop feeling like an idiot for failing my courses because your unreasonable training regimes don’t give me time to study!”

Silence fell upon the V.I.P. section as everypony’s gazes shifted between the two Wonderbolts. Spitfire held Soarin’s gaze and saw a tear starting to go down his cheek. She sighed.
“Seems like your mind’s made up. Fine then, Soarin. You’re fired.”

Spitfire turned around to rejoin the other Wonderbolts, as Soarin unzipped his flightsuit and stripped it off. He noticed Rainbow Dash giving him a sympathetic look and instantly felt ashamed.
“Sorry ya had to see that…”

He started walking away when he felt a hoof on his shoulder, and he saw Rainbow giving him a small smile.
“Let’s finish that pie. I was enjoying our talk.”

Soarin and Rainbow held each other’s gaze and in that moment it all felt right.

Author's Note

I wanted to add a little drama, and I actually thought of Soarin for that purpose. I am one of those who love the SoarinDash shipping and used this chapter to bring them together in my story.

I wanted to give Soarin some depth and thought of him as a struggling college student who doesn't have the time to study because of Wonderbolt training (it's a correspondence college) and felt like this could be the moment for him to snap.

I made Spitfire look in the wrong because she has been so in the show, when she favored Lightning Dust over Rainbow Dash and then tried to steal Rainbow from Ponyville for the Equestria Games and lied to Soarin so he wouldn't get back in the team. These actions of hers, as well as Fleetfoot's manner in that particular episode, made me grow to dislike them both, and view the Wonderbolts as not being all that it's cracked up to be.

48. The Best Night Ever - To Whoop

In the main hall, Pinkie gasped, “A shiny dance-floor… The pretty party ponies…! Wait a minute!”

She looked around and saw no musicians, and therefore heard no music. Wondering what was up, she asked somepony, “Um excuse me, isn’t there supposed to be a band playing music for the gala?”

“Oh, the princess’s staff announced that this year,” the gala-goer explained, “that the gala would feature a change of entertainment from the usual. For the moment, we’re all just mingling until the entertainment arrives.”

“Oh,” Pinkie was a tad disappointed, what kind of party like the gala doesn’t have music playing even when there’s no entertainment being done at the moment? For a while, Pinkie decided to try and be patient but before long, despite her poor attention span having showed impressive patience, it was beginning to wear thin, as she sighed.

“Oh hey Pinkie!”

She perked and saw, “Twilight, Thundy! Eh… some party, huh?”

“Actually, this is kinda boring,” Thunderlane commented as they looked around and saw a lot of the gala-goers were looking bored too, just talking and doing whatever else to pass the time.

“I hope the princess gets done with whatever she had to do soon,” Twilight didn’t like to complain but her teacher was taking a while.
“We still haven’t had a chance to talk, just the two of us.”

“You think you’re bored, lookit me!” Pinkie whined. “I always though the gala was the most awesomest-funerific-spectcular party in all of Equestria! …But right now, I’d honestly rather be getting a swift kick in the rump…”

“Is that an invitation?”

They turned and saw, “Midnight, Applejack!”

“Hey bud, some party huh?” Thunderlane quipped as the two bronies hoof-bumped.

“Howdy, Twilight,” Applejack greeted, Twilight saying, “Applejack, weren’t you running a food-stand so you could sell your foods and earn lots of money?”

“Eh, in retrospect, Sugarcube,” Applejack chuckled sheepishly, “settin’ up a food-stand where there’s a whole buffet table a’ freefood ain’t exactly a smart business decision.”

“I wasn’t gonna say anything,” Midnight smirked, “But that’s alright. Haven’t any of you noticed what a lot of the guests have been eating?”

“Y’know, I did notice some ponies eating candy apples,” Thunderlane brought up, Pinkie adding, “Ooh! And that gal over there is having a fritter!”

“You mean the catering is serving the same kinds of food as you were, Applejack??” Twilight realized, suddenly feeling bad for her friend.

“Ah, don’t you fret, Twi,” Applejack waved it off as she held up the parchment Midnight gave her, “cuz tha’ is mah food! Midnight let the princess’s cooks borrow mah recipes fer th’ gala caterin’ an’ Ah got paid quite lil’ fortune!”

“It was the least I could do,” Midnight shrugged with a smile.

“Well, AJ, I’m glad some of us are getting what they want at the gala tonight,” Pinkie said with a sulking smile.

“Oh don’t worry, Pinks! I think it’s about to… liven up,” Midnight said knowingly as he pointed towards the stage and they saw somepony walk up to a microphone.

“Good evening, gala-goers,” he announced, “and thank you for your patience. Tonight, the gala shall break away from its traditional classical musical score and try for something a little more… modern.”

The gala-goers all whispered while some gave a polite applause, and the announcer continued.
“Fillies & gentlecolts, put your hooves together for our opening act…! Please welcome… DJ Pon-3!!”

The announcer disappeared in a flash of light and in his place was the famous disc-jockey, Vinyl Scratch, known by her stagename as DJ Pon-3. She had a white coat and wild electric blue mane streaked with lighter shades of blue, her eyes hidden behind a rockin’ pair of shades, and she stood in front of her record-scratching equipment and cheered, “Hel-LO Grand Galloping Gala!”

Most of the gala-goers cheered and whooped while a few of the older guests frowned at the record-scratcher. Pinkie, Thunderlane, Twilight, and Midnight all smiled as Vinyl announced, “For my first number, I’m gonna need a little help! Any volunteers?”

Lots of the gala-goers cheered, raising their hooves, as spot lights scanned across the crowd, Vinyl looking for the right pony to help with her. Then one of the lights settled on Pinkie, much to her gasping giddy shock as Vinyl said, “How `bout that pink gal in the sweet looking dress?”

“AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!” Pinkie screamed as she ran right up to the stage next to Vinyl, and got a microphone.
“Let’s get this party started…!!!”

Author's Note

I'm sorry if this chapter's a little short compared to the others but I honestly don't know what to fill it with, and I'm now supposed to give Twilight her chapter "to talk" with Princess Celestia, and I don't know how i'm gonna do that before I conclude the gala

49. The Best Night Ever - To Talk

As the music kicked in, a colored lightshow ignited, the speakers pumping with the beat, and the gala-goers got down with their bad selves, yo. But then, as Twilight waved her hooves in the air like she just did not care, she noticed how everything seemed to slow and quiet down around her, and almost immediately feared something was wrong, when…
“Twilight?”

She turned and saw…
“Princess Celestia!”

“I told you we’d have that talk,” Celestia smiled as she turned, saying, “Walk with me.”

As Twilight followed her teacher, she soon realized time seemed to have come to a near stand-still all throughout the gala. But as they carried on, tonight’s events for some reason gave her pause for thought.

“Twilight?”

She snapped out of it and saw Celestia had led her back to the hall where she’d first seen the princess, “I apologize for keeping you waiting. As princess, it is normally expected of me to greet each and every guest who attends the gala, so I waited for the opportunity to cast this spell so that you and I could have as long a moment as we would need.”

“I see…!” Twilight was in awe such a spell slowing time to such a degree. “There’s so much I want to talk to you about but… all of a sudden I can’t think of what to start with!”

“Well, why don’t we carry on and just talk?”

They did so, walking together through the gala, avoiding bumping into the guests, and they stepped out into the garden where Twilight saw Fluttershy with Big Mac, the two of them appearing to be enjoying the garden menagerie.

“It looks like Fluttershy’s made some new friends,” Twilight giggled.

“Yes, but I think she along with Big Macintosh have made something more,” Celestia added with a raised brow and smirk, and Twilight took a closer look.

She then realized that Fluttershy and Big Mac were holding hooves and smiling at each other rather than the animals.

“Let’s carry on,” Celestia suggested before Twilight could read more into it.

They happened upon some ponies sitting on cushions, appearing to be talking and enjoying the nearby flowerbeds, and Twilight noticed Rarity sitting next to Blueblood, whom she remembered as her old classmate in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and the of them were smiling at each other.
“I am glad my nephew is enjoying the gala with such a kind mare as Rarity,” Celestia said, a warm smile on her face.

“Is something wrong, Princess?” Twilight asked, noticing there was a hopeful look in her teacher’s eyes.

“It’s nothing, dear, shall we?”

They then passed by the V.I.P. section where twilight fully expected to see Rainbow Dash hanging out with the Wonderbolts, and so looked for them. But she only saw their blue uniforms and swept-back manes, not a certain rainbow-colored Pegasus mare wearing a matching-colored dress.

“That’s odd, I would think Rainbow would with the Wonderbolts,” Twilight commented.

“Perhaps it’s because she’s with somepony else,” Celestia suggested and Twilight followed her line of sight and saw that Rainbow Dash was sitting with the famous Wonderbolt Soarin, his suit’s hood down to reveal his face, and they were peer into each other’s faces in a way Twilight had never seen from her braggart friend.

“Well that’s unexpected,” Twilight muttered, “I’d thought Rainbow would spend time with all of the Wonderbolts, but… I’ve never seen such a look in her face. It reminds me of-”

Her eyes popped in realization.

Fluttershy and Big Macintosh.

Rarity and Blueblood.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin.

“I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it…!” she whispered.

“And why is that, my faithful student?” Celestia quipped, “It’s really not that surprising for one to meet somepony special at such an event as the gala.”

Twilight looked questionably at the princess, who went on, “Twilight, dreams are a funny thing. They are a wish and a goal at once, because simply wishing for your dreams to come true can only get you so far. There are times you have to work hard to make your wishes come true, and the journey to do just that often helps us realize that what we want and that what we need is not the same thing, and it even helps us understand more about ourselves, as the journey to our dreams often lead us to something all the more special.”

Twilight beamed at her teacher and they shared a hug, Twilight saying, “And here I thought we’d talk about just magic and the things I’ve experienced in Ponyville…”

“We can still do that, Twilight,” Celestia offered.

“Actually, Princess… I think I want to spend some time with my friends,” Twilight said politely.

Celestia smiled in pride and said, “Very well. Off you go, and expect a surprise visit for the finale onstage.”

Twilight smiled and trotted off, wanting to get back before Celestia lifted her spell. She barely made it just in time as the roar of the music and crowd hurt her eardrums a bit before she resumed cheering alongside her friends!

Author's Note

I felt a little heart-to-heart sort of talk would be more profound rather than a discussion of magic between Twilight and Celestia

50. The Best Night Ever - Conclusion

Before long, the music slowed and Vinyl Scratch announced, “Alright, party ponies, it’s time to take things in a different direction. I’m calling on all you lovely couples out there for this is the moment to sweep your filly off her hooves!”

The crowd cleared the dance-floor while couples all walked out onto it, looking up expectantly at the disc jockey.
“And now, fillies n’ gentlecolts, here for the final song of tonight, let’s all give a warm Grand Galloping Gala welcome to… Princess Luna!!!”

Vinyl Scratch and her sound equipment vanished ina shimmering haze, and when it cleared, there stood Princess Luna, along with a pianist, a cellist, harpist, and tuba player, each a celebrated musician.

Some of the guests gasped in apprehension of the princess of the night, known once upon a time as the Mare in the Moon, Night Mare Moon, while others simlply held their silence, unsure of what to do.

But one pony was not afraid to give due applause, as Midnight Blaze clapped his hooves, looking warmly to Luna, and before long, everypony else was clapping as well. Luna and the musicians all bowed as they began.

Big Mac led Fluttershy out onto the dance floor, followed by Blueblood and Rarity, and Rainbow Dash and Soarin. Midnight then turned to Twilight, holding out his hoof, with a hopeful smile.
“May I have this dance?”

Twilight was a little surprised but smiled with a nod and allowed her student to lead her out onto the dance floor.

The music began, low and mysterious but beautiful nonetheless, and everypony was in awe of Luna’s enthralling voice.

The stallions slowly took the lead, guiding their dance-partners along with the musical flow, gentle and graceful, the spell of the music enchanting them all.

Fluttershy kept looking at her hooves but Big Mac lifted her face, whispering, “Just look at me.”

Staring into his big green eyes, reflecting a gentle warmth, she calmed and rested her head to his chest.

Rarity was hesitant, not wanting to make a mistake when Blueblood whispered, “Relax. Because tonight, there is nopony I’d rather be dancing with than you.”

She smiled and rested her head onto his shoulder.

Soarin was a little scared, still a little rattled from his altercation with Spitfire, when Rainbow Dash said, “Hey! I lead, ok?”

He looked into those rose-colored orbs and saw a passion like that of a glowing ember, bright yet gentle, and he smiled at her.

Midnight and Twilight were a little mechanical with their moves, as neither of them had any real dance experience. Twilight kept over-annalyzing her steps when…
“Ouch!”

“Oh, sorry!” she whispered, looking fearfully at Midnight’s wincing face.

“It’s ok,” he assured her. “I’m a little nervous too.”

They stopped for a moment, stationary in a sea of dance, as they recollected themselves and Twilight said, “Again?”

“If you want to,” Midnight replied with an encouraging smile and Twilight looked into his turquoise eyes, he into her eyes like amethysts.

In that moment, something clicked, igniting a spark, and ever so slowly, they moved closer to the other’s faces, when…

A loud applause made them jerk as they looked around saw the song was over, and Princess Luna and the musicians were taking another bow. The two unicorns looked at each other again, realizing what they’d almost done, and Midnight vanished in a flash of light, leaving a bewildered Twilight in shock!

Midnight didn’t know how he found it but he wound up at a local doughnut shop, hearing someone say, “Hey Pony Joe! Another doughnut.”

He looked and saw Spike sitting on one of the barstools, a big unicorn stallion wearing a deli uniform and had a pink-frosted doughtnut for a cutie-mark, was looking at him hesitantly with green eyes.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”

“Another doughtnut!” Spike demanded angrily, “Extra sprinkles.”

“I’ll have what he’s having,” Midnight muttered as he walked up, throwing a couple bits onto the counter and sat next to Spike.
“Hey Spike.”

“Oh, now one of you notices me,” Spike griped as the pony called Joe served up a couple sprinkled doughtnuts for them.

“Look, Spike, I’m sorry the evening didn’t turn out like you hoped,” Midnight said, sounding woeful, Spike raised a brow.

“What’s your problem?” he asked, not really caring more curious.

“Well, Twilight and I shared a dance and we almost…”

“Almost what?” Spike gruffed when they all heard the doors open behind them.

“Twilight Sparkle,” chuckled Joe. “Long time no see!”

Spike and Midnight looked to see their friends, all smiling or laughing, Twilight in front as she looked at Midnight, and her expression mirrored his: Confused, unsure, a little hurt.

Spike walked up, saying, “Hey everypony, how was the gala?”

They all discussed it over a round of doughtnuts and hot chocolate, and Spike was like, “Wow! Sounds like you all had the best night ever after all!”

“We did,” Twilight agreed, looking at the others. “But… just not in the way we expected.”

“No kidding!”
“I didn’t see it coming.”
“It turned out even better!”
“It was awesome!”

“That… was the best Grand Galloping Gala ever!”

They all looked to the front doors and gasped, “Princess Celestia!”

“I have to agree with you, Princess,” Twilight said as her teacher approached them. “You really outdid yourself this year.”

“Oh I can’t take all the credit,” Celestia shook her head. “You should all be thanking Midnight!”

“Midnight?!”

Everypony looked at him, Midnight just shrugging with a smile.

“Midnight… read up about the gala and sent me a letter of suggestions,” Celestia explained with a knowing look she shared with the blue unicorn.
“And I’m so glad he did, and that you were all able to attend!”

“Wait, Princess, are you saying this year’s gala was different from usual?” Rarity asked.

“Indeed, Rarity, and to tell you all the truth,” Celestia went on, “Ordinarily? The gala is just awful, year after year! So stuffy and boring, all the guests expecting it to be some high society event and to be all formal! So when Midnight sent me his suggestions, I considered it a Faust-send! So in a way, everypony, you all have Midnight to thank for such a lovely evening.”

“All I made were some suggestions, Princess!” Midnight chuckled and the thank-you assumed from all his friends.
“I just thought up some ways to… liven things up a bit.”

“And while the evening didn’t go quite as you all planned,” Celestia added, “I’m sure you’ll agree that in the end it turned out even better than you had hoped.”

“You’re right, Princess,” Twilight agreed. “Friends have a way of making something bad into something pretty great.”

“Yeah, by just hanging out with each other,” Thunderlane suggested.
“Talking,” added Fluttershy.
“Laughing!” declared Pinkie.

“You mean doing exactly what I wanted to do from the start?” asked Spike with a high & mighty smile.

“Yes, Spike, you were right,” Twilight admitted.
“An’ though things din’t go quite what we all expected…” added Big Mac.
“…being together here is just the perfect way for it to end,” Rarity agreed.

“In fact, it makes it…” Pinkie started and everypony agreed:

“THE BEST NIGHT EVER!”

Author's Note

I almost completed that moment, I almost did. But I felt like it would be crossing a line much too soon, as I haven't built it up yet for it to be really profound.

I made Midnight run away because I felt it would be too predictable for that to be Twilight.

Oh, and I threw in Children of the Night since Luna has been depicted singing it and because I thought its mysterious and enthralling melody was perfect.

Another amazing artwork illustration by Hoodwink McShelster!

51. The Return of Harmony - Part 1

It was a nice late-morning in Canterlot as Cheerilee led her class towards the area of interest right outside the palace labyrinth. The class consisted of Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Twist, Snips & Snails, Shady Daze, Featherweight, Apple Bloom, Twinken, Sweetie Belle, Button Mash, Scootaloo, and Rumble.
“I want to start our field trip here, in the world-famous Canterlot Sculpture Garden!”

The colts & fillies looked around and saw all kinds of statues and sculptures, some depicting ponies in glorious poses, others of monsters, and some were just artistic.

“That one over there represents ‘Friendship’,” she said, directing everypony’s attention to a statue of three little ponies smiling and standing on each other’s backs. But then a whistle and electronic beeping got Cheerilee’s attention and she sighed, “Button Mash, I told you no Joy Boy!”

Everypony looked to the back and saw Button Mash playing his game and his pupils dilated to pinpricks when he realized he’d been caught. He opened his mouth but Cheerilee cut him off, “And I don’t want to hear about what level you’re on, power-ups you’re getting, or bosses you’re facing, give it to me!”

“But Cheerilee…!” Button whined but Cheerilee’s glare made him oblige.

“You can have it back when we go home,” Cheerilee compromised sternly, ignoring the pouty glare Button gave her and the Humgonian nonsense he muttered.
“Now pay attention, my little ponies!”

She led another statue, saying, “This one represents ‘Victory’!”

“What an awesome pose,” Rumble commented.
“How cool would it be to have that for a cutie-mark?” agreed Scootaloo.
“Cool, if y’all were actually victoryful at sumthin’,” Apple Bloom teased.
“That’s not a word!” Sweetie Belle disputed.
“What are you, a dictionary?” retorted Scootaloo.

“Girls!”

They looked and saw the class had moved onto another exhibit, Cheerilee explain as the girls rejoined their classmates, “Now this is a really interesting statue. What do you notice about it?”

The class gazed up at the statue and noticed how odd and nonsensical it looked.
“It’s got an eagle claw,” Apple Bloom spoke up.
“And a lion’s paw,” Scootaloo added.
“And a snake’s tail!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed.
“And one feathered wing,” Rumble noted.
“And one bat wing,” Twinken brought up.
“And its legs don’t match!” Button stated.

“This creature is called a Draconequus,” Cheerilee explained, “He has the head of a pony and a body made up of all sorts of things. What do you suppose that represents?”

“Confusion!” answered Apple Bloom.
“Evil!” stated Sweetie Belle, pushing her out of the way.
Scootaloo did the same to her before insisting, “Chaos!”

“It’s not chaos you dodo!” Sweetie Belle argued,
“Don’t call me things I don’t know the meaning of! And it is too chaos!” Scootaloo back-sassed.
“Yer both wrong,” Apple Bloom butted in and the three fillies started tussling.

“Oh boy, there they go again,” Rumble muttered to his friends Twinken and Button as they both nodded in tiresome agreement.
“And they wonder why we don’t go crusading with them…”

But Twinken then felt some kind of twinge in his horn and looked up at the statue, feeling like something wasn’t right. He looked at the girls fighting and back at the statue and immediately used his telekinesis to break them up, Cheerilee saying, “Actually, in a way you’re all right!”

Twinken let the girls down, Cheerilee going on, “This statue represents ‘Discord’, which means ‘a lack of harmony between ponies’. In fact, you three have demonstrated discord so well, that you’re each gonna write me an essay explaining it.”

The girls lowered their heads in embarrassment as the rest of the class, not including Twinken, Button, and Rumble, laughed at their expense.

“Now let’s go, and I don’t want any more fighting,” Cheerilee scolded as she led her class off, none of them noticing the cracks appearing on the statue that represented Discord nor did they hear the ominous laughter…

The next day, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane flew over Ponyville, the latter saying, “it was described as moving on its own so it probably wandered in from the Ever Free Forest.”

“Yeah, well we can’t-” Rainbow was saying when something pink zoomed past her, sending her in a twirl.

She gathered herself and gasped at the target zipping about.
“Come on, Thunder!”

“Right behind ya!”

They zipped after the oddly-colored cloud but realized it was faster than it looked, Thunderlane flying up alongside his co-captain, asking, “The ol’ one-two-three?”

“You know it! One…” She slowed just enough for Thunderlane to grab her by her hooves, him saying, “…Two!”

He spun round and around, increasing his velocity before they yelled, “Three!!”

With the extra-oomph, Rainbow easily caught up with the cloud and immediately wished she hadn’t.
“Eew!”

Thunderlane was surprised to see the cloud sticking to Rainbow’s wings and hooves as she shook it off, “What is this?”

Thunderlane reached out and took a bit off her hooves and gave it an experimental taste.
“Cotton candy…?”

“Uh, Thundy?”

He looked at Rainbow and saw her eyes were following something and he looked and gasped to see more of the same clouds, pink and likely also made of cotton candy, zipping about all over the airspace above Ponyville, when they heard a crack of thunder and looked up. Directly above them was a bigger cotton candy cloud and it released a brown drop, Thunderlane suddenly complaining, “Hold your horses, the rain is scheduled to pour tomorrow! You can’t-”

He was interrupted by a sudden shower from the cotton candy cloud, leaving both weather ponies to sulk, Rainbow Dash muttering, “It did.”

Meanwhile, Applejack and Big Mac were collecting from their cornfield when they heard…
“Hey! You get back here!”

They looked up and saw their two favorite weather ponies chasing after a pink cloud only to be followed by more that were much bigger and thundering and pouring.
“Rainbow, Thunder! Wha's goin’ on wit’ this rain?” Applejack demanded.

“Chocolate milk.” Big Mac corrected.

“I mean – Chocolate milk rain?!” Applejack could not believe what she was saying and seeing, Thunderlane zipping down.

“Crazy weather is popping up all over Equestria!" Thunderlane explained, "In fact, Fillydelphia is already covered by a blizzard of mashes potatoes and gravy!”

“Don’t worry, we ain’t leaving Ponyville hangin’ till all of this is under control!” Rainbow Dash assured, and they just noticed the cornfields suddenly popping popcorn for no reason, and Big mac got pelted by some in the face, as the popcorn suddenly started gathering into hills of the stuff.

“Why would you wanna stop this?!” Pinkie cheered as she dived happily through the popcorn hills and opened her mouth to catch the chocolate milk raindrops.

“Ahem.”

Applejack and Big Mac looked to see Rarity in a heavy raincoat, wearing a hat, and a saddle-supported umbrella.
“I heard about your troubles, dears, and came to see if there is any way I might lend a hoof without getting wet. Or dirty. Or out from underneath my umbrella.”

Applejack and Big Mac both sighed when they heard the sound of wood creaking and they gasped to see the apples in their trees suddenly enlarge to the size of beach balls, and start weighing down the branches and bending the trees over, and if that weren’t enough, squirrels suddenly started eating these enlarged pieces of produce.

“Fluttershy, do sumthin’!” begged Applejack.

Fluttershy saw her bunny Angel getting into an apple, “Now Angel, you really shouldn’t-”

But she gasped to see Angel and all the other bunnies suddenly get long and lanky legs, like those of a deer, “No! It’s not possible!”

She looked around and saw them stampeding about, “I must be seeing things!”

“Don’t worry everyone!”

They looked and saw Twilight, Midnight, and Spike, Twilight declaring, “We each have a spell that should fix everything! I’ll go first.”

Midnight gave a mock-bow and stepped aside as Twilight’s horn flared with life, and she released a wave of magenta magick and a shockwave of power, and when it cleared…!

Nothing. The cotton candy clouds still poured chocolate milk, popcorn still popped, apples still big, animals still crazy.

“Step aside for a real unicorn mage,” Midnight said haughtily and chanted his spell.

“Mystic power wane in peace, arcane forces gone awry
Magic spell, I bid you cease, rampant curse dispel and die

"Finité Arcanorum!"

He released a blue shockwave of power that blazed like fire and engulfed all the problems as everypony was blinded for a moment by an intense light. But after it dimmed, they saw only the popcorn had stopped popping, and Twilight gave Midnight a look.
“Hey, at least I stopped one problem!” he protested.

“Well, at least it did better than my Fail-Safe spell,” Twilight admitted. “Whaddoo we do?!”

“Uh, give up?” Spike offered lamely, the two unicorns giving him a look.

“Oh Spike, I’m sure our two resident master mages will come up with something,” Rarity assured him as she replaced her saddle/umbrella onto Twilight’s back and she considered.

“Hmm, time for plan b! Rainbow, Thunder,"Twilight called, "can you corral all those clouds in the sky?”

The two weather ponies shook off the cotton candy and saluted before getting to work, collecting the clouds. Midnight knew where Twilight was going with this and called, “AJ, Mac, we need you to lasso those cotton candy clouds to the ground!”

Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane had just forced all the clouds into one as the two farmers each took a lasso and their aims flew true as they brought down the cloud, Big Mac grunting, “Eeyup!”

The cloud stopped pouring, much to Pinkie’s indignation, “Hey! What happened?!”

As Big Mac forced the cloud down, Twilight whispered something to Fluttershy, who perked at her idea.
“Oh dear,” she called out rather loudly while AJ tied the cloud down to a post, “I hope none of the animals see these delicious chocolate-filled cotton candy clouds. I'd hate to have to share them.”

“You and me both, sister!” said Pinkie as she munched the cloud, only to get pushed back as all the animals ran up to it and started eating it themselves. “Hey!”

“And when y’all are done with that,” Applejack called out, “feel free t’ have some popcorn as dessert.”

“Take a look, Spike,” Midnight chuckled quite confidently, not noticing Spike hurking, “There’s nothing you can’t accomplish so long as you have good friends and work as a team.”

*BURP*

Twilight levitated the message and what she read made her gasp.
“Come on, everypony! Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately!”

Big Mac nuzzled Fluttershy’s head as she leaned against his shoulder, neither of them having a good feeling about this summons.

Author's Note

i'm quite sure you've all been waiting for this...!

52. The Return of Harmony - Part 2

In Canterlot Castle, the Princess of the Sun was anxiously pacing, a gloom of worry that was not without merit around her when….
“Princess Celestia!”

She looked to the double doors and saw her little ponies coming, Twilight saying, “We came as fast as we could!”

“Thank you, Twilught,” Celestia welcomed them solemnly, “Thank you all for coming.”

“Is this about the weather?” Thunderlane asked.
“And the animals strange behavior?” inquired Fluttershy.
“What’s happening out there, why isn’t my magic wor-” Twilight tried to ask when zipper formed and shut her mouth, and she glared at the guilty party.

“Let her talk, for Faust’s sake!” Midnight sighed in exasperation.

“Thank you, Midnight. Now follow me everypony,” Celestia bade them.

She led them to a tower, going down a hall of stained-glass windows, depicting various historical events. During so, she had subtly flared her horn, igniting another dawn of realization in the blue unicorn but he kept his silence as she stated, “I have called you all here for a matter of great importance. It seems an old foe of mine, someone I thought I had defeated long ago, has returned.”

Fluttershy was suddenly drawn towards one of the stained-glass windows, Celestia saying,” His name… is Discord.”

Seeing the abominable monster the window depicted, Fluttershy squealed in fright and hurried over to Big Mac as Celestia continued.
“Discord is a sadistic spirit of disharmony. Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an endless cycle of strife and misery.”

She directed their attention to a window depicting Discord holding puppet strings over three ponies of each kind, “Luna and I saw how miserable he made life for earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns alike. Once we discovered the Elements of Harmony, we defied his wretched rule, and, with our combined powers, we imprisoned him within stone.”

“You go, Princess!” Thunderlane cheered, looking at the window of a stone Discord but Celestia couldn’t take the time to appreciate his praise.

“I thought the spell we placed on him would jail him forever,” she went on, “but since Luna and I are no longer connected to the elements, the spell has been broken.”

“What do you mean, no longer connected?” Twilight asked.

“This is Canterlot Tower,” Celestia explained where she had led them all, right to an elaborate door that appeared to be locked, “where the Elements are kept inside since all of you recovered them. I need you to once again wield the Elements and vanquish Discord before he subjects Equestria to eternal chaos!”

“But why us?” Twilight inquired, “Why don’t-”

“Hey look! We’re famous!”

They all looked and saw Pinkie Pie gazing up at a window depicting the six mares and three stallions.

“All of you showed the full potential of the Elements by harnessing the magic of your friendship to overcome a mighty foe!” Celestia explained. “Although Luna and I once wielded them, it is you who now control their power therefore it is you who must defeat Discord!”

Emboldened by Celestia’s passionate pep talk, Twilight and Midnight nodded in agreement, as she said, “Princess Celestia, you can count on-”

“Hold on a second!!” Pinkie butted in, “Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guys, chocolate rain!”

Midnight narrowed his eyes and his horn glowed, making another zipper, this time shutting Pinkie’s mouth as he said to the princess, “Ignore her, Your Highness, it would be our honor to wield the Elements once more.”

Celestia walked up to the vault and inserted her horn into keyhole, channeling her magic into it. The sun emblem and creases flared with mana, as did the door as it slowly opened to reveal a jeweled chest.

“You can keep the elements,” Rarity shuddered, “I’ll take that chest!”

“Take heart, my subjects, for I have the utmost confidence that you will defeat Discord with these,” Celestia assured when she levitated the chest over and opened it to reveal… nothing?!

Everypony gasped, Celestia dropping the chest in shock, and silence fell throughout the hall.

“Oh well! If anyone needs me,” Pinkie said all perky as she trotted off, “I’ll be outside with the chocolate puddles and a giant swizzle straw!”

“Get over here!” Midnight aggravated as he pulled Pinkie back by the tail, ignoring her pouting.

“The Elements, they’re gone!” Twilight and the others gaped at the empty chest.

“But that chamber is protected by a powerful spell only I can break!” Celestia fretted, “this doesn’t make sense!”

At that moment, a mocking chuckled echoed through the hall from an unseen source as the air suddenly felt heavy and tense.

“Make sense? Oh what fun is there in making sense…?”

“Discord!” Celestia snapped angrily. “Show yourself!”

The laughing continued, “Did you miss me, Celestia?”

Hearing it the voice, they all looked in its direction and saw the image of Discord over the miserable ponies glaring mockingly back.
“I’ve missed you.”

They watched as he vanished at the edge of the window and appeared in the stained-glass window to its right, where he settled upon an image of the Elements of Harmony, “It’s quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn’t know that, would you, because I don’t turn ponies into stone!”

“Enough! What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?!” Celestia demanded.

“Oh you mean these pretty little things?” Discord asked as he held one of the image’s Elements, “I just thought I’d hang onto them for a while…”

Then he snapped his fingers and they all vanished from the glass.

“You’ll never get away with this, Discord…” Celestia warned as the image-Discord simply lounged in the window.

“Oh I’d forgotten just how grim you can be, Celestia. It’s really quite boring…”

“Hey! Nopony insults the princess!”

They all looked as Rainbow charged the window, but the image-Discord vanished and she crashed into the window itself, which must’ve been magical as it didn’t’ shatter and was more like flying into a wall. As Rainbow un-splattered herself from the window, a bigger image-Discord appeared.
“Oh! You must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her Loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent.”

“That’s right! I’ll always be loyal to the princess!” Rainbow declared.

But image-Discord just vanished, darkly challenging, “We’ll see about that…”

“I can’t believe we’re wasting our time talking to a tacky window,” Rarity scoffed.

“The beautiful Rarity!”

She jumped and looked to see image-Discord in the window she was standing near.

“Representative of the Element of Generosity, if I’m not mistaken.”

“So ya know who we are, big deal,” Applejack sniped, image-Discord enlarging to the full size of the window.

“Oh I know much more than that, Honest Applejack,” he smirked as he looked down on them all.

“Obviously, since you appear to know which Element each of us represent,” Twilight said with narrowed eyes.

“Yes, Twilight Sparkle and yours is the most mysterious element of them all, Magic,” image-Discord noted. “Fluttershy’s is Kindness and Pinkie Pie’s is my personal favorite, Laughter.”

They then noticed Pinkie stifling her giggles, Twilight scolding, “Pinkie!”

Pinkie just let it out, “He’s dancing on your head!”

Image-Discord was indeed, standing and dancing on the head of Twilight’s image in the window.

“Don’t tell me you’re forgetting us, Discord…” Midnight spoke up with a challenging look.

“Oh of course not, Midnight Blaze,” image-Discord assured in a condescending manner. “You represent the most annoying of the elements, ‘Faith’.”

Midnight noted that Discord seemed to hold some kind of animosity towards Faith when Discord kept going.
“And not only that, you serve alongside Big Macintosh and Thunderlane as the Guardians of Harmony.”

“Is that what we are?” Thunderlane asked Big Mac, the farmer just shrugging.

“Stop stalling, Discord!” Celestia stepped back in, “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?”

“Oh so boring, Celestia, really!” Discord scoffed. “Fine, I’ll tell you but I’ll only tell you my way…”

Discord’s image danced through all the windows, not just the stained-glass as he eyed the ponies mischievously.

“To find your missing Elements, just make sense of this change of events,
Twists & turns are my master plan, then find the Elements back where you began…”

The image of Discord resettled to where it had originally been, the spirit’s mocking laughter fading in echoes.

“Can we go home now…?” Fluttershy asked hopefully as she stood nervously by Big Mac.

“Whattya reckon he meant?” Applejack asked. “Twists n’ turns and endin’ up back where we started…”

“Twists & turns…” Twilight pondered as she wandered towards a window. “Twists & turns.”

Looking out she gasped, “Twists & turns, that’s it! I bet Discord hid the Elements in the palace labyrinth!”

“Hold on, hold on, hold on!” Midnight stepped in. “Isn’t that kind of obvious?”

“Where else could it be?” Twilight asked.

“We have to consider the whole riddle,” Midnight insisted, “not to mention we’re dealing with a spirit of chaos, a trickster! A labyrinth is kind of an obvious conclusion and we have to expect the unexpected. I’m just saying we should give this more thought.”

“Well my instincts are telling me the labyrinth is where the Elements are,” Twilight debated.

“And if you’re wrong?” Midnight inquired, “You could be walking into a trap!”

“We have to take that risk, for the sake of Equestria!” Twilight was beginning to argue.

“I just think we should consider this more carefully,” Midnight maintained but before Twilight could argue more, Celestia stepped in.

“Perhaps you both are right,” Celestia reasoned, “and perhaps only one or both of you are wrong. But arguing is not going to help.”

“Well, I’m not going to look for the Elements in the one place I know they’re not,” Midnight stated and walked out the hall, Big Mac and Thunderlane looking between him and the girls.

“Go with him,” Celestia urged them, “None of any of you should venture anywhere alone.”

“Good luck, everypony,” Thunderlane wished them before flying off.

Big Mac held Fluttershy’s hooves and whispered to her, “Stay close to the girls.”

She nodded nervously and watched him leave.

As Midnight made his way for the train station, he felt a little bad. He hadn’t said anything to the girls, that he literally knew Discord had not hidden the Elements in the maze. But he had to get the Elements and he hoped the girls would distract the trickster long enough for him to get them. He was playing a dangerous game, and hoped it would turn out alright.

“Midnight!”
“Haystack!”

He looked and saw his two best friends gallop up to him, and he sulked a bit.
“Thanks for coming.”

“Sure thing, brony,” Thunderlane said, and he held out his hoof. Big Mac placed his against Thunder’s and Midnight did the same.

“I just hope Twilight and the others will be alright,” Midnight hoped.

“Don’t worry about them,” Big Mac assured, “them girls can do great things t’gether.”

“So Midnight, you don’t think Discord hid the Elements in the maze,” Thunderlane gathered, “So where do you think he did?”

“Discord said find the Elements back where you began,” Midnight reasoned. “We just have to figure out where he means by ‘began’.”

“A hospital?” offered Thunderlane, “Almost everypony’s lives begin in hospitals when they’re born.”

“I kinda doubt it,” Midnight debated. “It feels more like…”

Midnight froze up and pretended to stare out into space. But Big Mac and Thunderlane didn’t know that.
“Haystack?” Big Mac waved his hoof in front of Midnight’s face.
“Midnight, Equestria to Midnight, come in!” Thunderlane said a tad loud.

Midnight shook his head and gasped.
“The library!”

“What?” Thunderlane looked at him.

“I… I had a vision,” Midnight said, making this up on the fly. “Discord said ‘find the Elements back where you began’. We first set out to find the Elements after we read about them in the library back on the Summer Sun Celebration, that’s where he hid them! In Twilight’s library in Ponyville! Come on!”

Author's Note

This is gonna be a little trying, partly because Midnight is going along with the story but at the same time he's not.

He didn't have a vision he pretended to, to convince Mac and Thunder to come with him to Ponyville. Let's see how that turns out in the next chapter...

The Stained Glass art is courtesy of Hoodwinked MCShelster

53. The Return of Harmony - Part 3

Unfortunately, the train ride back to Ponyville took its sweet time. The three friends all wished to speed things along, Thunderlane kept tapping his primaries on the top of his seat, Midnight wouldn’t stop pacing up and down the car, but Mac was the epitome of patience.
“Fellas, frettin’ an’ squirmin’ ain’t gonna help. Just be patient.”

“Easy for you to say,” Thunderlane groaned. “If only we could all just fly there, we’d be there sooner!”

“Perhaps we can get there sooner,” Midnight proposed, “I can teleport us, but I’m not sure I can teleport us the rest of the way.”

Suddenly, they heard a crack of thunder and looked outside the windows and saw cotton candy clouds massing over Canterlot.
“Ah think we’r outta time,” Big Mac worried.

“You don’t know how right you are…”

They gasped as they heard that voice but suddenly, the carpet beneath them lurched, making them all trip over each other, as one end of the carpet rose up, morphing into Discord’s face.
“I was wondering where you’d wandered off to, gentlecolts, but I’m more interested in you, Midnight Blaze!”

Discord’s lion paw reached out from nowhere and grabbed Midnight by the throat, before the two were teleported onto the train roof.

“I’m rather surprised you didn’t join the girls in searching for the Elements, dear boy,” Discord mocked as Midnight struggled to free himself from the monster’s grasp. “Perhaps you thought you’d be safe in Ponyville? Well, take a look…”

Discord held Midnight in the direction the train was going and he was shocked to see Ponyville had been twisted into a loop of madness! Some of the buildings, including Town Hall, were floating about, the hills were checkered in different colors, chocolate rain poured from the cotton candy clouds overhead, and the dirt roads had been turned into soap.

“Beautiful isn’t it…” Discord hissed, “This is the new and improved Ponyville, and only the first of my many changes to come! Ponyville, the Chaotic Capitol of the World!”

“Ergh, I won’t... let you do this!” Midnight choked, Discord simply cackling.

“Oh you won’t let me? Like you let me deal with the other bearers of the Elements?”

“What’re you talking about?” Midnight gasped as Discord lessened his grip but kept hold of his throat.

“A vision of the library?” inquired Discord knowingly. “Not looking for the Elements in the one place you know they’re not? You’ve been keeping secrets from your friends, Midnight Blaze…”

“Shut up!”

“Lemme guess… You thought you’d sneak off and find the Elements while my attention was on your fellow bearers,” Discord mocked, “Distraction, misdirection! Powerful weapons in a trickster’s arsenal… You actually remind me of a young me, MB.”

“I am nothing like you!” Midnight spat.

“Oh? Then why did you not tell your friends the truth? That you knew from the start the true location of the Elements? Did you not have ‘faith’ they would trust you, believe in you?” Discord sneered, enjoying the pained look on Midnight’s face as he was bombarded with this mind-game.

“And you dare call yourself the Element of Faith…”

“Y-you’re right…!” Midnight whispered in shame.

“Midnight!”

Discord looked and saw Big Mac and Thunderlane climb on top of the train and charge the wretched creature.
“Oh to home with you, boys.”

Discord simply snapped his fingers and transported the two stallions ahead to the upside-down Ponyville. He resumed his attention to Midnight and sneered wickedly to see Midnight’s mane and coat pale, and Midnight went limp in Discord’s grasp.

“Oh my, it seems I’ve broken my new toy! Ah well, plenty more where that came from…” the monster chuckled as his eyes settled upon Ponyville and he laughed wickedly in anticipation, knowing that a certain somepony would soon arrive.

Midnight walked through the madness that had been Ponyville. He saw the Cakes serving up cupcakes that exploded in frosting messes whenever somepony bit into them, Mayor Mare giving speeches but gobbling like a turkey, a stripe-less Zecora chasing after a figure apparently made of hers, animals twisted and mish-mashed into senseless creatures running amuck.

“Who was I fooling…?” he lamented, despondent and ashamed, “Why didn’t I tell my friends the truth, that the Elements were never in the labyrinth? I was stupid to think I could pull one over Discord… How can you win against the master trickster…?”

He passed by Sweet Apple Acres and saw Big Mac digging into the corn fields, barking like a dog, Granny Smith apparently dancing a jig she should not be able to do in her age, and Apple Bloom and Twinken playing ring around the rosey around what appeared to be a telephone pole, where it had come from was anyone’s guess.

He continued on and saw Thunderlane standing on top of a pole and letting himself get hit by lightning. Normally, this wasn’t such a big deal, as Pegasus ponies were more resistant to lightning, but Thunderlane didn’t appear to be phased at all. In fact, he was moving his wings as though they were the arms of a clock, his own expression unreadable.

Then he felt something familiar and followed his sensing, until he heard, “Well, well, well, I see you’ve found the Elements of Harmony!”

Midnight looked on towards the library and was afraid to see the girls all but Twilight turned gray but for some reason Rainbow Dash was missing, and for some reason Spike was wearing her Element as he hid behind a rock while Discord leered at them all mockingly, “How terrifying!”

“Discord, I figured out your lame riddle! You’re in for it now!” Twilight warned as she stepped up.

“I certainly am. You’ve clearly out-dueled me,” Discord said sarcastically as he conjured a pair of shades and mockingly turned his back while placing a target over his rear end, “Time to meet my fate, I’m prepared to be defeated now ladies! Fire when ready…”

“Formation, now!” ordered Twilight, the other mares reluctantly stepping up. “Rainbow Dash, get over here!”

Spike gulped but did as Twilight said.

What is she thinking? Midnight thought hopelessly, Spike isn’t the Element of Loyalty, and she needs me for the Element of Faith. Not like I deserve to be…

But he watched as Twilight charged a spell, a wind picking up as they all rose up, flashing light intense enough that Discord appeared to look bothered. But as quickly as it had began, it was over as the light snuffed out and the ponies all slumped to the ground.

“What’s going on?!” worried Twilight.

“Mahn’s workin’,” Applejack lied, “There mus’ be sumthin’ wrong with yours”

I knew it wouldn’t work… Midnight sighed sadly as he watched the friends fall apart.

“Bravo ponies, bravo!” Discord praised in mock applause. “Harmony in Equestria is officially dead. Discord rules, Celestia drools.”

Twilight growled as Discord jeered off and slid along the soap paths.

“It’s your fault it didn’t work!” snapped Pinkie.

“Who are you talking to?” Twilight asked in aggravation.

“Any of you, all of you!” she screamed in response as she bounced off. “I’m outta here.”

“Ah’d better go too,” Applejack said uncaringly, “Ah got new better friends waitin’ fer me at th’ farm.”

“I’m sick of you losers,” Fluttershy said spitefully as she flew off, Rarity, for some reason, pushing a big heavy boulder away.

“Fine! Leave, see if I care! I don’t need you guys either!” Twilight yelled back, making Midnight shrink back, hesitant to make himself known. “With friend like you who needs… enemies...”

Then Midnight was shocked to see Twilight’s beautiful lavender coat and multi-shaded mane dull in color as she shed a tear, and it broke his heart.

“I… I can’t let this happen,” he whispered, and ran off, avoiding the altered rabbits, the ballerina buffaloes, the rising pies, and found who he was looking for. “Thunderlane? Come down from there!”

Thunderlane kept a stoic face but at least he responded, “Can’t. Working.”

“Whattya mean working?”

“I’m a weatherpony,” Thunderlane replied in a flat tone and face. “Keeping the weather from hurting everypony, and I’m being paid double to tell time.”

“That doesn’t make any…!” Midnight was surprised that his tone had come out forceful. He shook his head and said, “You can accompany me and still do your job.”

“Whatever.” Thunderlane didn’t move but Midnight simply took that as an invitation to levitate the pegasus off the pole and float him in tow as he carried him off to Sweet Apple Acres.

Arriving, he looked around and saw Applejack lazing about.
“Applejack, where’s Big Macintosh?”

“Hard at work,” Applejack lied, and at that moment, Big Macintosh popped out of the ground, panting like a dog.

“Big Mac, come over here!”

*RUFF*

Big Macintosh bounded over and Midnight gasped as he was jumped and found himself being licked in the face, “Down, Big Mac, down!”

*Ruff, ruff*

“Sit!”

Midnight was honestly surprised when Big mac sat his big red rump down and panted like he was waiting, and Midnight said, “Snap out of it, Mac! We have to help Twilight! …Even if it’s hopeless, we have to try.”

“Working.”

He looked to see Thunderlane still in the same position he’d been back on the pole.
“Guys, don’t you remember our friendship?” Midnight asking pleadingly. “You trusted me, just as I always trusted you, to have faith!”

Midnight didn’t realize it but his color was starting to come back as he grabbed Mac and Thunder’s hooves and brought them all together in a three-way hoofbump.
“We’re friends, and we never give up!”

Suddenly, all three of them gasped as memories flashed before their eyes. They remembered how they all met, how they shared their first pizza together at the parlor, the fun times, the crazy times, the not-so-fun times, the times they shared with all their friends.

A golden light flashed from their hoofbump, as they gasped and realized their colors were back and they looked at each other in confusion.
“Why am Ah covered in dirt?” Big Mac asked. “Er, more dirt than usual?”
“Ahh, and why do my arms and wings ache?” Thunderlane complained.
“I… think we… were under Discord’s spell!” Midnight guessed.

“That’s right!” Thunderlane gasped. “We were on the train, Discord had you in his paw, and we tried to help you.”

“Last thing Ah remember was windin’ up back on th’ farm and… after that’s a blur,” Big Mac described.

“Discord tried to weaken us,” Midnight realized aloud, “Just as he’s done to the girls! I get it!”

“What is it?” Thunderlane asked.

“Guys, don’t you see? Discord knew from the start that it’s our friendship that gives the Elements their power!” Midnight explained, “So he tried to tear us apart and render them impotent! We have to find Twilight!”

“I’m already here!”

They turned towards the front gate and saw Twilight running towards them, “I’m so happy you’re all okay!”

“And so Ah tried to defeat Discord…”

They all turned and looked at Applejack, still lazing about and still very gray.

“But none’a mah so-called friends would lift a hoof to help me!”

“Applejack,” Twilight yelled to her as she and the boys approached the liar. “We’re here to fight for our friendship!”

“Oh now y’wanna fight?” complained Applejack, “Where wer’ you when Ah was battlin’ Discord?”

“Mac, Thunder, grab her!” Midnight ordered, and they tackled Applejack to thee ground and held her down.

Twilight hurried over, saying, “Snap out of it, this isn’t you, Applejack! You’re not a liar!”

Then they watched as Twilight’s horn flared and she touched Applejack’s head, the farmer mare gasping as she suddenly regained enlightenment, memories of her friends bringing her back along with her color. The guys let her up as she asked, “Wha… what happened?”

“Yer back, sis,” Big Mac answered as he hugged her.

“Mac, Twilight! Oh, Ah saw a vision of us feudin’ n’ fightin’!" Applejack said, sounding troubled, "Ah couldn’t face th’ truth so… Ah started tellin’ lies.”

She placed her hat over her chest, asking, “Do y’all forgive me?”

“Nothing to forgive, AJ,” Midnight assured her. “Discord showed you a lie, our friendship can’t be destroyed so easily!”

“And we’re not done yet,” Twilight reminded them, “Come on!”

They had to hogtie Fluttershy and Midnight zipped her lip when she got persnickety but Twilight managed to use the memory spell to restore her to normal.
“Oh my! Twilight, Mac, I just had the most horrible dream!”

“S’alright, Sugarcube,” Big Mac assured her as he untied her and gave her the hug she needed.

They restored Rarity easily enough and her first act was to push the boulder out of her boutique before stating to them, “Let us never speak of this again.”

They were all too glad to hear Pinkie’s laughter once she’d been restored, “I turned gray! Can you believe it?!”

Their next stop was Rainbow’s cloud mansion but Thunderlane and Fluttershy were both surprised to see it empty.
“She’s not here,” Fluttershy said with a shrug.

“Without Rainbow Dash, we can’t use the Elements,” Twilight reminded them.

“A pegasus that can fly as fast as her? She could be anywhere!” Applejack worried.

“Anywhere indeed, like right there!”

They followed Pinkie’s hoof and saw Rainbow Dash lounging on a cloud, Twilight calling, “Rainbow Dash!”

“Hey guys,” Rainbow called back without looking at them.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Twilight called to her.

“That’s nice,” Rainbow waved off.

“Discord’s still on the loose!” Twilight reminded her.
“And we need your Element of Loyalty to stop him!” added Midnight.

“Tch, loyalty-shmoyalty,” Rainbow scoffed. “Have you guys seen Ponyville? It’s a disaster! I’m staying up here in Cloudsdale where everything is awesome!”

“How in Equestria can she think that tiny patch of cloud is Cloudsdale?” Rarity said in disbelief.

“Th’ same way Discord made ya think that cheap rock was a bona fide diamond?” Applejack reminded her with a smarmy look.

“I thought we agreed we would never speak of that again,” Rarity deadpanned while giving her the stink-eye.

“Rainbow Dash!” Midnight said with a warning rise of his tone. “If you don’t come down voluntarily, I’ll make you!”

“Yeah right. Whatcha gonna do? I’m way up here… ” Rainbow scoffed before saying in a mocking way, “and you’re down there!”

Midnight raised a brow and his horn flared. The cloud Rainbow was on suddenly popped like a soap-bubble and she felt something wrap around her wings.
“Uh-oh.”

Rainbow fell, everypony gasping but Midnight had already conjured a pile of hay into which the rainbow-maned pegasus fell. They all looked at him with varied expressions.
“What?! It got her down, didn’t it?”

To make sure Rainbow didn’t take off, they threw lassoes onto her, and just in time. She had almost gotten free of the hay and was now bucking to get loose, “Lemme go! I don’t need you guys, leave me alone!”

But Twilight did her memory spell and Rainbow gasped as her memories flashed and her colors flared back to life. She rubbed her head, “Wha- What happened?”

She gasped and got in everypony’s faces, “How’s Ponyville, where are the Elements, did we stop Discord?”

“Does that answer your question? Midnight asked as he pointed out the ballerina buffalo.

In the middle of the distorted Ponyville, Discord sat in a throne, surrounded by his work, cackling as he conjured a glass to fill it with some chocolate rain.
“Chaos… is a wonderful, wonderful thing.”

“Not as wonderful as Friendship!”

He looked and saw the girls, all re-colored, all wearing their Elements.

“This again?” he sighed tiresomely yet still derisive. He sipped his glass of chocolate milk, drinking the glass and throwing away the milk, which exploded behind him,

“Tha’s right,” Applejack answered, “Ya couldn’t break apart our friendship fer long!”

“Oh Applejack don’t lie to me,” Discord sneered as he started drawing the girls towards him. “I’m the one who made you a liar. Will you ever learn?”

“Now!”

He stopped as thunderous explosions sounded and he gasped to see three pillars of energy, each a different color, rise skyward and he saw they were surrounding him in a triangle formation, one blue, one red, the last yellow, all originating from Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane in that order, each clad in their Harmony armor, Midnight wearing his Helm of Faith. Then between where the stallions all stood appeared walls of golden light!

But what really bothered him was that all of a sudden, he couldn’t feel his magic!

“What is this?!” Discord demanded anxiously. “What’s wrong with my powers?!”

“Twilight, now!” Midnight yelled as he concentrated the jewel in his element, and Twilight did the same with hers and teleported alongside her friends, all of them concentrating, the jewels of their Elements glowing with power, and the chaotic mess around them suddenly faded away, revealing a patch of grass and flowers.

“I’ll tell you what we’ve learned Discord,” Twilight said boldly, her friends standing with her while the guys kept Discord contained. “We’ve learned Friendship isn’t always easy… but there’s no doubt it‘s worth fighting for!”

“Ugh, gag! Fine, try and use your little Elements, ‘frenemies’, just make it quick,” Discord said in annoyance. “I’m missing out on some excellent chaos here.”

“Alright, everypony!” Twilight called as they stood together, the guys hurrying over as Twilight said, “Let’s show him what real friendship can do!”

“Wait-wait-wait!”

They looked and saw Pinkie slurping up some chocolate rain, probably since it would be her last chance, before she said, “Okay, I’m done!”

She bounced over, looking just as fierce as the rest of them. They glowed with power, as their Elements’ jewels radiated with energy before shooting out blasts of power, Discord suddenly feeling nervous.
“Wha- What’s this?”

He took a closer look and realized his mistake!
“No!”

Their friendship had sincerely been restored! He hadn’t counted on them to kiss n’ make up, he’d expected them to be driven apart! To lose hope, to give up on the very idea of friendship! But then Twilight and Midnight’s eyes both glowed pure white as a rainbow shock wave exploded and a rainbow rose up and came down upon the Spirit of Disharmony as he screamed, “NOOOOOOOOO…!!!!!!!”

Discord could feel it, it started from his feet as the petrification slid up, solidifying him before his face was left frozen in horror that he’d lost once again! The rainbow split and went down, forming a dome over all of Ponyville before it flashed a blinding light!

When the light dimmed, they friends all looked and heard a thud as Discord, a statue once again, had fallen over.
“We did it!” Twilight cheered and the others followed her example, whooping, laughing, smiling, that at first they didn’t notice Midnight break away from them as he approached the petrified trickster.
“Hey Midnight get over here and celebrate with us!”

She was answered as a wall of pale blue light barred her from Midnight, before it completely surrounded him and Discord.
“Midnight, what are you doing?”

Midnight wasn’t listening. His attention was focused solely on the trickster, his heart burning with anger, his body shaking at how much he hated this monster, who had tried to tear apart his friends, to take away his hope, to subject all of Equestria to the misery of chaos.
“I know you can hear me, Discord…”

Twilight was disturbed by Midnight’s voice. It was cold, unforgiving, and everypony had also taken notice of Midnight’s odd behavior.

“I know you can hear us cheering for your defeat. How does it feel, trickster? To be helpless, to be completely at another’s mercy? Consider that feeling, because it’s what you subjected so many to when you terrorized Equestria long ago…”

“Midnight, it’s okay!” Twilight called to him, “Discord’s beaten, he can’t hurt anyone anymore!”

“Come on, brony! Lower this wall and let’s go get a celebratory slice!” Thunderlane said hopefully.

Big Macintosh suddenly started banging against the wall of light. “Haystack, Ah know what yer feelin’, but don’t do this!”

They all gasped as Midnight levitated Discord off the ground. If he could talk, Discord would’ve been begging, for even petrified, he could indeed hear and even see what was happening. Deaf to his friends, Midnight’s eyes suddenly glowed red, burning with unforgiving hate.
“Say 'goodbye', Discord! And this time… mean it...!!!”

“Midnight, don’t do it…!” Twilight screamed, but Midnight had already let the spell fly.

An orb of burning red launched and struck the helpless villain, and he was shattered into dust. Gone, snuffed out as easily as a candle.

They all gaped in horror at Midnight whose back was still towards them. But he didn’t turn to face them. He collapsed onto his belly, the wall of light he’d conjured vanishing, and they all hurried to him, Twilight yelling for somepony to get a doctor.

Author's Note

I honestly felt bad about killing Discord but I needed to finally reveal to the others just how dark Midnight is becoming.

Fret not, Discord-fans - He shall make a comeback! ...Just not as himself, hee-hee-hee....

I was originally planning to make Midnight act like a neurotic and there would've been a moment where Twilight's like "Tell me I'm not that bad". But hopeless Midnight flowed out instead and it was seeing Twilight lose faith in friendship that spurred him reluctantly into action. As mentioned in the last chapter, the guys are called the Guardians of Harmony, meaning it is their duty to protect the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. They share the power to create a magic-nullifying barrier to contain dangerous enemies but they have to do it together in a triangle formation

54. The Return of Harmony - Conclusion

“Ugh…” Midnight awoke and was surprised to see Princess Celestia looking at him, her expression unreadable.
“Where am I…?”

“In Ponyville Hospital,” she said morosely. “Midnight… do you realize what you’ve done?”

For a moment, Midnight didn’t know what she was talking about but gasped.
“Discord…! I- I killed him!”

Celestia nodded.

“I-I didn’t… I don’t know where that…” Midnight was horrified. Somewhere in his mind, he felt a shadow trying to whisper but he shook his head, wanting it to go away. “What have I done…?!”

“Midnight… I understand that anypony would’ve developed some animosity, but I wanted Discord punished, not destroyed,” Celestia gently scolded him.

“I don’t know where it came from!” Midnight cried, feeling the tears slide down his face as he turned away from the princess. “I’ve never felt so angry, so much… hatred!”

Celestia was conflicted. Here she was, scolding this pony but she could see and hear true regret for what he’d done, and it sounded like he hadn’t been acting himself but then he spoke, “This isn’t the first time… I… killed a cockatrice that I turned to stone… I left some Diamond Dogs to die in a cave-in after they tried to enslave Rarity!”

He faced Celestia, looking horrified with himself, and desperately asked, “Princess, what’s happening to me?!”

“Shh…” Celestia hushed as her horn flared with a gentle glow, and Midnight’s eyes became heavy.
“Be calm, my little pony… I am unsure as to what is occurring within you, but until I am certain, this outcome is best forgotten…”

A grand celebration resounded through Canterlot, as the nine friends stepped through the doors, everypony had turned out to welcome and thank them, As they approached Celestia, she smiled at each of them in turn but Midnight didn’t notice the troubled look in her eyes as she smiled at him.
“We are gathered here today to once again the heroism of these nine friends who put an end to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from Eternal Chaos…!”

As everypony cheered, the nine friends marveled at the new addition to the stained-glass windows, depicting them defeating Discord, and they smiled, for they knew despite everything they’d already gone through and overcome, the real adventure that was their friendship had barely begun.

Author's Note

I realize i am conflicting with my earlier intention but I can't help but feel the knowledge of what Midnight did would put a stain on his bonds with all his friends. So for now, that knowledge is forgotten but it will come up again, and Midnight's darkness will continue.

55. Lesson Zero

A gorgeous morning arose Ponyville, courtesy of the Princess of the Sun, and in Sweet Apple Acres, a certain blue unicorn groaned as his eyes creaked open. For a moment, they closed, but then suddenly snapped open in realization.
Aw… I woke up before the rooster?! I hate when that happens… Maybe I can catch another wink or two of…

*Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!*

“AAUUGH!!!” Midnight yelled in aggravation, an annoyed groaning alerting him to the bed above him.

“Big brother… I’m trying to sleep!”

Midnight sighed as he slid out of bed, knowing better than to try and sleep in. Big Mac would literally toss his rump down the stairs whereas Applejack would tan his hide. He levitated a brush from his desk and looked into a mirror as he reshaped his mane into its usual style, brushed back to the point of being a state between formal and casual. Then he did his coat to smooth it out. He looked to the bunk-bed he’d bought for Twinken after the colt had moved into the Apple Family house and settled into Midnight’s room with him. He smiled, and decided to let the colt sleep in, as school didn’t start for another couple of hours.

He crept out of the room and made his way downstairs, smelling apple pancakes a’cooking, Applejack at the stove and she turned to see who had arrived.
“Boy howdy, Ah thawt Ah or Mac would hav’ ta’ come up and apple-buck yer rump outta bed! Again.”

“Morning to you as well, AJ,” Midnight returned her teasing with a smarmy look as he sat down at the dining table and levitated over a novel he’d set on the nearby shelf.
“So what’s on the agenda today?”

“Welp, you and Mac gotta see t’ th’ chores `round here,” Applejack said as she flipped one of the pancakes and caught it with ease. “And Ah gotta supervise destruction of tha’ old barn.”

“Come again?” Midnight lowered his novel, giving her an incredulous look as he chuckled, “I could’ve sworn you just said ‘destruction of that old barn’.”

“Ah did,” she confirmed, Midnight’s look clearly expressing ‘HUH?’ “Ah’ve been itchin’ t’ set up a new barn but tha’ old one’s gotta come down first. After th’ gala an’ all, we got quite a small fortune t’ spend an’ Ah aim to make th’ most of it.”

“I suppose that makes sense,” Midnight accepted, “but tearing down the barn, I thought before you just wanted to fix that sagging roof.”

“Well, now that we got some moolah, Ah think we can afford t’ set up a new an’ improved barn.”

“Eeyup!”

“Morning, bro,” Midnight greeted the big red farmer as he joined him at the table.

“Mornin’ t’ you as well,” Big Mac responded as he pulled up today’s edition of the newspaper. “Ready fer some good n’ hard labor t’day?”

“Am I ever?” Midnight quipped, the two stallions chuckling. “By the way, how’s things with Fluttershy lately?”

“Jus’ dandy,” Mac replied with a smile. “We had plans but with all these chores, Ah won’t be able t’ see her today, but tha’s alright cuz’ a bear she knows is havin’ shoulder problems, and she’s gonna help the poor critter.”

“Then, after th’ barn’s taken down, th’ girls an’ Ah are all gonna gather fer a lil’ picnic,” Applejack spoke up as she brought in platters of apple pancakes.

“I’ll get the rest of the stuff,” Midnight offered politely, his horn flaring and in no time at all, a pitcher of apple juice, another with orange juice, a third with milk, a fourth with maple syrup, and plates and utensils all levitated from the kitchen and settled onto the table.

“Thanks, Midnight, now for them rascals,” Applejack said sneakily as she made her way upstairs.

Midnight and Big Mac gave each other a knowing smirk as they took turns counting, “Five.”
“Four.”
“Three.”
“Two.”

And they both said, “One…” before pointing their hooves towards the stairs and heard a a couple of indignant yells and whining as Twinken and Apple Bloom were sent bounding down the stairs, obviously having been just stirred from their sleep.

Before long, everypony had their breakfast and Midnight was escorting Twinken and Apple Bloom to school.

“…an’ after class gets out, we can go play ball in th’ park!” Apple Bloom proposed excitably to Twinken.

“No thanks, I’m gonna hang with Rumble and Button,” Twinken declined.

“Well, just be sure you stay out of trouble,” Midnight chuckled, “We’re here.”

“See ya later, Midnight!” Apple Bloom and Twinken said together as they ran off to class just as Cheerilee was stepping out to call the students.

As he made his way home, Midnight saw Thunderlane looking troubled.
“Hey Thunder, what’s up?”

“Twilight,” he responded.

“Oh no, what’s the emergency this time?” Midnight cracked.

“I wake up, the sun is shining, birds singing on the rooftop,” Thunderlane explained as they walked through town together. “I drop Rumble off at school, thinking all is right in the world, and I’m headed to Sugarcube Corner for a quick breakfast when Twilight shows up, asking if I have any problems, troubles, conundrums, or any other sort of issues, major or minor that she, as a good friend, can help me solve.”

“Uh-huh…” Midnight gathered, wondering where this was going.

“I tell her I’m just getting myself a morning bite and have no troubles at all and she throws a hissy fit and storms off!” Thunderlane griped.
“What, she wants me to have some kind of crisis going on?”

“Well, I’m sure there’s an explanation for her behavior,” Midnight assured.

“I hope so, the way her eye twitched creeped me out,” Thunderlane sighed.

Midnight simply decided to head back to the farm and do his part with the chores. He was still a fair distance away when he heard a loud explosion and saw what looked to be a color-shifting mushroom cloud. Hurrying, he soon happened upon Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Big Mac going through a big pile of debris and throwing it into a nearby wagon.

“Is everypony okay?!” he called, worry lacing his tone, “I heard an explosion and saw some kind… rainbow-colored mushroom cloud!”

“Ah no worries there, pardner!” waved off Applejack. “RD here jus’ helped smash down th’ old barn, like we discussed this mornin’.”

“Now we’re getting rid of all the broken pieces and stuff to take to the dump,” Rainbow explained as she and Big Mac threw a broken beam into the wagon, as he said, “Eeyup.”

“Phew,” Midnight sighed, “for a minute there, I thought someone was in trouble!”

“Maybe you oughta see Twilight,” Rainbow Dash brought up, “she was here earlier, thinking I had an issue with AJ and tried to shrink me, like she was some psycho-analyst.”

“That’s odd,” Midnight replied, rubbing his chin with his hoof in wonder, “after I dropped off Twinken and Apple Bloom, I ran into Thunderlane, who told me that Twilight was acting weird to him earlier today. Where is she now?”

“Dunno, soon as Dash took brought down th’ house, Twilight just moseyed along,” Applejack answered, bucking more debris into the wagon.
“Now, why don’cha and Big Mac take all this junk on over t’ th’ dump?”

“But what about Twilight, she’s still acting weird,” Midnight reminded her.

“If’n yer curious Ah’ll ask her at th’ picnic,” Applejack promised before shooing the boys off.

Dumping the debris didn’t take too long but Big Mac had to get a bucket fixed. As Midnight pulled the wagon home, he gasped!

The sun lurched to a new position in the sky, as somepony muttered, “Clock is ticking, Twilight!”

The view changed, showing Twilight looking out her bedroom window, but her mane was disheveled, her eyes twitching, and she was grinding her teeth, “Clock. Is. Ticking.”

She paced her room, muttering to herself, “Keep it together! If I can’t find a friendship problem…”

She noticed an old trunk and a manic smile stretched across her face as she rubbed her hooves together and her aura surrounded the trunk as she giggled, “I’ll make a friendship problem!”

…Big brother, are you alright? Wake up!”

“Huh…?” Midnight shook away the fog of confusion and saw Twinken looking up at him.

“Midnight, You’ve been standing there for at least a few minutes,” he explained, “I was on my way home and found you like this, strapped to that wagon!”

“Uh…! Twinken, I want you to go home,” Midnight instructed, “I need to go see Twilight!”

Forgetting the wagon and after making sure Twinken headed home, Midnight teleported into town and galloped towards the library. He knocked urgently on the door, and it opened to reveal a panicky Spike.
“Midnight! Thank Celestia you’re here, Twilight’s gone off the deep end!”

“I had a feeling,” Midnight replied as he walked in, “Where is she now?”

“I dunno,” Spike replied. “But she took an old doll of hers and I heard her say she’s gonna make a friendship problem for her to solve!”

“Spike, take a letter,” Midnight ordered, Spike acting in reflex as he pulled a quill and parchment from behind his back, ready to write.
“‘Dear Princess Celestia,

This letter comes to you from Midnight Blaze to inform you that I fear Twilight Sparkle is about to cause a major problem that may require your intervention! From what I’ve gathered, she is intending to cause a friendship problem for her to solve! I am about to head out and find her and hopefully prevent whatever she has planned but I fear I may not locate her in time, which means I cannot await your response!

In case the situation goes south, I hope you will be standing by to step in.

Your loyal subject,
Midnight Blaze’”

“Done!” Spike said, accidng the last letter.

“Send it and await the Princess’s response!” Midnight ordered as he ran out.

Midnight had no honest idea how to find Twilight before she caused any trouble, but perhaps he could locate her magic! Remembering a magic-detection spell Twilight taught him, he concentrated and released sonar-like pulses of pale blue mana from his horn. At first he detected only the internal magic of the ponies around town but as he focused and drove more of his own into the spell, his sphere of influence had it!

“A ‘want it, need it’ spell, Twilight?!” Midnight groaned. He detected the spell to be at work in the local park and immediately galloped there.

By the time he arrived however, Midnight’s jaw dropped at what he was seeing. A pile of pilfering ponies all squabbling, hearts in their eyes, and Big Macintosh was at the top, apparently trying to keep a doll away from them all but the hearts in his eyes showed he too was not himself, Twilight nearby watching in horror.

As the ponies slowly overwhelmed Big Mac, Mayor Mare suddenly grabbed the doll and ran off. Somehow, all the other ponies were blown off of Mac as he growled, “Nnope!”

And started chasing the mayor, Midnight going over to Twilight, screaming, “Twilight, what have you done?!?!”

“Ooh! Never mind, we have to put an end to this,” Twilight groaned, “Come on!”

The two unicorns chased after the spell-struck ponies as they passed the other girls and their picnic, Applejack yelling, “Wha’ in th’ name a’ all things oats `n apples is goin’ on here?!”

At that moment, two pegasi who’d been fighting over the doll dropped it, and Rainbow looked in its direction. But the moment before the spell on it took hold…
“Don’t look at it!” Twilight screamed as she tore Rainbow’s gaze away.

“Don’t look at what?” Rarity asked.

“That doll over there,” Midnight explained before giving Twilight the stink-eye, “The queen of neurosis here enchanted it with a ‘want it, need it’ spell so now everypony’s fighting over it!”

Looking around, they saw several dustclouds of tussles, Fluttershy asking, “But Twilight, why would you enchant your doll?”

“I had to do something!” Twilight insisted in worry, “I had nothing to report to Princess Celestia! I thought if I couldn’t find a problem, I’d make a problem!”

“I’ll say you made a problem, Twilight!” Midnight yelled angrily. “And guess what?!”

He pointed skyward and Twilight gasped in horror as the sun set, Midnight saying, “Time’s up!”

Twilight sank in defeat when they heard…
“Twilight Sparkle!”

A shining light above them heralded the appearance of Princess Celestia, who did not look happy that everypony gasped as Applejack said, “Oh nelly!”

Celestia’s horn flared with a blinding light, and in no time at all, everypony stopped fighting, all of them looking confused and at the doll as it landed at their hooves. They then dispersed while Celestia’s magic dimmed as she landed in front of Twilight, giving her a look while the others looked afraid.
“Meet me at the library.”

She flew off and Midnight walked over to Twilight, a look on his face mirroring the princess’s.
“And I’ll be by tomorrow to pick up some magic books. I think I’ll be studying magic by myself from now on.”

Twilight felt horrible. She’d disappointed her teacher as well as her own student, and her heart hurt a little as she saw him storm off.

She sighed as she sensed her friends approach her.
“Goodbye girls… if you care to visit, I’ll be in magic kindergarten.”

She moped away, adding, “In Canterlot…”

As he approached the farm, Midnight honestly felt bad for what he said. Twilight had been a great teacher, kind, encouraging, but today he was extremely disappointed that she’d allowed her neurotic need for perfection and punctuality to overcome her good judgment and cause a whole fracas of trouble that he had to alert the princess. Somehow, Midnight knew Celestia wouldn’t be hard on Twilight but he felt he had to say something to get her to understand just how immature and insane her actions had been.

As he walked inside the house, he noticed Big Mac just outside the back door. He went out and caught Big Mac on the back porch, apparently playing with Twilight’s doll and the big red earth pony gaped back at him, like he’d been caught with his hoof in the cookie jar. For a few awkward moments they stood there staring at each other, not saying a word.
“Twilight’s doll?”
“Eeyup.”
“You took it?”
“Eeyup…”
“Without asking?”
“Eeyup!”
“Still spellbound?”
“Nnope.”
“Another reason?”
“Eeyup…”
“You just like it?”
“Eeyup.”
“Embarrassed?”
“Eeyup…”
“You’re keeping it?”
“Eeyup!”
“And you would prefer that we keep this our little secret?”
“Eeyup?”

Midnight chuckled and held out his hoof. Mac got the idea and they hoof-bumped, Midnight saying, “To each his own, bro. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thanks, haystack,” Big Mac said as he took the doll inside, missing Midnight mutter, “At least until I need a favor, heh-heh-heh…”

Midnight found Twinken doing his homework and helped him before they got into bed, Midnight getting into his novel. As the evening progressed, he heard somepony come home and went out to see who it was.
“Oh AJ, I take it the princess won’t be sending Twilight back to magic kindergarten?”

“Nah, instead, she wants all of us to start sending friendship reports,” Applejack informed him, “but only when we learn something about friendship. She also mentioned how you got Spike to send her a message straight from y’all…”

Midnight shrugged but then asked warily, “And Twilight? …How is she?”

“Ah think she’s learned her lesson,” Applejack informed him, “but she was kinda down `bout what you said to her.”

“I’m afraid I meant it, Applejack,” Midnight said firmly though he made sure she didn’t see the look on his face. “Twilight acted irresponsibly and so I cannot continue to study under her… for now, anyway.”

“Well… g’night,” Applejack bade him as she went upstairs.

Midnight stayed downstairs for a while, contemplating his decisions.

(B'Tween) Lesson Solo

Ponies went about their business, as they did in Ponyville. Merchants sold their goods in the marketplace, some ponies were going to and fro running errands, some were just hanging out and enjoying the day.

However, a certain blue unicorn with a blank flank sat on a bench looking across the way, straight at the Golden Oaks Library. To some of the passerby's awareness, he'd been sitting there all day, looking at the library with great contemplation. As well as a troubled demeanor.

"You seem to have rather a great much on your mind."

Midnight looked to his right and saw an earth pony stallion of gentle brown, his mane slicked back into oddly symmetrical spikes, his eyes were blue, and he wore a dress collar and green bowtie. His cutie-mark was an hourglass. Sighing, Midnight returned his gaze to the library, "You could say that..."

"That was quite a fiasco yesterday," the pony commented as he sat on the bench with Midnight. "Magic... Honestly, it's something to be pitied for the majority to rely upon it so much, when it can also yield such a bother as some enchanted doll giving you goo-goo eyes."

"I take it you're not very fond of magic?" Midnight muttered, not really caring.

"Oh far from it," the pony chuckled, "to each his own on how to resolve matters or make his way in life. Magic has its merits, most certainly, but there are so many other sorts of means and methods to solve your problems, so many things that even magic can't explain, where science and mathematics are the real magic!"

Hearing the passion in this pony's voice, Midnight couldn't help but chuckle a little, "I take it you're some kind of scientist?"

"Great whickering stallions, 'some kind of scientist'?!" the pony laughed, like it was such an obvious thing, to Midnight's confusion, until the pony whipped out a card and held it out.
"Dr. Time Turner Whooves, Alumni of the Fillydelphia Institute of Science! I have a doctorate in Quantum Physics and Mechanics, along with honorary degrees in Advanced Mathematics, Engineering, Biology, History, even Magical Theory."

Midnight couldn't help but whistle before saying, "Impressive! But... If you're such a bigshot scientist with a doctorate in quantum stuff, what're you doing here in Ponyville? Shouldn't you be at some science institute, researching and all that?"

"Ah, yes, one would think that," Dr. Whooves shrugged, "but you see, I ran into a bit of snag early on after I received my doctorate, I became rather obsessed in using my knowledge to create a device that would enable me the impossible! The power... to travel through time!"

"But... isn't time-travel dangerous?" Midnight questioned.

"Well, of course, if done by some simple-minded ignoramus looking to have fun at the expense of the space-time continuum," Dr. Whooves went on. "But just imagine! Traveling through history, witnessing history, seeing the many triumphs and failures of ponykind in person, having a front-row seat to history literally in the making! The knowledge to be gained from such an experience! Knowledge that no history book could ever truly teach, for after all history is but an account of what supposedly happened. But it's rarely the full story, if ever."

"So... what was this snag you were talking about?" Midnight reminded Whooves.

"Oh, yes, right," Dr. Whooves cleared his throat, and got to the point, "Well, chap, my theory in using science to time-travel rather than magic was deemed impossible, unnecessary, irresponsible, and a complete waste of funds... I got kicked out of the institute where I'd shared my theory with some arrogant excuses of erudites, and they added insult to injury by spreading my theory as the cockamamie ideas of a crackpot!"

Midnight felt bad to hear that, and more so as Dr. Whooves sighed and slumped on the bench.

"I tried looking for other establishments with individuals who shared in my dreams and ideas... I can't tell you how many doors were slammed right into my muzzle. By jove, I swear at least one of them broke my snoot. I came so very close to giving up... But then, I met her."

The joyous swoon of a sigh Dr. Whooves made caused Midnight to smirk, "I take it 'her' was quite the looker."

"Most assuredly," Dr. Whooves nodded as he sat up with a more positive look. "She was making a delivery from another town when that beautiful and compassionate soul happened upon me. To my shame, I admit I had turned to the bottle... I don't know what spurred her to lend a helping hoof to some twatted scholar up the creek with nary a paddle. But she did. She took the time to help me, even though it delayed her delivery, and insisted I come with her to her hometown to help get me back on my hooves.

"I daresay, she was an angel sent from Faust, and she delivered me to the promised land in the form of Ponyville. With her help, I secured work here as the local timekeeper and caretaker of the Ponyville Clock Tower. As for her, we spent much time together, and I couldn't help finding myself falling for her. Then, out of nowhere, somepony approached me with a job that allowed me to dive into my own private research and pursue my own academic interests and experiments! I got a fine-paying job in a nice and lovely town, I got my own laboratory, and before I knew it, I had my own family."

"So you two wound up getting hitched, huh?" Midnight couldn't help but admire Dr. Whooves in this moment.

"Yes we did, and when Ditzy Doo said yes, I thought I couldn't have been happier," Dr. Whooves smiled nostalgically. "I was proven wrong when our daughter, Dinky, was born."

"You sound like a stallion who couldn't ask for anything more," Midnight commented, almost feeling jealous.

"To be honest, I am content," Dr. Whooves nodded with a more straight and serious face. "But who knows? Today, I may be the luckiest stallion in the world, with a stable job, home, good income, and a family I love so much. Tomorrow? Well, who really knows what tomorrow will bring? It's for that exact reason, Midnight Blaze, we must take the time every now and then to appreciate what we have and who we have in our lives. Ditzy and I didn't have some easy fairy tale romance. It had its ups and downs, and there was a time when I actually wondered if we were right for each other.

"But despite our arguments, and however we might have angered, frustrated, or even disappointed each other, we would take a moment to cool off, and remember what it is about each other that makes us love each other so much, and we can come together to talk and work through our problems rather than allow them to escalate."

Those words resonated deeply in Midnight when Dr. Whooves stood up, "Well, I've prattled on long enough. I hope whatever problems or issues you may have, Midnight, you can get through them, and you can! All you need do, is remember the friends and family you have in you lives, and how much you all mean to each other. Ahem, now then, I'd best be off! I promised Dinky to take her to see Rarity about a fitting for a costume. Nightmare Night's just around the corner, you know! Allons-y!"

Watching Dr. Whooves trot off merrily, Midnight soon looked ahead to the library again, puzzling Dr. Whooves' words, as he thought about Twilight and the things that happened yesterday, and the things he'd said to her. After sleeping on it, Midnight was certain he'd hurt Twilight by his decision to study magic by himself from then on, all but renouncing her as his teacher.

The more he thought about it, the more he was afraid that Twilight might think they weren't friends anymore. Maybe that was silly to think, but it was Twilight's own jumping to a worst-case scenario that led to that insanity with Smarty Pants the doll. It'd been irresponsible, selfish, and reflected badly on Twilight for even thinking her teacher would be so petty as to send her back to magical kindergarten over one tardy assignment that would never have been tardy to begin with!

Why couldn't she have had more faith in her teacher...? Midnight wondered before sighing with a depressing pit of guilt he felt in his stomach. He was one to talk, considering he had elected to study independently rather than continue under Twilight's tutelage.

Deciding there was no point putting it off any further, Midnight walked towards the library, intending to check out some magic books for his studies, like he'd said he was going to do. He would almost certainly see Twilight, but he knew he had to speak with her at some point. Maybe they could talk things out, maybe assure each other in some way, at least he hoped.

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

"Spiiiike! Could you answer that please?" Twilight called as she poured through a book on enchantments. After what happened yesterday, she never wanted to cause such a mess again because she'd cast an enchantment without knowing the full scope of what it was capable of, and how to dispel it.

"I got it!" Spike answered back. It wasn't a minute later when he yelled, "Twilight! Somepony here to see you!"

"Coming!" Twilight sighed as she bookmarked her page and set it aside. Stepping out of her bedroom she made her way downstairs, thinking, Whoever this is, I hope they have a good reason to-

She froze halfway down the stairs as her eyes met the eyes of Midnight Blaze. He was looking up at her, with a look of hesitation, and almost immediately the situation became awkward. It was for that particular reason Spike chose to make a quick exit.
"OhmyIforgotthaterrandIgottadoforRarity,andyoutwoclearlyhavethingstodiscuss,seeyalaterrrrr!"

"SPIKE!!" Twilight yelled after the little dragon as he sped out the door.

Midnight chuckled lightly, finding Spike hightailing out of this uncomfortable situation briefly funny. But then, he cleared his throat, and said, "Um, hi."

"Hi," Twilight's ears splayed backwards as her eyes drifted down towards her hooves.

The familiar shame she'd felt when her student had declared he was going to be studying by himself from then on coming back while Midnight rubbed his left forehoof to his right, shifting his weight to his right legs. The guilt that had manifested itself overnight from his harsh words last night made him feel a little sick.

"I... suppose you're here for some magic books?" Twilight took the first move, before she suddenly started levitating out some books, "because I actually took some time last night to go over several texts that could be beneficial to your research! Like... 'Crystal Ball's Guide to Advanced Levitation', or if you're thinking of looking into potions, there's 'Violet Vial's Potions, Concoctions, and Elixirs Galore' recipe guide-"

"Twilight-" Midnight tried to interject but Twilight went on.

"Or! If, you're thinking of looking into some defensive magic, I have 'Battlement's Study of Shields, Wards, and Barriers'-"

"Twilight!"

Twilight stopped, hearing the forcefulness Midnight had voiced in addressing her, and for a moment they resumed the awkward tension but Midnight stepped forward and set the books aside before meeting Twilight's eyes, and sighing.
"Twilight? We should talk."

"...Okay," she said heavily, "let's have a seat."

They sat down at the reading table with the wooden horse head bust in the middle of the library, Twilight offering tea, but Midnight politely declined. For a few moments neither of them said anything, and Midnight was about to talk when-

"Midnight?" Twilight spoke up, looking nervous and ashamed, "I just want to say... I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the trouble caused, I'm sorry for worrying, and I'm so very sorry that I disappointed you..."

Midnight's shoulders slumped a little, but he let her continue.

"I suppose, ever since I was a filly, and especially after I became Princess Celestia's student, I've always felt this unceasing drive to be the very best student I could be, the ideal student! A student who always gets good grades, is never tardy, studies hard, plans ahead, and... I don't know. I guess I became so self-conscious with my position as 'the Sun's Favored Foal' that I had to live up to any expectations that I set my standards so high that even today it's a struggle to... deviate. improvise, not get so caught up over mistakes or deadlines, and..."

Twilight moaned sadly, putting her face into her hooves, unsure of what else to say. Midnight wanted to say something back, to assure her, support her, but he felt Twilight had to get whatever was eating her out in the open. She took a deep breath, and stood up, meeting Midnight's gaze again, and continued.

"What I'm trying to say is... I respect your decision. If you don't want to be my student anymore, I understand perfectly, and you can even have whatever books you want to study, and go about your studies and training your own way. But I also want to say... I am so honored to have been your teacher."

Twilight moved to stand up, but Midnight stopped her by saying, "'Been' my teacher?"

She looked at him, confused, and he smiled kindly as he said, "Twilight, I never said I didn't want you as my teacher anymore. I said, I wanted to start studying and training by myself for a while!"

Twilight's eyes widened in realization as Midnight went on, "Twilight? I have to be honest... You did disappoint me, and you made me worried. Your actions, I have to be frank, were immature and selfish. And even if my opinion of you has changed a little, that doesn't mean I've stopped caring for you and respecting you!

"Look, I want to study magic by myself for now, yes, but... after a while, maybe we can go back to doing our sessions together."

"Really...?" Twilight whispered in a way that she dared not hope.

Midnight went over, and pulled Twilight into a warm hug, "Absolutely."

Twilight smiled so happily she felt a tear of joy well up in her eye but she blinked it away while returning Midnight's hug. When they released from each other's embrace, Midnight said, "Honestly though, Twilight? I spent the last few hours outside, sitting on that bench across the path in front of the library, and I was worried that you either might think I didn't want to be your friend anymore... or if you didn't want to be mine."

"Midnight, how could you think that?" Twilight asked, a little surprised.

He gave her a teasing rise of his brow and a smirk to go with it. For a moment, it confused Twilight until she remembered that her own teacher had not punished her in the way she'd fretted over, and she got the point.

"Well... I guess we both worried over ultimately nothing," Twilight sighed, before shrugging with a smile, "at least nothing that couldn't be solved with a little heart-to-heart."

"And y'know what, Twi? We can't spend our lives worrying about what was, is, or may be," Midnight pointed out. "We have to take a moment every now and then to appreciate what and who we have in our lives! Just like how I appreciate you, as my friend and my teacher."

Twilight smiled warmly at him, "And how I appreciate you, as my friend, my student... and my hero."

That one caught Midnight off guard, but it made him blush and smile a bit, as he rubbed the back of his head with his hoof.
"Well... Like I said, Twi. I'm gonna study magic by myself for a while. But soon, I don't know when, I hope we can resume our sessions together."

"I'll look forward to them," Twilight agreed with a warm smile. "Help yourself to whatever magic books you like."

Four books weighed down Midnight's saddlebags around his barrel, and he stood just outside her door while she said to him, "...and remember what I said about magical feedback. If a spell hurts so much that you don't think you can cast it, stop immediately! The feedback can be absolute TARTARUS!"

"Yes, Mom!" Midnight teased her, making her swat him slightly on the snoot, Midnight braying in surprise.

"I'm serious!" Twilight said with a razor edge tone and look, making Midnight shy back a little, his ears splaying backwards against his head.

Then, from out of nowhere, Twilight gave him a quick peck on the cheek, causing him to whinny in shock!

"Study hard, and I'll see you at Nightmare Night, next week," Twilight giggled at the look on Midnight's face as she closed the door.

Still standing at Twilight's doorstep, Midnight absentmindedly reached up to his cheek, touching where Twilight had kissed him. The fact that it had happened made him feel... warm. Happy, in a small and still somewhat incredulous way. He finally snapped out of it, and scoffed in good nature.

He turned around and started making for home, as his eyes drifted over the bench where Dr. Time Turner Whooves had helped him in more ways than one.
"He's one smart stallion!" he chuckled when a stray thought crossed his mind. "Wait... Did I ever tell him my name?"

Author's Note

Looking back, I realize this should have happened after Midnight's decision to learn magic on his own after being disappointed by Twilight

Bringing Dr. Whooves just kinda happened, and I enjoyed giving him a backstory in my head-canon

The talk between Midnight and Twilight was a little hard, as I wanted it sound honest, make it feel somewhat uncomfortable to both of them, and resolve it in a way that shows no hard feelings while pointing out a few mistakes on both parts, and hinting towards this and that.

56. Luna Eclipsed - Part 1

Twinken was pacing in the Apple Family living room, garbed in a wizard outfit he’d gotten from the local party store’s costume sale special. He groaned and yelled towards the stairs, “Come on, Midnight! We’re gonna be late for the Nightmare Night festival!”

“Silence!”

He yelped as a shadowy aura spilled down the stairs before it bunched together, and rising from the haze did appear Midnight, clad in cold-metal armor, a red cape fit for a king hanging from his shoulders over his back, his mane swept up handsomely, and he wore a circlet-like crown with two spikes on each side, black protrusions framing his face, as well as one extending down the middle of his face with his horn sticking through a hole, and a small red ornament in the middle.

He stood triumphantly, his brows furrowed, as he proudly stepped past Twinken, saying, “For the king… has arrived!”

“Uh… king who?” Twinken asked, Midnight’s eyes popping in surprise.

“I’m King Sombra of the Crystal Empire!” Midnight clarified.

Twinken gave him a look.

“The Unicorn whose Heart is as Black as Night?” tried Midnight, Twinken blinking in response.
“Urgh, did you even read that book on obscure unicorn history I borrowed for your history report? Speaking of which, what grade did you get on that assignment?”

“Uh…!” Twinken stalled when they heard a knock, “I’ll get it!”

He streaked past Midnight, sending him in a twirl, as Twinken opened the door and found himself facing three costumed fillies as they all chanted, “Nightmare Night, what a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!”

“Granny Smith! The girls are here to go trick or treating,” Twinken yelled as Midnight came up, levitating a bowl of candy.

“Good evening, everypony, great costumes!”

At that moment, a little painted earth pony colt forced himself forward, garbed in a pirate outfit as he tried a little sword-play with a toy one, only to fall over. Midnight chuckled as the little guy stood up and spoke with a Trottingham-accent, “Pipsqueak the pirate, at your service! It’s my very first Nightmare Night!”

“Since you moved her from Trottingham?” Midnight asked.

“No, my very first Nightmare Night ever!” clarified Pipsqueak when they all jumped at the “Ba-kaw!”

It was Pinkie Pie in a big chicken costume as she forcefully said, “Enough chitchat, time is candy!”

“Heh, guess nopony’s too old for a little holiday fun, eh Pinkie?” Midnight chuckled.

“Too old for free candy?!” Pinkie gasped before hissing, “Never…!”

Shaking his head, Midnight chuckled as he levitated pieces of candy into everypony’s bags as Granny Smith came along, muttering, “Gettin’ an ol’ lady t’ go out like this past her bedtime…”

While the kids took off, Midnight asked, “Oh Pinkie, what do you think of my costume?”

Pinkie scrutinized him, Midnight posing regally when Pinkie bubbled, “Oh great, Midnight! You make an awesome psycho killer!”

“A psycho?!” Midnight echoed indignantly as Pinkie took off, Twinken laughing a bit as they stepped outside.
“Look at this peytral, do you know how much these armor pieces cost me to have forged?!”

“It’s a great costume, your highness!” Twinken teased as they made their way to the festival, Midnight growling in irritation.

As they made their way into town, they took in all the amazing decorations, and all the costumed ponies, and all the attractions and foods and candies. They saw Big Mac costumed as Edward Hayde as he gave wagon-rides, there was a band of scarecrow ponies playing music and some were dancing, the Cakes were costumed as rag-dolls and managing a food-stand they’d set up.

“This is so cool!” Midnight said aloud, reminded of a holiday from another life. “Surprising how everypony pulled out all the stocks for this festival!”

“Is it any wonder?” Twinken asked as he rode on Midnight’s back. “Nightmare Night’s one of the most awesome holidays!”

Suddenly Midnight realized something, “But… doesn’t it kinda demonize Princess Luna? After all, she used to be Nightmare Moon, and this kind of holiday can’t be good for her image since she’s been back.”

Before Twinken could say anything, they heard a crack of lightning and thunder and heard some screams, the sources made apparent as Pinkie and the young trick-or-treaters she’d been with ran past the two brothers.

“Hey Midnight, Twinken!”

They looked ahead and saw Twilight garbed in a wizard outfit, wearing a fake-beard, her cape and the tip of her heart sewed with bells.

“Oh hey Twi,” Midnight said when he noticed a costumed Spike on her back, lurching for some reason.
“What happened to him?”

“Little prank by Rainbow,” Twilight said and she led them further into the festival, the two brothers just shrugging at each other.

In no time at all, Spike was good to walk on his own and Twinken joined him as they all happened upon some ponies apple-bobbing, and of course Applejack was there, dressed as a scarecrow.
“Happy Nightmare Night, Applejack!” Twilight greeted.

“Howdy y’all,” Applejack greeted them, “nice costumes.”

“Thanks, I’m a dragon,” Spike replied, Twilight giving him a look.

“She means me, Spike,” she snapped indignantly.
“And why are you dressed as a dragon when you’re already a dragon?" added Midnight. "Is there a joke somewhere around here I’m not getting?”

Spike gave him the stink-eye while Applejack said to Twilight, “Why, wit’ tha’ beard, you look like you could be some country-music singer!”

“No kidding!”

“Rumble, Button!” Twinken greeted happily as the gray Pegasus colt and his darker gray older brother Thunderlane showed up, followed by Button Mash.

Rumble wore a green tunic, a feathered cap, and had a little bow and arrow while Button Mash wore a silver tunic with a red cape and carried a small sword. Thunderlane wore an aviator’s jacket and goggles, “Happy Nightmare Night, everypony!”

“Heh-hey!” Midnight said as he and Thunder hoof-bumped while the boys gathered and compared costumes.

“I’m a wizard!”
“I’m an archer!”
“I’m a warrior, like from my Manecraft game!”

“Hey, while y’all are here,” Applejack asked, “ya feel like bobbin’ fer an apple?”

But before any of them could answer, they heard an applause and looked to the stage where the musicians had been and it appeared the mayor was making a speech, wearing a clown costume, complete with a rainbow afro wig and rubber clown nose.
“Thank you, everypony, and welcome to the Nightmare Night festival!”

Everypony cheered as the friends joined the crowd and Mayor Mare went on.
“Now, all the little ponies who have been out collecting sweets should follow our friend Zecora to hear the legend of… Nightmare Moon!”

Mayor Mare laughed in a spooky way in an attempt to sell the fear but Spike muttered to the others, “Spooky voice might work better if she wasn’t dressed like that.”

“Preaching to the choir,” Twinken agreed while the older ponies laughed.

Suddenly, in a poof of shimmery green haze, Zecora appeared, dressed like a witch, with spiders in her mane.

“Follow me and very soon,
You’ll hear the tale of Nightmare Moon!”

With a swirl of her cloak, she walked off-stage and made for the edge of the Everfree Forest, and the little ponies knew they were supposed to follow, with some of the older ponies following for supervision. Zecora led them into a small clearing not too far into the forest, where stood a statue of the infamous Mare in the Moon, rearing up and sneering malevolently as Zecora stood by the statue and awaited all who had come to hear the legend.

“Listen close, my little dears,
I”ll tell you where you got your fears
Of Nightmare Night, so dark and scary,
Of Nightmare Moon, who makes you wary”

She blew a green powder and somehow conjured an image of Nightmare Moon, who dove down on the ponies and engulfed them in a haze. Though they could no longer see, they could still hear Zecora as she went on.

“Every year we put on a disguise,
To save ourselves from her searching eyes”

The foals screamed, little Pipsqueak running into the statue.

“For Nightmare Moon wants just one thing,
To gobble up ponies in one quick swing!”

Pipsqueak accidentally bumped into Pinkie who’d been hiding her head in the ground like an ostrich, making them both scream as Zecora threw out another hooful of her illusion-creating powder.

“Hungrily, she soars the skies
If she sees nopony, she passes by”

The image of Nightmare Moon looked over the costumed foals but left them alone.

“So if she comes and all is clear,
Equestria is safe another year!”

The image soared up and exploded into a shower of green glimmers when Zecora felt a tug on her cloak, Pipsqueak asking, “Uh, Miss Zecora? If we wear costumes to hide from Nightmare Moon, so she won’t gobble us up, how come we still need to give her some of our candy?”

Zecora pulled on a wicked smile as she explained.

“A perfect question, my little friend,
For Nightmare Moon you must not offend.”

She blew more of the powder, another image of the Mare in the Moon appearing before them.

“Fill up her belly with a treat or two,
So she won’t return to come eat you!!!”

The illusion leapt at them with a mouthful of fangs but simply exploded into another haze, the foals all jumping as Pinkie screamed and led them all in pouring some candy in front of the statue, “Everypony! Just dump some candy and get outta here!”

But at that moment, the wind picked up and it was not Zecora’s doing. Clouds gathered and swirled above, with the moon in the eye of the apparent storm, much to the older ponies’ worry, when there was a flash of light!

From the radiance did appear a scary chariot pulled by what appeared to be Pegasus Royal Guard ponies only they wore frightful suits of armor and had the wings of bats, their passenger cloaked with only a horn hinting to their identity.

They stopped overhead, Pinkie screaming, “It’s Nightmare Moon! Run!”

She ran off, followed by some screaming colts and fillies, along with Zecora and Mayor Mare, while the mysterious passenger smiled in anticipation of the events to unfold…

Author's Note

Yes, Midnight is dressed as King Sombra but no one gets his costume either because nopony's heard of king Sombra or the Crystal Empire in a thousand years.

58. Brohoof Brodown - Part 1

It was a fine morning, and as Celestia’s sun arose the sky, Love Tap opened her son’s bedroom door, announcing, “Wake up, Button! Time to get ready for the day!”

“Mmmph…” was her answer, and she looked at the lump on the bed, smiling mischievously.

Going over, she took the end of the blanket in her mouth pulled it off the bed in one quick sweep, revealing a little brown earth pony colt with a two-toned lighter brown mane, his eyes scrunched shut as he tried to ignore the rude awakening.

“Button sweetie, wake up!” Love Tap giggled in a singsongy tone. “Don’t you remember what today is?”

She counted down from five and right at the one, Button’s amber eyes popped open and he gasped!
“Dad and big brother are coming back!!”

He leapt out of bed, hurried over to his desk, gave his mane a quick brushing, and pulled on his red and white beanie cap with the perpetually spinning green propellers, before hurrying downstairs, yelling, “What’s for breakfast, Mom?”

Love Tap chuckled and followed him downstairs.

In no time at all, they were enjoying a breakfast of waffles and hay-bacon with glasses of orange juice, Button saying, “And then Dad’s gonna get me a new game, and big brother will take me out to play catch, and then-”

“Ha-ha-alright, Button,” Love Tap calmed him down. “Save the excitement for when they get here! Y’know they won’t arrive until after you come home from school.”

“But I’m so excited!” Button whined before hiccupping, Love Tap giggling.

“Settle down, sweetie,” she said in a calming voice. “Just be patient! Before you know, we’ll all be going out tonight for a family outing, dinner and a movie!”

“Yay!” Button cheered, when they heard a knock at the door. “Oh! Maybe that’s them, maybe they’re early!”

“No, honey, if it was them they’d come in with their house-keys,” Love Tap corrected as she got up from the table.
“Wait right here, I’m gonna go see who it is.”

Love Tap opened the door, revealing Ditzy Doo the gray-coated, blonde-maned local mailmare, who said, “Delivery for Love Tap and Button Mash!”

She reached into her mailbag and pulled out two envelopes, holding them out to Love Tap.
“Well thank you, Ditzy, how’s Dinky by the way?”

“Oh my little muffin’s as sweet as can be,” Ditzy reported, “her father is going to take her to work with him after school today. She’s been asking him about his job at the clock tower.”

“Well that sounds fun,” Love Tap replied, happy to hear of another little one getting spend time with their father. She looked at the envelopes and realized who they were from, but it gave her cause to worry.
“Um, Ditzy, I have to look at these, and I certainly don’t want to hold you up.”

“Not at all, see you around Tap!” Ditzy said with a smile before flying off.

As she closed the door, Love Tap looked at the envelopes to be sure, and unfortunately she was. The one for her was from her husband while the one for Button was from the Royal Guard. She hoped with all her heart they didn’t say what she feared they might but knew she couldn’t hide them form Button.

“Mom! Who was it?”

Hearing him, she pulled on a smile and returned to the table, saying, “It was just Ditzy, delivering some mail to us! Here, this one’s for you!”

Button gasped and took the envelope.
“Hey, it’s from big brother!”

They both tore into the envelopes and read what they had to say, and Love Tap immediately felt her heart sank when she saw the message from her husband. The whimperings-turned-sobs from Button told her she had been right, and she went over to hug her little Button as he cried.

“Hey Rumble!” Twinken greeted him as they met up on the playground. It was still early so everypony was playing before school officially started.

“Hi Twinken, what’s up?” Rumble asked as they walked over to the picnic table.

“Not much, but my big brothers and Applejack are preparing something down at Sweet Apple Acres,” Twinken explained. “They said it was a surprise!”

“Y’know, Thunderlane said he had a surprise for me too,” Rumble brought up.

“Hey, lookit Button!” Twinken said, pointing past the gray Pegasus colt, and they saw a moping Button slowly walking their way, and it looked like he’d been crying.

They waited patiently for Button to join them at the table, and for an awkward moment no one said anything.
“Uh, hey Button!” Rumble tried to break the ice. “What’s up, you don’t look so good.”

“My dad and brother…” Button moaned. “They canceled on me and my mom, we were gonna have a family day after school today!”

“What happened?” Twinken asked.

“My dad’s always away on his dumb business trips,” Button complained, “and my brother got assigned to a new platoon in the Royal Guard so he can’t come home either!”

“That sucks,” Twinken agreed. “But hey! We’re here for ya, brony!”

“Yeah, best friends forever!” Rumble added.

“Yeah, you blank flanks deserve each other!” said a snotty voice and they knew immediately who it was.

They all turned and gave Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon the stink-eye, the former saying, “Whatsamatter blank flank? You’re so worthless your dad and brother don’t wanna see you?”

Button whimpered at those harsh words, Twinken stood between his friend and their tormentor.
“Why don’cha back off, Diamond Tiara? Before something happens to that rat’s nest you call a hairstyle?”

“Wha- You- How dare you!” Diamond Tiara growled. “I can have my dad arrange for you to be kicked out of school, blank flank! So you’d better watch your step…”

“Our brothers are the Guardians of Harmony,” Twinken boasted, “Do you actually think we’re scared of a dumb business pony like your dad?”

“Ergh!” Diamond Tiara and Twinken growled as they butted heads, the colts and fillies gathering and started chanting, “Fight, fight, fight, fight!”

“What is going on here?!”

They all froze as Cheerilee walked up, looking cross.
“Well?”

“Miss Cheerilee!” Silver Spoon wailed. “Twinken and his friends were making fun of Diamond Tiara!”

“Nuh-uh, she was saying awful things to Button, and he’s already upset!” Twinken contradicted.

“You started it, blank flank!” Diamond Tiara accused.
“Nuh-uh! You did, you little brat!” snapped Scootaloo, butting in.

“I don’t care who started it, I’m finishing it!” Cheerilee stated, Sweetie Belle going over to Button Mash and wiping his tears. “Class is starting, everypony inside now!”

“Yes, Miss Cheerilee,” everypony said submissively as they filed inside, Cheerilee bringing up the rear to make sure there was no more nonsense.

Author's Note

I made this instead of the Sisterhooves Social.

I don't really have much clues about Button's father or brother, only that they seem to be absent, and in a couple FIMfics I read of Button's brother being in the Royal Guard and just went with it.

And for the record, Twinken was referring to both Midnight and Big Mac; he's practically an Apple, Midnight is his legally adoptive brother, and so... I thought it kinda makes sense of him to consider Mac a brother as well.

59. Brohoof Brodown - Part 2

School went by quickly, but the whole time Button was just a sad-sack and almost got a lecture from Cheerilee about not paying attention. It was only by Twinken and Sweetie Belle coming to his rescue he was spared.

Once class was over, all of Button’s friends walked with him outside, partly as a way to discourage Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon from picking on him again.

“So you and your mom got a letter from your dad and the royal guard, saying your dad and brother can’t come home this weekend?” Sweetie Belle gathered.

“That’s pretty much it,” moped Button.

“Well, why don’cha come on down t’ th’ farm and we’ll have apple pie!” Apple Bloom suggested.
“Mah Granny Smith’s pie always helps cheer me up when Ah’m down in th’ dumps.”

“Alright…” Button consented, sounding like he really didn’t care.

By the time they got to the farm, they noticed Big Mac and Midnight were sitting on the porch, taking a break from the chores, when the two stallions noticed the approaching kids.

“Hey everypony, how was school today?” Midnight asked.

“Hi Midnight,” Sweetie Belle replied as they came up. “Is Granny Smith here?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered, gesturing towards the front door of the house.

“We was hopin’ she or Applejack would make an apple pie fer Button,” Apple Bloom brought up, and the two stallions noticed the gloomy-gus certainly looked like he could use something to cheer him up.

“Well, Granny Smith’s taking a nap,” Midnight explained, “and Applejack went into town for a couple errands.”

“Aww!” the kids all groaned, and Midnight gestured to Twinken that he wanted a word.

“…so we wanna try and cheer Button up,” Twinken had just gone explaining Button’s sadness, and Midnight nodded in understanding.

Midnight recalled being in a similar boat as Button, from another life, when, as a child, he’d been looking forward to spending time with his dad but he had canceled on him. It was the first time Midnight had begun to realize the good-for-nothing bum his father had been. He quickly put it out of his bed because that wasn’t his life anymore, and considered the current problem. Button Mash had been looking forward to spending time with his whole family but his father and brother had gotten their attentions shifted elsewhere. He would need some help and some insight here.

“Ya wan’ me t’ do what?” Big Mac asked.

“Try and cheer up Button,” Midnight repeated. “The little guy got his hopes up and then disappointed big time because his father and brother canceled on him and his mother for the weekend. I’d like to speak to his mom for some insight but I also need somepony older to look out for him for the moment, plus we don’t want the kids causing trouble on the farm. Not after…” – Midnight shuddered – “the hayseed incident.”

Big Mac shuddered as well, the memory of that event making his rear end sore just thinking about it.
“Ah see yer point. Well, Ah’ll see wha’ Ah can do. Go on ahead.”

Midnight nodded gratefully and was gone in a literal flash.

*Knock-knock-knock*

Love Tap opened her door and saw, “Midnight, what a surprise! What can I do for you?”

“Hello Love Tap, do you mind if I come in?”

In a few moments, Love Tap was pouring lemonade for Midnight as she sighed, “I was afraid of this… Button was really looking forward to this weekend, it was supposed to be the four of us spending the whole day and tomorrow together. I’ll tell you, Midnight, it’s not easy being married to a programmer, who is often required to travel, or for your oldest being in the Royal Guard.”

“I’ve had my share of familial disappoints,” Midnight nodded as he sipped his tea. “But I’m confident my brother Mac will be able to lift Button’s spirits; if even a little.”

“I hope so,” Love Tap worried. “After I managed to calm him down, I offered to buy him a new game after school, but he said he didn’t want one! But I’m glad his friends are there for him. Goddess, I’m glad he’s made friends at all!”

“Whattya mean?”

“Well, before we moved to Ponyville, Button was always shy and awkward around other ponies,” Love Tap explained. “It was part of the reason why he got into video games, he found them to be preferable to spending time with other ponies. But then he met Sweetie Belle and she managed to get him to come out of his shell! I was even more happy to hear he’d befriended Rumble and your brother Twinken, to hear he had real friends instead of avatars and NPCs to interact with.”

“Well, from how disappointed I saw him look,” Midnight brought up, “I guess he’s pretty close with his dad and brother?”

“My husband was the one who introduced Button to games to begin with,” Love Tap clarified. “As for my oldest, he and Button played so much together when they were younger. But once he was old enough, my son signed on to join the Royal Guard. Button was really sad to see his big brother go but he’s proud of him, and considers him a hero.”

Midnight nodded as it became clearer.

“Honestly, I was quite disappointed myself when we got those letters,” Love Tap said sadly, a tear trailing down her cheek. “I can’t be angry with my husband or my son for being dedicated to their jobs, but there have been times I felt like they weren’t trying hard enough to make time for their family.”

Midnight levitated a napkin to her, and she took it gratefully to wipe her cheek.
“Well, don’t worry Love Tap. We’ll do everything we can to cheer up Button Mash, hay we’ll even try and give him a weekend to remember!”

“Thank you, Midnight,” Love Tap replied with a grateful smile.

Midnight started walking home rather than teleporting so as to use the time to think up a weekend such as the one he promised Love Tap to give her son.
“Hmm, what to do, what to do… Ergh, think Midnight, think! It’s not as though a solution is just gonna fall out of the sky!”

“Twitchy-tail!”

Midnight’s ears perked and he saw Pinkie nearby, her tail a-twitchin’, and everypony a clearin’ out. Remembering the infallible Pinkie Sense, he cringed in realization and was about to run off when…
“Look out!”

“Huh?!” Midnight looked up and- “OOF!”

Rainbow Dash sat up, rubbing the daze out of her head when she felt whatever she’d landed on move beneath her. She looked down and her pupils narrowed to pinpricks at the stink-eye Midnight was giving her.

“Heh-heh, `scuse me?” Rainbow Dash chuckled awkwardly as she got off Midnight, and he groaned as he stood up.

“I’m not even going to ask,” he muttered but then noticed Rainbow had some saddlebags on and a flyer fluttered down in front of his face. Taking it in his aura, he read ‘Brohoof Brodown: Hosted by Ponyville Weather Team Co-Captain Thunderlane, come and have a blast with your brother in this bash of brotherhood’. Midnight’s brow rose and a plan started formulating in his mind.
“Rainbow Dash! You just gave me an idea!”

He galloped off, leaving a bewildered Rainbow Dash, confused by his statement and the lack of yelling.

Author's Note

Just go along...

60. Brohoof Brodown - Part 3

The rest of the day had been great. Big Macintosh had wrangled the kids into helping him with some chores but made them all fun. He’d gotten them to race a haybale across a finish line in teams of two: Button Mash and Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Rumble, and Twinken and Apple Bloom.

Twinken and Apple Bloom won.

He’d challenged these teams in another chore by having them collect as many bruised apples as they could, one teammate holding basket, the other grabbing the pocked produce and throwing them to the baskets.

Scootaloo and Rumble won.

Finally, Big Mac had let out three lambs and challenged which team could corral theirs first.

Button Mash and Sweetie Belle won that by some miracle.

As night began to settle, he’d then rounded them all up for a little campfire and marshmallow-roasting.
“So Button, didja have a good time t’day?”

“Uh-huh! I had so much fun,” Button cheered as he blew out the flame his marshmallow had caught on.
“I’m sorry if I was a little gloom n’ doom for a while, everypony.”

“No big, Button,” Twinken waved it off. “We’re just glad you’re feeling better.”

“Me too,” Sweetie Belle added with a slight blush. “It was so cool how we got our lamb corralled before everypony else!”

“Well, Rumble and I caught the most bruised apples!” Scootaloo brought up, Rumble chuckling sheepishly of Scootlaloo’s competitive outburst.

“Well we left all you slowpokes in th’ dirt with th’ haybale race!” Apple Bloom reminded her.

“Now, now y’all,” Big Mac spoke up, “point is y’all had fun and Button ain’t so mopey no more.”

“And perhaps!”

They all jolted as Midnight suddenly made himself known as he stepped into the light of the campfire.
“The fun can continue tomorrow, at this!”

He levitated up the flyer for the Brohoof Brodown, and explained, “Button, perhaps, if you’re ok with it, you can spend the day with me or Big Mac at the Brodown!”

Button took the flyer and looked it over. It certainly looked fun, and cool, and it would be awesome to partake in. He only wished his own brother would do it with him. But he didn’t want to go back to being bleak and blue.
“Ok, but… Big Mac, would you be my big brother at the Brohoof Brodown?”

“Sure thing… lil’ brother,” Big Mac chuckled as he ruffled Button’s mane, making him laugh. “Now, why don’t th’ rest a ya get ready t’ go home? Startin’ to get late.”

“Ok, come on everypony!” Twinken called and they all ran back to the house, leaving the two stallions alone at the campfire.

“So anything ya wanna tell me?” Big Mac asked.

“I sure do,” Midnight nodded, “I have a plan, and I know just the pony to make it possible.”

The next day, the Brohoof Brodown was well underway. Thunderlane, along with the help of some local stallions and few mares, all older siblings themselves, had set up the occasion in an open field just outside Ponyville. There were a few food-stands, some games set up, and even a hoof-wrassling tournament. Stallions and colts, along with a few mares and fillies, were going to and fro, enjoying themselves. Brothers got a discount for everything, even if they weren’t brothers by blood.

Brothers were everywhere, competing in different games or events, winning prizes, ribbons, or trophies, all an’ all sharing a good time with each other.

Midnight and Twinken walked away from the target-range where they had beaten the other teams in shooting down the most targets, the both of them bearing a ribbon on the matching red scarves they wore. They met up with Thunderlane, Rumble, Big Mac, and Button in the center of the festivities, Thunderlane and Rumble wearing matching gold sweatbands, Big Mac and Button wearing blue baseball caps.

“This is so awesome, Thunderlane!” Twinken and Button both gushed.

“Wherever did you get an idea for something like this?” Midnight chuckled.

“Well, the town has something called the Sisterhooves Social,” Thunderlane explained, “and I thought there should be something like that for brothers! So, I went to the mayor, pitched her my idea, and she gave me permission to throw this all together! I just asked some of my pals for help and here we are.”

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Midnight smiled as he looked around, “because this has to be one of the coolest events I’ve ever been a part of, eh Mac?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac looked pretty darn proud of the hoof-wrassling championship trophy he had with him.

“Well, I’m glad you guys are all enjoying yourselves because it’s almost time for the main event!” Thunderlane brought up.
“Head out to the track and wait a few minutes, ok?”

Thunderlane lowered his backside, Rumble hopping on, and Thunderlane flew off. Button looked to the guys, asking, “Whattya think Thunderlane meant by ‘the main event’?”

“I suspect we’ll find out at that track,” Midnight replied with a smirk.

“Button, why don’cha and Twinken run ahead?” suggested Big Mac, “Midnight an' Ah gotta speak with somepony real quick.”

“Okay, come on Button!” Twinken said and they scampered off. They made their way to the track set up outside the Brohoof Brodown and could tell instantly the main event was a race, the track set up as an obstacle course. Nearby was a platform where Thunderlane and Rumble stood, the former speaking into a megaphone.

“Welcome brothers of Ponyville! Hope you’ve all had a blast, but the Brodown is not over yet! Hope all of you haven’t eaten or drank in the last half-hour cuz’ it’s time for the main event, the Brohoof Brodown Obstacle Race! Whichever team of brothers can weave through all the obstacles and cross the finish line first will win the first annual Brohoof Brodown Championship Race Ribbon! All brothers competing should take their places at the starting line, the race will begin in just a few minutes!”

“This is so cool!” Button exclaimed as he and Twinken gazed upon the obstacle course. They saw a couple ramps, walls, one with ropes to climb over it, a wire-net one obviously had to crawl under, a wall with doors and small openings, and more.
“I hope you’re ready to race, Twinken, cuz' Mac and I-”

“Oh me and Midnight aren’t racing,” Twinken interrupted. “Midnight volunteered to help Thunderlane oversee the race. Look over at the starting line.”

Button looked, seeing several pairs of big brothers and little brothers already standing at the starting line, looking rarin’ to go, as Midnight passed out numbers to each team, and confirming which team included who, apparently writing it down on a list.
“Hey Button!”

They turned around to see Big Mac coming up, “Ya ready?”

“Let’s win this!” Button cheered, Twinken saying, “Good luck!”

As all the brother-teams got ready, Thunderlane showed up with a small cloud and stood on it, holding his megaphone.
“All right, brothers! On your mark!”

They stood at the starting line, narrowing their eyes.

“Get set…!”

Some pawed at the ground with their hooves, snorting with anticipation.

Thunderlane jumped once on the cloud, making it crack lightning, and they were off!

The teams first obstacle was a bunch of tunnels, about three of them. At first, the race became about getting through one of the tunnels first. Big Mac threw Button onto his back and dove, sliding straight through the middle tunnel, and they were instantly in the lead.
Then they had to step into set-up fruit baskets without tripping over.
Then they got to the wall where the older brothers had to carry their little brothers on their backs and climb the ropes provided. This time around, Big Mac and Button started falling behind, the other teams catching up.

The bottom of the other side of the wall was a large pile of hay, the teams having to take turns in falling in and continuing.

Then they got to the wall with doors and small openings, each numbered so each team knew which one to go to. Button and Big Mac got to door nine, and saw it was locked. Then they noticed one of the little brothers, Lickety-Split crawl through the opening next to his big brother’s door, and he apparently unlocked it for him. Button and Mac nodded and Button did just that so they could continue.

Then the next part was like reliving yesterday at the farm for Button. The teams had to push large haybales across a line before they could continue on, the next event the little brothers had to catch the apples their big brothers threw at them with the baskets provided.

Then they got to a flock of sheep, each marked with a number and saw a nearby corral, and they knew they had to get their own sheep in. Working together, Button and Mac corralled the number nine sheep and moved on.

Finally it was the home-stretch, and Big Mac and Button were neck & neck with the team of Noteworthy and Shady Daze. The last few obstacles were just a few fences to jump over. Both teams made it across and just as it got down to it with the last one, both teams jumped but Noteworthy had miscalculated in his timing. His rear hoof smacked against the fence, making him wince and fall flat on his face. While Shady Daze stopped to help his brother Big Mac and Button kept going but!

Button noticed how Noteworthy and Shady Daze had stopped because of the former’s injury, and said, “Wait!”

Big Mac grinded to a halt, just almost touching the finish line, and looked to Button, who had turned around and gone to check on Noteworthy and Shady Daze.
“Are you guys okay?”

“Yeah, but…” Shady Daze was confused. “Why didn’t you and Mac cross the finish line? The race is still on, and the others are getting closer!”

Mac approached and said, “Mah lil’ brother an’ Ah would rather race square than win unfair.”

He helped Noteworthy up and put his arm around his neck, the colts following, and they made it just in time for the two teams to tie, everypony cheering while Thunderlane announced, “We have our winners!”

Both teams were invited onto the platform where Rumble came up to them, holding a cushion with two ribbons on it, Thunderlane alighting himself down as he said, “Sorry, I didn’t expect a tie, so I made two ribbons for both brothers of the winning team.”

“I think each team deserves a ribbon,” Button proposed, and everypony cheered at his words, Thunderlane proudly giving one to him and the other to Noteworthy.

“And so we end the first Annual Brohoof Brodown in a truly memorable way!” he declared.
“Let’s all give a big hoof to our winning teams, and kudos to the others for effort!”

But at that moment, Midnight appeared in a flash onto the platform, saying, “But! …Let the records show our winners as they really are!”

“What’re you talking about, Midnight?” Button asked, and Midnight chuckled as he pointed to the front of the crowd.

Button followed his hoof and gasped! Right in front of the platform was Big Macintosh, but he looked and saw Mac still standing the platform with him!
“What the-”

“I can explain that with a simple counter-spell,” Midnight replied and his horn flared, as did the Big Mac next to Button Mash and he gasped as the light around him faded away to reveal…

“Cheat Code?!”

It was Button’s older brother, Cheat Code. His mane was the same brown as Button's coat while his own was the same color as their mother’s mane, and he had their mom’s eye color as well. His cutie-mark was the infamous Coltami cheat.

“Hey little brother,” he said with a smile but also looked guilty.

“What’s going on here?!” Button spazzed a little.

“Ask Midnight,” Cheat Code replied, Button looking to the blue unicorn.

“Well, it went like this,” Midnight explained as he recalled.

As soon as the two colts were out of hearing range, Midnight and Mac looked towards a tent, the former saying, “You can come out now.”

Cheat Code stepped out of the tent, looking nervous.
“I wished I coulda spoken to him right now.”

“Trust me, Cheat Code,” Midnight assured him, “this will be the best surprise you give him and will be an awesome way to apologize.”

“I still can’t believe you got the princess to give me two weeks off!” Cheat Code brought up.

“Well, it helps when you’re one of the Ponies who represent Harmony, eh Big Mac?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“Now, for this work it has to be you who says the spell but I’ll be the one providing the magic,” Midnight explained. “All you have to do is recite the spell while looking at big Mac. It’s a good thing you two are similar in physical build, it’ll help sell the illusion so much better.”

“Right, let’s do this,” Cheat Code said as he focused on Big Mac and Midnight’s horn lit up to wait for the spell. Although Cheat Code was the one saying the spell, Midnight was providing the magic. Basically, he was a firecracker and Cheat Code saying the spell was lighting the fuse.

“The one I see before my eyes, I take this form as my new guise
Let those who gaze upon me see, this someone else who isn’t me”

“…and that’s what happened,” Midnight wrapped up, “After the spell was cast, Cheat Code had been glamoured to look like Big Mac and joined you at the starting line.”

“So… we did the whole race together?” Button realized.

“We sure did, little brother,” Cheat Code replied. “And I’m so sorry for canceling on you and Mom. If I’d known Dad had cancelled as well, I would’ve fought tooth and hoof to get time off to come see you.”

Button was a little confused at first but then a big smile stretched across his face, and he leapt up, wrapping his hooves around Cheat Code’s neck.
“I don’t care, just as long as you’re here, I don’t care!”

The whole crowd aww’d at the brotherly love, brothers bro-hoofing with each other, the big brothers giving their little brothers mane-noogies, and everypony laughed, when Midnight called out, “Come on, everypony! Celebration at Pepper Pony’s!”

Everypony cheered and galloped off.

Pepper Pony’s got quite a lot of business that day, but the friends got their pizzas and sodas to go, and convened at a picnic table in the park. As they ate, Midnight had an idea.

“Hey Button, why don’t you and Cheat Code write a letter to Princess Celestia about what you learned today!”

“That’d be so cool, can we Cheat Code?” Button looked up excitably at his brother.

“Sounds good to me,” Cheat Code agreed, Button rearing up yelling, “Yay!”

Midnight conjured a scroll and quill, saying, “Ready?”

“I’ll start,” Button insisted.
“Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned that having a brother can be one of the most coolest things in the world but it’s not always easy.”

“Yeah, it can be great,” Cheat Code spoke up. “But there are times when brothers can be torn apart by their differences, their own desires and dreams, and their circumstances in life. But so long as you make time with your brother and come together for a common goal, you’ll come out with your brotherhood stronger than ever!”

“Perfect,” Midnight said as he signed the letter from the two and his horn sparked green, a spell causing the letter to go up in green flames, and the ashes whisk away in a shimmery haze.

“How’d you do that?” Button asked.

“The last time I spoke the princess, she gave me a spell that works similar to how Spike’s dragon breath sends her messages from Twilight Sparkle, Midnight explained as he levitated his soda.
“I propose a toast!”

Everypony raised their sodas as Midnight declared, “To brotherhood!”

“To brotherhood!”

They all took deep swigs before they engaged each other in a belching contest. Big Mac won, and everypony laughed, mutually agreeing it to be the perfect way to conclude such an awesome day.

Author's Note

Cheat Code's cutie-mark is the Konami cheat code with the word colt thrown in

61. The Cutie-Pox - Part 1

Another day in Ponyville, another fine experience to be had. Twinken, Rumble, and Button Mash were enjoying a slice at Pepper Pony’s after another dull as dirt day at school, having refused to go with the girls to the bowling alley.

“I really wish those three would slow down with all the crusading,” Twinken said after swallowing a bite. “I mean, I get the desire for a cutie-mark but they are blowing it way out of proportion.”

“It’s not such a big deal,” Rumble agreed, “I want my cutie-mark too but I want it to be something I know I’m good at, something I really love, y’know?”

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Button muttered, engrossed in his Joy Boy, but then his pupils dilated and he requested, “Please don’t tell Sweetie Belle I said that.”

“Don’t you mean don’t tell them you said that?” Twinken asked with a smirk.

“Yeah, why are you only concerned about Sweetie Belle?” Rumble inquired with a raised brow.

“Uh- No reason, I, uh…” Button tried to save face when he noticed Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle headed their way. “Hey girls! Wait, where’s Apple Bloom?”

Their attention shifted, the boys all looked to the approaching fillies, also curious as to why their earth pony member was not accompanying them.

“Well, we can officially cross bowling off as something we’re good at,” Scootaloo quipped.

“But Apple Bloom didn’t take it so well,” Sweetie Belle explained, “and if that weren’t enough somepony else got his cutie mark in bowling right then and there!”

“Ooh,” the boys suddenly got it, Twinken asking, “So then, where is she?”

“She wandered off into the forest,” Sweetie Belle replied. “I think we should just give her some alone-time."

“Well, I hope she gets back soon,” Twinken complained. “I don’t wanna have to be the one to tell my brothers and sister that Apple Bloom wandered off…”

“Uh, Sweetie Belle, would you girls like to join us for some pizza?” Button asked hopefully.

“‘Uh Sweetie Belle, would you girls like to join us for some pizza’?” Rumble repeated in a teasing way, making everypony laugh, and Button grumble irritably.

As Celestia began to lower the sun, Twinken was walking home, thinking, I hope Apple Bloom got home, otherwise I know Applejack is gonna give me the riot act for not sticking with her.

But as he stepped onto the barnyard, he heard something and poked around to see Apple Bloom, with some kind of hoop around her waist.
“Oh AB! Glad ya made it home alright.”

“Oh howdy Twinken,” Apple Bloom greeted him as he approached.

“What’re you doing?”

“Eh, just thought Ah’d try an’ get mah mind offa things,” Apple Bloom replied in a cool manner. "So Ah’m playing with mah loop-de-hoop!”

“Your what now?” Twinken asked.

“Mah loop-de-hoop,” Apple Bloom repeated. “It’s sumthin’ Applejack and Ah made t’gether. She took this off an old rain barrel and Ah made it into a game!”

“So what happened to you today?” Twinken asked. “The girls said you wandered off into the forest.”

“Ah did, but Ah had a little tumble and got mah tooth chipped,” Apple Bloom informed him, “and don’ worry bout me. Ah ran into Zecora and she used onea her potions t’ fix me right up!”

“Well, glad to hear you’re alright. I’m going inside,” Twinken decided. “I’m glad to see you’re not as blue as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo said earlier.”

“Oh don’t worry about me,” Apple Bloom assured him as he headed into the house. “Ah got everything Ah need…”

If Twinken had stuck around for even a minute longer, he might have noticed something appear on Apple Bloom’s flank.

That morning, all the colts and fillies were on the school playground waiting for the day to begin. Twinken and Rumble were playing with their Wonderbolt action figures, Button was sitting at the base of a tree, enjoying his Joy Boy, and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were talking when they noticed Apple Bloom walk by, her muzzle proudly pointed in the air. She then twirled and made sure they got a good look at the cutie-mark on her flank, much to their surprise!

“Apple Bloom!” they said together, “You’ve got your cutie-mark!”

That one observation earned everypony’s attention as the whole class converged and looked to see Apple Bloom’s new cutie-mark and saw it looked like a silver ring. But they couldn’t figure out what it represented.
“Um, Apple Bloom, what is it?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Yeah, is it an ‘o’? Are you good at spelling?” Scootaloo asked.
“Or is it a ring?” Twinken asked, Button butting in, asking, “Do you make enchanted jewelry?! That’d be so cool!”

“No on all three counts,” Apple Bloom answered before showing off what she’d shown Twinken last night. “It’s a loop-de-hoop!”

They watched her twirl it around her waist, Twinken asking, “You mean that toy you showed me last night? So you’re good at… loop-de-hooping?”

“That’s it?”

That snide comment cut through the attention like a hot knife through butter and they all turned to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looking snidely at Applebloom.
“That’s your talent?” Diamond Tiara raised an incredulous brow.
“Spinning a hoop around your waist? Puh-lease!” Silver Spoon scoffed, her best friend giggling at her remark.

“Oh, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet,” Apple Bloom warned them, and she began to show off a whole plethora of hoop-related tricks.

She loop-de-hooped around her neck, threw it over the flagpole and sent it straight back up, and as it came down she leapt up and through it made an aerial somersault and stuck a perfect landing with the hoop hanging from her neck.

Everypony started cheering, much to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon’s surprise at such impeccable skills, Scootaloo declaring, “Apple Bloom, you’re a super-duper loop-de-hooper!”

“Thanks everypony,” Apple Bloom said right before the bell rang.

Cheerilee stepped out, calling, “Alright, my little ponies! Time for class!”

But she noticed none of her students paid her any mind and went over to see what all the attention was about, and saw Apple Bloom continuing to show off.
“Apple Bloom.”

“Yes, Miss Cheerilee?”

“I want you to take your loop-de-hoop into the yard,” she said sternly before gushing, “and give us all a lesson in your amazing loop-de-hooping!”

Everypony cheered, much to the schoolyard bullies’ ire but soon everypony had moved to the yard and each had their own loop-de-hoop. Apple Bloom supervised them all as they each practiced, while she loop-de-hooped hers around her tail. She helped Snips out when he accidentally sent his for a roll but couldn’t resist making a snide comment to her daily tormentors when they struggled with their own and fell over.
“Don’ worry, gals, keep at it and ya might get t’ be half as good as me!”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon responded with growling stink-eyes but Apple Bloom paid them no mind as she moved on to her friends, who were having a little trouble as well.
“Great job, everypony!”

“You’re too kind, Apple Bloom,” Sweetie Belle sulked, Scootaloo adding, “Yeah we stink.”

“Look everypony!” Twinken yelled and they saw him loop-de-hooping his hoop around his horn. “I’m doing it, I’m doing it…!”

Unfortunately, Twinken did it a little too hard and sent the hoop soaring like a saw-disc, Snips and Snails gasping as they ducked and everypony saw the hoop somehow embed itself into a nearby tree. They all gave him a look and he chuckled sheepishly.

“No worries there, Twink!” Apple Bloom assured him. “Y’all just need a little more practice, you’ll be able to do all kinds a’ tricks!”

Apple Bloom then started showing off a series of different loop-de-hoop tricks, such as hoop n’ bop, hoop n’ hop, hoop n’ skip, and hoop n’ flip, much to the cheering of everypony that Cheerilee asked, “Can you show us some more tricks, Apple Bloom?”

“Well alright, just `a few more tricks,” Apple Bloom obliged. “But be warned: These are advanced moves, not for beginners.”

Then she got in Diamond Tiara’s face, saying, “Got tha’, Diamond Tiara?”

She paid no mind when Diamond Tiara gave her an annoyed growl, as she looped her hoop above her with her tail, saying, “Ah call this one… the Hoopla!”

She started spinning the hoop increasingly faster, kicking up a powerful wind that it blew everypony’s manes and some even struggled to keep their balance and not be blown down. Then Apple Bloom’s incredibly fast looping caused her to rise off the ground, going higher and higher!

As she rose above everypony, Apple Bloom smiled victoriously, at long last! She had a cutie-mark and it came with a very nifty talent, she’d relished the attention, the praise, how everypony gazed up at her in awe and amazement!

But at that moment, she felt a tingling on her flank and lost concentration to see what it was, that she lost her loop-de-hoop’s synchronization and fell with a big “Oof!”

Everypony couldn’t believe what they were seeing! On Apple Bloom’s flank, below the loop-de-hoop…

“Another cutie-mark? Ha!” Diamond Tiara scoffed. “I guess that last trick was a lotta hoopla, those cutie-marks are fake!”

That derisive declaration gave everypony reason to gasp, Apple Bloom protesting, “Wha- no they’re not!”

“Miss Cheerilee,” Diamond Tiara inquired while giving Apple Bloom a suspicious look, “Have you ever heard of a pony with two cutie-marks?”

“I must say that I never have…” Cheerilee admitted before her mood brightened, “but maybe Apple Bloom has two special talents!”

“Oh yeah, then let’s see you do that!” Silver Spoon challenged while pointing at the second cutie-mark on AB’s flank. It was a pair of spinning plates on sticks.

“Spin plates!” Snips called, Snails agreeing, “Yeah!” as they threw a pair of sticks and plates at Apple Bloom without warning.

Apple Bloom hadn’t even tried to. She’d just closed her eyes, waiting for the sticks and plates, and the sticks and stones that would follow. But she gasped to see the plates spinning while being balanced on the sticks she balanced on her nose! Effortlessly spinning the plates while still loop-de-hooping with her tail!

Everypony gasped in amazement, Sweetie Belle saying, “Two cutie-marks?!”
“Two talents!” Rumble added.

“Aw yeah!” Apple Bloom cheered, Twinken saying, “My sister is the most special pony ever!”

“Alright, everypony,” Apple Bloom called while still loop-de-hooping and spinning plates, “Ya ready for a real show?”

She led her class and teacher into town, everypony taking notice of the talented little filly as she started to showboat both talents she’d developed with uncanny skill and precision. She span plates while rolling along on her loop-de-hoop, span plates off the ground while switching her hoop from one hoof to another, through the hoop skyward towards a napping Rainbow Dash, cutting her cloud into a perfect circle without disturbing her, and caught it without dropping the plates.

Sweetie Belle got Twilight and Rarity to come see although Twilight got a face of rolling loop-de-hoop that spun her mane into a semi-replica of Rarity’s mane style, much to Rarity and Spike’s delight!

As Apple Bloom bounced over Pinkie, she rolled past her older brothers and sister and grandma, Big Mac, Midnight, Applejack, and Granny Smith, loop-de-hooping around herself and the old mare without losing a beat, as everypony started cheering.

Applejack whistled a signal and bucked a picnic table, sending an apple pie and some plates skyward. Reacting quickly, Applebloom easily caught the plates in stacks and used her loop-de-hoop to inexplicably slice the pie into perfect slices and have them land on the plates she set up in quick-succession, much to everypony’s delight as eight lucky ponies ran up to grab one of the slices.

Apple Bloom smiled and continued to bask.

But soon night came and the Apple Family went home, Applejack cheering as they got into the living room.
“YEE-HAW! Congratulations, lil’ sis, on getting’ not one but two cutie-marks! We’re mighty proud a’ you, right Big Macintosh?”

“Eeyup!”

“Now, I know I’m not one to talk,” Midnight spoke as he gave Apple Bloom’s two cutie-marks a closer look. “But I’ve never heard of somepony having more than one cutie-mark, have you Big Mac?”

“Nnnope.”

“Why, the way you were a-hoopin’ and a-hoppin’ and kickin’ and spinnin’,” Granny Smith brought up. “Reminded me when Ah was a spry young filly!”

She made a pose, only for everypony to hear a CRICK, Granny Smith flinching as she yelled, “Guh! Charley horse, charley horse!”

Midnight levitated her off the ground while Big Mac aimed his hoof and socked the charley horse out of their grandmother, much to her relief as Midnight let her down.
“Hoo, tha’s better…”

“You were so amazing, Apple Bloom,” Twinken complimented.
“Why Ah bet yer ready t’ hit th’ rodeo circuit right now!” added Applejack.

“Actually, Ah’m ready t’ hit th’ hay right now,” Apple Bloom declined, looking understandably tired as she made her way upstairs. “Ah’m plum tuckered, see y’all in th’ morning! Night!”

“Night!” Applejack replied as they all watched her head to bed. “Oh my, lil’ Apple Bloom has fin’lly blossomed, hasn’t she Big Mac?”

“Eeyup!”

“I wonder…” Midnight muttered to himself, feeling something wasn’t right.

“Something wrong, Midnight?” asked Twinken, the others looking at him.

“No, just… It’s nothing,” Midnight assured them.

Before long, everypony else had gone to bed. In their room, Midnight was tossing and turning in the bottom bunk, unable to sleep. As consciousness returned, he was made aware of the source of his sleep trouble in the form of a tippy-tappy sound.
“What the hay…?”

He got up and poked his head out his bedroom window and saw Applejack apparently having the same trouble. They acknowledged each other but looked towards the direction of the sound, Apple Bloom’s room, the door edged a creak open. They went over, grumbling as Applejack pushed it open, saying, “Apple Bloom, what’re ya-”

They were bewildered to see Apple Bloom tap-dancing but what got their attention was on Apple Bloom’s flank, a third cutie-mark! A pair of tap-dancing shoes, to be specific.

“Help me…!” Apple Bloom pleaded, much to the disturbed minds of her brother and sister as they looked on at her in bafflement. “HELP ME!!”

Hearing her more insistent, they shook off their confusion as Applejack said, “Come `ere you!”

She approached Apple Bloom only to get whipped in the face by the loop-de-hoop around her tail, Midnight trying to stop her from dancing by grabbing her hooves, only to be shook off and thrown back onto his rump.

“Ah’m sorry Midnight, Ah don’ know how t’ make it stop!”

“Well Ah know somepony who might,” Applejack said as she helped Midnight up.

Author's Note

The "I'm doing it, I'm doing it" moment with Twinken was sorta inspired by Spongebob

62. The Cutie-Pox - Part 2

It took some doing, Midnight’s telekinetic hold of the ceaselessly tap-dancing Apple Bloom was shaky not because she couldn’t stop moving, but he felt some kind of distortion in his hold on her. But finally, they made it to the library and presented her to Twilight, where the librarian-magician was blown away.
“Three cutie-marks, three talents! I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“Well there has to be something in this library that can shed some light on this matter,” Midnight hoped.

“Well, I was just reading about unusual equine illnesses,” Twilight brought up as she browsed a nearby shelf, looking at a couple books. “What was it?”

“‘Perplexing Pony Plagues’, perhaps?”

They all looked to Spike, standing at the top of a ladder, holding a heavy book. He hopped down onto Midnight’s back, as the blue unicorn said, “Thanks, Spike! You’re a life-saver!”

“Well, I might not be a pony but I do have some talents,” Spike said not-at-all humbly, as he let Midnight take the book and he levitated it onto a podium for Twilight.

Twilight turned a few pages, skimming through some common ailments.
“Hay Fever, Feather Flu, the Trots…” – She gasped, apparently having found what she was looking for – “Cutie Pox!”

“Cutie Pox?!” everypony echoed in confusion while Twilight read, “‘Cutie Pox, this puzzling pony plague afflicted a population of ponies back in the paleopony period’!”

“Heh, say that ten times fast!” cracked Spike, earning him a buck off Midnight’s back as he gave the dragon a narrowed-eye look before gesturing to Twilight to continue.

“‘Random cutie-marks appeared all over the ponies’ bodies, causing them to perform all the talents that came with them’!”

“Jus’ like me!” Apple Bloom concurred, still loop-de-hooping, plate-spinning, and tap-dancing.

“Yes, but - Th’ cure, wha’s the cure?!” pressured Applejack.

Twilight looked and felt her heart sink, “It says here there’s no known cure!”

“No known cure?!” echoed everypony, Midnight taking the book, saying, “Lemme see that thing…‘The cause of the outbreak was never discovered, and the cutie pox disappeared as mysteriously as they arrived’?! A lotta help this book isn’t!”

“Oh no…!” Apple Bloom whined when a flash on her flank revealed a fleur-de-liss. “Sacrebleu! Plus de marques de cutie!”

She gasped at her own words, “Qu'est-ce c'est?! Je parle français?!”

“Mah sister’s speakin’ in fancy!” Applejack exclaimed.
"Actually, I believe that's Prench," Midnight corrected.

"Never mind what's she's speaking!" Twilight exasperated. “She needs help!”

“Well, obviously! We can’t just wait for this to go away,” Midnight retorted.

“We gotta find somepony who can mix up a cure!” stated Applejack, Apple Bloom adding, “Tout de suite!”

“Not some pony…” Twilight proposed, “Some zebra!”

“Zecora!” Midnight and Applejack realized in agreement.

Soon they were all galloping towards the edge of town, to where they’d enter the Everfree Forest. But Apple Bloom continued to uncontrollably tap-dance while trying in vain to keep up, the others slowing and looking to her as Applejack called, “Hurry, hurry!”

“Dépêchez-vous!”

But alas, a cutie-mark of a hammer and chisel appeared on Apple Bloom’s leg, forcing her to sculpt a fabulous piece of art in the form of The Birth of Venus. Another cutie-mark made her start chimney-sweeping, another forced her to play the accordion, another lion-taming (where she got the lions was anypony’s guess), another helped her beat an older pony in chess, then she started fencing, all to the bewilderment and suspense of the ponies taking it all in (except for Spike as the limey lizard enjoyed the show with some popcorn).

“She’s cursed!” feared Lily Valley as she watched Apple Bloom tightrope walk.
“Hexed!” disagreed Roseluck as Apple Bloom hoof-glided.
“Enchanted!” whimpered Daisy.

“No she’s not,” Spike assured them, much to their sighs of relief, until Spike blurted out, “She just has some weird mysterious disease, with no known cure, called Cutie Pox.”

“CUTIE POX?!” screamed everypony in the vicinity, and immediately they made tracks out of there. Ponies dove indoors, locked their doors and windows, or just hightailed it out of there.

In seconds flat, the neighborhood was like a ghost town, a tumbleweed bouncing past Twilight, Applejack, and Midnight (although why a tumbleweed was there to begin with Midnight couldn’t guess).

“I thought I had removed their fear when last I visited here.”

They all gaped and saw it was Zecora, baskets hanging on each side of her barrel.
“But doors are barred, shutters shut, guess I should’ve stayed inside my hut.”

“Zecora!” Midnight yelled as he pointed out Apple Bloom doing mathematical equations well beyond her educational level. “Apple Bloom has cutie pox!”

“We were just on our way to see if you had a cure,” Twilight added.
“But magically yer here! Was yer zebra sense a’tinglin’?” asked Applejack.

“My ‘zebra sense’ did not bring me `round, it was a special flower that I needed found. I thought I picked enough to fix all the potions I had to mix. But after my visit from Apple Bloom, some had mysteriously left my room.”

“You don’t say…” Midnight said with a tone as he gave Apple Bloom the stink-eye while she was forced to do heavy-weight lifting. “Is there something you wanna tell us, young filly?”

“Or did these flowers just leave willy-nilly?” Zecora added with the same tone, Apple Bloom breaking out in a sweat, and it wasn’t from the heavy-lifting.

But then a sponge cutie-mark forced Apple Bloom to start scrubbing windows, the ponies inside stepping back while putting on hazmat masks.

“A cutie pox cure I have, forsooth,” Zecora brought up as she took some seeds from her basket with her tail. “For healing power is in the Seeds of Truth.”

“Well then give `em to her, quick!” pressured Applejack.

“These seeds must be planted in the ground,” Zecora explained, “with the truth they’ll grow and the cure is found.”

“Come again?” Applejack asked.

“I think she means that in order for the cure to take effect,” Midnight surmised, “somepony has to tell the truth for the seeds to grow. A very certain somepony…”

Apple Bloom felt her heart pump as Midnight and Zecora both gave her the stink-eye, but Applejack took matters into her own hooves, “Then let’s get to it!”

She took the seeds from Zecora and promptly buried them in the soil.
“Now somepony TELL THE TRUTH!”

Nothing happened, Apple Bloom continued to dance until a tornado cutie-mark took her for a spin, Applejack looking around, pleading, “Somepony! ANYPONY!”

But the onlookers all hid in fear until they heard somepony say, “Yesterday I told Mrs. Cake that I ate two corn cakes but I ate three!”

They looked to Pinkie Pie, then the mound where the seeds were but nothing happened.

“Okay, six! I ate six corn cakes!” Pinkie admitted nervously. Still nothing. Pinkie started bawling, “Make it stop, make it sto-ha-hop!”

“Oh for GODDESS' SAKE APPLE BLOOM!” Midnight screamed at her as she continued to spin uncontrollably. “Tell the truth before you pass out of exhaustion!”

“Alright, ALRIGHT ALREADY! AH ADMIT IT!” Apple Bloom screamed, “Ah didn’t earn mah cutie-mark, THEY'RE ALL FAKE!”

She finally stopped spinning but then resumed tap-dancing, and Zecora, Midnight, Twilight, and Applejack noticed the mound shake a bite.

“Ah figured th’ Heart’s Desire flower would help me get what Ah wanted,” Apple Bloom went on, knowing it wouldn’t stop till she came completely clean, as ponies started stepping out to hear the story.
“So when Zecora left her hut, Ah mixed up a special potion an’ put th’ rest a’ th’ Heart’s Desire innit!”

With the truth at last made known, the seeds sprouted and grew into a dazzling flower, much to the awe of everypony!

And then the moment passed, as Apple Bloom scarfed the whole thing down in one gulp, making her sigh as she at last stopped dancing and sank to her belly. In no time at all, the Cutie Pox disappeared, taking away all the fake cutie-marks freeing Apple Bloom of their influence.

“Apple Bloom!”

They all looked to see the rest of the Crusaders, along with the colts run over, Scootaloo asking, “Are you okay?”

“Ah’m great, and Ah’ve never been happier t’ be a blank flank,” Apple Bloom assured them in relief. “But Ah’m awful sorry Ah lied, `specially t’ y’all. Ah was so desperate fer mah cutie-mark Ah guess Ah got carried away. An’ Ah’m really sorry Ah snuck them flowers from you, Zecora. Ah wouldn’t blame ya if ya never wanted me t’ come by again.”

“Now Apple Bloom, do not be silly,” Zecora scoffed, lifting her face to look at the zebra mare. “You are always welcome, my little filly.”

“And while you caused some trouble and lied,” Midnight spoke up, “I think we can all agree that what you have endured has been lesson enough. We’re all just glad you’re okay.”

“For with each mistake you learn something new,” Zecora agreed, “growing up into a better you.”

They then gasped because they’d been looking at Apple Bloom but when they turned to Zecora she was gone!

“Apple Bloom, would you mind writing to Princess Celestia,” Twilight suggested, “telling her what you learned?”

“Ah’d be happy to, Twilight! Spike?”

Spike zipped up, quill and scroll in hand, “Ready!”
“Dear Princess Celestia,
Waiting for what your heart desires can be really hard. So, you may try to take a shortcut. But this dishonesty never works, because you didn't earn what your heart desired. The only cure is being honest with yourself and others. And that's something every heart desires.”

With that lesson written down, Spike scorched it, sending it on its way.

“Ah’m real proud a’ ya, sis,” Applejack complimented her, “seems like ya finally learned th’ importance o’ patience.”

“Yep, all good things come to those who wait,” Apple Bloom agreed, much to the pride of the ponies around her.

But then the fillies looked at each other, Apple Bloom declaring, “Welp, Ah’ve waited long enough.”

Twilight, Applejack, and Midnight gaped at her in disbelief, the fillies running past them, the boys following, as Scootaloo said, “Actually that was way too long!”

“HUH?!” Midnight gaped at them.

“Hey girls, howsabout we join you this time!” Twinken suggested.
“Yeah, wit’ more ponies we’re sure t’ find our cutie-marks quicker!” agreed Apple Bloom
“Hey AB, that potion you mixed up,” Scootaloo brought up, “was that really your first time?”
“Sounds like you might have a talent in potion making!” Button Mash suggested excitably.

Watching the kids take off, Applejack chuckled while Twilight shook her head, saying, “Kids…”

“Hope ours don’t turn out such trouble-makers,” Midnight muttered.

“What was that?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing!” Midnight replied quickly, having almost slipped a very narrow edge.

Author's Note

For the record, if I wasn't quite clear, Midnight likes Twilight, I thought I hinted that when they danced at the gala and almost kissed

63. Danger in Dodge Junction - Part 1

In the big city of Manehatten, in the esteemed Artemis Academy, the headmaster, Professor Stone rushed to the conference room where he was met by three Royal Guards, along with Captain Shining Armor.

“Captain, thank you for coming,” Stone welcomed him as they all took seats around the conference table.

“If only the reason was a little more… positive, Professor,” Shining Armor replied. “As I understand it, there was a breakout from Atticolt, correct?”

“Indeed,” Stone confirmed. “Maximum-security prison, Atticolt, the most secure prison in all of Manehatten… Its most dangerous inmate somehow broke out last night and is now on the run.”

“You can’t mean…?!” Shining Armor was aghast as the professor nodded.

“Storm Shadow… The Leader of the Black Horn,” Stone stated. “Sentenced to multiple life-sentences for seven political assassinations committed by him or by proxy, as well as an unconfirmed number of acts of terrorism against Equestria, he’s been in prison for twenty years.”

“How did he get out?” asked one of Shining Armor’s accompanying guards.

“The details are still sketchy, but there’s evidence of an inside-job,” Stone explained. “A few guards are missing, and with no evidence of foul play, we have reason to believe they helped Storm Shadow escape.”

Shining Armor sighed, it was a sad day when officers of the law, even prison guards, went rogue.
“But what’s his goal? Surely we know something about him that can point us towards a lead, if not in his direction then perhaps towards his endgame!”

“We interrogated him, on and off, for the duration of his confinement, Captain,” Stone answered. “He never once said a word…. But you could feel his bloodlust just from being near him.”

But before Shining Armor could express more frustration, there was a knock at the door.
“Enter,” invited Stone, and in walked an officer.

“Please excuse the interruption, Headmaster, Captain, but we caught a break.”

The officer placed a small folder onto the table and opened it to reveal photographs of pony with the back of his neck heavily bleeding from a strange wound.
“We found this pony dead in Foal Mountain. We were able to find him because of his uniform.”

He placed what looked to be an ID card onto the table and they realized who this pony was.

“It’s one of the prison guards,” Stone confirmed. “So they did help him escape…”

“Were there any other bodies?” Shining Armor asked.

“No Captain,” the officer stated. “We were only able to find this prison guard because of his ID. In Atticolt, every prison guard’s ID card is enchanted with a locater spell. Once the guards went missing, the warden gave us the means to track them down, or at least their cards. We were led to Foal Mountain where we found this guard’s uniform buried by a boulder. His body was six miles nearby.”

“But why would he kill one of his liberators?” Shining Armor wondered aloud.

“Because he’s a psychopath,” Stone stated without hesitation. “Storm Shadow is an enigma, but our criminal psychologists studied him for all the years he was imprisoned. Despite him saying next to nil, they were able to deduce from his behavior that he is an irredeemable killer but his every action has a purpose.”

“But for a master criminal, this seems sloppy,” the officer brought up. “Why didn’t he burn the uniform and ID card? That would’ve almost insured we wouldn’t have found the guard’s body at all, at least not before the predators got to it.”

“If I had to guess,” Stone deduced, “Storm shadow killed the guard himself but ordered the others to dispose of the body. Either one of them was sloppy accidentally or they left the ID card intact on purpose.”

“That sounds like this guard wants Storm Shadow to be found,” Shining Armor surmised, “It’s possible these guards are finding themselves to be in over their heads and are getting cold hooves.”

“They are in over their heads,” Stone confirmed. “Whatever Storm Shadow promised them, it’s very likely none of them will live to enjoy their reward…”

“Well the good news is the other guards’ apparently still have their cards with them,” the officer brought up.
“Being a Pegasus pony, Storm Shadow might not know about the locater spell on their cards but they’re unlikely to still have their uniforms.”

“Can we deduce their location or where they might be going?” Shining Armor inquired.

“It appears they’re headed for Dodge Junction, sir,” the officer replied.

Unknown to the collection of ponies of authority in the conference room, above them, hidden in the crawl-space above the ceiling, were two unicorns, one dark gray with a black mane and tail, his cutie-mark a knight chess-piece. The other was dark red, also with a black mane and tail, her cutie-mark was a scythe entwined with a rose.

They both wore academic uniforms that marked them students of Artemis Academy.

“Dodge Junction, Dusk!” the young unicorn mare whispered. “This is perfect…!”

“What’re you talking about, Rose?”

“Come on, big brother! This is the opportunity we’ve been waiting for, a score this big would surely earn us a place in the Hunters unit of the Royal Guard!”

“Are you crazy?!” Dusk hissed. “Storm Shadow is a master assassin, how are we, a couple rookies, supposed to apprehend him and bring him in?”

“He’s a Pegasus, we’re unicorns,” Rose reminded him. “We have the advantage of magic, and we’ve been trained in combat magic!”

“Oh yeah, six months’ worth of training against a criminal with years of experience and honing his skills,” Dusk scoffed.
“What could go wrong?”

On the outskirts of Ponyville, Big Mac, Midnight Blaze, and Thunderlane were walking together as the red farmer pony pulled a wagon covered with a tarp, containing heaps of apple pies.

“We seriously got this big order from Dodge Junction?” Midnight asked.

“Eeyup, an’ now we gotta deliever on th’ baked goods,” Mac confirmed.

“Well, this isn’t so bad,” sighed Thunderlane in a relaxed way, “I think a little guys’ trip will do us some good, get away from all the girls.”

“No kidding, brony,” Midnight chuckled as he and his two best friends chuckled and a hoof-bumped.
“The girls are great an’ all, and I love `em, but… a stallion can only take so much!”

“Amen t’ that,” nodded Big Macintosh sagely.

“That, and they always gripe at us when we do stuff like this,” Midnight brought up as he lifted his tail and ripped a loud one, making the other laugh.

“And they don’t like this,” Thunderlane added as he put one hoof to the opposite armpit and made a similar sound, making them laugh again.

“Don’ forget this,” Mac said as he suddenly stopped and held his composure, much to the guys’ confusion. Then they heard a faint gurgling sound coming from Mac, and it rose up from his throat and escaped his mouth in a roar-like belch, making Midnight and Thunderlane keel over in gut-bursting laughter.

Author's Note

Dusk Storm, Rose, Storm Shadow, the Black Horn, Professor Stone, and Artemis Academy all (c) by darkponyD

This is the first of several chapters ahead (not all in a row, mind you) where the story deviates and includes guest-appearances of others' OCs.

For the record, this occurs during "May the Best Pet Win"

64. Danger in Dodge Junction - Part 2

Dodge Junction, an out-of-the-way sort of neighborhood very similar to Appleloosa, and quite hot, as Dusk wiped the sweat from his brow as he and his sister walked through the town, having just departed the train station.
“I can understand why Storm Shadow would come to a dung-heap like this, but did he have to choose one so hot?”

“Oh suck it up, and keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious,” Rose hissed as she discreetly scanned their surroundings without making it obvious.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” muttered Dusk. “I mean, I’m not even sure we can catch this guy but what makes you think we can do it before Captain Shining Armor assigns a platoon to apprehend this guy?”

“Because I sent them in an entirely different direction,” Rose replied with a smirk.

“Say what?” Dusk gave her a flat look.

“Shining Armor did in fact assign a platoon to go after Storm Shadow,” Rose explained, “but I intercepted the paperwork and forged an entirely different destination. Those poor saps are on their way to Tall Tale!”

“Oh that’s comforting,” Dusk scoffed, “not only have we gone AWOL in undertaking a dangerous mission to capture a dangerous escapee, without permission, I am now an accessory to an obstruction of justice!”

“Shut it!” Rose hissed to him and yanked him into an alley. “Look, over by the saloon…”

Dusk carefully peered around the corner and looked. Leaning against the wall, next to the swinging doors, was a suspicious-looking character wearing a fedora that shaded his eyes, and a poncho around his shoulders. His coat was orange, with a curly brown tail, and oddly had what looked to be a rubber chicken set on the floor next to him.

The character then blew what looked to be a party favor.

“What the buck is a pony, dressed like that and with a rubber chicken, doing there?” Rose asked with a pregnant tone.

“…Relaxing in the shade of the saloon’s awning?” Dusk suggested with a tone one might use to say ‘are you serious’.

“He could be some shady local in this town,” Rose ignored the sarcasm. “Perhaps he’s even connected somehow to Storm Shadow!”

“And your theory is based on the way he’s dressed, the manner in which he is publically displaying himself, and that he has a rubber chicken with him,” deadpanned Dusk.

“Work with me here!” Rose growled. “We have to start somewhere, don’t we?”

Dusk sighed and resigned, “Fine, but we can’t just walk up to the guy and start throwing accusations! …At the very least, we need to get him alone.”

“Leave that to me,” Rose smirked as she stepped out into the open.

Dusk watched his sister, walking confidently, in her leather armor concealed by a threadbare cloak, much like what he himself was wearing, along with the jeweled band around her neck. He saw her walk up to the guy and they appeared to shoot the breeze when Rose apparently invited the pony to follow her.

Dusk got the idea and hid behind a rain barrel.

At that moment however, three stallions from Ponyville were ambling into town, panting from the desert heat as they sighed in relief.

“I cannot wait to get myself a nice cold glass of cider,” panted Midnight, not just from the heat. They’d been taking turns pulling the wagon of apple pies, and he had the thing strapped around his barrel.

“Sorry the cloud I brought didn’t last, guys,” Thunderlane apologized, lamenting how the cloud he’d brought to provide shade left them too quickly.
“I didn’t take into account the heat vaporizing it so fast.”

“Well, wer’ here, fellas,” Big Mac stated. “Let’s wet our whistles, then we’ll finish this delivery.”

“AUGH!! Help! Somepony!”

They looked and saw an orange earth pony with a brown curly mane that looked oddly familiar as he ran from two cloaked unicorns. The two assaulters’ horns whipped out tendrils of mana that whiplashed the orange pony, ensnaring him by the neck and one of his hind legs, making him fall flat on his face.

“Tie him up!” said one of the unicorns, the voice betraying her gender, as they moved in on their victim.

“Hey!”

Before they could approach the pony they’d assaulted, the two unicorns found themselves surrounded as Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane took up a triangle formation around them, Midnight saying, “Back off and this can end amicably.”

“Stay out of our business,” the unicorn mare snapped, “this doesn’t concern you!”

“Boys? Cut `em off!” Midnight ordered and all of a sudden, they each erupted in pillars of power, midnight surrounded in a pillar of blue flames, Big Mac in a pillar of red light that caused the pebbles and rocks around him to rise from the sheer intensity, while Thunderlane was surrounded n a yellow pillar that crackled with electricity, and between the three of them they formed a golden three-sided barrier, that cut off the two unicorns’ energy lines to the pony they’d attacked, enabling him to run away.

“What the- What happened to our magic?!” demanded the other unicorn, his voice sounding a tad panicky.

“This barrier nullifies all active magic caught within it,” Midnight explained, “and entraps anypony inside! Now, why did you attack this pony?”

“We wanted to get info from him,” the unicorn mare explained, “we’re… on a mission.”

“Well that’s no excuse for terrorizing somepony,” Thunderlane scolded, “We’ll lower the barrier if you don’t act up and cause anymore trouble.”

“Eeyup,” agreed Big Mac.

The two unicorns looked at each other and nodded, the male saying, “Fine, we’ll be civil.”

The three cut off the magic, and instantly the barrier fell and faded into nothing. They approached the two unicorns slowly as the mare whispered, “Let’s talk in the alley.”

They took her suggestion and once they were in the alley, the mare said, “My name is Ruby Rose, this is my brother Dusk Storm. We’re… on an undercover mission to capture an escaped murderer.”

“We followed a lead to this town,” Dusk added. “But I’d like to ask, how in the hay did you guys all form that barrier?”

“Wait a minute, big brother…” Rose gave each of the stallions a close look. “I know them! You guys are the Guardians of Harmony, you helped the Elements of Harmony beat Nightmare Moon and Discord!”

“No way,” Dusk was stupefied. “You guys are heroes! We listened to a lecture about you guys back at the academy!”

“Academy?” Thunderlane echoed. “I thought you guys were on some kind of mission, what would you be doing in an academy?”

“Uh…!” Rose and Dusk realized they’d been tripped up but luckily Dusk saved face, “We… attended a lecture at the Artemis Academy with our superior, he gave a lecture to the students about you and the Elements of Harmony.”

“Oh, nice to know we’re getting recognition,” Midnight chuckled.

“Anyway,” Rose butted in, “the guy we’re after is a master criminal, and a cold-blooded killer, Storm Shadow.”

“Ah’ve heard’a him,” Big Mac spoke up, “tha’ hombre’s one’a th’ worst ponies ever t’ live!”

“Tell us more,” Midnight suggested.

Suddenly, they heard a scuffling and looked to see somepony run off.
“I don’t know who that is but after him!” Rose screamed.

At once, the five ponies chased after the eavesdropper, seeing it was an earth pony, wearing saddlebags. One of which got a loose strap and something fell from it. While the others chased after the pony, Midnight stopped to see the dropped object and saw it was some kind of amulet, black and red, with a malevolent unicorn face and wings.

Thunderlane quickly caught up with the pony, forcing him down while the others caught up with them at the end of the street. The pony had a pale blue coat and brown mane, his cutie-mark was an open book with a hollowed out compartment containing a wrapped package.

Dusk and Rose approached, Dusk saying, “Who are you and why were you eavesdropping on us?”

“I didn’t do nuttin’,” the pony insisted in a Manehatten accent. “I’m just doin’ a job, nuttin’ more.”

“What kind of job?” Midnight asked as he came up. “And what is this?”

He levitated out the scary looking amulet, the pony trying to snatch it, saying, “Give that back, I gotta deliver dat thing!”

“To who?” Dusk inquired with a raised brow. “To Storm Shadow perhaps?”

“I got nuttin’ to say t’ you coppers!” the pony spat.

But at that moment, Midnight released an aura of power, his eyes glowing pure white as they narrowed upon the pony, making him shiver.
“Look, I was just s’posed t’ deliver the thing! I was gonna meet with somepony at the saloon and drop it off to them! But then I hoid you mugs talkin’ about Storm Shadow!”

As the courier spilled his guts, the ponies were spied on from the rooftops by two ponies. Nodding to each other, they ran off. They quickly made their way to the hideout where a Pegasus stallion was drying himself off, his coat now glistening black like obsidian, his cutie-mark was a skull with a crisscrossing katana and cutlass behind it.

“Do you have it…?” he asked in a low oily voice.

“No boss,” one of the thugs replied. “The delivery boy got nabbed, by a couple royal guards undercover, and it looks like they’re now being helped by those Guardians of Harmony everypony’s heard about. One of them got a hold of the Alicorn Amulet.”

The sound of something whistling through the air preceded the feather-shaped blade impaling the poor sucker in the head by a split-second. The other pony gaped in horror at his partner as he fell to the floor, dead.

“And you allowed an object of such power to fall into the hooves of my enemies…” the pony seethed lowly as he glared at his remaining flunky, who was sweating bullets, his pupils reduced to pin-pricks.
“I swear, if you want anything done right, do it yourself… This turn of events is unfortunate. The undercover guards are merely an annoyance but the Guardians of Harmony could prove to be a real threat to my designs.”

“W-what should we do, b-b-boss?” dreaded the flunky, mentally regretting ever getting involved with this psycho.

“Well, the courier hardly knows much,” Storm Shadow said in a blasé tone, “but knowledge is power, power these annoyances could very well use against me, worse yet if they somehow utilize the Alicorn Amulet. I must get my hooves on it… We will wait for the opportune moment come nightfall. I will have that amulet, and I will kill these fools for getting involved in my business…”

65. Danger in Dodge Junction - Part 3

The ragtag group of law-ponies (in loose senses of the term) assembled in the saloon. They’d set the strange amulet in the center of their table, and were discussing what to do next.

“It’s kinda bad we busted that delivery pony,” Rose brought up, “When Storm Shadow doesn’t get this, he’s gonna know something’s up.”

“Somehow I think it’s better that we prevented… whatever this is from winding up in his hooves,” Midnight said, his eyes furrowed as he stared at the amulet.

He could sense this amulet was not ordinary. It had great power… but it also instilled into him a sense of dread.
“I don’t know what’s so valuable about it but one thing’s certain. We cannot allow Storm Shadow to get it.”

“Well, perhaps we can use it to lure him out,” Dusk proposed. “If he doesn’t know we have it yet, he’s gonna come looking for it.”

“And when he does, we’ll be waiting, eh big bro?” Rose said confidently.

“You two get along pretty well for brother and sister,” Thunderlane observed. “Most brother-sister relationships I’ve seen were close but still kinda dramatic.”

“Who says we’re not?” Rose replied with a nostalgic smile. “When we were younger, we were fighting all the time.”

“Really?” Midnight was a little surprised. Thus far, he’d seen a strong and close bond between these two ponies.

“Yeah, see, we’re actually adoptive siblings,” Dusk explained. “I spent the first six years of my life on the streets of Manehatten. I don’t know who my real family is, but during those years my prime concern was survival. Rose’s folks found me and took me in, and when she was born they said I was her big brother, and it was my job to look after her.”

“So yer an orphan,” Big Mac gathered.

“As we grew up, I was kind of a troublemaker,” Rose said, Dusk interrupting, “‘Was’? ‘Kind of’?”

“Ok, I’m still a troublemaker,” Rose conceded with a chuckle. “But he’s always been there for me, even when I was being a total brat.”

“I had to learn how to work any situation around her,” added Dusk, giving his sister a teasing look.
“Reverse psychology, challenging her, and I even got her to play chess with me from time to time. But as she grew older, she started outmaneuvering me!”

“It’s true!” Rose said with a smirk. “But no matter how many times we played chess, I never once beat him.”

“Is that why you have a knight piece as your cutie-mark, Dusk?” asked Midnight.

“Part of the reason, yes,” Dusk replied, “But it also represents my talent for strategy. See, I like to make up plans and strategies to overcome any obstacle or challenge I’m faced with. The fact that my cutie-mark is a knight piece also represents my desire to be a warrior, which is why I wield a rapier.”

“Same here,” Rose butted in, “Except the scythe is my favored weapon, which is why it’s my cutie-mark whereas the rose represents my nature.”

“Scythe, rapier?” Midnight echoed. “But how can you fight with them?”

The siblings shared a glint in their eyes.

They moved out onto the street, the guys watching from a wooden railing as Dusk and Rose faced each other, looking tense. Their horns flared with power as they each conjured some kind of weapon! Dusk’s weapon was a rapier with a stylized handle and guard reminiscent of his cutie-mark while Rose’s scythe looked like a rose, with the handle looking like a stem of briar, the blade red like a rose petal. Each weapon was held by the handles by their respective owner’s aura, and they quickly clashed!

“Whoo, lookit’em go!” Midnight was blown away.
“Totally awesome,” Thunderlane agreed, “I had no idea unicorns could fight this way!”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac said with a nod, “But there’s sumthin’ they’re not tellin’ us.”

“Huh? Whattya mean, Big Mac?” Midnight and Thunderlane both looked at their friend.

Big Mac gazed upon the dueling siblings, his usual unreadable expression yet they felt some kind of low intensity emanating from him.
“Ah jus’ think they’re not tellin’ us everything. Anyway, Ah’m gonna finish tha’ delivery. Reason we came here t’ begin with.”

“I’ll go with you,” Thunderlane volunteered as he followed the red farmer towards the wagon.

“I’ll stay here and… keep an eye out,” Midnight decided.

From the alley, Storm Shadow and his thug were watching.
“This is perfect… Only together can the Guardians of Harmony erect that barrier you mentioned.”

“Yeah…” the thug confirmed apprehensively, making sure the murderous Pegasus stayed in front of him.
“But that blue unicorn still has the amulet, boss.”

“And whose fault is that…?” Storm Shadow gave him the evil eye, making him shrink back in fright.
“No matter. Once those unicorns let their guard down, I’ll be able to swoop in and take that amulet, and with it, I’ll be the most powerful criminal in all of Equestria…!

Watching the siblings spar, Midnight was intrigued by their combat. They wielded their weapons telekinetically, and with surprising skill and precision. At first glance, fighting with blades, even in practice, might seem dangerous but Midnight had noticed Dusk and Rose had charmed the blades with invisible barriers that prevented cutting but still, getting struck by those weapons could result in a serious injury. He watched as Dusk, wielding his rapier, took a frontal assault, stabbing repeatedly at his sister, Rose dancing around his attacks and continuously backing away. But Midnight easily saw Dusk’s real intention before Rose realized it, as she backed into the wall of a building and saw she’d been had. Irked, she lashed out her scythe, Dusk ducking his head and swinging his rapier upwards, and she felt the tip touch her mane, just barely missing her face. In her bewilderment, she let her guard down and felt the tip of the rapier at her neck.

It was over. Once again, her brother had bested her in combat. Sighing, she said, “I yield.”

“Don’t be down, sis,” Dusk encouraged her as he made his rapier disappear, Rose following suit with her scythe.
“You just have to keep aware of your surroundings. In battle, using your environment can sometimes be all you need in order to defeat your opponent.”

They heard whoops and cheers and saw they’d attracted a small audience of the locals, Midnight approaching with a smile.
“Very impressive, you guys gotta tell me where you learned to fight like that!”

“At the Artemis Academy in Manehatten,” Rose admitted, thinking it wouldn’t hurt to be partially truthful.
“It’s a preparatory academy to join the Royal Guard, founded over a thousand years ago by Princess Luna in honor of her first Captain of the Lunar Guard, Captain Artemis.”

“Well, you guys must’ve graduated at the top of your classes with skills like those!” Midnight was totally intrigued.

“You… could say that,” Dusk said hesitantly. “But if you’re interested in learning telekinetic combat, we can point you in the right direction.”

“I wish something else would point us in the right direction,” sighed Midnight as he levitated the amulet for them to look at.
“I’m really curious as to why Storm Shadow wants this creepy thing.”

*CLINK*

“Augh!” Midnight fell backwards on his rump, having been startled as something knocked the amulet out of his telekinetic hold, sending it skyward.

They all looked up and gasped to see a black pegasus zoom up and snatch the amulet, triumphantly declaring, “The Alicorn Amulet is mine! …And so are your lives, you meddlesome fools!”

“Storm Shadow!” yelled Dusk and Rose together.
“So you’re the big bad assassin these guys told me about?" commented Midnight, "I was expecting somepony… more!”

“Oh I’ll be more than happy to oblige your expectations, Guardian!” sneered Storm Shadow as he remained airborne and placed the amulet around his neck.

The unicorns felt a chill up their spines as they watched Storm Shadow’s eyes glow an ominous red.
“Yes! I can feel the power! And with it, I’ll be the terror of the Equestrian crime world, maybe I’ll even take over Equestria!”

“We won’t let you do this!” Midnight yelled as he fired an energy bolt from his horn.

Storm Shadow easily dodged it, and sneered, “Ah, and you three will be the perfect dummies upon which to test my new powers… I’m sure you’ll find my first trick to be shocking!!!”

They watched as he roared in increasing intensity, storm clouds gathering above him, the three of them gaping in intimidation as he yelled, “With this first spell, you’ll be nothing but three smoldering piles of ashes!”

He threw out his arm, a crack of thunder…!

…

Nothing happened.

“Huh?!” Storm Shadow kept throwing out his arms, as if trying to make lightning shoot out from his hooves. “What’s going on?! I can feel the power but it’s not working!”

Dusk keeled over in gut-wrenching laughter at the absurdity and ruined moment, everypony looking at him. He took a moment to recompose himself and wiped away a tear.
“Ha-ha, apparently you forgot that only unicorn ponies are able to actively use magic! Just because some fancy piece of enchanted jewelry is feeding you magical power, what good is it if you can’t use it?”

“What?!” Storm Shadow couldn’t believe it! Twenty years of rotting in jail, languishing, plotting, all that work and effort to escape to freedom, the strings he pulled to get his hooves on this artifact of great power… and he couldn’t even use it?!
“AAAAUUUGGGGHHH…!!! Accursed thing!”

He tore off the amulet and threw it away, glaring at the unicorns, a vein bulging on his forehead.
“If I cannot have that power, I will at least have recognition for killing one of the Guardians of Harmony!”

With blades protruding from each wing, he started to divebomb the three unicorns, only for Midnight to smirk… and a pillar of blazing blue energy erupted around him, reaching all the way into the sky, as before. Storm Shadow skidded to a halt, realizing what was about to happen and it was too late. A red pillar of power ascended from a nearby alleyway while an electric yellow pillar rose up from behind a rain barrel, and the three pillars were bridged by walls of golden energy, entrapping Storm Shadow.

The red and yellow pillars moved as Big Mac and Thunderlane revealed themselves.

“Looks like he fell for it, hook, line, and stinker!” Thunderlane looked pretty proud of himself and his friends.
“Eeyup,” agreed Big Mac.

“Wha- What is this?!” Storm Shadow panicked.

“I sensed you were watching us the whole time, Storm Shadow,” Midnight explained. “I sensed your arrival outside the saloon and you were spying on us, waiting for the opportune moment to act! So I used a telepathy spell to plan with the others to capture you without incident. Dusk and Rose started sparring to make it look like we were distracted while Big Mac and Thunder pretended to leave. Then I held out the amulet for you to see in order to draw you out. What you didn’t’ realize was, Thunder and Mac had already hidden in just the right places for us to set our trap but we also needed to draw you in closer to make sure we’d get you. Honestly, letting you get the amulet was a risk but it turns out it was never a problem after all! Once we were satisfied you were close enough, we sprung the trap and now you’re ours.”

“ARGH! AUGH!” Storm Shadow lost it as he beat against the walls of the barrier with his hooves, threw blades from his wings, just tiring himself out as he raged over all his plans had been for nothing.

“Dusk, Rose, ya ready?” Midnight asked.

The siblings horns flared, Rose yelling, “Let us at `im!”

“You heard her, boys! Let it go,” Midnight called, and the barrier fell away.

But before Storm Shadow could not anything, two tendrils of magic lashed out and ensnared him around the neck, bringing him down hard.
“Lemme go, I’ll kill you-”

A zipper formed over his lips, sealing them, leaving him to glare murderously at the unicorns, Midnight’s brow raising as he cast another spell.

“Restful slumber, Dreamless sleep,
From your mem’ry, this day I reap

"Ukulullay!"

Storm’s eyes briefly glowed turquoise blue, and he slumped and started snoring.

“What’d you just do?” Rose asked, keeping the magical line attacked to the criminal just in case.

“I cast him into a dreamless sleep,” Midnight informed them all, “When he wakes up, he’ll have no memory of the past twenty-four hours, and hopefully he’ll find himself back behind bars where he belongs.”

“Count on it,” Dusk assured him and smiled gratefully. “Thank you guys so much for all the help you’ve given us.”

“No prob, we’re just glad this joker won’t be causing any more trouble,” replied Thunderlane.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded.

“By the way, did anypony see where Storm threw that amulet?” Midnight asked, looking around.

They all looked around and didn’t see the amulet anywhere.

“He called it the Alicorn Amulet, if I heard him right,” Dusk brought up.

“Well, wherever he threw it, it’s gone now,” Rose amended.

“But I have a feeling it’s not the last we’ll hear of that thing,” Midnight dreaded to himself.

Unbeknownst to them, the last thug who’d helped Storm Shadow’s jail-break, was holding the amulet in his hoof as he carefully peered from a distant corner.
“I should never gotten involved with that freak… Well, at least I got this! I’m going straight… I’ll sell this thing and start over, but I am not going back to jail!”

And just like that, the thug vanished into the shadow of the alley, taking the amulet with him.

At the train station a little while later, Dusk and Rose had come to see their new friends off.
“We’re really glad to have met you guys,” Rose said, feeling a little down they were parting ways.
“You’d all make excellent Royal Guards!”

“Thanks Rose,” Midnight replied as he and his friends shared an understanding look. “But Ponyville’s our home, and we miss it a lot.”
“But hey! If you’re ever in Ponyville, look us up!” Thunderlane invited.
“An’ maybe if wer’ ever in Manehatten, we’ll pay y’all a visit,” Big Mac offered.

“We’ll look forward to it,” Dusk said with a smile.

At that moment however, Midnight’s horn flared and a spark revealed a scroll.
“Oh, I got a message.”

He unrolled it and read it.
“Hey guys, it’s from the girls! They’re saying Rainbow got a new pet tortoise!”

“A tortoise?! No way Dash would choose something slow for a pet,” Thunderlane scoffed.

“Well, it also says Rarity’s gone to Canterlot for a while but she just sent them a message she can’t come home for Twilight’s upcoming birthday,” Midnight went on.
“So they’re gonna move the party to Canterlot to surprise her! They’re telling us to meet them there!”

“Well, it sounds like you know where you’re headed next,” Dusk cut in, Rose saying, “we’re gonna head back to the sheriff’s and collect our prisoner. We’ll miss you guys.”

“Group hug!” Thunderlane called and just for the hay of it, they laughed as they pulled each other in, feeling a new friendship bloom.

Once they parted, Midnight said, “Well, we’d better got see the ticket booth, hopefully a train for Canterlot will be available today.”

“So long fellas,” Dusk said, and more see-ya-laters ensued as they went their separate ways.

“I can’t believe it,” Rose got giddy. “We did it! We captured a dangerous criminal and we were aided by the Gaurdians of Harmony, eeeh!

“Chill, sis, we still gotta deliver the trouble-maker back to Manehatten,” Dusk reminded her.

“Speaking of trouble-makers…!”

They both froze and turned slowly to see a very familiar Captain of the Royal Guard giving them the stink-eye, accompanied by three Royal Guards.

“Oh buck me…” the siblings both uttered.

Author's Note

I made sure they lost the amulet in the end so the story would, more or less, remain canon

That thug is the one pony in the wrong here who got away with his crimes. He did sell the amulet and started over in a different town in Equestria, living under a new name, even I don't know who or where he is now

I was actually gonna have the guys meet Cheese Sandwich but I honestly forgot to add that and decided it was just as well.

Again, the OCs here were (c) by darkponyD, and I hope this side-story was satisfactory

66. Sweet & Elite - Part 1

The train doors opened and Rarity stepped out to marvel at the wondrous city before her, Canterlot! The architecture of the buildings, the high and middle-class ponies going about their businesses, the fashion, all of it to die for!

“Oh, Opalesence!” she got giddy, talking to the cat in the carrier she wore along with a saddle-bag. “I am so excited for my stay, and even more excited to see… him again!”

“Miss Rarity?”

She turned to see a unicorn pony dressed in chauffer’s uniform.

“That would be me,” she confirmed.

“Excellent, I am here to escort you to Canterlot Castle by instruction of Prince Blueblood. He also asked me to give this to you.”

He levitated a rose tied with a royal purple ribbon, and she took it in her telekinetic grasp. Breathing in its elegant fragrance, she sighed, and asked, “But why is he not here?”

“Prince Blueblood sends his apologies, Miss Rarity,” the chauffeur answered, “for he was caught up in a pressing engagement. But he assures you he will see you once we arrive at the castle.”

“Very well then, good sir,” Rarity accepted. “Allow me to collect my baggage, and we’ll be on our way.”

Since the gala, Rarity and Blueblood had kept in touch through letters and visited each other only a couple times due to Blueblood’s responsibilities. As a Prince and Princess Celestia’s nephew, he had his own share of royal duties, although he admitted in one of his letters to Rarity, that sometimes his jobs were just tasks Princess Celestia didn’t want to do herself.

But the distance had made their hearts grow fonder and the limited visits had only served to strengthen their growing relationship, as even though their primary communication since the gala had been through letters both always looked forward to the other’s reply, and thus far neither had disappointed the other. Blueblood had been especially impressed of Rarity’s business as a successful seamstress and fashionista. That made Rarity happy and relieved, that she was showing him she wasn’t some gem-digger (well, she was in the literal sense but that wasn’t the point).

In his letters, she had learned more of Blueblood than she had foolishly never considered, and that made her disappointed with herself for literally judging the cover of the book. Blueblood was more than a prince; he was a respected business-pony in his own right! His family owned the most successful airship production company in Canterlot, and he himself was in fact a genius in aeronautical design, having designed most of his company’s airships himself!

Beauty and brains was always an attractive combination to Rarity, and just as attractive was Canterlot Castle as it loomed ahead, and standing at the entryway was that handsome unicorn stallion she’d been ever so hopefully looking forward to seeing again!

Blueblood had forgone his dress collar and blue bowtie, now just standing naked, with only a fine-groomed mane and tail his current aesthetics. His eyes brightened as they fell upon Rarity, as she followed the chauffeur through the entryway, and they both bowed to the prince.
“Your Excellency, presenting Miss Rarity, owner and proprietress of Carousel Boutique.”

“Thank you, Five Star,” Blueblood said appreciatively, “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? You’ll still be paid for the full day.”

“But Your Highness!” The chauffer, Five Star, was blown away by Blueblood’s offer. “I’ve hardly done much work today, and while I’m grateful for such-”

Blueblood held out a hoof, making him settle down.
“Five Star, I insist you take a paid day off. I’m feeling very good today and I’m just wanting to share how good I feel.”

“Well then, thank you, Your Highness,” Five Star said as he bowed and smiled before leaving the two.

“That was very generous, Blueblood,” Rarity complimented him.

“Coming from you,” Blueblood said as he took her hoof and kissed it, “that means so very much. Now, why don’t I show you to your suite? Bellhop!”

A teenage unicorn with a gray coat and red mane in a bellhop uniform streaked up, saying, “You called, Your Highness?”

“Be a good colt and carry Miss Rarity’s things, please,” Blueblood gestured to the miniature mountain of luggage Rarity had set in threshold.

The bellhop gulped.

Blueblood led Rarity up a private tower and opened the doors, revealing a fantabulous suite, making Rarity gasp.
“Here? I get to stay here?!”

“When you sent me your letter you were coming to Canterlot for a visit,” Blueblood said as Opalescence made herself comfortable on the four-poster bed, “I had this suite arranged just for you, and even added a drawing table and mannequin. I recall how on occasion you are struck with inspirations and just have to flesh out your ideas.”

“Thank you so much, Prince Blueblood,” Rarity was in awe of this gesture.

“You’re very welcome, Miss Rarity,” Blueblood replied with a smile, “But please, we’ve known each other for a while, just call me Blueblood.”

“Well, then you just call me Rarity,” she bargained with a sly look, making the prince chuckle.

“Touché,” he replied when they heard a groaning and looked to see the bellhop had arrived, straining under the mountain of baggage on his back.

“Your luggage, mademoiselle!” he gritted his teeth. “Oh, and I have this note for you, Prince Blueblood.”

He struggled to levitate a note while holding the luggage, so Blueblood took it in his aura and gave it a read, which spurred a cross look on his face once he saw what it was.
“Oh blast it all, another meeting?”

“Is something wrong, Blueblood?” Rarity inquired, hoping everything was alright.

“Everything’s fine, dear,” Blueblood assured her. “It’s just sometimes Auntie Celestia can really annoy me when she gives me the tasks she doesn’t want to do herself. But, she’s still the Princess! I have to take this meeting, I am so sorry.”

“Oh pish-posh,” Rarity waved it off. “I’m a big girl, I’ll just find something to do in the meantime, and once you’re finished, I’ll meet you back here and we can catch up further.”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Blueblood said as he gave her a quick peck on the cheek, making her gasp in happiness, as he left.

“Your Highness,” the bellhop strained as he bowed his head as Blueblood past him by.

“Enjoy your stay, Rarity, and I’ll see you soon.”

As he made his way down the stairs, he heard Rarity shout, “Thank you!”

Smiling, he just carried on.

The meeting his aunt had saddled him with was with another annoying politician, specifically one of the Duchesses of the Aristocratic Council. Canterlot, pristine and sophisticated as it was, was not without its downsides. The aristocracy and ambitious were always aiming to better themselves, even at the expense of others. There were different types of these annoyingly selfish snobs but each had their own distasteful flavor.

Business-ponies were usually looking to expand their enterprises and while some were honest business-ponies there were the greedy types that worked even dishonest means to get even richer.

The upper-class ponies were pompous snobs, thinking themselves the top of the foodchains and all other ponies beneath them were trash or ‘the help’, and loved nothing more than to show off their wealth and/or rub it in the faces of the lower-class.

But politicians were especially unappealing, and occasionally dangerous opponents. At the moment, Blueblood was speaking with Aurora Boreala, the Head of House Pallas and Duchess of Education, a beautiful but unlikable unicorn who endeavored to pull strings and get educational decrees and legislations passed if they benefited unicorns and didn’t care how her ideas were unfair towards pegasi and earth ponies.

“Now, Prince Blueblood, with this amendment, magic schools across the nation will benefit greatly from council-sponsored scholarships,” Aurora explained. “Unicorns everywhere will have the best educational opportunities possible!”

“With earth ponies and pegasi the minority,” Blueblood deadpanned.

“Oh trust me, Your Highness,” Aurora insisted in a blasé manner. “Earth ponies? Pegasi? They’ll be so much better off with we as their superiors. Surely you, a self-respecting unicorn prince, can see how scandalous Equestria has become thence the Unicorn Kingdom renounced their rule to the Royal Sisters. No offense to your aunt and her sister, Prince Blueblood, but this nonsense of equality amongst all ponies is doing more harm than good. Earth ponies should just tend to agriculture, like the mud-pushers they are, and pegasi, such brutes, should mind their places and concede the weather to us unicorns! After all, it was our responsibility before the princesses took over the duties of raising the sun and moon, so why shouldn’t we at the very least-”

“I think we’re done here,” Blueblood had had enough of the horseapples pouring from this reprehensible creature’s mouth. “As for your proposal…”

Aurora was startled by a slamming sound and looked down at the document she’d presented at the start of the meeting, and saw the big fat word ‘denied’ stamped in messy red ink.

“Wha- But- Prince Blueblood, be reasonable!” she steamed.

“Guards? Take this slimy no-name, and… throw her into the moat,” Blueblood instructed, the Guards present moving in, and Blueblood took great satisfaction in hearing the politician screech indignantly as she was carted off for an unscheduled bath.

“Wow, what a hussy,” commented Soarin as he and Blueblood sat at a café table outside Joe’s doughnut shop at the Canterlot University campus.

“Ugh, I know Auntie is going to lecture me for that,” Blueblood sighed yet couldn't help but smirk, “but it was worth it to see that nasty dragon put in her place.”

Since the gala, Blueblood and Soarin had actually become good friends. Celestia had heard of Soarin’s college problems from Rainbow Dash and how he’d intentionally gotten himself fired from the Wonderbolts.

To his surprise, she’d met with him and discussed his choices, and later had a talk with Spitfire. An arrangement was made, allowing for Soarin to have more time to pursue his academics and less time being forced through an unreasonable training regime under Spitfire’s command, and the captain of the Wonderbolts had been given a stern talking to from Celestia.

Since they saw each other at the gala, and because Blueblood had been impressed with Soarin’s principals, they struck up a friendship and made time to talk at Joe’s.

“But I can’t believe there are still ponies who think that way,” Soarin admonished. “It’s racist! And I thought it was bad enough when ponies were that way towards other creatures, like the zebras from Zebrabwe, or even the Buffalo Tribes.”

“Unfortunately, there are other ponies like Aurora,” Blueblood sighed as he took a swig of coffee. “And not just unicorns, there are some amongst the Canterlot elite, earth ponies and pegasi, that feel their kind are the pick of the litter, if you know what I mean. Ponies have been around for thousands of years, and even after a millennium of harmony between the tribes-”

“Ah, enough downpour,” Soarin waved off Blueblood's grumbling before saying, “Tell me about this mare you’re seeing!”

“You mean Miss Rarity?” Blueblood thought about it. “Well… she’s certainly different from all the mares I’ve been with.”

“You mean that because she's sincere, right?” Soarin asked.

“Exactly,” Blueblood nodded. “I’ve had my share of admirers, but they weren’t looking for a sincere relationship. I’ve had those idiotic mares with a fantasy of ‘marrying the dashing handsome prince’ and then I’ve had those hussy gem-diggers hoping to marry themselves into royalty or at the very least just brag about being in a relationship with a prince. To be honest, Rarity started off as the former… but then, something just… clicked that night when we met at the gala. I realized if I never gave love a chance I would never find it, and Rarity seemed to throw away her preconceived notions of romance and sought an honest relationship.”

“Well that sounds good,” Soarin encouraged, “but is there anything else you find interesting about her?”

“Well, she’s certainly a true beauty,” Blueblood admitted. “But more than that, she’s a self-made mare, she owns and operates her own fashion business, she’s quite ambitious, but I have seen the sides of her that truly show why she represents the Element of Generosity! We had a date while back when I visited Ponyville, a quaint and lovely town to be sure. We simply spent the day together as she gave me a tour and introduced me to her friends, but thrice in the interim, she noticed somepony in need and took the time to give it to them. There was this upset filly who had dropped her ice-cream cone and she gave the little one a bit to buy a new one, she saw this mare who had accidentally torn a gown she was wearing and easily sewed it up for her, asking for nothing in return, and then she even helped one Granny Smith across the street, long as that was…”

“Wow, one day with you, and she spent a fair amount of it giving of herself to others,” Soarin was impressed with this mare.

“Yes, but the point is,” Blueblood brought up, “she is so giving of herself that I can tell she is a mare I know I can have a relationship with! A close and honest relationship without ulterior motive.”

“Everypony has some kind of ulterior motive, Blue,” Soarin debated, “but it depends on what the motive is. Sometimes it can be only a tiny bit selfish or perhaps the motive is actually for somepony else’s benefit.”

“True, but I am confident Rarity and I can meet each other halfway in this relationship,” Blueblood said confidently when his eyes popped.

Meet?

“Oh dear goddess! I promised Rarity I’d meet her at her suite after my meeting, I have to go!” he galloped off, with such speed Soarin would not have been surprised if Blueblood took to the air.

“See ya later dude,” he shrugged and pulled on his saddlebags before flying off to his next class.

Author's Note

I've been looking forward to this.

I actually wanted to introduce a character who is racist towards different ponies and felt a politician unicorn would be appropriate, and the mentioning of the Unicorn Kingdom would reflect her sense of undeserved entitlement.

67. Sweet & Elite - Part 2

Blueblood slowed to catch his breath as he started climbing the stairs up the tower atop which was Rarity’s suite. As he climbed, Blueblood was feeling nervous.
I hope Miss Rarity isn’t cross with me for being late. Perhaps she isn’t back yet? No, that meeting went on for an unfortunate two hours and that extra hour I spent in Soarin’s good company…

He knew he was probably fretting over nothing but he still felt nervous about the off-chance Rarity might in fact be cross. Sighing as he approached the doors, he politely reached up to knock when the doors flew open (inwardly, thankfully) and Rarity gasped to see Blueblood.
“Oh, Blueblood darling, forgive me, I-”

“Rarity, is something wrong?” Blueblood could just feel Rarity’s tension, and she looked like she was going out again, as she had her cat in her carrier.

“Oh it’s nothing dear,” Rarity assured him but then she looked miffed. “Just some unsavory sorts I had the misfortune of meeting today.”

“Hmm,” Blueblood had an idea of what was going on. “Well, why don’t I accompany you and you can tell me all about it.”

In the shopping district, Rarity went through store after store, purchasing fabrics, accessories, and other aesthetics, obviously preparing to make a new ensemble. Blueblood had offered to buy them for her but Rarity would not hear of it while he heard from her just what had rattled her cage.

“And then they called my hat unworthy of Canterlot! Ooh, those- Those- Ooh!” she growled, unsure of what to say without sounding unladylike.

“It’s quite alright, Rarity,” Blueblood said as he levitated her shopping bags. “I have been a repeated victim of such uncouth behavior from various ponies amongst the Canterlot Elite. As for these two ponies you met, Jet Set and Upper Crust, I know them well.”

“Do you?” Rarity was intrigued.

“Jet Set is actually my biggest competitor in the airship business,” Blueblood explained. “While I still outshine him he is determined to knock me off my pedestal as the top pony in the airship industry. As for his wife, Upper Crust is even more unsavory than her husband, and likes to show off her social status by throwing the Canterlot Garden Party.”

“She is the pony who hosts for the Canterlot Garden Party?!” Rarity was aghast. “Why, next to the Grand Galloping Gala, that is the premiere event in Canterlot!”

“Don’t let the reputation fool you, Rarity,” Blueblood waved it off. “It’s just a gathering of the most snobbiest amongst the Canterlot Elite where they subtly and indirectly insult and try to one-up each other and show off examples of their wealth, success, and fame. I went once a few years ago and it so unpleasant an experience that I never attended another.”

“Hmm,” the more Rarity heard of the glamorous life in Canterlot the more she realized how not-so-glamorous it really was.

“Anyway, what exactly is this shopping spree for?” Blueblood asked.

“Oh! Well, after what those two said about my chapeau,” Rarity explained, “I decided I would show them something worthy of Canterlot… by designing for my good friend, Twilight Sparkle, a fabulous new dress for her birthday next week!”

“Ah, Twilight Sparkle's birthday is coming up? How is she, by the way?” Blueblood inquired.

“You two know each other?” Rarity was surprised.

“Of course we know each other,” Blueblood affirmed with a shrugging smile, “How could I not be acquainted with my auntie’s personal protégée? We met in my aunt’s School for Gifted Unicorns and even shared some of the same classes. We worked together on a project once for our alchemy class.”

“Sounds to me you two were good friends,” Rarity said with a smile.

“Eh... not exactly,” Blueblood admitted with a look of light bewilderment. “Twilight and I were on good terms but she was so obsessed with being the best student she could be for my aunt and we just grew apart. To tell you the truth, Rarity, before Twilight moved to Ponyville, I just came to the conclusion that she was more interested in books than friends.”

“Well, I can tell you without a doubt that is no longer the case,” Rarity assured him, “and I am positive that she will find what I have in store for her to be fabulous!”

After making one more purchase, Rarity moved at a brisk trot, carrying some of the bags, Blueblood following as Rarity said, “Now that I have everything I need, we must get back to the castle. This new outfit is quite ambitious and I’ve already written to Twilight promising she’d have something beyond fabulous to wear to her-”

“Rarity, look out!” Blueblood called out..

*OOF/CRASH*

“Too late…” he muttered and saw that Rarity had dropped her bags, her purchases spilling out all over, and the pony she’d bumped into had one of the bags over his head. But then Blueblood noticed the pony behind him, a svelte-figured unicorn mare, white in coat, blossom pink in mane, her cutie-mark a trio of fleur-de-liss symbols.

“Fleur?” He jolted as he realized, Then that means that pony is…!

Fleur pulled the bag off the pony’s head revealing a very handsome unicorn stallion, also white in coat, his light azure mane in a wavy style, a small but attractive moustache adorning his upper lip, and a monocle over his left eye, connecting toe the suit he wore, the coat-tails designed so as not to hide his cutie-mark, a trio of three-pointed crowns, each centered with a purple jewel. He was tall and sturdy in barrel with somewhat of a paunch so he was thicker than Blueblood's own slender musculature.

“Fancy Pants!”[Rarity gasped.
"Oh no..." Blueblood muttered to himself.

“I say, that’s one way to make an introduction,” Fancy Pants said in a posh accent, his wife helping him dust off.

“Oh goodness, I am so sorry! I didn’t see you there,” Rarity gushed as she started recollecting her purchases. “I’ve just got so many bags and I was in a hurry to get back to my suite at the castle and-”

“You’re… staying at the castle?” Fancy Pants inquired when he noticed Blueblood. “Ah, Your Excellency, this is a surprise. Would you and this mare know each other?”

“Yes,” Blueblood said, secretly uncomfortable and wanting to move on. “Miss Rarity and I were just on our way back to the castle and we were… careless.”

“Ah, so am I to assume this is another of your… escorts?” Fancy Pants asked with a very subtle tone of condescending.

“No, as a matter of fact,” Blueblood replied, his eyes narrowing, “Miss Rarity and I are good friends and I invited her to the castle when I heard she was coming to Canterlot for a visit.”

“Wait, you two know each other?” Rarity asked.

“Miss Rarity, just collect your things and let’s move on,” Blueblood pressed but Fancy Pants spoke up.

“Do we know each other?” he chuckled. “Why, up until a few years ago, I was Canterlot’s most renowned bachelor, and the duke here kept to his awkward self with his airships. However, I reached that age where I was no longer... eligible for that title. So I wed my beloved while the duke stepped out with some leg-candy and claimed the title himself!”

Blueblood glared at Fancy Pants and Rarity could feel a not-so-friendly vibe coming off of him but then Fancy Pant’s wife, Fleur spoke up as she levitated one of Rarity’s bags.
“Mmm, a pony of expensive tastes I see!”

“Oh, it’s for an ensemble I’m making for a friend,” Rarity explained, accepting the bag back. “Her birthday is in a few days.”

“Why how generous,” Fancy Pants complimented her, ignoring the glare Blueblood gave him. “Listen, I have a VIP box reserved for the Wonderbolts derby this afternoon. Perhaps, if you are not too busy, you might concede to join me and a few of my companions.”

“Miss Rarity just told you, she has a project to get started for her friend,” Blueblood interjected. “Rarity, please, let’s just move along.”

“We’d love to see you there, Miss Rarity, is it?” Fancy Pants invited.

Between these two stallions, Rarity was at a loss for words. On one hoof, she did want to get started on her project and didn’t want to draw Blueblood into an uncomfortable situation, on the other Fancy Pants was acting like such a gentlecolt and had graciously offered to her such an opportunity!
“Well, I’m- Uh, ah, no- Sure!”

“Jolly good, and you’re welcome to attend as well, Blueblood, my good fellow,” Fancy Pants invited as he gestured to his wife to come along.

At the castle, Rarity felt conflicted as she and Blueblood spoke.
“Blueblood, I am so sorry, I just felt put on the spot…!”

“It’s alright,” Blueblood sighed, “It’s just that… Well, let's just say, Fancy Pants and I do not get along.”

“Well, not to take sides or anything, Blueblood dear,” Rarity brought up, “but aside a derisive remark of two, he was quite a gentlecolt.”

“You haven’t known him as long as I have, Rarity,” Blueblood reminded her, “nor as well as I do. Fancy Pants admittedly is among the few more… approachable ponies among the Canterlot Elite. But he is no less unscrupulous in climbing the social ladder. …Are you going to attend the derby?”

“Well, seeing the derby from the VIP box is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Rarity considered.

“Not unless you can watch the derby from the royal box,” Blueblood countered with a smirk.

“Not to mention, attending the derby cuts into the time I have to make Twilight’s dress,” Rarity agreed. “However… Next to the royal family, Fancy Pants is the most important pony in Canterlot. His stamp of approval could mean big things for me here.”

“Well, Rarity, while perhaps Twilight’s birthday isn’t quite the posh event as the derby,” Blueblood reasoned, “you know your friends will appreciate your work more than anypony!”

“I would hate to let them down…” Rarity conceded, looking conflicted as she looked at the sketch of the dress she intended to design and the mannequin her suite had come with.
“…And I won’t.”

Blueblood nodded proudly as Rarity stepped into the walk-in closet…
“Blueblood, I am going to the Wonderbolts Derby as a guest of Fancy Pants!”

He gaped at her as she squealed all giddy, topped with another stylish chapeau, and sighed as he decided to accompany her.

Making their way through the seats, the two unicorns approached the sectioned off entryway to the VIP box, stationed by a Royal Guard.

“We were invited by Fancy Pants, let us through,” Blueblood ordered, the guard obliging while Blueblood took a moment to enjoy the stunned looks of disbelief coming from two certain unicorns amongst the general audience.

As they made their way into the box, they were met by Fancy Pants.
“Rarity, Blueblood, jolly good to see you, so glad you could make it.”

But at that moment, they were mobbed by other Canterlot socialites, chattering away, some of them greeting Blueblood, others kissing up to Fancy Pants, when Blueblood announced, “Everypony, I’d like you to meet my fillyfriend, Rarity.”

They all stopped talking and gave the fashionista a look, much to her discomfort as they started talking amongst themselves. Blueblood would have to have been deaf to not hear some of the things they said.
“Who is she?” “Never heard of her.” “Probably a nopony.” “Another piece of leg-candy for the prince…”

Before Blueblood could say anything the announcer got everypony’s attention.

“Fillies & gentlecolts, welcome to the Wonderbolts Derby! The competitors are taking their places at the starting line thus the race shall begin momentarily!”

“I’ll be rooting for Rapidfire, of course,” Fancy Pants stated, “He’s sure to take home the grand prize.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes as the socialites all nodded and agreed with Fancy Pant’s opinion.
“Psst, Blueblood,” Rarity whispered something into his ear, making him nod.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Trust me!” She gave him a wink.

Nodding, Blueblood spoke aloud, “I don’t think he has a chance against Fleetfoot!”

The socialites were surprised by Blueblood being of a different opinion
“In fact, if you’re willing, Fancy, perhaps you’d like to place a wager…”

“Oh?” Fancy raised a brow in intrigue. “Very well then, if Rapidfire wins, I get the first of your upcoming new line of airships, for free.”

“And if Fleetfoot wins, I get ownership of that new restaurant of yours,” Blueblood responded, “Chez la Prance, no?”

“And in the event neither Fleetfoot nor Rapidfire wins, we call it a draw,” Fancy Pants amended.

“Sounds fair.”

The ponies present were in awe of this wager but before anypony could comment on it, the bugle sounded the race was about to begin and everypony peered to watched the race. The ref raised the checkered flag… and they were off!

The racers consisted of Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, Cloud Nine, and Rapidfire. Considering the size of the track, the race ended all too quickly as the announcer called, “And it’s Fleetfoot by a nose...!”

“WHOO-HOO!” Blueblood whooped, not caring how uncharacteristic it was for a prince, Rarity cheering with him.

“Bravo, Your Highness,” Fancy Pants was honestly impressed. “I say, how did you know Fleetfoot would be victorious?”

“Because I have my own lady luck right here,” Blueblood declared as he gave Rarity a kiss on the brow, making her blush.

“My friend Rainbow Dash speaks of Fleetfoot all the time,” she admitted. “She says what Fleetfoot lacks in size she makes up for in speed.”

“And who is this… Rainbow Dash?” asked Silver Frames, a middle-aged socialite earth pony mare, and the question invoked a pregnant pause as everypony looked expectantly at Rarity, making her nervous.

“Why, she’s only the most recent winner of the Best Young Flier’s Competition,” Blueblood came to his mare’s rescue. “Not to mention, a favorite candidate to join the Wonderbolts, personally favored by my aunt, Princess Celestia, and the pony who represents the Element of Loyalty.”

“Ooh!” the socialites awed.
“The pony who stole our good Prince Blueblood’s heart, and among the ponies who represent the Elements of Harmony!" Fancy Pants noted in an admiring tone, "I told you all this is a very important pony!”

Blueblood frowned as Fancy Pants held Rarity’s hoof in his own, declaring, “Three cheers for Rarity and His Royal Highness, Prince Blueblood, my new favorite party-guests!”

The socialites all did the customary three ‘hip-hip-hoorays, Blueblood smiling at his fillyfriend, grateful to her for helping him get one over his rival and glad she was starting to get the reputation she desired.

Author's Note

I understand some of you might be a little miffed by my making Fancy Pants look like a subtle snob and i honestly felt a little guilty.

But I wanted to portray him as a social rival of Blueblood's, since I'm doing the Rariblood shipping here. I'm holding onto Fancy Pant's charm and politeness while adding a very subtle hinting of him not being an entirely nice guy, mostly directing that towards Blueblood.

I've seen fics where Fancy Pants and Rarity are shipped together and while i agree they could make for a fine couple, I always can't help but feel that Fancy Pants is too old for Rarity, even if he doesn't look it. He just behaves in that aristocratic way that makes him give them impression he's older than he looks.

68. Sweet & Elite - Part 3

“...and then I said, ‘Puh-lease, that isn’t a hat, darling’,” Rarity joked to the socialites, “‘that’s a natural disaster that somehow landed atop your head’!”

The socialites all laughed at her joke, perhaps a little too hard, as Blueblood was certain they were motivated to be in his and Rarity’s good graces because of Fancy Pants. That’s the way it was among the upper-class. Who you know, who knows you, and one’s perspective of another could so very easily sway the balance in or out of one’s favor. But far be it from the honorary prince than to deflate his fillyfriend’s delight in garnering her new reputation.

“Oh you are a delight, Rarity,” complimented Silver Frames, “an absolute delight! You and Prince Blueblood simply must attend my art gallery opening this evening!”

“Oh, I’d love to but-” Rarity spoke but then a unicorn stallion socialite, Golden Gavel, spoke up.

“And Prince Blueblood, I hope you and your lovely lady will not forget my charity auction tomorrow morning.”

“Well, that sounds wonderful, but we-” Blueblood tried to decline but then another of the socialites, Swan Song, cut in.

“And of course I would welcome you as the honored couple of my dinner party tomorrow night!”

“Well, we’re flattered, really!” Blueblood spoke up, his tone making the socialites gape in nervousness.
“It's just that I have a project I really must get started on-” Rarity tried to explained.

“Ohh, but Rarity!” cried Silver Frames, “I may as well close the whole gallery, if you can’t attend!”
“And my auction is for charity, Your Excellency,” Golden Gavel nervously reminded them, “For charity!”
“And my dinner party would be a disaster if the honored guests didn't come,” despaired Swan Song.

Blueblood and Rarity shared a nervous look and felt the bane of peer-pressure worsened by the fact the peers were the upper-crust.

“…Of course we’ll be there,” Rarity conceded, much to the socialites’ reliefs and Blueblood’s sighing chagrin.

But he couldn’t really blame her for submitting. Rarity, however sophisticated and elegant she was, was inexperienced in the world of the social-elite for she was truly a young mare from a small town. Regardless of her having Fancy Pants’ favor, Rarity’s reputation was built upon being connected to other important ponies, not from social accomplishments that the socialites were more familiar with and interested in.

Being an honorary prince and adoptive nephew of Princess Celestia, Blueblood could have declined their invites without batting an eye. Even so, he decided to indulge Rarity’s decision as they made their way back to the castle.

“I’m so sorry, Blueblood,” Rarity hoped her coltfriend was not cross with her. Through their letters, she’d learned more of the relationships he’d had the misfortune of being in, and how badly they turned out. She didn’t want Blueblood to start thinking she was just like those mares he’d gone out with previously.
“I really didn’t want to oblige their invitations, but-”

“Calm down, dear,” Blueblood assured her, “I went through exactly the same thing when I was younger.”

“You?” Rarity was surprised.

“Of course! You don’t think there was a lack of waves among the Canterlot Elite when Auntie Celestia made me an honorary prince and her nephew, do you?” Blueblood smirked, taking a guilty satisfaction in the duped look on his fillyfriend’s face.
“I was born to House Polaris, which is of lesser nobility, and my parents were invited to the Gala when I was a little colt. They brought me along as well, and during the event, I wandered off from my mother and bumped into Princess Celestia.”

“Really?” Rarity had never actually heard of how Celestia made Blueblood her nephew. “What happened?”

“Mind you, I was only five,” Blueblood chuckled. “I met the princess for the first time that night, and when she looked down to me, I said ‘Wow, you’re sooooo big!’”

Rarity chuckled with him and gestured for him to continue his story.

“My mother appeared and scolded me for wandering away from her and bothering royalty,” Blueblood went on. “But Celestia assured her I hadn’t been a bother at all, and she called me a cute little colt. In response to that, I said ‘I’m not little, I just turned five’! She laughed and said, ‘Alright, a big colt, then,’ and I said ‘That’s better’.”

Rarity laughed more, picturing the idea of a five year-old Blueblood giving the princess the business as only a five year-old colt could.

“After that night, Celestia started inviting my parents and I into the castle,” Blueblood proceeding snapped his mare out of her little reverie. “On my seventh birthday, Celestia’s present to me was the honorary title of ‘prince’ and the status as her nephew, even though we are only distantly related. But that was the beginning of a hard journey for me.”

“You don’t say,” Rarity was becoming more and more intrigued.

“I do say,” Blueblood confirmed. “My parents enrolled me into my aunt’s School for Gifted Unicorns and the teachers were hard on me, saying as Her Majesty’s nephew and a prince, even an honorary one, a great much was expected of me. My aunt helped make my education more bearable, but she couldn’t completely solve my social problems. Other students bullied me or they refused to be my friend, because they thought I was some spoiled brat who would brag of having such favor from the princess.”

“But that wasn’t fair,” Rarity was appalled. “She made you her nephew clearly because she loves you!”

“She does,” Blueblood agreed. “and I love her very much as well. She became a second mother to me after my parents passed away. When they were gone, I locked myself up in my room in the castle and refused to talk to anyone, and spent so long crying and wishing I had them back. Heh, I even threw a book at my aunt the first time she tried to comfort me. I felt bad for doing that and tried to avoid her but it got to the point where she forced a conversation between us, and she finally helped me begin my road to recovery.”

Rarity blinked away the tears before they could escape her ducts.

“From then on, I sought to become a prince she could be proud of,” Blueblood went on. “I studied hard and made friends. Or rather, I made suck-ups. No matter how hard I tried, all the ponies I tried to befriend weren’t what you would call sincere. They would either turn me down, snub my offering hoof, or they sucked up to me, hoping to gain favor. “

“And the fact those mares you dated weren't sincere didn’t help,” Rarity realized.

“But that changed that night at the gala, Rarity,” Blueblood assured her. “I still feel a twinge of guilt for the way I initially acted towards you, but I felt as though somepony was telling me that if I gave up on romance and didn’t take the risk of looking for it, I’d never find it. I am so very glad I took that risk, and that it was for you.”

This time, Rarity didn’t hold back as a tear went down her smiling face and she nuzzled against her prince, Blueblood resting his chin on top of her head as they stood in the threshold of the castle, not caring if anypony saw them.

Rarity insisted Blueblood joined her in her suite, where Opalescence was just waking from a catnap.

“Looks like we’ll be spending a few more days here, Opalescence,” Rarity spoke to her cat as she levitated a pink scarf onto the mannequin and looked through her jewelry box.
“It turns out that bumping into Fancy Pants like that was the-”

She stopped herself and gave Blueblood a loving look, “The second best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“I hope you won’t forget the promise you made to Twilight, my dear,” Blueblood reminded her with a teasing smirk while noticing Opal rubbing against the mannequin.

“Of course not, darling,” Rarity in a blasé tone, “it remains my top priority. You know, I’m quite certain Twilight would appreciate you attending her birthday as well, give you a chance to catch up.”

“Oh I wouldn’t want to impose,” Blueblood honestly did find the notion appealing as he entertained the thought.

“Just as I wouldn’t want to disappoint the Canterlot elite by rejecting their invitations,” Rarity added, Blueblood double-taking at her statement.

And just like that, Rarity immersed herself further into the world of high society, with her coltfriend as her guide. They attended Silver Frames’ art gallery where one positive critique by Rarity made the mare’s night.

The next morning, Golden Gavel began his charity auction with a lovely oriental pottery piece, whereupon Blueblood’s first bid sparked an explosion of bids that caused the auctioneer to drop his gavel in overwhelmed surprise.

When they attended Swan Song’s dinner party that night, Rarity and Blueblood easily noticed how the dinner partygoers hung on every word they spoke, ever watchful for their approving glances, such as when Rarity chose a particular among the vittles that the others chose the same thing.

They caught an opera-show, attended Fancy Pant’s party on his personal aerial yacht, all the while becoming the talk of all of Canterlot.

Despite the whirlwind experience, the couple enjoyed their time together more than the outings themselves, that Blueblood gave the christening of his latest airship to Rarity.

But a teensy-weensy, yet-ever-so-crucial little tiny detail escaped them both:

Rarity had yet to get a serious start on Twilight’s birthday dress.

Blueblood sighed as he looked through the paperwork of his company, taking a sip of his morning coffee. He’d received several employee requests, was already starting the building blocks of his next airship design, and Rarity was going home today, and she’d convinced him to come with her to Twilight’s birthday.

He just wanted to get as much of this out of the way as he could before the time of departure. Oftentimes when Blueblood left Canterlot, he was often called back, if not by his company then by his aunt, for reasons involving business or politics. He didn’t want to leave and get a message requesting his presence back just a day after.

He looked to the clock and flinched at the time.
I have to hurry…! I’d at the very least like to purchase a birthday present for Miss Twilight before I meet Rarity at the station!

“Your Highness.”

He acknowledged his personal assistant as she levitated a note to him, and what he read astounded him!

“You wrote Twilight that your cat is ill so you could go to the Canterlot Garden party instead of her birthday?!”

“But Blueblood dear!” Rarity whined, “It’s such a big event, were I to decline it could very well ruin my new reputation as a very important pony!”

Blueblood sighed in frustration.
“Rarity, I expected better of you! I’ve just now recalled how you’ve procrastinated in the dress you promised Twilight for her birthday.”

He looked to the mannequin and frowned that the only addition made to it was the yellow basic outfit, with the pink scarf encircling the shoulders and resting upon the back.
“It blows my mind that you would put those snobs before your friends!”

“Blueblood, please,” Rarity honestly looked regretful now. “I-I’ve just gotten so caught up in- Please understand, it’s always been my dream to be a Canterlot pony of high society, since I started my career as a fashion-designer! I know that it’s been made possible because of who I know, but now I have a solid reputation, and I am so grateful to you for helping me!”

Seeing the look on his fillyfriend’s face, Blueblood sighed.
“Rarity, I can understand if what you’re doing is for the pursuit of your dreams… but I will not accompany you to that party.”

“What?! Blueblood…!” Rarity looked on the verge of collapse. “Are you… breaking up with me?!”

“No, my dear,” Blueblood assured her as he nuzzled her. “But I am leaving you with some food for thought – Who would you rather give of yourself to, those ponies who love you, who care for you, and will always appreciate you for you, or those who want to say they are friends with you to make themselves look good?”

And without waiting for her response, Blueblood left the suite.

Blueblood sighed, hoping Rarity wouldn’t mistake his words and believe it was a break-up, as he made his way to his aunt’s private chambers. He needed some advice.

Knocking on the door, he waited a moment before they opened and she said, “Come in.”

He entered and saw his aunt apparently reading a scroll.
“Oh, nephew, I’m glad you’re here. Twilight just sent me a message that Rarity would not be able to attend her birthday in Ponyville. Do you know why?”

“…I do, Auntie,” he sighed, Celestia quickly noticing his mood.

“What's the matter, Blueblood?” she invited him to sit on a cushion near her, and he obliged.

“Aunt Celestia, have you ever felt that somepony you care for has… misplaced priorities?” Blueblood asked.

“Hmm, you could say that,” Celestia nodded. “You are aware that when I was still young, my sister and I were under the tutelage of Star Swirl the Bearded?”

“Of course,” Blueblood nodded, “Everypony’s heard of the great wizard Star Swirl, you even have a whole wing named after him in the royal library!”

“Understand, nephew, Star Swirl was good and wise, and an encouraging teacher to me and my sister,” Celestia explained. “But… he was lacking in some ways, as everypony is. For Star Swirl, it was his belief that the needs of the few were inconsequential next to the needs of the many, and while in certain cases that is true, he was less than sympathetic at times when my sister and I were daunted by our royal duties and for what we wished. During my teenage years… I fell in love, but due to a tangled mess of problems, Star Swirl would soon advise me to end the relationship. At the time, I was not the calm, cool, and collected princess everypony knows me as today, and in my foolishness, I heeded his advice. I regret that decision to this day.”

“What happened?” Blueblood was intrigued, as his aunt spoke so little of her foalhood.

“I’m afraid I am not ready to share that story,” Celestia answered, Blueblood inwardly groaning in disappointment. “But after the work done to attempt to resolve the outcome, my relationship with Star Swirl afterwards was never the same. I continue to regard him with respect as my old mentor, but my opinion of him has never been as it once was. In retrospect, my dear nephew, I realized I did not trust myself to make my own decisions nor did I attempt to try and sway Star Swirl’s principles, a lesson I have since regarded as an important one and a costly one. What I am saying, Blueblood, is if you do not try to remind those you care about of the right path the outcome of such indecision can haunt you for the rest of your life. Would this query have to do with Rarity?”

“…Yes, it does,” Blueblood admitted. “She has chosen to attend the Canterlot Garden Party over Miss Twilight’s birthday, and she fibbed that her cat is ill as an excuse.”

“Hmm,” Celestia regarded this revelation, Blueblood looking on in hopefulness his aunt would have the solution. “I think I have an idea. Twilight also informed me she is moving the party here to Canterlot, intending to surprise Rarity so she won’t have to miss out.”

Blueblood’s eyes widened as he started to see where this was going.

Author's Note

I made this chapter to give Blueblood even more depth than a prince looking for an honest relationship, and hint-hinting more of Celestia's past (in my story, that is)

69. Sweet & Elite - Part 4

Blueblood tapped his hoof anxiously as he awaited their arrival. After careful planning and executing the instructions sent from Miss Pinkie Pie, the party for Twilight’s birthday had been prepared in the Canterlot Castle Ballroom.

Blueblood wore a dress-collar similar to the one he’d worn to the gala, along with a burgundy-colored bowtie, and on his back was a wrapped present he’d purchased for his old schoolmate. While Blueblood wasn’t sure if Twilight would totally remember him, it was only proper etiquette, along with a slight desire to catch up, that he get her a gift.

However, he was actually waiting on Twilight’s male friends, Midnight Blaze, Big Macintosh, and Thunderlane, the three of them having left Ponyville some days ago to make a delivery. After they’d heard of the change in Twilight’s birthday plans, they’d grabbed the next train to Canterlot, planning to meet the whole gang there.

“Blue, buddy, ya gotta calm down, dude.”

Soarin had invited himself to accompany Blueblood to meet the guys.
“Your friend, Twilight’s coming later. You’re just meeting with her boy buds first, no big.”

“It’s not meeting her gentlecolt friends, Soarin,” Blueblood corrected. “I can’t help but feel a little guilty for going behind Rarity’s back. It feels hypocritical of me, I mean… I was looking for an honest and sincere relationship with somepony, and now I’m finding myself being deceitful and underhooved.”

“Sometimes relationships calls for a little subterfuge, Blue-boy,” Soarin waved off his concern, looking kinda know-it-all at the moment. “Goddess knows before the gala, I made as much time as I could squeeze to get studying done while under Spitfire’s tyrannical scrutiny. Blueblood, when somepony’s in the wrong it’s not necessarily a bad thing to wanna go behind their backs to teach them a little lesson. So long as nopony’s hurt and it’s something you both can live with and accept.”

Blueblood nodded, Soarin’s words giving his heart a little ease, when a train pulled in, the PA system announcing the arrival from Dodge Junction. Blueblood and Soarin waited as a few ponies spilled out of the train doors and they saw them, the blue unicorn, red earth pony, and dark gray pegasus, each of them carrying a wrapped present as well.

Blueblood approached them, clearing his throat, as he said, “Be welcome, gentlecolts, we have been expecting you.”

“Blueblood, haven’t seen you since the Gala!” Midnight walked up and held out a hoof, which Blueblood took in a polite shake.

“Soarin, how’re your courses going?” Thunderlane asked.

“Awesome, and thanks to the princess,” Soarin commented, “Spitfire’s eased up on training so I’m getting a lot done and learning so much!”

“Glad t’ hear that,” Big Mac said as he approached. “So, we hear Miss Rarity couldn’t head back t’ Ponyville fer Twilight’s special day.”

“Yes, although I’m afraid her excuse was… not what you would call the truth,” Blueblood informed them before explaining everything. “…so Auntie Celestia offered the ballroom for Miss Twilight’s birthday party, and she’s planning to surprise Rarity.”

“I gotta say, I’m not entirely surprised of Rarity,” Midnight sighed. “When you’ve heard her talk and talk and talk about the glamour of high society, you know she’s gonna go for it if given the opportunity.”

“So when do the girls get here?” Thunderlane asked.

“If their train is as punctual as yours,” Blueblood checked the station clock, “in a half-hour, just in time to catch Rarity before she heads for the Garden Party.”

Midnight chuckled, Soarin asking, “What’s so funny?”

“Is it wrong to look forward to watching our favorite diva squirm?” Midnight cracked, and the stallions, even Blueblood, couldn’t help laughing with him.

In her suite, Rarity posed for Opalescence, wearing a yellow shawl held at her neck by a jeweled clasp and flowers in her tail.
“What do you think, too much?”

Opal just sat on the bed, grooming herself with a detached air.

“You’re right, too little,” Rarity decided as she levitated a chapeau that matched her outfit perfectly, alighting it onto her head. She took a deep breath before facing her suite door, “Garden Party, here I come!”

She opened the doors and was met with a “SURPRISE!”

*Thud*

The surprising committee, comprised of Twilight, Midnight, Applejack, Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Pinkie Pie, Blueblood, Fluttershy, and Thunderlane gaped at the posh-dressed mare, who had keeled over and fainted.

“Too much?” Pinkie asked the others as she moved to give Rarity a closer look. “I mean, we shout ‘surprise!’ as the doors open – Swoosh! – And right before she hit the ground – Shoom! – She-”

“Miss Pie,” Blueblood interrupted as he pointed out Rarity waking up.

“Hi again!” Pinkie greeted her, Rarity gaping at them all.

“What are you- How did you- Why are you-”

“Listen t’ her,” chuckled Applejack, “she’s so excited t’ see us she can hardly talk!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said, giving the guys a wink.

“What I mean to say is,” Rarity collected herself, “what are you all doing here?”

“When I got your letter saying you were stuck in Canterlot,” Twilight explained, “I asked Pinkie Pie if it wouldn’t be too much trouble to move my birthday party here, so you wouldn’t have to miss it!”

“Balloons are super easy to pack,” Pinkie concurred as she lifted a tiny suitcase and opened it, a burst of balloons going to and fro as they sped out of air-control.

“And I was kind enough to prepare things per Miss Pinkie’s instructions,” Blueblood added, ignoring the slight look of betrayal his fillyfriend was giving him.

“And Twilight also gave us the heads-up to come to Canterlot after the delivery we made to Dodge Junction,” Midnight brought up. “I can’t wait to tell you all the adventure we had there!”

“Speaking of telling,” Thunderlane brought up as he scrutinized Rarity, “mind telling us what’s with the fancy getup?”

“This? Er, well- I-” Rarity twisted her tongue to ring out an excuse. “I… always put a little something fancy on when… Opal’s feeling under the weather… cheers her right up!”

The guys all rolled their eyes while Fluttershy said, “Oh poor Opal, where is the sick darling?”

“Uh- She’s- Hold on a minute!” Rarity slammed the doors in their faces, perplexing them all. The doors opened a couple moments later, Rarity announcing, “She’s resting on the bed.”

Fluttershy zoomed and they all saw her give a motherly hug to Opalescence, who looked like something the cat dragged in. Or a drowned bilge rat, a very plausible theory.
“Poor Opal, she looks awful!”

Thankfully, everypony else was looking at Rarity’s suite but Rarity flinched at how her cat glared bloody murder at her.

“Is that my dress?”

Rarity startled as she saw Twilight giving the incomplete dress a look over.

“It’s so simple, so practical…” Twilight critiqued, Rarity looking like she had her heart in her mouth, “So… me! It’s the perfect dress for my birthday party!”

The guys all had the same thought, Rarity had dodged another hex, as Twilight hugged her friend thankfully saying, “I love it!”

Rarity sighed in relief, saying, “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that.”

She then discreetly whipped up her tail, sending a piece of paper on the desk into the wastebasket.

Unknown to her, when Rarity wasn’t looking, Blueblood levitated out the paper and saw it was a drawing of a most amazing ensemble.
This must have been the dress she originally planned to make…

“Hey Blue, come on!” shouted Soarin’s voice and he noticed the others were leaving and hurried to catch up.

“When I told the Princess that I was moving my party to Canterlot,” Twilight explained to Rarity, now garbed in the fashionista’s plain-jane dress, “she was kind enough to offer us the Canterlot castle ballroom!”

“Allow us, ladies,” Blueblood offered as he and Midnight lit up their horns and the double doors opened to reveal the party, all set up. Confetti all but carpeted the floor, streamers hung everywhere, a table covered with delicious cupcakes and treats, another with a sign that read ‘gifts’, indicating where the birthday gifts were to be placed, balloons tied in strategic areas.
“Miss Pinkie Pie sent very explicit instructions on how to have everything set up.”

“Isn’t it fancy pants?” Pinkie asked.

“Fancy Pants?! Where?!” Rarity hid behind Rainbow Dash and Soarin, shielding herself with their wings. She suddenly realized it had been an expression as everypony gave her odd looks.
“I mean- Where…ever did you find the time to set up this smashing décor?”

“When you’re a prince, you have the perks of having a castle staff at your beck and call,” Blueblood looked a little haughty at the moment

“And I never leave home without my Party Cannon!”

Pinkie Pie pulled a little blue cannon out of nowhere and fired, an explosion of colorful confetti raining down everywhere, including onto Rarity’s outfit, much to her chagrin.

“I thought about having my party outside,” Twilight brought up, “but Blueblood informed me another party’s taking place on the castle grounds today.”

Rarity discreetly looked out the window and saw Jet Set and Upper Crust greeting the attendees of the Garden Party. She looked longingly to the posh gathering, when a certain party pony all but screamed into her ear, “Let’s... PARTY!”

Twilight’s birthday was instantly thrown into full swing, as was the music playing on the phonograph/record player.

Blueblood was a little out of his element at first. He was used to high society events, posh and elegant soirees, which were enjoyable an’ all but years of attending them had developed a perspective of sameness, no matter what kind of party he’d attended in Canterlot.

But this, a party without all that, the kind the Canterlot Elite wouldn’t be caught dead attending, was worlds apart. The dancing, the music, the food, the atmosphere! It was loose and positive, maybe a bit fast-paced at times, but in no way judgmental, as everypony was in the kind of events Blueblood had been used to since he was a colt.

Everypony here just hung out, had fun, laughed, talked, it was a new experience for the honorary prince, and he quickly understood why a pony from a small town yet could so well fit into the Canterlot Elite could enjoy such company. Even when they had a little fight throwing cake at each other, the ponies were having fun and laughing.

Blueblood loved it.

But as they got into the conga line Blueblood noticed somepony was missing and the side doors were open.
Auntie Celestia’s prediction was spot-on.

Celestia had conferred to Blueblood that Rarity might wait until Twilight’s party got a little crazy enough for her to slip away unnoticed to attend the Garden Party, but was also likely to keep moving between parties to save face. When he’d asked her what he should do when Rarity did so, Celestia told him to do nothing, act as nothing was amiss.

But before he could ponder further, he yelped as a bird-shaped piñata fell and hung in front of him, Pinkie popping out of nowhere, a blindfold and stick in hoof.
“Come on, Bluey! Bust that birdy wide open!”

And without waiting for Blueblood’s consent, she wrapped the blindfold around him and put the stick in his mouth.

Welp, when in Roam, Blueblood shrugged and started swinging the stick around hoping to get lucky.

In no time at all, the piñatas were busted open and candies and other treats poured from them all. At this point, Pinkie directed everypony’s attention to a bowl of melted chocolate, saying, “Let’s dip!”

Blueblood got the idea, having sampled fondue at some of the soirées he’d attended. This was the same principal, just sweeter. He took a peppermint stick and dipped it, enjoying the taste once he took a nibble.

“Pbth!”

They all looked and saw Rarity with a disgusted face and gave her an odd look. Blueblood noticed something on the floor and saw it was the remains of a cracker and olive. No doubt she’d gotten it from the hors d’oeuvres table at the Garden Party. He made sure she noticed him as he raised a brow, but she did the old ‘look over there’ routine, distracting everypony and Blueblood watched her zip out.

He knew Rarity would soon crack under the pressure of attending two parties at once while trying to hide her discretion from either. Celestia had explained the plan to him well. While he felt guilty for this little underhooved operation, Blueblood had agreed with his aunt (albeit hesitantly) that Rarity had to learn this lesson.

“You okay, Blueblood?”

He looked and saw Midnight, “I’m fine but I wonder how long Rarity intends to drag this out…”

“If she can help it, she’ll make sure neither parties meet,” commented Midnight as he levitated a chilled glass of colt cola to the prince. “And I don’t mean the events.”

“I just hope she finds enlightenment before something undesirable occurs,” Blueblood agreed, accepting the glass.

“Y’mean like this?” Midnight asked before letting out a loud BELCH, the other ponies laughing.

Ordinarily, Blueblood might've been repelled by such uncouth mannerisms, but after attending this party, seeing how different ponies like Rarity’s friends were from the Canterlot Elite, and all the merry mirth he’d experienced, he couldn’t help but laugh as well, and it felt good!

“Uh, what’s with the croquet mallet?” sounded Rainbow above the party madness.

Uncannily enough, the record player chose that particular moment to sound a very explicit scratch.

“Wha’ kwokay malleh?”

“Duh, the one in your mouth?”

Everypony looked and saw Rarity, looking tired, and there was indeed a croquet mallet in her mouth. Her eyes widened in realization as she dropped the game implement and tittered nervously.
“Oh, that croquet mallet! I- Well I- The truth is…”

“Were you at that other party in the garden?” inquired Twilight.

“I…” Rarity drawled, Blueblood hoping she’d come clean before her reputation was made unclean.

“Rarity, I’m surprised at you,” Twilight said, almost sounding disappointed.

“Twilight, please! I can explain!”

Rarity threw herself at Twilight’s feet but the purple unicorn then said, “I had no idea you were such a savvy businesspony!”

“Say what?!” Thunderlane muttered, Soarin elbowing him to keep quiet.

“All of those ponies look so posh,” Twilight commented, everypony following her gaze to socialites passing by the windows. “And with the Grand Galloping Gala coming up, I bet you could totally get some of them to buy your dresses, very smart!”

“W…why… yes! I-I didn’t want you to think I was being rude, so that’s exactly the reason I didn’t tell you,” Rarity said, sounding relieved.

Blueblood face-hooved.
You’re only digging yourself in deeper, Rarity…

“You should totally go over there and mingle!” Twilight suggested to Rarity.

As Rarity gushed to Twilight, Midnight noticed Blueblood looking disappointed as Rarity started making her way to the Garden Party. But at that moment, everything began to fall apart, as Rainbow Dash said, “Hey wait up, we’re your friends! I’m sure they won’t mind if we check out the party too! Come on everypony, let’s show `em how to party Ponyville style!”

The girls followed after Rainbow, Big Mac and Thunderlane tagging along, Rarity whispering, “Oh no…!”

“Well that was unexpected,” Midnight commented, Blueblood giving him the stink eye. “Too soon?”

“Blueblood!” Rarity screeched, looking like a mad mare, “What do we do?!”

“Let’s… get out there and… assess the situation,” Blueblood suggested, and he led them out.

As they entered garden, they gaped as they saw their friends do the conga, Twilight carrying the phonograph, Rainbow swung a little too hard at the croquet course, accidentally knocking off a mare’s wig that the stallion she’d been conversing with subtly excused himself to get away from her. Fluttershy played with the birds, causing leaves to fall onto some of the attendees, a stallion was repulsed by Pinkie throwing her face into one of the cakes at the hors d’ oeuvres table, others avoided Applejack as she kicked up some dirt and pulled a weed.
“How come y’all ain’t gardenin’? This is a garden party, ain’t it?”

Twilight got a little too into her dancing, the attendees giving her a wide berth.

Rarity sipped some punch, hoping it would calm her nerves.
“Can you believe what that pony is wearing?”

She looked to see Jet Set and Upper Crust standing next to her, as they pointed Twilight out… along with the unfinished dress she was wearing that Rarity was responsible for bringing into existence.
“It’s just so plain,” scoffed Upper Crust.

Rarity tittered nervously, commenting, “Yeah.”

But then she all but had kittens when she saw the one socialite to approach Twilight, asking her, “Excuse me, might I ask where you got your ensemble?”

“Why yes, yes you may,” Twilight said, glad somepony had taken the time to notice her new dress, “A very, very close friend of mine from Ponyville made it for me.”

Rarity did a spit-take (accidentally onto Jet Set and Upper Crust) and hurried over as the pony, Twilight was talking to, echoed, “Ponyville? You don’t say.”

“She does say!”

“Your Excellency?” Fancy Pants was surprised to see the prince in attendance. “Well, this is unexpected. Would you perchance know this lovely young mare?”

“Indeed, this is my old schoolmate, Twilight Sparkle,” Blueblood declared. “She received this pretty little outfit from-”

“Fancy Pants!”

They looked to see Rarity approach, “Come with me, I’d like to show you… this, uh- Thing! That’s over there, on the other side of the room!”

“In a moment, my dear,” Fancy Pants replied, unintentionally drawing a crowd, “I was just about to hear from where this lovely filly from Ponyville who made her charming dress.”

“What, that dress? Oh come now,” Rarity would have given anything at that moment for this social nightmare to cease. “Who cares, it’s just a plain old-”

“Oh don’t be so modest, my dear,” Blueblood had decided the charade had gone on long enough. “This dress you made for Twilight’s birthday is beautiful.”

The socialites broke out in a collective GASP, some of them dropping their drinks, all of them gaping at Rarity.

All her friends went over to stand by Twilight and Blueblood, Twilight saying, “We all think so.”

“You know these ponies?” Fancy Pants inquired of Rarity.

Rarity looked, seeing the gossip already beginning, her friends now looking confused and catching onto her behavior. To their bewilderment, she turned her back to them and approached the socialites… and declared, “Yes, yes I do know them.”

Rarity had had enough, all the pretending, the lying, the excuses, it was unfair to her friends, to herself, and she finally realized how in the wrong she’d been, how right had been her prince .

“They may not be as sophisticated as all you Canterlot ponies, but they are my best friends! And they are, without a doubt, the most important ponies I know.”

She smiled at them, Blueblood smiling proudly and lovingly at his girlfriend.

“Important ponies?!”

They all looked to Jet Set and Upper Crust, the former saying, “These ruffians?”
“Don’t make me laugh,” Upper Crust sneered as she and her husband began to laugh obnoxiously.

“I, for one, find them charmingly rustic.”

The socialites gasped and gaped at the speaker, Fancy Pants, as he approached Twilight but looked to Rarity, saying, “And I think the dress you made for your friend is lovely.”

Rarity was astounded, as was Blueblood.

“I daresay every mare in Canterlot will be wanting one,” Fancy Pants chuckled.

That one comment caused Upper Crust to say to Rarity, “Oh I’d like to place my order right now!”

“I think you should get two!” suggested her husband, but Rarity ignored them as she approached Fancy Pants.

“How about you introduce me to your friends?” he asked.

“With pleasure!” Rarity beamed.

Blueblood was blown away, but smiled happily as he watched Rarity introduce his old rival to the girls. This was probably the most likable presentation of himself Fancy Pants had ever revealed, at least in Blueblood’s opinion. Granted, he knew Fancy was not so pompous as the likes of Jet Set and Upper Crust, for as long as he’d known him, Blueblood had been constantly compared to the older stallion whom everypony else thought he should aspire to mirror in character and image.

All those times, Blueblood had felt insulted, that he came up short when he hadn’t even been trying to prove himself, and frustrated that nopony believed in Blueblood himself. But for the first time in all the years he’d known him, Blueblood finally saw Fancy Pants as somepony worthy of emulation and sincere respect.

The next day, Blueblood had tea with his aunt on the balcony of her chambers, when she brought up with an impish smile, “Gossip’s abuzz of the events surrounding the Canterlot Garden Party.”

“I must admit, Auntie Celestia,” he replied, “it seemed touch and go for a moment, but it turned out even better than I could’ve hoped for.”

“I am glad,” Celestia said with a smile. “So what do you think? Of Rarity, that is.”

Blueblood considered a moment before answering.
“I think she’s the one, Auntie. Granted, I’m not a hundred-percent certain, but…”

He just smiled, looking more hopeful than his aunt had ever seen him. But she also noticed a slight dull of sadness in his eyes.
“I sense you are not telling me everything, nephew.”

“Well, Auntie… I’m kind of down that she’s going home today,” Blueblood admitted. “While our letters have allowed us to keep in touch, this past week has been one of the happiest I’ve ever experienced..."

"Who is to say that has to end?" his aunt suggested, to Blueblood's joyous bewilderment.

"But I can’t just pick up everything and see her anytime I wish!" He flabbergasted. "I have a business to run, responsibilities of no small consequence, I-”

Celestia raised a hoof, causing him to go silent.

“I think we can make an arrangement,” she assured him.

Blueblood felt giddy as he and Celestia walked up to Rarity’s suite, knowing her time of departure was at hoof. Oddly, the door was creaked open and they noticed she appeared to be just starting to write something.
“‘Dear Princess Celestia,

I wanted to tell you about the important lesson I learned during my visit’.”

“Now that I would like to hear.”

She whirled around to see the Princess and Prince, smiling sheepishly at them, but went on as she looked out the window.
“I learned that no matter where you go in life, you should never forget that you are the product of your home and your friends!”

Blueblood stood by her, looking at what she was looking at, Ponyville in the distance, shining like a jewel, and he couldn’t help but add, “And that is something always to be proud of, no matter what.”

Rarity nuzzled against him as Blueblood returned the gesture, Celestia smiling while nodding sagely, “A lesson well learned.”

“It certainly is!”

They all looked to the teenage bellhop pony, struggling under Rarity’s mountain of luggage.
“But… might I ask we hurry things up a bit! Oh NO!”

The mountain came crashing down, Blueblood giving his fillyfriend a teasing smirk, Rarity smiling sheepishly.

“Rarity?”

She looked to the princess, who said, “I think Blueblood has something he’d like to share with you.”

Rarity looked curiously at Blueblood as he said, “Well, Rarity, we’ve known each other for a few months now, but I don’t want there to be a train-ride between us any longer…”

“Oh Blueblood, dear,” Rarity said apologetically, figuring out what he was getting at, “I agree with you, but… I can’t just leave Ponyville, it’s where my livelihood is, my friends-”

Blueblood placed a hoof gently on her lips, and said, “Which is why I’m getting a residence at Ponyville.”

“What?!” Rarity was blown away. “But- What about your company?! And your royal duties-”

“Blueblood will handle his company via magical correspondence and the two of us will assign a trusted confidante to oversee things when a personal presence is required,” Celestia explained. “Also… I have been abusing my power a little in giving some of the duties I have for Blueblood to see to.”

“I’ll handle some certain paperwork for the company,” Blueblood explained further, “while Auntie Celestia will be my representative and my assistant will be overseeing the company. I’ll still have to make some business-trips every now and then, but I want to be able to see my fillyfriend anytime I wish.”

Rarity squeaked with happiness as she threw her arms around her prince, Blueblood hugging her warmly.

At the train station, Blueblood levitated some luggage onto a cart, Rarity’s already aboard.
“Are you ready, dear?”

“Almost,” Blueblood assured her, “I’m still expecting somepony.”

“Who?”

“I’m here!”

They looked and saw Soarin land down by them, carrying luggage of his own, looking a little tired.
“Sorry I’m late, just had to finish the agreement with the dean.”

“Soarin dear, what are you doing here?” Rarity asked.

“Soarin is gonna move in with me at Ponyville,” Blueblood explained, “We’ve become such good friends since the Gala we don’t want to be separated by my moving to Ponyville. So he’s… my roommate, you could say.”

“But Soarin! What about your courses?” Rarity admonished.

“Correspondence courses,” Soarin explained, “It’s the agreement my dean and I came up with. She sends the work, I send it back completed before a designated deadline. The princess also asked Twilight Sparkle to help me out if I ever need it.”

Rarity took it in, and smiled.
“Well, at least the boys will have more stallions to spend time with.”

“All aboard!”

“Shall we?” Blueblood held out his foreleg, Rarity took it and smiled, as they boarded the train and rode off towards the future. Together.

Author's Note

I honestly did not mean for "Sweet & Elite" to turn out as long and detailed as this. But as I got into it, I found myself adding more and more depth, partly to help make Blueblood more likable and also to make it more interesting.

Perhaps I got side-tracked but I'm satisfied with how it turrned out, and I am so very glad that I was able to use the end to relocate Blueblood and Soarin to Ponyville

70. Secret of my Excess

In the days that followed after Blueblood and Soarin moved to Ponyville, things got more interesting to say the least.

Blueblood and Soarin lived in a three-story home and Blueblood had also bought a small warehouse to use as a workshop, where he spent a lot of his time going over his airship designs and even constructing a few personal projects. Soarin and Twilight spent a fair amount of time together, Twilight gladly helping Soarin with his studies – They called each other their Study Buddy.

Midnight got interested in Blueblood’s airship designing and started spending time with his new friend, and whenever Soarin wasn’t busy he’d spend time with Rainbow Dash, helping her with her training and giving a lot of tips about the Wonderbolts.

Everypony was happy and welcoming to the two new stallions. Well… maybe not everypony.

In his workshop, Blueblood, with Midnight’s help, was levitating a part onto the project he was working on.
“Steady, steady…” the inventor pressured, not wanting to damage anything.

“Got it!” Midnight felt it through his telekinetic hold as the part locked onto the project, and released his grip.

The two stallions stepped back to admire their progress.

“Thanks for your help, Midnight,” Blueblood smiled at the blue unicorn. “I gotta say, ever since I came to Ponyville, my nerves have taken quite a relief from running a company.”

“Sounds to me that you’d rather be getting your hooves dirty with axle-grease than business deals,” Midnight teased.

“Axle-grease?!” Blueblood stiffened and looked at his hooves and coat, “Do I have any on me?!”

“Relax, Blue, just a joke,” Midnight chuckled as he levitated something onto a nearby worktable.

Blueblood saw it was a pizza, a two-liter of chilled colt cola, and a couple crystal chalices.

“Let’s break for lunch, eh?” Midnight suggested when a punctual a loud GROWL from Blueblood's stomach sounded his agreement, making Midnight laugh and Blueblood chuckle sheepishly.

As they ate, Blueblood asked, “Midnight, my friend, I hope you’ll forgive my asking but-”

“Why don’t I have a cutie-mark?” Midnight took the words right out of his mouth, having a feeling it would come up.

“You’re not offended, I hope,” Blueblood shied a bit.

“Not at all,” Midnight waved it off. He peered down at his blank-flank and said, “It’s a long story so… suffice it to say, I’m unusual for a pony.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Blueblood decided it didn’t really matter. But then they heard the door to the workshop open and in walked Rarity. “Hello love, what brings you by?”

But then both stallions noticed their favorite diva looked a little disheartened.

“Rarity, is something wrong?” Midnight asked her, Blueblood inviting her to sit next to him

“Oh, maybe it’s nothing, chaps, but…” Rarity sighed. “Well, I was just at the library, to check out some books on fashion history, and Spike had the most gorgeous fire ruby I’d ever seen! No inclusions, pristine facets, it must’ve been at least twenty karats! Oh, I couldn’t keep my mind off of it, my research became irrelevant next to knowing it was right there in the room with me!”

“So, what’s got you down?” Midnight asked again.

“Oh right. Well, Spike was acting a little… different than usual,” Rarity went on. “My heart sank when I learned he intends to eat that priceless gem at his birthday next week! …Then he noted how much I adored it, and… he simply dismissed me! Not like I was trying to make him feel guilty or anything, gentlecolts, but… Well, he was rather… unwelcoming of my presence.”

“That does sound strange,” Blueblood agreed. He hadn’t known Spike personally, but back in the School of Gifted Unicorns when he and Twilight were classmates, she mentioned how Spike was such an amazing assistant and very kind.

“I think I have an idea of what’s gotten into Spike,” Midnight brought up, both unicorns looking at him expectantly. “Rarity, in case you weren’t aware, but Spike has had a big crush on you since the first time he met you.”

“A crush on me?” Rarity gasped.

“And Blueblood, nothing against you, but ever since you moved to Ponyville and Spike learned you and Rarity are a couple, he’s probably had his feelings hurt.”

“Oh...” Blueblood felt quite awkward.

“So Rarity, he’s probably feeling jealous,” Midnight informed her. “Remember how he got when he thought Owlowiscious was gonna take his job? In this case, he’s so hurt he’s giving you the cold shoulder.”

“No wonder he acted so towards me…” Rarity felt bad. Of course she cared a great deal for Spike, and appreciated his friendship, but had she taken it for granted? Had she sent the wrong signs, given him the wrong impression?
“I should talk with him.”

“Actually, Rarity,” Blueblood spoke up, “I would like to have a talk with young Spike.”

Spike looked at the fire ruby as he sat in his basket in Twilight’s room. She was still re-shelving so he was left with his thoughts. Ever since he and Twilight first came to Ponyville, ever since he first saw Rarity decorating the town hall, he’d been smitten. Then as he got to know her more, he saw she was more than a pretty face. She was an artist, a lady, an ambitious business-pony determined to fulfill her dreams.

But then he heard of Rarity getting together with Blueblood. He’d tried not to let it bother him, act like there was nopony in Rarity’s life like that, but then why did he have to move to Ponyville? To sweep his princess off her hooves?

He felt bad for giving Rarity the cold shoulder but at the time he was so miffed he’d only been thinking of himself, that he couldn’t resist giving Rarity a snub in the face about the ruby. But now, thinking back on it, he felt terrible. It was unfair of him to act so uncivil towards her when the only thing she’d done to earn it was find somepony who really made her happy.

But didn’t I ever make her happy…? he wondered. Granted, Spike knew he was an entirely different species and a child no less. Then he had to consider, what could he really offer Rarity that Blueblood couldn't?

“Spike?”

He jolted and gasped to see Blueblood standing in the doorway. He felt his blood boil just at the sight of him and pouted, “What do you want?”

“Spike, I would like to have a talk with you,” Blueblood stated. “May I come in?”

“It’s a free country,” Spike hissed, his nose turned up in the air as he gave Blueblood a cold shoulder.

“Spike…” Blueblood began as he sat down in front of the young dragon. “I know what it’s like to have your feelings hurt, your heart broken, and hopefully I can help you feel a little better when we’re done talking. Listen, when I was younger, I met somepony I thought was wonderful. She was beautiful, encouraging, but then I overheard her bragging to her friends of how she had a prince for a coltfriend, and I realized she didn’t care about me at all. I broke up with her and tried again. The next pony I entered a relationship with, however, only wanted to marry into royalty.”

“Are you just here to give me your life-story?” Spike growled.

“Please let me finish, Spike,” Blueblood asked politely. “Again, my heart was broken and again I broke up another relationship. It happened again and again, and it only got worse. I started to fall into a depression. I was afraid, afraid of having my heart broken that I all but gave up on finding a special somepony… To tell you the truth, when Rarity and I first met at the gala, I acted so rude and unwelcoming towards her she would have been fully justified in giving me the heave-ho after I had a revelation: If I gave up on love, if I did not take the risk of looking for it, I would never find it, and so I apologized to Rarity, and in her generosity, she gave this foolish colt another chance.”

Spike shifted uncomfortably, Blueblood had described Rarity’s generosity to a tee.

“So Spike, I am sorry that we’ve hurt your feelings,” Blueblood went on. “But I must tell you, even though we haven’t been together for even a year yet, Rarity has made me happier than I have been in a very long time. I would move the world for her, and there have been times I felt I don’t deserve her, and I so often remind myself how lucky I am to be with her.”

“Are you done?” Spike sniped.

“Spike, let me tell you something about love,” Blueblood insisted. “Love, true and sincere, is selfless. It’s putting the well-being and happiness of whom you care for before your own, even when it hurts. It took me a while to figure that out myself, and I promise you I would give my left rear-hoof before I ever hurt Rarity!”

Spike felt his spines droop, hearing the passion and sincerity in his rival’s words.

“Spike, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about love, it’s that it’s worth the risk of heartbreak. You can’t let one unrequited crush ruin your relationship with somepony you care about, even if she only sees you as a friend. Rarity does care a great deal about you, and she truly appreciates your friendship! Perhaps Rarity isn’t the one for you, but you’re still very young! You have plenty of time to find the right someone for you, and when you do she’s going to love you equally back, and it will be that love that makes you want to do anything to make her happy.”

Spike couldn’t stop the waterworks, and started sniffling even though he was trying not to. It was embarrassing! Here he was, getting a lecture on love from the pony who’d stolen his own from him but he felt touched, relieved, and actually happy that Rarity had somepony like this to love her!

Blueblood wasn’t sure if he’d be welcome, but he went over and placed a comforting hoof on the little dragon’s shoulder, and was a little startled when Spike turned around and hugged Blueblood, letting it out as he bawled, out of a confusing mix heartbreak, shame, and joy. Blueblood smiled understandingly and patted Spike comfortingly on the back.

Twilight peered around the corner, smiling that her old classmate had helped her assistant, and had a good feeling the water was under the bridge.

Spike’s birthday came and went, oddly without incident considering Ponyville’s history. But the highlight of it for Spike wasn’t all the gifts he received but rather the gift he gave to Rarity – The fire ruby. Although the birthday kiss he got from her didn’t go unappreciated, and Rarity was inspired the next day to make some capes for all her friends!

From Rarity’s generosity and Blueblood’s pep talk, Spike was inspired to write a friendship report:

Dear Princess Celestia,
Today I learned a great lesson about friendship. Well, you might think that it would feel good to get lots and lots of stuff, but it doesn't feel nearly as good as giving something special to somepony you really care about. But I learned that it truly is better to give than to receive, and that kindness and generosity are what lead to true friendship. And that's more valuable than anything in the world.

“Well... almost anything,” Spike amended as he touched the frame he’d put on the cheek where Rarity kissed him.

Author's Note

I had to address the concern of Spike's crush on Rarity and how she's with Blueblood. I considered having Rarity talk with him but felt it would have more impact if Blueblood gave Spike the talk that led them to an understanding

...That, and I honestly didn't want to toil over this episode. I mean it's cute an' all, but it wasn't exactly one of my favorites.

71. A Rocky Encounter - Part 1

Dust Walker stood atop the hill, looking down on the community before him, Ponyville. A quaint yet pristine little town, simplistic, rural, and charming.

My kind of place, Dust thought and chuckling to himself. He was of medium build yet you could easily see the fine muscles beneath his light-brown coat, with his legs banded in dark brown, the fetlocks black, his mane the same dark brown, and his cutie-mark was of a hammer breaking a rock.

Dust had recently left his job working at a rock farm for the Pie Family. At first unsure of what to do next, his former boss, Igneous, told him he’d sent his daughter in Ponyville a letter and she’d suggested a construction job that had recently opened, and she’d put in a good word for him.

Dust was grateful a complete stranger would be so kind, and Igneous told him his daughter, Pinkamena Diane Pie, was a beautiful soul unlike any other in Equestria, and he’d know her when he saw her but was warned to expect the unexpected.

Dust had no idea what he’d meant but perhaps it was a hint that this Pinkamena was the oddball of the Pie Family.

“Well, I’ll find out for myself!” Dust shook his mane confidently and started making his way down to town.

Somewhere on the Apply Family property, a large shed opened as out walked Midnight Blaze, levitating something he’d been working on as of late.
“Finally, it’s ready for its first test-run, I gotta go see Blueblood and the guys!”

Making his way through Ponyville, Midnight ignored the ponies eyeballing the covered object he was levitating. He was just in too excited a mood for anypony to ruin it for him. Well… almost anypony.

“Hey Blazy!”

Midnight screeched to a halt, a cold unforgiving grip latching his heart, as he saw Pinkie Pie bouncing over to see him. Thinking quickly, Midnight stowed his covered object behind the Flower Stand co-owned by Lily Valley, Roseluck, and Daisy, and leaned against a lamppost, casually whistling.

“What’cha doin’?”

He regarded Pinkie as if he hadn’t seen her earlier, and said, “Oh hey, Pink, just enjoying the day.”

“Didn’t you have something with you earlier?” Pinkie asked.

“Uh… no?” Midnight smiled innocently, hoping she’d buy it.

“Hmm…” Pinkie scrunched her eyes inquisitively at him, Midnight’s eyes getting shifty. Then she perked, “Okay! I gotta go, I’m expecting somepony today. La-la-la-la-la…”

As she bounced away, Midnight ‘phew’ed in relief and retrieved his concealed object.

Sure enough, he found the guys at Pepper Pony’s. Since coming to Ponyville, Blueblood had developed a taste for pizza, having only tried gourmet flatbreads back in Canterlot, and he’d become quite taken with them. It almost got to the point where Rarity had to threaten to put Blueblood on a diet unless he eased up on them. So the guys agreed to a weekly get-together at Pepper Pony’s.

But as he arrived, after getting through the heys, hellos, and what’s ups, he noticed somepony missing.
“Hey, where’s Soarin?”

“Studying with Twilight,” Thunderlane answered. “Said he has an open-note quiz coming up and he wants to ace it.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed.

“I take it you have something to show us?” Blueblood inquired, regarding the concealed object Midnight was levitating.

“I do indeed!” Midnight smirked as he set the object down. “Gentlecolts, feast your eyes on… this!”

With the finesse of a stage magician, Midnight pulled off the cover, revealing… something. The guys regarded the strange object closely, having no idea of what they were looking at.

It was up to a stallion’s shoulder, composed of brass pieces and gemstones with a wooden frame and what looked to be some kind of antennae, a dial-readout, a panel with a horseshoe symbol on it, and another that had a few buttons and switches.

“Um, it’s…” Thunderlane couldn’t find the right words.

“It’s…” Neither could Mac.

“It’s… it’s really something,” Blueblood offered.

“If you don’t know what to call it, just say so,” Midnight deadpanned.

“We don’t know what to call it!” the guys said together in deadpanned response.

Midnight sighed and shook his head.
“It’s a device designed to allow the pony using it to perform Telekinesis. By placing one’s hoof on the horseshoe panel the device responds to the user’s magic, which is tied to their willpower. The machine then draws on ambient mana surrounding it, and sucks it into these gemstones, which function as something like batteries, to provide the power! In other words, with this device, anypony, not just unicorns, could theoretically perform Telekinesis!”

The guys’ curiosity was instantly piqued as they regarded this strange contrivance.

“So, what you’re saying is,” Thunderlane gathered, “with this doohickey of yours, even Mac and I could move stuff with our minds?”

“Well…” Midnight hesitated. “Like I said, theoretically.”

“Care to explain?” Blueblood invited with a raised brow.

“Well, this is just a prototype, I haven’t really tested it yet,” Midnight admitted. “I mean, if I used it myself, I wouldn’t be sure if it was working or if it was my own magic doing the telekinesis, would I?”

The guys regarded each other and shrugged.

“Listen, I’ve been working on this since last week,” Midnight pressed, “I went over the designs and the research, I’m sure I’ve got it down! …Well, maybe not a hundred-percent sure… But now that it’s ready for its first test, I need an earth pony or pegasus to ascertain if it works or not! Please?”

Seeing their friend making a pleading gesture with his hooves, Big Mac and Thunderlane regarded each other, and held up their hooves.
“Rock, paper, pencil!” They both called. “Again! Again! Again!”

“Heh!” Thunderlane cheered, “I win, so you get to test it, Mackie ol’ pal!”

Big Mac grumped for a moment but sighed. After all, Midnight was his brother, it only made sense he help him out. Even if helping him out meant trying an untested invention with no real cause for hesitation that might be grounds for an odd feeling that something could go very wrong.

As Dust Walker walked through town, he recalled the instructions Igneous had given him, to meet Pinkamena at a bakery called Sugarcube Corner. After getting directions from a local, he arrived and was a little surprised. Sugarcube Corner was a little too… Well, not exactly what he’d expected as a meeting-place with a member of the Pie Family, having worked for them the past couple months.

To each his own, he thought with a shrug and entered.

A bell rang as he entered and he saw a tall gangly yellow earth pony stallion with a large underjaw standing at the counter. He saw Dust and welcomed, “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, where life is always sweet! What can I get’cha?”

“Um, lemme think,” Dust looked up at the menu, and was quickly smitten with the listed treats to be had!
“Uh, how `bout…”

“Hi!”

Dust yelped and startled as a pink pony popped out of literal nowhere, her eyes a bright blue and as wide as dinner plates as she said, “My name’s Pinkie Pie, I work here at Sugarcube Corner! Well, I also live here too, cuz’ the Cakes let me use the loft upstairs, and it’s so really nice of them! I help them makes all kinds of super dee-licious goodies and treats all day long! And I can tell, you’re new here in Ponyville, aren’cha?”

Dust was blown – She’d said her name was Pinkie Pie. Pinkamena Diane Pie, mentioned to be something of an oddball in her family. This could only be her, but she was a little more than what he’d been expecting.

“Uh… yes, I am new to town,” Dust composed himself. “So you’re… Pinkie Pie? I believe your dad told you about me, Dust Walker?”

“Oh! So you’re Dusty!” Pinkie cheered, “That means you’re here for that job, right? My dad told me so much about you, how you’ve helped him `round the rock farm, and so good with your hooves, and-”

“Uh, Pinkie Pie?”

She looked to Carrot Cake, who said, “I think you’re kinda… intimidating the boy.”

Pinkie regarded Dust, who looked like he wanted to bolt. Realizing she’d done it again, she reeled back, and said, “Hey, do you wanna go see the forestallion about that job opening?”

“Uh, yeah!” Dust wanted to get out of there. “Just tell me where to go and-”

“Oh silly!” Pinkie booped him on the nose, making him gape at her. “I’m gonna take you there, let’s skedaddle!”

She ‘la-la-la-la-la’ed out the door, Dust giving Carrot Cake an incredulous look.

“You get used to her,” Carrot Cake chuckled, leaving Dust Walker to sigh and reluctantly follow after the pink pony.

The guys relocated to a vacant lot not too far from a nearby construction site.
“Is this really the ideal place to test this device of yours, Midnight?” Blueblood was wary of the nearby construction.

“Relax, if something goes wrong I’ll use my own telekinesis to get things under control,” Midnight waved off his concern and placed the device in front of Big Mac.
“Okay, bro, just place your hoof on the panel with the horseshoe symbol.”

Big Mac did as he was instructed, his hoof almost completely covering the panel. Midnight concentrated on the controls, switching on the power and turning a knob to a specific setting.
“Okay, it’s set to Level 5, perfectly enough to…”

He trailed the ‘to’ as he looked around their surroundings and perked as he said, “To move that!”

He pointed to a nearby rock as big as Spike. He turned to Big Mac and said, “Alright, Mac, the machine’s readings are confirmed, it’s drawing in ambient mana around us! Now, concentrate on that rock. Imagine it rising a couple hooves off the ground but be sure to keep your hoof on the panel!”

Big Mac nodded and looked to the rock.

At that moment, Dust walked out of the forestallion’s work-station, saying, “See you tomorrow sir!”

He trotted towards the exit of the construction yard, feeling good, when Pinkie popped up, saying, “So you got the job?”

“Uh, yeah!” Dust said with a smile. “Thanks for putting in a good word for em, Pinkamena!”

“Oh please, call me Pinkie!” she insisted. “All my friends do!”

“Well, thanks again, but I gotta-”

“LOOK OUT!!”

They both looked up and saw a rock hurtle out of nowhere, engulfed in a green aura, as it hit a plank jutting out from high up on the half-completed building, knocking off a bucket of bricks. Unfortunately, Dust was right beneath it, muttering, “Oh buck me…”

Author's Note

Dust Walker is (c) by Gskar, this is a side-story guest-starring his OC

As for Rock, Paper, Pencil, it works with the pony holding their hoof facing down (rock), their hoof facing up (paper) and the edge of their hoof pointing towards the other pony while facing sideways (pencil)

Also, expect more from Midnight about these inventions

72. A Rocky Encounter - Part 2

“Well Mr. Walker, I gotta tell you,” commented Dr. Stable as he looked at the x-ray, “You are quite a lucky pony, if Pinkie Pie hadn’t pushed you, this could’ve been a broken leg rather than a sprained fetlock.”

“Yeah, lucky…” Dust muttered but his heart sank when the doc continued.

“However, I must advise you take it easy for the next few days,” Dr. Stable said as he levitated up a clipboard and was going over something.
“No strenuous activities or anything that would require heavy-lifting.”

“B-but Doctor!” Dust gaped at him. “I just managed to get myself hired for a construction job, I start tomorrow!”

“Well, I’m sorry, Dust,” Dr. Stable shook his head sternly, “but you need to let your fetlock heal otherwise it could get worse, especially from working construction. I’m afraid, as they say in sports, you’re benched.”

Dust Walker was fuming as he ambled out the hospital and was greeted by Pinkie Pie, Midnight Blaze, Thunderlane, Big Mac, and Blueblood. The party pony bounced up with a cake that read in icing letters ‘get well soon’.
“Are you okay, Dusty? I made you a ‘get well’ cake, hoping it’d make you feel better, whatever it is that’s got ya down! I wasn’t so sure what kind you liked so I took a shot and-”

“Miss Pie, thank you, but I’m not in the mood,” Dust said more sour than he had intended, making Pinkie shrink back, and the look in her eyes instantly made him feel bad.

But before he could say anything, Big Mac said, “Haystack, Ah’m awful sorry, see Ah was jus’ helpin’ mah brother with this doohickey a’ his and…”

“Dust, it’s my fault,” Midnight apologized, “my invention went haywire and… Big Mac was using it at the time!”

“Hey!” Big Mac protested at being sold out.

“Forget it!” Dust griped as he sighed, “I just wanna find an inn and sulk for the next few hours…”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa, hold on,” Midnight stepped up, “Listen, at the very least let us house you till your leg’s okay again.”

Dust looked at them all and saw sincere guilt and desire to make amends, and sighed, knowing he’d be a jerk to spurn it.
“Fine… But for the next few hours, I wanna be left alone!”

“Sure, Mac, take him home?” Midnight requested.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said curtly, still a tad saddle-sore at him as he led Dust off to the farm.

“Well that could’ve gone a tad more smoothly,” Blueblood commented.

“Maybe my ‘get well’ cake sent the wrong message somehow…” Pinkie sighed, her outrageous hairdo losing a bit of its gusto.

“Just give him a bit to cool off, Pinks,” Thunderlane assured her, “he’ll come around. Hey Blue, why don’t we go see Soarin?”

“Lead the way,” Blueblood agreed and they left, leaving Midnight and Pinkie to wallow.

Midnight felt absolutely awful. His invention had led to all this and while dust was being examined Pinkie told him how Dust was to start a job at the nearby construction yard tomorrow.
“Why is it every time I try something new, something awkward, crazy, bodily-injurious, or the like seems to happen?”

“I dunno, maybe somepony is just making something up on the fly even as we speak to make life more interesting for us,” Pinkie offered, earning a raised eyebrow from the blue unicorn.

“Well, whatever the case we have to make this up to Dust Walker somehow,” Midnight insisted when he was struck with inspiration.
“Pinkie! Are you pondering what I’m pondering?”

“I think so, Blaze,” Pinkie scrunched her eyes as she wracked her brain. “But I highly doubt piranhas would voluntarily adopt our vegetarian lifestyle.”

“No, Pinkie…” Midnight facehooved. “Look, just… try and cheer Dust up after he cools off. I have somepony to talk to.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie saluted before bouncing off.

The next few days were awkward, nutsy, and just plain weird for Dust Walker. Big Mac offered him the guest-room but he insisted on the couch in the living room, reasoning it was near the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, that way he wouldn’t have to go up and downstairs for his daily needs. That, and he also was able to watch their TV, despite it being an out-of-date hunk a’ junk.

Even so, the food was good and the apples they had were the best he’d ever eaten.

The only problem was Pinkie Pie, insisting on coming over and keeping him company. Although he found her annoying, they did share talks about her family back on the rock farm, comparing notes about her parents and sisters and even getting into a few laughs. Only once did he voice his concern about alerting the forestallion at the construction yard that he was out of commission but Pinkie had assured him Midnight had taken care of it. Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen Midnight much since his injury.

Finally, the fetlock-brace Dr. Stable had given him came off and his fetlock felt good as new. But was bittersweet as he sighed.
“So much for the job…”

He sat at the dining table, wondering what to do next when he heard, “Knock-knock.”

He turned and saw Midnight, looking a little bedraggled as he came in.

“What happened to you?” Dust muttered, not really caring.

“Working your job,”Midnight said as he plopped a bag of bits onto the table and Dust gaped at him.
“Dust, it was my fault you got injured and I felt so lousy that I’d ruined the job you’d just been hired for. So… I did the job for you.”

“Wha- but- When did-” Dust’s gaze was switching between midnight and the bag of bits. “But, I can’t accept this! I didn’t earn it, I didn’t work for it!”

“Dust, if I have to, I will charm this bag to follow you wherever you go,” Midnight threatened with a sneaky look.
“And you won’t be able to get rid of it unless you accept it. So… tough beans.”

Dust Walker was blown, then something dawned on him.

“Pinkie was in on this too, wasn’t she?”

“She was,” Midnight confessed. “I asked her to keep you company and your mind off things so you wouldn’t worry or wallow.”

“Well, she did the job I’ll tell you that,” Dust admitted.

“Also, I have something else for you,” Midnight placed a document on the table for Dust to look at.

Reading it over, he was surprised.
“This is an application for a job in Canterlot!”

“My friend Blueblood owns an airship company, and he said they can always use another pair of strong hooves,” Midnight offered.

“Well, Midnight, I… I don’t know what to say,” Dust was overwhelmed by all this.

“Say you’ll come with me to Sugarcube Corner,” Midnight invited. “I think there’s somepony who’d like to see you.”

Pinkie watched them enter, the door ringing the bell as it opened and in walked Midnight and Dust, the latter looking to Pinkie, expressing a confusion of gratitude, a little guilt, and curiosity.

“Hey, Dusty, feeling better?” Pinkie inquired.

“Yeah, a lot better,” Dust confirmed as he walked up to the counter. “Listen, Pinkie… I wanna say… thanks, y’know for… keeping me company, trying to cheer me up an’ all, and… I’m sorry that I acted like an ass earlier.”

*Hee-haw*

“No offense,” Dust quickly said to a donkey eating an ice-cream sandwich in one of the booths.

“None taken.”

Dust turned to look at Pinkie, stifling a giggle, and said, “Anyway, again I’m sorry for not being so… receptive to the welcome you gave me when I arrived a few days ago.”

“Aw, don’t sweat it, Dusty,” Pinkie waved it off, “although I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“For what?”

“For this!” Pinkie declared as she blew a noise-maker party-favor and from various hiding places did many ponies pop out, yelling, “SURPRISE!”

A banner that read ‘Good luck and glad you’re feeling better’ unfurled, and the Cakes rolled in a large cake frosted with Dust Walker’s face, and he knew he’d been had as he pulled a big smile across his face.

Author's Note

Dust Walker is (c) by Gskar

As for the "Pinky and the Brain" reference, come on! It would've happened eventually. Anyway, I hope you're satisfied with this, Gskar

73. Family Appreciation Day - Part 1

A quiet night, peaceful and mysterious, the silence ended by the distant howl of a wolf, that a certain wolf pup who lived on the Sweet Apple Acres farmstead answered with his own.

“The timberwolves are a-howlin’, the timberwolves are a-howlin’!”

And the eldest resident of the farmstead was up at the ungoddessly hour, banging the pot and pan on her back, as her grandchildren were stirred from their dreams, all peering out their bedroom windows.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed their Granny Smith’s words.

“The zap apples are comin’, the zap apples are comin’!”

“Yay! The zap apples are comin’!” her grandchildren cheered.

“Tha’s wha’d Ah jus’ said,” she remarked.

“Okay, we get it, the zap apples are coming!” Midnight snapped, even though he too was excited for what the morning would bring. “Now how’s’about we all get back to bed so we’re rested for the early morning chores?!”

Growling, he slammed his window shut, Twinken looking out to Granny Smith with an apologetic smile.

“Ornery as he was, Ah have t’ agree,” Applejack concurred. “Back to bed, Apple Bloom. `Night, Big Mac.”

“`Night,” he replied, but watched to make sure Granny Smith came back into the house.

Morning came and everypony rose with it, and after a good breakfast they’d moved to the part of the orchard where they exclusively grew the zap apples. Granny Smith had designated the area herself, and for most of the year the area looked barren and nothing ever grew there. But what was to come would dash away such assumption.

“Hey silly goose!” Granny Smith called from the farmhouse, “Quit yer gawkin’ and move yer caboose!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac replied as he pulled a wagonful of baskets into the area, Applejack and Midnight already unloading theirs, wearing a stetson hat and a red bandanna respectively. For the sake of punctuality, Midnight levitated them all and set them beneath every tree.

Back inside, Apple Bloom and Twinken were keeping Granny Smith company, Apple Bloom saying, “Ready, Granny!”

“Ready fer what?” she asked, sitting in her rocking chair.

“T’ make zap apple jam!” Apple Bloom confirmed.

“Darn tootin’! It’s time fer some good ol’ fashioned zap apple jammin’!” Granny Smith agreed.

“So what do we do first, Granny Smith?” Twinken asked.

“Well, sonny, Ah’ve been doin’ this since Ah was a lil’ pony,” Granny Smith said as she slid off her chair and ambled for the kitchen, the two foals following her and watching as she pulled down a plate from a cupboard.
“So be warned, pickle pears, there’s a whole mess o’ steps in this process an’ y’gots t’ get each one o’ them jus’ right. Or no zap apple jam!”

Apple Bloom and Twinken were mortified at the idea, when their grandmother held something out to them, saying, “Now take this!”

“Is this one a’ yer gazillion secret ingredients fer th’ zap apple jam?” Apple Bloom got excited.

“Uh, Bloom? I would hazard a guess this is a broom, and she wants us to sweep up,” Twinken gave her a look.

“Darn tootin’, young colt, so get to it!” Granny Smith ordered. “Ah’m jus’ gonna…”

She trailed as the thought escaped her, mumbling in confusion before giving up, “Oh ponyfeathers, Ah’d ferget mah own mane if’n it weren’t attached to mah head.”

Back outside, Applejack socked Midnight in the shoulder in a goodnatured way, saying, “Well, nicely done, big brother, wer’ making good time!”

“And something tells me that’s a good thing,” Midnight replied as a wind picked up.

Big Macintosh took a whiff of the coming clouds, agreeing, “Eeyup.”

The three farmers watched as the clouds rolled in before they noticed the barren trees’ branches crackled with faint blue electricity, a bolt of lightning coming down and dancing across the many trees’ barren branches until they burst with purple leaves.

“There’s the zap apple leaves!” Applejack said as she and her brothers smiled at each other. “Right on schedule!”

Back in the farmhouse, Twinken had been saddled with sweeping while Apple Bloom was outside with Granny Smith, hopping water cans in bunny suits, singing the ABCs. Nothing against his grandmother, but he honestly didn’t wanna be caught in such attire in broad daylight.

He levitated the dustpan, emptying the contents into the wastebasket when he heard a familiar derisive laugh, followed by an unfamiliar voice because the kitchen window as open.

Peering out the door, he saw none other than Diamond Tiara, accompanied by a middle-aged earth pony stallion, light brown in coat, with an oily-slicked back mane-style, wearing a dress-collar and red tie, and his cutie-mark was three money bags.

“Hello Mrs. Smith,” he said, “did I hear right that there’s a zap apple harvest comin’ in a few days?”

“Four days, t’ be exact,” Granny Smith confirmed, garbed in a purple bunny suit while Apple Bloom’s was a light blue.

“Excellent news!” the pony, Filthy Rich said before asking with a hopeful smile, “And as usual, I get yer first hundred jars?”

“`Course, Filthy,” Granny Smith assured him before hopping away, Filthy Rich following.

“Uh, I prefer Rich?”

Twinken recalled Granny Smith mentioning Mr. Filthy Rich, a long-time business-partner of the Apple Family, as well as Diamond Tiara’s father. Filthy Rich and his father and grandfather had helped Granny Smith sell Zap Apple Jam for many years (with an ample share of the profits, of course), and helped spread the Apple Family reputation across Equestria, for their amazing apple-based products, and everypony in Ponyville looked forward to zap apple jam every year.

But then he noticed Diamond Tiara talking with Apple Bloom. Given the fact his sister wasn’t getting ornery, Diamond Tiara probably wasn’t teasing her, but Apple Bloom did look uncomfortable and kept gazing at Granny Smith as she talked with Filthy Rich.

“Now what is that brazen little hussy egging my sister about now?” Twinken groaned.

After Filthy Rich and Diamond Tiara left, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom came back inside, after having shed their bunny costumes.

“Now tha’s wha’ Ah like t’ see, Sonny!” Granny Smith complimented Twinken as she looked around the kitchen. “A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen, now Apple Bloom? Get your bonnet and saddle-bags dearie, wer’ goin’ out!”

A few minutes later, Twinken saw them out, Apple Bloom wearing a blue bonnet, Granny Smith a purple sunhat, both of them wearing saddlebags.
“Bye, see ya later!”

“Hey Twinken!”

He noticed his older brothers and sister returning, Applejack asking, “Where’re Granny Smith an’ Apple Bloom off to?”

“Granny Smith said they needed to get some things at the market for the zap apple jam,” Twinken explained. “I stayed to finish cleaning the kitchen.”

“Was tha’ Filthy Rich an’ his filly we saw headed down th’ road?” asked Big Mac.

“Uh-huh, Mr. Rich was just asking Granny Smith about getting the first hundred jars of zap apple jam,” Twinken answered. “But I noticed Diamond Tiara and Apple Bloom talking, and AB was looking uncomfortable.”

“Probably trying to get under Bloom’s skin again,” Midnight sighed. “Honestly, does that filly have anything better to do than being a brat?”

The next day at school, the class was treated to a talk in financials and stock-marketing by Filthy Rich. As can be expected, it got old pretty much at the get-go, as the colts and fillies became bored to tears or out of their skulls, with only Diamond Tiara listening to her father’s lecture with rapt attention, as Filthy rich wrapped it up.
“…and, by capturing the whole sale market, purchasing in bulk and slashing all prices, we undermine every other gift market in town,” Filthy Rich stated before proudly declaring, “and that’s how Rich’s Barnyard Bargains became the cornerstone of retail in Ponyville.”

His lecture was met with silence broken only by his daughter’s clapping.

“Well thank you, Mr. Filthy-” Cheerilee said but a stink-eye from Filthy Rich made her restate, “I mean, Mr. Rich! What a wonderful day of sharing! And thank you for being a part of Family Appreciation Day!”

She sat back at her desk while Filthy Rich took his graph, and she went over a check-list, “Now let’s see, who will be bringing a family member for next Monday’s Family Appreciation Day. Um… Oh! Apple Bloom!”

“But Miss Cheerilee,” Apple Bloom protested before reminding her teacher, “Next Monday is zap apple harvest day, an’ Applejack, Big Macintosh, an’ Midnight will be too busy to come an’ speak.”

“Well, is there anypony else in your family that could-” Cheerilee asked.

“But Apple Bloom, you could always ask Granny Smith to come speak,” Twinken blurted out. He’d meant to be helpful but the stink-eye Apple Bloom gave him informed him he’d been anything but, Diamond Tiara snickering wickedly.

“A great idea, Twinken,” Cheerilee agreed. “Apple Bloom, you shall bring in Granny Smith on Monday!”

Before Apple Bloom could protest, the school bell rang, and class was over, Cheerilee bidding her students, “Have a great weekend, everypony!”

Twinken caught Diamond Tiara giving him a sneaky look and he realized he really had said the wrong thing, as Apple Bloom started to throttle him, complaining, “Granny Smith fer Fam’ly Appreciation Day?! Ah’ll be th’ laughingstock o’ Ponyville!”

Author's Note

I almost didn't include this episode but I decided I'd already been lazy by making "Secret of My Excess" short and not including "Hearth's Warming Eve"

Besides, I thought zap apples merited their appearance in this fic, and throwing Twinken into this mix would've made it more endearing (at least to myself)

74. Family Appreciation Day - Part 2

After school, Applejack and her brothers were busy watering the zap apple trees, now fully-leaved, as Apple Bloom had just gotten through begging her to come for Family Appreciation Day.
“Ah’m sorry, Apple Bloom, but Ah already told ya, we cain’t take a break from th’ harvest t’ come t’ yer school.”

“And you know I can’t come,” Midnight added as he fastened himself to the wagon full of empty watering cans. “I already came when Twinken had to bring someone. Besides, you know what’ll happen if we don’t get everything ready in time!”

“Ah know,” Apple Bloom said morosely. “After th’ fifth day, th’ zap apples disappear.”

As if responding to her words, the wind picked up again and they all looked to see the clouds gathering as a murder of crows spread across the sky, cawing and flapping.

“Look! The third sign!”

They looked to see Granny Smith pulling the girls in for an anticipating hug, “Right on time, hot-diggity!”

The zap apple trees crackled with electricity once again, as they were soon coated with gorgeous electric blue blossoms blooming as the sun parted the clouds.

“Wow…!” everypony marveled at the supernatural wonder.

“Alright, you lazy daisies, move yer caboose!” Granny Smith pushed, the boys spreading out to get back to their chores while she ambled along.

As Twinken followed after Midnight, he noticed Applejack trying to assure Apple Bloom but given the filly’s worried look, it wasn’t working.

His suspicious were confirmed when later Apple Bloom called a meeting of the Cutie-mark Crusaders, even insisting the boys be there. It was then he learned why Apple Bloom didn’t want to bring Granny Smith to Family Appreciation Day – Diamond Tiara had made her ashamed of their grandmother.

“Ah’ll be embarrassed,” Apple Bloom ranted, pacing the club/treehouse, the colts n’ fillies following her every move.
“Shamed, disgraced, mortified, humiliate-”

Sweetie Belle had put a hoof on Apple Bloom’s motoring mouth, Scootaloo remarking, “What’re you, a dictionary?”

“I think a more apt word of what she was doing would have been ‘thesaurus’,” Rumble corrected.

“Ignore them,” Sweetie Belle said to Apple Bloom, “We’re gonna help you!”

“That’s right, cuz’ we’re the Cutie-Mark Crusaders!” Button Mash declared proudly, “There’s gotta be a cheat-code to prevent your presentation!”

Twinken facehooved while Apple Bloom worried, “But how? All this worryin’ is makin’ me sick!”

“Sick?” Sweetie Belle echoed, the rest of them musing the word when Scootaloo hopped and bumped her head onto a hanging lamp, somehow turning it on and giving her that kind of effect as she said, “That’s it! Come on!”

Twinken watched them as they dragged off Apple Bloom, sighing as he followed after them back to the farmhouse.

But instead of helping them with whatever hare-brained scheme Scootaloo had thought up, he instead helped Granny Smith collect as many jars as they could find, and set them up in the kitchen. Twinken could certainly understand Apple Bloom finding Granny Smith to be a little embarrassing, but that was family! And having been an orphan for so many years, he’d prayed for one and got it at last when Midnight showed him the document of legal guardianship. He’d not only gotten a brother, he’d gotten a whole family, and wouldn’t have traded them for anything in the world.

Even when it got eyebrow-raising as Granny Smith started talking to the jars like a drill sergeant.
“Ten-hut! Now listen here, troops! Now Ah don’ want no whinin’ r’ cryin’ or crackin’ under pressure! Do Ah make mahself clear?!”

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!” Twinken laughed as he saluted, accidentally hitting a jar, and making it crack. He flinched, afraid Granny Smith would get ornery.

She did, but at the jar, not him, as she screeched, “Court-martialed!” before throwing it away into the nearby garbage can.

“Sorry about the jar, Granny Smith,” Twinken apologized, his ears drooping.

“Oh don’t you fret, sonny,” Granny Smith assured him while ruffling his mane. “Plenty more where tha’ came from!”

“OW!”

“That sounded like Apple Bloom,” Twinken noted, looking towards the stairs.

Granny Smith went over to them, calling up, “Now wha’ in th’ hayseeds is goin' on in thay-er?!”

Twinken watched her head up and just continued making sure the jars were in good condition and lining them up. A few moments later, Granny Smith came down, and he asked, “What was all the ruckus?”

“Oh jus’ them silly fillies and jokin’ colts playin’ sick,” she waved it off. “Now young’un, time t’ start haulin’ in some pink paint!”

“Pink paint?” Twinken echoed.

“What’re ya, a parrot?! Scoot yer caboose!” Granny Smith ordered, making Twinken hurry out.

Because Midnight, Applejack, and Big Mac were all busy finishing watering the zap apple trees and hauling the watering cans back in, Twinken was on his own. He started collecting the paint-cans Granny Smith had bought yesterday, when he noticed something bright shoot across the sky and he marveled as it soon became brightened by streams of shooting stars.
The fourth sign…! he thought in marveled wonder, recalling Granny Smith telling him when the shooting stars came, the blossoms would turn into apples.

He looked to the zap apple trees and sure enough, the blossoms exploded in blue petals, revealing the trees to now be covered in gray apples that would brighten with color once they ripened, and would then be ready to pick and harvest.

At that moment however, he heard some very familiar screams and saw five little ponies fall into the nearby pigpen. Going over, he saw Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Button Mash, Scootaloo, and Rumble hoist themselves out of the muck, Apple Bloom sniping, “Any more bright ideas?!”

“Tried pickin’ `em early, huh?”

They looked to see Twinken, leaning onto the pigpen, a brow raised.

“How’d ya guess?” Button asked.

“Sweetie Belle looks like she had an encounter with one of Rainbow Dash’s clouds,” Twinken noted Sweetie Belle’s slightly singed and frazzled mane and coat, earning him some sheepish smiles from his friends.

The next day, Twinken was bringing a few new paintbrushes for Granny Smith that she’d sent him to go buy. As he neared the farm, he noticed, “Cheerilee?”

She was walking from the farm, looking confused when she saw him.
“Oh hello Twinken, how’s zap apple harvesting time looking?”

“Uh, great,” Twinken replied. “Were you just at Sweet Apple Acres?”

“As a matter of fact, I was,” Cheerilee brought up. “Apple Bloom came to me early today and said Granny Smith needed to talk to me. When I got there, I saw her through the window and she was acting odd, but she said she couldn’t come for Family Appreciation Day. It was the oddest thing, because after I said we could reschedule, she seemed to have forgotten our talk and assured me she’d be able to come on Monday! That, and she seemed to have some ropes tied to her hooves.”

Twinken was almost a hundred-percent sure Granny Smith’s odd behavior attributed to his friends.
“Well… I gotta get these paintbrushes to Granny Smith, see ya then!”

“Okay, bye!” Cheerilee said as he trotted past her.

Twinken delivered the brushes to Granny Smith but sought out Midnight, who was standing outside and they watched as another storm kicked up, and as soon as it cleared to reveal a bright rainbow, the zap apple trees once again crackled with electricity! The gray zap apples streaked with rainbows of color as rainbow beams bridged between each and every tree, delivering the magic to all the zap apples, ripening them all to perfection, creating a rainbow aurora borealis!

“Amazing…!” Midnight awed as he got starry-eyed.

“Um, big brother?”

He turned to see a troubled-looking Twinken.

“Can I talk to you?”

As the boys forged the letter from Uncle Apple Strudel, Apple Bloom watched as Sweetie Belle got Scootaloo dressed to look the part of a telegram deliverer.
“Ah shor hope this works…!”

“Hope what works?”

She gulped and turned to see…
“Midnight! …Wer’ just uh… preparin’ a lay, tha’s right!”

The raised eyebrow on her brother’s face told her he wasn’t buying it as he then gestured her to follow him.

Midnight led Applebloom out to the barn and said, “Apple Bloom, aren’t you ashamed?”

“Y’all could say that,” she admitted.

“Ashamed of having a wonderful grandmother who loves you?” admonished Midnight, looking disappointed, which seemed to get through to Apple Bloom, as she looked down, unable to meet Midnight's eyes.
“Apple Bloom. Twinken figured out you and the others tried to trick Cheerilee, and he’s told me how you’ve been trying to prevent Granny Smith from going to talk at your school. And guess what, he’s hurting.”

“Twinken’s hurtin’? Why?” Apple Bloom was stumped.

“Apple Bloom, don’t you remember that before I became Twinken’s legal guardian, he lived in an orphanage? Well, what he’s hurt and confused about is how you could be ashamed of your own grandmother!”

Apple Bloom felt her heart sink but she still didn’t get it.

“Apple Bloom, Twinken’s lived in the orphanage a long time, and he once told me he’d have given his eyeteeth to have even one pony to call family! When I got legal guardianship of him and brought him to Sweet Apple Acres, he didn’t just get a guardian, he got a whole family! Two brothers, two sisters, and a grandmother! What he can’t wrap his mind around is how you’re embarrassed of Granny Smith when he thanks his lucky stars to even have a grandma.”

Now she got it, and Apple Bloom felt a tear well up in her eye but she blinked it away. But then she felt Midnight’s hoof on her chin as he gently lifted her face to look at him, giving her an understanding look.
“Apple Bloom, no matter how much we might be embarrassed by somepony in our family, we have to remember how lucky we are to have them, how important they are to us and we to them! We should appreciate them for being there for us whenever we need them, and how happy they make us. Just as how I’m happy to call you my little sister.”

Apple Bloom smiled and hugged her big brother, who smiled warmly as he held her close. When they let go, he said, “Now, don’t fret over tomorrow. I have a feeling Granny Smith might surprise you.”

The next morning, Twinken and Apple Bloom helped their brothers and sister as much as they could before they had to go to school. After they left, Midnight, Applejack, and Big Mac slaved away, gathering as many zap apples as they could, knowing if they didn’t hurry they’d be gone just like that.

They’d harvested over three-fourths of the zap apples before they started sparking and soon enough they all zotzed out of existence, but that was okay. They’d gotten so many zap apples they didn’t know what to do with them! But Granny Smith did, and as they brought the zap apples to the farmhouse, Apple Bloom and Twinken were there, eager to get started.

“Alright, who wants t’ help ol’ Granny Smith make zap apple jam?” Granny Smith offered with a knowing smile.

“Me! Me! Me!” the two foals yelled, their brothers and sister smiling at each other knowingly.

They already knew the story, how when Granny Smith was a filly, she and her family had been pilgrims looking for a home when they met Princess Celestia, who directed them to the land just outside the Everfree Forest. Due to food shortage, Granny Smith had dared to enter the woeful wood and discovered what she would later dub zap apples and barely managed to escape the timberwolves by the skin of her teeth. As time went on, she studied zap apples, how to cultivate them, how to make them into zap apple jam, all through trial and error, as well as the signs to look out for that announced when they were coming.

Her family sold the zap apple jam, and Diamond Tiara’s great grandfather, Stinkin’ Rich, had sold some of the jam he’d bought at higher prices, and the jam attracted many ponies from far and wide, causing many to move to the settlement, starting a town, leading to the very founding of Ponyville. In other words, if Granny Smith had never discovered Zap Apples, Ponyville would never have existed to begin with.

With Twinken and Apple Bloom’s help, in no time at all, Granny Smith had made heaps upon heaps of zap apple jam, and the selling began, as the foals brought out all the jars full of the stuff to the stand AJ, Mac, and Midnight had set up. They hadn’t even opened yet and they already had a line of customers stretching all the way to the very heart of Ponyville.

Of course, the Apple Family had kept a fair amount of the jam for themselves to enjoy, and shared it with some of their friends. Apple Bloom and Twinken smiled as their friends and classmates enjoyed toast slathered with zap apple jam, Rumble complimenting, “This has got to be the best zap apple jam yet!”

“Prob’ly because you two had something to do with it,” Sweetie Belle said to AB and Twinken, winking at them.

“You betcha!”

Granny Smith had come out of nowhere, saying, “These two have th’ makin’s a some mighty-fine zap apple jammers!”

“Thanks Granny Smith!” they said, and Applejack came up, asking, “So Ah take it Fam’ly Appreciation Day went well?”

“Did it?!” Apple Bloom smiled, Big Mac and Midnight smiling as they came up. “Our Granny Smith is super-special! Ah jus’ fergot tha’ for a while.”

“Aw, don’ fret, Ah ferget things all th’ time,” Granny Smith waved it off. “Now, Ah get t’, er… uh, sumpin’…”

“Now who wants to help Granny Smith sing to the water?” Midnight invited the foals, all of them hopping happily as they cheered, “We do, we do!”

Second verse, same as the first, as Granny Smith, garbed again her bunny suit, was hopping watering cans, singing the ABCs, the colts and fillies all wearing bunny ears as they joined along.

“Diamond Tiara!”

Applejack, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, Midnight, and Twinken saw Filthy Rich pushing Diamond Tiara forward, with her wearing bunny ears as well, as she whined, “But Da-ad…!”

Filthy Rich would not hear it – His daughter had insulted one of his most important business-partners, he would have her make amends as he forced her to partake in what Diamond Tiara had poisoned Apple Bloom into feeling embarrassed of, while the siblings all took a guilty laugh at Diamond Tiara’s expense.

Author's Note

At this point, I am just openly calling Applejack, Big Mac, Applebloom, Midnight, and Twinken to be siblings, but remember - Family is tied by love, not blood, however any might conflict with that. Who you love and care about, who loves and cares about you, that is your family

75. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 - Part 1

Author's Note

I skipped "Baby Cakes" and "The Last Roundup" for reasons I really don't feel the need to explain right now.

Granted, I did wanna include Baby Cakes but I couldn't imagine how I'd fit in the stallions when it centered on Pinkie and the Cake Twins.

75. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 - Part 1

Life went on in Ponyville, just as new life began, particularly for the Cakes when Carrot Cake and Cup Cake became parents to twins Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake. Pinkie Pie learned a month later, when her bosses had no choice, that babysitting meant more than just being a playmate and how responsibility as a caregiver was serious business.

Then Ditzy Doo, the local mail-mare, had a little accident when she crashed through the roof of town hall. Applejack had offered to win prize-money at the Canterlot Rodeo but Midnight had resolved the problem by using a Restoration Spell on the building. Applejack went anyway, and even though she didn’t do as well as she’d hoped, she still came back with a smile on her face, proud she’d given it her best… evident by the blue ribbon she won for best lassoing.

She donated the prize-money to town hall’s emergency funds, reserved for any public property damages in Ponyville.

But now a very certain time was upon Ponyville, for as he slept in his upstairs bedroom, Soarin snored, happily enjoying a blissful dream when…

*Tap, tap, tap*

“Uuuugh…?” he roused from what sounded like somepony tapping on his window, which didn’t make sense unless that somepony was a pegasus.

“Who’d be up at this ungoddessly hour…?” he muttered when his window burst open and his suspicion was confirmed by a blur of rainbow that landed in a heap before it got in his face, yelling, “Come on, Soarin, cider season’s about to start!”

It was Rainbow Dash, as she tore away Soarin’s bedding, making him gasp and cover his nether region, Rainbow rolling her eyes as she dragged him out the window and they started flying.

“Dash? What’s the rush so early in the morning?” Soarin asked, seeing it was indeed the crack of dawn.

“Oh that’s right, you’ve never been in Ponyville for cider season, so you don’t know what happens pretty much every year!” Rainbow replied before adding with great animosity, “Pinkie Pie…!”

“What about Pinkie?” Soarin asked, “Did you two have a fight?”

“She always ends up ahead of me in line,” Rainbow Dash explained, “and they always run out of cider so I don’t get any! But not this year… This year I’m gonna get there at the crack a’ dawn, so I can drink all the cider I want and laugh at Pinkie when she doesn’t get any!”

Soarin was a little disturbed by Rainbow’s petty ranting, “It’s the perfect plan! Y’know, I might even save some of the cider I buy, and drink it drop by drop right in front of-”

“Uh Rainbow?” Soarin interrupted as he pointed ahead and Rainbow gasped in horror!

Stretching from the entrance to the Sweet Apple Acres property was a line of tents extending all the way into Ponyville. And wouldn’t you know it, the pony who exited the tent at the very front of the line was Pinkie Pie!

“Uh, hate to say it Dashie, but-” Soarin started but flinched when Rainbow gave him a murderous glare, daring him to finish that sentence.

She flew over to Pinkie, demanding, “Who are all these ponies?!”

“Isn’t it great?!” Pinkie cheered before gushing, “I couldn’t sleep last night `cause I was so excited about cider season, and I had this brilliant idea to come down here and camp out, so I told a few others about it and they all thought it was a great idea too, and now it’s just a big ol’ cider party! Woo-hoo! Oh, gosh, that’s a lot of ponies, hope they don’t run out before you get any!”

Soarin was pretty sure he was gonna have nightmares from the look of pure malevolence Rainbow was giving the unaware Pinkie who’d unknowingly rubbed salt into an emotional wound.

When the sun had risen a little higher and the Apples had prepared, Applejack set up the bullhorn and alerted the anticipating customers, “Attention everypony – Cider Season is now officially… open!!!”

The line of customers all started chattering in excitement, as Pinkie walked up and poured a heaping bag of bits into the container Granny Smith had set out for money. Twinken set the first mug up and Apple Bloom poured the cider, Pinkie snatching it up and taking a big gulp and sighing in satisfaction before walking away with an armload of cider-full mugs.

While Granny Smith was happy of their first sale being a big one, Midnight was feeling a little guilty.
“Granny Smith, I know the point here is to sell our cider, but isn’t it kinda unfair to sell so much of it to one pony? That means less for the rest and likely none at all for those last in line.”

“Business is business, sonny,” Granny Smith said in a blasé tone, too busy keeping tally of their slowly increasingly growing pile of bits as the cider sold faster than hot cakes.

Every time a barrel ran out, Big Mac took it away and grabbed a full one from the nearby neatly-stacked barrels that the Apples had filled with cider the previous day, and placed it for Apple Bloom to pour.

As the hours dragged on and the routine cycled, the barrels of cider at last was reduced to one, and wouldn’t you know it – The last mug of cider was sold to Soarin, who’d been in front of Rainbow, much to her ire.

“Sorry everypony,” Applejack called out, “Tha’s it fer t’day.”

Her announcement was responded with groans and sighs of disappointment, but Rainbow wasn’t gonna leave it at that.
“Surprise-surprise, you ran out again!”

“Yeah, you always run out,” Caramel seconded.

“Why can’t you make enough cider for all of us?!” demanded Rainbow, “Or at least for me!”

The Apple Siblings shared troubled looks as the ponies all started grumbling and complaining, Midnight cursing, Pinkie Pie, you thoughtless glutton…!

Thinking quickly, he got up on the stand and levitated the bullhorn to his mouth, “Please, please everypony! I know you’re all upset and you have every right to feel disappointed. But I promise that when you come back tomorrow everypony will get their fair share of Sweet Apple Acres Cider, nopony will go home empty-hooved.”

“Midnight!” Applejack hissed to him but he ignored her.

“Remember why you love our cider so much,” Midnight went on, “It’s made with love and integrity, and honest hard work, made with only the best apples we have to offer! And quality always comes before quantity.”

While Applejack, Big Mac, and Granny Smith were proud of Midnight for reminding everypony about the virtue of integrity and hard work, they weren’t receptive to his promising everypony a helping of cider.

But Midnight honestly was feeling nervous about his bold promise but then he noticed Pinkie talking to Rainbow, and judging by Rainbow’s teeth-grinding, Pinkie was saying the wrong thing.

*Honk*

Everypony looked down the road, seeing something fast approaching and making all kinds of odd noises.
“Wha’ in Equestria is that?” Applejack said aloud, asking the million bit question while everypony gathered for a closer look.

The strange contraption slowed as it loomed over the cider stand but it bumped into the fence, much to Granny Smith’s ire, as a showboaty tune started up, and two lanky unicorn stallions hopped down from the odd machine. They were both yellow with wavy red and white hair, both with green eyes, wearing dapper vests and boater hats. They were clearly twin brothers, with only the differences to tell them apart being one had no facial hair while the other had a mustache, the former had an apple slice cutie-mark while the latter’s cutie-mark looked like the apple his brother’s slice had come from.

[Flim]

Well, looky what we got here, brother of mine, it's the same in every town
Ponies with thirsty throats, dry tongues, and not a drop of cider to be found
Maybe they're not aware that there's really no need for this teary despair

[Flam]

That the key that they need to solve this sad cider shortage you and I will share

The ponies in the crowd started chattering excitably as the brothers continued.

[Flim and Flam]

Well you've got opportunity
In this very community

[Flam]

He's Flim

[Flim]

He's Flam

[Flim and Flam]

We're the world famous Flim Flam Brothers
Traveling salesponies nonpareil

"Nonpa-what?" Pinkie tried to echo the unfamiliar word.

[Flim]

Nonpareil, and that's exactly the reason why, you see
No pony else in this whole place will give you such a chance to be where you need to be
And that's a new world, with tons of cider
Fresh squeezed and ready for drinking

[Flam]

More cider than you could drink in all your days of thinking

"I doubt that!" Rainbow scoffed.

[Flim and Flam]

So take this opportunity

[Flim, Flam, and Crowd]

In this very community

[Flam]

He's Flim

[Flim]

He's Flam

[Flim and Flam]

We're the world famous Flim Flam Brothers
Traveling salesponies

[Flim, Flam, and Crowd]

Nonpareil

[Flim]

I suppose by now you're wondering 'bout our peculiar mode of transport

[Flam]

I say, our mode of locomotion

[Flim]

And I suppose by now you're wondering, where is this promised cider?

[Flam]

Any horse can make a claim and any pony can do the same

[Flim]

But my brother and I have something most unique and superb
Unseen at any time in this big new world

[Flim and Flam]

And that's opportunity

[Flim]

Folks, it's the one and only, the biggest and the best

[Flam]

The unbelievable

[Flim]

Unimpeachable

[Flam]

Indispensable

[Flim]

I-can't-believe-able

[Flim and Flam]

Flim Flam Brothers' Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000

"What d'you say, sister?" said Flim as he gave Rarity a dashing smile, causing her to faint into Blueblood's hooves, as the prince gave the slickster the stink-eye.

[Crowd]

Oh, we got opportunity
In this very community
Please, Flim, please, Flam, help us out of this jam
With your Flim Flam Brothers' Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000

"Young filly," Flim addressed Applejack, sounding slicker than the oil he'd clearly put in his greasy mane, "I would be ever so honored if you might see fit to let my brother and I borrow some of your delicious, and might I add spellbindingly fragrant apples for our little demonstration here?"

"Uh, sure, I guess," Applejack gave her family a troubled look, seeing hers mirrored in their faces..

[Crowd]
Opportunity, in our community

[Flam]

Ready, Flim?

[Flim]

Ready, Flam?

[Flim and Flam]

Let's bing bang zam!

"And show these thirsty ponies a world of delectable cider!" Flim declared.

[Crowd]
Cider, cider, cider, cider... [continues until Granny Smith interrupts]

"Watch closely, my friends!" Flim invited.

[Flam]

The fun begins!

"Now, here's where the magic happens. Right here in this heaving, roiling, cider-press-boiling guts of the very machine," Flim drew them in likes flies to a corpse, "those apples plucked fresh are right now as we speak being turned into grade-A, top-notch, five-star, blow-your-horseshoes-off, one-of-a-kind cider!"

[Flam]

Feel free to take a sneak peek!

[Granny Smith]

Now wait, you fellers, hold it!
You went and over-sold it!
I guarantee that what you have there won't compare
For the very most important ingredient
Can't be added or done expedient
And it's quality, friends, Apple Acres' quality and care!

[Flim]

Well, Granny, I'm glad you brought that up, my dear, I say I'm glad you brought that up
You see that we are very picky when it comes to cider if you'll kindly try a cup

[Flam]

Yes, sir, yes, ma'am, this great machine it's just the very best
So whaddaya say then, Apples?
Care to step into the modern world
And put the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 to the test?

[Crowd]

Cider, cider, cider, cider... [continues until Flim and Flam begin singing]

"What do you think, folks? Do you see what the Apples can't? I see it clear as day!" Flim declared, playing the crowd all the more. "I know she does! So does he! C'mon, Ponyville, you know what I'm talking about!"

[Flim and Flam]

We're saying you've got...

[Flim, Flam, and Crowd]

Opportunity
In this very community
He's Flim, he's Flam
We're the world famous Flim Flam Brothers
Traveling salesponies nonpareil!

[Flim and Flam]

Yeah!

76. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 - Part 2

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

77. Hearts & Hooves Day - Part 1

Author's Note

Heads up: This won't turn out as it did in the original episode. Somepony does drink the love potion/poison but not the originally intended targets

77. Hearts & Hooves Day - Part 1

That morning, Twinken met up with Rumble and Button Mash outside of the schoolhouse, which was already abuzz because of the day.
“Hey guys, got plans for today?”

“Kinda,” Rumble said with a shrug, Button saying, “We’re gonna give some Hearts & Hooves Day gifts to…”

They both blushed and squirmed a bit, Twinken chuckling.
“Who is it, come on, tell me!”

“Only if you promise not to laugh or tell anypony,” Rumble insisted, Button nodding in agreement.

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Twinken Pinkie-Promised.

Rumble and Button invited him into a huddle as they then respectively admitted their crushes.
“Scootaloo.”
“Sweetie Belle.”

“That’s cool,” Twinken replied with a smile. “I think it’s nice to have a special somepony.”

“You’re not gonna laugh?” Button was bewildered.

“Why would I?” Twinken asked rhetorically, “If you have feelings for somepony, you shouldn’t let anypony make you feel ashamed of them.”

“Y’know what, Twink? You’re right!” Rumble pulled on a determined look. “Before Hearts & Hooves Day ends, I am gonna confess my feelings for Scootaloo!”

“I’m gonna do the same with Sweetie Belle!” Button added. Then he asked, “Hey Twinken, have you seen the girls? They’re usually some of the first to get here before the bell rings.”

“Actually, the girls were over at my house bright n’ early,” Twinken informed them. “I saw them take a bunch of arts n’ crafts stuff to the clubhouse but didn’t ask what they were up to.”

“Prob’ly making stuff for Hearts & Hooves Day,” Rumble suggested, “it only comes once a year after all.”

“Hey isn’t that them?” Button pointed down the path, and they looked to see it was the girls.

“Yeah, but what’s that they’re bringing with them?” Twinken wondered aloud.

Whatever it was, it was big, and they were carrying it on a little red wagon, being quite careful. Twinken gestured his friends to follow and they went over, him saying, “Hey girls, what’cha got there?”

“It’s a present for Miss Cheerilee for Hearts & Hooves Day!” Scootaloo looked giddy.

“But we kinda… made it bigger than we intended and…” Sweetie Belle shrugged, Apple Bloom adding, “Since we couldn’t just stick it in an envelope, we have t’ lug it all th’ way t’ school!”

“Well, I‘m sure Miss Cheerilee will like it,” Twinken assured them.

Soon enough, the girls had presented their gift to their teacher in the classroom and the boys were blown by how big it was. It was a giant heart, easily taller than even Big Macintosh, bordered with lace, colored pink, glittered all sparkly, patterned with hoofprints, and ribbons added in strategic places.

“Does anypony else think they went overboard?” Rumble whispered to him.
“It’s the girls, of course they went overboard,” Twinken reminded him with a look that read 'are you seriously asking me that'.
“Well, I can’t tell you how overboard I went to get this game for Sweetie Belle,” Button whispered, holding out a wrapped gift, likely a game cartridge.

“Alright everypony!”

They, along with their classmates, looked to Cheerilee as she announced, “Who’s ready to play ‘Pin the Hoof on the Pony’?”

While the class got excited, the boy shrugged and went over to see the girls, who were already talking.

“Tha’ is th’ best idea ever!” Apple Bloom said as she and Scootaloo beamed at Sweetie Belle.

“What is?”

They regarded the boys, Sweetie Belle explaining, “Oh guys, you’re just in time to help us. We’re gonna find Miss Cheerilee a special somepony for Hearts & Hooves Day!”

“But you already gave her a gift,” Rumble reminded them.
“And besides, we…” Button trailed off, looking shy.

“You what, Button?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Uh… nothing, gotta go!” Button was gone with the sound of ‘kapwing!’

“Button come back!” Twinken and Rumble shouted as they ran after him.

Even though the party at school wasn’t over, today was a holiday. The students weren’t exactly obligated to stay the whole day, the party had been optional with all the students invited.

But as they walked around town, looking for their friend, Twinken and Rumble worried.
“It seems Button got cold hooves,” Twinken brought up.

“Ya think?” Rumble gave him a raised eyebrow. “So where’d he go?”

Then it hit them as they both deadpanned, “The arcade.”

The local arcade was one of the boys’ favorite hangouts, particularly for Button Mash. Oftentimes, if Twinken or Rumble didn’t know where their friend was, they usually found him at the arcade. Upon arrival, they heard a very familiar yelling.
“What? No, no! NO!!! Sweetie Beeeeeeellllee! Uh-huh-huh-huh! Six hours wasted! Uh-huh...”

They saw him, predictably bawling onto a game console, the game asking in its electronic voice ‘Do you wanna play again?’

They went over, Button just wiping his tears as he held up a bit, whining, “O-k…”

“Oh no you don’t!” Twinken levitated the bit away from the coin-slot, Button saying, “Hey!”

“Why’d you take off like that?” Twinken asked, Button’s defiance deflating, Rumble going over and patting their friend on the back understandably.

“It’s okay, bud,” Rumble assured him. “Lot’s of ponies have a little trouble confessing their feelings.”

“Not you,” Button’s ears drooped. “You weren’t nervous at all about confessing to Scootaloo. Sorry I distracted you from that…”

“Honestly, Button, I’m a bit relieved I got side-tracked by you,” Rumble admitted. “I was acting cool but inside my heart was starting to pound so hard I was scared Scootaloo would hear it!”

“Why don’t we go see Big Mac?” Twinken suggested. “He and Fluttershy are close, perhaps he’ll have some advice!”

The colts got to the farm and found Big Mac unloading some haybales from his wagon.
“Hi Big Mac!”

“Howdy boys,” Big Mac greeted them but noticed the looks on their faces. “Wha’s got y’all down?”

“Since it's Hearts & Hooves Day, Rumble and Button were gonna confess their feelings to their crushes today at the party at school,” Twinken explained.
“Button had second thoughts and took off, so we went looking for him instead.”

“We were hoping, since you and Fluttershy are so close,” Rumble brought up, “that maybe you’d have some advice for us! Me and Button really want for Scoots and Sweetie Belle to be our special someponies but…”

Big Mac chuckled in understanding.
“Sure thing haystacks. By th’ way, do any y’all know wha’ th’ girls are doin' t’day? Ah saw `em by th’ haybale pile in town and they asked me if’n Ah was doin’ anything for Hearts & Hooves Day.”

“Are you?” Twinken asked.

“Nnope, Fluttershy is,” Big Mac explained, “Flutters told me yesterday that Ah’ve done so much f’her lately tha’ she wants t’ do sumthin’ special for me on Hearts & Hooves Day!”

The boys shared a wary look.

They boys lent Big Mac a helping hoof before going inside to have a drink after having worked up a sweat. Granny Smith poured them each a nice glass of chilled applejuice, as they discussed their plans for Rumble and Button to confess their feelings to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

“Maybe if we get them in a nice pretty spot in the park,” Twinken suggested.

“In the same place?” Rumble asked with a raised brow. “Wouldn’t it be weird for us to confess to Scoots and Sweetie at the same time and place?”

“I’m not too sure I’m comfortable with that either,” Button agreed.

“But maybe confessing together will make it easier,” Twinken debated when in walked Midnight, wiping his brow and hanging a pair of welding goggles onto a coatrack.

“Hey everypony,” he sighed as he took a seat.

“Busy in the workshop, big brother?” Twinken asked.

“Yeah, this project I’m working on isn’t getting anywhere,” Midnight leaned onto the table, holding his head up with his hooves.
“I thought I’d try and make some kind of converter that absorbs ambient emotional energy and turn it into power. However, the gems I used aren’t getting squat.”

“Well, Rumble and Button are having girl troubles,” Twinken informed him, Midnight giving them a curious look.
“Rumble and Button wanted to confess their feelings to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle at the Hearts & Hooves Day party at school today, but they got cold hooves, and right now, the girls seem to be trying to play match-maker between Cheerilee and Big Mac.”

“Don’t they know Mac’s already with Fluttershy?” Midnight inquired.

“Apparently not,” Rumble stated when they noticed Big Mac headed for the door.

“Hey dude, where ya goin’?” Midnight hollered to him.

“Th’ girls asked me t’ fix up the gazebo,” Big Mac replied. “Ah’m jus’ gonna grab muh toolbox in th’ shed and head over.”

“Okay, see ya later,” Midnight waved when he gasped.

”Did you say a love potion?” asked Sweetie Belle as she and her friends laid at the hooves of Twilight Sparkle.

“That’s right, it even has the recipe,” Twilight showed them the page in a book.

“I… don’t suppose we can borrow that book from you, do ya?” asked Sweetie, the girls all pulling hopeful smiles.

“Of course you can,” Twilight said as she levitated the book to them.”

…Midnight? Are you okay?”

“Huh, what th-” Midnight shook away the fog in his mind and found himself on his back on the kitchen floor, the boys standing around him looking concerned.

“You gasped and fell off your chair,” Twinken worried, Button adding, “You were out for almost an hour!”

“An hour?!” Midnight suddenly Flashed out of there.

“Where’d he go?” Rumble asked, and nopony answered.

Midnight ran through Ponyville, frantic with worry.
Oh I hope I’m not too late!

He searched a couple more minutes when he finally saw her, just leaving a magazine kiosk.
“Twilight!”

She stopped and turned to see Midnight screeching to a halt in front of her, looking panicky.

“Oh hey, Midnight, what’s the rush?” she asked in a neighborly way. “I was just getting this week’s issue of-”

“Twilight!” Midnight interrupted, “Please tell me you didn’t give anything to the Cutie-Mark Crusaders!”

“Well, I just gave them this book about Hearts & Hooves Day,” Twilight admitted. “What’s the problem?”

“Twilight! The girls are gonna play match-maker, with Big Mac and Cheerilee!”

As the truth of the girls’ inquiry about the book and the recipe for the love potion inside dawned on her, Twilight’s eye suddenly started twitching but Midnight shook her by the shoulders.
“Focus! How long ago did you give them the book?”

“Uh, maybe about… a half-hour?” Twilight guessed.

“Oh, they may have already completed it!” Midnight looked like he had hot-hooves as he worried.
“We have to stop them before they serve that potion to Mac and Cheerilee!”

“Okay, calm down, uh… The recipe requires a tuft of cloud, a rainbow’s glow, and a pegasus feather to stir it!” Twilight recalled when another fact hit her. “Oh, but with Scootaloo they’ll be able to get it all!”

“Okay, I’m gonna try a spell to track `em, lemme concentrate,” Midnight closed his eyes and focused. Twilight sensed the flow of mana swirling around Midnight as his senses stretched in search of the girls or even Big Mac and Cheerilee. His eyes snapped open.
“They’re at the park!”

Without warning, he grabbed Twilight and Flashed to the park, and saw Big Mac and Cheerilee standing at a picnic… with two glasses of a magenta liquid in their hooves!

“To good friends,” Cheerilee toasted as she and Mac clinked the glasses together.

“STOOOOOOOOPPP!!!”

They both startled as the glasses were levitated from their hooves and saw it was Midnight and Twilight doing it, looking relieved as they panted.

“AW, COME ON!”

They all looked to see an annoyed Sweetie Belle in the bushes before Scootaloo popped up and pulled her back into the shrubbery. Midnight and Twilight’s eyes furrowed and Midnight's horn glowed as a blue flame suddenly ignited and burned up the bush, revealing the three fillies who all looked like they’d gotten caught with their hooves stuck in the cookie jar.

“Girls…!” Midnight said with a warning rise of his tone before gesturing them to come forward. The look on his face told them it was not an invitation as they nervously approached.
“Y’wanna tell Big Mac and Cheerilee exactly what you just tried to trick them into drinking?”

Big Mac and Cheerilee then pulled their own stern faces, looking expectantly at the fillies, Cheerilee prompting, “Well?”

“It’s… a love potion,” Sweetie Belle admitted, Scootaloo suddenly pointing a hoof at her, yelling, “It was Sweetie’s idea!”
“Ah weren’t so sure `bout this!” Apple Bloom added. “Ah jus’ went along!”
“Hey!” Sweetie Belle snapped at them for selling her out.

“I don’t care whose idea it was!” Midnight snapped them quiet.

“You girls should be ashamed of yourselves,” Twilight admonished. “Forcing two ponies to love each other, however well-intentioned you may think it might be, is wrong. Love cannot be created by magic, only by true and sincere caring for another! In fact, love potions are prohibited magic because they cause trouble and the feelings they invoke are not real.”

“And you can think about your actions while you’re all doing Big Mac’s chores at Sweet Apple Acres,” Cheerilee decided, before asking Big Mac, “Does that seem fair to you?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said while giving his little sister and her friends the stink-eye before holding out his arm towards the path, commanding, “March.”

The fillies shamefully started walking, Big Mac following, to Sweet Apple Acres while Cheerilee talked with Twilight and Midnight.
“Thank you so much for saving us from that, you two. I should’ve realized the girls wouldn’t leave the matter alone. Earlier today, I told them I didn’t have a special somepony for Hearts & Hooves Day, and for some reason they chose Big Mac.”

“I’m just glad we prevented what might have happened,” Midnight said with a sigh. “Fluttershy would’ve been devastated if she thought Big Mac had dumped her.”

“I’m so sorry, Cheerilee,” Twilight added. “I’m the one who gave them the book with the love potion recipe in it. I thought they were just curious about Hearts & Hooves Day!”

“It’s alright, Twilight,” Cheerilee assured her. “Now, I’m going to go look into the girls and discuss things further.”

As Cheerilee left, Midnight and Twilight sighed in relief.
“I’m so glad that worked out okay,” Midnight wiped his brow.
“Y’know, all that excitement kinda made me thirsty,” Twilight brought up.
“Here,” Midnight levitated a glass of juice to her. “To another disaster averted.”

They clinked their glasses together and sipped. But suddenly, a horrible thought crossed Twilight’s mind.
“Wait a second… what did we just drink?”

Midnight’s eyes widened in realization but before he could answer…
*Burp*
*Hic*

Midnight and Twilight had respectively burped and hiccupped a pink bubble each, the both of them floating until they touched and formed a heart and they started into each other’s eyes.

“Uh-oh…!”

78. Hearts & Hooves Day - Part 2

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

79. Friend in Deed

Another day, another adventure to be had in Ponyville. But for some reason it just felt extra super. So super that a song started up.

(Midnight Blaze, Big Macintosh, and Thunderlane)
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, ba-da-da-da-da

Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, ba-da-da-da-da

(Pinkie Pie)
Think I’ll go for a trot outside now,
Celestia’s callin’ my name!

(Background Ponies)
I hear ya now, I just can’t stay inside all day
I gotta get out, get me some of those rays

Everypony’s smilin’, sunshine day
Everypony’s laughin’, sunshine day
Everypony seems so happy today
It’s a sunshine day

(Apple Bloom, while trotting with the rest of the CMC)
Ah think Ah’ll go fer a trot outside now,
Celestia knows me by name!

(Background Ponies)
She’s callin’ me, I gotta get out, I just gotta get away
I gotta get away, get away, get away, get away…!
Into the sunshine day…

(Spike)
Can’cha dig the sunshine, love n’ sun are the same
Can’cha hear her callin’ your name?

(Twilight Sparkle)
Oh, I think I’ll take a trot everyday now
Celestia has shown me the way!

(Background Ponies)
To be happy now, I just can’t stay inside all day
I gotta get out get me some of those rays

Everypony’s smilin’, sunshine day
Everypony’s laughin’, sunshine day
Everypony seems so happy today

It’s a sunshine day

(Spike)
Can’cha feel the sunshine warming up your mane
Can'cha hear her callin' your name...?

(Everypony)
I think I’ll go for a trot outside now
Celestia’s callin’ my name

I hear ya now, I just can’t stay inside all day
I gotta get out, get me some of those rays

Everypony’s smilin’, sunshine day
Everypony’s laughin’, sunshine day
Everypony seems so happy today
It’s a sunshine day

Everypony’s smilin’, sunshine day

Everypony’s laughin’, sunshine day

Everypony seems so happy today…

It’s a sunshine day!

The guys met up for their weekly pie at Pepper Pony’s, enjoying a slice as they caught up.

“I’m still crackin’ up, you guys made total yutzes of yourselves from that love poison!” Soarin cracked, him and Thunderlane sharing a laugh at Midnight’s expense, as the blue unicorn groaned, burying his humiliation into his hooves.

“Please, guys, can we not talk about that?” Midnight begged. “The week’s been hard enough with everypony else in town bringing it up.”

“Lay off,” Big Mac said to them in a stern tone as he gently patted his brother on the back.

“No worries, Midnight, it’ll all be water under the bridge soon enough," Blueblood saying to his fellow horn-head, "As I recall, Ponyville’s a happening place, as in a lot tends to be happening every now and then.”

“True,” Midnight conceded as he took a sip of his soda, “and with characters like Pinkie or Rainbow Dash, ponies do tend to move on to new topics of interest.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed, glad his brother was snapping out of the funk.

“Hey everypony! Does anypony have a toupee?!”

The guys all startled and looked to see Pinkie Pie inexplicably standing on a flagpole, having just spoken into a megaphone, much to everypony’s bewilderment. But then the pole swayed under Pinkie so she could point out, “This donkey is really, really bald!”

It was indeed a donkey, looked middle-aged-going-onto-elderly, and he was indeed so bald, his chrome sparkled for a moment. Ponies couldn’t help chuckling at the poor sucker, who blushed in abject humiliation while covering his hairless head.

“What’s so funny? This is serious business, everypony! Cranky needs a new wig to cover his hairless head!”

The guys couldn’t help it, the absurdity of the moment, the total lack of common sense from their favorite party pony, and the murderous glare the donkey, Cranky apparently, was giving her, and they began to laugh despite the guilty feeling it brought.

“I have had ENOUGH!”

They looked to see Cranky had swiped up a mound of dirt and grass and put it on his head and began to storm off, Pinkie looking sheepish.

“Desperate times,” Midnight commented.
“Desperate measures,” agreed Blueblood.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac added.
“Looks like Pinkie’s trying to make a new friend,” Thunderlane brought up as they saw Pinkie go after the angry ass.
“Well, something tells me this one’s not gonna be so easy as it normally is for her,” Soarin said.

Later on, Midnight was doing some shopping in the marketplace when he noticed somepony. Or rather some donkey! It took a moment but he recognized her.
“Matilda, hello!”

“Oh, hello Midnight,” said Matilda, smiling kindly as he approached. “How’re you this fine day?”

“Eh, the usual,” Midnight shrugged. “By the way, did you know another donkey just moved to Ponyville?”

“You don’t say?” Matilda asked, not actually paying attention as she looked at some produce.

“Yeah, Pinkie’s trying to become friends with him,” Midnight said, “but I don’t think it’s going well.”

“Well that’s surprising,” Matilda commented as she paid for some carrots from Carrot Top. “Pinkie Pie can befriend anypony!”

“Well, this donkey isn’t warming up to her,” Midnight explained, “She said his name was Cranky.”

Matilda perked at looked at him, “Did you say Cranky?”

“Why, do you know him?” Midnight asked curiously.

Matilda pondered a moment, and said, “I have to go home!”

She hurried away, Midnight watching her go with a confused look. He shrugged and continued shopping when he noticed Blueblood.
“Midnight, my good friend, what brings you here?”

“Applejack is experimenting with a new apple recipe and asked me to get her some vanilla and molasses,” Midnight explained.

“I’m here getting a few things for Rarity,” Blueblood replied. “She just made a replacement wig for that Cranky fellow at Pinkie’s request.”

“Y’know, it’s funny,” Midnight brought up, Blueblood eyeing him, “I just spoke to Matilda, y’know her?”

“Why yes, Miss Matilda bought a lovely scarf from Rarity last week,” Blueblood replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I just spoke with her and mentioned Cranky, then she suddenly hurried off after I asked if she knew him.”

“Maybe she does,” Blueblood shrugged and continued his shopping, leaving Midnight to wonder.

After getting Applejack her ingredients, Midnight Flashed over to the library. He was hoping to spend a little alone time with her, but silly him Rainbow was there, reading.
“Hey Midnight!” Rainbow said as he came in, “You’ve gotta check out this book, it’s the latest in the Daring Doo series!”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Midnight dismissed her, much to her stink eye, as he went over to the spellbooks and started browsing.

“Anything in particular you looking for, Midnight?” Twilight asked, but engrossed in her own book.

“Just browsing,” Midnight waved off her concern as he started getting into one.

But at that moment, the door flew open and everypony was shocked to see a teary Pinkie walk in.
“Pinkie! What’s the matter?” Twilight worried as she went over to her.

“Did somepony give you the business?!” Rainbow demanded to know.

“No… It’s Cranky, I…” Pinkie whimpered before she explained everything, how she’d tried helping the old donkey to unpack his things, complimented his mementos, and accidentally set a scrapbook he had ablaze, and how angry he got at her.
“I just can’t believe it. Cranky said he would never forever be my friend. It was horrible…”

“Oh Pinkie…” Midnight sighed, realizing that once again Pinkie had gone too far in her friendliness.
“No offense, but you really have to learn to take a hint and respect others’ privacy.”

“I understand it’s hard, Pinkie, seeing as how you’re friends with everypony,” Twilight stepped in, “but you’re just gonna have to accept that Cranky’s going to be an exception. Like Midnight said, he just… doesn’t want to be bothered.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow butted in with untactful execution, “he doesn’t wanna be bother by your over-the-top hyper antics.”

“Rainbow!” Twilight and Midnight snapped.

“No, no, I get what you’re saying, everypony,” Pinkie sighed. “And I get that… I should leave Cranky alone.”

Midnight and Twilight nodded at each other in approval of Pinkie’s maturity, and just like that it flew out the window as Pinkie suddenly perked, “Right after he accepts my apology!”

As Pinkie trotted out the door, Twilight groaned and Midnight deadpanned, “Are you honestly surprised?”

Later on, Midnight started walking home when…
“Midnight?”

He turned to see…
“Matilda? Can I help you?”

“Actually, I’m hoping you can,” Matilda said as she approached, carrying what looked to be a pink book with a little blue bow.
“If who you saw is the Cranky I know, then I want to see for myself!”

“Well, I feel I should warn you,” Midnight said, “Pinkie got on Cranky’s bad side and ruined this book of his, and she went to apologize. And if you know Pinkie as well as I do you know how that could turn out.”

“Oh dear,” Matilda realized. “Let’s go to the post office and see if they have his address.”

To Matilda’s delight, they did have one ‘Cranky Doodle Donkey’ on their list of postal recipients in Ponyville, and Matilda was all but convinced it really was him!

But as they got there, they realized they’d just arrived in time! Pinkie appeared to be peering through the keyhole of the house, saying, “Please Cranky! I think I can make it up to you!”

“No way you can, you destroyed my book!” screamed a very cross voice from inside. “And all I had to remember her by!”

“‘Her’?” Pinkie echoed. “Her who? This special friend?”

“Go AWAY, Pinkie!!!”

Pinkie deflated and turned to leave when she noticed Midnight and Matilda, having been taking in the show. Suddenly she gasped in realization as her big blue eyes fell upon Matilda!

“Matilda! You know Cranky, don’t you?!” she whisper-shouted.

“Why yes, I believe I do,” Matilda said as she held up her book. Pinkie opened it and was delighted when she saw what was inside.

“I knew that book of his reminded me of something!” she whisper-cheered. “But wait, how’d you find out Cranky was here?”

“I mentioned it,” Midnight brought up. “Then Matilda and I looked up Cranky’s address and here we are!”

“This… is perfect!” Pinkie whisper-cheered again, bursting with confetti. “Wait right here!”

She went over to the door and knocked.
“Cranky? It’s me again! I understand that you don’t wanna be my friend or accept my apology, but before I leave forever I have something to at least try to make up for ruining your book.”

“No! I don’t want it, kid!” yelled Cranky from inside. “Anything you would give me is sure to lead to some sort of disaster!”

Matilda finally stepped in.
“Goodness! You really are Cranky!”

There was a brief pause before they heard what wounded like multiple locks unlocking, the clattering of chains, and maybe some nails being pulled out and boards coming down before finally the door opened and Cranky peered out… to see Matilda smiling at him, with butterflies fluttering `round her to give that special effect!

“It can’t be…!” Cranky whispered before he suddenly realized something, and put his new wig back on. “Is it really you?”

“It can… and it is!” Matilda said with a smile.

“Matilda! But how?!” Cranky marveled as he stepped up to her.

Matilda then pointed out, “Pinkie, and her good friend Midnight.”

Pinkie and Midnight both waved with smiles. Cranky gaped at them, mostly at the pink one, saying,” Pinkie?! But- I never told you about her!”

“You didn’t have to, I put two & two & two together!” Pinkie said while inexplicably holding up six hooves. “And it all added up to Matilda!”

“What?” Cranky gave her an incredulous look.

“When you were talking about your souvenirs, you said something about trying to find a special friend!” Pinkie explained.
“In your scrapbook there was a flower, a ticket, and a menu from the Grand Galloping Gala! And I knew I’d seen them before!”

“But how could you have seen them before?” Cranky asked.

“Because she’d seen them in my scrapbook,” Matilda stepped in, holding it up. “Earlier today, Midnight mentioned you to me, asking if I knew you. I went home to get this and we looked up your address at the post office.”

Midnight smiled with a shrug as Cranky looked at him before looking into Matilda’s scrapbook, the memories flooding back.
“Oh Matilda… the night we met at the gala was the most magical night of my life. I couldn’t wait to see you again! But when I came to your room the next day, you were gone…”

“Didn’t you get my note?” Matilda asked, recalling the note she’d left on her door for Cranky to find.

“Note? I didn’t even know you’d left one,” Cranky responded before going on, “Ever since that day, I’ve gone from town to town… to town, searching all over Equestria for you. Until finally I gave up! I came to Ponyville to retire from my search.”

Midnight and Pinkie shared a sad look of sympathy.

“I was living in Ponyville the whole time!” Matilda said to Cranky. “I always hoped that someday you would come and find me… Doodle!”

“Pbth! Doodle?” Midnight snickered, before getting gently shouldered by Pinkie.

“Uh, Matilda?" Pinkie whisper-shouted to her, "Nopony calls him ‘Doodle’.”

“Nopony… but Matilda,” Cranky Doodle amended as he and Matilda nuzzled.

“Oh Doodle, I’m so happy to see you!” Matilda said as she gave him a kiss, making him gasp.

Pinkie and Midnight watched in anticipation as Cranky’s lips hesitantly pulled… until his face exploded with the most happy smile he could muster, and boy, Cranky thought, it felt so good to smile after so many years!

Pinkie gasped with a smile, Midnight chuckling as he said, “Pinkie? Put your eyeballs back in your head.”

As Cranky and Matilda nuzzled more, Pinkie asked, “Does this mean you accept my apology?”

“Yes, Pinkie I accept your apology,” Cranky conceded before he really made the party pony’s day, “and I am honored to call you my friend.”

Pinkie giddily appeared to build up and shake, Midnight saying, “You might wanna step back a bit.”

And no sooner did he that Pinkie launched like a rocket, exploding like a firework as she cheered, “WAAAAAAA-HOO!!! This is just fantastic! Ooh, now we can hang out together and chat and sing songs and" - she gasped - "party! Oh, I have to throw you guys a big party! It'll be called the 'Welcome to Ponyville/I Found My Lost Love/I'm BFF's with Pinkie Pie' Party!”

"Ahem!"

She noticed the new couple weren’t really paying attention and Midnight was narrowing his eyes at her and shaking his head no.

“...Or maybe something less over-the-top and not so super-hyper.”

“Pinkie, and Midnight, we are eternally grateful for what you’ve done for us, but…” Cranky halted to find the right words so Midnight stepped in.

“I think these two would like some peace and quiet, they do have a lot to catch up on after all.”

“Oh, right,” Pinkie conceded before asking Cranky, “But we’re still friends?”

“Pinkie you went way-way-way out of your way to make me happy,” Cranky said, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Of course we’re friends!”

“Come on, Doodle, let’s go inside,” Matilda suggested, carrying the scrapbook as she led Cranky into his house.

Midnight sighed, Pinkie saying, “I think I have a letter to write for the Princess.”

As Pinkie bounced away, Midnight noticed something on the ground. He levitated it up to see it was an old photo of who could only be a young Cranky and Matilda, the night they met at the gala.
Kinda sad they didn’t get to spend their youth and golden years together, he thought.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind as he recalled a spell in a certain book he’d looked at in the library.

A while later, Cranky and Matilda were looking around his living room.
“Are you sure it’s in here?” Cranky asked.

“If it’s not, it could be outside,” Matilda conceded when they heard a knock.

They answered it to see…
“Midnight, what’re you doing here?” Matilda asked.

“I believe this is yours,” Midnight levitated the photo to her.

“Why yes!” Matilda gladly accepted it back.

“Matilda… Could you and Cranky meet me here tonight? Around ten,” Midnight requested.

“What for?” asked Cranky.

“It’s a surprise,” Midnight said. “I know you two want to be alone together right now, but all I ask is a few moments of your time tonight. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.”

Seeing the hopeful look in the stallion’s eyes, Matilda gave Cranky a look, and he sighed.
“Okay, Midnight, we’ll see you here tonight at ten.”

“Great, I’m gonna go prepare,” Midnight Flashed off, leaving the donkey couple to ponder.

10:20 p.m.

“Where is he?” Cranky muttered. “He’s late!”

“I’m sure he has an explanation, Doodle,” Matilda assured him, and the door knocked.

They opened it to see Midnight.
“Sorry I’m late, but for what I have in mind this has to be done at a specific time. Please follow me.”

The couple looked at each other and followed Midnight to an open space in perfect view of the moon above.
“It’s a good thing the moon’s full tonight.”

“Midnight, are you gonna tell us what this is all about?” Cranky asked.

“Hold on,” Midnight checked a watch he had. “Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen! Okay, you two, trust me and hold still.”

Midnight whirled to face them, his horn flaring with life as energy tendrils reached out, ensnaring the moonbeams. Cranky and Matilda watched, marveled by this display of magic, as the tendrils and moonbeams wove together in glimmering ribbons of magic. The ribbons gently reached out and started wrapping around the two donkeys. While this might have frightened an observer, the two felt oddly calm as they felt their bodies rejuvenate!

The intensity of power made a silent shockwave that blew the grass around him as Midnight completed the spell!

As the ribbons of magic fell away and dissipated, Cranky and Matilda groaned as they felt dizzy.
“I feel… good for some reason,” Cranky said. “Hey, my voice!”

“And my old aches are gone!” Matilda brought up and she and Cranky looked at each other, only to gasp!

They both looked exactly as they had back when they first met, their youth restored, and could not believe how handsome and beautiful they looked to each other!

They looked at Midnight who shook his head free of the little fatigue he’d felt, and they looked confused.
“I hope you’re not angry, but I felt it was unfair that a simple mistake prevented you from sharing your lives together and that Cranky had searched for so long for nothing. So… I used a spell to restore you both to the ages you were when you first met!”

“But… why…?” Cranky was at a loss.

“I have the ability to draw strength from the moonlight,” Midnight explained. “And because the moon is full, I would’ve received quite a boost. But I waited until 10:23, fifteen seconds, which is the exact moment the moon reaches the center of the night sky, in order to take in a steady and stable intake of the power-flow. That way, my spell would stand a greater chance of success, and it did. Be happy, you two, cause now you can spend the years you should have together.”

Cranky and Matilda looked at each other as it dawned on them and they couldn’t help but shed tears of joy as they hugged.

At that moment, however, from a far vantage point atop a tree, stood a cloaked figure, only a unicorn horn hinting his identity as his cloak billowed in the wind.
“Nice spellwork, Midnight…”

Author's Note

Inspired by this

Sorry, but I've actually been wanting to do that.

As for the mysterious cloaked pony...! Not telling, heh-heh!

81. It's About Time - Part 2

The next morning, Midnight woke with the rooster, straightening his back as he sat up from the couch. He’d actually spent the night in the library, waiting for Twilight to come back.
I must’ve fallen asleep, he thought groggily to himself when he noticed the door open and in walked Twilight, looking a little bedraggled.

At that moment, Spike came downstairs and they both greeted her.
“Hey Twilight!” said Spike.
“How’d it go with Cerberus?” asked Midnight.

“He’s back where he belongs,” Twilight was glad to report, “and no evil creatures escaped in his absence.”

*BELCH*

A scroll burst from Spike’s mouth, hitting Twilight in the face.

“You okay, Twi?” Midnight asked, sitting up on the sofa.

“Oh sure I’m-” Twilight’s eyes suddenly popped as she reached up to her face. “Oh no!”

She hurried over to a mirror, Spike saying, “What? It’s just a lost dog poster; the princess probably doesn’t know you got Cerberus back for her yet.”

“It’s not that, Spike, it’s this!” Twilight pointed out a cut below her left eye.

“A paper cut?” Midnight asked with a raised brow. “Twilight, just wash it out and you’ll be fine.”

“No, this cut is exactly the same as the scar I saw on Future Twilight’s cheek!” Twilight scrutinized it to be sure until she came to a bitter conclusion.
“We haven’t changed the future at all, the disaster is still coming!”

Midnight and Spike shared a look while Twilight began to pace about the library.

“If the disaster wasn‘t caused by Cerberus getting loose, then what could it possibly be?!” Twilight puzzled as she paced, Midnight and Spike watching wearily

“I dunno, but maybe you oughta give the pacing a rest,” Spike laughed.

“I think he’s right, Twi,” Midnight agreed. “You’ve worn a groove into the floor”

She had. Twilight had been pacing a circle around the center table of the library, and had worn a perfect circle-shaped groove so deep it came up to her barrel.
“I don’t have time for another of your lectures, guys, this is serious!”

“Our lectures?” Spike gave her the stink eye, Midnight shaking his head with a sigh.

“I did everything I could think of to change the future but it didn’t work!” Twilight worried.

“Twilight, remember what I said? No matter what you do, you can’t prepare for every possible outcome.” reminded Midnight.

Twilight suddenly perked, “So maybe it’s not what I do…. But what I don’t do!”

“Say what?” Midnight deadpanned as Twilight teleported to the other side of the room.

“If I stand right here and don’t move a muscle until next Tuesday, I can’t possibly do whatever it is that Future Twilight wanted to warn me not to do!”

She suddenly stiffened and had gone still as a statue.

“Really? So… No matter what happens you’re not gonna move a muscle, huh?” Spike asked with a sneaky look.

“Twilight you’re being ridiculous,” Midnight said but Spike gave him a sharp shush.

"Don't ruin this for me!" Readdressing Twilight, Spike said, “Then maybe you won’t mind if I…” – Zip! – “eat an entire tub of ice cream!”

Twilight’s eyes peered his way but she didn’t move. Midnight just sighed and went over to sit on the couch to take in the show, knowing full well this wouldn’t go as Twilight hoped.

As Spike pigged out, he made sure Twilight had a good view of him eating the ice cream and couldn’t resist poking the sleeping bear with a stick as he mmm’d and said “So good!”

Though she technically, didn’t move, Twilight was sweating and angrily growling lightly but stuck to her guns. Even so, she spoke through clenched teeth, “Spike, stop! Think of the stomachache!”

“Stomachache, huh? That’s Future Spike’s problem,” Spike scoffed, Midnight smirking at that comment, knowing Spike would live to regret it.

*Knock, knock, knock*

The door opened and in walked Soarin, “Yo Twilight! Another pegasus gave the all clear after she got back from Baltimare and-”

He noticed how odd things looks, Spike pigging out and pouring the remainder of the ice cream into his mouth, Twilight standing stiff as a board, Midnight sitting on the couch and taking it all in.
“Uh… What’s up? Aren’t either of you gonna stop him?”

“She sure isn’t,” Spike pointed Twilight out. “In fact, she’s not gonna move till next Tuesday!”

“She think by doing nothing it will prevent the disaster from happening, “Midnight couldn’t help but chuckle as the situation was starting to get to him and Soarin and Spike laughed as well.

“Oh, it would be a crime to not milk this…!” Soarin said with an evil smirk. “Look out, Twilight, there’s a mouse behind you!”

Twilight flinched but didn’t move from her spot, much to the boys' amusement as they burst with laughter at her split-reaction.

“Wait-wait-wait, lemme try!” Spike took a quill from the desk and started tickling Twilight. Having had enough, she telekinetically grabbed him and threw him aside, causing Spike to accidentally let out a burst of fire that got her.

“Oh boy!” Soarin flinched as the guys all grimaced at the sight of Twilight.

“What happened?” Twilight asked sternly.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Spike apologized. “It was a total accident!”

“Show me.”

“Uh, Twilight, maybe it’s not-” Midnight tried to say.

“Show me!” she insisted.

Sighing, he levitated a mirror to Twilight and she gasped at the sight of her hair!
“This is the same manecut as Future Twilight!”

“Oh Twilight, I’m sure Rarity or even the Spa Ponies could fix it right up,” Midnight assured her.

“I don’t care how it looks!” Twilight exclaimed, “It’s just another sign that the future hasn’t changed! Not doing anything didn’t work either! If only there was a way to find out what was gonna happen so I could stop it!”

“You wanna see the future?” Spike asked with a smirk. “I think I know somepony who can help.”

“Count us out, come on, Soar,” Midnight left the library, followed by Soarin.

At Pepper Pony’s, Midnight spoke with the guys, “It’s driving her up the wall, guys! Twilight obsessing with the future, it’s not good for her health!”

“Well, come on, dude,” Thunderlane brought up, “Twilight is a borderline OCD! Combine with her neurotic need for perfection, yeesh!”

“Twilight has always been this way,” Blueblood brought up. “Back when we were classmates in my aunt’s School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight always set the bar high in whatever she did, partly because she wanted to live up to being Celestia’s personal protégée, partly because she felt it was expected of her from other ponies.”

“Well, the way she’s going, I fear she’s in for some premature grays,” Soarin said as he took a bite of his slice.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“Well Spike just took her to go see ‘Madame Pinkie Pie’,” Midnight informed them. “I think we all know that’s gonna be a dead-end.”

“Oh yeah.”
“Indeed.”
“Preaching to the choir.”
“Amen t’ that.”

“La, la-la, la-la, la-la,” Pinkie bounced up the library. “Gosh, I haven’t seen Twilight since the flowerpot incident. Hope she still isn’t mad.”

She entered and went upstairs only to let her jaw drop at what she saw. All around the room were stacks of paper, graphs, various instruments, and three or four telescopes peering out the windows, Twilight just looking through one. Spike was enjoying some ice cream and Midnight was wearily holding up a chart.
“Off by .02 from yesterday. Carry the 15… Negative azimuth and the 14th moon…”

“Hi Pinkie,” Spike said casually while Midnight mouthed ‘Help me!’

“Twilight’s real serious about finding out that birthday present isn’t she?” Pinkie marveled at everything.

“Who cares, so long as I get to keep eating ice cream,” Spike took another spoonful. “Sorry Future Spike! Mmm!”

Pinkie went over to Twilight, asking, “Are you okay?”

“Ah Pinkie, I’m glad you’re here,” Twilight said in an oddly polite manner, bags under her eyes. “Can you help me recalibrate the apertures on the 9 ¼ catadioptric telescopes?”

“Sure!” Pinkie agreed but then Midnight groaned.

“Don’t encourage her, Pinkie!”

“Ignore him,” Twilight waved him off. “So I was thinking – After I came to see Madame Pinkie and the flowerpot landed on my head – See the bandage? Just like the bandage from the future.”

“Another sign of crazy!” Midnight barked but was ignored.

“I had an epiphany after that flowerpot,” Twilight went on. “Doing things didn’t work, not doing things didn’t work, and I couldn’t predict the future either. So I had only one other choice… Monitor everything!”

“Makes sense to me,” Pinkie shrugged.
To you maybe! Midnight groaned mentally.

“That way, no matter what happens in the future, I’ll be ready,” Twilight looked into another telescope. “I thought I saw something last night in the Horsehead Nebula. But after staring at it for three hours straight, I realized I was wrong!”

“Three hours, when did you sleep?” Pinkie worried.

“She DIDN'T!” Midnight couldn’t take it anymore! “She hasn’t slept a wink since she said she saw Future Twilight, which I’m starting to think was nothing more than a dream!”

“Midnight!” Twilight snapped. “I know what I saw, I’m not crazy!”

The fact she said that with a facial expression that could definitely be interpreted as ‘crazy’ did not help her case.

“Twilight, as your friend, I say this because I care about you…” Midnight took a deep breath. “YOU'RE TURNING AN ANTHILL INTO A MOUNTAIN, AS ALWAYS! What do you expect to do, stay awake, monitor everything, until Tuesday morning?! You could work with an entire science division and be unable to accomplish that! Besides, in your insane omni-monitoring, you’ve lost track of time!”

“He’s right, Twilight,” Pinkie said. “Tuesday’s tomorrow.”

Gasping, Twilight Flashed to a telescope and peered through, asking, “Pinkie, did you finish recalibrating the apertures of the 9 ¼ catadioptric telescopes?”

“I have no idea!” Pinkie said giggly, while Midnight sank to his belly in a groan.

“Aah! My eye!”

Midnight looked up and saw Twilight covering her eye while Pinkie went over to the fireplace, “Don’t worry, Twilight! I have eyepatches stashed all over Ponyville!”

She went over and placed it onto Twilight’s right eye.
“In case of eye patch emergencies.”

“Of course,” Midnight muttered while Twilight gasped at her reflection from the mirror Pinkie pulled up.

“Now you look like a pirate, a sleepy pirate with a really weird manecut.”

“The eyepatch, another sign!” Twilight went through papers, “Nearly all the signs have come true! I haven’t done a thing to prevent the catastrophe!”

She hurried over to a chalkboard covered with equations.
“If Tuesday’s tomorrow and the disaster happens by Tuesday morning, then there’s but one solution – I must… stop time!”

Author's Note

Does anyone else think Twilight should see someone about her neurosis?

83. Dragon Quest - Part 1

The guys were hard at work digging a trench. Or at least Midnight, Thunderlane, and Soarin were.

“Where are Mac and Blue?” Thunderlane complained as he wiped his brow of sweat. “They should be here helping us!”

“Big Mac went with Twilight and Rainbow to try and get Fluttershy to come,” Midnight informed them as he levitated a large pile of dirt away.
“But I doubt they’ll succeed. Fluttershy still has quite a hard case of dracophobia.”

“And I saw Blueblood head over to Rarity’s,” Soarin added as he hefted a big rock out of the trench.

“Ergh! Well what about AJ or Pinkie?! Thunderlane complained.

“They and Spike are packing a lunch for everypony,” Midnight assured him. “After all, what good’s a show like the dragon migration without some eats?”

“Nnope!”

*BUCK*

“…AAAAAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!!”

The guys looked up and saw Rainbow Dash come crashing down, luckily, into a large pile of dirt they’d set up, which unfortunately caused some of it to spill back into the trench, much to their chagrin.

As they crowded around her, with irked expressions, Rainbow’s was derp-eyed as she mumbled, “I guess I’ll let her off the hook this time…”

“Well, we’re not letting you off the hook for messing up our hard work!” Midnight snapped. “What just happened to you anyway?”

“Ugh! Fluttershy absolutely refused to come watch the migration with us,” Rainbow scoffed in irritation as she stood up and shook the dirt from her wings.
“So I tried to force her through the door but Big Mac forced me off of her, and then bucked me skyward!”

“Was that his ‘nnope’ we heard earlier?” Soarin asked the million-bit question.

“Forget the nnope!” Thunderlane snapped before giving Rainbow the stink eye. “You can finish digging the trench while we take a break. Come on, guys!”

“Aw, come on, Thunder!” Rainbow protested but a murderous pure-white glare from Midnight’s eyes made her ‘eep’ and she dug as though her very life depended on it.

Before long, everypony else, minus Rarity, Blueblood, and Big Mac, had arrived in the trench. Rarity and Blueblood had yet to arrive while Big Mac had elected to stay with Fluttershy to keep her company at her cottage.

To be on the safe side, Twilight had brought camo-wear for everypony so the dragons would be less likely to spot them. Once they were all fitted, they all took their binoculars and started watching out for the firebreathers.
“Not a dragon or even a cloud in sight,” Midnight whisper-announced.

“Shouldn’t be any of the latter,” Thunderlane whisper-replied. “I busted my primaries clearing the sky today in time for this!”

“You don’t think we missed them, do you?” Rainbow asked fearfully.

“No, I don’t think so,” Twilight replied. “We’re just a little early, and I’m glad we are! This way, we can watch every moment of the migration without bringing any attention to ourselves.”

“Yoo-hoo!”

They all startled and looked to see a red carpet roll straight to the makeshift stairs into their trench. And who else would be walking that red carpet but Rarity, and of course garbed in camo-wear as effective as hiding an elephant among a flock of sheep. Blueblood was wearing more sensible gear and just followed his fillyfriend, indifferent to her idiosyncrasies.

“Well, what do you think?” Rarity asked as she posed. “Aren’t I the toast of the trench or what?”

“You’ll be toast alright, when the dragons see ya paradin’ around in tha’ getup!” Applejack hissed to her.

“Rarity, for the sake of your well-being and a lesson about your utter lack of common sense…” Midnight cast a spell and Rarity was engulfed in light.

When it dimmed, she gasped in horror that he’d turned her outlandish-ly colored camo-wear to a more sensible color-scheme.
“Augh! Midnight! How dare you ruin my fabulous camouflage?!”

“With respect, love,” Blueblood interjected dryly, “I agree with Midnight’s action.”

Before Rarity could proceed with her hissy, Pinkie announced, “Ahoy mateys, dragons roam!”

And sure enough, the sky was filled with a storm of dragons!

They came in all shapes and sizes and colors, the ponies below ‘ooh’ing and ‘aah’ing as they watched through their binoculars (except for Rarity, who watched through her opera-glasses). One yellow dragon dived and did a quick loop de’ loop before rising back up to join his brothers.

“Amazing!” Twilight wowed while Rainbow blew the move a raspberry.

“Pretty lame move. Is that all they got?”

At that moment, one dragon bumped into another, that one blowing fire in rage, the ponies all ducking in time while Rainbow wasn’t as punctual.

“You were saying, Dashie?” Soarin chuckled as he looked at her slightly singed face.

“I… stand corrected,” Rainbow meeked. “I retract the word lame and substitute fierce.”

“And formidable!” Rarity agreed

“And super-duper-scary!” Pinkie squeaked.

“Yeah, us dragons are definitely a force to be reckoned with!” Spike boasted as he handed out the vittles.

But his smirk fell as Rainbow laughed, “Yeah, Spike, that’s one of the scariest aprons I’ve ever seen!”

The girls laughed along with her while the guys stifled their chuckles.

“What’s wrong with wearing an apron?!” Spike protested indignantly. “You won’t be laughing when you spill blueberries all over your scales!” – His eyes widened in realization before he corrected himself – “Feathers… That’s one tough stain!”

“One tough stain against one lame dragon,” giggled Rainbow.

“Okay, I think we’ve had our fill of laughing at Spike’s expense,” Soarin spoke up.

“Indeed! Spike’s style is unique,” Rarity spoke up, wanting to aid in Spike’s defense. “He doesn’t have to look like other dragons.”

“Or act like them,” Twilight added.

“Our little Spikey-Wikey is perfect the way he is,” said Rarity while ruffling Spike’s spines

“I don’t… act like other dragons?” Spike sounded like he was getting upset.

“Oh not even close!” Pinkie answered him, even though he hadn’t actually been asking anypony.
“But why would’ja want to, Spike?” Applejack asked.

“Okay, I think you girls can stop now,” Midnight feared where this might be going.

“You’ve something those dreadfully fierce dragons could never dream of having,” Rarity hadn’t heard Midnight.

“What’s that?” Spike asked, only to get his cheeks smooshed as Rarity unknowingly rubbed him the wrong way.
“Your cutest wittle chubby cheeks, ooh!” she answered in a slight baby voice.

“Cute?! Dragons aren’t supposed to be cute!” Spike said in horror as he blushed in embarrassment.

“It’s no big deal, Spike!” Thunderlane said with a nervous smile but Rarity continued to tickle the sleeping dragon, so to speak.

“Oh, sweetie, you are turning the most delightful shade of red, it is most becoming!”

“ERRRRGGGHH!” Spike stormed off, humiliated, as the ponies watched.

“Spike, come back!” Midnight groaned and gave the girls the stink-eye, “How can you air-headed females be so insensitive?!”

“Air-headed females?!” Twilight repeated indignantly.
“Insensitive, moi?!” Rarity agreed.
“Wha’s got you all saddle-sore about?” Applejack demanded.

“Girls, don’t you realize what you all just did?” Soarin asked.

“What? We were only complimenting our sweet little Spikey-Wikey!” Rarity pouted.

“Rarity,” Blueblood spoke up, “you emasculated Spike!”

“”What?!” the girls all uttered in confusion.

“You all hurt Spike’s feelings by comparing and contrasting him to those dragons up there,” Thunderlane explained. “You all injured his pride, as a dragon and as a guy!”

The mares finally got it through their feminine heads as they all looked to Spike as he disappeared into Ponyville.

“Oh Spike…” Twilight muttered regretfully.

Author's Note

Honestly, girls, Spike is a guy and no guy wants be be called cute in that manner.

Did anyone notice the word I used for a group of dragons, Storm?

Christopher Paolini, the author of the Inheritance Cycle, wrote a group of dragons being called a Thunder. But, in my personal opinion, I feel Storm works better.

85. Dragon Quest - Part 3

Over the next few hours, Spike got a real workout from Emerald Blaze. The Dragon-Pony was a tough teacher, practically a drill-sergeant. He’d criticize Spike’s short-comings, make him do push-ups, sit-ups, laps around the lava pools, show him various favorite dragon past-times.

Like belching contests (Spike belched up a message from Princess Celestia, which Emerald was forced to burn so the other dragons didn’t notice), tail-wrestling (which was a bit like hoof-wrassling except with tails), king of the hoard (a lot like king of the mountain, except dragons knocked each other off a hoard of gemstones and gold), which Spike almost won had he not slipped at the last second.

All the while, the guys watched the entire thing from the top of the crater-peak, sitting on magically-conjured lawn chairs and enjoying chalices of perfectly chilled Colt Cola or Sprix.
“Is it wrong that we’re enjoying this?”
“I can't deny feeling a guilty pleasure in seeing Spike run ragged. Oh, if Rarity saw this…”
“Are we going to hell?”
“Prob’ly!”
“Well here we are!”

A nearby dragon could’ve sworn he heard laughter but saw no one around.

“URGH! That’s it!” Spike stormed off.

“Where are you going?!” Emerald shouted after him.

“To gather the remains of my dignity!” Spike snapped. “All you’ve shown me so far is how undragon-like I am! I’m sick of the push-ups, the lap-running, the criticism-”

“Okay, go cool off,” Emerald Blaze dismissed him and walked away, leaving a disgruntled Spike.

He thinks he can treat me this way and just walk off? Well he can think again! Spike thought as he followed Emerald Blaze to give him a piece of his mind.

But Spike noticed Emerald was moving away from the other dragons to a rather secluded area. He then noticed Emerald look around and whisper-shout, “You can come out, no dragons around.”

Then Spike gasped as Midnight, Blueblood, and Soarin all shimmered into view, each of them wearing a golden chain encrusted with a sky-blue gemstone, that sparkled with mana.
“How’s Spike doing?” Midnight asked.

“He’s about ready to crack,” Emerald reported. “I think one more nudge will get him to give up and go home.”

“Twilight and Rarity will be relieved to have him back,” Blueblood commented.
“But is it really necessary to be so hard on the little guy?” asked Soarin.

Emerald Blaze sighed and said, “Honestly guys, whether Spike likes it or not, he’s not cut out to live with dragons like Garble and the rest.”

“Is that so?!”

The stallions all flinched and saw Spike giving them the stink-eye.

“So you were just trying to drive me away!” Spike accused. “And you guys were following me the whole time! Lemme guess – Twilight put you all up to this, to make me look like a fool!”

“Spike that’s not-” Midnight tried to say.

“I don’t wanna hear it!” Spike snapped. “I’ll show you all… I’ll show you I’m a real dragon! And I think Garble and his guys will be better teachers than you!”

“Spike, wait!” Emerald yelled but Spike already ran off.

The stallions looked to Emerald who whispered, “That’s not good…”

“Wait, so you wanna hang with us and not Emerald Blaze?” Garble and his cronies leered curiously at Spike, who looked like he meant business.

“Emerald Blaze is a jerk and a liar!” Spike growled. “He thinks I don’t have what it takes to be a real dragon, well I’m gonna prove him wrong! I want you guys to give me a way to prove myself a real dragon so I can rub Emerald’s big dumb muzzle in it!”

Garble and his boys raised their brows and smirked, loving the idea of turning one of Emerald Blaze’s friends against him.
“Alright, Pee Wee, you wanna prove yourself a real dragon? Then let’s see you in a real Dragon Raid!”

The teenage dragons all cheered at the idea as Garble explained, “There’s a nest of Phoenix eggs not too far from here, and we’re gonna swipe `em!”

The idea of stealing defenseless eggs did go against Spike;s moral compass but he was just too angry and upset to care, and said, “Let’s do it…”

“Then let’s fly!” Garble whooped and he and his boys flew off, one of them carrying Spike.

“Oh no…!” Emerald Blaze whispered, having watched the whole thing from behind boulder.

He quickly ran to the stallions, who’d reverted to being invisible, and explained, “Spike’s gone with Garble and his boys to raid a phoenix nest!”

“We have to stop them!” Midnight insisted. “Phoenixes are fierce protectors of their young! Soarin, you’ll have to carry me, Emerald you carry Blueblood!”

“All right, Spike,” Garble whispered as he, Spike, and a couple other of their cronies spied on the next from nearby bushes, a mother and father phoenix perched attentive.
“Since you’re looking to prove yourself here, you get to lure the parents away from the nest.”

“Alright…” Spike inhaled and exhaled as he stepped out into full view, “Here goes…”

He looked up to the nest, slowly picked up a rock, and then shouted, “Hey! Bird-brains, come and get me!”

*WACK*

The father phoenix rose up, angry from the bump on his head and let out an angry scream as he and his mate blazed with fire and dove towards Spike. The little dragon yelped and ran for cover.

“Eyaugh!” Spike screamed as he ran and thought to himself What was I thinking?!

The father phoenix screamed, opening his beak to grab Spike when he heard a distressed shrill and stopped in his tracks while Spike tripped over a rock. Spike balled and shivered, waiting for the punishment, the burning, the scratching and pecking…!

…

“Huh?” Spike cautiously stood up and saw the phoenix parents were gone. “Perhaps they were just giving me a warning or-”

A distant flash of intense light told him otherwise and he heard crashes and groans of pain that could only come from Garble and his pals.

“Maybe I should check out the nest again,” Spike said aloud.

But when he got to the tree where the nest was, he was surprised to see it all messed up and on the ground was what could only be a phoenix egg, blazing orange at the bottom, intense yellow on top, a flame pattern ringing it.
“Hello, what’s this?”

He then heard thuds and saw Garble and his guys had returned.
“What happened?”

“They got away,” Garble growled when he perked at the prize in Spike’s hands. “Hey, you stole an egg? Heh, I guess this raid wasn’t a total blowout after all.”

From some nearby bushes, the stallions and Emerald Blaze watched.
“Well, I guess Spike got what he wanted,” Midnight whispered.

“Not just yet,” Emerald Blaze said with a concerned tone, the guys looking at him. “Watch.”

When the dragon jerks stopped cheering, the fat brown one said, “Well what’re ya waiting for, Spike? Smash it!”

“Smash the egg?!” Spike was horrified at the idea.

“Yeah, throw the egg on the ground as hard as ya can,” said a scrawny purple dragon with blonde hair covering his eyes.

The dragons then began to chant, “Smash it! Smash it! Smash it!”

The guys felt compelled to do something, at least prevent Spike from doing something he might regret, but for some reason Midnight told them, “No! Spike has to make this choice himself!”

He watched as Spike stood there in emotional conflict, burdened by peer pressure and what he knew was right and wrong.
Come on, Spike! Make the right choice…!

They felt their hearts sink, the dragons’ sneers rise, as Spike raised the egg over his head… but then hugged it close and declared, “No!”

“No?!” The dragons echoed in confusion.

“It’s just a defenseless egg, like I was,” Spike remembered. “And I’m not gonna let you hurt it!”

“Did you just say no? To me?!” Garble growled. “No one says 'no' to me!”

Spike nervously held the egg close as he backed away from the menacing Garble, only to feel something.
“Huh?”

In flashes of blue light, their invisibility melted away, revealing Midnight, Blueblood, and Soarin, all looking ready for a fight.
“Back off, pepper breath!”
“Touch one scale on his head and I'll thrash ya!”
“Put em up, putem up!”

The dragons all burst out laughing, Garble saying, “Spike, are these namby-pamby ponies your friends?!”

“Yes they are, and they’re better friends than you could ever be!” Spike declared proudly. "Now, if you don't back off, you'll see what us ponies do when confronted by a huge group of jerky dragons!”

“Oh yeah?” Garble snorted smoke into Spike’s face before challenging, “What’s that?”

Spike’s eyes got nervously shifty before he screamed, “RUN AWAY…!!!”

He streaked off, Blueblood and Soarin following him. But Midnight remained, giving the dragons a dark look.

“Oh look guys, at least one of these prissy little ponies has enough backbone to fight!”

“I don’t make a habit of bullying those weaker than me…” Midnight said ominously.

“Us? Weaker than you?!” Garble growled indignantly.

But then Midnight’s eyes flashed yellow and red, his horn enveloped in a golden aura as he took hold of the dragons’ wings and there were sickening cracks, the dragons all screaming as they felt a terrible pressure break their wings, and the pain made them all roar in agonized fury, Garble demanding, “How’d you do that?! Ergh, magic hardly has any effect on dragons… This doesn’t make sense!"

Midnight’s eyes narrowed, his mouth smirked as he said, “Make sense? Heh-heh, now what fun is there in making sense…?”

And with that done, Midnight left the grounded dragons to rage and suffer as he teleported away to catch up with his friends.

The guys, along with Spike and Emerald Blaze, found themselves just outside the Everfree Forest, Ponyville in the distance.
“Glad we got out of that unscathed,” Blueblood ‘phew’ed.

“Thanks you guys,” Spike said, “sorry for the way I acted.”

“No, I’m sorry Spike,” Emerald Blaze corrected. “I was trying to teach you a lesson far greater than anything you could learn about dragons, and I thought being tough was the right way to go.”

“Well, in a way it was,” Spike waved it off, showing there was no hard feelings. “I forgot that what I am doesn’t define who I am, and that made me forget about those who truly care for me. Garble and those guys were creeps!”

“I thought I told you that,” Emerald chuckled.

“Spike, we followed you to make sure you’d be safe,” Midnight explained.
“Because we care about you, because we're friends.” nodded Blueblood.
“And the girls would be devastated if anything ever happened to you,” Soarin added.

“Thanks guys,” Spike held out his arms and they had a group guys hug (don’t ask how that works).

“Well, I gotta take off, gentlecolts,” Emerald announced. “I think I have a few things to report to the princess. Keep in touch, Spike!”

And without warning, Emerald Blaze took flight in a blazing ball of green flame that streaked off towards Canterlot.

“Spike?” Spike face Midnight, who lowered his backside, “Let’s go home.”

Spike laughed as he hopped onto Midnight’s back, and they made their way to Ponyville.

“Hey Spike, you still got that phoenix egg,” Soarin reminded him.

“I think I’ll hold onto it,” Spike decided as he looking happily at the egg. “The little guy that hatches from this, will have a lot to learn about being a pony!”

The guys all laughed while Spike began to consider the letter he'd have for the princess.

Author's Note

Emerald Blaze is (c) by Sarkolov

Someone was worried Pee-Wee would be excluded from this so i had to work this in order to make sure the little phoenix would make it. I'm not sure if I'll keep true to the story in having Spike give Pee Wee back to his parents but I might find a way for our favorite dragon to keep his new pet, but! No promises.

For the record, PKR is short for PsychoKinetic Residue, often describing some kind of remnant of psychic or even paranormal/mystic energy

86. Hurricane Fluttershy - Part 1

A blue form streaked across the sky over Ponyville, zipping to and fro, corkscrewing, axle-spinning, loop de’ looping, that Rainbow Dash just had to see who it was.

Whoever this is, she thought as she flapped her wings overtime to catch up, they just might be what I need!

“Hey! Lemme talk to you!”

The blue blur didn’t slow down. In fact, it flew even faster, as if it were trying to get away.

“Hey come on, I just wanna talk!” Rainbow shouted as she pumped her wings harder. “You know I’m gonna catch you anyway. Nopony outflies Rainbow Dash!”

But then the blue blur flew straight for the sun, its intense glare blinding Rainbow Dash for a moment.

*Flash*

As she cleared her eyes, she looked around but whoever that blue blur had been they were gone!

“Faust-damn it!” she brayed in frustration. She sighed and thought, Ah well, might as well start spreading these flyers

From his hiding place in an alleyway, Midnight phew’d in relief, glad he hadn’t been caught.

“Good thing flying into the sun always works,” he panted as he looked down proudly at the aviator goggles he had in his hooves, the lens reflecting a shimmering blue.

After arriving at the weather station, Rainbow went to her office as the Ponyville weather captain. Check that, the co-captain, evident by the ‘co-’ drawn onto her door in permanent marker, much to her chagrin. Rainbow had ever since regretted making Thunderlane her co-captain, partly because of their differences in getting the job done and the methods in which they conducted.

Of course, Thunderlane was a great co-captain, organized, responsible, and he breezed through the paperwork and had an excellent strategic mind in coordinating Ponyville’s weather.

However, before he shared the position Rainbow Dash was given by the mayor (solely because she was the fastest pegasus in town), Rainbow had had her way of doing things. She’d been used to barking orders, assigning her weather ponies air spaces and what kind of weather to put in them, which had been more or less productive and adequate in getting the job done.

But, silly her, Thunderlane had never seen eye to eye with her methods, saying they were lazy, sloppy, and just barely held together without falling apart at the seams. Back then, she’d been able to go over his head and force him to comply with her orders, but these days they shared the same amount of authority and sometimes the team deferred to Thunderlane’s leadership over hers, which did not help the rainbow-colored mare’s ego.

But now, Rainbow Dash was determined to show what a great weather captain she was, as she’d been approached by a very certain pegasus from Cloudsdale, and wanted to share that with the pegasi of Ponyville.

“Calling all pegasi!” she called as she flew over Ponyville that afternoon, throwing flyers about and letting them fall into the hooves of the Ponyvillians. “Meeting tonight!”

Specifically, the flyers read:

‘Mandatory Meeting tonight for all Ponyville Pegasi, located at the Golden Oak Library’

Night came and the pegasi of Ponyville piled into the library, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane standing at the sides of the doorway like sentries.

“Alright, in you go, find a seat,” Thunderlane waved them in with his wings.

Once the intake stopped, Rainbow peered through and appeared to do some counting. She groaned, Thunderlane asking, “What’s wrong?”

“Go on ahead and get things started with the film,” Rainbow directed.

Thunderlane shrugged and went in.

Inside, the pegasus ponies were all abuzz of what this meeting might be about. Thunderlane went over to the projector set up in the back where Midnight and Spike were getting things ready.
“We good to go?”

“So long as it-” Midnight tried to say but Spike interrupted as he yelled, “LIGHTS!”

Somepony killed the lights as a screen rolled down and the pegasi all hushed in wondering anticipating and Spike started the projector.

3…

2…

A silhouette of a pegasus stallion appeared as fifties P.S.A. music played when an announcer started speaking.
‘Every living thing depends on the life-giving nourishment of rainwater, and it is up to Cloudsdale to provide rain-filled clouds to every corner of Equestria. But how, one pony might ask, does Cloudsdale gather all this extra water? Tornado power! That's right, Pegasi-driven tornado power. A team of pegasi combine their wing power to create a jumbo tornado, powerful enough to pull water out of the local reservoir and funnel it all the way up to Cloudsdale. Remember, pegasi, your jumbo tornado must reach a minimum of eight hundred wing power to lift that water up to Cloudsdale. So, the next time you're wondering "Where does all that extra rainwater come from?", just remem–‘

The music distorted while the picture suddenly went ablaze, much to the complaints of everypony, as they all glared at Spike, the film in the projector going screwy.

“Uh, intermission?” he smiled awkwardly through the tangled film.

“So! Here’s the scoop!”

Everypony faced forward again, seeing Rainbow flapping aloft, as she reported, “Cloudsdale’s chosen our own highland reservoir as the source of the rainwater they need for all of Equestri- Oof!”

Thunderlane had knocked Rainbow out of the way as he took over explanations.
“And you know what the means, everypony! It’s up to us, the Pegasi of Ponyville, to get all that water straight up to Cloudsdale!”

The pegasus ponies started murmuring excitably as Rainbow pushed her way back in.
“Not only that, but Spitfire” she pulled down a Wonderbolts poster featuring Spitfire (don't ask from where) – “Captain of the Wonderbolts, will be here to oversee the water transfer and record our top tornado wind speed.”

*KICK*

Thunderlane got back in as he pulled down a graph, “Now last year, Fillydelphia broke the wind-speed record of with a top speed of 910 wing-power.”

“But I think we can do better!” Rainbow deigned to share the spotlight with her co-captain as she pulled down another graph. “I think we can get a top speed over 1,000!”

The crowd were getting more intrigued as Rainbow went on.
“And! …Each and every pony trains, and trains hard to get their wing-power levels up!”

“So are we gonna train hard?” Thunderlane asked, punching into his other hoof, everypony yelling, “Yeah!”

“Are we gonna be strong?!” Rainbow challenged them, which they answered with a collective, “Yeah!!”

“Are we gonna be fast?!” Thunderlane exclaimed, the pegasi shouting, “Yeah!!!”

“Record-smashing fast?!” Rainbow added, a big white and muscle-bound pegasus stallion huffing, “YEAH!!!”

“Then let’s do it!!!” Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash cheered, as did everypony else! But Rainbow noticed, much to her irritation, a certain yellow pegasus mare with butterflies for a cutie-mark, had flown the coop.

The next morning, every pegasus pony had gotten up early and gone out to the track that had been set up, and were training hard. Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane walked about, both of them wearing caps and whistles

“Stretch those glutes, Flitter!”

“Nice flexibility, Cloudchaser!”

“A… little too much flexibility, Blossomforth. Somepony give Blossomforth a hoof?”

“Let’s see a little faster trotting, Silverspeed.”

“Good pacing, Soarin!”

“Keep it up, everypony!” Thunderlane encouraged, Rainbow adding, “We’re gonna need all the wing-power we can get to break that record!”

“YEAH!!!”

“Good work, everypony!” Thunderlane yelled to everypony present.

“Everypony except Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash muttered impatiently.

“Dash, don’t stir a hornet’s nest that shouldn’t be stirred,” Thunderlane rolled his eyes.

“But we’re gonna need all the wing-power we can get, did you not hear me?” Rainbow protested.

“Dash, the point of this job we’ve been given is to get that water from the reservoir to Cloudsdale,” Thunderlane maintained. “Sure I’d love to break that record but the task of providing rain for all of Equestria is what really matters here.”

“Ugh, you and your integrity,” Rainbow huffed. “I don’t care, I’m gonna go find `Shy.”

Watching her fly off, Thunderlane sighed woefully.
“Something wrong, coach?”

He looked to see Soarin giving him a sympathetic smile.
“It’s just… Dash has such an ego! Doesn’t she understand what we’re doing here matters more than a record?”

“Then what was all that encouragement you were giving everypony last night?” Soarin brought up.

“Exactly what it was, encouragement,” Thunderlane insisted. “The drive to do their best is what will help these ponies accomplish this important job!”

“I see what you’re saying,” Soarin shrugged. “Honestly, in some ways, Dash reminds me of Spitfire.”

“I take it that’s a bad thing?” Thunderlane asked.

“Yes and no,” Soarin replied vaguely. “What I mean is, Rainbow has awesome ambition and tenacity, and that will surely help her in getting into the Wonderbolts, whereas you have a clear sense of responsibility and asking of everypony to just do their best. That will help you too.”

“Thanks,” Thunderlane said with a smile.

“But in both your cases, Rainbow Dash can lose sight of what’s important whereas you don’t seem to have the drive to go beyond your limits,” Soarin explained. “It’s not a bad thing in the latter but dreaming big can help you out in the long run.”

“Hmm,” Thunderlane contemplated Soarin's words as the blue stallion returned to his warm-ups.

A while later, Twilight, Midnight, Spike, and even Big Macintosh showed up. Twilight brought out a device with a propeller and some kind of dial on the base, explaining it would be a big help in everypony’s training.

“What exactly does this machine do?” Cloudchaser asked, her sister Flitter looking equally interested.

“This is an anemometer. It measures your accelerative velocity and translates it into wing power, thus gauging your cumulative H2O anti-gravitational potential,” Twilight explained. “Any other questions?”

“Yeah…” Flitter said slowly before turning to Midnight and Spike. “What exactly does this machine do?”

“I’ll dumb it down for y’all,” Midnight chuckled. “Simply put, it tells you how fast you fly and translates that speed into wing-power.”

“Ohh…” the sisters said in dawning comprehension, Twilight snorting at these ignoramuses.

*Cough, cough*

“Who was coughing?” Twilight demanded. “Please, we must have a germ-free environment!”

“Relax, Twi,” Midnight sighed before announcing, “Look everypony, we need to start determining and tallying up everypony’s wing-power. So who wants to try out the anemometer first?”

“Lemme at it!” Thunderlane insisted as stepped up to the line. Taking off his cap and whistle, he hunkered down, his wings spread, his ears flattened, his brows furrowed in concentration. He started beating his wings and… he was off!

*ZOOM…!!!*

The ponies all felt the slipstream rush past them, as well as saw it spin the anemometer. Twilight read the device and reported, “We have a solid 13.0 wing-power!”

The pegasus ponies all wowed as Thunderlane landed next to Cloudchaser and Flitter, his little brother Rumble gazing proudly up at him.

“Impressive,” Rainbow said with a smirk before she took her place at the line. She got rid of some cricks in her legs and wings… before she took off.

Her slipstream was decisively more powerful, causing some ponies to actually fight to hold their balance while Fluttershy had actually been blown off her hooves.

“16.5 wing-power!” Twilight reported with an excited look and messy mane, much to everypony’s cheering delight.

“Impressive indeed!”

That voice cut through the cheer and everypony gaped incredulously to see Midnight at the starting line.

“Midnight, what’re you doing?” Rainbow asked with a raised brow.

Midnight said nothing but smirked as he levitated a pair of aviator goggles onto his head, making sure they were snug and tight. He then made eye-contact with Rainbow and winked before…
*Flash*

Everypony gasped in amazement!

Midnight’s horn was gone but he’d somehow gotten some impressive-looking wings in return, as he spread them out, looking ready for anything!

Author's Note

For the record, it's the goggles Midnight put on, and I improved Thunderlane's wing-power from its canon 9.3 to 13.0 to make it seem more impressive as the co-captain of the Ponyville Weather Team

87. Hurricane Fluttershy - Part 2

“What the…?!” Rainbow Dash, Twilight, all his friends’ jaws dropped as they gazed on the impossible!

Midnight had somehow transformed himself into a pegasus, no fake wings of gossamer and morningdew, but actual wings of flesh, bone, and feather. But before they could ask, Midnight started doing stretches, getting rid of cricks one by one, milking the situation in taking his sweet time that finally Thunderlane couldn’t take it anymore.
"Well?" he egged with an impatient smile. "We're waiting!"

“And good things come to those who wait,” Midnight chuckled as he hunkered down, his wings spread.

They heard the beating of his wings as he started to rev it up before…!

*CHOOM, WHOOSH*

Ponies all yelled in shell shock as they fought against what felt like a gale from a hurricane so powerful it blew multiple pegasi skyward while Big Macintosh stood over Twilight, Spike, and Fluttershy to keep them from being blown, using his impressive stature to hold his ground. Even Rainbow, Thunder, and Soarin all fought to defy this incredible power.

As it died down, all ponies gaped at Midnight, who had reverted to his true unicorn form, and was looking pretty darn proud of himself as he polished his hoof on his coat and blew it.

“19.1 wing-power!” Spike reported, unable to believe what he was reading on the anemometer.

“What?!” Rainbow couldn’t believe it either, Midnight had outclassed her!

Then it hit her, “You’re the blue blur I saw flying around Ponyville yesterday!”

“Eeyup, that was me,” Midnight admitted as he walked up with sheepish smile, everypony to still gaping at him.

“Midnight, how did you transform yourself into a pegasus?!” Twilight awed.

“This,” Midnight levitated his goggles, “my latest creation, and a personal favorite of mine! It’s imbued with a transformation spell, and the jewels on the sides of the lenses contain pure pegasus magic! It took me forever to figure out the harmonics of the pegasus magic, but I finally got it and took it for its first test-run yesterday!”

“But why didn’t you talk to me?!” Rainbow demanded.

“I… wasn’t quite ready to make the big reveal then,” Midnight admitted sheepishly. “But when I heard about Tornado Day, I just knew this would be the perfect way to unveil these babies!”

“So… with that,” Soarin gathered, “a unicorn or earth pony could transform into a pegasus?”

“Unfortunately no,” Midnight shook his head. “Despite its success, this is still a prototype, as it’s keyed to my own mystic signature. So it only works for me.”

“Incredible…!” Twilight marveled at the goggles, her horn flaring as she reached out to touch its ethereal essence and felt the freedom of the sky, the might of a storm, heard the music of rainfall, and the touch of a summer breeze.
“Midnight, this could revolutionize ponykind everywhere!”

“Let’s take this one step at a time, Twi,” Midnight chuckled as he put them back on. “Add me to the roster, everypony cuz I’m flying on Tornado Day!”

“Yeah!” everypony cheered, almost drowned out by a certain big and burly pegasus stallion’s “YEAH!!!”

Rainbow gaped after them as they crowded around Midnight. She couldn’t believe it – Midnight had not only outclassed her wing-power he’d knocked her completely out of the spotlight!
“I don’t understand it! Midnight’s not a pegasus, not a real one at least. How can he have more wing-power than me?!”

“It’s his magic,” Twilight suggested, “Rainbow Dash, you know that pegasus magic is what really helps Pegasus ponies fly, right? That you use your wings to channel it, giving you the abilities to fly and influence the weather. From what I can see here, Midnight has converted his own magic into pegasus magic, and that’s what gives him such great wing-power!”

“But that still doesn’t answer my question!” Rainbow protested.

“Rainbow Dash, sometimes a pegasus pony’s flying skills, speed, and stamina is actually determined by their innate magical power,” Twilight explained further.
“Simply put, Midnight has more magic than you, so his wing-power as a pegasus is greater.”

“But- I…” Rainbow began to wrap her mind around it all but she still didn’t like it.

“This actually makes sense, now that I think about it,” Twilight commented, Rainbow looking at her while she looked on towards Midnight. “I’ve always known Midnight has great magical power. I’ve seen it plenty of times before, and I’ve always thought at the very least Midnight is my equal in raw magical power.”

That one got Rainbow Dash’s attention – She’d always thought of Twlight, as a unicorn mage, was in a class by herself. To hear her speak of Midnight as her equal was an attention-grabber but then she said, “But there have also been times, mostly at night, where I’ve seen Midnight’s power to go even further. I think, under the right circumstances, Midnight’s magic is stronger by far than even mine…”

Rainbow looked in awe at Midnight, a pegasus again, the goggles resting on his forehead as he stood with the other pegasi as they listened to Thunderlane.
“Alright, everypony, if we’re gonna do our record-breaking best, each and every one of you has to raise their wing-power to at least 10.0 by the end of the week! You do that and not only will we prove ourselves in breaking the record we’ll show all of Equestria that the pegasi of Ponyville are Number One!!!”

The pegasi all cheered and took flight, a nervous Fluttershy hunkering down.

Over the next couple hours, everypony took a turn to determine their level of wing-power, which Twilight and Spike jotted down and tallied, until finally…
“Fluttershy, your turn!” Rainbow blew her whistle.

Fluttershy shakily stepped up, nervous as she felt all eyes fall upon her.

“Show `em what’cha got, Sugarcube!”

She looked to Big Macintosh, giving her a supportive smile, and she felt some of the pressure fall from her wings, took a deep breath before taking off. As she flapped, Fluttershy felt more tension fall away, and thought that just maybe she could do this.

But then as she passed Cloudchaser and Flitter, her ears perked at their laughs, sounding derisive, and she could hear it. That mocking chant from when she was a nervous little filly in Flight Camp!

She felt the tension return, causing her to slow up, as she passed the anemometer by. Twilight gave it a look and Rainbow noticed the look on her face.

All eyes turned to them, particularly Fluttershy as they heard…
“Tell her!”
“You tell her.
“No, you!”

Then they noticed Fluttershy looking at them expectantly.
“Uh… great job, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said hesitantly. “You… measured, uh, 0.5.”

“0.5?!”

They flinched and looked at Spike as he blurted out, “Isn’t that less than 1?”

*THWACK*

“Ow!” Spike rubbed his head as Twilight gave him the stink eye.

Hearing that pitiful level of wing-power, seeing those eyes on her, hearing that awful chant in her mind, Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel as though she were surrounded by gaping eyes, watching, just waiting for her to slip up!

She galloped off, crying, Rainbow Dash and big Mac chasing after her, the former yelling, “Fluttershy, wait!”

As they caught up with her, Rainbow said, “So some punks poked fun at you when you got stage fright, big deal! You’re not gonna quit just because of that, are you?”

But then Fluttershy turned to face Rainbow and she felt her heart sink at her friend’s face, stained with tears as her voice broke, “Ye-he-hes!”

“But… I need you!” Rainbow insisted, Big Mac suddenly standing in her way.

“Nnope!” he said firmly.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but-” Fluttershy sobbed, “I… I just don’t have the courage!”

She ran off, sniffling, Big Mac going after her, and Rainbow stood there, conflicted between her emotions. Disappointed in Fluttershy being a quitter and feeling guilty to being insensitive to her fears. She finally growled and bucked at the dirt before walking back to the training track.

Twilight, Thunderlane, Soarin, and Midnight saw Rainbow Dash come back, looking down. Soarin felt his heart hurt a bit at seeing Rainbow that way but Thunderlane said, “I’m gonna have a talk with her.”

He went over, saying, “Dash?”

She looked up at him, as he said, “Fly with me.”

As they flew up over Ponyville, Thunderlane asked, “So Fluttershy’s too scared, huh?”

“I can’t believe it, Thunder…” Rainbow sighed. “The one time I really and truly need her she chickens out! I mean, I get that she had a bad experience back in Flight Camp but that was years ago!”

“Some scars just never fade, Dash,” Thunderlane said patiently, “and when it comes to ponies like Fluttershy, they can go very deep.”

“But this is our big chance, Thunderlane! Our chance to make Ponyville proud, to rise up and claim everlasting glory!” Rainbow insisted. “I mean, if I can show Spitfire something so awesome as breaking this record…!”

“It’s all about you, isn’t it?”

She spun around at him, seeing his eyes narrowed at her. But what got her goat was the way he was looking at her, his tone of voice.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” she demanded.

“It’s always about you,” Thunderlane said disapprovingly. “Always having to be the best, always having to be in the limelight... I saw the look on your face when Midnight registered a greater level of wing-power than you!”

“He doesn’t deserve that wing-power!” Rainbow argued, “He’s never trained as hard as I have, flown for as long-”

“You should be grateful, Dash!” Thunderlane snapped, “With Midnight’s wing-power combined with ours, we stand a whole lot of a greater chance of breaking that record, like it matters!”

“Whattya mean by that, of course it matters!” Rainbow insisted.

“To you maybe,” Thunderlane went on. “But this is not about you breaking some record to impress somepony, it’s about getting that water from the reservoir to Cloudsdale so everypony in Equestria can get rain, I can’t believe that is not enough for you! And you’re putting your own goals before Fluttershy’s feelings!”

“Because every little bit counts!” Rainbow insisted.

“Rainbow Dash, for the last time!” Thunderlane snapped. “This is not” – he punctuated the following words with a flap each, going over Rainbow’s head – “About” – “YOU!”

The co-captains/rivals glared into each other’s eyes, daring the other to break eye-contact first. Finally, Thunderlane scoffed and said, “I have better things to do than argue with an immature egomaniac…”

He flew off, leaving Rainbow Dash to fume and rant over her mixed priorities.

Author's Note

I had mixed-feelings about putting Rainbow Dash into an unfavorable light but that didn't stop the showmakers with "Mare Dowell"

I honestly felt Rainbow Dash had mixed priorities in this episode, and I used that to play up the drama here

88. Hurricane Fluttershy - Part 3

Below a willow tree by the pond, critters gathered around a big red earth pony stallion as he lied beside his fillyfriend, allowing her to cry into his shoulder.

It broke Big Mac’s heart to see Fluttershy like this, but he knew for the moment she just needed a sympathetic shoulder to lean on. He marveled at how much the animals around them showed great concern and care for Fluttershy, Angel in particular was combing his dear caregiver’s hair.

Fluttershy lifted her face, all the animals seeing her cheeks stained with tears and her eyes a little red. A squirrel hopped up onto Mac’s shoulder and held out an acorn to Fluttershy, making them both smile.
“Oh thank you,” she sniffled, “but a couple little acorns won’t solve my big flying problem…”

“Feelin’ better `Shy?” asked Big Mac.

“Oh Mackie!” she sobbed, “I tried- But- Oh, the way those ponies were laughing at me!”

“Now `Shy…” Big Mac started but Fluttershy beat him to the punch.

“Oh I know it’s important to have confidence in myself,” Fluttershy said, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup” as he gently nudged Fluttershy onto her hooves.

All of a sudden, a badger started chattering persistently at Fluttershy.

“Yes, yes, I do remember,” she responded to him. “The river was swelling.”

The badger chattered again then flinched and played dead, “And you were scared.”

As the badger continued to chatter, Big Mac couldn’t help but feel left out yet was amazed at how Fluttershy could understand these woodland critters so intimately.
“Yes, I did tell you to never give up, and… to believe in yourself.”

“Sounds t’ me ya gotta start takin’ yer own advice, `Shy,” Big Mac suggested while nuzzling against Fluttershy’s cheek, which she welcomed warmly.

She then stiffened her stature, a look of determination on her face, “You’re right, Big Mac, all of you! I will get my confidence up and I will show them all I’m as good a flyer as any of them!”

Big Mac smiled happily as he watched his Fluttershy rise up, vowing to become, “A great flyer!”

The animals cheered while Big Mac nodded, “Eeyup!”

“Mackie,” Fluttershy came down, “Would you please go back to the track and tell Rainbow Dash I’m okay?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded. “Want me t’ come back after?”

“No, I want to do this myself,” Fluttershy declined. But she smiled and kissed him on the cheek, “But you’re sweet to offer.”

She giggled as Big Mac turned an even deeper red as a big goofy smile spread across his face before he ambled off.

Big Mac reported to Midnight, Twilight, and Thunderlane that Fluttershy had not given up, but he requested they not tell Rainbow Dash for the time being. Faust knew what Rainbow might do if she knew Fluttershy was training herself, she might impose her “abilities” as a coach.

Over the next few days, everypony trained. Big Mac would go back to Fluttershy’s cottage on the pretense of keeping her company for a while before coming back to the track to help with the training. Big Mac was truly proud of Fluttershy and grateful to her critters for helping her and being so supportive.

*WHOOSH, SPINNNNN…*
“That’s wonderful, Flitter,” Twilight said after she looked at the anemometer, “much better than yesterday!”

“This is crazy-awesome, we’re gonna smash that record!” Rainbow clacked her hooves together in punctuation when a squirrel started chattering and pulling at Twilight’s hoof.

“Wha’did he say?” Spike asked.
“Do I look like I speak squirrel?” Twilight raised her brow.

Then Spike looked in the direction the squirrel was pointing, “What’s that?”

They gasped to see a determined-looking Fluttershy approach, her critters in loyal tow, as Fluttershy positioned herself, much to Rainbow’s glee.

Big Mac smiled, seeing the determination and boost of confidence in his fillyfriend’s face, and watched closely as she buzzed her wings like a bumblebee before…

*Whoosh, spinnnn…*

Fluttershy hurried over to look at the anemometer and what she saw broke her heart.
“2.3?! That’s it?!” She backed away in disappointment, “Please tell me it’s some kind of mistake, I worked so hard!”

“Fluttershy, that’s a huge improvement,” Twilight assured her.
“You did awesome, Fluttershy!” added Rainbow Dash.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac insisted but Fluttershy broke in tears again.

“No I didn’t! I thought I’d gotten over my nerves,” she sniffled as she backed away, “but they still got the best of me! There’s no way I’ll fly with 10.0 wing-power tomorrow!”

Rainbow started to get it as she tried to console her foalhood friend, “So you won’t fly with 10.0 wing-power, every bit counts!”

“It doesn’t matter what your contribution so long as you try, Fluttershy,!” Thunderlane added.

“How would you guys feel?!” Fluttershy demanded, “If everypony else was flying with 10.0 wing-power while all you had was 2.5?”

“Uh, actually it was 2.3,” Spike said without tact, earning him a lip-zip spell from Twilight and the stink eye from Midnight and Mac.

“Uh, well…”
“I guess I’d…”

“Exactly, humiliated!” insisted Fluttershy, as she slunk off, “I’m sorry everypony, I just can’t do it!”

Everypony watched sadly as Fluttershy left upset again, her animals following.

“Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, it’s okay!” Spike tried to ease the tension, “you’ve still got plenty of wing-power for the tornado. You’ll be able to lift tons of water straight up to Cloudsdale!”

*BUCK*

“EEYAAAUUGGGHH!!!” Spike was sent flying into a bush, Twilight glaring at Midnight.

“What?! Somepony had to do it.”

“If only there was a way to lift Fluttershy out of the dumps,” Rainbow sighed.

“Dash, listen,” Thunderlane said to her, “You can’t cure somepony of their fears unless they’re willing to do it themselves, it’s the first step for anypony to conquer them. Fluttershy’s just not ready to do that.”

“Thunder’s right,” Soarin came up, looking slightly under the weather. He stifled a cough, saying, “Sorry, a little tickle in my throat… Ahem, Rainbow Dash, I was actually a lot like Fluttershy when I was younger.”

“You?!” Rainbow gaped at him.

“It’s true,” Soarin said with a smile. “I shook like a leaf whenever I felt like everypony was watching me. But my folks and my friends were there for me, patient and encouraging. They didn’t force me until I felt comfortable, and they even did a few bouts of reverse-psychology on me. If they hadn’t I wouldn’t have found the courage to overcome my own case of stage fright and become the Wonderbolt you guys know me as today. That’s why you have to do the same with Fluttershy, you can’t force her until she herself is ready to step up and face her problems.”

Rainbow finally got it through her thick skull and sighed.
“Well then, let’s all go home and rest, big day tomorrow.”

A big day indeed as every pegasus pony on Ponyville showed up at the reservoir, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Spike, and even Big Mac were there, along with a bigger version of Twilight’s anemometer so they’d know how much wing-power they produced.

And right on time did appear Spitfire in a burst of speed from Cloudsdale, yet landing gracefully next to the device and waved to the fans among the tornado team. Rainbow and Thunder hoof-bumped before they rose up and declared, “Are we ready to do this?!”

“Yeah!!!” every pegasus pony answered.

But as they landed, Spike came up with a list, “Soarin isn’t here!”

“What?!” Rainbow flew up, trying to see her favorite Wonderbolt/crush among the attendees, demanding, “Where is Soarin?!”

“He’s down at Ponyville Hospital sick with the feather flu,” answered Rumble. “Mister Blueblood took him in early this morning.”

“He’s not the only one,” Spike said warily, showing eight more pegasi weren’t present.

“You can’t be serious!” Rainbow looked at the list, and he was right. “Ugh! I can’t believe this!”

“Midnight’s out too?!” Thunderlane couldn’t believe it either when…

“Uh, guys?”

They all turned and sighed to see, “Midnight!”

She zoomed up to him but noticed something wrong. He had a horn, not wings.
“Why aren’t you feathered up?!”

“Uh, heh-heh,” Midnight said sheepishly, “it’s a funny story, really, Dash.”

He levitated out his magic goggles and they all saw the lenses were cracked.

“So what’s the big deal?” Rainbow demanded.

“The big deal is that since the lenses of my goggles are broken,” Midnight explained, “so is the spell they were imbued with! Until I can repair them I won’t be able to transform into a pegasus!”

“AUGH! What happened to them?!” Rainbow demanded, making Midnight flinch.

“Well…” Midnight began as did the flashback.

After a long day of training, Midnight decided to head to Sugarcube Corner for a shake. As he trotted, humming excitably and looking forward to tomorrow, he didn’t notice a certain orange scooter-riding hellion streak out of nowhere.

*CRASH/YOW*

“Uuuggh,” Midnight sat up, rubbing his aching head when he heard a crack. He looked down and was horrified to see his goggles’ lenses broken.

“Uhhh…”

He looked to Scootaloo, looking nervous.
“Gotta scoot!” she zipped away on her scooter, leaving Midnight out to dry.

“Augh!” Midnight whimpered as he tried to use a repairing spell on the goggles, but the remnants of the magic they were imbued with fluxed the spell, rendering his attempts futile.
“Three weeks wasted…!”

“…and that’s what happened,” Midnight said warily, Rainbow Dash groaning as she facehooved.

“Rainbow Dash.”

They looked to see Twilight going over some calculations on an abacus, “With all those pegasi out with the feather flu, and Midnight unable to take pegasus form…”

She gasped, Thunderlane going over, “What’s wrong?!”

“Don’t tell me we won’t be able to break the wind-speed record,” hoped Rainbow Dash.

“Worse,” Twilight reported apologetically, “you might not have enough wing-power to create a tornado powerful enough to lift the water to Cloudsdale!”

As the unforgiving reality sunk in, they all gazed up sadly towards Cloudsdale, Spike asking, “Well, should we pack up?”

Rainbow looked to all the pegasi, seeing their anxious looks and couldn’t bear to break the news to them,
“No! Of course not,” she declared, “Forget the record. Cloudsdale still needs water!”

Thunderlane smiled proudly, You finally get it, Dash as he rose up and announced, “Alright everypony, time to give it all we got!”

As everypony slapped on their goggles and Spike took his position, Rainbow instructed, “On the sound of the horn we take off!”

She and Thunder looked to Twilight, midnight, Big Mac, and Spitfire as they stood next to the anemometer. Twilight gestured positively towards Spike, and the little dragon took a deep breath… before blowing a powerful call from the horn, that signaled everypony to take flight!

Almost at once, they began flying in counter-clockwise, quickly mixing up a tornado. As the winds began to pick up on the anemometer, Spike asked, “Think they’re gonna make it to 800 wing-power?”

“I sure hope so,” Twilight responded as Midnight cast a barrier to protect them from the winds. “150 wing-power…250 wing-power… 500 wing-power!”

The water in the reservoir began dripping upwards as the winds started to draw it all upward.

“750 wing-power!”

“Twilight!”

They all gaped to see, “`Shy! What’re y’all doin’ here?!”

Fluttershy was trying to approach them, fighting against the winds,a few of her critters accompanying her.

“I figured-! If I couldn’t help Rainbow Dash with the tornado,” she explained while fighting the wind as Big Mac hurried over to help her, “the least I could do was offer moral support!”

“She can sure use it,” Twilight said as Big Mac brought Fluttershy into the safety of Midnight’s barrier.
“Considering some of the pegasi are sick with feather flu and Midnight can’t transform into a pegasus!”

“Oh no!” Fluttershy looked up towards the tornado, just as a larger mass of water began to rise into the wind tunnel

Alas, it was a losing battle. Without the 800 wing-power minimum, the tornado began to weaken, as did the pegasi. One by one, they tired out and started bumping into each other before the winds threw them in all directions, the tornado broke apart…! And the water fell back into the reservoir, leaving everypony all washed up. Literally.

They watched as their friends crashed, Midnight and Mac hurrying over to Thunderlane, who was rubbing a bump on his head.
“Thunderlane, are you alright?”

“Ugh, I’ll be fine,” Thunderlane groaned as he shakily got back onto his hooves.

“You were so close to the 800 wing-power minimum!” Midnight sighed, “I’m sorry, Thunder. If I hadn’t gotten my goggles broken, I could be up there with you.”

“No point crying over spilled milk,” Thunderlane declared when Rainbow came over.

“We’ve got to try again!”

“But you’ve pushed the team to their limits already!” Twilight telekinetically grabbed Rainbow’s tail and stunted her takeoff.
“If you lose control and break apart again somepony could get hurt!” added Midnight.

The co-captains looked to their pegasi, seeing some of them looking tired, beat, wet, and close to giving up.
“No! One more time!” Rainbow insisted, especially to Thunderlane, “I’ve gotta know we gave it our all! If I’m going down I’m going down flying!”

Seeing the look in her eyes, and how down their team was, Thunderlane nodded as he zoomed up with Rainbow.
“Come on, everypony! Let’s do this!”

Everypony cheered.
“YEAH!!!”

The horn blew again, and again the pegasi took off. Once again the tornado formed, Twilight keeping track of the anemometer, Midnight providing shelter from the wind.
“100… 200… 500!”

“Stay in position!”
“Flap those wings!”
“Faster!”
“Don’t give up!”

“700! …750 wing-power!” Twilight reported, Spike yelling over the roar of the wind, “They fell apart right after this!”

“Oh I just can’t watch!” Fluttershy whimpered.

“Come on, we’re almost there!”
“I can see the water trying to funnel through!”

“795, they’re so close!” Twilight felt the suspense killing them.

As he concentrated on his barrier, Midnight gasped as he fell into a trance, as did his barrier fall away, the winds blowing against them.

This time however was different, Midnight didn’t see anything but he did hear something.
Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can really fly…!!

“Midnight, what’s wrong?!” Twilight’s shouting snapped him out of it.

“Fluttershy, get up there and help them!” Midnight called out.

“I won’t make a difference!” cried Fluttershy over the roar of the tornado.

“You can make a difference!” Midnight insisted.

“My measly 2.3 wing-power is still too little!”

“It’s sticking at 795!” Spike worried, “I don’t know if they got any more in `em!”

“Do it for Equestria!” Midnight shouted to her over the roar of the wind. “Do it for your friends, do it for yourself!”

He levitated a pair of goggles to her, and Fluttershy felt a strong embrace. She looked to see Big Mac giving her an encouraging smile.

“Mackie?”

“Ah know you c’n make a diff’rence, `Shy,” he whispered to her. “Because Ah love you.”

Those four words resonated within Fluttershy, tears of joy welling up in her eyes as she realized, how could she not try when she had ponies who loved and cared for her believing in her? She couldn’t let them down, because she only truly failed if she didn’t try. She set Angel down from her head and slapped the goggles on before she ran up to the tornado.

Scared but not backing down, she let it take her away. For a few scary moments, Fluttershy was whisked about, the roar of the tornado was deafening, but she managed to get her bearings and fly straight. It didn’t take long for her to find Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, who both brightened up to see their old friend from Flight Camp was there. She hadn’t let them down!

“It’s moving!” Twilight cheered as she looked at the anemometer, “She’s doing it! Wait… 798! Her wing-power’s increased!”

Inside, Fluttershy started to panic and tire as everypony started to leave her behind, and she heard that horrible taunting chant again! It threatened to weaken her will, rob her of her confidence, ruin everything her friends had all worked for this past week…
“No!”

She wouldn’t let it and gave it everything she had!

“What was that?!”
“I think it was… Fluttershy!”

The anemometer beeped as it reached the 800 minimum, and the water rose through the funnel before bursting from the top!

It rose skyward before arching like a shimmering bridge in the sunlight as it made its way towards Cloudsdale!

“She did it, she did it!” Twilight cheered as she and Midnight held each other, Spike cheering and waving, Mac just smiling proudly.
“They all did it!”

Spike then hurried over to the horn and blew it, signaling to the team of their success. The tornado fell away as the pegasi dispersed and landed, cheering and stomping. Rainbow and Thunder came down, smiling but they chuckled to see Fluttershy was still spinning in circles.

*Poomf*

“Whoa, girl, take it easy,” chuckled Rainbow, having brought Fluttershy to a halt with a cloud.

“Wha- What happened?” Fluttershy asked. “Did we do it?”

“We sure did,” Thunderlane rose up to join them, “and it wouldn’t have been possible without you!”

“Don’t leave me hangin’!” Rainbow held up her wing and Fluttershy giggled as they high-winged each other.

As they came down, Flitter and Cloudchaser cheered.
“Great job, Fluttershy, that was awesome!”
“Yeah, we couldn’t have done it without you!”

“Nice job, Dash n’ Lane.”

The co-captains turned to see Spitfire giving them a smug but congratulatory look.
“You might not have set a new record but you showed a lotta guts!”

“Just doing our job, ma’am,” Thunderlane shrugged.
“But if you wanna talk guts, then you’ve gotta give it to my #1 Flyer: Fluttershy!” Rainbow pulled Fluttershy over with her wing, grinning with pride.

Fluttershy blushed and shied when she felt somepony raise her up and smiled to see it was Big Mac as he let out an uncharacteristically loud cheer, “Let’s hear it fer mah girl, Fluttershy!”

“Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can really fly!” everypony cheered.

Dear Princess Celestia,
Sometimes you can feel like what you have to offer is too little to make a difference, but today, I learned thateverypony's contribution is important, no matter how small. If you just keep your head high, do your best, and believein yourself, anything can happen.

Especially when you have somepony very special who loves you giving you his support!

Author's Note

Seriously folks, you honestly thought I'd take away Fluttershy's big moment because I added a few extra fliers? I made it work and i even threw in a love confession to make it more meaningful, sheesh!

89. A Canterlot Wedding - Prologue

Author's Note

I actually wanted to do "MMMystery on the Friendship Express" but I didn't know how to narrate the idiotic scenarios of Pinkie's psychotic accusations towards the bakers, that and because there were already so many characters in it I felt it just would've been crowded to include more

I skipped Ponyville Confidential because I didn't like that episode

Anyway, here's something I think we've all been waiting for

Note - I write this fic with a dark formatting to better show off colored dialogue of light colors (because they don't stand out in white format) so I advise you switch to dark format to see the lighter colored dialogues

89. A Canterlot Wedding - Prologue

Life went on in Ponyville, especially for Fluttershy and Big Macintosh. Ever since his love confession back on Tornado Day, they’d spent a lot of time together.

But time waited for nopony, as the hectic carried on, as it does in Ponyville. Twinken alerted Midnight of how Diamond Tiara had been placed as editor-in-chief of the School Newspaper, and Midnight strongly recommended to Cheerilee to change her mind. He took a shameless delight in seeing a disgruntled Diamond Tiara relieved of her power and demoted to running the ink press while a Pegasus colt named Featherweight replaced her. He had a very good feeling he’d prevented something terrible from happening.

Then, for the National Dessert Competition, the Cakes made an amazing cake they called the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness, and the hell they went through getting it to the train to be delivered to the contest in Canterlot. Then Pinkie went on a psychotic rant of accusations after the cake was mysteriously bitten in three places, throwing them at the fellow competitors on the train, a Prench- accented griffon chef by the name of Gustave le Grand and his eclairs, Doughtnut Joe and his Donutopia, and the famous celebrity baker Mulia Mild and her Chocolate Mousse Moose.

Then, after poking holes in all her wild theories, and the other bakers’ entries got nibbled on Twilight and Midnight both took over the investigation.

They correctly concluded the cake had been fed on by Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Rarity while the bakers had eaten each other’s desserts, not out of spite, but because of how Pinkie Pie had made them sound irresistible.

Pinkie learned a lesson in getting the facts rather than throwing unfounded accusations.

She and the bakers then combined their desserts into one big delectable delight and it easily won the blue ribbon.

But one night, Midnight had been in his workshop, working on a new invention when he fell into a trance. But it was not from a premonition.

Putting down his tools, he exited his workshop and followed the un-hearable call of whoever had placed a spell on him. He went rather far, going straight through the orchard until he stood outside the Everfree Forest.

He was completely unfazed as a mysterious hooded figure rose from the shadow of a tree, made visible only by the few moonbeams piercing the treetops, his face blank yet tired.

The figure held out a beckoning hoof and Midnight nodded submissively as he levitated a scroll to the figure. He unrolled it to be sure, and nodded.
“Go home, and when you awaken this will be nothing more than senseless dream…”

*Cock-a-doodle-doo!!!*

“Ergh…” Midnight tossed and turned from the racket. But he felt something prod his side.

“Big brother, wake up!” Twinken goaded. “Or Applejack will kick your rump downstairs again!”

“Uhh, Twink, not so loud,” Midnight grumbled as he sat up, grunting as he bumped his horn on the bunk-bed above him.
“Weird… I don’t remember coming to bed last night.”

“I heard you come in,” Twinken said. “You went straight to bed, so I assumed you were just tired from being in your workshop.”

Sighing, Midnight got out of bed and opened the window, shielding his eyes from the break of dawn. Taking a deep breath, he felt his mind and body pep up a little and sighed appreciatively.

“Well, come on little brother,” Midnight levitated Twinken onto his back. “Time for a spot of breakfast.”

It was a nice day out, so nice in fact, Twilight invited her friends altogether for a picnic.

They met in Ponyville Park, everypony bringing something to the picnic blanket, and just talked and enjoyed the day.

Sighing, Rarity, topped with a nice chapeau, said, “It is just gorgeous out today!”

“Not so gorgeous as you, my dear,” Blueblood said as he gave a giggling Rarity a kiss on the neck.

“So Soarin, how’re your studies going?” Thunderlane asked.

“Great, thanks to Twilight!” Soarin said, Twilight waving him off.

“Oh come on, Soarin,” she said humbly, “you’re the keen study, I’m just helping you with the research material!”

“She doesn’t just help me,” Soarin insisted, “she drills me! And I am totally grateful for it. I got an awesome grade on my last assignment!”

“Glad to hear you’re happy, Soar,” Rainbow smiled at him.
“That means a lot coming from you, Dashie!” Soarin smiled back.

He then surprised her by giving her a peck, making her blush, “Aw come on, Soarin, don’t get sappy on me!”

Everypony laughed, for it was a rare sight to see Rainbow Dash squirm in such a way.

“Ya mean like this?” Big Mac teased as he and Fluttershy kissed.

“Bro, get a stable!” Midnight cracked, making everypony laugh harder.

After it died down, Twilight was about to take a bite of an apple when she heard somepony running and they saw it was Spike as he ran up, panting, “Twi… light… I… have... lemme just…”

He keeled over and…
*BELCH*

A scroll fell before Twilight’s hooves and she unrolled it.
“‘Dear Twilight’,” she read aloud for everypony.

“‘I am sure you are as excited as I am about the upcoming wedding in Canterlot’. Wedding?”

Everypony all just shrugged or tilted their head questionably.

“‘I will be presiding over the ceremony, but would very much like you and your friends to help with the preparations for this wonderful occasion. Fluttershy, I would like you and your songbird choir to provide the music’…”

“Oh my goodness, what an honor!”

“‘Pinkie Pie, I can think of no one more qualified than you to host the reception’…”

“Hip! Hip Horray!”

“‘Applejack, you will be in charge of the catering for the reception’…”

“Well color me pleased as punch!”

“‘Rainbow Dash, I would very much appreciate it if you could perform a sonic rainboom as the bride and groom complete their ‘I do’s’…”

“Yes!”

“‘Rarity, you will be responsible for designing the dresses for the bride and her bridesmaids’…”

“Princess Celestia wants me to” – she stammered excitably – “make a dress? For a Canterlot wedding?!”

Blueblood prevented Rarity from falling over as she fainted.

“‘Midnight, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the groom is in need of groomsmen, so I would be grateful if you, Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, my nephew Blueblood, and Soarin would fill in’…”

"I'm in!”
“Eeyup!”
“Whoo!”
“Let's do it!”
“Awesome!”

“‘Spike, I would deeply appreciate if you would play the role of ring-bearer’…”

“Oh yeah!”

“‘Also, we are in need of some flower fillies and pagecolts to carry the bride’s train. I think the Cutie Mark Crusaders will be perfect for the roles, if their brothers and sisters are comfortable with it’…”

“Ah cain’t wait to tell Twink n’ Bloom!”
“Oh my, I must prepare Sweetie Belle and Button!”
“Ah, the squirt will fill in just fine.”
“I’m sure Rumble would like to partake!”

“‘And as for you, Twilight, you will be playing the most important role of all – Making sure everything goes as planned. See you all very soon.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia’”

Twilight then looked the scroll over, “But… I don’t understand. Who’s getting married?”

“Oh, right!” Spike brought up as he held out another scroll, “I… probably shoulda given you this one first.”

Twilight took it and read:
“‘Princess Celestia cordially invites you to the wedding of Princess mi Amore Cadenza and…’ My brother?!”

90. A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

91. A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

He ran through the halls, scared out of his wits.
What did I just see… I thought Candance and Twilight were close!

He skidded to a halt, coming to a corner, panting as he felt oddly exhausted.

“Right, the barrier…” he looked outside, remembering he was still maintaining it even between the times he stabilized it. “I have to see Shining Armor! Ooh, I just hope he’s in a listening mood!”

*Flash*

Shining Armor was in his room in the castle, just getting his ceremonial uniform on when he heard the telltale sound of somepony teleporting.
“Who’s there?!”

He looked out of his bathroom and saw…
“Midnight? You don’t look so good. It’s the barrier, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but… that’s not important right now,” Midnight insisted. “Shining Armor, I have to show you something, and I swear to you – This is real!”

Midnight took a deep breath and gathered his magic as he focused on the memory still fresh in his mind… and he projected it!

Shining Armor watched, a little miffed seeing his sister again but he felt his heart ache when he saw how overcome with remorse she was. Then he saw Cadance appear, and was glad to see that it looked like there were no hard feelings.
“I’m sorry!”
“…You will be!”

Shining Armor looked on in horror, as Cadance conjured a green fire around his sister, enveloping her within a sphere of flame, that slowly sunk into the floor taking his Twily with it, Cadance walking away sneering with satisfaction.

Midnight let the illusion break and panted, having expended more of his magic.

“I- I don’t understand it!” Shining Armor began to pace. “That can’t be real! Cadance wouldn’t have…!”

“Shining Armor, what happened earlier during the rehearsal?” Midnight asked.

“Twilight came storming in, ranting and raving about Cadance, calling her out on what she deemed to be bad and nasty behavior, then started accusing her of being evil! …Looks like she was right.”

Shining Armor sat on his rump, feeling so ashamed that he hadn’t listened to his sister.

“Now hold on, Shining Armor,” Midnight placed a hoof on the captain’s shoulder, “We don’t know exactly what’s going on. Now that I think about it, Blueblood told me something last night, that Cadance wasn’t acting like herself and they’ve known each other since they were foals.”

“So what’re you saying?” Shining Armor asked warily.

“Shining Armor, would the Princess Cadance you know and love do something like this?” Midnight asked, and his tone of voice made Shining Armor consider the question.

“…No, she wouldn’t,” he knew it in his heart. “The Cadance I fell in love with would never resort to something like this! So then…”

“I think so as well,” Midnight’s brows furrowed. “I think this Cadance we’ve been seeing these past few days is a fake!”

“But if she’s a fake, then where’s the real Cadance?!” Shining Armor worried.

“If I had to guess, I wouldn’t be surprised if this imposter sent Twilight to the same place as wherever-” Midnight gasped as he fell into another trance.

”Why does she have to ruin my special day?” sobbed Cadance as she stood at the alter with Shining Armor.

“Because it’s not your special day!”

Standing at the threshold was another Cadance with Twilight, “It’s mine!”

…Midnight? Midnight, wherever what?!”

Midnight shook his head as he came out of it.
“Shining Armor, we have to play along!”

“What?!”

“I… don’t know how to explain it but… I just had a premonition,” Midnight couldn’t hide behind an excuse, Shining Armor needed reassurance. “I saw Cadance sobbing at the altar but then I saw another Cadance, standing with Twilight, in the threshold! I think, wherever they are, they’ll escape and make it to the wedding to stop it!”

Shining Armor gave him an incredulous look.

“Shining Armor, I know it sounds crazy, but please!” Midnight said solemnly. “You have to believe me!”

Shining Armor recalled what he’d been told of this pony, that he can be counted on.

He nodded and said, “All right, so then what’s your plan?”

“First, a little safeguard,” Midnight smirked.

Midnight had no idea who this imposter was, but for some reason he felt like he did, even if he couldn’t put his hoof on it.

But he held his silence as he slipped on his ceremonial uniform, a black suit hemmed red at the sleeves, a blue sash around his barrel, and gold buttons. He joined his friends as they took their places, Shining Armor taking his place at the altar next to Princess Celestia.

They both shared a look but focused on the task at hoof. They listened as Fluttershy began the wedding march with her songbirds and in walked came Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, all garbed in their flower filly outfits as they hopped along the way, spreading petals from baskets they carried in their mouths.

Then in came the bride, looking rather victorious rather than joyous, Twinken, Rumble, and Button Mash carrying her train, Twinken in the middle, Rumble to his left, and Button Mash on the right.

It wasn’t long before “Cadance” stood next to Shining Armor, who barely acknowledged her presence.

Midnight eyed the bride with such intensity, she peered his way out of the corner of her eyes, but he made sure to be looking at Princess Celestia as she started the ceremony. Midnight looked at his friends, oddly feeling resentful of them. Sure this imposter had fooled them but they hadn’t given Twilight the benefit of the doubt. But he couldn’t focus on that now. He had to hold his silence and hope with all his heart that Twilight would appear in time with the real Cadance.

Although he did almost blurt out ‘I object’ when Celestia got to that part.

However, he started to feel nervous as the ceremony started to wrap itself up.
“Princess Cadance and Shining Armor,” Celestia said with a smile, “It is my great pleasure to pronounce you-”

“Stop!!!”

Everypony looked to see Twilight standing defiantly in the threshold, Midnight had to fight the urge to smile while everypony else muttered in confusion, the girls all shaking their heads, Spike sighing.

“Ugh! Why does she have to be so possessive of her brother?!” snapped “Cadance” with such animosity even Celestia gave her an odd look. Realizing her slip, she made with the crocodile tears.
“Why does she have to ruin my special day?!”

“Because it’s not your special day!”

All eyes turned back to the threshold, seeing another Cadance, “It’s mine!”

Everypony gasped, the imposter gaping, “What?! How is this possible?!"

“Ah- Ah don’ understand!” Applejack brought up. “How can there be two of `em?”

“She’s a changeling!” Cadance announced as she stepped forward, pointing her hoof at the phony.
“She takes the form of somepony you love and gains power by feeding off your love for them!”

“I think it’s time for us all to see who you really are!” Midnight made a threatening step towards the imposter, his eyes flaring with power.

"Hateful trickster who would stay
Unchanged her deceitful way
Your secret’s out, the truth in sight
Your wicked ruse be brought to light

"FINITÉ ARCANORUM!!"

A blue fireball launched from Midnight’s horn, striking the fake, and everypony watched in horror as the imposter’s guise was burned away!

Gone were the pink-lavender feathery wings, replaced with jagged insect wings, her svelte form now ugly and gangly with misshapen hooves and legs that had holes through them, her horn gnarled and black, her hair looked like seaweed and her fangs bared furiously as she was revealed to be…

“Chrysalis!” Midnight shouted for everpony to hear. “The Queen of the Changelings!”

“How right you are, Best Mane!” she buzzed angrily before throwing a blast of power out of nowhere.

“Augh!” Midnight was sent flying, much to everypony;’s horror, as he landed hard and rolled from the force of the queen’s blow.

“Midnight!” Twilight shouted in worry as she ran to him. She glared at Chrysalis, demanding, “What do you want?!”

“As queen of the changelings,” said Chrysalis, her manner and poise haughty and arrogant, “it is up to me to find food for my subjects! Equestria has more love than any place I’ve ever encountered…”

She stepped down from the altar, arrogantly boasting to Cadance’s face, “My beloved changeling brood will be able to devour so much of it that our powers will grow greater than we’ve ever dared dream!”

“They’ll never get the chance!” Cadance argued, “Shining Armor’s barrier will prevent them from ever getting close to us!”

“Oh I doubt that,” snickered Chrysalis, “Isn’t that right dear?”

*BZZAT*

“Augh!” Chrysalis hissed in pain from the shot of magic that had struck her in the withers, and gasped to see Shining Armor glaring at her.

“Whatever hold you had over me is gone!” he declared, “Midnight used a spell to free my mind of your influence right after you dealt with my sister! Not only that, but it’s him who’s been maintaining the barrier ever since he arrived in Canterlot!”

“ERRGH!” Chrysalis glared hatefully at the blue unicorn, Twilight standing over him protectively. “You two have interfered with my plans long enough…!! No matter, I’ve knocked your little hero unconscious ergo his connection to the barrier has been sundered! And without a constant intake of mana, the barrier will weaken just enough for my changelings to break through. Even as we speak, my minions chip away at it!”

The wedding attendees all gasped in horror, Chrysalis cackling at their fear, “I might not have taken you as my husband, Shining Armor, but I am still in control! You may no longer be under my thrall but I still fed on your love long enough so that even now you don’t have the strength to cast your spell again!”

Everypony gasped.

“Soon my changeling forces will breach the barrier, first we take Canterlot and then… all of Equestria!”

Chrysalis sneered, just giddy as she reveled in these ponies’ fear.

“No.”

All eyes turned to Princess Celestia as she glared at the changeling queen.
“You won’t.”

Chrysalis alighted herself onto the floor as the Princess of the Sun faced her.
“You may have made it impossible for Shining Armor or Midnight to perform the barrier spell but now that you’ve been unmasked and you’ve so foolishy made known your intentions…!”

The two monarchs crossed horns, Celestia declaring, “I can protect my subjects…”

She took to the air with a mighty flap.
“...from you!”

A burst of light and a burning ray erupted from Celestia’s horn while Chrysalis fought back with a green poisonous beam.

At first it was a standoff, but Chrysalis suddenly realized her folly! Shining Armor was no longer under her control, she’d lost her power-source! But out of the corner of her eye, she noticed an alternative and smiled wickedly.

Cadance gasped in horror and pain while Chrysalis’s energy beam overwhelmed Celestia…!

There was a blinding flash of green and everypony gasped in horror to see Celestia struck down, her horn smoked, her crown clattering to the floor.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight shouted as she ran to her mentor, her friends with her.

“Hah!” Chrysalis hissed gleefully, “I should’ve fed on your love in the first place… It seems yours for this miserable ingrate outshines his for you! A mere taste of it has made me even more powerful than Celestia…!!!”

Cadance fell to her knees, her energy leaving her.

“Cadance!” Shining Armor ran to her.

“The Elements of Harmony…” Celestia whispered weakly to Twilight and the other bearers of the elements. “You must get to them…. and use their power to defeat the queen!”

The girls all nodded, Twilight yelling, “Guys, watch over Midnight and Celestia!”

“Go, we’ll keep her busy!” Thunderlane told them as Big Mac ran to Midnight while Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Soarin faced Chrysalis, the girls running out the hall.

“You pitiful foals!” Chrysalis buzzed arrogantly as she blasted Shining Armor away from Cadance and enveloped her in her aura.
“With this miserable wretch’s love giving me just the boost I need, how can you hope to defeat me?!”

“Stand down, demon!” Blueblood shouted as they charged Chrysalis.

Chrysalis tossed Cadance aside and shot sticky globs of green mana that stuck the charging stallions to the floor.

“Chrysalis!”

She turned around and dodged an attack from Shining Armor, “You fool!”

She shot another, rendering Shining Armor immobile, before doing the same to Big Mac and Midnight.

In no time at all, she had the stallions all glued to the wall while some of her changelings quickly enveloped Celestia inside a cocoon to imprison her and hang her from the ceiling. Cadance laid unconscious on the floor, her color fading as was her energy, Chrysalis taking a malicious delight in the power she was sapping from her.

Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were huddled in a corner, shivering with fright.

“You won’t get away with this!” Shining Armor shouted at the queen. “Twily and her friends will-”

His heart sank as the doors opened and in walked the girls, escorted by changelings.

“You were saying?” Chrysalis smirked at him. She regarded the mares, “You do realize the reception has been cancelled, don’t you?”

She fired globs of her sticky magic, immobilizing the girls before she addressed her brood, “Go, feed, my darlings!”

The changelings buzzed hungrily as they flew off as Chrysalis approached her prisoners, gloating, “Yes, yes! Such delicious irony! Twilight here was suspicious of me all along! Alas, you fools were so caught up in your wedding planning you never cared to imagine her suspicions were warranted, ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“We’re sorry, Twi,” Applejack apologized, “we shoulda listened t' you.”

“It’s not your fault,” Twilight had no hard feelings. “She fooled everypony.”

“Mm, I did, didn’t I?” Chrysalis sneered when she set her sights upon Midnight. “And this miserable stallion is due for some punishment!”

“What?! No, leave him alone!” Twilight cried.

“Chrysalis…! I swear!” Shining Armor threatened.

“Even without realizing it, Midnight almost derailed my designs,” Chrysalis hissed. “Well, lot of good it did. Even so…”

Her horn flared and Midnight was jolted awake and he let out a scream of pain!
“AAAAUUGGGGHH!!!!”

“What’re you doing to him?!” Twilight sobbed.

“Hah…!!” Chrysalis inhaled as she relished it! “Well, well, well! I haven’t tasted love like this in a long time…! There’s no kind of love with such taste as that of love just beginning to blossom! And I think you can guess who the lucky mare is…. Twilight!”

Tears trailed Twilight’s face, her heart unable to take those terrible screams. In her heart, she felt a confusing mixture of pain and joy. According to Chrysalis, Midnight was falling in love with her, but it hurt her to see him in pain and that she had to confirm his love through this monster.

Finally, Chrysalis relented, leaving Midnight to pant in agony.

“I’m in a good mood, so I’ll grant you reprieve,” she cackled as she walked towards the window, “for now…”

Twilight sobbed, heartbroken, scared, confused, Shining Armor felt his own heart break as well.

He felt so ashamed.

His sister had only been trying to protect him, if he’d just given her the benefit of doubt! But now, the wedding he’d been dreaming of was over before it had even started, and the fact that his dear Cadance and Midnight and Canterlot were paying for it was the injury to the insult. What could he do? How could it have come to this?

His friend had said this wedding, he and Cadance, were meant to be!

So this couldn’t be how it ends!

“Shining Armor…”

He looked at Midnight, who just barely managed to lift his head and return his gaze.
“You have to cast a barrier…”

“I don’t have the strength…!” Shining Armor’s voice was breaking like his heart. “My magic…”

“You don’t need magic…” Midnight assured him, his eyes glazed yet determined, “You must draw your strength from a source even greater, the force most powerful! Draw strength from Love, the love you have for Cadance, for your sister, and no matter the odds you must have faith that in the end, everything will be alright!”

Seeing that smile despite his pain and hearing those words from Midnight had an effect. Shining Armor considered, he loved his Cadance, he loved his sister, and now he was growing attached to Midnight, as he recalled one thing about him.

You can always count on him. That’s why he represents the Element of Faith.

And if he, of all ponies, had faith in him how could he not have faith in himself?

He concentrated, he wanted to protect everypony dear to him, his friends, his family, his fellow ponies, his princess, his Cadance. Somewhere deep inside, he felt a spark that began to blaze!

He felt it warm him from the inside out, spreading to every inch of his body, and found the strength to break free of Chrysalis’ bondage. He hurried over to the prone Cadance, hugging her close, his eyes furrowed as he began a spell he had never cast before!

But somehow, he felt like it had always been there, waiting for him to use it.

Cadance stirred and he felt his heart soar as she looked up at him, smiling as she caressed his cheek.

But then, she felt the pain leave her body, as Shining Armor’s spell began its mysterious work. She stood up, her horn bridging with his, and he felt her aid as their love danced around them in the form of mana, an ethereal wind blowing their manes. And they began to rise as they shined with light!

A light beautiful and strong that burned away the gooze holding the stallions and Princess Celestia, freeing them. They joined the girls as they watched Shining Armor and Cadance shine with power.

Chrysalis had noticed as well, looking like a deer caught in a headlight, as the loving couple opened their eyes that flared with a blinding light!

It dimmed just enough to show the outline of a winged heart!

Midnight had felt his strength return as well and looked hatefully to Chrysalis as Shining Armor’s new spell released its power in the form of a new barrier!

A barrier formed from love unyielding, the love one felt when one wished to protect those dear to one’s heart.

It spread like a shockwave but a tendril of energy lashed out, ensnaring Chrysalis around her wretched throat while all the changelings throughout Canterlot were repelled, sent careening beyond the horizon, and just like that it was over.

As the light dimmed, everypony gasped as their eyes fell upon Shining Armor!

His uniform had torn open at the back… to reveal a pair of wings, white with the primary feathers deepening into shades of blue, just like his mane and tail!

“Impossible!”

They all looked to Chrysalis, who had been subdued by Midnight, a crackling tendril of energy extending from his horn around her neck. whenever she struggled, she groaned in pain as the snare would give her a painful jolt. She leered up hatefully at Midnight whose expression was unreadable.

“I pity you, parasite, for a creature that feeds on love you understand so little of it.”

He gestured to Shining Armor’s new wings, saying, “Let that be a representation of how no force in this world or any other is more powerful than love! If ever your infernal brood dares to return to Equestria I will see to it they are exterminated like the vermin they are… I think I’ll start with you!”

“Midnight, no!” Celestia shouted, afraid of what was about to happen.

Midnight’s eyes turned the red of hate as he prepared to end this evil creature’s life!

Stop!

He gasped and looked out a window.

Watching from afar, atop a nearby tower was a hooded figure, a long cloak billowing in the wind. Although he couldn’t make out the figure’s features, somehow he knew he had been the one to stay Midnight’s hoof.

If you end her, you will regret it for the rest of your life. She may deserve it but there are many things far worse than death...

Midnight shook his head to make the invasive thoughts go away and looked again. The figure was gone! But his mental words had struck home. However much he wanted to squash this bug, Midnight realized he would be no better, if not worse, than her should he do so.

“Errrr….RAUGH!"

“NO!!” Celestia and Twilight screamed as there was the sound of something being sliced.

*Clatter*

Chrysalis opened her eyes, having expected the blow that would end her life

But then she gaped in horror at what lay before her – her horn. It had been cut clean off, and the stump was now beginning to bleed a greenish blood.

“Wha…! What… have you done?!” she buzzed with rage and pain as she glared at Midnight.

His eyes narrowed disdainfully as he said, “Now you’ll never be able to use your magic to harm anypony else again. Guards!”

Some guards came running in at Midnight’s call, “Get this wretch out of my sight! Lock her up and leave her to rot!”

“Yessir!” they ensnared Chrysalis with their own energy tendrils and took her away. Chrysalis made no attempts to resist. She'd lost, and there was no point in fighting it.

Midnight looked at everypony and saw the looks on their faces. It saddened him and he turned away in shame. He then felt a hoof on his cheek gently lift his face up and was surprised to see it was Twilight.
“I’m proud of you.”

She nuzzled against his neck, leaving him momentarily stunned...before he nuzzled back, smiling as he closed his eyes, finding comfort in her embrace and feeling the blazing fury dim to a warm joyful gratitude.

“Ahem.”

They looked to see Celestia, giving them a smile.
“I hate to break up the moment, but Twilight? You have a real wedding to put together.”

Twilight and Midnight smiled at each other.

This time, Twilight’s overseeing went a lot more pleasantly and smoothly. Cadance loved the hors d’oeuvres, the wedding dress, the preparations for the reception, and the songbird choir.

Shining Armor had to get his uniform redone for his new wings and the guys all gave him kudos for earning them.

After some thinking, Shining Armor decided to keep Midnight as his Best Mane while Cadance asked Twilight to be her Mare of Honor, both accepted.

In no time at all, everything was as it should be, and everypony stood ready.

At the altar, Midnight stood next to Shining Armor, when he noticed his new friend’s badge was askew. He subtly straightened it, and Shining Armor gave him a smile, Midnight winking and they both looked ready for anything!

In the front row of the wedding attendees, Shining Armor and Twilight’s parents watched proudly and happily, Twilight Velvet wiping tears of joy away with a lace hoofkerchief as Night Light nuzzled his wife.

It was time and Fluttershy raised her conducting baton. The birds began to sing “Here Comes the Bride” and everypony looked towards the doors.

The Guards siding them made them open to reveal the bride, attended by the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo hopping forward spreading their petals, Twinken, Rumble, and Button Mash holding the train, and Cadance slowly approached the altar.

Button couldn’t resist waving at his parents and brother in the crowd, Love Tap snapping a shot from her camera.

Midnight couldn’t help but feel proud of Twinken being a part of this, as did Applejack, Big Mac, Rarity, Thunderlane, and Rainbow Dash did for their own little brothers and sisters.

“I gotta say,” Midnight muttered to Shining Armor, “you must have some pretty good game to win the heart of the Princess of Love! Makes sense the queen of the changelings went after you first.”

“Well, I told her she wouldn’t be gaining just a husband,” Shining Armor explained as he looked to Twilight, Midnight following his gaze. “She’d be getting a pretty great sister too.”
"That would sweeten the deal!" Midnight chuckled but Big Mac shushed him as Cadance approached.

Finally, the bride stood beside her groom and the music ended as Celestia began.
“Fillies and gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Captain Shining Armor and the real Princess Mi Amore Cadenza-”

“Princess Cadance is fine.”

“Hm, the union of Captain Shining Armor and Princess Cadance,” corrected Celestia. “By the wings upon his back is proven that Shining Armor’s love for Cadance and hers for him is undeniable, the strength of their commitment clear. May we have the rings please?”

Spike held up the cushion and Midnight raised the rings to Celestia. She took them and placed them upon the horns of the about-to-be-newlyweds.
“Please kneel, Shining Armor.”

He did so, and Celestia announced, “By the power vested in me, I crown you and pronounce you Prince and Wife!”

Everypony cheered and the newlyweds stepped out onto the balcony, waving to the ponies below as the streamers and confetti rained.

Celestia then whispered to Twilight and Midnight.
“This is your victory as much as theirs. Twilight, you persisted in the face of doubt, your actions led you to your being able to bring the real Princess Cadance back to us. Learning to trust your instincts is a valuable lesson to learn.”

Twilight beamed as the girls all gave her smiles.

“And Midnight? Were it not for your encouragement and believing in him, Shining Armor would never have found the power within his love to take wing, as a defender of Canterlot and as a Prince of Equestria! And your choice to spare Chrysalis’ life rather than take it proves you are stronger than you know. It takes great strength of heart to show mercy rather than take vengeance.”

Midnight smiled a little awkwardly, but brightened when Twilight nuzzled against him, and he felt happier than he’d been as of late. They all smiled as the newlyweds finally kissed, when Celestia whispered, “Rainbow Dash! That’s your cue!”

Rainbow flew right out of her dress and everypony cheered as the sky exploded and was graced with a beautiful rainbow.
“Best… wedding…ever!!”

As night fell, and the reception began the new prince and his wife took the first dance, slowly and happily leaning into each other’s shoulders, gently swaying to the soft music.

“Hello everypony,” Luna flapped down to join them. “Did I miss anything?”

The bridesmares and groomsstallions all chuckled or shared a look while Twilight and Midnight then nodded to Pinkie and she perked!

She zipped over to the sound system, pulling up Vinyl Scratch as she cheered, “Let’s get this party started!”

Some dance pop music began as she threw a microphone to Twilight, Midnight standing with her.

Love is in bloom, love is in bloom
A beautiful bride,a handsome groom,
Two hearts becoming one,they’re becoming one
A bond that cannotbe undone because
Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said love is in bloom
You're starting a life and making room
For us

Yeah we’re here, at the wedding of the year!
From now until forever they will always be together

Your special day,it’s your special day
We celebrate now, the pony way
Your friends are all right here,Yes, they’re all right here
Won’t let these moments disappear because

Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said love is in bloom
You're starting a life and making room
For us
For us (For us… For us…)

It was indeed a wedding to remember.

But soon it was time for the newlyweds to ride off to their honeymoon. Twilight and Midnight stood by the carriage, Shining Armor and Cadance approaching. While Cadance stepped in, Shining Armor took a moment to have a quick word with...
“Twilight, Midnight! None of this would’ve been possible without you guys! Love you, Twily.”

“Love you too, B.B.B. F.F.,” she said, her heart now at ease as she hugged him goodbye for now.

Shining Armor stepped up but then looked at Midnight saying, “And Midnight?" - He winked at him - "Take care of her for me!”

“Heheh, yessir!” Midnight chuckled, feeling the blush, as did Twilight, and they began to nuzzle each other tenderly.

Getting into the carriage, Shining Armor asked his new wife, “Ready to go?”

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Cadance threw out the wedding bouquet towards a group of hopeful mares.

“IT’S MINE!!”

Rarity caught it, pushing the others out of the way but then chuckled awkwardly at the stink eyes they gave her.

From on high did the mysterious Hooded Pony watch as the newlyweds rode off to their honeymoon.
“As I said, my friend, you and Cadance are meant to be, and you have only begun to find your destiny. So enjoy your honeymoon to your heart’s content, as what is to come will test you in ways you will not expect…”

And with a swish of his cloak, the Hooded Pony was gone, just as the fireworks started.

Author's Note

Shining Armor's accension to Alicorn comes frm his creating a barrier from love, not magic. There is magic involved but the barrier draws power from love and faith one has for and in others, so technically (in my eyes at least) it's a new kind of magic.

I honestly didn't plan for Twilight and Midnight's relationship to be highlighted in here, it just came out as I played up the drama.

Also, Midnight came dangerously close to killing Chrysalis but the hooded figure dissuaded him somehow. So Midnight's not gonna go crazy-wacko or anything... for now

The gorgeous artwork is courtesy of Hoodwink McShelster

(B'Tween) The Calm before the Freeze

The Frozen North, a frigid expanse of blistering cold that threatened to swallow any so foolish and unprepared to trek across this freezing wasteland.

It was a good thing then that the company of ponies trudging through the snow had come prepared. They were on an expedition, numbering seven total, led by the Hooded Pony. Except for their leader, all of them wore heavy winter parkas and carried supplies although (much to these stallions' collective relief) their leader had assured them they wouldn't be spending much time out in this torturous chill.

One of them, a wandering Royal Guard and Dragon-Pony named Emerald Blaze, stepped up to the Hooded Pony, as he stood upon a rise, overlooking a vast expanse, seemingly devoid of life.

"Um, Sir," Emerald Blaze spoke hesitantly. "If I may ask, what exactly are we looking for out here? Intelligence indicates nothing out here aside from tundra wolves and maybe windigoes. Nothing of importance has lived out here for thousands of years!"

The Hooded Pony kept his gaze boldly out towards the openness before him an spoke in a low voice, "A little over a thousand, soldier... But there is something out here, something far worse than tundra wolves or windigoes..."

That one statement caused the whole company to feel a chill run up their spines and it wasn't from the snow.

The Hooded Pony sensed their anxiety and spoke, "At ease, soldiers. This is purely an expedition to confirm something, and aside from finding our objective, you can expect this experience to be a boring one... Wait..."

They looked at the Hooded Pony who hadn't moved at all but his horn glowed ever so slightly, his eyes hidden in the shadow of his hood as they briefly glowed green with red pupils.

"He is here..." The Hooded Pony growled ever so quietly as he thought, And only one thing could cause him to stir after so long...!

He felt it, and so did his soldiers, for they noticed it as the freezing winds picked up! But it didn't blow against them; rather it sped out into the expanse before them, a vast outline of some kind of shape starting to glow, the winds encircling it, blowing faster and faster! The freezing howl made the warriors all flinch and ready themselves for battle while their leader barked, "STAND DOWN! Scaredy-ponies... Watch!"

The soldiers couldn't understand why the Hooded Pony was so calm but they watched as the large area where the winds encircled over that strange glowing shape began to pick up and to their bewilderment, they saw something appear, fading in like a ghost, vast, tall, like a gargantuan spearhead stabbing towards the wintry skies above! Around it, numerous buildings and houses faded into existence as well, all the while a faint purplish miasma appeared like smoke, drifting weakly as the cold winds slowly but surely blew them away.

Finally, it was over, and it was then the company noticed the gate-like structure around them, with a few crystal-like objects floating over their heads, but it was what lay before them that was truly awe-inspiring!

A vast city of crystal! The streets and overall design likened to a snowflake, and at the center, standing tall and proud and absolutely beautiful, was a crystal citadel!

"Incredible!"
"So beautiful...!"
"What is it?"

"Behold, gentlecolts," the Hooded Pony spoke as he stepped forward for a closer look, his soldiers looking at him from behind. "You have been given the honor of witnessing the return... of the Crystal Empire!"

The soldiers began whispering excitedly about this 'Crystal Empire' when Emerald Blaze stepped up to the Hooded Pony again, asking, "Sir, what is this place?! And where did it come from?! I've read my military history well and I don't believe I've ever heard or come across anything mentioning a 'Crystal Empire'!"

"Your questions will be answered when you all return to Canterlot," the Hooded Pony replied nonchalantly.

"Sir?!"

The Hooded Pony turned to face Emerald Blaze, who shivered somewhat at the face he could not see.

"Emerald Blaze, you and the rest of the expedition are to depart for Canterlot immediately!" he commanded, "Upon arrival, you will personally inform Princess Celestia and you are to tell her exactly this, nothing more, nothing less: It has returned."

Feeling the authority in his superior's command, Emerald Blaze somehow understood the importance of this order, and saluted the Hooded Pony, "Yes, my lord."

"Carry on, soldier," the Hooded Pony nodded, and he watched as Emerald Blaze turned to the rest of the company.

He could see the looks varying on the soldiers' faces, confusion, bewilderment, irritation, but none of them protested. None of them dared to defy the orders of the Hooded Pony. He watched them go and hurry off to the train they'd come here on several miles back, and then turned to behold the empire again.

"Funny..." he said to no one in particular. "This is my first time seeing it, and yet... it's even better than I remember."

The next day, the Hooded Pony sensed their arrival, and teleported to meet them at the train. He and his soldiers had earlier on set up a makeshift train platform steadied it with magic. He waited patiently as the train doors opened and out stepped the recently crowned and married Prince Shining Armor and his wife, Princess Cadance. They were accompanied by several of Shining's most trusted soldiers, along with a few bags of luggage.

"Captain," the Hooded Pony addressed respectfully before teasing, "or would you prefer 'Your Royal Highness' now that you have those wings?"

"Just Shining, as always," Shining Armor retorted, the two of them sharing a mutual salute when Cadance cleared her throat. "Oh, right! Old friend, I believe you know my wife, Princess Cadance?"

"I consider this a pleasure, Your Majesty, and an honor," the Hooded Pony said respectfully to Cadance, even taking her hoof and kissing it, making the Princess of Love feel a little awkward.

"Well, um, how kind of you..." Cadance replied but didn't know what to call him.

"If you must address me, Princess Cadance, you may call me 'Arbiter'," the Hooded Pony answered kindly.

"Arbiter? That's an unusual name," Cadance considered, "almost sounds... judicial."

The Hooded Pony chuckled somewhat darkly before saying with a smirk hidden by his hood, "You have no idea..."

Shining Armor cleared his throat, "Well, now that we've got that out of the way, perhaps you could explain the situation here."

"Certainly," the Hooded Pony nodded, "follow me, and I hope you brought along something warm. It's quite cold out here."

The Hooded Pony led his royal companions and their guards to the same rise where he'd stood and witnessed the return of the empire before them.

"It's- It's... Oh! 'Beautiful' would be a woeful understatement!" Cadance marveled at the wonders before her when the Hooded Pony spoke up.

"Be mindful of the rose, Princess Cadance," he said rather darkly, "for it may yield a thorn."

"What can you tell us about this place?" Shining Armor asked.

"Over a thousand years ago, the Crystal Empire was a thriving community, rich in culture and its citizens, the Crystal Ponies, happy and generous," the Hooded Pony explained, "until came that terrible day when the king they'd trusted and loved suddenly turned dark and subjected the Crystal Ponies to a terrible tyranny.

"When the Royal Sisters stepped in to put an end to his wickedness, they were able to overcome his dark magic, turning him into a living shadow and imprisoning him deep within the Frozen North. Alas, the dark king had the last laugh, for he'd cast a curse over all the empire, causing it to literally vanish into thin air for a thousand years! But now, it seems the spell has broken, and the Empire lives again... or rather, it should be."

"What do you mean, um...Arbiter?" Cadance asked.

"I investigated the empire and found the Crystal Ponies," he explained, "and they don't realize how long they've been gone. It's like they blinked and an entire millennium passed them by. Further more, the Crystal Ponies don't look... well, crystally. They all seem depressed, confused, and unsure of their situation. But that's not the worst of it..."

"Does it have something to do with the dark king?" Shining Armor inquired.

"Indeed," the Hooded Pony nodded heavily. "Despite having been reduced to a literal shadow of his former self, the dark king, Sombra, still lives and is recovering his strength even as we speak."

"How could he possibly have lived for so long?!" Cadance was aghast.

"Because he is a living shadow," the Hooded Pony answered, "and how can a shadow grow old?"

"Good point..." Shining Armor considered the layout of the empire, "Well, we'll just have to protect the empire until we can find a way to end this Sombra guy once and for all!"

"That task must fall to Princess Cadance," the Hooded Pony interjected, much to Shining Armor and Cadance's confusion.

"Whattya mean by that?!"
"I'm confused as well. Shining Armor is clearly the better choice. After all, protecting ponies is his special talent!"

"That may be so," the Hooded Pony nodded but his tone was inarguable, "however, Sombra is a master of the dark arts, and dark magic has a corrupting effect on regular unicorn magic."

"But I'm not a unicorn anymore!" Shining Armor argued, flaring his wings to exemplify that. "I'm an alicorn now, so my magic should be stronger than ever! I'm the best wizard when it comes to protective magic!"

"Are you serious?" the Hooded Pony sighed. "You've been an alicorn for what, a couple of months now? Have you even gotten started on learning how to use your alicorn magic?"

"Uh..." Shining Armor said with a lame expression that even his wife couldn't help but giggle at his expense.

"Shining, you are a great wizard in defensive magicks," the Hooded Pony conceded, "but Sombra's dark magic will be like acid to any barrier you make. If you had around a decade or so of training and study to master your alicorn magic, then you would be the ideal protector here. But you're not; Cadance is the one who must protect the empire, by using the magic you both used when you thwarted Chrysalis's changeling invasion at your wedding. The weakness of dark magic is love, light, hope, and positive emotion, the sort of magic Cadance uses all the time! Not to mention, she's had several years learning how to use her alicorn magic."

Shining Armor and Cadance shared a worried look when the Hooded Pony went on.

"And Cadance? You must know, that even though you are the better choice here, whatever protection you will be able to provide will be temporary and finite. It will be possibly the hardest magic you've ever cast, and it will tax you like you've never felt. But the Crystal Ponies will be depending on you, at least until a more permanent solution can be found. If you have any doubts accepting this burden, now would be the time to-"

"I'll do it," Cadance declared, the Hooded Pony and Shining Armor looking at her, and seeing her determination despite only a mild shiver of hesitation. "I am a Princess of Equestria, and my duty is protect everypony to the best of my abilities."

"Cady..." Shining Armor felt such a confusion of love, pride, and fear for his wife but could see it in her eyes that her mind was made up.

"So be it..." the Hooded Pony nodded respectfully. "Proceed and make your way to the citadel at the center of the city. You will be able to use your magic more effectively there."

"Understood," Cadance nodded before gesturing the guards accompanying them to follow.

Shining Armor moved to follow Cadance, when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked to the Hooded Pony.

"Be assured, old friend, help will come soon, in the form of your sister and her friends."

"Does it have to be Twily?" Shining Armor wasn't comfortable involving his sister, "I hate having to put her in any danger whatsoever."

"The role she plays is instrumental here," the Hooded Pony replied in a familiarly firm tone. "Not to mention Midnight Blaze."

"Him again?" Shining Armor was surprised. "What does he have to do with this?"

"When they arrive, Twilight will have a mission from Princess Celestia," the Hooded Pony explained, "so will Midnight, but his must be kept secret from the mares, at least until they are inside the empire."

"What is his mission?" Shining Armor asked warily.

"That is none of your concern," the Hooded Pony declared in a warning tone. "Midnight may mention what his mission is, but you will not interfere in it in any way. The roles both Twilight and Midnight each play are crucial, Shining Armor."

"Well, what about me?!" Shining Armor protested.

"Your role is to be there for your wife," the Hooded Pony stated before he stepped to take his leave, "she will need you. Have faith in her, have faith in your sister, and have faith in Midnight. Good luck, Shining Armor...!"

Shining Armor watched as the Hooded Pony rose into the air before his shadowy cloak swirled into an orb of darkness that winked out of existence.

"Shiny! What's keeping you?!"

The call of Cadance jerked him to attention, as Shining Armor turned around to catch up with his wife, "Coming, honey!"

Author's Note

Once I got into this, it just flowed out

92. The Crystal Empire - Part 1

Another day, another boring session going over matters concerning Princess Celestia in her duty and obligation as Princess. Sitting in her throne room, her assistant levitated a stack of papers for her to look at and either sign or decline.

Makes me miss having my nephew around for these sorts of things, she thought guiltily with a sigh.

*SLAM*

She perked and was surprised to see Emerald Blaze, one of her roaming Royal Guards. The dragon-pony ran up, announcing, “News from Northern Equestria!”

He stopped as he remembered proper etiquette and bowed, “Uh, Your Highness.”

Dismissing her assistant and the papers, she asked, “Yes?”

“Your Majesty, I have been sent by your agent, the Arbiter,” Emerald explained, and instantly Celestia knew this was important. “I am simply to tell you that… it has returned.”

Gasping, for she knew exactly what “it” meant, Celestia ordered her attending guards, “Find Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance!”

“Yes, Your Highness,” they obliged and hurried out.

Standing up, Celestia moved towards a window, looking out to the northern region of her kingdom. Narrowing her eyes, her horn glowed in query…

There was definitely something out there, and it brought with it the promise of either harmony or great disaster. But it also resurfaced memories long past, memories beautiful and happy that turned into a path of disaster-filled nightmares that still caused her heart great pain, from loss and betrayal.

Taking a scroll and quill, she began to write a message.
“‘My dearest Twilight,

You must come to Canterlot at once…’”

The message was sent and it set into motion a downward spiral of neurosis. It got the attention of all of Twilight’s friends, particularly Midnight.

They gathered in the library and found Twilight already going frantic in preparation.
“Where are all my quills?!” she panted nervously before she found them and sent them flying.

Spike jumped up and caught them in a bag, though the others could see them poking through the bottom. But then Twilight was levitating out books, looking at the titles, “No, no, no…! Ugh, I need the Magical Compendium Volumes 1 through 36! Where is it?!”

Big Mac and Blueblood gave each other a worried look as Twilight tossed out some books on a high shelf before smiling as she magically pulled one the size of desk out for Spike to catch. But before it dropped, Midnight quickly saved Spike from getting crushed.

“Flash cards! I should make some flash cards,” Twilight added, pulling open a drawer filed with them and levitated the whole lot to Spike. “Spike, I’m gonna need you to quiz me, on everything! Everything I ever learned, ever!”

Everypony frowned with worry as Spike struggled to hold the stacks, Twilight reconsidering.
“That isn’t gonna be enough cards.”

“Seriously?!” Soarin whispered to Rainbow Dash, who shrugged in response.

“Twilight, calm down,” Spike said with thinning patience as he set the stacks down. “It’s just a test.”

Uh-oh, poor choice of words, Spike! Midnight gestured everypony to step back as Twilight threw Spike a stink eye.

“Just a test?” she said lightly, at first, before getting up in Spike’s face, “Just a test?! Princess Celestia wants to give me some kind of exam, and you’re trying to get me to calm down because it’s just a test?!”

Having been backed up into a wall, Spike took no chances as he quickly put on a hoof-ball helmet and strapped tome pillows on to his chest and back, as he nervously offered, “Uh, yes?”

The crackling of energy on Twilight’s horn sounded like a predatory growl, Applejack saying in blasé, “Ah’d say she’s handlin’ things pretty well…considerin’.”

From the outskirts of Ponyville, one could hear an explosion and then see the Golden Oak Library rise up into the air before falling back to the ground with a loud thud.

But before long, they had arrived in Canterlot, and Midnight insisted on accompanying Twilight to her test, for which she was grateful. If only she hadn’t forced him to carry her saddlebags. Now, Midnight got a constant workout on the farm, but all the study-aids, extra utensils, text books, and the like felt heavier than Big Macintosh after an apple pie eating contest, and yes he was speaking from experience.

In Canterlot Tower, a new stained-glass window adorned the hall.

The Royal Sisters gazed up at it, Luna asking, “Are you sure you don’t want me to go as well?”

“I should think it obvious I would prefer you remain as far away from the empire as possible,” Celestia said with uncharacteristic animosity.

Luna felt her heart tighten with guilt, as Celestia sighed.
"Forgive me sister, it has been a thousand year since the loss of the empire... and the events that led up to it. In your absence, I learned to forgive you, part of it out of grief and longing to have you back."

Luna smiled gratefully at that but then Celestia whispered, "But while I may have forgiven you... I can never forget."

"I understand, sister," Luna whispered with thinly-veiled shame.

“Besides, Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance are already there," Celestia said reassuringly. "The others will join them soon enough.”

“The empire’s magic is too great a risk to lose again, my sister,” Luna reminded her.

“They will succeed in their respective tasks,” Celestia insisted. “For when they do, we will know that Twilight is that much closer to being ready while he will play the role of Fate’s design.”

“Ahem!”

They looked to see Twilight at the threshold, Midnight staggering into view as he struggled with Twilight’s saddlebags. Luna and Celestia nodded as the Princess of the Night excused herself, walking past the two unicorns.

“You wanted to see me, to give me a test?” Twilight asked, anxiously as she levitated the saddlebags off of Midnight, much to his relief as he slunk to his belly.
“I brought my own quills, and plenty of paper to show my work!”

Unfortunately, she dropped her bags, causing a mess and one scroll to bridge the space between her and her teacher, Midnight facehooving.

“Sorry, sorry!” Twilight started trying to roll the scroll back up with her snoot, forgetting to use her magic to do so.

Kindly, Celestia put the study aids back neatly into the bags, “This is a different kind of test …The Crystal Empire has returned.”

The Crystal Empire? Midnight thought to himself as he sat up. Why does that sound familiar…?

“The Crystal Empire…?!” Twilight looked into some books, unfamiliar with the subject. “I’m sorry, I- I thought I’d studied!” – Celestia took some of them from her, leaving her to look in the last one – “I don’t think there’s anything in my books-”

“There wouldn’t be,” Celestia corrected, much to Twilight’s surprise. “Few remember it ever existed at all.”

Twilight and Midnight watched as Celestia opened a glass case set beside her throne and levitated out a lavender crystal and set it at their hooves before flashing it with a spell!

The two unicorns backed up as an illusion shined, revealing a glorious miniature realm, the main streets forming a hexagram-shaped snowflake, centered by a crystal citadel.

“The Crystal Empire beholds a powerful magic,” Celestia explained as her two students watched the illusions of happy crystal ponies. “One thousand years ago, it was tyrannized by King Sombra, a Unicorn whose Heart was as Black as Night.”

They watched as the landscape became riddled with thorny and jagged dark crystals, the citadel corrupted into a bleak fortress, and an image of a black unicorn stallion’s face appeared and a flash revealed him standing upon a balcony, lording over the enslaved crystal ponies.

Sombra was tall for a unicorn, not quite so as tall as Celestia but certainly taller than Luna, even Shining Armor. His coat was gray like ashes after a forest fire, his mane and tail black like obsidian. He wore cold metal armor, a kingly red cape trimmed with white fur flowing across his back, concealing his cutie-mark. His crown was horrific but not so horrific as his eyes!

They were hate-crazed red, the whites long-turned to a poisonous green, and wreathed in a purplish miasma. He smiled wickedly, flashing a pair of fangs, and his horn was unusually smooth as well as curving up a little, reddening from the base to the tip into blood-red, crackling with black electricity.

“He was ultimately overthrown, turned to shadow, and banished to the Frozen North.”

They watched as Sombra’s body dispersed into incorporeal shadow and his face was twisted with rage as he was sucked into an icy crevice, enclosing him into cold, unforgiving darkness.

“But not before he was able to place a powerful curse upon the empire, so powerful it was that it made the entire empire vanish into thin air!”

The images faded away and Celestia levitated the crystal, “If the empire is filled with hope and love, they are reflected over the whole of Equestria!”

The crystal illustrated her point by reflecting a rainbow of comforting colors, “But if hatred and fear take hold…”

They gasped as Celestia’s eyes turned completely green, her horn bubbling with purple mana as a bolt of black lightning struck the crystal, casting a shadow that reached out along the floor towards Twilight and Midnight. They rubbed against each other in comfort as the shadow split around them, and dark crystal sprung up, ugly and repulsive.

Celestia promptly destroyed them with a beam of pure light, and the fear was gone.
“Which is why I need your help to find a way to protect it.”

“You want me to help you protect an entire empire…?” Twilight was overwhelmed by the idea, Midnight putting an arm around her shoulders.

“It is as I said, a different kind of test,” Celestia remarked as she put her crystal back in its glass case. “But one I am certain you will pass.”

Twilight looked to Midnight, who gave her a determined smile, and she felt her spirits rise, knowing he’d be there with her.
“Where do we begin?”

“By joining Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance in the Crystal Empire,” Celestia replied.

“My brother is there?” Twilight felt more at ease.

“He is, and your Ponyville friends will join you as well,” Celestia said with a smile as she led them out of the hall, and they saw Luna leering at them.
“I have every confidence you will succeed, and when you do I will know you are ready for the next level of your studies.”

But the look Luna was giving her filled Twilight with doubt.
“But… what if I fail?”

“You won’t,” Celestia said.

“But what if-” Twilight found her lips getting zipped and she glared at Midnight for the inappropriate timing.

“You won’t, for Faust’s sake,” he chuckled.

“Midnight,” Celestia addressed him, “Before you accompany Twilight, I would like a private word with you.”

“What do you need to talk to Midnight about?” Twilight asked, concerned for him.

“Were she to tell you, that would probably defeat the purpose,” Midnight gave her a good-natured smirk. “Don’t worry, I’ll see you at the train.”

He gave her a quick peck on her cheek and followed Celestia down the hall, passing Luna by.

Luna watched them with a strange look on her face that made Twilight curious. Luna then looked to Twilight, saying, “Twilight Sparkle” before taking her leave.

Author's Note

I've been waiting for this...!!!

The stained glass window was done by McShelster

93. The Crystal Empire - Part 2

Author's Note

Warning!!!

What you will read may not be to your liking in regards to Princess Luna. But please be open-minded and consider the facts.

What i did here was add fuel to the flame of the events leading to Luna's betrayal and becoming Nightmare Moon, cuz honestly I always felt her being miffed that ponies "shunned and slept through her beautiful night" being a poor reason as to go psycho.

Also, this fic presents my own version on the origin of Crystal Ponies and Lunar Ponies

93. The Crystal Empire - Part 2

Midnight followed Celestia through a rather enclosed hall, barely kept illuminated by wall-mounted candles so spaced apart they almost didn’t connect their light. It was ominous and Midnight was growing increasingly worried as to what exactly Celestia wanted to talk to him about.

Finally, they came to a door kept locked by what appeared to be a magic circle. Celestia inserted her horn, unlocking it as the circle and its inner patterns and symbols brightened before dimming into nothing, the door opening and she led him into a room that looked like it hadn’t been visited in a very long time.

A portrait on the wall was concealed by a dust tarp, there was a desk, upon which rested some kind of ornamental container, the lid askew to reveal what appeared to be letters. A bookcase and an old and unused fireplace, a few cushions provided for comfort but they looked rather cold.

“What is this place?” Midnight asked, the very air felt depressing in here.

“This… was a place I used to escape to,” Celestia answered solemnly. “But before I say anything more…”

Her horn flared and Midnight gasped as a seal in his memories was broken. Shaking his head, realization dawned within his consciousness as he looked to the princess, who looked oddly anxious.
“You wish to know about the Crystal Empire, what will happen.”

Celestia nodded and listened as Midnight explained.

“Twilight leads the girls in throwing a Faire for the crystal ponies but is initially unaware of the importance of the Crystal Heart. Once she realizes its status as a relic, she tells the others to make sure nopony sees the heart she provided is a fake. Cadance slowly weakens from providing protection while Shining Armor’s horn is disabled by a curse from Sombra. Twilight and Spike circumvent Sombra’s tricks and traps until the find the heart atop the citadel, but in her carelessness Twilight springs another trap and is unable to escape it. Sombra is almost upon them so she entrusts the heart to Spike with the task of delivering it to Cadance. With the heart and aid of the Crystal Ponies, Cadance wields the heart’s power and Sombra is destroyed.”

Celestia gasped as she covered her mouth with a hoof, turning away.

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Midnight asked, instantly knowing that was not what Celestia wanted to hear.

“…Midnight, before I ask of you a mission I wish for you to undertake,” Celestia said hesitantly, “I must first tell you something I’ve never told anypony else in this era.”

She fired a bolt from her horn, the fireplace instantly set ablaze, relieving some of the tension in the room, and she invited him to sit with her. After they were comfortable, Celestia began her tale.

“Midnight, long ago, when Equestria had barely just begun… The three pony tribes relocated to the land discovered by Princess Platinum and Clover the Clever of the Unicorn Kingdom, Commander Hurricane and Private Pansy of the Pegasus Empire, and Chancellor Puddinghead and Smart Cookie of the Earth Pony Republic.

"It was a long and arduous process, for even though the founders of Equestria had learned to put their differences aside and join together in friendship, the old rivalries and suspicions lingered. Disputes continued, arguments over territory, minor battles that were no less bloody… But the biggest argument of all was who would rule over the united tribes of Equestria? As you can imagine, each tribe wanted a pony of their kind to be seated upon the throne.

"One pony took it upon himself to find and appoint a ruler that could unite the three tribes, but it had to be a pony who was not earth pony, pegasus, or unicorn but a pony that bore the characteristics of all three.”

“And… he found you and your sister?” Midnight gathered.

“He did, Star Swirl approached us when we were still fillies to beseech us into becoming the Princesses of Equestria. It was not an easy choice but although we accepted we were, as you would say, blank flanks, part of it was our delayed aging while the other was the fact the sun and moon were then still under the control of the unicorn kingdom. As we came under Star Swirl’s tutelage, he taught us the various branches of knowledge we would require to be competent and effective rulers. We grew into our adolescence and it was around this time when I would meet somepony… Somepony very special.”

“Who was it?”

“…I found this poor colt lost and hungry. He had been separated from his parents and long wandered looking for them. I took him home and nursed him back to health. Once he regained some of his strength, we introduced ourselves. That was the day I met Sombra.”

Midnight gasped! But he didn’t dare interrupt, for every word drew him in.

“Sombra told us his parents were earth ponies and they were actually his adoptive parents. He never found out where he came from or to whom he was born. I introduced Sombra to Star Swirl and he gladly took him in as another student. Eventually, Sombra discovered his own special talent and earned his cutie-mark, a cluster of red crystal, symbolizing his talent as a crystal mage! He was a prodigy, his power over crystal unmatched by anypony before! …Or since. As we grew older, Sombra and I… found ourselves falling in love.”

Midnight was immediately blown, he wanted so much to ask more questions but he felt it inappropriate to say so much as a whisper.

“As our love grew stronger, we soon came to a decision. We wanted to give ourselves to each other.”

At first Midnight didn’t know what she meant but then he noticed a slight blush on her cheeks and got the idea.
Whoa! Guess even princesses have needs…

“But then… everything began to fall apart. The night before we agreed to… do the deed, I passed by my room and heard…”

She took a moment to gather herself and Midnight knew at once that what she’d found was painful.

“It was a betrayal unlike any I’d ever known since. I opened the door and found Sombra in bed with… me! But I knew it was an imposter. Acting quickly, I used a spell to unmask the harlot… and revealed Luna.”

“What?!” Midnight whispered in shock.

“Yes… I never noticed, but Luna had long been jealous of me, having formed feelings for Sombra herself! She used a glamour to assume my guise and lured him to bed… Upon seeing he’d been deceived, Sombra flew into a confusion of rage and remorse, coming very close to killing Luna. Star Swirl managed to get him under control but the damage was done… Even though he was not at fault, I couldn’t look at Sombra without being reminded of Luna’s betrayal… and a part of me resented him for being fooled, for not realizing that he was giving himself to another and never suspecting that something was amiss.

"Understand, Midnight, back then I was not the calm and collected princess everypony knows me as today. I was a teenage filly who’d suffered a most terrible betrayal from her own sister and unable to put any justifiable blame upon the pony she loved. In my heartbreak and confusion I soon turned to Star Swirl for advice.”

When she paused, Midnight asked, “…What did Star Swirl say?”

“My mentor was wise, Midnight,” Celestia said in a serious tone. “He was worldly, intelligent, and dauntless. But Star Swirl never had such an understanding of friendship as do you and your friends.

"He told me the conflict between myself and my sister had to be resolved, and Sombra was a distraction… He advised me to end the relationship, and in my foolishness I did as he said… Sombra was heartbroken and filled with hatred towards Luna. He couldn’t bear to be near me, so he left. But he did something almost as terrible to Luna... It would be years before I heard from Sombra again. By that time, Luna and I had grown older, we’d earned our cutie-marks, but then Luna took time away and left to walk among the ponies of Equestria. I didn't see her for an entire year. It was around that time that Discord fell upon Equestria, ruling for a time and subjecting everypony to the misery of his chaos.”

Midnight recalled that, back when he and the rest were called to fight Discord. For some reason, the outcome of that was a bit hazy but he did remember Princess Celestia praising them for defeating the trickster.

“I managed to reunite with Luna, and though I could tell her journey had not been kind to her she refused to talk about it, for we had to focus on the task at hoof. After discovering the Elements of Harmony, Luna and I defeated Discord and reclaimed our right to rule Equestria. But the schism between us had not faded, and it only grew worse after Luna realized what Sombra had done to her… He’d cursed her with infertility, rendering her unable to have children.”

Midnight was appalled by that but then he felt Luna wasn’t completely undeserving of such punishment.

“As we worked together to rebuild Equestria after Discord’s madness, Luna, saddened by her daily struggles, proposed to me that we form a new colony, where the ponies who would join it would grow strong and happy.

"…I cannot tell you how tempted I was to agree, Midnight. It would have meant Luna leaving to lead the proposed colony, and I would not be constantly reminded of her betrayal. But in my heart, I knew I could not allow this, part of it because despite what she’d done I still loved my sister and because it would’ve meant either just running away from my problems or that Luna might never return. So with a heavy heart, I forbade it, telling her that to divide the already weakened kingdom would be to shatter it… forever.

"But Luna would go behind my back and defy me, in spiriting off dozens of foals of all three tribes to a secret place. These foals and their descendants grew up to be the first generation of Lunar Ponies from Luna's care and magic although I would not discover this until sometime later.

"By this time, we heard of a kingdom in the north, and what we found astounded us!”

“The Crystal Empire?”

“Indeed. Sombra had used his crystal magic to create a shining citadel completely composed of crystal and invited many ponies to live under his protection. Most of the ponies that bowed to his rule were earth ponies and they became the first crystal ponies from the constant exposure of Sombra’s crystal magic.

"Knowing Luna would not be welcome, I approached Sombra alone, with the proposal of peace and alliance. But Sombra refused, demanding we leave him and his empire alone, that they remain an independent state. It went against my heart but I accepted his decision… and I cannot tell you how often thence I wished I had tried to change his mind.

"Sometime later, we received a visitor from the Crystal Empire, a mare who told us of her beloved King Sombra, who had gone mad and was oppressing his ponies with an iron hoof. She alone had escaped. Our attempts to speak with Sombra were fruitless and we soon came to the conclusion, for the sake of the crystal ponies enslaved, we had to go to war… I meant to use the Elements of Harmony on Sombra, hoping I could save him from whatever evil had driven him to such vice! But in the battle, I was incapacitated, and when I woke up… Luna told me that Sombra did something, and the empire was gone.”

“But… that’s not the story you told me and Twilight just now,” Midnight protested, “not entirely.”

“That is because I told you an alternate tale,” Celestia explained, “for with Twilight in the room… I had to lie.”

“I assume for good reason, Your Highness,” Midnight said respectfully.

"There is a reason very few remember the empire ever existed," Celestia nodded sadly. "Because I saw to it all records of its existence were destroyed ...I could not bear for Sombra to be remembered as a monster."

Midnight could understand that but said nothing.

“Midnight, I will understand if you decline,” Celestia said with a begging look in her eyes, “But I must ask of you this mission, to be carried out without Twilight’s knowledge: I wish for you to capture Sombra and bring him to me.”

Midnight was shocked by the princess’s request. How could he, a simple unicorn, possibly capture somepony so powerful as to make an entire empire vanish into thin air for a thousand years?!

“I will bestow upon you the necessary tools and weapons to help you in this mission,” Celestia promised. “But you must also have the aid of your fellow Guardians of Harmony.”

“Big Mac and Thunderlane?” Midnight was uncomfortable with that. It was one thing to risk his own life in something like this, but to ask the same of his friends?

“I understand your hesitation,” Celestia gave him a sorrowful look, “but Midnight… I would not ask this if I did not have faith that there is even the slightest chance of seeing the pony I love again…”

Midnight considered, and realized that Celestia truly and sincerely needed for him to say yes, and he understood why. She stood alone upon the throne for a thousand years after she banished her sister to the moon, and over the centuries she watched the ponies around her love her, revere her, trust her, and though she loved them all deeply it pained her to watch those she cared for grow old and die, the passing of her friends, watching them come and go.

It made sense as to why Celestia never sought love, for any mate she chose would meet the same inevitable end, whether by happenstance, by ill-intent, or the slow decay of time.

She just wanted her special somepony back.

“I’ll do it!” Midnight swore, “But I make no promises about Big Mac and Thunderlane.”

“Thank you,” Celestia whispered, a tear going down her face as she gave Midnight a grateful nuzzle, to his surprise. “I do not know the full extent of Sombra’s dark powers, so you and your friends must tread with utmost caution. But when the time is right, you and your fellow guardians will require… these!”

She levitated a small jewel-encrusted chest with silver hinges. Contained within were three bands of gleaming platinum, each baring a jewel, one red, one yellow, the middle blue.
“These bands will summon your Harmonic Armor, as well as your Helm of Faith. Simply wear them and strike the jewels in order to summon your armor. The bands themselves have been engraved with glyphs that will summon additional armor and weapons that will aid you.

"Among them are special hoofboots that will be on your rear hooves. They are each imbued with a Fleet of Foot spell, enabling you each to move much faster than normal. Your forehooves will be fitted with golden bands that will be the true key in helping you capture Sombra.”

“But what about our containment barrier?” proposed Midnight. “It nullifies any magic caught within it.”

“Dark magic is different,” Celestia shook her head. “It corrupts and devours, your barrier will only slow Sombra down if you use it right away, and then he’ll be expecting it. No, you must wear him down, force him to expend his energy. Once he is exhausted, that will be the moment to use your barrier, and then he will be at your mercy! The bands that will appear on your front fetlocks can release special energy lines that will ensnare the closest source of dark magic once activated. Sombra will then be helpless and you will easily be able to bring him to me.”

She placed the chest into a conjured pair of saddlebags before fastening them to Midnight’s barrel.

“I won’t let you down, Princess!” Midnight swore.

“Midnight, I am not asking you to throw your life away,” Celestia insisted. “If it comes down to it, if you are unable…”

She turned away, stopping herself from crying and Midnight realized what she couldn’t say.

If he was unable to capture Sombra, Midnight had Celestia’s permission to kill him.

94. The Crystal Empire - Part 3

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95. The Crystal Empire - Part 4

(Play this and read)

Cold. It was so cold. But it was not the freeze surrounding them that tightened such an icy unforgiving grip onto their hearts but fear. Fear of what they were about to face, fear of what they had been tasked with, fear of failure, fear of what that would mean not just for themselves but for their loved ones, for their friends, for all of Equestria.

But there was a comforting thought that brought warmth. it helped them stand fast, the knowing they were not alone but stood together, as friends, as brothers, Guardians of Harmony. As one.

Their cloaks billowed around them in response to the blizzardy blow, revealing the bands on their left forelegs.

They looked ahead and saw him. He approached not as incorporeal shadow but as a barely visible figure in the distance. This is what they had been afraid of – He had already begun to draw strength from the fear poisoning their hearts with doubt, having earlier drawn it from the others’ fears until they escaped into the barrier.

He fed on the darkest feelings of the hearts around him. All of it, hatred, rage, envy, fear, served to nourish him. It was no wonder he had been and still was called the Unicorn whose Heart is as Black as Night.

“Whatever happens… I’m glad we are friends, and I could ask for no better brothers than you guys.”
“Ah come on, dude! It’s not like we’re not gonna get together again at Pepper Pony’s!”
“Eeyup. An’ we got too much t’ lose an’ so much t’ live for. Mopy thoughts like that will only slow ya down.”
“…You’re right. I haven’t even taken the chance to tell Twilight-”
“Yeah, yeah, we know, brony.”
“When this is over... Ah’m gonna pop th’ question t’ muh `Shy!”
“And there’s no way I’m gonna miss out on your wedding, big bro!”
“A’ight enough with the sappy talk! …Here he comes.”

King Sombra sneered at them as he growled, “So… my crystal slaves have prepared for me a welcoming committee. Your heads will make for a fine welcome home present.”

The Guardians looked to each other and nodded before they threw away their cloaks, sending them hurtling into the snowy abyss above, and struck the jewels on their bands!

*FLASH, FLASH, FLASH*

King Sombra raised a brow with intrigue.

The three stallions were clad in armor, the unicorn’s was golden, white and blue, the earth pony’s was golden, red, and green, while the pegasus’ was golden, silver, and black. They each wore helmets with visors to protect their eyes, but the king sensed the unicorn’s helm beheld surprising power, the centerpiece above the eyes bearing a pentagon-shaped jewel of pure white.

Each of them wore the same type of hoof-boots, which were sided with little silver-white wing ornaments. He sensed a spell imbued in them, but then he sensed the bands on their fetlocks contained a magic that troubled him.

Not only that, they each wielded a weapon.

Secured along each of the pegasus’s wings was a metal frame, inset with a topaz jewel, with a short golden blade extending from the wing-joint and extending three large golden feather-shaped blades along the primaries of his wings. He recognized them as Wingblayds, legendary weapons of the Pegasus Empire from so long ago, the weapons of the most elite warriors among them, and even then they were only given to their most tested flyers.

The earth pony wielded not a blade or bludgeon but a shield! It was large and circular, red and golden, and emblazoned with a green apple sliced in half, surrounded by sparkles. Its sheer size and apparent cumbersomeness belied its truly powerful potential, not just as a protective armament but as a weapon in its own right. The dark king could easily imagine somepony wielding such a shield to easily hold off another’s attacks and overwhelm them with its mammoth might.

But it was the weapon wielded by the unicorn that gave him a twinge of discomfort. Held in the unicorn’s telekinetic grip was a crescent-shaped blade. The inner lower edge was hollowed out and inserted into it was a leather-wrapped handle while the rest was a gleaming silvery blade, perfectly shaped like a crescent moon, the center on both sides encrusted with a sapphire jewel, sided by engraved flourishing, and it was most clearly razor sharp.

The black unicorn sensed something about its wielder, this young blue unicorn. He narrowed his eyes and smirked, sensing there was an unusual darkness within this pony… a familiar darkness.

Perhaps he had found for himself an asset.

The unicorn stepped to make the first move but the earth pony held him back and was the first to bring the battle to Sombra!

Big Macintosh galloped, snorting as he leaped! He raised his new shield edgewise towards the dark king, only for Sombra to smirk as he stomped his hoof.

A great tremor shook the earth around them, barely muffled by the snow. But its source was quickly made known as a massive crystal erupted from the ground, crashing into Big Macintosh, painfully stopping his attack. He gathered himself and looked to see Sombra rise up on another crystal cliff, sneering arrogantly!

He got to his hooves and ran forward, while Sombra snickered as his horn flared with power!

A frigid howling gale blew and it stirred up crystal shards long buried in the freeze, creating a serpentine storm of razor sharp shards of crystal. Seeing it coming his way, Midnight galloped in a fruitless effort to escape it.
“Thunder!”

Then from out of nowhere, a shadow that resembled Sombra galloped up and flipped onto the storming shards, riding them, and Thunderlane just barely managed to dodge them. The shadow pony leapt at Thunderlane brandishing some kind of quartz sword, and the two traded blows, easily fighting each other with equal skill, only to be interrupted by a blue fireball shot from Midnight.

Sombra’s shadow dodged and went for Midnight, only to be blasted away with blue and white lightning from the unicorn’s horn, and went for another ride on the storm of shards.

The diamond storm zoomed up and knocked Big Macintosh off the cliff above while another erupted right at Midnight’s hooves, knocking him for a loop. He came down with a hard crash, groaning, as Thunderlane came to his aid.
“Midnight, are you okay?”

Grunting, Midnight ignored the pain and sensed Big Macintosh was in danger. He looked up and gasped to see his brother falling from the cliff, and he gathered quickly his mana and cast a spell!

“Esther Rescudo… Macintosh!!!”

From Midnight’s horn shot a shimmering shooting star. It zoomed straight to Big Mac, engulfing him with light that solidified into a powerful force-field and not a moment too soon. For almost immediately afterwards, a maelstrom of the crystal shards hammered away at the force-field, forcing it upwards. It was carried just high enough for Sombra to have to look up, arrogantly smiling as the inside of the barrier shined before it exploded open, and Big Mac fell down onto the cliff with Sombra. Shaking away the fatigue, he raised his shield and swung it at Sombra. But the dark unicorn deflected with a large and wicked-looking black scythe that appeared to be made of obsidian.

Because Big Mac was inexperienced in using weapons, Sombra easily fought him off before blasting him with a burst of dark energy, sending Big Mac hurtling back. But as he got up, he felt a coldness spreading along his left foreleg and saw it was being coated with crystal.

He glared at Sombra who arrogantly bared his scythe towards the earth pony. Thunderlane flew up and span, his wingblayds spread out and they struck home!

But instead of injuring Sombra, the moment the blade made contact with him, his form burst into shadowy smoke, and Thunderlane realized he’d been tricked!

A shadowy explosion.

Silence.

The three stallions found themselves grunting and groaning in pain and appeared no worse for wear. But as they looked around, they were blown to see how their battle, short yet intense, had already reshaped the land around them. The snow had all been blown away, leading nothing but debris of rocks and dull crystals and rubble.

Then they noticed as Sombra appeared, floating down so that he stood between the three of them, as if he were deliberately allowing himself to be surrounded. The insult!

Midnight looked to Big Mac and Thunderlane each in turn, all of them nodding. Attack all at once - Surely he could not defend against even that!

Thunderlane took to the air with a flap of his wings, Midnight and Big Mac leaping back before they activated their hoof-boots. The Fleet of Foot Spell imbued into each conjured magic circles in front of them and they dove through, an accelerating burst of speed sending them screaming with battle towards their foe!

But then Sombra raised his scythe…and struck the pommel onto the ground, creating a burst of shadow that spread in all directions, engulfing the Guardians as the darkness solidified into crystal, entrapping them!

But Big Mac and Thunderlane managed to break free and hurtled themselves at the dark king, the impact creating a cloud of dust.
“Come out!”
“Or are ya too yellow-bellied?!”

A dark and mocking laughter echoed around them… but Big Mac sensed a vibration in the earth, to which he shared a sacred and intimate connection. He jumped for Thunderlane and raised his shield, saving his friend’s life as Sombra’s scythe came down and deflected off of it. Thunderlane quickly jumped and did an aerial somersault, bringing both wingblayds down, burying them into Sombra’s shoulders, much to his shock.
“Give up, Sombra! You’re beaten!”

“Hm-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! So… much…!” Sombra groaned as though he were enjoying the pain, Thunderlane unable to pull his wingblayds free.
“FURY!!!”

He released a dark pulse, sending Thunderlane and Big Mac skidding back, their hooves just barely finding purchase to keep them standing. They gaped in shock at the black unicorn, who had sustained no wounds at all!
I struck him dead-center… that would’ve killed anypony! Thunderlane thought in horror.

Sombra casually approached them, his eyes glowing green and smoking purple, “This is my domain... and you pitiful pawns of Celestia are too blind to see you've been sent to the slaughter!"

Thunderlane and Big Mac leapt at him, Sombra hooking Big Mac’s shield with his scythe and throwing him aside, just barely raising his scythe to bar Thunderlane’s wingblayds. They traded more blows when Sombra leapt straight up and Thunderlane flinched but dodged a blow from Big Mac, having intended it for Sombra from behind.

*SWISH*
*CLANG*

The three warriors had locked weapons, the two brothers using theirs to block Sombra’s attack.
“We don’ care jus’ how powerful ya think you are!”
“We will stop you!”

“Your fancy armor cannot conceal what lies in your hearts,” Sombra sneered mockingly as he easily parried another blow and raised his scythe. “I can taste your fear…”

*BONG*

Big Mac blocked Sombra’s attack but grunted at the unicorn’s magical strength, as he wielded his scythe to press down surprisingly hard onto the earth pony’s shield.

“And it is… delicious!!!”

Sombra’s mocking laugh was too much for Thunderlane as he growled and flapped upwards. Acting on instinct, he pointed himself diagonally down towards Sombra, his wings spread, his body crackling with energy and he felt it surge!
“SCREW YOU…!!!”

A powerful lightning bolt fire from his eyes but it went right through Sombra as he dispersed his form into shadow again, enshrouding both stallions in phantasmal fog.

From where he was Midnight groaned as he gathered his thoughts and realized he was still immobilized by Sombra’s dark crystal. Seeing the fog and sensing his friends were inside, he began to struggle free.

“Where are you, Sombra?!” Thunderlane snapped, keeping vigilant as he looked for any sign of the dark king through the murky mope around him.
He can’t hide forever… The moment he makes a move, I'll get him!

Thunderlane felt oddly aggressive, and he didn’t know where it was coming from. But right now, he was just too focused on cutting Sombra down to size.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a large figure, barely visible through the fog.
*CLANG*

Thunderlane’s wingblayds deflected off of what appeared to be a large shield, forged and designed to resemble an evil eye, Sombra levitating it as he sneered provocatively.

“Getting worried that you need a shield now?!” Thunderlane challenged.

*CLING, BONG*

“Ergh!”

Big Mac held his shield protectively, as Sombra came at him rather aggressively. Curiously, the black unicorn had seemed to abandon his scythe and brought out a pair of serrated black scimitars, wielding them in his red aura.

Earlier, he’d barely raised his shield in the nick of time to protect himself from an attack that most certainly would’ve ended his life.
“Don’ matter what y’come at me with! Ah won’ give up!”

King Sombra chuckled cruelly as he took in the show.
“Dance, my little puppets, dance! Give me so good a show that it kills you! Or each other, either suits me, ha-hah-ha!”

King Sombra had used his fog to literally fog the minds of Thunderlane and Big Mac, bewitching them into seeing the other as Sombra himself. Ergo they were actually fighting each other but saw the other as the dark unicorn. But from out of nowhere a blue pulse of energy shot at the gobbledygooked guardians, and it lashed out with tendrils, stunning both stallions, causing them to cry out and fall over each other in an unconscious slump.

“What?!” King Sombra didn’t know what had just happened but above nearby, a crescent-shaped blade was raised an an arrow composed of sapphire energy was conjured, the blade substituting for a bow, and it fired!

Sombra growled through clenched teeth as he felt it pierce his shoulder and looked over it glaringly to see Midnight come down, as he waved his crescent blade in an overhead arch, creating multiple energy blades also crescent-shaped that came down with him, slowly orbiting him as he prepared his next move.

Sombra concentrated on the energy arrow in his back and absorbed it to assist in healing himself. But now his full attention was on this blue unicorn, this unknowing vessel of darkness, and they glared at each other in a standoff.

Midnight closed his eyes, his crescent-blade held in front of him horizontally… until they snapped open, the blade flipping around until it was vertical! And a storm of energy arrows fired!

Sombra waved his scythe, bringing up a monolith of dark crystal to shield himself, before slamming it and sending it hurtling towards Midnight! The flash of a blade revealed the crystal to be cut in half as Midnight charged Sombra, their blades meeting in a vicious clash!

Midnight leapt and flipped over Sombra, landing on a nearby boulder and activated his Fleet-of-Foot hoof boots, the magic circle giving him a boost as he zoomed right at Sombra, bringing down his blade with such force Sombra leapt away to dodge, rather than risk trying to block it.

“So ruthless…” Sombra whispered, secretly impressed, before he demanded, “Why risk your life to protect an empire that has nothing to do with you?”

“Because it’s right,” Midnight answered unflinchingly.

He tapped his hoofboots, the spell giving him another boost as he zoomed around Sombra, scoring two more hits until Sombra, having had enough of being knocked about, slammed his scythe down, knocking Midnight onto his back while his crescent-blade was sent flying away like a boomerang but it didn’t come back. Sombra raised his scythe to kill this insolent whelp but noticed him flaring his horn and looked up. He barely managed to dodge a large energy blade that came down hard that he lost control of his scythe and lost it.

As the two unicorns glared at each other, they both took a moment’s reprieve to heal their wounds before Sombra made a decision. His eyes flared green while his horn conjured around Midnight dark crystals to immobilize him.

“Release me!”

“Hm-hm, in due time,” Sombra promised. “But there is something about you I must confirm. From the moment my eyes first fell upon you I sensed something within you. But what really got my attention is how this something feels… disturbingly familiar.”

Sombra closed his eyes and appeared to use a sensing spell, Midnight struggling to free himself but Sombra had enclosed him good.

“Ah…! You have been touched by darkness,” Sombra looked hungrily at Midnight. “The very same darkness that cost me everything...!!”

“What are you talking about?” Midnight furrowed his brows at the king.

“This darkness within you… you fear it, as you rightly should,” Sombra explained. “You have felt its influence before, driven you to act in vengeance, in rage, to act without mercy. And you have done… terrible things, haven’t you?”

Midnight felt his heart pump faster and Sombra smirked as he began to circle the young unicorn like a shark.
“Hmm-hmm, I’m right, aren’t I…? Just how long do you think you have before this infection overtakes you completely?”

“I won’t let it,” Midnight swore.

“What makes you think you’ll have a choice? Without the proper knowledge and training, this shadow that darkens every corner of your mind will only grow darker, until you are lost within it while it is free to wear your skin, wield your powers, act in your name! …But you do have a choice, a choice to apprentice under one who has walked this lonely road before you.”

“And I suppose you would understand loneliness,” Midnight narrowed his eyes at him.

“I understand more than you dare imagine! …You find me to be a tyrant yet the best kind of slave is one unwilling to turn around and face the whip.”

“Silence!” Midnight snapped.

“You can deny my warnings all you wish,” Sombra smirked menacingly, “it won’t change your fate.”

“What kind of fool do you take me for?” Midnight growled.

“You are not a fool,” Sombra answered, to Midnight’s surprise. “Whether you show it or not, you know my words ring with truths. What I see before me, is not a fool. Nor are you a warrior, a hero, or even a protector… You are a boy in want of a father.”

“Save your breath,” hissed Midnight.

“Even if by some miracle, you were to defeat me,” Sombra reasoned, “you would only soon fall to this corruption which, even as we speak, is eating away at your soul. Once it took over, your friends would turn against you, see you as the monster inside, and working together they would destroy you rather than risk what dangers you would pose. In the sorry state you’re in, Equestria would be for the better without you.

"Would it not make sense for us to join together?”

“I’ll destroy myself before I ever join up with you!” Midnight yelled.

“Destroy…? You mean like what your friends would do to you?”

Midnight snorted at him, but Sombra simply went on as he said solemnly, “I admire your resolve. You have potential, the potential to be the most powerful being in all of Equestria, the potential to usurp even me! I would help to cultivate the power you hold in embryo, see it rise and bloom to its peak!

"I am offering you an opportunity to claim what could so rightfully be yours, to be my apprentice, to by my heir, to rule in my place when I am gone. Together… we could show the nation - The world! - what it truly means to fear the darkness!”

Midnight closed his eyes as if in contemplation, Sombra sneering as he awaited the blue unicorn’s answer.

“…Never.”

*FLASH/BOOM*

In a burst of power, Midnight teleported but back into his position while simultaneously releasing a powerful burst of energy, blowing away the crystal prison Sombra had entrapped him with.

Sombra just smirked, his eyes glowing green, everything about him turning dark as he whispered, “So be it…”

Without hesitation, Midnight lowered his horn and charged the darkness!!!

Author's Note

This was fun

FYI, Midnight's spell "Esther Rescudo" is my own design : 'Esther' is Persian for 'star' while 'Rescudo' is a portmanteau of 'rescue' and 'Escudo', a Portuguese/Spanish word for 'shield'

The spell is cast, followed by the name of someone in danger. It sends what looks like a shooting star to the one in danger and surrounded them with a protective barrier. It's one of my most favorite spells I ever came up with

The addition of the music was something I originally meant to do but it slipped my mind

The illustration is by Hoodwinked MCShelster

97. The Crystal Empire - Part 6

Sombra rose from the fog, standing atop a crystal platform levitated by his magic. He sneered excitably at his empire, sitting there just waiting for him to reclaim it…!

“The empire is under attack!” Shining Armor said worriedly, before helping his wife to her hooves, and she found strength in the encouraging smile he gave her.

She furrowed her brows, looking towards the edge of sphere of influence and forced the magic forward!

Sombra took the time to relish the moment as he slowly levitated his platform towards the empire. But he gasped to see that meddlesome barrier reforming!

Growling, he urged his platform faster, only to feel something ensnare him `round the neck, tightening enough to make him forget all about the empire as he began to choke. He leered down and saw that annoying blue unicorn, an energy tendril extending from his horn and ensnaring Sombra.

“Ergh…” Midnight was in great pain but he growled, “I’m not through with you yet!”

With a mighty heave, Midnight yanked Sombra from his platform, and right in the nick of time. Not a single part of Sombra made it through, as all of him came down hard onto the ground. Groaning, Sombra stood up and glared murderously at Midnight, and was intrigued to see the young unicorn’s eyes were still green and red.
Intriguing… even bewitched by my dark magic, he manages to retain clarity enough to persist in defying me! He would’ve made an excellent apprentice… A pity he chose to remain an obstacle!

Growling, Sombra charged Midnight, snarling, “If that first blast wasn’t enough to trap you with your demons, this overdose will drive you to madness!!!”

An orb of black and red fire gathered at the tip of Sombra’s mutated horn, and he launched it.

“AAAAAUUUGGGHH!!!”

Midnight was sent flying, his Helm of Faith coming off, and he rolled yards away as he began to succumb to the dreaded mind game Sombra had cursed him with.

“A pity…” Sombra growled, in disappointment and in irritation.

He barely managed to hold himself up. Every inch of his body hurt. He’d been battered, bruised, burned, cut, bled, blasted, but it all compared to nothing as he panted in horror, his heart pumping so hard it threatened to burst, as he began to sink into his darkest nightmares…

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, Ah-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!”

That dark laughter got Sombra’s attention and he turned to see the blue unicorn standing up, his back to Sombra, but he sensed something so terribly wrong.

“Were you truly naïve enough to think I would deign to follow you? One who endeavored years to master the dark powers… Powers of the like Fate chose to gift unto me?”

Midnight turned around, his eyes now as red as Sombra’s but the pupils were slits, like a cat, as he smirked in a way that made Sombra quake in his hoof-boots.
“Shadows, light, neither has meaning without the darkness… Even the moon that offers its gentle guiding glow throughout the night is nothing more than a reflection of the harsh and blinding sun!”

As Midnight approached Sombra, a crystal shard was enveloped in the blue unicorn’s aura, and quickly shaped into a jagged sword, looking very much like a monster’s claw.
“And yet it is that light that blesses me the power to trespass into the territory of a god! Whereas you… The might you boast and toss around, as though it were something to be impressed by, is inconsequential next to the powers that be!”

“STAY BACK!” roared Sombra as he fired a red energy bolt.

Midnight quickly raised his crystal sword, and absorbed the bolt, causing the blade to inflame with a harsh crimson light.
“Compared to them you are nothing, just as you are nothing compared to me…!!!”

Sombra was thrown back into a large boulder, pinned with unyielding pressure, as he felt a blade to his throat. As he opened his eyes he was horrified!

Gone was the blue unicorn over whom he’d so easily dominated, trounced, pushed around as though he were nothing but a toy. This creature, to whom he was held completely at its mercy, was a monster!

It was taller, muscular, and to Sombra’s confusion it looked like him! The coat had turned from sapphire blue to a poisonous dark purple, the dark blue streaks in his black mane and tail had brightened to angry red, the man and tail even had lengthened and flowed in a wind from an invisible source, much like Sombra’s did. The armor had darkened and looked as cold as his own and the leather apron had been restored and now flared out, edged with spikes!

But then Sombra saw this creature’s horn, looking so much like his own!

It had lengthened, smoothed, and curved as his own was, and faded from the base to a bright and sickening green at the tip.

“YOU CLAIM TO KNOW FEAR?! I WILL DRIVE YOU TO MADNESS!!!”

“Who… are you?!” Sombra felt that same cold and hopeless terror he had felt so long ago.

“Hm-heh-ha, I… am- Begone!”

“Huh?!” Sombra was surprised as the creature suddenly clenched its eyes shut, backing away as though it were in pain, hissing and growling, when its eyes opened again while Sombra slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

The right eye of the monster remained hateful red with a slit pupil but the left was the normal eye of a pony and the same turquoise blue as the unicorn this creature originally was. Then Sombra noticed something nearby, sparkling.
It was that odd helmet the blue unicorn had been wearing, with the white jewel. It pulsed and flared, just as the creature appeared to be in battle with itself.
“I won't let you do this, get lost! Ergh, you fool! You don't have the guts to do what needs to be done, he's mine Never! Curse you!!!”

The creature’s horn suddenly ignited a blazing blue, and it screamed an unearthly scream as it was enveloped in a pillar of blue flames that reached skyward. Sombra couldn’t help but gape at the sight before him as the creature burned away, leaving the blue unicorn it had originally been, as the flames died down, and he felt to his knees, gasping for breath.
“Now... back to the matter at hoof.”

Sombra glared and growled apprehensively at the blue unicorn as he racked his brain.
He succumbed… and retook control! He made a virtually-complete transformation into a reflection of the darkness inside him yet he managed to wrest back control and even revert to his real self! …Impossible!!!

But then Sombra realized something else. He was tired, and had actually been fighting hard against these meddlesome stallions. Despite feeding on their negative emotions, his body was losing stamina. These fools had actually forced him to fight seriously the whole, never mind his overpowering them all and tricking them.

Curse his arrogance!

He’d fought so hard he had not realized why they had engaged him to begin with!

To draw his attention away from the barrier, which he had been continuously hammering against before they’d arrived, trying to wear down the strength of whomever was projecting it over his dominion, and now that he’d wasted so much energy fighting these wretches there was no way he’d have the strength to take back what was his, unless he managed to get through and sow seeds of fear and doubt into his crystal slaves.

But then again, he had only just regained his physical form. Even with the energy he’d fed on from their dark emotions, he was foolish to think he’d be at the full of his might.
I have to end this here and now…! No more games!

Sombra recalled his scythe and roared as he charged Midnight, still clearing his head and catching his breath. With murderous fury, Sombra leapt, raising the black blade to cut down this inconvenience…!

*BONG*
*BUCK*

“AUGH!”

Sombra was sent tumbling away and looked up, growling in vexation to see the red earth pony and dark gray pegasus standing with their brother, with their weapons raised protectively.
“Y’alright there, pardner?”
“`Cuz it looks like you could use a little backup!”

“You’re both okay,” Midnight whispered with happy relief.

*Smack*

“Ouch!” Midnight rubbed his head where Thunderlane had brought his wing down hard.

“That’s for knocking us out!” Thunderlane gave him a goodnatured smirk.

“What, did you want me to stand by and watch you kill each other?!” Midnight aggravated.

“Naw, he’s jus’ foolin’ with ya, little brother,” Big Mac helped Midnight to his hooves. “Come on with me, boys! Let’s get this varmint!”

Midnight nodded, calling back both his Helm of Faith and Crescent Blade.
“Hold on. There’s a message I have to send, keep him busy for me.”

“Will do,” Thunderlane gave him a nod before saying, “Come on, Mac, I say it’s time to get a little payback!”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac agreed as they charged Sombra.

Midnight sat on his haunches as he concentrated.
Twilight…!

“What are you doing here?”

Twilight turned around and saw Princess Celestia, apparently busy looking over documents.
“I don’t know!”

She’d just stepped through a door, after walking down a very long hidden staircase, forced said door to open after it wouldn’t stop moving, and when she’d stepped through after blasting it with the same dark magic Celestia had shown her, she found herself back in Celestia’s throne room.

“I opened the door and-”

“And now you must go,” said Celestia curtly.

“Go where?” Twilight could sense something was not right, Celestia was never this curt or stern unless there was something wrong.

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Celestia said before giving Twilight an uncharacteristic stink eye, “You failed the test, Twilight!”

Twilight gasped in such horror it took her a moment to find her voice again.
“I don’t understand- The test?!”

“Not only will you not move onto the next level of your studies, you won’t continue your studies at all!”

“But I… You didn’t say anything about no longer being your student if I failed!” Twilight protested, her heart beginning to break, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Didn’t I?” Celestia asked rhetorically as she rudely pushed Twilight out of her way with her wing and started to walk away.

“But- What do I do now?!” Twilight pleaded. But then she noticed something, it was a stained-glass window… showing herself falling before Sombra’s power!

I… failed!

It was everything she truly feared, failure, dismissal, disappointment, and letting everypony down.

As she sank to the floor, the fear washing over her, she heard a pair of hoofsteps.

Was Celestia coming to kick her out? Yell at her?

“Twilight?”

Twilight gasped at that sound of his voice.

She looked up and saw midnight, clad in armor, the Helm of Faith on his head.
“Midnight…!”

She threw her arms around him, crying into his neck, “Oh Midnight…! I failed, I let everypony down! And now- And now… I am no longer Celestia’s student!”

“Twilight!” Midnight grabbed her by the shoulders, and wiped her tears away, a look of worry on his face. “I don’t know what you’re seeing but listen to me! This isn’t real!”

“What?” Twilight sniffled, not understanding.

“Twilight, I’m still outside the barrier protecting the Empire,” Midnight explained, “This isn’t the Canterlot Throne Room, and whatever you saw or heard, it wasn’t real! You’ve fallen into a trap, set by Sombra!”

“But… if this isn’t real, how are you here?” Twilight asked, her heart beginning to feel at ease, “If you’re not really here, how do I know you’re real?”

“I placed those seals on the cloaks I gave everypony so you could focus on what must be done,” Midnight explained. “You must find the Crystal Heart! Awaken from this phantasm and step through the door, but listen! When you find it, don’t run up to it, there will be another trap! If you spring it you won’t be able to escape it and deliver the heart to Cadance!”

“But what about you? What about Big Mac and Thunderlane?!”

“Don’t worry about us, we’re doing fine! We’ve been fighting Sombra this whole time to keep his attention off of ramming the barrier, to give you the time you need to do what needs to be done!”

“But then how are you here if you’re out there fighting Sombra?”

“I entered a telepathic trance to reach out to you, and found you in this bewitchment. Now go, Twilight! Remember my warning about the trap, and deliver the heart to Cadance! One more thing, when next you see me, you must convince Cadance to trust me. Do you promise?”

“But what’re you-” Twilight tried to ask.

“Do you promise?!”

Seeing the desperate hope in those turquoise eyes she was falling in love with, Twilight sighed and nodded.

“Thank you, and good luck,” Midnight kissed her on the forehead and everything blurred.

“Twilight! Twilight!”

Twilight snapped out of it, shaking it off as she found the door open but it only revealed a wall. Spike came running down the stairs to her, blabbering, “I know you told me to stay up there, but you were down here for such a long time and you weren't answering and I got worried so I came down here and you were just staring at that wall and... I was calling your name, but I couldn't seem to get your attention, and–

He paused as he noticed Twilight scrutinizing the open door and wall.

“What were you looking at? I mean... it's just a wall,” Spike wondered as he stepped up to t, not noticing a black crystal atop the door’s frame bubbling with purple mana that glowed green.
“Ponyville? But how did I get…?”

Twilight noticed Spike’s eyes had turned green, his pupils red but then he started to panic.
“No! I don’t wanna go! Please Twilight, don’t make me!”

*SLAM*

His tearing up eyes returned to their true colors, Twilight having kicked the door closed.
“King Sombra’s dark magic, a doorway that leads to your worst fears!”

“We were home,” Spike whimpered, the bewitchment having really had an effect on him. “You told me you didn’t need me anymore! You were sending me away…”

“A fear that will never come to pass,” Twilight swore as she gave him a warm hug, the two of them sharing a smile. “I’m never gonna send you away. And I’m not gonna fail my test!”

This time Twilight send positive magic into the door’s crystal, and the door opened for real this time. As Twilight stepped through, Spike asked warily, “What’s in there?”

“Stairs,” she sighed as they both looked up to a column so high they couldn’t see the top. Encircling it were, “Lots and lots of stairs.”

Twilight took the first few steps but then looked to Spike, “Maybe you should come with me this time.”

Spike smiled brightly and followed her without hesitation.

“HYAH!”

*CLANG*

Sombra grunted as he was forced back, Midnight and Thunderlane wielding their blades with surprising skill. Every time Sombra attacked them, they hid behind Big Mac and his shield, Big Mac protecting his brothers and pushing Sombra back. Then the unicorn and pegasus would attack together, they were wearing him down even more!

But Sombra didn’t dare use more magic, he would need it to have any chance of reclaiming his empire! No, this contest would have to be decided, not with their knowledge of the mystic arts, but by their skills as warriors. Yet even without his magic, Sombra was still a ferocious adversary. As he was now resorting only to his fighting skills, he was also trying dirty tricks. He’d kicked dust and dirt and snowy powder at the Guardians’ eyes and tried to attack them when they rubbed their eyes clear. But he was outnumbered, focusing on one only meant losing sight of the other two, enabling one to get the drop on the dark king while the other protected the temporarily incapacitated.

Their teamwork was flawless. They knew each other well, and it was their powerful friendship that finally won them their aim to begin with, as Sombra was pushed back, and panting from exhaustion. And Midnight noticed Sombra’s telekinetic hold on his scythe waver for a moment before he regained his hold over it.

“Now’s the time, guys! Surround him!”

They hurried out, to Sombra’s confusion, and took their places.

“NOW!”

Around Midnight erupted a pillar of blue flame.

Enveloping Thunderlane was a pillar of electrifying lightning.

Surrounding Big Macintosh chunks of rock and even shards of crystal rose up in a pillar of red power.

Then Sombra gasped as walls of golden energy bridged between the three, entrapping their adversary in their barrier. Sombra then felt his hold on his scythe vanish, the blade toppling over.
They’ve nullified my magic! But even this cannot stop my dark magic..!

Deciding the situation demanded it, he concentrated, purple bubbling around his horn, black crackling around his body, his eyes brightening a sickening green.

“There it is, boys!” Thunderlane shouted, “Do it!”

The jeweled bands they wore on their fetlocks glowed and pure white tendrils of energy lashed out, enwrapping Sombra’s horn and ensnaring him around the neck and barrel. Sombra gasped as he felt his dark magic extinguish!
“No…NO!! Release me, I COMMAND IT!!!”

“Sombra, by our duty as the Guardians of Harmony,” Midnight declared, “and in the name of Princess Celestia, you are under arrest!”

98. The Crystal Empire - Part 7

“Whoa-ha-ha-ha!”

Twilight was sliding “down” the underside of the staircase, having reversed her and Spike’s gravity. So now they were on their way up the stairs and making great time, Spike holding on for dear life.
“I actually studied gravity spells thinking it might be on my test! Turns out I was prepared for this! Woo-hoo!”

Finally they came to the bottom, the top, whichever, their gravity returning to normal, and they found themselves at the very top of the citadel, the wind blowing through archways because of the height.

But as they got up, the real elephant in the middle of the room… was the Crystal Heart! Floating pristine in the center over an encircled star. They smiled and looked at each other, Spike gesturing her to go forward.

But right before she stepped onto the circle in the center, she gasped and backed away.

“Twilight what’s wrong?” Spike asked. “It’s right there, let’s grab it and get back to your brother and Cadance!”

“No, Spike,” Twilight shook her head. “When I fell for the door that leads to your worst fears, I came out of it because Midnight was able to contact me telepathically!”

“Really?” Spike was impressed. “But… he’s outside the barrier, and look how far it is! To contact you from that distance without something in the middle to connect you…”

“That doesn’t matter,” Twilight scrutinized the situation. “Midnight warned me about getting too close to the Heart, he said there was another trap to watch out for.”

“But… if you can’t get too close to the heart, how will you get it?” Spike was asking the million bit question.

“Hmm…” Twilight concentrated, her horn glowing as she reached out with her telekinetic aura… only to feel some kind of rebound and a sharp pain in her horn.
“Ow!”

Rubbing the base of her horn, she squinted at the Heart, saying, “That won’t work…”

“What won’t?” Spike asked, helping her stand up.

“The Crystal Heart is warded from telekinesis,” Twilight explained. “I can’t get too close, I can’t reach it from afar…! How do I get it?!”

“Take a deep breath, Twilight, and just think!” Spike suggested with an encouraging smile.

Twilight looked at him and did as he suggested. With a deep breath calming her a little, she considered the problem before her.

She couldn’t retrieve the heart by going up to get it neither could she acquire it from afar.

Wait… going up to it… she thought as it began to dawn on her. An idea formed but there was the nagging reminder that she had to do this herself!

But this problem here and now seemed like one where she had to have help! If that was the case, and with the safety of the crystal ponies on the line…

“Spike, I’m gonna need your help.”

“But Twilight, I thought you said-”

“Forget the test! What matters is the here and now. I can’t approach the crystal heart to get it without tripping whatever trap Sombra placed here, and I can’t use my telekinesis to retrieve the heart because of the ward on it… So Spike, I’m going to levitate you!”

“Me?!”

“Yes, I need you to grab the heart once I levitate you close enough to it, and then I’ll bring you back to me. Once we have it, we’ll get out of here.”

“Are-are you sure, Twilight?” asked Spike hesitantly.

“My future next to the future of this empire is inconsequential, Spike,” Twilight declared without hesitation as she looked out one of the archways.
“They’ve lived the same singular moment for a thousand years, unable to move forward or back, because of the hatred of a mad king. Now, after so long, they have found themselves again in Equestria and still their freedom is threatened by that monster. They deserve to live, to have a future, to be happy, and share what they have to offer to all of Equestria! Even if I fail this test, my friends will be there for me, and I’ll take whatever comes my way, be it good or bad. Because love and hope will always prevail over hate and despair, and that is the very purpose the Crystal Empire was created for.”

Spike couldn’t help but smile at Twilight, feeling like a proud little brother. So he puffed out his chest and saluted, “Ready when you are, Twilight!”

Twilight looked at Spike proudly when he gasped, seeing something behind her. She looked and felt her spirits waver as the barrier fell again! Revealing the ice-cold landscape outside.

“Come on, Spike! We’ve got a heart to deliver!”

She concentrated, enveloping Spike in her aura and slowly lifting him up. Spike focused on the Crystal Heart as he rose a few hooves into the air and gently levitated towards it.

“Careful, careful…!” Spike whispered, starting to sweat a little, as was Twilight.

He slowly reached out… and wrapped his claws around the heart, and he was entranced by this treasure of the earth!

It was almost as big as his head, it must’ve been at least fifty karats! So flawlessly cut, exactly what you’d expect a Crystal Heart to look like!
I wonder how good it would taste...?

“Spike, focus! Do you have it?!”

Spike shook it off and hugged the heart to his chest, “I got it, bring me over!”

Twilight was careful but a little quicker in bring Spike back, and held him close as she cheered, “We did it! We got the heart!”

“Let’s get back to the others!” Spike suggested with a determined smile.

“Right! And Spike?”

“Yeah?” Spike noticed and blushed a bit at the smile Twilight gave him.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.”

*Flash*

“AAAUUGGH!!”
“It’s him!”
“King Sombra!”

With the heart in his arms and Spike on her back, Twilight had teleported back to the balcony where she found Shining Armor holding a passed out Cadance, and heard pandemonium in the streets below.
“Twily!”

She turned and saw Shining Armor looking relieved to see her.
“Is that it? Is that…?”

“It is!” Twilight confirmed. “Shining Armor, what’s everypony screaming about?”

“Look!” Shining Armor pointed down and right below, Twilight was blown.

Standing in the courtyard below was Sombra, bound by tendrils of energy, held by Midnight, Big Macintosh, and Thunderlane, each of them clad in armor. Their friends stood protectively around them, some of the Crystal Ponies looking on in worry and fear.

“They brought Sombra into the empire?!” Twilight was shocked and a little angry at them for doing something like this.

*Flash*

“That… is… mine!!!”

Twilight reared away as Sombra snarled and pulled at his restraints, but it was a feeble attempt. Then she got a better look at the Guardians and was horrified to see them bruised and battered, and other kinds of injuries. Applejack and Fluttershy were dabbing a cut on Big Macintosh’s cheek, Thunderlane was getting chewed out by Rainbow Dash and making that disrespectful gesture of one yammering on and on with his wing, and Midnight focused entirely on Sombra, yanking him back like a dog.

“It’s the Crystal Heart!”
“She’s found it!”
“We’re saved!”

Twilight and Spike looked around saw the Crystal Ponies smiling at them and watched as they brightened, their hopes returning, and they all awed as they looked up to see Cadance and Shining Armor float down to Twilight.
“The Crystal Heart has returned,” Shining Armor declared, Cadance beseeching to them all, “Use the light and love within you to insure King Sombra is stopped forever!”

She took the heart from Twilight and levitated it to the center of the courtyard, a crystal stalactite and stalagmite protruding to hold the Heart in place, and the light spread.

“No…!” Midnight whispered as the magic spread, lighting up the streets and taking in the love and light every Crystal Pony had to offer… and rebounded it all back into the Crystal Heart! It span to spread its own magic, enchanting all the ponies, even the ones who were not crystal ponies, with their own crystally glow!

But out of nowhere, Midnight stepped protectively in front of Sombra, much to everypony’s shock.

“Midnight! What are you doing?!” Cadance demanded, “Sombra must be destroyed!”

“No!” Midnight took in the magic, and everypony gasped as the spread was sucked away, Midnight groaning as his horn absorbed it all. “I was entrusted a mission, and I will not fail it!”

Midnight gasped and levitated in place, feeling the magic of the Crystal Empire inside. It was warm, comforting, and reminded him of the magic in his Helm of Faith. But this was on a grand-scale. The Helm of Faith turned his own into his power, but this was the collective hope of everypony throughout the Crystal Empire!

Next to it, Midnight’s own Helm of Faith, his Element of Harmony, was like a glowing ember next to a roaring fire. It threatened to overwhelm him, consume his mind!

Unless…

Midnight reached into the Helm of Faith and pulled at its magic, intermingling it with the magic of the Crystal Heart he had absorbed.

Everypony watched as Midnight then turned around to face Sombra, who growled in fear and vexation.
“Get away from me! Stop!”

Midnight’s eyes glowed pure white as he unleashed a crystalline beam of energy from his horn and struck Sombra in the chest. The dark king felt that infernal love and light spreading through him, extinguishing his hate and cruelty! They watched as the cold armor, cape, and crown fell, and Sombra to his knees, his coat becoming crystalline and his eyes scrunched in pain as he panted… but then, his eyes opened and they were shocked!

Gone were the burning red eyes of a tyrant, replaced by the gentle green of a confused unicorn, even his horn had returned to normal. But his mane and tail were now streaked with blue as he looked up, looking ashamed and lost.

“Crystal Ponies, behold!” Midnight declared as wisps of the Crystal Heart's residual energy flowed from his eyes and his Helm of Faith set by his hooves while his own coat refracted and glimmered and golden laurels rested behind his ears.
“The Sombra you once knew, no longer a tyrant maddened by darkness or hate. Now, he is again another pony, who needs guidance.”

Sombra couldn't believe it! The fear, the anger, the hate- It was all gone! Leaving him overcome with remorse and horror and disgust with himself as tears were beginning to well up in his eyes... only to hear a hoofstep, and he looked to see it was Midnight. The Guardian of Harmony stood there, holding his hoof out to Sombra, smiling at the redeemed unicorn. There was no judgement, no disgust, only sincerity as he offered Sombra the Hoof of Friendship.

Though he felt he did not deserve it, something inside spurred Sombra, albeit hesitantly, to accept Midnight's hoof and Midnight helped Sombra up onto all fours. Then, Midnight looked up and fired a colorful fireball that burst in the sky, spreading an aurora borealis of love and light throughout Equestria.

Soon everypony in the empire was resuming their normal lives, looking after their ewes, picking their crystal berries, and even practicing for their first jousting tournament in a very long time.

And the visitors, Sombra included, were headed back to the train station.

“I do so wish it had been permanent,” Rarity pouted, “Did you see the way my mane absolutely sparkled?”

“But are not things better when they’re a… rarity?” Blueblood gave her a nuzzled, Rarity smiling lovingly at him as she swooned.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Shining Armor said to his sister.

Ahead, Midnight was escorting a shy and confused Sombra, both to keep him calm and to keep an eye on him.

“You and Midnight have gotta stop saving my rump like this,” Shining Armor teased Twilight, “It’s starting to get a little embarrassing.”

“But look at what Midnight did,” Twilight sighed. “He did what nopony else was willing to do. He gave Sombra another chance and even wielded the power of the heart to purge him of the evil inside. But what did he mean by… a mission?”

“Twilight… There’s something you weren’t told,” Shining Armor admitted, Twilight looking up to him.

Everypony stood outside Canterlot Tower, expecting Twilight to come out and… tell them how she did on her test.

Inside, Celestia admired the aurora spreading, “It’s beautiful.”

“I wish it had ultimately been me who made it so,” Twilight muttered sadly. “Princess, why didn’t you tell me that you’d entrusted Midnight the task of capturing Sombra?”

“You had enough to worry about in finding a way to safeguard the empire,” Celestia reasoned, “and because I did not give you the whole story, Twilight.”

“Midnight already told me everything on the train ride over,” Twilight nodded before giving her an incredulous look. “…You and Sombra?”

“Yes,” Celestia confirmed with an awkward smile that quickly turned joyful, “and I cannot tell you how happy I am to have him back. He has a long road ahead of him, in recovery and in redemption. Even though he was controlled by a darkness that had corrupted him, Sombra has been pushed almost to the breaking point with guilt and remorse. He’s going to need a lot of help and support.”

“And so did I,” Twilight confessed, “you told me I was to pass this test by myself, but I needed Spike to help me get the heart and circumvent one of the dark Sombra’s traps.”

“Twilight, as I understand it, you accepted help from Spike in order to acquire the heart so Princess Cadance could wield it to help the Crystal Ponies! You were willing to put the safety of the Crystal Empire before your own self-interests, even if it felt like cheating your test! I am so proud to have a student who knows when to accept help in a task she's not sure she can handle on her own, especially when failure would be at the expense of others.”

“Does this mean…?!” Twilight looked up hopefully at her teacher, who gave her a proud smile.

Outside, Spike was pacing in front of the door, “She’s totally gonna lose it!!”

“Spike, keep it together, buddy,” Midnight gently shook him. “Just have a little faith in Twi-”

*SLAM*

“Ouch…” Midnight keeled over but all eyes were on Twilight, standing in the shadow of the threshold. But then she stepped into the light with a happy announcement!

“I passed!”

Everypony cheered, sighed in relief, or smiled proudly, while Spike ran up and hugged Twilight, Midnight smiling sheepishly at her as he rubbed his sore muzzle...

(Rarity)
You were prepared to do your best
Had what it takes to pass the test

(Blueblood)
All those doubts you can dismiss
Turns out you were…

(Rarity, Blueblood, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Soarin, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Midnight Blaze, and Spike)
Prepared for this!

They continued as they happily marched along to the train station.

(Applejack)
Ya clearly had jus’ what it takes!

(Pinkie Pie)
To pass a test with such high stakes!

(Thunderlane)
We knew for sure you would prevail

(Soarin)
Since when does Twilight Sparkle ever fail?

(Rarity, Blueblood, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Soarin, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Midnight Blaze, and Spike)
All those doubts that you can dismiss
Trust yourself and you cannot miss

(Applejack, Big Macintosh, Soarin, Rarity, and Blueblood)
Turns out you were…

(Twilight Sparkle)
Turns out I was…

(Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, Fluttershy, and Spike)
Turns out you were…!

(Midnight Blaze)
Turns out she was…!

They boarded the train, Midnight holding Twilight’s hoof.

(Midnight Blaze)
Turns out you were…

(Twilight Sparkle, Spike, Midnight Blaze, Applejack, Big Macintosh, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Rarity, Blueblood, Pinkie Pie, and Soarin)
Prepared for this…!!!

Princesses Celestia and Luna watched the train leave for Ponyville, feeling so proud of their little ponies as Luna conjured a mysterious spellbook for her sister.

Within Canterlot Tower, the Hooded Pony stood before the new addition to the collection of historical stained-glass windows.

"Heh, heh, heh..." the figure chuckled deviously, "All the pieces are coming together..."

And just like a bad dream he was gone.

Author's Note

The Illustration is yet another wonderful commission courtesy of Hoodwinked McShelster!

The way Sombra (restored to good) looks was influenced and inspired by several sources, such as the Alternate King Sombra as well as a fanimation featuring Sombra before he turned evil

I considered adding a scene of Celestia and Sombra reuniting but felt it wouldn't fit well, so we'll just assume they had their happy reunion

99. Too Many Pinkies - Part 1

“Hmm…” Midnight looked at his latest project through a magnifying glass, enchanted to work like a microscope by twisting the ring on the handle, held by a drafting machine-like apparatus, having removed the protractor head.

He was in his workshop, surrounded by his projects and tools, some spellbooks on a shelf, a telescope poking out a window, an alchemy worktable set away from the flammable objects, and on one wall were jars and bottles and boxes of various ingredients he’d collected here and there. In fact, there was a small cauldron boiling over a firestone, a specially-made pipe over it and protruding through the wall, for the smoke to be taken outside. The cauldron itself was currently simmering with quicksilver.

The dangerous stuff however was in the loft above, the door to it locked, glamoured to appear invisible, and enchanted with a low-grade distracter spell.

“This just might be among my more intriguing inventions… provided I can get it to work,” Midnight muttered as he looked at his latest experiment, another pair of goggles but for an entirely different purpose than the ones he’d invented to transform himself into a pegasus.

“Hi Nighty!”

“EYAUGH!” Midnight startled and turned to find himself muzzle to muzzle with a very familiar party pony, and pulled himself away, feeling awkward that they’d almost kissed.
“Pinkie Pie! Where did you come from?”

“Well, my dad, Igneous, and my mom Cloudy Quartz, met on a warm summer day,” Pinkie started. “Eventually wedding bells were a’ringing and then on their honeymoon, they checked into a really nice hotel and-”

“NO, Pinkie, I mean where did you come from just now!” Midnight quickly said and dodging a hex at the same time, shuddering at the idea.

“Oh! Well, I’m just having such a nice day today that I wanted to say hello to all my friends!” Pinkie explained brightly. “What’cha doin`?”

“I’m working on a new pair of magic goggles,” Midnight sighed. “Figured I’d get some work done on it before I help my family with the barn raising today.”

“Ooh! Sounds like fun, who else is gonna raise this barn?” Pinkie inquired.

“Well, Applejack invited Meadow Song and Apple Fritter to help out,” Midnight explained as he levitated a tool over to pick at something on the goggles. “Once she’s done with an apple-delivery and Big Mac gets back from tea with Fluttershy, we’re gonna get started on it.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, where are the rest of your guy pals?” Pinkie asked while holding something fragile, causing Midnight to flinch and quickly take it away from her.

“Blueblood’s away at a business-meeting in Canterlot,” Midnight explained further with a sigh as he put the object back in its place on the shelf. “Soarin went with him to see his instructors at Canterlot University, and Thunderlane’s handling weather management."

“Doesn’t sound like they’re having fun,” sulked Pinkie before she brightened up and said, “But maybe Twilight is! Bye-bye!”

Silence followed. Midnight looked up and didn’t see Pinkie in his workshop. However he then noticed her walk by the window and gaped through it seeing her leave.
“How’d she get out without opening the door?!”

Groaning, he shook his head as he mentally reminded himself, It’s Pinkie, Midnight. Don’t question it, it’ll just drive you up the wall.

Fluttershy and Big Mac cuddled in the shade of a tree, the both of them having just finished their tea. But they found themselves not wanting to part despite Big Mac knowing he and his family had a big chore ahead of them.

They moaned as they looked into each other’s eyes and kissed lovingly, Big Mac whispering, “Gotta go…”

“Oh I know,” Fluttershy replied understandingly. “But it’s important.”

“Fluttershy!”

They both looked up and saw Pinkie standing nearby and looking out of breath.
“There” – *Pant* – “You are,” she panted. “Oh” – Pant – “Hi Big Mac” – Pant – “Doing” – Pant – “anything” – Pant – “fun?”

“Eh…” Fluttershy stalled, not wanting Pinkie to interrupt her and her boyfriend.

“Nnope,” Big Mac beat her to the punch.

“Oh good,” Pinkie sighed in relief. “Fun is hard!”

She then keeled over, Big Mac and Fluttershy sharing a concerned look. Fluttershy got up and gave Pinkie a once-over.
“Big Mac, would you mind carrying Pinkie?”

“Nnope,” Big Mac said with a helpful smile and easily plucked up the pink pony onto his back. “Where to?”

“Just onto the couch I have in my Butterfly Grove,” Fluttershy said with a grateful smile.

After gently plopping the pooped Pinkie onto the couch, Big Mac started making his way home. He wanted to go over a plan with Midnight and Applejack on raising the new barn. But speak of the devil, there was his sister walking in his direction.
“Howdy big brother, ya seen Pinkie Pie anywhere?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac pointed down the path he’d just come.

“Thanks, Ah jus’ wanna invite th’ girl to our barn-raisin’,” Applejack explained. “She’s been goin’ left n’ right wantin’ t’ do fun stuff with everypony!”

“Ah noticed,” Big Mac said with a smirk as he passed her by. “See ya at the farm.”

And when Big Mac arrived at the farm, he noticed his brother leaving.
“Hey Mac, just gonna have a quick word with Twilight. I want her advice on a project I’m doing.”

“Ya didn’t forget `bout another project, didja?” Big Mac asked with a raised brow.

“Raising the barn, I know!” Midnight assured him with a chuckle. “Look, I’ll just go find Twilight in town and once I get what I need from her, I’ll teleport back, okay?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said with an approving nod. “See ya soon.”

It took Midnight a few minutes, but he soon found Twilight by her favorite restaurant, along with Spike, and they were apparently busy.
“Hey Twilight, can I have a word?”

“Oh hey Midnight,” Twilight said, greeting him as he approached and gave a hoof/fist-bump to Spike. “I’m just trying out a new spell, turning this apple into an orange.”

“Uh… an apple into an orange?” Midnight didn’t get it, partly as he couldn't fathom the purpose of such a spell and because the very idea sounded ridiculous.

“Exactly! Now I’ll gladly be with you but first I wanna try and get this down,” Twilight promised before she furrowed her brows as her horn began to glow.
“One… two…!”

Then Pinkie jumped out of nowhere! …Onto Twilight, throwing her aim off, Pinkie hopping away while the spell went haywire!

*Ribbit*

Midnight looked to a nearby pond and was disturbed to see an orange with frog-legs sitting on a lily pad before it hopped into the water.

*WHOOSH*

“Pinkie!”

Midnight watched as Pinkie skidded in the dirt, building up a mound of soil from her velocity, and for some reason she had a stopwatch with her. He, along with Twilight and Spike approached the pink pony, Twilight demanding, “What in the wide-wide world of Equestria are you doing now?”

“Timing myself back and forth between the swimming hole and Sweet Apple Acres,” Pinkie panted as she bounced about. “I’m trying to cut down my time so Rainbow Dash dives off the swing, I can get to Sweet Apple Acres to help with the barn-raising, and then be back in time to see Rainbow Dash hit the water after doing a double flip!”

She looked at her stopwatch, “If I can cut my time by twenty minutes, I’m good.”

“Oh Pinkie,” Twilight giggled while Midnight shook his head with good-natures sympathy, “I’m afraid no matter how hard you try…”

“The only way you’ll pull off something like that,” Midnight agreed, “is if there’re two of you!”

Pinkie’s head oddly rotated in a clock-ticking rhythm, and, disturbingly, even making the sound of which, before her head straightened and her blue pupils vibrated alongside a ringing akin to that of an alarm clock.
“…That’s it, you guys!”

She got up in their personal spaces as she excitably said, “The Legend of the Mirror Pool!”

“Legend of the who-what now?” Twilight called after the bouncing-away Pinkie. She then noticed Midnight shudder. “What’s wrong?”

“All of a sudden I feel like I just… I dunno, like left a bunch of children unattended in a candy store,” Midnight said.

“Well I’m familiar with a lot of legends but I’ve never heard of any-” Twilight tried to say.
“Does this mean practice is over?” Spike interrupted.

“Of course not! Back to work,” Twilight said with a perky attitude, Spike’s attitude sinking.

“Ugh, speaking of ‘back to work’, I should be getting back to the farm,” Midnight noted. “Y’know what, Twi, I’ll talk to you later. T-T-F-N.”

*FLASH*

Spike and Twilight looked at each other, Spike asking, “What’s ‘T-T-F-N’?”

Twilight shrugged.

Author's Note

Yeah, we can all see where this is going...

Anyone like the loss of reference? LOL

100. Too Many Pinkies - Part 2

Once Midnight arrived, he was pleased to see Applejack, Big Mac, Apple Fritter, and Meadow Song already putting the frames and walls together. With his help, they were constructed much faster.

Although Midnight didn’t use his magic – Despite being among the most powerful mages in Equestria, he respected his family and their work etiquette too much to take the easy way. Although he was glad to use manipulation shoes to hold the hammer with rather than use his mouth.

Before long, they’d set up the front and back walls of the barn, and even had the frame for the silo and its roof set up. But now they had to bring up one of the side walls. With a beam connecting the front and back walls, and a pulley hung in its middle, they started working together to pull the first wall up.

They were lined up, Meadow Song, Apple Fritter, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Midnight, ropes in their mouths connecting to one bigger rope that looped through the pulley and connected to the upper corners of the wall. Grunting and snorting, they pulled carefully, not wanting any quick or jerky movements to knock it all down.
“Great work, everypony!” Applejack called through clenched teeth clutching her rope. “Keep it t’gether, nice n' slow…!”

“Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun…!”

The voices were en masse and unmistakable as they gaped in shock as they were slowly but surely surround by… too many Pinkies! Bouncing about, repeating “fun” and getting in the way, especially when one bounced onto Big Mac!
“Oof!”

The Pinkie made Big Mac slip and flop onto his belly but he also lost his hold on his rope, causing the others to start sliding forward as the weight of the wall became too much!

They were forced to let go, and the sudden drop caused a tremor that brought the front and back walls down hard, the back one even breaking a little near the top.

“Oh phew! Looks Like I haven’t missed a thing!”

Applejack snapped at the Pinkie that just spoke, “Ah wanna know right now where all you Pinkies came from so Ah can find out who’s responsible for y’all ruinin’ our barn raisin’!”

As if to punctuate Applejack’s demand, the other Pinkies caused the silo frame and roof to crash down from playing on it.

“Uh… you look a little busy right now,” Pinkie said with a nervous chuckle and sweat,” Perhaps we should talk a little later?”

*KAPWING*

“GET BACK HERE, YOU!!” Midnight screamed while waving an angry hoof. He sighed, pressing his ears down as he and the rest looked at the mess in front of them, the Pinkies clearing out as there was nothing of interest left.
“Two good hours of work and what a mess…”

“Y’ALL COME BACK HERE AN’ CLEAN UP AFTER YERSELVES THIS INSTANT!!!!” Applejack shouted after the Pinkies after angrily throwing her Stetson hat onto the ground, Midnight and Big Mac’s eyes widening nervously at their sister.

“Uh….why don’t we go see Twilight,” Midnight suggested, his tone like that of one teetering cautiously on thin ice. “Perhaps she might have some answers.”

Along the way there, the siblings noticed more Pinkies, all echoing “Fun!” endlessly, bouncing about and making complete nuisances of themselves. As they approached the library, it turns out everypony else had had the same idea, evident by the angry glares and complaints about all the Pinkies.
“Please everypony!” Twilight called out to the angry mob, “Calm down!”

“Cam down?!” Rarity echoed angrily, “I just had a Pinkie hurricane raging through my shop!”
“And they trashed our critter picnic,” Fluttershy added, sounding upset.
“They even messed up tomorrow’s scheduled drizzle!” Thunderlane brought up, everypony looking at him.

“How’d they do that?” Spike asked, with an incredulous tilt of his head.

“Y'know, I saw the whole thing and I still can’t figure it out!” Thunderlane raved, and the complaints continued.

*Flash*

“Just hold on, everypony!” Midnight called as he opened the library door and kicked Twilight and Spike inside.
“Lemme consult with Twilight and we’ll come up with a solution!”

*Slam*

He turned around and flinched at the stink eyes Twilight and Spike were giving him, Spike saying, “Huh, rude much?”

“Sorry guys, but that crowd is close to the breaking point,” Midnight sighed.

“Never mind, just help me look for a book on that legend Pinkie mentioned,” Twilight said and they started browsing.

“I believe she called it the Mirror Pond,” Midnight brought up as he looked through a mythology text.

*CRASH*

They looked to see Spike lying on a pile of books, one on his face. Twilight checked it out and smiled, “Aha! Here it is, the Legend of the Mirror Pond! It even describes a spell we can use to send them back where they came from!”

“That’s perfect, let’s go,” Spike said as he made for the door.

“But there’s a catch,” Twilight added.

“Of course there is…” Midnight facehooved as Twilight explained.

“If I can’t figure out which one is the real Pinkie I might send her back by mistake!”

“Well, we’ll just have to figure out who the real one is, then,” Spike deadpanned.

“And luckily, I think I have something that just might help us do that!” Midnight brought up with a smile.

They teleported over to Midnight’s workshop where Midnight showed them his latest project.
“I was actually gonna ask you for some advice about this earlier but… well, Pinkie showed up.”

“Another pair of goggles?” Twilight looked at them curiously.

“Yes but these goggles are designed to see mana that can’t be perceived by the naked eye,!” Midnight explained with an excited grin that quickly turned perplexed as he rubbed the back of his head.
“At least it’s supposed to, but I haven’t finished it yet.”

“But how will this help us find the real Pinkie?” Spike asked.

“Well, all the Pinkopies-” Midnight tried to say, but Twilight interrupted.

“‘Pinkopies’? Really?”

Midnight gave her the stink eye and groaned.
“OK, fine, Miss ‘I don’t like Portmanteaus’, what I’m trying to say here is that the Mirror Pond is a supernatural method of magical manifestation. What if all these Pinkie Copies are just that, manifestations of magic, and not truly flesh and blood?”

“Hmm,” Twilight considered the theory, “that could explain why all these Pinkies are meddlesome troublemakers.”

“Yeah, because as far as I can see,” Midnight went on, “all these Pinkies only express the real Pinkie’s desire to have fun as well as any short-term memories of the real Pinkie! But...if that’s the case, another way to tell them apart from the real Pinkie would be to ask them about things from a while back that only the real Pinkie could remember, because all these fake Pinkies don’t have long-term memories!”

“Like… asking them how Pinkie met us and what she did!” Twilight realized in agreement. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, much to his joy as she added, “Midnight, you’re a genius!”

“I try,” Midnight chuckled with a blush.

“But we still need to complete your mana-seeing goggles,” Spike reminded them.

“Then let’s get started,” Twilight decided. “Spike, go tell Applejack, Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Twinken to round up all the Pinkies in town hall. Once we’re finished here, we’ll join you.”

“I’m on it!” Spike saluted before running out.

“Fun! Fun! Fun! Fun!” the Pinkies all cheered endlessly and bounced as the Apples started herding them.

“Yah, you Pinkies, yah!” Applejack hollered as she, her brothers and sister and Winona got to work.

“Ooh! They wanna play chase, this is fun too!” a Pinkie said as Applejack forced her along. Apple Bloom forced another back in on the other side, while Winona ran on top of the herd, preventing any Pinkies from bouncing out.

“Apple Bloom, Twinken!” Applejack shouted, “Go on ahead an’ open th’ doors!”

“We’re on it!” Twinken yelled. “Come on, Bloom!”

The colt and filly ran straight up to town hall and pulled open the double doors. The Pinkies all “Fun! Fun! Fun!”-ed past them, Applejack and Big Mac following them in as AJ muttered, “Aw give it a rest!”
“Eeyup...”

*SLAM*

Inside, the Pinkies bounced about in the limited space, Twilight appearing onstage, “Welcome Pinkies, welcome! Please have a seat and make yourselves comfortable.”

“Fun! Fun! Fun!”

“Okay, I suppose you can’t be comfortable staying in one place,” Twilight reasoned when they didn’t listen, “but have a seat anyway.”

When again they ignored her, Twilight narrowed her eyes before she snapped, “Sit… DOWN!!”

They all flinched and quickly sat their rumps down, looking up at her.
“Better. Now I suppose you’re all wondering why I gathered you all here today.”

“For fun?” offered a confused Pinkie.

“If you consider show & tell to be fun,” Midnight said as he stepped out, wearing a new pair of goggles. They were framed with quicksilver, the lens made of a special crystal glass, a gemstone in the center.

“Wait up!”

They looked up to see Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane show up with another Pinkie that looked oddly sad.

“We got one more!” Rainbow announced.
“We found this one poking at the ground with her hoof, drawing frowny faces," added Thunderlane.

“OK, put her with the rest,” Midnight instructed.

*Thud*

The two weather captains had unceremoniously dropped the Pinkie, still a little sore about the problems all the Pinkies had caused.

“Now, I’m gonna ask a question and call on any Pinkie who raises her hoof for the answer,” Midnight announced.

“Aww!” all the Pinkies whined.

“Relax, they’re simple questions,” Midnight assured them, “because only the real Pinkie can answer them…!”

Some of the Pinkies looked oddly nervous as Midnight warned, “Also, you not only have to answer correctly, you have to remain focused at all times. Any Pinkie who gets distracted or goofs off will be sent back to the pond, as will any Pinkie who doesn’t get my questions right. First question… What did Pinkie do for me after we met?”

Some Pinkies didn’t raise their hooves but some did. Midnight chose at random.
“You there, fourth row, third to the left.”

“Uh… we had fun?” the Pinkie offered hopefully, Midnight giving Twilight a deadpanned look before shaking his head.

*ZAP*

Twilight had fired a spell from her horn, causing the Pinkie to puff up like a balloon before poofing into a swirl of pink mana that zoomed right out the window, and was promptly sent back to the pond.

“Next question-” Midnight started to say.

“Watch me bounce and catch the ceiling! Whee!” the Pinkie that got distracted by that Pinkie was zapped as well as the bouncing Pinkie in mid-bounce, and both were whisked off to the pond.

Midnight knew without a doubt those Pinkies were fakes. His goggles were working – He saw all these Pinkies’ mana signatures looking similar enough that together he couldn’t tell which Pinkie was real. But the signatures flared when they either got a question wrong or goofed off or got distracted, showing them to be manifestations of magic.

Some Pinkies actually answered Midnight’s questions but all of them answered wrong while the majority got bored and distracted or goofed off, spurring Twilight to banish them to the pond but only after Midnight gave her the okay or pointed a Pinkie out.

In no time at all, they were down to two Pinkies, Twilight blowing her reddened horn to cool it.

“OK, now only the absolutely, positively-for-sure real Pinkie can answer this question!” Midnight said dramatically. “What…is the name of her parents?”

One Pinkie shuddered nervously while the other raised her hoof.
“Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz! They met on a nice summer day, soon wedding bells were a’ringing and they checked into a nice hotel for their honeymoon where they-”

“OK! Okay, that’s the real Pinkie! La-la-la-la-la!” Midnight covered his ears as Twilight zapped the Pinkie that didn’t answer.

“Midnight!” Pinkie ran over and hugged him, tears of joy in her eyes. “You figured it out!”

“Glad to have you back, Pinkie,” Midnight chuckled as he set her down. “Even more glad that there’s only one Pinkie. Goddess knows that’s all the world can handle.”

Everypony present chuckled and nodded in agreement.

“But how are we sure this is the real Pinkie?” Rainbow asked as she scrutinized her.

“Because she answered a question referring to something she told me earlier today!” Midnight reasoned with a smile. “We figured out that all the Pinkie copies only had short-term memory spans, which is why they only wanted to have fun and caused trouble. They couldn’t remember anything in the real Pinkie’s long-term memory, and with these goggles helping me, I’m one hundred-percent sure we’ve got our real Pinkie Pie back, everypony!”

“Is anypony else feeling a group hug coming on?” Spike offered, and Pinkie was the first to initiate it, and everypony chuckled as they joined in.

After the relief and joy died down, Twilight had Pinkie lead them to the Mirror Pool to block the entrance with a boulder to prevent anything like this from happening again. But not before Midnight took the time to collect a gallon-sample of the pond’s liquid, reasoning the replicative properties of the pond might come in handy someday.

As for Pinkie, she’d learned a valuable lesson.

Dear Princess Celestia,
It's great to have fun, but it's even greater to have great friends. And having lots of friends means that you sometimes have to make choices as to who you'll spend your time with. But that's okay, because good friends will always give you lots of opportunities to have fun. So even if you're missing out, it's never for long.
Respectfully yours,
Pinkie Pie.

Spike blew the friendship report off, and it whisked away to Canterlot. As the shimmering ashes flew away, they happened to pass by the Hooded Pony standing on a rise, overlooking Ponyville… and levitating a phial of water.
“Heheh, it appears great minds think alike, don’t they, Midnight…?”

Author's Note

Well that wasn't as hard as I expected.

Anypony care to cheer for the story's hundredth chapter?

101. Reap What You Sow - Part 1

Author's Note

This takes place during "One Bad Apple" and while the episode's events are mentioned and seen, it focuses more on the colts as they worry about Midnight, who is starting to have problems.

One of my readers sugegsted I do chapters that focus somewhat on character-development, so I'm using this as a first step in that direction

101. Reap What You Sow - Part 1

One thing about Ponyville was that however often the inhabitants experienced some form or other of crazy there was a definite “cooling off” period. Alas, once that period was over, it often ended with something big.

As the night peacefully passed by, a blue unicorn was mumbling, moaning, tossing and turning, in his bunk. On the top bunk, his little brother, Twinken, groaned as he sat up and hopped down to the floor.
“Midnight, wake up,” he grumbled, “you’re being too noisy!”

“Mmph!” Midnight moaned in his sleep and Twinken couldn’t help but notice how disturbed his brother sounded when he noticed Midnight’s eyes were scrunched, and Twinken realized…

“Big brother, wake up! You’re having a bad dream, wake up!”

Twinken tried to shake his brother awake, but Midnight was too far gone, that Twinken ran out into the hall, “Applejack! Big Mac, wake up!”

Their doors opened and they came out, sleepy but alert as they looked down at their little brother as he declared, “Midnight’s having a bad dream and I can’t wake him up!”

They followed him into the bedroom, where Applejack went over, “Sugarcube! Wake up, it’s just’a dream!”

She shook him but Midnight fought as the demons inside kept a cruel grip on his sleeping mind.

“Haystack, s’alright, wer’ here!” Big Mac pulled midnight out onto the floor and gave him a slap but even then Midnight wouldn’t wake up!

“Whaddoo we do?!” Twinken was started to tear up when…

“AAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!”

They all screamed in response to the ear-shattering shriek behind them, so shrill and loud it made Midnight bolt up, gasping for breath! AJ, Big Mac, and Twink looked to see the screamer had been Apple Bloom but she ignored their looks as she gave Midnight a fearful one.

“Wha-! What is it?! What’s going on?!” Midnight gasped fearfully, Applejack and Twinken holding him close.

“Midnight, s’alright, Sugarcube!” she said gently, “We gotcha!”

Midnight stopped shaking and looked to see his brothers and sisters looking at him with great concern. As reality set in, sweet relief stilled his beating heart as he whimpered into Applejack’s arms, and they all shared a comforting hug as Applejack whispered again, “We gotcha…”

The Apples slept in that morning for the sake of rest and sanity. Applejack whipped up her famous apple-cinnamon flapjacks, Big Mac cooked the eggs and hay-bacon, Twinken set the table, while Apple Bloom poured the juice and milk.

“Come on now, sonny, old mare like me cain’t move as spry as she used ta.”

They all looked to see Midnight helping Granny Smith down the stairs, and were relieved to see he looked better than last night.

After the hug, Applejack and Big Mac insisted Midnight go back to sleep while Twinken insisted on sleeping with his brother, and Apple Bloom slept with Applejack.

Midnight had welcomed Twinken without a word and Twinken had hugged his brother, falling asleep with him.

But as much as they all wanted to ask what had haunted Midnight’s dreams last night, the serene look on his face made them hesitant.

“Hear you go, Granny Smith,” Midnight said kindly as he helped her to her seat at the table. “Lemme pour you some tea.”

“Thank ya kindly, sonny,” she said with a warm smile but her eyes wavered with concern.

“Something smells good!” Midnight sniffed the hay-bacon and flapjacks, licking his lips with delightful anticipation.
“Hey, aren’t we forgetting something?”
“Uh…” Nopony wanted to answer his question, afraid he might be talking about last night.

“Don’t you all remember? We’re having a visitor from Manehatten today,” Midnight reminded them.

“Oh tha’s right, Ah plum-fergot!” Apple Bloom streaked upstairs with speed that would’ve impressed Rainbow Dash.

“So… her name’s Babs Seed, right?” Midnight asked.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed as he served the eggs and hay-bacon. “She’s one o’ our cousins from Manehatten, one o’ our aunt n’ uncle Oranges’ kids.”

“What’s she like?” Twinken asked.

“Well Ah only met her once,” Applejack explained, “shy little filly who ain’t earned her cutie-mark, poor thing’s been teased t’ tears over it.”

“I have a feeling I know what Apple Bloom will want to do once she learns of that…” Midnight gave Twinken a knowing smirk, and Twinken nodded in agreement.

“Well, Ah hope she an’ th’ girls don’t make such a huge fuss over it,” Big Mac muttered.

“Maybe Ah should go check on her,” Applejack volunteered, glancing at the clock on the wall. “Now that Ah think about it, s’almost time t’ pick up Babs from the train station.”

“You do that,” Midnight shooed her as he glanced down hungrily at his plate. “We’re just gonna help ourselves…!”

Throughout breakfast, the others couldn’t help but notice. For a pony who’d whimpered and teared up over whatever had plagued his dreams, Midnight looked oddly bright that morning.

Later on, Twinken went to the arcade and sure enough there were his friends, Rumble cheering on Button Mash.
“Ooh, you’re so close…!”
“Quiet, lemme concentrate!”

“Hey guys!”

“SHH!!” Rumble hissed at Twinken. “Button’s close to making the high score!”

Twinken hurried over to see Button Mash at the TROT: LEGACY game-console, and Button was playing the Light-Gallop game. They watched as Button “galloped” along the computer avatar when he swerved, the avatar crashing into Button’s light trail!

“YOU WIN!!” the game declared and the colts all cheered as Button happily entered his name for the high-score!

“Awesome, Button!” Twinken said as they all high-hoofed.
"Nopony games as well as you," Rumble added.

“Thanks guys, I’ve been dreaming of that high score forever!” Button laughed, feeling proud.

“Speaking of dreaming…” Twinken said in a morose tone, his friends giving him confused looks.

“That’s awful, Twink,” Rumble said they sat and had a slice at Pepper Pony’s. “Why did you or the others ask this morning?”

“He… just seemed so bright,” Twinken recalled, “that we didn’t wanna dampen his mood.”

“When I get bad dreams, I always get a drink of water,” Button brought up, “… then later I wake up to go to the bathroom.”

“Well, Midnight was really upset from whatever he dreamed about,” Twinken explained, “I’m worried about him, and so are my sisters and Big Mac!”

“Maybe my brother or his friends will help Midnight,” Rumble suggested, “or even Pinkie Pie or Twilight.”
“Yeah, Pinkie can make anypony smile!” Button agreed. “I mean, that’s why she’s Pinkie!”

“It’s just… Midnight’s smile…” Twinken worried, “it seemed… sorta forced. Like he was trying to look like he was ok.”

“Twink, if he says he’s okay then he’s probably okay,” Rumble assured him. “Come on, let’s head over to Sweet Apple Acres, I bet you anything he’s in his crazy shop or doing chores, enjoying the day like everypony else.”

As the colts walked up the road alongside the fence of the property, Rumble inquired, “Besides your brother's 180 attitude, you guys are having a visitor, aren’t you?”

“Her name is Babs Seed,” Twinken nodded. “She’s a cousin of the Apple Family, and she’s visiting for a couple weeks from Manehatten.”

“I used to live in Manehatten,” Button brought up, “Back before my dad’s job made us move a lot until there was this agreement that allowed us to settle here in Ponyville.”

“That must’a sucked-” Twinken commented when they heard a loud banging and peered over the fence and gasped!

They saw what looked like a giant pumpkin roll out of the barn and bounce a couple times before it broke onto a hillside, smashed to smithereens!

“What was that?!” Rumble gasped.

“That was the girls float,” Twinken said anxiously, “the one they were gonna ride for the Harvest Parade coming up!”

“SWEETIE BELLE!!!” Button screamed frantically as he hopped the fence, the others following as they ran across the hills.

As they approached the barn they noticed three fillies walking away, recognizing two of them as the school hussies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, while the third was unfamiliar to them.
“Ya think they did that?” Twinken asked, as they watched the fillies leave in another direction.

“I wouldn’t put it pass those brats!” Rumble seethed.

“Let’s go check on the girls!” Button suggested and they hurried to the barn to investigate.

102. Reap What You Sow - Part 2

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103. Reap What You Sow - Part 3

“Hot carrot crepes! Get em here, getem hot!”

Lively music filled the air, ponies lining the streets, excited and anxiously waiting for the parade to get started.

Twinken, his friends, his brothers, and Applejack stood with all their other friends, and couldn’t help but take a guilty chuckle at Spike’s expense when he saw the little dragon get denied the steaming good fragrance of those carrot crepes from Pinkie, who shamelessly blew him a raspberry.

But Babs was still on his mind. She and Apple Bloom were both gone by the time he’d come downstairs that morning for breakfast.

“Why so quiet, little brother?”

He looked up at Midnight, who was smiling down at him with a curious look.

“Oh, uh… Just wondering where Apple Bloom and Babs are, is all.”

“Apple Bloom and the girls somehow managed to make a new float in time for the parade,” Midnight explained. “They should be down the street with the other floats, getting ready.”

Twinken suddenly had an idea of where Babs might be, and squeezed through his brother’s legs to go find Rumble and Button.

Babs blew her mane out of her eyes as she led Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon towards the floats when their eyes widened at one in particular.
“Whoa…!”

It was a shiny golden apple float, on wheels, a little door on the left side, and a window where a visible steering wheel was. Sweetie Belle was shining it when she noticed them.
“Isn’t it smashing?”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo gave her worried looks, Sweetie Belle instantly flabbergasting as she tried, “I mean- Isn’t it a hit?”

Scootaloo facehooved as Sweetie Belle continued to gobbledygook so she went up to Babs, poking her roughly in the chest as she gave her the stink eye.
“Well don’t even think about riding it, Babs!”

She gave a not-so-subtle wink to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, prompting AB to elbow Sweetie.
“Oh!”

She hopped in and fiddled with something inside the float while Scootaloo said to Babs, “You had your chance!”

Babs looked towards Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon rolling their eyes, silently asking if she was really gonna take that. But before it fortified her nerve, she startled to see Twinken, Rumble, and Button, waving those incriminating pictures!

Now Babs was beginning to sweat! Twinken had made it perfectly clear he had no problems ratting her out, and with those pictures there was no way she’d be able to talk herself out of it. But then Twinken’s words started to hit home as Babs began to wonder if Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would have her back if Twinken did tell Midnight and Applejack on her.

And if it comes to that, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon will cut you loose.

When Babs thought about it, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had not, for the duration of her time with them, aided her in bullying Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, and Twinken had been right that they weren’t in the pictures with her bullying the Crusaders.

It had come down to a choice – Continue bullying the Crusaders and get punished or come clean and still get punished.

She was trapped!

As the pressure built up, her sense of right and wrong teetering, and all eyes on her, Babs couldn’t take it!

She began to cry.

“Huh?!” The Crusaders were blown!

They’d planned this situation perfectly! They’d even pulled out a mattress for a soft-landing after their assumption of Babs knocking them off the float to steal it. Babs breaking into tears was not what they’d been expecting.

“Wha’s goin’ on here?!”

They flinched and turned to see Applejack with balloons, Midnight with a bag of popcorn, both of them with furrowed eyes demanding an explanation.

“Applejack, Midnight!” the girls didn’t know what to do, as the two older ponies gave them the stink eye.

“Somepony start talking,” Midnight demanded. “Now.”

“Uh, well-”
“See, the thing is…”
“Babs just-”

“It’s my fault!” Babs began to bawl, all eyes turned to her, and she hiccupped, trying to find her voice. “I-I-I’ve been… being a bully!”

“Huh?!”

“What’re you talkin’ about, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked as she went over and placed a comforting hoof on Babs’ shoulder while Midnight levitated a handkerchief to the filly.

She accepted it and blew her nose.
“For the past couple days… I’ve been bullying Apple Bloom and her friends… Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon came to the barn and… I just didn’t want to be bullied like I was back in Manehatten and… I thought being a bully would-”

“Wait, Babs was bullied in Manehatten?!” Apple Bloom gaped in shock, as did Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.

“Well, Ah din’t say nothin’ b’fore cuz’ Ah didn’t want Babs t’ feel singled out,” Applejack explained as she continued to comfort Babs.
“But there’s been some bullies back in Manehatten teasin’ her t’ pieces about her blank flank.”

“T-teased…?”
“B-bullies?!”
“Blank flank!?”

The girls all sank in shame when Midnight spoke up.
“Hold on, why are we only hearing about this now? If Babs was bullying you girls, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because a certain couple of someponies didn’t want to feel like snitches,” Sweetie Belle gave a sheepish Apple Bloom and Scootaloo the stink eye.

“And we’re the reason Babs confessed.”

They all looked to see Twinken, Rumble, and Button walking up.
“We followed Babs as she was bullying the girls and took pictures,” Rumble explained.
“And I threatened Babs last night to confess or I’d show the pictures to you and Applejack to prove she was being a bully,” Twinken confessed, feeling a little guilty about being a blackmailer.
“We wanted to tell you as well but the girls didn’t want us to,” Button added.

“I didn’!” Sweetie snapped at him, “I wanted to tell somepony from the start!”

“Is that all?” Midnight asked with a raised tone. “Or does anypony else have something to confess?”

“Eh…” the girls hesitated.

“Oh sweet mother of Celestia- What is it this time?” Midnight threw up his hooves.

“We booby-trapped the float,” Sweetie Belle admitted, pointing at the golden apple float.

“We wanted t’ get back at Babs fer bein’ a big bully,” Apple Bloom explained.

“But we had no idea you were being a bully to avoid being bullied yourself like you were back in Manehatten,” Scootaloo added, addressing Babs, who looked away in shame.

“Kids…” Midnight said with a tone. “Two wrongs… or rather in this case, four, don’t make a right! Babs, being a bully to avoid being bullied is not the answer. Boys, blackmail is wrong, no matter what the reason, and girls, getting back at someone like whatever you were planning just makes you sink to their level!”

“All o’ this could’a been avoided if’n ya just told us from the start,” Applejack added.

“Urgh, why does life have to be so ironic?!” frustrated Sweetie Belle.

“Because irony can teach you a lesson,” Midnight answered when the sound of the horn that signaled the parade was about to start sounded. “Uh-oh, we better wrap this up.”

“Applejack, Midnight, Ah know we all went an’ made a real mess o’ things but…” Apple Bloom looked hopeful. “Can we ride our float throught th’ parade anyhow?! No more tricks, no more bullyin’, no more blackmail, nothin’ but honest fun and together-ness!”

All the colts and fillies looked up at Applejack and Midnight with puppy-dog eyes and the two older ponies shared a look.
“Well…”
“Ah think they learned from their mistakes.”

“Ok,” they both said, and they all cheered.

It felt so good to clear the air, and the colts n’ fillies happily rode the float after disabling the booby-trap. Babs was even given the honor of steering the float, Apple Bloom and Rumble rode with her inside the float while the rest stood on top smiling and waving to the crowd, while they ignored the jeering looks from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

A lot of stuff happened for the rest of Babs’ stay in Ponyville. After they officially made her a member of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, they had a big delicious pizza at Pepper Pony’s, and did some crusading over the next few days, much to Babs and the colts’ chagrin, particularly because of what the crusading led to.

Dumpster-diving (which led to a three-hour long bath to get the smell off).

Street sweeping (which turned out to be back-breaking labor).

Bungee-jumping (they settled for jumping off the barn with a haystack at the bottom but Midnight caught them before they touched it and they got a stern-talking to about the crazy shenanigans they got themselves into, also because they’d used a line of twine since they couldn’t find a bungee cord)

It just go to the point where the boys made them slow down and take a break.

Babs, to Button’s surprise, turned out to be pretty good gamer, and beat his high score at his favorite pinball machine at the arcade.
She showed Scootaloo how to do a new trick on her scooter.
She got Sweetie Belle to rap with her on a karaoke machine, and they both sounded great.

But soon it was time for Babs to go home. At the train station, the colts n’ fillies, accompanied by Applejack and Midnight saw Babs off, the foals wearing their crusader capes and bandanas.
“So you promise yer gonna start our Manehatten branch of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, right?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Yeah, and I promise to keep talking to my family about the teasing back home,” Babs added while giving Applejack and Midnight a promising look.

“Atta girl, and remember if you have any problems,” Midnight said as he held his friends and family close. “We got your back as well.”

“So you’re leaving huh?”

They all looked to the end of the station and saw the brazen hussies had come to see Babs as well.
“Great, now we’re stuck here with these lame blank flanks!”

Babs looked from them to her friends and saw how the girls looked hurt while the boys wanted to make the brats hurt.
“If they weren’t fillies…!” Midnight seethed, Applejack putting a hoof on his shoulder.

“Midnight…” she said with a warning tone but she wanted to teach those little prissies a lesson as well.

Babs then faced Diamond Tiara and silver Spoon, “Hey! That’s not how you talk to my friends!”

“F-f-friends?” Silver Spoon echoed as she and Diamond Tiara looked at Babs in disbelief.

“Yeah, you gotta problem with that?” Babs said in warning tone.

Taking her up on it, Diamond Tiara challenging, “Well what if I do? What are you gonna do about it?”

Babs might have said or even done something nasty but when she looked back at her friends and family, she suddenly had an idea of how to take the high road.
“Tell your mothers about your bad attitudes!”

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had backed up warily at Babs’ challenging approach, not noticing they were teetering towards the edge… when Babs gave them a frightful look, that made them trip!

*SPLAT*

The Crusaders and even Midnight and Applejack took a laugh at Diamond and Silver’s expense of having fallen into the mud. Midnight even gave her a hoof-bump as she passed them by to get to the train.

“All of a sudden,” he said with an amused raised brow, “I’ve got a lotta respect for that filly.”

“Me too,” Sweetie Belle agreed. “I’m sure gonna miss that bad seed.”

“Bad seed?” Applejack echoed in confusion. “Ah thought y’all were friends now?”

“I think she meant ‘bad’ in the new sense of the word meaning ‘good’,” Midnight explained as they waved at Babs through the train car window and she waved back.
“You’re thinking ‘bad’ in the old sense of the word. Geddit?”

“Yyyyeeaaaahhh-no,” Applejack drawled, making everypony laugh as the train took Babs home.

Author's Note

The scene where Babs breaks into tears wasn't originally planned. but I felt the pressure coming from multiple sources would get to her, the pressure of bullying so Diamond and Silver wouldn't turn on her, the pressure of Twinken's blackmailing, and so on.

104. Magic Duel - Part 1

The colts & fillies squirmed in excited anticipation as they sat on the grass before the wagon-stage, their parents watching from a nearby park bench, happy for the chance to relax.

“Welcome, fillies & gentlecolts, ponies of all ages!” announced a voice. “Thank you for your patience, for the moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived! Put your hooves together, for the Great and Wonderful Trrrrrixie!”

The foals cheered as the curtain opened and a shimmering burst of smoke revealed a smiling Trixie!

Ever since her visit in Ponyville, Trixie had become a changed mare. She’d taken Midnight Blaze’s advice to heart and sought to better herself. It wasn’t easy, for her ill behavior back then and previously over-inflated ego had left her with a rocky start to face. But she’d persisted. She’d traveled and offered her help using her magic. She’d helped handy-stallions make repairs, helped little old mares across streets, run errands, all the while asking for next-to-nothing in return save food and a place to sleep.

Before long, ponies started warming up to Trixie and she made the decision of going back to performing. She traveled Equestria, doing shows in parks and public areas in different towns and cities, and the amazed ponies threw her bits for wowing them with her performances.

Sometimes she asked colts or fillies to assist her and these foals often walked away with a wonderful experience and a nice gift from Trixie, sometimes candy or a toy, sometimes she even gave them capes or wizard hats much like the ones she wore!

Trixie even changed her nickname to the Great and Wonderful, if only to sound more humble.

Needless to say, Trixie was so much happier than she’d been before, back when she’d been acting like a pompous blowhard of a showoff trotting around like a filly with new ribbons, with her nose up in the air, behaving with a sense of undeserved accomplishment.

She’d reinvented her image into a dazzler of a magician who used her talents to perform and wow as well as to aid and support, asking only for minimal payment, and graciously accepting the bits she earned from performing.

As with all good things did Trixie’s show come to an end, but a colt happily left with a bag of (foal-friendly safe) magic firecrackers, and had repaid Trixie with a hug. It had been a very warm hug.

“Thank you all for coming and I am so very glad you enjoyed the show!” Trixie bowed. “The Great and Wonderful Trixie hopes to dazzle you all again!”

The ponies cheered and threw bits into the bucket set before the stage, and began to disperse.

Trixie was happy and proud. Gone was the arrogant and full-of-herself unicorn she’d been and in her place was a helpful and gracious unicorn who loved to see ponies smile as she wowed them. Getting down from her stage, she moved to collect her earnings when something was thrown in, making a heavy ‘clink’ among the bits. Curious, Trixie looked and was surprised to see some kind of charm. It was impressive and looked valuable but at the same time it looked rather foreboding. It was composed of a black material, with a red gem, a fearsome unicorn head sided by wings, and she sensed it immediately!

This charm, whatever it was, beheld untold powers!

“A priceless gem for a lovely mare…”

She looked up and saw a mysterious pony cloaked with his face concealed within the shadow of his hood, only a unicorn horn hinted anything about his identity.

“Um, can I help you? And what is this… lovely necklace?” Trixie asked politely, a hint of nervousness fluttering in her chest. “For though I am grateful, I don’t think I can… accept this.”

“Whoever said I was giving it to you?” the Hooded Pony said with a rise of his voice. “I find myself in need of a task needing doing, and I think you’re just the unicorn to carry out my will. As in, you will use this amulet to empower your magic and you will confront Twilight Sparkle and Midnight Blaze.”

“Twilight Sparkle, Midnight Blaze?!” Trixie instantly knew, whoever this pony was, he was trouble. “I’ll have nothing to do with whatever vendetta you have against two ponies far better than me as mages and as ponies! In fact, I think I should call the authorities to have a word with you!”

“Oh Trixie…” the Hooded Pony said with a condescending tone. “Whoever said I was giving you a choice…?”

The last thing Trixie saw was a blinding light!

105. Magic Duel - Part 2

All things considered, it should have been the promise of a really nice day in Ponyville. But…it was Ponyville!

At the moment, Midnight was helping to set up a stage with the guys.

“Annnnnnnnnndd…. Done!” Midnight declared as they stepped back to admire their work. “This’ll be perfect for Twilight’s performance!”

“Those delegates from Saddle Arabia are gonna be impressed,” Soarin agreed.

“I wonder if Auntie Celestia will give me the chance to have a word with them,” Blueblood mused, “I’d love to show them the designs for an airship that’s in the making at my company.”

“You’re like Rarity that way, bro,” Thunderlane chuckled as he lightly socked Blueblood in the shoulder. “Looking for a good business opportunity!”

“But of course,” Blueblood said huffily while subtly rubbing his sore shoulder, “Business is like an airship itself! It requires a steady yet constant rate of upkeep, as a business requires the same in transactions. As an airship requires magic to power the motor and helium to fill the balloon, a business requires money and necessary items to remain aloft.”

“Okay, Blue, we get it,” Midnight chuckled, holding up his hooves in surrender.

“By the way, what exactly is Twilight doing for the entertainment?” Thunderlane asked.

“Something to do with levitating animals,” Midnight answered, “though Fluttershy is kinda… reluctant towards the idea.”

“Oh I’m certain Miss Fluttershy has nothing to worry about,” scoffed Blueblood.

“Y’all weren’t there when Twilight dropped a giant snowball on mah sister and Spike,” Big Macintosh deadpanned.

“Trial & error, my good man, trial & error,” Blueblood maintained.

“Besides, ever since I resumed our weekly sessions,” Midnight brought up, “mine and Twilight’s magic have greatly improved, and Twinken’s really enjoyed coming from time to time to get lessons of his own.”

“Not to mention our own creative tinkerings have led to some interesting designs, eh Midnight ol’ boy?” Blueblood chuckled.

“Y’know, Midnight, you and Twilight should do the entertainment for the Saddle Arabian delegates together!” Soarin suggested.

“Well…” Midnight considered when they heard a loud scream and they looked down the road that led to town square. “What was that?!”

“Ah dunno but Ah think there’s trouble,” Big Mac stated and he galloped off, promptly followed by the others.

The converged at town square and noticed ponies crowding in front of town hall.

“You beast!” They saw Rarity in an atrocious outfit that she would never wear. “These shades of brown should only be used for accents!”

“Rarity, my love!” Blueblood teleported over to her and caught her on his back as she’d fainted, Pinkie coming up.

“C’mon Bluey, we gotta get her into a nice, soothing pink! Stat!”

Midnight ran up, passing them and saw Twilight, who asked, “Midnight, what’s going on?!”

“Well, well, well…”

That voice was all-too familiar and they looked to see a cloaked pony standing in front of town hall.
“If it isn’t Twilight Sparkle…” she threw off her hood, her eyes flashing red for a moment, “and Midnight Blaze!”

“Trixie?!” Midnight was shocked.
“What’s she doing here?” Spike growled in contempt.

“You call that ‘great and powerful’?” scoffed Rainbow, flapping up.

Trixie sneered as her eyes glowed red and in a puff of smoke, Rainbow gasped to see her right wing had been abnormally enlarged, throwing her off-balance, Thunderlane and Soarin flying up to stabilize her.

“Wow, she’s Rainbow Wobble now!” cracked Snips.
“Good spell, o great and powerful Trixie!” cheered Snails.

“You two, quiet!” Trixie snapped rather irritably as she cast a spell on them.

As the smoke cleared, everypony saw Snips & Snails’ horns had been fused at the tips to each other, leaving the two colts fumbling and fighting
“Hey, what happened?!”
“Get off of me!”
“Come on, let go!”
“No, this way!”

“Trixie, what’s gotten into you?!” Midnight demanded, facing her. “I’ve heard that got your act together and started being nice to everypony!”

“Well your sappy advice helped me figure something out, Midnight!” Trixie sneered. “Nice guys finish last! I’m back, and I’m better than ever…”

Something’s not right, Midnight thought. I sense something… familiar at work, those spells Trixie used were… augmented somehow.

“Well you can prove you’re better by stop picking on our friends, Trixie!” Twilight demanded.

“Oh I’ll prove I’m better, alright, Twilight Sparkle…” Trixie said with narrowed eyes, “by beating you in a magic duel! Winner stays, Loser leaves Ponyville… forever!”

“Forget it! I’d never make a deal like that,” Twilight turned her nose up at Trixie.

“Hm, your call,” Trixie said in an ‘oh well’ tone and suddenly started casting spells left and right!

Blueblood was engulfed in red smoke and when it cleared, he squealed like a little filly to see his beautiful diamond-white coat gone, leaving him a bare-skinned unicorn stallion, raising his fetlocks, crying, “Don’t look at me!!”

A red outline of an arrow took a blabbing Pinkie Pie’s protesting mouth and dumped it into a garbage can that vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Pinkie unable to talk and only groan in complaint.

Thunderlane found himself coughing and feathers falling from his wings, a nasty case of magically-induced Feather Flu.

Spike was squashed into a ball and bounced into a hanging basket.

“Why are you doing this?!” Midnight demanded.

“Why…?!” Trixie echoed, “Because you two humiliated me! You ganged up on me the last time we met and destroyed my cart! I threw in the towel because I knew I couldn’t beat you both at the same time then… and you had the nerve to tell me how I should live and act! Help others? Expect nothing in return? After I left the last time, I was subject to ridicule, ponies laughed at me, jeered me, I had to take on the most menial jobs just to get by! For chump change! …But now I’m back with a vengeance! And Twilight? I’ll just keep casting spells until you accept my challenge…”

To punctuate that statement, she fired a red ray at Twilight’s library, making the whole thing rise into the air, which was impressive enough but she made tip upside down and shake it, making books fall out the windows. Owlowiscious tried in vain to catch them, with his beak and talons.

Twilight and Midnight shared a troubled look, Trixie smarmily asking, “Well, Twilight? Whattya say?”

Seeing their friends altered and miserable because of Trixie’s spells, Twilight sighed.

“Twilight, you don’t have to accept her challenge,” Midnight assured her. “We can undo all her spells together.”

“But you heard her, she’ll just keep casting spells on everypony in Ponyville until I agree!” Twilight debated. “It’s better I end this sooner than later.”

Midnight sighed, seeing the logic in Twilight’s words and stepped out of her way.

“Alright, Trixie,” Twilight turned to the miscreant, “Let’s duel!”

“Excellent!” Trixie smirked and dispelled all her spells on everypony.

Everypony, except Pinkie, much to her chagrin. But as Trixie had undone her spells, Midnight noticed something strange. Trixie’s horn as well as something around her neck had glowed with her magic, but whatever it was that had glowed, it was hidden by Trixie’s cloak.
What is that? I’m certain I’ve felt that energy before!

“If you win, I won’t set hoof in Ponyville again,” Trixie declared, “But if you lose…you’re the one banished from this one-horse town!”

Everypony gasped at that wager as Trixie and Twilight faced each other.

“Whenever you’re ready, Trixie…” Twilight challenged.

“Oh Twilight…” Trixie said in mock-sympathy. “I never said you would be dueling me!”

“Huh?!” everypony gaped at Trixie who then sneered wickedly as her eyes fell upon Midnight, and he gasped as he realized too late her intention.

A red tendril of energy shot from Trixie’s horn and connected to Midnight’s! He cried out in pain as he fell to his knees, everypony gasping and yelling, “Midnight!”

“Trixie, what are you doing?!” Twilight screamed.

“I said you would duel, Twilight,” Trixie said wickedly as she worked her horrific magic, and felt it working. She felt her power reaching in, taking root through Midnight’s horn and ensnaring his mind!
“But your opponent…!”

The spell was complete.

Midnight stood up slowly and everypony watched in horror as he walked over to Trixie’s side and turned to face them. Midnight’s eyes were glowing completely red, his expression stoic and impassive, much like the usual expression of Royal Guard ponies on duty.

“…will be Midnight Blaze!” Trixie laughed wickedly.

As Twilight stood there stunned, Trixie whispered a command into Midnight’s ear, and he nodded as he replied like an obedient soldier.
“Yes, Mistress…”

Then, without warning, Midnight magically launched himself at Twilight, his horn flaring with harmful intent!

106. Magic Duel - Part 3

Twilight gasped as she jumped away, avoiding Midnight’s menacing horn, but he stopped all of a sudden and then fired an energy beam at a nearby wagon, sending it careening towards some bystanders. The bystanders dispersed but one of them tripped, falling onto the ground, she gasped and braced for the worst, only for Twilight to save her just in time as the wagon and its contents were enveloped in her aura. Grunting with effort, she set the wagon neatly aside and sighed in relief.

“Midnight, stop!” she said to him pleadingly, “You don’t want to hurt anypony!”

“Of course he doesn’t want to hurt anypony, Twilight,” scoffed Trixie, “I want him to hurt somepony, preferably you. I mean, duh! That’s kind of the point with a mind-control spell!”

“Let him go, Trixie!” Twilight demanded. “Mind-control spells are forbidden magic, and besides, I thought you wanted to prove yourself!”

“Midnight!” Trixie snapped, mentally sending a command.

“Yes, Mistress,” Midnight obliged as his horn flared red and he conjured several pies and sent them hurtling at Twilight.

Thinking quickly, she perked and conjured a parasprite, which promptly gobbled up all the pies no problem. Then Twilight quickly made it disappear, in no mood for another infestation. She had enough troubles at the moment.

But then the sky darkened and she looked up, only to find herself blanketed in snow. Growling, her horn flared, melting the snow, and she shot a spell at Trixie, making a big mustache grow on her face, much to everypony’s laughter. Growling, she gave herself a quick shave before yelling, “Snips, Snails! Come forward!”

“Y-y-yes, o Great and P-p-powerful Trixie?” whimpered Snips as he and Snails bowed.

Trixie mentally commanded midnight, and he fired a spell at the two colts. They rose into the air, surrounded by a veil of red magic… and everypony gasped to see Snips had been de-aged into a wailing baby while Snails had been aged into an elderly stallion with wobbly knees and a long beard and glasses.

“An age spell?!” Twilight couldn’t believe it! “But- There’s no way Midnight can do an age spell, that’s only for the highest-level unicorn mages!”

“Give up, Twilight?” Trixie asked snootily, Midnight standing impassive to those around them.

Sighing, Twilight knew she had to try and started on the spell, taking Baby Snips and Ol’ man Snails into her aura.

“Come on, Twilight…!” Spike urged, everypony watching, unable to look away, “You can do it!”

“Midnight!” Trixie called, and Midnight lunged at Twilight, breaking her concentration.

“Midnight, stop!” Twilight begged, avoiding Midnight’s flaring horn. “This isn’t you, fight it!”

“Hey Trixie, that’s not fair!” Spike shouted to her.

“If Twilight’s so good, surely she could work through distractions…” Trixie sneered wickedly.

Twilight didn’t see the rock, and tripped, falling flat on her back, midnight standing over her, an unflinching expression plastered upon his face, his horn radiating a harsh red.

“Ha! Trixie is the highest-level unicorn mage!” Trixie declared as she laughed maniacally before her manner turned cold.
“And now, it’s time for you to leave Ponyville… forever!”

“Tha’s enough, Trixie!”

Twilight’s friends stood protectively in front of her, standing between her and the mind-controlled Midnight.

“You’ve proved your point!” Rarity added

“We won’t let you make Twilight leave Ponyville forever,” Thunderlane swore.

“You fools…” Trixie sneered as she levitated Twilight, “She’s already gone!”

Twilight screamed as she was sent hurtling through the streets, her friends running after in vain. Twilight was dropped unceremoniously outside Ponyville, right in front of a sign that read ‘Welcome to Ponyville’. Then she watched as a red marker appeared in a puff o smoke and wrote ‘NOT’ at the end of that sentence, and a giant glass-like dome of magic appeared and contained Ponyville, preventing anypony from getting in. Or out.

Twilight ran up to it and saw her friends had done so as well. She placed her hoof on the part where Spike had placed his hand.
“It’s okay, guys. I’ll figure something out. Look out for each other, and keep an eye on Trixie, there’s something strange about her.”

“Twilight?” whimpered Spike as he watched her run off.

At that same moment, back in town square, Trixie was laughing her head off triumphantly as she declared, “There’s gonna be some changes around here!”

Midnight stood behind her, as impassive as a statue. What nopony noticed however, was that despite his stoic and apparently unfeeling expression, a tear welled up from his eye and slid down his face.

The friends had no choice but to do as Twilight said and went back into town.

“Ah, so my new servants have come to bow before me…” Trixie sneered as she saw them.

“You just wait, Trixie!” Soarin challenged as he flapped himself into the air, “Twilight will come back and she’ll kick your plot into next Tuesday!”

“Midnight…” Trixie said, and Midnight’s horn flared, as a chain was conjured around Soarin’s barrel and pinning his wings, making him fall flat on his face.

“Trixie, as a Prince of Equestria and Nephew of Princess Celestia,” Blueblood declared in his most royal voice, “I command you to release Midnight from your thrall and-”

*ZAP/POOF*

“-cease hostilities!”

“Um, Blueblood dear?”

“Yes, Rarity, what is it?” Blueblood asked, shivering, “And did it get colder all of a sudden?”

Then he noticed the looks his friends were giving him. Fluttershy had ‘eep’d and covered her eyes with her hooves, Rainbow was trying not to laugh, Applejack was covering her face with her hat, Big Mac was shaking his head in sympathy, Thunderlane had facehooved, Rarity was pointing to her back.

Blueblood looked and…
“AAAAAUUUUGGHHH! Don’t look at me!”

He ran off, once again deprived of his gorgeous white coat, crying like a filly.

“Anypony else have something to say…?” Trixie said with a threatening sneer.

The friends all just sighed submissively, that Trixie threw off her cloak, yelling,” Then get to work! We have so much to do…!”

But then Big Mac and Thunderlane gasped at what they saw hanging around Trixie’s neck.

They didn’t get a chance to talk. Trixie set them all to fulfilling her demands for a throne, banners and statues in her honor, making Pinkie dance for her amusement, having Big Mac and Thunderlane construct a chariot for her, having Rainbow Dash make everything above Ponyville all cloudy and dismal, tickling Applejack into submission when she’d refused to prepare her an applesauce facial, and generally making everypony miserable.

Midnight stood at her side, unflinching and unmoving, showing no sign of life until Trixie ordered him to make an example of somepony.

Finally, after hours of work, Trixie let them go for a rest. But Big Mac and Thunderlane made sure to gather everypony, including Blueblood. Although the big naked unicorn stallion insisted on wearing a cloak to conceal his… complexion.

They met up in the library where big Mac and Thunderlane explained.

“We know how Trixie’s gone from high n’ mighty to mean n’ nasty,” Thunderlane started off. “Did any of you notice the necklace she was wearing after she threw off her cloak?”

They all nodded and Big Mac said, “A while back, me, Thunder, and Midnight helped some guards capture a varmint who got his hooves on tha’ same necklace! It’s called th’ Alicorn Amulet.”

“Did you say ‘Alicorn Amulet’?” Blueblood asked. “I believe I read something like that back in my auntie’s school.”

Blueblood turned to the shelves and performed a cross-reference spell. The books on the shelves all glowed, flickering until the glow settled onto one book. He levitated it out and went through the pages until…
“Aha! This is it!

Everypony crowded behind Blueblood as he said, “The Alicorn Amulet, said to bless the wearer with untold powers, but even though it provides for its wearer great power it also corrupts the wearer.”

“And it says here,” Spike pointed out, “that it’s got a magical lock. Trixie’s the only one who can take it off!”

“We need to get this info t’ Twilight,” Applejack asserted, “She’ll know wha’ t’ do!”

“But if any of us try to leave,” Thunderlane reminded her, “Trixie’s barrier will alert her!”

“Luckily…!” Rainbow piped in and paused for dramatic effect, “I know who’s got the goods to make it into those woods… Fluttershy!”

“What?!” Fluttershy shrieked, Rainbow smirking.

“Whattya say, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked. “Can ya handle the mission?”

“No! I’ll crack under pressure,” Fluttershy hyperventilated, “I’ll snap like a twig!”

“Perfect!” Rainbow and Thunder said as they put their hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders.
“Fluttershy will sneak out of Ponyville and find Twilight,” decided Thunderlane.

“But- but- but-” Fluttershy stuttered until she felt another hoof and looked to see the encouraging eyes of her boyfriend.

“You can do it, Sugarcube,” Big Mac assured her, and she sighed, unable to say no to that face she loved so much.

“Okay…” she gave in, invoking a cheer from everypony.

“And I know just the design for a “dangerous mission” outfit,” Rarity declared.

Late the next morning, Trixie was getting a back massage from the Spa Ponies when she felt a tingling in her horn that made her gasp.

“Somepony’s set off the barrier!” she snapped, bucking the Spa Ponies off quite rudely. “Midnight!”

Midnight approached, saying, “Yes, Mistress.”

“Go to the source of the disturbance of the barrier, and show me who set it off!” Trixie ordered, and Midnight Flashed out of there.

Driven by the mind-control spell, Midnight teleported to the vicinity of where the barrier had been set off, and saw the source was a trio of beavers. Two of them were whacking the barrier with their tails.

Midnight cast a spell, creating a “window” through which Trixie could see him.
“Well?!”

Midnight pointed out the beavers and Trixie demanded, “And what are you rodents doing?!”

The third beaver chittered irritably, pointing out a log he and his buddies were dragging and the barrier. Rolling her eyes, Trixie concentrated, raising the barrier just so for the beavers to slip their log through before readjusting it back.
“Now Midnight, return to your mistress!”

The “window” dispersed and Midnight Flashed off, not noticing the beavers chitter to the log, as Fluttershy popped out of a hole in it, wearing a ridiculous outfit.

Hours later, everypony was slaving away, doing their best to keep Trixie satisfied as she increasingly became weirder. Big Mac and Soarin watched as Trixie made poor Snips n’ Snails drag her grand chariot that lacked wheels. Apparently, she didn’t trust wheels.
“I tell ya, Mac, Trixie’s getting weirder and weirder.”

“Eeyup, Ah hope `Shy’s okay,” Big Mac worried. “She’s been gone fer’ hours.”

“Let’s hope she finds Twilight and gets the information to her,” Soarin assured him, “Twilight’s sure to know what to do.”

“Psst!”

They looked to see Spike poking his head out of a bush nearby.
“Meeting at Carousel Boutique, hurry!”

Everypony met up at the boutique and Mac was glad to see Fluttershy back.

“I told Twilight about the amulet and she sent me back with this plan,” Fluttershy held up a scroll. “She’s going to challenge Trixie to another duel, but she needs our help!”

“We’ll help however we can,” Rarity declared, everypony else nodding or saying something agreement.

“Well, Twilight says she’s gonna fool Trixie into taking the Alicorn Amulet off by making her want a different amulet,” Fluttershy explained. “But instead of real magic, Twilight’s gonna have us help her fool Trixie into thinking Twilight’s doing advanced spells!”

The preparations got underway. For the age spell, Applejack and Thunderlane made Apple Bloom and Rumble look like them as a filly and colt, and Granny Smith made herself look like an elderly Applejack.
For a duplication spell, Fluttershy made herself look like Rainbow Dash.
For a gender-swap spell, Big Mac, with Pinkie’s help, made himself look like Applejack as a stallion.

The goal was clear – This was to fool Trixie with stage magic rather than actual magic.

Around noon, Trixie was out and about, making Snips n’ Snails drag her chariot, Midnight in tow.

“Bow before me, Ponyvillians!” Trixie said with her hose up in the air, everypony bowing begrudgingly as she passed them by. “Ah, sweet, sweet victor-”

*BZZZT*

Growling, Trixie felt that a familiar disturbance in her magical force.
“This had better not be another false alarm. Snips, Snails, to the barrier!”

Thankfully for Snips n’ Snails, they were close to the barrier and when they got there…

“You!” Trixie hopped off her chariot and approached the barrier, smarmily saying, “What’s the matter, Twilight Sparkle? Not enjoying your exile?”

Twilight stood right outside the barrier, accompanied by Zecora. She looked in worry to Midnight, still under Trixie’s control, “I know about the Alicorn Amulet, Trixie! You cheated.”

“Cheated? Moi?” Trixie said in spurious innocence.

“Yeah, and I thought I’d show you a real magical amulet!” Twilight said as she levitated a golden necklace with an earthy green charm on it. “Zecora gave it to me, it’s from beyond the Everfree Forest, and it’s way more powerful than your measly Alicorn Amulet!”

“Ha! Nothing’s more powerful than the Alicorn Amulet,” Trixie scoffed, “and nopony’s more powerful than the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

“Care to put your amulet where your mouth is? How `bout another duel?” Twilight challenged.

“Why should I? I already beat you,” Trixie said snootily.

“You didn’t beat me,” Twilight reminded her. “Y’know, Trixie? For somepony who claims to be so great and powerful, you certainly didn’t seem it when you were hiding behind Midnight and forcing him to fight your battle for you! I guess even the Alicorn Amulet can’t put a spine into a coward!”

“Coward?!” Trixie echoed indignantly. Growling, she dispelled her barrier over Ponyville and Flashed in front of Twilight. “I’ll show you coward! Fine, another duel, and this time it’s maro y maro…!”

107. Magic Duel - Part 4

Everypony in town gathered back into the square in great anticipation of the rematch. They were nervous yet hopeful that Twilight would somehow come through and put that tyrannical charlatan in her place. But one little pony didn’t care about Trixie, he just wanted his brother back.

As Twinken stood next to her, Applejack noticed her little brother looked to have been crying recently.
“Oh, sugarcube, what’s gotcha down?”

“I tried to see Midnight,” Twinken hiccupped, wiping the tear stains on his face. “He just stood there, like he didn’t have a soul! Then Trixie saw me and chased me away… Applejack, please tell me Twilight’s gonna save my big brother!”

Applejack pulled Twinken into a tight and warm hug.
“Don’choo worry, lil’ haystack – Twilight’s got a plan t’ beat tha’ cheatin’ witch.”

In no time at all, the rival unicorns met up, Twilight backed by her friends, Trixie by an unwilling Snips n’ Snails and enslaved Midnight. Twilight was disgusted with Trixie, how she’d used a dark magical object to gain power for the sake of satisfying her ego, and had furthered this hubris by enslaving her friend’s mind and plastering her image all over Ponyville with banners and statues of herself.

But she had to focus as she and Trixie glared directly into each other’s eyes, lightning cracking, all eyes on the duelists, Twilight saying, “I expect Midnight won’t fight your battle for you this time, Trixie…”

“Pshaw, Twilight,” Trixie scoffed. “My little thrall is just here to ensure your pathetic friends don’t try anything cute. Speaking of, let’s start with a simple age spell, shall we? Snips, Snails!”

The two colts hurried up nervously, and Trixie struck them in a flash of red mana. When it cleared, both colts had been reduced to crying foals.

“An oldie but a goodie,” Trixie sighed smarmily, “now let’s see what your little charm can do.”

“No problem. Applejack, Thunderlane? Mind lending me a hoof?” Twilight invited them while discreetly winking.

AJ and Thunder played dumb while Soarin snuck away. He hurried to the statue of Trixie, making sure the real thing didn’t see him and saw everypony ready. Apple Bloom and Rumble looked like a filly and colt version of their older sister and brother, Granny Smith looked like an elderly version of Applejack while Big Mac looked like a taller and thicker Applejack with a ball sack.

“Ready for a little sleight of hoof, guys?” he whispered, and they all nodded, Big Mac whispering, “Eeyup!”

“Remember, wait until Twilight sends out the poof of smoke, then quickly switch places with the real deals. I’ll signal you.”

Soarin peered carefully to see Trixie filing her hoof when Twilight shot a beam at Applejack and Thunderlane, creating a thick and voluminous poof of magically-made smoke. He signaled to Apple Bloom and Rumble and they hopped out while Applejack and Thunderlane hid behind the statue. To sell the illusion better, Apple Bloom’s Stetson was too big to fit, but to anypony not in on the trick it really did look as though Applejack and Thunderlane had been de-aged to a filly and colt.

Trixie gaped in shock, her file dropping but she quickly regained her composure.
“Ho-hum, so you can do an age spell. Big deal!”

But then the real trick began. Twilight shot more puffs of smoke, making it appear as though she’d returned the “filly” and “colt” Applejack and Thunderlane to normal. Then she fired again, making it look like a colt Thunderlane was on Applejack’s back, another made an adult Thunderlane on an elderly Applejack, and another brought back the fully grown Applejack and Thunderlane (from Trixie’s point of view).

“Th- That’s impossible!!” Trixie was blown! Even with the Alicorn Amulet, age spells were very difficult. Even with a boost, there’s no way Twilight could’ve done a successive number of age spells with such impeccable control!

“That’s nothing!” Twilight turned to Rainbow Dash and fired a poof of magenta smoke.

Rainbow Dash flinched when she heard a flap of wings behind her and turned to see-

“Yow!”

It was another Rainbow Dash! (Actually it was Fluttershy disguised perfectly like Dash, mirroring her moves).

“How did you- ?!” Trixie continued to gape in shock.

“Duplication spell,” Twilight informed, not noticing a nonchalant Lyra drinking a soda next to her best friend Bon Bon. “Ever see one pony play ten instruments?”

She fired another puff of smoke at the still-mouthless Pinkie Pie, and she came out of it covered with musical instruments, including an accordion, a banjo, a drum, a tuba, a tambourine, and more (disregarding the question as to how she could play some of the instruments, like the tuba, without her mouth).

“This- This can’t be!” Trixie just couldn’t believe it! So many high-level spells, that amulet Twilight had seemed to be the real deal!

“Ooh! One more,” Twilight sounded giddy as she set her sights on Applejack, “I can turn a mare… into a stallion!”

Applejack started to make tracks, only for another poof of smoke to envelop her. Trixie was shocked to see what could only be a genderswapped Applejack, sheepishly covering “himself” as he said, “Eeyup!”

The plan was working! Trixie was fooled, now all Twilight had to do was “dispel” the illusion (or just make another poof of smoke to cover AJ and Big Mac’s switch-out). But what no one noticed was a banana peel ever so subtly being levitated from out of nowhere.

*POOF/SQUIP*
“OOF!”
“OW!”

As the smoke cleared, Trixie saw something that didn’t make sense while it caused everypony else to gape in fear, their blood running cold.

“Applejack” heaped onto Applejack, the mare one saying, “Mac, get...off!”

“What is this?!” Trixie demanded and her horn flared as she levitated them both up and towards her. They flinched as Trixie examined them and then reached up, touching Big Mac’s fetlock and smelling the residue.
“Paint…!”

She glared angrily at Twilight and everypony instantly knew – The jig was up!

“You haven’t been using any high-magicks at all, have you?!” Trixie yelled angrily, and she concentrated on Twilight’s so-called amulet, ripping it off the lavender unicorn’s neck and bringing it over to examine it.
“This is just a cheap piece of jewelry and a lousy rock!”

She capitalized that by crushing the rock under her hoof, and everypony started to sweat.

“You’ve made a fool of me for the last time, Twilight Sparkle…” Trixie growled, her eyes burning with rage so hot she was literally seeing red. “Midnight! Kill her!”

Midnight’s eyes glowed white as he forebodingly approached Twilight, who was being held in place by Trixie.

“Twilight!” everypony shouted and hurried to protect her, only for a blast of Midnight’s magic to slap them away.

“Big brother!”

The out-of-his-mind midnight halted and looked down to see Twinken, looking up at him with tears in his eyes.

“Twinken, no!” Twilight struggled to escape Trixie’s hold on her. “Get away!”

“No!” Twinken shook his head and continued to gaze up at his brother, his family. “I won’t let you do this, Midnight, because this isn’t you! You love Twilight, she loves you, just as I do! You took me under your hoof, you gave me a family! You’re the most powerful unicorn I know, and I’m proud to call you my brother! Trixie’s magic can’t be so strong that you’ve forgotten that! You have to fight it!”

Midnight’s brows furrowed as he raised his hoof to hit Twinken out of his way.

“Get that stupid colt out of your way and finish that piece of trash, Midnight! I command it!!” Trixie shrieked angrily.

But something was wrong – Even under Trixie’s control, Midnight could see and hear everything going on. This entire time he’d been a prisoner of his own body, which had been turned into Trixie’s puppet-enforcer.
No… I don’t… want to!

“What are you waiting for?!” Trixie roared as she fired a tendril of energy that made Midnight flinch and groan. “You belong to me now, you follow my orders, you will kill Twilight Sparkle, even if you have to kill that brat to do it!”

NO!

What happened next blew everypony away – Midnight screamed as he whirled around, his eyes still glowing as he launched himself straight at Trixie, his horn poised…!

*BLLZZZAAATT*

Midnight’s horn pierced the Alicorn Amulet itself, a blinding radiance erupted from his horn and through the cracks as it was shattered, creating a sorcerous shockwave that literally knocked everypony off their hooves!

As the dust cleared, everypony present groaned as one by one they started shakily getting back onto their hooves.
“What was that?!”
“I think Midnight…”
“He defied Trixie!”
“He destroyed her amulet!”

They all looked to see Midnight on his belly, groaning as he rubbed the base of his horn.
“What happened…?”

“Big brother!” Twinken bawled as he jumped midnight, hugging him around the neck, “You’re back to norma-ha-hal!”

“Twinken…?” Midnight groaned as he hugged his brother back and sat himself onto his haunches.

“Midnight!”
“Haystack!”
“Buddy!”

All their friends converged by Thunderlane fanned out his wings, saying, “Come on, guys, give him some air!”

“What happened?” Midnight asked as the fog started to clear out of his mind. “I remember Trixie… She… she wanted me to-!”

“Shh, it’s okay,” Twilight came up and placed a comforting hoof onto his shoulder. “Trixie used a mind-control spell on you but you managed to break free!”

“Mind-control, Trixie?” Midnight echoed, trying to remember and understand when-

*VVT*

Midnight’s eyes bulged, as he sensed something!

He sprang to his hooves and pushed everypony out of his way as he looked towards a distant hill overlooking Ponyville.

On the hill, a certain Hooded Pony thought, Uh-oh!

He turned around to start his getaway when…
*FLASH*

Standing before the enigma was a very tired and very pissed off blue unicorn, glaring hatefully at the figure.

“It was you…!” he seethed. “I felt it, right as my horn pierced the Alicorn Amulet – there was a bewitchment, something to mess with Trixie’s mind, but it had something else. Your mystic signature! You gave her the amulet, didn’t you?!”

The Hooded Pony smirked in the shadow of his hood, pleased with this outcome, though he had mixed-feelings regarding this little face-to-face experience.

“And I remember you,” Midnight brought up, “You were the one who stayed my hoof before I almost killed Chrysalis, you convinced me to spare her wretched life. But you’ve been doing a whole lot more than that, haven’t you…”

It wasn’t a question, but more like an all but confirmed state of fact.

“What do you want from me?!” Midnight demanded, angrily stepping towards the figure. “Who are you?!”

“…The future, Midnight Blaze,” the Hooded Pony chuckled cryptically, “I… am the Future.”

“Well you’re about to lose yours…!” Midnight growled as he pointed his horn threateningly.

But then the figure whirled his cloak, and there was a flurry of darkness.
*KAW, KAW, KAW*

Midnight gasped in shock as the figure’s billowing cloak dispersed into a murder of ravens that flew skyward, and when it cleared, the Hooded Pony was gone!

108. Magic Duel - Epilogue

The ravens flew in all directions but some of them converged and flew to Canterlot Castle, going straight for a tower invisible to all but those who knew of its existence. Into the window and down a great height they flapped and crashed onto the stony floor of a dismal chamber, the feathers spreading, the birds twitching as though they were dying… when the feathers massed and took shape, a pony groaning in pain as he rose out of the feathers naked of his cloak and equipment except for a strange cloth tightened uncomfortably around his barrel and crawled towards his sanctuary.

I'm out of practice... he thought to himself. Shapeshifting was a difficult art of magic but taking on multiple forms like a flock of birds was a level possible only to the most tested practitioners and even then it could be very taxing. But it had been necessary – he could not afford to leave behind another mystic signature, which he would have had he teleported to escape instead. He hadn’t counted on his target identifying him in such a way.

A mystic signature was basically the magical equivalent of what creatures like minotaurs called a fingerprint. Each one was unique and could be used to identify the source. Groaning he pulled his way up to his desk, pondering as he knew his task had become all the more difficult.

“I take it something went wrong?”

He growled and whirled around to see Princess Celestia, and harrumphed at her presence.
“Hmm, quite the contrary. He’s exceeded my expectations – I was completely satisfied, he broke free of a powerful mind-control, defied his controller, destroyed a dangerous relic, but he surprised me… I’d known it would happen, I went to the trouble of using a cloaking spell, he wasn’t even trying! And still… he sensed my presence and pinpointed my location. “

“This is a dangerous game you’re playing,” Celestia reminded him with a disapproving look, “These ponies could have been seriously hurt, I was all but compelled to step in and put an end to Trixie’s madness!”

“And you would’ve undone centuries, if not a millenia’s worth of work,” the shadowed pony reminded her. “And you would not dare… that is if you care about the well-being of this nation’s future.”

“I am warning you…” Celestia narrowed her eyes, “Your methods are becoming more and more disturbing, and if you step out of line-”

The sound of a whiplash cleaved the air as Celestia felt something ensnare her neck and she was thrown and pinned against the wall, the shadowed pony instantly in her face, his eyes glowing a harsh white as he growled, “Do not think for a moment, Celestia, that you have any power over me!!!”

Celestia looked and realized… what was ensnaring her throat was this pony’s leonine tail, magically lengthened and tightening its hold painfully on her.

“Gone is the time you could keep me under your leash…” the pony reminded her, “I am not that same confused and lost colt you once knew, and you'd be foolish to underestimate my powers! You, who played with my life, forced me to hide from the world, away from all those I love and care for, forcing me to give up my little brother, you who are the reason my parents are no longer here, that my brother never even knew them!!”

Celestia felt the familiar shame return and the pony’s blinding eyes shedding tears just made the guilt worse as he released her and turned away.

“I did not ask you to do what you did…” he snarled in heartbreak. “But I won’t deny in some ways I am glad you did so… Yet all of this I have suffered, the loneliness, the plotting from the shadows…”

Celestia couldn’t help shedding tears of her own, the memories mocking her, the loathing she felt for herself and from this pony, her ward, her nephew.

“But I have come to understand the necessity of it all,” he continued. “The hopes of reuniting with them, to be with my little brother again, to feel her in my arms… These hopes are all I have to keep me going, however alone and miserable I feel.”

He glared at Celestia over his shoulder, “You entrusted to me this task, and I will carry it out as I see fit!”

“And any attempt to stand in your way would serve no purpose,” Celestia gathered.

“None whatsoever…” the pony confirmed in an ominous whisper as he moved to his four-poster bed. “Now get out… I’ve had a long day…”

Seeing him crawl under the covers and bare his back at her, Celestia obliged and left the chamber without a word. But as she closed the door behind her, she couldn’t help but sob in shame that all of this was a constant torment for her little pony, the lies, the secrets, the plotting, they made her feel unclean despite knowing what it would mean for her agent’s task to fail.

So very often she felt the crown upon her head become heavy with the burden of ruling and protecting this kingdom, and it was only worse that there were times that the methods to do so went against her heart. All she could do was pray the day all of this could end would come soon.

She left Canterlot to meet with the Saddle Arabian delegates and escort them to Ponyville. Upon arrival, she found Twilight and everypony else keeping out the locals from the library because they were protecting Trixie.

She had absolutely no memory of anything she’d done since the amulet had been forced upon her. Celestia managed to calm everypony down, “examine” Trixie, and claim she’d been bewitched by somepony else, not just the amulet, and that accursed thing was no more.

With Celestia’s encouragement, the entertainment went on, and the delegates were impressed when Twilight’s show of levitating animals was enhanced by magical fireworks, courtesy of a remorseful Trixie even though she wasn’t truly at fault. She'd even assisted Twilight in undoing all the spells she'd cast in her bewitched madness (much to Pinkie Pie's relief).

But by the end of it all, Celestia knew she had stood idle as all of Ponyville had been terrorized by a maddened unicorn who was not the one truly at fault, that one of her little ponies had almost become a murderer, and she had to question her self, Am I doing the right thing…?

Author's Note

Seems even Celestia is in on this little conspiracy...!

On a side-note, it was the Hooded Pony who set up the banana peel to slip of the act. Also, if you're wondering about his tail, he's like a more classic unicorn in that way, where unicorns were described as having leonine tails

109. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 1

A couple weeks passed since the incident with Trixie and the Alicorn Amulet. Life went on in Ponyville, and the days continued to be interesting.

The Cutie-Mark Crusaders went on a camping trip with Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Blueblood, who had insisted on going, partly to bond with Sweetie Belle, and partly to show off his old Ursa Scout skills (which unfortunately had become rather rusty, evident by Blueblood having a nasty encounter with poison oak). When they returned, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash had become honorary sisters and Sweetie Belle had actually warmed up to Blueblood, after entertaining the idea of having him as a future big brother.

But recently, Midnight had been getting a tad reclusive, spending almost all of his free-time in his workshop, diving into his chores, and sometimes he even slept in his workshop as there had been a few nights where he had woken up screaming from his nightmares and he didn’t want to worry his family.

Another thing bothering Midnight was the mysterious Hooded Pony who had used Trixie to terrorize Ponyville, but the fact that he had stopped Midnight from killing Chrysalis at that wedding back then really begged the question for Midnight – Is he friend or foe?

At the park, Twinken and his friends were playing hoofball but his head wasn’t in the game, which led to a rather painful experience when Scootaloo and Apple Bloom tackled him.

They took a break and Sweetie Belle got Twinken an icepack for his bump.

“Just hold it to get the swelling to go down,” she instructed as Twinken telekinetically pressed the pack to his head.

“Urgh, thanks…” Twinken groaned but his friends would have to be blind to miss the concern on his face.

“You’re worried about your brother, huh?” Button inquired.

“…He just hasn’t been the same since Trixie,” Twinken admitted. “He prefers being alone, he hardly talks to anyone, whenever he’s doing chores he’ll always say he’s too busy to talk… And I think he’s been having nightmares again.”

“I wonder if Princess Luna could help him the way she helped me,” Scootaloo wondered. “She told me in my dreams that you have to face your fears or the nightmares won’t go away.”

“Y’know what?” Twinken put the icepack down and looked determined, “I’m gonna look into that. I have to go see Twilight!”

The Crusaders all hustled over to Golden Oak Library and knocked at the door. It opened to reveal Spike.
“Hey guys, here to check out a book or two?”

“Hi Spike,” Twinken replied, “Is Twilight in?”

“Nuh-uh, she just left to see everyone for a picnic,” Spike answered. “Also, I think they’re expecting something in the mail.”

“Well, can we come in?”

“Sure,” Spike gestured them in and as they took in the library, Spike asked, “What can I do for you guys?”

“Spike, I have a big fat favor I need to ask you…” Twinken said hesitantly, making Spike’s eyes widen.

On the hill below Rainbow Dash’s cloud mansion, she and her friends eagerly awaited the message for her and Thunderlane, and by extension their friend Cloud Chaser.

They rested upon a picnic blanket enjoying their snacks, the weather, Twilight had her nose in her books again, Rarity soaked up some rays, and Fluttershy listened to the nearby birds while Blueblood, Big Mac, Thunderlane, and midnight played touch hoofball nearby.

Rainbow Dash was just being cool while Pinkie Pie couldn’t stop hopping about.
“Oh, I wish the mail pony would just come already! I can’t wait another minute if Dash and Thundy got in or not! Oh, why couldn’t Soarin tell us?”

“Soarin’s still a Wonderbolt, Pinkie,” Twilight reminded her. “And the decision of who joins the academy is not up to him.”

“Where is Soarin anyway? You’d think he’d be here to support Rainbow Dash,” Rarity brought up.

“He said he got called for some Wonderbolt business,” Rainbow shrugged, “Said it was kinda hush-hush.”

“Pony-pile!”

They looked to see the guys piled up on each other, laughing as they fought over the ball, Pinkie yelling, “How can you play hoofball at a time like this?!”

“Pinkie, relax,” Midnight scoffed as he and his buds got untangled from each other, “You’re more nervous than Dash and Lane!”

“We are so not nervous, eh Dash?” Thunderlane shook his mane confidently.

“So not,” Dash agreed, her nose up in the air. “When we get into the Wonderbolts Academy-”

“If you get in, if you get in” Pinkie corrected, getting all up in Rainbow’s face. “Don’t jinx it…”

“I’m telling you, it’s in the bag!” Rainbow assured.

But again Pinkie (with a rather disturbing look on her face) echoed, “Don’t jinx it!”

She was yanked away from Rainbow Dash to Midnight, who said with a flat look, “Pinkie, do you want to lose your mouth again?”

Pinkie gasped and covered her precious mouth, not wanting to go through that again.

“They are the best fliers in Ponyville,” Applejack cut in.

“Don’t you mean, I’m the best? And Ponyville?” Rainbow Dash scoffed, as she zipped around a nearby cloud, fashioning into a slide, and went for a quick ride.
“I’m probably the best flyer in all of Equestria!”

Then a dark gray blur cut through the cloud, sending Rainbow for a loop, and it revealed itself to be Thunderlane.
“If by the ‘best flyer’ you mean the biggest blowhard, then yes, Dash, you probably are. I’ll admit you might have me licked in speed, but endurance and control often matter more.”

“Hmph! Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made me a Wonderbolt on the first day,” Rainbow tooted her horn as she glided lazily on her back, and bumped into something.

Looking up, she was met with the face of a mail pony, “Got some mail here for Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane.”

Rainbow grabbed them, quickly giving Thunderlane his, and ripped the envelope open, Thunderlane following suit. Thunderlane’s eyes brightened at what he read but then he heard a defeated Rainbow say, “I… didn’t get in…”

Everypony gasped to hear that, Thunderlane going, “What?! Gimme that!”

He looked at her letter and then smirked at her, “You big faker, you did too get in!”

“Thanks for ruining the joke, Thundy!” Rainbow snapped, snatching her letter back while everypony else gave her a humored look. “But come on! Like I wasn’t gonna get in.”

She found herself in a rolling tackled hug by Pinkie, squeezing her as she said, “I’m just sooooo happy for you!”

“Uh, thanks?” Rainbow Dash strained.
"Uh, Pinks? We kinda need to get going,” chuckled a worried Thunderlane.

Pinkie gave one more lung-crushing squeeze, making Rainbow gasp for breath when she let go.
“Okay I’m done.”

“Sooner we get there…” Rainbow said to her co-captain who nodded and agreed, “Soon we get to show `em our skills!”

The two weather captains blurred into their saddlebags held up by their friends, Thunderlane saying, “See you guys in a week!”

“I’d wish you luck…” Midnight said with a sneaky tone.

“But we won’t need it!” agreed Rainbow before she and Thunderlane took flight.

As they watched their friends fly off, they heard some kind of feedback ahead of them and looked to see Pinkie with an oddly large megaphone.
“DON’T FORGET TO WRITE-WRITE-WRITE-WRITE-WRITE!!!”

As they all groaned and rubbed their aching eardrums and tried to straighten their manes, Pinkie asked, of all questions, “Do you think they heard me?”

None of them answered and neither did any of them notice a rather familiar wisp of ashy magic whisk away to Canterlot... only for an ember of magic to intercept it and make it go up in smoke.

Author's Note

The letter was from Twinken to the princess concerning Midnight - But it was intercepted

111. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 3

The next morning, Thunderlane joined the other cadets in the mess hall for breakfast when he noticed some of them looking at the noticeboard.
Must be looking at the squads and who’s who.

Setting his tray down, he made his way over, politely excusing himself through, and looked the list over. His eyes fell upon ‘Squad 1: Leader – Lightning Dust, Wing ponies – Rainbow Dash & Thunderlane’.

Oh boy, Thunderlane felt his wings limp, Dash is not gonna like this…

Then he felt somepony bump into him and he saw it was Rainbow Dash, looking up at the document.

“A wingpony?!”
“Isn’t it awesome?”

They both looked to see Lightning Dust, coming to them, looking excited.
“They made us a team! We are so gonna rock the academy!”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Thunderlane said hesitantly, forcing a smile. But he noticed Dash wasn’t quite so… enthusiastic.

In the hallway, Thunderlane was following his friend, “Dash, come on, don’t shake the cloud, okay? I get it – You don’t like being labeled ‘second fiddle’. How do you think I felt when-”

“When what?” Rainbow Dash whirled around to face him, looking nasty. “When the mayor chose me as Ponyville Weather Captain instead of you?! I made you my co-captain, remember?”

“Dash, I’m just saying, Spitfire probably has her own reasons for making Lightning Dust the leader of our squad,” Thunderlane assured her. “Look, even if you’re not leading the team, you can still prove yourself! But questioning Spitfire’s authority and trying to kick somepony out of the limelight they earned isn’t gonna help your case!”

“I’m just gonna talk to her, okay?!” Rainbow huffed and continued down the hall, leaving Thunderlane to sigh.

He reported to the rendezvous with the other cadets, where Fast Clip and Whiplash were passing out pins to everyone, golden for the team leaders and silver for the wing-ponies,, and they were standing with their teammates.

Cloud Chaser was lead pony of her team with Bulk Biceps and Raindrops while Glide had been made lead pony of Wild Flower and Starry Eyes.

He saw Lightning Dust and sighed, joining her as she admired her golden lead pony pin.
“Yo Thunder, looking forward to showing them what we got?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Thunderlane chuckled hesitantly. “You uh, see Rainbow Dash around?”

“Here she comes,” Lightning Dust pointed out and they saw her approach Fast Clip. The trainer gave her a wing-pony pin and gestured her to join her team.

Thunderlane noticed Rainbow looking troubled and decided to ask, “I take it the talk didn’t go well?”

“Not exactly,” she whispered, apparently not wanting Dust to hear them. “Spitfire made Dust lead pony because she thinks Dust pushes herself harder than I do!”

“Well, technically she did, Dash,” Thunderlane shrugged. “She tried the Dizzi-tron at maximum and got the second best score next to you. I hate to tell you this, but… if it hadn’t been at maximum, she might have even beaten your score.”

He instantly knew he said the wrong thing by the look on Rainbow’s face and quickly added, “But that’s only because she has her own style of flying! Everypony does things their own way, and they do it because it works for them. You did what you felt was right and it paid off!”

“…Whatever,” sighed Rainbow Dash.

“Spitfire say anything else?” Thunderlane inquired.

“Yeah,” Rainbow whispered, “I think she’s trying to prove something with our class. I overheard her as I left her office, mentioning something about an inspector.”

“That could expl-” Thunderlant started but then Spitfire spoke up.

“A-tennnn-shun!”

They all stood fast as Spitfire approached, “Today, you will be participating in a flag hunt! You will be divided into three teams, Lightning Dust and hers will represent Team Red, Cloudchaser and hers Team Blue, and finally Glide’s team will be Team Green. Whichever team finds the most flags of the opposing teams’ colors wins.”

This training challenge actually had everypony excited but then Spitfire heard Wild Flower whisper to her teammates, “This is gonna be so much fun!”

She invaded Wild Flower’s personal space, hissing, “If you think this is gonna be fun, you are sadly mistaken! You are here to train, not to play recess!”

Everypony lowered their goggles as Spitfire went on.
“Lead ponies and wing ponies must fly together. If any team splits apart, they will be immediately disqualified! Do I make myself clear?!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Then let’s go…!” Spitfire blew her whistle, signaling each team to take off!

As the teams got started, they kept their eyes peeled for their opponents’ flags. Team Red noticed Team Blue nearby so Lightning Dust asked her teammates, “Ready to rock n’ roll?”

“Let’s!” Dash n’ Thunder nodded eagerly and they pumped their wings.

Lightning Dust took point as they flew in V-formation, Rainbow Dash flying on her right, Thunderlane her left, as they zoomed alongside the side of the plateau. Lightning Dust then pulled up, the others following but then she quickly went back down, almost throwing Dash n’ Lane off, but they managed to keep up.

Is she so concerned with winning she’s forgetting the rule of flying together? Thunderlane thought irritably.

They caught up with her, as she asked, “Either of you spot any flags yet?”

“Not yet,” Thunderlane shook no when Rainbow Dash interrupted him.

“There’s one!” she pointed down and they followed her hoof.

At the foot of the plateau, in a crevice was a red flag, almost concealed by two logs.

“Good eye, Dash, come on!” Lightning Dust pumped her wings.

They started flying downwards but as the ground raced up to meet them, Thunderlane was about to suggest something but Rainbow Dash took the words right out of his mouth.
“We should slow down, I don’t think the three of us can make it at this speed!”

“Ha!” Lightning Dust scoffed and ignored her.

With no choice, they flew down in a straight line, Dust in front, Lane in the middle, and Dash last. But since Dust was in front, her teammates couldn’t see the ground and wouldn’t know what to do until after Dust did it.

Then they saw Lightning Dust do what she did back at the Dizzi-tron – She straightened her body, rear hooves down first, and tucked in all her limbs. Thunderlane did the same, as did Rainbow Dash.

However, Rainbow hadn’t pulled in her wing quick enough, and it got smacked onto one of the logs as she fell through the tight space between them.

Lightning Dust snatched up the flag and instantly pulled up, heading back to the top of the plateau. Thunderlane followed but over the rush of the wind, he could’ve sworn he heard Rainbow Dash yell, “Ow!”

They landed onto the plateau where Lightning Dust proudly presented their flag, Spitfire saying, “Lightning Dust and her team have found the first flag!”

Thunderlane felt relieved to relax his pumping heart upon landing but then heard a groan and gasped to see Rainbow Dash massaging her wing.
“Dash, are you alright?!”

“Sure, just… gimme a second,” she winced but Lightning Dust was already flapping to keep going.

“Come on, she’s fine! We gotta find more flags!”

“Dust, she should-” Thunderlane started to protest but Rainbow threw him a real stink eye.

“I’m fine, Thunder, come on!”

Thunderlane was put off by Rainbow’s insistence but he would have to have been blind to not notice the nervous glance she gave Spitfire. The sergeant in turn had given Dash a raised eyebrow.

He didn’t want to make Dash look bad in front of their trainer and sighed, following reluctantly.

Unknown to them, Glide was flying overhead and had noticed the whole thing, and unknown to the other teams, as well as the trainers, he and his team had already found four flags.

Back in Ponyville, Pinkie snorted awake, her poofy cotton candy-like mane frazzled, and she quickly looked into her mailbox, and sighed once again in disappointment to see it empty. She closed her eyes, unaware she was being watched from a nearby alleyway.

“She’s still at it!”
“She seriously didn’t sleep at all for three days?!”
“Nnope.”
“What a drama-queen. No offense, Rare, but right now she makes you look downright placid in a crisis.”
“No offense taken, dear.”
“I just wish we could help her.”
“Help me?!”

Twilight, Midnight, Applejack, Rarity, Blueblood, Big Mac, and Fluttershy startled to see Pinkie having popped up behind them even though they’d had their eyes on her from the alley. They looked back and as you would expect, she wasn’t by her mailbox anymore. Once again Pinkie defied logic. And sanity, given the bags under her eyes, as she ranted.
“The only thing that could possibly help me right now is a letter from Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane! It’s been three days already, they probably don’t even know our names anymore, maybe they don’t even remember our faces!”

She popped out of the alley into the open, going, “‘Pinkie Pie I never heard of a Pinkie Pie, who is Pinkie Pie?’”

“Pinkie, for the final time,” Midnight growled, “I think you are OVERREACTING!”

Big Mac and Blueblood both cuffed him on the back of his head while Twilight said to Pinkie, “Well, if you’re so worried, why don’t you send them a letter first?”

“Of course, that’s a great idea!” Pinkie instantly perked, making them all sigh in relief. “Wait, I got an even better idea!”

Then she defied the laws of physics again, popping out of her own mailbox, smiling at Twilight, “Why don’t we send them a care package? Y’know, before they forget about us, although, it’s probably too late. But it might jog their memories!”

“Pinkie, I am this close…” Midnight groaned with a roll of his eyes, Twilight shushing him.

“Pinkie, I’m sure Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane still remember us just fine,” she assured the pink pessimist, “and you’re right! Sending a care package is a great idea!”

“A care package it is. I’ll get the stamps,” Pinkie started hopping towards the bakery, Twilight letting out a sigh of relief only for Pinkie to shriek, “Wait! That won’t work at all!”

“Why not?” asked Applejack, groaning to see Pinkie once again losing it.

“What if it gets lost in the mail, or somepony else gets the package by mistake, and then she remembers us instead of Dashy or Thundy, and then she becomes our new friend and-”

An outline of a cursor composed of turquoise mana came out of nowhere and removed Pinkie’s mouth, much to her annoyance as she gave Midnight the stink eye, and everypony sighed.

“Thank you, for that, friend,” sighed Blueblood as Midnight gave a look to Pinkie that said ‘Really?’

Pinkie groaned irritably and Midnight said in a calm and even voice with a flat look, “Pinkie... I’ll give you back your mouth if you promise to relax, quit ranting about your outlandish worst-case scenarios, and we’ll even go and deliver the care package to Rainbow and Thunder personally. Deal?”

“Mm-hmm,” Pinkie nodded with an agreeable look in her eyes, and Midnight clicked her mouth back on, much to her relief.

“We could do with a little trip, eh dear?” Blueblood and Rarity smiled at each other.

“I’ll go.”
“Count me in!”
“Eeyup!”
“Me too!”

“Me seven!” Pinkie cheered but then she said in a morose tone, “But don’t be surprised if they don’t recognize you at first. It may take a while for their memories to jog.”

Twilight facehooved while Midnight had a flat look as he conjured a bucket of water and poured it onto Pinkie.

Back at the academy, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and their team leader Lightning Dust reported for their next training regimen upon a cloud. Fast Clip blew a horn, announcing they were getting started, making it loud and clear for Spitfire as she pushed the horn away from her ear, Fast Clip smiling sheepishly as he put it away,

“Today, you’re gonna fly our famous air obstacle course!” Spitfire announced as some senior cadets poured water into some cloud-machines to create some for the rough weather simulation part of the course while others worked the wind-cannons, which simulated hurricane winds or powerful gales.
“The object of this exercise is to work on your precision flying under extreme circumstances! Oh, and don’t worry about winning – This isn’t a race.”

Thunderlane noticed Lightning Dust roll her eyes at that comment while Rainbow Dash was paying rapt attention. He understood – Being made a wing pony instead of a leader had been a blow to her ego, and Spitfire had added insult to injury by saying Lightning Dust was a harder worker.

But since the capture the flag training yesterday, Thunderlane wasn’t so sure about Lightning as he’d been at first. She’d waved off Rainbow clipping her wing, and although it healed fine overnight, it bothered Thunderlane that their team leader had put winning the training challenge over their teammate. Not that Rainbow hadn’t helped her case by insisting on flying through that challenge despite her aching wing. He understood she was trying to prove herself to Spitfire, but he was starting to wonder about Spitfire’s teaching methods, as well as her standards.

“Everypony, on your marks!” Spitfire called, everypony snapping on their goggles and getting ready.

Fast Clip blew a whistle as he and Whiplash let each team take off one at a time. First it was Cloud Chaser’s team, then Lightning Dust’s, and finally Glide’s. The flyers flew through cloud rings, designed to look haphazard so they had to fly through them just so without touching the rims, but then they came to the cloud-machines, and Cloud Chaser and Bulk Biceps flew right into one, blowing them off course while their teammate, Raindrops, managed to avoid it, having been flying behind them, leaving her in the lead.

Seeing her chance, Lightning Dust gestured to her teammates to fly faster. They avoided the cloud machines but skidded as they caught up to Raindrops. She was keeping a steady pace as she flew, more interested in getting through the course rather than just speeding through it.

“Ugh, can’t she go any faster?!” groaned Lightning Dust, making Thunderlane frown at her.

“In case you forgot, Dust, Spitfire said this isn’t a race,” Thunderlane said in an almost-scolding tone, Lightning Dust giving him the stink eye but then Rainbow cut in.

“It’s not a big deal,” she assured them, “we can still fly in sync show off our stuff to Spitfire!”

“I guess,” Lightning sighed.

Raindrops always slowed just a bit to adjust herself before flying through a cloud hoop while Lightning Dust and her team flew loop de’ loops through the hoops behind her, and flew well in sync.

But then they came to the simulated storm they had to fly through, which definitely slowed Raindrops down, as she flapped her wings like a hummingbird to fight the gale.

“What is she, a sloth?!” snapped Lightning Dust impatiently, “It’s only a little weather!”

A crack of lightning did well to contradict her but then they saw sunlight as they came to the other side of the storm, revealing the wind-cannons.
“Now’s our chance to pass this slowpoke and leave the rest in our powder!”

Without warning, Lightning Dust streaked forward, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane following out of the instinct of not wanting to be left behind. They streaked past Raindrops, the sudden slipstream throwing her off and sending her careening into the Glide’s team and her own after they’d managed to get back into the course.

The domino effect sent them all crashing into the clouds around them while Lightning Dust, Rainbow Dash, and Thunderlane flew circles around the wind cannons and came down, skidding to a halt right in front of Spitfire and the other trainers.

“Not bad,” Spitfire complimented as she looked at her stopwatch, “and in record time too! Definitely made the right decision making you three a team.”

“Captain,” Fast Clip winged her a telescope and pointed something out. Spitfire looked and sighed.

“Looks like the others seem to have had a little trouble with the ‘precision’ part of the exercise. Better go help `em out. You three get some food in you at the mess hall.”

“Yes ma’am,” Lightning Dust saluted.

But as soon as the trainers left, Thunderlane said, “Lightning Dust. Was that really necessary?”

“What?” Lightning Dust asked with a tone that said ‘what’s your problem’.

“Zipping past the other teams, leaving them high n’ dry like that?” Thunderlane clarified. “Spitfire said it wasn’t a race!”

“Hey, you snooze you lose,” Lightning Dust scoffed. “Besides, Wonderbolts are supposed to be able to recover from spinouts, am I right, Dash?”

Both eyes fell on Rainbow and she looked a tad uncomfortable, “Well…”

“I mean, you guys saw them all on the Dizzi-tron!” Lightning Dust insisted, “Except for the Glide guy, I think they could use the practice. I mean, it’s not our fault we’re so much better than those other guys, right? Not everypony is destined to be a Wonderbolt. Only the best of the best, right?”

And without waiting for either of her teammates’ responses, she flew off to the mess hall, Rainbow and Thunder sharing a troubled look.

Later that day, after a good lunch and a quick rest, the class assembled back for another training regimen, something old school yet effective and even fun – Cloud busting!

Every weather pegasus learned cloud-busting but the Wonderbolts took it to another level, in skill and speed. This time it was a race - To see which team could bust the most clouds. The teams stood in the center of the plateau runway, eyeing each other competitively, eager to get started, and show the others what they were made of… when Whiplash blew his whistle and everypony took flight!

Some teams worked in concert or they chose to divide and conquer.

Whiplash watched the challenge like a hawk, keeping score for each team, and it soon became a no-brainer. Lightning Dust’s team quickly took the lead, followed by Glide’s team, while Cloud Chaser’s was last.

It wasn’t a surprise really – Lightning Dust, Rainbow Dash, and Thunderlane were easily among the best fliers in the class, in speed, skill, and control. Not to mention, Dash and Lane being their town’s co-captains of the weather team made them very much experienced in this challenge.

Rainbow Dash flew right through some clouds, making them appear to be sliced cleanly in half before they burst, Lightning Dust busted a cluster of clouds, moving like a pinball in a machine, while Thunderlane preferred a falling-axe style of flying up and coming down hard onto his target clouds.

Glide was working with his team, having coordinated a strategy before the challenge started. While they were last, his leadership had definitely helped Wild Flower and Starry Eyes improve.

Cloud Chaser and Raindrops were doing well and Bulk Biceps did his best to keep up. His strength made him ideal for cloud busting. Just not for speedy cloud busting.

Then Lightning Dust, Rainbow Dash, and Thunderlane regrouped when she said to them, “I have an idea about how we can literally blow away our competition!”

“But we’re already ahead of everypony else,” Rainbow Dash reminded her.
“She’s right, Dust!” added Thunderlane, “Let’s just do this cleanly and-”
“Urgh, are you guys in or not?!” Dust demanded.

“Not!” Thunderlane broke formation, expecting Dash to follow but then he gasped as he saw her smile at Dust and followed the turquoise mare.

He watched as they flew in a tight circle, quickly brewing up a tornado that began to suck in all the clouds in the sky. But Thunderlane could see it at once – They’d given it too much oomph too quickly and any moment now it would literally spiral out of control!

“EVERYPONY GET DOWN!!” he screamed to the others and they all yelled as they flew down to the plateau to take cover.

Looking up, Thunderlane saw Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash being thrown for a loop and frowned at them as they came down to catch their breath. He trotted over to Rainbow Dash to give her a piece of his mind when he noticed her startling at something above them and he looked and mirrored the startling look she’d made!

Something had gotten caught in the tornado besides clouds, and in no time at all was sent flying, then falling. Their sharp pegasus eyes allowed them to see… it was their friends!!

“NOOO!!!” Rainbow screamed when she saw Thunderlane zip past her.

“DASH, C’MON!!”

The two of them dive-bombed down the side of the mountain, seeing their friends falling. Twilight, Midnight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Big Mac, Rarity, and Blueblood.

No way the two of them could catch them all with their bare hooves but then Rainbow Dash got an idea!
“Thundy! Operation Cushioned Fall!”

“You got it!” Thunderlane knew exactly what to do as he followed his co-captain’s lead.

They pumped their wings harder and flew down beneath their falling friends and quickly corralled some clouds, compressing them together, and positioning their cloud cushion right beneath their friends. It caught them, literally cushioning their fall, but the compression of so much cloudstuff had a trampoline-effect, sending them bouncing back up!

But thankfully, the class was there to catch everypony! Wild Flower caught Twilight, Thunderlane caught Rarity, Rainbow Dash caught Applejack, Raindrops caught Pinkie, Glide caught Big Mac, Starry Eyes caught Blueblood, and Cloud Chaser caught Fluttershy. Bulk Biceps caught the package Pinkie Pie had been carrying.

As Rarity shook off the excitement, she saw Thunderlane smiling at her in relief, and gave him a grateful hug, Cloud Chaser let Fluttershy go, who sheepishly smiled as she flapped her own wings, having forgotten about them in all the excitement. But Twilight looked around, saying, “Where’s Midnight?!”

“I’m okay!”

They all looked to see Midnight in his pegasus form, his magic goggles on his forehead, flapping his wings as he flew over and took Twilight off Wild Flower’s hooves.
“Good thing I brought these huh?”

“Oh you,” Twilight hugged him as the class brought everypony down safely onto the ground.

“Everypony okay?!” panted a worried Rainbow Dash.

“We’re all fine, Dash,” Twilight and Applejack gave her a hug while Blueblood was giving Thunderlane the stink eye, having caught that hug his girlfriend had given him while Thunderlane insisted it was just a hug of gratitude.

But then Rainbow Dash noticed Pinkie lying on the ground, looking a little out of it.
“Pinkie? Are you okay?”

Pinkie gaped at Rainbow Dash, her eyes tearing up as she instantly hugged her, whimpering, “You remember me…!”

“Of course I remember you, duh,” Rainbow chuckled but then she asked everypony, “but what’re you all doing here?”

“We wanted t’ bring you n’ Thunder a care package,” Applejack explained, “didn’t realize y’all would be in th’ middle a some crazy tornado drill.”

“That was awesome!”

All eyes turned stink at Lightning Dust, having appeared out of nowhere, Thunderlane snapping, “Awesome?! Our friends were almost smashed to pieces!”

“Yeah, but they weren't, right?” Lightning Dust scoffed as she flew up and looked around, “Can’t say the same about the clouds though. Dash n’ I? We totally wiped `em out with that tornado! The other cadets will be working double overtime to meet our quota!”

Everypony present, visitor and cadet, were appalled at Lightning Dust’s behavior. She’d started a tornado, flagrantly putting everypony at risk and had waved off her actions despite them getting their visitors almost killed, and she was bragging about it!

“Y’know, Thunder, I thought you had the drive,” Lightning boasted in his face, “but unlike my girl Dash, you wimped out. I don’t think we need somepony like you on our team, am I right Dash?”

She held out her hoof to Rainbow, who smacked it away, to her surprise.
“You made me clip my wing, sent half our class into serious tailspin on the obstacle course, you unleashed a tornado that nearly demolished my friends, and if that weren’t enough you’re calling Thunderlane unworthy because he didn’t help you make that tornado!”

“Yeah, and?” Lightning Dust said with such a nasty tone.

“And I get that you want to be the best. So do I,” Rainbow Dash went on, Thunderlane stepping in, “But you’re going about it the wrong way!”

“The Wonderbolts don’t seem to think so,” Lightning Dust reminded them snootily, “After all, Spitfire made me the leader and you two wing ponies.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, “You’re right. She did.”

“Dash,” Thunderlane said to his friend, “I think this time we see Spitfire together.”

*CRASH*

Spitfire jolted up and saw Thunderlane had bucked her door open, and she stood up, demanding, “Cadet Thunderlane! What is the meaning of barging into my office?!”

Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash walked in, giving Spitfire the stink eye.

“And Rainbow Dash? Why aren’t you two out there with your team leader busting clouds?”

“I think you’ll find your skies nice n’ clear, captain,” Thunderlane spat.

Ignoring that disrespectful tone, Spitfire looked up the time and was surprised, “Already? That’s an academy record! Explain your methods!”

“That’s why we’re here, ma’am,” Rainbow stepped in. “Lightning Dust suggested we use a tornado to clear the clouds.”

“A bit excessive for cloudbusting… but judging from your time, it was obviously an effective tactic,” Spitfire said in a pleased tone.

“Yeah, well that ‘effective tactic’ nearly took out our friends!” Rainbow snapped, much to Spitfire’s surprise. “No disrespect, ma’am, but there’s a big difference between pushing yourself as hard as you can and just being reckless!”

“Not to mention I am starting to doubt your ethics, as an officer and as a trainer!” Thunderlane added. “I didn’t question your making Lightning Dust our team leader because at the time I trusted your decision was made out of careful reasoning and experience, and because I had some respect for your authority. But I think I put my trust in the wrong pony. We as cadets trust you, as our superior officer and as our teacher to train us to be the best we can but also to avoid reckless decisions that can put others at risk.”

“And if being reckless is what gets rewarded around here,” Rainbow said with a final tone, “if that’s what it means to be a Wonderbolt, then I think I speak for both of us when I say we don’t want any part of it!”

“What are you saying, newbies?” Spitfire demanded, and she got her answer as Dash and Lane took off their wing pony pins and slammed them onto her desk as they both said the same thing.

“We quit.”

And without a word, they turned their backs and walked out the door. Spitfire was shocked! Two of her best students quitting, questioning her authority, disrespecting her?! This was not gonna look good for that inspection.

She sighed as she began to digest what they’d said to her when there was a knock at her door.

“Who is it?” she hissed.

It opened and in walked Glide.

“Whattya want, cadet?” she snapped. “I’m not really in the mood.”

“I think you mean…” Glide reached into his cadet uniform and pulled something out, and held it up to reveal a badge, “Inspector.”

The sight of the badge and this revelation in light of what had just happened left Spitfire with but a single thought.

Oh buck me!

112. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 4

“You did what?!”

Everypony couldn’t believe it! Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane had just returned, their saddlebags packed and ready to go, and they’d just explained what happened in Spitfire’s office.

“Becoming Wonderbolts were your dreams!” Rarity reminded them.
“Eeyup.” nodded Macintosh.

“It was our dream, everypony,” Thunderlane corrected. “I’d rather just be a weather captain than some reckless, self-serving stunt-flyer any day.”

“Ditto…” Rainbow Dash said but the tone of disappointment was as thick as molasses.

“I’m sorry, you guys,” Twilight said to them comfortingly. “We know how much this meant to you.”

“But you can’t let this get you down,” Midnight added. “There are times when we chase after a dream but along the way we begin to see it might not be what we really wanted after all.”

“It just means that if one dream doesn’t work out, you can always work towards another,” Blueblood assured them.

“Thanks guys,” Rainbow Dash felt a little better as they shared a moment when…

“Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane!”

Everypony looked to see an angry Spitfire storming up to them, accompanied by her assistant trainers, “How dare you barge into my office, rant at me, and storm out without giving me a chance to respond! Listen, the Wonderbolts are looking for Equestria’s most promising and tested fliers!”

Then she took off her shades, and sounded regretful, “But you guys were right. Reaching our potential should never come at the expense of our fellow ponies and I should’ve taken my position as your teacher more seriously in regards to your safety and setting an example. What kind of Wonderbolt- No, what kind of pony would I be if I encouraged such behavior? What kind of message would that be sending… It’s ponies like you two whose standards are what the Wonderbolts are supposed to be about!”

She looked to her assistants and they stepped out of the way to reveal a nervous Lightning Dust. Spitfire whirled around to face her, Lightning Dust flinching and feeling something rip off her uniform. She was shocked to see her lead-pony pin was gone and Spitfire giving her a reproachful look as she pointed her hoof, telling her to march.

Lightning Dust lowered her head in shame as she walked away, escorted by Fast Clip and Whiplash.

Spitfire faced Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane saying, “You guys aren't wing-ponies – You’re leaders!”

She held up the pin she’d taken from Lightning and pulled out another from her jacket, pinning them to Dash and Lane’s cadet uniforms, the two of them smiling and Rainbow couldn’t help it!
“Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!”

Thunderlane chuckled and then said, “Thank you, ma’am, and… sorry about our behavior. We could’a done that a little more…”

“Aw, forget it,” Spitfire waved it off. “And it wasn’t just you guys who helped me realize my mistakes.”

“Whattya mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“She means me.”

They looked up and saw Glide fly down and alight himself next to Spitfire.
“Hey Dash, Thunder, congrats.”

“Glide?” Rainbow Dash was confused. “What do you have to do with all this?”

“I’m not really a cadet, Dash, and my name isn’t really Glide!” he said, “I’m actually… Soarin!”

In a brief flash, Glide’s colors changed, his mane became dark blue, his coat light blue, his cutie mark revealed itself to actually be a lightning bolt streaking past two clouds which vaguely formed the outline of a heart, and his eyes turned from sunset red to a bright and happy green.

“Soarin?!” everypony gasped, including Spitfire.

“You’re the inspector?!” Spitfire snapped.

“Got that right,” Soarin smiled deviously before putting on a stoic manner and facing Spitfire. “Captain Spitfire, as of now, your surprise inspection is over.”

“Inspection?” echoed Thunderlane. “Y’mean to say you were undercover for some kind of evaluation?”

“Yes, indeed,” Soarin confirmed. “The Wonderbolt Administration Office called me in and informed me they were concerned with Spitfire’s teaching methods and standards, and requested I carry out a surprise inspection, and gave me permission to carry it out as I saw fit. I decided the best way to perform such an inspection and get the best results would be to experience Spit’s teaching methods for myself. I went to Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and asked one of the teachers for a way to magically disguise myself!”

“And it was a glamour spell, wasn’t it?” Twilight fished.

“Mm-hmm,” Soarin nodded. “The teacher told me the glamour would last until I revealed my real identity, as I just did! With my disguise, along with the advantages the Management Office gave me, I faked my admission into the academy and was registered Cadet Glide. For the most part, Spitfire trained us fairly well, but then you chose Lightning Dust to be a lead pony, which I found questionable. It got worse the more I saw Lightning Dust train, how she disregarded Dashie’s injured wing, tripped everypony else up in the obstacle course, and finally when she roped Dash into making a tornado, endangering our visitors, and expressed no remorse for doing so! All the while only concerned with proving her skills and coming out on top.”

He gave Spitfire the stink eye.
“As for you, Spits – You didn’t pay close enough attention to Lightning Dust’s behavior, encouraged it as a matter of fact! Not to mention you gave Dash and Thunder the wrong impression of what the Wonderbolts are about! In fact they’re partly the reason this inspection took place at all.”

“Us?!” Dash and Thunder echoed.

“Well yeah,” Soarin said as he walked up to them, “Dash, you represent an Element of Harmony, and Thunder, you’re one of the Guardians of Harmony! You really think the Wonderbolts aren’t gonna take an interest in those kinds of details?”

He looked at Spitfire again.
“Spitfire, my overall inspection has shown me that you are driven but insensitive to the cadets’ plights, your standards are misplaced, and it’s only when somepony calls you out that you realize the error of your ways, if you will… But since you did, I guess I can give you a passing grade, but you’re still on thin ice. So I’d keep what you learned here in mind.”

Spitfire was blown – And ashamed. She really had misplaced her standards in the Wonderbolts and her ethics and morals had suffered with them.
“Thanks, Soar… I promise to be a better officer. Starting now!”

She whirled at Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, “NOW GET OUT THERE AND GIMME TWENTY!”

“Yes ma’am!” they answered and flew up to join their class in the air, all of them saluting the best among them, as flyers and as ponies, and followed after them to continue their training.

“Wait! You didn’t even get to open your care package!!!”

113. Apple Family Reunion - Part 1

A box levitated out of the hayloft in the barn, cloaked in Midnight’s aura as he levitated it down to Granny Smith.
“Is this what you asked for, Granny Smith?”

He plopped it down in front of her, the flaps opening and flipping up some dust near the old mare’s schnoz.
“Ah… choo!”

“Eh, gesund-hoof,” Midnight apologized sheepishly.

“Ah, thank ya, Midnight,” Granny Smith said as she straightened her mane, “Ah still cain’t believe it’s been ah’most a hundred moons since th’ last fam’ly reunion!”

She dug into the box and pulled out a hoof-stitched quilt, holding it close as she said, “Why, Ah remember it like it was yesterday!”

“Me too, considering I was there,” Midnight chuckled.
“And she's been talkin’ about it pretty much every day since then,” cracked Applejack as she came up.

“Apple Bloom, Twinken!” Granny Smith looked to the foals as they went over some letters, “How’re them RSVPs comin’ along? Who’se showin’ their snoots at th’ reunion?”

“Everypony!” answered a happy Apple Bloom, Twinken grabbing the letters she’d accidentally knocked over with his aura.

“Everypony?! Feathers on’a goat, are y’sure?” Granny Smith was starting to feel overwhelmed and the reunion hadn’t even begun yet!

“Well, we got RSVPs from… Apples from Yonderhill,” Twinken reported.
“Hollow Shades…” added Apple Bloom.
“Galloping Gorge…”
“Foal Mountains…”
“There’s Apples from Fillydelphia.”
“Tall Tale Town…”
“And all the Apples from Appleloosa!”

As the list went on, Granny Smith’s eyes widened, and finally Apple Bloom announced, “An’ how could Ah ferget Manehatten? Babs is coming!”

She punctuated that with a happy yet careless throw of her arms into the air, sending the RSVPs into a perfect imitation of Fifty-Two Pickup.

“Ah get t’see mah favorite cousin!” Apple Bloom hopped happily.

“Ah think wer’ gonna need a bigger cider trough…” Granny Smith muttered, seeing she had her work cut out for her this time around.

“Uh, why don’t we move this discussion back into the house,” Midnight suggested as Twinken picked up the RSVPs. Again. While giving Apple Bloom a light stink eye.

They did so, taking the discussion into the family dining room as they began to plan and found themselves with growing anticipation for tomorrow.

“Hoo-whee! Looks like th’ fam’ly’s grown ten-fold since th’ last reunion!” Granny Smith noted as Midnight brought in the box from the barn while Big Mac wheeled in the RSVPS on his wheelbarrow.
“Ah’m gonna be busier than a worm in a rotten tomater tryin’ t’ get everything ready!”

“Ah could always help out.”
“Me too!”
“Eeyup.”
“Count me in!”
“I wanna help too!”

“Oh Ah sure would appreciate that. Granny’s a little rustier in th’ giddyup since th’ last time all th’ Apples got t’gether,” Granny Smith punctuated by giving herself a facelift (which oddly took many years off her face) before it sunk back to a wrinkly reality, earning her disturbed looks from all of her grandchildren.

“You may be a tad old, Granny,” Applejack said kindly, “but yer as feisty an’ full a’ spark as ever-”

“Who you callin’ old?!” Granny Smith snapped in her face, making Applejack flinch.

“AJ just meant to say… why don’cha let us take over setting up the reunion this year?” Midnight interjected, coming to his sister’s rescue. “That way, you can just kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself!”

“Hmm, alright, young’uns, y’got yerselves a deal,” Granny Smith agreed. “You an’ Applejack are both in charge.”

“I won’t let’cha down, Granny!” Applejack promised, “You just explain wha’ this reunion needs and Ah’ll take care’a th’ rest.”

“Don’t you mean, we will take care of the rest?” Midnight reminded her, Applejack smiling apologetically.

“I’ll do y’all one better than tellin’ ya wha’ th’ reunion’ll need,” Granny Smith led them into the living room, pulling out what looked to be an old photo album.
“Ah’ll show ya!”

She sat in the middle of the sofa, Applejack sitting at her right, Apple Bloom and Twinken at her left, while Midnight stood behind the sofa to peer over Granny Smith’s shoulder, as she opened the album.
“We’ve been hostin’ these shindigs at Sweet Apple Acres every 100 moons since we first planted roots here in Ponyville.”

“Hey, whoozat?” Apple Bloom pointed to a filly stirring something in a pot.

“Tha’d be yer great-great Auntie Applesauce when she was just about yor age,” Granny Smith explained, and pointed out how she looked currently, revealing Applesauce was as elderly as Granny Smith, if not a little more.
“Now she used t’ go by another name, but everypony started callin' her Applesauce after half her teeth fell out when she was makin’ applejam.”

She noted the boys’ disturbed looks and nodded, “Yeah, never did find them teeth in all those jars.”

“Note to self: Charm jars with wards against foreign contaminants,” Midnight muttered to himself.

“Hey Granny, is that you there?” Twinken asked, pointing to a photo of a young Granny Smith with her mother, Applesauce, and another filly they assumed was a cousin, the four of them sewing up a quilt.

“Sure is,” Granny Smith sighed in happy nostalgia. “Apple Fam’ly’s been workin’ on tha’ same ol’ quilt since our first reunion," and she regaled them with how her first time partaking in the tradition didn’t work out well.

Everypony laughed a little at Granny Smith’s expense, her snapping, “Well how was Ah s’posed t’ know y’had t’ actually knot the other end a’ th’ thread!”

Midnight heard Applejack mumble to herself before asking, “You’ve really been workin’ on th’ same quilt since th’ first reunion?”

“Surely have,” Granny Smith confirmed before adding with a smirk, “Ah don’ think wer’ ever gonna finish th’ doggone thing!”

The way she said it and the look on her face helped Midnight realize… finishing the quilt wasn’t the real aim, rather it was the time shared doing it with family, and it made him smile. Unbeknownst to him, the thought never crossed Applejack’s mind.

“Hey, what’s goin’ on here?” Apple Bloom asked, pointing to a photo of some pots and a couple Apples apparently making fritters.

“Well, y’know us Apples enjoy a good fritter,” Granny Smith pointed out and she told them a particular story about Applejack when she was just a toddler with a real love for apple fritters that she swiped some off the table and met her uncle Apple Bottoms for the first time.
“Tha’s how we figured out yer sister had th’ appetite of a full-grown stallion!”

“Ha! Nice diaper, AJ,” Midnight poked at her, but his light-teasing was lost on Applejack, who muttered something about extra ingredients.

“Now stick an apple in mah mouth an’ roast muh rump,” Granny Smith as her eyes fell upon another photo. “This one shor brings back mem’ries! Y’know how Babs is yer favorite cousin, Apple Bloom? Well, Apple Rose is mahn. Th’ two of us entered the 7-Legged Race ev’ry reunion.”

Then she pointed out a photo of her and Apple Rose, having apparently tripped but laughing if off.
“Ne’er won a single one o’ them races.”

Seeing the happy memories grace Granny Smith’s face made Midnight happier than he realized, and to himself he realized how blessed he and Twinken were to be included into this family. He was so lost in his grateful joy he didn’t notice Applejack muttering things, “Not much to a 7-Legged Race…”

“And a’course we cain’t f’get t’ take th’ big fam’ly photo!”

They all looked and saw the first photo was of Granny Smith as young filly with her parents, standing in front of the outlined structure of what would become the barn.
“We always snapped photo in front o’ th’barn, at th’ end o’ every reunion! Let’s us see how our family‘s grown.”

She wasn’t kidding – With each family photo, there were more and more Apples, smiling at the camera.

“That’s a really wonderful tradition, Granny Smith,” Midnight smiled.
“Y’sure have some great memories o’ these reunions, don’cha?” added Apple Bloom.

“Indeedy! An’ Ah’m lookin’ fo’ward t’ makin’ more at this one,” Granny Smith smiled eagerly, none of them noticing Applejack look out the window in wonder.
“Though Ah sure everypony is, and Ah do mean everypony! We got th’ whole fam’ly t’gether this time `round. Who knows if they’ll all be able t’ catch th’ next one?”

“I’m a little nervous about this reunion, Granny Smith,” Twinken brought up, Granny, AB, and Midnight looking at him in query.
“What if… nopony there likes me? Maybe I shouldn’t come…”

“Now don’choo fret, sonny,” Granny Smith pulled him into a warm hug. “Yer gonna meet a lotta good Apples, and they’re all gonna love you just as much as Ah do!”

“An’ Ah’m gonna make shor this is th’ most mem’rable reunion we’ve ever had!” swore a determined Applejack. “Better get started, lot’o plannin’ t’ do.”

For some reason, Midnight felt like whatever Applejack had in mind wasn’t gonna go the way she planned.
But do they ever in Ponyville? he thought to himself with a weary smile, and felt his heart warm at the sight of Granny Smith showing Twinken and Apple Bloom more memories.

Later that night, after everypony had gone to bed, Midnight stirred awake as he heard what sounded like a fidgety young colt tossing and turning in the bunk above him, and he yawned as he checked his clock.
“Twinken, it’s two in the morning, why aren’t you asleep?”

“I just can’t stop worrying, Big Brother,” Twinken answered as he climbed down to the floor and looked up at Midnight, and he saw how troubled his little brother was.
“I’m worried the Apples coming won’t accept us, because… Well, we’re not really Apples.”

“Twinken, you listen to me, young colt,” Midnight said in a playful stern voice. “There’s something very important you should know about family – What ties a family together isn’t the blood we share, but rather it’s the bonds! Blood may run thicker than water but it’s what we feel for each other that defines what family is. Are you saying because we’re not brothers by blood we’re not brothers at all?”

“Wha- Never! You’re my big brother!” Twinken instantly felt bad and said whatever he could to assure Midnight. “You chose to be my big brother at the Sibling Revelry, and even after it was over you never stopped! You kept coming to visit me at the orphanage, take me out to have fun, and when you showed me the document for my adoption I was happier than-”

He stopped when he noticed the playfully raised brow on Midnight’s face and it dawned on him.

“Exactly, Twinken,” Midnight said, putting a hoof on his little brother’s shoulder. “It’s what we feel for each other that makes us brothers, and being your big brother is something I’m proud of, and thankful for, each and every day.”

Twinken couldn’t help the tears, which Midnight gently wiped away as they smiled at each other.

“Big brother? Could I sleep with you tonight?”

“Get in here,” Midnight opened his covers and Twinken happily hopped in and made himself comfortable. As he settled, he felt Midnight kiss his forehead and heard him say, “Sweet dreams, little brother…” before he drifted away into the comforting bosom of the Princess of the Night.

Author's Note

I've been looking forward to this...!

114. Apple Family Reunion - Part 2 (Re-Edited)

“Wakey-wakey, eggs & hay-backy!!”

“Eyaugh” the rude awakening Twinken got was highly effective as he fell out of bed and saw Midnight looking down at him with a devious smile. “C’mon, little brother, lot’s to do!”

The whole family got to it – Applejack, Apple Bloom, Midnight, Big Macintosh, and Twinken apple-bucked left and right, gathering as many apples as they could get from the orchard.

To save time, Applejack and Midnight split the errands to run in town. Applejack got some fabric rolls from Rarity, Midnight got some honey from Pinkie Pie (and erected a barrier to protect himself from the complimentary glitter), Applejack set up rows of buckets for Rainbow Dash to fill up with rainwater on her request (and got her keister zapped by an errant lightning bolt), Big Mac chopped enough wood to last the winter, Twinken tried an ignition spell Midnight taught him to fire up the pots for fritter-making, and before long things came together.

The decorations were all set up, the pop-up canopies shielding some of the activities from the sun, and Midnight did the finishing touch hanging up a streamer.

“That about does it,” he declared proudly.

“An’ just in time too,” Granny Smith agreed as their ears picked up the sound of a fast-approaching stampede, and they looked towards the hill to see a dust cloud build up and from it galloped Apples galore, cheering, calling hellos, pulling wagons, just running alongside them, some even arrived by pedal-powered airship!

Granny Smith scanned the arrivals and the moment she saw her, she hurried up to welcome her cousin, “Apple Rose!”

The two old cousins hugged warmly, happy to see each other again, and everywhere everypony chatted up to catch up, to say hello, to show just how much everypony had missed everypony!

“Wow…! So many Apples,” Twinken shied to between his brother’s forelegs that Midnight stepped back and scooted his little brother, bumping his snoot to the colt’s rump.

“Go on, go say hello!” he encouraged. “Just be yourself, and you’ll be okay.”

Twinken looked up nervously at Midnight but found a little courage in the older unicorn’s smile. Even so, Twinken felt out of place, not just because of his horn but also his electric indigo coat and light blue mane. Everypony else had coats and manes in varying shades of reds, yellows, greens, oranges, pinks here and there, only a few were in the blue or purple areas of color. though there were a few unicorns and pegasi here and there, the vast majority of the Apple Family were indeed earth ponies.

Chuckling, Midnight looked around and soon found himself facing an all-too familiar invasive smile with big green eyes beneath a big cowboy hat.

“Hey there, Midnight, how ya doin’?” Braeburn was as bright and cheerful as ever that Midnight quickly accepted his hoof-bump.

“Hey Brae, how are things in…” Midnight reared up and hollered, “A-a-ppleloosa!”

Seeing the irony, Braeburn laughed it off, and replied, “Just dandy, an’ where’ve you been? Ain’t seen you since ya helped out with the buffalo troubles!”

“No hiccups since then, I hope,” Midnight inquired, piqued that Braeburn brought it up.

“Naw, Lil’ Strongheart and ol’ Chief Thunderhooves are mighty fine,” Braeburn assured him, “the buffalo and Appleloosans have gotten along smoother than butter on an’ apple pie!”

“That’s grand,” Midnight smiled in relief. “Well, talk to you later, AJ and I have-”

The sound of a feedback (which made no sense since it was a non-electric bullhorn) sounded and they heard Applejack, everypony gathering in front of the podium set up where Applejack stood, eagerly facing them all.
“Howdy y’all! An’ welcome to th’ Apple Fam’ly Reunion!”

Everypony cheered and whooped, and Applejack continued, “Mah name’s Applejack-”

*FLASH*

Midnight had teleported onto the podium with her, and took the bullhorn from her, announcing, “And I’m Midnight Blaze! And I’m sure you’ll all be happy to hear that yer all in for a real treat!”

Applejack grabbed the bullhorn from him back, giving him the stink eye but Midnight was giving it back, secretly rubbed the wrong way that she’d gotten started without him.
Don’t tell me she forgot Granny Smith gave us this job together…

“Wer’ gonna start off with an obstacle course fer th’ young’uns,” Applejack listed, “an’ some fritter-makin’ an’ quiltin’ for th’ not-so-young’uns.”

“But I can promise you that you can expect a whole lot more, everypony!” Midnight had conjured his own bullhorn so he wouldn’t have to fight with Applejack.
“Have a good time and again welcome to the Apple Family Reunion!”

“WHOO!
“Yee-haw!”
“Hurray!”

Among the crowd, Twinken kept trying to introduce himself but kept wimping out. He saw Apple Bloom had just run into Babs and was happy to see them together. But right as they appeared to start talking, Applejack appeared and insisted they go race with all the other foals.

Not in the mood, Twinken quickly made himself scarce.

At the moment, Braeburn had introduced Midnight to Aunt n’ Uncle Orange, their relatives from Manehatten and Babs’ parents.
“I must say, Midnight, you’re quite a surprise this turn around,” Mosely Orange said in a sophisticated accent.
“Absolutely," agreed his wife, Auntie Orange, "Don’t get me wrong, I love our in-laws, but it’s actually quite refreshing to see somepony from outside the family circle.”

“Well, Miss Orange,” Midnight said, not liking that subtle implication, “AJ, Mac, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom are truly everything Twinken could want in a family and more. Sure we’re not blood-related but it’s how much we love each other what matters.”

“Tha’s wuh Ah like t’ hear, cousin!” Braeburn said, holding up a mug of apple cider. “Tha’s exactly wha’ fam’ly’s all about!”

“I must say, I agree,” Mosely Orange nodded with a smile. “And might I say, Midnight, you and Applejack, along with Apple Bloom and those Cutie-Mark Crusaders had a real effect on our Babs.”

“Oh, our poor baby, broke my heart to see her come home crying from all those nasty little ponies who teased her for not having her cutie-mark yet,” Aunt Orange fussed before she brightened.
“But now she’s not letting those bullies get to her and even standing up for herself.”

“That’s good to hear,” Midnight smiled, glad Babs was doing better. “Where is she, by the way?”

“I’d venture a guess she’s spending time with Apple Bloom,” Mosely Orange suggested. “Talked about her all the time, kept saying she couldn’t wait to see her again.”

“Hey, Night, ain’t that Twink over there?” Braeburn pointed the little colt out, who was shyly being a wallflower, unsure of what to do.

“Hey Twinken!” Midnight waved him over. As Twinken approached, Midnight said, “Mr. & Mrs. Orange, this is my little brother Twinken, I guess you could call us your unofficial nephews.”

“Oh aren’t you just the most handsome little colt?” Aunt Orange cooed as she pinched Twinken’s cheek, making him blush in discomfort.
“Why aren’t you with all the other foals at the 7-Legged Race?”

“I… wanted to meet everypony but…” Twinken shyly avoided the older ponies’ eyes but perked when he felt his brother’s aura levitate him onto his back. He felt a little better, being more-or-less eye-level with the Oranges and said, “I’m just nervous about meeting so many Apples at once, I don’t know what to say.”

“Oh pshaw, son,” Mosely waved off, “this family is a great one and mine is glad to be a part of it.”

“If you don’t mind my asking, sir,” Midnight spoke up, “exactly how are you related to the Apply Family.”

“My sister Buttercup, was Applejack’s mother,” Aunt Orange explained, sighing in nostalgia. “Bless her heart. She was born, I suppose you could say, the oddball of our family. Due to... extenuating circumstances when we were all little, Buttercup and Applejack's father, Bright Macintosh, had the sweetest crushes on each other! But... at some point we moved away to Vanhoover and she was just never the same afterwards. That is... until Bright Mac showed up out of the blue, making a delivery in Vanhoover. As if fate had led them back to each other, the moment their eyes met they recognized each other immediately and the spark returned stronger than ever!"

“So then what happened after?" asked Midnight, deeply interested.

"Oh, I'm afraid it was rather bittersweet..." Aunt Orange sighed at the memories. "My sister defied our father and ran away with Bright Mac. They had a private ceremony, married, and... our father was so angry and felt betrayed he severed all ties with her. But my sister inspired me to follow my own heart and... It gave me the strength I needed to pursue my own love in Mosely."

"While I wish things had worked out better for my wife's family and the Apples," Mosely nuzzled his wife warmly, "I am grateful to Buttercup for inspiring her sister to find her own special somepony, even if her father didn't harbor as much animosity towards me."

“So then, you’re related to the Apples by your sister’s marriage,” Midnight ascertained.

“Yes, but even though we live very different lives, family is family,” Aunt Orange said sagely, “and although dear Applejack chose to remain here, I think she made the right choice. She’s so much like her mother that way.”

Midnight nodded, remembering how Applejack told him how she once went to live with her uncle and aunt when once upon a time she thought she wanted life in the big city until a certain rainbow inspired her to go back home where she belonged. And it was for that reason, she earned her cutie-mark.

“Well, I’m gonna walk around, see how everypony’s doing,” Midnight politely excused himself. “Twink, would you like to come along?”

“Actually… I wanna talk with my uncle and Auntie Orange,” Twinken said with a smile, much to the Orange’s joy.

“Okay, enjoy yourselves, everypony,” Midnight chuckled as he stepped into the festivities.

Author's Note

~~I enjoyed casting the Oranges in a kinder light, and I thought making Applejack's mother to be Mosely Orange's sister would work~~

In light of the long-awaited answers regarding Applejack, Big Mac, and Apple Bloom's parents, I went back to this arc and reworked it to fit better. This time, Aunt Orange and Pear Butter aka Buttercup were sisters rather than Uncle Orange being the brother of AJ's mother. While Pear Butter married into the Apple Family her sister (in this story-canon) married into the Orange Family

115. Apple Family Reunion - Part 3

As he walked through the celebration, Midnight said his hellos, welcomes, and how ya doin’s to everypony he passed by, and the more Apples he saw, the more happy he was to be counted among them. Deciding to check on the foals, he went over to the starting line of the 7-Legged Race and what he saw confused him.
“What in Celestia’s…?”

The colts n’ fillies were running around and around some nearby apple trees, including Apple Bloom and Babs, the two of them looking like they were attempting to converse while running. Unfortunately, running around in circles had the unwanted side-effect of rendering the runner dizzy, as Apple Bloom collapsed, to Midnight’s worry. He hurried over, seeing Babs help Apple Bloom up, and asked “Are you alright?”

“Ah’ll be fine… soon as th’ world stop’s spinnin’,” Apple Bloom said in a woozy state, Babs fanning her.

“What’s going on here, I thought you were all running a 7-Legged Race!” Midnight gestured the other foals to slow down before they too collapsed.

“Applejack set up more than a 7-Legged Race,” Babs explained and pointed to a distant flag atop a hill, which Midnight could barely see.
“She said that was the race marker we had to run to and back, then we run around these tress till we’re dizzy, and a whole bunch’ a other stuff! It’s nuts!”

“I see…” Midnight didn’t quite get it, why would Applejack over-complicate one of the reunion traditions?
“Listen, I’m gonna go talk to Applejack, you all… just take a breather.”

“No problem…” Apple Bloom groaned as her brother left, when she felt a disturbance in her innards that made her go ‘Hurk!’

Midnight didn’t have to search long for the next unusual going-on, since he heard long before he saw it. He was drawn to a very loud motor-like noise and found Granny Smith, and two old mares he recognized to be Auntie Applesauce and Granny Smith’s Cousin Apple Rose. The three of them were sewing the quilt with some sewing-machines that were louder than Big Macintosh after a soda-drinking contest.

“WHY ARE YOU USING THOSE SEWING MACHINES?!” he tired to yell over the noise.

“WHAT?!” Granny Smith replied to him.

“I SAID ‘WHY ARE YOU USING THOSE SEWING MACHINES’?!” Midnight repeated.

“BLOWN T’ SMITHEREENS?! WHAT WENT KABLOOIE?!”

“URGH!” Midnight’s horn flared and the sewing machines were levitated and deactivated, the parts and components coming apart and undone, floating above them, and he threw them into a nearby trashcan. Taking a deep breath, he faced the old mares and calmly asked, “I said… Why were you using those sewing machines?”

“Uh, Applejack got rid o’ our rockin’ chairs and gave us them confangled doohickies t’ do our quiltin’ with,” Granny Smith answered.

“Thank you so much for getting rid of those horrid things, Midnight,” Auntie Applesauce said a tad dramatically. “They were wreaking havoc on my dainty ears.”

“Applejack…” Midnight groaned as he facehooved. He then sighed and his horn flared as he conjured three rocking chairs for the old mares, and a nice sewing kit.
“Here you are, ladies, just what you need to do some nice quiet quilting, that won’t get in the way of your catching up.”

“Thank ya kindly, dear,” Apple Rose gave Midnight a nice hug, and he returned it, glad to have been of help.

“I’m gonna go give Applejack some input,” Midnight said as he left and grumbled to himself, “Or a piece of my mind, is what I’ll give her…”

Sighing in relief, Granny Smith and the other mares made themselves comfortable and passed around the needles and thread.
“Now, where were we, ladies?”

*DONK*

That was the sound of Midnight’s jaw dropping as his eyes fell upon the many – repeat – MANY apple fritters already made, and still plenty more on the way. He saw two mares he knew as Apple Dumpling and Apple Leaves working their hooves to the fetlocks as they rolled, folded, crimped, and slid to the left every new fritter to be fried.

He also noticed several Apples, including Big Mac, standing around, looking on hungrily to the fritters but for some reason not eating them.

“What’s going on here?” he flabbergasted, looking to Leaves and Dumpling.

“Appplejack…” Apple Leaves explained as she continued to roll, fold, crimp, and slide to the left.
“We were talking while working when she comes along and tells us to pick up the pace and cut the chitchat,” Apple Dumpling sighed.

“Alright, that’s it,” Midnight stated. “Take a break, everypony, and go ahead and enjoy the fritters. I am definitely gonna have a word with Jack!”

“Thanks,” Big Mac called to Midnight as he stormed off, but the big red stallion turned his hungry eyes to the fritters before him, and smacked his lips.

Midnight didn’t have to look hard for Applejack when he heard her announce, “Aw’right, Apples, break!”

Looking around, Midnight noticed a lot of Apples sighing in relief and not exactly looking like they were enjoying themselves.

From her vantage point, Applejack had the camera prepped.
“Whoo, can’t ferget t’ capture all these mem’ries for Granny’s album!”

But as she peered through the camera and scanned the reunion, Applejack noticed a particular lack of… zeal or excitement among the Apples. But she noticed the colts n’ fillies were just lying around, she was shocked to see Granny Smith, Applesauce, and Apple Rose didn’t have their sewing machines anymore and the quilt didn’t look much further along, and she saw a lot of ponies munching un-enthusiastically on fritters (except for Mac, who was gorging on them).

“Wha’ in th’…?! Nothin’ mem’rable’s goin’ on and if’n Ah didn’t know better, Ah’d say somepony’s been sabotaging all mah hard work!”

“If hard work, you mean over-complicating and besides the actual point of this reunion, then yes!”

She turned to see Midnight, giving her the stink eye, and asked, “Midnight?! Wha’ in th’-”

“Applejack! Granny Smith said we’d be in charge of this reunion,” Midnight reminded her. “We! You and me! But you went ahead and did things your own way!”

“Well, things might o' gone fine until somepony wrecked mah efforts! Know anything `bout that?!” Applejack and Midnight butted heads, glaring into each other’s eyes.
“Now Ah gotta do somethin’ quick t’ kick things up a notch!”

“You mean we’ll do something,” Midnight insisted with a very final tone.

“Fine! Whattya say we treat everypony to a hayride?” Applejack caved.

“…Sounds fine to me,” Midnight agreed, letting the steam go, as he walked away. “I’ll go tell everypony and invite whoever’s interested. I trust you can prepare the wagon without any over-the-top showponyship?”

Applejack stuck her tongue out at him and went to get the wagon.

“I’ll admit, a hayride actually sounds enjoyable at this point,” Auntie Orange sighed as she and her husband followed Midnight, accompanied by Braeburn and Twinken.

“Applejack seems to be taking this reunion a little too far, wouldn’t you agree, Braeburn?” Mosely inquired.

“Darn tootin’! AJ’s not exactly making this reunion all tha’ memorable,” Braeburn huffed. “More like miserable!”

“I’m sure she means well,” Twinken honestly agreed but he didn’t want to think bad of his big sister.

“Alright everypony! Step right up, take a seat, an’ leave th’ drivin’ t’ these stallions!”

Speak of the demon, there was Applejack standing next to the tailgate of a wagon, which was strapped to a couple stallions Applejack had wrangled into providing the hayride.

“Now Ah know y’all’ve been working real hard makin’ some awesome memories,” Applejack made sure everypony had taken their seat. “And in all o’ our past reunions, we always had a nice n’ relaxin’ hayride around the farm…”

Sounds like she’s starting to get it, Midnight settled in, looking forward to a comfortable ride. Only for an inexplicable sound of a record-scratching to alert him as Applejack added, “Which is why Ah decided t’ change things up a bit an’ try sumthin’ a wee bit more excitin’! So let’s get this show on th’ road!”

She pushed the tailgate into place, and bucked it as she yelled “Giddyap!”

The stallions brayed and took off, and everypony on board ‘whoa’d a little from the speed and held each other for stability. The wagon jolted after a wheel went over a rock, much to the foals’ discomfort while Auntie Applesauce’s false teeth flew from her mouth and nipped onto Big Mac’s nose.

“Sorry, honey, just had them professionally polished,” she apologized and accepted them back from an understanding Big Mac.

What is Applejack up to thistime?! Midnight tensed as he held onto the wagon’s side. He looked ahead and wondered aloud, “Where the hay did that girl just send us? It looks like the west orchard!”

Big Mac stepped up alongside him and shielded his eyes from the sun, and agreed, “Eeyup.”

“What?! Are ya jokin’ me?!” Granny Smith shrieked.
“What’s wrong with the west orchard?” asked Twinken.

“We haven’t tended those fields since all th’ trees got filled up with-” Granny Smith looked like she was ready to have a stroke as realization dawned on her.

“Filled up with what?!” Midnight asked insistently.

But his question was answered as something flew up from the trees in a literal rainbow of colors, something flapping leathery wings but brightly colored, and Midnight could see with a keen eye they looked like…

“Wowza! I’ve never seen real fruit bats before!” Babs cheered, everypony else making oohs and ahs.

But above, one by one, some of the fruit bats noticed something Auntie Applesauce was wearing, a sunhat decorated with wax apples. Except the rainbow rats with wings couldn’t tell the difference as they licked their lips and started to dive-bomb the ponies in the wagon, concentrating on Applesauce. Everypony gasped and yelled in fright, trying to shoo the bats away but the rodents persisted.

Unfortunately, the bats also got up in the stallions faces, throwing them off and sending them running blindly… towards the barn!

“Oh no!”
“We’re gonna crash!”
“Everypony jump!”

“No, everypony hold onto each other tight!” Midnight yelled, and once he was certain they did, he concentrated, his horn flaring!

*FLASH*

Everypony who’d been on the wagon plopped into a nearby haystack and all they could do was watch helplessly as the wagon (having been abandoned by the stallions) careened wildly into the barn.

*CRASH*

A big dusty hole in the side caused the barnhouse to become structurally unstable, and the whole thing came crashing down in a heap.

Everypony slowly approached the wreck solemnly, shocked by this turn of events, a few among them tearing up, but one pony wasn’t sad. He was furious!
“…Applejack!!!”

Midnight whirled and saw Applejack, looking ashamed and taken aback as all eyes fell on her and Midnight, who stormed up to her, giving her the mother of all stink eyes.
“Look at what you’ve done! The barnhouse, this entire reunion! All of it! Ruined… because you went about it all wrong!”

“Ah was just… Ah just wanted t’ make this the best Apple Family Reunion ever…” Applejack sobbed.

“Does this look like the best Apple Family Reunion?!” Midnight asked rhetorically as he held out his arm towards the wreck, a piece of debris falling as if emphasizing his point.

“Easy, sonny, easy!” Granny Smith tried to deflate the tension.

“Applejack, you’ve obviously forgotten what a family reunion is supposed to be about,” Midnight went on. “It’s not the games or the food, or some big show, it’s to spend time with family!”

“Well what would you know?!” Applejack couldn’t take it anymore as she sobbed angrily, “You’re not even a real Apple!!!”

116. Apple Family Reunion - Part 4

The moment those words left her mouth, Applejack would’ve given her cutie-mark itself to take them back, and the fact everypony around them gasped in shock only made it explicitly clear how bad it was. Midnight stood there, his mouth hanging, his eyes as wide as dinner plates… until they narrowed into contempt and glared reproachfully at the orange mare in front of him.

Without even dignifying those hurtful words with a response, Midnight turned around and began to walk away.

“M-Midnight! Wait! Ah-Ah din’t mean-” Applejack tried to run up to him but-

*FLASH*

Just like that he was gone, and Applejack stood there, feeling horrible, too afraid to look around and take in the looks all of her relatives were giving her. There were Apples who looked shocked, sad, disappointed, almost disgusted in fact.

But one sound earned Applejack’s attention. She looked and felt her heart break to see Twinken tearing up, his eyes heart-wrenching, as he began to sob and walk away, followed by a concerned Auntie Orange, and Applejack realized what her words meant to Twinken as well.

“Twinken, Ah-” Applejack tried to approach the little colt but Mosely Orange barred his niece.

“I think you’ve said enough.”

The look on her uncle’s face made Applejack feel like finding the deepest darkest pit in Equestria, digging it deeper, and then burying herself in it. The Apples began to clear out, and Applejack couldn’t take it anymore!

She turned around and ran, not caring where she went, and disappeared into the orchard. Granny Smith stood with Big Mac, and Apple Bloom. Babs excused herself to go see her parents, while Granny Smith sighed sadly.
“This reunion’s ended up sticker than a candy apple on a hot summer day…”

“Eeyup…” Big Mac walked away towards another part of the orchard while Apple Bloom sniffled.

“Does… this mean the reunion’s over, Granny?”

Granny Smith looked at her granddaughter and wiped away the tears as a sense of determination bloomed within her.
“Not by a longshot, sugarcube!”

Somehow Granny Smith knew exactly where to find her granddaughter, and there she was. Applejack was crying her heart out beneath an apple tree, one that held a very special place in her heart. It was the first apple tree she ever planted, with the help her parents. Granny Smith remembered the times Applejack would come to this tree, often to be alone or just to find some comfort and closeness with the folks that just weren’t there with them anymore. The many times the old mare had found her granddaughter here, and the many tears she’d wiped away, and the many talks they’d had, and each and every time, Applejack felt better or knew what to do once the talks were over.

“Applejack…?” Granny Smith asked softly.

“Oh Granny!” Applejack looked up at her grandmother, her face trailing tears and Granny Smith went up to hug her.
“Ah’m so, so sorry!”

“Oh, it’s alright, child,” Granny Smith soothed, rubbing the back of Applejack’s mane.

“No it ain’t… The barn, all mah plans for a perfect fam’ly reunion, an’ wha’ ah said t’ Midnight, how it hurt Twinken…!” Applejack sobbed.

“Oh Applejack, y’got us all so caught up in th’ doin’,” Granny Smith explained, “we haven’t had a second t’ enjoy th’ company of th’ folks we’ve been doin’ it with!”

“R-really?” Applejack wiped the tears as she looked at Granny Smith, who nodded. “Oh Granny Smith, ya gave th’ runnin’ o’ th’ reunion t’ me an’ Midnight, but Ah was so caught up in tryin’ sure everypony would create great mem’ries th’ only things anypony’s gonna remember about this reunion… is that it was th’ worst reunion we ever had, and Ah said th’ worst thing possible to another Apple…”

“There, there, child! There’s still time t’ turn all this around,” Granny Smith encouraged. “But this time, ya gotta do it with a certain somepony else instead o’ goin’ it alone.”

The meaning behind her grandmother’s words were clear.
“But Granny! …After wha’ Ah said?! He’s probably never gon’ wanna speak to me again…”

“Ya never know till ya try, sugarcube,” Granny Smith assured her, “an’ at th’ very least, ya still gotta tell `im yer sorry.”

Applejack looked at her grandmother smile and found just the courage she needed in those wise n’ gentle orange eyes.

There was only one place Applejack could think of to look for her brother, and she found him there once she peered through the window of his workshop. Never had she seen a stallion look so low. Midnight was slumped against his worktable, his muzzle resting on top of it, and he had evidently shed some tears, making Applejack feel all the more ashamed. But Granny Smith was right – At the very least, she had to apologize.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door and called, “Midnight? It’s me. Can Ah come in?”

…

“Midnight, please! Ah got sumthin’ Ah really need t’ say an’ Ah’d prefer t’ say it face-t’-face!” Applejack pled. When another minute passed, she started to get ornery.
“Now Midnight, Ah intend to say wha’ Ah gotta say an’ Ah ain’t got no problem buckin’ yer door down if’n tha’s wha’ it takes!”

The door was enveloped in a turquoise aura and opened, which Applejack took as a silent invitation. Walking inside, she saw Midnight still in the same position, baring his back to her. But she heard him mutter, “Wouldn’t have done you any good – That door’s got an unbreakable charm on it. I just spared you a broken leg.”

“…Midnight, Ah’m sorry,” Applejack said solemnly and as sincere as she could push into it. “Tha’ was a terrible thing t’ say an’ Ah’d give all th’ apples on our farm to take it back, but it’s been said. But tha’ don’t mean it’s true! Ah jus’ got so upset an’ ornery tha’ Ah wanted t’ have th’ last word. Only Ah didn’t like it when Ah got it… Wha’ Ah’m tryin’ t’ say is, you are an Apple, you and Twinken! Maybe not in blood, but most certainly in heart, and th’ two o’ ya have got some o’ th’ biggest hearts Ah ever did see, an’ Ah’m proud t’ call you both mah brothers, because Ah love ya both dearly.”

Midnight slowly turned to Applejack, his eyes welling up again with tears.

“Ah’m also sorry `bout how Ah went an’ messed things up. It was wrong o’ me t’ hoof it alone, which is why Ah wanna save this reunion with you. Whattya say… big brother?”

Seeing the hopeful and truly apologetic smile, Midnight couldn’t help but smile a little as well and held out his arms. Applejack took the invitation and hugged her brother tightly. When they let go, Midnight said, “I’m sorry too, AJ. I didn’t exactly handle the situation well either.”

“Aw, ferget it,” Applejack waved it off. “But Ah got no idea how wer’ gonna salvage this mess.”

“Well, we still have a chance to make it so everypony leaves here with some good memories,” Midnight assured her.
“You just gotta give them the chance to actually make `em.”

Applejack thought about it when she was struck with inspiration!
“The family photo!”

But then reality dampened her spark.
“Guess we cain’t take it in front o’ th’ barn this year… unless!”

Back at the farm, everypony was sad and just about getting ready to leave these bad memories behind them. They were preparing their wagons and such when…

“Everypony!”

They all looked to the podium where Applejack and Midnight stood in front of the megaphone.
“We got one more activity!”

“Applejack…!” Granny Smith said with a warning edge in her tone.
“Trust me, Granny Smith," Applejack promised, "This’ll be one we’ll remember for all th’ right reasons!”

Midnight flared his horn and three flashes brought three country musicians as Applejack tapped her hoof to get things started!

(Applejack)
Raise this barn, raise this barn, 1-2-3-4
Together we can raise this barn, 1-2-3-4

(Midnight Blaze)
Up-up-up go the beams
Hammer those joints, work in teams

(Applejack)
Turn emround quick by th’ right elbow
Grab a new partner, here we go

(Apple Family)
Yeah!

“C’mon, Apple Family!” Midnight cheered, “Let’s get to it! Yeah… HEE!”

(Midnight Blaze)
Raise this barn, raise this barn, 1-2-3-4
Together we can raise this barn, 1-2-3-4

Finish the frame, recycling wood
Workin’ hard, yer doin’ good
Turn emround quick by the right elbow,
Grab your partner, here we go!

(Apple Family)
Yeah!

(Applejack)
Hoo-whee!

Raise this barn, raise this barn, 1-2-3-4
Together we can raise this barn, 1-2-3-4

Slats of wood come off th’ ground
Hold em up an’ nailem down
Turn emround quick by th’ left elbow
Grab a new partner, here we go!

(Apple Family)
Yeah!

“C’mon, Apples! Get `er done!” Applejack encouraged, everypony waving as they started walling the frame.

(Twinken)
Look at us, we’re family!

(Braeburn)
Workin’ t’gether thankfully!

(Apple Bloom)
We Apples we are proud t’ say

(Twinken, Apple Bloom, and Braeburn)
Stick together the pony way!

(Midnight Blaze)
Bow to your partner, circle right
Get down if you’re scared of heights
Forward back and twirl around
This barn’s gonna be the best in town

(Apple Family)
Yeah!

“Yee-haw! Atta'girl!” Applejack cheered Apple Bloom, as she rode a bull and hauled in some more tools.

“Aw’right! Let’s get to it!”

(Apple Family)
Raise this barn, raise this barn, 1-2-3-4
Together we can raise this barn, 1-2-3-4

(Applejack)
Taker yer brushes, young n’ old!
(Midnight Blaze)
Future’s looking bright n’ bold!
(Applejack)
Turn emround quick by th’ left elbow!
(Applejack and Midnight Blaze)
Grab a new partner, here we go!

The violist brought the music to a gentle pace, and the Apple Family gazed up proudly at the result of their teamwork – A new Barnhouse, red as a bright n’ shiny fresh apple, glimmering with a nice glossy coat of paint, standing tall and proud like a crown jewel!

(Apple Family)
We raised this barn, we raised this barn
Yes we did
Together we sure raised this barn
We sure did

Being together counts the most
We all came here from coast to coast
All we need to strive to be….
Is part of the Apple Family…!

Yeah!

*Snap*

It was a wonderful family photo, and although it normally marked the end of the Apple Family Reunion, nopony was quite ready to go home just yet. So the Apple Family threw together a feast, made up of all their best recipes!

And this time, everypony got to talk and spend time together. Stories were told, jokes laughed at, Braeburn challenged Midnight to a hoof-wrassling, and got his apple-marked plot hooved to him, it was exactly what the Apple Family Reunion was supposed to be – A coming together to catch up, rekindle old bonds, and just feel the love.

It just made what came next unforeseeable as Big Macintosh cleared his throat and called, “Can Ah have everypony’s attention? Got sumthin’ t’ say here!”

All eyes fell on the big red pony, and he announced, “Now, y’all know tha’ normally, Ah’m a stallion o’ few words. But now’s come th’ time Ah got an important announcement, but before Ah get into, Ah’d just like t’ say, thanks t’ mah little brother and sister fer throwin’ t’gether a reunion Ah doubt any of us will ferget anytime soon.”

Applejack and Midnight smiled as some members expressed their own thanks and Mac went on.

“Maybe it din’t get off to a good start, an’ it looked bad… but it was rememberin’ wha’ family’s really about tha’ helped these two pick up th’ pieces and forge something wonderful outta all this. Which leads muh to mah little announcement.”

Big Mac looked up to the top of the barn waved downwards.

To Applejack and Midnight’s surprise, Fluttershy appeared and slowly came down, joining them all at the table, looking like her usual shy self. But her coltfriend’s presence helped her maintain her nerve as she shyly waved to everypony.

“Apple Family, Ah’d like t’ introduce mah special somepony, Fluttershy,” Big Mac declared.
“Hello, everypony…” Fluttershy said softly while giving a small wave of her wing.

The Apple Family welcomed her nicely and Big Mac went on.
“There’s sumthin’ Ah gotta share with y’all before I reveal mah li’ surprise – How muh `Shy here helped me earn mah cutie-mark.”

Everypony paid close attention as Mac started.
“Back when Ah was a colt, Ah was still learnin’ from muh pa bout farmin’. Only at th’ time, Ah had a bad habit o’ not seein’ things through. One day however, I happened upon a little grove where I saw th’ prettiest lil’ pegasus filly singin’ to cute lil’ critters, and Ah found mah heart flutterin’ like them butterfliesround her. Ah wanted t’ say hi but t’ muh shame, Ah turned tail n’ ran.

"Ah couldn’t stop thinkin’ o’ tha’ filly for over a week, but then I met somepony. Ah never got his name or saw his face but he told me that t’ get th’ things Ah wanted in life, wishin’ for it wasn’t gonna get em fer me. Ah had t’ devote mahself an’ meet mah goals halfway through hard work. So finally, Ah found th’ nerve t’ go up t’ that filly and say hi. And when she said hi back, she had a smile on her face tha’ made it all worthwhile an’ Ah understood what that strange pony taught me. You have to meet your goals halfway through hard work and devotin’ yerselves toem, and so long as ya stay true to `em, they’ll meet ya the rest o’ the way. Tha’s what mah cutie-mark represents, and tha’s how Ah met Fluttershy.”

Some of the ponies cheered while some of the mares swooned.

“Which leads me to this,” Big Mac knelt down in front of Fluttershy and everypony gasped! “Fluttershy, Ah knew from the moment Ah laid eyes on you that you would be somepony special t’ me, and Ah was certain of it when we finally met fer real! But then mah folks were gone an’ Ah had to devote mahself to muh family. But these past months with you have been th’ happiest Ah’ve had in a long time, and Ah want it t’ be forever.”

Everypony, Fluttershy most of all, gasped as Big Mac held up a tiny velvet box and opened it, to reveal a pink diamond shaped like a butterfly!
“Fluttershy… will ya marry me?”

Fluttershy was overwhelmed with emotion, happiness, shock, surprise, and she looked around at everypony, seeing a lot of them smile and nod encouragingly. Then she saw Midnight and the way he smiled at her helped her find the answer, and she smiled at this big red earth pony she loved so much.
“Yes!”

“YEE-HAW!!”
“HURRAY!”
“CONGRATULATIONS!!!”

And with that, the Apple Family Reunion extended into an impromptu engagement party! Everypony wanted to shake Big Mac’s hoof and meet Fluttershy, expressing their congratulations, well wishes, but Midnight couldn’t resist throwing them a tease that Pinkie Pie was gonna throw a fit for not being the one to throw their engagement party.

Big Mac just chuckled and had a dance with his new fiancée.

But soon, it really was time for everypony to go. A lot of them had quite a journey back to their own homes, a lot of hugs n’ kisses n’ hoofshakes n' friendly punches to the shoulders were traded to the point where it seemed almost nopony was gonna leave. But as the inhabitants of Sweet Apple Acres watched their relatives leave, the bittersweet moment signaled the end of the Apple Family Reunion.

Despite a few hiccups, this one had been a reunion nopony would ever forget.

That night, Granny Smith, Twinken, and Apple Bloom added the new memories to the photo album. Big Mac had gone out to be with his fiancée, Midnight had volunteered to clean up the mess, and Applejack decided to write a friendship report to the princess.

‘Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned not one but two great lessons about family, which if you think about it, is really the first group of friends you ever make. Turns out that when you’re with folks you care about, you don’t have to do much to make that time memorable. Even the simplest of activities can take on a whole lot of meaning, and you’ll find that you remember the who long after you’ve forgotten the what.

I also learned that family isn’t just the folks you’re related to by blood. It’s the bonds that what truly brings family together, whether they’re related or not. I learned this lesson the hard way but I’m glad I learned it at all, considering what it almost cost me. So long as you treasure those you care for, and trust in them as they do you, you’ll find you have a bigger family than you realize.

Your humble subject,
Applejack’

Watching the barn house from afar, the Hooded Pony stood atop a ledge and noticed two shooting stars. He was certain if they were here, they’d tell him to make a wish. But as he looked into the locket and saw the mare and stallion and colt and baby foal in it, he shed a tear as he knew exactly what he would wish he could have right now.

117. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Opening

Ever since the Apple Family Reunion, the newly-engaged had spent a lot of time together. Big Mac would use every moment of free time to be with his `Shy, there had even been times Midnight would voluntarily take some of Mac’s chores so he’d have more to spend with his mare. They went on walks, had picnics, took care of Fluttershy’s animals together (she was so impressed with how well he got on with the critters she cared for), and there were multiple occasions where their friends would find the two lovebirds cuddling.

Rainbow Dash was a little awkward with all the ‘sappy stuff’, as she put it but she was happy for her foalhood friend that she’d found the pony she wanted to spend her life with (although she did take a private moment to threaten Big Mac with gelding if he ever dared to break Fluttershy’s heart).

Rarity had another of her fainting couch moments when she heard and it took a fair amount of calming her down in order to remind they hadn’t chosen the day to hold the wedding yet, but they had promised Rarity she could design the wedding dress.

Pinkie Pie, as Midnight had predicted, was miffed when she heard they’d already had an engagement party, spur-of-the-moment as it was, at the reunion but they promised she could host the recession.

Twilight, Midnight, Applejack, Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Soarin had all expressed their congratulations, and promised to do whatever they could to make the wedding just what the couple wanted.

However, at the moment, deep beneath Canterlot Castle, in the very crystal caves where Twilight had once rescued Princess Cadance, the Hooded Pony was preparing his next act of mischief. Or rather, another’s act.

He stood before a mold-out of sorts, with the water he’d taken from the Mirror Pool and a small bag levitating in his aura.

Behind him, Celestia watched with mixed-feelings about what they were doing.
“I am still unsure of this… I certainly see the benefits, but it-”

“I will remind you again that in order for the future to unfold as I have seen it,” the Hood Pony said, his patience wearing thin in his tone, “Discord’s presence is necessary! You already agreed, so enough doubting and more helping!”

Celestia frowned at the snappy tone of her nephew but sighed, as she stepped up beside him, put off by the hooded cloak he always wore.
“Must you wear that here? It’s just us.”

“If this procedure succeeds, it will be us, as well as Discord,” he reminded her. “And I would prefer the less he knows of me the better.”

The Hooded Pony took the bag in his aura and poured its contents into the mold, revealing it to be dust. The very same dust Discord had been reduced to after Midnight destroyed his petrified body. Collecting the remains (for lack of a better term) had not been easy, and neither ponies were certain the amount would be enough for the restoration, but it would have to be. All they could do was pray this would work.

“Ah, the dusty remains of the infamous Discord,” the Hooded Pony sneered at the dust, as he levitated the Mirror Pool water in its crystal container.
“Not so high n’ mighty now, are you? Were it up to me, I would spread your miserable molecules into the nearest active volcano, or maybe even a cesspool-”

“Ahem!” Celestia gave him the stink eye, making him sigh in frustration.

“But… the role you must play is far too important,” the Hooded Pony growled.

He poured the water into the mold with the dust, and nodded to Celestia. Her horn flared with radiance and cast the restoration spell!

They watched as the substance within the mold spread until it filled every nook and cranny, and the spell drew power from the crystals around them, their innate properties serving to amplify the restoration spell.

The two ponies watched as the substance glowed brighter and brighter until it radiated so intense that the Hooded Pony pulled down his hood and Celestia raised her wing to block it.

They felt the power of the spell give form and solidify, they could hear a crackling sound, as though gravel were being ground together. And they sensed it!

The spark of life, dampened but it was there.

They slowly looked and beheld the result of their work, and the Hooded Pony smirked in satisfaction.
“Let’s get started…”

Author's Note

Just so you know... There wasn't enough of Discord's dust. What does that mean? Read the next chapter and you'll find out...

118. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Part 1

The next day, everypony (but the engaged) had turned up in a meadow just outside Ponyville. Twilight and Midnight had gotten a message via dragonfyre from Princess Celestia, that she was bringing an important guest, and asked they meet her at this spot.

“I love it when Princess Celestia comes to Ponyville!” Pinkie Pie held out her hoof, saying, “I got my hooves shined just for the occasion, just like Rarity! You like?”

Seeing her pretty self in Pinkie’s perfectly polished hoof, Rarity smiled, “I most certainly do!”

“If you’re looking for any flaws, dear,” Blueblood teased her, “there are none.”

“Oh…!” Rarity swooned and nuzzled her stallion lovingly.

“Say Twilight, isn’t the princess running kinda late?” Thunderlane asked as he did some wing-ups to pass the time.

“You’re right, Thunderlane, I’m as surprised as you are,” Twilight looked towards Canterlot. “It’s not like her to be late.”

“I wonder what’s taking so long,” Spike agreed.

“And where are Applejack, Big Macintosh, and Fluttershy?” Twilight brought up.

“The latter two? Where do ya think?” Midnight chuckled. “Every moment of free time they have they spend with each other. As for AJ, I think she was taking care of something at the orchard.”

“But I still don’t get why the Princess would be so late,” Spike admonished, holding his hands together nervously.

“Remember, Spike? The message said she’s bringing along an important visitor,” Midnight reminded the little dragon.

“A visitor who’s important and slow!” griped Rainbow Dash impatiently.

“Relax, Dashie, if this visitor of hers is so important,” Soarin assured, “I bet the Princess is just trying to make sure they’re comfortable.”

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Spike saw reason to be worried, as he gasped!
“Maybe the visitor has a deer antler, a goat leg, a bat wing, and a snake tail!”

“Are you talking about Discord?” Midnight chuckled incredulously.
“Why in the wide-wide world of Equestria would Princess Celestia bring along someone like that?” agreed Rarity.

Blueblood followed Spike’s pointing claw and gulped, “You might want to ask her yourself…!”

Down came the Royal Guard-drawn Royal carriage, with Princess Celestia astride. Then pulling up alongside her was a Royal Guard-drawn chariot… holding the petrified Discord!!!

Everypony gasped as Princess Celestia dismounted her carriage and warmly greeted them, “Hello my little ponies. Dear nephew, I trust things are well?”

“Uh… well enough, dearest aunt,” Blueblood gulped as he took in the sight of the mishmashed menace. Although he’d never seen Discord personally when the trickster had freed himself, he still recalled the stories and the worry his aunt had showed when it happened.

“Princess Celestia, with all due respect,” Midnight said in a respectful tone as he walked up to her and cleared his throat, “HOW COULD YOU BRING DISCORD HERE?!?!?!?”

He got tail-yanked back by Twilight’s aura as she meekly said, “Your Majesty.”

“I’m fully aware that the last time Discord was here, he created serious havoc,” Celestia said understandingly as a couple guards unloaded the shaley charlatan.

“If by ‘serious havoc’ you mean turning Ponyville into the chaos capital of the world!” bit Rainbow.
“Don’t forget how he turned everypony crazy!” added Thunderlane, still sore over what happened.
“And making yummy chocolate milk rain all over the place without a single dollop of whipped cream to go with it anywhere in sight!” Pinkie butted in, totally missing the point, as she does.
“Not a single dollop!!”

“Yes, I understand your feelings, everypony,” Celestia said with a nod. “But I have use for Discord’s magic if it can be reformed to serve good instead of evil, which is why I brought Discord here. I believe that you are all the ponies who can help him do just that.”

“This will never work, this is a disaster!” Spike was already panicking and assuming the worst. “How will we ever control him? We’re doomed!”

“Need I remind you that you are the ponies who rendered him powerless and then reverted him to his stony state?” Celestia said with a playful rise of her tone.

“I suppose we can always use the Elements of Harmony against him again if he gets out of hoof,” Twilight and Midnight shared the same look.
“And Mac and Thunder and I can always use our containment barrier to nullify his powers,” shrugged Midnight.

“We… probably need a volunteer to run away from here right away to get them, I’ll do it!” chuckled a nervous Spike as he prepared to make tracks.

“No need, Spike, I have them here,” Celestia gestured to some Guards who lowered a chest, Celestia opening it to reveal the Elements of Harmony.
“And I’ve cast a spell on them to insure Discord can’t take them again, like he did last time. Which reminds me…”

She fired a gentle beam of light that forked towards Blueblood and Soarin, making them flinch a moment before they felt a sense of security.
“Blueblood and Soarin, neither of you have an Element of Harmony nor are either of you counted among their guardians. Therefore the same spell that will prevent Discord from so much as touching the elements will also protect the two of you.”

“Um, thank you, Auntie,” Blueblood bowed, gesturing impatiently at Soarin to do the same.

“Now where is Fluttershy?” Celestia brought up, noticing the yellow pegasus was not present. “I believe she may be best qualified to oversee Discord’s reformation.”

“Fluttershy?! Really?” Rainbow Dash gaped at the princess

At that moment however, Fluttershy was previously engaged with a problem Applejack had insisted only she could help with that the orange farmer had interrupted another of her brother and his fiancée’s makeout sessions.

Big Mac watched as his sister and his mare were apparently speaking with a beaver that had chosen an inconvenient place to build its dam, a shallow river, where it was flooding up the immediate vicinity and waterlogging all the nearby apple trees.

He wasn’t really paying attention – Just watching with a little amusement at seeing his sister disgruntling the beaver and Fluttershy trying to be the mediator. The look on their faces however meant the debate was swinging in applejack’;s favor until he heard Applejack snap, “Apologize?! He’s lucky Ah din’t call `im a varmint!”

Big Mac chuckled a little guiltily as Fluttershy got between the two ornery parties and gasped at the beaver’s chattering,.
“Mr. Beaverton Beaverteeth! Such language!”

She then threw reproachfully expectant look at Applejack who conceded, “Fine, fine… Ah apologize.”

Beaverton Beaverteeth wasn’t so mature in accepting it, considering the raspberry he blew at Applejack, but he kept his end of the bargain, pulling out the lynchpin of the dam, and the building water pressure sent it washing away.
“Thanks, Fluttershy, sorry Ah cut int’ you and Mac’s quality time.”

“Glad to be of help,” Fluttershy assured her, Big Mac coming up and smiling at her proudly.

But before the happy couple could take their leave-
“Hey slackers!”

They all jolted to see Rainbow Dash zoom out of nowhere, “Double-time it on over to Ponyville, would ya?! We’re all waiting on you!”

And before they could ask her for an explanation, she was already gone in a rainbow-colored ‘kapwing’!

Soon enough, Applejack, Big Mac, and Fluttershy joined everypony and were given the gist of what was going on. But what the princess had in mind got one reaction from Fluttershy.
“You want me to what?!”

“I realize that this is a tall order,” Princess Celestia said in understanding, “but I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t confident you could convince him to use magic obediently of his own free will.”

“You really think I’ll know best on how to do that?” Fluttershy wasn’t so sure until Celestia lifted her face to look her in the eye and smile like an encouraging mother.

“I do.”

Somehow, it worked, and Fluttershy felt even more confident when her beau stood next to her in support.

“Now I must return to Canterlot for Equestria’s royal summit,” Celestia excused herself, alighting onto her carriage. “You may release Discord when ready.”

“Wait, Princess!”

Celestia held her hoof to her guards and looked to see Midnight approach with a question.
“How is… Sombra doing?”

Celestia smiled and said, “He is doing well, and now that I think about it, Midnight, he looks forward to giving you his thanks in person. I have faith in you all, my little ponies!”

The Royal Guard took flight, taking their princess with them, everypony watching until she was just barely out of sight. Twilight sighed until she felt a hoof on her shoulder and smiled to see it was Midnight, looking as supportive as ever.

“Okay ponies, guess it’s time to get started,” Twilight levitated the chest holding the elements, “time to see if this releasing spell works.”

“Or let’s not!” Spike suggested fearfully as he hid behind Twilight’s tail.

Midnight levitated each element to its owner, “I suggest until this whole thing is over with, we each keep our Element with us at all times.”

“Check!” they all agreed.

“Big Mac, Thunderlane, take formation! Let’s not take any chances,” instructed Midnight as he put on his helmet and took his position, as did Big Mac and Thunderlane, the three of them standing at the points of their triangle-formation, with Discord in the center.
“Ladies? We’re ready.”

“Alright, girls, let’s do this!” Twilight stood behind Midnight, with Applejack on her right, Fluttershy her left, Rarity next to AJ, Dash next to Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie between them, setting her on the opposite side of Discord to Twilight.

Twilight and Midnight concentrated, a magenta and turquoise light flaring from their Elements, and the rest emitted outlined energies shaped like the cutie-mark of the element’s bearer, who in turn levitated as the spell began it work.

Blueblood, Soarin, and Spike watched in awe ribbons of rainbow energy bridged between each bearer until they connected to Midnight and they extended to Twilight behind him, the rainbow beams swirling around them both to meet the jewels on their elements, invoking the spell in a brilliant iridescent flash of light!

As the light fell upon Discord, they could all hear the crackling of stone and rock until…

*K-KRACK/PHOOM*

Everypony was blown back a little and as the dust settled, they heard the voice of their ‘guest’, which sounded oddly different.
“Ooh! That is gonna leave such a crick in my neck, ow!”

Everypony gaped at the dusty cloud as it settled to reveal… Discord?!

It looked like the draconequus except for some obvious differences. Discord now how a long flowing and oddly stylish mane of cloud-white, some rather long eyelashes, his goat-like beard was gone, he looked to have a little more 'junk in the trunk', in fact if the ponies didn’t know any better they’d think that he was now more of a…

“Hmph! It’s about time somepony got me outta tha’ joint,” ‘Discord' said with a snippy voice while doing some stretches, and apparently directing the not-exactly-gratitude towards Twilight and Midnight.
“It’s not exactly polite t’ keep a lady waitin’, honey!”

Author's Note

I think somewhere along the line, the Hooded Pony missed one of Discord's chromosomes

119. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Part 2

Eyes popped and jaws dropped as the ponies took this in and for an awkward moment, no one said anything, “Discord” ignoring them as “she” got rid of the cricks in “her” joints. Finally, Midnight broke the ice.
“Uh… Discord?”

“Oh, honey, ‘Discord’? That name is so old it’s ancient!” scoffed the female draconequus. “I need somethin’ happenin’, somethin’ now. So if you please, child, call me... Eris.”

Everypony exchanged confused and weirded-out looks… until they heard Eris say, “Umph!”

*Snap*

A flash of light drew everypony’s attention and they gasped to see a squirrel that looked like it had followed Bulk Bicep’s training program as it tore off a branch and started chewing on it with fangs rather than buckteeth.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” demanded Twilight.

“What? Girl’s gotta stay loose, don’t she?” Eris shrugged as she carried on. “`Specially when a lovely harlot o’ havoc such as myself went through such a poor taste in fashion as a stone bodysuit.”

*Snap*

Another flash of light, and everypony flinched as a mutated rabbit roared at them.

“Make that bunny cute again, now!” Pinkie snapped.

“What are you talkin’ about, girl?” Eris giggled as she reached over and tickled the enlarged leporid’s chin. “This is cute!”

The abominable bunny snapped at Eris’ lioness paw, which she managed to yank back in the nick of time, prompting her to snub the rodent before returning her attention to the ponies present.
“And y’know what else is cute? You ponies thinkin’ y’all can snap the sass outta me.”

Then Eris looked at Fluttershy rather invasively through a magnifying glass, “And the punchline of that little joke that y’all believe this little sweetie is the pony for the job.”

*Flash*

Eris was wearing an outfit that made her look like a kindly grandma, “Ohh! Makes me wanna pinch those sweet lil’ horsy cheeks!”

“How’d you know about that?!” demanded Midnight.

“I was stone, not deaf, child,” snubbed Eris (now suddenly in the buff). “I heard every word sweet Celly said, it made me wanna roll my eyes, not that I could.”

She punctuated the statement by taking her eyes out of their sockets, much to everypony’s discomfort, and letting them roll along the ground, into some holes (that weren’t there before), and Eris suddenly appeared as part of the ground and stood up.

“Well unless you want us to turn you back into stone,” Twilight threatened, “you’ll turn those animals back to normal pronto!”

“Mmm, and disappoint your precious princess?” Eris mocked, waving her finger with `tude. “Uh-huh, that’s gonna happen…”

“You’d better believe it, Unfair-is!” Dash punned so terribly Pinkie, Midnight, and Soarin all facehooved.

“You think you can treat poor defenseless animals like that and get away with it?!” Fluttershy snapped, displaying the uncharacteristic anger everypony saw only whenever something small, cute, and fuzzy was involved.

“You go, Fluttershy!” cheered Rainbow.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac smiled in pride of his mare.

“You’d best watch your step, sister, or I’ll give you… the Stare…!” Fluttershy threatened while giving Eris a concentrated stink eye that was the precursor to the infamous Stare.

“Ooh, the Stare?! Sweet mama flapjacks!” Eris went drama-queen. “Anything but your condemnin’ peepers!”

Eris swirled around in mid-air, laughing, “I’m outrageous!”

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes… and then let her have it!

“Ooh! No… stop it!” Eris whined the moment it started, trying to block but Fluttershy kept advancing on the devious diva, maintaining the legendary Stare.
“Please! I-I beg you!”

In fact, it looked like Eris’ eyes were becoming hypnotized, “Stop! I-I can’t take it anymore! I’ll do whatever ya say, because…”

Eris keeled over in more gut-bursting laughter, the whole thing having an act, before she put her lioness paw on Fluttershy’s cheek, saying, “I am lovin’ them aquamarines, sugar! Ooh, I’m outrageous!”

“If you force our hooves, Eris,” Midnight spoke up threateningly, “that we do turn you back to stone, I’m certain the princess will understand our reason for doing do…”

“Hmph! Fine, have it your way,” Eris huffed with sass before snapping her talons.

Her magic on the squirrel and rabbit was dispelled, reverting them to their cute tiny selves. But far away, in some nearby apple trees at the very edge of the Sweet Apple Acres orchard, some beavers’ eyes started glowing angry red, and they chattered angrily as they dispersed to cause some mischief.

“Oopsy…!” Eris whispered conspiratorially to the reader. Then aloud to everypony present, “Alright, y’all, I think we all know where I’m gonna be crashin’ while I’m getting’” – She did that quotation gesture with her fingers – “‘reformed’.”

She flashed behind Fluttershy, hugging the yellow pegasus around the shoulders, “With this lil’ warm dab o’ butter right here.”

Big Mac narrowed his eyes at Eris, not liking this at all, Fluttershy of the same mind as she muttered, “Oh dear!”

They all relocated to Fluttershy’s cottage, where she straightened a few things up.
“She might be… rotten, but that doesn’t mean we have to act the same way. I mean, we should at least try to be hospitable.”

After setting her books away and putting a nice vase of flowers on the end table, she noticed something and whispered to Angel bunny, “You don’t mind giving up your favorite spot on the couch, do you Angel bunny?”

Angel jolted to see Eris lounging about on the sofa, leaving absolutely no room, and he zipped over, pulling on her dragonish foot, trying to get her off. Eris simply pulled her foot out of his little paws that he sulked away.

“Oh I’m sorry about Angel,” Fluttershy apologized, “are you alright?”

“Oh you ain’t nothin’ to say sorry about, girl,” Eris waved it off, “though you are such a sweetheart for being concerned… Not like your pony friends, however!”

“Don’t listen to her, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash spoke up, having been standing with everypony else by the door. “She’s just trying to drive a wedge between us like last time!”

“Dashie! I am shocked… Why, I repeat myself, why would I ever do something so dastardly it makes even my skin crawl?” Eris asked innocently and the ponies grimaced at the scales on Eris’ tail shivering in response to her words, looking like worms were squirming right underneath them.

“So we can’t unite and use the Elements of Harmony against you, that’s why!” Rainbow Dash sniped.

“Oh my, the thought never cross my mind!” Eris said in faux-realization.

“You big liar!” Dash snubbed as she rejoined the others.

“Who’s a liar?” Eris squeaked, having shrunk herself to Angel’s size. “I think it is as plain to see as a nice 2 by 4 that I ain’t big at all.”

Angel tried to hop onto the couch, only for Eris to revert to her usual size and push him off unceremoniously. Although the scuffle caused Eris to bump the end table and knock Fluttershy’s lamp over and break.
“Oop! Sorry honey, let ol’ Auntie Eris make it all better.”

She waved her paw, the pieces of the lamp floating up in a swirl over the end table, and come together… into a haphazard statuette of Eris, holding the light bulb.

“Mm-hmm! Now that’s art,” Eris patted herself on the back and whipped Angel off the couch again, using her tail.

“Is she kidding?” Rarity whispered to Pinkie Pie.
“I dunno, I think it looks silly in a funny way!” Pinkie whispered back.

“Ah cain’t watch,” Applejack lowered her hat as she led the others out.
“We’ll be outside,” said Rainbow with a huff.

Twilight, Midnight, and Big Mac remained, Twilight asking, “You sure you’re okay with this?”

“I know this won’t be easy,” Fluttershy admitted, “but Princess Celestia is counting on me! …And I think I actually know what to do.”

“You do?” Twilight said in disbelief, that Midnight elbowed her.

“I think the key is to befriend her,” Fluttershy stated, ignorant of the scuffle between Eris and Angel behind her although Big Mac and Midnight were secretly rooting for the demon rabbit.
“Being kind to her and treating her as my houseguest is probably the best way to go about that.”

“Well, if you think it will work, Fluttershy, then we have faith in you, right guys?” Midnight gave Twilight the stink eye, as did Big Mac as he agreed, “Eeyup…”

“I… guess it’s worth a try,” Twilight caved before telling Fluttershy, “But if you need us, all you have to do is whisper ‘help’ and we’ll be here right away with our Elements.”

Then she pointed her hoof at Eris, saying, “So watch that goat-legged step of yours, missy!”
"That's right!" added Midnight with a stern look.

Eris was teasing Angel and flinched at Twilight’s words before she flashed up some nice chairs, tea, and herself into a formal dress one might wear to a very fancy dinner party.
“What?! Just lookit me, child! I’m practically reformed already.”

“Well don’t forget this, Eris,” Midnight warned, “Big Mac, Thunder, and I don’t need the Elements of Harmony to render you powerless!”

“If ya need me, Ah’ll come runnin’,” Big Mac said with a supportive look to his mare and she gave him a grateful kiss. “Come on, y’all.”

Big Mac led the two unicorns out of the cottage, closing the door behind them.

“She’s really alright with that… with Eris staying with her?” Blueblood asked incredulously.

“We don’t like it either, Blueblood,” Midnight stated, “But Princess Celestia has faith that Fluttershy can do this, and since she’s feeling up to the task I think it’s fair we give her a chance!”

“I still say we oughta have a back-up plan,” Rainbow Dash insisted, “in case this whole ‘befriending business’ goes south.”

“Rainbow Dash is right,” Rarity agreed. “This is Dis- Er, I mean, Eris, we’re talking about, fillies & gentlecolts. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have another trick up our sleeves.”

“…And I think I know just the trick,” Twilight said as an idea dawned in her mind.

“Hey Twi, are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” asked Midnight with a smirk.

“Come on, Midnight, let’s get to the library!” Twilight levitated Spike onto her back and held Midnight, his horn flaring.

*Flash*

“What do you think they’re gonna do?” Thunderlane asked everypony.

“Whatever it is, I’m certain it will ensure this Eris can be held in check” Blueblood suggested.

“Eeyup.” agreed Mac.

Inside the cottage however, Fluttershy peered into the living room, “Eris? Oh there you are.”

Eris was still on the couch and appeared to be eating something.
“Listen, Eris, if there’s anything I can do to-”

She then noticed what Eris was stuffing her face with.
“Are you eating… paper?”

“Oh don’t mind me, child,” Eris waved it off as she took another forkful, “just getting started on a high-fiber diet."

“Well… I’m just heading out, so make yourself at home while I’m gone,” Fluttershy invited as she exited the cottage.

Eris stood at the threshold, wearing a pink comfort robe and fuzzy slippers, a cup of tea on hand, “Bye-bye, take all the time you need, girl! Everything is a-ok here!”

Once Fluttershy disappeared beyond the trees, Eris narrowed her eyes as she closed the door. And locked it.
“You like carrots, Angel…?”

Angel shrieked in terror as Eris gave him a very devious sneer as she snapped her fingers, conjuring a bunch of carrots to tall onto the bunny, "I'm pulling the wool over your owner's eyes!"

Angel pulled himself free of the pile of carrots and picked one up, only for it to grow Eris's face, "How do you like them carrots?!"

Angel squealed in fright to see his favorite treat twisted into something abominable.

Over at the library, Twilight was going through a spellbook.
“That’s weird, the spell I had in mind isn’t in here.”

“That can’t be!” Midnight was pouring through another. “Princess Celestia just sent them to us last week! We spent practically the whole weekend studying these.”

Indeed, the princess had sent about twelve new spellbooks for the two unicorns to go over. They decided they’d be so busy studying Twilight gave Spike the day off and Midnight suggested the little dragon hang out with the colts.

“Spike, where are the rest of those books?”

“Right here, Midnight,” Spike said as he held the precarious stack, Midnight levitating them around himself as he looked through them.

“I’m all for giving Fluttershy a chance to reform Eris,” Midnight commented as he scanned through the pages of one of the books, “But it’s better to be safe than sorry by having a reforming spell ready in case things go pear-shaped.”

"I agree," Twilight looked through another, "hope for the best but be prepared for the worst."

“But won’t he- Ergh, she just makes the Elements of Harmony vanish, like he did before?” Spike reminded them, shuddering at Discord’s new look.

“Princess Celestia cast a spell protecting them, remember?” Twilight assured him and those words made Midnight look up in horror, his pupils narrowing to pinpricks.

“Uh-oh…!”

“What?” Twilight asked, seeing Midnight drop some books.
“What’s wrong?!” Spike started to fret.

“Princess Celestia didn’t cast a spell to protect our books! Everywhere we thought to look for a reforming spell-” Midnight turned to a certain page in one and they gasped!

The page was missing!

120. Keep Calm and Flutter On - Part 3

“Now honey” – Eris finished her paper meal with one last gulp – “be honest. I know you said to make myself at home an’ all…”

The devious creature lounged on Fluttershy’s couch as she flapped aloft nearby while the cottage around them was slowly turning like a wheel, sending everything that wasn’t nailed down a’tumbling.

“But I wouldn’t wanna take advantage of your good will, sugar.”

“Well, I did give my permission…” Fluttershy said nervously, avoiding a falling birdhouse, “but if this makes you more comfortable, by all means-” she lurched to her left, avoiding a frying pan – “please feel free.”

“Oh aren’choo just the kindest an’ most understanding slice o’ spongecake,” Eris floated around Fluttershy, rather much like a shark encircling its prey.
“I mean… not like them nasties who call themselves your friends.”

“My friends are not nasty,” Fluttershy pushed Eris off but she slithered up against the mare’s back.

“Well, o’ course you think that, child! And it’s exactly what I mean `bout you being so understanding.”

Eris then flashed back onto the couch.
“As a matter o’ fact, I think Sweet ol’ Celly was right in choosing you to be reformin’ me, cuz’ I am really considering it!”

“Really? That’s very good to hear, Eris,” Fluttershy said with a smile, not noticing a second face of Eris peering out of the back of her head through all that hair, blowing a raspberry at Angel, who was struggling not to get squashed by the furniture.

“Fluttershy!”
“Can you hear us?!”

“Goodness, that sounded like Twilight and Midnight!” Fluttershy zipped to go see them but came back to catch Angel before flying out.

The cottage was indeed spinning around in mid-air like a wheel but doing it slowly and remaining stationary.

“Fluttershy, what’s going on?” Twilight asked, accompanied by Midnight and Spike. “Are you ok?”

“We’re fine, everything’s going great,” Fluttershy said in assurance as she set Angel down, “Isn’t that right, Angel?”

Angel didn’t answer. He was too busy hopping away dizzy, all eyes on him and unfortunately missing some beavers nearby.

“We came to get you away from Eris,” Twilight explained, Spike nodding with furrowed brows. “She’s just awful!”

“Not to mention, it appears she’s out of control,” deadpanned Midnight as he gestured to Fluttershy’s airborne cottage.

“Oh but you’re all wrong,” Fluttershy disagreed. “We’re actually making great progress!”

Her three visitors shared an incredulous look before asking, “Seriously?”

“I’m earning her trust by giving her a little space to be herself,” Fluttershy explained.

“Yeah? Well she used that ‘space to be herself’ to steal all the reforming spells from the library!” Spike snapped, holding up one of the books with a page missing.

“That does explain the paper eating…” Fluttershy said thoughtfully.

“She ate them?!” Twilight gaped at Fluttershy while Midnight facehooved.

“But we won’t need a spell! She’s already considering reformation, she told me so!”

“Fluttershy, saying something and meaning it are not the same thing,” Midnight said kindly.

“But if I’m going to be her friend, I have to give her the benefit of the doubt,” Fluttershy insisted, and Midnight considered.

“You have a point…”

“Tell you all what,” Fluttershy suggested, “bring everypony over for a dinner party this evening, and I’m certain her manners will have improved by then. I’ll even get her to put the cottage back on the ground.”

“Well...” Twilight was hesitant but Midnight placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“You know she’s right – we can’t expect Eris to reform if we’re not willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, like Fluttershy said. Besides, if there is a part of Eris that can be reached, I know Fluttershy can do just that.”

Seeing the faith Midnight had in their friend, Twilight sighed, “Alright, dinner it is…”

A while later, Twilight and Midnight were leading all their friends to the cottage.

“Ugh, I can’t believe we’re having a dinner party with Discord!” Rainbow Dash griped.

“Eris, Dashie,” Soarin corrected her.

“Like it matters!” Rainbow threw up her hooves.

“Either way, this evening is all but certain to be disaster,” Rarity was in agreement, “Makes me glad I didn’t wear my fanciest outfit.”

“And that gown would still make it into Hoity-Toity’s boutique,” Blueblood complimented his mare, Rarity giving him a kiss.

“Well, Fluttershy thinks this is the best way to reform Eris,” Midnight brought up, “and she asked us to give it a chance.”

The door to the cottage opened and out stepped Eris, wearing a pretty little maid outfit.
“Y’all are just in time!”

She opened her mouth and out rolled a red carpet rather than her tongue. But when it completely unrolled in front of Midnight and Twilight, Eris popped out.
“We are ecstatic to have y’all here!”

Eris Flashed into the doorway, holding out her eagle-claw hand invitingly.
“Do come in.”

Everypony entered and were surprised to see the décor of Fluttershy’s living room, with blue lop-sided tiled floor, spring green walls, purple rafters, a whimsical chandelier, and a nice yet oddly-shaped dinner table.
“Eris set everything up all by herself,” Fluttershy explained, Eris standing by the fireplace and daintily dusting it with a featherduster.
“I’m so proud!”

But then Eris Flashed into the wall-mounted coat-hanger, reaching over to grab Midnight’s helmet.
“Might ol’ Auntie Eris take your… hats, gentlecolts?”

Midnight ducked, and said, “Hold onto your Elements, everypony.”
“It’s gonna be a bumpy night,” Twilight agreed.

Soon, they were all sitting at the table, their platters served with mashes potatoes, apple muffins, cups of tea, and a dish of apples in the center. Fluttershy sat at the head of the table (or at least the closest thing, considering the shape of the table), and stated, “As you all know, Princess Celestia hoped we’d help Eris to use her magic for good rather than evil. Oh Pinkie Pie!”

Pinkie was digging into her mashed potatoes.

“Would you like some gravy?”

“You bet!” Pinkie replied with a spuddy smile.

“Allow me, sugar,” Eris waved her eagle claw over the gravy boat, making it move and act like a puppy as it scampered over to Pinkie.

“Ohh! What’a cute little gravy boat you are!” awed Pinkie as she pet the living dish, “Yes you are, yes you are!”

The gravy boat happily poured Pinkie some gravy for her potatoes, Rainbow Dash sniping, “That’s one creepy little gravy boat, if you ask me!”

“Except nopony did ask you, Rainbow,” Midnight clarified.
“He’s right, Dashie, you’re not even giving this a chance,” agreed Fluttershy.

The gravy boat appeared to be in agreement, considering it poured its contents onto Rainbow Dash’s lap, making her flap upwards, “Yow! That’s hot!”

“Oop! Ho-ho, sorry honey!” Eris giggled sheepishly.

“She did that on purpose!” Rainbow accused.

“Nothin’ of the sort, child,” said Eris in spurious innocence, “just a little mistake! Oh, look everypony, the Dance of the Candles. Bet y’all weren’t expecting dinner and a show!”

For a few moments, the ponies enjoyed the candles until Rainbow flapped out their flames, “I’m not falling for that! Eris is just trying to distract us-”

*WHACK, DONK*

“OW! Hey! C-cut it out!” Rainbow held her forehooves over her head as the candles started hitting her with their holders. “I suppose this is another ‘mistake’?!”

“Hmph! Well don’t blame me if the performers don’t like you ruinin’ their act,” Eris scoffed, as though she were being insulted.

“There’s something fishy going on here,” Twilight commented, only to get sprayed on by the coincidentally fish-shaped tureen as it spewed soup onto her and then Spike.

“Eris?” Fluttershy looked up at her.

“I think using the term ‘fishy’ around the soup tureen was just a poor choice o’ words, child,” Eris shrugged.

“Not the dress, not the dress!” Rarity squealed but Blueblood quickly held up a plate to shield his beloved.

“Tha’ tureen’s only doin’ wha’ yer makin’ it do!” Applejack accused as she shielded herself with her hat.

“Now let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Fluttershy admonished, not quite catching Eris barely stifling her case of the giggles but Big Mac noticed her. At least until he got sprayed by the tureen himself.

“Fluttershy, can’t you see what she’s doing?!” Rainbow knocked away the candles, “She’s playing innocent so you’ll never agree to use the Elements of Harmony against her!”

“Now let’s not be so quick to judge…” Eris said with a seemingly nervous smile.

Rainbow Dash finally trapped the candles under a cloche, and pressured, “You see what I’m saying, right, Fluttershy? Fluttershy…!”

“What I see is, that while Eris isn’t perfect,” Fluttershy admonished them, “that none of you except for Midnight and Macintosh are giving her a chance!”

Everypony else griped while midnight and Big Mac looked troubled, not exactly sure where they stood.
“What’s gotten into you?!” Rainbow demanded.
“Why do you keep shrugging off her behavior?” Thunderlane flabbergasted.

Fluttershy put her hoof down as she pulled Eris into a one-arm hug and firmly declared, “Because that’s what friends do.”

Eris looked bewildered by Fluttershy’s words.
“We’re… friends?”

“Of course!” Fluttershy smiled while flapping, “Until you came along, I can’t remember my house having ever been so lively!

“Um…I’ve… never had a friend before,” Eris twiddled her thumbs, the emotions she was feeling so foreign to her.

“Well you do now,” Fluttershy placed a hoof on them, making Eris smile a little, and so did Big Mac, proud of his fiancée.

At that moment however, the window opened and in hopped Angel, looking frantic. He hopped onto the table waving his paws in a panic.

“Not now, Angel,” Fluttershy said like a parent, “we’re in the middle of a dinner party!”

“Looks like th’ critter’s tryin’ t’ say sumthin’,” Big Mac suggested.

Angel poured water onto himself and flopped about. When that didn’t get a reaction, he held up an apple.

“Apple!” everypony guessed, and Angel pointed at Big Mac. “Big Macintosh!

Angel facepawed and threw the apple into a clear pitcher of applejuice.
“Sweet Apple Acres, maybe?” Blueblood tried, Angel hopping affirmatively.

“Flooding at sweet Apple Acres!” Thunderlane realized, Rainbow throwing a stink eye at Eris, “And I think we all know who’s behind that!”

“Who, me?” Eris tried to sell innocent by making a halo over her head but no one was buying it.

“Oh give it a rest!” Rainbow snapped as everypony hurried out. “Whattya think of your friend now, Fluttershy?!”

*SLAM*

At Sweet Apple Acres, there was indeed flooding, that Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, and Twinken were floating in wooden troughs and paddling to recover any apples caught in the current. Nearby, the culprit was made blatantly know by several beaver dams, and the beavers working double-time like they were on a mission.

“Ah’ve never seen floodin’ this bad!” Applejack was aghast. “They’ve built dams `round here before, but never like this!”

At one of the dams, Fluttershy was trying to reason with the beavers there but they were chattering furiously that she gasped!
“Such language!”

She flapped over to Big Mac, looking sorry.
“It’s no use, they won’t listen to me!”

“You see Eris is behind this, don’t you?” Rainbow said with an I-told-you-so tone, only to flinch when Fluttershy responded.

“Of course I do! Do you all think me a silly, gullible fool?!”

Everypony else made lame excuses, developed an interest in their hooves, or just plead the 5th amendment by saying nothing. Big Mac and Midnight however did otherwise.

“Fluttershy, we’d never think low of you like that,” Midnight assured.
“We trust you, Sugarcube. But we just don’ trust Eris," Big Mac clarified.

“Well I’ve been trying to gain her friendship however I could,” Fluttershy insisted, breaking away from them all. “So that she’d come to trust me enough to listen to me!”

“Whoo! Hey there, girl!”

They all looked out to the water and saw Eris in a two-piece, water-skiing via fish-shaped soup tureens, her long white hair flowing in the wind, looking oddly attractive.
“Come on in, y’all! Water’s great!”

“Time to see if it worked,” Fluttershy decided as Eris came ashore.

“Hey girl! What’cha doin’ here when the actions out on the H2O?”

“As you can see, there’s a big mess down here at Sweet Apple Acres,” Fluttershy pointed out.

“Uh-huh, your point?” Eris shook her mane dry, sending glistening drops all over Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane.

“The point is, it’s awful!” Fluttershy admonished, “This is the Apple Family’s home, and it’s being destroyed by innocent creatures that wouldn’t be acting this way were it not for your impulsive behavior! You must fix this.”

Eris appeared to consider for a moment before saying, “Sure thing, child! I’ll have this backwater piece o’ land all tidied up in a jiffy! If…”

Seeing as Eris let the word hang in the air, Fluttershy echoed, “If…?”

“If you never use your Element of Harmony against me,” Eris bargained, pointing out the Element of Kindness around Fluttershy’s neck.
“You know, as a gesture of good faith from you, my friend…”

“She can’t-” Rainbow was about to raise a fuss, only for Midnight and Big Mac to restrain her.

“Even if we can’t use the Elements to turn Eris back to stone," Midnight whispered, "Big Mac, Thunder, and I can use our Guardian powers to trap Eris and render her powerless!”

Fluttershy looked to her friends, all of them watching her expectantly, but she knew what she had to do. She unclasped her Element necklace, taking it off, “I will never use my Element of Harmony against you.”

She punctuated the promise by throwing it to Spike.

“Ha-ha!” Eris snapped her fingers triumphantly and a blinding Flash made everypony avert their eyes and they gasped!

Sweet Apple Acres and the flooding had been frozen over! Everywhere they looked they saw ice and snow!

“Hey!”
“What the?!”
“What just happened?!”

Everypony looked to see Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane had been changed!

It looked as though they had switched bodies but retained their mane, coat, and eye colors! Midnight looked like Big Mac and was an earth pony, Big Mac looked like Thunderlane and was a pegasus pony, and Thunderlane looked like Midnight and was a unicorn pony!

The others gasped in shock!

“Whoo! Ice-skating more my forté!”

They looked and saw Eris doing a pirouette, and stuck it, emphasized by a panel of Erises holding up three tens!

“Eris!”

Everypony looked to Fluttershy, “This is not fixing!”

Fluttershy zoomed up angrily at Eris, who asked innocently, “What’s up, girlfriend?”

“Do not call me girlfriend!” Fluttershy snapped, “Not only do you make the problem worse, what did you do to my fiancé and friends?!”

“Oh that…” Eris sneered at the mixed-up Guardians. “See, they might have that annoyin’ containment barrier, but since their ponykinds are all mixed up, so’s their magic!”

“Oh no!” Twilight realized what Eris had done! The Guardians’ inner magic was now out of harmony by having their pony kinds mixed up. If their own magic wasn’t in harmony within themselves there was no way they’d be able to project their barrier!

“C’mon, girl! Howsabout a lil’ iceskating, we’ll let bygones be bygones,” Eris slithered around Fluttershy, holding up iceskates for her.

At that moment, Soarin brought over Fluttershy’s necklace, “Here, Flutters! Your Element!”

“She fixes all of this…” called Twilight threateningly, everypony else looking angry.
“...or it’s back to the stony lonesome for her!” agreed Midnight, having finally lost his patience.

“Princess Celestia will understand, Flutters!” Soarin assured her pleadingly.

Troubled Fluttershy looked between her element and the iceskates Eris was offering her, squirming with her moral compass.
“I made a promise not to use my Element against her and I’m going to keep it.”

Everypony else groaned, Eris yelling, “Ha! See that?! She’d rather have fun with me, cuz’ we’re friends! She can’t use her element against me cuz… we’re friends! I am free as a bird, baby! Ha-ha-ha!”

Fluttershy snapped, “Not! Your! Friend!”

She threw the iceskates away, Eris scoffing, “Hmph! So what, I can do anything I very well please, sister! I am Eris, the Goddess of Discord!”

She flashed over to Fluttershy, who was storming off and paying the trickster no attention.
“Oh what, you think you can make a mild-mannered lady outta me?! You think I am gon’ change all this back just cuz you tell me to? Because if I don’t I’ll lose the one friend I…”

Eris’ voice trailed off as realization dawned on her, much to her distress as she looked sadly at the iceskates Fluttershy had thrown away. She couldn’t believe it! That dainty little pegasus mare had gotten to her! She truly thought of her as… a friend!

Sighing, Eris wiped away a tear and conceded, “You go, girl…”

She skated over to a treetop and sat down, a blinding flash of light spreading in all directions, and in its dimming wake, it left behind no ice or snow, it vanished the beaver dams, allowing the water to flow and unflood Sweet Apple Acres, and Midnight and Big Mac and Thunderlane were restored to their real selves!

Everything was as it should be.

Big Mac ran over to hug his mare, everypony cheering Fluttershy when Eris flashed up to them.
“Mm, kinda borin’ but… when you’re friends, you can’t have everything your way all the time.”

Soon, everypony had convened at town square, where Princess Celestia had arrived.

“You heard it here, honey!” Eris posed, “Eris is ready and willin’ to use magic for good instead o’ evil!”

What nopony heard was Eris mutter, “For the most part…”

“Congratulations on your success, everypony,” Celestia smiled proudly at them all. “I truly sense a profound change in Di- Excuse me, Eris.”

But then she whispered to Twilight, “I’ll leave the elements with you, Twilight… Just in case.”

“I heard that,” Eris humphed.

“You were right when you said Fluttershy would be the one to find a way to reform Eris, Princess,” Twilight brought up, Midnight saying, “By treating Eris as a friend, Fluttershy helped her to realize how special friendship can be, that once she found it she didn’t wanna lose it!”

“Go on, say it,” Fluttershy teased.
“Fine! Friendship-is-magic!” huffed Eris.

Watching from afar, the Hooded Pony was banging his head against a tree in aggravation.

Author's Note

He's banging his head because he didn't collect enough of the original Discord's remains to insure the new one would remain a perfect copy.

As I said before, the Hooded Pony came up short one chromosome in his restoring Discord/Eris

121. The Midnight Dour - Part 1

Everything was wrong.

Everypony wandered about in aimless stupor, their spirits broken, their bodies withered by famine.

The town was nothing but ruins. Many of the buildings burned to the ground, leaving skeletons of houses that once provided happy homes. The market was dreary, so very few ponies selling anything, desperate to make a profit and buy food.

That monster had burned their crops and much of their food-storages. He’d known exactly where to direct his ruthless campaign.

Once upon a time this dismal community was the happy little town of Ponyville. But then he came… and set a fire so devastating, and even then it had been but a prelude to what came after. He had toppled the diarchy – The Royal Sisters were no more. He had conquered all, forced unto everypony the most tyrannical laws. He’d forbidden magic, disallowed weather ponies to clear the smog of his fires, polluting the sky and blocking out their life-enriching sun!

Those who dared defy him ended up dead or enslaved, set to work in the mines that had once been the Crystal Empire. He had clouded the minds of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, enslaving them body and soul.

To make doubly sure, he alone had imprisoned Eris into stone and then stole the Element of Magic so the rest could not be used against him. And if that weren’t enough, he’d invited everypony to watch… as he shattered the Element of Magic under his hooves! It had rendered the rest impotent, leaving them as nothing but trinkets with dull and lifeless gemstones.

Everypony had been all but broken in body or spirit.

Pinkie Pie was in the empty Sugarcube Corner bakery, which didn’t sell yummy things anymore. It was empty of all but Pinkie, who had fallen into a depressive mania, as she was hosting parties with inanimate objects.

Applejack struggled to find apples on the charred remnants of Sweet Apple Acres for her to sell, looking to the barnhouse and shedding tears about her brother. Big Macintosh had stood up to the monster and had been rendered crippled as a result, Fluttershy spending all day with him to take care of him, but the once-proud and strong earth pony was ashamed that he could not do the work he once did to care for his family, as his father once made him promise to do.

Fluttershy had no one else to look after. All her poor animals were gone, killed or driven away by him. Her cottage had been burned to ashes, and despite her efforts she’d only managed to save a few while the rest of the poor critters had either burned or smothered to death.

Rarity’s once-gorgeous boutique now only offered cheap rags or tunics, since that tyrant had outlawed gem-digging unless you wanted to be sent to the mines. Even though she was all but dirt-poor, Rarity still found it in her heart to provide clothing to her neighbors to help them keep warm.

Her relationship with Blueblood fell apart after the beast had destroyed his company in Canterlot and set his workshop in Ponyville ablaze, leaving the once-dignified prince with nothing to do but drown his self-pity in cider.

A horn sounded that made everypony gasp in terror and scramble for a hiding place. In moments, a chariot descended, pulled by Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Soarin, the three of them looking ragged, their backs crisscrossed with scars from the whips.

Aboard the chariot was him… The monster who had set a fire to Equestria and toppled everything it once stood for.

He gave the decrepit town a once-over and snorted in amusement as he stepped off.
“Twilight Sparkle! Come out here!”

From their hiding places, everypony looked towards the library, now naked and bare of its leaves, many parts of it burned or broken off. The door swung open and out walked Twilight, her eye covered by a patch, a scar on her cheek, her mane no longer its beautiful style after it got burned and she had to cut away the damaged parts. She wore a tight black bodysuit, and walked with a defiance towards the tormentor.

He sneered as he looked her over, the mane would grow back, he could probably heal the eye, but all an’ all the beautiful flower before him had yet to wither.

“I hope you took the time I gave you to really consider my offer…” he growled hungrily as he licked his fangs.

“I did and my answer is the same as it was before,” Twilight glared at him hatefully. “I will never marry you.”

“Not even to improve your town? Not even to help your friends…?” he snarled mockingly.

Twilight narrowed her eyes and turned around to leave.
“Friends? …What good are they now?”

He watched her walk away but inside he was screaming…
Twilight! You can’t mean that! Please…Help me! This isn’t my fault! I didn’t want this!!

…TWILIGHT!!!!”

“MIDNIGHT!!”

A bucket of water was thrown onto the blue unicorn and he jolted awake, sputtering as he got a hold of himself and found himself back in his workshop, Twinken gazing up at him in worry.
“What th-?! I th- Twinken! What’s… the matter?”

“The matter is, you had another bad dream!” Twinken snapped as he put the bucket down. “You told me they'd stopped!”

“What does it matter?” Midnight shook himself dry, Twinken holding up his arms to shield himself, as Midnight sighed, feeling his pumping heart begin to settle.
“It’s just a dream…”

“Well, this ‘just a dream’ has been keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep!” Twinken pointed out the bags under his brother’s eyes.
“Please, Big Brother… Get help! I’m really worried about you.”

Seeing the look on his little brother’s face, Midnight sighed.
“Alright, Twinken. I’ll talk to Twilight, maybe she can help me.”

Twinken stepped up to Midnight and they pulled each other into a tight and warm hug, Twinken saying, “I love you, Big Brother…”

Midnight’s ears drooped, feeling ashamed, but he put on a smile as he let go, Twinken looking him in the face with a concerned smile.
“Love you too, little brother… Go play with Rumble and Button.”

Twinken nodded and scampered out the workshop.

Midnight looked to a section of the floor in his workshop, and levitated away a board to reveal a bound book. He levitated the book onto his worktable, clearing away his tools and papers as he opened it to write the nightmare while it was still fresh in his mind.

Entry# 24

The dreams continue to get worse but this one was by far the most horrible… Ponyville- No, all of Equestria! Burned, ruined, everypony despaired except for Twilight though she appeared to have lost faith in friendship…

I can’t keep going like this. Every nightmare is worse than the last, and the more they feel real!

…I can no longer suffer in silence. I must consult with somepony, maybe Twiligh-

I wouldn’t be so quick to blow the whistle if I were you…

That voice! Midnight thought in horror as he looked around his workshop, seeing nopony but he heard that voice as though someone had been standing right behind him!

“Who’s there?” Midnight said warily.

Aw come on, buddy! Don’t tell me you forgot me after the fun we had back at the Crystal Empire…!

Midnight whirled and gasped at what he saw in the mirror he had on his wall. It was him, but- It looked wrong!

His reflection’s sapphire coat had darkened until it was almost black, his turquoise eyes and the dark blue streak of his mane had inflamed to an angry red, and the look his reflection was giving him…!

It was cruel, mocking, evil.

Long time no see, Midnight…

“Who are you?!” Midnight demanded, his heart resuming its impression of a hammer to an anvil.

Isn’t it obvious? …I’m you! the dark reflection sneered, Or rather… I’m that part of you that you’d rather nopony see.

Midnight scuttled back nervously, his backside bumping against his bookcase, as he panted and said, “You’re not real, just figment of my imagination! Go away!”

Oh but we’re gonna have many merry games, you and I! the reflection snickered eagerly, Well, maybe a tad merrier for me. I’m just guessing, since you seem a little reluctant to my company. Anyway, be a good boy, finish your homework and be in bed by nine, and hey! Do tell that mare with the sweet star-spangled ass I said… hello!

The reflection shimmered away, but his dark mocking laughter echoed in Midnight’s fear-fevered mind, as he curled into a fetal position, holding his tail like a security blanket as he began to cry.

Author's Note

The title here alludes to the 1985 comedy-horror television film 'The Midnight Hour"

122. The Midnight Dour - Part 2

Over the next few days, everypony noticed Midnight wasn’t himself. Every day, he woke up, attacked his chores like a soldier, barely said a word, and once he was done, he’d isolate himself in his workshop.

Twinken always tried to go talk to him once Midnight was alone in his workshop but for some reason, he just couldn’t bring himself to do so. Applejack was satisfied to see Midnight minding his chores but even she was concerned with her brother’s behavior.

*Knock-knock*

Midnight opened his door to see Applejack, and she noticed he looked tired. Very tired.
“Howdy, Midnight, um… Mind runnin’ int’ town for me?”

“Busy,” Midnight said curtly before he made to close the door, but Applejack stuck her hoof in to stop him.

“Midnight, Ah need ya t’ take care o’ some errands,” Applejack insisted. “Big Mac’s haulin’ an’ Bloom n’ Twink are in school. Also, Ah think gettin’ outta this stuffy workshop will do you some good.”

Knowing Applejack was too stubborn to take no for an answer, Midnight growled, “Fine… What do you need?”

Midnight walked through town, saddlebags tied to his barrel, his manner stoic as he drowned out the world around him. Lots of ponies waved, said hello, but all they got from the blue unicorn was the cold shoulder. Literally.
“Ooh! Is it just me or is it chilly all of a sudden?” asked Bon Bon.
“It’s sunny out but yeah,” agreed Lyra.
“Well, whatever it is I suggest we just give Midnight a wide berth,” suggested their coltfriend, Noteworthy.

The words washed over him like a stone in a stream. Sighing, he sat by the town fountain, and levitated out the list of errands Applejack had given him.

_ Buy 1 bag of flour, Pinkie will give you a discount
_ Ask Blueblood for some oil, barndoor hinges are getting rusty
_ Check the weather schedule for this week
_ Ask Rarity to come by the farm, I’d like her to scan a space of land for gems before we start using it
_ See Fluttershy and ask her to come by, we have a rabbit problem

Sighing, Midnight looked towards Sugarcube Corner and grumbled, “Let’s get this over with…”

The bell rang as Midnight opened the door and walked in.

“Hi Midnight!” Pinkie was already in his face with a happy smile. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, where life is always sweet! What can I get’cha?”

“Hi Pinkie,” Midnight sighed as he levitated up some bits. “I need a bag of flour delivered to Applejack at the farm, can you handle that for me?”

“Okey-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie took the bits and stepped towards the back, “I’ll have that flour at Sweet Apple Acres faster than you can say-”

“Just get it there,” Midnight huffed as he turned to leave when Pinkie felt a familiar sensation.

‘Ear flop, eye flutter, knee twitch?” she gasped and yelled, “Midnight, watch out for the-”

*SLAM*

“OUCH!!” Midnight fell onto his rump, clutching his aching snoot, when his eyes flared a brief angry red and the door blew to pieces, Mr. Cake looking shocked as he stood in the threshold… and keeled over. Growling, Midnight stood up, gathered his dignity, and muttered to Pinkie, “Send me the bill…”

“Uh…” Pinkie looked a little shell-shocked as she watched Midnight leave.

Midnight made his way to Blueblood’s warehouse. From the spark flying out the door ajar, Midnight figured Blueblood was busy. Entering, he raised a small spell-shield to protect himself from the sparks and saw Blueblood working on his project, another airship.

It was coming along nicely, nearly fifty feet long, with wrought-iron frame, magically reinforced wooden hull, it was still a long ways from completion but still impressive looking. Blueblood was sitting on a platform, his face protected by a welding mask, he wore a jacket and leather apron, and was pointing his horn at a spot where two metal plates met, and was forging them together.

Before long, he stopped and lifted his mask to inspect his work.
“Hmm, things are progressing nicely…”

“Blueblood!”

The inventor looked to see his friend and smiled, “Midnight, my friend! Didn’t hear you come in, sorry if I kept you waiting.”

“Not at all,” Midnight waved it off, sounding not right to Blueblood. “Listen, um, do you have any oil you can spare? Applejack said the hinges on the barn door are getting rusty.”

“”Certainly, give me a moment,” Blueblood shed his protective clothing and looked to a metal cabinet. Opening it he scanned its contents and perked at the desired item. He levitated out a small oilcan.
“Now, let’s just fill this up and you’re all set.”

Midnight plopped down, sighing impatiently as Blueblood filled the container up.

“Here you are, my good stallion,” Blueblood said graciously as he levitated the oilcan towards Midnight.
“An ample squirt from this will have those hinges opening smoothly in no time.”

“Thanks for keeping me waiting,” snapped Midnight as his aura enveloped the oilcan.

But the moment their auras crossed, Blueblood gasped as he saw, in his mind, Midnight except it wasn’t Midnight.

He released his hold on the oilcan and shook his head clear, but by the time he centered his thoughts, Midnight was already gone.

Midnight groaned as he felt a migraine but he was also feeling bad about the ways he’d treated Pinkie Pie and Blueblood.
I’ll apologize when I can…

He approached the Ponyville Weather Office and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Cloud Chaser.
“Hey Midnight, what can I do for you?”

“Thunder in?” Midnight asked wearily.

“Uh yeah, but he’s going over-” Cloud Chaser looked to Thunderlane’s office, only to be rudely pushed aside as Midnight walked up to it and knocked.

“I’m kinda busy in here!” Thunderlane called out.

“Thunder, it’s me! I need this week’s weather report!” Midnight yelled back.

There as an impatient sigh and Thunderlane said, “Come in.”

Midnight opened the door and found Thunderlane looking up at a chart depicting the week, with weather symbol-shaped magnets sticking to some of the spaces in the weekdays’ columns.

“I take it the weather for this week isn’t fully planned,” Midnight deadpanned.

“You try scheduling a drizzle for some gardeners on the same day some parents want to be nice and sunny for their kid’s birthday party,” Thunderlane groaned as he sat at his desk and rubbed his temples with his primaries.

“Tell them to have their kid’s party indoors, and get back to me on that weather schedule,” Midnight groaned in vexation as he turned to leave.

“Hey Night?”

Midnight looked to his friend, who looked concerned.
“Everything alright?”

“I’m fine, Thunderlane, never better, get back to your scheduling and mind your own business!” snapped Midnight rather harshly as he stormed out.

Cloud Chaser stepped into the doorway, watching Midnight leave, before she pointed at the ornery unicorn while asking Thunderlane, “What crawled up his tailgate and died?”

Thunderlane was speechless – He’d seen Midnight angry before, but this was different. He could’ve sworn he saw Midnight’s eyes flash red for a brief moment.

Threaded needles flowed in grace and precision as they sewed soft fabrics together, a pair of scissors snipping the threads once the stitch was complete and Rarity marveled at her latest work of art.
“Ah, my muse has blessed me today to have made so gorgeous-”

*Knock-knock-knock*

“Coming…!” Rarity sang as she answered the door to see a familiar face. “Ah, Midnight, I- Oh my, darling! You look positively awful!”

“Sleep troubles,” Midnight replied in a grumbling tone. “Can I ask a favor, Rarity?”

“If you need some form of sleep-aid, darling, I have some-” Rarity offered only for Midnight to cut her off.

“No! Applejack needs you to come down to the farm and scan a space of land for gemstones. She wants to know what she’s dealing with before she uses the space for planting.”

“Well, Midnight, I’m actually in the middle of an order for an important client,” Rarity looked anxiously to the dress, still not quite finished.
“Perhaps once I’m done and have delivered it, I can-”

“Just do it when you can!” Midnight snapped irritably and stormed off, leaving a very-miffed Rarity.

“Hmph! Well, I never!”

Midnight made his way to Fluttershy’s cottage, sighing in relief, “Last thing to do, then I get back to-”

Keeping up appearances? Fooling yourself?

“Go away…!” Midnight growled as he shook his head. “You’re not real!

The Voice chuckled darkly, Oh I think we both know better, Midnight… Heh-heh-ha-ha-ha-ha!

“We?” Midnight echoed before chuckling, “I thought you said that you were me!”

I said it before, I’m that part of you that you don’t want your worthless friends to know about. But before long, there will only be me… And you? You will be nothing more than a distant memory, cursed and hated.

“SHUT UP!” Midnight yelled, a blast of cold pulsing around him, and coating the plants with frost.

As he panted, he heard somepony.
“Midnight?”

He looked to see a concerned Fluttershy, poking her head out her door.
“Are you alright? Was somepony bothering you?”

“No- It’s… nothing,” Midnight waved it off as he calmed down. “Listen, Fluttershy, Applejack needs you down at the farm, said something about a rabbit problem, figured you could help.”

“Oh I see. Well, I’m not doing anything right now, I’ll head on over and see how I can help,” Fluttershy answered helpfully, and her gentleness made even the melancholy Midnight smile and feel a bit better.

“OK, don’t wait up for me. I’ll meet you there.”

Fluttershy nodded and took flight, headed for Sweet Apple Acres.

Midnight was halfway back to the farm when something landed in front of him, and he saw it was-

“Hey Midnight!”

He looked to see Rainbow Dash and Soarin fly down to him, the latter saying, “Sorry if our hoofball hurt ya! We’re just having-”

“A little one on one!” Rainbow interjected, “Y’know, hanging out, having a little fun.”

“Aw come on, Dashie!” Soarin put an arm around the mare’s shoulders. “That’s no way to talk about our first date!”

“Date?” Midnight gave Rainbow Dash a teasing look, Rainbow blushing a bit.

“…Yeah, the big dope here finally got me to say yes,” Rainbow socked Soarin in the arm, making him smile sneakily while rubbing the new bruise.
“And his idea of sappiness is to play hoofball… which is totally cool by me!”

“…Enjoy yourselves. I have things to do,” Midnight said brusquely before walking away, and leaving a literal chill on the dating pegasus ponies’ wings.

“Whoo! That was weird…” Soarin muttered as he landed and rubbed his chilled wing.
"What, can’t take a little drop of temperature?” teased Rainbow.
“It’s how I felt the temperature,” Soarin corrected, feeling disturbed by it somehow as he watched their friend walk away.

As Midnight walked onto the Apple Family property, he saw Fluttershy and Applejack having a word. Sighing in relief, he hopped the fence and started making for his workshop, when…

“Midnight Blaze, y’all get yer blue butt over here!”

Growling in vexation, Midnight felt that anger again.
No! Must… keep calm…

Taking a deep breath, he took a moment to center himself and felt it abate. He turned to see Applejack and Fluttershy approach, the former saying, “Y’all can help Fluttershy with them rabbits, if’n tha’ ain’t a problem…”

She dares challenge to you, Midnight… An insignificant mud-mucker! Punish her, put her in her place…

Midnight shook that infuriating temptation away, and said, “Not a problem at all, sis… Come on, Fluttershy, let’s deal with this… problem.”

Author's Note

Someone suggested to me a number of good ideas, which will help me make this arc of the story all the more enthralling...

123. The Midnight Dour - Part 3

As they walked towards their destination, Midnight lagged as he struggled to keep it together.
Help Fluttershy, then get back to my workshop, just stay calm…

Come on, you know you want that cute little ass right in front of you… the voice taunted and Midnight shook his head, avoiding looking at Fluttershy in front of him.

“Shut up!” he hissed to himself, Fluttershy hearing him.

“Pardon me? Did you say something, Midnight?” she inquired.

Tell her, Midnight, tell her what a pitiful waste of feathers she is!

“Urgh, it’s nothing!” Midnight insisted. “Let’s just… take care of those rabbits, okay?”

“Um, okay, if you’re sure you’re fine,” Fluttershy didn’t want to press but she could tell something was indeed bothering her friend.

Finding the rabbits was no problem. A few of them had dug a warren into the ground surrounding the base of one of the apple trees. For that reason, the tree itself was becoming unstable and in danger of falling over, because it was one of the biggest trees in the orchard.

“There they are,” Fluttershy saw the rabbits snuffling about and looked to Midnight, “Wait here, I’ll go convince them to move to a new home but it’s better if it’s just me. Otherwise they may hide into their warren and who knows when they’ll come out.”

“Just get on with it,” sighed Midnight irritably.

He watched as Fluttershy slowly approached the rabbits, the three of them noting her presence. But Fluttershy’s slow and gentle approach emitted her kind heart as she crouched down to be eye-level with the rabbits and started speaking with them.

From where he stood, Midnight couldn’t hear Fluttershy, partly because, he assumed, she was keeping her voice low so as not to alarm the rabbits.

How she does it I’ll never know, but clearly she loves doing it… Midnight thought as he looked at Fluttershy’s cutie-mark, that trio of pink-winged butterflies somehow provoked a light sense of envy.

For a long time ever since coming to Equestria from his former life as a human, Midnight had shrugged off the importance of having a cutie-mark. Whenever somepony asked, he’d shrug it off and claim he’d get it eventually. But now looking back, he was wondering if he’d ever get a cutie-mark at all.
Maybe not since… I wasn’t born a pony, he thought sadly.

Aw, the widdle baby wanna tattoo on his blue butt? How pathetic, why should destiny be glorified and so blatant as a stupid symbol on somepony’s ass?!

Midnight growled and scrunched his eyes shut, Go away…!

Y’wanna know the real reason you want a cutie-mark? You wanna be truly counted among these worthless ponies! But deep down, you know that will never be… because your very presence in this world is nothing more than a happy mistake! All you are is a hairless ape in pony’s clothing, however much you may pretend otherwise!

“SHUT UP!!!” Midnight screamed, and his outburst frightened the rabbits so that they all dove for the warren.

“Oh wait, little bunnies come back out!” Fluttershy pleaded. When she was answered by silence, she turned to look at Midnight. He was panting, his eyes twitching, and did not look well.

“Midnight, whatever is the matter?” Fluttershy went over to put a hoof on the blue unicorn’s forehead, only for him to knock her hoof away.

“Don’t touch me!” he snapped. “Just do what you’re supposed to be doing and get those miserable rodents off of this orchard!”

“Midnight! Y-you’re scaring me!” Fluttershy teared up a little, holding her hooves together.

“Either you get those wretched vermin out of that hole, or I’ll smoke `em out!” Midnight yelled, his eyes flaring red.

“Hey!”

They looked to see a very angry Big Macintosh stomp over and stand between his fiancée and his brother.
“Ah don’ know what’s got yor lasso in a tangle, but nopony makes muh `Shy cry!”

“Oh yeah?! Well I oughta-” Midnight started but something stop him.

It was a sniffling, the unmistakable sound of crying, and he looked past his brother to see… Fluttershy trying to hold back her tears. She was hurt at how Midnight could act so mean, as well as how he could threaten poor bunnies and even think of fighting his brother.

Midnight felt his heart tighten with guilt as the red left his eyes and he felt a tear well up in his eye. He looked shamefully up at Big Mac, seeing disappointment and a little anger, but there as a glimmer of worry.

“I’m sorry!” Midnight instantly Flashed away, leaving Big Mac to hug Fluttershy, comforting her as they both worried for Midnight. He wasn’t himself, but what was making him act this way?

Somehow, Midnight wound up on the farthest corner of the orchard, well hidden in trees so thick their canopy blocked out the sun. He sat against a tree trunk, feeling so ashamed and disgusted with himself.
“How could I raise my voice against Fluttershy of all ponies…” he felt the tears trail down his face. “And those things I said…!”

“Yes, those were terrible things to say…”

Midnight was instantly on his hooves, looking around. That wasn’t in my head!

“Looking for me, maybe…?” The source of the voice made itself known as the Hooded Pony literally emerged from the shadows, which fell away from him as though they were heavy drapes.

“You again!” Midnight growled. “Who are you and what do you want with me?!”

“Who I am is for me to know and for you to find out eventually on your own,” the Hooded Pony answered cryptically.
“As for what I want… Well, that’s for you to overcome what is coming.”

“And what exactly is coming?” Midnight demanded, his horn flaring with a spell ready to attack if it came to that.

“Calm down, I’m actually here to help you,” the Hooded Pony said, sounding irritated. He opened his cloak and out levitated some kind of old book.
“This tome contains a ritual that can help you do what you must do.”

“And what exactly is that?”

“By completing this ritual, you will help not only yourself but somepony who is destined to redeem himself of his sins long past. There is a catch however… This tome is written in an all-but forgotten language and the books on how to translate it are exceedingly few.”

“Then where am I supposed to find one?” Midnight growled. “If I can’t understand the language of this tome it’s useless to me!”

“Relax, I know where you can find one of these books to translate this tome’s language,” assured the Hooded Pony.
“…You can find one in Twilight Sparkle’s library.”

Late the next morning, everypony gathered at Sugarcube Corner to discuss Midnight’s behavior yesterday.
“I know getting hit in the face by the door must’ve left a real owie,” Pinkie recollected, “but blowing it to pieces was kinda overkill! And coming from me, everypony, that’s saying something!”
“He wasn’t exactly grateful when I gave him that oilcan,” Blueblood brought up.
“Not to mention the way he acted when he came to me at the office,” Thunderlane agreed.
“Hmph! And his manner when he came to my boutique was so uncouth,” Rarity huffed.
“He seemed like he was in a hurry to get home when we saw him,” Soarin noted, “and he seemed to be making a really creepy chill.”
“I’ve never seen Midnight act so mean before,” moped Fluttershy. “He’s always been so nice and encouraging!”
“Sumthin’s wrong with mah brother, an’ we gotta find out what!” Big Mac declared.

“I agree, because all of this sounds like something bad is going on with Midnight,” Twilight concluded, frowning in worry.
Oh Midnight… What’s happened to you that you couldn’t come to your friends? …That you couldn’t come to me…

“Hey! Maybe it’s not Midnight at all!” Rainbow suggested, “Maybe he’s been replaced by some weirdo clone that’s got identity issues!”

“Or maybe Midnight’s been replaced by a Midnight from an alternate universe where he leads his own version of the Elements of Harmony and winds up getting his body stolen and sharing the body of Shining Armor!” Pinkie babbled, much to everypony giving her a look
“What? It could happen!”

“Or maybe th’ reason’s a lil’ more sensible,” Applejack deadpanned. All eyes turned to her, “Twinken told me how Midnight’s been havin’ real bad dreams but he never talks about them. Maybe whatever he’s been dreamin’ about is makin’ him all ornery!”

“But if he’s just having bad dreams, why wouldn’t he talk to us about them?” Twilight wondered. Then an idea crossed her mind.
“Everypony, it’s time we held an intervention!”

Everypony went “Huh?” and Thunderlane asked, “What do you have in mind, Twilight?”

“I’m gonna run back to the library and get some books,” Twilight explained, “maybe a little therapy or even some hypnosis will allow us to help Midnight with whatever’s bothering him so much. In the meantime, you should all go find Midnight and convince him to agree to get help! If it comes to it, you should probably even be a little forceful.”

“Well, he’s always in that crazy workshop of his,” Rainbow brought up, “we’ll probably find him there.”
“A’ight y’all, time fer us t’ go wrangle `im up!” Applejack declared, “Twilight, get wha’cha need and we’ll be waitin’ fer ya at Sweet Apple Acres!”

As Twilight hurried back to the library, thoughts, confused, worried, and determined buzzed in her mind like a swarm of hungry parasprites, and riling them up even more were questions. Why hadn’t Midnight told her of his dreams? Why had he kept them to himself? What about them could be so terrible it would lead him to act so to his own friends and family?

She intended to find out by whatever means necessary.

She opened the door to the library and walked in, “Spike! I need ‘The Scroll of all Things Psychologically Sound and Serene’, and maybe a couple books on hypnosis!”

“Twilight?!” Spike was setting up the table apparently preparing for snack, but he was gaping at Twilight, obviously confused.
“Did you teleport outside just now?”

“What’re you talking about, Spike?” Twilight gave him a look.

“Well, you came in a bit ago, asking me about the rare books,” Spike said as though he were reminding her. “Once I told you, you told me to take a break and went upstairs to see them.”

Twilight looked to the stairs, worry gripping her heart.
“Spike… how long ago was that?”

“Just a few minutes,” Spike was starting to get anxious. “Is there something wrong?”

“Stay here…” Twilight ordered and quietly started making her way up the stairs.

Twilight kept the rare books in her bedroom, in a magically-secured compartment on the wall next to her bed. As she approached the door, she could hear shuffling inside. She carefully turned the knob with her aura and slowly creaked the door open. She gasped at what she saw!

Midnight was looking through the rare books, putting them on Twilight’s bed before moving onto the next one, speed-reading as though he were looking for something. She noticed how focused he was yet tired he looked.

The bags under his eyes, his disheveled mane, unkempt tail, his eyes twitching, and he shook his head as though he were having a headache. But then he whispered, “You won’t stop me!”

“Midnight!!!”

He flinched and gaped to see Twilight glaring daggers at him.

…

“…Midnight, what are you doing?”

124. The Midnight Dour - Part 4

“Twilight!” Midnight whispered, his eyes getting nervously shifty, glancing back and forth between the books on the bed and Twilight, the look on her face demanding an explanation.

“Well?!” Twilight took a step towards Midnight, making him yelp and stumble, falling onto his rump as he puzzled desperately to think up an explanation without telling the truth.
“Midnight, did you glamour yourself as me and trick Spike into telling you where to find these books?! Those are priceless! Some of them are even one of a kind or first editions! Princess Celestia entrusted them to me and I’ll be damned if I ever let anything happen to them! And while we’re on the topic of trust, why haven’t you told anypony about your nightmares?!”

Midnight groaned, and shook his head, scrunching his eyes as Twilight bombarded him with demands and questions.

“You know that as your friends and family, we’d do anything to help you whatever your problems may be! However, your behavior lately has been next-to-inexcusable! Avoiding your friends, refusing to talk about your problems, taking out whatever’s bothering you on those around you- What are you even looking for among these books?!”

“Er- Well- I was-” Midnight struggled to muster up an answer when Twilight noticed a book that did not belong.

“What book is this?” Twilight levitated it to herself, much to Midnight’s discomfort and mentally kicking himself in the rump for setting it down. Twilight looked at the cover and familiarity spread across her face as she opened the tome and looked at the words and the characters in which they were written.
“Wait… This book is written in Precursor Equine…! That’s one of, if not the most, oldest of languages ever spoken by ponykind! Midnight, where did you get this?”

“None of your business!” yelled Midnight as he wrenched the tome away from Twilight, the both of them shuddering when his aura mixed with hers to take the book back.

The outburst took Twilight by surprise, such that she jolted away, holding up her hoof instinctively in self-defense. But what frightened her was the way Midnight was looking at her.

It was angry, defensive, frustrated, maybe a little scared, but the way he glared at her didn’t compare to what she felt!

Midnight’s mana was surging unstably. It was fluctuating, as though he wasn’t totally in control and was struggling to keep it from bursting. She felt the cold of the Frozen North, the intensity of the sun, the volatility of a lightning storm, the power Midnight held inside was seething to get out and Midnight was trying so much to contain it.

She now realized her interrogation had only served to pry open the lid, allowing a mere taste of ti to stream out as Midnight growled angrily, his eyes turning a frightful red!
“You can be the most nosy, snooping, obsessive and neurotic little drama-queen that it makes you more trouble than you’re worth! But – silly me – you excuse your behavior by saying ‘it’s my duty as Princess Celestia’s prized pupil’, ‘it’s for the sake of knowledge’, ‘I know what I’m doing because I’m so much smarter that you should all just blindly follow my obsessively-compulsive disordered mind like the control freak I am!!’”

Every word stabbed at her heart as Twilight gaped tearfully at her student, her friend! And he wasn’t quite through.

“You think because you have such favor from the princess you get to trot about and tell everypony what to do! Like when somepony doesn’t fit into your perfect little world of reason and logic, like Pinkie and her Pinkie Sense, you go out of your way to disprove something you couldn’t understand! Or if you feel like your self-image is in jeopardy, you go and cast a ‘want it-need it’ spell on an ugly rag you call a doll and cause everypony in town to violently gaga over it! And what about the time Rarity offered to make everypony a nice outfit? You took advantage of her generosity and turned down the outfit she originally made you! Oh sure, you accepted it later but only after you saw how you all had been selfish jerks! And the time you kept a ridiculous pinkie promise and didn’t tell Rarity and Fluttershy how they each felt about the modeling career? Like Pinkie, you haven’t learned that sometimes promises need to be broken, especially when they do harm rather than good! How you drove everypony up the wall over nothing when ‘Future’ Twilight tried to warn you about it and you wouldn’t let her get a word in edgewise and insured that moronic paradox! And-”

Instantly, clarity brought Midnight back to his senses and he felt his heart break at the way Twilight was looking at him. It was fear, it was shame, it was a Twilight he couldn’t bear to look at and the full impact of all his words hit him like an apple-buck to the face.

Twilight’s eyes were streaming with tears, her nose runny, she was hyperventilating, and on the precipice of shattering to pieces!

Midnight felt tears of his own well up as a horrible thought crossed his mind.
…What have I done?!

Midnight whirled and grabbed the book he’d been looking for and his tome, instantly teleporting out of there, leaving Twilight to sink to the floor and cry.

Midnight ran along the path towards the orchard, stifling his sobs as he felt so disgusted with himself, so ashamed, his actions, his words, all of the rotten things and cruel words he’d said and done to everypony that day!

…None of it compared to making Twilight cry.

He was so deep in emotionally-turmoil he didn’t see the rock in his path.
“Augh!”

Midnight tripped head over hooves, wounding up in the dirt.

He laid there. An outcast. A monster. A fool so caught up in his own problems he had all but driven everyone he loved away when all they had done was offer their kindness, their compassion, their love for him, and he had spurned them all.

No… it was- Midnight grunted as he slowly stood up, feeling a bruise on his barrel as his eyes flared red.
“This is your fault…!”

Don’t you mean our fault? Heh-heh-heh-heh-ha-ha! All I did was pull one tiny thread and watched, all a’giddy, as your pathetic little fantasy unraveled into a mess! All you said, all you did, came from that part of you so ugly you lock it away and try with all your heart and soul to pretend it doesn’t exist… But sooner, or later… it makes itself known, makes you slip, loosens your lips and out slithers what you really think, your most harsh and blatant secrets and opinions, your soul laid bare for all to see, and how exposed and vulnerable it makes you feel compels you to hide it to regain some illusion of composure… But even if it comes to that, your words have left their taint!

“Well… with this ritual,” Midnight looked at the tome he’d received from the Hooded Pony and the book he’d taken from Twilight, determination steeling his resolve.
“I won't have to worry about you ever again…!”

Hours passed, and Celestia had almost lowered the sun, Luna just beginning to beckon the darkness of the night by the gentle glow of the moon. Everypony had searched, but didn't find coat nor mane of Midnight. He wasn’t at his workshop, he wasn’t at Pepper Pony’s or Sugarcube Corner, he wasn’t around Sweet Apple Acres, simply nowhere to be found!

Finally, everypony gave up and decided to try again tomorrow.

Twinken looked out his bedroom window, worrying for his brother. He gazed across the orchard and could see the workshop. How often he had seen Midnight tinkering away at some tool or device that would serve a magical function. A lot of them turned out to be failures which Midnight had instead called ‘wrong approaches that pushed them closer towards the one that would allow them to succeed’.

Midnight so very often showed himself to be unusual, in how he acted, how he talked, how he looked at the world and saw something nopony else did.

What had happened to the big brother he loved so much and looked up to as the hero he was? Not because he was the Element of Faith and a Guardian of Harmony but because he had given Twinken that which he had for so long wished to have, a family, somepony to love him, somepony for him to love, somepony to share the ups and downs of his life with, somepony he couldn’t help being thankful to for volunteering to be his big brother at the Sibling Revelry.

Big brother… Twinken sighed morosely and was about to shut the window when something caught his eye.

He scrunched his eyes as he gazed out… and saw a light shining from the window of Midnight’s workshop. Twinken knew the time to act was now.

He looked down from his window and shuddered at how high he was from the ground. It was too risky to try and sneak out, Big Mac liked to stay up a little late going over the farm ledger, partly because the quiet of the house helped him to concentrate better than during the day. If Twinken tried to sneak out, the creaky stairs would betray his venture long before he made it to the door.

He could tie the bed sheets together to make a rope but something told him he had to get to the workshop now.

I never really tried without Midnight or Twilight around, he thought before furrowing his brows, but here goes!

He gritted his teeth and envisioned the spot on the ground beneath his bedroom window, he imagined he was there, he willed his presence there! A gentle red aura of mana flowed along his horn and…!

*FLASH*

Twinken felt like he’d just suddenly fallen and landed nearly at the same time and shook off the rush. He stood up and realized, “I… did it!”

However, a distant flare of light regained his attention and he saw, from the look of the workshop, he had no time to revel in his new magical skill. Feeling a little winded, Twinken decided to hoof it rather than try teleporting again.

But as he got closer and closer to the workshop, something compelled him to turn back.
Maybe I should tell Applejack or Big Macintosh…? Wait, every time I’ve tried to come to Midnight’s workshop… I always felt like I had something else to do. But when I concentrate on something other than the workshop, it gets easier to think more clearly!

Twinken looked at the workshop and felt that compulsion badgering him to leave and do something else, but he focused on the strange light coming from the shop, and on his concern for Midnight, and it helped him to hold his ground.
“Wait a minute… Midnight!” Twinken realized that somehow Midnight had placed a spell, either on Twinken himself or the workshop.

Some kind of bewitchment that distracted him from the workshop and find something else of interest.
Wait… distract? …A Distracter Spell!

Twinken recalled reading about distracter spells in a spellbook Midnight had given him – Basically, a distracter spell served to send astray anyone who approached the object onto which the spell was cast. The spell would subtly bewitch the mind into thinking of something else other than the ensorcelled object, whether it be something as minor as a flower or even thinking one had forgotten they had to be elsewhere for some reason.

“But Applejack was able to go to the workshop today to send Midnight out on those errands…” Twinken pondered when he realized, “then Midnight linked the spell to me so only I would be affected by it!”

Before he could dig further, the clink of a door made him jolt and dive behind a nearby apple tree. Carefully, Twinken peered and saw Midnight, an inscrutable look in his eyes, saddlebags strapped to his barrel, but what concerned him was the knife Midnight carried in his aura.

Twinken wanted to come out and try and talk to his brother again but… there was something so very wrong that stayed his hooves as he watched Midnight slowly walk deeper into the orchard. Twinken knew he was gonna need some help.

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

“Twilight! Please answer, it’s Twinken!” Twinken wailed at the door to the library, yelling his head off. “Twilight! Please wake up! I need your help!”

The door opened, causing Twinken to fall forward with a yelp.
“Ow…” he looked up and felt his heart ache to see Twilight!

Her eyes were and puffy, her mane disheveled, her face stained with tears, she looked like she’d had her heart broken.

“Twilight…?” Twinken didn’t know what to say.

“Twinken… I’m sorry but… I’m not up to see Midnight right now…” Twilight looked away, tears welling up again.

“But Twilight! I just saw Midnight, and I’m scared!” Twinken ran in and in front of Twilight so she’d have to look at him. “Listen to me, I know Midnight’s been really bad today, but…”

Twinken explained to Twilight about the distracter spell that only affected him to keep him away from the workshop, as well as Midnight heading into the orchard with a knife.
“Twilight… I’m scared he’s going to hurt himself!”

Almost everything was in place. Ordinarily, translating a foreign language should’ve taken quite a while but Midnight had used the speed-read spell Twilight had taught him.

Twilight… Midnight fought the tears as he remembered what he was here for.

The ritual had demanded several things, only a few of them had been somewhat troubling to find. But he’d done it. As he drew out the ritualistic circle in the dirt with the required serpent scale, he checked the tome to make sure he had it down to pat. Once he was satisfied, he added the powdered manticore stinger in the right places, and set up the torch.

Are you certain you know what you’re doing…? the Voice said, letting the question hang mockingly.

“I’m certain that once this ritual is complete,” Midnight countered, “you will plague me no more… Time to get started.”

Twilight had somehow managed to rally everypony as they followed Twinken to Midnight’s workshop.
“He came out here, and then went that way!”

They looked in the direction the little colt pointed out and Twilight cast a sensor spell – Midnight was definitely in that direction. But she sensed something else was at work.
“Twinken, go back to the house and wait. We’re gonna go see Midnight.”

Twinken wanted to protest but the look on Twilight’s face and the sound of her voice instilled into him a sense of obedience. He teared up and to everypony’s surprise, he hugged Twilight, whispering, “I’m sorry Midnight hurt you… but he’s lucky to have you.”

Then to twilight’s surprise, Twinken teleported away.

Deciding to save it for later, Twilight yelled, “Come on, everypony! We got a friend to help!”

The ritual was underway. Ribbons of magic encircled Midnight’s horn, spreading out in a nexus and intertwining with the sorcerous flames of the torch. The lines of the ritualistic circle were steadily glowing, and Midnight felt it, like a dark feeling literally a pit in his stomach, his body feeling sick as the ritual performed its work.

In a corner of his mind, Midnight could hear a voice screaming this was wrong, that he was making a horrible mistake, Maybe it is… but I just can’t live like this anymore!!

“MIDNIGHT!”

He flinched and looked to see everypony approaching.
No! Not now!

Twilight was aghast at what she saw – Midnight was clearly performing a ritual, the ribbons of his own magic intermingling with fiery whips snaking out from the torch, weaving together like a web as Midnight’s body began to smoke.

“Midnight, what are you doing?!” Twilight screamed.

“…What I have to,” Midnight knew the time had come for the incantation.

"Throughout my essence, you cannot hide
The Light and Dark shall now divide
From my being, impure be riven
My Soul I pray by Faust forgiven!!!"

The web fell upon Midnight and everypony gasped in horror as Midnight let out an unearthly scream! His eyes flared like beacons as wherever the web touched him his coat erupted into flames.

“Midnight!” Everypony ran to help Midnight but tendrils of eldritch flames lashed out, stopping them all in their tracks.

The blue unicorn was completely engulfed and his screams of agony were lost in the roar of the fire.

But almost quickly as the flames had ignited, they were quenched. Everypony saw Midnight standing in shock, parts of his coat and mane burned, his eyes had turned entirely white and looked lifeless. But then he threw his head up and they watched in terror as a pillar of smog erupted from his mouth and went skyward before spreading out in a haze that slowly but surely began to blot out the moon and stars.

“What’s going on?!” Rainbow Dash shouted.
“I don’t know! But I think something’s up there!” Twilight pointed and they all saw a mass fall from the sky, cloaked in shadowy smoke.

It landed with a thunderous thud in front of them, and almost immediately the smoke was blown away by a blaze of ominous blue flame. Within they could see the outline of what could only be a pony!

Soon it cleared enough and what they saw blew them away.

It was a unicorn stallion, tall and brawny, his coat black like oil and even shimmering like oil on water, his mane and tail were raging cursed flames much like the ones that had wreathed him a moment ago, his horn long and sharp like a poisonous thorn, his eyes burning red with miasma poisonous purple radiating an intense blue, and he smiled wickedly, revealing fangs.

“…Midnight?” Twilight whispered in horror, everypony gaping at this creature. But then they noticed something nearby the abomination before them.

It was Midnight lying unconscious, but his coat had paled to a sickly color, his horn burned and charred like a used matchstick, his mane now entirely white, and the very sight of him evoked the concept of helpless.

The dark unicorn sneered as he answered in a tone so soft, so sinister, “In the 'flesh'... Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee…!”

From the dark tower of Canterlot Castle, the Hooded Pony had observed the pillar of smog begin to blacken the heavens and from where it had began did ignite an evil flame. His heart tightened with guilt he held his hoof to his forehead, shaking in sorrow that what he had done was meant to happen.

It did not alleviate the guilt for he could only whisper with a heavy heart, "...What have I wrought?"

Author's Note

I hated writing Midnight's lash-out on Twilight, but I had to give him that moment where he crosses a line and becoems all the more desperate for a solution

As for this villain... explanations in the next chapter

The artworks is another magnificent commission by Hoodwink McShelster

126. The Midnight Dour - Part 6

Doctor Stable was hesitant but then he looked up at the taller unicorn stallion’s face and saw a real wish to help. He nodded and said, “Follow me.”

Sombra followed the doctor into the emergency room, passing a few operating tables until his eyes fell upon the patient. As did his heart sink at the poor unicorn’s obvious condition. Midnight lay prone upon a hospital bed, his sapphire coat had paled, his black mane with dark blue streaks had turned completely white like sun-bleached bone, his body had several bandages covering the burns he’d suffered, he was hooked to an IV and the only sign of life was his rising chest to indicate he was breathing.

This was hardly the hero who had stood up against the former tyrant and saved him from himself. Sombra looked to Doctor Stable, asking, “May I be alone? This shouldn’t take long.”

Doctor Stable was hesitant but nodded before leaving, and Sombra looked to Midnight and his horn glowed red as he began his examination.

“Are we really trusting Sombra to help Midnight?!” Thunderlane griped

“He’s changed, Thunderlane!" Twilight insisted, "Don’t you remember, Midnight somehow used the power of the Crystal Heart to make Sombra good again! And if Celestia trusts him, I think it’s safe to say we can as well.”

“Ah’m all fer forgive n’ forget, Twilight,” Big Mac spoke up, “but y’all weren’t th’ ones fighting fer yer life against tha’ guy.”

“Mackie, everypony deserves a second chance,” Fluttershy gently scolded her beau.

“Why would the princess send him though?” Rainbow asked the question that was at the back of everypony’s minds. “What could Sombra possibly do to help?”

“Because I could tell you what’s wrong with Midnight,” answered Sombra in deadpanned tone, standing next to Rainbow all of a sudden that she yelped and leapt into Soarin’s forelegs.

“Where’d you come from?!” Rainbow gaped at him, Pinkie popping up and patting Rainbow on the head.

“Take it from me, Dashie, it’s better not to ask.”

“Sombra, you know what’s wrong with Midnight?” Twilight asked anxiously.

“Indeed, Twilight Sparkle…” Sombra’s manner was grim. “Midnight’s soul has no darkness within whatsoever.”

“Wha’ in th’ hay does tha’ mean?” Applejack asked incredulously. “Ain’t tha’ a good thing?”

“Not at all, Miss Applejack,” Sombra explained, “Midnight’s lack of darkness within his being means his very spirit is out of balance and that is having a negative effect on his health. You see, everypony, all of existence is kept in balance by opposing forces – Good & Evil, Harmony & Discord, Order & Chaos, Night & Day, Light & Dark… Every sentient creature in this world has within them varying amounts of inner light and inner darkness. You can’t have one without the other, and because Midnight’s soul is lacking darkness his light is engulfing his spirit. Unless his darkness is restored, and soon I fear Midnight will be lost to us…”

“We have to help him!” Twilight insisted, “Surely there’s a way!”

“Well, I must understand how this happened in order to come up with a solution, Twilight Sparkle,” Sombra reasoned.

“Midnight performed some kind of ritual, he had this book with him,” Twilight showed Sombra the tome, and Sombra’s eyes widened at the language on the cover.

He took it in his aura and skipped through the pages, “Where did this come from?”

“We don’t know, but we think Midnight performed some kind of ritual from this book,” Twilight explained everything that happened when they confronted Midnight in the middle of the ritual and how the entity appeared, calling itself Midnight Terror. Sombra listened with rapt attention, for the most part remaining silent but he did ask a clarifying question here and there, as he soon began to understand. “Do you have an idea of what we described, Sombra?”

“I’m afraid I do, Twilight Sparkle. Listen well, everypony, for this is a story that goes back thousands of years ago, long before the great schism that originally split the tribes apart,” Sombra began.

“Once so very long ago, long before the Royal Sisters or even Star Swirl the Bearded, the three tribes were one tribe, where nopony distinguished another by horns, wings or a lack of either. It was a harmonious age indeed, peaceful, prosperous, happy, and bright. It was also rather innocent, for the ponies then were not so advanced as we of this age. They were more like children, living the bliss of ignorance, oblivious to the world around them. Their primary concern was day-to-day survival against the harsh wild where only the strong survived.

"They had no government, no currency, their lives were simple and pleasant. Ponies worked together, lived together, adhering to simple rules to survive.

"However, some of these ponies began to grow bored with their lives and interested in the world around them. They began to explore, broaden their horizons, make discoveries, learn what there was to be learned. These ponies grew into enlightenment, and then they began to conflict. Some of these enlightened ponies wished to teach their not-so-worldly fellow ponies while others wished to use their knowledge to subjugate and take power, believing their knowledge made them better than others and entitled to power and leadership.

"These two groups attracted the other ponies and their numbers grew. But their differences began to drive them apart, and soon the side that wanted power and control sought to better themselves further by achieving perfection.

"They began to form something akin to a cult, and boasted of their superiority that they would only further until there was nothing left to improve. Some of their followers bought into this foolishness while a few brave souls were rational enough to leave before they were sucked into the madness these radicals would create. Soon, they came to the conclusion that they had to purge themselves of impurity, of any potential for evil, believing that by becoming pure of light in soul they would become beacons of perfection that would draw all ponies to their side.”

Everypony, the friends and even the medical staff, hung on every word Sombra spoke, as the tale enthralled them more.

“These extremists created a ritual to purge themselves of all darkness within their souls… and they succeeded. However, in their obsession with achieving perfection they had disregarded the concept of balance, and in doing so they destroyed themselves, and were left to suffer a slow and suffocating death…

"Alas, the darkness they had divorced from their souls did not just cease to exist… It was the darkness shorn from hundreds of misguided ponies, and it pooled together, festering, simmering until it formed a consciousness of its own… It was an entity of the purest malevolence, and it sought to destroy the ponies that had opposed the foolish purists, simply for the reason of wanting to but also because there was nopony else to direct its bitterness towards.

"But it went about it in the most deceptive way… by whispering dark thoughts into the ponies, sowing seeds of doubt and suspicion, paranoia and loathing. Only a few ponies were able to resist and they tried to warn their neighbors of this wicked voice. Alas, their warnings fell on deaf ears, as the earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns became divided, and racism drove them into open hatred of each other.

"Rather than fighting for supremacy, the tribes split, and thus was the one of the saddest chapters of pony history, the Great Schism… As for the evil that had brought about this dark period, the few ponies that resisted its poisonous words thereafter referred to it as… the Whisperer.”

The very name, simple as it sounded, had an ominous feeling, and made sense. What was a whisperer with wicked intentions but a manipulative puppet-master, whispering dark thoughts into those foolish enough to heed the lies and be taken by sycophant nudges towards self-destruction while the manipulator would sit back and enjoy the show?

“The Whisperer was a most deceitful spirit, weaving webs of lies, false praise, and driving those it targeted into acting on their darkest wishes or committing acts of true depravity. It continued to drive a wedge between the tribes until the hatred and suspicion drew in the Windigoes that brought the cold and snow that forced the soon-to-be Founders of Equestria to unite.

"The Whisperer was furious its wedge had finally come to an end but it was not one to give up… It sought out a host, and in time it found one… in me.”

“The Whisperer was what turned you into a tyrant over the Crystal Empire?” Spike asked, everypony looking at Sombra in realization.

“Only because I was weak and foolish, young dragon,” Sombra looked down in shame. “I had been led to unknowingly betray the pony I love and she could not continue our relationship, leading her to break it off. I was heartbroken, filled with anger at the pony who had tricked me and resentment to my love for turning me away. Although I tried to find purpose in life by creating the Crystal Empire, the bitterness festered in my heart, despite my efforts to move past it. The Whisperer came to me, and it was able to influence me easily enough because of the darkness growing within my heart.

Once I gave in, the Whisperer all but took possession of me and I became known as the Unicorn whose Heart is as Black as Night. The Royal Sisters declared war against my tyranny and when it came down to the final battle, I was faced against Princess Luna while her sister had been incapacitated by my magic. Through me, the Whisperer tried to tempt Luna into siding with me, to depose her sister, and bring about a dark age from which the sun would never again rise.

"Luna was able to resist, at least at first… but the Whisperer decided it wanted an alicorn for a host instead of me. It managed to infect her, and Luna temporarily gave in, and I caught a glimpse of the monster she would become. Luna defeated me but even as I fell, I enacted a curse onto my empire and the rest, as they say is history."

“So then… Midnight Terror, Nightmare Moon,” Twilight began to put the pieces together. “Even the tyrant you once were, they’re all incarnations of this Whisperer!”

“Yes,” Sombra confirmed. “This Midnight Terror, he is a fusion of the Whisperer and Midnight Blaze’s own inner darkness. In order to save Midnight, he and Terror must be reunited and only then will I be able to help Midnight Blaze and maybe even put an end to this curse on ponykind, once and for all.”

In Ponyville Town Square, ponies walked about nervously because of the smog blotting out the sun. They could see the edges of the poisonous tempest, and hoped it would eventually go away. However, their troubles worsened as a burst of malevolent fires erupted in the middle of the square, and died down to reveal the Terror of Equestria!

He sneered as his mane and tail blazed in eagerness, “What shall I destroy first…?

Author's Note

The concept I made for the origin behind Nightmare Moon's origin actually came from Bruce Coville's "The Unicorn Chronicles"

127. The Midnight Dour - Part 7

Midnight Terror smiled like a happy colt as throngs of screaming ponies fled before him. He trotted merrily as he flared up spheres of cursed fire from his horn and launched them randomly at any nearby buildings, causing them to burst into flames.

The screams of panic, the crackle of fire, the hissing of smoke, “Ahh, music to my ears… and this is but a prelude of what is to come! I’ll burn this worthless village to the ground and from their ashes I will rise… I’ll storm Canterlot, dethrone the Sisters, and see everypony piss themselves at the very mention of my name! AH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”

The ponies who were hiding watched in horror of this barking mad creature in pony’s skin as the flames upon the surrounding buildings made his oily-black coat shimmer an eerie beauty, his flaming mane and tail blazing in his happy madness.

“With the powers I’ll command I could rule the whole world!” Terror sneered horrifically before his manner turned stoic, his flaming mane and tail simmering down to an intense yet steady purple, green and blue.
“But first things first… The Elements of Harmony.”

He walked as though pondering the mysteries of the universe.
“It’s a given those annoying artefacts pose a threat to me, but then… that waste of flesh Midnight Blaze isn’t exactly up for using his own, so why am I worried…? Hmm, even if all the Elements’ bearers are needed to power `em up, I suppose it would pay to be on the safe side by destroying the elements themselves…! Heh-heh-heh!”

Terror Flamed himself away towards the library, reforming before it as he smirked.
“Heh, just me setting hoof into this place could ruin it all. Not that I care, but there are some interesting spellbooks in here that might prove useful…”

Terror concentrated, his horn glowing red and he reached in with his power, feeling wards Twilight Sparkle had placed upon her home, presumably for security. He scoffed at her wastes of effort as he easily breezed through the wards, all of them breaking at the mere touch of his power.

He found it!

“AUGH!!!” Terror felt a splitting headache as he instantly jerked his aura away from his target, and rubbed his horn. “Ergh, how?! A part of me is Midnight Blaze, so why can’t I touch those infernal-”

A memory crossed his mind as Terror recalled Princess Celestia saying she had placed a protective spell on the Elements so Discord-turned-Eris could not steal them before she left them in Twilight Sparkle’s keeping.
Hmm, perhaps this spell isn’t just meant for that idiot trickster… If miss sunny cheeks made the Elements untouchable to any undesirables that would explain why I can’t steal them…

“RRRRGGGHH! All this power and I can’t even touch the one threat to me!” Terror’s mane and tail blazed furiously before he took a deep breath.
“Okay, I’m fine, I’m cool, fine… Hmm, this presents a dilemma… but if I can’t get to the Elements, I could always get to the bearers!”

Terror smiled deviously as a murderous plot began to fester in his foul little mind.

Everypony was shocked at the destruction around them. The weather ponies were hopping up n’ down on rainclouds to put out fires, the firefighter ponies were pumping their hoses at other buildings, some ponies were working together to remove debris and wreckage.

“This is terrible!” Blueblood proclaimed as they looked upon this atrocity.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy flew over to a crying filly.

“I want my mommy!” the terrified filly sobbed, giving Fluttershy a heartbreaking look.

“There, there, little one,” Fluttershy’s maternal instincts compelled her to comfort the little one with a hug, “we’ll find your mommy.”

“Somepony help!” cried a voice and the filly gasped.

“That’s my daddy!” she cried and pointed towards the clocktower.

Everypony rushed over and found the door to the clocktower open but a beam was barring somepony inside from getting out.
“Please, somepony! Help me!”

They saw a brown hoof reaching out through a gap and the filly held her little hooves towards the trapped stallion, crying, “Daddy!”

“Dinky? Is that you, sweetheart?”

“Time Turner!” Twilight finally recognized him as she hurried up. “Help is here, but you have to stand back!”

“Allow me,” Sombra offered and with ease he telekinetically cleared the doorway, allowing a dusty Time turner to get out and Fluttershy released little Dinky. Father and daughter happily embraced and everypony smiled.

Time Turner looked to his saviors and said, “Thank you, for helping us.”

“You should find safety until all of this is over,” Sombra suggested.

“Good idea, hop on, sweetie,” Time Turner lowered his backside for Dinky to get on his back, and galloped off, but little Dinky looked back to Sombra smiling, “Thank you, mister!”

Sombra couldn’t help but smile, a warmth in his chest making him feel happy to see that little filly safe and sound with her father.

“That was very nice of you, Sombra.”

Sombra looked to the bearers and stallions, Twilight smiling at him. But then he cleared his throat, “Come, we must collect your Elements before Terror strikes again.”

“You’re right, we should-” Twilight gasped as she sensed her home was being encroached. “Terror’s at my library, he’s broken through my wards!”

“We gotta get over there and get the Elements!” Rainbow zipped up.

Sombra nodded as he said, “We’ll get there quicker my way. Rainbow Dash, please join us on the ground.”

“What’re ya gonna do?” Big Mac asked while Rainbow obliged.

“Buckle up…” Sombra smirked as he tapped his hoof, and all of a sudden, his shadow spread and everypony yelped as they fell into it!

It felt like falling through a windy tunnel that was completely black but they quickly found themselves falling upwards a bit and finding themselves in proximity of the library, and flopping into a heap of tangle limbs.
“What a ride!”
“Get your butt outta my face!”
“What was that?!”
“It was creepy!”

“My apologies,” Sombra chuckled as he rose up from a shadow and kindly helped Twilight Sparkle get up.
“The first time can be quite disorienting.”

“There’s the library,” Spike pointed it out, the library across the way.

“Well, let’s get the Elements already!” Thunderlane spurred only for Blueblood to envelop him in his aura and force him down. “What?!”

“Something’s up,” Blueblood looked to the library, and Twilight and Sombra felt it too.

“Terror was definitely here,” Twilight noted, “and he broke all my security wards like they were nothing! But where is he…?”

“He is here…” Sombra tensed up, and sure enough, he was proven right when Terror Flamed to the front of the library.

The heroes all raised their guard as their adversary sneered at them and smugly asked, “Did you miss me?”

Everypony (except Fluttershy who hid behind Big Mac) answered with lowering their horns, stamping their hooves, or raising their wings, indicating they were ready for a fight, and Terror smirked, “I guess not!”

Then he got all stoic and broody, “Now you've all gotta ask yourselves one question – ‘Do I feel lucky?’ …Well?”

Terror’s mane blazed like a bonfire as fireballs ignited, orbiting around him as he sneered like a maniac, “Do ya, punks?!”

“I wouldn’t say I’m feeling lucky,” Sombra stepped up, “but if you’re looking for trouble, why not lock horns with me? Whisperer!”

“Oh-ho-ho-ho, Sombra?!” Terror laughed incredulously, snuffing out his fireballs. “Well, I gotta say, I certainly wasn’t expecting you to crash this party.”

“Party?” Pinkie perked, only for Rainbow Dash to cuff her on the back of the head.
“Focus!” she hissed.

“I see you’ve been busy ruining lives, again, demon!” Sombra glared at the abomination.

“D'aw, feeling left out, Sombra?” Terror mocked. “Well, there’s plenty of havoc to go around! In fact, you’re welcome to serve me by helping me destroy the bearers of the Elements of Harmony!”

“Buck you…” Sombra answered unflinchingly.

“I’m flattered but my barndoor don’t swing that way,” Terror cracked while shrugging before eyeing Sombra in a creepy way, "Though... I'm always up to new experiences..."

“Twilight Sparkle,” Sombra addressed, “I will hold him off for as long as possible while you and the others get the elements. I sense they’re still in the library but Terror can’t touch them thanks to Celestia’s spell.”

“Will you be okay?” Twilight asked.

“Don’t worry about me,” Sombra gave her a confident smirk. “I’ve got this one.”

He then faced Terror again, “If you’re so powerful, Terror, prove it…”

“Well, I could go for a little exercise,” Terror shrugged but then he fired a flaming arrow that struck the ground between Sombra and the others, igniting a ring of fire to contain them.
“But let’s make this one-on-one, not to mention I do love a captive audience…”

Sombra growled, realizing Terror was onto them as the demon in pony’s skin lowered his horn, smiling viciously as he growled, “Let’s dance…!”

He was wreathed in flame and launched himself at Sombra with murderous intent!

128. The Midnight Dour - Part 8

Sombra narrowed his eyes and dropped into shadow, easily dodging Terror’s attack. The nightmarish stallion skidded to a halt and looked around, “Come out, Sombra! Don’t tell me you’re giving up already?”

The sounds of something flying through the air caught his attention and he whirled about, releasing a jet stream of fire like a dragon, incinerating the crystal projectiles Sombra had fired at him.

Sombra concentrated, crystallizing his mana into a sword and held it in his aura, baring it at Terror. He then charged with the sword raised to attack, only for Terror to unleash from his horn a plume of shadowy smoke that easily enveloped Sombra. The heat, stench, and thickness immediately stopped Sombra in his tracks as he began to suffocate.

“SOMBRA!” everypony yelled. They remained trapped within Terror’s ring of fire, preventing them from running away. The pegasi had already tried to fly out, only for the flames to rise faster than they could flap, and the higher they went the hotter it would get, not to mention the smoke, forcing them back down to the ground. Twilight and Blueblood had both tried teleporting but every time they did, Terror’s magic somehow sucked them back into the ring of fire.

“This is just awful!” Rarity despaired, “We can’t get out, we can’t help Sombra, whatever can we do?!”

“What we can’t do is give up!” Thunderlane replied with furrowed brows. “Come on everypony, think! Every problem has a solution, we just have to figure out this one!”

“You’re right, Thunder,” Twilight noted, “Flying won’t work, teleportation neither, and I don’t think we can just try going through the flames…”

“Well then, everypony,” Blueblood spoke up, ignoring the mental warning that Rarity wasn’t going to like his idea, “if neither up and over or the direct approach will avail us, perhaps this situation calls for a little subterfuge… Spike, if you would be so kind?”

Meanwhile, Sombra had managed to muster enough clarity to stamp his hoof and cause a pillar of crystal to lift him out of Terror’s smoke. Breaching the haze, Sombra gasped for breath and looked down around the area for Terror but the monster was nowhere in sight.
Where’d he go?!

The crackles of flames behind him made him flinch for but a split-second before instinct drove him to duck, and in the nick of time did he dodge a horn thrust from Terror. Sombra jumped down towards the smoke, prepared this time as he fell into shadow while Terror went after him, only to fall flat on his face when he fell through the smokescreen.

Growling, he leapt to his hooves and willed the smoke to disperse, “Come out, you wuss! Or did you lose any spine you had when you lost the powers I gave you?!”

“You gave me nothing!”

Terror flinched and turned towards the source of the voice, only to get pummeled in a full-body tackle. Both stallions were tumbling in the dirt, punching the other with their hooves, trying to pin the other. Just when it seemed Terror would come out on top, Sombra smirked and sunk into Terror’s shadow, much to his surprise.

He then felt the most unholiest of pain a stallion could suffer, specifically in his nether regions, as his rear end automatically flew up from Sombra’s upwards headbutt after he’d launched himself out of Terror’s shadow.

Terror groaned in agony as he curled over in pain, his rump in the air, as he clutched his family jewels, tears welling up in his eyes.

“As anypony should know,” Sombra smirked at the sorry sight of the monster, “in battle, always aim for your opponent’s weak spot.”

Terror burned in outrage as he growled angrily and stood up, forcing himself to ignore his aching stallionhood as he glared hatefully at Sombra and snarled in a demonic voice, “I’ll geld you for THAT!!”

Terror roared as he became wreathed in flame, as though he were a living fire of destruction condensed into a vaguely ponyish form. With the roar of a wildfire, Terror launched himself at Sombra again, and Sombra leapt up, casting his mana and solidifying it into a crystal platform, that kept him high in the air.

“You won’t get far!” From Terror’s fiery form spread a pair of wings that flapped blistering waves of heat with every wing beat as he took flight after Sombra.

Sombra levitated to get away and just barely managed to dodge a flaming arrow, but his heart sank as he saw the arrow strike a house, setting it ablaze.
I have to end this quickly, before somepony gets hurt!

Meanwhile, the ponies had just reached the library, and much to Rarity’s chagrin they were dirty. Blueblood got Spike to dig their way under the ring of fire, and it had taken no small amount of convincing Rarity that the fate of Midnight, Ponyville, and maybe even all of Equestria, mattered more at the moment than her nice, clean coat. Only after Blueblood promised Rarity all the pampering she wanted at the Ponyville Spa paid for by him did she finally consent.

“Looks like Sombra’s having trouble,” Twilight had cast a camouflage spell on them all to hide them from Terror as they’d snuck to the library.

“More like he’s holding back,” Blueblood corrected, everypony looking to him for an explanation. “Sombra’s trying to avoid damaging the town but Terror’s not holding back.”

“He has to get serious if he’s gonna take that jerk down!” Rainbow all but shouted, spurring Soarin, Thunderlane, and Pinkie to shut her mouth and collectively hiss, “SSHHH!!!”

“Never mind them for the moment,” Twilight opened the library door, “We have to get the Elements!”

*SHA-KRACSHK*

Terror’s fireball blew apart the entire second floor of a home away in an infernal tempest, and he glared angrily at Sombra. His mane flared up, forming into a flaming claw that reached over and grabbed the remains of a chimneystack before throwing it at Sombra.

Sombra concentrated and managed to stop the soaring stack in mid-air before dropping it into an open area.

“Whatsamatter, Sombra?!”

Sombra returned his gaze to Terror, who was sneering, “Afraid to go all-out? Don’t wanna catch any innocent bystanders in the crossfire?”

Sombra answered with an unflinching glare, Terror snickering, “Losing the dark powers I gave you has made you weak!”

“I said it before, you gave me nothing!” Sombra reaffirmed, “And because of you I lost everything I cared about! …But then, a stallion found it in his heart to offer me a second chance, me of all ponies! That is a debt I will never be able to repay... But putting an end to you and restoring him will be an excellent way to start!”

Sombra’s eyes and horn flared with power as he conjured his obsidian scythe and leapt at Terror, who blocked it with a crescent blade that had appeared from his flaming tail.

It looked similar to the one Midnight used against Sombra before, but it was slimmer, colored black like charred wood, the outer edge was serrated, and the jewel in the middle was flaming red.

Because of the serrated edge, Terror’s crescent blade and Sombra’s obsidian scythe met in a shower of sparks as the weapons scraped against each other, and the two dark unicorns glared into the other’s eyes.

They traded more blows and the sheer power in each of their swings made shockwaves that pulsed against any nearby structures. Terror jumped back and then manipulated his crescent blade to spin like a disk before he set it ablaze, turning it into a flaming wheel of death as he launched it at Sombra. Sombra just barely managed to dodge it, the flaming wheel slicing and incinerating through the top of Sugarcube Corner.

But then it started to circle back and Sombra knew he had to do something to stop it!

He stood his ground, and closed his eyes, Terror sneering, Finally accepted his fate, eh?

Any moment now, his weapon would cleave this reject in two, the flames would set those two pieces ablaze and nothing would be left but ashes that would scatter to the winds and the very name Sombra would be erased from the history books and memories of all Equestria!

The flaming wheel of death blazed right for Sombra… only for the unicorn stallion to raise his scythe and slam the pommel onto the ground, creating a wave of shadow that engulfed the weapon before it quickly solidified into crystal!

Sombra panted a little, the shadow wave-turned-crystal having taken some effort but there was no time to rest as Terror approached, looking oddly amused.
“I still intend to make the rest of your miserable life a living hell… but I gotta admit that was impressive, not to mention I’m actually a little grateful. Besides the princesses and that douche Shining Armor, I can’t think of anypony who could give me such a challenge, coinciding with the opportunity to test my powers…”

"I can think of a couple,” Sombra countered, “Twilight Sparkle and Midnight Blaze!”

“Those runts? They don’t scare me!” scoffed Terror. “Poor little Twilight just wouldn’t have it in her to fight me, and my weaker half, are you kidding? Not that it matters, I can’t imagine he has much longer…”

Then Sombra noticed something past Terror and smirked.

“Smiling in the face of your demise? I admire that…” mocked Terror.

“Not quite…” Sombra gestured behind him and Terror suddenly flinched as he looked over his shoulder.

The bearers had their Elements!

Impossible! My ring of fire should’ve- Terror shook off the ‘how’ and refocused on the ‘what’ as he felt his fury build up until he erupted.
“AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!”

He roared as he launched himself at the bearers and stallions, all of whom stood their ground (even though Fluttershy hid behind Big Mac), but Terror was so blinded with rage he didn’t sense Sombra build up another spell and cast it!

A glimmering star of mana shot from his horn and hit Terror smack in his plot, making him yelp as he stumbled face-first into the dirt and skidded to a perfect halt in front of the bearers. But they had nothing to fear as Sombra’s spell quickly began its work, the mana spreading and crystallizing! Already Terror’s entire backside was encased! He struggled like a wild animal, raging and raving, trying to cast another spell, but Sombra’s crystal spell was designed to leach off the victim’s own mana to not only speed up the spell but reinforce it! Terror’s attempts were only cementing his fate!

“No! This can’t be! The Reign of Terror begins now!” he screamed, the crystal now encasing his barrel and front hooves.

The bearers and stallions watched in horror at the sight before them as Sombra stepped up, “So long as we have anything to say about it, your evil will never again plague Equestria.”

“You haven’t seen the last of me! I will haunt your nightmares, I will curse your children, I will have vengeance!!! I WILL-” The crystal finally enveloped Terror completely, leaving him inside a large prismatic prison.

“Finally! Something to shut him up!” Rainbow groaned.

Author's Note

This took longer than I expected because I originally didn't have a battle scene planned out :twilightsheepish:

129. The Midnight Dour - Part 9

At Sombra’s instruction, everypony got to work. Big Mac and Soarin brought a wagon, onto which Sombra placed the crystallized Terror, instructing them to transport the demon to Sweet Apple Acres. He instructed Twilight to find for him a magical conductor to connect their prisoner with Midnight, and also instructed Fluttershy, Rarity, and Thunderlane to fetch Midnight from the hospital and likewise bring him to the farm.

Before long, everypony was at the farm, right in front of the barn house.

Terror had been placed securely onto a metal pad, the edges engraved with some strange runes, and a cable composed of a specially-prepared metal was tied around the prisoner while the other end was gently attached to Midnight’s horn. Midnight was lying on a bed that had been set up and he looked the same as before, the only difference was he looked thinner. Almost emaciated.

Sombra had also brought a bowl and a small quartz crystal, Twilight asking, “What’re those for?”

“If all goes well, you’ll find out,” Sombra replied cryptically. “Everypony! Let me explain what’s going to happen here. Even as we speak, Terror is being dissolved inside his prison.”

“Ugh, dissolved?” Rarity echoed while the others showed similar expressions of disgust or looked confused.

“Exactly. Though he looked it, Terror was not truly flesh & blood,” Sombra explained, “rather he was a manifestation of the combined essence of the Whisperer and Midnight’s inner darkness that coalesced into a physical form. The crystal in which I entrapped him has reverted him into a mana-like state. Once we are fully prepared, I will send that mana along the conduit into Midnight’s horn. After that, it’s all up to Midnight…”

“Whattya mean?” Big Mac asked, his tone concerned and almost demanding. “Wha’s gonna happen t’ mah brother?!”

“The point of this procedure, Big Macintosh, is to reunite Midnight with his inner darkness,” Sombra went on. “But first he must accept the worst side of himself, and trust me… That is not going to be easy.”

“Everything’s ready, sir,” Twilight reported, sounding hesitant as she looked at her beloved student, and remembered their first kiss. Please, Midnight… be strong!

“Very good,” Sombra approached the conduit bridging the tainted essence and the weakened guardian. His horn flared as he cast a spell, vacuuming the prismatic prison of all the energy inside, sending it along the cable, and everypony watched as the energy flowed along the conduit straight to Midnight’s horn.

However, the moment the energy touched Midnight’s horn, his eyes snapped open and he screamed!

“Quick! Hold him down or he’ll ruin the procedure!” Sombra yelled as he double-tasked in maintaining the spell and keeping the conduit attached to Midnight’s horn, and instantly, Big Mac, Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Soarin each took one of Midnight’s hooves as he struggled to free himself. He screamed, whimpered, but never said a word. His horn emanated darkness and a glimmer of light that struggled to shine, his eyes glowing completely white, as he was stirred from his oblivion.

”What is it…?”

He opened his eyes and found himself in an open field of flowers, the babble of a brook nearby, and somehow he felt like he knew this place.

He stood up on his hooves and looked around, seeing the distant mountain with Canterlot, and he suddenly realized!
”This is where I first woke up in Equestria!”

And yet, something was not right. The sky was a dismal gray, the flowers bland and lacking any fragrance, the grass beneath his hooves dry and dusty. There was no sun, no clouds, the air left an unappealing taste in his mouth, and it felt cold, like winter was just beginning to settle in.

”Why am I here…?” he wondered. ”The last thing I remember…!”

The ritual. His friends arriving just as he’d completed it, and before that, Twilight crying when he’d lashed out on her. He felt his heart ache, his ears droop, and he sunk to his belly, as he felt the tears well up.
”…What did I do? How could it come to this?

He sobbed into his hooves, wishing to fall back into whatever void he had been in, so engrossed in his self-pity, he didn’t hear the hoofsteps.

“Because you’re weak!”

Midnight gasped and flinched.
That voice…!

He slowly looked up from his hooves and the pony glaring down at him with eyes blazing with hate was himself!

But not exactly – If Midnight had a picture of himself in a negative spectrum, this pony before would be it. This Midnight in front of him had a coat like molten gold, a mane of pure white aside from the streaks of sunshine yellow. Such colors wouldn’t seem so scary but it was the eyes!

The scleras were pure black instead of white, the pupils were red like blood spilled upon snow, and they were filled with the kind of hate or rage one might have against someone who they had trusted, only to be betrayed in the most horrible way.

And this Midnight was surrounded by a shadowy aura, invoking the worst feelings one could feel and for all the worst reasons.

Midnight realized what this pony was!
”You’re… you’re my…!”

*THWACK*

The other Midnight punched the real Midnight square in the snoot, making him fall back onto his back, and groan in pain as he held his aching muzzle. He checked and saw he was bleeding.
”Wha- Wait!”

*BAMF*

The Other Midnight didn’t let up as he whammed his hoof against the side of the real Midnight’s head, and the sheer strength of the blow sent him tumbling across the field a few yards.

“I am going to enjoy snuffing you out!” the Other Midnight snarled, not at all sounding pleased, but rather focused by a singular hatred of this Midnight who had betrayed him.

He walked over to the groaning blue Midnight and stomped onto his back, making him cry out in agony.
“You brought this upon yourself!!”

Now, now, my friend, let’s take our time with him…

The Other Midnight looked towards the end of the field and saw it – That black infernal thing that had accepted him, made him strong, shown him the way. It was a shadowy thing, surrounding in a haze, the figure of a pony just barely perceivable in it all. Its every step caused the dreary grass and flowers around it to wither into mulch.

The Good Midnight somehow realized what this thing was!
”You…! You’re… the Whisperer!”

Yes, yes I am… the Whisperer replied in an menacing tone. It’s voice was harsh, like the crack of bone. Your annoying friends and that ingrate Sombra might have put us in a bit of a setback, but their little plan will fail… once we break you, Midnight Blaze!

The Whisperer reared up and brought down its forehooves, causing a tremor that shook the ground beneath them, and Midnight watched in horror as the landscape around him shattered like glass!

Not only the land around him, but the sky above, and everything became a black void with naught but small pieces of land and familiar sites here and there, drifting about as if lost in the cosmos.
“What is this?!” Midnight gaped around fearfully, the Whisperer snickering.

These are you’re the sites of some of your memories, some in particular we’ll be reviewing.

“And once I’ve forced you to see the kind of lowdown piece of filth you are,” the Other Midnight growled as his golden coat started to blacken, “you will break! And then there will be only Midnight Terror! AUGH!!!”

Terror lunged at Midnight, who’d managed to get to his hooves and dodge-roll out of the way. Thinking quickly, Midnight quickly tackled against Terror, knocking the dark stallion down but Terror lashed out with his rear hoof, kicking Midnight under his chin.

As they fought, the ground around them darkened and the trees nearby began to wither. But the two angry stallions were too engrossed in killing each other to notice.

They both reared up and tried to hit each other with their front hooves, and the more they fought the more Terror began to look like the monster he was when he was fused with the Whisperer.

The Whisperer watched in morbid glee, knowing the more Midnight fought against the worst side of himself, the more he only gave it strength. Soon, Terror would eclipse Midnight and break him, the Whisperer would take Terror and reawaken to the world and then truly would the Reign of Terror begin!

Midnight grunted and groaned as he was knocked down again, Terror leering at him hatefully.
“You have only yourself to blame! You feared me and sought to be rid of me! All you did was unleash a new evil upon Equestria!”

Spitting out blood, Midnight looked up at Terror, who had completely transformed into the monster he’d been in the waking world.

But then Midnight noticed something wrong around them. The trees had withered and died, the ground was barren, the nearby brook had become sludge, and dark crystals had erupted like thorns of broken glass here and there.

Midnight looked up at the memory sites drifting above as Terror extended a spear of fire from his horn.
“Ready to die?!”

He lowered his horn and lunged…! *FLASH*

The spear of fire impaled the dying ground and snuffed out as Terror stumbled plot over fetlocks. Vexed, Terror got to his hooves growling, “Come out, Midnight! Face your end like a stallion!”

Panting, Midnight looked around in the memory he’d landed, and saw, “The Library!

He was all but compelled to run inside, and maybe Twilight would be there, but then he noticed something.
“Th- That’s me!

He saw himself looking mopey as the other him walked hesitantly towards the library and knocked on the door.
“What is this…?” Midnight wondered.

Don’t you remember…? This is the night when you went to see Twilight after the love poison…

Midnight watched the memory of himself and Twilight, looking awkward and talking hesitantly.
It was also the night… she hurt your feelings!

There was some kind of dark ripple and Midnight gasped to see Twilight slap him in the face and slam it in her door.
“Wha- I don’t rem- That can’t be-”

But it is, Midnight… and that was just one of many hiccups in your sad pursuits in courting her…

The memory changed and Midnight gasped to see it was the Grand Galloping Gala! Luna was singing her gentle and alluring song, and ponies were dancing slowly as couples. And there he was, dancing with Twilight! But then there was another ripple and he saw Twilight yelling, ‘Ow! You stepped on my hoof!’

He felt his heart hurt as the scene unfolded with Twilight yelling at his memory self, not caring about the undue attention, and his memory self looked so hurt and uncomfortable that he teleported away.

The memory changed again and he saw his past self glaring down at the captured Chrysalis. Another ripple and Midnight watched in horror as his past self raised his horn, but he couldn’t watch and looked away. However he could hear the sound of a head rolling. He peered and was struck in his very core as he saw Twilight looking at his past self in horror.

How many times have you given into your darkest desires…? How can you dare to face her after the terrible things you’ve done…?

“I… I-” Midnight began to hyperventilate, on the verge of breaking into tears when…

”Ah-ha! There you are!

Midnight whirled around and saw Terror rise up from the abyss with a flap of flaming wings, leering down at him vengefully.
“I’m not through with you yet!”

He zoomed and pummeled into Midnight, the both of them flames of energy streaking across the drifting memories. As they tussled and fought, Midnight would have flashbacks of the memories they passed by.

He remembered Twilight’s mania and the ‘want it-need it’ spell.

Dash’s bad attitude during the pegasi’ training for Tornado Day.

Applejack’s unreasonable stubbornness from Applebucking.

Pinkie’s psychotic accusations after her bosses’ cake for the National Desert Competition had been ruined.

Fluttershy’s bullheaded jerkiness after that seminar she took from that blowhard minotaur, Iron Will.

Rarity’s vain and obnoxious behavior because of the wings she got from him and Twilight and how she showed them off in the Best Young Fliers Competition.

He remembered his guy friends teasing him unmerciful after his and Twilight’s unfortunate ingestion of that love poison.

He remembered how everypony avoided Zecora like the plague and called her a witch just because she was different.

So much bad behavior however minor or significant. As he thought more about it, he realized he’d seen bad sides of all his friends, all of them showing behavior stemming from spite, vanity, greed, anger, hubris.

And Terror. However much he reviled him, scared him, disgusted him, Midnight realized something.
He’s still me! …And I pushed him away.

Finally, the two of them landed in a familiar decrepit hall. Terror scraped his hooves along the stone floor, the sparks igniting them aflame as he lunged at Midnight and started pummeling him, Midnight trying his best to get away or block.
“All I ever did, I did to make you strong!!! – THWACK – “Show me how strong you are without me, Midnight Blaze!” – POW – ”Show me!” – BASH – “SHOW ME!!!!!!!!”

Terror brought his hooves together and slammed them both into Midnight’s barrel, an explosive pulse sending Midnight flying straight into a wall, a frightful crack sounding, as Midnight slumped to the floor in agony.

Good, Terror, good…

Terror looked to see the Whisperer on some kind of platform. He then looked around and realized where they were.
“This is the Castle of the Two Sisters… where this waste of flesh protected that whorse Sparkle from Nightmare Moon…”

And where the seed to our destiny was sown… The time has come, Midnight Terror. Finish him, and assume your rightful place as the most powerful being in Equestria!!

As he lay there, broken, battered, unable to so much as cry out in the agony he was in, Midnight whimpered, ashamed, heartbroken, disgusted with himself.
What I wouldn’t give… to stop this. What I wouldn’t give… to see her one last time, if only to tell her…

But then something happened. Even in his fevered and weakened mind, Midnight saw Terror and the Whisperer weren’t moving, as if they were frozen in time.
“What just…?”

You are the Element of Faith. You, of all creatures, cannot give up.

Midnight suddenly found himself surrounded by clouds radiating the gentle gold of a sunrise, he was no longer in pain, and was literally floating.
“Where am I?”

The flap of wings drew his attention and he saw a figure flying through the clouds. For a moment, Midnight thought it was Princess Celestia, given it looked like an alicorn. But then he saw the mane and tail were different, in style and color. The alicorn came forward, radiating a gentle light and Midnight knew this was not Princess Celestia!

It was somepony above even her.

“Who are you…?” he dared to ask.

I am the beginning, I am the end. I am the maker, I am the breaker. the alicorn answered, and Her voice was unmistakably female.

But the voice itself! It made Midnight feel warm, loved, it made him feel safe as though he were a baby being held by his mother for the first time. It made tears, not of sorrow but of joy, well up in his eyes.

Be welcome, my foal. I have long been expecting you. the alicorn opened Her wings and smiled invitingly.

Midnight hunkered and hesitantly approached, so respectful of this creature before him, and before he knew it, She was holding him close in Her wings, hugging him to Her barrel, and Midnight couldn’t help but sob a little.

She gently shushed him and said, Walk with me, Midnight Blaze.

At Her words, a path of gold appeared and She alighted them onto it. She walked ahead for several yards, Midnight transfixed until he hurried to catch up.

“Are... are you…? He was too afraid to ask anything about Her.

I am the Creator of Equestria and everypony in it. Or at least, I am of the Equestria you are in.

Midnight looked at Her in confusion that it made Her laugh a little, the very sound of Her laughter making Midnight smile sheepishly, as though he were a silly foal who'd made his mother laugh.
You are confused, but I believe a certain princess explained something to you after you helped to defeat Nightmare Moon.

Midnight furrowed his brows as he searched his memories and as he did, he realized the Whisperer had been toying with him distorting some of his most cherished memories into visions of horror and hate. But then one memory called to his attention and it made itself known in his mind!

“You see, my little pony, there exist an infinite number of universe spanning the cosmos! Each a reflection of another, some so similar you could search a lifetime for any distinction. Whereas others…”

“Others like Equestria, so different, they defy comprehension.”

Midnight looked up at the alicorn in realization and She smiled at his understanding.
There is truth to Princess Celestia’s explanation – The Multiverse Theory is a truth many would dare to face if only to broaden their horizons whereas others would shy out of fear of the unknown, fear of seeing something they know to be true presented as foreign and unfamiliar.

“Kind of sound like what I was facing…” Midnight looked down shamefully, the alicorn stopping and looking at him inquisitively. “I was so afraid of what I would do if the evil inside became too powerful, I began to think of it like a cancer, and the only option was to cut out the disease… But as I fought him, I saw glimpses of my time in Equestria. I saw sides of my friends and family I was repelled by, some so ugly I was disgusted with them. But I was too afraid to realize that there was a side of me like that too.”

The alicorn touched Midnight under the chin and lifted his face to look at Her.
All of us hold darkness within, Midnight Blaze. All of us have faults, sides of ourselves we would rather ignore instead of face, too afraid to realize how important those sides of ourselves are needed to keep us balanced, grounded, how they can compel us to strive and endeavor regardless of motive.

It is only when we face the worst of ourselves with honest and open minds that we can embrace all that they have to offer and help us find a strength we never knew was there. But if you still have doubt, then allow me to give you glimpse of what can be…

She lowered Her horn and touched it to Midnight’s, and the moment they touched, Midnight found himself not seeing a vision, but living it!

130. The Midnight Dour - Part 10

An alarm clock made Midnight jolt awake and slam his hoof onto it.
“Urgh, What the…?”

He groaned as he stretched out his bed aches and looked around, Wait… this isn’t my room!

He’d been here a few times before. Usually when Twilight invited him in to look at something during their magic sessions.

“Mmm…”

Midnight flinched and gaped to see Twilight in bed with him, slowly waking and smiling when she saw him.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.”

“Uh… good morning, Twilight,” Midnight smiled sheepishly, fearful that this welcoming attitude was but a prelude to the fury she would unleash upon him for trespassing in her home, her bed no less.

Then, to his surprise, she sat up and kissed him on the lips, making him gawk. The look on his face made Twilight giggle, “I take it you had sweet dreams?”

“Uh…” Midnight blushed, unsure of what was going on.

“Mm, would you mind getting breakfast started, I’m not quite ready to get up yet,” Twilight moved her covers off and Midnight almost had a stroke when he saw her belly!

Twilight rubbed her belly lovingly when she said, “Ooh! He kicked me.”

“He?!” Midnight echoed, on the verge of freaking out.

“Call it mother’s intuition, here,” Twilight took Midnight’s hoof and placed it on her stomach, making Midnight feel awkward… until he felt it!

“We…” he looked at Twilight and finally saw the beauty that had stolen his heart, those amethyst eyes sparkling with love as she reached up and held him close, nuzzling him under his chin.

Midnight felt warm, a happiness he’d never known before.

“Mommy, Daddy!”

He jolted as their bedroom door had opened and in ran a little unicorn filly! She had a lighter shade of her mother’s coat and mane but instead of the magenta streak like Twilight had, she had her father’s dark blue, and she’d inherited his turquoise eyes. She ran up and hopped onto the bed, crawling over to her parents and saying, “I’m hungry, can we have waffles for breakfast?”

“Of course we can, sweetie,” Twilight giggled, kissing her little girl before raising her brow at Midnight and somehow he got the idea.

“Okay! I’m going,” he chuckled as he slid out of bed and followed the little filly as she whined at him to hurry up.

But as he made his way out, Midnight saw himself in the mirror and gasped to see… there was something on his flank! A cutie-mark!

But for some reason he could not grasp, Midnight couldn’t see what his cutie-mark was! Every time his mind settled on a conclusion for any detail of the mark, it was as if the mark itself changed into something else entirely.

“Admiring yourself in the mirror again?”

He looked at Twilight, giving him a sneaky look, and he couldn’t help but blush.
“Well, those flanks of yours were a good reason for why I said ‘I do’.”

Midnight felt his heart soar at the meaning behind those words but before he could say anything, “Daddy! Breakfast…!”

“Okay, Okay, I’m coming!” Midnight followed the filly downstairs and as he did, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

She looked so much like her mother but he could easily see himself in her. She hurried over to a table and took a book she had and said, “I’m gonna read while you make breakfast, extra syrup, Daddy?”

“Uh, sure…” Midnight went into the kitchen as he looked around. “Uh… Sweetie? Where’s Spike?”

“Don’t you remember, Daddy?” the filly replied. “Uncle Spike is in Canterlot because Princess Celestia is teaching him to become a diplomat!”

“Diplomat?”

“To the dragons, remember?” the filly clarified. “Can we have apple juice instead of orange?”

“Sure thing,” Midnight decided to just go along with it and reached out with his magic, the ingredients and kitchenware floating out as he got breakfast underway.

In no time at all, Midnight had prepared stacks of waffles, cheesed scrambled eggs, a heap of hay bacon, and had a pitcher of perfectly chilled apple juice ready.
“Uh, baby? Do Daddy a favor and set the table?”

“Okay, Daddy!” the filly came in and looked up at the cupboards.

Midnight watched as she furrowed her little brows and struggled to flare her horn, the cupboards becoming enveloped in a weak turquoise aura as they inched open. Midnight watched proudly as his daughter made some plates float precariously out and the filly began to sweat as he telekinesis made the plates float wobbly towards the table when she grunted and let go. The plates almost fell, only to be caught in Midnight’s own aura.

“My magic stinks!” the filly whined, looking down.

Midnight put the plates on the table and went over to the filly and gave her a squeeze, saying, “Nah, you just need a little practice. Keep it up and you’ll be a better mage than me and your mom someday!”

“No way, you and Mommy are the best mages in Equestria!” She praised him and he couldn’t help but hug her tighter. “Daddy? …You’re squishing me!”

“Oh, sorry, sweetheart!” Midnight wiped a tear away. “I’m just… really happy right now!”

“I’ll go get Mommy!” the filly hurried upstairs while Midnight set up the table and brought out the food.

“Come on, Mommy!”

He looked to see Twilight carefully walking downstairs, and Midnight couldn’t help but think, She looks so beautiful when she’s fat with foal…!

Twilight cried out in alarm when she almost slipped, and Midnight hurried up, to help her.
“Watch yourself! One step at a time…”

“Oh Midnight, stop your fussing,” Twilight giggled lovingly at her husband. “I’m pregnant, not helpless.”

“You… are never helpless,” Midnight kissed her once they reached the foot of the stairs and he helped her to her seat. “Hope everypony’s hungry!”

As the family ate, Midnight and Twilight’s daughter chattered excitably, as little girls do.
“…and the applications for Star Swirl the Bearded’s Amniomorphic spell, I think, hold much more possibilities than previously considered!”

“You’re just like your mother,” Midnight couldn’t help but laugh happily at the similarities as he reached over and pulled his daughter in for a kiss.
“And besides talking about magic, is there anything you wanna do today with your daddy?”

“Don’t you remember, Daddy? You said you were gonna take me to play with all my cousins!”

Midnight looked in query at Twilight and she smiled and nodded, “We scheduled a playdate at the park with everypony, remember? It’s the first in a while that we all gathered together since Rainbow Dash got back from the Wonderbolts for her vacation!”

“And Uncle Blueblood said he was gonna take us all up on his new airship!” the filly added.

Midnight couldn’t help but hang on every word from Twilight and this filly, his wife, his daughter, his family, that would soon have a new addition once the foal in Twilight’ belly was born, and she’d seemed certain it would be a son.

“Daddy? Why are you crying?”

“Huh?” Midnight reached up and felt tears, Twilight asking, “Is everything okay, love?”

Midnight couldn’t hold it in as he got up, went to stand between his two girls, and hugged them close.
“I’m just feeling like the luckiest stallion alive to have you for my family…!”

Twilight and her daughter smiled lovingly as they held the stallion of their house and just let the love flow. Soon they let go, and Midnight said, “So when do we leave?”

In no time at all, the table was cleared, the dishes washed and stowed, and the family was standing before the door, Midnight putting a shawl on Twilight, their daughter getting fidgety.
“Come on, come on! We’re gonna be late! I wanna get some of Auntie Applejack’s cider before Auntie Pinkie takes it all, the big piggy!”

“Sweetie, don’t talk that way about your aunt,” Twilight gently scolded and she gave her husband a kiss.
“I’m ready, are you?”

“I certainly am,” Midnight smiled as their daughter opened the door and they stepped through.

Midnight was blinded by what he thought was the mid-morning sun, but when the light dimmed, he found himself back in the clouds with the alicorn.
“Wait! Where am I?! Where’s my family?!”

What you saw was not real, Midnight Blaze. Rather, it was a possibility.

“No! Send me back!” Midnight cried. “I-”

A heartbreaking realization crossed his mind as Midnight fell down in sobs, “I didn’t even find out my daughter’s name! Uh-huh-huh…!”

The alicorn stepped over and held the sobbing unicorn close.
You are the Element of Faith. You represent hope, hope for yourself, hope for those around you, and certainly hope for the future. So long as you have faith and keep moving forward, if you can face your dark side and accept him, then perhaps one day you will find the name of your daughter within yourself.

Midnight looked up at the alicorn but now he was no longer the scared and anxious pony he’d been before he’d performed that abominable ritual.

He was a stallion, determination blazing in his heart, his spirit lifted by hope of a family with the mare he loved.

You are ready. Go forth, Midnight Blaze, and go with faith.

“Thank you…” whispered Midnight as was faced the shadow behind him. But as he did so, he couldn’t help but look back at the alicorn and finally noticed something about Her.

She looked similar to Celestia. Her coat was heavenly white while Her mane and tail were a gentle red like love, and Her cutie-mark was a quill pen and maroon inkwell.

”Wait!”

The alicorn looked to him and he asked, “Is this real? Or is it all in my head?”

Of course it’s all in your head, Midnight, the alicorn giggled as She gave him the look a of a proud mother. But why should that mean it is not real?

Midnight could not help but smile a little at that comment, but the alicorn still saw some confusion in the unicorn’s face.
You have come far, Midnight Blaze. But that path you walk lies ever on. This is but the first of many trials you will face. You are an oddity, in and of itself, a wrinkle in the grand scheme of things that not even fate could have foreseen. Fate, Midnight, is a peculiar thing. It is a force beyond even divine comprehension – It works unhindered by conscious thought or deliberate intent, and it is for that very simple reason why fate is unpredictable, why it is said that fate works in mysterious ways. But in many ways, it and the common storyteller are very much the same. For what is a story teller but an omniscience presiding over the story which one tells?

Midnight looked at the alicorn, furrowing his brows as he digested all that She had just said to him.

And as I said, Midnight, as far as you feel you’ve come, your journey has only begun. There will be times you are pushed to your limits, you will reach an understanding that makes you an impossible miracle, you will often find yourself alone and unsure. But so long as you have faith that you will have the family you just spent time with, you will find the will to keep moving forward.

Midnight nodded in understanding.

And almost at once, he found himself lying on a cold stone floor, feeling fresh as a daisy.

It’s time to put this wretch out of his misery, Terror!

The Whisperer… Midnight thought but he played dead.

Finish him, and we will rule Equestria as one!

Terror leered down at his ungrateful half and moved to bring the final blow. He reared up, prepared to crush this traitor’s head beneath his hooves when there was a pulse of blue light that sent Terror flying back.

“RRGGH!!” Terror scrambled to his hooves to see Midnight glaring back unflinching. “Why don’t you just die?!”

“I am going to talk and you are going to listen,” Midnight answered in an even tone and for some reason Terror felt obliged to listen.

What’re you waiting for, kill him! the Whisperer shouted only for Terror to yell, “Shut up!”

He looked to Midnight and waited.

Taking a deep breath Midnight began.
“Now I understand… Before, I didn’t realize how important you are, how vital you are as part of me, and you are a part of me. You are me every bit as I am you. You are the rage that emboldens me, the skepticism that keeps me grounded, the envy that drives me to improve. I was so afraid of what that thing behind you was doing to me, that I made all the wrong decisions, and others paid for my mistakes, you especially.

"Even though you are the side of me that isn’t always morally right, I need you as much as I need to breathe, to keep me balanced and whole. And it was my fear that blinded me to that, and while I know it can hardly mean much, I... am sorry.”

Midnight had shed tears, much to Terror’s bewilderment. He’d been expecting some kind self-righteous lecture, an accusation, maybe even hate and a wish for him to go away. But in his other half, he saw none of that! He saw shame, a sincere apology, a wish to make things right.

Don’t listen to him! Kill him and we will rule Equestria! Everything you could ever want will be yours for the taking! Everypony will bow to you, serve your every whim! Just kill him!!!

A rage inflamed him as Terror hunched, ignited his horn… and lunged, spearing it through Midnight!!

The Whisperer sneered in malicious satisfaction, at long last, its final obstacle snuffed out!

But wait, where were the screams? The dying agony? The spill of blood?!

It gawked, unable to understand why Midnight wasn’t bleeding!

Midnight and Terror- Nay, Dark Midnight stood there, Dark Midnight’s horn still piercing Midnight’s barrel, from which there was no bleeding. But then Dark Midnight reverted from his Terror form, his oily black coat brightening to the color of molten gold, his flaming mane quenching into a white mane with streaks of harsh sunray yellow. His eyes were still red but they were passionate and the sclera had turned white as they should be..
“You didn’t try to dodge.”

“Because there was no need to,” Midnight replied as he embraced his darkness, Dark Midnight beginning to shed tears.
“Come back to me, and we can be whole again… Stand with me as one, as we should be, and let us defeat this monster together.”

Dark Midnight pulled his horn from Midnight’s barrel, and there was no wound at all! He looked into his better half’s turquoise eyes and found only love, like one has for a brother.

AAAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHH

They looked to the Whisperer, as it glared at them with eyes of soulless white.
You pathetic piece of filth!! How can you possibly want that blight on your soul back?! He and I drove you to make the wrong choices, provoked you against your friends, isolated you and left you with naught but a desperate measure!!

“You just admitted to being the root of my misfortunes,” Midnight countered, “My darker half has always been there but he was not the real one responsible for influencing my morals. The world is not so black and white as you’re trying to make it sound. True strength comes from embracing differences and using them to support the other where they fall short, and from that unity become stronger.”

The Whisperer growled before leering at Dark Midnight.
You can’t possibly want to go back to this hypocrite! He betrayed you, cut you loose, saw you as an infection to be purged! You go back to him now, he will cage you like a rabid animal!

“I won’t deny I haven’t really liked my other half’s choices as of late,” Dark Midnight admitted, “but he’s right. I can’t live without him any more than he can without me. Being merged with you was nothing but pain, hate, anger, and even darkness isn’t always about the negative. It’s about secrets and discretion, and secrets can be shared when the keeper is ready or is willing to trust. I trust in my other half, for whom without I wouldn’t even be my own self. I would be nothing more than a piece of you, a flawed product of the misguided minds of many.”

The two halves shared a determined look and nodded as they spoke as one, “So we choose to be our self!”

A light shined between them that made the Whisperer snarl and shy away, and when it dimmed, it saw a single Midnight Blaze!

The two remade one, with the only indication of them being previously split was his eyes. The right remained turquoise blue while the left was red but now it was the red of fiery courage.
“You will haunt me no more! Your evil will be vanquished and never again will anypony suffer because of your hate!”

NNNNOOOOOOO!!!!! the Whisperer lunged at Midnight, transforming into a demonic shadowy creature but the moment before its claws could gouge out those miserable eyes…!

A pulse of radiance spread from Midnight’s horn, and the Whisperer shrieked in excruciating torture as it was blown away, the fractured mindscape remade whole as everything was restored.

Midnight smiled as he felt his soul find balance, the red eye reverting to turquoise blue, and the last thing he saw before he woke up was a fond memory of himself with Twilight and Twinken, laughing and enjoying a magic lesson together.

In the waking world, everypony watched anxiously, and were rejoicing!

Midnight’s coat and mane had returned to their real colors, his body now looked healthy and whole, and instead of tossing and turning as though he were having a nightmare, now he looked like he was sleeping peacefully.

“Do you- Do you think he’s done it?” Blueblood asked Sombra.

“Oh I’m certain of it!” Sombra smiled and gasped, “He’s waking up.”

Midnight groaned as he stirred, Twilight at his side, everypony surrounding the bed as Sombra removed the conduit from Midnight’s horn. All eyes were on Midnight’s as they began to flitter open, Twilight whispering hopefully, “Midnight…?”

*BRAAAAAAAAPPPHHH*

“UGH!”
“GROSS!”
“NASTY!”
“PEEYUU!”

“Oooohhh!” Midnight sat up, clutching his stomach, “I feel horrible!”

“You smell horrible, dude!” snapped Thunderlane as he and Soarin flapped the stink away with their wings.
“By the Pale One! Where the buckin’ hay did that come from? ULP!” Soarin gagged.

“ERRGH!” Midnight doubled over, in real pain!

“Midnight, what’s wrong?!” Twilight asked anxiously.

“It’s the Whisperer still inside his body,” Sombra explained, “Back away! Midnight, put your mouth over this bowl!”

Twilight and Big Mac helped Midnight as he did as Sombra asked, a disgusting gurgle coming from his stomach as he groaned, “Make it sto-ha-hop!”

“And now the moment of truth…” Sombra said ominously, his horn flaring a crystalline red radiance.

“Sins of old, of evil’s touch
No more this victim be your crutch
From his being be exorcised
Your crimes laid bare to be despised!

"OMENOUS FINITE!!!"

Midnight was engulfed in Sombra’s power as he felt whatever was making him sick suddenly make him heave and HURK, and before everypony knew it, Midnight vomited a black tar-like goop into the bowl, groaning as he coughed and hacked it all out.

Once they were satisfied it had completely left his body, they all peered at the evil ooze in the bowl. It was like tar, it puckered and popped, simmered and rank.

Sombra then shooed them away as he then levitated a pure white crystal and gently placed it into the middle of the substance. It sucked in the crystal as though it were alive but then they all heard a disturbing shriek as the crystal shined and then there was a disgusting slurping suction-like sound and they realized that somehow the crystal was absorbing the ooze, turning its beautiful white sheen into an oily black.

It was evil in material form, radiating with hate and anger at everything good and bright in the world.

“What’re you gonna do with that…?” Midnight asked in a raspy voice.

Sombra levitated the abomination to his eye-level before he answered.
“…I’m going to smash it!”

And that’s exactly what he did – Sombra threw the crystal to the ground and reared up, bringing down his hooves onto it, smashing it into smithereens! And from the break did burst a great power!

It was blinding and everypony felt like something big had just happened! They watched as the light rose up into the sky, turning a bright red, before it looked like a giant red crystal in the air and they realized it was Sombra’s cutie-mark!

A cluster of red crystal in three points, and it was indeed a large crystal hovering high in the air, radiating with power! And within they saw a figure begin to move, and the crystal cracked before it burst in a blinding ray of crimson light!!!

Once it all died down, they heard a groan, and looked.
“Sombra? Are you alright?” Midnight called out.

And they gasped to see Sombra stand up as a pair of wings spread from his back!

Sombra had changed into an alicorn, he was even taller than he’d been before! His tail had lengthened into a leonine form, a black tuft with a cobalt blue streak, his eyes still gentle green, his mane the same obsidian with a cobalt streak, but his wings were magnificent! They were primarily dark gray like his coat while the primaries shimmered red, green, and blue, the only odd thing about them were the spikes coming out of the wing-joints.

“Sombra…!” Blueblood marveled, “You’ve become an alicorn!”

“Indeed he has.”

All eyes turned towards the smoggy sky as the haze was banished by a ray of light, by the literal break of dawn! And down did descend Princess Celestia, everypony bowing at her coming.

“Rise everypony, especially you, Sombra,” she regarded him warmly and with pride, Sombra nervously standing up straight and everypony was surprised to see Sombra was even taller than Celestia! Although her horn was still longer than his.
“You have walked a long and terrible path, my old friend. And I’m sorry that my decision drove us apart.”

“N-no, Your Highness, I-” Sombra felt Celestia press her hoof to his lips, shushing him.

“It is time to put the past behind us,” Celestia encouraged him, “too long has circumstances kept us apart, and by your spell has a terrible evil been vanquished forever. I understand there will be challenges further along your road, Sombra. But if you are willing, I would gladly walk it with you.”

Sombra shed tears, of joy, of deepest appreciation, as Celestia asked, “Won’t you please accept my love?”

Sombra hesitated, everypony leaning in as the tension built up, when Sombra answered by wrapping Celestia in his new wings, peering into those pale magenta eyes he had loved for so long, and their lips met in subtle passion.

In Canterlot Hall, many had gathered as the doors opened and in walked Sombra, now adorned with his own royal ware, his hooves in hoofboots, a regalia with a lavender ascot, across his back laid a regal cape colored royal purple hemmed with white faux fur, his mane neatly combed wavy, his wings pressed nervously against his caped back through holes in the cape itself. But his face expressed a calmed poise as he focused upon Celestia, who watched him approach proudly, sided by Luna, who looked a little afraid but welcoming nonetheless.

Shining Armor and Cadance were there too, as well as the Elements of Harmony, the Guardians, and their friends Spike, Blueblood, and Soarin.

Along the red carpet, Royal Guards saluted as Sombra passed them by, until at last he stood before Princess Celestia.
“We are gathered here today in celebration of a momentous occasion! My old friend, Sombra, once lost and has been found again, has saved Equestria through his inventing a new spell powerful and undeniable! By his actions, by the very wings on his back, he has proven himself worthy to be crowned Equestria’s newest prince – Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present, for the very first time, Prince Sombra!”

Everypony cheered as Sombra bowed and Celestia placed the cobalt crown with an amber jewel piece upon his head, and he faced his new subjects with a manner dauntless.
“Say something, Prince!”

His ears flicked at Celestia’s encouragement as he cleared his throat and spread his wings to beckon silence.
“It is with great hesitation and even greater humility that I accept this honor and this responsibility. I have made mistakes, monumental ones… and others suffered for my follies, as some of you have doubtlessly heard since the return of the Crystal Empire. But the mistake I regret most of all was refusing the offer to start over when acquiescing could’ve led to a brighter future and spared a great many innocent from a terrible oppression. I would be a fool to have no doubts in accepting this crown when the one I once claimed was built upon a legacy of blood and bones, but I realize that this time I will not have to bear this burden alone.”

Then Sombra turned to face Celestia, and said, “Long ago, you once offered to rekindle our relationship and I turned you down. I will fully understand if you do the same but still I must make this offer. Celestia, I have loved you ever since that cold night when you saved me, a colt who had no one, lost and alone, and I was a fool to spurn your wish to start over. But now that I have come back to you, that we are reunited, I must ask you a question I have dreamed of asking for so long!”

Sombra lit up his horn, and ribbons of prismatic magic unraveled around it before they all zoomed forward and gathered in front of him. The magic came together in resplendent sparkles as something manifested in a brilliance of color, and everypony gasped!

Floating in front of Sombra... was a beautiful jewel shaped like a rose, with crystalline vines forming the likeness of an armlet. The vines were crystalline blue, the leaves a pale green, while the rose was layers of gorgeous petals of orange, yellow, and pink like the shades of a sunrise!

“Princess Celestia,” Sombra looked up hopefully at her, Celestia’s eyes tearing up as she smiled in overjoyed incredulity at Sombra's next words, “Will you marry me?”

The hall had gone as quiet as a tomb as the moments felt like hours when Celestia smiled and threw herself into Sombra, embracing him, her lips finding his, and everypony cheered!

After a few subtle hints for the just-engaged to break it up as their little ponies were watching, the Prince of Shadow and Princess of the Sun stood up and walked hoof in hoof with each other out the hall, as trumpets sounded, ponies cheered as the news spread quicker than a swarm of hungry parasprites, and they all watched as the happy couple took flight and soared into the sun!

The friends looked on happily for Sombra and Celestia when Midnight asked Twilight for a private moment. She obliged and teleported them to her old tower, where she originally resided before she first moved to Ponyville.

While there, they compared notes, Twilight showed Midnight some of her old books and studies, and he hung on every word. Finally, Twilight and Midnight sat down and Midnight said, “I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“Everything,” Midnight’s ears drooped. “I was afraid, Twilight… I was afraid of that evil, how it haunted me, threatened all of friends and family, but what hurt most of all… was that I made you cry.”

“Oh Midnight…” Twilight touched his cheek in understanding. “I can’t imagine what you went through, how afraid and alone you must’ve felt.”

“I was going out of my mind,” Midnight nodded as he pressed Twilight’s hoof to his cheek, finding it comforting.
“And when Terror was merged back into me, it was a nightmare. The Whisperer perverted all the happiest memories I’d made with you, twisted them into ugly lies, and I was so close to giving up… but then, I realized something.”

“What was it?” Twilight and midnight began to move closer.

“There was something I’ve never told you,” Midnight said, “and I would be damned if I left this life without telling you, if only once.”

“And what do you want to tell me…?” Twilight whispered as their lips drew closer.

“Twilight Sparkle, with all my heart and soul, I love you…” Midnight embraced her and met her lips. She did not resist, rather melting into his arms, running her aura through his mane, as they felt a desire as natural as life and death, and decided to take that step together.

Author's Note

This was among my harder arcs and took a lot of brainstorming and I most certainly couldn't have done it without the help of a fellow brony on this site, so I give the warmest thanks to Pontiac56 for all the awesome ideas, suggestions and help!

The opening of this chapter here was a possibility, not the future set in stone, but Midnight has found a new sense of faith, which is what will give him the strength to overcome what I have in store.

As for Midnight and Twilight's daughter, I purposefully left her name unknown as another incentive for him to face the future.

Oh! And for those of you who didn't see the implication, Midnight and Twilight both lost their virginity in this chapter.

The illustrations are yet more of Hoodwink's amazing work!

Here's a close-up of the engagement jewel Sombra proposed to Celestia with for her hoof in marriage:

131. The Midnight Dour - Epilogue

In Canterlot General Hospital, the receptionist heard the doors open and in walked a Hooded Pony.

“Excuse me, I am here to see the patient of room 8-10.”

“I’m sorry sir, but visiting hours are over,” the receptionist replied, only for the Hooded Pony’s eyes to glow an enthralling white.

“But I am a member of the medical staff…” he spoke softly and quietly.

“But you are a member... of the medical staff,” echoed the receptionist, dazed.

“I have an obligation to my patient.”

“You… have an obligation… to your patient.”

“My patient will see me now.”

“Your patient… will see you now,” the receptionist invited, the Hooded Pony walking past her desk.

“Thank you, miss.”

The Hooded Pony walked the halls, casting a memory-distortion spell upon his cloak, causing anypony who saw him to think him mundane and beneath their notice and interest, dismiss him and have virtually no memory of him. He came to the room he was looking for, seeing the name below the number.

He opened the door, stepped in, and took in the patient lying on the bed. It was a unicorn mare, sleeping a dreamless sleep, as she had been for many years. The Hooded Pony sat at her bedside and shed a tear in exquisite sorrow before he whispered, “Hi, Mom.”

Author's Note

Who duzent like a Jedi Mind Trick ref? :rainbowwild:

Another illustration commissioned by Hoodwink

132. Games Ponies Play - Part 1

In the weeks that followed the defeat of Terror, the vanquishing of the Whisperer, and the coronation of Prince Sombra, Twilight and Midnight became closer than ever. Whenever Midnight finished his chores at Sweet Apple Acres, he went to see Twilight, or she would find some excuse to come see him. They went out on dates, were caught making out or just cuddling, and then Twinken found out and cheered for the idea of having Twilight as a new sister. While Twilight found the idea a little too soon for that, Midnight gave Twinken a wink, as if he knew something.

However, Midnight also spent a fair amount of time assisting in the repairs of Ponyville, which was dealt some damage in the fight between Terror and Sombra. While the damage was bad, it could’ve been a lot worse and most of it was concentrated in the neighborhood between Twilight’s library and Sugarcube Corner.

Even though it had been Terror, Midnight still felt responsible, and helped however he could. Pinkie and the Cakes were happy to have their bakery repaired and even improved! Pinkie’s loft apartment above the bakery was expanded, looking like three cupcakes atop the bakery instead of just one, and Midnight improved the Cakes’ ovens and mixers and charmed their dishes to gather, wash, and put themselves away (which was appreciated but would take some getting used to).

Equestria itself was going through a transition as their new prince had made a successful proposal to their long-cherished Princess of the Sun. The idea of one of their co-rulers being wed was staggering by itself, but there was more to it than that. Of course, Equestria, for most of her history since Celestia was forced to banish her sister to the moon, had been ruled by a single princess for millennia. Then upon the Thousandth Summer Sun Celebration, Nightmare Moon had returned and was reverted back to Princess Luna by the Elements of Harmony.

And even before Luna had returned, the realm had found a new princess in Cadance although she eventually found her own piece of the realm alongside her husband, Shining Armor, who became Equestria’s first alicorn prince.

Now there was Sombra, previously an infamous tyrant, now redeemed and ascended to divine rule, and now engaged to their most beloved princess.

What would this mean once they were wed? Would Sombra rule alongside the Royal Sisters? Would they dare to claim positions even higher? Or would he simply be Celestia’s consort and be charged duties of his own by her?

Celestia only knew, and for now that was how it was gonna stay. Furthermore, their wedding plans weren’t being shared, for one of the nation’s most famous events, known worldwide, was soon to take place, the Equestria Games!

The question right now, however, was where in Equestria would the Games take place?

Midnight and Twilight were in the park, just nuzzling against each other on a bench, enjoying the sunshine.

“Ah, the breeze feels great!” sighed Twilight, feeling very content as she rested her head onto the shoulder of her stallion.
“This was such a good idea, honestly? I’m beginning to see the merits of getting out.”

“Instead of confining yourself in that stuffy library?” cracked Midnight, Twilight looking at him with a pouty lip.

“I thought you liked visiting my library!”

“Oh I do,” Midnight shrugged before he kissed her. “But I love visiting you more.”

“Tease,” giggled Twilight when a shadow fell upon them and they looked to see, “Ditzy! How are you?”

“Hi Twilight, Midnight!” Ditzy landed a little clumsily but kept on her hooves before she reached into her mailbag and fished out a scroll.
“Delivery from the Crystal Empire!”

“Oh thanks!” Twilight took the scroll and quickly recognized it was bound by a royal seal. “It must be from Cadance and my brother!”

“Have a good day, you two, got more mail to deliver!” Ditzy took flight, Midnight calling after her, “Thanks, Ditzy! Say hi to Dinky and Time Turner for us!”

He then looked to his marefriend, asking, “What’s it say?”

“Dear Twilight,

I hope you’re doing well and this message doesn’t come at a bad time. But as you are aware, the Equestria Games isn’t far off, and we’ve recently received word that Ms. Harshwhinny, the Head Organizer of the event, will be paying a visit tomorrow to the Crystal Empire, as she comes to inspect if the empire is satisfactory enough to host the Games.

Shiny suggested you would be a big help and I was inspired to invite you and all your friends early to the empire to help put together a warm reception for Ms. Harshwhinny, in the hopes that such will convince her to choose the Crystal Empire to host this year’s Equestria Games. I eagerly await your response, and hope to see you soon.

Love,
Cadance

P. S.
I am so happy for you and Midnight!”

Midnight blushed, feeling oddly blessed that the Princess of Love was happy for his and Twilight’s relationship, while Twilight began to think.
“Hmm, putting together reception for the games inspector sounds like a big responsibility!”

“And I can’t think of anypony better qualified to pull it off,” Midnight nuzzled against her encouragingly. “Besides, I’d like to go to the Crystal Empire and actually have a chance to do some sightseeing!”

“Well… if you think I can do it,” Twilight gave him a thankful look, Midnight kissing her on the cheek.

“I know you can.”

“Alright then, let’s go spread the word to our friends!”

Midnight got the word to the guys while Twilight informed the girls.

“Are you serious?!”
“Cady wants us to help with the reception?”
“Sounds big!”
“Eeyup.”

“Apparently, Princess Cadance wants our help in putting together an impressive welcoming committee for the Games Inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Midnight confirmed.
“She asked for us specifically after Shining Armor suggested Twilight help organize things.”

“Well, friend, Cadance can always count on me to lend a helping hoof,” Blueblood nodded regally.

“It does sound pretty awesome,” Thunderlane commented.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac echoed.

“It’s not awesome,” Soarin conflicted, the guys giving him a confused ‘huh?’
“It. Is… SERIOUS. And if any place deserves to host the Equestria Games, it is most definitely the Crystal Empire. I mean, they lost a thousand years! They deserve an awesome comeback, and have a lot of time to make up for.”

“Then… you’re all in?” Midnight presumed with a smile.

“We’re in!” the guys cheered and they did a collective hoof-bump.

Later on that day Midnight and Big Mac hauling bales of hay into the barn when Spike showed up.

“Hey Spike, what brings you by?” Midnight asked as he hauled a couple hay bales towards a corner, beginning to stack them neatly.

“Hey Midnight, Big Mac,” Spike said, waving what looked like a measuring cup, and something inside rattling. “I hear from Fluttershy you’re all headed over to the Crystal Empire to set up a welcoming committee.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac confirmed as he stacked the bales as Midnight straightened them out.

“Well, seeing as how you’re all gonna be out of town for a day or two…” Spike sounded oddly sly. “I thought maybe you might need someone to do some critter-sitting for your own critters.”

“And… what makes you think that?” Midnight regarded Spike with a raised brow.

“Oh nothing!” Spike said in spurious innocence, “Just that when Fluttershy told me about how you’re all gonna be gone a while, she hired me to pet-sit for her rabbit, Angel.”

Midnight and Big Mac shared a look and stifled some knowing chuckles as they had the same thought, This poor damn fool...

“And that got me thinking,” Spike went on, failing to notice, “that if all of you are gonna be gone, then, like I said, you’ll need someone to look after Dreamer and…. Uh… What’s your pet, Big Mac?”

Big Mac took a deep breath and went, “Cock-a-doodle-doo!!”

And not three seconds after he did, a clucking caused them all to look towards the barn door and in came a hen of golden plumage, scurrying over to Big Mac, who picked up the hen and gently petted her wing.
“This here’s mah fav’rite hen, Goldilocks. Hatched `er from an egg.”

“Surprised that big red rump didn’t crush it,” cracked Midnight, Spike laughing along while Big Mac just took it in stride. But then Midnight got serious.
“Spike, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think you’re prepared to look after Dreamer. He’s gotten… high-spirited ever since he had his growth spurt.”

“Aw, come on, Midnight, how big can he be?” Spike scoffed. “Last time I saw him, he was still a puppy, small enough to be hugged by me.”

“Exactly, the last time you saw him, he was that small,” Midnight deadpanned before he whistled loudly towards the barn door.

Spike shook his head incredulously, Seriously, how big could he have gotten in… wait, when did I last see Dreamer?

*BARK, BARK*

What sounded like thunder made Spike jolt before something big and black barreled through the barn doors and lunge snarling at Midnight, Spike screaming, “Look out, Midnight, it’s a monster!!!”

“Sit.”

*BOOM*

Spike lowered his shielding arms, opened his scrunching eyes and felt his jaw drop at the sight of the big black wolf!

Dreamer’s growth spurt had done him quite a favor. He was sitting and almost eye-level to Midnight, his fur black like night, his paws banded white as though he ran on clouds, a shimmering silver star glorified his chest, and his eyes were green as a pine forest. His puppy fat had been swapped for strong muscles made for running, and his tongue looked big enough to slurp up Spike up with one lick.

“Hey there, boy!” Midnight took a dog brush and ran it through Dreamer’s fur, making the ferocious beast pant happily at how good it felt, and his long and bushy tail wagged as further emphasis.

“Whoa…!” Spike’s eyes had all but popped out of his skull before he shook it off and regained his composure. “Pphth, no sweat! Big guy like this? Why, he’s practically a stuffed animal.”

“A stuffed animal whose jaws can exert a crushing pressure of maybe 10, 340 kPa,” Midnight added with a raised brow, Spike feeling a bit of his enthusiasm deflate but for whatever reason Midnight could not fathom, the little dragon was determined.

“Midnight, come on! It’s me,” Spike waved off the concern. “I’m not Twilight’s #1 Assistant for nothing, y’know! I’ve been an efficient, diligent, and magnificent assistant to her for as long as I can remember! Please…!”

“Well…” Midnight and Mac shared a look, but the way Spike was looking at them finally made them cave. “Fine… We’ll pay you to watch Dreamer and Goldilocks.”

“One gemstone each!” Spike held out his cup, showing there were already three gemstones inside.

Midnight threw in a turquoise while Big Mac threw in a piece of amber.

“Bring them by the library before you all leave tomorrow,” Spike hurried off, the distinct sound of slurping following him.

“Something tells me he’s not doing this out of the good of his heart,” Midnight deadpanned, and got an 'Eeyup.' from Big Mac in agreement

Author's Note

This features "Games Ponies Play" the coinciding episode will only be seen where needs be

133. Games Ponies Play - Part 2

“All I’m saying is,” Rainbow Dash said the next morning at the library, “you might wanna think about a helmet.”

She ducked as her pet tortoise, Tank, hovered precariously overhead without direction via his magic-powered propeller, fastened to the back of his shell.

“Yeah, you only wanna get hit in the head by a flying tur- Sorry, tortoise once,” Soarin added as he opened the carrier he’d brought and out slithered a serpent of shimmering scales and feathered wings colored shades of blues and greens.
“Also, be mindful of Skye’s wings, she tends to molt when she gets nervous but a kiwi or two will calm her down.”

“A thousand plus karats of pure deliciousness…” Spike looked dreamily into his cookbook, not really paying attention when Tank accidentally knocked off his chef’s hat while everypony else arrived with their pets.

“Looks like our lil’ Spike’s got himself a regular pet daycare here, eh Big Macintosh?” Applejack commented as she led in Winona, who quickly went over and gave Spike a friendly lick, Mac nodding, “Eeyup” as he gently set down Goldilocks, who awkwardly began to explore the room.

“Now be sure to get Winona some playtime,” Applejack reminded Spike while hoofing over the leash. “She tends t’ get a lil’ wild if she don’ get `er exercise.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Spike waved off, only for somepony to whirl him about face to face with a serious-looking Blueblood.

“Now, Spike, I am entrusting you with the care of my fine Splendor,” he held out his hoof to reveal his pet peacock, the gorgeous bird already fanning his magnificent tail.

Blueblood poked his hoof against the little dragon’s belly, sternly saying, “If I come back to find so much as one tail feather damaged or missing, so help me, young drake…!”

“Blueblood, dear!” Rarity held her stallion’s cheek reassuringly, “I have every confidence my little Spikey-wikey is up to the task of giving Splendor and my precious Opal-wopal all the tender loving care they’ll need.”

“Well… if you’re certain, perfect,” Blueblood smiled sweetly at his Rarity but once the fashionista had turned away, he discreetly threatened Spike, “One …! Feather…”

Blueblood followed Rarity, Spike making a face at him when there was an oddly high sound he almost didn’t hear and he gasped to see a few of his gems crack.
“Augh! What happened to my gems?!”

“Sorry about that.”

He looked up to see Thunderlane, putting a bag down while holding his wing out, “My little buddy here has quite a set of pipes.”

“Who?” Spike gave him a look.

Thunderlane answered by whipping his wing up and out flapped a bat shrilling as it quickly made for a shadowy corner above a bookshelf.
“That’s Soundwave, usually he prefers to be asleep during the day. So just feed him his feed in this bag here when he wakes up and let him fly about a bit in the room, he won’t be much trouble.”

“Uh-huh…” Spike glared at the flying rodent for nearly ruining his baking plans but he was satisfied to see only a few of his gems had cracked and they were still in one piece.

“I don’t remember seeing critters on the invite list.”

All eyes turned to see Twilight with Owlowiscious on her back and her saddlebags strapped to her barrel.

“That’s because Spike was kind enough to offer his services in critter-sitting for them,” Midnight informed her, Dreamer at his side, but the tone of his voice caused Twilight to regard Spike suspiciously.

“Is that so…?”

Spike smiled innocently, only to get tickled by Soarin’s feathered serpent Skye, making him yelp when in trotted Fluttershy with Angel on her back.
“So sorry I’m late, silly bunny had hidden his brush!”

She showed Spike a basket of Angel’s toiletries, “Be sure you get plenty on his tail or it won’t get as poofy as he likes it.”

“Come on everypony!” Applejack called as she stood by the door, “Or wer’ gonna miss th’ train!”

The pet owners all started giving their critters farewells while Spike said to Twilight, “So! …What’re you thinking about that hooting little friend of yours? S’pose you’ll want me to keep an eye on him too!”

“And I’m certain a loyal and generous #1 Assistant would be more than happy to do such for Twilight… free of charge!” Midnight glared at Spike, making him sweat.

“It would be nice,” Twilight considered, “but I’m not so certain, Spike. You barely managed to convince me you could be responsible for Peewee after that ice-cream incident.”

“You honestly think you can tackle the responsibility of twelve different kinds of pets?” Midnight added with a raised brow.

“Oh pshaw… I’ll be fine!” Spike ushered them all out.

“You’re absolutely sure you can do this?” Twilight asked again, still uncertain.

“Of course! Wouldn’t have agreed to it if I couldn’t, piece of cake!” Spike replied confidently before he pulled up a cookbook “Speaking of cake…I’ve got a little something I need to attend to.”

“Yes, Spike, you do have something to attend to,” Midnight said with a warning tone, “a houseful of critters that need a lot of attention!”

Spike flinched at Midnight’s tone and quickly recovered, “Uh- Yeah! Exactly what I was saying. Relax! Go to your welcoming thing in the Crystal Empire!”

Midnight and Twilight started to leave, Spike adding, “Spike’s got it all under control.”

Twilight gave Spike a smile and for a moment was assured… up until the library door closed. Almost immediately, from within the library sounded like a circus gone haywire, making Midnight and Twilight flinch in worry!

But before the two could check into it, Midnight felt a tug at his tail, Soarin yelling, “Hurry up, you two! The train’s getting ready to leave!”

As they stepped onto the train platform, the conductor was already asking for tickets as the passengers stepped aboard.
“Oh, this is gon’ be a real treat!” said Applejack.
“Not just for us. Cadance said that the Crystal Ponies are very excited!” agreed Blueblood.

“Duh! Of course they’re excited!” Rainbow Dash spoke up.
“They’re up for the Equestria Games! The biggest, most awesome sporting event in the nation!” added Soarin.

“Didn’t Cloudsdale host the Equestria Games one year?” inquired Rarity, only to get a big fat “No!” from both Dash and Soarin.

“Cloudsdale should’ve hosted the Games that year,” Soarin grumbled like a pouting colt.

Rainbow gloomily fluttered down before she said, “I’ll never forget the day when we got the bad news… I was just a filly, around the squirt’s age probably. There I was, standing on my dad’s back, eagerly awaiting the announcement, and it came… and when it did I wish it hadn’t! The games that year were held in Fillydelphia! I screamed ‘no’ in disappointment!”

“That was you?!” Soarin gaped at her before he despondently said, “I was there too! I cried my eyes out when the announcement came!”

“Well there won’t be a tear from the Crystal Ponies!” Rainbow declared, “They already lost a thousand years because of an evil curse. They’ve had enough bummers, so we’re gonna make sure they don’t feel the same pain we did that fateful day, Soar!”

“You’re damn right we are, Dashie!” Soarin and Dash locked hooves and growled determinedly as they held each other’s game face, the passion making everypony step back one to be on the safe side.

“You guys are right!” Midnight smiled confidently as he said, “Princess Cadance is counting on us to do our parts in convincing the Games Inspector to choose the Crystal Empire!”

“And we are not gonna let her down, are we?” Twilight agreed.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO….!!!!”

Pinkie Pie then noticed the looks everypony was giving her, “What? I was just answering Twilight’s question.”

“Pinkie Pie? You are so random,” deadpanned Blueblood.

Pinkie shrugged when Rainbow up and pointed her hoof in Pinkie’s face “And don’t make it sound like we failed, got it?”

“Mhhm.” Pinkie just nodded.

The train ride took a while so the friends discussed what they could do to impress the games inspector, during which Pinkie had suggested some kind of cheer routine.

“I think a cheer sounds like a splendid idea,” Rarity commented.

“Mm, it sounds like a good opening thing,” Soarin considered, “but Ms. Harshwhinny is very difficult to please! I wonder if we can work some Wonderbolt magic into this…”

“Oh you guys won’t be a part of the cheer, Soarin,” Twilight spoke plainly, Soarin gaping at her incredulously. “I think the girls and I should handle the welcoming committee, otherwise Ms. Harshwhinny will feel crowded if it’s all eleven of us!”

“She has a point,” Midnight agreed with an apologetic smile to Soarin, who huffed. “Besides, too many viewpoints would be rather confusing if we all just yapped about this and that.”

“Also…” Twilight spoke up hesitantly. “Big Mac, you really don’t say any more than you have to and you and Thunder don’t really know much about the Crystal Empire, Soarin, being a Wonderbolt you could draw undue attention which would impede our tour and Midnight…”

She looked at him and he waited expectantly when she shrugged, “Well there’s nothing really wrong with you, actually.”

The other stallions raised their brows while the girls sans Rainbow Dash giggled at the way their two favorite unicorn mages blushes and nuzzled cheeks.

“So then, ladies!” Rainbow spoke up, “Let’s get our cheer on!”

Author's Note

Soarin's pet is a feathered serpent named Skye, inspired somewhat by the Mesoamerican Quetzalcoatl. I thought something cool would contrast with Rainbow's choice, Tank, who originally did not fit her shallow ideal image of a pet until she recognized his tenacity.

Blueblood's pet peacock Splendor seemed fitting in being a glamorous pet for a high society pony, and his protectiveness of Splendor's tailfeathers were meant to be funny yet emphasizing he does care for his pet.

I gave Thunderlane a pet bat because it was originally one of Rainbow's top choices and named it Soundwave after my favorite Decepticon (from Transformers: Prime)

Also, I liked the idea of making Soarin as pumped up as Rainbow in this excursion of impressing the Games Inspector, as they both apparently come from Cloudsdale

134. Games Ponies Play - Part 3

The Friendship Express came to a screeching halt at the Crystal Empire Train Station, the conductor, Steamer, poking his head into the car behind the engine and announcing, “Crystal Empire, everypony! Watch your step leaving the train!”

He then gaped at the car being covered with ponies askew, a few with their faces plastered against the wall, some in a heap over each other, all of them looking dizzy except for one stallion who calmly made his way off.

“Prob’ly should’a watched our step while we wer’ still on it too,” Applejack grunted as she pushed Pinkie’s butt off her head.

"Eeyup..." groaned Big Mac as he rubbed his sore head.

In no time at all, the friends left the train and started leaving the station although Pinkie was sure to grab a snack from the station food stand. As she gulped a cinnamon roll, she looked ahead and gasped, “Wow! The Crystal Empire looks even crystalier than ever!”

As they entered the streets, left and right were the Crystal Ponies going to and fro, wiping windows, vacuuming the streets, polishing the crystal buildings, all of them shimmering their crystal coats.

“Ha-ha-wow!” Thunderlane smiled as he commented, “Everypony here must be out and about cleaning the place spotless!”

“Guess this explains why they asked us to handle the welcoming committee,” Midnight agreed.

Rainbow flew overhead as they passed the Crystal Heart, as she said, “And probably because we’ll be so awesome at it!”

At that moment, two crystal fillies, each with a small flag in her mouth, ran past excitably, Blueblood stating, “Cady wasn’t exaggerating! These ponies certainly look excited.”

“Yup, I remember that feeling,” said Rainbow as she scooped up one of the fillies, “but not as much as I remember the crushing wave of disappointment that came when things didn’t work out!”

Everypony flinched at the quivering lip of the filly when Soarin gently snatched from Rainbow’s arms, saying, “Dashie! We’re trying to keep their hopes up, not knock `em down like we were in Cloudsdale?!””

He set the filly down and picked up her flag, winging it to her before he gently scooted her along to join her friend. Soarin then gave Rainbow the stink eye, making the rainbow mare smile sheepishly before she was hoisted by Twilight’s magic and everypony followed her to their destination.

They soon arrived at the Crystal Empire’s most premiered Beauty Spa, Twilight confirming, “We’re here.”

“There they are!” said a happy voice to which Twilight and Blueblood both perked.

Princess Cadance hopped forward, despite having been in the middle of a hooficure and went up to Twilight, the both of them doing their fillyhood shake.
“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

They giggled when Blueblood spoke up, “Good to see you again, Cadance!”

“Bluey!” Cadance went up and gave him a hug, which he was happy to return when his fillyfriend’s gasps earned his attention.

“Oh my, this is spectacular!” Rarity swooned at the beauty treatments, one mare soaking her mane, another getting an obviously effective back massage.
“Please everypony stand back, I need air!”

“Go ahead and try whatever you like, it’s all complimentary for the welcome committee,” Cadance invited her, much to Rarity’s giggling excitement. Cadance then pointed, “That over there is a crystal mud bath, which relaxes your body and rejuvenates your coat!”

Except for Blueblood, the idea of a mud bath was lost on the stallions who all just shrugged and allowed their female friends to take it in, as Cadance went on, “Now, I realize it can be kind of strange to bathe in mud, but I’m sure if you just give it a chance, I’m sure-”

“Whoo-hoo!”

They all barely dodged a pink blur that swung outta nowhere before it landed with an oddly cushioned bounce into the mud bath, which behaved more like some kind of gelatin mold as Pinkie giggled, “So relaxing!”

“Pinkie Pie! Honestly!” Twilight admonished, only to feel a hoof on her shoulder and saw it was Cadance, a sneaky look in her eye that made Twilight smile back sheepishly. Cadance then took a breath with the clear manner that Twilight follows her lead, and they both exhaled, Twilight feeling the stress leave her along with the carbon dioxide.

“Wow, you know her pretty well,” Midnight commented to Cadance, who smiled back.

“Well, I wasn’t her favorite foal-sitter for nothing,” she replied before saying to everypony, “Go ahead and enjoy yourselves, everyone! I just have to get my ceremonial headdress done.”

“Ceremonial headdress?” echoed Rarity, Blueblood chuckling as he had an idea of where this was going.

Cadance lied back onto the chair, her hoofmares bringing in the necessities as she explained, “When meeting with important guests, it was tradition for the female court mares of the Crystal Empire to weave crystals into their manes in a very specific way. The Games Inspector is known for doing her homework.”

“Ergo, she will be expecting you to look the importance reflecting her visit,” Blueblood deduced with a smirk.

“Exactly, Blueblood,” Cadance nodded, “so once that’s done-”

The doors of the spa opened and in rushed a crystal stallion wearing the Crystal Empire Heralding uniform. He had a shimmering green coat, amber eyes, and white mane, his cutie mark a mail envelop with wings, reflecting his speed as he zipped up to Cadance’s side, saluting.
“Princess! Pardon the intrusion, but I just received two words that concern you!”

“Well, what’s the trouble, Fleet Mail?” Cadance didn’t like the sound of his voice.

Fleet Mail lowered his hoof and looked uncomfortable at being the bearer of bad news.
“First, your mane-stylist has the flu and won’t be able to see to your headdress, also because she doesn’t want you to catch her illness too!”

“Oh! Well…” Cadance sounded concerned, much to everypony else’s, “I hope she feels better soon! Do any of the other stylists present know how to prepare the traditional royal ceremonial headdress?”

The stylists all muttered to each other in concern and it became blatantly apparent that the answer to Cadance’s query was no.

“Oh…” Cadance did her moment of taking a breath and letting it out. “Well… it’s just a small detail.”

“Hold… it!” Soarin butted in, “The objective here is to host the Equestria Games in the empire!”
“He’s right, there is no such thing as a ‘small detail’!” Rainbow added insistently.

“Guys…!” Midnight gritted his teeth at them.

“I suppose…" All eyes turned to Rarity, "I could give it a shot!”

“Oh Rarity, you would do that for me?” Cadance sounded ecstatic.

“We would do it for you, Cady!” Blueblood stepped up, smiling proudly at his mare. “I might not be on par with my beloved in mane aesthetics, but I have been taking lessons so as to be capable of helping my Rarity with her own mane.”

“Oh…!” Rarity swooned lovingly at him.

“Well, fortunately, I have all the precise instructions right here,” Cadance lit up her horn to open a chest two of her hoofmares were holding up and levitated out a rolled up parchment. She hung it up from a decorative crystal wall-piece and let it unfurl, revealing a rather long list of instructions.

“Oh my!” Rarity took it all in, Blueblood starting to wonder if they were about to bite off more than they could chew.

“Are the two of you sure you’re up for this?” Cadance asked them, Rarity nodding determinedly.

“Working on the hair of royalty for such an auspicious occasion is the opportunity of a lifetime! I’m sure if Blueblood and I give it our all, we shan’t disappoint!”

“You see, Cady?” Blueblood felt his confidence return by Rarity’s gusto, “Nothing to worry about. Besides, the Inspector is not due for several hours.”

“We should have plenty of time to figure out exactly how… to do this…” Rarity gave the list a closer look and felt some of her confidence deflate, but Cadance failed to notice as she rejoiced, “Oh Rarity, Bluey, I’ll definitely owe you for this!”

“Uh…”

They all looked to Fleet Mail, who had appeared to have developed an interest in his hooves as he hesitantly reminded them, “There’s one more thing I have to tell you…”

“Yes? What is it?” Cadance inquired politely.

“Well… the Games Inspector, Ms. Harshwhinny? Heh-heh, you’re gonna get a real kick out of this,” Fleet chuckled sheepishly.

“Get on with it,” Midnight waved him on.

“Ms. Harshwhinny… isduetoarriveonthenextrainbye!” Fleet instantly zipped out before everypony could begin to panic.

Rainbow yelled out the door after him, “Ya couldn’t have told us that news first?!”

“The next train?! That’s in the next fifteen minutes!” Soarin spazzed.

Midnight grabbed and shook the Wonderbolt by the shoulders as he yelled, “Get a hold of yourself!”

Rarity and Blueblood began to sweat as they skimmed the instructions, Applejack and Thunderlane hurried to the doors and looked out them, almost expecting the inspector to show up at any moment, Fluttershy fretting, Big Mac trying to calm her and an anxious Pinkie down while Twilight did Cadance’s calming technique and gathered herself.

She approached Rarity and Blueblood, “How long before Cadance is ready?”

Blueblood 'hmm'd as he gave the instructions a closer look while Rarity said, “Well, if we work together, and maybe find some shortcuts…”

“Can you have her back at the castle when you’re done?” Twilight asked.

“Done!” assured Blueblood, nodding determinedly.

Cadance smiled proudly at her cousin while Twilight picked up a note Fleet Mail had left behind, muttering, “Okay, we’ll be fine…

“Alright girls, let’s get to the station,” Twilight announced, “Midnight, you, Thunder, Mac, and Soarin help out however Cadance says you can while we attend to Ms. Harshwhinny.”

“Whatever you say, Twily,” Midnight nodded helpfully, Twilight smiling at his calling her ‘Twily’. For all her life, only her brother had called her that, but ever since they started dating, Midnight had taken up the same quirk. She loved it!

“Alright, girls,” Twilight led Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy out the doors, “Be on the lookout for the pony with the flower print luggage.”

Once they were gone, Midnight and the guys turned to Cadance, Midnight asking, “So Princess, any way we can help? Or… perhaps you could direct me to Shining Armor?”

“Move along, gents!” Blueblood got pushy, “Rarity and I cannot concentrate if we are distracted from this most delicate of operations!”

“Um, if you’re looking for Shining Armor, Midnight,” Cadance called after him as Blueblood pushed him and the other stallions out, “he’s training some athletes for the games over at the Crystal Stadium!”

Blueblood shoved his friends out the doors, slamming them shut before he turned to face Rarity and Cadance. Cricking his neck, he furrowed his brows as he stated, “Let’s get started…”

The stallions wandered for a block or two when Midnight decided, “I’m gonna go see Shining Armor, what about all of you?”

“We should go check at the station,” Soarin suggested, “just… y’know make sure the girls are doing okay.”

“I’m up for it,” Thunderlane agreed, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup.”

“Alright, check in with you all later,” Midnight broke away and went down a street. But it wasn’t until he reached its end that he realized something, I don’t know where the stadium is!

Soarin, Thunderlane, and Big Mac reached the train station although the last train had already left.
“Do either of you guys see the girls?” Thunderlane asked as they looked around.
“Nnope,” Big Mac answered.
“Huh, they must’ve already left with the Inspector," Soarin shrugged before asking, "Now whaddoo we do?”
“Well, we could go check in on Princess Cadance,” Thunderlane suggested, “she didn’t actually get a chance to give us something else to-”

“You there!”

They looked over to the far end of the platform and noticed a rather stern looking mare. Her coat was caramel while her mane and tail were colored like honey. She wore a purple suit, a pink scarf around her neck, and her cutie-mark was a golden trophy. She carried with her a flower print case.

She approached the three stallions, asking, “By any chance would you three stallions know of any tour guides around?”

“Nnope,” Big Mac shook no.

But Soarin stepped up, “But we’d be glad to fill in for you, miss! We were gonna help our friends with an important errand but they decided they had enough hooves on board already.”

“Hmm, very well,” the mare agreed, sounding miffed as she said, “I was expecting an appointment with somepony but seeing as they are late I suppose I’ll make do with you.”

She reached to get her bag, Big Mac coming up, “Lemme take tha’ for ya, miss.”

“Thank you, but be careful, it’s heavy,” she said with her nose in the air, and Big Mac found her words to be ridiculously true as he struggled to hold the bag up in his mouth.
“Honestly, I was expecting some ponies to receive me upon my arrival and they find the nerve to stand me up.”

“Well that doesn’t sound very courteous,” Thunderlane commented in understanding. “If somepony makes an appointment with another, it’s only polite to honor the commitment.”

“Indeed!” the mare huffed, “They will surely hear of this in my review, but seeing as I have time before my appointment I would appreciate a tour of the city, if you gentlecolts don’t mind.”

Big Mac and Thunderlane shared a troubled look but Soarin said, “Sure, miss! I can give you a good tour, and my boys here will be glad to help!”

Soarin yelped as he felt the guys yank him back by his tail, pulling him into a huddle.
“Soar, what’re you doing?! We don’t know the empire well enough to give a tour!”
“Nnope.”
“Guys, relax! During our first visit, me and Blue helped the girls set up the Crystal Faire while you and Midnight were fighting Sombra! I still have a good memory of the empire’s layout and remember a few of the sites of interest. We’ll be okay!”
“Well… if you’re really sure.”

“Is there a problem?”

They all looked up from the huddle, seeing the mare’s patience was wearing thin.

“No problem at all, miss!” Soarin smiled eagerly. “Just follow us and we’ll show you a swell time!”

“Oh! Sorry, we forgot to introduce ourselves,” Thunderlane brought up. “I’m Thunderlane, these are my friends Big Macintosh and Soarin.”

“And you are…?” Soarin invited.

“You may address me as…” the mare hesitated a moment before nodding, “Ms. Honeywheat.”

Midnight wandered the streets for a few minutes, trying to get his bearings until he finally decided to ask directions.

“Um, excuse me, miss,” he addressed a crystal mare who gasped at the sight of him.

“Oh my! It’s Sir Midnight Blaze, the Great Guardian of Harmony!” she squealed in delight, several crystal ponies taking notice and smiling as they heard her exclamation.

Almost at once, several crystal ponies started to mob Midnight.
“It’s one of the empire’s heroes!” “Hail Great Guardian Midnight!” “Can I have your autograph?!”

“Please, please!” Midnight was becoming quite uncomfortable as he yelled, “I’m trying to find Prince Shining Armor, could anypony here direct me to the Crystal Stadium?”

“Me!”
“No, me!”
“I can get you there in two shakes!”
“Don’t listen to him, Guardian! He couldn’t find his way out of an empty room!”

“ENOUGH!” Midnight snapped and stomped, the ponies hushing at his outburst. “Please! I only need directions, I don’t need anypony to accompany me. Now… Somepony please tell me what way to take to get to the stadium!”

Meanwhile, back at the spa, Blueblood telekinetically held up several gemstones and combed up locks of Cadance’s hair, Rarity setting down a power drill, the both of them grimacing at their (for lack of a better word) progress.
“So… how’s it going so far?” Cadance asked hesitantly as she lied on the seat and let them work.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Rarity was beginning to sweat. “It’s just… all so complicated” – she chuckled nervously – “I can fix it!”

“Fix what?!” Cadance gasped.

Blueblood gaped nervously at Rarity, who said, “Well I was… looking for shortcuts and…”

“Ugh, I told you step twelve was necessary!” groaned Blueblood and flinching when he saw Cadance levitate a mirror to look at the mess atop her head, and felt his heart sink to see his cousin’s lip quiver.

Midnight gazed up at the Crystal Stadium in awe! It bore a golden star-like emblem above the public entrances, flagpoles siding them with red flags a’blowing, there was a walkway from the stadium into the castle, which Midnight assumed wad for royalty, nobility, and the like.

He stepped through the doors and walked through the hallways to the arena. Gazing down, he saw about five crystal pony athletes, getting psyched up, Shining Armor standing before them with a cap on his head, which actually looked a little silly the way the brim rested on his horn, and a whistle hanging from around his neck.

Midnight smiled and concentrated.

*FLASH*

Shining Armor heard it and looked to see, “Midnight!”

“Hey Shining!” Midnight approached the prince and the two saluted as they did their own greeting!

“To Equestria, I pledge my life, along to everypony! To safeguard all from fear and strife, alongside my best brony!”

They chuckled and hoofbumped, Shining Armor saying, “You’re looking well!”

“You too!” Midnight replied when he noticed Shining Armor stretch one of his wings, “Glad to see those wings are looking better.”

“Heh-yeah!” Shining Armor spread them out, “And I’ve been spending quite some time learning how to use these babies! Wanna see?”

“Go for it!” Midnight said almost as though he were challenging him.

Shining Armor smirked and narrowed his eyes as he hunched, his wings raised… and he took to the air with a mighty beat!

Shining Armor flapped his wings, rising higher and higher, his team watching their prince in awe, as Shining Armor soared along the stadium seats, looking impressive and epic! He then swooped up in a loop de’ loop, and flared his horn, the team cheering and clopping their hooves.

“Whattya think of that?!” Shining Armor said in a braggy way towards the ground, when he noticed Midnight wasn’t down there with his team.

“Not bad…”

Shining Armor startled as he turned and gasped to see Midnight, flapping alongside him, giving him a cocky look, a pair of flying goggles strapped to his forehead.
“But I think you could do better.”

“What th- How di- You- You have wings?!” Shining Armor gaped at Midnight but realized something else. “And you don’t have your horn!”

“Thanks to these babies of mine,” Midnight tapped his goggles and gestured Shining Armor to land with him.

Once both stallions’ hooves were on solid ground, Shining Armor asked, “How did you become a pegasus?”

“These goggles I invented,” Midnight took them off, his body giving off a brief yet blinding flash, and his wings were gone while his horn had returned. “The lenses of the goggles are imbued with a transformation spell while the gemstones on the sides contain pure pegasus magic! Whenever I wear them, I can switch from being a unicorn to a pegasus and back anytime I like!”

“Incredible…!” whispered Shining Armor before asking, “May I?”

Midnight levitated them to Shining Armor and dropped them into his telekinetic hold. Shining Armor gave the goggles quite an examination, and sensed the magic in them were for real.
“Midnight, goggles like these could do so much for Equestria!”

“Unfortunately, no,” Midnight shook his head as he accepted them back. “These are one of a kind right now, and they’re also a prototype. The goggles will only work for me, and I haven’t figured out how to get them to respond to somepony else.”

“Well even so!” Shining Armor chuckled, “I am impressed! I don’t think even Twily’s done anything like that!”

“I’m sure she could figure out the problem,” Midnight agreed, “but I wanna do this myself.”

“I get that,” Shining Armor nodded. “You made them yourself so you want to perfect them yourself. I think that’s commendable.”

“Speaking of commendable…” Midnight looked troubled.

“What’s wrong?” asked Shining Armor.

“On my way here, I was mobbed by some crystal ponies,” Midnight explained, “they called me the ‘Great Guardian of Harmony’, praising me like I’m some kind of hero.”

“Well, to the Crystal Ponies, you are a hero, Midnight,” Shining Armor confirmed with a praising smile. “You, Big Macintosh, and Thunderlane fought against Sombra when he was evil, and you wielded the power of the Crystal Heart to restore him to good!”

“I fought Sombra to protect the empire,” Midnight debated, “and I used the Crystal Heart’s powers to protect him so I could complete the mission Princess Celestia gave me, to bring Sombra back to her! I was just…”

“Doing your duty?” Shining Armor offered understandably. Seeing Midnight looked troubled, Shining Armor went on.
“Midnight, I know how weird it must feel, all those ponies looking up to you? Well, feats like what you’ve accomplished earn you that kind of praise and adulation. Feats like defeating the tyrant Sombra used to be, foiling Queen Chrysalis, and wielding the Element of Faith, ponies will look to you for direction and security.”

“…I’m not sure I want ponies looking to me for stuff like that,” Midnight replied, his ears drooping.

“Hey…” Shining Armor put a hoof on the blue unicorn’s shoulder. “How do you think I feel? Midnight, when Cadance said yes to my proposal, I knew that I would become a prince, except at the time I thought that would only be because I was marrying a princess, that it would just be a title! Then when the changelings attacked Canterlot during the wedding, you gave me the faith to believe in myself, and I was able to ascend and become an alicorn prince! I never dreamed I would become my wife’s peer, but it only drove me to keep moving forward and take what I get. I still stumble now and then, but it doesn’t stop me from doing my best.”

Midnight looked at Shining Armor and felt a little better. But then Shining Armor gave him a raised brow, “So! I hear you and my little sis have been spending a lot time together…”

Midnight shrank nervously at the scrutinizing smirk the alicorn prince was giving him.
“Well, uh, I… who told you tha-ha-hat?” he chuckled nervously.

“I am married to the Princess of Love…” Shining Armor reminded him before socking Midnight in the shoulder and laughing. “Don’t sweat it, Midnight, just joshing ya! Honestly? I’m surprised Twilight;s finally gotten into a relationship at all! Besides, of all the stallions she could’ve gone out with, I’m glad it’s you.”

“Thanks, Shining,” Midnight smiled appreciatively while groaning a bit as he rubbed his sore shoulder. Shining Armor might have gotten used to his wings but not his new earth pony strength.

Author's Note

Fleet Mail (c) by Knightofstories

135. Games Ponies Play - Part 4

“Mmm…” Ms. Honeywheat chewed studiously onto the treat Soarin had just bought for her.

“So how’s them crystal churros treating, you ma’am?” Soarin smiled expectantly. “The last time I visited, I tried one of these and couldn’t get enough!”

They stood in front of a food stand run by a crystal stallion, Ms. Honeywheat swallowing and replied, “Hmm, well, it’s harder than regular churros like the ones I’ve sampled in Mexicolt yet softer than rock candy, and as I chewed, it melted in my mouth, softening to a texture akin to ice cream… All the while, it maintains a pleasant crunch. A delightful treat indeed.”

Soarin couldn’t help but feel like a giddy colt, just barely keeping it in. Sure this wasn’t the Games Inspector but it still felt great to be a satisfying tour guide.

“But now I’m feeling rather parched,” Ms. Honeywheat cleared her throat.

“Well, there’s a café down the street,” Thunderlane suggested and Ms. Honeywheat nodded in agreement.

As the four of them walked down the street, they passed by the Crystal Castle. A door opened and out trotted Twilight.
“Hey Twi!” Soarin called, Twilight noticing and pausing.

“Hey Soarin, what’re you up to?”

“Well, we’re just giving a tourist a look around,” Soarin shrugged, “since you said we were unnecessary…”

“Oh Soarin, don’t take it the wrong way,” Twilight said apologetically, “I just felt the task would be harder with too much help! Now, I’m gonna go check on Blueblood and Rarity’s progress. They should’ve been done by now.”

She then noticed the other guys approach with Ms. Honeywheat, Twilight saying, “Hello there” before taking her leave.

“Hello yourself,” Ms. Honeywheat replied curtly but in a polite tone. Once Twilight was out of earshot, she asked, “Who was that?”

“Just a friend of ours running an errand,” Soarin waved it off. “Now, let’s get you that drink, miss.”

Twilight hummed as she entered the spa, only to get a face-to-face with a worried Blueblood.
“Aah! Uh- What’re you doing here?!”

“We finished the welcome committee song and we just wanted to introduce Ms. Harshwhinny to-” Twilight explained only for Blueblood to shake his head.

“No, no, Twilight! Eh… Cady isn’t ready!” he groaned anxiously, “We’ve had a… well, a bit of a mishap, you could say.”

“I need to speak to your cousin,” Twilight insisted, trying to peer past Blueblood but the taller unicorn easily barred her gaze.

“No! Absolutely not!” He vehemently refused. “She’s in the middle of a delicate conditioning rinse that can’t be interrupted if there is to be any hope for her hair!”

“Come on, how bad can it be?” Twilight tried to look past Blueblood again only for him to gently push her back a step with a look on his face.

“Imagine her mane after using a cactus for a comb…” he deadpanned as he used his magic to flare up Twilight’s mane into a style unattractive.

“Eh…!” Twilight got the idea as her mane fell back into place when Blueblood spun her around and pushed her out of the spa.

“No need to worry! Rarity and I will raise her from the ashes of our error but you must buy us some more time! There’s no other way!!”

Twilight frowned in worry as Blueblood slammed the door in her face.

Midnight left the stadium and decided to just walk around and see the empire for himself though he made sure to use a glamour spell to switch his colors around. He was then a black stallion with a mane and tail colored dark blue and sapphire, with a simple five-point star for a cutie-mark.

He checked out various sights, saw a jousting match, tried a crystal berry shake, he even took some time to look at the Crystal Heart. He gazed upon this most sacred artefact of the Crystal Empire and felt his horn resonate with its power as it did the last time he saw it and unwittingly used it to purge Sombra of the evil that had for so long controlled him.

He was fascinated by the Crystal Ponies. How they used crystals to channel their own magic, how they held sacred the concepts of love and hope and used the Heart to spread that across Equestria, and how integral the very natural material of crystal was to their way of life.

He recalled that Sombra created the empire using his special talent for crystal magic, and wondered, How could he have made something so bright and wonderful after having his heart broken…?

The thought dampened his mood and so he banished it from his mind. Regardless of what transpired, it was all in the past. Sombra had been more than redeemed, proven by his ascendance to divine rule, and had finally reunited with his special somepony, and Celestia had found closure from her mistakes. He knew that if anypony deserved to be together, it was them.

But then his mind turned to Sombra’s proposal, and he recalled Big Mac’s to Fluttershy. The latter engaged had yet to decide when to have their wedding though they were considering Autumn, the season when they first met as foals.

Then Midnight pondered the vision he’d been given, where he was married to Twilight, with a daughter and an unborn son, and the memory of it made him both happy and sad. He had felt so happy and loved, but he had not learned the name of his daughter in the vision. It made his heart hurt to think that she might only be a possibility, that she might never exist at all.

No! I won’t believe that! He furrowed his brows determinedly, I am the Element of Faith! One day, I will see my daughter and I will propose to-

Midnight blushed as he realized what he was about to think!

“You look like you have love on your mind.”

“Eep!” Midnight spun `round to see, “Fleet Mail?”

Fleet Mail had removed his messenger uniform and stood there naked except for his crystally-coat, and giving Midnight a smirk.

“Well- Uh… That is…” Midnight stumbled to save face when Fleet Mail smiled in an understanding way.

“Hey don’t be embarrassed about your feelings. Love should never be something to be embarrassed about.”

“No, it shouldn’t…” Midnight agreed, sighing at the reality of how love did tend to make one hesitate.

“By the way, you can drop the glamour,” Fleet Mail chuckled, Midnight gawking at him. “I know it’s you, Midnight Blaze, because for one thing, you’re the only unicorn from out of town who carries a trace of the Crystal Heart’s magic.”

Midnight allowed the glamour to fall away and gazed confusedly at Fleet.

“Walk with me,” he invited and walked down the street, Midnight hesitantly following.

For the first couple blocks, Fleet Mail said nothing, much to Midnight’s confusion, patience wearing thin. But then they arrived at what looked to be a public park and Fleet Mail sat down on a bench, sighing as he took a load off. Raising a brow, Midnight walked over and joined him.
“So… Is there a reason you asked me to follow you?”

“Take a look around, tell me what you see,” Fleet waved his hoof out, leaning his head back.

Midnight looked and throughout the park, he saw crystal ponies. Colts & fillies playing, some with their parents or older siblings, others with their friends, he saw a few groups having picnics, some couples cuddling with each other, all an’ all it was a very positive atmosphere.
“Uh… I see crystal ponies out and about enjoying themselves.”

“Is that all?” Fleet smirked, still relaxing.

Midnight looked again, seeing a crystal playground, trees and bushes, a pond with some foals feeding crystal berries to the swans, a father and his son flying a kite, then he saw what appeared to be a couple walking up a set of steps towards a high-placed gazebo.

“Just tell me already,” he sighed in frustration.

“Midnight Blaze, what you’re looking at is happiness,” Fleet sat up and looked happily at his fellow crystal ponies. “Look at my people, everyone is safe, happier than they’ve been in a thousand years ever since Sombra cursed the empire, entrapping us all within a singular moment and completely cutting us off from the world.”

“You know that wasn’t entirely his fault,” Midnight protested. “He was taken over-”

“By an evil entity that filled his head with lies, I know,” Fleet sighed. “Unfortunately, Midnight, the face we all feared was the Unicorn whose Heart was as Black as Night. Once, in very distant memory, Sombra was a good king, firm but concerned with the welfare of his little ponies. Then he changed, he became crueler, harsher, hid away our most sacred treasure, and enslaved us, forcing us to work in the crystal mines till we literally dropped dead on our hooves… Perhaps one day we may forgive but I don’t think any of us will ever truly forget.”

Midnight looked sadly on at the crystal ponies, wondering how they’d felt when Sombra had not only become an alicorn prince but successfully proposed to Celestia.

“But enough mopey stuff,” Fleet chuckled, “you seem to have the love bug.”

“Well… yes…” Midnight sighed. “But there’s more to it than that, like… having seen a vision of our future together.”

“Really? You can foresee the future?”

“Not exactly,” Midnight shook his head. “What I see are possibilities, what can be but not guaranteed to be.”

“So what’s this vision that’s got you so troubled?” Fleet asked, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No actually… I need to tell somepony,” Midnight sighed. “I’m just not sure if I should share it with… her.”

Fleet said nothing and Midnight told him, “I had a vision of where we’re married, we have a wonderful daughter, and we’re expecting our second foal, and she believed it was a son. We had a nice breakfast together, and we had plans to go see our friends and their foals for a playdate. But… the moment we stepped out the door, the vision ended. It was a beautiful vision, it made me happy, but then I realized something that broke my heart… I never learned my daughter’s name in the vision.”

“Hmm, that does sound depressing,” Fleet considered. “Well, Midnight, I gotta say, this sounds like a real problem. I mean, a vision of a happy family? That’s a new one, for sure! And you said you didn’t share it with this mare on your mind?”

“No… She’s one of those… facts & logic sorts of ponies,” Midnight chuckled humorlessly, “I’m not sure if she’d believe my vision, and I wouldn’t want to scare or confuse her by the knowledge that in it we were married.”

“Do you love her?” Fleet asked in a deep manner, and Midnight furrowed his brows as he met Fleet’s gaze.

“More than anything!”

“Well there you go,” Fleet Mail chuckled, Midnight tilting his head in confusion. “Midnight, if there’s one thing you can count on is that life is unpredictable, that it doesn’t always go the way you want it. All you can do is strive and hope. Who knows, maybe this vision of yours will come true, maybe it won’t, or maybe it won’t be as you foresaw it would be. The future is what you make it along with what comes at you and how you react to it. Tell you what, how long you here for?”

“`Till tomorrow, and then we catch the noon train home,” Midnight answered.

“Y’see that gazebo on that hill with all those steps?” Fleet pointed it out and Midnight saw the gazebo.

It was composed of wisteria-colored crystal, looking somewhat like a steeple, and within he saw a couple sharing a kiss.

“That there is called the Twilight’s Dawn,” Fleet explained, “old legend says that if a couple shares a kiss in that gazebo as the dawn arrives, they will be blessed by the morning light with eternal bliss and everlasting love.”

Midnight was intrigued as he looked at the gazebo when he noticed Fleet looking at him with a smirk and raised eyebrow and blushed as he got the idea.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

The both of them startled and looked around for the source of the sudden outburst..

“Was that…?” Midnight muttered and he facehooved in confirmation when he heard a…

“YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!”

“Gotta go, thanks!” Midnight bolted in the direction of the voice, Fleet waving after him.

“Anytime, buddy! Anytime!”

He arrived on the other side of the park and saw the girls, along with Shining Armor, and a mare he didn’t know although she was clearly an earth pony.

“What happened, what’s going on?!” he yelled as he approached, only for Twilight to zoom up to him and grab him by the shoulders, on the verge of freaking out.

“Midnight! We-we- Ohh!!!” Twilight groaned and tried the calming technique Cadance taught her but it didn’t work so Midnight slapped her `cross the face and she muttered, “Thanks I needed that.”

“What’s going on?!” Midnight addressed the others with furrowed brows.

“We got the wrong pony!” Rainbow groaned in self-deprecation.

“You what?!!?!?” Midnight began to hyperventilate, only for Twilight to slap him back. “Thanks… But how did this happen?!”

“We’ll explain on the way,” Twilight replied, “To the train station!”

They arrived at the station quick enough, Midnight asking, “All you had to go on for the Inspector’s identity was she had floral print luggage?!”

“Okay, okay, so it wasn’t exactly the most reliable evidence,” Rainbow groaned as they all looked around for the type of luggage in question.
“Not that it matters! None of these ponies have that kind of luggage!”

“We’ve gotta find her before Cadance finds out what a mess we’ve made of things,” Twilight added.

“Okay, here’s what we do,” Rainbow decided, “We split the empire up into six sectors.”

“Each of us will search a sector-” Fluttershy added when Pinkie interrupted while she ordered something from a nearby snack bar.

“Well, except for the spa” – she nibbled on a cinnamon roll – “What’s the point of checking there? That’s where Cadance is, but if Ms. Harshwhinny is there, then game over! Right?”

The other gasped as they shared troubled looks in realization.

At that moment, Soarin, Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, and Ms. Honey wheat stopped in front of the spa.

“I must say, Café Cristal has quite an exquisite palate,” the mare said with a stoic manner. “I did so enjoy the crystal-mineral water, and the crystal pie was quite delicious. I’ll have to get some before I leave. Although I must leave you stallions now, for I have an appointment to see to, and a quick trip to the spa to make myself presentable is necessary.”

“Well, we hope you enjoyed yourself, ma’am,” Thunderlane replied, Big Mac grunting as he set the mare’s bag down and sighed in relief as he said, “Eeyup… hoo!”

“I just hope the girls are having as much luck with the Games Inspector as we did with you,” Soarin chuckled, Ms. Honeywheat raising a brow as she said, “Come again?”

“Oh! Our friends prepared a welcome committee for the Games Inspector,” Soarin explained, “but felt too many ponies would make the Inspector feel crowded when she arrived. We went to the train station to check on them if they needed help but by the time we got there, they were gone, and we guessed they must’ve met with the Inspector already. That’s when we met you.”

“Hmm…” Ms. Honeywheat pondered a moment before saying, “Well, if your friends did as well as you fine gentlecolts did for me, I have a feeling the ‘inspector’ will have received a good impression of the empire. Good day, gentlecolts.”

Ms. Honeywheat grabbed her bag and in she went, the guys all saying bye.

Stepping up to the receptionist, she asked, “A hooficure, if you don’t mind.”

“Right this way,” the mare invited.

Ms. Honeywheat pondered as she lied down on the chair, next to an earth pony mare with a light yellow coat, bright and lively green mane, and a chicken for a cutie-mark as she got a back massage.
“I take it you’ve arrived for a visit as well?”

“Darn tootin’,” the mare sighed in reply. “Ms. Peachbottom, just dropped in from Mustangia for a lil’ vacay!”

“Ms. Harshwhinny, Games Inspector.”

“What?! You’re Ms. Harshwhinny? Well shut mah mouth an’ paint me red!” Ms. Peachbottom giggled, “Ya won’t believe wha’ happened when Ah arrived! Some sweet girls met me at th’ station and mistook me for y’all!”

“You don’t say…” Ms. Harshwhinny couldn’t believe it! She’d gathered the welcome committee had gotten the wrong pony but she’d never expected to run into that pony! Small world.

“No lie! Though Ah gotta say,” Ms. Peachbottom said, “seems t’ me like y’all get quite the royal treatment ev’rywhere ya go!”

“Oh please, every city and empire wants to host the Equestria Games!” Ms. Harshwhinny groaned as she received her hooficure.
“So I have to go through all the big phony-baloney song and dance, though of course, normally I never get the real inside scoop.”

“Well golly Ah’ve been havin’ a swell time ever since Ah got here,” Ms. Peachbottom appraised, “Ah’m actually thinkin’ o’ extendin’ mah stay!”

“And what exactly has made your visit so special?” Ms. Harshwhinny paid close attention.

“Oh golly, where t’ start?” Ms. Peachbottom giggled.

Outside, Twilight, Midnight, Rainbow, Flutter, Pinkie, and Applejack had just arrived, and crowded at the window to peer in.
“There she is!” Rainbow whispered “We’re in luck, I don’t think either of them knows yet that the other’s here!”

“Hey everypony!”

They looked to see Big Mac, Thunderlane, and Soarin.
“Aren’t you supposed to be seeing to the inspector?” Soarin asked.

“Uh heh-heh, funny story actually…” Rainbow chuckled.
Midnight groaned impatiently, “The girls welcomed the wrong pony!”

“What?!” the guys all gaped at the girls.
“All we had to go on to identify the inspector was that she had flower print luggage," admitted Twilight, "and we got the wrong pony because of that.”

Suddenly, realization dawned on the guys as they shared troubled looks, and looked into the window. They saw her! And another pony with similar flower print luggage.

“Well, everypony…” Midnight sighed, “Time to face the music.”

The bell rang as they opened the doors and walked in, feeling ashamed of their blunder.

“Hello everypony, wonderful news!” Blueblood welcomed them.
“Princess Cadance looks better than new!” declared Rarity.

Cadance stepped out and looked amazing! Her mane done up in the most intricate hairstyle they’d ever seen, crown braids, curls, crystals, a tiara, and a beautiful blue dress!

“Princess Cadance?!”

All eyes turned to Ms. Harshwhinny, who approached them, looking stern.
“So! This is where you’ve hiding. I’ll have you know, for the first time in my career as Games Inspector, never have I suffered such indignation!”

“Wha- I don’t understand!” Cadance worried, “What was wrong with your welcome?”

“There wasn’t one!” Ms. Harshwhinny snapped.

“What is going on?” Cadance addressed the girls and guys, wanting answers.

They all look crestfallen, Twilight stepping up to explain, only for Rainbow to take her place, “Princess, we gave our welcome to the wrong pony, left the right one waiting at the station! …And completely ruined everything.”

The others all looked down shamefully although Big Mac, Thunderlane, Soarin, Midnight, and Blueblood looked unsure of what to do, Pinkie trying to lighten the tension by offering a, “Cinnamon bun?”

“Princess,” Soarin stepped up, “When Dashie and I were little, we wanted to badly for Cloudsdale to host the games!”

“But it didn’t happen…” Rainbow added, “So I thought I could make up for that disappointment by helping the Crystal Empire win the chance to host the games. But… it looks like I just ruined your chances instead.”

“Now hold on a minute!” Soarin stepped up and glared at Ms. Harshwhinny, “I think you left a particular something out, Ms. Honeywheat!”

“Honeywheat?!” everypony echoed as Big Mac, Thunderlane, and even Ms. Peachbottom stepped up, and Ms. Harshwhinny nodded.

“Although I didn’t receive the proper welcome committee…” Ms. Harshwhinny acknowledged, “These fine gentlecolts, Soarin, Big Macintosh, and Thunderlane, treated me, somepony they didn’t know, to an impromptu tour of the empire. They were courteous, kind, helpful, and even treated me to a nice lunch at Café Cristal before politely escorting me here to the spa. And who should I meet but the very same pony who was mistaken for me! Ms. Peachbottom just regaled to me how she was treated to the warmest, finest, most fabulous reception she ever had.”

“Darn tootin’!” Ms. Peachbottom confirmed.

“Courtesy of these fine ponies right here," complimented Ms. Harshwhinny as she gestured to the girls. "Which, in my expert opinion, amounts to the first ever unvarnished, unrehearsed, and unbiased appraisal of a potential host of the Equestria Games. Which can mean only one thing…”

“The next host of the Equestria Games is…!” Cadance and Shining Armor announced on the balcony before all their little crystal ponies, “The Crystal Empire!”

Cheers roared, flags waved, and happiness spread, Shining Armor adding, “Congratulations, Crystal Ponies!”

The Crystal Ponies happiness empowered the Crystal Heart and spread it for all of Equestria to see!

Early the next morning, Twilight was roused from her sleep.
“Mm, what time is it…?”

“Get up, Twily!” answered a hushed voice.

She looked to see, “Midnight…? Aw, it’s not even sunup yet…”

“Exactly! Come on!” Midnight wouldn’t let up as he snooted Twilight’s head, “I’ve got a surprise for you!”

Sighing, Twilight got up from her bed and followed Midnight out of the guestroom Cadance and Shining Armor had let her use. Midnight led Twilight out of the Crystal Castle to the park, Twilight asking, “Midnight, what’s this about?”

“Come on!” he urged as he beckoned her towards some steps up to what looked like a gazebo. She sighed and climbed up the stairs after him until finally they stood within the gazebo and had a lovely view of the park around them, and she noticed the sky beginning to lighten as Celestia prepared to raise the sun. The morning light lit up the gazebo, creating a prismatic refraction of light dancing around them in colors of violet, orange, pink, magenta, yellow, and faint red.

“Midnight, this… this is… very beautiful!” said Twilight in awe, "It's like we're standing in a kaleidoscope!"

“Well... not as beautiful as you,” Midnight nuzzled her, which she was all-too happy to return. Then he looked into her eyes and said, “You know, this gazebo is actually quite special. It’s called… Twilight’s Dawn!”

Intrigued, Twilight listened as Midnight explained, “There’s a legend that if you share a kiss with your special somepony beneath this gazebo as the sun rises, you will be blessed with the bliss of everlasting love.”

Twilight smiled lovingly at her stallion as he invited her to sit down with him, and they waited. Soon the sun began to peek over the horizon, casting the sky above in a rainbow of gold, red, orange, and facing purples and pinks. It took Twilight’s breath away when she felt a nudge on her shoulder and met Midnight’s gaze.

She smiled… and their lips met.

As soon as they did, bathed in the break of dawn, they felt like a curtain of gossamer had fallen upon them and warmed their every fiber with their love, and they knew as they had the same though.
This is with whom I am meant to be.

Noon arrived, and the friends had all packed up to get ready to go home, as they stood on the train platform.
“Y’know, it feels good to help others get something you always wanted but never had,” Rainbow sighed in satisfaction.
“Almost as good as getting it yourself!” added Soarin.

“Almost,” Rainbow emphasized all stony-faced until she felt Soarin steal a kiss, making her blush

“We’ll still be able to come back here and watch the games when they play,” Twilight noted.
“Watch nothing! I think I wanna compete!” stated Midnight with a cocky smile.

“Now there’s an idea!” Rainbow agreed as they all began to clamber aboard.

Fluttershy was last in line when she heard something and looked to see a pile of luggage fall out of the cart it was in.
“Oh my goodness!”

“All aboard!” called the conductor, making her gasp as she hurried aboard. She joined her friends and beau in the passenger cart, Rainbow saying, “Bummer Spike had to miss out on all this. He would’a had fun here.”

“More like he would’ve pigged out on all these high-quality crystals,” cracked Thunderlane and Blueblood couldn’t help laughing with him as they hoof-bumped.

“Well, I’m sure he’s having a great time watching all the critters back at home,” Twilight assured as she sat down next to Midnight.

“Think he’s got a handle on things?” Applejack asked, Twilight doing the calming technique.

“If he stays calm and collected, I bet he’s doing a terrific job as a leader,” Twilight said faithfully that Midnight couldn’t help but smile.

Then there was a growling sound, Applejack asking, “You all hear that?”

“Hmm, maybe somepony’s getting hungry,” Midnight suggested as he stood up. “I think I saw a snack cart, I’ll go get us some eats!”

Before long, the train arrived and everypony disembarked, Applejack saying, “Ah cain’t wait to scratch th’ belly on Winona!”

“That dragon better have taken care of Splendor’s tail…” Blueblood said tersely, only to get a goodnatured stink eye from Rarity.

“Oh I’m sure Spike had an interesting time with our critters…” Midnight said with a smirk.

“And I can’t wait to see Owlowiscious,” Twilight added as the train left.

“Hello!”

They all looked and saw, as the haze cleared, Spike and everypony’s pets, along with the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, the lot of them looking like they’d just been in a hurry.

“Thought we’d meet you at the station!” Spike announced, everypony running to their pets or younger brothers and sisters.

“So we could hear all about the Crystal Empire!” Sweetie Belle added as she ran up to hug Rarity and Blueblood, “And find out if you brought us one of the Crystal snow globes that they sell at the train station!”

“How did you know about the snow globes?” Rarity inquired with a raised brow, and for a moment the others thought Sweetie had blown it… only for a snow globe to levitate in front of her.

“Because I so happen to have one here for you, my dear Sweetie Belle!” offered Blueblood.

“Augh!” Sweetie hugged it and then hugged a smiling Blueblood, saying, “I can’t wait till you’re officially my big brother!”

Rarity just shrugged it off, gazing warmly at her stallion and little sister hugging.

“We’ve gotta hand it to you, Spike,” Twilight said as she held Owlowiscious on her hoof, Midnight petting Dreamer while adding, “It appears you did a good job taking care of the animals!”

“Oh Spike, Angel looks perfect!” Fluttershy admired Angel’s tail, saying, “You did such a good job fluffing his tail.”

“Yeah, well, we’re like this now,” Spike crossed his fingers, Owlowiscious hooting, “Hoo-hoo!”

“You know who…” Spike smirked at the owl who fluttered at him with his wing, and then held his pet phoenix chick Peewee, the little thing chirping affectionately.

At the library, Twilight and Owlowiscious hurried in, Twinken following, and Midnight, Dreamer, Spike, and Peewee brought up the rear.
“So Spike, nothing went wrong? Everything was cool?”

“As a cucumber,” Spike said proudly.

“Really? That’s not what Pony Joe told me…” Midnight gave him a knowing smirk, Spike’s eyes popping as he realized he was in hot water.

As they played outside with Winona, Applejack and Apple Bloom startled to hear, “WWWWWHHHHHHYYYYY?!?!?!”

Winona howled in response and they could hear Dreamer howling as well, to Spike’s lament.

Author's Note

Fleet Mail (c) by Knightofstories, and whom I also thank for some of the ideas implemented into this!

137. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 2

*BOOM*

“Mmph…” Blueblood was roused from his slumber and got up, angrily grumbling, “What is making that infuriating racket?!”

Sighing, he got out of his king-sized bed and went over to his full-length mirror, seeing his bed-mane. Huffing, he concentrated and a brush and comb levitated over. He made quick work of the mess of his mane, taming it back into its regal style, making Blueblood flash his dashing smile, “Now who’s that handsome devil?”

“A pompous blowhard comes to mind!”

Groaning, Blueblood looked to see Soarin leaning against his bedroom doorway.
“It was open, and the thunder woke me up too.”

“Isn’t it kind of early for a thunderstorm?” Blueblood inquired.

“Now that you mention it, yeah,” Soarin gestured Blueblood to follow him downstairs.

Upon reaching the living room, they noticed it oddly dark.
“I thought it was morning!” Blueblood looked at the clock.

“It is!” said Soarin as the blue pegasus threw open their front door and they both gasped at what they saw! Their front lawn looked like winter had come early, and the sky above looked like a chessboard-patterned mess of an unnatural disaster!

“Either Dashie and Thunder are butting heads over at the weather office…” Soarin was beginning to worry.
“...or something is very wrong in Ponyville!” agreed Blueblood.

“I’m gonna go check on Dashie,” Soarin stated.
“I'll head over to Rarity’s store!” responded Blueblood.

The two roomies split up, Soarin flew up cautiously towards the sky, and looked around for any pegasi from the weather team, when a dark gray blur swerved not too far from his position. Furrowing his eyes, he saw, “Thunderlane!”

Thunderlane was ducking and weaving through the messed up weather, trying in vain to get the situation under control. Soarin flew over to him, yelling, “Celestia’s teats, Thunderlane! What is up with this crazy weather?!”

“Ask her!” Thunderlane pointed down to a bridge and Soarin could see a familiar white unicorn mare with a purple styled mane.
“She’s using her magic to… stylize the airspace above Ponyville! See if you can talk sense into her, I gotta try and clean up this mess!”

Soarin nodded and quickly flew down and confirmed it was, “Rarity! Stop this right now!”

“I simply cannot, Soarin!” Rarity narrowed her eyes as she concentrated on the weather clouds. “I must obey my destiny!”

Then, Soarin was blown when he saw upon Rarity’s flank a cutie-mark that should not be there! Specifically, a red, yellow, and blue lightning bolt coming from a cloud.

“Rarity! What’s with that mark?! And where’s Rainbow Dash?!” Soarin yelled over the roar of the wind.

“I assume she’s at her cottage near the Everfree Forest!” Rarity answered

Blueblood shivered as he ran through a flurry of frost as he made his way towards Carousel Boutique. But upon arrival, he was surprised to see, “Macintosh?!”

“Blueblood! What’re ya doin’ here?” Big Mac asked.

“Soarin and I woke up to this crazy weather and I came here to see if Rarity was safe,” Blueblood explained.

“Well Ah woke up t’ find Pinkie Pie on mah farm, doing chores an’ with mah sister’s cutie-mark on her flank instead o’ her own!” Big Mac replied, sounding anxious as he added, “Not only that, Midnight’s missin’! When Ah asked if Pinkie knew where he was, she din’ know who in th’ hay Ah was talkin’ about!!”

“Oh Goddess!” Blueblood threw open the door to the boutique, calling, “Rarity, love! Are you here, are you alright?! ”

But then both stallions gasped to see the boutique was filled with mannequins garbed in the most hideous, poorly-made, and horrendous excuses of garments they’d ever had the misfortune to lay eyes on.

“Oh goddess…!” Blueblood sighed as his horn flared, bringing over Rarity’s fainting couch for him to faint onto.

“Rarity!” Big Mac called, only to be answered by a voice he knew except it didn’t belong to Rarity.

“Big Mac, can’cha see Ah’m busy?!”

Big Mac and Blueblood shared a troubled look and hurried into the backroom to find Applejack, hunched over a sewing machine, a piece of fabric getting backed up as she anxiously tried to fix her mistake. But what startled them was upon AJ’s flank was not her trio of apples but a triskelion of blue jewels!

“Applejack! Wha’ in th’ hay are ya doin’ in Rarity’s shop?!” Big Mac demanded.

“Rarity’s shop? Ah think y’all mean mah shop,” Applejack huffed as she struggled to get the fabric out of the sewing machine.

“Ugh, Applejack, I think… you're not yourself at the moment,” Blueblood grimaced at this hideously-done outfits surrounding Applejack. “Also, in case you haven't heard, but Midnight seems to have disappeared.”

“Blueblood, Big Mac, Ah gotta lot o’ work on mah hooves, an’ Ah don’ have time t’ help y’all look for somepony Ah don’ even know!”

That scolding made Big Mac and Blueblood share a troubled look as Applejack glared at them, “Now git!”

Big Macintosh and Blueblood exited the boutique, the former saying, “First Pinkie, and now mah sister, and neither o’ them even know Midnight?!”

“It’s as if… they never knew him at all,” Blueblood agreed in worry. “and it seems they think that they’ve had these mismatched cutie-marks all their lives!”

“We gotta find out more,” Big Mac declared, “see if th’ other girls are like this, and we gotta find mah brother!”

“If Pinkie Pie isn’t baking at Sugarcube Corner, I wonder who is,” Blueblood brought up, and they both had troubled ideas. “Let’s get over there!”

And the two stallions hurried off, ignoring the messed up weather.

Soarin landed near what was supposed to be Fluttershy’s cottage, except Rarity had told him it belonged to Rainbow Dash!

“Soarin!”

He looked and saw Twilight and Spike coming up the path.

“Twilight! Have you noticed the crazy weather?!” Soarin asked.

“Yes, and I saw Rarity with Rainbow Dash’s cutie-mark!” Twilight confirmed.
“I still don’t know why she woke me up. I love sleeping in the rain," Spike yawned.

“This isn’t about the weather, Spike!” Twilight admonished as the three of them walked the path. “Rarity has Rainbow Dash’s cutie-mark!”

“And she even said this is Dashie’s cottage!” Soarin added as they stepped up to the door. Knocking, he said, “Something weird is happening!”

The door creaked open, and sure enough Rainbow Dash, looking troubled, poked her head out, a commotion could be heard inside.
“Hey guys…”

“Dashie! Why’s Rarity doing your job?” Soarin asked, but before Rainbow could answer they heard a loud thudding, instantly getting Rainbow’s attention as she hurried back in.

Twilight edged the door before she demanded, “And what in Equestria is going on in-”

They gaped at the circus going on inside, animals, birds, critters, all over the place, running amuck, going totally wild! Rainbow Dash flew after a bird that zoomed into a mouse hole, Rainbow crashing headfirst, and the friends gasped to see upon her flank was a trio of pink butterflies!

“First Rarity has Rainbow Dash’s cutie-mark…!” Twilight started.
“And now Dashie has Fluttershy’s?!” finished Soarin.

Meanwhile, Big Macintosh and Blueblood had arrived at Sugarcube Corner as several disgruntled ponies left, muttering in dissatisfaction.
“Was she serious?!”
“That was just embarrassing to watch!”
“I wasn’t amused in the slightest.”

The two stallions shared a confused look.
“Hold on one apple-pickin’ minute, if Pinkie’s over at mah farm, doing mah sister’s chores…”

“Then who's here at Sugarcube Corner trying to do Pinkie’s shtick?” Blueblood nodded in agreement.

“Wait! Please come back!”

They looked and saw Fluttershy at the bakery doorway, calling after the ponies who had just left.
“I- Uh, I have… balloon animals!”

She took a balloon and started blowing, only to run out of breath after only two attempts to blow it up, the balloon sputtering as it zoomed out of her hold, and landed on Blueblood’s nose.

“Fluttershy?” Big Mac addressed her, Fluttershy looking at him with a shameful frown.

“Oh Mackie… I’m… not having the best of days,” she said as she went back into the bakery, but both Mac and Blue gasped! On Fluttershy’s flank was a trio of blue and yellow balloons!

“Her too?!” Blueblood wiped the balloon off his nose. “All right, this is getting ridiculous! This is obviously some kind of strange magic at work, we should go see Twilight!”

“Let’s get over t’ th’ library!” Big Mac agreed.

Twilight, Spike, and Soarin arrived at the library almost exactly the same time as Big Mac, Blueblood, and Thunderlane.
“Twilight! Something’s gone horribly wrong, Applejack’s running the boutique!”
“Rarity’s messing up the skyline!”
“Dashie’s on the verge of an animal uprising!”
“Pinkie’s messin’ up mah farm, and mah `Shy is makin’ a dang fool o’ herself! But even worse!”

“What could be worse than all of this?!” Twilight whined.

But she was answered by silence, and looked at the stallions, all looking unsure and afraid to answer.
“Guys…? What’s wrong? What could be worse than all of-”

Then something crossed Twilight’s mind, something she hadn’t thought about since running into Rarity earlier that morning.
“Big Mac… where’s Midnight?”

Looking slightly relieved to hear Twilight say that, but knowing he had to tell her, Big Macintosh walked up to Twilight, and said, “Twi… Midnight’s disappeared. An’ it seems all th’ girls `cept you don’t even know who he is!”

Gasping in horror, Twilight threw open the library door and ran in, Spike following with the guys in tow as he asked the million bit question(s).
“What’s going on, why is this happening?!”

“Last night, I got a special delivery from the princess!” Twilight explained as the guys all crowded into the library. She levitated up a message and Blueblood took it, reading it aloud, the stallions and Spike listening with rapt attention.

“

‘Dear Twilight Sparkle,

The spell contained on the last page of this book is Star Swirl the Bearded’s secret unfinished masterpiece. He was never able to get it right and thus abandoned it. I believe you are the only pony who can understand and rewrite it.

Princess Celestia’

"Twilight what's this book and spell that my aunt sent you?”

Twilight levitated up the book in question and they saw it looked more like a notebook, with a dark cover showing two stars and a swirly pattern. She opened the book and held it up for them to see, adding, “Don’t say it aloud!”

The guys looked at the spell, it read:

‘From one to another
Another to one
A mark of one’s destiny
Singled out alone, fulfilled’

“That doesn’t make sense,” Blueblood protested as Twilight put the book down. “It doesn’t even rhyme!”

“I was confused by that too,” Twilight admitted, “which is why I cast the spell to find out what it was. But nothing seemed to happen.”

“Well I think it’s as obvious as a checkboard of bad weather that something did happen!” Thunderlane snapped while pointing out said checkerboard of bad weather through the window.

“You’re right!” Twilight wasn’t looking at them, she was looking at, “The Elements of Harmony! Somehow, the spell affected them, and through their connection, our friends were affected by the spell as well!”

The guys looked at the elements set in the display case, and noticed the jewels on each element except for Twilight’s was the wrong color!
The Element of Honesty was purple.
The Element of Kindness was blue.
The Element of Laughter was orange.
The Element of Generosity was red.
The Element of Loyalty was pink.

But it was the Helm of Faith that made their blood run cold!

The pentagon-shaped white jewel on it… was black!

“But Twilight! All the girls’ elements are a different color, like how they’ve got the wrong cutie-marks,” Soarin pointed out, “but Midnight’s element’s jewel has turned from white to black!”

Suddenly, the pieces began to fit together as Twilight realized in horror, “The spell affected Midnight differently because he didn’t have a cutie-mark…!”

The guys felt their hearts sink as they saw Twilight’s eyes well up with tears.
“Guys…! I-I made Midnight disappear!”

“How could you…?!”

All eyes turned to the doorway, and they saw a heartbroken Twinken.

“Twinken!” Twilight whispered in horror, He must’ve heard the whole thing!

“How could you?!” Twinken began to cry, “You always told me how magic is a power to be respected, so how could you be so stupid as to cast a spell that isn’t complete?!”

“Twinken!” Big Mac scolded, but the colt ignored him as he glared at Twilight with sobbing eyes.

“You made my big brother go away!” Twinken let out a heart-wrenching sob as he screamed with all his might, “I HATE YOU!!!”

“Twinken!” Twilight called after him as Twinken ran away, crying his eyes out.

Twilight slumped to the ground, having never felt so awful as the guys stood there, uncertain of what to do or say. They couldn't tell her it would be okay, because none of this was okay. And they couldn't even be sure if it would be.

Author's Note

The illustration is by Hoodwink McShelster

138. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 3

Days passed since that those horrible words hurt Twilight, and nothing was going right. Star Swirl’s spell was incomplete so of course there was no counter-spell to undo it. The guys suggested Twilight use the memory spell that restored everyone after they fell under Discord’s sway, but Twilight shot that idea down because it wasn’t the girls’ memories that had been changed but their true selves. Spike even suggested Zecora’s cure for the Cutie-Pox but even the guys doubted that would work either.

The guys pressed Twilight to think, to try to look for an answer, but then Spike and Big Mac told them to back off and let Twilight be alone for a while, and she in turn promised to keep looking.

But her heart wasn’t in it.

As the days wore on miserably, the guys tried helping out the girls.

I have to find a way…

Soarin tried helping Rainbow Dash with the animals but he was as clueless with caring for so many different kinds as her.

To make this all okay…

Blueblood was going between the boutique to get rid of Applejack’s horrendous creations and to Rarity to comfort her as her weather turned Ponyville against her.

I can’t believe this small mistake

Thunderlane continued to try to keep Rarity’s bad weather from causing too much damage, but sometimes he worried for Applejack alone in the boutique.

Could’ve caused so much heartache

Mac was constantly on the move, making sure Pinkie didn’t ruin the farm completely, and trying to cheer up his fiancé after her less-than-successful party gigs.

Oh why? Oh why…?

But it was a losing battle. Before long, Rarity couldn’t walk through town without anypony glaring at her, turning their backs on her, wanting nothing to do with her, leaving her alone and cold in the rain.

Losing promises, I don’t know what to do

Applejack was giving up, as she began to board up the windows to the boutique.

Seeking answers, I fear I won’t get through to you

Rainbow Dash wallowed in misery, as the animals continued to rampage around her.

Fluttershy sat alone and sad as the townsfolk around her wandered in misery, frowning, their town having been reduced to a dismal place.

Oh why? Oh why…?

Twinken looked around through Midnight’s workshop, looking for any clue as to where his brother had gone. But then his eyes fell upon the framed photo on the wall, and he realized it was a copy of the family photo they’d taken at the Apple Family Reunion. Twinken looked sadly at himself, smiling happily with Midnight holding him up so he’d have a good shot in the photo, laughing.

Twinken broke down, heartbroken that he might never see his brother again, and starting to feel guilty for what he said to Twilight, who laid in her bed in the library tree, sniffling when she felt Spike’s hand on her mane.
“Oh Spike… what have I done?”

A little over a week passed since that horrible mistake and Twilight gazed sadly out her window. Never had Spike seen her look so defeated, but he couldn’t let her stay in this funk any longer.
“Aw come on, Twilight, you’ll figure something out!” He walked up and placed his hand on her shoulder. “These are your friends!”

Twilight peered over her shoulder and saw Spike’s smile, encouraging, loving, still glowing with faith in her.

Faith… Twilight thought as she sat up, the Element of Harmony Midnight embodies.

She got up, an unreadable look on her face, Spike following her up to the fireplace. Above its mantle were several framed pictures. On one side was a picture a photographer had taken of her and Midnight when they shared at dance at the gala. On another was a picture of Midnight playing hoofball with the guys, all of them smiling, laughing. Above that was a picture of Twilight, Midnight, Spike, and Twinken during a magic session, where Twinken had mastered the illumination spell. There was a picture of her standing with Midnight after their victories in the Running of the Leaves.

But it was the three pictures on the center of the mantle that drew her attention, on one side, a picture of Blueblood and Rarity, on the other was Soarin and Rainbow Dash, but between them was a picture that was taken after the defeat of Nightmare Moon, after Midnight got out of the hospital, and he suggested they take a photo.

It was the original gang, Twilight and Midnight in the middle, below them was Fluttershy, next to Midnight were Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, next to Twilight were Applejack and Big Macintosh, and above them each were Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane respectively.
“…You’re right, Spike,” Twilight finally spoke, and Spike smiled to hear a tone of determination renewed in her voice.
“And they mean more to me than anything… my Friends!”

As she came to that reminder, perhaps not at first but Twilight soon felt the Magic of Friendship radiate from within, as it brought to her enlightenment!
“Twilight? Are you alright?!” Spike asked as he shielded his eyes from the light, and Twilight felt a very familiar spark!

“I’ve got it, I know what to do!”

“You do?” Spike asked as he followed Twilight downstairs.

“I may not be able to remind them of who they are,” Twilight reasoned as she brought down a case to carry the Elements.
“But I can show them what they mean to each other, what they mean to the guys!”

She placed the other elements into the case while putting on the Crown of Magic, “They’ll find the part of themselves that’s been lost so they can help the friend they care about so much, and the guys will help to guide them!”

She levitated the case to Spike for him to carry, before calling, “C’mon, Spike!”

“Fluttershy, please!” Big Mac was following Fluttershy, who was carrying saddlebags packed to go as she walked up to a balloonist.
“Ah’m sure if we jus’ talk-”

“I’m sorry, Mackie…” Fluttershy shook her head. “But… I need some time.”

“Fluttershy, Big Mac!”

They looked to see, “Twilight!”

Big Mac went over to her and Spike, saying, “Ya gotta say sumthin’, `Shy’s goin’ back t’ Cloudsdale!”

“Fluttershy! You can’t really wanna go!” Twilight implored but Fluttershy shook her head.

“I’m sorry everypony, but I don’t know what’s wrong!” she sighed morosely. “I just can’t seem to make anypony laugh.”

She demonstrated by blowing a whoopee cushion in their faces in a not-so-subtle way that it made Twilight, Spike, and Big Mac share a look. But then Twilight winked reassuringly to Big Mac before she said to Fluttershy, “Before you go, I was wondering if you might be willing to help out Rainbow Dash.”

Big Mac spoke up with an insistent nodding, “She’s really strugglin’ wit’ those critters!”

“But- I don’t really know anything about animals,” Fluttershy hesitated only for Twilight to counter, “But you do know something about Rainbow Dash!”

Fluttershy considered a moment.
“I… know that she’s a true friend…”

Big Mac stepped up and put an arm around his Fluttershy, adding, “And Ah know you’d do anything t’ help out an amiga.”

Fluttershy smiled up at him and blushed when he kissed her.

“C’mon, y’all! Le’s go see Dash.”

As the four of them walked up to the cottage, they heard something beat against it, and two voices cry out.
“Help!”
“It’s a rebellion!”

“Rainbow Dash, Soarin!” Twilight recognized the second voice as she threw open the door.

“We’re in here! Help!” cried Rainbow Dash, and they looked and gasped to see the animals were indeed revolting, some of them holding spoons or forks as they had Rainbow Dash and Soarin tied up in a pot.
“We’re trapped!” Soarin screamed.

“Hurry Twilight!” Fluttershy urged in worry, “Can’t you use some kind of spell to help them?”

“Nnope!” Big Mac shook his head, Twilight agreeing, “Fluttershy, you’re the only one who can help them right now! Rainbow Dash and Soarin need you!”

Hesitantly and slowly, Fluttershy walked into the chaos, calling out with her sweet and gentle voice.
“Um, hello? Little woodland creatures?”

A bear ran past her waving an end table. She tried again, speaking to the mice and ferret dancing tribal-style around the pot.
“I know that you’re all very upset and… feel like giving Rainbow Dash and Soarin a hard time…”

Then, to her surprise, the animals started to stop and pay attention to her, “But we’d all really appreciate it if you’d calm down and um…”

The animals did indeed calm down as they fell in before Fluttershy, “Maybe… rest for a bit?”

Twilight, Spike, and Big Mac shared a hopeful smile as Fluttershy grabbed a bowl of greens, “Oh, uh, look! Here’s some nice, juicy leaves for you to munch on.”

She placed it in front of the happy rabbits, and laid out some nuts to the squirrels, chipmunks, and such, “And some nice crunchy-munchy acorns too!”

She then approached the last three acting up animals, a mouse, a squirrel, and a ferret, “Wouldn’t you like to take a break?”

The mouse and squirrel looked to the ferret, who shrugged and led them to joining the other animals, after they put down their silverware.

“Aw lookit that,” Fluttershy looked warmly at all the animals, happily munching on the eats she’d provided them.
“I guess you were all just cranky because you were hungry!”

Then, Angel looked away from the bowl and to his Fluttershy, happily hopping up to give her a hug, the birds chirping thankfully, Fluttershy smiling, “Aw, you are very welcome, little friends!”

She even got a hug and kiss from a bear, much to Big Mac’s raised brow, but he let it slide as he saw his Fluttershy start to become radiant as it dawned on her.
“Goodness! It’s like I can understand them!”

Twilight levitated up the Element of Kindness and whispered to Big Mac as Fluttershy went on.
“I feel strange, like… this is what I’m meant to do, like this is who I am!”

She flapped happily as she declared, “My destiny!”

Big Mac ran up and slapped the element of Kindness onto Fluttershy and it glowed as her eyes widened and the truth set her free!

She fell to her hooves, “Wha- What happened?”

“Fluttershy! Yer cutie-mark!” Big Mac pointed and they all saw upon the yellow pegasus’ flank was a trio of pink butterflies.

“It worked…” Twilight whispered, Big Macintosh cheering, “It worked!”

He nuzzled against Fluttershy, “Ah’m so happy yer back t’ normal!”

“Now we need your help!” Twilight declared.

[Twilight Sparkle]
A true, true friend helps a friend in need

[Big Macintosh]
A friend will be there t’ help them see

[Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh, and Fluttershy]
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
To see the light that shines from a true, true friend!

“Uh hello? Still trapped inside remember?!” Rainbow and Soarin reminded them, and they quickly let her out before leading Rainbow Dash to Rarity, Soarin smiling at his Dashie.

[Soarin]
Rarity needs your help
She’s trying hard doing what she can
(He pointed out Rarity and Thunderlane as they argued)

[Fluttershy]
Won’t you try, just give it a chance
You might find that you’ll start to understand

Soarin led Rainbow up to a cloud and encouraged her. Dash threw out a hesitant hoof, making the cloud go poof. The way it made her feel, it spurred her into action, Soarin helping out!

[Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, and Soarin]
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
(Rainbow flew a path through the cloudy sky)
A friend will be there to help them see
(Soarin streaked the a thick cloud)
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
(Rainbow Dash blew away some rain)
To see the light that shines from a true, true friend!
(Soarin grabbed the Element of Loyalty and slapped it onto Rainbow)

“Uh, what just happened?” Rainbow asked as Soarin helped her up, happy to see that rainbow-colored lightning bolt on those gorgeous flanks of hers.

“There’s no time to explain, but we need your help!” Twilight stated, Blueblood adding, “Applejack’s trying to make dresses!”

“Say no more!” Rainbow replied as she led the charge to the boutique.

[Rainbow Dash]
Applejack needs your help!
(Rainbow showed Rarity the mess of the boutique)

[Blueblood]
She’s lost her way, she has no plan
(He pointed out Applejack fussing nervously on the sewing machine as it backed up)

[Rainbow Dash]
Would ya try, just give it a chance
(Rarity regarded the surroundings as something stirred within her)

[Blueblood]
You may find as you come to understand
(Rarity removed the fabric from the sewing machine)

[Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Soarin, Rainbow Dash, and Blueblood]
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
(Rarity grabbed some fabric and thread while Bic Mac and Soarin threw out the bad clothes)
A friend will be there to help them see
(Guided by something she didn’t realize she'd lost, Rarity made a whole new fashion line in no time at all)
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
(Seeing Rarity close to understanding, twilight gave the Element of Generosity to Blueblood…)
To see the light that shines from a true, true friend!
(… and he put it where it belonged, around his beloved’s neck, and understanding filled her eyes while her flank was filled with three gems)

“Oh my… what a terrible dream I had!” Rarity nuzzled against Blueblood for comfort when she noticed one of the messes Applejack had made.
“Or… maybe I’m still having it.”

“Rarity! Pinkie Pie’s about to lose the apple farm!” Twilight informed her.
“We need Applejack’s help!” added Thunderlane.

“Lose the apple farm? Well we can’t let that happen, now can we?” Rarity declared.

(Rarity)
Pinkie Pie is in trouble
(Rarity and Thunderlane led Applejack and everypony else towards the farm)
We must hurry to her side

(Thunderlane)
We can try to do all we can now
(Thunderlane pointed out the sorry state of Sweet Apple Acres and Pinkie trying to fix a water chute)
`Cuz together we can be her guide!
(Applejack hurried up and helped Pinkie with the chute)

(Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Blueblood, Rarity, and Thunderlane)
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
(the friends let Applejack take instinctive lead as they gathered the apples)
A friend will be there to help them see
(Big Mac pulled a wagon as his sister threw out seeds)
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
(Applebloom followed, making sure the seeds were covered in soil, all of them unaware that Twinken watched from afar)
To see the light that shines from a true, true friend!
(Twilight gave Thunderlane the Element of Honesty and he slapped it onto Applejack)

“Yee-haw! Now tha’s more like it!” Applejack cheered. “Wha’s next?”

“The townspeople are furious! We need the old Pinkie Pie back,” Twilight explained.

“Ah’m on it, Ah know jus’ th’ thing!” Applejack looked to Pinkie.

(Applejack)
Th’ townspeople need ya, they’ve been sad fer a while
(Big Mac gladly carried Pinkie into town…)
They march around, face a’frown and never seem t’ smile
(…which wasn’t exactly a friendly place at the moment)

But if ya feel like helpin’, we’d appreciate a lot….!
(The Townsfolk began to notice them as Twilight levitated the Element of Laughter onto Pinkie)
If ya get up there an’ spread some cheer from here t’ Canterlot!
(Applejack gave Pinkie a hearty slap into action, Pinkie hopping into the fray as her mane poofed up into its impossible style!)

“Come on, Ponies!” Pinkie called out, “I wanna see you SMILE!”

“PINKIE!!” everyony cheered as all of Ponyville got into it!

(Twilight Sparkle, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Blueblood, Rarity, Thunderlane, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Spike, and all of Ponyville whom they led in harmonic parade)

A true, true friend helps a friend in need
A friend will be there to help them see
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
To see the light (To see the light!)
That shines (That shines!)
From a true, true friend!

A mark of one’s destiny,
Singled out alone, fulfilled

Twilight gasped as it dawned on her, “Wait a second, that’s it! I understand now, I know how to fix the spell!”

The friends followed Twilight to the library, and as soon as they got there, she levitated up Star Swirl’s book, turning to the page with the spell and wrote aloud,

”From all of us together, Together we’re friends
With the marks of our destinies made one
There is magic without end!”

But as soon as Twilight added the punctuation mark…!

The Helm of Faith’s blackened jewel flared with life, as did the jewel on the Crown of Magic!

Everypony gasped as the Elements of Harmony shot beams of light at Twilight, enveloping her within a sphere of power, Twilight afraid at first, but then…! She felt something that made her smile.

*FLASH*

As the light dimmed and the air lightened, Fluttershy hugged Big Mac, anxiously whimpering, “Wh-what happened?!”

But then they all gasped to see, where Twilight had been standing, was now a charred spot on the floor which looked oddly much like her cutie-mark.
“Where’s Twilight?!”
“Where’d she go?!”
“What happened?!”

“Look!” Big Mac pointed to the Helm of Faith, except… it wasn’t a helm anymore.

Author's Note

The illustration is by Hoodwinked McShelster

139. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 4

As she rose from the fog of unconsciousness, Twilight felt literally weightless, as she found herself surrounded by the vastness of a dream-like night sky. Everywhere she looked she saw stars, no solid ground, and no sign of life. Except, this place felt full of life! It was like she’d literally stepped into a dream, although she wished she were standing instead of floating, and just like that, she felt her hooves on what seemed like solid ground even though there was nothing beneath them.

“Hello? Where am I, what is this place?”

Then in the distant starlight, a familiar figure approached, and spoke a voice she knew all too well.
“Congratulations, Twilight. I knew you could do it.”

Trotting over, Twilight gasped, “Princess Celestia!”

Celestia smiled and gave Twilight a comforting hug, assuring her she was really there with her.

“I don’t understand, what did I do?”

“You did something today that has never been done before,” Celestia answered as she made the spell book appear, opening it to the addition Twilight had made, the completion of the spell.
“Something that even a unicorn wizard as great as Star Swirl the Bearded was not able to accomplish, because he did not understand friendship in the way you have come to understand it.”

“What does it matter…?” Celestia gaped at Twilight, who looked ashamed and sad. “Because I was so foolish, I made Midnight vanish into thin air.”

“Twilight, Midnight is the Element of Faith!” Celestia assured, raising Twilight’s face to hers. “So long as you have faith in him, he will come through right when you need him most. Besides, you completed the spell! I am certain that Midnight will come back to you and a lot sooner than you may think. For the lessons you’ve learned in Ponyville have taught you well.”

She then walked on, a gesture inviting Twilight to follow, as she said, “You have proven, Twilight Sparkle, that you are ready.”

“Ready? Ready for what?” Twilight asked as she followed her teacher.

And as they walked a path of stars, they were passed by with what seemed like windows of Twilight’s time in Ponyville!

You’ve come such a long, long way…

She saw the day when she lost her mind and cast the ‘Want it, Need it’ spell.

And I’ve watched you from that very first day!

She saw that Nightmare Night where she went as Star Swirl the Bearded.

To see how you might grow…

She saw the moment when she first arrived in Ponyville and met Midnight.

To see what you might do

She saw her first Winter Wrap-Up Day in Ponyville.

To see what you’ve been through

She saw the day when she saw met her Future Self, the day she took part in Rarity’s fashion show with the dress she wore to the gala.

And all the ways you’ve made me proud of you

The day she and all her friends stood up to Discord, the day she befriended Princess Luna, when she and Midnight solved the Mystery of the Maimed MMMM, attended Shining Armor and Cadance’s wedding, retrieved the Crystal Heart with Spike, how she and her friends first unlocked the power of the Elements of Harmony.

It’s time now for a new change to come

You’ve grown up and your new life has begun

To go where you will go, to see what you may see

To find what you will be, for it’s time for you…

To fulfill your destiny…!

From her heart, Twilight felt a power ancient yet familiar ignite as it appeared before her, a shapeless mana of magenta before it started to encircle her, going faster and faster, Twilight rising, feeling nervous yet excited, as a light began to radiate from her very soul!

The magenta streaks of mana increased in speed, becoming rings of energy, surrounding Twilight like she were a nucleus to a neutron of power!

All the while did Celestia watch in anticipating pride, feeling like a proud mother as she watched her faithful student rise… and ignite!!!

Above Ponyville, a burst of life exploded into a shining star that reflected the cutie-mark of Twilight Sparkle!

The friends all stood outside the library in awe as the star lowered, dimming as it touched the ground, a familiar figure beginning to appear from the glow.

“Twilight…?” Applejack scrunched her eyes to see better, “Is tha’ you?”

Twilight stood up, her eyes closed… and a pair of wings unfurled as she radiated a light divine, her friends gasping!
“Uh- Ah- Ah’ve ne’er seen anything like it!”
“Ha! Twilight’s got wings!”
“Awesome, now we can be flying buddies!”
“Twilight, old friend! You- You’ve become an alicorn!”
“First you brother, then Sombra…!”

“Alicorn Party!!!” Pinkie sorta lessened the tension as she swung down, wearing a party hat like a horn and cardboard wings.

“Wow, you look just like a princess!” Fluttershy commented, Big Mac, saying, “Eeyup!”

“That’s because she is a princess.”

Everypony turned to Princess Celestia, saying a collective, “HUH?!”

“Hold on a second!” Pinkie reached from behind her barrel, held up a glass of water, took a swig, and did a very out-of-place-and-time spit-take.

“A… a princess?!” Twilight whispered in shock, that Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Since you’ve come to Ponyville, you displayed the charity, compassion, devoutness, integrity, optimism, and, of course, the leadership of a true princess.”

“But… does this mean I won’t be your student anymore?” Twilight asked, feeling a little sad.

“Not in the same way as before,” Celestia replied, “I’ll still be here to help and guide you, but now, we are all your students too. For to us all, Twilight Sparkle…”

To Twilight’s shock, Celestia bowed, her friends following suit, as Celestia spoke, “You are an inspiration!”

“But what do I do now?” Twilight’s neurosis was on the verge of sending her onto the warpath, “Is there a book about being a princess I should read?!”

“There will be time for all of that later,” Celestia assured with a laugh.

Suddenly!!!

A tremor shook the ground around everypony, all of them, even Celestia crying out in alarm, as a great crack split the earth and from the crevice did erupt a plume of shadowy smoke!!

Everypony watched in horror as the smoke bunched together… and a pair of the most evil eyes glared down upon them, eyes red with hate, green with madness, and flowing with blue flames, as this menace spoke with a voice deeper than the very foundations of the earth, “Alas, dear Celestia! There is not going to be a later!”

“Who are you?!” Celestia stood protectively in front of her little ponies, her wings flared.

The malevolence chuckled tauntingly, as it answered, “Forgotten me already? I’m insulted… It’s not every day a… Terror from your past comes back to haunt you!”

Everypony gasped as they recognized the monstrosity before them, Twilight yelling, “You’re the Whisperer! You’re Terror!”

“Heh-heh-ha-ha-ha-ha! I knew you’d remember me, sweet Twilight! Sorry to cut into your moment of glory… for it is time for me to take mine… BEHOLD!!!”

The wraith of Terror looked up towards the moon and unleashed a beam of the darkest magic! It fired straight into the sky, lost in the distance… but where it went became known as the Moon was suddenly enveloped in a haze of poisonous green!

“What have you done, Terror?!” Celestia demanded, “And how are you here? Prince Sombra destroyed you!”

“Yes, yes he did!” Terror growled hatefully, eyeing Celestia with murderous desire. “What you look upon is but a remnant of the true Terror that wretch foiled! When that miserable crystal mage engulfed me with his crystal spell, I swore vengeance! You would have been wise to heed it.”

“Princess! Look!” Thunderlane pointed up at the moon, “Is the moon getting bigger?”

Celestia looked, her eyes furrowed… until they widened in horror.
“The moon is not getting bigger… it is getting closer! It’s- It’s falling!!!”

“And when it lands, all of Equestria and everypony in it, will be wiped from existence!!!” the wraith cackled in gleeful insanity.

“I won’t let you!” Celestia flared her horn, only to cry out as it crackled with her aura and an ember of darkness.

“Princess, what’s wrong?!” Twilight asked fearfully.

“Magical feedback…” Celestia moaned as she shook the pain away. “He’s… he’s cursed the moon!”

“You didn’t actually think I would bring doom to Equestria without making sure you couldn’t break my spell, now did you?” Terror mocked.
“My curse has broken the powers that keep the moon aloft, and no power but my own can break it! Equestria and everypony in it will die, and from the ashes of your destruction, from the extinguished life-forces of so many, I will rise...! I will see the world tremble before me like a lamb before a wolf!!!! Heh-heh-heh-ha-haha! AH-HA! Hahahahaha!!!!!!”

As the horrifying realization sunk in, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Celestia broke into tears, Big Mac, Soarin, and Blueblood trying to comfort their mares, Twilight frozen in horror, unable, unwilling that this was reality!
This can’t be happening! This can’t be true!!

Nearby, hiding within an alleyway, Twinken watched in horrifying sadness! He’d seen the star in the sky and had come to see what it was, and was blown to see Twilight had become an alicorn and Princess Celestia had declared her a princess.

A part of Twinken had been resentful, that this mare, who had made his brother disappear, had received such honor, such prestige, but there had been a part that had been ashamed for what he had said to Twilight, and a part of him proud of how far she’d come.

But now, this evil returned, this abomination had just dropped the guillotine on Equestria, and everypony’s neck was suddenly on the line!

“It can’t end like this…” he whispered as a tear trailed down his face.

But then, he felt a comforting hoof on his shoulder, and looked up to a Hooded Pony, only a horn indicating anything about him… until, from the shadow of his hood did glow a pair of turquoise eyes!
“It won’t…”

Twinken watched as the Hooded Pony stepped out, feeling, for some reason, that everything was going to be alright.

Twilight faced the wraith, and realized Terror’s shadowy form was slowly but surely taking shape! She was beginning to discern a ponyish form, and realized as the despair grew, so did Terror’s power!

“Is this really worth it?!” she shouted to Terror. “So much death and destruction, so much loss! Over the ages, you have been a curse on ponykind, and so many times you have torn ponies apart! But have you ever stopped and asked yourself, is it all worth it?”

“It will be… when I watch the light leave your eyes,” Terror growled with eyes full of madness.

“The only one leaving here is you.”

All eyes turned to see the Hooded Pony, calmly walking towards the group as though nothing was wrong. But the tremble of the earth as though it shivered of the pain it would soon feel, the screaming of the wind above as the moon tore down through the sky, served to intensify this from-out-of-nowhere standoff.

The Hooded Pony was tall, garbed in a cloak of shadowy soft fabric that flowed around him, never touching the ground, his horn poked through a hole in the brim of his hood, keeping it in place and hiding his face in its darkness. But then! The Hooded Pony looked up, his eyes glowing with vaporous light of pale blue that flowed out the corners of his eyes, as he spoke.
“And this time, Terror, it’s going to be for good.”

“Ha-ha-ha! And who’s gonna stop me, stranger, you?!” Terror taunted, “No magic of this world but mine can break the curse I’ve cast upon the moon! Not even your precious Princess of the Sun can save you! So tell me, hero! What can you do?”

“This,” the Hooded Pony stamped his hoof, and holes seamed and opened in the back of his cloak… and a pair of wings unfurled through them!

“He’s an alicorn…!” Twilight whispered in shock as the Hooded Pony’s horn glowed a blinding blue and white before it unleashed a beam of shining light that zoomed up and engulfed the moon!

The Moon’s sickly green glow instantly brightened into a heavenly white as it shined with such intensity it may as well have been a second sun as it literally brightened the night sky to the point where it looked like it was day!

“No… NO!!!” Terror fired a beam of darkness at the Hooded Pony, only for the evil spell to ricochet off a shield of white energy that appeared around the Hooded Pony as soon as the attack struck it.

At that moment, the moon dimmed to its gentle silvery glow, the night returning, and the Hooded Pony willed the moon up, and it rose to rejoin the starry skies where it belonged.

“NO! This can’t be!!” Terror screamed in fury as it fired another dark spell at the Hooded Pony but the shield reflected it back at Terror, right on its horn.

Struck by its own spell broke the Whisperer's horn, causing the dark haze that surrounded it to be blown away, and everypony was shocked to see Terror, lying crumpled and defeated. It looked like a malformed unicorn pony fashioned from clay, a clay that was drying out, cracking and chipping, with a broken horn, a hairless, pitiful, naked, impotent thing as filthy black sludge bled from its cracks, wheezing as it began to die.

The Hooded Pony raised his wings and slowly approached Terror, who gazed up at its conqueror with fear in its eyes, that slowly turned milky and losing their light.

The Hooded Pony looked down at the decrepit shade as it slowly began to fall to pieces. Everypony watched as the situation grew ever tense in its silence.

“H-how…?” Terror uttered with a voice as dry as death.

“You said no magic but your own could break the curse,” the Hooded Pony answered. “But your magic came from me.”

Terror’s opaque eyes widened in understanding as the Hooded Pony pointed his horn and said, “I’ll say to you what I said to Discord… Say ‘goodbye’, Terror! And this time, mean it!!”

A blast of blinding light engulfed Terror, the abomination blowing away in dust, and was scattered to the winds. Never again would this evil ever reform to plague life, and everypony looked on as the Hooded Pony faced them.

Hesitantly, Twilight approached the Hooded Pony, and asked, “…Who are you?”

The Hooded Pony chuckled and, in a whirl of fabric, the cloak was flung from his back, the dark fabric turning into formless smoke that quickly dispersed into thin air, and everypony gasped!!!

“MIDNIGHT!!” Everypony yelled as their eyes fell upon him!

It was Midnight Blaze, an alicorn stallion! He looked different however. He was taller, more muscular like Shining Armor, his wings were the same sapphire blue as his coat, streamlined and clearly built for speed, his tail was long and leonine, his mane looked the same though the back was a bit longer and shaggier, there were short bangs hanging above his eyes, but then their eyes fell upon his flank!

“Midnight! You-you have a cutie-mark!” Twilight and everypony crowded him as they looked at the cutie-mark glorifying his flank!

It was of a crescent moon facing upwards, a five-point star within its crux, surrounded by five twinkles.

“What happened to you?!”
“How did you become an alicorn?!”
“Where did you go?!”
“How’d you get so powerful?!”

“Guys, guys! Gimme a little room, huh?” Midnight chuckled as he unfurled his wings, a gesture that made them all back up a bit.

“Big brother!!!”

All eyes turned and saw Twinken as he ran out of nowhere and jumped straight for Midnight, who caught the little colt but fell over onto his back, laughing while Twinken cried.
“I-I-I thought you were gone forever-her-her!”

“It’s okay, little brother,” Midnight said gently, as tears of joy flowed down his face. “I will never leave you again.”

“Hello Midnight.”

All eyes turned to Celestia, who had approached them, her eyes on Midnight. He returned her look with one stoic and for a moment, things seemed tense. Until he dipped his head in welcoming, “Hello yourself, Princess.”

“Midnight!” Twilight threw her arms around him, feeling him wrap his wings around her, as she whispered, “What happened to you?”

Midnight let her go and looked around at his friends and family, all looking at him expectantly.

Chuckling, he answered, “Everypony! Have I got a story for you!”

At Midnight’s insistence, they all relocated to the library, everypony gathering around as Midnight began.
“For all of you, this began the night Twilight cast Star Swirl’s incomplete spell, a little over a week ago.”

“I went looking for you in your workshop,” Twinken commented as he sat in Midnight’s lap, looking up at him.

“I know…” Midnight nuzzled his little brother, still rejoicing to feel him in his hooves again. “I was working on a new invention that involved time magic. The moment I tested it, I can only assume was the very same moment Twilight cast Star Swirl's incomplete spell.”

“I thought because you didn’t have a cutie-mark… the spell wiped you out of existence,” Twilight looked ashamed, only for Midnight to put one of his wings around her and kiss her.

“You didn’t,” Midnight assured her, “and actually, it’s a good thing it happened. Because of the two mixing magicks, I was transported… to a different time!”

“Wait, are you saying the two magicks made you time-travel?” Blueblood inquired.

“Yes they did,” Midnight nodded, “and I was sent back over a thousand years! To before the Rule of the Two Sisters, to witness an event that marked the very future of Equestria! But before we get into that, first I gotta tell you the beginning!”

Everypony leaned in eagerly as Midnight started, “It all began when I came face to face… with Star Swirl the Bearded!”

Author's Note

We've finally reached a pivotal moment of the story!

I always intended to give the Whisperer/Terror its one last shot and knew crashing Twilight's 'alicorn party' would be perfect. The magic it used to make the moon fall represented Midnight's magic of drawing strength from the moon being twisted into something evil.

And yes, the Hooded Pony is an Alicorn Midnight Blaze.

He broke the curse on the moon because the magic involved partly came from his own. His 'leonine tail' likens to how unicorns in myths were said to have 'the tails of lions', his wings are described streamlined, built for speed.

And now, we get to hear his story, a story that literally spans the ages, answers questions, the story of "A Midnight Stroll through Time"

The illustrations are another fine courtesy of Hoodwinked McShelster!

140. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 5

“YOU DIED?!?!”

“Shhh!!” Midnight sharply shushed as he felt Twinken stir in his lap, everypony present except Celestia, Fluttershy, and Big Macintosh covering their mouths.

“What is it…?” Twinken moaned as he stirred from the sleep he fell into quite a bit ago.

“Nothing, little brother, let’s put you to bed,” the blue alicorn stood up and carried his little brother in his arm and wing. “Twilight? Do you mind if Twinken uses the guestroom?”

“N-not at all, but-” Twilight was interrupted by Pinkie suddenly shuddering in a rather familiar way. “Pinkie! Was that…?!”

“Yupper-doodles, Twi!” Pinkie replied before it happened again, “I-t-‘-s a d-o-o-z-y! S-o-m-e-t-h-i-n-g-‘-s a-b-out to happen that none of u-s w-o-u-l-d e-x-p-e-c-t t-o h-a-ppen!”

“I’m putting my brother to bed,” Midnight stated in a tone inarguable, “But if you want to hear the rest of the story…”

He threw an oddly cold look towards Celestia, “Ask her…”

The look was so cold everypony shivered a moment as they watched Midnight take the sleepy Twinken upstairs. When they heard the door close, all eyes turned to Celestia who looked ashamed.

“Princess…?” Twilight looked astonished, “What did he mean? I mean... how could what he said possibly be true?!”

“Yeah, if Midnight died, how’s he upstairs taking care of Twinken?” Rainbow Dash added.

“Did he really die?” Spike asked, his brow raised skeptically while his hands were on his hips, “Because if he didn’t it’d be a pretty rotten trick for him to say he did.”

Celestia gazed upon each and every one of them before sighing, “I always dreaded when this day would come…”

All eyes widened and ears focused towards the princess, “It is true, everypony. Midnight really did die that day. Now, before any of you start rattling off your questions, allow me to explain…

“After that day, when both my friend and my apprentice were lost to me, I hoped with all my heart and soul Midnight would be alright, that I would see him again in his own time, finally reunited with all of you. That hope came true, just… not in the way I’d envisioned.”

“Princess Celestia…!” Twilight was shocked, “You didn’t… bring him back to life, did you?”

Celestia gave Twilight a hard look, “There is no magic in this world that can resurrect the dead, Twilight Sparkle, I trust you know that.”

“But if Midnight died and he wasn’t resurrected,” Blueblood pressed, “then how is he here alive and well?”

“Because, dear nephew,” Celestia lowered her eyes in shame, “as he was fading away before me, as I sat there, helpless, unable to undo what had been done, after his long journey, after everything he’d done, all that he’d suffered, that he’d accomplished, it was all just so he could die at the hooves of an unstable teenage filly? I couldn’t accept that, especially when he said those words to me, how they wrenched my heart…

“I could not save his life… so I gave him a new one.”

“A new one?” Applejack echoed, everypony’s looks as confused as hers.

“Yes, a new life,” Celestia nodded in a low and even tone. “Just before that last ember of his life snuffed out, I cast a spell I learned long ago, a spell I never thought I would use. The Spell of Reincarnation!”

“Reincarnation?!” Twilight marveled at the idea while some of the others didn’t quite understand.

“The power to save somepony from the unknown of death by allowing them to be reborn into an entirely new life,” Celestia explained. “With the spell, I ensured Midnight’s soul would find refuge in a worthy couple, and almost a year later, there he was, in his new mother’s arms! A tiny little colt, as handsome and as pure as the day I met him when I was but a little filly…”

“He was reborn…?!” Twilight had trouble wrapping her head around it as Celestia went on.

“Now, before any of you ask,” Celestia said, “no. Midnight did not remember who he was in his past life. Reincarnation means to be born into a new life, a clean slate, like starting over. He was a bright and kind little colt, and I kept a close watch on him as he was growing up. He showed no memory of his past life but I quickly saw the things about him that had made him special, his kind heart, his strong faith, and his unique humor.

“It wasn’t the same, but just knowing he was alive and happy was enough. Then, disaster almost fell. When Midnight was ten years old, the day before the Summer Sun Celebration of that year, I fell surprisingly ill. Mind you, it is not often I find myself under the weather from illness but the timing was inconvenient, to say the least. I was so weak I just didn’t have the strength to lower the moon to make way for the dawn for the Summer Sun Celebration, I certainly wouldn’t have had the strength to raise the sun!”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ coming up,” Soarin cracked but nopony laughed as Celestia continued.

“It would’ve been disastrous. Unknown to the masses, it had always been critical I maintained the steady cycle of day and night, as the magic I’d used to imprison my sister after she became Nightmare Moon was delicate. For the cycle to have been broken there would have been a chance that Nightmare Moon might have returned sooner than it had been prophesied.”

“Well, obviously that wasn’t the case,” Twilight urged.

“No, because as my advisers worried over me, one young colt took the initiative,” Celestia nodded as everypony’s eyes widened in realization. “To this day, I don’t know how he did it, but Midnight managed to get inside the castle and make his way to the tallest tower. From there, somehow… he singled-handedly lowered the moon!”

“No way…!” Thunderlane whispered.

“Yes way,” Celestia couldn’t help but smile a little at the incredulous looks on their faces. “A single unicorn colt, barely a decade old, did what no single unicorn had done in centuries, not since Star Swirl the Bearded.”

“What happened next?” Pinkie pressed, “What happened next?!”

“Pinkie, manners!” Rarity scolded.

“What happened next was a miracle,” Celestia replied. “While the feat was indeed remarkable, I still think it alone was not enough for what transpired. I believe that all of Midnight’s accomplishments and good deeds from his past life carried on over to his next, and his lowering the moon was the icing on the proverbial cake. That night a new alicorn was born!”

Everypony gasped as Spike exclaimed, “So that’s how Midnight’s an alicorn!”

“Yes, Spike, and Midnight’s ascension created a pulse of power that spread perhaps throughout all of Equestria!” Celestia went on in reverence.
“The coming of a new alicorn somehow affected me and cured me of my illness. I knew in that moment what had occurred but I had to see to the sun, and so the Summer Sun Celebration went on with none of the masses any the wiser to the near-miss.

“I quickly found Midnight passed out and took him home to his parents, explaining to them what had transpired. We waited for Midnight to awaken before even thinking of announcing a new alicorn had been born. But…”

Celestia stopped, looking hesitant, much to everypony’s chagrin.

“But…?” Soarin pressed.

“But I didn’t just get my wings that day.”

All eyes turned to the staircase and they saw Midnight descend them and return to his cushion seat, looking solemn.
“I regained my memories, my memories of my past life. After I passed out, I was unconscious for a day and a night, all the while my memories came back to me, of everything I’d experienced since that very first day when I met Big Macintosh outside Ponyville.”

“But how?” Twilight asked, deeply intrigued. “I thought that since you were reincarnated you wouldn’t remember your past life!”

“Because of this,” Midnight pointed out his cutie-mark. “I didn’t just get my wings as an alicorn, I also earned my cutie-mark. This symbol upon my flank represents who I am, my special talent, and how my powers are augmented by the moon itself, all of it tying to my original identity, and because I had in fact been affected by Star Swirl’s incomplete spell.”

That one made Twilight’s eyes widen in shock.

“When you cast Star Swirl’s incomplete spell, Twilight, I was in fact affected by it, not only because it affected the Time Stone I created but also because my lack of a cutie-mark made the spell… dormant, I guess you could say. I can’t really be sure, time and space can be so… illogical. But somehow, when I earned my cutie-mark the spell, still with me even in my new life, activated in response to my receiving my cutie-mark and helped me remember my identity, my past identity.

“When I awoke, I recognized Celestia, not as the princess I’d marveled at while growing up, but as the friend I’d known over the centuries throughout my time-traveling journey. I didn’t let my parents know and asked to talk to Celestia alone. I told her I remembered so much, it hurt my head as the old memories had to adjust with the new memories. We talked for a long time and I… blurted out a few things that had not yet… happened, at the time.”

“Like…?” Twilight’s brow rose.

“He told me how my sister would be saved by his friends and the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia spoke up. “He mentioned you by name, even though you were still just a filly, how you were the key to everything.”

“But… if you remembered everything…” Twilight addressed Midnight, as she tried to put the pieces together, “did you remember me? All of us?”

“Not all at once,” Midnight explained gently, “Remember, this was several years’ worth of memories, I didn’t remember it all in the blink of an eye! However, after our talk, Celestia made a decision…”

“What decision?” Spike asked.

“Midnight told me in his memories he had none of himself being an alicorn, or knowing of any alicorns but me, my sister, Cadance, and he alluded to others, which I eventually learned were Shining Armor and Sombra. Because of his future knowledge and how he, being an alicorn, was not known during the time… I hid Midnight away.”

“What?!” Everypony exclaimed.
“What the hay do you mean, you hid him away?!” demanded Rainbow Dash.

“She arranged for me and my family to live on a private estate in the countryside,” Midnight said in a tone laced with contempt.
“Hid my existence from the world and made everypony who knew me back in Canterlot forget me.”

Everypony but Midnight looked in shock at Celestia, who made no attempts to deny Midnight’s words, her face filled with shame as Midnight went on.

“Well… almost everypony who knew me. I begged Celestia not to make him forget me, he was my best friend growing up, and still is.”

“Who?” Thunderlane asked.

Midnight looked hesitantly at Twilight and her eyes widened as he said, “Shining Armor.”

“Shining Armor?!” Twilight echoed, “He knew?!”

“He knew,” Midnight nodded sadly. “He was the only one Celestia allowed to remember me, besides my parents. Nopony I knew growing up in Canterlot remembered me after Celestia cast a fog of forgetting throughout the city. Not even you, Twilight.”

Twilight was shocked, unable to believe what she’d just heard. She looked to Celestia, who sadly admitted, “It is true, Twilight… You and Midnight knew each other when you were both young. Shining Armor and Princess Cadance aside, he was your closest friend.”

“…Why?” Twilight’s voice wavered as she gaped at Celestia, “How could you do this?!”

“Twilight, please understand,” Celestia’s face was marred with shame and fear, “I made this decision with great trepidation and every day since it hovered over my head, weighed down my shoulders, and though I knew this day would come I both feared and longed for the truth to be made known! Midnight, when he first originally came to Equestria, he met you for the first time the day before the Thousandth Summer Sun Celebration and after he regained his memories of his past self he remembered that meeting and how it indicated many things, that you and he met when you had both grown up as opposed to the two of you knowing each other as foals! The only logical explanation I could conclude was that you forgot who he was to such a degree it was the same thing as meeting each other for the first time! Had I not acted, it would most likely have damaged the course of time! Midnight is nothing short of a miracle in so many ways, his current self existed in Equestria even before he originally came here! His journey through time and his rebirth helped to cement history, with the few cracks being those who knew him yet the history now holds no record of him as an alicorn colt!”

“Is anypony following this?” Soarin interrupted.

“My brain hurts!” whined Pinkie.

“Hush!” Rarity and Applejack both snapped.

Twilight looked away from her teacher, her mind trying to process the logic behind this tangled web of lies, deceit, and madness. She could just barely make a basic outline in her mind but said nothing.

“I… I need to be alone.”

“We understand,” Celestia said apologetically as Twilight went upstairs to her room.

Everypony didn’t know what to do as they shared looks troubled and confused when Celestia said, “Everypony, I suggest we all go home and sleep on everything that has transpired here tonight.”

Nopony argued but as they filed out Celestia noticed Midnight and Spike remained. She understood why Spike stayed but as she looked at Midnight curiously, the look he gave her was adamant.

She sighed in understanding and gently closed the library door behind her while Spike looked up at Midnight, “Are you still the Midnight we know?”

“That’s a difficult question, Spike,” Midnight shrugged indifferently. “I remember everything I’ve experienced here in Equestria since that day I first woke up in that field outside Ponyville and met Big Mac. I’ve had years since my former life’s memories returned to me to go explore them all and remember so much…”

He then gave Spike a sneaky look, “Like the time you tried to frame Owlowiscious with a fake mouse and ketchup!”

Spike gulped at that memory and Midnight added, “Or the time you tried to pet-sit for everypony and chased Angel all the way to the Crystal Empire?”

Spike twisted his tail in embarrassment but Midnight wasn’t done yet!
“Or that time when you wore that t-shirt with a heart and Rarity-”

“OK, I get it! You’re Midnight, sheesh!” Spike huffed, Midnight chuckling, and at that moment Spike realized! “You really are Midnight…!

“You ever hear the phrase ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same’?” Midnight held out an inviting arm and Spike shrugged as he accepted a hug.

When they let go, Spike asked, “So… ya gonna spend the night? You did put Twinken to bed in our guestroom.”

“I’ll crash on the couch,” Midnight nodded as he went towards the stairs, “But first, I have something for Twilight, something I’ve been wanting to give her for a long time.”

“Over a thousand years-long, to be exact,” Spike cracked and the both of them shared a good laugh before Midnight went upstairs.

Author's Note

This was difficult to explain, due to the ever-complicated rules of time-travel and temporal paradoxes combined with a reincarnation twist and putting that into a dialogue that becomes emotionally dramatic due to Twilight's feeling betrayed by Celestia messing with her memories, as well as explaining it all in a way that it's comprehensible

But she'll get them back over time

141. Magical Mystery Cure - Ending

As he approached Twilight’s door, his heart quivered like gelatin, and taking deep breaths didn’t help to steady it. Finally, he worked up the nerve and knocked. There was no answer so Midnight creaked it open, calling, “Twilight? It’s me. Can I come in?”

His sharp ears picked up the sound of bed covers rustling and Midnight figured she was in bed with the covers over her head. He heard her grunt and grumble, muttering ‘feathers’, which Midnight very well understood.

“Twilight? I’m coming in. We really need to talk,” Midnight slowly walked in and looked up towards the elevated area where Twilight’s bed was, seeing the blanket-covered lump.

He walked up the stairs and found himself at Twilight’s bedside, her wings poking out from the covers. They were beautiful wings.

“Twilight, please talk to me. I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.”

Twilight didn’t stir but Midnight sighed.
“Alright, you don’t have to talk back. Just hear me out… Heh, I’ve dreamed of this moment for years and- I’m at a loss, I don’t know where to begin”

Again he received no response from Twilight and he sighed again.
“Well, there’s something about that Summer Sun Celebration that might interest you, Twilight. It was the same one in Canterlot where you saw Celestia raise the sun when you were a filly, that glorious break of dawn that first inspired you to study magic.”

That one got a reaction, as Twilight hesitantly pulled down the covers and barely peeked towards Midnight.

“You, me, Shining Armor, Cadance…” Midnight sat on the edge of the bed as he reminisced. “The four of us were so close, Shining and I dreamed of joining the Royal Guard together, the both of us bet who would become the next Captain of the Royal Guard after my father. But then… all that happened and… Even as I earned my wings, the memories flooded back that I couldn’t process them all, is why I fell unconscious for a day and night. I dreamed a lot of my memories during that interim, remembering that day we met in Ponyville, how I protected you from Nightmare Moon, how you chose to stay and we both made Ponyville our home.

“Then when I woke up, my ten year-old mind felt cluttered and confused, these memories contrasting with the memories I’d made with my parents and you, Shining, and everypony I’d known in Canterlot. Just because the old memories came back didn’t mean I was old enough to take them all in, I was still just ten years-old at the time! It frightened me to realize all that I’d thought I’d known about who I was turned out to be a mere tip of the iceberg… Celestia and I talked for a long time and, as I said, I blurted things out, knowledge of the future, which both intrigued and disturbed Celestia.”

Now Twilight was sitting up as she looked at the stallion, unable to hide her curiosity.

“When she learned about you, that you were the one she’d been looking for, the one she thought Sunset might be, she asked careful questions to determine our situation. Because the Equestria I knew in my past life did not know of me as an alicorn colt and that in my past life I met you for the first time in Ponyville, Celestia came to that conclusion that measures were taken to insure the timeline would progress without losing its integrity, and the only thing she could do to be absolutely certain was to make it so nopony who’d ever met me would remember me… and she sent me and my parents to live in the countryside until I was older or at least until my past self disappeared for the journey he-I undertook.”

Midnight paused, looking hesitantly at Twilight, who lowered her eyes, as she whispered, “What were you doing all this time? All this time that you were hidden and kept away from the rest of the world, you had to have been doing something!”

“Training, studying,” Midnight answered with a shrug. “My father and mother taught me as much as they could, and occasionally Celestia would visit to gauge my progress. I studied various arts of magic, world histories, archaeology, and mastered my alicorn powers while also re-familiarizing myself with my lunar pony powers! My father taught me combat and Stud Tsu’s ‘The Art of the Warhorse’, my mother taught me more… intellectual subjects.”

“Who are your parents?” Twilight asked.

“You’ve met them before, Twilight,” Midnight couldn’t help but smirk in a light-teasing way. “I mentioned them already during the story I told you all.”

Twilight gave him a funny look before scrunching her eyes to puzzle out what Midnight just said before it hit her, “Captain Ignitus and Faerie Tail?!”

Midnight smiled and nodded.
“Mm-hmm, Princess Celestia chose them to be my parents for the reincarnation spell. I was… conceived a few months after Shining Armor was born. Near a year later, I came along. Our parents were friends, and they wanted their children to be friends. It’s how we eventually met! I can still remember seeing you for the first time! You were so tiny and cute…”

Twilight sighed heavily, “I still can’t believe she did this… I mean, I can understand why but- Midnight, I am so confused! My head is telling me one thing about you but my heart…!”

Twilight held her head, groaning in puzzling confusion, when she felt his arms embrace her, and she gasped a little. He was a little bigger now and certainly more muscled, but as she felt his embrace she felt that same thing, a warm feeling of safety and love. She looked up at him and they met each other’s eyes, and in them she saw that same beautiful turquoise, that ever hopeful glimmer that never went away and she whispered, “It really is you…!”

Midnight couldn’t stop the tears as he smiled, “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for you.”

As the moon peered through the bedroom window, basking them in its serene glow, their lips met in a timeless kiss that spanned millennia in but a single moment.

When they leaned back and smiled, Midnight said, “I have something for you.”

Twilight leaned back and watched as Midnight conjured a book, “You don’t remember our foalhood together but this will bring those memories back.”

“Is it some kind of spellbook?” Twilight asked.

“Heh-heh, this will help you remember far better than any old spellbook,” Midnight chuckled as he levitated the book to Twilight’s hooves.

She took it hesitantly, looking at Midnight, who looked as giddy as a colt, nodding at her to go ahead. She opened it and gasped!
“I-it’s… a photo album!”

The first page was titled ‘When we first met’ and below it were pictures of Twilight as a newborn filly in her mother’s arms, her father beside her protectively, a scrawling below said, ‘When Twilight first came home’. The next picture was of Twilight napping in her crib and Shining Armor, almost four years-old, looking down at her lovingly and happily. On the other side of the crib could only be Midnight, almost three years-old, looking curiously at Twilight with a little smile of wonder.
Below that picture read ‘When I first saw you’.

The next picture was of baby Twilight crawling around in a playpen as Midnight and Shining Armor watched her giggle, Midnight holding a stuffed bunny with his hooves towards her, making her smile.
‘When I first heard you laugh’.

Twilight marveled in wonder as she took in the memories immortalized as photographs, seeing more and more, she saw her with her family along with a stallion and mare with Midnight.
‘Our first picnic, shared by our families’.

She looked up at Midnight and pointed the stallion and mare out.

“Mm-hmm, those are my parents,” Midnight confirmed with a sad smile that disturbed Twilight but she had to see more.

She saw herself, Shining Armor, and Midnight playing in the park when she was three, Shining Armor seven, and Midnight six. Then she saw the day she first met Cadance and noticed Midnight teasing a blushing Shining Armor who couldn’t stop looking at the young pink princess.
There was a photo showing a fort made of pillows, books, and a blanket with her and Cadance in it, and nearby were Shining Armor and Midnight, holding toy swords and wearing kitchenware like armor.
A picture of Twilight’s sixth birthday with her and Midnight’s families as well as Cadance cheering for her after she’d just blown out the candles.

And the more she saw these memories, the more it slowly and gently returned to her.
“You… you got me my first notebook on my birthday, the one I used when I first started going to school, it-it had…”

“A little lock and key for you to keep your secret thoughts,” Midnight nodded.

“And when I got bullied and pushed, I skinned my fetlock and you and Shining Armor and Cadance helped me!”

“Shining and I beat the jerks up for hurting you and got a week’s detention for it,” Midnight admitted with a shrug. He smiled at her, saying, “It was worth it to make sure they didn’t bully you again, and the smile you gave me, like I was the heroic knight to your damsel in distress.”

Twilight gave him a raised brow and couldn’t help but laugh. But then a question crossed her mind, “Where are your parents now?”

That one caught Midnight off-guard and he looked away, looking sad.

“Midnight?” Twilight reached up and gently cupped his cheek in her hoof and had him look her in the eye. “Did… something happen?”

“…You might have noticed Celestia and I weren’t exactly bosom-buddies during our explanations to you all,” Midnight sighed heavily. “She sent me away to a country estate to hide me from the world until it was safe for me to come out, when my past self had begun the journey through Equestria’s history. My father was still the captain of the Royal Guard at the time so he couldn’t stay home often…”

“Midnight, what happened?” Twilight felt concerned as she saw Midnight’s face, and in it she saw pain.

“As we explained, I was ten when I became an alicorn, earned my cutie-mark, and regained my memories,” Midnight spoke slowly. “When Celestia had me hidden away on that private estate, it broke my heart to leave my life in Canterlot behind, and although Shining Armor was allowed to remember me and stay my friend it still hurt. It got a little better however. When I turned thirteen, my mother gave birth to Twinken.”

Twilight gasped as she realized, “Twinken really is your brother!”

“Yes,” Midnight confirmed. “When he came into our lives, life on the estate became a little happier. During my time there, my father occasionally brought in visitors who could be trusted to keep my existence secret. I learned alchemy and potions from a zebra shaman woman, I trained under a prior captain of the Wonderbolts to become an excellent flyer, and sometimes Shining Armor would visit. We spent as much time as we could together, playing, sparring, training together. Then my father decided to train some colts alongside me and wanted me to lead them in order to learn leadership skills.

“Shining Armor to be one of them even though I tried to say no, because I didn't want Shining Armor to be away from you and your parents, but I had no say in the matter... Besides Shining Armor, my father recruited five young aspiring royal guard cadets, one of them became one of the closest friends I ever had.”

“What was his name?” Twilight asked.

“He was a pegasus named Flash Sentry,” Midnight answered. “We spent a lot of time together, trained together, raced each other, heh! I usually beat him but sometimes he’d managed to pull a clever move or trick that helped him win some of our races.

“Then one day, my father and a few royal guards took us to Whitetail Woods for a training mission – We, that is, me, Shining Armor, Flash, and the rest of my team were to sneak into enemy territory, my dad and his guards posing as the enemy unit, and steal the mission objective from their camp. It was basically a game of capture the flag.

“My dad told me to lead but also to listen to my team. With Shining and Flash, I coordinated a ‘divide & conquer’ strategy, but we didn’t count on my dad’s guards taking the fight to us first, and I was separated from my team… That’s where it all began to go so horribly wrong.”

Twilight was apprehensive by the sound of Midnight’s voice. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear more but said nothing to dissuade him.

“I was captured by someone, a shadowy figure… From the sound of her voice I knew she was a female. She took me to some cave, suspended me from the ground by my front hooves, strapped my wings to my barrel and weighed my rear hooves down with an anvil. She even went to the trouble of nullifying my magic. I was helpless… She acted like she knew me, and she demanded information from me, information I didn’t have. Thinking I was being uncooperative, she tried a different approach…”

“What was it?” Twilight felt her heart beat a little fast as Midnight explained.

“…She revealed she’d also captured Flash! She… she threatened to kill him if I didn’t talk! I swore to her I didn’t know what it was she wanted, I cried! But... she just didn’t believe me…”

“She…?” Twilight held her hooves to her lips in horror and Midnight nodded.

“She killed my friend right in front of me…” Midnight was shedding tears, “I was in shock, speechless, unable to take my eyes away from Flash, and she was about to kill me… That’s when my father, Shining Armor, and the guards arrived. They drove her off, rescued me, and I screamed, my spirit crushed that I couldn’t save my friend.”

“Did you ever find out who that monster was?” Twilight asked.

“No, nor was that last time she scarred my life,” Midnight’s breath shook and Twilight was disturbed by the look in his eyes. “As if what she’d did wasn’t enough, sometime later she attacked my family! My parents fought her off while I protected my baby brother, but during the skirmish… the attacker launched a curse that hit my mother.”

Twilight gasped, “Did she…?”

“Die? No… the curse didn’t kill her,” Midnight’s eyes were empty yet anguished. “My mom is in Canterlot General Hospital right now. She’s been in a magically-induced coma ever since that terrible night.”

Twilight was appalled. She and her friends had faced plenty of villainous individuals but to curse someone into such a state, it was like a living death!

“The wretch vanished into the night like the snake she was,” Midnight went on. “My father brought me and baby Twinken back to Canterlot, asking Celestia to take care of us… and he left to hunt down the monster who had hurt our family.”

“Where is your father now?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know, Twilight,” Midnight sighed heavily. “That night he left me and my brother with Celestia, as far as I know, is the last time anypony ever heard from him. I haven’t seen or spoken to my father for over ten years.”

“What happened after that?” Twilight pressed.

“I started dreaming my memories,” Midnight explained. “Part of it to escape my reality, part of it to remember as much as I could of my past life. Then I came across a memory that broke my heart. It was the memory of meeting Twinken at the Ponyville Orphanage.”

“I was gonna ask about that,” Twilight noted.

“That my past life had met Twinken and adopted him in Ponyville was confusing enough,” Midnight sighed. “It soon became clear what I had to do… One night, without Celestia’s knowledge, I flew to Ponyville, holding Twinken in my arms… I cried, Twilight. I was heartbroken but for the sake of the timeline I had to make sure everything was as it was when my past self came to Equestria. I left Twinken wrapped snugly on the doorstep of the orphanage and watched as the matron took him in. Every now and then I would stop by to check up on him, but I never approached him. I had to guard my heart and watch my brother grow up without his family.”

“But then you found him again,” Twilight assured. “Well, the past you.”

“Yes,” Midnight nodded. “I was the one who started the Sibling Revelry at the Ponyville Orphanage for locals to volunteer to be big brothers or sisters to the orphans and arranged for the flyers to be set up so that my past self would notice them and find his way to the orphanage, and to Twinken. Then, when I saw my past self grow to love Twinken so much he wanted to be his official brother, I pulled some strings to make sure he got legal custody of Twinken!”

“This all kinda sounds a tad shifty,” Twilight voiced.

“Trust me, Twilight, I’ve lived for ten years in secret,” Midnight sighed. “So I learned to operate in secret. Since I couldn’t reveal myself to Equestria until the time was right, I passed the time by becoming Celestia’s… eyes and ears in the darker corners of Equestria.”

“You were like a spy?” Twilight asked, a slight interested glimmer in her eyes.

“It wasn’t all fun and games,” Midnight dashed that interest away. “I actually risked my butt on some of my… excursions. I brought secrets and intel to Celestia and the proper authorities, unearthed vile crimes and dark secrets, stopped conspiracies before they began, it was occasionally exciting, but it was not an enjoyable life. Then my past self arrived in Equestria, and I started keeping an eye on… my self, heh-heh.”

“And now here we are,” Twilight said.

“Here we are,” Midnight nodded. “A prince long overdue for his coronation, a princess ready for hers.”

“I’m… afraid, Midnight,” Twilight admitted. “I never dreamed of becoming an alicorn or a princess! Well, maybe a princes but what filly doesn’t dream of that?”

They shared a chuckle, and Twilight went on.
“But it’s going to be for real! And… what will this mean? For me, for my friends, for us?”

She said ‘us’! Midnight smiled on the inside but kept it to himself as he hugged his Twilight.
“I won’t deny, Twilight, that I’m nervous too. I have lived in secret for so long that stepping out into the light like this… Well, the point is, the future is what we make of it, and I’m willing to face it if you’re there with me.”

Twilight looked at him smile hopefully at her, that it helped her smile back.
“You’re right, we’ll make the future ours! How bad can it be if I face it with you?”

Midnight smiled happily at this mare he had loved and missed for so long, and she reached up to pull him close into a passionate kiss. Midnight responded by growling in desire as he allowed Twilight to pull him into her bed.

Spike was headed for the door to Twilight’s room, yawning as he yearned for his basket when the sounds coming from the door stopped him in his tracks. He leaned his ear curiously against the wooden door, and heard pleasured moans, sultry growls and shuffling of bed covers, passionate sighs, and then he started hearing more than he wanted to hear.

Blushing as he had a pretty good idea of what was going on in there, he decided, “I think I’ll take the couch for tonight.”

He hurried downstairs to get away from the sounds of the happily reunited couple as they got busy.

A few days passed as the news spread and before long ponies from near and far had gathered in Canterlot. The grand hall was packed with ponies to be witnesses of this glorious event.

All the princes and princesses were there, along with the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, their Guardians, Blueblood, Soarin, and Spike. Princess Celestia had pulled out all the stocks and had spared no expense, she, her sister, her fiancée, the ruling couple of the Crystal Empire, all of them garbed in their finest attires, as were Applejack, Big Mac, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Rarity, Blueblood, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Soarin, and Spike.

Glorious ribbons and banners of gentle white hung from the pillars along with royal purple bouquets, an archway behind Celestia, Sombra, and Luna wreathed in similar flowers, candles alit, all of it to complement the atmosphere in careful and meticulous endeavor to make this event perfect. Celestia stood in the middle, with Sombra and Shining Armor to her right, and Luna and Cadance to her left.

Soon it began as everypony quieted to hear the Princess of the Sun.
“We are gathered here to celebrate this momentous occasion! My most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, and my dear friend and dependable subject, Midnight Blaze, have both performed many an extraordinary feat since they each settled in Ponyville. They even helped to reunite me with my sister, Princess Luna, and my true love, Prince Sombra.”

She took the moment to give her sister and her stallion each a loving smile, which they returned.

“But it is what they each accomplished mere days ago that truly sets them apart! Twilight Sparkle created new magic while Midnight Blaze single-handedly prevented what could very well have been the end of all Equestria! These miraculous deeds have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are ready to be crowned Equestria’s newest prince and princess!”

Night Light and Twilight Velvet smiled in deepest pride, Night Light nuzzling his wife as she shed tears of joy as Celestia announced, “Fillies and gentlecolts, I am proud to present for the very first time, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight Blaze!”

All eyes turned to the double doors as they opened to reveal Twilight and Midnight! Twilight was garbed in a gown and dress of soft pink, gentle gold, and pure white, her mane in a more regal style than how it normally was, her wings spread from holes in the back of her dress. At her side was Midnight, wearing a uniform very much like Shining Armor’s but gold instead of red, white collar and borders instead of yellow, black buttons, and a royal purple sash, his mane in a neater style with the bangs combed back with the rest of it. Hanging from a purple ribbon around his neck was a badge that once belonged to his father, displaying the cutie-mark of Ignitus Enflame.

While Twilight looked a tad shy Midnight looked more relaxed.

Behind them were a royal procession of white mares with blond manes wearing red and white capes, bearing banners emblazoned with Twilight and Midnight’s cutie-marks, and behind them were royal guards as they sung a ballad like a choir.

The Princess Twilight cometh
Behold, behold
The Prince Midnight before us,
Behold, behold

Behold, behold (behold, behold)
The Prince, the Princess cometh
Behold, behold (behold, behold)
The Prince and
The Princess are here!

As the two approached Celestia, they noticed Spike walk up to Celestia’s side, holding a velvet cushion bearing the Crown of Magic and the Helm-turned-Crown of Faith. Celestia levitated the Crown of Magic while Sombra proudly took the honor of levitating the Crown of Faith!

Both teachers proudly placed the crowns onto their students as the newly-crowned Prince and Princess faced their new subjects, looking to their friends, who all smiled proudly and happily before Celestia and Sombra led them out onto the balcony to gaze upon their subjects outside as ribbons and confetti rained down in celebration. Midnight calmly waved while Twilight smiled a tad nervously at the cheers of the masses beneath.

At that moment, Sombra whispered to them, “Say something, Your Highnesses!”

“Oh, um…” Twilight was nervous but then she felt somepony take her hoof and saw that it was Midnight, smiling faithfully as he led her up to the balcony rim. Just him being there helped and Twilight cleared her throat.

“A little while ago, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to live in Ponyville.”

“It was shortly before that I had arrived in the same place, a lone pony without purpose or a direction to take,” Midnight added, and Twilight smiled, knowing they should do this together.

“Princess Celestia sent me to study friendship, which is something I didn’t really care much about.”

“Whereas I simply had no real goals in mind but the both of us had the fortune of finding something worth more than all the treasure in the world.”

“Because now, on a day like today,” Twilight looked to their friends and waved them out onto the balcony with them.
“I can honestly say neither of us would be standing here were it not for the friendships we’ve made with all of you!”

“Each one of you taught the both of us lessons in friendship that helped us through even our darkest hours,” Midnight agreed as Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Thunderlane, Applejack, Blueblood, and Rarity, all smiled proudly and happily, shedding tears of joy for their two friends.
“And for that we will forever be grateful!”

“Because today,” Twilight declared, facing the masses, some of her friends waving to the crowd below, “I find the both of us the luckiest ponies in Equestria! Thank you, friends!”

Midnight nodded as he finished, “Thank you, everypony!!!”

The crowd cheered in honor of that amazing speech as the royals and friends returned inside, Shining Armor and Cadance coming up as the Crystal Prince said, “Twilight, Midnight!”

He hugged his sister warmly, saying, “We are so proud of you!”

At that moment, Midnight stepped up with a raised brow and smirk, “Are you crying..?”

“Of course not,” Shining Armor wiped it away, “It’s… liquid pride, totally different thing!”

The siblings and two old friends all laughed when their friends spoke up.
“Wait t’ go princess!”
“Best coronation day ever!”
“Eeyup!”
“Kudos to you guys!”
“Twilight and Midnight, we love you!”

“We love you guys too!” Twilight was close to tears.
“Group hug!” Midnight laughed as they did just that.

“Hit it!” Pinkie signaled and from out of nowhere did DJPon-3 start up and Midnight smiled as he led Twilight to a royal coach.

[Midnight Blaze]
Once upon a time,
You came into my world and made the stars align!

Twilight smiled as she joined Midnight on the coach pulled by royal guards for them to parade by their subjects.

[Twilight Sparkle]
Now I can see the signs
You pick me up when I get down so I can shine!

[Midnight and Twilight]
Shine likerainbows
Shine likerainbows

They leapt out of the coach to join their friends in the parade in a happy trot.

[The Mane Cast]
Shine like rainbows
Shine like rainbows

[Rainbow Dash]
Friends you are in my life
[Soarin]
And you can count on me to be there by your side!

[Big Macintosh]
And when the music comes alive
[Fluttershy]
We sing our songs to lift us up so we can shine

[Midnight Blaze, Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Soarin]
And the sound that we hear in our hearts
Makes a crescendo

[Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie]
And the light that ignites in the dark
It makes us all glow!

[The Mane Cast]
And shine like rainbows
We shine like rainbows
Shine like rainbows
We shine like rainbows

[Midnight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Pinkie Pie, and Big Macintosh]
Together we stand
As the rain begins to fall

[The rest of the Mane Cast joins in one by one]
And holding our heads up high
As the sun shines through it all

[The Mane Cast and the Crowd]
And the sound that we hear in our hearts
Makes a crescendo
And the light that ignites in the dark
It makes us all glow!

And shine like rainbows
We shine like rainbows
Shine like rainbows
We shine like rainbows

Midnight took Twilight’s hoof and began to run, signaling Twilight to open her wings as he took her on her first flight and soared with her high into the sky!

[Midnight Blaze]
We shine like rainbows

It was the best sky-high kiss ever!

Far away, a cloaked figure stood on a high rise, able to hear the celebration even from distance. The figure hissed, green eyes with slit pupils flashing in the shadow of the hood. The figure then purred a devious giggle before vanishing in a hazy flash of purple and green.

Author's Note

OY!

It's finally over, the side-story, the time-travelling journey/temporal paradox/death and reincarnation/crazy-long explanations- ENOUGH already!

I like how this turned out and I hope you did too. The photo album idea seemed a little more... i dunno, special for Twilight to regain her memories of midnight when they were young instead of undoing the memory-mess-up with a spell.

I replaced the final song with 'Shine like Rainbows' because it turned out to be my favorite song from EG2, and who was that hissing figure at the end?!

In addition, Midnight wasn't entirely straight with Twilight - He knows exactly who killed his friend Flash and ruined his family.

I knew at some point someone would ask me if Flash Sentry would be in this somehow. I wanted for that to be so but didn't want a romantic-rival or something, especially after everything I've put Midnight through.

I like Flash Sentry and the FlashLight shipping but what I did here felt like it worked, to say they were friends when they were young and a mysterious villain killing Flash in front of Midnight would leave some trauma.

Midnight has come out of living in secret but is still holding onto some secrets, which I plan to have cause some tension along the line between him and his friends, as well as Twilight.

Finally, I wanna throw this in

I feel this song kinda suits Midnight and had considered using it for the closing but eventually decided against it.

The illustration is another wonderful commission from Hoodwink!

142. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 1

A happy occasion was soon to take place, another Royal Wedding!

The day was looming overhead, just like a certain recently-crowned lavender princess as Twilight struggled to keep her balance while practicing her new wings.

Her boyfriend, Midnight, also having been crowned royalty, smiled encouragingly as he flapped much more steadily, “Don’t push yourself-”

“Just flap `em really hard!” Rainbow interrupted, as she flapped up out of nowhere.

The sudden appearance along with her forced opinion caused Twilight to react just as Rainbow had suggested (although it were too kind a term for the way Rainbow Dash had said it). The rapid flapping and being taken by surprise caused Twilight to spiral out of control and fall onto a nearby tree. As she hung from the branch she could’ve sworn she heard birds tweeting but it turned out she had disturbed a bird and her nest.

Thunderlane flapped over and helped Twilight, “Maybe not that hard.”

All of them landed in the castle grounds where the friends were watching as Midnight (along with a volunteering Rainbow Dash) had brought Twilight out to practice her flying, and Thunderlane joined them, saying, “But not a bad start, Princess Twilight.”

“Thunderlane, you know you don’t have to call me that,” Twilight assured.

“Why do you protest so?” Rarity spoke her opinion, utterly perplexed by the notion, “You and Midnight have already given up wearing your crowns all the time. The least you can do is embrace your new title.”

“Rarity, if other ponies wish to address us that way, that’s one thing,” Midnight sighed with an irritated roll of his eyes. “But we’re all friends here!”

“I agree. Being addressed as royalty by our closest friends?” Twilight stood next to Midnight and they nuzzled as she added, "It just doesn’t feel right!”

She sighed, “And neither does all this flying business. I'm never going to get the hang of flying at this rate!"

“Not if you spend all your time down here, you won’t!” Rainbow said in a way as to get Twilight psyched up, only for Midnight to shut her mouth with the end of his long lion-like tail.

“And she’ll spend her time practicing with a competent teacher, namely me,” Midnight insisted, earning quite the stink eye from the rainbow-maned blowhard.

“Midnight, let’s try it,” Twilight decided, taking him by surprise.

“Are you… sure, Twi?” Midnight hesitated.

Twilight answered by flaring her wings and planting her hooves firmly, bending down a bit to the position to kick off into the air. Sighing, Midnight shrugged, “Alright!”

He took his starting position next to her, everypony going silent as their eyes widened in anticipation. The sapphire prince and lavender princess then met each other’s eyes and nodded in determination.

With a mighty twin flap, both young alicorns took flight!

Their friends watched from below, cheering.
“Go for it, guys!” “You’ve got this!” “Eeyup!”“Lookit `em go!” “Tha’s what Ah’m talkin’ about!”

They watched the two royals start the maneuver, Twilight whooping, and almost immediately it went wrong as they gasped to see Twilight lose control, her velocity sending her careening through three clouds, their thick softness successfully slowing her down. Twilight coughed cloud when she suddenly realized she’d stopped flapping.

She dropped like a stone, flailing her hooves and wings, screaming!

“Twilight!” Midnight zoomed after Twilight, who managed to keep her wings open and pull-up, barely missing their friends below with an unintentional dive-bombing. Thankfully they ducked and gasped to see Twilight loop de’ loop out of control.

She came very close to plowing face-first into the ground, only for a turquoise aura to envelop her and gently set her down on the ground. She looked to see a worried Midnight hurry over, as did the rest of their friends as Midnight fussed, “Twily! Are you okay?! Any nausea? Did your ears pop? How many wings am I holding up?!”

“Midnight, I’m fine!” Twilight couldn’t help but giggle as Midnight’s worried behavior reminded her of her own when she started to lose her cool. Midnight gave her his hoof and helped her stand up and smile at him thankfully, “Thanks to you.”

“So long as I’m around, I’ll never let you fall,” Midnight promised with a relieved smile and the two nuzzled.

“Ahem!”

They both startled as they forgot their audience, Soarin cracking, “Should we come back later?”

“Soarin!” Blueblood scolded while Soarin, Rainbow, and Spike all chortled.

“Why don’t y’all take a break?” Big Macintosh suggested. “We still got a lil’ time t’ kill `afore we all head back t’ Ponyville.”

“Oh, oh!” Rarity got starry-eyed, “Let’s got to Canterlot Tower; I want to see the new stained-glass window!”

The others nodded and agreed, Midnight and Twilight looked at each other shyly as Midnight said, “I… guess we can go check it out.”

Standing in Canterlot Tower, the friends gathered in front of the new stained-glass window, behold the glory of the new prince and princess.

“I must say, my friends,” Blueblood spoke in a tone of reverence, “the both of you appear quite magnificent!”

“I concur! Oh!” Rarity gasped in marvel, “They’ve really captured the regality of your profiles.”

“I suppose,” Midnight rolled his eyes, Rarity scoffing.

“Oh don’t be so modest, darlings. It’s everypony’s dream to one day wear a crown and have their coronation ceremony preserved in stained-glass for all to see, oh!”

“I beg to differ with you on that, Rares,” Soarin shook his head in a goodnatured way.

“Yeah! Most of my dreams are about frosting,” Pinkie added, licking her lips with a look of dazed desire as she sighed in ecstasy.

“We’d better get going,” Fluttershy brought up, “we don’t wanna miss our train.”

“`Shy’s right,” Big Mac nodded, “AJ an’ Ah’ve both got bushels t’ do back at th’ farm.”

“Oh that’s right!” Applejack facehooved, “An’ if we don’ scoot our caboose we might have t’ miss th’ weddin’!”

Midnight quickly noticed the sad look on Twilight’s face, his own sinking in equal gloom. Neither long faces escaped Applejack’s notice as she went up to Midnight, “Aw don’ look like tha’, big brother! Y’all an’ Twi’re gonna get t’ be a part o’ maybe th’ biggest weddin’ Equestria’s ever had!

“And we’re honored, really!” Midnight assured despite the disappointment he was hiding.
“But this is gonna be my old teacher’s big day!" Twilight added. "I owe her so much and it was her guidance that finally opened my eyes to friendship, so I think it would be more meaningful if all of us were able to attend.”

“Ah, I can see your point, Twilight,” Blueblood understood, “but we all have obligations to see to back in Ponyville, just as the two of you have your new royal duties, which, believe you me, are of no small consequence.”

“Princess Celestia might be responsible for bringin’ us t’gether,” Applejack pointed out the stained-glass window that portrayed all of them (sans Blueblood, Soarin, and Spike) when they vanquished Nightmare Moon.
“But it’s th’ Elements o’ Harmony that connect us t’gether!”

“Not us,” Soarin muttered to Blueblood like a pouty colt, the honorary prince nudging him to keep quiet but Soarin made up for his immature statement by saying, “No ‘royal duties’ can ever come between such amazing friends! Am I right or am I right?”

Everypony all nodded and mm-hmm’d in vibrant agreement. Well, except one, which Soarin addressed, “Right, Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie was still lost in her frosting-fevered daydreams as she muttered and drooled, “Creamy, creamy frosting…”

Fluttershy hurried over and dabbed her dry, “I think we can take that as a ‘yes’.”

That spurred a round of chuckles and giggles from the rest.

Twilight and Midnight walked their friends to the Canterlot train station, the locomotive’s whistle alerting it was almost time to go.

“We’re gonna work hard and fast so we’ll all be able to make it in time to come to the wedding and see you all!” Pinkie swore before addressing the rest, “Right, everypony?!”

“Cross myheart andhopeto flystickacupcake in, my eye,” they chorused and pantomimed the motions of the sacred Pinkie-Promise.

“And we will see you after the celebration for the matter of discussing royal upgrades to your loft décor,” Rarity couldn’t help but squeeze in, showing an art book opened to varying color shades for redecorating.

“ALL ABOARD FOR PONYVILLE!” announced the conductor.

Twilight and the girls had a group-hug while Midnight exchanged hoof-bumps and high-wings with the guys, all the while murmuring their see-ya-laters until they all boarded the train. Even as the train vacated the station platform their friends waved until Twilight, Midnight, and Spike couldn’t see them anymore.

Midnight heard Twilight sigh, and wrapped a wing around her shoulders, “I’m sure they’ll make it in time for the wedding.”

“Yeah, they even Pinkie-Promised!” Spike insisted.

“I can’t help it, boys,” Twilight shrugged. “they’ve only been gone a minute and already I feel like I’m missing something.”

“For the princess.”

They startled to see a mail-pony give a pink envelope to them, which Spike accepted. Using his claw like a letter-opener, he freed the message and read, “‘Dear Twilight, you aren’t missing anything! Your friend, Pinkie Pie’.”

“THAT’S ME!” shouted a hyperactive voice and they looked to see the train disappear into the distance.

Despite another inexplicable yet touching Pinkie moment, Twilight said in a quiet voice, “But I am… I just know it!”

Seeing Twilight look worried bothered Midnight and Spike that they shared a troubled look.

“Check, check, check, check and… check!” Spike crossed several things off the to-do list Twilight had made as they stood in Twilight’s old tower, the fading light out the window hearkening nightfall.
“Lookit that, we’re way ahead of schedule!”

He smiled up at Twilight who was flapping in place, Midnight saying, “The still air has no shape so you have to compensate with your down-stroke, but remember to keep it a steady pace, even as you come down for a landing.”

He demonstrated by flapping his wings just a little faster and for a brief moment as he alighted onto the floor rather gracefully. He smiled up at Twilight encouragingly, “Now you try.”

Nodding, Twilight slowed her flapping rate just enough to come down but as she almost touched the floor she got nervous and flapped just a little haphazardly that she almost stumbled, but Midnight steadied her, Twilight smiling at him, “Thanks.”

“Uh, guys, did you hear me?” Spike spoke up, earning their attention. “I just said we’re ahead of schedule, and y’know the wedding’s not till the day after tomorrow! We could still fit in a quick trip to Ponyville and make it back to finish these last few things with time to spare before the event gets underway!”

“That sounds like a great idea!” Midnight agreed, giving Twilight a smile.

“Yes it does, buys, but…What if something else came up in our absence? What if our return here was delayed and we weren’t here in time to finish the rest of that list?” Twilight was having another of her neurotic moments, her wings flapping, lifting her higher and higher with each worst-case scenario popping in her head.
“What if we lost the list on the way to Ponyville and then couldn’t remember which things we’d done and which things we hadn’t done and then- and then spent so much time trying to figure out what we hadn’t done and what we had done, and we ruined the entire wedding by not doing the one really important thing that we were supposed to- Yikes!”

Twilight felt something grab her fetlock and yank her down to the floor and saw it was Midnight’s tail as he gave her an understanding look. He then placed his hoof over his chest, a raised eyebrow at Twilight and saw him do the same calming technique Cadance taught her and did so as well.

Almost at once, Twilight felt the worry go away, and she smiled at Midnight who said, “Sorry, you were about to hit the ceiling.”

Twilight looked up and then sheepishly at Midnight, as he said, “Twily, I love you… but take a chill-pill already! It’s not good for your nerves.”

“I know, it’s just…These are the first royal duties Princess Celestia has given us,” Twilight insisted. “And after everything she’s gone through she’s finally marrying the stallion she loves! We can’t risk letting her down!”

“And I’m sure you won’t,” said a gentle voice they all knew well and looked to the doorway to see Princess Celestia.

“Your Highness!” Spike and Twilight hurried over to bow but Twilight noticed Midnight had done no such thing.

“Midnight…!” she muttered under her breath, Midnight rolling his eyes but still refused to bow.

“It’s alright, Princess Twilight, and please!” Celestia helped Twilight up, “There’s no need for that anymore.”

“Sorry, and please excuse Midnight’s behavior,” Twilight said kindly to Celestia before throwing Midnight a stink eye, as he pretended not to notice.

“There’s no need to apologize,” Celestia assured, “and I am so happy you will be partaking in what I had almost given up on ever happening.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, as they watched Celestia look out to the castle grounds below.

Down there, they could see Prince Sombra deep in meditation, his horn glowing red as he levitated crystal monoliths around him, moving them at such a slow-pace as to appear they were simply floating in zero gravity, rotating around him like celestial bodies.

“Since that night Luna betrayed our trust and took what should have been given to me,” Celestia sighed sadly, “I regretted my decision to end my relationship with Sombra instead of find the strength to overlook what wasn’t his fault. Even more when it ultimately resulted in him becoming possessed by the Whisperer, and a tyrannical monster my sister and I had to stop… it may very well have been the worst of all my mistakes.”

Twilight was astonished to hear Celestia admitting to making mistakes but she reminded herself that the Princess was still a pony and was just a pony before she became a princess.

“Then when my sister fell to the Whisperer’s poisonous lies, and became Nightmare Moon,” Celestia went on, “I was forced to banish my own sister and while everypony regarded the Summer Sun Celebration as the occasion I defeated Nightmare Moon, it served to me only as an ugly reminder that I could not save my sister from herself…”

“I… never really thought about it that way,” Twilight was astonished for never coming to that realization.

“Then after Star Swirl passed away, I was alone…” Celestia’s mane lost a little of is splendor for but a moment. “My true love, my sister, and the pony I loved as both a teacher and a father. All of them were gone and I stood alone, striving to be the magnificent princess my subjects needed me to be for a thousand years. But then you and your friends were able to restore Nightmare moon to my sister Princess Luna, Midnight, you were able to wield the power of the Crystal Heart to purge the remaining corruptions of the Whisperer from Sombra, and although he is gone, I am certain that Star Swirl would be proud, of me as well as all of you.”

Twilight and Midnight smiled and nuzzled each other as Celestia continued, “And because of you all, I will at long last have what I’d always dreamed of but had almost given up hope that it would ever be. I will have a husband, perhaps even one day my family will grow larger, and it pleases me that you both will partake in the event. I understand it was difficult to see your friends return to Ponyville without you.”

“A bit, but we’ll make do,” Midnight said as he nuzzled Twilight, whose eyes wavered for a moment.

Celestia gently held Twilight’s face up to her, “You may no longer be my student, Princess Twilight, but I hope you know I will always be here if you need me. Just as I hope that the both of you will always be there when I need you.”

Celestia gave them each a nuzzle, which Midnight accepted.

Spike cleared his throat, ruining the moment and pointed out the mail pony, “I think this guy needs you.”

"Uh, delivery for Princess Twilight?" the mail pony held up a letter.

Twilight accepted it, Midnight whispering thank you to the carrier before he took his leave, as Twilight opened the envelope, confetti popping out, much to their bewilderment that it made them laugh for a moment.

“A letter from Ponyville I presume?” Celestia smiled.

“I’ll look into it later,” Twilight decided, putting the letter on her desk. “Spike, where were we?”

“About to call it a night?” Spike tried hopefully.

“We… should probably go over the list one more time,” Midnight knew if he hadn’t suggested it Twilight most certainly would have, much to Spike’s chagrin as he pulled the list out.

“I’ll leave you all to it,” Celestia bade as she left them.

As she made her way back to her royal chambers, she was so lost in reverie that she did not notice something creep up on her before it was too late!

Author's Note

This arc replaces the two-parter of "Princess Twilight"

I wanted to address Celestia and Sombra's wedding at some point so I felt it would work to have it replace the Summer Sun Celebration event of "Princess Twilight" in this.

In case you're wondering Midnight's less-than-welcoming behavior towards Celestia, don't forget she made him hide from everypony he knew back in Canterlot in his reincarnated life, and the isolation his family lived in made them vulnerable to what the villain did to his family.

He doesn't outright, but on some level Midnight blames Celestia for what happened to his mother, that his father left and is missing, etc.

He still loves and cares for her, but since he acted as her agent and did a lot of cloak-&-dagger stuff it only served to fester the contempt he has.

The window art is by MCShelster

143. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 2

Midnight began to stir, as his internal clock rang its own alarm that slowly but surely roused him awake. He realized he’d fallen asleep on his chair, lying on the desktop. He’d insisted last night to Twilight he’d finish up the last bit of work and all but forced her to bed. Waking up, he yawned and stretched some kinks out of his back from the position he’d slept through when he noticed something was off. It wasn’t very bright outside, and since he was right in front of a window the morning should have been what stirred him. Looking out, he gasped at what he saw!

“Twilight! Spike!”

“Mmph...”

Twilight was roused by Midnight’s shouting, Spike snoring in his basket, still holding his pencil as he snored, “Check, check, check, check, check…”

“Wake up!” Midnight said more forcefully, Twilight and Spike rising but not exactly shining.

“What time is it?” yawned Spike as he stretched,

“That’s the million-bit question,” Midnight said as he gaped worriedly out the window and they both saw exactly what it was that had him worried!

The sky was neither day nor night but rather a split down the middle of both! The western sky was bright and shiny by the sun whereas the eastern sky was starry and gentle by the moon. Both the sun and moon were up!

“Whoa…! That is weird!” Spike commented in awe.
“What could this mean?!” fretted Twilight.

“I dunno, but we have to get to the bottom of this,” Midnight declared, “Come on!”

Meanwhile, in the Canterlot streets, the locals all fretted and worried, confused by the half-day/half-night that had never happened before.
“What is it?” “I’ve never seen anything like it!” “What do you think it means?!”

“Look, the prince and princess!” somepony pointed out, as Midnight, Twilight, and Spike exited her old tower. “They’ll know what’s going on!”

Almost at once, a frightened mob crowded around the three of them, overlapping questions, neither Midnight nor Twilight able to get a word in edge-wise.
“If I could-”
“I’m sure there’s a logical-”

“Your Highnesses!” two royal guards pushed through the crowd, “Prince Sombra requests your presences, it’s an emergency!”

“Make way, make way!” the other guard commanded to the worried crowd, “Their Majesties are required for Royal Counsel!”

“MOVE IT!” an irritated Spike shouted, blowing green fire upwards for good measure, that finally the crowd got out of the way and Midnight, Twilight, and Spike followed the guards to the castle.

Inside the throne room, Prince Sombra was speaking with some guards, the royal aide, Raven, levitating some scrolls for him to look at, when a guard called, “Announcing their Royal Highnesses, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight Blaze!”

Hearing their arrival, Sombra turned to see his apprentice, along with Twilight and Spike enter the throne room. At once, Sombra flared his wings and stomped his hoof.
“Leave us! I must consult with my fellow monarchs, you are all dismissed!”

The guards and Raven bowed and quickly left, and Sombra sighed in relief, “Princess Twilight, Prince Midnight, thank the goddess you’re both still here!”

“Prince Sombra!” Midnight, Twilight, and Spike approached him, “What in the wide-wide world of Equestria is going on?!”

“Why is both the sun and moon up in the sky at the same time?” Twilight added, “Are the Royal Sisters having a quarrel?”

“That’s just it, Twilight Sparkle!” Sombra fretted, “My beloved, Celestia, and her sister Princess Luna… they’re gone!”

The three of them gasped at Sombra’s words, Twilight worrying, “but I don’t understand! Where are they?!”

“I don’t know, nopony does!” Sombra was pacing back and forth in worry, “It’s as if the Royal Sisters have simply… vanished!”

“Vanished?!” Spike echoed before keeling over.

“Which is why I summoned the both of you,” Prince Sombra explained, “With the Royal Sisters missing, and Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor busy ruling the Crystal Empire, the burden of the throne falls to me! …And I am afraid.”

“Afraid? Why” Twilight asked, not understanding.

“After I was corrupted by the Whisperer, I became a tyrant and slaved many of my former subjects in the Crystal Empire to death…” Prince Sombra said shamefully as he gazed up at his fiancée’s throne.
“After I became an alicorn and my coronation, I was and still am hesitant to trust myself with any royal responsibilities! Even so, Celestia told me should anything like this ever happen I must do my royal duties, and I am sworn not to fail her!”

He then turned to face them, “As to why I called you here, as much as I want to get out there and look for my Celestia and her sister, I am needed here, to insure order and security in Canterlot. I must ask of you both to take charge of an investigation into the Royal Sisters’ disappearance.”

“You can count on us!” Midnight swore, saluting with his wing.

Seeing Midnight this way helped Twilight find her own resolve and add, “We’ll have any Royal Guards we can spare to search for the Royal Sisters! We have to find them before ponies start to panic. There must be some clue that can tell us what’s happened to them.”

“Very well,” Prince Sombra agreed, “and should you find something, anything at all, please keep me in the loop.”

The two nodded determinedly while Sombra sighed and smiled at Twilight.
“I understand you too have been rather daunted by your new royal duties lately, Twilight Sparkle. But the way you stepped up just now, I am certain Celestia would be proud.”

Twilight smiled back a little sheepishly, Midnight and Spike nudging her as Spike added, “I know we are!”

At that moment, they heard the doors fly open, a guard running in, “Your Majesties! News from Ponyville! The Everfree Forest! It appears to be, well… invading!”

The three royals all gasped while Spike keeled over again.

“Invading?! What do you mean, invading?” Midnight demanded, Twilight equally worried.

“The reports are sketchy, Prince Midnight,” the guard said anxiously, “It seems that some strange plant is spreading out of control and it originates from the Everfree Forest! There are apparently other concerns as well, like the unicorns in Ponyville are losing control of their magic and the pegasi are unable to control some strange clouds!”

Twilight, Midnight, and Spike shared a troubled look when Sombra said in a pondering tone, “The Royal Sisters go missing and then strange plants and weather assail Ponyville? This cannot be coincidence. Twilight, Midnight, I’ll have somepony else head the investigation – You two are needed in Ponyville!”

“But Prince Sombra!” Twilight protested, only to feel Midnight hold her hoof.

“Twily, right now, we must act on the immediate problems at hoof,” Midnight pressed, “our friends need us, our home needs us!”

“I give you my word, Twilight Sparkle,” Sombra assured, “that if any new developments appear during the investigation I will keep you informed. Now go! I have a feeling that whatever is behind all of this, you will need your friends and the Elements of Harmony to succeed!”

For a moment Twilight considered debated the dilemma further but she realized they were right. She nodded respectfully, “Yes, Prince Sombra. Come on, boys! Our friends need us!”

“Good luck!” Sombra called to them as they ran out the doors.

As they ran through the streets, they passed by the locals and heard worried gossips and whispers.
“I have a bad feeling about this…!”
I heard that Ponyville is under attack by something!”
“Does that mean Equestria is being invaded?!”
“I just heard that the Royal Sisters are missing!”
“Missing?! But I just saw the new prince and princess run by!”
“Then who’s on the throne right now?”
“Surely not Prince Sombra!”

That one comment brought Midnight to a grinding halt, his keen ears picking up a snooty voice saying, “Prince Sombra, on the Canterlot throne?! Ppth, I’d sooner be ruled by a some country hick!”
“Indeed, I still don’t know what it is Princess Celestia was thinking to even consider that barbarian’s proposal.”

Midnight threw an infuriated look in the direction of those voices and saw some familiar faces in Jet Set, his wife Upper Crust, and with them were a couple crystal ponies who looked nervous.
“Wha-what if… Sombra is behind the Royal Sisters vanishing?!”
“He might be trying to take over Equestria!”

“ENOUGH!!!!!”

All eyes and ears in the streets turned to an incensed Midnight as he stomped up to the two snobs and paranoid crystal ponies.
“I will not tolerate any besmirching of my master’s good name! Prince Sombra loves Princess Celestia, and she loved him enough to forgive and forget! It might be his face you saw when you were tyrannized in the empire but he was corrupted by an evil spirit, and so not truly at fault. Not only that, he knows his duties as a prince and is putting all of you before his wish to find the Sisters himself, and so the task falls to Twilight and I! Right now, we’re off to Ponyville to investigate a dangerous phenomenon that is likely connected to the Royal Sisters’ disappearance. Prince Sombra remains to keep order and all of you safe, you ungrateful lot! So shut up, shape up, or ship out!”

“Y-yes, Your Majesty!” The ponies whimpered nervously under Midnight’s piercing turquoise eyes as they bowed and scooted away.

Twilight and Spike gave Midnight troubled looks and when he saw them, his ears drooped.
“Sorry about that…”

“I understand,” Twilight assured, “I’d feel the same way if somepony spoke ill of Princess Celestia. Now come on!”

She took off, Midnight and Spike running to catch up.
“The Everfree Forest is invading!”

She then surprised them by conjuring the Crowns of Magic and Faith, placing them on their owners’ heads.
“Whatever’s behind all this, I’m sure we’ll need our friends and the Elements of Harmony to stop it! I just hope we haven’t missed the train…”

“Uh, Twily? You do realize there’s a quicker way for us to get there than the train,” Midnight spoke up.

Twilight skidded to a halt, “There is?”

Spike however misjudged his running speed and almost tripped, only for Midnight to cushion him with his wing. Shaking it off, Spike pointed out Midnight’s wing and said, “You guys can fly!”

“Oh! Right…” Twilight felt like such a ditz for forgetting that.

Midnight pulled Spike onto his back and flared his wings, “Ya ready?”

Twilight nodded in determination and watched as Midnight kicked off the ground, easily rising into the air before flapping in place to await her. She did the same and lost balance as she’d forgot to keep her flaps in sync.

‘Whoa’ing, she felt Midnight steady her and hold her hoof.
“Let’s go!”

With stronger flaps, they went skyward and soared off to their destination!

In Ponyville, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Soarin chased after an errant thundercloud that had some weird spikes coming out of it, only to be chased back by more clouds that shot lightning bolts at them. Below, the Ponyville locals were running and yelling as giant weedy tendrils black and thorny, releasing blue spores that messed up the local unicorns’ auras, and the infestation was spreading all over! The weeds grew quicker than the vain attempts to stop them, covering buildings, ensnaring anything unfortunate enough to get too close.

“Something very strange is going on!” Rarity tread lightly around a sprouting weed as she took shelter on the town hall awning where Blueblood already was.
“I'll say!" Blueblood agreed as he tore at a vine with his horn, "I hope somepony can explain what the hay is going on here!”

“All I know is…!”

They looked up to see Rainbow Dash flap down with Thunderlane and Soarin, “The sky is split in two!”

“Yeah, and these whacked-out clouds sure aren’t from around here,” Thunderlane added.

“Neither are all these crazy plants!”

They looked to see Applejack and Big Mac trying to pull some weeds out of the ground as the big red stallion informed, “They’re comin’ from th’ Everfree Forest!”

“An’ try as we might, us earth ponies cain’t do anything t’ get rid o’ them,” Applejack added.

“Eeyup.”

At that point, Pinkie slid along a weed to convene with the rest as Soarin said, “Yo Blue! Ya got any spells that could whack these weeds good?”

“Unfortunately that's a 'no',” Blueblood sighed, “Whatever these miserable weeds are, they’re releasing some kind of spore that negatively affects us unicorns.”

“Indeed,” Rarity tried lighting up her horn but all she got was a flicker, “this whole ‘raging forest’ thing has left our horns on the fritz!”

“Well we have to figure out something, I’m not sure how much more of this Ponyville can take!” Fluttershy worried when a tendril ensnared her hoof.

She cried out fearfully, spurring Big Mac to lunge at the weed, only for it to let go and cause Big Mac to crash into a wall, groaning, “Nnope…”

Fluttershy checked on her beau, whimpering, “I don’t know how much more we can take!”

“Th’ forest is expandin’, y’all,” Applejack stated while Pinkie Pie stomped up and down on a weed fruitlessly.

"And it seems this infestation shows no signs of slowing down," Blueblood pointed out, "I'm afraid that, before long, these weeds could infest half of Equestria!”

Everypony was worried by Blueblood’s words, and the feeling only grew worse as they saw the viny weeds continue to grow, and curl, and coil and spread their troubling tendrils non-stop!

Meanwhile, Twilight and Midnight flew, Spike astride the blue alicorn, and were flapping as fast as their wings could carry them. As they approached Ponyville skies, they dodged the strange thunderclouds, Spike groaned, "Maybe we should've taken the train after all...!"

Feeling nauseous, he buckled himself in, Midnight giving him a look.
“Where’d you get those seatbelts?”

“Huh?” Spike replied in confusion.

“We’re almost there!” Twilight spoke up while Spike turned green in places he wasn’t supposed to be.

Looking down, Midnight saw their home slowly but surely becoming more and more ensnared by the strange weeds and vines. He then saw Twilight’s old library, Twilight saying, “Come on, guys! We have to get the elements and find the others!”

Twilight instantly dove towards her library, Midnight yelling, “Twilight! Pull up!”

Realizing her mistake, Twilight tried to slow down and almost crashed when a little quick-thinking saved her from a very unpleasant crash.

*FLASH*

“Yaauugh!” Twilight tumbled head over hoof into a pile of books, taking everpony by surprise as all her friends were looking through books.

*Tap, tap, tap*

Fluttershy looked to the window and smiled to see Midnight and Spike waving. She opened the door to let them in as Twilight freed herself of her books, Rarity rejoicing, “Oh thank goodness!”

Fluttershy took an airsick Spike off midnight’s hooves as she said, “I hope you understand, we couldn’t go through Twilight’s books without good reason!”

Spike freed himself from Fluttershy’s hooves and willfully plopped onto the floor, “Sweet ground! Mwah-mwah! Sweet, sweet wonderful ground!”

“OK, I get it!” Twilight frowned, “I need to work on my flying!”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, “Pinkie popped up, “But the Everfree Forest is just a teeny-tiny bit… out of control!!”

At that moment, Pinkie’s tail twitched, warning her to dodge as a large weed jutted out of nowhere, knocking Rarity down, as Applejack and big Mac struggled to close the window form which the uninvited pest had sprung through.
“Guess it turned out y’all wer’ missin’ sumthin’ here in Ponyville after all.”

“Ee… yup!” Big Mac grunted as he forced the window shut, cutting the weed off from its growth outside.

“But maybe the two of you know what's causing all of this,” Blueblood said hopefully to the two royals. “Has Aunt Celestia sent you both to deal with this matter?”

“Not exactly…” Twilight hesitated.
Midnight twiddled his hooves as he also shied, “Y’see… the Royal Sisters, they, uh…”
“THEY’RE MISSING!” Spike blurted out in near-panic, spurring a round of horrified gasps from their friends.

Midnight slapped the back of Spike’s head with his wing, “Ya couldn’t have let us break the ice a little more gently?!”

“We don’t know what’s become of them,” Twilight admitted as she levitated off the display case holding the Elements of Harmony as well the jewels Celestia made for Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane to summon their Harmonic armor.
“But I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna need the Elements of Harmony to get them back!”

While Twilight distributed the Elements, Midnight took his guardian jewel and gave Mac and Thunder theirs.

“Oh yeah, just like old times!” Rainbow got hyped.
“Boo-yah!” Pinkie hoofbumped Twilight.

“Ah told ya we’d always be connected by th’ elements,” Applejack said to Twilight with a smile before sighing, “Now we jus’ gotta figure out who t’ aim these bad boys at so we can get th’ royal Sisters back an’ prevent th’ rest o’ Equestria from becomin’ one big weedy garden!”

“Any ideas?” Big Mac asked while Blueblood and Soarin stepped back, feeling a little bad they didn’t have their own Elements or armor to help.

“Hmm,” Twilight looked out the window to regard the situation.
“Half day and half night…”

Midnight stood next to her in equal consideration.
“Strange weather patterns…”

“Out of control plants!”

They shared a look as Midnight asked, “Are you thinking of whom I’m thinking…?”

“I believe I am,” Twilight turned to face their friends, “I think we have a pretty good idea of who’s behind all this!”

The friends all trotted out to the town square, the most spacious area around, what with all the crazy weeds. The bearers of the Elements stood in a circle while Big Mac and Thunderlane, they and Midnight clad in their Harmonic armor, took their positions in case they needed to summon up the magic-dispelling barrier they as the Guardians of Harmony could conjure together.

Blueblood and Soarin stood by and watched as Twilight and Midnight concentrated their powers into their elements, the powering of them up reacting with the rest as all the elemental jewels began to shine. The bearers rose a few hooves into the air and ribbons of rainbow energy bridged between them, connecting the Elements together, focusing on the Crowns of Magic and Faith!

Larger rainbows spread out, spiraling in drapes of whirling technicolors until they came down, revealing…!

Eris, bathing in a floating tub, her long white mane bunched up into a shower cap as she scrubbed her shoulders, singing, “Winter Wrap-up, Winter Wrap-AUGH!”

She conjured a towel to cover herself when she saw her location was now somewhere less than private, given the several stink eyes she was getting, which she returned with her own, huffing, “Do you mind?!”

Author's Note

I like the part where Midnight defends Sombra's name when gossip of the missing royal Sisters begin to turn an unsavory direction against Sombra

144. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 3

“Hello Eris…” Midnight said shrewdly as everypony continued to throw her a stink eye. “Bad time?”

“Tell me, are you deaf, child?” Eris huffed as she pulled off her shower cap, letting down her long and oddly attractive white mane of hair. “`Cuz I distinctly recall Celly tellin’ y’all to give yer ol’ Auntie Eris the heads-up before ya use that summoning spell she taught ya? Hmph! And I was havin’ such a nice shower…”

“Enough!” Twilight snapped, approaching Eris so threateningly that the chimera-themed chick flapped back with a surprised look. “Release the Royal Sisters and stop the Everfree Forest from invading!”

At that moment, a weed coiled around Twilight, only for a flash of light to reveal it had been replaced by the serpentine Eris, looking sly.
"Whatever are ya talkin’ about, girl?”

Thunderlane stepped up and pointed a hoof at Eris, “Drop the act, Eris! Only you’ve got the mojo to pull off this sort of whacked-out weirdness!”

Eris frowned at that before Flashing over to a weed-covered house, “Speakin’ of weirdness, I must ask the name o’ your decorator!” – She pulled out a camera and snapped a few shots before floating over to Fluttershy – “I’m no slouch in creativity, but in case y’all’re forgettin’: I’m reformed!”

“Yeah right!” Rainbow snapped while indicating the mess with her hoof, “This has got your cloven hoofprints all over it!”

“I have only one cloven hoof, thank you very much!” Eris corrected in a sassy way as her goat leg clopped up her body to give Rainbow a well-deserved swift kick in the butt.

Before Rainbow could protest, Eris teleported away and started walking, “Whatever happened to innocent `till proven guilty?” – She looked back at that with eyes so sorrowful they would’ve rivaled Apple Bloom’s – “I thought we were friends!”

“You ain’t fooling anypony, sister!” Pinkie pointed a hoof, “We’re onto you…!”

“Fillies, gentlecolts! I’m innocent!” Eris insisted before asking with a shrug, “Would yer ol’ Auntie Eris lie to you?”

“YES!” they all replied, not including Fluttershy.

Although she nervously admitted, “Um… maybe?”

“Then it seems we got us a li'l conundrum here,” Eris said in a blasé tone, “I’m being honest, y’all think I’m not!”

She stood in front of Midnight and Twilight, saying, “Whatever do friends do in such a situation as this, Your Majesties…?”

Chuckling, she flicked at Twilight’s crown with her lion paw while putting her eagle-arm around Midnight’s shoulders, the both of them maintaining their looks of suspicion.
“Kudos on the promotions, B-T-W, quite an achievement!”

“I say we blast her back to stone!” “Works fer me.” “Here! Here!”

At once the three mares’ elements lit up only for Fluttershy to speak up, “Wait! Eris is right, we have to assume she’s innocent unless we prove she’s guilty.”

Eris lit up, with a halo over her head, at those words, “Well it’s about time! At least I got somepony who don’t think I’m being crooked” – Eris pulled in Rainbow Dash without looking – “The rest o’ y’all could learn something `bout friendship from my gal-pal Shudderfry.”

“Um…”

She looked to see Fluttershy to her left and realized her goof as the butter-yellow pegasus politely corrected, “It’s Fluttershy…”

Throwing Rainbow Dash away, Eris pulled Fluttershy in, muttering, “Yeah, sure, whatever…”

“Well if you are innocent,” Midnight spoke up sternly, “you can start proving it by helping us figure out who’s really behind this mess!”

“Ex-cuse me?” Eris sassed in an offended tone as she conjured some knitting needles and started using them on the weeds. “After all the hoof-pointing and unfounded accusing of my good name? Go swim in quicksand!”

“RRGH...!!” Midnight growled in annoyance, his pupils dilating as he bore fangs.

“But just to prove I’m the bigger mare, I’ll be kind enough to point y’all towards your zebra friend,” Eris said, and oddly her knitted weeds were forming an arrow, and everypony followed the direction it pointed to see…

“Zecora!” Twilight led the others to go help the zebra mare, who looked to have packed everything she owned into a small cart and a bundle on her back.

Soarin and Rainbow politely took the bundle off while Big Mac and Pinkie removed the cart so Zecora could be relieved of her heavy burden and explain, “From my home, I had to flee. The forest has grown too wild, even for me!”

“Any idea why all this is happenin’?” asked Big Mac, glaring at a weed that snagged at his harness.

“I’m afraid it is a mystery to me as well, but…” Zecora looked into her cart, “I may have something that if combined with a spell…”

She pulled out an ornamental vial filled with purple liquid, “I dare not use it myself, the results would be quite tragic. For the potion you see here responds only to alicorn magic!”

All eyes turned to Twilight and Midnight, the only alicorns present, Zecora saying, “Your Highnesses, turn the potion from purple to white. After a sip you may learn why the sky is day and night.”

Midnight furrowed his brows and cast a spell, willing for the potion to pale to a milky white, Pinkie ooh-ing in wonder.

Midnight levitated the vial and was about to drink, only for Twilight to take it, “No, Midnight! Princess Celestia is my old teacher – I’m drinking this potion.”

“Twily…!” Midnight protested but the look in his mare’s eyes told him she would not be denied. Sighing, he relinquished the potion and said, “Just… be careful, whatever happens.”

Twilight nuzzled him in assurance before looking to Zecora, who nodded. Everypony watched in suspense as Twilight took a few swallows of the white potion. When she lowered it and smacked her lips, she furrowed her brows, waiting for something to happen.
“Doesn’t seem to be wor-”

Twilight suddenly went still as a statue and her eyes widened and glowed bright white!

“Twilight!” Midnight cried, only for Zecora to bar him.

“Worry not the potion’s effects, it is to the past she now connects.”

“Princess Luna…?”

All eyes were back on Twilight, having heard her mumble and vaguely look confused. “Luna… stop!”

“What’s she seeing?” Rainbow waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s eyes, stopping when Midnight gave her a stink eye.

“Her glowing eyes, as you can see,” Zecora pointed out, “are peering back into history.”

Twilight moaned anxiously, her wings weakly flapping but not enough to lift her up when she squealed, “Celestia…!”

Everypony worried even more as Twilight began to cry. Midnight faced his Twilight, wrapping his wings around her, “Twily! It’s okay! Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real! It’s just something from the past!”

“Alright…” Twilight appeared to calm down, to everypony’s relief, Midnight stepping back hesitantly.
“The past…!”

A moment later, Twilight’s eyes stopped glowing as she found herself back in the present, and worried looks from everypony.
“Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Well, Twi, you were mumbling something about Princess Luna and started crying,” Midnight explained, Fluttershy adding, “You had us worried for a moment.”

“Aw, is it over already?”

All eyes turned to a sly Eris, who lounged on a weed, “I suppose all good things come to an end, but seriously, child” – She extended over to Twilight, unrolling a poster that showed her crying like a baby – “You ever consider goin’ on the road?”

“Did you see whose rump it is we gotta thump?” Soarin asked, looking hyped for it.

“I saw something from a long time ago, but it didn’t explain what’s happening now,” Twilight shook her head no.

“Perhaps farther back still lie the answers you seek,” Zecora held the potion out again, “another sip of the potion will give you a peek.”

Twilight levitated the potion, Spike asking, “Are you sure about this, Twilight?”

Twilight answered by hesitantly drinking the potion again while Eris popped up in front of the others, wearing a movie director’s outfit and handling a camera.
“Ooh-whoo! I do hope she breaks into a song this time!”

They watched as Twilight’s eyes glowed white again as she was lost in the past once more. At first, she looked confused before she whispered, “Discord… stone!”

Then she gasped a little at something only she could see, “The tree…?”

“Tree?!” everypony echoed, not understanding. Everypony except Midnight who wondered to himself, Could she be seeing… that tree?!

It was at that moment that Twilight came back to them that he had to ask, “Twilight! …Did you see it?”

“I think I did…!” Twilight knew what Midnight was asking about. “I still don’t know what happened to the Royal Sisters, but I think I know why the Everfree Forest is acting this way.”

“Are you saying that… something’s happened to the Tree of Harmony?!” Midnight fretted, everypony confused at his words.

“The Tree of what now?” Rainbow didn’t get it.

“Don’t you remember, everypony?” Spike spoke up, “When Midnight was sent into the past, he met Star Swirl the Bearded and they discovered a magical tree!”

“It’s where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna found the elements,” Twilight confirmed. “I think it’s in danger.”

“Then that’s our next course of action!” Midnight declared, “We have to help the Tree of Harmony.”

“But we don’t know where it is!” Thunderlane protested.

“I do… Remember, I was there when it sprouted, and it’s…” Midnight reminded them as he pointed towards the not-so-inviting Everfree Forest, “in there!”

Everypony flinched at the sight of the forest while Eris, who was wearing 3D glasses chortled, “Oo-hoo! I’m gonna need more popcorn…!”

Ignoring her, the friends all cautiously approached the Everfree Forest, Rarity saying, “It seems only yesterday we ventured into these woods to find the Elements of Harmony.”

“And I was so foolish to think I could’ve done it on my own,” Twilight sighed as she and Midnight led the group in.
“I don’t know what we’re going to face in there…”

“Well, whatever it is,” Midnight said reassuringly, “we can face it together!”

“Mm-hmm!” Everypony agreed.

The Bearers and Guardians of Harmony, joined by their good friends Spike, Blueblood, and Soarin, trekked the fearsome forest, even more fearsome because of the thick and winding weeds. So thick they were that the group was forced to take an alternate route than the one they originally took. Their detour led them to a large greenish pond with craggy stones that Twilight pointed out, “We can use those to cross.”

She immediately hopped for the nearest one, Midnight shouting, “Twilight, wait!”

Too late. Twilight hadn’t hopped onto a rock – She’d hopped onto the back of…

“A Cragadile!” Blueblood screamed, “Run for your lives!”

Immediately, the group ran in all directions but the toothy terror singled out the pest that had disturbed it from its nap as she and Spike ran, only to find it towards a dead-end of trees growing tightly together!

“Twilight!” Midnight screamed when he saw his mare in danger and for some reason unable to fly.

The Cragadile roared as it opened its mouth, ready to snap up the screaming Twilight and Spike-

*SLICE/thud*

Everypony gasped in shock to see Midnight had slit off the Cragadile’s head with a blade of solidified shadow extending from his wing.

It had happened so quickly none of them realized it until they saw the Cragadile’s head on the ground, its mouth still agape. Ignoring what he’d just done, he ran past the head and hugged Twilight, saying, “Thank goodness you’re alright!”

“Midnight…!” Twilight was shocked as she gaped at the head, “That…”

“Was close!” Soarin commented.
“A lil’ too close if ya ask me. Twi, ya really alright?” asked Applejack.

“I’m fine…” Twilight shied away from the corpse as she complained, “I just can’t get these wings to do what I want them to do when I want them to do it!”

“You’ll have them down to pat soon enough, Twi,” Thunderlane assured.

“Soon enough can’t come soon enough!” Twilight insisted as she led them in proceeding further.

“You have been havin’ an awful lotta trouble wit’ them wings, an… Well, who knows what else is gonna come after us,” Applejack spoke lightly which did not escape Midnight’s notice.

“What are you saying, Applejack?” he said as he furrowed his brows.

“Well, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea for ya t’ take Twilight back t’ Ponyville, and th’ rest of us look for th’ Tree o’ Harmony without y’all,” Applejack admitted somewhat insistently.

“What?!” Midnight was aghast.
“Why?!” Twilight demanded in the same tone.

“Well, fer starters, ya just about got eaten by a cragadile,” Applejack pointed out with a firm tone.

“We all did, he wasn’t after just me!” Twilight protested.
“He could’ve targeted any of us!” added Midnight.

“Sure, but… th’ rest of us aren’t… royalty,” Applejack said, ignoring a rude cough from Blueblood, who got nudged quiet by Rarity.

“What’s that got to do with anything?!” Midnight snapped at Applejack.

“Sugarcube, the Royal Sisters are gone, and even though Sombra’s a prince and turned over a new leaf, he’s gonna need help rulin’ Equestria! If somethin’ happened t’ either one o’ ya… Ah jus’ don’ think Equestria can afford t’ lose another prince `r princess!”

“I’m afraid Applejack has a point,” Blueblood seconded, “Even if we save the Tree of Harmony, it won’t guarantee if my aunts will return to us. Equestria needs the right leadership in their absence.”

“But the Tree of Harmony!” Twilight protested, not noticing the angry look on Midnight. “Only we know what it looks like and where it is!”

“Huge tree?” Rainbow guessed.
“Cutie-marks on the trunk?” Thunderlane tried.
“Probably being attacked by something hideously awful?” Soarin shrugged.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure we’ll know it when we see it,” Rainbow waved it off.

“…You all feel this way?” Midnight asked with a low tone, and the looks on everypony’s faces was answer enough. “You feel that Twilight and I don’t belong here?”

“It is probably for the best…” Fluttershy said in the most understanding voice she could muster, Big Mac respectfully adding, “Eeyup.”

“I see…” Midnight said as he pushed through them rather rudely. Suddenly, he whirled around to face them with a look most furious! “In that case you can all go back to Ponyville!!”

“WHAT?!” they all were shocked by Midnight’s words and expression but he wasn’t done yet.

“What, just because we wear these crowns and have some stupid royal titles suddenly we’re helpless?!” Midnight shouted in a way none of them had ever heard him speak before. He was furious but the look in his eyes was that of somepony whose feelings were hurt.
“That we should just sit back all nice and cozy and send pawns to do all the hard work?! Just who do you think we are?!”

“Midnight! Whatever’s come over you?” Rarity was shocked at Midnight’s harsh words.

“Excuse me! I thought I was supposed to be ‘Prince Midnight’!” he said in a spurious tone. “I thought that our so-called friends would look at Twilight and me and wouldn’t see the crowns on our heads but we, the ponies wearing the crowns! I thought we were friends…”

“Midnight we are your friends!” Thunderlane assured but confused by Midnight’s behavior, going over and putting a hoof on the blue alicorn’s shoulder, only for him to slap it away with his wing.

“I should’ve known you would all act this way!” Midnight accused, “You’re just like the rest of Equestria! You think monarchs are so above others that you bow and scrape and kiss their hooves just because you’re deluded into thinking they’re perfect! You’re not ponies, you’re sheep!”

“Midnight, that’s enough!” Twilight scolded but he ignored her.

“If that’s what you all really think, then get lost!” Midnight’s horn flared as he vowed, “I’ll save the Tree of Harmony myself…!”

“Midnight!” Twilight shouted, only for her and the rest of them to be teleported away.

And Midnight was alone.

Just like he had been for over ten years. Sighing in hurt and guilt, he remembered the task at hoof and proceeded into the wild wood.

Author's Note

The part where the rest of the Mane Six insisted Twilight go back to Ponyville I felt was just plain stupid and insensitive on their part and foolish of Twilight to heed.

Applejack should've remembered the rest of the elements could only work if they were all together, not to mention the Element of Magic is the fulcrum of all the elements.

Midnight's reaction was out of having his feelings hurt by applejack and Blueblood's words of them being royalty first and ponis second, and his slight contempt towards other poneis for putting the royals on pedestals and thinking them flawless when honestly Celestia, Luna, and the rest are every bit as equine as the rest of them (that was a play on ' human' as in 'i'm only human')

145. The Bonds of Harmony - Part 4

In Ponyville, Eris was humming as she read a magazine and used telekinesis to give herself a hoof-icure using Gummy the alligator’s scaly back, ignoring the ‘Help! Help!’ of some nearby ponies in distress as they were begin squeezed by those awful vines.

*FLASH*

“Hmm?” Eris looked to see all of the Element bearers, their Guardians (minus a certain sapphire alicorn), and friends Blueblood, Soarin, and Spike, having unceremoniously been dropped into a haphazard pony pile from out of nowhere.
“Oh hello everypony, back so soon?”

Noticing the nearby pones crying out for help and the draconequss doing nothing, Twilight flashed out of the pile, snapping, “Eris!”

“Oop!” Eris teleported Gummy back home while sheepishly snapping her fingers to release the nearby ponies ensnared by the weeds, making them disappear and freeing the two. They quickly made trails, Eris calling after them in an annoyed way, “You’re welcome! Hmph! How do ya like that? Not so much as a thank-you.”

She then addressed the group with a smarmy tone, asking, “Given the continued presence of the weeds, I take it your little outing was… less than successful?”

“We… ran into some trouble,” Twilight sighed as everypony else sorted themselves out. “Then… there was an argument, Midnight got mad, and… he teleported us back here and went to find the tree on his own…”

“Argument? Try a totally uncool rant!” Rainbow snapped, “So we just get a little concerned that him and Twi matter too much to lose and he blows up at us, and calls us sheep!”

“Sheep?!” Eris keeled over in mocking laughter, wiping a tear away, “Ooh…! That’s rich! But seriously, you let him send you all back here? I never thought him to be the sort of pony who thinks he can do everything by himself…”

“But he can’t do this on his own!” Thunderlane argued, “He’s being selfish!”

“Selfish?” Eris echoed in disbelief, “From the sound of it, it seems more as though he’s putting his own princely well-being on the line and sent you all back safe and sound at home, out of harm’s way as he thrusts himself right towards it, but also because he thought better of you all.”

“Wha’s that sp’osed to mean?!” Applejack demanded, “He’s actin’ like a dang fool!”

“No Applejack…”

All eyes turned to Twilight as she looked at Applejack in a disappointed way, “You’re the fool, all of you!”

“Twilight! What are you saying?” Blueblood demanded.

“I think you of all ponies should know, Blueblood,” Twilight pointed out, “Ever since Midnight and I were crowned royalty, we’ve been treated differently, have expectations to live up to, but we thought that our friends would support us and nothing would change!”

“We did- Uh, I mean- We do!” Soarin stuttered.

“No! You have supported us,” Twilight explained, “but you’ve treated us differently too! We didn’t ask for these crowns, they were given to us, and with them a whole new status and myriad of duties so daunting it disturbs us! Applejack, it wouldn’t have mattered if Midnight and I had agreed with your suggestion, because honestly it was stupid! Even if you had found the Tree of Harmony without us because the Elements of Harmony are meant to be used together. Magic and Faith are the fulcrums of their power! You’d have found the tree, maybe, but you wouldn’t have been able to do anything to help it.”

Now that they thought about it, they knew Twilight was right, but she wasn’t done.
“And although I don’t condone his behavior, I understand why Midnight reacted to the way you treated us! You didn’t treat us as your friends, or even as fellow ponies! You treated us as something we never asked to be!”

As the dawning realization came over them all, the friends all sighed, their ears drooped, and their eyes lowered in shame as Blueblood sighed, “You’re right…”

All eyes turned to him, “I’m not even a real prince; it’s just an honorary title bequeathed to me by a true monarch. But even so, ever since I was dubbed ‘Prince’ Blueblood, it didn’t exactly bring me happiness. All it got me were false friends and suck-ups, mares looking for an insincere relationship, high expectations and the daunting feeling of everypony watching my every move, waiting for me to slip up and make a fool of myself…”

“Oh Blueblood, I… I knew your title didn’t help your old outlook on love, but…” Rarity nuzzled him and he nuzzled back. “I had no idea you felt that way!”

“Oh-hoo-hoo! And none of you had a clue,” Eris snickered, “Though I’m not entirely surprised Midnight went solo! After all, he and those hoody characters have always done some… questionable things.”

“What’re you talking about, Eris?” Twilight said irritably.

“Oh pay me no heed,” Eris waved it off as she disappeared and popped out of Twilight’s ear, “I’m sure you’ll all be besties once more when the good prince returns from his terrifying yet deeply enlightening experience he’s having without all of you…”

Twilight flicked Eris out of her ear and declared, “I’m going after him!”

“Twilight wait,” Applejack spoke up, “…Ah’m sorry an’ yer right! We did treat you an’ Midnight like royalty first and as a friend second. Ah’m making an Apple Fam’ly promise tha’s a mistake we won’ make again!”
“Here! Here!”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”
“You have my word, not as royalty, but as your friend.”
“I’ll always have your back!”
“We’re sorry, Twilight…”
“Eeyup.”
“We won’t let you down like that again.”
“And we’ll apologize to Midnight too.”

Twilight smiled thankfully and held out her arms, inviting everypony into a group hug, which they obliged. When they let go, she called, “Come on, everypony! Let’s go find and help Midnight! …And afterwards we’ll give him a piece of our minds for his actions.”

They all nodded vigorously and stampeded into the forest, Eris waving them goodbye.

Midnight soon found himself gazing up towards the Castle of the Two Sisters across the gorge. He sighed as he remembered the splendor it once was before Princess Luna’s fall from grace. Now it was a breaking-down ugly reminder of past grievances, its only redeeming lights were how it was where he and his friends restored the Princess of the Night to her true self.

Just thinking about them made him feel lower than low. He was upset with them for how they’d acted but now that his head had cooled, Midnight knew his reaction had been absolutely uncalled-for. Even if he wanted to make them feel bad for how they, along with so many others, made him feel...

I’ll apologize when this is over, he thought to himself as he looked out to the gorge, recognizing it from so long ago. The cliff-faces on the side he stood on were covered with weeds reaching out into the forest and beyond, but following their trail, he saw them all converging into a cave.

“That must be it…!” Midnight opened his wings and glided down to the bottom of the gorge no problem.

“Are we there yet…?” Spike whined for maybe the umpteenth time as he rode Twilight, who walked in the lead.

“Yes...” Blueblood quipped.

“Really?”
“NO!!”

Rarity nudged Blueblood and Spike sulked while everypony else was either losing their patience or getting worried.

“I don’t know where we are, we’re lost!” Twilight fretted.

“No sweat, Twi!” Soarin assured, “I’ll just zip on up and have a good look around.”

“Can I come?!” Spike asked before throwing a look at Blueblood, “Anything to get away from his Royal Grumpiness!”

“I am this close…!” Blueblood warned as Spike hopped off Twilight and Soarin let him on.

They took flight, breaching the forest canopy and almost at once they saw the Castle of the Two Sisters nearby and Midnight just taking flight and gliding down into a gorge.

“Well whattya know…” Spike and Soarin shared an excited look when they heard some screams below.

Soarin flapped down beneath the canopy and he and Spike gasped to see the weeds now had carnivorous teeth-like appendages and were blowing spores at their friends!

Midnight felt his heart sink as he gazed up at what could only be the Tree of Harmony, but it was ensnared by those horrible weeds, and appeared to be infected with dripping poison.
“No…! I’ve gotta save it!”

Midnight flared his horn and extended his wings, willing the shadows underneath them to spread, solidify and sharpen into blades. Roaring he lunged forward, the weeds lashing out. He sliced and diced, zapped and burned, weeds fell and shriveled and shrieked! But it soon became apparent that he was getting nowhere. However many weeds Midnight whacked or burned, more quickly grew back and they only tightened their hold on the tree and got more aggressive, whipping at Midnight so violently that he had to retreat.

Panting to get his second wind, Midnight realized, “I… I can’t do it by myself!”

I need my friends! He sighed in shame for his foolishness and guilt for his behavior as he began to see what it could very well cost all of Equestria.
“…What have I done?”

“Midnight!!”

He jolted and looked up to see, “Soarin! Spike! You followed me!”

“We all did, brony!” Soarin nodded.
“Twilight! The others, in trouble! Help!!” Spike was panicking.

“Lead the way,” Midnight instructed and followed Soarin to help their friends.

Twilight and the rest were in trouble. The weeds were now much more dangerous, had ensnared most of them while spraying the unicorns and Twilight with their magic-distorting spores that also had an effect of putting them into a helpless daze. Twilight struggled to stay conscious but the spores were too strong.

The weeds unfurled their teeth-like appendages, screeching hungrily when…

"Filiká Pyrá!!!"

A torrent of silvery-blue flames came down from skyward, engulfing everything! The weeds screeched as they were burned to ashes as were all the surroundings charred lifeless. Lifeless except for the ponies who hadn’t been hurt in the slightest! With the spores gone, everypony stirred awake and slowly got up, Twilight groaning, asking, “What happened…?”

“Twilight!!”

She felt a familiar pair of arms embrace her as her special somepony cried, “I’m so sorry! I should’ve acted that way, I shouldn’t have sent you all home, I shouldn’t-”

She silenced him by planting her lips onto his, and they fell into a loving kiss. When they let go, Midnight helped her up and regarded everypony as they gathered around.
“Everypony? I am sorry… I realize now, even if you were treating us differently, you were only concerned for our safeties and for the well-being of Equestria!”

He sighed, “Some prince I am…”

“Oh Sugarcube,” Applejack said in understanding, “wer’ sorry too. You were right! We wer’ treatin’ ya and Twilight differently.”

“We just thought that, well... Things have changed a a lot lately, my friend,” Blueblood pointed out.

“But no change should ever get in the way of our friendship,” Fluttershy said apologetically, Big Mac adding, “Eeyup.”

“And again, I’m sorry for what I did and going it alone,” Midnight apologized again. “I found the tree but then I realized… I can’t help it without all of you there with me!”

“Well, Equestria may need its monarchs,” Twilight said as she invited everypony into a group hug. “But even monarchs need their friends!”

When they let go, Thunderlane asked, “By the way, how did you get rid of all those weeds attacking us?”

“You guys should’ve seen it, it was awesome...!” Soarin praised, “He used a spell and breathed some blue fires on all of you, burning only the weeds and plants away!”

“It’s a spell I learned from a dragon,” Midnight said with a shrug.
“Dragon magic?!” Spike softly gasped.

“No time! We need to get to the Tree of Harmony,” Twilight reminded them.
“Let’s go, everypony!” agreed Midnight.

And they followed their friend although Rainbow Dash made sure to say, “But if you ever pull something so boneheaded as that again, you’ll be seeing stars and I don’t mean from your cutie-mark!”

Author's Note

Filiká Pyrá is Greek for 'Friendly Fire'. Ordinarily the term means to fire accidentally on your own troops or allies. But in this case it serves to burn away threats and hazards from allies but it doesn't work on flesh-and-blood creatures, which is why the others weren't harmed by the spell while all the plants were burned away.

I hope this one turned out well enough

147. Daring Don't - Part 1

To say things went back to normal in Ponyville might have been stretching it. When Midnight returned to Sweet Apple Acres, it felt surreal, for in this life it was actually the first time he’d been there. Yet he’d lost count of how many times he’d been there in his dreams, in his memories. But the memories helped in re-establishing old patterns and before long things began to feel as they were. Not long after Celestia and Sombra’s wedding, the girls had all gone to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Not together however.

Twilight, along with Spike, had gone to search its ancient library for information on the mysterious box from the Tree of Harmony after her own proved useless in finding anything out about the box, the keys, or even about the new Elements of Harmony that had chosen the guys.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack went to the castle to prove which of them the Most Daring Pony was.

Rarity asked Fluttershy to come with her to the castle to collect and restore its ancient tapestries.

Pinkie had followed Rarity and Fluttershy but wound up playing a pipe organ.

After a myriad of madness, the girls convened and discovered a journal that once belonged to the Royal Sisters. Inspired, they decided to make one of their own to detail their exploits and lessons in Friendship.

Midnight had caught up with his family on Sweet Apple Acres in the ways they always had. Or at least they had with his old self. He’d done chores with Big Mac `round the farm, applebucked with Applejack, kept a close eye on Apple Bloom, helped Granny Smith make delicious apple treats, and spent a lot of time with Twinken.

At Pepper Ponies, Midnight mmm’d in exuberant satisfaction of the slice, the guys watching him in amusement as they sat at their usual table

“Oh…!” he shuddered after a swallow. “It’s even better than I remember!”

“When was the last time you had a slice of Pepper Pony’s?” Thunderlane asked.

“For you all, it was a few weeks ago,” Midnight gulped down another bite, “for me? …Over twenty years.”

The guys all laughed at Midnight’s joke, realizing it was funny because it was probably true.

“So then, Midnight,” Blueblood levitated his Element up onto the table, the rest putting their up as well. “Have you any indication as to what our Elements represent?”

Midnight sighed, “I’m afraid not. I can sense they have the same magic as the old Elements of Harmony, but each of them had a uniqueness in their mystic signatures. Probably because they already had something to represent, which leads me to believe these Elements are… blank canvasses, if you will.”

“Blank canvasses?” Soarin gave his a look, his face reflecting through all the facts.

“Think of the old Elements – Generous, Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty,” Midnight explained, “and of course, Magic, and mine, Faith. While the first few six were the girls’ elements, mine and these ones apparently go together somehow, as mine set itself into that weird box from the Tree of Harmony. When it did, it transformed to completely mirror my cutie-mark.”

“So what’re ya sayin’, haystack?” Big Mac asked.

“I’m saying, I think each of you have to discover what your Elements represent for yourselves!” Midnight shrugged, the guys looking at their elements with varying looks.
“Alright, enough business talk, Mac! When is the big wedding, bro?”

That one got some attention as all eyes turned to Big Mac, who sighed.
“`Shy n’ Ah’re thinkin’ of havin’ it durin’ Fall, since tha’ was the season when we met. One o’ th’ problems is, who’s gon’ be th’ pastor, my best pony, her mare of honor, an’ Ah still don’ have a place t’ take her fer our honeymoon!”

“Where is Fluttershy now?” Blueblood asked.

“She’s teachin’ some baby birds t’ fly,” Big Mac sighed happily, “Seein’ her care fer’ animals like they’re her foals… It sends muh heart a’flutter!”

“Speaking of sending hearts aflutter,” Soarin chuckled, “have you guys seen Rainbow Dash lately?”

“Please, don’t bring her up,” Blueblood grumbled, “if she comes up and asks me how excited I am for the next Daring Do book, one more time…!”

“Aw Blue, don’t be such a spoilsport,” Thunderlane socked him in the arm, the honorary prince stifling a yelp.
“I think it’s cool how Dash has become such an avid reader after all that flak she gave others, saying ‘reading’s for eggheads’. Heh! Remember when she hurt her wing and was in the hospital for a few days, she got into ‘Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue’-”

“Oh! Oh! That was when she got so into the book,” Midnight interrupted, “that every time any of us visited her, she’d try and get rid of us as quickly and discreetly as possible, not wanting to admit she loved reading.”

“Really?! She never told me that,” Soarin chuckled, liking where this was going.

“Then I guess she never told you that, once the few days were up,” Midnight went on, “Rainbow was discharged from the hospital before she could finish the story!”

“She tried to get back into the hospital without revealing her actual reason,” Thunderlane added, “and she got so desperate that…!”

Midnight, Thunderlane, and Macintosh all chuckled at the memory, Soarin and Blueblood leaning in as Blueblood said, “Well, go on!”

“Heh! She broke into the hospital, stole the book,” Midnight laughed, “got caught in the process and led the hospital staff on a chase through town until they stopped in front of the library! The doctor thought Rainbow had been trying to steal slippers!”

“Eeyup, but Rainbow came clean, but had felt like a hypocrite fer enjoyin’ readin’ after all th' flak she said about it,” Big Mac clarified.

“However, we told Rainbow it was cool except for her stealing from a hospital rather than tell the truth,” Thunderlane shrugged.
“Twilight let Dash borrow her own copies of the Daring Do books and Dash apologized to the doctor for the trouble she’d caused.”

Soarin and Blueblood both chuckled when they heard a familiar “LOOK OUT!”

The warning was followed by a loud thump so loud it spurred them to run to its source. They found Rainbow Dash sitting in eye-rolling daze on a tree branch, two birds twittering around her head.

Fluttershy came down to explain, “I’m not so sure she can last another four months waiting for the next book!”

The guys all looked at Rainbow again, shared comprehending looks, and struggled to keep straight faces until they all burst out into laughter.

A few days later, Big Mac woke up feeling sick. He groaned irritably at the sunlight peering in through the windows, cursing Celestia’s sun as he got up and found himself sitting in an unfamiliar setting, his friends all groaning as they laid about Midnight’s old personal chamber in their cider and/or nectar-induced pass-outs.

Last night’s events came back to Big Macintosh as he remembered his buddies wrapping a blindfold around his eyes, feeling them all huddle, the rush of being teleported, and when the blind was removed, Midnight revealed they were throwing Mac a surprise bachelor party!

At first, Big Mac had been rather reluctant to a night of vice and debauchery but they convinced him in the end, and reflecting back he wondered where he went wrong and how so much could happen in one night.

Like how Thunderlane flirted with some twin sisters and got wing-slapped, how Blueblood ordered a drink called a Pink Pussy and the guys couldn’t stop making lewd jokes at his choice of drink, Midnight getting so hammered he couldn’t stop tripping over his long tail, how they wound up at Donut Joe’s and Midnight used his royal status to charge Joe’s stock to the castle. He dimly recalled their sneaking into the castle and it having something to do with eggs and Luna’s mane. Afterwards Big Mac was certain he’d thrown said to the animals in the Royal Gardens some rather nasty curse words for avoiding Fluttershy back at the gala. And now that his head was a little clearer, he could see Blueblood’s diamond-white coat was splattered with a poor dye job of green that he wouldn’t have, in his right mind, ever even considered.

It had been fun, mortifying, something he never wanted to go through again.

A loud and lingering fart snapped him out of his waking daze and the groan of Soarin as he woke up indicated satisfaction.
“Ohh…! That feels so much better…”

“Oh goddess…!” groaned Blueblood as he was startled awake and suddenly preferred to still be out over the fetid rank he smelled and terrible hangover he was feeling.
“What in the name of my aunt happened last night…?”

“I don’t know, but…” Midnight had a strange look as he woke up, “Is… there something on my…!!!”

Everypony looked and couldn’t help but giggle when they saw Thunderlane, still asleep, chewing on the tufted end of Midnight’s tail, much to his disgust.

“ACK!!” He whipped it out of Thunderlane’s mouth and then used it to whip him in the face, startling him awake with a frightened bray.

The hangover kicked in on him, making him groan, “Ugh! What hit me…?”

“AUGH!” Blueblood gaped at the green splotch on his coat. “Blasphemy! Corruption! Who dares to besmirch my pristine coat?!”

“Uh, you did?” Midnight reminded him with an irritable tone, “After that bet you lost?”

“Oh… right…” Blueblood took in his friends and their sorry states before stating, “Let us all agree that what happened last night stays between us and will never… happen… again.”

“Amen to that,” Midnight conjured some aspirin that he generously passed around.
“Not a problem,” Thunderlane spit out some of the hairs from Midnight’s tail.
“Eeyup,” Big Mac accepted an aspirin.
“At least until the next time one of us gets hitched!” amended Soarin, earning him several pillows in the face. One of which, unfortunately, had vomit still drying on it.

After the aspirins did their work and they all got cleaned up, the guys enjoyed a breakfast and caught the next train home. Arriving at Ponyville Station, the guys laughed as they started making their way into town.

“I can’t remember the last time I went out on the town like that,” Soarin chuckled.

“Really? A big famous Wonderbolt like you?” poked Midnight with a teasing smirk.

“Well, my courses took up a lot of my free time,” Soarin defended, “as a matter of fact I have a paper on weathering I need to get started on.”

“Before we all return to our regular lives,” Thunderlane proposed, “howsabout we grab a sweet from Sugarcube Corner? My treat!”

“That sounds rather splendid, my good man,” Blueblood said thankfully, Big Mac agreeing, “Eeyup.”

Upon arriving at the bakery, Carrot Cake noticed them and said, “Well howdy-hey boys! What can I getcha?”

“Hello Mr. Cake,” Midnight greeted, “we’re just gonna grab a table and order.”

“Sure thing, be right with ya,” Carrot Cake assured as he took care of another customer.

As the boys settled at a table, Cup Cake came up, saying, “Hello, dearies, what can I get’cha?”

“Good day, Mrs. Cake,” Blueblood said kindly before looking around for a certain party pony, “I say, isn’t it usually Pinkie’s job to take orders at your customers’ tables?”

“Oh! I almost forgot,” Cup Cake fished out a folded up paper from her apron, “the girls all went off somewhere, Pinkie asked me to give you all this note.”

Blueblood accepted it, all the guys’ eyes turning to it but Cup Cake asked again, “What’ll you have, dears?”

After ordering a round of shakes, Thunderlane asked, “What’s it say, Blue?”

Blueblood cleared his throat and read:

‘Hi Boys!

Sorry I’m not here to take your orders for you, and I hope Big Mac had a spectacular bachelor party!’

“Does anypony else find it just a tad freaky we asked that same thing?” Thunderlane brought up but the guys all shrugged since, after all, it was Pinkie.

Blueblood furrowed his brows and scoffed, “It goes on in a myriad of convoluted sayings that would make sense only to the writer… Oh! But wait, it appears Twilight wrote a p.s. at the bottom.”

“Really? What is it?” Midnight asked as he began sipping his shake and Blueblood read it aloud.

“‘So basically, the girls and I are off to go meet AK Yearling-’”

“PPBBTHHTH!!!” Midnight’s shake wound up all over the guys as he yelled, “WHAT?! They’re going to see AK Yearling?!?”

He was answered by some sticky stink eyes from his friends that he shrank sheepishly and cast a cantrip that cleaned them all right quick. Getting cleaned did not stop Soarin from demanding, “Say it what caused you to spray it.”

“Yeah, Night, I mean… What’s the big deal about the girls going to see AK Yearling?” Thunderlane asked. “`Cuz to be honest, I’m a little jealous!”

“No time to explain,” Midnight got up, “we need to catch up with the girls ASAP!”

“Midnight…” Blueblood said with a low tone, “we spent last night cavorting about Canterlot, acting out vice after vice, we woke up quite hungover and in embarrassing positions, and just took a train ride home. I would very much like to return to my abode to relax and get back to a novel I’ve wanted to finish lately. So if I’m to put my leisure time on hold after going through a night like last night, I would very much like to know why…”

“Ohhh…!” Midnight groaned, “Fine! I’ve met AK Yearling, okay?!”

“You’ve met the AK Yearling?!” Soarin smiled like a fan-boy, only for Midnight to dash the moment.

“Yes, and trouble follows that mare everywhere she goes,” Midnight said, getting urge-y for things to move along. “The girls could very well be walking into danger- Let’s GO.”

As it turned out, not only did Midnight know where AK Yearling lived, somepony had been kind enough to leave a trail. A red painted trail, to be specific.

As the stallions walked through the woods, Soarin asked, “Not that I’m complaining, it was convenient an’ all, but… who would paint a red trail all the way to AK Yearling’s house?”

“I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count,” chuckled Thunderlane, and he was answered by a collective of four stallions.

“Pinkie Pie.”
“Pinkie Pie.”
“Pinkie Pie.”
“Pinkie Pie.”

“Still, I really don’t get what kind of trouble a famous author like AK Yearling could get into,” Thunderlane brought up. “Given this remote part of Equestria, it feels like she’s trying to avoid trouble.”

“You’d be surprised…” Midnight then stopped and pointed ahead, “We’re here.”

The guys all stood up beside Midnight and looked ahead to see a quaint hay-roof cottage with a chimney. However, the furniture thrown outside and askew as well as the door nearly ripped off its hinges started to give Midnight’s words some credence, as he said, “And it looks like the trouble she was trying to avoid was unavoidable.”

“Fluttershy!” Big Mac galloped forward, the guys quickly following as they all started yelling for the girls.
“Twilight!”
"Rarity!”
“Dash?”
“AJ, Pinkie!”

When nopony answered, Midnight entered the house, the guys following, and they saw the inside turned out to be a little worse than the outside. Books and tchotchkes lay scattered about, a desk thrown over, a mirror webbed with cracks, but what got Midnight’s attention was a book that didn’t look like a book.

“If this is AK Yearling’s house, where is she?”
“Why would anypony do this to AK Yearling? Isn't she just an author?”
“Whudda `bout th’ girls?! Where’re they?”
“Well, given the state of this house, I would say somepony came here looking for something.”

“And they might have found it,” Midnight held up the book which didn’t look right. They all looked to see the binding on its spine came off and the cover opened the wrong way, showing the book was really a compartment, and given the fact it was designed to look like a book, “something was hidden in this book-safe, but now it’s empty.”

“AK Yearling turned one of her books into a secret compartment?” Thunderlane spoke incredulously.
“What kind of author is she?”

“One I’m pretty sure I can track,” Midnight levitated the compartment/book and levitated himself as he closed his eyes.
“With this being a belonging of Da- I mean-! ...Ahem, a belonging of AK Yearling, I should be able to determine her location or something that can point us in the right direction.”

“But whudda `bout th’ girls?” Big Mac protested.

“I’m pretty sure if we find Yearling we’ll find the girls too. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate,” Midnight took a deep breath as his horn glowed.

To the guys, it looked like Midnight was floating in meditation, but really, Midnight was spreading his sphere of influence, seeing his surroundings outlined with light in his mind, sensing the life energies of his friends, looking past them and as he concentrated he saw it! It was faint but it was definitely there.

His eyes opened and he dropped the compartment/book and alighted onto the floor.
“I’ve got us a link to AK Yearling, let’s move!”

He ran out the door, the guys following as Midnight followed a faint thread of golden light visible only to his eyes.

Author's Note

I was gonna do 'Castle-Mania' but that episode featured all the main characters in different situations in the same location, that it would've felt crowded to include more and replacing any of them with the guys didn't sit well with me.

So I decided to skip to 'Daring Don't' - I liked doing the aftermath of Big Mac's bachelor party and trying to make a sense of 'what happens in Canterlot stays in Canterlot'

148. Daring Don't - Part 2

The guys traveled through the woods for a couple hours, noting how late it was as the moon reached its zenith.

“Oh Ah hope th’ girls’re alright,” worried Big Mac.

“I’m sure they’re cool, Mac,” Soarin assured, “they’re big girls after all. An’ Dash can handle herself in any tussle.”

“Regardless, it is worrying for them to be out in these woods so late,” Blueblood debated. “Not to mention this business concerning AK Yearling!”

His rising tone caught Midnight’s attention, making him sigh.
“Look, guys, I’m sorry for being secretive, but… The reason I freaked out about the girls going to see AK Yearling is because she’s-”

“Shh!” Big Mac shushed everypony and made a show of cupping his hoof around his ears, prompting them all to do the same.

“…quite a steal, eh boss?”
“Indeed my friends! With these riches I am happy to say we can look forward to a long and relaxing vacation.”
“Heh yeah! And that meddlin’ Do gets t’ take it up with that freak Ahuizotl!”

The guys carefully poked their heads through a thick bush and saw a clearing centered with a campfire, some shelters set up over cot beds, and surrounding the fire were four shady-looking earth pony stallions. Three of them sat on the ground while the oldest, apparently their leader, sat on a folding chair.

He was middle-aged with thick eyebrows, five o’clock shadow, he wore a safari-style shirt with an orange/white polka-dotted ascot, and his cutie-mark was a golden skull with gems for eyes. His coat was grayish-brown and his graying black mane sweptback and greasy looking.
Next to him was a heft-looking bag of bits!

“Wait, did one of those guys just say ‘Ahuizotl’?” Soarin asked in a hushed voice.
“And that guy with the bits…” Thunderlane added, “He kinda reminds me of…”
“Shh! They’re still talking!” Midnight hushed and they listened.

“Weren’t it risky though, boss?” said the marble white pony wearing shades to the leader. “We got away with it an’ all, but all those mares witnessed the whole thing, especially that rainbow one.”
“Calm yourselves, hench-ponies,” the leader scoffed in a distinct accent. “By the time any of them or even Do decides to meddle in our affairs again we shall be long gone, or my name is not Dr. Caballeron!”

“Dr. Caballeron?!” Soarin gawked, Big Mac and Blueblood putting their hooves on his mouth to shut him up while Midnight quickly threw up a sound-proofing barrier as the four stallions look their way.

“Did any of you hear something?” Caballeron asked, his thugs shrugging or muttering inconclusively. “Pah, must be just some local wildlife.”

In the bushes, Midnight was hissing to Soaring, “Are you trying to get us caught?!”

“But he- Was tha- Midnight!” Soarin was geeking out but trying to use his inside-voice, “Is that really the Dr. Caballeron?! The black-marketeering archaeologist from ‘Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams’?!”

“If I remember right, he wanted to partner with Daring Do but she refused, “Thunderlane pondered, “and it turns out it was because Caballeron wanted to use Daring to find priceless artifacts for him to steal and sell.”

“But that’s just a book, a fictional story!” Blueblood insisted but threw a questioning look towards Midnight.
“…Isn’t it?”

All eyes were on Midnight, whose eyes nervously shifted left and right before he sighed in defeat.
“OK, yes, that is Dr. Caballeron, and… the reason I freaked out when the girls said they went to see AK Yearling is because… AK Yearling and Daring Do are one and the same!”

“Wait, Daring Do is real?!” Soarin geeked out again.
“An' she is AK Yearlin’?” added Big Mac.

“Guys, I promise to explain more but we gotta learn more,” Midnight swore, “and we’ll do that by questioning Caballeron.”

“I kinda doubt they’ll willingly tell us anything, Midnight,” Blueblood peered out at Caballeron and his boys, the rest of the guys looking on. “I’ve read enough Daring Do books to know that Caballeron isn’t the sharing type.”

“Trust me, I’ve dealt with Caballeron before,” Midnight assured, the guys looking at him in wonder as he smirked.
“But I know these types well enough – Caballeron and his thugs are cowards. All we need is a show of strength. Here’s what we’re gonna do…”

Caballeron and his thugs resumed the dinner they were having earlier, enjoying some premium hay, when…

“Hello, boys! Working hard or hardly working?”

They all startled and looked to see…

“Midnight Blaze!” Caballeron was instantly worried, his thugs quickly at his sides. “Now what is royalty like you doing in a place like this?”

“I’m looking for some friends of mine,” Midnight said slyly, “perhaps you’ve seen them?”

“That depends, Blaze,” Caballeron said warily, “I’ve run into several characters recently.”

“Oh well, there’s one friend I’m sure you could point me towards,” Midnight made a show of polishing his hoof and blowing on it. “Where’d ya get the bits?”

“I’ll have you know I earned these bits from a recent… transaction,” Caballeron stated.

“An illicit transaction, I’d wager,” Midnight poked a hole in Caballeron’s alibi. “What’d you steal from Daring Do’s house, Caballeron?”

“Now, now, Your Highness…” Caballeron signaled his thugs to prepare for a tussle. “It ill-becomes royalty to throw such unfounded accusations.”

“If my accusation is unfounded, Caballeron, then just tell me what you sold to get those bits,” Midnight pressed with a raised brow and smirk.

“I would move along and pretend this conversation never took place, Blaze,” Caballeron all but threatened. “You may be an alicorn but you are outnumbered!”

“Am I…?” Midnight all but challenged, and at his words, Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Soarin appeared from the surrounding foliage, surrounding Caballeron and his thugs.

Almost at once, the black-marketer and his hench-ponies were on edge as Midnight said in a condescending tone, “It’s your choice, Caballeron – The easy way or the hard way, but be warned!”

Caballeron was disturbed by the dark magic taint flowing from Midnight’s eyes as he exposed his fangs, “I do hope you choose the hard way…”

At once did the standoff begin, Caballeron knowing he was outnumbered and out of his league. Looking at Midnight’s friends he could see they were no pushovers though his hench-ponies weren’t the sort one would like to meet in a dark alley. But he’d tangled with Midnight once before and had hoped never to run into him again.
“Get them!!!”

At the command of their employer, the three hench-ponies jumped at the nearest target. The large gray stallion with an orange mane and sideburns got apple-bucked by Big Mac, the brown stallion with a fedora blown away by Thunderlane and Soarin, and the stallion wearing the shades was given a good telekinetic trouncing by Blueblood.

As his goons were getting creamed, Caballeron tried to sneak away with the bag of bits, only for a shadowy tendril to ensnare him around his barrel and bring him to the face of Midnight, whose expression was like ‘really?’. Chuckling nervously, Caballeron said, “N-Now Prince Midnight, we’re all reasonable ponies here- Ack!!”

Caballeron 'ack'd as he felt the shadowy snare around him tighten uncomfortably as Midnight said, “Yes, doctor, and I’m sure you can consider your continued good health reason enough to tell me what I want to know.”

In no time at all, Caballeron and his boys were tied up and bound together, as the guys all glared at Caballeron, Midnight saying, “I won’t ask again, Caballeron – What did you steal from Daring Do and who else was there at the time?”

Sighing in defeat, Caballeron came clean.
“We stole a Ring of Scorcherro from Daring Do, and were planning to sell it to Ahuizotl. A bunch of mares were there but simply watched the whole thing. Since they did not trouble us, we did not trouble them. Then, as we were eating before going to the rendezvous with Ahuizotl, Daring Do appeared to us in disguise and bought the ring though not a moment later did Ahuizotl arrive. We grabbed our money and left before their conversation turned… less than civil.”

“Thank you for your cooperation,” Midnight said before muttering a spell that made Caballeron fall unconscious with the rest of his thugs. Midnight turned to the others, “Do any of you have a quill or pencil I could use?”

“Right here,” Blueblood levitated a pencil from his saddlebags, “but what do you need it for?”

Midnight conjured a piece of paper and wrote, ‘To those it may concern, I am guilty of black-marketing, thievery, assault, and other crimes and should be arrested by the proper authorities or members of the Royal Guard, by order of Prince Midnight Blaze’.

Midnight stuck the note to Caballeron and made him and his cohorts vanish in a wisp of shadowy smoke.

“Where’d you send `em?” Thunderlane asked.

“To the nearest town,” Midnight explained, “and with that note, I have a good feeling by the time they wake up it will be behind bars.”

“Well, with those chumps out of the way,” Blueblood said, “let’s go over what we’ve learned. Apparently, the girls were there when Caballeron and his brutes stole this… Ring of Scorchero from Daring Do.”

“Yeah, to sell it to Ahuizotl,” Soarin added with a troubled look, “but I can’t remember what it is about the ring why Ahuizotl wants it so bad.”

“Because with the Rings of Scorchero,” Midnight clarified, “Ahuizotl would be able to gain dominion over the Tenochtitlan Basin; he’s been after it since Book 3.”

“Right, but in Book 4,” Big Mac spoke up, “Darin’ Do beat Ahuizotl an’ got control o’er th’ Amulet of Atonement, undoin’ th’ dark magic of th’ Quetzalcoatl Empress, which allowed her t’ protect th’ basin wit’ th’ Radiant Shield o’ Razdon.”

The rest of the guys were a little surprised by Big Mac’s speaking up with a rush of words but Midnight debated, “Except the Radiant Shield of Razdon is vulnerable to the dark enchantment imbued within the Rings of Scorchero.”

“But Ah thought th’ Rings o’ Schorchero were scattered t’ th’ four corners o’ Tenochtitlan, makin’ their bad mojo nothin’ t’ worry about?” Big Mac protested, at this point the guys following his and Midnight’s debate like a ping-pong match.

“Well then we must assume the rings have since been retrieved,” Midnight declared, “and if the ring Caballeron stole is the last needed to complete the dark tower, Ahuizotl will control their dark hold over Tenochtitlan!”

“Uh, guys…?”

The two looked to the rest of their friends as Thunderlane said, “That was kinda hard to follow, and Mac? Stick to the ‘eeyups’.”

Midnight and Big Mac groaned in irritation as Midnight said, “Simply put, the ring could be the last thing Ahuizotl needs to subject the Tenochtitlan Basin to eight centuries of relentless heat! And if I know the girls, I bet they’ll be on their way there to help Daring stop Ahuizotl. We’re off to the Fortress of Talacon!”

“Now wait just a minute!” Thunderlane protested, “Midnight, you’ve kept secrets lately and honestly, it’s getting… frustrating!”
“I agree, Midnight,” Blueblood added. “You weren’t entirely forthcoming with the apparent dangers the girls would be getting into until we came up Caballeron and admitted AK Yearling and Daring Do are the same pony.”
“We wanna know how you and Daring know each other,” Soarin brought up.
“Eeyup!” Mac nodded.

Seeing all eyes on him and realizing the tension building, Midnight sighed, “Alright, I’ll tell you, but along the way.”

With Midnight taking point the guys hurried off deeper into the remote environment.
“As I told you guys before, during my years hiding my existence from Equestria, I later did missions for Celestia, things you might consider black ops.”

“You were like a spy?” Soarin asked.

“Something like that, yeah,” Midnight admitted, “and one of my missions took me to the Griffon Kingdom…”

Flashback -

His hood up, his shadow blade ready, Midnight watched as the cult of griffons gathered around somepony tied to a chair with a bag over their head, the prisoner situated in front of an altar, upon which stood a reverent goblet. It looked like a fantastic treasure but Midnight knew the wretched thing’s history – It had been created from the horns of unicorns this bloodthirsty cult mercilessly slew ages ago. Its power could make those who drank from it very dangerous.

The ceremonial leader declared, “This inferior creature has dared insult our sacred order in attempting to steal the Goblet! For this blasphemy, she must pay in blood!”

“Kill her!”
“Boil her!”
“Stick her with a spit and roast her over an open fire!”

The griffons screeched and roared until the leader raised his wings to quell the impending riot.
“Here before our brothers and sisters, this wretch shall pay dearly, but we are not wholly without heart… Remove the bag!”

A griffoness walked up to the prisoner and removed the bag over her head, and Midnight gawked to see, Daring Do?!

It was Daring Do indeed, the famous treasure-hunter from the book series, and unless this was some fan taking things too far she looked to be the real deal.

The leader looked down on Daring, chuckling in condescending disbelief, “I don’t believe this… Daring Do? The book character? Well, it has been said truth can be stranger than fiction. I care not your reasons for trying to purloin our treasure but I will hear any pleas for mercy.”

“The only thing you’ll hear…” Daring lowered her eyes and voice, the cult leader leaning in, only to get the underside of his beak smacked up as Daring flipped out of her chair and knocked the cult leader for a loop as she shouted, “is the sound of me making tracks!”

The cultists all screeched as thy lunged at Daring! But with honed skills and nerves of steel did she take them out, fighting with the hoof-fu techniques she learned in Shang-Hay!

From where he was, Midnight watched in marvel as the famous explorer he’d thought to be only a literary work of fiction took down the entire cult singlehoofedly! Before long, the cultists were knocked out, groaning in pain, or in a daze, and Daring Do swiped the Goblet, unaware that the cult leader was creeping up behind her, his talons bared…!

*SHUNK*

Daring gasped at the sound of something sharp sinking into flesh and turned to see the cult leader, in shock before he tumbled over, revealing a feather-shaped blade of darkness sticking from out of his back and gasped to see it dissolve into shadowy vapor. A flap of wings caught her attention and she turned to see a Hooded Pony. She tensed, ready for a fight, when the stranger lowered his hood.

“Daring Do? Midnight Blaze,” he held out his hoof with a friendly smile. “Big fan of your work!”

A little confused but instinct telling her this pony was no threat, Daring smiled and gladly shook hooves with him.

Flashback ends -

“…and that’s how we met,” Midnight wrapped it up as they were making their way through the Forbidden Jungle. “I told Daring Do a few things about myself, that Celestia had asked me to look into some whispers of a griffon cult, and wouldn’t you know it, there she was!”

“Hey, that was ‘Daring Do and the Griffon’s Goblet’!” Soarin pointed out, Midnight nodding in confirmation.

“Yep, and I kept Daring’s secret and helped her out. We worked together again in ‘The Razor of Dreams’, which is when I first met Caballeron.”

“Wait, were you… Flint O’Canter, the unicorn archaeology student in ‘The Razor of Dreams’?!” Soarin was having a fanboy moment, and whooped when Midnight nodded yes.

“Daring wanted to note my help in the adventure but I asked her to give me an alias in the book,” Midnight clarified, “to keep my existence secret.”

“Incredible!” commented Blueblood, “So then... all of Daring Do’s adventures really happened!”

“They did indeed,” Midnight went on. “Daring gave me permission to tell Celestia about her and the Princess helped Daring Do better hide her dual-identity and even provided her aid for her work.”

“Look!” Thunderlane pointed ahead through the thick and humid foliage and they gasped at the archaeological marvel before them, the infamous and massive Fortress of Talacon!

Deep within the fortress, her limbs fastened to a wall and suspending her above a pool of water, in which she could see carnivorous fish swimming about, Daring Do shouted as she struggled to get loose, “Surrender now, Ahuizotl, otherwise I swear I’ll take you down!

Her threat was answered by a nasty laughter and she looked up to a platform at a doorway from which did appear the wicked Ahuizotl! A fearsome beast who looked to be a blend of panther and monkey but with a rat-like face, he wore a golden collar, armlets over his biceps, he had a black coat and blue chest and hands, as well as a third hand at the end of his tail. Ahuizotl grinned like a crocodile as he mocked, “Oh Daring Do, I will so miss your amusing laughter-jokes!”

As he laughed, Daring Do growled to see the villain clutched the last Ring of Scorchero as he declared, “But now I must leave you to commence the ring-placing ceremony, to unleash… eight hundred years of unrelenting sweltering heat!!”

Daring do gasped to see Ahuizotl pull a cord, releasing a torrent of water from a pipe-opening, and he turned to leave, cackling as his tail-hand waved goodbye, and Daring Do watched as the piranha-infested pool slowly but surely began to rise!

Seeing the little monsters start jumping and snapping, Daring wasted no time and noticed her bindings were each connected to a brick in the wall they fastened her to. Driven by self-preservation and the goal to save the basin, Daring pulled each of her limbs outward, succeeding first with her hind legs and then her right foreleg. However, they were still bound to the bricks, weighing her down, so the water and the piranhas were getting closer!

She looked up to her left foreleg, seeing it bound, sweating as she grunted, dislodging the brick until she was free!

She just barely managed to flap her wings hard enough to stay aloft but doom was literally snapping at her heels when…!

“Gotcha!”

Daring Do felt hooves hoist her up towards the platform Ahuizotl had been standing at, and she looked to see her rescuer was a snappy Rainbow Dash!
“You can flap too, y’know!”

Helping along, Daring flapped her wings and Rainbow settled her onto the platform, the both of them sighing in relief.

“I was just about to save myself y’know,” Daring snapped back as she slammed the bricks her legs were still bound to, to pieces, freeing her entirely.

“Of course,” Rainbow scoffed, “I just thought you might need this.”

Daring felt something bump her leg and saw it was her pith helmet and threw a surprised look to Rainbow Dash but quickly hardened it as she donned her helmet, “Have I mentioned yet that I work alone?”

“Have I mentioned yet that you’re lucky I don’t?” Rainbow sassed in such a way Daring could only sigh and smile a bit.

“C’mon! Ahuizotl’s about to begin placing the last ring!” Daring galloped down the hall, followed by Rainbow.

In the main chamber of the Fortress, Ahuizotl oversaw the ceremony, the tribal ponies rhythmically banging the bottom ends of their spears in anticipation while two held the last Ring of Scorchero to join the rest stacked around the sacred pedestal, the sun bearing down, awaiting to unleash eight hundred years of relentless heat! The tribal ponies were all earth pony stallions with tribal wears, some of them wearing war-paint, all of them with stony gazes as they awaited the completion of the ceremony!

Unbeknownst to them all, in the doorway of the entry point to the chamber, the girls (minus Rainbow Dash) had just arrived and saw what was going on. Ahuizotl sneered, after so many years, so much time and effort, his moment of triumph was at hand! He cackled in relish of his victory almost completely in his grasp-

“Drop th' ring, Ahui… Whatever yer name is!”

Ahuizotl and the tribal ponies gawked to see the girls run in, the villain growling to the two ponies holding the ring, “Place the ring, quickly!”

Pinkie bounced over and leapt onto the top of the pedestal, knocking the two ponies away and getting the last ring, which she loop-dee-hooped before kicking it away and jumping away from the pedestal, easily dodging Ahuizotl’s grasping tail.
“Get it!!”

At once, it became an intense game of keep-away, Applejack kicking the ring upwards and dodging a couple tribal ponies who tried to pony-pile her. One however tripped her with his spear and grabbed the ring in his teeth before throwing it to Ahuizotl. Fluttershy quickly intercepted the ring and flapped away from Ahuizotl, dropping the ring onto Twilight’s horn, as she dodged Ahuizotl, and skidded to a halt. She smirked and teleported out of the way of two tribal ponies who tried to jump her, and then ran from some others.

In the chaos, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do arrived and quietly made their way to the pedestal with the rest of the Rings of Scorchero.

“Help me get all these rings off!” Daring pressed, Rainbow nodding, and the two pegasus mares started lifting the rings off the pedestal.

At the moment, a tribal pony used his spear to almost get the ring from Fluttershy, only for Applejack to apple-buck his spear away and make off with the ring, only for another tribal pony to trip her, making her loose it. The ring rolled towards Pinkie Pie, who got rump-bumped away by another tribal pony, who quickly grabbed the ring in his mouth and ran towards a far corner, Ahuizotl shouting, “You fool! Throw the ring to me!!”

The tribal pony threw a look at Ahuizotl and smirked.
“I don’t think so, Ahuizotl!!”

“HUH?!” said everypony as well as Ahuizotl in the chamber.

The tribal pony dropped the ring from his mouth, only for it to levitate in a turquoise aura, as he said, “This little game was fun but it’s starting to get old. Boys?”

Four of the tribal ponies broke away from the fracas and joined the tribal pony who’d defied Ahuizotl, as his forehead lit up with an aura, as did his body along with the bodies of his four friends, shining so bright until they dimmed to reveal…

“Midnight!”
“Mackie!”
“Thunder?!”
“Blueblood!
“Soarin too! Whee!”

Seeing the odds were falling out of his favor, Ahuizotl roared, “GIVE ME THAT RING!!”

“Girls! Daring Do!” Midnight shouted, “Get over here, now!!”

Hearing as well as feeling the urgency in his voice, the girls and Daring Do obeyed, although she and Rainbow hadn’t removed the very last ring from the pedestal. As both sides gathered and faced each other, Ahuizotl snarled, “We still outnumber you all three to one! Surrender the ring and I promise you all can depart unharmed!”

“I don’t think so… Everypony? Cover your ears,” Midnight instructed and when he was satisfied they obeyed, he took a deep breath… and SCREAMED!!!

Ahuizotl and the tribal ponies cried out in pain as Midnight’s sonic scream wreaked havoc on their eardrums, the concussive sound waves beating hard against the pedestal that it cracked, as did the main support pillars of the fortress!

When Midnight stopped, he saw at once his scream had made the fortress come structurally unstable.
“Run! Everypony run!”

“The whole fortress is coming down!” Daring added quite loudly

Snarling, Ahuizotl lunged at the ponies in a desperate final bid to get the ring only to be shot down by a stun spell from Midnight before he brought up the rear and followed his friends out.

Thankfully, everypony made it out safely and they watched in awe as the Fortress of Talacon came crashing down into a heaping pile of rubble and dust. A few tribal ponies poked their heads, dazed, from the debris, while Ahuizotl tore himself out, screaming, “Daring Do…! I shall have my REVENGE!!!”

Once they distanced themselves from the Tenochtitlan Basin, Midnight gave Daring Do the ring and she quickly destroyed it.

“Thanks for the help, everypony,” she said to them all, “especially you, Rainbow Dash. I guess it does pay to have some help every once in a while.”

Rainbow struggled to keep her cool, Daring Do just thanked me!

Taking a breath, she replied, “It’s cool, just as this whole experience has been!”

Suddenly remembering the guys were here, she quickly grabbed Soarin and brought him over, “Oh! Before I forget, this is my boyfriend Soarin! He’s your… second biggest fan.”

“Ha-ha, Dash,” Soarin bumped her shoulder affectionately before going fan-boy towards Daring, “I am stoked to be meeting you for real, Daring Do! Can I call you Daring Do? Or would you prefer AK Yearling? Or Miss Do? Or maybe Miss Yearling.”

“Daring Do’s fine,” Daring assured with a chuckle, “and as much as I’d like to stick around, I’ve got a book to finish.”

“Then we wish you the best, Daring Do,” Twilight bade before telling everypony it was time to go home.

“Oh wait!” Daring spoke, “Before I forget… Your Majesty, Prince Midnight? Could I have a word?”

“Sure thing,” Midnight obliged before giving everypony a look that said ‘move along’.

They obeyed but Rainbow and Soarin lingered, Soarin noticing the disgruntled look on his fillyfriend’s face.
“What’s wrong, Dash?”

“Why’d Daring Do ask for a private word with Midnight?” she questioned rhetorically.

“Well, they’ve worked together a couple times before,” Soarin answered, Rainbow looking at him in bewilderment. “It’s true! Midnight is ‘Flint O’Canter’ from ‘The Razor of Dreams’, he helped Daring Do against Caballeron.”

“No way…!” Rainbow looked over to the rise over past which Midnight and Daring had gone for their private word. “Let’s see what they’re up to…”

“Dash!” Soarin sighed as he joined his girlfriend in slinking up to the rise and cupping their ears to eavesdrop onto the conversation.

To both their surprises however, Midnight and Daring were talking but they were speaking in a language neither pegasus could understand.

“Vergessen Sie nicht Ihre Verbindungen zur Bruderschaft diskret zu halten. Nur weil ich habe in das Licht trat, bedeutet nicht, die Reihenfolge hat.”

Daring appeared to nod in affirmation as Midnight continued.

“Auch halten Sie Ihre Augen und Ohren scharf auf Anzeichen oder Hinweisen des Feindes. Dinge haben sich in letzter Zeit eher ruhig, und ich mag es nicht.”

“Ich verstehe, Majestät, und ich bin froh zu sehen, Sie wieder mit Ihren Freunden und Familie sind.”

“Danke, und denken Sie daran, um in Kontakt mit der Bruderschaft zu halten und wissen, dass, wenn Sie irgendeine Hilfe bei der Suche mehr Artefakte müssen ...”

“Ich werde fragen. Nach dem heutigen Tag habe ich ein wenig über Hilfe zu akzeptieren gelernt.”

“Achten Sie darauf, Daring,” Midnight waved as Daring took flight and soared off towards the sun.

Rainbow and Soarin quickly flew ahead to catch up with the rest so Midnight would not see them as he started coming up the rise. The two pegasi whispered, Rainbow asking, “What the buck was that language they were speaking?”

“You got me,” Soarin shrugged, “but I’m more interested in whatever it was they were talking about!”

Author's Note

This was fun to do. I find it credible that Midnight could have worked with Daring Do over the years he stayed anonymous, and his 'Daring Do' book counterpart, Flint O'Canter is a ref to Rick O'Connell from 'The Mummy' movies

As to the conversation between Midnight and Daring...! The language is German but in this story's universe it's the ancestral language of the Griffons

149. Flight to the Finish - Part 1

It was an exciting day at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, as Miss Cheerilee announced, “Today, we have two special guests with a very special announcement! Everypony, please give a warm welcome to the Head of the Equestria Games…”

She pointed to the doorway and in walked, “Ms. Harshwhinny!”

Ms Harshwhinny entered, once again with her face living up to her name, as she held her nose up high, a narrowed look in her eyes, not a wrinkle in her mare’s business suit, not a single hair in her mane astray. She took her place in front of the class, Cheerilee giving her the floor as she spoke in a haughty tone.
“Thank you. Now I’m sure you all know about the Equestria Games, where ponies from all over the land, and even foreign visitors, gather to compete for glory in various athletic pursuits?”

Scootaloo and Rumble shared a curious look as they and their class listened closely.

“Well, now you littlest ones will have the chance to compete for a weighty responsibility of your very own-”

“Oh c’mon, Ms. Harshwhinny! Quit beating around the bush and tell them the great news!” shouted a voice from outside, and its source made itself known as it teleported into the classroom beside Harshwhinny, revealing himself to be…

“Prince Midnight…!” Twist swooned.

Midnight spread his wings and gave a bow, wearing a cap on his head and a whistle around his neck, soaking in the ooh’s and ah’s of his little subjects. He stood up and showed a cocky look as he announced, “All of you – That’s right, you, colts and fillies – will compete against each other by showing off the most awesome and special routine for the chance to go to the Games to carry the flag for Team Ponyville!”

Immediately, the colts and fillies whispered excitedly but Ms. Harshwhiny snapped, “Your Highness, with all due respect, do behave in the manner appropriate to your title!”

Midnight’s ears drooped a little, for even though he was taller than Harshwhinny, he felt oddly small before her disapproving gaze.

“Now then, allow me to explain the rules,” Ms. Harshwhinny pointed out the visual aids she’d had drawn on the chalkboard.
“You, my little ponies, will form teams with the goal of creating their own flag-carrying routine. Everypony will be judged on grace, style, and originality. There’s a most complicated scoring system, will I will elaborate upon now-”

“Oh details-details,” Midnight interrupted, “As you’re all putting together your routines, you will report to me, the self-appointed coach of Team Ponyville.”

“Midnight’s the coach for the team?” Sweetie Belle whispered to her friends.
“Yeah, since he’s a prince he doesn’t get to compete in the games, he was so bummed out,” Twinken confirmed.

“Ahem!”

They returned their attention to Midnight, “As I was saying… I want you all to know that I will help each and every team equally and fairly, but know this! I will not be playing favorites – Each and every team gets their fair chance and their fair amount of help and attention.”

He then gave Diamond Tiara a close-up, much to her surprise as he said in a dismissive manner, “Got that, Diamond Tiara?”

He backed up without waiting for a response and Diamond Tiara growled in annoyance when she noticed Twinken stick his tongue out at her.

However, Midnight’s little stunt got his tail stomped on by Harshwhinny, as she said to him, “Professionalism, Prince Midnight! If you want to keep your job in coaching these little ponies as well as Team Ponyville, you are to maintain a professional attitude and keep your emotions in check!”

She then got up in Midnight’s face, which looked a tad funny the way she was glaring up at him, much to Midnight’s discomfort.
“Am I making myself absolutely, one-hundred percent, crystal clear?!”

When she backed up, Midnight salvaged his composure and assured her, “Yes, Ms. Harshwhinny. Prince’s honor!”

Giving him an extra stink eye for good measure, Ms. Harshwhinny cleared her throat.
“Now then, in three days’ time, Prince Midnight will accompany all ponies competing to the Crystal Empire, where you will demonstrate your routines for me and the other judges, who will judge you very professionally…”

“Ahem, thank you for your thorough clarification, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Midnight said stoically before gushing, “Until then, everypony, train hard, be creative, and remember to have fun. Regardless of how this turns out, this is gonna be an event to remember!”

The class erupted in a cheer and midnight almost joined in, only for Ms. Harswhinny’s famous disapproving look to halt him in his tracks. When the cheering ceased, Midnight cleared his throat, “Meet me after school tomorrow at 3, sharp! Catch ya lat-”

*SKID*

Midnight noticed Harshwhinny again that he halted and stoically said, “Until tomorrow.”

He then trotted out in the same manner Harshwhinny walked in, making her groan. She then addressed the class again.
“Ponies, remember this most important fact – Your routine must display what it is to you that makes your town special. So! Do Ponyville proud. Work hard. Be bold. Wow me… That is all!”

The bell rang and school was out. The colts and fillies poured out of the schoolhouse, chattering excitably, voicing their hopes and ideas for their routines and already asking others to form teams.

But six little colts and fillies were already a team and they spotted Midnight leaning against the fence bordering the schoolyard.
“Big brother!”

Twinken, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rumble, and Button Mash ran up to him, Twinken and Apple Bloom saying, “We’re gonna win that competition and carry the flag for the honor of Ponyville!”

Midnight chuckled, “Perhaps you will, Cutie-Mark Crusaders, but… You’re gonna have to prove yourselves the best and most deserving team out of your whole class, `cuz I think they’re all planning to compete.”

“Well somepony in our class if gonna carry that flag,” Scootaloo pointed out
“So it might as well be us!” agreed Rumble.

“I dunno…” Button Mash sounded hesitant. “We’re a great team an’ all, but… can we prove we’re really the best out of our whole class?”

“C’mon, everypony, are you in or are you in?” Scootaloo both challenged and encouraged, “`Cuz I’m in!!”

“Me two!”
“Me three!”
“Me four!”
“Me five!”
“Uh, me six, I guess.”

Midnight chuckled at the Crusaders’ enthusiasm and went followed, listening as Scootaloo spoke up, “Alright, so our routine’s gotta show what’s important about Ponyville, right?”

“Right!” the rest of the Crusaders chorused.

“But… what’s special about Ponyville?” Button Mash asked the million bit question.

“Well, it’s… it’s…” Rumble pondered, looking to Apple Bloom before noticing Twinken’s horn and then looking to Scootaloo and her wings.
“That’s it!! Ponyville’s where different kinds of ponies live together as friends!”

“Earth ponies like me!”
“Unicorns like me.”

“And pegasi like we!” Scootaloo playfully bumped her shoulder to Rumble’s, the both of them blushing a bit.

“But how do we show that in our act?” Button asked.

“Well we’ll need to really think about this,” Twinken considered.
“And a lotta hard work!” added Apple Bloom.

“And no small amount of practice,” they all looked to see Midnight looking at them proudly before stepping past them, “but I know you can do it! You might be little ponies but you all’ve got hearts as strong as horses!”

Seeing the marching gait Midnight was taking, the Crusaders smiled and followed after as Midnight felt a great pride for his little brother and sister and their friends.

[Midnight Blaze]
You’re all the toughest
Ponies in town
Got the moves, got the mojo,
No harder working ponies around

You’re not alone now,
Just work as a team…

[Cutie Mark Crusaders]
We’ll be the first ponies out on the flag waving scene!

Midnight smiled at the little foals, seeing them gaze boldly o’er the rise of the hill they stood on, and left the Crusaders to get started.

[CMC]
We get going when the going gets tough (They started with some running…)
We know our very best is just never enough (…before testing their strength in a tog o’ war with Bulk Biceps)
We’re kinda short but so what? We don’t get defeated (They took turns bucking a punching bag)
We could take a little break but we don’t need it (Sweetie Belle offered some water to a sweaty Button but he kept going)

We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hea-a-a-arts as strong as horses

(The training continued all throughout the day)

When we put our minds together, we can achieve
We’re the Cutie-mark Crusaders, and you should believe!
We’ve got determination to represent our nation
For the win…!

We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses

And we’re playing to win as we gallop to glory
We can conquer any challenge we’re in
We got hea-a-a-arts as strong as horses
Hearts strong as horses….!

The Crusaders finished up their last runaround the park before they finally paused for a break, panting to still their beating hearts.

“Whoo! My hooves are burnin’, baby, they’re burning!” Rumble laughed but panted as he worked his wings to spread a breeze.
“Somepony kill me…” Button whined, Sweetie Belle giggling before lending him her water bottle.
“Thanks, Sweetie Belle…”
“We’re doing great, everypony!” Scootaloo encouraged, “Now that we’ve warmed up, it’s time to start thinking up our rou-”

“Move it, losers!”

*SHOOOM/SPINNN*

“WHOAAA!!!” the Crusaders were sent spinning as something blurred past them in a way very similar to how Scootaloo did with her scooter sometimes.

When they stopped being dizzy they gaped at the newcomer and recognized him, Twinken groaning, “Ugh, it’s Hotshot…”

Hotshot was a pegasus colt who’d moved to Ponyville recently from Las Pegasus. He had a sky-blue coat, a blazing orange mane in a mohawk style, his opal eyes were hidden behind his shades, and his cutie-mark was a comb and skateboard forming an X. He wore pads and a helmet as he did a 360 move on his skateboard before coming back and skidding to a halt in front of the Crusaders, spraying dust and dirt on them.

He took off his helmet and pushed up his shades, giving them a high n’ mighty look and spoke in the same kind of voice, “I hear you’re all gonna compete to carry the Ponyville flag…”

“What’s it to ya?” Scootaloo glared.

“Oh nothin’ much,” Hotshot shrugged before throwing them a nasty look, “except it boggles my mind why you’re wasting your time… when I’m the one who’s gonna carry that flag!”

“Pbth, as if!” Twinken scoffed, “Don’t you remember? A team has to carry the flag, and I don’t see a team with you...”

“Hey Hotshot!”
“We’ll be your team!”

All eyes turned to see Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon swooning at Hotshot, who posed a cocky way, soaking it in before Diamond Tiara said, “And if that’s the best these loser have got, we’ll win for sure!”

“We’ll come up with the most divine routine,” Silver Spoon said snottily.
“A routine sure to crush the competition,” added Diamond Tiara.

“Well, girls,” Hotshot stood by them while throwing a nasty smile at the Crusaders, “I do enjoy a good crush! Besides, it’ll be no sweat to beat these lame-os, because we’ve got something they don’t.”

The three bullies pointed them out, “Cutie-marks! Ha-ha-ha-ha! Blank flanks, blank flanks, blank flanks!!”

“What’s tha’ got t’ do with flag-carryin’?” Apple Bloom asked.

“There is no way an obviously untalented gaggle of goofuses could ever hope to represent this one-horse town in the Equestria Games,” Hotshot snorted.
“Granted, I’d rather represent Las Pegasus, but as long as I’m here, I may as well answer the door when opportunity knocks. For example…”

Hotshot lowered his shades and put his helmet back on before kicking off on his board. Everypony watched as Hotshot’s wings propelled him, increasing his velocity, as he jumped and grinded a birdbath, scaring off the bluebirds that had been bathing in it. Flapping his wings, he got airborne where he, to everypony’s shock, did a slow flip while spinning before coming down to a perfect landing and hopped up to have his board stand vertically while balancing himself on the upper half with one hoof!

“He’s good…! Like Brony Hawk!” Button Mash couldn’t help but say.

Then Hotshot pushed upwards, his board flipping onto its wheels and he landed with the grace of a leaf, throwing a cocky smile to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, who both swooned and giggled.

He slid over to join them before throwing another nasty look to the Crusaders, “Y’see that, blank flanks?! And I wasn’t even warmed up. Ha! With my skills and these pretty fillies lovely looks, we’re gonna win, posolutely-absitively!”

“You’re not so great!” Scootaloo snapped, “I could skate circles around you!”

“You? Please, I’ve seen you on that scooter, and frankly it just wouldn’t be fair,” Hotshot scoffed.

“Y’know you’re right,” Scootaloo said in a way similar to her surrogate big sister, “I’d have to put one hoof behind my back for you to even have a chance!”

“Ooh…!” Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon looked to Hotshot who narrowed his eyes behind his shades.

He walked up challengingly to Scootaloo who walked up challengingly to him as well, their noses inches from each other, their eyes narrowed as Hotshot said, “What’d you say…?”

“You heard me…” Scootaloo didn’t flinch, “If you think you’re so good, let’s see!”

“A race then,” Hotshot decided. “First one around the park back here wins.”

“You’re on!” Scootaloo got out her scooter and helmet and said in a tone to say it was on, “Let’s race…!”

Author's Note

I replaced Rainbow Dash with Midnight since he's an alicorn prince now and would no longer be eligible to join Team Ponyville for the games, so he's settling for being team coach.

Since I included Twinken, Rumble, and Button Mash with the CMC it felt appropriate (an long overdue) to add a new bully and one who's a colt.

Hotshot is vaguely based on Teddy, a male pony from 'My Little Pony Tales', in appearance and vaguely with character but he's a lot meaner.

Don't worry about Scootaloo, I will arrange for Rainbow to inspire her and make sure things go more or less as they're supposed to.

150. Flight to the Finish - Part 2

Twinken had set up the starting line and Sweetie Belle and button Mash had explained the rules, especially the one of no cheating. That one got a reaction from Silver Spoon, “‘No cheating’?! That’s not fair!”

Everypony ignored her as Sweetie Belle called, “Racers! On your marks!”

Scootaloo and Hotshot both started buzzing their little wings but each kept a hoof on the ground to stay in place as Sweetie Belle reared up… and slammed her forehooves onto the ground!

*SHOOM/ZOOM*

Sweetie Belle had no idea in which direction she’d been sent for a whirl, it might have been both, but Button Mash helped her steady herself as Rumble yelled, “And they’re off!”

Rumble fluttered up onto a birdbath took get a better look and started doing commentary.
“And… it’s Hotshot who takes the initial lead. But Scootaloo is close on his tail!”

“Go Scootaloo!”
“Take him down!”
“You can do it”

“Both racers have passed the big tree stump and are closing in on the first turn! It’s gonna be close…! Yes! Scootaloo squeezes on through and takes the lead!”

“Boo!”
“C’mon Hotshot!”

“Scootaloo is beating those wings furiously and doing her best to bar Hotshot from shooting past her!”

Scootloo gritted her teeth as she forced herself to maintain her speed but the divided concentration on that and barring Hotshot was distracting that she didn’t see the upcoming crack in the sidewalk.
“Whoa!”

Scootaloo almost tipped and crashed but managed to keep her balance though Hotshot laughed mockingly as he sped her by, “So long, Scoota-loser!”

Laughing nasty, Hotshot looked on ahead and saw the finish line coming up – This race was in the bag! And seeing the admiring looks of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, Hotshot couldn’t resist. If he was gonna win, he’d do it in style!
And I know just the trick…!

As they came to the home-stretch, Hotshot beat his wings and kicked off the ground, grasping the front of his board while his other hoof was outstretched as he spun `round in the air, hearing the oohs and ahs in admiration of his awesomeness!

He got so caught up in it that…

“And it’s Scootaloo by a landslide!!!”

“WHAT?!” Hotshot lost his concentration and stumbled his landing, thankfully falling onto some grass while his board zipped out from under him and crashed into a bush. He groaned as he got up and then growled to see the CMC cheer and throw Scootaloo into the air as she smiled a big smile.

“2 – 4 – 6 – 8! Who’s a skater really great?!” the CMC cheered as they let Scootaloo down, “Scootaloo, Scootaloo, YAY!!”

“Thanks guys, but it was pretty close,” Scootaloo smiled with a shrug.

“That’s what makes it even sweeter!”

Scootaloo gasped and smiled as she looked up and saw, “Rainbow Dash!”

“Heya squirt,” Rainbow landed on the ground and pulled Scootaloo in for a noogie, “awesome racing, way to stick it to that little showoff!”

Then Rainbow muttered to herself, “That’s my job…”

“Thanks Rainbow, and now if you’ll excuse us we got a flag carrying routine to prepare!” Scootaloo declared, making Rainbow gasp.

“You’re all gonna compete to be the team to carry the Ponyville flag?! Aw, Scoots, I couldn’t be prouder!”

“Why do you say that?” Rumble asked.

“Guess who carried the Cloudsdale flag in the Games when she was your guys’ age,” Rainbow said in a cocky way and answered they had a chance to say anything, “ME!”

“You carried the Cloudsdale flag in the Games?!” Scootaloo’s eyes widened well-past dinner plate-width.

“I’ll never forget it.” Rainbow flew up as she posed and reminisced, “I burst into the stadium, spreading my wings, the flag flapping in the breeze! I did tricks with that flag the likes of which nopony saw before or since!”

“Whoa…!” the Crusaders all gazed up at Rainbow reverently.

“So I’ll be rootin’ for ya, Crusaders!” Rainbow encouraged as she flew up again, “I’d say good luck, but I have a feeling you won’t need it!”

And with that, Rainbow zipped off, leaving the Crusaders to talk excitably, not noticing Hotshot seething from behind a tree nearby as Diamond Tiara rubbed his sore shoulder and ego while Silver Spoon brought him his skateboard.
“You so should’ve won, Hotshot!”

“That- That…. Blank flank just got lucky!” Hotshot growled as he snatched his board back before throwing another glare towards Scootaloo.
“What’s so special about her?! What’s she to that poser Rainbow Crash!”

“She’s just a dumb blank flank that Rainbow Dash took an interest in,” Diamond Tiara explained as they walked away.
“Treats her like a sister, it’s sad really. Why do you ask?”

“Cuz’ that technicolored freak got my big sister kicked out of the Wonderbolts Academy!” Hotshot growled. “My big sister was the best cadet in her class and Rainbow Crash made her look bad! So I’m gonna return the favor by beating Scoota-loser for the flag-carrying routine…”

The next day after school, all the little ponies competing to carry the Ponyville flag met up at a stage set up in the field in front of the schoolhouse. Midnight wore his cap and with his whistle around his neck and levitated a clipboard listing all the auditions.

Next up… Midnight said aloud, “Let’s see what ya got for me, Cutie-Mark Crusaders! I’m looking forward to this…!”

“We won’t disappoint!” Scootaloo assured before pulling her head back behind the curtains.

Midnight then heard his little brother call out, “This is routine isn’t quite finished yet, so y’know!”

Watching from some nearby bushes, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot narrowed their eyes as Diamond Tiara sneered, “Let’s watch the Cutie-Mark GOOF-saders do their sad little routine.”
“They’re gonna be a hot mess!” Silver Spoon added, the three of them laughing nastily.

“Since the beginning of recorded history, in a town totally amazing…” announced Rumble in a dramatic voice as the curtains were pulled back.
“Three types of ponies co-exist!”

It revealed a hastily-done background of cardboard props made to look like a mountain, a hillside house and apple tree, and three clouds hanging overhead.

Apple Bloom and Button Mash walked in from each side with green ribbons trailing from their front hooves as they declared, “We are Earth Ponies…”

*FLASH/FLASH*

Twinken teleported himself and Sweetie Belle on-stage, purple ribbons flowing from their horns as they announced, “We are Unicorns…”

From the main cloud Scootaloo popped up while Rumble hovered down above her, blue ribbons attached to their flapping wings, “We are Pegasi!”

Then a scene dropped down in front of them, showing an impressive-enough scene of Ponyville all-drawn in crayon with a few homes surrounded by apple tree cutouts with a glorifying cardboard sun above.
“And the town where friendship reigns is our home!”

Then a spotlight shined in the middle of the scene as Rumble brown down a hoop covered with paper, held in place by the rest of the Crusaders.
“Now welcome to the stadium the flag of the place we love best…”

Tearing through the papered hood did launch Scootaloo astride her scooter, the Ponyville Flag attached to it as she 360’d back to her friends, where Apple Bloom, Rumble, and Button Mash had Twinken and Sweetie Belle on their shoulders and they caught a jumping Scootaloo, the flag in her teeth, the six of them forming a pyramid as they cheered, “PONYVILLE FOREVER!”

They YAY'd as set-up firecrackers blew confetti around them to give it just the right touch.

Midnight’s jaw dropped, as did the jaws of Hotshot, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon.

The Crusaders ran up to the still-stunned midnight as Scootaloo admitted, “It’s kind of a work in progress, whattya think?”

“That… was…!” Midnight stopped himself, No! Professionalism, can’t let them think I’m playing favorites, especially with my little brother and sister on their team. But they whipped that together just yesterday-?! No! Calm, cool, collected…

Having regained his composure, Midnight cleared his throat, and said with a raised brow, “Overall, I would say… that you’ve… got something that’s working for you. Keep up the good work and who knows? Gotta-go-thank-you!”

Midnight teleported away, Apple Bloom looking to her friends with a troubled look, “Y’all think he liked it?”

“I dunno…” Button fretted.

“No sweat, everypony!” Rumble assured, “He just said if we keep at it we’ve got a shot!”

“Rumble’s right!” Scootaloo said as she got her game face on, “Hop to it, ponies!”

Hotshot watched them hurry off before throwing a stink eye at Silver Spoon, “A hot mess, huh?”

“Well…” Silver Spoon bit her lip, finding herself flummoxed.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this but… they could win!” Diamond Tiara was reluctant to admit.

“But how do we stop them?” worried Silver Spoon, “We already called them blank flanks!”

“Then we gotta find a new way to get under their skin,” Hotshot growled as he hovered angrily which made Diamond Tiara raise her brow in query that shew looked towards the Crusaders, seeing them put their props away.

Then she noticed Rumble hovering as he pulled down the prop-clouds and she looked to Scootaloo, her wings specifically. Then she got an idea. An awful idea. Diamond Tiara got a wonderful – awful – idea.
“Or maybe… get under her wings!”

As the Crusaders were finishing up packing their props…

“Crusaders?”

They looked to see Diamond Tiara, Hotshot, and Silver Spoon walk up to them with oddly friendly smiles as Diamond Tiara said, “We just wanted to say, your act is quite impressive!”

Twinken was stumped with a confused 'Huh' while his sister Apple Bloom said, “Uh, thanks?”

“Oh but of course,” Silver Spoon said as she and her friends passed the rest of the Crusaders, particularly Scootaloo, “As a matter of fact, we think you’re very brave.”

“Brave? Why?” Scootaloo asked.

“Ain’t it obvious?” Hotshot flapped his wings, rising a few hooves off the stage floor as he pulled a smarmy smirk. “It is to everypony, it’s right in front of you!”

“Yeah, you’re showing all three types of Ponyville's ponies yet you have a pegasus pony…” Diamond Tiara pointed out as Silver Spoon and Hotshot all mocked, “Who can’t even fly!!”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Button demanded as he and the rest of the Crusaders sans Scootaloo threw stink eyes at the bullies.

“Well duh, it should have everything to do with it,” Hotshot exemplified his claim by flapping about in a leisurely way over Scootaloo. “A pegasus pony at your age?!”

“Yeah, you should’ve been flying long ago,” Diamond Tiara added.

“So what if Scootaloo can’t get off the ground just yet?!” protested Rumble as Scootaloo looked self-consciously at her wings.

“Her career as a flag carrier isn’t getting off the ground either,” Diamond Tiara answered snootily.

“Ms. Harshwhinny will never pick a team that has a pegasus pony that can’t fly to represent Ponyville in front of all of Equestria!” Silver Spoon added as she ruffled Scootaloo’s feathers.

“Ms. Harshwhinny never said anything about that!” argued Sweetie Belle.

“I would’ve thought that was obvious,” Silver Spoon countered in a ‘I told you so’ tone.

“C’mon girls, let’s go work on our routine,” Hotshot stated as he led the two hussies with their noses in the air. “It’s obvious their sad little routine’s never gonna…take off?”

The bullies laughed mockingly as they walked away, and when they were far enough away they dove into the same bushes from before and watched as the seeds of doubt they’d sown took root. Snickering, they shared a victorious sneer as Hotshot said, “Objective reached, girls!”

Then the bullies did their own little bit, “Bump – Bump – Sugarlump Rump!”

“C’mon, boys, keep at it,” Midnight was coaching Snips n’ Snails as the two unicorn colts struggled with their routine.

“How’re all the little ponies doing, coach?”

Midnight smiled to see Rainbow Dash land next to him as he shrugged, “Some, like these two, need work, others like… the Crusaders, for example, are really coming along great!”

“Awesome, and I think I gave the squirts just the encouragement they needed,” Rainbow boasted, Midnight giving her a raised brow and smirk.

“By telling them of a certain filly who carried the flag for Cloudsdale?”

“Hey! Whatever works, right?” Rainbow and Midnight shared a chuckle.

“Can I tell you a little secret?” Midnight asked, Rainbow nodding. “As coach, I’m supposed to be impartial and not show favorites, but… Honestly? I think the Crusaders have the best shot at winning this!”

“Well duh! They’re all our little brothers and sisters, right?” Rainbow waved off the ‘maybe' implication in Midnight’s words.

“Except…” Rainbow looked to see Midnight was gazing towards the Crusaders, and noticed them working on something. “They seem to be doing something else now.”

“Well, they’re probably still roughing out the edges for their routine,” Rainbow shrugged. “I bet that, before we all head for the Empire, they’ll have made something awesome!”

“We?” Midnight echoed.

“You didn’t think I’d miss out on this, did you?” Rainbow flapped up, “Gotta go, or Thundy’ll chew off my tail for being late again for work at the weather office.”

“Later,” Midnight waved her off but noticed the Crusaders’ practicing didn’t seem as… exuberant as he’d seen them when they’d first shown off their routine.

When finally came the morning of departure, Midnight was onboard the Ponyville Express, checking in the little ponies going with him and Cheerilee to the Crystal Empire.
“…Dinky Doo, check, Lickety-Split, check, Truffle, check, Pińa Colada, check, Cotton Cloudy, check, Chip Mint, check, Cutie-mark Crusaders…”

He looked at the seats the Crusaders had been assigned and noticed their lack of Crusaders. “Uh-oh…”

Yesterday, at their final showing, Midnight was disappointed by the changes the Crusaders had made to their routine, where it seemed Scootaloo was trying to show off flying she wasn’t quite yet capable of. He’d encouraged them to go back to their original routine without showing any favoritism but it seemed his words hadn’t quite gotten through.

“Hey Midnight?”

He turned to see, “Rainbow Dash!”

“Where are the Cutie-Mark Crusaders?” she asked. “The train’s gonna leave any minute!”

“ALL ABOARD!” called the conductor and they felt the train lurch before it started chugging out of the station.

“Oh great, I hope they made it aboard!” Rainbow fretted.

“They’re… they’re…” Midnight’s eyes shifted nervously when they noticed the Crusaders at the end of the car.

Sighing, he hurried over, Rainbow in tow, and said to them, “And how’s the winning routine today?”

“Winning routine?” Twinken echoed.

Sighing with a smile, Midnight gushed, “I can’t hide it anymore- You guys have the best routine out of everypony here! I can only imagine the roar of the crowd once they see Scootaloo zoom through the hoop on her scooter and… where… is Scootaloo?”

He’d finally noticed – The Cutie-Mark Crusaders were short one Scootaloo, and all of them looked troubled.

“She stayed home,” Sweetie Belle informed sadly, getting quite the reaction from Rainbow Dash.

“She what?!”

“Those bullies Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot got it into Scootaloo’s head that the only way to represent Ponyville was if the both of us were flying in our routine,” Rumble explained sadly.
“When she couldn’t do it, she told us at the station that she quit.”

“And then you tried to talk her out of it, right?” Rainbow pressed.

“Well, actually… we kinda told her…” Twinken hesitated.
“We told her we didn’t want a quitter…” sighed a guilty Button Mash.

“Hang on- Are you nuts?!” Rainbow snapped, Midnight pulling her back so he could do the admonishing.

“Crusaders, you’re a team,” Midnight reminded them, “and a good team never leaves a teammate behind.”

Now the Crusaders felt bad as they shared troubled looks. Rainbow pulled the ‘stop’ chord, prompting the train to halt. Rainbow and Midnight flew out, both saying, “C’mon!”

As the Crusaders hopped out, they heard a nasty voice, “Sorry you can’t make it!”

They looked to see the bullies sneering at them from a window in the car as Hotshot mocked, “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to send Scoota-loser my autograph once we get our picture in the winner’s circle!”

The Bullies all laughed mockingly as the Crusaders looked on after them with stink eyes, Sweetie Belle saying, “I do not like them one bit.”

“Mm-hmm!” the rest agreed.

“C’mon, Crusaders!” Midnight called to them and the Crusaders hurried to catch up with their coach and Rainbow.

In her home, Scootaloo was tearing down her posters for the Equestria Games, rolled them up, and threw them into her wastebasket. Along with her scooter. As she teared up at the sight of it…

“Throwing away your scooter?!”

She gasped and turned to see, “Rainbow Dash?”

“And not just me,” Rainbow entered and kicked the door wide open to reveal the rest of the Crusaders, with Midnight behind them. Seeing her friends, Scootaloo brightened up for a brief moment before remembering what happened on the station platform.

She turned away, pouting, “I don’t wanna see `em… What’re they doing here anyway? They’re supposed to be on the train.”

“Wer’ not goin’!” Apple Bloom declared.
“Not without you, Scoots,” amended Rumble.

Tearing up at their loyalty, Scootaloo couldn’t bring herself to face them, Rainbow asking, “What’s gotten into you, Scootaloo?”

“I didn’t wanna ruin their chance to win just because I couldn’t fly,” she answered.

“And who said you had to?” Rainbow asked.

“But flying’s what pegasus ponies are supposed to do!” Scootaloo protested as she turned to face her surrogate big sister. “You flew when you carried the flag in the Games”

“But that was me,” Rainbow clarified, “You’re you!”

“And it doesn’t matter if you can fly or not,” Midnight assured, “because your routine was perfect, in that it represented exactly what makes Ponyville special.”

“You do still know what that is, right?” Rainbow asked as the Crusaders walked up to their friend.

“Friendship!” Sweetie Belle reminded.
“Three kinds of ponies living together as friends!” added Button.

“Just like us, Scoots!” Rumble came over and playfully bumped his rump to Scootaloo’s.

“Earth ponies…” Apple Bloom said.
“Unicorns…” added Twinken.

“And Pegasi,” Scootaloo was starting to get it but doubt lingered. “But Rainbow Dash… What if… what if my wings never grow? What if I never fly?”

Seeing her biggest fan tear up, Rainbow gave more pep talk, “Listen Scootaloo – Maybe you’ll fly someday or maybe you won’t. You’re all kinds of awesome anyway!”

She gave Scootaloo little noogie, “Who’s the toughest little pony in town?”

Got the moves,got the mojo…
No harder workingpony around
You’re not alone now...

…Work as a team!

[CMC]
We’ll be the first ponies out on the flag-waving scene!

“Then let’s get to the Crystal Empire!” Scootaloo proposed boldly, “and we’ll do the routine as it was! AND LET’S WIN THIS THING!!”

Scootaloo grabbed her scooter, pulled out some extra helmets, Twinken cast the ‘light as a feather’ spell he learned on himself, Apple Bloom Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash, and they held onto some ropes pulled by Scootaloo and Rumble.

Following after Rainbow and Midnight, with their two pegasus friends pulling, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders rode all the way to the Crystal Empire, with a fire in their hearts!

[CMC]
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses
We got hearts as strong as horses

And we’re playing to win as we gallop to glory
We can conquer any challenge we’re in
We got hea-a-a-arts as strong as horses
Hearts strong as horses….!

Bursting through the hoop, her friends formed the pyramid as Scootaloo zoomed to the top with a perfect two-point landing, the Ponyville Flag billowing behind them!

“PONYVILLE FOREVER! YAY!!!!”

The crowd erupted in cheer as the Cutie-Mark Crusaders took it all in, gazing proudly around the stadium.

When the competition came to a close, the teams all formed up before a platform as Ms. Harshwhinny approached the podium, testing the mike before making the announcement.
“In the Equestria Games, the Ponyville Flag will be carried by…the Cutie-Mark Crusaders!”

The Crusaders cheered happily as they soaked in the applause while Hotshot angrily threw his helmet onto the ground and stomped off, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon following as they harrumphed.

On the platform, Ms. Harshwhinny placed flower wreaths around each Crusader’s neck, all of them smiling as Midnight came over.
“Job well done, Crusaders.”

“Job well done?”

They all looked to Ms. Harshwhinny who was incredulous at Midnight’s words.
“Job well done?! Why it was totally, stupendously the single most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!”

Midnight shook his head at Harshwhinny’s giddly-ness, “Contain your excitement, Ms. Harshwhinny. Remember… Professionalism?”

Seeing the tables had been turned, Harshwhinny struggled to regain her composure with a sheepish look, “Yes, yes, well, I…”

She hopped off-stage, Midnight, Rainbow, and the Crusaders all laughing when Scootaloo realized something.
“You know what this means, right?”

“What?” Apple Bloom asked, the rest of them looking at Scootaloo.

“We are totally gonna get cutie-marks in flag carrying!”

While the Crusaders laughed, Rainbow slumped as once again the enlightenment of the Crusaders flew out the window, Midnight saying to Rainbow with a chuckle, “One day, Dash, One day…”

Author's Note

This was fun

Anyone notice the implication I threw in here?

151. Big Mac's Big Dilemma - Part 1

Today was important for Big Macintosh, and it was perfect that the girls, particularly his `Shy, had all left to get started on restoring the Castle of the Two Sisters.

Blueblood was attending a meeting in Canterlot, Soarin had been called away on Wonderbolts business, Thunderlane was overseeing the weather office, it would be just Big Mac, his brothers and little sister, and his grandmother at the farm. However, even they were unaware of Big Mac’s plans. Midnight was off teaching Twinken a new spell, Apple Bloom was spending time with her friends, and Granny Smith was trying a new recipe. He’d have all the privacy he needed.

His wedding wasn’t far off and he had to get started on the preparations. Finding the place to set up shop had been easy, but now came the hard part. He had his tools, he’d gathered the necessary supplies, all he needed to do was put it all together and…

“Oh ponyfeathers,” Macintosh facehooved as he realized he was missing that special piece for his project. A little something he’d asked the local glass-worker to make for him a few weeks ago.

Welp, may as well get it `afore Ah get started on this, Big Mac shrugged and walked off to town.

As he walked through Ponyville, minding his own business, Big Mac noticed some of the local romantics, like Noteworthy and his girlfriends Lyra and BonBon, Cup Cake & Carrot Cake, and the thought that soon his `Shy would be his wife gave him a pep in his step.

Arriving at the glassworker’s shop, Big Mac entered, a bell ringing to announce his presence, and he took in the various glassworks – Glass statuettes, sculptures, vases, glass tiles, glass lamps, chandeliers, and more. Approaching the counter he noticed the shopkeeper absent and so rang the bell a couple times.

“Be right with you!” called a voice from the back, and not but a few moments later approaching hoofsteps preceded the shopkeeper stepping out from a door behind the counter, revealing an earth pony stallion wearing a faux-leather apron, protective goggles above his eyes, his coat was glass bottle-green while his copper mane was tied back.
“Ah! Big Macintosh, I take it you’re here for your order?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded, his eyes looking hopeful.

“Ha-ha!” the shopkeeper stepped into the back and brought out a case almost three hooves long and wide. Setting it on the counter, he opened it for his customer to see and Big Mac was more than satisfied at the results.
“Is it what you wanted?”

“It’s perfect,” Big Mac reached for his work-collar and pulled out a baggy of bits, “ya’ve earned ev’ry cent!”

“Ho-hold your horses, Big Mac,” the shopkeeper chuckled, “I imagine this has something to do with an upcoming wedding?”

Big Mac whistled innocently but couldn’t hide the smirk on his face that it made the shopkeeper laugh.
“Well, I’m giving you a forty-percent discount!”

“Forty-percent?! But-” Big Mac was about to protest but the shopkeeper held up his hoof firmly.

“I won’t hear otherwise! So… That’ll come down to…twenty-nine Bits and six cents.”

“Well thank ya most kindly!” Big Mac was really touched by what could only be a steal as he paid the bits. The shopkeeper then pushed the case to Mac, and he put a hoof on it, smiling.
“This really means a lot.”

“I’m sure she’ll love it,” the shopkeeper assured, “Now get outta here, lover-colt!”

Strapping the case to his barrel, Big Mac stepped out and took in a deep breath of late-morning before he began the walk home. However, as Big Mac passed through town square…

“Big Macintosh! Yoo-hoo! Could I speak with you please?”

He turned to see the Mayor and her assistant walk up to him, the Mayor saying, “Big Macintosh, just the stallion I need. Would you be a dear and help me with something in my office? I just received a new podium and the old one’s too heavy for us.”

“Sure thing, Ms. Mayor,” Big Mac followed them into the building, where he saw a podium standing in the middle of the foyer.

“Big Mac, I just got a new podium and must get started on some paperwork but this old one has to go,” Mayor Mare explained. “Would you be a gentlecolt and take it to the dump please? It’s just me and my assistant today in the office, and neither of us is strong enough to carry that thing all the way to the dump!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac made sure the case holding his order was strapped to the side of his barrel before maneuvering the old podium onto his back.

“Thank you so very much, Big Mac,” Mayor Mare thanked but then abruptly went into her office without another word.

Her assistant looked to Big Mac and shrugged apologetically. Big Mac didn’t mind this little side-trip, as the dump was on the way back to the farm, and the podium on his back wasn’t that heavy.

Leaving town hall, he started down Stirrup Street, saying howdy and that he was fine to the passerby when…

“Big Macintosh! Wait right there, son!”

He stopped and turned to see Filthy Rich come up to him, “Big Mac, I could really use your help! A shipment I have coming to my store by wagon got one o’ its wheels busted and I need somepony to help change it for the spare!”

“Well Ah kinda got a few things t’-” Big Mac hesitated but Filthy Rich insisted.

“Oh it shouldn’t take long! Just a wheel that needs replacing, c’mon!”

Big Mac found himself getting pushed towards a different way and ahead he saw a wagon full of crates, a troubled stallion standing by it, and the left rear wheel was broken beyond repair.

“Lemme just get that off your back,” Filthy Rich removed the old podium from Big Mac and set it aside.

Still a little hesitant to deviate from his goal, Big Mac ultimately allowed himself to be shuffled over to the cart. The damage wasn't immense and would only require a new wheel, but with the cart weighed down by so much stock, a jack wouldn't likely hold it long. This meant that he'd have to unload at decent portion of the cart before he could even begin the repair.

"Ah'm afraid Mr. Rich tha’ this here might take a while and Ah..." however before he could finish his sentence, Filthy Rich had grabbed a hold of his face and was now staring at him intensely.

"Please Big Mac, I really need this cart fixed and quickly or I stand to lose a lot of money! I really need your help right now! We've been business partners for years now, please help me!"

Big Mac stared at him in surprise for a second before giving and annoyed sigh and a classic ’Eeyup' before turning back to the cart. Quickly he turned back to the cart, and with the assistance of the other stallion, he moved several of the crates from the cart. They certainly weren't light and the contents appeared loose, as more than once he had to regain his balance after getting a hold of one. Filthy Rich seemed grateful for the help, but every few seconds or so he kept glancing back at the town clock and shifting back and forth on the tips of his hooves in impatience.

After moving the final crate out, Big Mac moved towards the damaged wheel before noticing a fatal flaw in his plan.

"Uh, Mr. Rich, do ya have a spare wheel?"

The blank look that Filthy Rich gave him made the answer rather obvious.

"My. Rich, Ah can't exactly get th’ cart fixed without a new wheel. Th’ current one’s far too damaged t’ be repaired and Ah'm not Eris, Ah cain't jus’ poof a new one into existence for ya."

Filthy Rich gave annoyed grunt of agreement before he looked around, hoping to find some sort of alternative. Finally he glanced back at the cart and at Mac.

"Well I guess I only see one course of action. Thanks for your efforts so far, Big Mac..."

Big Mac gave a friendly nod and a sigh of happiness. He hadn't managed to fix the cart, but it seemed Filthy Rich had found an alternative. He could finish his delivery to the dump and finally complete his present for his Fluttershy. Now he just had grab the podium and...

"But it seems I'm going to need you to deliver the crates to my store without the aid of the cart. I'll rush ahead and let the buyers know that there has been a delay and stall them a little. Thanks for the help here Big Mac, I really appreciate it." then before Big Mac could offer a single objection, he bolted off into town, leaving Big Mac with a broken old podium, a broken cart and now a dozen heavy crates to be carried into town.

His eye twitched and a series of curses filtered through his head hoping to be shouted out in anger, but Big Mac had far more control then that. So with light kick of frustration to the broken cart (which then promptly broke into piles of timber. Had he kicked it hard, somepony's house may have suddenly had a pile of debris smash into their house) he began loading up crates onto his back, readying himself for what would likely be several painfully heavy trips back and forth into town. One thought slipped out of his lips in a grumble as he set off.

"Ah should'a just said Nnope..."

Author's Note

This arc takes place during the 'Power Ponies' episode but it will be reffed.

Also, the show's always portrayed bits to be golden but here I expanded a bit by including silver and brass bits. After some suggestions from my readers, I decided on a currency system:

Ten Brass Bits make a Silver

Five Silvers make a Gold

Three Golds make a Platinum

In the Crystal Empire, they use Crystal Bits (feel free to ponder that) but refer to them as Crystals as in 'That'll be twelve crystals please'

152. Big Mac's Big Dilemma - Part 2

With no choice, Macintosh left the podium with the broken wagon, asking the employee Rich had left to assist him by watching the wagon. Strong as he was, Big Mac couldn’t balance every crate of goods in the wagon on his back – He’d be picking and dropping them the whole way to Rich’s Barnyard Bargains, and Filthy Rich wouldn’t be happy if his goods got damaged.

After leaving the first few boxes at Barnyard Bargains he started making his way back to the wagon when…
“Oh Big Mac, hello!”

He turned to see a tall and husky unicorn stallion with a marble white coat, short brown mane, and three hoofballs for a cutie-mark and wearing a Haywaiian shirt accompanied by a plump pink unicorn mare with a purple beehive styled mane with blue beads around her neck and her cutie-mark was three cookies, one bitten. He recognized them as Hondo Flanks and his wife cookie Crumbles, Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s parents.

Hondo was a retired university hoofball star who now made a living as a coach for college hoofball teams, which required him to be out of town a lot. Cookie was his college sweetheart and they got married right after their graduation and Rarity came along not long after. Cookie ran a sister-business with the Cakes and often advertised it wherever she and her husband visited in Equestria.

Hondo was also one of Big Mac’s favorite players and was astounded to find out he was Rarity’s father. So as one of his old heroes walked up to him, Big Mac straightened up as the older stallion asked, “Howdy-hey there Big Macintosh! Would ya mind stoppin’ by our house?”

“Our lil’ Sweetie’s gonna be spending a couple days at Sweet Apple Acres since Rarity wasn’t able to watch her for us,” Cookie explained, “so we need ya, honey, to come over and pick up Sweetie Belle’s things.”

“I hope ya don’t mind,” Hondo and Cookie looked hopeful, and Big Mac shrugged, Prob’ly just a bag ‘r two, no problem.

“Eeyup, just runnin’ a couple errands then Ah’ll be right wit’ ya,” Big Mac promised.

“We owe ya, Big Mac!” Hondo ‘phew’ed in relief.
“Sweetie’s so excited for her little sleepover with Apple Bloom! Thanks, Macintosh!” added Cookie.

Waving the parents off, Big Mac started back to the wagon and found Rich’s employee waiting diligently.
“Y’mind waitin’ while Ah take this ol’ podium t’ th’ dump?”

“Not at all,” the employee helped Big Mac maneuver the podium onto his back, Mac being careful his package still strapped to his side.

“Be back as soon as Ah can,” Big Mac assured and carried onto the dump.

But he once again tried going down Stirrup Street…

“Big Macintosh!”

“Oh no…” Mac sighed and turned to see Carrot Cake who looked to be either in a big hurry or that he needed to go to the little colt’s room.

“Big Macintosh, I really need your help at the bakery!” Carrot Cake grabbed big Mac before he had a chance to protest, dropping the podium in the middle of the street, and hustling Mac around to the back of Sugarcube Corner. There he saw a wagon full of bags of flour, sugar, and other basic ingredients in baking.
“Pinkie’s handling the customers, Cup Cake’s with the twins, and I need to get all these ingredients inside pronto! Help me out, please?”

Seeing how antsy Carrot Cake was, Big Mac sighed and lightly growled, “Eeyup…”

Hauling in the ingredients took longer than Big Mac had cared but soon enough the wagon was empty and Carrot Cake phew’d, “Thanks a bunch, Big Macintosh, but I’m afraid that’s not the end of it!”

“What?!” Big Mac gaped at the baker with an expression that read ‘seriously’.

“I have to get started on a big catering order and have some baked goods already to go,” Carrot Cake explained, still reared up. “I need you to deliver them to Noteworthy’s shop just down the street!”

“But Ah-” Big Mac tried to protest but Carrot Cake had already brought out three parcels containing the baked goods, with a receipt taped to the top parcel.

“It won’t take long,” Carrot Cake promised, “just drop them off and ask Noteworthy to sign the receipt and bring that back to us.”

“Carrot Cake!” Big Mac got the back door of the bakery slammed in his face and he groaned in frustration as more unwanted errands were heaped onto his plate.

Sighing with a groan, Big Mac picked up the parcels and balanced them on his back before heading down the street.

Noteworthy owned a music shop and stood outside apparently in a heated argument with a recognizable musician.

“Miss Melody, I told you, I am closing,” Noteworthy said in a tone that implied he was losing his patience.

“Well, I can’t very well carry my new cello and equipment by myself to my room at the inn!” Octavia Melody protested. “I have an important meeting at the town’s theatre!”

“Look, you have your purchases, I got my money, anything afterwards really isn’t my concern,” Noteworthy sounded adamant.

“Well maybe I demand a refund!” Octavia threatened, Noteworthy looking flabbergasted.

“Oh-ho-ho, no-no, I don’t think so,” Noteworthy said with narrowed eyes but honestly he just wanted this to be over with. “Look, what if I ask a friend of mine to help you out, would that satisfy you?”

“Maybe…” Octavia said gruffly.

Oh no! Big Mac started walking by casually, praying to Faust Noteworthy wouldn’t-

“Hey Big Mac, help me out over here!”

“Damn it…” Big Mac muttered. He considered acting like he hadn’t heard Noteworthy but he already heard hoofsteps and turned to face the blue earth pony.

“Big Mac, I would consider it a huge favor if you’d help Octavia Melody out,” Noteworthy held his hooves together pleadingly.

“Noteworthy, Ah’ve already got muh hooves full wi-” Big Mac tried to say, only to find a load heaped onto his back, taking him by surprise that he almost fell on his belly.

“Look, sir, I’ll pay you for your troubles, but I really need somepony to help carry my new equipment to the inn,” Octavia said rather rudely. “Follow me.”

Big Mac threw Noteworthy such a stink eye that he nervously gulp and backed up into his store before flipping the open sign to closed. With a groaning sigh, Big Mac staggered one way to make sure the cased cello didn’t fall off his back, feeling the precariousness of the music stand, and felt his package slipping uncomfortably around his barrel. Much to his chagrin, nopony asked if he needed any help as he made his way towards the inn but soon enough he made it and set them in front of the receptionist’s desk.
“Miss Octavia needs this stuff sent t’ her room.”

“Thank you very much sir,” the receptionist replied, and Big Mac left the inn.

Sighing as he walked through town, he thought, A’ight… Just gotta stop by Hondo an’ Cookie’s place for Sweetie Belle’s bags an’ Ah’ll head home, to tartarus wit’ everypony else’s needs…

Thankfully, Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s parents lived a few blocks away from Carousel Boutique, by the lake to be specific. As the windmill came into view, he sighed in relief only for it to be dashed away as he saw the mountain of luggage right in front of Hondo and Cookie’s front door! There was a tent bag, a yellow chest decorated with purple and pink flower symbols, suitcases, hoofbags, a couple purses, way more than a filly needed for a sleepover. He noticed a message taped to one of the bags and read it.

‘Dear Macintosh,

Once again, thank you for agreeing to take Sweetie Belle’s bags for her sleepover with Apple Bloom. There’s just a few necessities, but be sure it all gets where it’s going. Sweetie will arrive after school.

Sincerely,
Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles’

Big Mac wanted so very much to have something wring and wrangle as he was coming so very close to losing even his legendary patience. However he took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, counted to ten, and noted, All Ah gotta do is take this stuff home and Ah’ll be home too…

Needless to say however, getting all of Sweetie Belle’s stuff onto his back was no picnic as Big Mac walked ever so carefully with the precarious load on his back, his package again shifting uncomfortably on its strap to his barrel. But soon he saw the fence that bordered his farmland and for a moment things were looking up.

For a moment.

And as do all moments, it ended.

“Big Macintosh!!”

Big Mac flinched and struggled to turn around and saw a furious Filthy Rich stomping his way.
“Big Mac, I expected the rest of my stock an hour ago! What happened to you? And what’s with all that luggage you’re carrying?”

“Well, Ah-” Big mac started but was interrupted.

“Big Mac!”

They looked to see an anxious Carrot Cake hurry over, “Big Macintosh, where’s the receipt you were supposed to give me from Noteworthy?”

Ah plum forgot! Big Mac realized he’d left the delivery at Noteworthy’s shop but got sidetracked by Octavia and so never got the receipt signed.

“Oh Big Mac!”

Aw come on! Big Mac groaned as he saw Hondo and Cookie arrive.

“So sorry, hon, we forgot to give you Sweetie Belle’s favorite teddy bear,” Cookie levitated a royal purple teddy bear up.

“Do you all mind? I’m trying to get an explanation as to why my stock never arrived at my shop,” Filthy Rich snapped.

“But I need that receipt from Noteworthy!” Carrot Cake protested.

“Big Mac, please make sure Sweetie gets her teddy, huh?” Hondo levitated the bear up to the mountain of luggage on Big Macintosh’s back.

“Look out below!”

Everypony looked up and down plopped Ditzy Doo, the local mail-mare as she struggled up in daze, the letters from her bag flittering about.
“Ugh, Big Mac, the Mayor wanted to ask if that old podium made it to the dump-”

“Excuse us, hon, we’re trying to talk with Big Mac,” Hondo interrupted as he moved closer towards Big Mac, only for him to slip on an envelope on the ground, causing him to yelp as he tripped into Big Mac, the two of them yelling as Big Mac lost his balance.

And went over.

*CRASH/SHATTER*

Big Mac’s groaning daze was banished when he heard the sound of breaking glass. As everypony started arguing and trying to get his attention, he was deaf to them as he slowly stood up from the luggage avalanche, undid the strap and carefully laid his package down, hearing the clinking of broken glass, feeling his heart sink.

He couldn’t bring himself to open the package, he didn’t want to see it ruined!

As the others got more insistent in getting his attention, Big Mac finally snapped. He’d waited over two weeks for this finishing piece for his project, a surprise he wanted to have for his `Shy, something special to commemorate their wedding! And because of all these moochers…!

“IT’S RUUUUUIIINNNNNEEDDD!!!!” Big Mac roared, causing everypony to shut up and step back in intimidation as the big red stallion twirled about to face them, angrily snorting.
“Ah hope y’all are happy! Because o’ y’all my surprise fer mah fiancée is ruined! All Ah wanted t’ do t’day was t’ get mah order from th’ glass shop, get home, work on mah surprise for muh Shy, an’ have it ready fer our weddin’! But no…! Th’ needs o’ Big Macintosh don’ matter noneafore y’all’s own needs! Ah am not a workhorse for any o’ y’all t’ whip around at yer own leisure, t’ have drop whatever he’s got goin’ on an’ help any o’ y’all wit’ yer own problems! Now thanks t’ y’all gettin’ in mah way mah surprise for muh Shy won’t be th’ same! Ah’m goin’ home an’ y’all can take yer problems an’ shoveem up yer assholes!!!”

And with that, Big Mac stomped off home, leaving Filthy Rich, Carrot Cake, Hondo and Cooke, and even Ditzy stunned and speechless.

Author's Note

Oi...

153. Big Mac's Big Dilemma - Part 3

“What in jumpin’ jellybeans was that all about?” Carrot Cake was shocked by Macintosh's outburst.

“I don’t know, but the Granny Smith's gonna hear about this!” grumbled Filthy Rich.

“I was just trying to do the mayor a favor,” Ditzy said, sounding hurt.

“We just wanted to make sure our Sweetie would be comfortable for her sleepover,” Hondo added when Cookie noticed the crushed package Big Mac had been carrying and looked inside.

“Oh my… What have we done?” she said sadly, her voice earning everypony’s attention. “Big Mac was tryin’ to do somethin’ nice for his fiancée!”

She showed them what the package contained and it finally began to dawn on them all.

“No wonder he blew up at us…” Carrot Cake felt his day turn sour.
“Oh… such an investment wasted all because of us,” Filthy sighed guiltily.
“Poor Big Mac!” Ditzy teared up.
“Well, y’know he was right, we…” Hondo brought up, “we all did kinda heap our problems onto him without considering his own business or his feelings…”

“C’mon everypony,” Cookie’s voice told them all it was time for action rather than words, “we’ve got an apology to scrounge up!”

As the afternoon sun dragged on over Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac sadly finished up his chores for the day and returned to the site of his project. Seeing the timber and tools and paint laying there, waiting for him to construct his surprise for his fiancée, Big Mac felt his heart sink. He’d planned this special gift for the wedding and the finishing touch was that glass work he’d waited weeks for, and now it just didn’t feel like it would be the same without it.

But that wasn’t the only thing weighing down on his heart – Big Mac had always been patient and compassionate, dedicated to his responsibilities and living by the lessons in life his parents had taught him, and he strove to live by those lessons in their honor and memory. His father had taught him the importance of responsibility, his mother the virtue of helping others and putting them before himself. Of course, he knew that she hadn’t meant he should give of himself to others and forget about himself entirely, that she simply had meant it is better to be selfless than selfish. But every now and then it’s okay to be a little selfish.

As he sat in the shade of a tree, looking but not really looking at the timber and tools, Big Mac felt the guilt of blowing up at his neighbors fall over him like rain. He’d had every right to be angry but the way he’d handled the anger was what bothered him. He only hoped his neighbors would come to forgive him somehow.

“C’mon Crusaders, this lookout tower ain’t gonna build itself!”

Big mac’s ears perked to the sound of his little sister’s voice and he peered around the tree and saw the Crusaders all headed up the path towards their clubhouse. Twinken was levitating some hammers and a bucket that rattled with what was probably nails. Apple Bloom and Button Mash pulled a wagon full of wooden planks and pieces, Sweetie Belle carried a large rolled up piece of paper in her mouth, Rumble carried what looked like a picnic basket, and Scootaloo carried a large coil of rope.

“Now wha’ in th’ hay are them Crusaders up to…?” Big Mac whispered to himself and followed while remaining hidden in the foliage.

He watched as the Crusaders made their way up to the foot of the tree that held their clubhouse, Apple Bloom and Button unhitching themselves from their little wagon, and Sweetie Belle took the rolled up paper in her mouth and placed it on a picnic table near the trunk of the tree. She unrolled it and Rumble placed the picnic basket on one end of the table, Twinken setting the bucket of nails on the other, as the Crusaders crowded around Sweetie belle, all smiling excitably as Sweetie Belle declared, “And so begins Project Watch Out – The Cutie-Mark Crusaders’ Lookout Tower!”

“This is gonna be so cool!” Rumble pointed something out, “The rope-bridge is gonna be awesome!”

“We’ll even put a telescope in it so we can see far away!” Twinken added, the others agreeing and smiling.

Big Mac couldn’t help but smile at the Crusaders as he watched them talk and plan though he did wonder what kind of lookout tower they intended to make. The amount of wood they’d brought wouldn’t make for a very tall tower, which he was partly relieved by, and he wondered what the intended rope-bridge was for.

Apple Bloom appeared to be directing the group as Sweetie and Twinken levitated the planks of wood into a floor like structure around a tree nearby to their clubhouse. Rumble flew up holding the bucket of nails and a hammer, nailing the planks together to hold on their own without Twinken and Sweetie. Meanwhile, Scootaloo and Button were hard at work tying loose planks of wood with rope to create a rope bridge. Overall their efforts were crude and a little messy, but they seemed to be doing okay.

Or at least they were until the entire floor fell from the tree and broke apart. The group gave a groan and moved to start working again. As he watched, Big Mac made a decision.

"Hey y'all, think you could use a hoof?"

With a mighty swing of his hoof, Mac slammed the final nail into place and stood back with the Crusaders to admire their handy work. A lookout tower now stood proudly in the tree next to the clubhouse, a rope bridge linking the two structures together. Overall, it looked pretty impressive, and the Crusaders were quick to share their opinions.

"Oh yeah, this is wicked!" Scootaloo cheered.

"Now we'll be able to see all over the farm!" Button added.

""It looks awesome,” Twinken declared, “great work, team!"

Big Mac said nothing, watching them all hop about congratulating one another and coming up with plans they could use their new look out for. He gave them all a smile and turned to leave to continue work on his own project, pleased he was able to escape his guilty feelings for a little while. However before he could get far, he suddenly found himself knocked to the ground in a Crusader tackle hug, as all 6 members grabbed a hold of him laughing happily, spurring a laugh from him as well. In a unified voice that would have made Princess Luna's royal Canterlot voice sound like a whisper, the group yelled out

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, BIG MAC!"

After taking a moment to get his hearing back, he gave his head a shake and let his smile warp into a massive toothy grin. He piled the Crusaders up in his powerful arms and nuzzled the lot of them.

"Yer welcome y’all, but really, Ah was happy t’ help."

"Just like you always are. Well, until you get pushed about and mistreated..."

The big red farmer gave a confused blink before lifting his head to see Mayor Mare, Filthy Rich, Hondo, Cookie, Carrot Cake, Noteworthy, Ditzy and even Octavia all shuffling about giving him a guilty look.

For a long awkward moment, nopony said anything until Scootaloo broke the ice, “I can’t take it anymore, what’s going on?!”

“Big Macintosh,” Mayor Mare stepped forward, behaving formally but clearly apologetic, “as Mayor of Ponyville, I am supposed to serve the citizens, not the other way around. It has come to my attention that we have all taken advantage of your helping hoof and shown you almost no gratitude whatsoever.”

“Macintosh, you were right,” Filthy Rich apologized, “I should’ve been prepared to handle my own problems and not have expected you to take care of everything simply because of our history in business.”

“I shouldn’t have dragged you into my problems and treated you like you were an employee,” Carrot Cake added. "Especially since you don't work for me at all."

“I was a jerk and passed a problem onto you,” Noteworthy sighed.

“And that problem might not have been had I been more reasonable,” Octavia admitted.

“We weren’t entirely straight with you about our daughter’s luggage,” Hondo shrugged.

“And I’ve got to work on my landings and take better care of the mail I deliver,” Ditzy said with teary eyes.

“What we’re trying to say, Big Mac, is…” Cookie stepped forward and levitated something in front of Big Mac. She pulled off the cloth covering it and Big Mac was astonished as Cookie said, “We’re all so very sorry.”

It was the stained-glass window Big Mac had ordered, completely restored!

It was almost the width of a wagon wheel, shaped like his own green apple cutie-mark but the sparkles that surrounded it had been replaced with little butterflies, blue with pink wings, just like the ones of Fluttershy's cutie-mark, and it was perfect!

The Crusaders all oohed and ah’d at the window, as Apple Bloom asked, “Big Mac, what’s this for?”

Truly was Macintosh touched, that after his outburst and rudeness, his neighbors would go to this trouble.

“Muh weddin’ present,” Big Mac felt a tear go down his face before looking to his neighbors, all of them smiling. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Mac,” Hondo replied before rolling up the sleeves of his Haywaiian shirt, “Now how can we help ya?”

“Whattya mean?” Big Mac asked.

“Well obviously, Macintosh, you intend to make something to go with that stained-glass,” Filthy Rich stated. “Direct us as you will and before you know it, it will be done!”

Dawning realization turned to joyful gratitude as he nodded with a determined smile.
“C’mon y’all, we got work t’ do!”

As the sun was setting, Midnight had just exited his workshop when he’d heard the sound of hard work. Following it, he came to a clearing and was amazed to see his neighbors, the Mayor, Filthy Rich, Carrot Cake, Noteworthy, Octavia Melody, Rarity’s parents, and the Cutie-Mark Crusaders standing at Big Mac’s rear as they gazed proudly upon a gazebo!

It was beautiful and grand in a humble way, not large but a size that befitted it, painted a nice even coat of glossy white, and its most eye-catching detail was the stained-glass window depicting a union of Big Mac and Fluttershy’s cutie-marks, set right above the built-in archway.

“Well, well!”

They all looked to Midnight as he gazed reverently at the gazebo before his eyes fell upon his brother.
“I take it things went as you’d hoped?”

“More than that, Midnight,” Big Mac replied before going up to stand in front of the gazebo and face everypony.
“Ah learned somethin’ t’day – It’s fine t’ set yer goals an’ work towards em, but Ah learned wha’ really drives me is helpin’ others. Tha’ don’ mean Ah’m gonna help everypony at th’ drop o’ th’ hat an’ jus’ helpem anytime or anywhere. Jus’ tha’ Ah learned about applyin’ mah attention t’ th’ things tha’ matter an’ takin’ pride in bein’ helpful an’ rememberin’ tha’ as much as Ah give of muhself t’ muh friends an’ family Ah can always count on them t’ give of themselves t’ me when Ah really need it.”

Everypony all stomped their hooves and cheered in applause and agreement, Midnight smiling proudly when he felt a tingle in his horn and sensed something that was both foreign and familiar. Big Mac sensed it too, as the both of them looked to see a beam of green and red light flare up, its direction coming from the house! Everypony watched as the pillar dimmed to a sparkle that approached across the treetops, and made itself known as Big Mac’s Elemental jewel!

They watch in amazement as it floated in front of Big Mac, its crystal-clear facets brightening green and red, and without even knowing why, Macintosh reached out to touch it. No sooner did his hoof make contact did a blinding light of green, red, and gold flare so brightly nopony could see as Big Mac felt his Harmonic Armor and then something on his head!

The light dimmed and everypony gasped!

Big Mac’s Harmonic Armor was now primarily green with red and gold accents, his work collar’s metal parts were gold plated and on the part below Mac’s neck was his cutie-mark surrounded by sparkles, and on his head was a green and gold Helm, the plume colored the same ginger as Mac’s mane!

The Elemental jewel still floated in front of him though he noticed it started to drift down, prompting him to take hold of it, and he felt a spark of enlightenment!

“Macintosh…?”

He looked up to everypony, who were all blown by what they had just witnessed, Midnight asking, “…What is it?”

Macintosh looked down at the jewel and smiled as he declared, “It’s… th’ Element of Devotion!!”

He raised it proudly over his head and a second applause rang out in recognition of this now fully-realized Guardian of Harmony!

After putting away his armor and helm, Big Mac and Midnight went with Midnight to the Tree of Harmony, to the mysterious chest that was still there in front of the Tree's trunk. Big Mac walked up to it and felt the jewel in his hoof quiver as though it sensed where it was supposed to be. Big Mac looked to Midnight, who nodded encouragingly, before he raised the Element of Devotion and it zoomed over to the box, inserting itself into the panel next to the Element of Faith. No sooner had it, it shined as it then reflected Big Mac’s half-sliced green apple cutie-mark, the panel around it emblazoned with the white sparkles.

Big Mac still felt a sense of disbelief when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked to see Midnight smiling at him.
“I’m proud of you, big brother.”

“Thanks, little brother,” Big Mac smiled back. “Let’s head t’ Pepper Pony’s, on me.”

Somewhere deep in the Everfree Forest, not far from the Castle of the Two Sisters, the cloaked figure hissed as it held a comic book, “Such tripe, such brain-rotting garbage, and yet…”

She read (to herself) something scribbled in the corner that read:

You can return to the place you started when the Mane-iac is defeated.
Take a closer look to join the adventure in this book

After that, it detailed the rest of the story in the comic book.

The figure had observed the events closely, and had been intrigued by the magic of this spell.

If this magic can take things into the book… she pondered as her eyes settled upon the villain, …perhaps it can bring things out!

She sneered deviously as she vanished in a haze of purple and green, taking the comic book with her.

Author's Note

Big Macintosh unlocks the Element of Devotion!

I chose Devotion because it can apply to more than just the people you care about; it can apply to goals and responsibilities, and in my opinion Big Mac is a very devoted stallion, to his family, to his farm, and to his responsibilities.

Although he doesn't get to keep his Element, he gets a helmet to go with his armor

As for the gazebo, it's gonna be the place where Big Mac and Fluttershy marry - It's located in the very same area where (in this story's universe) Big Mac and Fluttershy first met as foals (and where Big Mac first saw the pony he would one day devote himself to) and the stained glass window piece on the gazebo is designed to merge their cutie-marks in reflection of their union

Art by Hoodwinked MCShelster

154. Bats! - Part 1

The darkness of night spread like a gentle blanket of velvet over the orchard of Sweet Apple Acres. Ever slowly but surely did it brighten from a coming radiance o’er the distant hills, upon which Applejack had her eyes on, as she stood in wait.

“Any minute now…!” she rolled her shoulders, her rear legs a’itchin’ for some action…when did arise the glorious break of dawn, signaled by the rooster’s cock-a-doodle-doo!

“YEEEEEE-HAW!!!” Applejack reared up, her forelegs flailing in excitement, “It’s officially apple-buckin’ day!”

“OK, AJ,” Midnight joined her as they strolled through the orchard, gazing proudly at the literal fruits of their labor. “There they are, the results of all our hard work!”

“Darn tootin’!” Applejack nodded, “Just lookit all these apples – Ripe an’ juicy! Welp, with th’ rest o’ th’ family off at Appleloosa, it’s up t’ us to take care of th’ Apple-buckin’, big brother!”

“Eeyup,” Midnight said in perfect imitation of their biggest brother, the both of them chuckling, as Midnight then said, “Let’s get to work. I’ll handle things here in the south orchard, you get started over in the east.”

“Alrighty partner! Wanna race t’ see who bucks th’ most apples?” Applejack challenged with a smirk.

“No-ho-ho way, I know better than to get in an’ apple-bucking contest with you, sis,” Midnight flapped off before could try to press the matter.

He landed before a tree he had planted himself and gazed up at it.

I gotta say – There’s no feeling quite like seeing the results of hard work and tender loving care he though as he then whirled about and bucked the tree with such force it would’ve made Big Mac proud.

Midnight smiled as the apples fell and reached out to catch one.

*Sploosh*

“HUH?!” Midnight looked to see the apple had went splat in his hooves, its runny insides dripping, and more splats and sploots and splooshes sounded around him as he gasped to see the apples splattering onto the ground. All of them the same dribbly mess as the one he’d caught.

“What in Haydes?!”

Then his keen ears heard the sounds of wings flapping, leathery wings, along with the squealing screeches that sounded like that of a rodent.

“They’re back!”

“Applejack?!”

Midnight looked to see his sister running for the farm, shouting to him, “Midnight, c’mon! We gotta sound th’ alarm!”

He hurried after her and saw her ringing the bell above the farmhouse!
“Attention everypony! This is a Sweet Apple Acres code red!!”

Quickly arriving were Blueblood, Soarin, Spike, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.

“I need all hooves – and claws – on deck!” Applejack gave the arrivals a once-over and snorted. “Where’re Dash, Thunder, Twi, and Rarity?!”

“Sorry Applejack,” Spike apologized, “Twilight went to Canterlot early this morning to share more findings of the chest with Princess Celestia, after Big Mac discovered his Element.”

“My beloved Rarity is unfortunately preoccupied with a very ambitious order for an important client,” Blueblood explained.

“Dash an’ Thunder are busy over at the weather team office,” Soarin brought up. "Some inspector from the Cloudsdale Weather factory showed up with a huge stack of paperwork..."

“Applejack, would you mind telling everypony what’s going on?” Midnight prodded.

“Oh Ah’ll tell y’all wha’s goin’ on…” Applejack said dramatically, “Vampire fruit bats’re attackin’ Sweet Apple Acres!”

“But don’t the fruit bats usually stay in the west orchard?” Blueblood asked.

“Th’ fruit bats do, but these aren’t yer everyday ordinary fruit bats,” Applejack clarified, “they’re vampire fruit bats!” as she went over to something covered with a tarp, “Ah’ll be damned if they think they’re gonna sink their fangs into’ muh blue ribbon apple!”

She whipped the tarp off, revealing an apple even bigger than Applejack herself! It was still stemmed to its tree, causing it to bend over from the sheer weight, it shined with a healthy gloss, and everypony gasped and wowed at it as Applejack explained, “This here’s our entry int’ th’ Appleloosa State Fair’s Produce Competition.”

She exhaled onto it and shined the area with her tail, “Y’know how much TLC goes into getting’ an apple t’ grow like this?”

“Applejack!” Blueblood couldn’t help but admire himself in the apple’s reflecting shine, “When you dream, you dream big!”

“An’ them vampire bats’ll shrivel it up like a raisin if we don’t do sumthin’ about `em,” Applejack furrowed her brows.

“Oh, I’m sure if you just let them know how special that particular apple is to you, they’ll leave it alone,” Fluttershy spoke up with gentle optimism.

“Be mah guest,” Applejack waved out her foreleg in sarcastic invitation and everypony watched as Fluttershy flew over to a tree where some hanging shapes had glowing red eyes.

“Think they’ll listen to her?” Spike asked the others.

“Well, if anypony can connect with animals, it’s-” Midnight said confidently, only to see Fluttershy get apple seeds spat on her, forcing her to retreat.

She went up to Applejack, who asked, “Well, wha’d he say?

Fluttershy shook her mane free of the apple seeds, “Um, yes?”

Applejack brightened up only to frown when Fluttershy added, “Or… it could’ve been a no. This is the first time I’ve encountered vampire fruit bats, so… it might take me some time to really understand their language.”

“You were saying?” Spike deadpanned Midnight, who sighed.

“An’ in th’ meantime, this pest an’ his vermin friends are gonna go after mah prized apple,” Applejack said in an ornery tone. “An’ while they’re at it, every other apple in th’ orchard! These vampire bats ain’t nothin’ but a bunch’a monsters!”

“Monsters?!” Fluttershy echoed with an appalled gasp, “That’s bit harsh, don’t you think?”

“No Ah do not,” Applejack stated quite firmly as they gazed at the pestilence before them all.

[Applejack]
These vampire bats’ll give you a fright
Eatin’ apples both day n’ night
They rest fer a minute, maybe three
Then they’re eatin’ every apple in yer apple tree!

Her words were exemplified by a couple bats grabbing apples in their mouths, quickly sucking them dry, and spitting them all out.

[Applejack]
They don’t care bout nada, not zilch, no nothin’cept bringin’ about an orchard’s dee-struction!

[Fluttershy]
Now wait just a minute, there’s another side to this
And if I did not defend them then I would be remiss

These bats are mamas and papas too
They care for their young just like we ponies do

Fluttershy displayed this by lovingly nuzzling a baby vampire fruit bat as it cooed sweetly.

[Applejack]
Oh gimme a break, yer bein’ too kind
These creatures have a one-track mind
This orchard is not their restaurant
But do they ever think what others may want?

No! They don’t! And that is just a fact.
These bats, they simply don’ know how t’ act

[Fluttershy]
That’s where I have to disagree
They’re loyal to their families
Spreading seeds both far and wide

[Applejack]
You see one comin’ ya better run an’ hide!

They’re big, they’re ugly! They’re mean as sin!
Would ya lookit th’ state mah trees are in?

[Fluttershy]
They help your trees, they’ll grow stronger faster

[Applejack]
They’ve turned muh whole life into a disaster!

[Blueblood]
From what I see, there is no doubt
These vermin must be rooted out!

[Soarin]
I second that, it’s us or they
They don’t belong here anyway!

[Applejack]
It comes down t’ just one simple fact
They crossed the line, it’s time we fight them

[Applejack, Blueblood, Soarin, Pinkie Pie, and Midnight Blaze]
Stop the bats
Stop the bats
Make them go and not come back
Stop the bats…
Stop the bats…
Make them go and not come back…!
Stop the bats!
Stop the bats!
Make them go and not come back!!

[Applejack]
Yes, it comes down t’ just one simple fact
They’ve crossed the line, it’s time tha’ we attack!

The others gave Fluttershy a firm look and nodded in agreement with Applejack.

Author's Note

I replaced some of the characters here while keeping it down to six (and a dragon) because including more would have made it crowded and more complicated

Rarity with Blueblood
Rainbow Dash with Soarin
Twilight with Midnight

155. Bats! - Part 2

Blueblood helped Fluttershy up, “My apologies, Fluttershy, but I’m afraid Applejack makes a more compelling argument. These vampire fruit bats are unwanted pests that have to go.”

“So let’s get t’ roundin’ `em up so they don’ destroy th’ rest o’ mah orchard,” Applejack declared, Pinkie hopping in tow.

“Fruit bat wrap up, fruit bat wrap up!”

“Excuse me but, um, what if, instead of rounding them up,” Fluttershy tried, “we let them have a part of the orchard!”

Applejack whinnied in disbelief as she and the others gave Fluttershy an incredulous look, “Have you lost yer pest-lovin’ mind?!”

“They’re only here because they’re hungry,” Fluttershy reasoned with her gentle voice, “If we built a sanctuary for them, they could have their own apples to enjoy, and after a while they could even help the rest of your orchard! The vampire bats don’t eat the seeds of the apples, and when they spit them out they grow into even more productive apple trees!”

“AJ, you know she makes a good and reasonable argument,” Midnight said but Applejack ignored him as she approached the butter-yellow pegasus.

“Listen, Fluttershy, tha’ sounds real nice an’ all, but second we spend buildin’ this so-called ‘sanctuary’ is a second they’ll spend destroyin’ orchard! You don’ know wha’ it was like there was an infestation! Granny Smith’s told me enough stories about it tha’ just th’ thought of it gives me nightmares… Granny said we lost a hee-uge section of orchard that year – We had t’ ration out apples all winter!”

“What about pies, there was still pies, right?” Soarin spoke up, not liking the sound of this story.

“Not. A. Crumb!” Applejack shook her head, causing Soarin to spaz out!

“No pies…?! Not even a crumb??!?! We gotta round up these rats with wings an’ we gotta round `em up NOW!”

“And Midnight,” Applejack turned to her brother, “if Granny Smith weren’t with Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Twinken checkin’ out our produce competition in Appleloosa, she’d be here tellin’ us t’ do just that!”

Midnight looked nervously at his sister giving him a stern look, and Fluttershy looking sorrowful that nopony was on the vampire bats’ side. As much as he wanted to make a resolution mutually beneficial he sighed as his loyalty to his family caused him to cave. He looked to Fluttershy, saying, “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but… Applejack is right, and this is my home too! I can’t allow these bats to endanger our livelihood…”

Fluttershy looked away sadly when Midnight, a brow raised in intrigue, spoke, “But perhaps…!”

Midnight led everypony to his workshop and waited for him to come out.

“What do you think he’s doing in there?”
“Ah dunno, but knowin’ mah brother it’s bound t’ be some real good hocus-pocus.”
“There is nothing ‘hocus-pocus’ about the ambitious and delicate arts of magic, dear Applejack.”
“Who cares, so long as we get pie in the end.”

Fluttershy didn’t partake in the conversation, still sad that nopony was supporting her idea, and only hoped that whatever Midnight came up with it wouldn’t hurt the vampire bats. At that moment, the door opened and out walked Midnight, announcing, “I’ve got good news and bad news – The good news is I believe I’ve got a spell from one of the books Twilight gave me that can bewitch the vampire fruit bats into losing their taste for apples except…”

He approached Fluttershy, continuing, “…to make sure the enchantment works, I need the whole colony’s complete and undivided attention.”

Noticing the way Midnight was looking at her, it dawned on Fluttershy that she gasped, “Oh no!”

“Flutters, I’m afraid I need you to use your Stare on the bats,” Midnight confirmed, feeling a little guilty.

“Oh gosh, I don’t know…” Fluttershy was troubled.

“What’s up, Flutters? You’ve used the Stare plenty of times before,” Soarin pointed out.

“Yes, but it’s not something I use lightly,” Fluttershy reasoned, “I’ve made a vow not to use it except under dire circumstances.”

“This circumstance is plenty dire t’ me!” Applejack said in a pushy manner.

“Me too! Think of the pies… Won’t somepony think of the poor delicious pies?!” Soarin whimpering in a rather overly-dramatic manner.

“I’m sorry, but I just don’t like the idea of taking away that what really makes the vampire fruit bats vampire fruit bats,” Fluttershy responded, starting to get upset. “It just feels wrong!”

“But Fluttershy, unless we do what needs to be done, there won’t be any apples left for Ponyville,” Midnight reminded her. “Sweet Apple Acres will go under and we’ll lose our farm! The vampire fruit bats can find another source of food but we can’t! Doesn’t that feel wrong to you?”

All eyes were on Fluttershy, whose aquamarines shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do or say.

“Everypony, let’s go to the house,” Midnight announced, “Fluttershy has to make this decision herself, without any of us trying to pressure her.”

“But Midnight-” Applejack started to protest only to shy when he gave her a glare worthy of the former tyrant his master was. Sighing, “Aw’right…”

But as they left, Applejack gave Fluttershy a look that she couldn’t decide was hopeful or warning.

The friends all waited for about a half hour before they saw Fluttershy appear from the orchard and walk sadly towards them, Applejack asking, “So what’s it gonna be, Fluttershy? Will ya do yer Stare on th’ bats `r not?”

“Um… Um…!” Sighing, Fluttershy answered, “OK, I’ll do it…”

“Good choice, dear,” Blueblood said proudly of his friend, “I knew you’d choose our good friend Applejack’s welfare over those disease-ridden vermin.”

“They’re not disease-ridden…” Fluttershy muttered almost irritably.

Soarin flew up onto the roof of the house as he shouted, “I call the first slice o’ pie when this is over!”

“Not so fast!” Applejack reminded him, “We gotta round up these beasts wit’ wings first; time’s a-waistin’!”

After everything else had been prepared, Applejack tied the band around Pinkie’s head, holding a bushel of apples on top. Nodding to her, Applejack stood aside and Pinkie started hopping about the orchard, passing by the trees whose branches hung heavy with vampire bats. Seeing the delectable treats on the pink ponies heads, the leather-winged fiends took flight.

In a different part of the orchard, Blueblood, wearing something akin to a beekeeper’s outfit held a pole with a sliced apple dangling from it in his aura and waved it around, getting the attention from the ravenous rodents and shrieking almost like a filly when they came after him and he ran.

Soarin meanwhile gathered up bats the old fashioned way, zipping about in a blue blur, snatching the bats from their roosts, and before long the three of them converged at a tree that had more apples set as bait and the gathered parasites began to feast. After making sure none of them were going anywhere, Applejack declared, “Good work, everypony, Ah think we got `em all!”

She then looked to Fluttershy, saying, “Now all we need is fer you t’ do yer Stare.”

“Oh! Um, are you sure I really need…?” Fluttershy trailed from her question but sighed when they all nodded yes. “OK…”

She flapped up towards the bats, “I really-really-really hate to do this to you. I just hope you can forgive me.”

She then closed her eyes… and snapped them open into the infamous Stare that could stop even the grumpiest animal in its tracks. Almost at once, the vampire bats took notice, almost looking as though they were in a trance before Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Good…” Applejack whispered before saying, “Now you go, Midnight.”

“Alright…” Midnight stepped up, his horn flaring, his aura enveloping all the bats, who did not notice as they were still transfixed by Fluttershy’s Stare, the yellow pegasus maintaining that powerfully disapproving look that could bore through even the most ornery beast.

Midnight completed the spell and looked up curiously, “Fluttershy, it’s done. You can stop now.”

Fluttershy closed her eyes and gathered herself, as Spike asked the million-bit question, “Did it work?”

“Only one way t’ find out fer sure,” Applejack replied before nodding to Soarin.

Soarin took an apple and held it up to a bat that was rubbing its eyes clear when it noticed the treat. It gave it a sniff before turning its nose up at it and flapping off, Soaring cheering, “He didn’t want it!”

“Muh crop is saved, YEE-HAW!” Applejack reared up, happily flailing her forelegs, Soarin coming down to give her a high-hoof, adding, “We’ll be stuffing our faces with pie all winter-long!”

“Ah wanna thank y’all fer all yer help,” Applejack said to them gratefully.

“Don’t mention it, Applejack, it was my pleasure, really,” Spike said not-so-humbly that Midnight smirked and cast a spell.

Spike Whoa’d as he felt a nasty headache and his head balloon up before it deflated out his ear, the little dragon groaning as Midnight asked, “I’m sorry, Spike, who was it exactly that helped Applejack?”

Spike growled indignantly before he stomped off, Applejack saying, “Now all we gotta do is sweep up all these cores an’ get buckin’ t’morrow.”

Fluttershy lingered when she sniffed something and her eyes feel in wonder upon a nearby apple on the ground.

Once again, Applejack had woken up before the crack of dawn, eager again to get started apple-bucking, certain that this time around would be for sure.
“Apple-buckin’ Day, take 2!”

Yee-hawing as the warm embrace of morning feel upon her orchard, Applejack trotted through the trees, “Time t’ collect those juicy sweet apples!”

She bucked her first tree and watched with a smile as one apple fell, only to frown when she heard it go ‘SPLAT’.

“MIDNIGHT!!!”

Midnight looked down on the mushy apple, sheepishly saying, “I guess… the spell didn’t take.”

“Yer darn tootin’ th’ spell din’t take!” Applejack retorted as she and her bother stood up, Blueblood, Pinkie, Soarin, Spike, and Fluttershy present as Applejack declared, “Wer’ gonna have t’ take more extreme measures!”

“You got it, AJ!” Soarin flew up, “C’mon, everypony! Let’s clear out those vampire bats”

Soarin led the charge as they all hurried into the orchard… only to find the bats not exactly taking a lunch break. Most of them just roosted and minded their own business, one was reading, so Soarin held up an apple to it curiously. Noticing the big blue pegasus in its reading light, the bat rudely wing-slapped the apple out of his hoof and returned to its novel, Blueblood side-stepping to avoid the apple.

“Wait a minute…” Applejack was perplexed but her eye for detail was enough to tell her, “Ah don’ think these bats’re th’ ones tha’ sucked muh apples dry!”

“But if the vampire bats are not the culprits behind your mushy apples…” Blueblood brought up.
Midnight finishing the concern with, “...who is?”

They all looked to the butter-yellow pegasus, Midnight asking, “Flutters, you’re the animal expert – Do you know of any other creature that could do something like this?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t!” Fluttershy was as dumbfounded as the rest of them.

Sighing, Midnight declared, “Then there’s only one way to find out – Catch the culprit in the act!”

“And just how do we accomplish that?” Blueblood asked.

“A stake-out…” Midnight smirked mischievously.

156. Bats! - Part 3

Late that night, the friends had all returned to the orchard at, as Soarin said in a spooky way, “The witching hour…!”

The light of the full moon cast an eerie glow upon the orchard. From the ruined trees did stretch creep shadows that appeared to transform into sneaking spookables, the spine-chilling noises of croaking frogs, chirping crickets, the whispering of leaves blown in the cold wind.

“Maybe we should call this off. I'm not sure about the rest of you guys but I’m…” shivered Fluttershy before she noticed a hanging apple and her eyes widened as she said almost longingly, “…really hungry.”

Seeing that apple – That ripe, juicy, succulent, shiny red apple! – Fluttershy couldn’t help but drool but she snapped out of it when Blueblood assured, “Now, now, Fluttershy, it’s going to be just fine. We’re all together and together we shall overcome this problem.”

“That’s right,” Midnight agreed with a determined smile, “Nopony leaves this orchard until we solve this mystery, agreed?”

“Agreed!” everypony chorused and they carried on.

“Does everypony have their pony signal?” asked Applejack.

Midnight and Blueblood answered by lighting up their horns, creating spotlight signals with outlines of their cutie-marks, Midnight’s was turquoise and sapphire, Blueblood’s was golden and periwinkle. Pinkie shined her own signal via a flashlight which she somehow carried with that hanging curl in her poofy-mane, shining it to show her three balloons cutie-mark, colored white.

“Now remember, Pinkie Pie,” Applejack reminded, “only use yer signal if’n ya see sumthin’ suspicious.”

“I got it,” Pinkie assured while mistakenly shining her light into AJ’s eyes, making her rub them from the sudden flash.
“Something suspicious…”

Her bright blue eyes got shifty as she was on high alert when she noticed something and almost demanded in a shrill voice, “What’cha doing?!”

Fluttershy flinched, having been sniffing at an apple, but she didn’t answer and carried on, Pinkie stowing her flashlight into her mane and following with narrowed eyes. As they came to the entrance of the orchard, Applejack instructed, “A’right, now everypony split up – We’ll each patrol our own row o’ th’ orchard. Whoever `r whatever is destroyin’ mah apples has gotta be here somewhere!”

As the patrols commended, Fluttershy shivered, “I have a bad feeling about this, a really bad feeling about this…!”

But again, Fluttershy noticed a hanging apple and felt a foreign desire begin to well up, “That apple, it… looks… so juicy and… sweet…!”

As she licked her drooling lips, she failed to notice a tingle in her teeth as they lengthened into fangs!

As Pinkie patrolled her row…

*CHOMP*

Something scurried through the darkened foliage, Pinkie halting, “What was that?!”

She gasped in near-horror to see an apple, teeth-marked and mushy, “Suspicious! Hee-hee! It’s pony signal time!”

But as she whipped out her light, a noise startled her, making Pinkie drop her light and look around.

As Blueblood walked down his row, he tried his cousin’s calming technique to maintain his nerve when a shadow fell over him. “Who’s there?!”

Something just flew overhead but nothing happened.
“Well, ahem! It’s all well and good, just something out for a late-night flight…”

He then gasped and ducked as the shadowy figure flew over but a tad too close for comfort, making Blueblood gulp, “Er…! Perhaps… I should check in with Soarin!”

Soarin was flying slowly through the trees, determined to put a stop this threat to his beloved apple pies! Too good were these potential fillings for whatever apple-purloining parasite was behind this, and to himself Soarin swore, This ends tonight!

The sound of something flying overhead caught his attention and he looked in the direction he’d heard it go, “Who’s there?!”

The whistling wind blew `round a lone figure standing between two trees.

“Identify yourself or this gets ugly!” Soarin warned.

When the figure maintained its silence, Soarin snorted challengingly, “Have it your way!”

*SHOOM/CRASH*

Soarin pulled the figure’s forelegs back, yelling, “Say uncle! Say it now, you- You…?”

Soarin felt the legs fall apart into a messy something and he stepped back to see it was a “Scarecrow…”

It was a brown thing wearing overalls, buttons for eyes, hay for a mane and tail, the forelegs ripped apart from Soarin’s roughing up.

Soarin chuckled sheepishly, glad the others hadn’t seen his blunder, unaware that something had indeed bore witness to his mistake.

Midnight wasn’t at all nervous; rather he was quite glad to be out and about under the moon, soaking in its gentle glory but remained alert for the culprit behind the mushy apples. Still, it bothered Midnight – He knew he’d done the spell right, and he’d seen for himself, that vampire fruit bats no longer had a taste for the apples. Yet something was leaching off of the apples in the same manner the vampire bats had done. It just didn’t make sense, There’s another piece to this puzzle…

Grumbling in frustrated puzzlement, Midnight’s eye caught something skyward and he saw it was Applejack’s signal!

Taking flight, he found her in no time. Applejack was gazing up in shock at something, her signal light set to beam upwards.

“AJ, what is it?” Midnight asked as he landed near her, only to feel something bounce off his head and he looked to see Pinkie hanging from a tree branch, her light beaming at something else hanging from the branch but they couldn’t tell what it was, Pinkie yelling, “Suspicious!!!”

The hanging thing moved what appeared wings away, to reveal…

*HISS*

“FLUTTERSHY?!” Everypony had gathered and were shocked to see Fluttershy as she whipped out her tongue and pulled an apple to her mouth, quickly sucking it dry and spitting it out. Her ears were longer and pointed, she had fangs, her eyes had turned a harsh pink.

“Fluttershy?! Yoo-hoo!” Pinkie waved her hoof over Fluttershy’s face, only to get hissed at, that the party pony dropped.

“That’s not Flutter-shy…” Blueblood was horrified, “that’s… Flutter-bat!”

“We’ve gotta do something!” exclaimed Midnight.

“Uh- Fluttershy! Come on down, and…cease the vampirish behavior!” Blueblood called.

Flutterbat just hissed and sucked another dry before spitting it out. Soarin flapped up to her, “Flutters, what’s up?! We’re your friends, so cut the bat act and-”

He was answered by a harsher hiss before Flutterbat unfurled her wings, which had become larger and leathery, and flapped them with such power the gust they generated sent Soarin for a loop.
“Whoa!”

He flew down to the rest, “Uh… let’s… just let her come down when she feels like it."

“Duck!” Spike yelled and they all did, as Flutterbat swooped over them, taking flight.

“Flutterbat on the loose! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!” Pinkie yelled as she began to dig.

“Pinkie, relax! See? She’s... just… hanging out?” Midnight pointed out rather lamely.

While Soarin gave Midngiht a disapproving 'Boo' to that poorly made pun, Pinkie responded, “She’s just biding her time – Waiting for the right moment to pounce!”

“Pinkie Pie, bats don’ eat ponies,” Applejack said tiresomely. “Not even vampire bats.”

“But maybe vampire ponies eat other ponies! I’m not taking any chances” Pinkie debated before she began tunneling away.

“But Celestia’s mane! How did this happen in the first place?” Blueblood brought up in worry.

“I think it’s our fault,” Midnight answered woefully.

“Whattya mean, brony?” Soarin asked.

Midnight cast an illusion spell to create a holographic display for visual aids, as it showed everything he explained.
“There I am, there’re the bats, and that’s Fluttershy doing the Stare. The spell I cast should only have affected the bats but somehow the vampire fruit bats’ desire to be vampire fruit bats wound up going to Fluttershy!”

He broke the spell, the hologram vanishing, as Midnight said, “We’ve gotta undo the spell before this gets any worse!”

From the ground did pop Pinkie, “Then what’re we waiting for?!”

*HISS!!*

They all looked and hit the deck as Flutterbat dive-bombed them again, Pinkie yelling, “Follow that bat!”

As the six of them gave chase, they didn’t realize they’d been given the slip as Flutterbat was perched on a tree and shuddered as her ears became more bat-like.

“Tartarus!” Blueblood cursed after they’d slowed down, “We’ve lost her!”

“Fluttershy! Where are you?” Midnight called, a hissing answering and they all looked and scattered as Flutterbat dive-bombed them, ignoring Spike and snatching up another apple. She flew up, her wings frightful against the moon, and came at them again, Applejack yelling, “look out!”

Seeds shot like darts as the ponies ducked for cover, Soarin noticing another leached apple fall. “If she keeps this up, the whole crop will be gone in no time!”

“Never mind the crop,” Applejack sighed, feeling guilty as she looked to Flutterbat, still flying. “Ah jus’ want mah friend back!”

“The only way we’ll get her is if we corner her and catch her so I can reverse the spell,” Midnight stated.

“But every time we get close to her, she flies away before we can so much as touch her,” Blueblood protested, “and I think it’s quite clear she’s not in her right mind to be reasoned with.”

“Then there’s no choice,” Midnight decided, “We’ll have to lure her in!”

“But even if we can,” Applejack spoke up, “how’re we s’posed to keep her still long enough for you t’ reverse th’ spell?”

“Oh! If only we had Fluttershy to do her Stare on the Flutterbat!” Pinkie fretted, the words hatching a plan in Midnight’s mind.

“Of course! C’mon, back to the house!”

Upon arriving, Applejack asked, “What’s th’ plan, Midnight?”

Midnight went over to the giant apple and pulled it off, “Our bait!”

Gasping, Applejack admonished, “Midnight! Tha’s our entry for that competition in Appleloosa!”

“No worries, AJ,” Midnight looked to the giant apple and chanted.

Materia Replicata… Materia Replicata! Materia Replicata!!

The giant apple was enveloped in Midnight’s turquoise mana and everypony watched as it fidgeted to and fro before it seemed to split apart, resulting in another giant apple, a perfect copy!

Everypony wow’d at Midnight’s spell, Applejack ‘phew’ing, “Well, least we’ll still get t’ try fer Produce Competition's blue ribbon!”

Without waiting, Midnight levitated the copied giant apple, saying, “C’mon, everypony! Let’s get our friend back!”

Midnight went over the plan with them all before taking the giant apple copy into the orchard, specifically in the last place they saw Flutterbat, and set it down.
“Alright, places everypony!”

As the rest of them hid, Applejack walked up to the copy and hesitated for it was a perfect copy of the one she’d grown but knowing Fluttershy needed them steeled her and she took the knife she brought and slit the skin, the juice oozing out. Soarin flapped his wings to provide the wind, carrying the famishing fragrance.

They weren’t kept waiting for long as Flutterbat’s harsh hissing alerted them and they saw her coming, with a hungry craze!

“Here she comes!” Soarin yelled, and Applejack waited… before bucking the giant apple to reveal…!

A full-length mirror held up by Spike, Flutterbat catching her reflection, much to her confusion. She shook her head and attempted to veer away, only to run into more and more reflections as Pinkie and Blueblood, each with a mirror, surrounded her.

Satisfied that Flutterbat had been dazed, Midnight focused, his horn igniting, ribbons of turquoise mana unraveling from it before they streaked towards Flutterbat, enveloping her in a swirling embrace! They watched as the spinning oval of mana intensified before it burst into white mana globs shaped like bats that flew away and dissolved into nothingness, Fluttershy, returned to normal, floating down, still dazed.

Her friends watched as Fluttershy stirred awake, “Uh… where am I?”

They whooped and cheered, Applejack going up to hug her, “Thank goddess yer okay!”

“But… what happened to me?” Fluttershy asked, Pinkie hopping down in front of Applejack (to her chagrin), “You turned into a vampire pony!”

Gasping, Fluttershy fretted, “I tried to eat other ponies!”

“Of course not!”
“So I wasn’t a vampire?”
“Yes!”
“Yes I was? Or Yes I wasn’t?”
“Yes you were.”
“But I didn’t try to eat ponies?”
“Yes!”
“I did?!”
“No-”

*SMACK*

Pinkie mmph’d indignantly as she threw a stink eye at Midnight, who’d shut her mouth with his long tail, “Yes you were a vampire but no you didn’t try to eat ponies, because you were too interested in eating apples like the vampire fruit bats.”

“Ohh…!” Fluttershy finally got it, “That makes much more sense.”

“Anything makes much more sense than Pinkie Pie,” Blueblood cracked, spurring a laugh from them all, even Pinkie.

The next morning, the friends had set up a sanctuary for the vampire fruit bats, just as Fluttershy had suggested. Oddly, even though she didn’t remember being a vampire, Fluttershy found she was able to communicate with the vampire bats much more easily and was able to convince them to keep to the sanctuary and to always spit the seeds around the orchard.

After she set up the sign for the sanctuary, Applejack turned to her friend, “Fluttershy? Ah’m real sorry Ah din’t take yer suggestion in th’ first place.”

“And don’t forget,” Fluttershy replied in a bright tone that said there were no hard feelings, “now you’ll get seeds that will grow into bigger and even better apple trees!”

“Does that mean what I think it means…?” Soarin asked with a hopeful smile, Applejack smiling with a nod.

“Yup, more apple pies.”

“WHOO-HOO!!!” Soarin flew skyward happily, much to everypony’s amusement.

“Lucky thing this is over before the rest of the family got home,” Midnight said to them all, “I would not have liked to explain to our brother about his fiancée turning into a vampire.”

“It’s alright, Midnight,” Fluttershy assured, “I’m just glad everything worked out, for everyone!”

“C’mon, `Shy, Spike, Ah think we got us an entry fer th’ journal,” Applejack said with a smile as she started down the path, only for Pinkie to stop her.

“Halt!” she pointed to an apple Aj had almost stepped on, and said with a Transylmanian accent and bad vampire teeth, “I vant to suck its juice!”

She bit into the apple, her fake fangs coming off, that it spurred more laughter from them all, nopony noticing that Fluttershy still had fangs (albeit much smaller).

Author's Note

I wrote the spell Materia Replicata three times because sometimes in witchcraft you have to do just that in casting a spell.

157. Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 1

An alarm clock went off, only for a hoof to come down on it, silencing its infernal ringing. The owner of the hoof however had been stirred and a memory at the back of his mind prodded him awake as Blueblood sat up and stretched out his forelegs. Smacking his lips, he looked at the little calendar he had on his bedside table and the memory re-made itself known as he remembered, “Ah! Fashion week with my beloved muse in Manehatten!”

Blueblood and Rarity had talked of this for the last few days and both were excited about it. Granted the girls were coming along but he smiled as he thought of the tickets he’d gotten for the Bridleway musical ‘Hinny of the Hills’ to treat their friends erstwhile Rarity intended to show off a new fashion line she’d created with a new fabric she’d developed, and after seeing the first ensemble of the line, Blueblood had full confidence that Rarity’s victory was assured.

As he passed by the stairs that led up to the third floor (which was composed of clouds) Soarin’s snores told him the pegasus was still asleep, so Blueblood carried on downstairs to have breakfast and get his morning paper.

He poured the coffee, started the crepes and eggs, and stepped out the front door, taking in a deep breath of that fresh morning air.
“Ah… Another fine morning in Ponyville.”

Noticing the newspaper waiting for him, Blueblood levitated it up and was about to go back inside when…

“Delivery for Prince Blueblood!”

He turned and looked up to see the local mail-mare, Ditzy Doo, land in front of him, a scroll bearing the royal seal in her hooves, and immediately Blueblood knew it was from his aunt.

“Good morning, Miss Doo,” Blueblood said kindly.

“To you as well, Prince Blueblood,” replied Ditzy with a smile.

“Please, miss, in Ponyville, I am just another pony, call me Blueblood!”

“Well, okay,” Ditzy held out the scroll, “This came from the princess, so I decided to make it my first delivery today.”

“Well thank you very much,” Blueblood accepted it and focused on his wallet from inside the house, willing some bits out.
“And you can have these for your consideration.”

“But Blueblood, I can’t accept these!” Ditzy was surprised by the gesture but Blueblood wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Ditzy, you went to the trouble of deviating from your scheduled route – I insist you accept this little perk. Get something for your family.”

Seeing the kind look on Blueblood’s face, Ditzy sighed and smiled as she accepted the money, “You have a nice day, Blueblood.”

“I intend to,” Blueblood waved her off as she flew away, and returned to his breakfast.

Sitting down, and levitating the food onto a plate and then in front of him, Blueblood unrolled his newspaper, The Canterlot Gazette, and noticed an article:

New Heights Avionics and Jet Set’s Get Set Aeronauticals soon join together

Long-time rivals in the airship industry, his Royal Highness Prince Blueblood, and his biggest competitor, Jet Set, have finally ended their rivalry and agreed to become business-partners by merging their companies together.

The corporate combination is due to occur any day now, and both Prince Blueblood and Jet Set are planning to bring their companies together in order to revolutionize airships everywhere with their combined designs in advanced aeronautical engineering and produce better and faster airships.

Blueblood nodded in satisfaction as he recalled the last couple of months. After his last business-meeting, he’d chosen to speak directly with Jet Set and had invited him and his wife to a dinner at his most prestigious restaurant, and after a good meal and an enlightening conversation the two stallions had reached an understanding and decided that working together instead of against each other would not only be more profitable but advance their airship designs faster and more efficiently than either had ever done before!

Blueblood however was planning to move his own personal operations to Ponyville while Jet Set would be in charge of their business in Canterlot, but they’d still be partners. It was becoming clear to Blueblood, that as much as he’d enjoyed his life growing up in Canterlot, he’d grown to feel more at home in Ponyville than he’d ever had in the City of Unicorns.

The ponies here weren’t stuffy nobles and high-classy snobs who gossiped and backstabbed and stepped on everypony to get ahead. No, Ponyville was a town where he’d found more friends than he’d ever had growing up. Real friends who didn’t suck up or try to get on his good side, didn’t spread nasty rumors behind his back, where the ponies said hi with smiles and good wishes for others, where friends and neighbors helped each other and hardly asked for anything in return.

It was the home of his beloved Rarity.

The night they met still weighed on Blueblood’s heart, as he recalled the bitter manner he’d behaved in and although Rarity had assured him it wasn’t important, that they’d gotten their chance and were here in this town and seeing each other, being together, what they felt for each other. Blueblood only hoped that he’d never be so terrible to anyone again. He knew without a doubt Rarity was the one, he loved her, and as beautiful as she was, what truly made her shine was her ambition, her generosity, her creativity, her amazing skills in turning even the most mundane into the magnificent.

This is going to be quite a trip, he thought as he then reached for the message from his aunt. Undoing the seal, he unrolled the scroll, his eyes going over the message.

What he read however caused his spirits to fall and his heart to hurt as he read from his aunt that his presence was demanded.

My dearest nephew,

I am sorry to say that you must come to Canterlot post haste, and this summons is final and unavoidable. Your company is going through a myriad of complications that you must look into, and it is a situation that I cannot resolve for you. I have already sent a train to bring you to the city and expect you here by afternoon.

Again, I apologize if this is an inconvenient time for you, nephew.

All my love,
Auntie Tia

Disappointed and morose, Blueblood, with his dress-collar and saddlebags strapped to his barrel, slowly approached the train station and as he made his way to the platform, he noticed Spike struggling to grab a mountain of luggage he knew could only belong to his beloved. Speaking of, he heard her and looked to see Rarity standing with the girls, all ready to board the train.

“An entire week in the fabulous city of Manehatten, plus all of my very best friends as well as my sweet and devoted stallion there with me!”

“Of course, we’d all come along to support you during Fashion Week, Rarity!”
“Not that you’ll need it – We’re sure you’ll win.”

Rarity squealed excitably, “I can’t begin to tell you all how excited I am that you and Blueblood will all be there with me!”

“Hello, dearest…”

Rarity knew that voice and looked to see a sorrowful prince approach her, “Blueblood, darling, whatever’s gotten you down?”

Blueblood sighed as he decided to get it over with, “Rarity, love… I can’t come with you to Manehatten.”

“What?!” Rarity was aghast as her beau explained.

“Princess Celestia has summoned me to Canterlot for a most urgent matter that demands my attention,” Blueblood felt horrible, that this was a lousy excuse even though it was true.
“Her message was quite firm that I can’t get out of it. I am so sorry!”

“Oh, Blueblood, darling…” Rarity fought back the tears, truly disappointed but could plainly see her Blueblood was not happy either. Sighing, she nuzzled against him and then said, “I’ll just have to take lots of photos for you so you can see the trip.”

Blueblood gave her a sad smile, relieved she understood, “I swear to you, my beloved, I would so very much rather be going with you than see to these annoying business matters… But I have an obligation to my employees and to the company.”

“When do you leave?” Twilight asked.

“In an hour,” Blueblood answered, “my aunt sent a train that’s scheduled to pick me up and bring me to Canterlot. But even if I can’t accompany you all…”

Blueblood opened his bag and brought out seven slips of colored paper, the girls all looking at them, Twilight asking, “What’s that?”

“Ooh, ooh! I know, a paper fan!” Pinkie guessed.

“No, it’s-” Blueblood tried to say.

“Oh! Oh, it’s a magic trick,” Pinkie interrupted, “You know, where I pick a card and remember what it is, and then you put it back in the deck so you can’t look-”

Blueblood stuff an apple into her mouth (as he’d learned from his friends to do so in such situations) so he could explain, “These, ladies, are tickets to the most premiere musical on Bridleway!”

The girls’ jaws dropped, Twilight saying, “You couldn’t mean… Hinny of the Hills, because that show’s been sold out for months…” – She gave him a sneaky look – “Or could you?!”

“I could, I do!” Blueblood smiled with cheek.

“Oh Blueblood, you didn’t have to do that, but… since you did…!” The girls all cheered excitably, Spike panting as he moved the last of Rarity’s bags.

“Darling, however did you acquire these tickets?!” Rarity accepted her as Blueblood passed them out.

“Being a prince, and Celestia’s nephew, have their advantages,” Blueblood shrugged sighing. “I want you all to go and have a good time.”

“Oh we will, dear,” Rarity gave him a deep kiss when they heard…

“All aboard for Manehatten!”

A train whistle signaled all the departing to board immediately, the girls all saying their thanks and goodbyes, Rarity the last as she and Blueblood parted, and even as the train pulled out of the station, the two lovers watched each other, Blueblood never breaking eye contact from his Rarity until the train vanished in the distance. When he could no longer see her, he sighed sadly, “Knock `em dead, my dearest.”

Blueblood took a seat on one of the platform’s benches, as he still had a half-hour before his train arrived.

But now that he was alone, Blueblood felt the guilt come back but he also wondered what it was so dire going on with his company that his aunt had insisted he deal with it himself. He only hoped it would not ruin the merging of New Heights Avionics and Get Set Aeronautics. Faust knew how long he’d had to deal with Jet Set harping him and the effort it took to show he had no hard feelings and only wished for a prosperous partnership from which they could both benefit.

“Yo Blue!”

Blueblood snapped out of his pondering and looked to see Thunderlane flapping overhead, a lone cloud floating over the station.

“What’re ya doing here? Shouldn’t you be on the train to Manehatten with the girls and Spike? You and Rarity have talked about going to Fashion Week for weeks!”

Sighing, Blueblood explained, “I received a summons from my aunt, demanding my presence in Canterlot, so alas, I had to cancel on the girls. Although I did manage to get them all tickets for ‘Hinny of the Hills’.”

“So you’re headed for Canterlot? What for?” Thunderlane asked as he alighted himself on the platform.

“It has something to do with my company!” Blueblood explained, a bit of worry in his tone. “Auntie Tia made it sound quite imperative and that I have to look into it myself. Business…”

Seeing the depressed look on his friend, Thunderlane got an idea!
“When does your train get here?”

“It should be here… in just over twenty minutes,” Blueblood ascertained with a glance of the station’s clock.

“Wait right here!” Thunderlane suddenly flew off, leaving Blueblood bewildered.

But as the ETA neared, Blueblood began to sigh, as the sound of a distant train whistle told him it was just about here. He stood up to wait by the platform…

“Blueblood!”

He looked to see Thunderlane arrive with Midnight, Big Macintosh, and Soarin, Thunderlane saying, “How would you feel if we all came along to provide you a little moral support?”

“We felt bummed that you had to miss going with Rarity,” Soarin added, “so we thought we could help you make the best of a lousy situation!”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac confirmed while Midnight nodded.

Blueblood couldn’t help but smile in gratitude, “Thank you all gents, but I wouldn’t want my situation to get in the way of anything.”

“You’re our friend, Blue,” Midnight assured, “and there’s nothing real friends won’t do for each other.”

“…Well then, gentlecolts,” Blueblood declared, “who’s up for a trip to Canterlot?”

The guys all held up their hooves and brought them together in a hoof-bump, just as the train pulled in.

Author's Note

I know, I know, you were all hoping for 'Rarity takes Manehatten' and seeing Coco Pommel

But that was a girl's trip thing (Spike the exception) and I wanted to use this chance for Blueblood to have his moment (and earn his element of harmony)

Personally, I think they should have called the city Neigh York instead of Manehatten

159. Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 3

“HHHHEEEERRRGGGGGHHHH!!!!”
“NNNNNNNNGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“You can do it, dude!”
“Don’t back down!”

Midnight had brought Big Mac, Thunderlane, and Soarin to his favorite lounge in Canterlot Castle. It was one of the few places where he’d been able to enjoy himself during the years he’d served as Celestia’s covert agent between his missions.

It was a round room with a rotunda ceiling painted to resemble the cosmos. In the center was a round table low enough for anypony to sit at with only a cushion to drop their rumps on. On one wall was a large TV and movie player, a cord to ring for room service, a door leading to a relaxing bathroom that was equipped with showers, lavatories, and even a Jacuzzi tub, surrounding the round table were circular sofas stuffed with pegasus down and made of the finest silk. Earlier, they’d ordered a pizza and though it was good they all agreed it just wasn’t the same as their favorite pizza parlor, Pepper Pony’s.

At the moment however, Thunderlane and Soarin were cheering on Midnight and Big Macintosh as the two brothers had engaged in a hoofwrassling.

Midnight had been certain Mac was no match for him only to find himself straining and growling with exertion.

Sombra’s burns he’s strong!! Midnight was giving it his all, and he could tell Big Mac was doing the same but try as either might it proved to be a bitter stalemate.

“Ho-ho-boy! I can’t believe how well Mac’s holding against Midnight!” Soarin couldn’t take his eyes off the interlocked hooves.

“Well as far as I know, Big Mac’s always been the strongest pony in Ponyville!” Thunderlane brought up. “Even Bulk Biceps is no match for him in hoofwrassling, and that guy’s a workout-aholic!”

“But still, Midnight’s an alicorn,” Soarin debated, “I think we know how this will end.”

“I dunno…” Thunderlane smirked with a raised brow, “Looks to me Mac’s getting his second wind.”

Suddenly the doors to the roomed were kicked open with a BANG, and an angry Blueblood stormed in, hooves stomping on the floor and curses jumping off his lips. Everypony stopped what they were doing and stared, well everypony except Big Mac who took advantage of the pause to slam Midnight's hoof down on the table. The alicorn gave a hiss of pain and started rubbing his hoof, an annoyed glare aimed at his brother who looked away innocently.

Blueblood stomped around the room for a few minutes until it became clear to the group that somepony was going to have to approach him to find out what was going on. With a few mumbled whispers and some not-so-gentle shoving, Soarin was elected to find out what had happened.

Slowly the blue pegasus approached his friend, with a cautiousness to his steps as Blueblood continued to angrily rant to himself.

"Uh, Blue? What's going on? Did something bad happen at the summons?"

Blueblood gave a annoyed sigh and calmed himself down enough to talk to his friend. Seeing he had worried him, along with their other friends made him feel a little guilty, but his anger was still too high to fully squash.

"I apologize for my loud entrance but I am afraid that something very bad has occurred." the rest of the group approached, concern strong on their muzzles. Blueblood gathered his thoughts for a moment before continuing.
"The board has made two very grave mistakes that could ruin this company. The first is to cancel the merger with Jet Set. They believe that allowing the merger to proceed will be a bad decision for the company due to the fact that Jet Set will placed in charge of day to day operations. They believe that having a long-time rival in charge could leave him to severely damage staff relations and allow for unprofitable or bad business decisions to take place. While there is some merit to this, they are very badly portraying Jet Set and trying to stop what is likely one of the most profitable decisions this company has ever made, let alone how the removal of our feud with Jet's company will increase sales by massive margin. They also risk increasing the rivalry with jet Set by cancelling the merger, which could severely damage the sales from both companies and hurt Canterlot's economy. It would cause massive lay-offs from both companies, putting lots of workers out of business and just further ruining the economy, as well as leaving hundreds unemployed."

Some of the group seemed a little lost, but Soarin and Midnight, the most intellectual of the group, could understand what Blueblood was talking about. Overall, Blueblood's plans with Jet Set would enable far greater growth for both companies in the long term, even if there were some staff issues in the short term. Still Blueblood had only told them one problem.

"You said there were two grave mistakes. What was the second one?" Thunderlane asked, being the most confused by the business talk and wanting to focus back on Blueblood directly. This however just seemed to get Blueblood angrier as he gave a frustrated snort and started his pacing again.

"The second grave mistake is one that shames the whole company with its arrogance and shortsightedness. The company has decided to place me on suspension and lock me out of all business decisions for the foreseeable future. I am still the owner of New Heights Avionics, but in practice, my authority and power means nothing. They have taken complete control of the company from me, claiming that my 'Prince persona', of which they know full-well was an act, has caused massive harm to the business and has hurt fellow staff. Now I am fully aware that my persona wasn't a nice guy, but that was the point! How dare they use it against me to take control of my company! I have worked with New Heights since my father passed it on to me, and with hard work and determination I have managed to forge one of the greatest and most profitable businesses in Canterlot, and yet those fools have kicked me out and just expect that I will role over and let them! Well no way! I am going to show them they are wrong and have my lawyers get me back in and then I'll deal with the lot of them!"

Blueblood was shouting now, his face red with rage and a twitch in his eye that seemed very unhealthy. The guys all backed up a few steps in case things got out of hoof. They all looked at each other, shocked, worried and a little bit scared as they tried to figure out what they could do. From what Blueblood had just told them, he had been kicked out of his own company, but it seemed they had done nothing illegal or dangerous, so Midnight couldn't use any royal power to force them to let Blueblood back in. They honestly had no idea what to do. Helping out a friend in need was something every one of them would do in a heartbeat, but none of them, bar Blueblood himself, knew anything about how a huge company like New Height's was run, at least not completely. At this point, it seemed like the only thing they could do was to try and help calm Blueblood down before he had an aneurysm and then talk with him about what options they had.

"Well, Blue, from what it sounds like, they've barred you from business affairs but legally the company is still yours," Midnight brought up, "perhaps there's a way you can use that to your advantage."

"Perhaps, but it's not that simple," Blueblood huffed as he began to pace again, pondering a solution, "I need something to build my case against the board - They claim to have evidence against me, recordings of my persona's behavior. I only hope I can convince Jet Set that the merger will go on once I get back my power."

"If Jet Set was willin' to bury th' hatchet like ya said," Big Mac spoke, "Ah'm sure he'll give ye th' benefit o' doubt."

"Even so, this lock-out of my own company cannot be allowed to continue," Blueblood seethed, "Every moment those idiots steer the helm is another moment they steer it closer towards the proverbial glacier!"

"Maybe there's something else going on here," suggested Thunderlane. "When you spoke with your board, did they behave differently?"

Hearing that, Blueblood considered, "They behaved as they always had... But you are right - There were brief moments when they gave signs of being nervous, and their failing to come to me directly to begin with speaks for itself!"

"This could mean that their reason for looking you out is an excuse," Midnight added, "If there is some kind of corruption going on, we can dig something up and poke holes in the board members' case!"

"Then we must investigate this," Blueblood decided. "If my board has made some kind of deal that has turned them against me, I can use such evidence to take back control of my company and insure the merger goes on!"

"But how're we gonna do that?" Soarin asked.

"I have experience in digging up evidence for matters such as this," Midnight volunteered, "and make no mistake my friends, the most dangerous weapon in this world is money!"

Late that afternoon, Blueblood was speaking with Raven in the lounge while the guys were in the bathroom showering when in came Midnight, looking discouraged. Seeing his friend, Blueblood dismissed Raven and approached Midnight at the table.

“What did you find?”

Sighing, Midnight answered, “Nothing…”

“Nothing?! What were you doing these past hours?” Blueblood snapped angrily, “I thought you said you were experienced in this sort of thing!”

“I am! What I’m saying is that I found nothing because there was nothing to be found!” Midnight clarified, a little miffed by Blueblood’s words. “I looked into the bank accounts of each board member, going back six months. I checked, and double-checked, but none of the accounts showed signs of hefty deposits lately. If the board members are being bribed, they’ve covered their tracks carefully, probably with other accounts in different names.”

His answer clearly didn't improve Blueblood's mood, but he managed to rein himself in before he lost his temper.

"Okay, okay... Well, if they haven't received any bribe money into their accounts, then they must be being influenced with something else. Unfortunately, short of cornering them all or ransacking their homes, I see only one method we can use to try and obtain the necessary evidence!"

As the rest of the group emerged from the room, Blueblood took a firm stance and gave a nod to himself to confirm his choice.

"Gentlecolts, we are going to break into New Heights Avionics!”

"Blueblood, I'm really not sure about this." Thunderlane muttered nervously as the group carefully snuck towards the large corporate building, sticking to alleyways and bushes, being shore to avoid the lampposts lighting the darkened Canterlot streets.

All five stallions had donned black suits to hide their colors, with Blueblood even going so far as to don a black wool beanie to cover his mane.

Blueblood had explained that due to the company still legally belonging to him, he had full access to it. However, if the board were trying to hide something from him, any direct evidence would be kept out of the public eye and hidden within the building in areas he couldn't access without drawing suspicion. Therefore the group was going to break in and find the evidence themselves. However, while Blueblood may not get in too much trouble legally for breaking into his own building, it would certainly hurt any case he could present in court, so the group had to be stealthy and avoid security.

"Would you quit worrying, I already told you, this will work perfectly. I know all the security system layouts and passwords, and I know the guard schedules. We will be completely fine getting in and out. The only hard part will be finding whatever they don't want me to find. Now stop complaining and help me get inside!!"

Thunderlane flinched back at Blueblood's harsh tone, a frown slowly spreading across his face. The rest of the group also seemed troubled, but it was Midnight and Soarin who seemed the most disturbed by the behavior. As they grew close to the back entrance of the building, the rest of the group fell back a little to talk in private.

"Hey guys, I know this situation really isn't going well for Blueblood, but don't you think he's being a bit mean? Here we are doing something of very questionable legality for him and his ripping our heads off for it!" Thunderlane whispered, his eyes shifting about in case Blueblood turned to find out what they were all talking about.

Luckily the unicorn prince stayed focused, his horn flaring as he stared hard at the building, most likely trying spot all the security wards and detection spells.

"Ah agree. He's obviously upset but Ah think we should keep an eye on his behavior. Ah really don' want im t’ burst a blood vesselr somethin’ if he gets too angry, an’ even friends can only take so much undeserved anger." Big Mac seconded.

The rest of the group nodded as well when Midnight added his own say.

"He's upset right now, so let's just stick with him and make sure he doesn't get in over his head. Once we're finished we'll take him back to the room and have a talk with him about his behavior and get him to calm down a little. Until then, let's stay focused."

Everypony gave agreement to Midnight's plan and they all moved up to join Blueblood, who had stopped in some bushes right of the building's rear entrance.

Blueblood gave raised his hoof to his lips to signal for silence, and then began pointing about to show where all the security wards and detector spells were. The spells had been cast around the building in specific areas to alert the guard if any intruders stumbled in. However the spells caused a significant drain on the average unicorn, so there were only so many, all of which had been placed in very key positions to cover more area. Blueblood pointed to random points around the building, like a seemingly harmless tree and a window on the second floor.

After the rest of the group nodded, Blueblood slowly cautioned them forward, performing an odd combination of trotting, rolling and crawling in a bizarre zig-zag pattern until he reached the back door. The group copied his movements, with Soarin almost losing his balance midway. Midnight managed to catch him with his magic, but it didn't stop Blueblood from giving the pegasus an almost murderous glare. Soarin gave a nervous smile as an apology before catching up with the guys until they had all reached the back door. Once they were all in position, Blueblood summoned his magic to unlock the door and the group quietly stepped inside.

Having already been briefed on the security by Blueblood, Midnight cast invisibility spells on them all but thanks to a tweak in the magic they would be able to see each other. With this advantage, they made their way through the building a little quicker, Midnight bewitching a couple guards into thinking they needed to be elsewhere, allowing the five stallions an easier time sneaking through the rooms and hallways.

Blueblood made sure to point out various statues and paintings that were actually transmitting surveillance footage via the eyes and ears of the statues and the figures the paintings displayed. Even though they were invisible, they hadn’t made themselves sound-proof, so they tiptoed past the surveillance sentries, as they were called.

Once they were out of the sentries’ hearing range, Soarin whispered, “Why sentries and not cameras?”

“Because ponies like us, breaking and entering, would be expecting cameras…!” Blueblood hissed irritably, prompting Soarin to back off and keep his distance, an upset frown plastering his muzzle.

Finally, the five reached the door that read ‘Monitor Room’, Blueblood whispering, “Inside this room is a wall covered with monitors that enables the security guard to observe everything the sentries do. We need to locate the footage the board members have they could use against me, but we should also look for any documented foul play on their part. If the board members are being bribed and since there’s no records of change in their bank accounts, there has to be a paper trail!”

“Mac and I will look for the documents,” Midnight volunteered.

“Hopefully this time you won’t come back emptyhooved,” Blueblood responded sarcastically and waved them off, Midnight and Macintosh sharing a disgruntled look but nodded anyway as the group gently opened the door, being quiet so as not to alert any guards inside.

They were in luck, finding that the only guard present was snoring away in his chair, leaving the monitor display completely open to them. Blueblood moved towards the terminal while Midnight and Mac approached some filing cabinets stacked towards the sides of the room. Thunderlane and Soarin remained near the door acting as lookout in case any guards passed by.

Unfortunately, what had seemed like a solid plan led the group to over an hour of wasted time, as the surveillance footage showed no behavior on Blueblood's part that could be considered bad enough to legally vote him out. Midnight and Mac could likewise find no paperwork, indicating either bribery on the part of the board members, nor any documented evidence of transgressions on Blueblood's part. This certainly didn't help Blueblood's rising anger any, and the group had to keep reminding him to be quiet, lest he wake up the dozing security guard (whom Blueblood was still up in hooves about having his pay docked. They may have been breaking in, but that was no excuse for sleeping on the job!). Finally, after going through the filing cabinet for the third time, Midnight decided it was time to call it quits.

"Blue, I really don't think there's anything here. Either the board is outright lying to you about evidence on their part, or they are keeping it to themselves pretty tightly. I really don't see what more we can do here other than go back to the room and prepare some letters to your lawyers."

Blueblood however had decided on another course of action however. Completely ignoring the security guard, Blueblood turned to his friends with a grimace, "No Midnight, there is in fact one more move we can make before we take your approach and just give up. The board may have this evidence kept on their private residences for safety. We are going to go to each of their houses and search the place while they are at work to find something!"

This declaration shocked the whole group – Blueblood breaking into his own company was one thing, but breaking into other pony's homes, in broad daylight too, was about as criminal as it could get!

Blueblood had started typing away at the monitor controls to delete any evidence he had used it, when he felt a hoof on his shoulder. He turned to see that Midnight was staring down at him with a confused look, somewhere between anger and sad. The look was on the faces of all the group, whom were standing right behind Midnight.

"Blueblood you need to calm down. We agreed to help you break into your company, despite our own misgivings, but we only did so because you made it clear that it wasn't a completely illegal act. What you are proposing is both morally and legally wrong right now. We aren't about to help you break and enter into somepony's home, regardless of what evidence they may or may not have on you. Please let this go and come back with us to the castle. We can form up some letters for your lawyers and make the board let you back in without having to become the bad guys here. We need to do the right thing."

Midnight gave a smile, hoping that his message had gotten through Blueblood's anger. The blond maned unicorn stared at Midnight, letting his words sink in. After saying nothing for a few minutes, he gave a tired sigh, letting the rest of the group relax. What happened next though left them all shocked.

Blueblood turned to Midnight, a sharp glare crossing his face, and his slapped Midnight's hoof away. The alicorn backed up, confused and worried, as Blueblood turn to face the group, his posture held rigid his eyes fierce.

"All night, you have all been trying to get me to stop and go back to the castle. To give in and let my board kick me out and ruin my company with their short-sightedness. Well, I'm sorry my non-supportive friends but I refuse. I am Prince Blueblood, Head of House Polaris, and owner of New Heights Avionics, and I will not be cast aside and ignored like a piece of garbage! I am a Prince and I will not let them get away with this! If I have to break into their homes to gather evidence then so be it! I will not be halted, I will not be pushed aside and I will not bend to my 'friends' cowardice! If none of you have the balls to get this done then leave me be! I will do this myself and win back my company!"

Midnight and the rest of the stallions, just stood there, unable to say a word. Blueblood had insulted them, called them cowards, despite everything they had done to help him. He was even going to go ahead with his criminal actions to ensure the board had nothing to lock him out of his company. They all looked at each other, a hurt frown shared on their faces. There was nothing else to be said. Nothing else to be done. They all gave Blueblood one last stare before turning and marching out of the room, not caring if they were spotted by security or not, leaving the Prince and his ego alone.

Blueblood growled before turning back to the monitor, only to hear a slight cough and turn his head. The lone security guard stared at him, unsure of what to say. Blueblood's glare ensured his silence.

"Not a word of this!" he warned while poking the guard roughly in the chest, "To anyone!!"

With his job concerned, the guard nodded his head rapidly then fled from the room.

Celestia had just started raising the sun over the horizon as Midnight and the rest of the stallions glumly stomped back towards the castle, a bitterness sticking to them like glue.

"I can't believe him! Shouting at us like that after everything we had done to help him!” Soarin huffed. “We were only asking him not to break the law and be sensible and he calls us cowards!"

"Ah agree! We done stuck our necks out for him, an’ he goes all 'Princey' on us, actin’ like he's all high n' mighty!" Macintosh added.

The ranting went on for a while before Midnight decided to put an end to it.

"Look guys, I agree with you completely. Blueblood has gone too far here, but right now he is just too angry to listen. I think we should all go grab some breakfast, take a little while to calm down, than track Blueblood down before he does something stupid. He won't be going anywhere soon as he'll need to deal with the security systems and delete all evidence we were in the building. Let's just get our heads straight and then give him a serious talking to"

The rest of the group agreed and they started making their way over to a nearby café. However something caught their attention in one of the cafe's windows. Just inside, the group could see a large table, with seven ponies seated at it. One was hidden by the window pane, but his hoof was in view, and the remaining six ponies were all talking to them. What was strange was that all of the six visible ponies were the board members from Blueblood's company, the guys able to recognize them from the photo Blueblood had shown them yesterday. Sensing something was up, the guys carefully snuck up alongside the window to listen to the conversation.

"... I can't believe you are making us do this to Prince Blueblood. He has been nothing but an inspiration to New Heights Avionics, and he has led it brilliantly."

"I highly doubt that, but if you wish to believe that so-called Prince Blueblood is really far more than an egotistical fool that is your business. So long as you hold up your end of the bargain, no bad press will affect New Heights Avionics, nor will your jobs be imperiled. The merger must not occur, else it will spell doom for Jet Set and his wife Upper Crust, and I will not see them crash and burn because of Prince Blueblood's pompous arrogance."

"You are making a mistake. The merger will improve both companies, and your opinions of Prince Blueblood are misplaced. He has portrayed an arrogant appearance on several occasions, but it is purely an act. He is truly a very good business pony, and a decent stallion."

"I refuse to believe that, and I will not let my friend's reputations be endangered regardless of your opinions. Now I must be on my way. Ensure the merger does not go through and the Canterlot Gazette will not shame you and your company. Good day to you all."

Midnight and the group realized the conversation was over, and the mystery stallion was leaving. They were all outraged to learn that the board members weren’t the bad guys in this scenario. They were being blackmailed into locking out Blueblood and stopping the merger. Whoever the stallion was, he was threatening to shame the company with the Canterlot paper, which with fickle nature of Canterlot nobles, would severely hurt the company. Whoever this stallion was, the group needed to learn who he was right now and put a stop to this.

They watched as the café doors opened, only for them to gasp in shock.

Exiting the shop stood a stallion of great wealth and a sterling reputation as one of the kindest and most popular nobles in Canterlot.

Fancy Pants.

Author's Note

Ever hear of the term 'Red Herring'?

My partner and I worked to bring out some of the Prince Charmless from the show just for this arc

160: Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 4

In the lounge, the guys were discussing what they’d just found out.

“I don’t believe this… Fancy Pants?!” Soarin was aghast as they sat around the table, trying to understand this totally unforeseen circumstance.

“The board members didn’t lock Blueblood out for personal gain…” Midnight pieced it together as he paced around the table, the guys watching him.
“…they did so because Fancy Pants is blackmailing them with the threat of a smear campaign against New Heights!”

“An’ it sounded like Fancy Pants’ is doin’ it `cuz he thinks Blueblood would do ill against Jet Set,” Big Mac added.

“I still can’t believe it,” Thunderlane debated, “Rarity and Blueblood both spoke highly of Fancy Pants!”

“Well, everypony has their secrets, Thunder…” Midnight answered with narrowed eyes before facing his friends, declaring, “We’ve gotta bring this to Blueblood’s attention!”

“But…” Soarin said hesitantly as he, Thunderlane, and Macintosh shared uncomfortable looks, “Blueblood doesn’t want our help.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Midnight insisted, “Blueblood’s behavior has been lousy, yeah, but he’s still our friend.”

Big Mac nodded, “Midnight’s right, we gotta tell Blue an’ make sure he don’ go an’ do sumthin’ foolish.”

“C’mon, everypony, we’ve got a friend to help!” Midnight galloped out the door, Big Mac, Thunderlane, and Soarin following loyally.

Blueblood gazed up at the house of Number Crunch, thinking, If there is money involved here, you are suspect, Number Crunch…

He started going around the block, intending to sneak through the alleyways. He was so glad he’d taken the precaution of using a glamour to conceal his identity, and thankful his aunt had taken such an interest in his education back when he was an awkward colt studying in the School for Gifted Unicorns.

At the moment, Blueblood had changed his appearance to that of pale blue pegasus with a cloud white mane, and a cloud for a cutie-mark, and looked rather plain compared to the neighborhood and the passerby. The only thing mildly eye-catching about his disguise was the saddlebag he wore.

Making his way around the streets, he stood at the wall barring the public from Number Crunch’s backyard, and after making sure nopony was looking, Blueblood peered over the wall. Number Crunch was the head accountant of New Heights and due to his talent in number crunching and managing finances he made himself a comfortable living. Number’s house was no mansion but it was certainly impressive enough for a middle-upper class business pony. The backyard was grassy with some toys lying about, no doubt belonging to Number’s two foals. Seeing as nopony was in the backyard, Blueblood prepared to heave himself over when he felt an aura envelop him and lift him away, causing him to startle, “What the Haydes?!”

He was pulled into a nearby alley and found himself facing a few ponies hidden in the shadows.

“Do you know who I am?!” Blueblood yelled before dispelling his glamour, “I’m Prince Blueblood! I will not be bullied by any thugs working for my backstabbing-”

“Blue, will you calm down?!”

“Midnight…?!” Blueblood lit up his horn and for a moment smiled to see his friends before remembering what had happened earlier at the company, that he faced away from them.
“What are you all doing here…?”

“First off, preventing you from committing a real crime and getting into trouble,” Soarin said while holding up a primary feather before adding a second, “and second? We’re here to tell you that your board members were blackmailed, not bribed!”

“Blackmailed?!” Blueblood echoed while giving Soarin a confused look, “By whom?”

“…Fancy Pants,” Midnight answered hesitantly. “After our… disagreement with you at the company, we were gonna grab some breakfast at this café when we noticed your board members were there!”

“We overheard them talking with Fancy Pants!” Thunderlane added, “Fancy blackmailed them with a smear campaign against New Heights unless they prevented the merger between your company and Jet Set’s Get Set Aeronautics!”

“But… but why?!” Blueblood was shocked to say the least. Sure he and Fancy had had their petty disagreements now and then and maybe something of a small rivalry but it had never been so bad as to warrant something like this!

When he thought about it however he realized Fancy had the power to make good on his threat – Fancy Pants was the owner and editor-in-chief of the Canterlot Gazette, the premier newspaper in Canterlot. And due to the love of gossip amongst the Canterlot Elite, a smear campaign would definitely bring no small amount of harm upon the reputation of New Heights.

“What does Fancy Pants have to gain from preventing the merge between my company and Jet Set’s?!”

“Seems yer prince persona worked a lil’ too well,” Big Mac answered. “Fancy reckons associatin’ wit’ you an’ yer company would ruin Jet Set who he considers his friend.”

“I MADE UP THAT WRETCHED PERSONA TO GET HARLOTS OFF MY BACK!!” Blueblood yelled angrily. “Gem-diggers looking to marry into wealth, delusional fillies looking for some fairytale prince, whorses wanting a prince for a boyfriend!”

“Blueblood, calm down!” Midnight waved a wing to blow off Blueblood, “Now that you know the truth, just talk with Fancy Pants and-”

“Oh-ho-ho, I’m going to talk with Fancy Pants all right,” Blueblood interrupted with a look that would’ve made even Nightmare Moon flinch, “and I’m going to use every ounce of my power, royal, business, political, to DESTROY everything he has!!”

Before they could say or do something to dissuade him, Blueblood knocked them aside and sprinted out of the alley.

The guys got back to their hooves before a set of determination set over them. Fancy might be orchestrating something very bad here, but Blueblood destroying his life in retribution was wrong. They needed to catch their friend and talk some sense into him now before he did something he would regret. With a look between each other, the guys took off in pursuit.

Blueblood weaved passed pedestrians, not caring that he was making a scene. Fancy Pants had stepped over a line, and Blueblood was going to make him pay!

He skidded around a corner to finally see it, the Gazette. The building was only three-stories tall, though it was rather wide and certainly well-kept. All in all it was a rather quiet and timid looking building compared to the luxuriousness of Canterlot, but it was certainly important. Canterlot was a city that thrived on news and gossip, with trends and decisions changing constantly with each new tale that spread. The elite were a very easily persuaded lot and if something showed up in the paper, well every mare, stallion and their dog would be eating it up and trying to find a way to use it to their advantage. In that respect, the Gazette was likely one of the most important businesses in Canterlot, and certainly not an entity one wanted to make enemies with. Up until now, Blueblood had always considered Fancy Pants the best sort of Canterlot resident. He might have been pompous, braggy and smug but even he acted with benevolence towards others, and he was certainly fair and decent and would never use his paper as a weapon.

Until now.

Blueblood could hear his friends behind him, calling out to make him stop. He was just lucky that all the pedestrians and tight corners around Canterlot had stopped Soarin from swooping down and grabbing him. But right now, not even his friends could stop him. Fancy Pants had threatened his board, his company and HIS very reputation! Fancy might have been one of the most influential business ponies in Canterlot, but nothing would stop Blueblood from kicking down in his door, explaining in no uncertain terms how far he would shove his hoof up Fancy's noble behind, and promptly use every scrap of power he held to destroy the Gazette and Fancy Pants’ career!

As Blueblood cleared through the last lot of pedestrians, his slammed open the Gazette doors and stomped through the lobby to the receptionist’s desk. The pretty young mare behind the desk seemed confused and even a little frightened at his loud entry, but she managed to put a false smile on her face none the less.

"Hello and welcome to the Gazette, sir. How can I help..." her friendly greeting was cut off as Blueblood smacked his hoof on her desk letting a loud clap echo around the lobby.

"I want to see Mr. Fancy Pants immediately! I don't care if he's in a meeting, eating his breakfast, or just staring out a window! YOU WILL FIND HIM AND GET HIM TO SEE ME IMMEDIATELY!"

Terrified by his tone, the little mare scampered off to find Fancy Pants as fast as she could. Seconds after she had darted out of the room, Midnight and the rest of the boys burst into the lobby, panting in exhaustion, but moving forward determined regardless.

Blueblood turned to them to tell them to save their breath. That nothing they could say would stop him from destroying Fancy Pants and his precious Gazette. The words were just about to leave his tongue when something caught his eye.

A photo was hanging just next to the door way. Several littered the walls, all showing different accomplishments of the Gazette or Fancy himself. But the picture next to the door was different. A familiar face stared out of it at him, her snow white fur looking as beautiful and well-kept as ever. Her mane luscious and vibrant, coiled to perfection. Her sparkling eyes, more pure and precious then any sapphire, and her smile that just lit up life like nothing else.

Hanging on the wall was a photo of Rarity standing next to Fancy and himself at the garden party they had attended at Twilight's birthday party. A little article was under the image, talking about the success of the party and how Fancy had hired on Rarity for several clothing designs for his wife, Fleur Dis Lee. But the contents of the article didn't mean anything to him right then. just his precious Rarity.

Oh how I miss her. I wish I was with her instead of dealing with all of this mess. I can't imagine what she would think of Fancy Pants now. She'd be disgusted with his behavior, thinking him an uncouth ruffian...

Blueblood's trail of thought suddenly stopped dead. Rarity would definitely think all of those things about Fancy. She would be absolutely appalled that he would blackmail another company and try to destroy another stallion's reputation. Even to help a friend, his actions would be considered deplorable. And yet, what was he doing right this second? Here he was, kicking in doors and threatening staff, all so he could destroy a company and wreck another stallion’s reputation. How was he any better than Fancy? Hay, how was he any better that his disgusting persona, if this was how he was going to act. Rarity would be ashamed of him.

Worse still, as these thoughts came to Blueblood, he saw that his friends had reached him, determination in their eyes and a burning desire to help, not just protect Fancy, but to save him from himself.

If Rarity thought he was horrible for what he was preparing to do to Fancy, she would be even more horrified by his treatment of his friends. He had been rude, arrogant, spiteful, and had screamed in their faces since this entire thing started. Yet they had stuck with him. Even after his behavior at New Heights, they had still come to tell him what had happened to the board and Fancy's involvement. They hadn't let him down no matter what.

What am I doing?!

"Blueblood you need to stop, you're making a mistake! Hurting Fancy isn't going to do..." Midnight's speech was cut off as Blueblood flung his hooves around him in a deep hug.

"I know. I know hurting Fancy won't do anything. I was just so angry about everything that I let it warp me. Turn me into something I'm not. Something I hate. Worse, it made me turn on all of you when you were just trying to help. I am so sorry my friends. please forgive my disgusting behavior."

They were all a little shocked, but a sigh of relief flowed through them all as they huddled around Blueblood to join the hug.

"Course we do Blue."

"S'long as you're truly sorry, we'll always forgive."

"Yeah buddy, we'll always have your back."

"We're just so glad you came to your senses."

The hug lasted for a moment, before the sound of nervous hoofsteps entered the lobby. The receptionist trotted back in to view, still shaken and even a little teary eyed as she turned to Blueblood.

"F-Fancy Pants w-will s-s-see you now." she stuttered, hoping she could trot away as fast as she could.

Seeing how badly he had scared her made a new wave of guilt crash over Blueblood. With his head bowed and his ears flopped down, he turned to the mare, "Madam, I am very sorry for frightening you. I have just had a really bad day and I was under a lot of stress, but that is no reason to shout. I sincerely apologize for my behavior and I hope you can forgive me."

The mare seemed a little shocked, but after a moment, a small smile crossed her muzzle and she gave a nod to show her acceptance. Satisfied he had righted his wrong towards this young mare, Blueblood let out a relieved breath, then steeled himself. He might be thinking clearly again, but that hadn't solved anything. He still needed to talk to Fancy Pants.

Only this time he was going to do it right.

Blueblood pushed open the door entered strode forward, a quiet determination about him. Behind him, his friends were there and ready to have his back, as they always would. Hearing the door open, Fancy Pants looked up from the papers on his desk to the entourage that had entered. He looked them over for a second, before a derogatory snort escaped his muzzle.

"So I see you have discovered my involvement in recent matters. I had hoped that your board would hold good to their word, but perhaps they follow your example too strongly to hold any strength to their words. So, Prince Blueblood, how is this conversation going to go down?"

Blueblood said nothing for a moment, thoughts flitting through his mind. Eventually, he found the words he needed and looked Fancy Pants straight in the eyes.

"Fancy Pants, I have become aware of your plot to blackmail my company to prevent the merger with Jet Set's company, and to lock me out of any executive decisions within. Your actions, as I have heard, were to try and protect your friend from hurting himself and his company by allying with me, but that does not change the criminality of them. You, one of Canterlot's most highly respected and kindhearted nobles, has actively used his influence to pressure a company out of a highly profitable venture, and in doing so actually put his friend in even greater jeopardy than had he allied with me. The rejection from my company would reignite the rivalry between us to massive heights and end up crippling both of our companies in the long run. You are cultured and intelligent, but you know nothing of the nuances of how two engineering companies work, and your shortsightedness has potentially caused far more damage than anything I could have done. Miss Rarity would be ashamed of your actions here, Sir Fancy Pants, and you are well aware of it. So I want to hear from your own mouth, your precise reasoning of why these actions were acceptable."

Fancy Pants actually seemed a little shocked and confused. Evidently, he truly hadn't known how his actions could have had worse effects on Jet Set's company then the merger, and Blueblood's calm and rational words had thrown him off somewhat. He had clearly been expecting a raging uncouth beast, with no decorum or sense of propriety.

"Prince Blueblood, I will admit my knowledge of the business practices and procedures of an engineering company are well outside my level of understanding. However I acted to protect my friends. Perhaps it wasn't the best way in doing so, but the instant I heard of this merger, I refused to stand by and let Jet Set ruin himself by allying himself with a brute like you. I will be blunt with you, Blueblood,” Fancy answered as though he were talking down a rebellious teenager.
“You are an arrogant, chauvinistic, disgusting excuse for a pony, and that somepony like yourself was ever granted a royal title and placed in charge of running a company is completely disgraceful. I have seen you talking down to others and acting as though Equestria revolves around you. Allowing Jet Set to merge his company with you would allow you control over his company, and the risk of you causing damage to him or his company was too great a risk. My methods were deceitful and horrid and I feel like dirt just having to lower myself enough to do them, but I do not regret them either, as they may help my friend, and nothing is more important to me in all this than that."

Blueblood's friends looked angered by Fancy Pants’ insolence, but Blueblood's expression did not change, nor did he give any immediate response. Fancy Pants’ was even further confused by this. Up to this point, unless they were in a highly gathered social setting, Blueblood would be off his head, spouting about how above everypony he was due to his royalty, and that Fancy Pants would regret ever crossing somepony of his reputation.

Eventually, Blueblood spoke.

"Fancy Pants, up to now, precisely how long have we ever held a conversation?"

Fancy Pants was taken aback. It just seemed so irrelevant to the current situation. Still, he had been asked a question, and he was nothing if not polite.

"I believe this may be the longest we have held, at least with any true meaning behind it. Previous conversations with you have generally been very socially orientated and without any lack of depth behind them. I am curious though why you would bring up such a point during a matter as serious as this?"

"And up to now, how much have you ever actually learned about me? I don't mean the basic common knowledge, like my royal status or information about my company. How much do you actually know about me that you haven't just heard over the constant babble of the nobles, or from the brief conversations we have had in the past?"

Again the question seemed irrelevant, and yet it did make Fancy Pants curious. In fact up to now, he truly didn't know anything about Blueblood on a personal level. He knew his attitude, he knew his status and he knew his company. But besides those things, really knew very little about Blueblood.

"I'm afraid I know very little."

"So then, admitting that you know very little about me, and having never conversed with me for very long, precisely what justification do you have for threatening my company over justifications of my behavior, when by your own admission, you don't know my behavior or motivations? When you hardly know me at all?”"

That stopped Fancy Pants cold. Blueblood had just managed to turn the tables on him completely, and he had done so with logic and calm rationale instead of power or threats.

Seeing he had Fancy shocked into silence, Blueblood continued, "You have gone out of your way over the years to try and ensure you always presented yourself in a better image then myself, always holding a smug satisfaction that you were in fact better than the dreadful and arrogant Prince Blueblood. Yet, you are the one who has arrogantly decided he knows all there is to me and justifies how I act in some circumstances, as a full and total description of my character. Further you have gone out of your way to bully my board in submission, over an issue you knew nothing about solely because you knew better than anypony else, even Jet Set, about who I am. Well let me tell you something Sir Fancy Pants..."

Blueblood marched right up to the stunned noble until his now glaring face took up his whole vision.

"HOW DARE YOU! How dare you try to hold moral authority over me, when you are prepared to act in ways even my horrid persona would not. I have acted rude uncouth and chauvinistic over the years, but when have I ever resorted to threats and blackmail! Furthermore Sir Fancy Pants, the bastard Prince that you hate so much is not even real! Had you taken even a fraction of a second to look at my character beyond the vaguest of glances, you would see that my rude, uncouth and chauvinistic behavior is an act! I have swarmed for years by gold digging nobles, all looking to exploit my position to enhance their lives, showing no true love or affection for me. I act as the horrid Prince Blueblood, because it drives these harlots away! Every respectable business pony in Canterlot is aware it is an act to fool those who are too shallow or ignorant to look any further than the surface. Jet Set has been my rival for years not because he hates my character, but because our businesses produce works in the same industry causing competition! How dare you accuse me of such bad behavior as to risk Jet Set and my own company, when you are so shallow you couldn't even look passed my persona to see me for the stallion I truly am!?"

Blueblood took a moment from his rant to catch his breath, watching as the shell shocked Fancy Pants took in his words. Fancy may have been a respected and dignified noble, but he hadn't ever bothered to give more than a glance into Blueblood's character, and because of his shallow shortsightedness, he had put both his friend and two companies in a seriously bad position.

As Fancy contemplated his choices, Blueblood gave a glance at his friends. They all gave looks of support and strength, like the true friends they were. Blueblood took comfort in them. That they had so readily and so easily seen past the persona to whom he was inside and welcomed him to their friendship with open hooves. Their friendship gave him the strength to continue.

"Fancy Pants, I am by no means a perfect pony. I have displayed acts of arrogance and rudeness. I have ordered others around using my royal position as justification and I have used my power irresponsibly. Over the last night since I arrived in Canterlot, I have been rude and short tempered with my friends I was fully prepared to break the law to ensure I could win back my company. I am far, far from perfect. But Fancy Pants..." Blueblood looked up to make sure Fancy could see his eyes and the sincerity they held.

"I promise you, I try. I will always try to do the best I can and be a true noble. I cannot guarantee I won't make mistakes, but I will always do my best to make up for them and improve myself because of them. I have given you a bad impression of myself, and while this could have been resolved from you seeking me out, I certainly made no effort to change my appearance or convince others I was more than my persona. So for that Fancy Pants I honestly and sincerely apologize. Please don't hurt my company or Jet Set's due to a grudge with me. Jet Set is no fool, and if he truly did not believe this merger would work, he would never have agreed to it. I promise you, I have no intentions of hurting Jet Set or his company. I want only to put an end to a long time rivalry and help both of our companies flourish. Please Fancy, call off the blackmail."

Fancy Pants stood still, his mouth gaping and his mind racing. Blueblood stood before him now, he head held low and his posture submissive. But the most important detail was his eyes and the burning sincerity they held, that everything he had said was the truth and that his promise would be held. Fancy felt awful over how badly he had judged this stallion, and just how petty and pathetic he had been to threaten his entire company over his bad opinion.

He knew what he had to do.

"Blueblood, I wholly accept you apology, and I fully express my own. I am so sorry, for my actions and how blind and petty they were. I felt my friend was in trouble, but I acted not to help him or try to see why he was so willing to do business with you, but to instead destroy another stallion and the company he had worked hard at building. I have severely misjudged you my good stallion, and it is something I wish to correct immediately. Please accompany me and we will proceed to your company post haste and end my threats to your board before the cancellation of this merger takes place."

With a smile and a nod, the two stallions, long-time rivals stood side by side as they left the room, to end a wrong they had both created.

Days later, the merger went through without a hitch, and the Canterlot Gazette featured an article of Fancy Pants admitting his trespasses and issuing a public apology, to Blueblood, to Jet Set, and all the employees whose jobs he had foolishly disregarded and threatened. The Canterlot Elite would be abuzz of this revelation for years to come but Fancy would have it no other way. It would be a perfect way to remind him of his own follies and strive to make up for them and not fall back to them.

Blueblood and Jet Set held a banquet together in Canterlot Castle with all the employees of their combined company invited, along with Blueblood’s friends, and held a toast to a prosperous partnership.

But soon it was time.

Blueblood had confirmed the arrangement and was cleaning out his office to make room for its new occupant. Levitating the boxes containing his things, he regarded the empty office with a confusion of feelings that took him by surprise.

“Feels surreal, does it not?”

Blueblood looked down the hall to see Jet set approaching with a box of his own belongings, “Clearing out my new office, partner?”

“Well, I won’t deny I never thought this office would belong to anypony besides my father, me, or perhaps my eventual successor,” chuckled Blueblood as he set his things down and held out his hoof.

Jet Set smiled as he grasped his former rival in a firm and friendly hoofshake.
“Are you sure about this, Sire? I don’t mind setting up an office elsewhere in the building, and I don’t really see why you wish to personally head a company-branch in Ponyville, of all places.”

“Tell me, Jet, who is the most important pony in your life?” Blueblood inquired.

“My wife, Upper Crust,” Jet Set answered with a curious raise of his brow.

“Well, there you go,” Blueblood replied. “Ponyville might not be glamorous and all as Canterlot, but… It’s my home, it’s where I’ve truly felt home in all my life since my parents' passing, and it’s the home of the pony who I hope will become my wife.”

“Well, how can I not respect that?” Jet Set smiled reverently before saying, “Come, the staff wants to see you off in the lobby.”

Jet Set left his box next to the office doorway and led Blueblood to the lobby where all the staff, including the board and Blueblood’s friends gazed up at the prince with glasses held high and a banner unfurled, glorifying Blueblood’s cutie-mark.

Then, to Blueblood’s goodnatured embarrassment, they all broke out singing, ‘For he’s a jolly good fellow’ that it made him laugh and raise his hooves as the song came to a close.

“Thank you, thank you all for this humbling gesture, everypony. This past week has been quite an ordeal, I must say. What started off as a tangled web of lies and blackmail has insured the promise of what can only result as a long and prosperous revolution for the airship industry!”

The ponies all cheered but died down when Blueblood raised his hooves again.

“However, this venture has left an impression on me. It has reminded me of a great many lessons I learned after relocating to Ponyville, lessons imparted to me by my friends who I am truly lucky to have at my side and grateful for being true to them even when I was not. As a good friend of mine would agree, honesty is always the best policy, and you should never let something cause you to act as something you are not, to take pride in who you are, and to always do the right thing, and for the right reasons.”

Another applause broke out but slower this time as everypony was impressed by Blueblood’s enlightening words when Blueblood felt a tingling in his horn and sensed something coming from his box of belongings. Not a moment after his eyes fell upon the box did a gold and blue light flare from within and everypony watched in as the flare became a pillar of light that quickly dimmed to a sparkle that floated in front of Blueblood and he recognized it as his Elemental jewel.

Having heard of what happened with Big Mac, Blueblood understood and reached up to touch it, and the moment his hoof made contact the jewel flared a blinding light of gold, white, and blue!

Blueblood felt something envelop him, particularly around his barrel, chest, his hooves, and finally what felt like a helmet on his head.

The light dimmed and everypony gasped!

Blueblood was now clad in his own Harmonic Armor, colored primarily gold with white and blue accents, with the piece below his neck glorifying his compass rose cutie-mark, and his helm sported a plume matching the gold of his own mane!

The Elemental jewel still floated in front of him and Blueblood let it float down into his hoof and with it a realization.

“Blueblood, whatever is going on?” asked Jet Set who still stood behind him.

Blueblood looked at him and then at everypony in the lobby before chuckling as he removed his helmet and raised the jewel above as he proudly declared, “It is the Element of Sincerity!!”

One train-ride later, Blueblood and the guys followed Midnight to the Tree of Harmony where Blueblood added his Element and once it inserted itself into the mysterious chest, it shined a light as it then appeared as the compass rose of Blueblood’s cutie-mark, the golden four-pointed symbol while the additional blue points appeared on the panel surrounding it.

Blueblood faced his friends, all of them feeling proud as the prince stated, “Three more to go!”

“You and me, Thunder!” Soarin said with a cocky smile to his fellow pegasus.
“But we still don’t know where the last one is and who has it!” reminded Thunderlane.

“Well, it’s as Princess Celestia said,” Midnight shrugged, “we’ll just have to have faith the last new Element of Harmony and the one destined for it will be revealed in time.”

Author's Note

I wanna thank Pontiac56 for the help with this arc

All the business talk and the conversation between Blueblood and Fancy Pants? I don't think I could've done either!

I am glad to confirm Blueblood embodies the Element of Sincerity, which is similar to Honesty but has an emotional depth in being truthful. One could say they're sorry but not really mean it, and it coincides with Blueblood's desire for a real relationship with a mare that has no ulterior motive for wanting to be with him

I feel Sincerity works well for Blueblood, not only because of his relationship with Rarity but also as his character in being a business-pony and throwing away a mask he's worn for so long as a defense against the wrong sorts of mares eyeing him only for it to almost blow up in his face.

I like Fancy Pants but I just feel even he's not entirely a good guy and knew he would be the perfect example of 'Whoa, didn't see that coming' in this

Art by Hoodwinked MCShelster

161. Pinkie Apple Pie - Part 1

It was a lazy day at Sweet Apple Acres, the residents bored and trying to find something to do. Yesterday they’d gotten so much work done there was next to nothing to do for chores today.

So, Granny Smith got caught up on her knitting, Apple Bloom and Twinken played marbles, Applejack, Midnight, and Big Mac played cards, but there was just no… zeal.

A few days ago, after the guys returned home from Blueblood’s successful company merger with Jet Set’s, they’d arrived in Ponyville just an hour ahead of the girls and Blueblood swept Rarity off her hooves the moment she exited the train car.

He was proud that Rarity won Fashion Week but appalled that somepony had taken advantage of her generous spirit and was glad Rarity had learned a lesson not so dissimilar from what he himself had learned, and still she triumphed over that cheater.

Rarity then asked Blueblood about the meeting he’d had in Canterlot, as she had read the latest edition of the Gazette. She was shocked to hear of Fancy Pants’ deceitful actions but proud of her Blueblood for being the bigger stallion.

Sighing, Midnight asked, “Got any threes?”

“Go fish,” Applejack and Big Mac both said.

As he drew a card from the deck, they heard a frustrated groan from Apple Bloom, “Ah am so bored! Days like this oughta be fun an excitin’ but- Urgh!”

Leaning back in his chair, Midnight sighed as he slapped his cards down, “She’s right, this day blows…”

“Well there ain’t really much t’ do,” Applejack reminded them all, “th’ chores r’ all done, th’ animals r’ fed, th’ market ain’t open t’day…”

“And all our friends are busy…” Twinken sighed as he slunk to his belly.

“Why back in mah day we…. Uh… Ah fergot where ah was goin’ wit’ this,” Granny Smith mumbled as she continued to knit in her rocking chair.

“I swear, if nothing interesting happens within the next five seconds…!” Midnight grumbled when there was a knock at the door.

“Ah’ll get it,” Applejack volunteered but before her hoof touched the doorknob, it opened.

“Hey, cousin!”

And AJ found herself being glomped by a very familiar shade of pink.

“Is it too late to change my mind…?” Midnight facehooved, asking nopony in particular.

“Hiya Apples!” Pinkie bounced inside, looking a tad more hyperactive than normal, “You guys will never believe what I just found out!”

“We don’t need to since you’re probably gonna tell us,” Midnight chuckled while shaking his head.

“I sure as hay am!” Pinkie confirmed as she whipped out a rolled up scroll from her frenzy of a mane. “I was just over at the library where Twilight and Spike were researching family history, okay? I looked at my own and found out…!”

She paused for dramatic effect, which actually worked as the Apple Family leaned in when she exploded, “WE’RE RELATED!!!”

“Y’ pulling mah hoof?!” Applejack couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“No, I’m telling you we’re family,” Pinkie said as if she were clarifying a misunderstanding as she took a seat on the couch.

“It’s just, well… This is just so excitin’!” Applejack was a little surprised but it was the pleasant sort of surprise, as the whole family pulled smiles. “Ah can hardly believe it!”

“I know! Isn’t it the best?” Pinkie added, Apple Bloom suddenly having a moment.

“Ah have another sister! Ah have another sister!”

“Well, you actually have a fourth cousin twice removed by a fifth cousin,” Pinkie clarified before smiling back at the little filly, “but that’s like, exactly like a sister!”

“That’s one way of looking at it… ow!” Midnight muttered only for Big Mac to elbow him in the barrel. Clearing his throat, he said with proud look that Big Mac somewhat mirrored, “I try to tone it down a tad around non-family members, as I’m not the sort to make others jealous, but-”

“THIS IS THE BEST FAMILY EVER!!!” Twinken interrupted as he hopped on the couch with Apple Bloom, only for a spring in the cushion to send them flying after it could take only so much bouncing.

“It really is,” Applejack agreed as she hid the spring with a throw pillow, looking at Pinkie, “Yer’ gonna love bein’ an Apple. Ah mean, you’ve got th’ playful one.”

Apple Bloom demonstrated that by bouncing on a large ball, only to crash into the coffee table.

“Th’ magic one…”

Midnight used a fix-it spell on the coffee table while shrugging with a smile.

“Th’ strong one…”

“Ee… yup!” Big Mac grunted with a smile as he lifted stove with one hoof only for an apple pie to fall into his face.

“Th’ helpful one…”

Twinken levitated a cloth to Mac after he let the stove down with a thud, and he thankfully smiled at his little brother while cleaning himself up.

“An’ o’ course there’s Granny Smith,” Applejack said last but not least, “who knows everything `bout everythang!”

“A Ponyville snail can hibernate for up t’ forty-eight moons,” Granny Smith replied right off the bat, much to Pinkie’s ‘Who knew’ response.

“An’ then there’s me,” Applejack poked her head out the stable door, asking, “You smell tha’ sweet apple air, Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie breathed it in but before she could answer, she got a mouthful of Applejack’s hoof, “Tha’ was rhetorical. A’ course ya smell it, yer an Apple now!”

“An AJ’s the one responsible for it!” Twinken added as he ran out to the front yard.

“Aw, Twinken, tha’ is sweet but-” Applejack blushed a tad only for her little brother to insist.

“It’s true! She keeps everything on the farm where it should be, when it should be!”

“An’ she does her own part on top o’ it all!” Apple Bloom agreed as she joined Twinken while Big Mac, Midnight, and Granny Smith all ‘mm’hmm’d, making Applejack glow.

“I was already super-happy as a Pie,” Pinkie spoke up, “and now I get to be a part of this amazing family too!

“It’s even more excitin’ now that you’re innit!” Apple Bloom agreed as she and Twinken ran over to Pinkie before the three of did a funny dance, and sang.

We’re family!

Wer’ fam’ly! Y’all an’ me r’ fam’ly!

Applebloom realized she’d put a little too much oomph into the move but Pinkie simply said, “BEST FAMILY TWIRL EVER!”

*CRASH*

Applejack held the scroll Pinkie had shown them, “Ah jus’ cain’t believe we never heard anything `bout this before! Hmm…”

“What’s wrong, sis?” Apple Bloom asked as the rest of the Apples crowded around AJ curiously.

“Ah’m not seein’ where exactly it says wer’ fam’ly,” Applejack answered, only for Pinkie to pop up in the middle and take the scroll.

“It’s riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii” – Pinkie paused for breath before resuming – “iiiiiight… here!”

They followed her (and the scroll) through the house to the very bottom where she was pointing, Midnight picking it up with his long lion-like tail for a better look while Pinkie explained, “Applesauce of the Apple Family lineage is a fourth cousin twice removed from the Pie family!”

“I see the part about Great Grandaunt Applesauce and the part of the fourth cousin twice removed, “Midnight said as he scrutinized the information, “But… that last bit’s kinda smudged over, Pinkie. Are you sure it says ‘Pie’?”

“I guess it is a little smudged…” Pinkie debated, “but I see most of it there, and when I read it” – Pinkie got starry-eyed – “I knew in my heart it was true…!”

“Well, ain’t tha’ jus’ th’ sweetest thing?” Granny Smith said lovingly as she, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, and Twinken gave Pinkie a warm hug.

“It is, yeah, it’s just…” Midnight hesitated while giving Applejack an unsure look.

“Ah jus’ think we shouldn’ get excited till we find out f’sure,” Applejack agreed.

“So how are we supposed to find out for sure?” Twinken asked the million bit question, causing the lot of them to puzzle a moment before…

“Cousin Goldie Delicious!” Granny Smith announced with a tone of eureka! “ Her cabin’s practically an Apple Family history museum! If anypony’s got th’ records t’ back up Pinkie’s theory, it’s her!”

“Well, I suppose we could go and…” Midnight considered, Applejack adding, “Well, Goldie Delicious don’ live tha’ far away…"
“And we haven’t had a family outing recently…” Midnight brought up, noticing the others’ hopeful smiling faces, Pinkie adding her own.

Finally, the two of them nodded to each other before Applejack asked aloud, “Are y’all thinkin’ wha’ Ah’m thinkin’?”

“FAMILY ROAD TRIP!!!” the Apple Family shouted, to Pinkie’s bewilderment.

Later on, big Mac was adding a myriad of stuff to the wagon, helping Apple Bloom and Twinken aboard when they heard Granny Smith call out, “Has anypony seen mah travelin’ bonnet?”

“Isn’t that it on your head?” Twinken pointed out the bonnet Granny Smith had on.

“No!” Granny Smith answered with an undignified look.

“But it looks a lot-” Applebloom tried to say only for Granny Smith to cut her off.

“Well it ain’t! an’ tha’s final!”

The three siblings shrugged at each other when they heard Applejack, “Hey everypony? Quick word?”

They all approached her but she noticed somepony absent, “Wait, where in thunder-ation’s Midnight?”

*FLASH*

“Ohhh…!” Midnight appeared nearby, groaning as he rubbed the base of his horn.

“Oh, Midnight, there ya are,” Applejack raised a brow, “Wha’s wrong wit’ you?”

“Got myself a mystical migraine…” Midnight answered as he came over.

“Wha’s a mystical migraine?” Apple Bloom asked.

“It’s a nasty common ailment we horn-heads get every once in a while,” Midnight sighed in relief as the pain dulled. “It’s a lot like a headache but it only hurts if we use magic, and the more magic we use the worse it hurts! I just Flashed over here from the shop so I wouldn’t be late… you'd think alicorns wouldn't get mystical migraines, but nooo....”

“Well, while Pinkie’s runnin’ a mite late, ah wanted t’ have a quick word wit’ y’all,” Applejack spoke up.

“Ah’ve had sumpin’ in muh teeth this whole time, haven’t Ah?” Granny Smith cursed, “Gadsnickety! Whudda way t’ welcome a new fam’ly member!”

“Uh, no Granny, yer… teeth’re fine,” Applejack rolled her eyes, “Ah jus’ wanted t’ be sure tha’ wer’ all on th’ same page about showin’ Pinkie Pie how awesome a fam’ly we really are. We wan’ her t’ get t’ know th’ family she’s been born into. But like… th’ best version of it, y’know?

“Oh! Pbth,” Granny Smith smiled as she waved off AJ’s concern, “Don’choo worry, honey! We’re a great family an’ she can’t help but see it!”

“Ah bet mah future cutie-mark’s gonna be a picture o’ me bein th’ best behaved pony ever,” Apple Bloom added.

“We’re gonna show her an awesome time, right Big Mac?” Twinken cheered as Big Mac added a basket of apples to the wagon.

“Eeyup.”

“Are y’all ready to go?!”

They looked to see Pinkie arriving, with her saddlebags leaking party confetti, “Cuz I’m ready to go-go-go!!”

Big Mac pointed into the wagon for Pinkie and she threw her bags in, confetti flittering onto Big Mac’s nose that he shook off.

However, for the first time did Applejack and Midnight notice the various odds and ends Big Mac had packed into the wagon.
“Uh, Big Mac, are y’sure we really need all tha’ stuff?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said with a smiling nod.

“Are y’sure yer strong enough t’ pull all tha’ stuff?” Applejack pressed, Big Mac narrowing his eyes.

“Eeyup.”

Midnight however was looking at the wagon, or rather the shape of it.
“Are you sure the wagon’s strong enough to support it all?”

Rolling his eyes, Big Mac growled an annoyed, “Eeyup…!”

Applejack and Midnight shared a concerned look but seeing Pinkie’s excited smile spurred them on.
“Then let’s get this show on th’ road!”

A while later, the Apple Family and their possible-relative were riding along the road, Big Mac pulling it all with no trouble, Midnight trotting alongside him (secretly concerned the wagon’s shape was being pressed enough without him on it). The various odds and ends on the wagon squeaked and clanged oddly rhythmically, that a number started up.

“C’mon Apples! Y’all know this one!” Applejack clapped hooves with Granny Smith, who cheered, “Hot-diggety!”

“Yee… HAW!” Midnight added, Big Mac saying, “Eeyup!”

[Applejack]
We travel th’ road of generations
Joined by a common bond!

[Midnight]
Singing our song `cross the pony nation
From Equestria and beyond!

The girls and Twinken hopped out to trot alongside the stallions, Midnight and Apple Bloom on one side, Applejack and Twinken on the other, Big Mac in the middle.

[Apple Bloom, Midnight, Applejack, and Twinken]
We’re Apples forever
Apples together
We’re family but so much more

No matter what comes we will face the weather
We’re Apples to the core!

[Big Macintosh]
Eeyup!

[Twinken]
There’s no place that I’d rather be (Twinken hopped onto Big Mac’s back with a big smile)
Than traveling with my family (Big Mac and Midnight shared a determined smile and rushed forward)

[Apple Bloom]
Friends all around come to join an’ see (Apple Bloom bobbed her head rhythmically to the music)
As we sing out across th’ land!

[Apple Bloom, Midnight, Granny Smith, Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Twinken]
We’re Apples forever
Apples together
We’re family but so much more

No matter what comes we will face the weather
We’re Apples to the core!

Eeyup!

[Granny Smith]
Wer’ peas in a pod, wer’ thick as thieves
Any cliché you can throw at me

[Big Macinotsh)
Wer’ here for each other through thick an’ thin
Yer always welcome wit’ yer Apple kin, hoo-whee!

[Pinkie Pie]
You’re all fun, you’re all so sweet
Like a game of hoofball or a favorite treat

The love I feel here just can’t be beat
As we party out across the land

[The whole Apple Family]
All right!

We’re Apples forever
Apples together
We’re family but so much more

No matter what comes we will face the weather
We’re Apples to the core!

Eeyup!

*COLLAPSE/CRASH*

“OOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!”

Author's Note

The 'mystical migraine' Midnight gets is to take the magic out of the equation here, otherwise he'd be the answer to all the problems they have

162. Pinkie Apple Pie - Part 2

“GEDDITOFF, GEDDITOFF!!!” Midnight screamed bloody-mary, cringing from the agony of his wing pinned by the collapsed wagon.

Hurrying, Applejack and Macintosh both lifted the wagon, Midnight jerking his wing out and wincing as he held it out, whimpering, “How bad is it…?!”

“Oh quit yer belly-achin’ ya big baby!” Granny Smith grumbled, “C’mere, Ah’ve treated a few pegasus wings in mah time.”

Luckily, among the many – Many! – items Big Mac had packed, they included a first-aid kit and Granny Smith had some experience in treating ponies sick and injured.

While Granny Smith looked at Midnight’s wing, Apple Bloom, Twinken, and Pinkie regarded the mess as Applejack threw a stink eye at her cringing brother, “Big Mac!! Ah thawt y’said-”

She noticed Pinkie looking at them and bit back her bite, “Uh- Not… that Ah’m blamin’ you cuz’… we don’ blame in this family!”

Then she signaled Big Mac to distance from Pinkie while muttering to him, “But Ah that you said this stuff wasn’t gonna be too heavy.”

Big Mac answered by literally getting up in Applejack’s face with his eyes narrowed.

“How’re we gonna get to Goldie Delicious now?” Twinken asked in worry.

“Ah dunno but Ah don’ see how we can go back now either. Wer’ closer t’ Cousin Goldie’s than we are t’ home,” Granny Smith said as she wrapped Midnight’s wing, the big blue baby quivering his lip. She tightened the wrap, Midnight biting back a whimper as Granny Smith said, “Now, it’s just a sprain but Ah don’ want ya flyin’ for a few days, a week t’ be safe.”

“Thank you, Granny Smith…” Midnight shrugged as he carefully folded his wing to his barrel, looking embarrassed. “Sorry for being a drama-prince…”

“Oh don’ you worry none, haystack,” Granny Smith gave him a hug when Pinkie popped up.

“I have the best… idea… ever!” she clapped her hooves and squealed like an excited filly as she stood by the river, “FAMILY RIVER TRIP!!!”

“That sounds like a nice idea, Pinks, except… we don’t have a raft,” Midnight sighed before muttering, “Possibly the one thing Mac didn’t pack…”

This caused the two brothers to glare icicles into each other’s faces when Granny Smith spoke up while stepping up to a tree that for some inexplicable reason had a squirrel stuck to it by something, “Well back in th’ ol’ day we used t’ use th’ sap from a sugar pine tree t’ glue thangs together.”

“Well tha’ is fascinatin’,” Applejack responded unsurely, as she and the rest of her siblings shared some bewildered looks. “Don’ know tha’ it’s helpful but it is fascinatin’.”

“Not helpful, mah patootey,” Granny Smith remarked as she pushed a wheel out of the way, “Wer’ gonna build ourselves raft outta these here jalopy parts and keep it held t’gether wit’ sugar pine sap!”

“Let’s do it, it sounds like fun!” Twinken smiled, liking Granny Smith’s idea.

“Hmm, worth a shot,” Applejack shrugged as her older brothers both smiled in agreement, Pinkie whooping, “Whoo-hoo!”

In no time at all, the family had thrown together a seaworthy (riverworthy?) raft, and Granny Smith smiled proudly to see the sap held. But just to be on the safe side, Applejack and Midnight had both insisted on some vines for extra precaution.
“Huh, could be worse.”

“Now this time, we’re only taking what’s absolutely necessary,” Midnight insisted rather loudly at Big Mac who was just looking the stuff over.

Strangely enough, the stuff Big Mac packed included some life-vests although he'd packed only enough for the others and forgot one for himself, so he opted for few floaties.

“Wait a second!” Pinkie popped out of the pile of stuff and-

*SNAP*

The family all blinked from the sudden camera flash, Pinkie saying, “This one is for the scrapbook!”

Giggling, she pulled out an album from her saddlebag, revealing several photos she’d apparently taken while they’d been on the road and singing. Besides the photos, there were little decorations glued in, like buttons, stickers, etc. The family was honestly surprised because none of them remembered seeing Pinkie take any of these shots, Applejack asking, “Pinkie Pie, when did ya have time t’ make this?”

Pinkie responded first by putting the album away and with a flat look, “Applejack… When you’re family, you make the time!”

The boys couldn’t help but chuckle at Applejack’s expression when Midnight shouted, “Cast off!”

Big Mac pushed the raft from shore, sending them on their way. Thankfully the current did most of the work, the lot of them whooping when Pinkie felt her ears flop and she announced, “Say ‘soaked’!”

The Apple Family looked at her in confusion when they felt the raft drop, and-

*SPLASH/FLASH*

Later on, the family was just cruising and relaxing. AJ kept her hooves on the wheel, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom played checkers, Midnight read a book, Twinken watched the passing scenery, and Pinkie and Macintosh were having some conversation that carried depth.

“…so what you’re saying is, if I have the courage to jump, the parachute will open.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded.

“Whoa…! That’s deep!”

“Eeyup!”

“Uh-oh!”

All eyes turned to Applejack as she turned to them, “Alright, y’all, please tell me tha’ the map din’t get wet, `cause it looks like Ah’m gonna need it right about now!”

They looked ahead to see the river split into a three-way fork. Eyes turned to and fro, looking for that map when Apple Bloom spied it atop the pile, “Found it!” before she started showing off.
"Who’s got th’ map? Ah’ve got th’ map! M t’ th’ A t’ th’, tha’s right, P! Ain’t no other pony tha’ find map like me, Ah’m Apple- Uh-oh!"

Unfortunately, in her showing off, Apple Bloom dropped the map, causing the rolled-up paper to bounce about the rear of the raft and the siblings all scrambled to get it, only to let it slip through their hooves as it fell towards the water, and wind up in the mouth of an errant fish. And before they knew it, an eagle had swooped down, taking the fish, and the map with it, Pinkie snapping the moment while Apple Bloom laughed sheepishly as her siblings all gave her a collective stink eye.

“All ya had t’ do was bring it t’ me,” Applejack said through her teeth while trying to keep her voice low.
“No singing, no dancing, no games!” added a miffed Midnight.

Twinken hissed, “Just had to fork it over!”

“Eeyup!” growled Big Mac.

“Say ‘best siblings ever’!”

At once the Apple Siblings pulled on nervous grins for the camera, Apple Bloom smushed in the middle between AJ and Mac, with Midnight and Twinken on each respective side.

“Ooh! That’s another keeper!” Pinkie squealed, not noticing the moment passed and the siblings again glaring at the filly.

“It’s okay, y’all!” Granny Smith assured, “Ah traveled down this river as a filly an’ Ah know it like th’ back o’ mah hoof!”

“Are y’sure you know which way t’ go?” Applejack asked as they approached the fork.

“Does a junebug like t’ hide in a tree?”

“Uh… Ah don’ know.”

“Well Ah do know, and Ah also know we wanna head southeast,” Granny Smith said as she shoved Applejack over to take the wheel, “Now step aside, young’un!”

As they took the right, Midnight spoke up, “Uh… Granny?”

“Yeah-huh?”

“Are we supposed to go through a… cave?” Midnight pointed it out to them all, as the river led right into a dark and dismal cave, a curtain of moss hanging over the mouth.

“Oh don’ worry, sonny!” Granny Smith waved it off, “Th’ scariest cave in Equestria was down tha’ other way.”

Hearing that, Apple Bloom and Twinken both hugged Big Mac fearfully, “Sc-scariest Cave in Equestria?”

“Oh issa fright aw’right,” Granny Smith said somewhat dramatically with her big ol’ eyes, “filled wit’ creatures that’ll eat ya soon as lookit’cha!”

“Ooh…! Sounds scary… Tell us more!” Pinkie pressed.

“Ponies go in, but they ne’er come out…” Granny Smith said in a spooky voice, the Apple Siblings sharing disturbed looks while Pinkie just clapped her hooves in excitement.

“And… you’re sure it’s not that cave?” Midnight wanted to confirm, “The one we’re headed straight for?”

“Now Midnight, wha’ have Ah told ya `bout questionin’ yer elder ponies?” Granny snapped, but the both of them remembered Pinkie was watching, Midnight chuckling nervously as he patted his grandmother warmly on the shoulder.

“Uh-heh-heh, that it’s… not polite?”

“Alrighty then! Now everypony jus’ sit on back an’ leave th’ steerin’ t’ yer ol’ Granny Smith,” Granny Smith assured in a confident manner.

As the mouth of the cave loomed over them, the Siblings felt the shiver of its shadow once it fell upon them, and they were lost in the darkness.

…

“See now? Told you this was-”

*ROAR*

“AAAAAUUUUGGGGHHH!!!!”
“WHAAUGH!!!”
“EEEEK!!!"

*FLASH*

“Got it!!”

*ROAR/SNARL*
“DAUAHHGH!!!”
"AAARRRRGGHHH!!!!”
"YAAAAUGH!”

“Best scary unidentifiable creature ever!!!”

“WhaAHahAHahAHAHAH!!!"
“AAAAIIEIEE!!”
“GAAAUGHGH!!”

“Say ‘terrified’!!”

“BWAUGHAAAUGHYAUGH!!!!!”

At the other side of the cave, the raft floated out, Pinkie humming merrily, Granny Smith’s eyes widened in shock while the Apple Siblings clutched each other, Big Mac chattering his teeth, his younger brothers and sisters hugging him, Applejack shivering madly, Apple Bloom’s eyes the widest out of them all, Twinken whimpering as he sat on top of Midnight’s head, while Midnight had his eyes covered.

“…Guess tha’ was th’ Scariest Cave in Equestria,” Granny Smith admitted, her grandchildren all suddenly glaring daggers at her. “Dah… O’ course Ah meant t’ take us through it – Unexpected adventure is good for th’ soul.”

“Best Granny wisdom ever!” Pinkie praised, to Granny Smith’s beaming pride as she resumed her hold on the wheel.

“Uh-huh, why don’cha just scooch on over there, Granny?” Applejack gently shoved Granny Smith aside. “Think Ah’ll take it from here on out.”

“Wha- Is tha’ how Ah taught you t’ treat yer elder ponies?!” Granny Smith snapped, trying to take control of the wheel again.

“Ooh! Ooh! Is it?”

“You taught me t’ trust muh common sense,” Applejack said with narrowed eyes but keeping her tone steady to sound reasonable. “An’ mah common sense says, we should get t’ Goldie Delcious’ cabin in one piece!”

“An’ tha’ is exactly wha’ Ah’m gonna do!” Granny Smith started getting ornery and possessive over the wheel.

“Tha’ is mighty generous of you, but Ah think you’ve done enough for one day.”

“An’ how exactly are ya gonna know which way t’ go?”

“Hmmm?” Pinkie inquired, never losing her smile.

“It would be easier if th’ map hadn’t gone overboard,” Applejack threw a stink eye towards Apple Bloom.

“Hey! It wouldn’a gone overboard if Twinken r’ Midnight grabbed it wit’ their magic!” Apple Bloom said in the same accusing tone.

“Maybe we would have, if Big Mac’s over-packing the jalopy hadn’t gotten in the way!” Twinken snubbed.

“Eeyu- Hey!” Big Mac threw a look at Twinken, “Maybe it wouldn’a been in th’ way if somepony had used a spell r’ something t’ keep th’ jalopy from collapsin’!”

“Well excuse me for having an ailment that messes with my magic, mister pony-lamer!” Midnight snapped back.

“Exactly,” Applejack said in a smarmy tone as though everypony had made her case for her. “So Ah think we can all agree tha’ from here on out, Ah should be in charge o’ everything.”

Unfortunately, Applejack’s attempt to put things her way had the opposite effect as all of a sudden, the whole Apple Family started arguing and hoofing the wheel, trying to turn it one way or another until…

*SLIP*

They watched with drooped ears as the wheel sailed overhead into the water well behind them, a duck getting its head stuck in the spokes, and oddly enough another eagle swooping the necessary item away.

All Apples glared daggers at Applejack, making her chuckle awkwardly when Pinkie came to her rescue.
“I just wanna say that I think you’re all super-duper and I can’t wait to make the page in my scrapbook about the amazing waterfall we all went down!”

As if on cue, the roar of a waterfall had their undivided attention. Suddenly there was panic, some of them trying to paddle to shore, others rocking the boat, but the inevitable occurred and they all went over.

And of course, while everypony’s screaming their heads off, Pinkie’s going, “WHEEEEEEE!!!”

And of course, she snapped more photos for the scrapbook.

Midnight managed to regain enough clearheadedness to flare his horn…!

*KER-SPLASH*

To everypony’s bewilderment, they were in one piece and still afloat.

*THUMP*

“Midnight!” Twinken yelled and they looked to see Midnight was out cold as his colt brother worried, “I think he used magic to keep the boat together!”

“Oh fiddlesticks, tha’ sugar pine sap’s what held this thang t’gether,” Granny Smith scoffed, only to eat her words when Pinkie Pie floated down via her balloons.

Because at the barest touch of her hooves…

*CRACK/SPLASH*

The raft split in two, dunking everypony in the drink.

After getting ashore and dried off, the Apple Family walked the rest of the way, groaning from their achy joints, Big Mac dragging the remains of the jalopy, Granny Smith and Midnight on it with the last of the stuff Big Mac had packed.

Only Pinkie retained her cheer, which she did when she announced, “We’re here! We’re here! We made it to Goldie Delicious’s’s’s’s’s!”

She then noticed something on the door, “You guys! There’s a note!”

She then went quiet, her eyes going over the note, giggling a bit, Applejack suggesting the obvious, “Uh, Pinkie Pie? Maybe you could read that out loud?”

“Oh right! Sorry, I haven’t even read it yet, I was just looking at how pretty the paper is!” Pinkie clarified Midnight facehooving irritably.
“OK! It says that she ran off to run some errands but will be home soon. Ah! That’s perfect!”

“Why is that perfect…?” Twinken sighed wearily.

“Because it will give me enough time to get more scrapbook paper!” Pinkie then bounced past them, “Be right back!”

Once Pinkie was out of earshot, Apple Bloom said what everypony was thinking, “Worst family road trip ever.”

“Eeyup…” Big Mac agreed lowly.

“Ah cain’t believe she witnessed our fam’ly fallin’ apart like this,” Applejack felt so ashamed as she looked to her grandmother. “Ah cain’t believe Ah was arguin’ wit’ you so much tha’ Ah tore th’ wheel right off the raft. It’s like I wasn’t mahself at all…”

“Aw, that wasn’t yer fault,” Granny Smith assured, feeling just as low, “Mah stubborn streak got a hold o’ me somethin’ fierce! Should’a let you take th’ wheel long before that.”

“It was mah fault we lost th’ map,” Apple Bloom said sadly.
Twinken shook his head as he began to tear up, “No… I should’ve been quick to grab it before it fell out of the raft.”

“An’ Ah was th’ pony who over-packed th’ jalopy it collapsed an’ hurt yer wing, lil’ brother,” Big Mac said to Midnight. “Ah guess Ah was jus’ so eager t’ please Pinkie.”

“Well, I should’ve taken some remedy to fix my migraine before we ever left,” Midnight admitted with a sigh. “Then maybe all these troubles could’ve been avoided.”

“Everypony, Ah think we have t’ let Pinkie Pie know tha’ even if she does discover she’s an Apple,” Applejack spoke up, “tha’ she does not have t’ feel obliged t’ consider herself one.”

“Sure as applesauce,” Granny Smith agreed dismally.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!”

They all looked to see Pinkie had just returned, with some arts & craft stuff, “You guys are the best family ever!”

“How can ya say that?!” Applejack was incredulous to Pinkie’s words, “We started out as one big unit – Now lookit us…”

“Yeah! Now look at you!” Pinkie pointed out, “You’re all still one big unit, loving each other and owning up to what went wrong! You never gave up, even when things got tough!”

“She does make a good point,” Twinken couldn’t help but smile.
“Eeyup, after all – Wha' fam’ly is perfect?” agreed Big Mac.

“You aren’t just family!” Pinkie went on while giving Applejack a tackling hug, “You’re best friends!! And now I wanna be an Apple more than ever!”

“An’ we want you t’ be one too!” Apple Bloom cheered to Pinkie’s delight.

“Now that’s how y’run an errand!”

They all turned to the sound of the new voice and saw an earth pony mare around Granny Smith’s age coming their way. She had a light amber coat, pale blond mane all curly, she wore a pink shawl held together by a clasp, and saddlebags stuffed with cats. Her cutie-mark was an apple tree.

“Hello…!” Pinkie greeted her.

“Hello, yourself,” responded the old mare kindly.

“You must be Goldie Delicious,” Applejack approached, “nice t’ meet you.”

“An’ who exactly are y’all?” Goldie asked.

“Wer’ Apples!” Pinkie declared with her forelegs raised up.

“Well, we think we’re all Apples," clarified Midnight, "except we need your help figuring out if Pinkie Pie here is our fourth cousin twice removed.”

“Well why din’cha say so? If anypony can solve this genealogical mys’try, it’s me,” Goldie said surely as she stepped up to her door.

For some reason she had a hay of a time getting it open, “Well, huh, sorry about this, Ah… wasn’ exactly expectin’ company. Lemme see if’n Ah can just squeeze…!”

They all flinched as the cats in Goldie’s bags yowled as she literally squeezed through the door,finally getting in.

“All righty then,” Goldie’s voice said from inside, as odds and ends and brick and brac, as well as cats, were being thrown out the door. “Jus’ have t’ move a few things… outta th’ way o’ the door- Ooh! Ah! Get off tha’, Mr. Puppy!

The yowls and hisses and rowers of cats were as disturbing as the pile of junk growing before them.
“C’mon, Pooples, c’mere, sweetheart!”

Finally Goldie stuck her head out, “C’mon in!”

As they walked in, they flinched at the sight before them, Goldie apologizing, “Sorry `bout th’ mess.”

The cabin was so cluttered and packed, it was a wonder anypony could live in there, much less with a questionable amount of cats that included a cheetah!

“Can you say ‘crazy cat lady’?” Midnight muttered to Mac, who, ordinarily would’ve nudged Midnight to remember his manners, but was just as weirded out and so said, “Eeyup…”

“Whoa!” Applejack felt her hooves clatter something and saw it was some old rusty horseshoes.

“Careful now,” Goldie said, “those belonged t’ yer great-great-great uncle Apple Tart.”

“Whose was this?” Apple Bloom pointed out a gingerbread house that looked like somepony had taken a bite out of it.

“Oh tha’ was my lunch… a couple o’ weeks ago,” Goldie admitted as she shooed some of her cats aside and grabbed a HEAVY book. “An’ this here…! It’s th’ complete record of our family tree.”

She propped it up and opened it, “Now, th’ Apple Family didn’t get started till a very long time ago.”

She turned to the first few pages.

“Our first known relative t’ use th’ name ‘Apple’ lived o’er a thousand years ago!” Goldie explained. “His name was Apple Corps, and he din’t start off as a farmer – He first worked as a member o’ Princess Celestia’s Royal Guard.”

“Cool…!” Twinken commented, enthralled by the family history.

“Yes indeed! Apple Corps then met wit’ a poor young mare who’d lost everything, her fam’ly, her home, and had nothin’ to her name," Goldie went on. “Apple Corps took pity on this poor filly an’ dried her tears. Somewhere `long th’ line they fell in love an’ the rest was our history.”

“Wha’ was th’ mare’s name?” asked Applejack.

“Hoo, she was a rare beauty,” Goldie nodded. “Believe it or not, th’ Apple Family actually has crystal pony blood! This mare was from th’ Crystal Empire, an’ was th’ only one to escape before it vanished for all them years!”

Goldie’s words caused Applejack and Big Mac to look in shock towards Midnight, who was also flabbergasted and it was confirmed once Goldie said, “Her name was Autumn Wheat. Now mind you, she was already with foal when she an’ Apple Corps met. Tha’ din’ bother him none, Apple Corps loved Autumn’s child as though she were his own, and their family was even better after they had a colt and gave th’ lil’ filly a baby brother.”

Now they knew. But they didn’t say it as Goldie said, “Oop! Sorry, sugars, got a lil’ sidetracked. Now let’s see...”

They watched as Goldie went through the pages, muttering, “S’not here, or here… Well, it certainly ain’t here… Oh, here it is! …Oh dear.”

“‘Oh dear’? Wha’ is it?” Granny Smith asked.

“Am I not an Apple after all?” Pinkie asked with a fretful heart.

“Well tha’s just it, Ah dunno!” Goldie scrunched her eyes, “Th’ page is all smudged there!”

Pinkie looked for herself and felt her spirits sink for the first time that day.

“Ah sure am sorry, but it seems Ah can’t help you after all,” Goldie said sadly.

“Don’t be sorry,” Pinkie assured even with her dampened spirit, “It’s okay, I’m… just a little disappointed that I’ll never know for sure if I’m a part of this family.”

Applejack narrowed her eyes before stamping her hoof, “Well Ah know f’sure!”

“Whattya mean?! You can’t know,” Pinkie debated.

“I think what AJ means is, that we can know for sure it doesn’t matter what the book says or doesn’t say,” Midnight explained, Applejack nodding as the Apple Family smiled in agreement.

“After all you’ve been through wit’ us, an’ all you put up with,” Applejack said with a firm smile, “it’s obvious yer an’ Apple to the core!”

“Darn-tootin’!”
“Yessiree!”
“We wouldn’t have it any other way!”
“Eeyup!”

Pinkie squealed happily and pulled them all into a group hug.
“Say… ‘best family hug ever’!”

“BEST FAMILY HUG EVER!!!”

*FLASH*

With the final addition to her scrapbook, Pinkie jumped aboard the wagon, to which Big Mac and Midnight were strapped to, Applejack saying, “ Thanks again fer th’ wagon, Goldie! We’ll see ya soon!”

“Eh, y’all sure you don’ wanna take any o’ these Apple family heirlooms home wit’ ya?” Goldie asked, and the ‘heirlooms’ chose a bad time to jumble out the door in a clutter.

The mares and foals in the wagon looked to the stallions who both said, “Nnope!”

And with their mission complete, they started for home while Goldie added a new family photo to the wall in her cabin.

[The Apple Family]
We’re Apples forever
Apples together
We’re family but we’re so much more!

No matter what comes we will face the weather
We’re Apples to the core!

Eeyup!

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac started unloading the wagon with the foals’ help while inside Applejack, Midnight, Granny Smith, and Pinkie had the friendship journal.

“Twilight agreed tha’ this would be worth puttin’ in th’ journal,” Applejack said. “Think Ah’ll write about how bein’ a good family isn’t about bein’ perfect as much as it is about bein’ able t’ get through th’ rough patches t’gether.”

“Like being able to forgive each other for their mistakes,” Midnight added with a nod when Apple Bloom and Twinken came in, the filly saying, “Don’ ferget t’ mention how really good friends can also feel like yer family.”

She demonstrated so by giving Pinkie Pie a hug, Big Mac stepping in with a “Eeyup!”

Applejack almost grabbed the writing quill only for Twinken to get in the way, “I think I should write it. Cheerilee did give me first place for last week’s essay contest.”

“Well Ah have a history o’ excellent story-tellin’,” Granny Smith stepped forward, “Ah should probably- Hey!”

All eyes turned to Big Mac, who had the quill in his mouth, Granny Smith snapping, “Where in th’ haystack do ya think yer goin’ wit’ tha’ there pen?!”

Almost at once the arguing resumed, Midnight groaning as he covered his head with his good wing, Pinkie just giggling, “Lookit me – I’m part of the apple Family too! I’m arguing! Argue-argue-argue! Bicker-bicker!”

Midnight groaned that he flashed out of the house, migraine be damned. A split second of a splitting headache was worth escaping that racket.

Author's Note

I wanted to add something to prove that Midnight and Twinken are indeed related to the Apple Family

Midnight and Twinken are descended from Autumn Wheat, the crystal pony past Midnight helped escape King Sombra, whose child Autumn Wheat was pregnant with.

In this story's universe, Autumn Wheat found a new love in a royal guard named Apple Corps and with Celestia's blessing they started their lives together.

Autumn Wheat gave birth to Sombra's daughter and then to Apple Corps's son.

Therefore, the Apples and Midnight and Twinken share Autumn Wheat as a common ancestor

This also means Sombra is Midnight and Twinken's (several times) great grandfather.

The daughter;s name was Radiant Hope (from the origin story of King Sombra) and the scarf Sombra gave Autumn Wheat became a family heirloom, and midnight got it from his father Ignitus back when he was a young colt (before he regained his memories of his past life)

Midnight is aware of his relation to Sombra but regards him as a mentor and father-figure instead

Twinken is still unaware however

(B'Tween) Midnight Hour

The ticking of the clock was almost mocking as Twinken fidgeted anxiously at his desk. Why did it come to this? Where did he go wrong? Why couldn't he be the bigger pony as he usually is?

"Twinken! Would you please not tap your hoof so loudly?"

Twinken startled and looked to the front of the classroom where Cheerilee was sitting at her desk and had put her novel down to look at her student with a stern look. He then realized not only had he been squirmy on his seat, he'd been tapping his hoof on the floor relentlessly.

"Sorry, Miss Cheerilee..." he apologized, Cheerilee sighing as she bookmarked her novel and stood up.

"Honestly, Twinken, I'm surprised at the behavior you displayed today; it really wasn't like you!"

Twinken's ears splayed backwards as he felt the shame, but also felt his blood boil a little as he reflected on what got him afternoon detention to begin with.

During lunch, he'd been eating with his friends, when a loud yelp and clatter earned everypony's attention, and they saw Dinky Doo had tripped while carrying her paperbag lunch. The bag had ripped open, sending her food all over the ground, dirtying it. It turned out Dinky had been tripped by Diamond Tiara and then Hotshot made a nasty remark to Dinky, saying apparently she had eyesight as bad as her mom's.

That caused Dinky to cry, and it only got worse when Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot all mockingly chanted 'Blank flank' over and over. Twinken didn't know why, but seeing and hearing Dinky cry while those brats bullied her unmerciful filled him with such rage he saw red. As did those bullies when they were enveloped in a red aura and thrown into the nearby garbage can.

Cheerilee managed to determine Twinken had levitated Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot into the garbage can since none of her other unicorn students had such talent in Levitation, plus his red aura, which easily implicated him.

Diamond Tiara threatened to tell her father and have Twinken arrested but Cheerilee talked her down, and then told Twinken to report to her after the school day for afternoon detention.

She'd had Twinken write lines without magic and after writing 'I will not abuse magic' enough to fill five notebook pages, she'd allowed him a break and told him to sit quietly while they waited for his brother.

Twinken was tired, as not only he'd been disallowed to write with magic, Cheerilee had made him take off his manipulation shoes, forcing him to write with his mouth. His neck felt creaky, his pencil had bad chewing marks on it and several times he had to clean off his spit.

"I'm not sorry..." Twinken pouted, much to Cheerilee's disapproval.

"Well, then we have a problem, young colt," she retorted. "Because if I can't trust you not to abuse your magic while at school-"

"Miss Cheerilee."

Student and teacher both looked to the doorway, and there stood Midnight Blaze, whose unreadable gaze was directed at his little brother. Seeing Midnight made Twinken slink down in his seat while Cheerilee cleared her throat.

"Midnight, thank you for coming. I take it Apple Bloom gave you the note?"

"Yes, and I'd like to hear it straight from the colt's mouth," Midnight stated expectantly.

The little colt moaned as both adults looked at him, waiting. Taking a deep breath, he began.
"I... I used my magic to... to levitate Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, an- and Hotshot and I-I-"

Twinken didn't know why he felt like crying, he just felt so confused and angry, and felt like running home, locking his bedroom door, and burying himself under his blanket. Forever.

As the colt struggled to hold back the tears, Midnight sighed, and went over to give his little brother a hug, and finally, Twinken let it out, sobbing into Midnight's chest, Cheerilee sighing as well. Twinken was a good colt and actually one of the best students in his class. However, what he'd done was next to inexcusable.

Midnight gently shushed his little brother, whispering 's'okay, s'okay' to him, until finally Twinken calmed down and Midnight calmly bade him, "Go on."

"I levitated them into a garbage can..." he sniffled, "because they-they tripped Dinky Doo and made her cry!"

Midnight looked to Cheerilee, who nodded, "It's true. But that doesn't excuse his behavior."

Midnight nodded in agreement, and said, "I promise, Cheerilee, I'll straighten Twinken out. If the parents of his classmates complain however, you can direct them towards me..."

The way Midnight said those words with the look on his face, it made Cheerilee think of how foolish those parents would be to complain to Midnight about this situation.

"Thank you for your time, Midnight," Cheerilee nodded to him respectfully, which he mirrored back, and then she looked to Twinken, "and Twinken? I trust this won't happen again."

Twinken nodded guiltily at his teacher but was surprised when she smiled at him and said, "I look forward to seeing you in class again."

"Come on, little brother," Midnight said as he moved for the door, "we have some things to talk about."

At those words, Twinken felt nervous again as he slowly followed Midnight out the door, but right before he went through the doorway...

"Twinken?"

He looked to Cheerilee, who looked to him with concern and sighed, "Good luck."

Rather than encourage him, Cheerilee had unintentionally caused Twinken to worry even more as he hurried to catch up with Midnight.

The entire walk from the schoolhouse to Sweet Apple Acres, Midnight didn't say a thing to Twinken except "Not yet" when Twinken tried to talk to him, and his brother's tone encouraged him not to try again. Once they reached the orchard, Midnight leaped over the fence while Twinken ducked under it and continued to follow Midnight. They went on until they stood at the highest hill in the orchard, where they had the perfect view of all Sweet Apple Acres, as well as a fine view of Ponyville in the distance.

Celestia was already beginning to set the sun, and as Midnight sat down on the hill, Twinken nervously sat beside him. His anxiety continued to fester and he wished Midnight would just yell at him and get it over with. But as he looked up at his brother's face, he was surprised to see a stallion troubled and afraid.

Midnight took a deep breath and began.
"Twinken, I'm very disappointed in you."

"I know..."

"You abused your magic! That is the number one rule I gave you when I started teaching you, but you gave into your anger and disobeyed me! And what's worse, you used it to punish your classmates!"

"I was just trying to stand up to them and help a friend!" Twinken defend himself but his voice was shaky and ashamed.

"I know..." Midnight said in understanding. "But Twinken... You must understand, that you have powerful magic within you... You're a Beta! Things could have been so much worse if your magic had surged. You could have done something that you might not have been able to take back!"

Twinken didn't know how to respond and felt the tears well up again, only to feel a feathery embrace and looked to see Midnight was wing-hugging him.

"Twinken... I know what it's like. You have the power and you think 'why not use it?'"

"No! That wasn't it all!" Twinken cried. "I just wanted to stop them from picking on Dinky! I didn't think of it like that!"

That, at least, made Midnight feel better, and he sighed.
"Alright... Acting in someone's defense is noble. But doing so, out of anger, is dangerous, especially with power like yours. Twinken, you are young and of course you're emotional, and you've still got a lot of growing up to do. But please understand, I have to teach you to have a better control of your magic, but more importantly, you must learn to have a better control of yourself!"

Twinken calmed down a bit, and nodded while wiping the tears away.

"So... from now on, we're going to establish more concrete schedule in your magic lessons," Midnight decided. "Once or twice a week, we will session your magical studies, and hone your skills."

"I think... I'd like that," Twinken looked up to Midnight, who returned the look with a warm smile.

"WER' HOME!" Apple Bloom announced as she and Twinken came back from school.

""Welcome home, dearies," Granny Smith said warmly to her young grandchildren, giving them each a kiss on the forehead, "and Twinken, honey, yer big brother wants t' see ya at his workshop."

"How come?" Twinken asked as she set his saddlebags in their usual place.

"Ah don' rightly know," Granny Smith shrugged, "but he shor made it sound important! So git'along, scoot yer caboose!"

Twinken looked to Apple Bloom, who shrugged, not knowing either, so Twinken sighed, and hurried out the door.

Once he reached the workshop, he noticed the small pipe that served as the smokestack for the stove inside was exhaling a thin but constant stream of smoke. He went up to the door, but it opened before he could knock.

"Come in, little brother."

Twinken entered and saw Midnight at the stove, apparently looking at something before the alicorn's horn flared and the stove made a brief hissing, and Midnight turned to Twinken. The colt saw the stove had been snuffed out but paid it no mind as Midnight asked, "How was school today?"

"It was... different," Twinken admitted, and he explained that Cheerilee had moved him to the front row (likely to keep an eye on him) and oddly Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Hotshot had avoided Twinken and his friends the whole day. Although that didn't stop them from glaring at Twinken.

"Well, at least Cheerilee didn't kick you out of her school," Midnight sighed in relief. "Well then, little brother, we're gonna amp up your magical studies a bit, and Twilight gave me a few suggestions on what to teach you."

Twinken sighed and sat, expecting long lectures, big words, only for Midnight to say, "So let's try a few beginner's elemental spells."

"HUH?!"

"Come on," Midnight stepped out of the workshop, "this'll be more fun outside."

Twinken followed Midnight, a little confused, and once they were standing in the meadow nearby the workshop, Midnight said, "I think I'll start by showing you the very first water spell I learned. Watch..."

Twinken paid attention and watched as Midnight closed his eyes, his horn gently glowed, and he took a deep breath, slow and steady, held it for a moment, and then blew, the inside of his mouth glowing a faint turquoise light as he literally blew a stream of bubbles!

Twinken awed as they shimmered slightly with Midnight's magic and gently floated around them, and rising up, casting gentle beams of colors as the sun shone through them.

"Whoa! So cool...!" Twinken smiled as the bubbles rose and rose until they popped one by one.

"I'm glad you liked it," Midnight smiled with a chuckle, "because Midnight Hour is going to be fun and educational!"

"'Midnight Hour'?" Twinken laughed a little, Midnight shrugging with a slight blush.

"Well... Twilight started doing something similar with the fillies. They call it 'Twilight Time'."

"Oh yeah...!" Twinken remembered before asking, "But... I thought we were gonna-"

"Talk and lecture about advanced magicks and enchantments, detailed histories, and so and so?" Midnight chuckled. "Twinken, I meant what I said the other night. I'm gonna teach you to use your magic more skillfully and more responsibly. But you'll learn better if you enjoy the lessons, and you'll appreciate what I teach you all the more."

"I... understand," Twinken smiled gratefully to his brother, before running up to him and throwing his little hooves around the alicorn's neck, somewhat startling him.
"I love you, big brother...!"

Midnight smiled and wrapped his hooves around the little colt tightly, "I love you too, little brother."

They stayed that way for a short while before Twinken asked, "Do you think you could teach stuff to Rumble and Button Mash?"

"Well, bring them along for our next Midnight Hour, and we'll see."

Author's Note

This chapter kinda came from my wanting to explain how Midnight started his 'Midnight Hour' sessions with the Crusader Colts. Twinken using his magic to punish the bullies in his class was an act of impulse as much as it was to protect a classmate, but that was actually dangerous, which I exemplified through Cheerilee and Midnight

Twinken actually has a lot of magical power and if that power was unleashed in the wrong way bad things could happen (like Twilight when she was a foal at her entrance exam to the School for Gifted Unicorns) but maybe not quite on that level. Even so, something like that could be dangerous, and if Twinken couldn't be trusted not to abuse his magic then he couldn't be permitted to be around his classmates at Cheerilee's schoolhouse.

I drew a little inspiration from "The Lion King" when Mufassa admonished Simba for the elephant graveyard incident whereas the spell he showed Twinken was inspired from Chu's "Slightly Damned" web-comic

163. Rainbow Falls - Part 1

“Alright, you maggots! Listen and listen good!”

It was late-morning in Ponyvile as Midnight wore his cap and whistle and walked in front of the ponies to represent Ponville in the Relay Race event: Rainbow Dash, Bulk Biceps, and Fluttershy.

“We’re all ears,” Fluttershy responded, “Right, everypony?”

“Are you kidding, `Shy?” Rainbow Dash shook her multi-colored mane confidently, “We are so on top of this, eh Bulk Biceps?”

The workout-aholic pegasus stallion was kissing his muscles when Fluttershy’s addressing him got his attention.
“Huh-huh-huh!! I’m all muscles! YEAH!”

“Good attitude, Bulk Biceps,” Rainbow raised a brow and smirk only for Midnight to speak again.

“But it’s gonna take a lot more than muscles and ‘yeah’s to get Ponyvlle into the Equestria Games. You guys are the aerial relay team ergo it’s your job to insure we qualify at the tryouts, and I’m sure I needn’t remind you all how much I-”

Midnight caught himself and noticed the others looking at him, making him clear his throat, “I mean… Ponyville wants to qualify for the games, uh heh…”

“Pbth, are you kidding, Midnight? With me on this team, it’s in the bag,” Rainbow waved it off with a wing.

“Oh yes, I really-really-really want to qualify for Ponyville,” Fluttershy said with sweet hopefulness.

“BRING IT ON!!” Bulk shouted and snorted, looking ready for anything.

“Gimme a ‘P’ for Ponyville!” Pinkie cheered, having popped out of nowhere and garbed in a cheer-leading outfit, with gold and pink ribbons in her mane and tail, waving her pompoms in the team’s faces.
“P… Ponyville!”

“P!!!” Bulk added with a smile, causing Pinkie to fall back from the force of his cheer.

“Oh thanks Pinkie Pie, that was a scar-” Fluttershy caught herself before correcting, “Uh… great cheer!”

“Just make sure you have one ready for when we qualify for the Aerial Relay,” Rainbow bragged.
“AND AFTER THAT, FOR WHEN WE WIN GOLD MEDALS AT THE EQUESTRIA GAMES!!” Bulk butted in.

“Okay, now can we-” Midnight tried to say as he wanted to get things back on track when they heard:

“Not so fast!”

They looked down the path to see her strapped to a wagonful of pastries, coming their way with a helpful smile, “If yer gonna be good, yer gonna be better with some o’ mah Apple Brown Bettys in yer bellies! They’re perfect.”

The team couldn’t deny the bettys looked quite delicious, when Pinkie popped out of them, yelling, “‘P’ for perfect!”

Midnight sighed as they all started snacking. Groaning impatiently, he yelled, “Relay Team, fall in!”

Startled by the harsh whistle that followed, the team dropped their bettys and hurried to stand in line in front of their coach.
“It’s time you all showed me what’cha got! Put some bend into those knees, flap those wings!”

Midnight flapped his own wings to get aloft, forcing his relay team to gaze up at his authority, “And I wanna see all four hooves off the ground at the count of three!”

Putting on their game faces, the team waited for Midnight to give the count, which he did rather quickly after a smirk, “1-2-3-GO!!!”

Unsurprisingly, Rainbow streaked up in a technicolored pillar that quickly faded while Fluttershy and Bulk weren’t exactly as quick, Fluttershy did okay, but Bulk Biceps’ beefy body strained his teeny wings a great deal that he grunted and growled with unrelenting effort just to get to Fluttershy’s level in altitude.

“Don’t forget to flap and breathe!” Midnight reminded and quickly regretted it as, for some reason, the moment Bulk exhaled he lost concentration in maintaining the rate of his flapping. As he went down, he frantically dragged Fluttershy down with him and Fluttershy 'eep'd as she quickly grabbed Midnight's tail-

“OOF!!”

Bulk accidentally belly-flopped on top of Midnight, Fluttershy’s front half trapped under his foreleg, her rear hooves flailing upwards. Rainbow Dash hovered just above them when Pinkie popped up, “P is for…”

“Psst,” Rainbow got Pinkie’s attention and shook no while Midnight just sighed.

At their house, Blueblood were having breakfast, Blueblood sipping his morning coffee as he looked over his morning paper.

“Mail-call!”

He looked to see the front door had opened to let in his roommate, Soarin, as the boisterous pegasus ambled in, having just returned from his morning flight. In his workout shirt was stowed a few envelopes as he came in and shook off the remaining adrenaline.

“Ah, Soarin, good workout?” inquired Blueblood with an amused raised brow while he levitated a plate of eggs, toast, and hay-bacon for his friend as Soarin sat down and slapped the mail onto the table.

“You know it, thanks,” Soarin scarfed down a few strips of hay-bacon before asking, “What’s on that rag that’s so interesting?”

“Oh, just skimming the real estate section,” Blueblood shrugged, “Since I plan to get more serious in my relationship with Rarity, I’m wondering if she would consider moving out of her boutique into a house with me.”

“Whoa-ho! That’s kind of a big next step, Blue, a house?” Soarin sipped some orange juice before looking at the mail.

“Well what about you?” Blueblood gave his roommate a teasing look. “How far have you taken it with Miss Rainbow Dash?”

“Huh... “ Soarin felt some of his enthusiasm deflate. “Honestly, Blue? … I’m wondering that myself.”

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to rub any salt into a wound,” Blueblood felt concerned by Soarin’s tone.

“Oh it’s not bad! It’s… I dunno,” Soarin shrugged. “It just feels like Dash isn’t all that serious about it, and I get that she’s reluctant about ‘mushy stuff’ an’ all but-”

He stopped talking when he noticed among the postage an envelope bearing the official seal of the Wonderbolts and opened it.

“Yes?” Blueblood said to pro him along, only for Soarin to raise a fore-feather as if to say ‘just a minute’ as he read the message and Blueblood saw Soarin slowly become crestfallen.

The next day, at the Ponyville Train Station platform, Team Ponyville was preparing to leave for the tryouts, their coach, Midnight calling, “Alright, alright! Everypony on board! C’mon, c’mon, we haven’t got all day! Remember, this is our- Er! I mean… Your moment!”

As the team clambered on, Midnight muttered, “Stupid ‘no alicorns’ rule…”

“Hey coach!”

He looked to see Rainbow land in front of him, looking her confident self.
“Ready to blow some minds?”

“I will be when the whole team’s on board,” Midnight huffed.

“BTW, have you seen Soarin? I gotta tell ya, Midnight, I am stoked to be trying out for the games with Soarin!” Rainbow bounced on her rear hooves and threw some mock punches with her forehooves, her eyes narrowed with cockiness.

Her words however caused Midnight to look at her in confusion that made way for realization, She doesn’t know!

Then he said aloud, “Uh… Rainbow? About Soarin…”

“Yeah? What about Soarin?” Rainbow got down on all four hooves, not really noticing Midnight’s hesitant words.

“Well… y’see, he’s…” Midnight hated to rain on Rainbow’s parade when he saw his salvation fly down, “right-behind-you-see-ya-on-board!”

Rainbow was a little weirded out by Midnight’s quick exit but turned to see Soarin, saddlebags strapped to his barrel, an apologetic smile on his face.
“Soar!”

She went over and gave him a warm hug before doing her mock-punching the air thing again, “You ready to get your game on?! We’re gonna blow the competition away! Heh-heh, geddit? Blow? `Cause we’re pegasi?”

“Uh, heh-heh, yeah… good one, Dashie,” Soarin chuckled hesitantly and finally Rainbow noticed an odd lack of oomph in her Soarin.

“Soarin, what’s up? I thought you’d be psyched!”

“Uh, Dashie…? I’m not playing on Team Ponyville,” Soarin said sadly as he pulled out the message he got. “I got this summons from Spitfire - I’m to report to her once we arrive at Rainbow Falls; I’m flying for the Wonderbolts, who’re gonna represent Cloudsdale in the games…”

Rainbow was stunned. She’d been up late last night, so excited to be on the same team as Soarin, that she’d almost not gotten a wink of sleep! She’d imagined it, the both of them, stepping into the arena, the roar of the crowd cheering their names, the both of them would set the record for the fastest relay team in Equestria Games history!

“...No… big, Soar,” Rainbow forced herself to hide her disappointment. Maybe if she acted like it was no big deal, Soarin wouldn’t feel as bad.
“You’re still a Wonderbolt, so… You have an obligation to your team, I totally understand.”

“...Really?” Soarin looked surprised by how well Rainbow seemed to be taking this, and for a split second Rainbow couldn’t sworn she’d seen a flicker of disappointment in Soarin’s eyes.
“Well then… good luck to you, Dashie. And may the best flyer win.”

“You know it,” Rainbow and Soarin both spat on their hooves and bro-hoofed, and Soarin watched sadly as Rainbow boarded the train, feeling hurt.

She doesn’t care…? Soarin sighed morosely and boarded, deaf to his Ponyville friends as he went ahead to the cart in front of theirs.

Taking a seat, Soarin watched the passing scenery, feeling hurt. Seeing the foliage blur past until the flurry of motion became unbearable to even hi pegasus eyes. So he looked forward, his gaze falling upon a particular tree growing near the train tracks. He followed the tree, watching it slowly approach before it whisked by his window almost faster than his eyes could perceive, before gradually fading into the distance behind him.

Sighing, Soarin wondered, Was that life? One could look forward or back but the present moment moved quicker than one liked, preventing one from enjoying all there was to enjoy in the moment. Maybe it was, from time to time, and yet time stood still for nopony, and all one could do was live as best as one could before the moment was gone.

“Hey Soar!”

Soarin looked up to see, “Oh! Hey Thunder, Helia…”

Thunderlane was with his teammate, Helia, a light opal-coated pegasus with a golden mane, and a cutie-mark that was a raining cloud. Which was weird, because one time Soarin swore she’d had a sunflower for a cutie-mark. The both of them were a part of Team Ponyville’s Air Sprinters, but right now the both of them looked at the Wonderbolt with concern in their eyes.

“Are you okay, Soarin?” Helia asked. “I heard that you have to compete for Cloudsdale.”

“Bummer, I was excited to see you and Dash clean up on the Aerial Relay event!” Thunderlane sighed.

“I was too but… that’s not… what’s got the wind out from under my wings,” Soarin slumped in his seat.
“Dash… was like it was no big deal when I told her at the train station! We’d been looking forward to this for weeks and when it turns out it can’t happen she’s all ‘no big’?!”

“Huh, y’know that doesn’t sound like Dash to me,” Thunderlane considered, rubbing his chin with his forefeathers.

“Well, maybe she was just being understanding, Soarin,” Helia assured. “Nopony holds it against you; we understand your obligation to the Wonderbolts.”

“That’s what she said…” Soarin grumped, ignoring the stifled chuckle from Thunderlane while Helia elbowed him in the barrel for being crude.

Author's Note

Since I'm shipping SoarinDash, I felt this would be a good way to peer into the condition of their relationship

164. Rainbow Falls - Part 2

Before long, the train arrived at its destination, the town of Rainbow Falls! Famously named for its most obvious attraction, literal falls of rainbows falling pouring from the clouds! It was also this year’s location for the Equestria Games tryouts, so this year the town was packed with aspiring athletes, their teammates, game officials, and more tourists than the locals were accustomed to. It was a beautiful place indeed, where the rainbow falls became streams that fed into canals curving through town, calling for the need of a few bridges that only added to the town’s charm.

As everypony disembarked the train, Midnight made sure to speak with Soarin, “I honestly would rather have you on Team Ponyville than against it, but… I understand the commitment you made, Soar.”

Sighing in response, Soarin replied a tad testy-like, “I wonder if Rainbow understands commitment…”

Before Midnight could ask what the Wonderbolt meant, Soarin took flight to find his team, before remembering he had a team to coach.
“Alright, everypony! Follow me, we gotta check in with the game officials before heading for the tryouts.”

After signing up Team Ponyville, Midnight ordered the rest of the team to report to the tryouts of the events they were aiming for while he escorted the Relay team to theirs.

The tryouts for the relay event was being held on a field at the foot of the cliff upon which Rainbow Falls was built on. As they walked among their competition, Team Ponyville couldn’t help but notice their would-be rivals were beginning to notice them.

“That’s Rainbow Dash! She’s an awesome flyer!”

“I heard she’s flying third for her team in the aerial relay, which means everypony’s gonna have to be way ahead to beat her!”

“Forget Rainbow Dash, check out their coach! It’s Prince Midnight Blaze!”

“I heard he wanted to be on the team rather than coaching it.”

“Except the game officials said his being an alicorn and a prince would make it unfair to the rest of the competition.”

Almost immediately, the gossiping rivals all felt a chill run up their spines and they flinched to see Midnight slowly but surely look their way with a rather annoyed look. A look where his eyes were narrowed and glowing pure white-hot, that it made them all gulp nervously.

“Uh… I think he heard you…”

*KAPWING*

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Midnight muttered irritably while Applejack and Fluttershy set up their shade. He hated gossip! The very word felt disgusting in his mouth.

Alas it did not stop as a new topic of interest made itself known with a thunderous CRACK and whistling WHOOSH overhead, and everypony looked up to see…

“The Wonderbolts!”

“I hear they’re flying for Cloudsdale.”

“Then Cloudsdale will definitely qualify, they’re the best flyers ever!”

Rainbow Dash looked for herself and was unsurprised to see the very best of the best among the Wonderbolts, streak overhead. Spitfire was obvious, as well as Fleetfoot, but the `Bolt she had her eyes on was her Soarin.
Mmm….! He looks so hot in uniform!

The `Bolts came down for a graceful perfect two-point landing, Spitfire smirking, “And the game is on!”

“Nice to see there’s some competition here,” Soarin commented but didn’t exactly sound psyched and for some reason not looking in Rainbow’s general direction.

“Two more days of practice, and we’ll see you in the air, Rainbow Dash!” Fleetfoot said to the rainbow-maned pegasus as the three of them took their leave. But Fleetfoot made sure to add a cocky, “If you’re lucky!”

But as they walked away, Spitfire couldn’t help but feel Soarin wasn’t exactly his usual friendly self. Rather he’d been curt, which was odd since they’d just stopped to say hello to their favorite aspiring Wonderbolt who also happened to be his girlfriend.

“Uh, Soar? Everything okay?” Spitfire asked. “You didn’t say much to Dash.”

“Well we’re on different teams,” Soarin answered in a tone that implied that was all there was to it, but Spitfire wasn’t so sure.

“In any case, we gotta be in peak condition! Which means you gotta give it a hundred-and-ten percent.”

“Huh?!” Soarin was a little baffled by Spitfire’s words, especially after she poked him in the barrel.

“Honestly, Soar, how many apple pies do you eat in Ponyville?” Spitfire commented, Soarin pushing her hoof away.

“Well… maybe my suit feels just a bit tighter than I remember,” Soarin admitted hesitantly.

Flapping over his relay team, Midnight edged up the brim of his cap as he gazed down on them sternly, “Now, I’m sure I needn’t remind you all of what our goal is here?”

“Uh…” Bulk hesitated, “Maybe?”

“We want to qualify!” Rainbow exasperated, Midnight nodding.

“Exactly! We gotta be one of the four quickest teams to make it to the finish line. Bulk Biceps, you’re up first! So get flapping.”

Bulk flapped his teeny wings almost quicker than a hummingbird, the poor things working hard to lift the oversized beefcake they were attached to. Narrowing his eyes impatiently, Midnight blew his whistle rather harshly, provoking Bulk to get moving. It certainly wasn’t easy for him, given the loud groans of effort he was making as he floated towards the hoop-topped poles when-

*SPLAT*

Something brown and pastry-ish smacked him in the chin, making him lose his concentration and fall. Rainbow flying up to investigate, only to almost get smacked too.
“What the?!”

“Sorry!”

They all looked to Applejack, who was standing near her wagon full of apple brown bettys. She looked over her shoulder, saying, “Got th’ idear from them, but…”

They looked and saw a couple of mares next to tiny catapults, launching some kind of pastries into the air, and-

*ZOOM/CHOMP*

From out of nowhere, the pastries vanished into the mouths of Spitfire and Fleetfoot, who hadn’t even slowed down to insure they’d catch the pastries. Their timing and pace were perfect!

“Looks like they got better aim,” Applejack commented lamely.

“Focus! The passing of the baton must be seamless," snapped Midnight as he held something in his hoof. He flapped over to Bulk Biceps, who’d just gotten his second wind and managed to get in the air again, the prince/coach saying, “You shouldn’t miss a wingbeat or lose so much as a hair in altitude! But most important of all…”

He snagged Bulk’s hoof - “Don’t let go of it!” - and placed the baton over Bulk’s manipulation shoe before waving over Fluttershy and getting out of the way.

As she flapped closer, Fluttershy asked, “Are you really-really-really sure you’re ready? I mean, I don’t wanna take it if you’re not super-sure…”

“READY!” Bulk said after only a moment of hesitation and held out his hoof, shaking as he split his concentration between maintaining altitude and keeping his hoof steady for Fluttershy to take the baton.

Midnight and Rainbow watched with relief to see Fluttershy successfully take the baton… only for that relief to fly out the window when she fumbled and dropped it. When it plopped onto the ground, it was enveloped in Rarity’s aura a she tsk-tsk’d how dusty it was, “Ponyville can do so much better. I’ll be back with a freshly-painted one in no time.”

“We were using that!!” snapped an angry Rainbow Dash, whose words fell on deaf ears as Rarity trotted off.

“Relax, Dash,” Midnight sighed, “it’s not like anypony else has color-coordinated horseshoes.”

A loud clacking sound got their attention and they looked just in time to see the horseshoe on Fleetfoot’s hoof was painted the gold and blue of the Wonderbolts, having just received it from Spitfire.

Midnight facehooved when he heard Rainbow sigh, “I guess some ponies do....”

He looked down and saw Rainbow had landed and did so himself, saying, “It’s not a big deal!”

“It will be when Ponyville doesn’t qualify…” Rainbow Dash walked away, her spirits falling, when Midnight had an idea!

He looked over to the Wonderbolts’ area of practice and was glad to see Soarin had just started practicing a maneuver. Levitating his whistle to his lips, he gave a shrill alert before calling, “Relay team, fall in!”

Rainbow was quicker while Fluttershy and Bulk frantically hurried up. As his relay team stood before him expectantly, Midnight gave them a once-over before smirking, “Follow me.”

They did so, following Midnight towards the Wonderbolts, seeing the trainers with Spitfire and Fleetfoot, the former getting a massage while the latter was freshening up with her water bottled. Overhead, they saw Soarin flying, the other trainers watching closely.

“It goes without saying,” Midnight said to his relay team, “that the Wonderbolts are among the very best of the best of the best, the most elite flyers today! I should know, given I once trained under a Wonderbolt captain.”

“You?!” Rainbow Dash gaped at Midnight incredulously, as he smirked and nodded. “Midnight you just might have become one of my personal heroes.”

“And perhaps the rest of you…” Midnight eyed Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps who flinched as they stood straight, “can learn something by watching some pros in action.”

“C’MON Soarin!”

They all looked to see Fleetfoot looking up at Soarin as he flew about while she got irritable, “Pick up the pace! You can do better than that!”

“I sure hope so…” Spitfire commented with rolling eyes as she got her massage.

“Would you two nags just shut up and lemme concen-” Soarin snapped from above but having split his focus between sniping at the nags below and flying, he suddenly felt his wing smack painfully against something and send him for a loop.
“TRAAAAAAAAAAATE….!!!!”

Everypony below gasped as Soarin had struck against one of the suspended rings and was spiraling out of control before he began to go down.
“HEEEELLLLPP!!!”

“SOARIN!!!” Rainbow zoomed up and quickly swooped up Soarin in the nick of time. “Gotcha!”

With her boyfriend on her back, Rainbow gently landed, Soarin sliding off when they both noticed his wing! It mostly had its feathers ruffled but the wing-joint itself didn’t look right. Before either of them could say anything, they found themselves rushed and surrounded by their respective teammates, all expressing relief, cheering for Dash, and so on.

“As good as any Wonderbolt,” Spitfire commented to her old student, Rainbow Dash beaming when she heard Fluttershy.

“Oh Rainbow Dash, I’m so proud of you! You scooped Soarin out of the sky, got him safely to the ground, and now he’s okay! Or… I think he’s okay.”

She faced him, asking in concern, “Are you okay, Soarin?”

Soarin slowly tried moving his wing and winced when he'd flexed the joint somewhat, “Well, uh… my wing does hurt…”

Just hearing that was enough for Spitfire and Fleetfoot to drop their jaws, that Soarin hurriedly assured, “But, uh- I’m sure it’ll be okay in time for the competition!”

“Medic!” Midnight called the medical team over, a stallion pulling over a wheeled gurney with a hospital cross on his uniform and on the gurney itself.

Rainbow helped Soarin onto the gurney, promising, “After you get your wing looked at, I’ll come check on you, okay?”

Seeing real concern in his girlfriend’s eyes, Soarin actually felt a little relieved that he smiled, “You’re the best, Dashie. Ohhh... “

Everypony watched as the medic took Soarin away so they didn’t see Bulk zoom up beside Rainbow Dash, shouting, “P IS FOR RAINBOW DASH!!”

The suddenness had startled Rainbow while Midnight facehooved, muttering, “Illiterate meathead…”

Fluttershy flapped up so she could whisper to Bulk, “Um actually, Rainbow Dash starts with an ‘R’.”

Bulk realized his goof, and exclaimed, “Never mind!”

Rainbow Dash then looked to Spitfire and Fleetfoot, “Tough break to lose a teammate before the tryouts even begin!”

Spitfire and Fleetfoot shared a devious look and slipped on their shades, Fleetfoot saying, “Y’know… you grew up in Cloudsdale…”

Spitfire added, “So you could fly with us.”

“Fly?” Rainbow Dash echoed, the two Wonderbolts fidgeting a bit before Fleetfoot clarified in a rather oily manner.

“We mean practice! As in, you could practice with us until Soarin’s better.”

“Whattya say?” Spitfire knew Rainbow well enough, that the very idea of training alongside the Wonderbolts rather than under them was too sweet an opportunity to pass up.
“Wanna be our third?”

“Uh, I dunno…” Rainbow hesitated. Boy did the rainbow-maned renegade feel conflicted.

Since the very first Wonderbolts show her dad took her to back when she was a filly, she’d wanted nothing more than to fly with the very best of the best because she knew one day that’s what she was gonna be, the best! Peering over her shoulder, she saw her teammates standing by while her coach seemed to be discussing something with Rarity.

Her sense of loyalty felt uncomfortable with the offer Spitfire and Fleetfoot were giving her, “My team… kinda needs me to be at the top of my game for us to qualify. Don’t wanna be too worn out by the time the race comes.”

“We put you through some pretty intense workouts back at the Wonderbolts Academy,” Spitfire reminded her old student, as the proverbial fish seemed hesitant to take the bait.
“And you handled those just fine!”

Her ego stroked, Rainbow smirked, “I did kick some major tail at the Academy, but… I don’t know how my teammates would feel about me practicing with the competition…”

“Who says they need to know?” Fleetfoot grabbed Rainbow’s cheeks, “Think about it, Rainbow Dash - This is your chance to fly with the winners!”

Rainbow considered it while giving her team another look, seeing Fluttershy smile at a butterfly fluttering in her face while Bulk was showing off his pecs in a rather disturbing way that words failed to describe. Seeing the finish line up floating above the practice field, something in Rainbow helped her make up her mind.
“Alright, I’m in!”

“Heh, wise decision, Rainbow Dash,” Spitfire smirked in satisfaction as she led Rainbow over to their trainers.

165. Rainbow Falls - Part 3

Midnight and Thunderlane gently opened the ward door and popped their heads in. Soarin was propped up in bed with bandages covering his wing, staring up at the ceiling with a blank look. Hearing hooves on the floor, he looked up at his visitors and gave a smile.

"Hey guys, thanks for visiting. I was getting kinda bored over here."

"No problem Soarin, you're our friend, we wanted to make sure you were okay.” Midnight replied as he and Thunderlane approached Soarin, each taking a seat next to his bed.
“The others are pretty busy at the moment, but they'll all come round when they get a chance. How are you feeling?"

"Well, despite the bandages, not too bad really. Personally I think I could probably fly the race tomorrow, but Spitfire and Fleetfoot said they want me to rest and make sure. They were really insistent, to be honest. I kinda figured they'd be pushing more to make sure I'm fixed and back on the field as quickly as possible. Aside from qualifying for the Games, Spitfire didn't really seem to pleased I've been slacking off from training during my time in Ponyville." the wounded pegasus gave a sheepish glance at his stomach. Although Soarin stuck to his exercise routine and had maintained his general physical fitness, his love of Apple Family apple pies was starting to show.

"Well we hope you get better soon. It's a real shame you're flying with the Wonderbolts and not Ponyville. I wish I could enter into more than one event or I'd join them." Thunderlane replied with a nod. Neither pegasi heard Midnight mumble about alicorn racism and not being able to compete under his breath.

"By the way, Midnight, how is Ponyville doing training-wise?" Soarin asked curiously. “You seemed to be pushing them pretty hard earlier."

Thunderlane looked a little nervous at the question while Midnight seemed to lose a little luster as he sighed.

"Well they're slowly improving. Fluttershy is trying her best, though her low wing power and her lack of athletic prowess isn't helping her much. Truth be told I really hope she doesn't figure out that should the team qualify, there will be thousands of ponies watching her at the Games. Bulk Biceps has strength and determination surely, but his over-sized musculature and his teeny wings are making it hard to gain any speed or maintain himself well in the air. Still he is pushing himself hard to get the best time he can. Rainbow is definitely our saving grace, though she keeps running off for drinks of water or to grab food during training. Really weird because she seems more occupied watching what the Wonderbolts are doing then sticking with the team training."

Soarin gave a nod before speaking again, though this time more to himself, "Well, I hope she finds the time to come see me at some point. She sounds busy but I would really love to see her. Besides, maybe she could speak to Spitfire and Fleetfoot for me, convince them I'll be fine for the competition and get them to stop worrying. They probably can't even practice properly without me right now."

While Midnight agreed an odd expression came over Thunderlane, but before Soarin could question it, a nurse entered the room.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but I need to replace Soarin's bandages now and take another assessment of the damage. You're both welcome to come visit again later though."

Midnight and Thunderlane both nodded and said their goodbyes to Soarin, promising to visit again with more friends later. As they headed back out towards the training grounds though, Thunderlane spoke up.

"Hey Midnight, something Soarin just said caught my attention. He said the Wonderbolts wanted him to stay in bed and get better, but he seemed pretty worried that his absence would hinder their training. Earlier though I saw them practicing out by the hoops with no issues at all. I thought I saw another pegasus with them, but I was too occupied with my track-training to really look."

Midnight stopped for a moment to process that. At the mention of another pegasus, he suddenly recalled Rainbow's recent behavior, and a disturbing thought crossed his mind, spurring his brows to furrow.

"Something does seem odd about that, Thunderlane. In fact, I think it might be worth looking into. especially if a certain Ponyville pegasus has been doing a little sneaking about..."

Rainbow wiped her brow and gave Spitfire and Fleetfoot a wave as she descended towards a nearby lake, her new silver Wonderbolts race suit shimmering in the sunlight. The last few hours had been awesome, sneaking away from the Ponyville team whenever she could so she could fly with her idols. She did her best to help the Ponyville team, but compared to the Wonderbolts, Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps just weren't progressing anywhere fast. Even Rainbow's boundless optimism was starting to dwindle, along with her hopes that Ponyville would be able to qualify. The Wonderbolts though, they were just amazing. Loops and twirls and speed! They were the perfect flyers, and they wanted her to fly with them. It was so cool!

Rainbow ducked beneath a tree and hid her new flight suit so as to not arouse suspicion from Midnight and the rest of the team. Though with Midnight as focused as he was, she doubted he would notice she was practicing with the competition.

[Flashback]

Bulk Biceps flew as hard and fast as he could, only to suddenly get stuck in the hoop he needed to pass through. As Midnight just facehooved on the ground, Rainbow gentled fluttered away towards the Wonderbolts.

"Hey Midnight I'm just gonna..."

*CRASH*

"Ah damn.” Midnight facehooved as he flapped over to Bulk. “You okay Bulk... you do know you're crushing Fluttershy right?... No don't sit down again ugh…”

Midnight didn't even see Rainbow leave.

[Flashback]

Fluttershy daintily nibbled at her apple brown betty while Bulk Biceps scoffed as many as he could into his mouth. Only one remained on the plate, but when offered to Rainbow, she just politely shook her head and rubbed her tummy. Bulk just shrugged and started bouncing the pastry on his muscles, much to Midnight’s annoyance.

"Focus Bulk. Stop playing with your food and get your head in the game."

Rainbow dashed off as Midnight swiped the muffin from Bulk Bicep's arm and gave him an annoyed look.

[Flashback]
Midnight took one look at Rarity's 'flightsuits' and just about had an aneurysm yet managed to maintain a stoic outlook as he approached, his horn flaring.

“Wrong." He grabbed a hold of the Fluttershy and Bulk's flower headbands.

"Wrong!" He swiped the necklaces and loose flowers.

"WRONG." he said with a tone low yet intense as he ripped both the suits off the ponies and started stamping them into the ground in a rather comical way. As Fluttershy and Bulk covered themselves to protect their modesty (once again forgetting they were generally always naked) Rarity strutted over in rage.

"Midnight stop this at once! I worked hard on those!" she protested in indignation when Midnight gave her a hard look.

"Rarity, you are supposed to be designing athletic uniforms, not dresses for a dance recital! If we- I mean... they try to fly in those get-ups, the wind resistance alone will make it virtually impossible to finish the race in the designated time. I know you like to get creative but we need to be practical here."

As Rarity considered Midnight's harsh but honest criticisms of her odd flight suits, Rainbow tippy-hooved away to the Wonderbolts.

[Flashbacks end]

"Heh-heh, he is way too busy worrying about everything. There's no way he noticed I'm gone." Rainbow chuckled to herself before taking a gulp of water from the pond.

"Oh I wouldn’t say that..."

Water sprayed everywhere as Rainbow did a massive spit-take. Nervously she turned around to see an unamused Midnight leaning against a tree while looking at her with his hooves crossed and a frown on his muzzle.

"Uh hey Midnight.... what are you doing here?" she asked tapping her hooves together nervously.

"Oh nothing really. Just curious as to why you were ditching out on practice so much. I figured maybe you were just distracted or something because of Soarin being hurt. Instead I find you're just trying to hide the fact that you've replaced him."

Midnight's displeased tone made her feel like a filly that had just been caught breaking the rules by her parents.

"I'm not replacing Soarin, I'm just helping the Bolts practice without him. I'm still helping Ponyville practice too, it's just..."

"You'd rather fly with the pros then with the ones who actually need you, despite them being your friends and pushing themselves well outside their comfort zones to represent the town they love."

Rainbow's ears drooped and she slumped down. Midnight looked her over for a moment before giving a sigh and placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Rainbow look at me."

Slowly she did as Midnight took a moment to find the right words before taking a deep breath.

"Rainbow, you're a grown mare and I can’t tell you what to do... but before you decide who you wanna fly with, there are some things you need to know. First off, I want you to think hard about Fluttershy and Bulk Biceps. Now we all know they aren't the greatest flyers in the world, and what's more, they both know it. Bulk beefed up to get strong enough to try and compensate for his tiny wings that he has actually hindered himself even more in the air then he would have before, and for a stallion as big and strong as that to have such tiny wings has earned him a great deal of ridicule over his life. Yet here he is out in the open, pushing himself hard to make sure Ponyville makes it to the Games.

“Fluttershy on the other hoof has been your friend since you were fillies. You know the difficulty she has flying, and even more, you know how much she hates drawing attention to herself. There will be hundreds of ponies at the qualification race watching her fly, and should we make it, she'll have thousands watching her at the Games! Yet here she is pushing herself as hard as she can to ignore her social anxieties so that she can help Ponyville. I know flying with the Wonderbolts is your dream but this team need you right now far more than the `Bolts do."

Hearing his words ate at Rainbow. Here she was thinking of just how awesome it was flying with the winners instead of the… non-winners that weren’t doing as well, instead of seeing just how hard Bulk and Fluttershy were pushing themselves. Before she could think further on their efforts, Midnight continued.

"On a side-note, I would also like to make a point of asking, why you haven't gone to see Soarin yet?"

This one caught Rainbow off guard, "Well... Spitfire and Fleetfoot told me that he needed his rest and that I should see him later."

"Rainbow, Spitfire and Fleetfoot don't get to decide for you when it is or isn't okay to see your boyfriend. Soarin is sitting in that hospital room right now, alone and hurt and missing you. He needs his rest, sure, but I know he wants you there far more. I really think you should stop and take a look at things here, because right now you seem to be prioritizing flying over Soarin, and I know you aren't the type of pony to be shallow like that."

Rainbow froze up at his words and almost felt the sensation of tears behind her eyes. He was right! Soarin was her boyfriend and he needed her, far more than the Wonderbolts needed her practicing with them.

"Look Rainbow, like I said, I'm not the boss of you, you can do what you like, but don't let flying with the Wonderbolts blind you from everything else going on. There are more important things than fame and athletics."

With that, he gave her a sad smile and headed back towards the training grounds. Rainbow thought over his words. He was right, As fun as flying with the `Bolts was, they didn't need her like Ponyville did, and definitely not like Soarin did.

However before she could spread her wings and take off for the hospital, two wing-beats behind her made her pause. She turned to find Spitfire and Fleetfoot landing, each with a proud smirk on their faces.

"Rainbow Dash, you got a minute?"

Rainbow was confused, but she nodded and trotted forwards, "Sure."

As she stood in front of them, Fleetfoot stepped forward, her smirk turning into a strong smile, "We think you could be a huge asset to the team Rainbow, so Spitfire and I have been talking and we want you to join the Cloudsdale team... permanently."

Rainbow looked surprised, but before she could say anything, Spitfire looped a hoof around her shoulder and continued, "It doesn't look like Soarin's wing is going to heal in time for the competition, so we want you to fly with us."

Fleetfoot then looped her own arm around Rainbow, "Of course, this means you won't be able to fly with Ponyville, but let's face it, even with you on their team, the chances of them qualifying are pretty slim..."

She nodded her head towards Bulk Biceps and Fluttershy who were practicing passing the golden hoof. Fluttershy tried to pass it to Bulk Bicep's hoof, but she closed her eyes and instead punched him in the face with it. Bulk lost control of his wings and dropped to the ground before giving Fluttershy a hurt look and trotting away, with the yellow pegasus flying after him to apologize.

"So what's it gonna be?" Spitfire and Fleetfoot backed off a little, but the smiles they both had seemed to indicate they knew which choice Rainbow should make.

Despite all that she and Midnight had talked about, Rainbow felt a sense of wonder fill her. The Wonderbolts wanted her! The idols she adored since she was a filly wanted her to be with them!

Still doubt crossed her face as Rainbow realized she would have to choose between flying with her idols, and staying with Ponyville to help her friends. But more than that. She would be stealing Soarin's spot from him. Soarin had seemed excited to be in competition with her earlier, and yet if she went through with this, she would be taking his spot and leaving him on nopony’s team.

As these feeling conflicted inside her, the only response Rainbow could give was, "Um... well..."

Spitfire and Fleetfoot decided not to push her, so with a final, "Just think about it", they were off, leaving Rainbow alone to ponder.

Guilt and doubt flooded through her, fighting against her desires. Should she fly with the Wonderbolts and take her boyfriend's place, or be with her friends but leave the Wonderbolt's without a flyer due to Soarin being unable to compete? She looked up to see Midnight in the distance giving her another look before moving towards Bulk and Fluttershy, who were once again fumbling about with the horseshoe baton. Rainbow couldn't tell whether he was disappointed with her, or just wanting her to choose what she thought was right. With a sigh, the rainbow maned Pegasus slumped down on the ground to try and figure out what to do.

This wasn't going to be easy.

The race was tomorrow so Rainbow had to choose soon. Sighing, she decided, “I’m gonna go see Soarin…”

166. Rainbow Falls - Part 4

After getting the room number at the reception’s desk, Rainbow approached it and knocked.

“Come in!” answered the voice of her boyfriend and she entered.

She saw Soarin lying in bed, his wing wrapped up as he read a Daring Do novel and quickly put it down while his face lit up at the sight of her.
“Dashie! Oh, I’m really happy to see you.”

“Hey Soar…” Rainbow said shamefully as she came over and surprised Soarin with a warm hug, which he was all-too happy to return. When they let go, Rainbow looked down guiltily.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to see you sooner.”

“It’s okay,” Soarin shrugged, “Midnight and Thunder came by yesterday. It’s cool to have great friends like them.”

“Well I’m sure Spitfire and Fleetfoot are concerned for you too,” Dash assured as she pulled up a chair to sit at Soarin’s bedside.

“Well, they… haven’t been by to visit me,” Soarin answered, sounding a tad hurt before he added with a bit of optimism, “Too busy practicing, I guess.”

“Well, hopefully your wing will be better soon,” Rainbow assured, about to bring up why she’d come to visit but Soarin replied quicker.

“Oh it’s fine,” he said as he waved the wrapped wing a bit, “I’m just keeping it warm in case my team wants me back.”

“Whattya mean, want you back?” Rainbow asked, not understanding. “Spitfire and Fleetfoot told me you were still too injured to fly!”

“And they told me they were worried I wouldn’t be a hundred-percent by the tryouts,” Soarin added as it began to dawn on them both. “So they were going with somepony else instead…”

“Soarin…”

He looked at Rainbow and was confused to see her tearing up, ”That somepony else… was me!”

Soarin was shocked, to say the least as it all finally came together. Spitfire and Fleetfoot had deliberately lied to him and his girlfriend to sway her into replacing him and knocking Ponyville out in the process!

“Dashie…”

Rainbow looked up at Soarin as he looked at her but not really looking at her.
“Do you remember the stuff we talked about back at the Galloping Gala?”

Rainbow was confused for a moment before she searched her memories and remembered.
“You said… you only became a Wonderbolt to please your dad, and… it wasn’t what you’d really wanted to begin with.”

“Rainbow Dash, ever since I moved to Ponyville,” Soarin explained, “I’ve honestly been happier since all the time I’ve been with the Wonderbolts or even in Cloudsdale where you and I grew up. I’ve had real friends rather than colleagues and teammates, I’m getting close to finishing my degree, but what matters most to me… is you!”

“Me?!” Rainbow was surprised but felt herself blush at the way Soarin looked at her but she saw something else.

“Rainbow, we’ve been dating for a while, but… it hasn’t felt serious!” Soarin went on, his words laced with feelings hurt. “Back at the train station when I told you I had to fly with the Wonderbolts, you just shrugged it off and said you understood. I didn't say anything but… you hurt my feelings! Like I didn’t matter to you as much as coming out on top at the tryouts! Rainbow… If I’m just not the stallion you’re looking for, I understand, and…”

“Stop right there!”

Soarin looked at Rainbow Dash, whose expression was apologetic and serious.
“Soarin, I’m so sorry… I should’ve been more sensitive, but really? I was upset, but… I thought showing it would make you feel guilty! Look… I’m still kinda new to this relationship business and I might still be a little… reluctant about the mushy stuff. But I have never considered this relationship between us to be just a fling! I really do care about you Soarin, and I’m sorry if I haven’t made that clear.”

Seeing and hearing the sincerity in his mare’s words, Soarin smiled and held out his arms and Rainbow answered with another hug, and even nuzzled Soarin under the chin. When they let go, they both shared a look as Rainbow came to a realization and stated, “I think it’s time the both of us had a word with Spitfire and Fleetfoot…”

The rainbow-maned pegasus and her coltfriend walked with expressions unreadable towards the Wonderbolts, Spitfire and Fleetfoot wetting their whistles when they saw their potential-recruit and the teammate they’d been looking to replace. For some reason, the both of them felt a shiver run up their spines.

“Uh, Rainbow! Soarin…” Spitfire welcomed them awkwardly.
“We take it you have something to say?” asked an equally shaky Fleetfoot.

“Yes we do,” Rainbow said before waving Team Ponyville over. “Everypony, I’ve got a confession to make - I’ve been ditching my team to train with the Wonderbolts because… well, part of it was because it felt like a dream come true to train with them, the other?”

Rainbow sighed in shame, “Because I felt they stood a better chance of winning. But then I realized I had to choose, Ponyville or Cloudsdale.”

“Oh Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy spoke up in understanding, “We all know how much you enjoy winning, and you have every right to choose which team you want to be a part of. Which ever you choose, we will respect your decision.”

Rainbow smiled at her filly-hood friend in gratitude before announcing, “I’ve made up my mind - I know now which team I should be loyal to.”

“Good choice, Dash,” Spitfire assumed arrogantly, Fleetfoot smirking as her captain commented, “Always stick with the winners.”

“I am sticking with the winners,” Rainbow Dash said before pointing to ,” Ponyville!”

Spitfire and Fleetfoot were stunned while Rainbows friends all smiled, Midnight nodding proudly at his friend’s loyalty as she stood with them
“Because it’s not just where I live, it’s where my friends are, the ponies who really care about me, and that makes them winners in my book.”

Team Ponyville cheered and whooped for Rainbow, proud of and honored by her loyalty.

“Are you sure that’s the right decision?” Spitfire asked with an incredulous tone, only to get Rainbow up in her face, with a look most cross on her own.

“You lied to me about Soarin’s wing just so you can get a better flyer! Not only that, you lied to him so he wouldn’t try to come back to training, and you even told me not to see him so we wouldn’t figure out what you were doing!”

Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked nervously at Soarin, who gave them a real stink-eye while crossing his forelegs.

“You may be a winning team,” Rainbow added, “but you’re still not the kind of team I wanna be a part of.”

“...Huh. Rainbow Dash, you are something,” Spitfire said respectfully while sharing a smile with Fleetfoot. “Saw it at the academy, seeing it here. We could learn a lot from a competitor like you.”

“Think we already have,” Fleetfoot added.

Nodding at Fleetfoot’s words, Spitfire then walked up to Soarin, “Ready to fly?”

“...No.” Soarin answered in a tone that was final and inarguable, and totally unexpected!

“Wha- You- NO?!” Fleetfoot was aghast, Spitfire shocked.

“Now, Soarin, jus- Just hold on!!” she pressed, “We should never have tried to replace you to begin with-”

“This isn’t the first time you’ve put your own interests before others,” Soarin spoke, his voice and expression saying he was going to talk and Spitfire and Fleetfoot were going to listen.
“Back before the Gala, when you put everyone through an unreasonable training regime that we didn’t have time for our own lives, back at the academy, when you encouraged a reckless and self-serving cadet who put others at risk to come out on top, and here… I joined the Wonderbolts because I was pleasing my father, but as time went on, especially after my time in Ponyville…”

Soarin looked to Team Ponyville, all of them listening and stunned by Soarin’s behavior.

“I see now that we were never friends, Spitfire, none of you!” Soarin narrowed his eyes at Spitfire and Fleetfoot. “All you’ve ever cared about is winning and coming out on top. And I can’t be a part of that anymore…

“As of today, I quit the Wonderbolts. For good.”

“You can’t do that!!” Fleetfoot yelled, when Midnight stepped forward, his expression stoic.

“As a Prince of Equestria, I hereby ratify and accept Sergeant Soarin’s resignation from the Wonderbolts and thus he is freed from any military services and obligations. He is granted an honorable discharge and all included benefits, and has my personal recommendation to any occupation he pursues hereafter.”

Soarin smiled gratefully at Midnight when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and he looked to see the concerned rose eyes of his fillyfriend.
“Soarin…. are you sure?”

“...Angel, I’ve never been more sure in my entire life,” Soarin said with a cocky grin before planting a kiss on Rainbow, much to her surprise. But she couldn't deny she liked it as she also returned the kiss.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy blushed while Rarity and Applejack both got wide-eyed but approved, Bulk Biceps doing another of his “YEAH”s, while Midnight smiled proudly.

Spitfire and Fleetfoot were stunned when Soarin added, “I know who my real friends are… Go PONYVILLE!”

Taking Rainbow’s hoof, he spread his wings and flapped them both skyward, Rainbow calling, “Come on, Relay Team! We got a race to win!”

The next day, at the tryouts, Spitfire had just passed the finish line, earning Cloudsdale their spot in the Games.

After Soarin had quit, and with Midnight’s royal approval of his resignation, she’d been forced to call on her brother, Rapid Fire. Rapid Fire was a fine flyer, and thanks to his filling in for the now ex-Wonderbolt Soarin, they’d qualified. But Spitfire knew she’d lost a good teammate.

With Cloudsdale done, it was now time for the next team to try for their mark.

“Come on, Ponyville!” Soarin cheered with his friends, Pinkie, Rarity, Thunderlane, Applejack, Helia, and of course Midnight Blaze, all of them waving Ponyville flags or pompoms as they cheered for their relay team.
“You can do it!”

Each flyer got into position and waited for the official’s signal… and they were off!

Bulk was first, the decision based on getting him out of the way first as the best course of action, from slowest to fastest. His training had paid off, and Bulk managed to slip through the hoop rear-hooves first, and pass the baton to Fluttershy… who almost dropped it!

But, no, thank goodness, he caught it and carried on, Bulk wheezing and collapsing in exhaustion.

“Go Fluttershy!” Midnight cheered, watching proudly as Fluttershy focused entirely on the task at hoof, gracefully flying through the hoops. But they were running out of time!

Fluttershy finally passed the baton to Rainbow Dash and- WHOOSH!

“Qualify Ponyville! Qualify Ponyville!” cheered the Cloudsdale cheerleaders in good sportsmanship, Pinkie hopping onto their outstretched hooves, confetti bursting as she whooped!
“GO RAINBOW DASH!!!

WHOOSH! ZIP! SHOOM!

She was a rainbow streak almost imperceptible as she gave it her all and….!!!

SOARED through the finish line right in the nick of time, as the official timed it, and announced, “Ponyville qualifies!”

Everypony cheered and Soarin was the first to hug Rainbow, followed by Fluttershy and Bulk, before the four of them gazed down at all their supporters, smiling proudly. They’d done it! Team Ponyville was among the five who would compete in the Aerial Relay race in the Equestria Games, as the official levitated and and awarded all the racers their qualification ribbons.

Rainbow felt a tap on her shoulder and looked to see it was Spitfire, who proudly placed a Wonderbolt pin on her ribbon, and nodded to her in respect before taking flight with Fleetfoot and Rapid Fire.

“YEAH!” Bulk shouted, and this time it was echoed, “YEAH!” by the rest of the team, as they all came over and got into the group-shoot, Soarin and Rainbow standing together with loving smiles when Rainbow noticed the proud smile Midnight was giving her beneath rainbow colored sweatband he was wearing
“Equestria Games here we come!”

And the photographer snapped a keeper.

As everypony started getting ready to go home, Midnight excused himself from his friends and went to Spitfire’s room in the hotel. Answering his knocks, Spitfire was surprised to see, “Prince Midnight!”

She saluted, Midnight entering with a stoic look, “At ease.”

“Um… Your Majesty… I want to-” Spitfire began to apologize, but Midnight interrupted.

“This... is a black mark, Captain,” he said in a low tone, “a black mark indeed.”

“Sir?”

“Disorderly conduct, dishonesty, interfering and attempted sabotage of another team,” Midnight listed off, “such actions merit the Wonderbolts’ disqualification from the Equestria Games…”

“Your Majesty, please-”

“And what a scandal it would be, were it somehow slipped that the prestigious Captain Spitfire, admired and respected by many, was the reason Cloudsdale would lose their representation in the most honored and esteemed sporting event in the nation... But I’m not going to disqualify you, Captain.”

“Sir?” Spitfire didn’t understand as Midnight gave her a look with brows furrowed.

“Part of the reason is because I can’t,” he admitted. “I am the coach of Team Ponyville, thus to use my power to disqualify another team would be seen as biased, unethical, and unfair. However, this has not prevented me from filing a report to the Wonderbolts Administrative Office! I hope your failed scheming was worth it, Spitfire. If you’re lucky, we’ll still see you in the Games, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you were put on probation for you actions. A worst-case scenario would be a demotion and losing your position as the Captain of the Wonderbolts to the next in line."

Spitfire was in a cold sweat and noticed Midnight leaving but pausing before stepping out the door and saying without looking at the disgruntled captain, “I trained under your grandfather, Spitfire… He would be ashamed of you.”

And without another word, Midnight left Spitfire to brood.

Author's Note

I did it before but no it's for real - Soarin is no longer a Wonderbolt.

And i wrote Spitfire getting reprimanded because it's what I really felt about her in that episode, and Fleetfoot was a little sleazy in my opinion.

So, I replaced Soarin with the Wonderbolt Rapid Fire so they'd still have enough racers, and I even threw in Rapid Fire and Spitfire being siblings for the heck of it.

A couple readers asked if Soarin would earn his own Element in this and I did consider it - Ultimately, I chose not to, because this was Rainbow Dash's episode, where she remembered the meaning of Loyalty.

So no, Soarin doesn't get his element just yet, but he will, as will the rest of the guys.

167. Three's a Crowd - Part 1

One fine late morning, Twilight was setting up the display of new books she’d received.
“How’s it looking, Spike?”

“Hmm, almost…” Spike was holding up his thumb and fore-claws in a framing gesture, looking through them as he scrutinized the display Twilight was setting up, “just a bit more to the left…”

*SLAM*

“Yaugh!” Twilight lost her concentration and the book she’d been levitating over her pyramid-styled display fell, causing the whole thing to collapse.

“He’s coming, he’s coming!”

Twilight suddenly found herself in Midnight’s hooves as he flapped about, smiling like a schoolcolt. Huffing, she Flashed out of his grip, much to his surprise, and saw her giving him a look.
“Who’s coming? And it better be somepony important, I almost had that-”

“I just got his answer from Ditzy!” Midnight levitated a letter bearing the Imperial Seal of the Crystal Empire. “Shining Armor’s coming to Ponyville to hang out!”

“What?!” Twilight snatched it from Midnight’s aura, the both of them shuddering the split-second their auras mixed, and read the letter herself. “Wha… Why you though? Why wouldn’t he wanna spend time with me?”

“Read the back,” Midnight instructed.

Twilight turned the letter over and read the P.S.

“‘P.S., Twily, Cadance also wanted me to invite you to the empire because she’s found an old tome of what appears to be a spellbook for Crystal magic written by Prince Sombra himself. Except it’s written in a foreign dialect of Old Equine the Crystal Ponies once used, and is confident you can translate it.’ Ooh…!”

Midnight smiled, knowing Twilight couldn’t pass up a chance to translate so prized book of magic, but she still looked a bit hurt.
“But… Why is he coming to hang out with you?”

“Don’t you remember, Twi?” Midnight said as he gestured over to a reading table, Twilight asking Spike to bring out refreshments. “Shining Armor and I have been friends since before you were born. He was the only friend I got to keep after I became an alicorn and Princess Celestia made everypony in Canterlot who knew me forget me.”

“I... understand,” Twilight said with a small smile, and Midnight smiled back, sensing she did, coming over to give her a nuzzle.

“Ugh, not in front of the minor dragon!”

They startled as Spike coming over, holding a platter with a pitcher of lemonade, glasses, and a plate of cookies. As they began their snack, Midnight brought up, “And don’t forget, Twi! This’ll be a good chance for you and Cadance to spend some quality-time together!”

“We really haven;t had much time to just enjoy each other;s company lately,” Twilight conceded, a smile pulling at her cheeks.

“And I cannot wait for when Shining Armor arrives for… Hee-hee! The ‘Ogres & Oubliettes’ convention happening right here in Ponyville!” Midnight was geeking out and Twilight’s face went blank as memories came back.

Memories of her brother and Midnight playing the dorky game, and it only got worse when Midnight started spewing facts about that game, like his character being a level-fifty-three ranger equipped with an elemental bow that increased magic capability, along with a ring of restoration that regenerated hit-points, but she couldn’t help but smile when he said, “This is the best news ever!”

*Knock-knock*

They all looked to the door as in walked Fluttershy, “Um, pardon me for dropping in like this, but… I’m so excited I just couldn’t wait to tell somepony!”

She took the message she was carrying under her wing out, allowing Twilight to take it, as she explained, “The Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures has given me permission to observe the rarest, tiniest, most adorable magical creatures in all of Equestria - The Breezies!”

“Ugh, those little pests?” Midnight scoffed, earning him an elbow in the barrel from Twilight who gave him a sharp ‘shush’.

“Wow Fluttershy, that’s fantastic!”

“Oh it’s not just fantastic,” Fluttershy said while flapping, “It just might be… the best news ever!”

*CRASH/SMUSH*

Everypony startled as something a very familiar shade of pink broke the door down on poor Spike and tackled Fluttershy, both Midnight and Twilight flinching at the following CRASH. Pinkie hopped up off of Fluttershy with a random Pinkie announcement, as was the daily custom.

“I just got the most incredible mail anypony’s ever received in all of recorded pony postal history!” She lifted with her tail, “It’s a flyer about a one-day sale on used patio furniture- AUGH! Could this day get any better, Whoo-hoo!”

“Why would you want used patio furniture?” Midnight sighed but couldn’t help but smile along with Twilight, Fluttershy, and Spike.

That afternoon, at the train station, some of the friends were seeing Fluttershy off before her train left.

“Here’s a compass I enchanted in case you get turned around,” Blueblood levitated the tool into Fluttershy’s saddlebag.

“An’ Ah packed you a basket o’ nice fresh apples in case ya get hungry,” Applejack offered, placing the basket in front of Fluttershy.

“Have a great time,” Twilight bade, straightening Fluttershy’s hat.

“Oh I will, and I hope you have a fun time at the Crystal Empire,” Fluttershy replied when the train whistle sounded.

“All aboard!” called the conductor who waited till everypony who was going had boarded, checked his watch, and then closed the doors.

Fluttershy made sure to go to the end-car to wave everypony as her train pulled out, “Goodbye! Goodbye everypony!”

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie chased after the train, to everypony’s bewilderment.

“Whattya think shes gonna do, race that thing?”Midnight cracked.

“I’LL NEVER FORGET YOU!!!”

“Nope, just be dramatic,” Soarin corrected, spurring a laugh from the rest.

“Oh I am stoked for Shining Armor’s visit!” Midnight smiled.
“And I can’t wait to see Cadance at the empire,” Twilight smiled as well.

“I just hope Shining Armor’s visit doesn’t spiral out of control,” Midnight sighed.

“Why would it?” asked a Pinkie that just returned with a red balloon.

“It’s just been a real long time we've had a chance to just hang out,” Midnight answered. “The last few times we saw each other, some big event or problem was going on.”

“I seem to recall you once explaining your work in covert operations, is that what you’re referring to?” Blueblood brought up.

“Exactly! Shining Armor and I haven’t had a chance to just enjoy being friends again,” Midnight clarified, “which is why I want for this visit to be just us having some brony time together.”

“What’cha got in mind?” Soarin asked.

“That!” Midnight pointed to a poster and everypony looked as he explained, “Today is the day the ‘Ogres & Oubliettes’ convention is being hosted in Ponyville! Shining and I can spend the whole day hanging out with other players, playing a few rounds, and maybe even getting our hooves on some rare game pieces!”

“Hmm, I remember playing that game myself,” Blueblood commented, “but clockwork and gyroscopes were more my speed. But whatever floats your cloud.”

“Not to mention they’ll have some of the first maps and dice pieces from the original version of the game!” Midnight smiled as he looked at the poster like a fan-colt.

Soarin chose to have that moment for a gag-effect, Blueblood giving him a disapproving raised brow, Soarin chuckling, “Sorry, thought I smelled something… dorky?!

“Well, if it’s something you’ll both enjoy, I say go for it, my good stallion,” Blueblood encouraged.

“Yup, definitely sounds like you two’ll have some real brony time t’gether,” agreed Applejack.

“I hope you both have a great time, Midnight,” Twilight gave her stallion a peck on the cheek, making him smile at her.

A train whistle caught their attention and they all looked in awe at the train coming in. It obviously came from the Crystal Empire, not just because it was flying the Empire’s flag but also because it too was made from crystal. Which might have been a design flaw as it stepped on its breaks, sounding like nails on a chalkboard as it came in. A fanfare sounded, a couple Crystal Guards stepping out before out came Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard, Prince of Equestria, and Emperor of the Crystal Empire.

Twilight smiled but Midnight stepped forward first. Shining Armor was a little taller than Midnight, his wings primary feathers colored a similar way to his mane of various shades of blue. he wore no crown or helmet or anything, opting for simple nudity although his coat was beginning to develop the famous crystal-ly glisten of the crystal ponies.

Both alicorn stallions shared a stoic look before saluting each other and speaking, “To Equestria I pledge my life along to everypony! To safeguard all from fear and strife, alongside my best brony!”

They both laughed and bro-hoofed, Twilight saying, “Big brother!”

“Twily!” Shining Armor took his little sister into a warm hug, with his arm and both his wings. Then, to everypony’s confusion, he started scrutinizing Twilight as though she were a butterfly in a glass case.

“What?” Twilight asked the million-bit question.

Then Shining Armor looked to Midnight, “Nothing appears to be amiss. It seems you’re taking good care of my LSBFF.”

“I trust you’re satisfied, Captain?” Midnight gave a sarcastic salute, when Twilight wrested free of her brother with an indignant smile, everypony laughing at the princes’ little joke.

“You two are such dorks!” Twilight snapped in a teasing tone. But then she gave a pouty lip towards her brother. “But you’re so mean, Shiny! Visiting somepony else and not me!”

“Oh Twily…” Shining Armor wasn’t falling for it. “Should I call mom? Tell her her little filly needs her dolly?”

“Oh you!” Twilight shoved him, Shining Armor and Midnight laughing and their friends laughing Twilight knew they just teasing her back but made sure they didn’t see her smile.

But then Shining Armor said, “You should get going, Twi. The train here will take you to the Crystal Empire, and Cadance is expecting you for tea.”

“Alrighty then,” Twilight levitated on her saddlebags and gave Midnight another kiss. “I’ll see you tonight or tomorrow.”

“Go have fun unraveling ancient mysteries and secrets,” Midnight nuzzled her before nudging her forward, the two guards bowing as Princess Twilight boarded, her friends all saying goodbye and wishing her a good time.

The two princes began to leave, Shining Armor saying, “So what kind of stuff do they have at this convention?”

“All kinds, tournaments, the latest game strategies and game pieces, and some of the rarest,” Midnight explained before remembering something.
“Gimme a second!”

He went over to his friends, “Uh, guys?”

“Not to worry, Midnight,” Blueblood assured, “we’ll make certain that nothing untoward interferes with your day with Shining Armor.”

“Go on, have a hootenanny wit’ yer hombre,” Applejack waved him off.

“I’m so lucky to have such awesome friends,” Midnight gave Blueblood a hoof-bump before leaving, “Shining, wait up!”

As the friends watched the princes leave, Pinkie sighed, “Two best buddies hanging out, and I’m gonna make nothing spoils their day!”

At that moment however an odd whistling sound heralded the approach of some blue spinny thing headed their way.

“Wha’ is tha’ thing?” Applejack was bewildered.
“Whatever it is… DUCK!” Blueblood cried out and took cover.

They heeded his advice, except Pinkie who missed the meaning, “Bluey, that doesn’t look anything like a duck!”

Blueblood placed his hoof on top of Pinkie’s head and pushed her downwards in the nick of time as the strange object sailed over them and… *CRASH*

They looked and saw whatever it was had crashed into the tree next to the train platform. As they approached, Soarin asked, “What in Haydes is that thing?!”

There was a groaning sniffle in response, “Not ‘what’, honey. ‘Who’!”

“Uh-oh, that sounds like…!” Soarin said fearfully.

“Ah… Ah! AH-CHOOO!!!”

The tree’s leaves burned away in a burst of blue fire, revealing the source of the voice to be…

“ERIS!!!”

Author's Note

Since I R63'd Discord into Eris I decided to replace Twilight and Cadance with Midnight and Shining Armor

168. Three's a Crowd - Part 2

The draconequus sniffled as she laid about the branches of the tree like a wet noodle, but for some reason, her fur, scales, hair, horns, even her wings were all blue!

“Wha’ in tarnation are you doin’ here?” Applejack interrogated, “An’ why th’ jumpin’ june bugs are ya blue?”

“She’s not Blue, I’m Blue!” Blueblood protested while Soarin flapped up towards Eris.

“Whatever color you are is the color of trouble!” Soarin gave the draconequus a suspicious stink-eye.

“Oh Soarin sweetie, I’ve changed, remember?” Eris whined as she slid down the tree like a coiling snake. “All thanks to that darling dear, F-Fl- Fluttershy- AH-CHOO!”

The others took cover and noticed a nearby house float away, Applejack commenting, “What are ya, sick `r somthin’?”

“Well obviously, I’m sick, miss obvious!” Eris huffed while flicking her oddly-attractive mane back. “What clued you in, the blue complexion or the sneezing? Ooh! Could somebody find me… a fainting couch?”

“Fresh out,” Blueblood remarked, so Pinkie Pie pushed over a pile of luggage, Eris floating down onto it.

“Oh, thank you, honey. Oh! I’m sneezin’, wheezin’, I’m helpless!” Eris said with sad eyes that could’ve rivaled Apple Bloom’s were they coming from a smaller creature.

“If you’re so under the weather, why don’t you just stay home and rest up?” Soarin asked, only to get sneezed at.

*HOOOONNNKK*

“I can’t be left unattended in this condition!” Ers bemoaned as her tissue flapped away like a bat, much to the suspicion of Applejack's given the rise of her brow,

“Why I hardly can lift a spoon…” Eris whined as she pathetically held a spoon, wore an icepack, and had a thermometer in her mouth before toppling over, the others rolling their eyes.
“So I’m looking for that sweet little slice of spongecake Fluttershy, hoping she’d nurse me back to health. So where is that warm dab o’ butter?” - She lifted Pinkie to look under her - “I need attention!” - Then she ripped the tree out of the ground to look under it - “I need care!” - She put it back - “I need-”

“To take a chill-pill,” Soarin interrupted, “Flutters just got out of town.”

“Oh! Yes, that's right,” Eris facepawed, “Her trip to see the breezies, forgot that was today…”

“How do you know `bout her trip?” Applejack asked in suspicion.

“Well she told me, in her last letter, sugar!” Eris pulled out a rolled up message from her mane and showed it to them.

“You and Fluttershy write each other letters?” Pinkie looked flabbergasted.

“Is that so surprising between two girl friends, honey?” Eris chuckled as she poofed on a hospital gown that did nothing to complement her sizeable caboose.
“But of all times for me to get sick, it had to be when she’s not here! Thankfully, I have a solution.”

“Awesome,” Soarin pushed Eris onto the train platform, “Head on home, put your feet in warm water, surely you can brew up some tea or something.”

But as Soarin turned to rejoin his friends-

“Oh I don’t think so, honey!” Eris waved her finger with `tude, standing right back where she was before. “I mean, while Fluttershy’s out, y’all can see to my every need!

“Ain’t that what friends are for, taking care of each other?” She popped up between Applejack and Blueblood, pulling them into a hug before she sprouted another pair of arms to include Pinkie and Soarin.
“Whoo! Let the healin’ begin!”

“NOT IT!”

And Soarin zoomed off with speed that would’ve made his Rainbow proud of him.

“Hmph! How do ya like tha- Ahh! Ah-CHOO!” Eris sneezed onto a lamppost, causing it to stand up and walk away.

“Don’choo worry, Eris! I’ll give you cuddles and read you stories and tell you alllllllll about me! I was born on a Tuesday-”

“Oh-hoo! You’re so sweet, sugar-pie-”

“Pinkie Pie! Sugar Pie’s my cousin-”

“But Blueblood and Applejack already volunteered to be my personal caregivers,” Eris declared, much to the aforementioned ponies’ chagrins.

“WHAT?!”

“I’m sure you understand, Pinkie dear,” Eris spoke, Pinkie piping up,” Well it’s just that I-”

Eris held out a pretty red balloon, which earned the party pony’s complete and undivided attention as it floated away with her in hopping tow.
“Hey! Who keeps throwing away these perfectly good balloons?”

“Tha’ hussy’s up t’ somethin’,” Applejack whispered to Blueblood, “an’ whatever it is, wer’ gon’ keep it as far away from Midnight an’ Shinin’ Armor as possible.”

They both looked at Eris, who was lying in a bed, looking pathetic as a heart monitor beeped a steady tone.

“Agreed, we swore to allow nothing to interfere in their visit,” Blueblood concurred, not noticing the tree behind them turn blue until it was too late.
“I just wish that ‘nothing’ would’ve been something less… chaotic.”

“Did my ears deceive me or were you two just talking about Prince Shining Armor visiting with Prince Midnight…?”

They both startled to see the tree morphed into Eris, Applejack shrewdly replying, “...Maybe.”

“Fluttershy did mention them princeys were spending a little guy time together today,” Eris brought up. “How nice for them, given how little time they get to spend together and just enjoy the other’s company. I wonder just how close they could really be…? All those years Midnight worked in secret before being allowed to walk about unmasked?”

“They’re plenty close,” Applejack commented, neither her nor Blueblood liking Eris’ manner.

“Well, regardless, this opportunity together will surely help them bond all the more. Unless…”

“You can stop right there!” Blueblood said in his most authoritative voice, “They are not to be disturbed!”

“Disturb them?! Perish the thought, dear,” Eris waved it off as she lifted them both in a hug before dropping them unceremoniously. “After all I’ve already got two dandies like y’all given me all the TLC I need. And so selfless too!”

As Applejack and Blueblood sat up, throwing stink eyes at Eris, “This flu of mine is quite- c- Ah- AH-CHOO!”

They both grimaced in disgust as Eris finished, “Contagious.”

And no sooner did she say so did Applejack and Blueblood’s orange and white coats turn the same shade of blue as Eris, and they both sniffled and blew sneezes so forceful they crashed into a nearby pile of luggage.

“Oopsies! I got you both sick! Whomever shall I turn to now in my time of need? Who indeed…” Eris sneered deviously as she formed the finger pyramid of evil contemplation.

“A whole day to hang out and play a timeless favorite, Ogres & Oubliettes!” Midnight cheered as he and Shining Armor walked through the convention.

There were several stands featuring rare game pieces for sail, limited editions, new series, figurines, comic books, a couple food stands, and some of the goers wore costumes based on their game characters.

Midnight had donned a forest-green tunic and hood and a prop quiver on his back. For the hay of it, Shining Armor wore his uniform simply to look like he was participating too.

“Heh, this sure brings back memories,” Shining Armor chuckled as he and Midnight paused to let some colts run past them. “Like that time we waited in front of the comic book store and even snuck out after our bedtimes to be first in line for the limited edition of the ‘Wrath of the Dragon God’ set.”

“We got grounded for that, if I recall,” Midnight raised a brow before the two chuckled, “but it was so worth it!”

The two old friends then went to a food stand to grab oatburgers, Midnight asking, “So, how’re things in the empire? It must be difficult dividing your responsibilities as the Crystal Emperor and Canterlot’s Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“It is tiring sometimes,” Shining Armor admitted after gulping a bite, “but I think of it as a test of dedication, for even though I have become one of the rulers of an empire, my first loyalty is to this nation.”

“Heh, no wonder you’re called the Sword & Shield of Equestria,” Midnight commented.

“This coming from the Cloak & Dagger,” Shining Armor countered, Midnight stopping from taking a bite. “...Have you told them?”

“About the Brotherhood? No,” Midnight said with a troubled look. “They are aware that I’ve worked as a covert operative for Princess Celestia, but that’s about it…”

“Do you plan on ever telling them? Telling Twilight?” Shining Armor asked with trepidation in his tone.

“...I’m just afraid,” Midnight admitted pragmatically. “Especially for Twilight… How do you tell somepony that the benevolent nation she lives in is not the pristine and ideal society she believes it to be?”

“I think you’re not giving my sister enough credit,” Shining Armor debated, “even she must know that everything has a downside.”

“I don’t know, Shining,” Midnight shook his head. “All her life, even you know that Twilight’s thought of Princess Celestia as a ruler who can do no wrong, and even though she’s been made aware from the Princess herself that Celestia is every bit as equine as the rest of us, I’m not sure if she knows it in her heart as well as her head…”

“Spoken like a true skeptic,” Shining Armor sighed as he drank his soda.

“I’m sorry for the way I sound, brony, it’s just-” Midnight apologized when a yelling from a nearby table interrupted.

“YES! Score another victory for Flash!”

The voice and the mentioned name startled Midnight and Shining Armor saw it as the blue alicorn looked to the source of the voice.

It was an earth pony colt who looked very familiar, with an orange coat and blue mane. But that was as far as the similarities stretched as Midnight saw the colt smiling over his victory in a round he was playing with a few colts he knew, Snips and Snails, along with a pegasus colt named Chip Mint, who all grumbled over the results on the gameboard.

“Aw! C’mon, First Base, we don’t have a ‘Radiant Shield of Razdon’ like you do!” Snips complained while Snails sighed and Chip Mint frowned while resting his head against his hoof.

“Sorry, boys, rules don’t say I can’t use my ‘radiant shield’,” First Base bragged as he held up the game dice. “My character Flash is dominating!”

Midnight couldn’t stop looking at First Base, couldn’t help thinking, He looks so much like…!

The memories came back, the pain, the torture, the screams, the blood.

“Midnight, it’s okay!

Shining Armor stepped between Midnight’s gaze an the young colt who had inadvertently stirred up bad memories, “C’mon, let’s… go check out the comic books they have here.”

Leading his friend away, Shining Armor felt worried at the glaze look on Midnight’s eyes, and once they were alone the blue alicorn seemed to come out of it.
“Shining, I’m sorry, I…”

“I know, I miss him too,” Shining Armor assured with deepest sympathy. “I just wish you wouldn’t blame yourself.”

“...It should’ve been me,” Midnight whispered, unable to stop the tear though he wiped it away with his wing.

“Don’t be stupid,” Shining Armor scolded gently, “You know full well that if you’d died that day, all of this… Well, who knows what all of this would be? What matters, Midnight, is we’re alive, and Flash wouldn’t want us to mourn the past when we have so much to live for in the present, to strive for the future.”

“...I’ll get her, Shining Armor,” Midnight growled with a look Shining Armor had seen before. “When I find her, I’ll skin her nine times over, and even then I won’t allow her to die…!”

“Stop,” Shining Armor scolded a little more tersely this time. “Flash’s murderer will answer for her crimes but as defenders of this nation, we must adhere to an honorable code otherwise we become no better than-”

“I get it!” Midnight interrupted, sighing curtly, “You sound like my father when you speak that way…”

“...Enough of this mopey talk, let’s just enjoy the convention,” Shining Armor quickly changed the subject, knowing the topic of Midnight’s father was a sore one.

Midnight took a deep breath, then gently let it out and his smile returned to his face, "You're right, Shine. We're here to have a good time and catch up, not get caught up in bad memories. Now, I heard that there's going to be a history section showing the different generations of the game. We can see how the game has evolved since..."

Another pony accidentally bumped into the distracted Prince and the two fell to the ground in a tumble. Midnight gave a groan and started to dust himself off, Shining Armor helping him up.

"Sorry about that, sir. I was just talking to my friend and... Oh, hello Tranquil Skies." Midnight's apologetic expression suddenly turned into an annoyed frown.

Seated in front of Midnight was cobalt blue coated pegasus. His rich purple mane was slicked back and his calm eyes were a deep turquoise tucked behind a pair of glasses, and he had a mustache and goatee. He had the appearance of a noble, with a bow-tie, hoof cuffs and a smooth vest, all colored to match his eyes. Upon his flank was the image of an open book with a magnifying glass. Overall he gave the appearance of a sophistication and intellect, and his face showed nothing but peace and tranquility despite the tumble.

His calm demeanor didn't seem to faze Midnight however, who just stared at him in annoyance. It confused Shining Armour a little, but he could get the sense that Tranquil and Midnight had had dealings before and so decided back up and let them sort things out. Tranquil Skies lifted himself up and dusted himself off with his wings before turning to face Midnight.

"I apologize my Prince, but I have some information for you that you may find interesting."

Midnight just gave a snort and put on his 'royal' face. "Interesting or not, Tranquil, I am busy right now catching up with a good friend of mine. You know how I prefer to have dealings with you and the rest of the group. I'll meet with you later tonight, but I am not to be disturbed for the rest of the day. Is that understood, Tranquil?"

Despite Midnight's rather aggressive tone and rude demeanor, Tranquil's calm expression didn't change.
"Very well, my lord. I'll meet you in our regular meeting place later this evening. Have a good day."

With a polite bow of his head, the relaxed stallion turn and trotted away.

Once Tranquil had left his sight, Midnight gave an annoyed sigh and rubbed his forehead in irritation. While he had no issues with Tranquil Skies, whenever Midnight met up with him or any of his "associates" he always left with a headache.

Shining Armour slowly approached, his expression curious, "So who was he? Does he do business with you? Believe me, I've dealt with nobles before and they give me just as much of a headache."

"Nah, despite his looks he isn't a noble. He just usually brings me bad news, and I doubt my talk with him tonight will be any different. Still, there's no point fretting about it. Tonight might suck, but the rest of the day is going to be awesome. Look where we are, in the middle of an Ogres and Oubliette's convention! Nothing can screw today up!"

“Oh hey look at that!” Shining Armor led them over to a display featuring a set of very retro-looking game pieces. “That is not the one of the original game sets from when Ogres & Oubliettes first came out over twenty years ago!”

“Well according to that sign,” Midnight pointed out a sign that read ‘ 100% Authentic, do not touch’, “I would venture a guess that it is!”

“As an old friend of ours would say, Great Whickering Stallions!” Shining Armor exclaimed with a shake of his head, the two of them laughing. “I wonder if this set might be up for sale…”

“I wouldn’t part with it if it was mine,” Midnight shrugged. “But you know, I’m as much a dedicated O&O fan as the next but honestly, I’ve never been a fan of the name…”

“I know what you mean,” Shining Armor replied as they scanned the convention, “‘Ogres & Oubliettes’... Ogres are dumb brutes, and really? Not everypony knows what an oubliette is!”

“Yeah, when you think about a better name for the game would have been… I got it - Dungeons & Dr-” Midnight started when-

“AH-CHOO!”

The sneeze from an unknown source startled both stallions, causing them to bray in surprise when they saw some figurines come to life and start charging some colts and scaring them off. Then the source of the sneeze made herself known a something blue slid onto the ground form the display table behind them and they saw it was…

“Eris!!” Midnight snapped, him and Shining Armor flaring their horns, “What in the wide-wide world of Equestria are you doing here?!”

“Well for one thing, preventing a case of copyright infringement,” Eris started off, Midnight giving her a weird look, “What?!”

“And second? Oh woe is sweet and delicate lil’ ol’ me, princeys! I’m afraid I’ve come down with something,” Eris wheezed before giving a hacking cough, the two stallions grimacing and stepping back.
“Blue flu.”

“Blue flu?” Shining Armor echoed.

“Is there an echo? Well, in any case, I’m sorry to say I’ve already given it to poor AJ and Blueblood,” Eris said apologetically, the two princes sharing a troubled look and gaping when Eris geared up another sneeze.

“AH-CHOO!”

A shimmering bubble of dark magenta protected the two alicorns, Midnight looking impressed so Shining Armor explained, “Health Shielding Barrier.”

“You always were the best wizard in protective magic!” Midnight complimented.
"Yeah, my old Abjuration teacher still brags about me," chuckled Shining Armor.

“Lucky thing too! How would Midnight nurse me back to health if he caught the flu too?” Eris asked rhetorically while touching the barrier, causing it to shimmer visibly wherever Eris made contact.
“And I’m sure you won’t mind me staying over till I’m fresh as a daisy, right, Nighty?”

“Stay? With me?!” Midnight did not relish the idea of a diseased Eris at his family’ farm. “Now is really not a good time! Though you probably don’t care…”

In response, Eris put on the most mournful look possible, even throwing on a raggedy dress as though she lived in poverty.
“But you can’t just leave me alone sick and desperate! Fluttershy would warmly welcome me! Isn’t ‘helping’ someone friends do for friends?!”

The a dawning look spread on Eris’s face and she harrumphed, “Unless, that is… You’re saying I am not your friend?”

Midnight actually felt like a louse when Eris put it that way! Growling in vexation, “No, that is not what I’m saying…”

“Ooh-whoo! Honey, you’re a life-saver!” Eris slithered around the barrier, both stallions watching her creepy movements. “Then shall we head on over to Sweet Apple Acres?”

“No! I might be willing to help you but I am not willing to chance you getting my family sick, like you already did Applejack and Blueblood,” Midnight said with a face and expression inarguable.
“I suppose… we could take you to the library, seeing as how Twilight’s likely to be gone till tomorrow.”

The two princes started walking, Eris sliding off Shining Armor’s barrier in a pathetic heap, that she whined, “Carry me?”

“NO!” both princes snapped, Eris moaning so she followed after them, scooting her snake-like body like an inchworm.

After Shining Armor finished fluffing the pillow, Eris laid down onto Twilight’s bed, Midnight levitating the covers onto her, the blue alicorn asking curtly, “Need anything else?”

“Just having a good friend like you taking care of me is making me feel better already- Ow!” Eris put her paw into her mouth, giving Midnight a hurt look, after he’d whipped her paw away from Twilight's bedside drawer with his long tail.

“I said you could use Twilight’s bed to rest,” Midnight scolded, “that does not mean you can go rifling through her things!”

“Well, ahem, a good book and I’ll be just dandy here on my own,” Eris grabbed a book, both stallions sighing in relief.

But as they turned to leave…

“Ooh! Before you head out,” Eris called while putting on a pleading smile, “just a little small request…?”

Midnight facehooved with a groan, Shining Armor whispering, “It’s not a big deal - We’ll just get her what she wants and we’ll be back at the convention in no time.”

Midnight smiled agreeably as they faced Eris, Shining Armor asking, “So what is it that you need?”

A little glass of water please!
A fresh-pressed hanky if I sneeze,
Some tea with honey, from the bees
Whenever you can brew it.

“I’ll get your tea,” Shining Armor offered.

And while I get a little rest,
A teeny tiny small request
Some codfish oil for my chest
Poured from a crystal cruet

“A crystal cruet?” Midnight echoed in confusion.

My goodness I’m a nincompoop
Because I fear I’ve got the croup
I need a vat of pumpkin soup
And scarves made out of zinnias

Did I say zinnias? I meant silk
Or something shiny of that ilk
And then I’ll need some nice warm milk
And pastries from Abyssinia

And since my stomach’s feeling crummy
Why not get my aching tummy
Something soothing, something yummy
Piled up with noodles

Add a slice of homemade rye
With stacks of swiss, way up high
Served with sides of sweet mince pie
More basil, I need oodles!

“Anything else?” Midnight growled with a roll of his eyes after taking notes.

I’ll be grateful for your charity until the bitter end
Because I’ve heard that tenderness is what you lend an ailing friend

“Tenderness; isn’t that right, friend?” Eris asked whilst invading Midnight’s personal space.

“Right, but-” Minight tried to say, only for Eris to throw him aside.

“So! Who’s ready for my big reprise?!”

I’d like that glass of water, please
Some magic spell to cure disease
A fresh gesundhoof when I sneeze
A fresh bouquet of roses

Some lozenges will soon appease
My wheezing when I start to sneeze
A wig to keep me from the breeze
And blankets for my toses

Take tweezers out of my valise
And then massage my knobby knees
A bowl of peas!
Some extra cheese!
A cuddle with a pekinese!
A singing harp whose name’s Louise!
A goat on skis, a new trapeze!
And more and more and more and more of these……..!!!!!

“And just because I oughta…”

Make sure I’m drinking in the right
Amount of fluids day and night
I wish I may, I wish I might
Have just one little thing
Oh would you please finally bring
Me that tiny glass… of WATEEEEEERRRRRRR…….!!!!!!!!!!

Eris laid back in bed, gleefully with a few coughs while ignoring the sopping mess she’d made of the room and the drenched alicorn stallions as one of them levitated he that infamous glass of water. She accepted the glass but before she could take a sip, it slipped right out of her talons.

“Oopsies! Butter-claws…”

Author's Note

Tranquil Skies is an OC of my partner, Pontiac56

The way both princes addressed each other in here, Shining Armor being the Sword & Shield of Equestria while Midnight is the Cloak & Dagger? It's more profound than you might think. They are both protectors of Equestria but do it in different ways - Shining Armor does it out in the open while Midnight does so from behind the scenes.

Also... anypony like the 4th wall joke I made here?

169. Three's a Crowd - Part 3

Then Eris sneezed again, her body dispersing into a burst of bubbles, Midnight growling, “Alright, this is ridiculous!”

Then Shining Armor noticed Eris appearing from under the bed, and asked, “How did you contract this flu, to begin with?”

“Inadequate hoof and claw washing?” Eris answered while wiping away her mucus from Shining Armor’s barrier with spray and a rag.

“Well I’m sure somewhere in these books is a remedy or spell that can cure your illness,” Midnight stated as he levitated a few books and started looking in the library copy of ‘Super Naturals’ but couldn’t find anything on the Blue Flu.

“There is one way...” Eris brought up with a sneaky look.

“And you didn’t bring this up earlier why?” Shining Armor raised his brow, Eris shrugging.

“Slipped my mind!” Eris waved her talon, creating an image as she explained, “On a hill, at the very edge of Equestria, grows a magic flower rare and valued. If you pick the flower as it drops its petals at sunset you can brew it into a tea that will knock the blue flu right out of my system!”

“And you didn’t think to go get this flower the moment you realized you were sick because…?” Midnight pressed, Eris twisting her talon through her mane.

“Oh you couldn’t expect me to travel so far in my condition,” She wrapped the blanket around herself, shivering. “I wouldn’t be able to so much as pluck a petal upon arrival!”

The two princes shared a disgruntled look before Midnight asked, “So where exactly are Shining Armor and I supposed to go?”

Eris Flashed to their side, dressed like a tacky tourist and a map in her paw and talons as she cleared her throat, “Well! You want to head north, and make absolutely certain you take this left turn at Albuquer- Oh, you know what?" - She span about, the clothes vanishing and the map rolling itself up before it popped like a bubble - "I’ll just guide you along the way, don’t want to make mistakes, now do we?”

“Didn’t you just say you’re in ‘no condition’ to travel?” Shining Armor reminded, Eris Flashing between the two princes.

“I’m not! But… I’m sure we can… work something out,” Eris smirked as she already had something in mind.

Eris loved nothing like traveling in luxury as she laid about on an over-the-top golden chariot pulled by the two princes as they flew o’er Equestria. Unknown to her however, Midnight had cast a ‘light as a feather’ spell on the chariot so pulling it was no problem in the physical sense while it was infuriating in the emotional sense.

Midnight frowned indignantly, Shining Armor saying, “Relax, at least nopony can see us.”

“And why would they? We’ve reached the Ends of Equestria,” Eris spoke up and they came down for a landing.

The land around certainly seemed to have a ‘ends of the earth’ feel, due to how isolated and inhospitable it looked, with plateaus, natural pillars of rock, and few plants. Eris pointed to a hill ahead, “You’ll find the flower at the tippy top of that hill!”

Sighing, the two friends made their way up the hill, Midnight apologizing, “I’m really sorry about all this, Shining. I just wanted for us to enjoy catching up and having a nice day.”

“It’s not your fault,” Shining Armor assured as they got to the top They saw what was apparently a tree trunk but nothing else. “Is this really where Eris said the flower was? Cuz’ I don’t see anything here but this tree-”

*FLOP*

Midnight looked and was confused to see something purple covering Shining Armor and levitated off of him, leading them both to look up and wouldn’t you know it, there was the flower.

“Huh, how’d we miss that?” Midnight wondered aloud.

“C’mon, if we hurry we can still have some time together,” Shining Armor flapped up, Midnight following, and the two princes concentrated. Their auras enveloped the gigantic flower, and with careful concentration, they easily uprooted it, leaving a big dark hole where the flower’s base had been. Wiping his brow, Midnight flapped over to Shining Armor, saying, “One we get this flower and Eris back home, all of our troubles will-”

“What in Faust's name?!” Shining Armor looked down, as both stallions heard a rumbling coming from underground, and to their bewilderment something arose from the hole!

It was humongous with a purple serpentine body, a pink head with read hair, and as it arched its head towards them, its eyes, beady and black like a dolls eyes, narrowed in contempt… before opening it’s triple-hinged mouth, black wormy tongues flailing, roaring angrily as Midnight shouted, “A Tatzelwurm!!!”

“Look out!” Shining Armor shouted and the two stallions took evasive actions as the wurm tried to snap them up but they flew upwards, not noticing the Tatzelwurm recede into its hole.. before launching itself skyward after them!

One of its tongues reached out and ensnared Shining Armor’s fetlock, “Midnight! Help!”

Gasping, Midnight willed the shadows under his wings to extend and solidify into blades as he shouted, “Get your slimy tongue off my best friend!”

He came down, spinning like a saw-blade in a flurry of blue and black, slicing clean through the wurm’s tongue, making it scream as it thudded back onto the ground before trying again with its other tongues. As Midnight shook away the dizziness, he didn’t notice getting caught by the wurm’s tongues until it was too late!
“Help!”

“Un-tongue my best friend, you cur!” Shining Armor fired a blazing beam of magenta at the wurm, making it shudder and squeal as it let go of Midnight.

He sighed in relief as he flapped over to Shining Armor, “Thanks!”

“Don’t thank me yet!”Shining Armor pointed with his hoof as the Tatzelwurm launched itself at them, both stallions nodding to each other before grasping the others hoof and charging to meet the wurm as they spiraled into a flurrying bram of turquoise and magenta!

*KER-VWWT!!!*

The Tatzelwurm screeched pitifully as it slunk back into its burrow, Shining Armor furrowing his brows sternly as he levitated some nearby boulders to plug the hole, and the two stallions landed as the adrenaline wore off.

“Are you okay?” Midnight asked.

“Are you kidding?! That was… kinda awesome!” Shining Armor smiled, much to Midnight’s surprise. “Honestly? It felt like old times, back when we were colts!”

Smiling in relief to hear that, Midnight declared, “Then let’s get Eris and this flower back to Ponyville, make that tea, and we’ll finally get back to our brony-time together!”

They levitated the flower again and started flapping down back to where they’d left Eris when they heard…

“To the ends of Equestria! To face dire peril! And he did it for me, all for me!”

No longer blue, Eris was so busy happy-dancing she didn’t notice the two angry alicorns glaring daggers at her until they were right in front of her, making her ‘eep’!

Midnight got all up in her face, his eyes blazing white hot with fury, “YOU! Were… FAKING?!?!?!”

“Pretty good acting, right?” Eris admitted shamelessly, “And wait till you hear my rea- GUP!”

Eris gurked as she felt a telekinetic pressure around her throat as Midnight whispered ominously, “Explain, Eris! Quickly…”

“Well I was in my thinking tree,” Eris wheezed when a purple tree grew right under her, its sudden appearance startling Midnight into releasing Eris.
“That’s where I do all my deep thinking, mind you.”

She Flashed the tree away, “Anyway, I thought to myself I thought ‘Eris, your friend Midnight says that he’s your buddy yet he never writes, never calls’-”

“I don’t even know where you-”

*ZIP*

Midnight growled as he became the victim of the ‘zip-it’ spell while Eris went on.
“Now that he’s a prince maybe he thinks he’s too good for you…”

Unzipping his lip with his tail, Midnight snapped, “I have never considered myself-”

“But how was I to know for certain that I remain friends truly with one of Equestria’s VIPs, that’s short for ‘very important ponies’, “ Eris continued, Midnight trying to say, “I am not-”

“By seeing if he’d go to the ends of Equestria, all for me! And you did, literally!” Eris shook Midnight’s hoof. “Kudos to you, Nighty, for passing my own friendship test! Twilight would be so proud of you!”

Midnight snatched his hoof away, giving Eris the mother of all stink eyes, Eris saying, “Why the stink eye? Twilight likes passing tests, so why don’t you? C’mon, sugar, don’t tell me you’re iffy cause my little test got in the way of your catching up with your old pal, Shiny, is it? Prevented y’all from focusing on your friendship?”

Midnight was on the verge of casting the most powerful spell he knew in retaliation for every word and manner Eris deliberately conveyed to shamelessly rub him the wrong way-

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Shining Armor said pleasantly.

“Say what?!” Midnight gaped at Shining Armor
"Again, say what?!" echoed an equally stumped Eris.

“Spending the day hanging out at the ‘Ogres & Oubliettes’ convention would’ve been nice and all,” Shining Armor shrugged. “But after all this excitement and the thrill of fighting that wurm?! It was just the thing I’ve been needing as of late!”

“Really?” Midnight smiled, Shining Armor nodding.

“Being an emperor and a captain and a prince is challenging an’ all but… it’s not as… thrilling as the adventure we had today. I enjoy a good adventure now and then! Facing all these challenges today, especially with you, Midnight, was just what I needed and a perfect reminder of how great it is having you for a friend.”

The two stallions gave each other a smirk and bro-hoof, Eris pouting as her real aim for this whole façade was blown out of the water.

“We might not hang together as often as we used to,” Shining Armor said to his old friend, “but I know I can always count on you to be there when I need you, and watch over my Twily, just as he’s here for you, Eris!”

“All this sweetness is gonna rot out my teeth...” Eris muttered when a rumbling startled them and hey all jumped back as the Tatzelwurm erupted from the ground, Eris shrieking as she leapt into Midnight's forelegs, “What in Tartarus?!”

The Tatzelwurm then did something none of them saw coming-

*AH-CHOO*

Shining Armor and Midnight smiled, that his barrier had protected the but Eris was not so lucky, as her head had been sticking out of the barrier. Evident by her turning green and polka-dotted.

At Fluttershy’s cottage, Midnight was writing in the friendship journal, “‘While my visit with Shining Armor got a little side-tracked, I learned that in the end that even the wildest day can help bring good friends together through the experience’. Wouldn’t you agree, Eris…?”

Midnight took a shameless delight in seeing Eris inside a magenta bubble that Shining Armor had set around her so she wouldn’t infect anypony with whatever bug the Tatzelwurm gave her.

“Yeah, yeah…” Eris snrrrk’d her stuffy nose, Applejack and Blueblood approaching, both of them no longer under the fake blue flu Eris had infected them with.

“Ah don’ wanna go sayin’ ya got what you deserved-” Applejack started sternly, only for Blueblood to interrupted.

“Well I have no qualms in doing so… YOU GOT WHAT YOU DESERVED YOU HAVOC-WREAKING HARLOT!”

“Now, now, she’s learned her lesson,” Fluttershy gently scolded before putting her hoof through the hole in the barrier, the inside of which covered her hoof with a protective layer as she gently massaged Eris’ shoulder.
“Isn’t that right, my little patient?”

“Thank Faust you’re back from your trip, Fluttershy,” Eris coughed, “you being here makes me feel lots better.”

Midnight, Blueblood, and Soarin all rolled their eyes when Eris said, “But might your ol’ auntie Eris trouble y’all for just one little favor?”

“NO!!!”

“What?!” Eris pouted before smirking, “I was just gonna ask for a tiny glass… of water.”

The rest of the day flowed by rather quickly. Midnight and Shining managed to sneak in a short visit to the convention before it closed and Twilight returned from her trip. She was very surprised after learning about Eris' actions, but she was none the less pleased to know that her brother and her boyfriend had had a fun day while she caught up with Cadance. Shining Armour said his goodbyes to Midnight and Twilight before he headed off back home to his wife, leaving young couple to discuss their respective day's in more detail before heading to their homes to end the day.

A few hours later however, as the sun had well set and most ponies were deep asleep, Midnight was up and about.

He had an appointment to keep.

He made sure not to wake his little brother before gently fluttering down from his bedroom window and venturing out into the Apple Orchards. Most ponies would have a hard time seeing through the darkness, but Midnight's eyes retained their lunar pony heritage - This darkness might as well have been a dimly-lit room.

A pony stood underneath one of the trees, a black hooded cloak wrapped around them to hide their identity from any unwanted observers. However Midnight knew who he was, and prepared himself accordingly.

"I'm here for the report, Tranquil. I apologize for my curtness earlier, but you know I dislike discussing Brotherhood business out in the open, especially not in a crowded area and in front of Shining Armour. We are a secret that few ponies know and we need to stay that way, at least until the target is found and captured."

The hooded figured moved closer, enabling Midnight to see his face. His rich purple mane, mustache and goatee, long with his dark blue coat, already concealed him well in the darkness, but his cloak was more then just a disguise. Only Tranquil Skies' turquoise eyes were heavily visible, almost shimmering in the moonlight. The hoods prevented non-members from seeing into the shadow of the hood while the actual members could see the faces hidden in them. Despite the covert style of meeting, Tranquil appeared as calm and relaxed as ever, a loose smile on his face and his eye lids drooped. He appeared as though nothing in the world could faze him.

"I apologize again, my Prince, but I needed to ensure I had your attention, as we finally have some information for you."

Immediately Midnight moved close, a determined glare on his muzzle.

"What have you learned?"

Author's Note

The ending scene was almost forgotten so I had to un-publish the chapter till it was finished.

I'd considered having my partner add a juicy detail or two in the discussion between our characters but chose instead to have nothing revealed.

Yet.

170. Pinkie Pride - Part 1

Cheers, bright lights, music, laughter, fireworks!

The town of Appleloosa cut loose and partied hard, as their benefactor watched from afar the results of his work. He was an orange earth pony, tall and lanky with a distinctly colt-ish face, a curly brown tail, green eyes furrowed, his cutie-mark was a grilled-cheese sandwich cut in half yet the melted cheese bridging the two, forming an accordion-likeness.

He wore around his shoulders and neck a serape-poncho with a design from Mexicolt, a western-esque fedora, he carried in his mouth a noise-maker as though it were a pipe, and on his back rode a rubber chicken wearing a tiny bowler hat.
“Well Boneless, looks like our work here is done…”

The rubber chicken, Boneless, just swayed back a bit as its owner started on his way.

“Yup, them Appleloosans ne’er partied so hard, thanks to me. Cheese. Cheese Sandwich…”

Then the pony, Cheese Sandwich, suddenly felt a familiar ‘boing’ sensation reverberate through his body, then his neck got rattly, and he felt his grilled-cheese/accordion cutie-mark, extend and contract, making his hat fall off to reveal his curly wild mane and him hop up, “Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!”

His serape opened up like a parachute allowing him to float downwards as he smiled, “That was a doozy!”

Upon landing, he put his hat back on and reverted to his previous manner, “Well Boneless… looks like our next party’s gonna be in… Ponyvillle! Wait…!”

More sensations followed as he noted them, “Shuddery shoulders, criss-crossing eyes, happy hooves!”

The sensations ceased, and Cheese Sandwich raised a brow in intrigue, “Well… Seems like there’s more than a party-planning waiting for me in Ponyville… Ain’t there, old friend?”

Soarin felt odd today as he walked through Ponyville. He felt like it was a happy occasion yet something nagged at his mind but he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what it was. Still, the bright n’ shiny-ness seemed to be going around as he saw some ponies out and about smiling, and for some reason he saw a trail of confetti, glitter, streamers, and balloons about, a little unicorn filly hopping happily as she grabbed one of the balloons.

Stopping by a purple earth pony mare with berries and grapes for a cutie-mark he knew, Soarin asked, “Hey Berry Punch, what’s with all the party-stuff?”

“Take a look for yourself!” Berry Punch pointed towards a bridge and surprise-surprise o’er it came Ponyville’s favorite party-pony, Pinkie Pie, wearing her saddlebags as she trotted along merrily.

Every single day there’s something new you can plan for
Every single day there’s something wonderful to do
But nothing makes me happy like a day where I can say
‘Today I planned a party and it’s just for you!’

“How’s it going, today, Pinkie?” asked the streamer-vendor pony Pinkie trotted up to.

“Great, thanks! Got any streamers today?” Pinkie opened her bag as the vendor brought a roll of lavender streamer up.

“You betcha! Big party planned?”

“Don’t’cha know it?” Pinkie giggled as she went along.

Don’t have much time to gather all the things I need
If I’m really gonna make this party fly
For today’s another day when all of Ponyville will say…

The locals all joined in!

There goes the Super Party Pony Pinkie Pie!

“So Pinkie’s planning another party, she practically does every day,” Soarin shrugged.

“Soarin! Don’t you know what - or rather who - the party is for?!” Berry Punch looked aghast!

“Well, it seems like a big one considering everypony’s getting excited about,” Soarin observed.

“Soarin! Today is Rainbow Dash’s birthday!” Berry Punch clarified, and Soarin felt his heart skip a beat, his eye twitch as his pupils shrank to pinpricks before he responded.

“...WHAT?!?!?” He grabbed Berry Punch’s cheeks, as the panic took hold, “My Dashie’s birthday?! I-I-I- Why didn’t anypony tell me sooner?!?! I don’t even have a gift!!”

“Well, whatever you do, I’d advise it be quick,” Berry Punch pointed out Pinkie getting a rainbow of paint from a local art vendor and a banner from another vendor, and as Pinkie moved through the marketplace ponies followed in anticipation.

Every single day there’s something new we can plan for
Every single day there’s something wonderful to try!
`Cuz nothing makes us happy like a day that we can say
Today there’ll be a party planned by Pinkie Pie!

Soarin flew up onto the roof of a house and grimaced in worry as he saw all his friends in front of Sugarcube Corner watching Pinkie paint a banner, among them his Dashie!!

“I gotta find a good gift pronto!” Soarin zoomed off, as the song came in for a flourish.

There’s no other pony like her, no pony that could be
As great (As great!)
As fun (As fun!)
As our Super Party Pony Pinkie…!!!

Everypony marveled and cheered and laughed as Midnight and Blueblood levitated the banner Pinkie had just finished for all to see and Pinkie exploded a burst of balloons and confetti!

“OOH! I am so-so-so excited,” Pinkie geeked out, “because today I’m planning the birthday bash of… RAINBOW DASH!!!”

“Yeah!” Rainbow examined the banner’s likeness of her and nodded in satisfaction before zipping down to dbl-brohoof Pinkie, only for the party pony o grasp onto Rainbow’s hooves and put on an oddly-serious demeanor.
“Rainbow Dash.”
“Yes, Pinkie?”
“You realize that by enlisting me as your party planner, I guarantee that this is going to be the funnest, most fantabulous, superbial party in Ponyville?”
“Uh, yeah? I guess-”

Rainbow felt Pinkie’s hoof over her mouth, “No guesses! Parties are no picnic!”

“Oh, I like a nice picnic-party,” Fluttershy commented, Big Mac nodding, only for the two of them to get a growly stink eye from Pinkie.

“Parties. Are. Serious,” Pinkie insisted, her friends a little put-off by Pinkie’s behavior as she swore, “And you have my certified ‘Pinkie Party Promise’ that you will have the best birthday party EVER!”

“...OK!” Rainbow smiled nervously, Pinkie hopping about.

“Great! Now who’s ready to join this Super Duper Party Pony to plan this super duper par-tay?!”

“I am…”

The voice was so tense it cut through the merry mirth like a knife through a birthday cake and everypony gasped as they saw a mysterious pony leaning against a building, blowing a noise-maker.

“Who’re you, st-” Pinkie started, only for Midnight to interrupt and bar her way.

“Oh great!” he said with unusual animosity, “Look who walked into town; you’ve got a fat lot of nerve showing your face around here!”

Almost at once, Big Mac, Thunderlane, Blueblood, and even Spike were at Midnight’s sides, all of them looking ready for a fight.

“We got a problem here, Midnight?” Thunderlane asked with a snorting glare towards the stranger.
“Yeah, who is this guy?!” Spike punched his palm, ready for a scrap.

Midnight’s answer took them all completely by surprise, “Ha-HA! An old friend!”

“HUH?!” everypony said in a collective jaw-drop as Midnight and the stranger approached the other.

“Cheese Sandwich, you crazy colt, where the Buckin’ Haydes have you been lately?” Midnight and Cheese Sandwich brohoofed.

"You two know each other?” asked Twilight, coming over.

“Do we know each other?! Ha-ha, Cheese here has got to be the most totally awesome party-planner of all Equestria!" Midnight cheered before sheepishly adding, "He planned out my sixteenth birthday!”

“And it so happens, my little ponies,” Cheese Sandwich spoke up, “that my Cheesy Sense was a-tinglin’, tellin’ me a party was in the works…”

“A Cheesy Sense?” Pinkie popped up in front of Cheese, “Ah! Double-amazing, I have a Pinkie Sense!”

“Yes, I sensed you did,” Cheese said curtly, “and as my good princely friend pointed out, I happen to be the premiere party-planner in all of Equestria - If there’s a party in need, there I’ll be, be it wing-ding, hoe-down, hootenanny, or shindig I’m your pony!”

“A pair of party-planner ponies n Ponyville?!” Pinkie hopped with bright eyes, “What could be more perfect?!”

“I’ll tell you what - Making this party epic!” Rainbow cut in, tired of not being the center of attention. “`Cuz this isn’t just any birthday. It’s also the anniversary of the day I moved to Ponyville!”

“My word, Rainbow Dash,” Blueblood commented as he and Rarity shared an excited look.
“It’s your… your… Birth-aversary!” declared Rarity.

“Exactly!” Rainbow floated down to the two party-ponies, “So whattya say, party-planners?”

“Oh I think we can do it!”

Pinkie hopped excitably when Cheese seemed to bring things to a halt by saying, “Oh, I don’t think so…”

*COLLECTIVE GASP*

“I....” Cheese Sandwich reared up onto his hind legs, throwing away his poncho, hat, and rubber chicken, revealing the yellow shirt he was wearing underneath, the broody exterior he’d displayed earlier gone, replaced by a happy-go-lucky party pony easily Pinkie Pie’s match, “KNOW so!

“After all…” He got ready to go and…!

The Super Duper Party Pony,
That Pony is me!
I always knew that was the kind of pony I would be!

“Me too!”

“C’mon, everypony! Who here likes to party?!” Cheese exclaimed before throwing his foreleg around a senior earth pony’s shoulder.
“Ha-ha! You do! I can tell!”

When I was but a little colt I just wanted to play!

“Like me!”

But everypony told me “Cheese that fun just wastes the day”!

“As if!”

But when I threw a part and I busted out some moves…

“Uh-huh!”

Them ponies finally saw the Light and got into the groove!

“You know it!”

The Super Duper Party Pony, that pony is me!

“And me!”

You’ll never meet another Party Pony quite like Cheese!

“Uh, Pinkie?”

“Hey good lookin’, want some mayonnaise?”

My parties are all off the hook,
I never plan them by the book
They start out fun, then Whoops y-daisy!
Everypony just gets crazy!

Bored of snacks made by your mom?
How `bout a giant party-bomb?
Huge pinatas filled with cake
Or dive into my fruit-punch lake!

“Geronimo…!”

*SPLASH*

The Super Duper Party Pony, that pony is me!
You’ll never meet another Party Pony quite like Cheese!

“Go on, kid! Take it for a spin!” Cheese opened a box revealing a saddled hippo.
“Golly! Thanks mister!” cheered the happy colt who hopped on.

Oh when I throw a Cheese party be sure to not be lame
And miss my pie-fights, wacky kites, and streamers in your mane!
Fizzy drinks, Haywaiian shirts, and brie fondue delight!
You know that with Cheese Sandwich,
You’ll be partying all night!

“C’mon, everypony!” Rainbow called.
“Let’s party down with Cheese!” cheered Midnight.
“You’re really a certified party-planner?” Fluttershy asked as everypony mobbed him.
“That’s right! That’s my guarantee!” assured Cheese.

The Super Duper Party Pony, that pony is me…!

As she watched the crowd of excited ponies carry Cheese off, Pinkie felt her balloony spirit deflate.

But what about the super party pony named Pinkie…?

171. Pinkie Pride - Part 2

As Pinkie was beginning to tear up, she didn’t notice somepony zoom over her, Soarin panicking as he flew.
“What to get Dash? What go get Dash?! WHAT TO GET DASH?!”

He flew down smack dab into the middle of the marketplace and looked around, seeing a Wonderbolt souvenir stand but quickly shot it down - “She owns practically every piece of Wonderbolt memorabillia ever made” - A sporting goods stand with some impressive workout equipment - “No, she might think I’m calling her weak!” - Try as he might to look, nothing and nopony else was selling something meaningful for Soarin to gift his mare on her big day!

“Think, Soarin, think!” Soarin began pacing, his mind racing for a solution or idea.

Hoping a solution would come to him, Soarin decided to try walking through town when he happened by Sugarcube Corner and was surprised to see Pinkie looking down, as was the banner she’d prepared.

“Uh, Pinkie?”

Startled at Soarin’s voice, Pinkie grabbed a water can (don’t know from where) and started pouring it… on dirt instead of the flowers next to the door. The look on her face quickly changed to look as though she were busy as Soarin approached.

“Pinkie, aren’t you planning out Rainbow Dash’s party?”

“Oh it’s fine, Cheese Sandwich obviously has it all under control, heh-heh!” Pinkie said nervously while flailing the can about.

“Uh, Cheese Sandwich?” Soarin had missed that earlier musical introduction.

“Oh just this new party pony that came to town and volunteered to make Rainbow Dash’s party… epic!” Pinkie explained.

“Really?” Soarin was flabbergasted as he knew Pinkie would want so much to plan out the birthday bash of one of her very best friends in the whole wide-wide world of Equestria herself.

“Yes indeedy!” Pinkie forced a smile, to Soarin’s confusion.

“O...kay… Well, I… gotta find my gift for Dashie’s birthday, later,” Soarin continued on, not noticing the sad-sack Pinkie fell into. Too caught up in his own worry to notice, Soarin then thought, Maybe one of my friends will have an idea on what I can give Dashie.

Flying upwards for a better view, Soarin quickly saw an open area of Ponyville where some obvious action was going on and flew over. Upon arrival, Soarin was wowed at the preparations underway!

Birthday Bash nothing, this feels more like a big festival! Soarin thought as he took in the sound stage with Rainbow’s face above it, the various multi-colored lightning-shaped decorations, a rainbow-spotlight shaped like Rainbow Dash’s cutie-mark, ponies going to and fro in a mad dash to get everything ready!

“I must say, I marvel at your superior party-planning expertise, Cheese Sandwich!”

Soarin knew that voice and giggle belonged to Rarity and looked to see her and Blueblood following the pony he assumed had to be Cheese Sandwich, who was wearing a cowboy hat and carrying a clipboard with a list on it, looking satisfied with the way things were turning out.

“Well, he’s not a Super Duper Party Pony for nothing, my dear,” Blueblood concurred.

“Hey Blue!”

Rarity and Blueblood noticed Soarin come their way, Soarin looking worried as he asked, “I need your guys’ help - I don’t have a birthday gift for my Dashie!”

“Oh Soarin darling,” Rarity assured, “I’m sure whatever you gift Rainbow she’ll love it! Because it came from you.”

“But I had no idea today was her birthday until Berry Punch told me during Pinkie’s song earlier!” Soarin looked like a guilty colt the way his eyes threatened to become teary.
“I feel like such a louse for that! My gift has to be something meaningful!”

“Well… why not get her a piece of jewelry?” Blueblood suggested, earning a look from both his girlfriend and his best friend that read ‘are you serious’.
“Oh come now, any mare, even one as athletic and tomcoltish as Ranbow Dash, would enjoy a nice piece of jewelry if it’s something they find to their liking! Soarin, take it from me, the Element of Sincerity, just really consider it and I’m sure you’ll find the right gift for your mare, and if she truly cares about you she’ll appreciate the gesture whatever your gift might be.”

Seeing her stallion’s point and beaming at him, Rarity added, “Blueblood’s right, dear. Just think about it.”

“Hmm…” Soarin started off when he noticed what could only be a certain party pony, given her wacky getup. Shrugging, he passed her by, not noticing her say the following:

“That’s it! This pony has got to get her title back! And I know just what to do…”

“Totally awesome!!!”

"Best Ah've ever seen."
“Eeyup!”
“I can’t believe it!”
“Believe it, Twi - Cheese Sandwich never disappoints!”

They heard and looked to see the rest of their friends showering Cheese Sandwich with compliments as he nodded in satisfaction at the giant ice sculpture of Rainbow Dash’s cutie-mark-

“Freeze, Cheese!”

Thunderlane and Rarity looked behind them to see Pinkie Pie, throwing a stink eye at the rain on her parade, “I challenge you… TO A GOOF-OFF!!!!”

*COLLECTIVE GASP*

“Oh no, not a Goof-Off!”
“What’s a Goof-Off?”
“I have no idea.”

“This Cheese has stood alone a long time, Pinkie Pie” Cheese answered all business-like while adding a fez to the top of his head for some random reason.
“You think you can out-goof me?”

“Oh I don’t think so,” Pinkie clarified, “I KNOW so! And the stakes are high, Cheese Sandwich: Whoever wins will be dubbed the ultimate Super-Duper Party-Pony, and headline the Rainbow Dash Birth-aversary Bash!”

“And the loser?” Twilight questioned.

“DOESN’T,” answered Pinkie with such grim finality that everypony gasped, for to be denied such an opportunity would be a stain on the Party Pony honor!

“So… Are you in, Cheese?” Pinkie egged with a cheeky look, “Or are you… boneless?”

“Nopony calls me boneless! Right Boneless?” Cheese Looked to his rubber chicken that just draped o’er his back.

“Then the Goof-Off is on, for High Noon!” Pinkie added for dramatic effect, only for Twilight to throw it out the window by bringing something up.

“Uh Pinkie? It’s already 3 o’clock.” Twilight was pointing to the Ponyville Clocktower.

“Oh! Oh well then. Make it 3:10,” Pinkie amended before getting up in Cheese Sandwich’s face, “to Goof-Off!”

“Now wait just a minute!” Midnight teleported between the two party ponies, “Both of you cool it! Does it really matter who throws Rainbow’s party so long as she enjoys it?”

“YES!” both party ponies snapped in responded, Twilight stepping in.

“Now hold on, Midnight’s right! I think there’s more than enough room for two party ponies to plan this-”

“Oh no, Twilight! This party-crasher thinks he can just waltz into my town and take my title?!” Pinkie huffed. “He’s got another thing coming!”

Midnight gestured Cheese away for a private word.
“Cheese, you don’t have to take this challenge. Just tell Pinkie about-”

“No can do, Prince Midnight,” Cheese shook no but Midnight could tell Cheese wasn’t entirely comfortable about this challenge either.
“Pinkie’s called me out, set the stakes, and the party pony code demands I answer the challenge.”

“Party pony code?” Midnight echoed but Cheese had already gone back to face Pinkie.

“You got yourself a challenge, Pinkie!” Cheese Sandwich declared, “Let’s goof…!”

3:10 pm.

Everypony watched from various hiding places as the two party ponies walked down from opposite ends of the street, both dressed very ridiculous.

Cheese Sandwich wore socks on his rear hooves, elephant slippers on his forehooves, an ushanka on his head, over which was a purple halibut. Pinkie wore cowgirl boots with spurs, a silly cowgirl hat with an arrow poking through it and tweeted a noise-maker once they’d arrived and Twilight stepped in with a book.

“Alright, everypony! According to my official Goof-Off Rulebook…”

“She actually has a goof-off rulebook?”
“Are you kidding?! Twilight can find a rulebook for everything!”
“Shh!”

“The two competitors have free range to goof about, be it by singing, dancing, playing, prancing, joking, or performing,” Twilight explained, all the while Pinkie and Cheese made funny faces at each other that went as far as Cheese sticking his tongue out, revealing he’d been carrying a mouse in his mouth for it to blow a little tuba, “to make the Judge chortle, chuckle, giggle, guffaw, hoot n’ holler, whoop it up, and party down! The funnier, sillier, wilder, and goofier the better. Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow walked up, Twilight adding, “Since the winner will be headlining your party, you are the judge.”

“Heh, big tense competition on my birth-aversary,” Rainbow commented nervously as things seemed to be spiraling out of control,
“What could be better?”

“Cheese Sandwich? Pinkie Pie? Are you ready?” Twilight called to them.

“I was born ready!”
“I was ready before I was born!”

“That doesn’t make any sense!”
“Forget it, Blue. Party Ponies never make sense.”

“Then… LET THE GOOFING BEGIN!” Twilight declared and flew out of the way, as the two party ponies slowly made their moves towards each other… and Cheese Sandwich quickly made the first move, scuttle-dancing in front of Rainbow Dash with a big smile, playing his accordion, but that was exactly what Pinkie was waiting for!

It’s your birthday party, a very special day!
I’ve got a song, it won’t take long
I just wanted to say…

Happy-happy-happy-happy-happy-happy-happy-happy-happy-happy-happy-happy birthday to you!

“Not bad, she waited for Cheese to make the first move but caught him unprepared by making the first verse of lyrics,” Thunderlane commented.
“Eeyup, an’ them cupcakes looked good but a real mouthful,” Big Mac added.

If you wanna be the life of the party
But you’re feeling just a little uptight
Call the doctor, beg and plead
‘Doctor tell me what I need!’
Try to put a little Cheese in your knees!

Chomp! Chomp!

“Okay, rolling in on that giant cheese wheel while playing his accordion, genius!”Midnight approved.
“And he looks just adorable dancing about with those cheese pieces on his- Hold on!” Fluttershy stopped when they saw Rainbow get hoisted up towards Pinkie in a hot-air balloon.

Bubbles & Balloons! Bubbles & Balloons!
What’s a birthday party without bubbles and balloons?!
Star-shaped or trapezoid, look what I can do!
Only Pinkie Pie can make a bubble shaped like you!

“Tha’ was unexpected,” Applejack commented.
“And marvelous skill with those bubbles!" agreed Rarity. "Oh hold on, look’s like it’s Cheese’s turn!”

Just let yourself go floppy
For no this is your chance!
Pretend you have no bones and do the Rubber Chicken Dance!

Hit it Boneless!!!

“Oh Faust that’s fun!” Midnight laughed.
“And an oddly talented rubber chicken, to boot.” added Blueblood.

Cooler than a rubber chicken
And tastier than cake!
C’mon you, let’s party down and do the Gummy Shake!

Hit it Gummy!Uh-huh, you know it! Shake it!

“Very clever with the trampoline,” Twilight noted.
“An’ did Gummy look diff’rent there for a sec?” brought up Applejack.

Cuz I like to make you smile,smile, smile, yes I do! It fills my heart with sunshine all the while, yes it does!Cuz all I really need’s a smile-smile-smile from these happy friends of mine!

“That’s supposed to be my song!”
“Whattya mean? The writer messed that up before, remember?”
“THAT’S IT!!!”

Roll out the party cannon
When you hear the party cannon song- Ka-BOOM!

Why should you compromise?
Try this one on for size!
`Cuz nothing quite says ‘cheer’
Like the ringing in your ear
From the Cheese Supreme Cannonball Surprise!!!

“Is it just me or is this getting out of hoof?” Twilight was starting to regret not trying hard enough to nix the idea of this whole competition to begin with.
“Well, I think Rainbow Dash would say yes,” Thunderlane nodded with a troubled look, his sharp eyes having noticed Rainbow wasn’t exactly enjoying this anymore.

And it promised to get worse as a crane brought in a super-sized pinata!

Dale, dale, dale,
No pierdas el tino
Porques si lo pierdas
Pierdas el camino!

Unfortunately, Pinkie’s dancing on the pinata made it all the more easier for a pelican (for that matter what was a pelican doing so far inland?) to land on the top, causing the fixture to drop the whole entire kit n’ caboodle onto the birthday-filly!

As the glitter and confetti cleared, Pinkie saw Rainbow trying to free herself from under the collapsed pinata, and she was struck with revelation!

Gasping, she exclaimed, “Rainbow’s not having the best party ever. I… I broke the Pinkie Party Promise!”

As Cheese prepared to conduct the seal and its comically oversized horn to blow into-

“STOP!!!”

All eyes turned to Pinkie, “The Goof-Off is off!”

At once there was confused chatter amongst the crowd, Rainbow protesting, “But I haven’t named a winner!”

You don’t have to, I forfeit…” Pinkie conceded, feeling bad.

“But… What about you, Pinkie?” Midnight asked in concern of Pinkie tearing up.

“I… don’t!” whimpered the pink party pony pitifully.

172. Pinkie Pride - Part 3

After throwing her trombone on top of the pile of luggage, Pinkie sadly concluded it was time.

“Pinkie, wait!”

She startled to see Rainbow Dash fly up to her, “I’m sorry I got swept up by Cheese Sandwich!”

“We all are,” added Twilight, with Applejack, Thunderlane, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Blueblood, and Rarity all adding their own apologies, and Spike walking up to Pinkie and saying, “We’re sorry Pinkie…”

“No, I’m sorry of letting my pride get in the way of you having the best birth-aversary ever,” Pinkie apologized. “Cheese Sandwich really is a Super Duper Party Planner, and he’ll make a great headliner! I should’ve been a big enough pony to admit that and let you have your day.”

“But don’t you get it?” Rainbow insisted. “You’re both Super Duper Party Ponies! Sure Cheese Sandwich is a great guest party pony, but you’re Ponyville’s permanent party pony!”

She gave Pinkie an affirmative hug, “Nopony could ever replace you, and we could never have a party without you!”

Pinkie wiped away the grateful tears as her friends came in for a group hug.

“Rainbow Dash is right, Pinks!”

Everypony looked and saw Midnight and Cheese Sandwich coming their way, the both of them having apologetic looks as Midnight added, “And I think Cheese has something he wants to say, a certain something that might surprise you!”

“Cheese Sandwich?” Pinkie questioned, not understanding as Cheese Sandwich put his hat over his chest apologetically.

“I never meant to take your place in Ponyville - I just wanted to show you what a great party pony I am, Pinkie!”

“Why me?”

“Well…” Cheese started while Midnight cast an illusory image to illustrate Cheese’s explanation.

I fear I told a little fib about my pony past
I just hope when you hear the truth you will not be aghast
I wasn’t quite the super party pony like I claimed
The fact is that I was so shy nopony knew my name…

Everypony frowned at sad little Cheese as he ran away from his Manehatten home.

I stumbled into Ponyville one afternoon by chance
And found the biggest ever celebration party dance
Everything was perfect, cheer was filling up the place
And I saw that everypony had a smile upon their face!

Everypony couldn’t help but smile themselves at the sight of this party Cheese had happened upon as a colt.

I vowed that day to change my life, the past I did set free
For now Cheese Sandwich was a party pony full of glee!
A Super Duper Party Pony, that’s what I became!
I traveled all Equestria, and all did know my name!

But that never would’ve happened on my own, I’ll tell you why…
For the one who threw that party - It was you Pinkie Pie!

“Me?!”

“You!”

“R-Really?!”

“Ha! Really!”

Everypony was blown, but not as much as Pinkie as she hopped around Cheese, “So I was the pony who threw the awesomely spectacular party that inspired you to become a awesome spectacular party thrower?!”

“Swear on camembert!” Cheese nodded with a gleeful smile-

“Enough of the warm and fuzzies you two!” Rainbow butted in. “It’s my birth-aversary and you’ve gotta throw me a bash!”

“Yeah!”
“Let’s go!”

Super Duper Party Ponies, that is me and you!
Why go with just one party pony when you can have two?
Come on and let’s join forces, have twice the expertise
Now let’s all go to the party thrown by Pinkie Pie and Cheese…!!!

Needless to say, Rainbow’s Birth-aversary Bash went off without a hitch! it was possibly the biggest happening in Ponyville since they put the bit in the bridle. Everypony chilled in the fruit-punch lake, the foals enjoyed rides on the hippo, some partygoers rode on a mini-coaster, others cheered as the party cannons blew confetti, streamers, bubbles, and glitter everywhere but then everypony gathered in front of the stage as Cheese and Pinkie came out from behind the curtains.
“Alright, everypony! We are here to celebrate the birthday…"
“And anniversary…!”
“OF RAINBOW DASH!!!”

A large present launched into the air, spun `round before exploding in a burst of confetti and glitter to reveal Rainbow Dash!
“Hi everypony! Who’s ready to get their party on?! Hit it!”

Get your hooves up the party’s starting up right now
Everypony, everypony get down
Time to make a wish, better make it right now
It’s been a year and today is your birthday party!

Make a wish, its your birthday! (birthday!)
Make a wish it’s your birthday party! (birthday party!)
Make a wish, its your birthday! (birthday!)
Make a wish it’s… Your birthday party today!

Aw oh
Aw aw aw oh oh
Aw aw oh
Aw uh uh aw oh
Aw oh
Aw oh aw aw oh

Started out great and it just got better (got better)
Every day you learned a little bit more (little bit more)
Time to celebrate, now we're all together (together)
And in a year, we can see… What you wished for!

Close your eyes and concentrate
My little pony friends, uh uh aw oh
Think all the wishes you can make
Why should it ever have to end?

Aw oh
Aw aw aw oh oh
Aw aw oh
Let's celebrate your birthday

Aw oh
Aw oh aw aw oh
Let's celebrate your birthday party!
YAY!!!

Everypony danced and laughed and spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying themselves into the evening. Rainbow found herself neck-deep in pile of presents and stuffed full of cake and goodies. This was turning out to be one of the best birthdays she'd ever had.
"Hey Dashie, happy birthaversary."

That voice made the smile on her face even wider. Rainbow swung around to see a slightly nervous-looking Soarin smiling at her, a small gift box wrapped up with a shiny bow sitting in his outstretched hoof.

“Soarin! Where’ve you been all day?” Rainbow asked cheerfully.

"I, uh, looked around a while before I found this gift for you. Nopony told me your birthday was today, so I spent all day trying to find something nice for you. It was pretty tough trying to think of something really special I could get you."

He gently pressed the gift into her hooves, watching as Rainbow hurriedly ripped off the packaging to the small velvet box underneath. Upon seeing it she paused and looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"What is it Soarin?"

"Well, it's something that might not be to your usual tastes, but I thought it looked really nice and I thought maybe you'd like it and..." his rambling was cut short as Rainbow opened the box and gave a gasp.

Inside was a thin gold necklace with a ruby pendant shaped like a lightning bolt. The gold seemed to shimmer and the ruby was so pure and shiny, it almost looked as if her Element of Loyalty had been shrunk down to fit the pendent. It looked absolutely beautiful.

"I know you don't really care for posh things like jewellery, but I saw it in the window and it just reminded me of you and your loyalty and your gorgeous magenta eyes I just thought... " he watched her for a reaction, but Rainbow just continued to stare at the necklace in shock, her mouth hanging wide open.

After a few minutes of silence, Soarin gave a sigh of despair, "You hate it don't you... I'm so sorry Dashie, I just... I just wasn't sure what to get and it looked so nice and I just... I'm sorry. Look I'll take it back tomorrow and we can get you something el-"

All of a sudden did Dash's forceful passionate kiss silence him.

It was probably the most intimate gesture the two had shared and it made Soarin's heart beat out a samba. It felt like ponies were watching, but right then the only thing that held any meaning to Soarin was the beautiful, fiery, amazing mare holding him tight and locking lips with his own. Finally though, the two needed to breath and they split apart, burning red cheeks adoring the both of them.

Once she had caught her breath, Dash held up the necklace before locking eyes with Soarin, a sparkle in them the stallion had never seen before.

"Soarin. This necklace is perfect, I love it. Jewellery may not be something I generally enjoy, but this gift right here. Not only is it thoughtful and amazing, but it came from you. That's what is really so special about it. Knowing you went out of your way to find me something so special just for me... it gives me the confidence to say something that I've been thinking of for a while now, but haven't worked up the nerve to say."

Soarin watched her curiously, as she suddenly became very timid and unsure. Whatever she had to say was obviously very scary and difficult for her. Before she could lose her nerve though, he gently wrapped his wings around her, pulling her close to his in his protective arms. He could feel her calm from the hug and it seemed to be the final push she needed.

"Soarin... I love you."

For a second, time seemed to freeze for the ex-wonderbolt. He could just hear those precious, amazing words repeating over and over in his head.

She loves me... She actually said it. She actually loves me!

Tears actually seemed to come to his eyes as he squeezed her tight. Rainbow herself sniffled a few times, trying to hide how vulnerable she felt. This was new ground for her. Very scary new ground. She had never felt this way about somepony before and she had no idea what to do.

"I love you too Rainbow Dash. You have no idea how much I wanted to hear that."

At his words, Rainbow's worries started to melt away. This was definitely new but it felt... right. It felt warm and snug and precious. It was probably the mushiest conversation they had ever had, but for once, she didn't really care that it was mushy. She felt happy, and that's all that mattered.

As the party wrapped up and everypony started to head home for the night, a group of eleven ponies were saying goodbye to a 12th. Cheese Sandwich had put on his Stetson and duster, letting a rubber chicken with a number 2 settle upon his back.

"Well gang, it's been fun meeting you all, and catching up with an old friend, but me and boneless 2 here should be moseying on off. Pinkie you take good care of Boneless 1 there, he can be a little scared sometimes on a account of having no spine."

The Pink pony gave a giggle before wrapping her new friend in a hug.
"Don't worry Cheesy, I will. After all it's okay to be a little chicken every now and again."

Cheese gave a giggle of his own before turning to Rainbow Dash, who stood wrested against Soarin, her new necklace on proud display.
"I hope you had a happy birthaversary Rainbow Dash. With Pinkie's help I think this was the biggest bestest party I've ever thrown."

"It sure was Cheese. Thanks for the party. I hope you can keep making other ponies happy on your trip. Every town deserves a great party pony."

Cheese gave a dramatic bow before turning to his old friend.
"Midnight, it was great seeing you again. I'm so glad you’re here with friends. Last time I saw you it took all I had to make that frown of yours turn upside down. Here though, you look happy all the time."

Midnight chuckled then gave his old friend a hoof bump. "I am certainly am happy here, Cheese. These ponies - They're more than just friends. They're my family. There's no place happier than right here with them."

"I'm glad to hear it, Night. Well, I hope to see you all again sometime. This has been one superific day.”

Then with one last wave, Cheese Sandwich began making his way from Ponyville, his voice echoing as he walked.

"You know, it's funny, Boneless 2. My Cheesy Sense told me this gem thingy was important, and I've been getting tingles about it all day, but nothing happened. I wonder if it's broken or something."

The rest of the group had started to head back towards town, only to stop in confusion at the wacky stallion's words. They all turned, only to gasp in shock. Cheese Sandwich had pulled out a large clear gem and was checking it over as though it might be damaged. However that was no ordinary gemstone.

It was the missing Element of Harmony!

Cheese gave the gem a shake to see if it would do anything, only for him to suddenly be swarmed by the rest of the group.

"Oh hey guys! You wouldn't happen to know anything about this gem here would ya? My Cheesy sense says it's important but it hasn't done anything since I found it."

Midnight stepped towards Cheese, resting his hoof on the Earth pony's shoulder.
"Cheese, that gemstone is extremely important. It's one of the six newly-created Elements of Harmony! It flew off in search of the bearer meant for it, but now it's brought you here! That gemstone is one of the most powerful objects in Equestria!"

"Huh, it did feel kind of all powerfully and super harmony-ish when it hit me in the head. So my Cheesy Sense must have brought me here for more than Dashie's birthaversary."

Cheese sandwich was pulled into a massive Pinkie Pie hug as the excited pink mare burst with excitement.
"Cheesy, this means you get to stay here and be part of our super special friendship group as we have parties and cake and vanquish all powerful evil villains Celestia imprisoned and forgot about about!"

While Twilight was certainly glad know what had happened to the missing Element, and happy to see it was with somepony friendly like Cheese Sandwich, she could not let that last sentence out of Pinkie's mouth go undisputed.

"Pinkie Pie, Celestia does not just have us use the elements to deal with evil villains she has imprisoned, and she certainly doesn't just forget about important things like that!"

"Uh Twilight, she kind of does, you know. Trust me, Celestia is far from perfect," Midnight reminded her with a sheepish smile, only to cringe at the disapproving look from his girlfriend in return, while a few other group members gave a discreet nod of agreement.

"So you guys want me to stay in Ponyville and bond with you all so that this new Element will become unlocked and can be used to empower and open a secret chest hidden in the Everfree forest that can only be opened when all of the new elements a set of six keys that are missing but likely connected to each bearers respective traits!"

Everypony but Pinkie just stared at Cheese Sandwich, unsure how he had figured all of that out without anypony telling him of the existence of the Tree of Harmony or the mystery chest. The pink pony just gave a an emphatic nod with a massive grin on her face. Cheese tilted his head in thought for a second before pulling a grin of his own.

"Okay!"

"Yay a new friend for the group!" Pinkie and Cheese started dancing as everypony else gave a glance of confusion before shrugging it off smiles that had decided to just roll with it and pulling the two party ponies into a hug. Suddenly Pinkie and Cheese pulled away, both giving a gasp.

"Do you know what this means, Cheesy!"

"I think I do, Pinkie!"

"We're gonna have to celebrate!"

"And there's only one way to do that!"

"A party!" the two shouted in unison, leaping into the air as a series of fireworks shot off.

As the rest of the gang all questioned where the fireworks had just come from, Midnight stepped forward with a smile pulling the two party ponies back to the ground.
"I think one Pinkie-Cheese party a day is enough for today, guys. We can celebrate Cheese staying with us tomorrow. Right now, I think we should all head home and rest before it really sinks in that there are now two hyperactive unpredictable unexplainable party ponies living in Ponyville and we all suffer an aneurysm and marvel at the consequences for what we’ve just done."

Pinkie and Cheese just smiled widely.

"Okie Dokie Lokie!"

Pinkie and Cheese then gave each other a surprised look and said, word for word, “Jinx! Double Jinx! Triple Jinx, Quadruple-Jinx-INFINITY-JINX!!!”

They both then fell over in gut-bursting laughter and the rest of their friends couldn’t help but follow in their example, and nopony knew how late it was by the time they’d finally worked out all the giggles in their systems.

Author's Note

And with the addition of Cheese Sandwich, at long last is the Harmonic Twelve complete!!

And this arc... It's not quite over yet! :rainbowkiss:

173. Pinkie Pride - Epilogue

A couple of days passed by and the town wound down from Rainbow's birthaversary (and the 'Welcome-To-Ponyville-Cheese-Sandwich-So-You-Can-Figure-Out-Your-Element-And-Help-Us-Figure-Out-The-Mystery-Box' party that Pinkie and Cheese through the day after). Rainbow wore her new necklace around town for a while before deciding to keep it safe at home and wear it for special occasions. Pinkie Pie got back into her groove of being Ponyville's premier party pony and apprentice baker and life went on for everypony.

Surprisingly though, the group didn't hear or see much of Cheese Sandwich. He was spotted a few times around town, getting a look of the place and appearing to be double checking all of Pinkie Pie's weird emergency stashes she had hidden around Ponyville (Midnight had once asked her why she was stuffing a Pineapple into a tree, only for her to respond that it was part of her zombie invasion plan. He hadn't asked any further questions and immediately trotted away), but he otherwise didn't seem to interact with anypony. This greatly surprised everypony (barring Pinkie Pie, who when questioned had merely responded with 'Spoilers' and bounced away) who had all assumed Cheese Sandwich take on a similar duty as Pinkie Pie and make his presence around town very well known.

Still he wasn't causing any problems and on the few interactions that they did have with him, he seemed to be fitting in well and acting happy, so the group chalked it up to 'Cheese Sandwich being Cheese Sandwich' and left him to his town exploration.

Eventually it came time for the guys’ weekly-meet at 'Pepper Pony's' the local pizza joint so they could all catch up and hang out while the girls all went to the spa (though whether they could drag Rainbow there was pretty hit and miss). As the five stallions shuffled inside, the restaurant's owner, a red coated, orange & yellow maned pegasus mare called Mrs. Chili Spice, or Auntie Spice as she preferred to be called, came to greet them as she usually did. Mrs. Spice was a very motherly mare, around Mrs. Cake's age, though unlike some of the other more maternal mares around town, she was a very sassy no-nonsense sort. She always wanted to hear the latest gossip and make her opinions on events known, but if you ever wanted some advice or just a friendly shoulder to lean on, she was there in a heartbeat. She was good friends with the element bearers, who had all taken to her as a sort of mother-figure. It was with her advice that Soarin had worked up the nerve to ask Rainbow on their first date and she became a regular ear to vent on for Thunderlane when Rainbow Dash's bad habits at work took their toll on him. Everypony loved her, and she in turn loved them back, always looking after them and sneaking them the occasional free pizza or sodas when she could afford to.

"Here for your usual hangout, boys? I reserved your booth for you like always and I got your usual order already started," she said, brushing a loose strand of her mane back into the messy bun she had done it up in, hooking it up behind her green bandana.

Midnight grinned and gave her a nod of appreciation, "Thanks, Auntie Spice, we're starving right now and nothing can fill us up like a Pepper Pony's pizza."

"Don't worry about it Midnight, I'll always look out for my favorite stallions. Now I best head back to the kitchen. We have a new staff member starting off and while he seems pretty experienced, I want to make sure he can make a pizza to my standards."

With that, the elder mare gestured to a nearby booth and retreated back into the kitchen. The guys all squeezed in and started there guys afternoon.

"So Mac, the wedding isn't far away now. You feeling nervous?" Thunderlane asked giving the big red stallion a nudge. Big Mac brightened at the topic, though he tensed a little as well.

"Well Ah'm certainly excited. Finally tying the knot with my sweet Shy is going to be the best day o’ my life. Still, Ah do worry that it might be a bit much for Fluttershy t’ stand up there in front o’ everypony as th’ center of attention. Ah know in my heart she wants t’ be married as much as Ah do, but she never has handled being everypony's focus. Ah really don' wan’ her to feel uncomfortable or upset on our big day."

Thunderlane and Blueblood, the stallions on either side of him each gave the big red workhorse an encouraging pat on the shoulder as Midnight across from him voiced their collective thoughts.

"Mac, while this will probably be a bit outside of Fluttershy's comfort zone, we've all seen how much she loves you and wants to be with you. When the day comes and she sees you at the end of that aisle, standing by that altar, I don't think anything will stop her from trotting down that aisle to be with you. She may be a bit nervous and shy, but when it’s really important, she can be one of the bravest ponies around, and for your wedding day, I know she'll let nothing hold her back."

"Definitely big guy, you got nothing to worry about. Besides, we'll all be there, and the girls will all be there. She'll be surrounded by ponies who care about her as she stands in front of the guy who loves her with all his heart. It will be a perfect day for both of you." Soarin added with a smile. Big Mac looked around the table at all the encouraging smiles and he bowed his head in gratitude.

"Thanks you guys. Y’all `r th’ best friends an ol’ workhorse like me could ask for."

"Well totally! They are the most superific friends in Equestria and so are you!"

A pizza slammed down on the table in front of everypony starling them all. After blinking away the shock they all turned to find their newest friend Cheese sandwich standing in front of their table with a wide grin. However he wasn't just wearing his usual yellow shirt. He also had an apron on and a red cap with 'Pepper Pony's' emblazoned on it.

"Hey Cheese, it's good to see you. We haven't seen much of you since you decided to stick around Ponyville. What's with the hat and apron?" Thunderlane asked reaching out to grab a piece of the pizza at the center of the table.

Cheese gave a big smile before leaning forward on the table to get as close to the guys as possible.
"Well Thunderlane my good stallion, I got myself a new job here! Yepperooni, you guys are looking at the newest employee of Pepper Pony's! Isn't that fan-fiddily-tastic?!"

As the group all gave their congratulations, Blueblood levitated himself a slice of the pizza, being careful not to get grease on his shiny coat.
"Why Cheese that is excellent news. When did this turn of events occur?"

"Well it all happened like this. CUE FLASHBACK!"

"Wait wha..."

Flashback

Cheese looked at his checklist to confirm he had finished looking at all of Pinkie's emergency item locations (and adding a few of his own in the process) so he could be prepared for the future. However now that his task was complete, he was at a loss of what to do next. With him now staying in Ponyville, he couldn't really continue his profession of being a traveling party planner, so he now needed a job, as well as a place to stay.

As he puzzled, the pegasus mare Mrs. Chill Spice approached him. "Hey there sugar, you seem a bit lost. You need some help with anything?"

Cheese looked at her and gave an exuberant nod. "You betcha. I'm here in Ponyville to stay, but I don't really have a place to sleep or job to eat and buy party supplies with. I hope I can think of something or me and my pal Boneless 2 are gonna have to mooch off our new friends, and that isn't a very friendly thing to do.

Mrs. Spice gave a thoughtful nod before examining him a bit closer. He seemed a fit young stallion, a bit hyper, but with Pinkie Pie living in town, hyper was all relative. His cutie mark seemed to be a tasted cheese sandwich split like an accordion, which made it difficult to tell precisely what his special talent was. Still, he eager for work and in need of a place to stay. Perhaps she could offer some help.

"Well if you're needing a place to stay and looking for a job, I might have a solution for you. I own and run Pepper Pony's, the local pizza joint, and currently I'm in need of a new staff member to help cook and wait tables. I also happen to have a spare room with me in my loft above the store. If you have some knowledge of cooking or you're good with talking to ponies, I wouldn't hiring you on and letting you stay in my spare room. You'll need to work hard though. I'm all for helping ponies, but I won't promote laziness. If you come live in my house and work in my restaurant, you need to be ready to always do your best."

The mare suddenly felt herself get swept up in a big hug from the wacky earth pony. "Ooh thanks a bunch. I promise I'll do my best and make you proud. By the way, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Cheese Sandwich, party planner extraordinaire!"

"Well Cheese sandwich, I'm glad to help. My name is Chili Spice, but everypony calls me Auntie Spice, and I'm looking forward to working with you. Now follow me and I'll show you your new room."

End Flashback

"And that's how Equestria was made!"

"Well it's not quite how Equestria was made, but it was certainly a great tale. I'm glad Auntie Spice could help you out. She's a wonderful mare and she'll take care of you." Blueblood gave him a warm smile as the group all finished off the pizza. Seeing that the food was all gone, the mare in question hovered over to the table.

"I'm glad to see you boys already know my newest employee. However you can all play with your friend when his shift is over. Cheese we have customers waiting, so back to the kitchen please."

"Yes ma'am!" the goofy pony saluted before diving back through the order window and into the kitchen, ignoring all the odd looks he received from other restaurant customers. Auntie Spice just shook her head with a smile on her muzzle.

"Oh he's an odd one that boy, but I think I'll like having him around. He'll fit into Ponyville, just fine."

All the stallions gave a holler of agreement before resuming their discussion of Mac's wedding. When their new friend got off his shift, they would invite him to join them.

Their circle of friends now felt truly complete.

Author's Note

This chapter was meant to take care of Cheese's living situation in Ponyville, and I felt it was long overdue to introduce the owner of the guys' favorite hangout, Mrs. Chili Spice aka Auntie Spice.

My partner, Pontiac56, created this chapter as well as the character Chili Spice. She's a widow, which will be explained later on in the story, while I came up with the idea of Cheese working at the pizza parlor

174. Simple Ways - Part 1

Taking it all in as he and his Dashie flew overhead, Soarin was in awe, “Wow! I can’t believe how many ponies showed up!”

Virtually everypony in Ponyville was gathering in town square and surrounding Town Hall, Pinkie saying, “I can! I mean, finding out the Ponyville Days Pony of Ceremonies is a pretty big deal!”

It had only been a few days after Fluttershy and Big Mac left for their honeymoon, and still life was busy in Ponyville. Midnight, Twilight, Rarity, Blueblood, Soarin, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Thunderlane, Pinkie Pie, and Cheese Sandwich arrived along with everypony else in time to see Mayor Mare step up to her podium and microphone.

Behind her, sitting at a table set p for them were three elderly ponies, Granny Smith among them.

“I didn’t know Granny Smith was on the Selection Committee,” Twilight commented.
“O’ course she is! Ponyville Days celebrates th’ foundin’ of Ponyville, an’ she was right there!” pointed out Applejack.

Midnight smiled warmly, seeing Granny Smith smile kindly at a filly who brought her a balloon, “It just wouldn’t be Ponyville Days if the pony responsible for the founding of Ponyville wasn’t involved!”

“Well I’m glad the Committee didn’t automatically pick me or Cheesie!”
“That way, everypony gets the chance to see how great being a party pony is!”
“Even though the festival is basically a party and the Pony of Ceremonies gets to organize the whole thing!”
“So it’d totally make sense if they picked me or Pinkie!”

“SHHH!!!!!”

The collective shush and multiple stink eyes made both party ponies smile nervously as Cheese zipped his lip while Pinkie buttoned hers.

The sound of feedback got everypony’s attention as the Mayor began, “Citizens of Ponyville, this year’s applicants were all exceptional, but there can be only one Ponyville Days Pony of Ceremonies, and that pony is…”

Mayor Mare looked to the Selection Committee, who whispered, and appeared to be in agreement, the tension getting to Pinkie that she gasped!

...And inflated her head like a balloon, rising into the air, Cheese clutching her tail as he was carried up with her, playfully bobbing his brows as he held out a needle. But all eyes were on Granny Smith as she brought up an envelope to Mayor Mare.

The look on the mayor’s eyes told everypony it was a surprise choice a split second before she announced it was, “Rarity!”

Instantly, Rarity smiled at the applause she got, shaking Carrot Top’s hoof, accepting a bouquet from Amethyst Star, getting quite a cheering whoop from Applejack, when Twilight and Midnight walked up to her.

“Congratulations, Rarity,” Twilight smiled.
“Got any ideas for the festival?” asked Midnight.

Rarity smirked and narrowed her eyes as she looked and everypony followed her gaze to see Blueblood pushing a model of Ponyville towards them, apparently with some decorations as the diva said, “Hmm, a few, darling, a few... Come, come, come, darlings! To the boutique!”

The Ponies of Harmony (minus their recently newlywed friends currently off at their honeymoon) gathered at Carousel Boutique, inside which was set up a runway with theatrical curtains, an easel holding some poster boards, and a phonograph record-player.

At the end of the runway, Pinkie kept hopping, “I’m so excited for the festival I can hardly stand up straight!”

Indeed, for when she tried, she immediately tipped over and fell flat on her face, which Cheese thankfully cushioned, given the loud farty sound that followed spurring a few sniggers among the boys and Rainbow Dash while Twilight and Applejack shushed them to settle down.

“Now that we’re back on track…” Twilight gave a goodnatured stink eye to her stallion who smiled apologetically. “I’m excited as well, because I just know Rarity will add a touch of elegance to the whole thing.”

“Prob’ly more than a touch,” Applejack seconded when they noticed the lights dim and saw Blueblood and Spike step onto the runway.

Blueblood wore a dress collar and bowtie similar to what he wore back at the gala while Spike wore a similar tuxedo. As Spike operated the lights and record player, Blueblood cleared his throat and levitated some flash cards.
“This year’s Ponyville Days Festival designed by my beloved muse, Rarity, shall featured plethora of events of high class, such as…”

Blueblood moved the first poster board to show some illustrations to his words, “...a silent cider auction and tasting…”

“Ooooh!”

The next poster board showed, “A Ponyville Gala in town square.”

“Ah!”

“And, of course,” Blueblood chuckled as he revealed the last illustration, “a Ponyville Fashion Show!”

“Ooooh!”

“This year’s Ponyville Days festival pony of ceremonies,” Blueblood went on, “creates shimmering couture of her own design.”

Spike shined the spotlight and pulled the curtain back to reveal Rarity in a glamorous layered gown of blue and purple with elegant patterns of white, gemstones of matching colors, earrings, and a purple gem ring on her horn which (totally did) not look tacky at all.

“And the theme is…!” Rarity paused for dramatic effect while stepping out onto the runway and proudly announced with tosses of her beautiful mane, “Small - Town - Chic!”

“Boy, Rarity!” Midnight spoke, “It’s clear you’re putting no small amount of effort into this!”
“Ah’ll say!” Applejack agreed.
"I think it’ll be a festival to remember!” declared Thunderlane.

“Oh, do you really think so?” Rarity fretted when both party ponies popped up.

“Are you kidding?!”
“We can’t wait!”

“Ah, that is such a relief! But of course I couldn’t possibly do it all on my own” Rarity worried as she walked down the steps provided by Spike, “The festival is in three days!”

“No sweat, Rares!” Soarin assured, “Dashie, and the Party Ponies and I can hang up lights and decorations all over the town square!”

“An’ Midnight an’ Ah can get Sweet Apple Acres all ready for th’ cider-tasin’,” Applejack volunteered.

“That’s perfect! And Blueblood, dear, if you and Twilight wouldn’t mind helping me with the fashion show…?” Rarity hoped.

“Anything for you, beloved,” Blueblood promised as he kissed his mare’s hoof.
“I’d be honored.” added Twilight.

“Wonderful! That allows me to prepare for the special guest,” Rarity sighed in relief, only for it to fly out the window when she noticed her clock. “AUGH! It’s that time already?! Blueblood, quick… TO THE TRAIN STATION!!!”

“WHOA!!!” Blueblood was whisked out the door in Rarity’s wake (along with her aura) as Thunderlane yelled, “Wait, Rarity! How can I help!?”

As the Friendship Express pulled in and released a haze of steam, Rarity and Blueblood stood on the platform as the diva fanned the steam away with a fan in her aura.
“Thank you ever so much for joining me, Blueblood! I’m not sure I could handle the guest on my own…”

“For you, my dear, anything,” Blueblood reminded her as he kissed her hoof but then muttered to himself, “Although in this instance you didn’t exactly give me a choice…”

“What was that, dear?” Rarity asked, so distracted.

“Uh- I said… who was the guest of your choice?” Blueblood quickly covered, but before Rarity could answer the train doors opened and out spilled a clamor of ponies arriving.

“Is that him?! Do you see him, Blueblood?! Is he there?” Rarity fretted.

“Um… Blueblood scanned the crowd of arrivals for anypony that stood out, “I can’t say for sure…”

“You don’t suppose he decided not to come?!” Rarity started panicking, “Blue, dear, I don’t see him! What if he doesn’t arrive, the whole festival will be a disaster- BLUEBLOOD, WHERE IS HE?!?!”

…

An awkward silence befell the station as all eyes turned to Rarity, who felt like crawling under a rock.
“Ahem, sorry.”

“Rarity, you must get a hold of yourself,” Blueblood kindly helped Rarity to her hooves, “I mean, you haven’t even met him yet… or told me who he is!”

“Oh, right!” Rarity felt like stomping on her own tail for overlooking such an obvious detail, “he’s…”

The sound of hoof steps strayed into her attention and she looked to see, “Trenderhoof…!”

The pony called Trenderhoof was a tall and lanky unicorn stallion similar to Carrot Cake or Cheese Sandwich, coated a light brown similar to hot chocolate, his oddly messy yet stylish mane was pale yellow with a streak of white, behind the glasses he wore were a pair of brilliant violet eyes narrowed in a relaxed way, he wore an olive-green sweater hemmed orange, and his cutie mark was an orange argyle pattern with yellow inter-crossing lines, somewhat similar to a pattern on his sleeve.

*GASP*

Rarity quickly hid behind Blueblood, peering out from behind his rear legs.
“What’s wrong?”

“SHHHHH,” Rarity shushed before stammering, “It’s hi- I-i- It’s him-im…”

Blueblood looked and finally recognized him.
“Trenderhoof the travel writer? He’s your guest?”

Rarity smiled like a filly and nodded.

“Well… go up and speak with him,” Blueblood suggested.

Rarity squealed a silly squeal before straining, “I can’t!”

Blueblood gave his girlfriend a look before flaring his horn and levitating her towards Trenderhoof, at which point she finally got a hold of herself, nervously giggling a bit before saying, “Ah, ahem, uh, hello! Mr. Trenderhoof. I am Rarity,the Pony of Ceremonies for this year’s Ponyville Days Festival.”

Blueblood could not believe the way his Rarity was acting - She had a crush on the guy! She was giggling and blushing like a school filly as Trenderhoof kindly replied, “Please, call me Trend.”

Rarity blushed a little more before fainting, Blueblood groaning before muttering, “Mares…”

Rarity led Trenderhoof on a large tour through Ponyville, highlighting all the events she had planned and shamelessly gushing over the trendy stallion with her. Following up the rear and growing more annoyed by the minute was Blueblood, who was struggling to hold back some rather uncouth comments.

I realise she's excited to meet such a big trend setter like Trenderhoof but really. I am really starting to become uncomfortable with how much she is gushing over him. Still this is a big deal for her and provided the event goes well, it could have some good movements for her career. I suppose for now I will just have to grin and bear it, but I think I'll having a few words with my beloved tonight to make her aware how uncomfortable I am with her fangirling…

"And finally, Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville's core." she gave a little chuckle at the pun, "So to speak, where our quaint little hamlet began."

Trenderhoof's gaze was spellbound by the natural beauty of the agricultural wonder before him. It surprised Blueblood, who had pegged the stallion as rather superficial from his clothing style and speech.

"Oh it's absolutely breathtaking," Trenderhoof gave a sigh of contentment as he gazed over the apple fields. Rarity smiled warmly at this, though the smile annoyed Blueblood somewhat.

After a moment of admiring the view, the three ponies started walking forwards. However before Blueblood could once again attempt to block out the sight of his girlfriend looking all lovey-dovey with this other stallion, a far more friendly voice caught his notice.

"Hey Blueblood, what's happening brony?"

The royal stallion looked up to see Thunderlane descending from the clouds, looking a little tired from work, but nonetheless pleased to see his friend.

"Why hello, Thunderlane. I must say I verily welcome a friendly distraction right now," Blueblood sighed in annoyance as he gave a quick glance to confirm that Rarity and Trenderhoof had continued walking before returning his gaze to the darker stallion.
"That Trenderhoof fellow has rather been getting on my nerves. He seems a decent enough sort, but my lady Rarity is completely taken with him and it's making me rather uncomfortable."

Concerned from his friends words the pegasus turned his gaze to observe the twiggish unicorn stallion accompanying Rarity. He seemed nice and charming, though Thunderlane could see the affection and admiration in Rarity's eyes and understand why Blueblood was feeling uncomfortable. He was just about to turn to his friend and try to cheer him up, sighting just how much Rarity loved him and would never do anything wrong like try to hook up with another stallion, when he caught sight of something that made him freeze.

Applejack was hard at work in the orchard, bucking her trees and gathering her apples for the market. She'd clearly been at it for some time now as she was covered in apples pieces and juices, and her fur was tangled and holding bits of leaf and twig. The farmer gave a hard kick to the tree behind her and watched with pride as dozens of shiny red apples fell from the tree into the waiting baskets below. The orange mare wiped some perspiration from her head before moving to the next tree. All in all, a rather mundane and regular sight if one were to take a stroll through Sweet Apples Acres. But the freckled farmer was not what had caught Thunderlane's attention. Rather she had caught the attention of another stallion.

Trenderhoof was staring at her wide eyed behind his glasses with a huge dopey smile on his muzzle. you could practically see the little pink hearts floating around his head and as he stepped forward, he practically glided on air. He was completely head over hooves for the tough orange mare ahead of him.

"Who. Is... That?"

"Who, Applejack?" Rarity just looked puzzled, flitting her gaze back and forth from the stallion she had just been speaking with and her friend hard at work.
"Why are you staring at her like that?"

Trenderhoof barely seemed to hear her as he swooned, his eyes riveted to Applejack as she continued her daily chores. "I've seen a lot in my travels. But I never beheld such beauty."

The mare seemed to take a quick break, grabbing one of her apples and taking a huge chomp out of it, running juice sliding over her muzzle messily. Applejack didn't seem to care though, just relishing the apples before she continued with her work.

"Applejack... the mare of my dreams!"

Blueblood was observing the odd phenomena of a prestigious unicorn seeming to be attracted to a farmer like Applejack when a crunching sound drew his attention.

Thunderlane stood rigid, his wings flared aggressively and his teeth clenched. He was grinding one of his front hooves into the dirt, and his right eye was twitching a little. The sight surprised the Prince. He couldn't remember ever seeing Thunderlane so angry before.

175. Simple Ways - Part 2

Trenderhoof, completely oblivious to the dark pegasus, had decided that staring at the Applejack of his eye was not enough. He needed to speak with her so they could begin their lives together!

The unicorn took a few steps forward, running through the appropriate greeting to give his one true love, when a blur of black and grey zoomed past him toward his fair Applejack. Thunderlane, having seen Trenderhoof approaching his friend had suddenly taken off at top speed. He had no idea why and no idea what he was doing, but something inside him would not let Trenderhoof approach her. Applejack blinked in surprise as she noticed Thunderlane come in for landing, dust blowing everywhere from his speed. However this seemed to be all he did, as the stallion just stared at her silently, his mouth opening and closing as if trying to speak words and utterly failing.

"Uh, hey there Thunderlane. Tha’ was a mighty quick landin’. Everything alright? Yer lookin’ kinda odd right now."

Thunderlane was still struggling with something to say. He had no idea what was going on right now. He had been chatting with his friend Blueblood before suddenly being overwhelmed with anger and bursting over to AJ, and he had no idea why. Something must have been wrong with him and he needed to figure out what. Right now though, he could see Rarity approaching Trenderhoof, who seemed a little downtrodden that another stallion was speaking with AJ instead of him. A subtly fake cough from AJ drew his attention back to her, where she was still waiting for a response, her eyebrow raised curiously and a hint of concern in her expression.

"Oh uh, hi AJ! I uh... I just came over here to say hi ya know... just see how my favorite farmer mare was doing..."

The response didn't make AJ change her expression. In fact it just seemed to puzzle her more. "Uh... Ah'm fine Thunder... thanks fer asking... is uh... is everything alright? Ya seem really out of it? Ya feeling sick or somethin’?"

Thunderlane could see a slightly annoyed and disappointed Rarity dragging away Trenderhoof, but the stallion kept looking back, as though waiting for the first chance he could get to speak with Applejack alone. Whatever part of him that seemed to hate the stallion and want him gone suddenly burst for joy and he found he could stop rambling, buying time until Trenderhoof was completely gone from the scene.

"Yes, I am fine...I ah... I just... I'm not sure I... how's that weather doing for ya?! Sure is a good day for farming, am I right?!" his frantic ramblings were almost a shout but the end as he stumbled trying to find some kind of response.

It was clearly unnerving Applejack though, making her grow quite worried about her friend. She stepped forward to put a hoof on his shoulder and try to calm him down, when Thunderlane looked over her shoulder and noticed that Rarity and the stallion she was with had left. Immediately he calmed down, but then a look of concern and almost feared crossed his expression. He raised his two front hooves and stared at them for a moment before mumbling a goodbye and taking off into the sky.

Applejack just watched him fly off, worry heavy on her face. She looked around and saw that Blueblood was approaching her, concern on his own muzzle.

"Blue, wha’ just happened here? Thunderlane just flew over acting real weird an’ then he got all scared an’ flew off. Ya got any idea what's going on?"

Watching his friend freak out and be unable to speak with Applejack was quite worrying, and his reaction after Trenderhoof had left was just as strange. But it was the immense anger that Blueblood had seen that really had him worried.

"I'm sorry, Applejack. I do not."

"What the buck is wrong with me!"

Thunderlane smashed several clouds, venting out his anger and frustration before collapsing on one. His mind was struggling to sort through the conflicting emotions he was feeling and the strange actions he had been compelled to take.

He'd seen Blueblood down below looking a little annoyed, so he'd gone down to check on his friend. But then mid-conversation, he'd seen that thin and lanky unicorn start making lovey-dovey eyes at Applejack, calling her his true love and stuff, and Thunderlane had just snapped. He'd just gotten so angry, uncontrollably angry. He couldn't understand why. He'd never even met the unicorn before and he didn't seem mean or unfriendly. Heck, Rarity seemed to be really getting along with him. Then he'd looked at Applejack with hearts in his eyes and Thunderlane had gotten immensely angry. WHY?

Then after he'd gotten so angry he'd started feeling protective and flown over to Applejack to as if to protect her from Trenderhoof. But when he got there he realized that the unicorn wasn't even doing anything, so why did he want to protect AJ? Besides, AJ could very easily take care of herself, and if the stallion was a creep or something, she'd be fine.

That line of thought seemed to be the key.

I guess something about that stallion just sets me off. My instincts kicked in and I wanted to protect my friend. That has to be it, I mean, why else would I get so overprotective and angry? I must have just been so focused on that that I couldn't even speak with Applejack properly. That makes sense.

Having come to a verdict on why he had acted so crazy, Thunderlane calmed down a little. Still the desire to make sure the stallion wasn't going to try anything else with Applejack was strong in his mind and he couldn't shake it. Not to mention that last thought felt more like he was just trying to convince himself.

Well, I’ve finished my shift for the day. I suppose I can tail Rarity and that Trenderhoof guy for a while, make sure he isn't putting any more of my friends in some sort of trouble. Maybe try and figure out what it is about him that is setting me off so much. Then I can talk to AJ again and make sure she knows I'm fine. She looked really worried when I freaked out there.

That thought made him feel guilty, more so then he figured it would, but his distrust of the unicorn was stronger, and it drew his focus. Having decided on his course of action, the pegasus flew off to find Rarity and make sure the stallion didn't try doing anything else to Applejack... or his other friends.

But especially Applejack.

It took some coaxing but Rarity managed to get Trenderhoof to follow her to carry on with the tour. Even so, Rarity couldn’t help but wonder what that entire fiasco had been about, and why did Trenderhoof show such an interest in Applejack?

She was the Pony of Ceremonies, if there was anypony Trenderhoof should be paying attention to it was her! She did however glance Blueblood looking rather annoyed but when he’d noticed her looking at him he looked away and whistled innocent-like.

“and here in town square, Trenderhoof,” Rarity carried on as best she could, “will be the climax of the festival, the Ponyville Days Gala! Music, dancing, and of course a locally coursed menu of delicious treats! Uh-heh, rather like the Spring Fling meets Manehatten Wedding article you wrote in Gallop & Prance!”

“I must get this out, Miss Rarity, for I am becoming inspired!” Trenderhoof voiced all of a sudden.

Without farm life there’d be such disparity,
These thoughts I think with great clari-

“Hey Blue!”

The loud voice interrupted Trenderhoof’s moment as he and Rarity looked and saw Thunderlane lounging on a cloud as he spoke down to Blueblood, “Remember last week when we went to that Beat Culture night at the coffee shop? AJ walked right out, harping about poetry? Said she couldn’t stand all that nonsensical rhyming.”

“Uh…” Blueblood didn’t know how to respond to that but Thunderlane saw just the response he wanted from Trenderhoof as the travel-writer’s inspiration went south for the winter, given the crestfallen look on his eyes and drooping of his ears.

“Let’s… carry on, shall we Trenderhoof?” Rarity encouraged with a nervous smile.

Over the next few hours, things just became more awkward and odd. Trenderhoof tried to talk with Applejack as she was making a delivery and when he tried to munch on one of her apples, Thunderlane zoomed by, yelling, “Think fast!” and munching on the apple himself and sending Trenderhoof for a whirl, which gave Applejack ample time to get away and complete her delivery while Rarity told him it was time to check out the cider-tasting.

At Sweet Apple Acres, Trenderhoof tried to talk with Applejack again, this time dressed in overalls, a straw hat, and a red hanky in his pocket, trying to look country, as he again tried to approach Applejack as she and Midnight were busy making cider. But before he could get close, a dark gray blur sped him by so fast it blew his country clothes right off, leaving him naked!

Rather than approach Applejack in the buff, Trenderhoof, quickly jumped into a nearby barrel. Unfortunately, it was full of cider and Midnight was none too happy with some of his family’s cider being ruined that he teleported Trenderhoof off of the property.

Still Trenderhoof would not be deterred, for after getting his normal sweater back on, he tried to go see Applejack in the orchard after she went to buck for more apples, only for Thunderlane to provide more interference by bringing over a small but uncannily accurate thundercloud that cracked lightning every time Trenderhoof got too close to the area Applejack was in, that Trenderhoof steered clear.

“Phew!” Thunderlane was glad to get rid of the thundercloud, after it served its purpose in barring that burr in his fur Trenderhoof from Applejack.

The weather captain had just busted the cloud and took a breather on another, “Keeping undesirables away from your friends is exhausting!”

Still, it continued to bug Thunderlane as to why Trenderhoof getting goo-goo eyed at Applejack bothered him so much. As he groaned and slouched on the cloud, he wondered, what was going on with him?

He’d known Applejack for quite a while, she was a good and reliable friend, kind but could be firm when she had to be.

...and real pretty when she’s bucking those trees and… the way she smiles when she serves up some of her recipes-!

Thunderlane jolted as his thoughts began to get a little weird, “Snap out of it, Thundy! You’re… just being protective of one of your best friend’s little sister, is all! I’m a big brother too, makes perfect sense.”

The tone might have sounded convincing so why did Thunderlane doubt his own words? Groaning, he collapsed again onto the cloud and muttered, “Maybe I should....”

"Pick an apple a day an' keep trouble away!”

Thunderlane jolted up again, recognizing that voice, as well as the infuriating one that came after it. He peered over his cloud and realized he’d floated right above town, specifically o’er Stirrup Street, and there they were!

Applejack was trotting along with baskets of apples strapped to her barrel, that pretty-colt writer following as he asked, “ How many varieties of apples do you think there are?”

“On th’ farm or in all Equestria because-” Applejack tried to ask only to look annoyed when Trenderhoof levitated one of her apples towards his muzzle, and interrupted.

“I once had an apple so rare they thought it was extinct! I ate four of them,” Trenderhoof took a messy chomp of the apple, bits of it and some of its juice getting on Applejack’s face, mane, and tail.

Wiping it off, Applejack remarked, “Is tha’ a fact…?”

“That’s my thing! I take the mundane, the simple, and the unappreciated,” Trenderhoof explained while rudely pointing at random ponies around them, “and make it relatable.”

“And what’s wrong with being mundane and simple?” said an accusatory voice edged razor sharp, and Trenderhoof whinnied at the doozy of a stink eye that Thunderlane was giving him while flapping aloft overhead.

“Thunder?” Applejack watched as Thunderlane flapped down to Trenderhoof’s eye-level but kept flapping to maintain the looking down on him (given Trenderhoof was taller in stature).

“Because what is really unappreciated is the way you seem to be towards us Ponyvillians!” Thunderlane glared into Trenderhoof’s eyes, the writer gulping as he slowly tried to back away but Thunderlane maintained the uncomfortably close and threatening glare.
“Maybe Ponyville isn’t some big and fancy burg like Manehatten or Canterlot, but its got in spades what places like those are sorely lacking in! Wanna know what that is, tough guy?”

“Thunder, Ah think yer scarin’ `im,” Applejack tried to intervene but Thundelrane ignored her.

“Decent, honest, and friendly ponies!” Thunderlane answered, Trenderhoof starting to sweat bullets.
“And honestly? If this ‘mundane, simple, and unappreciated’ neighborhood doesn’t meet your stuffy example of standards, why don’cha just head on back to the station and catch the next train to, say? ANYWHERE!”

Thunderlane’s outburst startled Trenderhoof, causing him to fall on his butt, and start shivering a little in fright-

“THUNDERLANE!”

The three ponies looked and saw a very cross-looking Rarity, whose horn forced Thunderlane onto the round as she came over and grabbed him by the ear with her teeth, and started pulling him towards an alley, the pegasus complaining, “Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-ow…!!”

Rarity released Thunderlane and glared up into his face, demanding, “Thunderlane, I demand an explanation of your behavior, most uncouth I shall add, towards Trenderhoof!”

Thunderlane frowned and rolled his eyes and grumbled like a pouty colt, only to yelp as Rarity gave a rather unpleasant yank on his ear, “ALRIGHT! I’ll talk, just leggo!”

Rarity ceased pulling but Thunderlane felt the tingle of Rarity’s telekinetic aura still on his ear, which he knew was a silent warning not to push her.
“...It’s… It’s…! It’s just that Trenderhoof guy, being all over AJ, they way he looks at her, how obvious it is she’s not interested and yet he’s too dense to take a hint!”

Rarity raised a brow, puzzled by Thunderlane’s words and behavior, “Thunderlane, I… I never thought you to be so protective of Applejack. Still, I remained averse to the example you displayed, and-”

“That guy just rubs me the wrong way, alright?!” Thunderlane snapped, only to get another warning tug on his ear that made him shut his trap.

“Thunderlane… Why ever would a pony being fawned over with the sort of attention Trenderhoof is paying her, as you put it, rub you the wrong way?” Rarity asked with a prying tone.

“I dunno, it… just does!” Thunderlane crossed his forelegs, looking irritated but also confused himself.
“I mean… I’m not saying… Trenderhoof’s a bad guy, it’s… Well, Applejack is clearly not interested, and it kinda makes sense, she’s… Well, she’s work-oriented, she’s responsible, she has good values, she looks out for her family and friends, treats them all well and knows when to put her hoof down…”

As Rarity listened, she saw a glimmer in Thunderlane’s golden eyes and it finally started to dawn on her, for like the rising sun of a dawn did her brow rise and she smirked, and it was a while before Thunderlane noticed her expression, and flinched, having gotten to adjectives synonymous to ‘pretty’ and ‘beautiful’.
“Ah-ha…!”

“Wha- I- Whoa, now, hold on, Rares!” Thunderlane blushed while waving his hooves in a ‘no way’ gesture, “C’mon, get real! I mean, sure Applejack’s a beauty an’ all, but, uh! I could never- Don’cha see, I mean… She’s my best friends’ sister!”

“...Thunderlane,” Rarity said in a flat tone, “Who are you really trying to convince here, me or yourself?”

Thunderlane opened his mouth to continue his denial but nothing came out. Rarity had beat the nail on the head, and as he found enlightenment, Thunderlane couldn’t deny it as he thought, I like Applejack…!

Author's Note

I know this seems out-of-nowhere an' all but I've actually been wanting to establish this for a while.

The ThunderJack shipping is rarely seen but I have read a few fics where it was portrayed that were pretty good in my opinion, and so I came to this, also because I wanted to make the sort of shpping you would probably never have considered

I think Applejack and Thunderlane (at least my story's version of him) could be a good couple. But, to each his own

176. Simple Ways - Part 3

Rarity stood waiting, observing Thunderlane's reaction to his feelings. After all, romance was one of her passions. She'd seen how happy Rainbow and Soarin were together, Midnight and Twilight as well, and that wasn't even including the recently married couple. Knowing that another of her friends had found love within their friendship circle had her on the verge of squee’ing with joy.

That's why Thunderlane's next action surprised her.

"Oh no, oh Dear Faust no! Why did- How di- What will I- Sombra’s Burns, whaddoo I do?!”!"

The usually calm and responsible stallion was now clutching his head, hunched over and on trying to fight off hyperventilation. His eyes were wide and his pupils had shrunk to tiny dots as the new information flashed through his mind.

Oh man I can see it now, her beautiful flowing mane, her stubborn determination and drive, her rich vibrant coat! There's no denying it; I have feelings for Applejack! What am I going to do, what am I going to do?! I'm not good with dating, I've always sucked at it! I can't make a move on her, I'd mess it up! Besides, she's one of my best friends. I know Mac and Fluttershy are working well together and I can see the others are all just fine too, but they've all liked each other since they met. I've known AJ for years and I didn't even realize I liked her until now! What if this wrecks our friendship? I don't want to make things weird between us. I doubt she'd even be interested in me. Oh what am I going to do…!

All the joy that Rarity had been feeling a moment ago was sapped from her as she saw the confusion and worry in Thunderlane's expression, turning somewhat melancholic. Whatever was going on in his head, it was making him depressed. With the confusion already strong from this revelation, she was starting to worry whether he was okay.

"Thunderlane darling, are you alright? I realize that coming to terms with your feelings can be a shock, but it isn't something you need to worry over."

She moved forward and placed a comforting hoof on his trembling shoulder. Her presence did seem to calm him somewhat, but this was too large a shock to go away so easily and quick.

"But I don't know how to deal with this, Rarity! I'm not good with this stuff. I haven’t dated anypony for a while and even if I did have the confidence to get out there again, this is one of my best friends! Things may have all worked for the rest of you guys, but I don't want to take the risk that this could wreck our friendship. I can't... I can't deal with this! I-I just... I just..." he started breathing heavily again so Rarity began rubbing his back soothingly.

It was quite obvious now that Thunderlane didn't know how to handle this sudden revelation and his admittance of a lack of dating experience wasn't helping. Still, Rarity knew that she needed to make sure he understood something.
"Thunderlane, I admit there is a lot of risk when it comes to dating with friends, and that can be frightening. But I want you to listen to me very clearly alright."

Seeing Thunderlane nod, she continued.

"I cannot see the future and I cannot see what will occur between you and our dear Applejack, but this I can assure you of. Applejack is your friend, and she will always be your friend. Even if you act on these feelings and she cannot reciprocate, that friendship will not end. She is not the type of mare to shed you from her life simply because she doesn't wish to pursue a romantic relationship with you. I think, fort now, that you should head home and take some time to gather yourself and ponder. Clearly, this has hit you much harder than I expected it would and you need some time to come to terms with it all. But one thing you need to know with absolute certainty, is that you and Applejack will always be friends regardless of these feelings and what they entail."

She let the words sink in for a moment before lightly wrapping him in a hug. Rarity’s words had left Thunderlane in awe for a moment before he pulled her in close, and it was just what he needed to calm down. He was still a little frightened and confused, but those words helped to assuage his worries a great deal. Though he remained in doubt of what to do, Rarity’s words had been just what he needed. After a few moment he released the white mare and spread his wings.

"Thanks, Rarity, that helped a little. I'm still really confused and I'm not sure what to do, but this did help. I'm going to go home and try to get my head sorted right now. I'm sorry about what happened with Trenderhoof."

Rarity smiled as he started to lift himself into the air. She took one of his front hooves in her own so she could add one last thing before he left. "It's alright, darling, I'll make sure he knows you apologized. Take all the time you need to sort things out. And remember, I'll be here if you need somepony to talk to about this."

He gave her a nod and weak smile before she dropped his hooves and he took off for home, his head still swirling and unsure.
Rarity watched him go, her expression becoming concerned. She would keep this to herself for now and not mention it to the rest of their friends until he had come to better terms with his feelings. Still there was one pony she needed to speak with before the matter could be dropped. A certain orange farmer who was at the centre of all this.

Applejack had headed for home after the weird incident at the market with Thunderlane and that Trenderhoof stallion. Her concerns about Thunder's behavior still bothered her, and her exasperation over Trenderhoof's odd discussion with her wasn't helping. Right now though, she had a task do shifting the cider barrels into the barn for the festival that night, so she tried push her concerns aside and focus on the moment where her work was concerned.

Applejack was about to step into the barn when she noticed the prim and proper form of Rarity approaching from the path leading to her and the barn, this time absent the annoying Trenderhoof unicorn she'd been showing around.

"Well howdy there, Rarity, wha’ can Ah do ya for? Ah'm a lil’ busy right now gettin’ these here barrels inside so Ah cain't really chat fer long."

Rarity said nothing until she had fully approached Applejack. Her expression was neutral, but Applejack could see concern in her eyes which the left the farmer feeling worried. With all the weirdness going on today, she hoped nothing else could top it all.

"Applejack, might we step inside the barn for a moment?” Rarity requested when she was standing in front of her friend.
“I need to speak with you about something quite private. It's rather important and it needs to be discussed."

From Rarity's tone, as well as how she maintained her blank expression, Applejack could tell this was serious. The orange mare gave a nod then led her friend into the barn and over to some hay bales to use for seats. The prim and proper mare looked hesitant to rest her soft and sleek flanks on those ratty bales, but she pushed aside her discomfort for the moment and sat down. What she needed to say was far more important then getting her flank a little dirty.

Still, she intended to have a good washing layer in her bathroom to get her coat back into pristine condition when all was said and done, but for now, she calmly took her seat. Applejack joined her and waited quietly for Rarity to start.

"Applejack, I suspect you have noticed some rather odd behavior from both Thunderlane and Trenderhoof today."

The farmer gave a nod. "Yeah, they were actin’ mighty strange. First, Thunderlane flies over t’ me, lookin’ as nervous as a long-tailed cat inna roomful o’ rockin’ chairs, an’ jus’ starts shootin’ th’ breeze in an all awkward-y way. Then Ah see tha’ Trenderhoof fella poppin’ up all day doing weird country lookin’ things. Ah got nothin’ but respect for mah lifestyle, but he really seemed t’ have no idear wha’ he was doin’ out there. Then finally at th’ market just a little while ago, tha’ unicorn comes up t’ mean for an apple, actin’ all strange before Thundy shows up an’ yells at im. Ah was so confusedbout th’ whole thing that Ah just headed back here while you dragged Thunderlane away."

"Yes it has been extremely odd. I have however learned something very important that you must be made aware of. The reason Trenderhoof has been acting strange and trying to emulate a country lifestyle was to catch your attention. He seems to be… twitterpated with you, darling, and the conversation he had with you at the market was likely some attempt at flirting or trying to court you."

Her green eyes widened in realization, Applejack took a moment to process this.
"Well, Ah… Ah s’pose tha’ explains his behaviour at least, but have ya got any idea why Thunderlane was actin’ th’ way he was?"

The farmer watched as Rarity gave a sigh, seeming to struggle with something for a moment, before her eyes met Applejack's.

"Darling, I am aware of why. Under normal circumstances, it is something I would keep to myself, as it is very private for Thunderlane and not something to be spread around. However right now he is very confused and concerned, and I feel it is for the best you are made aware so you do not attempt to pry answers from him before he is ready to talk."

Applejack didn't really like what she was hearing here. She already didn't like secrets, even if she was aware that they were sometimes necessary, but knowing that her involvement might worsen whatever was going on hurt a little. Thunderlane was her friend, what could her involvement possibly do to make things worse?

Before she could ask this question, Rarity continued, ensuring she had Applejack's full attention.

"Applejack, Thunderlane's odd behavior today, his rambling when he attempted a word with you earlier, his interfering with Trenderhoof, and his outburst against Trenderhoof at the market all stem from one thing - Thunderlane has grown feelings for you."

Applejack went silent, desperately trying to process this. Thunderlane liked her? Seeing that Applejack was still processing, gave her a moment before continuing.

"He wasn't immediately aware of it, mind you. In fact, he was insisting to himself that his actions today were simply in defense of a friend from some horrid suitor. However it became very clear to me while I was speaking with him that this was not the case. How deep these feelings run and for how long he has had them, I am unsure. After we had determined what was setting him off against Trenderhoof, he almost had a full-blown panic attack. He is extremely confused right now and very worried about his feelings. I was able to help him understand that whatever happened from now, you would always be his friend, but I do not know if it has truly sunk in for him. After talked, he went home to process and come to terms with his feelings before acting on them. I am only telling you this because he is extremely nervous right now and should this information come out through other sources later on, I feel it would greatly worsen the situation. So far you are the only other pony that knows and for the moment I believe it best that we keep it that way."

Applejack was still processing but she gave a nod of agreement to keep this information to themselves for the moment. It was a lot to take in and Applejack was having a difficult time working through it all.

Sensing this, Rarity decided her work here was finished. For now she would take a step back and let the two ponies work through things on their own. If they needed another pony to talk to get advice from, her door would always be open, but for now, her role in things had come to an end and she would respect her friend's privacy on the matter.

"I will leave you to decide how to process all this, Applejack. I apologize for dropping this all on top of you, l but I felt it best you were made aware. If you need somepony to speak with about this, I will always be available. In the meantime I shall return to the marketplace and conclude my tour with Trenderhoof before preparing for the festival tonight."

Applejack followed as they left the barn, but before her unicorn friend could leave, she pulled her into a gentle hug.

"Thanks fer talkin’ t’ me `bout all this, Rarity. Ah was real worried earlier an’ Ah wern't sure wha’ was going on. You’ve given me a lot t’ process and it's gonna take me awhile, but like you said; it was somethin’ Ah need t’ know. After Ah work through it all a lil’ an’ Ah come up with a way t’ go, Ah'll come an’ talk t’ ya. Thanks Rarity, yer a good friend."

Rarity just gave her a friendly nuzzle and stepped back.
"I will always look out for my friends, darling, no matter what the situation. I will see you at the festival tonight, darling. Come and see me if you need to borrow any clothes for the event."

Then with a dip of her head in farewell, the unicorn turned and trotted back towards Ponyville, leaving the farmer alone. All that had been said was still racing through her head rapidly.

So, not only does this Trenderhoof fella have feelin’s for me, but Thunderlane does too? Ah don' have any interest in pursuin’ a romance with Trenderhoof, an’ frankly, his attempts at getting mah attention were mighty weird. I just can't see myself with him. As for Thunderlane…

Images flashed through her head. Scenes of Thunderlane standing beside her as she harvested her apples. Scenes of picnics on the orchards, watching the setting of the sun. Scenes of a black stallion holding an orange mare close and whispering sweet nothings in her ear as they danced under the stars.

Thoughts of a possible future. Just fantasies. Fantasies she had never before considered.

And yet…

A warm blush crossed Applejack's cheeks and a slight smile crossed her muzzle.

Sometimes, when two ponies truly work at things. When they truly wish to follow the desire in their hearts. Sometimes, fantasies can come true.

Rarity gently closed the door to the boutique, letting out a groan. She had been on her hooves all day and with all these emotional issues going on with her friends, all she wanted was a moment to take a sit, relax, and have a nice cup of tea. Unfortunately, she still had to get dressed and ready for the festival. Dragging her hooves across the carpet, the unicorn proceeded to march for her stairs and ascend to her bedroom and large walk-in wardrobe to collect the outfit she had pre-selected for the event, when a attention-grabbing cough stopped her.

Seated in her living room was her boyfriend, Blueblood. The strapping stallion had excused himself after Rarity had returned to the marketplace to finish up the tour with Trenderhoof, but was now sitting patiently with a tea set prepared and a hoof pointed at her spare seat across from him as an invitation to sit. While time was an issue, Rarity could see that Blueblood clearly desired a word with her, and with his rather withdrawn behavior from earlier, which she realized, guiltily, that she had forgotten about after all the Thunderlane and Trenderhoof issues had drawn her attention, she felt that now probably the best time for them to have a chat.

Blueblood waited patiently as she elegantly took her seat and helped herself to the tea he had set out for the two of them. In truth, he had been here for a little while now, pondering what to say to her. After Rarity had returned from speaking with Applejack on the farm, she had decided to finish up her tour with Trenderhoof around town. After having been left alone with the stallion (whom was a very irritating stallion he had to admit. His devoted talks of Applejack were turning into 'creepy stalker' level territory) and then having Rarity return and continue her borderline flirting again had been the last straw before Blueblood had made his departure to wait in the boutique. It was time to talk about this.

"I'm not sure if you noticed today, my dear, but my manner was rather withdrawn and I tended to stay away from conversations with Trenderhoof."

Rarity took another sip of tea before nodding her head. "Yes, darling, I had noticed, or at least I had before Trenderhoof and Thunderlane's odd behaviors drew my attention."

"Yes, they were behaving oddly I must say, but that’s besides the point I’d like to get across. I'm afraid to say, my dear, but the reason for my behavior today was... well, it was you, Rarity."

Rarity blinked her eyes in shock, taking a moment to find her voice. "Moi? Darling, whatever was it that I did that upset you? I truly do not understand!"

Blueblood just gave a sigh before elaborating. "Rarity, I hope I don't come across as some sort of jealous obsessive stallion, but I felt your behavior towards Trenderhoof today was rather... inappropriate."

"In what way was I behaving inappropriately? While I admit I was a little starstruck seeing one of my most favorite writers here for my festival designs, I don't believe a little 'fan-girling' as Rainbow Dash would refer to it, was that large of an issue." Rarity debated, a slightly annoyed undertone to her voice. She truly could not understand what Blueblood was talking about here.

"Rarity, being a little starstruck or excited is one thing. Flirting and getting all giggly with a stallion, whilst you have a boyfriend, whom was right next to you for that matter, is unbecoming of a lady. I felt somewhat offended with all the attention you were showering Trenderhoof with that was entirely inappropriate for a mare in a committed relationship. I don't wish to come across as bossy or controlling, but I feel like your response to his presence was wrong."

Rarity was speechless for a moment, attempting to formulate a response to defend herself.

And yet…

She did have to admit, she was a little too touchy-feely with Trenderhoof today. The flirty looks she was giving weren't truly appropriate, and she had to admit, she had definitely gushed a little too much about her work for what was appropriate. It was almost like she had been bragging to get his attention…

She gave a sigh as she came to a conclusion. Before she had entered into this relationship with her Prince, she’d had a rather large crush on Trenderhoof, and following his writings, becoming a huge fan of his work. Seeing him here had likely brought some of those feelings back, even if she was truly in love with Blueblood and not Trenderhoof.

"Blueblood, darling, I do apologize,” Rarity sighed in penitence, “I believe you are right, that I have been acting inappropriately today. Before I met you and fell in love with you, I admit I did have quite the crush on Trenderhoof, and seeing him here today must have subconsciously brought back some of those old feelings. I assure you, however, that even though I may not have acted like it today, my heart only beats for you, my love. I hope you can forgive my actions today."

Being the Element of Sincerity, Blueblood could tell she truly meant it, so with a smile, he stood up from his seat and knelt in front of her, looking up into her truly remorseful face, caressing her cheek in his hoof..

"My beloved, of course I forgive you. I know you would never truly do anything to hurt me, and I think I simply let jealousy make me see that situation as worse than it really was. So long as I have you here with me, I know I have no need to fear another stallion trying to steal you away."

Standing up, he pulled her from her seat into a tight hug, letting his love wash over her in a warm wave. Rarity returned it, her own hooves wrapping around him tightly in return.

The two simply stood there for a while, holding each other close and feeling as though they never wanted to let go. In fact for Blueblood, he decided to make a step toward ensuring it.

"My dearest Rarity, being with you this long has certainly confirmed for me just how much I love you. I can see you return those feelings in full. As such, I would like to propose a new step for us. My dear, would you like to move in together?"

Rarity stepped back a little to gaze into his deep blue eyes, a teary smile on her face. "Of course, darling, nothing would make me happy then living together with you!"

She reached forward and pulled her beau into a deep passionate kiss, letting him feel just how strongly she approved.

There would be a few technical details to work out, like timing and location, and what would happen with Blueblood's roommate Soarin when it was all finalized. But for now, they simply held each other, their lips intertwined and their love stronger than ever.

All the particulars could wait. For now, they simply wanted to be with each other.

That night the festival was in full-swing. Relaxing music played over the town, courtesy of Noteworthy, his girlfriend Lyra Heartstrings, as well as his friend Mando, and colored lights lit it up beautifully. Ponies shuffled about all excited to get dressed up fancy like they were going to the Gala. A few of the local restaurants had moved tables out onto the street around their entrances to further the sophisticated atmosphere the town was giving off. For a Canterlot noble, they would feel right at home. For the Ponyvillians however, it was a nice change of scenery and a chance to pretend they were living the rich life and be fancy for the night before returning to their quaint yet happy lives the next day.

Applejack watched it all as she walked through the town, her mane up in a posh topknot held by a jeweled hair tie, and a pale green and magenta dress that looked absolutely stunning clinging to her frame. She watched her friends shuffle about enjoying themselves. She saw Pinkie and Cheese dressed up in top hats wearing monocles and having fun acting like nobles (albeit in a far over the top style, but everypony around them thought it was funny). She saw Midnight and Twilight seated at the Hay Bale, enjoying a meal and discussing the lovely styles displayed around the town. She saw Soarin and Rainbow gently dancing together in the Ponyville square to the slow music playing, along with several other couples. It was a lovely night and a stunning event.

But the thoughts on her mind kept her distracted from all this.

She was so distracted, she didn't notice when a lanky brown unicorn in a stylish sweater and hipster style glasses approached her.

"Applejack, you... look very different tonight.

“Oh this?” Applejack shrugged and looked at her dress, “Jus’ a lil’ somethin’ Ah borrowed from Rarity, t’ get int’ th’ spirit o’ things.”

“Why?” Trenderhoof looked truly bewildered, “I thought you looked beautiful as you were."

Although she was slightly put off by Trenderhoof’s apparent shallowness, Applejack supposed it was good he'd found her, as there were a few things she needed to say to him.
"Well, this here event was all about lookin’ fancy an’ showin’ our town charm an’ all. Ah figured dressin’ up like this’d fit right in, even if it ain't somethin’ Ah'd normally wear."

"I can understand that. Still, my lovely apple, I am so glad to see you. It seems all day I’ve been interrupted, waylaid; but now I can speak the words the shout from my heart-” Trenderhoof startled when an orange hoof pressed over his mouth. Glancing at the apple before his eye curiously, he saw she looked a little guilty.

"Ah'm sorry Trenderhoof, but before you say anything about that, there's somethin’ Ah have t’ tell you. Ah didn't notice it at first, but it was pointed out to me tha’ you have feelin’s fer me. Now Ah am flattered. if a mite confused why a city-slicker like yourself would actually have an interest in a gal like me, but Ah'm afraid Ah jus’ don' return yer feelin’s. Ya seem like a real nice guy an’ all, but ya just ain't th’ type o’ guy Ah'm looking for. Ah'm lookin’ fer th’ type a guy who’s strong an’ smart, ready t’ protect his fam’ly an’ friends. But more then that, Ah wanna guy Ah know, somepony Ah can be friends with an’ grow t’ trust before Ah have them as… as somethin’ more. Ah don't know ya well enough t’ say about whether yer strong or smart or willin’ to protect, but Ah know you an’ Ah don't know each other well enough t’ have the type of trust Ah need in a special somepony. Ah'm real sorry, Trenderhoof, but Ah can't be your special somepony."

Trenderhoof said nothing for a moment, letting her words sink in before he gave a dejected sigh. "Well... I suppose you've made your decision then. While my heart aches from this, I know it would hurt even more if you and I were together without the qualifications you need in a partner. I shan't forget you, fair Applejack, but I will respect your decision. I feel it may be best if I left once the the night is over, as my inspection of the town is complete, I have no further reason to stay."

Applejack gave him a heartfelt smile, still tinged with regret that he was hurting from this. She considered giving him a platonic kiss on the cheek in gratitude that he would respect her decision, but decided against it, lest he take it the wrong way. Instead she held up her foreleg and shook his hoof as a sign of farewell and respect.

Rarity watched from the sidelines as Trenderhoof hoofed trotted away, his head held low and his ears folded in sorrow. Still the fashionista knew that Applejack had made the right call, being honest with him and setting the record straight due to a lack of returned feelings, rather than dragging things out and making things worse for everypony involved. Deciding to make sure her friend knew she had made the right call, she approached Applejack, who was watching the dejected Trenderhoof leave with a sad smile.

"Ah know Ah made th’ right call, but Ah'm still sad tha’..."

Applejack trailed off, unsure of how to finish that sentence but Rarity nodded and placed a hoof on Applejack's back in sympathy.
"Sometimes matters of the heart can result in hurt, but if we don't listen we can never know true love either. Trenderhoof will hurt for a while, but in the end he will move on and search for somepony else that can return his feelings and make him happy."

Applejack turned to her friend and gave her a hug. "Thanks, Rarity, yer a good friend."

Across the square, a dark furred stallion watched the scene, a slight smile on his face after seeing his crush not choose the other stallion. Still, he couldn't quite work past his own nerves and worries to approach her.

Well… there’s time, he thought, as he realized that for now, he was okay with being her friend until he was ready to be straight with her about his feelings. He watched for a moment before turning to seek out some hors d'oeuvres and maybe track down some of his other friends to spend some time with.

He didn't notice however that once his back was turned, the orange mare he had been admiring glanced his way, and a rosy blush briefly encompassed her cheeks. However while he hadn't noticed, Rarity certainly did.

"So Applejack, your feelings regarding Trenderhoof have been made clear, but he was not the only stallion involved in events today,” Rarity raised a brow, her face pulling back into a knowing smile.
“What of Thunderlane and his feelings? Have you considered a course of action?"

Applejack didn't answer for a moment, the conflicting thought returning to her head. But for a brief moment, that happy fantasy of her and Thunderlane together out under the orchard surfaced in her mind and a smile came to her muzzle.

"Ah dunno Rarity, Ah really don't. But Ah really hope to find out."

Author's Note

The outfit Applejack wore to the festival is the same one from the episode where she looked like a 'southern belle' and was acting like Rarity in response to Rarity acting like a hick

The ending here was to establish a budding romantic interest between Applejack and Thunderlane that will become more apparent later on

178. The Music Stand - Part 2

“Pinkie, are you sure this is a good idea?” Cheese’s ears pressed down in uncertainty as he watched Pinkie sitting before the typewriter she had on her desk.

After meeting up and comparing what both Party Ponies had learned about the problems in Cranky and Matilda’s relationship, Pinkie had put on her thinking cap (which was an academic cap that had a light-bulb that turned on by tugging the tassel on top, by the way) and came up with what she thought was the brightest most bright idea ever to brighten.

“No worries, Cheese!” Pinkie assured as the device dinged and Pinkie pulled the carriage return lever, resetting it before she continued.
“And just to make sure they don’t catch on, I’m using this typewriter because they might have recognized my hoof-writing.”

“By the way, why do you have a typewriter to begin with?” Cheese asked.

“Doesn’t everypony?” Pinkie replied with a giggle. Seeing the roll of Cheese’s eyes, Pinkie added, “Relax, Cheesie! Love letters are perfect ways to help relationships, it worked in ‘Fifty Bales of Hay’!”

Cheese facehooved as he realized Pinkie was following an idea from such a corny teen romance story!
“But isn’t this still lying to them?”

“Woe your woes there, woeful,” Pinkie assured with a smug look, “All these love letters gotta do is help remind Cranky and Matilda what they mean to each other! Just imagine it… Matilda, all by her lonely lonesome in her home, Cranky out, thinking he’s having the time of his life, they both receive a letter from the donkey they know in their hearts means the world to them… They read the letters, the embers of their feelings are stoked and ignite with renewed passion! They race off to see each other, and literally kiss and make up!”

“Pink-” Cheese tried but Pinkie cut him off.

“Done!" she declared. "They’re perfect! Pass me those envelopes and stamps, would you, Cheesy?”

Cheese sighed again and reluctantly did so, watching Pinkie fold the fake love letters into the envelopes, lick the stamps and placed them on, “C’mon, Cheese! We got a romance to save...!”

Cheese followed Pinkie downstairs and out Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie bouncing excitedly, Cheese in reluctant tow, having a feeling this wouldn’t turn out as Pinkie hoped. His worry for the long-term turned immediate when he saw Pinkie was headed for somepony.
“Pinkie, look out!”

However, Pinkie had been too excited and had her eyes closed in fantasizing the moment of her two friends making up, smiling with enlightened happiness, giving their most heartfelt thanks to their good friend Pinkie-

“OOF/EEP!”

*Bump/flop/scatter!*

-that she didn’t see Ditzy Doo coming her way to get to the mailbox the pink party pony had just stepped in front of. The resulting bumping into each other caused them both to flop onto the ground, along with Ditzy’s mailbag, causing the mail inside to scatter.

“Oh! Ditzy! I’m so-so sorry!” Pinkie flabbergasted as she stood up and started picking up the scattered letters.

“Oh, no, it was just a little mishap, Pinkie,” Ditzy assured as she grabbed her mail-carrier hat and her bag. “This eye of mine can sometimes throw me off.”

“Here, I’ll help too,” Cheese stepped in, and soon enough, both mares were back on their hooves, letters ready to be delivered. “We were just on our way to find Cranky and Matilda.”

“Yeah, Cranky’s out going crazy and Matilda’s the one being cranky,” Pinkie added. “So we’re gonna help them remember how much they care about each other.”

“Well, I’m sure things will work out,” Ditzy said encouragingly before continuing her route, “bye-bye!”

“Y’know, Cheese, maybe we should both take one of these letters and deliver them,” Pinkie decided, slapping one of them into Cheese’s hoof before he could protest.
“I’ll go deliver the one for Cranky, you take the other to Matilda!”

“But Pinkie-” Cheese tried to say, but Pinkie already bounced past him.

“Meet you back at Sugarcube Corner! La, la-la, la-la, la-la…!”

Matilda sat grumpily in front of a café as she stewed over her beau's annoying new lifestyle. A few of the other café patrons were making sure to stay clear lest the donkey snap at them while the staff all drew straws in the kitchen as to who should serve her. She had been like this for a while now, and it didn't seem to be stopping any time soon.

"Hi there Matilda, I have something important to give you."

The irritated look on Matilda's face did seem to reduce slightly at Cheese's presence.
"Oh hello again, Cheese. I hope this won't take too long. I don't want to seem rude but I’m just far too wound up to hold a decent conversation right now."

The party pony just gave a positive nod of his head.
"Don't worry, Matilda, I'm just here to drop off a letter for you from Cranky. He asked me to pass it along to you. I'm not sure what it is, but he seemed happy about them, so maybe it's some sort of apology."

The idea that it might be an apology definitely lifted Matilda's spirits a little. She accepted the letter from Cheese's outstretched hoof and carefully opened it up to see inside.

However instead of the positive reaction that Cheese had been hoping for, Matilda immediately grew even angrier.

"JUNK MAIL!?! That son of a mule gave me junk mail!? He probably got it delivered to the house and then passed it along to me to punish me for not agreeing with his new activities. Ooh, that Cranky is going to have an earful waiting for him when he gets home!"

Then without waiting to order, the young donkey rose from her seat and stormed off back towards her cottage leaving the envelope and its contents on the table.

Cheese was extremely confused here. Junk mail? Pinkie had written out a love letter from Cranky. Why would Matilda think it was junk mail?

What exactly did you write, Pinks? Cheese wondered, as he looked at the letter, halfway out of its envelope, and realized it was a catalog from Filthy Rich's Barnyard Bargains with its current specials on patio furniture highlighted and bright.

The party planner grabbed the junk mail and gave it a confused look before heading away. Perhaps Pinkie had given him the wrong letter?

Pinkie hopped through town with gusto searching for her target. She was a mare on a mission. Nothing would stop her from fixing her friend's relationship, absolutely nothing.

Suddenly she felt the familiar feeling of her tail twitching, her most recognizable Pinkie Sense.

"TWITCHY TAIL!" she screamed, making a mad dash for ever under a nearby market stall.

Every pony else in the vicinity knew that calling sign by heart, and with that classic Ponyville style, they all ran off screaming in an unorganized mess. The entire market area was silent for a few moments before a hang glider zoomed down from the clouds and made a spectacular crash and splash into the water fountain in the center of the plaza. The wet crumpled mess gave a groan before pulling itself apart to reveal Cranky underneath it all.

"Whoah, that was some flying! I think next time I'll listen to the instructor a bit more carefully before taking off. Still that was epic! I wonder what I should try next?"

As the donkey pulled himself out of the fountain and started to shake himself dry, Pinkie Pie deemed it safe enough to leave her shelter and discover what had fallen. At seeing her friend she immediately perked up and zoomed straight for him.

"Hi Cranky, it's good to see you again since you disappeared since the last time I saw you which may have only been an hour or two but it was still longer than a few minutes which means it was still too long since I last saw my friend so I hope you’re doing well, but enough about that. I have a letter for you from Matilda that she asked me to give you and even though I don't know what it is, it looks like she worked really hard on it and I think you should read it and see what it is and then you two can be in love and happy again and everything will be back to normal!"

*GASP*

Cranky was still a little unused to Pinkie laying out a large message like that without stopping or taking a breath, but he figured he'd either get used to it or learn to ignore it eventually. He waited a moment for Pinkie to finish gasping for air and to hand him the letter.
"So from what I got of that, Matilda has written me a letter that she asked you to deliver to me. I wonder if she's finally decided to live a little or at least get off my back about all my new hobbies."

Without any prompting from Pinkie, the young donkey opened the letter up and pulled out a small coupon book, to Pinkie's confusion.

"Oh sweet, a coupon book! Look, there's even a discount for rock climbing lessons! I can't believe Matilda gave this to me, she must really be over the whole settling down thing! I am so excited! Thanks for delivering the message, Pinkie! I’m gonna started on this rock climbing course, then I'm going to swing around to new movie theatre and catch the latest Daring Do film, the Arc of the Lost Raiders! See ya!"

The donkey trotted off, whistling a merry tune and looking like he didn't have a care in the world, completely missing Pinkie's shocked, annoyed and completely bewildered expression as he left.

Cheese and Pinkie met up out the front of Sugarcube Corner to discuss their love letter failures.

"What happened, Pinkie, I thought you said those love letters would work! They should have read them and fallen back in love and made up and lived happily ever after and stopped fighting. Instead I passed my 'Cranky' letter to Matilda and it was filled with junk mail! How did that even happen?"

"The same thing happened to me, Cheesie!” Pinkie added, “When I gave Cranky his letter from 'Matilda' it was filled with coupons for fun extreme sports! He thought Matilda had just 'got over' the whole settling down thing and then raced off to try rock climbing. I don't understand - We wrote those letters to get them to make up, but instead they just got pushed further apart!"

Cheese just rubbed his chin in puzzlement. "Wait… Your letter had coupons and mine had junk mail. So… Where did the real letters go?"

The two pondered for a moment before a bubbly grey mare trotted past them carrying a mailbag. Ditzy headed passed Sugarcube Corner to the home of Cherry Fizzy, Ponyville's number one seller of fizzy soda drinks. There was only two letters left in her bag and she knew that one was definitely for him.

She gave a brief rap on his door and pulled the letter from her bag. A moment later the light brown coated, black maned stallion answered the door, his cherry cutie mark plain to see.

"Hi Ditzy, is the mail here for today?"

Ditzy gave a bright grin and nodded her head as she passed over the letter. "Yep! I think it might be that new catalog for Barnyard Bargains you wanted. This week’s special is on patio furniture."

Then the cross eyed mare gave him a sly grin before leaning in close, "If you spruce up your back porch a bit, I can think of a special mare across the street you could invite around for dinner."

Fizzy blushed and broke eye contact, but a tiny little smile crept out over his muzzle at the idea. He gave Ditzy a polite nod of thanks before turning to open the letter. As he did this the mail mare turned and cross the street to the house opposite. After knocking on the door a pretty unicorn mare stepped out onto the doorstep. Her light lilac coat and blue mane streaked with violet was looking brushed and smooth. Upon her flank was the mark of two dolphins in a yin-yang position, symbolizing her love of the sea and other aquatic locations. This mare was the lovely Sea Swirl.

Seeing that Ditzy had brought her mail, the unicorn smiled brightly. "Ditzy, good to see you. Is the mail here for today?"

The blond pegasus handed the last letter in her bag over. "Here you are Sea Swirl. I think it might be that coupon book you wanted."

As the unicorn took the letter from Ditzy, the pegasus leaned in, her earlier sly grin returning. "Those coupons probably have a lot of two pony discounts. I can think of a stallion that might be interested in joining you on a few new activities."

As she nodded her head across the street to Cherry Fizzy, who was reading over the letter he had been handed, Sea Swirl's face lit up in a fierce blush. She sheepishly thanked Ditzy and started to open up the envelope she had received. However instead of the coupon book she had been handed, a letter was inside.

Ditzy started to make her leave, but just as she reached the street she heard two gasps from her final mail recipients of the day. She watched as Sea Swirl looked up from the letter in her hooves to the stallion across the street, who was looking back at her with the same look in his eyes. A look of complete fluffy affection. Timidly the two ponies left their doorways and approached each other to meet up in the centre of the street.

"H-hi, Sea Swirl... I um... I think your really pretty."

"I-I always thought you were r-really cute, Fizzy."

"Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

"I'd love to."

Ditzy watched with a wide smile as the two ponies leaned in to give each other an affectionate nuzzle, the warm glow of budding love surrounding them. However another sound drew her attention towards Sugarcube Corner and the two ponies standing in front of it.

The sound of facehoofing.

179. The Music Stand - Part 3

Realizing the situation called for bold, decisive action, Pinkie and Cheese started following Cranky through his wild escapades with one goal on their minds: Sabotage.

It went as well as to be expected.

At an archery lesson Cranky was taking, Pinkie had Cheese go shoot the breeze with Cranky while the pink menace snuck out, disguised as a haystack, to move the target out of range. Unfortunately, a colt who was also taking the lesson got a little shaky with his aim.

It drew a lot of attention to see a haystack jump ten feet into the air, yowling, “MY BUTTT!!!!”

Later on, Cranky decided to indulge himself by joining an amateur safari into a designated safe zone in the Everfree Forest, for a scavenger hunt. Pinkie’s idea was for her and Cheese to scare Cranky off with Timber wolf costumes. The plan was scrapped when Pinkie got enthralled by the tour whilst Cheese accidentally fell into a patch of poison joke. It was a good thing Zecora’s hut was nearby after the poison joke made Cheese’s body all stringy as though he really had no bones for a rubber chicken dance.

The finally ridiculous act of the day however was when Cranky tried some parkour lessons o’er the Ponyville rooftops. Pinkie, being the hyper bouncy mare she was, challenged the donkey to a race while an unenthusiastic Cheese, at Pinkie’s early direction, set up dozens of mattresses and other such objects to be used for soft landings.

The result unfortunately was Pinkie repeatedly missing the donkey with her tactless dives, making her fall from the rooftops, and she only stopped when she missed a mattress and landed on Cheese instead.

“Any more bright ideas, cotton candy for brains…?” grumped Cheese as he held an icepack to his head as he and Pinkie sat at a booth in Sugarcube Corner. He was just glad his poofy brown mane cushioned Pinkie’s fall onto him somewhat.

“Lemme think,” Pinkie said whilst putting on her thinking cap (again), missing both the sarcasm and the facehooving. “Hmm…” - The lightbulb on the cap lit up, as well as her face - “I’ve got it!”

She giggled while smacking her hoof to her forehead, “Hel-lo, Pinkie! It’s so obvious!”

“Pinks, maybe we shouldn’t interfere with Cranky and Matilda anymore,” Cheese didn’t like the direction this was going. “I mean, so far, all we’ve done is just make things worse!”

“Trust me, Cheesie,” Pinkie scoffed at Cheese’s doubts, “there’s no way this can’t fail!”

Seeing that Pinkie would not be deterred, Cheese sighed and thought, Faust help us…

Later that evening, Pinkie and the Cakes were putting the finishing touches on the table reserved for the unknowing patrons.
“Thanks again for letting me keep the bakery open after hours for this dinner, Mr. & Mrs. Cake!”

“Not a problem, Pinkie,” Carrot Cake smiled, his wife, adding, “We just think it’s so sweet of you to do something this nice for Cranky and Matilda, dearie.”

“I can already picture it,” Pinkie swooned as she thought of what could be the only outcome of this plan. “First Cranky, then Matilda arrives to a romantic dinner, the lights and music setting just the right mood, they pause as they take in this moment, and remember just how important they are to each other! Eeeh...!!”

Pinkie felt like a giddy filly, when Carrot Cake asked, “So… when are they getting here?”

“Oh! Well, I invited Cranky here to taste a new recipe I’d prepared,” Pinkie explained, “and Cheesie went to get Matilda! Now if you’ll excuse me…!”

Pinkie zipped into the bakery’s little filly’s room and the back out, revealing she’d quick-changed into a tacky waiter’s outfit, complete with a fake moustache.
“...I gotta make sure everything’s perfect!”

*Knock-knock-knock*

“I’LL GEDDIT!” Pinkie yelled as she bounced over to the door and opened it revealing Cranky, his hair combed, and wearing a green bow tie.
“Good evening, monsieur, and welcome!”

Cranky gave Pinkie a confused look, thinking, What’s with the bad Prench accent?

“Your table is zis way, monsieur,” Pinkie led Cranky to the table, which was set for two, had candlelight, a bottle of chilled nectar set in a container with ice, and menus.

“Uh, isn’t this a little much for tasting a new recipe?” Cranky had no idea why the table was set for two.

“Oh, but it is so much more zhan a mere tasting,” Pinkie said dramatically, “and don’t worry, you won’t be dining alone tonight.”

“Whattya mean by that?” Cranky asked and he got his answer when the door of the bakery opened and in walked, “Matilda?!”

Matilda had been cajoled by Cheese Sandwich into coming to Sugarcube Corner, but had insisted she make herself look nice, and she did. She wore simple make-up to accentuate her natural beauty, her hair back in a nice braid, her favorite earrings and necklace, and a pretty scarf wrapped snugly around her shoulders.

The moment their eyes met however was so confusingly awkward they didn’t know how to react or what to say.

Excitably unaware of the depth of their stunned silence, Pinkie went over to Matilda, “Zis way to your chair, mon cherry!”

Hesitantly, Matilda took her seat across the table from Cranky, Pinkie asking, “What would ze jack and jenny like to drink?”

“Uh, cider’s fine,” Cranky replied.
“Ice water,” muttered Matilda.

“Right away, and I shall leave you to peruse ze menus,” Pinkie bowed while also signaling Cheese to follow her into the kitchen.

Cranky and Matilda felt like teenagers on a first date, it was that awkward! Neither wanted to raise a fuss but both wanted to defend their positions in this relationship. Clearing her throat, Matilda said, “Let’s… just order and we’ll talk during dinner.”

“Fine by me,“ Cranky shrugged as they both picked up their menus and started to browse.

“Hmm, this dish looks good,” Matilda commented, “although it says it’s best when it and this garnish are served together!”

The emphasis was not lost on Cranky who replied with a similar tone, “Well looky here, this soup looks good enough by itself, without any unnecessary seasonings…”

“Huh, well maybe it would taste better if it and something special added were matched together,” Matilda said challengingly.

“Unless whatever's added turns out to be sour!” Cranky snapped.

“Alright, that is it!” Matilda threw her menu aside, Cranky huffing as he smacked his own onto the tabletop. “I have had just about enough of this foalish prancing about of yours, acting out, and ignoring me!”

“Well excuse me for having another chance to live my life!” Cranky retorted. “Besides, I invited you to do all these things with me!”

“I don’t need to hang-glide, or scavenger-hunt or some other manic extreme sport to enjoy time with someone I care very much about!” Matilda argued.
“This, Doodle! This is supposed to be our second chance, the one where we make up for all that lost time and this time grow old together!”

“Well maybe you should’a thought of that when you left me a note somewhere I couldn’t find it!” Cranky ranted.

“The note was there! It was taped to the door to my hotel room!” Matilda swore.

“Leaving a note with the hotel staff would have been a more certain method of making sure I actually got it!” Cranky debated. “Then maybe I wouldn’t have wasted decades of my life searching all over Equestria for you!”

Cheese flinched at the exchange of words as he peered around the corner, Pinkie having asked him to keep an eye on the two donkeys. Fearing the direction this was going, he hesitantly appeared and said, “Um, Cranky, Matilda? I know it’s kind of-”

“STAY OUT OF THIS!” both donkeys snapped at him, Cheese yelping as he hid behind the store counter while they continued to scream and rave and rant.

“Wasted your life, huh?” Matilda asked rhetorically, tears welling up in her eyes. “Well then, Doodle, I- If that’s how you really feel, I don’t even know why we’re together!”

“My thoughts exactly!” Cranky sighed with a huff as he looked away.

Matilda refused to cry. At least not in front of this inconsiderate jackass. Though he looked exactly as he did when they met all those years ago, she didn’t recognize the Doodle within. With the woeful misery of a fallen leaf, Matilda departed. Cheese felt just awful, and he watched as Cranky stood up, looking down but angry as he snorted and left, slamming the door to the bakery behind him.

“Your drinks, madame and messi-” Pinkie announced, as she came with a serving plate bearing the drinks balanced on top of her cotton candy-like mane, but GASPED to see a lack of donkeys in the bakery.
“Cheesie! Where’re Cranky and Matilda?”

“Pinkie, they…” Cheese didn’t know how to break the news without breaking Pinkie’s heart.

“Went to the little colt and filly rooms? To some prior appointments?” - She gasped again - “Did they make up and go home for a romantic evening of their own?!”

The giddy, hopeful smile Pinkie had quickly eased a little in confusion when she saw the sad look on Cheese’s face.

The next morning at Pepper Pony’s, Cheese worried as he worked. It was not easy breaking the bad news to Pinkie, and seeing her lively poofy pink mane deflated and fall into an oddly straight yet depressive style, the look on her face, and seeing her walk sadly up to her bedroom. Cheese had wanted to check on Pinkie, to make sure she was okay, but Mr. & Mrs. Cake had insisted they let Pinkie sleep on it and hopefully she’d be a little better in the morning.

Cheese got up bright and early to go check on Pinkie before his shift started. He’d found the Cakes working, who’d explained Pinkie was feeling terrible and had requested to be left alone. Cheese had went up to Pinkie’s room but her door was locked. He’d tried saying Pinkie’s heart had been in the right place, that she’d had good intentions, but silence was his answer.

Giving up, he promised to come see her again during his break, and he’d bring pizza.

The morning customers usually came in for drinks or the cinnamon sticks with icing dip Auntie Spice had on her menu as a dessert item, and as he sealed up the paper bag, he hooved it over to Rivet, the forestallion of the Ponyville Construction crew, and said, “Here ya go, Riv! Two orders of Cinna-stix with icing dip, and a large Raincloud Mist!”

“Thanks, Cheese, have a good one!” Rivet waved as he took his order and stepped out of the parlor.

Cheese waved after Rivet, pulling a small smile, but it quickly fell away into a sad frown. Sighing, he leaned against the counter, propping his chin up with his forehooves, pondering what to do, how to lift Pinkie’s spirits, and perhaps find some way to save Cranky and Matilda’s relationship.

“Bit for your thoughts, hon?”

Cheese startled a moment when he looked and saw Auntie Spice, in the kitchen through the serving window, giving him a smirk and raised eyebrow, as though she’d caught him in the act of mischief.

“Uh, just, um…” Cheese wasn’t sure what to say, given this was his boy and he was supposed to be working.

Chili Spice just maintained her raised eyebrow before shrugging as she came out from the kitchen, grabbed a sign next to the door and hung it up, it reading ‘On break’. Cheese was about to ask what she was doing, when she gestured him to join her at a booth table.

Sitting, Cheese was unsure of what his boss wanted as she leaned back, sighing in relaxation, and then abruptly said, “Spit it out, what’s eatin’ ya?”

“Huh?” Cheese looked at her with a baffled look.

“You obviously have some kind of trouble on your mind,” Chili Spice stated, “talk to me.”

“...Well, I’m just not sure if it’s my place, Mrs. Spice,” Cheese hesitated. “It’s about Pinkie, and Cranky and Matilda.”

“Ah,” Chili said in dawning realization, “those two.”

“You know them?” Cheese asked, a little surprised.

“I don’t actually know them,” Chili clarified as she sat up and put her hooves together a she reminisced. “Matilda’s eaten here before, and so did Cranky once he settled in Ponyville. But I never got to know them on a more personal level, as they were just customers. But they were known by my mother.”

“So your mom knew them,” Cheese corrected himself.

“Exactly,” Chili nodded. “Years ago, even before I was born. My mother was one of the ponies serving drinks and hors d'oeuvres at the Grand Galloping Gala where Cranky and Matilda met and fell in love.

“Heh, food service has kinda been the family business. Anyway, my mother served those two lovestruck donkeys a nice nectar they liked so much they asked if they could purchase a whole bottle. She got it for them and they gave her quite the generous tip! She was so grateful, she got them a photographer to immortalize the moments of that night they met and shared.

“Then I came along, and my mother taught me all she knew about cooking, and I found my passion in serving pizza and such. One day, when I was in junior high, I met such a polite and handsome young stud. He was popular, had a lot of fillies crushing on him, I didn’t think I had a chance… But then my mother found out I was smitten and told me about how she helped a new couple make the night they met the most magical of their lives.”

Cheese listened with rapt attention, as this was the most personal talk Mrs. Chili Spice had ever shared with him. Ever since they met, and he started working for her, she’d always been a firm but fair boss, and she preferred to focus rather than dilly-dally.

"Oh Stuff Crust, he had such a big heart, that stallion,” Chili sighed nostalgically before laughing, “ and an even bigger appetite that he was well-named, that pudgy barrel of his! But it just made him more adorable in my eyes. He was always helping other ponies out and acting like a mentor to the younger fillies and colts. I was drawn to him immediately, but I was so nervous I just didn't know how to approach him. Then my mother she told me of the young donkey couple that had met at that gala years ago and the love they shared. She encouraged me to approach Stuff and ask him out. I was so paralyzed with fear, but I forced myself to ask him, and he just looked at me with a warm smile and said yes."

Cheese could see the love in her expression as happy memories of the past crossed her eyes.

"We were sweethearts all through high school. My mother used to compare us to Cranky and Matilda all the time. Stuff Crust was always pretty quiet and looking for ways to spend time with me in peace, while I was always the fun loud one who had lots of friends. But whenever he wanted to spend some time with me, he was the only thing that mattered. It was like the whole world disappeared leaving only the two of us. My mother said it was exactly like Cranky and Matilda. Heh, sometimes I wonder how close we really were to them with how often she mentioned them."

Cheese nodded, sensing that the conversation was starting to stray a little, but it was clearly important to Chili, so he let her talk.

"Oh, my time with Stuff Crust was like a most wonderful dream I never wanted to wake up from. You know the day we graduated, he proposed to me! We were both still young, but we knew the love we had for each other would never end, and everypony else could see it too. My mother and father were extremely supportive of the engagement, and so were his parents."

She gave a romantic sigh as she continued to picture her husband and the love and life they had shared.

"The time we spent together was magical. A couple years into our marriage, we started trying to get pregnant. We loved each other so much we were prepared to take that step and raise a foal together."

Cheese noticed her demeanor start change at the mention of the foal. The once blissful smile had started to change into a sad frown and her eyes grew a little wet.

"However after months of trying and no success, we went to a doctor to see if something was wrong and... we found that Stuff was sterile and unable to sire a foal. It hit us pretty hard, him especially... but our love held strong and we decided to try looking into adoption."

She paused here as a much darker memory crossed her mind. Cheese was about to tell her she didn't need to continue when she resumed speaking, "We went to Canterlot to look into some adoption programs, but before we even got the chance, Stuff... suffered an accident and... passed away."

Before she could say anything more on the topic and turn her wet eyes into full blown tears, she felt a warm pair of hooves encircle her as Cheese pulled her into a hug. Chili let her frown dissolve into a small smile as she felt the strong friendship and care coming from the younger stallion.

After a few moments, Cheese pulled away to give her a smile, and she replied in kind.

"Thank you, Cheese, you're a very sweet stallion. Anyway, I think I strayed from my point a bit. As I was initially saying, my mother told me of Cranky and Matilda when I was young, and she always told me of the thing that truly brought them together. They had been making eyes at each other all night of the gala, but neither had been brave enough to break the ice, until finally, the music started. The most beautiful song started to play and it gave Cranky the courage to ask her to dance, and the moment they stepped onto that dance floor they just knew they were meant to be together."

The older mare placed a hoof onto Cheese's shoulder and gave him a tired smile, full of wisdom and care.
"In life there are many things that bring us together. A gentle smile, a friendly gesture or even a funny laugh. For Cranky and Matilda, it was the sound of beautiful music. Never underestimate the power of song, Cheese, it can do wonderful things."

Her words struck a chord with Cheese, and suddenly the answer to the Cranky and Matilda problem became clear. He gave a laugh of joy and pulled Chili Spice back into another, much more intense hug, spinning her in a circle.

"Auntie Spice, you’re a genius! I know what I need to do now! Thank you so much!"

Then with a burst of speed that would’ve made Rainbow Dash proud the stallion whizzed out of the pizzeria, leaving the mare to give a gentle giggle.

"Oh he is a cheerful young thing… a lot like Stuff was."

She started to walk back to the kitchens to start getting things ready for the dinner rush when she heard a noise behind her and felt herself embraced in another hug from behind.

"I'm so sorry about Stuff Crust, but I can tell he loved you even to the end. If you ever need somepony to talk to, I'm always here."

Auntie Spice felt her throat seize up in gratitude and care. So instead of words, she simply turned around and returned Cheese's hug. She was glad she had a friend like him. Watching him gallop off again, she thought to herself, Stuff, if we’d had a foal… I’d have wanted him to be just like Cheese.

The night came and went and the new day’s sun passed through the sky until only the warm orange light of sunset remained. Pinkie however had barely noticed a change at all. After her failure to help Cranky and Matilda, the depressed pink pony had stayed within Sugarcube Corner. She spent the night alone in her room and the rest of the day working on autopilot and barely noticing anything around her. Her thoughts were just so focused on what would happen to her friends.

Cranky and Matilda must be so sad right now, and it's all my fault. My Element is Laughter, but instead of bringing joy, all I brought was more pain. I'm the worst friend ever.

"Pinkie dear, you have a visitor here to see you."

Mrs. Cake's voice cut through the negative thoughts crossing her mind. She looked up from the kitchen bench she had been staring at while she prepared a new batch of muffins to see Cheese Sandwich waiting for her with a smile on his face.

Pinkie wasn't really feeling very smiley right now, but the big old grin plastered across Cheese' face did cheer her up a little. Nothing made her happier than seeing ponies smile.

"Hi Cheesy, what's up? If you want some help setting up a party, I'm... really not feeling party-riffic enough to help right now."

The orange party pony just zoomed forward and wrapped an arm around her in a side hug.
"Oh, it isn't any help setting up I need you for right now, Pinkie-Winkie! Instead, I have something much more fun planned. I think I found a way to make you and Cranky and Matilda all smiley-wiley again!"

The pink pony hesitated a little. After all the failed attempts yesterday, she wasn't sure she could take another failure right now. Still, Cheese seemed really excited, and she hated feeling all down in the dumps like this. If Cheesy thought he could make her and Cranky and Matilda smile again, then she felt in her heart that he'd succeed.

"Okay, Cheesy, let's see your plan."

The curly brown maned stallion smiled a ear-to-ear grin on his face.
"You'll see, Pinkie, this will totally work. Now let’s get all dressed up and then we’re off to the town square!!”

Pinkie blinked her eyes as she gazed over the transformed town square. What was usually a bustling scene filled with ponies packing up their stalls from a busy day of sales, had now been turned into something spectacular. Lantern lights had been strung up between the buildings, giving off a beautiful glow. A few tables of refreshments had been set up with punch and hors d'oeuvres for a fancy party. A small stage had been set up towards the back of the square with Octavia and several orchestral musicians seated and ready with their instruments. Finally, ponies were gathered all over the square dressed up fancy, wearing beautiful ballroom dresses and smashing suits, including the rest of the Harmonic Twelve.

The entire square had been set up all fancy like, like at the Grand Galloping Gala. While it certainly looked spectacular, Pinkie was unsure how this particular type of party was going to help things. Before she could voice her thoughts, she heard some arguing towards the centre of the square in front of the town fountain, where she spotted Cranky and Matilda, both dressed up and looking lovely, once again arguing with each other.

Pinkie could not fathom how Cheese could have convinced those two to show up, much less in each other’s company. While they were both mindful of all the ponies around them, the argument was slowly starting to get heated.

"I don't know why you keep arguing with me! I just want to enjoy my life now that my youth has been returned! I don't understand why this is such an issue for you!"

"I don't understand why you keep prioritizing your youthful happiness over our love! We have a lifetime to spend together, but all you seem to care about is getting thrills and leaving me home alone!"

Before the argument could escalate any further, or one of the two could storm off, a loud screeching drone echoed over the square, irritating everypony. As silence settled, everypony looked to the stage to see that Cheese Sandwich was now upon it, wearing that same suit he’d had one back at the Goof Off when he’d been about to conduct a seal playing a horn until Pinkie forfeited. Pinkie looked around her quickly, but indeed her party pony friend had managed to slip past her acute pinkie senses and appear on the stage. She was certainly impressed.

"Hello there, everypony. Thank you all for coming to Ponyville's first Grand Galloping Gala Redo! The Gala has been well known to everypony for a while now, and many magical events have happened there, including finding true love," Cheese paused in his speech to make sure he had Cranky and Matilda's attention.

The two donkey's were definitely listening, and a slight nostalgia had seemed to fall over them as they recognized the Gala scene around them.

"Well tonight, I'm going to do something special, for two of Ponyville's most well known residents. Cranky, Matilda, it took a while, and a long talk with Princess Celestia to make sure I had everything right, but tonight, is going to be something special."

At his signal, Octavia signaled to the rest of her fellow musicians, and they began to play.

There you see her
Sitting there across the way
She don’t got a lot to say
But there’s something about her
And you don’t know why
But you’re dying to try
You wanna kiss the girl

As Cheese Sandwich sung into the microphone, the couples scattered around the square all smiled and came together to dance. Blueblood held Rarity close, staring into her dazzling blue eyes while she swooned at how handsome her prince looked. Rainbow shyly tucked her head underneath Soarin's chin as he gently twirled her around. Fluttershy fidgeted her wings happily as Big Mac led her around the square. Thunderlane blushed heavily as he nervously worked up the courage to ask Applejack to dance, and her face was just as red as she accepted with a warm smile. Twilight was nervous trying to make sure she didn't trip up as Midnight just chuckled lightly and gently guided her through the steps.

But Pinkie's focus was on a different couple. As the words echoed around the square, Cranky and Matilda stared at each other as memories of the song drifted through their heads.

Yes, you want her
Look at her, you know you do
It’s possible she wants you, too
There is one way to ask her
It don’t take a word
Not a single word
Go on and kiss the girl

The upset and angry expressions melted away as memories of warmth and love passed through them. Slowly, Cranky and Matilda drifted closer together while Cheese looked to the Flower Trio, with a dashing smirk, “Sing with me now.”

Sha-la-la-la-la-la
My, oh, my
Look at the boy too shy
He ain’t gonna kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
Ain’t that sad
Ain’t it shame, too bad
You gonna miss the girl

Their hooves linked as Cranky held Matilda gently, his eyes never leaving hers as the two started to shuffle about.

Now’s your moment
Floating in a blue lagoon
Boy, you better do it soon
No time will be better
She don’t say a word
And she won’t say a word
Until you kiss the girl

Slowly all the tension, all the unrest, everything that had been keeping them apart just drained away until nothing remained in their hearts but their love for each other.

Sha-la-la-la-la-la
Don’t be scared
You got the mood prepared
Go on and kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
Don’t stop now
Don’t try to hide it how
You wanna kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
Float along
Listen to the song
The song say kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
Music play
Do what the music say
You wanna kiss the girl

"Matilda, I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too… Doodle."

Cranky felt his heart swell with surprising joy to hear her call him ‘Doodle’, for after all - Nopony but Matilda called him Doodle.

"I love you, Matilda, with all my heart."

"And I love you, more than you will ever know."

You’ve got to kiss the girl
Why don’t you kiss the girl
You gotta kiss the girl
Go on and kiss the girl...

As the song came to an end, all barriers vanished, and Cranky pulled Matilda into a soft yet passionate kiss, holding her so close that they could feel the fluttering of each other's hearts.

Ponies around them all began to cheer and clap, but none more strongly than Pinkie Pie. Tears formed in the pink mare's eyes as she saw the love between them, and knew that everything between these two would be alright.

She looked to Cheese, who wore a satisfied smile, and went over to him, asking, “How’d you do all this?”

“Well, I thought, since all our other tries didn’t work out,” Cheese explained, “that helping Cranky and Matilda remember the night they fell in love could work! So I asked Twilight to send a letter for me to Princess Celestia, asking her some stuff, like all she knew about the Gala Cranky and Matilda met at, and she was glad to give me all the stuff I wanted to know and more!

“So I went to the Mayor and with her blessing threw this schmancy-shindig together, to recreate that night! To remind Cranky and Matilda of the magic they felt that night they met at the gala!”

“Cheesy, you’re a genius!” Pinkie threw her arms around Cheese Sandwich, the both of them laughing, when they heard Cranky.

“Excuse me! Could I have your attention please?”

All eyes fell upon Cranky as he looked meaningfully at Matilda, “Oh Matilda… This feels like history is truly repeating itself, because tonight feels exactly as magical as it did that night all those years ago we met at the gala. A simple mistake kept us apart a long time but then we found each other and got another chance very few get in their lives!

“But instead of really appreciating that chance and honoring the ponies who gave it to us, I squandered it… I was so thrilled at my second chance at life that I all but forgot whom I wanted to share it with. Matilda, you deserve someone who loves you and strives to make you happy, and… I’m not that donkey right now, but if you’ll give me another chance I Pinkie Swear, for Faust’s sakes, to be exactly the jack who dedicates himself to making you happy as much as the jack who searched all over Equestria for you.”

There were some tears and awes and silent gasps as Cranky got down, took Matilda’s hoof n his own, and asked, “Matilda… will you marry me?”

Matilda looked unsure, happy, confused, and was at a loss, the silence rising the tension as the ponies around them all held their breaths, leaning in out of suspense, Pinkie leaning a little too much that she almost fell off the stage, Cheese thankfully grabbing her before she fell off and onto her face.

Matilda was just unsure. A part of her was still angry with her Doodle, afraid he’d go right back to messing around like a youthful jackass, but there was a part of her that so very much wanted to say yes. She too had felt that same magic again from all those years ago, felt that same spark reignite, and in the eyes of her Doodle, she saw an honest wish to make things right, a promise, and wavering hope.

A tear of joy welled up in her eye, Matilda chuckling lightly, as she said, “Yes!”

Cranky smiled almost as brightly as he had after his reunion with Matilda when she’d kissed him, stood up, and pulled his Matilda in for another soft yet passionate kiss, and everypony around them cheered!

Pinkie got as teary as the time she’d put the Cake Twins down for a nap and heard them call her name in their sleep when she felt an arm around her shoulders, and looked to see Cheese smiling warmly at her.
“Thanks, Cheese… for doing all this!”

“Well, Pinkie, I’m glad things turned out right in the end,” Cheese replied, “and y’know what? This whole thing has taught me something.”

“What’s that?” Pinkie asked, Cheese holding up his hoof to mean ‘one moment’.

He tapped the microphone, sending a beat of feedback around the square and saying, “Excuse me, everypony? Could I have a moment of your time?”

All eyes turned to the stage, Pinkie stepping back as she and they all looked upon Cheese in curiosity.

“First off, I want to congratulate Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda on their engagement,” Cheese started off, causing a round of stomps and cheers for the jack and jenny before Cheese resumed.
“See, when I was a colt, I was in a bad place, but then I saw something that changed my life forever! It was a party thrown by Pinkie! Without saying anything, realizing it, or even meeting me at the time, Pinkie taught me that happiness can be found in even the simplest of things, like the sound of a breeze blowing through the trees, the singing of birds in springtime, the babble of a brook, and especially the sound of laughter!

“When you think about these things, on their own they can be special in their own way, but when you bring them together, they can form a whole new melody, just like all of us can come together and make something equally as wonderful! It's great to laugh, and it’s just as awesome as to let the rhythm of your heart take you away into a musical experience that touches all and brings all together in harmony!”

Cranky and Matilda shared a loving look and nuzzle as Cheese wrapped it up.
“So Cranky? Matilda? Whatever comes your way, I’m sure that as long as you’re together, you can make the future yours, and always remember how a little bit of Music helped you both take that first step!”

Everypony cheered yet again, as Cheese’s friends all looked on proudly, when all of a sudden Cheese felt a tingling on his forehead and shuddered, going, “Wh-wh-wh-who-o-o-o-oa….!!!”

Midnight and Blueblood felt a similar tingling at the base of their horns while Big Mac felt a more subtle shudder in his legs and hooves, and the three of them suddenly had the same suspicion when everypony gasped to see a pillar of orange light shimmering green arise from Pepper Pony’s! The pillar quickly dimmed to a tiny sparkle and everypony watched as it zoomed over towards Cheese and he recognized it as his Element Jewel!

“Whoo! Don’t see this everyday!” Cheese laughed as he reached out, and the moment his hoof touched the jewel did it flare a blinding orange and yellow and green!

Cheese felt himself become clad in armor, around his chest and barrel, on his fetlocks, and felt a helmet over his head, and just like that it was over as the light dimmed and everypony gasped! Cheese was adorned in his own Harmonic Armor, colored yellow with orange and green accents, the emblem on his chest reflecting his grilled cheese/accordion cutie-mark, and his helmet sported a plume matching the color of his curly brown mane.

The Elemental Jewel was still in Cheese’s hoof, but now it carried a magic all its own, a magic just for him!

“Cheesy…?”

Cheese looked to Pinkie, who’s look of awe turned into a happy smile, and he laughed as he removed his helmet and happily raised up his jewel, saying, “Say hello, everypony… to the Element of Music!!!”

The gala party carried on while Cheese excused himself to take care of something. Accompanied by his friends to the Tree of Harmony, they watched as Cheese added the Element of Music to the mysterious chest, and once it settled into its slot it glowed intensely for a brief moment before dulling and showing the jewel had changed into two gem pieces resembling the halved bread of Cheese's cutie-mark while a "splash" of cheesy yellow-orange bridged them on the panel they were set within, perfectly mirroring Cheese Sandwich's cutie-mark.

“Well done, Cheese,” Midnight congratulated his friend, “and now there’s only two of the new elements left.”

“Still us, eh, Thunder?” Soarin elbowed Thunderlane who chuckled.
“I bet I find mine before you!” Thunderlane elbow him back.

“I still wonder what these new Elements are for,” Twilight spoke up, “what their existences mean!”

“Take it from me, Twily,” Midnight gave his mare an assuring nuzzle, “in the end, everything will be alright.”

“And why worry when there’s still a party going on back in town?!” Rainbow got pumped.

“And there’s one more song I wanna sing, but…” brought up Cheese. He looked to Pinkie, “I think for this one I might need a little help.”

Pinkie smiled with a gleeful bounce, as she said, “Let’s GO!”

Speakers were pumping, spotlights flashing, and the polite and sophisticated vibe that had covered the area was now gone to be replaced by loud cheering fun. The group of friends were all spread throughout the towns ponies, enjoying the party and celebrating in the love of Cranky and Matilda's engagement. All except two.

The band, now no longer playing orchestra music, let loose a fun beat as the two party ponies sang their joy.

YAHOO!!!

Now there's a party going on right here
A celebration that will last throughout the years

Ponies cheered and danced, laughing and having a great time as the music filled the air.

So bring your good times and your laughter too
We're gonna celebrate your party with you

Twilight waved her limbs about spastically in her attempt at dancing to the song. The crowd gave her a slightly wider birth, but Midnight just laughed and jumped around with her, happy to see his special somepony enjoying herself.

Celebration...!
We're gonna celebrate and have a good time yeah!

Fluttershy's shyness seem to flare up a little as Big Mac held her over his head and spun her around, but she made no attempt to stop him, and her husband could easily see the demure little smile on her face as he did so.

Celebration...!
We're gonna celebrateand have a good time!

Rarity and Blueblood had both put aside decorum and were spinning about like mad ponies, laughing joyfully and not caring at all what anypony thought of their mad antics.

It's time to come together
It's up to you, what's your pleasure

Rainbow and Soarin were airborne like several other pegasi and were spinning around each other with glee, beaming smiles on their faces and love in their hearts.

Everypony `round the world COME ON!

Applejack kicked up her hooves and swung Thunderlane about like she was in a hoedown. While clearly unused to being tossed around so easily, the blush on Thunderlane's face showed he didn't mind too much.

Celebrate good times COME ON!
It's a celebration!

Auntie Spice may have been older than the group of friends, but she was by no means senile, which she proved strongly as she twirled about from partner to partner, laughing happily and being swept up in the excitement.

Yahoo!
It's a celebration!

But the two individuals tearing up the dance floor the hardest were Cranky and Matilda, as they used their youthful bodies to teach the young generation so real dancing talent.

Celebrate good times COME ON!

Pinkie and Cheese shouted out the final verse flailed their front hooves in the air as all of Ponyville cheered.

Everything was fun with a little music.

Author's Note

Cheese Sandwich embodies the Element of Music!!

This was a tad puzzling when I wondered what Cheese's element should be, but then I remembered his cutie-mark was shaped like his favorite instrument, an accordion, and he's excellent musician

When I thought of Music, I considered Pinkie's Element of Laughter and realized what they have in common

Neither Laughter nor Music is some kind of virtue, like Honesty or Generosity, but rather they're both expressions of emotion. Laughter is not limited to being used to express what one might find funny, but also their happiness, excitement, relief, and other emotions. Music is the same way.

So I'm pretty satisfied with Cheese's Element and hope you enjoyed this arc

Pontiac56 chose 'Kiss the Girl' to be the song Cranky and Matilda danced to, and I thought it worked out great, sounding romantic, something that could be played in a ballroom, et cetera.

Pontiac56 and I both also enjoyed fleshing out our character Chili Spice's background and tying it to Cranky and Matilda. But worry not for her - Chili Spice won't be alone forever :raritywink:

Art by Hoodwinked MCShelster

180. The Bronco Busters! - Part 1

“I’m so excited!” Twinken was walking with his best friends Rumble and Button Mash through Sweet Apple Acres to his big brother’s workshop.

“Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to Midnight Hour all week!” Rumble agreed.
“I still don’t see what’s so great about a lesson from Midnight when we could be at the arcade!” moped Button.

“And spend all your hard earned bits from your weekly allowance?” Twinken cracked, Rumble laughing, Button scoffing. “Button I swear, you’re gonna like this! Ever since he started Midnight Hour, Midnight’s taught me so much more about magic and he’s even helped Rumble with some guard training and exercises. Soon I'll know a heap of new spells and Rumble will be the toughest pegasus in school. I’m sure he’ll have something for you too.”

"Well that does sound cool,” Button considered, “Maybe he can teach me about some game tactics. I'm sure, as a Prince of Equestria, he knows some awesome skills I can use in my games."

"That's the spirit. Now let's see Midnight." Twinken said with a smile, leading the colts up the hill to his brother’s workshop.

However his smile quickly turned into a frown when the group reached the door and they spotted the sign hanging on the door. It read

'Sorry Twinken, Prince Sombra requested me in Canterlot, so I’m sorry to say Midnight Hour is ~~cancelled~~ postponed. Be back later tonight, love you - Midnight'.

"Awww, I was looking forward to learning some new guard drills. Midnight was going to teach me how to strengthen my legs so I could tackle properly." Rumble muttered with a groan. Beside him Button looked a little put out, but he cheered his usual ‘YAY’ before he whipped out his JoyBoy.

Twinken however was feeling really upset. After what had happened earlier that day, he had really wanted to get some advice from his big brother during Midnight Hour.

Earlier that day

Twinken, Rumble and Button just watched as Diamond Tiara shoved her butler aside to bask in the praise he had earned from his acrobatic display. The three spotted their female friends over behind the crowd looking annoyed and discussing something between them. Button and Rumble started complaining about Diamond and her annoying habits as they watched the rich pink filly showing off. Twinken was about to join in when somepony caught his eye.

Dinky Doo, the unicorn daughter of the local mailmare Ditzy Doo, was swinging herself on the swing set, laughing as she swung higher and higher. Twinken had seen Dinky around school several times before, but he'd never really spent much time just observing her. She had a lovely lilac coat and a fluffy blond mane that bobbed up and down as she swung back and forth. Like him, she was also a blank flank, but she didn't seem to care, just going about her days smiling and laughing with her friends. She just seemed like the sweetest little unicorn in school.

As Twinken watched her swinging back and forth, he felt something strange. His cheeks started to heat up and his stomach suddenly felt like it was filled with butterflies. Dinky seemed really pretty, and really fun, and really sweet. The young colt wasn't sure what he was feeling right now as he gazed at her, but he really liked the feeling.

Button and Rumble paused in their badmouthing of Diamond Tiara to notice that their friend had a dreamy look on his face and his cheeks were blushing red.

"Uh, Twinken, are you okay? What are you looking at?" Button asked puzzled, prodding his unicorn friend in the barrel to get a reaction. His touch did seem to startle Twinken out of his dumbstruck look, but it wasn't fast enough to stop Rumble from noticing who he had been staring at.

"You were checking out Dinky, weren't you? She's a really nice filly, I can see why you would get a crush on her."

"C-C-C-CRUSH! I-I don't have a crush! Why would you think I have a crush?!" Twinken stuttered, his eyes wide and his tail twitching nervously. Button and Rumble just looked at each other amused before turning back to their friend.

"Seriously, dude?" the earth pony chuckled.

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with having a crush. In fact I think Dinky would be a good match for you. She's pretty talented at her magic, kinda like you, she's really friendly and outgoing with everypony like you, and I'm pretty sure she might like you back." the little pegasus added with a smile.

"Yeah, she always smiles at you whenever you walk past her. You should see if she wants to hang out after school. You could ask her to Sugarcube Corner for an ice cream or something."

Twinken considered what they said for a moment. The idea of having a crush on the filly didn't seem that bad. But before he could voice in the positive and agree to their idea, he took another look at her. She was hopping off the swing set to let Ruby Pinch have a turn, but that friendly smile never left her face, and she still looked as pretty as ever. But the thought of approaching her and asking her out made his throat close up. The butterflies in his stomach turn into clouds of dread and he started to sweat.

He was way too nervous to approach her. But the thought of not trying made him feel sad. If was too nervous to try, but not trying upset him, what was he going to do? He needed some advice…

Wait, Midnight managed to ask Twilight out. Maybe he could give him some advice!

He knew exactly what he would be asking his brother for help with in today’s Midnight hour, and hopefully he would be able to walk away with the confidence to speak with Dinky.

He couldn't wait!

Twinken sat at the dinner table, picking his food, not really hungry or interested, that it bothered his brother and sisters and grandmother and new sister-in-law as they noticed his apathetic behavior.

“Uh, Twinken?” Fluttershy spoke in her usually kind and gentle soft tone. When Twinken didn’t respond, Applejack cleared her throat and gave it a (louder) try, “Twinken!”

“Huh?” Twinken dropped his fork, finally noticing everypony looking at him. “Uh, yes?”

“Sweetie, what’sa matter?” Granny Smith asked. “You look more down than a kite without a breeze.”

“Eeyup,” agreed Big Mac.
“Whatever’s the matter, Twinken?” asked Fluttershy as she sat beside her husband.

“It’s… nothing,” Twinken looked away.

“C’mon, Twinken!" Apple Bloom assured, "Wer’ fam’ly, if ya cain’t tell us `bout yer troubles, who can ya tell?”

“Apple Bloom’s right, sugarcube,” Applejack nodded as she got up from her chair and went over to put her arm comfortingly around the little unicorn’s shoulders.
“So c’mon, tell yer fam’ly wha’s eatin’ ya.”

Twinken looked at them all in turn and sighed morosely, “I’m not angry at him, but… Midnight cancelled Midnight Hour today… Or he ‘postponed’, I don’t know. Rumble and I invited Button along and we were looking forward to whatever lessons big brother would have for us this week.”

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy remembered, “Midnight told us earlier today that Prince Sombra had a lesson in new magic for him. Did he, Mackie?”

“Eeyup.”

“Oh don’ take it too hard, sugarcube,” Applejack assured. “Midnight’s got responsibilities, bein’ a prince, but Ah know f’sure wha’ matters most t’ him is fam’ly, an’ tha’ includes you, lil’ brother!”

As the others gave their ‘mmhmms’ and ‘eeyup’ of agreement, Twinken gave Applejack a small smile, “Thanks, AJ, I feel a little better. But I am wondering what’s taking him, it’s getting late!”

“Ah’m sure Midnight’s on his way right now, Twinken,” Big Mac assured, “an’ he won’ disappoint you.”

Twinken smiled at his other big brother’s assurance and finally ate. But even as the family returned to their dinner, Twinken still felt a little doubt.

Midnight hurried up to Sweet Apple Acres, his natural night vision catching even the barest of moonbeams and faintest starlight to light his way. He hadn’t expected his master’s lesson to go on for so long, or how hard it would be. It was late, well past the foals’ bedtime, but he hoped, since it was a Friday night Twinken might still be up.

Midnight had felt lousy for cancelling Midnight Hour with the colts and even more so for doing it by note rather than in person.
It’s not much of an apology, Midnight thought as he considered his gift in his saddlebag, but maybe this will be a start.

Midnight landed right on the welcome mat, looking up at the farmhouse and seeing the light in the living room, as well as Applejack’s room. He felt his heart ease a little, thinking, Maybe he hasn’t gone to bed yet.

Just in case, Midnight slowly opened the front door and looked to the couch, his hope quashing to see Twinken asleep, his head resting on the sofa’s armrest. The lamp on the side table was on, with an open ‘Power Ponies’ comic book next to it. Midnight sighed, realizing Twinken had stayed up to wait for him but the little colt’s drowsiness got the better of him. But seeing Twinken sleep, Midnight went over and carefully pushed Twinken’s mane out of his eyes, smiling a little.

Midnight could still remember the day this little colt came into his life. Both of them, when his past self volunteered at the Sibling Revelry and was assigned to Twinken, and when his current self first saw this colt as a newborn in their mother’s hooves.

Mom… Midnight forced the tears away before they could escape his eyes as the thought of his mother entered his mind. He looked again at this one colt who meant so much to him as he thought, You’d be so proud of him.

Sighing, Midnight gently levitated Twinken onto his back and carefully carried him upstairs. Ever since Big Mac moved into the house he and Fluttershy had received from Midnight, Twinken had been given his old bedroom to have his own space. AJ and Apple Bloom had been a little unenthusiastic about it but accepted that even though Big Mac had his own home and wife now he was still a part of their lives.

Entering the room, Midnight took it in, his brother’s bed covered with a quilt Granny Smith had made for him, his toy chest, painted indigo with a blue moon and silver star, his bedside drawer with the crystal lamp he’d gotten from Twilight all the way from the Crystal Empire, his bookcase with his favorite children’s lit, along with a beginner’s spellbook he’d received from Midnight, and a poster of the Wonderbolts autographed by Soarin from before his resignation, a beanbag chair below the window, and the soft carpet covering the center of the floor.

Midnight gently levitated Twinken onto his bed and tucked him in, being extra careful not to wake him up. He then placed his present on the bedside drawer for Twinken to find in the morning, along with another note, before bending down and giving his little brother a kiss on the brow.
“Sweet dreams, little bro.”

Midnight then touched the crystal lamp, dampening its glow to that of a dying ember, and then left the room to go to bed.

The roosters started crowing as Celestia's sun began to rise over Sweet Apple Acres. Twinken gave a groan before slowly opening his eyes and pulling himself into a sitting position. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and yawned as he started to truly wake up, when suddenly the memories of the day before started to come to him. He had waited up for ages for his brother to come home before obviously falling asleep. Somepony must have carried him upstairs to bed at some point.

Realizing he had missed his chance to see his brother, he gave a sad sigh, but before he could further vocalize his disappointment, the young colt spotted something on his bedside drawer. A bold and striking image of a six stallions stared up at him, each of them poised in a heroic stance, looking ready for action. All of them were garbed and armed with bright and colorful suits and weaponry and they looked fierce, as though nothing could stop them. Proudly displayed across the top was the title 'The Bronco Busters!'.

Twinken had read many different comic books, some from his friends as well as Spike, the 'Power Ponies' being one of his favorites, but he had never seen this comic before. The characters looked totally awesome, like heroes completely ready to face the tough supervillains that the Power Ponies had contended with.

"Wow, this comic looks so cool! But where did it come from?"

His answer came when he picked the comic up in his red aura. Underneath it was a note, with the distinctive writing style of his older brother.

Hey Twinken

I am so sorry I wasn't able to help you and your friends yesterday. Sometimes being a Prince can come with some pretty annoying duties that have to be completed. As an apology, here's a first edition of the new Bronco Busters comic, signed by the author! From what I can tell, they just started making them, probably as a counterpart to the Power Ponies, since all the main characters in that comic are mares (not counting Humdrum). I think it's set in the same universe as the Power Ponies, since the picture on the back features a villain from their series.

Anyway, sorry again, bro. I'll be sure to set aside some time for you and your friends when next I get some free time, but I'm going to be pretty busy for a little while now so I don't know when it will be.

Hope you like the comic - Midnight

Twinken finished reading the note and flipped his comic over to see the picture of the Phony Pharaoh, aka Pharaoh Phetlock, on the back, a well known villain of the Power Ponies. This comic definitely had his attention now. The Phony Pharaoh was actually Twinken’s favorite villain, thinking the Mane-iac was overrated.

However, as good a mood as he was in from the comic, knowing that his brother would be too busy to spend any time with him for a while left a bitter feeling inside him.

Was Twinken just not important enough to make time for?

He dismissed the thought from his head. He knew his brother loved him and would always try to make time for him when he could. Still as he left the room in search of breakfast, levitating his new comic behind him, that seed of discontent remained with him.

Later on that day, Twinken was sitting underneath a tree in Ponyville park, contemplating whether he should start reading his new comic yet. He'd been distracted with chores around the farmhouse most of the morning and had only just finished, so he had yet to find the time to open the comic book.

He was currently sitting alone, as Rumble and Button, whom he had agreed to meet with, had wandered off to see why all the other foals of the town had gathered around Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom and appeared to be fawning over them. He had contemplated joining them, but the desire to read his comic had overruled his curiosity and had led him to the tree. However before he could open it, something else had caught his attention.

Seemingly unfazed by whatever was happening with the filly members of the CMC, Dinky Doo was playing with a young bird, laughing merrily as it chirped playfully and fluttered around her head. Twinken sat and watched her efforts, a rosy blush on his face as he saw her smiling and laughing. Dinky really seemed to have taken a hold of his thoughts lately, and his nerves over approaching her had seemed to grow with time.

Twinken couldn't even will himself to take a step towards her. It made him feel rather ashamed of himself, that his usually calm and intelligent disposition was being so easily subverted by nerves over talking with his crush. He knew now he could definitely call it a crush. The odd butterflies in his stomach from yesterday had definitely multiplied over night, and he could feel his heart beating out a samba in his chest.

If only Midnight had been around, then I could have gotten some advice on how to handle this.

The mixed emotions of joy and nervousness that had swirled about him seemed to quell as his feelings of sadness brought about by his lack of time with his brother, were brought to the surface. He really wanted to talk with Midnight right now and get some advice, or even just spend a little time with him.

Well, he said he'd be busy. Still, maybe he could spare a moment for me if I asked him to.

Deciding on a course of action, Twinken carefully levitated the comic behind him as he set out to track down his brother and see if he could get a quick word in.

Surely there was nothing wrong with that?

Midnight sighed wearily as he placed the last scrap of paper in his correspondence pile. All day he'd been busy with royal duties. Practically from the moment he woke up he'd been writing and reading letters, sorting through secure documents and just playing his role in the politics of Equestria. It was frustrating, boring and extremely tiring.

The paperwork had piled up in Town Hall and the mayor had brought it to Midnight’s attention. He’d tried to get out of it but the mayor had gotten to him somehow. He’d gone over financial documents, requests from the Ponyville school board for new study aids and desks, various matters relating to public services, a request for funds from the Ponyville Construction crew to get them started on an expansion to build a new neighborhood, and had to juggle the town’s emergency funds on where the money was most needed, while also checking with some of the town officials.

“Oi!” Midnight groaned as he stepped out of town hall, hissing a bit and shielding his face from the bright sun with his wing.

“Well, somepony’s a hissy mchisspants!”

“Ugh…” Midnight groaned as he recognized that voice and toughed out the rays to see… “Cheese, please not now... I just spent the last few hours doing paperwork and dancing politics, and right now I just wanna relax.”

“Well, you’re in luck, Midnight ol’ buddy, ol’ pal, ol’ friend!” Cheese bounced over and placed a foreleg around Midnight’s shoulders. “The guys and I waited just for this, since today’s when we all have our weekly pizza pie!”

“Oh, right,” Midnight recalled, it was that time of the week. “I dunno, Cheese, I kinda promised my brother some of my time and I already postponed Midnight Hour with him and his friends yesterday-”

“Well you can’t teach those colts some cool new skills all mopey and sluggy the way you are now,” Cheese pointed out. “C’mon, bud! A nice lunch of your favorite pizza, a cup of your favorite colt cola to wet your whistle, Blue’s even bringing over his movie-projector and a reel of the newest ‘Daring Do’ movie!”

“You are not talking about the upcoming movie ‘Daring Do and the Riddle of the Sphinx’!” Midnight stated in a tone incredulous and began to cave when Cheese grinned a cheeky way.
“No. Way! That movie’s not even out yet!”

“Well, Blueblood managed to buy a copy of the reel just before they release it next month!” Cheese explained but then got shifty-eyed, and whispering, “But we’re not supposed to tell anypony else!”

Midnight got that - The moment it got out Blueblood had a copy of the newest Daring Do movie before it was released it would be chaos.

“C’mon, Midnight, you said so yourself you wanted to relax!” Cheese begged with a puppy-dog pout that worked because of his colt-ish face. “What better way than watching an awesome movie with your best buddies, eating the best pizza in town?”

Midnight considered it, and he had to admit that the notion was tempting. In fact, his stomach chose that particular moment to growl quite ferociously that it made Midnight chuckle sheepishly as Cheese said, “Whoa! Sounds like somepony’s up for a slice of Pepper Pony’s!”

Midnight thought about it, and caved, “Oh what the hay, I do need a break, and pizza and a movie sound great.”

“Awesome-sauce-ome!” Cheese cheered, “To the pizza parlor!”

Pepper Pony’s was in sight, as Twinken made his way to the pizza parlor. Earlier, after seeing Twilight at the library, he’d learned Midnight got roped into some work at town hall, and after a quick word with Mayor Mare’s secretary, he’d learned Midnight left town hall with Cheese Sandwich.

Twinken knew Cheese worked at Pepper Pony’s, and recalled this was the day his brother and the stallions got together at the pizza parlor for their weekly pie, to hang out and catch up.

He must have needed to relax a little and grab a bite, Twinken thought as he entered.

He saw a few ponies enjoying some slices and Mrs. Spice at the register, who smiled at him warmly, “Well hello, Twinken, what can I do for you, honey?”

“Hi, Mrs. Spice,” Twinken said kindly, “I’m looking for my brother.”

“Oh, he ‘s upstairs in Cheese’s room,” Mrs. Spice directed Twinken to the stairs in the back. “He and the rest of the boys are watching a movie!”

“A movie?” Twinken echoed in confusion.

“You’re welcome to join `em, sweetheart,” Chili Spice invited. “If you want, I’ll even whip up some cinnamon sticks and icing dip for you.”

“Um, sure, be right back,” Twinken went through the kitchen doors, and looked at where Chili made the magic of pizza happen.

There was a large fridge, shelves holding large containers of ingredients, a vast and open-mouthed stone oven where a couple pizzas were being cooked, the large wooden paddle-like peel set to the side for inserting and extracting pizzas, a table covered with flour and a plastic container set to the side where a mound of dough awaited to be tossed and flattened, and more.

Past the kitchen was a small hall with a door leading to Mrs. Spice’s office and a staircase leading to the residence upstairs. As he ascended the stairs, he began to hear noises that sounded oddly like they came from a jungle. Such as exotic bird sounds, the chatter of monkeys, and some hushed conversation as he approached the door the sounds were coming from. He gave three knocks and waited for somepony to answer. When none came, he quietly and slowly opened the door, and peered in.

He saw his brothers, Midnight and Mac, along with their friends Thunderlane, Blueblood, Soarin, and Cheese Sandwich, a movie projector set up behind them while their eyes were glued to the screen in front of them, showing Daring Do making a trek through a jungle before she stepped through the foliage and saw before her a vast scorching desert!

“Ooh-hoo-hoo!” Thunderlane got excited, “She’s getting closer and closer to the Pyramid of the Sphinx Sorceress!”

“Shh, it looks like she’s being followed,” Midnight pointed out some greedy-looking eyes spying on Daring Do from the jungle behind her.

“Eeyup, an’ if mah eyes’re seein’ wha’ Ah think they’re seein’,” Big Mac added, “it’s tha’ no-good varmint Doctor Caballeron!”

This is what he calls ‘too busy’? Twinken thought, feeling hurt. Watching a movie with his friends and cancelling Midnight Hour on me and mine…?

Twinken sadly closed the door, making sure not to let them know he’d been there and went back downstairs. Coming out of the kitchen, back into the front of the parlor, Mrs. Spice noticed him, “Twinken, honey, aren’t you gonna spend time with your brother?”

“Um, I think I’ll take you up on those cinnamon sticks, Mrs. Spice,” Twinken changed the subject

“Coming right up!”

Twinken sat at a booth in the corner of the parlor, sighing sadly as he brought out his new comic book, thinking, Might as well…

As he waited on his cinnamon sticks, Twinken started reading his new comic, featuring the all-new superhero team, the Bronco Busters! As he got into it, he couldn’t help but smile, his nose completely in it when a clattering sound startled him, Mrs. Spice declaring, “Order up! One dish of my famous cinnamon sticks with icing dip, and an ice-cold colt cola, all for you, honey.”

“Oh thanks, Mrs. Spice,” Twinken had to admit, the cinnamon sticks looked deelish, and now that he thought about it, he could do with a drink,

“Oh please, sweetie, call me Auntie Spice,” Chili insisted when she noticed the comic. “Enjoying a good story?”

“Yeah!” Twinken admitted, “It’s a comic featuring a whole new team of superheroes called the Bronco Busters! They protect the city of Trotham from a new villain in town, the Phony Pharaoh!”

“Phony Pharaoh?” Chili Spice echoed, not understanding when Twinken opened the comic to a page and showed it to her and began the explanation.

“His real name is Phetlock, and he was originally an assistant-archaeologist to a celebrity who stole the credit of finding a pharaoh’s tomb from Phetlock, and fired him so he couldn’t prove that he was the one who made the discovery!” Twinken was getting excited.
“Robbed of the fame and prestige that should have been his, Phetlock began obsessing over the pharaoh and came to believe he himself was the pharaoh’s descendant and vowed to make himself a pharaoh of his own empire!

“But after being thwarted so many times by the Power Ponies in Mare-tropolis, he decided to move his operation to the city of Trotham where he stole some magical artifacts from the Trotham Museum, and gained dangerous magical powers! But what he didn’t count on was that Trotham had its own platoon of pony protectors watching over it… the Bronco Busters!”

“Well, that does sound like a good story,” Chili Spice chuckled, “but why don’t you wanna share it with your big brother?”

Sighing dejectedly, Twinken sat back in his booth, saying, “And get in the way of how ‘busy’ he is? No thanks, I’ll… just entertain myself.”

Seeing the little colt feeling down and realizing his brother was somewhat to blame, Chili Spice looked through the kitchen doors to the stairs, a cross look on her face.

“Nice try, Caballeron, but you’re gonna have to be slicker than that!”

The guys all muttered excitably, having just watched Daring yet again get the better of Caballeron, who irritably reminded his nemesis, “That’s Doctor Caballeron, to you!”

“How this guy got his PhD, I’ll never know,” Soarin chuckled.

“The scoundrel probably faked it,” Blueblood scoffed with a smug tone.

“Ooh-ooh! Looks like she’s about to get the drop on him again!” Cheese pointed out, and the guys all leaned in, watching as Daring Do and Caballeron faced each other inside the pyramid, ready for another round when…!

Blank.

“AUGH!” Soarin, Cheese, and Thunder all yelled at the sight of the screen going blank, Midnight snapping, “Hey, what gives?!”

“AHEM!”

They all startled and looked behind them to see Chili Spice, who’d obviously turned the projector off, and was giving Midnight a real stink-eye.

“Uh, can we help you, Auntie Spice?” Midnight asked hesitantly.

“Not me,” Chili Spice shook no while maintaining her look of disapproval. “But I think a certain poor little colt could do well with some quality time with his big brother.”

Midnight felt his heart tighten as he realized what Chili Spice was saying.
“Twinken?! Is he- Is he here?”

“Downstairs in the parlor, reading that comic you got him,” Chili Spice confirmed, “but still feeling rather lousy that his brother apparently doesn’t have time for him.”

The guys all felt bad as they saw Midnight look even worse. Until a determined look spread across his face, and looked to his friends.
“Sorry guys, looks like I’m gonna have to cut the show short. I should be with my little brother right now.”

“Hold on, haystack,” Big Mac spoke up, “we… kinda got in th’ way o’ you an’ Twinken’s time with each other.”

“So I think it only fair that all of us go downstairs with you and invite Twinken to watch this movie with us,” Blueblood suggested.

The rest of the guys all nodded and said their own words of agreement, Midnight smiling appreciatively.

“Huh, this Timmy Coltson guy’s pretty brave,” Twinken commented as he looked at the panel of a young colt named Timmy Coltson cast a spell that conjured a beacon to the Bronco Busters while he watched a crime in progress.
“Bet the Bronco Busters appreciate him a lot for them to give him that spell to alert them.”

Twinken sighed as he turned the page… and found it blank!

“What the- No… No! That can’t be it!” Twinken flabbergasted. “The story’s not even finished yet! Ugh! Wait… What’s that?”

On the blank page’s lower right corner, something was spelled out, too small for him to make out.
“You can re...retry? No, return… Ergh, it’s too small to read!”

Then Twinken remembered, and looked at his saddlebags, his telekinetic aura pulling out a magnifying glass!
“Good thing Twilight gave this to me for that homework assignment last week.”

Levitating the glass over the scribbled corner, he made out, “‘You can… return to the place you started… when… the Pharaoh is defeated! Take a closer look… to… join the adventure in this book’?”

Putting the glass down, Twinken said aloud, “What the hoof does that mean?!”

As if answering the little colt’s question, he comic book’s blank pages lit up a near-blinding radiance! Twinken was in awe as his horn tingled in the presence of strong magic!

“Twinken!”

Twinken looked towards the kitchen doors and saw his brother and the other stallions, Midnight saying, “Get away from that!”

But before Twinken could do anything, he yelped as he felt a force pull him towards the comic book! It grew stronger and stronger, that he couldn’t defy it, and cried out in panic, “WHAT’S GOING ON….?!?!?”

“TWINKEN!” Midnight leapt over and grabbed his little brother around the barrel, but even with his own strength, he was totally unprepared for whatever magic was pulling the both of them now into the comic, that Thunderlane, then Big Mac, then Blueblood and Soarin, all tried to pulled their friends away from the comic book, only for them all to join them, Cheese diving in as he yelled cheerfully, “WAIT FOR MEEEEEEE….!!!!”

With the magic having done its work, the comic book’s pages blew back as the comic book closed, the magic in the air stilling just in time as Chili Spice came down to check how things were going. Only to find the pizza parlor oddly empty.

“Where’d everypony go?”

Author's Note

Ooh-hoo-hoo...!

I've been looking forward to this!

Note: This occurs during the episode 'Twilight Time'

181. The Bronco Busters! - Part 2

Midnight groaned as he began to find his way out of the fog of unconsciousness. He was lying down on a flat concrete surface and the air around felt cold and windy, indicating he was no longer surrounded by closed walls. Slowly, he pulled himself to his hooves and opened his eyes to take in his surroundings.

Where before he had been within the walls of Pepper Pony’s pizza parlor, he now stood high upon a skyscraper, the likes of which would fit well within Manehatten. The sky was dark and filled with murky clouds, casting dark shadows over the streets below, with the flickering streetlights and the bathing glow of the moon being the only sources of light. He could see other tall buildings all stacked next to each other for quite a while, with the only break being the roads below and a distant river under a bridge with the distant horizon lost in the darkness. He could hear ponies below despite the late seeming hour, and carts riding back and forth along the streets.

He was clearly no longer in Ponyville anymore.

He noticed that his vision wasn't fully clear, and something sat over the top of his head. He reached up to see what he was wearing when he discovered that his hoof was no longer bare, but instead was covered by some sort of black spandex while his hoof had on a gray-blue bands on his fetlocks. The spandex suit covered over all his legs and his body, traveling up his neck until it reached his jaw line. He felt some weight on his back and discovered that his wings were sticking out through holes of a gray-blue cape, matching the color of a gloomy cloudy overcast during the day while the underside was a rich lapis lazuli, that twinkled like the night sky. The cape seemed to connect with whatever was on his head, so Midnight turned towards one of the closer buildings nearby to see himself reflected in one of the windows. A cowl covered his head and eyes, hiding his features and seemed to intimidate. He gazed over the whole costume and noticed around his barrel was a yellow belt that seemed to carry several pouches that obviously had things contained in them, and then there was the large symbol on his chest. It was a shield symbol, matching the shield of his friend Shining Armor’s cutie-mark; it was blue outlined silver with a stylized N & S

"Okay, where am I and what is with the weird outfit I'm wearing?"

Midnight turned around to see that he was not the only oddly dressed pony upon the roof. Soarin, Big Mac, Thunderlane, Blueblood and Cheese Sandwich were all groggily pulling themselves to their hooves and examining the odd costumes they wore.

Soarin was wearing a spandex suit of his own, however no cape was attached to him and he wore only a black headband above his eyes. The suit seemed to be colored with three stripes, one red, one blue and one yellow. His wings seemed to give off a faint neon blue. Out of all the outfits on the roof, his seemed the least over the top.

Blueblood was covered head to hoof in metal, barring his head which appeared to have a retractable mask to it. Rich purple and gold plates of metal encased him within a mechanical suit with a large glowing aperture on his chest and hooves that emitted a vibrant red. The openings on his hooves were all circular, however the one on his chest had four arrow-like additions to it, looking almost like a glowing version of his compass rose cutie mark. His mane and tail were completed encased within the armored suit, leaving only his bare face free at the moment showing his clear confusion of the situation.

Big Mac was wearing a slightly larger and more padded suit colored in a forest green with purple stripes along the sides. Encased his head was a padded helmet reminiscent of martial arts headgear with a green tinted visor down over his eyes. Along his hooves were a series of bulky silver bands that seemed highly magical in nature. The big farmer seemed a little unsure how to maneuver in the odd suit.

Next to him was Thunderlane, whose suit looked a lot lighter in comparison. He wore a light grey and dark gold sleeveless tunic with a dark belt across his barrel that seemed to have an odd circular device attached to it. A raised hood covered most of Thunderlane’s head, save for a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. Slung over his back was a quiver filled with an assortment of different arrows of various colors and designs, while over his shoulder sat an impress custom recurve bow, over even better looking quality than that of the royal guard.

Finally Cheese Sandwich's costume seemed far less elaborate than the others. Just wearing a bright blue spandex suit that only covered his body, leaving his neck and tail bare, his hooves wore black boots, and with a simple white eye-mask, he definitely was less covered the others. Though he had a white, blue ,and black stylized E and C on his chest.

The group all took a moment to look over each other's odd costumes before Thunderlane asked the million bit question on everypony’s mind.

"Okay so where the hell are we, and what is going on?"

Midnight stroked his chin for a moment before recalling the incident within Pepper Pony’s.

"Well, we saw Twinken getting sucked into the comic in a flash of light, and as I went in after him, you guys must have gotten sucked in as well. So I guess we're dressed like the main characters of the comic, the 'Bronco Busters'."

"Wait, you mean like that 'Power Ponies' thing the girls and Spike told us about, where they became the heroes of the comic book?" Soarin questioned as the others took in the situation.
“If I remember, they had to play out the story to get out!”

"Exactly. Since I have no idea what is supposed to happen, I think we really need to find Twinken,” Midnight stated. “If he's already read some of the comic, then he'll know who we are, what we can do, and more importantly, who the bad guy we need to stop is so we can finish the comic's story and leave."

"Well Ah ain't sure what's happenin’ but tha’ looks as good a place as any t’ get started," Big Mac drew everypony's attention as he pointed to a bright beacon in the sky of two large interlocked 'B's that looked like the comic's logo.

The beacon seemed to be coming from a rooftop a few blocks away and was pointed over the top of what looked like a large museum.

"Well, we don't have any better leads so let’s check it out,” Midnight agreed before facing his friends. “Mac, Cheese, Blue, I hope you don't mind me carrying you over with my magic, otherwise the walk could take us a while."

When they gave him to go-ahead, Midnight’s horn glowed and his magic engulfed the non-flying members of the group, who all looked a tad nervous but still trusting of Midnight, despite their instincts telling them not to part ways with the safe ground.

The group all took wing and rose into the air and headed towards the casting location of the beacon. However as they flew, Midnight noticed his magic felt a little stranger than normal, especially as the moon's glow was hidden behind a large bank of clouds.

Twinken was in awe and confusion, staring up at the shining interlocking Bs with an arrow pointing at the museum across the street from the building, where Twinken was. On the rooftop to be exact!

After waking up, he’d found himself here, wearing a gray flat cap backwards, his horn sticking through the elastic adjuster strip, a black hoodie, and hanging around his neck was a camera while a tape recorder was attached to a belt around his barrel. After fishing through his pockets, Twinken realized he had assumed the place of the character he’d just been talking about before winding up in this place, and knew now where he was!

“Somehow, I’ve become Timmy Coltson!” Twinken gathered; Timmy Coltson was a junior reporter who worked for the Trotham Tabloid, the biggest news media in the city. More importantly, he was a secret ally and supporter of the Bronco Busters, as they gave him the beacon spell to cast whenever there was trouble, and remembering the story, Twinken realized he’d arrived just after Timmy had cast the beacon spell.

Gazing down at the museum the beacon was pointing at, he saw broken glass doors and had a good idea of who had just broken in.

“Twinken?!”

Twinken whirled around and gasped!
“Holy new personas, ponies!”

Twinken watched as the guys arrived, the pegasi and his brother landing while Midnight carefully placed the flightless members of their group down with his aura.

“Big brother, you’re… Night Shield!” Twinken gasped as he then named each of them in turn. “Big Mac! You’ve become Micro-Ton. Thunderlane, you’re Apollomino! Blueblood, you’re the Iron Stud, Soarin, you’re Tri-quine, and Cheese! You’re Elasti-Colt! Y-you’re the… Bronco Busters!”

“And… who are you supposed to be?” Soarin asked, seeing the rather mild and mannered attire Twinken wore compared to them.

“Oh! Uh, I’m just… Timmy Coltson,” Twinken said, sounding disappointed, “junior reporter of the Trotham Tabloid and secret ally of the Bronco Busters. Timmy was the one who cast that beacon spell above us that led you all here!”

“Well in any case, I’m just glad you’re okay,” Midnight said as he pulled Twinken into a wing-hug but didn’t notice Twinken’s somewhat disgruntled look, which didn’t escape the others’ notice.

Suddenly! Cheese's hair quivered and he felt a weird sensation, "Hey! I feel some kind of tingling! Sorta like my Cheesy Sense, but... different."

*KA-BLAMMO/CRASHATTER*

They all startled and peered over the rooftop to see the entire entrance of the museum had been blown away, bystanders running away in fear, as out walked, slowly appearing through the dust a tall and strong earth pony stallion, his coat dismal brown-ish gray, his wicked green eyes widened in devious excitement, his cutie-mark was an ankh symbol, he wore an ornate mantle of shimmering colors that almost looked like wings enwrapping his shoulders, on his head was a nemes crown colored red, blue, green, and gold, with an eagle head figurine above his brows, he carried a staff topped with the head of a black jackal with dismal ribbons flowing around him, all the while laughing triumphantly as he declared, “Ha-ha-ha-ha! With the latest addition to my collection, I am but one step closer to transforming Trotham City into my EMPIRE, HAHAHAAA!!!”

“THE PHONY PHARAOH!”

“WHO SAID THAT?!” screamed the Pharaoh, looking around when the flash of Twinken’s camera accidentally gave them away as the Pharaoh threw a stink eye up at them, but then pulled his lips into an arrogant sneer.
“Ah, the Bronco Busters, at last we meet! What an honor this is… for you!”

“It’s official,” Soarin stated, the guys all looking at him, “we’ve assumed the roles of the Bronco Busters, and that’s obviously the baddie we gotta beat.”

“That’s what my comic book said!” Twinken realized in agreement, “It said the way back to where we started is to defeat the Pharaoh!”

“Bow before your new lord and master!” the Pharaoh shouted as he pointed his staff at a nearby mailbox, which became enveloped in a green aura that the Pharaoh willed towards the friends as a hurtling projectile!

Thankfully he only struck the side of the building, but Blueblood exclaimed, “How did he do that? He’s clearly an earth pony!”

“The Pharaoh’s been robbing museums and antique stores ever since he came to Trotham,” Twinken quickly explained. “He’s been hoarding magical artifacts to give himself his own superpowers! What he just used is the Staff of Anubis, which grants the wielder great magic!”

“An apt description, little colt!”

*GASP*

They all looked in shock to see the Pharaoh flapping in front of them, the mantle of wings around his shoulders having spread into actual wings of shimmering colors.
“It does my heart good to see some foals educated in the great civilizations long past. So you’ll find the Wings of Isis to be functional as well as fashionable! And yet... both the Wings and the Staff are but toys compared to my latest acquisition…!”

The guys almost wet their hooves to see the Pharaoh’s eyes glow a harsh golden light…

“DUCK AND COVER!” Twinken shouted before the Pharaoh’s eyes unleashed concentrated beams of heat!

While the others managed to avoid the danger completely, Big Mac and Cheese gasped as the Pharaoh’s lasers cut off the section of the roof they were standing on, and they started to go over.

“Big Mac, Cheese! Don’t panic!” Twinken shouted to them, “You’re Micro-Ton and the Elasti-Colt! Mac, you have the power to defy gravity and Cheese, you can stretch and bounce your body as though it were made of rubber!”

As they fell, Big Mac and Cheese shared a nervous look that became determined. Big Mac didn’t quite understand what Twinken meant by ‘defying gravity’ but he quickly thought he wanted to do so by floating gently down… and he did!

Cheese on the other hoof stretched his body somewhat before coiling it around into a spring-like shape and boinged off the ground and landed safely on his own hooves, saying, “Wow! That was fun, let’s do it again! YIPE!”

Cheese bounced just in the nick of time to dodge another of the Pharaoh’s optic lasers.

“How did he do that?! The staff?” Thunderlane asked.

“No, the Pharaoh’s wearing the Crown of Ra!” Twinken realized as he pointed out the nemes crown the Pharaoh wore on his head. “It allows the wearer to fire beams of lasers from their eyes as hot as the sun!”

The Pharaoh cackled wickedly as he fire more lasers at Cheese and Big Mac, the both of them doing their best to dodge and avoid the danger.

“Soarin, get us down there!” Twinken called, “You’re Tri-quine, you can triplicate yourself into three separate selves and throw psychic feathers from your wings that turn into tele-portals to any nearby location you want!”

“Uh, okay!” Soarin looked to his left and right before looking at his wing, seeing the strange electric blue glow before flicking it to his right, and they watched as a blue light zoomed out and expanded Into a tele-portal... that showed their backsides, and they turned around to see the same thing and realized Soarin had made a tele-portal to the other side of the roof.
“Uh,heh,heh, sorry…”

“Hmph, and I was actually worried about this bunch?” the Pharaoh scoffed, having noticed the blunder.

Growling, Twinken looked to Blueblood, “Blue, you’re the Iron Stud, your battle suit grants you rocket-powered flight, energy blasts from your horn canon, and super-strength!”

“Twinken, I can hardly move in this contraption,” Blueblood complained, “how do you propose I fly?”

‘Voice command accepted, initiating dragonfyre booster rockets’ said a synthesized voice from the suit, and Blueblood yelped as his face became entirely covered, a metal extension covering his horn ,and he screamed like a filly as the boosters in his hooves sent him skyward!
“EEEEYYYYAAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHH……!!!”

The guys all gasped in concern whereas the Pharaoh started to bust his gut at what he was seeing.

“Midnight, save Blueblood!” Twinken yelled.

“He’s flying too fast, I’ll never catch him!” Midnight worried.

“You can fly faster than anything! You’re Night Shield, you draw your super powers by absorbing the moonlight!” Twinken edeucated him with an annoyed look.
“You don’t even need your wings to fly!”

Seeing the urgent and worried look of his little brother, Midnight was hesitant, but his concern for his friend outweighed it that he concentrated on the moon, feeling its gentle glow wash over him, and a power he’d never experience before! He hunkered down before taking a great leap and marveled as he flew while his wings were pressed against his barrel! He let instinct guide him as he flew after Blueblood in his haywire suit.

“Twinken, what about me?” Thunderlane asked. “Judging by this bow and these arrows, I’m some kind of archer?”

“Yeah, you’re Apollomino of the Arcane Arrow!” Twinken got excited, “Your magic trick arrows can do almost anything you want, but you gotta concentrate on the intended effect right before you let them fly!”

"OK, I’ll give it a shot,” Thunderlane said, thinking to himself Good one, Thundy, with a light chuckled.

Easier said than done however, as Thunderlane had never fired an arrow in his life! Sitting on his haunches, he held the bow in his left hoof while awkwardly drawing one of the arrows from his quiver.

“By all means, Apollomino,” the Pharaoh said mockingly as his Wings of Isis kept him aloft. He conjured what looked like a target and levitated it over his plot, taunting, “Take your best shot!”

Growling, Thunderlane thought, Oh, prepare to have your bubble burst, ya cheap circus act!

He let the arrow fly, and everypony watched in the brief yet intense moment it streaked through the air…

*SMACK/POP-POP-POP*

...and struck the target over the Pharaoh’s rear, and the arrow burst into a bunch of bubbles that popped out one by one.

“Oops…” Thunderlane said sheepishly as he realized his goof.

“AH-HA-HA-hahahah, oh stop!” the Pharaoh guffawed, “I’m gonna die of laughter!”

“Ergh! Big Mac, knock him out of the air!” Twinken shouted down to the streets, Big Mac having taken cover behind a newspaper kiosk.

“An’ how am Ah s’posed t’ do that from down here?” Big Mac pointed out.

“Your powers! You can shrink down to the size of a bug or grow to the size of a giant!”

As crazy as that sounded, Big Mac reminded himself this wasn’t Ponyville, and at the moment he was somepony else, in a manner of speaking. Sighing, he hurried out into the middle of the street, thinking, Think big, Mac, think big…!

Everypony watched as Big Mac glowed green and his body (along with his costume) grew! Unfortunately, Big Mac had been so preoccupied, he didn’t see the neon sign hanging from the nearby buildi-

*CLONK*

Even the Pharaoh winced as everypony ooh’d in sympathy as Big Mac moaned in dazed stupor and staggered, struggling to keep his balance. Alas, he began to fall unconscious, while his over-sized rump fell… on Cheese!

*KA-BOOMPH*

“Oh no, Cheese!” Soarin winced, thinking, That's gotta hurt...

“He’ll be okay," assured Twinken. "Elasti-Colt’s rubbery body makes him virtually immune to physical injury. Although… I have a feeling that’s gonna smart somewhat once we get Mac off of him.”

“Well, Bronco Busters, as much as I enjoy watching you make fools of yourselves,” the Pharaoh sneered, “I’m afraid I’m gonna have to… wrap this up!”

The Pharaoh raised his staff when he heard a snapshot and looked to see somepony hiding behind a nearby garbage can. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed his staff and the can was blown away to reveal a filly about Twinken’s age, with a dark lilac coat and red velvet mane, wearing a scarf and holding a camera.

Seeing she’d been discovered, the filly chuckled nervously, “Uh-heh-heh, care to comment to the Trotham Tabloid?”

Twinken saw her too and gasped as he recognized her.
“Guys! It’s my partner- Er, well, Timmy Coltson’s partner, Blinky Bay! She’s in trouble!”

“Ah, a journalist,” the Pharaoh realized with a smug look, “then you can have the honor of being the first to report history in the making when I remake Trotham City my own Empirical Dynasty!”

The filly, Blinky Bay, cried out as she was enveloped in the Pharaoh’s aura, “Timmy! Bronco Busters, help!”

The Pharaoh merely cackled in arrogance as he raised his staff and in a flash of light, he and Blinky were gone!

“Oh no,” Twinken groaned while Soarin and Thunderlane sighed as they realized they’d been made to look like chumps, when they heard a blistering sound and looked up.

Midnight and Blueblood were flying towards them, Blueblood apparently now in better control of his battle-suit, saying in a voice that made his sound almost-mechanical, “Coming in for a landing, gentlecolts!”

As Blueblood and Midnight landed, Midnight regarded the scene around them, and asked, “I take it things could’ve gone better?”

“You might say that,” Thunderlane said, rubbing the back of his head with his hoof and Twinken said what everypony was thinking.

"We are completely screwed…"

Author's Note

If anyone wants to draw the Bronco Busters, they're welcome to

On a side-note, I'll say this:

Night Shield (Based on Batman and Superman), Night Shield's costume is based on Justice Lord Batman, along with Superman, and Nightwing

Apollomino of the Arcane Arrow (based on Red Arrow, Hawkeye, and Apollo, name is Apollo and Palomino put together), Apollomino's costume is based on Red Arrow and Hawkeye

Micro-Ton (based on Colossal Boy, Ant Man/Giant Man) Micro-Ton's costume is based on Colossal Boy and Jack Power/Mass-Master

The Iron Stud (based on Iron Man and DC comics Queen Bee) Iron Stud's costume is based on Iron Man

Tri-quine (Based on Triplicate Girl and X-Men's Blink, name is Tri- and Equine put together) Tri-quine's costume is based on Triplicate Girl

Elasti-Colt (based on Elasti-Girl, Mr. Fantastic, and vaguely Spiderman) Elasti-Colt's costume is based on (Pixar) Elasti-Girl and Mr. Fantastic

Timmy Coltson (based on Jimmy Olson)

Phony Pharaoh/Pharaoh Phetlock (my portrayal of the Pharaoh is based somewhat on the Batman Villain Maximilian Zeus)

182. The Bronco Busters! - Part 3

The gang all looked to each other, completely lost as to what to do next, as well as feeling like idiots for how they’d made such fools of themselves. Thankfully, Big Mac came around and was made aware of a certain somepony under his big red butt, and quickly shrank down to his normal size. Cheese was a little loopy after having been sat on but bounced back to his excitable self, Soarin managed this time to make a tele-portal, through which the rest of them joined Big Mac and Cheese Sandwich on the street. But even Cheese’s happy-go-lucky-ness couldn’t quash the crushing burden of failure upon the whole group.

Except for, perhaps, one young unicorn colt wearing a flatcap and a camera around his neck.

"Okay, okay, this is fine!” Twinken said in a maintained tone, everypony looking at him. “The comics usually always have a confrontation before the climax, so we can still finish the story. We... well you guys, just need to act like the Bronco Busters."

Blueblood nodded his head in understanding, "You are correct, Twinken. If we are to exit the comic, we are going to have to follow the story it has set."

The guys all nodded and murmured their agreements while Blueblood muttered, “Meanwhile I need to figure out this fiendish fabrication…”

"Alright, Twinken, you're the comic guru here. I know a couple of things about the Power Ponies, but that's about it, so we'll need to follow your lead here. What do you think we should do?" Midnight leaned down so he was at eye-level with his little brother. The younger unicorn's eyes were wide with surprise at the direction.

He wants me to help lead! ...Okay ,it's just because of the comic... don't lose your head here, he still doesn't think much of you. Just help him and his friends through the comic. Then you can go back to feeling left out and useless... wow ,real motivational Twinken… Twinken thought with a sigh before he said aloud, "OK! Well, each of your characters have unique powers and abilities, as well as skills. Midnight, your character is Night Shield, the moonlight powered Stallion of Steel who guards the nightlife of the city, but he’s also Trotham’s Greatest Detective! All you need to do is look over the crime-scene here and you should be able to find some clues as to where the Phony Pharaoh went."

The alicorn gave a nod then turned to survey the scene while the rest of the stallions alternated between helping to find clues and admiring their new abilities. As the blue stallion gazed around, he spotted a large pane of burned and melted glass from where the Pharaoh's burning eye beams had missed their mark courtesy of the Crown of Ra. Midnight wasn't sure why, but some part of him seemed to just zoom in on it, and without even realizing it, his body followed through, zooming from the pavement up to the side of the building.

The beam from the crown was definitely as hot as Twinken had described, as the beam hadn't just melted the glass, but burned straight through into the interior of the building, burning through some desks and drywall. However it wasn't the damage itself that had caught his attention, but the crystallized glass that had fallen from the broken window frame. The crystal seemed to hold some remnants of the crown's unique and ancient magic signature. While Midnight's magical knowledge was considerable, it was the Night Shield character's knowledge of a magical tracking system that came to mind.

He scooped up some of the crystals and placed them within one of the pockets of his pouched belt before turning back to the group to see them all staring at him.

"Okay, Twinken, I found a clue. Now what's step two?"

"Okay, you know what, instead of bothering with the Phony Pharaoh, I say we set up shop and stay here!"

The five stallions and colt all just nodded in agreement with Soarin as the group stared up at the Bronco Busters' headquarters.

The building in front of them was both tall and sleek, its reflective glass windows glowing under the light of the full moon. Whereas most of the skyscrapers of Trotham city were all drab dark structures, with flat roofs or gothic spires broken up by the odd ceiling platform or smoke vents, the headquarters was coated in a silvery metal with a large balcony like structure on the roof which proudly displayed a large symbol of the Bronco Busters logo. The building itself wasn't the only impressive thing though. The front yard stretched on for a great distance from the building's base, with a large set of water fountains and statues displaying the six heroes that took residence within, each in an epic, heroic, or courageous poise. Hidden about the yard were glimpses of a high-tech security system. The glint of a security camera, an odd indentation in the grass where invisible tripwires were set up. Opulent and secure, the perfect home for a group of heroes.

"Well, as mighty-impressive as it all is, Ah'd rather spend th’ night back in Ponyville with muh `Shy, so howsabout we get started?"

Big Mac's statement, snapped the group out of their stupor and had them all moving forwards towards the elevator doors of the large building. After the brief walk, the group discovered that the exterior of the building couldn't hold a candle to the buildings interior. After departing the elevator onto one of the upper levels of the building, the group discovered several luxuries all through the building. Large velvety couches, exotic plants, several projector displays for watching films. There was even a bar with what seemed to be a clockwork stallion behind it, ready to serve one of its masters. Then there was the amazing technology. Several more obvious security cameras were on display, control panels with various different functions were bolted to the walls and in a large lounge area, a huge wall monitor took up the centre of the room, ready to display all manner of things, from active news reports to security footage. The whole place was completely unreal.

The stallions noticed six doors along the lounge walls, each displaying a superhero’s name. As Midnight seemed to instinctively head towards another section of the towers with a sign marked 'science division' with Twinken on his heels, the rest of the stallions decided to explore a little.

Soarin entered into the room marked for his character, Tri-quine. Inside the room looked as though three different ponies lived within. One side of the room was painted yellow and kept in perfect condition, with a set of drawers positioned neatly and no dust to be seen. The other side of the room was red and appeared to be the messy side, with clothes scattered on the floor and a complete lack of neatness. The center of the room was a light blue color and it housed the bed. Next to the bed was a desk side table with some photo frames on it. The first showed a picture of the team, plus little Timmy Coltson, all posed and looking ready for action. Another showed Tri-quine, split into three ponies and in the middle of a rescue, each stallion holding a young foal as they flew out of a burning building. The last showed an image of the Tri-quine standing next to Zapp, one of the Power Ponies from Mare-tropolis, and the two appeared to be making flirting gestures with each other. Evidently, his character had some appreciation for the character his girlfriend played.

"Hey Soarin, come check out what Big Mac and Cheese found." Thunderlane stuck his head in the doorway before retreating down the hall. Curious, Soarin left the photos and followed him to find a large hangar-like space, obviously at the very top of the building.

Along the walls were different targets and weapons, and scattered around the room were various pieces of training equipment. The pegasus joined Cheese Sandwich, and Thunderlane, who were watching Big Mac who was staring at a target on the ceiling.

"Micro-Ton, target systems have activated. Please enlarge and punch the designated target at maximum strength." a computerized yet female voice echoed around the chamber, while the ceiling target lit up in a luminescent red.

"Well, may as well see if we can get these powers workin' right, so we don' get our flanks hooved to us again when we go an' fight tha' Pharaoh pony."

With that out of the way, the large red stallion took a deep breath, closed his eyes and concentrated hard. Instantly, his form rippled with red light and he expanded, rising up higher and higher, and spreading out. The rest of the stallions backed up even further so they weren't squished by the behemoth. Within seconds, Big Mac was as large as a dragon, his head just one story shy of scraping the ceiling and his girth spreading wide across the hanger room. The three remaining stallions just stared in awe at their gigantic friend.

"Dang, this is weird. Ah think a wanna get down now `afore Ah trip an’ hurt muhself. Okay computer... trainin' lady... thing, Ah'll just hit this here target now."

Mac lifted his gargantuan left hoof and with immense force, rammed it into the target with force enough to crack Canterlot Mountain. The target held firmly despite this and seemed to absorb the force and disperse it without damage. Thunderlane, Soarin and Cheese Sandwich however had all been thrown of their hooves from the impact.

"Sweet Celestia’s ass, Mac! You could probably knock all of Ponyville to the ground with force like that!" Thunderlane moaned, dragging himself and his friends back up off the ground. The big red stallion just gave a chuckle until the computer's voice spoke again.

"Excellent. Now proceeding to level 2. Prepare for oncoming attack."

"Wait wha...!!" Mac tried to say before the target he had just punched, launched out some sort of energy beam which slammed into his head.

Taken off guard, Mac was bowled over, having just enough sense to shrink before his massive frame crushed his friends. The farm pony landed with a thud, groaning from the impact, finishing up his shrinking until he was his normal, still larger than the average stallion build once more.

"Level 2 failed. Please resume once you are ready. We can now begin team training. Please prepare yourselves."

The group just stared at the downed and groaning Mac before nervously looking at each other when Soarin lifted his hoof.

"Uh, Miss computer could we please not..."

Before Soarin could finish, dozens of openings appeared on the walls, filled with arrows and laser cannons. Several robotic stallions rose up from panels on the ground, their eyes glowing red and looking rather mean.

"Training begins."

Everyone gave a gulp as the laser began to glow.

"Oh, buck me…!”

Back in the science lab, Blueblood and Midnight felt a vibration run through the building for a moment.

"I wonder what the guys are doing right now?" Blueblood commented, glad to be out of that armor and was now wearing a simple black skin-tight suit with minor electronics built upon it that apparently interfaced with the Iron Stud armor.

"Not important right now.” Twinken was sitting on a lab table as he clapped his hooves to get them back on focusing before pointing at the various different contraptions, devices, doohickeys, and components scattered around the room.
“You and Midnight gotta put that crystal thing Midnight found into one of Iron Stud's inventions and it will do the rest for us. I'm not sure which one though, so hopefully you guys can figure it out."

Blueblood gave the room a look over, before he suddenly noticed a device towards the back of the room which had a large screen on the front of it, and a microscope-looking laser over a platform for different materials.

"I'm getting the vague sense this device may be what we need. Midnight, place the crystal you found on that panel and I'll see if I can make this thing work."

The alicorn nodded and moved the crystal underneath the microscope’s laser while Blueblood moved to the control panel on the other side and instinctively began pushing several buttons, following a vague memory that guided him through the specifications.

Suddenly a green laser scanned over the crystals for a few seconds before a bizarre series of patterns, numbers, and the like appeared on the viewing screen above the device. They flashed and beeped oddly, looking like nothing to Blueblood and Twinken. But to Midnight, he could easily recognize the pattern of a magical trace. This device was evidently using the crystal to trace its mystic signature and locate the crown.

"I see it…!” Midnight realized, Blueblood and Twinken looking at him, “This device is analyzing the crystal’s mystic signature to the crown the Pharaoh was wearing! If we can input the information into some kind of tracking device, we can use it to find the Pharaoh, take care of him, and then get home!”

Blueblood and Twinken stood beside him with smiles, as the patterns beeped and flashed until they showed a singular flashing light over the image of a large skyscraper building. In fact the building appeared to be massive, towering over every other building around it.

"Seems like that won’t be necessary,” Blueblood pointed out, “the device appears to be showing us where the crown is located, and the Pharaoh by default if he still has it.”

“Wait, guys!” Twinken recognized the image. “It's Trotham's biggest skyscraper, the Star Reacher! The perfect place for a megalomaniac to hide out and look down on everypony.”

Giving a determined nod, Midnight turned to Blueblood and Twinken, who both looked determined and ready.

"Okay, guys, let's find that Pharaoh!"

“Hmm, where to look…”

Pharaoh Phetlock poured over various accounts of ancient history as well as any recent news of them. He sat at a desk within the penthouse of the Sky Reacher (having used his ill-gotten goods to fund his new high life) as Blinky Bay sat tied to a chair in the corner.

“You still haven’t answered my question, Pharaoh,” Blinky said defiantly, “Just what are you planning?!”

“Heh-heh, it’s quite simply, really, Miss Bay,” the Pharaoh chuckled smugly as he got up and started walking in front of his wall, which displayed more of his various stolen artifacts.
“Impressive as my collection is, these relics’ powers are finite and simply can’t make my ends meet, especially for what I’ve got planned! Even now, I am closing in on possibly the most powerful artifact of a long forgotten age, an artifact that will grant me such power even the Bronco Busters will be helpless before me! For once I have it, all will bow before me, Phetlock, Pharaoh of Trotham!”

A knock at the door interrupted, causing Phetlock to groan, “YES?!”

In walked a lovely earth pony mare of azure blue, wearing a silk white dress, a blue cap-crown and various golden jewelry.

“Nefillyti! This had better be…!” Phetlock started to rave until the mare, Nefillyti spoke.

“It has been found, my master.”

The way she said it stopped Phetlock in his tracks and his eyes widened with excitement, “Go on!”

“Our eyes and ears have confirmed the item in question to be in the personal collection of Carmane Falcon,” Nefillyti explained.

Blinky gasped as she thought, The head of Trotham’s most powerful crime family?

“I made an offer, a generous one mind you,” Nefillyti went on, “but it seems Miss Falcon lacked the self-preservation to take it.”

Phetlock chuckled darkly as he then began to grab some of his relics, putting on the Wings of Isis, the Crown of Ra, grabbing the Staff of Anubis, as well as a pair of bands, a moon-shaped amulet, and a bag with other artifacts.
“Then perhaps I should pay Miss Falcon a visit…”

However before any of them could make a move, the glass of the balcony window exploded in a wave of shards, and six heroic stallions and their colt companion burst into the room.

Leading the charge was Midnight, who raised his hoof in an iconic gesture of strength towards the Pharaoh.

"Phony Pharaoh! Surrender now or be prepared to face the might of the Bronco Busters!" he then turned to Twinken who stood beside him, "Did I say that right?"

"GRAAAH! MY NAME IS PHARAOH PHETLOCK AND YOU INSECTS WILL WORSHIP ME!"

The deluded stallion leapt from his chair, his eyes beginning to glow red with the power of the Crown of Ra. However before he could attack, Nefillyti stepped up, her eyes looking to her master, but keeping the meddlesome Bronco Busters within her gaze.
"Master, do not waste your efforts on these pests. Leave them to me while you go to claim your birthright."

The Pharaoh gave a devious smile and nodded his head. "You are right, my beloved Nefillyti, these irritants are beneath me. I leave them to you. Do not hold back, I so love it when you unleash your full might!"

The blue mare gave a nod, her face filled with pride and a desire to inflict pain. Then with a fast swipe of her front hoof, she ripped the dress from her body and revealed that underneath, she wore a golden armored tunic, with a beautiful green gem embedded in the chest. The Pharaoh smirked and waved the Staff of Anubis, letting a beam of light shoot from the ornaments head, and into the gem, flooding it with a glowing light. The same light also seemed to radiate from the mare's eyes, giving her a deadly look as green mist burned from her eyes.

"So long, Bronco Busters. Perhaps you can provide Nefillyti with a better challenge than that pitiful display you gave me earlier," the stallion laughed, before the Wings of Isis on his back morphed into wings and he took to the air.

"Not so fast, villain! We’re not letting you get away that easily!" Blueblood cried before activating the thrusters on his suit.

After some practice, he found it was a little easier to maneuver, even if he wasn't perfect with it yet. The red glowing openings on his hooves set out a boost of power and he floored it towards the retreating villain, who was flying towards the skylight on the roof.

However before Blueblood could intercept him, a green energy beam blasted him and he lost control, falling into a spiral and crashing into the floor with a groan, while the sorcerous stallion managed to escape. He looked to the direction the beam had come from to find the glowing hoof of Nefillyti. Despite being an earth pony, she had managed to shoot a beam of magic at him.

Seeing the shocked looks around the room, the henchmare gave a smirk.

"The gem upon my chest is a gift from my master. It allows me to control magic in ways similar to his Staff of Anubis, and I have become very adept in using it. Still, despite my new powers, six on one isn't a very fair fight. Therefore, I'll take the dumb cutie here in the metal suit, and the rest of you can play with some friends of mine."

She stamped her glowing hooves onto the floor and suddenly the penthouse shook. Glowing cracks appeared in the floor, with green mist seeping through. Suddenly, the mist all coalesced into a series of mummies, their pony forms wrapped in bandages that rose from the same cracks and wove together into pony-ish shapes, and their eyes glowing a menacing red but bigger than the average pony altogether.

The guys all gaped in relative awe and intimidation as the Mummies gathered around their mistress, all the while nopony noticed Twinken sneaking his way towards the tied-up Blinky. Nefillyti smirked wickedly before she said but a single word that instantly set everypony on edge.

"Attack."

At her single worded command, the mummies charged, and oh so quickly did things go to Haydes.

Thunderlane reached for his quiver and pulled out an arrow before setting it onto his bow. The training session had been brutal and terrifying, with lasers and metal discs and all sorts of projectiles being fired at him that his was expected to dodge or shoot his arrows at. His pegasus genes helped with his accuracy, as like the rest of his species, his eyes were good for distance and speed, to help with flight. This made firing his arrows easier, but he was still far from an expert.

He drew the arrow to the bow and recalled Twinken's rundown of his character’s abilities before they left the Bronco Busters’ headquarters.

Okay, so just focus on the magical effect you want the arrow to take and it will do that…

With a quick breath, he imagined fire and then let the arrow fly at a mummy that was galloping towards him. It didn't strike in the head as he'd been aiming, but it did stick into his shoulder. Almost immediately, the magical minion burst into flames, releasing a disturbingly shrill shriek. As it was nothing but a magical construct wrapped in conjured bandages, the minion crumbled into a pile of ash on the ground.

"Yes! Alrighty then, now let’s try- Agh!" the pegasus was congratulating himself for a good shot when another mummy blindsided him and tackled him to the floor. It lifted a hoof to strike the stallion’s face, when a rubber hoof shot out of nowhere and clobbered the mummy in the face, sending it careening into a nearby wall and breaking what looked to have been an expensive painting.

Thunderlane must have had some kind of dizzy spell from the earlier attack, because he could swear that with the hit, he saw the words 'BAM' appear in the air for a split-second.

Still, he smiled as the hoof retracted back towards Cheese Sandwich, who was stretching all about the room, punching the mummy minions.
"Wow, these stretchy limbs are fun! You okay, Thunderlane?"

The archer raised himself to his hooves and gave a grateful nod. "Yeah I'm good, thanks Cheese. Now let's send these mummies crying home to their mummies!"

With that, Thunderlane hit a button on his belt and a rippling effect covered him and rendered him completely invisible.

"Oh wow, I can turn invisible! Cool!"

His excitement lasted all of two seconds before Big Mac bounded over and ran straight into him, tripping them both to the ground.

"Huh? Wha'd Ah trip on?" the big red stallion looked about, before the ripple effect appeared again and he saw Thunderlane glaring up from under him.

"You know what, I take it back. Invisibility is not cool."

Midnight launched a blast of black lightning from his horn upon a group of mummies, causing them to explode into dust. However, he barely had a second before three more pony-piled onto his back and tried to force him to the ground.

He gave a growl that became a mighty roar as he threw them all off with his immense strength, before flinging from his tail a blade of solidified shadow at another mummy that had been creeping up on Soarin, the blade slicing through the mummy’s neck, causing the magic to bleed out, and the bandages to fall into a lifeless heap

"Soar, watch your back, there's so many of these guys!"

The pegasus gave a nod before returning to the foes in front of him. Six of the mummies were advancing on him, ready to try and throw down. He may have had the strength of three pegasi, but six foes was still a lot. Then he recalled the special ability his character had that Twinken had told him about in their prior skirmish with the Pharaoh. He concentrated hard, and in a flash, the red and yellow stripes on his suit appeared to peel off and formed the bodies of two more Soarins. Now instead of six mummies bearing down on one pegasus, there were six worried mummies against three pegasi, a Soarin in blue, a Soarin in red, and the third Soarin garbed in yellow, all smirking deviously.

Midnight continued to fight against the mummies, blasting them or punching them. As several tried to tackle him, he leapt into the air and took flight, using the aerial advantage to blasts of dark lightning at the attacking constructs. Suddenly a glowing feather shot up in front of him, which then exploded into a large neon blue ring, with a new section of the room inside it.

Suddenly, six beaten up mummies were sent sailing through and slammed into a mummy he hadn't noticed had been thrown towards him by its compatriots. Following the pile of beaten up mummies came three Soarin's, all looking rather proud of themselves.

"Excellent throw Soarin, that was marvelous!"

"No, no, your haymaker was definitely the highlight of that brawl, my friend!"

"But you were the one who opened up the tele-portal, you certainly deserve praise!"

"Would you please stop congratulating your selves and get back in the fight?!” Midnight facehooved at the three Soarin's all high-winging and singing each other's praises.

The three identical stallion's all chuckled and rubbed their necks in unison.

"Heh, heh, sorry, Dashie's been rubbing off on me."

Midnight just rolled his eyes before he and the three Soarin's dove back into the fray.

One mummy looked around confused as to where his quarry had fled to before he noticed a bug-sized red pony sitting on its muzzle. Before it could flick it off though, Big Mac expanded rapidly until he was three times the mummy’s size and crushed the pony-shaped thing under his rump. He looked up and flicked away a retaliatory strike from another mummy that had witnessed the act. But before it could get back up again, Big Mac, altered its gravity, and the mummy sailed over his head and over the balcony to fall to its demise, falling up into the sky until it would be lost to the void of space.

Big Mac was then tackled by two mummies but effortlessly held his ground, throwing them off to crash into the walls. As they slid down, dazed, he grabbed a nearby tablet covered with hieroglyphics and threw it like a frisbee, crushing one of the mummies through the wall while the other fell apart, having taken too much damage to hold its form together.

“Whee-hee-hee!” Cheese bounced about, his lower half coiled like a spring, as three mummies chased in vain after him, leaping to catch him, only to crash into the walls, furniture, or even each other. When it seemed they had Cheese cornered, he waited until they leapt at him all at once, and then he threw out his hooves, stretching himself into a trampoline-like tarp, and causing the mummies to bounce off of him and be thrown back into a pile of bandages.

Snapping back into his regular shape, Cheese whooped, “Bounce the Cheese, the Cheese bounces you!”

His showboating was quickly halted by a cheap shot to the back of his head, as a mummy and a second started ganging up on him, the both of them hitting Cheese in the head and the barrel relentlessly! But when they stopped and stepped back, they noticed Cheese didn’t look hurt at all!
“I’m all rubbery, boys! Hit me as hard as you want, I just absorb it and bounce it right back!”

Cheese went low and threw out a stretched leg, tripping both mummies up, and then he brought both his front hooves to his mouth and blew into them, as though they were balloons, for they swelled up and then morphed to resemble sledgehammers, which he brought down hard on the two mummies that had pummeled fruitlessly at him, making them blow up into dusty bandages.

At this time, Blueblood and Nefillyti were locked in a battle of lasers. At the moment, the both of them hovered in the air, a beam of blue energy shooting from the horn-cannon on Blueblood’s armor deadlocked onto the green laser coming from the gem on Nefillyti’s tunic.

“My power easily dwarfs your technology, Iron Stud,” Nefillyti boasted. “Before long, I imagine the power cells or even your own mana reserves will deplete, and my energy blast will decimate you.”

Blueblood said nothing but the AI in his suit spoke, ’Warning: Horn-cannon power cell below 40 percent. Switching to thaumaturgical system’s mana reserve to preserve power.’

Almost instantly, Blueblood felt his mana burn up even faster as he provided the brunt of his energy beam to stave Nefillyti’s. Unfortunately, the mare had the advantage. Despite being an earth pony, she apparently had plenty of mana, in addition to the mana the Pharaoh had provided to empower her tunic’s gem!

If I could distract her somehow, even for a moment…! Blueblood thought when an arrow flew at Nefillyti, exploding into a large tarp that enveloped her, making her yelp and lose concentration, her energy beam dissipating, much to Blueblood’s relief, as he stopped his own and took a breather.

“Release me of this infernal predicament!” yelled Nefillyti’s muffled voice as she thrashed about in the tarp in efforts to get out.

“Normally, I, as a gentlecolt, would not strike a lady,” Blueblood said dryly as he walked up to the tarp right as Nefillyti got her head out. “But in your case…”

*POW*

“Ughhh…” Nefillyti groaned as Blueblood’s punch knocked her unconscious, the gem on her tunic dulling out, and everypony watched as the remaining mummies all shuddered as the magic giving them life bled out through the bandages, which fell into lifeless heaps.

“Aww, is the butt-whoopin’ over already?” Cheese whined.

“Hold still, Blinky,” Twinken said as he pulled at the ropes holding his character’s partner with his telekinetic aura. “And… you’re free.”

“Uh-huh, thanks, Coltson,” Blinky said dismissively before she looked at the Bronco Busters and squealed! “Bronco Busters… AUGH! It was such an HONOR to watch you all work! Blinky Bay, Trotham Tabloid, I see you’ve met my camera-colt, Timmy!”

She zipped over to Big Mac, whispering while holding up her hoof as though to hide her words, “Ignore him, he just takes the pictures.”

“Miss Bay,” Midnight spoke up, earning Blinky’s complete and absolute undivided attention, evident by her eyes so wide with fan-filly-is admiration that it disturbed even Midnight.
“I believe you’re not giving Twi- I mean… Timmy enough credit. During the fight, I saw him risk his own safety to make his way through the fracas to get to you. At the very least, you can thank him for his bravery.”

Blinky’s ears folded against her head from the lecture she just got and the dawning realization that Night Shield (Midnight, to you readers) was right. Looking a little guilty, she turned to Twinken, saying, “Um, thanks, Timmy.”

“You’re welcome,” Twinken replied, looking to his big brother with his own admiration and a glimmer of gratitude for what he’d said about the young unicorn colt.

“Thun- Pardon, Apollomino,” Blueblood spoke up, Thunderlane looking to the Iron Stud. “My gratitude for distracting Nefillyti.”

“No prob, Stud,” Apollomino raised a hoof, and Blueblood smiled as they brohooved when the three Soarins butted in.

“Let’s not forget the total awesomeness of Soarin here!”
“No-no, this Soarin was the awesome one, the way he made a tele-portal to make those mummies pony-pile onto themselves!"
“Oh go on! I’m making me blush-”

“WOULD YOU STOP PATTING YOURSELVES ON THE BACK AND PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER?!” the rest of the Bronco Busters along with Twinken all shouted in vexation.

The sudden collective shout-out startled the Soarins so much they all tripped into each other, and were suddenly merged back into one Soarin, causing him to groan in daze.

“Now that we’re back on track, we need to plan our next move,” Midnight spoke up, “the Pharaoh took off and left us to deal with his little sidekick and her conjured thugs. So we don’t know what he’s planning.”

“Oh wait, I do!” Blinky spoke up. “Nefillyti came in earlier before you all showed up and told Phetlock she’d found something he was looking for, in the private collection of Carmane Falcon!”

“Carmane Falcon?!” Twinken echoed, “She’s the biggest crime lord in Trotham! But what does she have that the Pharaoh would want?”

“The Pharaoh was talking about some kind of magic artifact,” Blinky went on. “He said it was so powerful, that not even you would be able to stop him once he uses it, Bronco Busters!”

“Then we gotta get to this Carmane Falcon and get that artifact!” Thunderlane pounded his hooves together.
“Eeyup.” agreed Big Mac.

“That Phony Pharaoh’s got a big head start though,” Cheese reminded everypony.

“He’s right,” Midnight noted, “for all we know, the Pharaoh may already have this artifac-”

“Wh-wh-wh-whoa-oa-oa-oa…!” Cheese’s whole body began to shudder and shiver, “Danger Sense, tingling!”

“Ugh-heh-heh-heh!”

Everypony looked to see Nefillyti had woken up and was laughing derisively at them, “My master has claimed the artifact by now, Bronco Busters! You’re already too late to stop him.”

“Not while we have anything to say about it,” Midnight said threateningly. “Tell us where he’s gone and what he’s planning!”

“I am sworn to my pharaoh, Night Shield,”Nefillyti responded in a tone unflinching, “I’ll say nothing to betray him.”

“We’ll see about-” Midnight growled as he willed a shadow to rise only for Blueblood to step up.

“Please, my friend, leave this to me,” Blueblood insisted as he grabbed Nefillyti, still in the tarp with only her head free, and dragged her over to a corner.

They all watched as Blueblood and Nefillyti exchanged words. Initially, Nefillyti seemed adamant until Blueblood said something while giving her a dashing smile, and she began to fidget a little, blush, and even giggle.

“Wha’ is he sayin’ t’ her?” Big Mac asked.

“You don’t wanna know…” Midnight said dryly with a roll of his eyes, as his super-hearing allowed him to pick up every word. Much to his chagrin.

Then Blueblood caressed Nefillyti’s cheek before saying a few last words and rejoining his comrades.
“The Pharaoh went to Carmane Falcon’s penthouse over in the West Way district.”

“Speaking of…” said the voice of Soarin, and everypony looked to see him staring out the broken balcony window and joined him to see what he was seeing.

Over an underdeveloped part of Trotham that looked to be a cesspool of crime and poverty a storm appeared to be brewing. Dark clouds swirled above, distant lightning struck, winds began to pick up, but oddly enough there was no rain.

“Something tells me Phetlock got what he wanted, and he’s gearing up for a big finale,” Soarin finished.

After calling the police to pick up Nefillyti, the Bronco Busters were making their way towards Falcon’s penthouse. Midnight had Blueblood “convince” Blinky to stay with the police while Twinken rode on his brother’s back. The flying members flew, whether by wings, technology or just plain superpowers, while Big Mac used his gravity-defying to leap great distances and Cheese bounced along to keep up.

“This storm or whatever it is,” Midnight shouted, “it’s getting worse by the minute!”

“What kind of artifact could summon a storm this powerful?” Soarin yelled.

“Who knows?” Blueblood answered. “Remember, this isn’t our world - The artifact could be something based off something from our own world but more likely it’s something the comic book writer came up with.”

“Either way, we gotta stop the Pharaoh!” Thunderlane reminded them. “It’s the only way we’re gonna get out of this crazy place and back to our own world!”

“Twinken,” Big Mac yelled as he reached the apex of his gravity-defying leap, and Thunderlane flew over to grab him. To his relief, Big Mac had weakened his own gravity to make himself so light Thunderlane had not trouble holding him as he flew as Big Mac asked his question.
“Y’know more `bout this world an’ all’s innit than we do. Any ideas on wha’ Phetlock’s got his hooves on?”

“Sorry, no,” Twinken said with an apologetic tone. “All I’ve read in the comic is that this artifact the Pharaoh wanted so much is supposed to be powerful enough to give him what he wants and there was a chance the Bronco Busters wouldn’t be able to stop him!”

“Well then it’s a good thing we ain’t really the Bronco Busters!” Cheese added as he hooked onto Blueblood with his elongated hooves and hoisted himself up onto the armored stallion’s back.
“We’re also the Guardians of Harmony!”

“Cheese is right!” Midnight spoke up. “Who we are doesn’t change, whether we’re in this comic book world or our own! We’ll stop the Pharaoh, save Trotham, and return home, and we’ll do it together!”

The stallions all nodded with determined smiles while Twinken couldn’t help but be so proud of his big brother.

Before long, the seven of them landed upon a roof garden outside what was presumably Carmane Falcon’s penthouse. As they stood together, Midnight said, “Twinken, stay back and out of trouble. No telling what the Pharaoh has waiting for us.”

“Yes, big brother,” Twinken said as he thought to himself, All this time… I thought I didn’t matter as much to him as before. What kind of brother am I to think that?

As they approached the doors into the penthouse, they noticed they’d been blown inward. Midnight lifted his wing in a halt-signal, and slowly entered on his own, his superpowered sense on high alert, and picked up a groaning.

He looked to his friends and brother and gestured with his head to follow as they went in, and they found a luxurious living room turned upside down, and in the middle of it was an unconscious middle-aged pegasus mare. She had a stone-gray coat, silver mane which looked to have been messed up, and she wore a mare’s business suit that left her cutie-mark revealed, a bird of prey’s talons clutching a bag of money.

Going over, Thunderlane’s eyes glowed a gentle gold and emitted rays of his character’s healing vision that Twinken had told him about during training back at the Bronco Busters’ headquarters.
“She’ll be alright, but she won’t be waking up for a while. “

“And judging by how torn up this place is,” Blueblood said through the mask of his armor, which was scanning the room. “I would say the pharaoh found what he was looking for.”

“Indeed I did…!”

Everypony’s hearts skipped a beat at the sound of that voice and as they turned in the direction it came from…!

*BLZAPP*

“AUGH!”

Midnight was blown out the penthouse doors to the roof garden by an energy blast from nowhere, and everypony looked to see a shimmer of silver mana that revealed…

“Phony Pharaoh!”

“PHETTLOOOOOOOCK!!!!” the Pharaoh roared as he revealed his latest acquisition, a scepter of gold and red, topped with the head of an animal resembling a greyhound but with long ears and cruel-looking ruby eyes.
“And one way or another, you will all come to fear that name! For at long last, I hold the Scepter of Set!”

Author's Note

I apologize for how long this chapter took. My partner and I took a break during the holidays and we just let it get away from us

Nefillyti (Nefertiti + Filly), Pharaoh Phetlock's lovely assistant

Carmane Falcon (based on Carmine Falcone)

West Way district (based on East End district of Gotham, where Crime Alley can be found)

183. The Bronco Busters! - Part 4

The villain's laughter echoed around the penthouse room, enhanced by the blood red glow radiating from the scepter. Invigorated by the presence of the other artifacts, the group could all feel the raw magical power bursting from the ancient relic.

"So Bronco Busters, it seems you defeated Nefillyti. While I am mildly impressed, I think you'll find me far more of a challenge," the stallion cackled, holding up the scepter maliciously.

"You may have some powerful magic, but you're still outnumbered Phony Pharaoh! Surrender now and we can find you a nice jail cell for you to rule!" Midnight threatened, channeling his knowledge of corny hero declarations from his memory. Of course this did nothing but anger the artifact-powered megalomaniac.

"Why must you foals always get my name wrong...!” Phetlock said in a dangerously low tone before snarling out loud! “I am Pharaoh Phetlock, and about-to-be ruler of Trotham! Now that I have the Scepter of Set I can wield his terrible power and unleash the perfect storm upon this city! From the ashes and the rubble leftover, the inhabitants will rise up and rebuild it in my honor! But you, Bronco Bozos, will have neither the honor nor the privilege of beholding my new legacy! You are not welcome in my New Empire!"

The group all tensed up, ready to spring into action, as the crazy stallion raised his new scepter to the ceiling and unleashed a glowing red beam of lightning so powerful it almost blinded the room. In an instant the ceiling was vaporized, the bolt soaring straight up into the sky, already stewing with bad weather. As the beam powered up, the Pharaoh released his grip on the scepter and everyone watched as it floated in place, channeling the power of the almighty Set and enforcing his ancient will on the city's skies. The dark clouds began to spiral, tornadoes were forming here and there throughout Trotham, crackling lightning struck with chaotic random as intense winds roared through the city skyline, sending pegasi spinning out of control and fracturing glass windows of even the most sturdy skyscrapers.

The Bronco Busters watched in rising fear of the deadly storm. It intimidated them all, but for Soarin and Thunderlane, the two most knowledgeable of weather in the group, they were horrified.

"Luna's TEATS this storm's insane!" Thunderlane grabbed his head to try and stop from shaking.

"If we don't stop this craziness quickly, this wacked-out weather will tear a warpath and turn the city to rubble!" Soarin addressed the group in a panic.

"That’s right, fools!” boasted the insane Pharaoh. "Buildings will fall, roads will crack and hundreds of ponies will die!"

“The destruction will leave nothing left!” Soarin yelled at the mad pony, “How can you do this?!”

Pharaoh Phetlock just let his cackles die down before addressing the superhero. "I am this city's new ruler. Those who cannot survive this storm of reckoning will have no place in my New Empire. Those that do, I know will be strong and sturdy slaves, capable of building temples in my honor. Soon this city will achieve its true destiny, as the Empire of the ALMIGHTY PHARAOH PHETLOCK!! AH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!"

As he began cackling again, the stallions knew they had heard enough. Comic or not, real or not, this insane monster was about to destroy and entire city and kills hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of innocent ponies.

He had to be stopped.

"Bronco Busters, ATTACK!" Midnight roared and mustered as much of his power as he could into an immense bolt of black lighting, aiming right at his artifact-wearing foe. Alongside him, Blueblood fired a concentrated energy beam from his horn-cannon, channeled from the suit and Thunderlane grabbed a hoofull of arrows and began launching them.

The attacks zoomed at the Phony Pharaoh, causing an explosion powerful enough to knock them all of their hooves and send the room into complete disarray, breaking display cases, toppling bookcases and destroying parts of the unconscious Falcon's prized collection.

However as the smoke cleared, the group was immensely dismayed to see a pulsing green shield surrounding the stallion, radiating from the protective powers of his Wings of Isis. It seemed the attack had taken a lot of power to defend from, but he was still in the fight.

"Impressive. When you are fighting at full power you are a force to be reckoned with. However I will allow for nothing to interfere with this critical stage. While my powers are grand, I think it might be wiser to level the playing field. I'm assuming you've met my mummies already."

The Pharaoh waved the Staff of Anubis and the familiar green misted cracks opened from the ground, summoning several mummy warriors. However he wasn't finished yet.

"Since you're already acquainted with my mummies, allow me the pleasure of introducing to you some friends of mine… from high places! ANUBIS! GUARDIAN OF THE UNDERWORLD, ARISE! SEKHMET, MISTRESS OF DREAD! UNLEASH YOUR FURY! HORUS, WARRIOR OF OLD! THE SKIES AWAIT YOU! COME TO ME! DESTROY THESE MEDDLESOME INTERLOPERS THAT WOULD DEFY THE WRATH OF SET!!!!"

The ground began to shake until suddenly, two enormous cracks formed and three figures emerged. One was a dog-like creature, not unlike a diamond dog, however it was larger than a minotaur, leaner but well-muscled. Its fur was black and while it's rippled chest was bare, it's waist was wrapped in a golden tunic, and it wore a nemes crown similar to the one on Phetlock’s head. Its ears were long and pointed, its paws bearing claws sharp like thorns, and it's soulless pure-white eyes were ready to obey its master. This was Anubis.

At his side was a tall and ferocious bipedal lioness, garbed in a dress of white and red, flames danced above her head, she pulled her lips back to reveal a menacing smile full of razor-sharp teeth, her eyes like molten gold so vicious they made everyone around her tremble with fear! She was beautiful the way a volcanic eruption was beautiful. This was Sekhmet!

Beside her was a mighty bipedal griffon-like beast. However, its head and wings and feathers were that of a falcon instead of an eagle. Its long razor-sharp talons looked menacing in the red light of the Scepter of Set. It was just as muscled as Anubis, was bare-chested, and wore a similar crown and tunic sky-white. It looked far more menacing than its compatriot. This was Horus.

As the Bronco Busters looked over the new enemies, they couldn't help but gulp as Pharaoh Phetlock gave a menacing grin.

“You know, this actually makes it all the more gratifying,” the power-crazed phony boasted. “I’ll defeat you all right here in the dawning moment of my everlasting glory, and as you all choke on your own blood, you will be given only the slightest glimpse of a new order. And the last thought to cross your puny minds will be the cold and terrible realization that you have failed.

“For with the power I command, how can you possibly hope to stop me?”

“Well, like the Stallion of Steel said,” Blueblood spoke boldly as he and Midnight shared a look of determination before the Iron Stud faced the Phony Pharaoh again and amplified his voice with his suit to make sure all could hear his answer.

“Together.”

"DESTROY THEM!!!!"

Anubis raised his paw, conjuring a staff with both ends sporting a fan-shaped blade. Horus armed himself with a khopesh sword scarab-shaped shield, and Sekhmet a spear in one paw and a whip of flame in the other.

“BRONCO BUSTERS, SPREAD OUT!” Midnight shouted as he sank into the shadows just in the nick of time to avoid Anubis’s attack.

Sekhmet snarled viciously as she thrust out her spear at Soarin…! And he split in two, avoiding the spearhead. Sekhmet snarled in confusion, as red Soarin said to yellow & blue Soarin, “Hey Soarin, let’s get Soarin, and the three of us have a kitty play-date!”

“Excellent idea, Soarin!” the yellow & blue Soarin agreed and glowed yellow before splitting further, creating all three triplicate Soarins.

Sekhmet growled as she pounced at the red Soarin, only for blue Soarin to throw a psychic feather that burst into a tele-portal, into which Sekhmet went through. Unfortunately for her, the tele-portal opened up over the edge of the roof, sending her falling to the streets below.

“AAUUGH!” Big Mac roared as he’d already grown to by Horus’ equal in size, and the two fought.

Horus screeched as he slashed at Mac with his khopesh, but thankfully, Mac’s growing powers not only increased his size but also his strength and durability. It felt more like getting hit with a pipe, and the armored bands on his forelegs protected him further. Horus flapped upwards to avoid an uppercut, only to screech in pain when an energy blast struck the falcon-head monster from out of nowhere.

“Thank ya kindly, Blue!” Mac yelled to his friend in the Iron Stud armor, as Blueblood flew via his rocket-propulsion, and he gave Mac a smirking salute (which his farmer friend couldn't see since Blueblood's helmet was in the way).

“Not a problem, Mac! Now let’s pluck this bird!”

Anubis snarled as he slashed his halberd like a dervish at Cheese, who kept bouncing away, and saying, “Missed me!” - SLASH - "Missed me again!" - SLASH - "OOH! I felt the wind on that one!" - SLASH - "Aw c'mon, it's like you're not even trying!"

Anubis growled in annoyance as he raised his halberd again, only for an arrow to strike his paws and a gray foam erupted from the point of impact and completely covered the jackal’s paws, and Anubis found he couldn’t get his paws free. The foam had quickly hardened when he noticed a ripple of light nearby and saw the black pegasus, his bow raised, as Thunderlane smirked, “High-density polyurethane foam. Useful for stopping bad guys in their tracks. Or just messing with them.”

Anubis growled as he then charged Thunderlane, aiming his halberd, only to feel two long and rubbery coils ensnare his legs, and yelped as he tripped downwards, and whimpered in pain after biting his own tongue! The coils retracted, revealing they were Cheese’s front hooves, as he smiled happily and waved at his teammate. Thunderlane waved back when he noticed something and quickly fired an arrow straight at Cheese.

“Yipe!” Cheese ducked and covered his head, the arrow zooming over him, and it burst into a classic punching glove, and knocked a mummy out before it could sneak up on Cheese. The stretchy stallion looked and realized what had just happened and chuckled nervously at Thunderlane, who smiled back apologetically, and there was a mutual relief of no hard feelings.

Twinken kept hidden within the debris, and had already dragged Carmane Falcon to safety. True, she was a crime-running despot, but Twinken knew helping her avoid the dangers around them was still the right thing to do. He took it all in and yet it was so hard to keep track of everything! He glimpsed here and there, not able to follow it all!

He saw Big Mac bring his mammoth hooves down on several mummies crushing them, a tele-portal opened and out of it came the yellow Soarin, who grabbed a mummy, did an aerial-somersault, and throw it towards a mummy that had been leaping towards Cheese. Cheese took a deep breath, inflating himself into a large ball and signaled Midnight to throw him, sending Cheese to bounce about, hitting mummies like a giant pinball, Midnight punched and zapped Horus as the falcon-headed monster tried to overwhelm the Dark Knight, and was sent spiraling by a powerful haymaker, Blueblood made use of a sonic-cannon on his left fetlock that overwhelmed Sekhmet into falling back down to the streets after she’d just gotten back topside. Thunderlane had flown to a vantage point and was firing all kinds of magic trick arrows, one arrow split into multiple arrows that nailed several mummies to the ground or nearby rubble, one arrow made a mummy burst into flames, one turned into bolas that wrapped up a mummy and stopped it in its tracks. Anubis was on his feet again and had managed to free his paws from the foam but was getting pummeled back and forth between the red Soarin and the blue Soarin through a tele-portal that sent Anubis from one end of the roof to the other right into the Soarins’ hooves. Midnight had engaged the Pharaoh and both ponies were shooting beams at the other, the Pharaoh shooting his heat vision from the Crown of Ra while Midnight fired a focused beam of dark lightning from his horn, the both of them encircling each other, trying to break through the other’s beam attack.

While Midnight matched off against the Pharaoh in a contest of magical power, the rest of the group began to encircle the three conjured warriors and remaining mummies.

Big Mac had enlarged himself to a matching size and was in a battle of strength against Sekhmet, attempting to push the furious feline back. Wrapping around her limbs in an attempt to weaken her was Cheese, using his whole body like a giant anaconda. While his strength was nothing compared to her own, the two stallions were slowly forcing her back.

Anubis was attempting to hack Soarin to pieces, but the three-pony stallion kept using his tele-portals to avoid hits and attack the angry canine when his back was turned. Each swing of his blade seemed to pass through a portal and miss his quarry. The Soarins were certainly getting a kick out of it

"Almost hit me that time!"

*Swipe*

"Too slow Anubis!"

*Swish*

"Ha, maybe we should just call you 'A-Noob-He is', because you can't hit anything!"

*Stab*

The angry biped slashed and swiped, but the Soarins were just too quick. With each miss and each counter attack, he felt himself being pushed back.

In the air Horus let out a shrill screech and he dived at his opponents, but Thunderlane and Blueblood proved too quick for him. With every dodge, Thunderlane would unleash a hail of arrows, causing all number of magical effects. However the Falcon warrior seemed to brush them aside and continue his strikes. Blueblood's attacks seemed to deal greater damage, but they were using up a lot more of magical power. If they couldn't subdue Horus soon, he would likely start to overpower them.

"Hey Blueblood, keep him busy for a sec, I have an idea!" Thunderlane called, swooping away from the warrior and vanished out of sight in a ripple of golden light. Knowing his friend had activated his cloaking device, Blueblood only had a moment to use a boost of thrust to avoid the swipe from the incoming attacker.

"Well Horus, let's see if you like stun missiles!"

The armored stallion sent the activation through his armor and a series of dart-like missiles shot forth at the Falcon warrior, ready to knock him out. Horus proved too fast however and skillfully dodged the incoming projectiles, throwing himself into a twirl and sending them all scattering around the room, into any nearby rubble on the rooftop.

The falcon-headed entity gave a laugh before preparing another attack, when suddenly a hoof-strike slammed into his gut and he keeled over in mid-air. This was followed up by a kidney-strike, then a haymaker, before a powerful hit to his head sent him careening to the floor between Anubis and Sekhmet who had been driven almost back to back by the relentless attacks, alongside what remained of the mummies that hadn't been destroyed in the brawl.

Blueblood puzzled over the strike until a shimmering effect appeared in mid air to reveal Thunderlane smirking as he readjusted Apollomino's invisibility belt.

"You know what. Invisibility just got cool again!"

"Indeed it did. Now Bronco Busters, let’s finish this battle and turn these villainous minions into a pile of bandages and bruises!" Blueblood cried, a sign fully acknowledged by the team.

Big Mac enlarged himself again, now double Sekhmet's height and twice her strength. He raised a massive hoof and slammed into her roaring face, knocking out one of her fangs. Cheese shifted his body around her ankles, causing the massive punch to trip her and knock her to the ground, crushing three unfortunate mummies in the process.

Soarin's triplicates all tele-portalled together and struck Anubis with all their might, using their increased strength to knock him off his pawed feet and stumble in Horus, who was attempting to rise.

With the three summoned entities down and the mummies encircled, Thunderlane fired another arrow from his bow, letting the magic morph into a large net, encompassing the group of miscreants to full-restraint and letting Blueblood power up for the finisher. Sending a massive charge of magic and electricity through the suit, Blueblood fired a massive beam of gold from the glowing reactor on his chest. The minions screamed in terror, but it was no use, and the magical constructs were destroyed, breaking them apart until they were just whips of glowing green mist.

The attack significantly drained Blueblood's systems, so he returned to the ground to save power until his magic systems could recharge. As he did so, the other four stallions all hoof-bumped, high-hooved, and cheered at their collective awesomeness.

"That was sooo cool! Dashie is going to be so jealous when I tell her about this!"

"Yahoo! That was fun, let's do it again!"

"Ah'm just glad wer’ almost done. Ah just wanna get home to muh `Shy."

"After this, I might take up some archery lessons, because these powers are so epic!"

"Absolutely my friends. This has been an exhilarating experience. However there is still some business to attend to."

The stallions all nodded and turned to the Pharaoh, ready to finish the battle.

Midnight and the Pharaoh had evidently ditched the magic beam contest, as they were now duking it out. However the physical altercation taking place was not going well for the delusional despot.

While the Bands of Horus he wore on his front hooves were giving him just the boost in strength he needed, it was becoming painstakingly apparent that his own supernatural strength was not on par with the Stallion of Steel. Even more so was that he wasn't a trained combatant or knowledgeable of several different fighting styles as Midnight's character Night Shield evidently was, or even Midnight himself.

The Phony Pharaoh thrust his hoof forward, connecting a punch to Midnight's face, but the alicorn just shrugged it off and returned the attack with a slug of his own, clipping the earth pony in the shoulder. The attack threw Phetlock off-balance, and before he could stabilize himself, Midnight jumped on him with a follow-up strike to his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. Midnight continued to capitalize on his weakened state, using his hind legs in a donkey-kick to slam into the Pharoah's front legs and start to trip him, only for Midnight to shoulder charge him mid-fall and send him tumbling to the floor in a heap of pain.

The angry stallion pulled himself to his hooves and brought up a hoof to block Midnight's next strike, but weakened as he was, he couldn't match Midnight's moonlight-powered superstrength and his defense crumpled, letting Midnight get another strike in on his face and knock him so hard he was sent head over hooves.

Bleeding and battered, it didn't look good for the Pharaoh. Midnight stood in a fighting stance waiting for his retaliatory strike, and the rest of the Bronco Busters had encircled them, ready to prevent any escape. They were about to win this battle and they all knew it.

So why did Pharaoh Phetlock start laughing?

"Don’t think you’ve won, Bronco Busters…” Phetlock coughed before spitting a loogie of blood and mucus at Midnight’s hooves. “Under normal circumstances you'd be right... but you have forgotten something very important..."

Suddenly his eyes glowed red and the Scepter of Set, forgotten in the heat of the battle, glowed in kind, letting loose a blazing wave of magical energy. The wave slammed into all of the stallions and knocked them for a loop. All but Pharaoh Phetlock.

Laughing like a madpony, the Pharaoh just stood there as the energy passed over him, healing him of the damage he had sustained in the battle and empowering him once more.

"Ha! You fools stand no chance! As long as the scepter is bound to me, I am unbeatable! It wants to fulfill the will of its creator and complete this storm, and it has acknowledged me worthy to be its master! With its power I am unstoppable. Nopony can stop me now!"

It was at exactly that point that a colt’s yelp echoed over the roof, and Twinken fell from the top of a piece of rubble where he had been taking cover. He fell right on top of the Pharaoh, as he’d been holding the scepter above his head, causing Phetlock to stumble forward and drop the scepter, whereupon Twinken staggered in an effort to stay standing… and his hoof came down on a delicate part of the-

*SNAP/SHATTER/FWOOSH*

Almost at once, the stormy above began to calm and ever-so-slowly disperse as everypony gaped at Twinken, who’d lost his balance and landed on his back. But their attention was really drawn to the scepter, that had been broken in half, and the ornamental top and jewel had been broken and shattered!

As the Pharaoh's eyes widened in horror, Twinken just climbed to his haunches and rubbed his head.

"Oops..."

“What have you done…?!”

The question had been as soft and harsh as a wintery chill, as everypony looked at Phetlock, whose gaze was upon the ruined Scepter of Set. His eyes were widened, the left one twitching, as his brows began to furrow and a vein popped on his forehead, and he changed into the very look of Incensed!

“You… You- YOU DESTROYED A PRICELESS RELIC!!!!” He got to his hooves, his eyes glowing the harsh radiance of metallic gold as they fixated upon the frightened colt.
“ALL MY PLANS, ALL MY MACHINATIONS!!! RUINED BY A CLUMSY COLT?!?!?”

“Big brother!!” Twinken cried in a voice so scared, Midnight feeling his heart tighten.

“Give my regards to Ammut, you INSOLENT BRAAAAAATTT!!!!” Phetlock fired his heat vision right at the colt, everypony crying out for him to stop, to leave the colt alone, Twinken’s eyes wide with horror and shedding tears…!

“NOOOO!!!!” Midnight screamed as he reached out and reacted completely by instinct!

*BLZAANG*

The lasers were deflected by some kind of energy shield of silvery blue that appeared right in front of Twinken, saving his life!

“WHAT?!” Phetlock gaped in shock to see this energy shield instead of a smoldering pile of ash. He didn’t ponder further, as he was too distracted by the superstrength-packing sock to his jaw, Midnight having launched himself with a look of fury at the Phony Pharaoh!

The blow sent Phetlock head over hooves into a pile of debris, groaning as he spat out a tooth and looked up at Midnight with a mixture of fear and rage. Midnight leered down at him, the mask on his face serving only to exemplify how he was seething, as if the crackling of black electricity around his horn didn’t send that message. But remembering his training, he tempered his anger and said with an intense tone, “You are going to jail! Or would you rather a tomb?”

Phetlock seethed angrily and glared at the alicorn. "I am Pharaoh Phetlock and this city will be mine! I WILL DESTROY ALL OF YOU!!"

With a rage-induced burst of power, the crazy stallion launched forward at Midnight, his eyes glowing and his energy wings flared at his sides. However before he could land a hit, an elastic hoof wrapped around his neck and swung him in a spiral. Cheese gave a frown at the insane stallion who’d attacked his friends. Tried to harm a child.

Just as he picked up speed in his swing, he launched the Phony Pharoah across the room. Phetlock saw he was about to be slam into the wall face-first and flinched to wait for it. Instead, a glowing blue feather shot past him and opened a portal in his path. Instead of brick and mortar, the Phony Pharaoh was launched into the incoming hoof of the Soarin in blue. The Blue Soarin punched him towards the Red Soarin, who uppercutted him up to the yellow Soarin, who shoulder charged him back to the Blue Soarin. The three Soarins batted him around like a beach ball until finally the three of them all attacked enforce with a powerful haymaker, decking him hard across the room.

The Pharaoh skidded to a stop on the hard floor, blood dripping from his mouth and bruises all over his body. He groaned and started to pull himself up, only to notice a tiny red pony on his muzzle. He only had a second to react before Big Mac enlarged to twice the Pharoah's size and crushed him into the floor. With ease, Mac picked up the moaning pile of flesh and slammed him into the ground before tossing him into the air.

Now airborne, the bruised and battered stallion attempted to regain control of his flight only for a dozen explosive arrows to pelt him and send him rocketing through a support beam and into a bookshelf. He started to drop to the ground, only for a metal coated hoof to grab him around the throat and toss him to the ground, followed by a magical energy beam to make sure he stayed there.

Pharaoh Phetlock just lay in a groaning pile, completely beaten. He had nothing left to fight with, he was defeated. The thought filled him with undying rage, but his body was too weakened to do anything. He looked up to see Midnight and the rest of the Bronco Busters standing in front of him, all powered up and ready to fight. The six of them were a team, and they were far better together than he was alone.

"Would you like to debate this further, Pharaoh?" Midnight mocked, his anger still high from the criminal’s attempt to hurt his little brother.

Pharaoh Phetlock was just about to growl out an obscenity, when he remembered he still had another trick, his proverbial get-out-of-jail free card. He smirked, his eyes glowing, “You may have won this time, Bronco Buster, but next time you will bow before my might!”

“LOOK OUT!” Midnight yelled to his comrades, throwing up his energy shield while they all tensed as a harsh blinding light erupted…!

And then dimmed, and to their disbelief…!

“He’s gone!” Cheese gaped at the spot the Pharaoh had laid, broken and defeated, where there was nothing but a cracked floor and some flecks of blood.

Blueblood skimmed through the different visual ranges in his armor’s helmet, but sighed, “No sign of him. Nothing in the ultraviolent spectrum, electromagnetic, infrared or even thaumaturgical. Cheese is right - The Pharaoh is gone…”

“Whoa…!” Twinken sighed in relief, only to be glomped and he realized his brother was hugging him.

“Midnight?”

“...I’m so glad you’re okay,” Midnight whispered as he held his brother close, and Twinken smiled happily as he returned the hug warmly.

“Well, the Pharaoh’s beaten,” Thunderlane reminded everypony. “What next?”

“The Trotham Police can handle things from here,” Blueblood decided, “but shouldn’t we be getting released back into the real world?”

“Well, even if we’re stuck here a little longer, it’s not all bad," commented Soarin. "These powers, being superheroes! But yeah, as fun as this place is, it’s got nothing on the real world. It’s where my Dashie is!”

“An’ muh `Shy,” Big Mac nodded.
“And my beloved muse, Rarity,” agreed Blueblood.
“Yeah, and I’d miss planning parties with Pinkie,” Cheese smiled.
“And I’d miss Applejack keeping us in line,” Thunderlane chuckled.
“So why aren’t we outta here yet?” Midnight wondered aloud, none of them noticing somepony eavesdropping on them.

“I dunno, but we should be- YAUGH!” Twinken started when he felt something wash over him, as did the rest of the guys, and they all felt like something was sucking them up, which prevented them from noticing something had snaked up and ensnared the corner of Midnight’s cape, and they were gone from Trotham in a blinding flash of light!

Back in Pepper Pony’s, the comic book gave a rumble before it burst open and light streamed from its pages. Seconds later the dazed and confused stallions were ejected from its pages into a pile up on the floor. They groaned and untangled themselves from each other until eventually they were each able to stand up, and see they were all back in their own world and to normal.

“Well,” Soarin said casually, everypony looking at him. “That was something.”

“Yeah, though I kinda miss the costumes!” Cheese chuckled.

“CHEESE!”

The stallions and colt all startled and looked to see Mrs. Spice glaring at her employee through the serving window, “Get back to work, the shift’s not over.”

“Huh, it looks like almost no time passed since we went into the comic,” Midnight commented, Thunderlane looking at the clock.

“You’re right, it’s not even three yet!”

“Well, the time aside, I must say despite that abrupt deviation from our plans today, that experience has inspired me to tinker with some new projects,” Blueblood declared, remembering the remarkable technology he saw and used.

"Well, tha’ was an interestin’ way t’ pass th’ time, but Ah'm gonna head home now and see my `Shy," Big Mac gave a polite nod to the group before heading for the door. The rest of the stallions all decided to follow his lead.

"Yeah, I need to check on Rumble. I think I’ll bring home a pizza `cuz I am starving right now."

"Yes, Thunderlane. Some of Mrs. Spice’s pizza would be marvelous, then I intend to turn in for the rest of the day. For as thrilling and intriguing as all that was, I am feeling very drained right now."

"I'll see you back at the house, Blue. I'm gonna find Dashie and compare notes from her comic experience."

“Well then, I’ll help Mrs. Spice whip up some pizza pies for you all!” Cheese smiled helpfully before he bounced up and then dived through the serving window, Mrs. Spice yelping.

As Blueblood and Thunderlane waited for their takeout, Midnight and Twinken shared a smile. As the alicorn started to head to the door, he noticed that Twinken wasn't beside him.

"Hey, what's up, little brother?"

The questioned just seemed to make Twinken blush, but the colt made sure to look his brother in the eye.

"Midnight, I was hoping for some advice. That's why I came over earlier. See, I have a... a crush on this filly at school and I'm not sure what to do."

Midnight's eyes widened for a moment, before a smiled reached his muzzle. Gently, he levitated his little brother onto his back before resuming his walk towards the door.

"Well, tell me a little about her, bud and I'll see how I can help."

"Well she's Miss Ditzy Doo's daughter, Dinky. She's really sweet and kind and...."

As the two headed for home, neither noticed the comic book being covered in a chaotic purple and yellow mist before disappearing from the room.

On the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, the comic book reappeared, settling gently on the ground, its illustrations darkened by the night sky. Suddenly light filled its pages and a stallion was ejected from the book. His coat was grayish-brown with an obsidian black mane and tail. He wore a crown, a necklace, held a staff and had a bag filled with several other trinkets.

Pharaoh Phetlock looked around in confusion. After he had heard the Bronco Busters talking about the 'real world' he knew something strange was going on, so he had used the moon-shaped pendant around his neck to his advantage. Nothing could perceive the wearer of the Pendant of Khonsu unless Phetlock wished it.

Those foolish stallions hadn't even known he was still with them on that rooftop, just invisible to their eyes and Iron Stud’s sensors. Hidden from sight, the Pharaoh had used his staff to connect a magical tether from himself to Midnight's cape, seconds before the white light had appeared and pulled the Bronco Busters through it along with him.

However wherever the portal had taken him, it was far from Trotham city.

"Why, hello my good Pharaoh. I see you have escaped from the printed pages and joined the real world."

The Pharaoh gave a gasp and powered up his crown, looking around for the insolent wretch that would dare sneak up on him. "Who are you?! Show yourself!"

A chuckle emanated from the treeline behind him, and the Pharaoh turned to see a shadowy figure hiding in the darkness.

"We'll get to who I am later. But first you might like to know where you are. And how you can take revenge on those who truly dared to defy you...."

The Pharaoh's eyes widened before he gave a nod. Whomever this was, they knew of his enemies. Perhaps a partnership could be formed. After all...

His foes needed to pay.

Author's Note

Twinken falling on Phetlock (and breaking the Scepter in the process) was a nod to the MLP Comics where Hum Drum fell on the Phony Pharaoh and knocked him out (by accident, mind you)

184. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 1

As the sun radiated the skies above Ponyville, Fluttershy trotted back and forth in front of her friends with a wide smile on her face and a bounce in her trot.

"Okay, everypony, as you know, the most adorable little creatures called the Breezies are due to come through Ponyville on their migration."

Before she could say anymore, Pinkie Pie dropped down from a tree in front of her, dangling from her tail and waving her hooves about with joy. "Ooh I'm so excited! I can't wait for Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane to make a breeze for them so I can see how cute they are!"

"Uh, about that..."

Fluttershy and Pinkie turned to the line of ponies in front of her. Twilight, Midnight, Cheese Sandwich, Big Mac, Rarity, Blueblood and Applejack were all there. However where Rainbow and Thunderlane should have been standing, there was only Soarin and Mrs. Chilli Spice.

Fluttershy gave a confused look about, but there was no sign of her rainbow and charcoal colored friends anywhere.
"But, where are they? Rainbow told me the weather team elected them and Flitter for the breezy passage."

Soarin and Chilli looked at each other for a moment before gently addressing Fluttershy, lest she take some offense.

"Well, they were going to be here, really they were, except..." Soarin started before nervously glancing to Chilli Spice.

"Ugh, they got word from Cloudsdale that there was a Wonderbolts show being held. They weren't gonna go, but..." the older mare continued with an annoyed look before she passed the reins back to the ex-Wonderbolt.

"Well, Scootaloo and Rumble heard about the show and they practically begged for Dash and Thunder to take them, especially since neither of them have been to a Wonderbolts show before. So, well..." Both Soarin and Chilli went silent for a moment, while Fluttershy's big saddened eyes pleaded with them to continue.

Finally they both sighed and Soarin continued, "Since I didn't have any of my studying scheduled for today, and Mrs. Spice won't be opening the restaurant until tonight, they asked if we could fill in for them to lead the breezy team."

"They owe me big for this. It's been years since I’ve done any weather duties..." Chilli muttered with a slight frown.

She'd been looking forward to a nice quiet morning of reading and breezy watching until Rainbow and Thunderlane had roped her into this.

"Well... if you're sure you know what you're doing, then I guess it's okay. So the first thing we need to do is..." As Fluttershy began to list out instructions for the day, Soarin and Mrs Chili Spice glanced at each other.

Rainbow and Thunderlane owed them big time. Well that’s what Chili Spice was thinking. For Soarin however, this was actually a rather welcome opportunity, and a good chance to get some new kind of weather experience.

“Trust me, Flutters,” Soarin assured with a smug look, “Mrs. Spice an’ I’ve got this well in wing!”

Meanwhile, two pegasi, with foals on their backs, had just arrived in Cloudsdale, each of them with wide grins on their faces.

"I'm so glad that Soarin and Mrs. Spice agreed to fill in for us! Fluttershy is my friend, but there was no way I was missing a Wonderbolts show for those cutsie-wootsie breezy things!" Rainbow laughed as she helped a beaming Scootaloo down from her back.

Thunderlane just shook his head with a grin as he helped his brother down, being careful he didn’t get his little hoof snagged on the saddlebags Thunderlane was wearing.
"I have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to breezy duty either. Having to float about all day just creating a tiny breeze and missing out on this show? Heh, not a chance."

"I'm just glad we all get to spend the day together. It's been awhile since we got some sibling time together." Rumble smiled, giving his brother's leg a hug and gesturing to Rainbow and Scootaloo, who also hugged in response.

“Thanks so much, Rainbow Dash! I’ve always wanted to visit Cloudsdale, but my mom didn’t wanna bring me until I could fly by myself… I’m just surprised you managed to convince her to let me come!”

“No sweat, squirt!” Rainbow pulled Scootaloo into a noogie, the both of them laughing, as Scootaloo pushed Dash off with a good-natured stink eye. “Your mom knows that the totally awesome Rainbow Dash will watch you like a hawk!”

“Uh-oh!”

They looked to Thunderlane and followed his line of sight towards a tall clock set upon a pillar of Olympumice, and Rainbow Dash saw the cause for the ‘uh-oh’.

“We’d better get over to Cloudsdale Stadium,” Thunderlane suggested.

“We’re gonna see the WONDERBOLTS!!!” Scootaloo and Rumble cheered, their big sister-figure and big brother smiling at their little charges’ excitement.

Today looked like a good day.

As the group set off, they didn't notice a shadow watching from behind the pillar.

The four ponies trotted happily through the bright cheery city of Cloudsdale. Pegasi flapped back and forth happily, with the odd griffon or lunar pegasus pony amongst them.

The city looked beautiful, filled with fluffy white clouds, all floating about at different levels, some with bridges interconnecting them, and glittering rainbows brightening the whole place. Scootaloo and Rumble were completely enthralled by it, their pegasi roots reaching them on an instinctual level.

Beside them Rainbow and Thunderlane smiled and pointed out different parts of the scenery, proud to show off their childhood home to their little siblings. Still, the biggest smiles all reached their faces when the Cloudsdale Stadium stood tall and proud before them, the two young pegasus foals looking up and up until they almost fell over onto their backs, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane catching them, the four of them sharing a laugh. The cloud- and Olympumice-made coliseum stood massive and proud, a monument to the competitive nature of their pegasi ancestors..

However, Rainbow and Thunderlane grew confused when they saw just how empty the place looked, especially for a Wonderbolt's performance. As they drew nearer, they saw a few pegasi who had been near the entrance all turning away with disappointment.

"This is weird, I wonder what's going on?" Thunderlane muttered, looking over the empty stadium in confusion.

"Hey look, there's a sign." Rainbow spotted a sign hanging over the closed doors of the stadium entrance. As they approached though, they understood immediately. A large notice was posted over the doors, reading:

‘ATTENTION: An emergency situation has broken out in Baltimare that needed the immediate assistance of the Wonderbolts. We regret to announce that our performance has been postponed until further notice. We apologize to all our fans and we hope to see you all when a date is selected for our next performance.’

“OH COME ON!!” Rainbow Dash yelled, Scootaloo pulling her face into a disappointed pout whereas Rumble just looked disappointed. “We spent good bits on these tickets!”

“Damn! I was really looking forward to this,” Thunderlane sighed with a grumble. “Well… Nothing to do but go home and deal with those breezies."

However Rainbow beside him gave her chin a thoughtful rub with one of her primaries before addressing the annoyed Thunderlane and the disappointed filly and colt.

"Well, we did ask Soarin and Mrs. Spice to cover for us today. It sucks the Wonderbolts had to cancel, but we can still use the day to have a good time. There's lots to do here in Cloudsdale besides the `Bolts."

“Yeah! I’d love to see more of Cloudsdale!” Scootaloo agreed.
“Plus we have the whole day! It’d be a shame to let it go to waste,” added Rumble.

Seeing the hopeful smiles from his friend, little friend, and little brother, Thunderlane's frown turned into a grin.
"Y’know what? You guys are right! Let’s take Cloudsdale by storm! Maybe go to the zoo or take a tour of the weather factory?"

"Well if you need a tour guide for the factory, I'm your guy."

The group jumped in surprise at the new voice, but when they turned, Rainbow gave a happy gasp and grabbed the newcomer in a hug.

"Dad!"

“Ha-ha-ha! Dashie!” the stallion said happily before giving his daughter a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. “So good to see you, baby girl!”

“Dad! Not in public!” Rainbow protested, her dad always knew just how to ruffle her feathers but she couldn’t help but smile as she wiped off her dad’s spit.

Scootaloo and Rumble both giggled as they looked at the pegasus stallion who was clearly Rainbow’s father. He was tall and well-muscled with a periwinkle coat, had the same rainbow mane as his daughter albeit shorter and styled spiky, and his eyes were brilliant amber. His cutie-mark was a blue horseshoe with a rainbow-colored streak. Although he gave off the feel of an older stallion, he’d clearly aged well.

“Hello, Rainbolt,” Thunderlane chuckled at how easily his good friend and usual rival was flustered by her father. “It’s been a while.”

“Well, well, Thunderlane!” Rainbolt stepped over and raised a wing, which Thunderlane gladly mirrored, the two of them exchanging high-wings. “Still giving my baby girl a flap for her money?”

“We push each other hard, sir,” Thunderlane nodded with a humble smile but couldn’t help but smirk.

“That’s the way! There’s nothing like a good rival to push you to do your best,” Rainbolt chuckled before noticing the foals. “Oh, and who’re these little speedsters?”

“Oh yeah! Dad, this little squirt is my biggest fan,” Rainbow ruffled Scootaloo’s mane, spurring a sisterly laugh between them as Scootaloo introduced herself.

“I’m Scootaloo! It’s so awesome to meet you, Mister Rainbow’s Dad!”

“Heh-heh, you as well, squirt,” Rainbolt laughed before adding, “But none of that mister stuff, just call me Bolt, or Bolty. My friends do!”

“And you might remember my little brother, Rumble,” Thunderlane said as he proudly introduced the little gray colt.

“No way this big strapping flyer is little Rumble!” Rainbolt chuckled, Rumble smiling back at him sheepishly. “Last time I saw you, I could’ve held you in one hoof!”

Rumble couldn’t help but laugh at Rainbolt, taking an instant liking to him as the stallion then said, “Well! Are we just gonna stand here all day or do you all want an exclusive tour of the weather factory, courtesy of yours truly?”

“YEAH!” Rumble and Scootaloo both cheered, their older siblings sharing a good-natured smirk.

Rainbolt’s tour was fun, educational, and interesting for the young pegasus colt and foal, though it was nothing new to Rainbow while Thunderlane knew enough about weather manufacturing that he was simply interested to see it all in person. Rainbolt allowed the foals to try their hooves at snowflake-making, which turned out to be a tad tedious for them given its necessarily quiet work due to it being a delicate operation. Although they were interested to learn the first snowflake was crafted by a blind pegasus filly named Snowdrop over a thousand years ago. He showed them all the rainbow vats, where rainbows were made although he kept them from touching the colorful concoctions as it was extremely difficult to wash out of one’s coat. The cloud-making department was where different kinds of clouds were made. Such as typical rainclouds, the thicker the cloud the denser and heavier the down pour. The storm clouds, which was a little dangerous as lightning bolts tended to strike without warning, so the workers had to wear protective gear as the lightning was raw and potentially more dangerous than a pegasus’ natural weather-resistance could handle.

And all the while, Rainbolt told story after story about Rainbow’s fillyhood, most of it embarrassing, much to her chagrin, as there was a point where she covered her face with her wings and no matter how much she complained her dad stated it was a parent’s duty to be embarrassing.

Finally, they made their way towards Rainbolt’s office, as he was wrapping up another story, “...and she was just the prettiest little filly at the aerial dance recital!”

“DA-AAD! ENOUGH ALREADY!” Rainbow whined with a face almost redder than Big Macintosh, unable to believe her dad had just told the squirts about that particular time of her fillyhood.

“Aw c’mon, Dash!” Thunderlane chuckled, enjoying every moment of Rainbow not feeling cool over something from her time as a filly. “I still recall how much you enjoyed aerial dancing when we were foals.”

“I think it’s nice,” Scootaloo said encouragingly to her surrogate big sister before she looked to Rainbolt, “but I’ve been wondering something. All the stories you’ve told were just about you and Dash! What about her Mo- MMPH!”

It was clear where Rainbow Dash had gotten her speed, given the uncanny reaction time Rainbolt had displayed in covering Scootaloo’s mouth with his wing. She’d never taken her eyes off the stallion and still she never saw it coming!

“Oh Scoots, honey!” Rainbolt said with a forced smile, his eyes shifting between the filly and his daughter nervously. “You’re looking like you could use some grub. Howsabout it, kids? Whattya say I call an early day and we all go out for a bite? I know this great restaurant nearby!”

“I’m actually getting hungry,” Rumble agreed.

“Me too, what about you, Dash?” Thunderlane nodded to Rainbow but then noticed a change in her.

Before, she’d been vibrantly steamed with her dad telling story after story about her when she was a “silly filly”. But now, her manner was melancholy, her eyes looking down and having lost their spark of spunkiness, and if Thunderlane hadn’t been certain it was probably just the lighting, he’d have sworn Rainbow’s colorful mane had dulled just a little.

“...Dashie?” Thunderlane asked while Rainbolt led the foals into his office.

Inside Rainbolt’s office, Scootaloo and Rumble looked up at the stallion questionably, as Scootaloo asked, “What was that all about? You were acting kinda edgy.”

“Because, squirt…” Rainbolt sighed sadly. “You almost said ‘mom’.”

“Is there something wrong about Rainbow’s mom?” Rumble asked.

Rainbolt looked between the two young pegasi before taking a deep breath, “Scootaloo, Rumble… Rainbow’s mom, Firefly… she passed away after giving birth.”

Scootaloo gasped while Rumble’s ears slayed back as they both understood as Rainbolt continued.

“Firefly… There’ll never be another mare like her, except for perhaps her daughter. Honestly, Rainbow’s so much like her mom, I can’t help being proud.”

“...What happened?” Rumble asked.

“Well, kids, when Firefly was pregnant with Rainbow,” Rainbolt explained, “there was some kind of problem the doctors became aware of. They warned Firefly that childbirth might pose a risk to herself and the baby, but Firefly chose to face whatever happened and hope for the best… Firefly lived just long enough to see her daughter, to give her the name Rainbow Dash, and to give her as much love as she could before…”

Rainbolt looked down sadly, when he felt the two foals come up and give him a hug, which he gratefully accepted.

“Once she was old enough to understand, I told Rainbow about her mom, and… Well, Rainbow was never the same after that. She blamed herself, cried for a long time, and no matter how much I said to her that she wasn’t to blame, that her mother loved her so much she put her before herself, it just never sunk in.”

“But Rainbow’s always so cool and confident!” Scootaloo brought up. “She’s gotta be the fastest flier in all of Equestria, and she’s gonna be a Wonderbolt!”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure she will,” Rainbolt nodded with a smile both sad and proud. “But you see, Scoots, have you ever wondered why Rainbow is so driven to become a Wonderbolt to begin with?”

“She always said the Wonderbolts are her heroes,” Rumble answered first, Scootaloo giving him a light stink eye. “That she wanted to fly with the best fliers in all of Equestria.”

“That’s part of the reason, for sure,” Rainbolt acknowledged, “but the root of her dedication to that dream is her mother. Even after all these years, I don’t think Rainbow has ever truly let go of a guilt she doesn’t deserve to feel. So she wants to live her life to the fullest and make something of herself. When she first watched the Wonderbolts as a filly, she was so inspired that she swore to be the best Wonderbolt ever, to become worthy of her mother’s sacrifice. At least, that’s what she feels.”

Scootaloo and Rumble shared a sad look, when Rainbolt said with raised brows, “So, in the future, I would strongly recommend avoiding the topic of Rainbow’s mother. I know Dashie’s always braggy, confident, can be a bit of a showoff, but underneath all that…”

Scootaloo and Rumble felt sad to see Rainbolt shed a tear, and they gave him another hug. When they let go, Rainbolt said, “Now why don’t you kids go see Thunder and Dash? I gotta go take care of something, so I’ll meet you all at Olympus Park.”

“Dash!”

Thunderlane caught up with Rainbow after she’d wandered off when her dad had taken the foals into his office for a private word.

“Hey Rainbow, are you okay?” He asked, and only got a grunt and shrug from his friend, as Rainbow looked down at her hooves. “Look, I know having your mom brought up isn’t always pleasant, but Scoots didn’t know.”

The rainbow mare gave a sigh and sat down on her haunches. She turned to her friend who had a concerned expression on his face.

“I know, Thunder... It just hurts to think about, is all. My mom had an amazing life, filled with happiness and love, and… Well, now she’s gone because of me.”

Thunderlane frowned gently and placed a hoof on her shoulder as her ears wilted.

“Rainbow, she’s not dead because of you. I mean, yes she passed on because of the strain of childbirth, but that doesn’t make it your fault! I mean with that logic do you blame your Dad for getting her pregnant?”

Rainbow gave him a slight glare. “Of course not!”

“Then why is it your fault?”

Rainbow lowered her head, but her thoughts didn’t change. Maybe Thunderlane had a point, but it didn’t change anything. Her mother would still be dead, and she would be dead because of her birth. That would never stop being true.

At that thought she got a bit angry.

“Look, I get it Thunderlane, but this doesn’t change anything! I don’t want to just ignore what caused her death or pretend I didn’t have a role in it, intentional or otherwise! All I want is to make her sacrifice worth something!”

Then with a huff she shoved Thunderlane’s hoof from her shoulder and started to try and walk away, only for another hoof on her tail to stop her.

“Rainbow!” Thunderlane got firm but still spoke in a tone that showed he cared. “I haven’t experienced what you have experienced so I don’t know precisely how you’re feeling. But I do know that this idea that you’re responsible for Firefly’s death isn’t healthy. A true parent loves their child unconditionally. They would give anything for their child, even their own life! Trust me, this is not your fault. No matter what happened, Firefly loved you, more than anything and you don’t have to punish yourself or push your life just to ‘make her sacrifice worth it’. If you really want her death to mean something, to honor her memory, then just be happy and live a happy life! That’s all she would want. Trust me.”

As wise as his words were however, Rainbow’s stubbornness and anger blinded her to them. She gave another huff and pulled her tail free from his grip.

“Shut up Thunderlane! You don’t know anything. Just leave me alone!”

With that she started to trot away from Thunderlane as he looked on sadly while Scootaloo and Rumble stepped up alongside him.

“Is Rainbow okay?” Scootaloo asked with concern, her eyes watching her idol and big sister trot off in a huff.

Thunderlane watched her for a moment more then just gave a sigh, and a sad expression crossed his face, “Not really, Scootaloo. But with some time and support from her friends, I think she might be eventually.”

Remembering Rainbolt’s suggestion to go ahead since he’d catch up with them later, Thunderlane and the foals caught up with Rainbow, but she was still too annoyed to talk about her feelings or her discussion she'd had with her weather team co-captain. Instead the group decided to grab a bite to eat at a nice restaurant on the other side of the park. It was Rainbow and Thunderlane’s favorite when they were foals and the stallion figured it might be good to show their younger siblings why they loved it so much.

After a bit of walking, with Thunderlane pointing out some of Cloudsdale's sights to Scootaloo and Rumble, the group reached Cloudsdale’s famous Olympus Park. While Cloudsdale was made from clouds, the park had large areas of specially crafted cloud-matter, aka Olympumice, that contained dirt and nutrients for several large trees as well as a large expanse of grass and a garden of flowers, providing shade and a pleasant atmosphere to the park visitors. There were also large areas of flat clouds with no obstacles, perfect for teaching young foals to fly, or to play aerial games.

In fact, there were two pegasi playing an aerial game of frisbee that caught the group’s attention. The first was a young colt with a slick backed red mane over a blue coat, who wore a pair of sunglasses and had the cutie mark of a skateboard and a comb forming an X. Scootaloo and Rumble immediately identified him as a recent addition to their class back in Ponyville. The young bully Hotshot.

However, unlike the normal ‘cool guy’ smirk or angry scowl he had on his muzzle, the young colt was smiling and laughing as he tossed his frisbee back and forth with the other pegasus with him.

The pegasus with him however was one that Thunderlane and Rainbow knew quite well, and the sight of her brought a glare to Rainbow’s face. The pegasus was a mare of turquoise blue with slicked-back golden-orange mane and the cutie mark of a lightning bolt and sparks. This was the mare that had initially been awarded the lead badge at the Wonderbolt Academy. The mare that had mistreated all the other Wonderbolt cadets in her bid to be the best. The mare who had placed Thunderlane and Rainbow’s friends in danger by convincing them to help her construct a tornado that almost blew them out of the sky. She was the mare who had been kicked out of the academy in disgrace for her actions

This mare was Lightning Dust.

Author's Note

This arc occurs during "It Aint Easy Being Breezies"

Originally, my partner and I titled this "Lightning's Learning Experience" but then I changed it so the readers wouldn't immediately suspect Lightning Dust's return

The backstory I gave Rainbow Dash here was inspired by two of my most favorite fics, the (sadly cancelled) "Raising Rainbow" and "The Wonderful Life of Ford Mustang"

I didn't originally intend to bring in Rainbow's father but as soon as it came into my head I couldn't imagine not doing it.

I AM aware of Rainbow Dash's parents making their debut, but I have a plan for that

185. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 2

Rainbow growled as she spotted her rival playing frisbee with Hotshot. The sight of the mare that had almost gotten her friends killed filled her with rage, and with her already in a bad mood from the discussion about her mother, Rainbow was about ready to blow, and unlike with Thunderlane, she now had the perfect outlet.

As the rainbow mare stalked forward, Thunderlane took a look at Lightning Dust. She seemed happy playing with the young colt, which did make him curious about their relationship. But what drew his attention was her eyes. While there was a friendly smile and a laugh in her throat, her eyes spoke a different story. When he had known her at the Wonderbolts academy, there had been a fire in her eyes that didn’t look like anything could extinguish it. They spoke of her drive to push forward, her delight at getting another step closer to her dreams and the burning passion that showed all the hard work and effort she had taken to get there, and how much more she would keep fighting until she reached her dream.

Now though when he looked at her eyes, all that passion and drive was gone. There was a slight happiness and love displayed towards the colt she played with, but otherwise they just spoke of hopelessness and emptiness. She just looked broken and beaten, like all her dreams had been destroyed and she had no hope of ever reaching them.

With a pang of pity filling him, Thunderlane realized that perhaps that was the case. She had done horrible things at the academy and it was her drive and lack of empathy for her fellow cadets that had brought her own downfall. But that course had gotten her thrown out of the academy, and with it, any real hope of becoming a Wonderbolt.

A frown crossed Thunderlane’s muzzle at the thought of it. He still didn’t hold very pleasant thoughts for the mare. She had been responsible for nearly killing his friends and demeaning him repeatedly over their time together at the academy. But now, he just didn’t have it in him to hate her, not now, with that pain in her eyes and her future in jeopardy.

Unfortunately, it seemed Rainbow didn’t feel the same way.

“Hey Lightning Douche, get over here!”

Her angry shout immediately caught Lightning’s attention. A brief glimmer of agitation crossed her expression, before the pain in her eyes wiped it away and just left a weary resignation that made Thunderlane frown harder. He saw Scootaloo and Rumble look at Rainbow in confusion at her sudden aggressiveness towards the mare, as they only knew a little of what had happened at the academy.

Hotshot however was very annoyed that his game of frisbee had been interrupted, and that Rainbow was yelling at Lightning Dust.

“Hey, you can’t yell at my big sister like that, you jerk!”

His declaration did bring surprise to everypony who’d heard it. Lightning Dust was Hotshot’s sister.

This did explain to Scootaloo and Rumble why Hotshot and had seemed to have it out for them since his arrival at Ponyville. If he was Lightning’s sister, he likely didn’t hold many positive feelings for Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow stared at the colt for a moment, before her glare returned and she growled at him. “After all the stunts your sister pulled, I’ll yell at her and call her whatever name I want, kid!”

Hotshot just glared back and started advancing towards the older mare, fully intending to throw some punches. “Oh yeah! Well get ready for a deck in the schnoz, you stupid…”

He was cut off when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and he looked up to see that Lightning had approached him and was looking down with her ‘responsible big sister’ look.

“Hey, Hotshot it’s fine. How about out you grab the frisbee and go long and once I’m done here we’ll keep on playing, okay?”

The young colt did not look happy about that, but he could tell his sister wasn’t going to let him deal with the big jerk himself. He gave Rainbow one last scathing glare before grabbing his frisbee and taking wing to get some distance for his next throw.

Lightning watched him go before turning back to Rainbow, who had turned her gaze from the young colt and back to her.

“Look, Rainbow, I’m just trying to have a nice day with my little brother, so can we not do this right now? I don’t get to see him as much as I’d like and I really don’t want to upset him by getting into a fight.”

Thunderlane was surprised by Lightning’s lack of anger over the situation as well as her calm and even tone that showed she wasn’t looking for trouble. Whatever had happened to her since leaving the academy, she definitely didn’t seem as aggressive. Or perhaps it was just for the benefit of her younger brother, who was now watching the confrontation at a distance.

Either way, he didn’t feel right about this.

Rainbow however didn’t seem to care. As Lightning finished speaking, she narrowed her eyes and steeled herself. It didn’t matter that she was with her brother. This mare had almost gotten her friends killed and had treated Rainbow badly during her time at the academy. She had this coming.

“No way, Lightning! If you didn’t want a fight then you shouldn’t have put my friends in danger! You don’t get to play the responsible calm one here, not after your actions!”

Rainbow stomped right up to Lightning and stared right into her eyes. Lightning gave a sigh. However instead of riling herself up to fight back like Rainbow expected, the other mare just seemed to deflate, as though just hoping to get this whole thing over with quickly.

The sight just made Rainbow even angrier.

“You know, I’ve been really hoping to run into you one of these days. After the academy, you left before I could find you. Then again, after how badly you screwed up and all the disgrace you brought to the academy, I’m not surprised you scurried off with your tail between your legs as fast as you possibly could.”

Rainbow’s words just seemed to bring even more sadness to Lightning’s eyes and her ears and tail just dropped and went limp. Scootaloo and Rumble seemed shocked and upset by Rainbow’s words, while Thunderlane however grit his teeth and came to a decision.

“You know Lightning when we first met I thought you were awesome. You were as fast as me and you had just as much drive and passion to be the best. I thought we would be awesome partners. Friends even! Even when you got picked as the lead pony of our squad, I still thought we’d be an awesome team. Instead you turned into a thoughtless jerk, who didn’t care about anypony but herself~ You got my wing injured and you did nothing but insult Thunderlane and the other cadets. You even screwed with exercises just to prove how much better than everypony you were. The worst was when you goaded me into helping you make that tornado! My friends were almost killed because of that stunt you pressured me into! They could’ve died and it would have happened because of you and you goading me. Then when I confronted you over it, you didn’t even care! They didn’t mean anything as long as you were the best! You proved to me that you are nothing but a pathetic. Glory-seeking! WHORSE! I can’t believe I ever admired you or ever thought you belonged at the academy!”

Lightning just closed her eyes, slight hints of tears starting to appear but she held them back. There was no fight in her at all. She felt nothing but pain over what had happened at the academy and Rainbow’s words just cut into her like a blade.

Scootaloo had tears in her eyes hearing her mentor actually talk to somepony like that. She didn’t really know much about what had happened at the academy, but even if what she was saying about Lightning was true, why would Rainbow, her big sister, ever talk to somepony like that?

A focused determined expression crossed Thunderlane's face at Rainbow’ words as he prepared to march over to Rainbow. But he felt a hoof hold him back, right as Rainbow crossed the line.

“Spitfire was right to have you kicked out of the academy! You didn’t deserve to be there and you never will! You’re nothing but a bully, a thug and a loser! YOU DON”T DESERVE TO BE A WONDERBOLT!”

“THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH!!!”

Rainbow flinched and turned to see her father. Rainbolt stormed over to his daughter to haul her away from Lightning, who looked as though Rainbow had just stabbed her. The tears she had held back were dribbling down her face and her eyes were wide, showing just sad and broken they were.

Before Rainbolt could say anything, apologize for Rainbow’s words or offer her any comfort, the mare just stood up and trotted off, her head held low and her tail dragging behind her. Hotshot in the distance looked shocked and worried, quickly galloping after his big sister as she left the park, throwing a dark glare at Rainbow as he did so.

Rainbow just gave a huff and turned to Rainbolt, along with Thunderlane, looking annoyed that Rainbolt had dragged her away from the verbal beat down that Lightning had coming, only to be shocked at seeing how angry they were.

“Rainbow Iris Dash! I cannot believe what I just saw,” Rainbolt scolded, making Rainbow’s ears splay back as she felt the familiar sting of disappointing her father.
“I don’t care what bone you had to pick with that mare, but after what I just saw? Hmph! Well, you can be sure your mother would be every bit as disappointed in you as I am right now!”

That hurt. Rainbow had just unloaded her pent-up anger and frustration from having been reminded of her mother, but it had been a long time since her own father had used Firefly’s memory to scold her.

“You don’t know what that creep Lightning Dust has done, Dad!” Rainbow tried to defend herself when Thunderlane stepped in.

“Dash, I was at the academy same as you and I felt no better about Lightning Dust than you did, but what you just did was completely out of line! You had no right to put her down like that, especially when she was just trying to have a fun afternoon with her little brother!”

“Thunder’s right, baby girl…” Rainbolt spoke, using his favorite endearment but without the love. “If we see that Lightning Dust pony again after this, you had better apologize to her for what you said!”

Rainbow could only seethe and look down, unable to meet her father’s eyes. So she turned her gaze to the rest of the group, hoping to have some support in the matter. However all she saw was a confused and worried look from Rumble, and a teary eyed and saddened glance from Scootaloo.

Seeing everypony against her, she just gave another huff and mumbled her consent to apologize. Lightning didn’t deserve it, but Rainbow didn’t want to have her friends and family angry with her.

After giving her word to apologize, the group continued there trot towards the restaurant on the other side of the park, this time in a tense silence.

What none of them noticed was the gaze of a shadowed figure, and the curious expression on her face.

Beau’s Burgers was a popular fast food-joint and diner in Cloudsdale, and had been around for over twenty years. The inside was a simple diner with both regular tables and booths, all with comfortable seats, the tables topped with salt n’ pepper shakers, glass bottles of ketchup, and a metal holder for paper napkins. Behind the counter and cash register, worked Beau, an overweight pegasus with a maple brown coat, coffee-black mane, and a cutie-mark of a spatula behind a plate with a burger and fries. He wore a deli hat and white apron that was covered with stains from grease and condiments yet he wore a happy expression as his customers watched him work his burger-flipping magic!

“...and voila!” he caught his latest culinary art as the oatburger made a quadruple-flip in mid-air before it landed on the bun Beau carried with a plate on his wing, then quickly added the cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and a side of hay-fries, before setting the top bun to the side, and a piece of parsley on top to give it a touch of eloquence.
“Order up, Pepper!”

“Thanks, Beau,” chuckled a white mare with a red mane named Pepper Mint, Beau’s cashier and waitress, as she accepted the plate from her boss, and headed over to the recipient of the order when she saw five new customers walk in.
“Oh, how y’all doing? Just gimme a moment, I’ll be right with ya!”

Rainbolt smiled as he led his companions up to the counter and saw Beau preparing a new dish.
“Yo Beau! Working hard or hardly working?”

Beau looked over his shoulder and smiled, “Rainbolt! And is that Rainbow Dash and ol’ Thunder I see?”

“Hey Beau, it’s been a while!” Thunderlane smiled and waved at the middle-aged stallion.

Rainbow, despite her mood, was able to smile and say, “Still running this greasy spoon, I see!”

“Twenty-two years in the business and no plans for retirement!” Beau declared proudly. “Take a seat wherever ya like, I’ll be right with ya!”

Rainbolt led his daughter and her friends to his favorite booth table when Pepper Mint passe by, asking, “Y’all wanna round of colt cola?”

“YEAH!” Rumble and Scootaloo both cheered as they sat down.

But Rainbow was quick to notice Scootaloo sat with her father rather than beside her, as she usually would, and she couldn’t help feeling a little hurt. But recalling how she’d acted towards Lightning, Can’t say that I blame her… Dust is a creep, but I guess I still acted real uncool.

So she sat with Thunderlane and Rumble on the other side of the table, and noticed Rainbolt smile and get up as Beau came over.
“Hey ol’ buddy!”

The two stallions hugged in an oafish way before Rainbolt sat back down, and Beau whipped out a notepad and pencil.
“So my friends, what can I getcha?”

“Usual for me,” Rainbolt requested.

“Um, don’t we need menus first?” Rumble asked.

“No need for menus this time, kiddo,” Beau waved off Rumble’s concern, “this is a special treat - You want it, I got it!”

“OK! I’d like a hayburger with cheese, a side of hay fries, and a big chocolate shake!” Scootaloo ordered with a smile.

Rumble ordered the same, while Thunderlane and Rainbow ordered oatburgers instead.

“Coming right up!” Beau stated once he jotted their orders down before he gave them a smug look. “And watch the master…!”

He zipped away to the grill, surprisingly fast for a pony of his heftiness, and they watched in awe as Beau worked his fast-food magic! In no time at all, he and Pepper Mint brought their orders to their table, saying, “Order up!”

They looked with hungry smiles at the delectable eats before them as Beau ran them off, “Hayburgers with cheese and sides of fries along with a couple shakes for the foals, oatburgers and hay-fries for Rainbow and Thunder, and an oatburger with cheese and bacon for Rainbolt!”

“Along with a round of colt cola,” Pepper Mint placed a round tray holding the drinks in the middle.

“Enjoy!” Beau wished when they heard a ringing as more customers walked in, and he and Pepper got back to work.

At this point however, Rainbow and Thunderlane looked a little curiously at the burger Rainbolt was about to sink his teeth into.

“Dad? You… eat meat?” Rainbow had met a few meat-eating ponies before, not including her (former) friend Gilda. It didn’t really disturb her to see her father was eating meat, but it was still a surprise.

“Oh! Heh-heh, sorry,” Rainbolt stopped mid-bite and chuckled sheepishly. “Y’see, a while back, a new pegasus came to work at the weather factory. A Lunar Pegasus, to be exact.”

“A Lunar pegasus?” Rumble echoed curiously.

“Oh! Aren’t those the pegasi with bat-like wings who serve Princess Luna?” Scootaloo brought up with a smile.

“A lot of them do, yeah,” Rainbolt nodded. “Most of the Lunar Ponies live on the Shetland Isles over in the Glistening Eastern Sea, but shortly after Princess Luna’s return, some of them came to live in Equestria. But most of them work as her personal guard, because… Well, they eat the same stuff as we usual ponies do, but… they’re also meat-eaters.”

“Lemme guess,” Thunderlane spoke up, “they’re not all that well-accepted by the ponies of Equestria because of that.”

“That’s right,” Rainbolt replied. “It’s real hard these days for lunar ponies to find work in Equestria, work besides being a part of Princess Luna’s guard. They eat meat because it’s a part of their natures, but a lot of ponies are just too… stubborn to see it that way.

“So anyway, my new lunar pegasus friend, Shade Chaser, he had trouble trying to make friends with the other workers, so I invited him here to Beau’s. You should’ve seen the look on his face when Beau served him up an oatburger with bacon! But Shade was still so self-conscious of eating meat in a public restaurant, that I ordered one too, so he wouldn’t be the only one. It was a little weird at first, and my gut was grumbly before it got used to it. But before long, I found myself enjoying it! So, Shade and I started eating here at Beau’s together once a week, and it helped him get more confident and socialize more. Now, he’s got a pegasus girlfriend and they’re as mushy as can be!”

“Aw! That’s so cool of you to help him out, Bolt!” Scootaloo gave Rainbolt such an admiring smile, it make Rainbow both proud of her father and a little more ashamed of her own behavior from earlier, having listened to her father’s story. But then Scootaloo looked at Rainbow, and she knew what her surrogate little sister/biggest fan was curious about before she asked.
“But Rainbow Dash…? I heard some of what you said. But, the way you acted towards Hotshot’s big sister, well… I can’t believe I’m saying this to you, of all ponies - It just wasn’t cool!”

Rainbow looked down at her food, as the foals and Thunderlane looked at her while Rainbolt excused himself from the conversation to take a bite out of his burger.

“Ya see, Scoots,” Rainbow sighed, “remember how me and Thunderlane left a while back to attend the Wonderbolts Academy? We met Lightning Dust there. At first, she was cool, and she showed herself to be an awesome flyer and an ambitious one, that she kinda showed me up in front of Spitfire.

“When our class was divided into squads, Lightning Dust was chosen as lead-pony of our squad, her, me, and Thunderlane!”

“How come?” Rumble asked.

“I asked Spitfire why, and she said that Lightning Dust pushed herself harder than I did,” Rainbow answered. “So I went along with it, but as the week wore on, Lightning Dust showed some disregard to our class and was more concerned about coming out on top.”

“During one of our training sessions,” Thunderlane interjected, “Lightning Dust led our squad like she was the only pony on it, and Rainbow Dash got her wing hurt because of it! I was concerned but Dash insisted it was nothing.”

“Then, on our fourth day of training,” Rainbow went on, “during a cloud-busting competition… Lightning Dust pressured me into helping her make a tornado to get ahead of our classmates. Thunderlane was smart and chose not to help, and I wish I’d done the same… because when we made the tornado, our friends, Twilight, AJ, Midnight, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Bluebood were arriving to visit in a hot-air balloon. They got caught and if it weren’t for Thunderlane’s quick-thinking, they might have been seriously hurt. Or worse…”

“Once everypony was safely on the ground,” Thunderlane continued, “Lightning Dust showed up, bragging of how the tornado cleared the skies, she mocked me for not helping, and tried to hoof-bump Rainbow.”

“I knocked her hoof away and called her out for her reckless and selfish behavior,” Rainbow said bitterly. “And she wasn’t sorry at all for how her actions endangered others! Then she rubbed it in our faces of how she got chosen to be lead-pony of our squad, so me and Thunder went to see Spitfire. We gave her a piece of our minds… and then we quit.”

“WHAT?!”
“No way!”

“Yes way,” Thunderlane nodded, “but before we could leave, Spitfire caught up with us, and admitted she was wrong and that we were right about how doing one’s best shouldn’t come at the expense of our fellow ponies. She then called up Lightning Dust, ripped off her lead-pony badge, and had her escorted off the academy grounds.”

“You mean… she got kicked out?” Scootaloo asked.

“Mm-hmm, and Spitfire then gave me and Thunder our own lead-pony badges, and we chose to stay in the academy and complete the course,” Rainbow finished. “Until today, I haven’t given Lightning Dust another thought.”

Then her father cut in with a very loud BELCH before saying, "Well, considering the way she was at the park, Dashie, it seems Lightning Dust herself is in a bad place.”

“I kinda noticed that too,” Thunderlane agreed. “I mean, I still recall the passion and ambitious fire she had in her eyes back at the academy, but today? I didn’t see any of that! Just… a hopeless pony, who was smiling for the sake of her little brother!”

“That sort of thing can happen when you’ve had your dreams crushed, Thunder,” Rainbolt noted before addressing his daughter. “Dash, sometimes it takes losing your dreams to take a good look at yourself and wonder ‘How did it come to this? What did I do wrong?’ I’m not saying Lightning’s actions were in any way acceptable, but it seems to me she’s at a place in her life where she doesn’t know what to do with it.”

“So?” Rainbow asked in a decisively foalish way.

“So… Perhaps all she needs is a second chance,” Rainbolt suggested with a fatherly smile, “and isn’t it better have friends instead of enemies? From what it sounded like, you and Lightning formed a connection during your time at the academy! Even if that connection soured, it sounded to me there was a spark that could have become a real friendship. But even if you’re not ready to give her another chance, isn’t it better to bury the hatchet and let go of past between the two of you?”

“I’ll admit, Dash,” Thunderlane spoke up, “I’m not really sure if I could call Lightning Dust a friend, but I have to agree with your dad.”

“Hotshot may be a bully,” Scootaloo looked to Rumble who nodded in agreement, “but it was obvious he loves and cares about his big sister the same way me and Scoots love and care about Thunder and you! Somepony with a little brother like that can’t be all bad!”

Rainbow felt her animosity towards Lightning Dust deflate with each valid point her friends and family around her made. She had to admit it however, that her dad was right! When they’d met, there was a connection - Lightning Dust had almost been the mirror-image of herself, in attitude as well as her skills, that Rainbow couldn’t help but get along with her. At least at first.

Plus, now that she’d eaten and had time to cool off, she realized just how uncool she’d acted, not just towards Lightning, but in front of her friends and family.

And recollecting the look on Lightning’s face after Rainbow had unloaded on her, it made Rainbow remember how much Billy, Hoops, and Score had acted so nasty towards her and Fluttershy back when they were foals, and how similar Rainbow had mirrored those actions.

“...Guys, I-”

But right at that moment, every pegasus, not just in the restaurant but perhaps in all of Cloudsdale felt something both strange and familiar!

Author's Note

Pontiac56 did the part with Rainbow unloading her bad mood onto Lightning

I did the lunch scene

I also used this part to address a little something - in my story's universe Lunar Ponies suffer a social stigma that comes from their diet including meat. Not a lot of ponies trust them so the lunar ponies that live in Equestria, for the most part, look for employment in Princess Luna's personal guard

But they're making an effort to integrate with Equestria and not isolate themselves anymore on the Shetland Isles, and felt Rainbolt showing acceptance by trying a similar diet to his lunar pegasus friend would make him more awesome

186. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 3

A haunting melody resonated all throughout the city of clouds. The tune echoed everywhere, letting its ominous sound crawl through houses, through the streets, through every structure in the city so that it reached every stallion, mare, and foal. Not a single pegasus didn't hear its eerie call seeping through the air. Slowly, as if answering the beckoning freedom of the sky, the patrons rose from their seats in the restaurant and began trotting outside, accompanied by all the other restaurant-goers. The song seemed to call to them and they responded on autopilot, letting its ill-boding call direct them. It spoke to them on some sort of instinctual level. Some ancient ingrained desire to heed the call of the music.

As they stepped out onto the street, their unfocused eyes seemed to ignore every other pegasus doing the same, leaving their homes and businesses and walking onto the cloudy streets, enraptured by the mysterious tune. It played for several minutes, the resonance changing from fast to slow as the tune played on and on until suddenly, it drifted away, gone like a whisper on the wind, until there was nothing but silence in the sky.

The pegasi all stood still for a few more minutes, until the autopilot seemed to switch off and everypony realized just how enthralled they'd been by the music.

"Whoa... what the heck was that?" Rumble asked the question on all of Cloudsdale’s minds, giving himself a little shake to trying to understand what ad happened.

Nopony stepped forward with an answer. Wherever that ominous music had come from, or whomever had been playing it, was a mystery to them all, but those thoughts were furthest from everypony’s minds. They were more concerned about the effect the music had had on them all.

They hadn't been completely subdued by the mysterious tones, for they had all been fully aware of what was going on around them. They just didn't seem to care, too entranced by the sounds encircling them. It had reached them all on some deep level they couldn't understand, and yet they could all feel in their blood that it was important.

"Whatever it was, I have a bad feeling about this..." Thunderlane mumbled with worry.

The sharp piercing scream of a bird seemed to prove him right.

In the center of the park just across from the restaurant, the clouds over the open area began to rumble and break, until with another ear-splitting screech, a huge avian predator burst up from below, its vast size momentarily blotting the sun.

The bird was huge, almost the size of a fully-grown dragon, though it didn't seem to have the same level of intelligence. However like a dragon was different from a lizard, this monster was far different from the average bird. Ponies had seen many different species of great birds in Equestria, from phoenixes of the fire plains to the eagle-like Rocs that roosted in the mountainous regions. This bird however, was one that all pegasi feared for their lives. This was an elemental predator that was a danger to all winged equines.

A Thunderbird.

The creature’s massive wings stretched wide, revealing that its dark brown feathers hid beneath streaks of electricity that seemed to flow and crackle all around it. Its sharp talons were a deep black and the claws upon them could grasp a pony with ease and shred them to ribbons. Its long tail feathers looked like several whips made from pure lightning, and the twin crests above its eyes were shaped like bolts. Its avian eyes as dark as a stormy night glared sharply at the ponies below, assessing them as prey and preparing itself for the hunt. It had heard the music and it was filled with rage and a desire to kill. It could sense its deepest desire within this city, and these small horse-birds would not stop it.

With one final shriek of rage from its sharp black beak, the Thunderbird swooped down towards the now terrified pegasi, it's talons outstretched and bloodlust in its eyes. ponies screamed and flew or ran in every direction, scattering as fast as they could to escape the enormous predator. The predator would not be deterred and it swooped along the streets, its mighty wings destroying homes and business alike in its blind fury.

As it swooped down o’er the city, Rainbolt, Rainbow and Thunderlane grabbed a hold of Scootaloo and Rumble and flew them from the scene as fast as they could. They had no idea what was going on or why this giant bird had come to Cloudsdale, but they sure as heck weren't about to let Scoots and Rumble get hurt.

As Thunderlane held tight to his little brother, flapping his wings at full strength to distance themselves from the mighty beast, with his sharp pegasus eyes, he caught a glimpse of something that confused him. Pegasi were flying all about in complete panic, but sitting calmly, watching the whole scene with a slight smile, was a fit young pony, wearing a purple flight suit with black markings and sharp jagged yellow lightning patterns, and a pair of sinister-looking golden goggles covering her eyes.

He only got a split-second look, before a fleeing mare bumped into Thunderlane and knocked him slightly off course. He righted himself instantly, but when he turned his gaze back to the cloud in the sky, the suited pegasus mare was gone.

"Hurry up, Thunder we need to get these kids to safety, then figure out a way to stop that giant thing!" Rainbow called back as she saw him lagging behind. Her urgent call immediately snapped him out of his query and he continued forwards, wondering if he'd just been imagining things.

The five pegasi all stopped on the other side of the park, taking cover behind an overturned fruit cart. Rainbolt stuck his head over the edge watching as the bird continued to swoop down, trying to attack the pegasi below. Structures and supports didn't seem to deter the massive avian, however the older stallion did notice that while it attacked at random, it seemed to keep flying in vaguely the same direction, getting further and further from the park. He wasn't sure why, but he knew there was something in that direction, something important, but he was too panicked and filled with adrenaline to think straight about it.

He took a deep breath to calm down before looking to his daughter and her friends,

"Okay, we're safe for now, but we need to do something about that bird. Try and lure it away from Cloudsdale or something until the Royal Guard or something can arrive to subdue it."

“That could take a while,” Thunderlane debated. “Since Cloudsdale is always moving all over Equestria, it doesn’t have the best military presence except for the Wonderbolts, and they’re in Baltimare right now.”

“That’s halfway across the country!” Rumble worried. “Even if somepony could alert them in time, it’d still take them too long to get here, and by then that big bird could cause so much damage, or somepony could get really hurt!”

“Rumble’s right, we gotta get it out of here now!” Scootaloo declared with a stamp of her hoof.

"Well I know how to do that easy. I'll just show it who’s the better flyer and get it angry enough to follow me. Then I'll just fly circles around it until the Guard or whoever’s prepared to deal with the bird arrive. Nothing I can't handle!" Rainbow stated with confidence, putting a hoof to her chest in pride.

"That is a terrible idea."

Rainbow blinked in shock before turning a glare to the speaker behind her. While the group had stayed perched behind the fruit stand, Lightning Dust and Hotshot had flown over seeking cover.

"Hey it is so not a terrible idea! I'm way fast enough to keep that thing distracted!" the rainbow mare growled. While she had pushed away most of her anger for Lightning, the stress of the situation was certainly not a good time for reconciliation, and Dash did not need a pony as reckless as Lightning criticizing her ideas.

"It's not about speed! Thunderbirds are damn fast creatures but that's not what you need to worry about! They have the ability to...!" Lightning started before Rainbow shoved her and dived out of cover, to everypony presents shock, and trepidation.

"I'm not taking advice from you about this, Lightning! We’ll settle things later, but right now the city is in danger and your recklessness is the last thing we need right now, so just stay out of my way!"

Before anypony could stop her, she was off in a rainbow blur, zooming towards the giant bird in the sky.

"She’s flying off towards possibly the most dangerous creature known to pegasi with a half-baked plan and I’m the reckless one?!” Lightning’s tone was frustrated and incredulous as she glared after her former rival and spread open her own wings to follow.
“She has no idea what a Thunderbird can do- She doesn't even realize why it's going that way! If she's not careful she could endanger more than Cloudsdale!"

"What are you talking about, Lightning? Do you understand what's happening right now?" Thunderlane asked urgently as he held tight to Rumble. Behind him Rainbolt listened in, hooves clamped securely over Scootaloo's shoulders.

The golden-orange maned mare just gave a growl then sighed in frustration before turning to the group.
"Look, when I was a filly my dad took me on a trip through a mountain range where we saw a flock of those things nesting. When we got home, I read books about them, and learned not only are those things strong, fast and deadly, but that lightning surrounding them isn't just for show. It can use it as a weapon! But that's not even the worst thing!"

"What's worse than that?!” Hotshot gulped, stepping close to his big sister, his cool guy attitude gone in the face of all this danger. Lightning wrapped a wing around him protectively, but she continued facing Thunderlane and Rainbolt, who were not liking what they were hearing.

"The worst part is that a fully-grown Thunderbird absorb lightning. It's drawn to it, like ants to sugar. That thing is undoubtedly trying to find the weather factory, and when it does, it will destroy the whole place to get to the lightning storage!” Lightning clarified, much to Rainbotl’s shock. “Not only will it become immensely strong from the lightning absorption-”

“The destruction of the weather factory could be disastrous for all of Equestria!!!" Rainbolt interrupted with a dawning look of horror that certainly helped spell out the danger forthcoming.

Rainbow zoomed through the airspace above Cloudsdale, trying to banish Lightning from her thoughts. She had been prepared to apologise to the mare, and then she comes over and tries to tell Rainbow how to deal with the situation, the nerve of her! Lightning wasn't the bearer of Loyalty or a savior of Equestria! She had no idea how to deal with this! Her reckless ideas would just put ponies in danger and Rainbow was not about to let that happen. She'd deal with this her way.

She saw the Thunderbird screeching as it zoomed toward an older stallion whose wings weren't fast enough to get him to safety. Rainbow could see the terror in his eyes as the massive predator swooped toward him, and she knew she had to act.

Just as the giant bird's talons swung forward to rip the elder pegasus into chunks of meat, a rainbow trail burst forward and snatched the prey away from the monstrous bird’s claws. The Thunderbird looked up to see a rainbow horsebird drop the older horsebird off in a nearby house. Those cloud walls would do nothing to protect it from the Thunderbird, but it wasn't overly interested in hunting right now anyway. It was enraged and ready to kill, but its goal was still to find the massive source of its favorite nourishment in this pegasus city.

The Thunderbird turned its gaze skyward again, seeking to find the source of lightning present in the city. The fact that it paid her no mind made Rainbow snort in annoyance.

"Hey! Nopony ignores the utter awesomeness that is the one n’ only Rainbow Dash! For that, I'm taking you down, you overgrown buzzard!"

Using her amazing speed, the rainbow mare zoomed toward the flapping bird and shoulder-checked it in the chest. Her speed was impressive, but even speed could only do so much against a creature so much larger than her, for her attack only knocked it slightly off-course. The bird steadied itself and gave a cry of annoyance, but it still deemed the young horsebird more trouble than it was worth to attack and kill. This didn't go over well with Rainbow.

"What did I just say about ignoring me?! Fine then! Prepare for a hell of a butt-whoopin’, birdbrain!"

Seeing that the attack to the bird’s chest hadn't done much, Rainbow utilized a combination of her speed and her black belt in karate to try and kick at the bird’s head. Despite its size, the Thunderbird moved its head away from the strike, causing her to hit its collarbone instead, which seemed to hurt her leg far more then the bird. However her attack did accomplish something.

She had the Thunderbird’s attention now.

"Yes I did it!"

The loud screech in her face and the glare of the predator immediately paled her face and drained away her excitement.

"Okay, so what was step two again…?"

It seemed step two was get the freakin’ heck out of there as a sharp black talon sliced through the air at her. Rainbow quickly dodged it (but she felt the wind on that one, which made her inwardly ‘eep’) and took high to the sky, her rainbow trail billowing behind. She turned her head to see that the Thunderbird’s angry focus was still on her, and it was accelerating towards her rapidly in pursuit.

Realizing that the bird’s wings gave it an immediate advantage at speeding up in a vertical climb, Rainbow swerved around and took off like an arrow. While she didn't have the room needed to pull off a sonic rainboom, she did have the speed and space to pull off an old classic of hers.

"Get ready for my sonic rainnuke!" With a warrior scream she dove at the bird, rainbow contrails spiraling from her body and a determined glare on her muzzle. The Thunderbird was extremely surprised to see its quarry zooming straight at it and didn't have time to swerve to the side.

With a tremendous slam, Rainbow bashed straight into the bird, letting out a burst of magical energy in a rainbow mushroom cloud. The Thunderbird was knocked back with force, completely unprepared for the force from the small horsebird. Losing control of its flight, the bird slammed into the cloud layer, destroying an empty office building in the process.

"Oh yeah” - Pant - “nopony messes with” - Wheeze! - “Rainbow Dash! I knew Lightning was all hot air!" Rainbow panted, exhausted from the strain of the attack. Using that much speed and force wasn't easy, even for a pro flyer like her. But at least the Thunderbird was down for the count…

...Or not, as a bolt of lightning slashed through the air and hit her full force!

Caught unaware and exhausted from her earlier attack, she convulsed in agony from the attack, glowing like an X-ray. After the lightning fizzled out, a charred pegasus floated in the air before plummeting. Hitting the side of a building and skidding across the cloud layer.

Rainbow groaned and gave a cough letting out a lungful of smoke. Her natural pegasus resistance to lightning had saved her there. Had it been an earth pony or a unicorn, they'd be dead right now. Her joy of being alive didn't last long as the massive Thunderbird rose from the destroyed cloud buildings remains, screaming is fury as it took to the sky. Its wings sizzled with electricity and the crests above its head were glowing an ominous yellow.

"I... did not know it could do that..." Rainbow mumbled before diving to the side in a panic as a blast of lightning fired from the crests of the bird’s head, vaporizing the clouds she had just been standing on. Despite the crispy state of her wings, Rainbow knew she had no chance to in stopping that giant bird when it was in a frenzy now. She quickly leapt to her hooves, thinking, Hooves don’t fail me now! as she sprinted to get airborne again. She did a quick run for momentum then took off, swiftly dodging another lightning strike as the Thunderbird roared in anger, its patience with this infuriating little prey at its limit. The enormous avian took wing again, its mass, size, and power easily letting it catch up to Rainbow, who was now desperately trying to gain some distance.

Their scuffle had caused the pair to double back and as Rainbow continued dodging lightning blasts, she looked down in horror to see Scootaloo, out in the open street, making a run to cover with the rest of the group. The momentary lapse in concentration was all the Thunderbird needed and with a screech of victory it fired another lightning blast, scoring a direct hit on Rainbow Dash.

Down below, everypony watched in horror as Rainbow plummeted to the cloud streets, barely conscious. Without thinking, Scootaloo raced from cover, ignoring the warnings from Thunderlane and Rainbolt. Her sister was in trouble, nothing else mattered.

"Rainbow, no! Please be okay, please be okay!!" the little orange pony fretted as she bolted across the street to the prone mare. Rainbow was slowly starting to pull herself up, her lightning resistance protecting her from the worst of the blast, but she doubted she'd be walking away from another shot like that. She suddenly felt hooves wrap around her barrel and all the blood rushed from her face when she saw Scootaloo grabbing a hold of her, attempting to drag her from the street and back to cover.

"Come on, Rainbow! Get up before it attacks again!" Scoots cried, desperate and scared. Rainbow attempted to do just that, more to get Scootaloo back into cover then to save herself, but a crashing thud made them both freeze in terror.

Staring down at them from the opposite end of the street was the monstrous predator. Its avian eyes locked onto Rainbow in range and the murderous glow from its crests growing. The glow turned from a yellow to a frightening white, the most intense and dangerous lightning a pegasus could produce. Rainbow felt her eyes turn to pinpricks as her pegasus senses picked up the building energy. She knew that level of power would overcome any pegasus lightning resistance and completely vaporize them in an instant.

The Thunderbird seemed to know it too, because Rainbow could swear its deadly beak was almost smirking at them as the white glow built up above its eyes. Rainbow realised she couldn't pull herself up in time, so she did the only thing she could. Using her remaining strength she ripped Scootaloo from her waist and tossed her away, closing her eyes for the end. Scootaloo shrieked in terror for Rainbow as the Thunderbird gave a mighty cry and swung its head to fire.

"BACK OFF, UGLY!"

Just as the Thunderbird fired, a blur of turquoise and gold slammed into the side of its head at full force. The massive white lightning bolt exploded, streaking down the street adjacent of the surprised avian, thankfully towards an edge of the city, and striking only trailing clouds, zapping them into vapor. The cloud beneath the Thunderbird was destroyed and it fell through, unable to right itself from sheer confusion. The steamy cloud residue blew all over the street, burning from the residual charge left behind from the overpowered lightning bolt.

Rainbow stared in shock, only for the turquoise blur to zoom back and grab her, zipping her further up the street and into an alley. Seconds later, Scootaloo, now once again held firmly in Rainbolt's grasp, along with Thunderlane, Rumble and Hotshot all sprinted into the alley to find that Rainbow’s savior was none other than Lightning Dust herself, as she gave Rainbow an annoyed look.

"If you hadn't flown off in a rush I could have explained that Thunderbirds can discharge lightning powerful enough to kill a pegasus!" the golden-orange maned mare growled in annoyance, as she helped Rainbow to her hooves, her strength slowly returning. Rainbow just blinked in shocked for a moment before getting a hold of herself and turning to the other mare, whose glare lessened as she looked over Rainbow's crispy and blackened fur.
“Although you almost learned that for yourself.”

Rainbolt stepped forward to speak before his daughter could start something. Again.

"Well Lightning, it’s obvious you know more about Thunderbirds than us, so please, if you have any ideas, lets hear them." Rainbolt asked, stepping closer to make sure his daughter was all right, refusing to let go of Scootaloo again.

Lightning looked at them all for a moment then gave a nod. "All right, look, you've seen what that thing can do, and that wasn't even full power. A Thunderbird that charges itself from the lightning of storm clouds could do enough damage that even Princess Celestia would have a rough time dealing with it, at least until it burned itself out. I don't know how it got past Cloudsdale's defences, but regardless, it’s here now and it’s going to be drawn to the biggest source of lightning in the city - weather factory!

Rainbolt sighed as he spoke up.
“If it manages to gets to the lightning refinery or the storm cloud generators, not only will it super-charge itself, but the damage to the factory will cause massive ecological damage to Equestria along with widespread drought. We need to stop it now."

Lightning nodded in agreement as she looked at the ponies before her. Her little brother, looking scared, but prepared to do anything to help his big sister. Thunderlane, determined and ready to fight. Rumble, looking unsure, but trying to stay brave. Scootaloo, held tightly in Rainbolt's hooves and looking like the only thing she wanted to was to hold on to Rainbow and never let go. Rainbolt, who didn’t have quite the stamina he used to have, as he was breathing a little heavier now. Still he looked ready to do whatever it took to protect his home and his family.

"I have a plan to stop that thing, but it's going to take all of us to pull it off. Rainbolt, I'll need you and the foals to make for the weather factory. Once you get there, get everypony who hasn't to evacuate ,then head for the..." her plan was interrupted by a growl from Rainbow Dash, who had seemed to have recovered, mostly, from her earlier struggle.

"I am not listening to whatever reckless plan you have right now, Lightning Dust. I am not about to let you put my family and friends in danger fighting against that bird just for your ego..."

"RAINBOW WOULD YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Rainbow was shocked into silence as she saw Thunderlane angrily advancing towards her. The large charcoal-black stallion jabbed a hoof into her charred chest, but made sure her eyes stayed locked on his.

"Right now, I do NOT care about your issues with Lightning! Because right now she knows more about that bird then YOU! So shut up, shape up, or ship out! We don’t need your over-sized ego getting in the way or getting you or anyone of us KILLED!! We need all the help we can get right now and your plan, which was every bit as reckless as Lightning might have been, failed. We are going to listen to her, and then we are going to work together, as a team, to stop that thing from endangering all of Cloudsdale and Equestria!"

Thunderlane gave a snort of anger and held her gaze for a moment to make sure his message sunk in. It made Rainbow feel like a scolded filly, and the parental glare from Rainbolt and the worried looks from Rumble and Scootaloo didn't help.

With her ears held low, Rainbow bowed her head in acceptance and stepped back, letting focus fall back on Lightning, who looked at Thunderlane with surprise, and a small underlining of gratitude as he said to her, “Go ahead, Dust.”

"...Okay! So from what I know about Thunderbirds, they’re very susceptible to extremely cold temperatures and ice. It damages the elemental bonds that generate their lightning and cause their wings to lock up. Rainbolt, Rumble, Scootaloo and Hotshot, I want you four to get to the weather factory and gather as much snow clouds and ice shards as possible. It might end up delaying Winter by a few weeks, but I'd say it’s worth it. With enough winter-cloud, snow, and ice rammed into the Thunderbird's wings, its lightning will stop generating and its wings will lock up, which will enable those prepared to take care of it to get in to tranquilize it."

Seeing the four addressed ponies nodding in understanding, Lightning turned to Thunderlane and Rainbow dash, her expression growing grave.

"As for the three of us. we're going to keep that thing busy. Thunderlane, I want you to keep its primary focus. Don’t attack it directly to avoid the electrical charge it gives off, just focus on flying fast and keeping its attention off me and Rainbow."

The stallion gave a nod while Rainbow listened intently as Dust looked to her, "Rainbow, you and I are going to do a repeat of the Wonderbolt Academy."

Rainbow spread her wings in shock and stared right at the ex-cadet. "Wait, you want to..."

Lightning gave a determined nod, an old fire seeming to relight in her eyes. A fire that brought a slight grin to Thunderlane's face.

"That's right Rainbow, we're going to make a tornado!"

The cloud vapor around the hole in the street settled momentarily until the raptor cry of the Thunderbird sent it scattering about. The bird burst back into the Cloudsdale skyline, electricity crackling over its wings and murderous intent in its eyes. It looked about until it spotted three ponies in the street in front of it. A black male horsebird with a funny mane, a turquoise horsebird that was probably what had attack it earlier, and the infuriating rainbow horsebird that had been annoying it before. These little nuisances had the Thunderbird ready to dive in and rip them to shreds, when it calmed itself.

Those annoyances could wait, finding the source of that lightning pile up needed to take priority right now. So, with one last glare at the ponies below, the Thunderbird turned to continue its search. Down below, the three ponies turned to face each other.

"Okay, Thunder, are you sure you're up for this? That thing is fast and deadly." Lightning asked, concerned despite her determination. The stallion turned to her, a confident smirk on his face.

"You’re talking to one of the co-captains of the Ponyville Weather Team!” Thunderlane boasted as he stepped past her, looking up at his target. “You and Rainbow just concentrate on your part. And Lightning..."

Lightning gave Thunderlane a confused look when he looked back at her with an unreadable expression.

"You could have flown away with your brother earlier and left Rainbow for dead, but you didn't. Whatever our history might be, I just want you to know, you have earned my trust, and my respect."

Rainbow looked at her friend in surprise, a feeling of guilt and shame inside her for her earlier dismissal of Lightning eating at her. The mare in question didn't seem to know how to respond, settling on a nod, though the look in her eyes was all Thunderlane needed to know just how grateful she truly was.

The group all gave each other a hoof bump, then took to the skies, ready to fight.

The Thunderbird flapped its mighty wings, flying forwards until finally, its search bore fruit. The weather factory loomed in front of it, the lightning inside calling out to the electrified avian. All that energy to be consumed and empowered by, to allow the atrocious avian to claim the title of King of the Skies!

The bird eagerly increased its speed, zooming towards the cloud structure. Unfortunately, its eagerness left it wide open. Thunderlane took full advantage of this fact by headbutting the bird’s belly at full force!

While his vertical assault didn't largely shift the bird off-course, it did cause it to let out a painful wheeze as it lost its breath for a moment. Large as it was, the Thunderbird was still a bird, and thus had much less mass than it appeared to have. Angrily, it tore its gaze from the weather factory to its aggressor. The black horsebird from early gave a glare as he zipped about mockingly.

This prey would pay.

The Thunderbird gave an ear-splitting screech and let lose a charge of lightning at Thunderlane, who nimbly dodged it and flew down low, using the cloud structures for cover. Without a line of sight, the Thunderbird cried out in rage and took off after it, destroying the cloud buildings in its path.

Thunderlane used all his speed and agility, but the Thunderbird was always behind him, catching up, ready to kill.

Thunderlane zoomed past the building that had been where he, Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Gilda had all gone to Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, wincing as a deadly lightning strike missed and destroyed a set of bleachers he, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Gilda had used to play around. The training ground proved a great choice for avoiding lightning strikes, as the abundance of wayward clouds for pegasus foals to lounge about on, greatly hindered the giant bird’s line of sight.

The Thunderbird let out a another screech and put on a burst of speed, smashing through the clouds to tear into Thunderlane with its sharp beak, only for the stallion to flip over its head and start doubling back towards the city.

Rage filled the avian's mind, unrelenting rage!

Lightning streaks shot forward trying to clip Thunderlane, but he remained ever-focused, dodging blast after blast. However the Thunderbird noticed something. The stallion was growing tired, unable to keep up his great speed and maintain the level of agility needed to swerve around or over buildings and dodge lightning strikes.

The bird roared with glee, keeping up the attacks and bursting forward, its momentum not being slightly halted by the cloud buildings. The electrifying wings and tail of the beast sliced through clouds and destroyed structures with every beat, but the great killer never let its focus drift from Thunderlane.

Then with one final strike, a bolt managed to clip Thunderlane's left wing and he spiraled through an abandoned apartment and into an open street with no cover in sight. He swung his gaze around to see the giant bird bearing down on him, its crests charging, ready for the killing blow, blood lust clouding its eyes.

"Okay girls, NOW!" Thunderlane cried out, immediately covering his head and wrapping into a ball. The Thunderbird smirked, ready to kill when the sound of whipping winds filled its ears and it looked up in horror. Rainbow and Lightning burst forth from the tornado they had generated which rocketed forward, ripping apart clouds in its wake. The Thunderbird turned to flee, but the huge swirling vortex held strong and sucked the shrieking beast inside.

Around and around it spun, its wings being buffeted endlessly by the unyielding wind and caught debris. It couldn't focus, its balance thrown for a loop and its senses scrambled. Around and around it spun until finally, the winds died down and the bird was slammed hard into the cloud streets below. The Thunderbird groaned in pain, its wings aching from the winds strains, and its head completely disorientated. However a sensation forced it to focus passed the pain and it slowly raised its head. The beast had crashed directly next to the weather factory. It could feel the lightning inside calling to it, begging to be absorbed. Groaning the bird started to rise when the sight in front of it made its heart stop. A large tube was hanging from one of the factory's balconies, held by Rainbolt and aimed straight at the giant bird.

"Alright kids, let er' rip!"

Scootaloo, Rumble and Hotshot all worked in tandem to spin the giant wheel mechanism and unleash their weapon. A torrent of snow and ice gushed from the tube, slamming into the Thunderbird at full force, knocking it onto its back. It screamed in pain, feeling the elemental bonds inside it freezing over. The lightning covering its wings disappeared and its tail vanished, leaving it looking like a large Roc bird with an odd crest on its head. It continued to screech and struggle, but it was no use.

In moments, the great beast that had torn through Cloudsdale with unstoppable force was now subdued and weakened, unable to rise from the snow covering its wings and body, Moments later, a rush of guards and monster hunters finally arrived on scene, tranquilizers ready and magical transport gear in place to remove this threat from Cloudsdale once and for all.

In the factory, Rainbolt gave a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his brow, thankful the whole incident was over. Next to him, Rumble, Scootaloo and Hotshot all laughed and danced with glee, hooves joined and their animosity postponed in the joy of victory. Suddenly they each found themselves swept into the hooves of their siblings, hugs of happiness between them all.

Once again, the day had been saved

Author's Note

Once again, my partner, Pontiac56, amazes me

He did most of this, I handled the editing, and I am so pleased with how well he did!

187. The Lightning Learning Experience - Part 4

The Cloudsdale Construction crews had their work cut out for them, as the battle had taken quite a toll on the city. But thankfully, aside some cuts and bruises from all the panic and mayhem, nopony was seriously hurt, and all knew it could’ve been so much worse. The proper authorities and experts had the Thunderbird well-restrained onto an Olympumice-platform, and they were already planning to have it relocated to the mountains south of the San Palomino Desert.

Despite everypony running away, there had been plenty of witnesses to the events that followed, and once the excitement had died down, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Lightning Dust, Rainbolt, and the foals were all swarmed with cheering gratitude for their incredible bravery. Before long, they were all checked over by the medical teams, and all of them had come out alright.

Although Rainbow was given some treatment for her lightning burns and Thunderlane for the bruises he got from his epic flight through town to keep the Thunderbird distracted.

Just hours after the incident was over, the Mayor of Cloudsdale, a plump stallion with an outrageously large mustache, had arranged a ceremony. Almost everypony in Cloudsdale stood before city hall, where the Mayor stood before a podium and microphone upon a platform, where their saviors all stood behind him, as he began.
“Fillies and gentlecolts! As Mayor of Cloudsdale, and a humble pony of Equestria, I am certain I speak for us all when I say to these brave and clever heroes standing up here with me, ‘thank you’. Were it not for their courage and their ingenuity, I shudder to think how many could have been hurt, or of the dire consequences of having our beloved weather factory destroyed.

“We are here to honor these amazing ponies, and thank them for saving us all! Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, Lightning Dust, Rainbolt, and of course young Scootaloo, Rumble, and Hotshot! From the bottom of my heart, thank you all!”

Everypony cheered as the Mayor invited their heroes up, one by one, so that he could place around each of their necks a Flying Nimbus Medal of Valor. Once they each had their medals, Rainbow whispered something to the Mayor, who nodded, allowing her to stand at the podium.

Clearing her throat, Rainbow announced, “Cloudsdale is a city I am proud to be a product of, and I hope one day to make it proud of me and my friend Thunderlane, for when we become Wonderbolts. Among us however is a pony that didn’t start off on that dream the right way. But today, she showed a whole new side of her that I believe is a new promising start! This moment and this outcome would not have been possible without her truly awesome strategy, along with a certain somepony knocking me off my pedestal and listening to reason. So sure, we all had a part, but really? We owe this day… to Lightning Dust!”

Everypony whispered at Rainbow’s words while Lightning Dust look to Rainbow with a stunned expression.

“I haven’t completely gotten over the history between us, Dust, but if you’re willing to accept my apology, then I’m willing to start over.”

Rainbow stepped down from the podium and approached Lightning, holding out a hoof. Lightning was truly touched, and for a moment unsure of what to do, until she noticed a smirk on Dash’s face, which she mirrored, and met Dash the rest of the way with a hoof-bump, causing everypony to applause.

Rainbolt then stepped up to say something.
“I cannot express my relief that this turned out okay, for the destruction of the weather factory could’ve meant great disaster not just for us up here in the City of Clouds but for all of Equestria. Furthermore, I would like to express my thanks to Lightning Dust, not only for her stepping up and her strategy, but for saving my daughter. And baby-girl?”

Rainbow looked to her father, who returned it with a loving look of pride.
“What you did just now for Lightning Dust, I know your mother would be so proud of you, because I know I am!”

Rainbow smiled at her dad, and in that moment she just didn’t care about her image, as she went up and gave her dad a big hug, causing several mares in the crowd to ‘aww’, while Lightning Dust and Thunderlane gave their little brothers a hug, and Scootaloo went up to join her big sister and Rainbolt’s hug, which they gladly included her in.

Finally, Thunderlane stepped up to say something.

“I don’t know what else to say since these guys have pretty much beaten me to the punch, heh-heh! But… there is something. Like Rainbow, I had my own reservations about Lightning Dust due to our history. But in times of crisis, like what we all just went through, you can’t afford to let your feelings get in the way of doing what needs to be done, for the good of everypony.

“I chose to place my trust in Lightning Dust, despite what had transpired between us and Rainbow before, and it paid off with her excellent strategy and making full use of all of us playing our part in her plan.

“It is oftentimes necessary to give somepony an opportunity, even if you have misgivings about them. Sometimes we count on others even if we don’t know them, but regardless of who they may be, nothing is guaranteed. Even so, it’s a special thing to be relied upon, to know that somepony relies on you and believes in you enough to not let them down. There are times you may even have to count upon somepony you’re not sure deserves it, but if you’re willing to give them a chance, then you may very well be surprised by what they can accomplish!”

It started out light, but it quickly grew into a booming eruption of cheers and applause as everypony couldn’t help but be moved by Thunderlane’s words, and Thunderlane and Lightning Dust shared a look, where she smiled at him with deepest gratitude and mouthed ‘thank you’.

Suddenly, at that moment, Thunderlane’s wings felt tingly, as though he had a case of static electricity, and he suddenly had an idea of what was going on when a pillar of electric yellow erupted from behind the platform, rising up to the sky to confirm his suspicions!

Several among the crowd screamed but most watched, stunned as the pillar of light quickly dimmed into a tiny sparkle floated gently down towards Thunderlane!

“My Element Jewel…!” Thunderlane whispered in awe as he looked at it, radiating and crackling with small sparks of electricity, that he cautiously reached out to touch it…

...causing a booming CRACK of thunder as the jewel flared a blinding electric yellow, silvery-blue, and stormy black!

Thunderlane felt himself become clad in armor, colored silver and black with electric-yellow accents, as a helmet with a silvery plume appeared on his head, and as quickly as a strike of lightning it was over, as the light from the jewel dimmed.

Everypony was in awe to see Thunderlane in his own suit of Harmonic Armor, the emblem on his chest mirroring his thundercloud and lightning bolt cutie-mark, and the jewel was still in his hoof.

But now, Thunderlane realized, it carried a magic all its own, a magic just for him.

“Thunder…!”

Thunderlane looked up to Lightning Dust, and around to see everypony gazing at him in wonder, as Lightning Dust asked the question on everypony’s mind!

“What is that...?!”

Thunderlane looked at his jewel, and then smiled victoriously as he raised it over his head and flapped up so all of Cloudsdale could see and hear, “It’s the Element of Trust!”

As the crowd cheered for the now full-fledged Guardian of Harmony, watching from afar on the highest point of Cloudsdale, three mysterious pegasi, two mares and a stallion, all adorned in black, purple and yellow suits with sinister golden flight goggles over their eyes took it all in.

“So that one’s one of those Guardians of Harmony we’ve heard about…"
“...The protectors of Harmony and those who bear the Elements.”
“Which means him and Rainblowhard would never see eye to eye with us. So by process of elimination, that leaves Lightning Dust…”
“I must say, the way she took charge and came up with that plan to stop the Thunderbird was real impressive!”
“We’ve definitely gotta keep an eye on that one; her talents and potential are too promising to be wasted on the Blunderdolts...”

Then one of them, one of the mares looked to the other, “Captain, while the objective was reached, was summoning the Thunderbird really necessary?”

“Are you questioning my authority…?” the other mare said with a tone razor sharp.

“Just your objectivity, ma’am!” the mare said when she felt something sharp at her throat, and she froze but still saw the stallion.

On his wing, stretching towards her neck, was a Wingblayd, the legendary signature weapon of the Ancient Pegasus Empire’s military. All it would take would be one move and she'd bleed to death quicker than any hope of saving her life.

“That won’t be necessary, my friend,” the captain said. “The noob was only trying to understand… While the Thunderbird was a bit… over the top, it made a big enough mess to show Cloudsdale, perhaps even all of Equestria, that their admiration in our blissfully-ignorant rivals is misplaced... We have scarred their home, and soon we will scar their name beyond redemption. As for the objective, Lightning Dust certainly has the right stuff and has the right… disposition, but let’s delay meeting her for the time being, until we’re certain she has the vision to join our ranks. Time to go home.”

The stallion retracted his Wingblayd and took flight, followed by the noob, while their captain took the time to place the key to their success away in her saddlebags. A beautiful silver flute with glittering fragments of gems embedded around the hilt, with a truly flawless stone set in the section just below the mouthpiece. To the unassuming eye, it was nothing but a basic trinket, but to those with the right perception, they could see it was an object of great power.

Before long, the team of shady pegasi vanished into the cloudy sky, the faint powers of ancient magic flitting away in their wake.

Upon returning to Ponyville, Midnight accompanied Thunderlane to the mysterious chest, where he proudly added the Element of Trust to the next panel, and they marveled as it flashed and changed to reflect Thunderlane's cutie-mark!

"Heh, looks like Soarin owes me that lesson in the Sonic Blast-Off after all," Thunderlane smiled but Midnight noticed a look in his friend's eyes.

"You okay, Thunder?" he asked.

"...Midnight, what is the purpose of these new elements?" Thunderlane gave Midnight a concerned look. "There were originally seven, and now these five new elements, along with yours, part of this weird chest... what does it all mean?"

Midnight was quiet for a long moment as he looked at the panel that held his Element of Faith, "I don't know, Thunderlane. For a time, there were only the seven, mine added because of my journey through the past in my old life. Then the Sisters lost their right to wield the Elements and they were inert for a thousand years.

"Now, this is happening... and I agree that it indicates something is coming. What that something is, I can't be sure. But one thing I am sure of..."

Midnight extended a wing and pulled Thunderlane in close in a brotherly sort of embrace, "As long as we stand together, I am sure everything will be all right."

Thunderlane felt Midnight's optimism and cracked at the enthusiastic smile Midnight had and replied, "I trust that you're right, Blaze."

Midnight chuckled before pushing Thunderlane aside and taking off, shouting, "RACE YOU TO PEPPER PONY'S!!"

"NO FAIR!!!" Thunderlane quickly pursued, leaving the Element of Trust to flash with Thunderlane's own restored confidence.

Author's Note

I could not have done this arc w/o Pontiac56, and commend his totally AWESOME writing style. He did the more action-y stuff while I worked on more of the stuff in depth, such as this chapter here

Thunderlane is the Element of Trust, which is similar to Honesty, but unlike Honesty, which can be a little black n' white, Trust can be a gray area in that you can place your trust in anyone regardless of how well you know them or don't, and they can either live up to your trust and come through for you, or they can let you down

Art by Hoodwinked MCShelster

(B'Tween) Alicorn Lessons

"So Twilight!" Midnight smiled at his Twilight as they enjoyed a nice walk through the park one fine sunny day, "It's been a while since you got your wings; how's life as an alicorn? And royal duties don't count."

"'Don't count'?" Twilight echoed, not understanding her boyfriend's meaning. "Well, considering I became an alicorn and a princess, I think it very much counts."

"Heh, Twilight..." Midnight chuckled with a shake of his head in mock-pity. "What I mean is... how have you changed since becoming an alicorn?"

"Oh, well..." Twilight pondered a moment before saying, "Other than flying, walking on clouds, and an increase in my magical power somewhat, not much really! Why? Is there supposed to be something I'm experiencing?"

"Twilight, what is an alicorn?" Midnight suddenly asked, the question taking Twilight off guard a moment.

"Well, an alicorn is... the unified form of all three pony tribes of earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn," Twilight tried, but the amused snort from Midnight told her otherwise.
"Am I wrong?"

"No, you're not wrong," Midnight chuckled before he gestured her to follow him.

Twilight followed Midnight to a nice open expanse of soft green grass, and sat down, closing his eyes and saying nothing. Confused, Twilight sat beside him, unsure of what he was doing.

...

"Well?" Twilight asked, her patience starting to wear thin.

"It goes without saying, Twilight," Midnight replied without opening his eyes and just relaxing as he explained. "Alicorns are different from the three tribes. Each tribe has characteristics and gifts that make them unique to each other, and of course they have their differences. What did those differences lead to in older times, Twilight?"

For a moment, Twilight considered the racial prejudices the three tribes once exhibited thousands of years ago, before the Two Sisters came to power. Thinking back, she also remembered the story Sombra had told her and her friends of a time even before that dark chapter where the three tribes were one tribe, simpler but happier, where they didn't make the distinction of horns, wings, or a lack of either. Until some of those ponies sought knowledge, power, and perfection, which led them to use a perverse ritual that resulted in one of the darkest and most fiendish enemies of ponykind ever, the Whisperer. A formless entity of pure evil that plagued and cursed ponykind for thousands of years until at last Midnight destroyed the Whisperer once and for all.

"Some ponies might say if there were no differences ponykind would be more united, more peaceful," Midnight spoke in deep pondering. "There were even some ponies in history who thought that all should be alicorns, so that there would be no segregation or prejudice. Of course, to change everypony in the world into an alicorn is not only next-to-impossible, it's not the answer.

"An alicorn is indeed the union of the three tribes, but there's more to it than that. We possess the natural gifts and strengths that makes each of the three tribes distinctive and unique. The earth ponies' strength and connection to nature, the flight and sway over weather of the pegasi, and the unicorns' mystic potential to reach for the stars."

"But... Sure I can fly and walk on clouds," Twilight considered, "but I haven't gotten any stronger aside from a little in my magic. I mean, I've always had a natural aptitude for the mystic arts, back when I was an Alpha-level unicorn. Being an alicorn, I've only noticed a small increase in my magical power. Spells even I used to struggle with are much easier, and cantrip-level spells are so easy I can cast them with a thought!"

"That's because you've barely even begun to tap into your own alicorn magic, Twilight," Midnight answered as he opened his eyes and gave Twilight a loving smile.
"It's because of the strong friendships you've formed and share with all of our friends and those we care about. You opened yourself to the magic of friendship and this has allowed you to prepare for that first step to learning how to wield your own alicorn magic!"

"My own alicorn magic..." Twilight considered with a feeling of awe, an awe she suddenly realized she'd always associated with her former teacher.

Ever since that very particular Summer Sun Celebration where Twilight witnessed Princess Celestia raise the sun, her first close look at the ruler of Equestria, unlike having seen her in the papers or from a distance, somewhere in Twilight's mind, maybe not consciously but still, she had regarded Princess Celestia not only as a ruler, wise and benevolent, but perhaps a true living example of the concept 'Divine Right'.

And why wouldn't she?

Up until Luna had returned from her millennial exile to the moon, Celestia had led and guided her little ponies for a thousand years. Almost always like a warm and soft ray of sunlight, so very rarely a harsh glare of blazing fury whenever her country and her subjects were threatened.

...Could I be like that?

The idea was more foreboding and only minutely appealing and yet...

"Don't get too excited," Midnight chuckled, seeing the stupefied look on Twilight's face, and the blushing as she snapped out of it. "Even after you should master your alicorn magic, you'll never be on Celestia's level."

"Oh! I- I wouldn't presume to," Twilight flabbergasted, fanning herself with her wing but then a thought crossed her mind. "...What about you? You're obviously pretty powerful, Midnight, but-"

"Oh I could go a few rounds with Celestia," Midnight chuckled but shook his head, "but there's no way I could ever beat her in a fair fight."

"What do you mean?" Twilight didn't understand, "You must be way ahead of me, surely your alicorn magic is-"

"My alicorn magic?! Hahahaha!" Midnight laughed, Twilight gaping at him and pursing her lips in a slightly pouty way and feeling a tad embarrassed.
"Twily, I've only mastered the basics of my alicorn magic! I'm more powerful than any unicorn, I can fly with the best pegasus fliers, I could hold my own against the strongest earth ponies, but as an alicorn?! Heh, I'm barely more than a beginner in alicorn magic!"

"But you trained in magical studies and subjects for over ten years!" Twilight pointed out, her eyes incredulous, only for Midnight to shake his head no.

"Twilight, I trained in a lot of different subjects and disciplines to become Princess Celestia's most capable agent," Midnight corrected. "Magic, Combat, Flying, Recon, Tactics, not to mention I had to re-master my lunar pony powers. Everything I learned wasn't easy and took time. Then, once I became active, I had to devote so much time into my missions.

"Princess Celestia managed to teach me how to access my alicorn magic, but I can only do a few things with it!"

"Like what?" Twilight asked.

"Well, I can use my alicorn magic to boost my unicorn magic, just like you've been doing," Midnight replied.

He then flared his horn and Twilight noticed a nearby acorn float over to them in Midnight's turquoise aura. She then watched as the acorn buried itself into the ground, and the spot glowed before suddenly a sapling stretched out from the soil, and then grew.

And grew.

And grew!

Twilight watched in amazement as the sapling became a mighty oak tree before her very eyes! A growth that would've taken years and years to create this natural pillar before her, and all it took was mere seconds! And she sensed it.

It had not been a growing spell, but an aging spell!

"Midnight!" Twilight gasped as the nice cool shade fell upon them by the oak tree's foliage. "Even the most advanced unicorn mages would have trouble aging a tree to this degree on their own!"

"Well, I wasn't using just my unicorn magic, Twilight," Midnight smiled, finding the awing smile on his Twily adorable. "Alicorn magic is so powerful, it can almost be considered godlike. "Almost", being the operative word."

Twilight looked to Midnight, curious, and he continued.

"There are plenty of things alicorns can't do, even with their powers," Midnight explained, "and as long as Celestia and Luna have lived, they are not immortal, as most ponies think."

"They just seem... I don't know how to describe it," Twilight wondered, "I can't imagine living that long, and it scares me to."

"You won't," Midnight assured her. "Twilight, we're alicorns but you and me, Shining Armor and Cadance, even Sombra! The five of us aren't like the Sisters. We'll all likely outlive all our friends and family, but we'll never live as long as Celestia and Luna."

"What do you mean?" Twilight looked at Midnight, her eyes full of wonder.

"I don't really know," Midnight shrugged as he then laid down onto his back and waved Twilight down to join him. She did so, feeling the grass cool against her back, and snuggled up to Midnight.
"One time, not long after I became an alicorn, Celestia told me that even though I'm alicorn, I'm not like her. She said it had to do with her being born an alicorn while I was originally a unicorn. I asked her if there was another boy alicorn who was old enough, if they could have babies together..."

Midnight noticed Twilight giving him a strange look and he instantly blushed and waved his hooves 'no way', "Hey, don't lookit me like that! I wasn't hitting on her, I was only eleven when I asked her that question!"

Twilight giggled, finding her flustered stallion to be a cute scenario before Midnight cleared his throat and continued.

"Anyways... She said no. Because even between a natural alicorn and an... ascended alicorn, I think she said? The point is, Celestia and Luna are both different in such a way from the rest of the alicorns that currently exist that they're the only two of their kind."

"But that can't be," Twilight protested, "I remember the story you told us about your journey through history from your prior life. You said you met Celestia and Luna as fillies! That means, they had to come from somewhere, from somepony!"

"Yeah, the jury's still out on that," Midnight shrugged. "Celestia and Luna have never revealed where they came from. I've asked before, but Celestia just never said anything. I don't know if it's a big secret or what, but... Simply put, there's nopony in the world like the Sisters, and odds are, there never will be. I don't know if there were any alicorns before Celestia and Luna but if there were, it's probable that they're the last of their kind."

"That's... kind of sad," Twilight looked down, Midnight sitting up, and wrapping his wing around her shoulders. "They're ponies too, but... It sounds like they're different in such a way that they themselves are alone even when they're surrounded by all their subjects who look up to them, love them, and care about them. And what's more, they both had to be alone in different yet equally painful ways after Luna became Nightmare Moon..."

"Well, they're together again, Celestia and Sombra are together, and they all have us," Midnight said comfortingly. "I'll admit Celestia and I don't always see eye to eye... but she's family, and she can always count on me, just as she and I can always count on you."

Twilight looked up at Midnight, who returned her look with one of love, and they shared a tender kiss. It was just what Twilight needed to make the mopy-ness go away. She stood up, taking a breath, and stepped out into the sunlight, asking, "So tell me, what else can alicorns do and how do you master alicorn magic?"

Midnight smiled and stood up, "Follow me."

Curious, Twilight walked alongside Midnight, wondering what amazing thing she was gonna see from him next. For some reason, he led her to town square, and then asked, "Tell me, Twi, it's getting close to lunch, what're you in the mood for?"

"Wha- I- I thought you were going to show me some more alicorn abilities," Twilight reminded him.

"I am, but first let's decide where we're gonna have lunch," Midnight assured her before thinking a moment. "Y'know, there's a place back home we used to go to. Come here."

Confused, Twilight stood by him, and then Midnight took a deep breath as his horn slowly lit up before...

*FLASH*

That teleport was different to Twilight. Instead of the normal breezy chill over her body, it was like she'd been literally swept off her hooves and sent spiraling down a rushing river, thrown about among sharp and dangerous rapids, and unceremoniously plonked onto her hooves with a dizzying headache. Midnight was obviously no better as he groaning on the... pavement?

Shaking her head clear of the daze, Twilight finally saw they were in...

"Canterlot?!" Twilight gasped as she saw the familiar pristine architecture she'd grown up in while her mind couldn't put two and two together.
"Bu- But- But how?! How could we teleport from Ponyville all the way to Canterlot?! Midnight, how-"

"Twilight, I promise I'll explain," Midnight sighed, sounding tired when-

*GROWL*

Twilight gaped at Midnight as he went from rubbing the base of his horn to rubbing his belly, groaning, "But first, I really need a bite. C'mon, I know a place nearby."

Midnight led the way and Twilight saw they were heading down, "Restaurant Row?! I remember this place, I... I remember coming here with you and your parents!"

Midnight smiled warmly at Twilight as she looked at him with nostalgia, and he nodded, "Mm-hmm, every now and then, back when we were foals, my folks and yours would take us all out for dinner and a show, and we always came here to Restaurant Row."

"Heh-ha, I remember one time you and Shining Armor got into an argument of where we should eat," Twilight smiled as the memory played in her mind's eye, seeing her brother and Midnight, both young colts, pointing to different restaurants while their families stood by a little embarrassed as their sons made a scene.

"Oh here!" Midnight smiled as he looked up at a rustic-looking diner, the sign showing a spatula and smoking-hot oatburger.

Twilight looked at the sign and smiled as she remembered, "The Smoked Oat! I haven't eaten here in years!"

"One of our old favorites," Midnight nodded as he held the door open for Twilight.

Inside was a homey and rustic establishment, the walls covered with all manner of knickknacks, some old pictures, and the soft lights and lounge music made for a very relaxing atmosphere. Left and right, ponies enjoyed all kinds of grilled foods, like the restaurant's famed oatburgers, as well as hay-bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches, fajitas, and the bar served some excellent wines, nectars, even margaritas.

The hostess, a lovely earth pony mare, was just returning from seating some patrons, and as she stood at her podium, ready to serve the next customers, "Hey there, and welcome to the Smoked Oooooohhwhoa!!! P-P-Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight?!"

"Hello, booth for two, please," Midnight kindly requested. "Oh, and could you ask for the proprietor to swing by our table?"

"Oh, most certainly, Your Majesties, please!" the hostess could barely contain her excitement, "Right this way!"

After being seated, the hostess left the menus, and asked, "While you peruse the menu and wait for the boss, can I get you anything to drink?"

"Mmm, this 'Berry Burst' nectar sounds good," Twilight requested.
"And bring a pitcher of iced lime water as well, please," Midnight added.

"Right away, Your Highnesses!" the hostess hurried off to fetch the manager and get the drinks, leaving the royal patrons to talk.

"So, are you gonna tell me now how you teleported us all the way here to Canterlot?" Twilight asked.

"Before I do, let me ask you something, Twi," Midnight brought up, "how did the teleport feel?"

"Well, it wasn't a pleasant experience," Twilight noted as she remembered it. "It was like being swept away, tossed about, and being dropped onto my hooves with a headache."

"That's because it wasn't normal teleporting," Midnight nodded, "so let me ask you another question, Twilight - Do you know what ley lines are?"

"Ooh, ooh! Ley lines are the legendary rivers of power, a network of energy that spans across the land," Twilight spewed excitably, "They intersect between and align places of geographical, historical, or even supernatural significance, and are said to carry energies of all kinds everywhere, and it is even believed ley lines could be the key to unlocking ancient secrets and long forgotten knowledge!

"Of course, studies into the ley lines are obscure and limited, because even tapping into a ley line can be dangerous! I recall asking Princess Celestia about the studies and research into the ley lines, and she told me that the only unicorns who can safely tap into the ley lines are alpha-level unicorns, and even they have to be prepared, mentally, magically, and even the slightest mistake can lead to disaster!"

"Sometime, Twily, it amazes me how much fits into that head of yours," Midnight teased, making Twilight blush at the compliment. "Well, since you seem to know enough about ley lines, I'll tell you... that's how I was able to teleport us here to Canterlot."

"Wait, you don't mean...?!" Twilight could put two and two together and she gasped in amazement when Midnight nodded his head.

"We... "rode" the ley lines here from Ponyville to Canterlot," Midnight confirmed. "Alicorns can learn to "ride" along the ley lines to significantly boost their teleportation capabilities. Since alicorns are omega-level magic users, we are much more able to tap into the power of the ley lines without risking damage to ourselves, but still...

"Its potential is certainly vast but it's still very dodgy. Princess Celestia taught me how to do it, and that was only after she was satisfied I'd mastered the basics of alicorn magic, which was no easy feat. Then she had to prepare me and the whole time she warned me again and again how dangerous it is to teleport along the ley lines without the necessary knowledge. If I make a mistake, I could teleport to a totally random location along the ley lines and wind up lost. Not to mention, even for an alicorn, and depending on the distance traveled, the energy required to ride the ley lines can be staggering. I brought us here to Canterlot from Ponyville, which is miles away, and I cannot wait to eat!"

"Amazing...!" Twilight was in awe before she got starry-eyed, "Ooh, what I wouldn't give for my notes and quill right now! Even Alpha-level unicorns' capacities for teleportation doesn't allow for them to teleport between cities! Such instantaneous travel calls for portals, and like what you just described, the process for creating a portal to a certain location is tricky!"

"And since using the ley lines to teleport costs a lot of energy, I don't rely on it much," Midnight nodded sagely. "I prefer to fly, travel by train or airship, or even just use personal teleportation."

"Well, look who it is!"

The gruff voice was unmistakable and Midnight and Twilight looked to see a tall and burly unicorn come their way. He had a pale brown coat and amaranth mane and mustache, five o'clock shadow, glasses over his emerald green eyes, he wore a chef's shirt under a light red apron, and his cutie-mark was a spatula.

"Offal Good, glad to see this greasy spoon is still in business," Midnight chuckled at the sight of the middle-aged chef.
"So good to see you again," Twilight said kindly.

"Ha-hah! Oh c'mon, Your Highnesses, call me Pops!" he insisted with a booming laugh. "That's what everypony calls me, like you two did back when you little scamps came here with your folks when you were both no higher than my flank and didn't have those wings on your backs."

"I would say we're still no higher than your flank, Pops," Midnight teased with a smirk, "maybe you should take it easy on your own foods."

"Huh! And here I was thinking of serving you a complementary bite of my latest grilled masterpiece," Pops teased back while giving his ample flanks a wiggle.

"Oh don't mind him," Twilight giggled as she looked at her menu, "everything looks even better than I remember, oh! I don't know what to choose!"

Well then, little missy," Pops took both menus with his aura while giving them a sly smile, "howsabout I surprise ya?"

"By all means," Midnight shrugged when the hostess returned with a pitcher of iced lime water and a bottle of the nectar Twilight ordered.

After their drinks were poured, Pops assured his royal guests what he'd grill up with be fit for royalty, and left them to get started.

"So, Midnight, omega-class magical power, teleporting along the ley lines, extended life spans," Twilight noted, "what else can we do?"

"Well the thing is, Twi," Midnight took a sip of the nectar, and found it a tad too tangy and washed it down with a glass of iced lime water, "the real powers necessary to alicorn magic comes from the union of earth pony magic, pegasus magic, and unicorn magic. You must be able to use all of them and then use them all in perfect harmony."

"I don't quite understand, "Twilight raised a confused brow.

"Lemme put it this way," Midnight lit up his horn, "as a unicorn, I'm an alpha."

He then fanned his wings, "As a pegasus, I am also an alpha."

Folding his wings, Midnight flexed his foreleg, displaying impressive muscle, and said, "But as an earth pony, I am a beta."

"Does... this mean your three pony magicks are out of harmony?" Twilight asked, trying to understand.

"No, but that's an interesting question actually," Midnight shook his head. "See, the levels of my three pony magicks don't have to be on par with each other to use my alicorn magic. I just need to be able to invoke all three of them and use them all at once in perfect harmony, in order to produce the spark of my alicorn magic.

"But it's a lot harder than it sounds. First, I had to master my pegasus magic by training with Captain Hellfire and the Alpha Squadron of the Wonderbolts. Then I had to build up my muscles and stamina to refine my earth pony magic, and put it to the test through laborious tasks. I even trained in meditation and breathing exercises, and lot of crazy stuff before Princess Celestia even considered teaching me to tap into my alicorn magic."

"That sounds like it could take a long time," Twilight considered, and didn't relish the idea of going through such an intense training program for years and years.

"It can," Midnight nodded but then he said, "However, it's not the only way."

Twilight gave him another look as Midnight explained, "See, I didn't have many friends during my training. I had Shining Armor, I had my friend Flash Sentry, and a few others. But see, Twi, I didn't get to hang with them in the same way you spend time with the girls."

"It makes me kind of sad that you had such a rough time growing up after you became an alicorn," Twilight looked at him considerately, which he appreciated as they held hooves.
"So much expected of you, so much taken from you..."

"Twilight, things happened and they happened for a reason," Midnight assured her, "and I won't deny there were times I was absolutely miserable growing up after I got my wings. But to tell you the truth, if I could go back and do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing."

Twilight smiled warmly as she scooted over in the booth seat to press up against her stallion, and felt comforted by his resting his head on top of hers. When their moment ended, Twilight looked up at Midnight and asked, "So... what did you mean that there's another way?"

"Heh, Twilight, you already know the answer to that," Midnight chuckled, "it's what you've done ever since you found the spark to revive the Elements of Harmony and vanquish Nightmare Moon!"

"...Friendship?" Twilight guessed as the realization set in.

"The Magic of Friendship," Midnight affirmed, "I told you, to create alicorn magic, you must harmonize within yourself your own earth pony magic, pegasus magic, and unicorn magic. Due to the way I grew up, I had to learn the mere basics of alicorn magic. The hard way! But you? You have learned and gained such an amazing understanding of Friendship that I have no doubts you'll be able to wield your own alicorn magic like a champ!"

"You really think so?" Twilight was hesitant to even think it, but giggled when Midnight rubbed muzzles with her.

"I know so!"

"Sorry to cut into the mush...."

Twilight and Midnight looked to see Pops had returned, pushing a dinner cart, bearing cloche-covered dishes as the chef stated, "But your meal is ready."

Pops levitated the dishes onto the table, and removed the cloches one by one as he declared each dish, "For the soup, we have the Wild Mushroom Soup, derived from a blend of seven different mushrooms, the salad is organic greens with tomato, red onion, grilled avocado, sunflower seeds and house dressing. Hay fries grilled in vegetable oil, and finally, we got my latest version of my favorite recipe, my Smoked Cheese n' Oatburger, made from my own secret mix of seasonings with a special sauce added to give it a flavor that'll knock your horseshoes off!"

"My goodness, it all looks so good!" Twilight marveled at all the food.
"Pops, you never cease to amaze me," laughed Midnight as he licked his lips hungrily.

"Uh-ah! Save your butterin' up till after you've eaten," Pops insisted with a self-assured smirk. "Enjoy!"

After Pops left, the delectable aromas of the good he'd served won them over as Midnight said, "We're gonna have to pause a little on the alicorn talk, Twi; I am famished!"

*BELCH*

"Midnight!" Twilight and a lot of the patrons in the Smoked Oat gave Midnight a look, but Twilight felt so blissfully full she just didn't care to admonish him any further.

"What? In a lot of places in and out of Equestria, it's a compliment to belch loudly after an awesome meal like that," Midnight smiled smugly as he rubbed his belly, stuffed to blissful satisfaction.

"And considering that one made the silverware shake, I am sincerely flattered," Pops chuckled as he came by. "It really was good to have you kids back here at the Smoked Oat."

"We were glad to come back, Pops," Twilight said kindly. "So, check?"

"Right here," Pops levitated the bill, "and for the great compliment, a 45% discount."

"Oh Pops, there's no need for that," Twilight assured but Pops lifted his hooves.

"Up-bup-bup! It's not `cuz yor royalty," he insisted, "it's because even after all this time, you're still some of my most favorite customers."

"I got this," Midnight lit his horn and a bubble of turquoise mana appeared. It popped onto the table, revealing the pay and a very generous tip.

The sight of Midnight apparently conjuring money made Twilight gape at him but the look he gave her assured her nothing was wrong, and after paying and bidding Pops a fond see-you-later, Twilight waited until they were outside before she asked, "Midnight, you didn't just conjure money, did you?"

"Of course not, Twi, you know Poneus's Law," Midnight chuckled at the absurdity of Twilight's question. "Money is among the exceptions to the Law of Mystical Conjuration and Transfiguration. What I just did was summon the money I paid for our meal."

"Oh," Twilight suddenly felt a little foolish. "But... from where? You had to summon it from somewhere nearby."

"...From my old house," Midnight answered albeit a tad hesitantly. "Where I lived before I became an alicorn."

"Your old house?" Twilight was intrigued, "Can we go see it?"

"Not today, Twi," Midnight sighed, "Tomorrow I'm bringing Twinken to Canterlot for a big brother-little brother day out, and I want to be rested for it. Can we go home?"

"I guess. Sure, it is getting late in the day," Twilight did wonder why Midnight seemed hesitant about his house but she supposed it was still a sore subject. As she followed him to the train station, she got a vibe that Midnight suddenly wanted to go back to Ponyville as soon as possible.

Was it because his old house came up? she wondered to herself.

Twilight could understand if Midnight didn't want to revisit some old haunts in Canterlot. After all, his becoming an alicorn when he'd been only ten years old hadn't brought him any joy, and had actually led to some of the most miserable experiences of his life.

During the train ride back to Ponyville, Midnight told Twilight a few stories of his missions, such as one where he helped the Lunar Pony Colony in the Shetland Isles destroy a coven of vampires by using a crystal charged with Princess Celestia's solar magic to create a beam through a special telescope used by lunar pony astronomers to incinerate the bloodsuckers. There was also the time where he represented the Earth Fury Minotaur Clan in a dispute with a lord of a minotaur town called Minox who turned out to be corrupt, using bulls and cows deep in debt as cheap labor with no regard for their health, and established the Earth Fury chieftain as the new lord of Minox. With the new lord's help, Midnight and the Earthfury Clan helped the `taurs in debt to pay their debts off in more fair and generous methods while the corrupt and disgraced former lord was sent to prison, along with those in cahoots with him. One of his favorite missions happened in the Griffon Kingdom where he helped protect a griffon village that had been repeatedly attacked by bugbears, when a large number of them tried to make a new hive on a griffon eyrie (their word for a mountainside town). After quelling the threat Midnight was named a Friend of the Sky, a status bestowed upon foreigners that recognizes them as trusted friends of the Griffon Kingdom.

Celestia was lowering the sun by the time their train pulled in, and as Midnight walked Twilight up to the door of her library, they smiled warmly at each other.

"Today was just wonderful, Midnight," Twilight sighed at the loving look her stallion gave her.

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, Twilight," Midnight replied as he took Twilight's hoof and gave it a gentlecoltly kiss, making her scoff.

To Midnight's surprise, Twilight pulled him into a deep smooch that made him blush but smile just the same. When their lips parted, Twilight whispered, "We must do this again sometime."

"Absolutely, I've still a few things to teach you," Midnight bobbed his eyebrows in a seductive way.

"Like...?" Twilight asked, barely able to hide the thrill of learning but the glint in her eyes gave her away.

Midnight leaned forward, and warmly nuzzled against Twilight, which she happily returned, the both of them nickering when Midnight stepped back, saying, "You'll have to wait n' see. See you soon!"

Then, to Twilight's confusion, Midnight reared up and fell over onto his back... and burst apart into shadowy smoke! The shadowstuff bunched back together in a vaporous plume before it slithered away. The sight of it had surprised Twilight, to say the least, but she shrugged.

Lunar ponies truly are a mystery, she thought before stepping into her library and shutting the door.

The shroud of smoky darkness found its way to the Sweet Apple Acres orchard, and rose up before falling away to reveal Midnight. He shook his withers and stepped into his workshop, taking in all the old tools and books he once tinkered with in his prior life. The memories were both foreign and familiar to him, a strange feeling.

He looked at his old self's journal, where the Midnight he used to be once recorded his experiments, his projects, such as the old experimental device to give earth ponies and pegasi the potential to use levitation magic like unicorns do. It had been (vaguely) successful but the design however was too large, bulky, and inconvenient, not to mention the levitation aura the device produced for the earth pony or pegasus that used it was unstable.

Something more portable and easier to carry around, plus a way to stabilize the aura...

The goggles that had been designed to allow the wearer to see magic; that one had been a success by helping the old Midnight determine which Pinkie Pie had been real after the Mirror Pool incident.

In retrospect, the capabilities for this device are truly staggering!

And of course the old pegasus goggles his old self had developed, granting him the power to become a pegasus and back to his unicorn form anytime he liked.

The goggles' being keyed to mystic signature is too limiting, but this deserves some more research... perhaps something that would allow all earth ponies and unicorns to fly!

Deciding to give it some more thought, Midnight then lit up his horn and waved his head around, outlining a ring of light. Stepping through the ring, he vanished!

Author's Note

I took this B'Tween chapter as a chance to peer into alicorn capabilities (in my head-canon)

One thing I wanted to make clear is, in this story, alicorns are not all-powerful. They are not perfect, they are not gods, and they are not immortal. I also hinted that, despite the additional alicorns I've included so far besides Cadance and Twilight (Shining Armor, Sombra, and Midnight) Celestia and Luna are different.

Part of it is their long lifespan and their heritage. In this story's canon, Celestia and Luna are both somewhat over 1100 years old (and maybe two or three years apart in age). They initially ruled Equestria together for maybe several decades before Luna became Nightmare Moon and was banished to the moon for a thousand years.

To the point, in my head-canon, Celestia and Luna are... basically approaching middle-age

Also, their alicorn magic is powerful but needs specialized training and study into mastering it. Since alicorns are the three pony tribes in one, I decided that in order to use their alicorn magic, alicorns would first have to learn how to use all three types of pony magic, and then learn how to use all three in perfect harmony to produce their alicorn magic.

I hinted Midnight is barely more than a beginner in using his alicorn magic due to how he grew up and trained as opposed to Twilight, who would have an easier time learning how to use her alicorn magic due to her deep understanding of friendship and harmony

And if you're curious about where Midnight vanished off to just now... let's just say it has to do with another alicorn ability

On a side-note, I loved the episode "Spice Up Your Life" and remembered one of the restaurant owners near the end, the burly unicorn who said he owns a place called the Smoked Oat. It sounded like a grill-type of restaurant and I used to work at one, so I included it in the date scene.

189. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Part 2

Wrong.

Twinken stood by his brother as they beheld the throne room, full of all kinds of ponies. Celebrities, politicians, business ponies, a few dignitaries, all the sorts of unsavory types you’d expect to find in the royal court.

Luna sat at her sister’s throne, with royal secretary Raven, as she tried to get a word in edgewise but too many of the ponies seeing her were arguing over whose case mattered more, who was more deserving to have their audience with royalty, it may as well have been another turkey-calling contest like the one Big Mac was once champion of, but with real turkeys gobbling nonstop over each other.

It’s interesting to watch but it doesn’t really mean anything.

“Dear Faust, Luna’s up to her eyeballs in this mess!” Midnight was aghast.

“Yes," the Lunar Guard nodded woefully, "Her Majesty is unused to dealing with so many at once during royal court.”

At that moment, Luna noticed her most recent arrivals and saw hope, even as a unicorn supremacist was harping at her to pass a bylaw morally unfair to earth ponies and pegasi. Having had enough, she took a deep breath and made perfect use of a lesson once taught to her by her old mentor, Star Swirl the Bearded.

“BE….STIIIIILLLLLLLLL!!!!!”

...

The Royal Canterlot Voice never failed, as all the ponies in royal court were stunned to silence and looked up at Luna with varying levels of nervousness and respect.

“We are going to take a short recess while We speaketh with Our fellow monarch, Prince Midnight Blaze,” Luna declared. “We will recommence royal court in half an hour and all of your concerns will be addressed… Now get out.”

The look on Luna’s face showed she was in no mood for an argument, so the ponies all left, muttering and disgruntled. Several of them bowed to Midnight, uttering ‘Your Highness’ on their way out but whenever any tried to stop and have a word with him the Lunar Guard bared his fangs and hissed at them to move it along.

“Uh....”

Midnight wasn’t sure what was going on when the Lunar Guard declared, “Announcing His Royal Majesty, Midnight Blaze, Prince of Equestria, Element of Faith, Guardian of Harmony, Arbiter of Canterlot! And his younger brother, Sir Twinken.”

“Hi, Princess Luna!” Twinken said with a warm smile, that Luna couldn’t help but ‘awww!’ and swoop the little colt up into her hooves in a hug.

“Thou art just the dearest of unicorn colts We hath ever had the pleasure of meeting!” Luna squealed like a filly hugging a puppy that Twinken just found it funny and laughed as he hugged the princess back.

“Uh, Princess Luna?”

The princess and colt both stopped laughing and regarded a bewildered Midnight, Luna perking, “Oh, Midnight! My apologies, I almost forgot you were here! I had no idea you were bringing your brother when I sent my guard for you.”

“Yeah…” Midnight replied as Twinken rejoined his big brother at his side and they both looked to Luna. “So what’s up? Twinken and I were having a bro’s dayout in Canterlot today.”

Luna sighed morosely as she set Twinken down, “My apologies, Midnight, but once I heard you were in Canterlot, I just had to summon you! Practically since this morning, I have been overwhelmed with all kinds of matters in royal court and hounded by politicians, business-ponies, celebrities, ugh! How my sister did this by herself for a thousand years I’ll never know!”

“But don’t you have your sister or Prince Sombra to help you?” Twinken asked.

“NAY!” Luna snapped with such a look of anger, Midnight held his brother close protectively as they both gave a slight quiver. “As soon as I was roped into overseeing royal court, I had somepony look into why my sister and Sombra were not, and they found this!”

Luna levitated out a parchment with something written on it for Midnight to see. He instantly recognized his master’s horn-writing.

‘Luna.

My deepest apologies, but Celestia and I are taking the weekend off. Don’t bother looking for us. By the time you’ve read this, we will be long gone.

I know this is out of nowhere, but my wife and I had to cut our honeymoon short after our wedding due to matters we were called upon to settle. I give you my word however we shall return by tomorrow night at the latest, and you need not worry.

I have arranged for somepony to arrive to aid you in handling all those rats and snakes in royal court.

Love from your loving big brother-in-law,
Sombra

P.S.
We’ll bring souvenirs.’

The message went up in smoke as Midnight angrily incinerated it in his aura, his eyes flaring searing white, as he suddenly realized why his master had urged him to come to Canterlot quickly.
I’ve been had! Master, you’ll pay for this…!

At that moment, far away on the white sandy beaches of Haywaii, a white unicorn mare with a pink mane, wearing a soft yellow one-piece swimsuit, a sunhat, and pink-rimmed sunglasses while sunbathing next to her husband, a charcoal gray unicorn with an onyx black and cobalt blue mane, wearing outrageously colored jams swim trunks and an orange Haywaiian shirt with white flowers unbuttoned to reveal his strong chest, his eyes hidden behind a pair of shades as he levitated a mai-tai cocktail and a platter of Kalua pulled pork and moaned in delicious ecstasy after taking a bite!

They smiled at their many fellow beachgoers, splashing about the waves, some throwing and catching giant beachballs, and building sandcastles, stallions, mares, and foals all having the time of their lives as everypony enjoyed the warm tropical weather.

“Ah…” the gray stallion sighed in content, “this is living, am I right, love?”

“It is wonderful,” his wife agreed but he could hear the barest of doubt in her voice, which made itself known as she then spoke, “but was this really a good idea? I mean, this is just incredible! I am glad you talked me into this, I just… feel a little bad about leaving court matters to my sister without giving her a head’s up.”

The stallion turned over and pulled his wife into a soft but tender kiss, prompting a mutual smile between them.
“We deserve this,” he answered with a firm but assuring tone. “It’s just a weekend, Tia! Besides, little sister will have plenty of help dealing with those stuffy high-horses, thanks to arrangements made by your clever and loving husband.”

“Why does that look on your face remind me of the scheming scoundrel you used to be?” his wife asked with a rising tease of her tone.

“Scheming scoundrel?! My love, you hurt me…” he said in mock-drama, that his wife just giggled.

“Why don’t you go soak your head?”

“Your idea is not without merit,” he chuckled with a sneaky look and got up while levitating his wife into the air.

“Dear! What are you doing?!”

He paid her protests no mind and smiled like a rogue as he willed her out towards the water, “Ladies first!”

“Oh, when he gets back…!” Midnight growled when a racket made itself known outside the doors.

Luna sighed, and beseeched, “Please, help me, Midnight! I am sorry to cut in on your quality time with your brother, but I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important!”

Midnight grimaced a bit as a tangle of emotions welled up in him. On one hoof, he wanted to help Luna and lighten her workload but on the other he wanted to devote his attention to his brother and not have to deal with the sorts of ponies outside those doors. He felt a tug of his wing and looked at Twinken, who was giving him an understanding smile.
“I think Princess Luna needs help, big brother.”

Midnight couldn’t help but feel proud of Twinken’s compassion, and said to Luna, “Alright, we’ll split the workload down the middle.”

“Oh thank you so much!” Luna sighed in great relief before looking to Raven, who’d been silently going over the agenda so quietly it was a surprise to see she was still there.
“Raven, divide the ponies coming for royal court and decide who shall see me, and who shall see Midnight.”

Taking a deep breath as a bracing exercise, Midnight looked to his little brother, “Thanks for being so understanding, Twink. Why don’t I have somepony take you-”

“Nuh-uh, I wanna stay and help you out, Midnight!” Twinken said with crossed hooves.

“What?! B-but Twinken, this is gonna be boring! A bunch of snobs and parasites trying to leech off the royal power or whine about something superfluous!”

“Midnight, you said we were gonna spend time together in Canterlot,” Twinken stated firmly, “and if that means being your assistant during royal court, that’s okay by me.”

Sighing, Midnight responded, “Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“...and that, Your Majesty, is why this legislation I am proposing,” Aurora Boreala wrapped it up, “will revolutionize institutions of magical education for unicorns all over Equestria!”

Midnight looked at the unicorn mare before him with a raised brow, his face expressing boredom and the subtlest hint of disgust. Twinken furrowed his brows at Aurora, who held her nose higher than the tip of her horn, blissfully unaware of the less-than-convinced expressions on the brothers' faces.

This was only the third pony to see Midnight, and he already couldn’t wait for it to be over with. He’d foregone wearing his crown, not in the mood for it but consented to wear a regalia around his neck, if only to have some semblance of royalty aside from his wings. The regalia was a bright and shiny silver as opposed to the golden one Celestia wore, it had no engraved patterns, and it sported a raindrop-shaped sapphire in the middle, right above Midnight’s chest.

“Councilor… Boreala, is it?” Midnight spoke up in a subtle tone of condescending. “Your proposed legislation is indeed impressive, and would certainly provide magic schools for unicorns all over Equestria with ample funding to make the educations for our nation’s future wizards of tomorrow all the more effective, but… Twinken, why don’t you state your opinion.”

Aurora was confused why the prince would allow his school-age brother any opinion on matters in the royal court, but held her tongue as Twinken stepped up, and cleared his throat.
“Miss Boreala, what you’re suggesting is we cut funds intended to be shared with all places of learning in Equestria in favor of magic schools, from which only unicorns would… would…”

Twinken looked to his brother, who smiled and offered, “Benefit?”

“Yeah! That’s the word I was looking for, ‘benefit’!” Twinken smiled but quickly put on a serious face and looked at Aurora again. “From which only unicorns would benefit, Miss Boreala.”

“Well, um, I suppose that’s one way of looking a-” Aurora didn’t like the direction this was going. Even more when Twinken interrupted.

“Which is why I think my big brother agrees with me, when I say…” Twinken levitated the clipboard Raven had given him along with a quill and wrote something over the paper Aurora had levitated to him earlier for Midnight to go over.

He then twirled it around for Aurora to see a big fat messy ‘NO’ written all over the legislation proposal as Twinken said it aloud, “NO.”

“Now see here, I refuse to be spoken to that way by a- !!” Aurora snapped but instantly covered her mouth as realization quickly set in.

“What was that you were going to say, councilor?” Midnight asked with a rising edge in his tone.

“Well, uh- I was- That is- Well, you see, Your Highness…” Aurora tripped over her words, trying to find the right ones to smooth this out. “I am uncertain about your own objectivity, as this young colt was-”

“Are you questioning my authority?” Midnight asked with a challenge in his voice.

“I’m… questioning your taking this matter seriously, Your Majesty,” Aurora clarified but instantly realized she'd just dug herself deeper.

“You are out of line…!” Midnight interrupted in a dangerous tone as he stood up from the throne.

“Y-your Majesty, if you would allow me to speak frankly-” Aurora bade nervously.

“I have no interest in anything a pitiful tribal supremacist has to say,” Midnight interrupted in a blatant tone.

“But-” Aurora tried to say but Midnight was not finished.

“You have disrespected my brother, and in doing so have you disrespected me, as well as my time, and you would do well to-”

“But-” Aurora tried again, only for Midnight to snap:

” SHUT YOUR MOUTH.”

When Aurora shrank back at the prince’s tone, he narrowed his eyes derisively as he continued.

“You have failed to present to me anything worthwhile and have shown nothing but flagrant disrespect to earth ponies and pegasi. Your only course of action now is to leave my presence and don’t dare to show your face in royal court again until you have put your racist prejudice behind you and prepare a proposal that benefits all ponies, not just unicorns! Or I will take immense satisfaction in seeing you stripped of all your legal powers and banished from Canterlot! IS. THAT. CLEAR?!”

Aurora shivered at the riot act she’d just been given, as she bowed and scooted backwards out of the throne room, her rump bumping against the half-closed doors, making her stumble in an embarrassing way, before she fled.

Twinken looked in awe at his big brother, having felt a slight shiver of intimidation as well, but it was quickly replaced by a shudder of amazement, as he said, “Big brother…! That was… just awesome!”

Midnight sighed as he slumped back into the throne, and robbed his hoof against his brows, “Politicians… I’m sorry if any of that disturbed you, Twinken. This is among the many parts of being royalty I could live without.”

“Well, I’ll admit you were a bit scary, but that just made you all the cooler!” Twinken got starry-eyed, which made Midnight chuckle, and ruffle his brother’s mane, the little colt laughing.

“Alright then, my royal assistant, who’ve we got left on the docket?”

“Um…” Twinken looked at the clipboard after removing Aurora Boreala’s bologna of a legislation proposal and said, “We’ve got… the President of the Canterlot Bank, the owner of a Las Pegasus casino, and a celebrity musician.”

“Y’know what, bro? Why don’t you take a break?” Midnight suggested. “I imagine about now you’re getting a little hungry.”

“Oh no, I’m fine, Midnight!” Twinken assured with a coltish look of determination. “I could keep this up all day!”

*GROWL/GURGLE*

Twinken’s ears pressed down sheepishly as his brother chuckled in amusement. Midnight looked to one of the royal guards standing vigil by the throne.
“Accompany my brother to the kitchens and have the cooks give him whatever he would like.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” the guard replied and he stepped towards the door, looking expectantly at Twinken.

The colt looked to Midnight, who smiled and shooed him off, “Go on, I can handle things from here on. Just send in the next visitor on your way out.”

“Okay…” Twinken caved and followed the guard out the doors.

Outside the throne room were six ponies. The first two were a unicorn stallion and his teenage son. The stallion was silver-coated and golden maned with a stack of bits for a cutie-mark, he wore a suit, reading glasses, and carried a folder in his aura. His son also had a silver-coat but his mane was light blue with orange streaks, his cutie-mark was an orange fireball with blazing blue lines to make it look also like a basketball. He wore a simple dress collar and tie but had worn shades as well, the one informal thing about him.

Behind them were an earth pony mare and her son. She had a golden coat and blue mane, wore way too much makeup, some expensive-looking jewelry, and her cutie-mark was a gold Ace Spade playing card adorned with jewels. Her son had the same golden coat but had a light blonde mane, he had no cutie-mark, but around his neck was a gold and diamond necklace. He looked bored and pouty, like he didn’t want to be there.

Finally in the back was a pegasus stallion with a chocolate brown coat and black mane, he wore a swanky-looking fedora, and his cutie-mark was mallets playing a keyboard. He gave off a laid-back vibe, and an impression that he was an easy guy to talk to. Next to him was his daughter, a purple pegasus filly with a sea-blue mane. She had no cutie-mark and wore an immaculate bow in her mane and had a stiff look about her, as she rolled her eyes at her father as he pointed at the mare in front of him and clicked his tongue, only for her to harrumph at him and say something to her son that sounded a lot like ‘pay no mind to that rabble, dear’.

The guard cleared his throat and took a look at Twinken’s clipboard, “Mister… Gilded Bit?”

The unicorn stallion in the front of the line nodded in acknowledgement.

“Prince Midnight will see you now. If you will all excuse me, I am escorting the prince’s younger brother, Sir Twinken, to get a meal.”

That statement got a reaction, as the ponies and their children whispered to each other while looking at Twinken with looks of curiosity, shrewdness, it made the young colt uncomfortable.

“Good sir,” the mare spoke up with a somewhat flirty look, “would it be possible for you to take along my little angel, Golden Glitters? The long journey here has been hard on him.”

“I want something to eat too!” Golden Glitters snapped almost rudely.

“Say, could I get something to eat too?” Gilded Bit’s son raised a hoof.

“Silver Striker, I thought we agreed you were accompanying me to learn a little something about business,” Gilded Bit sighed wearily.

“Aw c’mon, Dad!” Silver Striker responded, “How’s a pony to talk business on an empty stomach?”

“Y’know what,” the pegasus stallion in the back butted in, while pushing his daughter forward, much to her irritation. “My Piani here is so sour she could definitely go for something sweet to even her out.”

“Daddy!” Piani looked indignantly at her father as he tried in vain to hide his giggles.

“I’m… not sure…” the guard was hesitant to include three young strangers but Twinken gently tugged on the guard's armor.

“I don’t mind you all coming," he said kindly before looking to the foals, "Trust me, royal court matters are real boring unless you’re a grownup.”

“Splendid, what a generous young member of the royal family,” Golden Glitters’ mother swooned whilst sharing with her son a conspiratorial look.

“Daddy! I want to see the prince with you!” Piani protested.

“Honey, Daddy promises to talk to the prince about arranging that concert you want to perform in, or my name’s not Boli Coca!” assured Piani's father in kind yet parental condescension.

“You’d better!” Piani grumbled as she and Golden both stood next to Twinken while Gilded Bit and Silver Striker continued to bicker.

“Son, I respect your following your own dreams,” Gilded Bit said with an even tone but a slight look of irritation on his face, “but it would do you well to learn a little about etiquette and dealing with royalty.”

“Well, according to what we just heard, Dad, that’s just what I’ll be doing with the prince’s brother here,” Silver debated as he went over to Twinken and ruffled his mane rather abruptly that Twinken pulled his head free.

“Oh let him go, Mr. Bits,” Golden Glitters’ mother pressed as though the matter were no big deal. “The children will be fine and I’d wager they’d find this preferable to some stuffy meeting where they’d quickly become bored.”

“Yeah let `em go,” Boli agreed in a laid-back manner.

Gilded Bit sighed and nodded his son his permission, while Twinken said to his escort, “I don’t mind.”

“Very well then, Sir Twinken,” the guard nodded before saying to the foals, “Stick close, don’t wander off, and don’t touch anything.”

The Guard led the four foals from the room and down a long corridor heading towards the kitchens.

Using the walk as an opportunity, the three noble children closed in on Twinken with wide smiles pasted on their muzzles.

"So, Sir Twinken, it's an honor to spend time with you. After all the things your brother has done for Equestria, it's truly a great experience to meet you both." the young earth pony, Golden Glitter said, his words oozing with smugness but sounding weird by his bad Canterlot accent.

Twinken suspected it was being forced.

"Yeah it's awesome to meet ya, Sir Twinken. With all the games I've been in around Equestria, I've heard heaps about Prince Midnight and his friends. Getting to hang with you is totally sweet!" said Silver Striker, the unicorn athlete teenage colt, his words a mix of immense pride in Midnight, and in himself.

The pegasus filly with them, Piani Coca, who seemed more annoyed then happy, followed along behind the group. "I too am glad, though I wish that my 'father'" - she said the word with an odd distaste to Twinken's confusion - "was not ruining the experience by embarrassing my reputation in front of the Prince... like he always does..."

Twinken took in their words, feeling good but a tad uncomfortable. He knew from Midnight that high society ponies tended to be snooty and arrogant (although, having met Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur, Twinken didn’t think that was truly the norm), but it seemed their foals at least, hadn't taken those traits to heart.

The guard led them for a while as the group continued to spout about how excited they were to be spending time with him and praising his brother's exploits. However after a while, it seemed that their praise was more directed at his brother then anything at him. He didn't mind them liking his brother, but he'd prefer to be friends on his own merit rather than just because of his brother's popularity.

The group arrived in the kitchens, all hungry and ready for lunch. The guard chuckled at the kids as their tummies rumbled.

"I'll go speak with the chefs and see if they can prepare something for you all. They might be a bit busy so just hang on for a tick." the group nodded as he directed them to some tables out along a balcony jutting out from the end of the hall opposite the kitchens.

As the guard entered the kitchens, the foals all took up positions at the tables, and the praise started to change.

"So Sir Twinken, you haven't been around Canterlot much. After lunch maybe I can take you to some of my favorite places. Together we'd get into the cinemas and the play halls easily and get the best seats. Maybe we could even pay a visit to the Canterlot galleria and get free access to the arcade machines. Nopony would deny the brother of Prince Midnight and the son of Gold Spade."

Golden Glitter was puffing out his chest like a peacock as he placed his suggestion. However, for all the fun the cinema or the galleria would be, Twinken could tell that Golden wanted to try and ride up on Prince Midnight's fame to get better seats or free access. However before Twinken could say anything, it was Silver Striker's turn to grab his attention.

"Ooh, you should check out my basketball skills. I bet a unicorn like you has a fair bit of magic skill, so and I would probably have a blast out on the field. Heck, after we play, I bet you'll see how awesome I am and Prince Midnight might consider sponsoring my basketball career... and I'll make sure you always get free seats to my games, of course."

It seemed Silver was far more direct about hoping to use Midnight's influence than Golden Glitters, but Twinken was already getting uncomfortable. He turned to see if Piani Coca, expecting a similar desire for Midnight's fame, only for her to give him a shrug.

"I just want my father to stop ruining things for me. Trying to start up a music career is hard enough when you're young and don't have any contacts, but with my embarrassing father continually butting his big nose into everything and making a fool of himself, it’s even more difficult. I was hoping you may be able to have your brother speak with him and make him stop behaving so inappropriately."

The three foals stared at Twinken, as though hoping he would clap his hooves and suddenly all their desires would just poof into existence. Golden Glitters wanted to reap the benefits of being friends with the brother of a prince. Silver Striker wanted to advance his basketball career by getting a prince’s support through his brother. Piani Coca seemed to just want to be distanced from her embarrassing father so she could advance herself.

None of them however seemed to really want to be with Twinken, just use him for his connections to Midnight. What he would have to tell them would not be pleasant.

"Look guys, I think you've got the wrong idea here. I'm Midnight's brother sure, but I don't have any royal influence myself, and trying to go through me to get Midnight's help won't work. He's going to be busy for a while with Princess Celestia and Prince Sombra out of Canterlot, and when he's done he and I are going to be spending some brother time together. Plus I know he isn't the type to just flaunt his rank around to get things. I don't think he can just give you whatever you want simply because you want it, Golden, or just sponsor you for no reason, Silver. He might be able to talk with your dad, Piani, but he can't order him to act like anything but himself, and why would you want that? He's your family after all."

Twinken suddenly came to the realisation that maybe these foals weren't so different from the rest of the nobility after all, as the three of them suddenly glared at him.

"Are you telling me I've been trying to waste my time with you for nothing?! I have far better things to do then waste my time on some bumpkin unicorn from a hick one-horse town! If you can't help me then you’re worthless!" Golden's face with filled with disgust, as though he honestly couldn't' believe that Twinken was even in Canterlot, let alone the castle if he held no royal privileges.

"Yeah, you stupid loser! There are plenty of important ponies I can get connections with! I figured hanging with you could help my chances, but you aren't worth wasting my time on! Why are you even in Canterlot?!" Silver Striker smacked his hoof on the table, his teeth grit in anger and all pleasantness dropped from his voice.

Piani looked at Twinken with disdain but there was something in her eyes that indicated she felt ashamed on a minute level.

Twinken shrank back in his seat, biting his lip, unsure of what to do. Golden Glitters and Silver Striker suddenly reminded him of Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, spoiled brats with an undeserved sense of entitlement, and didn’t care what they had to do or who they inconvenienced to get it.

Piani was different somehow but she sighed in mild frustration as she turned her nose up at Twinken and looked away while Golden Glitters added another hurtful barb, “What’s a useless colt like you even doing with a prince in royal court? What’s so special about you that he’d let you work with him?”

That one pushed a button and Twinken got riled as he rose up in his seat, about to snap back when-

The doors of the balcony flew open as a chef appeared, announcing, “Luncheon is served, Sir Twinken!”

He clapped his hooves and five waiters stepped onto the balcony, surrounding the table with various delicious-looking dishes. While the chef bragged of his delicacies, Twinken gave each of the noble ponies’ children a stink eye but they all simply looked at their food instead, having lost any and all interest in Twinken.

After they all had eaten, Twinken’s guard escort led them all back to royal court, where Midnight was wrapping up matters with Piani’s father, Boli Coca, and Golden and Silver’s parents were waiting for them.

“Hey! There’s my little rising star!” Boli smiled when he saw his daughter enter along with the rest of the children.

“I trust the kids have had their fills?” Midnight asked rhetorically before stating, “Because I’ve had mine of court matters. Gilded Bit, Gold Spade, and Boli Coca, I am concluding royal court today. We shall resume the topics that were just under discussion tomorrow before noon.”

While the grownups agreed and led their children out of the throne room whilst in heated discussion with each other, Twinken watched Silver Striker and Golden Glitters give him looks of scorn. But he was glad to see Piani’s look was apologetic albeit hesitant.

“Hey little bro!”

“WHA!” Twinken startled and turned to see Midnight standing right next to him been though he’d been on the other side of the throne room just a moment ago.

“How was lunch with those guys?” Midnight asked casually.

“Um… it was…” Twinken hesitated, unsure of how to discuss this, “something. Golden Glitters wanted to hang out, Silver Striker was talking about wanting to go pro in basketball, and Piani wants to become a musical celebrity like her dad.”

“Well that’s good to hear,” Midnight replied as he led Twinken out of the throne room, “cuz’ I was getting a vibe that perhaps those kids weren’t the sort I’d like you to hang around.”

Twinken was glad Midnight was looking ahead as he wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to hide the look of discomfort and doubt he wore.
“Um, how was it speaking to their parents?”

“Not as bad as I expected, which is more than I can say for everypony else I’ve dealt with today,” Midnight sighed. “Gold Spade wants to open a casino right here in Canterlot, but I highly doubt Celestia would like that. Gilded Bit wants to recycle some old bits and make them into new bits to be released into the economy, and Boli was… actually kinda cool.”

“Whattya mean?” Twinken asked, curious to hear about Piani’s father.

“He was a little obnoxious but real funny,” Midnight chuckled, “nothing like all those stuffy snoots among the Canterlot Elite. He even ripped a fart and called it his next hit!”

Twinken was confused - Piani acted so mature and proper while her father was actually a lot more laid-back and not concerned with “proper etiquette” despite having been in front of royalty.

“I’m gonna take you to Twilight’s old tower,” Midnight said, breaking Twinken out of his wonder. “I arranged it to get cleaned up and had some stuff taken there to keep you occupied. I gotta grab a bite.”

“Can’t I go with you?” Twinken asked.

“Uh…!” Midnight hesitated, his eyes getting shifty for a moment, “No, I’m… going to a… a bar! Nopony under twenty-one allowed.”

Maybe it came from being a part of the Apple Family but Twinken felt his brother wasn’t being entirely truthful as he narrowed his eyes. Midnight tensed at the way his brother was looking at him and sighed.
“Alright, there’s something I have to look into, and I can’t have you with me.”

“What is it?” Twinken asked with a sigh. “I thought you said we’d hang out more after royal court was over.”

“Something came up while you were having lunch,” Midnight admitted. “Twinken, I wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t important, and you have been a real trooper today, putting up with all this and even helping me! But I promise - Tomorrow, I’ll try and finish my share of royal court and we’ll get back to it being just you and me.”

Twinken passed the time in Twilight’s tower by reading one of the magic books Midnight had sent up there. Midnight had sworn he would be only an hour or two, but as the hands of the clock tediously dragged on, Twinken began to lose interest in his book, and couldn’t help but reflect on what had happened after he’d left royal court for lunch.

Golden Glitters and Silver Striker had turned out to be just the kind of high-n-mighty self-entitled brats Twinken had feared they were. Calling him unworthy and useless next to his brother, a prince, and saying he didn’t belong in Canterlot. Of course, Twinken didn’t believe in their trash-talk. Really he didn’t.

But then there was Piani Coca. While she hadn’t exactly been friendly, she’d still acted (more or less) polite except she’d spoken less-than-savory words about her father.

Doesn’t she realize how lucky she is…? Twinken thought with a sigh as he put the book he’d been reading away and crawled into bed. I never got to know my dad. Or my mom… The day Midnight adopted me as his brother was the best day of my life! Those jerks, saying I don’t deserve Midnight as a brother?!

Twinken was just too drowsy to care, as he used his aura to flip the switch on the bedside lamp so that only the fading dusk and gentle glow of the night sky illuminated the tower through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The young colt sighed, wondering why those jerks’ words continued to bother him despite his conviction that they didn’t.

“Forget them…” Twinken sighed as he closed his eyes, feeling the drifting pull of sleep carry him away...

Author's Note

Guest star OCs are:

Golden Glitters and his mother Gold Spade (c) by Creative Quill

Silver Striker and his father Gilded Bit (c) by SilverBlazeOne

Piani Coca and her father Boli Coca (c) by Parukia_de_Bolivar

190. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Part 3

Twinken looked around, unsure of where he was until the disorientation cleared up and he saw he was in the throne room. When had he come here?

“Twinken, come on, bro, focus, we have a lot to do today and I need your help.”

Twinken jerked up, just now noticing that Midnight was standing in front of the throne, a scroll in his hooves and three impatient looking stallions in front of him. Deciding to ignore how he arrived in the throne room for the moment, Twinken nodded and quickly trotted over to his brother. It was clear to him that Midnight needed him. Forget those rich snobs from earlier; he knew he wasn’t some hindrance.

The young colt stood beside his brother and took the scroll from him. After doing so however, he noticed the three stallions glaring at him, as though disgusted he was even there. Their stares made him feel uneasy, but one glance at Midnight’s comforting smile and he felt better. Whoever these stallions were, they could think whatever they wanted about him. As long as he had his brother, their opinion didn’t matter one bit.

“Okay, Twinken, I’ve just been discussing some new reforms to the tax code and #$%* *%&&# !@*^”

Twinken blinked and looked at his brother. Huh?

“Uh, Midnight, I think I must be sleepy or something. What was that last part?”

Midnight rolled his eyes but started again.
“I said %*#( !@&&* )(8$. Okay?”

Twinken blinked again. What?

Seeing the confusion on his brother’s face Midnight just facehooved and gave an irritated sigh.
“Look, it’s all on that scroll in front of you, just give it a quick look over, we need to get started here.”

Sensing his brother’s irritation growing, Twinken hurried to comply. He quickly broke the binding on the scroll and unrolled it, only to stall.
‘&$#% **^! ~)*&^^% ^#*&@((@ (9366#*^%’

The whole thing was just gibberish. Just symbols and numbers randomly written all over the thing. He looked up at Midnight helplessly, hoping to see mirth on his face and a chuckle at the joke he just pulled. Instead he just looked extremely annoyed that Twinken still had no idea what was going on. He raised his hooves to his temples and gave them a rub, gritting his eyes closed in frustration.

“Twinken, this is very simple stuff here. If you can’t follow along then I think it’s best you just let me handle this whole thing. Obviously you aren’t up to the task of being my assistant. I’ll just flag down a staff member and get them to help me. I think you should go.”

Then, without a shred of remorse or even a scrap of care, Midnight turned back to the stallion in front of him, completely ignoring the crushed and heartbroken expression that crossed Twinken’s face.
“Gentlecolts, I think we should continue this in the private chambers while my ‘little brother’ heads off and leaves us to our business. Please follow me.”

The stallions nodded, all looking extremely pleased that Twinken had just been dismissed. They each gave the young unicorn another glare before following after Midnight, who led them out of the room without so much as twitching his head in Twinken’s direction.

“W-Wait Midnight! Please, I can help! Just give me another chance!”

Twinken’s cries went unheard as the prince left the room, the stallions following behind. The young colt just sat still, tears welling into his eyes. How could Midnight do that to him? Didn’t he care? Did Twinken mean nothing to him?

Was he just useless?

Mocking laughter filled the air as Twinken turned to find that the throne, had disappeared behind him and instead hosted a podium where Silver Striker and Golden Glitters stood proudly above, pointing at him as the laughed and laughed. The sneers on their faces tore into Twinken even more as the cruel laughter echoed around the room.

“Stop it! Stop laughing at me!” Twinken cried, the tears sliding down his cheeks and the pain in his heart rapidly growing.

The laughter just seemed to grow louder at his protests, the sneers growing wider and the hatred and disgust in their eyes burning into him even more.

“I said STOP IT!!”

“Why should they?”
“They’re just laughing at your mistake.”
“You should know the truth by now.”

Twinken gasped and looked to his side to see the dark smirks of his oldest tormentors. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon just stood there smugly, seeming to delight in the cruel laughter that continued to grow and echo around the room, a tempest of mockery and shame.

“What are you two doing here?” Twinken cringed, backing away from them and the two colts on the podium above him.

The young fillies just stared him down, the smug grins not leaving their faces for a second.

“We’re here to pound the truth into your skull, Twinken.” Silver Spoon said giving her pigtailed hair a flip and raising her nose snobbishly in the air .

“You know the truth but you just keep ignoring it. We’ve tried and tried to drill it into your head but you just wouldn’t listen,” Diamond Tiara squinted at him darkly, like she could pierce right through him.

“What… what are you talking about…” Twinken said, splaying his ears down and covering them with his hooves as the mocking laughed blared around, so loud now he could barely think.

Silver Spoon spoke again, and despite the laughter and his attempts to block it out, he could hear her plain as day. “You know, Twinken. You’ve always known, but today just proved it.”

“You deny it and deny it, always trying to reassure yourself it’s not true, but deep down you know the truth. Admit it, Twinken, admit what you know in your heart is true.”

Around him the laughter was so loud his ears were ringing in pain. Silver Striker and Golden Glitters above started to grow, becoming twice his height, then four times, then brushing against the ceiling in seconds, the mocking laughter blaring out so loud it burned!

“Aagh! It hurts… please stop… please!” Twinken cried backing up away from the giants and from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon who continued to smirk at him, not moving a step.

“Admit it, Twinken! Admit the truth!” Silver Spoon screamed, her voice cutting through the laughter with ease and an insane grin crossing her muzzle.

“It won’t stop, Twinken! Not now, not ever! Admit what you know is true!” Diamond Tiara cackled, her eyes manic and bloodshot, filling Twinken with horror.

The gigantic colts behind them started to advance, their mocking laughter piercing and burning through their sharp dragon-like teeth!

Twinken couldn’t stand it anymore. He turned and fled, running as fast as his young legs could take him. He burst through the throne doors into and endless hallway. As he ran, ripples seemed to spread from his hooves and over the walls. With every ripple, the stones turned dark and old, torches burst into life, the flames crackle and spitting. All the windows seemed to explode and the sky outside turned dark, with lightning crackling through the air and monstrous howls echoing through the night. Suddenly the throne room doors behind him exploded and the gigantic colts barrelled towards him, their laughter blaring at him as they advanced.

“There’s no use running, Twinken! You know the truth!” a ghostly apparition of Silver Spoon floated alongside him.

“Admit it! Admit what you know is true!” a ghostly Diamond Tiara appeared on his other side, her face the picture of insanity.

Twinken ran and ran, but the hallway just seemed to go on forever, and the giants smashing through the walls behind him were getting closer and closer.

“ALRIGHT! I ADMIT IT! I’M USELESS OK?!? I’M USELESS! LEAVE ME ALONE!” Twinken screamed, his eyes bursting over with tears as he ran for his life.

Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon joined in the laughter at his admission, circling him around and around. The laughter was unbearable, it burned him to his core.

Suddenly the floor gave way and Twinken screamed as he fell through blackness. As he fell, the laughter turned into chanting around him, the voices of his tormentors refuses to leave.

USELESS - WORTHLESS - PATHETIC - NOTHING

The chants echoed over and over, worse the laughter, so loud that even his own screams couldn’t silence them. Below him Twinken could see flames, burning and sparking, waiting to reduce him to ashes. Standing amongst them was his brother.

Midnight’s wings were spread and his eyes glowing red.
“You are worthless, Twinken! I am a Prince! An Element of Harmony! A defender of the realm! I don’t need a whiny, clumsy, good-for-nothing colt like you! Now BURN!”

The flames grew around him as Midnight coldly turned his back on the young colt and vanished like a wisp of smoke. The chanting grew louder and louder, piercing, screaming, burning through his soul!
Twinken closed his eyes as the flames rapidly approached him. He could feel their heat and he gave a final scream…

“ENOUGH!”

Suddenly, there was nothing. No heat, no chanting, no laughter.

Just silence.

Twinken slowly opened his eyes as he felt land under his hooves. However all around him was nothing but blackness. There was nothing beneath him, and yet he could stand. As he looked around in confusion, a blinding light burst into view in front of him. The young colt squinted as he saw a form approaching him through the light, wings spread out and a feeling of warmth and love started to flow through him.

“You are dreaming, young colt. A dream of darkness and pain. But they shall not bother you any further, for you are now under my protection. I am the guardian of the dreamscape and I will protect you, my child.”

The light faded as the figure pulled Twinken close and wrapped him in a hug. The warmth and love was so strong, that for a moment, it felt as though nothing in the world could ever hurt him. After a moment, the figure pulled away and Twinken got a look at his savior.

“Princess Luna!”

“Be still, young Twinken, I am here.”

“But, I- Wait… did you say ‘dream’?” Twinken asked, puzzled not only by Luna’s appearance but his mind started to rise out of the current of cacophony that so easily swept up anyone in their sleep.

“I am the Princess of the Night,” Luna confirmed with a smile and a little dramatic flair. “Therefore it is my duty to watch over my little ponies as they dream. I sensed the fear and darkness overwhelming you and came to help you.”

Princess Luna gave the colt a look over, as though seeing through him to the troubles on his heart. She gave him a smile of compassion and understanding and raised her hoof. As she did so, the darkness around them receded, now showing them to be standing on a hill beneath a starry night sky.

“The nightmare you were having was strong indeed, young Twinken. Please, let me help you. Tell me, what dark thoughts weigh upon you that haunt you so?”

For a moment, Twinken wasn’t sure. The feelings of uselessness and inadequacy plagued him, but they felt like his burden to bear. However one looked at the warm smiling face of the princess before him, and Twinken spoke.

“I… I’ve just been feeling really badly for a while now, Princess, and today seemed to confirm it for me. I grew up in an orphanage. Around me, lots of young colts and fillies all got adopted except me. I thought ‘was something wrong with me?’ ‘Why does nopony want me?’ And then, one day, Midnight came. He loved me and accepted me and adopted me as his brother. I was so happy. Then Midnight kept saving the day and becoming an alicorn prince, and I just felt… I just felt so small next to him.

“He was this big hero, and I was just a little unicorn colt he took in. I just… I just feel so useless. He goes out saving the day and helping ponies and being this big royal prince, and I’m just… just his little brother. The little colt who can’t do anything. I just… I love my brother, so much and I want to help him… I want to feel useful, like I matter. But I keep messing up. Just today these colts and filly showed me that, beside Midnight, I don’t belong. He’s the big hero, and I’m… I’m nothing…”

Twinken hadn’t realized he was crying as he spoke, or noticed as his voice wavered. But he was fully aware of the warm hug that wrapped around him as he finished his tale. Luna held him close, letting him know how much she cared.

“Twinken, I too, know the feelings of being useless and inferior compared to an older sibling. I know it far better than most. Celestia was always the big hero, the alicorn savior that everypony loved, while I went unappreciated and ignored. But what I had forgotten in my grief and rage, and what you have forgotten as well, is that these feelings, they are unnecessary. Just like Celestia with me, Midnight loves you. He didn’t adopt you and take you in as some sort of joke. You aren’t just some novelty he keeps around. He loves you, with all his heart.”

The Princess leaned down so she could look right into Twinken’s eyes and be sure he understood her words clearly.

“Regardless of what the so-called “noble ponies” think or say about you, for an unfortunate number of them are in no way noble. Regardless of what anypony says about you. Regardless of the doubts and insecurities that dwell within you and weigh you down. Regardless of everything, remember this. To Midnight, and to all the ponies that love you, including myself, you will always be needed.

“Being ‘needed’ doesn’t always mean for something big or important, like looking over tax protocols or new bills. Sometimes all that’s needed of you is to be yourself, to be there for those you care about, and give them all the support you can offer and show them that you care. Even the smallest gesture of kindness can make a world of difference.”

Twinken stared back at Luna, seeing the truth in her eyes, the complete certainty she was right.

“Are… are you sure, Princess?” he asked hesitantly, rubbing his shoulder and looking away in nervousness, as though she was about to tell him that all her words had just been a lie.

“Yes, young Twinken. I am completely sure. But do not simply take my words for it. Let us see what your brother has to say.”

Raising her horn to the stars, Luna cast a spell high into the sky. The stars above twinkling for a moment, before the all started to fall in a beautiful meteor shower. Within moments, the stars dropped to the ground, little balls of twinkling light, forming a ring around the two ponies. The glow surrounding them grew brighter, and a vacuuming affect surrounding Twinken. He and Luna slowly started ascending into the sky, rowing fast and faster. Twinken watched as the ground grew further away until he could see the whole planet below him, as the darkness of the night sky surrounded him. The two flew up and up until another circle of light appeared before them and they flew straight through it.

The light was so bright that for a moment, everything was white. Then a door opening sound flickered into the young colts ears and he looked around to see that he and Luna had just exited a door in a new place. All around them the sky, the ground, everything was a pleasant luminescent bright blue, with sparkling white light glowing and flowing about.

Standing side by side, as though they were in an invisible hallway that seemed to stretch on forever, was hundreds and hundreds of doors, almost each and everyone of them displaying a cutie mark. He turned to the door that he and Luna had just exited, only to find it bore no cutie mark on it. Yet he could feel this door, as though it was a part of him, and he understood.

This door was a doorway into his subconscious, into his dreams. Whereas the others must have been doors into the dreams of other ponies. He looked about seeing, a gift mark, a star mark, a treble clef mark. Dozens and dozens of marks.

“Come, young colt, I think it is time I showed you Midnight’s dreams.”

The alicorn started to float down the hallway, and Twinken, felt himself following along. He passed door after door, seeing some he recognized, and others he didn’t Until finally they arrived at a door with the cutie mark of a pale bluish-white crescent moon on its back facing upwards, almost enveloping a star of the same color surrounded by pure-white twinkles. The door to Midnight’s dreams.

Luna opened the doorway and gestured for Twinken to look within. Twinken, still feeling completely surreal in this dream world, nodded and complied. Within Twinken saw his brother sitting at a desk, surrounded by darkness, and the desktop covered with papers, one stack on one side, several more on the floor around him. Midnight looked tired, bored out of his skull, but the sigh he made was sad and lonely.

Twinken felt his heart tug him towards his brother and almost stepped through the door into Midnight’s dream when...

“Hey, Midnight, are you still stuck doing paperwork? I was hoping to practice some more magic with you.”

Twinken looked on in surprise as he saw himself walk into the scene, a smile wide on the dream-Twinken’s face and an aura of joy.

Midnight looked up and smiled as a bright warmth filled up his face.
“For you, Twinken, absolutely. With all these dumb royal duties I have, I don’t get to spend as much time with you as I wish I could.”

Twinken listened as the dream version of himself replied, “Don’t worry, big brother, I know being a prince comes with a lot of responsibilities and that a lot of ponies count on you.”

Midnight however shook his head and pulled the dream-Twinken into his arms.
“I know I have responsibilities Twinken, but that doesn’t matter to me. You’re my brother and you should always come first.”

He looked down at the little colt in his forelegs, a warm smile on his muzzle.
“It doesn’t matter to me, what royal duties I have or what responsibilities I’m given. You matter to me more than any of it. I love you, little brother.”

“I love you too, big brother.” Dream-Twinken said and the two gave each other a warm nuzzle.

Seeing it, Twinken couldn’t help but smile and even felt a few tears well up in his eyes, for even though it was a dream of himself he could feel his brother’s love.

“Do you see now, young colt? Regardless of what the fools of Canterlot think, to your brother, you matter immensely, and you always will. It is a lesson I learned far too late.” Princess Luna wrapped the young colt in her wing and pulled him close to her side in a sign of affection.

As she did so, the dream Midnight was having changed. The dark and dreary office Midnight had been sitting in morphed into his bedroom, where Twilight Sparkle now lay across his bed, wearing some sultry socks that almost completely covered her legs.

“So Midnight, I’ve been a naughty little filly. What are you going to do with me?” She purred sliding a hoof over her side sensually.

As the Midnight in the dream gave a sexy growl and wiggled his brows at the dream-Twilight, Princess Luna quickly slammed the door shut.

“Uh-heh heh. I think we’re done with Midnight’s dream for the moment.” She stuttered, her cheeks now glowing red.

Twinken was reddening too, as Luna then cleared her throat.
“I can feel your anxiety has left you, Twinken. I am glad I was able to help you feel better.”

“I do, and thank you, Princess Luna,” Twinken smiled at the princess but felt like he was missing something.

“Does something still trouble you, young one?” Luna inquired, wondering if she’d missed something as well.

“It’s nothing big, it’s…” Twinken thought about it before explaining. “When I was helping Midnight, I got hungry and so he had a guard take me to get lunch. On our way out of the throne room, we met three ponies who wanted to speak with Midnight, and their children. One of them was a filly named… Piani, Piani Coca, and...”

“And…?” Luna pressed.

“She said some bad things about her father, a musician, I think, named Boli Coca,” Twinken answered. “Before I fell asleep, I thought about Piani and was thinking ‘Doesn’t she realize how lucky she is to have a dad? To have a parent who loves her?’ I mean, I grew up in an orphanage, and I love my brother, I do! But I’ve always wondered how great it would be, to have a dad and a mom!

“I just… Well, I get parents can be embarrassing, but… Piani should thank her lucky stars to have a father.”

“Hmm, perhaps we should look into that,” Luna suggested, and almost at once, the hall of dreams they stood in moved, doors zipping past them like a blur and almost as quickly as it began the hall came to an abrupt stop!

Twinken was confused, when Luna looked to a door that had no mark. Recalling the door to his own dreams didn’t have a mark either, Twinken assumed this door led to Piani’s dreams and it being blank meant she too didn’t have a cutie-mark either.

Luna tapped the door with her horn and it swung open.

Looking through it, they saw Piani, wearing a pretty emerald green dress, standing on a stage before an audience of featureless ponies, and she was playing a piano, the melody of a classical piece sounding.

Luna appeared to gaze hard at Piani’s dream and then spoke.
“Piani is like you, Twinken.”

“Huh?” Twinken looked at Luna in confusion as the princess continued to gaze upon the filly and her dream.

“She too grew up in an orphanage. She never knew her birth parents and was often alone in school. One day, her class went on a field trip to the Canterlot Opera House, where she saw a musician perform, and became inspired to become a classical musician.

“She wound up being adopted by Boli Coca, and at first it was a close and loving bond. But as she grew older, she learned her adoptive father preferred more lively kinds of music and thought classical was boring…”

As if responding to Luna’s narrative, Twinken saw the dream take a different direction.

“C’mon, Sweetheart!”

Piani’s dream self startled, hitting a sour note, and she gawked at the front row, and there was Boli Coca. He was gazing up at Piani with a mischievous smile and saying, “Play something big and loud!”

“Father…!” Piani whisper-shouted but was cut off by a not-so-subtle cough and she looked up towards a box-seat.

Twinken saw in the box-seat were three ponies. He only recognized Octavia Melody but the other two were unknown to him.

“Frederick Horseshoepin and Parish Nandermane,” Luna spoke up, having noticed the confused look on Twinken’s face. “They, along with Octavia Melody, are Piani’s idols in classical music. In her dream, they are critics, and she is desperate to impress them.”

“Come on, Piani!”

Piani and Twinken looked to the wing of the stage and there was another Boli Coca, dressed as a stagehoof.

“Knock `em dead!”

“Would you be-” Piani protested.

“Is there a problem, Miss Coca?” Octavia spoke up in a sharp judgemental tone.

“Uh- No, ma’am!” Piani began to sweat.

“Then complete your piece,” Octavia all but demanded.

Twinken could see this dream was taking an unsavory turn for Piani, as she forced herself to concentrate on her piece and continued to play.

But then she heard some laughing and they both looked up to the critics and saw a third Boli Coca laughing with them.

“Daddy!” Piani shouted, “What are you-”

“Miss Coca! We have no interest in being here unless you play your piece! Now play!” Octavia snapped but then smiled at Boli next to her. “Now, Mr. Coca, say that joke about the alpaca from Peru again?”

They laughed again and Piani lost her temper, “DADDY!”

Unfortunately she slammed her hooves so hard on the keys of her piano that she heard and felt something break, and the audience gasped while Piani felt like her heart was in a vice.

“We came here, as a favor to your father, to listen to your piece,” Octavia said with a warning rise of her voice. “If you’re just intending to waste our time, then perhaps we needn’t bother with you again!”

Piani was whining in fretful worry, when…

“You can do it, honey!”
“Show em what you’re made of!” “You’re my little girl! I know you can do it!” “Wowem!”

Twinken saw the audience had become a crowd of Boli Cocas, all shouting words of encouragement to Piani. But it did nothing to alleviate Piani’s worrying, as the suffocating encouragement from her father on all sides and the judgemental gazes of her idols spiraled into a nightmare. Twinken could see the fear and discomfort on Piani’s face, and felt compelled to go in there and help her, even if he didn’t know how and despite the fact Piani hadn’t exactly been friendly to him before.

“I think we’re done here,” Luna decided, and she closed the door to Piani’s dreams.

“What was her nightmare about, Princess Luna?” Twinken looked up at her, trying to understand what he had just seen.

“Piani Coca, as you just found out, is Boli Coca’s adopted daughter,” Luna explained. “The first two years after he adopted her, Boli and Piani were as close as father and daughter could be, regardless of blood-tie or lack thereof.

“But as she got older, Piani began to notice how different she and her adoptive father were. She liked classical music and sophistication, he liked loud and wild music and enjoyed being himself, even if his ludicrous behavior was frowned upon by stuffy socialites. Not only that, Piani began to feel overshadowed by her father’s celebrity status and his career. She wants to become a greater musician and step out of his shadow and be recognized, and she’s often been embarrassed of him and being associated with him. She has almost forgotten the bond they once shared and her inability to accept her father for who he is while trying to be her own pony has slowly driven a wedge between them.”

“That’s really sad!” Twinken couldn’t imagine something like that happening to him and Midnight.

Sure, he’d felt afraid of losing his brother because of his position and royal responsibilities, and feared being unable to be useful. But this was something else. Piani had allowed her vanity and ambition to blind her to her father’s love and encouragement, and was allowing it to distance her from the stallion who took her in as his daughter.

But as he puzzled, Luna announced, “I’m afraid we’re gonna have to wrap this up, young Twinken. Dawn is approaching and your dreams are over.”

Twinken nodded in understanding before smiling with deep appreciation.
“Thank you so much, Princess Luna, for all that you’ve said and done.”

Luna smiled back at him warmly, “I care about and watch over all my little ponies, Twinken, and I always will. So know that, if ever you have fears and doubts again, that they manifest in your dreams to trouble you more, remember that I won’t be far and will help you when you need it.”

Twinken smiled at her again and was about to say more when he felt dazed and everything blurred into a shadowy view, and he groaned.

“Mmmph…” Twinken’s eyes slowly edged open, and he noticed the slowly-brightening glow of morning, and recalled everything he’d dreamt of.

He sat up, stretching his forelegs and back as he pondered for a few moments, and then smirked in determination.

“Today is gonna be a good day!”

Author's Note

My partner Pontiac56 did Twinken and Midnight's dreams, I did Piani Coca's dream

Piani Coca and her adoptive father Boli Coca (c) by Parukia_de_Bolivar

When Parukia explained these two OCs to me, I found them more interesting, due to the differences between them and the dynamic of their relationship I felt was worth exploring

191. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Ending

Midnight kept gazing back and forth from Luna and Twinken as the two smirked at each other across the table, as they had breakfast in one of the nicer dining rooms of the castle.

“Okay, I’m missing something here. What’s up between you two?”

Twinken gave another look to Luna before the two started to chuckle. “Nothing important, bro. We just had a nice talk earlier, that’s all.”

Midnight wasn’t sure he bought that, but the two seemed happy and in high spirits, so he decided to drop it and focus on his cheese’d scrambled eggs and hay-bacon.
“Alrighty-then. I recommend we eat up because it looks like we’ll be in for another busy day today. I’m gonna need my fellow royal and my assistant if we wanna make it through this until Celestia and Sombra show up.”

“Indeed, there are still partitions to see to and when the nobility is ignored they tend to raise a fuss the we do not care for,” Luna nodded.

Twinken smiled and nodded before finishing his toast and gulping down his glass of juice (he hoped Applejack never found out it was orange juice and not apple juice).

An hour or so later, the trio entered into the throne room, where six familiar ponies were already waiting for them. Boli Coca, Gold Spade, and Gilded Bit all stood patiently by the throne (although Gold Spade looked a little irritated she had had to wait at all, more so that she was not first). Golden Glitter stood by his mother, looking as smug as ever, Silver Striker, impatient and clearly wanting to get the whole thing over with while his father Gilded Bit whipped his tail at his son’s flank to get him to stop fidgeting, and Piani Coca, looking parts frustrated and parts resigned, as though she wanted nothing more than to be absent from the room and particularly her father next to her.

As Luna and Midnight started to head towards the thrones to begin the portioning, Twinken stopped and watched as the three foals turned to him.

With their parents right next to them, Glitter and Striker held their tongues, but they still glared across the room, the discussion from yesterday still at the front of their minds. Piani glanced at him for a moment before turning her gaze away, not wanting to start anything, but not caring enough to initiate contact.

Twinken ignored the gazes from the two colts, but he seemed a bit disheartened that Piani wouldn’t even look at him. He recalled the events of her dreams last night and he determined to do the right thing. He turned to see whether his brother needed him, but Midnight was already in conversation with Luna on how to proceed. However he did see Luna turn to him just slightly and give him a wink.

It brought a confident smile to Twinken’s face, and the little unicorn moved towards Piani with purpose.

Luna then cleared her throat and declared, “We shall be seeing you one at a time though your children may remain with you so long as they do not disrupt proceedings. Gold Spade, Gilded Bit, take your sons and wait outside.”

“Boli Coca, you may step forward and state your business,” Midnight invited, ignoring the disgruntled look on Gold Spade while Gilded Bit was more resigned.

As they left with their parents, Golden Glitters and Silver Striker threw Twinken some mocking looks, but to their confusion he simply smiled at them as though they’d waved and said hello.

Now that it was just him, his daughter, the royal family before him, Boli stated, “Your Highnesses, I’m in kind of a jam right now. See, I’m drumming up a musical showcase with different kinds of music and musicians, like Frederick Horsehoepin and Sapphire Shores.”

Twinken then noticed Piani roll her eyes at the choices her father had brought up and understood. Frederick Horsehoepin was a pianist who played classical music whereas Sapphire was known as the Pony of Pop.

“My problem however is getting enough ponies to attend!” Boli went on. “My lineups of styled musicians might not work well together and some of the audience members might not like the different kinds of music! Not only that, the musicians themselves might not get along or be willing to work together onstage!”

Midnight and Luna shared a look and started considering a solution to Boli’s problem. Twinken looked at Piani again, seeing her huff in irritation, and he knew she didn’t approve of her father’s decisions.

Suddenly, Twinken recalled two residents in Ponyville, and it slowly began to dawn on him as he smiled!

“Hey Mister Coca! Could I suggest something?”

Midnight and Luna looked at Twinken while Boli looked a little hesitant.

“Um… Well, Sir Twinken, is it?” Boli smiled nervously, unsure of how to respond without insulting the younger brother of an alicorn prince. “I’m… not sure-”

“Mister Coca, I really do have an idea I think you might like,” Twinken assured, “I’m not trying to waste your time.”

“Boli, my brother is smarter than you think,” Midnight said with a calm smile but there was something behind his eyes that dared Boli to ignore the colt.
“If he really believes he has an idea that can help you, what’s the harm in hearing it?”

“Well, okay!” Boli gulped before nodding to Twinken, “Go ahead, kiddo.”

Twinken smiled appreciatively and started.
“My big brother and I live in Ponyville, and I know two musicians there who you and your daughter might know: Octavia Melody and Vinyl Scratch!”

“The famous cellist?!” Piani gasped.
“DJ Pon-3?!” Boli’s eyes popped.

“Personally, I’m more of a 33⅓-LP fan myself,” Midnight whispered to Luna who shushed him as Twinken went on.

“Uh-huh! And believe it or not, Octavia and Vinyl are roommates, living in the same house! Sometimes they mix their musical styles together, which brings me to my point: Instead of having your different musicians perform their music separately, have them work together to create something new! If a classical cellist and a disc jockey can do it, why not other musicians?”

“Huh…!” Boli considered what Twinken had just suggested and he did like the sound of it. “Is there a chance I could get a sample of Octavia and Vinyl’s work in combining their kinds of music?”

“I’d be happy to ask on your behalf when my brother and I go back to Ponyville,” Twinken volunteered. “I’d just need to get in contact with you afterwards.”

“Wow… Twinken, I- I don’t know how to thank you!” Boli was at a loss for words but the gratitude in his smile was undeniable.

“Actually, Mister Coca, if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk with Piani,” Twinken requested.

“Huh?” Boli was confused when Midnight spoke up.

“Boli, let’s you and I discuss Twinken’s suggestion a little further. I’m sure he can keep your daughter company so she’s not bored.”

Midnight nodded at Twinken, who nodded back and approached Piani, who had been standing by the doors of the throne room. Twinken gestured Piani to follow him to the corner, unaware that Midnight had cast an eavesdropping spell and shushed Boli so they could listen.

“Piani, I want you to know I’m not angry or anything about what happened during lunch yesterday,” Twinken assured, seeing Piani look away, feeling a little ashamed for not defending Twinken.
“But listen, I know that Boli adopted you.”

“How do you-” Piani looked at Twinken, surprised by what he knew but he continued.

“I’ve been where you were,” Twinken went on, “and I know what it’s like to feel alone, how it felt like your own family didn’t want you, however much other ponies told you things might have been hard that they had to give you up.

“But you should know just how lucky you are! Boli wanted to be a dad and out of all the little ponies he could have taken in, he chose you! Because there is something you both love and share that helps you come together in a way I’ve never know. Listen, I don’t really know what it’s like to have a mom or dad, but I know enough that even if they might embarrass you, they love you like nopony else. Whether you’re related by blood or not, because blood doesn’t matter next to a true and loving bond! Even if your dad doesn’t have the same taste in music as you do, I bet he’s proud of you and believes in you.”

Twinken watched as the filly lowered her head, apparently stunned by his words. Behind him Boli and Midnight both looked over the scene, both shocked and proud.

Finally Piani raised her head, her eyes a bit watery, but she smiled at Twinken and gave him a nod of her head before she turned her attention to her father. She started trotting over, then turning into a run, until she grabbed a hold of him in a powerful hug. Boli had to re-balance himself for a second, before he too grabbed her tightly.

"I'm sorry I've been so snippy with you, Dad! We don't always share the same interests, and sometimes you can be a bit embarrassing, but at the end of the day none of that should matter. I love you. You gave me a home and showered me with love and made me family. I will never stop loving you for that!"

Boli gently rubbed her back, some tears in his eyes that he wouldn't let shed.
"I love you too, sweetheart. I know I can sometimes be a bit embarrassing and my musical interests are really different from yours, but none of that changes the fact that you are my daughter and I will always love you too."

The two ponies continued to hug, letting feelings of pain and sadness wash away. Midnight trotted over to his smiling little brother and pulled him into a one-armed hug of his own.

"Those were some pretty heartfelt words, Twinken, and Piani needed to hear them. The renewed love they are sharing right now, that's because of you. Be proud, Twinken, you did something wonderful, and those two will always remember it."

Twinken's grin was enormous. Across the room, Luna looked on with a smile.

Finally, Piani and Boli released from their embrace and turned to the three other ponies.

"Thank you so much for your help with the concert, Your Majesties, and thank you. Sir Twinken for your incredible advice." Boli nodded to each of the royals in turn.

Piani shyly stepped towards Twinken and surprised him with a hug.

"Thank you, Twinken. I think I needed your advice, more than I knew. Thank you for everything."

The young colt just smiled and nodded as the young filly retreated to her father's side. The two ponies gave one last nod before exiting the throne room together.

After they had left, Luna turned to Midnight and Twinken.

"While I am glad that Boli and Piani have been looked after, we now have the unpleasant task of dealing with the other nobles. Let us hope we can get through this quickly."

The sobering thought made Midnight groan while Twinken patted his foreleg in sympathy. The sudden opening of the throne room doors disrupted the whole thing.

Sombra and Celestia strutted into the room, looking happy and well rested. Sombra was wearing an open Haywaiian shirt with a flower necklace looped around his neck. Sunglasses sat on the bridge of his muzzle and his mane and tail wear now styled into dreadlocks. Beside him, Celestia was wearing a bright pink bikini, her plush backside covered by a hula skirt and loose white shirt. Her mane sat beneath a large floppy sun hat and floating about her head in her magic was bags of Haywaiian souvenirs.

"My, what a wonderful vacation. I hope everything went well here while we were go..." Celestia started before she was abruptly cut off.

"THEY"RE BACK, RUN FOR IT!" Luna shouted in the Royal Canterlot voice, sending the sun hat flying from Celestia's head.

Twinken felt himself levitated off the ground and onto Midnight's back, as he and Luna dived out the window while the blue alicorn stallion yelled, "SO LONG, SUCKERS! HAHAHA!!"

The two remaining royals were confused for a second not sure what to think. Suddenly the throne room doors opened, and Gold Spade, Gilded Bit, and their sons entered the room. Upon seeing Celestia and Sombra, they all gave a low bow. Doing so, revealed that they were no longer the only other partitioners, as a long line had formed behind them.

The two royals looked back out the window at Luna and Midnight escaping into the city and each gave a sigh.

"Faust Dammit..."

192. Maud Pie - Part 1

It was early. Far too early, as a matter of fact, something Blueblood, Big Mac, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Cheese all thought as they waked up to Sugarcube Corner.

“Has anypony heard from Pinkie since yesterday?” Cheese asked, only to get a chorus of ‘mm-mm’s and shaking heads in response.

Rainbow yawned and stretched before griping, “I don’t see what’s so important we had to be here this early - Celestia hasn’t even raised the sun yet!”

A nearby rooster snoozing on the fence served to exemplify Rainbow’s point.

“Well, I just hope all is well,” Blueblood responded before knocking on the door to the bakery. He startled a moment when they heard loud clattering sounds from within before Pinkie opened the door, for some random reason, a chef’s hat and safety goggles.

“Thank goodness you’re all-” Pinkie started but quickly noticed some absent faces. “Wait… Where’re Midnight, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Thundy, and Soarin?”

“Soarin left yesterday evening to go visit his mom in Cloudsdale,” Rainbow responded with tired sigh, "and Thunderlane went with him to go see my dad at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory about something.”

“Th’ missus got called by th’ Equestrian Society fer th’ Preservation o’ Rare Creatures t’ help a special critter get ready t’ become a momma,” Big Mac explained, recalling the happiness his wife expressed at being a godmother to another adorable little animal. "An' AJ's off at Appleoosa to a powwow thrown by th' Buffalo Tribe."

“And as for Midnight and Twilight,” Blueblood added, “Aunt Celestia requested their help in playing host to some visiting dignitaries,”

“Well there’s no time to lose!” Pinkie announced before she grabbed Rarity and Cheese, throwing them inside, pushing Blueblood in tow, while accidentally closing the door on Rainbow that she smacked her face into it.

“Hey- Whoa!” Rainbow had snapped while rubbing her face when Pinkie quickly yanked her inside.

“Watch your step!” Pinkie warned, causing everypony to look at the floor and see it was covered with colorful rocks.

“By the Pale One, Pinkie, what is all this?” Blueblood asked, seeing Pinkie taking a whisk to a bowl of said colored rocks.

“My sister Maud’s coming to visit soon and I need your help taste-testing all my rock candy recipes!”

“Ooh, rock candy?!” Cheese was already licking his lips, “That sounds gouda!”

“Well, darling as happy as we are to help you in taste-testing,” Rarity spoke up, “this is rather a great amount of candy. Even for you!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac nodded in agreement.

“I might have gone a… teensy bit overboard,” Pinkie admitted with a sheepish smile, given she was surrounded by piles of rock candy that stood taller than even Blueblood and Big Mac!

The piles were all over the bakery, made up of rock candy pieces as small as grains of sand and some that could have been used as bricks! But any further desires to politely decline were dashed when Cheese ‘whoopee’d into a pile or green rock candy, and poked his head out, speaking with a mouthful, “C’mon ev’wypoawny, itsh good shtuff!”

Seeing their favorite party ponies get into it, the rest followed suit, and it wasn’t long before they were all (sans Cheese and Pinkie) sick of rock candy, as Blueblood, Big Mac, and Rainbow all clutched their overstuffed aching tummies, Rainbow’s lips flecked with specks of rock candy, Rarity forcing herself to sample another tiny morsel, Big Mac BELCHING so loudly it made a few rock-candy-slides, one of which wound up burying Blueblood while the farmer pony sighed in relief.

“Everypony ready for more?” Pinkie asked as she wheeled in another barrel-ful of rock candy.

“Ugh, my teeth hurt…” moaned Rainbow Dash, Big Mac HURKED and looked away from the barrel of candy while Rarity took a hoofkerchief and wiped away any mess on her face.

“Pinkie dear, I do believe we’ve had a suitable amount,” Rarity was already considering what her dentist was gonna say upon her next appointment. “Besides, shouldn’t you be venturing off to the train station to meet Maud upon her arrival?”

“But you’ve only tried half the flavors,” Pinkie worried, “and we have to choose the perfect ones before she gets here so I have time to make more!”

“Then lemme at `em, Pinks!” Cheese took the barrel of candy and poured them down his gullet, gobbling them up while noisily savoring the deliciousness!

Blueblood rose up out of the rock candy and kindly said, “Pinkie, Maud is your sister; I am certain she’ll love your rock candy. And given she’s only staying for a week, I’d say you’ve made more than enough with plenty to spare.”

“Oh it’s not just for Maud, Bluey!” Pinkie shook her hoof at Blueblood’s face. “I’m making candy for all of us! Even for Midnight, Twilight, Flutters, AJ, Thundy, and Soar for when they get back!”

That declaration was met with a round of groans from the others while Cheese just licked his lips more.

“It’s part of a very important, super-duper special tradition that only the closest and bestest of friends can share…” Pinkie said in her usually comical version of a serious face that quickly broke into a big smile as she held up a string of rock candy and announced, “We’re gonna make rock candy necklaces together! AUGH!!!”

She then whipped out a notebook and crayons and drew visual aids, “It all started when Maud and I were fillies on the rock farm. She taught me the Pie Family Rock Candy Recipe! It has a secret ingredient… IT’S ROCKS! And she showed me how to string the pieces to make them into a necklace, and once we were done we’d trade!”

Pinkie then stood up, having finished her visual aids, “Maud and I have been trading necklaces back n’ forth since I moved to Ponyville! They’re a sign that we’ll always be best friends.”

“Aw, that tradition’s real a-oka, Pinkie!” Cheese smiled warmly, Big Mac giving an agreeable ‘eeyup’.

“Wait a minute!” Rainbow spoke up with an incredulous tone, “The secret ingredient is rocks?!”

“Yeah, but these are a special kind of rock that Maud discovered!” Pinkie confirmed and clarified.

“Really? Wha’ kinda rock are they?” Big Mac asked.

“Can’t tell ya that, silly!” Pinkie giggled before whisper-shouting, “It’s a secret!”

She then stepped back and went on, “Now that Maud’s heading off to get her Rocktorate in Rock Science, this may be our last chance to trade them for a really long time! I can’t wait for you all to meet her - I just know that some of my best Ponyville friends and my best sister friend are gonna become bestest friends! We can make bestestest friend rock candy necklaces together!”

She then zipped up to each of her friends in turn, “She expresses herself in fashion, just like Rarity, and she’s really smart and like science just like Bluey! She’s a hard worker, she’s good at games, she likes music!”

By this time, she’d pulled each of her friends into a lung-collapsing group-hug, “And-! Well… she’s AWESOME!!!!”

“She sounds… amazing!” Rarity grunted as she tried to breathe, “but… won’t she… start worrying if you’re not at the train station when she… gets here?!”

“She sure will,” Pinkie responded, the question going over her head for a brief moment before she GASP’d in realization. “I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!!!!”

She threw off her friends, scattering them about the bakery and the rock candy, before she galloped out the door.

The sun shone with a warm glow over Ponyville, and over a group of friends all getting ready.

Rainbow, Blueblood, Cheese Sandwich, Big Mac and Rarity had all met up on the outskirts of town by a lovely pond to set the perfect scene for Pinkie’s sister. The area was beautiful and doubled well as a wide open space for the group’s pets to play about.

Tank whizzed about, his helicopter harness buzzing away, Rarity’s cat Opalescence lounging about under the shade of a tree, alongside Blueblood’s peacock Splendor, whom seemed to be trying to show off to the disinterested feline. Big Mac’s hen, Goldilocks, was warily watching the newest pet on the scene, Basil, Cheese Sandwich’s new pet honey badger. Basil was an odd fellow, acting friendly towards the pets and towards Cheese and his previous owner, Fluttershy.

Nopony else however had been able to get near him without suffering razor-sharp claws to their face.

“Oh, it’s no use!” Rarity complained as she approached the picnic that had been laid out for the group, her odd hat drawing everypony’s notice. The hat seemed almost as tall as she was, colored lovely lavender. But the eye-catcher was the strange assortment of crystals covering it.

Noticing the looks, Rarity gave a sigh and plopped herself down beside her beau on the picnic blanket. “I simply cannot find anything to wear.”

Blueblood snaked a hoof around her and pulled in close. “No need to worry, Rarity. Having done my own studies in geology, I’m sure Maud will appreciate your choice of attire.”

Rarity gave an appreciative smile and nuzzled him, ignoring the fact that the act knocked loose some of her crystals into the muffin basket Big Mac had brought.

After a little while of silence, Rainbow finally gave a huff and asked, “So, anypony have any idea when they’re getting here? Pinkie made Maud seem like a really big deal.”

“Ah’m sure it won’ be long now, Rainbow, just be patient.” Big Mac nodded to her, as she scuffled passed. Rainbow groaned but settled down.

“I think we’re all rather nervous about Maud’s visit,” Blueblood spoke, “I mean, after all, she’s Pinkie Pie’s sister, and clearly Pinkie wishes for us all get along. I could just feel how important it is to her for us to make those rock-candy necklaces.”

“Heh-hey! Turn those nervousy-frowns upside-down, everypony!” Cheese piped in with an encouraging grin. “I swear on camembert that everything’s gonna be just gouda-”

“WE’RE HERE!!”

The group all stood to attention and turned to a nearby hill, where they could see Pinkie enthusiastically hopping towards them, her trademark grin plastered across her face.

However as the party pony landed in front of them, something became very apparent.

“Hey Pinkie, where’s Maud? I don't see her.” - GASP!!! - “Unless she’s invisible! Why didn’t you say your sister was invisible! She’d be so good at hide and seek! Quick, Maud say something so I know where you are! I HAVE TO KNOW YOUR INVISIBLE SECRETS!!”

As everypony just stared at Cheese Sandwich, who was now running about in circles trying to find an invisible pony, Pinkie just started giggling, “No, no, silly Cheesy. Maudie’s not invisible. She’s not quite as fast as me. She’ll be here any minute though so get ready, everypony!”

Cheese immediately stopped his searched and jolted into position next to Pinkie with a smile just as wide as her own. Mac, Rainbow, Blueblood and Rarity, all shared a look and just gave a chuckle. Pinkie and Cheese, they certainly were excitable ponies. Then they too turned and faced the hill noting that despite Pinkie’s declaration, there was still no sign of Maud.

They waited some more…

“Uh, are you sure she’s coming?” Rainbow questioned as there was still no sign of Pinkie’s big sister.

“Yepper-doodles, she’ll be here aaaaaaaany second now. I even asked Gummy to stay with her in case she got lost”

So the group continued to wait.

And wait…

Until finally a distant grey head appeared in the distance and the group waited for her to trot on over.

And continued to wait…

“Is she even moving?” Rainbow whispered to Rarity in genuine bafflement.

Slowly the grey head turned into a full pony, slowly getting closer. Very slowly.

“WE’RE OVER HERE, MAUD!” Pinkie shouted, jumping up and waving, briefly startling, Rainbow, Rarity, Blueblood and Mac, while Cheese just started bouncing in excitement.

Finally Maud arrived. She was slightly taller than Pinkie, but otherwise retained a (vague) familiar appearance to her sister. Her mane was a dull purple, combed neatly, as was her tail, which the group noted was being bitten by Gummy, who clung on tightly despite his dull uncomprehending stare. The mare wore a cobalt blue dress with a black belt strapped securely around her barrel. Her most distinguishing feature however was the blank emotionless expression on her face. She didn’t look remotely excited. Or happy… or frankly anything really, besides maybe bored.

As the mare approached, she came to a stop, then with a slow blink she tilted her head to a stone lying on the path in front of her. She stayed still for a moment before leaning down to the rock and… giving it a sniff?

“Hmm… sedimentary,” was her comment, which was as emotionless as her expression, which still had yet to change.

The group just looked at each other before Rainbow Dash voiced what was on their minds. “Huh?”

Maud just picked the stone up and looked at them. “This is a sedimentary rock.”

Silence. Maud just stood still holding the stone, looking completely disinterested while the rest of the ponies just looked at her. Finally Blueblood moved forward.

“Uh, yes I suppose it is. Very… impressive of you to identify that... random rock on the path.”

Seeing she still didn’t seem to show any reaction to Blueblood’s words, he slowly back up next to his girlfriend. Finally, Cheese’s excitement could no longer be contained.

“HI! I’m Cheese Sandwich! Pinkie's told us so much about you and you sound SO awesome and fun! We’re all going to have the best time on your visit getting to see Ponyville and learn about your time on the rock farm and what Pinkie was like as a filly and” - GASP!! - “Oh silly me, let me introduce you to the rest of our friends here!”

The orange stallion grabbed a startled Big Mac and shoved him in front of the older pie mare. “This is Big Mac, he and his sister Applejack run Sweet Apple Acres, that big apple farm you probably saw from the train coming into town!”

“Uh, h-howdy?” Big Mac stuttered with a forced polite smile.

Before he could get anything else out, he was suddenly shunted aside as Cheese grabbed Rainbow Dash and shoved her in Maud’s face.

“This here is Rainbow Dash, Ponyville’s top weather pony alongside our other friend Thunderlane, and she’s also gonna be a Wonderbolt one day!”

“Uh yeah that’s me, totally awesome and all. It’s nice to me…” the mare hadn’t finished her sentence before she was flung on top of Big Mac, who was just getting back to his hooves, causing him to ‘oof’ onto his belly.

Now in front of Maud was Blueblood, who looked a little panicked he was about to get hurled about shortly.

“This is Prince Blueblood from Canterlot. He’s a super-smart airship engineer, a business-pony, he’s Princess Celestia’s honorary nephew, and owns his own airship company in Canterlot! He doesn’t live there anymore though. See, he moved here to Ponyville so he could get to know his new friends and be close to his girlfriend Rarity!”

“That would be me, Ponyville’s resident fashionista and owner of the famous Carousel Boutique.” Rarity introduced herself, quickly stepping forward to prevent herself being abruptly dragged and getting her boyfriend shoved over.

Maud, just continued to stare at them all blankly.

Seeing that Cheese and Pinkie were both just watching with excitement, Rarity decided to continue trying to start conversation with Maud.

“So, Pinkie Pie tells me your share my love of fashion?”

“I’m really into expressing myself through my wardrobe.” Maud replied in complete monotone, doing nothing except slowly blink.

Refusing to let the conversation drop, Rarity continued, “A-and what is the delightful frock you’re wearing now saying?”

Maud just stared at her blankly for a moment before replying, “It doesn’t talk; it’s a dress.”

The mare raised an eyebrow briefly, looking for a microsecond slightly baffled, before the blankness once again consumed her face.

Rarity had no idea how to respond. “Uh well y-yes of I course… I just meant with the frock a-and the… frock and… doesn’t speak and…”

The diamond diva just stumbled back next to her boyfriend, looking completely lost and confused. Blueblood wrapped a hoof around her to provide comfort, but his own expression was just as baffled as her own.

Silence settled again for a moment, before a whizzing noise caught their attention as Tank puttered onto the scene, narrowly avoiding braining Rainbow in the head. The mare quickly grasped her pet and pulled her in close, seizing on another possible topic of conversation.

“Ooh, ooh, Maud, this awesome little guy here is Tank.” Rainbow affectionately rubbed his head, and the old tortoise gave a smile. At his own slow yet constant pace.

While Maud still didn’t react, the others grasped hold of the topic quickly.

“Y-yes, and over by that tree is my darling Opalescence. She can be a bit of a hooful, but I love her dearly.” Rarity gave a smile to her pet, and Opal briefly returned it before returning to her catnap. Beside her, Splendor strutted forward, sensing he was now the centre of attention.

“This prestigious fellow is Splendor. He loves nothing more than to show off his dazzling plumage,” Blueblood smiled as Splendor displayed his tail feathers proudly to Maud.

A clucking drew their attention next as Goldilocks gave a wing-assisted leap and positioned herself atop the back of Big Mac’s work-collar. He gave a smile and gently ruffled her feathers before turning to Maud.
“This here is muh hen, Goldilocks. She lives out on th’ farm with me an’ she’s a lil’ sweetheart.”

Maud just blinked again.

Suddenly the black and white form of Basil was thrust into the mare’s face.

“This here is my new friend Basil! I only got him a few days ago from Fluttershy, Big Mac’s wife. He was a little upset at first that he wasn’t still living with his best friend Angel Bunny, but I think he really like’s Pepper Pony’s now, especially since whenever he hissed, Mrs. Spice give him pizza to leave her alone. I should probably stop him doing that but he always just gives me this adorable snuffle whenever I bring it up and I get all distracted. I’m very easily distrac- OH LOOK, A BUTTERFLY!”

GASP. “WHERE?!”

Cheese suddenly left Basil in front of Maud as he and Pinkie ran about chasing a butterfly that was unfortunate enough to have fluttered into the area. Maud watched them for a moment and almost appeared to smile, before turning her attention to the honey badger sitting front of her.

Suddenly, Blueblood, Rarity, Mac and Rainbow all got nervous. In the short time they had known Basil, they had discovered two things:
One - He didn’t like anypony except Cheese, Pinkie, Fluttershy and the rest of the group’s pets.
Two - Anypony who ignored this fact usually ended up clawed in the face (At this point, they weren’t sure who was more of a nightmare, Basil or Angel. The fact that they were best friends was even worse).

Deciding to cut off a problem before it started, Rainbow dived forward to grab Basil.
“Heh heh, Basil can be a bit temperamental I’ll just take him over to Cheese and- OW!”

Having noticed Rainbow approaching him from the corner of his eye, Basil snarled as he swiped at the mare, clipping her hooves. Almost instantly, Rainbow Dash cowered behind Big Mac, clutching her hoof.

Basil gave a haughty sniff at the rainbow mare before he turned back to Maud. He stared at her. She stared back. He gave her a brief sniff. Maud just stared. Basil gave an approving nod, briefly nuzzled Maud’s hoof then walked off, shoving Splendor out of his way. The group just stared for a moment in confusion.

Well, it seemed Maud could be added to the list of ponies safe to be around Basil.

Deciding to ignore what just happened, Big Mac decided to press on.

“Pinkie Pie told us ya have a pet o’ yer own. Did a bring th’ lil’ critter along?” Big Mac asked while Rainbow Dash cautiously stepped out from behind him while glaring at Basil the whole time.

Maud blinked again the replied in her dull tone, “He’s in my pocket.”

This brought a smile to Mac’s face. “Oh tha’ would certainly get muh Shy all excited. She loves lil’ critters. What is it, a mouser a baby bird? A frog?”

Maud stared for a moment before replying.

“It’s a rock.”

She reached up into a her dress pocket and pulled out a pebble and dropped it in front of the group. They all just stared at it as Maud informed them, “His name’s Boulder.”

Cheese was suddenly back on the scene, his nose pressed right against Boulder.

“Hi Boulder, I’m Cheese Sandwich! You seem like a really nice rock. Maud must take good care of you. I’m sure you’ll both have a great time here in Ponyville.”

Beside him Pinkie beamed. “This is going to be the best most awesome week ever! I can’t wait for us all to become bestest friends!”

“Me too, Pinkie, we are all going to have so much fun!” Cheese cried, wrapping one hoof around her and the other around Maud while beaming just as wide.

Everypony just chuckled awkwardly when Pinkie chimed in, “Hey Maud, come join me over here on the picnic blanket!”

They all looked and sure enough, Pinkie was lying on the picnic table, smiling and waving them all over. They quickly looked back to where Pinkie had previously been. Instead, only Maud stood there while Cheese had likewise vanished.

“Mm-mm! That’s gouda!”

They looked again and saw Cheese happily munching on some cheesybread he’d brought.

They shared confused looks while Maud maintained a flat look although her brow raised by the barest of a millimeter in interest. She’d never seen another pony so random and wacky as her sister.

“Maybe I’ll try some of that,” Maud stated as she joined the party ponies on the picnic table.

The rest of the friends shrugged and followed suit.

For the next few minutes, everypony focused on enjoying their picnic. After eating half of her daisy sandwich, Maud set it down and placed Boulder next to it for “him” to get his fill.

“Uh, Maud?”

She looked to see Big Mac, smiling kindly as he pushed a basket forward, “Wanna try one o’ Granny Smith’s apple-spice muffins?”

Maud answered by randomly taking a bite into the basket of muffins, except what she bit into was not a muffin. Rather it was one of the stones from Rarity’s hat that had earlier fallen into the basket.

After chewing and giving a rather audible crack of her mouthful, Maud commented, “Itsh crunchy.”

Big Mac and Rarity shared a weird look when Pinkie and Cheese each took a muffin and ate away.

“MM! She’sh right,” Cheese said with a mouthful, “they are crunchy!”

“Yum!” Pinkie smiled, savoring the deliciousness.

“So, uh… Pinkie said that you like games?” Rainbow brought up.

“Boulder and I sometimes play a game called ‘camouflage’. It’s kind of like ‘hide & seek’ but way more intense,” Maud replied with only the slightest of emphasis on the ‘way’.

…

“...Awesome?” Rainbow wasn’t sure of what else to say.

“Yeah, that does sound awesome!” Cheese leapt to his hooves. “I wanna play!”

‘Camouflage’ turned out to be even more difficult than Maud had implied. The friends weren’t sure how long they’d been searching (among several piles of rocks) for Boulder but they were certain it had been at least an hour.

As Blueblood levitated some rocks to the ‘checked’ pile, he stood up, asking, “Any luck so far?”

“What do you think?” grumbled Rainbow as she laid on a large rock, having grown tired of the tedious activity just a minute after it began.

“Rainbow’s right, this here’s like lookin’ for a pebble in a haystack,” Big Mac sighed.

“More like in a pile of pebbles,” Rarity muttered as one of the stones on her hat fell, earning her a stink eye from Big Mac.

“Really?” Big Mac asked, provoking Rarity to exasperate.

“UGH! I give up - This is impossible!”

“Just a little longer, everypony,” Blueblood encouraged, “I mean… Pinkie and Cheese seem to be enjoying themselves.”

He pointed out the two party ponies, as they kept popping all over the place while pointing out various rocks to Maud.

“Is this it?”
“Is this it?”
“Is this it?”
“Is this it?”

“After all, it might hurt Maud’s feelings if we stopped playing,” Blueblood reasoned, which earned some groans of consent.

“Found him.”

They all looked to Maud, as she held up a pebble they assumed must be Boulder.

Pinkie and Cheese bounced up to Maud, Pinkie asking, “Where was he?”

“He was hiding in my pocket,” Maud answered.

“Boulder, you sneaky pebble you,” Cheese chuckled while Rainbow growled.

“Are you serious?!”

Big Mac sighed, actually agreeing somewhat with Rainbow when he felt a light pecking on his hind leg, He looked to see Goldilocks, as she pointed with her wing. He looked and saw all the pets lounging about, bored.

“Uh, sorry to cut this short,” Big Mac spoke up, “but Ah think it’s time t' get these critters home.”

“Maud and I gotta get going too!” Pinkie agreed, as Gummy climbed onto Maud’s head. “I want her to taste the rock candy we’re gonna use for our.. Best friends necklaces! OH YEAH!”

As the Pie Sisters left, the friends finally talked without the pressure of not sounding rude in front of their guest.

“She sure ain’t wha’ Ah expected,” Big Mac said before pausing. “...Was Ah ever tha’ quiet?”

“We spent hours digging through the dirt and he was in her pocket the whole time?!” Rainbow griped.

“Ya gotta admit!” Cheese agreed, “He was sneaky…!”

“HE’S A ROCK!!!” Rainbow snapped.

“C’mon, everypony, perhaps meeting all of us at the same time was just a little… overwhelming for Maud,” Blueblood mediated.

“Yeah, she seemed a mite shy,” Big Mac considered.

“Exactly! It can be rather daunting to meet an entire group of good friends at once,” Blueblood pointed out, which everypony had to agree on.

“I got an idea! And it’s just gouda!” Cheese sprung up. “Why don’t we all spend time with Maud one at a time? It’ll make getting to know each other easier and I swear on camembert by the time we’re all done we’ll be making those rock-candy necklaces!”

Author's Note

I just knew that if I skipped Maud Pie, my readers might complain

My partner, Pontiac56, and I agreed to not show the entire Harmonic Twelve in this as it would become especially crowded and more needlessly complicated, so I kept it down to six mane characters with three of the girls (including Pinkie, which was mandatory) and three of the guys

I did the opening, Pontiac did the scene where Maud is introduced and introduced to the friends, and I did the rest

We both decided to give Cheese a (living) pet rather than have Boneless Two be his pet. I chose for it to be a honey badger (as something unusual) while Ponti named him Basil, which has something to do with music or cheese

Blueblood assumed Twilight's role in being the voice of reason because he represents the Element of Sincerity

193. Maud Pie - Part 2

“Where shall we start?” Rarity browsed her shelf of materials. She’d volunteered to spend time with Maud first and had invited her and Pinkie to her shop, where she hoped she and Maud could bond over fashion.

“I’ve chosen a few fabrics I think would be stunning with-” Rarity raised her brow as she noticed Maud didn’t appear to be paying attention as Pinkie bounced over to her sister’s side.

“Choices, choices, choices!”

“Of… course if you don’t see anything that speaks to you,” Rarity offered, “I would be happy to suggest-”

“I like this one,” Maud held up her choice, to Rarity’s bafflement before she giggled.

“Ha-ha-ha-ha, Pinkie didn’t tell us you were so funny.”

Maud blinked a couple times, “What do you mean?”

“Oh, it’s just…” Rarity levitated what Maud had chosen, “I believe that is… a dish towel.”

Maud’s expression remained as unchanged while Pinkie grinned, beginning a moment so awkward Rarity nipped it at the bud.
“B-but it does goes very well with you complexion! I’m sure I can… work my magic and turn it into something fabulous.”

“Rarity and my sister working together to design something amazing!” Pinkie cheered before she pulled Maud into a hug (which she didn’t appear to acknowledge other than looking at Pinkie out the corner of her eyes).
“This is the best day ever!!”

Rarity came back with more dish towels, “Perhaps I can sew all of these together and make you something you would like.”

“No, thanks, one is enough,” Maud turned her down as she grabbed the original dish towel she chose and threw it around her shoulders.

“Doesn’t Maud make the coolest scarves?!” Pinkie asked in her excitable way.

“...Quite,” Rarity forced a smile.

Pinkie hopped towards Blueblood’s warehouse, saying to her sister, “You’re gonna like Blueblood’s work, Maud! He’s super-smart and has made all kinds of airships! He even donated an airship to Ponyville so ponies can travel by air to where they wanna go, even though it’s a teeny bit more expensive than taking the train.”

She knocked on the warehouse door, and it soon opened, revealing Blueblood, wearing welding goggles and a protective faux-leather vest. There were a few smudges of oil on his coat but he’d gotten used to them due to their being inevitable in his line of work.
“Ah, Pinkie Pie, I see you’ve brought Maud to take in my work?”

“Yupper-doodles! Maud’s always interested in seeing new things, huh Maud?” Pinkie bounced excitably while looking at her sister.

Maud (again) expressed nothing even as she said, “It’s always good to experience new things to broaden one’s horizons.”

“Um, yes, I think the same thing,” Blueblood chuckled awkwardly as he pushed the door open further and levitated out a pair of safety-goggles. “I must insist you each wear a pair of these. The things in here can be dangerous.”

The Pie sisters did as Blueblood requested before entering the warehouse. They gazed up at the frame of yet another airship in production. Three ponies were working on it, an earth pony stallion pushing a cart with heavy materials, a pegasus mare hovering above, going over the work-in-progress while jotting things down on something she held in a clipboard, and a unicorn mare was wearing a welding mask while casting a cutting-torch spell on a large plate of metal.

“We are currently working on an order for a new airship from Manehatten!” Blueblood yelled over the loud noises. “So far, we are on schedule but this is an ambitious order, and we have to make sure it comes out ship-shape, if you’ll pardon the pun. Heh-heh.”

Pinkie laughed, “Good one, Bluey! This looks like it’s gonna be a BIG one!”

“It has to be,” Blueblood nodded in consideration. “The client who ordered it is a shipping company, and-”

Blueblood noticed Maud wasn’t standing next to Pinkie, and looked around before he saw her looking at a pile of coal next to a bin full of the stuff. He went over and saw her bending down to get a closer look at a large lump of the stuff, examining it in the same manner she had the sedimentary rock from the picnic earlier.

“Um, Maud? Is there… something you’re looking for?” Blueblood asked, already having a feeling.

“This coal,” Maud said. “It is a type of sedimentary rock, composed primarily of carbon while including trace amounts of nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur.”

“That’s very… interesting,” Blueblood nodded warily. “But all that coal’s for is just to provide fuel for my airships.”

Even though her expression did not change, Blueblood somehow felt a change in Maud’s mood as she looked at him.

“You use coal as fuel. Do you not realize the preservation of coal before crushing it produces diamonds, the hardest type of rock there is?”

“I- Uh, well- That is…” Blueblood was flabbergasted when Maud continued.

“Not to mention, burning coal creates pollution.”

“Well, um, that is true, but…” Blueblood stalled, trying to think of a reasonable argument only for Maud to turn around and start leaving.

“I think I’m done here.”

Blueblood gulped, as he realized he had unintentionally offended Maud, but her point of burning coal, that it produced pollution made him pause in consideration.

A rock zoomed through the air onto the other side of a pond, coming to a hard landing and digging itself deeply into the sand.

“YEAH!!”

Rainbow pumped her hoof in the air in triumph at her display of strength. Her strength was awesome and she knew it! There was no way that Maud was gonna beat her at rock tossing. Rainbow was actually rather proud of herself. She had thought of an activity to share with Maud that involved rocks, and sports. There was no way that the monotone mare wouldn’t be able to give a reaction to that!

Her grin as wide (and as smug) as ever, the rainbow maned mare turned to Maud standing on the ground just beside her hovering form.

“Let’s see ya beat that!” she challenged, closing her eyes to bask in the awesomeness. No way would she toss as hard as Rainbow Awesome Dash!

She opened them and gave a YELP as a rock, four times the size of the one she had just thrown went rocketing through the air, missing her by inches. The rock soared through the air at speeds she would be jealous of, disappearing into the distance behind the big hill that overlooked the pond. However before Rainbow could make a comment about that awesome toss (and question just how in the heck the mare had actually managed to pull it off), she heard the loud crash of the rock hitting the ground, and watched in shock as a huge explosion of dust and debris launched into the air in the form of a mushroom cloud.

A rippling affect whooshed through the air, carrying the force of the impact. As it hit the pond, the calm water was slammed forward into a miniature tidal wave. Rainbow gasped in shock and tried to cover her face as the massive wave of water slammed down upon her and suck her down.

As the water settled again, Pinkie Pie, her mane drenched and flat, burst from the water on a large log.

“That was amazing!” she cheered and started to roll herself forwards, walking backwards on her hind legs to get the log moving. Seconds later, Rainbow surfaced, spitting out water and shaking her head in disbelief.

“Whoa... How did you do that?!” she turned to Maud, her eyebrow raised in confusion.

How the heck had Maud just done something amazing! She barely even moved!

“I threw it.” Her deadpan hadn’t changed in the slightest. In fact, the water dripping from her mane seemed livelier than the mare.

Pinkie continued to play about in the water as Dash floated there looking half confused and half exasperated. However she was an athlete and she knew when she was beat. Maud won fair and square.

“I guess you won this one Maud.” Rainbow gave a smile and activated her competitive eyes that just screamed ‘you won this round, but I’ll beat you next time!’.

What Maud said next however was nothing short of blasphemy to Rainbow’s ears.

“I’m not really into... winning.” The grey mare said, looking as bored and unimpressed as ever.

Rainbow could do nothing but gasp in utter shock. Those words… Was it even possible to use them in a sentence like that?!

Big Mac kicked the apple tree with a stern hoof, letting his strength reverberate up the trunk and drop the delicious apples into his waiting baskets.

Beside him were the two Pie sisters, each engaged in a different activity. Pinkie seemed to be enjoying herself jumping through the branches of the trees holding a banana and pretending to be a monkey. Maud however just seemed to stare at Mac in silence.

Deciding to try and give socializing another chance, Big Mac cleared his throat.

“So Maud, Ah know yor’ more of a rock gal, but ya feel like givin’ apple bucking a try? It can be hard work, but Ah find doin’ farm work like this relaxin’. Maybe you might enjoy it.”

Maud just stared at him in silence for a moment. After a slow blink, Mac’s smile started to waver. However before he could offer up another choice of conversation, the mare spoke.

“Okay.”

She turned and slowly walked towards a tree just across from Mac. The stallion watched her with a smile. Maybe this could help Maud unwind a bit and open up some more.

“Glad t’ hear it, Maud. Now, if yer’ gonna do some buckin’, yer’ gonna wanna make sure you have th’ right posture or you can hurt yerself somthin’ fierce. Ya need t’ turn yer body away from th’ tree, keep yer back straight an’ throw yor strength into yer leg muscles, rather than from yor lower back. Now t’ get th’ best results wit’ apple bucking ya need to…”

Maud turned away from the tree, raised one leg and kicked the tree behind her. Her posture made it looks as though she’d barely touched the tree, and yet the moment her hoof touched it, there was a loud THWACK sound and a massive crack splintered up the tree’s trunk. Every apple in the tree, along with several trees around them, dropped their fruit in an instant.

Mac just stood there gobsmacked. He thought he was the only pony who could do that!

“Wow Maud, yer’ one tough gal. That was a mighty impressive sight. You ever thought about apple farmin’ for a living?”

Maud just stared at him. “No.”

Mac waited a moment but nothing followed. “Oh… shame…”

“Yeah, Maud here is really dedicated to her Rock-torate. Sorry Mackie but Maud’s a bit more interested in rocks than in trees.” Pinkie Pie chirped happily as she hung from a nearby tree with her tail.

Big Mac gave a nod at that. Maud did seem to love her rocks.

The group worked out in the orchard for a while before heading back to the farm house.

Maud said nothing the whole time.

“…so then as we were saying goodbye, Mac pulled me aside and asked me if he ever used to be as quiet as Maud and I said ‘oh yeah of course you were only ever saying Eeyup or Eenope all the time’ and then he just got this far away look in his eyes and whispered ‘Damn…’ and just stared off into nothing as Maud and I headed over here and then we met you!” Pinkie gave a gasped and sucked in a lungful of air after explain her and Maud’s entire day to Cheese Sandwich who now sat with her and Maud at a table in front of the Hay Bale.

Cheese had been thoughtful and decided to start off his time with the Pie sisters by taking them to lunch first after their busy morning with the others. Not a moment after the group had placed their orders, Pinkie and launched into the exciting tale of Maud’s exciting day with their friends and all the fun things they had done together.

Now Cheese Sandwich may have been just as flighty and random and bouncy as Pinkie, but his traveling days had given him a bit more understanding of pony behavior than Pinkie. While he could tell that Pinkie had thought the day was amazing, it was clear to him that the others had not enjoyed it quite as much and hadn’t been able to bond well with Maud.

Maud herself looked as stone faced as ever (No pun intended), but Cheese could read her better the then others. The slightly lowered eyelids, the ever slight drop of her head, her ears being a fracture lower. It seemed that Maud was a little upset she hadn’t been able to make a good impression of the rest of their friends, and maybe feeling a little put out at how unable the others were to read her.

Well, Cheese Sandwich was Ponyville’s party stallion and he would make sure Maud had a good time here if it was the last thing he did!

“Well you two seemed to have a very big day so far. Hopefully we can have ourselves one heck of an afternoon as well.”

The table was quiet for a moment as the café’s waiter delivered the three ponies meals, but as he left, Cheese was quick to jump into things.

“So Maud, it seems that the others did a lot of things with you today, but none of them actually asked you what you wanted to do. Your interests seem to be quite different from our friends in a lot of areas, so I think that this afternoon, we should have some fun doing things you like to do.”

Cheese was very pleased when he saw Maud’s ears slightly raise and the very tiny lift of the corners of her mouth. Maud was definitely happy about the idea of getting to have some fun on her terms.

Cheese was feeling very unsure of himself a little while later. After lunch, Maud had inquired whether Ponyville had a quarry or rocky fields. When Pinkie had replied in the negative, Cheese had pointed out Ghastly Gorge to both sisters’ joy.

They had walked down into the gorge and had just finished playing several of Maud’s favorite games. Camouflage with Boulder had taken up a good chunk of time (only to discover Boulder had ‘chosen’ to hide in Pinkie’s mane) followed by a game of ‘Guess the Rock Type’ in which Maud or Pinkie would start playing a Twenty Questions-type of game that was designed to have a certain type of rock as the answer. Cheese hadn’t done terribly well at that, but he had soldiered on through for Maud’s benefit.

They had finally decided to call it a day after sorting through several of the rocks in the gorge and putting them into different categories.

All in all, Maud appeared to be happy, and Pinkie had participated in every activity with a smile, but Cheese hadn’t found much joy in the activities.

Maud decided to point this out.

“Thank you for making me feel happy and relaxed. You don’t look happy or relaxed though. What is wrong, Cheese?”

Seeing that Maud could tell he wasn’t as hyped by their activities as he had hoped, the stallion gave a sigh and his mane drooped a little.

“I’m sorry, Maud. I am glad I got to spend time with you doing things you enjoyed, but... all these rock games aren’t to my usual tastes. But don’t worry, this afternoon wasn’t about doing things I love doing; it was about doing things you loved doing. You’re our guest in Ponyville and you’re here to visit your little sister. We owe it to you make sure you have the best time you can here. After all, you certainly did the same for Pinkie when you were younger.”

Pinkie stepped forward with a smile on her face. Not her excited cheerful smile, but her genuine happy smile that she only used in moments like these.

“Awe, Cheesy, that’s really sweet. Making sure Maud had a fun day even if you weren’t as excited as she was. You’re a good friend, Cheese, thank you.”

Cheese just smiled back with the same level of happiness and the two friends gave each other a hug.

“You two make a good couple.”

At Maud’s words, the two ponies eyes burst open wide and they peeled away from each other in shock.

“W-W-WHAT!!”

Both ponies turned to Maud in shock, who looked a little confused.

“You two seem to mesh really well. I thought you were dating. Was I wrong?”

“Uh well… that is… um…”

“W-w-we’re just friends Maud… w-we aren’t… you know… d-dating… or…”

“Y-yeah! W-what she said! Just friends… you know with the friendship and… uh… the friendship… and uh…”

“Y-yeah just friends… good friends who get along really well… just good friends right Cheesy?”

“R-right… absolutely…”

Both ponies faces were bright red and they continued to stutter out denials while avoiding looking each other in the eye.

Maud watched them both, feeling a little guilty about her mistake. It seemed she may have just made things weird between friends.

“W-w-well this has been great, but uh, I think I hear Mrs. Spice calling! Yep, she probably needs help with closing up, heh heh. Yep so uh, great meeting you, Maud, I’ll uh see you later!”

“Yeah, the Cakes probably need me too! Yep, the foals are probably being a hooful, so I’ll just make sure everything is good! You seem to be having fun here, Maud, so I’ll see you back at Sugarcube Corner later, okay bye now!”

With that, both party ponies zoomed off in opposite directions, leaving one confused mare behind.

Maud stood still for a moment before making up her mind. Her little sister was obviously upset. As a big sister, she wouldn’t let that happen.

Mrs. Cake gave a tired sigh, smiling over the scene before her. Pound and Pumpkin Cake were both tucked into their crib and fast asleep.

It had been a hectic afternoon with Pinkie out showing her sister around. She and her husband had had to alternate between watching the foals and running the store. They had managed, but it wasn’t easy. Pumpkin and Pound could be a real hassle when they wanted to be, and today they had been in a mood all right.

Still, seeing them all tuckered out now brought a smile to her face. As difficult as they could be, they were her foals and she loved them with all her heart.

She heard the door behind her opening and she turned to see Mr. Cake pop his head into the room.

“Everything go well, honeybun?”

The plump yet beautiful mare gave a smile and trotted over to give her husband a kiss.

“Perfectly, Carrot dear. The little sugar dumplings are fast asleep. Let’s hope they stay that way for a few hours until Pinkie gets home. Right now I think I’d love nothing more than a nap.”

It was at that exact moment that everything went to Tartarus.

Downstairs the two heard the front door slam open and a blur of pink zoomed up the stairs and into Pinkie’s upstairs loft. The loud noise immediately woke the twins up. This, of course, did not sit well with them after having been having wonderful dreams and so both burst out crying, their young wails screaming around the house like a siren.

Cup and Carrot both gave a sigh of despair.

“Sweetheart, can you take care of the twins? I’ll go have a word with Pinkie. She knows not to slam doors and race through the house when the foals are down for their nap.”

“Sure thing, honeybun.”

Cup Cake trotted out of the room, wincing as she heard Carrot Cake attempting to calm the foals down to little success. He was usually pretty good at it, but when the twins were woken up prematurely, just about nothing could get them to calm down for hours.

The swirly maned mare trotted up the stairs to Pinkie’s loft, where she could see the door had been left ajar in Pinkie’s haste. Mrs Cake crossed the doors threshold and was immediately greeted by tons and tons of rock candy.

“Pinkie, why is your room flooded with candy?! You promised me this would stop happening after Nightmare Night three years ago when you nearly destroyed the support beams with all the weight!”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Cake. I know I promised. I just got excited about my big sister visiting and went a little overboard,” the sad voice echoed from somewhere around the mountains of sugary sweets. This worried Cup Cake, as Pinkie being upset was a rare sight, and never seemed to end well for anypony.

“What’s the matter, dearie? You sound terrible. Is everything ok? Did something happen with your sister while you were out?” the older mare asked as she navigated the candy piles to find her pink charge.

It took a few moments, but she eventually came across her lying across her bed, as the sullen pink pony replied. “I’m not really sad. Just… really confused at the moment.”

Mrs. Cake approached the young baker and joined her on the bed. Pinkie sat up onto her haunches to make room for her employer but just stared at the floor, unsure of herself.

“What is that’s got you so confused, Pinkie? If you need some help, I’m always here for you, dearie.”

This got the younger mare to look up at her employer and see the motherly smile on her muzzle. It brought a tiny smile to Pinkie’s face and she sighed a little, leaning her body against the older mare, who loved her like a daughter

“It’s just… I was with Cheese earlier and we were spending some time with Maud, playing some of her rock games. Maud said something that has me really confused… she thought that Cheese and I were… a couple.”

Seeing that Pinkie was still a little distressed, Cup Cake wrapped a hoof around the young mare and pulled her tighter against herself.

“Okay, I think I can see Maud’s confusion. You and Cheese are very close and you're similar. From somepony who hadn’t met Cheese, I think I could see how she might make that mistake. But why does that have you so upset?”

It took a few minutes before Pinkie answered, turning her head back to the floor, unable to look at the older mare.

“It’s… I just… the thought of Cheese and I… it just… it felt kind of weird… but also kind of nice. Then I got scared and came here… Why do I feel scared, Mrs. Cake?”

Mrs Cake had to think about this for a moment before she realized the answer. She looked at the young mare beside her with wide eyes, before a gentle smile crossed her muzzle. Pinkie looked up at her, confused as to why her eyes looked so proud of her.

“Pinkie, I think I understand why. Up until now, you’ve had a lot of love for a lot of ponies. Your friends, your family, all the ponies of Ponyville. You love them all, some a little more than others, but all still loved by you dearly. But up until now, that love has always been platonic. It’s the only love you’ve experienced. With Cheese though, I’m guessing that the love you have for him feels different. Am I right?”

Pinkie looked scared and worried, but she gave a shaky nod to this. Mrs. Cake pulled her into a proper hug this time to calm her down. After a moment, she pulled back to look at the young mare she employed, whom she looked after like a daughter, and smiled with motherly pride.

“The reason you’re confused, Pinkie, is because the type of love you’re experiencing is different. It can be frightening and nerve-wracking. But it can also be wonderful and warm. It can be one of the most special feelings you can ever experience.”

Before she continued on, she made sure that Pinkie was looking right at her. What she was about to say was important, and she needed to know that Pinkie heard her.

“Now I want you to know right now, that having this type of love for Cheese does not have to change anything between you. You are still best friends and nothing will ever stop that. But it also means that if Cheese feels this same type of love for you, it can open the door to a lot of new things for you both. Things that can be a little scary or strange, but there are also things that fill you with happiness. A type of happiness that I have with my husband.”

At that declaration, it started to sink in for Pinkie what Mrs Cake was saying. Her eyes widened and she leaned back a little. “Do you mean…?”

“Pinkie, I think for the first time, you may have romantic feelings,” Cup Cake nodded in confirmation before adding, “and those feelings are for Cheese Sandwich.”

Pinkie GASPED as she realized Mrs. Cake was absolutely right!

Before they could discuss the matter further, a frantic knock at her door accompanied by some very familiar wailings made both mares look to see the door open, revealing a desperate Carrot Cake, holding the twins in both hooves.
“Cup Cake! A little help, please?!”

“Coming, dearie!” Cup Cake hurried over to her husband and took Pound Cake off his hooves when Carrot Cake looked to Pinkie.

“And Pinkie? Your sister is here, asking for you.”

“Thanks, Mr. Cake, I’ll go see her,” Pinkie bounced past them, but quickly came back to give Cup Cake a hug. “Thanks for the talk, Mrs. Cake.”

“Anytime, dearie,” Cup Cake smiled at Pinkie, when she waved in front of the twins’ faces, causing them to settle a bit but continue to snuffle and whimper.

Pinkie zoomed into her door, closing it but leaving it open a crack, and the Cakes knew what was coming.

“Wherrrrre’s Pinkie Pie…?” Pinkie called before bursting the door open with a big smile on her face. “HERE I AM!”

Almost at once, the twins finally settled down and started giggling, which made Pinkie Pie giggle too while the Cakes laughed as well as sigh in relief. Pinkie gave Pound and Pumpkin both a kiss before heading downstairs.

Maud was sitting at one of the booth tables and looked towards her younger sister as Pinkie bounced towards her.

“Hey Maud! Sorry for running off like that.”

“I’m glad to see you’re not upset,” Maud replied in her typical tone and expression. “I was afraid I said something to offend you and Cheese Sandwich.”

“Not at all,” Pinkie assured her big sister. “It was just… unexpected, is all. You didn’t say or do anything wrong, Maud.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Maud accepted before standing up. “I’m going to go look around for some rock samples. I’d like to catalogue the types of rocks that can be found in Ponyville.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie! I’ll get everything ready and then go get everypony!” Pinkie waved her sister out the bakery, and went back upstairs to look at the different rock candies she’d made, and started sorting out the ones her friends had taste-tested from the ones they hadn’t.

It wasn’t a half-hour later when she heard the unmistakable sound of Rainbow whooshing overhead, and she quickly ran downstairs to the door, and saw Blueblood, Rarity, Big Macintosh, and Rainbow Dash.

“Great! You’re all- Wait, I don’t see Cheese,” Pinkie said, noticing her partner in the party pony business oddly absent.

“Uh, yeah, Cheese said Mrs. Spice needed him fer an errand,” Big Mac explained.

“Oh! Well, Maud is off looking for rocks, so this is the perfect time to set up everything we’ll need to make our best friend rock candy necklaces!” Pinkie happily declared but then noticed the looks of hesitation and discomfort on her friends’ faces.
“What’s wrong?”

Blueblood was pushed forward by Big Mac, and gave in with a sigh, “Pinkie Pie? I don’t think it’s… really a good time to make best friend rock candy necklaces…”

“Why not?” Pinkie was genuinely confused.

“Uh…” Blueblood hesitated when Rarity came to his rescue.

“Well, darling, you see…” but even she didn’t quite know how to break the ice.

“It’s cool of you to want us to be a part of something so special to you, Pinkie, but…” Rainbow tried.

“But what?” Pinkie asked with hopeful eyes.

Sighing, Big Mac finally came clean for them all, “The thing is, Pinkie Pie… We’ve all been tryin’ mighty hard t’ bond with Maud an’ all, but… y’see… Maybe some ponies aren’t, Ah dunno, on th’ same wavelength as others.”

When the others made murmurs of agreement, Big Mac cleared things up, “We just wouldn’ feel right makin’ sumpin’ tha’ says wer’ best friends when… we aren’t!”

As those words sunk into Pinkie’s brain, her friends felt their hearts hurt when they saw (and heard) her mane deflate like a balloon. Even more by the sadness on Pinkie’s face.
“Oh… Okay. If anypony needs me, I’ll… I’ll just be in here, trying to figure out… what to do with two-hundred pounds of rock candy…”

As Pinkie closed the door, her friends all shared crestfallen looks as they all knew what they’d just done.

Author's Note

I did the Maud one-on-ones with Blueblood and Rarity, Pontiac56 did the rest, I did the editing, and wrapped things up

194. Maud Pie - Part 3

Chili Spice was humming merrily as she cleaned her kitchen. With the tables freshly wiped, she turned around to grab the boxful of napkins so as to go around and put them into their dispensers, and turning around she almost had a stroke to see Cheese sitting down, looking troubled.
“Cheese Sandwich! Oh… What’re you doing here? It’s not a work day!”

Cheese Sandwich sighed a little, holding up his head with his hooves, the curly lock that hung above his eyes looked oddly droopy, and their was a look of confusion in his eyes. Normally, they were a bright and happy-go-lucky green. Now though, they seemed dull and uncertain.

When he didn’t answer, Chili Spice tried again, “Cheese, whatever’s the matter, hon? Weren’t you with your friends, hosting Pinkie Pie’s sister? Did something go wrong?”

When again Cheese didn’t answer, Chili Spice sat at the side of the table opposite him, “Cheese Sandwich, c’mon! Talk to ol’ Auntie Spice.”

Cheese looked up at Chili Spice, and saw a motherly smile with eyes wishing to help. Sighing, he confessed.
“Well, it’s not that something went wrong… I mean, I spent my one-on-one with Pinkie’s sister, Maud, doing what she wanted, and… it was boring. Like sooooo BORING. Like the most boringest boring ever to bore anypony who found it boring!”

“And…?” Chili Spice asked, encouraging him to go on.

“Well, I was honest with Maud, but not so… vocal on the borings,” Cheese explained, “but I made sure to say I was being nice and wanting Maud to have the best time in Ponyville while she was visiting her sister.

“Pinkie was happy that I was being so thoughtful to Maud, and when we hugged… Maud called us a couple.”

When Cheese stopped talking, and looked down as though he were some naughty colt admitting to mischief, Chili Spice said, “...That’s it?”

Cheese looked up at his boss with a look of confusion but saw Chili Spice had a teasing smile.

“‘That’s it’?! Mrs. Spice, Pinkie and I aren’t dating!” Cheese exclaimed.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Chili Spice giggled, “the way you two always are around each other, wacky and bouncy, having fun together, enjoying each other’s company, planning parties or pranks-”

“But I just said-” Cheese protested only for Chili Spice to raise a halting wing, making him stop talking, especially when she closed her feathers, mimicking the gesture of ‘shut your mouth’.

“But you know what I can’t help noticing every single time I see the two of you together?” Chili Spice asked, getting a confused shrug from her employee. “The way the both of you look at each other… The way you smile when you see each other, how you make each other laugh, how happy the both of you are just by being together!”

That one gave Cheese Sandwich food for thought, but Chili Spice wasn’t done.

“Tell me again, Cheese, how you became a party pony.”

“...Well, I grew up in an orphanage in Manehatten,” Cheese started off. “I never knew my mother or father, the closest thing I had to parents growing up in the orphanage was the matron and the doctor! All the other foals in the orphanage were the closest things I had to brothers and sisters growing up.

“But I was really shy when I was little. A lot of ponies hardly remembered my name, barely noticed me at all - I could’ve screamed in the middle of the room and still nopony would notice me! ...It got to the point where I felt so lonely, even when I was surrounded by all these ponies, that I ran away…”

Chili Spice remembered Cheese mentioning he’d grown up in an orphanage but that was it. She didn’t interrupt and continued to listen with rapt attention.

“Somehow, I managed to travel halfway across Equestria, and I stumbled into Ponyville somehow, whether by chance or even fate, and I found myself in the first party I ever really experienced! Everywhere I looked, everypony had a smile on their face, there was laughing, dancing, and even though I’d just stumbled in, they all welcomed me as though I belonged!”

Cheese Sandwich smiled fondly in nostalgia, which made Chili Spice smile as well.

“I was so happy and inspired by that one party, I vowed to change and let go of my past, and the pony I had to thank for throwing that super-dee-tastic party….!”

“Was Pinkie Pie?”

Cheese looked at Chili Spice, who was smiling at him warmly, and he smile back as he nodded.

“Yeah… I saw her there, surrounded by everypony as she did what she does best, what she was born to do,” Cheese sighed with a smile, “making everypony laugh and smile.”

“So what happened then?” Chili Spice asked.

“Oh, I was found, I had to `fess up that I’d run away from an orphanage in Manehatten, I was sent back, but it wasn’t the same as before,” Cheese Sandwich went on but with a more positive look this time.
“It wasn’t all at once, of course, but I stuck to my vow to change and follow Pinkie’s example. Eventually, I was adopted by a traveling couple, who were performers. My adoptive dad taught me how to play the accordion and slapstick comedy, my mom taught me how to sing and dance, they taught me a lot of things really! They helped me when I started being a party pony until I was old enough to travel on my own.”

“And where are they now?”

“They eventually settled in Baltimare,” Cheese confirmed. “They’re still plenty spry an’ all but Dad was starting to get on a bit, so he and Mom decided to enjoy their middle-age and golden years in a nice burg, where they both became teachers at a performing arts school. I sent them postcards all the time I was traveling, but we’ve started writing each other more since I settled here in Ponyville.”

“Well, Cheese, I’m glad your foalhood got better,” Chili Spice placed her hoof warmly on his, which he appreciated as he gave her hoof a gentle squeeze. “But it sounds like your life is better because of Pinkie!”

“Well, yeah!” Cheese admitted. “I mean…. If I’d never been inspired by her, I’d never have become a party pony in my own right, I’d have never come out of my shell and maybe my adoptive folks wouldn’t have noticed me and made me their son.

“I told Pinkie she was my inspiration, but… I didn’t tell her it’s because of that inspiration I owe her so much! Pinkie’s the most amazing mare I know! She always knows how to make you laugh and smile, she’s there when you need help, whether you want it or not, she’s smarter than a lot of ponies give her credit for, she’s a great baker and loves to share her treats with everypony, she can throw the most amazing parties, and… she’s just the sweetest mare I’ve ever met, and the most beautiful! Her coat pink like strawberry milk, her adorable curly mane with that cute little curl that hangs above her eyes, and… Oh her perfect blue eyes! I-”

Cheese flinched as he realized what he was saying and saw the smirk on Chili Spice’s face.
“Uh- Well- That is- Mrs. Spice, I-”

Again, Chili Spice rose her wing, but didn’t make that ‘shut it’ gesture with her feathers again. This time, her manner was more gentle and understanding.

“Cheese Sandwich…” she began, her tone made Cheese know it was time to listen. “I can’t tell you what to do with your life other than be here on time to do your job. But if you want one mare’s opinion, I have to be frank - You care for Pinkie. And I do mean, you care about her in a way that you have to decide for yourself whether or not to make it something more.

“Even before you blurted those things out, hon, I always suspected there was something special between the two of you, and I’m not talking about the two of you being party ponies or the indirect history you two share. Cheese, lemme tell you, if I’d never found the courage to take that first step, I’d have never had Stuffed Crust as my special somepony or my husband! We shared some happy years together but that’s not to say it was perfect. We argued now and then, but every couple has times when they don’t get along. However, so long as they remember what the other means to them, they remember as well that it’s their love for each other that matters more.

“Was my marriage hard? You bet your scrawny little ass it was, young stallion! Stuffed Crust and I never got the chance to be parents, we didn’t get to grow old together… But we were together, and that is something I never regretted.”

Cheese Sandwich looked in awe at his employer and was a little surprised when she stood up, came over, and gave him a hug and kiss on the forehead. She looked at him warmly, and said, “Cheese Sandwich, if Stuff and I had had a child, I’d have wanted him to be just like you.”

She then returned to her cleaning, as Cheese began to ponder all that they’d just shared between them.

Somehow, Cheese Sandwich’s Cheesy Sense led him to the Golden Oaks Library, and upon walking in he heard Blueblood talking.
“...hadn’t become the best of friends, I think Maud would have.”

“Maud would have what?”

Everypony looked to see Cheese at the door, looking confused, and e saw them all looking downhearted.
“Did I miss something?”

“Well, haystack,” Big Mac explained, “we all went t’ see Pinkie Pie an’ told her… we hadn’t exactly been bondin’ well with her sister, that…”

“That what?” Cheese pressed.

“That we felt it wouldn’t be right if we made those best friend rock candy necklaces with her when we are, in honesty, not best friends with Maud,” Rarity cleared things up.

Hearing this, Cheese Sandwich understood, “...Oh. Then… I take it Pinkie…?”

“Was hurt we hadn’t become friends with Maud, like she’d hoped,” Blueblood nodded sadly.

“Well, what did she expect?!” Rainbow Dash interjected from her seat on a bay window above the bookshelves as she fiddled with a rock. “That sister of hers is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an igneous!”

“Don’t you mean ‘inside an enigma’?” Rarity tried to correct.

“Nope, I meant ‘igneous’. It’s a kind of rock,” Rainbow affirmed. “Ask me how I know that!”

Cheese Sandwich was worried now. He knew things might be a little tough for the others in making friends with Maud, but apparently he’d underestimated the difficulty it would be. But before he could say any-

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

They all looked to the door and in bounced Pinkie, announcing, “ I’ve come up with just the thing to bring everypony closer together!”

The group all followed their hyperactive friend until they spotted Maud waiting for them just passed the tree line of Whitetail Woods. The mare glanced at them for a moment before returning her blank gaze forwards again. Pinkie dashed passed everypony as they all lined up, curious about Pinkie’s idea.

What they saw gave them all pause.

A bizarre looking obstacle course greeted them. Rock piles were stacked, tubes and funnels looped about. Sparkly things and apple pies. Whatever this thing was that Pinkie had constructed, none could tell what its purpose was.

As if sensing their confusion, Pinkie zoomed in front of them all, her wide smile plastered across her face.

“I call it Pinkie-Rainbow-Rari-Bluey-Mackie-Cheesy-Maud Fun Time!!!”

The group stared for a moment until Rainbow eloquently expressed what they were all thinking

“Huh?”

Ignoring their confusion, Pinkie popped up between Rarity and Blueblood and started to ramble.

“It combines everypony’s interests into one giant activity that we can all enjoy together and that will totally bring all my bestest friends together as the bestest of friends!”

The ponies all looked amongst each other deciphering Pinkie’s words, that she had rambled without pause. As such they didn’t notice Pinkie appear before a group of mannequins displaying different articles of protective clothing.

“You’ll need these,” she added with a sly look upon her face. The bizarre coverings ranged from a soda-drinking cap, to a pointed helmet to odd bubble wrap knee guards. They frankly didn’t appear like they would work well to protect much of anything.

It took a moment before Rainbow once again spoke for the whole group. “Like I said … huh?”

The group turned back to Pinkie, now wearing a helmet, roller blading knee guards and a snorkel who gave them all a sly smile.

“Probably better for me to show you. Watch this!”

With that she dived into the odd construct from the starting tube filled with apple pies.

“Apple Pie tunnel for Big Mac. Make sure the pie goes in your mouth, not your hooves.”

She grinned, devouring several pies as she scurried through the tubing and into the next section of the obstacle course.

The end of the tube aimed slightly up and Pinkie swooshed out of it and into a short pit filled with shining silk and sparkling cloth.

“Pretty shiny stuff for Rarity.”

She quickly exited the pile of materials and started to jolt across some of the open stretch of the course.

“Mechanical doodads for Bluey.”

She then hopped onto a pedal powered device with an odd assortment of wires and pipes that stretched from the device to a door in front of it (with no walls on either side, rendering it rather pointless). She quickly started to pedal (at a blinding speed that had Dash looking a little put out) which quickly sent jolts of electricity up the wires and into a winching mechanism that lifted up the door. With a Pinkie level leap, the mare zoomed from the pedal and under the door, which with no pedal powering it, immediately started to lower back to the ground.

“Some instruments for Cheesy,” she snatched up a flugelhorn from a bunch of instruments of various different kinds that had been left in a pile on the ground. She gave it a quick toot, but it was plain that the horn was still one of the only instruments she couldn’t play (judging by the cringing and rapid covering of ears from the rest of the assembled ponies).

The mare then turned and pressed a button on one of the courses walls, which immediately lowered a pink dome over her and a vacuum effect started up, hovering several cupcakes around her.

“Cupcakes for yours truly.” She then started to chomp down on several of the baked goods before exiting from the dome out of a funnel and out onto a set of tight ropes.

“And it’s a race for Rainbow Dash.” She declared proudly with a smile. However her pride was ignored once the other ponies all stared ahead at the next obstacle. The giant and rather unstable-looking pile of rocks, with a massive boulder teetering at the top.

“Uh, Pinkie... what is the purpose of the, uh… huge pile of dangerous-looking rocks?” Blueblood asked, giving a very worried look at his pink friend, shared by everypony present (well except Maud, but Cheese could see in her eyes and posture she was just as worried).

Pinkie just looked back at them filled with excitement. “A rock slide, of course! For Maud.”

At the declaration, Maud just gave a surveying glance and blinked. Cheese could immediately tell that Pinkie’s big sister’s worry had increased at this declaration. Still Pinkie showed no concerns as she started down the final tube before the rock pile.

“First you climb, then you slide!” as she scurried along, Big Mac gave a gulp and leaned over towards Cheese next to him.

“Ah’ve got a bad feelin’ about this…”

With all the worries and fears that had been going through his head earlier that day, Cheese was already not in a very good place. Seeing Pinkie start moving to the giant rock pile, sent a jolt of uncertainty through his system that had him start to sweat.

Next to him, he could see Maud tense up and her jaw clench. She was clearly just as worried as he was about Pinkie’s antics.

Pinkie herself just started giggling as she leap from rock to rock up the steep incline, until a bigger rock seemed to catch her back hoof and keep her in place.

“Huh?” the pink mare gave a few tugs, but it seemed the rock had too much weight for the mare to pull herself free.

That was when everything started falling apart.

Quite literally, as a matter of fact.

Her tugs sent a jolt through the unstable pile of rocks that got everything shaking. Worst of all, this made the teetering boulder at the top completely overbalance and start to fall, heading straight for the suddenly distressed Pinkie. Everypony gasped as the rock started sliding forwards rapidly. Pinkie continued to try and get loose, but the shifting of the rocks just made it worse for her. She tugged and tugged, but she couldn’t get free. She looked up, gasping in fear at the hurtling boulder, until finally she screamed.

“HELP!!”

As the rest of the group panicked, two ponies suddenly acted. Maud and Cheese Sandwich zoomed forward at ridiculous speeds, each donning a protective outfit on the way.

They burst through the apple pie tunnel, sending pastry in all directions. They zipped through the material pile, sending it scattering in all directions. The rest of the assembled friends just stared wide eyed in disbelief as the two smashed through the pedal powered door, the instrument pile and the cupcake dome, hurtling through the air like rockets. Just as the huge boulder was about to slam into Pinkie and squish her flat, Cheese grasped her firmly and slammed his back hoof down on the rock pinning her leg, shattering it. As Pinkie just gasped wide-eyed, the stallion held her tight and leapt from the rock pile.

Above them, Maud jackhammered her hooves through the giant rock, drilling through it until it was nothing but pebbles and dust. Once it was destroyed, she slid down the pile and landed next to Cheese, who had landed on his back legs so as to keep Pinkie safely within his hooves, as she had her own wrapped around his neck.

While the rest of the ponies all gave sighs of joy and relief, Rainbow just spluttered in the air.

“What! How! What!”

Cheese Sandwich remained locked up for a moment briefly heavily, shocked and wide-eyed about the whole thing. Before he heard Maud gently clearing her throat next to him. He set Pinkie down on the ground before turning her and giving her a hug, letting the stress and fear fade, for the both of them.

Pinkie gripped him tightly until she stopped shaking. Once she did so, she stepped back so she could look Cheese in the eyes.

“Thank you Cheesy. You too Maud… I would have been a goner without you two.”

Cheese just gave her a relieved smile and nodded his head. Maud however stepped up and gave her sister a strong hug, holding her protectively in her grasp. She was silent for a moment before releasing her sister and letting out a barely audible sigh. Then the grey mare turned to Cheese.

“Thanking you for helping my sister, Cheese Sandwich. You are a good stallion and a good friend.”

Then she surprised all the other friends, who were making their way towards the three, by wrapping Cheese in a hug of his own. Cheese blinked in surprise for a moment, before he smiled and returned the hug. He said nothing, knowing that Maud could see how relieved and thankful he was that Pinkie was okay. After Maud stepped back she turned back to Pinkie, this time with a stern big sister look.

“Pinkie Pie, what were you thinking?”

Pinkie sighed and lowered her head in with a little shame in her expression, “I guess I wasn’t...”

She felt a hoof under her chin, and the pink mare felt her gaze raised to look her sister in the eye, “I know how important it is to you that your friends become my friends, but... I just don’t think it’s going to happen. I think it would just be best if I head back to the rock farm and spend the rest of the week there.”

Pinkie gave a sad look and removed her helmet, but she made no move to stop Maud as the mare gave a final grateful look to Cheese before turning to the rest of the group, whom had just reached them.

“It was nice to meet you all. It makes me happy knowing Pinkie Pie has such good friends.”

Then, without turning her head, the mare trotted passed them all and back along the path leading out of Whitetail Woods. The ponies looked sad at the announcement, especially as Pinkie Pie moved alongside them, staring at her retreating sister.

“But… we never even got to make our rock candy necklaces...”

Then Pinkie raised her hoof and shouted, “Wait, Maud! I’ll come with you!” and sprinted past them and after her big sister.

As Cheese rejoined the others, Blueblood spoke up, guilt and sadness in his voice.

“I… I can’t believe Maud chose to cut her trip short. Pinkie was so excited to have her here, and for all of how little we got along, I at least thought she was having a good time here.”

Beside him, Rarity addressed the group. “I can’t believe we almost lost Pinkie to that ridiculous obstacle course!”

“Eeyup, it shor was good Maud an’ Cheese sprang into action like that. Ah feel a little ashamed of mahself for not doin’ anythang! Ah just stood there in shock...” Big Mac said glumly, his head lowered in shame.

Rainbow, trying to deal with her own shock and fear, turned to one of her coping mechanisms. Addressing the situations awesomeness. “Did you see how fast Maud and Cheese moved!? That was awesome!”

Cheese still seemed a bit upset and confused, so Rarity, decided to get the spotlight off him a bit and address her own thoughts about Maud.

“And the way she smashed that huge rock into dust, how in Equestria did she do that?”

“Her sister was in trouble,” Big Mac pointed out, “With th’ bond those two share, Ah bett there ain’t nothin’ that mare would do for Pinkie Pie.”

Hearing those words from Big Mac, Cheese GASPED in realization. While he had been able to understand and try to connect with Maud better than the rest of the group, a lack severe lack of shared interests had kept Maud a hoof leg from everypony. However it was now clear as day to him the one thing they all did share in common with Maud.

“Guys, I can tell things didn’t go amazingly well with Maud. Her lack of expressions and her lack of shared interest made it really hard to connect with her,” Cheese spoke before bouncing like a schoolcolt, with a big smile on his face.
“But I just realized what it is we do share! Something that will make everything just gouda between all of us! Something that will let us fulfill Pinkie’s super special family tradition!”

“What is it, Cheese darling?” Rarity asked for everypony as they all stopped and turned to their now bouncing friend.

“No time! Quick everypony follow me!” and with that, he burst into a run, with everypony in close pursuit.

Author's Note

I took this opportunity to give my head-canon version of Cheese Sandwich a backstory and also address his own thoughts of a possible relationship with Pinkie

Pontiac56 did the crazy obstacle course and Cheese ad Maud rescuing Pinkie, I did the editing

I can't wait to wrap this up!

195. Maud Pie - Ending

Pinkie Pie sadly watched the scenery pass her by through the window she sat by in the passenger car of the Friendship Express. Having chosen to go back to her hometown of Nickerlite to spend the rest of the week with Maud before her big research trip, Pinkie wondered, What did I do wrong?

Bouncy and wacky as she was, Pinkie was aware that her sister wasn’t as socially expressive as others but because of how well she knew Maud, that particular fact seemed to slip her memory as she’d planned for her sister and friends to meet. She’d been so sure they would hit it off and that they’d all happily be making and trading rock candy necklaces, and just have an all-around good time hanging out.

That was Pinkie Pie, always looking on the bright side and having a positive attitude and facing the future with optimism.

Maud sat with her, also thinking about the events that had transpired. Although on the outside she didn’t express it, Maud felt guilty she hadn’t clicked with her sister’s friends as well as she’d hoped. That’s not to say Maud had been against meeting Pinkie’s friends but she was just a different pony.

Not just from her sister but by other social standards.

Despite Pinkie having gone to an extreme to help Maud bond with her friends (even if she’d unintentionally put herself at risk), Maud was appreciated the intention, as well as the fact her sister had such good friends to take care of her when she wasn’t home with their family.

“Thank you for coming with me. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone on my rock research trip,” Maud finally broke the ice and fiddled with Boulder after removing him from her satchel.
“I’m glad I still get to spend some time with you before I go.”

“Me too. I’m sorry I put so much pressure on everypony to bond,” Pinkie replied in a way that Maud was relieved to confirm there was no hard feelings of any sort. “I only wanted my friends to get to know my amazing big sister.”

The Pie Sisters shared a hug, however Maud felt there was still another topic to discuss.

“I liked your friends. They were nice. Especially Cheese Sandwich.”

This brought a smile to Pinkie’s face. “Yeah, he is pretty amazing. Ever since he decided to stay in Ponyville, it’s been really great getting to spend time with a pony so like me. I love all my friends and the ponies of Ponyville, but it feels really good to have somepony I can relate to.”

“He is very brave. He helped me to save you from the boulder. Not many ponies would have risked themselves like that.”

Pinkie nodded her head at Maud’s point, still nestled under her big sister’s chin. “Yeah, he is pretty brave. I owe my life to you guys.”

Maud felt a little uncomfortable, but felt as a big sister, she needed to continue. “He must really care about you, Pinkie. He put his life at risk to save you.”

Pinkie thought over the horrible scene in her head. Her trapped and scared, fearing the end as the boulder hurtled towards her. Then the strong protective grasp of Cheese, as he grabbed her, pulled her free and jumped to safety, holding her safely in his hooves as she had hers wrapped around his neck. It brought a warm feeling to her heart. A feeling that stirred the memory of her discussion with Mrs. Cake earlier that day.

A slight blush came to her cheeks as she started to realize, just what that feeling might be.

Seeing just what Pinkie might be thinking, Maud spoke on, her monotone voice filled with emotion that only a pie sister could hear, “Pinkie Pie. I have seen you interact with Cheese Sandwich. I see the connection you share. It is closer than the connection you have with your other friends.”

Maud turned her little sister so that she could see her eyes. Pinkie needed to understand clearly what she had to say.

“I am your big sister and I love you. Our family loves you. We worry about you sometimes. So far from the rock farm. How different your life is now. But I have seen how cared for you are by your friends. And by Cheese Sandwich. I am not worried anymore. He can take care of you. He can make you happy. As a big sister, that is important to me.”

Pinkie paused a moment to consider Maud’s words.

“If you feel something for Cheese Sandwich you should explore it. Remember Granny Pie’s song about fear.”

The pink mare was silent for a moment, before she sung a line, deeply ingrained in her from important memories. Of a grandmother and of the fateful night the united her closest friends.

“Giggle at the ghosties…”

Maud nodded. The two stayed silent for a moment, before Maud said one last thing.

“It is okay to be scared, Pinkie. But if you don’t face your fear, you will never feel the joy past the ghosties.”

Arriving in Nickerlite, Pinkie and Maud stepped off of the train platform and started making towards their family rock farm when suddenly Maud stopped Pinkie (who had been busy thinking), and pointed ahead. Pinkie blinked and widened her eyes in surprise to see Cheese Sandwich, Blueblood, Rarity, Big Mac, and Rainbow Dash! All of them, smiling at the Pie Sisters while standing next to large bags of rock candy, one of which was spilling somewhat.

“Wh-what’re you all doing here?” Pinkie asked, confused by their very presence.

“Pinkie Pie, we’re so sorry we hurt your feelings by not bonding with Maud right away,” Blueblood responded.

“And Maud?” Cheese stepped and spoke up next, “We’re sorry that you felt the only way to spare Pinkie Pie’s feelings was to leave Ponyville early.”

“Mm-hmm,” the others added although Big Mac did his usual ‘Eeyup’ before saying ,”We’ve seen how much ya care fer Pinkie Pie first-hoof.

“Pinkie Pie’s happiness means as much to us as it does to you,” Blueblood concluded, “and we’re sorry we didn’t realize that sooner.”

“Yeah! Because it’s how much we all love Pinkie Pie that forms a special bond between all of us!” Cheese declared with a big grin.

Cheese and Pinkie shared a private exchange of looks but both blushed and said nothing, even though they were both smiling.

“Cheese Sandwich is right,” Blueblood agreed, “and it’s a fine example of common ground, wouldn’t you say, Maud?”

“...Sure,” Maud replied. Her expression, facially and vocally, as flat as ever. Although she did blink and make the barest of nods as she said so.

Even so, the almost-imperceptible emotion caused Blueblood, Rarity, Big Mac, and Rainbow Dash to all look confused.

Cheese was first to noticed but Pinkie was the one who asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry darling, it’s just…” Rarity answered, “we all just thought she’d be a tad more… excited about this.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Cheese popped up with a zany smile.
“Yeah! I’ve never seen her more excited in my entire life!!” agreed Pinkie.

Pinkie and Cheese started clowning about while Maud said, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t show my enthusiasm for things quite in the same way my sister does.”

The fact Maud had said that in her monotone manner while Pinkie was cartwheeling and Cheese somersaulting behind her oddly emphasized that in just the perfect way, that Rainbow Dash said, “Uh, we noticed.”

She looked to the others, who all had their own looks of agreement as she added, “And we’re totally cool with it.”

“Uh-huh!/Eeyup!” they laughed and agreed while Pinkie popped some confetti and Cheese was bouncing while playing his accordion.

At the train station, everypony gathered around Maud while Cheese announced, “Maud, we’ve all got something for you to take with ya on your research trip; little something-somethings to help you remember all your new buddies in Ponyville!”

One by one, each of them placed around Maud’s neck a rock candy necklace, each of a different design yet reflected the pony who’d made it for Maud.

“Thank you,” Maud said flatly when Pinkie popped up beside her.

“Try not to eat all the candy before ya leave!” Pinkie held out hers, Maud reaching into her satchel to pull out the one she’d made for Pinkie for them to exchange.

While Pinkie stepped away to enjoy the rock candy necklace Maud had made, she didn’t notice Maud pull out a box and set it on the platform. Opening it revealed many more rock candy necklaces as she added the one Pinkie had just given her.

“Are those all the necklaces Pinkie made for you?!”

Maud looked to see it was a flabbergasted Cheese Sandwich, and she closed the lid of the box while saying, “Mm-hmm.”

“Wh- Bu- You- You haven’t eaten any of them?!” Cheese stuttered in confusion.

“I don’t really like candy,” Maud admitted before pulling a very small but definite smile as she looked to her sister and said, “But I do love Pinkie Pie.”

Cheese looked to Pinkie and couldn’t help but smile as the pink mare scarfed down the last piece of rock candy on the necklace she’d gotten from Maud.

“Cheese Sandwich?”

Cheese looked to Maud as she looked at him and said, “I’m sorry about putting you and Pinkie on the spot before. I should not have made assumptions.”

“Well, uh, it’s no big, Maud, I-” Cheese chuckled, a bit nervous when Maud went on.

“You risked your life for my sister. I am glad that she has somepony like you to look after her.”

Cheese didn’t know what to say so Maud spoke more.

"I hope you keep looking after her. She is very special. To the both of us it seems." She gave a slow wink that the others would have dismissed as nothing. Cheese however could see the teasing for what it was.

Cheese blushed, babbled a bit, unsure of what to say when-

“ALL ABOARD FOR PONYVILLE!”

“Uh- Bye Maud!” Cheese said as he grabbed Pinkie and made for the passenger car.
“Do your best on your trip, Maud!” Pinkie called out to her sister as the train pulled out.

Maud waved them goodbye and Pinkie kept waving out the window until she couldn’t see Maud anymore. She then sat down, smiling and glad things had worked out, when she noticed Cheese was sitting in front of her. He had too. As the moment became awkward, Cheese and Pinkie looked away, their faces slightly blushing, but neither could stop their lips from pulling into bashful smiles as they peered at each other through the corners of their eyes.

Finally, Cheese stood up and went over to sit by Pinkie Pie. They looked at each other, and smiled as they held hooves.

Author's Note

I did this scene while Pontiac56 edited a few things and made suggestions for Maud's dialogue

196. Button Mash and Burn - Part 1

“Mmm…”

The rays of morninglight peering through the curtains fell (as they tend to do) on the sleeping eyes of the bed’s occupant. This caused the little colt to stir as the insides of his eyelids seemed to light up, bringing him out of the foggy bliss of sleep.

He tried turning over but the damage was done, much to his irritation, as his mind started to wake up. He creaked his eyes open and looked to his bedside drawer where he saw it was hardly a half-hour before the alarm went off!

“Ugh…” Button Mash groaned as he muttered a curse in Humgonian.

He hated waking up before the alarm!

It was bad enough his mom had given him one but since he’d gotten it, this was… the third time he’d woken up before the alarm and every time was more annoying than the last! The tempting call to return to sleep since technically it wasn’t time to get up yet. However the fact that it wouldn’t be long before the alarm went off after doing so didn’t escape him despite his drowsy state of mind.

The only thing to do now, was to get up.

Button sat up and stretched out his morning aches, a little grumpy when his eyes fell upon his game console and TV. An idea began to form in his mind.

Mom wouldn’t like it, but… There’s still lotsa time before school starts, he thought, and I was looking to clear that level…

The last time Love Tap had caught Button playing games so early in the morning had been when he’d pulled an all-nighter on the console. The fact that he had to go to school anyway had led to a rather miserable day and he’d been grounded.

But I did do my homework last night, Button thought some more, the temptation winning him over, and today’s a Friday so…

“Button, sweetie, it’s time to get ready for school!” Love Tap announced as she stepped into her son’s room with a good morning attitude.

“Uh-huh, gimme a minute.”

Those familiar words struck a chord and Love Tap all but had kittens when she saw her son was engrossed in another level-clearing.

“BUTTON! I thought we’d been through this before!” Love Tap yelled, “No playing games all night, especially on school nights!”

“I wasn’t up all night,” Button differed while his eyes remained glued to the screen, “I woke up before the alarm and since school isn’t until nine I thought I’d finish up a level I’ve been wanting to clear, and it’s a Friday.”

Love Tap saw the logic in those words, but still, “Did you-”

“I finished all my homework last night,” Button swore, “and y’know what?”

“Level cleared!” the game announced, Button smiling at the auto-save icon before looking to his mom, “I’m ready for breakfast.”

Love Tap was still miffed, but seeing Button looking much more jovial than he was most school days he got up, and the fact he seemed well-rested indicated he hadn’t lied about getting up early rather than being up all night.

“...Well, get ready for the day, I’ll make your breakfast, but I want to see your homework,” Love Tap ordered.

“Sure thing, Mom, oh and good morning!” Button said with an upbeat smile as he hurried out the bedroom, Love Tap looking a little unsure.

For sure enough, Love Tap was satisfied to see Button had indeed done his book report homework while he happily munched on cheesed scrambled eggs and buttered toast, which he washed down with some nice cool orange juice.

Aside a few spelling errors here and there, it’s completely done! Love Tap thought as she had her morning tea.

*BURP*

Button’s cute little burp snapped her out of it as her son said, “Excuse me, and thanks for the breakfast, Mom!”

Love Tap had to admit Button was much more upbeat this morning, but was still on the fence about his early game-playing. She’d been furious the last time she’d caught him playing games early in the morning but that was when Button had been up all night. The up-and-ready-for-the-day smile Button wore indicated he’d been entirely honest.

Putting Button’s book report into his saddlebags, Love Tap said, “You’re welcome, sweetie. Button, I’m still not exactly happy you were playing your games so early in the morning, but since you finished your homework and it is a Friday, I can let it go.”

“Thanks, Mom, and I promise again,” Button swore, holding his hoof over his heart, “I’ll never stay up a whole school night playing games.”

Love Tap smiled and gave Button a kiss on his forehead, “Well, it’s time for you to go.”

Button nodded and put on his propeller cap, and his mom helped him put his saddle bags on. She walked Button to the door and as he stepped out onto the welcome mat, he turned around and smiled, “See ya later, Mom!”

“Have a good day, dear,” Love Tap wished him as she watched him hurry off.

Love Tap was still a little unsure of what to feel about this morning. Granted, she wasn’t sure she approved of Button Mash playing his games so early in the morning rather than use that time to get ready for the day quicker but at least he hadn’t spent the whole night gaming. That, and he’d finished his homework, and this had happened on a Friday, which somehow made it more okay.

To an extent.

“Well, we’ll see how the rest of the day plays out,” Love Tap decided before stepping back into the house.

Button Mash honestly felt good today. What started off with an irritating situation turned out surprisingly well, and he felt much more ready for a school day than he’d ever felt!

Not to mention it was such a nice morning!

Usually, Button would be playing his Joy Boy on the way to school (which usually caused him to be late or arrive just in the nick of time) and not even think about smelling the roses along the way. Or saying good morning, waving hello, and such to passerby and some of the ponies he knew around town.

“Hey Button Mash!”

Button looked and smiled, “Hi Rumble!”

The gray pegasus colt flew over and landed beside his friend, “You’re looking lively today! Usually the first time I see you on a school day you’re nose is in your Joy Boy or something.”

“Well, this morning was a lot better than the usual,” Button laughed, “and I bet it’s gonna be a great day too! It’s a Friday, tonight is Sweetie Belle’s play, her big sister Rarity’s working on those costumes, and I feel ready for anything!”

“Pop quiz!” Cheerilee announced, much to the groans of her students, as she started hoofing out the quiz papers. “Take one and pass them down, and please don’t talk so everypony can concentrate.”

Seeing his classmates pass the quiz down their row of desks, Button felt his insides twist with anxiety!

A pop quiz?! This is so unfair! What if I’m not ready for it?! Button sweated as he thought, Although, being ready for a pop quiz wouldn’t make sense unless you already knew about it beforehoof-

“Hello-o! Here!” said the filly in front of Button as she held out the pop quiz.

“Oh! Uh- Sorry, thanks,” Button accepted the paper with shaky hooves, took a copy, and passed the rest of the stack behind him.

Setting it down, Button skimmed the content as Cheerilee said helpfully, “Now remember class, if you get stuck on a question, just skip it and come back to it later. Answer as many questions as you can until the first bell for recess, and don’t worry about finishing the whole thing. That’s not the point of this quiz. The quiz begins… now!”

Almost at once, the class fell silent as everypony picked up their pencils and poured over the questions. They were a mix of subjects, a few math questions, grammar problems, a question regarding history here and there, and some of them were even multiple-choice.

Taking a deep breath, Button thought, OK! ...Just relax, and let’s see… Question 1 - What is the Square Root of One-Hundred-and-Forty-Four?

Button hmm’d on that one when it dawned on him, Wait, I know that one!

He wrote down ‘12’ and continued to the next question, which asked, Who are the Six Founders of Equestria?

Button realized he knew this one too, as he recalled the Hearth’s Warming Pageant he went to last year with the rest of the Crusaders, and wrote down his answer.

Button wound up skipping a couple questions but found the quiz not to be as hard as he thought it was gonna be. He was so busy concentrating that he startled when he heard the bell, and Cheerilee announced, “All right, my little ponies! Pencils down! Please start sending your quiz papers forward and I’ll collect them. Once you’ve done so, you are dismissed for recess.”

Button collected the papers from his two classmates behind him and added his to the stack before passing it forward.

The day flashed by pretty quickly after that. Recess was a good time for Button, as he played a game of tag with the rest of the CMC (and Dinky who Twinken had shyly asked if she wanted to play. Button and Rumble had much teasing planned for later, but they let him have his fun).

After that Miss Cheerilee brought everypony in and gave a history lecture where everypony was encouraged to take notes before finally handing out the graded quiz papers. Once the teacher left his paper in front of him, Button gasped and smiled wide, filled with pride at the A- on the page. He had skipped a few questions, but every other one he had done was correct.

“Yes! Mum said the next time I get an A she’d let me play my new game! Well I know what I’m doing tonight.”

“Uh, Button, did you forget something? Something important happening tonight?” Rumble asked from next to him.

Button however was too excited to really pay much attention to his friend. If he had, he would have seen Sweetie Bell behind him giving him a frown.

Sweetie Bell had, for the last few weeks, been preparing a show for the ponies of Ponyville (well primarily the parents of the foals in her class but she had high hopes she would get a much higher turnout). She had worked really hard getting it all together, writing the scripts and the songs and directing the actors, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom included. She knew that even if they wouldn’t outright admit it, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were also pretty excited. This was a special show and Sweetie really wanted Button to be there. She needed to make sure he didn’t get distracted with his video games.

It seemed however that she would have to wait until after class, as Miss Cheerilee appeared in front of her, handing back her B test paper.

Well, at least she did better than last time.

As the bell rung signalling the end of class, most of the little colts and fillies, quickly jolted to their hooves to collect their school bags and make a hasty retreat home to relax and unwind.

All except for Button, who was too distracted, thinking about how much fun he was going to have tonight. His mother Love Tap had bought him a new game the last time they had passed the video game store but she would only let him play it if he started to improve his grades. He'd tried to up his studying, but his gaming habits made it difficult. If he was really honest with himself, his high mark this time was probably a fluke. He’d tried once to find the game and play it anyway, and when he was caught red-hoofed his mother took his Joy Boy away for a whole week!

Button still didn’t know how he’d survived that dark chapter of his life!

Still it was no matter to Button. Fluke or not, he'd be gaming tonight and nothing would stop him.

"Hey Button, wait up for a moment."

Button, barely noticed Sweetie Belle sidelining up to him, but he learned how to feign paying attention to his friends when his mind was otherwise distracted.

"Button, please don't forget my show tonight. I can see you’re excited for your new game, you went on about all week hoping to get a chance to play it. But please don't let it distract you tonight. I worked hard on my show and I really want you to be there, it would mean a lot to me."

Button gave her a slight nod and mumbled back, "Show tonight... got it, yup... I'll be there, no problem..."

Sweetie Belle gave him a confused look, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, Button. Just remember tonight at 6. I had a seat in the front row reserved for you so please don't be late."

"Yup, you got it, yep I'm totally hearing you right now..."

Sweetie Belle gave him another look, but she was in a hurry to get ready for her show, so she dashed off to prepare. Button walked on alone for a few minutes excited before he really processed anything from the conversation.

"Hey Sweetie, sorry I wasn't really listening, what's up tonight..." he blinked when he realized he was alone. He stood still for a moment before shrugging.

Well if she dashed off that quickly, it probably wasn't important.

Button trotted in through the front door with a swagger in his step, his test held proudly in his mouth for his mother to see.

“Hello sweetheart, how was school today?” Love Tap gave her son a nod as he entered the kitchen, keeping her focus on preparing dinner for the evening.

“It was good, mom, really good. Check out what I scored on Miss Cheerilee’s pop quiz!”

The older mare turned to face her son, her expression turning to surprise and then joy at the mark on his paper.

“Good job, Button! I knew if you applied yourself you could do well.”

“Thanks, Mom. I worked really hard just like you said. Does this mean I can play my new game?”

Love Tap had forgotten about this, but she supposed that Buttons had earned himself a reward. She gave her son a nod, a kiss on the forehead, and told him where she’d hidden the game before she returned to preparing dinner. As the young colt gave a YAY of joy and bolted out of the room, she suddenly felt a chill go down her spine.

Her disappointed mother sense was tingling, but she didn't know why.

Author's Note

The title is a play on Button Mash's name along with the saying 'crash and burn'

197. Button Mash and Burn - Part 2

“I’LL CRUSH YOU!”

Button yelped and dove to the side to avoid the massive flaming skeletal fist hurtling towards him. The monster attached to the fist howled with rage as he slammed into the ground, forming a small crater.

“Oh geez, oh geez, oh geez- How did this happen!?” Button yelped in a panic dodging another attack. His panicking meant nothing to the hulking creature trying to kill him.

“GET BACK HERE, VERMIN!” the monster roared, spreading its huge bat-like wings and taking to the sky. His draconic face glared with malice at Button, its burning eyes awash with flames.

“I AM THE AVATAR OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION! I AM THE ULTIMATE EVIL! I AM EREBUS AND YOU WILL FACE MY DARKNESS!”

As the beast rose into the air, his form blocked the sun revealing his shadowing body. His lower body was made of nothing but shadows and inky black ichor. His upper body was a bipedal skeletal form, shrouded in blackness and burning hellfire. His face was a dragon-like skull, surrounded by burning crimson fire and black smog. As the demonic creature loomed above him, Button finally caught a break in this one-sided battle. Scattered in the remains of this monster’s unlucky victims was a large sword, covered in a deep lapis lazuli magical glow. It was almost black, the blue was so dark and bright glittery shapes seemed to move about within the magic surrounding the blade.

The self-identified Erebus realized what had caught Button’s attention, and with a roar in flapped its hellish wings and zoomed towards the young colt.

Button was faster.

With a hoofaclean leap, Button dived into the decaying remains and grasped the blade firmly in his mouth. He turned, looking out the remains’ rib cage with determination in his eyes as Erebus hurtled towards him, rage in its burning eyes that wavered with the faintest hint of fear. With a war cry Button galloped out of the rib cage and forwards, sword ready to strike, as the monster unleashed a blood red flames from its gaping maw.

The flames burned towards him, but Button’s was ready. He was confident. He could do this…

“Button, sweetie! It’s dinner time!”

Button yelped in fright, fumbling the hold on his controller and watching as his character stumbled and was engulfed in the burning flames.

“Mo-om! I was just about to defeat the evil lord of Tartarus, Erebus the Great Shadow-ho-ho-ho...!” Button cried petulantly as he watched the demon monster on the screen laugh in triumph at the ashes that were once Button’s level 39 warrior stallion, before a big ‘GAME OVER] flashed across the screen mockingly.

Love Tap just stood in her son’s doorway, rolling her eyes at her colt as he angrily shut his game console off.

“I’m sorry, dear, but dinner is ready. If you don’t want me to disturb you then you need to be more mindful of the time.”

Button just grumbled as his mother retreated from his doorway and started for the dining room. The young colt had been completely hooked on his new game ‘Light Warrior’ about a noble warrior sent to capture or destroy several demonic entities that had escaped Tartarus. Erebus was the boss of the game and responsible for the breakout.

He had been so close to finishing it and winning and now he would have to start the fight all over again.

Button gave an annoyed sigh before he started making his own way from the room, when suddenly something caught his attention. There was a note pinned to the back of the door.

It got the young colt curious. He knew he could sometimes get a bit absorbed in his gaming, so he left himself reminder notices on his door to help him remember things. Evidently, this note had been on his door for some time, as he couldn’t remember when he had left it there. Button pulled the notice off the back of the door and held it in the light of the hallway so he could read it.

As his eyes scanned the note, he suddenly turned pale and his eyes became pin pricks. With a yelp of terror, the young earth pony bolted through the house, straight past his mother setting the table and out the door into the darkened streets of Ponyville in a mad dash for the theater.

Love Tap just stared confused for a moment, before spotting the note now lying on the floor. Picking it up, she read its message aloud.

“‘Don’t forget Sweetie Bell’s show’. Huh, the date he left is for today… and it was two hours ago,” Love Tap realized before letting out a sigh. “Well, he got himself into this mess, so he’ll have to suffer the consequences. I guess I’ll put his dinner in the fridge, he probably won’t be back for a while.”

“Isn’t there anypony here who remembers something BESIDES the dresses?!” Sweetie Belle practically yelled, her narrowed eyes scanning the room.

She, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo had just entered into the main hall after having discarded their costumes, only to find, that besides Spike, Twinken and Rumble, nopony seemed to really care that much about the show. All they could talk about were her sister’s dresses. In answer to her angry question, everypony in the room either diverted their eyes, developed an interest in their hooves, or stumped their brains trying to think of a response. The lack of answer just made Sweetie Belle give a growl and thump on the floor.

However before anypony could say anything, the doors to the hall slammed open and Button’s galloped into the room, wheezing and covered in sweat from the run all the way across town.

“I’m here, I’m here, what did I miss?!” he cried, scanning about trying to find why nopony was still in the main hall watching the show.

“What you missed was the whole thing, Button,” came an annoyed voice and the young earth pony turned to see Twinken, Rumble, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom approaching him, all looking miffed at him.

“What- But… but I…” the propeller-hatted colt stuttered hoping to try and come up with an excuse when he heard a growl from across the room.

He turned and gulped as Sweetie Belle marched right up to him and poked him roughly in the chest.

“Where were you Button Mash?! I spoke with you just a few hours ago this afternoon asking you to come to my show. You knew how hard I worked on this and I really wanted all of my friends to be there. Apparently my sister and her friends were too busy to show up but at least Spike came along with Twinken and Rumble, like the promised they would. But you didn’t, so tell me: Why?!”

The harsh glare she gave him, along with the annoyed expressions of the rest of his friends, and the confused but no less judgmental looks of the surrounding ponies knocked off any lies or excuses Button could come up with, so he sighed and started to speak.

“… Well, since I did so well on Miss Cheerilee’s pop quiz this afternoon, I... wanted to play the new game my mum got me. She said she would only give it to me if I aced my next test at school and since I did she gave it to me as a reward. I was having so much fun playing that… well that I lost track of time and forgot about your show… I’m sorry, Sweetie Belle…”

Before he could finish though, Sweetie Belle just poked him again and started to growl, “Your stupid game!? I should’ve known! Any time you get a new game this always happens! Nothing else matters except getting the new high score or beating some dumb boss! Well I hope it was worth it, Button Mash! In fact, next time your friends have something important going on, how about you don’t bother coming at all! Obviously your games mean more to you!”

Then with a huff, Sweetie Belle about faced and headed out the door, making sure to flick Button in the nose with her tail as she did so.

As the young colt rubbed his sore nose, he saw the disapproving looks of his other friends (although they did express a little sympathy for him from the riot act he just got), as well as a few of the adults present while the rest looked awkwardly away.

Feeling ashamed of himself, he turned and bolted out the door, heading for home.

Button just poked at the spaghetti and wheatballs his mom had made, which worried her. After all, this was his favorite dinner, and seeing her little boy not interested in his favorite dish really worried Love Tap. Especially since he looked so sad and ashamed. She’d almost settled in the living room to read after putting Button’s dinner in the fridge when he’d come back. She’d ask why he was back so early but he’d said nothing and went into the kitchen and she’d brought out dinner. Again.

And still Button didn’t eat.

“So… how was the show?” Love Tap tried, attempting dinner conversation.

“I dunno…” Button mumbled in a morose voice.

Love Tap was able to put two and two together, “You missed it, didn’t you?”

Button whimpered, feeling even worse, which his mom noticed so she dialed it back.

“Honey, what happened?”

“...I missed the whole show!” Button started, attempting to keep calm and failing miserably. “When I got there, everypony was already at the after-party, and Sweetie Belle… Sweetie Belle…!”

Button tried to stifle his crying, Love Tap getting up and going over to hug him, and he let it out a little, as Love Tap gently shushed him, whispering ‘it’s okay’ only for Button to cry, “NO! It’s not okay-hay-hay…!!! Swe-Swe-Sweetie Belle will never talk to me again!!”

“Oh baby…” Love Tap whispered in her best comforting mom voice when she grabbed a napkin and held it over Button’s nose. “C’mon, honey, blow.”

Button managed to calm a bit, and accept the napkin, making an adorable little ‘toot’ noise as he blew his nose. Love Tap bunched the napkin and expertly threw it into the wastebasket next to the counter. Seeing her baby had calmed down a little, Love Tap spoke.
“Button, sweetie, you know how sometimes Dad or Cheat Code say they’re coming to visit, but then something comes up and they have to cancel? How you and I get so sad when that happens?”

Button sniffled and nodded.

“Well, baby, sometimes the ponies we care about disappoint us, but as long as we remember how much we care about them and vice-versa, we can always make up, and we strive to do better!”

Button considered his mom’s words and wondered, Do Dad and Cheat Code feel this bad when stuff like this happens…?

“Button, you let Sweetie Belle down, but all you can do is apologize and swear to be a better friend,” Love Tap went on. “If Sweetie Belle cares about you as much as you care about her, she’ll forgive you and give you a chance. Just apologize, and don’t worry!”

“Why not…?” Button asked, doubtfully.

“Because I know for certain Sweetie Belle cares about you,” Love Tap assured.

“How do you know?” Button still doubted.

“Because moms know these things,” Love Tap said with a proud smirk on her face.

The smirk was silly in just the right way that it prompted Button to smile a little, the tension and guilt lifting just a little, and mother and son shared another warm hug.

Author's Note

Pontiac56 handled the "OH HORSEAPPLES" moment and Button Mash getting chewed out by Sweetie Belle

I handled the dinner scene where Love Tap consoles Button

MORE TO COME!!!

198. Button Mash and Burn - Part 3

A torrent of cursed flames poured down like a crashing waterfall upon Button’s shield, as the young warrior steeled himself against Erebus’ wicked might! He felt the pressure cease and heard the monster’s disgruntled growl, prompting him to lower his shield and gaze up defiantly at the wicked lord of Tartarus!

“YOU CANNOT HOPE TO DEFEAT ME, BOY!!!” Erebus snarled, his wings beating with the force of a gale!

“We’ll see about that, foul beast!” Button retorted bravely as he drew his sword with his hoof (the fact he wasn’t wearing manipulation shoes never coming to mind) and let out a battle cry as he galloped forward, his heart beating with the thrill of the fight, his shield at the ready, his blade poised! Nothing could stop him now!!!

*CRA-SNAP*

Button froze at the sight of his broken sword.

It had cracked and snapped when the tip had barely touched Erebus’ scaly hide, and now laid on the ground between them. Once a fine and mighty weapon, now nothing more than discarded scrap metal.

“HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!”

Button felt his heart skip at Erebus’ mocking laughter, each ‘HA’ rumbled like the earth. He gazed up ever so slowly, his coat slicked with cold sweat, as the demon sneered, “AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE BRINGING ME A CHALLENGE; INSTEAD… YOU BROUGHT A SNACK!!”

EEYAUGH!!!” Button screamed and dove out of the way of Erebus’ claws as they came smashing down.

But instead of hitting the ground from his diving dodge, Button hollered in horror as a murky abyss opened beneath him, sending him screaming down its darkened depths! It was bone-chilling cold, the wind howling around him, his hooves thrashing about, attempting to find something to grab onto and stop his fall. They found only empty air, Button screaming “HEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPP!!!”

All of a sudden, Button felt himself going down a slick and slimy slide-like structure, veering left! A sharp right! Loop-de-loops, for GODDESS’ SAKES[/ui]! Finally, he yelped as he apparently reached the end of the wild ride, and was sent for a long head-over-hooves tumble in the dirt. Groaning, Button shakily stood up on his hooves, and looked around to find himself in a desolate wasteland!

Miles and miles of barren black dirt, the bones of creatures long dead littered the ground.

Including ponies!

Dead and gnarled trees stood here and there, their branches completely bare, looking like twisting claws. The sun did not shine. Instead, the sky was gone and in its place a roof and ceiling of brooding smog and miasma!

“Wh-wh-where am I…?” Button whispered, frightened and alone.

An ear-splitting shriek shattered the dismal silence, the little colt jerking in fright as he turned in the direction it came from, and felt his blood run cold!

Appearing from over the rises of hills, descending from the clouds of smoke, coming out from behind large rocks and boulders, even erupting from the earth itself! Hordes of monsters! Fiends and terrors and beasts and horrors of every inconceivable shape and size! Tooth and claw, wing and tail, scaled, furred, some of rotting flesh and bone, others had no corporeal form at all! Just masses of shadowy darkness!

But all of them, all of them glaring at the lone and helpless colt with hungry red eyes!

“AAAAAUUUUUUGGHH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!” Button wailed in sobbing horror as he quickly turned tail and ran! He heard them, howling, roaring, snarling, shrieking, as they gave chase!

“MOM! DAD! CHEAT CODE! SOMEPONY! ANYPONY!! HELP ME-HE-HE-HEEEE!!!!” Button sobbed and ran.

The horde of horrors behind him grew louder and louder, closer and closer…!

But wait! What was that ahead?! Button could see it, a castle! Hope made him smile through the tears, and spurred him to run faster! Safety was within reach!

But as he grew closer, he felt his heart sink when he saw there was no door! It was just a curtain of high stone walls with turrets on each end. But rising up in the middle, stabbing towards the sky like a stone dagger was a high tower, with a steeple and banner of white and soft purple and pink… and a balcony, upon which stood a filly wearing a gorgeous gown of pink and white, looking out into the distance, as though she were waiting for someone.

But wait! Button didn’t know how, but somehow, despite how far up she was, he could see her perfectly and he recognized her!

“SWEETIE BEEEEEELLLLE!!! HELP ME!!”

The filly looked down and noticed him, her brow raised, her expression unfeeling.

“Who art thou? And how dare thee address I, a princess and your better?”

“SWEETIE BELLE, LEMME IN! THE MONSTERS ARE GONNA GET ME!”

“I cannot possibly let you in, peasant,” Sweetie Belle said coldly as she returned her gaze towards the land surrounding her castle. “I stand here, waiting for a hero to rescue me and away me from this dismal place.”

“Uh, I’ll rescue you! Just LEMME IN!!!” Button wailed desperately.

“You?! Ha! You can’t even rescue yourself,” Sweetie Belle scoffed. “I wouldn’t stick around much longer, were I you, knave, and I thank my lucky stars I am not.”

Seeing her point behind him, Button gulped and turned around and all but fainted to see the monsters surrounding him, fangs dripping, eyes hungry, snarls low and threatening they were about to strike!

Button stood there, alone and afraid. He was surrounded, no way out, and as the monsters crouched down, ready to pounce, he closed his eyes when-

*KRASHLAM*

The ground shook with a mighty rumble and Button and the monsters all looked and saw him, “Erebus...!”

Button watched in horror as the towering demon stood right in front of Sweetie Belle’s tower, as the filly screamed and backed up against the door to her chambers. She turned and tried to go inside, but the door wouldn’t open!

“Sweetie Belle!” Button whispered in horror as he realized what was about to happen!

“YOUR HERO ISN’T COMING TO SAVE YOU!!!!” Erebus sneered as he raised his terrible claws.

“NOOOO!!!!” Button wailed helplessly and watched as Erebus slashed lean through the tower, and Sweetie Belle screamed more as the fortress started to topple.

Button started to run for the castle, only to be barred by the monsters still surrounding him.

“SWEETIE BELLLLLLLLEEE!!!!!!” Button cried out and watched as his poor Sweetie Belle fell and vanished into the dust and rubble.

Button fell onto his knees, sobbing, the realization that Sweetie Belle was gone breaking his heart-

“YOU SEE, NOW?!!?!?”

Button jerked his head up and saw Erebus sneering down at him, “YOU ARE NO HERO! ALL YOU ARE IS A SAD LITTLE FOAL SO AFRAID OF FACING YOUR PROBLEMS THAT YOU TURN TO YOUR PITIFUL GAMES AS THOUGH THEY WERE YOUR SAVING GRACE!! WELL, IF YOU WOULD RATHER PLAY WITH YOUR GAMES INSTEAD OF YOUR FRIENDS, LITTLE PONY, THEN PLAY!! PLAY FOREVER AS A PART OF IT!!!”

Suddenly, all the monsters leapt into the air, Button screaming and holding his hooves over his head as they came down…

At first, Button felt nothing but a whooshing of air, as though he were in the center of a tornado, but as he opened his eyes, he screamed in terror! The monsters were merging with him!!

His left forehoof became a scaly dragon-like claw, his right forehoof the hairy hand of a gorilla! His body fattened up to the size of an elephant with the ugly scales of an armadillo, his neck lengthened like the neck of a flamingo, his tail stretched out into that of a scorpion, metal wings spread behind back, and the horn of a rhino sprouted from his nose!

But wait!

He saw some kind of window nearby, shining with a white light! It was warm, beckoning, it felt safe!

Even as more monsters merged with his body, Button lumbered towards the window, hoping, praying it would lead him to safety, only to feel a wall of glass barring him and he gasped at what he saw through it!

“Ugh! That is one ugly monster!”
“Maybe it’s the boss?”
“No way! A game boss is always scary an’ awe-inspirin’.”
“Yeah, this one looks pathetic.”

Button could see them; Scootaloo, Twinken, Applebloom, and Rumble, sitting together on a couch, each of them holding a game control, and looking back at Button with competitive looks that promised no mercy. Button then realized he was becoming a part of the games he had loved so much he’d allowed them to distance him from his friends, that he’d let Sweetie Belle down after he’d made a promise!

A promise he had broken.

“No… No! NO-HO-HO!!!!” Button cried, “IT CAN’T END LIKE THIS! I WANT ANOTHER CHANCE! I DON'T WANNA BEA MONSTER!! I WANNA PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS, I WANNA BE WITH THEM! I-I… I WANT SWEETIE BELLE-HELL-ELL…!!!”

“IT’S TOO LATE, FOOL!”

Button turned from the screen and looked up in heartbroken terror as Erebus loomed over him, oddly speaking softer now as he snarled, “From this moment on, your life is no more! WELCOME TO MY NIGHT-AAAUUGGHHHH!!!”

Erebus was cut short by a lapis blade erupting from his chest, and Button watched in awe as the demon dispersed into ashes, and in his place stood…

“Princess Luna!” Button gasped!

Princess Luna stood there, clad in armor made of a metal similar to her crown and regalia. A round helmet over her head with a silver horn-like blade in front of her real horn and her gorgeous nebula-like mane tied back, her chest and neck well-protected with black armor and her moon cutie-mark on the chest, and in her aura she wielded her sword, a fine and mighty weapon, the guard resembling black wings, a silver moon set above the handle, right where the blade connected.

“BEGONE, NIGHTMARISH-SCUM!” Princess Luna bellowed as she waved her sword at Button, and he screamed, covering his eyes.

He felt a mighty wind blow over him, heard the dying shrieks of monsters, and felt his body become lighter than it had been just moments ago, as a chill fell over him, and he shivered in fright, too afraid to move his hooves and see what had happened.

Then, he felt a hoof kindly rub his head, and heard a voice, “Be not afraid, child, you are safe.”

Button finally moved his hooves out of the way and saw Luna looking at him kindly with a warm smile.
Wait… my hooves!

Button realized his dragon claw and gorilla hand were gone, his hooves were back, he was a colt again! Not a freakish abomination!

“P-P-Princess Luna… You saved me!” Button sobbed thankfully, and felt Luna hold him with her wing.

“You are fine, Button Mash,” she assured, “for you were never truly in danger. After all, no matter how bad they seem, dreams can’t hurt you.”

“HUH?!” Button gaped up at her with a ‘for real’ look, “This is a DREAM?!”

“Of course, little one,” Luna couldn’t help but chuckle at this little colt’s drama. “I am the Princess of the Night and among my duties is to watch over my little ponies and be certain they have peace of mind while they sleep.”

“Whoa…!” Button looked around and reached out with his hooves, feeling like he was touching some liquid membrane that rippled at his touch. He then heard Luna clear her throat, and looked at her, seeing her smile of sympathy.

“However, while defeating nightmares is a worthy role, it is far better to help ponies defeat their own inner turmoil and prevent them from happening in the first place. With just how detailed and intense your dream was, Button Mash, it is clear to me that your subconscious is filled with trouble. Speak with me, child and tell me of your fears.”

Luna’s heartfelt words and the warm gaze she had on him seemed to act like a truth serum, and within moments, Button found himself spilling out the events of the past day. Luna never said a word, listening intently as Button described his failure to fulfill his promise to Sweetie Belle and just what had caused him to do so.

“Ah, the new digital devices my sister spoke of. I have yet to sample them, but they do intrigue me so. It seems they have a large influence on you, Button Mash, so much so that you seek to delve into their realms of fantasy and leave your reality behind .”

Button hadn’t ever truly thought about what had him so fascinated by video games, but when he heard Luna put it like that, he couldn’t help but agree. Escaping the troubles and bothers of real life and being swept away into a fantasy world, where he could be anything, do anything, it appealed to him greatly. Luna could see the thoughts going through the young earth pony’s mind, and so with a wing, she guided him alongside her and they began to walk.

“I may not have much knowledge of video games, but I know what it is like to let yourself become consumed by something, to avoid the unpleasantness of the real world. Dreams are very much the same thing, Button Mash. When we sleep to rejuvenate our bodies, we also dream to take a break from our real lives. But the troubles of life find us even in our sleep. You go from feeling ignored or unimportant or just plain ordinary, into something strong and powerful and something far more. However there is a price for such escapes.”

Button looked up at the Princess as she went silent for a moment, a past demon lurking through her thoughts, it’s echoing laughter as chilling as that day centuries ago. However, she banished those dark thoughts, focusing on the young colt beside her.

“What you must understand, Button Mash, is that, no matter how far we lose ourselves in fantasy and imagination, reality doesn’t just cease to exist. It will always be there, waiting for your return, and when its call is ignored, it soon demands your attention to such an extent where it can be damaging.”

Button let her words sink in, the memories of how he had allowed himself to let his games overrule his promise, and the horrible consequences that followed. It was only when Luna nudged him, that he looked up to see that, the dark void around him had changed, and now he stood looking over Ponyville, in front of his school, where he saw himself and his friends all laughing and running and planning their next cutie mark crusader ideas. The image brought a smile to his face, as he saw Sweetie Belle smiling at the other version of him, and giving him a hug.

“Look at the life you lead here and the happiness it brings you. Escaping from reality can be a pleasant feel, but does it truly compare to the joys of friendship that reality can bring?”

The scene began to change, showing windows of different events Button shared with his friends in his time in Ponyville. The scene of Rumble and him deciding to give Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle a Hearts & Hooves day gift, only to have to deal with the shenanigans of Twilight and Midnight stuck on a love potion. The memory of their Hearths Warming together after the play in Canterlot. Memories of just having fun together, trying to get their cutie marks, enjoying each other's company.

“I’ll admit that sometimes, life can, as some say these days, suck, but simply delving into fantasy won’t solve anything. Instead, we find others who care about us. Look at all the memories you have, of all the fun and joy you have experienced.”

Her wing wrapped tight around Button, and the colt felt the warmth and care the princess had for him as she smiled down upon him.

“You have a strong friendship with Sweetie Belle, and it is clear that you both care for each other deeply.” Princess Luna smiled while Button blushed, as a memory of Sweetie Belle giving him a kiss on the cheek after he gave her a lovely necklace for her birthday, appeared on one of the windows.

“If she appreciates your friendship as much as you do hers, then I know you can make things right with her. You just need to remember to switch off the games every once and a while and appreciate what you have, and the ponies who are there for you, and love you.”

By Luna’s words, Button saw them all, his parents, his big brother, his friends, his teachers, everypony he cared about and who cared about him. In the center, smiling that adorable smile that never failed to make him smile back, was Sweetie Belle.

The dreamscape started to blur and tremble and Button realized he was starting to wake up. He felt Luna releasing him from her grasp and starting to float off, her duties calling her away.

“Thank you, Princess!” he called out to her, waving goodbye to her as she floated away, “I promise, I’ll make things right with Sweetie Bell. I’ll show her just how much I care, and that I won’t let video games take over my life.”

Princess Luna nodded a farewell, a smile on her muzzle, as the dreamscape disappeared and Button opened his eyes.

Love Tap hummed a tune to herself as she started to prepare breakfast. She had just got the pan cooking, when suddenly, Button raced through the kitchen , a rapid, “SORRYMUMNOTIMEFORBREAKFASTIHAVETOSPEAKTOSWEETIEANDMAKETHINGSRIGHTPLEASELEAVEMESOMEHAYBACONTHANKSBYE!!!” shouted in his wake.

The older mare blinked for a moment, letting his words sink in, before a smile graced her muzzle. She winced slightly as the front door slammed shut in the colt’s wake, but she could help but feel proud.
“That’s my colt.”

Button made a wild dash to the Carousel Boutique, dashing passed the store vendors setting up their market stands, and the up n’ early ponies, getting in a morning jog or enjoying the weekend morning air. He raced as fast as he could, not even sure why. Sweetie wasn’t going anywhere as far as he knew, but it didn’t matter. He would run and run until he had found Sweetie and made sure she knew he was sorry.

Finally the boutique was in sight, and the young colt barrelled up to the door, hammering it to wake up anypony sleeping within. However, after a few minutes of no response, Button started to worry.

What if Sweetie Belle wasn’t there?

“Oh hey there, Button. Sorry to tell you but nopony’ home right now. Rarity told me yesterday she would be leaving early to get to Canterlot, so I was just supposed to put her mail through the mail slot for her.”

Button’s turned to see the friendly mailmare Ditzy Doo, the mother of his friend Dinky, standing behind him, her mail bag slung over her side and a bubbly smile to match her cutie mark.

“Hi Miss Ditzy. I didn’t need to see Rarity, I wanted to speak with Sweetie Belle. I made a mistake and I really want her to know how sorry I am.”

The pegasus mare gave a parental smile at him and gently patted him on the head.

“That’s sweet of you. You must be really good friends to come over so early in the day just to apologize. Unfortunately Sweetie Belle isn’t here either. I saw her heading to the train station as I was flying my route. If you’re quick you might still catch them.”

With a nod of thanks, Button tore off towards the train station, hoping that wherever Sweetie Belle was going, he wouldn’t be too late.

“Almost there… YES! There it is!” Button panted as the train station was just up ahead.

Unfortunately, as he got closer, he saw crowded it was, which made sense. It was a weekend, when everypony was more likely to take the train. He squirmed and squeezed past multiple ponies, muttering excuse mes and coming throughs, when the train whistle made him jump!

“ALL ABOARD!”

The conductor’s call made Button all the more desperate as he started yelling, “SWEETIE BELLE! SWEETIE BELLE, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Finally, the crowd thinned out just enough, and Button felt his heart jump into his throat when he saw Sweetie Belle board the train on the far end of the platform. Panting with worry, he hurried over, only for the conductor to bar his way.

“Sorry junior, can’t let ya board without a ticket.”

“But my best friend’s on that train!” Button begged, “If I don’t stop her from leaving, I’ll lose her forever!!”

The train whistled again, and the conductor gently pushed Button away from the edge of the platform, saying, “Sorry, son, but we’re pullin’ out.”

Button felt the tears well up when he saw Sweetie Belle through one of the train windows. As the train pulled out of the platform, he hurried, trying to keep up with it, yelling, “SWEETIE BELLE! SWEETIE BEEEELLLLLLEEEE!!!!”

Sweetie Belle never even looked out the window, and Button skidded to a halt, almost falling over the edge of the platform, as he watched with a broken heart as his best friend sped away along the railroad.

He watched until the train was out of sight.

Until finally, he broke down into sobbing tears.

Author's Note

I did the nightmare scene Pontiac56 did Luna's segment and Button waking up and hurrying off to find Sweetie Belle, and I wrapped things up with the scene at the train station

I'm actually worried I went too far with Button's nightmare, and maybe the scene at the train station was a little... I dunno. The nightmare was symbolic: Sweetie Belle falling to her doom while Button couldn't do anything reflected him breaking his promise and letting her down

The monsters merging with Button and turning him into a monster himself and seeing his friends through a screen represented how he was letting his life get consumed by these video games and that these games were coming between him and his friends

I should've done the colt crusaders' nightmare scenes sooner rather than later where I'm forcing them into the last several adventures before seas 4 is over

199. Button Mash and Burn - Ending

The train pulled in, and as the ponies all poured out, Rarity led her sister and her friends out onto the platform, saying, “You’re all just lucky today is a weekend, and that I don’t tell our families you all took the train to Canterlot without supervision!”

“But things worked out with you and Sapphire Shores, right, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle reminded her big sister as she and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo smiled with hopeful innocence.

Rarity looked at the Crusaders and sighed, “True, but don’t forget that fiasco needn’t have happened in the first place. Now, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, I suggest you go home, I’m taking Sweetie Belle back to our parents. Come along, little sister.”

As Rarity trotted off, Sweetie Belle gave her friends a smiling shrug, and they waved her off as the young unicorn hurried to catch up with her sister.

“Well, I’d better get home,” Scootaloo flexed her wings, “I’m gonna grab my scooter and practice this new trick I’m working on. Taking the train twice in one day was kinda crampy.”

“Ah’d better get home too,” Apple Bloom sighed, not looking forward to the long walk back to Sweet Apple Acres. “`Sides, Twink’s already coverin’ fer mean an’ Ah-”

“Apple Bloom!”
“Scoots!”

The two fillies turned and saw Twinken and Rumble galloping their way, with looks of worry!

“Twinken, Rumble, what’s up with you guys?” Scootaloo could see both colts were anxious.

“It’s Button Mash!” Twinken declared, Rumble butting in.

“His mom came to us, asking if he’d been hanging with us! She hasn’t seen him since this morning when he ran off to see Sweetie Belle!”

“That was hours ago!” Scootaloo realized aloud, looking at the train station clock. “He could be anywhere by now!”

“A’right, Cutie-Mark Crusaders, we got us a missin’ Crusader out there somewhere!” Apple Bloom declared with a look of determination. “Wer’ gonna search this town an’ leave no stone unturned `till we find Button!”

“Apple Bloom’s right!” Twinken agreed as he put out his hoof, “Button’s out friend, and we ain’t gonna stop until we find him, who’s with me?!”

“Me!” Rumble put his hoof to Twinken’s first.
“Count me in as well!” Scootaloo smirked.
“An’ me!” Apple Bloom nodded, and once all four of them had their hooves together…

“CUTIE-MARK CRUSADERS SEARCH & RESCUE, YAY!!!”

Unbeknownst to them, several ponies nearby locked their doors and windows while some outside dove into any hiding place they could find.

Twinken then said to Scootaloo, “Scoots, there’s something I need you to do…”

As the afternoon sun was beginning to set over the horizon, Button sat beneath a tree in the park, his head held low and his expression downcast.

He heard hoofsteps approaching him, but he was too upset to turn and acknowledge them. Even after Luna had helped him, he hadn’t been able to get to Sweetie Belle. Now she probably didn’t ever want to see him again.

The memories from his dream flashed through his mind and his lip quivered as he held back tears.

“Hey, Button are you okay?” asked the voice of Button’s friend, Rumble. “Your mom came and found us. She was really worried when you didn’t come home after you burst off this morning.”

When Button didn’t reply, a hoof landed on his shoulder, to let him know someone was there.

“Button…?”

For a moment, the colt remained silent, until he gave a depressed sigh and raised his head slightly, keeping his gaze over the park and the setting sun.

“I made a bad mistake yesterday. I got so focused on my new game that I completely forgot about my promise to Sweetie Belle. She really wanted me there and she put some much work into it, and I just completely let it slip my mind.”

He paused for a moment, feeling the ponies around him sit beside him, but he kept his gaze distant.

“I’m sure I’ve done this sort of thing before. Whenever I get a new game or I’m in the middle of a marathon gaming session, I seem to just dismiss everything else and focus on a screen and some pixels. Heck, my mom only let me play that new game as a reward for acing my last test, since my grades have dropped… because of all my gaming.”

The colt gave another sigh and rubbed his muzzle to stop any tears escaping his eyes. “Last night I made a big mistake. Last night I had this horrible nightmare and Princess Luna helped me to see just how much of my life I was ignoring to play my games. I have a great life, filled with lots of friends who really care about me, and I neglected them to play a stupid game I could play any old time. I just wish I could tell Sweetie how sorry I am... I tried to chase her down this morning to let her know, but she’d already left on the train to Canterlot. If she wanted to go to Canterlot just to get away from me, clearly I’ve hurt our friendship too much to forgive.”

One of the ponies next to Button gave a cough, but was immediately shushed. Button continued on as if he hadn’t heard it, his mind still too focused on his mistake.

“I made such a stupid mistake and I want nothing more than to take it back. After last night, I can see just how much I was prioritizing my gaming over my friends and I feel so ashamed. From now on my friends will always come first and I will show them just how much I appreciate them.”

As he finished, his gaze turned down again and a whisper of despair left his lips, “…If I still have friends…”

“You still have friends, Button.”

A chill went through Button and he bolted up onto his hooves, as that voice cut through all his regret and fear. Slowly he turned his head to see that standing all around him were his friends, Scootaloo, Rumble, Apple Bloom and Twinken. But sitting next to him, now with a watery smile, and eyes wide and filled with care, was Sweetie Belle.

The young filly, leaned in and wrapped her hooves around his neck in a hug, her cheeks a little pink after hearing Button’s heartfelt apology and declaration.

The young colt was wide eyed and frozen for a few more moments, before the warmth of the hug seeped through him and he closed his eyes and reciprocated, nuzzling against Sweetie Belle with joy.

“I’m so sorry, Sweetie Belle! I promise never to put fantasy above you or our friends again.”

The young filly smiled, watching from the corner of her eye as Twinken and Apple Bloom gave a smile to each other at the news, and Rumble and Scootaloo wrapped a wing against each other, a slight blush as they did so, but their eyes locked onto their friends.

“I forgive you, Button. And you’ll always be my friend.”

The warm and happy moment took a run off the road when Button yelped, “WAIT A MINUTE! If you weren’t leaving forever, why’d you go to Canterlot this morning?!”

“Oh-ho, that… Sweetie Belle chuckled sheepishly, before smiling, “How `bout I tell you all about it over some milkshakes? My treat.”

The others couldn’t help but laugh a little at Button’s look for confusion as the little colt followed Sweetie Belle off to Sugarcube Corner.

Sweet dreams, children…

All over Ponyville that night, colts and fillies snuggled warm and comfy under their blankets, their heads settled happily into their pillows while they themselves drifted away into wonderful dreams.

Twinken dreamed of himself as a living constellation, having adventures among the stars.

Apple Bloom dreamed of building a new house for a family, and making them happy with all her hard work.

Scootaloo dreamed of flying high above the clouds alongside Rainbow Dash, the both of them sporting the uniforms of the Wonderbolts!

Rumble dreamed of standing watchful on a cloud, watching over his friends, and then fighting a manticore off to protect them, and feeling so proud as they all thanked him.

But as for Sweetie Belle and Button Mash… They both dreamed of just spending a fun and wonderful day together. They played in the park, had a snack at Sugarcube Corner, went to a Pinkie Pie & Cheese Sandwich party, watched the sunset, and co-oped on their favorite video game.

Nodding in pride and joy that her work was done, Princess Luna awoke from her trance and sighed in satisfaction. She then boldly gazed towards her new big-screen TV and game console, switching them both on, and smirked, as she said, “Prepare yourselves, you pixelated knaves! Because you’re about to get pwned… GAME ON!!!”

Author's Note

Me and Pontiac56 did this together

I did the opening, Ponti did the apology scene, I finished it up. I recall from some fics that Luna is portrayed as a gamer and thought that would be a funny way to end this

200. Leap of Faith - Part 1

“Augh…!” Thunderlane grumbled as he flapped after the stray cloud but the wind that late morning was unusually breezy, and it kept blowing the cloud further and further from the direction Thunderlane had been going before his straying thoughts enabled the cloud to give him the slip.

Recently, Thunderlane had been thinking more and more about Applejack. Ever since Rarity helped him realize his feelings for the farmer mare during the preparations for the Ponyville Days festival, he’d taken a step back to really assess those feelings and be certain of them. He’d hoped a busy workday today would help him get his mind off of it. Alas today was actually a slow day, and among the few tasks to be done for this week’s weather was to move a few small rainclouds here and there to water some of the locals’ gardens per their requests.

With not much to do, Thunderlane had indulged in thinking about Applejack some more and now here he was, flapping almost lazily after a windswept cloud… that just so happened to be floating over the Sweet Apple Acres property.

“Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! WHOOO!”

*SPLASH*

The sounds of happy whooping and splashing caused Thunderlane to look down and wouldn’t you know it, the Apple Family was enjoying themselves in their private swimming hole!

“Who dun that?!”

He looked to see Granny Smith, sitting in a wicker a fair distance from the shore but apparently not far enough to spare her getting splashed by by Apple Bloom and Twinken’s water jump assisted by their big brothers and sister.

“Sorry about that, Granny Smith!” Twinken apologized.
“Sure wish you’d come swimmin’ with us though,” Apple Bloom added.

“Oh sorry, dearies, Ah jus’ cain’t bring muhself anywhere near tha’ there swimmin’ hole,” Granny kindly declined.

“Why not?”

Everypony looked to see Thunderlane land softly near Granny Smith.
“Hey everypony, how’s the water?”

“Why don’cha ask Granny Smith?” Midnight couldn’t help but chuckle while Twinken and Apple Bloom swam to shore to listen to another of Granny Smith’s stories from when she was young.

“Howdy there, Thunderlane!” Applejack greeted their visitor while whipping her wet mane out of her face.

The sight didn’t escape Thunderlane’s notice, and he couldn’t help but be struck by it. The glistening of Applejack’s soaked mane of soft yellow, the shimmering droplets whipped out of that stunning mane, and how beautiful and happy Applejack looked from having fun in the sun and the dunk.

*FOOMP*

Thunderlane felt the heat of the day even worse as his wings suddenly flared out in attempt to fan out the excess heat that had resulted not only from the warm day, but the sudden blush on Thunderlane's face.
“Oh horseapples…!”

Totally embarrassed, Thunderlane instantly zoomed out of that situation before any questions could be asked, much to Applejack’s bewilderment.

“Now wha’ in thunder-ation was tha’ about?” she wondered aloud when it suddenly came back to her that Thunderlane had feelings for her, causing her to blush as well.
Oh ponyfeathers… an’ here he saw me soapin’ wet!

“Duh-geh-Wha- WHOAHA-eh!”

The sounds of Granny Smith panicking snapped Applejack out of her troubled thoughts and she looked to see Granny Smith standing rather stiffly on a puddle next to the swimming hole’s shore.

“Wow! I’d hate to be afraid of the water,” Twinken commented, Apple Bloom nodding in agreement.

“Y’think we’ll ever be scared o’ th’ water?”

Before Applejack could answer them, they all spied the fin of a shark and the tentacle of a squid slipping across the water’s surface dangerously close to them.

“Oo-WAUGH!”
“YIPES!”

As the two foals scrambled out of the swimming hole, the fin rose up while the tentacle receded a little as Big Mac and Midnight both sprang out with sneaky smiles on their faces! Mac was wearing a fake shark fin swimming cap while Midnight’s lion-like tail had a sleeve on the tip resembling a squid’s tentacle.

“Nnope!” they both declared to Applejack, spurring a round of laughter over a well-executed prank.

Author's Note

Although it's the 'Leap of Faith' episode, this arc will actually be split into segments that each center on different members of the Harmonic Twelve while the events of the episode will be mentioned here and there, and end centering on the episode

Oh, and Thunderlane's wings spreading out like that? What do you think that was? (hint-hint)

201. Leap of Faith - Part 2

Soarin was nervous. His belongings were all packed and currently resting alongside Blueblood’s in his work storage. All he had with him was a travel pack with some toiletries and essentials.

“I’m gonna miss this place.” He sighed, closing the door of the house for the last time.

The time had finally come for Blueblood to move in with Rarity. Soarin and Blue had discussed this already and had made plans. Since the market in Ponyville wasn’t going amazing well at the moment, the two stallions had put the house up for sale immediately to get the process going, intending to deal with their living arrangements along the way.

However, they had not taken into account the popularity of owning a house that used to belong to two Guardians of Harmony-slash-element bearers, and the stallions found their two story home immediately purchased by a young couple moving to Ponyville from Trottingham.

This left the two in a pickle. While Blueblood could store their belongings and furniture in his warehouse, the two now needed sleeping arrangements.

While her boutique wasn’t large enough for both Blueblood and Rarity to live permanently, it was large enough for temporary accommodation for Blueblood, as he made plans with his beloved for more long-term housing.

Soarin however was left with temporary accommodation at 'The Nesting Pegasus' Inn while he searched for a place for himself. The Nesting Pegasus didn’t see a great deal of activity, as Ponyville wasn’t exactly a tourist goldmine, but it would certainly suit Soarin’s needs until he could get himself a place.

Picking up his travel bag and slinging it over his shoulder, the light-blue pegasus gave one last nostalgic sigh at the home that he and Blueblood had shared as they began their lives in Ponyville with the great friends they had made back at that Grand Galloping Gala months ago. Then he turned and began a nice even trot into town. Along the way he had to raise his eyebrow as he noticed a string of injured or disabled ponies all grouped together and heading to the outskirts of the town near Sweet Apple Acres. It was odd, as almost every pony there was from out of town and not a Ponyville resident.

“I wonder what’s going on?” he questioned to himself as the group, who all seemed surprisingly chipper despite having several injuries that would make movement rather difficult or even painful, trotted on by.

He watched them for a moment before resuming his walk to the inn, mumbling to himself, “I should probably check in with the gang once I get checked in and see if they have any ideas what that was all about.”

It was only a short walk, as the Nesting Pegasus had been strategically placed nearby to the train station so that guests could easily find it. Like the rest of Ponyvville, it kept a rustic aesthetic, with a thatched roof and stone walls, but it was far long and taller than the average cottage.

Soarin gave a smile as he approached. It certainly looked like a nice place to stay until he could get more long term accommodation sorted. As he entered into the reception area, a little bell dingled over his head. It summoned a middle aged pegasus couple who ran the hotel. With a polite smile, Soarin approached them as they stood behind the reception desk.

“Hi there, you must be Mr. and Mrs. Comfort. I heard about you from some of my friends. My name is Soarin, and I was hoping I could book a room for an extended stay. I’m looking for some more long term housing right now, but this market is not very good, so I need a place to stay while I search.”

While his declaration was polite and friendly, it brought a worried and saddened look to the couple behind the desk.

As the smile dropped from his muzzle, Mr. Comfort cleared his throat. “I’m very sorry to tell you this, Mr. Soarin, but for the next few days, we are completely booked. Some salesponies just came to town peddling some 'miracle tonic', and following them were dozens of ill and injured ponies all looking for accommodation. Right now we are booked solid, and have no rooms available. Likely not for several days either.”

His wife stepped around the counter, also giving Soarin a sad look. “There are a few other places around town that might be available to stay at. Berry Punch might have a few rooms at her bar, and there was a bed and breakfast over on the other side of town that might have a space for you. You’d best hurry though, as I think a saw the last batch of injured ponies carrying tents and sleeping supplies. There might not be anywhere left.”

Remembering the massive crowd of ponies he saw earlier, Soarin’s eyes shrunk to dots and he immediately gave a yelp and burst outside, his wings stretched pumping him into the air.

He had to be quick, or he’d have nowhere to stay!

Over at Carousel Boutique, Blueblood had just settled himself and was about to discuss his and Rarity’s arrangement of moving in together further. For the moment however, Rarity had insisted Blueblood settle in the boutique with her as a temporary situation until they came to an agreement. Blueblood had moved into Sweetie Belle’s room (after Sweetie Belle had assured Blueblood that he could stay there until things were worked out while she would go back to her and Rarity’s parents’ house on the other side of town), and after making a few adjustments, Blueblood looked at the room to be certain it was comfortable.

He’d brought a trunk filled with some of his favorite garments, mostly casual but a few more formal, and had set it at the foot of the bed. Sweetie Belle’s vanity had been cleared, and Blueblood had consented to set up his own grooming utensils and mane/coat care products, and he’d set up a desk with a lamp where he could work on paperwork for his company or draw out schematics or blueprints for his projects.

Satisfied, he went downstairs to Rarity’s living room, where she was waiting for him and sat with her on her sofa while Sweetie Belle sat on Rarity’s fainting couch, petting Opalescence. Splendor, Blueblood's pet peacock, was outside, preferring the open yard rather then the enclosed indoors.

“Now then, ladies,” Blueblood cleared his throat, “I think we can discuss this arrangement to a more decisive degree… Sweetie Belle? Would you be a dear, pop into the kitchen and prepare us some tea?”

“I’d be happy to, Blueblood!” Sweetie Belle gently set Opal aside and hurried off to the kitchen, to Rarity’s discomfort.

“Please be mindful of the stove, Sweetie Belle!” she called after the filly, Blueblood chuckling.

“Relax, my muse,” Blueblood assured her, “I’ve actually shown Sweetie Belle some new tea-brewing techniques, and she passed my expectations! I’d wager my left hind hoof she returns with a delectable brew.”

“Well, if you’re certain, Blueblood, dear,” Rarity caved before taking a deep breath. “Now then, to business - I have to agree that the boutique just isn’t large enough to accommodate us to our mutual satisfaction, but you’ve already sold the house you and Soarin were living in!

“Speaking of the dear, where is Soarin going to live?”

“He absolutely assured me that he’d be fine,” Blueblood sighed, remembering that conversation. “His past occupation as a Wonderbolt allowed him to accumulate enough savings he deemed would help him get by until he found a residence. Even so, I insisted he take the lion’s share of the money we made off the house since I hardly needed it. Which brings me to my proposal that I buy a new house for us, Rarity.”

“A new house?!” Rarity was almost aghast.

“Exactly. I’ve been planning this for a while now, actually,” Blueblood explained as he levitated up a folder, “and after speaking with the Mayor, I have found just the residence that I feel will be perfect for us!”

Blueblood set the folder on the coffee table before them, and opened it to reveal a few pages of paperwork along with a large photograph, which he levitated up for Rarity to see.

“This manor has stood in Ponyville for decades, practically since its founding. It actually used to belong to the Rich Family at one point, but after Stinkin’ Rich passed away from old age, they moved into a newer house and this one fell somewhat into disrepair due to neglect in maintenance.

“But in recent years, Town Hall has taken an interest in this manor and had it spruced up and modernized with plumbing, electricity, and last year it went on the market, and…”

Blueblood didn’t realize it but he was now talking to himself, Rarity having stopped listening around the time Blueblood opened the folder to show her the picture of this house.

He wants to buy a house for us?! Oh my word… This- This is too much! I… I understand he means well an’ all but… Buying a house and moving in together?! We’re not even engaged yet, not to mention I would feel awful for him to go to such lengths-

“I’m back!”

Sweetie Belle’s voice snapped Rarity out of her inner monologue as she and Blueblood looked to see Sweetie Belle levitating a silver tray with three cups, a plate of sugar cookies, and a teapot, along with cream and sugar. It was a little shaky as she concentrated on balancing the tray and holding the pot still but it was harder to extend her aura to the rest of the servings. She sighed a little in relief as she slowly set the tray down and her aura ceased, Sweetie Belle ‘phew’ing and saying, “I hope you like it, Rarity! Bluebood showed me how to make this tea. He said his mother taught him.”

Rarity was taken back a little bit as she looked to Blueblood who shrugged and smiled as he poured the tea, asking Rarity, “Cream and sugar?”

“Oh, thank you…” Rarity accepted the cup and took a cautious sip, prepared for the worse… only for her eyes to widen at how delicious it was!
“Why… this… this is… delightful! And Sweetie Belle, you did this all by yourself?”

“Well, Blueblood taught me how, of course,” Sweetie Belle reminded her, “and he didn’t let me give up until we got it right.”

“Together,” Blueblood nodded to the filly with a warm smile, much to Sweetie Belle’s glee.

The tender moment between her beau and her sister made Rarity smile but she remembered the discussion at hoof.
“Well, ahem, Blueblood, dear… I appreciate the intentions, but… I’m not so certain a new house is…”

“Rarity, I understand,” Blueblood said with sincere empathy. “You don’t want to feel as though you’re taking advantage of our relationship.”

“It’s not just that, Blueblood,” Rarity brought up, “moving in together is one thing, but moving into a new house? I love you, Blueblood, truly, and while we’ve been together for quite some time… Well, this seems like rushing towards a commitment when we… well, when we’re not…”

“Engaged?” Blueblood answered for her with a light chuckle, Rarity nodding. “I see your point, Rarity, and I appreciate the thoughts behind it.”

“Rarity, if you don’t want to get the house Blueblood is talking about,“ Sweetie Belle spoke up as she kindly offered, “I can give up the room you gave me to Blueblood and stay with Mom and Dad.”

Rarity was surprised by her sister’s generosity, especially after she’d set up that bedroom for Sweetie Belle to have a place with her at the boutique whenever their eccentric parents went out on their wild trips. It was also convenient for Sweetie Belle since their parents lived on the far side of Ponyville, and spending nights with Rarity made it easier for the filly to be closer to her friends and her school.

“That’s very generous of you, Sweetie Belle,” Blueblood spoke but gently shook his head no, “but I must decline.”

“Well, why not?” Sweetie Belle tilted her head, puzzled by Blueblood turning down her offer. “If Rarity doesn’t want the house, and since you two want to live together, it’d be easier if I just move out and stay with our parents full-time.”

Rarity was about to say something but Blueblood beat her to the punch, “Because your big sister set up that room for you, little filly! Depending on how this discussion turns out, I’ll only need your room for a little while, a week or two at most.

“Granted, buying a house for us may seem… overdoing it a little. But it’s making room for everyone involved to be comfortable and happy. Including you.”

“Me?!” Sweetie Belle’s soft green eyes widened.
“Her?” Rarity’s deep blue eyes expanded.

“Well yes, this manor has more than enough room,” Blueblood chuckled at their faces, finding it cute.
“The manor has six bedroom! We could live there, and have plenty of room for Sweetie Belle and your parents, if they liked! Not to mention it’s location, a nice short walk between the boutique and the warehouse.

“And Sweetie Belle? Finding your sister and her becoming my special somepony I feel is truly a blessing, but it became even more special after I met you!”

“Whattya mean?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Rarity understood, “Because you were an only child and when your parents passed away, you never got to have any little brothers or sisters.”

“That is it, exactly,” Blueblood said with a sigh, “and while Aunt Celestia is like a second mother to me, and Cadance was always more a big sister to me than a cousin, now I know what it’s like to be a big brother… because Sweetie Belle? I think of you as the little sister I never had!”

“Oh!” Sweetie Belle leapt up to Blueblood to give him a big hug, which he returned warmly.

The sight of her sister and stallion caused Rarity’s eyes to well up with tears as she smiled, happy that there was a special bond between them. She didn’t know where it came from, but it also made Rarity consider warmly.

How wonderful would he be as a father…?

“Let’s discuss it some more.”

Blueblood and Sweetie Belle looked to Rarity, who smiled more openly.

“Granted, I still have a few reservations, I believe now this may be the right solution.”

Sweetie Belle smiled at Rarity while Blueblood nodded, “Alright then, let’s go over this file and if you like, later on we can go check out the manor personally.”

“Ooh! Ooh! I want to see the manor right now!” Sweetie Belle hopped up and down before smiling dearly at her big sister.
“Can we go and see it, Rarity?! Can we, can we, please can we?”

“Well, it is a nice day out for a stroll,” Rarity considered before levitating over a gossamer scarf and sunhat, along with Blueblood’s favorite sunglasses.
“Let’s!”

“YAY!” Sweetie Belle hurried to the door.

Gathering up the file, Blueblood whispered to Rarity, “Are you sure?”

“Well, love, I appreciate the lengths you’re going, and the least I can do is give the house a look before I make up my own mind,” Rarity replied amicably.

Blueblood smiled appreciatively at his mare and pulled her into a loving tender kiss, which she returned just as lovingly.

“RARITY! BLUEBLOOD! What’s taking you?!”called Sweetie Belle.

“Hold your horses, Sweetie Belle, we’re coming!” Blueblood couldn’t help but laugh as did Rarity.

They joined her at the front door, Blueblood opening it with his magic and giving a teasing curtsy, “Madames?”

“Oh you flatterer,” Rarity teased back while Sweetie Belle giggled.

They stepped outside but then noticed several ponies who didn’t look to be in the best of shape. Despite their conditions, they were talking quite lively before they took a swig of some kind of liquid.

“Good day to you all,” Blueblood welcomed them as he and his ladies approached. “Pray tell, what has you in high spirits in your… conditions?”

“This new Flim Flam Miracle Tonic!” a tall and heavily-built unicorn stallion of pale blue with a grayish mane. He had some bandages wrapped snugly around his middle.
“We went to this showing those guys were doing and saw this guy who needed crutches to walk drink this stuff, and almost suddenly he;s dancing out the door!”

“Wait a minute, did you say ‘Flim Flam’?” Rarity asked, Blueblood equally curious.

“Yeah! Ugh, it’s… able to cure just abou- abou- abOU-CHOO!” sneezed a mare obviously suffering from hay fever. “Anything…”

Blueblood, Rarity, and even Sweetie Belle shared a look of skepticism.

Author's Note

Pontiac56 did Soarin's scene

I did the scene with Rarity, Blueblood, and Sweetie Belle.

I've been wanting to do something about Blueblood and Rarity and moving them in together, but the question of whose house would the other move into? Blueblood shared his first house with Soarin but that couldn't work, so I thought bringing in a manor would be fitting

Rarity was hesitant, not only because moving into a house together in this manner seemed rushing ahead but also because she didn't want to take advantage of Blueblood.

I also peered some more into a big brother/little sister bond between Blueblood and Sweetie Belle, and having Sweetie Belle offer her room in the boutique to Bueblood was to make her more endearing

I've always thought of Sweetie Belle having a residence with both her parents as well as her sister, but staying with her sister more often made sense not just because of the show but to use the excuse of convenience; that the boutique is closer to Sweetie Belle's friends and her school. The only time I've ever seen Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles' house, it seemed by a lake and I got the impression it was a little out of the way

202. Leap of Faith - Part 3

As Thunderlane approached the farm, he couldn’t help but gulp. He was about to do something that would really cross some borders. After his little wing slip earlier that day when he saw Applejack, he’d decided it was time to do something about his feelings. But before he could work up the nerve to say anything to Applejack, there was another step he needed to take, and it was an important one.

The dirt path through the orchard wound along, showing off the prized apples from which the Apple Family made their livelihood. But this lovely sight was ignored as thoughts of the coming conversation blurred through Thunderlane’s mind. This was going to be tough, and he couldn’t help feeling somewhat worried. The loud unmistakable sound of apple-bucking just reinforced his fears. After all, the Apple Family was well known for two other things besides their apples.

Their love for their family, and their ridiculous leg strength.

Thoughts and concerns continued to fester in his mind, until a flash of red and a sharp impact forced him to focus. Before him stood Big Mac, a smile on his muzzle, a strand of wheat in his mouth and his enormous hind legs slamming into the trunk of an apple tree.

The big red stallion noticed his friend approaching and ceased his bucking. “Howdy Thunderlane. What brings you `round here?”

Thunderlane was silent for a moment, trying to think of how to start shooting the breeze before breaking the ice. However as he noticed Big Mac’s smile starting to shift as he noticed the darker stallion’s worry, Thunderlane just started talking.

“Hey Big Mac… I uh… I was actually hoping to talk with you about something important.”

The bigger stallion could tell this was a rather serious conversation, so he gave a nod and indicated to a spot under some trees he’d already bucked. Thunderlane followed him and the two sat beneath the shadowed limbs out of the hot sun.

“So… uh, I’m not sure how to get into this… see I… well first I suppose I need to ask you a question.”

Mac nodded, so Thunderlane continued.

“Well… ever since your mother and father… well after they weren’t around anymore,” Mac’s eyes shadowed for a moment, as painful memories flashed, before he nodded for Thunderlane to continue, “Well, ever since… you’ve… you’ve taken on the role of the stallion of the house. The pillar of strength and support that your sisters needed you to be. Whenever your sisters needed you, you were there, watching over them like a guardian, keeping them safe and helping them grow.”

Mac was a little confused about where this conversation was going, but he nodded his head in agreement. He had indeed had to take on that role for his family, and was proud of it.

“Right now, Apple Bloom is still young, and she still needs a strong guardian to protect her. Applejack however… well, she’s not a little filly anymore, she’s a strong independent mare with a will that couldn’t be crushed by anything. What I wanted to ask you, Big Mac, is… is how you would feel if… hypothetically… somepony were to come about hoping to… to court her…?”

Big Mac’s eyes widened at this, a wave of understanding flooding through him. He recalled the way Thunderlane’s wings had shot up earlier after seeing his sister at the swimming hole, and odd nervous behaviors that Thunderlane had exhibited around AJ that he had dismissed all came to the forefront. However Mac could see right away just nervous and worried Thunderlane was, and the way he had worded his question to ask in hypothetical, in the event that the answers he wanted weren’t well received.

He sat in silence for a moment, his eyes closed, while Thunderlane sat beside him, hoping that his questions wouldn’t strain on a powerful friendship he had forged with the farmer. Finally, Big Mac spoke.

“Well, tha’s certainly a big question, Thunderlane. Ah’ll admit thawts o’ mah lil’ sisters findin’ a companion an’ startin’ a family of their own weren’t high up there in mah thawts. An’ th’ idea of muh sisters leaving mah protection t’ be protected by another stallion has me worried. However, Ah love mah sisters, an’ above anything else, Ah wan’em t’ be happy.”

The red stallion opened his eyes and turned his head to the dark grey pegasus, making sure their eyes were focused on each other.

“Ah think, if’n this ‘hypothetical’ stallion were t’ ever wanna be with Applejack, Ah’d want t’ know they could look after her. She’s strong an’ brave an’ fierce, but she is still mah lil’ sister, no matter how old or strong she gets, and Ah’d want t’ know that she was cared for an’ protected.

“Ah’d want to know tha’ this stallion understood th’ values tha’ Applejack holds dear, had a respect for th’ Apple Family ways an’ was willin’ to try for th’ long run. Ah cain’t see th’ future, and Ah know tha’ sometimes relationships end, but if some stallion wanted t’ be with mah sister, Ah’d want `em t’ damn well try with all their heart an’ strength to be with her until the end. But most importantly…”

Big Mac placed a hoof on Thunderlane’s shoulder, forming a connection with him, making him no just how much this last requirement meant.

“Most importantly. Ah’d want them t’ make mah sister happy. T’ love her an’ care for her an’ bring her joy. Above all else, Ah wan’ muh lil’ sister t’ be happy. An’ if this ‘hypothetical’ stallion turned out t’ be a pegasus friend who Ah’ve trusted with muh life, well Ah know they would have the heart t’ do just that.”

Thunderlane froze, as he felt Mac’s acceptance. The big farmer beside him gave his shoulder a brief pat, before hauling himself back to his hooves and started to make his way back to the tree he’d been bucking.

Thunderlane watched him for a moment, before a feeling relief, fear and joy all surged through him. Big Mac had given his blessing. Now all that was left was to work up the nerve to actually say something.
Big Mac watched out of the corner of his eye as Thunderlane took to his wings and soared away from the orchard, a wave of happiness and nerves exuding from him as he went.

He gave a brief chuckle and gave the tree one last buck, knocking all the apples loose into the baskets below.

“What did you talk with Thunderlane about?” a quiet voice asked from beside him.

The big farmer turned to see his beloved Fluttershy standing next to him, a curious smile on her muzzle as her gaze turned from the rapidly disappearing Thunderlane and back to her husband.

Big Mac smiled and wrapped a hoof around his shy, a slight blush coming to her cheeks as he did so, though it was accompanied by a happy smile.

“Sorry hon, this was somethin’ private between th’ two of us. He had somethin’ real important t’ ask me, an’ made sure he knew Ah gave him mah blessing. Now, it’s up t’ him how t’ move forward, but until he does, Ah won’t be sayin’ a word.”

Seeing that Fluttershy accepted his answer, the bubbling happiness he had been feeling washed through him and he impulsively pulled his shy into a passionate embrace, kissing her with all his might.

As he pulled back, he could see she was flustered, a little confused about what had him in such a good mood, and if her wings jolted stiff on her back were any indication, she was excited to get a little more passionate.

“Ah’ve finished muh chores for th’ day an’ it seems you have some free time as well. What say we spend a little quality time as husband an’ wife back at th’ house…?”

Fluttershy’s face was almost completely red, but her lustful eyes and her return kiss, made her answer loud and clear.

“This sucks…” Soarin sighed as he walked through town.

After finding out the Nesting Pegasus Inn was completely booked, he’d tried the places Mrs. Comfort had suggested, only to find them all a bust! Berry Punch was having her bar renovated, and couldn’t have tenants underhoof while the Red Caboose bed & breakfast was undergoing an intense fumigation. He tried a few more places, but all those visiting ponies who’d come for some dumb tonic had practically taken over the place!

As the sun was setting, Soarin finally gave up and decided to try asking one of his friends if he could at the very least spend the night, and somehow wound up headed for Sweet Apple Acres. But instead of the usual farmhouse, he was drawn to Big Mac and Fluttershy’s place, and seeing some lights on inside, he knew they were home.

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

Stepping back from the front door, Soarin waited politely, wondering who would answer: the gentle red giant who would welcome him kindly into his house, or his delicate and demure wife, who would likely insist he step inside from the chilly night with almost mother-like compassion and maybe even offer him a nice warm bowl of soup or hot cuppa cocoa.

They wouldn’t let him down, and while he would put his hoof down that he would only ask to stay for a short few days, he would still be grateful and even be helpful in any way he could. He had no intention of being a freeloader. He would accept their hospitality, lend a helping hoof to any chores, he would begin a search for his own residence and… Soarin finally noticed he’d been standing on the veranda for a few minutes, having been distracted by his thoughts.

He tried knocking again, and waited a few minutes more. He sighed when he noticed Big Mac and Fluttershy didn’t have a doorbell, and finally tried calling for them, “Big Mac? Fluttershy!”

He knocked again, “Hello?”

Soarin sighed again and wondered, Their lights are on, so where are they?

As the evening chill began to settle upon him, Soarin ruffled his feathers with a quick shiver in effort to shake away the lowering temperature. As much as he respected his friends’ privacy, he didn’t want to stand out here all night. With a sharp sigh, Soarin stepped out from under the veranda and went around the house where he saw the lit windows.

With a few easy flaps he rose, expecting to see Big Mac and Fluttershy enjoying the evening with a pleasant talk or maybe a good book, and peered through the window, about to rap on it to get their attention.

His hoof froze, as did almost his wings, and he felt the blood rush to his face as he quickly flew away!

Big Mac and Fluttershy were indeed enjoying the evening.

In bed.

Together.

Soarin swore he would never speak of what he’d just seen to anyone and only prayed the image of Big Mac and Fluttershy doing it doggy style would somehow vanish from his brain.

Author's Note

Pontiac56 did the stallion-to-stallion talk, I did Soarin's unintentional peeping, and all the editing

203. Leap of Faith - Part 4

A cool wind blew across Soarin, causing him to shiver. Sunlight streamed down on him, which confused him. He always made sure his curtains were closed when he slept, so the sun shouldn’t be hitting him.

“Uh why are you sleeping in a tree?”

And random strangers didn’t happen to be in his room, causing him to jump in shock and fall from the high branches of trees.

Soarin fell from his perch and landed in a heap on the ground below a lone acorn tree in Ponyville park. As he groaned, he remembered what he had been doing there. After discovering just how Big Mac and Fluttershy enjoyed ‘spending time together’, he had flown about hoping to find someplace to stay with no luck. By the time he had stopped looking, Luna’s moon had well reached the center of the night sky and his friends would all be asleep, so he had decided not to bother them and instead take a book from his Dashie and sleep on a tree branch for the night.

Unfortunately, there must have been inbuilt cushions in the trees at Sweet Apple Acres, because the acorn tree Soarin chose to sleep in was far from comfortable. He preferred sleeping on his back, but that wasn’t possible due to the branch’s shape, and the leaves kept brushing him. It had taken hours to finally fall asleep, and even then the rest seemed to have done his neck in.

“Is that something a lot of pegasi do? Sleep in trees instead of… ya know, a house?”

And now a rather old earth pony, with a gimp leg, meaning he was likely one of the ponies visiting that had taken all the spots in the motel, was disturbing him.

“I dunno, maybe? Look sorry, but neck is killing me right now, I just spent the night in a tree, so I am really not up for a big conversation right now. All I want to do is have a nice breakfast and then figure out if I’ll be spending more nights sleeping in trees until this healing tonic thing moves someplace else.”

The old pony just blinked and shrugged before limping away further into the park, probably to feed some pigeons or ducks. It didn’t matter to Soarin right now. He gingerly bent over to pick up his saddlebags, fighting back a tear of pain as his neck gave a crack in the process, before taking to the air.

Right now he had two priorities. Breakfast, and then see if any of his friends could take him in.

Because, no offense to his beloved Rainbow, but sleeping in trees sucked.

Elsewhere, in Ponyville’s library tree, Midnight hummed to himself as he levitated a tray of pancakes and fruit for two out to the balcony overlooking Ponyville. Waiting for him was his fellow alicorn and girlfriend, Twilight, who was happily sipping some orange juice and reading the morning paper, a little ritual she loved to follow every morning.

“Look at this! ‘Prince Sombra and Princess Celestia win His Majesty’s first annual Samba Fest and Chili Cook-off’! They look silly but they also look like they had a real good time!”

Midnight gave a chuckle as he placed the breakfast down on the table between the two. “The paparazzi never misses a chance to turn even simple events into something bigger than it is just because royalty was involved.”

Twilight just gave him a smirking look and flipped the paper to the front page for him to see, showing the large black and white picture of Princess Celestia wearing a glamorous red dress and danced with her husband as Sombra, garbed in a loose poet shirt that showed off his broad chest and bell bottoms. The picture of them had been snapped mid-dance as Celestia wiggled her plot while Sombra gave his wife a wink. Midnight just stared for a moment before he started chuckling.

“Well, like I said, there are more important things going on to report on then the, surprisingly good, dance styles of royalty.”

Twilight nodded her head and flicked through to her previous page, and the mirth on her face left.

“You mean like this?”

Midnight noted her grim tone as he finished eating a strawberry, before turning his gaze to the highlighted article.

‘Blackberry Blackeyed!’

“Lemme see that,” Midnight requested and Twilight let him have it so he could read the article. “‘At the grand opening of a new playground set in the scenic Central Park in Manehatten in honor of the upcoming Equestria Games to be hosted in the Crystal Empire, renowned and beloved business-pony, Blackberry Hossmane, is assaulted out of nowhere by a seemingly random stallion in the crowd. The assaulter was subdued but not before he shouted accusations towards Mr. Blackberry, accusing the generous philanthropist of embezzlement, double-dealing, and bending the law to deny ponies of interests of their own financial interests. Mr. Blackberry denies any such scandalous accusations but compassionately declined to press charges.’

“Huh, that’s certainly interesting news to chew on.”

“I know, right?!” Twilight replied incredulously as she poured a little maple syrup onto her platter of pancakes. “The very idea of Mr. Blackberry Hossmane being involved in some kind of corruption scandal… That assaulter should be grateful he’s not being taken to court by Mr. Blackberry.”

“I meant, it’s interesting that the poisonous snake in a business-pony’s suit is finally accused out in the open,” Midnight clarified as he sipped his orange juice. “It was only a matter of time.”

“Midnight! What are you talking about?” Twilight was confused. “Mr. Blackberry Hossmane is a great stallion! He’s a self-made unicorn who began with a humble business in one of Manehatten’s poorer districts and rose to be the wealthiest and most generous philanthropist in the city! Practically every week he’s making donations to all kinds of charities, helping ponies all over Manehatten, and he never asks for anything in return!”

“Yeah, yeah, the generous and kindly business-pony who 'works to make an honest hard-earned bit' and just can’t wait to just give it all away,” Midnight huffed.
“Please, Twilight… All those 'donations' he makes to charity? All those bits he just gives away? It’s pocket-change compared to his actual wealth, and how he accumulates that wealth is the opposite of generous and legal.”

“Midnight, I don’t like what you’re implying,” Twilight maintained her opinion.

“I understand the image Blackberry is presenting, Twilight,” Midnight went on, “but that’s exactly what it is - An image! It’s what’s behind that image what Blackberry truly is.”

“And what exactly is behind that image, Midnight?” Twilight raised her brow with razor sharp skepticism.

Sighing, Midnight replied, “You know what, never mind… What I’m saying, Twilight, is nothing is ever as it appears to be! For example, have you heard the Flim Flam brothers are back in town?”

“Those two smooth-talkers?” This was news to Twilight. “I would think they wouldn’t dare show their faces in Ponyville again after what happened with that Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 contraption of theirs.”

“Well, they are! And look at this,” Midnight showed her another article in the paper. “It says here they’re selling something they call the ‘Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic’ and it’s got the Applejack stamp of approval!”

“What?!” Twilight swiped the paper from her boyfriend and gave the article a closer look. “That is strange… but if I know Applejack, she wouldn’t approve of something if she had any misgivings.”

“I dunno…” Midnight said apprehensively, “AJ was acting a tad strange when she and Bloom came home last night. She wanted to talk to those two sleezes after Granny Smith bought a bottle of that so-called tonic.

“I asked her if things were okay, and she said as long as Granny Smith was happy, then everything was just fine!”

“Well, there you go, Midnight,” Twilight said with a kind nod as she stepped around the table to snuggle up against him, and he hugged her close with a wing.
“I’m not saying I trust them but perhaps all Flim and Flam needed was another chance. If Applejack approves of their work, then they must actually be making something that’s helping ponies.”

She gave Midnight a tender kiss on the cheek, as her boyfriend said, “I hope you’re right, Twily. I hope you’re right…”

But even as he said that to his Twily, Midnight was still thinking about Blackberry Hossmane, He’s not gonna be able to bury his dirty laundry forever, but I do need something to nail him with… Perhaps I should talk to one of his old business partners…”

Author's Note

I took this opportunity to give a glimpse of Midnight and Twilight's views in something questionable. Twilight sees Equestria through rose-tinted glasses but Midnight knows better

Blackberry Hossmane is a CEO of a powerful business company in Manehatten, and will appear in a future arc. His name is derived from Blackberry Heissman, which is business jargon for a dismissive gesture made by pompous executives

I was looking for business jargon that meant something negative but could also be pony-fied . I left Blackberry as it is but turned Heissman into Hossmane, Hoss being slang for horse, as well as someone big, tough, and dependable, as well as something akin to boss or chief, the big man on campus, if you get what I'm saying

To the point, Blackberry Hossmane is NOT a good pony

204. Leap of Faith - Part 5

Cheese Sandwich stood outside of Sugarcube Corner, gulping loudly as he raised his hoof to knock on the door. The bakery was closed today since the Cakes planned to set up a snack stand over at the Ponyville Swim Meet later, but getting a snack wasn’t his objective.

Cheese Sandwich had a date.

After Maud Pie’s visit to Ponyville, Cheese and Pinkie had been a little awkward and nervous around each other as they each made up their minds about their feelings for each other. It had taken a few days, but finally, Cheese had worked up the courage to ask Pinkie on a date. It was now that Cheese was really, reeeally regretting not attempting to date in the past. Before now all he had ever felt like was being friends with other ponies, and right now his inexperience had him more jittery than he had ever been.

However, before the nerves could make him back down, Cheese thought back to a few hours earlier when he had been given some words of wisdom.

Cheese Sandwich paced around Pepper Pony's nervously, fiddling every so often with the collar of his shirt. He had argued with himself for a while about whether he should wear something fancy, before deciding to go with just a clean shirt. He was nervous enough and he always felt more confident in his shirt, plus he knew Pinkie liked it.

“Sweetie, you need to calm down. I can understand your nerves but believe me; everything is going to go fine tonight.”

Cheese looked up from his pacing to see Mrs. Spice leaning over the counter with a reassuring smile on her muzzle. Her cool collected demeanor had an immediate calming effect on the stallion and he moved from his place in the front of the store to one of the bar stools in front of the older mare.

As he slumped in front of her, she place a hoof over his. Cheese turned his gaze to her and sighed. “I know I shouldn’t be worried. Pinkie and I hang out all the time as friends but… well I’ve never… never dated anypony before and I really like Pinkie. I just want to make sure everything goes well.”

“Honey, I understand. I know this must all seem strange and scary, but I can assure you, that if you take a risk and put your heart out there, it might be the best decision you’ll ever make.”

Cheese could feel the confidence in Chili’s words, but doubts still gnawed at him. “I’m really worried though, Mrs. Spice. What if this doesn’t work and ruins my friendship with Pinkie? I really care about her and I don’t want to lose her.”

Chili Spice gave Cheese a deep look for a moment before flapping her wings and rising over the counter. As she landed, she wrapped Cheese up in a big hug, making sure he could feel her support.

“Cheese, I want you to listen to me carefully for a moment. In life, sometimes we go through heartache. It is inevitable. But without pain, we can't fully appreciate joy. Sometimes things aren’t going to work out, and sometimes ponies get hurt. But there are two things you need to know.”

The older mare leaned back so Cheese could see her eyes and the full weight behind them.

“First off, taking a risk like this can seem scary and hard. But if you never take the leap, you’ll never experience all the happiness that love can bring you. For all the parties in the world that you throw, you will never know a fraction of the happiness that can come from two ponies being in love. It can be a risk and it can end badly, but if you never try, you will never truly know.”

Cheese looked at her and nodded, his eyes wide, like a school colt begging his mummy to banish the monsters under the bed. “And the second thing?”

The pegasus gave a heartfelt smile that radiated assurance and care. “The second is this. I have known you for a while now, and Pinkie even longer and I can tell you this with absolute certainty. Even if things don’t work out romantically with Pinkie Pie, there is nothing in the whole world, that could wreck the friendship you two share. Because she will never let it happen, and neither will you. After all, friendship is magic, and you two are some of the most magical ponies I have ever seen. Your friendship will always be there with her.”

Cheese felt a wave of relief and gratitude fill him. He gave the older mare another hug, letting her know just how much he appreciated her words. The old mare chuckle and hugged him in return, before letting a sly smirk cross her muzzle.

“Now stow those nerves Cheese Sandwich. You have a mare to go woo.”

Her strong words filled him with strength and his nerves receded. He could do this.

He raised his hoof and knocked.

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

*GAAAAASSSSSSP*

“HE’S HERE! HE’S HERE!” Pinkie panted as she tried to pull her wild mane back into a ponytail (The hairstyle, not an actual pony’s tail).

“Pinkie, sweetheart, calm down,” Cup Cake said gently as she walked up behind Pinkie as her employee sat before the bathroom mirror, and took the brush and mane-tie Pinkie had on the sink counter.
“No need to be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous, I’m excited! Heh-ha!” Pinkie giggled nervously, calming a bit from Cup Cake’s motherly presence.
“Well, maybe I’m a teensy little nervous… I’m EXCI-VOUS! WAIT! Somepony needs to answer the door!”

“Carrot Cake’s taking care of that, dearie,” Cup Cake assured, “now let’s get you ready. After all, every young mare wants to look pretty for her first date!”

“Ohhh, Mrs. Cake! I’m… I’m-” Pinkie didn’t know what to say, fidgeting a bit when she felt Cup Cake’s hooves on her shoulder and saw the older mare’s smile in the mirror.

“Pinkie, it’s going to be okay!”

“But Mrs. Cake…” Pinkie finally sighed, oddly morose, “I’ve… I’ve never been on a date before, ever! What do I do? What do I say? I’m so afraid of messing things up! I mean, sure I’ve thrown bunches of parties, for all sorts of occasions, but… I’ve always been so caught up in making everypony smile, I… I just don’t know about this.”

“Pinkie…” Cup Cake hugged her employee from behind, looking at her in the mirror. “Do you remember, back when you first came into this bakery? You saw a poor stallion, who was ten bits short to buy a special cake for his daughter, and he was afraid his little filly’s birthday was going to get ruined!

“You, in your blessed sweethearted goodness, gave him the bits he needed and said you couldn’t stand to let a party be ruined, and when he said he wanted to pay you back somehow…”

Pinkie giggled as the fond memory came back, “I told him he’d already paid me: With a nice, big smile!”

“Mm-hmm, and then when I said that was the last day Carrot and I were going to be open because business hadn’t been going well,” Cup Cake went on, “you saved us by attracting so many customers we ran out of treats and ingredients to make more!”

Pinkie smiled in thought as she remembered, “...Then you brought me into your home, and I got another pair of parents, I just couldn’t stop smiling…!”

“Neither could we,” Cup Cake blinked away the tears before they could be shed. “And now, it’s time for you to make your special somepony smile!”

“B-but, Mrs. Cake! He… he’s not…” Pinkie didn’t know why she was protesting to the contrary but found herself unable to.

“Oh, Pinkie, dear,” Cup Cake finished doing Pinkie’s mane and had her turn around to make their talk face-to-face.
“After everything you’ve told us about Cheese Sandwich, every time we’ve seen the both of you together, smiling and laughing, I can’t help but feel like the young mare I was when Carrot first asked me out!

“ I know you care about Cheese, and you know it yourself! But it’s up to you to decide if it’s caring for a friend or caring for somepony who could be so much more to you. I understand that you’re nervous. Faust knows I was nervous on my first date with Carrot.”

“Really?” Pinkie was all wide-eyed that it made Cup Cake giggle a bit.

“Mm-hmm, but you know what? I took a moment to remember what it was about Carrot even then that I felt drawn to, a deep breath, and all I had to do was be myself! After all, if you want somepony to truly care about you, you have to show them who you are, what makes you shine and even what you’re not proud of.

“If he can accept you, for all your good points and your faults, then he just might be the one for you.”

Pinkie’s wide-eyed expression softened as she nodded with a small smile and Cup Cake gave her daughter in every way that mattered a careful look, “Hmm… You need something besides your mane style… Ah! Wait just a minute!”

Pinkie watched as Cup Cake left her bedroom for a few moments but quickly came back with some kind of soft yellow fabric.

“Hold still for just a moment,” Cup Cake said as she wrapped the fabric around Pinkie’s shoulders and then placed a cupcake-shaped pin on it to hold it together.

Cup Cake turned Pinkie Pie to the mirror and Pinkie couldn’t help but smile at the soft yellow scarf with the cupcake pin holding it together as her second mother lovingly said, “There, isn’t that pretty?”

“Pinkie Pie!” called the voice of Carrot Cake from downstairs. “Are you gonna be much longer?”

“Oop!” Pinkie realized she was keeping Cheese waiting. “Whadoo I do, whadoo I say, I-”

She felt Cup Cake gently hold her still as the older mare then said, “Just remember what makes you care about Cheese Sandwich, and to be yourself. Just relax, and don’t worry! Even if he turns out not to be your special somepony, the two of you can always be friends. Because the bond between you two is truly so special that it would never be broken so easily. Cheese would never let that happen and neither would you.

“Remember that friendship is magic, Pinkie, because you are among the most magical ponies I know.”

Pinkie smiled with deepest love and appreciation as she gave Cup Cake a big hug, which she was all-too happy to return.

“You’re right, Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie declared with a sudden feeling of confidence. “I’m gonna go on the most specialist special date that was ever special!”

“That-a-girl, but you might want to-” Cup Cake laughed a bit as she tried to tell Pinkie to settle down a bit.

But the pink party pony was already hopping down the stairs and following the sound of Carrot Cake and Cheese Sandwich’s voices, she found them at the booth table in the corner.

All her excitement, her readiness for this date, to have a swell time with Cheese Sandwich - Nothing could stop her now!

“Hiya Cheesy!”

Cheese Sandwich flinched at the sound of Pinkie’s voice and looked to her with a shaky smile, “Oh! Uh… h-h-hi, Pinkie Pie!”

Almost at once Pinkie felt her exuberance deflate like a whoopee cushion as she realized, Oh no! Cheesy’s nervous too!

Cheese and Pinkie walked through the streets of Ponyville, the pricey café their destination, but unlike normal, both said little to each other on the walk there. Pinkie’s sudden burst of exuberance had diminished upon seeing how nervous Cheese was, and Cheese in turn had felt worse, seeing a glimpse of disappointment in Pinkie when he arrived. Now the two were unsure how to proceed, not sure whether they would cross some unspoken boundary or ruin their perfect friendship but trying for something more, despite both desiring to try.

Feeling as though something had to be said, Cheese took the initiative.

“Um… you look really nice today, Pinkie.”

“Oh uh, thanks, Cheesy… you look nice too.”

More silence followed.

“Um, the sky is really looking good. Rainbow and Thunderlane did a good job.”

“Yeah… it feels nice to have a sunny day like this.”

Other ponies on the street could almost feel the awkwardness from the two party ponies. Cheese and Pinkie both seemed to realize they weren’t getting very far with this, so they avoided eye contact until they reached the café.

Almost immediately the waiter, Savoir Fare, showed them their seats and left them with menus. However this did nothing to stop the silence pervading the two ponies.

Feeling her nerves growing again, Pinkie decided to give herself a moment to breath.
“Um… I’ll be right back… just need to use the fillies room.”

Cheese Sandwich watched her scamper inside, feeling a sense of disappoint in himself build. He really wanted this to work, so why was this so hard?

The stallion gave a sigh and halfheartedly looked at his menu. If he couldn’t think of something soon, it seemed that the advice that Mrs. Spice had given him would be pointless. He really hoped it wouldn’t be, Pinkie was so special to him, and he wanted so much to let her know that, to show her that.

After splashing a bit of water onto her face (thank FAUST she hadn’t seen Rarity; she would have insisted Pinkie wear makeup) Pinkie gaze into the restroom mirror, hoping something would come to her mind.

“Okay, okay, you can do this, Pinkie. You just need to giggle at the ghosties, remember? Just need to face your fears and doubts and everything will be okay!”

Her reflection simply stared back at her.

“Why am I not moving? Okay, need to do this now…”

Her reflection blinked at her but nothing more.

“Oh… come on, Pinkie! I really like Cheesy. So… why is this so hard?”

"Uh Pinkie, who are you talking to?”

Pinkie gasp a gasp and spun around to find Rainbow Dash had entered the bathroom, one of her eyebrows raised in confusion.

“R-Rainbow, what are you doing here?!”

“Just thought I’d use the bathroom before I picked up my lunch order… are you okay, Pinkie? You seem really nervous.”

Pinkie just stuttered for a moment before, her curly hair deflated a little and she lowered her head. Having seen the results of Pinkie’s hair deflating, Rainbow immediately felt worried for her friend, and moved forward to wrap a wing around her.

“Hey Pinks, it’s okay. What’s up? Tell your pal Dashie what’s wrong.”

Pinkie glanced at her friend before her gaze returned to the tiled bathroom floor.

“It’s... Dashie, I’m just… I’m just really nervous and scared.”

Rainbow wasn’t very good in situations like this. She knew she wasn’t. Mushiness and feelings stuff, they always left her feeling uncomfortable and confused. But she also knew her friend needed her, and so, despite the awkwardness she knew was to follow, the rainbow mare, gently lifted Pinkie’s face so the pink pony could see her eyes.

“Pinkie, what’s wrong?”

Pinkie stared at her for a moment, as if reading Rainbow’s sincerity and her worry. After a moment, she spoke.

“I’m on a date with Cheese Sandwich.”

Rainbow blinked before her eyes grew a little wider. This was news to her. She hadn’t realized that Pinkie and Cheese liked each other in that way. Then again she was pretty bad at reading those sorts so of things, but still. It was a surprise.

“Um, wow. I… I didn’t expect that. Okay, so you’re on a date right now. Why does it seem like you’d rather be anywhere else?”

Pinkie lowered her gaze again, until she felt Rainbow’s wing tighten around her, a sign from the flyer that she was there and she would listen and that she cared.

“It’s just… I’ve never been a on a date before Dashie. I… I don’t know how to date! I don’t know what to say, what to do- I-I’m so nervous that I’m going to do something wrong or wreck my friendship with Cheese! And... I can see he’s really nervous too. I just… I’m really confused and I don’t know what to do right now.”

Rainbow gave a moment to think about that. Those feelings and nerves, she knew of them. She knew of them well. She was embarrassed and very uncomfortable. But her friend was worried and confused, so she knew she had to speak.

“Pinkie, it’s okay to feel that way. For a long time, I felt the same. I was always 'too cool' for dating or for mushy romantic feelings. So when I met Soarin, I was really confused and really nervous and just plain unsure. I expressed those feelings differently to you, but I felt them all the same. The uncertainty. The lack of knowledge on dating. Especially the worry that it might damage my friendship with Soarin. I know those feelings well, Pinkie.”

Rainbow’s eyes glazed over for a moment as she remembered all those feelings. All those nights alone in her cloud house, unsure if she should initiate something with Soarin, or maintain a strong friendship zone and keep her heart safe from risk.

Then she turned back to her friend, who was hanging on her every word. A slight feeling of self-consciousness crept across her, but she banished the feeling and continued to speak.

“It is really hard taking the leap from being friends to being special someponies, Pinkie. But what you need to know is, that if you take that risk, if you push on hard and fight for those feelings, then it is truly the awesomest thing in the world. It was tricky at first with me and Soarin. I was still really nervous, and so I didn’t leave myself open. I was adverse to affection and I never wanted to speak of the things I kept to myself. But when I finally did, I found something more special than anything, and I never want to lose it.

“When Soarin asked me out, I forced that hesitation aside and said yes. I thought we were gonna do one of those dinner and a show sort of dates, but Soarin surprised me by making our date a whole day of training and having fun with a good ol’ game of hoofball!

“It wasn’t mushy, but as it went on... I realized it was me and Soarin’s own special idea of romance…”

As a blush started to form on her cheeks from being so open about her feelings, Rainbow pushed on. “My advice, Pinkie, is to just take a running leap! Like diving into a cold pool. Do what I couldn’t. Talk with Cheese. Talk about something personal. Something you don’t like to openly share. Show him that you want to really try, that you really want to go from friends to something more. It will be hard, but after you do, I know that you'll be so glad you did.”

Pinkie stared for a moment, before a warm smile crossed her muzzle, and she gave her friend a nuzzle of gratitude. Rainbow was definitely out of her comfort zone now, and her cheeks were blazing red. But for her friend she accepted it, and kept her wing wrapped around her nice and tight.

Soarin trotted slowly down the street, his neck still stiff from earlier. He had gone to Twilight’s treehouse to see if maybe she or Midnight could put him up for a few nights. However he had arrived at the tail end of an argument between the two, and though it seemed Midnight had relented, there was an aura of annoyance and anger that still seeped around him. Soarin had thought it best to stay clear, lest he spark something and cause friction between the two alicorns.

Now he was heading for Sugarcube Corner to see if maybe Pinkie and the Cakes could offer him a room. However he spotted an orange stallion with a dark curly mane sitting at the local café, and changed his mind. Perhaps Cheese Sandwich could help him. He continued his trot until he had just about reached the café fence, when he stopped, watching as a familiar pegasus exited from the café, brown paper bag held in her mouth, and her cheeks pink and rosy.

His beloved Dashie, spotted Cheese Sandwich and her lips smiled, before she took to the sky. However Soarin noticed her lingering behind from a cloud, watching as Pinkie now emerged from the café and took a seat with Cheese.

Soarin could tell that something important was being discussed between the two party ponies, but it was Dashie’s presence that made him halt.

He loved Rainbow, with all his heart. So much so that he really didn’t want to rush things with her. He knew his blue angel, he knew her well enough to know that if she overheard him discussing needing a place to stay, she would offer him one with her. Her cloud mansion was huge and she could certainly accommodate him. But he didn’t know whether Rainbow was ready for that next step between them yet. It had taken a long time for her to be ready to try dating, and longer still to admit her feelings of love for him.

Right now he was happy and so was she. He didn’t want to rush things or make her progress faster than she was ready to.

So, the blue stallion turned around and marched away, deciding to try Pinkie or Cheese later if they were available. When it was time, he and his Dashie could discuss the idea of living together. But that time wasn’t right now.

Speaking of, those two party ponies were certainly moving things along as Pinkie confessed, “I’m sorry, Cheese. I thought I was ready for this date until I saw you were nervous and my own nervousness came back.”

“I’m sorry about that, Pinkie,” Cheese rubbed the back of his neck, “It’s just… I’ve never had a girlfriend, ever! Of course, that also means I never had a special somepony-”

“Well, I wanna give us a chance!” Pinkie interrupted, a tad forcefully for Cheese’s tastes as he leaned back in his seat. “So… I thought I’d try talking to you about something I wouldn’t really talk about with my friends, maybe something more… personal?”

“Personal, huh?” Cheese pondered Pinkie’s suggestion and for a few moments nothing more was said until Cheese surprised Pinkie by saying, “Well… I really did enjoy meeting your big sister, Maud!”

“I was so happy things turned out well in the end and that you all were able to make friends with my sister,” Pinkie commented, relaxing a bit as Cheese went on.

“Well, Pinkie, remember how Maud thought we were special someponies?” Cheese asked, getting a nod from Pinkie. “Before we went back to Ponyville, after we all traded rock candy necklaces, you won’t believe what I found out! Maud never ate ANY of the necklaces you made for her!”

“What?!” Pinkie was shocked to hear such a claim about her sister but was relieved to hear Cheese continue.

“When I asked why, she said she doesn’t really like candy, but she sure does love you,” Cheese smiled warmly at Pinkie, unknowingly placing his hoof over hers as Pinkie smiled back, feeling touched as she realized.

The fact Maud chose to keep her rock candy necklaces rather than eat them was to cherish their sisterhood.

Then Pinkie asked, “What about you, Cheesy? I remember you told us you ran away from home as a colt, and then you found your way to Ponyville and the party I threw, which led to you getting your cutie-mark.”

Cheese sighed, knowing this was gonna be a little hard to talk about.
“Well Pinkie Pie, I can’t say that my story has a happy beginning… See, I was left on the doorstep of an orphanage in Manehatten. I never knew my real parents and spent my foalhood in the orphanage.”

Pinkie listened with rapt attention as Cheese went on.

“As I told you before, I was really shy as a colt. Part of it was there were a lot of colts and fillies in the orphanage. I could have screamed in the middle of the room and still nopony would notice me! I felt, who would adopt a colt who’s practically invisible? So… that was why I ran away.”

That story made Pinkie sad but then Cheese smiled and said, “But it was a good thing I did, or I would never have found my way to Ponyville and seen your party! That one party, thrown by a happy little filly surrounded by smiles, inspired me to do the same, and helped me realize the pony I wanted to be.

“You inspired me to become a party pony, Pinkie! Thank you.”

Seeing the warm smile and deep appreciation in Cheese’s bright green eyes, Pinkie returned the smile with her own and moved over to nuzzle Cheese.

“Ahem!”

Both party ponies startled and saw Savoir Fare had returned, carrying a platter in his mouth, which he set onto their table.

“Can I bring you anything else?”

“Oh no thanks, Savvy!” Pinkie smiled at him.
“I think we’re good,” Cheese agreed.

Savoir bowed before moving on to see to the other patrons as Cheese licked his lips at the meal before him and his date.
“Lasagna...! You’re gonna love this, Pinkie!”

“Oh! It smells so yummy-lish!” Pinkie licked her lips.

“And it’ll be even better… with a little parmesan!” Cheese chuckled as he sprinkled the parmesan over the food. “Let’s dig in!”

As they ate, Cheese continued telling Pinkie his story. How he was eventually found and sent back to the orphanage, was adopted by traveling performers who taught him everything he knew about music and comedy before he was old enough to travel on his own, how his folks settled in Baltimare to teach at a performing arts school, and how Cheese went on to be a party pony in his own right. Pinkie insisted on meeting them one day, to which Cheese agreed.

“...but just remember,” Cheese warned as he gulped down his last bite of lasagna, “if my dad tells you to pull his hoof, don’t!”

“Ha-ha! I’m so glad you got a mom and dad that love you and taught you lots!” Pinkie giggled, her plate licked clean. “But what was it like before them? Y’know, after you went back to the orphanage?”

“It was definitely better,” Cheese shrugged with a sheepish smile. “Even though I hadn’t started learning stuff to be a party pony, I started throwing parties for all the other orphans in the orphanage.”

“I take it monsieur and mademoiselle were satisfied?”

Both party ponies were surprised to see Savoir Fare standing by their table.

“Oh definitely!” Pinkie gave her dishes to Cheese, who passed them to Savoir, who balanced them onto his back.

“Magnifique, and here is your bill, Monsieur Cheese,” Savoir set the bill on the table, and Cheese nodded.

“I got this,” Cheese paid for the meal and Pinkie added a nice tip.

“Thanks for the dee-lish food, Savvy!” Pinkie smiled at the waiter.

“Oh please, Mademoiselle Pinkie,” Savoir kindly declined her words, “your compliments are reserved for the chef.”

“Oh! Lemme take care of that. La-la-la-la, la!” Pinkie bounced off to the cafe kitchen, Savoir calling to her.

“Wait a minute you can’t go back there-”

“It’s okay, Mr. Fare,” Cheese assured with a casual laugh, “Pinkie’s just being Pinkie.”

After leaving the cafe, Cheese and Pinkie walked through Ponyville as they discussed Cheese’s story further.

“It’s so super-dee-tastic you started thrown parties too when you were little!” Pinkie bounced in front of Cheese, looking at him as she walked backwards, making him laugh.
“What were they like?”

“Well, my first party wasn’t easy to throw since the other orphans had barely noticed me before,” Cheese regaled. “But my running away had suddenly made me more interesting, and some of them were happy to come to my first party! Things definitely got better and I got along better with them all. Honestly, when I think about it, the other orphans in the orphanage were the closest things I ever had to brothers and sisters.”

“I’m so glad you had brothers and sisters too, even if they weren’t technically your brothers and sisters,” Pinkie bounced back to Cheese’s side and they noticed they had arrived at the park.

“Yeah, I had big brothers and sisters, as well as little brothers and sister,” Cheese chuckled as he looked at some colts and fillies at play. “I got along with them well enough. But like any brothers and sisters, we fought sometimes.”

“I know what you mean,” Pinkie commented as she gestured towards a shady tree, and they both sat down. “I mean, as close and awesome sauce-ome as Maud and I get along now, there were some times when we didn’t get along either, me and her, as well as the rest of my sisters!”

“Well, even though my brothers and sisters fought, I always tried to make things better,” Cheese remembered. “Like this time when the older colts, my brothers, started a dodgeball game? I managed to win by throwing Boneless at the last colt on the other team! I can still see the looks on everypony’s faces when they saw a rubber chicken on his face!”

The idea of a colt getting splat in the face by a rubber chicken gave Pinkie quite a case of the giggles that easily infected Cheese, the both of them soon bursting with laughter.

“Wait-wait-wait, so you had… how many brothers?” Pinkie asked.

“Twelve older brothers!” Cheese confirmed with a smile before saying, “Ten of them ignored a lot of parties I threw for them!”

*GASP*

“Seriously - For two years!”

“That’s horrible!” Pinkie was aghast.

“It’s what brothers do…” Cheese shrugged with an 'oh well' manner.

“And sisters! I can remember all the parties I threw for my sister Maud when we were little, but then, one day she just… ignored them too,” Pinkie said sadly. “And… she said she was tired of them…”

“I would never get tired of you,” Cheese kindly assured his ate as he started a gentle melody on an acoustic guitar.

How sweet he sounded and sincere caused Pinkie to take a deep breath before asking Cheese, “OK! Can I just… say something crazy?”

“I AM crazy!” Cheese exclaimed before slamming his guitar over his head, the instrument twanging by Cheese’s head bursting through it with a dazed expression, his tongue sticking out of his mouth.

All my life I’ve thrown a party nopony understood

And then suddenly I bumped into you!

“I was thinking the same thing! `Cuz like…”

I have traveled all my life just trying to find

The greatest super-party pony

Who could party like me!

But with you…!
But with you I’ve found my place (I see your face!)

And it’s sweeter than a chocolate cake galore…
Love is a yummy s’more!
Love is a yummy s’more!

Love is a yummy s’more…

With you
With you
With you
With you!

Love is a yummy s’more…

The two party ponies skipped happily through Ponyville, Carrot Cake and Cup Cake smiling happily for them as Carrot pulled a snack cart while Cup Cake had the twins in the carriers she wore. All of a sudden, a certain accordion-loving pony popped out of the snack cart. And he wasn't alone.

I mean, it’s AWESOME! (“What?”)
We finish each other’s-

Cinnamon rolls?

*GASP* That’s what I was hungry for!

I could have never known…
You party just like me!
Jinx! Jinx! JINX!

Our mental synchronization can’t have but one explanation!

You
And I
Were
Just
Meant to be…!

Say goodbye....! (Say goodbye!)
To our pains of the past…
We don’t have to do it anymore...

Love is a yummy s’more....!!
Love is a yummy s’more….!!!

Life can be so much more!

With Cheese!
Pinkie!
With you!
No, you!

Love is a yummy s’more…

“Can I say something crazy?” Cheese asked, earning a giggling nod from Pinkie. “Will you be my special somepony?!”

“Can I say something crazier?” Pinkie asked, Cheese nodding in reply. “YES!”

And with their hearts as swelled as their balloon, the two party ponies-turned-special someponies gently floated off, the wind helpfully drifting them towards the Ponyville Swim Meet.

Author's Note

My partner, Pontiac56, and I took turns on this, both did some editing, and I included the song

When Cup Cake discussed how Pinkie came into her and Carrot Cake's lives, I was giving a nod to Never2muchpinkie's "How a Pie became a Cake"

Disclaimer: "Love is a Yummy S'more"

205. Leap of Faith - Ending

Thunderlane blinked in confusion at the scene in front of him. The dark grey pegasus had been making his way towards the farm, his head a stew of warring emotions as he considered how or even if he should, approach Applejack about maybe wanting to try for something deeper than friendship. This had come to an abrupt halt however as he witnessed a somewhat dirty and scruffy looking Soarin in a bizarre wrestling match with a dozen squirrels, all the while attempting not to fall of a tree branch of an acorn tree in the park.

Thunderlane observed the fight, if one could even call flailing around like a lunatic while swiping at small furry animals a fight, until finally it seemed there was a victor. Soarin’s heavy growls turned into a startled yelp as he lost his balance and fell from his branch, hitting the ground with a loud thud. The squirrels, pleased at their triumph all seemed to give a mighty war cry, which sounded like anything but, before retreating within a hollow above the branch and disappearing from sight.

Thunderlane stood still for a moment, processing, before trotting over to his downed friend, who was now pulling himself up and grumbling angrily as he rubbed his aching flank.

“Stupid squirrels… only needed one dumb branch… gonna tell Fluttershy about this… teach those little pests to share…”

“Uh Soarin… you okay?”

The light blue stallion turned to his confused friend and gave a sigh.

“Yeah… yeah I’m fine. Just in a bad spot at the moment, is all.”

“Well, tell me about it. You certain look like you need to vent after… whatever that was,” Thunderlane beckoned him with a wave of his foreleg and led them over to a nearby bench, where Thunderlane could see Soarin’s overnight bag hanging over the side of it.

The two stallions took a seat, and after Soarin gave himself a quick dust off, he turned to his friend and let it all out.

“See, I’ve been put in a bad situation. Blueblood is finally moving in with Rarity. He’s getting a place set up for the two of them, and frankly I’m real happy for them.”

Thunderlane could see there was definitely more to this situation. “Except…”

“Except… except, it leaves me without a place to stay. See we figured, with the real estate market around here doing so and so, that we should put the house up for sale ASAP, while we each got sorted with our future living arrangements. However a new couple to Ponyville bought it right off the bat. Blueblood is set for a place to stay temporarily, since he can stay with Rarity at the boutique. I on the hoof, do not.”

“So, hold on, you got no place to stay right now?” Thunderlane asked with a hint of worry.

Soarin just shook his head and kept talking, “Nope. I originally meant to book a room over at the Nesting Pegasus hotel. Fluttershy was nice enough to take in Skye since she wouldn’t be able to come with me to the hotel, and I got a bag packed with some essentials while the rest of my stuff is sitting in boxes in Blueblood’s storage at the warehouse. It looked like I’d be fine for a few days. Until suddenly this miracle tonic thing came to town.”

“Miracle tonic… what? What are you talking about? And how would that have any effect on you staying at the motel?”

“Honestly, I have no idea what this tonic thing is all about. All I know is a couple of ponies outside Ponyville are selling it and supposedly it works. Because of that, a freakin’ buttload of ill or injured ponies all showed up in town hoping to get some of this tonic. So many in fact that they took up every room of the hotel and the bed & breakfast, the bar- Egh, basically every place in town with a spare bed has suddenly found themselves with a new houseguest or tenant, and I’ve been left with no place to stay.”

Soarin rose from the bench, an annoyed expression now sliding across his muzzle. Thunderlane was concerned about the whole situation, but he could see Soarin still had some more venting to do, so he kept quiet and listened.

“So after that I figured, maybe I could stay with one of my friends for a couple of days. I tried Big Mac and Fluttershy, and discovered that is definitely not an option as Fluttershy likes it rough in the bedroom.”

Both stallions blushed at this, but Soarin continued to rant, choosing to ignore the image in his head.

“By that point it was really late in the day so I figured, screw it, Dashie loves sleeping in trees, so I could stay in a tree for one night no problem. Turns out sleeping in a tree all night is reeeally uncomfortable, and I just about threw my back out. So I figured, ‘okay, never mind, I have time now, so maybe one of my other friends can put me up for a few nights’. So I go for a wander, but when I get to Twilight’s, I could hear she and Midnight were getting into this debate that sounded like an argument, so I stayed well clear. Then I figured, maybe Pinkie Pie or Cheese Sandwich. Only to first catch them in the middle of a date.”

Thunderlane blinked in surprise at this but kept listening as Soarin went on, “Then when I tried them again later, they were in the middle of some bizarre musical number about s’mores or something. They didn’t seem to be ending that any time soon, so I figured, screw it, I guess I’m just going to have to live in the park for a while. Only to get here and find out some damn squirrels took the only somewhat comfortable branch in the whole park and wouldn’t share! I tried to offer them some food, but they just took it and hit me with acorns! At that point the fight was on, but you caught the tail end of that fight. So now I’m tired, dirty with no place to sleep until I can find a way to beat up some squirrels without Fluttershy finding out!”

Soarin finished his rant and just stood there panting, his wings sprung out and twitching angrily and his eyes bloodshot and irritated. Thunderlane’s eyes were wide as he processed everything, before he came to a decision.

“Damn, dude, you’ve had a rough time. But I think I have a suggestion that might make it better for you.”

The blue stallion turned to him, a look of ragged hope in his eyes. Thunderlane smiled before unfurling one of his wings to reveal a keyring with a few keys and a Wonderbolt keychain.
“I live with my little brother and my pet bat Soundwave, and I don’t have a spare room. I do however have a perfectly good couch you are more than welcome to crash on until you get your living arrangements sorted out..”

Soarin almost looked like he was about to burst into tears, his eyes wide and shiny and his lip quivering. “Really?”

Thunderlane grabbed Soarin’s foreleg and placed the keys on Soarin’s hoof, his smile never wavering.
“Sure thing Soarin. You’re my friend, I’ll always help you out. Heck you can even bring over Skye as long as she and Soundwave can get along.”

Soarin grabbed Thunderlane in a big hug, his stress and anger all evaporating in seconds. “Thanks, Thunderlane, you have no idea how much this means to me!”

Thunderlane just gave a chuckle and patted him on the back. “No problem, buddy. Now I’ve got something important do right now, but you are welcome to head over to my place and get yourself cleaned up! You certainly look like you could use a nice shower and a nap.”

“Believe me, it will be the first thing that I do.”

Soarin opened the front door to Thunderlane’s modest one story house, which was conveniently just a block away from the weather office where Thunder and Dash both worked. The place was small and a little dull, but to a pony who had just slept in a tree and got into a brawl with woodland critters, it may as well have been the most luxurious room in Canterlot castle. Soarin didn’t even bother going on a tour. He took about four steps before his wings roared to life and his rocketed to the living room couch, his overnight bag thumped on the floor beside him.

He could shower later. Right now, he would take a well deserved nap.

“Uh hey Soarin… could you move please? My TV show’s on.”

Soarin looked up to see Rumble standing in front of him, TV remote in hoof and a bowl of popcorn on his back.

The blue stallion just gave a groan. Maybe this wasn’t so amazing after all.

Approaching Sweet Apple Acres, Thunderlane wondered, how was he going to do this? Thunderlane had been going over everything in his head for a while now. Ever since he first discovered his feelings during his talk with Rarity, he had been completely panicked and unsure. He'd built a powerful friendship with Applejack, and he had known her for years, ever since he and Rumble had first moved to Ponyville after he finished his schooling and took on a position in Ponyville's weather station. He had no idea how she was going to react to this revelation. She might freak out. She might be disgusted. She might want to stop being friends. The last thought scared him immensely and he almost decided to double back and just forget the whole thing. But a hope resided in him.

What if she felt something, too?

It was a small hope, one he was sure wasn't true. But none the less, that tiny spark seemed to motivate him, and he continued on towards the farm.

As he trotted on, he remembered the talk with Big Mac from the day before. Remembered the warm smile the farmer had given him, the respect and care from a brother and a friend. He remembered the Trust, and it gave Thunderlane strength.

But for all the strength it gave, it was what Applejack felt that would mean the most.

Applejack.

After Thunderlane had taken some time to really think about his feelings, he realized a lot of things about the mare.

Thunderlane had never really had an interest in most mares. When he was younger maybe, but as he had grown, he had too many responsibilities to really focus on the opposite sex. But thinking on it now, the dark grey stallion felt something powerful for AJ that he just didn't see in other mares.

There was her physical features, of course. Years of hard farm work had given her an iron core and powerful muscles, but they hadn't taken away from her feminine charms either. Her mane always seemed silky and smooth, despite usually holding twigs or leaves, or just being messy from hours of hard work. Her coat was such a bright warm color, just seeming to radiate positivity and friendliness. But her most prominent feature was her beautiful green eyes that shimmered like emerald seas. He could just lose himself in those eyes.

But all that was just the physical. What truly drew Thunderlane in, was what was beneath her exterior. Applejack was so strong willed and passionate. Everything she valued, her family, her friends, her traditions, or farm, all of it, she put so much of herself into taking care of them all. Anything that threatened her passions, she fought against tooth and hoof.

She was as much a workaholic as Thunderlane was, probably even more so, a fact that attracted the stallion greatly. Every day she threw herself into her work, always giving her best effort and never being satisfied until the job was done right. Then there was her cooking skills. Pinkie might be a great baker, but nothing compared to AJ's home cooking, at least to Thunderlane. She was a mare of so many talents and skills. They all made her so amazing.

But the key to her, the central aspect of herself that she prided above all.

Her Honesty.

Just as Thunderlane valued the virtue of Trust, Applejack always believed in Honesty, in being true to one’s self and to others. To never hiding or deceiving, just putting forth what needed to be said, no matter what. Thunderlane could not help but respect her for this. Honesty was a policy that could at time be hard to follow. The truth wasn't something everypony wanted to hear and sometimes it was easy to ignore our own inner selves and focus on the physical. But Applejack, she just held firm, acting as a pillar of strength and compassion, no matter how difficult it was.

She was amazing.

He also liked her hat, which he was among the few mementos Applejack had of her father, Bright Macintosh. She and Big Macintosh had inherited their dad’s hat and work collar respectively while Apple Bloom had received a mane ribbon from their mother.

That was another thing about Applejack Thunderlane related to. His own parents weren’t around anymore either. They’d been in an accident which left a preteen Thunderlane and his toddler-aged brother Rumble orphans. He’d shelved his dreams of one day joining the Wonderbolts back then to focus on his school work and find work in order to prove himself a capable legal guardian of his brother so Foal Services didn’t split them up.

He never brought up that unfortunate thing they shared in common with Applejack however, not wanting to connect that way.

*THWACK*

The unmistakable sound of applebucking snapped Thunderlane out of his pondering and he looked ahead. There she was, bucking some trees and collecting the literal fruits of her labor. Strangely enough, Thunderlane realized he’d never tried applebucking himself. But the way Applejack was able to get so many apples to fall from a tree with one buck of her strong hind legs, there had to be some kind of technique to it.

He kept approaching but didn’t call out to AJ, not wanting to interrupt until she was done with the tree. However he noticed a troubled look on the farmer pony’s face, and whatever was on her mind distracted her enough to throw off her aim,

“YOW! Oof!” Applejack yelped as her hooves bucked thin air and caused her to throw herself off balance and fall onto her tummy. Applejack groaned a bit as she hauled herself up and dusted off her flanks with her tail in a somewhat absentminded way.

“AJ!”

She looked to see Thunderlane flapping over to her with a look of concern, “Are you okay?”

“Well… Tha’ depends,” Applejack sighed as she sat down on her haunches and leaned her back against the tree.

Unsure but wanting to help if he could, Thunderlane joined her in the shade, and said nothing, waiting for her to say her piece.

“If yer askin’ if Ah’m fine in th’ physical sense, Ah’m jus’ dandy.”

…

“And in the… not physical sense?” Thunderlane gently pressed.

Applejack hesitated a little before replying, “Ah jus’... Ah… Oh, Thunder… Ah’m jus’ so unsure right now!”

“Well, what’s got you so torn up?” Thunderlane hoped he could help. He could see whatever it was, Applejack needed someone to be here for her right now.

“Hav' ya heard th’ Flim Flam brothers are back in town?”

“Don’t tell me those two sleazes are the ones selling that miracle tonic I heard about,” Thunderlane huffed.

“Eeyup, an’ tha’ tonic o’ theirs is fake!”

“What?!” Thunderlane gaped at Applejack, “AJ, I’ve heard that tonic has the- The… ‘Applejack approval’?! How could you possibly approve of something that isn’t real?!”

“Oh Thunderlane, it- It’s such a mess!” Applejack pressed her hoof against her forehead, unable to look Thunderlane in the eye. But then, she felt something warm and soft wrap around her shoulders and she looked to see Thunderlane had offered her a comforting wing, with a gentle smile.

“Tell me everything,” he kindly suggested.

So that’s what Applejack did. She began with how she and her family had noticed a whole bunch of ill and/or injured ponies converging at a tent where they found Flim and Flam running another of the symphonious scams. They claimed their ‘Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic’ could do a wonder of many things to heal all kinds of illness, injuries, ailments, to the point of obviously being too good to be true.

Unfortunately, Granny Smith nipped at the proverbial carrot and bought herself a bottle of the stuff, and later that day AJ, Mac, `Bloom, and Twinken found Granny Smith swimming merrily down the river just as she used to when she was an aqua pony, and gallivanting around like a yearling. While it was nice to see Granny Smith more lively and happily more active, it had worried Applejack and her younger siblings enough to pay Flim and Flam another visit yesterday evening, in order to find out exactly what was in that tonic.

When they did, they came across the same pony from the first demonstration doing the same thing in the same musical number. After cornering him, and learning his name was Silver Shill, Applejack realized Silver Shill was a part of the act and pretended to be cured by the tonic with each demonstration while wearing a different disguise.

AJ wound up confronting those conning `corns who “hypothetically and theoretically” entertained her accusation with a virtual confession of the tonic being nothing more than a mixture of apple juice and beet leaves while mentioning how much happier Granny Smith was after trying the stuff. Finally, they had asked her, if she really wanted to dash away all that happiness by revealing the truth?

It got even worse the next morning when Flim and Flam put AJ on the spot by mentioning their tonic had the approval of the most honest pony in Ponyville, and Applejack felt even more guilty that her holding her tongue was causing more ponies to buy into the tonic, literally and figuratively.

“...an’ now Granny Smith an’ Apple Bloom are off practicin’ a routine fer th’ swim meet,” Applejack wrapped it up. “Ah jus’ don’ know wha’ t’ do, Thunder! Ah wanna tell th’ truth but… Ah wan’ Granny t’ be happy! Wha’s worse, Ah let Flim n’ Flam use me to make their tonic look legit! Ah know a lie by omission is still a lie, but… Oh, Thunderlane, wha’ should Ah do?”

“...Hmm, well, Applejack, lemme tell you a little about my Element of Harmony,” Thunderlane offered, Applejack looking at him.
"To me, Trust is special but it can also be fragile. Like trusting those you care about or those you respect never to steer you wrong and guide you on the right path. But one of the hardest things to do is to trust in ourselves. For you, Honesty isn’t just your Element, it’s what you believe to be the best policy in almost any situation! Can the truth hurt, AJ? Yes, it can. But when it comes down to it, what do you trust is the right thing in a situation where it seems the truth can hurt?”

Applejack considered Thunderlane’s words a moment but when it appeared she still wasn’t sure, Thunderlane went on.

“I mean, you’ve always trusted your own better judgement and kept an open mind, and you always trusted your integrity. And it’s that amazing moral character of yours that made you worthy of the Element of Honesty! So, be honest with yourself, AJ, and tell me: What do you think you should do right now?”

Thunderlane’s words resonated in Applejack’s mind as she realized he was right! She had always trusted her judgement because she believed in the virtue of honesty, that being truthful and nothing less than the genuine article is how you show who you really are and the true way you are accepted.

Applejack smiled with deep appreciation at Thunderlane, “Thank ya kindly, Thunder. Ah think Ah know wha’ Ah hav’ t’ do.”

Then, to Thunderlane’s surprise, Applejack leaned over and gave him a grateful cheek-to-cheek nuzzle, making him blush almost as red at Big Mac.

“Uh…” Thunderlane dazed with a dumb look on his face, barely noticing Applejack stand up.

“Whattya say we head on over t’ th’ swim meet? Ah got some things t’ say t’ everypony, an’ a couple o’ swindlers to unmask.”

“Uh… OK!” Thunderlane quickly stood up and followed Applejack down the path from Sweet Apple Acres.

“Oh no Granny!”

Applejack’s eyes were wide in panic as she watched her beloved Granny Smith standing atop a gigantic diving board so dizzyingly high in the air she could barely see the top. The elder pony had evidently taken her dream of her aqua pony comeback too far and was about to attempt the high-diving record she never got the chance to try that would have made her an aqua pony legend, as evidenced by Apple Bloom pushing a small bowl of water underneath the diving board.

Applejack’s heart was pounding and her breathing was shaky, but she didn’t hesitate to bolt as fast as she could towards that diving tower, praying to whatever gods there were in the sky that she’d make it in time.

It seemed they weren’t listening today.

Granny Smith did a quick bounce off the board before diving straight off down, shooting at a ridiculous speed. Her hooves were stretched out in a perfect diving posture and her eyes were narrowed in determination, but none of this mattered to Applejack. Her eyes started to get teary as she sprinted forward, knowing that being on the ground, she had no chance to stopping the inevitable.

“No, please no! Ah already lost Ma an’ Pa, please don’ let me lose her too!”

Her plea was desperate and filled with sorrow, but no miraculous beings listened in or made a move.

That is until one did.

Applejack was nearly bowled over by a powerful gust of wind as a dark grey shape zoomed past her and toward her rapidly-descending grandmother.

The elderly mare was just seconds away from certain doom, when the speeding shape grabbed her around the barrel and hurtled her through the air. She and the shape went speeding past the ground and into the pool nearby. Granny felt the snatcher adjust themselves before impact, taking the brunt of the slam into the water, sending up a geyser as the two sunk beneath.

Ponies scrambled aside, trying not to get splashed, while Flim and Flam, whom had been selling their miracle tonic nearby, pulled down the hatches and ducked for cover.

Applejack paused for a moment, shock paralyzing her, before she snapped out of it and bolted for the pool. As the water settled she skidded up, her eyes searching the pool, looking for her family.

Suddenly two shapes burst up. The first was Granny, coughing up water and looking none too pleased her dive had been sabotaged. And beside her…

“Thunderlane!”

“Ugh… I am never going swimming again…”

The big stallion floated beside Granny from where he had snatched her. He had seen Applejack’s panic and seen Granny in danger, and his instincts kicked into gear. If Rainbow Dash had been there, she’d have been trying to convince herself his speed had been a fluke.

As Applejack’s heart slowed and her fears retreated, she gave her Granny an annoyed look.

“Granny! Wha’ in thunder-ation were you thinkin’! You cain’t do a dive that high!”

The green mare gave Thunderlane a miffed look before paddling to the edge of the pool and hauling herself up before her granddaughter.

“Oh quit yer’ fussin’. Why Ah could’a done a dive ten times tha’ high!”

With a speed that would have had the already angry Rainbow Dash having a conniption fit, Flim and Flam sped over beside Granny, another bottle of miracle tonic held in their magic.

“Why I say it could have been twenty times!”
“Thirty if she had a favorable breeze.”

Granny gave the two con ponies a smile and started to gulp down the miracle tonic they presented her.

As Thunderlane floundered his way over to the edge of the pool, Applejack just stared at her grandmother guzzling down the phony tonic. The elder mare truly believed that drink would help her. Would let her do things she just couldn’t. As the sun shone through that emptying bottle, a rainbow of light seemed to circle Applejack’s eyes, and it was that light that helped Applejack realize...

She turned to Thunderlane, remembering his advice in the orchard. The stallion was soaking wet and lying on the ground beside her, but he seemed to sense exactly what was going through her head. He just looked up at her, gave a confident smile and nod from his tired face, and Applejack nodded in return.

The farmer raised her head high and firm and strutted forwards to her grandmother and the con ponies beside her.

“Ah’m sorry everyone, but Granny couldn’t o’ made tha’ dive.”

Flim and Flam could see a determination in her eyes, and they held themselves stiff as the mare thrust a hoof out at their tonic, and angry snarl on her muzzle.

“Because this tonic is a fake!”

Thunderlane was slowly dragging himself to his hooves. But he couldn’t help but smile as AJ made her announcement. Everypony around them all gasped and voiced their confusion over Applejack’s supposed stamp of approval. But Thunderlane never stopped smiling. He watched AJ, in her element, admitting to her wrongs and reinforcing her belief of true Honesty right from her heart. As she held herself strong, never wavering in her belief, Thunderlane could just tell once and for all, that what he felt for her, was no mere crush. There was no confusion or worry. No worries or doubt.

He was in love with her, totally and completely.

He was so lost in his own world that he barely noticed the mare trot up beside him.

“Thunderlane… thank you. When Ah saw mah Granny jumpin’ from tha’ high board. Well Ah just had no idea what to do. Ah was so scared watching her fall. Ah thawt Ah’d lose more o’ my family. But you saved her! You flapped those mighty wings o’ yers an’ saved mah Granny’s life. Ah don’t think I can ever repay you for that.”

Then, with a redness in her cheek, but no waiver in her determination, the orange mare lifted her muzzle and kissed Thunderlane on his cheek.

Instantly Thunderlane’s wings rocketed up, firm and stiff and his eyes shrunk into dots. Blazing red crossed his face and a goofy expression crossed his muzzle. So completely lost in his head, that he missed the awwing crowd. He missed Silver Shill calling out Flim and Flam while admitting his own complicity in their scheme and Granny Smith realizing her own strengths. He missed the talk with Silver Shill, as the stallion passed along his first earned bit to Applejack in thanks for what he had learned.

All that crossed his mind, was that those lips were so soft and lovely, and he longed to feel them again.

Applejack sat beneath an apple tree on the corner of the orchard, looking out over Ponyville. At her hooves sat the friendship diary, ready and waiting to record the important lesson she had learned that day. As the words hit the paper, Applejack thought them aloud to herself.

“Being Honest can be hard when you think it will hurt the ponies you care about. But Ah think believing a lie can end up hurting even more.”

Across town, Flim and Flam hurriedly began pushing their cart away, filled with their phony tonic and ill-gotten bag of bits. They stopped however as they saw a wanted poster pasted on just about every tree or pole, with their smarmy mugs and a list of charges, including (but not limited to) fraud, false-advertising, selling medicine without a permit, and negligence. Both ponies could see Prince Midnight in the distance, an angry expression on his face as he talked to the sick and injured ponies they had conned, about how he'd make sure Flim and Flam would pay for their crimes. Both brothers just gulped and quickened their pace.

“Someponies might not care about that, but ah sure ain’t one of them. And those that do will always get what's coming to `em in the end.”

Applejack paused in her writing for a moment as she caught some movement in the distance. Thunderlane’s home was still a ways off, but she could make out Thunderlane and Soarin in the front yard, mowing the lawn and trimming some hedges together while Rumble flitted about spouting off his yapper, likely about some show he’d watched that afternoon.

As Applejack watched, a red blush came to her face. Then with a smile, her lips found her pencil and more words seemed to flow onto the dairy.

“An important friend also reminded me, that Honesty is important, but sometimes when it hurts too much to say, we should always Trust in ourselves and our morals. Because if we forget ourselves, then lies just spread and spread.”

Closing the journal, Applejack smiled as she remembered that kiss upon the stallion’s cheek. Deciding to call it a day and spend some time with her family, one last thought flittered through her mind.

Ah sure hope Ah get a chance to do that again.

Author's Note

I'm kind of ashamed of this arc considering how long me and my partner took our sweet time doing it.

But in the end, it's satisfactory.

We cemented the shipping between Applejack and Thunderlane, and I decided to take the opportunity to reveal Thunderlane and Rumble are orphans, that their parents died in an accident that forced Thunderlane to grow up faster to take care of his little brother

I originally considered bringing one of or both their parents into the story somehow but due to the living situation I originally wrote for them (among other things) it just got to the point where it would be easier to say they're not around anymore.

206. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 1

Soarin paid attention as Twilight quizzed him one fine mid-morning in Ponyville. Tomorrow, he would take an exam at Canterlot University that would count for ninety-percent of his grade!

No pressure.

“Alright Soarin, what can you tell me about the key properties of the Nimbus cloud and its-”

WHOOSH!

“HEY!”
“DA-ASH!!”

Twilight groaned while Soarin sighed yet he couldn’t help but chuckle as Twilight gathered the scattered papers flipping about from Rainbow’s fly-by.
“How in Equestria does that pony expect to pass her Wonderbolts exam tomorrow if she wastes her time flying?!”

“Oh cool it, study-buddy,” Soarin said in a ‘no harm, no foul’ tone as he helped her. “My Dashie’s just getting hyped. She passes this exam, she earns a spot on the Wonderbolt Reserves!”

His relaxed smile faded when Twilight pulled a smirk and said, “I’m just gonna fly right up to her and tell her what I think” - Soarin hesitantly followed Twilight as she slowly lifted herself higher while gathering the papers - “about what I think of her lackadaisical approach to studying.”

“Uh, Twi?” Soarin tried to talk but Twilight kept flapping, not paying attention.

“Won’t she be surprised?”

“SURPRISE!”

“WHAT?! Huh?! How did you-” Twilight startled, seeing Rainbow appear right in front of her.

“Tried to warn ya,” Soarin shrugged as his Dashie chuckled.

“Puh-lease, Twilight!” Rainbow laughed as she floated down onto a cloud, Twilight and Soarin joining her. “That was the worst sneak attack ever!”

Soarin chuckled as he sat on his plot, the cloud extra comfy to his flanks, Twilight steadying her footing. She was still new to walking on clouds; it was like standing on a slightly damp mattress.

“What? But-”

“I saw you giving me the stink eye from the ground, “Rainbow boasted, “and heard you flying towards me and muttering from a mile away!”

“Heh, ya can’t avoid the pegasus eye and ear so easily, Twilight,” Soarin agreed, stifling a chuckle at the indignant look on the princess’s face.

“Well! If you heard me muttering, you must know what I was muttering about,” Twilight said in a somewhat scolding way to Rainbow while rolling her eyes at Soarin’s comment.

“Yeah, yeah, the Wonderbolts History Test,” Rainbow shrugged it off as she let herself fall off the cloud while casually saying, “No big deal.”

Twilight rolled her eyes as Soarin chuckled and followed Rainbow Dash’s example. She flapped after them, saying, “No! Big deal- Really big deal! It’s a test! A test that could determine if you can join the Wonderbolts Reserve! Soarin, tell her!”

Sighing in a good-natured way, Soarin added, “She’s gotcha there, angel. Joining the Reserves will get you even closer to becoming one of the Wonderbolt Elite.”

“This is the most important test of your life!” Twilight butted in, disturbing her two friends.

“Twilight… not everypony gets all freaked out about tests like you,” Rainbow responded in a blaśe tone.

“I do not get all freaked out about tests!” Twilight protested in a somewhat foalish way while waving her hooves before crossing them.

But then she noticed the “seriously?’ looks Rainbow and Soarin were both giving her.

…

“Fine… I may tend to take my tests a tad too seriously,” Twilight admitted, “but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be studying for yours!”

But then a dawning look of giddiness spread across Twilight’s face, “Ah! And I know just the pony who can help you!”

“Yup!” Rainbow nodded before flapping over to nuzzle up against her boyfriend to his and Twilight’s confusion. “And he’s right here!”

“Say what?” Soarin said with a dumb look, Twilight looking indignant.

“I was talking about me!”

“No offense, Twi, but I think I’m in good hooves with Soarin,” Rainbow waved her off. “After all, he used to be a Wonderbolt!”

“Uh, yeah…” Soarin said awkwardly, to Rainbow’s confusion. “Sorry, angel, but… I’m afraid that’s not gonna work out.”

“Huh?!” Rainbow gave Soarin a look that demanded an explanation.

“I have a test too,” Soarin explained, “Twilight was helping me study when you whooshed by. It’s tomorrow, and it counts for a BIG part of my grade, and I gotta go to Canterlot University to take it!”

“But- But-” Rainbow stuttered, looking stumped.

“No worries, Dash!” Soarin said reassuringly, “I’m sure Twilight will help you just fine. Meanwhile, I’m gonna take the studying material she collected for me, and leave you to your own.”

“But Soarin!” Rainbow called after him as he flew down to grab the books Twilight had left on the library porch, only to feel Twilight grab her from behind.

“This is gonna be so much fun!”

*FLASH*

Rainbow looked around, a tad startled from the sudden teleportation and found herself seated at a desk before Twilight and a blackboard inside the library.

“Sure, fun…” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Sorry about the noise Thunder, I just need to finish packing and I’ll get out of your mane and let you study.”

“Thanks Soarin. I just find study in a quiet environment by myself is so much easier for me than when there’s a bunch of distractions going off.”

Soarin gave a nod to his friend and roommate as he finished packing his overnight bag for the trip to Canterlot. He’d left his pet winged serpent, Skye, with Fluttershy, along with Soundwave, Thunderlane’s pet bat while Rumble had headed over to Button’s house for a sleepover. This was all to help Thunderlane, who like Rainbow Dash, was preparing to take the Wonderbolts History test. The mohawked stallion had always been good at studying and research, but he’d discovered for a while now that he always took more in when he was left alone in a quiet space than in a more public or loud environment.

“It’s a shame our tests are on the same day or I’d join you and Midnight in Canterlot. This is a big day for me, but it’s just as big for you and I wish I was there to see how you do.”

Soarin just smiled at his friend as he zipped up his bag, before turning and giving him a bro-hoof.

“It’s fine, Thunderlane, I feel the same way about you and Dashie’s test. Still, when I get back we can all compare our results and have a party. You just know Pinkie and Cheese will be itching for one when we get back.”

Thunderlane just gave a chuckle and pat his friend on the back while Soarin shouldered his bag. Finally there was nothing left but to meet up with Midnight, whom was also going to Canterlot for some royal business with Celestia and Sombra, and take flight.

“Good luck to you, Soarin. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been studying with Twilight. I know you’ll do great.”

Soarin nodded in thanks. “You too, Thunderlane. With somepony as dedicated and hardworking as you, the Wonderbolts will be begging to have you join them.”

Thunderlane just chuckled and led Soarin to the front door. However as the door opened, Soarin found his way barred.

By a rainbow maned mare who really should have been studying right now.

“Soarin, what do you mean you can’t help me study because you’re doing a test?! It’s the test to join the Wonderbolts Reserves and I need to pass!”

Seeing she was in a bad mood, Thunderlane decided this was none of his business and backed out of the room and into his kitchen. He had to deal with an angry Rainbow Dash at work all the time. No way was he going to deal with it right now when he needed quiet time to study.

Soarin stepped around Dash and further into the front yard, adjusting his bag so it wouldn’t disturb his wings during flight. “I’m really sorry, Dashie. I know how important this test is for you, really I do. But this is one of the most important exams for my weather course yet, and it covers over half of my grade! I’m confident I’ll do pretty well on it, but I have to go to Canterlot to take it. If I don’t, I’ll fail my course and I’ll lose my chance at getting a good job in the weather bureau.”

Soarin had hoped his explanation would calm Dash down, but instead it just seemed to make her angrier. “But it’s just a stupid weather course! I didn’t even need to go to college to get on the Ponyville weather team and now I’m Captain of it!”

“Co-Captain, thank you!” corrected Thunder from inside the house, making Rainbow roll her eyes but keep talking. Or griping, if you wanted to be honest about it.

“Your test isn’t anywhere near as important as the Wonderbolts Reserve Test. When I pass I’ll become a Reserve Wonderbolt! If there’s ever a reason a `Bolt isn’t able to make a performance or do their duty, I’ll get a chance to fill in! But I’ll only make it if you help me!”

Sorain just gave a sigh as Dash stamped her hooves angrily, a sign she was going to be stubborn about this.

“Look, Rainbow, the area of weather I’m looking to work in is different to yours. I’m hoping to eventually take on a high level managerial role in the bureau, not just manage the local team. To do that, I need to complete my studies and pass my exams. This is a big deal for me to and it is important. To me! Besides, wouldn’t it be better for you if you passed the Wonderbolts test on your own then just using the help from an ex-Wonderbolt? Heck, I saw Twilight drag you into the library for a study session to help you before I left! Why aren’t you there studying right now?”

Dash suddenly got a shifty look to her eyes.

“Uhh….”

Back in the library...

“So as you can see Rainbow, the EUP is a very important part of Equestrian history and even more so to the Wonderbolts that came after them. Do you have any questions so far or should we dive into the textbook I provided you and start going over some of the key historical dates in…”

Twilight turned around from her black board to discover that instead of a rainbow maned pegasus sitting in her desk listening intently, a crude cardboard cutout with a picture of Rainbow’s face pasted to it, stood on top of the desk.

Until it fell over.

Twilight just groaned in annoyance.

“Heh heh, well… she was boring, okay? And I’m not going to learn anything from her, it needs to be you, Soarin!”

Soarin just rubbing his brow with a sigh seemed to ignite Dash even more. The mare had known ever since school she was a terrible study. It was a miracle she’d passed flight school! She knew Twilight spouting off facts at her would never get her to pass. But Soarin, having been a Wonderbolt, and therefore knowing all the answers, would guarantee she would pass and achieve her dream! She just needed to get him to drop this stupid exam!

Forcing herself to calm down, Dash decided to try an avenue she rarely, rarely ever used. She gave Soarin a sad pathetic look, and made sure her eyes were big and watery. Immediately Soarin’s breath hitched and he looked very conflicted, so Dash went for the kill.

“Please Soarin! I really need you right now.”

Soarin struggled for a moment, his love and care for his Dashie fighting against his desire to do well and achieve his dream. Finally, he looked down and his his ears dropped.

“I’m.. I’m sorry, angel. But I just can’t. This test is too important. I know the Wonderbolts reserve test is important to you. I know getting to fly with them, to be a part of the team is your dream. But I have my own dreams too. But you are alone here. The rest of our friends are here and I know they’ll all help you. Thunderlane wants to be a alone for a little while to do some studying of his own, but I know he’d be happy to help you later. And Twilight is already psyched to impart some historical knowledge, she knows everything you’ll need for the test. The rest of our friends can all help you to study, Dashie. I know you can do this! I’m sorry I can’t help, but I know you will be able to do this without me.”

Soarin poured it all out from his heart, wanting to reassure her and help and her and just love her with all his heart. But despite his powerful speech, Rainbow’s sad pouty look suddenly became a piercing glare and her teeth clenched tight as she growled.

After stewing there for a moment, her anger just too much to even think, she started to speak.

“I can’t believe you! You’d rather do some stupid weather test then help me. The Wonderbolts are my dream! To get there I need you! But all you care about is getting some dumb weather job! I have a weather job, Soarin! An important one! And I can’t wait to leave it behind as soon as I get an invite into the `Bolts! And you know why? Because weather work is for lame idiot pegasi with no passion and drive!”

She took one step forward, her raging magenta eyes locked with his wide and tearful greens.
“I can’t believe a quitter like you ever made it to the Wonderbolts. You never deserved to fly with ponies so much better then you’ll ever be.”

Soarin could say nothing. He felt so much hurt and pain inside. That was maybe the cruelest thing anypony had ever said to him.

I can’t believe she just said that! ...But… doesn’t mean it’s not true…

He fought to hold back his tears as he spread his wings and took to the sky, his eyes snapping from hers to the ground below.

It hurt too much to see her right now. To see the eyes he loved looking at him like he was the most pathetic pony in Equestria.

Maybe… maybe I am…

As Soarin disappeared from her sight, Rainbow Dash felt the anger just ebb away, being replaced with a tidal wave of shame and guilt.

That was… that was one of the most horrible things she had ever done. So filled with anger, so disgusted in her own inability to study without her ex-Wonderbolt cheat sheet, she had just lashed out in rage. She knew she had a temper, and more then once it had gotten her into trouble.

It had never left her feeling so ashamed of herself before.

She knew if she’d said those horrible words to anypony she’d have felt disgusted with herself.

But to my Soarin…

She had told the pony she loved that he was a pathetic joke. That his dreams and desires were worthless and that one of his biggest accomplishments in life had never been deserved.

She felt like he biggest pile of horseapples. Like the lowest, scummiest thing in the world. And that feeling only got worse as she turned to see Thunderlane glaring at her from the doorway of his house.

“Ya know, Dash, you really should go back to Twilight’s and study. Because a selfish brat like you needs to learn to grow up!”

Then before anything else could be said, he slammed the door so hard she almost fell over from the force. Rainbow just stood there for a moment, before she turned and started slowly trotting off towards Twilight’s library, her limp tail dragging through the dirt behind her.

What was the point of studying for the Wonderbolts now.

Did she even deserve to be a `Bolt anymore…?

Author's Note

I handled the opening scene, Pontiac56 did the rest, and I did the editing

This arc opens up with "Testing Testing 123..." but transitions into an arc for Soarin

Ponti and I both decided a little relationship drama was necessary for what we have planned

207. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 2

Ponyville Airfield, a recent addition to the town after Blueblood constructed an airship and donated it to Ponyville so the town could have its own air travel service. It was faster than the train but pricier, especially since they only had one airship at the moment.

“Thank you!” Midnight accepted the tickets from the box office, the pony running it smiling helpfully.

“The next flight to Canterlot will be leaving in just half an hour, Your Highness.”

“Well, I hope my traveling companion gets here before the ship has to leave,” Midnight commented in slight worry.

The airship was indeed going to leave soon, and he knew Soarin’s test was tomorrow at noon sharp! If he missed the airship, he’d have to take the train and might not arrive in time for his test.

“Isn’t that him there, Sire?” the pony in the box office pointed over Midnight’s shoulder, and the blue alicorn followed it and saw…

“Soarin!”

Midnight waved his friend over but quickly saw Soarin didn’t look very bright today.
“Hey, Soarin, what’s up? `Cause apparently it’s not your spirits.”

Soarin sighed sadly and said, “Rainbow Dash and I… just had a… disagreement that she didn’t take very well.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Midnight asked as he levitated Soarin’s ticket towards him.

“No, I’ll talk with her when we get back to Ponyville,” Soarin shook his head as he accepted his ticket. “We should probably get aboard.”

As the airship soared through the sky towards Canterlot, Midnight and Soarin stood at the starboard bow, taking it all in.

“Feel the air!” Midnight cheered, loving the skyward currents of air blowing through his mane. “I have to say, Soar, flying on your own wings is one thing but there’s actually something kinda thrilling about flying across the skies aboard an airship!”

“Y’know, you’re right,” Soarin agreed, the exhilaration raising him a little out of his funk. “Taking in this awesome view and being able to relax and not worry about staying airborne on your own wings, it’s really something!

“So! You know why I’m headed for Canterlot, what about you?”

“I have some things to discuss with Celestia and Sombra,” Midnight replied. “Plus, there’s actually a project I’m thinking of trying, and their input could be really helpful.”

“What kind of project?”

“I’d rather not say just yet. I wanna discuss it with my master first before I share it with you.”

“With me?” Soarin could hear there was something behind those words.

“Yes, this project will be of interest to you, Soarin,” Midnight admitted, “and I promise to share it with you. But right now, you need to focus on your test tomorrow, and it wouldn’t do to have you unnecessarily distracted.”

“Fair enough,” Soarin shrugged. “This test is more about weather, Midnight! I’ve been studying weather anomalies, natural and supernatural! This test could make or break my degree!”

“You nervous?” Midnight asked in concern.

To his surprise, Soarin just chuckled, “Well yeah! I’d have to be dumb as a rock not to be! But… I am more confident than I am nervous. Especially since Twilight helped me study so much for my courses.”

“That’s my Twily,” Midnight chuckled back. “Honestly, I don’t know how half of all that she knows fits into that brilliant head of hers.”

Soarin sighed in response rather morosely, “If only Dashie could take it all in the way Twilight does…”

“Alright, now I gotta ask, what exactly happened between you and Rainbow?” Midnight asked again, equal parts firm and concerned.

“...Well, Rainbow Dash wanted me to help her study for her Wonderbolts History test,” Soarin explained, “and since I’m an ex-`Bolt, she figured with my help she’d have the test in the bag.”

“Except your test and hers are both on the same day but in different cities,” Midnight gathered.

“Not to mention, Rainbow wasn’t all that… understanding,” Soarin sighed again, this time with a hint of irritation. “I explained myself, told her she was in good hooves with Twilight, but… Well, she called me a quitter for resigning from the Wonderbolts, and called my dream of earning my degree for weather stupid.”

“That pegasus needs to sort out her priorities…” Midnight shook his head but then patted Soarin on the withers with his wing. “Soar, Dash has always been braggy and kinda… egotistical. But you’d have to look far and wide to find a more loyal pony. I guarantee once we return to Ponyville, she’ll realize she was wrong and apologize to you.”

Soarin slumped onto the railing, glad they were almost to the City of Unicorns, “I hope you’re right…”

The Ponyville Airship arrived at the New Heights Avionics airfield, where Midnight and Soarin both were welcomed by Jet Set. After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two friends made their way to the Canterlot streets, busy with celebrities, high horses, tourists, the list went on. Not in the mood to be mobbed, Midnight cast an aversion spell upon himself, causing anypony other than Soarin to ignore him.

“Since your test isn’t till tomorrow and I don’t need to head to the castle until later," Midnight suggested, “what say we grab a bite?”

“I’m in,” Soarin agreed, “but not one of those froufrou restaurants where the portions are ripoffs compared to the price.”

“Amen to that!” Midnight and Soarin both laughed when they heard a commotion ahead. “Now what’s going…!”

“Uh-oh…” Soarin felt his spirits begin to descend when he saw it was the Wonderbolts making another public appearance.

Ever since he resigned, Soarin hadn’t given his old squadmates a real thought, and now here they were the day before his big test. He could only imagine what they’d say to him if they saw him.

“Looks like Spitfire’s making an announcement,” Midnight commented, “let’s find out what that blowhard in a flight suit is sharing with her adoring fans.”

“Uh, Midnight? Maybe we should just- Oh…” Soarin groaned as Midnight went ahead and he reluctantly followed.

On a raised platform, before the locals who were obvious fans, Spitfire stepped up to a speaking-trumpet, obviously imbued with a voice-amplification charm, and declared, “Fillies and gentlecolts of Canterlot, as Captain of the Wonderbolts it is my honor to announce that my squad, the A-Squad, has found a new member!

“Please give a warm Canterlot welcome and congratulate him for his promotion… Sergeant Wind Waker! Come on over here, Wind!”

As the crowd cheered, Midnight watched as a Wonderbolt stallion with a white coat under his flight suit and a pale-gray cobalt mane with a highlight, and purple eyes, stepped up to the speaking horn and cleared his throat while spreading his wing, a subtle and polite way to usher silence.

“Thank you! Thank you, everypony! I can’t tell you what an honor this is, to have finally earned a spot on the A-Squad of the Wonderbolts and be given this honor and privilege of flying alongside the Head-Captain of the Wonderbolts! It’s even more special to know that I have your support and will do my very best to prove myself deserving of it!

“Which is why tomorrow, on the Canterlot racecourse, I will be making my debut as an A-Squad Wonderbolt by racing in the Wonderbolts Derby!”

The crowd gave a thunderous applause while Soarin and Midnight scanned the `Bolts attending this event.

Besides Spitfire and her new squadmate Wind Waker, they saw Fleetfoot and Rapidfire, and in the back, they also saw the Streak Twins, Fire Streak and his brother Lightning Streak, the famed and beloved Surprise, known as the Party Pony of the Wonderbolts (her appearance and bouncy smile being so disturbingly similar that Midnight swore she and Pinkie Pie were related somehow), Misty Fly, and, to Midnight’s delight, Silver Lining!

“Heh-hey! It’s Silver!” Midnight whispered to Soarin.

“He a favorite of yours?” Soarin asked with a good-natured smile.

“Favorite nothing, Silver’s one of my old mentors!”

“Oh right….!” Soarin suddenly remembered, “You trained under the A-Squad of the Wonderbolts back when Spitfire’s grandfather was head-captain! Silver was one of Hellfire’s squadmates.

“Y’know, I never got the chance to meet Hellfire; what was he like?”

“Honestly?” Midnight gave Soarin a look, “He was among the biggest capitol A-holes it had ever been my misfortune to know! He was ruthless, demanded perfection, and never said one word of encouragement to me. All I got were insults and sarcastic remarks no matter how bad or well I performed- I swear to Faust, Soarin! If Silver hadn’t been there to kick my ass into gear, the training Hellfire put me through for three months straight would’ve made me swear off flying forever!”

“He sounds very similar to his granddaughter…” Soarin deadpanned.

“Oh don’t compare those two,” Midnight sighed with a weary shake of his head. “Spitfire has certainly inherited her grandfather’s drive but even she’s not half the dick he was! At least she can offer a sincere compliment or encouragement to her trainees.

“To tell you the truth, Soarin, when Hellfire had his accident, honored as he was Silver himself told me there was a sigh of relief after he was gone.”

“Yeesh…” Soarin recalled hearing from Spitfire that her grandfather had been an inspiration to her, and she strove to live up to his legacy. But based on what he’d just heard, he wondered if he’d lucked out with Spitfire as head-captain after all during his time in the Wonderbolts.

“Well, well, well…”

That voice made them both size up and they looked to see Spitfire, along with Fleetfoot, Rapidfire, and even Wind Waker giving Soarin the stink eye. It took a moment for Midnight to remember he was still covered by his aversion spell so that left Soarin the sole recipient of the Lead Squad’s gaze.

“I have to admit, Soarin, I’m surprised to see you attending a Wonderbolt public appearance,” Spitfire commented in a spurious manner of civility.

“Uh…” Soarin wasn’t sure what to say, except, “Hey Spitfire, what’cha been up to?”

“Classified,” Spitfire turned around in a way that conveyed the message ‘talk to the plot’, “Ex-Wonderbolts don’t get to hear what I’ve been up to.”

Soarin was glad Midnight was standing next to him-

*FLIP EFFECT*

-until he realized he wasn’t.

Suddenly Soarin wished he was anywhere else but there right now as Spitfire then announced, “Wonderbolts, dismissed until tomorrow’s derby.”

She took flight, leaving Soarin to face his old squadmates as Fleetfoot threw him a dirty look and said, “Don’t clip your wing on your way home, quitter,” before she followed after her captain.

Rapidfire, Spitfire’s brother, and the one squadmate Soarin had been on good terms with back then, gave Soarin a look that said he wasn’t happy to see him (and perhaps maybe a little hurt) before he followed his sister’s example and took flight. Wind Waker didn’t even give Soarin a passing glance and followed after his squadmates, and with the A-Squad taking off, so did the crowd begin to disperse and resume all daily business.

*FLIP EFFECT*

“OK, that was freaky-freaky-nutso!” Midnight appeared suddenly by Soarin’s side, looking dizzy and wearing some ridiculous clothes.

“Midnight! Where’d you go all of a sudden?” Soarin gaped at the prince’s attire.

In response, Midnight held his tongue as he suddenly remembered where he’d just been...

With no idea how he got there, Midnight found himself in a setting where there was graffiti, Vinyl Scratch was on the turntable, and he and Thunderlane were dressed like hoodlums!

“What the-” Midnight gaped at the baggy pants that exposed heart-covered boxers around his backside and hind legs, the white tank top, and the backwards orange cap on his head.

Thunderlane wore colorful jacket with a matching sports visor, “Midnight?!”

“Thunder, what is-”

Pinkie Pie

“Of course…” Midnight sighed with a facehoof.
“Well, at least the beat’s catchy,” Thunderlane chuckled, as he and Midnight got into the music.

[Pinkie Pie]
Well back in ancient times, there were the Wonderbolts of old

A general name Firefly, amazing and so…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
Bold!

[Pinkie Pie]
She brought them all together, spreading unity…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
In flight!

[Pinkie Pie]
Performing at their very best with wonder…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
And with might!

[Pinkie Pie]
There’s Admiral Fairweather and the Colonel Purple…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
Dart!

[Pinkie Pie]
Gave Wonderbolts a bit of steel along with…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
Lots of heart!

[Pinkie Pie]
An admiral named Fairy Flight and general called…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
Flash!

[Pinkie Pie]
Helped the `bolts fly super high…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
With style and panache!

[Pinkie Pie]
Commander Easyglider was the real cream of the…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
Crop!

[Pinkie Pie]
For with her wicked moves, the Wonderbolts…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
Soared to the top!

[Pinkie Pie]
Wonderbolts, yeah! Wonderbolts…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
HUH!

[Pinkie Pie]
Wonderbolts, yeah! Wonderbolts…

[Pinkie Pie, Thunderlane, and Midnight Blaze]
HUH!

“That is my rappin’ His’try of the Wonderbolts!"

“Pinkie Pie,” Midnight deadpanned.

“That’s all the answer I need,” Soarin responded, knowing better than to question it further.

“Not for me it is, rookies!”

Midnight and Soarin both jumped at the sound of their old drill-sergeant’s voice and they finally noticed Silver Lining giving them a stern look, with the Twins, Surprise, and Misty Fly, all standing behind him on the platform.

“Silver Lining, SIR!” Midnight quickly Vanished the clothes that made him look like a street hoodlum, stood at attention, and gave his old teacher a wing-salute.

The sight of the prince made Soarin and the `Bolts present all chuckle as Silver simply said with a face as hard as stone, “Blaze…”

Silver Lining, the currently oldest active Wonderbolt, formerly a member of the A-Squad back when Hellfire was captain before he volunteered to become Senior Training Instructor of all newly-recruited Wonderbolts at the Wonderbolts’ main headquarters in Cloudsdale.

His coat was silver-gray while his voluminous mane was cloud-white with light gray highlights, and beneath that mane was a pair of brilliant blue eyes narrowed to the point of being razor sharp. Despite his age and not far off from being past his prime, Silver’s strict diet and lifestyle had allowed him to age well, with only a wrinkle or two beneath his eyes.

Midnight didn’t move as the old warrior stepped down from the platform and circled around him, giving him such a scrutinizing examination Midnight wouldn’t have been surprised if Silver could correctly estimate the circumferences of his balls.

Finally, Silver stopped in front of Midnight with a look unreadable.
“Well… At least you haven’t allowed all the work Hellfire and I put into whipping you into shape to go to waste.”

“Sir! Thank you, sir!” Midnight responded.

“And you!” Silver turned his attention to Soarin, making the ex-Wonderbolt flinch, suddenly afraid of being re-examined by his old instructor.

Soarin kept perfectly still as Silver gave him an examination, and feared what Silver would declare. Soarin stuck to a daily workout routine but it wasn’t remotely close to the effort he’d put into training under Silver Lining’s supervision back then when he’d been freshly recruited.

“What. The. Hell?” Silver Lining finally spoke in a tone that sent Soarin’s feathers a’shivering. Until he said, “An ex-Wonderbolt I personally trained having left the `Bolts a few months ago, and instead of a paunchy meatsack of a worthless hasbeen, I find him with a passable - and I use the term lightly - physique that’s barely adequate enough to fly ten laps around the track without slowing to under 10 wing power!”

“Uh… thank you, sir?” Soarin responded dumbly, but apparently it was the wrong thing to say.

“‘THANK YOU’?! Back during the highlight of your career, you could’ve lapped fifty without going under TWENTY Wing Power!” Silver barked, pushing his snoot against Soarin’s.
“The sorry state you’re in now isn’t nearly as bad as I feared, BUT IT’S NOTHING TO BE THANKFUL ABOUT, SLAPDICK!!”

Soarin stood rigid, feeling his wingpits sweating and praying to the Goddess nopony would smell it.

“Be that as it may, you could be worse,” Silver growled with a chuckle before he sidestepped, avoiding a white, blonde, and blue blur that tackled Soarin to the ground

“Soarin, ol’ buddy, ol’ pal, ol’ friend!” Surprise happily flap-bounced over him as he laid on the ground, looking confused as the Party Pony of the Wonderbolts started shooting her mouth at a hundred Wing Power and hour.
“You’re looking awesome-possum! Seeing anypony? You gotta tell me! What’cha been up to?! Me? Same old, same old. Spitty’s as uptight as ever, Rapid’s been kinda moody, Fleet’s awesome, Silver’s hard-assed as always but you probably figured that out, the Streaks haven’t changed at all, Wind Waker worked real hard, obviously, Misty’s missed you too- MMPH!”

“Alright, Surprise, I think he gets the point,” Fire Streak sighed in good-natured weary, after putting his hoof over Surprise’s mouth and pulled her back. He was cream-white coated with an orange mane with a lighter highlight.

“Soarin, my man!” Lightning Streak stepped up, coated powder blue with a mane similar to his brother’s in style but in two shades of yellow.
“I didn’t know you were hangin’ with royalty! Hell, you might have left the `Bolts but it seems you’re still moving up in life, bro!”

“Brother, please do not speak of royalty in the presence of royalty as though royalty were not present,” Fire Streak said in a polite tone while the look he was giving his brother seemed to promise he would tear Lightning Streak’s head off if he weren’t careful.
“Do forgive my brother’s lack of any decency what-so-ever, Your Majesty.”

“None of those royal formalities,” Midnight waved it off kindly, “we both trained under the same flight instructor, that makes us sibling students.”

“Whoa, bro! We got us a royal bro!” Lightning Streak laughed, throwing a foreleg around Midnight’s shoulders.

Midnight kindly pulled Lightning Streak off his person, leaving him to be chastised by his brother (again) before saying something to Silver, the only words Soarin caught were ‘private’ and ‘word’, and the fact they distanced themselves from the group made it more apparent.

He then looked to the one Wonderbolt who hadn’t greeted him yet, Misty Fly. She was a beautiful mare of light yellow coat, a mane blue with a light streak, and sea-green eyes, which were gazing at him in a friendly way.

He stepped over to her, and moved his wings and forehooves, making different signals that conveyed, ‘Hello, friend. How are you?’

She responded with a kind smile and signaled, ‘I am well. You look well too.’

It was one of the Wonderbolts’ biggest secrets, that Misty Fly, one of the older active members, was deaf and communicated using hoof-and-wing signs although sometimes she could read lips. That didn’t stop her from being one of the most talented coordinators the Wonderbolts had ever had, some even considering her to be even better than Commander Easyglider since she took some of Easyglider’s flight choreographic routines and improved them with such refinement to the point of making them seem totally new.

“It’s great to see you again, Soarin,” Fire Streak said kindly, “the Wonderbolts hasn’t really been the same ever since you resigned.”

“Yeah, Cap’s been harder on all our asses to the point where we can’t even fart without her knowing it!” Lightning Streak added, much to Fire Streak’s irritation of his not-so-colorful vocabulary.

“And she hasn’t let me throw a party for weeks!” Surprise said sadly.

‘Captain S-P-T-F-R, work too hard’ Misty signed, concern all over her face.

“Well, guys… I don’t think it’s really my place to say anything,” Soarin hesitated, “I’m not a Wonderbolt anymore. I’m just a university student trying to earn my degree and make a living for myself.”

“She really misses you, y’know,” Surprise brought up, to Soarin’s surprise. “I know she can be so clenched up back there, but... “

Surprise didn’t finish and frankly she didn’t need to. Soarin knew exactly how Spitfire could be, on good days and bad. Looking back, he realized he hadn’t handled the way he’d left the Wonderbolts that much better than how Spitfire and Fleetfoot had lied to him and Rainbow.

They had been friends, from the beginning.

He remembered, his first week as a recruit, under Silver’s supervision and demanding training regimen, he’d found Spitfire hiding in a broom closet, crying! Her, the granddaughter of the great Hellfire, of all ponies, doubting herself, doubting her ability to live up to her grandfather’s legacy, and doubting anypony really had true faith in her.

He talked to her, he related to her, how his own father wanted him to succeed where he had failed, and promised Spitfire if ever she needed a wingpony he was there.

Where did that bond go…?

“Soarin…. Soarin!”

“Huh?!” Soarin snapped out of his reminiscing, and noticed Midnight looking at him

“I’m sorry, but we should move on. I have to see Celestia and Sombra soon, so we’ll grab a bite in the castle instead.”

“Oh, okay,” Soarin agreed before looking to all his old friends. “It was great seeing you all. If I can make it, I’ll come to the derby tomorrow.”

“We’ll be looking for you in the Royal Box,” Lightning Streak teased, Fire Streak sighing.

“Be sure to root for me, Soar!” Surprise giggled as she was the first to take flight, the Twins following.

Misty Fly signed ‘Be well, S-O-A-R-I-N, see you again soon’ and followed next, leaving Silver the last.

He gave both his old students a hard look and finally sighed, “Midnight, Soarin, I never forget my students, whether they succeed or they fail. I don’t need to remind the two of you of the way I train; I break you down and I build you back up, and either you can hold yourselves together or let yourselves fall apart.

“Midnight, there’s no denying Hellfire was an asshole, he made you like me, and that’s saying something. But it was his training that made you more than worthy enough to fly with the Wonderbolts. I just eased the tension.

“And Soarin… Was I disappointed you resigned? You bet your ass I was. But you brought heart to the `Bolts, you were able to inspire everypony to work together. The Wonderbolts are poorer without you. But there are times when a pegasus has to spread his wings and fly his own course, even if it parts him from the flock.”

To both Soarin and Midnight’s surprise. Silver placed a hoof on each of their shoulders, looking at them in a way that could only be described as paternal and maybe a hint of pride in his eyes but it was gone before they could really see it.

“Make the best of your lives,” he advised curtly before taking off.

Soarin and Midnight shared a look, and both simply decided to move along. But as they made their way to the castle, Midnight said, “Seems you had more friends in the Wonderbolts than you realized.”

“Well… Silver Lining always loved his work training recruits, and he enjoyed it more when he knew it made us uncomfortable or just plain miserable,” Soarin nodded.

“Heh, Hellfire was the same way.” Midnight chuckled. “Granted, I never liked Hellfire, but I did respect him, I’m loathe to admit. Even so, Silver wasn’t kidding about how Hellfire made me like Silver in comparison, and Silver wasn’t all that easier on me than his old captain was.”

“Speaking of Silver, what did you and he talk about?” Soarin asked curiously.

“That project I mentioned,” Midnight said in a tone firm enough that he wasn’t going to share. Yet.
“I actually consider it a stroke of luck that we ran into Silver and the `Bolts on the way to the castle. His input was just what I needed to hear regarding what I have in mind.”

“You said this project would be of interest to me,” Soarin reminded him.

“And you’ll hear all about it after your test tomorrow,” Midnight promised before he spread his wings, a competitive smirk on his face.
“Race you to the castle!”

“You’re on!” Soarin didn’t wait and took off with such force Midnight stumbled, almost certain he’d been on the receiving end of a Sonic Rainboom!

“Hey!” He launched himself skyward and pursued.

Soarin beat Midnight to the castle by a nose though Midnight insisted it wasn’t a legit victory for his taking a head-start.

In the dining hall, they enjoyed a hearty lunch with Celestia and Sombra, the latter saying, “Tomorrow will be an interesting day! I’ve never had the pleasure of watching a Wonderbolts Derby.”

“You’re in for a treat, love,” Celestia smiled as she sipped some nectar. “There are no finer flyers in all of Equestria nor faster. Even the Pegasi of the Royal Guard can’t compare.”

“Did either of you hear tomorrow’s derby will be the debut of a new Wonderbolt of the A-Squad?” Midnight asked before taking a bite of buttered mashed potatoes.

“Wind Waker,” Soarin confirmed, “Back when I was in the `Bolts, he was a confident flyer. Seems that confidence paid off.”

“Does it bother you, Soarin?” Celestia asked, her voice carrying the subtlest of concern. “I know you and your old squad didn’t part on the best of terms…”

“It’s fine, Your Highness,” Soarin assured, “I spent too much of my life pleasing my father and letting him run my life. Now I’m running my life for myself.”

“As is everypony’s right,” Sombra levitated his cup, the rest prompted to do the same (although Soarin used his hoof to hold up his). “Ladies and gentlecolts, to Soarin’s success in wherever his dreams take him.”

“Hear, hear!” Celestia and Midnight cheered, making Soarin smile, appreciative of their support, and they all enjoyed a swig.

Once lunch was over, Soarin politely said, “If Your Majesties don’t mind, I’d like to get a little last-minute studying done. It wouldn’t hurt to be absolutely prepared for my test tomorrow.”

“Don’t study too hard, Soarin,” Celestia advised in a kind tone, “or you might let the more crucial information slip. Tell the guard outside to escort you to a guest room, and afterwards he’ll send one of the maids to assist you with anything you need.”

Soarin smiled gratefully and bowed before exiting the dining hall, leaving the three royals to themselves.

“And now to business,” Celestia declared and looked to Midnight. “I understand that you have something of great interest to share.”

“One of my eyes and ears in Las Pegasus informed me he’s close to getting an entire laundry basket of dirty laundry on Blackberry Hossmane,” Midnight said with narrowed eyes.
“Once I have it, Blackberry will answer for everything he’s done.”

“The rumors alone surrounding Blackberry Hossmane were disturbing enough,” Celestia sighed as she leaned into her chair, “but when you brought evidence they were more than rumors…”

Sombra reached over and held his wife’s hoof gingerly, “No matter how brightly you shine, your light cannot reach every dark corner of this nation and there are those whose hearts were tainted long before they were inspired by your grace. You cannot be blamed for others’ own sins.”

Celestia smiled appreciatively at her husband, before looking to Midnight again.
“What exactly do you intend to do with Blackberry Hossmane once you have the evidence you need?”

“Hossmane will have one choice,” Midnight said in a tone inarguable. “Admit and answer for his crimes and make recompenses to all he’s wronged, or be buried under all the dirt he’s dug himself into.”

“I forbid you to take his life,” Celestia retorted with such a fire in her eyes Midnight almost felt like a colt being warned by his mother
“No matter what he chooses, he must live with his wrongdoings. In death he will not suffer.”

“Unless there’s a tartarus in the afterlife,” Sombra commented as he took a big swig of his drink and then let out a big BELCH.

Seeing his wife and apprentice look at him for his un-princely behavior, he chuckled, “I’m only equine.”

That spurred a burst of laughter out of Midnight while Celestia held her hoof to her mouth but couldn’t help giggling as well, Sombra smiling like a scoundrel and joining in on the laughs.

Author's Note

I dedicate this arc to Calm Wind and his work. With his permission and advice, I chose to portray the Wonderbolts in this story similar to the versions of his because "Piercing the Heavens" is one of my all-time personal favorites on this site

209. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 4

As the Wonderbolts braved the trouble brewing overhead, the air surrounding the unnatural disaster suddenly took a very chilly drop. Soarin felt it and almost immediately knew what was coming.

“EVASIVE ACTION!”

No sooner did he give the order did the storm unleash a volley of icicles big enough and sharp enough to shishkabob a buffalo warrior! The Wonderbolts broke formation, remembering their training in such situations and each `Bolt went a different direction, decreasing the chances of them flying into each other. They weren’t out of it yet. The stormcloud continued to grow larger and unless they acted fast, it very might grow past the point of no return.

“RESUME V-FORMATION! IT’S TIME TO TURN UP THE HEAT!”

Soarin pushed himself, using his honed senses to navigate the icicles still falling, and he felt his wingmates form up alongside him. But before they knew it, the weather changed as the icicles stopped while the sandstorm from within the cloud earlier was unleashed into flowing whips of sand at such velocities a single lash would tear the `Bolts wings from their sockets.

“SOARIN! WE CAN’T FLY OUT IN THIS SAND FOR LONG!” Spitfire yelled, trying to avoid getting sand in her mouth.

“WE HAVE TO CANCEL OUT THE WIND CARRYING IT!” Soarin yelled back, “WONDERBOLTS! REVERSE TORNADO, NOW!!”

At Soarin’s command, the Wonderbolts began flying at high speeds counter-clockwise, fighting against the gales and sand whipping at them. Flying round and around and around, against hurricane winds strong enough to carry a foal skyward, only their trusty goggles protecting their eyes from the airborne grains of sand and tiny pieces of hale. While they had all trained to fly in conditions that could make one dizzy, they persevered.

Even so, even as their efforts gradually built-up a reverse-tornado, they felt the strain setting in.

“C’MON EVERYPONY!” Soarin yelled over the roar of the wind, “HOLD THE FORMATION! WE’RE DOING IT…!!”

“YEEK!!” Fleetfoot shrieked as she barely evaded an errant lightning bolt of purple energy. Her hesitation almost caused her to hit Silver Lining, much to the old soldier’s annoyance.

“FLATFOOT!! GET YOUR TAIL MOVING BEFORE I SHOVE MY HOOF UP YOUR ASS, PULL OUT YOUR INTESTINES AND USE YOU AS A YO-YO!!!!”

“SIR YESSIR!!” Fleetfoot squealed and pumped her wings harder.

Finally, the reverse-tornado took shape and got to work, sucking in the sandy winds, canceling any of the storm’s winds that got too near it, making the air in the air easier to fly in.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Wonderbolts!” Soarin called out as he looked up at the pulsing cloud above. “We’re not done yet!”

As if to punctuate Soarin’s words, the ice returned, this time in the form of hail the size of apples, Soarin yelling, “Look sharp! One of those hits you, it’s lights out!”

“Soarin, we have to stop this hail!” Surprise worried as they all zipped about to avoid the lobs of ice, sometimes knocking them away with their hooves. “They’ll cause so much destruction down below!”

“Spitfire! Take the Streak Twins and execute the Flame Wheel Maneuver!” Soarin commanded. “Send it hurtling into the ice cloud!”

“We’re on it, c’mon boys!” Spitfire took flight, Fire Streak and Lightning Streak in tow.

The Flame Wheel Maneuver was a difficult and dangerous technique to create a literal wheel of flame by flying in a vertically moving circle. The fliers flew in a “funnel” of hot air and oxygen concentrated with pegasus magic that ignited by striking the fliers’ horseshoes at the same time to produce multiple sparks. It had to be done simultaneously by all fliers involved or the flame start too quickly before the rest were to break the maneuver and exit the Flame Wheel without getting torched. Done correctly, the fliers would quickly exit the “wheel” while at the same time sending it spinning at the intended target.

Spitfire had the formation down to pat, having mastered it alongside Rapidfire. But right now, she had to make do with the Streak Twins, who were still training to get it right.

As they flew in a straight line, Spitfire yelled, “Begin formation and wait for my signal! ”

She started making loop de’ loops, the Streaks following, and quickly enough they were all flying in a continuous loop de’ loop, their pegasus magic controlling the flow of air to create a wheel of wind highly concentrated with oxygen.

Not yet… Spitfire thought as her pegasus senses enabled her to know how much oxygen she and the Streaks were absorbing into the wheel.

Almost…! She had to do this at the exact moment. Too soon and the wheel wouldn’t be powerful enough. Too late and they would be too dizzy to be able to escape the flame once it was ignited.

“NOW!!”

Spitfire flew out first, then Lightning Streak, while Fire Streak struck his hooves at the last second, creating a spark, that ignited the magic-laced oxygen, and he escaped the Flame Wheel in the nick of time, the flight path of his exit directing the wheel right up towards the cloud from which the hail fell.

The Wonderbolts watched as one of the most daring and dangerous of their aerial techniques collided with the cloud, and there was a muffled explosion of steam, and the hail quickly stopped. But there was no time to celebrate as the purple lightning became more and more erratic, forcing the Wonderbolts to continue to fly evasive maneuvers.

“Everypony! We gotta break up the storm cloud!” Soarin yelled, “It’s time for a good ol’ fashioned cloudbusting!”

“YES SIR!!”

Almost at once, the Wonderbolts began striking at every cloud in sight. Bursting from the cloud layer the `Bolts zoomed up, all leveling themselves parallel with each other. Once they were in position, they all looked to their temporary leader and awaited the signal. Soarin looked them all over, watching the determination on their faces, the drive and skill all there, waiting to follow orders. The synergy they all shared as they worked together to end this beast of a storm once and for all.

With a proud smile on his face and a fierce determination in his eyes, Soarin looked to them all and roared “NOW!”

The air cracked as some of Equestria’s most powerful fliers snapped their wings with all their might and dove towards the crackling clouds as one solid mass.

With force enough to crack steel, the fliers all slammed into the clouds, their pegasus magic at their hooves and their power felt all over Canterlot. The clouds were powerful and filled with unstable magic, but they were no match for the force of the pegasus magic that crashed down upon it. The lightning flashed in all directions in one mighty burst, before it all disappeared into the air. The clouds smashed into pieces, its blackness fading into a dull grey and for some pieces even a fluffy white. Hundreds of clouds pieces flew about, at different height levels and different sizes, some scattering miles from Canterlot itself.

But the combined effort had worked, and as Midnight scanned the air for traces of the unstable magic, he could feel it all dispersing into air, no traces being left behind.

Up in the sky, hovering right in the center of the cloud ring was the Wonderbolts. All over the `Bolts were battered and bruised, their muscles exhausted and their magic drained. But all of them couldn’t hold back the smiles and the smirks of pride on their muzzles at what their combined effort had achieved. Spitfire looked them all over, feeling a Captain’s joy. But above her, smiling the widest, feeling as though the bolts had truly shown their real strength for the first time, Soarin held his head high.

The Wonderbolts were full of wonder once more.

Relief efforts were glad to see nopony had been seriously hurt during the storm aside from a few cuts and bruises here and there. The real damage had been to the parts of the city that had been directly beneath the storm, and already damage control was being taken care of. But right now, right in front of Canterlot University, the Dean was making a speech before some attendees, including the Wonderbolts, the Royal Sisters, and even Princes Midnight and Sombra.

“Ponies of Canterlot, it is my great privilege to bestow this degree in weather,” the Dean announced, levitating a framed degree in his magic, “to Soarin, for his bravery, his leadership, and applying the knowledge he has learned so well and using it for the good of Canterlot!

“While anypony can learn in a classroom, there is no greater teacher than experience. As Dean of Canterlot University, there is no joy like that of seeing my students applying their knowledge and using it to help the lives of those around them. And now! Let’s hear it from the pegasus of the hour. Soarin, come on up here!”

The crowd applauded as Soarin, wearing a sash and academic cap, stepped up to the podium, accepted his degree, and shook hooves with the Dean, and then cleared his throat.
“Uh, thank you, everypony, as well as Your Majesties, for this honor and recognition. Although I must say, this outcome wasn’t just my doing.

“If it weren’t for the bravery and cooperation of the Wonderbolts, I’m scared to even imagine what could have happened, so let’s give them theirs, huh? Come on!”

The crowd cheered and whooped for the `Bolts, Spitfire, Silver Lining, and Misty Fly all just giving them a nod and a wave, Fleetfoot, Surprise, and Lightning Streak gave dramatic bows, hamming it up, while Fire Streak, Rapidfire, and Wind Waker both smiled.

Soarin was glad to see Rapidfire up and about with only a broken wing and an electric burn, both would heal in due time.

Once the cheering died down, Soarin continued.
“Now, you all probably know that I used to be a Wonderbolt, but due to… certain issues, I soon came to think the Wonderbolts wasn’t where I was supposed to be. I was surrounded by colleagues and fans and yet I may as well have been on a deserted island.

“So, I quit… But despite my original misgivings, all that’s happened these past couple of days have helped me realize something. If you see a problem, don’t waste time arguing with the ponies who are supposed to be your teammates, but find a way to work together!

“Put the goal of the team before individual problems, remember your own strengths and the strengths of those beside you, and take a little time to cooperate. That’s all it takes, to come together in order to accomplish what the many united can that the individual cannot alone!

“Sure every group needs a leader, but a real leader knows when to listen to his teammates. To hear their perspectives, and give them a chance to contribute something in order to help accomplish the goal. In fact, this reminds me of a saying my father once told me, that I think truly exemplifies the spirit of teamwork and cooperation among ponies:

“‘A unicorn to light my way, a pegasus to watch over me, and an earth pony to shoulder my heavy burdens’. This phrase, almost forgotten over the centuries, kinda went over my head when I first heard it as a colt. But now that I’m older, I know now, it promotes harmony between earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns alike, bringing us all together in the spirit of cooperation by applying what it is we have to offer. For even despite our differences, we are all ponies where it counts and can come together to accomplish anything!”

A stunned silence was Soarin’s response before a stomping from Rapidfire sparked an applause that grew into thunder of cheers, Soarin smiling when he felt a strange tingle in his feathers!

Midnight felt a similar tingle on his horn when a bright light shined from Soarin’s saddlebags, which he’d been holding onto for his friend. Suddenly, the bag opened to reveal a flash of energy that turned into a pillar of sky-blue light, surrounded by a vortex of streaming wind and cloud that went skyward, silencing the crowd as they watched in shock.

The pillar dimmed, revealing something small and sparkling that floated downwards towards Soarin, and he saw it was, “My Element jewel…!”

The jewel was surrounded by what appeared to be a tiny tornado of cloud wisps and streams of air with glistening drops of moisture. Hesitant, but knowing it was his time, Soarin slowly reached out to the jewel, and at the barest of touches…

*WHOOSH!!!!*

Several ponies in the crowd screamed, most of them covering the faces, as a powerful gale whirled out in streaks of sky-blue, cloud-white, and rainy-gray, and as the wind roared Soarin heard something hurtling through the air before he felt them. Pieces of armor zooming through the air as though they were caught in a tornado, before they all zeroed in on Soarin attaching themselves, piece by piece, to his body, the armor blue and white like the sky and the clouds, accented rainy-gray, and finally he felt a helm on his head, a plume matching his own wild dark blue hair.

And just like that, the wind died down, and everypony gazed at Soarin, clad in Harmonic armor, the chest piece sporting the lightning bolt of his cutie-mark, as the jewel still floated in front of him before he reached out with his wing and claimed it.

Soarin now understood, what he was meant to be and what this new Element represented.

“Soarin?”

Soarin looked and saw Spitfire standing up, and smirking at him, “Is there something you want to show us?”

Soarin chuckled, holding the jewel high and proud as he declared, “Yeah… Everypony! I present to you… the Element of Unity!”

It was a proud day for Soarin. He’d come to Canterlot to take a test crucial to his grade and wound up leading his old squadmates to stop a literal storm of destruction, and it was his studies that had given him the knowledge necessary to quelling the anomalous weather and saving Canterlot. His actions had rewarded him with the degree he’d long been studying for, the respect of his former teammates, and the last new Element of Harmony, the Element of Unity.

After removing his armor and placing it into a bag provided, promising to stay in touch with his old Wonderbolt friends, and receiving honors from Celestia, Luna, and Sombra themselves, he was back on an airship with Midnight, soaring on back home to Ponyville.

But as they cruised through the sky, he remembered something.

“Hey Midnight, wasn’t there something you were gonna share with me?” Soarin asked as he and the prince both leaned against the railing, enjoying the view.

“Oh yeah, there is,” Midnight gave Soarin a look that told the pegasus this was important. “Soarin… I’m planning a project that, as I said, could be of interest to you. I was uncertain about sharing it with you, given what happened between you and Spitfire and Fleetfoot…

“But after all the guts you showed, I have no such misgivings. Soarin! I’m planning to form a new Wonderbolts squad.”

“What?!” Soarin gave Midnight a confused look.

“An off-the-books squad of fliers,” Midnight explained, “under my command, similar but different to the official `Bolts, and not so rigid in structure.

“We would train together periodically, building up wing-power, speed and stamina, coordinate and choreograph our own aerial maneuvers and techniques, but since we wouldn’t be so public as the Wonderbolts we wouldn’t have to devote so much time together that it affects our personal lives.

“Soarin, I am offering you the position of commander of this squad, with me as its head-captain, and together we’d recruit at least five extra fliers to join the first squad for our team.”

“Midnight, I… I don’t-” Soarin hesitated only for Midnight to hold up a hoof.

“I don’t want you to give me an answer just yet,” Midnight clarified, “I want you to consider it first, and at length. I’m not telling you to join, Soarin, I’m offering you. This squad won’t be like the Wonderbolts.

“A flexible training schedule, regular pay, a real military rank, and you would only answer to me in such matters that concern the squad.”

“Huh…” Soarin pondered what he’d just learned before asking, “Are you gonna ask Thunderlane to join?”

“Not just yet...” Midnight nodded slowly. “I’m offering you a confirmed position in this squad as you’ve already completed Wonderbolts training and have proven yourself. Thunderlane however is still only a cadet, unless, by now, he’s passed his test and earned a spot in the Reserves.

“What I mean is, I want Thunderlane to earn a spot on this team, not just be given it since we’re friends.”

“Okay, I can appreciate that,” Soarin commented, “and… Dash?”

“I’m not so sure about Rainbow Dash,” Midnight hesitated. “I care about her as a friend and respect her flying skills, but… Well, part of why I’m not inclined to recruit her is because she is dedicated to joining the Wonderbolts. This team however wouldn’t officially be the Wonderbolts, plus I know for a fact Spitfire has her eye on Rainbow Dash.

“...Maybe I’ll offer her a position if being on the Wonderbolts doesn’t work out for her.”

“Hmm,” Soarin thought about it and could see Midnight’s point of view. “Well, Midnight, I’ll do as you suggest and give it a real thinking over.”

“Good, and Soarin?” Midnight placed his hoof on Soarin’s shoulder. “I’ll respect your decision no matter what it is.”

“Thanks, Midnight,” Soarin replied with an appreciative smile that suddenly darkened a little with doubt. “I just hope Dashie isn’t still mad at me for not helping her study.”

Rainbow knew she should be over the moon. She knew that this was one step closer to her dream and that she should be flapping her wings and soaring through the skies cheering with glee.

Yet, when that 100% sticker hit her paper, it didn’t bring any of the satisfaction or joy. All it made her feel was more guilt over her words to Soarin.

All day things had been stressful and hard for her, but the crushing guilt had just made it even worse for her. Thunderlane had made it clear when he slammed the door in her face how he felt about helping her out. She had tried doing as he and Soarin had suggested and get Twilight to help her study for her exam, but the pain in her heart and her abysmal studying skills made it completely impossible to absorb anything the purple pony told her.

The rest of her friends had all tried to teach her Wonderbolts history using the different learning styles they all preferred. Pinkie rapped, but that did nothing for her, Fluttershy tried using visual learning to help but that did nothing but confuse her, Cheese Sandwich tried interpretive dancing which was a sight she frankly never wanted to see again, Blueblood tried using a combination of graphs and projector presentations, but her boredom and idle thoughts about Soarin kept her too distracted to take anything in, and the fashion presentation Rarity set up just freaked her out seeing her friends in old time uniforms.

Twilight had eventually helped her to learn the Wonderbolts history after making the connection that Rainbow learned through heightened awareness while she flew, but the Princess had been surprised when this hadn’t cheered Rainbow up in the slightest. All Rainbow could think about was the hurtful words she had said to Soarin.

As Rainbow sighed and made her way to the exit of the Wonderbolts study centre, seeing out of the corner of her eye as Thunderlane arrived to do his test, ensuring he made no eye contact with her whatsoever to further reinforce his current opinion of her, she said aloud what had been on her mind since the beginning.

“Do I even deserve to be a Wonderbolt?”

“I’ve never seen a pony more worthy.”

Rainbow gasped at the voice and looked up to see Soarin standing before her, clad in his new harmonic armor, and a warm smile on his muzzle.

He didn’t get another word in before the rainbow mare zoomed forwards and latched onto him in a fierce hug.

“Soarin! I’m so sorry about what I said! I don’t care whether you’re in the Wonderbolts or not! I love you just as you are! I was just upset and lashing out and, and- I’m just so sorry!”

She could feel some tears start to build in her eyes, but she fought them back. She was Rainbow Dash and she didn’t cry dammit!

She would have kept blubbering apologies, but Soarin nuzzled her neck and held her tight. “It’s alright Rainbow. I know you didn’t mean it. I forgive you, and I love you too.”

She held him close, her eyes closed and sniffing because clearly something was acting up her allergies right now. They held each other for a moment, before Rainbow finally released him to take in his appearance. She didn’t say it out loud, but the blush on her cheeks and the sudden stiffness in her wings made it obvious she liked the look.

“So I see you found your element while you were away. Seriously what went down this trip, I thought you just had some test to do?”

Soarin smiled at her and rubbed his new armor with pride. “Yeah it's a pretty cool story and I can’t wait to tell you about it, but first I just want to spend some time with you. I missed you lot. I mean, I know it was only for one night but I still missed you.”

“I missed you a lot too, Soarin. I wish you had been here. And not because of my test or anything. Having you around just seems to make my day so much better.”

Rainbow smiled at him and noticed a curious then hesitant look cross his face. “What’s up Soarin?”

The stallion looked unsure, but he seemed to come to a decision in his head and looked her in the eyes.

“Dash? We both missed each other a lot and... even though it was only for the night. Maybe… maybe we might feel better if we got to see each other every night.”

“What do you mean?” the blue mare tilted her head a little, looking adorable without realizing it, which gave Soarin the strength to continue.

“I mean… Rainbow, do you maybe want to… move in together?”

Rainbow’s eyes went wide and for a moment, nothing was said. Just as panic started to built up in Soarin that maybe he had crossed some line, moved too fast, he felt Rainbow wrap around him once more, her shining smile warming his heart.

“Yes! Yes I would love to live with you Soarin! Oh this is so awesome! My place is huge, you could move in right now! Plus Skye and Tank get along well and you’re awesome with Scootaloo whenever I bring her over for a visit with her big sis! This is going to be so great!”

Happy and content, Soarin silenced Rainbow’s excitement by pulling her in for a loving kiss. The rainbow mare had no objections and held him close.

The two had taken the next step and it felt wonderful.

That evening, shortly after he'd moved into Rainbow's house, Soarin, accompanied by Midnight, took Unity to the chest so it could join with the rest of the new elements.

Seeing it completed, save for its as-of-yet missing keys, both stallions felt awed by a strange mixture of confidence, hope, doubt and concern. They shared a look but after all that had transpired, everything that had led to this moment, they both smiled, mutually assured that whatever happened next, they and their friends would face it together.

Author's Note

Pontiac56 and I both worked on the Wonderbolts led by Soarin working together to stop the storm

I did the scene where Soarin is honored, receives his Element of Unity and the scene where and Midnight go home, and Ponti wrapped things up with Soarin and Dash making up and agreeing to move in together

Midnight is indeed planning an off-the-books squad similar to the Wonderbolts under his direct command but not nearly as many members and is run differently, particularly in the fact it will operate outside the normal chain-of-command with the Wonderbolts, meaning Spitfire would have no command over them whatsoever. It's still in the working stages and I haven't decided the name for the squad yet

Also, I thank kudzuhaiku for permitting me to use his quote "A unicorn to light my way, a pegasus to watch over, and an earth pony to shoulder my heavy burdens"

Art by Hoodwinked MCShelster

210. Trade Ya! - Part 1

“AAAAAUUUUGGGHHH! YES!! Best day EVER!” Pinkie Pie cheered as the airship descended down upon the Rainbow Falls airfield. “We’re all going to the Rainbow Falls Traders’ Exchange!”

The Harmonic Twelve and Spike disembarked the airship, the majority of them carrying some goods they’d brought just for the occasion. Both Applejack and Big Mac pulled small wagons full of goods, Blueblood, Rarity, and Cheese Sandwich carried saddlebags, whereas Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Spike, and Twilight carried some goods they’d brought themselves.

“And not only that!” Pinkie cheered excitably, “We’re accompanying a prince and princess on an official royal duty!”

“Please, it’s not that big of a deal,” Twilight waved off Pinkie’s excitement while levitating a boxful of books. Leading her friends into the tunnel that led down to the Traders Exchange grounds on the flat below the Rainbow Falls’ town, she explained, “There always has to be a royal at the Exchange.”

“Last year was Princess Cadance,” Midnight added, “this year it’s us! It’s a simple traditional formality.”

“Indeed. I bet the ponies attending the Exchange will barely notice we’re here-” Twilight was saying just as they came out the other end of the tunnel, when…

“LOOK! LOOK OVER THERE!”
“THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS!”
“THIS IS AMAZING!”

The friends were all flabbergasted to see a welcoming crowd of cheering ponies, a banner unfurling to reveal Twilight and Midnight’s images, confetti and streamers, the works.

“Could be wrong, but-” Applejack started with a smirk, only for Midnight to interrupt while he and Twilight were both giving a nervous smile to the masses.

“Not. One. Word…”

Ignoring some of his friends stifling their laughs, Midnight’s horn lit up, and almost immediately the crowd dispersed and carried on with their businesses, looking for the objects of their desire among the Exchange.

“What’d you just do?” Thunderlane asked.

“Aversion spell,” Midnight shrugged, his horn dimming as the spell lifted. “Deflected everypony’s attention off of us.”
“Thanks, Midnight,” Twilight gave her boyfriend an appreciative smile. “I know they meant well, but those kinds of gestures still bother me.”

“Well, my friends, treasures aplenty await us,” Blueblood proceeded forward, the others following, and already looking around at the items, baubles, valuables, collectibles, trinkets, toys, goods, objects, antiques, and all manner of tradables to be found even at the edge of the Exchange.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy looked at a figurine of a cupid bunny.
“You said it!” Rarity admired some hats in a mirror. “The Rainbow Falls Trader Exchange is simply divine!”
“You can get practically whatever you want here!” Soarin looked at an old flight cap and goggles.
“If’n ya got the goods t’ trade for it,” Applejack reminded them all, Big Mac nodding with another of his ‘Eeyup’s.

As Spike looked at the comic book he was carrying, he failed to notice a rock, and- Trip!

“Augh!” Spike fell to his knees, throwing his arms up to stop his fall but suddenly realized his goof.

Looking up he watched as his comic book fell towards a puddle, “NO!!”

Only for a white-gold aura to bring it to a halt, and levitate it back to Spike. He looked to see Blueblood smiling at him.
“Thanks, Blueblood! Phew! One ding, nick, or dent, and this Power Ponies comic wouldn’t be in perfect mint condition anymore!”

“No problem, Spike,” Blueblood gently patted Spike on the shoulder. “After all, to you need a mint-condition comic book to trade for a mint-condition comic book.”

At that point, everypony noticed some bystanders speaking excitably as they noticed Twilight and Midnight again (since the latter stopped his aversion spell), causing Twilight to cover her face with her wings and hurry ahead.

“Ah s’pose somepony here on official royal business has t’ expect a mite bit o’ fussin’,” Big Mac chuckled as they all followed after Twilight.

“But all we’re supposed to do is settle disagreements about whether a trade is fair or not,” Twilight clarified as she set up her books on a table, “and since the rule is a trade is fair so long as both ponies get what they want, there’s never been a disagreement.”

“In other words, we can be here just as regular ponies taking part in the Exchange,” Midnight agreed when he noticed a pegasus filly and earth pony colt approach.
“Oh hello, can I help you?”

The filly and colt both wagged their tails with big smiles as they held up photos of Twilight and Midnight, and both royals sighed, as Twilight levitated a pen.

As they signed autographs, Rainbow flapped overhead with such excitement, “There’s a pony here who’s got a signed first edition of ‘Daring Do and the Quest of the Sapphire Statue’!”

“And lemme guess, Dashie,” Soarin chuckled, “you’re gonna get it.”

“Hay yeah, I’m gonna get it!” Rainbow Dash boasted, “I’ve been able to get first editions of all the Daring Do books except this one! Nopony’s ever put together a whole set, and I’m gonna be the first.”

“Too late, Dash,” Midnight spoke up, giving her horseapple-eating smirk. “I already have a complete collection of the Daring Do books signed by the author.”

“WHAT?!” Rainbow gaped at Midnight. “How did you- Oh yeah… You know Daring Do personally.”

“She owed me for saving her tail back in ‘The Griffon’s Goblet’ and for helping her out in ‘The Razor of Dreams’,” Midnight shrugged, “so I asked for a signed copy of every one of her books since then.”

“Well… I’m still gonna have a first edition of the very first book in the series!” Rainbow insisted before she suddenly worried, “Unless it’s already been traded. It’s the only one in Equestria!”

“No worries, Dashie,” Soarin assured her, “I’ll help you get that first edition!”
“And me too, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said helpfully.

“Really?” Rainbow Dash smiled gratefully at them.

“Well, it’s clear getting that book is so important to you,” Fluttershy nodded.
“And what’s the point of being the coltfriend of the most awesome pegasus if I can’t make her happy?” Soarin pulled Dash into a wing-hug.

“Then what’re we waiting for?!” Dash grabbed her coltfriend and best friend before zooming off in a rainbow blur.

“Welp, Big Mac an’ Ah’re off t’ take a lookit th’ vintage stalls,” Applejack hefted a bag of goods onto her back while Big Mac waited for Twilight to remove her box of books before following with the stuff he had in the wagon.

“An’ Ah wanna see if’n Ah can get some new farm tools.”

“AJ, hold up, I’ll come with you!” Thunderlane followed Applejack, as did Rarity.

“As will I! Vintage items are so in style right now, especially old and rare ones!”

“I’ll come along,” Blueblood followed, levitating a box of goods. “I’m not actually looking for anything, but perhaps I’ll see something that catches my eye.”

“I just hope I brought enough to trade…” Rarity said apprehensively.

“Ah know wha’ you mean,” Applejack replied before she perked up, “Hey! Why don’ we pool our goods t’gether? Tha’ way if one of us finds somethin’ th’ other can’t live without…”

Rarity gasped in realization, “She’ll definitely be able to get it! Who can say no to exchanging a single object for such a large assortment of items?”

“Ladies, please,” Blueblood dissuaded, “I’m sure, with proper bartering, you can both walk away from the Exchange equally satisfied without having to trade every single good you’ve brought for a single item.”

“Blue’s right, girls,” Thunderlane nodded. “A trade should be fair, as while both traders should get what they want one shouldn’t have to… overpay?”

“Fair enough, Thunderlane,” Rarity considered, “but I think Applejack and I can work out a trade mutually satisfactory.”

“Ah feel th’ same way,” Applejack agreed before saying see-ya-later to her brother as he went a different way and Rarity waved at Spike as he made his way towards a comic book stand.

“Then let’s go shopping!”

Blueblood and Thunderlane shared an unsure look as they followed after their mares.

As Twilight and Midnight set up her book stand, Pinkie and Cheese stood nearby, Pinkie asking, “Shouldn’t your royalnesses be headed to the royal box seats?”

“We may be the royals on duty…” Twilight confirmed.
“...but that doesn’t mean either of us have to sit up on that pedestal all alone doing nothing,” Midnight concurred. “Besides, there hasn’t been a disagreement at the Traders Exchange for years.”
“And ever since we became royalty, Princess Celestia’s been sending me more books to read than ever, and the library’s overflowing!” Twilight explained.

“So since we’re here, you’re thinking of trading away some books you don’t need anymore?” Cheese asked.

“Mm-hm,” Twilight nodded, “so I’m just gonna stand here and wait till somepony comes to trade me something and take these books off my hooves.”

“Meanwhile, I think I’ll have a look around,” Midnight decided. He and Twilight shared a quick kiss, whispering, “Be back later.”

As Midnight trotted off, Cheese decided, “I think I’ll look around for some new props or gags, coming, Pinkie?”

“No thanks, I’ll stay here with Twilight,” Pinkie replied.

“Suit yourself, Pinkie,” Twilight shrugged as the boys went off to enjoy the Exchange.

“There it is!” Rainbow gasped with joy as she spotted a mare dressed in a pith helmet and khaki shirt, setting up a trading stall and right in the front and visible to all was… “The signed first edition of ‘Daring Do and the Sapphire Statue’! It hasn’t been traded yet!”

Rainbow squeed and hugged herself as Fluttershy and Soarin approached her. Before the two newcomers could say anything, Rainbow was already in the attendant mare’s face, looking as confident as ever. “Lucky for you, because I brought my most valuable possession to trade for it.”

As she smugly slapped her item onto the table in front of the mare, it took all of Soarin and Fluttershy’s power not to facehoof.

“My lucky horseshoe!” eyes closed and smile wide, Rainbow was the picture of smug confidence. Unfortunately, she was too smug and confident to notice as the mare looked over the ‘prized possession’ Rainbow had just dropped in front of her, and she didn’t look very impressed. As such, they were unsurprised by her answer.

“Ah don’t want it.”

Immediately all the smugness disappeared to be replaced with confusion and panic.

“What?!” Dash cried, eyes wide and fearful.

“It’s just a rusty old horseshoe. It’s not worth anything to me.”

The mare didn’t seem to notice Rainbow look forlorn that her lucky horseshoe meant nothing to her, but Soarin did, gently wrapping his wing around the colorful speedster. Rainbow appreciated her boyfriend’s comfort, but she was still too worried that her chance to nab the elusive first edition Daring Do novel was slipping away.

“But… but how is Rainbow Dash going to get the book she really wants?” Fluttershy asked stepping forward while Soarin held Dash tighter, hoping to try and stop the upsetting sadness on his girlfriend’s face.

The mare at the stall however seemed to hold no sympathy and with a frown merely replied, “She’s not.”

If it hadn’t been for Soarin holding her close, the despondent sigh that slipped from Dash’s mouth might have knocked her over. Almost immediately though, her rapidly fading hope skyrocketed again.

“Unless…”

Instantly Dash’s eyes lit up like a filly at an ice cream store and her smile was so wide it looked like Pinkie Pie would bow out in shame.

“… she can get me that!”

And the hope disappeared once more as the trio turned to where the attendant was pointing, only to find a gigantic snarling dog, with sharp teeth and razor claws. Oh, and two heads! The beastly mutt was growling and yanking on its chain, trying to rip itself free from its trainer, who was struggling to hold it in place.

Dash and Soarin just stood there, mouths to their knees and eyes like pinpoints.

“Aw, an Orthros, how cute!”

Only to turn bewildered to their butter yellow companion, who had the same expression on her face she got whenever she tended to a ridiculously cute animal. The Orthros just snapped the bone it was chewing in half and continued to growl and salivate, as though hoping desperately to make a meal of one of the ponies in its sight.

The mare continued despite the clear concern plastered on Soarin and Rainbow’s faces. “The pony running the ancient beast stall doesn’t want anything I got. But if you can get me the Orthros, I’ll trade you the book for it.”

Rainbow looked at the book in sheer joy, while Soarin and Fluttershy exchanged worried looks.

“Uh Rainbow, I don’t think…” Soarin started, only for a wildly happy Rainbow to ignore him.

“You got it!”

The mare nodded in agreement and Rainbow started to trot away, with Soarin and Fluttershy worriedly trailing after her.

“Uh Dashie, I don’t think this is a good idea. That animal is clearly not trained and it might attack if we get too close. I really don’t think we should be trying to get a hold of it.” Soarin’s worry did make Rainbow pause for a moment, before determination covered her face.

“Don’t worry, Soarin, we’ll be careful, and we have Fluttershy after all. But one way or another we are gonna get that Orthros!”

As she took to the sky, deciding to follow her usual approach of dive forward without a plan, Fluttershy and Soarin just exchanged looks and gave a sigh. This was not going to go well.

Blueblood and Thunderlane watched on as Rarity and Applejack stood together to discuss pooling their goods for trades.

“So Blue, any ideas on what to get while we’re here?” Thunderlane asked, casually, as he leaned against a tent post. Blueblood stood beside him in the shade. Both stallions had followed the mares, but quickly found that trading with mares wasn’t all that much different than shopping with mares. As a stallion, you shut up and stay out of the way until the bags needed carrying, less you end up in a bad situation.

“Like I said earlier, I’m not looking for anything in particular to trade for, but I brought along a few spare goods just in case something caught my eye. What about you? Have you something in mind?”

Thunderlane just gave his chin a scratch before shrugging. “Not really. I mean, I hope something catches my interest, but overall, I’m just here to have a good time with my friends.”

“As am I, friend, as am I.”

“HEY YOU THIEVING VARMINT! GIVE THOSE BACK!”

“YOU SCOUNDREL! RETURN OUR GOODS AT ONCE!”

At Rarity and AJ’s cries, both stallion whipped around to see a scruffy looking pegasus stallion running off with Rarity’s saddle bags, and Applejack’s goods sack. His greyish, white fur looked coarse and rough, and rather fluffed and scruffy around his chest. His black mane and tail were both unkempt and gruff. He wore an open collared brown shirt, with a loose red tie around his neck. But it was his greasy smug look and amused expression that screamed bad news.

Immediately Blueblood and Thunderlane took chase after the thief as he started bolting passed the stalls, the weight of his literally stolen goods on his back too much to fly with any speed, so he chanced running away.

“Come back here, you lowdown hoodlum! How dare you steal from my beloved!” Blueblood lit up his horn angrily.

“When I get my hooves on you, you are in for a world of hurt, punk!” Thunderlane was rubbing his wings together, generating a static courtesy of his pegasus magic.

Blueblood and Thunderlane’s shouts of anger just seemed to amuse the thief further, as he chuckled through his clenched teeth holding AJ and Rarity's bags, before making a rapid dart under a stall and into a new row of tents.

Determined and angry, Blueblood and Thunderlane chased after him in pursuit.

Author's Note

I did the first half, Pontiac56 did the second half

211. Trade Ya! - Part 2

Rainbow gulped with trepidation as she stared at the angry looking Orthros. The two headed beast managed to bite through one of the chains holding it in place, its jagged teeth looking even sharper afterwards. Menacing growls were emitted from both heads and it looked as though the first pony to approach it would wind up like the chain. So Fluttershy calmly walking up to the beast had Rainbow and Soarin biting their hooves with fear. As the fearsome dog leered down at the meek pegasus before him, its teeth started to gnash and it raised itself to strike....!

...only for a small soft yellow hoof to reach up and scratch one of its chins. Immediately the dangerous animal started panting with joy and rolled onto its back for a belly rub.

Rainbow stood there blinking in shock while Soarin’s jaw dropped to the ground, as Fluttershy started cooing “Yes such a good two-headed boy, yes you are, yes you are.”

As the two winged ponies just stared at their animal-loving friend, the heard some faint yelling from within the tent behind the Orthros, and moments later the owner, a grey stallion with a scar over his eye and a gruff attitude, emerged and approached them. The leather (yes, real leather) armor he wore on his back concealed his cutie-mark. Deciding that getting down to business was better than continuing to stare at the bizarre sight of a giant two headed mutt getting a belly rub, Rainbow gave her head a shake and narrowed her eyes.

“Okay, I can see you’re busy so I’ll give it to you straight.”

She reached into her mane to retrieve the battered old horseshoe she had brought for trade. Soarin and Fluttershy just winced at the sight of it, already getting a bad feeling. This of course did nothing to deter Rainbow.

“I need to trade this horseshoe for…” she looked over behind the stallion to the Orthros, which had decided belly rub time was over, and was now scratching one of its head behind the ear, “…that.”

The owner took one look at the rusty old horseshoe, turned back to his Orthros, then gave Rainbow the most blank stare she had seen since Twilight before her morning coffee. “Nope.”

It took a second to register for Rainbow before she gave a sad grumble and lowered her head. Fluttershy and Soarin immediately felt bad. Soarin gently wrapped a wing around Rainbow for comfort.

She said nothing to this, but her slight lean let him know the gesture was appreciated. However before any words could be said, a growling and crunching noise drew their attention back to the Orthros. In the few seconds since they had last observed it, the beast had managed to get ahold of an old pole with a lantern attached at the end and was swinging it about like a chew toy.

“Down boy, watch out for the lamp!”

The owner just cringed as the lantern flew from the end of the pole and smashed on the ground. He gave the dog a sharp glare, but the animal just kept swinging the pole, quite happy with its new activity.

Sighing the stallion trotted over to the lamp remains to examine them, but as he suspected, it was beyond repair. He turned his gaze up to the three pegasi still waiting by his prized hound.

“…Well, I could use another lamp.”

Immediately, Dash’s face lit up and she flapped her wings with joy. Beside her Fluttershy looked surprised and a little nervous, while Soarin just seemed to go over in his head exactly how out of hoof things were about to get.

Because they always did.

“Pleasure trading with ya, Your Majesty,” an earth pony stallion said, pleased by the ship’s wheel he’d just gotten in exchange for his Saddle Arabian dagger.
“My dad’s just gonna love this wheel for his mariner collection!”

“And this dagger will fit in nicely with my weapons collection,” Midnight smiled as he held the dagger in his aura. He then contained it within a bubble of turquoise energy, and tapped the top with his hoof, causing the bubble to vanish into thin air, taking the dagger with it.

“Where’d it go?” the trader asked.

“Somewhere only I can get it,” Midnight chuckled before continuing his way, leaving the trader perplexed.

Passing the stands and stalls, Midnight continued to browse for anything he wanted or anything he thought his friends might like. Being here at the Traders Exchange without having to go about in his cloak was a real breath of fresh air for him. Especially since the last time he came to the Exchange was so long ago.

With his parents.

“Midnight?”

Being addressed by his name rather than his royal title snapped Midnight out of it as the familiar voice called again, “Midnight Blaze?!”

Midnight looked ahead to his left and gasped!

“Stellar Eclipse!!”

Stellar Eclipse was a pegasus stallion with a coat a light brown like chocolate milk, his mane was black with a purple highlight, and his cutie-mark was a stylized purple and magenta sun symbol. But his most distinctive feature was the wheelchair cart strapped to his barrel, suspending his hind legs in order for him to walk.

...and, oddly enough, running a stand where his goods were several Discord-shaped lamps!

“I can’t believe it!” Midnight came over, smiling as he held out a hoof to an old friend, Stellar smiling and bro-hoofing him. “It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah it has,” Stellar agreed. “I gotta say, I was surprised to hear you came out.”

“Har-har,” Midnight responded, seeing the cheeky look on Stellar’s face but knowing what he actually meant. “Yes, here I am, Prince Midnight Blaze! Just like dear ol’ Auntie Celestia always wanted.”

“You’re still butting heads with her?” Stellar chuckled, not at all surprised to see that about Midnight had not changed.

Midnight sighed, “Well, things are… kinda better. What about you? How’s life been treating you these days?”

“Well, it could be worse,” Stellar shrugged as he lifted his wing, letting the sun reflect off the frame of his wheelchair cart. “Still strapped into this piece of hardware, but it does its job.”

Midnight looked at the cart sadly, “You should have gotten to fulfill your dream…”

Stellar gave Midnight an appreciative smile, “Oh c’mon, Midnight, don’t be like that. If I wasted all my time moping about what I’ll never have I’d miss out on what I do have and still can. Life has its ups and downs, but ya gotta appreciate life and live it the best you can regardless of your circumstances!”

“Heh, same old Stellar,” Midnight chuckled while shaking his head, “still looking on the bright side of things.”

“Well, somepony’s gotta,” Stellar retorted, spurring a chuckle between the two old friends. “So tell me what’s been going on with you lately. How’s royalty suiting ya?”

“Well, it has its own ups and downs, I’ll tell you that. As well as some annoyances,” Midnight admitted. “For one thing, being set up on a pedestal and being treated as something other than a pony… but then there are a few perks here and there.

“Either way, it feels so much better to be working out and about rather than lurking in somepony’s shadow.”

“So I take it the Brotherhood’s disbanded?” Stellar asked, curiously.

“No, it’s still active, or… semi-active,” Midnight thought for a moment before shrugging, “Really, I would consider it on a hiatus or something.”

“Easing back into civvy life, huh?” Stellar smiled, glad that his old friend was no longer so steeped into all that cloak n’ dagger business.

“You could say that,” Midnight nodded before looking at Stellar’s stand. “Stellar, I gotta ask… What’s with all the Discord-shaped lamps?!”

“Now there’s a story ya gotta hear,” Stellar chuckled at a memory.

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, it’s a long story,” Stellar paused before admitting, “and a dirty one.”

“Oh I see-” Midnight was suddenly cut off by some distant shouting and crashing. “What in Tartarus is going on over there?!”

“Sounds like some kind of crazy chase sequence going on,” Stellar commented (and having no idea how right he was).

“I better look into this,” Midnight sighed before shaking Stellar’s hoof. “It was good to see you again, Stellar.”

“You as well… Your Majesty!” Stellar teased, causing Midnight to playfully punch Stellar in the shoulder before hurrying off. Stellar turned around to look at some of his goods when he heard somepony.

“A whole stand filled with Discord-shaped lamps?!”

“Either Eris was just here or somepony has a really weird taste in art.”

“They really do have everything at the Traders Exchange.”

Stellar turned around to see Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Fluttershy, Rainbow hurrying up to him.

“Will you trade a lamp for my horseshoe, so I can trade it for an Orthros and get my book?”

Is she serious? Stellar thought incredulously before immediately replying, “No.”

Seeing the disappointed looks on their faces, Stellar then considered and offered, “But I’d trade it for an antique chicken.”

“Great!” Rainbow’s face lit up before it twisted into confusion, “What’s an antique chicken?”

In another part of the Traders Exchange, some teenage fillies were complimenting some clothes they were looking at when-

*WHOOSH/SPINNNN*

“WhoaOOOAAooaaOOA!!!” the fillies were sent for a spin, the dresses and scarves they’d been looking at wrapping them up when a white unicorn and dark gray pegasus ran past them-

*WHOOSH/SPINNNNN*

“EeyAUUaauAAAUUGH!!” the fillies yelped as they span again, and when they shook off the dizziness, they looked to see each of them was wearing a very lovely ensemble made up of the clothes they’d been admiring.

“Oh I just love that look!” “Nah. you look way cuter!” “Is the hat too much? Be honest!” “Are you kidding? It is sooo you!”

Meanwhile, the gray pegasus who’d made off with Applejack and Rarity’s goods was huffing as he hurried to get away.

“HEY!”

He peered over his shoulder and saw Blueblood and Thunderlane in hot pursuit, the unicorn prince ordering, “Stop in the name of the law!”

“Catch me if you can, Prince Charmless!” the thief retorted as he ran into the Exchange’s busy central area, intending to lose his pursuers through the crowds of trading ponies.

The thief leapt over several ponies, pushed a stallion aside, heaved his stolen goods over a wagon under which he slid, and caught the goods on the other side with uncanny precision, and continued to run. All the while, Blueblood, being the polite sort, kept trying to get by while also saying ‘excuse me, pardon me’ whereas Thunderlane lost his patience and flew up to get a better vantage point.

His pegasus eyes served him well as he spotted the thief making towards a line of ponies all looking to get a bite at a burger stand.

“Blueblood! He’s headed for the burger stand, hurry up!” Thunderlane flew after the thief, without waiting.

“Wha- Thunderlane! Wait!” Blueblood found his path blocked by a river of ponies going to and fro, many of them carrying their own goods, which made the road seem more and more like a wall. Groaning, Blueblood concentrated, and Flashed to the other side, glad to have had those lessons in teleportation.
“I’m right behind you!”

The Thief’s keen hearing told him his pursuers were both starting to catch up, so he knew he had to lose them somehow. However, as he’d taken a moment in thought he hadn’t noticed the pony ahead. A split-second realization forced him to react and he shoved the pony aside and continued to run.

“Ow!” the pony grabbed his fetlock after stumbling. “Oh, how am I gonna help at the burger stand with a busted fetlock?”

“We’ll get him!” Thunderlane promised as he zoomed overhead.

Blueblood paused a moment, saying, “You should have somepony take a look at that. Now if you’ll excuse me, my friend and I have a thieving rat to catch!”

“Uh, go get him?” the pony watched, confused, as Blueblood hurried off.

Sidestepping a few ponies, Blueblood noticed Thunderlane had landed and was looking around as the unicorn caught up.
“Please tell me he didn’t get away!”

“No way,” Thunderlane was on red alert as he scanned the ponies and stands and tents, looking for that scoundrel.
“He’s around here somewhere. I lost track of him for a few moments coming this way but he has to be here.”

“With those stolen goods weighing him down he couldn’t have flown off,” Blueblood agreed as he joined Thunderlane in looking.

“Gave those two yutzes the slip, yes I did.”

That smug voice quickly caught Thunderlane and Blueblood’s attention, and they looked to see somepony pulling a wagon full of goods. When the wagon passed them by… there was the thief, lounging in the back, using Applejack and Rarity’s bags of goods like pillows, and looking way too pleased with himself.

“Yessiree, another successful grab n’ go, if I do say so myself,” the thief chuckled, his eyes closed as he was far too relaxed to realize he’d been spotted. “And I do!”

*CLUNK*

“Huh?!” The thief sat up, and almost had a hernia when he saw Blueblood glaring at him, and a shadow falling over him made him look up to see the angry eyes of Thunderlane.
“Uh… heh-heh, gentlecolts! I was just… taking-my-leave-see-ya!”

The thief threw the bags into Thunderlane and Blueblood’s faces, deciding to cut his losses, and flew off.

“Blue, take care of the goods!” Thunderlane tossed the bag he’d gotten to Blueblood, who just barely managed to catch it in his aura. “This guy’s mine!”

Thunderlane gave a mighty flap and launched himself after the thief, who decided to fly low in another attempt to throw his pursuers off his trail by flying through the Exchange.

He knows flying skyward will just make him easier to follow! Thunderlane thought as he carefully weaved through the many ponies, tents, and stands, saying things like, “Excuse me! Pardon me! Coming through! Heads up!”

The thief was not so courteous as he deliberately knocked over a stand here and a tent there, hoping Thunderlane would be waylaid. He only succeeded in causing collateral damage, making ponies yell, in surprise or anger.

Finally, they neared the edge of the Exchange, and the thief knew that the time to escape was now. He had to lose Thunderlane!

Reaching into his hoodie, he pulled out a ball and tossed it over his head. Thunderlane saw it but was flying too fast to-

*POOFLOOM/COUGH COUGH COUGH*

“YOW!” Thunderlane was sent for a nasty tumble, head over tail, as he somersaulted onto the ground, having been blinded by some kind of dust or powder that had exploded out of the ball the thief had thrown.

He finally stopped rolling, coming to a groaning halt in the dirt as he coughed some more, trying to clear his throat.

“Thunderlane!”

Thunderlane carefully creaked open his eyes, hoping whatever that dust was, it hadn’t blinded him but he was glad to see Blueblood hurry up, the bags levitating in his aura, as the concerned unicorn came over and helped his friend up, brushing off his coat.

“Thunder, are you alright?” Blueblood panted, satisfied there seemed to be nothing broken.

“Fine, but- That jerk… hit me with something!” Thunderlane wheezed.

At that moment, they heard a strange echoing whoosh, Blueblood felt his horn tingle whereas Thunderlane felt his feathers ruffle. They looked ahead and gasped to see the thief standing before what looked to be a door of light shaped like a giant keyhole.

He stowed something he had in his hoof back into his hoodie, gave Thunderlane and Blueblood a smug glance and scoffed as he walked through the door of light, which vanished a moment after he stepped through.

Thunderlane and Blueblood gaped at the spot where the thief had stood, uncertain what had just happened except of one thing.

Thunderlane sighed, “He got away…”

“Well, at the very least we recovered Rarity and Applejack’s things,” Blueblood offered in consolation. “But I wonder; who was that rogue? And how did he make that… that door? Portal?”

“I dunno, but if I ever see him again…!” Thunderlane growled in vexation but he took a cue from Twilight and took a deep breath while placing his hoof over his chest, and then exhaling.
“Let’s get back to the girls and just try to enjoy the rest of the Exchange.”

“I’m for that,” Blueblood agreed, knowing there was no point ruing it further.

But even as the two friends started looking for their girls, they wondered, who was that thief? How did he escape? Would they ever encounter him again?

Big Mac chewed his wheat stem and gave the vet kit a good looking over. While all the others had come to the Traders Exchange for a fun day and to maybe find themselves something fun to trade for, Big Mac had a mission to follow.

He was gonna get his `Shy a gift.

He’d noticed at home that while his lovely pegasus certainly loved living with him, it was still an adjustment for her to get up early and have to travel to her old cottage to help her animals. A lot of them were early morning critters, and with the distance now, she sometimes had to get up even earlier to be there to help them.

While Mac knew she didn’t mind getting up early, he felt put out that she had to make the sacrifice, while he was still right next to his family orchard. So Big Mac had decided to do something nice for his wonderful wife to show he appreciated her sacrifice so they could live together.

Unfortunately, Big Mac’s examination of the kit in front of him was interrupted by the biggest hindrance to his gift search.

“HeyMacquickcomeoverhereandcheckthisouthowcoolisthisyoushouldlookoverhererightnow!”

Cheese Sandwich.

Since the moment Big Mac had started his search, Cheese had been following him about the whole time. Every time Big Mac saw something he thought his `Shy might like, Cheese would swoop in, mouth moving faster than a sonic rainboom, and immediately drag him away to see some random bauble or odd animals or in one instance, to look at slightly discolored tree leaf.

Mac wasn’t sure why Cheese seemed so over excited or so intent on stopping him searching for the perfect gift, but it was really starting to irritate him.

He felt Cheese’s hoof wrap around him and whisk him away from the vet kit (and the discouraged looking mare who had been eyeing him hopefully for a trade) to another stall where a mare and stallion were juggling a set of sharp looking knives with great skill.

While Mac definitely thought the sight was impressive, he wanted to get back on track.

“Tha’s definitely a talented performance Cheese but Ah really wanna…”

“Hey lookie there, we should definitely get something to eat!”

Cheese zipped over to a food stall selling various snacks and started eyeing them all searching for the right choice.

*GROWL*

With his belly agreeing with the party pony, Big Mac gave a sigh, “Well, Ah guess `Shy can wait until after a carrot dog an’ a caramel apple.”

Author's Note

Because of his creator, Sylvain-Nicholas LeVasseur-Portelance, Stellar Eclipse is a character in the show I kind of hold sacred. So, in honor of them both, I decided to give Stellar a place in my head-canon where he has a close history with my OC Midnight Blaze

212. Trade Ya! - Part 3

Mac grumbled as Cheese Sandwich once again GASPED and suddenly dragged him over to a random stall, this one selling novelty models of different places around Equestria and the lands of other nations. Despite how interesting the little city miniatures were, Big Mac was still no closer to finding a present for his Fluttershy.

“Ooh, look at this model of Appleloosa! And this model of Canterlot! Wowie! There’s even a model of Ponyville here! Neato!”

Big Mac gave a sullen nod, debating how mean it would be if he just tried to sneak off and leave Cheese by himself. Of course he knew he wouldn’t.

Cheese would find him…

Suddenly a glint of light caught Mac’s eye, and he turned to see a beautiful crystal bunny sculpture sitting on a nearby mare’s stall, alongside an assortment of other sculptures. It was exactly what Mac wanted, but he knew he had to act fast. Several ponies seemed interest in the crystal sculptures, and were all making their way to the stall. That bunny was perfect, and sitting alongside a crystal ogre, a crystal hydra and a crystal dragon, he knew it was the only one that would do for his `Shy.

He turned to the stall, ready to make the trade that would bring the biggest smile to his lovely wife, only for an orange hoof to wrap around his neck and swing him away.

“Hey Mac, looky over there, it’s Blue and Thunder!”

Big Mac watched as a tired and somewhat ragged Thunderlane and Blueblood trudged passed several ponies, making their way to where Rarity and Applejack had headed to start their shopping.

“That’s great, Cheese, an’ we can go see how their doin’ in a minute but first Ah need to…”

“Boy, they sure look tired, let’s go see what’s up!”

Suddenly Cheese lunged forward, almost yanking Mac off his hooves. The big red stallion made one last desperate look to the crystal sculpture stall, only to see a mother swap a large vase for the bunny and pass it down to the excited filly at her hooves. Big Mac sighed again, this time with a grunt of anger. Now he’d need to find something else for Fluttershy.

If only he could get his hyper friend to give him a moments peace!

Rarity and Applejack had been browsing some of the stalls around them, making plans on what to trade for when Thunderlane and Blueblood returned, ragged tired and carrying all the stolen goods for trade.

“Oh thank you my sweet prince and brave pegasus. I was so worried that awful ruffian would run off with all our goods and ruin our trip.”
“Yeah, thanks a bunch, boys. Would’a been jus’ plain awful t’ have t’ go home empty-hoofed after draggin’ all that stuff up here t’ begin with.”

The two mares stepped forward to retrieve their things and show their thanks. Rarity gave Blueblood a loving kiss and as she moved around to unload her goods from his back, her coiled tail seductively slid across his chin in a manner that left Blueblood blushing, and even laugh a little like a sheepish colt. Applejack in turn gave Thunderlane a nuzzle and, with a blush that spread to both their faces, a short but sweet kiss on the cheek, which he touched with his hoof.

Despite being tired and ruffled from chasing down the thief, both stallions felt proud and strong.

“Hey guys n’ gals, what’s going on? Why do you two look like you got in a wrestling match with Rarity’s cat?”

While Rarity gave a little huff about the jab at her precious Opal, the rest of the group turned to see the approaching Mac and Cheese.

“Oh hey how’s your search going? We ended up having to hunt down a thief that tried to make off with Rarity and Applejack’s goods.” Thunderlane nodded to them, the feeling of pride still strong.

Blueblood nodded in a agreement and continued the tale, “He was a slippery miscreant, but we foiled him in the end. However he had some strange escape method via an even stranger magic portal. If he were a unicorn it would be impressive enough, but the individual was a pegasus, so we were very shocked.”

Big Mac still looked a bit glum but was otherwise wide-eyed and impressed by his friends exploits. Cheese Sandwich looked ready to explode, his jittery hooves dancing in place, just waiting to rush off and find Pinkie so they could set up a ‘Congratulations-on-stopping-the-thief-and-getting-back-Rarity-and-Applejack’s-stuff!’ party.

“That is quite a tale. A pegasus thief who escapes through a mysterious portal. Not something you hear of often. But I have heard of that particular individual a few times before.”

Everypony turned to the new voice to see Midnight approaching the group. He had been making his way to Twilight and Pinkie, whom he could see some ways away attempting to auction off Twilight’s books.

“Hiya Midnight. So you know this thief?” Cheese asked turning to face the newcomer.

The blue alicorn nodded in confirmation. “In a sense. I haven’t actually met the guy, but I have heard a few reports about him. More of a high profile thief than somepony that would mess with the Traders Exchange, but doesn’t really have a set pattern for his thefts and tends to just steal whatever he wants at the time. You’re lucky you got your stuff back, the guard has had very little success stopping him in the past.”

Blueblood and Thunderlane gave each other a proud look then turned back to their royal friend. “Well then, I guess we’re more awesome then the royal guard.”

Midnight just smiled and shook his head at Thunderlane’s comment.

“Well, while we both dearly appreciate your efforts, my dear stallions, Applejack and I now have some shopping to attend to, and if we don’t hurry, all of the good trades may have already been made.”

Big Mac seemed to agree with Rarity’s statement and attempted to make a move to some more stalls before Cheese grabbed him again.

“No problemo, Rarity. You and AJ go have some fun. Us stallions are gonna go find ourselves some food for our heroes, because they look they’re about to collapse.”

Big Mac grunted in annoyance, but Thunderlane and Blueblood definitely seemed to appreciate the thought and gave a very enthusiastic nod. Midnight, just cruising around, saw no reason to object either.

“Excellent darlings. Well, we shall be off. Ta ta.” Then giving her beau a flirty wink, Rarity turned, Applejack in tow but not before she gave Thunderlane a smile, as they made their way deeper into the maze of tents and stalls.

The stallions all watched them go, before a rumbling caught their attention. Thunderlane blushed as he rubbed his stomach. Sheepishly he exclaimed. “Let’s go grab that bite. I am starving!”

Big Mac sighed, even his legendary patience starting to wear thin despite his belly in agreement with his friends’ bellies, as he muttered, “Jus’ wanna get muh `Shy a lil’ sumthin’-sumthin nice, tha’ too much t’ ask?”

“Come again, Big Mac?”

Big Mac raised his head to see Blueblood giving him a curious look.

“S’nothin’, Blue,” Big Mac waved it off. “Le’s jus’ feed th’ beasts an’ get back t’ browsin’.”

“Well that place looks gouda!” Cheese was pointing to an oatburger shack, where a line was moving along oddly fast, with happy ponies trotting away with grease-stained paper bags hanging from their mouths.

“I… don’t usually partake in fast food, but…” Blueblood hesitated but his hungry gut demanded immediate satisfaction. “What the hay, I’m too hungry to care at this point.”

The four friends took their places in the line, fortunately being allowed ahead of a pegasus in a wheelchair cart, and as they moved forward every few moments or so, they began to hear a familiar voice, “Next! ...Next! ...Next!”

“Wait a minute, I know that voice…!” Thunderlane commented when it was his turn- “Dash?!”

“Fluttershy?” Big Mac flabbergasted.

“Soarin?” Blueblood raised a confused brow.

“Cheese!” Cheese Sandwich bounced up, confetti blowing all over, everypony giving him a look. “What? Nopony else was gonna say my name.”

“Hey guys,” Rainbow Dash welcomed them but was making a motion with her hoof, “Could you just take your food and move along? You’re holding up the line.”

“Well, it would help if somepony would explain why you three are working at a burger stand,” Blueblood retorted.

“That’s what I’d like to know!” added the fry cook pony who owned the stand.

“Uh, that pony in the wheelchair cart behind you guys?” Rainbow pointed him out. “I need to trade him an antique chicken for one of his lamps, to trade for an orthros, so I can trade the orthros for my book, but… he closed his stand down for a lunch break, and-”

“We get it,” Thunderlane sighed as he whipped out some bits and they paid for their oatburgers, nopony noticing Fluttershy and Cheese Sandwich whispering to each other.

“Who’s got something valuable enough to trade for Princess Twilight’s princess books that she got from Princess Celestia?! Did I say ‘princess’?”

“Over here, over here!” a unicorn levitated a large gem.

“Oh come on!” Pinkie scoffed, wearing a boater hat, a bowtie, and a fake mustache, as she stood at a podium in front of Twilight’s table where she had her books she’d brought to trade. “These are the books the princess would sit up with all night with nothing to read by but the light of her own horn

Earlier, Twilight, wanting to trade away the books in order to make room for new books in the library, had tried to trade them to a filly for a broken quill until Pinkie nosed in and made a big fuss. Now, she was turning an anthill into a mountain, trying to get a big and valuable trade for Twilight to trade her books, and using Twilight’s royal title and her connection to other royalties to excite any would-be traders into offering something big and valuable to trade for.

One pony offered a funny-looking green toy, Pinkie saying “Ooh, that looks fun. But not fun enough! These are the books that made Twilight the princess she is! So who’s got the-”

“ENOUGH!!!!!!”

Everypony jolted and all eyes turned to see a very irritated-looking Midnight approach Pinkie, the crow parting before him, as he snapped, “I can’t leave you alone for a minute, can’t I?!”

“What?! I’m just trying to help Twilight trade her books away,” Pinkie protested innocently.

“More like, making a nuisance of yourself. As always!” Midnight glared Pinkie down before turning to address the crowd.
“Everypony! The only reason any of you should want these books is for what they have to offer, as sources of knowledge or as stories to enjoy, not because they belonged to somepony of royalty. If that’s the only reason you’re interested in them, kindly move along, please.”

The ponies all murmured disgruntled as they began to disperse, Pinkie calling, “Wait! Somepony out there must want these books for-”

“Pinkie…” Midnight said in such a chilling tone it made Pinkie stop. “One more word… and I’ll pop all the balloons at your next party, and you know I would!”

*GASP*

Pinkie sulked to the side while Midnight spoke to Twilight, “Sorry if you didn’t get to trade for whatever you wanted, Twily. Pinkie can be such a-”

“It’s alright,” Twilight assured them, both Midnight and Pinkie looking at her perplexed. “None of those ponies had anything valuable enough to trade for my books. Not because these books belonged to a princess, but because they helped make me who I am, just like you said, Pinkie!”

Twilight levitated one of the books, “Midnight, this is the one you and I studied to prepare for the Running of the Leaves” - She set the book down and levitated another - “and this one reminds me of the day I got it, which was the day I met you, Pinkie!

“I may not ever have to read these again” - Twilight hugged the book to her chest, Midnight and Pinkie both smiling in understanding - “but that doesn’t mean they don’t have value.”

Huh! I guess… I kinda owe you an apology, Pinkie,” Midnight smiled apologetically while rubbing the back of his head.

“Aw, forget it,” Pinkie waved it off, like a good sport. “I know that sometimes I can be a biiiiiiit of a pest-”

“RAINBOW DAAAAAAAASSSHHH!!!!”

That voice ruined the moment as the three of them jolted, Midnight saying, “That sounded like Soarin!”

“And it sounded like Rainbow’s gone and made a mess of something,” Twilight sighed as she put her books back onto her table and cast an anti-thieving ward on them, “C‘mon!”

The three of them hurried in the direction they’d heard Soarin, but getting closer made it easier as they heard him giving his girlfriend the riot act.

“I cannot believe what you just did!”

“I- I uh- I didn’t mean to- I- !!!”

Midnight found himself being barreled over, Rainbow Dash yelling, “Midnight! I need you and Twilight to say a trade wasn’t fair! Fast!”

Groaning, Midnight pushed Rainbow off, asking in a tone, “What did you do?”

"What’s going on here?”

Everypony looked to see the rest of the guys converging on the scene, Blueblood just finishing the last of his hayfries while Cheese was making those annoying slurps one makes through a soft drink when there’s nothing left. So annoying that Midnight snatched it out of Cheese’s hoof, his lips still on the straw, crumpling the cup in his telekinetic aura and throwing it into a nearby trash bin.

Cheese shrugged, tossed his straw in after it and let out a big obnoxious BELCH.

“Sorry, everypony, those colt colas are just so gouda!”

“Moving on,” Blueblood threw away his greasy paper bag, “what seems to be the hubbub?”

“And why is Rainbow Dash hiding behind Soarin?” Thunderlane added curiously.

Rainbow Dash was indeed hiding behind Soarin, trying to conceal herself with his tail, hoping Big Mac wouldn’t-

*Shove*

Rainbow fell almost flat on her face, looking to Soarin desperately but the look on his face told her he was not helping her out of this one.

All eyes were on her as Midnight asked, “Well?”

Rainbow Dash squirmed as she hesitantly confessed, “I… well, it’s possible that I… just might have… kiiiiinda… tradedFluttershytogettheDaringDoobookIwaslookingfor!!”

…

Big Mac stepped forward, his face unreadable but the look in his eyes made Rainbow Dash feel like her guts was tying themselves in a knot!

“If Ah don’ get muh `Shy back… yer banned from Cider Season fer life.”

Everypony at the Exchange gathered before the royal box seats where Twilight and Midnight, wearing her crown and his regalia respectively, were presiding over a Trade Trial. Apparently, Rainbow Dash had traded an Orthros to a pony named Teddy Safari to get the first-edition signed-by-the-author “Sapphire Stone” Daring Doo book but Teddy had added the condition that Fluttershy come with her to train the Orthros, which meant she’d be gone for a while.

Big Mac stood by his wife while giving Rainbow Dash the granddaddy of all stink eyes while Rainbow Dash was sweating and hoping things would work out.

“We’ve heard what you both have to say,” Twilight started only for Midnight to tap her shoulder and then whisper something into her ear. She nodded and then continued.

“And I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash but our hooves are tied. You said it was a fair trade.”

“Yeah, I said it…. But I was wrong!” Rainbow Dash protested, her face the very picture of guilt. “I did want that book. A lot. I said I wanted it more than anything in all of Equestria!

“...But there’s no thing that’s worth as much to me as a friend. I might’ve forgotten that for a little bit, but it’s true. Which means, there’s no way this trade can be fair!”

Fluttershy and even Big Mac smiled proudly at Rainbow Dash when Teddy Safari exclaimed, “Oh come on! That’s…” - her eyes teared up as she smiled in understanding - “the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard! Okay, the trade’s off.”

The trial attendees erupted in cheer as Rainbow Dash returned the book to Teddy before giving Fluttershy a hug, and they got dog-piled by the Orthros.

“And with that, we declare this trial…” Twilight announced.
“And this year’s Rainbow Falls’ Traders Exchange…!” Midnight added.
“Over!” Twilight officiated it with a slam of the gavel.

By that declaration, everypony in the Exchange returned to their stalls and began packing up, making last-minute trades, and preparing to go home. Before they could take the Orthros off to find anypony who might want it, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy ran into Midnight.

“Glad things worked out, Dash,” Midnight gave her a lighthearted punch in the shoulder, which made Rainbow smirk until Midnight added, “Faust forbid what might have happened had they not.”

“Whattya mean?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well…” Midnight drawled a little to add the suspense, along with a horseapple-eating grin, “technically, Dash… when you traded Fluttershy to Teddy Safari, you were committing a crime.”

“Oh my, a crime?” Fluttershy held her hoof up to her lips, Rainbow Dash flinching.

“Indentured servitude,” Midnight clarified. “An agreement that binds an employee to work without pay to a specific employer for a period of time. It was a common practice in older times but eventually Princess Celestia had it abolished, making it a crime to practice indentured servitude or any other form of slavery or unpaid service.

“If Teddy Safari had refused to call of the trade in the Trade Trial, you and her would have been held responsible for breaking laws regarding basic sapient rights.”

Rainbow Dash’s pupils shrunk to pinpricks as she realized she’d nearly lost more than just a friend, her mouth opening and closing like a gasping fish.

“Oh my, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy waved a wing in front of her friend’s face, “are you alright?”

Rainbow Dash just stood there in shock… until the Orthros gave her a big sloppy lick, making her cough and sputter, “Hey!”

“Welp, see y’all on the airship,” Midnight chuckled as he trotted off, passing by Spike as he just made a trade with a colt for a new mint-condition comic book.

Aboard the airship, the Harmonic Twelve and Spike were setting into their seats. Blueblood and Thunderlane sat next to Rarity and Applejack respectively, Blueblood saying, “I hope you ladies enjoyed yourselves at the Exchange.”

“We did indeed, my love,” Rarity nuzzled up to Blueblood, “and to think you and dear Thunderlane saved our time at the Exchange from that uncouth thief!”

“Darn tootin’,” Applejack gave Thunderlane a good-natured punch on the shoulder, “thanks fer havin’ our backs, Thunder.”

“Always, AJ,” Thunderlane chuckled before lifting his wing to cover his rubbing his shoulder where AJ had slugged him while whispering, “Ow…”

“And to show our gratitude,” Rarity levitated a burgundy bowtie while Applejack pulled a pair of flight goggles out from under her hat, “we thought such chivalry should be rewarded.”

Blueblood and Thunderlane accepted the gifts with smiles before they shared a mutual smirk, and Thunderlane said, “Well… we kinda went and got you ladies each a little something too.”

“I’m afraid it’s a little simple compared to what you were looking for, dear,” Blueblood said apologetically as he levitated a purple gem-shaped brooch, “it was kind of last-minute.”

“And I don’t know if this is the pie tin you were looking for…” Thunderlane said to Applejack hesitantly as he pulled the aforementioned tin from out under his other wing.

“Oh!” Rarity couldn’t help but gush at the brooch. Sure it was a little simple but its design, along with the fact her beau had gotten it just for her, that just made it all the more darling to her.
“Blueblood, you spoil me.”

“An’ this ol’ tin is jus’ wha’ Ah need!” Applejack laughed as she pulled Thunderlane in for a one forelegged hug. “First pie Ah make in this is jus’ fer you.”

Thunderlane couldn’t help but blush as he took a chance and wrapped his wing around Applejack’s shoulders. The act made Applejack blush as well, that she leaned into Thunderlane, the both of them smiling warmly.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was saying nervously to Big Mac, “So, uh… Big Macintosh? Seeing as how Fluttershy’s not going anywhere… we’re cool, right?”

The stoic unreadable look on the farmer pony’s face made Rainbow fidget in her seat a little before he finally said, “Eeyup.”

Rainbow almost phew’d in relief only for Big Mac to give her another stink eye, “But pull sumthin’ like that again, an’ Ah’ll use you fer a feather duster.”

“Mackie…” Fluttershy said in a gentle and calming tone to her husband, which made Big Mac smile at her.

Rainbow Dash was just glad Big Mac’s attention was off of her.

Then Big Mac sighed, Fluttershy asking “Macintosh, whatever’s the matter?”

“Ah wanted t’ get sumthin’ nice fer you at th’ Exchange, Shy,” Big Mac explained before groaning a little, “cept Cheese Sandwich wouldn’ leave me t’ trade in peace.”

Fluttershy peered over Big Mac’s shoulder and the party pony winked at her, making her giggle.
“Well, Mackie…”

Big Mac looked at Fluttershy curiously as she reached under her seat and pulled out what appeared to be an apple-shaped picture frame with a couple small butterfly ornaments, and it portrayed Big Mac and Fluttershy on their wedding day!

Big Mac accepted the frame in awe as Fluttershy explained, “I might have asked Cheese Sandwich to keep you preoccupied while I looked for the perfect frame to hold that picture of us.”

Big Mac gave Cheese a confused look, which Cheese responded by putting on a funny pair of nose-glasses, as if trying to hide through a silly disguise. Big Mac couldn’t help but chuckle before he pulled Fluttershy in and gave her a tender kiss, which she returned happily.

“Hey! Where’s your double doggie?”

Rainbow Dash answered that, “I traded him for something way better.”

Fluttershy held up an ornate bird-caller and sounded it, making a genuine chirping noise that attracted a little orange bird to her hoof, making her smile happily.

“Well, what do you know?”

All eyes turned to Soarin as he walked up, looking pretty proud of himself as he lifted with his wing, “A first-edition, signed-by-the-author copy of ‘Daring Doo and the Sapphire Stone’.”

*GASP*

Rainbow Dash zoomed up to him, asking, “How did you get that?!”

“I caught up with Teddy Safari after the trial and asked her if there was anything else she would trade the book for,” Soarin explained, “turns out, she wanted VIP tickets to a Wonderbolts show to be held in Baltimare.”

Rainbow Dash smiled like a filly on Hearth’s Warming Morning, almost holding out her hooves when Soarin saw an opportunity.

“So… what am I gonna do with this? A first-edition, one of a kind, signed by the author, first of the series, Daring Doo book…? Maybe I could get a sweet deal out of it. Or perhaps I should donate it to a library…”

Rainbow Dash was chewing her hooves, the way Soarin was talking and holding the book in front of her, absolute torture!

“Or maaaaaybe I could… give it to my special somepony,” Soarin held it out to Rainbow but snatched it back right before she could take it. “As long as she’s learned her lesson…?”

“YES! YES already! I get it! I’ll never do something so stupid as trying to trade a friend away for an object!” Rainbow whined in agony before she started to get grabby.

The sight of the pressured pegasus caused everypony to laugh as Soarin finally let her have it, and she held the book to her chest, squealing like a filly, at long last it was truly her, her collection complete!

Midnight sat with Twilight as she levitated up her own old copy of ‘The Sapphire Stone’, “I was gonna give this to Rainbow, but I guess Soarin beat me to the punch.”

Midnight placed a foreleg around Twilight’s shoulders, giving her a chuckling smirk, “I’ll read that with you, if you’d like, Twily.”

Twilight smiled at her special somepony as she levitated the book in front of them and opened it to the first page, a welcome distraction for the flight home.

Author's Note

Glad this is over...

Pontiac56 did the first half, I did the second along with all the editing

I wanna point out that in a sense Rainbow did place Fluttershy into indentured servitude. It was a common practice, especially during the settler days of the British Thirteen Colonies. People who couldn't afford to pay for the voyage across the Atlantic would sometimes enter into indentured servitude to get to the New World, and sometimes those servitude contracts lasted for years

213. Trade Ya! - Epilogue

Celestia was lowering the sun by the time their airship arrived at Ponyville Airfield, and as the Harmonic Twelve and Spike disembarked, Thunderlane said, "I hope Flitter and Cloudchaser aren't mad at me for being gone longer than I said."

"Why would they be mad at you?" Spike asked.

"I asked them to foalsit Rumble for me before we left for the Exchange," Thunderlane explained, "and I'm way past the time I promised I'd be back so that they could go home."

"Oh I'm sure they won't be too mad," Fluttershy assured, "they just love Rumble to bits."

"Eeyup. C'mon, `Shy," Big Mac held the apple-shaped picture frame Fluttershy had gotten at the Exchange, now holding their wedding picture. "Ah got a pretty good idea where t' hang this."

"Seeya t'morrow, Thunder," Applejack gave Thunderlane a peck, "Ah'll hav' a nice apple pie waitin' for ya in this tin ya got me."

"S-sure thing, AJ," Thunderlane tried to hide his bashfulness with the goggles Applejack got him but it just made it more obvious. Hate to see you go, AJ, but love to watch you leave.

The moment his wings erected to release excess heat, Thunderlane quickly took off, something that Rainbow and Soarin both easily noticed with stifled laughs before they said their see-ya-laters and flew home.

"Night is falling and I need my beauty rest," Rarity sighed dramatically.
"Good night, everypony," Blueblood bade them as he and Rarity walked home.

"I gotta go too," Cheese said, "Ms. Spice needs me to help prepare for the Foal and Filly Fair."
"Oooooh, I can't wait!" Pinkie exclaimed as she and Cheese bounced away.

That left Twilight, Midnight, and Spike.

"Today worked out perfectly!" Spike gazed reverently at his new mint-condition comic book, "I gotta get this home and add it to my collection!"

"Spike, wait up!" Twilight called after the little dragon as he hurried ahead. Sighing as she levitated her books, Twilight looked to Midnight, who was smiling at the dragon as he left.
"Are you gonna head back to Sweet Apple Acres, or..."

Midnight looked to his Twilight and was about to say he'd like to spend the night with her when his sharp night-vision allowed him to see a familiar face, standing under the trees at the edge of the airfield.
"Y'know what, Twi? You go on ahead, and I'll meet you at the library."

"What're you gonna do?" Twilight asked.

"I'm gonna swing by Pepper Pony's and bring us dinner," Midnight replied before giving her a smooch, "see ya at home!"

And without waiting for Twilight's reply, Midnight then collapsed into his shadow, and slithered off as formless smoke-like shadowstuff.

Midnight reformed in a clearing not far from the airfield but cast a sensing spell to insure no one else had followed him. Satisfied when the spell resulted negative, he spoke, "You can come out now."

Stepping out from behind a nearby tree was a cobalt blue pegasus stallion with a slicked back rich purple mane, a pair of serious turquoise eyes behind a pair of glasses, his mustached lips pressed firmly shut, as he carried some kind of file under his wing.

"Tranquil Skies," Midnight addressed his subordinate, "I trust you came here discreetly."

"Of course, Sir," Tranquil gave a respectful nod as he approached, "and I have some gathered intelligence here for you."

Tranquil offered the file, which Midnight accepted, using his aura to levitate the documents to himself, although Tranquil said, "However, Sir, I'm afraid there are some... complications."

"...Tranquil, what is this?" Midnight sounded annoyed as he read the papers in the file.

"That's what I mean, Sire," Tranquil explained, "Pen Drake's guy was found dead in his apartment."

Midnight looked to Tranquil, his eyes demanding a more detailed explanation.

"It would seem, Your Highness, that someone is aware that there is a mole in the operation and Pen Drake's subordinate wasn't discreet enough. The poor fool was found in what appears to have been a staged suicide, but the fact the apartment was ransacked gave that away. If Pen Drake's guy did have more evidence against Blackberry Hossmane, whoever killed him stole most of it.

"Pen Drake wanted me to relay this information to you personally, and to tell you not to contact him until further notice. He's being watched and cannot afford to draw any suspicion."

"Buck it all...!" Midnight seethed as he glared angrily at the papers, "This isn't enough, Tranquil! Bribery? Missing ponies cases?! The best I can do with this is arrest some cheap cogs in Hossmane's machine that he can easily replace! This doesn't come close to being enough to take him down!"

"...Well, Sire, there's always the permanent method," Tranquil Skies suggested.

Midnight did Cadance's calming technique, just barely keeping his anger under control, "No... Princess Celestia has made it perfectly clear - Blackberry Hossmane has to answer for his crimes and he can't exactly do that dead. Believe you me, I would love to get my hooves around his wretched throat... But she's right; Hossmane has to live with the consequences of everything he's done."

"So then what will we do, sir?" Tranquil Skies asked.

"We will do nothing," Midnight declared, "I'll have to deal with this personally. As for Pen Drake, we'll oblige his request to not contact him until he contacts us. He's too valuable to lose, and I hope he learns from his subordinate's mistakes."

"Understood, sir."

"Anything else?"

"...There is one thing, Highness," Tranquil admitted, not so sure how he felt how Midnight wasn't looking at him. "Your supplier in the Griffon Kingdom... Due to some kind of epidemic in his hometown, he won't be able to send you any new cargo for the foreseeable future."

Tranquil Skies shied, expecting Midnight to get upset. And he did, only he didn't explode. Rather, he seethed, his coat bristling, his long lion-like tail raised, indicating he was itching to strike at something. But the silence was the worst part.

...

"You are dismissed."

"Sir," Tranquil Skies bowed before flying off, leaving Midnight alone in the dark clearing.

Of course today would turn sour in more ways than one. The evidence Midnight needed to bury Blackberry Hossmane, gone. His supply from the Griffon Kingdom, gone! What else could go wrong?!

"....rrrrrRRRRAAAUUGGGHH!!" Midnight swung around, concentrating his power to the tip of his tail, which whipped out a blade of shadowstuff!

It flew and slit clean through the trunk of a tree, dissipating afterwards, the tree crashing over, the force and sound scaring off the local wildlife.

It honestly made Midnight feel a little better to vent but then he remembered, ...Twi's waiting for me.

Gathering himself, Midnight made his way back to Ponyville, hoping Pepper Pony's wasn't closed yet.

Author's Note

I kept meaning to put this scenario into the story in preparation for what's to come

214. Pyrrhic Flights, Pyrrhic Nights - Part 1

The fun had barely begun and already colts and fillies were running about or spending time with their folks or big brothers or sisters, everypony enjoying the Foal and Filly Fair!

Mr. & Mrs. Cake had just set up their food stand when…

“Hear ye, hear ye!”
"The Ponyville Foal & Filly Fair…"
“...isalmostreadytobegin!!!”

Everypony looked to see Pinkie Pie (with balloons tied to her tail) and Cheese Sandwich (wearing an outrageous Haywaiian shirt with big silly sunglasses) bouncing by, and watched as Pinkie hopped onto the striking platform of the High Striker game, with Cheese whipping out a whacky hammer (from nopony knows where) and-

*SLAM/DING*

Pinkie landed with a bounce, giggling as Cheese threw away the hammer and then started juggling some rubber chickens, to the onlookers’ enjoyment.

“Pinkie and Cheese are soooo funny!” laughed Rumble as he and Thunderlane watched.
“Making everypony laugh and smile is their bread and butter, little brother,” Thunderlane agreed with an upbeat look.

“Speaking of laughing and smiling…”

The two brothers looked to see Blueblood coming their way, “I’m looking forward to what Rarity plans to contribute to the Foal and Filly Fair!”

“Hey Blue, so Rarity’s getting in on the fun too, huh?” Thunderlane inquired as he and Rumble walked alongside their regal friend, who was obviously on his way to Carousel Boutique.

“She is indeed,” Blueblood chuckled as he waved towards Sweetie Belle and her folks, Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles, all of them waving back.
“Rarity told me yesterday a client hired her to fabricate something special and today’s the day she plans to unveil the product.”

“What’s she making?” Rumble asked, excitably curious.

“I don’t know,” Blueblood admitted, “but she asked Spike to assist her, and you know how much that dragon loves to support Rarity.”

Thunderlane and Rumble shared a knowing smirk, Spike’s crush on Rarity being common knowledge despite the little dragon’s certainty that he was keeping it a well-kept secret.

The three of them approached the doorstep of the boutique, Blueblood giving the door a quick knock, and they heard a familiar voice inside, “Just a minute…!”

Moments later, it opened to reveal Rarity, who looked pleased at the company,” Ah, Blueblood, my darling, and Thunderlane and Rumble too! Come in, come in, you’re just in time!”

“Hi Rarity,” Rumble said as he bounced inside, followed by his brother and Blueblood. “Blueblood said you’re making something for the fair! Can we see what it is, please?!”

“As I said, darling, you’re just in time! Oh Spikey-wikey…!” Rarity called, looking eager.

Grunting, Spike pushed in something covered in a velvet tarp as Rarity dramatically flared, “The hours have been long, the work taxing beyond compare… But it will all be worth it when my client says those three little words… once he feasts his eyes on… this!”

Rarity‘s light blue telekinetic aura cloaked the velvet tarp, which was whipped off with flourish to reveal….

“A Puppet Theater!”

Blueblood, Thunderlane, and Rumble gazed upon Rarity’s creation, finding it to be an ornate miniature theater-like… something, with a purple and gold color scheme, with gems placed in specific places, pink silk beneath the theater-part which looked more like an elaborate picture frame, with vased flowers on each side, and some kind of feathery boa thrown overtop.

“Wow, it’s pretty!” Rumble awed, to Rarity’ delight.

But then she noticed the looks on Blueblood and Thunderlane’s faces. Thunderlane looked unsure whereas Blueblood was eyeing the theater with his brows furrowed, as he stepped closer and gave the whole thing a more scrutinizing lookover.

“Hmm… Mmm… Uh-huh....”

“Well, Blueblood?” Rarity was waiting for her beau’s stamp of approval, her certainty that he would give it beginning to wane.

Blueblood stepped back and, to Rarity’s utter confusion, he was shaking his head with disapproval.

“Rarity, my muse, my dearest,” Blueblood stepped up to Rarity, placing a foreleg around her shoulders, to her bewilderment-turning-to-despondency.
“I am afraid this puppet theater you’ve made is… inadequate.”

“Inadequate?!” Rarity was aghast.
“What’re you saying, Blueblood?!” Spike stepped up, looking peeved. “Rarity put her heart and soul into this puppet theater! Just look at it!”

“Please, hear me out, you two,” Blueblood kindly requested. As he stepped over to the theater, and made one of the wheels spin, making it apparent the wheels weren’t even touching the floor.

“Given these wheels, I assume the client requested a travelling puppet theater?”

“W-well, I- That is…” Rarity flabbergasted.

“And the theater’s opening,” Blueblood stuck his head through it, finding it rather enclosed, “there’s hardly any room here, and room is necessary for the puppeteer to show off his puppets.”

Rarity gasped in realization as Blueblood stepped back and declared, “I am afraid the error you made here, Rarity, was focusing on making the theater's appearance rather than making it practical and sufficient in its intended purpose of presenting puppet shows.

“Therefore, I am sorry, dear, but I cannot give this puppet theater a passing grade.”

Rarity began to tear up as Spike protested, “Obviously, Blueblood, you don’t know what you’re talking about. This thing… is perfect!”

“Perfectly AWFUL!!!” Rarity suddenly wailed, the boys in the room stepping back in surprise as Rarity went into another of her moments.
“How could I be so blind?! This is terrible… Simply TERRIBLE!!”

She reared up, bemoaning and almost fell flat on her back, Blueblood quickly magicking up a fainting couch to catch her, as she began to sob in utter shame and pity!

“Oh, it’s not that bad, Rares,” Thunderlane forced a supportive smile.
“Uh-huh! I bet you could make a better puppet theater and do something special for the fair!” Rumble encouraged.

“Muh-muh-maybe, but- Oh forget it, Rumble!” Rarity despaired, “I simply wouldn’t finish in time! The client expects his travelling puppet theater within the next hour-her-her…!!”

Her aura levitated a carton of ice cream and a spoon towards her as she began the hazardous-to-her-figure practice of stress-eating. The very sight of it was somewhat disturbing to the boys present.

“I wanted to leave my creative mark on the fair! And I’ve failed - Mmm... - miserably! Mmm. - And that makes me - Mmm - MISERABLE!! AhuhahuhaHUAAAUGHhuhuh…!”

Spike considered Rarity’s words before whispering to Blueblood, “See if you can lift her spirits, I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

Before Blueblood could ask Spike what he had in mind, the little dragon hurried out the door, Blueblood, Thunderlane, and Rumble sharing a concerned look. Taking a deep breath, Blueblood used his aura to wrest the ice cream carton out of Rarity’s magical grip, and levitated it and the spoon into rarity’s freezer and kitchen sink respectively, to Rarity’s protest.

“Give those back…! How am I to wallow in pity without my Vanilla Oat Swirl…?”

“Now, Rarity, you must buck up,” Blueblood gently insisted, “so you made a mistake, and yes time may be short, but you can’t let that stop you! That client is expecting his ideal travelling puppet theater in a while, and I’m sure he’s promised to entertain some colts and fillies with his puppets!

“If you give up, then you’re disappointing the puppeteer and those colts and fillies.”

Rarity wiped her tears, as the image of colts and fillies disappointed at not being able to see a show they’d been looking for filled her mind’s eye.

“Tell you what,” Blueblood took Rarity’s hoof and gently pulled her off the fainting couch and onto her hooves.
“I’ll assist you in making a new puppet theater, and I’m sure we can throw one together in time for your client.”

“C’mon, Rarity, you can do it!” Rumble smiled supportively, and that smile spurred Rarity’ own smile to appear.
“Blueblood’s a technological genius and master engineer,” Thunderlane added with a nod of agreement.
“If anypony can help you make a theater that will satisfy your customer in time, he can!”

Seeing her love and her friends smiling at her, believing in her, Rarity took a deep breath, wiped her face with a nearby hoof towel, and slapped her cheeks to snap herself out of her funk.

“So be it, gentlecolts! Let it never be said that Rarity didn’t give it her all!”

“Then let’s get to work,” Blueblood’s horn lit up and everypony watched as some lumber, paint cans and brushes, tools, and fabrics levitated into the room from upstairs and outside while Rarity covered the failure theater with her tarp and moved it aside.

“Sounds like you two have this well in hoof,” Thunderlane commented.
“We’d like to stay but the fair’s waiting!” Rumble pulled at his big brother’s wing, wanting to get a move on.

“You go on ahead, boys,” Rarity made a gentle shoo-shoo gesture with her hoof. “Blueblood and I need to concentrate!”

“Perhaps later on, we’ll catch a puppet show together,” Blueblood said with a confident raise of his brow as he saw some flatboards.

“C’mon, little brother, time for some fun,” Thunderlane led his brother out the boutique as Rumble said bye to Rarity and Blueblood.

The fair was in full swing with the many foals and their families filling the streets of Ponyville. Various games and stands were as far as the eye can see. One such food stand was where Thunderlane and Rumble stopped at first, as it so happened to be run by Mrs. Spice.

"Here you go, boys. Two orders of pizza muffins piping hot and ready to go." Mrs. Spice gave the brother their bags of pizza muffins.

"Thanks, Mrs. Spice. Your pizza is always so good!" Rumble replies as he accepted his bag.

"Has to be to keep you boys coming back for more. Now I won't waste any more of your time so you go on and enjoy the fair."

Thunderlane grabbed his bag, placed some bits on the counter, and waved Mrs. Spice goodbye. As the two walked off to enjoy their muffins, Thunder looked down at his brother.
"So Rumble what do you want to do fir..." He wasn't able to finish his question due to Rainbow Dash suddenly flying down in front of him (And giving him a mild heart attack) with a happy Scootaloo on her back.

"There you are Thunderlane! I've been looking all over for you it's almost time!" Dash exclaims as Scootaloo gets off her back.

Thunderlane fixed her with a stink eye as he clutched his bag. "Rainbow can you please not do that, you scared me half to death."

He slowly composed himself and eased the grip on his bag. "Almost time for what?"

"The event the weather team volunteered to set up. Me and you were voted to host that event remember?"

"Already? They sure work fast, I was hoping to spend some time with Rumble today," Thunderlane sighed.

Rumble and Scootaloo gave curious glances to both of the older ponies. Having no idea that the weather ponies were planning an event for the fair they couldn't help but think of what they had planned.

"Hey Dash, what event are you talking about?" Scootaloo asked fluttering her wings excitably.

"Sorry Scoots, you're gonna have to wait till we make the announcement to the fair."

"It was supposed to be announced and finished an hour after the fair started but i guess they finished early," Thunderlane looked a bit disappointed at the fact that he couldn't spend more time at the fair with his little bro. "But that also means you foals get to enjoy this surprise early."

He perked up a little when he noticed how excited Rumble was getting.

"We should probably head over there now before they start without us." Rainbow takes a look at the two foals. "Think you two can handle yourselves for a few minutes?"

"Sure can!"
"You betcha!"

The two pegasus flew off, leaving the two excited crusaders behind. The young pegasi started walking around the fair to wait for this special event to get started.

"What do you think they have planned for us Scootaloo?" Rumble asked, his wings fluttering, eager for some fun.

"Who knows but with Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash hosting, it's sure be awesome!"

The excitement of the two foals was rather short-lived as a voice they instantly recognized piped up from behind them.

"Well well well. If it isn't Scootafail and Fumble Bumble."

“Ugh…” Rumble and Scootaloo looked to see none other than Hotshot, their unfavorite pegasus classmate and bully.

The shades he wore only served to make his smarmy smile look all the more annoying as he whipped out a comb from under his wing and ran it through his orange mohawk, “Enjoying yourselves, geek-baits? I know I am, since I just won these sweet shades over at the skeeball stand. The pony running it even said I scored higher than any player she’s ever had.”

“And we should care, why?” Rumble huffed while Scootaloo rolled her eyes.

“Oh, Rumble, envy is such an ugly thing,” Hotshot bragged, “i mean, not everypony can have such awesome wing-eye coordination as me. Which is what’s gonna help me win the-”

Before Hotshot could complete his sentence, a loud horn rang over the fair, and an equally loud (and familiar) voice sounded.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, colts & fillies of all ages! If you’re interested in showing off your skills and looking awesome all colts and fillies are welcome to participate in the Ponyville Foal and Filly Fair Race!”

“That’s right, Dash! For the next fifteen minutes, colts and fillies are welcome to signup and submit their names to participate over at the Ponyville Weather Office. Come on down and be ready to run because this is gonna be a Race to remember for the rest of your foalhoods!”

“Was that Rainbow and Thunderlane?” Scootaloo wondered aloud.
“It was!” Rumble wondered if this announced race was what Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane were hinting about before they flew off.

“You dumb-dumbs seriously don’t know?” Hotshot jeered, “The mayor told the ponies organizing the fair to make a big event this year! And… Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane and the weather team volunteered to set it all up.”

“And how do you know that?” Scootaloo asked with narrowed eyes.

“Heh, because my dad’s part of the weather team, who are the ones setting the race up,” Hotshot bragged, “and he’s told me exactly what to expect, so they may as well crown me winner already!”

Hotshot then launched himself upwards and hovered in the air for a moment while saying, “Smell ya later, losers!”

As the brazen blue pegasus colt zoomed off, leaving Scootaloo steaming while Rumble sighed.

“Oh, he so needs to be knocked down a few pegs!” Scootaloo’s wings buzzed, itching for excitement.

Rumble looked at his friend, smirking, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Oh yeah, we’re gonna enter that race, Rumble, and beat the horseshoes off of Hotshot!” Scootaloo declared before running off, saying, “C’mon!”

“Hey, wait up!” Rumble chased after her, following her down the road towards the weather office.

Author's Note

This chapter was done by me and Creative Quill as my usual partner, Pontiac56 was away visiting family

Quill made up the awesome title:

Pyrrhic Flights Pyrrhic Nights. Kind of inspired by Pyrrhic victory which means to be victorious in some way but there is a heavy toll that negates any sense of achievement.

This is the last Crusader dream arc, focusing on Rumble

Note: It coincides with "Inspiration Manifestation"

Also, in case you didn't notice, I finally changed Blueblood's colored dialogue - Before, anytime I colored Blueblood's dialogue, I used the white color of his coat since I used Gold for Thunderlanes (for his golden eyes) and I already have Midnight and Soarin's dialogues colored their own shades of blue and using Blueblood's eye color for this purpose didn't work for me

So finally I chose to color his dialogue the same faint purple as the ordinal points of his compass rose cutie-mark (NW, SE, etc.,) since a few readers brought up they couldn't see Blueblood's colored dialogue back when it was white (after I noted on the cover of the fic that to read any colored dialogue to make the story format darker

215. Pyrrhic Flights, Pyrrhic Nights - Part 2

After submitting their names for participation, Rumble and Scootaloo were instructed to head over to the Schoolhouse. Along the way and upon arrival, the two pegasus foals saw ponies were setting up a bunch of stuff along the town streets.

“Looks like this is gonna be some kind of obstacle race,” Rumble commented.

“Shyeah, we can run this race in our sleep!” Scootaloo scoffed before noticing the schoolhouse where several colts and fillies were going.
“C’mon, looks like something’s going on.”

Entering the schoolhouse, the two friends heard their peers excited chatters and whispers as they stood around or sat at desks, and everypony was wondering what they were waiting for.

They saw a lot of familiar faces, including (but not limited to) Cotton Cloudy, Chip Mint, Pina Colada, Twist, First Base, Blade Runner, Silver Spoon, Snips & Snails, their friends and fellow Crusaders, Apple Bloom, Twinken, Button Mash, and Sweetie Belle, and of course, standing in the center, bragging how the race was obviously gonna be his, was Hotshot.

“Yeah, I’ve started doing twenty wing-ups every morning, like my big sis says,” Hotshot looked cocky was he flexed his wing.
“She saved Cloudsdale from a Thunderbird, y’know!”

“Wha-?!” Scootaloo was angry, as she and Rumble had been there, “Lightning Dust didn’t save Cloudsdale by herself, she-”

“Oh let it go, Scoots,” Rumble waved it off, “when he loses, everypony will see Hotshot is just Hot Air.”

“Heh, good one, Rumble!”

They looked to see their friends approach, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle stifling giggles, Apple Bloom saying, “Y’all competin’ too, huh? This is lookin’ t’ be a mighty tough race!”

“I wish we’d find out what we need to know already,” Twinken looked a little nervous. “We were told somepony would come see us all in here to explain stuff about the race.”

“Well, Hotshot, believe it or not, told us that Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane are the ponies hosting this race!” Scootaloo exclaimed proudly.

“He also said his dad’s one of the ponies setting the race up,” Rumble added.

“Well, I hope whoever’s supposed to talk to us comes soon, I’m getting-” Sweetie Belle was saying when…

*WHOOSHOOM*

The foals all shouted a little after being startled but a loud THUNK directed their collective attention towards the teacher’s desk where they saw Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, along with a large glass container, filled with slips of paper, and a smaller container beside it, filled with even smaller slips of paper.

“Hi everypony! You all know me, the most awesomest flier in Equestria!” Rainbow Dash bragged.

“That’s funny, you don’t look a thing like my big sister!” mocked Hotshot, a few other foals actually laughing a little at that jibe.

“Oh ha-ha, Hotshot, that was so funny I forgot to laugh!” Rainbow Dash retorted, Thunderlane facehooving that his friend was meeting a colt at his level.
“No! I am the one and only Rainbow Dash!”

“Thanks goodness there’s only one,” Silver Spoon heckled, “Celestia knows Equestria can’t handle another ego so huge!”

“Who said that?!” Rainbow Dash started, only for Thunderlane to pull her back.

“Dash…” Thunderlane growled before clearing his throat. “Alright, kids, you’re all here to participate in the first ever Foal and Filly Fair Race! So let’s get started on what you need to know.

“First off, this is not just a race, it is a relay race!”

“That means,” Rainbow Dash cut in, “that you will be split into random teams of three, and each teammate is randomly chosen for each leg of the race.”

“Each leg of the race is different,” Thunderlane added, “the object of the race is to get the team flag across the finish line. At the starting line, one teammate will be given a flag while the rest of your teammates will be stationed at the start of second and third legs of the race.”

“The first flag-carrier has to get his or her team’s flag to their next teammate, before the second teammate can race for the third and so on,” Rainbow Dash said, “And be warned! This is a fair and friendly competition. If anypony tries to trip or mess with another racer anytime during the race, you and your team will be disqualified on the spot!”

The look Rainbow Dash was giving them made the foals shy back a bit, even Hotshot, when Thunderlane went on.

“Also, the racers for the second and third legs of the race, you must receive your flag from your teammates before you can start your leg of the race. If you do so without your flag, you will be disqualified.

“Also, any unicorns among you, you are not allowed to use your magic for anything other than carrying your flag. Teleporting or using your magic to take an unfair advantage or messing with the other racers will be grounds for automatic disqualification.”

“Now, you’re all probably wondering what these jars of paper slips are about,” Rainbow Dash spoke up.
“In my jar, are the signup slips you all signed your names on. In Thunder’s are slips each with one of the numbers, 1, 2, or 3 on them.

“I draw the names for each team, and Thunderlane draws the order in which each team’s members will race. Let’s get started! First team…”

Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane drew a slip of paper from their respective jars, Rainbow Dash announcing, “Twist.”

“Leg 2,” Thunderlane announced.

“Cotton Cloudy.”

“Leg 1.”

“Sweetie Belle.”

“Leg 3.”

“Aw, I wanted to race with one of you guys,” Sweetie Belle whispered to her fellow Crusaders before going to join her teammates.

“Now for the next team,” Rainbow Dash pulled a slip, and snorted with mild irritation “Hotshot...”

“Leg 3,” Thunderlane declared, which apparently pleased Hotshot.

“Oh yeah, set and ready to be the first `cross the finish line,” Hotshot bragged, “right where I belong.”

Ignoring the little showoff, Rainbow Dash announced Hotshot’s teammates, two earth pony colts named Bladerunner and Carrot Crunch, Thunderlane assigning them to Legs 2 and 1 respectively.

The third team was Button Mash, Twinken, and an earth pony colt named Train Tracks.

The next team was a pegasus colt named Chip Mint, Apple Bloom, and Pina Colada.

After them was Snips, an earth pony filly named Peach Fuzz, and Silver Spoon.

Next were a unicorn filly named Ruby Pinch, an earth pony colt Shady Daze, and Snails.

Two more teams were set up until finally…

“And last but not least,” Rainbow Dash picked the third-to-last name, “Dinky Doo.”

“Leg 1,” Thunderlane added.

“Scootaloo!”

“Leg 2!”

“And… Rumble!”

“Leg 3!”

“And that’s everypony!” Rainbow Dash declared, giving the clock on the wall a quick glance.
“The race will begin in thirty minutes!”

“Use this time to talk with your teammates,” Thunderlane advised, “remember the legs each of you are running.”

“The race will start just outside, nearby the school,” Rainbow Dash instructed. “It’s pretty straight and arrow. Run as fast as you can down the roped streets and stay in the roped streets! If any of you move outside the roped streets, you and your team will be disqualified!”

“The first leg of the race ends at Ponyville Park,” Thunderlane explained, “from there, those running the Second Leg will be running an obstacle course. There’s all kinds of different obstacles you have to go over, go under, around, and through. Skipping even one gets you and your team disqualified.”

“The second leg ends at the Library Tree,” Rainbow Dash informed, “and once you pass your team flag to your third runner, that’s where things get interesting!

“For the third leg of the race, it’s anything goes! Except for deliberately messing with the other racers, your goal is to be the first to Town Hall! You can take any route or way you want! Any street, any shortcut you might know, any path, it doesn’t matter!”

“Also, for those of you running the third leg who are pegasi,” Thunderlane brought up, “you’re allowed to fly but you can’t fly any higher than the rooftops, and you cannot cross over them. The earth ponies and unicorns have to run through the streets or around the buildings surrounding the square and town hall.”

“The Ponyville Weather Team will be watching each and every one of you during each leg of the race,” Rainbow Dash warned, “and we’ve got eyes like eagles! Anypony tries anything funny, we’ll see it…”

The teams were now outside getting ready for the race. Most teams encouraging the ones participating in the first leg, while others…

"Listen up, you two! If there's one thing I don't like, aside from the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, it's losing. Which is why I’m running the third leg. But the only way for that to happen is for both of you to get your hooves in gear. Yes, I know that you don't have my level of hoof-eye coordination, agility, or speed but that doesn't mean you should suck at this race. You two are on my team and by default that means we're the best! So I expect you two to PULL YOUR WEIGHT IN THIS!!" Hotshot’s two teammates stepped back nervously at his words.

He continued to yell at his teammates, intimidating them in the process, all the while observed by Rumble's team.

"I feel bad for Bladerunner and Carrot Crunch. They got stuck with Hot Air of all ponies as a teammate." Rumble glared disapprovingly at the bully.

"They're not the only ones. Peach and Snips get to enjoy this race with Silver Spoon. She's not as bad as Diamond Tiara when she's not with her but she does have her moments," Scootaloo commented.

The three looked to see Silver Spoon not too far from them giving her teammates a bit of a tamed version of Hotshot’s speech. With a few threats of her own mixed in.

"Maybe I should give their teammates some of the muffin's mommy made for the fair to feel better after the race. I know it would cheer me up." Dinky said thoughtfully, her teammates nodding in agreement.
"To be honest I'm just as nervous as they are."

Rumble and Scoots look back at her with curious looks.

”What do you mean?”

Dinky looked a little down. "It's just that I'm on the first leg of the race. What If I do something to make us lose?"

Scootaloo immediately placed her hoof around Dinky to comfort her.

"Dinky, it's going to be alright. Out of the three of us you have the easiest leg to go through. It's just a straight shot from here to the park. You'll do great out there." Scootaloo said encouragingly.

Dinky started to brighten up when...

"Attention everypony! The first leg will begin shortly!" announced the voice of Cheerilee.

"Well looks like I'm up." Dinky said as she headed to the front of the school.

"Good luck Dinky!"

"See you at the park!" Scootaloo waved.

Dinky headed over to the starting line and stood next to Apple Bloom and Twinken who started looking a bit red and flustered. Scootaloo and Rumble started making their way to their legs.

"Think you'll be able to handle the obstacle course, Scoots?" Rumble asked.

"Please. I barrel through Ponyville at high speeds on my scooter any chance I get! Running this course will be a cinch for me," Scootaloo boasted confidently.

They soon arrived at the park and saw the course before them. The first obstacle was lines of heavily-condensed clouds on the ground in rows that they had to jump over. The next obstacle were lines of rope bridges over a pit full of water with rain clouds right over it. The third was a climbing wall, with rope, that seemed to look like a mountain with some added snow. There were also some slides at the top that go down on the other side. The last obstacle was a straight shot towards the library, the third leg, with some big fans on the sides of the path to generate some small gusts of wind. The two friends couldn't help but gape at the large course.

Scootaloo gulped nervously, "Okay I might have some trouble with the course but I know for sure I can make it through. So don't worry about me and focus on kicking Hotshot’s butt in your leg, got it?

"Got it." Rumble agreed and the two parted ways with Scootaloo walking towards her starting point and standing next to Button Mash. Rumble meanwhile started toward the library.

As soon as he got there, he was greeted by Sweetie Belle and eagerly went over to his friend. Much to their disdain Hotshot and Silver Spoon arrived as well.

"Out of the way, losers. Winner’s circle coming through." Hotshot proclaimed as he shoved his way to the tree with Silver Spoon right behind him.

"Move it, blank flanks, me and Hotshot have first and second place reserved for us and us only." If Silver Spoon’s nose were any higher she’d be touching the clouds.

"You're not going for first place?" Sweetie Belle looked confusedly at Silver Spoon.

"Me and Hotshot came to a deal. I let him get first place with me in second and after the race he escorts me around the fair for the rest of the day." Silver Spoon swooned as the two crusaders rolled their eyes.
"Besides, silver medals look way better on me. It's in the name if you must know. Besides it'll be even more satisfying when I laugh at while you both get last place. But then again, Sweetie Belle, you should be used to disappointment considering you're under the shadow of Rarity all the time."

Sweetie Belle gritted her teeth in irritation and silently growled. Before Rumble could come in defense of his friend Hotshot sauntered in front of him.

"You know, she has a point. Beating you will be so satisfying in the end because at least you can give me a decent challenge. Unlike your friend chicken wings over in leg two."

Rumble knew exactly who he was talking about.

"Her name is Scootaloo, and what's that supposed to mean?" Rumble demanded as he narrowed his eyes.

Hotshot’s grin just got wider, "Isn't it obvious? Me, especially me and, I guess you too to some degree, are fine examples of a true pegasus. But chicken wings over there is an embarrassment to the Pegasus name. Us pegasi are respected for our flying capabilities but she can't even get two feet off the ground. She should've been flying when she was in diapers. To put it bluntly she's pathetic and a waste of time."

At this point Rumble was seeing red. He wanted so badly to kick the snot out of the jerk in front of him but before he could act on that…

"Attention everypony! The first leg of the relay is about to begin!"

The race was starting to get underway with Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash flying above the school with microphones in their hooves.

"Foals and fillies of all legs get ready! As for the first leg. On your marks!"

"Get set!"

GO!!"

Dinky took off, running as fast as she could. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the other racers all more or less keeping pace with her.

It soon became apparent though that despite her best efforts, Dinky’s skills didn’t really lie with athletics. While Snips stayed relatively even with her (and huffing and puffing pretty badly, seeming to have realized quite painfully that he wasn’t in the greatest shape) the other racers, primarily all earth ponies, started to pull ahead.

Leading the group was Carrot Crunch, though he certainly didn’t seem to be taking pride in this. Rather relief that Hotshot wouldn’t end up screaming in his face when his turn was over.

The foals approached the corner of the street, swerving with the rope that showed them the right direction. Parents, friends and townsfolk alike all cheered loudly as the teams bolted through the streets. Up above, pegasi watched, looking out for the runners and making sure no cheating was going on. Leading this group of adults was Rainbow and Thunderlane, the rainbow mare holding a megaphone so the rest of ponyville could hear her race commentary.

“Well Ponyville, these foals sure can run. Leading the herd right now is Carrot Crunch who really seems to be flying! Behind him is a tie between Button Mash and Peach Fuzz and boy do they seem determined to best each other!”

“Heh, that’s right, Rainbow! These fillies and colts are really giving it their all. Look, here comes Snips really pushing himself. Wow is his face red, I really hope he doesn’t hurt himself. Then it looks like Cotton Cloudy, Chip Mint and Ruby Pinch are starting to get a bit tired. They’re falling back. Wait it looks like Dinky is giving herself a last push of effort as the group approaches Ponyville Park.”

“That’s the spirit, give it all you got and make sure you look AWESOME!”

Dinky could see the colorful flowers at the edge of the park as she drew closer, starting to reach the end of her endurance. She saw her mother and father, Ditzy and Time Turner, cheering her on which gave her the drive to push herself to her max.

Her face started to turn red and she was huffing and puffing, but Dinky pounded away as fast as she could, passing Button Mash and Peach Fuzz. Carrot Crunch however noticed her kicking into gear and likewise started speeding as hard as he could, lest he have Hotshot deafening him with angry yelling.

Dinky’s boost though definitely kept her in 2nd place, a feat she was incredibly proud of. Up ahead she spotted Scootaloo jumping up and down with excitement and adrenaline, her wings buzzing and ready to run.

Carrot Crunch arrived first and passed his flag to Bladerunner before keeling over and lying in a heap. Bladerunner definitely suited the young earth pony though as he rocketed off towards the obstacle course, a cloud of dust in his wake.

“*huff* here… Scootaloo… good luck… *puff*” Dinky panted as she reached her partner and passed her own flag.

“You got it Dinks, just rest up and watch me win us that gold medal!” with that the young pegasus took off, with a confident smirk and a speed that made Dinky’s run look like a calm walk. The lilac unicorn smiled and trotted over to join the exhausted Carrot Crunch as several of the other races caught up and passed their flags.

To Dinky’s delight, her parents came over and pulled her into a proud hug.

Scootaloo raced as fast as her hooves could carry her, and wings buzzing on her back like a bumblebee. She could see up ahead that Bladerunner had just started the cloud jumping obstacle (which had been enchanted prior to allow anypony besides pegasi to walk on them), but he was soon to be left behind.

Scootaloo sprinted full pelt and leaped, passing two clouds at once before dashing forwards. Bladerunner looked over his shoulder and gave a slight yelp when he realized just how close Scootaloo was.He pushed himself hard, jumping over the clouds as fast as he could. Unfortunately, while Scootaloo might not have been able to fly just yet, her wing could still generate an enormous amount of wind, which made leaping feel like nothing. Within seconds she bypassed Bladerunner and took the lead.

Clearing the clouds Scootaloo headed for the rope bridges. She quickly discovered however that her wings were far more of a hindrance than an asset here. The wind generated from her wings kept making the ropes wobble and risk dropping her into the water below. She stopped flapping to stabilize herself, but the momentary delay allowed Bladerunner to catch up.

The earth pony was nimble and quick on his hooves. He wasn’t amazingly flexible, and did wobble and teeter a few times over the water, but he was certainly proving to be more adept at this area of the course then Scootaloo. Behind the two ponies, the other races were making their way through the clouds with varying levels of difficulty. This part of the relay was certainly going to trip up a few ponies.

Above the course, Rainbow and Thunderlane continued their commentary.

“It looks like Bladerunner and Scootaloo are ahead of the herd here. Wow, look at `em go. That’s the way, push yourselves guys!”

“Boy they are really racing. It’s too early to tell who will win this leg of the race, but with how fast they’re going, the rest of the foals are going to have to be quick if they want to catch up!”

“Look, Bladerunner and Scootaloo have reached the climbing wall! Let’s see if one of them can pull ahead!”

Bladerunner and Scootaloo reached the wall at the same time. The wall wasn’t massively high, and there was protective coating at the base in case anypony fell, but it was still an impressive obstacle. Rocks jutted out at odd angles, all in different sizes and shapes. At the top were large clumps of loose snow that would fall if too much force was put on them, meaning that the foals had to either avoid them, or be very light hoofed.

Both remained relatively neck and neck as them began climbing. Scootaloo’s wings pumping lessened her body weight and made it easier to climb, but Bladerunner was taller and stronger, giving him better reach and letting him pull himself with greater ease. Behind them they could hear a few foals making their way through the rope course (there was a splash and the sound of Twinken grumbling as he had to pull himself back out of the water).

Bladerunner slowly started to pull ahead, but a fierce level of competitiveness overtook Scootaloo and she pushed herself hard to catch up. One hoof then the other, the two foals climbed. Scootaloo felt herself stumble and nearly lost her footing when she grabbed a snow pile, but she managed to right herself quickly. Bladerunner however was motivated by more than competitiveness, wanting to avoid dealing with an angry Hotshot, and pushed himself until he reached the top.

Scootaloo was right on his tail as the earth pony hauled himself over the top of the wall and slid down the long slide towards the final stretch of the obstacle course. At the bottom of the slides was the last stretch, plain and open with no twists or turns. However large fans were mounted on the outsides of the track, harsh winds pushing at the runners to slow them down.

Bladerunner kept his head down and pushed forward, teeth grit and adrenaline pushing him onwards. Slowly falling behind was Scootaloo, who growled as it became clear that Bladerunner’s strength was giving him a far bigger edge here. She could see at the end of the track Rumble watching her with determination, an encouraging smile on his face and eyes filled with pride. She would not give up.

However as Bladerunner kept making more ground ahead of her, it occurred to her she still had an edge that could help. She started to buzz her wings as hard as she could, as if she was riding aboard her scooter right this moment. Normally when she was on her wheels, she would be shooting forwards at ridiculous speeds that tended to make all adults in her vicinity worried and seeking an insurance broker.

Here she discovered she had made a mistake.

Instead of shooting forwards, the buzzing wings gave her a momentary lift from the ground. With the large fans whizzing away, this was her downfall. Immediately the young pegasus was swept backwards at speeds she only seemed to feel when Rainbow took her flying with her.

She quickly became disorientated and tried to control her spin, but she was going too fast and couldn’t see what was happening. She could hear everypony gasping and shouting from all around, but she couldn’t see from where.

Without warning there was a sharp crack and she felt pain all over her back as she slammed hard into a tree off the side of the track. She slumped into a groaning pile at the base, her eyes closed and her legs curled tightly around herself. However before she could pull herself together, there was another crack and she look up with terror to see that the impact had snapped a large branch from above her that was now rapidly descending.

There was no way she could get out of the way in time, and the branch was large enough that it would probably crush her on impact. Fear overwhelmed her and Scootaloo squeezed her eyes tight waiting for the end.

Suddenly hooves were around her and she felt herself zoom to the side, the large branch impacting nothing but ground with a dull thump.

The frightened filly opened her eyes to see Rumble holding her tight, a worried, almost scared look on his face as he flew her towards the adults. Taking in her surroundings she could see had flown a fair distance from the track, but into a clear area between the large crowd that had been watching the race. Already ponies were mobilizing and rushing over to make sure everypony was ok. Above Rainbow moved almost fast enough to generate a sonic rainboom, and Thunderlane was right on her tail.

Back on the track, Hotshot was bolting to the finish line, completely uncaring about Scootaloo and the rest of the foals. There was a medal to be won.

Rumble sett Scootaloo down, only for the filly to be swept up in blue hooves as Rainbow embraced her little sister.

“Are you ok?!”

“Y-yeah… I’m fine…”

Thunderlane landed next to them as Rainbow fussed.

“Wow, Rumble, great save! Rainbow and I were too far away to help and nopony else could get there in time. You saved Scootaloo’s life, little bro!”

The crowd that had been worriedly looking over Scootaloo now turned to Rumble. Within minutes, they were all cheering and praising him. The colt was bashful and unsure under all the attention, but with everypony suddenly surrounding him and lifting him into the air, he couldn’t really move away.

“Way to go lil’ dude!”

“What an amazing flier!”

“You’ll be a wonderbolt someday for sure!”

“He’s so cool!”

“What a hero!”

“Heck he’ll be better than Spitfire when he’s older!”

Rainbow Dash put Scootaloo down and floated up to Rumble. “Rumble, that was some amazing flying. You reacted quick and saved Scootaloo. That kind of flying shows a pony with immense talent. Heck that was almost as fast as I was at your age. You Rumble are awesome!”

Flapping her wings to reach Rumble’s height on Thunderlane’s shoulders where the crowd had deposited him, Rainbow placed a hoof on his shoulder and addressed the ponies around them.

“Three cheers for Ponyville’s best young flier! Hip hip!”

“Hooray!”

“Hip hip!”

“Hooray!!”

“Hip hip!”

“HOORAY!!!” the crowd cheered and cried with pride.

One pony though didn’t feel like cheering.

Down on the ground, Scootaloo looked over herself. Despite all her athletic prowess and speed, despite how hard she pushed herself, despite how hard she tried, in the end, it had done nothing to help her. Instead she been nothing but a damsel in distress. Rumble however had shown just how amazing a flier he was. He had flown so well even her idol had been impressed, stating he was almost as good as her.

They were the same age, more or less, and yet despite this, he was so much more talented than her. She had been hurt for a while now, with horrible ponies like Hotshot and Diamond Tiara pointing out how different she was. That pegasi should all be flying by her age. It always hurt to hear. But to see…

To see just how out of league she was compared to the others. Every pegasus in her class could fly, not just Hotshot. They all outclassed her. And now. Now her best friend outclassed her too.

She felt like nothing. Like a complete failure.

Her big sister’s words from flag bearer competition echoed through her head, telling her that she didn’t need to be somepony else. She was awesome as she was. But no matter how comforting those words were, it still didn’t change one fact.

She still couldn’t fly.

Slowly, her head held low and the makings of tears in her eyes, Scootaloo skulked away, her negative thoughts swirling all around her.

Behind her a worried Rumble was the only pony to notice. But all the ponies surrounding him held him in place. Calls of his amazing flying skills was all he could hear. The ponies crowding around and cheering started block off his view until Scootaloo was gone.

Soon he felt completely overwhelmed. But there was nothing he could do. Scootaloo was gone and he was an awesome flyer.

He knew in his heart which was more important, and it wasn’t the wings on his back.

“I WON! I WON, HAHAHA!!!”

Several heads turned to look down the street and they saw Hotshot had just crossed the finish line and was zipping about, gloating like there was no tomorrow.

“Who’s hot? Hotshot! Bring it in, everypony! Number One in Ponyville right here!”

The ponies who’d looked to see Hotshot all frowned at his gloating, while some shook their heads at how Hotshot had apparently failed to notice how very little ponies were even sparing him a look. It didn’t last as Hotshot noted the lack of cheers aimed at him and he gaped incredulously at the ponies crowding around Rumble who was being hoisted up by his brother Thunderlane.

“HEY! You’re all supposed to be cheering for me! I won the race!”

Rainbow went over to Hotshot, a blank look on her face, and unceremoniously dropped the medal for the winner in front of him, and said, “Congratulations.”

The flat tone of voice made Hotshot gape in vexation at Rainbow Dash as the rainbow-maned pegasus returned to the ponies praising Rumble. Hotshot looked on, a cauldron of emotions bubbling inside of him, anger, frustration, and… hurt.

He glared down at the medal, seething and shaking, refusing to shed tears… and he kicked the stupid piece of scrap away before storming off. This was supposed to be his day! His victory!

Showing up Scootaloo and her jerk idol Rainbow Crash, and winning this victory for his big sis Lightning Dust!

One day…! Hotshot swore, one day he’d show those jerks!

Somehow, Rumble managed to give his admirers the slip because honestly he didn’t like being mobbed like that and wondered, Is this how Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight feel all the time?!

Sighing, he looked around, afraid to call out for Scootaloo in case he got heard and mobbed again by his sudden fanbase.

“I hope she’s okay…” the little gray pegasus mumbled to himself as he kept a sharp eye out for
his friend when his ears perked at a very familiar buzzing sound.

He followed the sound and soon came upon Scootaloo in a small but out-of-the-way lot behind the Ponyville Clock Tower, and to Rumble’s confusion Scootaloo was obviously trying to get airborne! He recognized the efforts from back when Scootaloo tried to change their flag-routine for the Equestria Games to include her flying.

But, just like then, Scootaloo was giving it her all and barely managing to hover a couple hooves off the ground.

“Nnngh, c’mon Scootaloo…!!!” Scootaloo groaned as she buzzed her wings so loudly she sounded like a swarm of hungry parasprites, and the sweat on her mane indicated she was exhausting herself.

Finally-

“OH! Oof!”

Scootaloo’s wings finally gave out and she belly-flopped onto the ground, panting and barely able to hold herself up as she furrowed her brows, looking frustrated.

“Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo looked and to her disappointment she saw Rumble, looking concerned.

“Are-are you alright? I uh…”

“I’m fine, Rumble!” Scootaloo said irritably as she forced herself onto her hooves and started walking away, but Rumble followed.

“Hold on, I- I wanted to check on you after what happened at the race, but uh, I-”

“I said I’m fine, Rumble! What more do you want?” Scootaloo snapped but she continued to walk away, wishing Rumble would stop following her.

“Scoots, please! I-I can see you’re upset, but if you’d just tell me-” Rumble tried to say only for Scootaloo to whirl around and give him such a stink eye!

“Tell me what?! That I have chicken wings?! That I’m a flightless loser like Hotshot said?!” Scotaloo yelled, tears welling up in her eyes, making Rumble feel awful.
“Why don’t you just go show off to Rainbow Dash what an awesome flyer you are AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!”

Scootaloo took off running, propelling herself faster with her wings, and leaving a distraught Rumble, confused and hurt, as he whimpered, “What did I do…?”

That evening, at their house, Thunderlane had prepared Rumble’s favorite food as a congratulatory dinner, cheese enchiladas with salsa and colt cola to cool their scorched throats. They were sitting in the living room, their meals on the coffee table, as they watched a hoofball game, the Fillydelphia Eagles vs the Seaddle Seahawks.

“Heh-heh, my stomach’s gonna hate me after this but you are worth it, little bro,” Thunderlane chuckled as he enjoyed his enchilada, flatulent consequences be damned.
I gotta say, Rumble, you’ve definitely inherited Dad’s cast-iron stomach to enjoy this stuff.”

“Uh-huh…” Rumble responded as he poked at his enchilada with his fork.

“But wow! The way you moved, how fast you were, I’m almost surprised you didn’t to a- A… a Sonic Rumboom!” Thunderlane laughed as he took a swig of cola, the salsa already searing his esophagus.
“Ugh, ahem! Sonic Rumboom… Eh, maybe not the right name, but I got nothing else right now.”

“Sure…” Rumble took a nibble, but didn’t feel all that hungry.

“Y’know, bro, maybe we should talk about getting you into Junior Speedsters Flight Camp,” Thunderlane was still oblivious to his brother’s lack of enthusiasm.
“You’re old enough, you’ve definitely got the right stuff, I bet you’d-”

*Knock-knock-knock*

They both looked towards the front door, Rumble asking out of mild-interest, “Are you expecting somepony?”

“As a matter of fact…” Thunderlane chuckled as he answered the door and in walked, “AJ!”

“Howdy, Thunder,” Applejack gave him a peck on the cheek and walked in, carrying a nice and steamy applepie.
“Brought a lil’ somethin’ fer th’ hero of th’ day!”

“Um, thanks, Applejack, but uh…” Rumble was really in no mood for the company as he stood up from the couch and said, “I’m… kinda really tired, y’know, from all that happened today?”

“Well, that’s no surprise,” Thunderlane shrugged, still oblivious to his brother’s feelings but Applejack was not.

“Oh no problem, sugarcube,” she said kindly, “why don’cha hit th’ hay an’ you can enjoy this pie in th’ mornin’.”

“Thanks, AJ, g’night,” Rumble took his dishes to the kitchen before heading upstairs to his room.

Meanwhile Applejack intended to give her Thunder some thunder of her own as she raised a disapproving brow at him.

“What?” Thunderlane didn’t like that look.

Author's Note

This chapter took a while because Pontiac56 and I both had a LOT of real world issues to work out.

Anyway, Ponti did the race and rescue scenes, I did everything else along with the editing.

216. Pyrrhic Flights, Pyrrhic Nights - Part 3

“You’re awesome, Rumble!”

“Huh?” Rumble looked around and found himself in Ponyville, except… everything was… opaque, the sky was dark but he could see everything else as clear as day.

“The best flier of your generation!”
“The way you zoom and dive and flap and- and- WOW!”
“You’re gonna be BIG, kid!”

All of a sudden, Rumble found himself becoming mobbed by ponies he didn’t know! All of them, cheering him, praising him, but all with the same look on their faces.

Admiring but no true connection.

“Go away! Leave me alone” Rumble pushed his way through them and started running.

“Wait, Rumble!”
“Come back!”
“I want your autograph!”
“Take a photo with me, champ!”

The adulations of these “fans” was starting to sound scary to Rumble, demanding, not to be ignored. But he ran, terrified and desperate to get away.

I gotta get away, but where do I go?! Rumble fretted as he ran as fast as his hooves could carry him. As if something were answering his worries, he gasped to see ahead, “The schoolhouse! Perfect!”

He groaned in worry as he ran harder, the stampeding fans still hot on his tail, but it seemed the harder he ran for the schoolhouse the further it seemed to be. It became even worse as the crazed fans’ voices started to become distorted and frightening.

“gO, RUmBle! GO, ruMblE! GOooOOooOOOO!!”
“hE’S ThE beSt!”
“RuMbLe’s SOOOoooOOOooo cOOl!”

“C’mon, c’mon...!!” Rumble worried when he finally realized, “Wait! I’m a pegasus!”

He jumped, took flight, and almost at once, the fanbase of fanatics seemed to distance behind him while he got closer to the schoolhouse!

As he got closer, Rumble saw colts and fillies hanging around the schoolhouse. He could see colts and fillies running about, playing games, laughing, “I’m gonna make it… I’m gonna make it!”

He didn’t make it. All of a sudden, a whole flock of pegasi barred his way and surrounded him, Rainbow Dash among them as she said, “C’mOn, KId! yOU’vE gOt TrAIniNg tO Do, YoU dOn’T HAve tiME foR fRIenDs Or SChoOl!”

The look on their faces made Rumble shiver in fright., big smile but blank eyes but he peered over them, looking to the schoolhouse, and saw…

“Sweetie Belle! Twinken! Apple Bloom! Button Mash! SCOOTALOO! Help me, they won’t leave me alone!”

Scootaloo’s ear twitched and Rumble almost cried tears of joy as she turned to him, the rest of their friends following.

“Rumble…?”

She asked questioningly, completely unfazed by the crowd, almost surprised, as though she couldn’t understand what was wrong.

“Please, you have to get these ponies to go away! I don’t want to be cheered and praised! I don’t want to be set up as some kind of idol!”

“Huh, well sorry, but you’re way too popular and famous for us now. Us little ponies can’t really associate with you anymore. We’d just cramp your style. Congratulations Rumble, goodbye.”

Then to Rumble's complete shock and horror, Scootaloo and the rest of his friends all just turned away and walked over to the rest of the foals, joining in their games, completely ignoring him. The crowd started cheering so loud it was just like a white noise, all garbled and incoherent, loud enough it was ringing through his ears. They were so close now he literally couldn’t take a step in any direction, and the still came closer.

“No, NO! Please stop this! Please stop cheering for me! PLEASE!!”

“RuMBle Is ePic!”

“rUmbLE fOreVEr!”

“RUmBle!” “ruMBle!” “RUMBLE!” “RUMBLE!!” “RUMBLE!!!”

So many ponies so close everything was turning dark, they were all moving in surrounding him, completely smothering him. He took one last look at the sky, sheer terror plastered on his face, as everything went dark and he was swarmed by fans…

“ENOUGH!”

A bright blue light burst across his eyes and suddenly all the fans were tossed away, landing in here and there and bursting into puffs of smoke when they hit the ground that was quickly blown away by an eerie wind. He looked around to see that not a single fan was left.

And yet... somepony still stood above him.

He looked up and gasped, as Princess Luna stood before him, her mane a beautiful nebula and her eyes filled with a blazing passion. She looked at all the fans around them and then with a glow from her horn, a blue light flashed across the scattered ponies and they all disappeared into a bunch of large mists clouds, which scattered in the wind.

“P-Princess Luna?”

The Princess gave another hard look at their surroundings before letting out a breath and then returning to face the colt with a smile.

“Be calm, young one. I sensed your distress and entered your dreams to ward off the nightmares harassing you.”

“Ohhh!” Rumble realized as he looked around and suddenly saw a calm scenario of Ponyville Park, where he and his fellow Crusaders went to play sometimes when they weren’t out crusading for their cutie-marks.
“I remember my friends telling me that you helped them out when they were having nightmares!”

“It is my duty as the Princess of the Night to help ponies slumber peacefully, young Rumble,” Princess Luna smiled at his recognition with an appreciative nod. “As it is also my pleasure to help these ponies understand what causes their bad dreams and how to resolve them.

“It appeared to me that you fear special attention and how it may drive a wedge between you and your friends.”

Rumble looked at Princess Luna in shock as hearing her say those words hit the nail on head, and how right she was!

“Well, it may interest you that another has had the same problem, Rumble.”

“Who?”

Princess Luna waved her wing and Rumble watched as an image appeared... depicting Princess Celestia, standing on a balcony, a crowd of her adoring subjects cheering for her.

“Your sister Princess Celestia?!” Rumble was surprised but also confused. “But… she’s a princess! Everypony loves her and looks up to her!”

“Ah, but let’s take a closer look, Rumble,” Luna willed the image to zoom in on her sister and Rumble what she was talking about.

The image showed Princess Celestia barely waving her hoof, the smile was forced, but the look in her eyes… Rumble had seen something like that before!

Scootaloo…! he realized to himself.

Back when he saved her from the falling branch, before he could really talk to and got swept up by the ponies cheering for him. He’d seen Scootaloo with a sadness not unlike what he was seeing here in this image of Princess Celestia.

Noticing Rumble was beginning to understand, Luna dispelled the image and let Rumble think before he said, “I… I don’t understand, but… Princess Celestia wasn’t happy there! She was faking her smile, and there was nothing happy about her eyes!”

“And yet so long ago, Rumble, it was very different,” Luna nodded heavily, “Being special and seen as special does not mean it will make you happy.

“Over a thousand years ago, I craved the adoration and glory given to my sister by our subjects, feeling ignored and taken granted for. Meanwhile, my sister actually allowed all that praise and cheering to change her. It went to her head… it tore a great rift in our bond as sisters, and when I tried to talk to her, I soon saw that she too had come to take me for granted as well, and ignored my own feelings. Our failure to talk things out as sisters and as rulers hurt our kingdom, and in my weakness I became Nightmare Moon. My sister realized how wrong she had been but was forced to stop me and it resulted in my banishment to the moon for a thousand years.

“But while I languished in my exile for all that time, my sister was left to run a kingdom of ponies for a thousand years, isolated from her subjects and forced to appear the strong, the graceful, and composed ruler everypony sees her as to this day. And for all that time there were all too few around whom she could just be herself, show those sides of her she could not to the public.

“I was punished with banishment but my sister was punished as well.”

Seeing Princess Luna look sad as a tear began to well up in her eyes, Rumble wished he could make himself feel better when a handkerchief appeared in front of him. It made him wonder a moment, but remember this was a dream he shrugged, took it in his teeth and walked over to Luna. She noticed him approach, his eyes full of concern and the handkerchief he was offering her. She smiled gratefully and accepted it with her telekinetic aura to wipe her tears away as she said, “Thank you.”

Rumble let Luna have a moment to recompose herself before she finally cleared her throat and said, “It is not a bad thing to be proud of your skills, Rumble, and to be recognized for your skills and for your efforts in doing the right thing.

“So long as you keep yourself grounded and remind yourself that you are not the only special pony out there, you can cheer for others as strongly as they may cheer for you. Everypony deserves to be recognized for their merits and their efforts. Remember that, and you’ll never be swept away by the lull of fame.”

“...Thanks, Princess Luna,” Rumble smiled at the moon princess but something still tugged at his conscience, which Luna saw as the dream reacted to Rumble and manifested an old memory.

“Scootaloo,” she said when she saw the dream manifest her, and Rumble looked and gasped as he recognized what was happening before them.

He saw himself, younger, crying, sitting in the shade of a tree, and there was a younger Scootaloo. She had been zooming by on her scooter but somehow she’d noticed him beneath that tree. She’d left her scooter on the path and walked over to him. Younger Rumble seemed to hear her and looked up, his cheeks stained with tears, looking upset but bewildered as Scootaloo approached him. Then Scootaloo spoke to him.

For some reason, Luna didn’t hear the words, but the look on Rumble’s younger self said enough as he wiped his tears away, Scootaloo smiling as she offered her hoof. Rumble seemed to hesitate before beginning to crack a smile as he accepted Scootaloo’s gesture and placed his hoof on hers. She suddenly yanked him to stand up, to his surprise as she dragged him towards her scooter. She set it up, and said something to Rumble. He looked afraid but then he took the steering handle of the scooter as Scootaloo slapped her helmet onto his head, to his confusion, and stepped up behind him, wrapping her hooves around his middle, and then her wings buzzed, younger Rumble screamed in terror as a laughing Scootaloo propelled them off, the two of them vanishing over a hill.

Luna looked to her side and saw Rumble, a tear running down his face but smiling at the same time, looking warm but a little sad at the same time.

“So what was that?” Luna asked.

“That was when Scootaloo and I first met,” Rumble replied, taking a deep breath. “Not long before that… my mom and dad died. I cried so long and hard and… Well, a few weeks after the funeral I got so upset I ran off from school. Somehow I wound up crying under that tree, and then…

“There she was! It’s… kinda silly, she told me she was looking for a wing-pony and told me I looked like I needed a friend. She got me to drive her scooter, even though I’d never ridden one before and, ha-ha! She held on behind me and just made us go!”

Luna smiled, seeing Rumble smiling and even laughing warming her heart as he continued, “I must’ve screamed the entire ride! It was so scary that I refused to go anywhere near that scooter for a week, but… After that, Scootaloo and I just started hanging out, more and more! When I started flying, she was happy for me, and said I was gonna be her wing-pony all the way to the Wonderbolts!

“I like the Wonderbolts, but I’m not really interested in joining them when I get bigger, but… Scootaloo began to notice how she was getting older and still hasn’t flown yet. One day, I went to visit her but her parents told me she was hurt because she’d hurt herself trying to fly! She was so upset, not because she was hurt but because she wasn’t flying. After that, I… stopped flying around her. I didn’t want her to feel bad that I was flying and she wasn’t. I swore I’d always be there for her, so that she’d never feel that bad again.

“But… After I saved her at the race, and everypony was cheering for me… The look on her face! It reminded me so much of that day when she’d hurt herself, how upset she’d been… and I’m the reason she feels that way again now!”

The smile was gone, and the tears were flowing as Rumble tried to calm down as he sobbed, prompting Luna to sit by him and hold him to her barrel with her wing to warm him up.

“Oh Rumble… Jealousy can be an ugly thing, but it’s not something we should condemn,” Luna assured him, “Seeing you cheered and praised by all those ponies, Scootaloo was jealous! But here’s something you should know.”

Sniffling, Rumble looked up at Luna as she said, “Scootaloo was jealous of you, but she was angry at herself for being jealous!”

“I-I don’t… I don’t unders-stand!” Rumble hiccuped, Luna rubbing him warm with her wing.

“Scootaloo cares so deeply about you, Rumble,” Luna explained in an assuring voice, “and for all this time she has appreciated your friendship and your support. But she’s still only a filly, and ponies her age are still prone to feelings like jealousy. Even so, she cares about you and values the bond you share so much, that she feels ugly for being jealous of you, especially after you saved her life!

“She needs you, Rumble. She needs you to show her that you care, about her, about her feelings, and even if she puts on a brave face she needs to know that there are no hard feelings between you two, and that she shouldn’t be afraid of showing how she truly feels.”

Rumble was awed by Luna’s words and smiled appreciatively at her as she wiped his tears away with her wing. She then stood up, and backed away, the dreamscape around them suddenly glowing, “Show her you care, Rumble. Show her herself….”

The park was quiet when Rumble arrived. It was still early and most ponies tended to sleep in on a weekend. This made it quite easy for Rumble to make out the sound of a buzzing, repeating over and over near a large group of bushes.

Slowly he moved around it to see Scootaloo concentrating hard, her eyes squeezed shut and her wings a blur of motion. But for all the clear effort she was putting in, her hooves seemed to only leave the ground for a few fractions of a second before floating back down.

Despite this, she didn’t stop, not once. Her wings continued to buzz, and sweat covered her fur. Rumble just stood and watched her silently, his eyes taking in the whole scene. Eventually though, the buzzing began to slow, and the quiet panting coming from her mouth increased, until finally her wings came to a stop, and her hooves remained solid on the ground.

“Why can’t I do it… why is it so hard…?” Rumbled strained to hear the quiet words slip pass her lips, her eyes still closed and her head dipped low.

“Scootaloo…”

The word, gentle though it was, made the young filly freeze. Very slowly she lifted her head and opened her eyes, seeing Rumble standing there for the first time.

She said nothing at first, startled into silence, but Rumble’s concerned eyes and worried frown eventually loosened her lips.

“…Hey Rumble… Um, I was just… well…”

“I’m so sorry, Scootaloo.”

The orange filly was surprised as she felt Rumbles hooves wrap around her in a warm strong hug.

“I know that the crowd cheering for me yesterday must have been rough. If I’m being honest with myself, I do admit I have a pretty good talent for flying, far more than most pegasus foals our age, but... I also know that when it’s the other way around for you, it can be really hard.”

Scootaloo said nothing, her eyes squeezing shut and a few trickles of tears managing to slide down her cheeks. All throughout, Rumble never let go, holding her firmly.

“Yesterday I felt really overwhelmed. I hated all the attention. I hadn’t ever really thought of myself as being more talented than anypony else, but everypony else didn’t seem to agree. The whole thing gave me nightmares so bad that Princess Luna had to come help me. But despite how worried and scared I was, the thing that hurt the most, was knowing that I had hurt you.”

“No, Rumble, you didn’t hurt me.”

Scootaloo gave a sniff, and rubbed her eyes a little, before leaning back so Rumble could see her face.

“For a long time now I’ve wondered about my wings. If I really was just a late bloomer like everypony keeps saying, or if maybe there’s something wrong with me inside. I don’t know. I just know that everyday it just hurts more. Seeing all the other pegasi reach the clouds, claim their birthright and tame the sky, while I just sit here, my wings buzzing and getting nowhere. Seeing you getting all the praise yesterday, after I had been so close to the mark, and completely unable to help myself. It just… it just felt like destiny, or fate or whatever force out there was just taunting me.”

Rumble felt tears building in his own eyes, but he held them back as Scootaloo continued, a tiny smile working its way onto her muzzle.

“But I know it wasn’t you that hurt me Rumble. I was just upset and lashing out. Seeing you getting praised for how talented you are, it fills me with pride. To know my best friend has so much in him, has such great potential to be an amazing flier, to be the next Rainbow Dash if he really wanted to be. So don’t apologize Rumble. You didn’t hurt me, not at all. It was just a good day that turned bad.”

Rumble was silent for a few moments taking in everything she said. After a moment though, a change over came him. A confidence and a strength that made a tiny part of Scootaloo feel completely safe in his arms.

“Bad days do happen, nothing that can be helped. But what can be helped is this. I promise you, Scootaloo, that someday, I will get you into the air. I don’t know what it will take, I don’t know how long, but I promise you I will help make it happen. Because you’re my best friend and probably the most special pony in my life and I never want to see that kind of hurt on you again. If I really am talented, then that talent isn’t going to be for flashy moves or super speed or becoming Rainbow 2.0. It will be for helping my friend reach the heights she was always meant to soar!”

Scootaloo could feel it with every word, with all the power and determination in his face. A fierce blush spread across her muzzle and she felt her heart beating as fast as her wings could buzz, but the smile she had was the widest it had ever been.

They both moved at the same time, hugging together with all their strength, a cherry glow on both their faces.

Only for a pulsing green beam to strike them.

They both broke apart to see each wearing a very fancy outfit. A sharp suit covered a confused Rumble, while a puffy ballroom gown was draped over Scootaloo to her mortification.

They looked across the park to see Rarity dashing passed with a mad look on her face and a green glow in her eyes. Behind her was a frantic Spike and an irritated Blueblood berating him.

The complete absurdity of the scene left the two pegasai staring blankly for a moment before they turned to each other. Then, a huge grin crossed their muzzles and the park with filled with the sound of laughter.

Twilight sat comfortably on her favorite cushion with a book held in front of her muzzle when, when a tired and scuffed up Spike waltzed through the door and dragged himself off to the bathroom. She was confused for a moment, but decided she’d wait until dinner to ask him what that was about. After all, with Midnight away for some ‘royal business’ as he had put it, in Canterlot, she could spend some much needed with her assistant.

Still she was curious about what sor of royal business Celestia had Midnight taking care of away from Ponyville.

She thought on it for a moment before dismissing the thought. Whatever it was, Midnight would be back soon and she could get an answer out of him about it then.

After all, what could her smart-aleck coltfriend get up to in Canterlot?

Dark Alley swung back and forth from a tree branch upside down, the dark woods adding to the terror he felt. Before him stood a line of cloaked ponies, all standing in a semi-circle and watching him silently as the frightened stallion rotated slowly from the rope dangling him down.

Slowly the figures started to part and another cloaked pony approached, slightly taller than the others, and emitting a far more sinister aura. A blue glow phased out from beneath the hood, peeling it back to reveal blue fur shadowed by the forest’s darkness. But once Dark Alley saw the fangs in his mouth and the glowing eyes, he felt fear like never before.

“Good evening, Dark Alley. I apologize for the interruption to your otherwise corrupt evening, but I find myself with a situation I believe you could assist me in.”

Sweat poured down the earth pony's fur as a lion-like tail snuck out from beneath the stallions cloaked and slowly stroke his cheek. Hidden by the shadow of his hood, Midnight just smiled at his terror as he ran his tongue over one of his fangs.

“Yes indeed, Dark Alley... we've got a lot to talk about…”

Author's Note

I did the nightmare scene as well as Luna's part in helping Rumble

Pontiac56 did the part after where Rumble and Scootaloo talk and make up, as well as everything else, and I wrapped thigns up with editing

217. The Loss of Faith - Prologue

The sounds of the city never stopped sounding, a constant in the lives of those residing in Manehatten. To Blackberry Hossmane, multi-millionaire businessmane, respected charity-driver, and certified self-made stallion, they were a constant in his life as well, and perhaps a comfort.

Once in very distant memory, he’d been nothing more than just another street urchin, a unicorn colt wandering the streets, struggling to survive day after day. That all changed when he was roped into a jewelry store robbery by a con-mane and his flunkies. Luckily for him, he’d overheard them planning to lock him in the store so that he would take the fall.

Armed with this knowledge, Hossmane had managed to turn the tables; he’d left an anonymous tip for the Manehatten Police of when and where the robbery would take place. While the street scum who’d intended to leave him to take the fall were arrested instead, Hossmane managed to slink away with enough stolen jewelry to buy his own apartment.

That night changed Hossmane, as he realized how he could get away with crime while rising above his squalor. He pulled off a few more successful heists, and for each one he made sure somepony took the fall in his place.

Using the money and valuables he’d stolen, along with the deal-making skills he developed, Hossmane started his first business. His ambition to rise never stopped, and he continued to reach higher and higher, all the while building a rep in the Equestrian criminal underworld as a ruthless and scheming crimelord. He allied himself with the crime families of Manehatten and Cloudsdale, he appointed lieutenants to carry out his criminal activities for him in order to decrease the chances of him being culpable, he made deals and honored them but stabbed his partners in the back once their dealings were concluded.

Hossmane never married or had children (at least, none he acknowledged as his own. Even he knew he had to have a few bastards out there with all the trophy fillyfriends he’d had over the years) so as not to have somepony “special” that his enemies could use against him.

He built up a public image of being a generous and respectable businessmane, honored and admired by all of Manehatten and its innocent and exploitable citizens. So very few knew him as the ruthless criminal he really was and even fewer dared to accuse him, like that stallion did a while back when Hossmane had made donations to build a new playground in Manehatten Central Park.

Even so, Hossmane didn’t bother learning that sad little gnat’s name who’d accused him of robbing him of everything he had. He’d done the same to hundreds of ponies over the decades, through channels legal or illicit.

Now a stallion of fifty-six, Hossmane was beginning to think of the future. Not simply the future of his company, but his own future. Having carried out crime and accepted the risks involved for so many years, Blackberry Hossmane actually accepted his mortality long ago. He knew he couldn’t last forever and he didn’t really care to. He only wanted to leave his mark on the world, all the while enjoying his fortune of blood-money, balancing out a life of ruthless ambition with a hedonistic lifestyle.

Still… Blackberry considered.

Still, four times in his life had someone made an attempt on it. Of course, he’d survived because he’d bought and hired the best security and bodyguards money could buy. He’d taken precautions in all of his outings. But with each of those attempts, Hossmane had wondered, When will my time come? When will somepony succeed? What will I leave behind?

Sighing, he rubbed his temple, his horn dragging the pen over the papers he was looking over as he sat in his office, situated in the top floor of his skyscraper which housed his company. It gave him the perfect vantage point to look down over the city. His city.

Tonight was a new moon, which made the city lights more prevalent beneath a dark and inky sky. It seemed like the promise of a quiet night, perfect to get some work done. Particularly work in preparing a hostile takeover of New Heights Avionics.

Hossmane could recall how a while back, Blueblood, the head of House Polaris and his airship company, New Heights, had combined it with Jet Set’s. New Heights had been on his radar before but after that partnership was established between those two former rivals, Hossmane had decided he wanted that pie. Not a piece but the whole thing.

He’d started with identifying those who could be an obstacle or an asset, bribed those he could and arranged an “accident” for the few he couldn’t and could get away with. Now, all he had to do was create an embarrassing situation for Blueblood and Jet Set, then exploit said situation to “legally” take over their company and leave them with nothing.

As he looked over the documents, his horn suddenly vibrated as a chill washed down his shoulders and back. Narrowing his eyes, he said aloud, “Impressive… You mask your presence well. Flawless timing, perfect control… Were I a betting stallion, I would wager you deliberately made yourself known to me.”

Hossmane looked up, his dark purple coat and icy-blue mane faintly shimmering in his lamplight, and he saw him, hanging from the ceiling like a bat.

A cloaked and hooded individual, a unicorn horn poking through a brim in the hood, which completely concealed this intruder’s face. The fabric of his cloak did not reflect any light but seemed to absorb it, making him seem like a mass of darkness as the intruder suddenly dropped down from the ceiling, landing soundlessly on his hooves like a cat, and glaring at the business pony before him.

Hossmane’s lips pulled back into a condescending smirk, “And you did let me sense your presence, didn't you... You are not the first to make an attempt on my life nor will you be the last.”

“Blackberry Hossmane,” the intruder spoke, his voice clearly male but something about it seemed distorted, like several voices speaking at the same time but not in perfect synch. Still, clearly enough that Hossmane understood every word.
“I am not here for your life. I am here because you are guilty.”

“Everypony’s guilty of something or other,” Hossmane snorted, “perhaps you could paint a more clearer picture?”

“Tax evasion, insurance fraud, embezzlement, bribery, racketeering, assault and battery, shush-money, blackmail and extortion, drug-trafficking, illicit dealings with known criminals-” the Hooded Pony listed only for Hossmane to raise a hoof.

“Yes, yes, I’ve heard this song and dance before,” he sighed, sounding bored, waving off the accusations with one hoof but subtly reaching under his desk with the other, pressing a button hidden on the underside of his desktop.
“The big shot business pony, an easy target of slander and scandal by the common pony envious of everything he has and supposedly doesn’t deserve.

“Well, my good sir... Everything I have, everything I built, I did so with my own hooves and effort! I rose from my less-than-humble beginnings as a discarded and unwanted street rat to become the most successful and respected pony Manehatten has ever seen!! Who do you think you are, coming in here with these accusations and besmirching of my good name and image?!”

“Who I am, Blackberry Hossmane, is your judge and your jury,” the Hooded Pony responded in a dry tone.

“Not my executioner?” Hossmane pointed out with an amused raise of his brow.

“A role I’ve had to play more times than I care to count,” the Hooded Pony retorted as Hossmane subtly peered over the Hooded Pony’s shoulder.
“As for your “success and respect”… We both know it came not from honest business skills, Hossmane. It all came from crime! From your illegal dealings with criminals to your taking hits out on-”

*WHOOSHLASH*

The sound of a body hit the floor as Hossmane sat frozen at what he just witnessed. He managed to maintain his composure as he looked upon the headless body of his hired bodyguard, a Diamond Dog, a pool of blood already forming all over his imported carpeting.

The Hooded Pony hadn’t even budged from his position as he’d whipped something black and shimmering out from under his cloak. It had all happened so fast Hossmane never got a good look at the weapon as it seemed to vanish under his visitor’s cloak like a snake.

For a few moments, there was only stunned silence before Hossmane managed to ask, “Impressive yet again… Did I give him away?”

“No,” the Hooded Pony replied with a dry tone, “I knew he was there the whole time. Even before you pressed that button under your desktop to call him out from his hiding place.”

“Then why kill him at all?” Hossmane questioned, “You knew where he was, what his purpose was, you could have easily subdued him, I’m sure.”

“Besides to make a point?” the Hooded Pony looked at the body and head he had just decapitated. “Your guard dog here is an infamous hit-dog, wanted in over six countries with a body count of eighty-seven confirmed victims, while suspected of having killed almost two hundred! He deserved worse, but I have neither the time nor the patience to take him in for processing.

"Especially, when I have a much bigger fish to fry right in front of me…”

Blackberry Hossmane was finally starting to get nervous but before he could say anything, the Hooded Pony continued, “Blackberry Hossmane! You have failed this city, and so I give you twenty-four hours…”

Twenty-four hours?! Hossmane began to sweat, “To live?”

“To confess!” The Hooded Pony clarified, “Every crime you’ve ever committed, every dirty deal, every person you’ve ever exploited or harmed, however the method, every act of fraud, every life you’ve taken even by proxy!

“You have twenty-four hours, starting from midnight tonight, to come forward on national television to confess to every crime you’ve ever committed, or else.”

“LISTEN HERE, YOU- YOU- YOU MISERABLE LITTLE NOPONY!!” Hossmane shouted, spittle flying from his mouth as he levitated his pen as though it were a deadly weapon.
“In case you’ve forgotten who you’re dealing with, I AM BLACKBERRY HOSSMANE!!! I don’t just run this city, I OWN IT! Every insignificant little tick running about here and there acting as though they matter! Struggling day after day to get by, looking for any opportunity, THEY ARE SPECKS OF DIRT I WIPE OFF MY HOOVES! THEIR LIVES ARE TOILET PAPER I USE TO WIPE MY ASS AND FLUSH DOWN THE TOILET TO JOIN THE REST OF PONYKIND’S REFUSE!! I will not be bullied by some insipid little vigilante bitch who barges in like some wannabe ninja and-”

A flash of light interrupted Hossmane’s rant and he saw what appeared to be a photograph floating in front of him. But then he saw what was on it! More photographs appeared, all of them displaying Hossmane in a compromising, embarrassing, or otherwise dirty situation, photos of crimes in progress, photos of his criminal associates. It didn’t stop there. On his desk appeared documents, letters, forged paperwork, all of it detailing past crimes and illicit dealings, a lot of them with his signature, mentioning names, dates, places.

Victims.

The sweat had turned cold but then Hossmane yelped as a large duffel bag was dropped on top of all the dirt. He looked at the Hooded Pony, who remained as still and imperceptible as darkness. Afraid of what he was about to find but knowing he was in a corner, he slowly tugged at the zipper with his telekinetic aura.

At first, he smelled blood and rot, and then he saw them!

Heads.

With very familiar faces, including one of his most trusted criminal associates.

“Dark Alley…?!” Hossmane felt his heart began to pound in his chest as he fought the urge to vomit.

“Those are the heads of your top lieutenants and most frequent criminal associates,” the Hooded Pony said in a foreboding yet smug tone.
“That took me two hours! Whereas all that dirt took me only the past week to dig up.”

Hossmane couldn’t believe it! He was cornered! All this dirt, the pile was more than enough evidence to bury him so deep he’d never claw his way out! This Hooded Pony had him by the balls and one wrong move on his part would get them ripped off and leave him writhing on the ground in his own mess! He couldn’t get this guy bumped off, he couldn’t threaten him, he didn’t even know who he was so he couldn’t even threaten those he might care about. That left perhaps only one option.

“...What do you want? Name your price, I’ll pay you anything!” Hossmane offered, beginning to pant as the panic started to settle in. When the Hooded Pony didn’t respond, he began to get hysterical.
“ANYTHING! Money, drugs, weapons, artifacts, mares! JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!!!”

“What I want, Blackberry Hossmane, is justice. Justice for all those you’ve wronged, all those you’ve hurt, and for you to answer for your crimes,” the Hooded Pony responded, every word sinking Hossmane deeper and deeper into despair.
“There is no bribing your way out of this. No one to threaten. All you have now is this last chance to confess and own up to your own sins.

“Maybe, just maybe, the courts will show you a sliver of leniency, but that is only if you come forward, plead guilty, and make amends. Regardless of what you choose, everything you have, everything you’ve built, every crime you’ve committed, every innocent you’ve hurt… It’s all about to come down on you, and it’s gonna come down hard… and you will spend perhaps the rest of your life in prison.”

Hossmane was shocked speechless, sweating up a storm, his heart pounding like an anvil as realized just how screwed he was.

The Hooded Pony began to step backwards as he said, “Starting midnight tonight, you have twenty-four hours to come forward and confess. If you do not, copies of all this evidence will be anonymously dropped off at the Manehatten Police Department as well as every major news media in all of Equestria.

“And don’t even try to run. I have eyes and ears all over this city, watching every conceivable escape route. You won’t be able to sneak away like a rat; you will be immediately arrested and brought in, and any chance of leniency from the courts will go out the window.

“Regardless of what you choose, Blackberry Hossmane, you are ruined and you will be punished. As I’ve stated, you have twenty-four hours to come forward. Think about it…”

And the Hooded Pony vanished like a bad dream from which Hossmane couldn’t awaken, as he was left surrounded by dirt and blood.

Author's Note

I have been waiting to get into this arc for a LONG time; truth be told, some of what I wrote here was inspired by two certain characters who both have had the word in 'hood' in their aliases

Blackberry Hossmane was kinda inspired by a character created by Bluegrass Brooke from her fic "What Changes May Come"

He's a self-made sort of businessmane, which wouldn't have been bad if his successes and fortune wasn't built upon crime

This arc is gonna be a lot darker than prior arcs, it's gonna have more drama, emotional turmoil, and so much more! Stay tuned!

218. The Loss of Faith - Part 1

“Okay, okay, here’s another one. So this pony and a griffon walk into a bar…”

“Helmet, just shut up and keep mining.”

Two ponies stood side by side, each reared up on their hind legs and wielding a pickaxe. The stallion, Hard Helmet, a fairly large earth pony, just gave a laugh and ignored his irritated companion, continuing his retelling of likely the oldest joke known to ponykind. Beside him was the ever-annoyed Cold Stone, a pegasus mare who seemed to regret her job more and more each day since she had been paired with Hard Helmet.

Around the two ponies were dozens of workers. Some mimicked their actions, chipping away at the rocky cave walls, or digging into the large crystal formations that littered the energem mine. Others scuttled about setting up safety equipment, looked over machinery repeatedly or checked up with other ponies to see if they had finished checking the safety equipment.

There were even some ponies inside larger drilling equipment for the harder and more dangerous sections of the mine that couldn’t be handled by the average worker. There were hundreds of ponies present, but due to the sheer size of the energem mine, there was plenty of space for the different groups.

Cold Stone could see from her peripheral vision, one of the higher ups doing an inspection. She was either a high level employee of a noble, or a noble herself, judging by the inexperienced way she had dressed herself (after all, hard hats and bright vests were essential safety equipment in a dark mine. A biohazard suit with an inflatable raft in a backpack was just overkill).

Beside the ridiculously dressed mare was the mine’s head of security. He was young, and this was probably the first command the Lieutenant had been given, but he certainly seemed eager to show his worth. Despite how remote the mine was, he ran security drills daily and kept a constant vigilance, as though a swarm of dragons was suddenly going to show up and attack or something. Still he seemed nice enough, always talking about his younger brother and how he missed his family in Ponyville. Cold Stone was a Hoofington mare herself, but her uncle lived out near Ponyville, so she somewhat could see the appeal of the place.

The higher up seemed stressed and upset, but with the increasing surplus of energems being mined, and the high level security in place around the mine, it wasn’t all that surprising.

Still, Cold Stone knew that whoever she was, there was no way the higher up was as annoyed as she was having to listen to Hard Helmet go on and on.

“… and so the griffon punches the bartender and says ‘Whoops I guess I missed!’ and the pony says…!”

“Helmet, I’m going to take my gems to the sorting pile. When I get back if you are still telling that lame joke, my pickaxe is getting shoved somewhere very unpleasant. So zip it!”

The pegasus loaded up her pile of gems into a nearby cart and wheeled off before Hard Helmet could pull another stupid joke. That pony just drove her up the wall sometimes. She was pretty sure the supervisor had paired him with her on purpose when she accidentally spilled her coffee on his crotch in the breakroom a week ago. She was gonna have to do some serious sucking up to try and get Hard Helmet shifted to be somepony else’s problem.

She just sighed to herself as reached the gem sorters. Toward the center of the mine, on a movable track was a large container with several charms magically enforcing it via rune engravings on the framework. With all the gems being put into the large collector at once, the runes were there to prevent a buildup of any negative energies coming from bad gems that may have been sorted into the group before they could contaminate the others and affect the ponies around them.

She tipped her cart into the large collector before slowly trudging her way back to her annoying mining companion. However once she arrived, she found he was no longer chipping away at the rock wall where they had been assigned.

“Ooh, Faust-dammit, Helmet! Where’d you go?! We have to get this section done by tonight or we’re gonna be stuck on bathroom cleaning duty again, and I refuse to clean up the brutal carnage that Rock Wall leaves every damn time!”

She gave a frustrated look about to see where he had wandered off to, but there was no sign of him. She was about head over to the closest group and see if they had spotted him when a slight glowing caught her attention. She turned to the deeper tunnel section just around the corner from her assigned work area. It hadn’t been mapped out yet and so no lights had been strung up. If Helmet had wandered in there, and with his level of brains she wouldn’t have put it past the idiot, he might have hurt himself in the dark.

“I swear to Luna, Helmet, if you went down there and hurt yourself I am going to knock you upside the head. You know the safety regs darn it!”

Grumpily trudging over to the entryway she peered down. There was somepony down there alright, but she couldn’t really make them out in the darkness.

Luckily, all the safety vests had a small torch attached at the shoulder, so once she got closer she would be able to make them out.

“Hey Helmet is that you!? What are you doing down here, you know the rules, no wandering around the unmapped sections without the proper safety gear!”

When she received no response she gave a groan and started carefully making her way down. Hard Helmet had probably banged his head on a stalactite and knocked himself out or something.

Wouldn’t be the first time.

The figured remained covered in the dark, so she moved closer, being careful not to trip on any loose rock or crystals as she approached.

Finally she was close enough for her light to make out the pony in front of her. It was definitely Hard Helmet. But something seemed a little off with him. His posture didn’t seem very good and he was facing the wall saying nothing.

“Hey Helmet, you alright? You’re acting weird dude.”

She received no response. Wondering if he was somehow unconscious but still standing, or in shock or something, she moved closer. She was just about to put her hoof on his shoulder to turn him around when she felt something bump against her leg.

It didn’t feel hard or sharp like a rock. It felt kind of soft, even furry. Confused, Cold Stone turned her light to the ground.

Hard Helmet stared up at her. His face was frozen in terror and pain and his body looked like he had fallen while trying to back away from something. But the ripped open throat and oozing blood made it very clear he had failed.

Cold Stone froze for a second as mortal terror filled her. Hard Helmet was dead. Savagely attacked and killed by something… but wait, wasn’t he standing just next to her?

A flash went off right next to her face. Slowly, moving at a speed even a snail would laugh at, Cold Stone turned to the pony next to her. She didn’t have a second to scream as glowing blue eyes consumed her vision, and a fanged jaw tore into her throat.

Quill Pusher looked up from her clipboard as several inequine screeches flooded the mine. Ponies every stopped and looked around in panic, while several guard armed themselves and got into attack positions.

Quill clumsily tried to turn about, but the biohazard suit she wore made movement difficult. She felt a pull her close as Lieutenant Cheat Code moved her behind him while he grabbed his sword in his mouth.

Suddenly, a dozen green magic bursts zoomed through the cave. But instead of targeting the panicking miners, each blast targeted one of the mounted lights on the ceiling, or hooked up to portable mystech generators near the dig zones.

Instantly the cave was flooded with darkness. Several horns lit up with multiple colors, as the unicorn miners all ignited their horns to try and compensate. However this lasted only a moment as ponies began screaming in the dark.

Screeching echoed everywhere and flashes of green fire and magic slashed through the blackness. Unseen ponies suddenly found themselves under attack. The glowing horns rapidly started going out as dozens of hidden attackers struck them down.

Quill Pusher started to hyperventilate, when she was shoved backwards. Cheat Code looked at her fiercely as he pulled his sword into his hooves to free his mouth.

“Quickly get to safety! The guards should already moving into help, but warn anypony else you can! Get back to Canterlot and warn the royalty! Go NOW!”

The young mare didn’t need to be told twice. Tail between her legs she bolted out of the exit. She saw guards all moving into position and immediately sought to get behind them.

She turned back to look at Lieutenant Cheat Code only to scream in horror as she saw him impaled on the jagged horn or a monstrous equine like monster. Its eyes glowed blue in the dark and blood dripped freely from its fangs.

She turned to the approaching guards to shout for help when her whole body went cold. A sword was impaled through her chest, shooting out through her back. Numbness spread all over her. She looked up, blood gushing from her mouth at the guard who had just stabbed her.

His whole face was a glare for a few seconds. Then a burst of green flame consumed him. The last things she saw as the life left her was the monstrous bug-like creature before, blood from a dead guard covering his carapace.

Canterlot was quiet and peaceful, the midnight hour harkening softer shades that were by starlight then revealed. The busy day-to-day bustle had slowed, the city lights softened to gentle glows like candlelight, but even late into the night did life and excitement continue.

The Canterlot’s recently restored New Moon Theater had reopened after a flooding accident in the midst of a singing competition, and Princess Luna had started a donation to have the theater restored, and the manager had been so grateful he’d renamed it in her honor. Restaurant Row seemed to be taking on a new trend as some bigwig food critic Zesty Gourmand was beginning to make a name for herself. To Luna’s delight, more and more Lunar Ponies were re-integrating with Equestria after spending centuries in isolation over at the Shetland Isles. Although most of them continued to sign up for her Lunar Guard it gladdened her that they were making more efforts to be a part of Equestria again and their efforts doing so were slowly but surely paying off.

Still, even in Canterlot the nightlife was not without its darkness, as hookers strolled the streets, offering to show some stallions “a good time”, and despite the efforts the Guard made to quell their activities they would just move on to different streets. They had to, otherwise their pimps would beat the hay out of them if they didn’t bring in enough bits. Then of course there were the sleazes and cheating husbands who took them up on their offers. Or worse.

Looking down upon her city from the balcony outside her bedchambers, high above the apparent utopia had been her home for almost a thousand years after she had been forced to banish her sister, Celestia was moved by the beauty yet perturbed by the thorns hidden among the petals of this society she watched bloom after she’d founded the city of Canterlot on Mount Canterhorn. To the masses of average ponies, Canterlot was a shining jewel that radiated an ideal of greatness and harmony.

Celestia knew better.

“You have arrived,” she said in a quiet voice, hearing him slink down from the awning over the balcony, and she turned to face him as he lowered the hood of his cloak.

“I’ve been to see him,” Midnight reported, sounding serious yet relieved. “He now faces what could be his last chance to be a better pony.”

“Thank you, Midnight, for giving him that chance,” Celestia gave him a warm smile, which seemed to make her nephew avoid her gaze with an uncomfortable look in his eyes.
“Is something wrong?”

“...Blood was spilled,” Midnight answered, Celestia saying nothing as he continued. “You can cross the Mad Dog of Snarleton off the Equestria’s Most Wanted list, and the crime families of Manehatten and Cloudsdale are going to be in disarray.”

“...How many?” Celestia asked.

“Eight,” Midnight confirmed.

For a few long moments, neither of them said anything when-

*SNORRRRE*

The loud noise startled them both but Celestia raised a calming hoof and looked into her bedchambers. Midnight followed her line of sight and couldn’t help but chuckle to see his master, Prince Sombra, sleeping in a haphazard position on the bed, a line of drool falling onto his pillow and his bushy black mane a mess. The sight of Sombra like this invoked a relieving laugh between Midnight and Celestia though they made sure to be quiet so as not to wake Sombra.

With the tension deflated, it made it easier to talk as Celestia asked, “So then, other than the Mad Dog, the other seven… How many of them were from the crime-families?”

“Two each, with the remaining three having been among Hossmane’s top subordinates,” Midnight explained, the discomfort returning, “all of them having committed crimes that would have put them in prison for the rest of their miserable lives, some of their crimes made them deserving of the death penalty.”

“You know the death penalty was abolished two hundred years ago,” Celestia reminded him, but he kept going.

“The four that came from the crime families, they were all high-ranking, and their absences will cause confusion in both families but they won’t be missed from the public, so that’s something. Hossmane has his deadline to come forward, confess, and make amends for his crimes otherwise he will be brought in and charged to the fullest extent of the law.

“Regardless of the outcome, his company’s assets will be liquidated, his employees will be given very generous severance packages after the company is shut down, and most of the profits will go into charities and given to ponies whom Hossmane and his company have wronged. All of Hossmane’s associates who’d been in on his crimes will be held accountable alongside him though leniency will be allowed to those who testify against Hossmane’s criminal associates or offer intel on criminal activities in Equestria.”

Seeing Midnight wasn’t out simply to destroy Hossmane and his company but was also thinking of all else who would be affected by it and had already planned how to handle the aftermath to insure nopony innocent would have their livelihoods ruined, Celestia smiled with warm pride and said, “You are becoming wiser with this sense of foresight, Midnight. I had almost feared you were out simply to destroy one pony and that you were not considering who else might be affected.”

“You can thank your husband for that,” Midnight felt his heart ease a little, glad Celestia was not displeased with him, when he let out a yawn.
“But now… I think it’s time to turn in.”

“I agree,” Celestia invited him inside, “your old room is fully furnished unless you’re planning to take a late train to Ponyville.”

“Actually, I think I’ll take you up on that offer,” Midnight lit up his horn, his cloak dispersing into smoke that was sucked into a saddlebag he had worn around his barrel underneath it.

He followed Celestia through her and Sombra’s bedchambers, Midnight tip-hoofing as he didn’t want to wake his master up, and stepped into the hallway before facing Celestia.

“Thank you again, Midnight,” Celestia placed an affectionate hoof onto Midnight’s cheek, even as he seemed uncomfortable looking at her.
“I know how much you give to protect Equestria and its citizens. I just wish that-”

“There’s no need to thank me, Your Highness,” Midnight replied in a voice somber and hesitating.
“I chose this duty and bear the burden it comes with so that others will not have to. It can be a thankless job, but… every reward, however small, makes it worthwhile.”

Deciding to move onto happier topics, Celestia asked, “I believe a certain little brother has a birthday coming up, yes?”

That query filled Midnight with a strange mixture of happiness and hesitation, “That’s right. Tomorrow evening, I’m gonna host Twinken’s birthday. His real birthday… and I’m gonna tell him the truth, and the whole story he didn’t hear after that incident with the Whisperer and the moon.”

“Yet there is something bothering you,” Celestia noted.

“There is, I- I… Celestia, what I’m planning to tell Twinken?” Midnight said, sounding nervous, “The fact that we truly are brothers, that our father left us and our mother is in an enchanted sleep? But worst of all, that I left him in an orphanage because I had to preserve the history my past self experienced with Twinken in Ponyville! I just…”

Midnight sighed and looked down, shamefully, “What’s he gonna think of me afterwards?”

Celestia took Midnight’s cheek in her hoof again and gently made him look at her, “You’re his brother, he loves you!”

“As far as he knows, he was left in an orphanage, he thinks we’re just adopted brothers, and… I should have told him the whole story sooner, I just…!” Midnight looked so troubled when he felt Celestia embrace him with her wings.

“Whatever happens, Midnight, as hard as the truth may be for Twinken to hear or what might come between the two of you, nothing will ever truly break the bond that you two brothers share.”

Midnight couldn’t help it. He felt like a colt again, especially in the way this bigger pony embraced him with a mother’s love, and he shed tears as he returned the hug. For a while they stayed that way before they let go as Midnight gazed up at Celestia with a teary look of appreciation, which she returned with her radiant loving gaze as she wiped the tears on his face away with her wing.

“I should know! To save the entire world I was forced to banish my sister to the moon for a thousand years. I spent that entire millennia punishing myself by appearing the perfect princess who ruled with a firm yet guiding hoof and could do no wrong. But really, I couldn’t have been more flawed. I had my insecurities, my doubts, and my own moments of weakness, and I didn’t do enough to protect my little ponies from the worst enemies a society can have, the ones that dwell within its borders.

“I held onto the hope that my sister and my love would be returned and redeemed like a lifeline, and those few occasions in history when I saw you helped me more than you realize! And now, I have my whole family together again, and I have you and Twilight and all of your friends to thank. The bond between Luna and I is stronger than it ever was before. If a bond between siblings can overcome what mine and Luna’s did, the brotherhood you and Twinken share can do so as well.”

Midnight finally cracked a smile for Celestia (a small one but still) but couldn’t help another yawn, making Celestia giggle.

“I think it’s time we both got some sleep. You remember the way to your room?”

“I remember,” Midnight assured as he started down the hall, but paused. He looked hesitantly at Celestia, who smiled warmly at him as he bade her, “Good night.”

“Pleasant dreams,” she returned and watched him proceed down the hall until he was swallowed up by the shadows of the darkened way.

Early mornings in Canterlot were surprisingly slow for a royal capitol. This was because most of the noble ponies, unless they had some big important job or party to get to, weren’t early-risers.

As a matter of fact, most of Joe’s customers in the morning were Canterlot University students stopping by for a cup of coffee or a quick breakfast before they had to get to their morning classes. Regardless of who they were, Joe always took pride in seeing the smiles of his satisfied customers after they enjoyed one of his delicious doughnuts or slaked their thirst with some of his coffees, mochas, or smoothies.

Many times some business-pony had approached Joe and offered to buy his shop or even his recipes but Joe always turned them down. He enjoyed his life and his business and had no plans to retire.

But lately, Joe had been feeling oddly lonely. Ever since his older sister and her family had up and moved away, Joe hadn’t really had anyone. He had a few good friends who he saw every other weekend for poker night or to watch a hoofball game with on TV, he’d been in a few relationships but they never went anywhere; it just felt like there was a void in him that didn’t appear until his family had left. He’d wondered every now and then where his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew had all moved to. There had been a few letters he’d gotten from them but one day that just stopped. He hadn’t heard from any of them in ten years!

And yet… it was as if every time he considered looking them up or thinking too much about them, it was as if something popped into his head to change his focus of interest.

But, time didn’t wait, and it was almost time to open his doors. Joe opened his oven and levitated out his latest batch of doughnuts and pastries, taking in a deep whiff of the freshly-baked goodness.

Sighing in satisfaction, Joe said, “An’ now to get you ladies all ice and pretty, ha-ha!”

He levitated a pastry bag fat with icing and prepared to glaze his pastries when he heard a commotion outside.
“What th- What’s all th’ hubbub so early in the morning?”

Joe set the pastry bag down and stepped towards the glass doors of his shop and saw several ponies out and about. Most of them were business-ponies who had early appointments aside from a few morning joggers out getting their miles. But all of them were gabbing and pointing to, much to Joe’s surprise, Prince Midnight Blaze!

The sapphire blue alicorn was out walking on the streets as if he were an average pony!

“Huh! Guess even them royals need to get out o’ them stuffy castles,” Joe commented when he noticed Midnight look his way.

Joe wondered if he was about to get a royal customer when they made eye-contact. Midnight seemed to flinch before suddenly breaking eye contact and speeding up his walk.

At first, Joe was miffed, thinking, What, he think he’s too good t’ be seen in my shop!

But then something stirred in Joe’s head. A strange sense of familiarity as he thought of Midnight’s face and the way he seemed to recognize the doughnut shopkeep.

“Why… why do I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before?” Joe wondered aloud.

Although he knew he was about to open for the day, something in Joe compelled him to satisfy this strange curiosity he suddenly had in Midnight. He cast a food preserving spell on the doughnuts he’d been about to ice, kept the ‘Sorry we’re closed’ sign where it was, and locked his doors as he hurried down the street he saw Midnight take.

Thankfully, Midnight hadn’t gotten far but the way he’d reacted to Joe compelled the baker to stay out of sight, as he followed the prince. Thankfully, the passerby outside made it easier for Joe to follow without being noticed, as Midnight seemed to pay the onlookers with little interest. Even stranger, every time somepony worked up the nerve to get closer to Midnight and maybe say something they suddenly lost that nerve and fell back. Joe was never the best student in magic when he was a colt but he’d learned enough to recognize a ward when he sensed one, given the way his horn tickled, as if responding to how he was focusing so much on the alicorn prince.

Midnight had some kind of ward that bewitched ponies that got too close to suddenly step back out of some instilled feeling of nervousness.

Not even the Royal Guards who were out on morning patrols approached the prince.

Who is this guy? Joe wondered as he continued to follow the prince. What is it about him that’s so… so familiar?

Granted, Joe had seen Prince Midnight Blaze before but never up close. Okay, there was that one time a while back during the Grand Galloping Gala Midnight had come to his doughnut shop. But back then, Midnight hadn’t become an alicorn yet. There was also that time when he’d tried expanding his business on the Friendship Express where he’d been selling some of his baked goods on the trolley… and gotten messed up by a bunch of random pets that he’d demanded compensation from Spike the dragon. The next day he’d regaled that little incident with a passenger with whom he’d been shooting the breeze and he heard somepony laugh and looked in time to see Prince Midnight Blaze leave for the next car on the train.

But now all of a sudden, seeing him so close like this, the way the prince had reacted to their eyes meeting, and this strange feeling he felt that he knew Midnight somehow, Joe had to find out for sure!

His trailing of Midnight brought them both to Canterlot General Hospital, What’s he doin’ here…?

Joe made sure not to follow too closely, waiting a few moments after Midnight stepped through the doors to go in. He just barely managed to enter in time to see Midnight’s long lion-like tail slip around a corner. Joe had to be even more careful now, as he gave the receptionist at the front the slip, and noticed a pony pushing a cartful of laundry. Thinking fast, he nicked a doctor’s coat from the cart and slipped it on while taking off his deli hat and stowing it into a coat pocket, hoping this would allow him to move through the halls of the hospital with less suspicion.

“Alright, now… where’d you go?” Joe whispered and looked around… only to find Midnight was gone!
“Darn it! He’s gotta be around here somewheres!”

Joe wandered the halls a moment when he bumped into a unicorn mare doctor, making her drop her levitated clipboard.

“Oh! Uh- Sorry there… doctor!” Joe apologized, feeling like a klutz as he levitated the doctor her clipboard.

She gave him a look, accepted her clipboard back, and simply said with a nod, “Doctor” and moved along. Joe phew’d in relief, glad his foresight had worked, and continued looking around the halls. He peered carefully into a few hospital rooms, hoping Midnight would be in one of them, but nothing doing.

“Aw! He must be gone already!” Joe groaned as he approached another room and peered in.

He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw who was lying in the bed. Carefully, he opened the door all the way and approached the bed’s occupant, a unicorn mare with a creamy-white coat, her mane, a soft azure blue with a baby-blue highlight, spread across her pillow.

She looked like her, but Joe had to be sure. Looking out the room and satisfied to see the hall was empty, he turned back towards the mare and gently tugged back her blanket with his telekinetic aura. There it was, her cutie-mark!

An open storybook with a blue star on the cover and a golden ribbon as a bookmark.

“Faerie Tail!” Joe whispered in shock.

His sister!

As the train pulled into the Ponyville Station, Midnight placed the lid onto the the little box in his hoof, making sure the ribbon was straight, and calming himself for the events that would take place this evening, the truths he would finally tell. Not only to Twinken, but to Twilight, and the rest of his friends. However, he couldn’t get Joe out of his mind. Passing by his doughnut shop had been a mistake, a mistake he hoped wouldn’t come back to haunt him.

The slowing of the train and the hissing of steam snapped him out of it, and he looked out the window to see the welcome sight of Ponyville. But it was who was waiting for him on the train platform that caught his attention, causing him to smile as he stood up and stepped over to the train doors. The train finally came to a stop, the conductor announcing their arrival in Ponyville, and as soon as the doors opened, Midnight rushed out, embraced his Twilight and happily gave her a deep kiss.

“Aww!!”

The prince and his princess parted their lips and looked to see Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity, as well as Blueblood and Thunderlane watching them, along with a few other ponies on the platform.

Giggling at her coltfriend’s surprise, Twilight said, “Welcome home, Midnight! I missed you!”

“Heh-ha, not as much as I’ve missed you!” Midnight growled playfully before giving Twilight another kiss but more gentle.

“It’s super-duper-tastic to have you back, Midnight!” Pinkie popped up beside them as her mouth began to run a million miles per hour.
“Where’d-ya-go?!-What’d-ya-do?-Didja-make-new-friends?-Didja-have-fun?-Bring-souvenirs?-Didjoo-get-taller?-Didja-”

Midnight stopped Pinkie by covering her mouth with his tail, saying, “Manehatten. Brought some bad guys to justice. No, but I caught up with some old colleagues. I actually enjoyed myself a bit. No souvenirs, and… Huh, I dunno. I don’t feel taller.”

The others laughed as Pinkie spat out the hairs from the tip of Midnight’s lion-like tail but before she could say anything else, Midnight asked, “But speaking of growing, did you and Cheese get my letter?”

“Letter?” Twilight echoed curiously as she looked to Pinkie.

“We did indeedidy-doo! Operation SBLB is underway!” Pinkie said while giving a salute.

“SBLB? Whatever does that stand for?” Rarity asked, only to get a weird look from Midnight and Pinkie.

“Surprise Birthday for Little Brother, duh!” Pinkie answered, Midnight nodding.

“Oh! You’re preparing a surprise birthday for Twinken?” Fluttershy asked, “That sounds wonderful! Say Midnight, do you think Twinken would like a pet of his own as a birthday present?”

“Hmm, well, he has been interested in his own pet,” Midnight considered, “but I don’t know what kind of pet he’d like.”

“Hold on a moment,” Blueblood spoke up, “didn’t we celebrate Twinken’s birthday, what was it… four months ago?”

“That wasn’t his real birthday,” Midnight corrected, “it was the day I… left him at the orphanage when he was a baby…”

“Hold on, does this mean what I think it means?” Thunderlane asked, all eyes on Midnight.

Midnight nodded with a sigh, and explained, “This evening, at the party, I’m gonna tell Twinken the whole story, the whole truth. That I really am his brother, not his adoptive brother, and tell him the rest of my story that he slept through after the incident with the Whisperer and the Moon when Twilight became an alicorn.”

“That sounds like it’s not gonna be easy, Midnight,” Twilight said in concern, Midnight hugging her to his side with his wing.

“No. But the truth is long overdue,” Midnight acknowledged, hoping Twilight would be this supportive when he told her and the rest of their friends the truth. He then looked to Pinkie and asked, “So, Pinks, ya think you and Cheese can make the perfect surprise party for Twinken this evening?”

“I dunno! Why don’cha ask Cheese over there?” Pinkie pointed down the way and everypony looked to see Cheese’s silhouette behind a curtain as he appeared to be tinkering with his party-cannon.

Figaro! Figaro, figaro, figaro, figaro…!

“With you in a minute!” Cheese called before poking his head out from behind the curtain, “Just got a few bugs to work out here!”

Then all of a sudden, a swarm of moths flew out from behind the curtain, Cheese swatting at them, saying, “Go on, shoo! Shoo!”

“Ha! That pony drives me crazy!” Midnight chuckled, everypony laughing with him as he added, “In a good way.”

“No worries, Midnight!” Cheese said as he pushed the curtain back, revealing himself garbed in a show-pony outfit, complete with a boater hat and striped vest.
“Tonight, your kid bro’s gonna have a birthday to remember! Or my name isn’t Cheese Sandwich!”

Cheese then whipped out a unicycle, going for a ride, and a one-pony band with an accordion as the main instrument, as he began to play a bouncy tune, a balloon tied to his tail that read ‘I am indifferent to your disapproval’, and he then began to sing.

A brother is planning a memorable fest!
(He tossed a couple balls about, which exploded into confetti, making a few ponies jump)
His mission, it calls for some party pony zest!
(Cheese skid along the path, sliding under a mare’s fruit cart while nicking a kiwi and giving her a wink, making her giggle)
What I detect is a hint of respect

A love for one precious and dear!
(Cheese then leapt onto a trampoline and span, balloon animals being scattered and falling into the hooves of random ponies, making them smile)
III am the musical maker of fun gone wild!
But my buds call me Cheese!
(He then landed in a giant bowl of his patented Brie Fondue Delight and then leapt out, clean as a whistle, a mail bag hanging from his barrel)
I have a message:
“Everyone’s welcome!
Make sure your present!
Did you notice that small pun?
(He threw invitations out of the bag, which were coincidentally blown into the hooves of random ponies and foals)

La la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la!
(He played his accordion along with the melody of the song)

You know I’m greater
So don’t be a hater
You may think I’m drastic
But I am fanTASTIC!
(He took out a bullhorn as he stood next to the Flower Ponies, Roseluck, Lily Valley, and Daisy and pointed it skyward)

FIIIIIIGARO!
(He tossed the bullhorn away and cupped his hoof behind his ear and everypony heard Cheese’s voice as a fading echo)

Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Figaro, Fi…. gar… O!!!

Cheese leaned next to Roseluck (to her weird-outtedness), sighing, “Oh... Love that bit!”

He then took one of her roses, set it into her mane, making her giggle with a blush, and then he continued with a dance, bouncing all over the place.

Running
And climbing
And ducking
And diving
And spinning
And grinning
And jumping
And sliding
And gliding
And bringing some smiles
And these are a few of the things that I do before lunch!

Rule defying! (Cheese danced on some grass in blatant defiance of a nearby ‘Do not step on the grass’ sign)
Danger denying! (Cheese somersaulted, looking like a brown and orange ball that rolled up a random ramp)
Look I’m flying! (He sailed through the air, poised like he was lounging while waving a hoof...)
You might think I’m nuts, but hey!
You only live once!
(and landed safely in a wagonful of hay being pulled by Big Mac who took it in stride and just kept going as Cheese popped out and continued to make a clown of himself)

No need to thank me,
But if you insist
I won’t resist!

WHO SMELLS LIKE-

“CHEESE!” Pinkie popped up, putting her hoof on Cheese’s mouth, phew’ing to have caught him in the nick of time as she said, “There are children present!”

“Oh, forry,” Cheese mumbled under Pinkie’s hoof before he said in a funny voice, “Hold onto your butts…!”

Then everypony gasped in horror of the hee-uge Party Bomb Cheese had behind him as he pulled the cord, signaling it was about to go off.

Class… DIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSS….

Everypony screamed as they ran but it was no use. The Party Bomb went off, a mushroom cloud of confetti, balloons, and glitter arising over Ponyville that could be seen for miles around. As the mess settled, everypony in town looked bewildered, scattered about in bedraggled heaps covered in confetti, streamers, and glitter when Cheese popped out of nowhere onto the top of the statue of the local fountain.

-MIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSED!!!!

Sighing after a good song, Cheese held out his hoof and randomly caught a milkshake that had been blown out of somepony’s hoof and took a sip while Pinkie pulled the messy scene away as though she were turning a page, leaving a fresh and tidy Ponyville in its wake with no sign of any party mess having been there at all.

Everypony stood in a stupor, not really sure what had just happened. Until Midnight shrugged with a smile, “Yeah, I think they’ve got this.”

Author's Note

The opening with the mine and the workers getting killed was done by Pontiac56; I did the rest and the editing

What the workers were mining for is something I made up; Energems

Energems are gemstones and crystals that naturally contain magic, and the different gems and stones yield different magical properties and capabilities. There artificial Energems, which are just gems and crystals that are imbued with magic by unicorns but natural Energems last longer and are stronger in raw magical power, kinda like batteries

Energems form over long periods of time (decades or centuries) from ambient mana that is generated randomly from living things, like animals or plants. Because this ambient mana is so thin and residual, and because it all comes from all sorts of different life-forms it takes time for ambient mana of matching types to collect.

Gemstones and crystals are perfect containers of magical energy, which is why ambient mana is drawn to them. The different types of ambient mana pools into specific types of gems or crystals, which is what causes them to have specific properties that differentiate them from each other. If enough mana collects in the same vein or cut of gems, it causes the magic to crystalize and the gems or crystals to "grow" larger and larger, increasing in quality as well as raw power that cannot act on its own without a catalyst

Due to the different ambient magicks exuded from the gems and crystals, special care has to be taken during the mining and forging stages. While most gems contain very minute traces of magic or completely non-lethal magical properties, sometimes dangerous magical properties or very high doses of magic can be absorbed which can be dangerous to ponies and other species.
Because of this, the energem mining operations are all handled with great care and all operations are recruitment processes are selected and monitored by the crown or chosen nobility. However due to the vast uses for energems, an underground market exists for ponies to purchase the more shady items the gems power, along with secret mining operations that aren't sanctioned or monitored by the crown.

The vast uses of the energem crystals in the day to day lives of Equestrians has heavily linked their operation sales with the Equestrian economy. The other nations outside of Equestria are well aware of this fact and are very careful about the trading they have with Equestria so they do not find themselves losing a valuable resource.

There are energems that yield dark magic, but they are called Dark Crystals; we'll discuss those another time

Anyway, what's happening now is the first stage of what will lead to the proverbial horseapples hitting the fan; and as for the end where cheese Sandwich sang; I got the idea from Buck in "Ice Age Collision Course" :pinkiehappy:

That weasel is insanely funny!

219. The Loss of Faith - Part 2

At Midnight’s words, his friends all laughed some more, Pinkie and Cheese coming over, as Pinkie asked, “So Midnight! Ya wanna come see what me and Cheese got planned for Twinken? I got cupcakes!”

“Thanks, Pinkie, but…” Midnight looked towards the Ponyville Clock tower, “I have to swing by the schoolhouse. I have a lecture to give Cheerilee’s class.”

“A lecture?” Twilight asked, her interest piqued. “On what?”

“If you wanna attend, by all means!” Midnight invited and the way Twilight flashed her horn and made a notebook and quill and inkwell appear told him she accepted.
“So, Cheese, Pinkie, the party will be this evening. Twi? Do you mind if we have it at the library?”

“Not at all,” Twilight obliged, “but let’s go! We don’t want you to be late!”

“See you all this evening at the party, everypony!” Midnight waved with his wing as he and Twilight trotted off.

Pinkie, Cheese, Blueblood, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Thunderlane all said their see-ya-laters when Rarity gasped, “I-DEA!! Twinken would look simply debonair in this colt-sized suit design I’ve been tinkering with!”

“Oh, whatever you make for Twinken, Rarity, I’m sure he’ll look just adorable,” Fluttershy encouraged, “but I do wonder what kind of pet Twinken would like.”

“Why don’cha give him an invite to your cottage where he can choose on for himself, Flutters?” Thunderlane suggested.

“Oh Thundy, that’s perfect! I’d better get over there and prepare the little darlings, bye-bye!” Fluttershy took flight as softly as a dandelion seed.

“And you, Thunderlane?” Blueblood inquired, “What sort of gift might you have in mind for Twinken?”

“Hmm, not sure yet,” Thunderlane scratched his chin with his hoof before shrugging, “but I’m sure it’ll come to me. Later!”

Thunderlane took flight like a gale, causing Rarity and Blueblood’s manes to get messed up.

“Ugh! Thunderlane!” Rarity complained, Blueblood sighing in mild irritation at the disheveled part of his mane covering his eyes.

As they made their way to the schoolhouse, Twilight asked, “C’mon, Midnight, what kind of lecture are you gonna give the class? Maybe I could assist!”

“I’m making this lecture myself, Twily,” Midnight said firmly but smiled at her enthusiasm, “but I will tell you it has to do with Cheerilee’s study plan for her students this week. The subject is social studies.”

“Ooh! Mayhaps it pertains to Friendship?” Twilight probed with a spark in her eyes that actually made Midnight uncomfortable.

“...Nnno,” Midnight said hesitantly, “it’s… something… unusual, that’s the last you’re gonna get.”

“Aww!” Twilight sounded like a pouty filly but she understood the desire to impart your knowledge to others in your own way.

By the time they arrived at the Ponyville Schoolhouse, it was close to noon. They approached the door, Midnight asking, “So where are you gonna sit? By Cheerilee or in the back?”

“I think I’ll take the back,” Twilight decided, “that way the students will be more focused on you.”

Midnight gave her a grateful smile before knocking on the door. They could hear a little foalish chatter and sure enough the door opened to reveal Cheerilee, her face brightening to see who it was.

“Prince Midnight! And Princess Twilight too,” Cheerilee welcomed them in and addressed her class, “Alright, my little ponies! Please quiet down and be sure to pay attention. We have a couple of very important guests visiting us today.

“Please give a nice welcome to their Royal Highnesses, Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight.”

“Hello, Your Highnesses!” the class all said like good little colts and fillies, their eyes lighting up and their smiles stretching from ear to ear.

“Hello, everypony,” Midnight replied, giving Twinken a direct smile as he stepped up in front of the chalkboard while Twilight went to stand in the back of the class and Cheerilee sat at her desk.
“Now, as I understand it, your teacher, Miss Cheerilee, is planning some social studies work for you this week. I’ve had a word with her, and she’s obliged my request to visit you all today so I can give you a very interesting lecture.

“What we’re going to discuss from this lecture, my little ponies, is something that might be a little difficult to understand. Be that as it may, I feel that even little ones like you all should be made aware of what I’m about to tell you. But before we get to that, I must ask:

“Has anypony here (not counting you, Twilight) ever heard of the word ‘corruption’ and have any idea what it means?”

The colts and fillies all looked at each other unsure and murmuring, which wasn’t a surprise to Midnight. He did notice the confused look Twilight was giving him but then somepony raised their hoof.

“You?” Midnight called and saw it was Silver Spoon.

The little gray earth pony filly pushed her glasses into place as she hesitantly said, “Well… one time my dad came home, he was really upset because he said somepony had… stabbed him in the back. It really scared me and I ran to hug him, asking if he was okay and if we should get a doctor.

“Daddy calmed me down and said it was an expression. He said some… corrupt pony had… broken a deal he’d made with him.”

“Well, your daddy was probably cheated on a business deal, Silver Spoon,” Midnight clarified before he addressed the whole class. “Corruption, my little ponies, is what happens when someone in a position of power or influence puts their own personal gain before the interests of the people they represent.”

His horn lit up and the class watched as the chalkboard was overlaid with light, and they saw the image of somepony standing on a pedestal, surrounded by stars and dollar signs, above ponies scrounging in dirt, looking hungry and glaring up at the pony above them.

“So…” Dinky spoke up, “It’s something that happens when somepony’s greedy?”

“Yes,” Midnight nodded while pointing at her for getting the basic idea, “A leader disregards the difference between right and wrong for the sake of money or power. Entire nations have collapsed into chaos or revolution because their self-serving higher-ups got caught up in a cycle of bribery and blackmail while their people suffered.”

Midnight's words were illustrated on the board of light, showing images of a city being thrown into social bedlam, chaos in the streets, and ponies running about in panic or looting, without order or safety.

“Does that mean most national leaders are corrupt?” Rumble asked, sounding concerned.

“Well… no,” Midnight hesitated but regained his firm tone as he said, “But the point is, the temptation to abuse your power for your own self-interests is always there, and citizens must be vigilant so that corruption can’t take root.

“The deadliest enemies of a society are not outside its borders but within, and it’s from these internal threats the people need to be protected.”

“But… don’t the laws say you’re supposed to listen to your leaders?” Button Mash asked. “My big brother once told me disobeying your commanding officer is… is… Treason! That’s what he said!”

“It’s the responsibility of every citizen to challenge their leaders,” Midnight clarified while gesturing to the class and making the images of light vanish. “To keep them honest, and to hold them accountable if they’re not!”

“How do you do that?” Twinken asked.

“By exposing corrupt officials for what they are,” Midnight answered before emphasizing to the class, “Peace and justice start with each and every one of us, and we make it last by standing by those ideals in the face of temptation and greed. Remember this, my little ponies, lasting change can only come from within!”

The colts and fillies were in awe, whispering in admiration while Twilight had mixed feelings about Midnight’s lecture. One one hoof, she agreed with Midnight’s words at the end of his lecture about adhering to the ideals of peace and justice. However, the way he’d talked about the temptation to abuse one’s power, it was as if he was saying nopony was beyond corruption.
He can’t possibly think Princess Celestia would-

“Alright, my little ponies!” Cheerilee spoke up, breaking Twilight’s train of thought, “Before I dismiss you for lunchtime, let’s first give a thank-you to Midnight for that very enlightening lecture.”

“Thank you, Prince Midnight!”

“And now, everypony,” Cheerilee continued, “during lunch, I’d like for you to consider Midnight’s lecture because when you come back from lunch we’re gonna dive into a little history. Enjoy lunch, everypony!”

The school bell rang, and the colts and fillies flooded out the door, Midnight and Twilight barely able to squeeze out. They could hear the students all talking about the lecture, sounding a little confused by it but interested all the same. As Midnight and Twilight stepped further out onto the path to get out of the foals’ way, Twilight was hesitant but then said, “Midnight, your lecture… Um, it was… very well thought-out and worded, but…”

“Hmm?” Midnight looked at Twilight, inviting her to voice her concerns.

“Well, the things is, what you said earlier about the temptat-”

“BIG BROTHER!”

Midnight was tackled by a little unicorn colt of soft indigo with a brandeis blue mane, making him laugh as the rest of the Crusaders hurried over, chattering about the lecture. Twilight sighed, a tad irritated she’d been interrupted but seeing Midnight and Twinken laugh together was something she couldn’t help smiling at. It reminded her warmly of how she used to play with Shining Armor when she was a filly.

“Midnight, that lecture was soooo cool!” Twinken got starry-eyed.
“Eh, not as cool as watching Rainbow Dash, but-” Scootaloo made the so-&-so gesture with her hoof.
“It reminded me of the Earl Immoral boss from one of my favorite games!” Button Mash interrupted.

“Uh, kids, I kinda need to-” Twilight tried to say but Twinken spoke.

“Hey Midnight, wanna have lunch with us? We’re gonna get a quick pizza from Mrs. Spice.”

“Sorry, kids, but I have to go,” Midnight chuckled as he stood up and set Twinken down on his own hooves.

“Awww!” the Crusaders chorused.

“W-wait, Midnight, where are you going?!” Twilight still wanted to talk to him.

“I have to take care of a few things before this evening,” Midnight winked at her and Twilight sighed as she got the idea that Midnight had to handle some things before Twinken’s surprise birthday party at the library.

“Twinken, after school, why don’t you and the rest of the Crusaders come by the library this evening?” Midnight invited. “I think Twilight and I wanna combine Twilight Time and Midnight Hour so all six of you can have some special lessons from us together.”

“Tha’ sounds great!” Apple Bloom cheered, the rest of the Crusaders YAY-ing in agreement.

As the Crusaders got excited and chattered, Midnight gave a thankful nod to Twilight and she couldn’t help but smile at his appreciation. He stepped over to her and gave her a smooch before whispering, “See you at the party, and thanks!”

“Sure, but could we-” Twilight tried to say but-

*FLASH*

Wow… that is really annoying when it’s the other way around.

Birds, dogs, cats, squirrels, ferrets, frogs, butterflies, ladybugs, even Harry the Bear, all of Fluttershy’s little friends, furry, feathery, or whatever the case may be, were happy to see her. Ever since Fluttershy and her husband Big Mac had moved into the house Midnight had given them as a wedding present, she’d converted her old cottage near the Everfree Forest into a full-blown animal clinic. She still had a bedroom there, which she used every so often to be close to any of her patients that might need close care, but nowadays she didn’t spend quite as much time with all her animal friends as she used to.

At least twice every day but often more, Fluttershy stopped by the cottage, making sure all her critters were fed, watered, and doing well. It had been quite a transition from her normal routine, but Fluttershy loved spending time with Big Mac just as much as she did her animals.

Perhaps just a smidge more so, especially when they had their… intimate nights.

Even so, that didn’t stop her from being the kind and devoted caregiver of animals she loved being.

“Okay, little friends, line up now,” Fluttershy asked politely, and being the little sweethearts they were to Fluttershy, the animals and birds all stood at attention, as she paced in front of them.
“Today is Twinken’s birthday! We’re having a party for him this evening, and his big brother Midnight has given his blessing that Twinken can finally have his own pet as a birthday present from me.

“That being said, however, I would be remiss if I just brought Twinken and allowed him to choose one of you as his new pet without giving you notice! So, does anyone here have any doubts about being chosen as Twinken’s pet? Before you answer that, just know that Twinken is the nicest and most thoughtful little colt. I would count any one of you lucky to be his pet.”

The animals and birds and even some insects all chattered in their own crittery language, some sounding excited, others nervous.

“Now, at the very least,” Fluttershy spoke up as she held a picnic basket, “you have until at least tomorrow to decide whether or not you would like to be chosen as Twinken’s new pet. Tonight at his birthday party, I’m going to give him a birthday card that says he can come by anytime he likes to choose whatever little bird or critter he would like to be his pet. So, for today, let’s have a nice little picnic by the brook.”

The animals all cheered and then followed Fluttershy to the nearby babbling brook, and waited patiently as she set out the picnic blanket and the food. Fluttershy had taken her animals out on lots of picnics and other outdoor activities. She moved with grace and precision, not fast but not slow either. Yet, she took a stack of food bowls and nimbly set them all out and filled them with her own special blend of animal food in quick-succession, hung some bird-feeders she’d already filled with birdseed, all-around making sure everyone had something to eat.

Phewing as she wiped her brow with her hoof, she was glad the last food bowl was filled, and watched lovingly as each one of her animal friends enjoyed their food. Settling down on the blanket, she pulled out a daffodil and daisy sandwich and a thermos of apple juice.

Mmming with anticipation, she was about to take her first bite… when a carrot stick was thrown into her face, Fluttershy EEPing as the vittle nearly poked her in the eye.
“Huh? What did…?”

Setting down her sandwich, Fluttershy looked at the carrot stick but it was a familiar sound of a foot tapping that made her sigh and looked around to see Angel Bunny giving her the stink eye as he stood by one of the food bowls. This one was filled with a nice and crisp salad of greens, carrot sticks, and even apple slices for a little sweetness.

“Angel Bunny, whatever’s the matter?” Fluttershy asked. When Angel pulled a familiar cookbook from behind the picnic basket and turned to an equally familiar page featuring the picture of a certain fancy-looking salad, Fluttershy sighed, muttering, “Not this again…”

Aloud, she said, “Now Angel, we’ve been over this before. The salads I make for you and the other bunnies and squirrels and veggie-lovers are just as good as that salad you’re showing me. Now be a good boy and eat.”

This was obviously not the answer Angel wanted as he steamed, his face reddened, and the ornery rabbit suddenly hopped off.

“Angel!” Fluttershy hurried after him. “Please, Angel Bunny, come back!”

Oh, why does he have to be so headstrong? Fluttershy thought to herself as she hurried after her little bunny.

Although Angel could be such a problem-child every so often, Fluttershy loved him every bit as much as she had when she found Angel as a baby. She could still remember the poor thing, crying, hungry, and alone. She’d carefully picked him up in her hooves, calmed him down and warmed him up. Fluttershy made sure to take a good look around the area for the mommy rabbit, hoping she was nearby and she could reunite them.

She never found the baby bunny’s mother. She’d only found a patch of grass covered in blood.

Knowing the baby had no one, Fluttershy took him in. she fed him, raised him, she loved him.

As a matter of fact, after Fluttershy gained her cutie-mark when she was a filly and realized she was meant to love and care for animals of all shapes and sizes, her parents had arranged for her to study animal caregiving under a veterinarian pony named Dr. Fauna.

The orphaned baby bunny Fluttershy found was the first little critter she’d looked after and nursed back to health all on her own.

Thinking back, Fluttershy had to admit she’d spoiled Angel somewhat, which might explain his fussiness. But he was her Angel, and that would never change.

Although considering where he was going, he just might turn into an actual Angel.

“ANGEL BUNNY!!” Fluttershy quickened her pursuit as she saw the destination ahead, “Not the Everfree Forest!!!!”

At the forest’s edge, Angel peered over at Fluttershy and stuck his twitchy little nose into the air before vanishing into the foliage with a hop. Fluttershy skidded to a halt before the forest’s edge, the trees looming over her with twisting branches reaching out like claws.

The sight of the Everfree Forest never ceased to make Fluttershy shudder timidly, as she gazed up at this forbidden wilderness.
The Everfree Forest… Why did he have to go into the Everfree Forest?

“Oh! Angel! Angel, please come back!” Fluttershy called out, “It’s dangerous in there!”

A distant shuffling of foliage told Fluttershy that Angel was venturing deeper and if she didn’t follow quickly she might lose track of him and he’d get lost. And of course there were the many dangers concealed within, taking many forms such as hungry beasts and even carnivorous plants.

Moaning fearfully but concern for her Angel Bunny spurred Fluttershy forward as she hesitantly entered the Everfree Forest. She didn’t call out for Angel, instead whisper-shouting, not wanting to alert any dangerous creatures.

“Angel! ...Angel Bunny! Please answer me!” Fluttershy whisper-shouted, keeping a sharp eye out for Angel and danger.
“Please Angel, let’s go home! It’s not safe here!”

A shivery breeze blew through the thick forest canopy, above, and it made Fluttershy shiver in fear at the sound, so much like haunting whispers of some fiendish entity watching from the trees. Distant animal cries could be heard from random directions, some Fluttershy could recognize but the ones she couldn’t gave her real reason to feel afraid. Especially when they sounded like hungry growls.

The butter-yellow pegasus knew she was being watched, by what she was unsure. She hoped whatever it was didn’t have an appetite for pegasus. Or rabbit.

“Oh Angel...!” Fluttershy whimpered. She wanted so desperately to quit this frightful forest, that it was only her love and concern for Angel that kept her from turning tail and galloping off.

“EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!”

“ANGEL!!” Fluttershy cried as she barreled in the direction she’d heard her bunny scream.

It’d sounded distant but Fluttershy had felt the terror as much as she’d heard it.
“Hold on, Angel! I’m comin- Augh!!”

Fluttershy fell backwards onto her rump as something white, furry, and shaking with fear leapt up and clung to her face as if life depended on it. Fluttershy reached up and gently tried to pull the little furball off her face, which took a few moments considering it was scared out of its mind. But finally, it let go, Fluttershy GASPING and gave the quivering fluff she held a look and smiled, “Angel! You’re al...right?”

Angel clung to Fluttershy’s hooves while covering his eyes with his ears and shivering from icy terror so that Fluttershy’s own heart started to beat, for she began to suspect whatever it was Angel had seen she did not want to either. Angel whimpered as Fluttershy hugged him close, “There, there, Angel Bunny, we’re going home right-”

An terrified bray interrupted her, Fluttershy leaping up in fright but keeping Angel close. She heard the beat of hooves as something ran through the woods, and something else…

It sounded almost like a rushing wave, something crashing through the trees and gaining on whatever had made that cry of fear. They were close!

“Ohhhhmyyyyy!!!” Fluttershy hugged Angel close, the little bunny burying his face in Fluttershy’s fur. She crouched down at the base of a tree, hearing the animal and whatever was pursing it getting closer and closer...

Then… she heard it.

It was the sound of a deer, braying and panting and doing its best to get away. Then, close behind it, something big. Something that sounded like a crashing wave of water, and then a fearsome snarl. Fluttershy pinned her ears and scrunched her eyes shut as she heard the deer scream a terrible scream. A scream of agony and horror.

It did not scream for long. Its terrible cries ended with a sickening crack of bone.

The horrible sounds did not stop there, as Fluttershy heard a gnashing sound. Tearing, ripping, crunching.

Eating.

Fluttershy’s heart pounded so hard she feared it might give her and Angel’s position behind the tree away to whatever frightening predator had ended that deer’s life. She didn’t dare move but was afraid the longer she and Angel lingered the more likely this beast would sense their presence, and that they would be next.

As afraid as she was, and as sorry as she felt for the deer, Fluttershy could not fault this animal for killing it. Meek and gentle as she was, Fluttershy was not ignorant to the harsher side of nature that dictated survival of the fittest. She took care of some animals that were predators, like Harry the Bear, the birds of prey, and even the otters though they all only ate fish when they were visiting Fluttershy’s cottage. She enforced a rule without exception that allowed for no carnivores to eat any of the other animals while they were under Fluttershy’s care. If they wanted meat, they would ask Fluttershy and she would ask Big Mac to catch fish for them.

That didn’t mean they always only ate fish. She knew sometimes the eagles or hawks or owls she cared for would leave the cottage and go off to hunt for mice or other small animals to eat. Harry the Bear was content with honey, berries, roots, and fish.

Fluttershy didn’t fault carnivores for this part of their lives because it was just simply part of their nature.

However, she’d never been present for a kill.

The sounds of this predator feasting on its prey terrified Fluttershy not because it was a meat-eater but she didn’t know what it was. Yet.

She knew she should just fly. Just hurry and take off with Angel in her arms and not linger while a predator feasted on its prey. But what if this predator could fly? What if it followed her? What if she led it right to her cottage?

All her little friends would be in danger!

She had to look.

The thought terrified her but Fluttershy had to know what she may very well wind up dealing with!

She held up Angel and silently poked his head with the edge of her hoof, causing him to peer at her from under his ear, and she held up a forefeather to her lips, signaling him not to make a peep. Angel nodded and covered his eye back up and Fluttershy took a deep but silent breath in an effort to steel herself.

It didn’t work but morbid curiosity spurred her to ever so slowly, ever so carefully, ever so curiously peer around the trunk of the tree.

What she saw stood hunched over something torn and blood in a small clearing. But sweet mother of Celestia she couldn’t figure out what it was!

It wasn’t as big as she’d feared it might be, not even half the size of a Timberwolf. What made it so frightening was… it looked like a mass of smoky darkness!

Fluttershy could hardly make out the monster enwreathed in ashy darkness. This imperceptible creature sat in front of its kill, its head stooping over as it fed. It seemed to have a large hunch on its back around the shoulders and a long whip-like tail, and it snarled hungrily as it devoured the deer.

The deer.

Fluttershy looked with pity upon the poor thing, seeing only its head and neck and forelegs. It was the bloody wound on the back of the neck that told Fluttershy where this predator had inflicted the killing blow.

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasped and covered her mouth as she realized the words had seeped out on their own.

The predator suddenly stilled. An eerie silence befell the situation. Fluttershy felt her heart beating madly, her body breaking into a cold sweat, she didn’t dare move a muscle but still peered around the tree just enough to see.

The creature still did not move.

One moment passed. Then two. Then four.

Suddenly!

The beast growled over its shoulder, and the hunch on its back spread, revealing it was really a pair of wings like that of a monster straight out of her nightmares, and Fluttershy saw the creature snarling at her general direction. She didn’t see its face clearly but saw fangs dripping with blood, a long and sharp horn, yet it was the eyes!

A pair of eyes, flaring like white-hot fire!

Fluttershy screamed and took flight! Caution be damned, hugging Angel to her barrel like a vice. She broke through the canopy, flapped her wings harder than she ever had before, so that they carried her as fast as they could, with such speed Rainbow Dash would never have believed it unless she’d seen it.

In no time at all, Fluttershy made it back to her cottage, she herded all her critters inside, locked the door, and hid under her bed, holding Angel close, as the two of them shivered in terror.

“I wonder if everypony understands if I miss Twinken’s party….!” Fluttershy whispered in a quivery voice.

School had let out, and Button Mash was excited as he trotted home! During lunch, he, Rumble, Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo had been approached by Pinkie Pie after Twinken had went to use the little colt’s room. Pinkie had whisper-shouted they were invited to Twinken’s surprise birthday party to be held at the library later that evening.

Then Twinken chose the moment after that to return, forcing Pinkie to attempt a sneaky exit.

With the exception of Twinken, the other Crusaders took a guilty chuckle at Pinkie’s expense as she’d attempt to be stealthy by diving into a nearby waste bin. They’d heard her “eeeeewwyyuuuu…” before her hooves appeared from beneath the bin and daintily tippy-hooved off, everypony watching in confusion of the walking waste bin.

Twinken had taken one look before he asked, “...Pinkie being Pinkie?”

The Crusaders all sighed inward and replied, “Pinkie being Pinkie.”

That had been the end of it and Twinken was none the wiser of his impending surprise.

What to get Twinken… Button wondered, slowing to a ponderous pace.

He’d saved up his allowance to buy a present for his friend, but what would Twinken like? Thinking about it, Button wasn’t sure if there was really anything Twinken wanted. He had a good home, a good family, and a big brother who did so much for him.

The thought made Button sigh as he thought of his own big brother, Cheat Code… It’s been awhile since Mom and me have heard from you. Or Dad... But I bet you’re being so cool and protecting ponies and beating up bad guys too!

Button Mash was proud to call Cheat Code his big brother. When they were younger, Cheat Code was fun, protective, and a little teasing. But he always made button laugh and smile and they played together and had so much fun. He always made time for Button, and he also had a particular habit of “cheating” his way out of trouble, and getting lesser punishments when he got caught.

It was a long time ago, but Button could still recall when Cheat Code had gotten in trouble back when they were living in Baltimare. Cheat Code and his friends had trespassed on private property on a dare when the property owner chased them out but the ensuing fracas revealed the owner was hiding a stolen cargo. He’d been bribing the harbor master to steal merchandise from cargo ships in Horseshoe Bay. The pony and his accomplices were arrested and Cheat Code and his friends still got punished for trespassing and putting themselves in danger. However Cheat Code had spoken up, pointed out if it weren’t for them the thieves would have continued stealing and the harbor master was cheating ponies out of their goods. He made other good points and managed to get himself and his friends lesser punishments, but that was how Cheat Code figured out his talent for wriggling his way out of tight spots.

Not only that, that bust he’d helped in making inspired him to join the Guard.

Button and Cheat Code’s father got a transfer so they could live closer to Cheat Code after he enlisted as a junior recruit. At first they’d considered Canterlot but Love Tap, Button and Cheat’s mom, insisted on Ponyville since it was a nicer and friendlier community than the neighborhoods of Canterlot where noble ponies walked about with their noses in the air and looked down their muzzles at other ponies like they were beneath them.

Settling into Ponyville had been quite a transition, and it was even stranger for Button when they stopped moving. His dad’s job had been demanding, and it had caused them to move a lot, at least once a year. Button’s family was never in the same place for long, and every time he’d made a friend before he knew it he had to leave them.

It was why he was so reluctant to make friends when he arrived in Ponyville. So he dove into his video games, playing as imaginary heroes, fighting imaginary monsters, going on imaginary quests, his eyes glued to the flickering screens of his Joy Boy or TV hooked up with his video game console.

It made him easy to target, especially by foals like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, while others just ignored him, thinking he was weird.

Then one day, out of the blue. A pretty unicorn filly with eyes the softest green walked up to Button. She asked how he was and what he was doing. Button had been baffled, because until now all the foals in Ponyville just ignored him or teased him. She asked about his Joy Boy, thinking it looked cool. Somehow, that was enough to get Button to go on and on and on about his Joy Boy and the games he played.

And the filly had listened. She sat by him and listened to it all, smiling at Button and how passionate he was about his games.

That was the day he’d made his first true friend, the day he’d met Sweetie Belle.

As he walked down the road of his neighborhood, Button had been reminiscing so fondly he almost didn’t notice somepony walking up towards his front door. He then gasped to see it was a Royal Guard!

“Cheat Code…?” Button whispered, seeing the tall and armored stallion approaching his front door. It might have been Cheat Code, as all Royal Guards wore armor that was enchanted with glamour to make them appear similar in the eyes of civilians (a measure used to protect the Guards' identities), but then Button noticed the guard had a pair of wings.
No it’s not him, Cheat Code’s an earth pony like Mom, Dad, and me, so what’s he…

The guard knocked on the door, and Button watched as his mom answered. He was too far away to hear what they were saying.

It was when his mom’s eyes widened in shock in response to whatever the guard had said to her, and she cried out, “No… NOOOO!!!!

“NO, NO, IT CAN’T BE TRUE!! NO-HO-Ho-ho…!!”

The guard held Love Tap in his arms as the mare broke down in heart-wrenching sobs, his own face filled with sorrow. Button’s heart filled with dread, and he hurried forward, calling, “MOM! MOM! What’s wrong?!”

Love Tap and the guard both looked to see Button hurry up to them, his face alarmed, his eyes looking from his mom to the guard and back. He saw his mother’s face and never had he seen them so. Tears flowed from her eyes, she was heaving as though she were sick.
The guard helped Love Tap onto her hooves and stepped aside.

The mare approached the confused and concerned colt, and knelt down in front of him, taking his forehooves into her own.
“Button, sweetie…!”

“Mom?” Button said again, his heart filling with dread as his eyes begged his mom for an answer.

Love Tap couldn’t say it as she sobbed more, and Button looked to the guard who stood by, looking ashamed by what news he had delivered. Taking a deep breath, he held something in his hoof, and said, “Button Mash, is it?”

Butto nodded, and the guard held out a what appeared to be a medal. It was shaped like a red heart with tiny wings on the side, and the guard explained, “On behalf of the Royal Guard, it is my duty and privilege to deliver this to your family, in honor… of your brother.”

“Cheat Code?!” Button looked up from the medal to the guard and back at his mom. “Wh-where is he?! Why aren’t you giving this to him?! Why-”

The cold realization washed over Button like an unforgiving blizzard. He recognized this medal, a Red Heart of Service. It was a mark of honor bestowed upon Royal Guards injured in the line of duty. Or…

Button looked at the guard, who was so sorry to deliver this news he couldn’t bear to look the colt in the eyes. Button looked to his mother, and Love Tap returned Button’s gaze, as his eyes began to fill with tears.

And his heart was torn in two.

Author's Note

The lecture Midnight gave was based on one given by Ahsoka Tano from "Star Wars" to a class; it was so true and sensibleI thought it was perfect for something I have in mind for this arc

And I am sad to confirm it: Cheat Code, Button Mash's big brother, is dead. The scene with the mine where ponies were killed, I wanted it to have more emotional impact, and knew the death of a family member would fill that need better than just saying random nameless characters were killed by the attackers

221. The Loss of Faith - Part 4

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222. The Loss of Faith - Part 5

The hospital door opened and Midnight walked in, taking in the familiar scene of his mother sleeping peacefully in bed, a sleep where she did not dream, a sleep from which she could not wake up. He’d taken in that familiar scene more times than he cared to count and every single time he hoped something would be different.

He hoped to see that she’d turned in her sleep, a tic in her face to indicate she was dreaming, a change in the way she breathed.

Even the smallest sign that a part of her was still in there, thinking, feeling, wanting to get out of the prison that was her own body!

But no. Whatever curse or spell had been cast upon Faerie Tail, it eluded even the brightest minds of Canterlot’s best wizards to this day. Midnight could still remember how his father had summoned Celestia and the royal guard after their home had been attacked. In the days and nights that followed, Faerie Tail was examined by Celestia’s best doctors and her best enchanters, determining while her health was not suffering some unknown magic had cast her into a sleep without dreams and without end.

Even stranger, it had halted her aging!

Faerie Tail hadn’t aged a day since this cursed sleep had been cast upon her.

Extensive research yielded nothing. Any references or similarities to other magicks involving enchanted sleep led to nowhere. There was simply just no record of this exact magic, even in the Wing of the Royal Library dedicated to Star Swirl the Bearded!

The assailant might not have succeeded in whatever she had planned to do that night, but she had in tearing Midnight’s family apart.

After weeks of research and study bore no fruit, Midnight’s father, Ignitus Enflame, Head of House Obsidian and resigned Captain of the Royal Guard, declared he would find the wretch who had cursed his wife and the mother of his sons and drag her back to Canterlot, beaten and bloody if necessary, and force her to undo this sorcerous sickness.

He’d left Midnight and baby Twinken in the custody of Celestia, and told Midnight to take care of his little brother, and to have faith. That was the last Midnight ever saw or heard from his father in the years since that night when he was fifteen.

Sitting by his mother’s bedside, he looked at her, thinking, Oh Mom… if only you were here. You’d know what to do.

He’d blown off his royal escort after arriving in Canterlot, telling the guards to go ahead and inform Celestia he’d be along soon enough. If she had a problem with that, he’d tell her to shove her horn where her sun don’t shine.

“…I wanted him to answer for his crimes.”

Celestia’s mane radiated with her tempered fury, as she looked down at Midnight, who met her imperious look with one of defiance. It was early the next morning, and the throne room held an uncomfortably warm atmosphere, as Luna stood at Celestia’s right and her husband Sombra at her left, several guards stationed here and there, Midnight facing Celestia with passive defiance.

“I wanted him to serve as an example,” Celestia stood up and walked down from her throne, stopping in front of Midnight, the both of them holding each other’s steely-edged gaze, neither backing down.

“And what do I hear in the news today? Suicide!” Celestia’s mane burned like the foreboding corona of a solar eclipse!
“Midnight Blaze, I am very disappointed in-”

“Oh go snort your own hot air!” Midnight snapped, the guards all flinched, even Luna and Sombra sharing an uncomfortable look, Celestia’s eyes narrowing dangerously.
“I did exactly what you told me to do! I. Gave. Him. A chance!”

“You left a bag of heads and evidence of his crimes in his office!” Cerlestia pointed out, Midnight groaning in a vexed way as he turned and walked along the room, waving his wing dismissively.

“It doesn’t matter because his suicide changes nothing!” Midnight sighed tiresomely. “My agents will ensure everything proceeds as intended. Hossmane’s crimes will place his company under a microscope, the assets will be seized, and once it’s all shut down the employees who were innocent will receive severance packages and references so that their livelihoods won’t be in jeopardy.

“As for those among the staff who’d been in on Hossmane’s crimes and benefited from them, they will be prosecuted, their only hopes for leniency will be to testify against other criminals Hossmane was involved with, if they have viable intel!”

“…I find your lack of sympathy disturbing,” Celestia gave Midnight a look both disappointed and pitying.

He turned around to face her and responded, “Hossmane put a hit out on a mare who was pregnant with his child because she’d only asked for foal support… She was found in a river canal with the knife still in her belly. Which one do you think merits my sympathy?”

Again the Princess of the Sun and her most elite agent stared into each other’s eyes, daring the other to look away first, when Sombra cleared his throat.
“Need I remind you both of the purpose of this meeting? The Energem mine that was attacked, the deaths of the guards and miners, and the fact that the mine’s location was compromised!”

Celestia sighed, knowing her husband was right, and stepped back to her throne while Midnight scoffed and looked away from her as Sombra continued, “The fact that the location was compromised is disturbing in and of itself. That information was available only to the guards and miners stationed there, along with the dukes and duchesses of the Canterlot Aristocracy, besides royalty.”

“…Do we have any leads on who is responsible for this?” Midnight asked.

“We do, and that is why they are here,” Sombra looked past Midnight and everypony looked to the doors as they opened to reveal…

“Shining Armor! Cadance!” Midnight smiled to see two of his oldest and dearest friends, meeting them halfway as they walked into the throne room.

“Hello Midnight,” Cadance gave him a hug while Midnight bro-hoofed Shining Armor.

“Good to see ya, buddy, wish it were under better circumstances.”

“What’re you guys doing here?” Midnight asked, truly glad to see them.

“They are here because the forces that attacked the Energem mine,” Sombra explained, “were a horde of changelings.”

Midnight looked to his master, surprised, “Changelings? We haven’t heard so much as a buzz about them since their invasion failed during Shining Armor and Cadance’s wedding!”

“And after you captured Chrysalis,” Cadance agreed as she, her husband, and Midnight converged closer towards the middle of the throne room.

“We assumed that with Chrysalis in chains and no longer present to lead her hive,” Luna spoke up, “that the changelings would be leaderless and likely retreat to whatever hole they crawled out of. Obviously, we assumed wrong.”

“Chrysalis is still under lock and key though,” Midnight brought up, “right here in Canterlot’s most secure dungeons. So even if her changelings are on the move she can’t be behind whatever they’re up to.”

“Unless she left them standing orders to act upon after a period of time,” Shining Armor debated. “Then of course there’s the more likely chance the changelings have a new leader.”

“What still concerns me,” Sombra reminded them, “is that they attacked an Energem mine in a location of which there is no official record. All necessary precautions and security measures were taken to safeguard the mine and its location.”

“Is there a chance that the location was accidentally leaked?” asked Cadance, and her question only made the situation even tenser.

“None…” Celestia finally partook in the conversation with a heavy sigh, "I have some suspicions of a leak coming from the dukes and duchesses amongst the Canterlot Aristocracy but no evidence to support it.”

“What makes you so certain the leak could come from the Aristocracy?” Shining Armor asked.

“For a long time now, I’ve depended on some of the houses of nobility residing in Canterlot to govern Equestria in the form of the Aristocracy. But in recent generations, I’ve seen more and more of the Aristocrats abuse the positions of political power their houses inherited,” Celestia explained. “I discussed this matter with Sombra and Luna, and we came to an agreement that the nobles’ right to inherit these positions, that the Aristocracy itself, has to end.

“I brought this up with the Canterlot Aristocracy last month with a proposal that the titles of dukedom be thrown out and the responsibilities they represented be bestowed upon individuals through democratic election, and… Well, needless to say several of the Aristocrats were less than thrilled. In all honesty, this makes me want to abolish the Aristocracy sooner rather than later but with all that's going on, it might be wiser to put that notion on hold until this matter is resolved. Agreed?"

They all nodded solemnly before Shining Armor spoke, “So then, what do we do about this development with the changelings?”

“If there’s anyone who can shed light on this situation it’s Chrysalis,” Sombra stated although the others didn’t look as enthusiastic as he did.
“What?”

“No offense, Master Sombra, but I doubt Chrysalis is gonna cooperate,” Midnight pointed out.

“Well, we don’t exactly have any where else to turn to, Midnight,” reminded Cadance. “I suggest we go to Chrysalis in the dungeons with a show of strength.”

“Agreed. This show of strength should be myself, Midnight, and Shining Armor,” Sombra proposed, “and Cadance should come along as well, but as an observer.”

“In the meantime, my sister,” Luna looked to Celestia, “we should meet with the ponies of the Aristocrats. Perhaps we can probe and determine a viable suspect amongst them.”

Looking from her sister to Midnight, Celestia’s gaze told him they weren’t done. He returned that gaze with one of defiant agreement before he said, “Then let’s get started, there’s no telling what the changelings are planning.”

The Canterlot Dungeons, where the cells might as well have been dark, dismal, and depressing holes in the walls… at least if they weren’t so comfy. Celestia rarely had real need of her castle’s dungeons (despite the increasing crime rate in recent years) and the dungeon cells being occupied were even more rare.

Being the kind and generous princess she was, Celestia actually had the cells made comfortable in the unlikely scenario they had an occupant. They ran along a hall lit by globes radiating a soft brightness instead of the harsh blazing of wall-mounted torches. The floor was covered with ceramic tiles, there were vases of flowers set on antique pedestals between each cell door, and the cells themselves were just as nice.

The cells’ beds were soft, the blankets and pillows warm, a simple table and chair, even a menu for the occupants to order dishes that were simple but certainly more delectable than mere bread and water like in Alcatrotz, and the inmates were even allowed to request library books for good behavior.

At some point, it used to be a fad for some of the more common ponies in Canterlot to commit small and harmless offenses because they’d be sentenced to a night or two in the castle dungeons. This became a bit of a problem at one point when a surprising number of homeless ponies got in on this “fad” so they’d be sent to the castle dungeons to enjoy comforts they didn’t have.

Celestia put an end to that by establishing homeless shelters and programs dedicated to helping the homeless get back on their hooves and rebuild their lives.

But these cells weren’t where the prisoner Midnight, Sombra, Shining Armor, and Cadance was located.

After the invasion was thwarted, she was placed in a temporarily reinforced cell before being transferred to the deepest cell in the dungeons after it was prepared just for her. The four alicorns passed through ten checkpoints and dozens of guards all so well armed they were practically walking armories, before they finally reached their destination.

They stood before a bulky iron door engraved with dozens of mystic runes and secured with heavy chains, bolts, and a lock wider than a chariot wheel.

Shining Armor and Midnight shared a nod before they approached the door and both levitated a key given to them by the dungeon master. They willed the keys towards the lock, which sported two keyholes, Shining Armor saying, “One. Two… Three!”

They twisted they keys towards the middle, a loud CLINKING sounded as the chains then fell away, the bolts sprung halfway out of their places, and the runes glowed from the door’s left towards its right before they went out, and the door ever so slowly opened outward.

Shining Armor went first, followed by Midnight, Sombra, and Cadance was last.

Inside looked oddly like a waiting room, with a few chairs and a coffee table on one side and another door next to an opaque window on the side of the room opposite the iron door. Set into the wall by the window was some kind of panel with what looked like an intercom system with two additional switches. A faint light could be seen through the opaque window and a dark shape moving past that light. The door had a slot in it, big enough to insert a lunch tray.

It honestly looked like the outside of a police station interrogation room.

The four of them shared a look, none were certain who would be the one to break the ice… until Sombra stepped forward towards the panel by the window and he pressed a switch, causing the window to suddenly clear.

And there she was.

Chrysalis, the fallen queen of the changelings, sat in a simple yet cozy cell where the walls were imprinted with thousands of runes. They were faint and imprinted in ways to look like fancy patterns on wallpaper, but there was no mistaking the power they held to secure the prisoner. Chrysalis’ cell had a bed, a bookcase, a table with a nice chair, and there was a shower curtain only halfway pulled to reveal a toilet, a sink, and a showerhead.

A globe of light, similar to the ones outside in the dungeons’ halls, sat on a bedside table, providing Chrysalis with a nice reading light.

And Chrysalis herself looked like she’d seen better days. Her horn was gone, after Midnight (as his Past Self) cut it off instead of her head after Shining Armor and Cadance had thwarted the invasion. She wore a collar and metal bands on each of her legs, all of them engraved with more runes, likely to insure she didn’t try anything funny. But her body wasn’t as healthy as it was when she’d been unmasked at the wedding.

Her chitinous plating wasn’t as shimmery as it was before, her hair appeared flaxen and dull, no longer lush and full, her wings hung from her back like old sheets used to cover furniture in an abandoned house, and her legs even seemed more delicate, with the holes having widened to the point it seemed a miracle her legs didn’t snap off from the weight of the bands on them.

And her eyes, sunken, full of bitterness but retained a persistent snub. As though she knew how frail she appeared but would never act it.

She held a book entitled ‘Confessions of a Consummate Sadist’ with a look of mild interest.

Sombra looked to the others, giving them a nod before he pressed the intercom, a low buzzing sound alerting Chrysalis that she almost dropped her book.

“Oh, is it time to eat, already…? No… visitors! It has been quite a while since I had an audience in these… quaint accommodations. Is that you, Celestia? Luna? …Oh it couldn’t possibly be you, Shiny, my darling…”

Shining Armor growled, glaring at Chrysalis, who couldn’t see them through the one-way window, instead letting her predatory gaze wander aimlessly across the window. Sombra pressed the switch again.

“Step away from the door and face the opposite wall, insect...”

“Hmph, rude visitors, it seems,” Chrysalis pouted but complied with Sombra’s order but in a way as though she were merely humoring him.

Sombra looked ot the others, “Shining Armor, Midnight, you’re both with me. Cadance, I want you to observe and pay especially close attention to Chrysalis, how she behaves, how she reacts to the information we cannot help divulging to her. However much or little she says, what she doesn’t say could turn out to be more crucial.”

“I understand,” Cadance nodded before she nuzzled Shining Armor closely, whispering, “Don’t let her get to you…”

Shining Armor kissed her sweetly on the cheek and gave her a wink before following Sombra and Midnight into Chrysalis’ room.

They were met with a surprisingly homey fragrance of lilies, as Sombra levitated Chrysalis’ table to the middle of the room, setting it directly between her and them.
“Turn around, slowly…”

Chrysalis sighed as though it were a bother and barely contained her surprise, “Well, well, well! It is you, Shiny. Oh, and Midnight… and…? I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“I am Prince Sombra,” Sombra introduced himself, “husband and royal consort to Princess Celestia, mentor to Prince Midnight, and right now I am also somepony you don’t want to offend…”

“Hmm, that was your rude tone earlier, wasn’t it?” Chrysalis frowned at him.

“Sit,” Sombra pointed towards the table with his wing, and Chrysalis shrugged as she did.

For a few long moments, Sombra and Chrysalis glared into each other’s eyes, daring the other to look away. Midnight and Shining Armor wanted to get this interrogation started and yet neither of them were willing to interrupt Sombra’s process.

Chrysalis sat and stared defiant but there was a weariness to her, unwilling to give in but wishing for respite. Finally, she snorted while breaking the stare-down, as she said, “Prince Sombra, husband to Celestia…? Huh, it would seem I’ve fallen behind in current events.”

She gave Sombra another look, from bottom to top, and smirked, “Although I have to admit, you are quite a catch: Tall, dark, and gruesomely handsome. Never pegged Celestia the type to go for the bad boys…”

“Enough small talk, Chrysalis!” Shining Armor stepped forward, hitting the table with his hoof as he glared at the changeling and demanded, “What are your changelings up to?!”

“Up to? Why, have my babies been good since you locked their dear old mother away…?” Chrysalis sneered.

“There’s nothing good about your kind!” Shining Armor glared at the creature that came all too close to destroying the bonds he held dear with his wife and his LSBFF.

“Now that’s just racial stereotyping, Shiny,” Chrysalis laughed in a haughty manner, “and besides, whatever my changeling children are up to, I have no part of it.”

“Why do we find that hard to believe…?” Sombra narrowed his eyes at the prisoner.

“Have you seen this hole I’ve been unceremoniously stuffed into?” Chrysalis gestured the room with her hoof, her tone laced with contempt. “You’ve made it perfectly impossible for me to contact any of my changeling spies! Whatever the hive is doing, it is nothing more than the petulant immaturity of children without their beloved parent to provide discipline…”

“Your changelings attacked a mine, killing dozens of guards and workers, without provocation,” Midnight raised a wing, a blade of solid shadowstuff extending from the tip, which he pointed at Chrysalis. “This transgression, along with your earlier failed attempt to invade Equestria, could be grounds for war… and so help me, parasite! It wouldn’t be a war so much as an extermination.”

Chrysalis regarded Midnight with the purest of contempt but then her brow raised as she pulled her lips back in a mocking smile, “Midnight Blaze… The pony responsible for my current squalor… An alicorn prince now! My, my, aren’t you moving up the world?”

“Tell us what the changelings are planning or so help me…!” Midnight willed the blade of shadow to lengthen, reaching the side of Chrysalis’ neck.

“Midnight, what’re you-” Shining Armor started to protest when Sombra stopped him with his wing.

“Let him play his angle…” he whispered to Shining Armor as they took in the exchange between Midnight and Chrysalis.

“I’ve taken the time to study your kind’s biology, and imagine my surprise by the similarities between yours and ours. So I know precisely which artery in your neck, if sufficiently nicked, would cause you to bleed out faster than any attempt to save you.”

Sombra and Shining Armor glanced at Midnight by the corners of their eyes while Chrysalis merely narrowed hers straight at Midnight’s… when he released the shadowstuff extending from his wing, causing it to disperse like smoke, turning his back on her.
“But far be it from me to suddenly… cut short your stay in this lovely establishment. After all, dead mares tell no tales.”

Chrysalis growled when she inhaled… and perked. She took a softer yet deeper breath, as though she were taking in a most intoxicating fragrance. She sighed as though she’d sampled a sweet substance and gave Midnight a look of spurious pity.
“Your love, Midnight… So sweet and yet it leaves such a bitter aftertaste in my mouth…”

Those words seemed to have the intended effect, as Midnight peered ever so slightly over his shoulder with a glare towards the parasite sitting before them.

“I’ve sampled love like this before. From couples having… what’s the word? Issues? Trouble in paradise? Or… is it trouble in bed?”

Midnight faced her fully, his face inscrutable but his eyes promised retribution most dire, as he whispered, “Measure your next words carefully…”

“What will you do, Your Impotence? Torture me?” Chrysalis prodded, but knowing she was treading thin ice at this point.

“Midnight and Twilight’s relationship is not under scrutiny here, Chrysalis,” Sombra reminded them, “you and your changelings are!”

“I already told you, I am not in on whatever mischief my darlings are making,” maintained the fallen queen. “The changelings have existed for almost as long as your inferior kind. We are everywhere! We can be your leaders, your neighbors, your friends. We can even be your family members… and you would have no idea!

“But for too long we have been forced to tolerate the stigmatism of being different! For too long have we been forced to hide and scrounge on infatuations and passing fancies just to get by! We survive on the love of other beings but who could ever love the likes of us?! You look at me and you see a tick! A parasite! Ugly, hideous, undeserving of love because you look at me and condemn me as a monster! Whereas your self-righteous species enjoy an existence bestowed upon you by pure and random chance!”

“Enough!!” Sombra spread his wings, creating a chilling gust that made everyone in the room shiver as he glared down at Chrysalis. “Your pretense almost had me convinced, Chrysalis… but I sense an unusual amount of fear in this room. My fears that I will fail my wife and the subjects she loves and watches over, Shining Armor’s fear that your changelings may succeed where you failed, Midnight’s fear of losing all he holds dear… and your fear. Your fear… puzzles me. Your fear of… discovery! Discovery of deception, of a secret you hold being made known to us.”

He leaned forward, his face inches away from Chrysalis, a smugness in his eyes as he stared into hers.
“And that has piqued my curiosity.”

Chrysalis hissed ever so slightly as she leaned back in her chair, “This conversation is over.”

Sombra stood straight before nodding to Midnight and Shining Armor, and they followed him out of the room. Cadance stood at the window, having watched and heard the entire exchange and met Sombra’s eyes as he asked her, “What’s your take on her?”

“The moment you mentioned to her that she was afraid, I couldn’t help but notice a change in her,” Cadance described, “as though she went from challenging… to shielding. I think you’re right that she is indeed hiding a secret that she doesn’t want us to know, but… I can’t really imagine how she could be behind the changelings’ attack on the mine!”

“I don’t either,” Midnight concurred as he rubbed his chin, “the runes on her cell prevent any magical extension of awareness, including telepathy, astral-projection… I can’t imagine how she could be directing the changelings and she seemed genuinely surprised in learning Sombra and Celestia are married, and of my status as an alicorn.”

“So she’s not sending or receiving information,” Shining Armor clarified, “does that mean she’s really not behind the changelings’ offensive?”

“She might not be behind it, but we can’t be certain she’s not involved,” Sombra pointed out. “And she’s made it clear she’s not talking.”

…

“…Then we make her talk,” Shining Armor declared, all eyes turning to him, “with the right magic words.”

“Mm, I don’t think Chrysalis will be that easy,” Midnight considered the idea, “she’s spent her life dealing in deception and manipulation. I hate to admit it, but she has a strong will, and I wouldn’t lower my guard around her even though she no longer has her horn to wield her magic.”

“I’m not exactly comfortable with this,” Cadance hesitated and sighed, “but considering the situation… Perhaps if we combined our powers together.”

“Bewitching a strong will to act against its own wishes is… risky,” Midnight pointed out.
“Even one mistake and her psyche could be damaged in the process,” added Sombra.

“Well, I’m open to any other suggestions,” invited Shining Armor.

None were offered. When nopony could think of anything else it suddenly felt even bleaker in that room. If the circumstances were different they would certainly have sought out an alternative but with the threat of the changelings looming and lives already lost, the feeling that they had to act quickly spurred their decision.

Chrysalis had been stewing on Sombra’s words when the door opened and they returned along with Cadance. Nopony said anything as Sombra stood before the table, with Shining Armor and Midnight at his sides, Cadance hanging back by the door.

The stallions’ closed eyes immediately had Chrysalis on edge as her gaze flicked between the three of them, uncertain of what to do or whom she should be wary of most.

Suddenly, Shining Armor’s horn lit up, a vibrant magenta, like the star on his cutie-mark, the same star he shared with his sister even though their cutie-marks distinguished them from each other besides their appearances.

“You will tell us everything that you know.”

Scoffing, Chrysalis mocked, “You think a silly bewitchment will compel me? I am a master enchantress!”

Her words were ignored as Midnight’s horn lit with a soft turquoise mana, and he spoke alongside Shining Armor, their words in perfect synch

“You will tell us everything that you know.”

“You’re wasting your energies!” Chrysalis leaned back, glaring at them contemptuously.

Sombra joined in last, the mana cloaking his horn radiating a harsh red, as he too spoke with his fellow princes in perfect synch.

“You will tell us everything that you know.”

“You… you can’t- You can’t do this to me!” Chrysalsis fidgeted, feeling their power beginning to probe her mind.

“And you will tell us…” Sombra commanded, Midnight and Shining Armor joining in on the last word as their eyes all opened and shined with a blinding white light.

“NOW!!!”

“I… I will tell you that I’m- NO! STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!!” Chrysalis screamed as she leaned back in her chair, writhing and screeching as the mental assault on her psyche pushed her close to but not over the edge… when suddenly it retreated, much to her relief. She leaned onto the table, panting, her eyes wider than dinner plates as her heartbeat went erratic.

As despicable as she found her, Cadance couldn’t help but feel even a glimmer of sympathy for Chrysalis for what she’d just experienced. She was relieved when the mana energies of her husband, Midnight, and Sombra went out from their horns and their eyes returned to normal.

Midnight stepped forward, giving Chrysalis an impassive expression before saying, “We will give you a moment to reconsider your cooperation before we try… AGAIN.”

He gestured the others out, and they left her to brood as she peered up, her eyes filled with the deepest of hatred.

Author's Note

The Canterlot Aristocracy is kinda like the President's Cabinet: Celestia has these Aristocrats who are each charged with overseeing specific matters, kinda like the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Commerce, etc., but the problem is these Aristocrats are not elected, they inherit the positions in the Aristocracy like passing on a crown to the heir apparent

In recent generations Celestia has noticed some of these Aristocrats have begun to abuse their powers and becoming corrupt, which led to her decision that the Aristocracy must be replaced with a Democracy (of course some of them aren't too happy with that)

The Castle Dungeons being surprisingly comfy and that little fad of ponies making minor offenses just to get a chance to spend a night or two in those rather comfortable cells was meant to be funny and depressing at the same time

Chrysalis's book "Confessions of a Consummate Sadist" isn't real but it was inspired by a real book with a similar title. Viola Davis read a book called "Confessions of a Sociopath" to prepare for her role as Amanda Waller in the film "Suicide Squad"

223. The Loss of Faith - Part 6

The four alicorns left the cell altogether, exiting out the heavy iron door though Sombra summoned two guards to stand by and watch Chrysalis.

They decided to take a break and adjourned to the nearest sitting room in the castle and ordered brunch from the castle chefs. While waiting for their food, they sat together in lush and comfortable sofas and armchairs, an antique coffee table centering the room, and for a moment nopony talked, until…

“We can’t do that again.”

The three princes looked to the only princess among them, Cadance looking troubled as she looked at each of them in turn. “Don’t get me wrong, I will never forgive Chrysalis for all that she's done and what she tried to do. But… the way the three of you besieged her mind like that!”

Cadance sighed as she rubbed her temple, Shining Armor leaning over and wrapping his wing around her shoulders, as they let her have a moment to figure out exactly what she needed to say.

“The mind, it’s… Well, Luna once told me that your mind is your last sanctuary, your final refuge from the troubles around you. To violate that last resort of safety is…”

“You’re right,” Sombra responded, knowing exactly what Cadance was saying. “…I have been guilty of violating the sanctity of others’ minds back when I was corrupted by the Whisperer…

“For me, the breaking of a sentient being’s mind and will was an art. An art I took a malevolent pleasure in perfecting… After Midnight freed me of my madness, I swore never to use what I learned for anything but to safeguard the security of this nation.”

Hearing Sombra’s words and how heavy they were, Shining Armor instantly felt like garbage.
“Sombra, I… I’m sorry, I wouldn’t have suggested it if-”

“What’s done is done,” Sombra waved a hoof as he sighed, “and while I took no pleasure in what we did to Chrysalis, I would do it again if it meant protecting Equestria and her citizens. Cadance is right that we cannot attempt to compel Chrysalis in the same manner again. But if even then she refuses to talk, I’m uncertain of what else to do…”

“We could consider negotiating with the changelings,” Midnight suggested although he didn’t sound exuberant about his own suggestion, “perhaps some kind of peace treaty in exchange for the release of Chrysalis.”

“That’s assuming Chrysalis would honor the peace treaty,” Shining Armor pointed out, "and I would find it laughable for her to have even a sliver of honor.”

“Even if it’s not the most ideal course of action, it is an option,” Sombra nodded his head in consideration of his apprentice’s suggestion.

*Knock-knock-knock*

“Enter,” Sombra invited, and the door opened to reveal ponies from the castle kitchen staff.

“Your Highnesses, it is with great pride that we are here to tantalize your palates,” announced Cast Iron, the master chef of the castle culinary staff, an earth pony known for his legendary gut being able to eat any meal.

He clapped his hooves and three of his cooks proudly pushed in carts with clochettes covering the meals, but then-

“OOF!” HEY!” MY MASTERPIECE!!”

The three cooks were knocked aside by two royal guards as they’d rushed in, their expressions dire.

“What is the meaning of this you-” Cast Iron was about to rip into them but Sombra stopped him.

“Cast Iron, please!” Sombra looked to the guards and gestured them forward.

They did so, one of them whispering an apology to the cooks for almost ruining the food they’d prepared, and they bowed before one of them said, “Your Majesties, we- It’s… We don’t know what- It's... it's disturbing to say the least.”

“Calm down, soldier,” Sombra bade them before asking, “What’s happened?”

The guards looked at Sombra’s gentle face before sharing a look, both of them appearing to be wordlessly telling the other to be the one to break the news. Finally, the guard who’d apologized to the cooks sighed as he and his fellow guard stood up, and he said, “Your Majesties… it’s the prisoner.”

Almost at once, the four alicorns’ eyes widened in trepidation.

Cast Iron and his kitchen staff were dismissed while the four alicorns followed the guards back to the dungeons.

“We don’t know what came over her.”
“At first, we heard some kind of bang sound. We took a look through the window into her cell, but…
“We were too late.”

Midnight and Shining Armor shared a worried look, Cadance hanging back, fearing what they were about to find, Sombra the only one looking as impassive as a statue, as they stepped through the metal door, into the observation room that led to Chrysalis’s cell. The window was currently opaque, and they all gathered in front of it, the guards standing at the window’s sides as one of them held his hoof up to the switch by the window’s frame.

“Just a little warning, Your Majesties,” he hesitated, “It’s… Well, it’s not for those of weak constitutions.”

“…Show us,” Sombra ordered, Midnight Shining Armor, and Cadance standing at his sides as the guard flicked the switch.

The window cleared… and Cadance gasped in horror, backing away from the window until her rump touched the opposite wall. Shining Armor whispered, “Merciful Haydes…”

Midnight took a deep breath through his nose, subtler in how disturbed he was while Sombra remained as stone-faced as he was in the hall.

The other guard cleared his throat and hesitantly said, “…We think the first banging sound we heard was… She took a running start from one side of the room, but… it was the second bang that did it.”

Cadance hurried out of the room, unable to take any more, Shining Armor going after her, while Midnight and Sombra remained and stared through the window into the cell where Chrysalis lay dead, her head cracked open like a walnut, the mushy pale green insides spilling out and quivering like gelatin.

A spot on one of the walls was stained with green blood and had an impression in it, indicating considerable force had been applied.

The guards hesitantly looked again, as one of them commented, “You have to really want to die to do yourself in like that…”

“…I will inform Princess Celestia of this incident myself,” Sombra declared, only for a cleared throat to cause him and Midnight to turn around and see another guard standing in the doorway.

“Actually, Your Majesty, she… already knows,” he stated, looking might uncomfortable. “She wants you both in the throne room. Now.”

Earlier the throne room had felt uncomfortably warm, like that kind of summer day where the heat is just unbearable. That kind of summer heat where even the indoors felt so sticky and humid, and worst-case scenario: Itchy, often in very uncomfortable places.

Now?

It was chilling. The atmosphere felt similar to the unease instilled by the sight of the blue flame of a cutting torch. Like standing naked in the snow where the cold that surrounds you equated the condemning stares of an anonymous crowd. It was like standing alone in the middle of a frozen wasteland and you could see death coming in the form of a blizzard.

Luna stood by her sister as Celestia was taking deep breaths, almost heaving really, like she were on the verge of going supernova. Midnight and Sombra stood before her but Celestia’s infuriated look was directed at the sapphire blue alicorn standing next to her husband.

“One suicide I can at least come to terms with, considering the circumstances and how suddenly it happened… but a second the following morning?! And under our watch?! I can deal with all kinds of issues and crises, but this- This is absolutely unacceptable!!”

It was just them in that room. Celestia close to eruption, her sister Luna by her side trying to cool her big sister’s temper, Sombra looking very uncomfortable, and Midnight unsure of what to think, but he was not going to simply roll over and take it like a whipped puppy.

He almost spoke but Sombra got the first word in.

“Celestia, please! Don’t blame Midnight for this, he-”

“No, Master,” Midnight interrupted, his own gaze locking eyes with Celestia, daring her, “Let her have her say, let her express her disappointment and blame me for all that’s wrong in the world!”

“How dare you…?!” Celestia whispered dangerously, standing up from her throne, looking down on Midnight as she approached him, neither of them breaking their glare-off until he was looking up at her as though he were a colt pouting in front of his mama.
“I have tried my best to mentor you and help you ever since that Summer Sun Celebration! You think it was your earning your wings that made me so proud of you on that day?

“No. What I was proud of, was a young ten year-old colt taking an initiative without ulterior motive, driven by that pure and simple desire to help others!”

Celestia sounded on the verge of tears as she raised a hoof to Midnight’s cheek, “You saved everypony that day when you lowered the moon, all on your own! You earned your wings and that gave me the strength to raise the sun and preserve the balance of the magic that keeps this world whole!”

*SMACK*

Sombra, Luna, and Celestia gaped at Midnight, who’d knocked Celestia’s hoof away, as he stared up at her with a look of pain and resentment.
“And then you forced upon me a responsibility I never wanted… You erased my life in Canterlot, hid me away from my friends, from my uncle, I missed my grandmother’s funeral because of you!

“I watched a friend I loved like a brother bleed to death in front of me, and the isolation you forced my family into made us vulnerable to the witch who tore my family apart! My mother is a prisoner in her body, my brother had to grow up thinking he was an orphan, and my father left his sons who needed him on a quest for revenge!

“And if that weren’t enough… you preyed on my desire to punish.”

“You needed a purpose!” Celestia protested, Sombra and Luna watching this unfold, unsure of how they should intervene.
“I couldn’t bear to see you, sitting in your room, staring aimlessly out the window for hours on end! You needed something to provide you with fulfillment, a way to help others and do good!

“How many lives have you helped or saved, doing what you do? How many crimes have you solved, how many ponies have you helped fine closure? The criminals you put away!”

“And the monsters I killed…” Midnight reminded her with a heavy heart. “The serial killers, the rapists, the corrupt, and the collateral. Do you remember that sting operation the Hoods and I did in Vanhoover two years ago?”

“You shut down a drug-trafficking ring, and stopped the production of Blue Magic,” Celestia recalled. “You put a lot of drug-dealers and their clients out of business! And in jail!”

“And during the sting I killed two thugs who were about to kill one of my agents. If I had hesitated for even a second she would have died,” Midnight reminded her, “One of them was some stallion named Hard Knocks! …I made his son an orphan.”

Celestia gasped and bit into her hoof, taking a moment before she asked, “…Why did you never tell me this?”

The look Midnight gave her suddenly made her feel small.

“You didn’t ask.”

“…Midnight, I- I don’t quite-” Celestia tried to say but Midnight cut her off.

“You. Didn’t. Ask,” he echoed as he stepped towards her, and she impulsively stepped back in response. “You listened to my report, nodded in satisfaction that justice was served, and dismissed me, saying, what was it again? ‘That will be all, Midnight’.

“You didn’t even notice the look on my face, you didn’t look at me even once as I gave the full report. You didn’t even ask about the casualties I caused! And why not?”

He gestured to Celestia, inviting her answer, she tried to say something but instead opened and closed her mouth like a fish desperate for water, so Midnight answered for her with look so furious it made the others in the room cringe.

“Because you didn’t want to know. You didn’t want to involve yourself any more than necessary to preserve your image of a good and gracious princess, beloved and pure. You didn’t want to immerse yourself in the muck I walk through and come out with your perfect white coat besmirched.”

Celestia stuttered, trying to say something but then Midnight growled, “You made me your weapon, Celestia!”

“Midnight, that is quite enough!!” Luna couldn’t take it anymore as she stepped in with a stomp so hard it chipped the tile beneath her hoof.

“Stay out of this, Luna!” Midnight snapped at her, causing Sombra to step forward, looking cross but considerate.

“Midnight, we understand that you’re hurting, but you need to calm down-”

“Calm down? Calm down?! Oh I haven’t even begun!” Midnight then turned his glare from his master to his original target.
“Because we both know the filthy tangled mess that gorgeous white coat hides underneath.”

“ENOUGH!!” Celestia couldn’t take it anymore! “You have overstepped your bounds and abused the power I’ve given you and I will not stand for your disrespect to me, to my sister, or to my husband!!”

“Why?! Because I don’t worship the ground you walk on like Twilight does?!” Midnight snapped. “Because I don’t hang on your every word, worry about making even the smallest mistake and quake in my hoof boots of how you might punish me for it?!

“You might have Twilight wrapped around your hoof, but I see right through you!”

“I’ve never pretended that Twilight is perfect nor did I ask her to be! I only asked that she do her best,” Celestia refuted, “I’ve mentored her to the best of my abilities like I tried with you-”

“Well, congratulations on your epic failure where she’s concerned!” Midnight smiled sarcastically.

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” demanded Celestia.

“Twilight knows everything!” Midnight glared so intensely it was condemning, “About me, about the Brotherhood, and especially about you!”

Celestia looked like she’d been slapped in the face.
“What did you tell her…!?”

“Oh the pictures of my dossiers were worth more than any words I could have used to explain it to her,” Midnight responded, “so I let your words explain it… Your signatures! Not only did she find out about the Brotherhood, that I lead it, and of all the crime and corruption you kept her ignorant of, she knows that you are aware of my covert ops and that you approve them!

“Learning her teacher, a mare she loves like a second mother planning executions through somepony she cared about?! She looked like her whole world had been turned upside-down,” Midnight couldn’t help but let out a small yet disturbing giggle as he despaired, “And then she called me a killer. And I don’t know where that leaves us… I really don’t.”

“…You had no right!” Celestia was beginning to pace, “At the very least, you should have informed me first! I could have-”

“Kept her in the dark?” Midnight interjected, “Continued to spoon-feed her the utter horseapples that all in Equestria is perfectly hunky-dory? Deny the lying, the cheating, the killing you’ve orchestrated out of moral vanity?!”

“You may very well have caused more harm in telling her truths she was clearly not ready to hear!” Celestia accused.

Those words were the final straw. The arrogance, the self-righteousness, he was not going to let her off with a slap on the hoof. Midnight gave Celestia one final look of bitterness before opening his mouth and shouting with all his heart.

“THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME DIE!!!!”

Those words tore into her soul like a rusty dagger, twisted and serrated for good measure. Celestia was rendered speechless as she looked at Midnight like a mare whose whole life had been shattered from doubt and emotional turmoil. She’d brought it upon herself, but never figured it would come in this ugly moment.

The smaller alicorn returned her gaze with one of pain and hurt as tears trailed down his cheeks.

He looked away, crying, “You should have just let me die… At least if I were gone then Twinken would have grown up with a mother and father… They would still be here and they would be just fine!

“And Twilight… Twilight wouldn’t have looked at me like I’m a monster! You hid me away from my life and everypony I knew and loved in Canterlot! And I wouldn’t have to live knowing what a constant reminder I am of your own guilt and shame! …And what a disappointment I am to you.”

Celestia tried to respond but all that came up was a throaty gurgle. She backed away, falling into her throne, completely unable to respond as Luna hurried to her sister’s side, and glared at Midnight saying, “I think that’s quite enough from you! Sister…”

Midnight turned away from them but then he noticed the look on his master’s face. Sombra looked torn, a tear going down his own face, he was looking at a mess between the love of his life and the apprentice he loved like a son and he didn’t know how to make it better.

The sight of his master’s emotional turmoil just rubbed salt into the wound, and he started making for the door out of the throne room-

*KNOCK-KNOCK*

The knocking stopped Midnight in his tracks and the door opened to reveal Shining Armor now clad in his old Captain of the Royal Guard purple and gold armor, his wings extended, a bold gaze in his eyes.

“Midnight,” he noticed his friend and then the dreary situation going on in the throne room. “Uh… I… came here to tell you all that I am organizing an expedition to the energem mine that was attacked.”

“Shining Armor, don't be ridiculous!” Sombra looked at Shining Armor as though he were suddenly the village idiot.
“Ponies died there! There’s no telling what the changelings are up to-”

“Because the only source of information we had offed herself and it was my stupid idea to try to force her to talk!” Shining Armor argued.

That outburst of his caused Celestia to look up, confused, as Shining Armor went on.

“Right now, there is a real threat out there, planning Goddess knows what, and instead of taking action we’re standing around here, arguing with each other and doing nothing!

“But I know my duty. With or without your approval, I am going to lead an expedition to that mine and find answers, because like my best friend standing right here” – he gestured to Midnight – “I am a Guardian of Harmony and a Prince of Equestria. Midnight? Would you like to come along?”

For a moment Midnight said nothing but he peered in Celestia’s direction. He looked at her not with contempt but with weariness. He looked to Shining Armor and nodded, “Let’s go. But now without being prepared.”

He and Shining Armor faced Sombra as Midnight said, “Master, Shining Armor and I will lead this expedition to the mine, because he’s right. We must take action and we need answers.”

“…Well, with you two on the case,” Sombra gave them a reluctant smile yet encouraging all the same, “I think we can have faith that everything will be alright.”

Midnight and Shining Armor nodded in respect before they left.

Sombra looked to his wife and sister-in-law at the throne, knowing he had his work cut out in comforting his `Tia.

The medical staff was going about their business as usual, unaware of a patient stirring in bed. Groaning from the late morning sun pouring in, Twinken moaning as waking awareness flooded in and drowned out the bliss of sleep.

He sat up, stretching and yawning before he opened his eyes… and realized, “Th- Wher- Where am I?”

The hospital room was sparse and boring, as hospital rooms tend to be. It was only the pile of presents and cards and a box of treats set at the foot of his bed that added any color to give the room so personality.

Twinken levitated some of the cards to him, the first one he looked at was from Fluttershy. Apparently, her present to him was an invitation to come by the cottage sometime where he could pick a critter to be his own pet! Another card was from his friends, signed by the rest of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, little messages scrawled here and there on the card, wishing him happy birthday, never give up, stuff like that.

But then Twinken noticed something beside him, on the drawer beside his hospital bed. It was a little white box with a golden ribbon, and he instantly remembered it, “Midnight’s present!”

He levitated it towards him, and held it in his hooves.

That night, at the party, Twinken had learned from Midnight that they are truly brothers, not just adoptive brothers but they were each other’s flesh and blood. Midngith had promised to answer all of his questions but then…

It was a blank!

Twinken thought and thought but for some reason he couldn’t remember what happened the rest of the party, or even how he got here in this hospital!

Shaking off the confusion, Twinken stared again at the present. He was hesitant and yet he didn’t know why. Inside this box, he was sure Midnight had given him something special, but… He already had so many questions to ask Midnight the next time he saw him and wasn’t sure opening this present without midnight there would be the right thing to do.

And yet…

His red aura enveloped the present’s ribbon and lid before he knew it was happening, but he let it happen. The ribbon was undone and laid aside… and ever so slowly did he raise the lid to see…

A beautiful medallion!

It had the engraving of a crescent moon and in the middle was a starcut shiny black stone. He levitated it out of the box when he noticed the tiny latch on one side and realized, It’s not a medallion… it’s a locket!

He willed the latch to unlock and slowly opened the locket to see what was inside.

Twinken gasped, tears well up in his eyes, and he couldn’t help but smile!

Author's Note

Going about this felt like walking on thin ice; I know how bad I made Midnight look but I needed to make Celestia look as bad, if not even more

An earlier draft of this, Luna and Sombra didn't say a thing during the argument as it escalated until it was over; thanks to suggestions made by Creative Quill and Spirals95 I got exactly the touches I felt it needed.

Sombra and Luna not saying all that much was because they were flabbergasted, because they'd never seen Midnight and Celestia behave this way around each other, that they had no idea there was this much tension between them

Midnight's hurtful words near the end of the argument were always intended, and were partially inspired by the character Bismuth from "Steven Universe". I wanted to impress the message that Midnight and Celestia's bond is in real danger of being irreparably broken

So I ended it with Twinken waking up and finding the family locket to give it a touch of hopefulness, despite the bad news Midnight's loved ones are gonna hear later on

224. The Loss of Faith - Part 7

*POP*

A couple of large crates appeared, each of them labeled ‘Hoofworks Limited’ with a logo of a metal mechanical hand shaking with a hoof.

“What’s all this?” Shining Armor asked, as he, a half a unit of guards, and two robed ponies all stood on a large open terrace, three pegasus chariots ready for takeoff.

They were all looking at Midnight, who’d made a large bubble of turquoise mana appear before poking it with his horn so it popped, to reveal these crates. He patted one of them before giving the team a smirk.
“Just a little insurance, from a good friend.”

“Hoofworks Limited…?”

Midnight peered around to see one of the guards, a pegasus named Spearhead, giving the label a closer look. He had a coat of tangelo orange, brilliant cyan eyes, his mane two shades of phthalo blue, and his cutie-mark was three spearheads.
“Score! Ain’t that the company of that inventor guy? I bought one of his vegetable peelers for my sis’s last birthday. He had some kind of slogan…?”

“Designed with hooves in mind,” Midnight recounted, the thoughts of his good friend lifting his spirits a little. “He is a genius! Which is why I commissioned from him the equipment in these crates a while back. Been saving them for just the right occasion.”

“What’s in them?” another guard hesitantly walked up, only for Midnight to bar his path with his wing.

“The contents of these crates are classified and their existence will remain secret,” Midnight stated, using his authoritative voice. “Once we reach our destination, only then will I reveal to you all what these crates are packing.”

“Uh- Yessir!” The guards saluted in response to Midnight’s authority when Shining Armor walked up to his friend.

“Midnight, I… don’t mind you bringing your own guys, but…” he pointed out the two robed ponies who’d arrived without saying a word except whispers to Midnight.

“They are Evening Hoods and thus their identities are protected secrets,” Midnight explained, sounding a little bitter, “but these two are among my most able agents and I trust them completely. It is their own choice, not mine, whether or not they are willing to share their identities with any of you.”

“Shining! Midnight!”

They all looked to see Cadance coming their way, as the Princess of Love approached her husband, embracing him, and he warmly returned the gesture. When they let go, they stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before sharing a tender kiss.

You’re a lucky stallion, Shining… thought Midnight, an ache in his heart making itself known as he looked at his two friends’ exchanges of love.

“Midnight?”

“Huh?” Midnight looked up to Cadance giving him one of concern and an understanding smile.

"Can we talk?”

“Uh, sure,” Midnight followed Cadance away from the team so she could speak with him privately. “Um, what’s up, Cadance?”

“Listen, Midnight…” Cadance looked at him with deep concern, “I heard about what happened between you and Celestia. I don’t fully understand, but I do know there are things you and her will have to discuss at some point. Now, don’t look like that. I can tell you don’t want to leave things as they are.”

“I don’t know, Cadance…” Midnight hesitated, “I… Well, some of the things that I said, I meant them, but…” – Midnight exhaled sharply – “It’s all just such a big mess right now.”

“Including how it is between you and Twilight,” Cadance brought up, causing Midnight to look at her like he’d just been told his mother died.

Tears almost shed from his eyes but he blinked them away, having cried a lot already.

“Midnight, you’re not the only pony who’s had to take a life in his line of work,” Cadance informed him, glancing over at her husband. “Back when he was the Captain of the Royal Guard of Canterlot, Shining Armor has had to… to kill as well, in order to protect the citizens.”

“He told me about that,” Midnight nodded but sighed morosely, “but Shining’s been through that only three times, and in those situations it was do or die, Cadance… I don’t have that kind of an excuse.”

“There’s a difference between killing to protect and killing to punish, Cadance.”

“Maybe,” Cadance paused a moment as she gave Midnight a debating look, “But the underlying motives are basically the same!

“Midnight, we’ve known each other for a very long time. I’ve known you since you were a colt, and the you who helped Shining Armor to stop Chrysalis and save Canterlot from the changeling invasion during my wedding. You have done more for Equestria than most ponies have done in their entire lives, and you’ve willingly made sacrifices in the pursuit of doing good and protecting others. Yes, a lot of it was thankless and sometimes you’ve had to make less-than-moral choices, but for all the lives you’ve taken you’re allowed to consider the lives you’ve saved!”

Those words reached Midnight as he looked at Cadance with a less bleak expression while she continued.

“You’ve saved lives, Midnight! Saved them from corrupt individuals who were hurting them in some way or other. Blackberry Hossmane was corrupt and he hurt hundreds of ponies. Yes, he took the coward’s way out rather than be a stallion and answer for his wrongs, but you still gave him a chance to be a better pony rather than just kill him. You are not accountable for his choices, and you made a plan of action regardless of the outcome to handle his company and his employees.

“His innocent employees may have lost their jobs but you made sure that each of them would be taken care of. You could’ve just taken it all down and left them all jobless but you considered the ramifications of it, and they’re all gonna be fine!”

Midnight looked down, a tad sheepish, when Cadance held his cheek to make him look at her.

“I’ll talk to Twilight. I’m not promising anything except that I will convince her that you and she need to talk and resolve the tension between you for yourselves. The first fight between special someponies is often the hardest, no matter what they’re over, but I have felt the love between you two and as bad as you think it might be, I have faith in you and in Twilight, that you can overcome this. But you have to overcome it together.”

That one finally got Midnight to shed tears, feelings mixing up inside, as he didn’t know what to say. On one hoof, he was still afraid of how bad it all felt, but on the other he was touched and just a little more hopeful.

Then Cadance surprised him again by kissing him on the cheek, and then saying, “Take care of Shining, Midnight, and the both of just come home safe and sound.”

“…I’ll make sure Shining gets back to you in one piece, Cade,” Midnight promised as he smiled a little bigger this time, and Cadance smiled warmly back.

“Alright, it’s time to get underway,” Shining Armor came over, “I cast weightless charms onto your crates, Midnight, and had somepony tie them to the chariots.

“I’ll see you soon, Cady Bug…”
“I’ll hold you to that, Shiny. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Shining Armor gave his wife one last kiss, holding her wing with his own and reluctantly letting go as he and Midnight parted from Cadance and moved to join the rest of the team.

As he got close to one of the chariots, Midnight paused and then looked up to one of the castle towers, to the balcony outside Celestia’s chambers. He didn’t see her but he had a feeling she could see him. He stepped onto one of the chariots, and announced, “Alright! Pegasus Chariots, prepare for takeoff!”

The pegasus guards who were pulling the chariots raised their wings, itching to take flight, as the passengers all made sure they were aboard a chariot, some of them making sure the tethers to the crates Midnight was bringing along were secure, until one by one a passenger of each chariot signaled they were ready.

“Let’s go!” Shining Armor called out, and one by one the pegasus guards took a running start, pulling their chariots and passengers… and taking flight off the edge of the terrace!

In no time at all, all three chariots were airborne, and as they took to the sky, Midnight gave one last look to the City of Unicorns over his shoulder.

Watching them take flight, Celestia just stood there. The moment Midnight had peered up to her balcony she’d ducked so that he wouldn’t see her. Then she’d slipped back inside, and was now watching her nephews and their team leave through a slip in the curtains.

Every word he’d said to her, every word she’d said to him, at first she’d pretended as though she were dealing with a spoiled child… up until he said those horrible words. Then the words after.

It finally drove the spike into her stubborn skull, and in flooded the realization that Midnight was right.

She had manipulated him.

Sure, it began with wanting to provide him a purpose, but in retrospect she now acknowledged however good her intentions were she’d had set him on a path of spying and killing, carrying out the cloak and dagger business so she would not have to.

I did make him a weapon… she thought as tears slid down her cheeks as she leaned against the wall, wallowing to the floor.

“Sister.”

Celestia didn’t look up to see Luna looking at her sister languish in self-pity.

“Tia… I won’t pretend to understand the choices you made regarding Midnight. I don’t deserve to, not after the things I’ve done. Even after all this time since I’ve returned and was freed from being Nightmare Moon, every once in a while there’s somepony who is afraid of me in some form or other.

“And when I am reminded of the monster once was, I am also reminded of the terrible things I did as Nightmare Moon. Even though I wasn’t exactly in my right mind, I made those choices and others suffered because of them. I may never be free of Nightmare Moon’s memory and perhaps I shouldn’t be. As painful as it is, it has granted me something I did not have back then, something that might have prevented me from ever having become Nightmare Moon in the first place.”

Although her sister did not ask, Luna was glad to see Celestia peer over at her in question.

“Humility, Tia,” Luna answered solemnly. “The one thing I am thankful to Nightmare Moon for is how her legacy has humbled me. I still appreciate recognition and admiration from our subjects but I now appreciate them not because I feel I am entitled to it but because I earn it through efforts honest and sincere.

“Through humility, I have found a stronger sense of patience and understanding, of being a good listener and of compromise, and it has made me a better princess. You might have experienced something similar in how you were forced to banish me to the moon for millennia, but overtime as you’ve ruled alone you’ve become accustomed to ruling alone.

“You make decisions and assume they’re the best course of action, even if they’re decisions made on the behalf of others. Decisions where they could have their own differences of opinions.”

Those words resonated with Celestia as she thought, She’s right…!

“I don’t exactly approve of how Midnight acted towards you,” Luna went on, “but nor do I approve of how you blamed him, for the suicides of Hossmane and Chrysalis. They made their decisions, misguided and selfish as they were, but don’t forget that despite his involvement where they were concerned Midnight has acted and done the best he can in his obligations, even while under stress from personal issues, and yet he is not allowing them to impede him in carrying out his duties.

“Could things have been done better? Many things could have been done better, Tia! But, as they say, such is life! We go through life stumbling along the way and making mistakes. Either we learn from our mistakes and strive to do better or we go around in circles making them all over again.”

Luna knelt down beside her sister, placing her hooves on Celestia’s shoulders, “Now you can continue to sit here in the dark feeling sorry for yourself over the mistakes you’ve made, you can obsess over how you could have done things better, and you can hate the way things are with every fiber of your being, but you might as well start hating life while you’re at it.

“Regardless of the situation, you have the choice to learn from your past mistakes and do better in the future. Even if that seems harder than it sounds, remember that you have friends and family who love you and support you and want for you to be the best you that you can be. But none of that makes a difference unless you yourself have the will. So tell me, Big Sister…”

Celestia finally looked at Luna, and in her face she saw neither judgment nor disappointment. She saw only love and encouragement.

“What do you want to do?”

The tears welled up, her heart swelled, and she couldn’t hold it in anymore as she sniffled, “L-little Sister…!”

Luna hugged Celestia close, resting her muzzle atop Celestia’s head as Celestia let it out and cried. Cried out of a mixture of emotions bubbling up and coming out in the form of sobbing. Guilt, Sorrow, Appreciation, Humbleness, Joy, and a little Frustration and Hope in there as well.

Sombra watched from the doorway, smiling at Luna and Celestia, thankful to the former for helping his wife tear off the bandage and bleed out the infection. He then looked out the window and just barely caught the expedition team before they vanished in the distance.

Feelings of unease and worry filled him, wishing he’d said something to the closest thing he’d ever had to a son after that confrontation in the throne room. But he was so conflicted with his emotions he wasn’t sure what to say at the time nor did he trust himself to try without prolonging or escalating the strife further. As disappointed as he’d found himself in his wife and his apprentice, Sombra found he was even more disappointed with himself.

Leaving the sisters to patch things up, Sombra ventured down the halls as he thought, Whatever happens, Midnight, I know you’ll do us proud…

Hours later, the team landed at their destination, the energem mine. Located to the far southeast of the town of Appleloosa, safely obscured in a natural bowl at the foot of the Macintosh Hills, with additional magical security measures to insure its location remained anonymous to all but authorized personal, such as distractor spells, security wards, and a cloaking barrier. The mine had seemed like a Goddess-send when explorers working on behalf of the crown discovered it four years ago, purely by accident when one of them, a geologist examined what she thought was a piece of quartz… only to realize she was holding an energem the size of a chicken egg!

Further exploration, examination, and prospecting yielded tangible evidence the exploration team had stumbled upon a cave system where the walls were practically made of pure, untapped energem!

After reporting the discovery back to Canterlot, Princess Celestia had ordered a mining operation to be established immediately, but due to the utterly priceless worth of the stuff that was to be mined, she’d also ordered the operation, along with anything and anypony involved, to be classified at the highest level. In almost no time at all, the mining operation was underway, with dozens of miners and guards, all with backgrounds that had checked out, working fervently to mine as many energems as quickly and as safely as possible.

Now?

Looking at the operation, the team, led by Shining Armor and Midnight, were crestfallen to see several bodies of ponies, both miners and guards.

“Sweet Mother of Celestia…!” said one of the team-members, a guard, “What happened here?”

“…Changelings,” Midnight stepped forward, concentrating his horn before releasing a ripple of mana that spread across the area. He sighed in relief before addressing everypony, “It’s okay. No life energies nearby aside from the local wildlife and ourselves.”

“Why’d you do that, sir?” Spearhead asked.

Midnight looked at the bodies solemnly, “There might have been a chance one of these bodies was a changeling lying in wait and in disguise. My life-sensing spell didn’t react except to us, but something’s still bothering me…”

“...What’s that?” Shining Armor was afraid to ask.

“I read the files on this mining operation during the flight here,” Midnight said as he continued to slowly gaze over the environment.

He saw several small construction wagons, serving as makeshift offices for the paper-pushers involved in the mining operation, mining and guard equipment such as pickaxes, shovels, spears, hard-hats with electric lights installed, armor pieces, guard helms, among other tools, scattered about, a U-shaped rail extending out from the mouth of the cave whose belly served as the mine filled with the riches of energems, a couple mining carts, one still on the railway the other apparently having been thrown off the tracks, a dead earth pony mare nearby it, apparently having died of blunt-force trauma to her head.

“This mine has been active for the last four years,” Midnight explained, “During that period, there have been few incidents, even fewer injuries, but never any deaths, every precaution was taken to insure the miners’ safety. For the most part, the staff has been consistent aside from maybe almost a dozen changes in the mining teams and the guards providing security. In fact…

“The last change in the staff… was the guard in charge of security, Lieutenant Cheat Code, who assumed the position of the mine’s security chief six months ago after the last one was involved in an accident that left him unable to carry out his duties.”

“So then… what’s the problem?” Shining Armor asked, unsure he liked where this was going.

“Look around,” Midnight waved his wing, inviting the team to take a harder look. The guards looked sympathetic while the two Evening Hoods were unreadable. “There are only eleven corpses, and only a few of them are miners. The staff for the operation numbered about thirty miners, ten office workers, and twenty guards… but there are no changeling corpses. And I don’t see Lieutenant Cheat Code’s body anywhere.

“We would never have heard that this mining operation and its location were compromised if the one confirmed survivor hadn’t made it to Appleloosa and sent word of what transpired. Four guards were sent to Appleloosa to confirm the survivor was legitimate and not a changeling in disguise. It’s only the survivor’s recounting of the incident what happened here that offers any evidence that changelings were behind the attack.”

“That is strange but don’t forget,” Shining Armor gave his friend a raised brow, “Chrysalis had information, apparently so vital, that she killed herself to insure we’d never be able to pick it out of her brain.

“Whether or not she knew what was going on around here, whatever she knew was related somehow.”

“That is true…” Midnight considered, rubbing his chin while wiping the sweat from his brow with his wing, still troubled, “it’s just… we do not have enough pieces to this puzzle and there are still questions, like…

“Who compromised the location of this mining operation, and why? Why did the changelings attack this mine, and why now? What’s changed, what’s spurred the bugs into action after all this time since their queen was imprisoned? I mean… Is it possible this was just a random attack or…”

“Or what? Please, Midnight, enough with the suspense!” Shining pressed wearily.

“Or… could this be merely the prelude of something even worse yet to come?” Midnight sighed, looking apprehensive. “Either way, we have to get to the bottom of this, and we start…”

He turned to look into the darkness of the mine’s cave entrance as he lamely said, “by going in there.”

He stood there, knowing the rest of the team was looking into that same darkness as well, and let that sink in a moment before he lit his horn and levitated the crates he’d brought along over. He willed the crates’ nailed lids open as easily as cracking open a walnut under his hoof but before he revealed the contents, he faced the team with a look that said he meant business.

“The contents of these crates are classified. Unless all of you swears never to reveal what I’m about to show you, I’m not gonna bring the contents out. The equipment I have here is meant to give us an edge in this undertaking but due to certain circumstances I cannot allow unwanted eyes or ears to learn of this equipment. I’ve already placed special charms on this equipment to guarantee it is returned to pre-set coordinates by sundown today, which is in six hours.

“I mean it! You will tell no one of this equipment, not even Princess Celestia!”

That statement caused whispers among the team but Shining Armor responded, “Not even Princess Celestia?! Midnight, what do you have in these crates?!”

“You will agree. Or I’ll send these crates and the equipment away,” Midnight said in a tone inarguable. “Make no mistake, this equipment could very well save our lives if we are attacked by enemy forces. But I will not risk its existence becoming common knowledge, and right now? My circle of trust does not include Celestia.”

Shining Armor was troubled by that statement. Sure, he knew at the moment, Midnight and Celestia were not on good terms but for him to outright say he doesn’t trust her…

“Alright,” Shining Armor sighed as he looked to his guardsponies, “As a Prince of Equestria, I issue this gag order onto all of you – Whatever Prince Midnight Blaze has in these crates, you are, under no circumstances, to reveal the existence of the equipment or anything about it to anypony… If you break this gag order, you will be court martialed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Is that understood?”

The guard ponies shared troubled looks but then faced Shining Armor as they saluted and nodded their compliance, and Shining Armor turned to face Midnight, “Please don’t make me regret this…”

“Relax, this equipment is strictly non-lethal weaponry,” Midnight waved a dismissive hoof, Shining Armor flinching.

“Wha- Gu- Weapony?!” Shining Armor echoed as he watched Midnight levitate out the contents of the crates revealing them to be…
“Saddles?”

Midnight smirked, “Not simply saddles. Guards, fall in. Let’s get each of you outfitted with one of these.”

The guards hesitantly obeyed as they approached, standing in line, when Midnight counted them and then counted how many of these strange saddles he’d brought. “Okay, there’s eight of you, and seven saddles, so…”

He pointed to Spearhead and a unicorn guard standing next to him, “You two shall remain outside. Gather the dead, and place them…”

Making sure the crates were empty, Midnight’s horn glowed as he furrowed his brows in concentration. Everypony watched in awe as Midnight’s aura enveloped the crates… and they disintegrated!

Each crate, each wooden plank, each nail holding them together, came apart. Not just into their individual pieces but each one was reduced into dust-like particles, Midnight beginning to sweat as he worked whatever magic he was doing. The team watched, amazed, as the cloud of particles swirled together, like a dust-devil, before it was bunched up… and before their very eyes formed a wooden platform with raised walls about three hooves tall.

Midnight gasped, his magic letting go, and the framed platform fell to the ground with a loud thud but remained intact, as Midnight panted like he’d just sprinting.

“Midnight, you okay?” Shining Armor went over and placed a hoof on his friend’s shoulder.

“I-I just need a moment,” Midnight nodded as he scrunched his eyes shut in an effort to force out the fatigue from his mind. He gathered himself as his heart steadied, and then he addressed Spearhead and the other guard he’d been talking to. “This platform, place any dead ponies you can find on it. They deserve to be taken back where their loved ones can give them all a proper burial. And say their final farewells.”

“Yessir,” Spearhead and the unicorn saluted when Midnight levitated one of the saddles over Spearhead.

“Put this on, and six of you strap on one of the rest of the saddles,” Midnight instructed.

The guards obeyed, as Spearhead and six more, three pegasi, two earth ponies, and a unicorn, secured the saddles around their barrels, right onto the backs of their armor. They were odd devices, a long brown strap held a metallic base to their normal plating, but on the saddles’ sides were two bulbous glass tubes, rubber belts inside coiled around metallic posts. Whatever mysterious power source lay inside these saddles powered the belts, generating arcs of blue electricity that filled the bulbs. Each of them fed into a big set of big red wires that snaked up a folding metal boom, hinged at the base and midway to provide motion, and on top of these booms was a lengthy protrusion, a golden coil wrapped around a tube that pointed over the shoulders of the guards

“These are crazy!” commented Spearhead, as the protrusion mounted on the device appeared to track his eye movement to aim wherever he was looking. “What are they?”

Midnight grinned, proud of his friend’s work on these devices, “They’re called Zapper-Saddles. Non-lethal weapons that fire concentrated pulses of electrical energy to stun a target. All you have to do to fire a pulse is look at your target, and think as if you were about to pull the trigger of a crossbow.”

“Um, Sir? Considering what we might be up against, wouldn’t… lethal weapons be more-” a guard hesitantly tried to ask but Midnight cut him off.

“My friend has a strict policy about his work and I’d never ask him to break that policy,” Midnight was uninterested in complaints. “Besides, if there are changelings in the mine, these weapons will allow us to capture them alive without risk of killing them. Which mean perhaps we might be able to interrogate them for further information of whatever plans they might be scheming and in turn maybe allow us to prevent further bloodshed.

“That is our mission and what we are here for."

Those words helped dash away some lingering doubts Shining Armor had and he smiled proudly at his friend when Spearhead spoke up.
“You got it, Sir! So uh… all we have to do to fire these things is think…”

No sooner did he make the mental command, did his saddle’s discharge point let out a high-pitched chirp and launch a narrow zig-zagging bolt of electricity from the discharge point’s barrel. Given that Spearhead was making eye contact with Midnight, the artificial lightning bolt attempted to blast the alicorn right between the eyeballs with no care for his alliance. The screaming white-hot bolt of ions was barely blocked by a shield made of mana, scattering the powerful blast and causing Midnight’ mane to frizz.

Once the horrific incident of terror was over, Midnight threw such a stink eye in Spearhead’s direction, causing the tangelo pegasus to chuckle meekly in apology while a few other guards stifled some chuckles at the hilarity of what had just happened. Even Shining Armor couldn’t resist getting a case of the giggles.

“These are not toys, gentlecolts…” Midnight narrowed his eyes at them to razor edge, “They’ll still knock your asses out if those energy pulses hit you good enough, so save them for the changelings, please!”

“Alright, you heard the pony, boys,” Shining Armor got it out of his system as he took charge. “Spearhead, you and Red Hex stay out here, gather the deceased, and keep an eye out.”

“And you can contact us with these,” Midnight raised his hoof, a turquoise bubble blowing up and then popping to reveal a metal case he levitated to the ground and opened it. Inside were four disc-shaped devices, each with two buttons, a compass-reading on one side, and what looked to be a speaker on the other, with a gemstone set in the middle.
“My friend’s not the only inventor. These are communication devices I’ve put together. I call them Communechoes, or Echoms for short.”

“Communechos?”
“Echoms?”
“How do they work?”

Midnight levitated one of the devices to Spearhead and his unicorn partner Red Hex, “Hold onto one of these and contact us if something comes up. Press the lower button and talk into the speaker, we’ll all be able to hear you.”

“You made these, Midnight?” Shining Armor levitated one to examine it closely.

“After a mission in the Forbidden Jungle… went south due to miscommunication via walkie-talkies, I wanted a more reliable means of communicating over long distances,” Midnight explained. “I tinkered with an idea of communicating without relying on technology by using a similar concept but different in nature. Radio signals can be scrambled or intercepted, telepathy can only be done by beta-level unicorns and it’s complicated to establish telepathic links to earth ponies and pegasi, even using beta-level unicorns as telepathic relays.

“Finally, after going over multiple possible alternative means, I found exactly what I needed” – he levitated one of the devices and pointed to the gemstone set in the middle – “in these! There all kinds of energems, based on actual gem types, what makes this mine so valuable are the variety of gems to be mined.

“But this specific type of crystal resonates sound waves with other crystals of the same type! I experimented with it and found that, using magical methods, the sounds spoken into one of these… resonance crystals echo to other crystals, which vibrate the sounds from the first crystal to an audible range that can be heard if the sound vibrations are amplified just so.”

…

The blank faces told Midnight his explanation was going over the heads, so he sighed, “Alright, simply put: Whatever you speak into one of the devices echoes to the rest of them, as long as they are within range of each other.

“And before you ask, the range is determined by each resonance crystal’s purity. I chose the purest crystals I could get my hooves on for these things, so in this case? Roughly thirty miles, and even better, the ranges can be relayed between two of the devices outside each other’s range as long as a third is between them to chain the ranges together.”

“Will they still work underground?” asked one of the guards, “Sometimes communication devices can be disrupted by natural causes, like being underground or weather conditions.”

“That is correct,” Midnight pointed to the guard who’d spoken up, “but that’s in the case with technological communications, using radio broadcasts, transceivers, and receivers. These devices transmit sound with magic. Their only limit is their range, but these are prototypes.

“When any one of them is used to contact someone with another, all Communechoes within range receive the transmission instead of the specific pony you want to talk to. In this case however, that could very well be an advantage.”

“I see what you’re saying,” Shining Armor nodded as it dawned on him, “constant communication with all members of the team holding one of these devices, and whenever one of needs to inform the others we’ll all hear instead of needing to relay it anyone else.”

“But unless we can help it, we are not going to split up after we go in,” Midnight held up a forefeather. “We have a map with a general layout of the mining tunnels, but there is always a chance we stumble upon natural caves or tunnels and could get lost. Hopefully, the only excitement we’ll have is finding a group of changelings, incapacitating them and bringing them back for interrogation.”

“Alrighty then, Spearhead, Red, like I said before,” Shining Armor repeated, “remain out here, gather the deceased, and if anything happens contact us with the device.”

“Yessir,” they saluted and got to work, making for the nearest corpse.

The team, comprised of Shining Armor, Midnight, six guards outfitted with Zapper-Saddles, and the two Evening Hoods Midnight had brought along, stood together as they faced the mouth of the cave before they ventured in towards the belly of the beast.

Author's Note

Hoofworks Limited, the Zapper-Saddles, and the inventor who made them whom Midnight alludes to the ideas and OC of Spirals95

I included the character Spearhead so one of the guards in the team would be show-canon (and because I don't know any other guards from the show) while Red Hex was just a random name.

Cadance giving Midnight some encouragement and hope was intended to show that he has not truly lost all hope and given himself over to despair

I had Luna talk to Celestia because I felt she needed a sister's words after the fallout between her and Midnight

I featured work from Spirals95 because of how we've worked together and I've read all of his current works on this site and how much I like his OC. The Zapper-Saddles were partly inspired by Techorse's Battle Saddle but also drew inspiration from the shoulder-mounted plasma caster weapons of the Predators, but due to Techorse's own character (among other things) the Zapper-Saddles are meant to be completely non-lethal stunning weapons

The Communechoes (Echoms for short) were my idea, a blend of magic and science to produce a rudimentary form of a communication device, transmitting sound waves with magic via these resonance crystals inside of radio broadcasts

225. The Loss of Faith - Part 8

Earlier that morning…

Owlowiscious gazed down from his perch with concern at his dear mistress as Twilight was slumped over her writing desk, a few broken quills to one side, a splotchy mess from an overturned inkwell on the other, piles of scrunched or torn up pieces of parchment littering the floor, and a true sign of uncharacteristic behavior signified by the dozens of books haphazardly strewn about in ways that would have made Twilight on a good day flinch at the gall of such irresponsible treatment of books!

But then again, it wasn’t a good day nor had it been a good night. After Midnight left, Twilight had stood in her library, still shell-shocked by what she had learned, the proof still lying around on the floor.

You’re not as educated as you think you are, Princess…

After Midnight said those words and left, Twilight was hesitant but she looked at the dossier papers more. She wished she hadn’t. The dirty details, the shady secrets, and worst of all, her signature.

On each file concerning a criminal of the worst sort, labeled ‘eliminated’. Correspondences between her and Midnight. The undeniable proof that the princess she admired, the teacher she trusted, the pony she loved like a second mother, was not the flawless and pristine example she felt all of Equestria should strive to live up to.

She’d hardly gotten any sleep last night since she’d tried to pull an all-nighter of studying into various subjects relating to her troubles. Corruption of all kinds, criminal investigation, covert operations, vigilantism, anything she could get her hooves on in an attempt to get into the heads of Midnight and Celestia. She’d made Spike boil her a few cups of coffee, but as her internal clock and the morning light stirred her from her slumbering malaise, she dimly recalled having drank only one cup of coffee, and how it seemed to have some odd taste to it.

Her eyes red and baggy, her mane tied back in a messy bun, the ink from her spilled inkwell splotching part of her coat and face, and her back! Ugh… what was I thinking- Oh, that’s right…

Twilight stretched out the cricks, groaning from her achy parts, mentally cursing the sun’s irritating rays having the nerve to peek through the windows and shine up the insides of her eyelids.

“Hoo.”

The sluggish unicorn looked up at Owlowiscious and reached up to stroke his feathers, appreciating his concern, “Morning, Owlowiscious…”

“Twilight.”

She turned to see Spike, looking at her with concern and crossed arms, with his brows furrowed just a little.

“Spike… did you slip something into the coffee I asked for?” Twilight asked but right now she didn’t really care.

“A little bit of that sleeping potion I got from Zecora a while back,” Spike admitted, “it was supposed to give you a full night’s sleep, but… I forgot it wears off when the drinker is exposed to morning sunlight.”

“Explains how I fell asleep so quickly and…” – Twilight glanced at the clock – “got only few hours of sleep.”

“Twilight, I’m sorry if you’re upset with me, but…” Spike sighed, pressing his fingers against his temple. “I’ve seen you pull maybe hundreds of all-nighters, and I’ve seen how many times you crashed because of them whenever things like… what happened last night happened.”

“Spike, I… don’t know what to do, what to think, I…” Twilight looked around at the mess she’d made as a result of another overzealous study binge. “Studying, research, books, it’s always been something for me to lean on, to… to escape into! Whenever something troubled me, I dove into my studies to have something else to focus on, to think about. To get away from the troubles…”

She looked at the dossier papers and folders with distant antipathy but sighed as she lit up her horn, the papers all coming together, randomly being placed back into the dossier folder without care whether they were organized. She levitated the folder, thick with information on the worst crimes and criminals imaginable, and the evidence that two ponies she loved dearly were right in the middle of it all. She dropped it unceremoniously on the table in the middle of the library, almost knocking over the wooden horse bust.

“Then something I enjoyed with a passion, instead of helping me, it… It-”

Twilight gasped a little as fresh tears welled up but she blinked them away. Spike went over threw his arms around Twilight, which she gratefully returned, hugging the little dragon, her constant companion, her number on assistant, the little brother she never had. Even Owlowiscious flapped over, landing on Twilight’s shoulder, and wrapping his wings around her head while Twilight buried her face in Spike’s head spines.

*Knock-knock-knock*

The moment ended as Twilight and Spike looked to the door, Owlowiscious returning to his perch.
“I got that,” Spike quickly went to answer, ignoring Twilight’s protects.

“No- Wait, Spike!”

The door swung open and Spike smiled, “Hey everypony! Good morning!”

Just what I need… Twilight sighed as their friends came in.

“OH! Darling, forgive us, we-” Rarity tried to avoid looking at Twilight and her morning appearance without making it look like she was trying to avoid looking at Twilight and her morning appearance. “Well, uh-” she cleared her throat – “It’s rather rude of us all to arrive before you’ve had a chance to do your morning… freshening up?”

“Rarity!” Blueblood whispered to Rarity sharply before saying, “Though she is right, we apologize for dropping in without giving you notice, Twilight.”

“Twi, we jus’ wanted to check on how yer doin’, sugarcube,” Applejack had a concerned smile on her face.

Thunderlane yawned, “And apparently, some of us couldn’t wait till say noon-ish before- Ow!”

Applejack had kicked Thunder’s rear leg with her own when Pinkie and Cheese both popped up, Pinkie carrying a large cardboard container, opening it to reveal a myriad of cupcakes, “Hey Twi! Cheesie and I thought if you were still down in the dumps, we’d bring you one of my most favorite treats so sweeten that sour mood, the Sampler Platter!”

“And Auntie Spice wanted me to bring you your favorite pizza pie,” Cheese offered a freshly steaming pizza with Twilight’s favorite toppings, sun-dried tomatoes and dandelion petals. He then lifted a two-liter with his tail, “And ice cold colt cola to wash it all down.”

“That’s very nice of you, but-”

“Oh! An’ Granny Smith wanted us t’ bring you one of her famous apple cinnamon pies,” Applejack held it out and it looked delicious, causing Twilight’s stomach to rumble since it was practically breakfast time.

“That’s very kind of her, AJ, it looks very-”

“By the way, Twi,” Rainbow zipped upwards so everypony would look up at her and pay attention, “Thunder and I are getting dragged along next week for some Wonderbolt flight demonstration and we each got Plus-1 permission, wanna come with?”

“Everypony, please!” Twilight exasperated as she turned around and groaned as she indifferently rested her forehead on her writing desk. She stood up, took a deep breath through her nostrils, and then faced them all, saying, “I appreciate you all coming to check on me and everything, but…”

“I asked them to, Twilight,” Spike stepped forward, “after everything that happened last night, and especially between you and Midnight.”

“Spike told us some of what Midnight told you, Twilight,” Fluttershy admitted, everypony else’s eyes suddenly becoming crestfallen and concerned. “And… we just wanted to let you know that… we’re here for you.”

Sweet Fluttershy, gentle Big Macintosh, trustworthy Applejack, steadfast Thunderlane, delighting Pinkie Pie, tuneful Cheese Sandwich, reliable Rainbow Dash, inspiring Soarin, artistic Rarity, candid Blueblood, and ever-faithful Spike.

Twilight gazed at each of them in turn, her walls of resistance melting away before the warmth they brought, and she smiled and finally let a tear shed, one of joy and appreciation. With a sigh however, knowing what she was about to share with them would be hard, she levitated the folder and said “This… isn’t going to be easy to share.”

But she did.

While they knew a little of what happened between her and Midnight yesterday evening after the party went wrong, they were all of them shocked and even somewhat horrified as Twilight the picture Twilight painted for them was gory and dirty with details. She showed a few of the files of the dossiers, and was morose to point out that Princess Celestia had sanctioned not just all the cloak & dagger business but the assassinations, the exposures of corrupt politicians, business-ponies, and even authorities, all involved in crime because of bribery, blackmail, or personal gain.

“…He was right,” Twilight sniffled as she put the files back into the dossier folder.

“About what, sugarcube?” Applejack came over and put a comforting foreleg around Twilight’s shoulders.

“I’m not as-as… as-” Twilight choked up a bit and began to cry as Applejack pulled her into a hug, the rest of the mares converging to comfort their friend.

The stallions all shared troubled looks although Blueblood and Soarin weren’t as fazed by these revelations as the rest.

"Twilight, I understand all that you’ve just shared with us is… well, a lot to take in,” Blueblood spoke up, “but in order to truly understand this ordeal, you need to hear it from all sides.”

“What’re you saying, Blue?” Thunderlane asked, all eyes looking to the unicorn prince.

“I’m saying that Twilight heard Midnight’s side, and despite the evidence that my aunt is involved Twilight should hear her side as well,” explained Blueblood. “Even if it means confirming the truth that she’s in the middle of all this.”

Seeing the point he’d made, Twilight considered Blueblood’s suggestion, and while it had merit she was afraid to go through with it. Afraid of what else she would learn.

“You’re probably right, Blueblood, it’s just…” Twilight stalled as she thought a moment before saying, “I-I want to… check on Twinken! Oh, and Joe! Wait, what about Button Mash?”

Some of the friends shared knowing looks, catching on that Twilight was hesitant but Applejack spoke up, “Twinken’s restin’ up over at Ponyville General Hospital.”

“An’ Button Mash is home safe n’ sound with his mama,” Big Mac was happy to report.

“Doughnut Joe’s at the hospital too,” Rainbow added.

“I… I wanna check on them, y’know, before we just rush off to Canterlot,” Twilight chuckled nervously as she made for the door.

“But Twilight, what about-” Spike tried to say.

“I’ll be back!” Twilight quickly hurried out, causing the rest of her friends to sigh.

“Right in here, Princess Twilight,” Nurse Redheart opened the hospital room and Twilight walked in and was confused for a moment to see Twinken crying while holding some kind of medal in his hooves… and smiling!

“Twinken? Are-are you alright?” Twilight came over when Twinken sniffled and wiped away his tears yet continued to smile as he looked upon Twilight.

“Twilight, it- I- I have a mom and dad! Look!” Twinken held the medal out for Twilight to see it was a locket, opened to reveal a family picture!

Of Midnight as a teenage alicorn colt, of Twinken as a sleeping baby held by who could only be Faerie Tail, and behind them all, holding them together had to be Ignitus. Twilight was stunned as she hesitantly held up her hooves to the locket, but then Twinken grabbed her hooves with a wide smile, “Twilight, I-I gotta find Midnight! I have so many questions!”

That overjoyed and hopeful smile, those tears of rejoice, Twilight couldn’t bear to remind Twinken what happened last night. She didn’t want to quash Twinken’s spirits by saying she and Midnight had a fight, when-

*DING*

“Actually, Twinken… you… also have an uncle!” Twilight hesitated, mentally kicking herself in the flank for doing this.

"An uncle?! But… this locket just has me, Midnight, and the ponies who’ve just gotta be our mom and dad,” Twinken looked closer at the picture, maybe searching for something he might have missed.

“Wwwwwait right here!” Twilight rushed out, leaving a confused Twinken to perplex and keep scrutinizing the locket’s picture.

At the front desk in the hospital lobby, Twilight got the information she needed and went where she needed to go. Thankfully, he hadn’t checked out yet. The receptionist said that somepony had stopped by to check on him and was making sure he didn’t try and leave before he was given a clean bill of health.

She found the room and knocked, calling, “Joe! It’s Twilight I need to speak with-”

But the moment Twilight stepped in the sound of her jaw dropping appeared on a nearby geologist’s Richter scale, as she gaped at the sight before her.

Joe and Chili Spice were making out on the former’s hospital bed like a couple of teenagers on a Saturday night. Joe’s deli cook outfit and hat were set neatly on a small table as he was wearing a hospital gown (standard hospital policy) and not caring about the saliva that was staining it as he traded his own with Chili Spice, moaning as she ran her primaries through his mane, their lips locked and loading each other with kisses so passionate-

“Ahem!”

Joe and Chili Spice both froze to see Twilight, looking awkward but also as though she were in a hurry. They instantly parted, mumbling unintelligibly, Joe sitting back against his hospital bed’s pillows while Chili Spice sat in a chair at his bedside, the both of them flustered and sheepish.

…

The awkward silence stretched long enough before Chili Spice cleared her throat, “Princess Twilight! Um… I… was just keeping Joe… company! You know, after all the… excitement last night.”

“Uh, yeah! Yeah, Chili here?” Joe smiled bashfully, “She was the first friendly face I saw after wakin’ up and I gotta tell ya, heh-heh!”

Joe looked at Chili Spice with a flirty blush, “She’s a peach!”

“And he’s such a charmer!” Chili Spice giggled like a school filly, “We introduced ourselves, and after finding out we both have our own restaurants, we got to talking about the foods we serve.”

“Youse gotta treat me to one o’ your pizza pies,” Joe smirked like a rogue.
“If you make batch of your doughnuts for desert!” Chili Spice bargained with a playful rise of her tone.
“Deal!” Joe chuckled, causing Chili Spice to laugh as well.

Twilight wasn’t exactly sure to make of what was happening in front of her. On one hoof, she was glad to see Joe in a much better mood compared to the way he acted last night, and obviously he and Auntie Spice had really hit it off. On the other? She really needed to move things along.

Clearing her throat, she said, “Um, Joe. I actually have something important to discuss with you, and… Auntie Spice? I’m sorry, but…”

“Oh! Not a problem, dear,” Chili Spice waved off Twilight’s concern before reaching into her purse-bag to pull out a pencil and a small notepad to scribble something down. She tore it off and stowed it safely in the front pocket of Joe’s deli chef shirt and saying to him, “The address to my pizzeria. Drop by anytime, handsome.”

“Oh I will, sweet stuff,” Joe chuckled, as did Chili Spice before they flirted by rubbing noses, causing Twilight to roll her eyes.

Finally, Chili Spice left, and Twilight was now faced with the dilemma of informing Joe of his family situation.

“So Twilight, uh…” Joe rubbed the back of his head, recalling how he’d acted and suddenly feeling ashamed of it. “I… I know a sorry doesn’t exactly make up for my behavior last-”

“No, Joe, it does not,” sighed Twilight, deciding to just rip the bandage off and get it over with. “But that’s not what I’m here for. Joe, Faerie Tail is your sister, right?”

“Yeah, she is…” Joe sighed morosely as he shared with Twilight how he’d noticed Midnight yesterday morning and for some reason thought there was something about the blue alicorn prince that was familiar.

He’d followed Midnight to the hospital where he lost him in the hallways, but Joe stumbled upon Faerie Tail’s room! He’d recognized her for absolute certainty after seeing her cutie-mark, and reading her chart that didn’t really explain why she was in the hospital to begin with, other than her condition being identified as a “magically-induced coma” and the emergency contact was Prince Midnight Blaze.

“I still don’ know what t’ make of it, Twilight, I…” Joe was crestfallen as Twilight listened, seeing a stallion confused and uncertain and very sad. “The last time I saw Faerie Tail, it was… so long ago! All of a sudden she and her family moved away, without sayin’ a thing! Wait… her family! She… she has a husband, Ignitus! And… their… son? Their son… !”

Realization finally dawned on him as Joe looked up in shock, realizing why Midnight was so familiar, why he was involved somehow with Faerie Tail’s current condition, but…

“Joe.”

Joe hesitantly looked at Twilight, her face sympathizing as she could relate to discovering mind-blowing secrets.
“A lot of things happened, with Midnight and his parents. When he was ten years, Midnight became an alicorn, and due to a myriad of circumstances too long and elaborate to get into right now, Princess Celestia had to hide Midnight’s existence from the rest of Equestria. To insure his secret would be protected… she made everypony in Canterlot except for his parents forget of Midnight’s existence. Including me.”

Joe looked at Twilight as though he’d been told his family had been murdered!
“In time, Midnight was finally able to come out of hiding. But bad things happened to him. And to his parents…”

“What happened to them?” asked Joe, afraid to find out but wanting to all the same. “What happened to my sister and-and her husband, Ignitus?!”

“Some unknown assailant attacked the house where Midnight and his parents were living whne he was fifteen,” Twilight went on, her heart heavy. “Ignitus and Midnight fought the intruder… but they cast some kind of curse on Faerie Tail. From what Midnight told me, she’s been like how you saw her in the hospital ever since!”

The look on Joe’s face was heartbreaking as he slumped back in bed, staring up at the ceiling, shocked as tears began to well up in his eyes.

“Joe, I… I don’t know how to make you feel better, but-”

“What about Midnight?” Joe suddenly asked, blinking the tears away as he forced himself back upright in bed. “And his dad, Ignitus! Where’s he?!”

Taking another deep breath, Twilight explained, “From what I was told, after what happened and Faerie Tail was cast into enchanted sleep, Ignitus called Princess Celestia. She secretly brought the family back to Canterlot where her best team of doctors and mages examined Faerie Tail but even they couldn’t figure out how to break the spell!”

“Why not?!” Joe’s eyes were pleading. “The best docs, the best wizards, even Princess Celestia can’t wake her up?!”

“Whatever magic was used on Faerie Tail is completely foreign to all magical knowledge Princess Celestia has access to,” Twilight elaborated. “Part of undoing a spell on something is knowing as much as you can about the spell, otherwise forcing the spell to break could have unforeseeable consequences!”

“Like what?” Joe looked at Twilight with skeptic raise of his brow.

“Like with what happened to the San Palomino Grasslands,” Twilight pointed out.

Joe looked at Twilight like she’d just stuck her hoof in her mouth and responded, “Don’t you mean the San Palomino Desert?”

“Sure, now…” Twilight said cryptically while folding her forelegs. Clearing her throat, she went on, “Anyway, the point is… unless we have a sufficient understanding of the magic that keeps Faerie Tail in her current condition it’s just too great a risk to even attempt a counterspell!

“Whatever counterspell we use could have a negative reaction to the magic on Faerie Tail and Faust knows what could happen!”

“Okay, okay, …” Joe sighed glumly but then remembered his earlier question, “Wait, you still haven’t told me where Ignitus is!”

“Well… when Princess Celestia couldn’t find a solution to Faerie Tail’s condition,” Twilight was sad to explain, “Ignitus decided to go out and find the assailant who’d cursed his wife, and drag them back to Canterlot and force them to undo the spell.

“So, he left his sons with Princess Celestia while he went off to find the culprit.”

“Sons…?” Joe echoed in confusion. “Wait… Did Ignitus and Faerie Tail have another colt?!”

“That was… his birthday party you… walked into, last night,” Twilight awkwardly informed him.

The doughnut chef suddenly felt like a louse as he began to realize what Twilight was saying.
“Y-You mean… I- Did I mess up a colt’s birthday and it turns out he’s my nephew?!”

“Well, I wouldn’t say you messed it up,” Twilight raised and lowered her forehooves as though she were balancing things out like a scale.
“More like… contributed to what messed it up.”

“Oh boy…!” Joe grimaced uncomfortably only for Twilight to raise a hoof.

“But… you can still patch things up,” Twilight stood up and beckoned Joe to follow her.

In his hospital bed, Twinken was enjoying the box of treats Pinkie had left him among the cards and presents he’d woken up to. He hadn’t gotten around to opening them yet in light of the locket revealing the parents he never knew.

He couldn’t stop looking at them!

Mom… she’s… so pretty! And Dad… he looks… kinda awesome! Twinken thought with a chuckle.

The young colt couldn’t help but wonder what they were like, what their names were, what kind of jobs they have, what kind of stuff do they like to do. But then one thought crossed his mind that scared him.

Are they… are they still alive?

Finding out that Midnight was his brother for real was surprising enough, seeing this locket and the family picture inside mind-blowing… but the idea that this would be the closest thing he’d ever have to knowing them-

*Knock-knock-knock*

“Twinken! It’s me, Twilight!”

“Come in!” Twinken called back, actually thankful for a distraction, and as Twilight stepped in, she stayed in the doorway and appeared to whisper to somepony Twinken couldn’t see before she looked at him.

“Hey, Twinken? Um… I know it’s still… sinking in about your parents, but um,” Twilight rubbed the back of her head before taking a deep breath. “I have somepony here who really wants to meet you.”

“…Okay,” Twinken shrugged.

Twilight stepped aside from the doorway and in walked Joe, hesitant and nervous. He looked at Twinken with a confusion of emotions and Twinken looked back, recalling what Twilight said earlier, and so asked, “Are you… my uncle?”

“Uh…!” Joe looked at Twilight for help but she just waved him onward with a small but encouraging smile. Gulping, Joe looked back to Twinken and walked into the room, sitting by Twinken’s bedside as he regarded the young colt with an uncertain fascination before taking a deep breath.
“I am. My name is Joe, I… I own and run a doughnut shop in Canterlot.”

“Hold on, Joe? Doughnuts…” Twinken looked past Joe at Twilight and then smiled as he remembered!
“Twilight’s told me about you. She says you make the yummiest doughnuts, even better than the ones at Sugarcube Corner!”

The way Twinken smiled at Joe made him feel a kind of warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time, and his unease settled as he smiled back and even began to shed a tear of joy.

Remember what I said. Tell him about his parents but not of their current statuses…

The words invaded his mind so suddenly, Joe flinched as he looked back towards Twilight, but only glimpsed her tail as she left.

She walked through Ponyville with no real destination in mind, taking in the familiar morning rituals of ponies getting up and ready for another day. She could see Ditzy already on her mail route, Daisy, Lily Valley, and Roseluck setting up their flower stall, Flitter and Cloud Chaser pushing some clouds out of the way to make room for a sunshiny day.

Her friends had suggested she get the whole story straight from the Princess’s mouth but instead of heeding the wisdom of that advice she’d taken off to check on Twinken and Joe. While happy she’d reunited an uncle with a nephew he never knew he had, Twilight was back to square one.

It’d been a welcome distraction, an excuse. Something to take her mind off things, and for the first time in her life, to her incredulous belief, Twilight was procrastinating.

Now that it was over and done with, confirming they were okay and now they had this opportunity to get to know one another, Twilight envied Twinken and Joe.

Before she’d allowed him into Twinken’s hospital room, Twilight had explicitly forbidden Joe from telling Twinken what she’d told the doughnut maker. He was permitted to tell Twinken about Faerie Tail and Ignitus, like what kind of ponies they are, their likes and dislikes, any funny stories about them, how they met, things like that.

Questions like, where are they now, or anything else that could relate to their current statuses (of Faerie Tail in an enchanted sleep and Ignitus being missing for over a decade) were off-limits. Joe had been hesitant to agree until Twilight had made it clear that Midnight owed those answers to Twinken.

She envied how they both must feel right now, a little confused and awkward, but happy to get to know a part of their family that they were meeting for the first time. Because now?

Twilight was starting to think she didn’t know her teacher or her special somepony at all.

The age-old question echoed in her mind: Why?

By nature, Twilight was a deeply curious and inquisitive pony, a seeker of answers with a healthy (if not, occasionally ravenous) hunger for knowledge. Since foalhood, learning had been her deepest joy, her bread and butter, her proud passion. But she was hesitant to ask these questions even though in a corner of her mind she knew.

She knew she had to learn why.

Why is Midnight spying and killing for Celestia?
Why is Celestia at the center of all this?
Why did they keep all of this secret from her? Even after she was crowned royalty?

She was given the rank and title and burden and responsibility of a Princess and yet she was kept out of the loop. Who else knows of all this?

And what else are they not telling her?

Taking a deep breath, Twilight made her decision.

“…that time when we met Daring Do and helped her stop Ahuizotl from using the Rings of Schorcherro? You remember that, Soarin?”
“Yeah! He spoke with Daring Do in private. They talked but we couldn’t understand the language they were speaking!”
“Come to think of it, back during that fiasco with my company Midnight mentioned some odd connections he reached out to when we were investigating why the board had locked me out.”
“An’ Big Mac? Din’t we see Midnight sneak out into th’ orchard tha’ one time an’ he was talkin’ wit’ some strange pegasus?”
“Eeyup.”
“There was also that time he snuck away after we came home from the Trader’s Exchange and he showed up at the library, kinda cranky.”

“Granted, Midnight has kept a substantial amount of secrets,” Blueblood spoke up, “and apparently, so has my aunt. But let’s not forget, everypony, this Midnight? He’s not exactly the same Midnight we’ve known here in Ponyville.”

“He’s not?” Cheese Sandwich asked, not understanding, only to get pulled aside by Pinkie tugging his tail.

“Come with me, Cheesie.”

She took him into the next room, to everypony’s stride, before Blueblood went on.
“This Midnight has dealt with a lot of bad, more bad than most ponies alive! I can only imagine why he and my aunt have been colluding with all this undercover business and spying and… and killing.

“But I learned a long time ago, sometimes we must make difficult choices for the greater good.”

“It still don’ sit right with me, Blueblood,” Applejack sighed with disapproval, “a lie by omission is still a lie. Midnight got a perfect example o’ how lies an’ secrets come back t’ haunt us.”

“And the fact that he’s killed ponies, Blueblood!” Rarity shuddered, “Eating meat out of necessity, I can wrap my head around that, but-”

“Hold on there, Rarity,” interrupted Soarin. “I don’t like it either, but like Blueblood just said, sometimes we have to make hard choices to protect others, and do you know how many times the Wonderbolts have had to make those kind of choices?

“Spitfire’s grandfather, Hellfire. A long while back, before he became Captain of the Wonderbolts, Hellfire had to lead a squad to kill a band of marauding Diamond Dogs because they were attacking Vanhoover, Tall Tale, and Los Pegasus in continuous raids which resulted in casualties almost every time! They tried mediation but these marauders were killers who enjoyed hurting others. And because they hesitated in putting those dogs down for good, ponies died. Including foals!”

“Oh my…!” Fluttershy covered her mouth in horror, the very idea of colts and fillies being hurt by such awful creatures who did those kind of things purely because they enjoyed it-

Big Mac held his wife close, seeing this talk was bothering her.

“The point is, everypony, either there are times for talk and then there times for action,” Soarin sighed, knowing that sounded a little corny. “It’s not ideal! But sometimes… other don’t leave you with other alternatives.”

“WHOA!!!”

All eyes turned to see Pinkie and Cheese coming back, the latter looking like a spazzed-out fan-colt.
“So Midnight is actually the reincarnation of another Midnight who was sent on a time-travelling journey but didn’t make it back to his proper time because he died and Princess Celestia reincarnated him into a new life and he became an alicorn as a colt, which also restored his memories of his past life, and he had to be hidden from the world until the time was right and-”

Somepony stuffed a wedge of cheese into Cheese Sandwich’s mouth, effectively shutting him up as it did whenever somepony stuffed an apple or cupcake into Pinkie’s mouth when she went on a tirade. Cheese however didn’t mind as he chewed the wedge up and gulped it down with a satisfied ‘mmm’.

Deciding to move things along, Spike took a deep breath, “Look, everypony… last night was hard. On all of us! And learning what Twilight told us about Midnight and Princess Celestia? I don’t blame you for having doubts an’ all… But Midnight is our friend! No matter what he’s done or why, because he’s always been there, for all of us!

“Big Mac, AJ, hasn’t he always been a good brother to you and Apple Bloom? And a hard worker, always helping out and doing his part over at Sweet Apple Acres?”

Applejack and Big Mac shared a look, hesitant at first but then both of them smiled a little.

“Thunderlane, Rainbow Dash, Midnight’s always encouraged you guys to be the best you could be so that you could become the Wonderbolts we all know you’re meant to be, but he’s also always helped you stay down to earth and not get over your heads! Because he cares!” Spike continued.
“And Soarin, don’t forget how he’s stood up for and by you and encouraged you to complete your college courses!”

Thunderlane, Rainbow Dash, and Soarin shared a mutual acknowledging smile.

“Blueblood, Rarity, Midnight’s not classy or anything, but he respects you both, for your ambitions and passions in your lines of work!” Spike reminded them.

Rarity quickly felt guilty, but a nuzzle from Blueblood lifted her spirits a bit.

“Fluttershy? I know seeing Midnight the way you did in the Everfree Forest was kinda scary,” Spike noted, causing Fluttershy to tremble a bit at the memory, “but he has always looked out for you like he looks out for all his friends and family! Isn’t that a lot like how you care about your critters over at your cottage?”

Seeing the similarity, Fluttershy coyly smiled and Big Mac hugged her close, which she returned warmly.

“And Pinkie and Cheese? While you can drive a lot of ponies, especially Midnight, crazy,” Spike chuckled, “he appreciates who you are and what you do as Super Duper Party Ponies! I can’t think of anypony else he would have trusted to throw together his little brother Twinken’s birthday!”

“Maybe we should get together when this is all over and throw a Pity Party!” Pinkie cracked only to be met with silence… until Cheese rose up, holding a cricket, which did the iconic chirping purported to exemplify a bad joke.

Ironically, it made everypony laugh!

“I always make sure to know where to find crickets in case of cricket emergencies,” Cheese chuckled while Pinkie shrugged it off.

“Alright everypony,” Spike got their attention again as he stood up on the center table of the library, “when Twilight gets back, we gotta get through to her. We gotta help her work things out with Midnight, and we gotta give Midnight a chance to really explain and hear his side of things!

“So the minute Twilight comes back through that door” – he pointed to the library’s door – “we tell Twilight we gotta go to Canterlot!”

The door swung open and Twilight came in, looking adamant as she declared, “We have to go to Canterlot!

Having his thunder stolen caused Spike to sulk as he got down from the table and everypony looked to Twilight as she elaborated, “Well… I have to go to Canterlot.”

She paused and took a deep breath before explain, “Everypony… I still don’t know exactly what to think of this whole mess. But Blueblood, you’re right. I need to hear the whole story before I start making conclusions that could very well make things worse. Which is why, I have to go to Canterlot and speak with Princess Celestia… and with Midnight.

“Regardless of what I’ve learned already and what I may still yet learn… I love Midnight! I don’t want to lose him, I want to understand him and work things out with him, and- And…!”

Twilight choked up a bit as her emotions began to run high, tears welling up in her eyes, that her friends all converged for a big group hug, to her deep appreciation. When they let go, Twilight did the calming technique Cadance taught her to compose herself before saying, “Anyway… I wouldn’t want to inconvenience any of you or get you caught up in whatever other messes there might be-”

“Stop right there, Twi!” Rainbow interrupted, “We’re your friends! If it’s important to you, it’s important to us all!”

“Uh-huh!” everypony agreed (Big Mac saying his usual ‘eeyup’ instead).

Twilight smiled at each of them in turn, grateful to have them, before she stepped towards her writing desk, took a quill and paper, and jotted something down. Instead of scrolling it up and sealing it, she simply folded it carrot-dog style and levitated it to Spike, saying, “Spike, send it.”

“Sure thing, Twilight,” Spike flamed the note and its shimmering ashes flew out the window.

Twilight looked to her friends again, saying, “If we catch the next train, we should be able to make it to Canterlot by noon at the earliest.”

“Enough talk, let’s move!” Thunderlane yelled with a tone one would use to yell ‘CHARGE’.

“Oh heavens, no!” Rarity protested, “Not after I swing by the boutique for a few necessities.”

“UUUGGGHHHHH….” Everypony knew what that meant.

After Luna had helped her feel better, Celestia had asked for a little time alone to reflect on things as much as inward. It wasn't going to be easy but Celestia knew she had to make things right with all ponies involved, and that meant being straight with Twilight about everything. About Midnight, about the Brotherhood, and about keeping her blissfully unaware of the harsher side of things and how cruel life can really be.

For as much Twilight had heard of cruelty, such as the evils of Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, even the Whisperer, it was another thing to see the evils even the common pony is capable of.

It was not going to be easy, especially since Midnight had shown Twilight his dossiers, with her signatures on them...

A familiar sound broke her out of her pondering and Celestia noticed not a scroll but simply a folded note. Already the Princess of the Sun felt nervous as she hesitantly levitated the note up and opened it. It read only two words.

I'm coming.

226. The Loss of Faith - Part 9

The train arrived shortly after 1 o’clock, and an escort of guards met Twilight and her friends at the station. They were taken straight to the castle, and received by Luna, Cadance, and Sombra. Seeing her sister-in-law brought a smile to Twilight’s face that she hurried forward, appearances be damned, and the two of them smiled before…

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

It brought smiles to Spike and the others to see Twilight’s spirits lifted as they approached as well, and Sombra welcomed them, “It is good to see you all, my friends, in light of recent… tensions.”

“Hiya Prince Sombra!” Cheese bounced forward to shake Sombra’s hoof, much to the dark gray alicorn’s bewilderment. “We’re doing great, are you doing great? You look great, but are you doing great, is the question-”

“Cheese Sandwich!” Blueblood hurried forward and levitated the party pony away before facing Sombra and rigidly apologizing, “Please excuse Cheese Sandwich, Your Majesty. That was verily inappropri-”

Sombra raised a hoof, causing Blueblood to flinch into silence.
“Blueblood, you needn’t be so formal. After all, seeing as how I’m married to your aunt, I guess that would make me…”

Sombra made a hesitant smile and it suddenly got awkward as Blueblood saw where Sombra was going with this. He quickly cleared his throat, “That said, I… would actually like to get to know you a little. For instance, your aunt has spoken quite highly of you and the fact that you are a talented airship designer came up.”

“Oh, well…” Blueblood rubbed the back of his head with his hoof, a little embarrassed but flattered all the same.
“I did design all current airships produced by my company, New Heights Avionics.”

Chuckling, Sombra gestured Blueblood to follow him, “Tell me more. The technological developments in today’s world have piqued my interests… nephew.”

Following his uncle by marriage, Blueblood suddenly felt like a colt again, and it felt good.

Cadance caught the smile on her Bluey’s face and it made her happy as she looked at Twilight and the rest of her friends.
“Like Sombra said, it’s good to see you all-”

“Indeed!” Luna cut in, her demeanor imperious, “Twilight Sparkle! My sister awaits you in her personal chambers.”

Luna pointed up the stairs in the entry hall, towards the east wing, Twilight was apprehensive. Some part of her was begging to leave, to leave things as they are, to leave well enough alone. But she knew that was impossible now. But then a glaring question crossed her mind.

“Where is… where is Midnight?” asked Twilight, and almost immediately, Luna and Cadance shared troubled looks.
“I-is he alright? Did something happen?”

Luna and Cadance both were unsure of what to say but Cadance decided to answer, knowing it would be better coming from her.
“Twilight, um…? Midnight and Celestia. They… kind of had a falling out.”

“Fallin’ out?” Applejack echoed as she stood with the others, all looking on in concern and confusion.
“They had a fight `r sumpin’?”

“It’s complicated,” Luna answered cryptically and sounding perhaps the slightest bitter. “Very complicated…”

Looking from Luna to her old foal-sitter, Twilight was starting to worry that Cadance explained, “Right now, Midnight isn’t here. In fact, you all missed him and Shining Armor about an hour ago.”

“Missed them?!”
“Shining Armor?”
“Where’d they go?”
“What’s going on?”

Twilight agreed with those questions, her pleading eyes on Candance, who went on.
“Things have… Well, they’re not good right now, everypony. Short and to the point, there was an attack, a bad one. And ponies died.”

The others shared troubled looks and whispers while Twilight stayed silent, her look urging Cadance to go on.

“As far as we know, there was only survivor. She reported the incident to the closest authorities she could find and the news reached all the way here to Canterlot. Two things about this incident are troubling:

“One, the attack was on an Energem Mine, its location secured and classified.”

“What’s an Energem mine?” Pinkie asked.

“Energems, my dear Pinkie,” Rarity answered, “are rare and extremely valuable precious stones that naturally host mana, the energy that composes magic.

“There are a variety of Energems and they likewise yield a variety of magical properties. High-grade energems are often used as… batteries, for lack of a more eloquent term, to fuel technologies, such as power grids for the larger cities of Equestria.”

All eyes gaped at Rarity, who appeared to have been channeling Twilight just now.
“What? I make it my business to be well informed on precious stones,” Rarity beamed, causing a few chuckles among her friends.

“Alright, so an energem mine was attacked,” Spike gathered, “what’s the big whoop?”

“The big whoop, Spike, is that every precaution and measure was taken to protect the mine and its location,” Cadance reminded.
“But it’s the second thing about the attack that truly has us on edge… The attackers were changelings!”

*GASP*

The collective gasps were bad enough but then Twilight put two and two together as she realized in fear, “Wait… Don’t tell me- Cadance, don’t tell me Midnight and Shining Armor have gone to the mine!!”

“Shining Armor volunteered to lead an expedition to the mine in the hopes of uncovering answers,” Luna responded.
“He asked Midnight to accompany him, and Midnight obliged.”

“I don’t like it anymore than you do, Twilight,” Cadance walked up to Twilight and hugged her with her wings, holding her close like she did when her sister-in-law had been a filly. Cadance shuddered, Twilight could feel her old foal-sitter’s worry was as great as her own, and she heard it in her voice as Cadance said, “In fact… I’m scared! Scared of what they might encounter, of what could happen!”

Cadance broke the hug and stepped back but this time her face wore a smile that was hopeful, “But I believe in them. I believe that they are both capable and skilled protectors and as dangerous as it might be, I believe they will come home soon, safe and sound. Because that’s the best I can hope for in this situation.”

Cadance’s words did scare Twilight just a bit but they had the intended effect of alleviating her heart of the worry she was feeling, giving her hope as well. At that moment, Luna cleared her throat.
“As I said before, Twilight. My sister awaits you in her chambers.”

“Alright, I’m going,” Twilight made for the stairs and Spike moved to follow, only for Luna to bar his way with her wing.
“Wha- Hey!” Spike protested while giving Luna an indignant look.

“My apologies, Spike,” Luna’s tone was inarguable, her eyes narrow, “But my sister would speak with Twilight, alone...”

Spike looked worriedly at Twilight, but she smiled encouragingly at him.
“It’s okay, Spike. I’ll see you in a little while.”

“In the meantime, everypony,” Cadance announced to the others, “how `bout we, um… Oh! I know, I have some films we could watch in the castle’s private home-theater!”

“Ooh! I’ll make the popcorn!”
“I’ll get the cola!”

The others looked to Twilight, who nodded and said, “Go on. I’ll catch up with you all later.”

“Twilight…?” Spike had a bad feeling, but Fluttershy placed a wing on his shoulder.

“I’m sure things will be okay, Spike,” she assured him, “Twilight’s just going to talk things out with Princess Celestia.”

“Let’s watch a Daring Do movie!”
“Forget it, I wanna check out that new Power Ponies/Bronco Busters crossover flick that just came out!”
“Why not tha’ biographical on Buffalo Bull an’ Calamity Mane?”

Spike ignored the choosy bickering and looked to Twilight again, who smiled as if there were no big deal.
“I’ll be okay! Go enjoy a show, Spike.”

Seeing the brave face Twilight was putting on, Spike tried to do the same with a hesitant smile, forcing as much encouragement as he could into it.

“Come, Twilight,” Luna stepped past her up the stairs, “I will accompany you.”

Twilight looked one more time at Spike, who gave her a thumb’s up, and she smiled while thinking, Sometimes I wish I could give thumbs’ up to my friends.

She found herself standing before the doors to Princess Celestia’s private chambers, Luna to the side. Twilight was hesitant and almost raised her hoof to knock.

“She is expecting you,” Luna dissuaded her. “Just go in when you’re ready.”

Twilight looked at Luna and in the Moon Princess she saw fear and worry.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.”

Luna started going down the hall when-

“Luna!”

She stopped and peered over her shoulder to Twilight, concerned as she asked, “…What happened between your sister and Midnight?”

Luna furrowed her brows, obviously bitter about something, but then her face softened as she hesitantly met Twilight’s eye with a sigh.
“That’s for you and her to talk about… But Twilight?”

Luna turned to face her completely, with crestfallen eyes, “I don’t imagine for a moment that your discussion will be easy, but… Please. Try not to judge her too harshly.”

And she left it at that as Luna turned and walked away, leaving a nervous Twilight to look up at the doors again. Her heart was starting to beat a little faster so she took a deep breath while using Cadance’s calming technique though it hardly helped.

No turning back.

She opened the doors and took in the familiar sight of her old teacher’s bedroom. Although it apparently had been enlarged with just enough extra-dimensional space and the original bed was replaced with a bigger one, presumably for Celestia and her husband Sombra. There was a wardrobe with Sombra’s red crystal cluster cutie-mark on it, as well as a desk with a crystal lamp.

And on the walls were dozens of framed pictures. Twilight saw some that made her smile and remember. The day she was accepted into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and became Celestia’s personal protégé, Celestia bestowing Shining Armor with the rank of Captain of the Royal Guard and Twilight and their parents there beaming with pride for her brother, Twilight honoring Twilight, her friends, and Midnight.

The Past Midnight!

The one that she met in Ponyville, the one who never got his cutie-mark, the one who died trying to go home. She reached up to that photo, her heart aching as she wondered, How much of you is left…?

Stepping back from the walled picture, Twilight felt her hoof knock something aside, and she looked, surprised to see Celestia’s royal wares carelessly strewn about. Her golden hoof-slippers, her regalia, even her crown!

She followed their trail and looked to see the doors were open to the balcony outside and through the gossamer curtains she could make out the shape of her teacher. Gulping, Twilight approached, mentally pushing the curtains aside and she was surprised yet again!

There she was, Celestia moping on the balcony rail almost like a pouting filly, but it was her mane! No longer an ethereal pastel rainbow shroud flowing in a non-existent wind, it hung limp, opaque instead of shimmery, and slightly bedraggled.

Twilight raised a hoof and was about to say something yet she didn’t know what to say! She felt like an intruder, like she’d walked in on a group of mourners. She began to fidget, trying to think of what to do, what to say, should she even say anything? She was expected, after all, but-

“Hello, Twilight…”

“Eep!” Twilight flinched as Celestia stood up and turned to face her. Never had Twilight seen somepony who’d looked so defeated.

“Um… Hello, Princess!” Twilight squeaked out, unable to say what was on her mind as she looked upon Celestia.

Her eyes were red from crying, her fanciful eyelashes were out of place, her coat was a little mussed and stained from tears, her feathers were ruffled, and the way her hair hung like moth-eaten curtains framing her face, Twilight also realized that Celestia was afraid!

“I- Uh…!” Twilight didn’t even know where to start.

“You have questions,” Celestia sighed as she gestured Twilight inside.

Twilight backed up so that Celestia could walk in and she watched as Celestia lit her horn and conjured a table, cushions to sit on, and a pot of tea with a couple teacups. She even included cream and sugar. She invited Twilight to sit with her, and once they’d settled and both had their tea…

“Princess Celestia, I… I don’t even know what to ask,” Twilight spoke, her voice a tad shuddery and worried about saying the wrong thing. “Or where to start! Midnight, this-this Brotherhood, and… and your signatures on those papers! How… how could you ever condone such actions?! How could you even allow Midnight to make an organization that takes the law into its own hooves?!”

“…Twilight, Midnight did not create the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods,” Celestia responded with a heavy heart.
“I did.”

That shook Twilight to the core, as she struggled to find the words, “Wh- I don’- Why?!”

“…Because Equestria needs individuals like the Evening Hoods,” Celestia’s demeanor changed. It made Twilight wary, as Celestia stood up and levitated her crown, looking at it but not really looking at it.
“My mane wasn’t always this soft and gentle colored rainbow, you know. It used to be just pink, that sort of pink you see when the sun’s rays begin to peer over the horizon. But then the Whisperer happened, and my sister fell victim to its lies.

“Not truly her fault however, given how poor of a sister I was to Luna in those days. The history books will tell you that when Nightmare Moon appeared, I acted quickly and wielded the Elements of Harmony to thwart her plans to plunge the world into eternal night. But you see, Twilight, history is written – or unwritten – by the victors…”

“…What do you mean?” Twilight was mystified.

“I did not immediately resort to the elements to stop my corrupted sister. I tried to reach her, to convince her to stop her madness on her own! My hopes of trying to reach my sister allowed her to subject the world to months of darkness. All the world, enwrapped in a cold and black embrace, every pony, every creature, blinded to the dangers that like to hide in the dark.

“Only after Star Swirl made me realize the mounting casualties did it finally get through to me the harsh and bitter reality: My nation, my subjects, were in danger, and as Princess I had to put them before my own wants… I faced Nightmare Moon in battle, hoping I could overpower her and stop her myself.

“But I held back… Despite what her envy and the Whisperer had turned her into, she was still my little sister! And her choices had also been the result of my own vanity… Nightmare Moon struck a critical blow, sending me crashing into the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was then I saw them and as Nightmare Moon was fast approaching to finish me off, my duty and perhaps even my own self-preservation finally overwhelmed my emotions and hopes to save my sister… and I used the Elements of Harmony to stop her.

“But instead of purifying her of the evil that had taken her, I had condemned my sister to a thousand years of imprisonment. For even though she had been transformed into a force of evil, she had still been connected to the Elements! My wielding their powers against another connected to them created a disharmony in their magic, and as if the elements themselves were punishing me as much as they did her, they imprisoned her instead of setting her free… And if that weren’t enough, as if adding insult to injury, my mane was colored the way it is today.

“A constant reminder of my failure…”

That reminder curtained Celestia’s face, preventing Twilight from seeing her teacher’s expression but feeling her sorrow.
“But… what does this have to do with Midnight? And the Brotherhood?”

“It planted the seeds of what would become the Brotherhood," responded Celestia, "For you see, Twilight, in the years after I had banished my sister, I barely held on. Were it not for Star Swirl being there to help me, I would have broken and faltered in my royal duties. But time eventually caught up with Star Swirl… for even an archmage as gifted and wise as he could not delay the inevitable. His time came. And I was alone…

“It had been almost a hundred years after my sister’s imprisonment, and then to lose Star Swirl, my mentor, the closest thing I’d ever had to a father, the last family I had left! I fell into a state of mourning, perhaps the deepest and most painful depression I’d ever felt in my life. So, I trusted the day-to-day duties of running the nation to my closest advisors. To insure they’d have the proper authority, I established the Aristocracy, its members Dukes and Duchesses, each charged to oversee specific matters and concerns. But during that period when I was so wrapped up in my pain and grievances, things in Equestria took a turn for the worse…

“Crime. Corruption… the seeds that grow into the worst enemy any nation can have, those within its borders.”

Those words struck a chord as Twilight remembered the lecture he gave to Twinken’s class.

“The greedy and the crooked took advantage of my lack of vigilance during my depression,” Celestia went on, the bitter memories running through her mind.
“A crime wave swept the nation like a devastating oil spill, slowly but ever so surely. Bandits, corrupt lords and authorities, crime of all kinds attacked Equestria like a cancer. The Aristocracy finally got through to me and showed me how grave the situation was becoming. Social order and security was almost non-existent, nopony felt safe anywhere. It was exactly what I needed to help me out of my funk.

“I took a proactive approach, trying my best first to heal the wounds before attacking the disease. But corruption can go deeper than you realize, Twilight. My courts and judicial systems became ineffective in holding criminals accountable. Bribery and blackmail reached even the most honorable of ponies. Evidence was made illicit, witnesses threatened into silence, keepers of law bribed to look the other way…

“Back then, it was much harder to run this country. No trains or airships for faster transportation, messages delivered via pegasus mail, which made those couriers vulnerable to attack during their deliveries, too many cities and towns to send adequate forces to help enforce the law and keep the peace! For as many as the E. U. P. amounted, they were still outnumbered by the criminal element… and outmaneuvered.

“The Aristocracy begged me to establish martial law, to take a more militaristic approach, but I knew that to resort to iron hoofed tactics would only worsen the situation. I had come to realize that while we stood by our honor the enemy we were fighting was not limited to such virtues. In fact, they preyed upon it, they used our honor against us!

“Taking the measures the Aristocracy advocated would lead me down a path similar to what Sombra had taken when he fell victim to the Whisperer, and I realized doing things the honorable way, the legal way, were not enough. And so… “

When Celestia stalled, apparently trying to find the right words, Twilight asked, “Is that when you decided to make a group that acted outside the law?”

“The Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods was always meant to be a force of good, unseen protectors that watch from the shadows in order to keep alive the light of hope,” Celestia sighed with a nod.
“Since enforcing the law in a legitimate manner wasn’t enough, I chose to found an organization to enforce the law by acting outside the law. My first move was finding the right pony to lead this unconventional form of law enforcement. I needed somepony with honor but also a willingness to make hard choices and be content to act in a gray area. I turned my attention to the Shetland Isles, the home of the Lunar Ponies. I discovered them about ten years after I had imprisoned their Mother of the Night, and I cannot tell you the time and effort it took for me to earn their trust.

“I approached them under cover of darkness and met with their matriarch. I spoke with her at length, discussing the fragile state of my nation, told her of my idea of a covert organization that would enforce the law without being limited by it, and I begged her… I got down on my belly and I begged her, for somepony among her Lunobi warriors to lead this organization of mine.

“She must’ve thought I was sincere, and perhaps even liked the fact that the Princess of the Sun was begging at her hooves. But she obliged with my request, and introduced me to her nephew, Red Ryder. Red was a proud and dignified warrior, skilled in combat, and a master of moving about unseen, talented in misdirection, using discretion, and a keen mind as well. Among the finest Lunobi in the Shetlands. He was exactly what I needed!

“With his aunt’s blessing, we returned to Equestria, where my first orders for Red was to recruit individuals he felt could be of great use to the Brotherhood. He gathered some extraordinary individuals, not just ponies but also zebras, minotaurs, even griffons and dogs. Once he’d assembled a sufficient number of members, I spoke with them, told them exactly what they were signing up, what it would mean to wear the Hood.

“The Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods was to be a force of good that operates using questionable methods, some would be seen as wrong but the ends would justify the means. They would bring hope to the nation while instilling fear into those who threaten it from the inside. Those who use dishonorable means to twist law and bend it into working in their favor, disgracing law and what it stands for as a whole.

“They performed admirably. They followed the code Red had established, to bring down the corrupt, to thwart crime, and they never overstepped their bounds. Yes, they had to take lives every now and then but they saved countless more doing what they did. And Red… he waged war against the malaise that poisoned Equestria! He toppled lords and crime bosses, destroyed the empires they built with crime and murder as their tools. Red brought hope and helped pave the way to a better future for this nation. But as the years wore on, I began to see something else in Red… He was getting older, slower! If he carried on, the obligation would likely have killed him. I also noticed how living two different lives for the Hoods began to wear them down and affect those close to them. Thankfully, they did exactly what I’d hoped they’d do: They stopped crime dead in its tracks, no more did criminals and corrupt figures of authority oppress the citizens, and the traditional law enforcements and courts were able to keep the peace.

“I commended Red and his Hoods for all that they’d done, and then released them from their service, deciding the Brotherhood was no longer necessary. They were free to return to their normal lives and devote themselves to their own dreams and their loved ones. Red however warned me… Greed and hate and envy don’t just go away. They cool but continue to simmer until finally the fires of corruption find more wood to burn.”

“So then… what happened after that?” asked Twilight, enthralled by the story.

“Red was right,” Celestia sighed with a morose shrug. “For a time, Equestria enjoyed the peace the Brotherhood had worked so hard to rebuild. But as the decades passed, the greedy and corrupt began to forget of the hooded protectors who watch from the shadows, waiting to strike down the criminal element and punish the guilty.

“Criminal activity spiked and I chose to act just as quickly by reforming a new generation of the Brotherhood. In just a few years, they did their predecessors proud, and again crime had all but stopped. But again, I released the new Hoods from service so they could return to their normal lives. And again… crime back so the Brotherhood came back.”

“This… sounds like it became a cycle,” Twilight commented.

“That’s exactly what it became, Twilight,” Celestia nodded. “We are sentient creatures with the gift of Free Will, a gift that is sadly abused by the selfish and immoral. Crime continued, and I kept bringing in new generations of the Brotherhood, but that came to an end in the mid-Seventh Century since Nightmare Moon’s defeat.

“Like the criminals and monsters they hunted, the Brotherhood was forced to adapt and evolve with each new generation. A branch of the Brotherhood established a base of operations in Trottingham just as they entered their Industrial Era when the steam engine was invented, along with many more technological wonders. That was both a bright and dark time for Trottingham… On one hoof, they were paving the way for a techno revolution that would be the building blocks of something amazing for all of Equestria. On the other however, the criminal element became especially prevalent in Trottingham, particularly in the slums an alleyways of the Graypaddock district. But it was around that time when occurred the darkest chapter of the Brotherhood’s history…”

Twilight hung on every word, for as questionable as it all sounded, the history behind the Brotherhood, she couldn’t help but find it so fascinating. But the look on Celestia’s face forewarned her that this part of the story was going to be hard to hear.

“The Evening Hoods always stood by a code in how they carry out their covert operations of spying, gathering intelligence, rescuing those in danger, and yes, Twilight, in assassination. But no system is perfect, and in time it can fall into decay. And it was so that an Evening Hood lost her way… She gave into her anger and hatred and perverted everything she had been taught and what the Brotherhood stood for by going on a killing spree. While all records of this incident were sealed, the murders were so prolific they are remembered to this day.

“You would know them as the murders committed by Beck the Tramper.”

Twilight was blown! She’d read of the grisly tales of Beck the Tramper, a serial killer who’d targeted stallions of ill repute, particularly studs who used and abused mares.
“You mean to tell me… one of the most horrifying murderers in Equestria history, she- She was a Hood?!”

“The mare who became known as Beck the Tramper twisted the code of the Brotherhood to suit her own vengeful desires, excusing her atrocities by hiding behind the Brotherhood’s purpose in enforcing the law in ways the legitimate law enforcement could not,” Celestia nodded, remembering that terrible time.

“But really, she was an emotionally scarred pony who should never have been taken into the fold when she should have gotten help to overcome her demons. The leader of the Brotherhood at that time, a very headstrong but brilliant-minded pegasus mare named Eagle Flight, tracked the rogue Hood down. Like me before her, Flight tried to bring her wayward sister Hood back to the light, and like me she failed… Flight was forced to slay the mare who is remembered to this day as Beck the Tramper, but that bleak and horrific chapter in the Brotherhood’s history was too much. In order to protect the Brotherhood, I forced the Trottingham authorities not to reveal the murderer’s identity, and I decided to abolish the Brotherhood entirely.”

“But then… how is it Midnight leads the Brotherhood now?” Twilight asked.

Celestia fell silent for a few long moments, having dreaded this part of the story, but knowing the time was now, even if it was ill timed.

“…Midnight has suffered, Twilight. Suffered more than most ponies alive, done more for this nation than any guard today has ever done in their entire careers,” Celestia explained, her head hung with guilt.
“And I contributed to his suffering… As you know, after Midnight became an alicorn as a ten year-old colt, he regained his memories of his past life. The complicated details aside, I knew that in order to preserve history, as Midnight knew it, things had to be ready for the circle to be complete. I made everypony but his parents and Shining Armor forget of Midnight’s existence and hid him and his parents away on a country estate where he spent the next five years studying and training to prepare him for whatever roles he would play in the future.

“But that isolation made them vulnerable! An assailant captured Midnight and one of the colts his father had chosen to train alongside him, a colt Midnight had befriended and come to love like a brother. The assailant tortured them and Midnight’s friend, a good-hearted pegasus, Flash Sentry, was murdered before his very eyes… As if that weren’t enough, the assailant attacked Midnight and his family in the estate where they were living, and she cast the curse that sent Faerie Tail into a dreamless sleep from which we cannot awaken her. Midnight’s father, Ignitus called to me for help, and we brought the family back to Canterlot in secret. Despite my best mages and scholars and doctors, nopony could come up with a solution to Faerie Tail’s condition. So, Ignitus left his sons in my care to track down the monster who had cursed his wife and the mother of his sons, and we haven’t heard from him ever since.

“Without his father there, and his mother invalid, Midnight felt lost. He dove into his training like a mad pony, as if determined to immerse himself so deep that the pain would wash away. It didn’t. It became even worse when one night I came to Midnight’s room in the castle and found his brother’s cradle empty!”

“…That must have been when he took Twinken to Ponyville,” Twilight realized aloud. “So that Twinken would be there at the orphanage, where Midnight’s Past Self would meet him!”

“Yes…” Celestia began to shed tears. “That was exactly the explanation he gave me when I almost had a panic-attack. But that night broke him, Twilight… He no longer cared about training, about himself, he only cared that his family was broken up! And he hated himself for attributing to it by giving up his brother to preserve the timeline… For days that stretched into weeks, he secluded himself in his room, staring out the window for hours on end, he hardly slept, barely ate, and a few times I heard him wake up screaming from nightmares…

“I just couldn’t take it anymore! I had to do something, something that would rouse Midnight out of his own depression, having been there myself! I thought it over and decided he needed a purpose, something to give him fulfillment, and although I was hesitant when it crossed my mind, I chose to talk to him and I ‘mentioned’ the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods. My talk didn’t exactly lift his spirits but my ‘casual comment’ had the intended effect. I laid a few simple clues that led Midnight to discovering the secret history of the Brotherhood. He came to me, curious about it, we spoke at length about the Brotherhood, and I told him everything I just told you in regards to the organization. Including the bloodstained pages of its history where Beck the Tramper was concerned.

“Midnight offered to lead a new generation of the Brotherhood to carry out in secret what was expected of him as a future alicorn prince. This gave him something to live for after having had what was most dear to him taken, and for several years he led his agents well and did his predecessors proud.”

“…Did his predecessors proud?”

Celestia’s exuberance quickly deflated in response to Twilight’s echoing of her words. She timidly turned to look at Twilight, the look on her former pupil’s face was incredulous and upset, “Are you kidding me?! Princess Celestia! This- this… secret police… vigilante group… While I don’t condone it I can understand why you created it, but- You… you manipulated Midnight!”

“Twilight, that’s not why I-” Celestia tried to explain but Twilight cut her off.

“Any good intentions you might have had are irrelevant! You took advantage of an emotionally damaged teenager and made him the leader of a band of killers!”

“No, Twilight…” Celestia dreaded to reveal this truth, unsure whether it would make it sound better or worse, but Twilight had to know.
“The agents of Midnight’s Brotherhood, they don’t kill for any reason except if someone is in immediate danger or in self-defense.”

“But- But the dossiers!” Twilight didn’t understand what Celestia was saying. “The criminals labeled ‘eliminated’, all of them with your signature!”

“Criminals, murderers, the most dangerous individuals who bribe and blackmail the courts and authorities in order to bend the law in their favor,” sighed Celestia bitterly, “they lie, they steal, they threaten, they kill. There is nothing they won’t do to, no low to which they won’t stoop, and such individuals can reach so far and deep that it would surprise you.

“I never sanction these assassinations lightly, Twilight, and they are always a last resort…”

“But you just said that no one in the Brotherhood carries out assassinations,” Twilight pointed out.

“I said the agents of Midnight’s Brotherhood do not kill unless they are defending someone or themselves,” Celestia corrected. She let those words sink in as Twilight puzzled the meaning behind them… when her eyes slowly peered up at Celestia as she began to suspect the truth. And so with a heavy heart, Celestia confirmed the truth, “It’s Midnight, Twilight... Midnight is the sole assassin in his generation of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods.”

“…Why?!” Twilight asked, her voice shuddery and horrified, “What- I don’t- I… don’t understand!”

“I told you, Twilight,” Celestia’s face was now streaming with tears. “Midnight has suffered. But he has also sacrificed…

“When Midnight and I first discussed his formation of a new Brotherhood, he told me… that he alone would carry out any missions that involved assassination. When I asked why, he said because he didn’t want the agents he would lead to live with blood on their hooves.”

This bittersweet truth shook Twilight to her core. It was selfless and at the same time so damaging!

“He said that he would never ask his agents to do what he would not be unwilling to do himself, but he could never ask this of them. He chose to bear that burden alone… and it has worn him down.”

“Worn him down…?” Twilight was afraid to ask.

“We… we had an argument this morning,” Celestia held her face in her hooves, “about so many things! I was unfair to him, I’d taken him for granted, saddled him with all the hard choices, and- And- Oh Twilight…!”

Never had Twilight seen her teacher like this, this low, this torn up, and yet Twilight felt so conflicted, in wanting to sympathize contrasting with a budding resentment. Compassion warring with judgment. She sighed and conjured a tissue, levitating it out for Celestia and clearing her throat.

Lowering her hooves, Celestia noticed the tissue. As well as the mixed-up expression on Twilight’s face. Grateful either way, she accepted the gesture.

*SNORT/HONK*

Twilight shrank back in disgust of the dripping thing as Celestia levitated it back… only for Twilight to incinerate it with a spell.

“I wore him down, Twilight," Celestia went on, Twilight looking her teacher with trepidation, "I hurt him... It was something I vowed never to happen.

“What do you mean by... you vowed?” Twilight asks, her eyes fluttering with curiosity.

“You know about…” The princess of the sun choked up a little, “Sunset Shimmer.”

“Yes. Midnight told us about her. How she was bullied, then she made a big mistake. When she made that mistake… she was...” Twilight spoke hesitantly, her voice soft with concern.

“After she… Well, after what happened..." Celestia sniffled as the memories brought back those old aches in her heart, “After her incident… Oh Twilight! The news took the story and what they did with it, I just-!! I… I…. I should have capped the media!"

“Capped the media?” echoed Twilight, her eyes narrowed at the idea of hiding more information.

“Yes, Twilight," Celestia nodded as she took a napkin on the table and dabbed her tears. "I understand you don’t like the idea of holding information back, but it would have been better. The media took the story, and blew it out of proportion. The things they called her, a traumatized little filly who'd been so terrified she unknowingly sparked a magic surge that went so wrong... Monster. Killer. Demon...

“I've had many students over the centuries, Twilight, but not all of them found their way like you did... I felt responsible for what became of Sunset. For years after she ran away, I've wondered how I could have done things differently. To this day, even with all of my resources, I have no idea what became of her. I don’t know where she is or if she is even alive.

“After what happened, what she did... I swore to do better. To protect my students better, even if I had to resort to underhooved methods. I didn’t take on another student for about ten years. Until shortly after that Summer Celebration. Where Midnight became an Alicorn and then you earned your cutie-mark and I made you my personal student. You and Midnight... even then, when you were just foals, you two had a special bond.” Celestia smiled at those fond memories, Twilight couldn't help cracking a reminiscent smile of her own.

“So I made myself a vow, Twilight. That I would do everything in my power, that you two would be able to return to each other safe and sound, and that your friendship would be untainted from any heartache. But I wasn’t able to keep it Twilight.” The princess’s voice softened to a sorrowful whisper at the last words. “I failed you…

“You know all about how Midnight has suffered: his mother being cursed, his father leaving, and then having to leave his brother at the orphanage… He suffered so much. I failed him… He was hurt so badly. So badly that I feared he would lose his way, Twilight. I thought the best way to help him was to give him a purpose, so I introduced him to the Brotherhood. And... it worked, Twilight. He regained his resolve, his strength of heart, I... I thought everything was alright.”

Twilight listened as Celestia sobbed, “It took what happened today for me to see just how much he has suffered. Not only from those tragedies, but also from me! What I did to him!”

“I still don’t understand though, Princess,” Twilight began to ask, her voice turning hard, “Why didn’t you tell me, about all this sooner? About the Brotherhood, about Midnight, about everything!? I’m not a child, Princess Celestia! Why didn’t you tell ME!?!” Twilight’s tone had become all but condemning.

“...I didn’t want you to see just how much Midnight had suffered," Celestia responded shamefully, knowing it was no excuse, "You were always a curious filly, Twilight... I remember how one time you were assigned to give a two-page report on the Starswirl’s second law of magic."

Celestia smiled at the memory was bittersweet in this moment, "You turned in a hundred-page report on that law throughout all known history.”

"Stop delaying," Twilight demanded.

“Twilight..." Celestia looked Twilight in the eye, "Had I told you any of these crimes, committed by these horrible ponies, could you honestly tell me you wouldn’t have looked into these crimes… or about how they stopped? Or how easily they were solved?”

“Well, no, I… I can’t tell you I wouldn’t have looked into them,” Twilight admitted, her eyes wandering as she pondered the scenario.

“I feared that you would have found out," Celestia went on, "That you would have seen just how much… he was hurt. That the sweet colt that played with you and your brother was hurt and wasn’t the same anymore.”

Her voice grew thicker with heartbreak and guilt as Celestia sobbed with heaving breaths, “I failed him, Twilight! I- I… I guess on some level I always knew that I had failed the both of you, that- That I failed my vow! And-and I… I just didn’t want you to see it… So I hid everything from you. I guess… I just…. I didn’t want… I just don’t know anymore-hore-hore…!

“I didn’t want to admit to myself, Twilight, that-that I failed you. I failed you… Both of you…. Even worse than when I failed Sunset...!!”

Twilight didn’t know what to make of it, that her teacher had manipulated Midnight into this tangled business of spying and killing, stating it had been for his benefit when it seemed only to benefit the masses and Celestia herself, making Midnight and Twilight herself her excuse.

"But why did you still keep me in the dark?!” Twilight demanded to know, her eyes brimming with tears of frustration. “Even when I became a princess! I need to know everything about our ponies, and what they are dealing with… So why did you still keep all of this a secret from me?!”

Celestia hesitated to answer but forced herself to explain, “Because you just got Midnight back! Oh Twilight…. It was as if everything was just fine, as though… As though I had kept my vow… It felt like it had been back when you two were the same little colt and filly that played together… from before I hid Midnight away. You two were so happy! And… and you were safe, and I felt as if I had kept my vow. I felt everything was perfect, that everything was the way it should be! You two were together, Midnight was leading the Brotherhood, protecting Equestria and thwarting the Equestrian crime world. Everything was just fine.

“…Until today, I never realized just how much I’d failed both of you until today! How much hurt I’d caused, and every time something went wrong, I-”

The Princess of the Sun paused as she tried to calm herself, taking shuddery deep breaths, before finally, she admitted, “Something went wrong, and when it happened, I yelled at Midnight and laid all of the blame on him! It was unfair and selfish and-and I… Then when he told me that he told you everything, the feeling of failure that I was fighting for so long. It grew worse and worse, until… It was only when someone I loved so dearly told me, that he wished that… that he’d never been reborn, that I realized how much I… that I…”

Twilight looked on as she realized what Celestia was telling her, as the white alicorn sobbed into her hooves, no longer able to meet her old student’s gaze. Twilight looked up from her. She stood up, never said a word, and left the room, leaving Celestia feeling lower than she’d ever felt before.

Author's Note

This took a lot of thought, and I realize it's a lot to absorb. This was always the truth that was supposed to be revealed.

By Celestia.

An exemplification of her flaws and mistakes, and it's gonna be discussed a little further in.

SageBrony07 really helped me with the ending of this chapter. I originally meant for Celestia to get emotional and wing-slap Twilight for calling Midnight a killer before she revealed the selfless behavior of Midnight shouldering all assassinations so that none of his agents would have to live with that on their consciences, but nothing seemed to fit and Spirals95 helped me realize the wing-slap just wouldn't work without some severe repercussions.

One of the thigns I really wanted to point out was Celestia's flaws and blow away any doubts or illusions Twilight was clinging to about her teacher, which is what led me to end this chapter in the way it did

I enjoyed writing out the history behind the Brotherhood and how Celestia came to create it, and especially the historical OC I made up being based on the infamous Jack the Ripper.

227. The Loss of Faith - Part 10

The castle’s home theater was a recent addition, commissioned by Princess Luna a while after her return, and was frequented by Sombra as well. It had a big silver screen, the latest movie projector, perfectly tuned surround sound system, and it even had a snack bar in the hallway outside, like at a real cinema!

Both Luna and Sombra (due to both of them having been imprisoned for millennia) had been fascinated by modern technologies, including motion pictures. A story they could see as much as hear. While Sombra took a broader interest in the various technologies, Luna got hooked into video games (not that she’d ever admit it… unless you were as devoted a gamer as she).

At the moment, Cadance was with the others sans Twilight and Blueblood, watching a movie called “Little Wagon on the Prairie” detailing the adventures of an earth pony filly named Laurel Wild and her family. At first, the pegasi were… not all that enthusiastic over a film about pioneering earth pony settlers but in no time at all, even Rainbow Dash was tearing up as much as Big Macintosh.

Cadance was glad this movie was serving as a distraction to Twilight’s friends but even as she watched the film, in the back of her mind, she worried about Twilight and how her talk with Celestia would go-

A depressing chill caused Cadance to shiver her feathers as she felt a nearby source of sadness. As the Princess of Love, she was also in tuned with relating emotions, like joy, passion, anger and hate, and even anguish and depression. She looked towards the double doors that led to the hall and knew somepony out there needed some cheering up and she had a strong suspicion of who it might be.

As Cadance stood up from her seat, Rarity, who was sitting next to her, whispered, “Little filly’s room, dear?”

“Actually I… need some more gummis,” Cadance fibbed, “Be right back.”

Cadance slid out of the row of seats and stepped out into the hallway, seeing the snack bar next to the doors that led to the theater, but she looked past it and saw…

“Twilight?” she called gently, and noticed her sister-in-law flinch and hesitantly look back at Cadance.

The look on Twilight’s face was heartbreaking. She wasn’t crying but the look on her face, the way she seemed to drag as she’d been walking, she definitely needed a hug. Cadance went over and gave it to Twilight, who gratefully accepted her sister-in-law’s embrace, shuddering and shaking, so twisted and tangled up inside, struggling not to cry.

“C’mon, I know someplace that’ll help,” Cadance whispered calmingly as she stroked Twilight’s mane.

The Castle Library, one of the biggest and most extensive literary collections of history, sciences, novels, magic, any subject you could think of you’d find it here. For as long as she’d been Celestia’s student, this place had been sacred to Twilight. She could recount the many – Many! – study sessions, cramming, and casual readings she’d done while surrounded by the written word. Nothing like it could calm Twilight, and it helped when Cadance brought her here.

A little.

Sitting at one of the reading tables, Twilight however wasn’t all that interested in reading. Even as Cadance levitated over several textbooks and tomes, hoping Twilight would dive into one of them, refresh her memory on some favorite subject of hers, revisit a historical event of significant intrigue, admire a remarkable individual from times long past.

But no. Twilight just slumped in her chair (in a decisively unladylike manner that Rarity might have had a few words to say about) and Cadance sighed before asking, “I guess… things didn’t go well with Celestia?”

“I… I don’t think I want to talk about it, Cadance,” Twilight responded with a tone morose.

“I understand-” Cadance tried to say only for Twilight to suddenly ask:

“But I do need to ask you… How much do you know? About… about Midnight, the Brotherhood and… well…”

“I know enough,” Cadance admitted with a deep exhale, knowing this wasn’t going to be easy. “I wanted to tell you after Midnight- Well, the Midnight now was finally able to reveal himself.

“When I brought it up with Celestia, she… she promised that she would tell you everything! I thought she’d keep her promise and tell you soon, but since Shining and I were away leading the Crystal Empire, I guess…”

She paused, not sure of how else to explain but suddenly realized she might’ve made things worse by implying- She quickly cleared her throat, and said, “Let’s talk about something else, I- Oh! We can… talk about Midnight.”

“…Mmm…” Twilight’s despondent moan told Cadance that Midnight wasn’t going to be easy to talk about.

“Twilight, I know that you and him had… a disagreement last night at Twinken’s birthday party,” Cadance insisted on this subject of discussion.
“But what relationship doesn’t have its ups and downs? I know your brother’s and mine can still be occasionally… complex.”

Twilight looked at Cadance as though she’d been told Starswirl had never even had a beard.
“You two?! But… you’re perfect for each other! I mean, granted, I was rather miffed that I didn’t hear about the wedding in advance but… Back when you both went to Canterlot Academy together, you and I looked into it, and you yourself concluded that you and Shining are perfect for each other!”

“That is true,” Cadance could remember that little research she and little Twilight dove into when she came to foal-sit Twilight while her parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet, attended Shining Armor's flugelhorn recital.

They took extensive notes on his likes and dislikes, made several comparative charts about Cadance’s popularity back in the academy and Shining’s, all using 37 colors of paper for label markers, an abacus to calculate percentages for their pie charts, all on wide-ruled paper for foals.

Conclusion: Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor truly were perfect for each other, and all compiled data had pointed to a happily ever after (at least, in the minds of two academic yet emotional fillies).

“But, if we’d been a little more open towards each other about our feelings, we’d have saved ourselves a night of madness and misunderstanding at our Fall Formal.”

“As I recall, you two still got crowned Fall Formal King & Queen, even though you both went with different ponies,” Twilight brought up, “Uh, I still remember that jerk you went with, Buck Withers.”

“True, he wasn’t the nicest guy around back then,” Cadance shrugged, “or the most gentlecoltly. But, last Shining and I saw him, Buck has actually turned out a kinder and more mature pony. But that’s beside the point, Twilight:

“I meant to bring up that when we finally began dating after that night, things were great! I mean, really great. Fantastic, actually!”

“Get on with it,” Twilight grumped while waving her hoof in a ‘move it along’ gesture.

“Ahem!” Cadance mock-cleared her throat, “But… We might have been perfect teenage couple, from a... certain point of view, but we didn’t have a perfect relationship. As time went on, we both didn’t get to spend as much time as we liked together. I had to focus on my royal studies to prepare for my role as a full-fledged princess, and Shining Armor had to go away for advanced training in the Royal Guard, remember?”

“I do remember that…” Twilight recalled that lonely part of her foalhood which occurred a while after she became Celestia’s student. “Wait… wouldn’t that have been-”

“The same time Shining Armor was away training with Midnight and the other colts Midnight’s father hoof-picked to be his son’s bodyguards,” Cadance confirmed with a nod.
“Because Midnight’s existence then had to be a top secret, Shining Armor was only allowed very limited correspondence with his family and me, and oftentimes it was weeks, sometimes even a month or two, before I heard anything from him.

“While it was unconventional, since Shining Armor was training directly under the tutelage of Ignitus, who was the captain of the Royal Guard at the time, he got all the training he needed and put in twice as much effort to prove himself. But… after all the bad that happened to Midnight and his family, Shining Armor came back to complete his guard training in Canterlot, and he dedicated himself to becoming the very best of the best, and it got in the way of our relationship!

“I began to doubt how important what we had was to Shining and I went looking for him one day to give him a piece of my mind… what I found was a young stallion with his own emotional baggage.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight had never heard of this before though she could recall (through the lifting fog of forgetfulness Celestia cast long ago) of how Shining Armor had dived into his training with a zeal and drive that had equaled, if not outmatched, Twilight’s own dedication her studies. She could recall him spending entire days, even hours into the night, training in combat, magic, and strategy, and his collapsing into total exhaustion happened more than once.

“When I went to go and give him a telling-off,” sighed Cadance as she recalled that memory. “I found him, beating a training dummy with his bare hooves. He was going at it so hard his hooves were beginning to crack, and I heard him… ‘Why wasn’t I there?’, ‘Why didn’t I protect them?’, ‘If I’d just gotten there in time’…”

When Cadance paused sullenly, Twilight realized, “W-was he… was he talking about Midnight and his family?!”

“Not just them, but one of the cadets who’d been training with them,” Cadance nodded, “a pegasus named Flash Sentry. From what I was told, during a training exercise, Midnight and Flash were separated from their group and… some… wicked and horrible being captured them. Midnight was tortured and Flash was murdered right in front of him. Midnight would have been killed too had Shining Armor and Ignitus not been able to track them down and chase off the killer. But…

“That day, Shining Armor felt responsible, like… If he’d been more vigilant, been faster, any excuse he could think of! That perhaps he might have saved Midnight and Flash!”

Twilight felt the pain in her sister-in-law’s words as Cadance continued, “I went to those training grounds to give Shining Armor a piece of my mind. Instead, I saw a dedicated and driven stallion with an even bigger heart that I ever imagined, and he was suffering. So… I went down to talk with him, I convinced him to seek help from a guidance counselor, and he was able to move past some guilt he didn’t deserve to feel. We talked to each other, we listened to each other, and we grew closer.”

The way Cadance spoke of talking and listening, Twilight realized that instead of doing the same, she’d only accused and judged Midnight without really giving him a chance to explain himself, especially in a situation where his hoof was forced.

Cadance quickly noticed Twilight was beginning to feel bad herself, and the pink alicorn pulled Twilight into a warm sisterly hug, “Things could have been handled better, that is true. But it doesn’t mean they still can’t be. When the expedition team returns, you should take Midnight aside, and just talk. Talk to him and make sure he listens, let him talk to you and you listen. Don’t judge, don’t blame, just work it out. And don’t you dare think it’s too late, because the pony you love and loves you back is somepony you can always have faith in.”

Twilight looked at Cadance and shed tears of deepest appreciation and gratitude, smiling at her old foal-sitter, the big sister she never had. Cadance levitated over a box of tissues and offered one to Twilight, which she accepted to wipe away her tears.
“Thank you, Cadance.”

“The first fight between special someponies are often the hardest,” said Cadance, “but true and sincere love is what helps them work them out. Now, if you’re feeling up to it, would you like to join me and our friends in the theater? We can even play your favorite documentary, narrated by Bill Neigh?”

“That sounds nice, Cadance, but…” Twilight looked at some of the books Cadance had brought over and noticed a history book. “I… think I want to do a little research, y’know… Just something to take my mind off things.”

“I understand, come when you’re ready,” Cadance gave Twilight one more hug before leaving.

Once her sister-in-law was gone, Twilight looked into Equestrian history a little more, particularly the historical Graypaddock Murders in the year 788 into the Celestial Era, the thousand year interim between the banishment and return of Nightmare Moon.

The murders detailed the grisly killings committed by the individual who popularly became known as Beck the Tramper. All of her victims had been stallions, and each one had a history of being playcolts, studs, or just plain sexual deviants, with a few having had charges of sexual assault against them that were dropped because the mares involved were either too afraid or ashamed or even amorous to testify. In early April of 788, the first victim was found beaten to death, and his genitals had been ruthlessly stomped on and crushed before he was killed, by having his throat torn out.

More and more murders occurred in similar ways but due to inconsistencies only five victims were adequately linked and believed were killed by the same murderer (although it was believed the murderer killed over fifty). Such inconsistencies was how the victims were killed, a lot of them were killed with blunt force trauma while others had their throats slit or torn out, and only half of the victims overall had their genitals crushed. Some even had internal organs removed, especially the vocal chords.

In February of 790, a letter (along with a jar of vocal chords) believed to have been sent by Beck the Tramper was received by the Land Lush, the chairpony of the Graypaddock Vigilance Committee, a letter that would thereafter be infamously known as the “From Tartarus” Letter, which read:

‘From Tartarus:

Dear Mister Lush,

Please accept these vocal kordz I got from sum bastard rapist who got away wit hurtin somepony. His willy was hard and icky so I soffend it up for him but th wanker wouldn stop whinin so I made sure he’d never whine again

Mayhaps I’ll send you th shooz I used since they’re all messy now, but u must b patient

Most assuredly yours,
Catch me if you can, Mister Lush’

The sender of the letter was never identified but a spell linked the vocal chords to one of the five “official” victims of Beck the Tramper. Further reading showed Twilight that the terror of Beck the Tramper ended in 791 when the killings simply stopped. That dark period haunted Trottingham for years after as her citizens feared the Tramper might have simply gone into hiding and would come back. Years passed, then decades, and even after the citizens sighed in relief that Beck the Tramper was all but certainly gone for good, the blood she’d spilled and terror she’d propagated never truly left that district of Trottingham.

Bitterly recalling Celestia’s explanation, Twilight figured that must’ve been when the mare, an Evening Hood gone rogue, was put down by the leader of the Brotherhood at the time. Celestia had moved in to force the investigation not to reveal anything about the murderer lest the Brotherhood might have been linked to her.

As she considered it, Twilight had to accept that if the Brotherhood had been discovered, then Celestia might have been linked and she might have been exposed and seen as corrupt, which could’ve spurred anarchy or rebellion against a ruler who had been deemed flawed instead of pristine. A shining and benevolent example, a paragon of virtue and wisdom, a princess whom Twilight had always viewed as somepony who always made the right choices and could do no wrong.

Now she knew better, and she wasn’t sure what to think of her old teacher anymore. She’d hoped researching about the Hood gone rogue might have helped her get inside Celestia’s head and understand her a little better. It had helped her understand her a little better, yeah, but then…

Why can’t I… accept it?!

She knew it was the truth. She’d been given all the evidence and heard it straight from the princess’s mouth, so why couldn’t she shake off that clinging perspective of her mentor being a flawless and benevolent figure when all that she’d learned was in contrast with it?

“Having trouble, my little pony?”

“Eep!” Twilight startled and turned to see, “P-Prince Sombra! You… what’re you wearing?”

Sombra chuckled as he considered his aviator’s jacket, scarf, and pilot’s cap to be a little… much, but when he’d asked Blueblood to take him for a ride on one of his airships he thought he’d… milk the situation.

His horn lit a soft red mana and the jacket, scarf, and cap vanished, leaving his cobalt blue crown with the golden crown jewel, his hoof boots, regalia, and even his royal cape. Clearing his throat, he shrugged, “Well, I just got back from quite a thrilling ride on one of my… nephew’s airships! Heh! Nephew… It’s such a nice feeling to be an uncle, even if it’s adoptive.”

“Well, I’m… glad to see you and Blueblood enjoyed your time together,” Twilight wasn’t sure she wanted to get back into this but it felt like a golden opportunity here.
“Prince Sombra, do… do you mind if I ask you something?”

“By all means, young princess,” Sombra came over and sat at the table with Twilight, politely levitating the books aside so they’d have nothing between their conversation.

“Well, that’s the thing, being a princess… Being royalty, for that matter! Despite it being a while since I gained my wings and was given my crown, it’s still new to me. A role I never expected to play, being a leader.”

“From what I’ve seen and heard, you’ve already been a leader to your friends for some time, Twilight,” Sombra pointed out.

“Well, that’s- That’s nothing compared to being a princess! To being an alicorn as well,” Twilight elaborated, “we’ve gone on all kinds of adventures, that is true, but… How does that compare to this?!”

“It is not nothing, Twilight, but rather it is everything,” Sombra assured, “Your friends look to you for guidance, and all the adventures you and they have shared have been lessons and experiences to make you a better and stronger pony.”

“But I look to them for the same guidance,” Twilight debated.

“As well you should, for it is a lucky pony indeed who can rely on so many good and wonderful friends, “chuckled Sombra as he lit up his horn and conjured a book that Twilight had read plenty of times.

“That book!” Twilight recognized it as one of Star Swirl’s most basic yet helpful books of magic, one he’d written himself but went through many editions over the centuries to make sure the magicks it detailed were up to date.

“Star Swirl was as smart as they come,” Sombra reminisced as he looked at some old spells he could remember his old mentor teaching him and the sisters.
“As a matter of fact, young Twilight, you rather remind me of him.”

“Really?! He’s… always been kind of a hero of mine… and so was Celestia,” sighed Twilight.

“Both are wonderful examples to live by,” nodded Sombra but he sensed Twilight might have a difference of opinion. Especially by her next question.

“Prince Sombra, if you could decide between being a prince or a normal pony, what would you choose?”

“Twilight, I am both!” Sombra’s answer was confusing to Twilight, so he went on. “I am a normal pony who is merely also a prince, and once upon a time I was a king. Both titles I earned from the ponies around me, who became my subjects. I made the best choices I could and worked out the results as best I could. I wasn’t perfect, obviously, but all of my mistakes and flaws have helped me learn and grow and persevere.

“I mean, look where I am now! I am an alicorn prince of Equestria, married to the pony I’ve always loved, and have an apprentice I love like a son. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be here at all. Odds are, I’d still be under the corruption of the Whisperer and I would either have risen back to power and carried on terrorizing the Crystal Empire or the Crystal Heart would have destroyed me. Despite the odds, Celestia held onto the hope that I could be saved and saved I was, by Midnight!”

Twilight sighed, for this wasn’t exactly what she wanted to hear, and Sombra knew it.

“I can understand what you’ve learned has shaken everything you believe in, Twilight. Celestia has taught you well but she’s allowed her past mistakes to cloud her judgment and make decisions that, well… Decisions that didn’t turn out as well as she’d hoped. However, this should serve as a perfect lesson for you, Twilight.”

Twilight looked at Sombra as he explained, “Admiration can blind us to the flaws of those we admire, even if they are right before our eyes. Ponies today set those they admire up on pedestals, Twilight, because they feel such individuals are above them somehow and that they are to be admired, respected, and sometimes never even questioned. It is nice to be admired and respected but being worshipped can be damaging, to the one being worshipped and those doing the worshipping.

“Do not forget, Twilight, that Celestia has had to rule on her own for almost a thousand years. She had help, from Star Swirl, who passed away, and then her Aristocracy, but those individuals come and go with the passage of time, and each generation doesn’t always have the right interests. Can’t you imagine how isolating it’s been for her? To be set up high on a pedestal, where she is admired from afar but made to be alone, while any and all friends she made over the centuries eventually died.

“I am not asking you to just forgive her for her mistakes and misdeeds, Twilight,” Sombra reached over and placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “All I ask is that you try to understand that your teacher is as flawed and equine as any other pony, that she makes mistakes – has made mistakes – and strives to do her best with what she’s given and what she faces, as well as to make up for her mistakes. But she still needs support and encouragement from those she cares about and those who care about her in return.

“You know, she admires and loves you so very much.”

Those words weren’t really that surprising but they still gave Twilight a reason to pause.

“While she’s made her mistakes with you, she has always appreciated you, not merely because you’re her student but also because of how you inspire her, and she is always so very proud of you… although she has admitted she wishes you wouldn’t fret so much over being perfect.

“Because really, Twilight, what is perfect?

“Not me, not Luna, and certainly not Celestia or Midnight, your brother, Cadance, or you or your friends. In my opinion, Perfection shouldn’t be about being flawless but rather it should be about satisfaction. Being not the best there is but the best you can be.”

The wisdom in Sombra’s words made Twilight think even more as he went on.

“What I'm trying to say, Twilight, is that whatever kind of pony you are, be a good one. I’m sorry if that’s not very helpful-”

“No, no! It is, actually,” Twilight interrupted, “At least, a little. I mean… I’ve always thought as Princess Celestia’s personal protégé I had quite an example to live up to. The fact I love learning and studying contributed to that, which I guess is how I was able to meet the standards I thought I should be striving for.”

Sighing, Twilight recalled many lessons and sessions where it was just her and Celestia. That warm and encouraging smile, how she beamed whenever Twilight succeeded in casting spells she was teaching, got the best grades on her assignments, but as the nostalgia sunk in, Twilight could also recall something in Celestia’s eyes that seemed… sad.

“She never gave up on me, even when I was hard on myself,” Twilight was grateful to feel Sombra wrap a comforting wing around her shoulders.
“But… I guess there was some part of her that seemed… disappointed.”

“She wasn’t really disappointed in you, Twilight,” Sombra assured her. “She was sad that you gave so much of yourself to studying and being the best student you could be that you came to disregard the importance of friendship and having friends in your life.

“She blamed herself for that, too.”

“I don’t know what to think, Prince Sombra, I…” Twilight felt the tears well up in her eyes and she was tired of crying as she blinked them way.
“I’ve always loved her like another mother, but… I’m still so tangled up about all this brotherhood business, the things about her and Midnight, I… I just don’t know!”

“You know… there was a chance that Celestia could have been Midnight’s mother,” Sombra brought up, causing Twilight to gawk at him like he’d grown a third eye. That was exactly what he was hoping for, some kind of crazy information to help take her mind off her gloominess.
“She told me all about it; when Midnight was dying after being struck by a dark spell, Celestia saved him from truly dying by casting the Spell of Reincarnation, but do you know how that spell works, Twilight?”

Twilight shook her head but felt that familiar interest in magic.

“The Spell of Reincarnation was invented by a unicorn mage who’d studied alongside Clover the Clever under Star Swirl,” Sombra explained. “It is a method to cheat death not by resurrection but by reincarnation, to be reborn into a new life.

“The caster casts the spell upon somepony and when that somepony dies their spirit does not move on. Instead, it is... tethered to the caster, and the caster must choose whether to birth or sire the deceased spirit or pass the spirit on in the form of a blessing to somepony else to birth or sire the spirit.”

“Wait, so…” Twilight processed what Sombra had just told her, “When Midnight died, his spirit was linked to Celestia so he didn’t move on… and she… blessed Ignitus and Faerie Tail so they would be Midnight’s parents when they had their own child together?”

“Exactly,” Sombra nodded. “Celestia told me all about it – She considered giving birth to Midnight’s reincarnation herself and raising him as her son… but due to circumstances and educated guesses, she correctly realized that she never birthed a child and to do so would have raised complications or set time on another course, and… Ugh, time travel is such a complicated mess.”

“True, but it can also be rather interesting to puzzle out,” Twilight shrugged with a silly smile.

“Anyway, Celestia decided to bless Midnight’s spirit upon a couple she felt she could trust to raise Midnight’s reincarnation,” Sombra went on but smiling back at Twilight.
“So she chose her then-Captain of the Royal Guard, who turned out to be my descendant, Ignitus Enflame of House Obsidian, and his wife, Faerie Tail. You know the rest of the story and here we are now.”

“Huh…” Twilight considered the scenario but put it out of her head as Sombra went on.

“Things are likely to become more complicated before they are resolved, Twilight,” Sombra sighed, sounding like a tired father. “But I have faith that with patience and understanding, each of us involved can work it all out…. and I look forward to seeing your father walk you down the wedding aisle where he’ll give you to my son.”

“Sombra!” Twilight was aghast, Sombra laughing at her reaction, but secretly the idea was rather appealing to her-

A loud horn sounded, the kind used to herald the coming of royalty, and Sombra and Twilight looked out the windows of the library to see three pegasus-drawn chariots, one of them hauling something covered, flying in to the platform where the team had taken off hours ago.

Sombra and Twilight shared a look and the same words:

“They’re back!”

They quickly hurried off to welcome the returning heroes.

The head surgeon of the castle medical staff, Steady Hoof, wailed his orders out to his team, struggling to get the other doctors and medical technicians moving at a pace faster than a snail's crawl. Never in the yellow-coated unicorn's life had he ever seen such a sudden demand for wound surgery. The expedition team had returned, but only in the worst shape he had ever seen in his life as a trauma surgeon. Hemmeraoging, bruises, broken bones, and ruined coats lay underneath smashed armor and blown off helmets. One of the Zapper-Saddles had clearly gone critical, leaving a nasty electrical burn all over the back of one of the guards, who cried like a foal at even the softest touch. Strangely, despite the blood soaking through their own clothes, a hooded figure had refused treatment, hoping to save all the medical supplies and attention for their allies. One of them pulled aside a nurse, and directed her gently to a covered object the team had crawled back with.

"You guys need care, come with us!" demanded Steady, "Whatever that crate is can wait, damnit!"

"Steady," grunted Shining Armor, in lackluster shape himself, "take care of the wounded. That 'crate'... are the ones we lost. Don't lose any more."

"You know I won't," he growled, confidently but in defiance of Shining's patronizing statement.

"Get us a coroner," ordered Shining Armor, preparing to help some of his stallions lift the bodies to a nearby examination platform, "we need to identify them. Let's not forget what's important."

"We'll get you a medical examiner," assured the head surgeon before spotting a massive piece of shrapnel lodged behind Shining's left wing.

A younger surgeon helpfully suggested, "Sire, let's get you on the table too."

"Get the others first," he responded.

"That piece is in a vital atery..."

“Lay off! Check on the others first!” Shining Armor fanned out his wings, stained with blood and grime, angrily trying to intimidate Steady.

“I said check on the others first!” Shining Armor yelled, “I can wait, they’re injuries can’t! Now get to it, I'm ordering you!"

Steady Hoof pushed forward angrily and planted his hooves firmly on the floor, "Telling us how to do our job? Let me tell you something, just this morning I hear a group of the patients I look after are going out 'on simple manuevers', and come back in this condition. I never lose a patient who comes home, because I have the medical skills, you do not. Your skills are what brought these stallions here to me like this. Now, if you want to get in line and put their needs over your own, so be it! But don't you dare think for a moment you're off the hook with me or my staff just because you're a pissed-off royal. So, please get on the table, or shut up and wait."

Shining Armor didn't have a response. He understood he would only make things worse if he continued to argue, and taking out his own feelings of failure on the doctor really did nothing to help the situation.

"If you say so, doctor."

"I do say so, Prince Shining."

"Just take care of them first, please..." he said slowly, letting go of his anger.

Steady Hoof took his apprentice and left, whispering something about keeping an eye on Shining Armor just in case he pulled the fragment out and started bloodflow again. The royal felt odd having been yelled down at by the surgeon, but he knew he was right. He had helped create the mess, and he deserved whatever anger came his way.

He looked up wearily and felt his heart lift to see his wife running to him. To avoid the inevitable screaming, he tucked his wing over the piece of broken armor in his back, sending a small spike of pain through his spine. Groaning, he forced himself up and embraced her, resting his head on her shoulder, allowing him to see his sister and the rest of the Bearers and Guardians of Harmony approach. The sight of his sister caused Shining Armor’s heart to sink while Cadance fussed warmly,

“I’m so glad you’re back… I guess Midnight kept his promise.”

She let go and stepped back, looking around, “Where is Midnight? I want to thank him. Midnight!”

Shining Armor stood silent, grave sadness deep in his eyes. Things couldn't get worse.

“Shining!” Twilight ran up to give her brother a hug but his drooping forelegs instantly told Twilight something wasn’t right.
“Shining, what is it? You look like you’ve been through a lot! There's a chunk of metal sticking out of your feathers!!! And- And…?”

Looking around and hearing Cadance calling out for Midnight… and his lack of a response caused Twilight to fret. Even more when she saw the look on her brother’s face.
“Shining… what happened? Where is Midnight?! Why-why isn’t he answering Cadance?!”

“Twily…” Shining Armor wrapped his wings around Twilight, his voice and shoulders shaking as he sorrowfully answered.

“Midnight, he’s… he’s… He’s missing. I'm sorry, Twilight. He's gone.”

Author's Note

I considered Twilight talking with Luna, but... I just felt Luna might be a little biased and maybe make excuses for her sister and instead lay more blame on Midnight

Her talks with Cadance and then Sombra were to help Twilight be less... mixed-up towards them, with Cadance encouraging Twilight to talk with Midnight when they get the chance so they can work things out, like couples should

Twilight's talk with Sombra was him helping her understand her teacher in a more humble and realistic way, not asking her to just forgive but to understand

For both talks, I took a little inspiration (and content) from the MLP comics, especially the talk between Twilight and Sombra from the Mirror-verse King Sombra

Spirals95 improved the end scene when the team (minus Midnight) came back and added the OC Steady Hoof

228. The Loss of Faith - Part 11

Hours earlier…

It wasn’t very far into the depths of the energems mine that the expeditionary force found the clear evidence of the struggle that had occurred earlier. The mining tunnels were filled with artifacts of war, broken weapons, scratched walls, scattered mining tool crushed underhoof carelessly, and of course… the occasional splotch of dried blood. But the strangest sight left over from the short, gruesome skirmish was a set of tracks that indicated something had been forcibly dragged away.

And of course were the veins and rough cuts of energems, energems, energems galore! Everywhere they looked, they saw energems of all types and sizes. Rubies, emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, topazes, lapis lazulis, onyxes, agates, peridots, garnets, amethysts, quartzes, turquoises, like walking through a kaleidoscope! Some bigger than castle towers, some so large they made up whole walls of tunnels, other tiny yet numerous that they looked like stars on the dark ceilings of the tunnels. Each gem gave off varying amounts of mystical force, the physical manifestation of magical energy that emphasizes magical power.

Wherever there were less or smaller energems, the mystical force was soft but thick, like walking through heavy theater curtains. Wherever the energems were vast or many, it was hard to breathe and move, like getting caught in a sandstorm.

The team was glad to find a tunnel not so thick with energems, where they took a break.

“It’s… so… crazy in here!” one of the guards panted, another agreeing, “Yeah! I don’t know how these miners or the guards stationed here were able to handle this day after day!”

“Think of it like training,” Midnight spoke as he took a swig of water from a thermos he’d made appear from a bubble of mana.
“Like… carrying heavy loads for extended periods of time. You get used to the weight and it makes you stronger.”

He offered the thermos to anyone else who was thirsty and one of the guards accepted it gratefully when Shining Armor commented, “Still, I can see why this mine is so valuable. All these energems? It’s almost like the Crystal Empire crammed into a smaller space! So much power, and that can mean big things for Equestria’s resources.”

“Which is why it’s vital we insure that this mine is reclaimed,” Midnight made more bubbles of mana appear, willing them to float to the team members. With a thought he popped them, revealing ration bars, made of granola, oats, dried fruit, nuts, and vitamins.
“If the changelings are still here, we must ascertain how many so that we can return to Canterlot to put together a sufficient strike force to clear them out. Once we’ve finished our ration bars, we’ll carry on.”

It wasn’t long before the team proceeded inward, their break over. One of the two Hoods suddenly barred the group, whispering, “Something is ahead!”

The guards who wore Zapper-Saddles kept their eyes sharp and their aims ready as Midnight and Shining Armor both erected a ward for sneak-attacks, in case of an ambush. The Hood looked to Midnight, who nodded his permission, and the Hood carefully scouted ahead, almost vanishing in the darkness when…

“Your Majesties!”

“What is it?!” Shining Armor called, everypony on alert.

The Hood answered with a sad voice, “It’s the lieutenant…”

Shining Armor and Midnight shared a troubled look and both gestured the rest of them to follow as they hurried forward. They found the Hood, his head hung low while sitting by a corpse. Midnight lit up his horn and sighed sadly once he had a better look.
“Cheat Code…”

Lieutenant Cheat Code lay dead, the left side of the base of his neck torn, the gaping wound going right through the carotid artery. Entire plates of his armor were missing and a foul odor came from the still-bubbling gash in his neck.

A quick whiff of the compound corroding the vital artery tipped and Midnight off to the true cause of death, “Stay back! The wound oozes with some kind of venom…”

“Are changelings venomous?” a guard asked, sounding a little nervous.

“Makes sense,” Shining Armor cast a sterilization barrier over Cheat Code’s body to insure nopony would be contaminated.
“Changelings can’t always fool their prey so they must have some kind of venom to incapacitate them.”

“No, they don’t…” Midnight disagreed, all eyes looking to him. Once the sterilization barrier did its work, it dispelled, giving Midnight a clearer look of the wound on Cheat Code’s neck.
“I’ve studied changeling anatomy, and they don’t have venom. They can secrete a natural adhesive, which they use for their cocoons, they can charm or bewitch unwary minds, they can shapeshift, and they can feed off of love by sucking it right out of the air around their victims. Whatever killed Cheat Code… I wonder if it wasn’t a changeling at all!”

The guards all shared troubled looks by this hypothesis, that they might be dealing with more than just changelings, and it suddenly felt a lot colder in these mining tunnels. Sensing their anxiety, Midnight took a deep breath and addressed his agent, “You. I need you and another volunteer to take Lieutenant Cheat Code’s body to the outside so he can be taken home for proper burial.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the Hood bowed and looked to the rest of the guards. “Anyone interested in helping me take the lieutenant out of this place?”

“I will!” volunteered a unicorn guard named Heat Wave, with a flaming orange coat and sandy yellow mane with charcoal black highlights. “I’ll levitate him and you lead the way.”

“Here, take one of the Communechoes,” Midnight offered one of the devices to the Hood. “Keep it on at all times so we can stay in contact and hear you. Once you’re outside, join Spearhead and Red Hex and await the rest of us.”

The Hood and Heat Wave both saluted and Heat Wave gingerly levitated Cheat Code’s body in an aura of golden red. As they turned to head back to the outside, Heat Wave said, “Be careful, Your Majesties.”

“You too,” Shining Armor waved him off and the team watched them vanish down the path they came from.
“Alright, gentlecolts! We’re on enemy turf and possibly up against an unknown hostile. Keep your eyes peeled, your ears to the ground, and those Zappers ready!”

“Yessir!” the team stood steadfast and Shining Armor took the lead, Midnight beside him as they proceeded further in.

But as they advanced, Midnight was troubled, Something about that venom smelled familiar… But changelings aren’t venomous. So what exactly killed Cheat Code…?

As Heat Wave and the Hood were making their way back outside, Cheat Code’s body levitating before them, Heat Wave couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable around the Hood. On one hoof, he understood Prince Midnight’s agents worked under the radar, but it still bothered him to be working with somepony who wouldn’t even reveal his face.

“So, you… been working for Prince Midnight long?” Heat Wave instantly felt stupid by his attempt at small talk.

“His Majesty is an effective leader, decisive in his methods and adamant in will,” the Hood responded in a flat tone that implied he wouldn’t be much of a conversationalist.

“Oh! Well… he does give off that impression, that he’s a good leader, heh heh, eh…” Heat Wave felt so awkward. Here he was, miles from home in a creepy mine where ponies had died, one of them he was carrying in his telekinetic aura, and attempting conversation with an obvious stick in the mud.

As they came to a fork they’d passed previously earlier when they’d been with the team, the air began to smell fresher.

“We’re nearing the exit. Thank the Goddess…” the Hood muttered with a relieved sigh. “The energems in this mine are beautiful, but the impression is stained by what happened here.”

“Yeah, no kidding, poor guy,” Heat Wave looked at the lieutenant. “I wonder if-”

“Hey guys!”

Heat Wave and the Hood both flinched and turned around to see, coming from the other tunnel of the fork…
“Spearhead?! What th- What’re you- Aren’t you supposed to be waiting outside with Red Hex and gathering the corpses?!”

“Oh that, uh…” Spearhead rubbed the back of his head with his wing and smiled with a shrug, “I… got worried, is all! After a while, I decided to follow you guys in but I guess you took that other way.”

“You still disobeyed direct orders, Spearhead, and you know-” Heat Wave was talking when suddenly…!

The Hood lunged forward, a blade lashing out and came very close to stabbing Spearhead’s eye, the Pegasus yelping as he jumped back, and the Hood put himself between Spearhead and Heat Wave, the latter yelling, “Hey, wha- What’re you doing?!”

“Tell me, Spearhead,” the Hood spoke, “Why didn’t you let us know you were coming inside to meet us? What with the current situation, it would have been wiser to have us expecting you.”

“Well, I…” Spearhead stalled, his eyes getting shifty, “I… was disobeying orders to stay outside, after all! So…and how could I have let you know I was coming anyway?”

“Hey, buddy, I know things are tense right now, but-” Heat Wave tried to protest, but the Hood went on.

“Oh? So let me also ask you this… Where is your weapon? Prince Midnight gave one to you before the rest of us entered the mine.”

“I… left it outside, with… the other guard. Um…” Spearhead was getting more anxious and sounding less and less credible.

“Uh… Spearhead?” Heat Wave was starting to get the idea and prayed he was wrong. “What was it you got for your sister on her last birthday?”

"Oh c'mon, buddy!" Spearhead was deflecting, "Is this really the time for you to take an interest in my sis?"

"Answer the question!" the Hood demanded and then things grew even more tense when Spearhead fell silent.

…

“Heh-heh-heh-heh… I guess you ponies really are smarter than I thought,” mocked the creature wearing Spearhead’s appearance.
“Brothers and sisters! Attack!”

A loud and horrible buzzing echoed all around them and Heat Wave and the Hood froze in terror as they saw dozens of glowing greenish-blue eyes, narrowed and glaring right at them.

Already the team was hurrying back, having overheard the whole conversation on Midnight’s Communecho. But the screams told them it might be too late.

“Hold on, boys!” Midnight yelled into the device as they ran back down the tunnel. “We’re on our way, just-”

“SIRE! HELP US!!! THERE’S TOO MANY OF THEM!!!!” screamed back Heat Wave through the device.

They could even hear the angry buzzings and the sounds of a struggle… and then the whistle of something like a blade cutting through the air, an awful choking gurgle, and Heat Wave screamed again.

“HE’S DEAD! NOOOO!!! GET AWAY!!! YOUR MAJESTIES, GET OUT! SAVE YOURSELLLLLLAAAAAUUGGHHHMMMPPPH! MMMMMMHHHMMHH….”

The team screeched to a halt as they heard through the device whatever was going on had more-or-less quieted down… and then unfamiliar voices. Buzzing, throaty, and unfriendly.

“Augh! This one’s dead.”
“No matter, we got at least one, and the rest of that team is still in here somewhere.”
“Lucky thing our spy in Canterlot sent the word that we’d have these guests coming.”
“Enough buzzing about! The rest of them likely heard the screams of this one echo down the tunnels. We don’t have the element of surprise anymore!”
“So what? We outnumber them fifty-to-one! All we gotta do is box `em in and they’ll be joining this guy soon enough.”
“Then let’s get ready to ambush them. One way or another, they’ll be joining the rest of the crop!”
“Hold on, what’s this thing?”
“The guard was holding onto it. Maybe it’s some kind of tool they use.”
“We don’t got time for this junk, give it!”

A loud crack and dying whistle sound told the team that the device had been destroyed and they all shared a look of apprehension.

“Whaddoo we do now…?!” asked a guard, suddenly not feeling so brave now.

“They said they were… put us with the rest of the crop,” the remaining Hood brought up. “Perhaps that means the enemy has prisoners!”

“I think you’re right,” Shining Armor agreed, “and it sounded like they killed one of them but captured the other. Odds are, they’re taking him to wherever they have this ‘crop’ of theirs, and I don’t like the sound of it.”

“And I’m pretty sure I heard them say they have a spy in Canterlot!” Midnight pointed out, “And they were expecting us! This whole thing was a trap!”

“Then I’ll ask again,” the guard spoke up before, “Whaddo we do now?!”

…

“…Shining,” Midnight finally spoke, and once all eyes were on him, he addressed his friend, “As much as I hate to say this, I believe the best course of action is to retreat and get back to Canterlot as soon as possible.”

“Midnight! You’re not saying we- We abandon the prisoners the enemy has captured?!” Shining Armor was aghast as he looked at his friend.

Growling, Midnight snapped, “You think I like it anymore than you do?! Consider the situation! We walked into a trap, they knew we were coming because apparently they have a spy in Canterlot!

“If we get caught too, we won’t be able to help anypony, and whoever their spy is, they’ll help the changelings infiltrate Canterlot just like before! As awful as it feels to do so, we must fall back and return to Canterlot to gather reinforcements. That way when we return we’ll stand a better chance of saving the prisoners and exterminating these bugs!”

The logic in Midnight’s words were grating and conflicted with Shining Armor’s protective nature, but deep down he knew Midnight was right! They weren’t prepared for this and to keep going was all but suicide. Not to mention, they alone knew the enemy had a spy in the midst of their home.

The Hood stepped forward, saying, “Your Majesty, I understand this is difficult, but His Highness Midnight is right. If there are ponies being held prisoner, they stand a better chance of being rescued if we leave and return with greater numbers. The changelings sounded like they’re confident they can capture us using the advantage of sheer numbers.”

Shining Armor looked at all members of the team and sighed woefully to see they all agreed. It went against his heart, but he knew they were right.
“Okay then, let’s get out of here. But like I said before, we are on full alert. For all we know, the enemy is lying wait for us to try and escape out the mine and we can only do that by going out the way we came in.”

They all saluted and continued on back the way they came at a brisk pace, each of them on high alert. It wasn’t long before they came upon the site where the struggle they’d overhead had happened. Cheat Code’s body had been dropped while the Hood lay dead, his hood and cloak torn, revealing him to be a pegasus with a soft indigo coat, dark yellow mane, and his cutie-mark was three throwing knives. His eyes were wide open, expressing terror, and his throat had been torn out, blood pooling around him.

Midnight stepped forward and sadly closed his agent’s eyes before he conjured a bubble of turquoise mana to carry them both.

“I’m sorry about your agent, Midnight,” Shining Armor placed a comforting hoof on his friend’s shoulder.

“…He wasn’t much of a talker but he was dedicated,” Midnight looked thankfully at Shining Armor before steeling his heart.
“C’mon! We gotta get out of here while we still can!”

The way back wasn’t as hard as it was the way in. The mystical force energies of the energems no longer taxed the intrepid explorers but rather it was the anxiety of knowing the enemy was here. The enemy was hiding and lying in wait, and ready to strike at any moment. It was the team’s drive to get out and make it back home to warn their allies and come back with reinforcements to save the prisoners the bugs had taken.

Whatever reasons the changelings had captured their prisoners it most certainly wasn’t good.

“I see daylight, we’re almost there!” cried one of the guards, and sure enough they could smell the air flowing in, feel the warmth of day seeping into the cold stony walls surrounding them. But as they came around the bend…!

*GASP*

The team skidded to a halt to find a horde of changelings standing between them and their way out! The insidious insects buzzed menacingly, most of them on the ground, facing them with fangs dripping, several hovering in the air to discourage any attempts to fly out.

The team readied themselves when they heard something, a deep, predatory growl… behind them!

They looked and gasped… to see a monstrous creature that looked similar to the changelings but it was much bigger! It had chitinous plates instead of skin, like the changelings, but growing from between those plates was dark tawny fur, instead of legs and hooves full of holes there were paws, a mane of red enwreathed its neck… and rising up behind it was a scorpion’s tail!

“Is- Is that… a manticore?!” Shining Armor gaped at this abominable surprise.

“…By the goddess!” Midnight gasped in horror, “That was why the venom on Cheat Code’s body smelled familiar! He must’ve been killed by this thing!”

“Impressed, your Highnesses?”

The team looked to the changelings barring the way out, one of them stepping forward clad in some azure armor with pincer-like extensions on his helmet, jutting forward from the sides of his mouth.
“It’s not often the Queen Mother births changelings like our brother over there, with the scorpion tail! I can’t tell you what a pain it was, getting the manticore DNA sample from his father! But he’s done his job well…”

“DNA sample?”
“Queen Mother?”

“Oh, where are my manners… I am Thorn, commanding officer of this unit and now the head honcho of this mine! It will make for a fine prize for the queen, she’ll have you inferior creatures begging us for these energems!”

“The queen?!” Shining Armor echoed and growled, “I don’t know what you’re trying to pull but your queen is dead! The cowardly bitch took her own life rather than make amends for her misdeeds!”

“HA-HA-HA!” Thorn threw his head back in mocking laughter, some of the other changelings laughing as well.
“If you weren’t so sadly ignorant I’d take great offense to your disrespect towards our beloved mother-queen! But the time for talk is over… Surrender, ponies! It’s the only way you’re gonna survive!”

The team and their princely leaders growled in vexation, unsure of how they were gonna get out of this mess. But one thing was certain, however this turned out they wouldn’t make it easy for these parasites-

*WHOOSSZZHAPPP!!!!*

Several changelings near the exit screamed as they felt their bodies jolt and shake by the blasts of some kind of energy, and all eyes looked outside and to the distance they saw…

“Spearhead!”
“Red Hex!”

“Don’t worry, everypony! We got your backs!” Spearhead was aiming his Zapper-Saddle at the bugs standing just inside the entrance of the mine, and already the changelings were scattering back and forth for cover and bumping into each other in a confused chaotic mess.

“GO! GO! GO!” Shining Armor urged the rest of the team to run for the exit and take advantage of the chaos.

The team members armed with Zapper-Saddles made good use of the weapons, their energy pulses zapping the changelings unconscious and paving the way forward. Bright blue bolts of snaking electric energy shot out from the barrels of the weapons, stunning their victims with the sound of cracking thunder and hissing ions.

*BZZZZOOOOAAARRRR*

Midnight and Shining Armor looked back to see the manticore-changeling hybrid, its large wings buzzing louder than a buzz-saw, its deadly tail raised as it tore at them, slashing random changelings, not caring about its supposed brethren, only that it wanted to kill the ponies.

All of a sudden, things seemed to slow down to Midnight. He was able to survey the chaos happening around him. The changelings were no longer scrambling about madly for cover.

They were attacking.

It was only the Zapper-Saddles holding most of them back but there was just too many. Already, Shining Armor, Midnight’s remaining Hood, and a few of the guards were directly fighting some changelings that broken through. Even worse was the monster behind them tearing its way at them, and Midnight realized something more.

Even if they got out, the hive would pursue them. They’d chase them into the sky, and there was very little chance they would outfly so many changelings at once, especially trying to bring back the deceased.

Growling, Midnight let out a battle-cry, willing the shadows under his wings to extend and sharpen into blades as he span about, a black and blue whirling dervish of sharpened deadliness, cutting down the changelings that had gotten too close. He extended a whip of shadowstuff from his leonine tail and lashed it out, its sharp sting forcing more changelings back. He concentrated his horn and unleashed a stream of white-blue electrical mana from his horn, frying more changelings, but they just kept coming!

With a beat of his wings, he jumped to Shining Armor’s side, his friend yelling, “Seems like we’re in quite the tangled web, my friend!”

“…Shining!” Midnight responded, casting a tethering line of energy from the mana bubble containing Cheat Code and the fallen Hood’s bodies to Shining Armor.
“There’s only one way out of this web!”

“I’m open to suggestions!” Shining Armor caught several changelings in a barrier and willed it to stick to a wall, keeping them trapped.

“Twilight and Twinken!”

“Huh?!” Shining Armor looked at Midnight and then noticed how Midnight was facing the changelings down the tunnel while Shining Armor and the rest of the team were behind Midnight… and not far from the way out.
“Midnight, wh- what’re you- !!”

Midnight peered over his shoulder to his best friend, somepony he had hoped to call brother one day. And smiled sadly as a tear went down his face.
“Tell them I’m sorry! Tell them I love them…”

“Wait, Midnight- NO!” Shining Armor tried to reach Midnight, only to feel his friend’s aura envelop him. He quickly noticed the rest of the team had also been safely enwrapped in Midnight’s turquoise aura, and they were being hurtled outside!
“MIDNIGHT! DON’T DO THIS!!!”

Shining Armor watched helplessly as Midnight smiled his farewell… before facing the hive as they bared down on him. He took the deepest breath he could, his barrel swelling with air… and SCREAMED!!!!!

His lunar pony power of Sonic-Screaming reverberated with such force and power, echoing back and forth along the mining tunnels, the magically amplified sound waves wreaking havoc on the energems inside… until the vibrations tore apart their structure at the molecular level, setting them off in a devastating chain of explosions!

The entrance to the mine was blown apart!

Shrapnel and debris flew out, it sounded like the earth shook as rocks rumbled. And when the dust finally cleared… the mining entrance was completely buried.

Shining Armor stood there in shock, his eyes on the collapsed mine, tears welling up in his eyes as he sank to his knees.
He- He can’t be! That… didn’t just… happen!

But no matter how hard he looked, how much he wish he hadn’t seen it, the horrible truth sank in… as Shining Armor threw back his head and screamed his anguish!!!

“…and that… was when I lost him,” sobbed Shining Armor as the doctors took care of him.

The medical staff and Sombra and Cadance had insisted all the injured be moved to the hospital wing of the castle so they could get their wounds treated and examined. Shining Armor was lying on a hospital bed, his injured wing extended as Steady Hoof and a nurse stitched up the wound where the shrapnel piece had embedded itself deep into his soft tissues.

“There, the procedure is finished,” said the doctor, “I had to cauterize the main artery there, but you behaved yourself. Don’t expect a lollipop, though.”

“Steady Hoof, please,” begged Cadance, “enough is enough.”

“Hmm, well, I suppose the wounds are all treated,” the surgeon huffed, looking over his side at a very upset group of individuals, “the physical ones, anyways…”

All the while he was take care of by Steady Hoof, Shining Armor recounted to Midnight’s friends and loved ones the tragic disaster that had occurred at the mine. Everypony was there (much to the irritation of the seasoned yet jaded doctor), their faces crestfallen, Pinkie and Cheese’s manes had deflated and drooped, Fluttershy was sniffling as Big Mac held her close, struggling to hold it together himself. Rainbow Dash looked ready to explode, Soarin doing his best to keep her calm. Sombra hung his head, his mane obscuring his face.

But Twilight?

She took it the worst. She stood there as though in a daze, tears streaming from her eyes, her gaze drifting from her brother to looking randomly into nothing. The way her shoulders heaved as she seemed to be struggling to breathe, Cadance and Spike hurrying over as Cadance whispered, “Twilight! It- It’ll… I…”

“Twilight…?” Spike looked up with deepest concern at the pony who had raised him, been both mother and sister to him, he couldn’t imagine what she was feeling right now!

What had her brother told her? What had he said become of Midnight? They went on an expedition, right? They went to look for answers, right? They… they all came back! Right?!

The desperate thoughts echoed in her mind as she felt her heart pump and struggled to breathe, unsure why it felt so hard to inhale. Desperate wishing conflicted with the cold and horrible reality that had been laid bare before her in the form of her sorrowful brother. Her horn lit up in response to what some instinct inside found itself in conflict with, and everypony gasped!

The magenta light of Twilight’s horn lit up the room as everypony felt the air grow thick and as if some great weight bore down on their shoulders, power swirling, knocking medical books and equipment around the room about as though there were some indoor twister! But they felt it, Twilight’s despair, her utter refusal to believe what she’d just heard!

“This mystical force!” cried out Blueblood as he struggled to support Rarity as she whimpered in fright.
“It’s incredible!!”

“Enough!”

A dark gray hoof wearing a cobalt blue hoof boot covered Twilight’s eyes and she gasped before collapsing unconscious in Cadance and Spike’s embrace.
“Twilight!” Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight, looking on with worry.

“She’ll be alright, young dragon,” Sombra assured, looking despondent as well as he sighed. “It seems she was having… an episode, if you will, and it caused her mystical force to flare out. So I eased the stress on her heart and mind by putting her asleep.

“After a restful nap, she’ll wake up and be alright. Well… physically, at least.”

“C’mon, Spike,” Cadance carried her sister-in-law gingerly, “Let’s take Twilight somewhere she can sleep peacefully.”

Spike nodded and followed Cadance out as they held Twilight together. The others looked on sadly, nopony sure what to say or if they should even say anything. The medical staff muttered under their breaths about the mess but considering things…

“Um, anypony wanna tell me what the hay just happened?!” Cheese finally broke the ice. “What was that you said, Blue? Missy… force something?”

“Mystical force, Cheese Sandwich,” Blueblood confirmed before clearing his throat. “Everypony has varying amounts of magic, how much is classified by the five levels, Delta the lowest, and Omega the highest, which is actually exclusive to alicorns, so for earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns Alpha is the limit of how much magic we can have.

“Big Macintosh is an Alpha-level Earth Pony, evident by his strength which is derived not merely from his body and how hard he works as a farmer but also his magic. Now consider what we just experienced during Twilight’s… moment. That is mystical force, a… physical application of one’s magic, which indicates their magical power.”

“Uh, ya kinda gotta dumb it down a little, Blueblood?” Rainbow responded while noticing the party ponies’ curly-maned heads short circuiting from systematic error in response to information that did not compute.

“Simply put, it’s a way of expressing your magic and how powerful you are,” Blueblood shrugged. “Old books my aunt made me read about it when I was younger said even earth ponies and pegasi can do it.”

“As fascinating as this magical education is,” Sombra cleared his throat, “we must focus on the information Shining Armor has shared with us. The changelings have fully taken over the mine and it is very possible they have prisoners. That gives hope!”

“H-Hope, Your Majesty?” Fluttershy asked meekly, all eyes looking to Sombra.

“Yes, little one. There is a chance that Midnight is not gone,” Sombra felt a fire burn with in, spurring him to take action. “But it’s the other info that concerns me. If the changelings were forewarned of the expedition, it means there is indeed a spy somewhere in Canterlot, someone close enough to have heard of the investigation and warn the changelings ahead of time. Which would mean…”

“The spy must be in the castle!” Thunderlane gasped, as did everypony else.

“This is troubling news,” Sombra nodded in consideration. “We need to identify this spy but we can’t let him or her know that we’re onto them, unless they are already aware that we are aware…”

Then Sombra muttered a spell, his eyes glowing red as he suddenly glared at everypony, giving each of them a hard look in turn. Everypony held still, a little intimidated, and taking a sigh of relief when Sombra’s green eyes came back.
“My apologies if I frightened you. I had to be certain that nopony in this room was here under a falsehood. I am happy to say each and every one here passed that little test.”

“Not sure I appreciate being tested like that…” Rainbow narrowed her eyes.
“C’mon, Dashie,” Soarin hugged her close with a goofy smirk, “Better safe than sorry, right?”

“So then, Yer Highness,” Applejack looked up at the dark gray alicorn, “Whaddoo we do now?”

“Hmm, I must council with my wife and Luna,” Sombra sighed, “The news is going to hit Celestia rather hard as well… In the meantime, I want all of you to stay in the castle, never go anywhere alone! Don’t repeat what was discussed in here with anypony else, even with each other! If there is a spy in this castle or this city, we are going to find him or her somehow and use them to pay the changelings back in kind for their crimes against our nation!”

Sombra then looked to Shining Armor, “As for you, Shining Armor, get some rest and focus on recovery. Let your wife take care of your sister, and don’t blame yourself for what happened. Regardless, you and the team did well.”

Shining Armor appreciated Sombra’s words but he didn’t so much as agree. Sombra had a quick word with Doctor Steady Hoof before leaving, and the doctor then said, “Alright, I think that’s more than enough visiting time! Out with you all, the prince needs to recover and that will go much quicker without the lot of you in the way. Out, scoot!”

Author's Note

Spirals95 helped in refining some parts of this chapter

229. The Loss of Faith - Part 12 + An early debut!

A sad little dragon wandered the castle halls, wishing with all his heart there was something he could do. After Sombra caused Twilight to sleep, Cadance and Spike took her to her old bedroom in the tower she lived in back when she and Spike had been living in the castle. Before that old pony’s tale spurred Twilight into action, and instead got her sent to Ponyville to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration… only to find exactly what she’d been looking for, and what she had been missing.

Once Cadance had tucked Twilight into her bed, she insisted they leave her to rest. Cadance had offered to bring Spike along if he wanted to be her temporary assistant, if only to give him something to do. But Spike declined, wanting to be alone.

“Oh Twilight…” Spike was feeling so low. He’d seen Twilight at her best and he'd seen her at her worst, but never before had he seen her like this.

When Twilight had seen the proof of the Brotherhood and Celestia’s involvement she’d looked like her whole world had been turned upside down. Back there in the hospital wing?

She’d looked like her whole world was about to end.

“Stupid Brotherhood, stupid changelings…” Spike muttered, not really looking where he was going as he carried on through the hallways. Wanting to vent, he looked around… and saw some bust of nopony he knew in particular, and…

“Grrrr…AUGH!!” Spike ran over and kicked the pedestal the bust was on, but instead of the bust toppling over and breaking-

*CLICK – Tumble, tumble, tumble…*

“I don’t think I like the sound of thaAAAUUUUUUuuuuuuggghhhh!!!”

The floor beneath Spike had suddenly vanished and Spike screamed as he was swallowed up by darkness, and felt himself slide along something, bumping at sharp turns but carried on sliding sharply down. Until finally, some kind of cupboard-like door opened and Spike yelped as he was unceremoniously dropped… into a cave of dazzling crystals!

*Click-clack*

The young dragon peered up to see the door had swung itself shut and was way too high to reach and there was nothing around for him to climb up on to get to it.

“Wh-where… am I?” Spike looked around. It was beautiful and actually it also all looked rather delicious! Spike licked his lips but then he felt hesitant as he felt a foreboding sense in the air, and realized how scary this place really was.
“Wait… crystal caves? Beneath… the castle? Oh! This must be the place where Twilight found Cadance after Chrysalis tried to take over last time!”

Realizing his predicament, Spike groaned, “Just my luck, the one pedestal I choose to vent has to be some kind of switch that opens a trapdoor and drops me allll the way down here! Great… How the hay am I gonna get outta here?”

Looking around, Spike saw a few paths and tunnels but none looked promising. Sighing, he held up a finger and began:

“Eeny, meeny, miny… oh what they hay- that one!” Spike chose at random and started down the closest path.

As he walked without any idea whether or not this would lead anywhere, Spike puzzled out all he knew about Canterlot and the mountain it was built upon, Mount Canterhorn.

Having lived all his life with a dedicated scholar had been perfect for his own education as Spike remembered helping Twilight study for assignments, projects, reports, the many works they did together on all kinds of subjects, especially history.

Twilight had been as much a teacher to Spike as Celestia had been to her, and Twilight had been insistent in working on Spike’s education almost as much as her own. Recalling the histories he’d studied alongside Twilight on Canterlot, Spike remembered that before the royal capitol was built on Mount Canterhorn, long ago back when the Royal Sisters ruled together from the Castle of the Two Sisters, Mount Canterhorn had been a landmark used to help navigate the lands of Equestria, due to it standing right at the country’s center.

Shortly before Luna gave into her jealousy and insecurities and became Nightmare Moon, Mount Canterhorn was discovered to have its own sizable vein of energems. It became a mine and the riches were dug up and stored in the royal vaults to be used for study and refined into resources. But once Nightmare moon came along, all mining was brought to a standstill as Celestia dealt with her fallen sister.

After Nightmare Moon was banished, Celestia could no longer stay in the Castle of the Two Sisters. The memories had been too painful. So, with Star Swirl’s help, she commissioned the construction of a new castle built upon Mount Canterhorn. However, during the construction, there were accidents relating to the mine within the mountain, which led to Celestia and Star Swirl forbidding any more mining into Mount Canterhorn lest the mining would destabilize the mountain and destroy the new castle before it was completed. The mine was closed forever and overtime forgotten.

“42 buckets of oats on the wall… 42 buckets of oats…”

Spike had tried singing, if only to pass the time or try and make things less gloomy. It wasn’t working. Even surrounded by all these gems and crystals, Spike was dispirited, and it was getting confusing as the more clearer crystals and gems became reflections like in a funhouse minus the fun, especially since some of them were so clear they were like invisible walls!

More than once, Spike bumped into a wall of these crystals so clear he couldn’t see them until he felt them. Grumbling, he started holding his hands out, to feel for any more of these see-through crystals, which meant his pace became even more slow going.

“AUGH!!!! CAN ANYPONY HEAR MEEEEEE!?!?!?!” Spike screamed, his frustration reaching its peak.

HEAR MEEEEEE… HEAR MEEeeee… Hear meeeee…

The echoes slowly faded away, leaving Spike behind in his lonely misery. Sighing, he slumped his shoulders as he wished, “Anypony… help.”

*Clatter*

“HUH?!”

Spike whirled around, having distinctly heard what sounded like a rock clattering on the ground when he saw something move!
“AUGH!”

Spike jumped back but then he got a better look and saw, “Oh! It’s… just my reflection.”

He turned to carry on when out of the corner of his eye, something about his reflection didn’t seem right. He turned back and approached his reflection, reaching out to touch his reflection’s hand, and feeling pressure. He stepped to the side, his image vanishing, and then shrewdly narrowing his eyes as he leapt back out, his image doing the same. He raised a brow… and then hopped up and down ,waving his arms and sticking his tongue out while laughing.

“Huh, just my imagination, I guess,” Spike turned around to leave for real this time, when-

*SLIP* "Ouch!”

The little dragon whirled about again and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, his pupils shrank to pinpricks to see his reflection getting up from the ground and dusting himself off and then flinching to see he’d been caught!

The “image” of Spike was suddenly enveloped in soft blue flamelike mana that quickly vanished and standing in the double of Spike’s place was now a…!

“Ch-ch-ch-CHANGELING!!!” Spike screamed, stumbling and falling onto his butt. He scuffled back a bit before getting onto his feet and running.

“No, wait! Come back!”

“AAAUUUGGGHH!!!” Spike screamed, running while peering over his shoulder… only to step somewhere where there was no ground!

Spike quickly realized he’d run right over an edge and below was a dark crevice with no visible bottom. He screamed and scrunched his eyes shut… only to feel something grab his tail, hear a soft buzzing, and he peeked to see he was not falling but floating!

He looked up and was surprised to see the changeling had latched his mouth onto Spike’s tail and was holding him. The changeling had saved Spike’s life!

“This is… unexpected,” Spike commented as the changeling carried him up to the ledge and set him safely down. As Spike stood up, shaking off the jitters of what just happened, the changeling landed in front of him, and he noticed that this changeling honestly wasn’t that big.

“If you’re not careful, you can get really hurt in these caves,” the changeling said, sounding like a soft-spoken teenager. Then he sounded like a meek and nervous teenager, “I… wouldn’t want you to get hurt because of me.”

“You… saved me?” Spike couldn’t believe what had just happened!

“It’s okay… I know you don’t wanna be friends,” the changeling said in sad understanding before he began to flitter away-

“Wait!”

He stopped and looked back to a confused Spike, “I… I don’t understand! I…. thought changelings are supposed to be monsters!”

“Monsters? Well, not me. All I’ve ever wanted was a friend,” the changeling sighed as he recalled his youth as a changeling larva. “From the moment I first split my egg in the nursery hive…”

The miserable and scary memories of seeing his siblings, even as newborns like him, hissing, vicious, and he himself, frightened and afraid of their mother. Their queen who regarded her children not with love but with a sneering satisfaction.

“This may come as a surprise to you, but we changelings are all the children of our mother and queen, Chrysalis. But even though she calls us her children and herself our “beloved mother”, Chrysalis doesn’t treat us like pony mothers treat their children.

“…She treats us as slaves and that our only purpose is to obey her, nothing else.”

“…But… couldn’t you just… leave?” Spike suggested.

“Ordinarily? No,” the changeling sighed sadly. “Chrysalis controls all changelings with a magic Hive Mind. The closer we are to her, the more powerful the Hive mind is over us, and all changelings are connected to the Hive Mind. So ordinarily, even if some changelings wanted to be free they couldn’t leave because no changeling can resist the command of Chrysalis’s Hive Mind.

“It dulls our free will and forces us to obey her, turning us into mindless drones.”

“And… unordinarily?” Spike cracked weakly but prompted, having heard the changeling use the word ‘ordinarily’ as though there was more to his story.

The changeling couldn’t help but crack a small smile but it quickly went away as he said, “I was there, at the invasion during the royal wedding? I saw these six ponies standing together despite all odds. The way they stood up to the changeling invaders, I’d never seen such friendship like that!

“I knew in that moment I didn’t want to steal it just so I could feed off its love. I wanted to share it! Then… some kind of magical power forced all the changelings out of Canterlot, stopping the invasion and sending all changelings careening over the horizon, including me! But… when I woke up, I felt something for the first time in all my life!

“I felt- I felt… free!”

“Free?” Spike echoed, not understanding.

“I mean, I didn’t feel Chrysalis’s Hive Mind anymore!” the changeling exclaimed, “I could no longer feel her presence, no longer hear the thoughts of my fellow changelings constantly buzzing in my head- My mind… was clear!

“But it was only when the changelings involved in the invasion received orders to return to the hive that I realized… I was no longer bound to the will of the queen! I truly was free! But… I also realized… I could no longer live with my own kind anymore.”

“Wait… a magical power that drove all the invading changelings out,” Spike considered the changeling’s words while thinking back on the day. It hit him!
“I think I got it! Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were the ones who stopped the invasion and forced all the changelings away! Maybe it was their love-empowered magic that freed you of the queen’s spell!”

“I… guess that makes sense,” the changeling considered before groaning in discomfort before growling and hissing his tongue at Spike. Seeing Spike cringe back in fear, the changeling shook his head and stepped away, “Oh! I’m sorry, it’s just…”

“Just what? Are… you okay?” Spike asked in concern.

“No! I’m… I’m starving!” the changeling panted, clearly hungry and tired, “I had to leave the hive because if I was discovered to no longer be controlled by the Hive Mind they would have destroyed me! Queen Chrysalis loves only one thing, Power! A changeling she could no longer control, she’d see it as a threat to her power!

“But without any sources of love to feed on, I’m getting hungrier and hungrier everyday! But… maybe if I had a friend, then perhaps the love and friendship we’d share would be enough to sustain me! But… I don’t think anypony would want to be friends with me…”

“Hold on,” Spike made a time-out gesture, “If you don’t mind me asking, what’re you doing here? In case you don’t know, there’s actually a big mess going on involving the changelings!”

“See, that’s kinda the thing,” the changeling looked guilty. “I… I…”

The changeling looked afraid and even wary of Spike, and Spike had a feeling that whatever reason he was here he meant no harm.

“Listen, I can tell you’re not here to hurt anypony,” Spike held out his hand. “So… if you wanna start somewhere, start with me! My name is Spike, the Number One Assistant of Princess Twilight Sparkle!”

The changeling regarded Spike warily but also hopefully before reaching out with his hoof and startling a bit when Spike grasped his hoof and shook it in a welcoming way.
“Nice to meet you, Spike… I’m Thorax!”

“Nice to meet you too, Thorax,” Spike smiled, causing Thorax to smile even more… and then suddenly snarl and hiss, Spike stumbling back.

“So-sorry!” Thorax controlled himself, feeling awful, “Kindness like that, and what with me in my condition…”

“It’s okay,” Spike waved it off as he stood up and dusted himself. “Wait, kindness?”

“Oh! Changelings can actually taste all emotions,” Thorax explained, “but it’s the positive emotions we really like, especially love! Negative emotions, like sadness or… hate… They… Well, those kind of emotions would be like food poisoning.”

“And I guess you like Love the most because…” Spike gathered, “Love is probably the most fulfilling emotion of all!”

“Uh-huh! Do… do you mind?” Thorax asked sheepishly.

“Go right ahead,” Spike smiled kindly.

He watched as Thorax stared at him and then take a deep inhale. It was faint and almost imperceptible, but Spike saw it, a soft yellow shimmer coming from him like steam and getting sucked into Thorax as he breathed it in. Spike didn't feel a thing. Thorax then stopped and panted, “Oh! That’s… a little better! Thank you so much, Spike…”

“You’re welcome… friend!” Spike stepped over and placed a friendly hand on Thorax, making him smile. And slightly growl, Spike jerking his hand back.

“Sorry!”

“…We’ll work on that,” Spike smirked, having somewhat expected it. “But now Thorax, you still gotta answer my question.

“Why are you here? Right below Canterlot, while changelings are threatening Equestria?”

Thorax hesitated more, Spike saying, “Thorax, if you want me to trust you then you gotta trust me back!”

“…Okay, but you gotta promise you won’t reveal what I’m about to show you,” Thorax insisted, sounding oddly protective.

Spike went through the motions as he swore, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

Thorax gave the little dragon a weird look as the latter explained, “It’s an official Pinkie Promise! And no one breaks a Pinkie Promise.”

“Well, okay… Follow me,” Thorax bade Spike.

Spike followed his new changeling friend down a tunnel that went deeper in. As he did, a small part of Spike was still wary and warning him that this might be a bad idea. But Spike’s gut instincts were telling him that Thorax was sincere, and despite a few instinctive slips, he didn’t really feel threatened by the changeling, and he felt a real connection!

Before long, they came to a chamber and Thorax pointed ahead, “The reason I’m here, Spike… is because of her!”

Spike looked ahead and saw what looked to be a greenish-blue cocoon! But inside, something, a small shape, was giving off a gentle red glow. Spike looked at Thorax, curiously, as Thorax gestured him to go ahead and take a closer look. Hesitantly, Spike approached the cocoon and reached out to touch it. It was soft but firm to his touch, and it felt slippery. It was roughly egg-shaped, big enough to contain a fully-grown pony, it had a rough frame of a hard dark blue-green substance, and as Spike peered in, he saw the small occupant a little more clearly.

“Wait… is that…?” Spike never thought he’d actually see one but Thorax confirmed it as he stepped up beside the dragon and peered into the cocoon with a loving look.

“A changeling foal,” Thorax nodded, sounding concerned, “Her name is Elytra. She’s… my little sister.”

“Your sister?!” Spike gaped up at Thorax, not quite understanding.

Thorax took a deep breath and sat down, leaning against the cocoon, Spike plopping at his side.
"Like I said before, all changelings are Chrysalis’s children. The reason for that is… her Hive Mind only allows Chrysalis to control a changeling she herself is the mother of! If another changeling dared to have a child, she and the baby would be killed without hesitation!”

“That’s- That’s awful!” Spike was disgusted.

“It is… Chrysalis can’t control her… grandchildren, I guess is the technical term,” Thorax went on sullenly. “She won’t tolerate any changeling that she can’t control with her Hive Mind. Since all changelings are technically brothers and sisters because we share Chrysalis as our mother, changeling mares would have to… have children with regular pony stallions.”

“I know all about the birds and bees, buddy,” Spike waved off Thorax’s beating around the bush.

“Oh, uh… okay,” Thorax took it in stride and continued. “Well, Elytra came from the same nursery as me, and… she’s the only thing I’ve ever really cared about! After the invasion was thwarted and I realized I was free of the Hive Mind, I knew I had to leave because if I was discovered to no longer be under the queen’s control I’d have been killed! But… I couldn’t leave Elytra behind. If I did, she’d have to grow up and be just another drone enslaved to a mother who treats her own children as slaves!

“So… I took her. But there’s a problem, Spike.”

Thorax stood up, Spike as well, as they both peered into the cocoon, at little Elytra.
“Elytra is still connected to the Hive Mind. It wasn’t long after I ran away with her that the hive came after us! They can use the Hive Mind to sense each other, and they were able to sense a changeling who is much too young to be outside the nursery being taken from it!”

Thorax sighed wearily, “Ever since we ran away, we’ve had to stay on the run! No matter where we go, the hive can track us because Elytra is connected to the Hive Mind!”

“But… what does that have to do with you two coming here?” Spike brought up.

“Because Elytra is connected to the Hive Mind, she can hear the telepathic buzzings the changelings send to each other,” Thorax explained. “A while ago, Elytra picked up telepathic buzzing that the changelings are gearing up for another invasion! If the Hive succeeds in conquering Equestria, then there won’t be anywhere I could keep Elytra safe!

“So… I decided to bring her here, and after I sang her to sleep… I placed her in this cocoon…”

“Why?” asked Spike.

“While she’s cocooned like this,” Thorax held his hoof up to the membrane of the cocoon, looking sadly at his little sister, “her connection to the Hive Mind is dulled, making it harder for the Hive to track her.

“I’ve been down here the last couple days, trying to think of how to approach the ponies of Canterlot and warn them. But…”

“But with everypony all tensed up about the changelings,” Spike understood, “they might accuse you of being with the rest of the Hive and wouldn’t listen to you.”

Thorax sighed sadly, “Yeah… I want to help the ponies but odds are they’d never believe that! But if I don’t try… then Elytra will never be truly free of the Hive.”

The conundrum had Spike stumped as he began to ponder it further. Thorax was right – His friends, the princes and princesses, everypony probably wouldn’t even entertain the idea of a friendly changeling. But in his heart, burning with compassion and boldness, Spike had no doubts that Thorax was sincere and that he really could be of great help!

This is gonna be a tough nut to crack…

Author's Note

I had this arc planned long before we were introduced to Thorax, and upon his debut I just knew only he could fill the role he is playing in this arc. To make him even more likable I made his reasons involve a loved one, a real loved one!

His little sister, Elytra, is a changeling filly, a little younger then the Crusaders; her name is derived from Elytron, the protective covers of the wings of a ladybug, as was suggested by Creative Quill

A hint of her character? ...She's a sweet and cute little adorable cuddle-bug you just wanna hug and squeeze and wuv! :heart: :heart: :heart:

230. The Reflection of Faith - Part 1

He ran through the woods, hostiles to the far right but not far enough away they couldn’t fire mana-bolts! Remembering his training, he kept his ears and horn sharp, listening and feeling the fast approaching mystic projectiles and timing when to act based on his instincts.

Dodging, weaving, ducking, jumping, flipping, sliding, but never once slowing down! That parkour freegalloping trainer from Prance had taught him well.

As he distanced himself from the enemy, he reached up with his wing, touching the telepathy jewel on his helmet, “Blaze to Sentry, requesting rendezvous coordinates, do you copy?”

“Midnight, you lost again?!” responded his call over the telepathy jewel, tuned to broadcast and receive telepathic communication only by the other jewels they’d been mystically-linked to.
“I oughta tell your old mane to work on your sense of direction.”

“Then I’ll tell him to add working on your aim to the to-do list, Flash,” Midnight retorted with a smirk as he kept running, the mana-bolts continued to light up the sky above the canopy of the woods.
“If you’d knocked out my dad’s lookout with your longbow, I wouldn’t have had to break rank from the rest of our team and engage his guys hoof-to-hoof.”

A distant explosion behind gave Midnight a moment to pause and look back, and was relieved to see nopony was pursuing him.

“From where I’m flying, I’m getting the perspective you came out on top?” called Flash over the telepathy jewel.

“Once all is said and done, maybe I’ll give you the blow-by-blow,” chuckled Midnight as he started walking but keeping his guard up, a wing ready with a shadow blade, and his horn lit with a stunning spell ready to launch.
“What’s your position?”

“About a half a klick west from the site where the flag of your dad’s team is. Funny how ‘Capture the Flag’ makes for good training,” Flash responded before smugly challenging, “Think you can find it, o fearless leader?”

“Oh worry not about lil’ ol’ me, Sentry,” Midnight bantered, “my skills in navigation are- AUGH!!!”

Midnight felt a blast of power hit him like a runaway wagon as he was slammed up against the trunk of a tree! Something kept him pinned there, and as he shook off the rush of what just happened, he vaguely saw a figure before his world went bright green!

And then just as suddenly turn black…

“Ugghhhh…” Midnight groaned as his mind lifted from the fog of unconsciousness… and he gritted his teeth and groaned in pain from his forelegs, which felt as though they were being pulled apart!

Awareness fully set in as he realized he was hanging by his forelegs, which were encased around the hooves and fetlocks in bands of metal and holding him suspended in a dark and dreary room!

He looked around and saw more – His armor and helmet were gone, his wings pinned to his barrel by some tightened tarp, his hind legs chained together, and when he tried to cast a spell, he cried out in more pain as a magical feedback pulsed into his head, and he realized somehow his magic must’ve been nullified. He was more careful and realized there was an inhibitor ring on his horn!

Grunting and groaning as he tried to shake himself loose, the eerie glow of luminous fungi giving this shadowy room a hopeless air, and as he struggled, he heard footsteps but couldn’t turn around to see who it was!

“Piece of advice? Get comfortable,” spoke a voice distinctly female, soft yet oozing with malice!

Its owner walked around so that she stood in front of Midnight but the hooded robe she wore completely concealed her appearance!
“You’re going to be here a while…”

But then!

She reached up not with a hoof but with claws! One of them reaching outward while the rest curled into a fist and as the pointing claw got too close for comfort, Midnight grunted as he pulled his head back, trying to avoid it, unable to hold back a whimper as that claw glowed a menacing green… but it didn’t spare him from feeling it, along with a burning agony, scrape him along the cheekbone right below his right eye!

“UUUAAAAAuuggghhh…!!”

One fruitless and torturous interrogation later…

“You know, alicorn or not,” the figure spoke softly and with the subtlest of condescension, as she looked with pride upon her handiwork on her… guest. She’d bled him, beaten him, burned him, hardly left a single part of his body unmarked with her cruelty, “your defiance is quite impressive! In fact, little mouse…

“I’m getting the feeling that whatever I may do to you, you’ll never squeak… am I right?”

Bleeding, stinging, aching, agonizing, hating! Midnight bore his fangs glaring his predatory eyes, the pupils narrowing into slits and glowing a harsh turquoise with the promise of blood at his torturer, which only succeeded in earning her soft yet infuriating laughter.

“Heh-heh-heh, I figured as much,” she then waved a claw forward and from out of the darkness stepped two large figures, dragging a third between them.

As they stepped into the soft glow of the fungi, Midnight saw them to be Diamond Dogs, and the weight they were dragging was, “…Flash?!”

Flash Sentry was in bad shape! His helmet was gone, one of his wings had been mangled, he’d been stripped of his armor to reveal he was bleeding from several bite marks and was covered with awful bruises. Flash was barely breathing, but appeared to have been beaten unconscious.

The mutts growled as they went to the other side of the room before fastening manacles onto Flash’s fetlocks and pulling chains to suspend him off the floor, like Midnight, only he hung limp like a ragdoll.

“What have you done to him?!” Midnight’s gaze shifted nervously between flash and the robed figure.

“Oh not much… yet!” the figure raised her threatening claw while emphasizing that last word. “Just tell me what I want to know! Or… well, you’re a smart colt! I’m fairly certain you can imagine what becomes of poor Flash otherwise.”

“I don’t know anything about these stones you speak of!” Midnight said, his voice insistent.

But apparently, the figure was not so easily convinced, hissing with irritation as she stepped ominously towards Flash.

“I swear upon the Goddess, it’s the truth!!” Midnight pleaded.

“We shall see…” the figure responded, her tone as unfeeling as stone.

“No…” Midnight begged but could only watch as the figure scraped her claws along the wall, sparks flying as they were sharpened, glinting in the faint light. Midnight’s heart began to pound, his eyes brimming with tears!
“Please!!”

The figure snarled as she raised her claws…

*SLASH/SPLATTER*

“FLAAASSSHHH!!!!!!” Midnight screamed with despair, his shock frozen on his face… as he saw the blood splattering the walls and flowing from his friend’s neck.

So devastated he was, looking upon his murdered friend, that he didn’t even acknowledge the figure reaching towards his face with her claws dripping with Flash’s blood-

*KRA-THOOM/SHOOM-SHOOM*

An explosion, mana-bolts zooming in, striking down the Diamond Dogs while the figure snarled in vexation and fled. Out of the dust and smoke came Shining Armor and Midnight’s father, Ignitus!

They hurried over, blasting the restraints on Midnight, and both of them putting one of his forelegs over their shoulders as they carried him off to safety. Midnight sobbed and despaired, never having felt so helpless as he cried.
“I couldn’t save him! I COULDN’T SAVE MY FRIEND!!!”

…aze? Blaze! Midnight Blaze, wake up, buddy!”

“HUGGHAUGH!” Midnight bolted up, yelping as he fell over and onto his back, and hearing a familiar chuckle. Groaning, sat up onto his haunches, rubbing a sore spot as he opened his eyes and gasped in relief, “Flash?! Wh-wha- What’s… the matter?”

“Well, you tell me, pal,” Flash Sentry stood there, a pegasus with a coat a soft orange, like the rays of the sunrise, his mane a crazy two-toned brilliant blue, his eyes blue like a cornflower, his cutie-mark a two-toned blue shield with a lightning bolt. His chuckles were conflicting with the concern in his eyes.
“I came here, looking for you and found you sleeping on your work table and you looked like you were having a bad one!”

“It- I…Midnight peered over his shoulders and sighed in relief to see no wings, he was his regular unicorn self. Why the Tartartus he’d dream he was an alicorn was beyond him!
“Ugh, I;m fine, I… just need-”

“To get out of this cluttered shop of yours, horn head!” Flash offered a hoof, and when Midnight accepted it his friend helped him up onto all four of his own.
“Seriously, Blaze, these all-nighters you’re doing just to work on your merchandise, it isn’t healthy!”

“Hey, it puts bread on the table,” Midnight protested, crossing his forelegs like a colt, “besides, I’ve got a family to keep well and fed.”

“Speaking of, the missus won’t be as forgiving as me…!” Flash sing-songed warningly, causing Midnight to go ‘EEP!’

*FLASH*

Flash found himself alone in his best friend’s workshop, having a chuckle at his expense, “Heh heh heh, if I weren’t so married to my music I’d go and find myself a lovely mare to settle down with.”

He stepped out of the workshop into the part of the store where Midnight had all his merchandise shelved. Magical items, tools, potions, baubles, jewels, toys, novelties, books, relics, ingredients, almost anything relating to magic you’d find it by looking here. He stepped out of the shop and peered up at it, a fine establishment, resembling an observatory because of the large telescope, built within a tower fit for a wizard, a large sign hung over the doorway of the gray and blue colored building, and it read ‘Into the Mystic’.

Flash looked around, and took in the happy peaceful life that was Ponyville. In fact, it was so happy and peaceful, Midnight had apparently been unable to help but sing about it!

Morning in Ponyville glitters! Ponyville mornings so bright…!

And I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that everything here is alright!

There’s Doctor Whooves keeping the time, Auntie Spice is serving some pizza pie!

“Morning, sweetie!”

Ol’ Ponyville, a unique thrill
A slice of paradise where all get their fill

Midnight happily danced a little jig, several passerby joining in on the merriment as he danced along his way.

Morning in Ponyville glitters! Ponyville mornings so bright!

And I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that everything here is al-

*SPLASH/COUGH-COUGH-SPUTTERS*

“Rainbow Dash!” Midnight shook himself dry, hearing Rainbow Dash cracking up on the little raincloud she had under her.
“What’s the big idea?!”

“Aw, just helping you wake up from all that sleep dancing and singing,” cracked Rainbow, heaving as she caught her breath but guffawed a little more.
“Seriously, Midnight?! That was sooooo corny-hee-hee-hee-hee…!!!”

Midnight glared at the rainbow-maned pegasus… only to slowly crack his own smile, her laughter infecting him with mirth and jolly-hearted foolishness until he was laughing it up with her, the two of them a regular pair of hyenas, and several passerby were having some good-natured cases of the giggles too.

It was just a wonderful life!

So happy, so peaceful, that calming feeling that there wasn’t a thing wrong in the world, it helped wash away any odd anxiety Midnight felt from his bad dream.

“Thank you so very much for soaking his head, Dash.”

Both Midnight and Rainbow stifled their giggles and looked to see Flash headed their way, “I don’t know if anypony could’ve handled another verse.”

“Flash, you wound me!” Midnight mock-wept, “I would think a promising guitarist would have an ear for such soul-lifting music.”

“You want soul-lifting? I’ll give you soul-lifting!” Flash lifted his tail and blew a raspberry with a goofy look on his face.

“Careful, Sentry, your face might freeze up and stay that way,” Midnight ribbed, “though perhaps it would be an improvement on that ugly mug of yours.”

“Alright, guys, I think that’s enough.”

Midnight, Flash, and Rainbow looked down the way to see a big canary yellow earth pony stallion with a jolliness to his adorkably chubby belly, an unkempt yet likable manestyle of two toned brown, his cutie-mark was a teddy bear, with one paw holding a paintbrush, and a quill in the other. Most distinguishing about him were the faint golden-brown stripes on his rotund backside, a physical trait of his zebra ancestry.

He came over and pulled all three of them despite their protests into a back-crushing hug as he laughed, “It’s too early and happy in the morning to get into it now!”

“Bright Side, let… go!” Rainbow squirmed free of the big teddy bear in pony’s skin. Shaking off the bro-hug she’d been pulled into, she said, “You know we love you, big guy, but honestly! The hugs?”

“What can I say?” Bright shrugged while still keeping Midnight and Flash in strangle hold, blissfully unaware that they were turning the shades of blue and orange they weren’t supposed to be.
“I’m a hugger and I love keeping my buddies close!”

*FLASH*

“WHOA!” Bright fell over, making a loud THUD sound, as he found his forelegs empty of a Midnight and a Flash, the two of them having been teleported out of the big earth pony’s grasp as they began to gasp.

“Th-thanks for that, Blaze…” panted Flash.
“But it wasn’t me!” Midnight had recognized the energy behind that teleporting and he cringed to hear…

“MIDNIGHT ORION BLAZE!”

“Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo…!” Rainbow stifled a chuckle, “Somepony’s in the doghouse now!”

The four of them looked down the lane to see Twilight coming their way, sparkles of mana fading from her horn, showing she’d been the one to liberate Midnight and Flash from Bright’s huggy assault.

“Uh, morning, Twily!” Midnight smiled nervously. “You, uh… having a good one?”

“As well as can be,” Twilight had a scary smile on her face, “Although… it would have been even better if a certain husband of mine was in bed with me when I woke up.”

“Dear, can’t we discuss this back home in the library-” Midnight tried to beg, only for somepony to shout:

“Daddy!”

All eyes peered around Twilight and coming up behind her was a sweet and adorable unicorn filly, her coat a shiny black like her father’s mane while she had the multi-shaded purple, blue, and magenta mane of her mother, she looked her green eyes at her father with a look that would darn-near break your heart, “I woke up and went to get you and Mommy but you weren’t there! You promised to make pancakes for breakfast today…!”

“Well, uh- Y’see, sweetheart, I…” Midnight looked desperately at his friends, begging for a lifeline but each of them but… Flash was whistling innocently, Rainbow had flown off, saying she had to deliver the raincloud to a gardener, and Bright Side was smugly waving Midnight on to get himself out of this.
“I… was getting ready to take you to see Grandma Faerie and Grandpa Iggy!”

“Gramma and Grampa, really?!” the little filly’s frown was almost instantly turned upside down while Twilight rolled her eyes but smiled wearily.

“Penny, why don’t you… go pack your saddlebags why your daddy and I have a word?” she suggested.

“OK!” Penny nodded before hurrying over to give her daddy a hug, which he returned with a cheek-to-cheek nuzzle.
“Love you, Daddy!”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” Midnight smiled happily as she then hurried off down the lane straight to the library… and then noticed Twilight giving him a look.
“Now, honey, I-I-I know you’re upset, but-”

He yelped in fright as Twilight’s aura enveloped him, and she levitated him closer… to give him a tender kiss and whisper, “What am I gonna do with you…?”

“Love me and bed me because that’s why you wed me?” Midnight attempted with a hesitant smile.

Flash and Bright both snickered at their friend’s situation, when Twilight sighed, “I’ll let your folks know you and Penny are coming. But when you get back, we’re going to have a talk, mister…”

“Whatever you say, dear,” Midnight phew’d in relief as Twilight followed after Penny, and Flash and Bright came over.

“Geez, man, how do you do it?!” Flash laughed.
“What do you expect?” Bright shrugged. “They’re perfect for each other, have been since they were foals!”

It’s true, Midnight thought, remembering the good times, and the journey that had led them to where they were today.

He and Twilight and his best friend Shining Armor grew up together in Canterlot, and when came the time of the Summer Sun Celebration in the fabled City of Unicorns, it had been Twilight’s first time being a part of it. He could still remember the look on Twilight’s face as a little filly when she had witnessed Princess Celestia raise the sun and was thereafter inspired to study magic while Midnight earned his cutie-mark when he stumbled upon a very old book of a long-forgotten magic, the Art of Nocturnia, which detailed powers of magic empowered by the light of the moon and granted dominion over shadows. He found himself to have a knack for the lost art and earned his cutie-mark in it, of a Lunar Eclipse.

Then Twilight had earned her cutie-mark as a magical prodigy and became Princess Celestia’s personal protégé although she took an interest in Midnight and the Art of Nocturnia he had rediscovered. Years passed and with the addition into their family in the form of a young dragon named Spike, Midnight and Twilight flourished under the tutelage of Princess Celestia.

When Nightmare Moon returned, Midnight and Twilight led an unlikely group of ponies to find the lost artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony to stop her. Midnight became the embodiment of the Element of Faith and Twilight the Element of Magic. They stopped Nightmare Moon and from her freed Princess Luna, who happily reunited with her sister.

Having come to love their new friends, Midnight and Twilight and Spike relocated to Ponyville, learning all kinds of lessons in friendship, going on all kinds of adventures, getting into the craziest of situations, and answering the call whenever danger threatened the nation!

They thwarted and even redeemed Discord, the Spirit of Chaos, they thwarted Chrysalis the wicked Queen of the Changelings from invading Canterlot and stealing Shining Armor from his love Princes Cadance, they saved the Crystal Empire and redeemed Sombra, the long-lost flame of Princess Celestia.

Then as things finally seemed to settle, Midnight asked for Twilight’s hoof in marriage and he thought he could never have been happier when she’d said ‘I do’. He was proven wrong when their daughter was born, Penumbra Velvet, but they called her Penny for short.

Then Midnight’s old friends Flash Sentry and Bright Side moved to Ponyville, and to provide for his family Midnight opened his magic shop while Twilight continued running the library.

He watched his Twily head back home, and she peered back at him, smiling sweetly, and he felt his heart swell with joy and pride.

“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we, Twi…?” he said to himself as he then decided to head over to the airfield, hoping Blueblood would give him a discount for tickets.

231. The Loss of Faith - Part 13

Somewhere in Canterlot Castle, an old painting of Clover the Clever stirred as his eyes suddenly vanished, and through them peered a pair of green draconic eyes.

“It looks like an old sitting room.”
“Yeah, it’s the only room I could find through the passageways that wasn’t visited often by anypony.”

The Clover the Clever’s eyes were put back, and there was a loud CLINK sound… and the painting slowly opened to reveal Spike and Thorax who had shapeshifted into the form of a lanky teenaged earth pony with a blue teal coat, his mane held by a mane-band and colored a darker teal blue while his eyes were the same vivid opal of his true changeling form. He had given himself a cutie-mark in the shape of a castle tower.

The air was actually a little stale and Spike snorted uncomfortably, “Ugh, it is kinda dusty in here. But at least the coast is clear.”

“Spike, are you really sure about this?” Thorax asked, sounding nervous.

“Trust me! We have everypony get to know you,” Spike assured as he led Thorax out into the hall, “you win `em over, before long they won’t care you’re a changeling either!

“Think about it, Thorax! You could very well be the hope that saves everypony from the changeling invasion, you’ll be a hero!”

The encouragement Thorax could taste coming from Spike helped calm his hunger pangs a little and even his nerves a bit, and he took a deep breath, “OK… What’s first?”

“First, we gotta-” Spike started, but…

“Spike! Where have you been, young dragon?”

Spike and thorax both yelped to see Prince Sombra, accompanied by two guards, walking their way, “Cadance told me that you wandered off, and with the way things are nopony should be alone.”

“I’m… not alone, Your Majesty! I just happened to bump into my old friend, uh…” Spike looked around as he tried to come up with a name on the fly, feeling Thorax get nervous behind him, when Spike noticed the crystal vase nearby, “Crystal…”

Then the shadowy look of Sombra’s black and cobalt blue mane, “Shade! Crystal Shade!”

He forced himself to smile as he stepped back and patted Thorax on the withers, “My good friend, Crystal Shade.”

“…Nice to meet you, uh, Your Majesty,” Thorax said meekly as he gazed up at this mighty and somewhat scary-looking alicorn who was the husband of the Princess of the Sun.

“Oh, well, you as well, young one,” Sombra kindly offered his hoof, which Thorax hesitantly shook.
“But… what are you doing here in the castle?”

“Oh, I’m- Uh-” Thorax stuttered, but Spike came to his rescue.

“He’s an… apprentice servant among the castle staff!” Spike lied, “We’ve… known each other a good long time and I ran into him doing some cleaning and… We hadn’t seen each other for a while so we decided to go and catch up!”

“Uh- Yeah! Um… and I thought Spike and I could… go and hang out in the city,” Thorax wanted to get away from here. Sure, he wanted to win the ponies over and convince them that he wanted to be friends, but starting off with an Alicorn Prince didn’t seem like a good place to start.

Sombra raised a brow and said, “Well… I’m not sure that would be wise. Spike, what with all that’s going on and has already happened, it might be safer for you and your friend here to remain in the castle.”

Knowing Thorax wanted to leave, Spike thought quickly before saying, “Well, Sire, it’s… not just that we wanna catch up, it’s… Twilight! I thought me and Crystal Shade would stop by Twilight’s parents’ house and… maybe we could pick something up from them that could help cheer Twilight up.”

Thorax nodded his head a little too excitably, Sombra giving Spike and the young earth pony he was seeing a look before sighing.
“Very well. I suppose Twilight could do with something to lift her spirits. Just be back before sundown.”

“Thank you very much, Your Highness,” Spike bowed, Thorax following suit, and Sombra and his two guards stepped aside for the two youngsters to leave.

Once they were almost to the first corner of the hall, Thorax phew’d and whispered, “That was a little too close!”

“Relax! Dragon’s honor, everything’s gonna be just fine,” Spike whispered back, the both of them unaware that Sombra watched them leave… with his eyes glowing red, and his brows furrowing.

Spike showed Thorax (in his earth pony named Crystal Shade disguise) everything the little dragon loved about Canterlot! The Wonderbolts Derby, where they watched one of the minor squadrons race with Wave Chill coming in 1st place. Afterwards, they ran into some old friends, three unicorn mares who had been friends with Twiligth and Spike before they left for Ponyville, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine. They went as far as flirting with “Crystal Shade”, calling him cute (and they very narrowly avoided Thorax blowing his cover when he couldn’t help but sample a little of their passing fancy).

Speaking of fancy, they also came across a somewhat bedraggled Fancy Pants, who was out doing some shopping. When they asked what was going on, Fancy Pants explained his wife Fleur was getting close to her due date, and her cravings and ailments and mood-swings were becoming increasingly wearisome. But Fancy wasn’t deterred, for he still looked forward to when his and Fleur’s little one was born.

Spike also pointed out various points of interest to Thorax, such as Restaurant Row, Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, Canterlot University, Canterlot’s Grand Theatre, New Heights Avionics where Spike’s friend Blueblood produced the most advanced airships in all of Equestria, and so much more (though Spike was a little miffed that Joe’s doughnut shop wasn’t open but he recalled the baker was back in Ponyville getting know Twinken, the nephew he never knew he had).

Thorax loved every moment of it!

Being able to walk among ponies, he was able to discreetly feed on some positive emotions without giving himself away, and his body thanked him for it. But it was all these new experiences that really made it so special! Watching the Wonderbolts and being amazed by how awesome they were, being hit on a little by some flirty mares had been quite the new experience for him but something about it felt nice, meeting a weary but excited father-to-be, and seeing all the amazing things and places in Canterlot!

This is why I’m here, he thought to himself, this is the kind of life I want to give Elytra…

“Crystal Shade? Crystal Shade, yoo-hoo!”

“Huh?!” Thorax snapped out of it, and saw Spike looking at him. “Oh, sorry! Forgot, that’s my… Yeah.”

“You okay?” Spike was a tad concerned.

“Actually? I’m better than okay!” Thorax smiled, “This place, all these ponies- I was afraid before but… Now, I know I truly do want to help them! Not just for me and Elytra, but for them too! Spike, I…”

Thorax stepped past Spike, the both of them on a street that ran alongside Canterlot Park, in which dozens of foals and their parents and siblings and couple were out and about and just enjoying themselves.

“All my life, I’ve been treated as… well, y’know,” Thorax really looked upon these creatures as he said, “And… my mother told us all that all of this? It’s ours and all of these ponies are just… food and inferior!

“But then, who could defy her? Who could even disagree? We’re robbed of our right to think and choose for ourselves and told that the individual is meaningless, what only matters are the many. Most of my kind makes peace with that, they even embrace it and they become just as bad as her!

“Except now I’m free and I know I can make a difference! If I can be free, then maybe there’s a way to free the rest of them so they can have the freedom to choose, like me.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Spike regarding his disguised friend with proud and warm eyes, “Y’know what, Thorax? I believe you will be the one to free the rest of them, and we’ll start by proving to the princes and princesses that you’re here to help.

“C’mon, Twilight’s parents’ house isn’t far.”

Thorax nodded and followed Spike down the way, and they came to a nice neighborhood. The houses were all pricey-looking but they definitely looked worth every bit. Some ponies were out tending their gardens, others shooting the breeze with neighbors, and as they walked down the road, Thorax asked, “So, um… You said you’re Princess Twilight’s assistant, right?”

“Number One Assistant, thank you,” Spike bragged a little with a good-natured smirk, “Ever since I was old enough to read and write, I loved helping Twilight out however I can.

“See, I was actually a part of an entrance exam Twilight was taking as a filly in order to get into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was just an egg at the time, but Twilight’s test was to make my egg hatch. Of course, Twilight had no idea how a pony even hatches a dragon egg so she gave up and was polite to the examiners by thanking them for their time.”

“So… she failed her test?” Thorax didn’t like the sound of that.

“Not at all!” Spike smiled proudly, “See, the test wasn’t really to hatch a dragon egg but to see how Twilight handled failure! In other words, you could say it was a test of her as a pony. But before the examiners could say anything a bunch of CRAZY happened, I hatched, Twilight had a magic surge that caused her to cast random magical effects that Princess Celestia had to step in and calm the situation down.”

“Was Twilight in trouble?” asked an anxious Thorax.

“Actually the princess was so impressed with Twilight’s potential she offered to make Twilight her personal protégé!” Spike continued to beam as he reminisced. “She was so happy she didn’t even realize she’d earned her cutie-mark until the princess pointed it out!.”

“Wow…” Thorax looked at his disguise’s cutie-mark a castle tower.
“I wonder what it would be like to have a cutie-mark…”

“Well, I wouldn’t know,” Spike answered, Thorax flinching realizing he’d said that out loud but Spike didn’t notice.
“I mean, I’m a dragon, so I can’t get a cutie-mark either. But… If I could get a cutie-mark, I think… I’d like for it to symbolize how much I love helping others.”

Those words really spoke to Thorax and it made his determination stronger-

“Here we are- Oof! Thorax!”

“Oh, sorry!” Thorax had accidentally bumped into Spike who had stopped and pointed to a house.

It was a fine looking manor, three stories tall, with a purple and blue color scheme that had faded somewhat and despite the fact it could do with a new coat of paint it was a very lovely abode. In the highest balcony, there was an elaborate telescope with some additional instruments attached to it.

“This is Princes Twilight’s parents house?” Thorax was a little surprised, “Are they rich?”

“Not filthy rich, they just come from old money,” Spike shrugged, like it was in big deal as he led Thorax to the front door.
“This manor has been the home of the House of Esther for the last six generations. Twilight and Shining Armor’s parents are great! Their dad, Night Light, used to be a Royal Guard until he completed his degree while serving and he’s now an astrophysics professor at the University of Canterlot, and their mom, Twilight Velvet, is an elementary school teacher.”

Spike reached up and rang the doorbell, and it wasn’t long before the door opened to reveal an older unicorn mare with a marble white coat that had begun to lose its luster, her mane was purple and white, her eyes a light blue, and her cutie-mark was three five-pointed stars. She bore a close resemblance to her daughter, and when she saw who had come to visit, she squealed with delight and pulled Spike into a warm yet smothery hug, Spike struggling as Velvet gushed, “Oh Spikey! My sweetie, my baby, my joy, my most darling little helper! What a wonderful surprise!”

Still unknowingly smothering Spike, Velvet then noticed a nervous “Crystal Shade”, who had stepped back a bit (so as not to go crazy from the love he was sampling off of Velvet).
“Oh! Another surprise, you must be a friend of my baby Spike!”

She let Spike go…

*GAAAASSSSP!!!*

…and said, “Well, come in, come in, you two!” she led them inside, “Make yourselves comfortable, have a seat here in the waiting room or simply wait here in the sitting room, hm-hm! I never get tired of that joke! HONEY! We have guests!”

She faced Spike and “Crystal Shade” and said, “This way, boys, right here in the living room.”

Thorax followed the unicorn mare and a irritated (yet smiling) Spike into a nice and cozy living room with a large sofa and two big armchairs, two floor-to-wall bookcases crammed with all kinds of books, a few wall-mounted shelves with knickknacks, and on every wall was a framed picture of one or more of the family. Looking at them, Thorax noticed they also included a sapphire blue unicorn colt, some with a tall and fierce looking red unicorn stallion and another unicorn mare with a creamy-white coat and mane in two soft shades of blue. Some more pictures also included Spike as a toddler but none with any of the blue colt or the two unicorns who were presumably his parents. There was also a television but it looked like it hadn’t been used for a while.

“Make yourselves, comfortable,” Velvet invited, “I’ll just pop into the kitchen and prepare us some snacks.”

“Thank you, Velvet!” Spike sighed as he collapsed onto the sofa, Thorax hesitantly sitting beside him.

“You okay?” he whispered to the dragon.

“Uh… Twilight’s mom is… She means well, it’s just-” Spike tried to find the right words when…

“Kiddo!”

Spike perked up as he and thorax saw a tall unicorn stallion with a soft blue coat, darker blue mane combed in a certain way, his eyes golden, and his cutie-mark two crescent moons, one overlapping the other, stepped into the living room.

“Night Light, so good to see you,” Spike sat up and held out his hand in a fist, and Night Light chuckled as he bro-hoofed the little dragon before sitting down in his favorite armchair.

“You as well, kiddo, and I see you brought a friend,” Night Light smiled welcomingly at “Crystal Shade”.

“Oh yeah, this is my friend Crystal Shade,” Spike placed his hand on Thorax’s shoulder. “Shade, this is Professor Night Light, and you already met his wife Velvet.”

“Nice to meet you, sir…” Thorax smiled nervously, “Um… your wife is…. Very nice!”

“Heh-heh, yeah, Velvet’s been kinda…Night Light tried to find the right words. “Well, I guess you can say she’s got a case of empty nest syndrome.”

“Empty nest wha…?” Thorax didn’t get it.

“Well, what with the kids all grown and moved outta the house, and them being royalty now, they’re so dang busy it’s like they never got time for their old stallion and mare,” Night Light chuckled in a bittersweet way.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong. We’re proud of our son and daughter! It’s just, well… Me and Velvet? Especially Velvet…. We just wish our kids would make more time to just come by and visit or… I dunno.”

He then leaned forward and whisper-shouted, “Between you guys and me, she’s actually been dropping hints that maaaayyybbbeeee… she wants to have another foal.”

“Who wants sugar cookies and lemonade?” Velvet came in, a housewifey-looking apron around her barrel, and levitating a serving tray with a platter of cookies, some napkins, several glasses and a pitcher of ice cold lemonade.

“Thank you, dear, so very thoughtful,” Night Light welcomed his wife so sweetly it was syrupy, Spike and Thorax sharing a look.

Velvet placed everything on the coffee table and poured everypony a glass. Spike suddenly realized something, and carefully whispered to Thorax, “Can you eat food and drink?”

“I can while I’m a different form,” Thorax responded just as carefully, “but it doesn’t do anything for my appetite for love. Eating food or drink is more for pleasure among my kind.”

“And while we enjoy our snack…” Velvet’s dangerous tone suddenly sounded disturbingly familiar to Spike.

“Wha- Wait, no! Velvet, please! Anything but that!!!”

Velvet smiled in a meddling mom sort of way and levitated in what looked like a photo album, “Let’s look at Spikey’s baby pictures!”

Back in the hospital wing, Cadance was spending time with Shining Armor, reading him an issue of one of his old favorite comics as a colt, regarding him warmly and him looking back at her lovingly, when…

“NOOOOOO-HO-HO-HO-Hooooo….!!!!!”

They both flicked their ears, Cadance looking around confused, “Did you hear something?”

Shining Armor had a pretty good idea but said, “...no…”

In his mind, he was thinking with a mental smirk, Spike, I would not like to be in your shoes right now.

“Oh! Look at him, sucking on his tail like a pacifier!” Velvet cooed at the photo of baby Spike doing just that, Spike moaning in humiliation as he buried his face into the sofa armrest.

“And look here, the first time he breathed fire,” Night Light chuckled while pointing out the picture.
“Whoo! I smelled like burnt hair for days!”

“Night Light, Velvet, please!” Spike snatched away the photo album, his face redder than Big Mac’s coat.
“Crystal Shade and I came to you because there’s a big problem going on!”

“Sorry, Spike, I just miss being a mom to all my kids,” Velvet sighed in nostalgia.
“So what’s this problem you’re talking about?” asked Night Light.

Spike and Thorax shared a troubled look before Spike took a deep breath, “There’s a lot of bad going on right now. I’m not sure how much I should say, but… Well, for starters, Shining and Midnight went on a mission early today. I can’t say too much, except… Shining’s hurt but he’s gonna be just fine, and Midnight… is missing.”

“Shiny’s hurt?!” Velvet held her hooves to her lower lip.
“Wha- Midnight is- Where did he go?” Night Light got worked up, “What happened?!”

“All I can say is, they went on this mission together, bad things happened, and only Shining Armor and the guards that went with them came back,” Spike felt so bad that he couldn’t say more.
“When Twilight heard, she was… Well, she looked like her whole world was about to end. Cadance put her to bed and I bumped into Crystal Shade on my way out of the castle to come see you guys! I was hoping that maybe you’d have something I could use to help cheer Twilight up.”

“Oh Night, our babies!” Velvet looked so worried at her husband, who gave her a warm hug.
“Shhh, we’ll go see them and make sure everything’s alright,” he assured her.

Then he stood up, looking to Spike and “Crystal Shade” as he said, “As for why you came, I think I have something that might help. Be right back.”

While they waited, Velvet’s horn lit up a faint purple aura and Spike and Thorax watched her levitate a framed picture on the wall close to her face, looking upon it warmly, so much that the love Thorax could sample coming from Velvet had a bitter aftertaste. It was beginning to make him uncomfortable but he held strong.

“Whhhat’s that picture, Velvet?” Spike asked gingerly, hoping he didn’t say the wrong thing.

Sighing sadly, Velvet turned the picture around and Spike and Thorax could see Shining Armor and Midnight as very young colts, looking up a baby Twilight wrapped snugly in a soft yellow blanket.
“This was taken shortly after Twilight was born! Shining Armor was so proud to be a big brother and was happy to share her with Midnight… Even back then, they were all so close!”

Velvet blinked away the tears, taking a deep breath to calm herself, Spike and Thorax sharing a concerned look.

“Here we are!”

They all looked to see Night Light returning from the hallway, an old framed picture in his telekinetic aura.
“This is probably one of the happiest moments of Twilight’s foalhood. Remember, love?”

Night Light levitated the picture out to his wife, Velvet’s aura accepting it as she gave it a look and sighed warmly, “Oh, yes, Midnight’s soccer game! Oh, he kicked the winning score and Twilight was the first to give him a hug. Shining and Cadance took them out for celebratory ice cream sundaes!”

The parents chuckled warmly at the sight of the four young ponies smiling at the camera with their muzzles messy with ice cream, Midnight and Twilight in the middle, Shining Armor beside Midnight, and Cadance beside Twilight.

The love between the two parents was becoming stronger with their reminiscing, that Thorax squirmed and stifled a hiss, a flicker of his mana engulfing him and vanishing to reveal his true form. Spike flinched and elbowed the changeling with an anxious look. Thorax scrunched his eyes as he concentrated, the mana engulfing him again and restoring his “Crystal Shade” disguise. Thankfully, Night Light and Velvet had been so preoccupied reminiscing they hadn’t noticed.

Deciding not to push their luck any further, Spike hurried forward and grabbed the picture Night Light had brought, “OK, this should do! Heh heh heh, so then, uh… Crystal Shade and I actually need to get back to the castle-”

“Go right ahead,” Night Light held Velvet’s hoof as they looked at Spike. “We’ll be along in an hour, to check on Twilight and Shining.”

“O… kay! Crystal Shade, shall we?” Spike hurried for the door, and thorax got up to follow him.

But before leaving the living room, he looked back at the parents and politely bowed, saying, “Thank you for your hospitality!”

Once their guests had left, Night Light and Velvet shared a loving look as the motherly unicorn commented, “Such a nice boy.”

As they stepped through the castle gates, Thorax wasn’t sure whether he was nervous or excited, “This has been maybe the best day I’ve had in a long-long time, Spike! But… I can’t keep pretending to be a pony forever! …Can I?”

“Relax, you’re winning `em over!” Spike assured as he waved to the guards at the castle doors and they slowly opened, and as they entered, Spike regarded the picture Night Light and Velvet had given them to cheer Twilight up.
“I’ve actually been thinking, that after we use this picture to cheer Twilight up a little, that you show her who you really are!”

“What?!” Thorax almost yelped but Spike made a ‘calm down’ gesture.

“Just hear me out,” Spike explained, “Twilight will be in a better mood and I’m sure I can at the very least get her to give you a chance to explain to her all the stuff you told me!”

Thorax considered Spike’s words as they made their way into the entry hall, “Well, I… suppose it would be a good idea to convince at least one of the royals I mean no harm.”

“Trust me, with Twilight standing up for you,” Spike was absolutely certain everything was gonna be just fine, “and once you’ve explained yourself, pretty soon nopony will care that you’re a-”

*BRRRZZMMMM…*

A strange sound coming form beneath them caused Spike and Thorax to flinch and they watched as lines and patterns on the floor beneath them slowly lit up, revealing what looked to be some kind of magic circle!

The last thing on it to reveal itself was some sort of eye symbol… and a pulse of power forced Spike out of the circle’s radius as a pillar of black and white lit up, engulfing Thorax!

“SP-SPIKE! WHAT’S GOING ON?!” Thorax was terrified but before Spike could answer him, he watched in horror as Thorax’s magic ignited and burned away his disguise!

As quickly as it began it was over. In more ways than one.

Charging hoofsteps shook the floor as dozens of guards filed in and surrounded Thorax, revealed as a changeling! They pointed their spears at him, the unicorns lighting up their horns with spells ready, the pegasi flapping aloft to make sure Thorax didn’t try to fly away.

“Thorax!” Spike stood back up and tried to run to his friend, only for two guards to stand in his way, one of them grabbing Spike by his shoulders.
“Please! Wait, it’s not what you think!”

“I would say this is exactly what we think, young dragon…”

That voice was cold and sharp, like an icicle as it pierced Spike’s awareness and he fearfully looked up the grand staircase to see Sombra, accompanied by Luna and her some of her lunar guards, the both of them looking down judgmentally at the exposed changeling and nervous dragon.

“Oculus Veritatis,” Sombra spoke as he and Luna slowly came down the stairs. “Imbued into that magic circle is the mystic rune known as the Eye of Truth. It reacts in the presence of a magical disguise in order to dispel it, allowing us to see this spy for what it really is…”

“W-wait! No, he’s not a-” Spike tried to protest, only for Luna to cut him off.

“SILENCE!! Guards, escort Spike to a guest room. Say nothing to him and see to it he remains there until further notice.”

“And as for you…” Sombra stood muzzle to muzzle in front of the terrified Thorax. “I will take a more careful approach in your interrogation, compared to the last one involving your queen…”

Spike, being small and a slippery reptile, managed to get past the guards momentarily, "He's not like that, Sombra! Give him a chance!"

"A chance?!" bellowed the shadow prince, "A CHANCE?! Did the innocents who died in those mines get a chance?!"

The young dragon fell silent, his eyes reaching the floor as he uttered, "Celestia gave you a chance..."

Those words struck Sombra at the core but he had to remain steadfast out of more than just mere politics, "I... I am sorry, Spike. The risk is too great. We will discuss this later. Now let. It. Go."

Feeling like he had done enough, Spike left with the guards, though his words had shaken Sombra and Luna. As they were led apart, Thorax looked to Spike, terrified not only for himself but for his sister hundreds of hooves below them, and Spike looked back apologetically, tears welling up in his eyes as he realized how miserably he had failed.

Once everypony was gone, all that was left in the entry hall was the picture of Twilight, Midnight, Shining Armor, and Cadance as ice cream messy foals, the glass cracked, and lying alone on the floor.

232. The Reflection of Faith - Part 2

A loud and frightening sound like an explosion, objects hurtled into walls, a baby crying.

“DAD! SOMETHING’S ATTACKING THE HOUSE!”

“WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WARDS?!”

“WHAT’S GOING ON??!?”

A horrifyingly familiar snarling hiss sounded throughout the entire house, as though magic were allowing it to reach out and be heard from every corner of the estate.

“Who are you?!”

“UrrrRRRAUUGHH!!!!”

“LOOK OUT!!”

“MIDNIGHT! TAKE YOUR BROTHER AND RUN!!”

“MAMAAAAA!!”

“Sh-sh-sh-shh! It’s okay, big brother’s got ya...”

“IGNITUS!!”

A loud and eerie whistling sound, a cry that was suddenly cut short, and the sound of a body hitting the floor.

“FAERIE TAAAAAAAIIILLLLL!!! AAAAAAUUUUGHHGH!!!!”

“MOM?! DAD!!!”

Carrying his brother in his wings, holding him close to his chest, Midnight ran downstairs and saw the devastation. The living room was a disaster’s area, furniture torn apart, scorch marks from hexes, broken glass everywhere, and in the middle Ignitus held his wife, begging her to open her eyes, telling her to wake up, his horn flaring as he tried in vain to undo whatever eldritch evil had robbed her of her awareness.

Twinken’s terrified crying echoed, intermingled with a mocking laughter Midnight had heard before. From his best friend’s killer…

…’re almost there. Daddy, wake up!”

“Huh…?” Midnight felt little hooves pressing at his side, “Penny…?”

“Daddy, are you okay?” Penny looked at her father in worry, “You took a nap after a while and then sounded like you were having a bad dream!”

“I-I’m fine, baby, it’s… just a dream,” Midnight sat up and stretched out the kinks that came from sleeping while sitting in coach during air travel.

A soft ding and then a voice announced, “The captain has turned on the seatbelt sign. Please remain seated until the airship has come to a complete stop.”

“I love seeing Canterlot from so high, Daddy,” Penny peered over the safety rail from her seat, struggling a little against her seatbelt, while Midnight placed a hoof protectively on her shoulder.

“So do I, baby girl,” Midnight chuckled as their airship made for the New Heights Avionics airfield for traveling airships.

As father and daughter walked through the glamorous streets of the City of Unicorns, Midnight reflected some more. How after Shining Armor married Princess Cadance, they became the new rulers of the Crystal Empire after its return, which prompted midnight’s father Ignitus to come out of retirement and resume his old rank and title as Captain of the Royal Guard.

Their forefather, Sombra, was freed of the evil that had driven him mad long ago, and happily reunited and later married to Princess Celestia. After meeting his many-times great grandfather, the unicorn out of his time mentored Midnight in the Art of Nocturnia, which was actually a magic Sombra and Luna created together thousands of years ago. Under his mentor’s tutelage, Midnight’s new magical powers flourished. Luna had offered him her sponsorship to go and train under the Lunobi Warriors of the Shetland Isles but he kindly turned her down, choosing to focus on his family.

Noting a city clock, Midnight knew his parents would still be working so there was no point stopping by the family manor. As they made their way to the castle, Midnight and Penny were met by Fancy Pants, his wife, Fleur, and their own daughter, a unicorn filly named Corsage, who was just a little older than Penny herself. While Corsage gave Penny mane-grooming tips, Midnight took a minute or two to shoot the breeze with a couple old friends before they moved on.

Arriving at the castle gates, Midnight approached one of the guards keeping watch and said, “Please inform the Captain of the Royal Guard that his son and granddaughter are here for a visit.”

“At once, Sir Midnight,” the guard saluted and gestured him to go ahead inside.

“I always love seeing the castle,” Penny marveled at the grand architecture that was Canterlot Castle, amazed at the dizzying heights of ceiling above them as they entered the entry hall.
“Do you think we could also see Gramma Tia and Grampa Sombra?”

“I don’t see why not,” Midnight chuckled as he recalled the first time Penny called the Princess of the Sun her grandmother.

Technically, Celestia was their step-several times great grandmother, but she happily embraced the little filly after she’d asked if she could call the princess that.

Had it been me, I think I might have been sent to the moon, Midnight thought to himself with a chuckle.

“This way, Sir,” the guard led them to a cozy lounge and said, “I will personally inform your father of your arrival, Sir. Is there anything you would like while you wait?”

“Hmm, Penny?” Midnight looked at his little filly, “What about you? Would you like anything?”

Penny thought a moment before her green eyes pit up with excitement, “Strawberry Shortcake and Apple cider please!”

The guard chuckled and smiled warmly at Penny, “Sure thing, little cutie, and you, Sir?”

“Mmm, a colt cola with ice,” Midnight shrugged before remembering, “Oh! And have someone inform my mother, the Madame Librarian, that we’re here as well?”

“At once, Sir,” the guard saluted before leaving the father and daughter to relax.

Midnight collapsed with a relieved sigh onto one of the big soft sofas while Penny sat at the coffee table and opened her saddle bags to bring out her notepad and colored pencils. Looking around, she noticed an antique vase filled with a nice flower arrangement of primroses, zigzag larkspurs, and poppies. She gave the flowers a deep and careful look, letting the details and colors sink into her mind before she concentrated and her horn lit up a soft spring-green aura and levitated the appropriate colored pencils. This was an exercise in telekinetic control her parents encouraged, in order to improve her control and execution of her magic through the application of her telekinesis, maintaining a steady flow of control over multiple objects and applying them as needed in the pursuit of making art.

Midnight watched enthralled, by his daughter and her drive for improvement as she very slowly and very carefully attempted to draw her subject onto her notebook paper with the colored pencils, multi-tasking in outlining and detailing the work with shaky but patient application. She’d done this before several times but her first few attempts hadn’t worked out so well and she’d worn herself out or been far too sloppy when she hadn’t taken her time. How proud he was of her, so much like her mother yet he could see himself in this young filly too.

As the minutes dragged on, and a servant had brought the refreshments, the colored pencil drawing was actually starting to come along nicely when the door to the lounge opened and Midnight looked to see his parents, Captain Ignitus Enflame and Madame Faerie Tail, the both of them smiling as Faerie Tail announced them, “Oh! Is that my sweet grandfilly artist I see?”

Penny gasped, her telekinetic aura going out and her colored pencils dropping, as she smiled and cheered, “Gramma, Grampa!”

She hurried over, the three of them coming together in a big hug as Ignitus said, “My goodness! Who is this giant?”

Then with a funny growly voice, he narrowed his eyes while smirking at Penny, “What have you done with our granddaughter Penumbra?”

Penny giggled, “Silly Grampa, I’m Penumbra! And I you know I prefer Penny!”

“Oh I know, sweet one,” Ignitus picked up Penny in his hooves, giving her a cuddle as Faerie Tail smiled at them.
“But you know your ol’ grampa is so set in his ways.”

“Old? I don’t see anypony here old,” Midnight chuckled as he came over and gave his mother a hug, “Hi Mom, hi Dad!”

“So good to see you, honey.” Faerie Tail hugged her son and kissed his cheek.
“You’re looking well, son, and what’s that our talented little granddaughter was drawing?” Ignitus winked at his boy, who got the idea.

Midnight looked to the table and levitated the notebook towards them all, Penny fidgeting a bit as she said, “It’s not that good, I know.”

“Are you kidding, sweetie?!” Faerie Tail admired her grandfilly’s work with all the love and exuberance of a proud grandma.
“I want to frame this beautiful piece of art and show it off to the princesses!”

“Well, it’s not finished yet but if you really like it…” Penny smiled happily at her grandma, thankful for the encouragement.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt, sweetie, but Daddy’s gotta talk to grandma real quick,” Midnight spoke up and gestured to his mother that he wanted to speak privately.

“Come on, my dear little artiste,” Ignitus carried Penny and her drawing back to the table. “Let’s see you finish this wondrous piece!”

Penny giggled and happily got back to it while Midnight and Faerie Tail stepped out into the hall, the middle-aged mare looking at her son with slight concern, “Dear, is something wrong?”

“No, Mom, I…” Midnight rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little silly but needing to get this off his chest.
“Mom… have we ever lived out in the country?”

“Beg pardon?” Faerie Tail didn’t understand.

“Well, I… had this dream on the flight here from Ponyville,” Midnight explained the dream in detail, of their family living on some country estate, of a dark stranger breaking into the house, of Faerie Tail being struck by some curse and not waking up.
“…and nothing Dad did could get you to so much as open your eyes, it… I’m sorry, Mom, I feel silly, I-”

“Midnight, honey,” Faerie Tail reached up with her hoof and caressed her son’s cheek. “It was only a dream! Look at me, I’m just fine! Your dad’s fine, Twinken’s fine, everything couldn’t be better, as far as I’m concerned.

“Besides, we’ve always lived in Canterlot, dear. I mean sure, you and Twilight opted for a more quiet life in Ponyville, but we don’t have some… country estate, and nothing like what you dreamed about ever happened in even the slightest way!”

“…You’re right, Mom,” Midnight smiled a little sheepishly, “No matter how bad they seem, dreams can’t hurt ya.”

“Exactly,” Faerie Tail and Midnight hugged warmly before they looked at each other again, and Faerie Tail suggested, “You know what? Why don’t we go out for dinner tonight? On your dad and me. I’ll watch Penny so that you can head over to the School for Gifted Unicorns, Twinken’s classes should be ending shortly.”

“Alright, I’ll let him know about our dinner plans,” Midnight agreed before asking, “The Smoked Oat?”

“Where else?” Faerie Tail and Midnight shared a warm and close chuckle, as she pulled him into another hug and gave him a motherly squeeze.
“I love, you sweetie.”

“Love you too, mom,” Midnight replied, happy and relieved to have that odd tension off his withers.

Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, Twilight and Midnight’s alma mater, and now the provider of his younger brother Twinken’s education. At the fine age of ten, Twinken discovered his talent for magical healing when he’d wanted for an injured friend to feel better. His magic manifested a healing effect and his friend felt better in no time at all, and that was when Twinken earned his cutie-mark, a White Heart behind a Red Medical Cross surrounded by silver twinkle stars, and realized he wanted to help others feel better from their illnesses or injuries.

Recognized to have promise, Twinken was quickly enrolled into the school by Princess Celestia’s personal recommendation and wasted no time in dedicating himself to his classes in biology, health, anything-involving medical care and how to treat illness and injury, as well as alchemy and magical application of healing arts. He was recognized for his dedication that he was even given an internship at Canterlot General Hospital.

As the bell rang to excuse everypony to go home, Twinken made sure to jot down the homework assignment the teacher was reminding everypony was due next week over the chatter of everypony filing out of the lecture hall. Carefully stowing his papers into his saddlebags, he stepped out into the hall when…

“Twinken?”

He stopped and turned to see, “Professor Inkwell?”

The elderly unicorn mare smiled at him as she approached and said, “Forgive me for keeping you, but I wanted to extend my congratulations.”

“On what? I haven’t done any-” Twinken tried to say when Inkwell levitated an envelope with the school’s seal. He accepted it, undid the seal and read the form inside. His gaze widened in shock at what he was looking at before looking to the professor.
“No way…!”

“Yes way,” chuckled Professor Inkwell, “you have been selected by Doctor Bleeding Heart to apprentice under him in your pursuit of becoming a doctor!”

“But, Professor, I- I-I’m just, well-” Twinken stuttered, honored and slightly overwhelmed, “There are plenty of other aspiring students who are just as qualified, it not even more-”

“Ah-ah!” Professor Inkwell raised her hoof, “I can’t speak for Doctor Bleeding Heart’s decision, but if you want my opinion, young colt, you are a studious, talented, compassionate young soul who is going to help a lot of ponies.

“But that’s only if you seize the opportunity, young wizard!”

Seeing the fiery encouragement in the professor’s eyes, Twinken looked at the form again before bursting into a big smile and laughing, “Ah-ha! Alright, I’ll do it!”

“Splendid, I’ll inform the good doctor myself as soon as possible,” Professor Inkwell beamed before remembering,” Oh, and so you know, your brother is waiting for you at the front office.”

“Midnight’s here?” Twinken was surprised, seeing as his big brother lived as a humble merchant and magical inventor in Ponyville.

“Good day, Twinken, you’re going places, my boy,” the professor carried on, and Twinken hurried over to the office.

Arriving, he saw Midnight sitting down while reading a book, “Big bro?”

The older unicorn looked up and smiled, “Hey there, little brother! Guess whose family is eating out tonight at the Smoked Oat?”

“The Smoked Oat, are you serious?!” Twinken smiled, that was one of his favorite restaurants in all of Canterlot.

“And a certain little filly is looking forward to seeing you,” midnight added, Twinken smiling even more.
“C’mon, let’s head to the castle.”

The family of House Obsidian laughed and talked and smiled at their favorite booth in a restaurant they’d gone to for so many years. Penny was so happy to see her Uncle Twinky (and he teasingly reminded her if she were anypony else’s niece he’d never let her call him that) and Twinken was so happy to share the good news that he’d been offered an apprenticeship under a prestigious doctor. Dinner as wonderful and delicious and warm and bright.

Seeing his parents and brother and daughter like this, happy and safe, Midnight thought to himself, No bad dreams are ever gonna ruin this!

233. The Loss of Faith - Part 14

“What are the changelings planning?!”
“I don’t know, I-”
“How long before their next attack?”
“I don’t know that either, but-”
“What information have you leaked to the rest of your filthy kind?!”

“Please! I swear to you!”

Thorax was chained in a cell in the dungeons, several guards standing outside the cell, while a harsh and blinding light was kept aimed at the poor changeling, emitted from a magical device that nullified magic upon the subject its light was shined upon. For all Prince Sombra and Princess Luna knew, the tick would do anything or appear as anything to trick them while they carried out the interrogation.

“I am not here to cause any harm!” Thorax swore with a pleading voice. “I don’t serve the queen anymore!”

“Of course you don’t,” Luna narrowed her eyes at Thorax, “because your queen is dead!”

“What?! But that- …That can’t be!” Thorax stuttered, unable to wrap his mind around that grim statement.

“Until early this morning, Chrysalis has been our… guest, you might say,” Sombra brought up with a stern tilt of his head while raising his hoof towards the ceiling.
“But when we “asked nicely” that she share information with us concerning her soldiers’ attack on our mine, she chose to take the coward’s way out rather than comply. A shame… for her and you.”

“In other words, with Chryalis deceased, clearly your hive has new leadership, changeling!” Luna glared, Thorax cringing at the harshness of her tone. “So you’re going to tell us all that you know about your hive’s activities, their troop movements, anypony whose identities they’ve usurped and are posing as, whatever we can use against them! Or so help me…

“Your stay here in this lovely establishment can be as… unpleasant as it was for your queen!”

“But I don’t know anything!” Thorax insisted, scared out of his mind. “I’m not even working for the hive!”

“Don’t lie to us, insect!” Sombra growled, his eyes taking on a familiar greenish hue and purple miasma flowing out the corners of his eyes, “My apprentice, Midnight, along with Shining Armor and their team led an expedition to the mines to learn more information. They risked their lives – Some of them gave their lives! – to bring back intel that told us the changelings have a spy here in Canterlot!

“And here you are…”

“N-NO!! I’m not a spy!” Thorax begged, “I-I know you have no real reason to believe me, but please! I didn’t come to Canterlot to cause any harm!”

“Liar… LIAR!!! I have had it with your falsehoods!” Sombra lost it as he smashed the anti-magic lamp beaming at Thorax away and pinned the changeling painfully against the back wall of the cell, making him cry out in fear, helpless as he watched Sombra raise his hoof… and shadowy energy collected around it to form dark claws that he aimed right at Thorax’s face.
“Tell us what we want to know RIGHT NOW, or Goddess help me I will tear off your wings like the miserable little fly you are!”

Thorax cried out in terror, scrunching his eyes shut, but Luna saw this was getting out of hoof, and pulled her brother-in-law out of the cell, Thorax slumping to the floor and curling up in terror.

“Brother!” Luna admonished the dark gray alicorn, “Hasn’t what already happened with Chrysalis taught you anything?!”

“I wasn’t serious!” snarled Sombra, the dark magic in his eyes fading, “But the only way he’s ever going to talk is if we scare it out of him.”

“You looked like you were about to claw his eyes out!” Luna poked Sombra in the chest with her hoof, “And your own eyes looked all-too-similar as they were when you were the tyrant the Whisperer made you into!”

That observation caused Sombra to pause as he realized… he had felt that familiar rush that was dark magic, a dangerous power fueled by the worst side of themselves everypony has within. Shame washed away his frustration as he took a moment. Taking a deep breath, he calmed down, “I am… sorry, Luna. But this is becoming tiresome! This creature is our only lead on what the changelings are up to and it keeps trying to sell this ‘means no harm’ façade!”

“…Perhaps we should have a word with Spike,” Luna proposed with a gentle voice, “he spent time with this creature and it is clear he was aware of its true identity. While I would never suspect Spike to turn traitor, it is more likely the creature won him over with lies and there is a chance it told Spike something that could turn out to be useful.”

“That is true…” Sombra considered the idea before sighing, “So now what?”

“Celestia is beginning to lower the sun,” Luna brought up, “and perhaps we’ll have more success tomorrow after a good night’s rest.”

“…Is there a chance you could infiltrate the changeling’s dreams and learn anything?” suggested Sombra.

“Alas, I am only able to freely enter the dreams of ponies, Brother,” Luna shook her head no. “I can enter other creatures’ dreams but only if their subconscious allow me access. Forcing my way into their sleeping minds can damage their psyches, and after what happened today with Chrysalis I will not resort to that method.”

Sighing as he saw they were being left with fewer options, Sombra said, “I will speak with Spike, soon. But would you mind assuring Twilight and their friends that he’s not in trouble?

“I swear, the moment word reached them that Spike had been detained, several of them were on my back with complaints, especially from Rarity.”

“Of course, but Brother,” Luna placed a wing on Sombra’s shoulder in an almost intimate gesture.
“Just… don’t be hard on him. While Spike is clearly an excellent and steadfast assistant to Twilight, he is still after all a child.”

She then proceeded to leave the dungeons, leaving Sombra to regard Thorax with distaste. But as Sombra looked upon the disheartened changeling, he saw not a monster but one who seemed to have lost hope. No, it was an act. It had to be.

Sombra had lowered his guard once before an adversary, and he had sworn never again. Snorting in derision, he followed after Luna, whispering to the guards to maintain their vigilance.

The Dream Realm was ever a place of wonder unpredictable. Typically, it was like a shimmering void of stars where each star represented a sleeping mind, but with the proper knowledge and will, as she applied it, the scenario changed into a seemingly never-ending hall of doors. Upon each door was a pony’s cutie-mark, except for several here and there, representing how those younger ponies had yet to find that special talent they had and how it made them unique.

Luna could traverse these halls of dreams as quickly as a star flying across the night sky, though she was patient and allowed the doors to pass her by at a slower but constant pace, her awareness reaching to each door, sensing any that might lead to a pony dreaming something that was truly troubling to them.

Contrary to popular belief, Luna did not step into the dreams of every pony who was having a nightmare. Rather, if she sensed the dream was bad enough, she would first peer into it and observe the scenario and how the dreamer was experiencing it.

If the dreamer’s sleeping mind was under severe-enough stress only then would Luna interfere and help the dreamer. Nightmares of more common fears or problems minor Luna didn’t usually bother with, not because she was cruel, but she learned long ago that bad dreams were not necessarily a bad thing.

Rather, bad dreams put into pictures fears, anxieties, and problems a pony was having that could not be put into words. If a pony was truly willing, they could overcome these troubles besieging their resting minds and find them not so daunting in the waking world.

The sight of her little ponies walking taller after having found the courage to face their fears in their dreams and being better able to face their problems in the real world, it never ceased to make Luna’s heart swell with pride, like a proud mother.

After having been gone for a thousand years, Luna had returned surprised to see the watching over of dreams had actually been taken over by her lunar ponies of the Shetland Isles. No small feat since Dream-Walking was the rarest of all the Lunar Ponies’ gifts bestowed upon them by their Mother of the Night. When she’d been freed of the Nightmare, Luna had chosen to avoid the public eye by visiting her Lunar Ponies to see what had become of them after she was banished.

She could not have been prouder.

The Lunar Ponies had flourished and developed their own cultural identity and way of life. Their lunar earth ponies developed special crops and flowers that thrived on moonlight rather than sunlight, the lunar unicorns made cosmic art of stars and nebulas, their lunar pegasi fierce and devoted protectors the Shetland Isles, all led by a grand matriarch who was served by the mysterious Lunobi warriors. They had welcomed Luna like she’d never left.

But as much as she’d enjoyed living among them, her duties and her sister eventually recalled her back to the mainland, and she began her efforts of being a part of the nation’s leadership once more. Several lunar ponies insisted on accompanying her as her bodyguards, and they became the start of the Lunar Guard.

But as she sifted through the dreams of her little ponies, one instantly demanded her attention the moment she sensed it!

She looked upon it and saw the cutie-mark of a crescent moon facing up, almost enclosing a five-point star surrounded by five twinkles!

Midnight! Luna was overjoyed, for here was undeniable proof that their lost prince was not dead! She reached out to open the door-

AUGH!! Luna jerked her hoof back, having felt an awful stinging pain that left a lingering numbness in her fetlock. She gaped at the door to Midnight’s dream, shocked, for never in all her time she’d watched over the dreams of her little ponies had she denied like this!
What is the meaning of this…!?

More carefully this time, Luna reached out with her hoof as well as her magic to probe the door to Midnight’s dream. But again, even at the barest touch, Luna’s hoof was stung, this time not so painfully, while her magic felt like a body of water meeting a dam.

Curious… most curious.

Morning came and everypony had arrived for breakfast in the dining table, including Night Light and Velvet. They’d arrived yesterday evening, not long after Thorax was captured and Spike detained. They weren’t happy to hear about Spike, but were so relieved to see Shining Armor was alright and were concerned with Twilight’s emotional state. Entering the entry hall, they’d found the picture they’d given Spike and taken it to Twilight themselves, and were glad to see it had helped.

A little.

Her parents were also glad to catch up with their children’s friends this fine morning as everypony settled for breakfast and some servants brought in a fine spread.

Seeing this calm and pleasant atmosphere, Luna was reluctant to bring up what she had discovered and ruin everypony’s morning. But she knew this could not wait and it was better to do it now while everypony was together.

Just rip off the bandage, I believe the saying goes, Luna thought before she declared, “Take heart, my friends! I have good news!”

All eyes and ears turned to Luna as she explained, “Midnight is not dead! Last night, as I stood vigil over the dreams of Equestria, I found Midnight’s dream!”

“Midnight…?!” Twilight held her hoof over her heart, Cadance and Velvet hugging her as Velvet gently shushed so Luna could continue.

“Alas, my friends, there was some… problem.”

“Whattya mean, Your Highness?” Soarin asked first, “You just said Midnight’s alive, so…”

He drawled, not quite sure what to ask, so Luna stated, “Although I found the door to Midnight’s dream, I could not enter it. Never once in all my years of Dream-Walking and watching over the dreams of my little ponies has this ever happened to me before.”

“Dream-Walking? You mean… how you enter ponies’ dreams, do you, Your Majesty?” Night Light asked, intrigued by the concept.

“Indeed, good professor. Dream-Walking is a magical power I discovered sometime after I received my cutie-mark over a thousand years ago,” Luna cast a spell of illusion to provide visual aids to her explanation.
“As some of you may be aware, I am the patroness and creator of the Lunar Ponies, who regard me as their Mother of the Night. In the first century of the reign shared by my sister and I, I looked upon our kingdom and was disheartened to see colts and fillies in suffering. Foals who had lost their families or been abandoned, ran away from all manner of troubles, yet had no one to turn to for love and guidance.

“Meanwhile, I had become bitter to the ponies we ruled over for favoring my sister over me, as envy began to poison my heart. But it became worse when I learned that… I cannot have children.”

Everypony but Celestia and Sombra looked upon Luna with deep sympathy, while Sombra looked away with guilt.

“Denied love from my subjects and the joy of having my own children, I sought to solve both problems at once, as well as the problems of these lost and wayward foals. Over a period of weeks, I spirited away no less than fifty colts and fillies to an archipelago out in the Glistening Eastern Sea. This archipelago is known today as the Shetland Isles. It was there, after gathering all these foals, that I worked magic unlike any I had ever cast before or since. A ritual that allowed me to take in the gentle guiding glow of the moon, as well as my own essence, and share it with all these little ponies.

“That was the night I turned these foals into the first generation of the Lunar Ponies. However, my duties in Equestria left me little time to spend with them, though I always spent at least one week a month among my lunar ponies. I taught them to use their new gifts and gave them the tools they would need to build a new life on the Shetlands. They have done well for themselves and I am proud to call them my Children of the Night.”

“But… what does this have to do with Dream-Walking and Midnight?” Shining Armor asked, back on his feet but under doctor’s orders to take it easy while his bandaged wounds continued to heal.

“As you know, Midnight was sent back over a thousand years and travelled through time in an effort to get back home,” Luna went on, “and he was there! I did not see him but I later learned that Midnight was there the night I turned my adopted foals into the first Lunar Ponies. Midnight was affected by the ritual too, and developed some of the gifts of my Lunar magic. And as it turns out, my lunar ponies’ bloodlines extended to a few ponies of the mainland, and Midnight inherited that bloodline in his new life and regained is lunar pony powers once he became an alicorn and unlocked his memories of his past life.

“When I turned these foals into the first Lunar Ponies, I shared with them my talents and unique abilities. The powers to draw strength and energy from the moon, to control gravity, bend shadows to their will, and unleash a scream of power, along with a predatory nature that sharpened their senses, increased their strength, and gave them a taste for meat. But with only a few of them, ten out of the fifty to be exact, did I bestow the power of Dream-Walking.

“The reason I gave only a few among them this power is because Dream-Walking, while it can be used for good so too can it be used for terrible evil. It is not merely the power to enter ponies’ dreams, it is the power to trespass in their minds, learn their secrets. Worse yet, malignant Dream-Walkers can twist ponies’ dreams and damage their minds, and even render them insane… It is for that reason, even among the Lunar Ponies, Dream-Walking is one of the rarest of magical gifts- Nay, not a gift, but a privilege that is not to be abused. Any Lunar Ponies who discover they have been born with this power are immediately subject to training to become guardians of dreams, and disciplined so they do not come to abuse this power, to respect it and what it means to have it.

“Even I, the Princess of the Night, must take caution when Dream-Walking for I can do just as much harm to a pony’s sleeping mind as their own nightmares and fears can to me. I am able to freely enter the dreams of sleeping ponies, but as I said, never before has a pony’s dream ever denied me access. While I have found proof that Midnight is alive, this new development leaves me no less worried about his current status.”

Everypony shared looks and murmurings, troubled by what Luna was saying, until Celestia asked, “So then, my sister, have you any thoughts on how this can be overcome? Some way you can enter Midnight’s dream?”

“Under normal circumstances, my sister, I am able to freely enter anypony’s dreams,” Luna elaborated, “but these are clearly abnormal circumstances. Whatever has been done to Midnight, his mind is closed off from unwanted observers, and before you ask, no, I cannot resort to force.

“Even attempting to force my way into Midnight’s dreams could cause irreversible damage to his psyche.”

…

The silence that befell the dining room in response to Luna’s words and news was confusingly bittersweet. Especially for Twilight. She stood up from the table, her face obscured by her mane hanging like a curtain from her head hanging low, as she said, “I… I need to be alone.”

Everypony watched her leave, some of them, her parents, Pinkie, Cheese, Fluttershy, whimpering at how sad their friend was, and once Twilight was gone, Celestia stood up and hesitantly said, “Please, everypony. Finish your breakfasts and we can convene at a later time to discuss our next courses of action. I will… check upon Twilight.”

And once the Princess of the Sun had left, several pairs of eyes full of contempt directed their attentions to Sombra, and he gazed back uncomfortable to see they belonged to Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and even Blueblood and Velvet.

“I know you disapprove but Spike’s actions cannot simply be overlooked,” Sombra maintained where he stood on the matter. “While I don’t think for a moment his intentions were ill, they are irrelevant next to the fact that he knowingly aided and abetted a changeling spy in our midst rather than turn it in. He will not be charged with anything but he must at the very least explain himself better than simply stating his misguided beliefs that this changeling is not a threat.

“All of you have helped protect Equestria at least once from threats just as serious as what we face now. If you cannot accept that I am trying to do the same, then perhaps it would be better for you to return to Ponyville.”

Sombra stood up from the dining table, about to leave when Rainbow Dash zipped over to get up in his face, “No offense, Your Majesty, but that’s a load of horseapples!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Luna glared a stink-eye at the rainbow-maned pegasus, “That is absolutely-”

Sombra raised a wing, telling Luna to calm down and his expression was unreadable but it seemed to goad Rainbow Dash into saying her piece.

“I mean- Yeah, Spike messed up and maybe he was… Well, I don’t wanna say ‘dumb’-”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity would not stand for her Spikey-Wikey to be insulted like that. “Don’t you dare speak of Spike in that manner-”

“Would you- SHUSH! I will handle this…!” Rainbow hissed at her before taking a breath and trying again with Sombra, “What I’m trying to say is, Spike is a friend who you can always rely on to come through when you need him. He’s Twilight’s Number One Assistant, for pete’s sake!

“He’s made mistakes before but he always makes up for them too! So, maybe he didn’t handle things right with the changeling but he still deserves a chance to explain things.”

“Prince Sombra, Your Highness,” Night Light spoke up, eyes turning to the professor as he went over to stand by with his wife and placed his foreleg around her shoulders.
“Allow us to speak with Spike. Understandably, he must be… afraid or angry, and we would probably have better success in talking with him.”

“And even if you don’t agree, no guards you have will keep us away from our boy…” Velvet gave Sombra the glare that only a mother could give that sends such a chill up one’s spine.

“I’ve never seen her like this,” Cadance whispered to Shining Armor.
He shuddered and whispered back, “Ooh! I have…”

“Hmm, very well,” Sombra sighed, figuring they’d speak with Spike whether he said no or not. Besides, he felt he’d done enough already. “Speak with Spike, but two guards will be standing by. This is not a punishment, more of a precaution in case Spike acts in haste. In the meantime, I must look to castle security. As for the rest of you, as I said before, I encourage you to remain on castle grounds and never go anywhere alone. When it comes to changelings there’s never just one. For all we know, this spy’s brethren are already conspiring to liberate him.”

The Castle Gardens were the envy of earth pony gardeners across Equestria. There were plenty of famous gardens in several cities, but none could match the simplistic and beautiful splendor of the flowerbeds, the koi ponds, the lily pads, the cherry blossoms, the gazebo, not arranged and grown into elaborate displays and complicated designs. But rather tended and cared for in a calm and natural way, mostly by the groundskeeper, ol’ Hayseed Greenhooves, who loved to whistle while he worked.

Sitting on the garden bench, Twilight took in these familiar sights and smells, recalling simpler times, happier times, when she was a little filly studying and practicing spells while encouraged by her teacher who she loved like a second mother. She could see it happening right before her eyes, the warmth of nostalgia swelling in her heart so much it was almost painful.

She could see herself standing there in one of the garden clearings, concentrating her mana to her horn as she attempted a spell to raise a sphere of water from the pond. All she got was a splash in the face, and almost cried, upset and frustrated. Had it not been for her teacher, watching patiently and encouragingly from the picnic blanket under the shade of a plum tree, stepping out to give the little filly a motherly hug and calming her while wiping her tears, she was certain she’d have had a fit. With the right words and guidance, Celestia gave Twilight the confidence to try again and this time she succeeded in raising a sphere of water, with the radius of a chariot wheel, out of the pond, and see it had a couple fish swimming in it.

The way her teacher had smiled and clapped her hooves, Twilight had felt so happy.

How different would it have been, if time had not been involved, if Midnight had never become an alicorn? How would she and he have grown up together? Would they have stayed close like she was to her brother? Or would her perfectionist dedication to being the best student she could possibly be to her mentor have driven a wedge between them?

Hoof falls perked her ears and she turned to see Celestia, looking at her hesitant but hopeful.

The questioning look on the white alicorn’s face, her eyes moving from Twilight to the spot on the bench beside her, translated perfectly to Twilight. She scooted over, which Celestia translated as permission to sit down.

…

The silence was uncomfortably awkward, but both princesses knew that at some point they would need to patch things up, they had to start somewhere, and probably the sooner the better. Twilight opened her mouth but Celestia beat her to it, “My, my, what… beautiful plum blossoms we have this year.

“I must have seen blossoms in bloom countless times and yet… There’s just something about them that fills me with wonder and a sense of hope. Like a sunrise, heralding a new day full of possibility, and then setting to make way for the rest of night. Those soft rays of dusk and dawn like blossom petals in their own way. But it’s the blossoms themselves that have this effect on me, even more than the sun.”

Twilight was hesitant but she peered at her old teacher, seeing Celestia gazing at those blossoms as though she were lost in a daydream. She then sighed, relaxing her long neck before saying, “Twilight… Forgive me if I am affront but… Since we are both here, I feel there is a conversation we should have. One that I’m afraid we cannot avoid any longer.”

Twilight’s ears sank as she responded, “You’re right… Princess Celestia, I- I don’t know… what to feel right now! I-”

She felt a wing drape around her and she looked up at her old teacher, who smiled softly, “Take your time, there is no need to rush.”

“We don’t know that…” Twilight said but listened, doing Cadance’s old calming technique before continuing. “After what your sister told us, I- I don’t know whether to be happy or sad! I mean, I’m happy to hear Midnight isn’t… But… What Luna said? I just feel so scared for him right now!”

“I feel the same way,” Celestia agreed, this discovery of her sister’s weighing on her heart. “Midnight is alive, but what has become of him? What have the changelings done to him? I can’t answer these questions right now, my old student, but I can promise you this – Whatever it takes, we are going to get him back.”

The reassuring words helped, as Twilight leaned into Celestia, who hugged her close, listening as Twilight said, “I can’t lose him, Celestia! He- I… The last time we talked was when he revealed… you know. I called him a killer! And the last thing he said to me… it hurt, but he was right to say it to me!”

Celestia’s heart hurt to see Twilight look up to her, just as she did when she was a filly, tears shedding and begging for a solution, something to put her heart at ease.

“I want him back, I need him back! I love him…”

Celestia wiped her old student’s tears away then she perked with an idea and giggled, “Do you remember a certain event, Twilight?”

“Wha-?” Twilight took a shuddery moment to calm herself, as she looked at Celestia,” I… I don’t understand.”

“Two years after I took you on as my student,” Celestia explained, “a certain… April Foals Day?”

Twilight furrowed her brows as she puzzled Celestia’s words and then remembered with a shake in her shoulders as she remembered in a shivering voice, “The Bouncy Ball Incident! Ooh-hoo-hoo…”

“Yes. That April Foals Day, I decided to come to my school and surprise my students with a party,” Celestia reminisced, “but when I got to my office, I found something truly odd – A ceramic bowl had been set upon the middle of my desktop and bouncing up and down on it was a ball!

“It bounced but it stayed on the bowl, bouncing at a constant pace like a metronome. I knew at a glance it was magic, but I could never have foreseen the catastrophe that followed when I touched it… I reached out with my hoof to catch it, but the moment the ball made contact with my hoof, it bounced away, as though it were avoiding capture!

“Then, the ball bounced faster and faster, ricocheting around my office, like one of those pinball machines, and making such a mess! I tried to catch it again, but this with telekinesis. That was a mistake… The moment my telekinetic aura tried to enshroud it, the ball suddenly started targeting me! Oh-ho-ho, Twilight, it was becoming increasingly irritating! The ball was bouncing so fast and moving so unpredictably I couldn’t follow it and it always got me, in the face, on the back of the head, even on my rump!”

The mental image of a ball bouncing Celestia and her being unable to stop it made Twilight crack a smile, as her old teacher went on.

“So since physical force wasn’t helping, I tried to dispel whatever magic was causing the ball to behave this way. That was when the actual nightmare of that experience began to grow worse. My counterspell didn’t help; in fact, it literally multiplied the problem!”

“You mean…?” Twilight remembered as Celestia confirmed it.

“Yes! Instead of undoing whatever spells had ensorcelled the ball, my counterspell caused the ball to multiply every time it impacted while bouncing! The mess in my office was getting worse and there wasn’t much room to move or hide behind anything, especially since the balls were growing numbers. So I made the mistake of stepping out into the hallway, where several students and staff were walking.

“Before I could warn them, they tried to catch the balls themselves and became targets too, and like me they tried counterspells on the balls, and multiplied the problem even further! As my patience was finally running short, I decided to try and destroy the balls. Oh… The results will haunt me for the rest of my days.”

“I remember that!” Twilight shared Celestia’s feelings, as she’d heard the fiasco going on that day and she and her class ran out to see what was going on.
“When you tried to destroy them, the balls had some strange reaction and… they exploded!”

“They didn’t just explode, Twilight,” Celestia shook her head with a weary smile. “They erupted with random magical effects. Oh! The effects were random and varied, there were stink bombs, explosions of slime, bubbles that popped into a slippery fluid, confetti, firecrackers, some of those magical effects turned ponies too close into little animals or made them look or act silly – It was absolute pandemonium!”

“My mane was turned into one of those rainbow clown wigs!” Twilight laughed, remembering how upset she’d been and had been torn between cutting it or hoping it would be temporary.

“Eventually, I had no choice but to evacuate the school,” Celestia wiped the tears of her own laughter from her eyes. “Thankfully, none of the balls followed anypony outside and remained in the building. But all through the day, they continued to bounce endlessly, and it seems the magical explosions caused some of them to explode or multiply as well.

“Until finally, it ended. The balls all popped out of existence, silence befell the school, and I got my first clue to the culprit behind the whole thing when I aw the time when it stopped.”

“What time was it?” Twilight couldn’t remember. She and the students had been sent home.

Celestia barely kept herself contained as she said, “Midnight.”

The look on Twilight’s face, aghast and mortified, was priceless! It was enough for Celestia to loose it, and keel over in barking laughter! Never had Twilight seen her mentor act this way, rather similar to Rainbow or Pinkie whenever they’d pulled some pranks. It was… actually really nice to see her this way, as the shock of wore off and the absurdity and hilarity set in, that Twilight couldn’t help but join in on the laughter and fell over onto her side, laughing alongside Princess Celestia.

It was a bit before the two princesses finally calmed down and regained control of themselves, as they stood up, fits of giggles working out of their systems as they sat back down on the bench.

Taking a deep breath, Celestia finished the story, “I found out later that Midnight had been watching the whole thing from a rooftop across the street. The little stinker had been right there, with a bag of popcorn, a colt cola, and a telescope, laughing his head off while everypony was scrambling about, trying to overcome his wicked prank.”

Twilight’s giggles got worked up again but she remembered something and forced herself to calm down, “Wait a minute, heh-heh! Two years after I… After I became your student! Then… that means Midnight was about twelve and an alicorn at the time.”

“He was,” Celestia nodded, “and to this day I still can’t figure out how he did it! I confronted Midnight about it, but he claimed no responsibility. I knew he did it, though, I could see it on his smug giggling face.

“Looking back however, I soon saw and regard to this day his diabolical trick as a work of art, a construction of enchantment so well done and so villainously clever I can’t help but regard Midnight as possibly the most creative and skilled Enchanter I’ve ever taught. His creation exceeded any work of enchantment I’d ever done by miles.

“Of course, I couldn’t prove it was him and I certainly couldn’t reveal him as the culprit at the time. I had to inform my staff and all concerned parents that the culprit behind the incident had been identified and would not get away with it but their name would not be revealed, for their own sake and privacy. But I was so mortified by that incident that for months afterwards the very sight of a bouncy ball…! Ooh…”

The way Celestia shivered, Twilight covered her mouth to quiet her laugh.

“I went as far as to outlaw bouncy balls during April Foals Day, mostly because of the madness I was made to experience, but… also as, I suppose you could almost call it, a homage to the one behind it all.”

“So basically, you honored a sneaky little colt with infamy,” Twilight chuckled at the idea but wanted to hear more.

Celestia shrugged before saying, “The incident was the talk of the school and many in Canterlot for a few years after, and even to this day it is remembered and even respected despite what happened, because like me, students and teachers soon saw what that incident was, a work of art born from the devoted studies of magic and the imagination of a creative young learner.

“It goes to show, Twilight, that something good can come out of something bad, and while I did discipline Midnight by accelerating his studies and training, I saw it as a true sign of his promise and his talents.”

“But why did Midnight do it at all?” asked Twilight. “He was supposed to be in hiding, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, but don’t forget, Twilight,” Celestia raised a forefeather, “Midnight was forced by circumstances to leave behind his life from Canterlot and hide his existence, and he was only ten years old when that happened. Even though he regained the memories of his past life, he was still a child.

“I believe he was… acting out, trying to work out his frustrations from his system. Perhaps even reconnect with the city of his birth, but… I think he also wanted to se you.”

Those words left Twilight speechless as Celestia said more.

“The memories will come back as you are reminded of them, Twilight, just as did the one from that photo your parents showed you. As a filly, you looked up to Shining Armor, Cadance, and Midnight. He watched out for you just as diligently as your brother did, and he always came through for you back then, and I still have faith he will come through for you now. But first, we have to come through for him. We have to find him, and we have to bring him home.”

Twilight shed more tears but determination ignited in her heart as she looked up at Celestia and said, “Then we need to figure out a way for Luna to access Midnight’s dreams. He must be imprisoned somewhere and Luna found his dream while he was asleep!”

“Considering what more Luna told us, Twilight,” Celestia reminded her, “I don’t think it’s that simple. Midnight is a very capable pony, trained and learned in various skills and talents. I am scarce to think it, but I have a feeling that the changelings have Midnight under some sort of spellbound sleep, and their magic is somehow preventing Luna from entering Midnight’s dream.”

“But Luna did imply that Midnight’s dream could be entered,” Twilight brought up when her eyes widened in realization.
“But if not by her… then perhaps another Dream-Walker!”

“There is no guarantee of that, Twilight,” Celestia debated, “and besides, even if the theory has merit, you heard Luna. Dream-Walkers are very rare, and even if she were to summon a Dream-Walker from the Shetlands, it could take days before they arrive. Days that Midnight might not have, that we can’t afford to wait, not while the changelings continue to conspire against us.”

The lavender princess sighed, as she realized the white was right. Even so, she couldn’t get the idea out of her head that a different Dream-Walker could possibly succeed where Luna had failed. But it would have to be a Dream-Walker that has something that Luna doesn’t.
“If I could just figure out what that something is…”

“What was that, dear?”

“Oh! Uh…” Twilight realized she’d said that aloud, and cleared her throat, “I… think I’ll just give it a little more thought.”

“Very well,” Celestia gave Twilight a loving nuzzle, which she returned, before the taller alicorn stood her full height and turned to take her leave, “just remember, take your time and it will come to you.”

“I will,” Twilight nodded, “and Celestia?”

Celestia paused mid-step and looked back, happy to see Twilight smiling at her, “Thanks.”

“Always, Twilight, always,” Celestia smile back before leaving Twilight to work on her theory.

Author's Note

The interrogation was meant to be intense and make you feel sorry for Thorax that he's in that situation

As for the parts concerning dream-walking and Midnight, I saw some of my readers' comments and realized how close they are to figuring out what's going on. While I had intended to save the unveiling for the big battle I caved and came up with this content to help flesh arc out. As for Dream-Walking, I feel it's an interesting power, but after seeing the episode where Starlight switched the Royal Sisters' cutie-marks and Luna's own words regarding how Starlight's psyche was in danger by her own nightmare I felt that as intriguing as Dream-Walking is, it is actually quite dangerous and can be abused in the wrong hands

The idea of the bouncy ball incident was not planned, but i felt a funny story would help ease tensions between Twilight and Celestia in light of recent revelations and their talk would get them started in patching things up

234. The Loss of Faith - Part 15

As the married couple approached the room where Spike was being held, Velvet looked with subtle disdain upon the two guards standing by the door.

Sighing, she whispered to her husband, “Are these guards really necessary? Spike is simply a good little dragon who made a mistake!”

“I don’t like it either, love,” Night Light whispered back, “but with this changeling threat going on, it pays to err on the side of caution. I love Spike just as much you do, but it is probably safer for him to have a… chaperone, so he doesn’t get himself into more trouble.”

Sighing Velvet let it go, seeing in the logic in her husband’s words but that didn’t mean she had to like it. The guards noticed their approach, their wings flaring to block the door.

“Halt!”
“Who goes there?”

“I am Professor Night Light, and this is my wife, Twilight Velvet,” Night Light announced himself, familiar with this sort of protocol.
“You may know us as the parents of Prince Shining Armor and Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“As well as Spike, for all intents and purposes,” Velvet added, her look so piercing it made the two guards peer at each other through the corners of their eyes.

“His Majesty, Prince Sombra, has given us permission to speak with Spike,” Night Light informed them.
“We understand he is to remain in this room, and we will respect that.”

The guards looked directly at each other and nodded, folded their wings, and stepped aside. Night Light’s golden aura reached out to turn the door handle, as he said to the guards, “Thank you, sirs.”

Stepping in, the couple found the room to actually be rather pleasant. There was a canopy bed, a bay window with two pleasantly stuffed armchairs and coffee table, a door leading to a private bathroom, a grandfather clock, and a bookcase filled with some old classic novels.

“Spike?” Velvet looked around the room, only for her husband to place a hoof on her shoulder and give a ‘shh’ and point out the blanket-covered lump on the bed.
“Oh, of course. It is still morning, after all.”

“No harm in checking on him,” Night Light knew Velvet still wanted to see their little dragon.

The carpeted floor made it easy to step lightly as they didn’t want to wake Spike up while Night Light levitated the armchairs over to the side of the bed Spike was sleeping on, and once they were comfortable, Velvet sighed as she held her husband’s hoof and whispered, “Do you remember when our little Twilight first brought him home? Surprising how something so sweet and adorable could be the offspring of something so brutal and ferocious.”

“Yes, and in a way he was ferocious as well,” Night Light chuckled lightly, “like when he threw such a tantrum until we got him that amber pacifier for him to suck on. All the rubber pacifiers we gave him were melted by his dragonbreath.”

“And it was such a chore finding him gems to eat whenever he got picky,” Velvet agreed, covering her mouth to quiet her own laughter. She sighed and looked at the blanketed lump on the bed, “But it was always worth it to see him munch on them, looking so happy.”

Velvet placed a hoof on her little sleeping dragon, about to pull back the covers and give him a kiss… except something didn’t feel right.
“What…?”

“Honey?” Night Light could see it on Velvet’s face and then they both had the same thought.

Velvet’s horn lit up with a purple mana, which grasped the corner of the blanket and threw it off… only to reveal a nice arrangement of pillows underneath. Spike had enacted the most traditional of bed-based decoy systems, the old technique of using a pillow to give the appearance of sleeping under the covers! The baby dragon had escaped with his conventional yet effective ploy.

Husband and wife gave each other a look of anxious fear as they both said, “He’s gone!”

As the patrol passed by the hall of windows and their heavy drapes, Spike poked his head out, very carefully, watching them vanish around the corner at the end of the hall. He looked the other way, seeing the turn that led to the stairs, down which led to the dungeons.

“Don’t worry, Thorax,” Spike whispered to himself as he looked both ways to make sure the coast was truly clear.
“I’ll get you back to Elytra.”

The young dragon knew he had to be quick but cautious. It hadn’t even been an hour yet since he’d made his daring escape, stepping onto the ledge outside the bay window of the room he’d been confined to, risking his life to close the window and climb his way down to the room on the floor directly beneath his own.

Ooh! The dizzying heights Spike had forced himself to risk were all but certain to give him bad dreams the next time he slept. But the drive to help Thorax emboldened him to keep moving forward.

The patrols in the castle halls, along with the members of the staff, had forced Spike to be patient and as sneaky as possible. He’d had to wait fifteen minutes before a maid was satisfied with her dusting of a portrait, for Faust’s sake!

Still, his patience and caution was about to pay off. The dungeon was all but in sight, and… Well, Spike wasn’t exactly sure of how he’d free Thorax other than some vague notion of finding keys hanging on the wall…

Okay, even the thought of it sounds dumb, he thought with a sigh. Shaking off the doubt, he reminded himself, Just get in, free Thorax, find the trapdoor that dropped me in the crystal caves before, easy-breezy! …yeah, right.

*CLANG/Rattle-rattle*

The metallic sound of a heavy door hitting a wall and rattling of chains caused Spike to flinch and hide behind the heavy drapes as he heard several hooves as well as the aforementioned rattling of chains approach. He was tempted to take a peek but dared not even move lest whoever was about to pass him by notice him.

“Keep on your hooves, stallions. Just because the prisoner is shackled, doesn’t mean he won’t try some cheap shapeshifting trick.”

Spike almost gasped to hear that but controlled himself.

“Wh-wh-where are we going?” asked the unmistakably timid voice of Thorax.

“Don’t speak unless spoken to, prisoner! But… I guess you should be prepared for your audience with the alicorn monarchs and the ponies who represent the Elements of Harmony. They’ll receive you in the throne room, and one way or another… your guts are going to spill.”

The sound of Thorax’s soft and fearful whine receded, as did the hoofsteps and sounds of the chains, as they distanced themselves from Spike, and only when he could no longer hear them did he dare to peer out from the drapes. His face was fraught with concern for Thorax as he wondered, What’re they gonna do to him...?!

Thorax shivered in fear as dozens of eyes looked upon him with wariness, distrust, contempt, disgust, and perhaps even hate. Hesitantly he looked upon each of them in turn and saw neither compassion nor mercy in any of them, and he feared that this might very well end badly.

The alicorn monarchs (minus their missing prince), as well as the Bearers and Guardians of Harmony (minus Faith) stood in the throne room, Celestia upon the throne with Luna at her side, Sombra at the foot of the steps leading up to the throne and glaring down at the frightened prisoner.

Everypony else stood to the sides, Twilight looking upon the changeling with contempt, but… Although her head was telling her that this creature was dangerous and in all likelihood the spy who had instigated the trap Midnight, her brother, and their team had walked into, something within told Twilight that… this was wrong, and the way the changeling truly appeared afraid, and that same something inside her was saying…

“We will tolerate your deceit no longer, changeling!” spat Sombra, his eyes narrowed upon Thorax, who felt like the shadowy prince was piercing him with shards of crystal.
“Spike was discovered missing from the room to which he was confined. There were no signs of a struggle, no signs of breaking and entering, and it even appears as though Spike escaped the room of his own accord.

“So either that is what happened… or it’s what your cohorts want us to think what happened. Either way, Spike naively defended you because somehow you’ve fooled him and won his sympathies. What did you tell him to earn his trust? And I would advise you to consider what may result of whatever answer you give us…”

Spike is gone?! Thorax was shaking in his exoskeleton, the suspense of what might follow however he answered exerted an awful pressure in his chest, and he was on the verge of hyperventilating.
What do I do… what do I say?! I could tell them about the Hive Mind but… they said Chrysalis is dead! Except that doesn’t make sense…

“TALK, changeling!” shouted Sombra, his eyes glowing red with his anger and mana.

“Uh- I-I don’t know where Spike is!” Thorax answered fretfully, “But I swear… I would never harm him in any way!”

Although she didn’t particularly trust the changeling, Applejack could hear the honesty in his words, just as Blueblood twinge uncomfortably, as he felt the changeling was sincere. Even Pinkie, Cheese, and Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for the changeling.

But Sombra was not so convinced, so certain of this creature’s villainy, he spread his wings and took a fearsome flap into the air, landing with a loud THUD right in front of Thorax, who ducked down, covering his head with his hooves, only for Sombra to grasp him by the throat with a claw of shadow over his hoof, and lift him up off the floor. Thorax let out a choking whimper of pain as the shackles weighed down pulled at his legs while Sombra held him up, glaring angrily.

“It seems you are hard of hearing, parasite… I said ‘consider what may result of whatever answer you give us’, and this pretense of innocence is becoming increasingly infuriating…”

“My love, please!” Celestia held up her hoof to her husband, who peered over his shoulder at her, and the look on her face, fearful and vaguely disturbed-

“No, Celestia! I have already said we will tolerate this tick’s deceit no longer!” Sombra’s eyes began to glow no longer just red, but also green as a purple haze slowly seeped out the corners of his eyes. He glared back up towards Thorax, who squeezed his eyes shut… and tears began to seep out of them, which truly astounded Sombra!

“I… I don’t…”

“Put him down!”

Sombra released his grip on Thorax, the young changeling slumping to the floor, gasping and shivering in fright, while everypony else looked to the doors of the throne room… and there was Spike, looking reproachful at Sombra.

“Spike! You’re okay,” Twilight smiled to see him, only for her brother’s good wing to bar her way. She looked up at him, confused, while he looked suspiciously at Spike.

“How do we know you’re the real Spike? And not another changeling in disguise?”

Spike answered by whipping out a paper and quill from behind his back, jotting something down, and then rolling the paper up before he set it ablaze with dragonfyre. Everypony watched in relief to see the shimmery ashes of the message quickly zoom over to Celestia, and reform into the paper. Celestia gave a look at it, and nodded gladly, “It is Spike, no one else can send me messages the way he does and this is indeed his handwriting.”

“Of course it’s me!” Spike walked over and put himself between Thorax and Sombra, everypony suddenly worrying for him.

“Spike! What do you think you’re doing?!” Shining admonished, “Get away from that thing!”

“He’s not a thing! His name is Thorax,” Spike gave Thorax a smile and was proud to say, “and he’s my friend.”

*GASPS*

Thorax looked at everypony’s reactions and worriedly at Spike, who gave him an encouraging nod before taking a deep breath…

Who’s to say makes a hero, glorious and brave?

You may find the answer is hard to believe

See, sometimes we get scared, and then we make mistakes

Then we’re not so heroic… it seems…

But if day can turn to night and the darkness turn to light

Then why can’t we imagine a Changeling can change?

No two ponies are exactly the same and no snowflake ever shares its design

Though we all may be strong, we’ll be nothing but wrong

When we forget to be friendly and kind

But if day can turn to night and the darkness turn to light

Then why can’t we imagine a changeling can change…?

Would you call me a hero, glorious and brave,

If I told you something you may not believe?

This changeling you see, I know him and he knows me

And I would stand by his side to the end….!

But if day can turn to night and the darkness turn to light

Then why can’t we imagine…

Just why can’t we imagine!

O why can’t we imagine a changeling can change….?

Spike stepped back and removed the shackles from Thorax and the suspenseful silence made him feel afraid when he heard approaching hoof steps.

“Spike, I am so proud of you.”

The little dragon turned to see Twilight standing in front of him, Sombra having stepped back as his and everyone else’s eyes looked on.

“You are?” Spike smiled and Twilight gave him a loving hug and nuzzle.

“Of course! You were brave enough to form an unlikely friendship and stand up to everyone else in his defense even when they thought you were in the wrong! I can’t imagine anything so brave as that.”

Twilight turned to face everypony else, “Since the day Spike and I left for Ponyville, I have studied the Magic of Friendship in pursuit of spreading it to everyone around me to maintain harmony between all! But today, it is Spike who taught me that a new friend can come from anywhere. As much as I’ve learned of Friendship, I continue to learn more and more about it, even in unexpected ways.

“So if Spike says that Thorax is his friend then he’s my friend too!”

Twilight turned to face Thorax and offer him her hoof in friendship, which he accepted with tears of joy and uttering, “Thank you!”

“On behalf of Canterlot even all of Equestria,” Princess Celestia declared, “I am proud to offer my own hoof in friendship and welcome Thorax as a citizen of this nation!”

Everypony in attendance cheered, and when it died down, Sombra stepped forward with a sorrowful look.
“And I as well, along with my most heartfelt apologies and I admit how wrong I was about you, Thorax, and you too, Spike.”

Cadance and Shining Armor stepped forward too, the latter saying, “Welcome to Canterlot, Thorax. I’m sorry we didn’t give you a chance or take the time to get to know you. Maybe we could start now.”

“Nothing would make me happier!” Thorax smiled but then he looked nervous, “Although… I do have something to admit. While I am not the spy you’re looking for, I did bring another changeling here with me, but I give you my word she is absolutely harmless. In fact, she’s the reason I risked coming her to Canterlot in the first place.”

Everypony shared looks and mutters, when Cadance asked, “Thorax, who is the changeling and why does she matter so much to you?”

Thorax hesitated again, when he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder and looked to see Spike giving him an encouraging nod. Taking a breath, Thorax explained.
“She’s a young changeling, to you all she’d be a filly. Her name is Elytra, and she’s… my little sister.”

“Huh, never really pictured changelings having siblings,” Shining Armor chuckled weakly.

“Perhaps we should continue this discussion… over tea,” Celestia suggested, “but Thorax, if you don’t mind an escort, would you be willing to bring your sister to us in the dining room? I would very much like to meet her.”

“Um…” Thorax wasn’t entirely sure about that.

“I give you my word, as a princess,” Celestia assured him kindly, “no harm will come to you or your sister. Once you’ve brought her before us, we can discuss what happens next.”

Thorax could taste the sincere kindness radiating from the Princess of the Sun, and he knew she meant every word.

“Okay, but could Spike come along too? My sister is… Well, she’s safely hidden in the crystal caves beneath Canterlot.”

“Isn’t that the same place where Chrysalis sent you and then me the last time she tried to invade, Cadance?” Twilight looked to her sister-in-law.

“Sounds like it,” Cadance remembered her time in those caves, how lonely and powerless she’d been. How lost and afraid she’d felt, not for herself but for the stallion and all others she’d cared about when Chrysalis stole her identity.
“Why would you leave your sister in that place?”

“Because it’s how Chrysalis was able to sneak into Canterlot the first time,” Thorax answered, “she would have brought her whole army through but the caves were too winding, too hazardous, and too many wrong turns could have resulted in death. And of course such narrows spaces would have made it too difficult for her forces to maneuver through.

“So instead, she alone braved those caves to find a position of power and influence in order to lay the groundwork for her invasion while the rest of the Hive was to stand by until the wedding began. When the invasion was thwarted, the hive didn’t dare attempt to use the caves to do as she did and also because the hive assumed since you’d been made aware of them you’d be watching those caves more closely.”

“As much as I want to hear more,” Celestia spoke up, “this should really continue after Thorax brings his sister to meet us. Spike, you and four guards will accompany Thorax to fetch his sister. Once you return bring her to us in the dining room.”

It was barely an hour by the time Thorax, Spike, and the guards returned, the two unicorn guards among them levitating a wooden platform upon which Thorax’s cocooned sister was safely placed on.

At first glance, the others were a little creeped out by the cocoon, so Cadance asked, “Welcome back, all of you. Thorax, is your sister… inside that thing?”

“It’s a changeling hibernation cocoon,” Thorax explained, “we use them to enter a state of… dormancy, especially when nourishment is scarce. It preserves us so that we don’t deteriorate in health. But… that’s not why I put her in there.”

“What do you mean, Thorax?” Luna asked, all eyes and ears were his to educate.

Thorax looked at them all, nervous and afraid because what’d learned from them conflicted with his explanation. But he knew if they were going to help each other he had to be honest. Taking a deep breath, he explained.

“Well, for starters, please allow me to finish. My explanation might not… add up with what you told me.”

“What we told you?” Blueblood asked, only for his Aunt Celestia to raise her wing gently before nodding to Thorax to continue.

Again Thorax took a deep breath and explained, about Chrysalis, about how she treated her own children like slaves, how she used the Hive Mind to control them and rob them of their free will, how she would do anything to preserve her power and control, why Thorax had placed his sister in the cocoon to dull her connection to the Hive Mind, why he and Elytra were on the run because that he was no longer beholden to the Hive Mind but he could not bare to leave her behind and become just another drone enslaved to a mother who may feed on love but doesn’t know the first thing about it.

Everypony listened with rapt attention, Fluttershy, Rarity, Cadance, and even Velvet horrified by how evil Chrysalis had truly been, many of the others disgusted, and all of them now understanding why Thorax had risked so much to come to them.

“…and that’s it, Your Majesties,” Thorax wrapped it up. “I’m not entirely certain why but I am no longer connected to the Hive Mind. Had I been discovered to no longer be under her control, Queen Chrysalis would have had me executed. But I refused to leave my sister behind, even though she is still connected to the Hive Mind, which means even though the hibernation cocoon dulls her connection eventually the Hive will find us. And I know we can’t run from them forever…”

“Now I see…” Sombra said loud enough for everypony to hear that they all looked to him. “That must be why Chrysalis took her own life! If we’d learned of the Hive Mind then we would have known she was acting as a spy even all the while she was our prisoner!”

“Except Chrysalis is dead now, so…” Cadance looked unsure at Thorax and the cocoon holding his sister. “Maybe that means with her gone, your sister is free!”

“I’m not entirely sure of that, Princess Cadance,” Thorax shook his head. “See, Elytra’s connection to the Hive Mind doesn’t just allow the Hive to track her, but it also allows Elytra to detect and even overhear telepathic buzzings the drones send to and receive from each other over long distances as long as they are within range.

“A short time ago, Elytra heard such buzzings about another invasion in the working stages… by order of the queen!”

Those words were alarming to everypony, and almost at once there was discussions.

“By order of the queen?! How is that possible?”
“Wasn’t Queen Chrysalis in prison ever since her first invasion?”
“She was, and there were various magical safeguards placed on her cell to insure even with her horn gone she could not try any magicks foreign to us.”
“Maybe this Hive Mind works differently and she was able to use it even in her cell!”
“Changeling magic could indeed work differently from pony magic. I mean, how much do we really know of changelings’ capabilities?”

But all the while everypony else was talking, Twilight was reflecting on Thorax’s words and explanations about the Hive Mind.
A telepathic network that allows one to control all but only if…!!

Inspiration struck, and Twilight spoke up, “Princess Luna!”

But there were too many talking all at once, getting louder as everypony tried to get their words in edgewise, Twilight trying to address Luna. Too much debating, too much theorizing, too much this and that and what and how and-

“QUIEEEEEEEETTTTT!!!!!”

Silence finally sounded its golden lack of noise as all eyes turned to Twilight, who gathered herself and politely said, “Thank you.”

She then looked to Luna and said, “Princess Luna, I think I know just the pony who may be able to enter Midnight’s dream when you couldn’t.”

Luna tilted her head a bit, curious of what Twilight’s theory was and who this pony she was proposing could be.

Back in Ponyville…

“So anything you wanna do today, kid?” Joe smiled happily at Twinken, having picked him up from Sweet Apple Acres and now they were strolling through Ponyville as though they’d known each other forever.

“I’m not sure…” Twinken considered, “Rumble’s off playing with Scootaloo, Apple Bloom’s helping Granny Smith around the house, and Sweetie Belle’s spending time with Button.

“He lost is big brother, you know.”

“Yeah, I heard,” Joe sighed, “poor kid… I know exactly how he feels.”

“So… Uncle Joe?”

Joe looked down at Twinken, who gazed at him with hesitant curiosity. “We’ve been doing a lot together since yesterday, but… you still haven’t told me about my parents!”

Joe wished he could tell Twinken what he wanted to know, even though he knew it would be painful. But he’d given his word to Twilight, and he was a stallion of his word.
“I’m sorry, kiddo. I want to tell you, but the answers you want? They have to come from your brother, and he’s on some kind of mission for Princess Celestia, last I heard.”

“Mmm…” Twinken moaned in disappointment as he looked into the distance and could barely see Canterlot on the mountainside of Mount Canterhorn.

*FLASH*

“WHA!!” Twinken hopped backwards and fell on his butt, Joe going over to make sure his nephew was okay when they noticed who was in front of them.

“Princess Luna!”

Princess Luna stood regal as she looked upon Twinken with soft scrutiny before she spoke.
“Twinken! Brother of Midnight Blaze, you are needed!”

“Needed? Need for what?” Twinken suddenly felt afraid, seeing as the Princess of the Night had just suddenly appeared before him and said he was needed.

“N-now wait just a minute!” Joe stepped between his nephew and Luna, who was barely a couple inches taller, and Joe knew he was taller than the average horn-head.
“I don’ care if youse a princess, you don’ just pop outta nowhere an’ say to my nephew that-”

“He is needed because his brother needs him,” Luna interrupted with a sharp look of her eyes.

“Oh Well… I guess that’s… different,” Joe stood down while Twinken got up and gazed at Luna.

“Is my big brother okay?” he asked fretfully.

“I need you to come with me, young Twinken,” Luna offered her hoof, “because Twilight and I believe it is only you who can help your brother now.”

The little colt looked back and forth between Luna, her hoof, and his uncle Joe. He could see they both were concerned and unsure, and Twinken himself was afraid. What problem could be so bad that his brother needed him? What could he even do to help? He was only an apprentice mage! But then he remembered Joe saying the answers Twinken wanted about his parents would be told to him only by Midnight.

Sighing, he looked to Luna and took her hoof, “I’m ready.”

“Then I’m comin’ too!” Joe joined his hoof with there’s… only for Luna to gently push it away with her wing.

“I am sorry, Pony Joe,” Luna apologized, “but teleporting such vast distances by myself is taxing and risky enough. If the situation were not so dire, I wouldn’t even take Twinken to Canterlot this way. But time is of the essence, and I dare not bring more than one passenger for this teleportation. I am sorry, but you must remain.”

“But I…” Joe wanted to protest when he noticed a certain gorgeous pegasus mare he’d met yesterday passing by and giving him a come-hither wink. He couldn’t help but blush and make a silly giggle before remembering Luna and Twinken were still in front of him.
“I-I-IIiiiiiiii…. understand perfectly! But… you’ll take care of him, won’t you?”

“No harm will come to him, I give you my word as a princess,” Luna smiled in assurance.

“Alrighty then,” Joe knelt down a little so he could talk to Twinken almost eye-to-eye, “You be good and careful, kiddo. Listen to the princess and do your best to help.”

“I will,” Twinken reared up to hug Joe, and say, “See ya soon, Uncle Joe…”

“You betcha,” Joe returned the hug warmly before they parted and he said, “Now, if you both’ll excuse me…”

He stepped past them and watched him prance off, calling, “Hiya, Chili, youse lookin’ mighty lovely today!”

Twinken and Luna shared a look and both laughed before Luna said, “Are you ready?”

“I… guess so?” Twinken smiled a tad nervously.

“Then we’re off!” Luna declared and they were gone in a FLASH.

Back at the castle…

“Alright, everypony,” Thorax addressed them all as they looked on at the changeling as he prepared to open the cocoon.
“When Elytra comes out, she’ll be temporarily unable to see. Her sight will return shortly but she’s not used to being around ponies. So just be quiet at first while I talk to her a bit.”

Everypony nodded and Celestia bade Thorax, “Proceed.”

Thorax nodded and extended his hoof, angling the sharp edge towards the cocoon, and pressed it into the membrane, cutting deep as a clearish-green and pink liquid oozed out. Rarity barely stifled a groan of disgust while everypony else looked on as Thorax cut the hole bigger, more liquid spilling out, until a small form slid out, which he caught with his foreleg.

“Elytra…?” Thorax whispered loudly, not wanting to startle her awake. “Time to wake up, little sister!”

The liquid slid off to reveal Elytra, and although she was clearly a changeling, now that they had a better look of her, most of the mares (and Cheese and Soarin) present couldn’t help but ‘awww’. Elytra did indeed look like a filly, though her black exoskeleton gave off a pink sheen, her wing-coverings very much resembled that of a ladybug, dark red with black spots, and she even had a mane, somewhat similar to Chrysalis’s mane but in much better condition. It was smoother and fuller looking and colored a dark yet soft magenta, and they heard her groan as she was stirred from her hibernation.

Her eyelids quivered a little before slowly creaking open to reveal her eyes were seashell pink… and instead of being entirely one color, like Thorax’s vivid opal eyes, Elytra’s eyes had pupils and sclera, like Chrysalis! Her eyes looked more similar to that of a pony’s.

“B…brother? Am I…?” she uttered, sounding sluggish. Her little voice soft and sweet and tired.

“It’s okay, we’re safe,” Thorax assured her, talking normally as he looked to the others, and smiled. “We’re in good company.”

“R-really…?” Elytra tried to see who this ‘company’ was but her eyes could only make out vaguely colored shapes.
“Are they… nice?”

“Yes, little one. You and your brother are safe with us.”

Elytra gasped lightly, for never had she heard a voice so gentle, so calming, so…

She scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head a bit before opening them again as the blurriness finally gave way to reveal the ‘company’ her brother said were a bunch of ponies! But her eyes were drawn to the tall white one, looking at her with a smile kinder than she’d ever received from anyone, except for perhaps Thorax.

Looking around at the others, Elytra saw more smiles, welcoming, kind, even a few that looked kinda silly, before she looked at the tall white pony again, looking like she was sorry.

“Little one, whatever is the matter?” Celestia asked, hoping she hadn’t done anything to upset the little changeling.

“I… I- I’m so sorry!” Elytra bowed her head, sounding on the verge of tears. “I know that-that… changeling have done bad things to you, and I… I hope you can fowgive us because we awe so sowwy!”

“Aw…” everypony reacted, when Celestia stepped forward and knelt down into a pony-loaf position, where her legs were all folded underneath her, so she could be on a closer level to Elytra.

The little changeling felt something soft and tickly touch her chin and she looked up in wonder as Celestia said to her, “There is no need to be sorry, little one, and no more reason to fear. We are your friends, and we will never let the Hive hurt you or your brother again.”

Elytra shook as tears began to overwhelm her and she let it out! She sobbed, relieved, happy, no longer afraid, and Celestia pulled her into a hug, finding her softer to the touch than she’d expected, and everypony finally saw the truth:

The changelings were not truly evil, but their mother was.

Meanwhile, in Twilight’s old tower where she and Spike had lived before relocating to Ponyville, Twilight and Luna had just told Twinken all that had transpired, of the changelings planning another invasion, how Midnight had apparently been captured, and now how Twilight felt Twinken alone could be the one who could find him.

Of course, hearing all this had been rather much for the young colt that he had barely managed to contain himself but couldn’t help shedding tears and stifling sniffles, Twilight wing-hugging him as she levitated a box of tissues to him.

“Th-thank you!” Twinken whimpered, accepting a tissue with his soft red aura to blow his nose.

The two princesses waited for Twinken to calm himself while Twilight incinerated the used tissue and set the box aside. Finally, Twinken took a shaky deep breath and asked, “So… how can I help? I wanna help, my big brother needs me!”

“Well, young Twinken…” Luna looked to Twilight, “I am not entirely sure why but Twilight believes you are the one who can help Midnight. Twilight?”

Twilight nodded and stood up to walk over to a marker board she still had in her tower, levitating a few different colored markers to draw out visual aids.
“Well, Luna, you told me that Midnight’s dream denied you access, which you say has never happened to you before.”

“It pains me to admit it so, yes,” sighed Luna, looking apologetic.

“But after hearing from Thorax about this Hive mind that controls the changelings,” Twilight began her theory, “I believe that maybe – Just maybe! – Twinken could be the one who could enter Midnight’s dream!”

Luna and Twinken shared a nervous look but kept listening.

“Thorax explained the Hive Mind only allowed Chrysalis to control her own children but not any changelings she was not the mother of,” Twilight went on, her theory sending her on a fervent roll, “and he also mentioned the Hive Mind is like a telepathic network, which the changelings use to communicate over long distances and even track each other!

“So Luna, would it be fair to say that Dream-Walking shares anything in common with telepathy?”

“In a way, yes,” Luna considered the prospect, “what Dream-Walking is, is opening your mind to another plane upon which all dreams occur. In this… Dreamscape, as I call it, anything a pony thinks or imagines can seem as real as life! Imagination gives rise to fears, anxieties, and other troubles that weigh upon a pony’s mind, making their troubles, their fears, their worries, anything at all that is bothering them apparent in this Dreamscape, often in some twisted or exaggerated expression that turns these fears and troubles into something that can be truly frightening.

“Dream-Walkers are able to step into the Dreamscape and use their own wills to shape it however the desire. It’s why whenever I perform my duties in watching over ponies’ dreams I manifest a… hall of doors that lead to the dreams of a specific individual. By stepping through the door I am creating a mystical telepathic link between my mind and the sleeping mind of the pony whose dream I have chosen to enter.

“Which brings us, Twinken, to why you are here. You see, last night while watching over dreams, I happened upon the door to Midnight’s dream! But when I tried to enter it, it repelled me. Quite painfully, I must say, but this- I don’t… Being denied access to somepony’s dream has never happened to me before! I probed the dream door more carefully and still it denied me entry.”

“So that brings me to my theory, Luna, Twinken,” Twilight spoke up, the two of them looking at the purple princess, as she told them, “I believe that you, Twinken, are perhaps the only one who can enter Midnight’s dream and find out where he might be held prisoner or anything else concerning his location or information about the changelings.”

“So… does that mean, you’re gonna take me to Midnight’s dream, Princess Luna?” Twinken looked hopefully at the moon princess, but the look on her face caused him worry.

“I…” Luna looked to Twilight, who shook her head no.

“Actually, Twinken, we believe, in order for this to be most effective, that you yourself must Dream-Walk into the Dreamscape and attempt access to Midnight’s dream,” Twilight elaborated, “There is a chance that if Luna helps you that Midnight’s dream will deny you as well.”

“So in other words,” Luna was finally realizing what Twilight was getting at, “you want me to unlock any latent lunar magic that is dormant in Twinken, and bestow upon him the power of Dream-Walking!”

“That’s the idea,” Twilight concurred, Twinken looking nervously between the two princesses. “Twinken, I understand this is a huge prospect and I would never ask anything like this of you unless there was a more promising option.

“Maybe there is but with this changeling invasion hanging over our heads, I don’t think time to find another solution is a luxury we have!”

Twinken sighed in worry when he felt Luna’s hoof on his shoulder and he looked up at her, “I can feel it in you, Twinken. You do indeed have lunar pony blood flowing through your veins, but due to how thin it’s become over the generations of your family I would doubt you’d ever develop any lunar powers at all. Unless you are willing to let me form a mystical link between us so that I might reach into your magic and bring that power to the surface.

“We understand how heavy this burden may feel upon your shoulders, and we will think no less of you if you are not up for-”

“Okay…!”

The princesses startled a bit at the determined look in Twinken’s bright red eyes as he gazed boldly at them and said, “Let’s do it!”

The two princesses shared a concerned look before Twilight asked, “Twinken… Are you absolutely sure?”

“Midnight’s my big brother and he’s always come through for me,” Twinken nodded although there was a light shiver in his voice.
“Now it’s my turn to come through for him. What do we do first?”

Twilight and Luna met each other’s gaze again and nodded and Luna said, “First we must prepare a magic circle.”

236. The Loss of Faith - Part 17 (Re-Edited)

“EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!” “Duke Cobalt, I assure you, all measures were taken to insure the security of the mine-” “And yet here we are, Duke Pipe Glass. I’ve said it before but none would listen – Only a unicorn can be trusted to lead the Department of Magic and Mysteries.” “No one cares about your opinion regarding matters such as this, Aurora. So why don’t you leave the big stuff to the members of this council who can actually protect this nation and you go back to your classrooms and continue poisoning our nations’ youth with your petty tribalistic ideals.” “I resent that, Firestorm!” “Someone in this room leaked the classified location of the energem mine and I demand they step forward and ANSWER FOR THIS OUTRAGE!!”

“Fillies and gentlecolts, please, order! Please!” Fancy Pants stood in the middle, trying to assuage the dukes and duchesses of the council.

Celestia had called the meeting of the council to the Royal Conference Room, a large room in the castle, a carpeted floor, with four angled antique tables, each with three of the dukes and duchesses sitting in attendance, twelve in all, on large comfortable chairs. Above was a large domed skylight window with four pillars holding up the roof, each pillar set behind each table directly behind the councilors. Behind each of the pillars stood a guard, present but unseen to ease discussions and deliberations made between the councilors.

At the back of the room, set opposite the door, was a throne where sat Celestia with Cadance standing at her side and a guard with familiarly vivid opal eyes on the other.

“Fancy Pants seems a bit… overwhelmed,” whispered Cadance to her aunt as they took in the show of squabbling politicians.

When Celestia had called for the meeting, Fancy Pants had shown up to volunteer his services as a speaker. A quick test by Thorax confirmed he was legitimate and even though they assured him he did not have to, what with his wife being due soon, Fancy Pants was determined.

“If you are volunteering to assist him in mediating the council, please, be my guest,” Celestia whispered back to her niece, but then she whispered to the guard beside her, “Well? Do you sense anything?”

“Not so far...” the guard whispered back. “Changelings can sense each other but some are better at hiding themselves than others, even from other changelings. I hope this doesn’t go on for much longer, the tensions in here are leaving a bad taste in my mouth…”

Cadance stepped forward, “Council of the Aristocracy, may I speak?”

“Princess Cadanza,” Fancy Pants bowed and stepped aside with a subtle look of relief, “the floor is yours.”

The dukes and duchesses calmed a little and watched as Cadance proceeded forward to stand in the center where all would see her. Taking a deep breath, Cadance began.

“I hear your worries, your frustrations, but the longer you argue the longer our true enemy has to conspire against our nation. Duke Cobalt Banks, you are correct that this breach in security must be resolved and we must assemble a strike force to reclaim the mine from the changelings. But for now, the security of our nation and our citizens takes priority.”

“What would you propose, Princess Cadance?” asked Firestorm the Duke of Defense and Security.

“The Crystal Empire can serve as a place of refuge as well as relief and aid should the worst come to pass,” Cadance answered.

“Correct me if I am mistaken, Princess Cadance,” interrupted Treaty Ink, the Duchess of Foreign Affairs, “but is not the Crystal Empire independent from Equestria?”

“I agree!” added Breadbasket, the Duchess of Agriculture and Nutrition, “You and your husband may be royalty of Equestria, but you’ve made it clear that your empire is merely a neighbor within our borders, after you declined my invitation to your farmers into the Galloping Grains Historical Agriculture society! So what gives you the right to come here and lecture us about running our nation?”

It seemed Breadbasket’s less-than-savory words opened the floodgates as the dukes and duchesses stood up from their seats and starting getting into each others’ faces in the middle of the floor, Cadance backing out nervously.

“How dare you speak to the princess in that tone!” “We of Cloudsdale are independent but we remember where our loyalties lies!” “Equestria should be able to stand on its own hooves.” “Your ‘Historical Agriculture’ group is a joke!” “WHICH OF YOU COWARDS BETRAYED US?!”

Fancy Pants tried to speak over the arguing to smooth it all over, Cadance looking apologetically towards her aunt, who sighed.

“Enough.”

All flinched and looked towards the princess of the sun as she suddenly radiated a harsh and sweltering light that quickly died away as Celestia stood up. In response, the councilors, all suddenly a little sweaty, returned to their seats as Celestia stepped forward with a look most cross.

“I called for this meeting to discuss the breach in our security and of an enemy that for all we know could be on its way here and now to war against us. But here I find a battle in my own palace! Ponies have died already! One of our princes has been taken captive, and instead of deliberating on a solution, planning a counter-strategy, or even a discussing a rescue you squabble and point hooves at each other over what is ultimately insignificant next to the matters that truly take precedence!

“…I call this meeting adjourned. We shall reconvene later to allow cooler heads to prevail.”

The look on Celestia’s face told the councilors she was in no mood for any more arguments of any kind, and so they retreated from her seething splendor. A few muttering to each other as they passed each other by out the door, and once they were all gone, Celestia sighed and slumped into her throne, appearances be damned, as Cadance and the guard who was actually Thorax stood before her with looks of concern.

“Now you see what I put up with,” sighed Celestia wearily, “The Aristocracy began with ponies noble and dedicated truly to protecting and serving our nation and its citizens. But… as generations have gone by some of their houses have not always yielded successors with Equestria’s best interests at heart…”

“Ugh, I’m glad they’re gone…” Thorax stifled a gagged burp, his disguise vanishing to reveal his true form. “All those mixed and riled emotions are gonna give me gas, I’m sure of it…”

Cadance and Celestia couldn’t help but have a small chuckle before Celestia asked, “So then, Thorax, what do you think? Could you sense any changelings among the council?”

“Well, I managed to get a taste of each one’s emotions, Your Highness,” Thorax responded, shaking off an unpleasant curdling in his stomach, “but… I’m sorry. I don’t think any of the councilors have been replaced by a changeling spy!”

“But if none of the Aristocracy has been replaced,” Cadance shared a worried look with Celestia, “who could the spy have disguised themselves as to gain the information of the mine?”

Celestia sighed, “It’s possible the spy disguised themselves as a guard, less conspicuous but still present to hear sensitive information during the meetings! Thorax, any chance you sensed anything strange about the guards?”

“Mm-mm, I made sure to look at everyone who was here for the meeting,” replied Thorax, “if there was a changeling spy here before, they’re probably gone by now.”

“That does make sense,” Cadance concurred, “after all, when Thorax was discovered we all assumed he was the spy. It’s possible the real spy overheard what happened and left then and there.”

“Then we’re back to square one,” Celestia groaned, “we don’t know who this spy is or whether or not they’re even still here!”

“Well, I think we should keep looking,” Thorax advised, “it’s better to be safe than sorry. If the spy is still here and we stop looking just because we think they’ve left they’ll keep spying on us for the Hive.”

“I agree, it is safer to be absolutely certain,” added Cadance, the two of them looking to Celestia.

The princess of the sun sighed, and looked to her new changeling friend, “Thorax, I request that you search for the spy. I cannot order you to, as I am not your ruler. I am asking this of you, as a friend, and perhaps the start of something that could mean something special between our two peoples.”

Realizing what Celestia was saying, Thorax was uncertain. He’d come to help Equestria against his own kind in order to protect his sister from becoming a slave like he had been. Fate had smiled upon him by how his link to the Hive Mind had been severed but what point was there to being free if the one changeling he’d ever cared about could not be free alongside him? And what about the rest of their kind? Should they remain enslaved to a collective consciousness that sought domination at the expense of individuality?

It was the memory of Elytra smiling and laughing as she’d played with their new friends in the garden that made up his mind.

“I’ll do it, for Elytra and for my new friends.”

“Thank you, Thorax,” Celestia was relieved, “You have my permission to do this as you would. My only condition is that you are discrete and handle this investigation quickly and quietly.”

Thorax nodded and resumed his disguise as a guard, a pegasus with a dark coat matching his true form’s exoskeleton, and making for the door.

“And Thorax?”

Thorax looked back to Celestia, “Be careful.”

Thorax smiled, touched by her concern, and proceeded out the doors.

Thorax had disguised himself as a server when several of the dukes and duchesses had retired to a castle lounge, obviously to discuss behind closed doors the meeting, and had ordered room service. Disguised as a pegasus, he used his wings to carry a tray of glasses of champagne to several of the councilors, eavesdropping as he did so.

“This absolutely blows…” commented Showstopper, the Duchess of Media and Entertainment, as she accepted a glass from Thorax and gave him a small smile and whispered ‘thank you’.
“I told them over and over again, that mine needed far more security than they gave it,” growled Cobalt Banks, the Duke of Energy and Resources as he paced back and forth.
“Banks, please, don’t start again…” groaned Lightning Wing, the Duke of Weather, as he downed his glass in one gulp.
“I wonder if there’s a chance I might be able to get my hooves on a changeling,” mused aloud Mareston Burner, the Duchess of Science and Innovation, “such a specimen would make for a fine research subject…”

Thorax was uncomfortable, not just by Burner’s words, but also by the mixed feelings in the lounge room. Granted the more placid emotions weren’t nearly as bad as they’d been in the conference room, they still simmered with anxiety, frustration, some anger here and there, and that repugnant taste of self-interest at the expense of others. Still, there were a few more likeable emotions, like concern, compassion, a determination to protect others.

Wait… what emotion was that he just sensed? It was worry, but it was a kind of worry Thorax had felt for a long time now. The cold and sometimes gut-twisting worry of getting caught, of being discovered, of what would happen like Thorax had went through after he fell for Sombra’s Eye of Truth trap.

Without realizing it he followed the emotion to its source and found Aurora Boreala, the Duchess of Education, sitting apart from her fellow councilors. She had a coat of arctic blue, her autumn red mane was in a voluminous style, she wore a mare’s business suit of cherry red, expensive-looking earrings of rubies hung from her ears, and her eyes rose pink were narrowed yet staring into nothing. She was sitting in a plush armchair, her rear legs crossed but one of her hooves fidgeting impatiently or as though she had something on her mind.

She then looked up and regarded Thorax (in her eyes, a nameless pegasus server) and crossly asked, “What are you looking at?”

“Oh! Uh- Excuse me, madam- Uh… champagne?” Thorax stuttered while holding out the platter with three more glasses, only to yelp as Aurora knocked the platter out of his wing, the glasses spilling and shattering on the floor.

All eyes turned in their direction as Aurora snapped at Thorax, “I don’t sip that cheap drivel! Now get out of my way, you uncultured brute!”

Thorax scrambled aside as Aurora stormed out of the lounge, and for a few moments nopony said anything until Showstopper huffed, “What crawled up her tailpipe and died?”

Thorax looked at the mess and then the dukes and duchesses, “Uh, sorry, I-I’ll just-”

“Heh-heh don’t let Boreala get to ya, kid,” Lightning chuckled, waving off Thorax’s worry, “Aurora’s always been such a huge snob. If you ask me, it makes the unicorns look bad!"

“To be honest,” spoke up Treaty Ink, the Duchess of Foreign Affairs, “I blame that horrid aunt of hers. Aurora had such promise when she was younger, but then her parents both died and her aunt stepped in as the new duchess of Education and raised Aurora herself. Not ideally, mind you…”

“Um, I… have to look into something,” Thorax quickly excused himself as he inched towards the door, “but I’ll have someone come and clean this mess up. Thank you!”

And he slipped out, closing the door behind him and assuming the form of a guard. He looked around and barely noticed Aurora’s tail slip around a corner. He hurried after her but quietly, not wanting to alert her.

Thorax wasn’t sure why but Aurora was hiding something and was just as afraid of discovery as he’d been only yesterday. He followed Aurora to the guest wing of the castle, and aside a couple close calls she never once suspected someone was on her tail.

Finally, she came to what must have been her private suite in the castle. Thorax peered around the corner of the hallway and watched her go in. He quickly tiptoed over but his ears caught the unmistakable sounds of a door locking.

“Oh great…” Thorax muttered as he began to puzzle out the situation. He couldn’t just break in, Aurora would raise a ruckus and he might blow his cover… when he noticed the door’s frame had a window over it. Even better, it was open!

He flapped his feathery wings to rise up but saw that his current body was too thick around the barrel to fit. He peered in and saw Aurora step through another door. He looked down the hallways and was glad to see no one, and lowered his disguise, returning to his smaller and more lithe changeling form. Very carefully, so as not to make any noise, Thorax slipped through the window and flittered down as quietly as possible.

He went over to the door and was glad to see Aurora had left it open a crack. Peering through, he saw it was to the suite’s bathroom and Aurora… she was levitating out four small black objects that Thorax couldn’t get a better look at as Aurora laid them on the bathroom counter next to the sink… when all of a sudden!

A beam of green light bridged between those objects, which rose up on some kind of web and shot a beam into the bathroom mirror… revealing a changeling wearing Hive Armor!

Thorax had to stifle a gasp as Aurora spoke, “This is going too far, Thorn! It was bad enough you and your ilk took the energem mine, but pony-napping a prince of Equestria?!”

“Ah, Aurora, and how is my favorite little spy…?” answered the changeling in the mirror called Thorn.
“Doing well, I hope?”

“Don’t change the subject, you backstabbing leech!” Aurora shrieked as she began to pace along the mirror’s length. “The princess just called a meeting to discuss the ‘breach in security’. If they haven’t already, they’ll begin investigating to find the one who blabbed the mine’s location – Me! This has to end.”

“And it will, in good time, my dear Aurora,” Thorn snickered, relishing the look on Aurora’s face.
“Once we’re done with our prisoners, I give you my word they will be returned no worse for wear… the prince however! I think we’ll hold onto him a little longer.”

“THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE!!” screamed Aurora, “I need Prince Midnight back along with the prisoners you’ve taken! You had no right to capture him in the first place!”

"Are you really in any position to demand such a thing?" Thorn questioned as his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Let's not forget whose hooks are in whom, here. You've gotten yourself into this little mess, and I expect you'll deal with the circumstances as they are.

“Although… we miiiiiggghhht consider returning the prince along with the rest of the prisoners, if…”

“If what?!” demanded Aurora, knowing for sure she was gonna have some grays in the morning.

“Well, it seems there’s a changeling in Canterlot right now,” Thorn spoke, sounding serious for the first time. “Now granted, we pulled all our operatives out of the city months ago! After all, once we had you to be our eyes and ears on the inside there was no point continuing to risk exposure.

“But early today, we sensed the presence of a changeling and were able to pinpoint its location in Canterlot. There should be no changelings in the city at all now, but then this one just appeared there from out of nowhere. So here’s the deal, Aurora – Find this changeling and bring it to us outside the city. Use the scarabs to signal us when you’ve arrived at the rendezvous site.”

“How am I supposed to find a changeling in Canterlot when I’m trying not to be associated to your kind?!” Aurora gaped at Thorn, this task he was giving her was next-to-impossible!

“Oh you’re a smart filly, Aurora,” Thorn sneered as his image and voice began to fade away. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out…”

Aurora found herself looking at her own crestfallen face in the mirror as the scarab devices fell and clattered upon the bathroom floor. Thorax could sense her despair, he fear, her worries, as she slumped into a sobbing heap on the floor, curling up into a fetal position.

I gotta get back to the others! He thought as he backed up, not noticing the gueridon table-

*Bump/Cla-thud*

“Huh?!” Aurora scrambled to her hooves, wiping her tears away and hurried into her suite, looking around to see if anypony was in there with her. She saw only her suite’s furniture, the four-poster bed, the armchair and coffee table, the buzzer for room service, the gueridon table with the vase on it-

Wait… was that always there? Aurora looked at the vase, which was roughly the size of a foal. It was black with vivid opal blue markings outlining the shapes of a pattern of leaves. She reached it and gave it a touch, feeling the soft and smooth firmness of ceramic, and sighed.

“I’m starting to lose it…” she muttered, “…I’m starting to lose everything.”

She gathered herself and took a deep breath before leaving the suite.

…

The vase was suddenly engulfed in vivid blue flame-like mana as Thorax fell over, breaking the table, and sighing in relief at that close call.

A half hour later, Aurora had decided to head home, and the sight of her children welcoming her and giving her hugs and kisses were something she sorely needed now. Stepping into the entry hall, she started making for the castle doors, outside awaited her personal carriage, ready to take her home.

“Excuse me, Duchess Boreala?”

Groaning inwardly, she turned to see a pegasus guard approaching her.

“…Yes?” Aurora kept her irritation reined in, hoping this wouldn’t delay her.

“Princess Cadance would like to discuss something with you, concerning study aids and more current text books for the schools in the Crystal Empire,” the guard explained.

“Sir, I am just about to go home, my carriage is waiting,” Aurora maintained her temper but there was an edge in her voice.
“So please pass my apologies on to Princess Cadance, but it will have to wait-”

“Duchess, I’m sorry, but this is not a request,” the guard said firmly, “the princess isn’t asking for your time…”

The guard’s tone vexed Aurora, the nerve of this brute with wings! But… she supposed she couldn’t blame him for following orders, and apparently Princess Cadance wouldn’t be taking no for an answer.

Must be the pegasus in her, ugh… she thought with a deep sigh.

“Fine… Lead the way.”

The guard nodded and gestured with his head for her to follow. Aurora followed at a distance, not wanting to smell this upstart’s stinky wing pits or be too close to his rear end in case he ripped one. The one time she’d been too close to a pegasus’s tailgate was her first and hopefully only experience of why pegasi have the most rancid farts.

She was so irritated she didn’t notice the door where the guard was leading her. He held it open and said, “After you, madam.”

“Hmph,” she responded but at least he had decent manners. For a brute.

But then she noticed where she had been led to, the castle home theater. The auditorium was dark, with the only one light shining, right down directly from above the ceiling situated to the space between the silver screen and the front row of seats.

“Is this some kind of a joke?!” Aurora turned to face the guard-

*Click*

-and heard the sound of a door locking, and the guard turning to face her with a stone face.

“Guard, what are you doing?” Aurora asked as though she were coming down on an unruly student.

“Dealing with a problem…” the guard answered cryptically.

“Open that door and tell me where Princess Cadance is,” ordered Aurora suddenly feeling on edge as the guard began to approach her.

“Princess Cadance didn’t summon you, duchess,” the guard said with a soft voice, approaching Aurora as she backed away into the light and the space between the front row and the silver screen.

“It’s just you and me…”

“What is the meaning of this?” Aurora was beginning to feel afraid. “Explain yourself!”

“Commander’s decided you’re a loose end, pony…” the guard let out a disturbing hiss and then – To Aurora’s screaming horror! – the guard was engulfed briefly in a soft blue flame-like mana that fell away to reveal a changeling!

“And so he’s sent me to take your place!”

“Wha- No! this can’t be happening!” Aurora cried out, backing up against the silver screen and wall of concrete behind it, trapped!

“Nothing personal, duchess,” the changeling hissed with a sneer, “but don’t worry – I’ll take good care of your kids!”

“NO! PLEASE! Whatever you want, I’ll do it!” Aurora fell over, scrambling back, holding up a foreleg defensively. “I have access to more useful information, I-I can give you names of ponies you can use or manipulate! WE HAD AN AGREEMENT!!!”

The changeling tilted his head in a mocking way as a syrupy drool dribbled from his hissing mouth, “An agreement…?”

“Yes! Commander Thorn swore to keep my indiscretions secret as long as I spied for him, that was the deal!!”

…

Aurora waited for the changeling to say something, the silence getting to her… when the changeling looked towards the darkened seats, “Did you get all that?”

An icy terror gripped Aurora in the chest as lights came on and she felt her whole world come crashing down as she saw several seats filled. With some of the bearers of Harmony, several guards, and most of the princes and princesses, all of them were looking upon Aurora with a variety of different looks.

She saw disgust, she saw anger, contempt, but then she saw Princess Celestia’s face and in her eyes she saw a sadness and a deep disappointment.

With a disheartened sigh, Celestia ordered, “Seize her.”

AAAAUUUGGGHHH-HA-HA-HAAAA!!! screamed Twinken as he ducked and dodged multiple dream-changelings while Rainbow Dash was having the time of her line putting the smack down.

C’mon, Twinken, throw a few! There’s plenty to go around! Rainbow laughed triumphantly, grunting and punching, and kicking, and sending one dream-changeling flying with a haymaker.

I’m a colt! I’m too small to fight these things! whined Twinken as he belly-slid under a changeling, causing the one had been chasing him to crash into the one he’d slid under.

But then his words gave Twinken an idea – He managed to find a clear spot while the dream-changelings turned their attention on Rainbow Dash.

Earlier, Luna had begun Twinken’s instruction in the art of Dream-Walking. It was a lot more complicated than just popping into somepony’s dreams and making it all better if they were having nightmares. A dream was a metaphysical plane where the reality was shaped by the will, the imagination, and even the fears of the dreamer.

A Dream-Walker was something of a wild card thrown into the scenario. When a Dream-Walker entered somepony’s dream they had to apply their desires and intentions with a strong-enough will and mental discipline in order to bend the dreamer’s dream to the Dream-Walker’s own will. But the dream belonged to the dreamer, not the Dream-Walker, so the dreamer’s own will, their imagination and fears, they were the foundation of the dream and as such would adhere to the dreamer’s mind first. It was not so much a battle of wills but a battle between a conscious mind and a subconscious mind, and the subconscious was a mysterious and sometimes unpredictable part of a mind.

Since he was only a beginner, Twinken didn’t have the mental fortitude to shape another’s dream to his own will. But in the Dreamscape or even in another’s dream he could apply this power upon himself!

C’mon, c’mon! Uh, dragon? No, too big… Buffalooooonnnoo, not very graceful, Twinken considered, Ooh! A minotaur!

He concentrated, ignoring all that was happening around him as he willed his dream-self to… shapeshift!

Shapeshifting in real life was much more difficult but in dreams there was no limit except your own doubts. A soft red and electric indigo light shined as Rainbow Dash and the dream-changelings looked to its source as a small silhouette grew bigger, one horn vanishing while two more took its place, a long bovine tail lengthening… and as the light dimmed, Rainbow got a clear look at Twinken.

Pph! …Uh! EhHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHhahhaa!!! Rainbow keeled over in gut-bursting laughter, as did the dream-changelings when they saw Twinken.

What?! What’re yooooouuuuu laughing at? Twinken was confused until he realized he wasn’t standing on two legs like a minotaur. He was still on all fours. Then he shuffled and yelped as he felt something sway around his nether regions and he looked between his legs and panicked as he realized, I’M A COOOWW!!!

Embarrassed and having had enough, Twinken willed the way out to appear and dove through it, though Rainbow’s laughing still echoed in his head.

“AAAUUGGHH!!! Oh!!” Twinken grunted as he landed on the floor, and quickly looked himself over, sighing in relief to see he was his normal unicorn colt self. Looking around, he saw he was in his room.

Or rather an image of his room projected onto the Dreamscape, and what he had come out of resembled a photo album. He looked at it and saw the picture he’d seen earlier, of Rainbow going hoof to hoof with a swarm of changelings.

Other pictures showed friends and family in all kinds of scenarios, some silly, some fun, some weird.

“Soooo, how did it go?”

Twinken startled and turned around to see Luna lying in the dream-image of his bed, looking at one of his books.
“You know, you have quite an interesting taste of literature for a colt your age.”

“…Were you watching?” Twinken asked, morosely.

“Yes, not bad for a first solo try,” Luna assured, Twinken scoffing, “Oh come now, Twinken, I know you didn’t technically succeed but I wouldn’t have called it an… udder failure.”

The look Twinken glared at Luna made her shrink back a little and chuckle nervously before clearing her throat, “Sorry, that… that was in poor taste.”

“Rainbow Dash has a really weird idea of ‘sweet dreams’,” Twinken grumbled as he closed the album of dreams. Recalling the feeling of something fleshy and bulbous hanging around a very private place on his body caused Twinken to shudder at the memory of the udder.
“I saw the changelings in the picture and… I dunno, I thought it was Midnight’s dream!”

“You’re looking at this the wrong way, Twinken,” Luna explained, “Instead of looking for changelings in dreams, look for something you believe Midnight would dream about!”

“What do you mean?” Twinken looked at Luna, a little more attentive.

“Your perspective of the Dreamscape manifested as your bedroom and the dreams you seek as pictures in that photo album,” Luna elaborated, “to give you a sense of ease and calm. Dreams, especially good dreams, are the same way.

“I know we can’t be certain of whatever it is he is dreaming of, but consider what you believe your brother would dream about, of things that would make him happy or what he would find calming. I wish I could take you to his dream myself, but the surest chance of success you have of entering Midnight’s dream is if you find it on your own.”

Sighing, Twinken opened the album again, looking at the pictures that were actually dreams of ponies. He placed a hoof over one and closed his eyes, letting his senses get a feel… and he knew almost at once that this photo was the dream of Dinky!

A blush warmed Twinken’s face as he felt tempted to enter, but his heart felt too flittery at the idea.

"Twinken! Luna! Wake up!"

Twinken’s ears perked at the distant voice as he turned around to Luna, “What was that?”

Luna looked up and around, “Oh it appears Twilight is calling for us to wake up. I’m afraid we’re going to have end things here, for now, Twinken. Twilight wouldn’t be waking us up unless it was important.”

“So, then what do we-” Twinken tried to ask, but Luna interrupted.

“Oh it’s easy, Twinken, all you have to do is… wake up!”

“…you okay? Wake up!”

“Mmm… Twinken groaned as he was propped up by somepony and his eyes creaked open to see it was, “Twilight…?”

“Welcome back, you two,” Twilight smiled at him and then Luna, who was already standing up and stretching her cricks out.
“And Twinken, you… Well, you look a bit different now.”

“Huh? Whattya mean?” Twinken asked and he was answered by a hoofheld mirror in his face… and he saw what Twilight meant.
“Huh! Weird…”

He reached up to his ears, which now had little tufts of fur at the tips and when he opened his mouth he noticed he had little fangs! Twinken was bewildered by these changes made to his body, Luna stepping up beside him as she explained, “Your lunar pony heritage has been brought to the surface, and made itself known physically as well as magically.

“I hope you’re… not upset.”

“Nuh-uh,” Twinken gave Luna an accepting smile, “I think it’s actually… kinda cool. Besides, it’s all to help Midnight.”

“Speaking of, I’m sorry for interrupting… whatever it was you two were doing, but something’s happened,” Twilight spoke up.
“We need to head back to see the others.”

“Then let’s be off,” Luna declared as she led the way out of Twilight’s tower, with Twilight and Twinken following close behind.

Author's Note

All dukes and duchesses (except for Aurora Boreala) were copyrighted by their creators, as this blog explains

Spirals95 suggested adding this last scene, and I decided to peer into how Twinken's Dream-Walking training is going. Luna can see the Dreamscape as a hall of doors that each lead to an individual pony's dream but for Twinken, he sees the Dreamscape as his bedroom and he accesses other dreams via a photo album where each picture is a pony's dream

237. The Loss of Faith - Part 18

The atmosphere was oppressive and dim for Aurora. The mare couldn’t stop shaking, as the dark dungeon walls seemed to loom over her. This cell had none of the finer furnishings Celestia spruced the majority of her dungeon with, this cell…

It was the real thing, reserved for those like Aurora.

She could feel the cold metal of the magic inhibitor ring locked around her horn, and the unbendable iron chains keeping her front legs shackled together to limit her movement. But the stonewalls and the steel bars of her cell door were nothing in comparison to the icy glare Celestia was giving her. The alicorn was brimming with anger and disgust, that one among her council had turned traitor and committed such an act of treason, endangering her kingdom. Standing beside the seething alicorn, Sombra and Twilight looked equally angry. All stood within the cell walls staring down the terrified unicorn in front of them.

For a time, the cell was filled with silence, as Aurora suffered under the piercing glares of the royals before her, wishing this were all just some nightmare she could awaken from. Eventually however, Celestia found her voice.

“To say that I am deeply furious right now, Aurora? That would be an understatement... You are a duchess of the Aristocracy. One of the ponies who have the highest honor of serving and protecting Equestria. Yet you betray your fellow pony to our enemies. Even now as I stand before you, it is taking all my will not to unleash my rage and turn you to ash...”

Her voice had remained level and calm, but the venom and fire behind them was all too clear to Aurora. She tried to will herself to close her eyes or turn away from the scorn in front of her, but Celestia’s stare had her paralyzed with fear. Sombra took a step forward, his barrel broad and powerful, letting his height further intimidate the mare in chains before him.

“Your treachery goes beyond harming us, Aurora – You have endangered the entire kingdom! Our ally, the changeling Thorax witnessed your communication with the changeling Thorn, the changeling commander that led the ambush where Prince Shining Armor was injured and Prince Midnight Blaze kidnapped. Multiple incidents and several lost lives are upon your head!”

The male alicorn lowered his head, bringing his eyes level with Aurora in front of him. While Celestia’s eyes had been filled with rage, Sombra’s eyes contained something else. Aurora almost gasped when she realized that beneath the clear anger, a smidgen of understanding lay within. The mare was still terrified, but that one small feeling behind his old eyes, brought some calm to her.

“We have heard Thorax’s report of the conversation you had with Thorn, and it is clear that there is more to this than simple treason. As such, Aurora, you have two options. Option One, tell us everything that you have done, and any information you know about the changeling threat, and a sliver of mercy will be shown to you. Or Option Two, you can resist and try to hide what you have done. I would not recommend you choose Option Two…”

Aurora opened her mouth, but no words seemed to come forth. She tried, a few times, but all she managed to produce was a scarred stutter. Sombra remained still, his eyes searching her own, trying to find a clear understanding of her motives without having to resort to darker methods.

Finally, Twilight Sparkle spoke up.

“Aurora, right now I am doing everything I can not to scream at you. Midnight, my… my beloved is in danger, and our nation could be next. We need to know what you know. Please tell us, or we are going to have to dig on our own and we really don’t want to do that.”

It was this, almost desperate plea that finally released whatever kept Aurora’s words contained as she took a shivery deep breath and uttered, “I… I… I didn’t know at first that-that he w-was a changeling…”

Sombra backed up out of Aurora space as the mare tried to compose herself and speak. Celestia didn’t seem to be able to do anything but glare, but Twilight beside him was watching and listening with rapt attention, praying something this mare in front of her said could get her to Midnight.

“It… it was after the meeting with P-Princess Celestia… about her plans to abolish the Aristocracy… that our positions and titles would no longer be passed on to our future family generations. I… I was so angry… to think that, that ordinary common folk could be granted such positions, such prestige, that even more non-unicorns could be given power within the Kingdom… I just… I couldn’t stand it…”

If anything this just seemed to make Celestia even more furious. Sombra’s gaze beside hardened, but the kindness in his eye didn’t waiver. Twilight was too focused on gleaming for facts to even make a statement about how primitive and backwards this mare’s thinking was.

“I… I was taking a walk through the gardens when… when this unicorn stallion approached me… He said… said that he agreed with me, and that he could do something to force Celestia’s hoof… make her change her mind about the Aristocracy… He said that if I passed along any information from the council meetings, he would use the information to create problems in Equestria that only the Aristocratic council could fix, and show that only we should have the power to run Equestria, not the commoners… I-I agreed.”

The mare gave a despondent sniff before continuing.

“It was only after I had told him about the mine that things got out of hoof, when I heard about the changeling attack. I sought him out and demanded to know what was going on! But then… he dropped his disguise and revealed himself as some kind of changeling officer! He mocked me and told me I was his… That if I didn’t comply and continuously feed him information th-that he’d… He’d…! He’d kill my children, right in front of me! I-I had to do as he said! I couldn’t bear the idea of my colt and filly being slaughtered for my mistakes! I’m sorry! I am so sorry…!! I didn’t mean for any of this to happen…”

Aurora just broke down before them, tears flowing from her eyes as she curled into a ball on the floor. Celestia watched her, anger in her eyes still, but also pity. Sombra and Twilight both lowered their brows, not sure what to feel, pity for this mare who had been tricked and threatened, or anger for having resorted to this because of petty tribalism and greed.

However before anything more could be said, the cell door slammed open and a panicked guard raced into the room, fear in his eyes.

“Your Majesties, you’ve gotta come quick!”

“Soldier, what is it?” asked Sombra, his wife and Twilight both looking concerned at how frantic the guard was.

“It’s- I… The city, Canterlot!” he panted before gathering himself and reporting, “Enemy forces have been sighted on the city outskirts, Your Highnesses; Canterlot is under threat!”

The three alicorns shared a disturbed look.

Insect wings buzzed so loudly that they could be heard from the highest towers of Canterlot castle. Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of changelings were marching or buzzing en masse towards the city. But it wasn’t just changelings – They were accompanied by dozens of new kinds of changelings, such as the manticore-changelings Shining Armor had seen back in the energem mine, along with changelings that looked like minotaurs, as well as three hulking-sized changelings resembling the ape-goat Cyclops monsters!

Many of the changelings wore cobalt-colored armor with stag beetle jawed helmets, armed with spears that resembled barbed stingers, shields shaped like black beetles, and some carried large orbs glowing a poisonous green!

The alicorns, the element-bearers, Twinken, Spike, and Thorax stood upon a balcony and took in the coming threat with dread. Thorax had insisted Elytra stay with Twilight and Shining Armor’s parents – He did not want her to see this.

“This is worse than before…” Thorax fretted aloud, everypony looking to him while his gaze was locked outwards towards the coming threat. “So many hybrids! Plus they’re armed, and some of them have Bug Bombs!”

“Bug Bombs?” echoed Sombra, as the weapons sounded serious.

“Those orbs they’re carrying!” Thorax began to pace as panic rose in his voice, “They explode with changeling magic and anyone caught in the blast is magically poisoned and become helpless, unable to defend themselves!”

“So they don’t kill,” gathered Celestia.

“Only if you’re too close to bomb when it goes off,” Thorax elaborated as he began to hyperventilate, “Changelings” – Gasp! – “need to capture” – Gasp! – “live victims” – Gasp! – “since we can’t-”

“Thorax!” Cadance came over, placed a comforting wing over the young changeling to get him to stop fidgeting, and then gestured him to place his hoof over his chest and then take a deep breath.

It helped.

“Hoo, thank you, Princess Cadance,” Thorax sighed before clearing his throat. “The Bug Bombs are meant to incapacitate enemy units or potential victims. Because, well… Changelings can’t feed off the love of… dead prey.”

“Makes sense,” Blueblood nodded before asking, “And… the hybrids?”

Thorax sighed fearfully as he looked out over the balcony again, barely able to notice the larger figures among the changelings in the distance.

“As I mentioned before, Changeling Hybrids aren’t created often because the Hive Mind doesn’t control them as well as it controls the regular changelings. I think it’s safe to say there are some manticore changelings out there, but I’m not sure what the rest are. Probably made from few creatures, and good news is since they’re not pure changelings they lack a changeling’s shapeshifting abilities, except turning into a normal version of their hybrid heritage.”

“You mean a manticore changeling hybrid could make itself look like a regular manticore and nothing else?” Shining Armor ventured a guess.

“Uh-huh!” Thorax nodded.

“We must move quickly,” Sombra took command, “Celestia, alert the citizens, order an evacuation to the bunkers, and prepare the city’s magical defenses. I shall lead a ground assault to meets these encroachers head-on!”

“Hey Prince Sombra!” Rainbow Dash flew up in front of him, “Thunder and Soarin and I can go to Wonderbolt HQ and get their help in repelling any aerial attacks!”

“Speaking of aerial attacks,” Blueblood spoke up, “I have an airship prototype at my company for just such an occasion.”

“I can prepare a medical team,” Cadance volunteered, “I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”

“EVERYPONY, PLEASE!” Celestia fanned out her wings, everypony hushing up, “One at a time, we must get organized and determine who can help with what effort.”

It was decided quickly enough. Sombra, with the aid of Duke Firestorm of Defense and Security, would lead the ground resistance while Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Thunderlane flew off to Wonderbolt HQ to rally the best fliers in Equestria for aerial support.

Blueblood went to his company, New Heights Avionics, to get his experimental battle airship, with Rarity and Fancy Pants accompanying him.

Cadance and Fluttershy, along with Doctor Miracle Cure, the Duchess of Health and Welfare, would be in charge of relief and aid.

Celestia ordered an evacuation of the city into specially prepared bunkers in case the enemy forces breached the city, with Applejack and Big Mac helping in the evacuation. Meanwhile Celestia would prepare the city’s magical defenses, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich following her around and setting up a few… surprises for the changelings.

Luna insisted to Twinken the time to enter his brother’s dream was now, and requested Twilight, Shining Armor, and Thorax to accompany them. Thorax had been reluctant to leave Elytra behind, but Celestia assured him that Elytra would be watched over by Night Light and Twilight Velvet in a castle safe room. After some “encouragement” from Twilight, Spike assured Thorax he’d be with Elytra to keep her company.

As everypony prepared for the looming threat, Twinken looked out the window of Twilight’s tower, with Twilight beside him, dreading what was to come.

“I’m scared…” Twinken whispered, grateful when Twilight wing-hugged him, and he looked up at her, “but I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will,” Twilight smiled supportively at him when they heard not so subtle can-we-move-this-along throat clearing.

They turned to see Luna and Shining Armor, the former saying, “It is time, Twinken. It would have been ideal for you to find Midnight’s dream on your own, but time is no longer our ally.”

Shining Armor sighed as he could see the coming threat out the window, approaching the foot of Mount Canterhorn.
“I should be out there, doing my part…”

“You have done plenty already,” Luna assured him, “but in your current condition you would be of more help here.”

“She’s right, Shining Armor,” Twilight agreed, “you might not be able to fight but you can still cast some strong spells in case there’s trouble.”

“And I’ll sense any changelings that might still be lurking around in disguise,” added Thorax.

“Now then, with that settled,” Luna raised her voice, “I must now guide Twinken through the Dreamscape to find Midnight’s dream. After that, it will all be up to you, Twinken, to help him however you can.”

Taking a deep breath, Twinken nodded determinedly, “I’ll do my best.”

Luna nodded back before looking at their three escorts, “Watch over us while we slumber. I cannot say for certain how long we’ll be under, but it is crucial we are not disturbed until we both wake up.”

“You can count on us,” Twilight assured, Shining Armor and Thorax nodding in agreement.

“With that settled, Twinken,” Luna looked to the little unicorn with a trepid and parental hesitance, “just close your eye, and… sleep…”

Luna’s horn glowed so softly it was almost undetectable but the effect was apparent as Twinken suddenly felt drowsy, his little body settling down upon a pillow that Twilight quickly provided… and in no time at all he was snoozing away. Luna followed shortly after, leaving Twilight, Shining Armor, and Thorax to watch over them in suspenseful concern.

Doors of Luna’s Hall of Dreams passed her and Twinken by quickly until finally she stopped the flow and stepped towards a specific door. Twinken walked up beside her and looked upon this door to see his brother’s cutie-mark… and a strange soft green glow emanating from the crack beneath it.

Twinken looked up at Luna, who gestured him forward, so Twinken slowly and nervously reached out with his hoof… his eyes scrunched shut, expecting something bad to happen… only for a solid pressure to stop his hoof from going any further. He peeked through one eye and sighed in relief to see his hoof touching the door and nothing had happened.

“It appears Twilight’s theory is correct,” Luna spoke, “She and I discussed it, and we think that while whatever the changelings have done to Midnight is keeping me out Midnight’s sleeping mind is somehow able to recognize your touch and does not repel you.”

“Does… that mean Midnight knows he’s asleep or… in trouble?” asked Twinken, a light tremble of concern in his voice.

“I am afraid I would say unlikely,” Luna sighed with a shake of her head. “Our conscious minds do not work the same as our subconscious minds, Twinken. The subconscious is a mysterious thing, almost a will of its own but tied to the conscious mind, influencing us subtly and oft allowing us to perceive what our natural senses do not.

“I cannot say for certain what you will find in Midnight’s dream, but whatever it is you must convince him to wake up and fight!”

“Something tells me it’s not gonna be easy…” Twinken said warily… but he turned to his brother’s dream door, looking ready to face the world as he declared, “But I’m not gonna let him down!”

Luna couldn’t help but feel like a proud mom, as she reached over and placed her hoof on Twinken’s shoulder, and he looked up at her as she said solemnly, “You are destined to do great things, Twinken. It is not because you are younger brother to an alicorn prince, but in you I see a valiant and noble heart. When all of this is over, I am going to make you an offer.”

“What kind of offer?” Twinken had a feeling this was big.

Luna smiled and chuckled lightly, “You have enough to think about for now, so let’s save that for when everypony is safe and sound.”

She looked at the door, Twinken following suit, as Luna spoke, “As I said, I can’t be certain what you will encounter in Midnight’s dream, Twinken, for we have no clue as to what the changelings have done to him at this point.

“But remember – It is a dream, and as long as you keep that in mind nothing in there can truly hurt you. What you must be concerned with is helping Midnight to realize whatever scenario he is trapped in it is not real and that he must wake up.

“Do you understand, little one?”

An eerie shiver caused Twinken to shake his flanks but he took a deep breath, and nodded.

“Then go forward, and good luck,” Luna bade, her form fading away, and Twinken she had woken up.

The rest of the hall of dream doors faded away as well, leaving Twinken alone with the door to his brother’s dream, surrounded by a starry void. Now that he was alone, the full weight of the task ahead of him fell down upon the little colt’s shoulders. It was scary, a little nerve-wracking, and a chilly terror pinched his innards with the realization that whether he succeeded or failed may just very decide the fate of many.

His brother was counting on him. His real brother! Not adopted, not honorary, his own flesh and blood. Twinken could still remember the feelings he’d felt when he’d opened Midnight’s birthday present, the locket showing a picture of them and their parents!

His father, Ignitus, looked like a great stallion, his mother, Faerie Tail, looked beautiful and kind, and having gotten to meet his uncle Joe had made it even better! As short as the time they’d spent together before Luna showed up to bring him to Canterlot, Twinken had been so grateful to have it. He’d asked Joe questions about his mom and dad, and Joe had been happy to answer most of them… except for any questions Twinken had put forward about where his parents were now.

Joe had been uncomfortable but refused to budge, telling Twinken his brother Midnight would answer those questions.

And he sure is hay will… Twinken vowed to himself before touching the door and it opened at his will as he whispered, “I’m coming, big brother.”

Author's Note

Progress slowed down because I didn't fully plan out "The Loss of Faith" arc and it took some brainstorming and some help from my partners

238. The Loss of Faith - Part 19

The hangar room was packed with activity, earth ponies and pegasi scrambling about to tend to a craft sitting in the center of the unusually roomy building. With just a plain concrete floor and brass ribs holding up the roof of the curved ceiling, nopony observing from the outside would guess that it contained the latest airship Blueblood’s ace hardware experts had been constructing over the past few months. Of course, the workers’ pride in what they had built did not mean that they were prepared for what their boss had to say.

“But sir, the Warhawk isn’t ready yet!” protested the lead engineer, “We only just got the injector engines working yesterday, and the fire control system isn’t in place… everything would have to be aimed manually!”

“Well unfortunately, Canterlot is having a little bit of a bug infestation at the moment,” was Blueblood’s response to his senior builder’s complaints, “I need a crew, I’m captaining her right away.”

The Warhawk class corvette was a small airship meant to be crewed by five ponies, the captain, a pilot, two gunners, and an operations officer. Barely large enough to be classified as a military vessel, it was only occupying about a fourth of the massive hangar. Like most of the airships manufactured by the prince's firm, it was longer than it was wide, but the gas balloon over the single-floored canopy was far different. Not only was it flatter than most seen on Equestria’s airships, the bag was also covered in a mysterious mesh made of a metallic material, the balloon itself barely visible from the outside.

Two large propeller assemblies on the back were used to move the craft forward, in addition to four smaller mounts encased in brass rings on the sides for better control. The barrels of a pair of dorsal belt-fed crossbows poked out from the sides of the craft, each one contained in a rounded casemate topped with a glass dome. The entire hull assembly, painted a silver color, could be walked past in under a minute, but the compact design was exactly what Blueblood had wanted.

“Why now?” asked the desperate pegasus engineer, Blueblood’s loyal crewponies coming over to help him.

“Because the Warhawk is the fastest airship we’ve ever constructed,” he answered, “and its secret weapon is just what we need to handle the changelings.”

“I know, it’s just… the defense mechanism might not work!”

The prince, growing impatient, snatched a nearby soldier’s crossbow from him with his magic and fired it off at the balloon. As soon as the bolt hit the mesh, a flash of blue light engulfed the projectile, and it was snapped in half with a hiss of sparks.

“It seems ready to me. Is she fueled and armed?”

“Y-yes sir,” meekly came the reply.

Blueblood nodded, and threw the crossbow to the ground carelessly, before moving to enter the craft, accompanied by two pegasus guards in thin, green flight uniforms, and his selected co-pilot. Deciding to help them, the lead engineer took a deep breath, and followed them into the craft to serve as the ship’s special weapons officer.

Inside the vessel, Blueblood pushed his way through the cramped metal tube of a hallway connecting the crossbow battery turret housings to the main cockpit. Opening the hatch with his hoof, and his co-pilot soon behind him, he crawled into the frontal canopy and sat himself down at the control console, a nice large W-shaped steering control in front of him a pony could easily hang their hooves on to helm the vessel. The glass pane of the bridge, split into three sections nicely by the support beams, gave them a nice view of the engineers scrambling to load the remaining supplies into the tiny vessel. Blueblood’s copilot sat in the other swiveling chair next to him, and the earth pony started to flick various switches and levers inside.

“Ignite the steam-injector engine,” ordered the prince, “and open the hangar doors. We’re heading out!”

“Affirmative.”

The other two ponies and their special weapons officer sat in the side control room, two pegasus guards took seats inside the turret assembly room, their windows giving them a more generous view angle from inside the armored casemate of the gun. Each officer on the side of the craft sat down in a seat and attached a pair of control sticks to their front hooves. As energy from the ignited steam engine reached the turrets, the crossbows built from heavy gunmetal came to life. Testing each gun, the pegasus ponies moved their hooves, manipulating the two control rods on each side of the gun. As they did, the turret assembly and the chair swiveled together, aiming the barrel of the crossbow around on the outside of the ship. The belt of ammo, a strip of paper with bolts embedded, was color-coded green, which would turn red when the turret was down to its last 100 rounds.

In the cockpit, the co-pilot, her red mane getting in her eyes, struggled to activate the active-defense rune shield mesh on the balloon. In front of her on the boilerplate console was a magic rune in the shape of a blue arc, the amount of the arc filled with blue energy indicated just how much shield the balloon had left.

Blueblood had designed the system himself after a sleepless night thanks to nightmare involving him going down with one of his own vessels… after a lucky shot managed to pierce his largest battleship’s entire balloon assembly. Any airship afloat could easily take several hits to its hull from even explosive rounds or the nastiest spells, but a good hit to the balloon would inevitably down the vessel. Most of the designs in use had compartmental gasbags inside the assembly, which prevented total loss of buoyancy, but it was still the weakness of any ship.

In his genius, the prince had figured out a solution in the form of a metal alloy “net” that was magically welded to a rune system fed power from an energem kept hot and powered up by the ship’s compressed steam engine. Shield runes were typically used as private defense systems for wealthy nobles’ homes and castles, usually meant to guard against Equestria’s beasts or the rare weather accident. Unfortunately, balloons made poor objects to wrap a shield around thanks to their thin skins, and in testing a regular shield would wrap around the balloon and slowly burn it. To solve this, the metallic mesh contained the shield energy within each little hole between wires. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep the vessel’s balloon intact vs changeling blasts…

Above them, the hangar doors began to grind open as massive clockwork gears strained to expose the sky above them. The room opened up and out like a chest as engineers cut the ropes holding the Warhawk in place. Once the doors had stopped, Blueblood pulled down on the control paddle, eager to get the ship into the air.

Immediately, the Warhawk seemed to refuse his commands, instead deciding the best course of action was to shut down the steam engine. The lights in the canopy dimmed, the sad whine of the steam pumps giving out, and the slow clunking of the propellers stopping all joined together in a mocking reminder to Blueblood that yes, this was still a prototype. The prince let out a bit of an unpleasant word as his own vessel seemed to want to avoid obeying his orders, an act of mechanical subordination he would not be tolerating.

"Gaaah, stupid..." he growled, baring his teeth, "come on!"

The unicorn smacked the control console with his hoof, rattling it sharply. Something must have been knocked back into place with the blow, as the ship's engine reignited and the power supply returned to the console. Once more, the Warhawk purred to life, and this time, responded to Blueblood's pull on the controls perfectly.

"There we go! She just needed some encouragement," he laughed to his copilot, hoping to excuse his behavior. All he got in return was an eye roll, but he didn't seem to mind.

Once they were far enough above the hangar, Blueblood peered out the nearest window and looked down to see his Rarity, gazing up towards the ship. Towards him, and seeing her hooves held over her heart and the worry in her eyes, it emboldened the unicorn prince.

For years since he was given his title, he had been treated in ways insincere, mocked behind his back, wooed by mares who sought his attentions for all the wrong reasons. But today…

Today, I prove my worth not because of my aunt’s affections, Blueblood thought as he sighed and got back to his seat and flipped some switches, today… I prove it by protecting my country, and my love.

Then aloud, he commanded, “Set course for the foot of Mount Canterhorn! We’re gonna give those bugs a surprise they’re never going to forget!”

“AYE-AYE, SIR!!” responded the crew, and the Warhawk began crossing the Canterlot skies.

"Steady, I am only saying that-" "No, don't do that! Every time - Every time! - you can't help but criticize the way I work and you try to get me to do things your way!" "It just seems a little discombobulating the way you have these meds arranged so haphazardly." "Ever hear of organized chaos?!"

Fluttershy timidly watched the conversation like a ping-pong match. She had volunteered to assist in relief & aid and the medical teams had set up shop just inside the castle gates. Nurses, field-medics, and doctors were going to and fro, setting up hospital tents with cots, nursing stations supplied with meds and bandages and anything else that might become necessary in light of the coming battle, for the inevitable injured. Or fallen.

Doctor Steady Hoof was getting into it with Doctor Miracle Cure, the Duchess of Health and Welfare on the Aristocratic Council. She was a unicorn mare of periwinkle blue with a salmon pink mane tied back in a high ponytail, her saffron yellow eyes narrowed out of tested patience behind her rectangular lensed glasses, and her doctor coat was tailored in a way to show her cutie-mark of a mortar and pestle shined over by three rays of light. Besides being among Equestria's most skilled and experienced medical officers, Miracle had once been Steady's mentor back when he attended medical school.

Not that it mattered at all to the surgeon, who seemed to refuse his mentor’s every wish despite the heavy tension.

“It would be helpful if you let me do things my own way,” he insisted, spreading out a set of transfusion tubes while preparing an iced batch of universal type blood packs for the likely incoming patients, “you’d be better off letting modern emergency medical officials working on the wounded of war.

“Are you saying I’m out of date?” huffed the duchess indignantly.

“Why don’t you ask your book on the four humors?” joked Steady Hoof in response.

Fluttershy tried to whisper a word in edgewise, “Um, excuse me, but...”

Ignoring her, Miracle shouted back at Steady Hoof, “You’re going to make the wounded terrified with that horrible scowl and bags of blood everywhere!”

His answer was merely to shrug and continue to hang the bags of replacement bodily fluids on IV racks for preparation. Miracle Cure wasn’t too thrilled with him ignoring her, and she forced him to turn around with her magic. A surly doctor was not something she wanted to see, and she could not understand why her old student had gone from a bright smile under her training to someone so gruff.

Ever since he left his training in medical school, Steady Hoof’s only goal was to not lose patients despite his gruff attitude and unorthodox medical strategy. The unicorn’s scary yet effective surgical methods had resulted in him being accused of being a necromancer on more than one occasion. Indeed, there were times when he brought back wounded mares and stallions from what his colleagues had clearly seen as still hearts and cold brain activity.

But despite all of those times, Steady Hoof kept secret what he considered his greatest personal accomplishment, and also what made him scowl. Most of his surgeries were on something a bit… cruel. A stab, an arrow, a very debilitating disease that required the work of the skilled knife. But he had always believed that medicine was for the sick, and that he’d never see anything he couldn’t handle.

But…

There was that one horrific day he couldn’t forget. The EMT’s had brought before him that day a terrible case that broke his heart… a poor filly playing on the sidewalk had been crushed beneath a runaway carriage. Steady Hoof had rushed to fix the accident and demanded to know why the carriage had no driver, only to be informed there was one… but he wasn’t sober. The foal herself was put on a surgery table for him in the fluorescent-lit room, and the surgeon fresh out of medical school refused to describe what she looked like. All he could remember was vomiting, and perhaps losing a chunk of his soul as well to the scene. But he had a job to do...

With his trusty scalpel in hoof, as he didn’t trust his own aura due to the “bobbing” effect it put on his knife, and twelve hours of surgery and healing magic, he had managed to put the young one back together again internally, even using the medically arcane arts to fashion a new segment of bone out of calcium pills and a hooful of stem cells from her innards. Within the day, he had done it, and the young mare was going to live! It was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, and his biggest success.

Yet, when the filly started to breath again under her own strength, and her big eyes opened up… Steady did nothing but plainly state, “Excellent, you lived. Your parents will be thrilled, kiddo.”

Miracle Cure could see the anger and hurt in her student’s eyes. He clearly only cared now about making sure others went home with a pulse, but it had soured his attitude about life.

“What happened to you?” she demanded, hoping to get an answer.

“Well duchess, perhaps surgery has changed me,” he responded, “you’d really hate the story, ma’am, so if you’d please move aside… I’d like to finish setting up this trauma ward on time.”

“We are going to keep things neat and organized,” she insisted, nearly growling, “it’s what will keep our soldiers comfortable.”

Steady Hoof growled for a second, and then, with a stomp of his hoof started screaming, “AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! THIS ISN’T A GAME OF HOSPITAL, NAG! STALLIONS ARE GOING TO DIE!!!”

She fired back with her own screaming, “AT LEAST I’M TRYING TO MAKE THEIR LAST MOMENTS PEACEFUL, YOU MONSTER!”

“Um, doctors?” Fluttershy quietly tried to step in.

“SHUT UP!” they both yelled angrily, making the timid pegasus wince.

"THAT IS ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU!!"

Miracle, Steady, and Fluttershy looked to see Princess Cadance giving a very-disapproving stink eye, "We need to get this relief & aid station up and ready ASAP and we don't need some petty foalish bickering between colleagues impeding our efforts. Doctor Steady Hoof, you're not wrong and there's no point denying it, good stallions are going to die. Regardless of whatever method we use to save them, we won't be able to save them all.

"But it's because of the variety of medical skills we have here at our disposal that we will stand a greater chance of saving as many as we can, because that is the best we can hope for. I don't know nor care or even have time to understand whatever is going on between you two, but shove it aside and focus! If you can't agree on how to work together then each of you focus on something separate. Duchess Cure, prepare as many remedies and medicines as you can and Doctor Steady Hoof standby and be ready to perform surgery. Can you agree to that?!"

Miracle and Steady shared a nervous look before giving a timid nod to the princess who nodded back before gesturing Fluttershy over. The yellow pegasus joined Cadance, watching as Steady Hoof and one of his nurses started setting up a tent for surgery while Miracle Cure spoke with some nurses and sent a couple to get some herbs from the Castle Gardens.

"At least they're not fighting anymore," Fluttershy commented, relieved the tension had lessened over the R&A station, but hardly by much.

Cadance's words had caused Fluttershy to realize what she herself had missed - This coming battle would indeed result in casualties and she was more than likely to watch several ponies die among these medics. A part of her wanted to be excused and not have to take part in something so dispiriting, but she noticed Cadance and saw a semblance of her own fears and worries on the princess's face.

"Um, Cadance...?"

Cadance looked to Fluttershy's worried look, and sighed, "I wish it hadn't come to this... but it's out of our hooves now. The worst part is, some of those changelings out there might not even want to fight! Some - At least a few! - have to be like Thorax and Elytra, peaceful, open to the prospect of making friends rather than... what their queen had wanted."

"...Well, at least she's not around anymore," Fluttershy reminded Cadance. "Maybe some changelings might do the same as Thorax. Maybe some will leave their hive and want to make friends."

"Well... no matter how this turns out... most Equestrians aren't going to be so open-minded to making friends with changelings," she moped, soaking up the shaded atmosphere, but when she looked up... her mouth fell open in awe!

Fluttershy, the medical ponies, all looked up as well, at the flying innovation above them, an airship fitted for battle, bearing the crest of House Polaris and the logo of New Heights Avionics. The majesty of this mechanical marvel raised the spirits of the ponies just as it had raised their eyes, and many of them whooped and cheered as the airship passed them over, clearly flying off to aid in the coming battle.

Seeing how her cousin- Nay, her brother and his new airship had raised morale, Cadance cracked a smile out of a mixture of pride and hope. Ever since her Bluey’s parents died, she had been there for him. She had been the big sister he’d never had but needed in those heartbreaking days, and he had been the little brother she’d always wanted and relied on in her moments where she’d doubted herself. She’d watched him grow up from a bright and imaginative colt into an eloquent yet innovative stallion that carried on even when he’d been surrounded by the wrong sorts yet never lost his way. She’d been so proud and happy to give him just the nudge he’d needed towards a pony who would love him for who he was and not what he had or appeared to be, and she was so grateful Rarity had made Blueblood happier than he had been in the years since his parents’ deaths.

Bluey’s going to give it his all, Cadance realized to herself, which means I must do the same!

Using her calming technique, Cadance then held out her clipboard towards Fluttershy, asking, “Fluttershy, would you mind assisting me directly? We’ve got work to do!”

Seeing Cadance’s spirits had been restored, Fluttershy nervously accepted the clipboard with her wing but then she felt a familiar strength in herself. A kind of strength she’d always relied on whenever her little animal friends had needed her, but this time ponies were going to need her.

She could not let them down.

“Then we’d better get started,” Fluttershy smiled and Cadance smiled back before they carried on to finish the R& A station.

The Royal Guard troops all stood in formation behind Prince Sombra and Duke Firestorm of Defense and Security, at the foot of Mount Canterhorn, as they eyed the enemy approaching, the changeling threat now only a few miles off. Despite the distance, they could hear the bugs, the awful buzzing, the frightful hissing, the hybrids growling and snarling, the larger ones’ every booming step.

Sombra raised a telescope with crystal lenses (he made it himself) to get a better look. He saw the hybrids resembled manticores, minotaurs, and there were the three Ursa Minor-sized Cyclops hybrids. The rest of the invading army was regular changelings, most of them clad in that metallic blue armor with the helmets resembling stag beetle jaws, most of them carried spears tipped with spearheads that resembled barbed stingers, shields shaped like black beetles, some were even armed with bows and quivers. But it was the several that carried those glowing green orbs that Thorax had explained were Bug Bombs.

Those wretched explosive devices were filled with a powerful nerve toxin designed to neutralize delicious victims to be made into dishes of love for the changelings to feed on at their own leisure. But anything caught dead center in the explosions would die from an all-too-sudden overdose of the poison as it wreaked havoc on their nervous systems.

Sombra also noticed the changeling soldiers appeared to be giving the hybrids wide berths, as though they were wary of these abominable amalgamations. Then he remembered that the Changeling Hive Mind was not as effective in controlling the hybrids as it was on the regular changelings.

That could prove useful… Sombra considered when he heard a throat clearing.

He turned to look at Firestorm, a respected General of the Equestrian Armed Forces. His coat was fiery orange while his mane was a burnt brown, his eyes blue like the most intense flame, his cutie-mark was a fireball striking a storm cloud with lightning bolts coming out of it. He wore armor and helm with armored visor open to reveal his face, and strapped to either side of his barrel was a sheathed sword.

But his most obvious trait was the mystech prosthetic foreleg and talons that had replaced his right foreleg years ago when he personally led a platoon to repel a marauding band of griffons attacking Baltimare. Firestorm had crossed swords with the leader and it seemed he was done for when the feathery fiend had lopped off Firestorm’s foreleg. But Firestorm came out on top by levitating his sword when the griffon hadn’t been looking and impaling it right between the griffon’s wings and literally nailing him to the ground.

Unfortunately, they had been unable to save Firestorm’s foreleg, and so he opted for a prosthetic, and demanded it resemble a griffon’s foreleg, mastering the dexterous and useful talons that came with it.

While it had seemed unconventional for a Duke of such political interest to put himself on the line as he did, Firestorm had shrugged off all those concerns and opinions, stating it would be hypocritical of his position not to be willing to do the same as even the lowest ranking guard in defending Equestria with his life.

Firestorm’s heroics had earned him true respect, on the political battlefield as well as the real deal, and that he wasn’t just another stuffy politician full of hot air.

“Your Majesty, awaiting your command,” Firestorm saluted with his talons, and the soldiers all began to follow suit in a domino effect until every stallion there was holding a hoof to their foreheads and looking to Prince Sombra.

He looked upon these stalwart soldiers, some standing as unyielding as stone, and others with eyes filling up with dread, and Sombra understood. This was not going to be some training exercise, friendly sparring-

No.

This was going to be a real battle, a battle to protect the seat of Equestrian power, the battle to protect their fellow pony, their monarchs. But most importantly, a battle to protect those they love. How ironic it was their love for their friends and family that drew these pony-shaped creepy-crawlies and their weapon-ized monsters like a moth to the flame.

And what a flame it will be… Sombra thought as his horn lit up.

The soldiers watched in awe as their Prince’s burning red aura lit up his royal wares, crown, and cape, burning them away to reveal a very familiar ensemble.

Around his neck and chest was Sombra’s metallic armor, strapped to his forelegs his hoof boots, and his crown resembled the one he used to wear when he was a tyrant. His royal cape was replaced with a cobalt blue cape of chainmail with a mantle of wolf fur around his shoulders and slips in the mail for his wings to fit through. He stamped his hoof and erupting from the ground next to it was a thorn of black crystal as long as he was tall. He willed it to take on a new shape, and its texture took on a liquid state as it rippled and formed into Sombra’s old Scythe!

He then conjured a round shield of shiny black edged with metal rays of gold, the overall likeness of a solar eclipse, and finally upon Sombra’s wings he conjured a pair of Wing-Blayds, each adding an extra foot of length to his wing tips in razor sharp steel!

For the hay of it, he even added a metal curved blade strapped to the end of his lion-like tail.

Every guards pony looked in awe as their prince turned to face them, his face stoic yet bold, his armor and weapons glinting in the sunlight, his horn alit with mana behaving like fire, and overall appearing a perfect example of a god of war while giving off an aura of duty and honor.

“STAL-YUHHHHNSS!!!” Sombra roared as he began to pace back and forth before his troops, his black mane and his tail making him appear like a lion.

“The enemy approaches! PREPARE YOURSELVES! For battle! For glory! For the pestilent ticks that dare come and threaten your neighbors, your friends, your families, your children! Earth Ponies! Stand your ground and don’t give an inch! Pegasi! Soar like eagles and strike like lightning! Unicorns! Conserve your mana, no spell can go wasted, and do not launch your Magic Arrows until you see the facets in their eyes!”

Sombra’s words had the intended effect as the soldiers all roared out as the soldiers of the frontline stamped their hooves in rhythm, above them were several pegasus guards standing on small clouds, armed with bows and large containers chocked with arrows, several unicorn battle-mages had their spells and weapons ready and shivering with anticipation. Sombra raised his scythe high to do the same for his soldiers’ morale. The sight of him, tall, powerful, armed, his body rippling with pure muscle, a sight to behold so awe-inspiring that it would make any foe think twice, if not turn tail and run to live another day. He reared up, flailing his forelegs like a warhorse, his shout rivaling the ferocity of a dragon’s roar that the soldiers let out their own battle cries in response as they formed rank and file.

Soon the frontline was a wall of shields and raised spears held in place by the might of the strongest earth ponies, the pegasi above had their bows raised and arrows nocked, the unicorns whispered their spells and ignited the Shield Cores that released pillars of light skyward like fountains of power before cascading down into dome-shaped barriers, protecting any and all stallions standing within the barriers’ radiuses.

“HOLD YOUR POSITION!” Sombra ordered, amplifying his voice to make sure every soldier heard his words, and he turned to face the changelings still coming.

By now, the distance between them was no more than half a mile, and the changeling army had halted… as an old chariot was pulled forward… by two earth ponies! Their eyes glazed and giving off a faint green glow, showing they were not in their right minds!

And in the chariot was Thorn, sneering at the “welcoming committee” and walking up next to him was a tall and hulking changeling-minotaur! It wore no armor because it didn’t need any, for its exoskeleton more than sufficed. Over every muscle was a thick and strong plate of glossy chitin, stingers extending from the back of both the hybrid’s wrists as he grasped a wicked-looking doubled-headed battle-axe with jagged edges, and upon his head were a pair of fearsome longhorns, each tip dripping with some kind of oily green liquid.

Snorting, the changeling-minotaur looked to Commander Thorn, whose gaze was fixed upon Sombra and his army behind him.

“Once their army is crushed, the city and every pony in it will be ours for the taking… Kill them all.”

The hybrid nodded before releasing a loud and bellowing roar, raising his axe, and the changelings all hissed and snarled before the first wave charged forward!

Sombra and his army held their ground in the face of the quickly approaching horde… when Sombra waved his scythe forward… and a bolt of lightning flew out of the blinding radiance of the sun high, and struck right in the middle of the wave!

Dozens of changelings and hybrids were incinerated, and the Equestrian troops cheered to see the Wonderbolts!

Spitfire, with Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Thunderlane, Fleetfoot, and Silver Lining led the squadrons, several `Bolts towing storm clouds with an assisting Wonderbolt providing the kick to launch lightning bolts to rain down on the enemy. Others had come armed with bows and arrows, or were dropping explosives of Blast Powder, shrapnel, and flints charmed to ignite sparks via impact.

Death rained from above as more explosions, lighting bolts, and arrows came down, quickly killing over a fourth of the first wave. The changeling-minotaur didn’t panic and bellowed, “AERIAL SWARMS! TAKE TO THE AIR!!!”

The so-named Aerial Swarms of changeling soldiers, who were specially trained for aerial combat, and changeling-manticores took flight to deal with their airborne enemies the rest remained on the ground as dozens shot crossbows with stinger-like bolts. The `Bolts didn’t hesitate, as the combatants reached to their barrels and armed their War Talons, special horseshoes designed with talon-like blades for direct combat. The airborne combatants on both sides quickly clashed, and before long bodies began to drop from high up.

But even as this new skyward battled stormed on, the enemy’s wave continued to charge forward, and Sombra looked to Firestorm standing at his side, “Are you with me?”

Firestorm met his gaze and smirked, “To the death.”

Sombra smirked back before he looked onward again and then he roared:

“FOR EQUESTRIA! AND FOR MIDNIIIIIGGGGHHHT!!!!”

He led the charge, as the frontlines followed, all shouting similar words, galloping side by side, brothers in arms, their prince spearheading the formation towards the enemies’ haphazard wall. The ground thundered as the Equestrian army’s hoof beats were many, but their hearts beat as one.

The changeling horde buzzed and galloped, their weapons raised, to which the Equestrians responded as the frontline lowered their spears as they charged to bridge the gap between them and the enemy. Sombra’s horn blazed again as an armored visor conjured around his face, dulling the sun’s harsh rays but leaving his vision clear, and Firestorm lit up his horn with telekinetic aura to draw his swords from his sides and carry them with his mental grip.

And as the distance between the two armies lessened, for a fleeting moment, it was as if time slowed. There could be no hesitation. There was no room for faint of heart. The opposing side would show no quarter.

There would be no mercy.

And then they clashed in an explosion of metal, blood, and chaos.

Author's Note

Spirals95 dud the first scene with the Warhawk

We both did the scene where the relief efforts were being prepared

I did the last scene that ended with both sides clashing

239. The Loss of Faith - Part 20: Loss of Reflection... or Reflection of Loss

"Ugh... huh?" Twinken blinked his eyes and perked his ears to find himself in Canterlot! For a horrid moment, he feared, Did something go wrong?! Did-did I teleport out or- Wait minute...

Taking a closer look to his surroundings he saw that the streets were a’bustle with ponies going to and fro, and the City of Unicorns seemed oddly more friendly. Nobles weren't walking around with their noses in the air, showing off their fancy clothes or expensive jewelry, and even stopping to say how-do-you-do to passerby. There was no evacuations going on, no tense atmosphere, no sign of an impending crisis.

"Everything seems... okay?" Twinken was confused when he suddenly felt an uncomfortable force... go right through him!

He got the wind knocked out of him as he was knocked off his hooves and grunted as he fell onto his back, groaning and then seeing a unicorn walk away. Growling, Twinken got to his hooves and shouted, "YOU COULD'VE SAID 'EXCUSE ME'!"

The unicorn showed no signs he'd heard Twinken but then the little colt gasped as he recognized him!

"Midnight...?! MIDNIGHT!!"

Twinken hurried after his brother, carefully weaving around other ponies, saying the customary excuse mes and pardon mes though for some reason nopony really seemed to acknowledge his presence, but he didn’t have time to worry about that. He could see Midnight was getting further and further away!

"MIDNIGHT! WAIT! It's me, Twin-" Twinken shouted when he noticed out the corner of his eye... a couple large stallions pulling a huge wagon!

"AAAAUUUGGGHHH!!!!" Twinken ducked and covered, it was too late to dodge, he only hoped they would stop or their hooves wouldn't crush him...

But then he felt that same unpleasant sensation. Like... something was going right through him!

Twinken opened his eyes again, and turned around to see the cart barrel down the road as if he wasn’t even there.

“What the hay is going on,” he droned on to himself, shocked, yet relieved he wasn’t turned into a work of modern art on the road.

Shaking his head, the colt regained his determination to follow his older brother down the street. So what if the cart had seemingly phased through him? He had a mission to accomplish and he was going to do so, even if he had a hundred carts go through him!

Unfortunately, it seemed as if Midnight had left him in the dust, Twinken felt like an eternity passed walking down the streets. But now that he knew solid objects didn’t seem to affect him normally, he was able to push forward at a steady pace without any more incidents. Why even bother talking to ponies that didn’t seem to notice he existed? Not to mention, they were just figments in this dream Midnight was caught in.

Eventually he came to a large house in a more retro-looking neighborhood in Canterlot, a big and comfortable estate with walls painted a glossy black that shimmered colors in the sunlight. On top of the house was a pair of steeple-topped towers. A marble fountain and rosebushes surrounded the giant house, and stained glass windows completed the modern-day “castle” but giving off a more humble vibe. Twinken just barely caught his older brother entering the home out of the corner of his eye. The gate around the house looked like a solid object to him, but after making sure his hoof passed through it without being blocked, he stepped through the bars, putting up with the strange feeling it produced in his guts.

Of course, with his ability to phase through walls, Twinken found it equally trivial to get through the front door of the mansion as well. The inside was far more decorative than the outside, with carpeted floors, paintings of relatives and honored ancestors, as well as some fancy-looking antiques were set on pedestals or hung on the walls, which oddly included a shovel with a winged helmet in front of a very old-looking portrait of a big and brawny earth pony stallion with soft turquoise fur and a bright orange mane and beard, and seemingly endless hallways tied to all the essential rooms.

“Whooaaa,” marveled Twinken, his eyes growing wide, “It’s amazing!”

There was a vast, open kitchen with black polished stone countertops and modern cooking surfaces, a master bathroom with a tub so big Twinken thought he might be able to swim laps in it, and a library with shelves stacked to the top with both ancient tomes and modern day magical study materials. All to be expected, given Midnight’s nature. The little unicorn thought he could spend hours exploring the house, but he heard Midnight’s voice from down one of the hallways, and followed it into the home’s living room.

“Again, thank you so much for purchasing this home for us,” said a strangely familiar and grateful voice.

Twinken entered the room and discovered that Midnight was talking to… their parents! Indeed, Faerie Tail and Ignitus Enflame, both were sitting on a large blue sofa in the vast living room. Midnight had gotten a fire going in the tall brick fireplace with a manticore head mounted over the mantle that Twinken knew at a glance was a total fake, but completed the feeling of the room. A few other odd pieces of furniture filled the tile floor, along with some fuzzy carpets. But the main concern was the fact that his parents were standing right there, not noticing him!

“Mom…? Dad?” Twinken gazed upon them, shocked at the very sight of them.

“You guys deserve it,” said Midnight, not even slightly aware of the intruder of his perfect fantasy. “I thought it would be nice if you could retire in comfort. Plus Twinken will have a bigger room where he can fit all his stuff and textbooks he’s gonna need for his internship.”

“Well hopefully you’ll bring Penny over, right?” asked Ignitus, smirking, “You wouldn’t want to waste all this home on just us, Midnight.”

“I’d be happy to bring Penumbra,” he answered with a happy smile, “and maybe even some of her friends too!”

Twinken was jumping around the living room, waving his hooves in his parents’ and brother’s face, but to no avail. He’d tried levitating objects to get their attention but his magical aura couldn’t touch anything either!

“Come on! Answer me!” he yelled, “It’s me, Twinken!”

“We’re so proud of you, becoming a great father,” Faerie Tail couldn’t help but beam, her eyes softening in delight, “It’s the biggest adventure you’ll ever undertake!”

Twinken stopped trying to draw his attention for a moment, and watched his brother melt into a pile of putty on the sofa.

“I… I know,” he sighed happily, “after all the crazy and the bad and the hard we went through, we’re finally getting to enjoy our lives in peace. I love you, guys.”

“We love you too, son!”

Now the little unicorn colt felt a bit ashamed, and his ears sank back as he thought about the situation.

I… How can I take him away from all this? …He’s happy now, Twinken thought, slinking down onto his bottom, hanging his head, he’s got his own family…

It is a dream.

Twinken had no idea why, but those words suddenly filled his head and he looked up in dawning realization as he whispered, “A dream…!!!”

Of course!

This was a dream, and dreams, no matter how good or bad they were in the moment were not reality. Dreams are merely places to take a break from the troubles of the waking world, offering much-needed rest for the weary. Even their counterparts, the nightmares, are merely a way for those with problems to face them head-on in the form of vivid, scary imagery to provide the motivation necessary to tackle the issue. Nonetheless, neither is truly real. They offer a break, time to think, and sometimes a place to let the imagination run wild, but they ultimately end and force one back into the real world, with real problems... and real opportunities.

For while the real world offers opportunities with others, in a dream... one is alone.

You can see those you love and care for, but they are but pale semblances to your loved ones and their touch. You can fly among the stars, swim the deepest oceans, do the impossible as easily as breathing the air… but these experiences are not experiences at all.

Like… climbing to the summit of Mount Everhoof in a dream? It might be nice to do it in a dream, but to accomplish such a feat, to truly experience it… there was no contest!

I can’t leave him like this! Twinken realized, He’s still a prisoner of the changelings, and he’ll never be safe!

“Well, it’s almost time,” Midnight spoke, snapping Twinken out of it. “I have to pick up Penny so we can catch our train.”

"Penny, who's that?" Twinken wondered aloud, before recalling what his father Ignitus had said, "Ohhh, he means that 'Penumbra' name I keep hearing..."

“Go on ahead, dear,” Faerie Tail shooed him off, “your dad and I will meet you two at the train station to see you both off.”

“Okay, see you both later,” Midnight called as he hurried out the door, Twinken following after.

Twinken cursed his tiny legs as he struggled to keep up with Midnight, and still wondered, Who’s this Penny or Penumbra pony? Why’s Midnight going to see her?

He shook it out of his head as he focused on staying on Midnight’s tail, grateful that he didn’t have to weave through obstacles and just walk through them. It was strange though, that Twinken couldn’t physically interact with Midnight’s dream other than walking, so he assumed whatever it was involved whatever the changelings had done to keep Midnight asleep like this.

Finally, to Twinken’s relief, Midnight slowed down and was granted passage through the castle gates. He approached a guard standing vigil and asked, “Good sir, would you be so kind as to send word that I’m here to pick up my daughter? And please hurry, we have a train to catch.”

“Yessir,” the guard saluted before hurrying off, leaving Midnight to wait patiently in the entry hall, unaware that he was not alone. That his brother – His real brother! – was there with him, looking at Midnight with an expression unreadable, as a tangled knot of conflicting emotions tugged and pulled at his insides, and Twinken finally spoke.

“…You lied to me. From that very first day during the Sibling Revelry, you’ve lied to me. You didn’t tell me how we’re real brothers, you never said a thing about Mom or Dad or even Uncle Joe, who wouldn’t tell me one thing about where they are now or if they’re even alive, and that I had to hear the truth from you!

“Do you know what it’s like? Growing up in an orphanage? Surrounded by other colts and fillies who don’t have families of their own for some reason or other? Wondering every day if some stallion or mare who comes will even look at you and think you’re worthwhile? To be ignored? To be looked over because there’s too many other foals who want just as much attention as you do? And then there’s the ponies outside the orphanage…”

Twinken felt his stomach twist up as he finally let out what he’d been keeping buried ever since he first opened the locket. The picture of his mother and father and brother and of himself as a baby, it had filled him with such joy but then the moment passed and a cold bitterness had taken root. Something that had made him feel so angry and detestable that he’d shoved it aside and forced himself to focus on the joyous discovery of his parents and then meeting his uncle. Then he’d heard Midnight was in trouble and his worries and concern and determination to help had continued to allow Twinken to ignore these bitter feelings that he was finally allowing to bubble to the surface.

This dream in which he found Midnight was cruel and while Twinken had every intention of helping Midnight to escape it, now that he was right next to his brother and yet could not be seen or heard, Twinken was angry, and whether or not Midnight could hear him now the colt was going to have his say.

“Do you know what it’s like to be looked upon as an orphan? All those ponies looking at you with pity, and those pick on you, and say the most awful things! Diamond Tiara once said to me that there must be something wrong with me so my parents threw me out like trash! That I was so stupid and worthless my own parents didn’t want me! It hurt… It hurt so badly I hurt her back and got in trouble for it!

“And I wouldn’t have had to go through all that… if it weren’t for you! Which is why I… I… I wanna hate you!”

Twinken was so wrapped up in baring his soul and shedding tears, he didn’t notice Midnight, who’d been standing there waiting the whole time, begin to look… sad and shift uncomfortably as he felt something. Anger, bitterness, heartache, sadness, pain… where was all this pain coming from?!

“I want to hate you and scream and hit you and-and I just want…” Twinken began to sob with a shaky voice, tears streaming down his face, “I just… As much as I want to yell at you, I… I want to understand!

“I want to understand why I w-was alone! Why weren’t you there?! Why our parents weren’t there! What happened that I had to go to an orphanage and you weren’t there and why you didn’t tell me who you really were when we first met!?!”

Midnight stood there, so confused and trying to make sense of this mess of emotions he was feeling. He knew they weren’t his own but he felt them in such a way that it resonated with something deep inside, some kind of… guilt? What did he have to feel guilty about? He was married to the love of his life, had a beautiful daughter, ran a successful business, was a national hero, everyday he was surrounded by his friends and his family and yet… why did he feel this… this gut-twisting guilt and this heart-wrenching hurt?!

“But d-despite all that,” sniffled Twinken with a shaky voice, “I-I love you, Big Brother! You were the first to ever look at me and see something special! Something worthwhile, and you always found a way to make me smile and be happy, and-and…

“As much as I want to be angry, I… I still want you back! I want you back home, safe with all of us, and I have so many questions you have to answer for me, and I want to understand how things were the way they were, and… That’s why you gotta realize that none of this is real, Midnight!

“Whatever it is about this, it’s just a dream! No matter how much it makes you happy, no matter what you think or feel, this is nothing more than a dream, so…

“YOU GOTTA WAKE UUUUUUUUUUUUPPPP!!!!!!!!!”

“Mmmmuuhh…” He stirred, no longer asleep but not really awake, drowsiness and fatigue called him back to the sweet relief of slumber as his eyes creaked open by little more than a hairsbreadth… and he felt unusually snug, as though he was entirely wrapped up, but…

Why did everything look green and… were those little bubbles?

He looked past them and saw… wait, recognition began to light up in his mind as he saw the halls of what could only be the décor of Canterlot Castle!

“Oh no, no, no…” spoke a slightly muffled but strangely familiar voice as a figure stepped into his line of sight, eyes glowing a poisonous green! “Back to beddy-bye with you… and out you go, you meddlesome interloper!”

The scenario had dimmed, color had started turning opaque as Twinken had realized somehow his words had reached Midnight! The fading dream had indicated he was waking up, and then, to Twinken’s amazement, an oval-shaped window had appeared in front of him… and he’d seen and heard what he could only guess had been through Midnight’s eyes and ears!

However since the dream had not entirely faded away, Twinken could only guess Midnight had not really woken up, his mind and body still partially asleep, but Twinken had recognized the halls of Canterlot Castle, which had baffled him… when he’d seen the figure and heard its voice!

“Who was that?! And whaaaaAAAAAUUUUUGUGGGGGHGHG!!!!!” Twinken screamed as he was sent hurtling skyward, out the door, out the castle gates, out of Canterlot until…!!!

“AAUGH!!!” Twinken screamed as he woke up, gasping, and found himself surrounded by Luna, Twilight, Shining Armor, and Thorax, all of them looking concerned and worried.

“Twinken, hush! It’s okay, you’re okay!” Twilight placed a comforting hoof on Twinken’s shoulder as the little colt realized-

“You are awake, Young Twinken,” Luna declared, “What happened in there? All of a sudden, you just started crying even while you slept!"

All eyes looked anxiously at Twinken as he cleared his thoughts and got a grip on himself, trying to steady his breath, until finally, he said:

“He’s… he’s here!”

“He who, Twinken? What did you learn?” pressed Shining Armor.

Twinken looked up at all of them, his eyes wide and frantic as he softly spoke, “Midnight… I think he’s here! Somewhere in the castle!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!!!!”

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?!” “Calm down, little filly!” “Elytra, it’s okay, we’re here!”

Velvet, Night Light, and Spike were looking fearfully at Elytra as the four of them hunkered down in a safe room that was furnished and stocked for prolonged periods in case of emergency, and they’d been enjoying stories told by Spike of some of the adventures he’d shared with Twilight and their friends… when all of a sudden Elytra had frozen up and the started clutching her head as though in pain. Night Light and Velvet tried to comfort her and pull her into a hug when suddenly Elytra jumped out of their hooves, sought refuge in a corner, and had started screaming at the top of her lungs!

“AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!” Elytra continued to scream as though she were in agony, the unicorn couple and little dragon at a loss of what to do… when the screaming suddenly stopped.

They looked in rising suspense at Elytra, as she shivered, her eyes full of terror, until finally Spike gently tried again and asked, “Elytra… what’s wrong?”

…

The agonizing moments of silence came to a head when Elytra gave them a look of chilling terror and spoke in a quivery voice:

“She’s here… Mother is here!!!”

Author's Note

I did most of this scene and Spirals95 made some suggestions and pointed out some errors

240. The Loss of Faith - Part 21

A cyclops-changeling keeled over and died by the hole blasted through its head where its eye had been, at Sombra’s hooves. The dark alicorn prince swung his scythe, dismembering several changelings that had tried to gang up on him, and he surveyed the battlefield.

The two sides were at each other’s throats, and for a while it had been worse when the enemy shapeshifted into guardsponies in order to confuse Sombra’s troops. Thankfully, he’d thought ahead and prepared dozens of crystals imbued with the magic of the Eye of Truth rune he’d used to unmask Thorax before.

Prior to the beginning of the battle, he’d had these crystal grounded into dust before adding them into cherry bomb firecrackers, which he’d then distributed these crystals amongst his soldiers, with instructions to use them if they were uncertain about whom they were facing. The cherry bombs had worked – They’d exploded, making only a loud harmless bang which distributed the magic in them and forced hundreds of changelings within the radiuses of where the cherry bombs went off, which caused magical fields to appear, forcing all changelings within the fields to assume their true forms.

It kept the battle on the ground somewhat fairer, but the changelings’ Bug Bombs were unfortunately turning the odds against them, as the poisonous green orbs were thrown into mobs of pony soldiers. Those that had them donned their gas masks quickly to avoid inhaling the toxic fumes. Those that didn't... they quickly fell victim to the effects of the miasma, crumpling down as limp as ragdolls, and were shortly dispatched by the enemy while down.

Meanwhile, skyward the battle had taken a similar roadblock until some pegasus guards joined the Wonderbolts against the Aerial Swarms, and used the flash bangs to force the changelings to reveal themselves. Alas, the Aerial Swarms called their manticore-hybrids for backup and now the Wonderbolts and pegasus guards had more to deal with, as the manticore-hybrids were armed with claws and long scorpion tails tipped with fearsome stinger that dripped with poison.

The skies over Canterlot were now filled with fire, explosion, and smoke as the dogfights between the two factions turned into a real meat grinder. Trails of chain lightning and changeling magical bolts spewed in lines of fire as the aerial combatants sought to shoot each other down, along with sparks from those who chose blades over magical weapons. Occasionally a smoking soldier would fall from the sky, deceased way before they crashed into the raging ground battle below.

Soarin found himself with a very angry changeling soldier on his tail, absolutely refusing to get off of his six. A hail of green bolts missed to his left, darn those magically augmented crossbows! Banking right did nothing to shake his adversary, nor did trying to lose him in the clouds. It would be only a matter of time before those explosive shots managed to find a place in his soft tissues.

“Where is everypony?!” exclaimed the pegasus aloud, “I can’t get this guy off my tail!”

Determined to claim himself another kill, the changeling cackled to himself and slammed another set of bolts into his crossbow’s chamber, keeping it steady on the pony flying in front of him. He lined up a perfect shot in his sights, and prepared to let loose with what ought to be a devastating salvo.

“Tartarus awaits, pony!”

A huge metal object flew past the both of them, making him break concentration and stare with his bright blue reflective eyes at the intruder. The Warhawk had arrived, soaring past the pair of fighters in a tremendous display of speed and splendor. A gust of air from the main engines knocked him aside, and the soldier hesitated.

“What?!”

Without wasting time, Soarin caught on to his enemy’s break in focus and quickly performed a full loop, spreading his wings to break and drop behind the changeling. Now the tables were turned, with the pegasus flying right behind the enemy at high speed. He reached into his flight suit’s belt, and pulled out a Stormbottle, bottled lightning. Setting off the weapon, the stream of electrical bolts smashed into the changeling’s back, shredding his wings and tearing apart his innards. His organs and fat stores caught fire, and tears ran across his face as his life slipped away.

“Glory… to Chrysalis!”

Soarin watched as the changeling, now ablaze, spiraled out of control before vanishing in a green tinted explosion when his magical ammunition caught fire. Feeling melancholy, he issued the traditional salute with his hoof, while picking up speed to catch up with the Warhawk.

Blueblood held his course steady, the craft rocking slightly whenever the odd explosion popped near the vessel. They had reached the action all right, and they could already see the chaos in the air between the combatant’s weapons and their explosive ends. It was the nature of air combat, but Blueblood could tell that they were losing despite the chaos. There were quite simply, fewer green explosions than blue ones in the sky, meaning more pegasi were getting shot down. That needed to change, and fast.

“All right Silver Goose, what’s giving our friends so much trouble?” he asked of his copilot, steering towards what looked like a decent cluster of action.

“I believe it’s the manticores sir,” answered Goose, “their poisonous barbs are making it impossible for the melee fighters to attack the bomb carriers safely.”

“Then that’s our target,” he replied, “how about the ground conflict?”

“Those giants… er, cyclopes,” came a slow response, “one’s been downed but there’s still others.”

“We need to back up the squadron, then support them,” the prince nodded, pushing an intercom button, “gunners, engage all changelings that attack the vessel, but focus your fire on the manticores. They’re poisoning our stallions!”

The turrets on the vessel began to track the changelings approaching the ship at the high velocity. With speed on their side, the Warhawk was capable of outrunning anything it couldn’t outfight, but Blueblood intentionally slowed down to make sure the enemy was tempted into attacking him. Cutting down the changelings’ numbers was the only way they were going to save lives.

Four attackers came in from the left out of the sun! Reacting quickly, the portside gunner moved his hooves and tracked his crossbow turret up to face them. The weapon made a high pitched grinding noise as the belt of arrows was sucked up into the firing chamber, a stream of bolts flew up to meet the changelings. All of them broke formation and spread out to avoid the fire, another half-dozen changelings joined them on the opposite side of the ship and flew around in circles to avoid the bolts. But the gunners quickly caught on, and two changelings were perforated by the turrets.

Return fire started to strike the ship’s balloon, the shield making loud pinging noises as each bolt was vaporized. Blueblood kept a steady eye on his shield gauge, the craft already one third drained from the amount of shots they were soaking.

“I’m going to go hard right!” he yelled over the microphone, “adjust your fire!”

Now the Warhawk was being pursued from behind, flurries of projectiles striking the craft’s back. A spray of sparks flew inside the engine room, scaring the engineer aboard and making him shout into a nearby speaker tube.

“Sire! They’re hitting the engines!”

Blueblood pushed down on the throttle to try and lose the pursuers, but the changelings seemed focused on shooting him down. His gunners took out another pair caught in the crossfire, but their ammo supplies wouldn’t last forever.

“Save your bolts!” he ordered, “I’m going to cut the engines and drop down into the city! Then we’ll come up underneath the enemy.”

The shield gauge hit the one quarter mark and started to let out a high-pitched wail, alerting the pilot to the failing condition of the balloon. Even without engines they could still float around, but losing the balloon was fatal.

Four changelings continued to pound on the ship mercilessly with their bows, armor plating and structure were blown off of the Warhawk’s hull. One bolt traveled into the ammo locker underneath the starboard side gun, jamming the belt and forcing the gunner to jump off his seat and attempt to fix it.

“We’ve lost our starboard side turret,” commented Silver Goose, sweat running down his forehead, “I’m not sure we’re going to make it!”

“He’ll fix that jam, I know it!” argued Blueblood.

In an act of bravery, a pair of the Canterlot guard flew in with their spears, desperate to assist the Warhawk. They were able to tackle two of the changelings, forcing them into a brawl away from the ship, leaving two remaining pursuers still pumping the vessel full of crossbow ammo. The prince silently thanked them for the risk they took, while spotting a group of four manticores up ahead. Their tails were striking out at the Wonderbolt pegasi trying to attack them, virulent poison spewing into the air. Another detachment of six changelings were escorting them forward, this time armed with nasty looking blades the manticores had so generously coated with even more of their venom.

“We’re a bit too badly damaged to take them on,” said Silver Goose, “not unsupported.”

Blueblood smiled as he noticed three Wonderbolts managing to outpace his ship fly in front of them, waving back.

He chuckled, “Well, we have the support now I’d say!”

The gunner managed to fix his crossbow’s jam, reporting back the repair to Blueblood and crawling back into his chair. Both of them had very little ammo left, but it would be enough if they could get past the guards.

“Sir, jam’s clear. Forty percent ammo remaining in both pipes. Orders?”

Blueblood’s horn sparked with his aura as he flashed it in Morse code for the Wonderbolts outside. Soarin being one of them, he quickly interpreted the signal.

“Attack… the… escort,” he yelled to his friends, “we need to take down the changelings! Leave the big guys to Blueblood!”

The other two full-body suited pegasi saluted, and pulled out a few more Stormbottles to take on the defenders. Zooming forward, the three went straight for the six changelings, who drew their weapons and went to meet them in combat. Silver Goose watched as a lightning bolt leapt from the first Wonderbolt to the nearest changeling, destroying him instantly. Another burst of electricity from Soarin killed the second, his corpse dropping. But now, the remaining four had entered short range, and the pegasi scattered to avoid getting sliced with the blades laced with poisonous goop.

“That poison causes the most gruesome throes,” said Silver Goose, as if about to cry.

“Let’s not waste the risk!” encouraged Blueblood, “I’m banking us left, attack the manticores!”

With a groan of metal from the damage sustained, the ship swerved to the left, tilting on its side so that both gunners could attack. Volleys of arrows spat out rapid fire, cutting down two of the manticores caught in the hail. The other two, enraged by the loss of their allies, dove boldly towards the Warhawk and dug their claws deep into the hull. Sharpened nails pierced the sides, and sheets of metal were being torn off at an alarming rate.

“Crap! Roll! Roll!” urged Silver, Blueblood agreeing with a sharp turn of his hooves.

The machine rolled on its axis, nearly throwing everypony onboard out of their seats. Outside, the monsters dug in as hard as they could to avoid being thrown off, but eventually the force was too great, and they were flung off the side. Not wasting a second, the gunners fired the last of their ammunition, cheering as their enemy’s wings were torn apart by the shots. With any luck, the fall would deal with the other two manticores.

“And that’s the end of that manticore squad!” laughed Blueblood, “Excellent work!”

“Our ammo’s gone,” reminded his copilot.

“Well, we still have one more piece of ammo left,” reminded the prince, batting his eyebrows and raising a hoof, “and one of those cyclopes will make the perfect target for it.”

He activated the intercom one more time, “Solenoid, prepare the weapon.”

“Aye aye!”

The Warhawk flew on, descending from the battle above to make a run near the ground. Now as he looked at the sky, Blueblood could see his allies doing much better than before. Their own contribution had not been gigantic, but the sight of the Warhawk and its shields soaking so much damage had raised intense morale.

Soarin and his two wingponies were still dealing with the four changelings high above the cloud cover, buzzing around each other. They were faster, their insect wings audible to the three, but so far they had avoided any hits, which was fortunate as even a single scratch with that kind of venom could easily be the end. Without any remaining Stormbottles, however, and most of the clouds having been replaced with greasy, useless smoke, it seemed like they had run out of supplies to fight with, and melee was quickly becoming the only option. The changelings were closing in, limiting their time to think.

“I’ve got one more,” said Wind Waker, holding up the tiny glass jar, “so then it’ll be three vs. three.”

“We can take em!” encouraged Soarin.

After a short pause, the other pegasus shook her head, “No sir, it’s too dangerous. That poison will be the end of all of us. I’ve got an idea, you’ll know when to fire the Stormbottle, Wind Waker.”

“Wait, Sunchaser, stop!” cried Soarin, watching his friend pull back.

Far too late to change her mind, Sunchaser engaged the changelings at point blank range. The insectoid warriors all jumped in together to slash the pony to pieces, swinging their blades wildly. Sunchaser’s agility let her avoid the blows handily, and the changelings found themselves having to fly closer and closer together to attack. Wind Waker stopped flying away, and hovered a bit of distance, Soarin staying back as well to help her. The changelings were balling up a little tighter each time in hopes of cutting off Sunchaser’s escape.

Eventually, they all split up and surrounded Sunchaser on all sides, before flying straight for the middle to ensure the kill. She pulled up quickly, and felt a sharp pain in her left hind leg before the changelings all collided into each other. That was the cue, and Wind Waker’s Stormbottle launched its bolt into the ball of bugs, frying them violently and earning the ground four more future scorched bodies.

Sunchaser rejoined them, smiling and taking off her flight goggles, “We did it!”

Soarin saw the wound on his friend’s hind leg, and frowned, taking off his own goggles, “Are you ok?”

“Yeah… I’m fine,” Sunchaser lied, forcing herself not to show any signs she was in pain, “let’s keep going.”

The pegasus felt a strange burning under her tongue, and spurted out a thick green foam. Soarin and Wind Waker felt tears coming to their eyes, knowing what was coming next.

“Hey,” laughed Sunchaser gently, “guys, it’s going to be ok. Canterlot’s going to be safe. We’re… heroes now.”

Sunchaser’s wings stopped flapping, Soarin too late to catch her. The Wonderbolt looked up at the two ponies trying to grab for her hooves, blackness entering the sides of her vision. Although they looked miserable, terrified even, she still felt different. Sunchaser’s very last thought was of nothing but her love for her friends.

Soarin and his wingpony watched the corpse disappear into the cloud cover below them. They had all trained together, spent countless hours exchanging stories in the barracks, and went through both laughter and tears…

Now Sunchaser was gone.

Realizing what it really meant to be a soldier, Soarin looked at Wind Waker dolefully, and felt tears come to his eyes.

Wind Waker tried to remind him they were still in a war, “Soarin… we’re out of weapons. We need to retreat. Let’s not die too.”

Agreeing without words, he followed her away from the scene, the air battle starting to wind down as the number of blasts dwindled.

The Warhawk flew lower, breaking away from the city and approaching the ground battle, blasts and blood still visible everywhere. Their target was one of the titanic cyclops, which was busy smashing every ground soldier and weapon in sight, cackling a deep throaty laugh while doing so.

“Let’s take down that one, shall we?” said Blueblood, “This is as low as we can fly safely. Prepare the Magshot Ballista!”

In the belly of the ship, a few holes allow light in where the manticores had torn up the undercarriage, sat an ordinance room containing a massive ballista mounted on a railing system that could pop out underneath the ship. Solenoid was reading the system for use, a nearby rack containing just three massive arrows meant for the weapon. Curiously though, the giant crossbow lacked a string, instead having a series of magnetic runes mounted on the limbs of the device. The arrow’s core was made of an explosive magical material, likely powdered energems, but the head of it was made of magnetized metal. When the device was to be fired, it would be cranked up, and the runes would use the force of magnets to propel the projectile, in theory.

Solenoid made sure everything was in place, setting the giant arrow down into the machine. The runes glowed a faint blue, drawing the ammo back and locking it into place. Meanwhile in the cockpit, Blueblood watched as a blue colored light flashed, indicating the weapon was ready. A flap nearby was lifted by Silver Goose to reveal a large red button, and Blueblood threw a few switches underneath it. Solenoid watched as the massive crossbow was lowered into a firing chamber, and a hatch inside it opened, exposing the front of the crossbow to the outside world.

A nearby prismatic scope aligned with the hatch was nearby, and Solenoid peered into it like a bombardier lining up a target. He could see the cyclops ahead, within range, completely unaware of their presence and continuing to enjoy his bloody rampage.

That was about to change.

“Target acquired!” stated Solenoid.

“Fire,” ordered Blueblood.

Silver Goose pushed the red button, “Fire!”

TWOOONG

The ballista discharged, a hypervelocity arrow the size of a spear flew out of the tube, purple spirals of distorted air and magical force threw the giant projectile at blinding speeds. Reverb from the distorted air could be felt inside the Warhawk for the split second the magnetically propelled arrow was in the air. Instantly the kinetic projectile entered the cyclops, shredding it from the inside out like it was made of paper when the arrow punched clean through it and the distortion ripped its body apart. Cut in half, it died instantly with no knowledge of its attacker, and the giant arrow smashed into a mountainside, exploding in a burst of purple energy.

“Direct hit! The target was annihilated!” cheered Solenoid.

“Reload for another shot,” Blueblood ordered, smiling.

Of course, the other cyclops was obviously upset about the loss of his brother, and spotted the tiny, puny, EVIL ship flying above. Growling, it reached for a boulder nearby, and swung its arm around quickly, putting some force behind the stone. Then, taking careful aim for a creature of its size, it released the projectile, and the chunk of granite was sent in an arc for the ship.

“INCOMING!” shouted the port side gunner into his speaker tube, warning of the projectile.

“Wait,” was all Blueblood got to say before it hit.

The stone instantly penetrated the shield, smashing into the back of the Warhawk behind the turret and into the engines, perhaps killing the poor engineer instantly and blowing the compressed steam engine to pieces. A massive spray of shrapnel flew out of the back of the Warhawk, the balloon was shredded, and multiple propellers were destroyed. Fire and smoke poured from the craft, a fourth of it missing in just one hit. The control console in front of Blueblood exploded in a blast of sparks and light, frying most of his controls from feedback caused by the damage.

“Engine’s out! The shields are gone, hull integrity failing!” screamed the copilot.

Blueblood could feel his vessel dying underneath of him. There’d be no escape this time, even with his magic, the crash would certainly turn them all to ash. Blueblood considered his certainly dead engineer lucky for not having to go through such a fiery end. The ground was quickly approaching, and Blueblood took a deep, smoke-filled breath, closing his eyes

“I hope I did enough, auntie...”

A loud shattering of glass brought his eyes open again. Wonderbolts had entered the ship, and were desperately trying to pull the crew out. Blueblood was amazed at how fast they worked, getting them all outside of the careening ship. Soon the ponies were in the air, held tight in the hooves of the surviving aces. Even the ever-suffering engineer, believed dead in the engine room hit, had survived, but his left eye was clearly full of shrapnel, and his smile seemed to be missing a few teeth. Blueblood thought about how he might repay the brave soul, but ultimately ended up turning his attention to the Warhawk.

His beloved prototype spiraled out of control, flame and smoke consuming it, before it impacted the ground seconds later. A column of flame erupted from the ground, and pieces scattered all over the battlefield. Blueblood couldn’t help but feel a bit sad, despite surviving, the ship still meant quite a lot.

“It did its job,” said Silver Goose, trying to cheer the prince up.

Blueblood, grunting at the Wonderbolt’s hooves digging into him, managed to lift his head, “I suppose it did, Silver. I suppose it did...”

The sight of the airship crashing and exploding had filled Sombra with dread, as he feared for Blueblood, only to have those fears dashed away when he saw several Wonderbolts fly away from the wreckage carrying Blueblood and his crew.

A screeching changeling lunging at him with a barbed spear reminded him he was still in combat and he swiftly decapitated the bug and batted the head away with his shield. The battle had taken a better turn after Blueblood’s efforts, as the changelings now had less air support.

That did not mean the battle was won. Everywhere there was blood, soaking both sides with the blood of the fallen, friend and foe alike. If there was such a thing as a regular day in Tartarus, this would be a good example.

All around was the crescendo of metal striking chitin, the shaking of the earth beneath thousands of hooves, and the roars of the changelings’ monstrous hybrids. The battle now seemed more even sided but that only meant the bloodshed would last longer, and even a few moments in this raging battle may as well have been hours.

But for one pony, a pony who had seen years of battle both in and out of Equestria, it was only in these terrible and horrific conditions where a pony finds out what he’s really made of!

Right now, Duke Firestorm was in the thick of it alongside his fellow soldiers. He telekinetically swung his two swords with masterful skill, mowing down dozens of changelings with single yet swift strokes, the blades moving so fast that before long no changeling dared get too close. They resorted to throwing Bug bombs at him but Firestorm’s keen eye caught sight of those glowing green orbs and he quickly cast spells that utterly incinerated them, neutralizing their poison and turning them into ashes.

But he was growing weary of cutting down the small fry, where was the leader-

“AAAUUGGHH!!”
“NOOO, STEEEEL!!”

Firestorm turned towards the sounds of distress and saw an earth pony soldier thrown near his hooves… by a hulking changeling minotaur standing nearby the chariot of Commander Thorn, and now the duke was certain he’d found the head of the snake. Without their leader, Firestorm knew the changelings would become disorganized and easier to crush. The pony who’d cried out hurried over to his fallen friend and moaned woefully to find Steel was no more.

“No time for tears, son,” Firestorm prompted the stallion to his hooves, “We’ve got some exterminating to do!”

The stallion wiped away a tear and found his resolve to avenge his fallen brother-in arms as he, and three more soldiers flanked Firestorm, two on each side, two armed with spears, the others with swords.

“Spear ponies, aim for the calves as we pass and swords the hoof! Weaken the legs so this meathead falls!” Firestorm commanded as his swords levitated to his left and right, almost like a pair of metal wings. His soldiers all nodded and they took action!

The minotaur-changeling roared as he noticed them rushing him and he obliged, leaving Commander Thorn’s chariot unprotected, to Firestorm’s satisfaction. The behemoth raised a large double-headed labrys axe before using it to strike the battleground, unleashing a powerful shock wave towards the ponies!

Thinking quickly, Firestorm levitated his swords and used them like steps on a staircase to go up and over the wave of power, though his soldiers found themselves flying back a fair distance.

Not their fault, they just didn’t have the experience that only came with age. But now that left Firestorm alone to face this monster barring him from his objective as it bore its axe menacingly.

“In the spirit of generosity, I’ll make you an offer – Stand down and live or fight and die for a leader who would never do the same for you,” Firestorm bore his swords, furrowing his brows.

The minotaur-changeling roared as he swung his axe at the duke-

*FLASH*

“Huh?!” The beast staggered from the force of his swing when it hit only air, and that the duke had vanished!

The tiny hairs on the hybrid’s horns however detected a vibration in the air, and he swung around and managed to deflect Firestorm’s swords with his axe, preventing the duke’s sneak attack. The hybrid pushed Firestorm off, and the unicorn stomped the ground, smirking.

“Impressive, beast! To have not only sensed my attack but countered it so, it will be almost a shame to strike down so skilled an opponent!”

The minotaur-changeling growled and charged forward, only for Firestorm to send his swords slashing at the hybrid, who halted and quickly raised his axe to defend himself. For such a lumbering oaf, the hybrid was surprisingly quick as he abandoned his offense in order to defend himself from Firestorm’s assault as his blades rapidly slashed at the creature, trying to cut him. Besides his axe, the minotaur-changeling used the thick plates of chitin armor on his forearms to defend himself from Firestorm’s swords, and Firestorm soon began to see he was getting no where.

That chitin of there is more resilient than it looks, the duke thought before saying aloud, “I guess I’ll just have to hit harder!”

He leapt back to put some distance between himself and the beast before sheathing his swords, to the hybrid’s confusion. He watched as Firestorm focused on the ground and formed a large mace make out of compressed stone and then willed a pillar of earth beneath him to shoot him up into the sky. Just fast enough that he could flip over and plant four hooves into one of the flying changelings and kick off back down towards the minotaur-changeling.

In that time said minotaur hybrid swung his battle axe, striking a couple pony soldiers that’d tried to gang up on him, before the beast rose his weapon above his head. The blade of his axe met with the spikes of Firestorm's mace in a resounding boom.

”So the clever bull is using sound crystals to give off a makeshift sonic boom with each blow, enough to throw anypony nearby off their game. Clever beast, must’ve gotten those crystals from the energem mine... Firestorm thought as he shifted his body and used the mass of his mace to slide down the side of the hybrid’s axe.

With a powerful thud, Firestorm was able to land a blow against the chitin cover head of the minotaur-changeling sending a small crack down between its eyes. Enough that the green ichor of its blood began to slowly ooze out of it.

The blow was hard enough that the head of the mace shattered after it was weakened from the blow with the axe before leaning Firestorm a stone rod in his magical hold. The minotaur hybrid recovered faster than Firestorm expected and grabbed the pony before throwing him into the air, almost clipping Sombra as he flew above, scythe in tow.

Noticing the thrown pony Spitfire rushed in to catch the duke, and was able to get her forelegs around the unicorn warrior’s barrel, and flapped her wings to keep them both aloft.

“Sir, are you alright?”

“Just peachy, Captain. Mind helping a stallion out?” Firestorm gave Spitfire a cocky smile, which she returned, eager to see what he had in mind.

“At your service, Sir.”

“I need you a few of your Wonderbolts to give me a storm trail. I have a meeting with that large minotaur thing and I can't show up without a flashy entrance.” Firestorm explained as he shrouded himself with magic.

“Can do, where should I drop you off?”

“At the beginning of the storm trail.”

“Aye-aye, sir!” She said before flying back towards the storm clouds.

It only took a few moments to talk Silver lining and Fleetfoot into it as they worked together to get their contrails wrapped up with storm clouds. Firestorm grinned as he pulled out his two swords again and began to drag them along the cloud as he galloped over them with help from a cloud-walking spell.

With each inch, those swords cut through the cloud. Lightning bolts began to spark as they were absorbed into the metal of the blades. Once he was over the hulking minotaur hybrid again he bucked the cloud under him and dived at the beast. Both of his swords were now charged and crackling with lightning, and with a flick of his horn one sword flew right to the wound in the creature’s head.

It sunk home and in a split second all the captured energy had a place to go. Right through the hybrid's body, it let out an ear piercing roar as pain seared through him till nothing was left was a hollow chitin shell. Firestorm landed on the top of the pole handle on the battleaxe as it was stuck at a forty-five-degree angle from the ground. The force of his landing caused it to fall down and sink itself into the ground letting out another shock wave. One that Firestorm, after jumping onto the carcass of the beast, rode towards the battle with his electrifying sword in his magic and the other being pulled from the chitin. He was ready for more, with a grin on his muzzle and a glint of a wildfire behind his eyes.

They have not seen the eye of the storm, and if he had his way only the fires of Tartarus would be their new homes.

“One down, thousands to go.” He grinned from the thrill of battle as he used the claws of his prosthetic foreleg to reach into a hidden pocket under his armor. He pulled out a vial he kept hidden from under it, the amber liquid glinted in the light of battle.

“Ah, old friend, it's been too long.” He pulled the top out with his teeth and spat it out before chugging the liquid down with one gulp and letting out a hearty belch, that familiar spicy aftertaste making every breath a nice chill in his throat.

His horn erupted with a fiery mana as his muzzle began to glow with magic flames. He ran down the back of the corpse he was riding and into the middle of a squad of changelings. Before he hit the ground he let out a torrent of flames that spread over the ground around him a few good feet. Covering them all in ruby red flames and burning a lot of them to a crisp. The other changelings began to jump over the bodies of their comrades to get to the stallions. All before getting cut down by the swinging swords that were being swung with the air with expert grace and skill.

Sombra flew by using his magic to bombard the changelings below with black crystal shards, impaling them. Before he noticed the display from Firestorm. He quickly took to the ground and using his magic to form a wall of Crystals before him.

“Are you alright, Duke Firestorm?” asked a worried Sombra.

“Never better, Your Majesty!” Firestorm laughed before one of the larger changelings Manticores broke through the crystal and began to charge at both ponies.

Firestorm taking noticed turned and unleashed another torrent of flames from his mouth that burned the creature to ash. Right at the same time as Sombra had created another spike of crystal to pierce the beast, and sealed up the hole for only a moment.

“What in the name of my wife was that?!”

“Dragonfyre Spell.” Firestorm answered with a smirk. “Something I picked up when I trained under a dragon sorceress as a young colt.”

“How are you not burning yourself casting it?” Sombra asked as his horn began to glow brighter preparing a spell.

“Fireproofing potion, keeps me from burning myself to a crisp.” Firestorm explained with a grin.

That was all Sombra needed to know as he unleashed his spell, causing all of the crystal walls to shatter and fire off away from them, giving them enough room to move forward, leaving nothing but crystal ridden changeling corpses in its wake.

Sombra took to the air once more and flew off towards the remaining Changeling-Cyclops as it was picking up a large boulder to throw into the battle. As the battle raged on, Sombra only hoped that the others were fairing much better.

Luna led the others through the castle, Twinken lying dazed on her back, as she spoke, “We need to lend our support to where we will be needed. I’m going to take Twinken to the safe room with your parents, Spike, and Elytra. Afterwards, I will find my sister.”

“But what about what Twinken said?” Twilight brought up, “He said Midnight might be here in the castle!”

“That doesn’t make sense, Twily,” Shining Armor interjected, “Midnight was captured practically halfway across Equestria, why would the changelings bring him all the way back here?

“Better yet, how could they have gotten past… !!!”

“The same way I did!” Thorax voiced Shining Armor’s realization, all eyes turning to him, “The same way Chrysalis did before the first invasion – Through the crystal caves underneath Canterlot!”

“Which means it really is possible Midnight is here,” added Twilight, looking pleadingly at Luna and her brother. “At the very least, I have to look around!”

“Not on your own you will,” Shining Armor declared.
“And I’ll help too,” Thorax offered.

Twilight smiled appreciatively at them and Luna saw their minds were made up, “Very well, search the castle as quickly as you can. But be careful!”

They watched Luna venture down the hall before she vanished around the corner, taking Twinken with her. The three then shared troubled looks as Twilight commented, “I just wish Twinken could have gotten a more detailed look of whatever he saw through Midnight’s eyes.”

“Castle halls… not a lot to go by,” Shining Armor shook his head in hesitant agreement, “where do we even start?”

“Well, if a changeling really did bring Midnight here to the castle, I should be able to sense it if it’s in disgui-” Thorax stopped as an all-too-familiar scent tickled at his nostrils.

He took a few sniffs, then a deeper whiff, following it in the other direction, Twilight and Shining Armor looking on curiously.

“Thorax…?” Twilight tried but then Thorax started hurrying down the hall, “Thorax, wait!”

But Thorax didn’t wait, as worry set his heart a’pounding, Twilight and Shining Armor hurrying to keep up as Thorax took a turn, ran down the next hall, took another… before skidding to a halt, Twilight and Shining Armor as well, bumping into Thorax in succession, and they saw what had caused Thorax to stop!

A trail.

A trail of moist and slimy goo giving off a faint green glow, proceeding down the way, and Twilight worked up the nerve to ask, “Thorax, is that…?”

“It’s changeling gew,” Thorax answered with a feeling of dread, “and it’s fresh…”

“Changeling gew?” echoed Shining Armor, not understanding.

“It’s like a, uh…” Thorax tried to explain, as he looked down the hall the trail led, “it’s… something we changelings can naturally make from glands underneath our tongues. It reacts to our magic so we can make it do all kinds of things, like make cocoons, use it like a glue or rubber…”

While Thorax went on, Twilight looked around at the hall, where they’d found the trail. She could see how recognizable the décor was that Twinken would have reached the conclusion of believing Midnight was in Canterlot after seeing through his brother’s eyes.

If Twinken really did see through Midnight’s eyes then… she thought before following the trail.

“Twily! Where are you going?!” Shining Armor called after her.

“I’m going to find Midnight!” Twilight responded over her shoulder as she began to gallop.

“Twilllyyyy…!!!” Shining Armor hurried after her, Thorax as well although he feared what the trail would lead them to.

Twilight ignored her brother’s calling after her as she followed the trail of changeling gew. A whirlwind of emotions and thoughts and questions ran through her head almost as fast as she ran.

Was Midnight really here? If so, why had he been brought here? What were the changelings planning?

Whatever their aims, Twilight thought determined, I’m going to stop it, and I’m getting my Midnight back!

!!!

Twilight skidded to a halt as she finally saw where the trail was leading her, Shining Armor and Thorax catching up and stopping behind her… as the three of them gazed up at the doors that led to the throne room!

“I have a bad feeling about this…!” Thorax shivered.

“I agree, something doesn’t smell right,” Shining Armor furrowed his brows before looking at his sister, “If she weren’t already dead, I would say this has Chrysalis written all over it.”

“The trail leads here,” Twilight was nervous too, but she had already decided, “If Midnight is in there, I’m going to get him!”

“I’m with you, Twily,” Shining Armor placed his good wing over his sister’s withers, and the two siblings shared a warm look before they gave each other a reassuring nuzzle.

The love between brother and sister was just the thing Thorax needed as looking at Twilight and Shining Armor made him think of why he was here – He’d risked capture, imprisonment, even death, all to protect Elytra. His old life as just another drone among thousands was a distant almost-empty memory, all but devoid of any reminders of his own sense of self or individuality.

The queen’s Hive Mind controlled every changeling she bore, and every single changeling born was given three simple orders they would be forced to live by all their lives:

Obey the Queen.

Protect the Hive.

Never fall in love.

The first two made sense, the third not so much. Changelings fed on positive emotions but Love was the must satisfying sustenance, even though no matter how much Love any one changeling consumed it was never enough. Even now, as he drank in the warm and caring love from the bond Twilight and Shining Armor shared, Thorax felt the bitter hunger returning every time he paused from feeding.

Thorax remembered one changeling from his Nursery Hive who had dared to try and leave the Hive and find love. She’d been captured a few months later, visibly pregnant, and Thorax had looked away in horror but that hadn't stopped him from hearing her brutal execution.

Chrysalis had done so, as she had done at least once every century or two, whenever some `ling somehow managed to work up enough will power to try and leave the Hive, to set an example of how disobedience would in no way be tolerated. Traitors would be given no quarter. If you weren't with the Hive, you were against it.

But after the Royal Wedding, when whatever magic Shining Armor and Cadance had worked to repel the changelings had severed his link to the Hive Mind, Thorax knew that awful and empty life was behind him, that he was free. But he’d remembered little Elytra, among the few of his siblings who’d ever shown him any affection, the thoughts of freeing her and keeping her safe suddenly mattered more to Thorax than his own freedom and safety.

Remembering Shining Armor and Cadance’s words, Thorax found his resolve as he thought, Elytra… I’ll find a way so that you are free too!

“Don’t suppose y-you got room for one more?” Thorax asked with a nervous chuckle. Sure he had his resolve but that didn’t mean he’d lost his fear.

Twilight and Shining Armor gave Thorax a concerned look, the latter saying, “You don’t have to come with us, Thorax. You’ve already helped us a lot-”

“No… I have to help however I can,” Thorax spoke with a weight on his spirit, “Ever since I was freed of the Hive Mind, I’ve done all I could to keep Elytra safe. But now… Now I have a chance to make sure she’s free!

“Princess Twilight, Prince Shining Armor, you can count on me to help you face whatever’s in there!”

Twilight and Shining Armor both smiled and Twilight placed a hoof on Thorax’s shoulder, “Thank you, Thorax, for being here. I’m glad Spike met you, because if he hadn’t, then I wouldn’t have made such a great friend like you.”

Thorax smiled, almost tearing up but then he shook it off and got a… forced game face on, “OK! Get ready… we’re going in!”

“Yes we are!” Shining Armor lit up his horn and everypony braced themselves as he opened the doors to the throne room.

GASP!!!

Celestia’s throne room, on an average day, was among the most beautiful, regal, and pristine rooms in the entire castle. What with its soft purple and white color scheme, the blue, magenta, and yellow stained glass windows displaying the world, the stars, and the seas respectively, and of course the throne set upon a golden dais to elevate its princess, and the paired water fountains set on each side of the carpet that led from the doors all the way up to the throne itself.

Now?

It was revolting!

Changeling gew coated the walls, some of it had been molded and hardened into spiky fixtures, and some slowly dripped from above like syrup on a chilly morning and set upon the throne appeared to be a changeling cocoon!

“What…?” Twilight didn’t know what to make of it as they cautiously entered.
“Seems like some changelings have been making themselves at home,” Shining Armor avoided touching the gew, remembering how effective it was in gluing a pony down.
“LOOK!!” Thorax pointed towards the ceiling, and they gasped again to see more cocoons!

There were dozens of them, silhouettes of the occupants barely visible in the light.

“Thorax… tell me those aren’t changelings!” worried Twilight.

“No, those are too big,” Thorax shook his head, “changeling eggs are much smaller and there’s no way changelings would bring changelings to an active invasion while they’re cocooned!

“And…. Those aren’t exactly cocoons, I’m… sensing… a-a smorgasbord of love and joy coming from them!”

“What does that mean?” Shining Armor wondered, ignoring Thorax’s drooling, when he looked to the throne… and gasped! “That one! Look at it!”

Shining Armor hurried over, Twilight and Thorax with him and they gasped in shock to see who was inside the not-cocoon!

“It’s Midnight!!” Shining Armor, Twilight, and Thorax could see him inside, curled up like a foal, blissfully unaware of what was going on in the waking world.

“What have they done to him?!” Twilight put her hooves to her quivering lip, with a part of her so relieved to see Midnight again but it was embittered by the state he was in.

“I… don’t think he’s hurt,” Thorax took a deep breath and sighed in ecstasy! “He’s… I can feel love and joy and… regret?”

“Well, well, well, so you’ve arrived sooner than expected…”

!!!

“That voice…!!!” Shining Armor’s blood ran cold, for even though he’d just heard it, memory screamed that it was impossible!

The three of them fearfully looked up at the other cocoon-like pods and watched as four pairs of chitin-covered legs emerged from the cluster and pulled out the body they were attached to. The body of someone Shining Armor had seen dead only yesterday morning!

Suddenly it seemed like it’d happened ages ago.

The presence above suddenly dropped, and the three of them jumped back, avoiding the figure as she landed on the dais where the throne was, putting herself between her three guests and Midnight. As she rose to the full of her height, her wings flittered excited, her lips pulled back into a sneer as she threw her mane back as her toxic green eyes reflected her manic glee!

“Chrysalis…?!” Shining Armor was seeing it but he couldn’t believe it, as Twilight and Thorax both stood at his sides, on their guard. “No! No, I-I saw you- You were dead! You killed yourself!!”

“Your eyes do not deceive you, Shiny,” Chrysalis sneered that despicable sneer of her, her every word poisoned with cruelty, her eyes giving the three before her a hungry look, “nor did they deceive you then. For you see, we changelings are capable of so much more than shapeshifitng and feeding on love.”

“Yes, you’re capable of enslaving your own children and robbing them of their free will!” Twilight raised her wings threateningly, but all it did was make Chrysalis frown… before throwing a murderous look at Thorax, who shivered under her glare.

“It would seem that you’ve been hearing things from someone with a big and treacherous mouth,” she hissed, “and I intend to make an example of you. A long and painful example, you filthy ingrate!!!”

Shining Armor put himself between Chrysalis and Thorax, “You leave him be!”

Raising her brow, Chrysalis chuckled spuriously before shrugging, “But I digress… It is true, Shining Armor, for the past months I had been an unwilling guest of your dear Princess Celestia’s dungeons. I can’t tell you how demeaning it was, pretending that I had been captured, taken into your custody. But you see, I’ve been around for a very long time… and when you’ve lived as long as I have, you come to learn the value of Patience!

“Alas, I got so caught up in what I had perceived as my imminent victory during the wedding, and so forgot that important lesson. Which is why, frustratingly boring as it was, I told myself over and over to patiently bide my time and let my machinations move at the pace that I had discussed with my most trusted subordinates even before I’d planned to steal you from Cadance! It was even more difficult since Midnight cut off my horn, preventing me from making contact with the Hive.

“But I had woven my web intricately, and finally after months of incarceration my patience paid off when you, Midnight, and Sombra came to my cell and informed me that things had been set into motion.”

“Stop beating around the bush, Chrysalis!” Shining Armor stamped his hoof, “You’re supposed to be DEAD!!”

“I was dead… for a while,” Chrysalis sneered, giddy by how she’d duped them all, “It’s just as I said, we changelings are capable of so much more than shapeshifting and feeding on love. You see the reason I’ve lived for so long… is I believe in the concept of being prepared.

“Long ago, I was nearing the end of my natural lifespan. But, like few ever are, I was not ready to be taken into the fearful unknown that is death, so I experimented… I made progress, but soon it literally became a situation of do or die!

“I took my most promising project and took a gamble that should very well have been the end of my story. Instead, it paid off! I discovered how I could cheat death! By taking the strongest eggs I laid and preparing them magically and alchemically, and even using my Hive Mind, I could transfer my own consciousness into one of these specially prepared eggs upon the moment of my physical demise!”

Shining Armor, Twilight, and Thorax looked upon Chrysalis with shock, and realized she actually looked rather healthy – There were no holes in her legs, her wings and carapace weren’t tattered, and her horn wasn’t gnarled or twisted! She looked strong, confident, and in a dark and twisted way, beautiful.

She was literally a new changeling!

“So after you’d informed me of the Hive attacking the energem mine, and then tried to telepathically rip information from me, I decided I’d overstayed my welcome in that quaint cell… and yes, I bashed my head in! It hurt, I must say… but the sweet and invigorating relief of being free and reborn anew more than made up for it!”

“But… if you could’ve… escaped anytime you like, why didn’t you?” asked a confused Twilight.

“To fool you fools!” Chrysalis began to laugh insultingly, “You thought you had the queen of the changelings safely locked away and that without their leader the Hive would just scuttle away into the darkness like cockroaches!

“Instead, my children have been continuing my plans and conspiring this second invasion, all per my standing orders and placing my most capable servants in command during my absence. That I was giving you a false sense of security by posing as your prisoner made my stay in that cell bearable, that… and that you inferior creatures are so easy to dupe!! HA-HA-HAAA!!”

“URGH!!!” Twilight lit up her horn, preparing a really nasty hex, when Shining Armor stepped in front of her.

“Wait!”

Twilight calmed, confused by her brother as she echoed “‘Wait’?!”

“Disappointing, Twilight. After your prior meddling, I’d pegged the females of your pathetic species as the smart ones,” Chrysalis poked as she approached Twilight, getting up in her face, “He wants. To know. About. The pods.”

Realization spread over Twilight as she looked to Shining Armor and Thorax, and they watched as Chrysalis approached the pod containing Midnight.
“Even before my prior failure to take Canterlot, I had been considering how our methods to harvest Love was inefficient. We changelings hunger endlessly for love, and a fair number of us die of starvation because I can only afford to feed the strongest among us to maintain the Hive’s strength.”

“You mean you play favorites,” Shining Armor glared at the queen with disgust.

“Mm, perhaps, but then you know… Survival of the Fittest,” Chrysalis shrugged, “After all, when you ponies are scarce on food, who would you give the best rations? The weak and the feeble? Or the strong and the capable who can do more for the many? If your answer is the former, you're even weaker than I thought!

“But as I was saying, I had to make sure my soldier caste was strong enough to protect the Hive and their queen at all times, but I also needed to feed my newborns. Any changeling who couldn’t pull their own weight? They deserved nothing!”

Thorax whimpered, recalling some bad memories.

“So… I questioned ‘why expend so much effort to gain so little? Why couldn't I... reverse that?’ I began to experiment with cocoons and wondered… instead of changelings, what if I placed ponies in them, not merely as prisoners but as... something else? As you know by the Hive Mind, we changelings are a naturally telepathic species. The Hive Mind makes us efficient in learning and sharing information without needing to speak it verbally, and it was then I found my inspiration!

“Telepathy! What if I could harness that to somehow produce far more love from a subject than any agent could ever harvest by infiltrating our enemies’ societies, usurping the identities of loved ones, all the while working to evade the ever-present risk of exposure? I wasn’t able to complete the idea after I was captured, but my children picked up where I left off, and I was so proud of the end result, which you see here!

“These Pods are imbued with properties not unlike the telepathic capabilities of the Hive Mind. Once a subject is placed inside, the Pod reads the occupant’s heart’s desire and places the prisoner within a perfectly convincing scenario of it.”

“You mean he’s dreaming,” Shining Armor realized, while Twilight and Thorax began to wrap Chrysalis’s words around their heads. “Luna couldn’t get in, but Midnight’s brother Twinken could!”

“Is that who was poking around in that empty head of Midnight’s earlier?” smirked Chrysalis, glancing at them before shaking her head in mock-sympathy. “It is far more complex than some simple dream! You see, the subject is utterly convinced he is living a life where he has everything he ever wanted, and…?”

Chrysalis trailed before looking expectantly at Thorax, who got the idea!
“He’s happy! I’ve felt his joy and his love ever since we came in here!”

“Exactly,” Chrysalis took a deep breath, a shimmery mist of faint pink and orange coming off Midnight’s pod like steam, shuddering as though she were on the ultimate high.
“This taste, I can’t get enough… No matter how many times I taste it” – Chrysalis looked at them with eyes full of madness! – “I just can’t get enough!!”

“YOU MONSTER!!!” Twilight couldn’t take it anymore, and lunged at Chrysalis, casting a shower of star-like blasts of magical energy that pummeled Chrysalis, enshrouding her with burning nebula-like smoke, and Twilight leapt right in, ignoring her brother yelling at her to stop.

*THWACK! POW! CRACK!!*

“UGHH!!” Twilight came flying out of the smoke, landing on her back, groaning and with a nasty bump on her forehead, just below her horn.

Thorax came over, checking on her with eyes full of concern, and Shining Armor turned around to see Chrysalis stepping out of the smoke, looking no worse for wear, and laughing ominously.

“You don’t seem to understand,” she said with morbid glee, “I am feeding on the love and happiness of dozens of ponies, including Midnight, who are under the impression they have everything their hearts' desire. If your love alone, Shining Armor, made me strong enough to defeat Celestia…”

Shining Armor’s eyes widened in horror at the implication in Chrysalis’s words as the lady of leeches narrowed her eyes and bore her fangs, “In any case, you, your sister, and that filthy traitor Thorax won’t be joining them in their bountiful reveries. Because you’re already dead…”

Author's Note

This took was exhausting, as battle scenes, especically war scenes, are difficult to write about. So I asked for some help.

Spirals95 did the aerial battle while DFatman did the battle scene with his OC Duke Firestorm, I did the rest and the editing

So Chrysalis isn't dead after all (or at least she was)

241. The Loss of Faith - Part 22 - Time to Wake Up

Growling, Shining Armor cast a bubble around Chrysalis and launched her out the throne room like a cannonball before he turned to check on his sister.
“Twily! You okay?”

“Ugh, she’s strong…” Twilight groaned as Shining Armor and Thorax helped her to her hooves, “but we’re stronger together!”

“Then let’s take her down together!” Shining Armor charged his horn and Twilight nodded before taking flight and zooming out the throne room after the queen.

Shining Armor almost followed when he noticed Thorax was about to follow too but barred the young changeling’s way with his good wing, “No Thorax, stay here.”

“What?! But I-” Thorax flabbergasted.

“Stay here… and get these ponies out of those pods! Without their love and joy to feed on, Chrysalis will be easier to fight,” Shining Armor instructed before glancing at his bandaged wing.
“With my wing like this, I won’t be able to fly while fighting Chrysalis. The best I can do is attack her from a distance and provide backup for Twilight! Get those ponies out of those pods and out of harm’s way! Do you understand?”

Thorax realized what Shining Armor was entrusting him to do, and nodded.
“Don’t get separated from Twilight no matter what! Chrysalis will try any dirty trick she can to win!”

The alicorn prince nodded and then galloped out the throne room to go back up his sister, and Thorax looked up to the Pods attached to the ceiling.

“What's wrong little ponies?” taunted Chrysalis as she slowly walked towards both Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor as they tried to attack from a distance.

Twilight shot blasts of magic that would either harmlessly ricochet off her chitin or she would counter with a ball of gew that would pepper the hall with its slimy remnants. Shining on the other hoof was using very few offensive spells, mostly to conserve his mana. He needed to find a weakness in the changeling queen's armor and from Twilight's bombardment of blasts, nothing seemed to be working.

“Can't stand up to your better?”

“You're nopony’s better!” yelled Twilight as she swooped to the left to avoid a returned volley from Chrysalis.

Before she charged her horn to return another blast. Only for it to be intercepted by another ball of gew from the Changeling Queen's mouth.

“I would beg to differ, as your side’s troops out there are slowly but most assuredly being decimated by my forces and those that survive will become nothing more than our food,” she grinned fiendishly as she continued to slowly chase the two.

Shining growled as he remembered his fellow comrades were still out there on the battlefield. He then began to focus on his magic, a thick wall of dark magenta magic formed in front the Queen as she looked at it unimpressed.

“Do you really think your little shield spell is going to stop me?” She leaned back as a sickly emerald green glow of her horn intensified before unleashing a blast upon the shield.

In seconds, cracks began to riddle the conjured wall of magic before it shattered like stained glass, the pieces vanishing like burnt-out embers. The blast continued down the all blasting a large hole into the outer walls of the castle. The energy blast could be seen by everypony outside, soaring out and vanishing into the horizon!

Both Shining and Twilight looked on in amazed at the sheer power of the changeling queen, and slowly turned to see the queen grinned as her fangs glinted in the light. At the same time, her horn was still alit with magic as she readied another spell.

Back in the throne room, Thorax was looking over the room trying to figure out the best way to get the pods down from the ceiling. The scary sounds out in the castle halls told him he had to work fast. The only thing he could come up with was using his gew to form a web-like safety net.

“Here goes nothing,” Thorax began to create a large amount of gew, and his magic shaped the gew he spat from his mouth, and it spread out, forming a web that quickly hung itself beneath the pods.

Thorax flew up and carefully landed on the web, testing it to be sure before he was satisfied, and then flew up to the pods, getting to work.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis was starting to grow bored of playing with her opponents.

“I think I've played with you long enough,” she sighed, sounding bored, before she launched another powerful blast towards the two alicorns.

A small smirk crossed Shining Armor's muzzle as he brought up smaller shields. This time he placed only one in front of the blast. He turned slightly to the left, right as the Queen's magic struck upon it. It didn't break right through it as it almost bounced right off it towards the wall or more precisely. Right into another shield like the first. This chain continued until the blast was redirected back to the source, Chrysalis herself.

The queen watching this grinned as the blast nearly connected and blew the debris from the fight so far, creating a smoke screen. The smoke blocked the alicorn's sight of the queen as they began to breathe heavily.

Did we get her? Shining watched the debris slowly fall. His eye widened as he noticed the queen was still standing with a smirk on her face.

“Are you kidding me?!” Shining was beginning to get scared… when he realized Chrysalis was standing there shielded in a bubble of magic. The very same kind of shield Shining used to cover the city during his wedding.
“That's my shield spell!”

“I didn't just take your love that day, Shining,” sneered Chrysalis, looking far too pleased with herself.

“Then you should know what happens when a shield spell is overpowered,” Twilight smirked back. Shining blinked as he turned to his sister, completely confused.

“What are you talking about Twily?” Shining asked confused.

“Radiant Shield's third principle of mana shield dynamics,” Twilight answered right off the bat, looking at her brother who just stared back in a clueless fashion. Much like how the queen was at the same time.

“I think I may have slept through that lesson…” Shining shrugged a tad sheepish, his annoyed Twilight as she let out a frustrated growl.

“The principle states that if a shield is over-saturated with magic without the correct variables in place” – Twilight worked her magic , willing it to splash over chrysalis’s shield while she explained – “It must resize itself to become stable.”

By Twilight’s explanation, Chrysalis’s shield began to shrink and compress with her still in it!

“I don't think so!” Chrysalis focused her magic and large emerald green flames consumed her as her form changed.

The once tall queen was now a very large hexapod with each of its six legs ending in sharp points. The blacking chitin of its body was complemented with the gradient green to blue-green tinted stripes. The same with its larger armored thorax and abdomen that looked like it was segmented further leaving a nasty looking stinger.

The head of the creature was angled and closely resembled a spider’s head, just with a large bottom jaw. Filled with fangs and instead of the natural eight eyes, this form only had five neon green eyes that went with its gradient head. The side of it easily overpowered the diminishing shield forcing it to pop as if it was nothing more than a soap bubble.

“You can't defeat me that easily,” Chrysalis snarled, her voice beastly and growling.

“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be tricked!” Shining Armor lit up his horn and cast a bombardment of Magic Arrows!

The arrow-shaped bolts of dark magenta mana flew towards the monstrous looking queen. Most of them pinged off the chitin and fizzed out. Others aimed true into the weaker parts of the legs.

Chrysalis let out a painful roar as she dropped to her form’s knees. She then opened her mouth as a massive amount of gew flew in a few shades brighter color than the stuff she threw out before. Thinking fast, Shining Armor erected his shield covering both him and his sister, right before the goop splatted against it and dropped to the floor. A small sizzling sound could be heard coming from the goop as it dropped through the floor as it burned its way through.

“We've got to watch out for that stuff,” Twilight charged her horn.

“No kidding,” Shining began to focus his magic and dropped his shield.

Right then Twilight disappeared and reappeared behind Chrysalis as Shining began to cover the floor in a barrier a few inches thick, going unnoticed by Chrysalis as she turned to face Twilight.

She unleashed a torrent of magic that smashed against the queen’s head. Instead of being able to stand her ground, her legs began to give out, as they began to scuttle to and fro, trying to find footing on the barrier Shining Armor had coated the floor with, making it slick and slippery like ice.

Shining Armor took a running start before sliding along his magical handiwork, slipping along right under the queen and fired more arrows, hoping to hit a soft part of her underside. No such luck but he was able to at the very least get himself in front of her.

In the throne room, Thorax had managed to finally get all of the Pods down to the floor.

“Okay, hard part’s over” Thorax panted before he began to try and bite into the nearest pod, hoping to tear it open. But it was like trying to bite into a tightly sealed drum as the membrane of the pod was merely pushed inward but never gave way or punctured.

“Darn it, how am I going to open these things?” Thorax rubbed his chitin-covered hoof over his chin thinking… when an idea popped in his head.

"Ah-ha!"

With a flash of soft opal-blue mana, the once black insect-like changeling was replaced with a rather large black-feathered griffon with a dark gray pelt to complement the rest of the body. He brought up his black talons and stabbed into the pod, barely making enough leeway to get the other talon in.

With every bit of his strength, Thorax fought to release the pony within. Once torn, the rest of it came away with ease as translucent green ooze flooded out while Thorax made the hole bigger to reveal the pony, an earth pony mare, inside.

The mare that was once contained remained unconscious, to Thorax’s relief, as he didn’t need her waking up and panicking. So he moved her to a corner behind some of the gew structures so she would be safe.

“One down...” he said as he looked back to the over a dozen pods, “…and a lot more to go.”

He sighed before cracking his griffon form’s talons to get back to work. With each pony freed from the Pods, the magical link of love and joy was disrupted and cut off from the queen. At first, it was unnoticeable, given Chrysalis was on a power-crazed high.

The others captives filled in the missing gap as more love was drained. But after the seventh or so pony was released, the loss of power began to grow apparent.

With the next blast from Twilight, her love-enhanced chitin began to lightly crack and Chrysalis growled in frustration of this. She decided to change up tactics by shifting her form from the massive bug-like monster to something closer to her normal form. As it looked like the front half of her was more attached to the main body and abdomen of a spider with matching legs. She grinned as she used her magic to create a smokescreen large enough to cover the whole hall. Just for her to make her escape to the roof, and as the smoke cleared. She released a large amount of the gew to cover both Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle, making it hard for either one of them to move.

Chrysalis grinned as they both looked up to see the more spider-like changeling queen.

“Just hold that pose….” she said as she began to open her mouth wider than most changelings could.

A larger glob of the acidic gew began to slowly droop down towards Twilight who began to panic and fought more to get released. Right as the last strand of gew snapped with the promise of a painful demise, Shining brought up a bubble of magic to surround his sister. It was enough to cut some of the gew that covered her and caused the glob to slide off the side.

Unfortunately, a few small flecks of the acid sprung off as the glop rolled down to the floor and they got Shining Armor in the left foreleg. His coat began to smoke and burn as the acid began to burn away small spots of his coat, leaving his skin exposed with burns.

It looked much worse than it was, but that didn't keep Shining from crying out in pain as it felt like his leg was on fire. Chrysalis began to grin when she felt more and more of her powers began to slip away.

“You two stay still now, I have a traitor to deal with.”

She then sprung off the ceiling and returned to her normal form. Returning to the throne room, she saw that the floor was completely covered in the translucent ooze from the pods and a griffon trying to break into the last pod.

The very pod that was holding Midnight himself!

Infuriated, knowing who that griffon really was, the queen spat a volley of sticky gew globs at each of the limbs pinning the griffon to the throne itself.

“You dare undermine your Queen!?!?” Chrysalis’s eyes promised bloody murder as she slowly stepped closer.

Her horn began to glow with a venomous green light as the sharper spikes of gew began to break off from over the room and float beside her.
“Before I'm done with you, you treacherous grub, you will beg for the sweet release of death!”

She willed the first spike to launch and it flew through the air with a speed of a cannon. It pierced right into Thorax's right foreleg, making him scream in pain as his disguise dropped to show his leg was dripping the green ichor that most changelings had. He looked on at the queen in complete fear as he saw his life flash before his eyes.

Guilt… This awful, cold, gut-twisting guilt! Where was it coming from?! He stood there in the castle’s entry hall, so confused by this strange guilt and had no idea why he was feeling it! Midnight had just come to the castle to pick up his daughter, Penumbra Velvet, or Penny as she preferred.

She’d wanted to spend time with her Gramma Tia while Midnight had surprised his parents with the new house he’d bought for them. But looking back… he’d felt like somepony had been there, somepony had been trying to reach him, and once he’d reached the castle… that somepony he couldn’t see or hear… He’d felt such a tangled mess of emotions he knew were not his own, but those emotions had reached something inside him!

Guilt, regret, anger, heartache, hatred, a cauldron of conflict and stress boiling within him so intensely that he began to feel sick! Midnight groaned as he leaned against a wall, trying to clear the storm of confusing thoughts and questions and feelings thundering in his head when he looked around… and noticed something was off.

The hall- No… Everything around him! His surroundings all seemed to slowly change color… everything appeared to take on a slight greenish shade before a slight tremor beneath Midnight’s hooves caused him to yelp and then suddenly notice everything looked normal again.

What was going on?!

“Daddy?”

Flinching, Midnight turned and felt relieved to see… through Penny?!

His little filly was standing there, looking up at him concerned… and he could see right through her! As though she were a ghost!

“Daddy, are you okay?” Penny came over and hugged his foreleg, feeling solid, which felt reassuring as she then looked solid too.

But why had…?

“Daddy, are we gonna go?” Penny’s question brought Midnight out of it, and he looked at her, dumbfounded.

“Uh, yeah… We got a train to catch, baby,” Midnight answered slowly.

“Then let’s go! I can’t wait to hear Mommy tell me a bedtime story,” Penny scampered out the castle doors, Midnight following hesitantly, unable to shake that troubling feeling that something was not right.

Walking through Canterlot as afternoon began to fade into the evening hours, Midnight thought, Just get home, put Penny to bed, and get in bed with Twi, everything’ll be fine after a good night’s- !!!

Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns seemed to take on a greenish hue and look oddly vague, details in the architecture fading before it all came back!

“Penny, did you…?” Midnight gasped again at the sight of his filly!

Penny was happily skipping and la-la-la-ing… and her form was transparent even though she acted as though nothing were wrong.

But something was wrong, as Midnight realized, Everything is wrong!

“Penny?”

The little filly turned to look at her father, whose head hung low, casting a shadow over his eyes… before raising them with a forced smile as he said, “Let’s… take a detour. There’s something I wanna talk to you about.”

“Um, okay, Daddy,” Penny followed her father closely, wrapping her little tail around his, causing him to smile down at her, which she warmly returned.

That smile, Midnight thought about the first time he saw that smile. So tiny, so beautiful… He almost led them down the wrong avenue but quickly got his head back on track, and brought Penny to Canterlot Public Park. A beautiful little spot of nature near the edge of in the City of Unicorns, with a playground, an open field with a baseball diamond in one corner, a public swimming pool, and a high rise that led to a balcony with coin-operated viewers to gaze out across Equestria from the high vantage of Mount Canterhorn upon where Canterlot was built.

The setting sun had already signaled to parents to collect their tired foals and take them home, but Midnight led his foal to the balcony, and levitated a silver bit for her, pointing to the viewers and Penny quickly got the idea.

She smiled, accepting the Bit, and quickly hurried over, slid the bit into the coin slot, and looked through the viewer. Even though he couldn’t see her eyes as she looked at all that could be seen, Midnight knew.

Penny was seeing a land where everypony was happy, where all lived in harmony, where everything was just fine.

And that was the problem.

The nightmares he’d been having, these feelings… They’d awoken something inside him, vague echoes that didn’t fit yet somehow he knew they were true. Just as he knew that all of this…

“Daddy, I think I can see our house from here!”

Midnight snapped out of it and looked at Penny, so beautiful, so innocent… His baby!

But she’s not…! Midnight thought before he spoke, “Penny? Come here.”

“Daddy?” Penny got off the viewer and scampered over, seeing her father sit down, so she did too.

He reached over to place one of his hooves on her shoulder, giving her the warmest, most tender and loving look he could give her as her father. But in his eyes, Penny could see something was bothering her daddy.

“Daddy, are… Are you okay? You look sad!”

“…Penumbra Dawn Velvet,” Midnight spoke, barely able to keep his voice calm and smiled, “The day I married your mommy, I thought it was the happiest day of my life! I was proven wrong that warm and beautiful night when you were born.

“The first time I saw your adorable little face, your tiny hooves reaching out to me…” Midnight reached up with his other hoof to caress Penny’s cheek, “I’d never felt so happy as when I held you for the first time, and I swore then and there I would give you the world!”

Penny smiled, reaching up to hold her father’s hoof in her own as he went on.

“Every day, every night, every first, being your father has been my greatest journey! But… the journey has…” Midnight couldn’t hold back the tears anymore as he struggled to stay composed even as the tears flowed down his face, “Oh Faust help me…”

“Daddy?” whimpered Penny, suddenly afraid.

“Penny… I think… the journey ends here.”

“Daddy, what are you saying…?!” Penny’s little voice shook, the look she gave her daddy was heartbreaking.

“I’m saying that… I don’t think… this is real,” Midnight began to sob, “That any of this is real! I don’t think… you’re real.”

“Daddy! Don- Don’t say that!” Penny cried as she reared up, throwing her little forelegs around her father’s neck. “You’re scaring me!”

“No, no, baby, I…” Midnight hugged his filly close, nuzzling her head to his own, “You are everything I wanted in a daughter! All of this, it’s… It’s everything I ever wanted out of life!”

Then Midnight gently pushed Penny back so he tell her face-to-face, “But… there are others who need me, sweetheart. There are… promises I have to keep! So I… I have to go.”

As the heartache brought them together in embrace, Canterlot... no, all of Equestria, everything around them began to fade. The orange sky that held Celestia's sun gave way to a sullen darkness that held no moon and held no stars to guide the lost. The land began to turn shades of gray as it blew away as if it was nothing more than dust in the wind. The once luscious flowers, trees, and other plants began to wither away into ash, and the walls and towers of Canterlot crumbled away into nothing, and everypony else faded into emptiness.

All the while, sensing it was all closing in on them, Midnight held his daughter, his little filly, his sweet Penny as close as he could in a warm and protective embrace.

"I promise you, Penny! I'll never forge-" was all he got out through his tearful words when he felt Penny fade away. His foreleg went through the space his daughter once occupied, as the thought finally hit him.

Penny was gone, and he was alone.

He tried to peer around him to find anything to hold on to, but there wasn't anything but the eternal darkness that surrounded him. The cold, empty, and soul crushing loneliness that only this kind of darkness could bring...

The memories flooded his mind. Of the all the bright and warm and perfect times with his wife and daughter, each and every happy and beautiful moment he’d shared with them filled his mind even as an unfeeling voice in the back of his mind told him they were false. A fake reality that he knew he had to deny.

It didn't change how much it hurt, to feel the heartbreak, anguish, and the complete despair that followed with that left him with only one thing he could do.

Scream... A scream that if anypony heard it, it would tell of years, even decades of pain all released in that moment. A scream for nopony but the darkness itself to hear.

“UGH!!” Twilight was sent tumbling head over hooves with such force, she couldn’t stop herself nor did she have the clarity of mind to do so.

She was bruised and battered, her primaries on her left wing had been burnt off, she was utterly exhausted, physically and magically, there were nasty cuts on her chest and right hind leg, and she was finding it harder and harder to maintain consciousness. She wasn’t sure if it was blood loss or if she’d been poisoned, but as she tried to gather her wits and ignore the utter agony her body was feeling, she analyzed her situation:

Thorax was nailed to the wall above the throne and unable to move because of the sticky gew he’d been covered with.

Midnight was still inside the pod and trapped in some bittersweet fantasy.

Shining Armor lay unconscious, his multi-shaded blue mane a mess and his white coat and feathers stained with his blood.

And she noticed she was lying at the foot of the throne, just below the golden dais it was set upon.

Also, needless to mention, was the cruel and wicked changeling queen savoring the moment as she slowly approached, and laughing to herself, taking sadistic pleasure at the dispirited look on Twilight’s face.

I have to… do something! Twilight groaned, her body screaming with pain, but she forced herself with the drive to stop Chrysalis and save her Midnight. She rolled herself over onto her belly, the cut on her chest stinging and bleeding, and slowly rose up on her shaky hooves despite the awful aching of the bruises on her legs.

Gritting herself and grinding her teeth, Twilight finally forced herself to stand tall and looked Chrysalis in the eye until they were standing only a few hooves apart. Chrysalis looked down with a contemptuous sneer while Twilight looked back with defiance.

“So brave, and yet… so tragically pathetic. What more do you expect to do, Princess Twilight? You can barely stand on your own hooves, you’re exhausted, battered, bleeding, and I highly doubt you have the mana left to cast even one Magic Arrow. You know what, I’m feeling oddly generous right now so let me make you an offer – Submit to me now, and I won’t kill you!

“Instead, I’ll place you in one of my Pods! Think about it – You can leave all of this behind! No more troubles, no more worries, only happiness. All that you ever wanted, you’ll want for nothing, you will live life happy and content. No one will ever hurt you again…”

A Magic Arrow straight into Chrysalis’s eye was Twilight’s answer, and the queen shrieked in pain, stumbling back before she reached her hoof up to the wound. She pulled back to see the green ichor of her blood stained on her hoof. She growled in rage as she looked down at Twilight with pure hate in her remaining eye.

“So be it, princess!” Chrysalis spat in anger as she slowly walked up to the princess. Twilight was too exhausted and bruised to be able to move an inch and stood helpless as Chrysalis growled, “You have been nothing more than a thorn in my side, a pest constantly getting in my way! That ends now.”

Standing only a few hooves away from the lavender princess, Chrysalis raised her right hoof as it was engulfed with emerald flames and replaced with the scythe-like limb of a praying mantis.

“But don’t worry!” Chrysalis sneered despicably at Twilight, who was frozen in fear and agony, “I’ll take good care of your Midnight…!!”

As the bladed limb came down to seal Twilight's doom, she was about to scream out in horror-

*Thump*

“What the?!” Chrysalis froze, only a few inches away from ending Twilight's life, and turned to the only remaining pod in the room.

She tilted her head slightly in confusion as she slowly stepped up to it after reverting her leg back to normal.

This doesn't make sense, he should be consumed by the pure bliss of the fantasy.

Chrysalis tried to peer in, using the Hive Mind, only to see flashes and glimpses of whatever was going on in Midnight’s head.

This can't be, he’s becoming self-aware! That’s impossible! Unless… His love is my only remaining boost in power but I must have overextended the Pod’s ability to keep him entrapped!

All she could sense from Midnight was the utter heartache and despair coursing throughout his very being. Igniting her horn, Chrysalis tried to subdue the alicorn, force him back into his fantasy, before-

*KASHPLAM*

For only a split-second, Chrysalis had seen Midnight’s eyes suddenly open, shining a pure white light before a magical force EXPLODED from the pod with a force powerful enough that it sent Chrysalis flying against one of the far walls, almost out of sight.

An opaque green haze filled the room but very quickly began to disperse, revealing an alicorn slick with translucent ooze, stumbling and disoriented as he took a few shaky steps forward and looked around, his blurred vision clearing up as he got his bearings.

“Where… What happ…?” Midnight mumbled when finally he was able to see clearly enough that he noticed a battered and bloody Twilight. That snapped his brain back into focus as he rushed over to her.

“Twilight! What happened?! Who did this to you?” Midnight forgot his own physical ailing as he looked his Twilight over, and she looked up at him, her eyes glimmering with joy to see him, to hear his voice… when an undesirable voice spoke up.

“That would be me.”

Midnight turned and his eyes widened to see Chrysalis as his inner voice representing common sense yelled out that this was impossible, that she should be dead-

“In fact, I was just about to cut off her head when you-” was all she got out before the prince had disappeared for a split second before her view was filled with nothing but pain.

Everyone else had blinked and now saw Midnight suddenly in front of Chrysalis and burying his hoof into her face with force so hard, that she was sent flying through the throne room doors down the hall like a cannonball!

The doors were blasted into splinters as Midnight's left eye began to twitch, a match had been lit inside him and he was about to explode! His eyes lit up with a light of burning white while his pupils narrowed into predatory slits that glowed a burning blue, his horn lit up and in a flash of magic was gone as Twilight looked on in deep concern, afraid of what was about to transpire. She moved her shaking hoof up to wipe the tears away and focused on the task at hoof. With the last embers of her mana, she began to slowly but surely break Thorax out of the Queen's gew while a serious of blasts could be heard from the halls.

“Do you have any idea…” Midnight seethed his eyes burning with unforgiving hate, as he held Chrysalis up close in his magic, choking her, “…what you DID TO ME?!?!”

The Queen smiled as she brought up her back hooves and bucked Midnight just right to make him lose his hold on her. Her wings began to buzz as she righted herself in the air and landed.

“I gave you the chance to experience a life of joy without a care in the world,” Chrysalis smirked before her horn lit up and a piece of wall floated up. With a flick of magic, the large piece flew at Midnight who blasted it without thought but with emotion.

As the debris from the blast blew away, what he saw standing in Chrysalis’s place shook him. Where stood the queen of the changelings was now a tall unicorn stallion that closely resembled Sombra before becoming an alicorn, albeit a little heavier in muscle. The color of his coat was a vibrant scarlet red, his mane and tail were obsidian black black with highlights of metallic gold. But it was his eyes, those blazing red eyes Midnight always saw whenever his little brother looked at him.

If it wasn't for the fact that he knew this wasn't the pony he thought it was, even if he had a cutie-mark shaped as a flaming sword and shield…

“Drop that form.” Midnight snarled as he bore his fangs and his horn became ablaze with magic that behaved like burning blue fire.

“Oh, not in the mood for dear old dad? Maybe this one will do.”

The stallion was engulfed in emerald flames and gave way to reveal a soft silver-white unicorn mare, with a mane and tail two shades of sky blue, and her eyes were a perfect reflection of Midnight’s own turquoise eyes.

“Does this one suit you better?” she asked as her horn lit up with more rubble floating up.

Midnight growled as he blasted the rubble before they could have been thrown. He glared with such hatred that even the imposter felt a twinge of fear before snorting.

“No?” the fake’s playful tone was striking a nerve when she gave him a look that Midnight knew his mother - his real mother - would never give him. “I know you'll like this one...”

She changed again... into Penny. The sight of her, her shiny black coat, her purple, blue, and magenta mane… and her green eyes! Now Midnight could see it. This image, this filly who never was, the proof of her falsehood had been looking at him from the very start!

Penny had the same green eyes of Chrysalis!

“I know about every little detail of your blissful fantasy,” she spoke in that little filly’s voice as she began to fling more rubble at Midnight. This time however, Midnight was too shaken to blast them.

He dodged one, another struck him in the shoulder, a part of him that was clinging to that awful beautiful lie just didn’t have it in him to attack even this spurious semblance of something he deeply desired.

“The happy little family with mommy and daddy, a loving home, where nothing could go wrong,” she mocked as Midnight was slightly distracted and could only blast the rubble as he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

To him, all he could see was the once sweet daughter from the warped fantasy.

“And let’s not forget the loving wife and your precious daughter,” she giggled derisively as she continued to step closer and at the same time, Midnight could only slowly step back. “But… I will make you a deal. If you simply go back to the pod, I will let you go back to your blissful little world. Wouldn't that be nice... Daddy?”

She smiled so sweet that shook Midnight to his core. It sounded just like the fake daughter from the fantasy. At that point, something snapped within Midnight. His horn began to light up as the shadows around him reached out and engulfed him.

“That’s right, run away and hide,” Chrysalis sneered as she watched him disappear as the shadows moved down the hall. With a flick of magic, Chrysalis returned back to her normal form.

What she didn't notice however was the shadow only turned around and began to beeline directly for her. As it slipped right under her, two back hooves bucked her from under, knocking the wind out of the queen and sending her up into the air.

The shadow then shot up the hall and a hoof shot out, punching the queen in the face and sending her pummeling into the wall. Just like before, the shadow was there to meet her as a long thin tail wrapped around the Queen's neck and dragged her against the wall, right into some of the gew-constructed spikes and pillars for almost the equivalent of miles of hallways before she was flung right into the throne room. She rolled as the shadow flew right in and Midnight rose out of it before flying over and willing two large tendrils of shadowstuff to lash out and ensnare the changeling queen's hooves, preventing her from moving.

“You dare… Out of all the things you could change into…” he spoke in an almost chilling cold tone that everyone in the room could feel, “you had to pick them.”

As he spoke, the shadows began to hold her forelegs up leaving her at an awkward angle against the throne's back. Just lower than where Thorax had been earlier before Twilight was able to get him down.

“Out of everypony.” Midnight’s voice turned into a growl as the shadows around him began to cover his forelegs, “you picked my father.”

He continued as he moved his right foreleg and the shadows that held Chrysalis forced herself to punch her own muzzle.

“My mother.”

This time it was it was her left.

“And Penny.”

This time, he formed the shadows around his hooves into long and terrible claws, seizing the queen by her throat, and with his other shadow claw he reached up…

*YANK/CRACK*

“AAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!” Chrysalis let out a piercing scream of sheer agony as Midnight ripped her horn right out of her skull!

Twilight watched in horror as Midnight tortured the changeling who had begunto cry out and whimper in agony as shock settled in. She needed to do something but her body ached to no end, and she could barely stand. Let alone move to stop him, but that didn't stop her. With each step, her body rang out in pain, with each little shift made her want to drop.

“You forced me to live a beautiful, wonderful despicable lie!!” Midnight cried with eyes of hate and tears as he finally reached the queen who was now bleeding from the wound on her head where her horn had been.

She didn't have the strength to stop him and was barely conscious to hear his words. He brought the queen down as he raised his left foreleg, his hoof concealed by the shadows stretching into talon-like claws.

“You have been weighed, and you have been measured…” Midnight judged as he pulled back, those claws, black as a nightmare, poised and ready to rip out this monster’s throat!

“Midnight, stop!” Twilight cried out as she used the last of her strength to jump onto Midnight's leg, preventing him from striking the queen.

“Twilight, let go!!” snarled Midnight, his glare affixed to the broken queen.

“No please! Just stop, Midnight, she’s suffered enough!” Twilight pleaded, as she looked at Midnight.

The sound of her voice finally made Midnight pause, his gaze left the queen to look at his Twilight, the love, the concern, the fear in her eyes…

The Fires of Hate burned out to the Warmth of Love, and Midnight closed his eyes to blink away the tears of shame as Twilight began to caress his cheek.

“Prince Midnight!”

He turned and noticed Thorax, a makeshift bandage covering his right foreleg as he pointed with his left to the pod. Midnight eyed the changeling before him, wary of him.

“He's on our side,” Twilight assured as she leaned against Midnight as a method to hold herself up.

Trusting Twilight and deciding to take her word for, Midnight unceremoniously tossed the queen into the pod and they watched as Thorax opened his mouth and released a small stream of translucent greenish-blue gew from his mouth, refilling the pod with Chrysalis in it before following up with a thicker and darker gew to seal it up. With a wave of the smaller changelings horn, the pod lit up for a second before fading back to normal with a beaten, battered, and bloody Chrysalis asleep in it.

“Enjoy your happy lie, mother…” Thorax glared unhappily at Chrysalis, now only a silhouette inside the pod. “I hope you rot in it…”

After a few moments of watching the queen slumber in her new prison cell, the last of the adrenaline that Midnight had been running on, had burned out. With a small thump, his rump hit the floor followed by his forelegs slide out from under him.

“Midnight!” Twilight gasped quietly, groaning from her wounds, as she looked at her stallion.

“I’ll go get help!” Thorax shapeshifted into a pegasus guard and hurried off.

Twilight watched Thorax disappear out the doors, before sighing with relief as she sat down, looking warmly at her Midnight. She had him back.

It was over.

Or at the very least, she hoped it was.

Author's Note

DFatman was a big help, we both worked on the battle scenes, I did the bittersweet fantasy scene of Midnight giving up his perfect and happy fantasy, and we both did some editing

242. The Loss of Faith - Part 23

The battle raging outside the city, at the foot of Mount Canterhorn, had long become worse than a nightmare.

War. War never changes... thought the shadowy prince as he gazed around the battle.

From the battles before the disappearance of the Crystal Empire to the war happening in this moment with the changelings, all such conflicts shared in common a few simple facts, no pony – No sane being with the capacity for thought! – lived through war as they were prior. For war was but a game that never really had winners, only the broken, the bruised, and the blood soaking the ground from the senseless carnage bred from greed, hatred, and fear.

War did not create glorious victors – It left behind survivors scarred in mind and body.

Grounded by a broken wing, Sombra was beheading into a downed cyclops-changeling covered in a mixture of blood from friend and foe.

“This is getting relentless…” Sombra heaved between heavy breaths, his mana almost entirely gone. At this point, he was running on fumes.

If this battle continued that he would be completely spent before seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Don't give up, Your Majesty!” encouraged one of his flanking guards as he began wielding a changeling spear that he picked up along the way. He held it bravely in his leader’s defense while giving Sombra a smirk, tired, afraid, but still blazing with hope.

“I won't…” replied Sombra before stamping his hoof to summon giant splintering spikes of crystal around the two of them, killing a few surrounding changelings while the rest barely managed to back away in time.

They continued to hold off the onslaught of changelings, striking them down one after the other, shouting battle cries and curses at the bugs.

Duke Firestorm, however, you could say he was like a colt in a candy store as he was now jumping from changeling to changeling. Each changeling he landed in front of, found its throat slashed before they could blink and were too busy choking on their own blood as Firestorm moved on to the next victim.

That was till he got to Commander Thorn who was barking orders to the other changelings from his chariot… when Firestorm jumped over the front of the chariot surprising the commander.

“Who do you think you are?” Thorn asked as he the pony before him grinned.

The veteran slashed the chains connecting Thorn’s brainwashed earth ponies to his chariot, and the freed ponies, spurred by survival instincts ran for their lives, to Thorn’s fury.

“Oh, just a messenger,” the Duke grinned with the thrill of battle as he brought down both of his swords onto the changeling commander, who just barely managed to defend with sword of his own.

“And what would that be?!” Thorn snarled as he pulled his blade back and launched a bit of gew, sticking both of Firestorm's swords together.

Firestorm didn't stop however as his horn began to light up and used his glued swords as a distraction by tossing them up in the air, Thorn foolishly allowing his eyes to stray up at the thrown weapons. Firestorm didn’t hesitate to exploit the distraction and dashed up close to wrap his prosthetic talons right onto Thorn's throat.

“From Equestria, with love,” Firestorm gibed before he invoked a spell that turned the natural electrical pulses that the brain made into a powerful shock through his claws.

Enough to painfully shock Commander Thorn, but not enough to kill him. The changeling commander was rendered dazed for a moment, but that wasn't long enough and the changeling whipped his sword up ready to strike a killing blow.

Then it happened.

It started with the first few changelings on the edge of the battlefield closest to Canterlot. A feeling at first, almost like a breath of fresh air. Then a flash of magic that rippled through all of the bugs’ eyes that if anypony saw it from a distance it would look like the sea of changelings glinted for a second.

This continued to the larger monstrous changelings that were left standing. The blade dropped from the changeling commander’s grasp, much to the Duke's relief as he went ‘phew’ (He wasn't sure how he was going to explain it to his wife that he died in combat).

It was a few moments before Thorn looked at the Duke, “It seems that this is over…”

“What do you mean this is over?”

Firestorm and Thorn both looked to see Sombra approaching, soldiers on both sides parting before him.

“Our Queen has been defeated,” Thorn declared in a neutral tone, which caused Sombra, the Duke, and the remaining guards in earshot to gape at the changeling commander in shock.

“But don't think this is over, ponies!”

In a flash of green magic Thorn disappeared before the sky began to fill with formations of changelings who immediately began to fly away. Even the larger monstrous changeling-hybrids took their leave. As quickly as they had come, all of them were gone.

The Equestrian leaders all looked perplexed, confused by this sudden turn of events, as the remaining forces came and gathered around Sombra.

“Sire?”

Sombra turned to see an earth pony guard walk up out of the crowd of soldiers, his eyes tired and hopeful as he asked, “Did… we…?”

“Yes, my brave little ponies,” Sombra answered with a deep sigh of relief. “We have won!”

As soon as those words left his lips, everypony cheered as loud as they could. The cheers spread to every soldier still breathing, they were so loud that some of the ponies still around the outskirts of Canterlot could hear them... barely.

“Our work is not yet over, ponies, we need to collect the fallen.” Sombra announced said as the relief gave way to sorrow.

He knew, the coming days, weeks, maybe even months! It was going to be a hard and painful period. The burying those they lost, and everything else afterwards.

In the hours that followed the conclusion of the battle, all cheers for victory and triumph over their deceitful foes had soured by the overwhelming pain of loss. It was estimated from the undertakers that hundreds of soldiers had fallen, with at least a dozen or so Wonderbolts having been shot down as well. The changeling corpses were so numerous they were simply gathered up and burned in a pyre outside of the city.

Perhaps it seemed a bit heartless, but given their enemy's collective nature, it was likely what they would have wanted.

All able-bodied soldiers had helped their brothers-in-arms to the medical base past the castle gates, and the atmosphere there was heartbreaking. All too few soldiers had only received mere scratches and bruises from their enemy while the majority had been more deeply wounded.

Several had been poisoned by the changelings’ Bug Bombs and were unable to move on their own. An unlucky number of troops caught in the blasts had died from massive overdoses of the disabling nerve agent, or had been unable to defend themselves when their cowardly enemies had decided to dispatch them while they were disabled.

A number of citizens had been hurt too by the few changelings that managed to bypass the defending forces, and breached the city walls, where they’d tried to round up citizens as prisoners. But Celestia, Applejack, Big Mac, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Cheese Sandwich had sent them screaming for their lives. Thankfully, no citizens had lost their lives, and were being treated for wounds or poison at Canterlot General Hospital – No one dared to bring the wounded citizens to the medical base where so many guards and Wonderbolts were clearly suffering.

And how those brave souls were suffering…

Cadance, Duchess Miracle Cure, and the rest of the medical staff had their work cut out for them. But one among them had truly come through.

Despite everything she had said… despite the odds, the raging battle around them, and the supplies running low in just the first hour, he had done it.

He had saved them all.

Steady Hoof pulled off his surgical gloves from his front hooves, the poor pieces of rubber drenched in blood. Every last soldier, civilian, and civil servant who had come to him alive, had left alive. Or, at the very least, they were resting and recovering from their surgeries. That wasn’t to say that many of his patients didn’t pay a price, as a hooful of limbs without owners and the odd ruined eyeball or two leftover from his work indicated. But anyone who had survived the battle, no matter how badly injured, had been brought back from near death by the skillful scalpel of the surgeon.

“And that’s that…” he muttered, dumping the gloves in a wastebasket stuffed with surgical paper, blood, and chunks of flesh, “didn’t even lose one. Thank you for your contributions, Princess and Duchess.”

Cadance and Miracle Cure didn’t bother to acknowledge him, as they were still angry with him over the various “unethical” decisions the surgeon had made over the course of the battle. Things like… knocking out a soldier with a swing of his hooves when he refused treatment before civilians despite his small intestine threatening to poke out of a wound on his belly. Other possible breaches of the Oath accompanied it, a fine example being the use of the changeling’s own poison in controlled doses to destroy necrotic tissue before it could take entire limbs. Using a laughing potion when the anesthesia ran out… any other day and a doctor would lose his license to practice over such things.

Yet to the mares’ surprise, he acted as if he hadn’t done a thing, “I believe your healing magic won the day. I didn’t have sufficient supplies, and I know I improvised way too often to compensate… think we would have lost some if you didn’t clean up behind me.”

“If we weren’t at war, I’d have you arrested,” snarled Miracle Cure, “your methods are insane, doctor!”

“Hey, buck off!” cried a nearby mare, attending to her well-bandaged husband, a firefighter laid out on one of the cots, “If it wasn’t for his help, my husband would have died!”

“Don’t speak to the duchess like that,” said Steady Hoof plainly, glancing over her shoulder to address the angry mare.

Returning his attention, he maintained his facial expression of stone when talking to Miracle Cure, “There’s something you need to know, both of you.”

“What is it?” Cadance huffed, “Don’t you think you should be happy, Steady? You’ve saved so many lives today, and Canterlot will be thankful to you!”

The master surgeon raised his voice but kept his tone steady, “Canterlot will be thankful to me? You realize that’s where I’m going with this, right?”

“What do you mean, Steady Hoof?” demanded Miracle Cure as the patients around them lifted their heads to listen in on the argument.

“All of these ponies around you, the ones who did not make it to my tables,” he explained, firmly yet politely, “suffer because of your games. They suffer because Equestria keeps refusing to look at its situation with an open eye. Maybe this time we finally will come to our senses.”

“How dare you…” Cadance’s voice was low but it threatened she would not be trifled with.

“Princess, let me finish,” demanded the doctor, scowling, “I’m sure both of you are aware of the incident concerning me and the filly crushed by the runaway carriage, correct?”

“Correct.”

Steady Hoof inhaled sharply, and made sure he made eye contact with most of the patients in the room. What he was about to say would likely decide his fate… but this truth was long overdue.

“I didn’t actually save that filly’s life… technically.”

“What are you talking about?” chuckled Miracle Cure nervously, avoiding eye contact, “You were all over the news, you brought that little child back from a horrifying pulp to a pony again! It… it’s why we trusted you even when you were so harsh today.”

He shut his eyes and lowered his head, “You must accept my apology, but...”

There was silence for a few moments, and Cadance felt her heart race, an idea as to what the doctor might say popped into her mind, and she was terrified of it being confirmed.

“The filly was dead long before she got to the table. It wasn’t counted as such because the other doctors never took her pulse, tried to feel her breath, or anything else that might result in an official declaration of death,” he explained solemnly, “but I knew her vitals were gone.”

“You… you didn’t!” Cadance stuttered, her legs buckling.

“I did,” he answered, “I made use of necromancy and spent hours of surgery fixing her body afterwards.”

Several ponies nearby gasped, and Miracle Cure felt tears coming to her eyes.

“Oh… Steady...”

The doctor hung his head, “Without the spell needed to fix her smashed brain tissue, there was no hope. I felt her still warm body, but saw no life. As usual, after shutting her eyes I exited the surgery room to tell her parents the truth… but I couldn’t do it. I’m supposed to, as a doctor, be able to tell others when they’ve lost a loved one… but I couldn’t do it. This was their only foal, and they were both such young parents.”

Cadance felt empty on the inside, “And that’s why… you act the way you do...”

“Yes… after I used the forbidden magic, things seemed fine,” he answered, “but I knew something was wrong after I took the living foal out to see her parents. They were happy, thrilled, overjoyed… so were my peers, but I… felt nothing.”

“The use of Necromancy comes at a cost,” Cadance explained to the patients, who looked a little confused. “It is a forbidden magic that disrespects the dead, and so the necromancer pays for its use by becoming dead inside – They lose their ability to sympathize, to consider or even care about another’s well being.”

After a few moments, Steady Hoof looked around, and continued with a shrug, “I’ve never felt happy since then, or much of anything else, and to me the only thing to live for now is to keep as many pulses going as possible. Of course, after this you’ll probably try me for that crime, and all the things I did today.”

“Doctor, I... I can help you!” Miracle Cure pleaded her old student, realizing how wrong she was of him, “Please!”

“Look, the point is… even though I lost my feelings, I learned quickly that Equestria has many troubles that go ignored thanks to you crown-wearers,” he said angrily, “all you do is pacify the public, letting them know things are good thanks to Harmony, while crime and war continue to build up. Then something like this happens, and ponies like myself are the ones who clean up the mess.”

Noticing he didn’t get a comeback from the princess, he finished his thought, “That is why I do what I do. To make sure your subjects do not suffer for your disgraces. Now… if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be taking my leave. I suppose after today, with my secret out, I won’t be returning to the practice.”

Turning around and walking away from the field hospital, Fluttershy stopped him, standing in front of the doctor. He looked down at the timid mare, blinking yet refusing to say any more words.

“I want you to know that… you did the right thing,” she said, “and I’m really thankful for your sacrifice, doctor. Do you really have to go?”

“You know the rules, Mrs. Fluttershy,” he answered, “I’m lucky I’m not being carted off for this right this second. I must leave Canterlot as soon as possible before the fires die down and they set a warrant on me.”

“Steady,” called out Princess Cadance, “you can leave if you want… but you’re free to go. I won’t have a case opened on you. I understand why you’re mad with us, and I think despite the law… it was your decision to commit necromancy to save three lives. The life of the foal of course, but also the fact that you prevented her parents’ lives from being ruined by the loss of their daughter.”

“Is this pity, Princess Cadance?” he growled, “I don’t want it.”

“Please, I can cure you!” she begged, hoping he’d stay, “Come back to the castle like you usually do, I’ll do whatever it takes to undo the damage to your psyche.”

“And I’ll help too!” said Miracle Cure, “My entire House will! I swear on my honor as a practitioner of medicine, I won’t stop until I find a way to make you as you were!”

Between Fluttershy blocking him, and the eyes of his smiling, happy patients following his every move… the surgeon felt something at the back of his heart. He felt his brain process something, perhaps even a smidgen of emotion. Could it be the ponies present were helping to heal his own wounds?

Steady Hoof sighed, “All right. I’ll let you try.”

The duchess ran up, bawling her eyes out, and embraced the doctor in the biggest, warmest hug he’d ever had. Fluttershy smiled at them, knowing he’d done the right thing, and winked at the very surprised Cadance sitting near the patients, who also approved.

“There, all better...”

In the hospital wing of Canterlot Castle, Twilight looked upon her Midnight, lying in bed. Thorax returned with help from the castle staff, who all scrambled to get everypony in the throne room taken care of.

Twilight and Shining Armor were both immediately given treatment for their wounds and any poison they might have been infected with by Chrysalis’s gew. All the ponies who’d been freed from the Pods by Thorax were identified as the workers and security guards from the energem mine, including Heat Wave, one of the guards who had accompanied Midnight and Shining Armor for the expedition to the mine.

To the doctors’ surprising reliefs, the ponies who’d been placed in the Pods had come out relatively healthy, aside from some major reality checks. When they’d began to wake up, some of them turned hostile and demanded to know what was going on, asking questions that didn’t make sense, and after calming them down, they were told that whatever happy and perfect experiences they’d been having before had been a cruel lie.

Unfortunately, this led to a few psychotic episodes, denial, and heartbreak, and after hearing the reports, Twilight was even more afraid for Midnight.

She’d been given the best care, both with modern medicine and magical healing, that before long she was back on her hooves, her bruises and cuts now minor and patched up, and her system had been cleared of poison. Shining Armor had been a little worse off, but his acid burns would heal in good time, and the doctors were confident his fur would grow back where the acid had burned him.

They’d both been given sufficient mana transfusions from their parents, as their mana reserves were dangerously low and their thaumaturgical systems would have worked themselves overtime to replace the expended mana both alicorns had used up fighting Chrysalis, and the brother and sister would have been bedridden for days afterwards. To aid in the restoration of their magic, both had been given doctor’s orders to eat sizable lunches, so that some of the extra food in their bellies would be converted into magical energy.

Thorax was personally seen to be Duchess Miracle Cure at Princess Celestia’s request, and Miracle had gleefully jumped at the chance to treat a changeling (despite all that happened) and learn a thing or two about their biology.

As for Chrysalis… Celestia, Luna, Sombra, and even Thorax examined the queen, imprisoned in her own twisted and doubtlessly monstrous fantasy, a victim of her own creation. After discussing it at length, they’d agreed to leave her in there, where she could do no more harm. After all, executing her would simply allow Chrysalis to be reborn and free to continue conspiring against Equestria. When Luna wondered how long they could keep the queen in her own Pod, Thorax revealed the Pod had the same sustaining properties as a regular changeling cocoon – It was designed to preserve the occupant for long periods of time, so worrying about keeping Chrysalis alive was more-or-less alleviated.

Finally, they decided to put Chrysalis, pod an’ all, back in the same cell where she’d kept her before. She would be checked on periodically to make sure she was healthy and contained, even if her prison was built up of the queen’s own twisted desires.

Wherever Chrysalis thought she was, it was too good for her.

Midnight however had yet to wake up. It had been two days since the battle, and everypony was still dealing with the aftermath. Funeral services were held for all the fallen soldiers, wives were left widows and children without fathers, parents had lost sons, siblings had lost brothers, nothing would ever be the same.

And perhaps none of it would have been possible had it not been for Aurora Boreala. The disgraced mare had been stripped of her titles, privileges, and despite the rest of the Aristocratic Council demanding her head Celestia had declared Aurora’s trial would be postponed until further notice. Until then, Aurora was confined to a cell in the castle dungeons. It was one of the nicer and more comfortable cells so Aurora would have more pleasant visits from her children, who had been taken in as wards of the crown.

Whether or not she’d intended any of this to happen, Aurora had been the catalyst – Her petty and disgraceful tribalistic views of unicorn supremacy, along with her love of power, had driven her to betray her country, her fellow pony, and most of all herself in revealing classified information had been the spark to light the fuse, whether or not she’d known the unicorns she’d spoken to had really been changeling spies.

The House of Pallas would forever live with this mark of shame, and Aurora’s actions would weigh down on her son and daughter, and all those who came after.

The intents might not have been so monstrous but the motivations… The inability to truly accept earth ponies and pegasi as equals, the refusal to give up the power and influence her House had enjoyed for centuries, the petty and deluded desire to stir up trouble and move in to act as though she would have been the solution to the problems?

It seemed small an inconsequential when you first think about it, but then you’re awed by how the foolish and self-serving depravities of one pony could result in so much blood.

It was disgusting, despicable, and the more Twilight thought about it, the more she realized how right Midnight had been to say she wasn’t as educated as she thought she was.

Looking upon him, connected a heart-monitor and an IV drip, having been placed in a restful dreamless slumber courtesy of Luna, Twilight could only hope that he would wake up and be alright, that they would be alright. Like the others, Midnight had come out of the pod relatively healthy – It was the haphazard exertion of his body and magic that had rendered him unconscious once the storm had finally calmed and Chrysalis was imprisoned for good. Twinken had volunteered to donate some of his mana for a transfusion, and to be on the safe side they’d also given Midnight an IV drip filled with an elixir rich with nutrients.

But what had Midnight experienced in that pod?

Twilight could only imagine, a fantasy where you had everything your heart desires. She couldn’t begin to wonder what Midnight had thought he’d had, and what he very well might consider to have lost.

“Oh Midnight… I’ve been so foolish,” whispered Twilight morosely, looking upon Midnight from his bedside. “I judged you before I understood you, I said such insensitive things, and all this time you’ve only done what you had to, to protect Equestria and help others, and how it’s all cost you…”

She couldn’t help but begin to shed tears.

“Losing so many of the friends and family you care about, having to immerse yourself into the depravities of what ponykind is capable of, and now all of this… Selfish, petty… greedy, loathsome…!

“Oh, Midnight!” Twilight leaned down, burying her face into her forelegs on the edge of Midnight’s bed as she sobbed, “You were right! How could you not be…? I was a child looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses, seeing good where there are only disingenuous, deceitful… self-serving scoundrels who take advantage of good will and-and…”

She sighed and sobbed all at once, “How can I possibly be a leader of this nation when I don’t know the bad as well as the good, or-or how much of the good is really bad, and- Ohh! I don’t deserve to be a princess!!”

She sobbed into her forelegs, feeling like a failure as a leader, as a friend, and perhaps even as a special somepony… when she felt a hoof gently stroke her mane.

“…You’re wrong.”

Gasping, Twilight looked up to see Midnight, awake with a tired but warm smile on his place, and she grasped his hoof between hers, feeling her heart soar to see him smile again, “Midnight! Oh! You’re… you’re okay! I-I-I thought that- You- The Pod and- Wait…

“Did you just hear everything I said?!”

“Twi…” Midnight raised his free hoof, took a deep breath as he placed it over his chest, and Twilight realized what he was telling her, and did the same, the both of them exhaling, using Cadance’s calming technique.

It helped, and then Midnight gently pulled Twilight closer… pressing his lips to hers, surprising her but quickly melting into it. Her heart fluttered as she felt him press his hoof against her cheek, the warmth of his touch matched the love she felt for him, and when they parted, they gazed deeply into each other’s eyes, smiling softly, so happy to see each other again.

It was as if the disagreement they’d had back at the library in Ponyville never happened.

But then… Twilight looked away, shamefully, worrying Midnight.

“Midnight, I’m sorry! I’m so-so-sorry…” she sniffled, half-expecting Midnight to say something but he didn’t.

For a horrid moment, she feared he was angry, but then she saw something in his eyes and realized he wanted to hear what she had to say, not to judge, but to understand. She took a deep breath, and spoke her mind.

“I… I know everything- Celestia told me everything. About.... the Brotherhood, how it all began, how you came to lead it, and… All that you’ve ever done was to protect Equestria and make sure those who were victimized got justice, that those who acted out of their own self-interests without regard to who they hurt were brought to justice.

“While I still don’t condone the ways and methods of the Brotherhood, I can understand it.”

“Is that all?” Midnight sensed it wasn’t.

“…No,” sighed Twilight and she went on. “I’ve realized how in the dark I’ve been, blinded by idealism and adulation of my mentor, and… thinking better of others when I was really underestimating the lows to which they can stoop.

“We were betrayed, Midnight, by Duchess Aurora Boreala of House Pallas.”

“Ugh, her?” Midnight slumped into his pillow, his tone surprising Twilight. “Well… I’m not entirely surprised, but I was actually suspecting the Duke of Commerce and Business.”

“Yeah, well…” Twilight went on, “Aurora leaked the information of the mine, but she didn’t know she was telling the information to changelings, so…”

Twilight shook her head, wanting to sympathize conflicting with her disgust, “She dishonored her duties out of the pettiest of reasons! It-it’s just… If things had been different, if-if she hadn’t leaked the information to changelings, then maybe…!

“URGGGHHH!!!”

Twilight tousled her mane while scratching her head as she aggravated her puzzler to make sense of this conundrum, Midnight reaching over to place his hoof on her shoulder. She looked at him, seeing his concern, and she sighed.

“Midnight, I… I’ve known that ponies can be, well, mean, bullying, teasing, but… Those dossiers you showed me, and Duchess Aurora’s crimes, they…

“You were right! I was looking at Equestria like a child. I acted like a child, I mean… the things I said to you- They weren’t fair! And I- YAH!”

Suddenly, Twilight felt herself get magically pulled onto the bed, and then felt Midnight’s strong forelegs and even his wings wrap tightly around her, and then his chin rest on top of her head. His embrace was so strong and tight it was almost uncomfortable, but… it felt right. It felt safe.

It was the physical feeling of being loved.

“We both said things we regret,” Midnight said softly, continuing to hold his Twilight, “and we both wish we could have done things differently. I can’t tell you how many things in my life I wish could have been different… and I got to experience how things could have been different.”

Twilight gasped and wriggled to look up at Midnight, seeing a mix of confusion and pain in his eyes, and realizing what he was saying.

“I thought I was… I thought things were different, until I woke up and saw you hurt and Chrysalis standing there.”

“The pod she had you placed in,” Twilight brought up, “she said it makes the occupant live some kind of fantasy where they have everything their hearts desire.”

“I see…” Midnight wasn’t sure how to say this but he felt like he needed to get it off his chest. “Well, this… fantasy I was in? You and I we… we never became alicorns, or royalty for that matter.”

Twilight sat there on the bed as Midnight explained everything, basically pouring his heart’s desire out to her. How they’d never become alicorn monarchs, making their lives so much simpler, how his family had never been broken up, his friend Flash was never murdered, and… that he and Twilight were married with a daughter. That last part had shocked Twilight, as she realized that this meant Midnight loved her enough that he wanted to marry her, to have children with her, but she also saw a bitter sadness when he’d mentioned the daughter they’d had in his fantasy.

When Midnight was done, he sat there, not able to look Twilight in the eye, almost looking like a stallion who had lost everything.

“…But Midnight, you- You know, none of it was real!” Twilight tried to assuage his heartache. “It was practically a dream!”

“…No, Twi,” Midnight responded with a voice shaky with hurt, “I didn’t wake up from some dream… I woke up from a life. A life that had everything I ever wanted, a life that never happened, a life that was a cruel and horrible lie…”

Twilight pulled Midnight into a hug, which comforted him, and she felt him shake a little as he cried softly, and she whispered, “This would never have happened if… if it weren’t for ponies like Aurora Boreala, ponies who only think of themselves and don’t spare a thought about what their actions could do to others-”

“Stop, Twi.”

Midnight gently pushed her back, confusing her, as he looked her in the eye, and said, “Please… Learn from mistakes, whether they’re your own or others, but don’t make my mistake.”

“Your mistakes?” Twilight didn’t understand.

“Twi, I formed a new Brotherhood out of a desire to do good,” Midnight explained before he sighed, his shoulders slumping with shame, “at least… that’s how I saw it at first. But as I lived in the shadows, I began to lose sight of the light, and soon I only saw darkness… I’ve led the Brotherhood for over eight years and I can’t begin to tell you the horrors I’ve witnessed! Seen the evils of what even the common being, not just ponies, is capable of, and the pain such beings have left behind in their wake.

“I became so disgusted and afraid that I lost sight of why I reformed the Brotherhood and soon I became corrupted in my own way. Before long, I didn’t care as much as serving justice as I did about punishing the guilty. I realized too late what I was capable of, and it scared me… If it hadn’t been for one thing, I… would have lost my way forever.”

“And… what was it that helped you?” asked Twilight, not liking what she was hearing.

Hesitantly, Midnight looked her in the eye, and said but one word. “You.”

She couldn’t help but place her hoof over her heart, and listened as Midnight said, “As wicked and awful as some ponies, griffons, minotaurs, and other creatures have shown themselves to be, Twilight, I’ve done my share of things that I’m not proud of… and when I felt so lost and alone, like there was nothing but darkness all around me, somehow I would think of you, and I would remember.

“I would remember what it would mean to lose sight of things, what it would mean to give up, that to lose faith was to lose all possibility of my dream.”

“And what dream is that?” Twilight felt some of her doubt fade by the warm and tender smile on Midnight’s face as he leaned over.

“Let me show you, the source of my faith.”

He gently touched his horn to hers… and she gasped!

Instantly, her mind was flooded with the rich, warm, beautiful experiences Midnight had seen. A future together... their foals, the happiness and joy they shared as a couple in an Equestria not plagued with war or organized crime. How their in-laws all lived together in one big, happy household, where they had never been bothered by the troubles and tribulations of being royalty with duties far beyond what a young adult should have to face.

It was as close to paradise as it could get... and even though the vision lasted only a fleeting moment, Twilight felt tears come to her eyes as she felt her heart swell with desire for the beautiful future her partner envisioned for them.

“Midnight!” Twilight felt her heart swell so much it hurt, as she looked at him, his sad but hopeful smile mirroring her own though she began to shed a tear.

“Wha… what was that?!”

“A possibility,” Midnight answered, pulling Twilight close to him so that they were leaning against each other, her resting her head on his shoulder and him resting his on top of hers.

“I have carried the vision of this singular possibility for a long time, from my old life into my current one, and it has always been this one possibility that has helped to prevent me from going astray and losing faith in all that is good and bright in this world.”

“I… That was…” As heartbreakingly beautiful as the vision had been, Twilight’s sense of logic and eyes for details warred with her emotions as she then brought up, “Hold on… In that vision… you and I were unicorns, not alicorns!”

“That’s because I was a unicorn the first time I had that vision, Twi,” Midnight replied, Twilight feeling him shrug, “and if I hadn’t had that vision when I did… Midnight Terror would have won.”

Twilight shuddered with realization and at the very mention of that name – Midnight Terror… A dark and twisted monstrous version of Midnight who’d had none of his redeeming qualities and was possibly the most wicked and despicable evil she and her friends had ever encountered.

“I can remember…” Midnight spoke softly, Twilight listened with rapt attention, “an Equestria broken and lifeless, shreds and glimmers of memories floating around me… and then he was there! He attacked me, he wanted to destroy me, and he came close. Very close… But then as he gloated over my beaten body, I had a regret when I realized that if I died then and there I would have died without ever telling you that I love you.”

Twilight gasped as she remembered Midnight – The Midnight she met in Ponyville – telling her this exact same thing!

“And when I realized that, I found the will to not give in,” Midnight went on, “because I would be damned to Tartarus if I never told you how much you mean to me… and that was when I had the vision I just shared with you…

“Of you and me, as husband and wife, a beautiful daughter as sweet and studious as her mother, and you fat with our second foal, and everything feels so… right!”

“Midnight…” Twilight reached up and pulled down his chin, to give him another warm and tender kiss, and when she stopped, she then realized something!
“Wait… in the vision, our daughter! Her name, what was her name?!”

“I don’t know, Twily,” Midnight gave her a sad smile and tears welled up in his eyes again. “That’s the part of the vision that has troubled me the most… I’m sorry.”

“Wha- Why? Midnight, I…” Twilight didn’t understand the sorrowful look on Midnight’s face.

“What I showed you, it’s not the future set in stone,” explained Midnight, his eyes lowered, “and… I don’t want you to feel like you’re obli-”

Twilight placed her hoof on his lips and gave him a look unreadable, “What you showed me just now, Midnight Blaze… I don’t want for it to be a possibility. I want it to be our future!”

Those turquoise eyes of his widened with realization of what Twilight was saying, “But for it to be our future, we have to make it so, and we make it so by being honest and open with each other. No more secrets, no more holding things back. No more lying by omission.

“When Shining Armor told us what happened to you, I almost lost my mind! The thought of never seeing you again, and all the things we said before you left… It all but crushed my heart, and it was the thought that I might have lost you I realized how much you mean to me.

“I’m not sure if… I’m ready to be a mother just yet. But as long as you’re there, there is nothing I won’t face to see that vision come true.”

Midnight gave this beautiful princess before him a hard look as he thought, No more secrets, huh…?

Taking a deep breath, he then said, “When I feel up to it, there’s somewhere I want to take you.”

“For what?” Twilight asked.

“To lay all the cards on the table, “Midnight answered cryptically before saying, “But right now, there’s somepony I have to talk to. Can you find Twinken for me?”

Twilight nodded with a smile before giving her stallion another tender kiss. She got off the bed and made for the door, stopping to look at him, seeing him look troubled by the talk he owed to Twinken, which was long overdue.

“Like I said,” she spoke, earning his attention, “no more secrets, no more holding things back, and be sincere when you tell him the whole story. He loves you, and he wants to understand.”

“I know…” Midnight nodded sagely.

“I love you,” Twilight reminded him, causing Midnight to smile appreciatively at her.

“I love you too,” he would never tire of that beautiful smile of hers, and watched her leave to find Twinken.

Deep in the Everfree Forest, withing the cave where stood the Tree of Harmony, in front of it the mysterious chest. Shaped like a six-sided pyramid with a flat top, the upper panels sporting keyholes, below them were five of the new Elements of Harmony: Unity, Trust, Music, Sincerity, and Devotion.

At the foot of the plant upon which the chest rested, laying on the dirt was the dull and lifeless Element of Faith… except deep within its facets, a tiny soft and gentle glow, like an ember, that slowly but surely grew brighter and brighter before it shook one way, shivered the other, and then somehow stood up on its own!

Magic coursed through the gem, a strength forgotten returning anew, as the jewel slowly levitated into the air until it aligned with the empty slot in the chest it had previously occupied. It slowly rotated as it found its way back into the chest where it belonged, and a blinding light filled the cave!

And as quickly as it had began it was over, and the Element of Faith rested in the chest, alongside the other new Elements, now shaped like a crescent moon facing upwards, with designs around its slot’s panel reflecting the cutie-mark of the pony who represented it.

Faith had been restored!

Author's Note

DFatman and Spirals95 both helped with this chapter and NWRAlicorn proof-read it for me, so thanks to all of you

The vision Midnight shared with Twilight happened back in this chapter (but she would have seen it from her POV)

One more chapter and then the epilogue that ends this arc

243. The Loss of Faith - Part 24

The hospital door opened, Midnight stepping in and whispering back, “Remember what I told you, because this isn’t going to be easy.”

He opened the door all the way, stepped aside, and in walked Twinken, hesitant as he looked upon the mare in the hospital bed, his brother saying softly, “Twinken, meet our mom, Faerie Tail.”

The little colt slowly approached the bed as Midnight levitated over a chair to its side for Twinken to hop up onto and get a better look at her. His bright red eyes widened with a woeful wonder at the mare who looked as though she were sleeping peacefully. It really was her!

He looked at the picture in the locket his brother had given him, and this mare was the genuine article. The same soft silver coat, the same mane of azure with a brandeis blue highlight that matched his own mane. Midnight had told Twinken so much about their mom, how Faerie Tail had been the Royal Librarian, an author of foals’ books, an avid bookworm with a love for storytelling since her fillyhood it was symbolized by a storybook with a blue star on the cover and a golden ribbon bookmark as her cutie-mark.

She was Joe’s older sister, their parents came from the east coast, a beach town around Horseshoe Bay, and moved their family to Canterlot to give Faerie Tail and Joe more opportunities. As a filly she’d met the colt who would grow up to be her husband, Ignitus Enflame, the heir and scion of House Obsidian. He proposed to her after she graduated with a degree in foal development and published her first foal novel. She’d encouraged her brother Joe to embrace his love of baking doughnuts and pastries, attend baking school, and open his own doughnut shop, which she’d sponsored.

Although he’d been hesitant, Midnight had also told Twinken the best memories he shared with their mother, all the encouragement, the nurturing, the warm and devoted love that only a mother could express.

Then Midnight told Twinken the long and complicated truth about himself (as best and to-the-point as he could to a colt Twinken’s age), how he became an alicorn, and how their family moved to a country estate… where one night when Twinken was only two an assailant attacked their family. The villain had cursed Faerie Tail into this dreamless slumber and she had remained this way ever since.

All efforts to awaken Faerie Tail failed, all leads and research into her condition led to nowhere, she was transferred here to Canterlot General, and then Ignitus left his sons with Celestia to hunt down the wretch who had hurt his family. He had not been seen or heard from ever since.

To Midnight’s deepest shame, he explained how circumstances forced him to entrust baby Twinken to the Ponyville Orphanage while he began training and preparing for the future.

It had been way too much for Twinken to absorb, and now, gazing down at his mother’s unconscious body, no longer could he hold back the floodgates. At first it was a teary sniffle, as he reached over and touched her cheek, whispering, “M… Mommy?”

“Twinken?” Midnight sensed his brother’s heartache as his own worsened as Twinken began to sob. “Twinken, I…”

The unicorn colt let it out and ran out of the room, sobbing turning to bawling, Midnight hurrying after him, “Twinken!”

He found Twinken slumped against the hallway wall, weeping his little heart out, and Midnight came over, sitting down on his haunches as he shed tears of his own, “Little brother, I’m sorry… I am so sorry!”

He hesitantly pulled Twinken into a hug, the colt neither resisting nor reciprocating, “I didn’t want to upset you, I- …I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

“No!” Twinken shook his head and the brothers shared a tearful gaze as the colt looked up at Midnight and said with a shaky-sobby voice, “I-I’m- I’m glad y-you did!”

Then Twinken returned Midnight’s hug, and the two stayed that way in the hall for a long time, crying into each other, sharing their sorrow when…

A cleared throat sounded, and they both calmed down a bit and looked to see Luna approaching, hesitant and looking sad herself.

“I see you visited your mother,” she brought up.

Standing up and setting Twinken down, Midnight nodded, wiping away both their tears.

“Yes, we…” Midnight didn’t know what to say, but Twinken did.

“Can she wake up? Is there some way?” the colt looked up with tearful hope at the princess of the night.

Luna sighed regrettably and knelt down into a pony loaf position, where all her legs were tucked underneath her, so she would be closer to eye-level with Twinken.

“That which has a beginning must have an end, and by that simple truth it dictates that there must be a way to end your mother’s slumber. Alas, the method to do so is unknown to any knowledge we have relating to the theories surrounding the magic that keeps her this way.

“Every spell has a counterspell and although some more simple spells can be broken forcefully, magic as powerful and intricate as this promises too great a risk to even attempt to undo the magic without the proper knowledge.”

“Then… the one who did this to her, that person is the only one who could wake her up?” Twinken realized, hope beginning to fade.

“Not necessarily, little one,” Luna assured him, “Any knowledge unknown to us simply awaits our discovery, if we are determined enough to find it. For now, in this dreamless slumber your mother shall remain.

“But as to why I am here, while I understand this might not be the best time, I have come to make the offer I previously spoke to you about, Twinken, the one I promised to make once the threat was passed.”

Twinken and Midnight shared a look and both gazed at Luna, as she declared, “Twinken, son of House Obsidian, I, Princess Luna, wish to take you under my wing as my pupil.”

Both the brothers’ jaws dropped, as Luna continued.

“You are now a lunar pony, Twinken, but even more, you are a Dream Walker. That is a great power and with it an even greater responsibility. Even among the lunar ponies of the Shetland Isles, the power of Dream Walking is very rare, and every lunar pony who is discovered to possess it must be trained to respect it and wield it only to protect their fellow pony’s resting minds from nightmares that trouble them, or worse...

“There are other magicks and disciplines I would teach you but the choice is yours. You have an adequate ability to use this new power and your heart is pure so that I would have no misgivings leaving you to your own devices.”

The little colt was excited but felt hesitant, looking up to his brother and Midnight knelt down to be eye-level with him, “I would gladly teach you in magic, Twinken, but… I’m not a Dream Walker. I can’t teach you how to master this power, and… You’re eleven now, still got plenty of growing up to do, but old enough to make up your own mind with choices like this.”

“But… I don’t want to leave Ponyville!” Twinken fretted, feeling the pressure of obligation and responsibility as these two alicorns looked at him expectantly. “It’s my home, where all my friends and family are- Well, except for Mom, but-”

“Twinken, child, hush,” Luna said gently, placing her hoof on Twinken’s withers, “you don’t have to leave Ponyville. I can teach you to master Dream Walking in your dreams!”

“Ohhh… right,” Twinken suddenly felt a little silly… and the realization that an alicorn princess was offering to make him her student finally hit home as the excitement riled up inside the colt and he gave Luna big smile.

“OK! I’ll be your student, and I promise to work hard!”

Luna and Midnight chuckled at the colt’s starry eyes before Luna asked, “Then why don’t we head back to the castle and have lunch. We can discuss more between the two of us… my pupil.”

“Okay, let’s go!” Twinken hurried down the hall, ignoring his brother and teacher to settle down, and they both sighed…

Until Luna felt a slight shiver in her feathers and felt Midnight looking at the back of her head, “I have no objections to you mentoring my brother, Luna. I would teach him myself but I know there are things I can’t teach him that only you can, and being his brother I might not be the teacher he really needs. But I will say this only once.

“If Twinken ever gets hurt on your account…”

The fact that Midnight didn’t finish that sentence really sank in to Luna as she nodded and responded, “I would expect nothing less.”

And then she calmly walked down the hall after Twinken, leaving Midnight standing outside his mother’s hospital room alone. He looked in to gaze at her one more time, and then took his leave.

Had he looked for but a moment longer, he might have noticed the tear trailing down Faerie Tail’s face from the corner of her eye.

The view was breathtaking, and as Twilight took it all in, she slowly turned around to marvel at the wonder and glory that was the vast and beautiful nation of Equestria, surrounding them as she and Midnight stood atop the summit of Mount Canterhorn.

Earlier, after resolving things with Twinken, Midnight decided to have his mother relocated to Ponyville Hospital so that Twinken could visit Faerie Tail whenever he wished. Afterwards, he’d gone to Twilight so he could finally ‘lay all the cards on the table’.

Now here they stood, on the summit of Mount Canterhorn, the axis mundi of Equestria where rested the nation’s seat of power. Surprisingly, the summit was a small plateau crowned by the overgrowth of unusual flora kept hidden by the misty altitude. It wasn’t even quite the end of summer and yet the plants were all of them enwrapped in the protective embrace of frost, staying the cold and keeping the warmth they received from the soil within.

Looking at this secret wonder of a place, Twilight marveled as she said aloud, “I lived in Canterlot practically all my life and I can’t believe I’ve never been up here!”

“Well, aside the fact not many ponies would dare ascend a height above the nation’s seat of power, this is a sacred place,” Midnight said, his tone playful yet ominous, before he turned stone-faced and said, “This way.”

Following, Twilight sensed Midnight was afraid, and that worried her, “Midnight, I… Are you okay?”

“I could say I’m fine, but that wouldn’t exactly be true,” Midnight responded while moving the foliage aside for Twilight to get through.

His answer didn’t ease Twilight’s worries, but she followed regardless. She knew whatever it was Midnight was going to show her, it was important, but…

Why is he so troubled?

Finally, the overgrowth receded and gave way to reveal an extension of rock reaching out from the summit, towards the eastern horizon.

“There…” Midnight pointed to the extension with his wing and Twilight saw some kind of rock.

She looked at Midnight, who solemnly gestured her to go forward. Her every step was hesitant, her every move afraid, as something inside her told Twilight that whatever she was about to find out…!

Nearing the rock on the extension, Twilight saw the part of it facing her had been carved smooth except for some words etched into its face. Her eyes ran them over to see they read:

Here lies a True Friend

May he ever inspire hope

A shiver ran over her, from the tip of her tail, through her feathers, down to her flanks, as Twilight realized…

This is a grave!

“Midnight, whose grave… is this?!” Twilight dreaded the answer and as she turned to look at Midnight, she startled to see he was standing right beside her. She hadn’t even heard him approach!

She looked at him and saw he was staring hard at the gravestone, his expression unreadable… before he gave Twilight a somber look and his answer shook her world.

“…It’s mine.”

…

The look on Twilight’s face, “Y-your- You-! But tha-that’s… It’s… impossible!”

“I was reborn, Twilight,” Midnight clarified to her, “ after I died.”

That simple explanation clicked and Twilight realized what Midnight was saying – The pony buried here on top of this mountain was the sapphire blue unicorn she met when she and Spike first arrived in Ponyville. She gazed with shock and awe at Midnight, her pupils dilated to pinpricks, before she slowly looked at the grave again.

With a shudder in her voice, she managed to utter, “…H-h-how?”

Taking a deep breath, Midnight sat down, Twilight absentmindedly doing the same and for a moment he said nothing.

“…Sunset Shimmer cast a dark spell that struck me, or… I guess, my past self, in the heart. I managed to skip a few months using my Time Stone before I wound up in Canterlot Square. I was immediately rushed to the hospital, but there was nothing the doctors could do. Somehow, Princess Celestia caught wind of my condition and immediately came.

“But even she could not undo what had been done. It’s… kinda funny. She had no idea, no inclination as to what would result and how so much depended on my fate… No idea that when she cast the Spell of Reincarnation upon me at that crucial moment that she had begun to secure the future.

“My spirit was spared from death, but not my body. Princess Celestia mourned me and decided to place my body here upon the summit of Mount Canterhorn, a place of honor as well as a place to protect the secret of my existence.”

Twilight looked at Midnight, confused by his words. He shrugged and said, “It would have been confusing to find a grave with my name on it in a Canterlot cemetery. It might even have changed the course of time and who knows what could have unfolded?”

The lavender alicorn nodded in understanding but there was something she did not yet understand, “…Why did you want to show me this?”

Midnight looked ashamed as his gaze fell upon the grave, “The first time Princess Celestia brought me here was right before I became the leader of a new Brotherhood… I guess she thought showing me this grave and telling me about it, it might give me some kind of closure. It didn’t.

“It filled me with doubt, in myself, in my own fate. Was I even my own self or was my very identity decided for me before I was even born? …Was I just a copy? A shadow of somepony Celestia couldn’t let go? I mean… when I became an alicorn and my memories of my past self flooded back, it was confusing but… remembering another life and seeing the proof of it right in front of me” – he gestured to the grave – “I felt so… used! Like, I was just a tool or-or a pawn in someone’s game! I couldn’t face Celestia for days after she first showed me this place…

“But the fact this grave was here haunted me! For months, I couldn’t get it out of my head, and I got so stressed and angry that-that I…”

Midnight scrunched his eyes shut, forcing himself not to cry, but felt a little better when he felt Twilight lean against him. Softly, she asked, “What happened, Midnight?”

Her voice was filled with compassion, understanding, the assurance that she was there and that would listen.

Shaking and unable to look Twilight in the eye, Midnight admitted it.

“I tried to destroy it!”

She couldn’t help it, but Twilight jerked back a little, looking almost appalled at Midnight. He didn’t see it, but her sudden move away from him told him enough, as he buried his face into his hooves, struggling not to cry.

“I hated this grave! I hated feeling like I was some cheap knockoff, and it got to where I just couldn’t stand it! The next time I came here, I literally tried to blow this grave off the side of the mountain!”

He sighed morosely, dropping his hooves, hanging his head, “But… Celestia has this entire summit and everything on it warded with alicorn magic. I didn’t harm so much as a blade of grass, and believe me I tried. When I realized what she’d done, I was furious with Celestia, and I know that anger wasn’t fair, I…”

Midnight didn’t know what more to say, and the cloud of shame over him was so thick Twilight knew she had to say something.

“…Don’t think of it that way, Midnight,” she said, reaching over and placing her hoof on Midnight’s chin to make him look her in the eye. They were full of shame and sadness, like a colt who’d been told he was bad by an abusive parent.

“This grave… Celestia didn’t make it because she couldn’t let go, she buried your old self here so she could let go. She honored the pony you were and did her best with what she had and knew to make you the pony you are today. It wasn’t easy and maybe she didn’t always make the right choices on your part, but I can see now…

“She’s not all-knowing, she’s… not perfect” – Twilight cringed as though the words she’d just spoken had left a bad taste in her mouth – “she’s every bit as equine as any other pony despite who and what she is. That doesn’t mean that she’s ashamed of you or anything. She knew you and you knew her in ways hardly anypony today can relate to! She’s known for a very long time that you’re special, Midnight, and that there is so much good you will do, not just for Equestria but maybe the world.

“She saved you and although I understand all that you’ve gone through has been so very hard and nopony could fault you for giving up, I thank my lucky stars that she did, and I am so very proud of you for making it this far. Maybe you strayed for a little but you found your way back. To the right path, to your family and friends, and… to me!”

As the two held each other’s gaze, they saw their reflections in the other’s eyes, as though they were seeing the best of themselves looking back at them from the pony they loved most. Midnight reached up and gently grasped Twilight’s hoof between both of his, and smiled as he said, “Twilight Sparkle… Since the day I first saw you as a baby, and the day I first saw you arrive in Ponyville, I’ve known in my heart that you mean something truly special to me.

“I accept that the pony I was and the pony I am now are one and the same despite the incredible circumstances of what led me to be here, and yet I am glad to see that since both of the first times I saw you, you have remained the beautiful, brave, clever, kind, and diligent pony that inspired me through every hardship and endeavor I’ve undertaken. I am hardly worthy and yet I must ask you a question I have dreamed of asking you for so long.

“Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?”

Seeing the warmth and hope in his eyes, feeling the love swell in her chest, Twilight couldn’t help but smile and shed a tear as she answered by pulling her stallion close meeting his lips with her own, and he let her have her way. He fell over onto his back, pulling Twilight down with him as she giggled. She ran her hoof over his mane, smiled as he embraced her with his wings, and the look they shared, soft yet intense, gentle yet passionate, and then Twilight teased Midnight by pretending to kiss him only to rub her nose against his, making him chuckle.

“Heh-heh, is… that a yes?” He smiled at her hopefully.

“More like a… ‘What took you so long’,” Twilight gently laid down beside him, and they shared that look again, this time a loving gaze, and held each other’s hoof.

Then Twilight suddenly realized what she’d just said, what she’d just accepted, her neurosis flaring up in response to this big decision to devote herself to this stallion she loved with all her heart.

“AAAAUUUGGGHHH!!!!” Twilight bolted up, flapped about, “Uh- Mental note- No, this isn’t something you can just make a mental note of! I-I need a- A checklist! Checklists are good! Checklists are organized, but- No quill! No paper!

“EEEEEE!! There’s so much to plan, so much to do- Bridesmares, groomstallions! Oh wait, our friends can be the bridesmare and groomstallions- But who will be my mare of honor?! Who will marry us?! When will we get married?!!? I-”

A turquoise aura enveloped her and she YIPED as she was brought over to Midnight and he stopped her mouth from running a thousand miles an hour with a deep and passionate kiss. At first she fussed… but then she gave in, wrapping her forelegs around his neck.

When their lips parted, she caught the amused look in Midnight’s eyes as he asked, “Feel better?”

“…Yeah,” Twilight replied meekly.

“Twily, there’s no rush,” Midnight assured her, “we have all the time in the world to plan this out, and knowing you it will be planned out perfectly.”

“I guess… we should be headed back down so we can tell everypony the good news,” Twilight brought up.

“Sure, but…” Midnight sat down and gazed out from the mountaintop, Twilight joining him, as he then said, “Let’s just… enjoy this a little longer."

Eventually, Midnight and Twilight flew back down to Canterlot, where, during a luncheon with all their friends and family, they made the big announcement!

Of course, Pinkie and Cheese declared they’d throw them a big engagement party, which Midnight actually took them aside to ask them about something while Twilight’s parents, Shining Armor, and Cadance all hugged and kissed her, everypony else offering their congratulations and best wishes.

Twinken was especially happy, as he gave Twilight a hug and called her big sister, which made her kiss the little colt on the cheek, and even Thorax and Elytra expressed their hopes that the two would be happy.

But then important matters were discussed, and it was agreed Aurora Boreala’s trial would take place after the Equestria Games. Fluttershy asked what Thorax and Elytra would do, and Shining Armor and Cadance both invited Thorax and Elytra to the Crystal Empire where they hoped to discover exactly how they’d freed Thorax of the Hive Mind and do the same for Elytra. The both of them accepted.

Eventually however, everypony had to go home. Shining Armor and Cadance were needed back in the Crystal Empire, Applejack and Big Mac had to get home to take care of Sweet Apple Acres, the Party Ponies wanted to get started on Midnight and Twilight’s engagement party, and Rarity and Blueblood had to return to take care of their own businesses.

Instead of an airship, they all opted for a train back to Ponyville, and just before they boarded, Midnight whispered something to Twilight, and at first she looked reluctant but then smiled in agreement.

“Master!” Midnight was glad that Sombra, Celestia, Luna, Shining Armor, and Cadance were all seeing them off at the station, and as he approached them, they looked at him curiously when he stepped up to his mentor and asked, “Would you honor Twilight and I by being the officiator of our wedding?”

“Wha- Me?” Sombra was taken aback, looking to the others who all smiled in agreement, and feeling ever so humbled the shadowy prince grinned warmly and replied to his apprentice, “Son, I would be honored.”

“We’ll keep you posted,” promised Twilight and before long they were chuggin’ home on the Friendship Express.

That evening in Ponyville Square, everypony celebrated the engagement of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight Blaze! Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich had gone all out to make this engagement party as spectacularly epic as possible – The Party Cannons shot an orchestra of balloons, fireworks, and confetti skyward, the all-you-can-eat buffet had been stocked with all of Twilight and Midnight’s favorite foods and drinks, everypony wanted to congratulate them, express their best wishes and hopes for their future and happiness, but as it began to grow late, Pinkie and Cheese (at Midnight’s request) directed everypony to a stage where a curtain was raised and a soft musical introduction could be heard from a guitar.

Everypony watched as the curtains pulled back… revealing Midnight was the one playing the guitar. Accompanying him were Blueblood on grand piano, Soarin on a drum set, Cheese Sandwich on his accordion, and Big Mac and Thunderlane both playing backup guitars.

The Mane Six watched their Stallion Six with a warm and growing anticipation as Midnight began.

[Midnight]

After searching, trying to find ya, I thought I’d lost my luck

But I never thought in a million years that you would just walk right up

[The Stallion Six (minus Midnight)]

Ooh-ooh!

[Midnight]

Now that I found your love I could never let you down

Even when the times get rough nothin’s gonna stop us now!

(Cheese slid over to join Midnight at his microphone)

[The Stallion Six]

We’ll grow old and we’ll never be alone

And no matter where we roam we’ll be gloooooorious!

We’ll be glorious and you know it’s true!

Ooh-ooh

[Midnight, Big Mac, and Thunderlane]

Now we’re glowing, like a fire, illuminating from within,hey!

So we keep on climbing higher, to the sky, we’re going where we’ve never been

Now that we’ve set us free nothin’s gonna hold us down, hey!

Even when the times get rough, hey! We’ll never lose the fight in us

[The Stallion Six]

We’ll grow old and we’ll never be alone

And no matter where we roam we’ll be gloooooorious! Hey!

We’ll grow old and we’ll never be alone!

And no matter where we roam we’ll be gloooooorious!

We’ll be glorious and you know it’s true!

And as he sang the night away with his friends, Midnight held Twilight’s gaze, the both of them lost in each other, having no doubts that everything was just fine

Author's Note

So now Luna's got her own student and perhaps Faerie Tail isn't as lost as they believe she is.

The grave scene was always intended and meant to be another issue for Midnight when he was younger; something of an identity crisis and being unable to let go or whether or not there's supposed to be a distinction with his past self and his current self - The answer is they are both one and the same, it is merely experience and life that's shaped them differently

And now, finally, Midnight and Twilight are engaged - Sombra is going to officiate the marriage since Celestia did so for Shining Armor & Cadance, Luna for Celestia & Sombra, and Cadance for Big Mac and Fluttershy, so it's the shadow prince's turn to tie the knot for a happy couple

But the arc isn't quite over yet...

I claim no credit to "Glorious" sung by Adam Friedman

244. The Loss of Faith - Epilogue

Somewhere far away, deep within miles of murky and dangerous swamplands that stank worse than a cesspool, a tall and hooded figure was walking towards a very out-of-the-way destination. The figure walked not in the surrounding filth but upon platforms of green magic, as having to smell and look at this place was bad enough. The figure refused to get dirtied by it anymore than necessary.

The figure’s destination was finally in sight beyond the boggy environment, and made steps of green magic onto… relatively dry land while gazing up at the structure ahead. It was castle-like with tall spires, with sharp edges like broken glass… and even from a distance the figure could see the structure changing and reshaping itself, moving almost as though it were a living thing!

The land surrounding this ominous place was barren and desolate, as though all life within the immediate vicinity had been leeched away.

The figure pressed on, walking closer to the structure until a patrol of changelings suddenly appeared! They’d been posing as rocks, their disguises burning away by their green magic, revealing themselves clad in their cobalt blue armor, armed with spears.

“Halt, trespasser!”

They all positioned themselves around the hooded figure, their barbed spears all mere inches away from skewering them. The leader hissed threateningly before saying, “I don’t know what’s going on in your head to so brazenly approach the Hive but-”

“Greetings, changelings,” the figure spoke in clearly a female voice. “Please excuse my dropping in, but I come seeking an audience with your queen.”

The patrol all shared looks… before they burst out in laughter!

“Apparently you haven’t heard! Our queen‘s been captured, only her heads of patrols remain in charge, so why don’t you do yourself a favor and beat it befor-”

“I am here to speak to your queen and I am not leaving until I do…” the figure spoke with a clear and definitive tone that told them she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Didn’t you just hear what we said?!” the head of the patrol snarled, “The queen is- UH-UGHUH!!”

The figure raised a limb covered by her cloak’s heavy sleeve, a smoky green magic pouring out and enveloping them all, causing each changeling to drop their spears and clutch their throats as they felt themselves choke!

It was as though an invisible force was putting the squeeze on their windpipes, and the figure hissed back, “So let’s try this again – I have come to seek an audience with your queen…”

“Okay, OK!” the patrol head choked out, “Cool it, cool it!”

The smoky green magic quickly faded away and the changelings all collapsed and gasped for breath. The changelings all glared hatefully at the figure but the head of the patrol cleared his throat and growled, “Follow us…”

The figure couldn’t help but chuckle to see the patrol enclose her as they escorted her to the entrance to the Hive. How adorable they were, believing they could stand a chance against her. But as the figure craned her neck to gaze up at the sinister Hive before her, she noticed the patrol stopped just shy of entering and the head of the patrol snarled, “Wait here.”

The figure didn’t wait for long… when Chrysalis stepped out of the shadows of Hive entrance, flanked by the patrol.
“Well, well, well, what have we here? My patrols informed me that-”

*VISHLASH*

The patrol gaped in shock, first at the sight of Chrysalis’s head rolling and then her headless body dropping to the ground. They looked to see the figure’s limb was still raised, having lashed it out as though she’d wielded a sword, but only green and black energy crackled around… her claws?!

“Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear…” she purred from within the shadow of her hood before her eyes glowed a menacing green!
“I come here seeking an audience with Queen Chrysalis!!”

The patrol all shivered as they felt the figure’s lust for blood… when three more Chrysalises stepped out of the shadows, towering over their brethren as they glared at the figure who’d just murdered their sister.

One of the Chrysalises’ horns vibrated and she gasped before sighing, “Come with us, Her Majesty will receive you… in the throne room.”

“And hopefully the third time will be the charm… for you,” the figure blatantly threatened as she followed the Chrysalises inside.

The inside of the Hive was even more confusing then the exterior. Several times the figure thought she was being led on a wild goose chase, as her Chrysalis escorts led her towards dead ends, only for them to open up passages, bridges extended from one ledge to another, and some hallways suddenly closed at their approach.

The halls and chambers echoed with buzzing and hisses from hungry changelings, gew constructs of spikes or webbing lined random places, a few globes hung suspended from the ceilings providing an eerie glow for light, and there were holes big enough for changelings to hide in all over the place.

Finally… they came to a LARGE double door, two of the Chrysalises breaking away to stand guard at each side while the third gave the figure a narrowed look of contempt.

“Tread with caution… You are about to meet a great power!”

“Oh I know very well who I am about to meet,” the figure scoffed. “Now be a good girl, open the door.”

The Chrysalis barely contained her irritation and her horn lit up, causing the doors to ever so slowly open inwards to what was the birthing chambers, the most private and sacred room in the entire hive. Under normal circumstances, any changeling that entered without any prior clearance found themselves either dead or on the most unpleasant duties possible. Without even waiting for the Chrysalis to give permission, the figure chuckled with satisfaction before venturing in… and the doors suddenly closed behind her, sealing her in darkness.

The way sound reverberated hinted this place was vast. It was dark and damp, and the figure secretly hoped the puddles she was stepping through were water.

“You are utterly foolish to dare come before me, after how you killed one of my daughters…”

The voice spoke with a dissonant chord from the darkness, almost as though multiple voices were speaking the same thing but not in perfect synchronization. Were the figure anyone else she might have run screaming for her life.

Were she someone else, that is.

“And it’s the fact I was able to kill her with magic why you tread with caution,” the figure smirked within the hood of her cloak, “because, just so we’re clear… Your daughters didn’t lock me in here with you; they locked you in here with me…”

A trail of blue-green bioluminescence lit up like a trail of lightning along a vast, bulbous and disgusting mound of pulsing flesh suspended to the walls of this vast chamber by changeling gew webbing. At one end, the figure actually cringed with disgust to see an ovipositor squeeze out a changeling egg among a brood of dozens! Then the wall behind the brood opened up and in walked a few changeling drones who gingerly gathered several eggs and took them away, the hole in the wall closing behind them.

“And I take it those eggs are being transferred to the other Hives you have hidden here and there across the continent,” the figure chuckled knowingly as she followed the egg sac the other.

It led to a large fleshy cord, which trailed towards the far end of the chamber as globes of green light revealed a vast and frightful looking throne composed entirely of dark stone. It looked like obsidian but only gave off a faint green sheen, and sitting atop the throne, the cord from the egg sac connecting to her barrel, was Chrysalis.

This time, the figure was pretty sure this Chrysalis was the real deal, and found it amusing the way this inferior bug was looking down at her with eyes of contempt that couldn’t help but also waver with a little wariness. She was noticeably larger than her daughters, her form was strong and beautiful but also had a world-weary look not so different from that of Princess Celestia.

“You seem to know rather much about my kind…” Queen Chrysalis was already pondering on how to deal with this incessant gnat for her impudence.

“Well, when you travel the word like I do, you tend to pick up an interesting fact or two,” the figure chuckled with a casual shrug of her shoulders. “Like how you’re wondering ‘How did she kill one of my front mares with magic when my throne soaks up all magic in my kingdom except for changeling magic?’”

Chrysalis froze, now starting to truly feel afraid – The power of her throne was one of her most closely guarded secrets, even more crucial than her daughters posing as her out in the world to lead her campaigns for her and extending the telepathic range of her Hive Mind!

“Oh please, Your Majesty,” the figure curtsied, which felt more like an insult than a show of respect, “Despite how… uncivil I’ve been around your lackeys, I am really here to make friends!”

“Friends? Pah! I am Queen Mother of all changelings,” Queen Chrysalis sneered at the very word. “What need have I for friends?”

“Everyone needs friends, Your Grace,” the figure spoke with a subtle glee in her words, “as I have recently learned and so have started going about, seeking the right kind of friends, as I am now with you.”

“To what end?” Chrysalis narrowed her eyes dangerously.

“Why else? To make a… proposition,” the figure explained, “the kind of proposition that helps set into motion the machinations of which shall ultimately topple not merely the nation of Equestria nor their arrogant alicorn monarchs. The proposition of which that ends with the whole of ponykind put in their proper place – Under the heel of their conquerors.”

“…Well, your proposition has admittedly piqued my interest, but…” Chrysalis raised a suspicious brow. “I would know the name and face of my new ‘friend’.”

“My apologies, Your Highness,” the figure reached up with paw-like hands to lower her hood.

“My name… is Catrina.”

Author's Note

At long last, the arc is over and the revelation of one of the most wicked villains in this whole entire story!

(B'Tween) The Secret Origin of Ponykind

Author's Note

This B'Tween chapter features content that is entirely my own head-canon and I've been wanting to bring into the story somehow, and mybe this isn't the right way but if I keep overthinking it it would probably never be the right way or time

(B'Tween) The Secret Origin of Ponykind

In a starry void, empty yet bright, two presences met to discuss new matters. It'd been weeks since the changeling attack and although there was still much healing ahead, the ponies of all involved were holding on together and carrying on with each passing day. There had been numerous funerals for all the ponies and guards who fallen in the line of duty, including the big brother of a certain little video-gaming colt, but his parents and all his friends were there for him. The pain would never go away but time and support would help it hurt less and less.

Things are going better than we'd hoped. The Ponies of Equestria are made of stronger stuff than other creatures give them credit for.

Yes, and yet it took the actions of only one to bring about so much loss...

We will deal with her once the Equestria Games are over, and that's getting to be just around the corner. I'm surprised you didn't postpone or even cancel the games in light of all that's happened.

We need to preserve the image of our nation's strength, to discourage outside threats from perceiving weakness. Otherwise we may go through this all over again and for even longer, with higher casualties. We are lucky that this was contained to Canterlot though I still fear what the changelings may yet be capable of, even with their leader incapacitated. As they say, the show, or in this case the Games, must go on.

I can understand that, but let's get to why we're here - Twilight... Are you sure the time has come for her to know what you taught me?

I do, but I want you to be the one to tell her.

Wha- Me?! But-but-

I feel this knowledge she must learn may come easier for her to hear it from you, now that the two of you are engaged. As much as I would like to teach her the secret history and origin of ponykind, my recent self-reflections have discouraged me...

...Should I show her the way you showed me?

That is up to you. I trust your judgment in this matter, and once you conclude with this lesson, you may inform Twilight she is free to send me any questions she may have and that I will answer them to the best of my abilities. No more secrets.

...No more secrets.

The two presences faded from the starry void... and a blue-white light filled up Midnight's workshop at Sweet Apple Acres, and quickly faded away to reveal him standing inside it. The task ahead of him was important, and he took a deep breath before leaving his workshop to find Twilight.

"I still can't believe it!!"

Earlier, Midnight had come to the library, announcing to Twilight it was time for some new lessons about alicorns, and Twilight automatically gathered a couple saddlebags full of study aids, quills, inkwells, parchment, several textbooks, and so on. She'd almost called Spike but Midnight cut her off, saying this was just between the two of them.

As she followed Midnight, Twilight was looking through a few books at the same time, all the while gushing with excitement, "More lessons in alicorn magic! Or-or is it going to be a lecture? If so, I'm glad I brought all these writing utensils and parchment to take notes, do I need to take notes? Well, even if I don't, it's always good to have notes to fall back on. 'Be prepared', those are two words I live by! You know, I'm a little surprised Princess Celestia isn't giving me these lessons, not that I don't object to you teaching me, Midnight! I actually enjoy having you as a teacher. Come to think of it, that I'm with my teacher... makes me feel... a little naughty!"

Midnight gave her a look at hat comment and Twilight suddenly feared she'd said something wrong... until Midnight raised his brow and smirked, "Maybe I'll assign my naughty student some extra homework tonight..."

Twilight couldn't help but blush and Midnight chuckled, "Come on, we're almost there."

"Uh and... yeah, that's the thing," Twilight hurried to keep up, "you didn't say where we're going."

"Heh-heh, you'll see," Midnight responded teasingly, Twilight growling in slight irritation.

"And we're here," Midnight announced after a couple more minutes of walking.

Twilight looked around and saw they were in an open field with nary a soul in sight, Ponyville a fair distance away. She looked to the left and then looked to the right, she looked up to the sky, and down to the ground, and then back at Midnight, who was standing there with a knowing smirk on his face.

"Sooooooooooo.... what are we doing way out here?"

"Well, for what I have in mind," Midnight bobbed his brows, "we need a little privacy."

"Midnight!" Twilight gave him an indignant look while setting her saddlebags down, "I thought you were going to teach me more about alicorns, not trick me into getting some... some nookie!"

The blue alicorn chuckled teasingly and said, "First off - You are so cute when you're irritated. Second - I am gonna teach you more about alicorns. We just needed to be somewhere where nopony could see us. Watch this..."

Twilight sighed and watched as Midnight closed his eyes, the lines along his horn lighting up... before it unleashed a blinding radiance!

Twilight scrunched her eyes shut, feeling a wind blow from everywhere along with a disorienting sensation. To Twilight, it felt oddly similar to standing in the shallows of a beach while the water pulled away, withdrawing from where she stood, feeling as though she were in motion while standing still.

And just like that, the light dimmed. Looking around, she found herself in what appeared to be a pine forest in the middle of winter. Soft pure white snow blanketed the ground, frost patterned in fanciful swirls along the tree trunks, and yet she realized that even though she could feel the cold it didn't bother her!

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Eep!" Twilight jumped and sighed to see it was just Midnight, "Oh, uh- Yeah, it... is! Where in Equestria are we?"

"Heh, what makes you think this is Equestria?" Midnight teased before he started walking through the forest.

"Wah- Hey! Don't just walk away!" Twilight hurried up so she was walking at Midnight's side, "And what do you mean, this isn't Equestriaaaaaa.... oh!"

Twilgiht saw that Midnight had led her to a vast snowy clearing edged in evergreen forest, the sky above an alien beauty of softly glowing stars interconnected to reveal constellations and phantom images around them to provide more detail to the cosmic images, a starry nebula slowly flying overhead like an oriental dragon, the moon shaped like the upwards-facing crescent of Midnight's cutie-mark, and in the middle of the clearing was a small hill upon which stood a tall and beautiful rowan tree but its berries were sapphire blue instead of the normal red.

Around the base of the tree's trunk and hanging from some of the lower branches were a bunch of random stuff.

Of course it was the environment that instigated the dropping of Twilight's jaw, to Midnight's amusement as he stepped over and gently closed Twilight's jaw and spread his foreleg out in a beholding manner, "Welcome to my world!"

Twilight shook off the immobilizing state of wonder and gawked at Midnight, "YOUR WORLD?! Wha- I don't... Explain."

Chuckling, Midnight gestured Twilight to follow him as he led her towards the hill in the middle of the clearing, "This, Twily, is my Personal Pocket Dimension, tied to our native reality. Every alicorn has one, and its reality is dictated by the whims and desires of the alicorn its existence is tied to. For example..."

Midnight reached out with his foreleg and tilted his head over... and it went over his shoulder, landing in Midnight's hoof, causing Twilight to shriek!!!

"EEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!!" Twilight's mane stood on end at the sight of her fiancé holding his head in his hoof and actually laughing at her reaction - It was the sort of crazy stunt she'd only ever seen Discord-turned-Eris do.

Then Midnight's head grew a little larger... and then swallowed his body in one GULP and it appeared right below him as he shrank down to his normal size, still in a fit of giggles.

"That is completely twisted and utterly terrifying!!" Twilight yelled angrily as Midnight calmed down.

"S-sorry, Twi-hi-hi...!!" Midnight wiped a tear of laughter away, "I-I... Heh, I just wanted to give you a clear and definite example of what I was saying, and I guess following the Master of Chaos's example wasn't perhaps the best one to go by."

Twilight gave him a deadpan look, to his worry, until she sighed, "You said... the reality of this dimension is... decided by you?"

"Yes, phew!" Midnight was glad she didn't hold his little trick against him, "An Alicorn's Pocket Dimension doesn't work like our native dimension. You might have noticed that the wintry setting here should be really cold, except...?"

Midnight gave her a playful look and Twilight realized what he was implying and said, "I feel the cold... but it doesn't bother me!"

"You got it," chuckled Midnight as he took a few steps through the snow but none of it clung to his fur and his hoofprints vanished a second or two afterwards. "In these Pocket Dimensions, things like laws of physics or even time don't apply. Here, check this out."

Then, to Twilight's amazement, Midnight started walking straight up as though he were taking a simple stroll. She craned her neck to see him walk onward and upward-

"Ahem."

She looked down... and there he was, giving her a smug look! She looked up and he wasn't in the air anymore, and she couldn't imagine where he could have popped out of since he clearly didn't teleport.

"How the hoof did you do that?!"

"No laws of physics, Twi. Like I said, reality here is subject to my will, or even my whims," Midnight shrugged like it was no big deal. "This dimension's reality is... Hmm, not quite sure how to say this... Well, not grounded? Like... Kinda like a set of building blocks, or even a sandbox. I can shape it however I want, decided how things work however I want, and when I get bored with it I just knock the blocks over or wash away the sandcastle. The way you see it now is... kinda like a reflection of myself."

"This place?" Twilight gazed at the wonder of how this dimension and soon got a vague idea of what Midnight meant.

This beautiful wintry scene was soft, relaxing, and calm, the dazzling cosmos above sparked that wondrous feeling of wonder, and she assumed that the elements she was seeing here were things special or appealing to Midnight in some form or manner.

"How big is this place?" Twilight wondered aloud.

"It's big," Midnight nodded, "but how things look and their nature will surprise you. Despite the way the sky above us looks right now, it doesn't extend into outer space like the sky of our native dimension. My atmosphere eventually fades away and if you go too far in any direction you find yourself coming back here towards the center of it all. Even if you kept going straight in one direction or flying straight up, you find yourself coming back here, even if you never took a turn and you wind up heading down when you thought you were going up. Remember, this isn't an actual world; it's merely pocket dimension attached to the one in which we were born."

"Strange..." Twilight was about to take a note... when she realized, "I forgot my study aids!! I can't take notes..."

"Here," Midnight waved his hoof, and an entire store with a sign over the door reading 'Study Aids Galore, for all your Studying Needs'. He laughed as Twilight's eyes lit up like a filly during Hearth's Warming Morning.
"Help yourself."

Twilight squealed with joy and ran in while Midnight waved his hoof again to make a large and plush armchair appear with a coffee table covered with Auntie Spice's Pepper Pony's pizza and some colt cola chilled to perfection and hand a bite as he waited for Twilight complete splurging on herself. Surprisingly, she only took five minutes.

"OK!! I am soooo ready for anything you have to show me," Twilight raised a pristine and expertly-primed pegasus quill pen with an inkwell full of the refined and everlasting ink harvested from krakens, levitating a parchment of the finest quality and had stars in her eyes.... that quickly faded by the solemn look on Midnight's face even as he munched on his pizza, took a swig and belched in a rather unprincely manner.

"Ahem! Equestria to Midnight, hellooooo!"

Sighing, Midnight stood up, the chair and lunch vanishing in a poof of sparkly smoke and he faced Twilight, "Princess Twilight Sparkle. The time... has come!!"

"For...?" Twilight hinted for him to keep going.

"The secret history of alicorns that led to the origin of this world and of Ponykind," Midnight declared in a deep and weighty manner and Twilight sensed he wasn't joking.
"Tell me, Twilight - How old do you think our world is?"

"Well, uh... When you... take into question the process of natural selection and even literally hundreds of theories about the formation of a planet-sized object, which of course states by almost every theory can take at least billions of years-"

"At least 10,000 years," Midnight interrupted.

"HUH?!" Twilight gave Midnight an incredulous look.

"Around 50,000 at most," he did a so-&-so gesture with his hoof while giving it a look of consideration. "The point is, our world is a lot younger than you think, and it was not formed naturally over the span of billions of years."

"But- I... How could a life-bearing planet inhabited by millions of different organic species come into existence so quickly?!" Twilight asked, her hunger for knowledge suddenly voracious... and all of a sudden the world around her and Midnight vanished!

She started to panic a bit until she noticed Midnight was standing there, unconcerned by the fact they his world had suddenly become a blank infinite white.

Then... It darkened into a cosmic void of stars unfamiliar to Twilight. Her father had enjoyed teaching Twilight about Astronomy and the names of all the constellations in their sky. Then the starry portrait gave way to reveal a distant sphere with a nearby sun. Twilight watched in awe as the sphere grew closer and closer until she could see it was a lush green crystal blue, and heavenly white, and surrounding it was a swirl of golden dust in the stylized shape of a wing.

"Eons ago, long-long before our world was brought into existence, there have been other worlds. Worlds spread far and distant from each other throughout the stars. Other worlds, other stars as infinite as the individual grains of sand in tens of thousands of deserts. This unending reach of starry space is known as the Cosmos... Somewhere within the Cosmos was a world not unlike our own, a world that predates the existence of Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns, for before them there had only been one kind of pony, Twilight. The Alicorns!"

Twilight watched as the colors of this unfamiliar world spread out like blood mixed with water and surrounded them and through the mist Twilight gasped in utter amazement!

She saw a grand city! Shining, resplendent, and advanced! Technological wonders that seemed a blend of science and sorcery and existing in perfect harmony with nature. Towering trees that grew into architectural structures that made the skyscrapers of Manehatten look primitive and ugly, roads of unyielding soil raised by tender roots, creating bridges and platforms, pillars displaying media announcements in the form of softly glowing holograms, airships that flew without gasbags or steam engines, as though unfettered by gravity and inertia, rivers of crystal pure water flowing through the city in intricate canals and even flowing up and over in cascading loop-de-loops, droplets glistening like diamonds, and populating this immaculate society were alicorns!

Stallions, mares, foals, young, old, all horned and winged and going about their daily business with smiles of content and eyes relaxed by harmony.

"This was Albion, the alicorns' royal capitol and the pride of their society. Here, their brightest and most curious minds studied and persevered to learn and to understand. The Alicorns had come a long way, they'd had their triumphs and their failures, but soon they achieved a society and culture that could only be described... as perfect. They had toiled and researched and experimented in magickal sciences and produced technologies and spells that could only be described as miracles, capable of feats even the most advanced unicorn wizards we have today could never even come close to achieving."

All the while Midnight recounted to Twilight this history that Celestia had once shared with him, his dimension brought this history to life before Twilight's very eyes!

"In time however, the Alicorns' perfect society... had become too perfect. They achieved their cultural apex as a society and come to a point where there was nothing left to do! Nothing left on their world to discover or explore. Things like world peace or even world hunger had long ago been solved, weapons of mass destruction had long been disarmed and their fabrication forbidden, dark arts of magic made taboo, a balance had been perfected with the world and the consumption of natural resources and all needs were fulfilled. Thus the alicorns fell into a short period of depression and boredom... until an idea was proposed, an idea to explore what they would later call the Final Frontier!

"Outer Space... and so, the Alicorns began an initiative to study the concepts of interstellar travel. It was around this time that an alicorn colt was born. This colt was recognized at birth to be an individual of promise, a naturally-born prodigy, and so it was that this colt was named in honor of this recognition - Morning Bright.
Growing up, Morning Bright excelled in all subjects. He became popular and even helped his fellow students in subjects and studies and disciplines to improve where they fell short. It was no surprise that Morning Bright graduated valedictorian and top of all his classes."

Twilight watched as this Morning Bright was born, grew, learned, excelled, and matured into a young stallion in a matter of minutes.

"Upon his graduation though, Morning Bright approached the science division expressing his desire to become a part of the initiative to achieve interstellar travel. He presented his own theories and concepts for a ship capable of traveling among the stars, and although the scientists in charge of the initiative were impressed they dismissed him, reasoning Bright was too young and despite his academic successes he didn't have the certifications to be accepted into such a prestigious project.

"He took their rejection personally and swore he would make those pompous eggheads rue the day they spurned his talents and intellect and would one day beg him to lead the initiative. Morning Bright fell into seclusion and no longer mingled with society, turning down multiple job offers as he dived into his own secret research. It was only by happenstance that Morning Bright was exposed and discovered to be experimenting with magical arts so vile and depraved that it was brought to the attention of the alicorn king."

Twilight watched as Morning Bright was brought before the king and who must have been his daughter at his side.

"Morning Bright, you have been found guilty of experimenting with forbidden arts, magic of the darkest kind, and so I am left with no alternative. Now and forever, you are banished from our nation! Your research and experiments have already been destroyed and you have until sundown to leave this city and never return. Have you anything to say?"

Morning Bright glared up defiantly at the king and sneered, "You will all one day regret this... Someday, I'll get my power back! I swear this under a new name, a name that every stallion, every mare, every foal will one day cringe with fear at the very mention of it! So swears I, Morning Blight!!"

"Take him away!" the king ordered and his guards escorted the upstart out of his presence.

Twilight watched in fear of that young stallion, a promising individual who had fallen into disgrace, merely sneer as he was led out of the city in a walk of shame. There was something about that fallen star that she couldn't help but feel sorry for, as she turned to Midnight who looked on after that disappointment.

"Whatever happened to... Morning Blight?"

"...The alicorn king's daughter had warned her father they should not have just let him go. But in time, the threat was forgotten by all but the princess as Blight was not heard from in decades, and eventually nopony believed he would ever return. How wrong they were..."

The city of Albion suddenly exploded with a fiery destructive light, blinding Twilight, and she gasped in horror once the light faded, revealing the city devastated and bodies lying everywhere. Fires and rubble and debris littered the streets, and the sky was filled with choking smoke and the distant roars of explosions.

"From out of nowhere did the Alicorns find themselves at war, threatened by a society of beings they had always considered their neighbors and friendly rivals, the Cat Sidhe..."

"The Cat Sidhe?!" Twilight gawked at Midnight, "Isn't that... the name of Catrina's species?!"

"The very same. The Cat Sidhe struck without warning and all too quickly did war erupt and burn for many years thence," Midnight nodded gravely as they watched alicorn warriors fight the Cat Sidhe army.

"Before long, it was revealed that Morning Blight was the schemer behind this dark pageant of blood and terror. He had gone to the Cat Sidhe, wormed his way into the good graces of their leaders, revealed secrets and knowledge of the alicorns to the Cat Sidhe, including their plans to venture beyond the stars and twisted that revelation to make it seem that the alicorns were planning to use interstellar travel to reap the bounties of resources off world and use them to dominate the whole planet, including the Cat Sidhe.

"The war lasted for perhaps a century and as the mounting casualties on both sides grew so did how it ravaged the world upon which it stood. Finally having had enough, the Cat Sidhe used their own magical technology to open a portal and evacuate as many of their remaining numbers to another dimension to flee the alicorns while Blight was finally captured.

"During the war, the alicorn king had perished, leaving his daughter to assume the throne. Out of respect of her father and perhaps her own fear of power, she chose not to assume the royal title of 'Queen' and remained a Princess...

"Blight was brought to the Princess in chains and after careful deliberation, she passed judgement and declared he would suffer imprisonment for all time! Using a forbidden spell, the Princess tore Blight's soul from his very body, containing his malignant essence within a dark crystal where he would know only pain and loneliness while his body was left to rot so that they would never be reunited. However, Blight's punishment would do nothing for the aftermath of the war..."

The images faded, showing the planet no longer beautiful and lush with life, but smoky, barren, and burning.

"Their world had been scarred by over a century of war and it was quickly determined that any efforts to restore their world to its former glory would be doomed to failure. It was declared then by the Alicorn Princess that if their world could no longer support them then they would find a new world. She ordered the Alicorns to complete the ship they'd been preparing for interstellar travel, filled it with all they would need, along with any refugees to bring with them, and before long they had set sail through the stars..."

The alicorns' ship drifted among the cosmos, and passed by world after world, star after star, a lonely speck wandering aimlessly amongst the darkness of space.

"They travelled the universe for years, passing world after world because they none they encountered could support life. but as their supplies began to dwindle, the Princess knew they had to find a life-bearing world soon otherwise they would perish. But then, she was struck with an idea - Instead of finding a new world to call home they would make one! This proved to be far more easier, and before they knew they found a lifeless planet-sized celestial body and knew this would be perfect to serve as the basis of their new world. The Princess used her magic to pull a nearby star close by and took the cosmic dust of a shimmering nebula and coalesced it into a silvery sphere, creating for their new world its own sun and a moon.

"They used their magic technology to terraform the world to suit their needs, giving it atmosphere, water, and then seeding it so as to cover it with plant life to provide oxygen. They released all the animal specimens they'd brought with them, and the Princess gave some of them the spark of awareness before sending them on their way, along with the refugees of other sentient creatures the alicorns had granted refuge on the ship.

"The alicorns had succeeded! They'd created a new world where they could make a new start... until they realized they had another dilemma. After everything they'd been through, all that they'd suffered and lost, the alicorns were on the brink of extinction! They'd expended all their major resources to build this ship, travel the stars, create this new world, and now this? They considered the issue at long lengths, ideas on how to preserve their race were shot down one after another before they finally faced the bitter truth - Any efforts to repopulate would fail, they would die out too quickly, and the alicorn race would cease to exist...

"The Princess thought long and hard on how she could save her people... until she came up with a solution. It was unorthodox solution, a desperate one in fact! But she saw no other way..."

When Midnight stopped talking, Twilight looked at him wondering why... until she watched as the Alicorn Princess flew up to a high vantage point, overlooking all her remaining subjects resting in a meadow. They slept, tired, weary, some sick, some hungry. They had suffered enough but one way or another their legacy had to continue. Then, the Princess lit up her horn and a spell of inconceivable power was cast. From her horn did unravel threads of the purest magic that rose up and wove together into an ethereal blanket that expanded as it ever so gently floated down, covering every single alicorn but the princess. The lavender alicorn watched in amazement as the form of each alicorn under that blanket shined through... and then each form was divided into three!

The blanket faded away like a shimmering vapor to reveal each alicorn was now separated into three forms. One with the horn, one with wings, and one with neither.

The incredible truth soon dawned upon Twilight's face as she realized the truth! It was either that or the most wild pony tale she'd ever been told, and yet...

"Do you see now, Twilight?"

Twilight looked at Midnight who gazed upon these ponies as they began to wake up, blissfully unaware of the selves they had been prior.

"I had the same look when Princess Celestia showed this truth to me when I was eighteen... Every earth pony, pegasus, and unicorn who lives today are descended from these ponies you see before you, these ponies who had originally been something more. This is the origin of ponykind."

"I-I... I don't even know what to say!" Twilight wracked her brain at all that she'd just learned, barely able to comprehend it all.

"Well, when these ponies woke up, they didn't recall their previous existences as alicorns," Midnight decided to wrap this up, "the Princess descended down to them, and named the ponies bearing the horns Unicorns, and they would light the way. She named the winged ponies Pegasi, that they would watch over their fellow pony, and she named the ponies without wings or horns Earth Ponies, and bade them to feel the connection to the earth beneath their hooves so as to shoulder their fellow pony's heavy burdens.

"They were the first of their kinds, her legacy and bade them to do as they wish, go their own ways, to make the world their own, and promised she would watch over them always. Afterwards, the Alicorn Princess destroyed the ship and all but one record of the Alicorns' history in the hopes that one day her people born anew would be able to remember what they had once been and carve their own marks of greatness.

"The Princess made more preparations for her little ponies to be certain that they would have the necessary tools and knowledge to one day build their own society and be prepared for the challenges they would surely face, until finally... she disappeared."

Twilight looked at Midnight again but he spoke further, knowing what she intended to ask.

"Nopony knows what became of her but she is remembered as the writer of our stories, the architect of our past, our present, and our future.

"She is remembered... as Princess Faust."

The images of this all-but-forgotten history faded like dust in the wind, leaving the two alicorns in darkness... that slowly brightened a soft radiance as the original wintry setting of Midnight's dimension returned.

"So now you know, the secret of this world and every living thing on it," Midnight looked hesitantly at Twilight, whose face read of a pony whose entire world had been turned upside down, her grasp of reality shaken, her doubts in all the knowledge she'd ever learned, now wondering what if it had ever really mattered.

Midnight looked up to his tree and willed it to reach down with its branches for him to pluck a bushel of its berries. With but a thought the berries morphed into a bottle of rowanberry wine as a pair of glasses appeared, into which the bottle poured its contents. Taking one for himself, he held the other out to Twilight, "Here, you look like you could use a drink."

Twilight ignored it at first, but then absent-mindedly accepted the wine and took a careful sip, "It's... It's nice."

"All beverages in my dimension are nice," Midnight shrugged in a 'no big deal' way and took a swig.

They sat there in the snow, cold yet warm, as they continued to drink. The glasses never ran out and although the wine worked its tipsy touch on their systems neither became sauced.

"So..." Twilight finally spoke, "all the original alicorns except Princess Faust are... no more?"

"The Royal Sisters," Midnight responded before letting out another belch and blech-ing the tangy aftertaste. "As far as we know, Celestia and Luna, as I said to you before, are probably the last of their kind. But if any alicorns weren't divided by Princess Faust's spell, they've never revealed themselves. Not to mention it's unlikely any of the original alicorns could still be alive. They could live for a long time, of course, but this all happened thousands of years ago."

"Well then..." Twilight was reluctant to ask this but it needed asking, "Why doesn't everypony know about this? The alicorns, the war, the old world and new world, the... alicorns divided into the three pony tribes?"

"What good would that do, Twily?" Midnight asked in a blasé tone while peering into his wine glass.

"Well, it would clarify history and-and answer so many questions!" Twilight pressed, dropping her wine glass and not noticing it vanish instead of shatter.
"So many debates and opinions and theories would be put to rest- This... could change... everything!!"

"For the worse," Midnight responded, causing Twilight's moment of exhilaration to shatter.

"'For the worse'?!?!" echoed an incredulous Twilight Sparkle. "Midnight Blaze, this isn't just something you cover up and let others fill in the blanks with ideas and theories that are probably entirely wrong! This... This is the true history of our race! Our world!!"

"Who would believe it, Twilight?" Midnight asked her, catching off guard by the question. "Who in this world would believe that not only was this planet created by an ancient society of alicorns that no longer exists but that every pony alive descends from the ponies that came to be by the remaining alicorns being divided into the first generation of the three pony tribes? If I didn't know better, I'd call it a crackpot theory concocted by some zealot worshipper."

"But- I... Wait, you learned all this from Princess Celestia, right?" Twilight brought up, "So if she herself confirmed it was true-"

"That would be a recipe for disaster," Midnight shook his head, starting to get annoyed by how Twilight wasn't seeing the bigger picture. He looked on patiently at Twilight, who was confused by Midnight's words so he knew he had to clarify further.
"Twilight, there is still a part of you that clings to the adulation you feel for your mentor, an illusion that she is perfect despite the flaws you've been made aware of as of late. So, if you'd heard this from her directly, you would accept this wild and insane explanation like a foal spoonfed pudding.

"There are other ponies like that too, but some less than so. Believe it or not, Twilight, there are ponies among Equestria who are less than impressed by Celestia, or even the other alicorns. Not too long ago, I dealt with this politician in Fillydelphia who showed me admittedly little respect and called my royal status antiquated and obsolete and reminded me that I was still obligated to enforce the laws passed down by democracy. These days, Celestia's rule over Equestria is less than what you might expect it to be, particularly in the larger cities, like Fillydelphia, Manehatten, Baltimare, Vanhoover.

"Cities like that in Equestria are democratic and their political leaders are not so beholden to Celestia as ponies from smaller places, like Ponyville, Appleloosa, or even Las Pegasus. The point I'm trying to get at is, some ponies in Equestria would very likely take Celestia's word for it regarding this history and origin I've just shown you, but others wouldn't! Some ponies might even call it a conspiracy by Celestia and the other alicorns as some kind of scheme to enforce their power and dominion over the three pony tribes and even accuse us of trying to excuse our actions and label us tyrants or some kind of bigots.

"Then of course there's the ramifications of how this information could have were it learned by other creatures! Griffons, Zebras, Minotaurs! There are some creatures out there who hold ponies in contempt and see ponykind in some shade of bad light. Predatory species who see us as upstart prey who don't know our "proper place in the food chain", less powerful creatures who accuse ponies of taking more than their fair share of land and natural resources.

"Believe it or not, Twilight, I had this same discussion with Celestia when she revealed all this to me, and she told me exactly what i'm telling you - Some things are really better left unsaid."

Seeing the downcast look on his mare';s face, Midnight went over and wrapped his wing around her withers, "But... if you want to have a clearer understanding, you can always talk with Celestia yourself. She'll always be there to help you, and so will I."

Twilight gazed up at her stallion and felt her heart warmed by his gentle smile... and their lips met in a soft and tender kiss. When they parted, she said, "I... don't really know what i'm going to do with all this information, but... I'm glad I have you to help me understand it."

"And you always will," Midnight assured her before standing up, "Now, what say we head back?"

"WAIT!" Twilight took the study aids she'd gotten from the store Midnight had conjured earlier, making him groan as he realized what she was doing, "I still gotta take notes!"

A flash of blue and white light quickly faded and standing back on the field outside Ponyville were a sapphire blue alicorn stallion and his beautiful lavender alicorn mare... next to stack upon stacks of notes.

"That... was quite a lesson, Midnight," Twilight gave her stallion a playful smirk before she got starry eyed with anticipation, "and I am looking forward to pouring over these notes! The questions I'll have for Celestia, the knowledge yet to be gained!"

"And it's not done yet!"

"Whattya mean?" Twilight asked, only for Midnight to point with his forefeather at all the notes she'd taken... and her jaw dropped yet again to see all those beautiful notes of hard and detailed work give off dying sparkles as they faded away?!?!

"Wha... I- DUH! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!?!"

"Oops! I forgot to mention this," Midnight stifled a shameless chuckle, "Any material object created within an alicorn's pocket dimension cannot exist outside that dimension. Since I created those study aids in my pocket dimension, when you brought them with you here to our native dimension, the different realities clashed and the notes could only react by fading from existence."

...

"You knew that this would happen...." Twilight's voice was eerily calm and yet terrifyingly edged that Midnight felt a chill start from the tip of his tail, run up his spine, all the way up to the point of his horn, and he suddenly feared for his life!

Ponyville was enjoying another peaceful day when-

"AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGHHHHHH!!!!!" Midnight screamed as he flew for his life, dodging mana zaps aimed at his plot as an utterly incensed Twilight Sparkle pursued him, her face expressing why Tartarus hath no fury like a mare scorned.
"Twilight- OW! Calm dow- YIKE! We're making a scene!!"

"I can take a lot of things, honey! BUT DESTROYING MY WORK?!?!" Twilight continued to launch more zaps at her stallion's flanks. They didn't do real damage but they stung like the dickens.

A couple of ponies watched with amused icecream messy smiles from Sugarcube Corner.

"Ah, young love."
“Reminds me of when Celestia first found out about this from you and you did the same thing to her,” the other said.
“Don't remind me,” the first one said. “She nearly set fire to me.”
“We should let them be. Equestria's got something big planned and we're not needed.”

245. The Equestria Games - Part 1

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME GO!!!" hollered the shadow prince as his wife Celestia struggled to push him onto the walkway to board their nephew's airship. Sombra was positioned just so where all four of his hooves were holding fast and Celestia was starting to get annoyed as they were making a scene, the type of which was rarely seen by their subjects.

"Come on, sweetheart, this is humilatinnnngggg...YOW!!!" Celestia yelped as Sombra finally gave out and they both were sent a'tumbling onto the deck of Blueblood's luxury airship.

Blueblood and Luna both gasped at the positions Celestia and Sombra had landed in, looking embarrassingly like a 69 before Celestia forced Sombra off but couldn't help but giggle at the absurdity, "See?"

"Fillies & gentlecolts, I give you the Prince and Princess of Shadow and Day," Blueblood deadpanned before calling the crew to get them airborne.

"NOOO!!!!" Sombra tried to leap over the edge, only for a soft phthallo blue magic aura to envelop him, keeping him stationary as a golden rope glowing a sunny yellow suddenly tied him up. The blue aura unceremoniously dropped him on the middle of the deck.
"PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THIS!!!"

"Sombra, have a little dignity!" Luna exasperated, "It is royal tradition for all alicorn monarchs to spectate the Equestria Games."

"But why did it have to be in my old empire?!" Sombra knew he sounded like a foal but he didn't care. Only that this airship was taking flight to transport them to his old empire, to his old subjects...
"After all I did, how could I ever face them again...?!"

"Well, certainly not with that attitude," Celestia gave her hubby a kiss of encouragement and although it succeeded in calming him down somewhat, she could see he was still wracked with self-doubt and no small amount of shame. Before she could say anything, Luna and Blueblood walked over to chat.

"I must say, Sister, all this excitement about these Games, is verily getting to me! Why I can still recall the competitions from long ago. Pray tell, do they still have the discus throw?"
"Actually, Aunt Luna, the Equestria Games Committee has expanded from those old types of competitions and implemented some more... unique challenges for the competitors. As a matter of, Applejack will be competing for Team Ponyville in a Hay Bale Toss event whereas I aim to bring home the Ponyville Gold for the Ice Archery event. Ha-ha, if you'll pardon the pun."
"I wish you the best of luck, nephew, but... I believe I shall favor Team Canterlot to bring home the Trophy."
"Is that a bet, dear auntie...?"

Celestia smiled to see everypony getting along when she felt somepony tap her on the withers. She looked to see it was a pegasus crewmember, who directed her to the sight of her husband, trying to make another escape by inch worming towards the safety rail. Whispering her thanks to the stallion, she lit up her horn and Sombra grumbled as he was levitated to his wife's side.

In the castle of the Crystal Empire, Ms. Harshwhinny are a couple of her security guards were leaving the throne room and an icy chill in her wake that made Spike and Twilight shiver. At Cadance's request, Twilight and Spike had come to the Crystal Empire early to discuss some small details, which turned out to be a surprise for Spike! She'd recommended to Ms. Harshwhinny that Spike should be the one to set the torch ablaze that signals the start of the Equestria Games, and the head of the games had requested to meet Spike in person. After answering a few questions (all the while under her harsh scrutiny) Ms. Harshwhinny gave her approval and Spike had been given a great honor, the first dragon in the history of the Equestria Games to light the signal torch!

"Brrr! Moody, wasn't she?" Spike could still feel that mare's icicle gaze.

"Oh don't take it so personally, Spike," Cadance gave a soft giggle, "Ms. Harshwhinny is just... very professional. She's actually quite nice once you get to know her."

"And I am just so excited for you, Spike!" Twilight hugged her Number One Assistant with all the love a big sister could give to a little brother, "You're about to make a little history for dragons everywhere!"

"Yeah, ha-ha... making history and writing lists, that's me," Spike didn't sound quite as excited as the two princesses, which caused them to share a confused look.

"Spike, would you rather not be the torch-lighter?" Twilight queried.

"Oh yeah-yeah-yeah! I would, I really would," Spike flabbergasted before the discomfort returned, "It's just... I'm a little afraid of-"

The opening of doors interrupted Spike as in rushed Fleet Mail, "Your Highnesses!"

He bowed before them before reporting, "The Royal Sisters' Airship will be landing momentarily."

"Oh! Well, we'd better hurry out there to greet them," Cadance said to Twilight before addressing Spike, "Don't worry about a thing, Spike! Just do your best and everything will turn out just fine. Let's go, Twilight."

"Hop on, Spike," Twilight turned for Spike to jump onto her back, and as they hurried off to greet the coming monarchs, Spike held his tail the way he did whenever something bothered him.

He just made sure not to let it show on his face.

The landing platform had been set up in an empty field located just beyond the end of one of the main streets of the empire, where the city was actually planning to establish an airfield so the coming and going would have the option of air travel. Hundreds of crystal ponies had gathered to welcome the visiting royalty to their beloved city, including a fanfare of crystal ponies each holding a flugelhorn, and as the airship began to descend the excitement was building!

Comissioned some time ago by Blueblood's company, the royal airship, simply dubbed the Eclipse, was a galleon-sized airworthy vessel of the highest quality. Constructed from magically-reinforced dark oak, fitted with steel frames that reflected a brass polish, it was held aloft by intricately woven riggings to suspend it from an immense oval-shaped gasbag balloon, measuring well over 700 hooves long over 100 hooves in diameter. It was protectively covered by warded tarp, containing the ballonet gasbag, which served as both the primary gasbag and a pressurized defense for the secondary/backup gasbag within it. The tarp was colored royal purple and displayed the Equestrian flag on both sides.

The Eclipse was fitted with a large propeller installed on the stern with side-fins on the port and starboard sides to help steer the ship, and the stern's sides were protected by large wing-shaped metal armaments that appeared ornamental but were actually specially-designed armor for the ship. The bow resembled that of a clipper and its masthead was shaped like a shooting star flying through the cosmos. On specific points of the ship were lightning rods to protect the ship in case of wild weather, and those lightning rods were interconnected to the the ship's generator that powered its electrical systems.

As the Eclipse descended, the flugelhorn fanfare started off on a high note with an excitable melody as some pegasus members of the ship's crew took flight to secure the mooring lines. Cadance and Twilight, carrying Spike, took wing to meet the royal visitors on deck, and were met with a pair of saluting pegasus guards and saw...

"Bluey!" Cadance came down and rushed over to give her brother a hug, which he was happy to return.

"Always happy to see you, Cady," Blueblood laughed before he held out his foreleg, "So, what do you think of my latest and greatest airship yet? The Eclipse! No expense was spared in her construction, only the finest materials, workers, spells, and some of the latest technological advancements helped to make this fine vessel possible!"

He then not-so-discreetly whisper-shouted to Cadance, "By the way, remind me to send a thank-you gift basket to Hoofworks Limited. I'd never admit it to Midnight, but his friend turned out to have just the engineering advice I needed for a feature on the Eclipse's engine."

Hm-hm, I'll hold you to that," Cadance tittered when Twilight walked up.

"Hello, Blueblood, where are your aunts and uncle?"

"Ehh...." Blueblood looked amused as he rolled his eyes towards the helm and the two young princesses both stifled giggles to see the Royal Sisters descend with Sombra in reluctant tow, a tendril of mana connecting to his regalia from each sister, as though he were a dog on a leash, and the shadow prince looking positively humiliated.

"Hello, Aunt Celestia, Luna, and Sombra," Cadance smiled warmly, "Welcome to the Crystal Empire. Pray tell, how many times did Sombra try to get out of attending this event?"

The Royal Sisters both gave Sombra smug look, and he grumbled, "...Six times."

"Nine times, dear niece, nine times," corrected Luna, her sister giggling while Sombra groaned while hiding his embarrassment under his wing.

"He kept trying to jump over the side of the ship, I couldn't take my eyes off him for a moment!" Celestia finally let out her laughter, and Sombra groaned even more when he heard the crew and guards joining in on the amusement at his expense.

Then he felt a hoof touch him gently on the withers and lifted his wing to see Cadance giving him an understanding look as well as an assuring smile, "Sombra, I understand that coming back to your old empire isn't easy. But your past will weigh down upon you and the crystal ponies for as long as you live until you face it and overcome it together."

"...I robbed my old subjects a thousand years," Sombra sighed sadly, "and my love, Autumn Wheat, lost her whole life as she knew it, and I never got to even meet the child she and I had together. I gave in to my weakness and they suffered on my account... How can I face them after all I did to them?"

"By showing them you are not that pony anymore," answered Celestia with a firm yet gentle emphasis. "By showing them you have changed and you have come to start anew."

Sombra gave his wife, family, and friends a look, seeing encouragement from each of them, and sighed.
"Alright, I'll try."

"Good, because your adoring public awaits," Cadance pointed towards the side of the airship and she asked, "Blueblood, would you mind helping me with the announcements here?"

"Be glad to, Cady," Blueblood followed Cadance to the walkway that led from the airship down to the platform that had been set up just for this occasion.

He stood next to his sister (still getting used to that thinking and yet feeling comfortable with it) as they stood in front of a sound cone that had a voice amplification charm on it as Cadance announced, "Fillies and gentlecolts, colts and fillies of all ages! Citizens of the Crystal Empire as well as all who have come from near and far to be a part of this extraordinary event that shall get underway in just a few hours! As the Princess of Love and Empress of the Crystal Empire..."

"And Honorary Prince of Canterlot!" Blueblood added at Cadance's smiling gesture.

"It is our distinct pleasure to welcome the Royal Triarchy of Canterlot, you know them well! First, a warm welcome to the Keeper of Dreams and Lady of the Moon, Princess Luna!"

Luna stepped up to reveal herself and waved with a smile on her face as she received quite the reception from the crowd, especially the Crystal Ponies, who were more fascinated by the Princess of the Night than the ponies born into this modern age. They related to Luna and she to them by their both being ponies out of their proper times. She stepped off the gangplank and joined Cadance and Blueblood on the platform but not next to them.

"Behind her," Blueblood spoke, "is her elder sister, the Bringer of Day, and who just so happens to be my favorite aunt, Princess Celestia!"

The crowd went wild as Celestia made herself known, spreading her wings and giving off the most gentle sunny radiance, dazzling but not blinding, almost as warm as the graceful smile adorning her face. She did not wave nor did she need to, as she gave an appreciative nod and stood by her sister.

"And last but most certainly not least," Cadance ushered as much welcoming and encouragement into this announcement, "he is the Founder of this Empire, a pony who lost his way but was led back to the right path, and was able to at long last unite with the pony he loves and the courage to earn her hoof in holy matrimony, Crystal Ponies, give a warm Crystal Empire welcome back to none other than Prince Sombra!!!"

Mustering as much of a regal stoic as he could, Sombra stepped up to reveal himself, and was met with a rather sparse applause, mostly from ponies visiting the Empire, as well as the griffons, minotaurs, Saddle Arabian horses, drakes, and even the dogs who'd arrived to cheer for their teams. The majority however (specifically the Crystal Ponies) were uncomfortably silent. Sombra had to force himself to walk down the gangplank and join his wife and sister-in-law on the platform, keeping his gaze downward. But when he finally dared to look up and meet the eyes of his former subjects, his heart sank to see fear, discomfort, even contempt here and there among the eyes of the Crystal Ponies.

A silence befell the whole crowd and at once, Sombra thought, I knew this was a mistake...

He considered turning around to board the Eclipse and leave... when something caught his eye. Nearby the platform, a few ponies politely stepped aside as a crystal filly came forward, all the while keeping her eyes on Sombra and the moment he met her gaze he froze. He didn't know why, he didn't recognize the filly but he knew she too must have suffered under his former tyranny. Whispers began to echo amongst the crowd as the ponies up front shared what was going on to those who couldn't see what was happening.

To Sombra's surprise, the filly walked up to a guard standing next to the platform and he lowered his head so she could whisper into his ear. At first, the guard seemed hesitant but then he gave the filly a nod... and stepped aside for her to go up the stairs. Sombra felt butterflies in his stomach, wondering why the filly wanted to come up to the platform!

Sombra didn't move as the filly walked up to him, looking up at him, and looking so very small in comparison to this pony who had once been her king and then later her nightmare. Her face was unreadable, her eyes wavered ever so slightly, and Sombra was afraid. Had he taken somepony from her? Was she an orphan because of him? Then, the filly did something Sombra had not been expecting.

She offered him a flower!

The gesture shook Sombra to his core, as the filly smiled and said, "Welcome home, Your Highness."

The tears flowed before he even realized he had shed them and Sombra knelt down to be eye-level with the filly, as he gently accepted the flower and said with a shaky voice and a smile of the deepest appreciation, "Th-thank you, little one."

The filly just smiled and then there were stampings from the closest crystal ponies, and like a mighty crescendo it rose up, as did the cheers of the Crystal Ponies, along with the visitors, and applauded the return of the Father of the Crystal Empire.

Princess Celestia smiled happily for her husband, for never had she seen him smile just this way as he stood tall, holding the filly with his wing as they both waved at the crowd.

Author's Note

I always imagined Sombra's return to the Crystal Empire after his redemption would be hard for him to face, and the idea of this little filly being the first to express no hard feelings and to welcome him back just felt right

Oh, and Spike hasn't earned the recognition from the crystal Ponies and name "The Brave and Glorious"... yet

246. The Equestria Games - Part 2

The double doors opened and in walked Team Ponyville, led by their steadfast coach Midnight Blaze, as he declared, "Welcome, Team Ponyville, to the Equestria Games gymnasium!"

Technically speaking, it was a gymnasium located just across the street from the Crystal Empire stadium, where the Games Committee had established where the competing teams would standby until the games commenced in just over an hour. Looking around the gym, Team Ponyville marveled at all the other teams and participants who had come from far and wide to be here. To win gold and glory, and to bring honor to their hometowns in and out of Equestria. Besides pony teams from Canterlot, the Crystal Empire, Manehatten, Vanhoover, and other cities and towns across the nation, there were also teams comprised of different beings, like the Horses of Saddle Arabia, zebras from Zebrabwe, Dogs from the western country of Bargos, yaks from Yakyakistan in the mountains north of the empire, and of course griffons from the Griffon Kingdom across the Eastern Sea. Hay, there were even some drakes on the Fillydelphia team because of Fillydelphia's Dragon Town district!

"This. Is... AWESOME!!!" Rainbow Dash rose up to take it all in, becoming the center of attention, as was her natural right... only to feel Midnight's long tail reach up and yank her down to his side so he could give her the stink eye.

"Tone it down, Dash," Midnight raised a stern brow, "and save that enthusiasm for the Aerial Relay."

"Indeed, it ought to be a an intense race!"

The team looked and were glad to see Blueblood, wearing his team uniform, accompanied by Twilight and Spike. Smiling to see his Twily, Midnight went over and said hello with a soft kiss, which she happily returned.

"I see the team's already psyched up for- Wait..." Twilight saw something wrong with this picture - Instead of a large and beefy white pegasus with a penchant for yelling the word 'yeah', she saw Soarin.
"Soarin? What're you doing here? And where's Bulk Biceps?"

"Bulk couldn't come, so I'm here in his place," Soarin rubbed the back of his head, feeling a little guilty.
"Out of nowhere, Bulk's son, Featherweight, came down with a bad case of the Feather Flu," Midnight explained, "and he had to stay behind to take care of him. So Soarin stepped up to race with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy for the Aerial Relay."

"Is that allowed?" Twilight worried Ponyville might get disqualified.

"Not to worry, Twilight," Blueblood assured her, "I've studied the game rules enough to know that if a teammate has to drop out for some reason or other, a pony who was given official team reserve approval can step up as a substitute. After Soarin quit the Wonderbolts, I personally signed him up to be on Team Ponyville's reserve should something like this happen."

"In other words, I'm here to compete in the Aerial Relay for Ponyville, alongside Dash and Fluttershy," Soarin tried to look excited but couldn't shake how bummed he felt.

"Soarin, what's wrong? I'd think you'd be happy to have this chance," Twilight wasn't the only one looking concerned, as Rainbow Dash nuzzled up against her stallion, which made him smile apprecitively at her but still.

"I am, it's just..." Soarin sighed, "Bulk Biceps worked so hard to be a part of this team, to have this chance! I... I just feel a little lousy that I'm here and he's not."

"Oh Soarin, it's sweet of you to feel that way," Fluttershy spoke up, "but I know Bulk and there's no where he'd rather be right now than with Featherweight. Family matters far more than any competition."

"And besides, Soar," Rainbow playfully shoved Soarin, "you can do Bulk proud by doing your best in the Relay."

"Well, well, if it isn't my old squire!"

That big and rich voice caused Team Ponyville to look and gasp at the two griffons coming their way. The one who had spoken was a tall and powerful example of his species, with a plumage and pelt of golden brown while the feathers on his head were steely white, his eyes the color of molten gold, and his talons were mighty and sharp, and he had a few unsettling scars, one over his beak, another resembling claw marks raking from his throat to his left shoulder. He stood much taller than even Big Mac and he was giving a smirk to a particular sapphire blue alicorn.

Walking beside him was an equally large griffon, albeit somewhat shorter and obviously much younger. His lion pelt a brownish-red with a golden sheen while his head was covered with gleaming golden feathers, his eyes were the blue of a nice summer day, and the way he smiled reflected Midnight's own as he laughed, "I don't believe it!"

He went over and gave a respectful nod to the older griffon as he and the younger nodded back, "Don't tell me you guys are here to compete!"

"To say otherwise would be a stain on my knightly honor," the older griffon chuckled, the younger rolling his eyes with a smirk.

"Pardon me, but... you know each other?" asked Twilight, looking between Midnight and the griffons.

The three of them shared a familiar smile and Midnight looked to his friends, "Everypony, I'd like for you all to meet a couple old friends of mine, this is Sir Godric of the Knighthood of the Sky, and his son, Galador."

"My friends call me Doran," added the younger griffon with an amused shrug, "Galador is a little... show-offy for my tastes."

"It's a proud and revered name in our family, boy," Godric gave his son a teasing shove when an unsettling squeal caught their attention, and everyone saw it was coming from Twilight, her eyes starry with delight as she gaped at Godric.

"You're a member of the Sky Knights?!"

Godric chuckled as he stepped forward and gave Twilight a bow, "It is an honor and pleasure to be so recognized by royalty, Princess Twilight Sparkle. I am indeed a Sky Knight, and so live by the chivalrous code of my order."

Midnight stepped up beside Godric, "Sir Godric here was one of my mentors when I was younger. He trained me in some of the fighting techniques and battle tactics of the Sky Knights, and I can't tell you how helpful those lessons were in dealing with Hellfire."

"Wait-wait, hold up," Rainbow jumped in, "Who are these... Sky Knights?"

"Oh... you did not just say 'Who are the Sky Knights'?!!?" Twilight gave Rainbow a look that read 'Are you kidding me', somewhat freaking the rainbow-maned pegasus out, but thankfully Doran came to her rescue.

"The Sky Knights are the most elite fliers and warriors in griffon society, living by and standing for a code of honor and chivalry," Doran explained, "I guess, you could somewhat consider them the griffon equivalent to the Wonderbolts."

Rainbow Dash and Twilight both got up in Doran's face, unsettling him by their fan filly expressions as they both exclaimed, "Tell us more!"

Godric couldn't help but chuckle at his son's predicament when he noticed someone standing apart from the group, specifically someone short, a little pudgy, and covered with light purple scales. Checking to see the others were preoccupied by Doran explaining more about the Sky Knights, Godric subtly stepped over towards the little dragon and said, "Good day, young one. Are you a part of the Fillydelphia team?"

Spike startled to see the BIG griffon talking to him and grasped his tail like a security blanket, "Uh! No, I... I'm Spike! Princess Twilight's Number One Assistant, heh-heh! I'm not competing in the Games, I..."

Spike shifted his eyes nervously, and Godric smiled kindly before asking, "Is something troubling you, young dragon?"

"Well.... kinda," Spike gave a wary look towards his friends, relieved to see they (especially Twilight and Rainbow Dash) were listening to Doran talk about the Sky Knights.
"Earlier today, Twilight and Princess Cadance nominated me to light the pyre that signals the start of the Equestria Games."

"A grand honor," Godric nodded approvingly, even giving Spike a salute with his wing, "and one of which I am certain they feel you are deserving."

"Well, yeah! It's... a big deal, I..." Spike hesitated, unsure what to say, especially to a stranger.

"You are afraid."

Spike looked at the big griffon but saw understanding, when he'd almost expected derision, and Godric smiled kindly, "There is nothing wrong with being afraid, young dragon. But tell me, what exactly is it you're afraid of?"

"Well..." Spike wrung his tail so much he gritted his teeth from the discomfort until finally he forced himself to say it, "When I think about it... I'm gonna have to go out there in front of a whole stadium of spectators to light a fire! I- Ugh, what if I can't do it? What if I can't light the fire?! The games will be ruined, and I'll have let everypony down!"

"Hmm, you fear failure," Godric gathered, "and the intensity of such an event feels like a great weight baring down upon your shoulders. The pressure becoming so great that you fear you won't be able to ignite the fire within yourself."

The little dragon gazed up in awe of Godric, realizing the griffon was describing what he felt to a T, "Young Spike, I see in you the spark that could ignite into a blazing glory! But that spark cannot burn if you do not give it the fuel it needs to do so. As I said before, young one, there is nothing wrong with being afraid. In fact, anyone who claims themselves to be fearless is either lying or they are foolish."

"What do you mean?" Spike gave Godric a confused look.

"Only a fool has no fear, young dragon," Godric explained, "because they do not appreciate the trials and adversities they face out of arrogance. Arrogance can make you careless, cause you to make mistakes, and if you're not careful, it can get you killed... I've lost a few friends because they didn't heed their own fears out of some foolish aspiration to be fearless. Arrogance caused me to make mistakes as well, some that had consequences on others...

"That said, true courage is not facing a challenge without fear, Spike. To truly be courageous is to face the challenge and that you do not let your fears stop you from doing what you know must be done. The fact that you feel the way you do about the task that has been bestowed upon you shows that you appreciate its importance. What matters is not so much that you succeed but that you carry out the task without letting your fears stop you. If you can do that, you will feel what it truly is to be brave."

Those words resonated in Spike as his eyes widened with understanding, that Godric couldn't help but chuckle.
"I hope I was able to help, Young Dragon."

As Godric stepped past Spike to speak with his son and Team Ponyville, Spike considered what he'd just been told and furrowed his brows.

Cheers of excitement echoed throughout the jam-packed stadium! Flags and hooves and claws and paws a'waving, as Shining Armor, in full uniform, approached the vomitorium where the teams of competitors and their flag-bearers all stood, ready and waiting with building excitement of their own.
"Places for the procession, everypony! Two minutes!"

Twilight and Midnight both made their way up to the exclusive box seats where sat visiting dignitaries and ponies of interest, with Celestia, Sombra, Luna, and Cadance at the top row. Upon arrival, Twilight noticed her and Midnight's seat, right next to Celestia and she gave her old mentor a bow, which Celestia responded with a kind nod. Twilight made for their seat but sensed Midnight hadn't moved, and looked to see him gazing longingly out to the field, and she understood.

He wanted to be out there, with their friends, psyched and ready to compete. But Harshwhinny had red taped him and gone on an on about how 'improper' and 'biased' it would be of a monarch of Equestria competing for a specific team, the sorts of wrong impressions it would send, and so on. She stepped over to her beau and gave him a nuzzle, which he returned with an appreciative smile before stepping over to join Twilight on their seat next to Celestia and Sombra.

"...and you're quite certain you also understand exactly what you're supposed to do?" Ms. Harshwhinny quizzed Spike as she led him down the hall towards their destination.

"I stand where you tell me until you give me the signal," Spike repeated what he'd been told earlier, "and then I walk over to light the torch!"

"Mm. Couldn't be simpler," Harshwhinny seemed satisfied as she led Spike out the doorway, the light temporarily blinding Spike as the applause echoed loud enough to irritate his eardrums for a moment...

And the full overwhelming weight of the Equestria Games fell upon the little dragon as he felt what confidence he'd mustered go up in smoke!

"Mr. the Dragon, are you coming?" Harshwhinny sounded impatient, but even her stern severity failed to spur Spike forward. "Honestly... Would somepony help him walk?"

Spike didn't even seem to register the two Crystal Guards come up behind him and gently push him forward, his feet dragging along the floor of the balcony, upon which stood the torch he was supposed to ignite.

"Now please welcome," Shining Armor announce,d having already introduced the delegation of Cloudsdale, "the delegation from Ponyville!!"

"Ponyville forever! YAY!!!" The Cutie-Mark Crusaders cheered as Team Ponyville made their way out into the stadium.

"Awesome!" Rainbow flew out first.
"Yay." Fluttershy followed in her special demure way.
"Whoo!!" Soarin came next, showing his dedication, as did the rest of the team: Applejack, Blueblood, Thunderlane, Helia, Ditzy Doo, Big Mac, Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, Lucky Clover, Comet Tail, and once Scootaloo and Rumble placed the Ponyville Flag alongside the flags of all the other teams, the Crusaders proudly stood by their team as everypony gazed up with anticipation.

*Clop-Clop*

Spike stood there, frozen as the pressure was getting to him.

"This is the signal!" Harshwhinny spoke as her patience was tested and stamped her hoof twice a second time, and looking at Spike, who looked up with a nervous shiver at the torth. She stamped her hoof again, her voice sharpening its edge, "I am giving you the signal now."

Spike continued to shiver in fright when Harshwhinny got in his face, "Mr. the Dragon!!"

Snapping out of it, Spike started climbing the ladder up to the torch and upon reaching the top, it proved to be no better.
Just take a deep breath and get it over with...!

He took a deep breath.... and blew, only to release a tiny wisp of smoke and coughed, "C'mon, Spike! Calm yourself! C-count to 10! 1! 2... 3- Thousand. Fourteen thousand! Twenty thousand!! Thirty thousand!!!"

In the exclusive box seats, the spectators and alicorns were beginning to notice the delay, Cadance wondering aloud, "What's wrong?"

Spike tired and blew it again, "Tell me this isn't happening...!"

The crowd was beginning to notice too, as an air of worry began to befall the stadium, and Spike took another deep breath and tried again, only for his nerves to razzle him into a coughing fit.

"Mr. the Dragon, would you light the torch already?!" Harshwhinny snapped.

"I don't know what it is, but, I just don't have the stuff today!" Spike fretted before he asked lamely, "Did you bring a match?"

"You're a fire-breathing dragon," Harshwhinny reminded him.

Hacking, Spike asked, "Then some... cough drops maybe?"

The look on Harshwhinny's face caused Spike to meekly say, "Never mind! I'll keep trying..."

Realizing something was wrong, Cadance looked to a nearby guard, "Somepony go down and help him!"

Spike tried sparking his teeth, pulling his head back like a lighter, "Light, light!"

Afraid Spike was about to fail, Twilight began to light up her horn when she felt Midnight place a hoof on her withers, "Give him a chance."

"But he's losing his cool!" Twilight worried, "He's getting too worked up to-"

"Twily," Midnight gave Twilight a firm look, and then looked on towards Spike, "Believe in him."

Moaning with worry, Twilight looked on as well.

Whaddoo I do?! If I can't light the torch...! Spike's mind raced until Godric's words echoed from his memory.

I see in you the spark that could ignite into a blazing glory!

Those words somehow helped Spike calm down just enough to remember the rest of Godric's encouragement, Courage isn't about being fearless... it's not letting your fears stop you!

"Mr. the Dragon!!" Harshwhinny's patience had just about run out. "Light the torch or get down!"

Spike blocked it out. Harshwhinny. the stadium, the Games, and closed his eyes as he took a deep calming breath and exhaled out the stress though the pressure remained. Only this time, it was not so heavy, as he then took a second deep breath.... and blew!

The torch roared with fiery spirit, igniting cheers throughout the whole stadium, and Twilight phew'd with relief while ignoring the smug brow of the stallion beside her.

And a certain Sky Knight looked on with pride as he thought, Well done, Young Dragon.

"Let the games... begin!!!!"

Author's Note

Godric and Doran (real name Galador) got their names from Godric Gryffindor and Sir Galahad

Godric is a veteran griffon warrior and a Sky Knight, and his son Galador prefers to go by Doran as he feels his name is kinda show-offy. Godric was one of Midnight's teachers and Doran trained alongside Midnight for as long as Godric taught the young alicorn during those years Midnight was hidden from the world

I wanted to bring in Soarin to Team Ponyville and wound up having him replace Bulk Biceps, and in this story-canon Bulk is the single father of Featherweight

I liked the idea of Godric giving Spike the advice he needed to successfully light the signal torch to start the games

248. The Equestria Games - Part 4

"We're back after a short break and I hope you are too, `cuz the Moving Targets event is not over yet! For those that fell asleep during the previous explanation before we went to commercial I'll quickly recap it for you. Each contestant will stand up on the platform with a magically modified crossbow that was made to help with reloading and keeping track of scores. With each pullback a new cross-bolt will be magically loaded into the crossbow for a quick and easy reload. When the bolt strikes the specially made targets they will both be teleported to the side for our judges to look over. The score will be based on accuracy and speed. Any missed shots will be a point deduction with a maximum of a thousand points possible to score," Vibrant explained over the PA system.

"That is correct, Vibrant, and we saw some great sharpshooting from the teams of Mt. Eyrie, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Sirius, and Manehatten, all coming out with scores in the eight hundreds. But this is anyone's event as we still have two more contestants with Ponyville's Comet Tail up next," Spike added as said pony made his way up to the large white platform.

The pale light yellow-green unicorn stallion was taking a few deep breaths as he finally got into place. He reached to the small table that was sitting there with the crossbow sitting on top of it. With the horn suppressor on him. He couldn't use his magic to hold it like most unicorns could. This was done to make it as fair and challenging between all of the contestants. But to compensate for the change they made the pulling bar easier to be used by hooves. He sat to prepare, even giving a slight puff of air to blow his greyish blue mane out of his eyes.

Alright, I can do this. Remember what Midnight said. Just keep my eye on the targets, shoot where they're gonna be, not where they are, and don't think about those around watching me. Comet thought to himself to help him slow down his heartbeat that was threatening to bounce out of his chest.

He was a great shooter in his free time, the only difference between then and now was. He normally did it for fun in the training fields outside of ponyville and this was in front of thousands of ponies, griffons, zebras, yaks, and other beings in and out of Equestria. To say he was nervous would be saying that water is wet. While both true, it doesn't do the feeling he was having any justice.

"Now everyone, please remember we ask for everyone watching to please be silent so the contestant can concentrate," Vibrant said as the roar of the fans died down to make way for the mounting pressure.

Shining Armor stood to the left with his hoof on the controls for the target launcher. He looked up to Comet looking for the signal, which came in the form of a nod. With that Shining pressed the button and the event has begun. With a twang, the first target was flung into the air by a large set of ballista that were set up in sequence every few seconds. Comet watched as the first target was launched into the air and he took aim. He waited for it to slow down just a little before it began to descend. With that, he aimed ahead of the target and a softer twang was heard as Comet squeezed his hoof around the trigger for the modified crossbow. The cross-bolt launched and sank into the target before in a flash it disappeared. Seconds later it reappeared on the table next to the judges as some of them began to score as the event went on. The second and third targets shortly followed suit with the first. As the fourth target was flung, a small hair of Comet's mane got in the way and tickled his muzzle to cause him to sneeze and his shot went wide. Luckily shield spells were already in place for everyone's safety, walls of mana becoming visible whenever a shot missed and struck them, preventing anyone in the crowd from getting hurt.

Making up, he used his left hoof to pull back the drawstring as another shot was magically reloaded. He lined up and was able to nail the target before it could hit the ground. With that, the rest of his set went without any problems till the bonus target was set to go off. This one was a much smaller target for a challenge. He lined up the sight and waiting before taking the shot. Everyone watched as some of them with baited breath as the arrow struck it and the target disappeared. After that, the crowd went wild cheering on the stallion who was sweating bullets during the whole event.

"That was excellent marksponyship coming from Ponyville's own Comet tail," Vibrant said with joy in his voice. "What do you think Spike?"

"Well Vibrant, I have to say it was an interesting round. Especially with that wide shot during the fourth target. With that, it's going to set him back a few points but he made it up with excellent shots during the rest of his turn. From what I'm hearing some of those hits were direct bullseyes! So I'm interested to see what his efforts will amount to in his score," Spike replied with a level of energy that could rival Pinkie on a less energetic day.

Because no pony other than Cheese Sandwich could match that mare with any level of energy.

"We're about to get word from the field to find out the final score," Vibrant said as everyone watched Shining Armor stand on the platform as one of the judges come up with a clipboard in her mouth.

"The final score for Comet Tail was nine sixty-eight, but with the twenty-five point deduction from the missed shot leaves him with a nine forty-three," Shining announced, using a spell to amplify his voice.

"With a score of nine hundred and forty-three that puts Comet Tail from Ponyville in first place just above Valiant Strike from Manehatten!" Spike cheered with such zeal that you could hear the pure joy in his voice.

"Don't forget Spike, we still have the contestant from Canterlot left before we can declare a winner. But a score like that is gonna be tough to beat," Vibrant reminded everyone over the speakers as the sounds of papers could be heard.
"It says here the next contestant up is Brass Scales... where have I heard that name before?"

"Wait, Duke Brass Scales? The Iron Judge himself?" Spike couldn't believe his ears!

"The one and only, it seems. This is going to be interesting to see what comes of this. Hopefully, he has the skills to pay the bills during this event."

"If his work in law is anything to go by, it's going to be an interesting show. Let's see just how the judge fares."

Everyone watched as the steely grey stallion got up to the stand looking rather bored the whole time. He reached out and grabbed the crossbow doing a slight check, before giving his head a slight turn as a loud pop could be heard by those nearby. He took aim and gave Shining Armor a look, that made the prince have a shiver down his spine.

Dear Faust, I'll never get used to that look... Shining thought before he pressed the button to start the event.

What happened next caused everyone to look in awe.

Before the target could even clear the wall they disappeared and reappeared on the table next to the judges. Each one with a cross-bolt sunk into them as Brass's hooves looked as if nothing had happened but him turning towards the next target. Each one of the ten appeared just as the first. When the final one was sent up into the air. Brass took aim and a series of twangs could be heard before the magical flash caused the final target to appear on the table. The judges all stared in amazement as five bolts were sunk into the perfect center of the smaller target. Each one split in two from the bolt that came after it, which left the last bolt the only bolt of that target.

"Holy Faust...!" All of the judges even Shining Armor said upon seeing this.

They all watched as Brass who had emptied his crossbow placed it on the table and walked down the steps. Everyone had their eyes wide open as they couldn't help but stare in surprised awe. Even most of the Canterlot team was completely speechless. When Brass Scales finally got back to his side the only pony that greeted him was Duke Firestorm who was just smirking at the fellow duke.

"Couldn't help but show off, could you?" Firestorm commented with a smirk as he tossed Brass a bottle of water.

"What can I say, I like to be as precise and to the point with my work as I can," Brass shrugged before opening the bottle and draining it.

"Now I'm regretting getting you that book of court puns." Firestorm groaned running his mystech claw over his muzzle. "You're lucky I like you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Brass responded, smirking so that would normally have anypony looking a bit nervous if this was his courtroom.

It was a few minutes once the shock had worn away before a judgement could be called. Shining Armor stood back on the platform as he was brought the clipboard.

"Duke Brass Scales had gotten a... a perfect score."

This spurred the Canterlot spectators into going wild. Even Luna couldn't help but smirk as she turned her gaze down towards the Ponyville team. Right at that time, Blueblood could feel his aunts gaze upon him and couldn't help but shiver at it.

"I don't know about you, Vibrant, but I don't think there is anything we could say about that other than-" Spike got out before Vibrant interrupted with.

"Wow."

"Couldn't say it better myself," Spike said with a light chuckle. "But with that, we will take a small break while the staff gets the field ready for the next event."

In the locker rooms, Comet Tail sighed sadly as he sat down on a bench and wiped away the sweat he'd worked up from his event and his own anxiety during. He'd failed, and it felt awful.

"Comet?"

He looked up and saw his teammates looking at him with concern, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Soarin up front of the team while Ditzy Doo, Helia, Thunderlane, and Applejack were absent, Ditzy having gone to spend time with her family, Helia had joined Rarity and the Crusaders to watch the rest of the games, and Thunderlane was still resting from his overexertion with Applejack keeping him company.

"You did awesome out there!" Rainbow assured, the rest of the team nodding and agreeing, but Comet couldn't look them in the eye.

"I'm sorry, everypony, I... I did my best, but... It wasn't enough," Comet moped, "I wanted so much to win my event, and I thought I was ready!"

"You were ready, dude," Lucky Clover stepped over to sit next to his friend and put a comforting hoof on the yellow unicorn's shoulder, "and you were a total sharpshooter out there!"

"It's true, Comet," Fluttershy said kindly as she sat on Comet's other side and gave him a much-needed hug, "You did your best and that's all we can ask of you."

"Eeyup."

"So Brass Scales did better, so what?" Lucky shrugged it off, "You have to remember he had to have felt the pressure to beat your score, which forced him to do his best."

"He's right, Comet," Soarin agreed, "and you gotta remember - No matter how good you are at something, there's always gonna be someone out there who's better. It's that simple fact that encourages us to improve and do better tomorrow than we did today, the challenge of improving driving us to be the best we can. Sometimes it's enough, sometimes it's not. But we learn far more from failure than we do from success, and the things we learn helps us not only to improve but to discover things about ourselves even we might never have known."

Finally feeling what they were telling him, Comet couldn't help but smile with appreciation at his team, at his friends, and meekly said, "Thanks, guys..."

At that moment, the PA system turned on and they heard the voice of Ms. Harshwinny, "All contestants for the Obstacle Race event, please make your way out to the track. The race will begin in fifteen minutes."

"Uh-oh, that's my cue," Lucky perked with an excited look. "You guys take care of mopey-pants here, I've got a race to win."

"Good luck!" his team called after him as Lucky made his way out the stadium.

Lucky basked in the cheering glory of the spectators as he and his rivals for the Obstacle Race made their way to the starting line all the while the Game Officials and their assistants set up all manner of obstacles for the event.

"Oh boy, I've been waiting for this!" Spike laughed excitably in the announcement box, "the Obstacle Race!"

"An oldie but a goodie, for sure," Vibrant agreed, "this event will be a one-lap race through a series of obstacles the racers must circumvent as quickly as they can to make it to the finish line! There are rules, of course. To start off, no flying and no magic."

"And no skipping or breaking any obstacle," Spike added, "the racers must go over, under, around, or through each and every single one, and they cannot break the obstacles either! Breaking any of these rules will be grounds for immediate disqualification."

"And lining up at the starting line are the racers for the teams who qualified for this event," Vibrant read his notes, "We got... Las Pegasus, Sirius, Mt. Eyrie, Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Saddle Arabia, Baltimare, Minox, and Zebrabwe! Now, as some of these racers have wings or magic, neither of which are allowed I'll remind you, the obstacles were specifically chosen to be as fair as possible yet still challenging, and the only magic permitted are manipulation shoes for the hooved racers."

"Which they'll need as some of these racers have opposable digits, like me," Spike jibed while snapping his fingers to exemplify his statement.

"Oh! And it looks like they're about to start," Vibrant pointed out.

Down on the track, the racers looked on at the course, which had a few standard obstacles found on training grounds, such as steep ramps, barbed wire they had to crawl under, a rope to swing across a mudpit, a tunnel, a large pond with a few platforms to hop across, a series of hoops to jump through, and more.

Lucky was trotting in place, rearing to go, when he heard a chuckle and looked to see it was Godric standing next to him. But in the big griffon knight, Lucky saw a fatherly encouragement, as Godric commented, "I can't tell if you're ready to race or you need to go to the bathroom."

"Ha-ha, hilarious," retorted Lucky but he knew Godric was only joking. "I gotta say, sir, I didn't expect you to be in the Obstacle Race."

"You call this an obstacle course?" Godric pointed with his thumb talon, "You should see the obstacle course my master put me through in my training to become a knight!"

"So I take it for you this is gonna be foal's play," Lucky raised a competitive brow and pulled a smirk, "You'll pardon me if I make you eat those words after I leave your kitty behind in the dust!"

"You're on, young colt," chuckled Godric as he raised balled-up talons and Lucky met him halfway in a hoof/talon-bump.

"Racers! Remember, you have to undergo every single obstacle in the race," Shining Armor marched in front of the starting line and the racers as though he were drilling some cadets.
"Game Officials will be watching each and every one of you. Skip, miss, or break so much as one obstacle, you're out! Those with wings or magic, if you fly or cast a spell, you're out! Any attempts to sabotage another racer, you're out! Make your way through every obstacle to cross the finish line, simple enough! Any questions?!"

The Dog from Sirius nervously began to raise her paw, only for Shining Armor to yell, "Good, no questions. Racers! On your marks!"

The racers all prepared themselves, some of them looking on ahead at the obstacles in their way, others eyeing their competition from the corners of their eyes.

"Get set..."

Lucky pawed at the dirt like a bull ready to charge, This is gonna be a cake walk!

"GO!!!"

The ground thundered with the stamping of paws, hooves, and feet as the racers charged out of the starting line, Spike commenting, "Annnnd they're off!! Ha! I've always wanted to say that!"

"And I say the Obstacle Race is off to a literal running start as the racer from Baltimare takes the lead! They're coming to the first obstacle, the Wire-Crawl!" Vibrant commented, as the racers all started to hunker down get crawling under the barbed wire. The minotaur from Minox had a little trouble when his longhorns kept getting caught in the wires, and the Saddle Arabian mare, who was the tallest quadruped among them had to go even slower since the wires were suspended so low.

"Well, the Baltimare racer gets upped by the Dog from Sirius!" Spike pointed out, the Dog having been quicker than the other racers and she already started for the next obstacle as the others hurried as best they could to catch up.

"And as she's doing that, some racers are picking themselves up after a poky crawl and coming up behind her are the racers from Baltimare, Zebrabwe, Mt. Eyrie, Las Pegasus, and Ponyville!"

Lucky ran hard but also kept a pace, knowing he had to conserve his strength for the obstacles to come. He swung across the mud pit, went up and over the ramps, made his way through the tunnel, almost fell into the pond with the platforms to hop across (which is where the Dog racer sunk, due to her fear of water), he hopscotched the pillars above a sand-trap (where the Saddle Arabian mare slipped and was left dead last), and scootched along a narrow beam with sandbags swinging back and forth (which knocked off the minotaur and the racer from Las Pegasus).

The finish was in sight, and the only obstacle left was...

"The Climbing Wall!" Spike was worried as he saw the racers in the lead make their way to the last obstacle, while the other racers were still struggling through the obstacles past the mid-way point.
"Possibly the most perilous obstacle on this race and real bad news for the racers with hooves!"

"Perilous indeed, Spike," Vibrant added, "this particular Climbing Wall has been estimated to have a level of difficulty just under the level that would make it a challenge for a professional rock-climber!

Yeah, no kidding! Lucky thought as he, Godric, the zebra from Zebrabwe, and the racer from Cloudsdale ran up to the climbing wall, craning his neck up at it, and the height alone made him wish he had wings in case he fell. There were footholds and haphazard paths up, some he could tell were dead ends, others true but much more difficult.

"Are you here to race, friend?" Lucky turned and flinched to see Godric was already ahead of him as the big griffon started climbing, "Or are you just going to stand there?"

"Urgh! Don't wait on my account!" Lucky started climbing, thankful for the holds designed for hooves too, as well as some ledges and outcroppings. "You're gonna need all the advantages you can get, old bird!"

"Sorry, can't hear you waaayyy down there," Godric retorted, causing Lucky to growl as he exerted himself.

"The competitors making the last obstacle of the race are Mt. Eyrie, Cloudsdale, Ponyville, and Zebrabwe," Vibrant commented, "and the rest of their competition are still having trouble catching up."

"At this point, Vibrant, I don't see how any of them could catch up with the racers climbing the Wall," Spike added, "once they make it over the wall, the finish line is practically a hop, skip, and a jump away!

"And they're almost to the top! Lucky from Ponyville's made the lead!"

Damn right, Lucky thought with a grunting chuckle as he pulled himself to the top of the wall's platform... and groaned when he saw they had to climb down as well!

"Are you kidding me?!" Lucky griped as the others joined him on the platform, and a pegasus game official flew over.

"Needless to say, you have to climb down too," he explained, "this was decided as a fair shake to any racers falling behind. Get going!"

"Well, you heard the pony," Godric shrugged as he and the others ever so carefully began their descent, Lucky grumbling as he did the same.

Up, down, up, down, they may as well have added a lift if this weren't a race, Lucky thought irritably, as the climb down was far more difficult than the climb up. It was harder to see the way down, and his fetlocks were getting tired holding onto the holds and ledges. The rising excitement of the crowd as the race was so close to its conclusion wore on Lucky's nerve, as suspense of who would get down and across the finish line first.

"You know, friend..."

Lucky looked and began to feel the onset of panic as Godric was on his level as they both continued to descend the wall. Except Godric was making more progress as the griffon smirked in an amused manner, "I don't believe we had a chance to discuss wagers during our bet."

"Really?! I'm about to kick your feline butt and you wanna discuss wagers now?!" Lucky growled as he tried to keep up with Godric.

"Mm, yes, I agree the timing is quite inappropriate," Grodric agreed when he noticed how close the ground was now, "so I'll just tell you what I want when I see you... at the finish line!"

Godric let go of the wall and fell, twisting his body around, his fore-talons and rear paws ready, and making it apparent that even a half-cat could land on his feet.

"Whoa-whoa-whoa! Godric just dropped the rest of the way down! Is that legal?!" Spike protested over the PA.

"You'd better believe it, my scaly friend," Vibrant responded, "the rules state you have to bypass the obstacles as long as you don't use magic or fly, and Godric didn't even spread his wings to slow his descent! He's taken the lead!"

The griffon gave a nod to Lucky before hurrying along towards the finish line, Lucky growling, "Oh no you don't! If you can make that drop, so can IiiiaaaAAAUUGGH!!"

Lucky let go of the wall, doing his best to turn himself around in the air, but before he was ready, he landed haphazardly on his hind legs, but his left hind hoof suddenly jolted with the pain of a bad twist! Lucky fell onto his plot, and gritted his teeth, the zebra from Zebrabwe and the pegasus from Cloudsdale having finally made their way down, passed him by as they hurried to catch up with Godric for the finish line.

"Ohhh! That has gotta hurt!" Vibrant's voice emphasized his statement.
"Lucky's not getting up! I think his leg's hurt!" worried Spike.

Words of concern spread through the crowd, and Godric halted and looked back, having heard the commentary, and saw Lucky was in pain but the foolish stallion was already trying to stand up, only to tumble back down. The sight of the young male not giving up despite his injury resonated an old memory of the Sky Knight... and he turned back!

Everyone gasped in shock at the sight of the griffon, who'd been only a few yards away from victory, was turning back!

"And the winner of the Obstacle Race is Kuasa from Zebrabwe!" Vibrant declared, and although there was an applause, silence quickly befell the stadium again as all eyes were on Godric as he approached the injured earth pony.

"Urrgggh!" Lucky was too distracted by the pain and his earth pony stubborn streak to notice Godric's approach and only stopped trying to get up when he heard someone clearing their throat in an oddly quiet setting.

He looked up at Godric and then finally noticed what was going on around him. Sighing, he lost his zeal but still tried to get up... only for Godric to lend a talon as the griffon stood by Lucky's side and helped him up onto his forelegs and his good rear leg, saying, "Keep off that hoof until you get it looked at. Lean on me."

At first, Lucky thought Godric was going to escort him to a medic, but instead the griffon was helping Lucky towards the finish line, "W-Why are we...?"

"I think you should honor your home and your team by finishing this race," Godric responded in a soft voice.

"But... I saw you! You were headed for the finish line, except...!!!" Lucky suddenly realized what had happened, having heard the winner of the race was the zebra mare from Zebrabwe.
"Godric! You... You just gave up the gold for the Obstacle Race!"

"Son, at some point you realize victory isn't a piece of metal hanging around your neck," Godric replied, "it's knowing you did your best and finishing what you started."

"Vibrant, is helping another competitor like that legal?" Spike asked.
"There's no rules against it," Vibrant chuckled, his voice oozing with respect at what he was seeing, "and it just might be the finest example of good sportsmanship I've ever seen in a competition like this!"

The crowd was beginning to cheer and applause in agreement, and the griffons of Team Mt. Eyrie were cheering too. Their captain might have lost his event, but he had chosen honor over victory, and Doran could not help feeling so proud of his father as the older griffon helped Lucky make it across the finish line, and the whole stadium went wild!

"Welcome back, everyone to the Freestyle Skating event," Spike spoke over the PA system, "Before the break, we saw Razerwind from Trottingham with a fantastic display of skating prowess with a sixty-three point nine in style and a seventy-two point one in technicality leaving him with a grand score of one hundred thirty-six for his run. Up next we have Talon for Team Fillydelphia, and a former resident of the Dragon Lands I'll add, and remember folks, that competitors can use their natural abilities as long as magic, flight, and anything that could cause damage to the ice rink are kept to a bare minimum. Otherwise, anything else would disqualify the contestant. Which means Talon won't be able to use fire for her display."

"That's right, Spike, and we now go down to the ice to watch Talon take the spotlight!" Vibrant said as the crowd silenced as Talon, an amethyst-colored dragoness with mulberry purple offset scales, took a few deep breaths to prepare herself.

She slowly made her first steps out onto the ice and into the center of the ice as a spotlight was directed onto her. The sounds of an energetic violin began to play as she began her routine. She began to with picking up speed going down the ice before made a sharp turn and placed her tail spike into the ground to help her clear the turn. As soon as she was able to make the half circle turnabout, she jumped into the air and wrapped her tail around her to make four full rotations before landing on the ice without issue. She began to billow smoke from her mouth as she snuffed out the natural flames she had to do so. She began to make wide circles covering the ice in it. She began to come closer to the center with each pass. When she got to the center she began to spin in place making the smoke flow up as if it was a reverse waterfall till she was covered in it.

She jumped into the air, spreading her wings out to make the smoke to drag out like it was her breaching the surface of the water before she landed continuing the spin with one of her legs out as well as her wings to sweep up the smoke fanning it out. This caused the smoke to spread out and create a clear circle of visible ice around her as the rest of it acted almost like a slight fogging mist. She grinned as she began to skate backwards before leaning back. From the way, she was placed and the smoke rushing past her. It looked like she was almost sitting on the smoke itself and to add to the effect. She placed crossed her foot over the knee of the other as if she was lounging. She smirked before she leaned back further to show she was using her tail to balance herself and with a push. She flipped herself into the air, taking the smoke with her to create large fin-like spikes in the smoke. She landed using her wings to balance the landing back onto her skates. She zipped around the outer ring using her wings to gather the smoke as she got the clearing and with a flap. She threw the smoke forward with enough force that as the music began to come to a crescendo. It stopped with what looked like two sharks swimming towards a fierce dragon of smoke as the music came to a stop.

The crowd roared with applause at the display on the ice and above it. The three judges began to talk things over with each other as they tried to decide a score. Talon made her way over to her team's box as she grabbed a large bottle of water to down in one shot. She wrapped a towel around her neck as she dabbed off the sweat she build up from working herself as she waited.

"What a majestic display from Talon, folks, to see such smoke sculpting live like that. It takes a lot of focus and practices," Vibrant said as the sounds of papers could be heard.

"And a lot of breath to be able to make that much smoke. Even I have a hard time making that much smoke without letting one stray ember fly," Spike tacked on as it sounded like he was amazed by Talon's feat alone.

"I wouldn't know, being a pony, but I could say without a doubt that her performance is going to be a hard one to beat," Vibrant continued before the sound of more papers could be heard. "It seems with have the scores in. For style, Talon got an eighty-two point seven and for technicality she got a ninety-one point eight which brings her final score to one hundred seventy-four point five. The highest so far."

"That is going to be hard, and from I'm seeing here. The final contestant may just be able to pull it off herself."

"And who do we have up next Spike?"

"Why it's none other than the paradox-perplexing, poker-playing, peculiarly passionate, party-planning, pink party pony, Pinkie Pie herself!" Spike said smirking the whole time. Thanks for that book of alliterations, Twilight.

"My, with so many adjectives she may just come out on top. By the look of it, the staff was able to clear out the smoke and smooth out the ice. We go back down to the rink again and see what this mare can do," Vibrant announced before holding a hoof over the mic. "Nice alliteration there Spike."

Down on the field Pinkie slowly made her way onto the ice wearing a blue and yellow outfit made by Rarity herself that almost sparkled in the spotlight. All plastered on her face was a larger than life smile that no one could scowl at. Even the Iron Judge himself couldn't help but crack a small smile seeing it. The music began to come in softly as a light piano being slightly tapped as Pinkie began to move, she started off slowly as she began to move with a level of grace that wasn't often seen from her normally. She began to make small waves in the ice as she kept her tail down low. As the music began to pick up, so did Pinkie as she used her ability to bounce on her hooves to jump and make five full rotations before landing, just to bouncing up again making another five, all just to do it a third time without missing a beat. When she landed she leaned back to skate on one of her back hooves with an angle that seemed unnatural to anypony that hasn't seen it before. Watching this Twilight up in the royal box couldn't help but flash back to her first winter wrap-up watching the very same mare pull off this while she was talking to her.

Pinkie smiles as she set her fore-hooves down so she ended skating upside down. Everypony watched in amazement at how limber this pony was as said mare brought her hind legs up so she was skating on her forelegs without missing a beat. She made another jump this time all the bits of ice that her tail had collected released to make a small display as it looked like she was just shooting out snow out of nowhere. She landed on her right foreleg as she spread the rest of them pointing out. She smirked before she leaned forward as if it was a planned maneuver she rolled over and back onto her hind legs and jumped into the air, flipping forward before landing again with both sets of hooves crossed. She began to continue to slide back and forth that even took the tip to jump out of her skates completely only to land in them backwards. Without missing a beat she made the turn and jumped up again and was back in the skates correctly, laces tied and everything. As the music raised to its peak, the mare began to make large circles in the ice. Each pass began to spray up more and more shaved ice particles that almost make it hard for those that weren't using the magical screens to watch to watch. For those they were using them, they had a slightly easier time but only but a bit. When the song ended, the shaved ice died down to show that in the center of the ice was the symbol of the Elements of Harmony was carved into the ice in mere seconds perfectly and standing in the very spot of her element. Pinkie stood there in a bow still having that big smile on her face.

Almost everypony just looked on in amazement at this. The only ones that were not were Applejack who was just shaking her head with a smile on her face. Fluttershy who only blushed from behind her mane. Rarity who was smiling warmly as she had her hoof around her sister. Dash who was cheering from the locker room as the team watched the event on a flatscreen. Twilight who was just trying to help Midnight who was having a laughing fit at the absurdity of what just happened, much like Spike had at Vibrant's purely shocked face. Thankfully the microphones were off at this point because all they would have heard would be the young drake hiccuping a few times from the lack of air. Cheese Sandwich as he stood at the edge of the rink with a smile just as big as Pinkie's, filled with pride. The last three that weren't in shock were Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Prince Sombra. Celestia was just smiling while her husband and sister were both having a hard time not to join in on Midnight's laughing fit as they tried to maintain their composure. It was a few minutes before the judges could say anything other than 'did you just see that?'

"What can I say other than that mare doesn't disappoint when she needs to put on a show," Spike panted with a giggle as he finally calmed down. "What do you think, Vibrant?"

"Uh... yeah..." Vibrant got out as for the first time in his sportscasting life he was completely and utterly speechless.

So he finally is speechless, Spike thought before clearing his throat as a piece of paper was handed to him. "It seems we finally got the scores in. For style, Pinkie Pie got a ninety-eight point nine and for technicality she got a perfect hundred bring her score to a one ninety-eight point nine. Which puts Ponyville in first place guaranteeing the gold medal. Congratulations to everyone that participated in the event.

"And it seems my co-host here needs a few moments after that display. So we'll be back after a short break with the next event."

Down on the field both Pinkie and Cheese Sandwich were walking back to the locker room so Pinkie could change out of the outfit. But before they could get to the tunnel entrance Talon stood there not looking too pleased.

"How in Torch's name did you do that?" She asked in a rather gruff voice that reminded Pinkie a lot like Gilda.

"Pinkie Secret," she said playfully.

"You can cut the act, the show is over. Spill." Talon said growling a bit as she was angry. She had worked the whole year on her routine and being able to make that much smoke.

"There isn't an act, it's a secret," Pinkie maintained, still bouncy as ever.

"You heard the mare, now if you'll excuse us. We would like to-" was all Cheese got out before Talon interrupted with her right fist clenched.

"I wasn't talking to you, bub... " Talon growled, finding it difficult to maintain a civil tone. "I should have smoked you out there and then you pull that off! I want to know how!"

"Is there a problem here?" Shining appeared, his horn already alit with magic as a precaution.

"None of your business," Talon growled as she took a more defensive stance.

"She's just not letting us into the locker room." Cheese answered as Pinkie frowned quietly as Shining came closer.

"Go ahead. I will take care of this." Shining said as he stood his ground with the dragoness. "Now Talon, I think you should return to your team's locker room as well." His tone made it clear it wasn't a suggestion.

"You don't get to push me around, pony," Talon growled, stepping closer.

"Well, you're in my empire that I co-rule with my wife. I believe I have the jurisdiction to have you detained, if I wish. So to make it easier on you, I suggest you get going before a letter is sent to your dragon lord..." Shining threatened, no longer tolerating Talon's attitude.

"You wouldn't dare..." Talon challenged but there was a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

"Try me," Shining growled in return as behind him four of his guards began to walk up after seeing their prince in a defensive stance himself just in case.

"I wouldn't push it, Talon," came a voice behind her as she turned ready to strike, only to flinch when she recognized Duke Firestorm. "Shining wouldn't involve one of the lords without due cause and if he didn't. I would."

Firestorm's ice cold tone sent chills up Talon's spines.

"Sorry, Sir Firestorm..." Talon quickly walked past the stallion, giving him a wide berth.

"The nerve of some dragons" Firestorm huffed as he blew the swoop of mane out of his face before it returned back to its normal spot.

"Thank you, Duke Firestorm," Shining said with a salute of respect, his guards following suit.

"Please Shining, I told you to call me Storm. We've worked too close together to not be on nickname basis already."

"I know," Shining shrugged before turning to his guards and giving them a nod of his head, signaling for them to disperse back to their stations.

"Good to see they have been well trained," chuckled Firestorm.

"Not as good as your training, the offer still stands for you to try some of my guards," Shining commented.

"Shining, you know I take on only a few I personally evaluate for my training," Firestorm said walking over offering a hoof shake with his prosthetic. Shining took it and shook before they nodded.

"Remind me after this to have you come over and join us for a drink."

"I would like that, Your Highness."

Author's Note

DFatman really helped with this chapter a lot, we worked together on the events, and I roughed out the edges with some editing and it became perfect

249. The Equestria Games - Part 5

"He's planning a quadruple twisting, interrupted five-flying two-and-a-half, with a combo tuck and pike..." Vibrant whispered over the PA, the whole stadium as silent as a tomb as the suspense of the next competitor's turn was about to start, for the Diving Event, one of the cornerstones for competitive water sports.
"High degree of difficulty."

Cheese Sandwich stood on the diving board, wearing a speedo, swim cap (that somehow contained his wild mane of curly brown), and swim goggles, his face and poise as stoic as whenever he wore his fedora and poncho. Everypony was on the edge of their seats, some nervously chewing their hooves, as they awaited Cheese to make his move... when he eased down his front half... and jumped!

Everypony watched in awe as Cheese span in mid-air while a line of streamers suddenly flared out in a spiral, before he front-flipped forward several times, before he evened out and dove straight down, "La-la-LAAAAA!!"

*SPLASH*

...

The crowd went nuts as Cheese surfaced, a stream of water launching from his mouth as he smiled, his swim cap coming off so that his chocolate brown curly mane exploded open, and he waved with a smile as the judges for the event held up the points Cheese had won.

9.7

9.1...

10!!

"WHAT A DIVE!!" Spike cheered.
"AND WHAT A SCORE!!" added Vibrant.

Several more events passed, and the Equestria Games were already more than halfway over. The week-long series of competitions was nearing its conclusion and yet they were far from over.

"Well, spectators, we're well past the halfway point and the end of the Equestria Games is nigh," commented Vibrant, Spike sitting next to him in the announcer's box.

"That's right, Vibrant, but as they say, it ain't over till it's over," Spike added, "and our next event is a little unorthodox but still all kinds of awesome! Fillies and gentlecolts, it's time for... the HEAVY DRAG RACE!!"

Down on the field, the game officials had prepared a straight racing track, covered entirely with slightly damp dirt, that was about one-hundred-and-fifty meters, with ten lanes and at two points of the race were ramps covered with sand, the second ramp the higher and steeper obstacle, and the racers at the starting line were being strapped to some sleds bearing extremely heavy weights!

Among the racers was Big Macintosh, who rolled his shoulders, was taking calm and even breaths, knowing this wasn't gonna be as easy as pulling the plow on his farm. Hoo boy, before this is over, Ah'll wish it was that easy!

"Like any race, folks, this race is won by being the first to cross the finish line, but unlike most races, what's important here isn't so much as speed as it is to be strong, enduring, and hardheaded for sure!" Spike commented.

"You said it, Spike, but for those of you unfamiliar with the Heavy Drag race, I'll explain," Vibrant began, "the racers are strapped to those sleds you see behind them and those sleds are loaded up with extremely heavy weights! In fact, in order to qualify, each sled must bear no more or less than one ton of weight! The object of the race is to pull those backbreaking heavy sleds down the track and be the first to get their sleds all the way across the finish line."

"The rules here are, the racers have to stay in their own lanes and there is no contact at all during the race," Spike added, "and after the first ramp, there is a short break allowed for the racers to catch their breath. Also, be advised, this is a contest of physical strength, so there is no magic allowed, and some measures have been taken to insure no cheating."

Down on the track, Big Mac gazed over his competition and saw mostly heavyset earth ponies like himself, muscles trained and hardened to the perfection that can come only from years of good and honest labor. He also saw a minotaur, a dog, a drake, even a yak! Mac was confident in his own strength, but he would be fool to think this competition would be a walk though the apple orchard.

"Racers!" Shining Armor marched in front of the starting line and the competitors, "Once the race begins, you are permitted a break after you make it across the first ramp. Don't rush, pace yourselves, or you'll wear yourself out before you get anywhere!"

Shining stepped off the track and turned around, amplifying his voice, "On your mark.

"Get set...

"GO!!!"

Immediately, Big Mac pulled with all his might and grunted from the sheer weight of his sled but he started off with a good pace as he and the other racers got on their way! Out of the corners of his eyes, Big Mac briefly noticed the competitors on each side of him were behind, but he was keeping an even pace with several other racers. The first ramp wasn't far ahead but already the harness hitching Mac to his sled and weights were beginning to hurt. Snorting, he growled tenaciously but didn't give it all. He couldn't afford to wear himself out too quickly, especially since it was only the first ramp.

He ignored the roar of the crowd. He ignored the commentary. He focused only on the ramp as he and the other racers began to climb it. The platform at the top of the ramp was elevated precisely a yard from the ground but the ramp itself extended two meters, and the loose sand didn't make it easy. Snorting from the weight of his load while digging his hooves into the sand, Big Mac slowed his pace, knowing rushing would work against him, as he noticed a few other racers had rushed but the loose sand made it difficult to keep a footing-

"YAK SMASH!!"

The other racers all flinched and looked to see the yak racer was now beating up on his sled, several game officials rushing in to remove him from the race.

"And it looks like the Yakyakistan racer is out," commented Vibrant as one of the game officials, a unicorn, cast a sleep spell that easily sent the yak to dreamland.
"Well, being disruptive like that makes for a very poor sport," Spike added in a shruggy tone.

Now there were only nine racers and Mac realized he and a few others were leaving the others in the dust! He increased his pace just a little and grunted with relief as he pulled his sled onto the top of the obstacle! Pulling it down over the side was the easy part, but the race was far from over. Reaching the bottom of the hill, Big Mac wisely paused to catch his breath, as did the other racers who'd kept an even pace with him, and Big Mac didn't even register the commentary as he took even breaths to ease his heartbeat and lungs.

Looking ahead, the track stretched on even longer than it had taken to get where he was now, and there was still the second hill, which rose up two meters from the ground and the ramp was just a little steeper! Which was why he needed to take this moment to recuperate, even as the other racers were beginning to catch up over the first hill. But it was only moments later that the minotaur racer began to proceed, which caught the others off-guard, including Big Mac, and spurred them onward.

Thankfully, this development meant the racers lagging would have to choose between taking their break or toughing it out to catch up and wear themselves out even more. The distance between the first hill and the second hill was almost double the distance between the starting line and the first hill. Longer to take and wear yourself out but simpler than the steep climb the second hill was going to be. To Mac's relief, the minotaur was beginning to lag. Understandable, since he was racing on two legs instead of four, like the rest.

Some minotaurs liked to think of themselves as superior to quadrupedal animals, even if they were sentient, citing their walking on two legs and their arms with hands and fingers were some kind of evolutionary superiority. In some ways, maybe, in others, especially in these circumstances, it was a bit of a handicap.

The second hill was only a few yards away!

Big Mac's lungs and hind legs were really beginning to burn, but he had the Apple Family determination (or stubborn streak, as some might argue), and he absolutely refused to let his team down.

And then he stopped.

More racers stopped alongside him, and a quick glance showed Big Mac that a couple more racers had dropped out of the race, either from exhaustion or they got stuck or perhaps even disqualified for some reason. His blood had been pounding so loudly in his ears he'd hadn't heard any commentary to explain what had become of the other two racers, so now the competition had dropped down to these seven racers, Mac included.

"Huh?! Why have they all stopped?" questioned Spike over the PA.

"It's strategy, Spike," Vibrant answered and explained, "The second obstacle is much bigger and steeper, after all. Each racer needs to take a moment to gather themselves, to steel their resolves, find their center! And once they've tapped into that primal strength necessary for this very moment..."

He didn't know how, but Big Mac knew he made the first move, the others following, as they began their descent up the second hill and Vibrant yelled out, "TO CLIMB IT ALL IN ONE GO!!"

The crowd roared with encouragement at the racers, and somehow... Big Mac was the first to step hoof onto the top of the second hill! Only for the exertion to take its toll and he collapsed. Oh how he wished this was over, the pain alone, his sweat-soaked coat bringing an uncomfortable chill over him, every breath a burning cold inflation of his lungs, his muscles throbbing and begging for mercy. Worse yet, the sled was still on the hill and its weight was pulling at him, threatening to drag him down back and there would be no way he'd make it in time back up if that happened.

But somewhere in his mind, Big Mac couldn't help but feel a vexing stab of disappointment. He knew he was better than this, stronger than this! He'd gone hoof to toe with no small amount of ornery monsters to protect his farm, ripped entire trees down all by his lonesome, plowed an entire field in record time. He was the strongest earth pony in all of Ponyville, but even stronger had always been his spirit!

"One... more... TRY!!!" Big Mac grunted as he struggled at first but he couldn't remember the last time he'd ever stood so tall!

With a stubborn snort and a stamp of his hoof to steady himself, he pulled his sled, not ignoring the pain but embracing it! He let it give him strength rather than stunt it, more than enough to pull his sled up and over the top of the second hill! This time, Big Mac heard the cheers and awe of the crowd as they looked on in wonder of his physical tenacity, and roared with excitement as Big Mac led the charge into the last thirty yards before the finish line!

"I am biting my claws, somepony win this already!" Spike whined over the PA, "GO BIG MACINTOSH!!!"

"He's almost to the finish line, but remember! It's the first sled across the finish line that wins," Vibrant spoke, his urgent tone causing everypony to lean forward, "Wait! Big Mac, he's- He's STOPPING?!"

"Mac, what're you waiting for?!" Spike knew he shouldn't be showing favorites but phooey! "They're coming up behind you!"

"Hey! Hey, there he goes!!" Vibrant pointed out as Big Mac suddenly lunged forward, right as the minotaur was catching up. "They're neck and neck! Ponyville?! Minox?! It's...!!!"

The flagger waved the Ponyville flag and everypony knew!

"THE WINNER IS BIG MACINTOSH OF PONYVILLE!!!"

The big red earth pony collapsed in a heaving and sweaty lump of plum tuckered out, as a game official hurried over and gave him a bottled water, which Big Mac eagerly chugged, and was relieved to feel the harness removed. He looked towards his team all standing at the sidelines and smiled to see them all cheering and whooping at him, but it was the warm and proud smile on his wife's face that made it all worth it.

"The Games are nearing their end, but there's still a few events before all is said and done," Spike announced late the next morning as the stadium filled back up with spectators.

"And up next is the much-anticipated Aerial Relay!" added Vibrant as everyone watched the game officials set up the course for the Aerial Relay, and Vibrant went on.
"For this event, the teams that qualified are... Ponyville, Stratusburg, Vanhoover, Mt. Eyrie, and of course Cloudsdale, who are represented by Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts, alongside Fleetfoot and Rapid Fire!"

"I tell ya, Vibrant, this is gonna be an event to remember! Just a warning in advance, everypony?" Spike commented with a chuckle, "As soon as the relay begins... don't blink!"

"Ha! Good advice, Spike, because I wholeheartedly agree that you won't wanna miss even a second of what's to come, folks," Vibrant laughed. "Now just a quick recap on the rules, in order to win, the flyers of each team of three has to pass along a baton to the finish line. The next flyer in your team cannot proceed until your teammate before you hoofs the baton to you, and if any one of you drops your baton your team is automatically disqualified!"

"So no pressure," Spike cracked, causing a tremor of chuckles to echo amongst the spectators.

In no time at all, the game officials had set up the course and the relay teams were fidgeting in their feathers to get started. The teams were told where each successive flyer had to be for the relay exchanges and as everypony took their places, Team Ponyville had a quick word.
"We are so gonna win this!"
"Oh, I promise to do my very best."
"For Ponyville, guys!"

They high-winged and Soarin went to the starting line while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew over to their places along the course. As he took his place at the starting line, Soarin thought, If we medal here, Ponyville will be tied with Cloudsdale for the lead. But odds are, they'll medal too.

Then he heard a clearing of one;'s throat and looked to see Fleetfoot, who gave him a challenging bob of her brows but with a good-natured smile. Chuckling under his breath, Soarin gave her a wink, and was glad they were still on good terms since the freak weather incident at Canterlot, where Soarin's actions and the lessons he'd learned helped him unlock the Element of Unity. As he stood there, however, he also thought of how different things could have been. That he might still be with the Wonderbolts and flying alongside them here for Cloudsdale... against his Dashie and their friends from Ponyville. He also thought, if his son hadn't gotten sick, Bulk Biceps would be standing where he was now.

Even though he'd been assured by his team, Soarin still felt a little bad that he was flying the thunder Bulk should have had. So, he wouldn't be flying just for his team, or his new hometown, or even for his fillyfriend.

Bulk Biceps, this is for you, buddy... Soarin raised his wings as he heard Shining Armor say:

"On your marks!

"Get set...

"GO!!!"

"AND THEY'RE OFF!!!" Vibrant declared, "And it's no surprise that for the first leg of the relay, Fleetfoot of Cloudsdale and Soarin of Ponyville take the lead!"

"Such speed, such skill!" Spike geeked out, "And they're coming in for the second leg as they approach their teammates!"

Soarin and Fleetfoot both got to their teammates, Fluttershy and Rapid Fire respectively, practically at the same time. Rapid Fire understandably got ahead of Fluttershy, but thanks to Soarin's speed, she (and Rapid Fire both) had a considerable lead over the rest of the flyers.

"Now Rapid Fire of Cloudsdale takes the lead, followed by Fluttershy of Ponyville!" commented Vibrant.

"She might not be the fastest flyer, Vibrant," Spike responded, "but Fluttershy is obviously graceful and cautious enough to keep an even pace and maintain a decent lead as the rest of the second relay begin to catch up!"

Despite being nowhere near as fast as Rapid Fire, Fluttershy was indeed more graceful and cautious, as Rapid Fire was going so fast he kept having to slow down in order to make the turns or fly through the hoops without losing control or touching them. This gave Fluttershy just what she needed to more-or-less stay on his tail despite the rest of the second relay flyers beginning to catch up.

They closed in on the third leg and both saw their teammates, Spitfire and Rainbow Dash. While the captain held a steady gaze at her brother, Rainbow Dash was waving Fluttershy to hurry up!

"Almost there, almost there...!" Fluttershy reached out baton to Rainbow Dash right as Rapid Fire gave his to Spitfire, and the captain quickly zoomed off... immediately followed by Rainbow Dash!

"And once again Cloudsdale and Ponyville are neck in neck!" exclaimed Vibrant.
"Between none other than Spitfire and Rainbow Dash, two of the awesomest flyers in all of Equestria!" added Spike.

Indeed. Neither the captain nor the reserve gave each other an inch as they zoomed at breakneck speeds through the course. Even as they zoomed through the air, Spitfire couldn't help but admire this young pegasus, not only for her determination but for how hard Dash was pushing the captain in this race. She was gonna go far once she made it officially into the Wonderbolts, and perhaps Thunderlane would too. There was a part of Spitfire that still held a guilt that cut deep by her deception from back at the tryouts and how it cost her a good Wonderbolt. Even though they'd made amends, Spitfire still carried this shame after the realization of how unprofessional it was and how such reflected badly on her and would tarnish the `Bolts if it were ever made public knowledge.

It had been a humbling experience and she only wished the cost of the lesson had not been a good teammate.

But perhaps she would do better with Rainbow Dash, and they both angled their wings as they ascended towards the finish line, which was situated on a small hoop-shaped cloud, just like it had been at the tryouts. Both mares pumped their wings faster than their heartbeats, they were gonna feel this tomorrow but they were closing in on victory.

I just gotta fly faster...! both mares thought in that brief and fleeting moment when both were mere inches away from finish line.

"And the winner iiiisssss....!!!!" Vibrant drawled as the two racers crossed the finish line and almost immediately the stadium fell as silent as a tomb, eagerly awaiting the name of the winner.
"Iiiiiiissssss... I have no idea! It was too close for me to tell!"

"Hold on, Vibrant, somepony's here," said Spike's voice, and over the Pa everyone could hear some hushed and rushed whispers until Spike yelled, "YOU'RE KIDDING!!!"

"What-what-what?! Don't keep us in suspense any longer, Spike!" Vibrant groaned in a fidgety tone, "Who won?!"

"Well, fillies and gentlecolts, the game officials confirmed it but you gotta see it to believe it," Spike responded, "Let's consult the jumbo-tron so you all can do just that!"

All eyes turned to the giant screen of the jumbo-tron as it lit up and everypony watched the footage of Spitfire and Rainbow Dash crossing the finish line together so quickly they were a fiery and rainbow colored blur.

"The tech experts are gonna replay that in slow-motion," Spike explained, and true to Spike's word, the footage rewound a few seconds and then paused before the blurs were cleaned up to show Spitfire and Rainbow Dash. Then, frame by frame, they were shown, the two pegasus mares getting closer and closer to that finish line...

Until everyone saw it.

"Well, everyone, Spike was definitely right but even though I'm seeing it I still can't believe it!" Vibrant commented. "Spitfire and Rainbow Dash crossed that finish line at the exact same time!"

"Who woulda thought it, eh Vibe? But it's there, clear as day," Spike announced, "The winner of the Aerial Relay is a tie between Team Ponyville and Team Cloudsdale!!!"

The crowd was at a loss at first, but the applause started small before it grew into a wild excitement!

Still in the air, Rainbow Dash was at a loss until she felt someone tap her on the withers and saw it was Spitfire, "Dash, I said it back at the tryouts but I'm gonna say it again - You are somethin' else."

"Th-thanks, Spitfire, but..." Rainbow Dash wasn't sure what to think or feel She'd lost before, she'd won so many times, but ties were so few and far in between for her she couldn't even remember the last time she'd tied with anyone in a competition.
"Well... If Bulk's son hadn't gotten sick that he had to stay behind, I'm pretty sure you'd have beaten me."

"Well, well! The totally awesome Rainbow Dash has a humble side," Spitfire teased with a soft smirk, "Who knew?"

"Heh, very funny," Rainbow held out her hoof and Spitfire bro-hoofed her as they both gave the other a smile of respect.

The late afternoon was beginning to fade with the evening as the games were almost over.

"Well, this has been quite a week, eh Spike?" Vibrant commented, "So many amazing athletes from every corner in and out of Equestria, and every single one of them showed their stuff here in this stadium!"

"You bet, Vibrant, but I've said it before! It ain't over till it's over," Spike replied, "because now it's time for the Games to conclude with its final event!"

"And by tradition, that event is... the Ice Archery Finals!" Vibrant announced and everypony cheered as the four competitors of the teams that qualified for the event made their way onto the field.

"Ice Archers! Take your places!" called Shining Armor

They were Cloudsdale, Vanhoover, Ponyville, and Baltimare. Blueblood smiled confidently as he strode among his rivals, the four of them looking ahead to the targets while approaching their bows and quivers which had been laid out on a long table for them. The targets were wooden circles painted gray with white six-pointed stars in the middle, dividing the targets into six-sections.

"Unlike traditional archery events where the aim is to hit the target dead-center," Vibrant explained, "here in the Ice Archery event, the archers shoot magic arrows at the targets, and ice spreads from the point of impact. The aim here isn't to get a bullseye (no offense to our minotaur visitors) but here, the archers fire their ice arrows at the targets over and over. The first to completely encase their targets with ice is the winner!"

"Like with our previous events," Spike added, "no magic is allowed except for manipulation shoes, and as a security measure, all unicorn spectators have had a disabling spell placed on their horns to insure no cheating is done by anypony on or off the field."

"And so, the beginning of the end of the Equestria Games!" Vibrant wrapped up with a dramatic tone.

"Archers! Ready!" Shining Armor called out, and each of them grabbed their bows and one of their arrows.

"Aim...!" They nocked their arrows and aimed as they pulled back on the bowstrings.

"FIRE!!!"

Shimmering streaks of light blue flew across the field, all of them hitting their targets, one on the lower left, one the upper right, one dead center, and one on the upper middle. As there was no need to be accurate except to stay on target, Blueblood paced himself as he continued to nock, draw, aim, and release. It was only about fifteen seconds into the competition but he'd already frozen a third of his target. But he noticed another target covered with just as much ice as his own ,and saw it was the archer of Cloudsdale. His neighboring rival who was between him and the Cloudsdale archer noticed too, and appeared to panic a moment before increasing his pace, and his next few arrows flew a little haphazardly.

Blueblood smirked as he thought, Amateur...

Sure, the Vanhoover archer had been skilled enough to qualify for this event but he was clearly not as experienced as the rest of them. Now it'd been over thirty seconds, and all the targets were now at least fifty-percent covered, Blueblood's and the Cloudsdale archer's targets both over sixty-five percent. The Vanhoover archer, feeling the pressure, fumbled with his next arrow, but in his rush he mistepped while aiming during his drawback and...!

*trip*

His arrow flew skyward... into a cloud! Not a moment later did spikes of ice erupt from the cloud as the ice arrow's magic began to freeze it over, turning the cloud above the stadium into an aerial glacier that was already beginning to fall! The crowd gasped in horror and immediately began to panic and run in all directions, bumping into each other as they ran for cover- Any cover!

"NO!" Shining Armor cried out from the middle of the field, the other alicorns standing up in shock, while Spike hurried out of the announcer's box.

A few pegasi took flight straight for the falling glacier, more following, as they all situated themselves under the colossal chunk of ice in a fruitless attempt to slow its descent.

"STEER IT TOWARDS THE FIELD!!" Rainbow yelled out.
"AWAY FROM THE CROWD!!!" Spitfire added.

"SOMEPONY CUT THE DISABLING SPELL!!!" Shining Armor yelled to the staff.

"THERE ISN'T TIME!!" one of them shouted back and it wasn't a second later that a little purple dragon ran out into the field.

"DASH! SOARIN! FLUTTERSHY!! MOVE!!!"

The pegasi all broke away from the ice as Spike hopped onto Shining Armor's back and then leapt from pegasus to pegasus like stepping stones up towards the ice. Once he was close enough, he took the deepest breath he'd ever inhaled, and...!!!

*FLAWOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSHHHSHHSHSHSHSHSHHSHSHSSSSSSSSSSHHHHH...*

A fog of steam, followed by crackles and hisses, and Spike landed on the field, grabbing a conveniently placed umbrella and opening to the downpour of the sudden melting of the ice, preventing himself from getting drenched. For a few moments, all was silent, everyone in awe of what had just happened before their very eyes! Until...

"I... I can't believe what I just saw, folks," uttered Vibrant over the PA, "but it seems my co-host, Spike the Dragon, just saved everypony in this stadium!!"

The crowd immediately responded with a roaring applause and Spike smiled before giving a quick bow and heading towards the vomitorium entryway when he saw all of his friends from Ponyville as well as the rest of their team rush over to him, whooping, cheering, and giving Spike just the biggest smiles.
"That was AWESOME!!!"
"So gallant!"
"Incredible!"
"Amazing!"
"Totally didn't see that coming!"
"Eeyup!"

Spike smiled a little sheepishly at their praises when he felt a hoof tap him and he turned to see the Royal Sisters, Prince Sombra, and Princess Cadance, who said, "I just wanted to be the first to thank you personally, for saving those ponies and the Games!"

"Such an amazing act of bravery deserves recognition," Luna added.
"Perhaps a statue depicting Spike in all of his glory," Celestia suggested with an impish smile.
"Say, Spike... the Brave and Glorious," Sombra mused before chuckling, "Somehow, it fits."

"Uh, thanks, everypony, but..." Spike shrugged, "I just saw what needed to be done and did it!"

"And taking action in the manner you just did..."

All eyes turned to see Sir Godric and his team from Mt. Eyrie approach, all of them looking upon Spike with respect as the older griffon spoke, "An act of valiance, worthy of a knight. My apologies for this informal word, Your Majesties, but I simply had to express my admiration of this young one."

"He is quite the character," Sombra chuckled, as did everyone else, which made Spike blush. "But, I think we should conclude the Games, and Spike? A quick word, if you please."

The target crackled as the last visible part of it was frozen over and Shining Armor yelled, "CEASE FIRE!!"

The ice archers stopped and lowered their bows while putting their arrows back, as Shining Armor stepped out to examine the target that had been completely frozen over, and nodded with affirmation.

"The winner of the Ice Archery Finals is... BLUEBLOOD OF TEAM PONYVILLE!!!"

As the crowd cheered, Blueblood held his bow high and proud while gazing out to seats just below the VIP box and couldn't wait to see his Rarity.

The flags raised, with Ponyville's flying the highest as they'd won the medal count, and every spectator watched the closing ceremony as Spike lit the fireworks that signaled the official end of the Equestria Games. Once the last firework faded out in the dying light of the day, the cheers began to cease, for the Games were over. But right before the spectators began to sit up and start leaving...

"Ho-hold your horses, everypony!"

Everyone halted in their steps as a spotlight fell upon Spike, standing in the middle of the field, holding a microphone, "The Equestria Games may be over, but as a special treat, tomorrow the Crystal Empire Stadium will host an exhibition competition, the Trinity Cup! Each and every one of you are invited to attend tomorrow to spectate what will most definitely be a competition you will never forget!

"Because... this competition will have only three competitors, and not just any competitors!"

Suddenly, three pillars of power erupted and rose skyward, a thunderous effect causing everyone to momentarily cry out, intimidated, as the first pillar of power was a dark magenta, the second an intense red, and the last a blazing turquoise, and after a few moments, the pillars suddenly receded and vanished as spotlight fell upon the spots from where each one had arisen... to reveal three alicorns.

"The competitors who will compete tomorrow in the Trinity Cup will be none other than the three alicorn princes! Shining Armor, Sombra, and Midnight Blaze!!!"

Author's Note

The opening dive event with Cheese Sandwich was inspired by a moment from the live action Grinch movie

The Heavy Drag race came from Ban'ei, a Japanese form of horse racing

I am aware the Aerial Relay was early on in the games in the show-canon but I wanted to save it for later in this arc

The Trinity Cup is something I made up to call the exhibition competition that will be competed in between the three alicorn princes, Shining Armor, Sombra, and Midnight Blaze, in the next chapter; I didn't actually have a name for it when I made this chapter up until just before I published it. Since it only has three competitors, the trinity thing just felt appropriate

250. The Equestria Games (Trinity Cup) - Part 6

The next morning, in the Crystal Palace, where Shining Armor and Cadance treated their guests to a full spread of breakfast, things were discussed at a round table.

"What is this... Trinity Cup thing Spike announced yesterday?" asked Twilight, as she and the rest of looked on at the other alicorns, their eyes full of curiosity.

"Well, Twily, it was me and Midnight's idea," Shining Armor was the first to answer, "See, we both weren't allowed to participate in the Equestria Games."
"So Shining and I came up with an exhibition competition and invited Sombra to participate," Midnight added.
"I was a little off-put by the idea at first," Sombra admitted with a shrug, "but seeing as I was able to return to my old empire and my former subjects have apparently moved on, I figured perhaps so should I. Which convinced me to take them up on their offer."

"Whoa... So the three alicorn princes are gonna duke it out in their own competition!" Soarin had the look of a fanboy, and the others were beginning to feel equally at awe.

"Wowzalotapalooza!!" Cheese Sandwich bounced in his seat while smiling like a colt on Hearths Warming Morning, "A competition between three of the biggest, toughest, and coolest ponies in all of Equestria!"

"But what exactly is the competition?" asked Thunderlane, his eyes widened with fascination. "Didn't Spike say it was three events yesterday in the stadium?"

"It is, but there's more to it than that," Sombra confirmed, "the three events in which Shining Armor, Midnight, and I will all compete are challenges that both honor and represent the original three pony tribes."

"I think I understand what you're saying," Blueblood spoke up, "each one of the challenges is a type of contest suitable for earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns respectively. Is that correct?"

"It is indeed, nephew," Celestia nodded with a serious look, "and what is a competition without a prize?"

All eyes turned to Celestia as she declared, "The winner of the Trinity Cup will be offered the title 'War Chief' of Equestria and all responsibilities that come with it. Should the winner accept the office of War Chief, he will be highest ranking leader of Equestria's military forces, sworn to protect our nation and its citizens overall, and charged to lead the EUP in times of war."

The manner in which Celestia spoke and this announcement itself, everypony was speechless although Big Mac did whistle lowly in response.

"In all honesty, I have been mulling over this for some time," Celestia went on, "and it coincides with my plans to abolish the Aristocracy and recreate the council where its members are elected, by democratic vote. Duke Firestorm is a great leader and his part in the battle with the changelings was just one of many times he has proven himself. Even so, he cannot last forever and in time, whether anypony likes it or not, he will have to step down and retire from active service.

"While the announcement last night of this Trinity Cup was as much a surprise to me as it was to the rest of you, I have spoken to my husband, Shining Armor, and Midnight about this, and they have agreed that the winner of this competition should be offered this title of responsibility. I believe that the three of you" - she looked to the three alicorn stallions - "are in all likilhood the best candidates possible to become War Chief of Equestria. But such responsibility must be earned, not freely given."

"Uh, excuse me, Princess," Applejack spoke up with a respectful tone, "but... didja just say th' winner gets offered t' be War Chief?"

"It is a great responsibility, Applejack," Celestia nodded sagely, "and I would never force such a burden upon somepony if they did not feel ready to bear it, much less have no desire to assume such duty in the first place. Although, to an extent, I would find such a candidate who is reluctant more suitable. I learned long ago that those best suited for power are those who do not seek it."

"Lessons we learned the hard way," Luna looked to Sombra, the both of them recalling the monsters they once were.

"Um, what time does the competition begin? That is, if you don't mind me asking..." Fluttershy timidly brought up.

"At 11 am sharp," Spike hopped onto the table, "and I have been chosen to be the master of ceremonies for the Trinity Cup. This is gonna be sweet!"

The Crystal Empire Stadium was filling up again with spectators. Although not everyone had stayed to watch the Cup, the chance to see a competition between three alicorn princes was still too big an opportunity to pass up, so the stadium seats filled up quite nicely with plenty of ponies and other creatures. Since the visiting dignitaries had to leave, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance invited the rest of Twilight and Midnight's friends to sit with them in the VIP box. The Crusaders were the most excited, most of them squirming in their seats.

"When's th' competition gonna start?" Apple Bloom practically bounced on her haunches as she sat next to Applejack.
"This is gonna be sooo cool!" Button felt as giddy as he did whenever his game-screens read 'loading', Big Mac chuckling at him.
"Midnight's gonna kick plot!" Sweetie Belle said to Button who nodded.
"Sweetie Belle! That's no way to speak around royalty!" Rarity looked disapprovingly at her sister.
"It's fine, Rarity, they're just foals, after all," Cadance assuaged.
"Let them be foals while they still are foals, my muse," Blueblood chuckled as he teasingly nudged Rarity's shoulder with his own.

Sitting closer to the Royal Sisters, Twinken and Twilight looked over to Celestia and the lavender alicorn asked, "So, it's three contests, and each one is a kind of challenge appropriate for one of the three pony tribes, right?"

"That is the idea," Celestia nodded, an excited glimmer in her eyes that looked out to the field, "but other than that, I don't know what else is going to happen, except that the stadium staff and Spike are the ones preparing the challenges."

"Where is Spike, anyway?" Cadance brought up and everypony looked around, not seeing spine nor scale of the little dragon.

"I bet Spike's getting ready and helping set things up," Cheese suggested, "he's supposed to be the... master of ceremonies in this, right?"

In the backroom, somewhere in the stadium, Spike was happily lounging on a sofa as a crystal stallion fanned him with a large palm leaf, while a crystal mare fed him gemstones. Apparently, saving a stadium of spectators during a high-profile event like the Equestria Games was grounds to be hailed as a hero, and somehow Sombra's calling Spike 'Brave and Glorious' somehow got around and the crystal ponies among the staff were treating the little dragon practically like royalty!

"Finally... true recognition!" Spike chuckled before saying to the mare, "Oh, more of the green ones, please."

"Uh, Great and Honorable Spike?" the mare spoke respectfully, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the Trinity Cup? As I understand it, His Majesty K- I mean Prince Sombra, requested you to be the master of ceremonies, yes?"

"Relax! I'm just getting my... mellowness out of the way," Spike waved off her concern as he enjoyed another gem. Mmming at the succulent taste before gulping it down, he sighed and said, "Besides, the Cup's not for another... Uh, remind me again?"

"The Trinity Cup starts at exactly 11'o clock, of Brave and Glorious one," the mare reminded before nervously pointing towards a nearby clock, "And..."

Spike followed her hoof to the clock and YIPE'd at the time, "Augh! Ten minutes?! Wh-why didn't anypony tell me?!"

Spike leapt off the sofa and started running around frantic, "I-I gotta get out to the field- The field! Is everything ready? Are the challenges set up?!"

"Uh, no need to worry, Great and Honorable Spike," the fan-waving stallion assured after setting the palm leaf down, "the staff has everything set up, and really, we're all just waiting on you, heh-heh."

"Oh, good, I... Ahem!" Spike straightened up, and took a regal poise, "Then, let's get these games started! Thanks for the pampering, guys, go find some good seats, because I bet you this competition is gonna be AWESOME!!"

Making his way out onto the field, Spike was a little overwhelmed like he had been for the torch-lighting at the opening ceremony of the Equestria Games. But it wasn't nearly as bad as then, as he took a deep breath, grasped his microphone, and made his way out to his position, the echoing chatters of the spectators beginning to die down as the jumbo-tron showed a close-up of Spike. Clearing his breath, he began.

"Fillies and gentlecolts! Visitors from near and far! Let me start by saying 'Welcome'! You are here to witness a competition like no other, a competition that you will most surely remember for many years to come! As Master of Ceremonies, I welcome each and every one of you... to the TRINITYYYYYY CUP!!!"

Spike smiled as he was answered with a wild applause that echoed throughout the stadium walls, and after basking in it for a few moments, he politely held up his hands, and the cheering died down.

"And now... It's time to introduce our competitors! I think it's only fair to introduce first... he's the former Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, he earned his wings not through violence but through love! He is hailed as the Sword and Shield of Equestria, and is now Emperor of our generous host, the Crystal Empire, and High General of the Crystal Empire Praetorian Guard! Give a big welcome to... Prince Shining Armor!"

Stepping out of one of the vomitorium entrances to the field, Shining Armor made himself known, standing dutiful and displaying a visage of strength, as he had done for all his years in the Royal Guard. He marched to the designated circle Spike pointed him towards and then pumped a hoof into the air, the crystal ponies cheering loudest for their emperor, and he smiled as he could make out his wife sitting in the VIP box seats.

"Our next competitor, he is the Element of Faith, leader of the Guardians of Harmony, the Cloak and Dagger of Equestria, and a national hero, give it up for... Prince Midnight Blaze!!"

A blue streak zoomed out of the vomitorium and then veered skyward until it exploded with a fiery blaze of magical lights, as Midnight put on a show that caused many more spectators to go wild, and he floated down like a feather until he was standing next to Shining Armor, who gave him an accusatory stink eye and smirked, "Show-off..."

Midnight just shrugged and said, "Just smile and wave, pal, smile and wave."

"And last, but most certainly not least, he is the founder and former ruler of this empire! He was lost but found his way back to the light of his one true love, and has earned his wings not only as a prince but a true defender of this nation, fillies and gentlecolts, I give you the hero of the Battle of Mount Canterhorn! I give you... Prince Sombra!!!"

The crowd whispered at first but all too quickly rose up in wild adulation as the dark gray alicorn walked out with the regal repose of a king, and took his place in the circle with his fellow competitors, giving them a fatherly smile.

"And now that we have our competitors, it's time to explain the Trinity Cup!" Spike went on, "There will be three challenges in which Their Majesties compete, and based on how well they do in each one, they will be scored based on first, second, or third place! Once all three challenges are finished, the lowest-scoring prince will be eliminated from the competition, leaving the remaining two princes to settle things with one more event! Your Highnesses! Are you ready?"

Spike gave a challenging smile to the three alicorn stallions and their bold gazes were all the answer Spike needed as he chuckled, and then declared, "The let the games begin!!!"

Whispers were shared among the crowd as hatches opened on the field and HUGE pillars of solid marble rose up via platform, along with crane-like machines with long lines of chain. The pillars were about a yard in diameter and resembled the types of pillars found in old Olymponyan ruins, the style of which was still used by modern architects. Spike and the three princes stood before these mighty monoliths and watched as the stadium staff worked in connected the chains of the cranes to the pillars, and then Spike signaled to the crane operators, and the operators pulled the lever on their cranes, retracting the chains and ever so carefully raising each pillar up by a full storey of height, the pillars just slightly swaying.

"Do you know what this event is, Princess Celestia?" Twilight whispered to the elder alicorn and she got a gentle shush.

"I would say we're about to find out."

Indeed, Spike stepped closer towards the bottom stands in the crowd, and raised his microphone, "It's time for our competitors to face their first challenge! As you all can plainly see behind me, there are three pillars of solid and hea-vy marble! I've been informed that each pillar weighs an approximate fifteen-hundred pounds!!"

Already, the crowd was beginning to whisper and marvel as they quickly suspected what the challenge was going to be.

"Like the earth beneath their hooves, earth ponies have shouldered many a heavy burden in the long history of ponykind! In honor of earth ponies everywhere, we shall see which of our three alicorn princes is most in tune with the earth pony inside of him. The challenge here, is each prince must hold up their pillar with the strength of their body and will alone. No magic, no wings, nothing except solid muscle and a stubborn streak. Your Majesties, take your positions beneath the pillars."

The three alicorn stallions nodded before looking at each other.
"May the best stallion win."
"And no hard feelings afterwards."
"So let's give it everything we've got!"

They all slowly took their places beneath the suspended pillars as Spike continued, "The pillars will slowly ease down and be lowered upon each of you. How you hold them is up to you, as long as you don't use magic or your wings. If at any point you can't take it anymore, yield, and the pillar will be lifted off, and don't worry! Each pillar has been properly secured and charmed so that nopony accidentally gets crushed. Once the pillar makes physical contact with you, you must bear its weight for as long as you can! Any questions?"

When no prince responded, Spike got the message and declared, "Then let the competition begin! Lower the pillars!"

The crane-operators nodded and worked the controls, the pillars slowly lowering down onto each prince, and each prince stood tall and ready, awaiting for the pressure to mount. They didn't wait long, Sombra felt his first as he was the tallest, followed by Shining Armor, and finally Midnight. Almost right away, all three alicorn princes were unprepared for the immense burdens being laid upon their shoulders, but they forced their resolves and bore with it.

Seconds stretched into minutes, and by the fifth, all three princes were straining and groaning with pain as the pillars began to wear them down, and they found it growing even more difficult as they began to sweat over their backs and shoulders, which made it harder to keep a steady foundation. Not to mention knowing a whole stadium of spectators was waiting to see who would be the first to crack urged each of them to hold on.

"Eesh, it's only been a few minutes and I bet my primaries that they're feeling the pressure, so to speak," Thunderlane commented, to which Big Mac responded with his trademarked 'Eeyup'.

"What say you, sister?" Luna looked to Celestia, "Whom amongst the princes do you believe shall emerge victorious?"

"It's difficult to say," Celestia responded and for some reason, everypony in the VIP box gazed up at her as she gazed out to the field, her eyes on each of the competitors.
"Shining Armor has spent many years of his life training his body and mind to be the ideal guardspony. My husband has had similar training but decades of experience to go with it. In all honesty, I believe one of them will win, but Midnight-"

"OHHHhhhh....!!" interrupted Spike over the PA and everypony gasped to see that Midnight had flopped!

The sapphire blue alicorn had given out with a pained grunt and collapsed, while his pillar was suspended by its chain reinforced by magic, insuring there was no mess.

"And it looks like the first to fall is Prince Midnight Blaze," Spike commented, "good try though, Midnight. Anything to say?"

As Spike came closer, Midnight was helped up to his hooves by a couple staff ponies, and was panting with a disappointed look on his face but shrugged as he spoke into Spike's microphone, "I am going to the Crystal spa and i hope they have a chiropractor. As for this challenge? Well, in the end, it's just a competition. Sombra? Shining Armor? Good luck."

"Whatta sport, am I right?! Give it up for Midnight, everypony!" Spike cheered and Midnight appreciated the applause he was given as he made his way to the locker room.

"Oh, I can't believe Midnight lost first," Sweetie Belle felt bad for him.

"Yes, I had a feeling this would happen," Celestia commented, almost sounding like a weary parent, and all eyes turned to her again. "Midnight is most certainly very strong in body, but he just doesn't have the years of training and experience in improving his physical might and endurance to the same level as Sombra or Shining Armor. This is because during his years of training, Midnight was learning and studying all kinds of different disciplines, and he couldn't dedicate himself to just one.

"In other words, Midnight is an expert in a variety of skills and arts, but he's mastered less than half of them."

"Come to think of it..." Rainbow Dash spoke up as she contemplated, "I think I remember Midnight saying he got Wonderbolt training but only for a few months!"
"I remember him saying that, too!" Soarin added, "And the Wonderbolt who trained him was Hellfire, along with his squadron."

"Yes, Hellfire and his squad-mates were tough teachers on Midnight but it paid off," Celestia confirmed, "which I'm fairly certain you will all see soon enough."

Twilight considered what she'd just heard, and what had just happened, and although he'd seemed okay, Twilight couldn't help but feel she should go see her coltfriend, and slipped away.

At the Crystal Spa, the employees were happy to welcome Twilight but a little disappointed when she kindly declined a complementary round of pampering. After asking, she was pointed towards Midnight, who was lying on a table while a crystal stallion carefully worked on the prince's back, and apparently the masseuse was that good as Midnight was making some very relaxed groans, "Ahhh.... a little higher... Yeah, that's it..."

He was so relaxed he didn't even hear her walk up to him until she cleared her throat and he opened his eyes to see, "Twilight?"

"I see you're enjoying yourself," Twilight giggled as she levitated a chair over and sat down in front of her betrothed, "Sorry about what happened."

"Ugh, I didn't expect to win, but..." Midnight sighed. He was feeling better in body, but the bruise to his ego would take a little time. "Well, I guess it makes sense. I haven't spent near as much time as Shining Armor bulking up or have even a fraction of the experience my master must have."

"You still held an immense amount of weight for an impressive amount of time," Twilight assured, "and it's only the first challenge. I'm certain that before all of this is over, you'll show everypony what you're made of!"

The emotions behind the words reached Midnight as he gazed into those amethyst eyes he loved so much, seeing his doubt fading away as he asked, "You really believe that?"

"You're the Element of Faith, how can I not?" Twilight teased as she moved forward to nuzzle him cheek to cheek, which he warmly reciprocated. Then she pulled away to give Midnight a smile before she leaned forward again, slowly closing her eyes.

He did the same, positioning his face as their lips drew closer-

"And the winner is Prince Shining Armorrrrrr!!"

"Wha-/Huh?!" The couple looked to see a television nearby that showed Shining Armor, his wings spread, and smiling proud as the crowd cheered. Some of the spa-goers and the spa employees followed suit with more subdued cheers for the prince of the Crystal Empire, before the camera turned to Spike.

"And so with the first challenge in the Trinity Cup over, our competitors are gonna take a well-deserved break. Join us again at 12:30 for the next challenge, and you can bet your bottom bit it's just gonna get more exciting!"

Then the coverage went to commercial, featuring an ad for for Iron Horse, the most successful locomotive company in Equestria, and then Twilight and Midnight looked at each other again, and Midnight suggested, "Why don't you get a little pampering while you're here? It'll be a while before we have to head back to the stadium for the next challenge, anyway."

"You know, I think I'll take you up on that," Twilight smiled at her beau before speaking with one of the spa ponies.

The stadium was filling up even more as more of the Crystal Empire citizens took a break from their daily lives to personally witness this amazing spectacle. It still wasn't quite as full as it had been during the Equestria Games but it was getting there.

The three alicorn princes stood boldly on the field, awaiting the next challenge as Spike stepped out with his microphone, "Welcome back, everyone, and I hope you had a chance to use the restroom because you won't wanna miss out on this next event! Your Majesties! It's time to spread your wings for your next challenge! Everyone, look up!"

Spike pointed upwards and everyone in the stadium followed his claw. At first, they weren't seeing it, but before long they made out a tiny red dot skyward, and curious murmurs rippled throughout the crowds.

"What you're seeing, way-way-waaaaay up there, everyone," Spike explained, "is a flag set into a cloud. The next challenge for our three royal competitors is a flying race, and here's how it goes! Once the race begins, the three princes must fly straight up towards that high-in-the-sky flag and then... drop. No, I am not kidding -They must free-fall, dropping thousands of hooves before pulling up and making one clockwise lap around the exterior of the stadium, and fly right back here where they're starting from. The circle in which you stand, Your Majesties, is both the starting point and the finish line. There is a medical team and a team of pegasi standing by just in case something happens.

"Any questions?"

The three princes answered by hunkering down and spreading their wings, their eyes gazing upwards beneath their furrowed brows.

"Okay then! When the firework explodes, take to the air!"

And then Spike went silent, as did the rest of the stadium as everyone awaited a firework to go off. Even in those tenuous moments was the suspense near unbearable-

*SSHHHHHHEEEeeewww...Ka-CRACK/FLA-WHOOMPH*

"AND THERE THEY GOOOOO!!!!!" Spike yelled over his microphone and everypony watched as the three princes took flight, and steadily climbed higher and higher with every beat of their wings.

Eyes gazed ever upward as everyone craned their necks to see the competitors become smaller and smaller with every passing second, and in the royal box seats, Rainbow whooped, "YEAAHHHH!! GO MIDNNIIIIGGGHHHTT!!"
"COME ON, SHININNNNG!!!" Cadance yelled as loudly, trying to drown out Rainbow Dash.

More cheers and shouts of encouragement rang through the stadium, that the three princes could hear even as they approached the flag-marked cloud, just a few yards shy of the thermal barrier that protected the Crystal Empire from the extreme temperatures of the Frozen North. As they'd ascended, Sombra had noticed Shining Armor lagging behind and appearing to be in pain. But the white prince refused to stop and gave it everything he got as he and his rivals made it higher than the flag... and then Shining Armor and Sombra both gaped in wide-eyed shock to see Midnight close his eyes.

And drop.

They followed after, diving rather than merely dropping like a ragdoll, but even as he spun round and round in the air, Midnight appeared placid and without worry. The wind screaming past them as they tore through it in diving acceleration made it too difficult for Sombra or Shining Armor to exchange words on Midnight but they were both curious, and perhaps a tad worried. But the Crystal Empire below was getting closer and closer, and any second now they would have to pull up to lap around the stadium.

Sombra was the first to spread his wings to slow his descent. Out of all the alicorn princes, he had the least experience flying, and he didn't trust himself to dive any further than he had.

Shining Armor held out a little longer but his nerve swayed for just a moment, and his wings spread in instinctive reflex, a twinge of pain bothering him as he pulled up.

But Midnight kept going, free-falling headfirst in slow yet intense rotation. In all that time he'd let himself drop, he'd reflected on the words and training he'd recieved years ago from Hellfire's squadron. He'd hated the training, but Silver Lining was able to spur Midnight through it, and the young alicorn would forever be grateful to that ornery old `Bolt.

His eyes snapped open and his wings spread, not to pull up, but to angle his trajectory. He took full advantage of the acceleration from his long free-fall, and ZOOMED along the street surrounding the stadium, making the full lap well before Sombra and Shining Armor, before angling upwards and launching himself high into the air right above the stadium. Everyone gasped in awe when Spike got excited, "Superhero landing... I think he's gonna do a superhero landing!!"

And Midnight came down with a thunderous THUD, landing on his left hind hoof, his right extended behind him, while his right forehoof kept him balanced, and his left forehoof extended out, as were his wings.

"WHOOO!!!" Spike cheered while clapping, "Superhero landing! Totally impractical but even more totally AWESOME!!! The winner of the race is Prince Midnight Blaze!"

The crowd cheered and in came tuckered Sombra, followed by a panting Shining Armor, Midnight coming over to extend a hoof to them. They graciously accepted, and gave Midnight their kudos.

Once again, the princes were given an hour-long break before their next and final event together. But Cadance had insisted Shining Armor get checked out because his behavior during the race had caught her attention. Standing in a lounge room in the stadium, the Harmonic Twelve, along with Cadance, awaited the doctor's diagnosis as he gave Shining Armor a quick checkup and asked a few questions in the next room.

Before long, the Shining Armor and the doctor rejoined the others and he explained, "Prince Shining Armor's injuries he recovered from after the Battle of Mount Canterhorn have acted up somewhat in light of these strenuous challenges. Now, there's nothing to worry about, it's just some lingering aches from wounds that have only recently recovered. Even so, I must recommend, Your Majesty, that you not overexert yourself further. In fact, I even suggest you take some leave of absence for some rest and relaxation."

The others mumbled among themselves while Shining Armor responded, "Your opinion is noted, doctor, but I'm not backing down."

"Shiny..." Cadance gave her husband a look only a wife could.

"Cady, if I back out now, the crystal ponies will lose faith in me," Shining Armor explained, holding his wife's hooves in his own, "I owe it to them to see this competition through and to do my very best. Besides, if I quit every competition just because I got a sore muscle or something, I couldn't look myself in the mirror. Please understand, Cadance. I have to do this."

"Oh, Twilight say something!" Cadance gave a pleading look to her sister-in-law, and Twilight looked between Cadance and Shining Armor, feeling put on the spot.

On one hoof, she was just as worried as Cadance was for Shining Armor, but on the other she'd grown up admiring her big brother's dedication to doing his best and seeing things through.

"Cadance, Twily, neither of you need to worry," Shining Armor assured, "the next challenge is about magic, nothing physical."

"It's true, everypony," Midnight stepped forward to stand by his oldest friend, "for our next challenge, we'll be competing against in a contest of magic. It'll certainly leave us exhausted but it won't exert Shining Armor physically."

"How do you know that?" asked Twilight, a brow raised.

Shining Armor and Midnight shared a sheepish look, the former rubbing the back of his head with his hoof, the latter clearing his throat before he said, "Well, never mind that. The point is, there's really nothing to worry about... but let's change that. Shining Armor?"

"Hmm?" Shining looked at Midnight curiously.

"Let's make this a tad more interesting," Midnight suggested, "Whichever of us places higher in the next event gets to pile a week of his royal duties onto the other."

"...What?" Shining Armor was taken aback by Midnight's bet, the look on his face stirring a few chuckles among their friends.

"Ha-ha, just kidding," Midnight waved it off, "But even so, the one who places lower has to treat the other to a banquet."

"Oh, well that's different," Shining Armor gave a chuckle while making a mental 'phew' in his mind.

The hour was up and the stadium reveled in anticipation for the next challenge three alicorn princes would face, and in the center of the field there they stood, each of them facing a small crystal, set upon the ground, equidistant from each other and the competitors. Finally, Spike stepped forward, microphone in hand.

"Alright, everyone, it's time for the third event! You've seen them test their strength, their agility, but now it's time to test their power! Those crystal you see before our competitors are very special crystals. They have the ability to absorb and crystalize raw mana, and add that crystalized mana to its own mass! For those of you who don't know, these are known simply as Power Crystals.

"While any crystal or gem can be used to house or focus mana, Power Crystals, especially natural samples like these, can be charged with mana and its properties can increase its magical output a hundred times over, creating one of the most powerful energy sources in Equestria! These are often used to fuel the power grids of larger cities, like Manehatten or Las Pegasus. Your Majesties!

"For this next challenge, you must channel your mana into your crystal, which will cause the crystal to grow based on how much you imbue into them. You will have exactly fifteen minutes to grow your Power Crystal as big as you can! Once the time limit is up, the winner will be the prince who grew the largest crystal, and the winner's crystal will be donated to the Crystal Empire to aid in the Empire's modernization project!"

Excited chatters spread amongst the spectators, and in the royal box, Twilight looked to Cadance and asked, "Modernization project?"

"The Crystal Empire was gone for over a thousand years, Twilight," Cadance explained, "so modern technologies and conveniences are still quite new to the crystal ponies. Recently, we've begun the modernization project to modernize the empire with things like indoor plumbing, electricity, and introducing the crystal ponies to modern technology. The cinema week we had was a fun experience that my subjects enjoyed, and we even had to hire some instructors and experts to show many crystal ponies how things like radio, electrical wiring, and even toilets work."

"Oh! And a power crystal with a substantial amount of mana will be an excellent leap in your progress," realized Twilight, and she smiled down at the field. She thought to herself, So this challenge here isn't just a simple contest, but it's also an effort to help the crystal ponies!

"Your Majesties! Are you ready?!" Spike challenged them, and the three alicorns responded by lighting up their horns with mana, and boring their indomitable gazes into their respective crystals.
"Ready!

"Aim...

"CHANNEL!!!"

Three streams of mana, one magenta, one red, the last turquoise, almost instantly connected with the power crystals, and the crystals flared with life! Each crystal radiated with the mana of the prince channeling their magic into them. Each stream of mana behaved differently. Shining Armor's magenta mana stream flowed while sparkles and glimmers flew out like sparklers. Sombra's red stream of mana behaved like smoke while embers crackled and popped to and fro. Midnight's turquoise mana looked like a cord of rippling water, drops of it flying about like a wild garden hose.

All the while, each power crystal surely began to grow. It was difficult to see whose crystal was growing faster as each one radiated with such intensity hardly anyone could even discern the crystals' outlines. Even so, the sources of light grew larger and larger!

But with each passing second, the mana channeling began to take its toll on the competitors, as Sombra, Shining Armor, and Midnight all felt it. The intensifying light from the crystal certainly didn't help, but their visions were getting blurry, it was becoming harder to focus, and each of them felt the base of their horns begin to throb with pain.

They couldn't afford to even peer towards the timer on the jumbo-tron, for even a split-second distraction could disrupt their mana flow, and slow their progress.

As the seconds stretched into minutes, each prince was really feeling it. The mana output was wearing them down, causing them to feel weaker and weaker, and the migraine-like pain they all felt at the bases of their horns was becoming almost unbearable! The crystal were now each at least as big as a two-story house, but still they kept going.

"Oh my, it's been ten minutes, and the poor dears look positively exhausted!" Rarity was looking straight at the princes via a pair of opera glasses.
"The fact they're all still channeling mana after this long is astounding," agreed Blueblood, "I'm reluctant to even imagine how much their horns hurt!"
"And those crystals are posolutely TITANYMO!" Cheese Sandwich added while Pinkie was munching intensely into a bag of popcorn.
"Oh, I hope it ends soon, I don't know how much more of this I can take...!" Fluttershy didn't like suspense.

"Princess Celestia... I'm really getting worried here," Twilight whispered to her old teacher. "I mean, I know they have a lot of magic but even they have limits! If this keeps up, they might even wind up using their own life energies!"

"Don't worry, Twilight," Celestia placed a comforting wing around her old student, "our boys might be a little meatheaded, but they're not foolis-"

"And Shining Armor is the first to bow out!"

Spike's timely interruption caused Twilight and Celestia gaze back out and they saw Shining Armor had stopped channeling mana, was panting like a dog, and his crystal was dimming to reveal a VAST magenta jewel of power with a noticeable likeness to the six-pointed star he and his sister shared on their cutie-marks, and it stood well over three stories tall.

"And so that leaves Midnight and Sombra, with just over four minutes left on the clock! Who's gonna win this thing?!"

The mounting pressure and hearing that time was running out struck a chord of worry in Midnight. Oh how his horn begged for mercy! The flow of his mana-channeling burned like an open fire, while the base felt like his head was in danger of splitting open, and the harsh and blinding light of his crystal seared right through his scrunched-shut eyelids.
I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!

Midnight released the channeling spell, stopping the flow, and fell back onto his haunches, while clutching the base of his aching horn with his forehooves, moaning with pain.

"Midnight has stopped, and by outlasting his competition that makes Sombra the winner! And with only seconds to spare!"

No sooner did Spike finish his announcement did the timer on the jumbo-tron reach zero and a buzzing sound reverberated around the stadium, while Midnight and Sombra's power crystals dimmed for everyone to see.

Midnight's power crystal looked like a turquoise-colored tower of flowing water frozen not in ice but like in the instant captured in a photograph. There were no facets, but smooth or rippling surfaces that flowed upwards, reaching almost five stories high!

But Sombra's crystal... Like the three-pointed cluster of red crystal that was his cutie-mark, his power crystal resembled a towering cluster of the purest red, clear yet reflecting facets of each thorn spiking out, odd dark wisps resembling curls of smoke forever frozen inside each cut, and the gargantuan conjuration stood so high it reached above the stadium itself!

Everyone marveled at Sombra's creation, a source of power that he had striven through incredible intensity to gift his former subjects, and ever so slowly did the applause begin and become a roar that could be heard throughout the entire empire!

It took a while the applause to die down, but finally Spike was able to announce, "And that's it, everyone! The three challenges are over, and now it's time to tally up the scores! Please direct your attention to the jumbo-tron!"

All eyes turned to the giant screen, which displayed the cutie-marks of each prince, Sombra's three-pointed cluster of red crystal, Shining Armor's blue shield with a mangenta six-pointed star with three smaller light blue five-pointed stars above it, and Midnight's pale bluish-white crescent moon facing upwards, enclosing around a five-point star surrounded by five twinkles.

"As I said before, each prince is scored based on coming in first, second, or third place. Third Place is 1 point, Second Place is 5 points, and 1st is 10! So now, it's time to measure our competitors' scores and find out which of them will be dropped."

Everyone watched as the words 'First Challenge' displayed above the cutie-marks, and showed how Midnight came in 3rd, awarding him one point, Sombra in 2nd, giving him five points, and Shining Armor in 1st, putting him in the lead with 10. Then the same thing happened, 'Second Challenge'. Midnight came in 1st, bringing his score up to 11. Sombra had been in 2nd, giving him another five points, bringing his score up to 10, and Shining Armor had come in last, so he got only one point, tying him with Midnight at 11.

The Third Challenge: Sombra had won, giving him ten points, bringing him up to 20. Midnight had come in 2nd, giving him 16 points. And again, Shining Armor had been 3rd, giving him only one more point, for a total of 12.

"Well, everyone, the numbers don't lie. I'm sorry, Shining Armor, but you have been eliminated. So would you please head back into the locker room, and pack up your bag."

Shining Armor lowered his head a little, disappointed that he'd fallen short, but as he slowly turned around, there was a scattered applause that grew and he gazed up to see everyone looking at him with admiration and respect, and the praise lifted his spirit like none before it. He'd been applauded before, but this felt special. This had been earned not because of who he was but because he'd given his all and he'd shown what he was made of. He smiled with deep appreciation and well-earned pride, waving at his admirers, before looking back to Midnight and Sombra, and was touched to see they were applauding him as well.

"Midnight! Sombra! You guys give the next event your all!"

They both nodded with a look of determination and smiling at Shining Armor with respect, and he made his way to the locker room, and Spike spoke up again.

"Now everyone, the Trinity Cup isn't over! Even though Sombra scored highest, he is not the winner, because there is one more challenge that he and Midnight must face. And that challenge is... each other!"

Almost instantly did murmurs of confusion ripple amongst the crowds before Spike explained, "Fillies & gentlcolts, and all creatures great and small. The final event of the Trinity Cup is a duel:

"Prince Sombra versus Prince Midnight Blaze!"

Author's Note

Each challenge was supposed to reflect the original three pony tribes, and in the final event the Apprentice will face the Master!

Spike's words for Shining Armor after the score-tallying were a nod to McKenzie Westmore, the host of one of my most favorite TV shows, 'Face Off!'

251. The Equestria Games (The Duel) - Part 7

Everypony watched in bewilderment at the sight of three alicorn princes stuffing their faces like there was no tomorrow. As promised, Shining Armor had ordered a banquet and the chefs had prepared quite a spread. Which was disappearing at a rapid pace into the mouths, down the gullets, and finding rest in the bellies of the three princes, as they chewed, guzzled, swallowed, and belched, not sparing a thought of what a sight they must appear.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore as Rarity spoke up, "YOUR MAJESTIES! With all due respect, such a blatant lack of manners at the dinner table is simply inexcusable! Why, I've lost my own appetite just looking at you three."

The three of them looked up from their plates or bowls, their cheeks stuffed like chipmunks, until they all made very apparent swallows evident by the GULP sounds they all made, the food vanishing down their throats, and looking at their family and friends as though they'd only just noticed they were there with them at the table. Then Sombra stifled a burp behind his hoof, to Rarity's aggravation, so Celestia came to her husband's rescue.

"Now, Rarity, the three of them all just expended considerable mana from that last contest. It's perfectly understandable they'd be so famished."

"But Your Highness!" Rarity couldn't believe that Princess Celestia of all ponies would overlook such vulgarity, and then Blueblood spoke up.

"Rarity! I'm sure after a long day of putting together some ensembles at the boutique you found yourself feeling rather peckish."

"Well, I- Um- That is..." Rarity most certainly could recall several occasions whereafter she'd worked for extended periods to stitch, needle, and thread the most fantabulous garments she'd helped herself to a wholeheartedly nutritious meal.

"Hold on, Midnight, Shining Armor, and Prince Sombra are eating so much because they used a lot of magic?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Uh-huh! That's because unicorns have a more concentrated thau...ma...turgical system," Twinken answered, sounding the word out to make sure he pronounced it right, "Twilight explained to me that unicorns' need food to fuel their magic, just like we need food to fuel our bodies too! A unicorn who uses a lot of magic in a short time needs to eat lots of food afterwards, because his magic is restored first before the body gets the energy it needs from the food the unicorn eats."

The rest of the Crusaders went 'Ohhhh' in understanding, that some of the older ponies chuckled, and then Midnight spoke up after wiping his mouth.

"While we're engaging in dinner conversation, there's something I want to discuss about the duel. Master? Shining Armor? Cadance? Don't take this the wrong way, but... Well, I want to go all out in this duel, to really see what I'm made of, but..."

He and Sombra shared a knowing look, "There's no way the empire's dinky little stadium can handle a bout between two alicorns without... collateral damage, and harming the populace."

"That is indeed a considerable risk, my young apprentice," nodded Sombra before he gave a sneaky smirk, "were this any other city."

"What do you mean, Sombra?" asked Cadance, suddenly curious by Sombra's words.

"When I founded this empire, I wanted to make it as strong and defensible as possible," explained the former ruler of the Crystal Empire. "The citadel was the first stronghold, but its main purpose was to serve as the royal palace. Have none of you ever noticed the design of the Crystal Empire?"

Everypony shared looks, failing to understand, when Celestia spoke up, "Would it perchance relate to how the main streets of the empire form a shape similar to that of a snowflake?"

"It does indeed, my love," Sombra loved that brilliant mind inside that beautiful head. "The main streets of the empire, along with the roads outlining its whole, all of it forms a magic circle."

Twilight, Midnight, Shining Armor, Cadance, Luna, and even Blueblood, Rarity, and Twinken all gaped at Sombra as though he'd grown a second head while Celestia simply smiled in marvel of her husband.

"A-a... a magic circle...?!" Twilight was shocked.
"The entire city?!?!" Midnight and Shining Armor were both blown.
"...Is that even possible?" Luna looked at Cadance, Blueblood, and Rarity whose expressions matched her own.
"Wicked...!" Twinken smiled in reverent awe of Sombra.

"I don't get it, what's this about a magic circle and the city?" asked Soarin.

"Soarin! A magic circle is a magical art where you command the magical effects of choice spells to affect anything within a designated radius!" Twilight explained as the full scope of what she'd just learned began to settle in her mind.
"And a magic circle that expands the width of an entire city?! With the proper knowledge, spell, and power... your spell could affect anything and anyone within the city!"

"Your knowledge of the arcane never ceases to amaze me, dear Twilight," chuckled Sombra, which made Twilight blush a bit at the compliment. "It is true, the city and the magic circle upon which it is built are all under the influence of one who knows how to wield its power. However, creating the magic circle was only half the work, for even with the knowledge and experience I alone did not have the power sufficient to do what I needed to insure the safety of my old subjects.

"Which led me to create what I would regard as my magnum opus - The Crystal Heart! As you are all aware, it is through the Crystal Heart that the love and hope of the crystal ponies is spread throughout the empire. What you do not know is that the main roads that make up the magic circle, which are used day after day by the crystal ponies, siphons the positive energy that comes from their good spirits, and draws that energy into the Crystal Heart, at the very center of the Crystal Empire.

"Think of the Empire as a body and the Crystal Heart as an actual heart. The main streets that spread throughout the city and form the magic circle are the nervous system and veins and the crystal ponies are like the blood cells, providing the necessary energy that keeps the Crystal Heart 'pumping', as it were. The Heart is imbued with spells and enchantments all purported to protect the Crystal Empire, such as the Thermal Barrier which protects the empire from the blistering cold of the Frozen North."

"I always wondered how you managed to create a thriving society out here in these frigid wastes," Celestia smiled at Sombra, "I had my theories, but could never confirm any of them until I heard it straight from your mouth."

"As fascinating as all of this is," Blueblood spoke up, "what does it have to do with the duel between you and Midnight? It's supposed to begin at 5pm, which is just over an hour from now."

Sombra looked to Shining Armor and Cadance, "This is no longer my empire, I have accepted that. Which is why I will ask the two of you whether you will allow for my suggestion. I propose, in order for Midnight and I to make the most of our impending clash without endangering the citizens or damage to the city, I place over the entire empire a Spatial Barrier."

The rest of the alicorns gaped at Sombra with expressions incredulous but the rest of the ponies in attendance were confused, so Rainbow Dash asked, "And.... what is a... special barrier?"

"Not 'special', Rainbow Dash, a Spatial Barrier," corrected Luna before she explained, "There is magic and study that delves into the mysteries of Time, all of which are prohibited to all but the most capable and trusted of wizards, but the arts that explore the concept of Space in a magical perspective are... Well, not quite as dangerous but can be as mysterious all the same."

"A Spatial Barrier, everypony," Sombra explained, "is a type of barrier that covers a limited radius. From the outside, it would look like a transparent dome with the environment it contains still visible, but within is where it gets complicated. The environment contained within the Spatial Barrier is... copied, I suppose one could call it that. The original environment and its copy are both contained in the barrier, but while the barrier is active it is the copied environment that you see inside. You could almost say... it is another place but the same place."

"I think I understand what you're saying," Midnight marveled at his master's brilliance, "You're proposing to create a Spatial Barrier over the Crystal Empire by using the Crystal Heart and the city's magic circle to expand the barrier's area of effect in order to fully copy the city in which you and I can have our duel."

"That is the idea," Sombra nodded, "I can tweak the magic so that while you and I will be transported to the Copied Environment everyone else will still be in the true Crystal Empire, able to watch without fear of getting caught in our skirmish."

"So... if you and Midnight are the only ones in the copied empire," Twilight had to ask, "what about us? And everyone else? Are you really sure that nothing will go wrong?"

"Once the barrier is erected, Midnight and I will be existing in the Copied Empire while all of you will be in the true Empire," Sombra assured, "Midnight and I will be like ghosts to you. You'll be able to see and hear us but you won't be able to touch us. Meanwhile, Midnight and I will be the only ones in the copy and to us, it'll be as if we are the only living souls in the entire city."

"That sounds a little scary..." Button Mash shivered at the idea of being in a place as big as the empire yet being totally alone.

"It is up to the both of you," Sombra gave Shining Armor and Cadance a respectful look, "I give you my word nopony will be harmed by the Spatial Barrier nor will any harm come to the city, and that will be all I use the Heart for. But if you are uncomfortable with this idea, I understand."

Shining Armor and Cadance shared a look of consideration but both smiled away their misgivings, and Cadance nodded to Sombra, "This will surely be a duel to remember."

"Excellent! Then if one of you would accompany me to the Heart, I will prepare the barrier," Sombra stood up from the table, Shining Armor as well, and they both left the dining room.

"In the meantime," Celestia stood up as well, "there is someone I must speak with. If you will all excuse me."

Firestorm sat quietly in one of the private rooms in the Crystal Castle overlooking the street below. He sat in a large chair with his left hoof being held up with a large orb of water and three smaller orbs spinning around it. His eyes were closed as his horn continued to glow.

“You can come over,” he said to the figure standing behind him.

“I see your skills are still as sharp as ever,” the regal voice of Princess Celestia said as she came over, bringing a chess set with her.

“I am the Duke of Defense and Security for a reason,” he said as the princess summoned herself a sofa to comfortably lay upon. Between them, a small table was pulled over and the chess set was placed upon it.

“Have you given what I said any thought?” she asked as she began her first move. Without even looking one of Firestorm's pieces moved in turn.

“I have, prin-” Firestorm began to say.

“Storm it's just us here, so you can just call me Celestia.”

“If that is what you wish, Celestia,” he obliged as the game between them looked as if it was playing itself, “and yes, I have.”

She watched quietly as she brought a cup of tea up to her lips waiting for him to continue.
“I've already gotten all of the files ready for whoever wins the Trinity Cup. They will know everything.”

“And what about the other-”

“That's in progress right now,” he quickly assured.

“I see,” she said before a few minutes silence dragged on between the two of them. “Who do you think is going to win?”

“That is difficult to say. Especially when I know both of them well enough to recognize both of their strengths. The match is nigh, they are both most certainly preparing to give it their all. It's going to be interesting, to say the least,” Firestorm grinned deviously. “Especially when Midnight knows one of the most important rules of being an apprentice.”

“Oh? And what's that?” Celestia asked with a smile on her muzzle.

Before Firestorm said anything, three things happened. First, the water floating above Firestorm's left hoof disappeared. The second was the sound of something embedding itself into the wall that was followed by a gasp. Thirdly the mare that had tried to sneak her way into the room found herself pinned a hoof off the floor by the hood of her cloak. Which was pinned to the wall by a large shard of ice that had embedded itself moments before. He turned and looked at the dark midnight greyish blue unicorn mare with a dust-grey mane and tail that was both shortly cropped.

“The Master never teaches everything to their students,” he clarifed, leaning over to look at the mare. His once blazing blue eyes were now a vibrant red and reptilian, like that of a dragon.
“Isn't that right Nightling?”

His horn began to glow again as the spike was pulled out of the wall and floated back over to his left hoof.

“Yes... Master.” Nightling cast her gaze down as she slowly trotted over to sit to the left of her Master.

“I see you have picked up another apprentice,” Celestia observed, not even fazed by what had just happened.

“This one shows promise,” Firestorm looked over at Nightling. “She is two years into her training before I allow her to join the guard.”

“Another Elementalist I assume?”

“Yes, not as much as I was at that age. But she shows promise, she just needs to learn to work on her stealth. Especially to prevent those that can feel the air in the room feel her presence as well,” he added flatly before cracking his neck lightly.

“Does she know why your eyes are like that?” Celestia commented before taking herself another sip of tea as the chess pieces were returned to their starting positions to begin another game.

Firestorm looked at the princess for a few moments before he closed his eyes as he let his magic wash over them. When he opened them again, they had returned back to their previously blue and regular shape that most were familiar with.

“Nightling, learn this well. Sometimes, lessons require a sacrifice that you may not be prepared for. Others may seem like a blessing... but are curses in disguise. Choose your lessons well,” Firestorm spoke heavily while turning to look out the window as the normally happy-looking stallion held a stone visage on his face that spoke volumes to his apprentice.

“Yes... Master," Nightling responded with a small bow.

“He is correct, Nightling, both Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight can attest to this,” Celestia added, her tone the parental blend of emphasis and encouragement.

“As for your next task, Nightling,” Firestorm said as a letter flew from his side over to her. “Deliver this to Prince Midnight without being noticed.”

“Yes, Master,” she said taking it in her own silver aura and parted from the room.

“You know that is very unfair to do to her. Midnight was trained by-” Celestia comment before seeing Firestorm's look. “Ah, a lesson. I suppose they will learn it with time.”

“Any word about him?” Firestorm finally decided to ask the one question that plagued his mind after all this time.

“Sadly no, with the changeling's attack, most of the searches were put on hold.”

Firestorm sighed quietly before looking at her.

“Do you think it's about time I talk to Princess Luna's apprentice?” he asked quietly, she looked up to the war-worn stallion before her. Out of most of the dukes that had to take up the mantle of the Duke of defense and security. Firestorm was one of the few that knew both sides of the struggle and that had helped him make his choices in office.

“I think that would be wise. When he disappeared you were the one of the few remaining ties Midnight had left to him. Now with Twinken being Luna's pupil, I think it would do him a world of good for the little one to know of some of his exploits,” she said looking out the window to see ponies, griffons, dragons, and many other races milling about on the street below.

Firestorm slowly turned to match her view before the final pieces fell in their game. Leaving the only two left on the board was the black knight and the king.

The atmosphere was heavy as Master and Apprentice looked upon each other with respect in their smiles and the spirit of competition burning in their eyes. They stood in the vomitorium, the cheers ringing just outside, and a small team of pegasus ponies holding cameras standing behind them. Everything was ready.

Right before the duel began, Sombra would cast the spell that would set up the Spatial Barrier, transporting Midnight and himself to the copied version of the city while everypony else would remain in the true reality. The team of camera-ponies would be following Midnight and Sombra closely (in the real city) to insure that not one moment of the action would be missed. They had no need to worry about being so close to the action as the two combatants would be alone in the alternate reality of the city, but still perceivable to the eyes and ears of everyone in the real world.

"I have waited for this chance for over a thousand years," Midnight spoke first, "ever since you became my mentor, to my past self, as well as to my current self. I have endeavored to be a worthy scion of my lineage, a worthy son of your bloodline."

Chuckling, Sombra replied, "You achieved that ambition long ago. Regardless of what results of this clash between us, I am honored to be your forefather."

Then Sombra surprised Midnight by pulling the younger alicorn into a strong and warm hug. The kind of hug Midnight had not felt ever since his father left him and Twinken, the bittersweet feeling filling him up as he reciprocated the gesture. When the hug ended, Sombra gave Midnight a bold smirk, "But don't except me to go easy on you."

"I won't give you the luxury," Midnight retorted, the two of them sharing a laugh. But before they stepped out into the twilight of the evening hours, Midnight asked, "What of the barrier?"

"It is all set," Sombra assured, "once Spike begins the duel, I will light the proverbial fuse and the Crystal Heart will do the rest... Are you ready?"

"Heh, like you even need to ask..." Midnight held out his foreleg with the gesture meaning "After you", and Sombra chuckled as he stepped forward into the light.

As they made their way out into the field, their faces displayed on the jumbotron, as the cheers turned to roars, that quickly quieted when Spike made himself known.

"The time has come, everypony, every griffon, every zebra, minotaur, drake, dog, yak, it is time, everyone!" announced Spike as he gestured Midnight and Sombra to step forward to the middle of the field.
"You will all bear witness to what will definitely be... the Duel of the Century!! Prince versus prince. Alicorn versus alicorn! Master versus Apprentice! Both have shown their stuff in the Trinity Cup and here they stand, but like any competition victory can belong to only one."

Midnight and Sombra faced each other, several yards of distance between them, their eyes meeting in bold gaze, their ears listening as Spike went on, "Citizens of the Crystal Empire, and its visitors! Be assured that whatever happens next, no harm will come to any one of you nor to this great city. By the magic of the Crystal Heart, our two finalists will be free to duel without fear of harming anyone. Your Majesties, the time is now! Be advised, the rules forbid dark magic, and the duel will end when one or the other can no longer continue or if he surrenders. So all I have to ask is...

"Are. You... READY?!"

Both princes responded by lighting up their horns, spreading their wings, and rearing up to flail their forelegs and stamp the ground with eager hooves.

"THEN LET THE DUEL.... BEGIN!!!"

Sombra started by casting the spell he had promised, and as he had already established the connection the Crystal Heart, it worked within the city's magic circle. The Heart flared with life as the magic of the spell drew in the power of the crystal ponies' high spirits, and the power rose up through the castle, lines lighting up along the facets of the castle walls, until it reached the apex and lit up brighter than a lighthouse before a stormy night!

The magic launched upward, making contact with the Thermal Barrier, adding the magic of the Spatial Barrier along with it! The mana spread out long the dome in a form of cascading light and a phantom shroud of glowing power descended upon the city. As this power made contact with the physical, for a moment or two, towers, buildings, walls, all appeared distorted before they became clear again. Then it reached the stadium, and everypony in the stands and box seats, they appeared to flicker like static before they vanished, as if fading out of existence.

Midnight looked up towards the royal box and his eyes met Twilight's, as she looked on with a mix of belief in him, as well as a little worry. He smiled and whispered a few words that were carried to her by his magic just before she was removed from the Spatial Barrier.

Believe in me.

And then they were alone. The entire stadium empty, the city as silent as a tomb. No distant chatters, no hoof steps, not even the tweeting of birds. Only the soft whispers of an evening breeze.

"Heh, Button Mash was right," Midnight commented before looking back to his master, "this is a little creepy."

"They are still here," Sombra assured with a shrug, "it is we who are somewhere else, so to speak."

"My head tells me that, it's my nerves that are fooled by what appears in contrast to what is," chuckled the sapphire blue alicorn, before narrowing his eyes and bearing his fangs with an eager smirk.
"So! How do you wanna do this?"

"Hmm?"

"Magic? Weapons? Or good ol' fashioned hooficuffs. The whole city is our arena and we should make the most of it. The only no-no here is dark magic."

"You are correct," Sombra considered it a moment when movement caught his eyes and he saw Midnight charging straight at him, his brows furrowed with resolution. Chuckling, he thought, So he decides to start things by getting physical? Well, I'll be happy to ob- Wait... Why can't I hear his-

An explosion of pain caught Sombra on the right side of the head as he felt something take him in his grasp, and send him up, over and hurtling into the stadium wall! Despite being literally thrown for the loop, Sombra managed to right his position and catch himself with all four hooves on the wall, the force barely aching his hooves, as he leapt down and saw Midnight gazing up at him from the field below.

He didn't teleport, I never took my eyes off him, Sombra thought, so then...!!

With a closer look, Sombra noticed Midnight's mane give off a shadowy wisp, and then he looked to see an image of Midnight behind the real one just fading away in barely noticeable sparkles of magic.

I see! Aloud, he said with a smirk, "Midnight. That was vicious, deceitful, and underhooved... Well played!"

Everypony had watched the duel begin, at first nothing happened as the two alicorns seemed to exchange words, but nopony could really understand what had happened after Midnight had made the first move.

In the royal box, Midnight's friends were all flabbergasted as Rainbow asked the question the whole stadium was wondering, "What the hell just happened?!"

"Midnight charged and then... he attacked Sombra from the side," Twilight responded but her tone was equally confused, "I don't know how he did it though! He didn't teleport! It's almost as if for a few moments there were two of him!"

"There weren't."

Everypony looked up to see Luna, who looked impressed, "What we thought was Midnight making the first move wasn't Midnight at all. It was a Semblance, an illusion of Midnight. As for Midnight himself, nopony noticed it, partly because of how it's getting dark, but I did. Midnight was in shadow the whole time. I wager from the moment he stepped into the field up until he attacked Sombra from the side.

"As soon as his Semblance made the first move, Midnight, disguised as his own shadow, quickly moved to the side, making sure to rise out of the shadow in Sombra's blind spot, and as Sombra was focused on the Semblance of Midnight he never saw the real Midnight coming. It's actually a brilliant move!"

"Ah dunno, sounds kinda lowdown t' me," Applejack looked back out onto the field, a look of disapproval in her eyes as they fell upon Midnight.

"The only rule here is no dark magic and the duel goes on until one is no longer able to continue or submits," Celestia clarified, "otherwise? Anything goes."

"I'm a little surprised, Sombra looks like he took what Midnight just gave him in stride," Soarin commented, "he doesn't even look like he's shaken or hurt."

"That's because they're using a mana technique," Shining Armor explained, "it's called Arcane Armor, one of several disciplines taught in Mana Wielding. Believe it or not, it's something even earth ponies and pegasi can learn to do!"

"Get out!" Thunderlane looked up at Shining Armor, the others looking equally as incredulous.

"It's true, everypony," Celestia laughed at their expressions a little, "All ponies have magic, and with the proper training and determination, even earth ponies and pegasi can learn to wield theirs in ways they don't typically do.

"Right now, Sombra and Midnight are using their mana in a defensive manner called Arcane Armor. Think of it as armor that protects the body from harm by a constant cloak of magic covering their bodies, almost like a second skin, absorbing the damage they take up to a limited degree. It's a mandatory skill to learn for ponies in the Royal Guard. It's not easy to learn but once mastered, Arcane Armor can save your life."

With a single flap of his wings, Sombra propelled himself out onto the field, rejoining his apprentice so that they could continue. They sized each other up somewhat, before the dark gray alicorn said, "Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I'm thinking next we try something a little... old school, but with a twist."

"Oh? Pray tell," Midnight sounded intrigued.

Then, to Midnight's surprise, Sombra's form seemed to darken until he looked like a living mass of darkness in alicorn shape, until the shape rose up on its hind hooves, the wings disappeared, the tail shortened in length, the front hooves split into fingered hands, the horn retracted into the head while two longhorns appeared from the sides, and then the form brightened up somewhat while regaining detail.

Sombra had shapeshifted into a minotaur of impressive musculature, his lower half covered with fur as black as his mane while his torso, shoulders, arms, and face retained his normal gray, arms and chest rippling with muscle. Then shadowy smoke briefly engulfed his torso before quickly dissipating, revealing pauldrons on his shoulders, a cuirass over his chest, and vambraces on his forearms.

He then waved his hands, drawing shadows that gave off a crystal-like shimmer towards him. From those shadows did appear a very familiar scythe along with a large somewhat kite-shaped shield with concave edges and an emblem in the likeness of Sombra's red crystal cluster cutie-mark. He grasped the scythe by its handle in his right hand while hoisting the large shield onto his left arm, and snorted with fervor as he then gave an expectant look to Midnight.

He got the idea and smirked as he flapped his wings to rise up into the air, but instead of flying, his horn lit up with a hazy mist as silvery light came down, drawn to Midnight as it engulfed him, becoming brighter and brighter until only the faint outline of his form could barely be seen within the light. The shape reformed, the wings vanishing, the tail retracting in length yet becoming bushy, and his horn vanished as well.

The light then went out like mist as Midnight dropped to the ground, having shapeshifted into a Sirian Dog resembling a husky, garbed with a leather vest and arm bands. His fur was mostly black with sapphire blue fur on his chest, paws, and tipping his tail before it became a dark blue that darkened into black. He was a head shorter than Sombra's minotaur form and not as bulky. His stature was leaner yet noticeably sturdy.

Standing up on his hindpaws, Midnight then reached out with both of his forepaws, grasping something in front of him, before pulling his paws sideways to conjure a pair of silver-glowing swords! Both were single-edged, the longer blade in his right paw curved slightly, while the shorter blade held in a reverse-grip in his left was straight. A katana and a ninjato. The blades' steel gave off a beautiful reflection in the light.

"Well, well! Those are some very interesting swords," Luna commented.
"I know, those aren't your average blades," Celestia agreed, "Those are solid Lunargent!"

"What's Lunargent?" Twinken looked up at his teacher, some of the others as well, "Is that what Midnight's swords are made of?"

"Indeed, my pupil, and weapons or even armor of solid lunargent are very rare," Luna explained, "Lunargent is a spell-forged metal that requires the purest of silver and energy from the full of the moonlight. The process is a well-guarded secret because it yields a metal that can be forged into amazing armaments that draw power from the moon, just like lunar ponies, who are the ones who discovered how to make it through experimental blacksmithing and magic metallurgy. But that's not all they can do..."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense!" Rarity wasn't normally partial to these sorts of competitions but the excitement was getting to her.

"Just wait and see," Luna returned her attention the field, "I'm certain you're about to find out."

The minotaur and the dog faced each other, again daring the other to make the first move, while gripping their weapons with with hands and paws they normally did not have. Manipulation shoes worked just fine but they did not have the sort of dexterity and grip as having actual hands and fingers.

Sombra knew Midnight's swords were not of common make and that was why he was hesitant to go first, and kept his large shield ready and his scythe held out. He had defense, a longer reach whereas Midnight had greater speed and maneuverability. But his scythe and shield were not of common make either, as Midnight would soon discover.

Finally, Midnight lunged forward and immediately Sombra raised his shield as Midnight hacked and slashed, growling and grunting with ruthless fervor! Sparks flew as metal scraped against metal but Sombra barely moved from his position, taking only a few steps back from Midnight's assault when he feinted a forward lunge of his shield but then immediately lashed out with his scythe!

Midnight quickly responded by crossing his blades defensively and suddenly putting a considerable distance between himself and his master, magic flowing under his feet!

"Whoa! How did Midnight move like that?!" Soarin gaped in shock, "It was like for a moment he had super speed or something!

"That is Freeflow," Cadance answered, "It's another Mana Wielding technique, similar to Arcane Armor. But instead of defense its purpose is to improve one's speed and agility The user concentrates a flow of mana to their feet, which momentarily boosts their physical movements, allowing them to traverse their surroundings with incredible ease and uncanny speed! They can move across the ground without taking a step, glide through the air by jumping from a height or even off a wall, and many other maneuvers."

"I so gotta learn that!!" Rainbow Dash geeked out at how awesome this technique was!

Right as Midnight halted his Freeflow, he saw Sombra charge forward in a run, his scythe raised. Midnight reacted accordingly, his swords up to intercept the attack-

*RAM/"BAUGH!"*

It was another feint! Sombra rammed the lower edge of his shield into Midnight's mid-section, throwing him back several yards, and as Midnight got his bearings Sombra charged again, shield raised this time. Growling, Midnight concentrated his mana into his swords, which glowed turquoise blue along the blades' edges, as he used Freeflow to accelerate his lunge forward, and Sombra hesitated just long enough for Midnight to stab both swords forward!

However, Sombra angled his shield just so, causing the attack to deflect to Sombra's left, and Midnight zoomed past his master in a black and blue blur, quickly jumping and flipping through the air, and landed on his paws, and quickly turning around to face Sombra, who looked amused.

"Impressive technique! This duel hasn't gone on for very long and yet already I can tell you are a skilled warrior."

"Well, your style is nothing to sneeze at either, including the way you wielded your shield. Especially just now..."

"How so?"

"...You deflected my attack rather than stand up against it. While I'm fairly certain that shield is of sturdy make, I'm getting the impression you weren't certain your shield would withstand my attack head-on. So rather than absorb you chose to deflect. Am I wrong?"

Sombra chuckled, "You have great observation, even in the thick of battle! But don't start thinking victory is in reach just yet."

"Then come get me..." Midnight challenged, baring his fangs with zest, his swords at the ready.

For a few moments more, neither of them moved... until they both charged, Midnight's blades scraping against Sombra's shield as he tried to dance around Sombra's defense. But Sombra stayed on the move too, Freeflowing left and right, leading Midnight on a chase while keeping his shield raised and bashing away Midnight's swords with his scythe whenever he got too close to getting around Sombra, which forced Midnight to step back to avoid the long reach of the scythe before he lunged back in again.

Faster... faster!! Midnight thought as he hacked, deflected, slashed, blocked, stabbed, dodged, his blood pounding in his ears as he continued his offensive all the while pushing himself to move faster, faster than Sombra could react, the sparks flying with every clash of metal.
"UrrrgghhAAAUUGH!!!"

Midnight thrust his katana forward and Sombra barely moved his head out of the way, only to feel a slight stinging below his left eye and he realized Midnight had drawn blood. The distraction was enough for Midnight to charge his swords again and hammer at Sombra's shield, forcing him back a step with each blow!

With an upward swing of his crossed blades, Midnight forced Sombra's shield out of the way, creating an opening, I've got you!!

Rotating his whole body to give his next strike more force, Midnight swung his katana overhead from his left, and brought right down upon Sombra-

*PHOOOSH*

DAMN IT! Midnight realized his error. Though blinded by the shadow, he sensed Sombra reform behind him, that obsidian scythe raised!

*SLA-SPLISH*

"AUGH!!" Midnight fell down onto all fours, dropping his swords, as his blood spilled.

"MIDNIGHT!!!" Twilight and Twinken cried out in alarm, the colt tearing up at the sight of his brother's blood.

"It's alright," Celestia assured them, "It's not as bad as it looks. Midnight's Arcane Armor protected him from most of the damage."

"But I thought- Th- the armor-" Twinken looked up at Celestia, his breath shaky, unable to get out his next word.

"Arcane Armor protects the user by limiting the damage taken to a degree," Luna clarified, "it doesn't protect you from the damage completely, and the user still feels pain. How much damage or how little depends on several factors, but we can assure you it's not as bad as it looks."

"Look, he's already healed himself," Cadance pointed out, and they all could see the cut on Midnight's back closing up as a wisp of mana ran up its length like a zipper.

"Another of those techniques?" Rarity asked.

"It is, but not the most reliable," Shining Armor answered, "Recovery requires concentration and more mana, plus you can only use it to heal from minor wounds, like scratches, cuts, bruises, anything more serious requires more mana consumption. If you use it too much, you use up your mana even quicker, and that's asking for trouble."

The pain had receded but Midnight panted as he held himself up with his front paws, hearing Sombra nearby.

"Were it not for your Arcane Armor, that wound could have been more serious, even though I held back the force of my swing," Sombra looked at his apprentice, a mixture of emotions in him.
"...If you no longer wish to continue, I will under-"

Suddenly, Midnight flexed the claws on his paw... and a black circle suddenly expanded, Sombra almost panicking as he leapt away but dropping his shield in his rush. He landed several yards away from Midnight, who reached into the blackness he'd created and pulled out an impressive bow that looked as though it were made of obsidian glass!

Drawing back the bowstring, he took aim at Sombra while mana collected at the point of his grip, and an arrow made of mana manifested before Midnight fired! As the arrow flew, it divided into a full volley of arrows, and were zooming straight for Sombra... who quickly waved his scythe, a large crystal erupting from the ground to shield him, each arrow impacting with surprising force, causing several cracks before they dissipated.

"Phew! Well, that was unexpec- ARGH!!" Sombra fell to one knee, as he felt something get him in the shoulder, and he turned to see Midnight there, his bow drawn and another magic arrow ready.

The two alicorns glared at each other, as Sombra reverted to his alicorn form in a haze of shadow, using the energy he'd been using to maintain that form to absorb the mana of Midnight's arrow and heal his wound. Midnight returned to his alicorn form too... except he'd added dragon-like features to his body!

His forehooves had become dragon claws, still clutching his bow and his fetlocks covered with thick scales, his tail had thickened at the dock, with soft scales like on Spike's belly on the underside with a reptilian frill tipped the end, his wings were no longer feathered but like the membranous wings of a bat, and growing out the sides of his head, just behind his ears, were a thick pair of dark gray horns, and the pupils of his turquoise eyes had narrowed into reptilian slits.

"I see you still have plenty of fight in you," Sombra stood up to his full height, scythe held in his magic, "which means... the fun continues!"

Sombra roared as he lashed out his scythe, and large shards of crystal were flung straight at Midnight, who gasped and dodged the first shard, only for the next to shatter his bow! Growling, he gave Sombra the stink eye before taking flight, and Sombra went after him.

"Now where're they off to?" Applejack questioned as the two duelists fled the arena, the pegasi camera team going after them, as they kept a view of the action on the jumbotron for everyone to see.

"My guess is, Midnight's looking for some kind of field advantage," commented Shining Armor.

"Midnight looks so cool!" Button smiled big as the jumbo-tron showed the dragon-like form Midnight had taken on. "It's like got some super-awesome power-up!"

"Sister, did you once say that Midnight had a teacher in dragon magic?" Luna asked.
"He did, and she taught him well," nodded Celestia, as they watched the duel go on.

At some point, Sombra had forced Midnight to land on the rampart walkway of the Crystal Empire's main garrison. Running along the wall, Midnight made sure to get a distance from his pursuing teacher before turning around, taking a deep breath, and launching blazing blue fireball at the dark gray alicorn. It landed at Sombra's hooves, creating an explosion while Sombra flapped to get airborne and swung his scythe again, sending more crystal shards at Midnight, who leapt back to dodge them, Sombra landing back on the wall. They squared off again, Sombra swinging his scythe to throw more crystal shards, some Midnight dodged, others he blocked with the scales on his forelegs, before blasting another fireball at Sombra, who somersaulted forward to dodge it, before launching a few more shards at his apprentice, all the while pushing Midnight closer and closer to the edge.

Midnight dodged the first two but almost didn't block the third, which distracted him long enough for Sombra to try a different tactic.

The dark alicorn swung his scythe to the far right, a shard flying out but directed by Sombra's will to curve its trajectory right towards Midnight... who caught it in his claws without even looking!

Sombra blinked in surprise at what he'd just witnessed, as Midnight stood up straight while examining the shard before it burned over in his mana, transmuting into a white lotus as Midnight sniffed it casually, "Impressive, my master... But I hope that's not the full extent of your abilities."

"I have only begun to show you what I am capable of, my very young apprentice," Sombra smirked as he poured his mana into his scythe preparing for his next attack.

"Good! For as my father once taught me... Expect the unexpected!" Midnight then deliberately stepped back to drop off the edge, and silence followed.

...

Any moment now, he'll fly up and try to sneak-attack me again... Sombra thought as he kept his scythe ready, his eyes darting left and right.

"ROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGHHH!!!!!"

Sombra flinched at the ferocity of that roar, as it was heard by every living creature in all the empire... and a massive form rose up, giant wings unfurling, to reveal a blue dragon!!!

The colors were clue enough but it was the fact it had Midnight's cutie-mark that confirmed it - Midnight had shapeshifted into this majestic monster!! He stood well over three stories tall, his form was more slender than most adult dragons and his neck wasn't as long. But his body was still heavily-muscled and strong, and his tail lashed out like a fearsome whip, leveling a nearby tower with a careless swing. His scales were the same dark blue as the highlight of his mane in pony form while the scales on his underside were sapphire blue, his horns, claws, and spines were black, as well as the membranes of his wings, he had frill-like ears in front of the bases of his two large horns, and he still had his black mane with the dark blue highlight. He snarled as his mouth opened, revealing dozens of fangs a hoof long before the inside lit up as a blistering blue fireball launched at Sombra!

The dark alicorn quickly ran along the wall, dodging the volley of blazes before leaping high into the air with a flap of his wings, and heaving a mighty swing of his scythe in mid-air!

Instead of a shard, a red energy blade flew towards the blue dragon, who quickly ducked and soared out before coming back around, his predatory gaze locked onto Sombra.

Thinking quickly, Sombra concentrated his power onto his scythe, reshaping it into a mighty lance, and as Midnight soared straight at him like a fearsome storm on the rise, Sombra imbued more magic into the lance, and raised it while casting a spell!

"Fugere super alas a Draco!!!"

Sombra roared as he gave a heaving throw, and the lance soared as the phantom-like form of a red dragon appeared around it, wings spread, its fangs bared at the blue dragon who growled in hesitation as he attempted to halt mid-air, only for the red energy dragon to engulf him! The blue dragon roared as he felt his mighty form burn away as he fell to the street below, a loud crash hidden by a haze of dust and smoke.

Taking flight, Sombra flew over until he was directly above the crash-site, waiting for the dust to settle while his horn glowed, sensing for any magical fluctuations or casting of spells. As his eyes wandered over the dust cloud, searching for any sign of his apprentice, the stretching moments caused him to think, He has vanished...

"Where's Midnight?" Twilight whispered aloud.
"is he okay?" Twinken worried.

"Curious..." Blueblood watched the jumbo-tron screen that all eyes had turned to, as half of it displayed his uncle still searching for Midnight, the other showing the dust cloud enshrouding the crash site.
"Even though Midnight is hidden amongst all that debris floating in the air, Sombra should still be able to sense him, yet... Could Midnight be hiding his mystical force?"

Twilight looked at Blueblood, intrigued by his theory before pondering it, "...Well, it does make sense. Except Midnight has a lot of magical power, and you can't keep power of that level hidden for very long from someone who knows how to look for it."

"Why not?" Twinken looked between Twilight and Blueblood, "What's so hard about hiding your mystical force?"

"It's..." Blueblood considered a moment before he thought of a good explanation, "Think of hiding your mystical force like holding your breath, but much-much more difficult to do for an extended period of time, and equally as uncomfortable. You can ease the strain by releasing your mystical force little by little overtime but that increases the risk of being detected."

"Hmm, sounds like this one time Ah was holdin' in a fart while rehearsin' with th' Pony Tones," Big Mac commented, which spurred a few naughty giggles from the other stallions, Rainbow, Pinkie, and colts while Twilight, Luna, Rarity, Cadance, and even Fluttershy looked appalled. Celestia hid her amusement well, keeping her gaze on the screen.

The air was beginning to settle, but Sombra's nerves were not. With his kind of power, there's no way he could hide his mystical force for this long! What am I missing here...!!!

Why didn't he realize it sooner?! Sombra dove down into the crash site, and looked around, seeing a house had been demolished, a road broken, but even as the dust cloud was clearing up, it hid the fact that there was plenty of shade under the darkening sky.

He wasn't hiding his mystical force... He turned to shadow and slipped away! Sombra felt like such a fool, to have forgotten that a pony with shadow magic could hide their mystical force simply by turning into shadow. It was one of the most subtle yet powerful advantages of Shadow Magic! On guard, Sombra looked around and flared his sensory spell to maximum strength.
So then where did he go? Is he still near or has he fled to another part of the city?

His answer came in the form of dozens of tendrils of shadowstuff giving off a faint blue glow rising out of the shaded areas, moving like undulating ribbons underwater, almost entrancing by the slow yet graceful dance of their motions.

He's trying to confuse me, Sombra looked around, trying to determine from where Midnight would strike, when he felt something ensnare his hind leg! "Oh no..."

Immediately after, Sombra screamed as the tendril of shadow swung him around and around and around (he held in his still-digesting lunch) before he was thrown skyward! The force of the throw caused Sombra to spin rapidly as he ascended, making it difficult to level out and extend his wings, but right as he managed to succeed, he heard a sudden rush of air behind him-

*THWOK*

Even from the stadium, everypony could hear the descending whistle of something falling-

*CRASH*

And the inevitable crash caused everyone to flinch and go "Oooooohh...."

Sitting himself up, Sombra cricked his neck as his dazed mind struggled to register whatever had just happened.
"Okay.... ooOOOOOWWWWWWW."

*THUD/SSSSHHHhhhhh...*

Groaning through the aches in his back and shoulders, feeling a throb where he got pulverized, and coughed as dust got in his face, actually feeling a little intimidated by whatever Midnight had for him next. As the dust settled, a large shape stepped forward, and Sombra swore he felt tremors in the ground from every step, and he looked up to see...

Midnight!

Except... Now Midnight was positively HUGE. Even stranger, his horn and wings were gone, and his body was gargantuan-sized, even taller than Sombra himself! Midnight's form was hulking in muscle but not bulky and awkward, his hooves were bigger than wagon wheels, his mane was a little mussed and he now had sideburns extending down the sides of his face, and his eyes were fixed on Sombra with an expression that absolutely said 'stonefaced'.

"Midnight...?" Sombra groaned as he stood up and found himself craning his neck just a little, looking up at his apprentice. "What did you...?!"

"Like I said, master..." Midnight responded with a voice that sounded like the rumbling of the earth as he pulled a hoof back, "Expect the unexpected."

He sensed it too late as Midnight concentrated his mana into his hoof, which gave a brief glow, before Midnight punched Sombra in the face with the force of a meteor!

"Ooh...!" Cheese flinched at what they'd all just seen on the jumbo-tron, "He's gonna be feeling that till next year!"

"What in Equestria has Midnight turned himself into now?!" Rarity was enjoying the duel but not where it got barbaric like what they'd just witnessed.

"No horn, no wings, Ah'm guessin' he's an earth pony now but..." Applejack marveled at the statuesque physique Midnight was now sporting, "He's bigger an' stronger than any earth pony Ah've ever seen!"

"Eeyup..." Big Mac had to agree, even though it stuck in his craw.

"Hmm, it seems to me that Midnight has converted the whole of his magical power into earth pony magic," Celestia theorized, "but since he's normally an alicorn, well... My best guess is, Midnight has transformed himself into the alicorn equivalent of an earth pony!"

"My stars! The inherent strength and resilience of an earth pony augmented to the level of power that equates an alicorn?!" Luna's mind was all but blown before she got giddy like a fan-filly, "In this living moment Midnight must be the strongest earth pony alive!!!"

"As awesome as that sounds, I'm not sure whether that's really good or really bad for Sombra," Thunderlane pointed at the screen.

"Ughhh..." Sombra clutched his aching jaw, carefully running his tongue over his teeth and sighing with relief when he felt none loose or knocked out. Looking up, he saw he'd been launched down several city blocks, damaging the crystal pavement here and there, like a destructive game of 'skip the rock'. He concentrated his magic across his aching body, dulling the pain of his bruises but the blows he'd taken to his shoulder and jaw still bothered him.

He'd have to tough it out. Standing up, he looked down the way he'd come, and whispered:

"Oculus Aquilae..."

The spell concentrated Sombra's eyes, which allowed him to mimic the eagle-like sight of pegasi, and he saw Midnight, still a a behemoth of a pony, taking his time as he walked down the street in the direction he'd punched Sombra, the streets splintering and shivering with his every quaking step.

"Oh Midnight... If you think you're the first earth pony to throw his muscle around in my presence..." Sombra looked around and saw some primo crystal that would be good working materials.

His horn lit up, enveloping the crystals around him, and, directed by his will and intention, they floated up and surrounded him like celestial bodies orbiting the sun, as one by one, they attached themselves to Sombra's body, reshaping to fit onto wherever they were placed. His magic held all the pieces together, like magnetism keeping metal in place, and in no time at all, Sombra had clad himself in magic crystal armor!

The whole getup was cobalt blue, like Sombra's crown, regalia, and hoofboots while his red magic, mimicking the form of chain mail, coated him underneath it all. Sharp shards of crystal were positioned at the tips of his primary feathers on his wings, which had protective coverings over the limbs, and his face was completely concealed in a helmet with a visor to see through. It also added a few hooves of height and some mass to Sombra's form, and floating at his left was another shield while at his right floated a hammer of solid crystal, all reinforced with his magic.

"You're in for a surprise!"

Sombra crouched down before taking a mighty leap into the air, and dove straight towards Midnight, hammer raised, and Midnight, quickly noticing his master's imminent approach, raised his hoof again, concentrated his mana and punched forward, intercepting the swing of Sombra's hammer!

The resulting clash created a shockwave of power that blew away entire buildings, and damaged the highest point of the crystal castle!

It also had the side-effect of forcing the two combatants apart, which Sombra took advantage of by taking to the air, and then concentrating power to the crystals floating at the tips of his primary feathers. That power was unleashed in a spread of lasers that all zeroed in on Midnight. He raised a foreleg to shield his face but nothing else, as the lasers pelted him with concussive fury. But Midnight simply shook it off and then positioned himself before a nearby boulder of crystal and with the skill honed by working at Sweet Apple Acres bucked the boulder, causing it to soar like a comet towards Sombra, who actually 'YIPE'd as he ever so barely managed to dodge it, although he felt the wind it brushed him with by its passing.

That was all the distraction Midnight needed, as he bucked more albeit smaller clusters of crystal towards Sombra. He dodged the first two, but the rest pelted him like lobs of hail. If it weren't for Sombra's magically-reinforced crystal armor, he was certain the places where he'd been hit would have broken bones. The barrage ceased and Sombra quickly took advantage by diving to the street and zooming a few hooves above the ground to Midnight, pummeling into him in a full-body tackle, but it only succeeded in pushing Midnight back a yard or two, and Sombra felt his ears ring as he slumped down onto his back.

It's like hitting a mountain...! he thought in daze before he felt Midnight grab him and looked to see his apprentice give him a brutish smirk, "Uh-oh..."

"Eesh!"
"Ouch..."
"Ooh!"
"Yikes!"
"That's gonna leave a mark!"
"Eeyup."

Everypony watched the jumbo-tron as Midnight had grabbed Sombra and was thrashing him about, like a colt tossing around a rag doll.

A statue was totaled as Sombra was thrown through it, and landed in a pile of rubble. Groaning as he waited for the hammers to stop pounding the proverbial anvil that was his head, he sat up and grumbled, "That's it... No more mister nice master!"

Sombra kicked off the ground, wings flared, as he willed several house-sized chunks of crystal to levitate, and willed them to hurl right at Midnight. Midnight rose up on his hind legs and punched every single one into dust, which gave Sombra just the cover he needed. He dove into shadow, pulling a similar tactic Midnight did at the start of their duel, and as the dust cleared, Midnight looked around for his master, when he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw Sombra, no longer clad in his crystal armor, as he'd converted its entirety into a gauntlet around his hoof, all the while pulling his face back into a smirk.

"Oh boy..." Midnight sighed before scrunching his eyes shut.

*Ka-POOOOOWWWWWWWMMMMMM*

Even with his incredible durability, the force of Sombra's uppercut sent Midnight hurtling skyward and smacking right into the ceiling of the barrier containing the city. For a moment or two he stuck to it before gravity took its toll on Midnight's heavier form and he fell straight down into a crashing heap, but thankfully, it was in one of the crop fields, so it was... a little softer, but not much. Sitting up as he rubbed his aching jaw, Midnight's form glowed as he shrunk down, his horn and wings returning, as he thought, I suppose I had that coming...

Looking around, he noticed the field of crystal berries and a nearby water tower, and then his horn felt the rush of Sombra approaching. Thinking quickly, Midnight took flight towards the water tower, and telekinetically tore away the top, revealing the water inside. Waving his forelegs in conjunction with his will, the water heeded his command and rose up, a liquid serpent dripping as it flowed along Midnight's will and became a whirling halo of water!

Once Sombra had arrived, Midnight quickly span around, his ring of water accelerating as orbs of water parted from the ring of water, and zeroed in on Sombra. The older alicorn wasn't worried although getting soaked while still clad in his crystal armor was an unwelcome sensation. But then he suddenly felt cold and realized Midnight was willing the water he'd splashed Sombra with to freeze!

Thinking quickly, Sombra rotated his whole body, the armor parting from him, and he willed each piece to compress into solid spheres of crystal, and launched them at Midnight like cannonballs!

Midnight let himself drop to the ground, his ring of water following, as he punched the soil, and a wall of solid rock suddenly rose up, and immediately Midnight's water coated it and froze, adding solid ice to the wall, Sombra's crystal cannonballs burying themselves into it. They tore off a chunk or two along the edges, but the rest held.

"So now it's a battle of the natural elements?" Sombra called out to his apprentice. He stamped his hoof, a spike of rock rising out, and it broke away from its base before floating in front of Sombra.
"As alicorns, we are connected to all four, whereas unicorns can only connect with one, and the earth ponies and pegasi have all but forgotten how their respective connections to the earth and sky gave them sway over those elements. Tell me, my apprentice, did you ever determine which element you were in tune with before you became an alicorn? I did, long ago, and it should be no surprise I mastered the element of... Earth!"

The rock rotated as it compressed, Sombra's energy giving rise to heat, and the earth matter reached the melting point, its exposure to open air feeding it oxygen, as the earth matter became a swirling mass of molten hot lava! Maintaining its cohesion and stone-melting temperature, as he shaped it into a disc, and launched it right at the center of Midnight's wall!

His hooves on the ground, allowed Sombra to sense Midnight's movements whenever he touched the ground as well, and he felt the pressure on the earth beneath Midnight disappear, and immediately knew his apprentice had taken flight before he even saw Midnight rise up from behind the wall, trails of water rising up in his wake, as he concentrated a spark to the tip of his horn, igniting a tongue of flame that roared right for Sombra. Sombra responded by willing his lava disc to cut through the flaming fury, right towards Midnight!

Using the last of his water, Midnight doused the lava disc, the sudden soak creating a thick haze of steam, and the disc of lava cooling and solidifying just enough for Midnight to break it with a lash of his hoof without harm to himself. He dropped but kept aloft over the field of crystal berries, and willed the water in all of them to drain out for his use, leaving the whole crop dead and dry. Looking up at his apprentice, Sombra couldn't help but feel proud at the sight of him, surrounded by globes and ribbons of flowing water, orbiting around him like a dance of the cosmos as Midnight confirmed his earlier question.

"Water... When I was seven, I fell into a canal. My parents hadn't taught me to swim yet, so you can imagine that I panicked. I came so very close to drowning as the current swept me away, and even had I not then the water spout I was being dragged to by the current would have dropped me out over the mountainside. That was only the first of my share of near-death experiences, but the fear, the desire to live, and the refusal to give in, it allowed me to tap into that connection to the closest element around me, the element that should have resulted in my death.

"Somehow, I wanted the water to just stop, and I must have somehow enforced my will. The current stopped carrying me, keeping me in place as the rest rushed past. I needed to breathe, and the water carried me up to the surface. I wanted to get out, and then the water held me up and placed me onto the edge of the canal, and I was saved... My father was a little disappointed to find my elemental affinity was Water, but he made sure to get me started on the basics of Hydromancy. Let me show you how far I've come in mastering the adaptation of Water!!"

Midnight lashed his foreleg outward, directing a torrent of water straight for Sombra! He smirked and stamped his hoof to bring up a boulder to shield him, and his satisfaction at seeing the water splash outwards once it impacted with the boulder was quickly washed away as the water zeroed in on him from all sides, striking him dead-center of his chest. The force of the blow sent Sombra head over hooves, rolling through the dirt and dead crops, barely able to roll back onto his hooves when he heard the familiar flurry of flames behind him, and quickly leapt skyward, willing the air to lift him faster before the flame Midnight had thrown torched the spot where his master had been.

He turned to see Midnight was parting the orbs of water around him into smaller orbs before he launched them at Sombra. he ducked and weaved, feeling one get his tail, a second on his wing, but it was the sudden freezing over on those spots that surprised him! He looked to see orbs had not dispersed from the impact but had suddenly frozen completely, disrupting Sombra's flapping while the one on his tail ruined his balance! Growling, he willed the ice to liquefy, and set the air around him ablaze and directed the fury to enclose around Midnight. The sapphire alicorn responded by rotating his whole body, calling upon the air to surround him, creating a tornado!

The suction and air currents pulled Sombra's fire along with them, setting the tornado itself on fire... while Midnight took a straight drop down to the ground, landing perfectly on his hooves, as Sombra came down to join him, and they held another standoff as Sombra asked, "You mentioned your father was disappointed to learn your affinity was Water; what was he hoping for?"

Midnight raised an incredulous brow, "Really? Midnight Blaze? Ignitus Enflame?"

"Fire...But why would your fath- WHOA!!" Sombra lowered his guard so he hadn't sensed the spike of stone coming up from his side and was only barely able to dodge it.

He then noticed Midnight rear up and then stomp his forehooves to the ground, several large stones rising up. Midnight furrowed his brows, concentrating the stones to shrink and compress their density, before he launched them with the speed of arrows at Sombra, who growled before raising his hoof... and the stones flew apart into sand and dust!

But then Midnight directed the wind and the dust to fly straight into Sombra's eyes, causing him to cry out in alarm as he was blinded!

Midnight flew up, willing the water he still carried in his power to surround Sombra, splitting apart into cords of water that quickly froze over into whole spears of solid ice! They launched, only for a cluster of crystal to rise up and protect Sombra, the ice spears shattering upon impact, as Sombra called out, "I might be blinded but you're outnumbered!"

Then Midnight noticed dozens of crystal spikes erupting from the ground, their facets all flashing before each spike of crystal seemed to ripple like water as they each reshaped into basic equine form.

Crystal golems... Midnight landed in the middle, the golems all turning their attention to him, as Midnight stood tall and unconcerned of these constructs. Remembering the spells he'd learned after studying one of his favorite legends, Midnight concentrated, a flurry of mana dancing around him before ribbons of turquoise rose up, each in the likeness of an oriental dragon!

The golems charged Midnight, only for his mana dragons to slither about the air, their energy conflicting with the mana that was animating the golems, which made them wary of the energy dragons as they tried to get around them to attack Midnight. He noticed Sombra had exited his crystal cluster and his eyes were clearing up, and then willed his energy dragons to lash out and ensnare each golem, the conflicting magicks creating a flux that canceled them all out!

The energy dragons faded like mist while the crystal golems crumbled to crystal dust, as Sombra stepped forward, "Most impressive, I actually expected you to fight my golems directly."

"One of the lessons I've taken to heart in my life, master," Midnight responded as he called on the remaining wisps of the magic he'd used to create his energy dragons, "is to be creative!"

He willed the wisps together into an orb of mana that quickly launched itself towards Sombra, who rose up his wings and lit his horn to counter... only for the orb to vanish into the ground nearby him.

"What the-" was all Sombra got out before giant vine-like roots and tendrils suddenly grew out of the soil, and ensnared Sombra. He struggled to free himself, even trying to turn to shadow, only to feel an unpleasant irritation and he remained solid as the vines completely engulfed him.

Midnight smirked... only to feel the ground shake and gasped as spikes of sharp crystal pierced out from the prison of vines, and each spike quickly rotated like drills, tearing the roots up as a flash of power blew the rest away. Midnight covered his eyes with a wing when he heard multiple thud sounds around him and as the light dimmed, he saw the crystal spikes had all flown out and pierced into the ground, one had missed him by a yard, and standing there was Sombra yet again.

"Creativity is indeed a valued concept, Midnight," Sombra lit up his horn and again each spike of crystal lit up as they rippled like liquid and turned into another platoon of crystal golems.
"But, as they say in this time, 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'."

"Well then, allow me to rectify that," Midnight quickly dodged a crystal golem that tried to attack him from his blind spot, and whirled about, shattering the golem with a well-placed kick to its chest.

"Attack," Sombra commanded with a soft voice, and his little army swarmed after Midnight.

Dodging the next attacker, Midnight leapt up and used his wings to push himself through the air to distance himself from the main force. Upon landing, he extended his wings and willed the shadows underneath them to extend and solidify into blades, as well as cover the backs of his wings with solid shadow. Another golem leapt at Midnight, its hoof turning into a mace-like weapon, and Midnight easily knocked it aside with a swat of his wing, and then stabbed it through its center with the shadow blade at the end of his other wing, hitting a weak point that caused cracks to spread throughout the golem, rendering it useless.

More golems attacks, and each of them fell to Midnight's blades, as well as his hooves, his shadow-protected wings also working as shields, and more and more golems rose up out of the ground, all the while Sombra looked on. He willed his golems to attack one at a time, or multiple golems at once, tried using some as distractions or bait, but whatever tactic he implemented Midnight always countered with superior skill, speed, and vigilance. He couldn't help but softly smile like a proud father, but he soon noticed Midnight was slowing down just a little, but there were a couple close-calls that made it more apparent.

Midnight was getting tired, and as he felt his magic wane with every passing moment Sombra knew so was he.

He willed his golems to retreat, and as Midnight watched them fall back, he turned his eyes to his mentor, and Sombra stepped forward, "This duel has been exciting but at the rate we're going, we're going to pass out from exhaustion. So i say... it's time to draw the curtain on this duel."

"...Draw the curtain, huh? Very well, then down the curtain will come," Midnight enshrouded himself with shadow, his form barely seeable before it appeared as though Midnight absorbed the shadows, and long sharp ribbons extended from various points on his body, writhing like snakes.
"And we'll finish this in the stadium, but first..."

Midnight reared back his head as he took a deep breath... and SCREAMED.

His sonic-scream rang throughout the city, the sonic vibrations and concussive sound wave wreaking havoc on the city made of crystal. Almost immediately, the smaller structures shattered to bits while the larger structures, like the castle, splintered and cracked. Sombra's crystal golems were easily blown to dust and away while Sombra covered his ears to protect his hearing, though it barely did any good.

Finally Midnight stopped, and silence befell them both. They stood there staring at each other, Sombra waiting for the ringing in his ears to stop, neither of them so much as glancing at the crystal castle as the damage caused it to give out and topple in a resounding crash. Willing his mana to heal his ears just a little, Sombra sighed in relief to hear clearly, before saying, "In the stadium? So be it..."

Sombra too extended a shroud of shadows around himself, Midnight releasing his own, as the both of them rose, their physical forms gone but their faces still seeable, as they charged each other, like a pair of shadowy serpents, and they clashed, like a pair of storms, energy crackling between their smoky forms, as they rose up and over towards the stadium!

As the two combatants returned to the stadium, bringing with them a vast and imperceptible shroud of shadow that engulfed everything, everypony in the real Crystal Empire was crying out in alarm, some had screamed at the sight of the castle crumbling, and having watched the damage to the city they'd all thought that this had gone too far. Cadance and Shining Armor both had to assure everypony that nothing was wrong and all damage to the city would be undone once the duel was over.

They didn't bother explaining about the Spatial Barrier as it was too long and elaborate to explain, and not everypony would understand the difference between the fact that they were in the real city while the two combatants were duking it out in an alternate version of the empire. The panic and trepidation began to cease a little as the shadowy fog began to clear, and everypony saw Midnight and Sombra right back where it had all began.

Only this time, they were both panting, clearly tired, and although they'd been able to heal most of their wounds, they both obviously had injuries that would have to be looked at once this was over.

"You can feel it, can't you...?" Sombra panted as he held Midnight's gaze, "So can I. This is just about over."

"Yes it is," Midnight agreed as he closed his eyes and reflected on his father's lessons, a mixture of emotions boiling inside. He missed his father but he also resented him. He loved his master as a second father, but even though there was a part of him that wished he could, Sombra could never fill the hole in his heart that Ignitus left behind all those years ago.
"My mana's low, but I got enough for this next attack, one I didn't want to resort to, but here we are..."

Before Sombra could ask what Midnight was talking about, Midnight furrowed his brows, gritted his teeth, and concentrated, willing the ground beneath him to rise!

A pillar of earth and stone rose up, carrying Midnight higher and higher until he stood above the stadium itself, and he then willed the pillar to reshape, turning into some kind of ramp, before he amplified his voice for all to hear.

"I apologize for the dramatic flare but I need this ramp to pull off my final trump card. It's a technique that has been passed down in my family, the House of Obsidian, for almost a thousand years!"

Celestia and Shining Armor both gasped as the latter whispered, "...Is he really gonna do it?"

"Do what? What is Midnight talking about?" Luna inquired.

"...It's a magical battle technique that has been passed down from father to son in the Obsidian bloodline," Celestia explained, "and it can only be done by a Master Pryomancer, a fire wizard. It is among the most powerful fighting techniques I have ever seen, but I've never seen Midnight do it."

"Ah take it his pa taught him this move yer talkin' about," Big Mac presumed.

"He did, and Ignitus Enflame was the greatest Pyromancer of his time," Shining Armor confirmed, "Part of why is that he was taught by a dragon sorceress, the same dragon sorceress who taught Midnight dragon magic. I asked him about the technique once back when I was training with Midnight, but... Well, he kept most of the details vague, but he did say that the technique places an enormous amount of strain on the pony using it, it needs a lot of mana, and it's dangerous to get wrong, both to the user and to anyone or anything around him!"

"And Midnight called it his final trump card," Luna realized, "so for him, this will be all or nothing. This duel is just about to end..."

Twilight felt her heart beat painfully, as though something were squeezing it as it struggled to get free, and she looked up towards Midnight, who appeared to be concentrating. She felt someone press up to her, and saw it was Twinken, who looked worried but also smiled up at her.
"He can do it!"

This little colt's smile, the warmth she felt from him, Twilight felt the pressure in her chest fade, not completely, but still. She smiled back at Twinken, and then wrapped her wing around him, thankful for what he'd done, and then said, "Let's believe in your big brother together."

Twinken nodded as they both looked on at Midnight.

On the field, as he looked up the pillar and ramp his apprentice had risen from the ground, Sombra felt his horn shiver as it sensed power. Real power. And it was gathering at that high point where his pupil stood, and he determined something about whatever Midnight was planning to do next.

Fire... His father wanted for his elemental affinity to be Fire, he thought. So perhaps that's what this technique involves, a technique that has been passed down through his lineage. Well... as honored as I am to merit its use, I'm not just going to stand here and take it!

Sombra had learned much ever since he'd been reunited with Celestia after Midnight (as his past self) freed him of the evil that had turned him into a monster. Among the subjects he'd delved into had been science, especially the modern periodic table. Among those chemical elements, one of them had just the right properties he needed for his strategy.

He stood where he was, serene in his concentration as he focused upon a point right in front of him, his building of power more subtle than Midnight's as the sapphire blue alicorn was enshrouded in a blaze of mana that behaved like fire! His very mane waved like tongues of flame and gave off embers of power. He had the power, now it was time to use it.

"This is it! One way or another, my master, this ends now!!!" Midnight went over the edge of the pillar, and ran!

He ran with all his might, gravity aiding in his building acceleration, the intensity of his flames rising in heat! He was almost to the bottom, at the curve of the ramp, when he shouted, "Behold the burning fire of my bloodline!

Cito Agmine Inferno!!!!!!"

Midnight leapt from the ramp and in mid-air he somersaulted, his speed causing him to spin at an incredible velocity! The fire span along with him, his horn creating a razor sharp edge, transforming Midnight into a spinning disc of fiery fury!! His physical form was all but unseeable within the burning wheel of power, smoldering trails of the air itself burning shrouding him as he became a shooting star aimed straight for Sombra!

Sensing the end was imminent, Sombra opened his eyes, having completed his spell, a singular point of pure glowing energy floating right in front of him... and he charged to meet Midnight head-on!

"Incredible...!" Luna whispered as they all witnessed the impending clash.

"KICK BUTT MIDNIIIIIIGGGGHHHTTTT!!!!!!!" Soarin, Thunderlane, Cheese Sandwich, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash all cried out.

"Wait... what's that energy Sombra has in front of him?!" Twinken noticed it, and although it didn't seem like much it was for that very reason he suddenly felt afraid for his brother!

"That's...!" Twilight realized in horror as she saw it. She'd taken all kinds of chemistry and alchemy classes and studies to the point where she could recognize almost any chemical element, and the energy of what Sombra was racing towards to meet Midnight was... Hydrogen!!!

In her panicking realization, Twilight forgot that Midnight could not hear her, as she rose up and screamed, "MIDNIGHT, LOOK OOOOOUUUUUTTTT!!!!!"

The resulting clash was like nopony in that stadium had ever seen before. The moment when Midnight's fire technique made contact with Sombra's point of hydrogen... There was a blinding light that nopony could see through, and for a few moments in that harsh and blinding light there was silence.

When the light dimmed, the silence was washed away by the smoldering cracks and hisses of fire, and everypony looked on in utter shock to see the field had been completely torched, looking like scorched earth. Not a single blade of grass had survived, patches of dirt smoldering, plumes of smoke rising here and there.

But miraculously, there they stood.

Just like they had when all of this began.

Only this time, everypony could see it was all but over, as the two alicorn princes, with parts of their coats burned, some of their feathers singed, were heaving and shaking, struggling to stand, all the while maintaining eye contact. Every part of their body hurt. Aches, bruises, burns, a cut here and there bleeding, they wheezed from the blistering air and smoky rank of burning earth, and yet neither of them were giving in.

But they had to. The both of them knew they had nothing left, it was only their sheer and stubborn wills keeping them on their shaking hooves... but then, Midnight began to walk forward. His head pounded, his hooves cried out for mercy, but he forced himself to approach Sombra, who stood his ground, unsure what Midnight was going to do next. Nor did he care, because he'd given his all, and just wanted it to be over, and yet...

Why do I still stand...? he thought and then Midnight stood only a yard from him, looking up into his master's eyes.

They both panted and wheezed, their legs and withers shaking in pain, and the moment they shared right then and there they would carry for the rest of their lives. And then...

"Congratulations. You wi..."

And then he fell over as the other collapsed onto his haunches.

It was over, and the ending of the duel triggered the dispelling of the Spatial Barrier. Everypony watched in amazement as everything became as it was before. The damaged city, the burnt field, all of it vanished as the true Crystal Empire returned, completely unharmed and intact, as Spike stepped forward.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, visitors from near and far, I am proud to be here in this moment to announce the winner of this duel and of the Trinity Cup, give it up, for PRINCE SOMBRA!!!!"

After all the excitement in the stadium, the two combatants were quickly taken to the hospital wing of the crystal castle for medical attention. Midnight spent the whole night getting patched up, a few stitches, mana transfusions, bandaged here and there, and once the doctors were satisfied they left Midnight in a hospital bed, and assured everyone, especially Twilight and Twinken, that after a good night's sleep, he'd be walking tomorrow but he would be under doctor's orders to take it easy for about a week. Even so, the mare and colt both insisted on staying with Midnight while he slept.

Sombra was given the same treatment, and even though he wasn't as serious as Midnight, the doctors insisted that Sombra avoid strenuous activities and take a week or two off for rest and relaxation. Sombra had been reluctant to agree but his wife assured the doctors she would make sure he was well rested, and started him off by having him spend a session at the Crystal Spa.

On a whim, Sombra decided to try the crystal mud bath, which felt more like gel than mud. But he could not deny the soothing sensation it had on his sore muscles, and now that things had calmed down, and he had this moment to himself, Sombra realized something else.

I won, which means... If I accept the offer, Celestia will make me War Chief. Should I accept? I misused power once and that resulted in the greatest shame of my life. But... there's a part of me that wants to accept. I suppose it might come from not wanting to let her down, or... is it something else?

He was so deep into his thoughts that Sombra didn't notice her until she had immersed herself into the crystal mud bath and leaned against him. Feeling her warmth, grateful to have it, he looked to his wife, noticing she'd rolled up her mane into a bun, hair sticks holding it all in place, and had removed her royal ware. She smiled at him, a smile he returned and welcomed her lips when they pressed up to his. He welcomed every moment in her presence, treasured every touch, and when their lips parted and they looked into each other's eyes, he saw the best of himself looking right back in the reflection of those soft pools of pinkish-purple.

"Congratulations, my champion."

"Thank you, my beloved, I... Well, it was... it was really something!"

"Indeed, it was," Celestia chuckled, "the both of you battled well and hard, and you both gave it your all. It was an honor and a privilege to witness the both of you dueling to your very best."

"Thank you, Tia, I..." Sombra looked a little down.

"Is something wrong?"

"i... I just feel a little conflicted right now. I'm proud to have battled such a worthy opponent but I feel a little bad in defeating my pupil. Not to mention.... Well, the position you brought up before the duel."

"I see what you mean. Granted, I've never dueled against Twilight, only encouraged her to learn, as I could never have the heart to face her in the way you and Midnight did. Though, I suppose it's a stallion thing..." she gave her husband a teasing glance, which he avoided meeting, spurring a giggle from her, "In some way, I'm actually glad you won, and not Midnight. Not because I'm your wife, but because as far as he's come Midnight still has so much to learn, and failure is a far greater teacher than success. If only Twilight could realize that... Ahem, anyway! ...When I think about it, if he had won, I am fairly certain Midnight would have turned down the offer I am giving you.

"His reasons are several, most of them within reason, but if word got out that he'd turned the offer down it would reflect badly on him. Even so, the position would have been a constant hindrance to Midnight's work in the Brotherhood, and that could only have led to trouble. I am certain Shining Armor could fulfill the role well enough but his duties and his place in Equestria are here in the Crystal Empire. There's only so much we can give of ourselves to our subjects, but we still have an obligation to ourselves and our loved ones."

"...How did you do it?" Sombra asked, Celestia giving him a solemn look, as he asked again, "How did you rule this whole nation on your own for a thousand years? I feel so ashamed of how I turned out, and perhaps my own actions played a part in what became of Luna. But for a thousand years you were alone! Because of my actions, you were alone for all that time, with so few friends to turn to for comfort and support. Even after all that's happened... I still can't believe I am here, not just back here in my old empire but here period!"

Sombra began to shed tears as he went on, "I still find myself in moments where I look around and realize I'm not somewhere dark and cold and alone, and-and... The memories! The pain! Oh Celestia, I-I don't know what I-"

Celestia wrapped her hooves around her husband and pulled him to her breast, resting her cheek on top of his head, giving him gentle shushes to calm him down, as he struggled to dry his tears and then she spoke softly, "It was hard... Oh Sombra, it was so hard. I was alone, even when I was surrounded by a nation of subjects who adored and relied upon me. Despite my doubts however, I kept moving forward, and I can't tell you of the countless times where I doubted myself, questioned if the decisions I was making were the right ones or if they would turn out so horribly wrong.

"Yes, I had friends, dear and trusted confidantes to whom I could open up and reveal my true self, my hidden vulnerabilities, and I was grateful to have them. They gave me love and support through their friendship and had it not been for them I most certainly would never have carried on as long as I did before my sister was returned to me. But like you said, they were few. For just like everypony else, they faded away by the unfeeling passage of time. It was painful to watch them come and go with the passing of the centuries, but without each and everyone of them I don't think I would have carried enough strength to make it through it all. You are not the only one who has made mistakes though, my love. Our mentor, Star Swirl, made mistakes. You made mistakes. Luna made mistakes, and I most certainly have made so many mistakes, monumental ones that yielded such consequences they still haunt my dreams to this day. My thousand years of rule alone were not perfect, and don't you dare think otherwise. Despite what most ponies say and have said over the ages, I am not perfect, despite the unspoken demand of my subjects that I should be.

"Sometimes, it is not the forgiveness of others that is the hardest thing to achieve, Sombra, but the forgiveness of ourselves."

She gently pulled up Sombra's tear-stained face so he would look into her eyes as she said, "You have suffered long enough, you have more than made amends, Sombra... It's time to let go. I forgave you a long time ago, and your old subjects have forgiven you too! Maybe not all of them, but didn't it feel so good to see that little filly come up to you? No fear in her eyes, no resentment, no judgement, only a forgiving and welcoming smile. It's good that you have felt this burden weigh down on your heart, but you need not bear it any longer. It's time for a new start, and I'm not saying that as your wife, but as another pony. Because the pony I'm looking at right here and now, he's my hero!"

And just like that, it was gone!

The weight that had dragged him down ever since he had returned to this pony before him after he'd been freed of the darkness, the guilt he had carried, the shame that had haunted his waking moments, it all just floated away! Sombra stood up, looking at his wife with awe, her looking up at him with that soft smile... He pulled her up to him and kissed her. He kissed her and she kissed him, they held each other, leaned against each other on their hind hooves, until one of them lost their balance and they fell over, splashing some of the crystal mud, but neither of them cared.

One of the spa ponies overheard the splashing and came around the corner to bring a towel... only to stifle am 'EEP' and quickly hide back behind the corner, as she'd glimpsed things beginning to grow... intimate.

As they prepared for make love, Sombra looked upon his wife, this goddess, the radiant warmth of the sun in equine form, before he whispered, "I love you, Celestia."

"I love you more," Celestia replied with a loving tease.

"I love you most," Sombra chuckled as he sat down in the crystal mud bath and pulled his wife closer.

Author's Note

One of the problems when I came up with this duel was the apply a situation for Midnight and Sombra to give it their all without harming anyone or damaging the city; one of them using a Spatial Barrier to cover the whole city seemed a stretch until I realized the Crystal Heart could be used to expand the Area of Effect so then it no longer seemed a stretch

I haven't really given a name to this discipline other than the techniques and what they do; for now the working-name is Mana Wielding, and its a discipline and art of magic that can be learned by anypony, even earth ponies and pegasi (in my story-canon, at least)

Arcane Armor - defensive technique

Freeflow - movement technique

Recovery - healing technique

Fugere super alas a Draco (Latin: "Fly on the wings of a Dragon")

Oculus Aquilae ("Eye of the Eagle")

Cito Agmine Inferno ("Rushing Inferno")

If you're wondering how Midnight's alicorn-level earth pony form looks, he has the same body shape as the hero Rockhoof. One of the reasons I had Midnight do more techniques than Sombra was to display that Midnight was trying harder than Sombra to win the duel, because Sombra has far more experience in battle, with both skill and strategy

(B'tween) Time to Change

The room was dark and eerily silent. But it didn't stay that way for long, as a light shined down and hoofsteps echoed as Princess Celestia stepped forward, her face expressing no emotion before she spoke:

"Read the charges."

Another light shined down, upon Shining Armor, in his captain's uniform, as he levitated a clipboard with notes on it, as he asked, "Where is... the accused?"

A third light shined down upon a unicorn mare who had seen better days. Aurora Boreala. She wore a simple dress, her hair was done up in a bun although a strand or two stuck out, her face haggard, her eyes expressing sorrow, her overall appearance indicative of the stress she'd been experiencing as of late, and seeing her Shining Armor cleared his throat.

"Aurora Boreala, former Duchess of Education in the Aristocratic Council and Head of House Pallas, you stand before the royal court accused of treason, disclosing classified information to known enemies of the Equestrian nation, as an accessory to the crimes committed by said enemies, and-"

"Why are we wasting our time on this spectacle?!"

Another light shined down, upon Luna, who stood at her sister's left, as she glared venomously at Aurora, "We have all the evidence we need, she confessed to her crimes, she was caught in the act; we should- should... banish her and be done with it!"

"No..."

Another light shined down, on Midnight, who stood to the far right of Celestia as he spoke softly yet harshly, "I want to hear her make her case."

Aurora hesitantly looked up and wished she hadn't as she saw the animosity Midnight bore into her with his eyes, "I want to know what she thinks we're going to do with her. Because I want to do something worse..."

"Fine!" Luna waved her hoof, and the whole room lit up, to reveal the royal court room, where only the worst of criminals were placed on trial, before the alicorn monarchs of Equestria.
"Let's get this over with."

Aurora looked to her side and saw Fancy Pants who had volunteered to act as her defense attorney, but standing near the alicorns was Brass Scales, the Duke of Law and Order. She hadn't had high hopes but any hope she had now hung by a thread to see Brass Scales here, acting as the prosecution. He returned her gaze with one devoid of emotion.

Where the judge would ordinarily sit alone, Celestia sat with Luna and Cadance sitting at her left while Sombra and Midnight sat at her right. The jury was made up of the remaining members of the Aristocratic Council (although for some reason one of them was absent), and the ponies attending to watch the trial were Princess Twilight, her friends, her parents, and several ponies of Canterlot. Among them, Aurora saw her son and daughter with their nanny, all of them looking on at her with eyes sad and scared, and never had she felt so ashamed.

"This trial of the People versus Aurora Boreala shall now come to order," Celestia declared, "the Prosecution shall make their opening statement."

Hearing this, Brass Scales stepped forward and cleared his throat before he spoke loudly and clearly to insure everypony could hear him speak.

"Good morning, everypony in attendance. I am Brass Scales, Head of House Candor and the Duke of Law and Order, and Their Majesties have called upon me to serve the prosecution in this case as representative of the people of this nation. Approximately one month ago, the defendant in this case" he turned to point his hoof directly at her - "former Duchess of Education and head of House Pallas, Aurora Boreala, betrayed her country and her fellow pony, inciting a full-scale invasion at the hooves of recognized enemies of Equestria, the Changeling Hive. Upon conclusion of this trial, we will ask for a verdict of guilty. Fillies and gentlecolts of the jury, this is a case where the defendant in question committed an act of treason against this nation and its rulers and by doing so endangered thousands of lives and resulted in the deaths of over a hundred of our honorable Royal Guardsponies and at least a dozen Wonderbolts. Hundreds of families have suffered and lost ponies near and dear to them, and I am here to get to the Truth so that Justice can be served."

Brass Scales took his seat, and Celestia announced, "And now, we shall hear an opening statement from the Defense."

Everypony looked to Aurora and Fancy Pants, who was beside her. He placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder for a moment before standing up and clearing his throat.

"Ahem, good morning, Your Majesties, esteemed fillies and gentlecolts of the jury, you all know me as Fancy Pants, an official representative and occasional spokespony on behalf the Aristocratic Council, and Head of House Premiere. As a pony, the charges against my client are disturbing, to say the least. But to lay such excessive blame upon this individual is an affront to our rights as sentient beings, in light of the supposed evidence your prosecution claims to possess.

"For example, it has been said that my client allegedly "confessed" to the charges against her sometime prior to this trial, but was she given proper representation? Was she read her rights? Or was she confused by the considerable emotional stress placed upon her by unfounded accusations and premature hoof-pointing? I know if I was suddenly charged with such crimes out of nowhere and from multiple ponies of authority, I might not think clearly or make decisions of sound mind.

"Therefore... before this trial is over, I shall make it so that all of us see the gray between the black and the white."

Fancy Pants gave a respectful bow to the alicorns presiding over the trial before taking his seat, and Celestia stated, "Now, let us proceed. Brass Scales?

“Yes, Your Highness," Brass Scales looked to Shining Armor, who was acting as bailiff, "Would you please have someone bring in the first piece of evidence?”

Shining Armor opened the door, unaware they were about to be screwed over hard. The guard, a stout bluish tan unicorn, came in, carrying a tray in his mahogany aura. He gently set the tray in front of Brass Scales and backed away.

“Exhibit A - the scarabs used by the defendant, Aurora Boreala, to contact the changeling, Commander Thorn!”

He ripped the cloth off the tray to reveal an empty tray.

Moorland stood in the waiting room of the lab, while the scientists examined the scarabs Pipe lifted from the evidence locker. She turned to him and raised a brow.

“Something up?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said. “This whole case is a three ring circus. Something's missing and I want it!”

She sighed and sat down.

“I know you want to get the right party, but....”

On cue, one of the labelings hurried out with a sheaf of papers.

“I have the results on the scarabs!”

Moorland snagged the papers and read. She turned to Pipe and smirked.

“Prepare the circus seats,” she said. “You were right to bring them here, as there was evidence that they missed. Once such piece was on one of the scarabs. It had a broken leg, showing it had been roughly handled and was tossed around to make it look like it was something from a trash bin. That means that whoever gave it to Aurora....”

“Thorn,” Pipe said. “I saw them talking, along with his own spies.”

“...Thorn then. When he gave them to her, he was expecting another Duke to use as a spy,” she said. “He had to make do and slapped a plan together at the last minute.”

He chuckled darkly.

“Show time....”

“WILL DUKE PIPE GLASS COME FORWARD AND TAKE THE STAND?!”

By now, Brass Scales was starting to worry. Having found his first piece of evidence was missing, he quickly changed tactics by calling a witness. Except his witness, Pipe Glass, Duke of Magic and Mysteries and Head of House Clue, was nowhere to be found, and Brass had been stalling for thirty minutes.

“Never trust a PI,” Shining muttered darkly.

Just as he said that, the doors swung open and the pegasus duke strode in. None of them saw he had a cocky smirk on his muzzle. He took the stand and sat, waiting for Brass Scales to question him.

"So Pipe Glass..." Brass walked up to the witness stand, irked by that smug look on his colleague's face, "is there any particular reason as to why you were not present when I first called you up as my witness?"

"Hmm, I had some... important issues to attend to, my apologies," Pipe Glass shrugged it off and his tone was anything but apologetic.

Stifling a growl, Brass decided to just proceed, "Very well then, as a skilled detective, I understand that you combed through the evidence that is involved in this case against the defendant, is that correct?"

"Evidence? Oh, are you talking abut those buggy-looking trinkets?" Pipe Glass responded, his voice sarcastic, raising everypony's ire.

"'Trinkets'?! Those pieces of evidence are the tools that were used by the accused to commit the crimes she is being charged with!" Brass Scales looked incensed.

Pipe Glass continued to smirk; he'd gotten under everypony's coats and he was just getting started. He shrugged again, losing the smirk but raising his brows as he replied, "I never saw them! They were gone before I had a chance to examine them."

"You- You didn't... you didn't examine the evidence?!" Brass Scales couldn't believe what he was hearing, neither could the alicorn judges or the jurors or the ponies in attendance!
"Pipe Glass! You specifically were tasked by Princess Luna to examine the evidence pertaining to this trial! Now either you are inexplicably incompetent or you are lying, and I don't think I need to remind you that you are under oath! So I will ask again:

"Did you examine the evidence?!"

For a few moments, Pipe Glass looked into Brass Scales's eyes before he raised his hooves up in an 'oh well' gesture and answered, “They was gone before I entered the evidence room."

That, of course, was a damn lie and he knew it. He had been in and had seen them. He had even removed them to a lab he knew for further and much more detailed results. He knew the results and was waiting for the right moment.

“If you never saw them....then how....this is.....ggaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!” Brass roared in confused anger.

Pipe was leading him on. After all, years of leading on an old DA by the name Mahogany Gavel and making him look like an ass had trained him well.

“Now, I must clarify,” Pipe asked in his trademark sweet tone. “Do you mean now, or when they were recovered?”

That got Brass Scales attention alright.

“What do you mean 'when they were recovered'?” he demanded.

“That's what I mean,” Pipe responded. “When they were fished out of Aurora's room. Did I see them then or now, before the trial?”

The only one really enjoying the whole spectacle was Aurora. She couldn't wait to see where he went, as the anticipation was killing her.

“I have seen them, but it was only a quick glance, nothing more. You think I somehow got into the room, snagged them, sent them off somewhere and am withholding vital information?” he once again said in his sweet tone.

Brass Scales struggled to contain his fury at this unforeseeable turn of events. The way Pipe spoke in theory, it was all but certain his hypothesis was fact and not just that. But by speaking in theory, his virtual confession could not be turned around against him.

"Now, I must ask one simple question, as there appears to be a mixup of timelines here. From what I recall, at around that time, they were gone. All I remember was a note saying 'Lab Work needs to be done' and that's that. Are you asking me if I examined them before she asked and before they disappeared or after she asked and they had grown legs and walked away?" he asked.

Brass Scales was now getting beyond fed up with this little runaround.

"I have looked them over, and had intentions of seeing them to a lab for test work. I had a slight feeling there was a runaround being had and we were all being played as five star saps," he said, dismissively, as if he were in his office. "But from that first time I saw them when they were pulled out, I haven't seen them since."

"So....you can't tell me any more?" Brass Scales was feeling defeated but damned if he was going to show it.

"Unfortunately not," Pipe confirmed.

The two dukes held each other's gazes, Pipe's distantly smug, Brass's stoney yet chipped, and for a few long moments silence befell the court room. Celestia was about to say something to move things along, when Pipe looked at her and asked, "Can I step down? I think we're done here."

"No, we are not."

All eyes turned back to Brass Scales, as he moved back a few steps, took a deep breath and a moment to center his thoughts, his anxiety falling away, and calm spread over his face.
"I have served in the courts of Canterlot for half of my life and am the youngest to ever achieve the position of judge. All my work I accomplished using common sense, keen observation, and a trust in my own instincts. And Duke Pipe Glass, my instincts are telling me... You're lying!"

"Objection." Fancy Pants spoke up, only for Celestia to respond, "Overruled."

"Duke Brass Scales," Pipe Glass narrowed his eyes and pulled his lips back in another smirk, "Are you proposing that I am committing perjury?"

"I am accusing you..." Brass Scales corrected and both dukes seemed to lean in at each other, as if challenging the other to back down.

As if on cue, to break the tension, one of the on-duty guards of the evidence room came up with a tray and revealed the scarabs.

"Found them! Somehow, one of the idiots working in there moved them into the wrong evidence box. One of the guards clocking out searched through the boxes and found them," he panted a bit, having hurried to bring the evidence. "So, I'll... just leave them here and be on my way."

He hurried out, leaving them to continue their glare fest. Brass Scales then grabbed the tray and shoved them in Pipe's face, still growling and snarling every single threat in the book. He was using everything from perjury to being held in contempt of court. All Pipe did was chuckle.

"Ah, these things," he replied, as if it had just dawned on him. "I think everyone's had enough of the circus. I have seen these. Multiple times, in fact. I had some suspicions on their design, as well as their purpose, so I sent it off to a lab to be examined and the report I got back is quite enlightening."

Everyone's eyes now fixed on him. Brass Scales was now fuming beyond all recognition. He had just been had.

Growling with a real desire to throttle this... this... upstart, Brass Scales forced himself to maintain composure and glared with loathing at Pipe Glass before saying, "Nothing further..."

Stepped back to take his seat, Fancy Pants stood up to approach the witness before he asked, "Duke Pipe Glass, will you explain the report regarding Exhibit A and what it says?"

"Of course. The scarabs were of a design of communication device used by Changelings as a way to communicate with a superior officer when they were in whatever position they were needed in for whatever duty they were to perform. However, the main comms officers found them to be easily intercepted by other technology, magical or otherwise, and were often easily broken. This particular design had been sitting in a trash bin, as is evident by the microscopic trash particles stuck to it."

Hearing that, Aurora stifled an expression of disgust, but continued to listen with rapt attention of Pipe Glass's testimony.

"However, due to the legs having been bent and three being broken off means that they were intended for some pony who would be easy to contact, and even easier to talk to, but the three scratches on the underside of scarab number 3 says that they were hastily given to Aurora last minute, which means that Thorn was not expecting her. From here, I'd hazard a guess that he was expecting a Duke to be his "handle", but...from here, we then get into a bit of information I was entrusted with by Aurora after an unpleasant experience."

Looking to his client, Fancy Pants gently asked her to release him from the vow of confidence. She accepted and verbally told him to let them have everything.

"Very well. She had been in a short temper after Celestia made the announcement that she was planning to abolish the generational pass down of our very positions in the Aristocratic Council. Now, her ideologies and her anger clouded her judgement, and what made it worse was that there were indeed spies around here. They took up the identities of unicorns who shared her... perspective and after she, in her blind anger, let slip about the energem mines, they revealed themselves to her and from there, proceeded to blackmail her into spying for them. From that point, it led to the dispatch of an investigation team led by Prince Shining Armor and Prince Midnight Blaze, which lead to Prince Midnight's capture and the ensuing invasion of Canterlot by Chrysalis's Hive."

The only thing following was dead silence. None of them knew what to think or even feel.

"Do....you wish to continue the questioning?" Celestia asked.

"No, your honor," Fancy Pants said.

"Very well then, Duke Pipe Glass, you may step down," Celestia permitted, and Pipe Glass bowed respectfully before stepping down fro mthe stand and joining the ponies in attendance.
"It is now time to call the next witness. Please step forward... Thorax."

Several of the jurors whispered in confusion when a teenaged earth pony colt with a teal coat and short mane held in a band came forward. But before he took the stand, he was briefly engulfed in blue flame-like mana, revealing...

"A CHANGELING!!"
"LOOK OUT!!!"
"GUARDS!!!!"

"ORDER!!" Celestia banged her hoof on the judge's stand, her voice carrying a subtle bewitchment that compelled the panicking ponies in the courtroom to calm down and listen.
"We shall have order! This is Thorax, the next witness, and he is here to share testimony crucial to this trial!"

Once again, Aurora was feeling nervous, for she recognized him, He's the bug who fooled me into confessing in front of the princess...!

"Please, Thorax, take the stand," Celestia invited kindly and Thorax nervously obliged, albeit looking very uncomfortable.

"Please state your name for the record," requested a pony who was typing the record of the trial.

"M-my name is... Thorax," Thorax forced himself to speak but the way everypony was looking at him, he could feel the fear, the disgust, even the hate, not that he could blame them. If it weren't for the kindness and understanding he felt from Princess Celestia beside him, and the encouraging smiles of Twilight and her friends from the crowd, there was no way he'd be able to choke out a word.
"At the request of Princess Celestia, I am here to provide testimony on this case."

Now I've seen everything... Brass scales thought, as he pushed back the animosity he felt towards changelings and stepped forward to begin questioning the witness.

"So... Thorax, yes? You are here to provide testimony regarding this case agaisnt the accused, correct?"

"Yes, sir, I- I am!" Thorax felt the authority in Brass Scales and he felt the loath too, despite the duke's attempt to be professional and impartial.

"So then, can you explain your part in the whole thing? Why you are here to testify? What role you played in it all?"

"Um... I-I guess I should start at the beginning," Thorax took a deep breath and explained his background. How he was somehow freed of the Hive Mind Control that the queen used to control the changelings, and how he fled the hive with his little sister Elytra, seeking to be free of Chrysalis's evil. How Elytra was able to learn that the changelings were planning another invasion and Thorax came to Canterlot to warn everypony and help. How he helped unveil Aurora as the culprit spying on the princes and princesses and the council. And once all was well and the threat had passed, he and Elytra had been invited by Shining Armor and Cadance to live in the Crystal Empire.
"I know that my kind has done terrible things and maybe nothing I say can change the minds of those who hate us, and they have every right to. But I swear on my little sister's life that while most changelings willingly obey the queen despite the Hive Mind, there are some changelings like me! And Elytra! Changelings who hate doing what Queen Chrysalis made us all do, tricking others, feeding off their love, hurting them...

"There are a few of us, a minority, that want to be free, that hate the queen, and don't want to steal love but earn it. I didn't come to Canterlot just to warn everypony about the danger for the sake of my sister, I did it because it was the right thing to do. And it's because I did the right thing that my little sister Elytra is happy and safe from the queen, and we have real and true friends. My being here is just the start of how much I want to do to repay our new friends for all they've done for us."

Fancy Pants listened in to the testimony of Thorax and something was missing. He had started to say “And I came to warn the four.....” but stopped himself and changed it to “Princes”. It was suspicious, as he knew there were only three princes, unless he counted Blueblood, but that was highly unlikely because Blueblood's title of Prince was honorary; officially it was Duke.

He made a note of that and after Brass Scales was done intimidating the poor changeling with his questions, Fancy Pants moved in.

“I would like to start this off with one simple question. In your testimony, you had an uncomfortable pause between the number four and the word 'Princes'. Is there something you're not telling us? Also, why change the word that was to follow the number four?”

Thorax looked nervously around before he glimpsed a sign from Twilight. The sign she made was subtle, so the others couldn't pick up on it. She gave him a small smile of relief, which was the sign to tell the truth and free himself once and for all.

“Okay, I had changed it to Princes as, if I had told the truth, I would be accused of fabricating evidence and even making it up,” he admitted.

“Then tell us what we need to know,” Fancy Pants pressed, hot on the trail and becoming hard nosed.

“O...okay....then....” Thorax stammered out. “Chrysalis had her eyes on four out of the twelve Dukes and Duchesses here. It was the four 'Sane' Dukes. She 'despises those who where their emotions on their sleeves' as spies, as they can be manipulated by any situation.”

“OBJECTION!” Duke Brass Scales thundered.

“OVERRULED!” Celestia barked. “Fancy Pants, continue. Now this has become something of interest.”

Fancy Pants nodded and pressed on, applying pressure only when Thorax stumbled or kept trying to change the subject. Now, he could see the licks of dying flames and fading smoke. And where there's smoke, there's fire.

“Now, the crucial question,” he carried on. “Can you name the dukes?”

“I forgot,” Thorax squeaked, trying to shrink down.

“Come on! Out with it!” Fancy Pants hissed.

This was it! Everything hinged on this one point! If he could just get Thorax to open up!

“Take a step back and breath,” Cadence spoke up. “Your cross examining him, not running him in on a money laundering charge.”

Fancy Pants pulled back and took in a deep breath, then spoke in a calm manner.

“Thorax, This one piece of evidence is crucial,” he emphasized. “It's what will see the right culprits get it in the long run.”

That lifted Thorax's spirits!

“Right. The names were Brass Scales, Firestorm, Lightning Wing and Pipe Glass. She saw them as being ones she could easily control through logic and well chosen words. Her reason, none of you would be, in her words 'Smart enough to catch on to open and shut betrayal'.”

The names Thorax had just spoken caused another silence to befall the court room, as it sank in to everypony who'd heard. Among them, Brass Scales slowly looked back at Pipe Glass, who looked on without expression.

"Truth be told..."

All eyes turned back to Thorax, who looked sincere as he nervously looked to Aurora, "I don't hold what Miss Aurora did against her. If anything, I feel bad it happened to her, to begin with. She was... I guess you call it, a victim of circumstances."

As much as she resented him for his part in her humiliation, Aurora felt touched. She saw no judgement or spite in Thorax's eyes. There was only true and honest sympathy.

"Thank you, Thorax..." Fancy Pants stepped away to rejoin Aurora, "No further questions."

"You may step down, Thorax," said Celestia.

Thorax nervously did so, almost forgetting to give Celestia a respectful bow, and kept his head low at first as he made for the exit. Only to hear somepony clear their throat and looked to see Twilight giving him a kind smile and tapping the empty spot beside her. At first, he was hesitant, but feeling Twilight's kindness and that she cared about him, Thorax smiled back and joined her to watch the rest of the trial.

"Well..." All eyes turned to Celestia, whose downward gaze displayed her troubled thoughts before she voiced, "In light of this new evidence, the decision to be made has become all the more difficult. Aurora Boreala, please stand."

Nervous, Aurora did as she was told and Celestia went on.
"Aurora, out of spite and misguided thinking, you made a choice and that choice led to the deaths of hundreds of ponies. Good soldiers, Wonderbolts, and hard workers, and the families of all those ponies still grieve. Your actions were made known to the public and in the court of public opinion you're guilty. This new evidence however shows that you are, as Thorax said, a victim of circumstances and the only justifiable reason you acted under duress was out of your concern for your son and daughter.

"That said, I cannot in good conscience condemn you but nor can I permit you to walk away without being made to answer for your actions otherwise the public outcry could yield consequences of its own. The question is... What do we do with you now?"

For a long and uncomfortable moment no one said anything as Celestia and Aurora held each other's gaze, the former troubled with indecision, the latter nervous but understanding.

She had to be judged.

"Community service."

All eyes turned to Thorax, who stood up from his seat by Twilight, and Celestia responded, "Community service, Thorax?"

“We don't want a public outcry from a “Not Guilty” verdict,” Thorax reasoned before he suggested, "so sentence her to some kind of community service."

“What do you propose?” Sombra asked, raising a brow at the Changeling.

“Well... she's gonna need a new identity, so nopony will go after her looking for revenge. And she acted because of her looking down on earth ponies and pegasi, so... have her work as a servant to earth ponies and pegasi. Teach her humility, make her understand that earth ponies and pegasi deserve every bit of respect as unicorns do."

Celestia looked to the alicorns with her and they all nodded, and considered her own thoughts on the idea before saying, "It is reasonable, though there will be conditions to this sentence, that leaves the question of Aurora's children."

“Take them in as wards of the crown, where she can have supervised visits,” Brass Scales suggested “While not ideal, it'll have to do.”

Brass Scales's suggestion struck Aurora to the core and she couldn't help but shed a tear even though she knew this was probably better, for everyone.

"Agreed," Luna nodded to Brass, "but we must discuss this further, so I suggest we take a short recess."

"Agreed. Aurora, I am granting you this period to spend with your children before we reconvene in one hour, make the most of it," Celestia stamped her hoof, and immediately, the ponies attending whispered among themselves while Aurora turned around as her children hurried up to hug her over the banister.

The hour was up and the courtroom filled up again, as Aurora sat by Fancy Pants and they waited for Celestia and the alicorns to return. As they waited, Aurora tapped Fancy Pants on the shoulder and when he turned to look at her, she whispered to him, "I understand if you have some reason to hold me in contempt, but all the same, thank you for representing me."

"There has been too much bad in Canterlot as of late," Fancy Pants responded, "I lost a few friends among the Guard when they did their part to defend our city. But hating you won't bring them back. They did their duty, and I honor them by doing mine. Regardless, Aurora, I wager you have a long road ahead of you."

Aurora nodded in understanding when the alicorns returned. After they took their seats, Celestia bade, "All rise."

Everyone in the courtroom stood up and Celestia declared, "Aurora Boreala, after careful deliberation of the facts regarding this case in relation to the charges against you, we find you guilty."

Aurora sharply inhaled, her heart beginning to hammer, and the whimpers of her children behind her made it harder to remain composed. But she did, for them.

"You are henceforth stripped of your title of Duchess, you are stripped of your powers and office, your House shall forfeit its seat on the council, and you shall spend perhaps the rest of your life serving the ponies you had scorned. You will be given a new name and identity for your protection, and so that you truly learn and understand humility, you shall be outfitted with an Inhibitor Ring. Magic is no longer your right, but in time, with hard work and proven virtue, it may be again.

"You will be permitted supervised visits with your children. They are now wards of the crown and your family fortune will be kept as a trust fund for your son and daughter until they are are fully-grown adults. Keep in mind, Aurora, your actions have left your children with a shadow over your family name, a name they will have to work hard to redeem. I give you this one last thing to hope for - Serve your sentence with dignity and humility, strive to be a better pony than you were before, and lend a helping hoof not simply because you are obligated but out of compassion, and perhaps in time you can earn eligibility for parole."

Then Celestia slammed her hoof, ending the trial.

Canterlot was abuzz the next day, as newscasts and the headlines of the Canterlot Gazette revealed:

"Former Duchess sparks Reformation of Government"

Princess Celestia had announced her plans to the public that the Aristocratic Council was to be abolished and reformed into a National Council where its members would elected by democratic vote. The dukes and duchesses would continue to serve as interim councilors until a date for formal elections could be decided, along with whatever requirements could be agreed upon for anypony who chose to run for office.

Setting down the Gazette, Midnight sighed as he and Twilight had a date at Joe's doughnut shop. They sat at a little cafe table outside, enjoying maple bars and iced tea for Twilight and chilled cola for Midnight. She reached over to him, placing her hoof on his before she asked, "Are you okay?"

"Y'know what... I think I am," Midnight held Twilight's hoof, looking tenderly into her eyes, "Looking back, I wanted Aurora to get what was coming to her, but... I think things turned out the way they were supposed to."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Twilight smiled proudly at her stallion, "Back in the courtroom, you looked like you wanted revenge. But instead, you got justice, as did everypony else. There's been enough suffering, and I hope Aurora will turn out better than she was before."

"Her kids are counting on her to," Midnight sighed, remembering the looks on those foals' faces as they said goodbye to their mother for the time being, "and I have a feeling she doesn't intend to let them down."

Twilight moved her seat so that she could be right beside Midnight, leaning against him, and he rested his cheek on her head, as she said, "Kind of makes me wonder what it will be like to be parents ourselves."

Midnight gulped at Twilight's words, and very hesitantly asked, "Um... do you...?"

Giggling, Twilight pulled back, Midnight almost falling over, and gave him a look, "Oh no, I am so not ready to be a mom. At least... not yet."

"Oh, okay, uh, heh-heh..." Midnight gathered himself but then noticed the sparkle in his Twilight's eyes. "But... maybe someday?"

Twilight nodded, "When we're ready. But we still have to get married, remember?"

"Right, yes, uh...!" Midnight suddenly remembered something, and then said, "Uh, Twi? What time does our train leave back for Ponyville?"

"We've still got a couple of hours, why?"

Smiling, Midnight made some bits appear on the cafe table and gently pulled Twilight to her hooves, "Because I remember a jewelry store somewhere on this block."

"Hmmm..." Twilight looked at the display cases carefully, seeing all kinds of jewelry with the prettiest gemstones. Midnight had brought her to a high-end jewelry store and told her to pick one and settled in the corner to wait.
"I'm not sure... They're all so gorgeous, but... Midnight, what is this about?"

Midnight smirked and chuckled as he got up and rubbed up to her side, "I proposed but never got you an engagement gem."

"Oh! Well..." Twilight scanned the selection but nothing seemed to call to her before she decided, "I can't pick! You pick, surprise me!"

"Ha-What-" Midnight chuckled as Twilight nudged him forward while she stepped back and covered her eyes with her hooves. He thought for a moment before looking at the merchandise. He saw diamonds, rubies, sapphires, topazes, and more, all set within bands or rings or necklaces made of gold or silver or other precious metals.

All of them were beautiful but none of them didn't seem to suit Twilight, so Midnight ran the bell on the counter, calling the clerk, "Yes, Your Highness, you rang?"

"By any chance, do you have any silver and gemstones you haven't crafted into jewelry yet?" inquire Midnight in his most polite voice.

"I believe we do, is there something-" the clerk began to ask until Midnight discreetly put a feather to his lips in a 'hush' signal. He gestured with his head to Twilight, who was still covering her eyes, but her swishing tail signaled she wasn't going to wait for very long.

The clerk got the idea and whispered, "In the back."

Seventy buckets of oats on the wall, seventy buckets of oats... Twilight was singing in her head, trying to distract herself from waiting when-

"Twilight."

Twilight gasped lightly and almost lowered her hooves, only to feel the soft touch of Midnight's mana stop her, "Ah-ah! No peeking. Now, keep your eyes closed and hold out your right hoof."

Twilight did as she was asked, keeping her eyes shut, and holding her hoof out. She felt something slip over her hoof and wrap gently around her fetlock. Then she heard Midnight say, "OK, you can open your eyes now."

Twilight slowly did and looked at her fetlock and gasped! Around it was a woven band of silver that appeared to be two cords, one bright like a star, the other dark like a cloud, and they converged around two small gemstones, one colored the same magenta as the six-point star of Twilight's cutie-mark, the other turquoise, like Midnight's eyes. It was simple in design and yet it just felt right to Twilight, as she smiled at it, and then at her beau, who looked at her with a warmth spreading over his face, along with a shaky smile.
"I-heh, I take it you-"

Twilight interrupted him with a full-on kiss, throwing her forelegs around his neck, startling him, but he held her close, and they stood that way for a long moment until they parted lips and gazed lovingly into each other's eyes as Twilight whispered, "It's perfect!"

"I'm glad," Midnight responded and made Twilight giggle with a tickling nose nuzzle.

"Just curious," Twilight held out her hoof for them both to look at it, "why a band? Not that i'm complaining, it's just... unicorns usually get engagement rings."

"For their horns," Midnight nodded, before whisper-shouting to her, "But just between you and me, I think horn rings are tacky."

"Mmm, depends on the design," Twilight debated, "I mean, Shiny and Cadance's rings don't look tacky."

"True, but do you remember when Rarity was chosen as the Pony of Ceremonies for the Ponyville Days Festival?" Midnight recalled, "She wore that nice gown but had that silly-looking ring on her horn with the big purple jewel."

"Well, either way," Twilight held her hoof and engagement band close to her heart, "I love it so very much.

"But not nearly as much as I love you," Midnight nuzzled up to Twilight, which she happily reciprocated. He then paid for the engagement band, the clerk congratulating their engagement, and they left the store.
"Now that I think about it, maybe we should get started on our wedding plans, we haven't even decided when we'd like to have it, other than Sombra's gonna be the officiator."

"Let's think it over on the train ride home," Twilight suggested, and the happy couple enjoyed a stroll through Canterlot to the train station.

They had come far through thick and thin and overcome many a challenge. But little did they realize, their greatest challenge so far was yet to come...

Author's Note

This chapter was originally gonna be an open-and-shut case but NWRAlicorn encouraged it to be developed into what it became, and I'm so glad I listened

As I was working on how to wrap up the chapter, the idea of Midnight getting Twilight an engagement jewel just came to me so I worked on it and felt it fit

252. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 1

Dark. Cold. Misery.

The pit of monsters and horrors and evils of the past, long vanquished and imprisoned, doomed to rot in this hellhole for all time. This was Tartarus.

It is said that the Pale One himself dug the pit to contain all manner of evil and monstrosity that threatened the good and peaceful creatures of the world. But overtime, his duty as the Keeper of Death forced him to appoint a new guard to stand vigil of the gates of Tartarus and it was thus he empowered three strong and loyal dog brothers and transformed them into the three-headed beast known as Cerberus.

Since then, whenever some irredeemable evil being was vanquished, the sentient creatures of the world knew to bring them here where they could do no more harm, and it was here, deep in the bowels of this forbidden place where languished the demon centaur who was known once upon a time as Lord Tirek...

Even after more than a thousand years, the power-hungry despot seethed with unceasing anger and hate. However, the millennia had not been kind, for what had once been a a terror to beware had long shriveled into a wizened weakling. But every century, every year, every month, week, day, hour, minute, second!!!

It had all only served to feed the festering craving for freedom, for power, but most of all!

For revenge...

*Click*

"What's...?" the cloaked form thought he had heard something and turned to the door of his cell... as it ever so slowly opened with an eerie whine from centuries of rust.

No... it couldn't be! His eyes had to be playing tricks on him, the long imprisonment had driven him mad!!!

...or had it?

Groaning as he rose up on his hooves, leaning against the wall to balance himself, Tirek approached the open door, and reached out... it was open! Tirek couldn't believe what was right in front of him, and yet... He took a hesitant step into the threshold, and cautiously peered out.

The way was clear, and all that could be heard were the echoing wails of his fellow inmates moaning like ghosts. Ignoring the wretches in the cells beside his own, Tirek slowly slunk through the hall until he came to another door that led out into the open, and looking out he saw...

The gate!

But... where's the beast? Tirek wondered, for Cerberus was supposed to be standing guard just outside the gate of Tartarus.

Outside...!

He looked further, seeing the outside! He saw the sky, he saw the sun, he saw the world!

"Urgh!" Tirek clutched his chest, feeling his withered heart hurt, and calmed down.

Freedom was at hand, but he was weak, and it would be sometime before he recovered enough strength. But as he sneaked his way out of the gate and breathed in the air of freedom for the first time in millennia, he swore, "My time will come... as will my revenge on every pony in Equestria!!!"

Present Day in the Crystal Empire...

It had been weeks since Aurora's trial, the public announcement of a reformation of Celestia's council, and Midnight giving Twilight her engagement band, and they, along with their friends had just arrived via airship in the Crystal Empire. Everything glistened and shined, peaceful and bright as always.

"Seems only yesterday I saved the Equestria Games here at the Crystal Empire. Hey! You guys remember that?" Spike asked as he leaned against a crystal statue of himself breathing a gout of flame, honoring Spike for his deed.

"You only mentioned it fifteen times on the flight here," Rainbow Dash barely concealed her annoyance.

"Yes, and we never hear a peep out of you on your exploits, my dear Rainbow Dash," Blueblood gave the rainbow-maned pegasus a teasing rise of his brow.

"Uh, heh, point taken..." Rainbow Dash chuckled a little sheepishly as they carried on down the street towards the crystal castle.

"We're glad you all wanted to come..." Midnight sighed as they kept walking.
"But we don't think it's going to be that exciting," Twilight agreed.
"War Chief Sombra wants all the alicorn princes standing by to provide extra security," Midnight grumbled.
"And all I have to do is smile and wave as the dignitaries arrive," added Twilight.

"Yes, but you get to smile and wave like a princess, dear!" Rarity spoke up.

"How exactly is tha' diff'rent from smilin' an' waving like, not a princess?" Applejack debated, which stumped Rarity for a moment until Twilight just kept going on.

"It isn't..."

The way she spoke and lowered her face, everypony noticed it, but Big Mac was the first to ask, "Sumpin' wrong, Twi?"

"Yeah! Why the loooong face?" Pinkie asked while pulling at Twilight's face in a clear cut case of violating one's personal space, and when she let go, Twilight rubbed her cheek while Pinkie shrank back at the stink eye Midnight gave her.

"I've just been feeling a little unsure about things lately," Twilight explained as she turned to look at all her friends, "it just doesn't feel as though my new role as a princess amounts to all that much."

"Aw, that's just nerves, Twi," Thunderlane waved off the concern, "you've got an important role in Equestria, just ask Princess Celestia!"

"I agree with Thunderlane," Fluttershy nodded kindly, "Princess Celestia wouldn't have asked you to come if she didn't think so."

"I... guess you're right," Twilight felt a little better.

"Of course we are, dear, now let's hurry along!" Rarity gestured everyone forward, "We can't have your important tole being diminished simply because you were tardy for your regal meet and greet."

A royal fanfare sounded before Blueblood announced, "The Duke and Duchess of Maretonia."

The dignitaries were the aforementioned Duke and Duchess of Maretonia, a smaller nation to the west, who had arrived to discuss new trade with the Crystal Empire and refine the trade agreements they already had with Equestria. Approaching the crystal castle, along with Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, Twilight stood upon the royal balcony. The princes, Midnight, Shining Armor, and Sombra, were all located equidistant from each other at the edge of the empire where the Thermal Barrier stopped, all three of them channeling their magic into the barrier to insure nothing uninvited could enter.

Just before they stood before the princesses, Twilight telekinetically pulled a cord that unfurled a banner displaying the Maretonia coat of arms, causing the duke and duchess to smile as they gave respectful bows to the princesses and they in turn.

From his position, Midnight saw the quick launch of fireworks that signaled the ending of the welcoming ceremony, which meant he and the other princes could stop. He then teleported back to the castle, FLASHING into existence as he heard Spike say, "That was it?!"

He looked and saw all his friends standing by the threshold of the doors out to the balcony, as Spike stepped forward, looking to Twilight at the safety rail.
"Princess Celestia had you come all the way to the Crystal Empire just to do that?"

His words weren't meant to, but they caused Twilight to feel bad, and Spike realized his mistake, "I mean- WHOA! Really regal and important, heh-heh!"

*WA-PISH/"OW!!"*

Midnight had whipped his long lion-like tail to Spike's tukhus, and he noticed the others were giving him stern looks for his lack of tact. Clearing his throat, Midnight stepped over to hold his mare's hoof, "Come on, Twi, let's join the others to greet the duke and duchess."

He looked to their friends while summoning a bag of bits, "Why don't you all have a day out in the empire? My treat."

"Um, are you sure?" Fluttershy was just a little worried for Twilight, but Rarity quickly accepted the bits.

"Oh my! Thank you, Midnight, there's this deluxe treatment available at the Crystal Spa that I saw being promoted on our way here! Come along, everypony, we don't want to get in the way of important national affairs."

Rarity got Fluttershy and Blueblood to follow her, but the others hesitated until Midnight assured them, "Go on! Have a nice time, we're... gonna be busy anyway, I'm sure."

Growling, Midnight propped his head up on his hoof as he leaned on the arm of a sofa in a lounge room in the castle. As it turned out, the dignitaries requested the participants of the meeting be kept to a minimum, and that meant they only wanted to talk to the Royal Sisters and Cadance while the princes and Twilight had been excluded. They were enjoying a round of nectar Sombra had been saving but Midnight's heart just wasn't in it.

He could relate to Twilight's misgivings about her role as royalty. He'd been there after his mother had been cursed and his father left and after he had to give up Twinken, albeit to a more depressing level. Due to Celestia, he sought purpose through subterfuge by reviving the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods. To operate from the shadows to serve the light.

"Midnight!"

"Wha- Huh?!" Midnight sat up and noticed Sombra and Shining Armor both looking at him.

"I asked you, when's the wedding?" Sombra gave Midnight a concerned look but tried to mask it by saying, "I'm still waiting for my chance to bring you and Twilight together."

"Oh! Uh..." Midnight tried to think of what to say when Shining Armor spoke up.

"I have to give you credit for the engagement band you got Twily, Midnight. Most mares want some fancy looking piece of jewelry with the biggest rock, but that band on my little sis's fetlock? It just... suits her so beautifully well!"

"Yeah, well... I wanted something that would suit Twilight," Midnight replied as he recalled what happened at the jewelry shop. "After the clerk gave me the raw materials, I brought it all together, almost without even thinking about it. I just... let my love for Twily guide my magic as it fashioned the band."

"I did something very similar when I created the Crystal Heart," Sombra nodded proudly but he decided to stop beating around the bush. "But Midnight... I can tell something's bothering you. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Twilight's... just going through a little something where she feels she doesn't really do much of anything as a princess," Midnight admitted with a deep sigh. "I understand how she feels, but... I'm not sure what to say to her or how to help her! I can't just come up with some big and important duty for her and offer it up to her. She didn't even want to join us, she stayed by the doors to the meeting room!"

"She's still finding her way, Midnight," Shining Armor assured, "and you know her, she's using to having facts, research, and some subject to fall back on whenever she's trying to accomplish something or overcome it."

"And you know..." Sombra looked at a crystal hourglass, "that meeting should be wrapping up any moment now. Why don't we go and see the dignitaries out?"

"Better than sitting around here on our butts..." sighed Midnight as he got up and joined them out in the hallway.

It took only a couple turns but they heard some distant voices echoing down their way from ahead.

"...our desire to keep the number of those privy to these confidential discussions to a minimum."

"Of course."

They made another turn and almost bumped into the duke and duchess, giving them respectful bows and they returned the gesture as they took their leave. They looked to see Twilight had been waving after the dignitaries when she noticed them as well. She perked up a little as Midnight came over to give her a nuzzle and they heard soem hoof steps and saw the rest of the princesses join them, along with the princes.

Twilight looked to Celestia, "Is there anything else I can do to assist with their visit?"

"I'm sorry, Twilight," Cadance responded instead, "but their visit is already over."

"Oh..." Twilight lowered her head in glum.

"Is something wrong?" Sombra asked.

"I guess I just don't understand why I'm here," Twilight brought up, "couldn't one of the guards have unfurled the banner?"

"Having all seven of us in the Crystal Empire to greet them lets the dignitaries know that their visit is considered an important one," explained Celestia, to which Midnight scoffed.
"Is there something you have to say, Midnight?"

"Well, apparently, the dignitaries were only interested in speaking with you three," Midnight gave Celestia look with his brows furrowed, "so there wasn't really a need for the rest of us to just drop whatever business or plans we had at your word and be attendant for a meeting we didn't even get to be a part of! So, Celestia, you'll pardon me if I feel as though this might have been a clear and obvious waste of my time and Twilight's!"

"Midnight!" Sombra gave his descendant a reproachful look, only for Celestia to raise a hoof to her husband.

"Midnight... I understand if you feel slighted, but rule and leadership of a nation work rather differently than how you are used to leading."

"And besides!" Cadance cut in, hoping to ease the tension as he gave Twilight and Midnight a wing-hug, "It gives me a chance to see my favorite sister-in-law and my future brother-in-law."

"And we're happy to see you, all of you..." Twilight replied before falling silent again, an awkward air falling over them all.

"But..." Cadance gently prompted.

"But I... well it's just that Princess Luna raises the moon and watches over the dreams of Equestria," Twilight pointed out, "Princess Celestia raises the sun and helps ponies during the day, Prince Sombra is now War Chief, you and Shining Armor protect the Crystal Empire, and Midnight is the leader of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods!"

Midnight gave Twilight a look of guilt as he mentally kicked himself in the plot as she said, "And all I seem to do is... smile and wave."

She turned and gloomily walked away, Midnight almost following as he softly said, "Twilight...?"

He felt a hoof on his withers and saw Cadance give him an assuring smile, "We'll take care of her."

He stood there, feeling low as he watched the princesses follow after Twilight

Pacing back and forth in the courtyard of the Crystal Heart, Midnight worried for Twilight, and hoped he hadn't said or done anything to upset her. Oddly, he could have sworn he'd heard singing from the balcony above, and then he'd noticed Celestia, Luna, and Cadance flying aloft for a few moments before they alighted back onto the balcony. It was only a few minutes later when he saw Twilight appear from the castle entrance, looking better. Not her usual bright self, but better all the same.

"Twily?"

She looked up at him, seeing his concern, and gave him a small smile, "I'm okay. Let's go home, I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep."

Sighing inward, Midnight nodded, but as they started making for the airship at the edge of the city, Midnight said, "You know, an old friend once said something that helped me out when I was where you've been."

Twilight looked at him, curious, and he answered, "All good things will come to those who let the roads straighten itself out. I didn't understand it at first until I'd picked myself up and just kept moving forward."

"Well... what does it mean?" Twilight made a gesture with her hoof for Midnight.

"In the end, everything will be alright," answered Midnight and the look in his eyes caused Twilight to smile wide.

And with the airship waiting, they began the restful journey home.

Meanwhile, in a distant city, a unicorn was walking through the alleyways, levitating a basket of fruit. The distant sounds of the city echoing through the urban neighborhood, along with steam rising up from the storm drains, the yowl of a cat, and rattling of a trashcan tipped over.

Ooh... It was not a pleasant night to be outside, and the unicorn just wanted to get home. A sudden noise caused him to flinch and he looked back the way he came... only to notice an old soup can rolling over the cobblestones. Sighing with relief, the unicorn started to get back on his way-

Whoa!

Standing in front of him, a hunched and hooded figure, breathing heavily.

"Very sorry," the unicorn apologized with a light chuckle, "you... came out of nowhere."

"'Is he friend... or is he foe?' the pony wonders..." the figure spoke softly and eerily, the unicorn suddenly feeling he should be anywhere else, "I can assure you... I am no friend."

Then the lower half of figure's face became slightly visible... along with a skinny arm and hand!
"I am Lord Tirek...!"

The unicorn gasped as he felt his active mana suddenly weaken, the mana being drawn from his horn into the figure's hood as he growled, "And I will take what should have been mine long ago!"

As the unicorn's magic was stolen, his cutie-mark three gleaming green gems, vanished! His magic gone, his levitation on his basket of fruit faded, and the produce spilled over the alleyway ground as the unicorn keeled over, his eyes paled, his breath weak, as he looked up in terror at the figure that called himself Lord Tirek as his robed form grew a little larger... and his eyes gave a soft yet menacing yellow glow and the monster began to snicker with quiet malice!

Author's Note

And finally, we've reached the beginning of the end of Season 4 (FINALLY)

Expect a few surprises

253. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 2

"AUGHhuuuh!!"

Celestia bolted upright, a cold sweat running down her forehead. She looked even paler than before and her eyes were wide with fright. She gasped and tried to calm down as she realized she was still in bed. She felt the side shift and looked to see Sombra moaning as he rolled over, cracking his eyes open.

"...Tia? Uhh, are you okay?" Sombra sat up and pulled her close, and she stifled a shiver, finding comfort as her husband wrapped his wing around her.

"I... I'm not sure..." Celestia hesitated, unsure of herself and unsure of what to say.

Seeing his Tia was troubled, Sombra was about to say something when the doors to their bedroom were thrown open and in hurried Luna, "Sister, are you alright?!"

"I.... I just had a most terrible dream," Celestia hoped that was it.

"Dear, however bad dreams may be, they can't hurt you," Sombra assured her, only for Luna to disagree.

"Unfortunately, brother, what Celestia experienced was no dream!"

Sighing heavily, Celestia got up from bed while giving a grateful smile to her husband before declaring, "Then we haven't much time! With each passing moment, he will grow stronger, and greater will be the danger... for all of us."

Sombra got up to and joined the sisters by the window as Celestia began the break of dawn, "He who? Tia, Lu, what's going on?"

"We will explain everything... once we have united all the princes and princesses," Celestia assured her husband, "I must send a summons to Twilight and Midnight."

"Very well, and I will send for Cadance and Shining Armor," Sombra knew better to argue as the three of them got to work. He'd seen Celestia like this before, and as much as he anted to hear what new threat was looming over the horizon now...
Faust protect us...

In but a couple hours, all seven alicorn monarchs convened in Canterlot, the air heavy and tensions high, as they gathered around a table where Celestia opened book. She looked to Midnight, who she'd already briefed, and he began at her silent request.

"Long ago, in the early days of Equestria, two brothers united by a blood-oath, a centaur known as Tirek and a gargoyle Scorpan, came to Equestria from the land that was forsaken by the Pony Tribes. They sought revenge upon the ponies for leaving their homeland in desolation, and intended to do the same to the ponies' new home by stealing all magic in Equestria . At first, both relished in causing misery and suffering by attacking villages and robbing the ponies of their magic, but all too quickly did Scorpan come to be taken by the beauty and prosperity of Equestria. He was approached by a young unicorn wizard who convinced Scorpan that friendship was the true magic to seek and treasure."

Looking to Celestia, Midnight nodded for her to pick up where he'd left off, "Scorpan tried to convince his blood-brother they should abandon their plans of conquest but alas Tirek would not be swayed. Consumed with his hunger for power and revenge, the centaur all but threatened Scorpan that if he would not help him take revenge on ponykind then to stay out of his way. With sorrow but knowing it was the right thing to do, Scorpan approached Luna and I, alerting us of Tirek's transgressions."

"Luna and I faced Tirek ourselves and reclaimed the magic he had taken before we condemned him to the pits of Tartarus, where he could do no more harm," Celestia went on, "Scorpan surrendered himself to us, for having been a part of Tirek's crimes, but we chose to forgive him and offer him our friendship and even a home here in Equestria. Humbled and touched, Scorpan kindly declined our offer and returned to his homeland, intending to restore it with his own hands.

"But now..." Celestia closed the book as she looked at each of her fellow alicorns in turn, "it appears that Tirek has found a way to escape."

"We believe it happened when Cerberus left his post at the gates of Tartarus," Luna added.

"But that was quite a while back," Midnight wondered aloud, "so why has he only now begun to make his move to steal magic?"

"Rotting in Tartarus would have left Tirek extremely weak," Sombra answered, "so he must have had to bide his time and recover enough strength to regain use of his dark powers."

"But with each passing moment, he will go stronger yet," Luna added ominously.

"Luckily we have just the princess who can stop him," Cadance smiled encouragingly to Twilight.

"Yes, I'll begin to devise a strategy and-" Twilight was quick to volunteer...

"No, Twilight," only for Celestia to step in. "I'm afraid we must call upon another to deal with Tirek: Eris..."

*GASP*

The other alicorns all looked at Celestia as though she'd spoken something that would require washing out her mouth, and Midnight was the first to respond, "Celestia, with all due respect" - he cleared his throat before he made us of the Royal Canterlot Voice - "ARE YOU COMPLETELY INSANE!?!?!?"

The outburst rang in their ears briefly but then the others began to agree.
"Celestia, I have to agree with Midnight, what in the Goddess's name would possess you to even entertain that idea?!"
"There's no way we're trusting Eris to deal with a monster that threatens all of Equestria!"
"Aunt Celestia, I... can't agree with this plan! Eris might not be the anarchist she used to be but..."

"Please let me explain," Celestia requested albeit with an edge in her tone. "Eris possesses a unique ability that makes her ideal in stopping Tirek - She can sense magical imbalances no matter where it is, and will sense the next time Tirek robs somepony of their magic. When I requested Fluttershy to reform the Spirit of Chaos, I explained that I might have need of Eris's magic one day, and that day is today."

The other alicorns looked at each other with expressions of uncertainty, disapproval, even fear.

"Princess Celestia..." all eyes turned to Twilight as she reluctantly forced herself to speak her mind, "...you're asking us to entrust what could very well be the fate of Equestria to Eris's... paw? Talon? You know what I mean!"

"...Even you, Twilight?" Celestia couldn't help but honestly feel a little disappointed, not because Twilight rarely if ever disagreed with her, but she thought Twilight of all ponies would believe that friendship would change someone for the better.

"I... I don't mean to say that Eris is not completely untrustworthy," Twilight felt like she was walking on eggshells, "but... Eris hasn't exactly done enough to earn our faith and trust in her to handle something this serious."

"I wouldn't trust that skunk to scrub my toilet!" Midnight added, and no sooner did he there was a...

*FLASH*

"Well I never!"

Everyony looked up and saw Eris sitting on an easy chair on the ceiling, wearing a fancy lady's suit while petting a cat that was a little freaked out and clawing into Eris's skirt while the lady draconequess leered down (or was it up?) at the alicorn monarchs assembled.
"You come to me on this, the day of my goddaughter's wedding-"

"What?!" Shining Armor gave Eris a look, only for his lips to zip.

"Don't interrupt me," Eris grumbled before getting back into character, "You invited me into your home, we broke bread together, I even went the extra mile to spread merry mirth and whimsy to your dismal little gulags. And what do I get in return for your insistence at my reformation? Smack behind my back... Untrustworthy, am I? A skunk, am I...?!"

"Now Eris, we were only discussing-" Celestia tried to placate Eris as the draconequss threw the cat on her lap into a nearby sports bag, where it turned into a tennis racket, and she spun `round, landing before Celestia, garbed in a military uniform and gave a salute.

"General Disorder, reporting for extremely important mission to capture Tartarusian esapee, sir!" Eris declared in a military fashion, "As per special orders 301-3 section 4 paragraph 27 revised April 1st via secret provision 38-A section 14 subsection 14 heretofore known as orders to Seek and Subdue numbers 845-6 section 8 subsection 16-"

"ALRIGHT ALREADY!!!" Midnght and Shining Armor both yelled, the latter aggravating, "Even I don't sound like that when I'm on duty!"

"That's 'General Disorder sir' to you," Eris poked Shining Armor in the chest before turning to Twilight, "now, before I take off-"

"You're not going anywhere-" Midnight tried to protest, only for Eris to snap her talons, her, Midnight, and Twilight all gone in a flash, leaving the rest of the alicorns to consider what had just happened.

"Why do I have this unshakeable feeling that something terrible is going to happen?" Sombra deadpanned.

The Harmonic 12 and Spike all found themselves standing in front of Eris, who stood in the mouth of the cave in which lay the Tree of Harmony. Before any of them could ask what was going on or mouth off to the draconequus, zippers shut their lips as she said, "Do excuse your ol' Auntie Eris for this untimely interuption, my dears. It's just she couldn't help but notice that Twilight hasn't opened this little chest here."

She stepped in and leaned casually onto the mysterious chest which had appeared from a large blooming flower that had sprouted in front of the Tree of Harmony. It looked like a six-sided pyramid with a flat top, the upper panels sporting keyholes while below them were the six new Elements of Harmony that had been discovered by the guys:

Faith - Devotion - Trust - Sincerity - Unity - Music, all resembling their cutie-marks.

The friends shared some looks, Twilight looking troubled as though she'd given an incorrect answer to a science question, as Eris lounged about, "It got me thinking, what if what's locked inside" - she casually knocked on the chest - "could help her prove her royal worthy? I only bring it up since she said she's been feeling as though her role as a princess doesn't amount to much."

Everypony gave Eris the stink eye as she pursed Twilight's lower lip to make her look like she was pouting.

"Now wait just a minute!" Cheese Sandwich gave Eris a real stink eye, "How did you know she was feeling that way?!"

"Oh my! I really must break this untoward habit of eavesdropping on what your besties are up to!" Eris spoke in a faux of woe, "Oh the shame... will this ol' draconeqeuss ever figure out the intricate nuances of being a good friend?"

She peeked out the corner of her eye to see her reception was expressed in disapproval and rolling eyes. Standing straight and clearing her throat, "Well, I suppose that's my cue to get going, no rest for the wicked!"

She stepped over to some weird little vehicle thing that hadn't been there a moment ago, putting on a helmet and starting the ignition as she said to the friends, "Don't wait up, and... TTFN!"

And then she was gone in a flash.

"AN' GOOD RIDDANCE-" Applejack tried to yell-

*FLASH*

"Oopsies!" Eris leaned over behind them so she was looking at them upside down from her long body curving over, "It so very nearly slipped my mind that I almost took this with me!"

She held up... the Friendship Journal!

"This is quite the page-turner, my dears, you really oughta have it published! No way that can't go wrong..." Eris chuckled while giving the reader a knowing wink. "Everything y'all've learned all written up here? Be calm my chaotic heart, lest it swell out of my chest with pride."

She leaned over to Twilight, showing the journal had some sticky notes and bookmarks, "I just had to bookmark some of my more favorite entries, I knew you wouldn't mind. Perhaps give it another read?"

Carelessly balancing the journal on the tip of Twilight's horn, Eris leaned over to Fluttershy, "We're still on for our girl-time, are we, honey?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Fluttershy smiled, perking Eris up.

"Oo-hoo, I'll bring the hors d'oeuvres," Eris giggled as she walked up to a doorknob hanging in the air and opened a door, vanishing as she closed it behind her.

"What the hay was that all about?!" Thunderlane asked as they all looked to Midnight and Twilight.
"`Cuz some times Ah think th' "reformed" Eris is even more obnoxious than th' "unreformed" Discord," Applejack added.
"And I most certainly agree," Blueblood furrowed his brows.
"But what if she's right?" Fluttershy inquired, directing their attention to the question that had been nagging them from the back of their minds for some time. "What if there is something important in the chest...?"

Twilight and Midnight shared a look and both smiled, "Well, there's only one way to find out."

"C'mon, Twi and I will explain what's going on once we're all in the castle library up top."

After explaining the situation on their way up to the library within the Castle of the Two Sisters, Twilight and Midnight opened the doors to the ancient collection as the latter declared, “Alright, we got us a chest that needs researching, so look up anything you can find on the Tree of Harmony. Let's hit the books!"

“Yes sir!" they scrambled about to start browsing, although for some reason Pinkie and Cheese both grabbed whole armloads of books, set them up in stacks... and they both pulled out large sledgehammers.

Noticing, Twilight quickly levitated the hammers away from them while giving them the stink eye, "You know it's a figure of speech!"

"Sorry, Twi," Cheese chuckled.
"Just keeping things lively," Pinkie giggled.

It was a long and tedious process. Pulling down book after book and pouring over each of its pages wasn't very exciting. And considering the library had close to around 500,000 books, that would be a very tedious job indeed.

“Where's an army of ponies when you need one?” Dash whined.

“Possibly busy preparing for the incoming threat,” Blueblood pointed out.

“But who know's where that Tirek guy could be!” Soarin added in.

“You can never predict what the enemy's going to do,” Rarity sighed.

The others groaned. They were hoping for an easy task, but then again, nothing can ever be easy or straight forward.

“Come on, everypony, don't let up! Time's a'wasting and Eris is going to either botch this or something we haven't considered will come to bite us hard in the flank,” Midnight encouraged.

They continued to research, trying to find any information on the box in any book they could find that spoke of the Tree or the Elements. But nothing doing, every time they did find some reference to the Tree or the Elements there was no mention of any sort to a chest or box. Leafing through some pages in a tome, Twilight asked aloud, "Anything?"

Her response was a chorus of negative murmurs, causing her to sigh, "There must be something in this library that can help me figure out how to open the chest."

"...Twi?" Midnight spoke up hesitantly, "There might not be!"

Twilight looked to Midnight who had just set down a book, "The Tree of Harmony was grown from the remains of a fallen star, and Star Swirl spent years researching it. But even he could never fully understand the Tree, what it was, its power, or all that much else! I don't think even he knew about the Chest."

"Maybe, maybe not," Twilight would not be deterred, "but if there's a clue of any kind in one of these books, I'm not giving up!"

Seeing his mare's determination made Midnight smile proudly that he nodded and got back to work, not noticing Twilight glance at the Friendship Journal and start going through it.

A unicorn struggled to scream, only for a wheeze to escape his lips as he felt his magic drain away, causing him to drop to the ground, his eyes paled... and his assaulter, Tirek growl as he got just a little bigger, his strength slowly returning to him. Even so, he was irritated, for as good as it felt to steal magic from these inferior creatures this was taking too long!

His absence wouldn't go unnoticed forever and once he was missed it would only be a matter of time before someone, likely on the Royal Sisters' orders, would come looking for him. In that case, Tirek would be ready, but first...!

He saw another unicorn, apparently busy levitating a bouquet of flowers at the end of an alley. Stepping as lightly as he could, he slowly approached the unicorn, eyeing her like a total creep... his boney figures raised to grab her into his greedy clutches-

"Tirek, I presume?"

He froze as the unicorn turned to look at him and her face morphed into a strange visage, a visage he had not seen in over millennia!

"...Discord? You're... free?"

The unicorn with Eris's face Flashed into the form of a Eris-like bird with all limbs matching the colors of her limbs in her regular form, aside from her big and purple toucan-like beak, "As a bird! And the name is Eris, now honey..."

Wary, knowing he stood no chance against the Master of Chaos in his present condition, Tirek gave a respectful bow, "I commend you on your escape..."

Flashing back to her normal form, Eris gave a rare frown, "I'm afraid the feeling is not mutual."

*SNAP*

Tirek flinched to see his hands manacled, and for a moment allowed his anger to overcome his better judgement as he strained to project and burning beam of energy at Eris. But she literally split her head in half, avoiding the pitiful defiance, her head coming back together, and Tirek growled, "Rgghh, I should've known that you would want Equestria all to yourself..."

"Oh I'm not doing this for me, I'm doing this for my friends," Eris bragged in police uniform before whisper-shouting to Tirek, "But mostly for my gal-pal, Fluttershy?"

"Fluttershy?!" The very name felt like some kind of sentimental mush in his mouth as Tirek growled, "You're not saying that you're friends with ... ponies!"

A cake appeared in front of the wizened wretch and out popped Eris, "SURPRISE!!"

Flicking cake and frosting off of his cloak, Tirek spoke in his soft and oily voice, "I am surprised... that someone of your intellect would not see this new "friendship" as merely a new form of imprisonment. Clearly, you've had to forsake your true nature just to stay in their good graces..."

As Tirek had been talking, Eris was playing a harp with a halo over her head before throwing them both away and shrugging, "Eh, compromise, dear. You can't have it all!"

"But you can, you did!" Tirek reminded her, "You are Di- I mean.... You are Eris! You are Legend! Master of Chaos and the Unpredictable! You cannot be taken by the same trap that took my weak-minded brother. Why lower yourself to the standards of inferior beings, my dear? Join me, Eris, help me to grow strong and you shall have something far greater than friendship... Freedom!"

Eris narrowed her eyes but kept listening.

"Once I have stripped these ponies of their magic, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see their world turned upside down! And none could do better than a Goddess of Chaos herself!"

Seeing that Eris was becoming intrigued, Tirek decided to rein her in, "Join me, Eris, and be again the Magnificent Malevolence that is your rightful and glorious destiny! Unless, of course... you are content to being Celestia's little yes-mare!"

The words struck a nerve as well as a chord within Eris, when she noticed a bedside drawer floating next to her, with a framed picture of herself and Fluttershy doing each othe'rs hair, along with the lamp she'd broken and remade in her image. Pressing her paw to her chin, Eris narrowed her eyes...

"I think I found something!"

All eyes turned to Twilight, "I've been reading our journal, and there's something interesting about the sections and entries Eris bookmarked."

As they all gathered around Twilight, she asked, "Applejack, do you remember when you had to tell everypony that the tonic Granny Smith bought from the Flim-Flam brothers didn't really work?"

"How could Ah ferget? It was one o' th' hardest things Ah ever had t' do," Applejack recalled that moment back then, "But in tha' moment Ah knew Ah had t' be honest."

"Heh, I still have an arrest warrant out for those two," chuckled Midnight, "And as I recall... Thunderlane, didn't you place your trust in Lightning Dust to help in saving Cloudsdale from the Thunderbird?"

"Whatever problems we'd had with Lightning Dust at that time didn't matter," Thunderlane nodded, "Cloudsdale was in danger and I had to count on everypony there, Lightning included, to do their part, and and I knew I had to trust Lightning Dust to do hers, but... what's this have to do with opening the chest, Twilight?"

"I found that each of you had to face a situation," Twilgiht explained, "a situation where you, girls, found living up to the Element of Harmony you represent wasn't easy. While guys, you each found a part of yourselves was tested in some kind of situation that allowed you to bring your Elements of Harmony to life with a power all their own, and now those Elements are joined with the Chest!

"Fluttershy, for you, it was when you realized that the way you showed kindness to the Breezies was by forcing them to leave your home."

"Oh the looks on their poor little faces... but I knew that as difficult as it was pushing them away was the kindest thing I could do."

Midnight got the idea of what Twilight was saying, "Big Mac! You unlocked your Element of Harmony when you realized what was truly important in what and whom you devoted yourself to!"

"Tha' day was mighty hectic, everypony wantin' mah help when Ah was tryin' t' get home an' fix tha' gazebo for me an' muh Shy's weddin', but even after Ah acted like a real horse's ass toem they came through fer me when Ah needed help."

"Rarity, even after Suri took advantage of your generosity at Fashion Week in Manehatten," Twilight opened to that particular entry, "you didn't let it cause you to abandon your generous spirit."

"I simply couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't do something special for the friends who have always been so generous to me."

"Blueblood, when you were locked out of your company by your board of directors, in the end, you showed yourself to be the true and sincere pony you are and not the pony others judged you to be, and you taught Fancy Pants a lesson after he'd threatened a smear campaign against New Heights," reminded Midnight.

"That wasn't one of my finer moments... but I remembered then and there to be the pony I know I am and that I would never again justify another pony's shallow judgement of my character."

"Rainbow Dash, you had a chance to fly with the Wonderbolts at the Equestria Games," Twilight turned to that page while giving Rainbow Dash a smile, "but instead you chose to compete with your friends."

"Sure, but being loyal to my friends was way more important-" "Ooh! My turn, my turn!"

"Pinkie! Wait your turn!" Midnight pushed her out of view before clearing his throat and looking to Soarin, "Soarin, even after your old squadmates in the Wonderbolts shunned you, you were able to rally them together to save Canterlot from a magical disaster!"

"I knew how to stop the magic storm brewing but I couldn't have done it on my own. So I reminded Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Rapid fire, and all of them there what being a Wonderbolt is about and led them as well as I could!"

Noticing how bouncy Pinkie was getting, Twilight got to her entry, "Pinkie Pie, you realized that seeing your friend laugh was more important than proving you were a better party planner than Cheese Sandwich."

"Best party I ever had," Rainbow Dash playfully bumped Pinkie's shoulder while Cheese bumped his rump to Pinkie's making her giggle.

"And Cheese? Remember how you used a song to help Cranky and Matilda when they were having problems in their relationship?" brought up Midnight.

"One of my best performances ever! Sometimes there's something really magical about Music that can bring us together no matter what kind of problems we're having!"

"Clearly each of us has had a moment to truly shine, my friends, but rally, Twilight," Blueblood spoke up, "what does this have to do with opening the chest?"

"All of you had difficult choices to make but when you all made the right one and embraced your element, it helped somepony else make the right choice too!" Twilight explained.
"Boys, you all unlocked the powers of your Elements, and girls, each of you received something from the ponies whose lives you helped change!"

"I think I see where you're going with this, Twi," Midnight smiled proudly at her, "perhaps there's something about those objects that could help us to find the keys to the chest. The chest is connected to the Tree of Harmony..."

"The Tree of Harmony is connected to the Elements..." Twilight added, and they both spoke:

"And the Elements areconnected to all of us!"

"There must be a connection! I hate to admit," Twilight smiled as she levitated the journal, "but maybe Eris was trying to be a good friend after all."

"C'mon everypony!" Rainbow Dash zipped up, "Let's get those objects and bring `em to the chest!"

As they all hurried out, Midnight brought up the rear, as what Twilight had said about Eris struck a chord, and he realized, What kind of friend am I for not having faith in Eris...?

A while later, everypony had met back in the cave and the girls had brought the objects in question, the Bit Applejack received from Silver Shill after he'd learned the importance of Honesty from Applejack's example.

The rainbow-colored spool of thread Coco had given to Rarity after being touched by Rarity's generosity.

Boneless the Rubber Chicken who Cheese had given to Pinkie after he'd revealed to her their true connection as party ponies.

The medal Spitfire had given to Rainbow Dash after she'd reminded the captain the meaning of being loyal to your team and to your friends.

And the flower Seabreeze had given to Fluttershy after she did the right thing in getting the Breezies home.

Laying the objects on the ground before the Chest, Twilight said aloud, "I don't see anything about them that would give us a clue as to where we might find the keys. They're just... ordinary everyday objects."

Then Cheese grabbed Boneless and started throttling him, "Out with it, Boneless! Cough up that key, mister!"

"Uh Cheese, I don't think that- Whoa!" Midnight dodged as Cheese accidentally threw Boneless... who smacked against the chest and then spun around in mid air, engulfed by a light of magic coming from the chest, as everypony marveled to see Boneless transform into a golden key!

It was shaped like Pinkie Pie's cutie-mark and ever so slowly floated to the chest and inserted into one of the keyholes!

"BONELESS!! WHAT HAVE I DUH-HUH-HONE?!!?!" Cheese sobbed, Pinkie popping up to give him hugs and tissues.
"Alas poor Boneless, we knew you well," Pinkie lamented as Cheese blew his nose, making a loud TOOT noise.

After the party ponies finished their sob story, the rest of the objects were placed upon the chest, and everypony stepped back as the magic happened!

Each object rose up, engulfed in the magical aura of the chest, each one transforming into another key resembling the cutie-mark of the pony it belonged to, one by one inserting itself into the chest... until the keys ran out and there was only one keyhole left. The one above the Element of Faith.

"There's still one key missing... the key that represents the Element of Magic! My Element..." Twilight sighed.

"But I'm sure if we've got our keys you have too, Twilight," assured Fluttershy.

"Think, dear, when have you completed a difficult magical task and in doing so encouraged somepony else to do the same?" asked Rarity.

"I haven't. If I had I'd have written about it in the journal," Twilight answered, feeling down yet again.
"No need to worry, Twi, I just know that you'll get your key-" Midnight encouraged, only for Spike to interrupt with his usual retching ... before he burped up a dragonfyre message.

He undid the seal and levitated it over for him and Twilight to read, Spike asking, "What's it say?"

The two alicorns put it down, the both of them looking worried as Twilight said, "That we're needed back in Canterlot right away!"

"We'll get there faster my way. Everypony, go home, we'll see you as soon as we can!" Midnight wrapped a wing around her and teleported away.

Usually Midnight didn't like teleporting via the Ley-Lines but this was important. Shaking it off as they arrived in the castle courtyard, they hurried inside, and before long they'd made it to the throne room, where the rest of the alicorns were waiting. The looks on their faces implied things were grim.

"Midnight, Twilight! You arrived so quickly," Sombra was surprised.

"We rode the ley-lines," Midnight explained.
"Is something wrong?" asked Twilight. "Is it Tirek?"

"i am afraid that you were all right about Eris..." Celestia was woeful, "Friendship, it seems, was not enough to change the nature of the Spirit of Discord. She has betrayed Equestria and allied with Tirek and even as we speak she is helping him to steal magic all over the land."

"How could she do this?!" Twilight was appalled, "I thought our friendship meant something to her! I thought he had changed."

"...It's my fault."

All eyes turned to Midnight, who looked ashamed and turned away, "I didn't have faith in Eris, I doubted her, and that must have made it all the easier for her to turn over to Tirek's side...Now everypony's n danger because I wouldn't give her the benefit of the doubt."

"Everypony indeed," Sombra wanted to assure Midnight he alone was not to blame but there was no time in the present moment, "Already, thanks to Eris's aid, Tirek has regained enough strength to steal the magic of not only unicorns, but pegasi, and earth ponies as well!"

"Without pegasi to control the weather, there will be no rain in Equestria," Luna noted.

"And without their strength, earth ponies will not be able to tend to the land," Cadance added.

"All the magic ponies need to control their world will soon be in the grasp of a monster," Shining Armor sighed.

"In the end, Tirek will set his sights on the magic of alicorns," Celestia's voice was heavy with apprehension and worry. "With Eris by his side, There is no way we can stop him from taking ours."

"And once he has it, there will be no stopping him," Sombra extended a wing to hug Celestia close, "He will be all-powerful...!"

"There is one solution," Celestia brought up, and stepped forward, the others joining her as they gathered before Twilight and Midnight. "It is only by making this sacrifice can Equestria and the rest of the world at large might be saved.... we must give up our magic before Tirek has a chance to steal it from us!"

254. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 3

"Give up our magic?!" Midnight was aghast, for it seemed Celestia was just full of insane ideas lately. "You can't be serious!!"

"Tirek will undoubtedly come for us once he's done stealing magic from all the other ponies," Luna spoke up, "and with Eris's help it won't be long until he has enough to overpower us."

"When he comes for us, we cannot have what he seeks," Sombra agreed.

Twilight quickly jumped on board, "I am more than willing to do my part in giving up my-"

"What you're suggesting still doesn't make sense," Midnight interrupted, "because even if we do give up our magic, it has to go somewhere! All the alicorn magic in Equestria?! It's not just something that can disappear into thin air."

"Which is why somepony must keep the magic safe," Shining Armor answered and Cadance stepped forward.

"And that somepony is the both of you, Twilight and Midnight."

"Why us?!" Twilight felt the familiar pressure of the weight on her shoulders, while Midnight stood at attention.

"Since the two of you are the newest prince and princess in Equestria, we are all but certain Tirek is unaware of your existences," Celestia explained, "If we transfer our magic to the two of you, he will not know where it has gone."

"Do you understand what we are asking of you?" asked Cadance.
"I would never agree with a plan like this if there wasn't an alternative," Shining Armor sighed as he stepped forward and gave his little sister a hug and then looked her warmly in the eye.
"But the situation is dire, and sometimes so are the options."

"I understand, it's just... I'm just getting started on learning to control my own alicorn magic!" Twilight fretted as she flexed the wings she wasn't born with. "To take on more..."

"Twilight, you represent the Element of Magic," Cadance reminded her before she looked to Midnight, "and you embody Faith, Midnight! If there is anypony who can handle this task, it is you two."

Seeing the other alciorns nod in agreement, Twilight and Midnight shared a look, and both nodded.
"This task may very well be the hardest I've ever had to undertake..."
"...but we'll get through it together!"
"And our friends will surely be there to-"

"I'm sorry, Princess Twilight," Celestia interrupted, "but you must keep your task and the power you and Midnight are about to take on a secret. If your friends are made aware of the situation I fear it could place them all at great risk."

Midnight gave Celestia a razor-sharp glare, and for a few moments he said nothing until he amended, "For now. But if it comes down to it, we will ask them for aid."

"This is the role we are meant to play as monarchs of Equestria," Twilight agreed, "but it's our friends that have helped us at every turn. Even so, we will do our very best."

"Very well. then let's begin. Alicorns, take your places," Celestia instructed, and Sombra and Shining Armor stepped up to stand at Celestia's right while Luna and Cadance stood at her left.

Al ost immediately did the air grow heavy as each of the alicorns sans Twilight and Midnight light up their horns and concentrated the full of their powers to the tips, holding it to be sure all of it reached that point... until they let it go! Five beams of power ignited and rose up, colliding into a blazing star of pure magical power! Twilight watched in awe as it grew bigger and bigger until it resembled the sun itself.

"Twilight..."

She looked to her left and saw Midnight, looking hesitant before furrowing his brows, "Prepare yourself..."

She nodded and they stepped forward, ready to accept this burden, and then focused their horns as the magic poured down like a cascade as vast and unstoppable as Neighagra Falls!

In the streets of Canterlot, Eris ignored the ponies' pleas for mercy as Tirek stole their magic away. Ever since she'd begun helping him rustle up these whiny equines, she'd taken quite a pleasure in watching ponies rendered powerless. But it soon became apparent that all this stolen magic was agreeing with Tirek, to Eris's liking as all this power made itself known the way it filled him out-

"Whoa-oh-ooh!" All of a sudden, Eris felt a disturbance in mystical force, muttering, "That was strange..."

"What was strange?" Tirek growled, his horns growing longer and more demonic.

"Oh! Uh- Nothing, carry on," Eris waved it off, and Tirek set his sights on Canterlot Castle.

The de-powered alicorns groaned as they stood up from the floor, and all gasped to see Twilight and Midnight! The two young alicorns gave off a heavenly radiance, floating a hoof or two off the floor, their manes waving out as though they were underwater and giving off phantasmic shimmers... before Midnight seemed to regain his wits and rein in the power he'd been given. He looked to Twilight, and worried as she seemed too dazed to come out of this sudden supernatural high!

"Twilight!" He reared up and gently placed his hooves on her cheeks, "Focus!"

The others worried as power crackled around Twilight but it appeared Midnight reached her as she closed her eyes, the power dimming, and her mind cleared as she settled back onto the floor. Midnight gave her a nuzzle, which she warmly returned when she noticed Celestia's flank was blank!

Her heart all but breaking, she hurried over to give her mentor a hug, as the other alicorns sadly glanced at their own blanked flanks.

"It is done..." Celestia stated, and Midnight came over too, the both of them sharing a look before they hugged as well.

"We won't let you down."

"I know you won't."

Teleporting back to Ponyville turned out to be even easier than regular teleporting, and Midnight and Twilight found themselves in front of the Library. Twilight sighed, a crackle of power around her horn, and a nearby lamppost began to float away, that Midnight quickly set it back into place, and looked Twilight in the eye, "Twily, focus! We now have al the alicorn magic in Equestria! Our very emotions could yield magical effects without us even intending it."

"Oh, all this power and it feels like-like... trying to interact with a world made of glass!" Twilight worried but kept her head on straight. "One false move and-"

"I know, and that's why you must keep yourself calm and focused at all times," instructed Midnight in a calm and clear voice. When he noticed the clock tower, he flinched!
"Uh-oh! The sun is supposed to be up, it's already six in the morning!"

"But shouldn't the Sisters have...!" Twilight facehooved, remembering what had happened yesterday.

"I'll take care of this, but we should do this inside so nopony catches on," Midnight opened the door and gestured Twilight in.

They carefully took the stairs up to Twilight's room and found Spike snoring away in his basket. Despite their tip-hooving...

"You guys weren't gone very long. Does... that mean everything's okay?"

"Yup! Everything's fine!" Twilight nervously fibbed, her emotion crackling out and causing a book or two to fly out of a shelf. Midnight gave her a look and a gesture of his hoof that easily said 'calm down'.

"In that case, I'm going back to bed..." Spike replied with a sleepy voice as he snuggled back in, "Sun's not up ...and neither am I."

"Shhh," Midnight held a feather to his hoof and gestured toward the window where they could see the moon shining its gentle guiding glow.

"Can I help?"

Midnight looked at Twilight and saw a giddy glimmer in her eyes, "I've always wondered what it would be like to move the sun or moon!"

Sighing but giving her a light chuckle, "OK, I'l lower the moon, you raise the sun, but remember. Keep calm and keep focused..."

"Right!" Twilight saluted with her wing, and she watched as Midnight took a deep breath...

His mane flowed ever so gently in a phantom breeze and gave off a distant glow, and Twilight watched as Midnight's turquoise aura enveloped the moon and let the moon down nice and easy. This however left all of Equestria in virtual darkness, only a few stars giving any light at all, and he gestured to Twilight that it was her turn.

She stepped up before looking at Midnight, "You've done this before, haven't you?"

"It's how I earned my cutie-mark, remember?" chuckled Midnight. "Truth be told, lowering the moon is much easier than raising it. Now, deep breath..."

Twilight inhaled.

"Let it out slowly..."

Twilight exhaled, some of her stress going with it.

"Envision the sun, how bright it is, how warm..."

Twilight did so, imagining the sun, letting it fill her mind to where she could almost feel its touch, and her horn began to glow with power and her own mane flowed while taking on the cosmic radiance of stars.

"Now bid it rise!"

Twilight willed it, and the sun whipped up at her bidding so quickly it surprised her and she lost concentration that the connection broke. The sun however had not completely risen and almost fell, that Midnight quickly stepped in and caught it in his magic before it vanished over the horizon, and shakily set it up where it belonged. they both phew'd and Twilight gave her beau an apologetic look, but he smiled at her.
"Not bad for your first try."

Meanwhile, back in Canterlot, Shining Armor and couple unicorn guards had noticed the sudden and odd movements of the rising sun. Even without magic, Shining Armor was able-bodied enough to do his duty, and wore his old Captain of the Royal Guard uniform as he led a patrol. He was no longer the captain of the Royal Guard but was allowed to keep it as an honorary title whenever he was in Canterlot.

However, the sun made for a distraction as the guards behind him suddenly floated upwards like bubbles, and-

*FLASH*

Shining Armor gaped to see Eris beside him, wearing his helmet, "Shining Armor, honey, what's a princey like you doing in a place like this?"

Shining Armor angrily pushed Eris off and flared his wings, "Keep your claws off me, traitor!"

"The only one Eris betrayed was herself!!" interrupted a harsh and brutal voice and Shining Armor looked on in horror to see who could only be Tirek as the monster stole his guards' magic!
"Abandoning his true nature to make 'friends' with weak-minded equines who could offer him nothing!"

"And nothing is what you'll get from me, Tirek!" Shining Armor faced the demon centaur bravely, even knowing he stood no chance.

"We shall see...!" Tirek sneered as he grabbed Shining Armor by the muzzle and inhaled with a monstrous thirst for magic!!!

...

No magic?

"Wha- What's going on?!" Tirek took his hand from Shining's muzzle to his throat and lifted him up off of his hooves, "Where is your magic?! TELL ME!!!!"

"Somewhere you'll never get it!" Shining Armor struggled pathetically in the centaur's grip

"RRRRAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!" Tirek roared as he swung around and gave a mighty heave of a swing!

Eris looked on in horror as Shining Armor was sent hurtling through the sky. Did she get that right?! Shining Armor didn't have his magic? If so then he wouldn't be able to...!

"Come Erissss....!!!" Tirek snarled angrily, "Celestia and I are due for a word..."

Tirek began to stalk away and Eris, seeing Shining Armor was falling to his doom...!

*snap*

"ERIS!! Hurry along, it is time for us to take our revenge on these pitiful creatures."

Eris hesitated but followed after, her conscience alleviated by a conveniently giant gelatin that suddenly had Shining Armor filling.

The doors to the throne room were thrown open with such force they were torn from their hinges as in stomped Tirek, roaring, "CELESTIAAA!!!"

The four remaining alicorns looked on defiantly at Tirek as he approached, "I have waited centuries for this moment! Ah, and is that Sombra with you? Another force of power laid lo."

"Love is a greater power than you will ever be, demon..." Sombra glared Tirek in the eye.

"What's wrong, Tirek? You don't seem to be in a particularly conquering mood," Luna goaded.

"A mood I can assure you is about to improve, moon princess!" Tirek willed Celestia forward and inhaled to drink her magic... only to gain nothing. Again!

"...what?!"

He tried again, with each of the other alicorns in turn, and recieved bupkus from all of them. his horns lit ablaze with his fury as he roared, "WHERE. IS. YOUR. MAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGIIIIIICCCC!?!?!?!!?

The door to the library opened and out walked Midnight, who then gestured Twilight to follow, "Baby-steps... baby-steps!"

"I get it...!" Twilight irritated but kept it together, "I have to practice to get better control, but I can't do it here."

"The gorge around the Castle of the Two Sisters will work," agreed Midnight, "but at the very least we should tell everypony something about what's going on."

"Maybe if we see them on the way, c'mon!" Twilight hurried past Midnight, who flinched with worry as he ran to catch up.

"Twilight?! Midnight? Where are we going?!"

They looked to see Spike was tagging along, and both shared an uncomfortable look, "Oh, uh- Hi Spike..."

"We gotta go... somewhere else!" Midnight answered lamely, and Twilight spread her wings to take flight...

*FWAM*

And what a takeoff!

"TWILIGHT!!!" Midnight took off after her, the force of both takeoffs knocking Spike off his feet and throwing him for a loop.

"Whoa-OOOAAAAA!!!!" Twilight hollered as she struggled to straighten herself out, flying so fast she left a sparkling trail of dark purple-blue and magenta, Midnight flying after her equally as fast, leaving a trail of smoking black and blazing blue with cindering embers.

At that moment, Rainbow and Soarin and Thunderlane were keeping lookout-

"*FA-WHOOOSSSSHH/WHOOOOOOOSSSSHH... FWOOOOOMMM*

"WHOAOAOAO!!!" they all yelped, after blurs sped them by and a short vacuum wave of air sent them spinning in the wake of the two sudden passersby. Straightening themselves out, Thunderlane flabbergasted, "Who the hell was that?!"

"i think that was..." Soarin and Rainbow shared a look and both thought the same.

"Twilight and Midnight?"

Rainbow was first to investigate, Soarin and Thunderlane quickly after, and on the ground, the rest of their friends all nodded and followed, and saw where Twilight came down for a less-than-graceful landing, Midnight landing beside her, asking, "Are you alright?!"

"I'm fine! Nopony panic, heh-heh!" Twilight announced nervously as she noticed their friends converge on the scene.

"By the Goddess, Twilight! I wager my horn that you could have given Stormbreaker Himself a challenge!" Blueblood gave voice to everypony's thought.
"Jumpin' june bugs, Twilight, where'd you an' Midnight learn to fly like that!?" astonished Applejack.

"I must've... caught a particularly strong breeze," fibbed a nervous Twilight as though by reflex she suddenly Flashed behind the others, all of them turning to look at her as she gave a nervous chuckle.

"Or something," Midnight said lamely.

"Must've been 'or something'," Rainbow Dash spoke up.
"Yeah, because there wasn't no breeze in the air," Thunderlane added.

"Guys, as much as we'd like to explain, Twilight and i have to look into some research," Midnight got everypony's attention, thankfully diverting it from Twilight as she gave a jolt of power itching to get out.
"Tirek remains at large and we need you all here to watch over Ponyville."

"Get the word around that until the threat is over, that everypony should remain indoors," Twilight added. "In the meantime, Midnight and I are going to look into something over at the Castle of the Two Sisters. Be safe, everypony."

Deciding a quick teleport would be less problematic, Midnight placed his wing over Twilgiht and they were gone in a flash, leaving their friends shared uncomfortable looks.

"Getting rid of your own magic to insure I could not steal it?!" Tirek sat upon Celestia's throne while Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Sombra were sitting before him, Eris to the side as she took in the show.
"You must have been utterly desperate to resort to such cowardice!"

Sneeing at their looks of defiance, Tirek stood up to gloat as his horns seared with power, "How does it feel... knowing that before long, every pegasus, unicorn, and earth pony" he conjured burning red spheres with outlines of the three mentioned ponies - "will soon be submit to my will, and that there is NOTHING" - he crushed all three spheres between his hands in a violent clap - "that you can do to stop me?!"

"In the end... you will never prevail," Celestia narrowed her eyes at the monster. He was every bit the power-hungry despot he was over a thousand years ago.

"Give my regards..." Tirek snarled as he opened a rectangular portal of blistering energy, "to CERBERUS!!"

And by his mental command were Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Sombra sent to Tartarus, the looks on their faces Tirek made a mental note of to relish for as long as he would remember.

Sneering with satisfaction, Tirek crossed his arms when-

"You meant, our will, did you not...?"

He looked to see Eris twirling her finger around at one of the stained glass windows that presented her old self as Discord tugging at puppet strings conencted to the three ponies beneath them, as she raised her brow at the centaur.

"Oh but of course, my dear Eris," Tirek gave a gentlecoltly bow before he removed the triangular golden medallion hanging around his neck, "and as a token of my gratitude and loyalty to you, I present you with this!"

"Ooh...!" Eris gave it a closer look as Tirek explained:

"This was given to me long ago by someone I cared deeply about, and I must say, my dear Mistress of Chaos..." Tirek fastened the cord around Eris's neck, "It suits you well, a sparkle to complement a ray of shining creativity."

"Oh my...!" Eris marveled at the medallion. It was radiant and had an archaic design but nonetheless beautiful. "You... think I'm creative?"

"Why just look at your work," Tirek swept his arm at the stained glass windows, each displaying a few... changes Eris had made. "Such artistic expression! Alas, a quality frowned upon in this pathetic society that so values peace and quiet...

"Now come! We have so much to do, and with the alicorns out of the way, we have all the power in the- !!!"

Tirek noticed one of the windows, this one displaying two alicorns he'd never seen before, a lavender mare and a sapphire stallion.
"Is this meant to be HUMOROUS?!?!"

"Oh-ho, no! I haven't redecorated that window yet," Eris chuckled while admirign her new accessory.

"There are two more alicorns and you did not see fit to inform me?!" Tirek was irked.

"Oh Tirek, baby!" Eris floated over, runner her talon down that big strong chest, "Can you blame a girl for wanting a little assurance in this relationship of ours? Well, this little gesture on your part" - she held up the medallion - "was just what I needed."

"Well then where can we find these two alicorn whelps?" Tirek all but demanded, resisting the urge to take Eris by the throat, "Where is their castle?!"

"Castle?! Oh-ho-ho gracious, no!" Eris wiped away a tear of amusement, "Princess Twilight lives above a library in Ponyville, and Prince Midnight on a farm of all things!!"

Growling with anticipation of this new chance to claim alicorn magic, Tirek sneered, "Not for long..."

As he stomped off, the window depicting Twilight and Midnight melted away by Tirek's fury.

Back in Ponyville, after the friends had gone around warning everypony, the streets were eerily empty, doors barred and shutters shut, even a tumbleweed a'blowin through, as Blueblood declared, "Well, fillies and gentlecolts, it appears our work is done. Everypony has been warned and are safely hidden away in their homes."

"Well, i'm sure Eris will catch Tirek and this will all be over soon," Fluttershy had full confidence in her friend.

"I'll bet she takes her sweet time..." Rainbow Dash was less than convinced.

"Well, perhaps these things just take time, colors!"

Everypony looked down the street to see Eris, her arms held out as she gave a warm look to Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus flew over to give Eris a hug, "You're back! And just in time for tea."

"i have the hors d'ouvres ready!" Eris conjured a platter of vittles... only to deliberatly spill them at Fluttershy's hooves, much to her confusion. "I imagine they'll be your last decent meal for quite some time..."

She snapped her talons, a cage appearing to contain the friends and even little Spike!
"What is the meaning of this?!" What's going on?!" Let us out!!" "You backstabbing snake!" "Eris, what're you doin'?!"

"And voila!" Eris zoomed around the cage, everypony following her and gasping to see who could only be Tirek stomping over, glaring down cruelly at them.

"Is this all of them?"

"I got them, my pretty, and her little dragon too!" Eris mocked, avoiding Spike's mouth when he tried to bite her finger.

"Why are you doing this?!" Fluttershy teared up as Big Mac held her comfortingly in his forelegs, "I thought we were friends...!"

"'Were' being the operative word," Eris huffed, "but Tirek offered me so much more than" - she scoffed with derision - "tea parties! You really didn't see this coming?"

"I didn't! I really didn't...!" Fluttershy sobbed into her husband's chest, Big Mac glaring reproachfully at Eris.

Tirek sneered as he willed the cage to rise up in his searing magic, everypony crying out in pain at the burning of the metal, as Tirek inhaled, breathing away their magic. For some reason however, Eris... looked the other way, and flinched at the heavy crash of the dropped cage, and watched as Tirek burned with more power and grew, his arms swelling with muscles so vast they broke the metal manacles he'd long carried from his time in Tartarus. Sighing from the surge of power he looked to Eris.

"You are certain they will come?"

"If magic is what Midnight and Twilight have, it will soon be yours, now that you have their friends," Eris assured in a slimy manner as she peered smarmily into the cage at the depowered ponies, "and before long there won't be a single earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus to stand agaisnt us."

"What do you mean 'us'?" Eris turned to look at Tirek who sneered as his horns lit up with his demonic aura, willing her up to his face.

"B-but- You said-" Eris tried to say.

"You helped me grow strong, provided me the means to claim the magic of Twilight and Midnight," Tirek sneered before he spoke with a voice cruel and unfeeling, "so I have no need of you any longer..."

Tirek opened his maw again and Eris couldn't even writhe in pain as she felt her magic ripped away from her! Once it was all gone, Tirek swelled up higher than the Ponyville Clock Tower and dropped Eris like a broken toy he'd grown bored with as he stomped off for his next meal...

"Wha... but... you said..." Eris held up the medallion, struggling just to prop herself up on her arms, her voice weak and pitiful. "You said this was... a token! of your gratitude and loyalty... a gift from someone close to you!"

"My brother who betrayed me," Tirek answered in his thundering voice without even looking back, "it is as worthless as he was..."

And as Tirek stomped off, Eris felt an awful pain in her chest as she stifled a sob and... were these... tears? She'd never cried before, not out of pain, like this!

"Surely you saw this coming..." commented Soarin from the cage behind her, Eris glancing back.

"I didn't...! I-I thought he...!" Eris began to cry.

Somewhere just beyond the Castle of the Two Sisters, Midnight and Twilight sat in front of each other while holding hooves, as they began a mana-channeling meditation at Midnight's suggestion. It was rather similar to the kind of meditation Twilight once learned from Zecora, as giant boulders enveloped in their mana slowly orbited around them.

"Clear your mind... forget what you think, discard your doubts... reach out, and feel the energies that surround us day and night, every animal, every plant, feel the energies that move them, gives them life... Now look deeper... It is not only the animals and plants that thrive with power. Yes... you feel it, don't you...?"

Twilight shuddered as her awareness extended and brushed with every bird, every tree, every beast, every flower, even the flows of the distant rivers and streams, but it was what lay underneath all that...

Some inner instinct cried out, warned her to proceed no further, but curiosity was so often the easiest motivation. But as she ever so carefully dared to reach further...!

"PRINCESS TWILIGHT!!!!"

"Eep!" Twilight snapped out of it, the meditation disrupting as she did and several of the boulders she and Midnight had been levitating lost the mana that had suspended them, creating several dozen might thuds and crashes all around them.

"PRINCE MIDNIGHT! The two of you have something that belongs to me!!!"

Standing up, the two alicorns looked out and saw the demon centaur Tirek, standing on the cliff on the other side of the gorge, a ball of fire blistering between his horns before it launched straight for them in a beam of fiery death!

"Take to the sky!" Midnight yelled, and they both zoomed up in different directions before converging down and forward towards Tirek. The centaur held out both palms, concentrating his wicked mana to both before unleashing twin beams of energy, which they quickly dodged, only for the beams to bend and follow!

"Evasive action!!" Midnight yelled to Twilight, and the two of them flew to and fro, swerving and diving, making sharp turns, nothing worked!

The beams followed with unrelenting accuracy, always at least a tail-length behind them. Midnight found it challenging but kept his cool but he knew Twilight must be feeling pressured as she'd never flown like this before, so her desperation to live must have been the only thing keeping her ahead of the beam behind her. ordinarily, she would have conjured a shield spell or teleported, but if she paused for even a second to focus, the beam would get her.

Taking a sharp turn, Midnight noticed Tirek, his eyes furrowed with concentration and he realized, He's open!

He flew after Twilight, managing to catch up to her and he shouted, "AFTER I MAKE MY MOVE, FLY STRAIGHT FOR TIREK!!!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!" Twilight yelled but flapped harder as she was certain she'd felt the tips of her tail hairs singe.

"JUST TRUST ME!!"

"OHHH!!!" Twilight started making left turns to keep Midnight and Tirek in her line of sight, as she watched him fly straight for the monster.

Tirek had been focusing on his energy beams to zero in on the two alicorns, but it had required immense concentration, as he wanted to get this done with quickly, and the power of these beams would cripple these insects! But leave them alive for him to suck dry of their magic. Then... he noticed the blue one, Midnight, flying towards him.
Does he really think I'll fall for this obvious trick?! He flies at me, my energy beam on his tail, and at the last second he makes a sudden turn and I get hit by my own attack? Foolish boy!

It was difficult dividing his attention between the beams and Midnight all at once, but Tirek readied himself, pulling his arm back, his hand feeling grabby... Once the fool was within range, he'd snatch him and hold him up for his beam to pulverize him! Five hundred meters.

Four hundred meters... Three hundred. Two Hundred! One Hundred...!

Tirek lunged forward, his fingers exerting, just barely feeling midnight's fur in his grasp-

*PHWOOSH*

"WHAT?!?!" Tirek roared as Midnight appeared to vanish in a puff of smoke-

*SIZZZAAAAPPP*

"AAAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!!" Tirek raged in pain as he felt his hand take his beam... when he saw Twilight fly past him, "WHA- AAAAAUUUUURRRRRGGHHH!!!"

The beam following Twilight got Tirek too, this one in the shoulder, and he threw his infuriated glare around, looking for them, and when he didn't see them, he reached out with his own mystical senses. There they were!

He looked in the direction he'd come, and saw it led to Ponyville. The sneaky little cowards had run home to hide under their beds! Embracing the pain, leting it fuel his anger, he concentrated another fireball to his horns and launched it!

Gasping to see the ball of death coming through her telescope, Twilight quickly teleported and not a moment too soon, as the fireball hit its mark... and incinerated the library in a terrifying explosion!

Twilight screamed as she, Midnight, and Owlowiscious were sent hurtling through the air, surrounded in a protective bubble of mana, and when they landed, they both looked on in heartache to see the smoldering ruins of the Golden Oaks Library. Burning books and scattered pages fell and flittered about as the fire crackled and smoke rose up from the ashes. Twilight fought back the tears and looked at Owlowiscious who looked at her with eyesful of sad, and she felt Midnight's arms tighten around her as she sent Owlowiscious off to find safety.

"I'm so sorry, Twilight," Midnight was dispirited to see the library gone too, but as he helped Twilight to her hooves, he noticed the fury on her eyes.

"Let's end this...!" she spoke and she enveloped them both in teleportation, taking them back to face Tirek.

In the air, Twilight reached out to Midnight with her hoof, and he took it, the both of them nodding as they span around while flying straight for Tirek, and they both concentrated the full of their magical might! It exploded in a spiraling radiant beeline straight for Tirek, who felt a twinge of danger and rose up his arms, a shield of his burning mana rising up to protect him, as the combined attack hammered at him before it burst with intensity!

Like an unstoppable flood, the torrent of power pushed Tirek back, and had he not angled his shield to deflect it it would have broken through his defenses. It ran over him and blasted into a distant mountain behind him, causing it to explode into dust! Looking up, he saw them land not far in front of him and sneered with realization.
"Now I understand what your fellow alicorns have done!"

Narrowing their eyes, the prince and princess launched with the force of a sonic boom and zoomed for Tirek, who responded with his own energy beam! Midnight rose up another bubble-shield, this one stronger while Twilight quickly teleported them both right in front of Tirek, who was taken by surprise as they both launched beams straight into his eyes, which he only managed to avoid but still got struck all the same. Roaring with fury, Tirek reached out with his mind to ensnare them before whirling them about and sending them hurtling into a mountain!

They crashed but thankfully, Twilight had literally cushioned their impact with magic, even though it did hurt. But Tirek didn't let up as he launched himself right at them, the force of his assault pounding them all straight through the mountainside and out the back. Twilight and Midnight groaned as they found themselves on Tirek's shoulders, but thinking quickly they conjured a cord of mana and ensnared Tirek around his throat, pulling in opposite directions and causing him to fall flat on his face and choke!

Tirek gasped for breath a few times before a vein pulsed on his forehead and he engulfed himself with magical fire, forcing the two alicorns to break their spell and retreat. Taking advantage even as he struggled to catch his breath, Tirek singled out Twilight and used his right hand to magically force her down to the ground, as though gravity was pulling her down with several thousand tons of pressure while he rose up his left hand to conjure a spear of fire! It wouldn't kill her though, Tirek still wanted that magic.

Unfortunately, for a moment, he forgot about Midnight.

"CITO AGMINE INFERNO!!!!!"

He saw a vast and furious blazing blue wheel of fire, that quickly dispersed to reveal Midnight. Then he heard something heavy and burning fall to the ground beside him, and when he looked down at his hooves he saw it was his severed arm and it was on fire. It was at that point, he felt the searing agony!!! Tirek roared with excruciating fury as he clutched his stump, which had been cauterized by the attack, and it was in that moment of his pain-distracted mind that he noticed his arm all-too quickly burn to ashes, bones an' all!

Unmitigated fury didn't come close to the red Tirek was seeing as he let unrelenting hate fill his mind, which made itself known in the flare of hellish radiance between his horns, as he unleashed it all upon his first target: Twilight!

It flew like a burning meteor promising extinction, and Twilight froze at the sight of it. Somehow, it invoked a primordial fear within her being that disrupted any cognitive thought or even instinct of self-preservation. In some corner of her mind, common sense screamed at her to move, to fly, to teleport, to do something!

And yet... all she could do was stand there in the face of impending obliteration.

"TWILIGHT!!!!"

Something snapped her out of it as she felt a frantic push, and as she was thrown safely out of harm's way, her heart skipped a beat as she saw Midnight, his eyes watching her soar to safety.

And he smiled... before he vanished in a flurry of burning destruction!

Twilight tumbled back in the dirt, and bolted up in time to see the power Tirek had unleashed tore across the landscape for perhaps a mile or three, until it stopped at the base of a mountain, and then exploded!

The force was so intense, Twilight felt the earth beneath her shake, and she screamed, "MIDNIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHTTTT!!!!!!!!"

At first, she saw only smoke and dust and fire... when something rose up out of the smog, and for a moment Twilight felt relieved.

For a moment.

Despite the distance, she saw him as he was sent skyward... and his body burned away into ash.

No!

There was nothing. She couldn't feel him!

He can't be!

She'd seen it with her own eyes, her mind ran over the facts.

I won't let him go!!!

But her heart, scarred and bleeding, refused to accept it.

"Damn it all..."

That voice caused Twilight to turn almost in daze to gaze towards Tirek, who was still clutching his stump and seething as he glared at Twilight... until one corner of his mouth pulled back into a depraved and mocking smirk.

"I killed him, along with the alicorn magic he carried. So now I'm going to have to be much more careful so that I can take the magic within y-"

Twilight teleported straight above Tirek's head screaming in grief and vengeance, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIIISSS!!!!!!!"

She summoned the full of her might into her next attack and launched it straight down upon Tirek, an explosion burying him with rubble. Twilight landed, and a beam of incinerating power rose up and encircled her, to her surprise, when she felt the ground beneath her shift, and Tirek rose up and somehow managed to throw the large piece of earth with Twilight upon it. She managed to evade danger and began to fly back after Tirek, who roared as he punched the ground, channeling his power to cause a labyrinth of stone spikes and pillars to rise up, Twilight evading them, blasting a few to smithereens but didn't slow down as she again unleashed the force of her fury, and Tirek did the same!

The two powers collided and resulted in a vast explosion, reshaping the land around them both, and Tirek groaned as he pushed off a boulder from debris that had fallen upon him... and heard soem hoof steps, and looked up to see Twilight looking upon him with unforgiving hate!

"It appears we are at an impasse."

"No..." Twilight began to concentrate for her next attack, catching Tirek's bluff, "We're not!"

Narrowing his eyes that Twilight had seen through him, Tirek quickly considered his options. He had more magic than Twilight on her own but his condition made for a very convenient handicap that tipped the odds in Twilight's favor. Not to mention, he was actually feeling afraid. She was going to kill him, of that he had no doubt.

Thankfully, the demon centaur had his trump card.

"In that case... how `bout a trade, Princess Twilight?" Tirek snapped his fingers and Twilight gasped to see bubbles appear over his head, each one containing one of her friends. And Eris.
"Don't try anything foolish, Twilight, or I'll crush them into a very messy pulp!"

Tirek demonstrated by slowly curling the fingers of his open hand and the bubbles responded by contracting, everypony crying out in alarm as their prisons closed in on them from all around.

"No!" Twilight stopped her spell, and Tirek smiled with wicked satisfaction.

"I'll make this simple: Their release for all the remaining alicorn magic in Equestria..."

Hearing the centaur, all but Eris shouted to Twilight not to give in, not to submit. Equestria needed her.

"Going once..."

Twilight felt her heart ache as though Tirek was exerting the same pressure into her chest.

"Going twice!!"

"DON'T DO IT, TWILIGHT!!" Soarin yelled.
"We aren't worth it...!" Fluttershy added.

"But you are, Fluttershy..."

Fluttershy looked to her left and saw a despondent Eris, looking oddly pale as she lamented, "It was you who taught me that Friendship is Magic. I had magic and friendship but I didn't appreciate what I had been given... until I lost them both."

"ENOUGH!!!" Tirek stamped in fury, annoyed by this prattle, "I want an answer and I want it NOW!!"

Twilight looked from the monster to her friends, and then... each of them, even Eris and Spike, within their bubbled prisons, gave off a brief yet clear reflection of color, and in that moment Twilight understood what she had to do. Hesitating at first, she answered, "I will give you my magic, in exchange for my friends."

Everypony gasped in horror, and Tirek sneered, "As you wish..."

With a snap of his finger all but Eris's bubble dropped and popped, releasing them all, and Twilight made herself clear, "ALL of my friends."

"After the way she betrayed you, you still call this simpering worm a friend?" Tirek growled, actually baffled for a moment, as Eris looked away in shame.

"Release her!"

"You can have her! She's more pathetic than the rest of you worthless creatures," Tirek snapped his finger, dropping Eris to the ground.

Without her magic, it actually hurt. Stifling a groan, she looked up to Twilight and meekly said, "I don't deserve it, but thank you."

She then peered over to Fluttershy, "I am so sorry..."

"I know..." Fluttershy shed tears.

"YOUR TURN," Tirek snarled as he then inhaled, Twilight crying out in pain as all the alicorn magic she carried, including her own, was stolen away!

He felt it! The power he had long dreamed of, inflaming every fiber of Tirek's being as it swelled his titanic might for all to gaze upon and know despair!!!

Everypony gathered around her as Spike placed his hand on her withers, "Twilight, what were you thinking?!"

"Tirek tricked me..." Everyone turned and gasped to see Eris! She wasn't just pale, she was transparent! They could literally see right through her! "He led me to believe I could have something even better than Friendship, but... I see now that there is nothing more special in all the world. Had I only realized that sooner..."

She removed the medallion from around her neck, the cord slipping right through her like air, and she stifled a grunt of pain and fell to her knees.

"Eris!" Fluttershy and even Pinkie, Cheese, and Soarin hurried over to help Eris up... only for their hooves to go right through her! "What?! What's happening?!"

Eris held up the medallion, knowing her time was short, "He gave this to me, saying it symbolized his gratitude and loyalty. Unlike him, I swear the honest and sincere truth when I say to you, I hope you will accept it as a token of our friendship..."

She placed it around Twilight's neck and everypony looked on in heartache as Eris began to fade away, Fluttershy crying out, "Eris, no! Please don't leave us!"

And the last thing they heard her say, even as it sounded like an echo from the distance, "Forgive me..."

And then she was gone, like dust in the wind. Fluttershy broke down in heart-wrenching sobs, Big Mac pulling her into a big and warm hug, everypony else shedding tears as well, and Twilight held up the medallion, wishing with all her might that none of this had ever happened... when she saw the medallion give off a faint shimmer of colors.

What...?

The tree. You must go to the tree!

Those words echoed into her mind as Twilight realized what had just happened, that there was still hope!

"Twilight...?"

She looked to see all of her friends looking at her, having noticed the look in her eyes, as Applejack asked, "Is tha'...?"

"We have to get to the chest, hurry!"

255. The Kingdom of Friendship - Part 4

They all ran, as fast as their legs could carry them, but right before they entered the Everfree Forest, they caught Tirek's eye, who snarled as he thought, I promised their release, not their lives....

Making their way through the forest, the friends felt the earth beneath them quake and somehow they knew he was coming!

"Hurry!" Twilight urged.
"On the double, friends, on the double!" Blueblood added.
"He's gonna catch up!" worried Thunderlane!
"Don't look back, Thunder!" Rainbow Dash snapped!

All of a sudden, the area of the forest around them suddenly burned and in moments, it all turned to ash, scarring the forest and leaving them all open for Tirek to see. They all whimpered and gathered together, out of herd instinct as Tirek leered down wickedly.

"Time to put you miserable insects out of my misery...!" Tirek thundered as he concentrated his hellish mana to his stump and they watched in abject terror as the mana took form as an arm of fire, crackling with demonic energy! Flexing the claws at the end of his flaming arm of mana, Tirek then looked upon these insignificant foals with the power-crazed madness of bloodlust!

He raised that monstrous arm of his, and everypony closed their eyes and held each other, this was it. They were done for! Tirek lunged forward with that flaming arm...

Only for a VAST wall of turquoise mana to rise up and stop him.

"WHAT?!?!"

Everypony looked and were in awe that they had suddenly been saved, but by who? The answer made itself known as a bright yet gentle radiance appeared from high up and came down towards them, the closer it got the dimmer it became, revealing a silhouette, and when it was close enough Twilight wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't heard his voice.

But there he was, and everypony gasped as Midnight Blaze now stood before them, smiling with determination burning in his eyes.
"Did y'all miss me?"

"MIDNIGHT!!!"

Twilight lunged forward and tackled him down with a hug before she gave him a fierce yet tender kiss that Rarity went 'oh my' and covered Spike's eyes, much to his chagrin.

"YOU!!!!!"

They all looked up to see Tirek glaring with seething hate at Midnight, "I WATCHED YOU BURN!!!!!"

"You saw what I wanted you to see, Tirek!" Midnight gave the demon centaur a cocky look, "You attack did come close to killing me, I'll tell you that! I was in no condition to keep fighting, but Twilight couldn't fight you and protect me at the same time. So I cast an illusion of myself burning to ashes, so that you would think you'd killed me and the alicorn magic I contained, and I managed to slip into my pocket dimension to recover from my injuries.

"I watched everything unfold, how you forced Twilight to give up her magic for our friends, and as much as I wanted to stop her, I trusted her, and stood by as backup incase my friends needed it, and here I am!"

Tirek roared with monstrous infuriation as he slammed against Midnight's wall of mana, "GIVE! ME YOUR! MAAAAAAAAGGGGGIIIIICCC!!!!!!!!!

"Sorry, Tirek, but we have somewhere to be," Midnight pulled everyone into his protective hold, "but we'll be right with you shortly."

And then he teleported them all to the Tree of Harmony, whereupon Twilight smacked Midnight on the back of his head, "YOU JERK!! You stupid- Brave... Oh for Goddess's sakes, you crazy jerk stallion, I love you!"

Midnight chuckled and groaned from the bruise he'd be feeling later as he hugged his Twilight closely, and everypony smiled happily for them-

"RRRRAAAAAUUUGHGGH!!!!!!"

"Tirek now! Chewing out later!" Soarin urged things to move along, "Twilight! The medallion!"

"Right... Girls, stand before your keys," Twilight instructed, and the mares all took their positions, their stallions standing at their sides, as Twilight stepped up to the chest.

She held up the medallion given to her by Eris out of true and sincere friendship... and the chest reacted! Its magic reached out, taking the medallion as it spun `round and around before it turned into a key resembling Twilight's cutie-mark and inserted itself into its key hole! She'd done it!

Their smiles were short-lived as they heard Tirek's enraged stomping, and looking outside they saw him burning more of the Everfree Forest in his mad search for them. It was now or never!

"Together! We have to do this together!"

The girls each took hold of their keys and then turned, the top of the chest opening, everyone awing as a rainbow shining with gold and silver stars rose up and over to the Tree of Harmony, touching the center, the Element of Magic, and the energies spread along its trunk and branches, touching the rest of the Elements with the power of the Elements the boys had created and placed into the Chest. One bye one, each element in the tree pulsed with power, as did the elements in the chest, and likewise did each of the Harmonic Twelve find themselves within a pillar of light!

For a moment, there was only intensity, until they all felt it ignite!

All twelve of them seemed to vanish as a starry rainbow rose up with twelve spheres that each brightened to reveal the twelve friends, their manes and tails and even their hooves and the wings of the pegasi and alicorns shined with new colors and symbols relating to their cutie-marks, the guys clad in their Harmonic Armor which gave off a golden silver radiance!

Tirek sensed something and looked to see those twelve wretched ponies rise up, shining with cosmic color, and he snarled as he threw flames out of his fiery arm at them, only for the flames to be extinguished, along with his arm, revealing his charred stump!

"How is this possible?! You have no magic!!"

"You're wrong, Tirek! I may have given you my alicorn magic, but we carry within us the most powerful magic of all!"

Beams of magic shot out from the radiance surrounding the twelve friends, each a different color, and made contact with Tirek as they all came together, forming a rainbow alive with stars, and Tirek screamed in horror as he felt all of his power! All of his magic! It was taken away, causing him to shrivel up as he then found himself back in his cell in the pits of Tartarus, and he cried out in anguish, "NOOOOOOOOO....!!!"

Back in Equestria, the Twelve Friends felt all of Equestria's magic between them and knew what they had to do, as the radiant circle that contained them exploded, the twelve of them zooming out to all corners of Equestria, bringing the magic with them!

They made sure the magic was brought back to everypony, every earth pony, every unicorn, every pegasus, every stallion, mare, and foal.

The unicorns lit up their horns, the pegasi took to the skies, and the earth ponies happily stampeded across the earth.

Even in Tartarus, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Sombra felt their magic come back, and the chains holding them disintegrate as they were freed! They left Tartarus, but Celestia paused to look back at Tirek, who returned her gaze with one of unforgiving hate. A part of her pitied him, for his rage against ponies was not without just cause. But he had brought this upon himself now just as he did then, over a thousand years ago. She turned away and joined her husband outside of Tartarus, back in the sunshine.

Back in the cave, the Twelve Friends found themselves again standing before the Tree of Harmony, the magic they'd just unlocked shining above them all like a sun all its own but then it appeared to retreat back into the chest. For then... the tree released another rainbow, taking the chest with it as it went up and out the cave ceiling and the rainbow arched over, coming down at the edge of Ponyville, in a place between the town and the Everfree.

Like a seed, the chest was planted into that spot... and from that spot did grow a vast and beautiful tree of crystalline wood, with towers, a balcony, windows, and a door in the base of the trunk. It was a castle!

The Twelve were teleported to it, and as they gazed up in awe, they felt the magic that had empowered them fade away, its purpose fulfilled. But the guys' armor remained.

"Goddess of All, do you all see what I see?!" Rarity broke the silence as they all marveled at the crystalline piece of nature and regality before them.

"It's... a castle!" Midnight removed his helmet to have a better look, the other stallions doing the same, as he felt Twilight push up against him while keeping her eyes up at the castle.

"But... whose is it?" she asked.

"I believe, this castle belongs to the both of you, Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight."

They all turned and smiled to see the rest of the alicorns, joined by Spike, and... who was that hiding behind Celestia's tail?

"You're alright!" Twilight hurried over to give Celestia a hug, the others coming over but Fluttershy noticed a little someone hiding behind Celestia's tail, and a warm feeling she could not recognize made itself known in her heart.

"Congratulations, Twilight, and Midnight, and all of you!" Celestia smiled at each of them in turn, when she noticed Fluttershy nervously raising her hoof.

"Um, pardon me, Your Highness? If... you don't mind my asking," she pointed to the princess's tail, "Who's that right there?"

Celestia smiled and looked down at the little one hiding, "It's alright! These are our friends, don't be shy."

Then, a little paw slowly pulled Celestia's tail out of the way... to reveal a tiny little creature, just a little shorter than Spike, with a colt's face, a kitty-like right paw, a birdy-like left claw, the legs of a goat and lizard, one wing feathered, the other bat-like, and a dragonish tail, and two tiny stubby horns above his scared little eyes. It didn't take a genius for the friends to figure out who this was as they all gaped in disbelief at what- Or rather who they were seeing!

"H-hello... everyone," the little one shyly waved his tiny paw, "Um, I'm... Discord."

Everypony looked to Celestia for an explanation and she shrugged, "When we arrived, we saw him lying on the ground, tired and scared. I asked him if he wanted to come with me and see all of you."

Fluttershy very slowly stepped forward and crouched down onto her belly to be eye-level with the tiny draconequus, who looked at her with eyes full of curiosity and... maybe a glimmer of recognition?

"Discord, my name is Fluttershy. Do you... know me?" she asked gently.

"I... I don't know!" Discord nervously walked up to Fluttershy, looking at her with wide eyes, "But... I feel like I do."

That was good enough for her, and Fluttershy held out her forelegs, inviting little Discord into a hug, and something in Discord felt a burst of joy, and he smiled as he accepted, hopping into Fluttershy's embrace.

"Forgive me for interupting, Fluttershy," Celestia spoke up, "but let's all have a look at this new castle."

"Alright, Discord, would you like a ride on my back?" Fluttershy offered, and Discord smiled as he climbed up, Fluttershy standing as they all entered the castle.

The interior was beautiful and strange, appearing much larger on the inside than it did on the outside. Stainedglass windows ran along the hallways sporting soft green glass with designs to make them look like trees, pillars set between each window to hold up the ceilings, from which hanged glowing crystals providing a soft yet perfect amount of light, and as they all walked along the carpeted hallway, Celestia spoke to Twilight and Midnight.

"You have been wondering, Twilight, what you are meant to do as a princess. Do you know now?"

Twilight and Midnight shared a smile as they both understood, for this was not only Twilight's role but his too, as Twilight stated, "As a Princess and a Prince, I believe we have the power to spread the Magic of Friendship across Equestria!"

"And to defend the Harmony of ponies everywhere," Midnight added, "that is the role we are meant to have in our world. It is the role we choose to have!"

He then led Twilight over to their friends, "But you and I didn't defeat Tirek on our own!"

"It took all of us to unlock the chest!" Twilight agreed as they all came together in a hug, and Sombra opened some nearby doors.

"Then it is needless to say, that the two of you are not meant to take up this task on your own," he waved to the room beyond the doors and the twelve friends, and Spike all gasped and awed as Sombra declared, "Midnight Blaze, Twilight Sparkle, you are now Prince and Princess of Friendship and Harmony!"

The room was a large chamber resembling a meeting hall, with thirteen thrones of crystal, each but the smaller one baring the cutie-mark of the pony it belonged to. The small throne set by Twilight's throne obviously was meant for Spike! They were set around a mural on the floor which glorified the cutie-marks of Twilight and Midnight in a figure-eight form, and as everypony settled into their throne they looked around at each other, full of pride and joy.

"But what is the Prince and Princes of Friendship without their friends?" Celestia added as the Twelve Ponies and Spike gathered in the middle, when Twilight noticed little Discord hanging back, and she smiled.

Discord felt magic raise him up but smiled as he was brought over to the circle of friends to be a part of their hug-

"Hold on a second! Don't I get a throne?" he ruined the moment with a quivering lip, only for Fluttershy to pull him into another hug.

"I don't think you're quite old enough yet," she teased, causing Discord to grumble something about Spike being old enough but he smiled anyway.

That day, in celebration of the victory of the Prince and Princess of Friendship along with their Friends, Ponyville partied hard, courtesy of their resident party ponies who pulled out all the stocks and spared no balloon, streamer, gag, confetti, they made a bash that would be spoken of for generations!!

As the ponies of Ponyville and many more gathered before the new Castle of Friendship, a tune began as the Harmonic Twelve stood ready and Twilight took the lead.

You can do it solo...
But then you'd be all by yourself!
(Midnight and Twilight shared a loving nuzzle when Pinkie popped up)

So it'd be more fun to share this song with everyone else!
(Pinkie Pie happily danced with Cheese as they swung around glowsticks and party streamers)

Together we will soar across the sky and beyond!
(Soarin and Thunderlane did a quick aerial performance ever everypony's heads)

So tune up your voice!
(Applejack twanged on her father's guitar only for a Rainboom to interrupt as Rainbow raised a bass guitar high above...)
STAND UP AND SING ALONG...!!!!
(...and brought it down in technicolor blast of AWESOMENESS)

All different voices, our melody's ringing
(The Harmonic Twelve held stood hoof in hoof...)
We're livin' in harmony! Yeah, we're livin' in harmony!!
(... except for Midngiht and Twilight who both stood in front of their friends and raised their hooves to the crowd, inviting them to join in)

Our song is much stronger with every soul singin'!
(The crowd happily added their voices, creating a greater harmony!)
We're livin' in harmony...!
(And though their voices were many, their hearts beat as one!)

The Crusaders all happily ran to their big brothers and sisters to give them the biggest hugs and say they were so proud to be their little brothers and sisters. Twilight and Midnight invited all of Ponyville to their castle to enjoy the party, and even Celestia, Sombra, Luna, Cadance, and Shining Armor stayed to join in, and Ponyville saw all seven of the Alicorn Princes and Princesses cut loose on the dance floor.

Fluttershy and Celestia had a quick word to decide what to do about little Discord and they both agreed that he would stay with Celestia in Canterlot to learn to control his magic and behave, but Fluttershy would be his foal-sitter, which she was all too happy to accept, especially since Celestia would be quite busy in the coming weeks. So Discord would be spending a lot of time in Ponyville with them.

Shining Armor pulled Midnight into a brotherly noogie and declared he was gonna throw him a bachelor party and Midnight asked him to be his best stallion for his and Twilight's wedding, which he was happy to accept, just as Cadance was honored to be appointed Twilight's mare of honor.

At the end of it all, victorious friends gathered around and had their picture taken as another special memento of how far they'd come, and looking at it, they all smiled, knowing that despite all they'd done and been through this was just another beginning, with a promise of so much to look forward to, and a vow to make Equestria an even better place.

Author's Note

I didn't want to make some kind of miracle scene that brings Midnight back to life so instead went with a little misdirection and prestidigitation; besides, Midnight's cheated death once already by some unexpected miracle (reincarnation) not counting his near-death experiences over the years working in the Brotherhood

The decision to turn Eris into Kid Discord was decided long ago, and I don't regret it

Art by Hoodwinked MCShelster

But wait! There's more...

256. The Kingdom of Friendship - Epilogue

Tirek was back in his cell in Tartarus, powerless. He growled, feeling sorry for himself. He had been bested by the magic of Friendship again and he was now looking like a champion fool.

“Damn them all,” he snarled. “Damn that magic! Damn everything that that magic stands for!”

He slumped down, sighing in agitated defeat. He only hoped that things wouldn't get worse. Unfortunately, all the fates were against Tirek that night. The sounds of hoofsteps filled the already unsettling darkness of Tartarus. Tirek looked around.

“Who's there?!”

No pony replied. Tirek looked around, but he could only see the suffocating and blinding darkness. Fear crept into Tirek. He was known to never get scared, but fear is a fickle mistress. Everyone has something to be scared of, which meant Tirek was no exception.

Just then, the candles surrounding his cage burst into flames revealing a tal and pale gray Alicorn with a mane white like sunbleached bone, and two intense pale blue eyes. He was rather thin yet carried a slender musculature, and Tirek saw the alicorn bore a cutie mark of a wilting lily. He realized in an instant who it was.

“Thanator...” Tirek growled. “What brings you here? Come to reap my soul at last?”

“Oh no,” Thanator answered sweetly. “I'm here to enjoy a good dose of schadenfreude.”

“Do tell,” Tirek growled, irritated.

“I'm enjoying the fact you tripped at the finish line, just like every other villain in my prison. Come on, you should be breaking the cliché that all villains are incompetent, bungling twits and cunning, conniving, skilled villains. This is just becoming a comedy sketch. Now, where'd I put my popcorn and soda?” mocked Thanator with a laugh like cracking ice.

If there was one thing the Pony of Death was known for, it was his “on the nose” taunting. It tended to get under others' skin rather easily. Tirek was no exception, as Thanator saw him boiling over, which he found brilliantly priceless. Even more when Tirek snarled and reached through the bars, trying to grab Thanator.

The alicorn simply stepped back, continuing his mocking chuckle and watched as Tirek tried to steal his magic. However, no magic flowed into Tirek's mouth.

“WHAT IS THIS?!” Tirek screamed in anger.

With his mind, Thanator pushed Tirek back, causing him to crash against the back wall of his cell, as he then held up a glass orb with a deep maroon magic burning weakly inside of it.

“I believe this is yours,” Thanator held it like dangling a mouse before a starving cat. “It's your magic. Specifically, the power you require to steal magic from others.”

Tirek snarled and tried, desperately to get at it. Thanator stepped back again... and tipped his hoof, the orb slipping from his hold. Tirek watched in horror as the orb shattered upon the cold stone floor and his magic flickered and crackled, struggling to keep burning, before it slowly faded away in a wisp of smoke.

Thanator smiled, unapologetically, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth.

“Oops! I really need to be more careful, don't I...?” He then turned around, a shroud of smoke rising up and forming a hooded cloak over him. “Anyway, enjoy rotting. I will be back in due course to collect what is rightfully mine. Ta.”

Thanator walked away, his laughter echoed mockingly through the hall leaving Tirek to slump down in absolute defeat. If it had a taste, it would be sour, almost spoiled and expired beyond all recognition.

“Damn them all...” he growled again and closed his eyes.

A softer sound came and a hooded figure stood before him outside his cell door.

“Giving up already? I thought you were stronger than that.”

Tirek opened an eye, but didn't care for any more visitors.

“Go away,” he grunted.

“Oh come now, don't be sour. One defeat shouldn't be the one thing that stops you. Oh wait! Two defeats... well, third time's the charm, isn't it?”

Tirek growled and turned his back away from the bars but the figure continued.

“Really, Tirek. Did you think Cerberus just wandered off that day? Who do you think unlocked your cell door?"

“The lock gave way,” Tirek had always suspected someone had helped him, but he refused to acknowledge it lest they acted like he owed them.

Losing patience, the figure reached up and lowered her hood to reveal a catty smirk, "But where are my manners? My name is Catrina, and I am here to collect on your debt, Tirek."

"I owe you nothing...!" Tirek growled, still not looking back, "And I don't give a damn who you are, leave me be!"

“However, you were rather slow," Catrina kept talking, acting like she hadn't heard a word. "You took so long before you made your first move, I honestly began to think you just crawled off somewhere to die. But finally, my patience, however much you tested it, was rewarded, and it all turned out just as expected."

“Enough with the berating,” he huffed. “Make your point and leave me to rot in peace!”

Catrina shook her head and smiled.

“I do have a point to make. It was I who released you, not out of the kindness of my heart, mind you. Rather, I set you loose to test those twelve nuisances who are connected to the Elements of Harmony. I wanted to see what would result of unleashing a literally power-hungry monster upon Equestria and whether or not they would ultimately triumph or utterly fail. I don't make a move unless I am certain I have the advantage, and when it turned out those admittedly-formidable foals had quite the colorful trump card, my instincts proved correct. I am far from ready before making a move agaisnt Equestria."

Seething in rage, Tirek realized that from the very moment he stepped out of his cell he'd played for a fool! He whirled about and gave her the hateful and vicious look he could muster, which didn't so much as spur a step back from the witch as she simply smiled at his pitiful attempt to intimidate her.

“I now present you with an offer."

“An offer?” Tirek was loathe to accept anything but what did he have to lose?

“Yes. Join me, Tirek, and together we will assemble force of power so immense, so merciless that not only Equestria but all the world will cow at our feet! Or refuse, I don't care which," Catrina shrugged before adding, "Although you should thank Thanator for this opportunity I am presenting."

"He stripped me of my power to steal magic! And if that weren't enough..." Tirek raged, “He rubs my failure in my face, enjoying every minute of my suffering!”

“Mm, that is true but his taking that power from you, is exactly why I am offering you a chance to join me,” she clarified. “I would never have have made you this offer had he not. You would have stolen my magic when I least expected it, just as you did with the draconequss..."

Tirek snarled again, this witch was smarter than he thought.

"But far be it from me to make you this offer..." Catrina waved her paw-like hand, a greenish mist appearing and from it came forward a fearsome arm of dark metal! "...without a few perks."

"...You have my attention," Tirek was indeed intrigued by this arm.

"I witnessed the battle, and saw what Midnight took from you," Catrina held the arm up, making sure Tirek got a good look, "but you'll find this far more useful than your original limb. Not only that, it is infused with strong magicks. It will not only replace what you have lost, it will restore some of your strength! You will not remain this wrinkly wizened thing you are now; you will be strong, able-bodied, a fierce warrior indeed! A perfect enforcer of my will."

And there it was.

"Your will?" Tirek took a step back, Catrina narrowing her eyes.

"But of course! Even you should know nothing in this world is free, Tirek. I am offering you power, revenge, strength, and a place at my side when this world is brought to heel under a new order. My order. It will take time, energy, effort, no small amount of guile, strategy and patience, some misdirection, and I certainly cannot do it on my own. I need a strong and ruthless enforcer of my will to help me in bringing about a glorious era where a great injustice is at long last made right and the ponies made to suffer for their ancestors' sins as my slaves! Under my rule, when all the world is ours - Yes, ours! - you will be a conqueror! A general to lead my forces to expand the borders of my reign, and you will have power, wealth, and the thing you have always wanted to get most from the ponies of Equestria - Even."

Tirek narrowed his eyes, he'd heard this song and dance before, because he'd spoken similar promises, to Scorpan and then to Eris. But to refuse meant to rot perhaps another millennia or more in this hole, and even if by some miracle he managed to escape again he no longer had the power to steal magic. Whether in here or out there, he'd rot and as Catrina had thought earlier, he would indeed just wander off to die, alone and with nothing.

It hurt, but he bowed as he swore, "Free me, and I shall serve you."

Catrina purred with satisfaction as her smoky green magic reached out and caused the bars of the cell to crumble into dust and it carried the arm to Tirek... and suddenly grafted itself onto Tirek's stump! He cried out, only for the hazy mana to cover his mouth, preventing his agonized screams from being heard. The base of the limb shot needle-like anchors into Tirek's shoulder, piercing flesh and bone as it affixed itself to his body, and then... he felt a rush!

Lines along the arm glowed green, extending through the interconnections that bound the arm to Tirek, and he felt it flow into every fiber! He grew in size and muscle as he felt the power reinvigorate his decrepit form, his horns grew, his eyes flared, and he laughed darkly at how good it felt!

Finally it stopped, and Catrina looked up with a leering smile at her new enforcer, watching him move his new arm and test out the feeling of it. He flexed the claw-like fingers, rolled his shoulder. It felt really good! In fact... he even felt his arm almost as though it were his flesh and blood! Noticing the surprise in Tirek's eyes, Catrina explained:

"The magic of your prosthetic connects not only to your muscles and nerves but also to your thaumaturgical system. Your mind is not playing tricks on you; that arm feels the same sensations of touch as if it were truly flesh and bone."

"It feels like... it's always been a part of me! Like I never lost my arm at all!" Tirek was astounded by what he had been given!

Then Catrina turned around, "Come, we must leave before either of us are noticed. We have so much to talk about and so much to do... to someone else."

"Indeed..." Tirek responded as he prepared to strike Catrina down... only for his arm to lurch one way, taking him by surprise, and then, to his horror, it grasped him by the throat, and squeezed!

Tirek fell down onto his side, struggling, writhing, gasping for breath as he fought the prosthetic to no avail, and it relaxed its throttling but retained its grip on his windpipe as Catrina chuckled with false pity.

"Really, Tirek, did you honestly think it would be that easy? You think I would give you power and a new arm without insuring you could not turn against me? You proved you are capable of treachery against Eris; I knew you would be all too willing to shove the dagger in once my back was turned."

She turned to look down at him, and stomped her foot onto his face, "You are a dog!!"

She reached up with her own arm, her hand glowing, as Tirek's prosthetic did the same as it mirrored the movements of her fingers and grasp as she made a choking gesture and the limb proceeded to choke Tirek more, "And this is your leash!!"

Then Catrina channeled green and black mana to her hand, which crackled like electricity, and Tirek screamed as the limb proceeded to do the same and Catrina laughed wickedly at Tirek's torture.

Oh the fun they would have and the mischief they would enact!

Author's Note

Thanator, a mysterious alicorn known as the Pony of Death; most ponies just think he's an old pony's tale

Plus my own explanation for Tirek's escape.

For the record, if I could give Catrina a voice-actress it would be Marina Sirtis, who so brilliantly played the role of Demona from Greg Weisman's "Gargoyles" and did an eloquent job in voicing Queen Bee in "Young Justice", or Lena Headey for her roles as Cersei Lannister, Morgana le Fay from the "Trollhunters" franchise, and Evil-Lyn in a recent "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" animation series

257. The Cutie-Map - Part 1

Things had calmed down and only the next day after the celebration of Tirek's defeat and the sudden emergence of this new castle, where Twilight and Midnight had affirmed their destiny as the Princess and Prince of Friendship and Harmony, were things about to get busy once more...

The ponies of Ponyville were made of stronger stuff, as the locals went about their business, shot the breeze, said hello to neighbors and friends, as though nothing had ever happened in their happy little town. And yet, Ponyville was known as a very happening place.

Inside the new castle of their resident prince and princess, they and their ten friends returned to the room where each of them had a throne, theirs marked by their cutie-marks, and found Spike snoozing away on his throne, which was smaller and set at the right-hoof side of Twilight's. Pinkie and Cheese bounded over to theirs, as Rainbow made herself comfortable in hers-

"Let's go over this one more time," Twilight suggested while rubbing her hoof to her chin.

"Ugh! We've been over this like, a million times, Twilight!" Rainbow complained and Soarin sat in his throne at Rainbow's left, nopony noticing how the cutie-marks of the occupied thrones were beginning to glow.

"Yeah! You girls found all your keys, we defeated Tirek, and then we got this rad castle," recapped Soarin before he shrugged, "Enough said!"

"Yes, but why?" Midnight was just as curious as Twilight.

"Ah dunno, haystack. Maybe it's jus' you an' Twi's new home, an' tha's all there is to it," assumed Big Mac before he sat into his throne.

"I must say,," Rarity smiled as she got comfortable, feeling like royalty herself, "strictly speaking on aesthetics, there really doesn't need to be any more to it. It's all simply divine!"

"Well, who can say, everypony?" Thunderlane wondered aloud as he, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Blueblood all took their places too, leaving only the alicorns still standing as they continued to ponder.
"This castle is obviously magical and it's connected to the Elements and to us! I think it's safe to say, that this is a whole `nother beginning to who knows what else!"

"Exactly, thank you, Thunderlane," Twilight pointed to him and he shrugged while Midnight took his throne. "Midnight and I, as prince and princess, have been chosen to spread the Magic of Friendship across Equestria, and you are all a part of that mission too. So why would the Tree of Harmony just give us a castle in Ponyville to sit around in all day? It doesn't make any sense!"

It was at this point where Twilight finally sat down, and the circle was complete. Everypony's cutie-marks lit up along with the marks on their thrones, and the air suddenly felt different as a distant chime got louder and louder... and the marks on the thrones shined a beam downwards into the mural on the floor around which the thrones were situated. Then the crystalline sides of each throne rumbled as they seemed to reach out and snake towards the center where the beams all met and then flowed together, forming a round table of crystal, and the resulting flash stirred the little dragon awake.

Yawning, Spike perked up to see what appeared to be a round table set between all the thrones, and a visual and detailed display mapping out all of Equestria!

"Is that new? I like it!" He hopped up onto the table and walked around, honestly feeling like a giant! "This is incredible! It's some kind of magical map of Equestria!"

"Hi Mom and Dad!" Pinkie smiled to see her family Rock Farm in Nickerlite, and gasped when Spike stepped on it as he wandered over the map in awe.

"This is incredible! But..." Midnight wondered before looking around at everypony, "Why has this... map only appeared now?"

"Um... maybe it's nothing but..." Fluttershy spoke up, "nothing unusual happened until you and Twilight sat down in her throne, along with the rest of us."

"I think you're right, Fluttershy!" Blueblood couldn't help but marvel at the exquisite detail of these images showing the nation. "Perhaps the map could not appear until each of us sat down together into our thrones, as if... we were holding council!"

"Council?" Midnight pondered the word before he was struck by inspiration. "The Council... of Friendship! That's what we are!"

"Ooh! That sounds gouda!" Cheese agreed when the map began to extend to each of the stallions a small pillar of crystal.

The pillars were small and round, only about a hoof-wide in diameter, but then the tops opened much like how the Chest had opened... and from each did rise some kind of cylindrical crystal that bore each stallion's cutie-mark, like some kind of insignia. The stallions reached out and picked up the handles, the girls looking on in wonder before Twilight asked, "What are they?"

"I have no idea," Soarin tiled the object in his hoof, Cheese Sandwich nibbling on his but bleh-ing and muttering how it didn't taste very good.

Before they could question the nature of these objects further that stallions all yelped in shock as the crystals seemed to... melt into their hooves while the girls' felt a shivering on their flanks and they all stood up to see their cutie-marks glowing strangely as images of them rose up, encircling Twilight's cutie-mark... before they all floated down, settling over a spot that pointed out literal nowhere in the upper-west of Equestria. Somewhere to the south-west of the Crystal Empire, and north of Manehatten, to be specific.

"What's going on now?!" Soarin was getting a little tired of these surprises.

"Yes, we're over here in Ponyville..." Fluttershy brought up, "so then, why are our cutie-marks over there?"

"I don't know, but it seems like the map wants for us to find out," Twilight theorized, "The Tree, the Chest, this castle, and now this map! How can we not follow it?"

"But... why only you, girls, and not all of us?" Midnight didn't like the sound of that. "What if... it turns out to be dangerous?"

"Danger? Ha! I laugh in the face of danger, so you can count me in!"
"Aw shot, Ah reckon ter right."
"Well, I was planning to re-organize my baking sheets but OK!"
*sighs* "Very well."

Rarity and Pinkie both gave Fluttershy an expectant smile, as did Rainbow Dash, making her feel put on the spot.
"Um, maybe I'll just stay here."

"Awesome!" Spike cheered as he pulled on a soda-drink hat and a foam claw, "You can hang out with me and the guys! There's this hoofball game on tonight, Los Pegasus Raiders against the Canterlot Knights! We're also gonna trade hoofball cards, talk about hoofball stats-"

"Um, on second thought," Fluttershy wasn't much of a hoofball fan but she'd seen how rowdy fans could be during games, "maybe I'd better go with them. In case they need me. You understand, don't you, Mackie?"

"...Eeyup," Big Mac was concerned of his wife going off to parts unknown to face the unknown, but he knew she'd be fine with the rest of the girls.

"Looks like it's time for a road trip," Twilight declared, and as she and the girls got up to leave, she felt a hoof on her withers and saw it was a concerned Midnight.

"Be careful."

"You know I will," she assured him with a kiss, "be back before you know it."

"Suit yourself!" Spike called after Fluttershy as the girls left before he turned to Big Mac, "Hey Mac, any chance I could get a look at your Hock Fetlock rookie card?"

Noticing the way Spike was moving his little claws, Big Mac gave him a knowing smirk but responded, "Nnope."

"Good luck, ladies!" Blueblood called after them before he turned to the rest of the guys,"Gentlecolts, perhaps we should examine ourselves after those strange crystals.... vanished after they touched our hooves. As we have seen thus far, there is almost certainly more to all of this than meets the eye."

"Forget that, let's get started for the game tonight!" Soarin suggested, "Hoofball Night at Thunder's!!"

"WHOOO!!!" cheered Thunderlane, Big Mac, Cheese Sandwich, and Spike as they all cantered out of the council room, while Blueblood sighed when he noticed Midnight was back in his throne, looking at their girls' cutie-mark floating over the spot where the map had directed them.

Coming over, he said, "I understand your concern, Midnight. But you know our girls! Whatever it is the map has sent them to look into, I'm sure they can handle it."

"I... guess you're right, Blue," Midnight got up from his throne.

"Midnight, Blueblood, you guys coming?!" Spike called back at them.

"Well, we may as well enjoy tonight. You up for it?" Blueblood asked, and although he hesitated for a moment, Midnight smiled.

"Sure, let's throw something together and enjoy some hoofball!"

In Thunderlane's front yard, Spike and Big Mac were discussing hoofball cards but the latter refused to trade his Hock Fetlock rookie card, to the little dragon's irritation! Blueblood and Soarin were putting together their own dream hoofball teams, and were currently arguing who got to have the star quarterback of the Trottingham Patriots, and Thunderlane and Cheese were tossing a hoofball together.

The only one whose heart just wasn't in it was Midnight, as he continued to let his mind wander as he worried about Twilight and the rest of the girls. It'd been hours since they'd left, but considering how far it was, it would be understandable if they didn't come back until noon tomorrow.

Maybe I should just relax... he thought as he sighed, The girls have handled lots of crazy stuff! They're probably-

"Midnight! Head's up!"

"Huh?"

*SMACK/"OW!"*

Midnight clutched his schnozz as the hoofball that had just creamed him bounced to the side, and Thunderlane and Cheese and Big Mac came over, concerned as Cheese said, "Sorry, Midnight! I slipped on some wet grass and my aim was off."

"Ugh, no big, Cheese," Midnight groaned as he lowered his hooves, wiggled his nose a little, and sighed with relief that it didn't feel broken though it did still smart a bit, and he checked his hooves to see there was no blood.
"I guess... I'm just being a worrywart or something."

Having noticed what'd happened, the rest of the guys came over as Spike assured, "Relax, Midnight! The girls will be fine. Rainbow's quick, AJ's strong, Twilight's one of the best mages in Equestria- How can you not be sure they're a-okay?"

"You're right, guys, the girls can handle whatever it is the map sent them to look into and-" Midnight had just about fully shaken off the worry, when he felt his flanks tickle and shake, and the guys all noticed their own cutie-marks doing the same and glowing! Then images of their marks floated up from each flank and sped away, spurring the guys to pursue. As expected, the marks led them straight to the castle and into the council room... where they all settled over the girls' marks in the exact same place they'd taken off to.

Sighing Midnight muttered, "Of course..."

"OK! So... I'm guessing this means the girls need some help," Soarin suggested.

"We need to get to them fast, but..." Midnight gave the spot on the map a closer look but groaned in frustration. "The area is too wide and there's no recognizable landmarks other than general area! I can't teleport us all there!"

"Luckily, you all know the local airship engineering genius," Blueblood raised a brow, "To the airfield, gentlecolts! I just so happen to have the perfect airship for the occasion."

Within the hour, the guys had taken to the sky in one of Blueblood's experimental airships, this one he called the Slipstream! It was smaller than what he normally designed, constructed and fashioned into a small and personal yacht. Built for comfort as well as speed. Before they left, Thunderlane had Cloudchaser and Flitter come to his house to watch Rumble when he got home from school, and Big Mac made sure to warn Spike that if the little dragon so much as touched his hoofball card portfolio he'd applebuck him through an ironwood.

At the wheel, Blueblood breathed in the air of the clear afternoon sky with a refreshing sigh, "Ah, breathe it in, my friends! According to my instruments, we should arrive at our destination shortly after sunset."

"I hope the girls will be okay until then," Soarin peered over the railing while Big Mac hunkered down in the cabin, not used to being so way up high without his hooves on solid ground.

"Ee-eeyup!"

"Blue, are you sure we can't get there any faster?" Midnight came over, looking at the instruments by the wheel. Unfortunately, equipment like this wasn't within his area of expertise.

"I understand you're worried, Midnight, we all are," Blueblood looked at a dial to be sure it read what he thought it did and nodded, "but there's only so fast she can go without being overworked. Remember the saying, 'slow and steady wins the-'"

I BELIEEEEEVE I CAN FLLLLLLYYYYYYY! I BELIEEEEVE I CAN TOUCH THE SKYY- BLORP!!

They looked to the bow where Cheese had been standing as a patch of cloudstuff smacked into his face and he was shaking it and the moisture off, and they sighed in relief. Ordinarily, Cheese was a good singer but in that particular instance?

...

No. Just... no.

Unfortunately, a strong headwind delayed their trip, and even though Soarin, Thunderlan, and Midnight were able to clear it up so they could get back on track, they didn't arrive at their destination until after dark. Although the moon was out, Midnight gave each of the guys a night-vision charm so they could see clearly, and what they found was not what they were expecting.

Frankly, it looked like a quaint and tiny village, with two rows of cottages and a single road between them that led up to another cottage at the end of it. They didn't see anypony out and about, and supposed the locals had all gone to sleep.

"Do any of you know the name of this place? "Midnight asked his friends as they all stood on a ledge overlooking the village, and they all responded in the negative.

"I wasn't even aware there was some village in this area," Blueblood responded, "and I've studied maps of Equestria for most of my life ever since I got my cutie-mark."

"I've never seen or heard of this place either," Soarin added, "and Cloudsdale's been all over Equestria making sure everypony has good weather."

"I don't like it..." Cheese gave the village an uncharacteristic look of suspicion, "I don't like it one bit! it... gives me some weird vibes! Like... my Cheesy Sense is saying something about this place stinks worse than moldy cheese, and I should know!"

"Well, we ain't gonna learn much about this place standing here," Thunderlane reminded them.

"Eeyup."

"But everypony's asleep by now," Midnight pointed out, "and we still don't know if the girls are here!"

"Oh they're here alright..." Cheese was going all 'stallion with no name', garbed in his zarape and fedora, which he wasn't wearing a moment ago, "and something's wrong with `em, but... I can't be sure what!"

"Hmm..." Midnight concentrated on his life-sensing spell, which spread like radar. He felt his friends' life energies beside him, then a few insects and a nearby jackrabbit in the environment.

Then he extended the area of effect and felt the locals. They were all resting but... something about them felt... indistinct! He could tell the stallions from the mares, which were earth ponies or pegasi or unicorns, except... they all felt like they were almost the same pony! Disturbing as he found this, he pushed the spell further- There they were!

"I've got them!" Midnight cut the spell off and pointed to the last house on the left row, "The girls are there! But... something's wrong with them, and everypony in this village!"

"Let's go check it out," Big Mac said before he went forward and slid down the slope, the others following.

Very carefully and quietly, they approached the house, and noticed the windows were rather narrow, and... they heard somepony talking inside though it sounded almost automated. Like a recording.

"To excel is to fail. You are not better than your friends..."

"Who's that talking?" Soarin whispered.

"I don't know, but the girls are definitely in here," Midnight led them around the corner to the front door. Already suspecting it, Midnight cast an unlocking spell and smiled when he felt it work. Very slowly, he eased the door opening, flinching as it whined in protest-

"Who's there?"
"Is the door opening?"

"Rarity? Rainbow?" Midnight whispered out and heard a hushed chorus in response!

"MIDNIGHT!"

"Shhh...!" he shushed and then gestured the guys to follow him inside.

They found the interior rather small and cramped, and when Blueblood lit up his horn, they saw the girls all smiling happily to see their boys! Except somepony was missing and in her place was some woeful-looking unicorn stallion.

"Midnight!" Twilight gave him a big hug, which he gladly returned, and the guys all did the same with their girls except Big Mac who noticed his wife wasn't here! "I'm so glad to see you, you won't believe what-"

"Where's `Shy?!" Big Mac asked, interrupting Twilight and looking worried. "She alright?"

"She's fine, Big Macintosh, and so are we... all things considered," Twilight sighed before she showed her flank and Midnight gasped to see that instead of Twilight's six-point star cutie-mark surrounded by sparkles it was an equal sign!

"Us too," Pinkie lamented and the girls showed their cutie-marks had been replaced as well, "even Party Favor here! Shh, he's asleep..."

"Wha- But- This... can't be possible!" Midnight was seeing it but he still didn't believe it until he remembered what he'd felt with his life-sensing spell. "Wait... is everypony here like this?!"

"Yes, have a seat, and we'll explain," Twilight suggested, and when they'd all sat down, the girls explained how they'd found this village full of these ponies all sharing the same cutie-mark, walking around with these smiles, and how their founder, a unicorn named Starlight Glimmer, had gathered these ponies under a philosophy that true happiness and true friendship was only possible if they were al equal. And that cutie-marks only led to conflict and misery. Then three ponies, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Night Glider had spoken to the girls in private, and mentioned something called the Cutie-Mark Vault and the Cutie-Mark Removal ritual. The girls had asked Starlight about the the vault, and she'd led them to a nearby cave where all the villagers' cutie-marks were stored into some giant transparent box... then she'd showed them some kind of relic called the Staff of Sameness and then used it to remove the girls' cutie-marks by force, and replaced them with the equal cutie-marks! Afterwards, Starlight's villagers had detained the girls and brought them here to brainwash them with that PA system repeating nonsense of Starlight's "equal" philosophy and somehow the equal marks were affecting them. Twilight and Rarity couldn't use their magic, Rainbow could barely fly, Applejack wasn't strong enough to break the door down ,and Pinkie was now literal and not funny!
"...and later, Starlight got the town together and tried to convince us to embrace their way. We said no, but we'd already made our strategy."

"Fluttershy pretended to accept Starlight's philosophy," Rarity nodded, "and we held hope that she would find a way to regain our cutie-marks for us."

"But then, Starlight tried t' get Flttershy t' tell her who told us about th' vault t' prove she's sincere," Applejack added, "Party Favor here admitted, but Ah think he was protecting his friends from Starlight!"

"This... this is...!" Midnight was furious! Not only had this Starlight Glimmer stripped his Twilight's and their friend's cutie-marks away, she'd dared to hold them against their will and try to brainwash them!
"Starlight is gonna get quite a rude awakening!"

"No, Midnight!" Twilight held up her hoof, "We need to settle this by proving to everypony that Starlight's way of thinking is wrong! If you fight her, you'll only make her look like a victim and everypony here will see you as the aggressor."

"She's right, Midnight," Blueblood agreed, "this Starlight has swayed an entire village of ponies into embracing this 'equal' crock. We must handle this delicately."

"Hmm..." Midnight saw their points as he wondered what they should do before deciding, "Well, for now at least, I'm gonna find Fluttershy and see if she needs help getting you girls your cutie-marks back. Guys, wait here, I should be back in jiff."

Then they watched as Midnight's shadow rose up and enveloped him before it collapsed into a velvety plume of shadowstuff that slithered out of the cottage by slipping under the door crack.

Shuddering, Soarin commented, "It always creeps me out when he does that...

Thankfully, Midnight was able to find Fluttershy rather quickly. He deduced the house at the end of the village was likely Starlight's and as he'd approached, he saw something move on the roof, and rose out of the shadow to see it was Fluttershy! She coughed as she squeezed out of the house's chimney before shaking off the soot.
"Get the cutie-marks back, that's all you gotta do, Fluttershy."

"And you won't have to do it alone."

"Eep!" Fluttershy jumped at the sound of the voice behind her, only for a hoof to cover her mouth and she got a shhh, and felt her nerves settle to see it was, "Midnight! Oh thank goddess it's you! I can't believe you're here."

"We're all here, Flutters," Midnight assured, "the map alerted us that you girls were in some kind of trouble and we got here as soon as we could. We spoke with the girls and got the full story about Starlight and your cutie-marks getting stolen."

"Oh... you have no idea what a relief that is..." Fluttershy sighed in relief.

"Excellent work, Double Diamond."

"That's Starlight!" Fluttershy whispered in alarm, Midnight covering her mouth and very carefully they peered over the edge of the roof and saw a white earth pony facing the front door of the house with a box full of jars.

"Of course, but... I don't understand why you wanted me to bring them here," Double Diamond responded as a magical aura levitated the box into the house, Double Diamond following.
"Fluttershy is one of us now; surely she can be trusted."

Midnight and Fluttershy very quietly dropped down to the side and peered through the window.

Inside Midnight saw the unicorn who could only be Starlight Glimmer. She had a light heliotrope coat, a mane two shades of purple with a light turquoise highlight, and just like everypony else here her cutie-mark was an equal sign... and she levitated out a jar that contained Twilight's cutie-mark!

"This one belongs to a princess," Starlight pointed out, "It could be very important to our cause."

"But if Twilight Sparkle becomes our friend, then what do we even care for this old cutie-mark?" Double Diamond questioned, looking momentarily uncomfortable.

"I just want to keep them close," Starlight said reassuringly, "Until everything is... settled. You may go, Double Diamond."

Midnight and Fluttershy quickly hid around the corner of the house as they heard Double Diamond leave. Once he was gone, they came back around to look into the window to see Starlight carrying all the jarred cutie-marks in her magic.

"Oh dear! How are we ever going to get the cutie-marks back now?" Fluttershy worried.

"No need to fret, Fluttershy," growled Midnight, glaring at Starlight with fury as she ascended the stairs to the second floor of her house, taking the cutie-marks with her.
"I've handled missions far tougher than this. I can get those cutie-marks back easy, but we need to-"

*CRASH* "OW!"

They heard that come from upstairs and rose up to peer through the upstairs window, a bucket rolling around, water spilled on the floor, and starlight looking annoyed, " Argh, Starlight, you clumsy fool!

They watched as she placed the cutie-marks on a nearby table and levitated over a towel. As she dried herself off however, after she put the towel down... they saw her equal mark had changed into something else! A purple star beneath two streams of blue magic!

They gasped in shock, and watched as Starlight levitated some makeup, covering her cutie-mark to blend with her coat, and then placing some kind of stencil over her flank and applying black make up, and when she'd lowered it... there was the equal sign again!

*GASP*

Starlight flicked her ears, and looked towards her window. Had she heard something? She approached the window and peered out, only seeing the single street of her town, completely empty. Shrugging, she went to bed, and turned out the light, while Midnight and Fluttershy rose up from the sides of the window and shared a look.

"Did you see it, Fluttershy?!" Midnight whisper-shouted.

"Oh my, I did! Starlight, she- She's..." Fluttershy was so appalled that she was at a loss for words.

"She's a fake, is what she is!" Midnight stated, "A fake and a liar! Hmm... Perhaps this can work to our advantage, however."

"What do you mean?" asked Fluttershy.

"Head back to the girls and tell them what we've learned, Big Mac's worried about you," Midnight instructed as he lowered himself down to the upstairs window, "I'll be along shortly..."

Author's Note

I couldn't sent the whole Harmonic Twelve at once, otherwise they would have likely gotten the best of Starlight from the start and the real lesson wouldn't have sunk in to all the ponies Starlight had lied to and tricked

258. The Cutie-Map - Part 2

The next morning, Starlight exited her house, followed by Fluttershy and Double Diamond, and she was glad to see everypony already getting up to greet the day.

"Attention, everypony! A moment of your time, if you please."

With a smile on their faces, everypony turned to give Starlight their full and undivided attention. She cleared her throat before announcing, "Despite yesterday's events, I believe it is only fair we check on our guests and see if they have come to their senses and are ready to join our happy little town as fellow equals. And Party Favor as well, for I think he's been punished enough for his misguided thoughts about taking back his cutie-mark. What do all of you think?"

"We think that's a splendid idea, Starlight!"
"Let us welcome them all into our way!"
"I'm sure Party Favor remembers the true path to happiness!"

"The townsfolk have spoken," Starlight smiled with satisfaction when Double Diamond tapped her on the shoulder, "Double Diamond, what is it? We shouldn't dally in offering to Twilight and her friends in joining-"

"Starlight, look up there!" Double Diamond pointed towards the sky, and Starlight saw it!

It appeared to be an airship, small yet fancy, and there were obviously ponies aboard as it descended towards the town. Almost instantly, Starlight was wary at the thought of more visitors when they were still in the process of converting new members.
But... Fluttershy's already joined... So it's only a matter of time before the rest of them do as well.

The murmurs of the townsfolk got her attention as they too had noticed the approaching airship, so she spoke out, "Attention, everypony! It appears we're about to have some more guests. So I'm afraid speaking with Twilight, her friends, and Party Favor will have to wait. Come, let us go greet the newcomers."

Starlight proceeded forward and everpony parted before her until she was leading them to the edge of town, right as the airship landed, and out hopped several ponies... including another alicorn!

Accompanied by a tall red earth pony, a dark gray pegasus, a handsome white unicorn, a sky blue pegasus, and a lanky orange earth pony, the sapphire blue alicorn stallion stepped forward, looking distantly regal before he announced, "Greetings, ponies of this fair village. I am Prince Midnight Blaze of Equestria, and these good stallions are my esteemed colleagues. Would whoever's in charge here be kind enough to have a word with us?"

Starlight felt her wariness increase but she hid it perfectly well as she stepped forward, "Welcome! I am Starlight Glimmer, founder and head of this village. Pray tell, Your Highness... What brings you to our humble home?"

"A very good morning to you, Madame Glimmer, and to all the members of your community as well," Midnight gave a princely nod, "My companions and I are actually searching for my fiancée, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her friends. They left on a quick trip a short while ago but were due back yesterday evening, and they left us the location of this place on a map, although they failed to mention a village, for I am not familiar with this place."

A part of Starlight was relieved that Midnight didn't appear to suspect anything, but she couldn't let him figure out that Twilight was her... unwilling guest, as well as her friends. She had to handle this carefully, "I am afraid... Princess Twilight Sparkle nor anypony else have visited recently, Your Majesty. In fact, you and your... entourage are the first visitors we've had for some time."

"Really? I mean, you are a little out of the way," Midnight very softly pressed, carefully hiding it behind a tone of curiosity, "but you haven't had any visitors recently?"

"I am afraid not, and as much as I'd like to be of assistance to you, my neighbors really must attend to their morning chores," Starlight's composure was virtually convincing, and she felt like she was going to pull this off-

"Um, Starlight?"

She almost shuddered but turned to see Sugar Belle stepping up, "Shouldn't we speak with Prince Midnight about-"

"Sugar Belle!" Starlight said in an almost scolding tone, "Do not speak unless spoken to..."

Sugar Belle shrank back a bit and looked to Midnight, "I apologize for interrupting, Your Majesty..."

Starlight would have to have a word with Sugar Belle later-

"'Do not speak unless spoken to'?"

Starlight looked back to Midnight, who gave her a bewildered look, "I was unaware you had servants among these ponies, Starlight Glimmer."

No! Not servants, we're equal! Starlight panicked in her mind but she held it together and took a deep breath, "Um, not at all, Your Majesty! I... Well, it's not polite to interrupt somepony when they are having a discussion, especially with royalty!"

Oh she was good. Yes, she was very good! ...But Midnight was better, as he decided now was the time and flicked his long tail to his left. Blueblood, having been waiting for that signal, very softly concentrated mana to his horn as he focused on casting an unlocking spell...

"Now, if there's nothing else, Your Highness, I'm certain you should be getting on your way and-"

"STARLIGHT!!!"

She flinched and looked to see Party Favor running over to her, hunkering down to hug her forelegs, "I'm sorry, Starlight! I'm sorry, everypony! I've seen the error of my ways! I never wanna look at my cutie-mark again!"

Starlight had broken into a cold sweat, shifting her eyes from Party Favor to Midnight and his friends, all of whom were raising their brows or furrowing them, expecting some kind of an explanation-

Wait... if Party Favor is out here, what about...!!! Starlight froze to see the door wide open and out walked Twilight and the rest of the girls! She looked back to Midnight, whose expression was one of restrained ire.

"Starlight Glimmer... Either my Twilight and her friends have been under the roof of one of your locals without your knowledge," Midnight said before his tone became dangerously edged, "Or you have been lying to my face this whole time...!"

Starlight was about to suggest one of her villagers must have invited Twilight and her friends into their home-

"They tried to break me!" Party Favor went on again, looking quite worked up, "They wouldn't stop talking about how different they are, and that somehow makes their friendship stronger! But I didn't listen, I swear I didn't! Princess Twilight's as misguided as you said she is!"

There was no explaining this away, Party Favor had just made sure of that! But she still had her villagers...

"Now Prince Midngiht, I-I will admit I haven't been straight with you, but look around! Equality has given us more happiness than even Princess Twilight here has ever known! She and her friends would have disrupted our very way of life, and I couldn't just stand by and let her!"

"So you're saying, even if I accepted a life here in your village," Twilight cut in while raising her wing to show the equal sign on her flank, "that I couldn't be allowed to keep my old cutie-mark?"

"Out of the question. A pony with a different cutie-mark in our midst would destroy our entire philosophy!" Starlight debated, "We are all equal here!"

The words of agreement spreading amongst her villagers brought relief to Starlight, and as long as they stood with her, then even these alicorns couldn't-

"Then how do you explain this?!"

Starlight looked up and barely dodged a splash of water that had been thrown at her by Fluttershy! She glared up angrily at the yellow pegasus, "I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

But she didn't notice that just a little bit of water had touched her flank, and Party Favor caught the sight of something strange... Starlight's equal sign being smudged as a drop of water ran down her side. Taking off his cloak, Party Favor stepped over to wipe it onto Starlight, causing her to jump back, "NO! Get away!"

*GASP*

They all saw it! Starlight's equal mark was a fake and underneath it was a cutie-mark, distinct and detailed, indicating a talent for magic! Losing her composure, Starlight tried to defend herself, "Wh-what're you looking at?! They're the problem, not me!"

The girls all smiled to see Starlight exposed and were happy to embrace their stallions as they took in the show.

"How... could you?!" Party Favor began to tear up.
"You said cutie-marks were evil!" Double Diamond was aghast! "You said special talents led to pain and heartache!"

"They do! Don't you see?! Look at them!" Starlight tried to get everypony to see her point of view but all they saw was a liar and a hypocrite!

"Then why?!" asked Sugar Belle, looking truly hurt. "Why did you take ours and not give up your own?"

"I... I had to, you fools!" Starlight was beginning to lose it! "How could I remove your cutie-marks without my magic?!"

"But... the staff has all the magic we need!" Night Glider spoke up, only to shrink back as Starlight began to show everypony who she really was!

"The staff is just a stick I found in the desert! It's my magic that makes all this possible. You'd all still be living your miserable lives, thinking you're better than everypony else, if it weren't for my magical abilities! I brought you friendship. I brought you equality! I CREATED HARMONY!!!"

"You lied to us!" Double Diamond protested.

"So what? Everything else I said was true," Starlight absolutely insisted with utter lack of shame, "The only way to be happy is if we're all equal."

"I've heard more than enough!"

Starlight looked back to see Midnight, his brows furrowed, his horn alit with magic, "Starlight Glimmer, I'm taking you in! For crimes of holding ponies against their will, brainwashing, and malevolent abuse of magic-"

"QUIET!!!" Starlight screamed, a vein pulsing on her neck and a mad look in her eyes!

"You can't keep that cutie-mark, Starlight!" Sugar Belle stated, "Either we're all equal or none of us are."

Starlight looked around, and saw glares and gazes of disapproval, animosity, she'd lost! Everypony had turned against her, everything she built was for nothing! And as they all began to surround her, Starlight threw up a shield of mana that expanded, pushing them all away and clearing a path for her, and she immediately ran to hide in her house!

"Come on! Let's get our cutie-marks back!" Double Diamond led the charge as everypony cheered and stampeded off to the vault.

Looking to his friends, Midnight yelled, "Surround the house! She's not getting away!"

Inside the cave that contained the Cutie-Mark Vault, everypony hurried up to the wall of cutie-marks and tied beating it in an effort to set their marks free.

"Stand back, everypony!"

They all looked to see Double Diamond running towards the vault, with the phony Staff of Sameness in his mouth, and quickly cleared away as he gave it a heave! It flipped through the air and smacked the vault dead center... a web of cracks formed, and then more, and more! There was a whoosh, a flash of light, and the wall fell to pieces, and with a breath of free air, the cutie-marks responded and zoomed out, flying like a happy swarm of fireflies!

One by one, every cutie-mark settled back onto the flank of the pony it belonged to, and reunion with their marks of destiny felt so good as everypony gave off a brief but intense flash of light and returned to their true colors and their true selves!

Double Diamond's mark was a trio of crystalline blue snowflakes.
Night Glider's a crescent moon sided by raven feathers.
Party Favor's a pink balloon animal surrounded by confetti.
Sugar Belle's a cherry-topped cupcake surrounded by four jellybeans!

Starlight looked out her window, seething with rage as she saw all her hard work be rendered meaningless as the cutie-marks returned to their owners when a turquoise wall of mana rose up, obscuring her vision!

"STARLIGHT GLIMMER! COME OUT WITH YOUR HORN DULL AND THE CUTIE-MARK JARS! NO HARM WILL COME TO YOU! MAKE THINGS EASY ON YOURSELF AND SURRENDER!!"

Growling at the nerve of Midnight, Starlight levitated the jars containing the cutie-marks of Twiligth and her friends, "You think you can come to my village and disrupt my life?! Well see how you feel when your precious princess and her friends spend the rest of their lives without their precious cutie-marks!"

She then levitated her bed out of the way... revealing a secret passage! Sneering viciously, Starlight made her escape!

"STARLIGHT GLIMMER, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING!" Midnight was amplifying his voice, not quite to the volume level of the Royal Canterlot Voice, but it worked.
"COME OUT OF THE HOUSE AND SURRENDER!"

"She ain't cooperatin', Midnight," Applejack spoke up, "Ah say we go in an' hogtie tha' lying witch!"

Before Midnight could respond, they all heard a loud whistle and looked to see Sugar Belle, Party Favor, Night Glider, and Double Diamond, all standing on a ledge and looking oddly heroic, as if on cue. Night Glider flapped up and yelled, "Stand back, everypony!"

Midnight dispelled his containment field and everypony made way as Night Glider came about and broke down the door! They all rushed in, not seeing Starlight or the cutie-marks and began to tear the place apart as they searched.

"I don't see your cutie-marks, Princess Twilight!" Double Diamond reported, feeling awful when Fluttershy called everypony.

"I found something!"

They all came and saw the passageway Starlight had escaped through, and they quickly followed it.

It led out a short distance away from the village, the exit a hole in a hill's ledge, and they all looked around for any sign of Starlight. Rainbow Dash zipped up and noticed something with her keen eyes, "LOOK!"

They all saw somepony running along a mountain trail. They were too far away but then Party Favor remembered his special talent! He reached into his mane, pulled out a balloon and blew it up full before he worked his magic hooves and twisted the balloon into a pair of balloon-oculars! Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich were both impressed and realized they were standing beside a fellow party pony!

Party Favor peered through his balloon-oculars and confirmed it, "She's headed for the pass! If she makes it into those mountains, we'll never find her!"

Pinkie excitably grabbed the ballon-oculars and gave them a look-see, "These are amazing!"

"There's a whole network of caves up there!" Sugar Belle fretted, "your cutie-marks will be gone forever!"

"She's not getting away with them. After her, everypony!" Midnight led the charge and they all followed, Party Favor, Double Diamond, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle running ahead.

They'd allowed Starlight to use them, she'd lied to them, and they'd helped her! They had to make this right.

Author's Note

Don't you just love it when someone spills the beans?

259. The Cutie-Map - Part 3

Starlight had loaded the jarred cutie-marks onto a wagon so she could concentrate on running. But her horn sensed an approaching presence and she peered back to see Night Glider coming from the sky.
"Are you all so willing to give up everything because of these... strangers?!"

She shot a mana beam to a high ledge, causing a bank of snow to fall on Night Glider. She wasn't hurt but it slowed her down as she dug herself free and Sugar Belle ran past her, "We gave up everything for you! Because we thought you were our friend!"

Double Diamond and Party Favor passed Night Glider too just as she freed herself and took flight to resume the pursuit. Starlight kept running and crossed a very narrow natural bridge that extended over a deep chasm between two mountains, but Double Diamond, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle weren't far behind. Getting an idea from her cutie-mark, Sugar Belle concentrated on a pile of snow and levitated some, forming it in the shape of a pie, "My newest recipe!"

She gave it a heave, declaring it, "Snow Pie!"

Starlight looked back too late as the snow pie hit the wagon, and the harness broke, Starlight tripping but she noticed the jars holding the cutie-marks fall over the side! She quickly concentrated her magic... stopping the jars from breaking just a few inches shy of hitting the bottom, and then brought them back up, carrying them in her magic as she made it across the bridge. She looked back and saw them about to cross, but she quickly shot a powerful energy beam, destroying the bridge!

They skidded to a halt, Double Diamond almost went over, but thankfully Sugar Belle and Party Favor caught him. As Starlight continued to run ahead, however, Party Favor very quickly formed another amazing balloon sculpture... in the form of a whole bridge! It rose up and Night Glider flew over to direct it and made sure it connected to the other side! Party Favor, followed by Double Diamond and Sugar Belle bounced across and continued to chase.

But then Double Diamond saw something on the side of the road and skidded to a halt, "Whoa! These are my old skis!"

Touching them and noticing his helmet lying in the snow, he remembered, "This is where I met Starlight!"

"Maybe you can reminisce another time!" Double Diamond looked up to see Night Glider as she urged him, "She's almost to the caves!"

Getting an idea, Double Diamond smirked as he clutched his skis, "Feel like an airdrop?"

The cave was in sight, but then Starlight saw Night Glider fly ahead, carrying Double Diamond with his skis and helmet on. She dropped him off on a higher level of the mountain, and he used his skiing skills to cause a little avalanche right on top of Starlight! Double Diamond skid to a halt, as his friends caught up with him and they looked at the large pile of snow that had buried Starlight. but before they could do anything else-

*KA-FWOOM*

An explosion of power blew the snow away, the four of them huddling together when they saw her, looking absolutely furious until her rage turned into a disturbing smirk!

"You failed! I still have the cutie-marks and I'm about to get away with them! Those miserable upstarts will spend the rest of their lives as markless little nothings! But you filthy ingrates... Enjoy your cutie-marks to your hearts' content!"

They all whimpered in fright as Starlight;s horn glowed as she said ominously, "For the next five seconds...!"

But just before Starlight unleashed her most powerful spell, Midnight and Twilight arrived, the both of them dropping down in front of the four and then raising powerful barriers of magic, which all too easily blocked Starlight's attempt on her former friends' lives!

When she stopped, Starlight looked on in horror to see Midnight and Twilight, who had her cutie-mark!

"Wha- But how?! I have your cutie-mark! You can't-" Starlight tried to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Take a closer look at those jars, Starlight," Midnight smirked as the rest of the Harmonic Twelve arrived and just like Twilight the rest of the girls had their cutie-marks too!

Starlight levitated the jars to her face and scrutinized them... only for the cutie-marks inside to fade away!
"What?!"

"Semblances. You really are a... clumsy fool, Starlight!" Midnight was being entirely too smug but he was enjoying this.

"Why you- Wait...!!" Starlight realized the truth, "You saw me!"

"I did, and so did Fluttershy," Midnight explained, "the guys and I actually arrived last night when we sensed our girls were in trouble. I met with Fluttershy outside your house and we saw you wipe yourself off, revealing your so-called equal mark was fake and that you concealed your cutie-mark using makeup! After you'd gone to bed, I took the cutie-marks back but left Semblances of them in the jars so you wouldn't notice, and I even nabbed the makeup you used, so the girls could pull the same trick as you. We planned this whole thing to expose you for the lying fraud you are."

"You... you had your marks the whole time!" Starlight realized she'd been played for a fool all along!

"Starlight, this has to stop," Twilight stepped forward, "Each of my friends have taught me something about myself I could never have learned on my own. Their unique gifts and passions and personalities helped me to bring out a magic inside I never knew I had! I never would have learned that I represent the Element of Magic without all these very different and very amazing ponies, and I certainly wouldn't be here to put an end to your deception!"

"Spare me your sentimental nonsense," Starlight jeered, "I gave these ponies real friendships they never could have had otherwise!"

"How do you know that?!" Double Diamond argued as he took his helmet off so Starlight would look into his eyes and see how he saw her, "You never even gave us a chance!"

Growling, Starlight gathered her power, the energy radiating brighter as it intensified, everypony looking away to shield their eyes... when they heard a flash and looked to see Starlight was gone! But then they heard the echoes of galloping coming from inside the cave.

"She's getting away!" Rainbow Dash rose up, seeing the snowy hoof prints Starlight had left behind.
"We'll never find her in there!" added Double Diamond.

"You won't... but I will!" Midnight commanded the shadows to take him away and they watched as he ventured into the unknown.

Her hooves and panting echoed through the dark tunnels, her horn her guiding light. How did it come to this? Where did she go wrong?! Curse those upstarts, curse those alicorns! Those high-and-mighty royals oh-so-full-of-themselves, how dare they?! There was no way she was going to let this go, somehow - Someway! - she'd find a way to get back at them, she was going to make them pay. She'd take their so-called friendship based on differences and talents and shatter it before their very eyes!

It was a while before Starlight began to slow down, her lungs burning with every breath. But finally, she paused and slunk down onto her haunches, and leaned back against the cave wall. As it all finally came down on her, the full realization, her home and everything she'd worked for was gone. It hurt, it really did, but she'd done what she did for their own good! She had to show them that being different only bred conflict and misery.

Just like it did for her...

"Feeling tired?"

"Wha?!" Starlight jumped up and shot a beam at the direction she'd heard the voice, a loud crack and flash, dust flaring up,as did her horn as she looked around. "Where are you?! SHOW YOURSELF!!"

"You're going to answer for your crimes."

Behind me! Starlight whirled around and shot another beam, but again there was no one there! "Come out, you coward!"

"Coward, am I...? I'm not the one who stooped to something so petty as trying to steal cutie-marks away forever and ran like a dog with her tail between her legs..." His voice was most certainly rubbing her the wrong way, but Starlight didn't react again. She had no idea where he was or what he was capable of. He'd already outwitted her, infuriating as it was to admit it to herself.

"I looked at how you lived. I walked upon your street. It's a joke... Life is pain and effort and compromise. You think you'd accomplished so much, but I looked around at what you'd done... and I saw puppets being jerked around by your strings. You built a shrine to a pathetic hypocrisy. We are individuals yet you made a despicable attempt to erase that. You worked and toiled towards creating a life where you and those you lied to walked about with forced smiles as though everything was truly perfect when it couldn't have been more flawed. My friends? We live the full lives we were guided to. You strove to create to a pathetic fantasy where everypony are slaves to your conceited bigotry, a twisted delusion... instead of recognizing the gift that each and every one of them has to offer. A gift that could have been yours had you only given them a chance. The Magic of Friendship!"

"Shut up!!" Starlight began firing blindly, exhausting herself and her mana further, and only when the dust became so thick it made it hard to breathe did she calm down just a little but fear began to overwhelm her. She couldn't see him, she couldn't sense him!
"WHERE ARE YOU?!?!

"Behind you!"

Gasping, Starlight turned around to see a furrowed pair of eyes glowing a blazing blue as fiery mana was flowing out the corners of his eyes and she screamed as a pair of wings enveloped her in total darkness.

Everypony waited at the mouth of the cave, nervous and concerned. Double Diamond. Party Favor, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle, to their incredible beliefs, worried not only for Midnight but Starlight as well! Despite the lies, despite what she'd made them do, there had been times when she really had been kind and considerate. She'd worked hard to make everypony comfortable and ensure they had food and shelter. It hadn't been perfect, but it still spoke to Starlight's dedication.

Then... deep in the cave, they saw a light. Turquoise blue but just a little darker than Starlight's mana, and they soon saw Midnight approaching them, with a pony-sized bubble of his mana floating beside him, and they saw it contained Starlight.

"Midnight!" Twilight hurried over and embraced him, which he was happy to return. when they broke the hug, Twilight looked at Starlight in the bubble, and saw she wasn't awake.
"Is she...?"

"She's fine, just asleep," Midnight assured, "Starlight has much to answer for. She is guilty of a long list of crimes and we will take her to Canterlot where she will face trial."

"Another one?!" Rainbow Dash griped.

Twilight didn't like this, but the look on Midnight's face was hard yet soft, as he said, "Twilight... We can't look the other way."

Sighing, Twilight conceded, "I only hope that she'll take the time to think it over."

She looked to Double Diamond, Party Favor, Night Glider, and Sugar Belle, "Maybe she'll realize that you all taught her something."

"It's you who taught us something," Party Favor answered, "We all came to this village because we were searching for something missing from our lives. We thought Starlight had given it to us, but..."

Party Favor turned around to smile at his friends, "Now it seems it was in front of us all along. It's us!"

The four of them came together in a group hug, and Midnight asked, "So I take it you're all gonna stay in the village?"

"It's our home," Night Glider affirmed, "I'm not going anywhere!"

"This is a chance for all of us to get to know each other again, for the very first time!" Double Diamond declared.

"And I finally have a chance to bake something besides terrible muffins!" joked Sugar Belle.

Everypony laughed before Midnight declared, "Then let's celebrate, back at the village. Come on!"

As they all came down the mountain, the village was in sight, and Pinkie, Cheese, and Party Favor were discussing what kind of party they could make together!
"Your balloons are amozzarella, Party Favor!" Cheese complimented.
"You gotta teach me!" Pinkie insisted, "Balloon sculptures like that would make all our parties even more fun-fun-fun!"
"Of course! It's so cool to meet other party ponies," Party Favor laughed, "the only one I've ever met was my teacher, the Great Ponyacci!"

Pinkie and Cheese both GASPED at Party Favor and said, "YOU learned joking and pranking and partying from Ponyacci too?!"

"You guys too?!" Party Favor smiled as big as they did.

"Alright, party ponies, save it for the party planning before you all burst into confetti," Midnight laughed, as did the others, "We're gonna need all that- AUGH!!"

A bolt of black and green mana blindsided Midnight, knocking him unconscious, everypony gasping as Twilight cried out, "MIDNIGHT!!"

She hurried over to his side, and whimpered at the sight of the wound on the side of his head.

"Hey! Starlight's floating away!" Soarin pointed out, and everypony looked to see he was right!

She was still unconscious but the bubble containing Starlight floated away from them towards a tree... that shimmered away, revealing a tall and hooded figure, wearing a wine-red gown, and extending a paw-like hand to the bubble containing Starlight until it floated beside the figure.

"Who are you?! And what do you think you're doing?!" Blueblood stepped forward, as everypony got ready for a fight.

A purring laugh answered before it became a soft and velvety voice that raised the hair on the backs of everypony's necks, "I apologize for the sudden appearance, everypony. But you see, this pony here" - she reached up and poked her claw into the bubble containing Starlight, but instead of popping Midnight's turquoise mana was overtaken by a sickening green - "has piqued this cat's curiosity!"

"Cat?! What are you talking about?" Twilight stood up and stepped forward, putting herself between the stranger and all her friends, "Who are you?!"

"Ah, Princess Twilight, at last we meet," the figure gave a mocking bow before she stood up again, "This truly is quite the collection of such colorful characters!"

"Give Starlight Glimmer back!" Thunderlane demanded.

"No, I think not, my dear Thunderlane," the figure chuckled, "As I already said, I find myself quite intrigued by this insipid little dictator. But far be it from me to rob you all of your villain and leave you with nothing... When Midnight wakes up, tell him to expect a little... consolation prize when you all get home. And now we've got the particulars settled... TTFN!"

"STOP!!" Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Night Glider zoomed right for the figure as a feverish green haze enveloped her and Starlight, and they were gone, the three pegasi almost bumping into each other.

"BUCK! She got away!" Rainbow punched the air.
"With Starlight!" Night Glider added.
"But who was she, and what could she want with Starlight?"Soarin questioned.

"Ugh..."

They all turned to see Midnight stirring, and Twilight hurried over to check on him, "Midnight? Are you okay?"

"Urgh, yeah, I'm... just... What happened?" Midnight sat up, rubbing his head wound and looking around to see everypony looked scared and nervous. "Oh no... Starlight didn't escape, did she?!"

"Uh, not exactly..." Cheese rubbed his hoof against the back of his head.

Midnight looked to Twilight for answers, and she took a deep breath, "Midnight... you're not gonna like this."

The figure reappeared on a distant mountainside, the village just barely visible in the distance, and lowered her hood to reveal Catrina!

Chuckling, she checked her prize, seeing she was merely unconscious before Catrina looked to her side to see two figures, standing patiently as they'd been waiting. They were both unicorns, the shorter one wore a hooded cloak, the taller one was clad in a full suit of armor that hid every part of his body in plating and chain mail colored dark gold and onyx black.

"When they leave, you know what to do..." Catrina spoke to them and they silently nodded.

Having affirmed their plan, Catrina smiled deviously before she took her new test subject and vanished again a a feverish green haze!

Everypony returned to the village, but they informed the rest of the villagers that Starlight had gotten away. It wasn't exactly true, but they didn't think the truth would be any comfort. The friends, old and new, were all quite worried as to who that hooded figure was and feared to even think of what diabolical purpose she could want with Starlight Glimmer.

Even so, they didn't let that get in the way of their celebration! The village looked livelier than it did before, and all it took was some balloons and streamers, not to mention a large snack table with catering courtesy of Sugar Belle. Everypony chatted and joked and played and had an all-around good time.

"Now those are real smiles!" Pinkie was happy to declare as she and the rest of the Harmonic Twelve looked on at all those happy faces.
"You said it, Pinkie!" Cheese Sandwich agreed.

Then they all felt their flanks shudder and they saw their cutie-marks glowing inward, Applejack commenting, "Ah'll never get used t' that."

"I think it's divine!" Rarity commented.

"Think the map's calling us somewhere else, Twi?" asked Thunderlane.

"Actually, everypony, I think it means that our work here is done," Twilight declared.

"Looks like you wer' right, Twilight," Applejack spoke up, "th' map did have a reason fer sendin' us here."

"Eeyup, so tha' we'd bring real friendship t' these here ponies," agreed Big Mac as he hugged his `Shy and she smiled at him.

"Well, she and Midnight are the princess and prince of Friendship," Blueblood reminded them all.

"But the map didn't send just me or Midnight..." Twilight reminded them.
"...It sent all of us" Midnight pointed out. "Each and every one of you?"
"You're a part of us," Twilight nodded, "and there's no doubt that you are all a part of our mission to spread Friendship to Equestria."

"GROUP HUG!!!" Soarin called, and they all came together with a big hug from all of each other to each other.

"This feels like an ending! it doesn't have to be an ending yet, does it?!" hoped Pinkie, not wanting to leave in the middle of a party.
"Yeah, cause Sugar Belle's got some real baked goudas!" Cheese licked his lips.

"I don't see why we can't stick around a little longer," chuckled Midnight, "let's go!"

Midnight charged forward, and the rest followed as they joined in on the merry mirth and whimsy!

During the party, Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Soarin complimented Night Glider's flying skills, Pinkie and Cheese bounced a large beach ball around with Party Favor, Rarity fashioned some simple but nevertheless verily attractive accessories from some spare cloth and even managed to add a few gems after using her gem-finding spell while Blueblood offered to set up a trade route to bring the village goods and supplies to trade with and for. Big Mac and Applejack found a few farmers and gave them some tips for getting started on planting crops or maybe even their own apple orchard, and Fluttershy showed the local foals some baby prairie dogs. As for Twilight and Midnight, they just enjoyed themselves, chatting and joking with the villagers and their new friends here.

But soon it was past noon, and it really was time to go. Everypony gathered around the Slipstream as Double Diamond said, "Come back anytime for a visit! We'll be happy to have you."

"Same to you if you ever want to visit Ponyville," Twilight smiled back at them all. "We hope to see you all again soon."

"Bye!" "Thank you so much!" "We miss you already!" "Have a safe trip!" "Come visit us soon!"

The Harmonic Twelve waved even as they ascended into the big open skies and soon disappeared in the distance.

The villagers soon began to disperse and return to their homes, but Sugar Belle noticed Party Favor remained, still gazing up into the sky.

"Party?" she came over to check on him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I..." Party Favor had remembered hearing that pink party pony's full name, Pinkie Pie. "Um, could you excuse me? I gotta check something."

Party Favor went back to his house and dug through a chest of the few meager possessions he'd brought with him when he'd originally arrived in this village a while back. he found what he was looking for, a natural geode that served as a picture frame that showed a very young Party Favor, with his parents and his two little sisters. He was the sole unicorn among a family of earth ponies, and he recalled the name he'd been given before he started going by Party Favor.

He hadn't looked back on his past like this for a long-long time. But when he'd heard Pinkie Pie's name, he realized who she must be!

In the picture, his mother was pregnant. But he'd ran away before she'd given birth. This blast from his past both thrilled and disturbed him as he remembered his birth name, given to him by his parents.

Basalt Pie.

261. Castle Sweet Castle - Part 1

For the next couple of days, everypony went out of their way to make Midnight and Twinken's mom, Faerie Tail, as comfortable and as welcome as possible. The next morning after she'd woken up at the hospital, after getting a clean bill of health other than doctor's orders to take it easy and as stress-free as possible for the next week, Midnight and Twilight brought Faerie Tail and Twinken to their castle and had a nice breakfast where Midnight answered as many of his mom's questions as best as he could.

It was telling her that Ignitus was missing and hadn't been seen or heard from for so many years that turned out to be the hardest, but thankfully, the arrival of Joe (after Twilight sent him a message letting him know that his sister was finally awake) did a lot to help Faerie Tail after hearing about her husband. It was all so very much for the older mare, and a part of her felt such a heartache that she'd missed out on so much. On her older son growing up and becoming a prince alongside Twilight, although she was a little ecstatic to hear they were engaged, and missing out on her colt Twinken's foalhood, missing his first words, first steps, and all the other firsts, but she felt so proud to find out he had become the pupil of Princess Luna, whom she was surprised to hear had returned a few years ago, and so many other things!

Twilight stepped back to let the family reconnect and passed the time with her friends, helping them out or just hanging out with them, that Midnight didn't really see much of Twilight for a bit as he helped his mother ease back into life.

"Tell me more," Faerie Tail smirked while Joe groaned as they all sat at Midnight's favorite table at Pepper Pony's for an afterschool pizza after Midnight had picked Twinken up after class, and now they were listening as Chili Spice happily recounted to Faerie Tail about her favorite dates with Joe.

"Oh-ho-ho-ho, and then the big oaf made such a flop and everypony in the restaurant was covered in custard!" Chili Spice recounted, causing all of them, her, Faerie Tail, Midnight, and Twinken to laugh as Joe groaned in embarrassment.

He'd missed his sister but he hadn't missed moments like these... all that much. Sighing, he managed to laugh along with his fillyfriend, his sister, and his nephews and when it calmed down, he looked on at Faerie Tail, "It still feels... a little surreal, to have you back, Faerie! I'd missed you, but I didn't realize just how much until you looked at me and said my name!"

"Oh Joe..." Faerie Tail scooted over and leaned into him to give him a hug, Chili, Midnight, and Twinken responding with a very thick:

"Awwwwwwww...!!"

The brother and sister parted their hug and gave them all a sibling stink eye that only spurred more laughed, and Faerie Tail sighed, "I must have said this over a dozen times already, but... I can't believe so much has happened! Princess Luna came back, Princess Celestia is married, Shining Armor and Cadance got married and they're off ruling the Crystal Empire, and both of my boys and my honorary niece are such amazing ponies! Not to mention my son and my little brother have both found their special someponies- Oh! I'm still wrapping my head around it all."

"Hey, technically you stopped aging while you were asleep all that time," Joe raised a brow and pulled a smirk, "so I think now... that makes me your big brother."

"Oh you certainly are my 'big' brother," Faerie Tail responded with a similar look before poking Joe in the belly, "It shows, thanks to all those doughnuts, I'm sure."

"Hey!" Joe protested, only for Chili to nuzzle up to him, cheek to cheek.

"Oh, I don't mind a pudgy pony," she teased but in a loving way, "It just means there's more of you for me to love!"

Faerie Tail and her sons all laughed at the stupefied look on Joe's face as he uttered, "I don't know whether to laugh or cry..."

"So Joe, Chili Spice," Midnight spoke up, "tomorrow, me and Twilight are hosting a pancake breakfast at the castle with all our friends. Would you like to come?"

"Thanks for offerin', Midnight," Joe gave Chili Spice a smile, "me and Chili have some things t' talk about. See, I'm actually considerin' movin' here t' Ponyville!"

"Really, Uncle Joe?!" Twinken got a big smile, "You're gonna come live with us here in Ponyville?!"

"Well, Twinken, the thing is," Chili Spice responded, "Joe and I are thinking of going into business together in addition to our... growing relationship."

"I wanna come live here an' all, but..." Joe looked conflicted, "I worked my butt off just t' open my doughnut shop in Canterlot! Not t' mention all the university students who swing by, they've kept my shop in business whenever things were gettin' tough. I don' wanna disappoint `em by movin' my shop here t' Ponyville, but now... you boys and yer mom are all here and-"

"Hire employees!" Midnight suggested, all of them looking to Midnight. "Hire somepony to manage your shop in Canterlot and expand your business here in Ponyville! Your loyal customers will get to keep getting your doughnuts during their university terms, and you can set up another shop if you want here in Ponyville. I'll even put in a good word for you with Mayor Mare about it."

"Huh... That's not a half-bad idea, Midnight!" Joe was starting to get excited as new ideas for his business plans started to hatch in his brain, "Even so, I think Chili and I are gonna be busy tomorrow."

"Suit yourself," shrugged Midnight before he looked to his mother, "What about you, Mom?"

"Well, I am living in your castle for the time being," Faerie Tail did a similar shrug but with a twinkle in her eye, "so why not?"

"By the way, Midnight, how's Twilight been doing?" Twinken asked, "I mean... she's been acting kinda busy lately."

"Yeah, I've noticed..." Midnight had a suspicion but he didn't want to cast any gloom over his family having a good time, "but I'm sure it's nothing serious."

The next morning however, as everypony enjoyed the stacks of pancakes, with berries, cream, syrup, butter, or even sprinkles, chocolate chips, and powdered sugar...

"These are delicious, Pinkie Pie!" Applejack complimented.

Pinkie rose her cream and berry covered face up and licked it all away, "Thanks! Twilight spent all night helping Cheesy and me pick the flavor!"

"I kept thinking we'd found the right one," Cheese added as he reached to one side and piled on more stacks of pancakes onto his plate, "but she insisted we make even more to try. And more. And more and more and more and more!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie confirmed, "It was like she never wanted to-"

"Leave?" Fluttershy inquired.

"Exactly!" the two party ponies nodded before Pinkie said, "Eventually we just ran out of time, so we just went with Everyberry Anychip Surprise!"

Pinkie whisper-shouted to Rarity, "The surprise is I lost a measuring spoon in the batter... Somepony's gonna get a very special pancake!"

"Up all night?" asked Faerie Tail, who was joining her sons, Twilight, and their friends for breakfast, "Is that why she's..."

She hesitantly turned everypony's gaze to Twilight... whose mane was a frazzled, dirty, twiggy mess and she was snoring while sitting up, and Rainbow offered, "Out of it?"

"Um I do't mean to sound unappreciative," Fluttershy said, "but has anypony else noticed that Twilight's been a little too helpful lately?"

"Now tha' you mention it, she was lendin' a hoof at Sweet Apple Acres th' other day," Applejack brought up, "and stuck around till near th' middle o' th' night!"

"Eeyup. She dug up fifty holes fer plantin' in some new trees," Big Mac added, "an' we only needed ten!"

"She spent an entire afternoon rearranging a single gem drawer at the boutique," said, Rarity, "An entire afternoon!"

"She came by my warehouse, saying she wanted to learn a little about my airships," Blueblood brought up, "and she kept saying she heard some kind of squeak and over-tightened practically any screw she could find in the whole building!"

"Twilight came over to the weather office and completely re-worked this week's weather schedule five times over," said Soarin, "even after I told her the schedule had already been settled!"

"You think that's weird? She raced me and Thunderlane like, a hundred times the other day," mentioned Rainbow Dash, "and lost every time. She just kept going! Best out of ten, best out of twenty, best out of a hundred!"

"Yeah, I'm all for hanging out with friends," commented Thunderlane, "but it was like she'd rather keep losing than-"

"Leave?" Fluttershy repeated.

"Yeah! Who does that?" Rainbow confirmed as they all looked at Twilight, still snoring but tipping her head over into her pancake stack... and then holding them as though they were a pillow.

"Well, everypony," Faerie Tail spoke up, "It sounds to me that Twilight must be having some kind of problem but instead of addressing it, she's avoiding it by spending time with all of you."

"Huh, I guess I didn't really notice how Twilight's been acting because of all the time Twinken and I have been spending with you, Mom," Midnight felt bad as he looked at his Twilight.

"Tha' makes a mighty lotta sense, Miss Faerie Tail," Applejack agreed as Pinkie chomped down a whole stack of pancakes, "Ah say as soon as she wakes up we find out what."

*HACK*

Pinkie spat out a mixing spoon that landed on Fluttershy's pancake stack, "I WIN!"

"HUH?! I'm pancake!"

Twilight had woken up, a little dazed as a pancake hung over her face after it was skewered by her horn. Her mind clearing a bit, "I mean, awake!

Clearing his throat, Midnight said, "Twilight? Is... there something you'd like to tell us?"

"You know how much we appreciate all you do for us," Rarity said kindly as she removed the pancake from Twilight's face (Cheese leaping up from beneath the dining table to snatch it in his teeth), "and we simply adore having you around. But we worry you might be... avoiding something else?"

"Has it been that obvious?" sighed Twilight, noticing the looks on everypony's faces, "You see... the thing is... I know it's silly but I... I've been avoiding... this place."

Twilight gestured to the castle around them, causing Rarity to gasp in shallow horror, "Why in Equestria would you want to avoid such a gorgeous castle?!"

"Yeah! This place has everything! Big tall ceilings that make you feel tiny!"
"Shiny new floors that are cold to the touch. BRR!"
"And it even has loooong empty hallways!"

Hallways! Hallways... hallways.

Then Cheese slunk over with a look of realization, "O-kay, I get it now."

"The castle is amazing, but it just..." Twilight sighed, and felt Midnight place his wing around her, as she looked up into his understanding smile.

"It doesn't feel like home, does it?"

"Oh-hoh-ho, is that all?" Rarity chuckled, "Why you just need to decorate, darling! Make this space your own, you and Midnight!"

"Look how big it is, though, Rarity," Midnight waved his foreleg about in indication. "Where would we even start?"

"Well..." everypony looked to Faerie Tail, "I suppose I could lend a hoof. I did used to be the librarian of the Royal Library in Canterlot Castle. I can't tell you the many-many times I rearranged so many books, furniture, bookcases..."

"Mom, you're under doctor's orders to relax this week, remember?" Midnight reminded his mother, "Look at this place, you can't decorate it all on your own!"

"Which is why we will help your mother, Midnight," volunteered Rarity. "With her guidance, we will make this the castle of you and Twilight's dreams, while you take Twilight to the Ponyville Spa for some rest and relaxation."

"Yeah, Twilight, you really look like you could use it," Twinken blurted out.

"Shouldn't you be getting to school?" Rarity gave Twinken a look for his rather forward comment, which caused him to stick his tongue out at her before Rarity treaded lightly with Twilight.
"I'm saying this with love, but..."

She levitated a mirror, "Have you looked in a mirror lately? I've never seen you look this..."

"Frazzled?"

"Yes, that is absolutely the word I was going to use!"

Seeing what a wreck she was, Twilight caved, "I guess I do need a little help, and so does the castle."

"I guess we're going to the spa," chuckled Midnight, "maybe we'll make a little date out-"

"Oh no!"

Everypony turned to see Spike in the doorway, a blanket in one arm and a pony doll that looked suspiciously like Rarity in the other, as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, "Did I miss the pancakes?!"

He hurried forward and climbed up onto the table to help himself, "I sleep like a baby under that cold, cavernous ceiling!"

"Spike! I'm so glad you're here!"

Pausing in mid-bite, Spike looked to Rarity with a smile, "Really?"

"Yes! You're accompanying Midnight and Twilight to the spa."

"Great! I've been meaning to get my claws done," Spike was up for it although nopony noticed Midnight sighing with mild irritation as the little dragon stuffed his face... until he noticed the looks everypony was giving him.
"Oh... you mean now."

Taking some pancakes for the trip, Spike walked out the door with cheeks full, Twinken following as he said, "I need to get to school anyway. Thanks for the reminder, Rarity."

Twilight and Midnight followed them out, Midnight looking back to his friends and mother, "I'll try to keep Twilight away for as long as possible to give you all time to do your thing. Good luck, everypony! And Mom... you're guiding, not working."

"No worries, Midnight," Rainbow Dash waved off his concern, "We'll keep an eye on your mom."

"Don't you mean I'll be keeping an eye on all of you, Rainbow Dash?" Faerie Tail gave Rainbow a maternal teasing look.

"Mother..."

"I promise, honey, I'll be hooves-off the whole decorating session," Faerie Tail promised.

Just before he stepped out, Midnight looked to his mother and raised two primary feathers to his eyes and pointed them at her, as he slowly slipped out.

262. Castle Sweet Castle - Part 2

After dropping Twinken off at school, the prince, the princess, and their number one assistant Spike made their way to Ponyville Spa, where Aloe and Lotus were all too happy to serve them.

"Right zis way, Your Majesties," Lotus led them into the beauty parlor section of the spa where they handled work on ponies' manes and she kindly directed them to each sit in a chair.
"Are you interested in a new look? We have a great selection in our brochure!"

Aloe offered said brochure, only for Spike to nab it and give it a look, "Hmm, say Twilight, this super deluxe blowout sounds just right for you!"

Twilight giggled at Spike's enthusiasm, "Well, why not? My mane really needs some cleaning up, and if I don't like how it turns out I'll just go to my regular style."

"Nothing for me, thank you," Midnight took a seat but then noticed something in a nearby mirror, "although... Huh, I'm not sure whether I wanna keep these sideburns growing in... or get rid of them."

"And if you don't mind, ladies," Spike made himself comfortable as well and flexed his claws, "clawicure, please! And I recommend you use your strongest file."

The sisters were a tad annoyed by Spike but got to work. In no time at all, Spike's claws were field to his satisfaction while Twilight continued getting her mane done, and Midnight just sat by, reading a novel he'd summoned from his pocket dimension.

"Welp! I think I'm gonna head back to the castle and see how things are going," Spike declared as he made his way out of the parlor.

"If my mother is exerting herself, warn her off," Midnight called to the little dragon without raising his eyes from his book.

"No promises!"

Not long after Spike left, Aloe said, "Alright zhen, Your Highness, please step zis way."

Midnight looked to see Twilight sitting down at a parlor hair drying chair where Aloe carefully positioned the drying cap over Twilight's head, making sure her horn fit through the slot which was built-in for unicorns.

"Now, please just hold still and relax," Aloe instructed, "ze blowout should take about fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, Aloe," Twilight settled and honestly enjoyed the warm drying of her mane which she expressed with a deep sigh.

"Enjoying yourself?" asked Midnight.

"I am, actually," replied Twilight, "enjoying your book?"

"Immensely so, but..." Midnight placed in a bookmark before making the novel vanish back to his pocket dimension as he went over to stand by Twilight as she waited for her blowout to finish.
"Is there anything else bothering you or something you want to talk about?"

"Well, I suppose we could discuss our wedding plans," Twilight suggested, "We still haven't agreed when we should have it, or where, and so many other things. All we've agreed on is Sombra leading the ceremony, Shining Armor and Cadance being your best stallion and my mare of honor, obviously our friends will be your groom stallions and my bridesmares and... I'm just not sure what else."

"Hmm, well you know, this year's Grand Galloping Gala isn't far off," Midnight brought up, "I'm not saying I think we should get married during the Gala, but... do you... want to have our wedding in Canterlot? Like Shining Armor and Cadance did?"

"...No, I don't think so," Twilight had considered it before but somehow even the city of their birth didn't feel like the right place to begin their marriage. "I honestly think the wedding should be here, in Ponyville. It's our home and while it's not so grand or spectacular as Canterlot or the other cities in Equestria, it's all kinds of special in its own unique way."

"I agree," Midnight smiled at Twilight in the mirror, "and honestly, I don't want the media or some stuffy nobles making such a big deal out of our special day. Here, it'll have a little more privacy from the rest of Equestria, and all our family and friends will attend. Well, almost all of our family..."

Seeing Midnight look a little down, Twilight reached out to touch his shoulder with her hoof while keeping her mane in place, "You miss your father, don't you?"

Sighing, Midnight admitted, "I do, but... To tell you the truth, Twily... a part of me resents him! He just left! I needed him, Twinken needed him, but he just left to find Catrina to undo her curse on my mother and now she's awake and... Well, I still want him back, if only for my mother and brother's sakes."

"I remember my honorary uncle Iggy," Twilight giggled, recalling the slightly-embarrassed look on Ignitus's face whenever she called him that when she was a filly.
"He was very kind but... also kind of hard to understand, he was so..."

"Stoic," Midnight finished for her. "Stone-faced, distant, hard to read and even harder to please. I don't even know if he's still alive, Twilight..."

"Did you ever trying finding him?"

"So many times. I made several trips and expeditions outside of Equestria before my past self came along, after which I had to keep an eye on my self to make sure everything went as they did when I experienced everything as my past self did. I had agents and allies helping me in those searches, but... We just never found any promising leads. All that we could dig up were rumors, vague clues, but they all turned up nothing to do with my father. Really, Twilight... It's like Ignitus Enflame just dropped off the face of the earth."

Seeing her beau depressed, Twilight felt like her own source of depression was minor, but before she could say anything to him she saw a certain dragon appear in the mirror.
"Spike, you're back!"

Then Lotus came over to carefully lift the mane-drying cap up as Twilight asked, "How do I look?"

There was a brief puff of steam that concealed it before it quickly cleared to reveal Twilight's mane had a new look, which earned her a speechless look from Midnight and Spike, the latter of whom answered first, "Great!"

"Words fail me..." Midnight finally got out.

Twilight looked herself in the mirror and took a moment before she decided, "Yeah... It's nice but, it just isn't me. But anyways, Spike! How's the castle looking?"

"...Great," answered Spike with a forced smile and Midnight knew he was fibbing.

"Actually, Twi..." Midnight barred her way, "let's stick around, I'm... starting to feel a little tension in my back."

"Great idea, Midnight!" Spike discretely mouthed 'thank you' to the sapphire alicorn before saying to Twilight while grabbing the spa brochure, "Why don't we all have a massage? I was really hoping to get, uh... this thingy!"

They both looked at the random page Spike was pointing to, Twilight reading aloud, "The extra strength hot stone deep tissue massage?"

Spike gave the page a closer look and realized he might have made a mistake but gulped, "Yep."

"I think Twily and I will settle for a more traditional massage," Midnight decided before giving Spike a look of amused pity, "but whatever floats your cloud."

"Did somepony order massages?" asked Aloe from the doorway-

*CRASH*

"YEAH!!" Bulk Biceps appeared, having burst through the wall, wearing a masseuse's outfit as he leapt over behind Spike, "LET'S DO THIS, LITTLE DRAGON!!"

Then, which everypony found slightly disturbing, Bulk flexed his pecs, trapping Spike between the mounds of muscle, before he took Spike away for the extra strength hot stone deep tissue massage he had unfortunately asked for, crashing another hole through the wall.

"Oh, I hate it when he does zhat," Aloe sighed before clearing her throat, "Come with me, Your Majesties."

Following Aloe, Midnight brought up, "I had no idea Bulk Biceps worked here at the spa!"

"Oh Bulk is only a part-timer," Aloe clarified, "ze poor dear works several part-time jobs to take care of his colt, Feazherweight, and pay his bills. He's a hard worker, if not a tad overenzusiastic."

"It must be so difficult, being a single parent," said Twilight, "I wonder why Featherweight's mother isn't around."

"I've asked Bulk before," Midnight responded, "but the look on his face made it very clear it's a very sensitive subject for the big guy. But Twinken's told me Featherweight's a happy young colt in school."

"Speaking of the school," Twilight said as they entered the massage room and they both lied down on the massage tables, "did you see the state of the playground at the schoolhouse?"

"Totally wrecked, oh, uh... a little higher," Midnight kept talking but also took note of his masseuse's progress, "It must have been during that crisis with Tirek. Mmh, Cheerilee's students aren't gonna have as much fun during recess until something's done about that playground."

"Maybe we could do something about it, ooh! Yeah, right there..." Twilight had to admit, this was a good idea, "Maybe we could put in a word at town hall with Mayor Mare about it, or even have some kind of charity drive."

"I'm sure the town's funds can cover it," Midnight shuddered and sighed with ecstasy as a pinched knot in his lower back was undone, the pain it had been causing him fading away.
"By law, all foal schools get special funds to insure the proper development of the colts and fillies, both educational and physical. A playground is ideal for exercise during their recesses, so then-"

Then, from out the door leading to the hall they'd come from, they heard a muted crack, followed by a disturbingly quiet cry of agony coming from a certain young dragon, and then a very familiar 'YEAH'.

They gave each other a look before they shrugged, Midnight saying, "Ah, I'm sure he's fine..."

Later, the three of them were walking away from the spa, Twilight sighing, "Great suggestion, boys."

"Eeyup, I am feeling loosey-goosey, what about you, Spike?" Midnight asked as they looked back to see Spike walking funny, sharply muttering 'Ow' with every step.
"Eh... why don't we have a word with the mayor about the school playground? The sooner it gets done, the sooner the students will be happy."

"Good idea, hop on, Spike," Twilight offered, but Spike registered the word 'sooner' and he seemed to look towards the sun.

It was the afternoon, which caused Spike to bend his back a certain way, making an audible crack - "Ow!" - before he said, "How... can I not enjoy this nice day with a walk? Heh-heh, uh, after all, walking is good for post-massage circulation."

"Really? I've never heard that theory," commented Twilight, only to feel Midnight rump-bump her with a flirty smirk.

"Come on," he chuckled, "I'm sure the mayor will be happy to discuss a new playground for the school."

Making their way towards town hall, however, they passed by a very familiar place. Or at least it used to be. Without a word to each other, the three of them approached the remains of what used to be the Golden Oak Library, Twilight and Spike's home in Ponyville.

"I really miss this place, boys..." Twilight gazed sadly upon the remains of what had been a very special place for all three of them.

"I can't even count all the memories we made here," agreed Midnight, his ears lowering.

"We sure made a lot of memories, didn't we...?" Spike began to tear up.

"Oh Spike, I'm so sorry! Of course losing the Golden Oak Library was hard on you too," Twilight comforted her number one assistant, holding him close, and feeling the warmth of Midnight's wings as he hugged them altogether.
"I've got an idea!"

Midnight stepped back as they broke the hug and Twilight said to Spike, "Why don't we add some things to the castle to make it feel more like home to you as well?"

"Really? that sounds great, but..." Spike looked to the sun and it was still a ways from sunset, "we still have to see the mayor, don't we?"

"Oh you're right! Why don't we see the mayor first, and then we'll do a little shopping for something you'd like in the castle. Hop on!" Twilight let Spike get on her back and began to walk away only to not feel Midnight at her side, and she looked back to see him still gazing at the library remains.
"Midnight? Are you coming?"

"...Yeah, uh, you go on ahead," Midnight waved her on with his wing but still kept his eyes on the library remains, "I'll catch up."

"Well, okay..." Twilight and Spike continued on to town hall, leaving Midnight to furrow his brows at the library tree's ruins.

He stepped forward, entering the remains, seeing the ashes and burnt pieces of books and their pages here and there, a depressing sight indeed. The sapphire alicorn could recall from his prior life the first party he attended here in the library, when Twilight and Spike had come to oversee preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. He chuckled a bit at how Twilight accidentally ate a cupcake with hot sauce, along with all the events, that led up to that party, starting from when he first saw Twilight arrive via pegasus-drawn chariot.

They were both still unicorns at the time, but Midnight as his current self had been there too. He'd watched his Twilight arrive and he'd watched his past self approach her, introduce himself and offer to assist Twilight and Spike that day. A part of him had actually been jealous of his past self at that time, but he had adhered to his duties and diligently watched from afar, making sure everything would proceed as it was meant to. He'd done things he wasn't proud of, such as forcing the Alicorn Amulet on Trixie, hypnotized his past self to bringing him a scroll with arcane knowledge he'd needed to restore the Spirit of Chaos, and leading his past self to unleashing his monstrous alter-ego, Midnight Terror. Many times he'd been unable to sleep at night.

But finally it ended when he'd watched his past self experiment with time magic, only to be sent over a thousand years into the past and journey through time to get home. Sunset Shimmer had delayed that journey by killing him but Celestia had been there to insure he would be reborn.

He could recall the many times he'd worried of how things could go so terribly wrong, the many times he'd been afraid to step outside for risk of losing his life before everything was in place. But it was the dream of being with his Twilight again, his family and friends again, that had spurred him to keep moving forward. But most of all, it had been that vision that had been his one true hope that carried him however bad things seemed to get.

Of himself and his Twilight, married, with a beautiful filly as their daughter and Twilight adorably fat with their second foal.

Golden Oak Library might be gone, Twilight... Midnight thought as he cast a spell. He carefully searched and probed... until he felt it! He stepped over to where his spell had detected what he was searching for and dug a little... until he saw what he had hoped to find and lifted it up to his smiling face as he whispered, "But it will never be forgotten."

The talk with the mayor went very well and she was happy to arrange for a new playground to be constructed for the foals at the schoolhouse, and as the three of them left town hall, Twilight asked, "So, Spike, have you thought of anything you'd like to make you feel more at home in the castle?"

Spike did, as a matter of fact and replied, "Actually yes, since there's so many rooms in the castle, I want one of my own! So, one of the first things I'll need is a bed!"

"I thought you said you sleep like a baby in the castle," Twilight raised a brow.

"Oh let's get him a bed, any maybe a few other things to put in his new room," chuckled Midnight, causing Spike to smile in delight. "Everypony needs their own little space, and Spike, you most certainly deserve it."

"Thanks, Midnight!" Spike glanced at the sun and was relieved to see it was just beginning to set but better safe than sorry, "C'mon! I think Mr. Davenport is holding a special on beds over at his store!"

"But doesn't he only sell quills and sofas?" asked Twilight as they followed after Spike.

"He probably decided to expand his inventory," Midnight shrugged.

Back in the castle, things were actually going well, despite a rough start. As she'd promised, Faerie Tail didn't lift a hoof to help and instead coordinated the decorative process. After telling everypony to remove the things they'd brought to decorate the castle, she'd assigned them into groups and specific rooms to decorate (although she was getting annoyed by Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich's hidden confetti cannons continuously making a mess but they swore they'd forgotten where they'd hidden the darn things!)

"My, my, Rarity!" Faerie Tail and Rarity admired the dining room, which she'd assigned to the fashionista, "The dining room looks so posh I'm certain the Canterlot Elite would think it a private table in a high-end restaurant!"

"Oh you are too kind, Faerie Tail," Rarity tittered at the compliment, "and how goes everypony else's work?"

"Well, Applejack gave the kitchen, what the more likable nobles would call, a... charmingly rustic touch," Faerie Tail looked at a checklist she was carrying with her soft yellow magic, "Rainbow Dash added some Daring Do posters to the library although Blueblood did a fine job straightening things out, Soarin and Thunderlane did an excellent cleaning job in the main hallways and windows, Big Mac planted some flowers and even a few young trees outside by the entrance, Fluttershy placed some stuffed animals in the bedrooms, and Pinkie and Cheese..."

"I know, darling, they take a little getting used to," Rarity understood and they shared a giggle as everypony met up in the map room.

"Well done, everyone. The castle is looking better and I'm certain Midnight and Twilight will deeply appreciate it," Faerie Tail congratulated them, but then she noticed some odd looks coming from them all.
"Is... something wrong?"

"Oh it ain't no big deal, Faerie Tail, it's jus'..." Applejack gave it a thought, "We wan' Twi and Midnight and Spike t' feel right at home here in their new castle, but..."

"We've done so much and yet it feels like something is missing!" Fluttershy added.
"Eeyup," nodded Mac.

"Something to remind them of the Golden Oak Library but doesn't make them sad sounds ideal," proposed Blueblood.

"But what? The place was blown to smithereens!" Thunderlane reminded them all.

"Well, despite what happened to it, Thunderlane, the library was a place of so many memories for us," Fluttershy pointed out.

"Ooh! Ooh, like that time I crashed into all those books attempting my Sonic Rainboom after you guys had all just cleaned up," Rainbow Dash brought up with a chuckle and sigh, "That was good times."

"Yeah, fer you, maybe," Applejack gave Rainbow a look.

"Oh, and Applejack," Rarity looked to her rustic friend, "remember when we were stuck having a sleepover there? It turned out to be so much fun!"

"I can remember this time I visited the library to speak with Spike," Blueblood remembered, "and we came to an understanding that helped us become friends and ensure the friendship the two of you shared was not soured, my dear."

"I spent a lot of time there with Twilight as she helped me study for my weather courses," Soarin looked fondly back on those times with his study buddy. "If she hadn't tutored me and quizzed me so hard, I'm not sure if I'd have gotten my degree!"

"Well, it sounds like all of you made such good memories at the Golden Oak Library, everypony," Faerie Tail noted to them all with a warm smile.

"Eeyup, an' Ah think tha's wha' made it feel like home," Big Mac replied, a chorus of bittersweet agreements surrounding him.

Then Applejack was struck with inspiration, "That's it!!"

Over at Mr. Davenport's store, Midnight, Twilight, and Spike found the salespony had indeed expanded his inventory to all kinds of furniture, especially the special sale he was having on beds today. They'd been there for quite some time as Spike sought the right bed for his new room.

"How's that one, too soft?"
"Too hard?"
"Too lumpy...?"

"His head's gonna be too lumpy at some point..." Midnight muttered under his breath to Twilight, causing her to shush him even though her own patience was wearing thin as well.

"Ummm..." Spike laid on a bed he was testing but peered out the window and sighed inward with relief to see it was almost sunset. "Just right! I'll take it."

"Oh, thank goodness," sighed Twilight, "I thought you'd never find one you'd like!"

"Let's find a salespony and make tracks outta here," suggested Midnight, Mr. Davenport sliding up behind them with a smile eager to sell something.

"Sounds good to meeee...uh..." Spike noticed a certain bunch of ponies walking by carrying shovels, and Rainbow and Soarin saw him and made gestures for him to keep stalling before they flew off.
"Ih- Do you hear that?!"

He leaned onto one side of the bed and pressed against it, making squeaky sounds as though there was something wrong with it and hopped off, "Too squeaky. Better keep looking."

Twilight had to use a wing to bar Midnight from attempting to strangle the little dragon with a growl of frustration that revealed his fangs.

After several more negatives and equally infuriating reasons as to why they didn't meet Spike's standards, they finally settled on a bed that was perfect for Spike and made their way back.

Entering the castle, Twilight called, "We're home!"

"Welcome home!" everypony cheered as they gathered around the returning alicorns and dragon, Faerie Tail bringing up the rear.

"I hope you all had a nice day out, because I'm certain you'll like what your friends have done for you. Follow me."

Following Faerie Tail with their friends behind them, Twilight, Midnight, and Spike looked at the hallway that led to the entrance hall.
"Now, I know it doesn't look any different from before, but the halls are not the focus of decorating, aside from some cleaning. You can thank Soarin and Thunderlane for that.

"Some of the rooms have been taken care of by everypony, but it's what your friends have done in the map room, that you need to see."

"Is there something wrong with the map?" Twilight began to worry, as Applejack took off her hat and held it to her heart.

"Wha' really makes home feel like home isn't whaddit looks like. It's th' mem'ries y'make when yer there."

"So we made something that celebrates the memories you've made since you all came here to Ponyville," Rarity added.

Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane opened the doors as everypony walked in, Twilight and Midnight in front. at first, they didn't notice anything... until the looked up!

Hanging from the ceiling above the map and thrones was a vast trunk of roots, and from each root hung a string of crystals colored the same as the coats of their circles of friends, Fluttershy flying up to them as she explained, "The ornaments hanging from the chandelier are reminders of all the fun we've had together."

"That one shows your party at the Golden Oak Library welcoming you to Ponyville!"
"The time we shared doughnuts after the Grand Galloping Gala."
"Here it shows when we all went to the Rainbow Falls Trader Exchange."
"And this one! Back when you helped us train for Tornado Day!"

"We were hoping that being able to look at your beautiful old memories would inspire you to make new ones," explained Rarity.
"An' th' best part of it is, it's made from th' roots o' th' Golden Oak Library," Applejack pointed out, "So you'll never ferget where you came from ,Twi."

The two alicorns took a few steps forward, their eyes glued to the chandelier above, as everypony froze up with a little suspense... until Twilight and Midnight shared a warm and deeply touched look and then to their friends as Twilight said with a tearful smile, "It's exactly what the castle needed!"

They hurried over to have a big group hug, which they held for a tender warm moment before Midnight said, "And I think we're all ready to make new memories here. Starting with this one."

He stepped back and looked to his Twilight, "I have something for you, Twily, I got it after we stopped by the library remnants earlier today."

He lifted his hoof up for them all to see... a seed!

At first, the others didn't understand but Twilight did as her eyes widened with realization, "Midnight! Is that...?"

"Sometimes what's left behind can grow into something even more special than it was before," Midnight answered, coming over to place the seed in Twilight's hoof, "with a little help."

Tearing up, Twilight clutched the seed to her heart before she threw her hooves around Midnight and tenderly said, "I love you...!"

Smiling as he held his Twilight in his hooves and wings, Midnight returned the hug before he gave Twilight a soft kiss on the lips and said to her, "I love you too."

"Awwwww!!"

"Let's celebrate!" Pinkie zipped away and quickly returned, carrying on her back, "With the Seven-Layer What's-That-Flavor Mystery Surprise Cake!"

Cheese went over and pointed the second bottom layer, "These might be chocolate chips or they might be super spicy black beans!"

"That looks deliciou- Urgh!" Spike hurked before belching up a scroll, which Midnight took in his magic to read.

"A letter from Princess Celestia?" Twilight wondered and then began to worry when she saw the look on Midnight's face. "Midnight, what's wrong?"

"I have to go, something's happened," Midnight rolled up the scroll, everypony murmuring as Twilight came over.

"What did it say??" she looked up at him, not liking the vibe she was getting.

He reached up to cradle her cheek in his hoof before saying, "Everything will be alright. Stay with our friends, I'll be back by morning."

Then he stepped back and disappeared in a powerful Teleport!

(B'Tween) From the Ashes, a Dark Cloud...

That evening in Canterlot Castle, Midnight had just teleported to the throne room where he found Celestia, Luna, and Sombra, all looking troubled, and he said to them, "I came as soon as I got your message; what's happened?"

"The village of Starlight Glimmer," Celestia began but gave pause for a solemn silence, "... it was attacked."

"Attacked?! By who? When?! Why?!" Midnight looked to each of them for answers.

"We are unsure of the identities of the attackers," Luna explained, "but just yesterday, we received word from Manehatten that a group of ponies arrived in their city, all in terrible shape! Many of them had burns, damaged lungs from smoke inhalation, or worse..."

"Four of these refugees spoke with the Manehatten Police Department," Sombra went on, "I believe you and your friends know them."

"Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle?" Midnight asked and they nodded to confirm, "Are they alright?! What did they say? Who did this?!"

"They told the chief of the MPD that shortly after all of you had left," Celestia sounded guilt-ridden but kept speaking, "two ponies suddenly appeared and attacked without warning! They set fires to the town and hurt anypony that dared to stand up to them... there were casualties..."

Luna comforted her sister while Sombra took it from there, "They were able to describe the two ponies as unicorns but nothing else. One wore a cloak, the other a full-set of armor, so nothing else is known about them except for their apparent use of fire magic."

"...This was no coincidence," Midnight furrowed his brows as he looked to Celestia and they both suspected the same thing. "when we put a stop to Starlight's manipulations, I captured her, but then from out of nowhere a hooded figure stole Starlight away. The figure said she was taking Starlight but... she was leaving me a consolation prize.

"When we returned home to Ponyville, I got word from the hospital about my mother. She's awake!"

"Yes, Twilight informed us the morning after your mother had awoken," Celestia nodded, "but as you have said, this attack is no coincidence... I fear the one behind this all is Catrina."

"As do I. Who else but her could have undone the curse she laid on my mother?" seethed Midnight as he sighed with a bitter realization.

"She must be behind the attack on the village, but why?" Luna wondered.

"Perhaps it was to send a message, or she wanted something or even someone in that village to be eliminated," Sombra guessed.

"Wait... the survivors did say that the two attackers struck a specific house first before they started attacking the rest of the village," Celestia brought up.

"Lemme guess... the last house at the end of the street," Midnight answered, "the house that belonged to Starlight Glimmer."

"It sounds to me like covering one's tracks," Sombra considered, "but why awaken your mother? She must realize that you two would figure out it's her!"

“I agree, it doesn't make sense," Luna nodded with wonder, "why would she do something like this for the obvious risk that we'd be on to her?"

Celestia and Midnight gave each other a knowing and very concerned look that Sombra caught, "There's a history between the two of you and her, isn't there?"

"Yes..." Celestia took a deep breath as Midnight stepped away to look out the window, seeing the city beneath them, the lands surrounding Mount Canterhorn, and Ponyville in the far distance while Luna and Sombra listened to Celestia regale to them of her and Midnight's history with Catrina. When she had finished, Luna looked to Sombra with concern.

“But now that she has Starlight...” Celestia pointed out.

“And Starlight can remove cutie-marks.....” Midnight added.

An uncomfortable, almost suffocating silence draped itself over them all as Sombra finally spoke, having had the bit drop for him.

“As of this moment, nopony with a cutie-mark is safe..." he trailed off.

263. A Living Nightmare - Part 1

The next morning, Midnight returned to tell his friends that Starlight's former village had been attacked. Their friends Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle would be coming along with all the refugees of the village as Midnight had volunteered Ponyville to take them in, and would be discussing the matter with Mayor Mare. Some available houses would be paid for by the crown to give the refugees a new home, for as long as they wished.

It would be a while before they arrived in Ponyville all the way from Manehatten via train, but in the meantime...

Over at Sweet Apple Acres, in the Cutie-Mark Crusaders' tree/clubhouse...

"Hear ye, hear ye!" Apple Bloom announced while sitting at a podium in the clubhouse and tapping on the side, "This meetin' of th' Cutie-Mark Crusaders is now in session. Who wants t' do roll call?"

Her friends all exchanged looks but gave small smiles as Rumble said, "Pretty sure we're all here, Bloom."

"Yeah, Apple Bloom, what's this all about?" asked Sweetie Belle.

"Oh nothin'..." Apple Bloom shared a smile with Twinken and gave him a nod.

"Except for this letter from Babs Seed!" Twinken levitated the letter which had the drawing of a pair of scissors at the bottom, the handles red and shaped like an apple, "She's gotten her cutie-mark!"

"WHAT?!" everypony excitably crowded around to get a closer look at the letter, Apple Bloom saying, "She says it's a pair o' scissors."

"So... she's good at cutting stuff?" Scootaloo guessed.
"Of course! She was always fussing with her bangs and tail!" Sweetie Belle flicked her mane, "I'll bet she grows up to be a celebrity stylist!"
"But... if she's gonna be cutting manes," Button Mash brought up, "how can she run the Manehatten branch of the CMC?"
"Well not Babs!" Scootaloo answered, "She can't be a Cutie-Mark Crusader if she's gotten her cutie-mark!"
"Says who!? Just because she's gotten her cutie-mark now she can't be a Crusader?" Twinken gave Scootaloo quite the stink eye, "That sounds kinda like Diamond Tiara, Scootaloo!"
"Hey! Don't compare me to Diamond Tiara!" Scootaloo shrank back defensively at Twinken's remark.
"Well, I'm glad she's happy, but I sure wouldn't want to be up to my flank in mane hair all day," Sweetie Belle commented, "Can you imagine getting stuck with a cutie-mark you didn't like?"

"No, or..." The question struck a chord in Apple Bloom she'd never knew was there, "At least, Ah hadn't."

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom, most of your family has apple related cutie-marks," assured Sweetie Belle.
"Yeah, yours probably will be as well," shrugged Rumble. "I mean, what's not to like about apples?"

"There's the core," Scootaloo brought up.
"And sour apples," Button Mash added.
"And rotten apples," Rumble joined in.

"Ahem!"

They looked to see Twinken and Sweetie Belle giving them looks that read 'really?'.

"What?!"

"Not helping," clarified Sweetie Belle as she pointed out how Apple Bloom was shivering with all these worries she'd never even considered!

Later that night...

As Twinken nestled down into his bed, Faerie Tail smiled at her son with a loving wonder. Although Midnight and Twilight had invited her to live in their castle, Faerie Tail chose to go live with Twinken over at Sweet Apple Acres, and she was given a warm welcome from the Apples who declared her one of their own. Getting comfortable, Twinken smiled sleepily up at her as she stood at his bedside.

“Night, Mom,” Twinken whispered as Faerie Tail gently kissed him.

"Sweet dreams, baby..."

He closed his eyes and was soon soundly sleeping. Faerie Tail stayed lingered in the doorway for a moment, as the silvery blue light of the moon shone down through Twinken's bedroom window, giving the colt an otherworldly glow, like he was some angel from on high.

“Such a beautiful scene, almost like a painting,” she whispered softly.

“Heard that,” he mumbled sleepily.

She giggled sweetly, just like she had done many times before in the past, especially when Midnight used to do something funny (with her reminiscing the Pumpkin Pie fiasco which ended with her and Ignitus having to remodel the kitchen). She gently closed the door and made her way to her bedroom, passing Apple Bloom's room. What Faerie Tail missed was that Apple Bloom was tossing and turning in a troubled sleep.

Meanwhile, Twinken was in the dream realm and waiting for Luna, and he found himself in a dream version of his room, the album of dreams on his desk, his own version of finding specific dreams of those he knew so he could enter their dreams and help if they were having nightmares. Princess Luna was running a little late, but Twinken understood his teacher probably had other duties to attend to before she arrived to resume their lessons.

“Doesn't she have other dream-walkers to assist her?” he mused as he carefully flipped through the pages of his dream album, seeing the dreams of his friends and family like moving photographs. This was how he felt at ease in looking over dreams, whereas his teacher used a hallway of doors where each one led to a specific pony's dream.
“It seems an awful lot to look after all of Equestria's dreams by herself..."

“That's why were here though, isn't it, young Twinken...?"

He jumped five miles into the sky with a YIPE and landed in a comical crash! Luna had walked up behind him and had spoken over his shoulder in a regal tone that hid a mischievous side.

“Don't do that!” he complained, glad this was a dream so that didn't really hurt. “I hate being scared like that!”

Luna chuckled sweetly, “I apologize for my delay. I had to check on something before I spoke to you about your next task.”

“Task?” Twinken echoed.

“Yes,” Luna looked serious. “As you fully become a Lunar Pony, your dream-walking powers will grow, and so you must learn to vanquish nightmares and calm the sleeping minds of those having them. And so, I have the perfect task for you, my dear student. Several ponies close to you are facing nightmares tonight and it is up to you to help them with whatever worries or troubles are twisting their dreams into nightmares."

“Yes, Princess,” Twinken nodded but then realized something that he asked, “Um, can I ask...who these ponies are?”

“That, I can't tell you,” Luna raised a brow. “If you are to become a true Protector of Dreams, you must learn to find nightmares and who's having them on your own. I will however leave you a clue as to the identity of your friend who is having trouble sleeping - You go to school with them.”

Twinken began to ponder the clue and of who he'd be close to that went to school with him, and he immediately thought of his fellow Crusaders.

"Remember what I have taught you thus far, my dear student," Luna began to fade away, "No matter how bad they seem dreams cannot hurt you, and you must not only convince the dreamer but help them understand why they are having these bad dreams in the first place."

"W-wait! Luna!" Twinken tried chasing after his teacher but she had fully disappeared although an echo of her voice remained a short moment.

"I believe in you, Twinken...!"

And just like that, Twinken was alone again in his dream-room and sighed, starting to feel the pressure of the task before him. But he got it together and said, "No need to worry, Twinken! Your teacher beleives you can do it and she wouldn't give you this job if she didn't. So then..."

He looked back to his album of dreams and will the pages to turn until he reached one that had a photograph with Rumble's name above it. It showed Rumble flying with Thunderlane, who wore his Wonderbolt cadet uniform, obviously giving his kid bro some pointers in flying. At first, Twinken thought Rumble was fine... until he saw something flash on Rumble's flank and he saw a cutie-mark that showed a briefcase and abacus!

Almost immediately the dream looked like it was going sour as Thunderlane stopped and seemingly told Rumble to land, and Rumble looked upset.

"Well, here we go..." Twinken concentrated, and he felt the powers of the dreamscape take him away...

He soon found himself in Rumble's dream, and looking around it looked like a boring old office building. The hallways were dull and depressing, and there were boxes stacked upon boxes and a quick look inside showed Twinken they were full of mathematical problems, figures, basically anything math- or money-related to business, and if that weren't enough they were well beyond the kind of arithmetic he and his friends did in school with Cheerilee.

"Get to work, Rumble."

"But Thunder, please! I don't know how to do math problems like these!"

Twinken looked down the hall and watched as Thunderlane, wearing a full Wonderbolt uniform stepped out of a room and said without looking back, "Your cutie-mark means you're job now is to be an accountant. You're not a colt anymore, so from now on you're gonna work and earn your keep. So get cracking and all this work had better be done by the time I get back! To think this would wind up being your destiny, such a joke..."

Thunderlane stomped off, passing Twinken without a glance as though Twinken were a ghost, which made sense to him since he wasn't a part of this dream.

Is Rumble afraid of math or...? wondered Twinken, trying to understand what was the cause of Rumble's nightmare. He had to think on this carefully because dreams weren't always so clear in their meaning, whether they were caused by a restful and peaceful sleeping mind or one troubled by their waking worries.

He hurried down the hall and looked into the room where he saw Rumble was close to tears. He was sitting before a desk covered with a mess of all these facts and figures regarding numbers and they didn't make sense not merely because they looked too advanced but they didn't make sense period. Some of the mathematical symbols were familiar to Twinken but most of it all looked like gibberish. As Rumble squirmed in his seat, struggling not to cry, Twinken sat on the floor beside the desk, feeling powerless.

He wasn't sure what to do now. He wasn't experienced enough to force a bad dream to turn good, so his only option was to help Rumble figure why he was having this bad dream, to begin with. But what was it?

Then... Twinken thought back to the Crusaders' meeting in the clubhouse earlier today, how Sweetie Belle mentioned her worry of winding up with a cutie-mark she didn't like, and how Scootaloo and Button Mash seemed to think Babs couldn't be a Crusader anymore because she had her cutie-mark now.

Then it hit him as Twinken realized what was going on here, That's it!

He stood up, still unnoticed by Rumble and then fully immersed himself into the dream, becoming a part of it. He had to work quickly before Rumble's dream affected him or his presence had some kind of bad reaction, "Rumble! Are you okay?"

At first, Rumble didn't notice his friend but then he seemed to snap out of his fretting as he looked in shock to see, "Twinken! Wh-what're you.. Oh! Twinken, I-I don't know what to do! My cutie-mark says I have t-to do all this work and Thunderlane was so cold and-"

"Rumble!" Twinken grabbed Rumble's hoof and got his friend to look him in the eyes, "What's wrong? Don't worry about the work here, just tell me... what's wrong."

For a few stunned moments, Rumble looked stupefied until he uttered out, "I... This... this isn't... what I want!"

"Say it, Rumble, say what you do and don't want," encouraged Twinken.

Rumble furrowed his brows and jumped onto the desk, "I don't want to do all these dumb math problems! All this stupid paperwork! I don't want to be an accountant, and I don't want this awful cutie-mark! I wanna fly! I wanna be out there in the sky, with Thunderlane, doing all those awesome tricks and stunts and racing and being the best I can be!

"And if I can't have that, well I'd rather be a blank-flank for the rest of my life than be a number-cruncher for the rest of my life!"

The, the papers all started to flap and flip about in the air, and then, two both colts' amazement, the papers seemed to fold themselves over and over... until they looked like origami pegasi! They smiled as the origami pegasi began to fly around, neither of them noticing the walls of the office around them fading away to reveal a clear, sunny sky, and then the paper pegasus fliers all zoomed off and turned into clouds that retained their flying pegasus shapes. Only now, they were cruising along, as clouds do on a nice and awesome day, and both colts felt themselves lying down on cool green grass.

"Twinken...?"

The young unicorn peered over to Rumble, whose gaze was fixed to the clouds above them, "...Are you really here or...?"

"I'm here, Rumble," Twinken assured, sitting up, Rumble getting up too as he looked bewildered at his friend, "I'm still learning about dream-walking from Princess Luna, and the only way I could help you get out of that bad dream was by realizing what's troubling you."

"...It's what Sweetie Belle said today," it began to dawn on Rumble, "I... I want a cutie-mark, but... what if it turns out to be something I don't want? Something entirely different from what I want to do? I don't want to be stuck with a cutie-mark that has nothing to do with what I want to do with my life!"

"It doesn't matter," Twinken responded, Rumble giving him a confused look. "I mean, think about it, Rumble, does a cutie-mark really mean that's all you gotta do with your life once you get it? I mean, look at Rarity - Her cutie-mark is three gems but she's a fashion designer! Blueblood's mark is a compass rose and he designs airships, and Miss Cheerilee's mark is three smiling flowers but she's a teacher, not a gardener.

"So a cutie-mark isn't the whole of your self, just a representation of one part that makes you you! So even if you got a cutie-mark in one thing, it doesn't mean you can't have other goals or interests that don't relate to your cutie-mark. So think about it, Rumble... Don't worry about your cutie-mark, just think: What do you want to be?"

Rumble gave Twinken a ponderous look and then considered it a moment... and then Twinken stepped back as Rumble appeared to grow up into a stallion before his very eyes and was garbed in a full Wonderbolts's uniform! Smiling, the stallion-version of Rumble smiled and took flight! He did a back-flip and made a Sonicboom while flying to his heart's content.

Smiling, Twinken thought, My work here is done... before he faded away from Rumble's dream.

264. A Living Nightmare - Part 2

Returning to the dreamscape version of his room, Twinken looked at his dream album and smiled brightly to see the dream picture of Rumble showed his friend appearing like a Wonderbolt while the picture gained a golden frame along its edges.

"Wow! I guess that means I did it," Twinken smiled as he turned the page, looking at the dream photos of everyone else he knew. He saw one that he assumed was Rarity's as it showed her walking down an aisle showing off a glamorous dress to flashing cameras, one where Cheerilee was smiling at the sight of her entire class holding up homework assignments all with an A+, but then he came to a picture that caused him to gasp at the very sight of it!

It was of Button Mash wearing royal guard armor obviously too big for him while standing before his commanding officer.. Button's late brother Cheat Code!

“Uh-oh! Button must be having a really bad dream if it has his brother in it,” Twinken determined before he willed the dreamscape to take him into Button's dream.

"YOU CALL THAT PROGRESS, RECRUIT?! DROP AND GIMME FIFTY!!!"

Twinken found himself in what looked to be a military training ground, with several marching royal guardponies, all looking impressive yet unapproachable, but he was drawn to the shouting... and felt his heart sink to see Button Mash, his propeller-cap gone, his mane in some kind of buzz cut, and struggling to do push-ups... with a royal guard helmet as a cutie-mark! And standing before him was an exaggerated version of Cheat Code.

Twinken could remember Cheat Code from a while back when the stallion had come to visit his family in Ponyville after being granted time off from service. He'd been a kind, fun, and friendly pony to those around him. This version however was big, dark, and gave off no warm brotherly feelings, looking down at Button with a cold and ruthless glare.

To make matters worse, Twinken noticed that “Cheat Code” had a very....distinct look. He had a hole in his neck, pale coat and a patchy mane. Cheat Code's face was sunken in and looked pale. He grinned a razor toothed grin as Button Mash attempted to do fifty pushups.

“Pathetic,” he hissed. “I knew you were the worthless one in the family, always sticking your snot-covered nose in those damned vidiot games.”

“But....that's my....” Button whimpered, hesitantly looking up at Cheat Code with tearful eyes.

“Time to grow up, kid!” Cheat Code snarled. “You need a real world job, and service in the guard will maybe make you less of a waste of flesh and blood!”

“But w-we... we always talked about... opening up our own arcade!" sniffled Button, tears flowing down his eyes.

“That was just a stupid kiddy wish, Button!" Cheat Code gave a harsh stomp just a tad too close to Button, making him whimper and duck his head down. "This is your calling now, and you are not going to be an embarrassment to me any longer! So don't you dare move even a hoof from that spot until you've done your one hundred pushups!"

Button whimpered again as Cheat Code turned and stormed off. Button waited until he was fully alone and then broke down, unable to contain his heartache a moment longer. Watching his friend's sadness, Twinken felt so bad for Button. The gamer's bad dream wasn't just about cutie-marks but about his brother!

Poor Button... Twinken could only guess how much Button was still hurting since everything that happened only a few months ago. Then he realized something else about this dream Button was having. Not only was it a bitter reminder that his brother was gone, it was subjecting him to a situation where he no longer had his video games to immerse himself into, so as not to worry so much about real world problems.

Is that what Button's afraid of when he gets his cutie-mark?

It made sense, now that Twinken thought about it. Button was honestly the least ambitious among the Crusaders in their mission of finding their cutie-marks, and wasn't always so enthusiastic whenever they tried something new in the hopes of their flanks filling out with a mark of destiny.

So then... Button's worry of his cutie-mark forcing him out of his comfort zone is being manifested along with his sadness of losing Cheat Code!

With that realization came the knowledge on what to do, and Twinken willed himself to truly become a part of Button Mash's dream. Hurrying over to his friend, Twinken gently removed the much-too-big armor from the sobbing Button, and spoke to him.

"Button, it's okay."

"N-no! It's not! I-I-I'm a loser-her-her...!!" Button sobbed, covering his face in shame, trying to hide his tears.

"You are not a loser, Button!" Twinken swore to him, "You're a great friend and always so considerate. I can barely think of anypony as creative and imaginative as you, and there's nothing wrong with loving your video games. Your brother loved video games too, remember?"

Button struggled to stop his crying, looking up at Twinken with a hiccup.

"Your brother was really cool, Button," Twinken offered a hoof, and after a shaky moment Button accepted and Twinken hoisted his friend up, "He was a hero! I can't imagine what you're going through, losing someone you loved and loved you back so much. But do you really think he'd say all those things to you? The big brother you looked up and idolized and loved?"

"...N-no! He wouldn't!" Button realized as their surroundings dulled and blurred, and Button finally saw, "Is-is this a dream?"

"it is, and now that you're realizing the truth you can make it as spectacular as you want it to be," Twinken assured, "but Button... I can actually understand what you're feeling about getting a cutie-mark. You're afraid that it'll be something that you're not certain you can live up to."

"It's... it's not just that, Twinken," Button sighed heavily as he wiped his tear-stained cheeks, "What if... what if my cutie-mark means I'm supposed to do something important and I fail?! What if it'll be something where everypony counts on me... and I let them down?"

"Whenever you're having trouble, Button, you can always count on your friends and family for help," Twinken reminded him, "Regardless of what your cutie-mark may turn out to be, it doesn't decide what you have to do with your life. It represents a part of you that shines when you're at your best!

"And think about your brother... Cheat Code loved you and wanted you to be happy. Cherish all the good times you and he had together, and whatever you want to do when you're big, make it as special as the brotherhood you and Cheat Code shared!"

The words of his friend lit a fire in Button's heart, and then he began to glow a soft silvery gold as he grew older and bigger and brighter. So bright Twinken had to cover his eyes as he felt the dreamscape around him shift and change!

All of a sudden, he heard bells and whistles, chip tunes, and laughs, and Twinken looked around to find himself in what had to be the coolest arcade he'd ever seen! Some classic games, like pinball machines, air hockey, whack-a-diamond dog, and some game consoles that featured racing games, platform games, shoot `em up, and so much more.

"Excuse me ,mister, can I have some tokens?"

Twinken turned around and smiled to see an adult Button Mash wearing a visor on his head and a token-dispenser on a belt around his barrel, smiling as he accepted a few bits from a filly and gave her some game tokens, "Here ya go, sweetie! Now go for the high score!"

Smiling to see Button was alright, Twinken left him to enjoy his dream more.

The frame around the picture of Button's dream in the dream album turned into a soft gold, and Twinken smiled that he'd helped another friend, and as he sat at his desk, he began to turn the page, wondering, "Now, is anypony else having a- Uh-oh!"

Twinken came to a page showing a dream photo of Apple Bloom in a dark room as a circle of random symbols glowing softly surrounded her, and the border of her dream picture gave off a dismal glow.
"Apple Bloom looks like she's having a really bad dream!"

Focusing, Twinken touched the dream photo... and found himself in a gloomy and desolate forest.

Back so soon...?

"Who said that?" Twinken looked around, seeing nopony-

"All right, whoever you are, Ah dunno what you went an' cast on me but Ah wannit t' stop right now!"

"Apple Bloom?" Twinken hurried in the direction he'd heard his sister yelling, wondering who she was talking to, but then that same odd voice he heard earlier responded to Apple Bloom's words as Twinken hurried to catch up.

I didn't cast a spell. on you, or anypony else. I only did what you wanted.

"AGH! Why would ah wan' you t' torment me wit' nightmares?!"

Twinken skidded to a halt and peered over a bush and saw Apple Bloom, looking frantic as a chilly wind blew around her.

You didn't want to catch bugs, and I helped. You didn't want to lose friends, and I helped. If there's a problem with your family...

Twinken finally saw the speaker of that soft and eerie voice! Hiding in the foliage opposite of Twinken's side of the clearing where Apple Bloom was. A small and shadowy figure with glowing orange eyes and a not-so-friendly smile.

...I'm sure I can help with that too.

"Ah don' want yer help!" Apple Bloom turned and began to ran, "Jus' get away from me!"

Then Twinken saw it and realized what was going on! He focused and willed himself to appear in front of Apple Bloom, saying, "Apple Bloom, you can't run!"

Skidding to a halt, Apple Bloom was perplexed to see Twinken suddenly appear before her, giving off a glow like a distant star.

"T-Twinken! Wh- Ah don'... Wha's going on?!" Apple Bloom threw up her hooves in frustration, "All night, Ah've been having jus' th' worse dreams about cutie-marks an' it's drivin' me up th' wall! Now you show up an' say Ah can't run?!"

"Apple Bloom, calm down," Twinken smiled gently, "what I meant is... you can't run from your own shadow!"

"Muh shadow?" Apple Bloom gave her brother a confused look, and Twinken knew what to do.

He lit up his horn just enough and pointed behind Apple Bloom. She turned to see the awful figure shrink in the light of Twinken's magic as it slid down the tree it had been in front of... and down towards Apple Bloom, her form casting the figure and revealing it was indeed her shadow!

"It's just me? Y'mean Ah've been doin' all this t' mahself?!" Apple Bloom moved one way and then another, making sure it was really her shadow.

"Well, it's your dream, AB," Twinken shrugged as he dimmed his horn.

"But... if Ah've been dreamin' this whole time, why don' Ah jus' wake up?" asked Apple Bloom as she turned to look at Twinken, a little worry still on her face.

The question confused Twinken too, and from what he was able to gather, Apple Bloom had been having multiple bad dreams all in one, over and over. Normally, most ponies would wake up from a bad dream, realize nothing was wrong, and then find a way to go back to sleep. But in this instance with Apple Bloom, that was not the case. The young dream-walker thought it over and also considered some of the lessons and words Princess Luna had shared with him about dreams... when he got it!

"Well... Apple Bloom? Did what we all talked about yesterday at the clubhouse worry you? Like... being stuck with a cutie-mark you don't want, or how it might come between you and those you care about?"

"It... it did!" Apple Bloom realized as she recalled those bitter dreams, "At first, Ah had this awful cutie-mark where Ah had t' exterminate these bugs but Ah din' wan' it... until Ah needed it. Then, Ah had a mark but th' other Crusaders thawt they shouldn' hang around me no more, and then Ah din't have a mark but they did and they said they din't wan' me around! But worst of all... Ah got a cutie-mark that had nothin' t' do with apples and mah fam'ly kicked me out, sayin' Ah din' belong at Sweet Apple Acres anymore... but wha' does it all mean, Twinken?! Ah jus' wan' this t' be over!"

"Hmm, maybe..." Twinken thought before it dawned on him, "Maybe... we can get so worried about something and those worries can be so scary that we begin to feel like we're trapped in a nightmare!"

"Very insightful, my young pupil."

The two young foals gasped and looked up to the moon shining above them... as a pair of wings unfurled to reveal Princess Luna! By her coming did the dream around them fade away to reveal the starry void of the Dreamscape, and the three of them settled onto a pathway of stars.

"You have done so well, Twinken, and offered such sound advice that I could no longer just stand by to observe. You are becoming an exceptional guardian of dreams, and very wise for a colt your age. But Apple Bloom, I sense there is more to what you shared with your brother. Perhaps something you are afraid of?"

"...Yeah," Apple Bloom gloomed a bit, "Ah guess Ah jus' got so worried about gettin' mah cutie-mark."

"Well, that is the same as worrying about who you are," Luna explained, "for that is what a cutie-mark symbolizes. If you cannot accept who you are, your life might seem like a bad dream."

Noticing Apple Bloom's gloominess appearing over her in the form of a ran cloud, Twinken made it go away with a push of his mind as the earth pony filly asked, "But... if Ah like who Ah am, do you think other ponies will too?"

"Apple Bloom! You have a whole family and a bunch of friends who love you," assured Twinken, "and they'll love you whatever your cutie-mark may turn out to be!"

"Then... it doesn't matter what muh cutie-mark is!" Apple Bloom realized.

"Indeed," Luna confirmed while gently pulling both foals into a wing-hug.

"But tha's so simple!" Apple Bloom felt so silly. "Ah mus' be th' only pony in th' universe this worried about her cutie-mark..."

Luna and Twinken shared a look as the princess said, "Oh, we wouldn't say that."

Then by Luna's will the three of them found themselves in the Corridor of Dreams, a seemingly endless hallway of doors where each led to the dream of a sleeping mind. Sensing a familiar dream nearby, Twinken stepped over to a purple door with an oval-shaped window, "Look in here, Apple Bloom."

The door opened, and Apple Bloom shielded her eyes from the brief light coming out of it before it faded... revealing a stage with a microphone before a table of judges, Vinyl Scratch, better known as DJ Pon-3, the famous cellist Octavia, and Rarity, all waiting as Sweetie Belle poked her head out from the stage curtains and slowly walked up to the microphone. Taking a breath, she prepared to sing... only for her flank to flash and reveal a mop and bucket cutie-mark! And the microphone had turned into a broom, to her panic!

The judges all shook their heads, Scratch and Octavia giving Sweetie Belle a 0 while Rarity head-tabled and gave a 1 out of pity. A pony in a janitor outfit stepped over to give Sweetie Belle a bucket, and she frowned sadly at this turn of events.

Apple Bloom stepped back, feeling bad for Sweetie Belle...

"And over here, Apple Bloom." She turned to see Luna open a brown door, and peering in Apple Bloom saw a Hee-YUGE ramp, and standing at the top was none other than Scootaloo, wearing a daring purple and golden starred cape with a matching helmet and visor, standing ready on her scooter. She buzzed her wings and kicked herself forward, zooming down the ramp, her eyes narrowed, a smirk on her face... that was very quickly wiped off as a whisk and mixing bowl cutie-mark appeared on her flank, her helmet was replaced by a chef's hat, and she screamed, finding herself on a giant crank-powered eggbeater, and she barely went far off the ramp... into a canyon full of pudding! Apple Bloom looked on as Scootaloo struggled to stay above the pudding as the door closed in front of her.

"Scootaloo an' Sweetie Belle are havin' nightmares too?!"

"Not just them, but so were Rumble and Button Mash," added Twinken, "Princess Luna gave me a task to help all of you guys out tonight with your bad dreams. I helped the guys but then I noticed what a bad dream you were having and came to help."

"It's been a busy night for all of us," agreed Luna, "but I think it's time to bring it to a close..."

Luna lit up her horn... and the Dreamscape lit up to reveal a familiar door. Stepping through, the three of them foudn themselves in the Crusader clubhouse, or at least a dream version of it, and waitign for them were the rest of the crusaders!

"Princess Luna!" greeted Rumble, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash.

"I understand that you've all had much on your minds, tonight," Luna said as she, Apple Bloom, and Twinken stepped forward, "but I think Apple Bloom has something she would like to share before you all wake."

"We're still asleep?" Button Mash and Sweetie Belle shared a confused look while Scootaloo got an idea and began to buzz her wings... and rise!

"Cool!" she cheered as she flew around the clubhouse, Rumble flying up and laughing happily while Apple Bloom stepped up to the podium.

"Well, Ah guess Ah should call this dream meetin' of th' Cutie-Mark Crusaders t' order."

Luna smiled, holding back a little laugh as the rest of the Crusaders stood at attention and Apple Bloom explained, "Ah know we all got pretty anxious when we found out Babs got her cutie-mark. But Ah, fer one, don' wanna have nightmares from now until we get ours."

"Us neither," Scootaloo and Rumble both said as they all gave a shake of their heads in agreement.

"An' even though wer' all a lil' scared, a cutie-mark won' change who we are or how everypony feels about us."

"I'm glad it wasn't just me having these scary thoughts," Button Mash gave a smile to Sweetie Belle, who nuzzled up to him for mutual reassuring.
"That way we can help and remind each other to be just who we are," added Sweetie Belle.

"And when the day comes each of you gets his or her cutie-mark," Luna spoke in, "you can be sure it will fit you to a tee."

"Exactly," Apple Bloom nodded.

"Hey, I wonder if Babs is having her own troubles about this stuff," Twinken thought out loud, and everypony thought a moment-

"Ah know! Let's put t'gether a care package for her," Apple Bloom proposed, earning her a whole lot of smiles in agreement.

"That way she'll know she isn't alone!" Sweetie Belle added.

"We wouldn't want her to think that just because she's got her cutie-mark now, doesn't mean she stops being a crusader, or our friend," Twinken affirmed.

"But..." Button spoke up and everypony got the idea as they noticed the dream clubhouse was drifitng freely, "Maybe we should wake up first."

"Good idea," Luna agreed and there was a flash, leaving her and Twinken alone in the dream version of his bedroom. "Twinken, you excelled tonight. You helped your friends and your sister in more ways than one."

"But I didn't help Sweetie Belle or Scootaloo with their dreams," Twinken brought up. "I thought I was supposed to help all of them."

"They got just the help they needed, and furthermore, what matters where you're concerned is that the lessons were learned," Luna assured her pupil, "A dreamwalker doesn't just stop the bad dreams, Twinken. You're also supposed to help sleepers figure out why they're having these bad dreams to begin with, so they stop having them.

"Because if all you do is step in and make the bad dreams stop and replace them with good dreams, then you're not solving the problem at all. It's like trying to fix a broken leg with a band-aid."

"It doesn't help at all!" Twinken realized and Luna nodded.

"You exhibited wisdom far beyond a colt your age, and you will make a fine protector of dreams one day, and perhaps something a little more."

Then Luna gave off a brief yet bright glow before she faded away, vanishing before Twinken could ask what she meant, and the dreamscape around him slowly vanished... as he woke up.

*COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!!!*

"Mmph..." Twinken's eyes creaked open, and he noticed the soft glow on his walls coming from his curtains that kept the morning light at bay. Recalling all that had happened last night, he groaned as he sat up and stretched out some bed aches before hopping out of bed.

Stepping into the hallway, he heard some rustling coming from Apple Bloom's bedroom and opened the door, finding her checking her flank, obviously having just woken up too.

"You're awake."

She looked up to see Twinken leaning against the doorway with a smile, "Good morning."

Sighing in relief to have total proof she wasn't about to go on another bad dream, Apple Bloom slid out of bed, saying, "Whatta night!"

"And whatta smell," Twinken sniffed the air, and Apple Bloom did the same, the both of them smelling it and they both gave each other a smile.

"Pancakes!" they cheered and got ready for the day.

Coming down the stairs, the delicious aroma of pancakes getting stronger Apple Bloom and Twinken heard a certain sister singing:

There ain't no call t' worry, so don' you cry or fret...

Smiling Apple Bloom sang as she and Twinken walked in:

A cutie-mark won' change me, no matter what Ah get

The two foals noticed Faerie Tail setting up the table while Granny Smith made herself comfortable and Applejack smiled proudly, "Well, it looks like somepony is feelin' better."

"You have no idea," Apple Bloom confirmed as she and Twinken sat down at the dining table.

"See? Now wha' did Ah tell ya?" Applejack sat down too, "A good night's sleep cures just about everything."

The two Crusaders shared a knowing look as Apple Bloom shrugged, "Ah guess so..."

"We just wish it hadn't been so exhausting!" Twinken giggled as he served himself and Apple Bloom, the mares all sharing confused looks.

Author's Note

Yes, Faerie Tail decided to move to Sweet Apple Acres with Twinken at the Apple Family

265. Appleloosa's Most Wanted - Part 1

It was a busy day at Appleloosa, all full of excitement, because tomorrow was the Appleloosa Rodeo! Earth ponies from near and far, as well as some pegasi and unicorns had all come to have a grand-spankin' good time and watch some cowponies show off their rodeo skills.

"This is gonna be too cool!" Rumble flew up several hooves into the air to get a better look at all that was going on. "I can't believe Applejack was nice enough to let me come along with you guys to watch her compete in the Appleloosa Rodeo!"

"There's so much great stuff here to do," Twinken agreed as he, Rumble, and Apple Bloom all looked around, "There's barrel-racing, lassoing contests, rodeo clowns, steeplechase- I tell y'all this is the place to get a great cutie-mark!"

"If we can get int' some o' these events," Apple Bloom proposed, "we could all three of us walk off th' train in Ponyville with brand-spankin' new cutie-marks!"

"It's too bad Swettie Belle, Button, and Scoots couldn't come though," Twinken sighed, wishing the rest of their friends were here to enjoy this.

"Aw, y'know Button," Rumble shrugged, "rodeos are too "real" for him, especially all this dusty dry sun."

"An' Rarity wanted Sweetie Belle t' help her model fer some filly-sized dresses after she got one o' her... 'I-DEA's," Apple Bloom added, "and Scootaloo went with Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane to watch `em do some trainin' at th' Cloudsdale cloudiseum with th' Wonderbolts."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to have extra tons o' fun to tell them all about when we get back," Twinken settled," and maybe some cutie-marks, if wer' lucky!"

"Hmm, maybe something to do with one of the races..." Rumble pondered on what kind of cutie-mark he could get at the rodeo, hoping for something involving racing.

"I want a lasso!" Apple Bloom declared.

"Hold your horses, guys," Twinken looked towards cousin Braeburn who was shootin' the breeze with a friend of his... with his left foreleg bandaged up and hanging from his barrel.
"I'm all for getting a cutie-mark here, but... These aren't the safest kinds of events."

"No risk, no reward," Apple Bloom replied.

"AW'RIGHT! EVERYPONY LISTEN UP!!"

The three Crusaders looked down the way and saw several stallions gathering in front of the Sheriff's Office where Sheriff Silver Star was making an announcement, "We need a big presence at this here rodeo, so make yerself plenty seen! Ah wan' tha' lowdown varmint t' know we mean business!"

"Sounds like there's somthin' else goin' on around here besides th' rodeo," Twinken drawled, all this country culture bringing out his own Sweet Apple Acres accent.

"Ah'll say! A cutie-mark-a-palooza and a lowdown varmint?!" Apple Bloom was getting starry-eyed with excitement. "This is shapin' up t' be th' most excitin' rodeo ever!"

"Yeah, c'mon!" Rumble galloped off, Apple Bloom and Twinken following as they passed the alleyway next to the sheriff's office.

None of them noticing a tall shadow of a figure that left behind a huge hoofprint in the dirt.

Over at the rodeo grounds, Apple Family member Bushel whipped up his lasso and with the skill of a champ wrangled a haybale before whipping it towards Florina. She quickly tossed it up to Candy Apples, who heaved it over to Apple Cinnamon Sticks, who sent it up to Applejack, who quickly gave it a surgical buck up to what was the top of an IMMENSELY tall tower of haybales, all but Bushel standing on ascending points, as they practiced for their event at the Appleloosa Rodeo, the Haybale Tower. And they were looking good as they all heard an excited, "WHOO-HOO! Yee-haw!"

They all looked to see it was Braeburn, his left foreleg in a sling, "That's muh cousin! Go Applejack, go!"

Quickly but carefully getting down from the haybale tower she and her cousins had all set up to practice on, Applejack ambled over to Braeburn, phewing, "It's been a dog's age since Ah got t' compete. All th' rodeos `round Ponyville have closed down fer some reason."

"Well,Ah guess havin' injured kinfolk in Appleloosa sure paid off then, huh, cuz?" Braeburn was a tad down he wouldn't get to compete with his brother and cousins, but he'd rather they have a chance to compete than none at all.

"Jus' doin' mah best t' fill your horseshoes, Braeburn," Applejack gave a respectful tip of her hat.

"Keep tossin' like that an' Ah'll be out of a job," Braeburn teased while slightly raising his slung foreleg, which Applejack (with good intentions) bro-hoofed. "OW-ow!"

"Ooh! Sorry," Applejack grimaced before looking around, "Say, where're th' foals?"

"Oh! Uh, gee Ah..." Braeburn nervously remembered he was supposed to be watching his young cousins, Apple Bloom, Twinken, and their friend Rumble.
"Ah guess Ah got so caught up watchin' you that Ah-"

"You said you'd keep an eye on those foals!" Applejack started to give her nervous cousin the riot act, "How am Ah s'posed t' focus on practicin' if ter not gonna-"

"There they are!" Braeburn interrupted and Applejack turned to see the foals standing there, each of them with a souvenir or snack, "Right where Ah... left `em."

But Applejack still gave Braeburn the stink eye, "Aw don' be mad!" - Braeburn got shifty before he resorted to extreme measures - "A-HOUCH! Mah foreleg! Hurts so much...!"

To sell it, Braeburn tried giving Applejack sad foalish eyes and puppy-dog pouted, but Applejack wasn't buying. Although the foals enjoyed it a little, given their chuckles, only for Applejack to turn her stern demeanor on them.
"Y'all can't go off runnin' like that. Backstage at a rodeo ain't no kinda playground."

"Sorry Applejack," Apple Bloom began to apologize, only for Twinken to make a very obvious groan.

"Somethin' t' say, Twinken?" Applejack raised her brow.

"I don't need no foalsitter fretting over my every step," Twinken ran his mouth, "because I'm getting to be a pretty good mage. I can handle myself and I can look out for my friends!"

Apple Bloom elbowed Twinken before he dug himself in deeper and spoke to her sister, "But, uh, speakin' of th' rodeo, what would you say about me an' th' Crusaders maybe competin' in one teensy-weensy lil' event or three?"

"LOOK OUT!!" Braeburn pointed up and they all looked and gasped to see the haybale tower Applejack and her cousins had been practicing on dangerously swaying back and forth!

"Stand back! I've got this!" Twinken faced the bale, lighting up his horn for a spell- "YOW!!"

Applejack had tackled the Crusaders to the side and not a few seconds later did the tower topple and crash down. As the dust settled, everypony saw the haybales hadn't hurt anypony but some nearby bleacher seats and the fence behind them had been crushed.

"What the hell jus' happened?!" Applejack looked around, the adrenaline still fresh in her system.

"I'll tell you what just happened!" Twinken pushed Applejack off, "You almost got us killed!"

"WHAT?!" Applejack gave Twinken a very angry look, but before she could say more...

"Are y'all alright?!" Braeburn came over, his eyes full of concern.

"Sugar an' Saltlicks!"

They all turned to see Sheriff Silver Star standing nearby, his eyes narrowed razor sharp as he looked upon the aftermath of what could have been a real disaster, "Well, Ah'll be..."

Giving Twinken an irritated look, Applejack went over to Silverstar, asking, "What izzit, Sheriff?"

She looked at what he was looking at to see a LARGE hoof print in the dirt, standing only a hoofstep away from the based of what had been the haybale tower. Braeburn saw it too before asking, "Izzit him...?!"

"Ain't no doubt. It's Trouble Shoes..." Silver Star declared as an atmosphere of intensity washed over them all... coming from the harmonica played by a nearby rodeo clown as he gave the moment that certain musical something to play up the drama.

Realizing they were all looking at him, the clown stopped and smiled sheepishly before stepping out of the picture.

News spread of what happened rather quickly and before long practically the whole town of Appleloosa was crowding in front of Sheriff Silver Star's office, chattering louder than cafeteria of gossiping fillies. But none could deny the concern and worries felt by everypony.

"Is it true? Is Trouble Shoes here?!"
"You ain't gonna shut down th' rodeo, are ya?"

"ALL RIGHT NOW!" Sheriff Silver Star yelled as he stepped out to address everypony, "Simmer down, Ah called for a meetin', not a mob scene."

In the crowd, a couple stallions grumbled as they threw away their torch and pitchfork as Silver Star continued to speak, " Now as many of you know, th' Equestria rodeo circuit has been plagued by th' dirty dealin's of a notorious outlaw."

"He knocked barrels every which way at th' Hoof City Rodeo! Nearly crushed mah Aunt Bay Mare!"
"Tha's nothin'! He sabotaged th' steer pen at Pinto Creek Rodeo, settin' off such a stampede they cancelled th' whole gotdang thang!"

"Now, now! It's true," Silver Star spoke over them all, "we had us an incident earlier at our own Appleloosa rodeo. Hay bale stack came down pretty near on top o' these three youngun's!"

Silver Star pointed out the Crusaders and Applejack and Braeburn standing protectively behind them as Silver Star confirmed it, "Ah examined them hoofprints muhself, and... It was Trouble Shoes, all right."

This spurred a round of GASPS amongst the crowd as everypony looked at each other in worry.

"Ah reckon Ah oughta cancel this rodeo, like all th' others done..." Silver Star said pragmatically until a fire lit in his eyes and he declared, "But by th' Pale One Himself, this has gone far enough! We'll double th' patrols; this rodeo will go on!!"

The crowd parted before Silver Star and his deputies as he went off, saying, "Appleloosa ain't gonna be intimidated!"

The crowd cheered, happy to hear Silver Star's assurances and broke it up to return to their usual businesses, leaving the Apples and Crusaders at the Sheriff's Office as Apple Bloom saud, "Glad tha's settled. So, Applejack, about lettin' me an' th' boys compete in th' rodeo..."

But both Twinken and Rumble shared a knowing look in contrast to the hopeful smile Apple Bloom was giving her sister.

"Don't send us home!!" Apple Bloom whined as Applejack put Bloom's saddlebags on her at Braeburn's house. "It's not fair!"

"Now quit yer belly-achin'," Applejack said firmly, "Ah cain't have y'all around wit' some outlaw on th' loose!"

"Well, you can't make me go!" Twinken said brazenly, Applejack giving him a look but he wouldn't be back down. "I came here to watch the Appleloosa Rodeo and no outlaw and no certain yella-belly named Applejack is gonna send me off on th' next train outta here!"

"Twinken...!" Applejack was very angry, "This ain't up fer discussin'! Ah'm already gonna have a few things t' say to yer mama when we get back!"

"What?! Applejack, no!" Braeburn cut in, "Y'cain't leave! This rodeo's real important t' Appleloosa, an' with you in'ere, we got a real shot at winnin'!"

Then, without waiting for Applejack's response, Braeburn got pushy and "nudged" Applejack out the door, "C'mon, you head on back t' practice, an' don'choo worry none about these three. Ah won' lettem outta mah sight!"

Braeburn shut the door behind Applejack and quickly set some locks to secure it tight and pushed a chair in front of it and sat down while giving the Crusaders the stink eye, "Ya hear? Y'all ain't leavin' mah sight!"

The way he bore his green eyes into them, the Crusaders shared looks of their own... until a sneaky look spread across Twinken's. He approached Braeburn slowly, the earth pony stallion watching the young unicorn colt's every move as Twinken said, "Yer th' boss, cuz. We won't leave your sight."

"Good," Braeburn kept his eyes locked on Twinken but found it hard to look at all three of them with Twinken standing so close... when he noticed a soft red glow, and saw Twinken's horn was beginning to illuminate. As were his own eyes as Twinken established eye-contact, his red pupils shimmering like heat waves as Braeburn began to feel just slightly dizzy as he lost thought.

"sO yOu WoN't MiNd If I dO tHe SaAaAaMmMe..." Twinken's voiced sounded like it was echoing through the room as Braeburn felt a restful haze overcome him and before he knew it he was sawin' logs louder than a rattlesnake on steroids.

Twinken turned to Apple Bloom and pointed out the window, which lit up with his red magic and opened. They all quickly slipped out and away, though Rumble did ask, "Um, what exactly are we doing now? And Twinken, what'd you do to Braeburn?"

"A little bewitchment Twilight taught me," Twinken said, feeling pretty proud of himself. "She told me that it'd come in handy if I was ever being held up against my will."

"But Braeburn was just looking out for us," Rumble debated.

"Well, how else would we able able t' head out an' find Trouble Shoes?" Apple Bloom spoke up as she led them towards the nearby woods.

"You wanna go out and look for a... what'd the sheriff call him again? A notorious outlaw?" Rumble's tone obviously implied this wasn't a good idea.

"We'll just find him and then let the sheriff know where he can find him," Twinken shrugged off the concern in the gray pegasus colt's words as he and Apple Bloom leapt up onto the fence surrounding Braeburn's yard.

"An' once he's behind bars, we'll be competin' and we'll be sayin' hello to..." Apple Bloom high-hoofed with her brother as they both declared, "CUTIE-MARK CITY!"

They hopped down while Rumble simply flew over the fence, following reluctantly but his own pegasus instincts to protect spurred him forward as he mumbled, "Worst idea ever..."

Author's Note

One of the things I don't like about the show is how all over the place they can make the passing of the seasons feel; so I'm saving "Tanks for the Memories" until before I do a Hearth's Warming arc

266. Appleloosa's Most Wanted - Part 2

The distant hooting of an owl served to emphasize just how creepy the deep woods that stood not far from Appleloosa really were. Apple Bloom, Twinken, and Rumble had all been walking for a while through the dreary wood, noticing how rather quick it had gotten dark, and Rumble's pegasus senses told him some rain wasn't far off from now.

"It's another giant hoof print!"

The boys hurried over to Apple Bloom and saw she was standing in front of the aforementioned giant hoof print, perfectly visible in the dirt path. Trouble Shoes most certainly had been here, and recently.

"Uh, guys, maybe we should think of heading ba-" Rumble began when a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning interrupted him and the Crusaders huddled together, "Yeah, let's just head back now and-"

But as rain began to pour, Apple Bloom realized something and broke away from the huddle, "C'mon, before we lose th' trail!"

Rumble and Twinken shared a worried look, the latter shrugging as he he hurried after Apple Bloom and Rumble reluctantly brought up the rear. They walked for a while longer through the pouring rain, and they were already soaked to the bone.

"Seriously, guys! We should head back before the rain gets worse," Rumble finally insisted.
"Rumble's right, Apple Bloom, this doesn't feel safe," agreed Twinken.

The earth pony filly stopped and considered their situation a moment before saying, "Maybe y'all're right... So how do we get back?"

"You mean you don't know?!" Rumble exclaimed, only for another crack of lightning to flash and cause them to huddle together, fear washing over them along with the rain.

Back at Appleloosa, Applejack and her Appleloosan cousins had all taken shelter in their barn, sighing as she felt herself drip, "Hoo! Good job, y'all. Ah know they need lots o' mud fer th' rodeo t'morrow, but Ah wish they woulda warned us about this rainstorm."

A frantic whinny caught her ears and she turned to see, "Braeburn?!"

And just Braeburn, which caused Applejack to ask, "...Where are th' foals?"

Chuckling nervously, Braeburn took a deep breath before he handed Applejack the shovel for digging his own grave.

...

"HE DID WHAT?!?!"

At his office, Sheriff Silver Star played his hand, victoriously declaring, "Ha! Fished. Mah. Wish."

His deputies, who were playing cards with him, both groaned at having been beaten again, the older fella going 'Dang-nab it!' and the younger guy table-facing, and Silver Star leaned back in his chair, feeling pretty good about himself-

"Sheriff Silver Star!"

He turned to the doors of his office to see a wet Applejack and Braeburn, the both of them looking frantic, "Ya gotta help us! Mah sister, brother, and their friend are all gone!"

"Ah searched an' searched but there's no sign of `em anywhere!" Braeburn added.

"They ran off an' Ah got no idea where they could be!" Applejack worried, "what if they run into Trouble Shoes?!"

"N-now hold on there, Applejack," Sherif Silver Star spoke up, "Trouble Shoes has done a lot o' bad things in his day, but Ah've ne'er heard o' him stoopin' t' abductin' foals."

"Y'really wanna take that chance?" Applejack pointed out.

Silver Star gave it a brief thought before nodding to his deputies, "C'mon y'all!"

He galloped out the door, shouting, "Let's ride!"

The deputies, along with Applejack and Braeburn (who brought up the rear) followed after him.

Back in the woods, Rumble led his friends through the forest, having earlier tried to fly up above the treetops to get his bearings. He'd thought he'd seen light in one direction and led Twinken and Apple Bloom that way. But after a while of seemingly getting nowhere...

"You sure about this, Rumble?" Twinken was getting worried.

"I thought I was!" Earlier, Rumble had tried flying back up to get another look but the downpour was so heavy he couldn't even get above the treetops. "But... now I'm not."

"So Ah'm pretty sure wer' all prob'ly lost," Apple Bloom fretted, "but let's try an' look on th' bright side. At least, we're together an' not lost by our lonesomes."

"I guess so," Twinken shrugged, shivering as the cold and wet circumstances were getting to him, "and honestly? I don't really see how things could get any worrrRRAAAAUUUGGHGHG!H!!
"AAAUUGGGHHH!!!"
"YEAAAAUUUHGHGHG!"

Unfortunately, the three of them had stood upon a dirt ledge, which had been thoroughly soaked with rainwater and all the weight had caused the ledge to break off. The Crusaders screamed as they were swept away down a winding mudslide down a steep hill. Thankfully, it was over rather quickly as they all found themselves at the messy bottom. Groaning, tired, cold, wet, and none of them too pleased about being covered in mud, the Crusaders all got up out of the muck, but thankfully Twinken remembered a cleaning spell Rarity had shown him and was able to remove the mud from their coats.

"We gotta find shelter," Twinken suggested, "we stay out here any longer and we're liable to catch cold."

"Hey, look over there," Rumble pointed towards a nearby clearing with a faint mist surrounding a wagon-home. "Maybe whoever lives there will be kind enough to let us stay until the weather clears up."

"Let's go!" Apple Bloom led the boys to the wagon's door, and even though it opened they hesitated to enter... until another crack of lightning spurred them inward.

Once inside, Twinken closed the door and they felt such relief to be out of the pouring rain. The inside was a little messy but clearly someone did live here, as dilapidated as it might look. Rumble noticed something was simmering on the stove in the corner, which meant whoever lived here had to be nearby. As if on cue to Rumble's thoughts, the Crusaders heard heavy hooffalls coming from outside, getting closer and closer, and the Crusaders all huddled together, growing more and more nervous, standing against the wall opposite the door as it opened...

At first they didn't see anypony because it was so dark out, until a crack of lightning revealed a tall and dark figure!

"AAAUUUUGHGGHGHGH!!!!!!"

"WAAAUGHGHGGH!!!!" The figure jumped, hitting his head on the top of the door frame. The Crusaders instinctively froze as the figure seemed to slip, yelping, ow-ing, as he crashed to and fro throughout the inside of the wagon, barely visible in the dim shadows of everyone's limited vision in the not-so-total-darkness, as the figure somehow got tangled up in the curtains of the window and slipped backwards the Crusaders' way, spurring them to dive aside. Unfortunately, this caused the figure to land on his bottom on top of a table, where unfortunately a potted cactus was.

"EEYAUGHAHOW!!!" The figure screamed in pain as he leapt upwards off his poor caboose, almost breaking through the roof, and landed on his hooves, only for a pan to hit him on the head - "OWOOOHH!!" - and he jumbled forward, blindingly hitting his head on a hanging lantern, which was knocked back but swung forward and for a moment or two knocked the figure's lights out.

*KA-WHUMF*

Groaning in agony, feeling aches and bruises and some really tender areas on his rump, the figure's eyes creaked open, seeing the outline of three foals as he heard a filly say, "Hello? You all right?"

"Surely..." the figure responded in a groan-y deadpan, and finally the Crusaders saw that he was a large earth pony stallion with a brown coat, a white muzzle and blaze up his face, green eyes, dark brown mane, and he wore a cowboy hat that was just a tad too small for him but somehow suited him, and his legs were all tangled up in the curtains he'd fallen into earlier during his... entrance.

"We didn't mean no harm," started Apple Bloom.
"We just needed to get out of the rain," explained Twinken.
"We're sorry for causing you any trouble," apologized Rumble.

"Had some hot cider a'cookin' in th' kitchen," the earth pony brought up as he looked that way, "doubt it survived."

They all looked and saw the stove was a mess, covered with dripping cider and the pot it'd been in was rolling along the floor, a pan hanging on the wall falling and dinging the pot.

"Ah ain't gonna rise t' greet y'all. Awfully rude, Ah reckon, but as you can see Ah'm th' fresh casualty of an unusually unfortunate circumstance," the earth pony said rather gloomily with an equally gloomy look on his face.
"Mah lot in life, Ah s'pose."

"Are you... Trouble Shoes?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Tha's me," confirmed the earth pony they knew now as Trouble Shoes. Only... he didn't seem like the lowdown varmint or notorious outlaw everypony had made him out to be. Apart from the melancholy vibe he gave off, he seemed like a decent guy.

Apple Bloom and Twinken shared a look and both knew they were thinking the same thing. Twinken lit up his horn, Rumble noticing and whispering, "Hey, what're you doing?!"

"Helping him get loose," Twinken answered, his magic already loosening the curtains and cutting the parts that were too stubborn to come undone.

"But-but..." Rumble didn't want to say anything to make the so-called outlaw mad, but Apple Bloom gave him a playful nudge on the shoulder.

"Aw, he don' seem so bad."

Very quickly the curtains were removed and the Crusaders all awed and whispered 'Wow' as Trouble Shoes got up on his hooves and stood to the full of his height.

"Wow! You're even taller than Prince Sombra!" Twinken smiled up at the earth pony, who took it in stride.

"O'course guests would arrive while Ah ain't got no pie t' offer," he started sizing up the mess his home had been reduced to, "scores more misfortune points fer ol' Trouble Shoes..."

As if proving his point, and the universe resorting to an oldie but a goody in comedic cliches, Trouble Shoes accidentally stepped onto a banana peel! Yelping as he tried to keep his balance, he 'WHOA'd right into a bookcase with shelvesful of knickknacks, which unfortunately included three bowling balls on the top shelf, that precariously rolled over the edge... and in succession all came down on poor Trouble Shoes' head. Rubbing the sore spot, he felt a lump rise up.

"Typical. Bad luck never rests..." he lamented.

"You sure tha's bad luck?" asked Apple Bloom. "Seems like maybe yer just a lil'... um..."

Apple Bloom paused, trying to find the right word without sounding rude until Rumble offered, "Klutzy?"

"Tell tha' t' th' flank!" Trouble Shoes said all ornery as he showed them his big brown rump, making sure they got a look at his cutie-mark, a green upside-down horseshoe.
"Upside-down horseshoe, bad luck! Follows me wherever Ah go like sour on old milk."

He stepped past them to stand by his door, "Y'all best vamoose a'fore mah bad luck rubs off an' sticks t' y'all. Gitalong!"

He gave them a stern look, "Skedaddle!"

The Crusaders all nervously looked out, the weather still miserable and punctuated by a crack of lightning but even then Trouble Shoes ordered, "AM-SCRAY!"

"But um... We don't really know the way back to Appleloosa," Rumble brought up.

"But a' course Ah do," Trouble Shoes sighed as he suddenly felt bad about trying to kick them out into this Faustforsaken weather, especially when they didn't know their way back, and he couldn't in good conscience send them out just to wind up lost again.
"Wouldn' ya know it, muh lucky day..."

Thankfully, the rain didn't last much longer and before long Trouble Shoes was leading the Crusaders the way he knew back to Appleloosa, hanging his head with self-pity the entire time.

"It's really nice of him, actually," Twinken said to his friends, "Showing us the way back?"

"Yeah, but... what if when we get back to Appleloosa," Rumble brought up, "the sheriff arrests him? If I got a cutie-mark for that I... I'd feel awful every time I looked at it."

Giving it a quick think, Apple Bloom hurried up to walk alongside the stallion, "Say there, Trouble Shoes, ya might not wanna take us all th' way back t' Appleloosa. Th' sheriff's kinda got in his mind tha' yer a no-good outlaw lookin' t' shut down th' rodeo."

"Mah kinda luck, he'd think that," Trouble Shoes responded, clearly not surprised by that little piece of information.

"But... izzit true?" Apple Bloom felt like she had to ask.

He hesitated a moment before Trouble Shoes looked back at the foals, "Y'all like stories?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Jus' mah luck, Ah was hopin' you'd say 'no'..." Trouble Shoes took a deep breath as he reminisced, "When Ah was a colt, Ah wanted t' be a rodeo star somethin' fierce, but Ah jus' didn' seem t' have a knack for it."

Those days had been better, not perfect, but better, as Trouble Shoes recollected his colthood, watching rodeos and seeing all the cowponies showing off their amazing rodeo skills and wanting with all his heart to shine like they did.

"Ah practiced an' practiced..." He kept crashing into barrels in barrel racing, getting himself all tangled up practicing with lassoes, and tripping while steeplechasing, "...`till finally Ah wrangled up th' guts t' audition fer rodeo school."

He remembered that moment so clearly, as though it had only been yesterday, "Right in th' middle o' tha' tryout, Ah just felt it! This was what Ah was meant t' do, but wouldn' ya know it? In a flash comes this here cutie-mark."

Having noticed his cutie-mark appear had distracted young Trouble Shoes during his audition and... well, it all went downhill as his lasso accidentally pulled a barrel down over the young Trouble Shoes, and he'd gotten his head stuck through a hole in it, and was unable to get it off before the judges started laughing.

"Ah can still remember them judges laughin'. Didn' even bother finishin' mah routine cause right then an' there Ah knew bad luck was mah fate. Tha' fire for rodeo'in never did leave me, though. Ah couldn' keep away fromem. So Ah'd sneak an' have a look an' wouldn' ya know it, bad luck would strike again...

"An' if tha' weren' enough, Ah kept causin' accidents an' makin' trouble fer muh ma & pa at home. They were patient, knowin' Ah didn' mean t' cause so much trouble... But finally muh daddy got so angry he sent me off t' join th Royal Guard, hopin' it'd straighten me out or somethin'."

"You were a royal guard?" Twinken couldn't really imagine a pony like Trouble Shoes marching patrols or looking so stonefaced.

"Never graduated. Worst o' mah class..." Trouble Shoes didn't like recalling those memories either. "Th' only thing Ah had t' offer was mah strength. But as it was, whether at home or rodeo or at guard trainin', bad luck brought me down like a ton o' bricks... One pony however seemed t' think Ah wasn' a waste o' time r energy. He recruited me t' join a junior team o' young stallionsround mah age.

"Those were good times, at least. Even wit' mah bad luck, there was a few... Muh teammates were good t' me, treated me like their big brother, an' Ah came t' think o' them as mah own kin as well. But as it is, those good times came to a real awful end... After somethin' bad happened t' one o' mah teammates, muh team-leader dismissed us, sayin' he'd failed us an' that we were better off not bein' anywhere near him so we din't get hurt. Th' pony who recruited me fer tha' team told me Ah was forbidden from ever revealin' names. Ah wen' back home, an' eventually, wen' back t' watchin' rodeos an' causin' accidents...

"Jus' mah lot in life, Ah reckon..."

"Poor Trouble Shoes..." Twinken whispered to his friends, "Those judges were jerks, laughin' at him like that."
"Ah don' think they wer' laughin' at Trouble Shoes, Twink," Apple Bloom said in a brighter tone and a realizing smile. "They was jus' enjoyin' th' show!"
"What're you talking about, Bloom?" asked Rumble.

"Think about it, if'n we saw a rodeo clown doin' wha' he did back in his house," Apple Bloom explained, "we'd think he was th' greatest!"

"You're right!" Twinken smiled big at Apple Bloom and looked to Trouble Shoes walking ahead, "He could still be in rodeos, just not how he thought."

"So he's jsut been looking at his cutie-mark wrong this whole time!" Rumble agreed, "It's not bad luck, it's-"

"GOTCHA!"

The Crusaders all looked and gasped in shock to see the sheriff and his deputies throwing ropes onto Trouble Shoes, who was surprised and confuse,d unsure of what to do.
"Jus' mah luck..."

"Trouble Shoes! Yer under arrest fer vandalizin' th' property an' peace o' mind o' th' good, rodeo-lovin' ponies o' Equestria!" Sheriff Silver Star declared, "Not t' mention foalnappin' an' generalized mayhem!"

"No! Stop!" Twinken and the Crusaders hurried towards the situation, only for Applejack to get in their way.

"Braeburn, get these foals someplace safe," Applejack ordered, keeping her stern gaze on Trouble Shoes.

"Wait! No!" Apple Bloom tried to reach her sister, only for Braeburn to stop her and start shoving the foals away.
"Please, stop!" Twinken begged, feeling an awful chilling guilt spread from his chest to the rest of his body.

"Move it along, outlaw..." Silver Star ordered and Trouble Shoes lowered his head in surrender as he offered no resistance.

"Gitalong, Twinken!" Braeburn said coldly, only for Twinken to feel something rise up along with his distressing emotions.

"I said STOP!!!"

The young unicorn's horn lit up red as a ripple-effect of magic spread out like a shock wave. It went right through everypony present, but only Apple Bloom, Rumble, and Trouble Shoes remained standing as the sheriff, his deputies, Applejack, and Braeburn sized up in shock before they dropped to the ground like sacks of potatoes.

Trouble Shoes didn't know what to make of it when he heard a pained groan and looked to see Twinken on his haunches, miserably rubbing the base of his horn as Apple Bloom and Rumble gathered around in concern.

"Twinken! Are you okay?" Apple Bloom placed a foreleg around her brother's shoulders.
"That... was intense," Rumble didn't know what else to say.

Trouble Shoes was about to speak when he heard the knocked out ponies groaning and beginning to stir.

"Trouble Shoes, get outta here!"

He looked to see Twinken giving him a stern look that softened with worry, "Get outta here! Before they wake up!"

Not knowing what else to do or say, Trouble Shoes shook off the ropes and hightailed it out of there. He was out of sight by the time the adults all stirred awake, asking, "Wha' in sam hay...?" Ah feel like a square dancin's stompin' in mah head!" "Can anypony tell me wha' happened?"

"Sheriff!"

Shaking it off, Silver Star looked to the Crusaders as Twinken pointed the opposite direction Trouble Shoes had run, yelling, "He's headed for the hills, thataway!"

Growling, Silver Star shakily got to his hooves, "Shake it off, boys, we got us a runner!"

The sheriff and his deputies gave chase to a pony who was making his getaway in the other direction as Twinken sighed in relief, only to hear a throat clearing and he turned to see Applejack giving him the mother of all stink eyes.

"Don' think Ah don' know wha' you jus' did... You are inna world o' trouble, young colt! All of you! March..." Applejack pointed her foreleg the way towards Appleloose and the Crusaders all did as they were told, hanging their heads as Applejack and Braeburn followed right behind them to make sure there was no more shenanigans.

267. Appleloosa's Most Wanted - Part 3

The next morning, the Crusaders, Twinken especially, got quite the riot act from Applejack, who'd sent them to bed the moment they got back to Braeburn's house last night and her tone had been warning enough that she would tolerate no arguments.

Now? She was really letting them have it.

"Never, in all mah life- Ah never pulled somethin' like this when Ah was yor age- Ah- Ah jus'... URGH!" Applejack was pacing in front of the Crusaders, trying to find the right words but didn't want to resort to swearing. Taking a deep breath, she faced them again, the look on her face wasn't as scary as much as it made the Crusaders feel like crawling under a rock.
"Runnin' off t' th' woods, runnin' into an outlaw, an' helpin' him escape?! Yer lucky Sheriff Silver Star ain't figured tha' out or Ah'm certain he'd be here now slappin' hoofcuffs onto ya! None o' you are allowed to set one hoof outta this house until Ah get back from th' rodeo!

"If Braeburn an' th' others weren't already down at th' rodeo grounds an' countin' on me, all four of us would be on th' train back t' Ponyville this minute! Now if'n y'all excuse me, Ah'me off t' help win th' Appleloosa Rodeo Haybale Monster Stack."

She paused in the doorway and looked back at the Crusaders, "Ah'm warnin' y'all, one step outta this house... an' yer backsides'll be redder than a caboose after a fresh coat o' paint!"

She slammed the door shut behind her and the Crusaders all heard a door lock, and they all let out sighs that the moment had passed. But now, it was time to discuss options.

"I'm sorry, guys..." Twinken apologized, feeling awful for how things turned out. "But... when I saw them about to take Trouble Shoes in, I-I couldn't let that happen! He might have caused problems for rodeos, but he doesn't deserve to go to jail for them."

"It's okay, Twink," Rumble assured, "I probably would'a done the same thing. Or... Y'know, whatever I could do to stop several ponies at once from committing some unjust arrest."

"But now whadda we do?" brought up Apple Bloom. "Y'all heard mah sister, if we leave th' house she's gonna really let us have it!"

"It doesn't matter!" Twinken went over to a window and gazed out, seeing the rodeo in the distance, "If we don't help Trouble Shoes, this will happen again, only next time we won't be there to help him out." - He turned to look back at Apple Bloom - "You were right, Bloom! Trouble Shoes has the right stuff to be a great rodeo clown but only if we can help him see his cutie-mark in a new light."

"Then what're we waiting for?!" Apple Bloom reared up and flailed her forelegs like a pony ready to charge, Rumble buzzing his wings, and Twinken lit up his horn to open the window.

From the woods, Trouble Shoes was being careful not to be seen. His heart yearned to be closer for a better look of the action, but his head was warning him off, so he could barely see what was happening, what with all the tents and the stands where everypony was gathering to sit and watch. He'd almost wrangled up enough nerve to try and sneak in for a closer look but the nerve wore out when he saw Sheriff Silver Star was patrolling the rodeo grounds, and he realized the sheriff was probably providing extra security, along with his deputies, since Trouble Shoes was able to get away last night.

"Well, at least Ah can watch a little bit o' th' rodeo..." Trouble Shoes sighed his typical exhale of woe, and then recalled those foals he'd met, especially that unicorn young'un, the one who'd helped him escape.
"Ah hope they're alright. Jus' mah luck they helped me getaway, but... they might'a caught th' short end o' tha' stick..."

"Trouble Shoes!"

He flinched and ducked into the bushes, his rump in the air, and he heard little hooves hurrying this way that he carefully peered through the leaves and sighed in relief to see it was the foals from last night.

"Move yer rump, Trouble shoes, we got work t' do," Apple Bloom sounded excited.

"Ain't no need, Ah can hear th' rodeo jus' fine from this distance," Trouble Shoes stepped back and sat against a tree.

"But we've figured out a way that you can finally fulfill your dream," assured Rumble.

"In case y'all've fergotten, Ah'm a known criminal," Trouble Shoes gave them a look that said 'why bother', "How're you proposin' on gettin' me into a rodeo?"

The Crusaders shared a big smiled, and Trouble Shoes had a feeling he was gonna be sorry he'd asked.

Everypony was having a rip-snortin' good time, and right now it was Applejack and her cousins' turn in the Haybale Monster Stack, and just like before, they worked like a well-oiled machine, stacking bale after bale, and they weren't far from reaching the last team's maximum height.

From the sidelines, the Crusaders watched with big smiles and eyes full of excitment.

"Well? How do Ah look?"

They looked back to see Trouble Shoes now garbed in a yellow shirt with orange spots, patchy trousers held up by a single suspender, a blue clown wig and silly hat on his head, white clown paint covering his face along with a big red nose, an orange scarf around his neck, and on his hind hooves were mismatching clown shoes. They couldn't help but giggle at how truly silly Trouble Shoes looked, as he stepped up behind them and saw what was going on.
"C'mon now! Stack them bales! WOOHOO!!"

The Crusaders smiled, glad Trouble Shoes was finally enjoying himself and this was just the beginning of their plan, as they watched Applejack the cousins send up their latest bale, with only seconds left! Bushel had already whiplashed the bale to Florina, who heaved it up to Candy Apples, who passed it up to Apple Cinnamon Sticks, who sent it up to Applejack, who quickly gave it a precise buck, and it landed at the top, precariously swaying, everypony gasping with anticipation... until the bale landed on its broadside securely on top. A pegasus rodeo official flapped up to measure the height of the Apple Family's stack compared to the other teams' heights, everypony looking on, eager for the results... as the official set a red arrow above the highest measurement on the pole-sized ruler, indicating the Apples had won!

The crowd cheered with excitement and congratulations as the Apples gathered at the bottom of their stack, smiling and proud of their victory. Now with that competition over and done with, it was time for the rodeo clowns to step out and do their hilarious thing!

Some started juggling, a couple were walking backwards on top of barrels which caused them to move forward instead, doing all sorts of funny tricks garbed in their illy outfits and clown makeup. Even the gloomy Trouble Shoes couldn't help but crack a smile and chuckle.

"`Kay now, Trouble Shoes, yer on!"

Trouble Shoes looked at the Crusaders and realized what Apple Bloom had just said as he responded, "Say what?! Ah may be dressed like one, but Ah ain't no rodeo clown."

"Y got yer cutie-mark all wrong, Trouble Shoes," Apple Bloom insisted, "You were born t' entertain! Y' gotta gift fer makin' folks laugh, don' you?"

"But mah cutie-mark's an upside-down horseshoe," Trouble Shoes reminded them as he turned away from the fun that was going on, "an' tha' means bad luck."

"That all depends on how you look at it," commented Twinken.

"You always wanted t' be a part o' th' rodeo, right?" Apple Bloom brought up, Trouble Shoes looking back at them, "Well now's yer chance."

He looked down as he considered what the Crusaders had just told him. Ever since that awful day he got this cutie-mark, Trouble Shoes had been so certain he was to live the rest of his days an unlucky pony, and time and again, day after day, he'd been proven right, and had quite the collection of bruises and a scar or two to prove it. But then he thought of his old team back when he'd trained in the Royal Guard. They never laughed at him whenever he'd tripped or crashed into something, they'd been there to help him pick himself up and dust himself off.

He recalled one of them had turned out to have an illness that ended his dreams of being in the Royal Guard before he'd ever had a chance. Then another teammate had been murdered and their team-leader had blamed himself, is why he'd dismissed them all, Trouble Shoes included, stating that they were better off having nothing to do with him.

But then, there had been those rare and special moments where he'd spent good times with his team, his friends, his brothers. As a matter of fact, they too had said Trouble Shoes oughta try being an entertainer in slapstick comedy, but at the time he hadn't taken them seriously or just thought they were joking, because he'd remained adamant in his certainty that he was doomed with lifelong misfortune. Yet it was his friends who'd gotten the real misfortune, and he'd wound up right back where he'd started with his thinking.

Did he really want to spend the rest of his life this way?

He furrowed his brows and made his decision as he looked back with a determined smile. The Crusaders watched as Trouble Shoes hurried out onto the rodeo field but halted as he looked at all the clowns doing their thing. He nervously looked back at the Crusaders who all gave him encouraging smiles and gestured him him onward. He did-

*SLIP/"WHOA!"/KERPLUMP*

Trouble Shoes had stepped onto a rubber ball and been tripped for a loop, the ball being launched into the crowd and smacking Braeburn on the head, and it spurred some chuckles amongst the spectators. Getting up, his clown hat and wig falling off, Trouble Shoes looked back the Crusaders agai nand saw them cheering him on. It made him smile and he charged forward.

As the Crusaders whooped and laughed, they didn't notice Applejack behind them, looking mighty ornery that the Crusaders had deliberatly disobeyed her and left Braeburn's house... except she was in too good a mood to be angry, as she'd been given the Haybale Monster Stack trophy from her cousins, who'd insisted she deserved it.

Maybe Ah was jus' a might too hard on `em, she thought with a shrug and stepped over and joined them. "Hey y'all!" - she heaved up her trophy - "How `bout yer big sis, huh?"

...

"Yeah, way t' go," Apple Bloom responded, not entirely listening as hers and the boys' gazes were locked onto the rodeo clowning going on, which wasn't the reaction Applejack had been expecting.

She'd thought they'd get scared and start begging and apologizing, or at the very least praise her excitably for winning the contest. She looked at the rodeo clowns, all running up onto a barrel and somersaulting through the air or some other acrobatic stunts.
"Since when're y'all so into rodeo clowns?"

At the same time, Trouble Shoes had just tried following the other clowns' lead but hesitated to jump, which caused the next clown behind him to crash into him, and land on his back while the clown had landed his four hooves onto Trouble Shoes's hooves, their legs moving in synch as though they were still taking steps, and the spectators were really beginning to riot with laughter.

Now some clowns had set up hoops for the others to jump through, and seeing this Trouble Shoes became determined, "Jus' leave me be, cutie-mark!"

The clown holding the middle hoop on his head felt the ground rumble and he gasped to see a mountain of a clown headed straight for him! The clowns holding the other hoops dove out of the way while the one with the hoop on his head started running for his life, Trouble Shoes pursuing as he thundered, "AH AIM T' CLEAR THAT THERE HOOP!"

The sight of the huge clown chasing the smaller clown, especially through a stack of barrels, it was absolutely hilarious! Thankfully, the small clown managed to hdie behind some bales but Trouble Shoes had gotten one of those barrels to accidentally fall on top of his head and he couldn't see! He tried shaking it off and when that didn't work ran about blind, right into some clowns who'd been setting up a pony pyramid. But thankfully they all managed to dive out of the way, only for Trouble Shoes to run headlong into the haybale stack the Apples had set up. The force of the crash caused several bales to fall on top of some of the clowns running, making them look silly with their heads and legs sticking out of the bales, one of which included a bale falling on top of Braeburn in the crowd, and his head popped out with a silly dazed smile, the laughter escalating.

Trouble Shoes had finally sopped running blind, but in all the excitement the strap holding up his pants came loose and they fell down, revealing his rump, causing such a hoot with the spectators that their guts were bursting with laughter!

"Tha's th' best rodeo clown Ah've ever seen!" laughed Applejack, and the Crusaders shared a happy smile, laughing as Rumble and Twinken bro-hoofed, and Apple Bloom cheered.

Sitting down, Trouble Shoes noticed the cork in the barrel had popped out, and he was able to peer through it and see what was happening around him, and he noticed the Crusaders smiling and waving and cheering for him. He finally managed to get the barrel off, but unfortunately there'd been water in it. So his clown makeup was washed off and his clown nose fell from his muzzle, and everypony gasped!

"TROUBLE SHOES!!"

"Wha' th' hell?!"

"IT'S THA' NO-GOOD VARMINT!"
"HE'S HERE T' RUIN OUR RODEO!"
"LET'S GET `IM!"

The laughter was gone, replaced very quickly with shouts of anger as the spectators got riled up, some even had torches and pitchforks to complete the mob cliche, but the Crusaders ran out to defend Trouble Shoes!

"Wait, y'all!" Apple Bloom pleaded, "He ain't what you think he is!"

"Stand aside, young'uns!" Sheriff Silver Star glared angrily at Trouble Shoes, he wasn't letting him get away this time! "This outlaw's goin' t' jail where he blongs!"

"No! He doesn't belong in jail, he belongs in rodeos, same as everypony here!" Twinken lit up his horn, a spell ready in case things went south.

"After all he's done?! Made a mess and caused so much damage and endangered lives?!" Silver Star was becoming real ornery.

"SHERIFF SILVER STAR! That's enough!"

All eyes turned to see none other than Prince Midnight Blaze, wearing a dark gray rustic-looking fedora with a black bolo tie that had an ornament shaped like the crescent moon of his cutie-mark hanging around his neck, and his eyes were on Trouble Shoes, whose own eyes were wide with disbelief, and everypony whispered in awe and confusion to see an alicorn prince here of all times and places.

"There are two sides to every story, and I think we oughta hear what these foals have to say on Trouble Shoes's part," Midnight declared and looked to the Crusaders expectantly.

Getting the idea, Twinken canceled his spell and started, "Trouble Shoes never meant to cause any problems, all of that was just bad accidents."

"Twinken, what're you talkin' about?" Applejack went over to stand beside Midnight.

"Trouble Shoes had a gift for making ponies laugh," Rumble explained, "he's maybe the best rodeo clown I've ever seen!"

"Tha's true!"

All eyes turned to the spectators where the rodeo judges were as an old mare commented with a kind smile, "He is awful funny."

"He thawt his cutie-mark was tellin' him t' keep away from rodeos, but deep down inside," Apple Bloom smiled kindly at Trouble Shoes, "he knew tha's where he was meant t' be. He jus' din't know how t' do it!"

The crowd was beginning to murmur with this revelation when they all heard Midnight chuckling as he stepped forward, saying, "Yeah, that definitely sounds like him. But you know earth ponies, they can be mighty stubborn about their opinions, and back when we trained together you were all but certain that bad luck was the only thing fate had in store for you, but what do you think now, old friend?"

"Friend?!" "Prince Midnight knows him?"Are mah ears workin' right?" The crowd and everypony else here certainly hadn't seen that coming.

Trouble Shoes stood up and said, "Wha' these young'uns say is true! This here, entertain' y'all wit' muh klutzin'? Tha's wha' Ah'm s'posed t' be doin! Ah finally see it. Ah swear it's th' honest truth, Ah ne'er meant t' cause any harm. Ah jus' ain't never loved nothin' like Ah love th' rodeo. So Ah... kept sneakin' back an' makin' a big ol' mess o' things. Turns out, Ah was lookin' at muh cutie-mark all wrong."

the ponies in the crowd were smiling kindly with understanding and sympathy but then Sheriff Silver Star spoke up, "Tha' may be so, Trouble Shoes, but y' still gotta face charges fer th' problems you caused."

"Here," Midnight said curtly as he held a slip of paper to the Sheriff, "This check should more than cover all damages Troubles Shoes caused, and by my authority I hereby absolve Trouble Shoes of all charges against him. Trouble Shoes, you've found your calling and i can't wait to see what you'll do next to make everypony laugh."

The crowd cheered and Trouble Shoes shook hooves with his old friend and gave the Crusaders big hug for helping him see the light of his cutie-mark. But then Midnight and Applejack had a quick word and called the Crusaders over.

With the rodeo over, the spectators had gone home but the rodeo workers had been given time off, as Midnight and Applejack had volunteered the Crusaders to clean up the rodeo grounds as punishment for their running off and making their own trouble. Midnight had even forbade Twinken from using his magic.

Twinken and Rumble were clearing the hay bales out and stacking in a neat pile nearby while Apple Bloom was cleaning up any trash covering the rodeo grounds, as Applejack and Midnight sat by, keeping an eye on them.

Sighing, Apple Bloom looked to her older siblings, "Do we really hav' t' clean up all this mess Trouble Shoes made?"

"Maybe it'll teach y'all not t' go wanderin' off after Ah said not to," retorted Applejack.
"Just because things turned out well doesn't mean you get off scot free," agreed Midnight.

"Say Midnight, how'd you wind up here anyway?" Twinken asked, pushing a barrel to the side. "Weren't you working on something with Blueblood?"

"A special project of ours for a new airship, but since it's still in the theoretical stage, I decided to make my way here and enjoy the rodeo while I still had the chance," replied Midnight, "I gotta say, I was surprised to hear about Trouble Shoes supposedly being some outlaw but I never expected to see him here and now."

They all looked down the way and saw Trouble Shoes talking with the other rodeo clowns, and the smile on his face somehow made doing all this clean-up work worth it to the Crusaders. A little bit.

"Ah still cain't believe you two know each other, Midnight," commented Applejack .

"Trouble Shoes was just a junior recruit for the Royal Guard when my father took notice of him," Midnight explained, "and although Trouble Shoes wasn't exactly... light on his hooves, he showed himself to be stronger than all the other recruits in his class put together. So Ignitus hoof-picked him to join the team of young colts to train alongside me, back then.

"After what happened with Flash Sentry, I felt so guilt-ridden that I refused to let my team put themselves in harm's way for my sake, so... I dismissed them. It wasn't easy to do, but I couldn't live with myself if another of them got hurt because of me."

"Well, at least Trouble Shoes is happy and really does know what his cutie-mark represents," said Rumble as he grunted and pushed a bale out.
"It really does feel nice to help somepony like that," added Twinken.
"So..." Apple Bloom gave Applejack and Midnight a big hopeful smile, "can we stop now?"

"Nnope," they responded, much to the Crusaders' chagrin.

269. The Underdogged Caper - Part 2

After clearing things up and getting Hard Case some more doughnuts, Emblazon Shield had invited Thunderlane down to the station, much to the ire of Hard Case, who still wasn't over how the fiendish pegasus had ruined his beautiful, innocent doughnuts earlier. Halfway there, Hard Case finally let it out.

"Look, civvie! I don't know what business ya got in our town, but push off! We've got a case to crack and we don't need some tourist gettin' in our way!"

"Now, now, Hard Case, cool it," Emblazon Shield said diplomatically, "Don't you recognize this young stallion?"

Thunderlane gave Emblazon Shield a surprised look as the old cop said, "This is Thunderlane! One of the ponies who represent Harmony and a trusted friend to Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight Blaze. He's a national hero."

The two stallions looked from Emblazon and regarded each other, Thunderlane with a little hesitation, Hard Case with just a hint of a challenging gaze, and Emblazon knew he'd have to say more.
"Look, this is still your case, my friend. You're the lead detective on this, but it wouldn't hurt to have a pony of such accomplishments to lend a helping hoof. At least give the kid a chance."

Growling, Hard Case grumbled, "Fine... But you better remember, just because you're some big-shot, Thunder-whatever your name is, you are not an officer of the law. This is my jurisdiction and I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, capishe?"

Thunderlane eased back but stood his ground despite Hard Case getting up in his face, and politely replied, "Understood."

"Good, now that we're all friends," Emblazon put his forelegs around both the younger stallions and looked ahead, "`cuz the VPD's just ahead."

The inside of the Vanhoover Police Department was casually busy, cops and detectives handling paperwork, moving offenders in and out of cells, along with an atmosphere of camaraderie that made it feel safe. Hard Case and Emblazon told Thunderlane to leave his saddelbags at the front desk, to his chagrin but he did as he was told, and they led him towards the interrogation rooms.

"The suspect we have in custody is a Sirian Dog named Ralph Brador," Hard Case explained, "See, last night, a security guard got roughed up and knocked out. He didn't get a clear look but he was able to see the thief was a Dog. We rounded up some Dogs, that was an ordeal... and had them all do a lineup before we called the guard over here.

"He wasn't a hundred percent but in the end he pointed out Ralph Brador."

"Um... any reason to suspect this Ralph Brador guy other than the guard pointing him out from the lineup?" asked Thunderlane.

"Nothing much really," Emblazon Shield answered as he pointed out an interrogation window and they looked in to see a Dog sitting at the interrogation table, looking worried.

Ralpha Brador was tall, a little chubby, had floppy ears, and was covered with soft yellow fur and had big brown eyes that made Thunderlane instantly feel sorry for him. He wore a brown vest over a white t-shirt, a wristwatch, which he glanced at every now and then, and his bushy tail drooped in light of his current predicament.

"He... doesn't look like a hardened criminal," Thunderlane commented.

"Well, he's the only suspect we've got," Hard Case said with a heavy tone, "and since the security guard pointed him out, we have to run through this with a fine-toothed comb. To be honest though, kid, I don't think Ralph is the perp. If anything, he's just a tourist."

"Tourist?" Thunderlane glanced at Hard Case and saw the big guy's tough guy look had softened with compassion.

"During my initial questioning, Ralph said he's here in Vanhoover on vacation with his son, cute little pup named Wags," explained Hard Case, "he's in another room, being watched by a female officer to keep him company. I asked him where he was last night, he said he and his boy were sleeping in their hotel room. We still haven't verified his claim, but... From what I can tell, he's a good guy and it'd be real shitty of him to pull off something like this with his son nearby."

"Which is why we must clear him so we can carry on with the proper investigation," Emblazon added, "Every minute the brass forces us to waste on this is another minute the true culprit has to get farther and farther away with his prize."

"But what was stolen?" Thunderlane asked, "The curator said she wasn't at liberty to say what the thief took when the press was grilling her."

"That's kinda why this is such a big deal," Hard Case admitted, "The thief stole a very big and very valuable gemstone that was donated to the museum by Lucky Finds, one of the richest guys in town. Since it was stolen from the museum, that means curator owes a substantial amount of compensation money to Finds for losing it under her management. But if we can recover the gemstone quick enough, the curator won't have to pay up."

“I have one question,” Thunderlane spoke up.

“Shoot,” Emblazon responded.

“Why haven't you really pushed to confirm his alibi?” he asked the cops.

“Because the police captain says that we have the main player,” Hard Case sounded irritated by that order. “But, being a father myself, my gut instincts are telling me that Ralph isn't our guy.”

Thunderlane sighed. There had to be something they could do. Their puzzlings were interrupted by a throat being cleared. They turned to see a tall, almost limber unicorn stallion. Dark, parchment yellow coat with a feather white mane, with a gold plaque cutie mark, and soft faded honey yellow eyes.

“Commissioner Parchment Warrant?” Emblazon gave a respectful nod. “What brings you here?”

“Can I see you three in my office? It's a matter of confidential urgency,” Warrant appeared steady but the look in his eyes was troubled.

The three followed him to a large corner office. The three officers walked in and after Thunderlane entered the office, he shut the door and Parchment turned to them.

“Look, you're not going to get Ralph out of here whatever theories or evidence you may have,” he explained with a heavy tone. “There's too many officers who wanna see him behind bars with no chance for a trial and see his pup sent to foster care with no hope of a good future. I'm giving you three an order to take them to the Bureau of Internal Affairs.”

“Yes sir,” Emblazon nodded.

Thunderlane was confused, but now he was beginning to suspect there was more to all this than a simple theft. Before long, Ralph and a Pup with a collar and green shirt were brought in by a female officer who was dismissed while the father and son looked nervous.

"Ralpha Brador, we are relocating you and your boy somewhere else for your own safety," Warrant informed, "There's more to this crime than a simple stolen gemstone and I'm sorry to say you've gotten caught up in it. I give you my word we will do our very best to protect you and your boy, as well as to clear your name."

"Thank you, sir," Ralph said with worry while picking up his son and hugging him close.

The Pup, Wags, looked over to Thunderlane, looking afraid, and Thunderlane smiled encouragingly at the Pup, which seemed to work a little to provide some small comfort.

Minutes later, a swirling portal of white, blue and yellow appeared in the office, to the surprise of Thunderlane and the Dogs, but not to the commissioner and the detectives. Stepping through were two large stallions, one a unicorn and the other an earthy pony, that looked like twins, with brown coats and manes of flame red and gentle yellow, both wearing uniforms that concealed their cutie-marks.

“Allow me to introduce Searchlight and his brother, Hot Trail,” Parchment introduced the arrivals respectively, both ponies nodding when they were named in turn. “I asked their superior to open a portal to the office as it would be way too dangerous to take Ralph and his son to the bureau out in public.”

“Gotcha," Hard Case nodded."Alright, all, let's go. Ralph, you and your boy first."

One by one, they all stepped through the portal, Searchlight and Hot Trailbringing up the rear, and into a large office that overlooked a large harbor and many warehouses. It was oddly relaxing and even mystic. Thunderlane noticed a table with all sorts of sandwiches, drinks and even some delicacies from back in the early days of Vanhoover.

“I wonder who put this together,” Emblazon asked, in a rhetorical tone.

"That would be me, gentlecolts,” said a voice.

Thunderlane turned and saw a unicorn mare with rose pink eyes, in which there was a gentle strength, a pale blue coat and silvery white mane. Her cutie-mark was a sparkling swirl of mist. She gave off a commanding presence but the kind of which where a soldier commanded out of respect and trust, not out of oppression.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Misty Miracle,” she said. “Former police inspector, now an Internal Affairs investigator. Just reactivated for this case. Please, let's eat and discuss matters.”

They all sat down to eat, except for Gas Light and Flame Wick, who stood nearby, silent vigils, and Misty began.
"Ralph Brador, we believe there is some kind of conspiracy going on and you're just a patsy, I'm afraid. We are unsure of the aims of whoever is behind the theft at the museum, but regardless of whatever evidence we may find to defend your case, there are individuals who are working to make you the fall-guy. You will not get a fair trial and your son will be sent to foster care, unless we can get to the root of this corruption."

Ralph whimpered as he hugged his son close, little Wags burying his face in his father's furry chest.

"Um, excuse me," Misty turned to look at Thunderlane, "Forgive me for asking this, but..."

"It's alright, Thunderlane, you are entitled your questions," Misty said kindly, "As I just said, I am a former police officer, until I was promoted to Internal Affairs. Wasn't a popular choice, but too many times I've worked on the beat and saw cases get thrown out because some cop got dirty and took a bribe or gave in to a threat. I used to rant about it in private with my husband and he spoke with the VPD Comissioner and he made me the offer, which, obviously I accepted."

"Your husband?" Thunderlane asked, curious of who could pull those kind of strings.

"Pipe Glass, Head of House Clue and the Duke of Magic and Mysteries." The look on Thunderlane's face froze up at what he'd just been told, which made some among the table chuckle a bit before Misty spoke, "But we're getting off track here. Trail share with everyony what you and Searchight were able to dig up."

Hot Trail stepped forward, holding a file holding some notes and papers before declaring, "To start off, the crime Ralph is being suspected of occurred last night are 12:35 am, during which he and his son, Wags, were asleep. However, we went to the hotel where they stayed and as it turns out the owner wasn't at the hotel and thus cannot be counted on to verify Ralph's presence. Apparently, he was out for a... night on the town.

"In the museum, eight security measures, half of them technological, the other half magical, were tripped. The guard who pointed Ralph out of the lineup was knocked out before the crime occurred even though he was able to glimpse the culprit and see he was a dog. We were able to access footage from a surveillance camera, but upon observing it we suspected something was amiss. I worked on the footage and confirmed our suspicions that the footage had been doctored, and was able to clear up the editing to reveal the truth. Observe the monitor over there."

All eyes turned to see Searchight rolling over a TV with a VCR as Hot Trail switched the TV on and Searchlight pressed play on the player. Everypony watched as a large and hulking bipedal shape approached a large gemstone within a display case, and the moonlight shining through the skylight window above showed the figure to indeed be a Dog but looked very similar to some miserable mutts Thunderlane had seen before.

"Is that...?" he began to ask but Ralph Brador beat him to the punch.

"A Diamond Dog!" He growled as they noticed how similar the brute did in fact look compared to him and could see why the guard had picked Ralph out of the lineup. He was a little taller and heavier than Ralph, but unlike the friendly and nice demeanor Ralph had, this beast looked vicious and predatory. His fur was dirty yellow, one of his floppy ears was torn, he wore a thick black leather collar rife with gems, and his tail had some unusually pointed spikes growing out of the tip, and his claws were filthy but definitely looked sharp and dangerous.

They watched as he smashed the display case, not at all concerned of the security measures, and grabbed the gemstone before running off, disappearing from the view of the camera. At that point, Hot Trail and Searchlight turned the TV and player off.

"And not just any Diamond Dog, I know that guy!" Ralph went on, "He's Gem Cutter, one of the nastiest Diamond Dogs out there and a thief for hire. He doesn't steal anything for anyone unless he's paid practically a king's ransom in gems!"

"Ralph, I couldn't help but notice that you speak of Dogs and Diamond Dogs in distinction," Emblazon pointed out, "What's the difference between the two?"

Ralph saw them all looking at him and sighed, "Diamond Dogs used to be just like regular Dogs, like me and my boy. But, I dunno, something happened a long-long time ago that turned a bunch of Dog explorers into what we eventually called Diamond Dogs. They're corrupted with something that makes them look and act the way they do, causes them to become obsessed with hoarding gems and there is nothing they won't do to get `em. Thankfully, most of them aren't as smart as they oughta be, but they're still pretty much predators and that, along with their single-minded obsession for gems, is what makes them so dangerous."

"What could have happened that turned them into Diamond Dogs in the first place?" Thunderlane wondered aloud.

"Dunno, but from what I know, once the Dogs saw these canines as the corrupted and dangerous monsters they'd become," Ralph went on, "they were banished forever from our country, because we feared whatever had turned them into what they are now might be contagious or something. We avoid Diamond Dogs like the plague because we can just feel something about them that scares us deep down inside whenever they're near us."

"But what do they do with all the gems they collect?" asked Thunderlane.

"The better question is, why would a Diamond Dog go to all the trouble to steal one gemstone in a city museum?" responded Hard Case. "Sure it's a big rock, but it seems like a lot of trouble to go through for just one."

"Like I said, Gem Cutter's a thief for hire," Ralph reminded them, "someone paid him to steal that gem. As for what they do with the gems aside from studding their collars with them, I have no idea. Diamond Dogs are vicious but they're also reclusive."

"Well, it might help to question the security guard a little more carefully," Misty suggested, "Warrant informed me that the guard woke up in his hospital bed half an hour ago."

"I'll go question the guard," Emblazon volunteered, "but... I think it'd be safer to have backup. Thunderlane, would you like to come along?"

"Count me in. I'm here to help any way I can," Thunderlane stood up from the table.

"I'll send Searchlight along with you two," Misty added, "It might help to have a changeling watching your backs."

The security guard, an earth pony named Lock Keep, was lying in his hospital bed as Emblazon, Thunderlane, and Searchlight looked upon him, as Emblazon said, "Mr. Keep, as I understand it, you were the museum security guard who was attacked the other night before the theft. I know you've already been through this but some recent facts have come up in the investigation, and so we need to ask you some more questions, if that's alright with you."

"Um, sure, I... I'll answer what I can," Lock replied hesitantly. The poor guy had been banged up pretty bad, given the shiner he was sporting over his right eye, and his foreleg in cast.

"Very good. To start off, let's go over the events of that night," Emblazon suggested, "Describe it to us. Anything you can recall, even the smallest detail can have greater significance than you might think."

"W-well... It seemed like any other night," Lock began, looking slightly nervous, "I was making my rounds through the wings, checking on the exhibits. I checked my watch to see midnight had passed me by. Shortly after, I stepped into the geology section and thought I heard something. They weren't... hoofsteps, they were too quiet for that. I held my flashlight, trying to see if there was an intruder and..."

Lock paused, to the confusion of his visitors, before he took a deep sigh, before he confessed, "Look. Ralph Brador didn't commit the crime. I know he was at the hotel all night with his son, asleep."

"But you pointed him out from the lineup," Thunderlane reminded him.

"I did, but only because he looked similar to the real culprit, Gem Cut-" Lock stopped talking, instead groaning and choking as something was now suddenly sticking out of his throat!

“What in the hell?!” Thunderlane yelped, jumping back, and they watched in horror as Lock clutched his throat, blood flowing profusely.

"WE NEED A MEDIC IN HERE!!!" Emblazon shouted into the hallway, Thunderlane and Searchlight hurrying to Lock's sides but they both knew the wound was mortal, as Lock didn't fidget or struggle much longer before going still.

“LOOK!” shouted Searchlight, pointing to the open hospital window.They turned to see a figure running away. The three of them bolted from the hospital and tore off after the mystery figure.

“I- I don't understand! Why'd that guy kill Lock Keep?” Thunderlane asked, keeping it together despite being freaked out by what he'd just seen, as they kept on the figure's trail.

“Because he's a contradiction,” Searchlight called up to the fast flying pegasus.

“A what?” Thunderlane called back.

“He contradicts the evidence that has Ralph tagged as guilty,” Emblazon called up. “And whoever hired Gem Cutter and this pony to kill Lock Keep doesn't want the truth to be known. The truth could expose something more than what this simple crime appears to be."

Thunderlane nodded and continued to fly, keeping his eye on the figure. The three of them saw the figure turn down an empty alley between two high end restaurants, one Prench and one Chineighse. They headed down, but saw no sign of the figure amongst all the trash bags, crates, boxes and large dumpsters.

“Dammit all,” Searchlight growled. “Cold trail.”

Emblazon joined in the growling. To any cop, a cold trail meant nothing. It meant no leads, no suspects, no new evidence, no alternate path to the truth....it was, in essence, a dead end.

“Should we he- Thunderlane began, but something smashed hard against his head, sending him sprawling.

Searchlight hurried over to pull Thunderlane to his hooves while Emblazon readied himself for combat. There, with a sword in his grimy, yellowish colored paw-like hand, was Gem Cutter, with a sick, mad dog-like grin on his face, his lips pulled back to show some sharp and yellow teeth, a dribble of slobber dripping like syrup from the corner of his mouth.

“Da boss don't like dem dere loose ends,” he cackled. “And now, to erase yous from history and from da boss's memories.”

He raised his sword and swiftly brought it down, aiming to kill Emblazon. The older officer braced himself for a swift end, but a loud OOMPH surprised him and he saw that Thunderlane had knocked the Diamond Dog away. He met the vicious gaze of Cutter, and was momentarily bewildered by his leap into action.

He hadn't even thought to do it as he'd seen the brute move into to kill Emblazon, but something inside spurred Thunderlane forward and before he'd known it, he'd called upon something inside of him and the sword appeared in his hoof, which he instinctively held in a pose he'd seen kendo practitioners use.

“You two!” Thunderlane called over to them, “Block this alley! We don't want any innocents involved here!”

Searchlight understood and threw up a wall of burning red mana that was impenetrable and would keep the battle from being seen. Thunderlane turned his concentration back to the Diamond Dog and jumped back, readying himself for more combat.

“Yous tink some shiny stick is gunna save yous from me?!" Cutter snarled with a sneer that showed he was eager to crack some skulls or spill blood. Which ever came first.

"At least I know the difference between a sword and a cap opener," taunted Thunderlane, "would you like some liver chunks, doggy?"

“You little...” Gem Cutter snarled and raised his sword.

The Diamond Dog charged at Thunderlane and managed to nick his left wing as Thunderlane moved to dodge. Thunderlane, however, rolled clear and after knocking the sword out of Cutter's paw like hand, he landed a hard buck on Cutter's back, sending him sprawling onto the ground. Cutter, not paying attention, cut himself on his arms from the crate he broke over Thunderlane's head.

“Yous bastards!” Cutter growled.

“You're done, criminal,” Emblazon glared boldly at the Diamond Dog. “Give it up and come with us.”

Gem Cutter snarled and began breaking all sorts of crates and kicked up a huge dust cloud. Thunderlane took to the air immediately and began blowing the dust away, but Gem Cutter had vanished.

“Dammit,” he growled. “So close!”

“Thunderlane, come down here!” Searchlight called up.

Thunderlane dropped down and noticed all sorts of pictures, papers, envelopes, what looked to be receipts, a brown burlap sack and what looked to be a manila file folder of some kind.

“What was he doing with all this?” Thunderlane asked as Emblazon levitated the papers fro them to look at but mouthing 'look but don't touch'.

“It seems to be his orders, payment receipts, pictures of the gem, the layout of the exhibit and I don't know what else,” Searchlight theorized.

Thunderlane had more questions, but they had to get out of there. The fight had stirred quite some attention from the kitchen staff of both restaurants. Walking back to the office that was their headquarters, Thunderlane kept quiet, but they could tell he was sore.

“Look, don't get down,” Searchlight assured, “Not every encounter with a criminal leads to an arrest. I remember my first encounters and they didn't end well. Hell, I was in hospital every Friday for stitches or to have an arrow dug out of my leg, or even getting a magical treatment for some unfortunate hex placed upon me. However, I did nail one arrest. A money laundering ring with a dragon as the head of the operation.”

Thunderlane turned to his partner and sighed, “But we had him!”

“Every rookie officer 'has them',” Emblazon pointed out. “I was the same way.”

“Yeah, but look at you two. Experienced, you know what you're doing. I haven't got a clue if I have an ass or a hole in the ground,” the dark gray pegasus griped in self-deprecation.

“You know, I shouldn't but it's time you heard something,” Searchlight spoke up. “I had a case where I was chasing down a few drug smugglers, but couldn't catch them. Eventually though, we did catch them.”

“How so?” Thunderlane asked.

“Simple. The idiots tried to rob a doughnut store,” Emblazon finished. “The two of us were on the same force. It was hilarious, but it did end a huge drug ring we'd been dealing with for years.”

Thunderlane had to chuckle, “Thanks. I needed that... It's awful though, Lock Keep...”

"We are not to blame for what happened," Emblazon said to the young pegasus solemnly, "Lock... apparently made bad choices and the consequences of those choices caught up with him. There was nothing we could do, but we can get justice for him by solving this case and bringing in the real criminals."

"...You're right, Emblazon," Thunderlane gave his sword another look before willing it go into its dormant form and stow it in his saddlebag.

"Enough of this pity fest," Searchlight interjected, pulling both ponies in, "I worked up another appetite and that Chineighse restaurant over there has some egg fu young with my name on it!"

"A bite will do us good," Emblazon agreed as they followed Searchlight into the restaurant, "and we'll report what's happened to our friends and the commissioner."

270. The Underdogged Caper - Part 3

Somewhere in Vanhoover...

"Having the security guard killed was a mistake..." groaned a unicorn in a ritzy lounge setting.

"Oh come now, Lucky, don't tell me you've found some misguided moral compass," wearily sighed a pegasus who was pouring some vodka. "Take it from one who knows - Morality is overrated."

"Oh I could care less about that sad little nopony, Your Excellency," responded Lucky Finds as he accepted a glass from his mentor, "It's just that it's easier to rid one's self of a nopony who had no one around to miss him. The guard was a husband with kids, makes this situation unnecessarily more complicated."

"Glad to see you remember my... private lectures from business school," chuckled the pegasus as he stepped into the muted light. He was a tall and well fit pegasus stallion with a coat of glass-bottle green, wine red mane done in an intricate style with nary a hair out of place, he wore a lapel and tie with an extremely expensive tie clip with a diamond in it, and his cutie-mark was an envelope with gold bits spilling out.
"Out of all the students in your class, I could see that you alone had the ambition to make your fortune regardless of collateral damage."

"Well, Duke Buck Cheap, I would never have risen to become the crime lord of Vanhoover were it not for your guidance," Lucky Finds chuckled while raising his glass to his mentor.
"And while you can always count on my support, my good duke, it still begs the question why you asked for me to arrange this whole debacle. The gemstone I donated to the museum was valuable, yes, but certainly not one of a kind. Having a Diamond Dog steal it back just to have the museum compensate me for its theft, to be honest it strikes me as perhaps a little more trouble than its worth."

"There is much you don't know about the Equestrian crime world, Lucky," Buck Cheap held his glass to his eye, studying the tiny bubbles of carbon drifting up to the surface, popping out with tiny little fizzes.
“As of the moment, our dishonest living is under siege, my young friend...

“What do you mean?” Lucky Finds quizzed.

“That damned Thunderlane and his motley crew of honest cops, for starters,” the soon-to-be former Duke answered. “Once Celestia abolishes the Aristocracy, there goes my political clout! And then there're those hoodie sneaks screwing up the drug ring I had all nice and set here in Vanhoover, being just one of the occasions where their meddling ruined something lucrative for me. I tell ya, Lucky, we're losing our grip on the crime world of Equestria and unless we take action the rivers of money are going to start drying up!”

That concerned both stallions. While Lucky Finds was a business pony with a shady background, he was never sufficiently linked to a number of crimes despite suspicion of his hoof in them. Buck Cheap however was another story - Everyone, even Princess Celestia herself, knew he was dirty, but the head of House Avarice had a surprisingly long reach and despite various occasions of evidence or accusations being held against him, the evidence in question or those who were brave enough to accuse him had an annoying habit of vanishing without a trace or the charges against him were dropped for some reason or other. He'd never been implicated in a crime severe enough that Celestia could subject him to royal trial, like she had with Aurora, because he was careful and knew when to draw the line and not push his luck.

“You don't think you're overreaching now?” Lucky Finds asked, after considering his next words.

“No,” Buck Cheap said. “I've been doing this for years. It's in my family blood.”

Lucky Finds nodded.

“Now, I want you to meet a contact who's going to help, now that Gem Cutter has screwed his simple job,” Buck Cheap snorted in vexation.

Lock Keep died long before he made it to an operating table, leaving behind a wife and four children. Emblazon had gone to break the news to Lock's family and Thunderlane had gone with him, though Emblazon had insisted he hang back. He'd watched as Emblazon knocked on the door, a mare had answered, a few words were exchanged before the mare shook her head in response to the news, her eyes widening in vehement disbelief before she cried out in heartbroken despair, Emblazon holding her in his forelegs as she begged him to say it wasn't true between sobs. Even from a distance, the reaction cut into Thunderlane as it dug up memories he'd long tried to move on from, after he'd received word that his own parents died in a weather factory accident, and then had to break that terrible news to his little brother. They'd held each other and cried for a long time afterwards.

Thunderlane let Emblazon do all he could to console Lock Keep's wife-turned-widow, until finally they exchanged some parting words before the mare went back into her house, presumably to tell her children that their daddy was never coming back home. Seeing Thunderlane's grim expression as he came over to the young pegasus, Emblazon asked, "How are you doing?"

"...We gotta get the guy behind all this, Emblazon," Thunderlane furrowed his brows, "We can't let him get away with all this."

"I agree, but channel those feelings into focus, son," Emblazon put a hoof on Thunderlane's withers, "Our job is not about revenge, it's about justice. We'll get the bastards behind all this and hold them accountable. Ya hear me?"

Thunderlane sighed and nodded.

"Good. Go back to the bureau and report to Misty. I need to head back to my precinct and file my own reports. Once I've finished, I'll join you over there."

"On it," Thunderlane saluted before taking off.

Emblazon sat at his desk, finishing the report. Something, however, was bothering him. Something was missing, but he couldn't put his hoof on it. Standing up, he decided to walk down to the evidence locker to see if he could figure out what was missing.

“Whoever investigated this didn't do a thorough job,” he thought.

Walking into the evidence locker room, he saw the evidence out and on the table. Walking over, he saw something sticking out from under the “reports” and saw it was a radio call to the Room Service. Reading it, he saw that there were several things on that transcript that raised red flags and sent every kind of bell and whistle ringing and sounding off.

“The flying hell?” he breathed.

The record showed that Ralph was, as many Room Service Operators had a habit of of saying, here but not here, meaning he was standing physically in the room, but his mind was not fully firing on all cylinders.

How could he commit the crime? Emblazon thought.

He knew, from years of experience, that criminals that pull a job at midnight, they'd have adrenaline pumping through their systems, which makes it hard for them to sleep and thus, they'd sound wide awake, even when they're supposed to be tired.

Reading on, he found that the room service trolley attendant had to knock three times to get Ralph's attention and when he did answer the door, he was as carefree as a bird in the park. Criminals would be uptight, cagey, always acting in a manner of suspicion towards any pony that passed them, or even the hotel staff.

“This is interesting,” Emblazon furrowed his brows as pieces began to form a picture in his mind. “I'm going to have words with the arresting officers.”

Storming out, he found them standing by the coffee machine in the rec room.

“What is this I read about a Radio call to Room Service?” he demanded.

“Well, it's nothing,” one said.

“NOTHING?!” he roared. “THIS IS VITAL EVIDENCE AND YOU IGNORE IT?!”

“Look, Shield, we have our guy and that's all there is to it. Interfere with our case, and we just might suspect you to be an accomplice to Ralph,” the other all but threatened.

Emblazon glared, before his eyes widened.

“You were deliberately ignoring evidence?!” he hissed.

“Well, money's money and we need it,” they were giving Emblazon looks that troubled him. “And you don't really pay the bills. Now, we have to...”

They lunged at him, but he jumped up and bolted through the door, evidence tucked away. He glanced back to see several officers perusing him. Glancing up, he saw something that made his blood boil over in rage - Lucky Finds pushing something over to the desk to the Police Chief.

“Sonuvabitch!” Emblazon hissed.

He knew Lucky Finds was dirty and seeing that sunk something into Emblazon's head that not only broke his aged heart, but offended him - Lucky Finds had his precinct in his pocket. Every one of these officers Emblazon served alongside, was dirty, including his chief! He turned back to his run and dove into an old and trash filled alley, losing the cops on his tail.

I've got to get to the bureau with this evidence! he thought as he hurried off, the distant shouts of his former comrades far behind him.

"...I see," Misty sighed, having just heard Thunderlane report what had happened last night. She sat at her desk in the bureau, Thunderlane standing before it, as she held leaned her forehead into her hoof, pondering on what to make of it all.
"So Keep was bought into the heist and he paid the ultimate price for it."

"And left his wife and kids without the stallion of their house," Thunderlane said without thinking and instantly felt bad for saying it. "Sorry, that- ...That was uncalled for."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Thunderlane," Misty responded, "But sometimes the real mistakes is not considering those who are affected by the consequences of our own choices. Don't worry about Lock Keep's family. The city will take care of his funeral service, and his wife will gain her husband's life insurance. It should help her."

Sighing, Thunderlane asked, "So now what? We're no further in solving this case and clearing Ralph's name."

"Hard Case and Emblazon Shield are still out there, searching for answers," assured Misty, "and my officers are here to protect Ralph and his son. No matter who's behind this crime, I am not going to let them get away with framing an innocent."

For a few moments, the young pegasus let what Misty has said to him sink in. She spoke with deep assurance and moral conviction, that it struck a chord within him that Thunderlane was of the same mind, when the sound of a banging door being thrown open made everyone in the bureau jump!

Thunderlane turned to see Emblazon panting and red in the face, looking like he'd run a marathon. Hard Case grabbed him a glass of water and the elder officer downed it with a greedy gulp.

“What in the name of Celestia has you running at your top speed?” Hard Case asked.

“Lucky Finds happened,” Emblazon growled. “I saw him pushing a bag over to the police chief and I was chased after I found crucial evidence that would clear Ralph.”

“You don't mean...” Thunderlane interrupted, his eyes bulging.

“The bastard's paid off my entire precinct,” Hard Case said, his ire now rising. "My chief, my fellow officers- They've gone dirty!"

Thunderlane nodded. Hard Case walked over and took the evidence from Emblazon and placed it on the desk and began reading it. His brows furrowed together in a sign of agitation, before he said aloud, “Go and find me something to end this prick..."

“Something interesting?” Hot Trail asked, walking in. He'd been keeping little Wags company and came over to see what the commotion was, hoping it wasn't a Pinkie Party.

“Something interesting alright,” Hard Case affirmed. “Lucky Finds has bought off Emblazon's precinct. This evidence was hidden away to insure Ralph Brador would lose any chance of being proven innocent of a crime he didn't commit.

"Come to think of it, this sounds like the MO of one other sleazeball I know about - Buck Cheap!"

"Huh? Buck Cheap? I feel like I've heard that name from somewhere before," Thunderlane spoke up.

“No surprise, seeing as how he's the Duke of Commerce and Business on the Princess's Aristocratic Council," Hard Case explained, "A position he and his family have used for generations to build up the biggest criminal empire in all of Equestria.

"The problem is, even though we all know he's dirty, every time we get close to nailing that dirtbag and his slimy House of Avarice, evidence and witnesses disappear and his lawyers always get him off on some kind of technicality.”

“That, and his House has made more enemies then we care to even catalogue,” Misty added. “The only real players who are still out for blood and his head on a pike are Prince Midnight's House Obsidian and Duke Brass Scales's House Candor.”

“Damn, a guy like that should know not to press his luck,” Thunderlane commented. “I wouldn't be surprised if any other houses are after him.”

“If there were, we'd know of it,” Hard Case said. “That bag of horseapples has it coming.”

"We've got to stop him one way or another!” Thunderlane vowed.

“That's just what we're gonna do,” Hot Trail assured as he showed them all a map he'd laid on a table. “Lucky Finds is Buck Cheap's operative here in Van Hoover; basically Finds is a crime lord Cheap appointed here to run all of Vanhoover's major crimes. I know a few casino owners down this way, who, while somewhat crooked, have a moral compass and no love for being under the hoof of Cheap or anyone who works for him.”

“Figures,” Hard Case chuckled bitterly, “But we aren't gambling here.”
“No, he's gambling against the house,” Misty remarked.

Thunderlane chuckled and turned to the window. The view of the ocean was peaceful and helped not only to calm but clear one's mind. All sorts of dogs, ponies, griffons, and drakes were busily loading carts, railway wagons and even airships with freight, tourists were coming and going, and Lucky Finds was making his way to his yacht... Wait, Lucky Finds was making his way to his yacht?!

"GUYS!" Thunderlane signaled them over and pointed down.

“Hot Trail, stay here. Thunderlane, Emblazon, Hard Case, with me!” Misty called, grabbing her baton and collapsible crossbow.

The others followed her out, with Thunderlane checking his crystal. It seemed to be acting very strangely, bobbing about excitedly and buzzing with a strange sort of electricity. The four exited the bureau and took the ramp near the door down onto the dock and charged across the harbor, dodging cranes, carts, and all sorts of workers.

“STOP! POLICE!!” Hard Case thundered, as they drew close to where Lucky Finds was.

Taking notice of his pursuers, Lucky dove behind some crates. The four stopped and scanned the large warehouse, where the yacht sat.

“He can't have gotten too far,” Misty said aloud while looking here and there “He'd want to stay close to his means of escape. Spread out!”

They nodded and searched the warehouse. There was no way Lucky Finds was going to leave this port. Thunderlane had turned a corner and saw Lucky Finds hiding behind a few metal drums.

“HE'S OVER HERE!” Thunderlane shouted, drawing his four companions' attention.

They charged over as Lucky Finds jumped up and took aim at Thunderlane with a crossbow. To Thunderlane's horror, it was the same crossbow that Gem Cutter used to kill Lock Keep. Lucky Finds smirked.

“Time to die,” he said and pulled the trigger.

Thunderlane braced for the end, but it didn't come. He opened an eye and saw that Hard Case had taken the arrow in his leg. The pegasus moved to help the cop, but Hard Case gave him a hard look.

“We have a case to crack. It's a just a flesh wound. Get the bastard!” Hard Case urged.

Thunderlane nodded and turned, but Lucky Finds was on the boat.

“Dammit,” Misty growled. “We can't get at him now.”

“And why not?” Thunderlane looked to her.

“He has a Flight Ward on his yacht,” she said.

“Flight Ward?” Thunderlane was unfamiliar with the term.

“A magical ward that prevents any flying creature from getting close," she explained while looking on at Lucky with bitter eyes, "and with that crossbow, if we try following he'll shoot us."

“Dammit!" Thunderlane swore.

He couldn't let this scumbag get away. He couldn't let down everyone who'd been hurt in some way or other by Finds's schemes. He couldn't just stand by and let him run off like a colt who just stole candy from a candy store. There had to be something he could do!

That familiar feeling came back and Thunderlane held up his hoof and saw his sword manifest But what good could a sword do in this situation?! He needed something to stop Lucky Finds from making his escape, to bring him to justice! Something that could stop his yacht without setting off the Flight Ward or put anyone at risk of Finds's crossbow. As if responding to Thunderlane's thoughts, the sword's magic resonated with Thunderlane's own magic and somewhere deep inside, he found realization.

He pointed his sword straight for Lucky Finds, Misty looking at him confused, Emblazon, with Hard Case leaning on him as they came up from behind, looking on, as Thunderlane spoke:

"Pierce the heavens... Skystrike!"

The sword gave off a blinding flash as everyone but Thunderlane shielded their eyes and he saw his sword change from a blade and hilt to a mighty storm-black bow with pattern of golden lightning encircling its length, and each end shaped like a pegasus wing yet oddly it was lacking a bowstring. Although his comrades were stumped as to what this strange bow could do without a string, Thunderlane felt no doubts as something guided his actions.

He positioned his free hoof just so, and everypony watched in awe as electrical energy sparked and gathered around Thunderlane before it all concentrated as Thunderlane pulled his hoof back, the energy forming a line of crackling energy along with an arrow of lightning!

He took aim at the engine compartment as Lucky Finds turned his yacht to make for his private island off the coast of Van Hoover. Following the yacht until the right moment, Thunderlane released his hold and the energy arrow flew straight and true as it hit the engine compartment and the engine spluttered before a muffled explosion took center stage.

“What the hell?! Lucky Finds snarled as police boats drew up alongside his vessel, earth pony and unicorn officers boarding the yacht with a form that read 'arrest warrant' and an inhibitor ring.

The team headed to the hospital to have Hard Case's injury tended to. Thankfully, the injury wasn't too bad and after a minor bit of surgery, the arrow was removed, the wound cleaned in case of infection, and his wounds stitched up. Thunderlane was a bit sad that it was over and almost time for him to go, as he'd felt his cutie-mark glow as it did after he and his friends had put an end to Starlight's manipulations. He also confirmed that his sword, which could transform into a bow, Skystrike, had literally become a part of him, because after the arrest the bow had reverted to sword form and appeared to have been... absorbed into Thunder's body. He got freaked out until he realized he could summon Skystrike at will and re-absorb it back into his body.

Standing outside the bureau, he was bidding his new friends farewell, as Emblazon said, “We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day."

Thunderlane chuckled at that, having once caught Sweetie Belle sing that line to a couple classmates. Wags and Ralph caught up with them just as a police wagon rolled passed with Gem Cutter in it.

“So happy endings do exist,” Ralph chuckled, glad that Diamond Dog was caught and his name cleared.

“They do,” said a voice. “Just have a little faith that things will work out.”

They turned to see Parchment Warrant. He was wearing a big smile and had a few papers in his saddle bag.
“First thing's first, I need to do this - Emblazon, it's time to promote you to the head of your precinct. You're just the pony for the job of taking proper command and turning that precinct around. I know you'll clear out those sorry excuses of the uniform and fill that place up with good and dedicated officers."

"I won't let you down, sir," Emblazon gave a salute to the commissioner, and Parchment Warrant then turned to Hard Case.

“Next, your turn, detective. You're getting promoted to Captain. It's time for a massive change back to the way things were before Buck Cheap landed his crony down here."

Hard Case nodded. Once he was done, he gave Hard Case a saddle bag, then headed back to tend to the paperwork. Misty smiled, “Congrats, can't think of a better pony for the job."

“Now, I think Ralph and Wags have some matters to attend to,” Hot Trail said, Searchlight nodding in agreement. “After that, Hard Case needs to tend to something that he has arranged for you, then we'll see you to the airship depot.”

Thunderlane nodded, before being tackled and licked happily by Wags. The pegasus laughed and sputtered, "Hey, cut that out!"

"I'm sorry, I just wanna thank you," Wags got down, his tail madly going back and forth as he gave the gray pegasus a big smile, "Because of your help, my daddy's free, so thank you lots, Mister Thunderlane!"

“You're welcome,” Thunderlane said, feeling accomplished by that little pup's smile.

Wags was over the moon, as was Ralph.
“Next time your in town, I'll treat you to lunch- Scratch that, I'll treat allof you to lunch, including your friends, Mr. Thunderlane.”

“Don't go and spoil them,” Hard Case teased. “They need to be at their best and spoiling them may make them a bit....incapacitated.”

“Like you and your five wagon garage?” Ralph asked.

“Remind me to do things to you later,” Hard Case growled, while subconsciously rubbing his belly, "And... it's two wagons, at most."

They chuckled as Hard Case held up to Thunderlane a junior detective badge.
“Take it, shut up and don't make this more awkward then it has to be. And not awordof this or I will end you.”

Thunderlane chuckled.

“I don't think you can end him,” Misty said. “He's more fit then you.”

Hard Case gave them all dirty looks before he cracked a grin.

“Finally! We got him to take it in stride!” Emblazon chuckled with a faux cheer. “I think this calls for a celebratory nothing.”

They just stared at the new Police Chief, wondering if the factory had missed a bolt.

“Before this gets more awkward,” Searchlight spoke up, “We need to send Thunderlane off. After all, we can't keep Prince Midnight waiting. You know how he is about things like this.”

They nodded and saw Thunderlane to the Vanhoover airfield, and gave him a warm send-off.

Thunderlane boarded his airship home and sat down. Deciding a nap was in order, he leaned back and closed his eyes. The world around him passed by with shopping and the other daily activities going on. In the airship and in the land of napping, Thunderlane could easily control his own little world. The air ship touched down and Thunderlane groggily looked around to see he was in Ponyville.

“Time to go and report,” he decided.

He exited the air ship and headed down to the Castle of Friendship. He was pleased to be home at last. Upon entering, he saw Twilight and Cheese Sandwich in the foyer of the castle, ready to go out.

“Oh, Thunderlane, how was it?” Twilight asked.

“It was great,” Thunderlane smiled, "Justice was served and an innocent father was cleared of a crime he didn't commit."

Midnight, coming back from the market (after he managed to somehow blow up the fridge while trying a new spell, ticking Twilight off) saw Thunderlane and smiled.

“Good to see you back, friend,” the Prince welcomed him.

“Same. Now I have something interesting to tell you,” he announced.

“Really?” Midnight said, shutting the door after making sure he was inside.

"Yes, I do," Thunderlane smiled excitably as he held up his hoof... and summoned Skystrike.

Author's Note

Thunderlane's sword is revealed to have another form with its own magic powers and name; and the other stallions' swords are similar but different. Can't wait to show you how!

271. The Underdogged Caper - Epilogue

When the news of Lucky Finds's arrest reached him, Buck Cheap had barely reigned in his ire. Losing his top subordinate, Blackberry Hossmane, and, by extension, his sway over the major crimes of Manehatten, had been infuriating enough. But now he'd lost control over the criminal underworld of Vanhoover?! Once he'd had time to himself, he'd channeled his anger into an antique grandfather clock, rendering it a mess of splinters and clockwork for his servants to clean up, but it'd served the purpose of getting it out of his system.

Even so, this unfortunate turn of events had encouraged Cheap to request a meeting with someone he'd spoken with several years ago.

"To start off, thank you for obliging my request to speak with you," Cheap poured a glass of fine wine using his wings and offered it to his visitor, who used magic to levitate the glass from him.

The glass of wine floated over to a hooded figure with a unicorn horn poking through a hole in the brim, the shadow of the hood hiding the visitor's face as they took a polite sip.

"It should come to no surprise that my family, House Avarice, has spent many generations in building perhaps the most powerful criminal empire this world has ever seen," Cheap bragged but without zeal, as he took a drink and growled, "But lately... my web over this nation has begun to unravel. It was annoying enough with those Evening Hood pissants mucking up my operations and lucrative workings, but losing not one but two cities' worth of crime... Well, it spurs me to take action, especially in light of the Princess's plan to abolish the Aristocracy.

"My subordinate Hossmane was perhaps the most reliable of my captains but he proved how pathetic he really is in taking his own life, and my pupil Lucky Finds has turned out to be a bitter disappointment. As much as it would put a smile on my face to get my hooves around his miserable throat, leaving him to rot in jail holds a certain appeal. But I digress..."

He gave his visitor a careful look, "As I understand it, your... employer is some kind of old adversary of Prince Midnight, yes?"

The figure nodded in confirmation.

"Perhaps your employer and I could meet face to face, discuss a partnership of sorts," Buck Cheap smirked deviously as he drank down the rest of his wine, "After all, the enemy of my enemy..."

272. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 1

The air was thick with tension as Blueblood gazed down at his drawing board where he had an idea in the planning stages for a new experimental engine. If he was able to give it shape and form, if the wild idea he had of generating power through this engine could be sustained and applied, it could very well revolutionize not only airships but locomotives, boats, any kind of machinery that relied upon an engine.

Then, of course, was the secondary idea, from which he had drawn inspiration from two of the most important mares in his life. His Auntie Celestia and his beloved muse, Rarity. A means of fueling the aforementioned experimental engine, though this idea would better apply to airships and sailboats, but if there was a way for it to apply to trains Blueblood would figure it out.

Midnight and his good friend Techorse from Fillydelphia, both of them had spoken with Blueblood in regards to these theories and both had encouraged Blueblood to follow through with them. Every now and then Midnight himself stopped by Blueblood's warehouse and talk shop with him, having offered to fund the project but Blueblood had kindly declined, saying he wanted to make this himself but he would gladly accept Midnight's help in making this dream a reality.

Jotting down some more notes, he began to ponder what he would call this brainchild of his... when a familiar sensation on his flanks derailed his train of thought and he mentally swore before glancing down to see his cutie-mark was glowing, just as it had when the map had called upon him and the guys to go help their girls.

Sighing, he put his pencil away, placed all the notes and diagrams he'd drawn up into a folder, and safely stowed them into a small vault hidden under his desk. He had no idea where the Map was going to send him nor for how long he'd be gone. Sure, Ponyville was practically the happiest little town in all of Equestria with hardly any crime at all, but given how important this theoretical engine was to Blueblood, it paid to err on the side of caution. The vault didn't look it but it was heavily ensorcelled, charmed to be unbreakable and could not be unlocked magically, it could not be moved from its spot unless a specific somepony was the one moving it, and only the owner could open it via a four-digit code that had to be inputed exactly five seconds after opening the combination lock.

Sure it seemed overkill, especially in Ponyville, but Blueblood learned long ago not to underestimate his business rivals.

Satisfied his notes were safe, Blueblood departed his workshop, thinking, I wonder who I'll be going with to wherever the map sends us?

At the Castle of Friendship, Blueblood had just stepped through the doors to the throne/map room when he heard Twilight declare, "The map is summoning you all to Griffonstone!"

"Come again?" Blueblood spoke up and he saw that Twilight, Midnight, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie were all present, standing around the map, with the images of all cutie-marks present sans Twilight's and Midnight's orbiting above a location on the map.

"Hello Blueblood, you're just in time," Midnight welcomed their friend as he came over and got a closer look to see Twilight was right. "It appears the map is calling you, RD, and Pinks to travel together to Griffonstone, the old royal capitol of the Griffon Kingdom."

"I don't know if any of you have read 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness'," Twilight interjected as she levitated over a large history book, "but griffons were known to be-"

"Rude, insensitive bullies?" interrupted Rainbow as she lounged on her throne, the very picture of 'I don't want to go'.

"Now hold on there, Dash," Midnight gave the rainbow pegasus a real stink eye, "just because Gilda acted like a jerk when she came to Ponyville, doesn't mean all griffons are the same way. Remember Sir Godric and Doran back at the Equestria Games? Doran flew a clean race and congratulated Thunderlane on winning, while his father Godric threw away his chance to win the obstacle race to help Lucky finish it after he hurt himself!"

"Midnight is right, Rainbow Dash," Blueblood nodded in agreement, "I know plenty of ponies who are just as bad as you say Gilda was, and it's not fair to judge an entire species based on one bad experience."

"Well- I- Pinkie, help me out here!" Rainbow looked to the party pony.

"Well, Gilda was a bit of a party-pooper, but Bluey and Nighty are right that we shouldn't think all other griffons are like her," Pinkie responded diplomatically while lounging upside on the seat of her throne.
"Mister Godric and Doran were pretty cool when we met them during the Equestria Games, and I promised them a party if they ever come to visit Ponyville."

"I'll admit Gilda was a little rude," Twilight spoke up as she began to get excited while peering into her book, "but the three of you still get to go to Griffonstone! And according to this book, it has a rich and fascinating history!"

While Pinkie peered over Twilight's shoulder to get a look, Midnight and Blueblood shared one that was slightly troubled while Twilight explained, "In ancient times, Griffons were as greedy and ruthless as dragons, hoarding gold, gems, and all other treasures they could get their talons on. They took it further to increase their wealth by kidnapping other creatures from their homelands and selling them into slavery, building up a powerful empire that lasted almost a hundred years of unjust slaving and corruption."

"But..." Midnight stepped in, taking the book from Twilight to her irked confusion as she looked at his smug face, "a very brave, handsome, and unjustly kidnapped young unicorn mage was also taken into slavery. With the help of a hippogriff by the name of Fusion they staged an uprising on an island where a despicable griffon lord conducted his slavery business. Alas, Fusion sacrificed himself to save his unicorn friend, and the unicorn helped all the other slaves free themselves so they could take the news and evidence of this depraved practice to Princess Celestia.

"With the help of several leaders from other nations, Princess Celestia cowed the lords of the Griffon Empire into abolishing their slave trade and liberated thousands of slaves! Fusion was honored for his sacrifice and his cutie-mark was made the national symbol of Freedom, representing it as the right of all sentient creatures that no creature had the right to take away."

"Yes, we all know that story, honey!" Twilight took the book back while giving Midnight playful stink eye as he chuckled while she carried on, "The griffons were humbled by the treaty they were all but forced to sign in order to avoid war with so many nations, and became paranoid of losing their treasures. All of that changed when a griffon warrior by the name of Grover discovered the mysterious golden Idol of Boreas! Legends say the Idol of Boreas was made from the dust of golden sunsets, blown across the mountains by the north winds. The Idol found by Grover filled the hearts of griffons with pride and so for finding it they named Grover their king, and he worked to restore honor and dignity to griffons everywhere by making Griffonstone the most majestic kingdom of all the griffons' land!"

"And why" - Rainbow ruined the moment by forcing the book shut - "do you care so much about griffons anyway?"

"It was actually Gilda's visit that made me curious," Twilight admitted, levitating the book, "so I picked up 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness' and I've been hooked ever since!"

"Yeah..." Midnight took the book from Twilight, to her confusion, as he said, "and how old is this book, Twilight?"

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, not understanding.

"When Godric and some of his Sky Knights mentored me when I was younger," Midnight opened the book towards a later chapter, "they taught me some griffon history as well. Including the fact that the griffons of Griffonstone are a disgrace to their race as a whole nowadays."

"What?! That can't be true," Twilight took the book back, "This book explains that although griffons were once enemies to all free creatures, the Idol and King Grover helped remake the griffons' society as great and noble as any kingdom!"

"Yes, it was a great and noble kingdom, Twilight," Blueblood spoke up, "over a hundred years ago. Can I see something?"

Blueblood took the book without waiting for Twilight to answer and flipped to the last chapter, "As I suspected, there is nothing in here about Griffonstone after the reign of King Guto."

"King Guto? Who was that?" Pinkie asked, popping up in front of Blueblood like a filly jumping onto her papa's lap, only she was a mare and Blueblood unceremoniously shoved her off his lap.

"King Guto was the last monarch to rule Griffonstone and the Griffon Kingdom altogether over a hundred years ago," Blueblood showed that particular chapter. "But it ends there, with nothing else written afterwards. Don't you find that strange?"

"Well..." Twilight took the book back, recalling that particular fact, for it was strange indeed. The book covered the reign of King Grover and all the other griffon monarchs after him, all the way down to King Guto. Guto's reign was described to be peaceful and prosperous, but that was it, and nothing else was mentioned further. It was almost as if history in the making just came to a stop.
"I... suppose that's rather odd, but I still don't understand why you and Midnight say that Griffonstone isn't so grand as is described in 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness'."

"Because we've been to Griffonstone, Twily," Midnight answered, "and it's a dump!"
"To be precise, a tragic waste of potential and culture," Blueblood nodded.
"All the griffons there are bitter, rude, and won't do anything unless they're paid for it," Midnight explained, "even for an answer to a question!"
"In all honesty, it's no wonder Gilda would be the bully as you explained if she'd grown up there of all places," Blueblood added before he considered what he'd just said, "Come to think of it, if any place needed a touch of friendship, it would be Griffonstone."

"But I- I don't understand!" Twilight peered through the book, seeing a history with its ups and downs, triumphs and failures, and now her fiancé and one of her foalhood friends was bursting her bubble like this?!
"How could something that turned out to be amazing be less than so in real life?!"

"Well, in any case," Midnight lit up his horn and the map's illusory holographic image vanished, "I'm sure the three of you will be able to handle whatever it is in Griffonstone that needs your help."

"And I guess we'll stay here and do... royal things," Twilight slumped into her throne as she regarded 'Bygone Griffons of Greatness' in a less flattering light.

"Well then, c'mon, Bluey and Dashie!" Pinkie hopped along, Blueblood following as he levitated an irritated Rainbow Dash in tow, "We're goin' to Griffonstone!"

The three friends took the Friendship Express and it was a long train ride, and it was for that reason Blueblood decided to take some of his notes for his engine project with him, so he could brainstorm along the way. He'd encouraged Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to bring something along to keep them occupied for the trip to help the time slip by a little faster.

Rainbow Dash was re-reading one of her Daring Do books although the the mission and where it was taking them prevented her from fully enjoying Daring Do make a fool of Ahuizotl. Pinkie Pie waved over the snack trolley and asked, "What'cha got there, Blueblood?"

"Oh, it's just notes I'm working on for a project, Pinkie Pie," Blueblood answered, checking something he'd scribbled earlier, "something very important to me and my work in the airship industry."

"Ooh! Can I see?" Pinkie peered over his shoulder, only for Blueblood to shut his notebook in response, casuing her mane curl to droop just a little as she pouted.

"Up-bup-bup! Sorry, Pinkie, but this project is much too important to me to allow to become common knowledge, even amongst my friends," Blueblood said firmly while stowing the notebook into his saddlebag, "and in any case, we should discuss our first course of action once we arrive."

"I suppose we gotta have some kind of game plan..." Rainbow Dash put her own book away and sat up, and once he was satisfied both mares were paying attention, Blueblood began.

"So, as Midnight and I previously mentioned, Griffonstone is a pale shadow of the splendor it once was. There's no king or queen ruling the kingdom really, just local lords or barons of specific lineages or mayors of their towns and communities. From what I understand, the only real law enforcement is the Knighthood of the Sky, led by Sir Godric, and his brothers in arms are spread thin in their attempts to keep the peace and enforce the law over their whole country. Otherwise, the griffon nobles employ personal guards or mercenaries to enforce their own laws and even taxes in their communities!

"Some places, like Sir Godric's home, Mount Eyrie, are much better than how things are in Griffonstone. Yet compared to cities and towns like we have in Equestria? I honestly pity the griffon race as a whole."

"Sheesh, the griffon kingdom's that bad? Not just Griffonstone?" Rainbow Dash was surprised and maybe a little sympathetic. If Gilda had grown up in a kingdom like this, it would make sense she wasn't as nice as Rainbow Dash remembered. But she huffed and thought, That still doesn't excuse her for the way she treated my friends...

"And Midnight wasn't kidding before," Blueblood continued, "the griffons of Griffonstone are notoriously miserly. They'll charge payment for absolutely anything if they can spot an opportunity to get money. Since we're from Equestria, they'll ask for Bits,. Don't pay them anything unless it's absolutely necessary, but if you can, haggle for a lower price. Because the more you pay the more they'll demand, especially if other griffons notice you seem to have plentiful money."

"I didn't know griffons use Bits," Pinkie pointed out, "don't they have their own money?"

"They do, brass, silver, or gold coins engraved with a symbol of a bird's talons called Raptras, but they can go to a local bank and easily exchange any bits they obtain for their own currency," Blueblood answered before double-taking at the hefty bag of bits Pinkie Pie had just spent to buy a buffet of snacks from the trolley.

Seeing how disapproving Blueblood and Rainbow Dash looked at her splurging to pig out, Pinkie gulped before sheepishly asking, "Can I borrow some bits?"

Finally, the friends' train arrived at the decrepit Griffon Gorge train station and after making sure they were prepared they embarked on hoof towards Griffonstone. The Griffon Gorge station was the only real stop along the tracks after entering the Griffon Kingdom, as almost all griffon cities and villages were located in mountain ranges too treacherous for railroads.

Specifically, Griffonstone lied past the northern Hyperborean Mountain range, and it took the three of them the next few hours making their way up the mountain trail to their destination. Blueblood led the way as he had the most experience in diplomacy and they expected he would likely be their spokepony on this mission. Finally, after an exhausting trek, they stepped through the Griffon Gate that marked the capitol's outskirts, Pinkie Pie saying, "Aw, Twilight should'a come along! That way she'd see for herself that...!"

Hers and Rainbow's jaws dropped while Blueblood sighed with pity at the disgrace before them.

Griffonstone was built upon a vast ancient tree located on a mountain summit, with huts and homes built upon the branches and some around the base of the tree. The palace (for lack of a kinder term) was located near the top of the tree, nestled upon the main trunk while secured safely around large boughs and branches, but it, like so many other buildings and houses in Griffonstone, was rundown, dismal, and in serious need of repairs. Griffons flapped and moped about here and there, shunning each other, looking bitter, miserable, yet some held their beaks up as if they were the most important creatures in the neighborhood.

"A total dump!"

Author's Note

I'm taking the missions of the map in a somewhat different direction while remaining basically true to how they went in the show, but with some extra twists and turns to make them more interesting. For example, instead of just two friends being sent on friendship missions it will be three, with one of the guys included to have all three tribes have a hoof in solving the friendship problem.

I found it irritating that the griffons of the Griffon Kingdom used Equestrian Bits, and Twilight even mentioned ancient griffons hoarded bits, like the currency had been around forever. I can understand if the Pony Tribes all shared the same currency over a thousand years ago, but it doesn't make sense for other species to use the same currency.

This was just another example of the showmakers being lazy and lacking detail and creativity

So I named griffon currency Raptra in this story; it comes from Raptor, the name of a bird of prey, and the 'tra' part is derived from the word 'trade'

273. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 2

The three visitors grimaced at the sight before them, as they noticed a griffoness perch on a branch that held what was presumably her home, only for the branch to crack and almost fall, the griffoness flapping aloft in alarm. Nobirdy paid any attention to the three ponies walking amongst them as Blueblood muttered, "Good grief, it's even worse than I remember."

"Yyyyeeeaah, maybe the map should've called Rarity," Rainbow Dash commented as they noticed a couple griffons playing some kind of dice game but neither of them looked to be playing for the sake of fun.

"Oh goddess, no!" Blueblood was hesitant to even imagine his beloved muse Rarity's reaction to the sight of this sorry excuse of a royal capitol, "She'd have one of her fainting couch moments, you can bet your tail on that."

"Excuse me, sir!"

Blueblood and Rarity looked to see Pinkie Pie had wandered off and was speaking to an older-looking griffon wearing a smoking cap, "This is Griffonstone, right?"

The griffon responded by grabbing Pinkie Pie by her face and rudely setting her aside and carrying on about his own business, as a bewildered Pinkie said, "Well, that wasn't very nice."

"See?! These griffons are exactly like I thought they'd be!" Rainbow Dash huffed.

"I can't say I'm surprised either," Blueblood sighed, not liking this less than promising start, "and since there's no griffon monarch, I'm uncertain as to ask anybirdy around here as to what led to Griffonstone to falling from grace."

"You don't like it, then feel free to leave, losers!"

The three of them looked down the way and saw a griffoness with a light brownish-gold lion body, white feathered eagle head with like purple accents, and golden eyes narrowed contemptuously in their direction. Recognizing her, Rainbow responded, "Hello, Gilda..."

"Dash...!" Gilda growled, the tension rising-

"PINKIE!"

"Not the time, Pinkie Pie," Blueblood shook his head gently at the party pony before addressing the griffoness, "Ahem, good day to you, Gilda. I've heard... quite a lot about you. I am Prince Blueblood, and I am aware that you are already acquainted with my friends here-"

"What're you doing in my neighborhood, dweebs?" Gilda rudely interrupted.

"Hey! We "dweebs" are here to help Griffonstone," Pinkie popped up in front of Gilda.

"Help it what?!" Gilda challenged.

"Well, unfortunately, even we are uncertain," Blueblood tried to explain, only for Pinkie Pie to pop up.

"But it involves a map and cutie-marks and a problem, and-"

"Bored now!" Gilda walked past them, no longer interested until Blueblood spoke up.

"Well, Miss Gilda, while you don't have a king-"

"We don't! We have Lord Gar..." Gilda snapped and she didn't sound like she was a fan of the mentioned lord.

"Lord Gar... the name doesn't ring a bell," Blueblood considered before asking, "but perchance could you direct us to the Idol of Boreas?"

"Ha-ha! Don't tell me you actually believe in that thing," jibed Gilda, to the ponies' confusion-

"You'd better believe it, missy!"

Gilda grimaced and looked out the corner of her eyes and the ponies looked over her shoulder to see an elderly griffon with a vulture-like head topped with a fez poke his coughing head (showing a left dead eye) out of his house before he tumbled out of his house, rasping, "The idol was the best thing that ever happened to us griffons of Griffonstone!"

"Oh great...! Now you've got my Grampa Gruff started," growled Gilda to the ponies in a tone that said 'thanks a lot' as her grandfather stepped past her and approached the pony visitors.

"I'll tell you the whole tragic tale...!" Grampa Gruff said dramatically before chuckling in a miserly way as he held out his talons, "For a couple of your Equestrian Bits."

Pinkie, Rainbow, and Blueblood shared a look but Blueblood raised a hoof with a patient smile and obliged Grampa Gruff's request, paying a couple silver Bits, to the old bird's delight. He bit one, making sure it was real, before setting them under his fez before he began.

"Centuries ago, after our kind was humbled by the united efforts of our rival nations and agreed to put an end to our practice of slavery, a griffon explorer by the name of Grover united our kind like we'd never been united before or since. And he did it all by finding that incredible Idol of Boreas!" Gruff recounted, unaware that Gilda was behind him mirroring his movements.

Obviously she'd heard this tale before, but she quickly pulled an innocent look when her grandfather glanced at her with a frightful stink eye using his dead eye, spurring a few stifled chuckles from Pinkie and even an amused smile from Blueblood. Rainbow Dash remained platonic.

"It was because that idol brought pride to every griffon that saw it that our ancestors chose Grover to be our king!" Gruff went on, "And from one king to the next, Griffonstone and the idol were the envy of many other sentient creatures! It held us together, gave us a new identity so that we could leave behind our disgraceful old ways as slavers, right up until.... the rein of King Guto.

"It was on that dark and terrible day after King Guto's coronation that the most ruthless and terrible of the cyclopes, Arimaspi, came to steal our sacred treasure! King Guto and his loyal Sky Knights fought bravely but that wretched brute Arimaspi managed to pilfer our beloved Idol! Despite their injuries, King Guto and the Sky Knights gave chase in an attempt to recover the idol from the monster, but as they headed him off on a bridge of stone over the Abyssmal Abyss fate most cruel struck the blow that would lead not only to Arimaspi's downfall but to the pride of Griffonstone...

"Two Sky Knights lost their lives in vain to recover the Idol from Arimaspi as he was making an escape over a bridge of stone that spanned the Abysmal Abyss. A bolt of lightning struck the bridge, sending the cyclops plummeting to his doom, taking the Idol with him. King Guto noticed two pony ambassadors on the other side of the abyss, recognizing them even as they slunk away like thieves in the night, Starboard Jib and Port Bow, two Equestrian ambassadors who had come to attend his coronation just the other day!"

"Starboard Jib? Port Bow?" Blueblood wondered aloud as the names rang a bell, "If I remember my history correctly... those were two members of House High Seas, the noble family whose members have served my aunt's council in handling Foreign Affairs."

"Indeed, and those High Seas ponies turned tail and ran before King Guto could get an explanation as to why they were there during the darkest moment of our city's history!" Gruff said with a suspicious tone, "but in any case, the loss of the Idol of Boreas, our most precious treasure, right after his coronation filled King Guto with deepest shame... He discontinued the monarchy, and without a king we were leaderless until Lord Hawkrest rose up and took charge, and we allll lived miserably ever after. THE END!"

Sniffling, Pinkie Pie whimpered, "That's the saddest story I've ever heard in my life!"

"Ah well... TOUGH TAILFEATHERS!! No refunds!" Gruff shouted before taking off.

"Well, this certainly explains why Twilight's book ended with the coronation of King Guto," Blueblood commented as he and Rainbow Dash looked at the pedestal where the Idol of Boreas once stood.

"Yeah! I mean, who would wanna record history that sad?!" Pinkie Pie added.

"It's not sad!" Gilda sniped, giving them the stink eye, "Do we look sad to you?"

Blueblood and Pinkie Pie shared a look but had a silent agreement not to answer that question-

"Guys! I think I know why the map sent us here," Rainbow Dash perked up, her friends looking to her before she declared, "We need to find the Idol of Boreas and bring back glory and pride to Griffonstone!"

"Ha-ha! Here we go," Gilda mocked while flapping aloft, "Typical pony hero complex. None of us care about that dumb idol, don't you geddit?! We don't care about anything and that's the way we like it..."

"I think Rainbow Dash is right about one thing," Pinkie Pie spoke up, popping up behind Gilda's wings, "The map did send us here to fix a problem."

Gilda growled angrily at the pink pony invading her personal space but before she could say anything-

"THE ONLY PROBLEM HERE IS YOU!!!"

The three ponies and griffon startled to see four griffons drop down from the dusty and cobwebbed ceiling of the palace, all of them wearing dark scarves around their heads, their talons outfitted with metal claws but the leader, a male griffon with a missing right eye scarred shut and raven-like feathers, clutched fiendish daggers in each talon as he and his gang glared wickedly.

"Wotan!" Gilda knocked Pinkie Pie off her back and bore her own talons, "You and yer goons looking for some easy money, I see!"

"Damn straight, sweetie!" answered the griffon called Wotan, whose eyes narrowed greedily upon his prey, "and a pony prince and his two lovely maids oughta fetch a nice reward from Canterlot!"

"Oh, you are so going down...!" Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes and raised her wings.

The ponies and Gilda all readied themselves as Wotan dove onto Blueblood, as the two began wrestling in the dirt, Blueblood lighting up his horn to keep those sharp talons clutching knives away. Gilda charged in, only to be punched in the face and knocked to the side by one of Wotan's goons. Dash was tempted to dive in, but was stopped by four shadows.

“One side there, Rainbow Dash!"

"Huh?!" Rainbow Dash stopped. That voice sounded familiar. She looked over her shoulder to see Doran zoom in and wrestle Wotan off Blueblood as two more griffons, both garbed in silver and golden tunics pounce down on Wotan's thugs, Gilda paying back the one who punched her by busting up his beak.

Before Rainbow Dash had done anything, the fight was over as quickly as it began, with Wotan and his gang subdued, and Pinkie Pie was checking on Blueblood, who assured her that he was just a little bruised and no worse for wear.

Then, Doran and the two griffons who'd arrived with him saluted with their wings while keeping the bandits under claw, as Doran's father, Sir Godric arrived. He wore the same silver and golden tunic but also included metal spaulders on his shoulders, and Rainbow finally noticed Doran had some kind of medallion hanging from his neck.

“Is everyone alright?” Godric looked around, nodding to his men and son, looking at Wotan and his lot with contempt, and then at the ponies with concern.

"We're fine, thanks to your son and his friends I assume," Blueblood stood up, dusting himself off

"Good to hear, and I'm glad my son and squires arrived in time to aid you," Godric sighed before glaring reproachfully at Wotan, "As for you, bandit, I'm going to take my time picking your brain about all your cohor-"

"Ah, it seems we're right on time."

All eyes turned to see a griffon around Godric's age, accompanied by two large bruiser griffons at his sides, obviously bodyguards of some kind, and both wore scarves with shiny badges pinned to them. The griffon and Godric looked similar but where Godric was immense and mighty, this griffon was snake-like and slender, looking more corvid than aquiline, and he wore a robe of burgundy red, jeweled rings on his talons, with a medal hanging around his neck, and everyone present, aside from the bodyguards and bandits, regarded this griffon with distrust as he slunk over to Godric, "Why, if it isn't my big brother descending from on high to come to the valiant rescue of the commoners."

"What do you want, Gar?" Godric furrowed his brows at his brother. "Shouldn't you be at Griffonstone City Hall, taking care of some paperwork I collected from the citizens for you to go over?"

"That was today? Oh my mind must be going..." Gar reared up and raked his talons on a stone wall, creating a hideous screech that sent chills up everyone's spines, before he sat down on his haunches and examined his sharpened claws and dismissively added, "Must've slipped my mind."

"I bet something slipped," Doran scoffed, catching Gar's attention.

"Oh and could this strapping young lad be my dear nephew Galador?" Gar eyed his nephew like a piece of meat. "I say, you're going to give your big brother Horus quite the competition for leadership of the knighthood after your father retires- Oh, but not for a long time, of course."

"I ask again, what are you doing here, Gar?" Godric repeated, albeit a little less patient this time.

"Oh, I beg your pardon, brother, but first..." Gar approached Blueblood and gave a courteous bow, "Your Highness, Prince Blueblood, nephew of Her Shining Immortal Majesty, Princess Celestia, I deeply apologize for this unfortunate occurrence. As you might imagine, banditry is a growing problem here in Griffonstone. Ah! But where are my manners? I am Gar, Lord of Griffonstone, and as you might have gathered, younger brother of our good and esteemed Sir Godric of the Knighthood of the Sky. It is indeed an honor to welcome you to our... humble city."

"You are too kind, Lord," Blueblood said courteously but he could spy insincerity from a mile away.

Gar then turned to Wotan and his accomplices, "As for these hooligans, I'll be taking them off your claws, brother. After all, enforcing law in Griffonstone is a busy task."

"I was planning to escort them to the stockades personally, brother..." Godric's tone was almost threatening but Gar paid it no mind.

"Oh but I insist," Gar's smirk made Rainbow Dash want to bust that beak and she couldn't help but notice Gilda seemed to have the same thought. "As Lord, it is the least I can do to serve our humble city. And besides, the sooner these streetrats are processed, the sooner I can get to that paperwork, dear brother. Gentlebirds, if you please."

Gar's two bodyguards stepped forward, approaching the squires who were holding Wotan and his three thugs. The bodyguards glared at the squires who glared back in defiance as Doran gave his father a look. Godric looked like he wanted to wring his brother's neck but he sighed and nodded for them to stand down.

They backed off, allowing Gar's bodyguards to take the bandits into custody, and they all watched them take the thieves away, Gar beginning to take his leave before he said, "Thank you for your cooperation, my good knight, and Prince Blueblood, i hope the rest of your visit is a pleasant experience. Good day, everyone."

They watched the lord strut away, following his bodyguards and once they were out of earshot, Gilda threw Godric such a stink eye, "Why do you always do that?! Let him take away Wotan and those jerks only for them to "get loose" as he claims and they go right back to messing with everyone!?!"

"Miss, without concrete evidence that proves my brother is letting Wotan walk or escape, my claws are tied," Godric seemed disgusted with the words coming out of his mouth as he sighed and looked to the ponies, "I apologize to you all for that debacle. Mayhaps you would join us for a meal at the Sky Knight garrison?"

"Count us in, Sir Godric sir!" Pinkie popped up between Blueblood and Rainboiw Dash, hugging them in, before she zipped over to Gilda, "and Gilda should come too!"

"Say what?" Gilda felt put on the spot.

The Sky Knight Garrison of Griffonstone were somewhat an improvement compared to most of the city. There was a main building, where Godric explained the Sky Knight higher-ups, including himself, handled office-related duties, there was a training ground outside with an armory, the barracks where the knights and squires slept, and a cafeteria, where Godric and his squires treated their guests to a nice lunch. Gilda in particular had been reluctant to accept any hospitality, certain she'd have to pay for it that Godric had to assure her on his word as a knight that it was all on the house. The nice meal they were offered finally broke Gilda's defenses, and she joined them at the table, where the griffons enjoyed a stew and mead while they offered some daisy sandwiches, hay fries, and nectar or cider to their pony guests.

As they ate, Doran explained that unless one has proper clearance, they can't enter the Garrison without a legitimate concern.

"Gar doesn't have proper clearance on account of the fact he keeps trying to forge a voucher and we keep seeing through his bogus work," he added as they ate.
"He only gets to come in and complain every once in a while since he's the baron of Griffonstone. But he seldom abuses the privilege.

"One can get in, if vouched for by my dad or one of the senior knights, but getting that's easier said than done. Those seeking their voucher of approval would find it easier to find a needle in a haystack. However, since you're all friends of Midnight's, we're fine with you being here by our invitation."

Once Doran was done explaining the particular, Godric cleared his throat to get his guests' attention as he stated, "I strongly advise you keep your distance from Gar, his bodyguards, or any other shady-looking griffons around here."

“May I ask why?” Blueblood quizzed.

Godric took a deep breath as he joined his talons together as if deep in thought before he explained, “As you probably gathered from our... discussion earlier, Gar is my brother. My younger brother, actually. Our father, Hawkrest, stepped up decades ago to lead Griffonstone sometime after King Guto abolished the monarchy out of shame. Hawkrest managed to keep Griffonstone from falling into anarchy, but as you can plainly see it's coming apart at the seams... As firstborn, I would have succeeded my father after he retired. But I chose the path of Knighthood, leaving my brother to be our father's successor instead. A part of me regrets pursuing my calling and leaving Griffonstone under my brother's authority, but I swore an oath and here we are.

"Although he is the authority of Griffonstone, Gar is no king, as much as he likes to pretend he is. There is a council comprised of elder griffons, including our father, and the authority they carry keeps Gar from having absolute power. But that doesn't stop him from using any means necessary to get what he wants, and one of those means is Wotan and his gang.

"He's Gar's right-talon griffon, and rumored to lead a guild of thieves right here in Griffonstone. Wotan is in Gar's pocket and is known to make any problem or "undesirables"... disappear. Gar doesn't care about Griffonstone, only the power he has over it, and there is no low to which he won't stoop to increase his own power or wealth. If you want an example, he's hired Wotan's thieves to take tourists hostage until leaders of their homelands paid a ransom for their safe return. But even when a ransom was paid, the hostages weren't always safely returned...”

“That's disgusting...” Blueblood was taken aback in horror, Pinkie Pie hugging Rainbow, who let her, since the party pony looked like she needed some comfort.

Gilda displayed indifference but she was as interested as the rest of them.

“You don't know the half of it,” Doran hissed. “I'm ashamed to be his nephew, and would love nothing more than to see him jailed for his crimes. But none of us have ever been able to get solid evidence, and without proof to take to the council we can't remove Gar from power."

Blueblood, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie shared a troubled look, concern on all their faces. The fact that this tyrant in all but name was abusing his power so but the Sky Knights couldn't nail him for it was a clear and definite problem. Maybe it wasn't just friendship Griffonstone needed, but justice.

“Well... Maybe if we found that Idol of Boreas thing we could restore the pride of Griffonstone,” Dash suggested, earning her confused looks from all around her. "Blue, Pink, think about it! That must be why the map sent us here! If we find the Idol, we can bring pride and glory back to Griffonstone!"

"Oh for the love of- I told you dweebs already," Gilda fumed, getting up from the table while glaring at the rainbow pegasus, "We don't care about that stupid idol! I don't know about Godric and his lame knights but the rest of us don't care about anything and that's the way we like it!"

Then she stormed out, a knight getting out of her way, having been intimidated, and they heard someone clear his throat.

“Her anti-social behavior aside, I'm afraid I agree with Gilda, Rainbow Dash," Godric sighed, "and besides, it would not bode well if word got out you were looking for the Idol."

“What's the big deal?!" Rainbow Dash didn't get it! "The Idol was so important to Griffonstone, so why, of all other griffons, don't you want it to be found, Sir Godric?"

“Don't get me wrong, the Idol is a proud piece of our cultural history, Rainbow Dash," Godric explained, his tone wary, "But if my brother were to find out you or anyone had this notion, he would make sure whoever went on a search for the Idol would be lost in the Abysmal Abyss along with it. He's built his power on the promise that as long as he's in office, he'll find it and bring pride back to the city."

“And he hasn't found it,” Dash gathered.

“He hasn't even tried!” Doran clarified. “He's still using that empty promise to stay in power."

Godric nodded.

"Well, I'm not afraid of Gar or his cronies," Rainbow Dash flapped out of her seat, "I still say we find that treasure, make Griffonstone cool again, and then we'll be on the next train back to Ponyville. Blue, Pinks, c'mon!"

"Wait Rainbow Dash!" Rainbow Dash halted in the doorway and she saw neither Pinkie or Blueblood were in a hurry to follow as the Party Pony said, "What about Twilight's advice?"

"What, about taking pictures?" Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"Well, no," Blueblood shared a look with Pinkie before addressing Rainbow, "Didn't Twilight suggest we search for answers at the library?"

*Smack*

Blueblood shook off whatever had been thrown into his face and saw it was the notebook of suggestions and notes on Griffonstone Twilight had given them before they left.

"Knock yourselves out. But when you guys get bored with Twilight's tour book," rainbow Dash boasted, "I'll be at the Abysmal Abyss finding the Idol of Boreas."

She zoomed off, leaving Blueblood to sigh and Pinkie to ponder. Unbeknownst to them all however, a scrawny griffon wearing a scarf around his face had been eavesdropping from the roof, and waited until the coast was clear before he slipped away.

"Ooh-hoo-hoo! Wotan is gonna love this!"

Author's Note

The Sky Knights have barracks in every major city and town in the Griffon Kingdom. Godric being at the barracks in Griffonstone is for a number of reasons, a fair amount relating to his brother, Gar (means 'spear' in some language I don't recall)

He's only mentioned, but Doran has an older brother named Horus (after the Egyptian falcon god) who is in charge of a garrison somewhere else

274. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 3

"Hmm..." Lord Gar touched the tips of his talons together to form the pyramid of evil contemplation as he considered what he'd just been told. "This won't do. No, this will not do at all."

The corrupt lord sat in his lounge chair before his antique walnut desk in his vast study filled with priceless antiques, works of art, a private library, embroidered carpet, stuffed bear,- Okay, you get the idea. He's wealthy. but of course, his wealth and expensive tastes were not gained through legitimate means.

The griffon standing before Gar's desk had done a lot of work that contributed to Gar's wealth as Wotan then asked, "So, what do you want me to do, your lordship? Off the mare and dump her colorful carcass off the Hyperborean Mountains?"

"Mmm, unfortunately, that mare is here in the company of a prince of Canterlot," Gar massaged his brow as he considered the situation, "not to mention my waste of a brother and his annoying fledgeling knights will be watching over them closely. No... this calls for... subtlety, discretion, a way to be rid of this treasure-hunting tramp without being suspected of anything to do with her demise."

"And then there's that prince and the pink one, right?" Wotan brought up. "Unless it looks like a clear-cut "accident" they'll snoop, maybe even get the attention of the sun princess."

"And I am in no mood for a international scandal..." Gar sighed in annoyance before his brain began to hatch an idea. "Follow her. Odds are, she'll go to the Abysmal Abyss if she is truly foolish enough to try and find that blasted idol. With the intense updrafts that rise out of that place she won't be able to fly, and climbing accidents tend to be surprisingly effective in making an undesirable vanish..."

Wotan sneered deviously, "I'll deal with this 'climbing accident' personally, sir."

The doors to a shop burst open as in zoomed Rainbow Dash, declaring, "I'm gonna find your missing idol and save Griffonstone!"

She held her bold poise for a moment... until she noticed the silence and saw the griffoness at the counter was less than moved. Although she did narrow her eyes in irritation when one of her doors fell from the frame, spurring Rainbow Dash to clear her throat.

"Uh, I'll need some rope, a grappling hook, and a guide to take me down to the Abysmal Abyss."

"And I'll need some bits," the griffoness responded, holding out her talons expectantly, Rainbow Dash sighing as she forked them over. "I'll get you your stuff and guide you to the Abyss, just wait outside."

"Don't take too long, okay?" Rainbow Dash flapped up, "Griffonstone's counting on us!"

After the rainbow maned pegasus left, the griffoness peered into the corner of her store where another griffon appeared to be browsing... until he looked in her direction, revealing himself to be Wotan, as he sneered, "Remember your job, and you'll have a bag so heavy with Raptras you won't know what to do with it all."

"Whatever, as long as I get paid," the griffoness shrugged as she prepared to collect the requested items.

After leaving the garrison, Blueblood and Pinkie Pie discussed their next move.
"I can understand the idol being important an' all, but I just don't think it's the answer to Griffonstone's problem, Bluey!"

"I agree, Pinkie," Blueblood furrowed his brows as he recalled the story Gruff had told them, "though I still wonder what those two ponies were doing there during the incident when Arimaspi stole the Idol. Gruff told us those ponies were supposedly involved with the House of High Seas."

"House High Seas?" Pinkie echoed, not understanding.

"One of the noble houses affiliated with my Aunt Celestia's Council," Blueblood explained, "and the current head of the house is Treaty Ink who serves the council as the Duchess of Foreign Affairs. Technically, her job involves diplomacy, being an ambassadress to other countries on Equestria's behalf, and to work out agreements or problems Equestria may have with another nation. I actually took a few lessons from her in diplomacy after the Princess made me an honorary prince and her nephew."

"So basically, she talks with other ponies or creatures from different places and helps them become friends?" Pinkie liked the idea, because it sounded like what they were supposed to be doing.

"I... suppose you could think of it that way," Blueblood shrugged, despite knowing the job entailed a far more complicated position.

"Well in that case, I think I'll go see Gilda," Pinkie Pie pointed out the griffoness down the street, who was pulling a cart. "If we're gonna solve Griffonstone's problem, we gotta start somewhere! Seeya Bluey!"

"Wait- Pinkie, I don't think... annnnddd she's gone again," Blueblood sighed as Pinkie hopped on after Gilda. "Well, I suppose I could go check out Sir Godric's library, if he doesn't mind."

As Blueblood started making his way back to the garrison, Pinkie Pie called out, "Hey Gilda! Word on the street is that Griffonstone has amazing library chock-full of answers!"

"Word on what street?" Gilda retorted, her tone clearly annoyed.

"OK maybe not on this street," Pinkie replied, "but on other streets, your library is the talk of the town!"

"The library's right there," Gilda pointed to a location nearby, "so why don'choo go inside AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

Pinkie Pie stepped back as Gilda carried on, and then noticed the building she'd pointed her to was just like every other building in the city; rundown, decrepit, and it was clearly the library (or whatever was left of it) indicated by the broken bookcases and ruined books strewn about haphazardly. She looked at the books and grimaced at the state of them! Pages torn out, the covers worn, the ink and words ruined by exposure to the elements, that Pinkie Pie could only gasp, "Maybe it's good that Twilight didn't come."

She then noticed before her was a large old griffon statue with a crown on his head and a book on his face. A quick glance at the plaque told her this statue commemorated 'Guto, Last King of Griffonstone, may his memory preserve a broken promise'.

Godric walked with Blueblood to a locked section in the garrison library.

“The city records are kept in here because my brother would gladly love to rewrite history, if not bury it. Supposedly, the tomes here could contain information so incriminating the information would all but guarantee my brother a trip to the executioner's blade,” Godric took it all in, letting Blueblood pass him so the unicorn could browse for some research.
“Though it would be tragic to end my brother thus, it would finally put paid to his reign.”

“I see,” Blueblood considered. “An unfavorable position to be sure.”

“Unfavorable my feline ass,” Godric huffed coldly. “It's a lose-lose here. If I don't guard the town, Gar wins, if I guard the town, I'm the villain in my brother's speeches, and the citizens are inclined towards his opinion because like Gar they too have wallowed in greed.”

Blueblood felt very sympathetic to Godric's situation. He's been in that position of lose-lose many times before and knew the feeling of hopelessness. The two exchanged no more words, and the atmosphere in the garrison's corridor to the library would have easily frozen a whole den of manticores. When the two arrived at the library, Godric showed Blueblood to the “Chronicle Files” room, where the history of Griffonstone was kept.

Godric got the files pertaining to the ancestors of Treaty Ink and Blueblood opened the files. As the prince read through the files, some things became more and more clear. Blueblood saw that her ancestors had plans to steal the statue from the King and sell it on the black market to cement in the minds of the other country leaders that they weren't a trustworthy nation and thus all trading would dry up and thus, Griffonstone would be their little puppet for a black market and by extension place in power someone who could easily “Keep empty promises”.

Damn... Blueblood thought and continued to read.

As he read on, he found that the idol was found by Grover, so as to bring full unity to the griffons of Griffonstone, in order to make them more prosperous and profitable.

“It was something that was needed,” Godric sighed in bittersweet malaise. “Griffons did nothing but fight with each other and wouldn't come together for anything, which made the griffons easier to control. They could be bought off, enticed with treasure, comforts, and luxuries.”

“The typical and most obvious thing,” Blueblood commented.

“Along comes the House of High Seas and their duke,” Godric said. “They wanted to take the idol and make the griffons easier to control. All their efforts failed. When the idol finally disappeared and the monarchy was abolished, my father stepped in to run Griffonstone until he couldn't manage it anymore.”

“That begs the question of Treaty Ink,” Blueblood said. “Is she...”

“Like them?” Godric asked him. “No. She's actually been working with me to draw up new businesses and even ideas for bringing in tourists. In fact, she cracked a joke that I believe we can strive to.”

“And that is?” Blueblood asked.

“That we don't need some trinket you can find in any antique shop that some colt buys their grandmother or grandfather before their passing. She's like me, disgusted that griffons put their pride in the wrong place. As she says “Pride comes from within and placing it in some cutesy trinket only does you more harm”. I am of the same opinion,” Godric spoke with deep conviction.

“But then, that begs where she is?” Blueblood asked.

“She's actually here in Griffonstone. We've been working in secret to find a way to remove Gar from power and rally the griffons towards a more honorable yet proud existence. However, she must keep herself hidden. If Gar were to find her, he would kill her straightaway, international incident or not, and that would ruin any plans to redeem ourselves, we of Griffonstone and the integrity of Treaty Ink's lineage."

Blueblood sighed. This was something he hadn't expected to encounter. He was hoping for something to be clear cut and straight forward. Little did he know that nothing was ever clear cut and rarely was it straight forward.

“Is she here?” he asked.

“Why do you ask?” Godric asked Blueblood.

“I have a plan. With her help, maybe we can finally get everyone here on the silver path,” proposed Blueblood.

“That's a funny phrase,” Godric smirked.

“It's something an author uses from time to time. The Silver Path is the path that is very hard to maintain," Blueblood explained, "but in the end is very satisfying to walk on and even to look at. The pride is in the ones who tend to the path and not the path itself."

“Now, what do you suggest we do?” Godric asked.

“I don't know. Pray Dash has found the accursed thing and pray that Treaty Ink comes and disappears that thing to some far corner of Equestria or even disappear it to Tartarus itself," sighed Blueblood before he grumbled, "This thing's giving me a headache and I haven't even laid eyes on it."

This is gonna be a tough nut to crack... Blueblood thought as he continued his research.

As the library had been a bust (and unknowingly committing public vandalism in causing the beak on the statue of King Grover to break), Pinkie Pie somehow found herself near Gilda and her cart again, observing a couple of griffons bumping into each other and glaring as they passed each other by. Suddenly, the answer cam to her that she gasped, "I know what Griffonstone needs!"

"Fewer ponies?" Gilda sniped while placing some scones on a display on her cart.

"A song!" Pinkie hopped and grinned, "I've got a super song about smiling that's sure to make even the most grumpy griffon grin!"

She took a big inhale, only for Gilda to grab Pinkie's lips, "You can't sing here."

She pointed out a sign that clearly stated 'NO SINGING' along with an official seal below it that read 'By Order of Baron Gar'. Pinkie was so flabbergasted she stuttered, "B-bu- How do you break into musical numbers with no singing?! How could that meany Lord Gar outlaw music?"

"Oh sure, like Griffonstone's biggest problem is a lack of uplifting musical numbers," Gilda scoffed as she went over her inventory, "Gar said singing is a distraction from carrying out business and impedes progress."

"Well then, how `bout a party? If there's one thing these griffons need, it's some good cheer," Pinkie suggested before asking, "Where's your party store?"

The look Gilda gave her clearly said, 'Really?'

"No party store?!!" Pinkie pondered again before suggesting, "How about cake? Nothing cheers folks up like cake! Where's your bakery?"

The annoyed groan Pinkie got from Gilda that denoted there was no bakery was the final straw, "No singing, no party store, no bakery?! WHAT IS THIS PLACE?!?!"

"You're welcome to leave at any time!!" Gilda yelled back, the force of her yell sending Pinkie crashing into a wall from which she slowly peeled off.

"Well that just takes the cake- Wait! No it doesn't because there is no cake!! Or muffins! Or Griffon Scones!"

"Oh we've got griffon scones," Gilda corrected before pointing out her cart, "That's my specialty."

"I'll buy one!" Pinkie offered, and when Gilda took one off the display case Pinkie tried to chomp it, only for Gilda to hold it out of reach.

"Bits first," Gilda held out her talons, and Pinkie whipped her curly mane to make a Bit come out to pay Gilda, who suddenly stuffed the scone into Pinkie's mouth.

She took an experimental bite and quickly found the bland and dry taste wasn't nearly as bad as the texture, Gilda asking, "Well? What, you like it? That's my Grampa Gruff's secret recipe."

Gilda's moment of pride was short-lived when Pinkie cried with a mouthful, "OW! Ah hink a broke a toof!"

"Well whatever, no refunds," Gilda narrowed her eyes, "I don't even care anyway. I just wanna sell enough of these to save up enough money so that I can leave this lousy town!"

Spitting out the remains of the scone, Pinkie gave a (less than toothy) smile, "I can help you with that."

The Abysmal Abyss certainly lived up to its name, as the deep and dark chasm's forbidden appearance was made even more apparent by the gusts and gales of wind that rose up out of it. Rainbow Dash could tell that the wild air currents, like a river of rapids, flowed into this chasm and the narrow spaces increased the velocity of the wind as the amount of air was pressured by the build-up of air in such limited space. Even a pegasus with as much experience in flying as her would have to have a death wish to try and fly in there!

She had her equipment, her guide, but her helmet felt a little loos, and as she was lacking in appendages on her hooves she asked, "Uh, do you think you could tighten the strap on my helmet?"

"Can you give me more Bits?" the griffon responded, her talon reaching out almost in reflex.

The tone and response vexed Rainbow Dash but she kept her cool before using her wing to tighten the strap herself, "Never mind, I got it."

Peering over the edge and hearing the rushing air, Rainbow Dash asked, "So... how deep is this abyss?"

"How deep are your pockets?"

"Don't you griffons ever talk about anything other than money?" Rainbow Dash finally snipped.

"Give me some Bits and I'll answer," the guide snipped back without missing a beat.

"No wonder Gilda's such a delight..." Rainbow Dash muttered to herself, and for a moment the underlying truth of those words made sense. To have grown up in such an environment where every griffon was out for him or herself and never did anything for anyone unless there was monetary gain, it really was no wonder Gilda was so irritable.

As Rainbow Dash worked up her nerve, she didn't notice her guide peering over her shoulder and giving a wink to a certain one-eyed griffon who was peering around a tree from a distance. Wotan nodded back before pointing to the rainbow pony and making a throat-slitting gesture, and the guide nodded back, feeling the weight of her payment hanging from her bags. She'd been given half her payment to play along and was promised the rest after she left Rainbow Dash to her doom...

Meanwhile, back in town, Pinkie sampled another scone (and miraculously Gilda didn't make her pay for it) before saying, "Grampa Gruff's recipe is good, but it's missing just one important ingredient."

"Don't tell me... Friendship?" Gilda waved her talons in a less-than-cheery manner.

"Uh, no. Baking powder!" Pinkie reached into her mane and pulled the aforementioned ingredient out, "Lucky I never leave home without it."

Gilda shook her head and took the ingredient from Pinkie and after using her grandpa's recipe, tried a small pinch of this new magical ingredient in the raw bowl of dough before she took hoofuls of the dough and folded them into scone shapes onto a cooking tray and said, "Now we just pop these into the oven and you'll have griffon scones worth their weight in gold!"

Rolling her eyes but deciding it couldn't hurt, Gilda waited... and honestly, even as the scones Pinkie had prepared with baking powder were toasting away she couldn't help but notice a delectable aroma coming from her oven. Apparently, she wasn't the only one as another griffoness who happened to be flying above stopped, noticing a delicious smell-

*BUMP/"OOH-Hoo!"*

Pinkie Pie and Gilda looked and saw this griffoness had fallen (after another had bumped into her), and was rubbing her sore head.

"Greta!" Gilda hurried over to help Greta to her talons and paws, only for Greta to yank her forelimb out of Gilda's grasp without so much as a thank you.

"Ah-HA!!" Gilda looked to see Pinkie Pie giving her a shrewd smile, "I saw that, Gilda! You may act like a gruff-grumbling griffon, but inside you're gracious and great!"

"What're you talking about?" Gilda was honestly perplexed by Pinkie's statement.

"You just helped your friend up after she got knocked down," Pinkie pointed out.

"What, her? Greta's just some griffon I know. We don't have friends here!" Gilda huffed before she sighed, "I did have a friend once... but you know how that turned out. "

Pinkie Pie's look of sympathy turned to a pupil-shrinking expression of EUREKA as she gasped, "I GOTTA GO FIND DASH AND BLUEY!!"

As the party pony hurried off, Gilda muttered, "Seeya..."

Meanwhile, in the library, Blueblood was milling over everything in his mind when it clicked.

“Godric, I have it figured out,” he said. “The statue doesn't have any magical enchantments or anything like that...it was an item that brought the wrong sort of pride.”

“That's what I was thinking,” Godric said. “But what brought this about?”

“The words Gar uses. The lies and usage of false promises,” Blueblood said. “I've been around this all before and it's got all these hallmarks. In fact, I think that it was presented as a way to control the griffons through the use of lies and false promises. Words are just as powerful as any enchantment or spell. In the case of lies, they are more powerful. What I'm thinking is that the trinket was used by those underhanded to control them and create an air of miserable pride. Which means that.....”

“Those who stole it or planned to steal it were doing so without knowing what it was doing,” Godric concluded. “That's plausible, but that still leaves a few questions like “Where did it come from” and “why make like there's an enchantment on it”?”

“I can't answer the first one, but the second one is where a bit more of the Canterlot raising comes in,” Blueblood said. “It's a trick called “Phantom Belief”-a way of making someone believe it has some sort of enchantment on it to make sure it stays in place and can be used by these unscrupulous ponies to control others.”

Godric nodded.

“But how will everyone buy this?” he asked.

“They won't,” Blueblood said. “They've been too far sucked into believing Gar and his empty words.”

"BLUUUUEEEEEEEEYYYY!!!!!"

Blueblood and Godric both suddenly felt a strange shiver of fear run up their spines as something pink EXPLODED into Godric's library, causing books and scrolls to fly about in a papery mess. Once it settled, Godric saw Pinkie Pie was on Blueblood, smushing his cheeks as she got nose to nose with him, a look of excitement on her face that came precariously close to manic, as she exclaimed, "I KNOW how we can help Griffonstone, WE GOTTA FIND RAINBOW DASH!!"

"P-Pinkie Pie, what in in Goddess's name are yoOUOUOUUOAAAAAUAUGHHGGHHh...!!!" Godric watched as Blueblood was dragged off in a blur by the party pony, entirely uncertain what to make of what he'd just seen... until he sighed at the mess Pinkie Pie had left behind.

At first, Pinkie Pie didn't know where to go until Blueblood (who'd read up a little on the Abysmal Abyss) led the way, and even from a distance as they approached the gorge they could hear the gusty gales that screamed through its narrow walls. But there was another scream they heard that alerted them both and they hurried over to the edge and looked down to see Rainbow Dash on a ledge a considerable distance below them.

"Rainbow Dash!!" Pinkie and Blueblood called, and their friend looked up as Blueblood called, "Rainbow Dash, are you alright?!"

"NO, I'M NOT!!" Rainbow had to shout over the screaming winds, "I FELL, HURT MY HOOF, AND MY JERK GUIDE LEFT ME HERE BECAUSE I COULDN'T PAY FOR HER HELP!!! AND NOW I'M STUCK HERE BECAUSE THE WINDS ARE TOO STRONG TO FLY!!"

"We'll help you, Rainbow Dash! But on a side-note, I figure out how we can help Griffonstone!" Pinkie Pie announced, only for Blueblood to nudge her.

"Pinkie? Why don't we discuss helping Griffonstone after we've helped Rainbow Dash out of this death trap, hmmmm?"

"Oh yeah, ha-ha!" Pinkie giggled at being such a silly-willy.

"CAN YOU GUYS THROW ME DOWN A ROPE?!" Rainbow Dash shouted up.

"I'm on it!" Pinkie pie turned to get the rope while Blueblood stayed at the edge.

"Don't panic, Rainbow Dash. We'll have you up in no time and get your hoof looked a-" Blueblood's eyes popped at the sight of a rope being thrown over the edge, and he saw it all fell down on Rainbow Dash, to hers and his own flabergasted infuriation as they both gave Pinkie such a stink eye!

"...oops?" Pinkie realized her boo-boo while Blueblood groaned and face-hooved while muttering "idiot..."

"We need help! C'mon, Bluey!"

Groaning as Pinkie Pie hurried off, Blueblood looked over the edge and called, "Rainbow Dash, just try and stay still! We'll get help and be back as quick as we can!"

Rainbow Dash could just barely hear Blueblood galloping off and yipe'd as a piece of the ledge she was on crumbled away and fell into the abyss.
"Oh guys, please hurry...!"

"We gotta find Gilda, Bluey! She can help us save Dash!" Pinkie was standing on top of the statue of King Grover (accidentally causing more damage to it) as she frantically looked about for the griffoness while Blueblood looked up at her incredulously.

"Pinkie Pie, I'm all for helping Gilda re-learn the importance of friendship, but Rainbow dash is running out of time!" Blueblood tried to explain, "We should just hurry back to the Sky Knight garrison and get Sir-"

"There she is!"

Blueblood sighed as Pinkie Pie hurried down the street and sure enough there was Gilda, trying one of her baking powder-improved scones and from the look on her face they were definitely worth their weight in gold.

"Gilda, Gilda!" The griffoness growled under her breath for sure enough there was Pinkie Pie when she turned around, along with a worried Blueblood.
"Rainbow Dash is stuck on a ledge in the Abysmal Abyss and we need your help to save her!"

"Not my problem," Gilda responded coldly.

"Of course it's your problem!" Pinkie protested while Blueblood looked disgusted. "She's your friend!"

"Used to be," Gilda corrected.

"Gilda. I understand you and Rainbow Dash didn't part on the best of terms," Blueblood stepped in, "but surely the friendship the two of you shared mattered to you!"

"Yeah! I mean, can't you remember when Rainbow Dash was your friend?" Pinkie Pie added anxiously.

"...Of course I do," Gilda looked back as she told them, "My folks wanted a better life for me than Griffonstone, and that meant having better teachers when I was just getting started learning to fly. Teachers that wouldn't charge them for every lesson, every lecture, every training session, teachers who they could afford!

"So... they managed to scrape enough money to send me to Equestria's Junior Speedsters Flight Camp... It wasn't easy being the only griffon in a camp full of pegasus foals, and these three little snot-muzzled colts made it harder on my very first day! Then, there she was. Dash stood up for me and by me my entire time at camp. We played together, trained together, we made those little bullies eat our powder!"

Pinkie and Blueblood shared a sympathetic smile when they noticed Gilda tear up at the thought of those good ol' days from her youth as a fledgeling. She noticed too and wiped it away before resuming her touchy attitude, "Fine! I'll help her, but that doesn't make me her friend!"

"Duly noted," Pinkie responded, and when Gilda passed them she whispered not-so-discreetly to Blueblood, "Except it doooeeesss!"

"Heh! Let's get going," Blueblood urged and they hurried off.

The ledge was crumbling again. Any more and Rainbow Dash knew she would slip and that would be the end of her! The whistling wind blew through her mane and feathers like a brush of doom as Rainbow Dash hoped her friends would be back quickly before-

"HANG ON, LOSER!"

Rainbow Dash looked up and was taken back to see Gilda, wearing a hard hat and a rope tied around her middle as she began to shimmy down, yelling, "I'm coming!"

She couldn't believe it - Gilda was here to rescue her, and she couldn't help but feel an old excitment she hadn't felt ever since Gilda and Rainbow Dash's falling out a while back as she yelled, "What took ya so long, doofus?!"

Now, Gilda was diving through downwards, only for the wind in the Abyss to push her towards the cliff walls. Thankfully, she maneuvered around to land on her talons and paws, using her claws to get a grip and not be blown away. However, the wind became too much for the ledge as Rainbow Dash cried otu and began to fall!

"RAINBOW DASH!" Pinkie Pie then did something extrmeley stupid (even for her) as she removed the other end of Gilda's rope from the rock it was tied to, put it around herself, and grabbed a panicking Blueblood as she jumepd down, shouting, "WE'RE COMING FOR YOUUUU!!!!"

"PINKIE, YOU IDIOT!!!!!!" Blueblood shrieked as he forced her to let go of him, only to realize his own folly, just as they fell past Gilda.

Since Pinkie was now attached to the other end of the rope, her Blueblood falling jerked her off the cliff wall, and then all four of them were falling even deeper into the Abyss!

"GILDAAAA!!!" Blueblood cried like a colt since he had no wings or a rope, and Gilda managed to grab him.

"I gotcha, I gotcha!" Gilda assured.

"But who's got us?!!?" Blueblood was on the verge of freaking out even more-

"I GOT RAINBOW DASH!!"

*KAFLUMP*

As luck would have had it, Gilda and Blueblood both landed on another ledge but Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were dangling below them, hanging from Gilda's middle.
"Hold on you two...!!!" Gilda grunted as she struggled to hold onto the ledge.

"Here, lemme help you!" Blueblood grabbed onto the rope, lifting some of the strain off the griffoness as she got onto solid ground before gasping at the sight of something behind Blueblood!
"What is it?!"

Blueblood followed Gilda's line of sight andg asped as well to see a large skull with a single eye socket and two curving ram-like horns, "Is that... the skull of a cyclops?!"

"Not just any cyclops, it's the remains of Arimaspi!" Gilda realized as she looked around, "Which means...!"

Her suspicion proved correct for on another ledge across from them was something gleaming in a ray of sunlight that managed to peer down into the abyss, and Gilda gasped, "The Idol of Boreas!"

"Gilda, forget it! We need to get the girls out of there...!!" Blueblood gritted his teeth as he tried to pull Rainbow and Pinkie up.

"Just hold on a second!" Gilda very carefully began to reach across the way, her talon just barely touching the idol as she tried to pull it closer to her grasp-

"GILDAAA!!!" Blueblood yelled with a strained voice.
"I'M SLIPPING!!" Rainbow Dash shouted from below.

Gilda flubbed and pulled the idol a little too fast so it was then hanging precariously, again out of her reach and now in danger of falling deeper yet into the Abyss. Sweating, struggling, Gilda kept reaching but she heard the ponies all beginning to panic as they were losing their grip and the wind was making it harder to stay still... but then the mares both felt themselves begin to rise up and Blueblood smiled in relief as Gilda helped him pull the girls up onto the ledge. They'd barely sat up (failing to notice a magical light) just in time to see the relic fall.

"The idol!" Rainbow Dash looked on as the Idol of Boreas was lost.

"You're more important to me than some dumb chunk of gold," Gilda assured, and the four of them came together in a quick hug that was interrupted by the sound of the ledge beginning to crumble.

"Hugging later!" Pinkie made sure every was secured by the rope, "Climbing NOW!!"

And together, they climbed their way out of that terrible place, leaving Arimaspi's remains to linger there forever.

Gilda grunted as she pulled herself up onto the edge and then once she was on solid ground she turned to help the others and pulled them up one by one, and they were all safe.
"We're all okay? Everyone's okay?"

"We're all fine, Gilda," Blueblood assured, "Thanks to you."
"You saved our lives, Gilda! Thank you so much," Rainbow Dash smiled gratefully at her old friend, glad to call her that again.
"I knew you could do it!" Pinkie Pie giggled, "And the best part is, you and Dashie are friends again."

"Yeah, I guess we are, eh Dash?" Gilda held up her talons curled into a fist, and Rainbow Dash answered with a hoof-talon bump (with her uninjured hoof that is).

"Junior Speedsters forever," Rainbow Dash smiled but felt bad again, "I'm just sorry I couldn't get the Idol of Boreas. Now we'll never solve Griffonstone's problem."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that..." Blueblood gave them a smirk as he held up his hoof and his horn glowed... and in a pop of magic there was the Idol of Boreas!

"What the"-!?"
"How did you...?!"
"Wow, Bluey! How'd you do that?!"

"Right after we pulled you girls up, I managed to charm the Idol with a summoning spell just before it fell," Blueblood explained, "and after we made it up here to safety I cast the spell and here it is."

"Blueblood, you sneaky son of a timberwolf!" Rainbow Dash was all kerfluffled with excitment, "Omigoshomigoshomigoshomigoshomigosh!! Now we can bring the Idol back and help Griffonstone!"

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," Blueblood held the Idol out of the rainbow mare's grabby hooves, "I think we should bring this straight to Sir Godric before we go and do anything rash. Remember, Gar's still in power and we need to handle this delicately."

"Give it to me," Gilda held out her talons, "I can hide it under my wing as we bring it to the Sky Knights."

"Agreed," Blueblood levitated it to Gilda who tucked it safely under wing and folded it close, completely hiding it. "Let's get going, this abyss gives me the creeps..."

As the four friends hurried off, they passed by some bushes that hid the body of the griffon guide Rainbow had hired, her throat torn out and her eyes widened in frozen terror....

Author's Note

We're not done here...

275. The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone - Part 4

Making their way back into Griffonstone, Gilda apologized, "I'm really sorry for the way I treated you all."

"Thanks, Gilda."
"Apology accepted."
"No harm done."

"So then... what're we gonna do with the... you-know-what?" Rainbow Dash asked while discreetly gesturing Gilda's wing, which concealed the recovered artifact.

"Well, I would suggest you come with us."

"What the flying-" Blueblood and the rest looked up to see Sir Godric coming down to them from above, accompanied by four Sky Knights.

Two of them continued on, carrying a large something wrapped up while the other two remained with their Captain, who spoke to one of them, “Make sure the Garrison's meeting room has the proper guest as well as refreshments."

“Yes, sir,” the Sky Knight nodded before flying off.

"Sir Godric? What's going on?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"There's been a murder, Rainbow Dash," Godric answered, the ponies and Gilda looking alarmed, especially when Godric explained, "It's the nature guide, the one that you hired I presume."

"Her?!" Rainbow Dash was flabbergasted, "She left me to die in the abyss becuase I couldn't pay her to rescue me!! She 's dead?!"

“This has 'Wotan under Gar's orders' written all over it,” Godric nodded with a disturbed look. "I believe they paid off the guide to leave you to die but then murdered her to have no witnesses. After Prince Blueblood and Miss Pie left the Garrison I sent Doran along shortly after to check on you in case you needed help.

"Doran however got waylaid by a public disturbance and had to calm things down, but he did notice one of Wotan's griffons from his gang slip away. By the time he arrived at the Abyss you were already leaving, but he noticed the guide's body and came to us."

“Well, we need to find some way to sort this mess out...” Blueblood began when they were interrupted by the returning Sky Knight.

“Everything's according to plan,” he said to his captain.

“Excellent,” smirked Godric before looking to the four. “Come along, friends. You too, Gilda.”

Following the Knight Captain, the four of them whispered among themselves.
"I'm miffed that guide abandoned me but... she didn't deserve to get killed over it!" Rainbow Dash sighed.
"I just can't beleive something so awful like this happened," added Pinkie Pie.
"Things are getting worse, and I hope whatever Godric's got planned it'll help Griffonstone," commented Gilda.
"Well, he does indeed have something in mind," Blueblood brought up, "and with the Idol recovered we might have a chance to really turn things around in Griffonstone. Not just through friendship but justice."

They followed Godric to the Sky Knight Garrison. Once inside the gates and the large metal doors were shut, Godric took them to the Garrison's meeting hall, which was towards the center of the garrison itself, where Godric held meetings with his Sky Knights and squires, as well as visiting individuals of interest. It was larger, more open, and grander in architectural design than the hall the ponies and Gilda had seen earlier, and the walls were covered with paintings and tapestries depicting griffon history and historical figures.

“I'm amazed here,” Blueblood commented. “Much nicer then the one out there.”

“The one out there is for show and to tolerate Gar whenever he abuses his authority to come and complain to the Sky Knights directly,” explained Godric. “Here, we have actual meetings where we can more safely discuss important matters without worry of Gar or his cronies overhearing sensitive information."

“Sounds like a real treat,” Blueblood sighed wistfully.

“It is indeed, my dear Prince, or should I say Duke Blueblood?" called out a familiar voice to the honorary prince.

“Who's there?” Dash demanded.

A chuckle was heard and a familiar figure stepped towards them from a shadowed doorway. It was a unicorn mare getting on in her age, evident by her faded yellow coat, much like paper yellowed by age, her mane was ink black, tied up in a high and well-done ponytail, her cutie-mark was a corked ink bottle and soft blue feather quill on a piece of parchment, and she wore a nice but humble necklace that complemented her bright gold eyes.

“Duchess Treaty Ink?” Blueblood knew that the duchess was in Griffonstone but hadn't been expecting to see her so quickly.

“Dispense with the 'Duchess' title,” Treaty Ink waved off the formality. “The Aristocracy is to be dissolved, and that's for the best. I've always believed the council needed true and progressive change, and hopefully I can help Godric to do the same here in Griffonstone."

"Well perhaps..." Blueblood nodded to Gilda who got the idea and lifted her wing to hold out, to everyone's awe, the Idol of Boreas! "This might be a good place to start."

"The Idol of Boreas!"
"They've recovered it!"
"Is that good or bad?"
"Shush, birdbrains, let them work in peace!"

The knights and squires were in awe as Gilda held out the Idol to Blueblood, who levitated it over onto the meeting hall's table where he and Treaty Ink and Godric gave it a closer look.

"I never really expected to look upon the Idol in my lifetime..." Godric's expression was a reluctant admriation for a piece of his people's history that had brought about a proud and noble era only for it to suddenly disappear.

"With your permission, Sir Godric," Treaty Ink spoke respectfully, "Blueblood and I would examine it, perhaps determine what it is about this relic that inspired the age it influenced."

Godric gave the two unicorns a look and then nodded, Treaty Ink looking to Blueblood, "Shall we?"

"We shall," Blueblood lit up his horn, as did Treaty Ink and everyone watched as the two unicorns' magical auras enshrouded the Idol. They closed their eyes in focus as they cast their spells, probing and analyzing, looking for whatever it was that made the Idol so special. After a few long moments, the both of them opened their eyes, seeing confirmation in the other before Blueblood faced their waiting audience.

"Ponies, Griffons, I'm sorry to tell you this," Blueblood said firmly before he clarified as he pointed at the Idol, "but the Idol of Boreas is just an ordinary artifact."

"WHAT?!" "Are you kidding?!" "What're you saying?" "Please tell me you're joking!" "That can't be true..."

“I'm afraid it is, everyone," Treaty Ink said kindly but truthfully, "The Idol of Boreas? Just a solid piece of gold, worth about as much as you'd pay for an antique you could find at an auction."

"This confirms it then," Godric sighed with bittersweet realization, "The Idol was ultimately meaningless to griffons, a source of a misplaced pride that was easily forgotten the moment it was lost."

“Well that's just a real wizard move,” Gilda snorted, "And to think I almost risked my friends for that stupid thing!"

“Gilda?” The griffoness looked to see Treaty Ink was addressing her.

“Yeah, what?” Gilda huffed.

"You risked your own life to help your friends out of a dangerous situation," Treaty Ink pointed out, "and once all were safe and sound, what did you feel? How were you after you'd saved these three when you'd decided they mattered more than a relic belonging to your people's past?"

Gilda paused, her customary rants and insults tripping over themselves in her beak. She reconsidered Treaty's words and then said:

“I... I felt like... I felt good about my choice, what I'd done," Gilda considered as realization began to dawn on her, "something like... like...!"

“Pride?” Godric smiled as he began to understand what Treaty Ink was getting at.

“Yes...” whispered Gilda, a smile appearing on her own face as she looked and saw smiles coming from all around her.

“That. That is the kind of pride you should be striving for," Treaty Ink smiled softly as he went on, "that inner pride and self respect that all griffons should have and feel, not only about themselves but for each other and other creatures."

"She's right," Blueblood agreed, "Pride doesn't come from an object. It comes from one's own actions and deeds, the merits you show and live by and how it inspires others to follow an honored example."

"That's what I've been trying to say!"

Everyone looked to Pinkie Pie as she looked at Rainbow Dash and Blueblood, "The Map didn't send us here to find the lost Idol of Boreas. It sent us here to replace it with something better!"

"But... nothing's better than gold to the griffons around here," Gilda brought up.

"That's because you don't have friendship!" Pinkie pointed out while giving Gilda a quick hug, "If all the griffons of Griffonstone can learn to care about each other again, Griffonstone can be a greater kingdom than it ever was before! And you don't need some golden idol to do that; you just need each other."

"Whoa, Pinkie! That was... really sappy," Rainbow Dash responded.

"But what Pinkie Pie just said is true!" Doran spoke up, "I mean, Father! We've spent all our time trying to keep order and enforcing the law in Griffonstone but we never really made an effort to reach out to the citizens and show them a better way! We've been so focused on preserving order and justice and keeping Gar from assuming total power over Griffonstone we lost sight of what Griffonstone truly needs."

Godric found himself at a loss for words as he saw the truth in his son's, realizing, How could I have been so blind...?!

But before anyone else could say anything, a distant trumpet of horns sounded and could be heard not only by them but by everyone in Griffonstone.

“What's that?” Blueblood asked as they all looked out the window, hearing the trumpets.

“That fanfare signals Gar is about to make a public address," Godric explained, "But for what?"

"CAPTAIN!!"

Everyone looked to see a squire griffon hurry up to them, giving his captain and the knights and their visitors a respectful bow and salute before stating, "Sir! Apologies for interrupting your meeting. It's Lord Gar's public announcement! I heard that he's going to address the "deaths" of Miss Rainbow Dash and the griffoness guide!"

"Wha- But... I'm not dead!" Rainbow Dash flabbergasted, only for Pinkie Pie to cover her mouth, going 'shhhhhhh!!'

"Who knows may be listening...!" Pinkie said in a hush-hush voice while getting shifty-eyed

"Hold on..." Everyone turned to Treaty Ink who had a mischievous gleam in her eyes, “I believe we can use this to our advantage."

“How so?” Godric asked.

“Simple. Using a method that my family's done many times to single out a liar,” Treaty Ink continued. “Blueblood, as a noble and certified dignitary of Canterlot, can go, as a way to 'Pay respect to ease international tensions' and use that to make a statement. That one statement, of his choosing, will lead Gar to open his beak and it'll all come out.

"All we need do, is make sure his words are heard by every griffon in attendance!"

“Ooh, so an “Ah dammit, I've been rumbled” moment,” Doran realized with devious excitement.

“Exactly. Once it's out in the open, Gar will feel cornered and react violently,” Treaty Ink wrapped up, "and that's when Godric and Doran and the Sky Knights, swoop in to save the day and finally put Gar, along with his underlings, away for his corruption!"

“Well, whatever we're going to do, we'd better do it quickly," Godric brought up, "my brother won't wait long before addressing the public."

"Gather around, everyone," Treaty Ink bade them with a clever look in her eyes, "Here's the plan..."

They waited until the gathering was big enough for the plan to serve its purpose. Blueblood moved onto to the stage, as a representative for Equestria.

Here's hoping this works, Blueblood thought, barely able to stomach the complete and total pile of steaming horseapples Gar had spewed from his beak earlier about what a 'tragedy had taken place in their humble nation', how he 'hoped this would not damage the bond between pony and griffon' and other some such total garbage.

He'd seen it in those crow's feet ravaged eyes of Gar's, Blueblood knew the griffon lord didn't mean a word. But that will make putting you in your place all the sweeter...

Gar's tone and his mannerisms showed he didn't give two shiny bits (or Raptras) about the deaths. To him, this was just another way to spin a wild tale to his own favor. Blueblood cracked a sly smirk. He was going to make Gar spin alright...spin the truth and finally end this sad excuse of a circus.

“And now, I'd like to give the floor over to His Highness, Prince Blueblood, for his words on Rainbow Dash and for our beloved neighbor,” Gar said, turning to the prince.

“Thank you, Lord Gar,” Blueblood said courteously.

He took the stand set in front of a large tapestry of Griffonstone's coat of arms, receiving a sparse and unenthusiastic applause and took a deep breath. No sign of emotion was in Blueblood's eyes or even on his face. It was all part of the plan. Use the emotionless tactic to get Gar wound up, then Blueblood would sweet talk him and before he knew it, the truth was out in the open.

“I would like to start by saying that my friends have been grieving over the loss,” Blueblood started as stonefaced as King Grover's statue. “Dash was a loyal friend and her passing is a great loss. I can only imagine the reactions of her friends and family once we return home to Equestria...”

Blueblood could tell Gar had bought the lie, as the griffon lord stood to his side. He internally smirked and continued as a faint light slowly enshrouded the tapestry behind them.

“Dash was a great pony and a great friend, fiercely proud and loyal to those she cared for,” Blueblood continued. “She never faltered or gave in when things seemed impossible.”

Gar chuckled.

“Now, I'm sure that the griffoness who lost her life was also a fine example of Griffonstone's best,” Blueblood added kindly. “As I am sure Lord Gar is just as hurt as I am at the loss of a dear friend.”

“Dear friend?” Gar muttered to himself with cruel amusement, failing to notice his own words seemed oddly louder. “A pitiful greedy pawn paid off to make sure that technicolored tramp had an "accident", hehehehe. No different from all these other griffons here, nothing more than mangy and sorry excuses of their own species. Now, if they were more proactive like Wotan, silencing that greedy little guide forever than maybe... wait....”

Gar finally noticed how his words were coming out so loud that everyone could hear him, evident by the looks of shock, rage, and disgust glaring his way!

"What the- How- What's going on here?!" Gar flabbergasted and noticed a griffon in the crowd pointed behind him.

He looked and squawked in horror to see himself, magically displayed on the tapestry as though it were a screen and a camera was giving him a close-up, and he realized everybirdy had heard every word!

"How is this possible?!!?" Gar screeched, his words still being amplified, when he heard a lough cough and he turned to see someone step forward and throw off a hood to reveal, "Treaty Ink!!! I should've known!"

"You're done brother, cooked!"

Gar looked around and realized his brother Godric and the Sky Knights were here too, hidden amongst the crowd, who were backing away, sensing something was about to go down.

"We know all about your scheme on Rainbow Dash's life, Gar."

The griffon lord looked to see Blueblood giving him a condemning look with furrowed brows, "And it failed! Rainbow Dash is alive and well! So you can be certain that this crime will not get swept under your rug."

“WHY YOU LITTLE...!” Gar roared and lunged at Blueblood, only for a flash of color and a delayed clank of armor to fill the air as Godric pinned his brother down by the throat, standing over him as if Godric himself was ready to vanquish a great evil.

In the meantime, Wotan and the rest of Gar's minions were rounded up and placed in shackles by Godric's Sky Knights, Doran walking up to Wotan with a look of contempt. Wotan returned the look with one of indifference.
"Do with me what you will. I've broken out of prison before."

"Then you can be sure we'll be all the more careful in locking you up, Doran responded before pointing his talon. "Take them away!"

“And take this shameful example with you," Godric threw a vanquished Gar at their feet, and the former griffon lord was chained up alongside the rest of his thugs and led to the Garrison holding cells Gar threw a look back at the ponies, finally noticing Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie joining Blueblood on the stage, and swearing to himself, One day, ponies... One day!!!

Once the criminals were gone and out of sight, Blueblood, Treaty Ink, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and even Gilda looked to Godric as the Duchess asked, "So what now, my friend? Are you going to leave leadership of Griffonstone to elder council?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Doran commented, "those old fuddy-duddies can be just as greedy and ignorant as every other griffon has been for the last hundred years or so."

"That is true..." Godric was troubled, wondering what may become of this city when...

"Is that Sir Godrics?!" "It is! I remember him back at the Equestria Games." "He gave up winning his event to help a rival finish it after he'd hurt himself, what a sport!"

Everyone was noticing all the griffons who'd turned out for Gar's announcement were gathering around them, gazing up with admiration at Godric, to his hesitation, when Gilda smirked with an idea.
"It's time Griffonstone had a proper king again!" Gilda shouted out for everyone to hear, "I nominate Sir Godric!"

"What?!" Godric squawked at Gilda, but unfortunately her words had sparked something among the citizens.

"Godric as our new king?!" "I'd follow him anywhere!" "He's perfect! Honorable, just... he'll make a wonderful king!" "Hail King Godric!"

"HAIL KING GODRIC!!!" the crowd was calling out, deaf to Godric's attempts to dissuade them, "LONG LIVE THE KING!!!"

Godric was looking absolutely mortified, his feathers puffing out to make him look fluffy and larger while his beak hung in disbelief, when he felt someone place his talons on his shoulder and he turned to see his son, Doran, giving him an amused look.
“Dad, just go with it. If not you, then who?"

“Besides, I can't think of anybirdy better to look after Griffonstone," Blueblood added.
"Hear, hear!" Treaty Ink giggled at the stupefied look of the older griffon.
"This is so AWESOME!!" Rainbow Dash cheered.
"CORONATION PARTY!!!" Pinkie Pie's eyes lit up at the idea of throwing a coronation party for the very first time.

Godric sighed, knowing he was outnumbered, "This is going to take a lot of work..."

Treaty Ink decided she would remain in Griffonstone a while longer to help Godric get things settled. She was already looking for a metal forger to craft a crown for the new king. There would have to be a formal coronation, invites would be sent out to leaders or representatives of other nations to witness the crowning of a new griffon king, the lords of the other cities and towns of the Griffon Kingdom would have to come to swear fealty to the new king and an example would have to be made of those who refused.

And yet things still didn't quite feel right, as the ponies and Gilda walked back to her baking cart, Blueblood commented, "Does anyone else feel like there's still work to do here in Griffonstone?"

"Well, our cutie-marks haven't lit up, saying we're done," Rainbow Dash pointed out, "so maybe there is still something to do."

"But what? Griffonstone's free of that jerk Gar, we're getting a new king who will be better than all the others, and-" Gilda screeched a bit as Pinkie Pie foisted a tray of freshly baked scones into her talons.

"I think all that's left, Gilda," Pinkie pointed out the griffoness Gilda had helped earlier, Greta, "is for you to make a friend."

Gilda hesitated until Rainbow Dash and Blueblood gave her an encouraging push and they watched her approach Greta as Rainbow Dash said, "I dunno, Pinkie. You really think these griffons are up for this?"

"This may not be Ponyville, Rainbow Dash, but let's just wait and see," Blueblood suggested as they looked on as Gilda was offering a scone and Greta (obviously thinking she'd had to pay for it) shook her head.

But Gilda's smile and the way she held out the scone seemed to reach something in Greta, who cautiously accepted it and took a bite. Greta's face lit up subtly and she said something to Gilda that brightened her eyes. She said something to Greta while making a gesture that they could tell meant 'wait right here', and she hurried back to them.

"OK! So she was really weirded out until I gave her the scone. Then she tried it and said it tasted... good!" Gilda smiled, feeling great and as odd as it felt she liked this feeling as she added, "That's probably the nicest thing another griffon has said to me in a long-long time!"

Then the ponies felt their flanks vibrate and saw their cutie-marks were making bright glows and they knew for certain now their work was done.

"Whoa, Pinkie! I guess that really was the problem we were meant to solve," Rainbow Dash commented.

Baking Powder makes baked goods and friendships fluffy and delicious!

"Well, I say it's time for us to go home," Blueblood sighed, to Gilda's alarm!

"WHAT?! You want me to spread friendship here by myself?! How'm I supposed to do that, I haven't even made one single friend yet!"

"No you haven't," Rainbow deadpanned until she smiled and said, "You made three."

"Hugging! Hugging now!" Pinkie called with a teary grin.

"Six, if you count Godric, Doran, and Treaty Ink," Blueblood added only to be pulled into a group hug as Rainbow Dash said:

"Blue? Don't ruin the moment..."

"But... you'll come back and visit, right?" Gilda asked hopefully.

"Just try and stop us," Rainbow promised as Blueblood peeled Pinkie Pie off of Gilda's person.

As the ponies started their way out of town, Pinkie Pie looked back, smiling at the sight of Gilda sharing her scones with Greta in front of King Grover's statue. And noticing the twinkle in the statue's eye.

"See you later, you old charmer..."

"Uh, Pinkie? Who're you talking to?" Rainbow Dash asked, Blueblood giving Pinkie a perplexed look.

"Nopony! C'mon, let's get home so I can see how Gummi did with Granny Pie's marjolaine recipe," Pinkie hopped ahead, her friends following, the three of them failing to notice a pair of eyes watching them go.

Author's Note

No good deed goes unpunished

276. Old and New - Part 1

The scrapbook had really began to fill up ever since she and her Doodle had made up and gotten engaged, as Matilda looked at the new memories they'd been making together. Like their trip to Manehatten, those customized sweaters they'd gotten, and even attending the coronation of Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight.

But now, with the aid of a gluestick, Matilda was adding a copy of the wedding invitations she and Cranky had sent out to all they'd invited, another addition to her book of memories when she heard the door open and she turned to see her beau returning from a quick run to the market.

"I'll never understand the ponies in this town," Cranky scowled. He and Matilda were young again, thanks to Midnight's spell, but they were still the same donkeys they'd been for so many decades, evident by how Cranky, despite being a young-again jack, still acted like an old ass sometimes.
"Everywhere I went they were all gussied up, looking at me funny, and asking if I was nervous."

"Did they forget the wedding is tomorrow?" Matilda smiled playfully.

"Ah, maybe they're just as excited for us to be married as I am..." Cranky smiled warmly as he gave his jane a sweet nuzzle, to her loving delight.

"Well, they're going to feel awfully silly when they realize they've got the wrong date...!!!" Matilda gasped as she took a closer look and realized, "THE INVITATIONS ARE WRONG!! THIS SAYS THE WEDDING IS TODAY!!!!"

"But I got such a good deal on them!" Cranky didn't understand, but flinched as Matilda went on hysterically.

"EVERYPONY IN TOWN GOT THESE!! Even the Royal Sisters and Prince Sombra RSVP'd!"

"I told you we should've just eloped..." grumbled Cranky as Matilda danced frantically on her hooves as if she needed to use the little filly's room.

"Oh my! The caterer, the flowers, the musicians!" Matilda worried, "We've got to move it all to today!"

"WHAT?!" Cranky felt the hairs on his formerly-bald head poof out like a freaked-out cat, but before he could say anything else, Matilda had already galloped out the door.

"WHERE'S MY WEDDING PLANNER?!?!"

Cranky stepped out, watching his Matilda hurry off to start throwing a ceremony together, as he glanced at the invitation. A certain pegasus at the post office was going to hear from him...

In one of the more recently-developed neighborhoods of Ponyville, the houses had quickly been filled with new arrivals to the town. Specifically, the ponies who had once bought into Starlight Glimmer's "equality" crock, especially the four who'd helped the Harmonic Twelve put a stop to Starlight's lies and manipulations, Party Favor, Night Glider, Double Diamond, and Sugar Belle. After their town had been attacked and burned to the ground, after they'd made their way to Manehatten looking for help, the Royal Sisters and Prince Sombra had relocated the refugees to Ponyville, a nice, quiet, and safe place to live in (for the most part) while paying the Ponyville Homeowner Association to help these ponies settle in.

To the surprise of the resident prince and princess of Ponyville, Faerie Tail later volunteered to oversee these ponies' settling in and helping them adjust, and she'd made good on her promise to help them. She'd gotten most of the ponies jobs, such as helping Party Favor find work at the local party store, Sugar Belle worked part-time for Bon Bon's candy store by making pastries, Night Glider joined the Ponyville Weather Team, and Double Diamond became a phys ed teacher for the Ponyville Schoolhouse, to name a few.

Faerie Tail also started sessions with her charges, acting as a counselor, due to having a degree in psychology from her university days. She'd had her work cut out for her at first, due to being a little out of practice and behind times, but her work with her patients yielded some positive results and catching some of them in the midst of severe psychological traumas, including a few who'd lost loved ones from the attack on their village.

Today, she was seeing four of her most promising patients one by one, and was currently speaking with Double Diamond. To help her, Mayor Mare had cleared out an old office in Town Hall that no one really used anymore for Faerie Tail's use. Her sons and Twilight had both helped in sprucing her workspace up to make it pragmatic and comfortable, to give it an atmosphere of safety for her patients.

"So, Double Diamond..." Faerie Tail treaded carefully, due to earlier sessions having reared some... issue, "how're things at the Schoolhouse? I've spoken with Cheerilee and she says you're wonderful with the foals. Even mentioned what a relief it is to have someone like you helping her students in the way you are."

Faerie Tail sat in her armchair while Double Diamond was lying on a couch nearby, his chin resting on top of the headrest, a calm but faraway look in his eyes as he sighed with a putter of his lips, "I guess... Don't get me wrong, I- I really enjoy teaching and playing with the kids at their school. Seeing all those smiles when they're having fun, the way they laugh, yell, and even after they get dog-tired, panting and sweating, they tell me how much fun they have and... it helps."

"But...?" Faerie Tail had a notepad and pencil ready, having already jotted something down.

"Coaching these colts and fillies helps distract me from... what happened," Double Diamond turned over onto his back to stare at the ceiling fan, which was spinning slowly to keep the air circulating in the room.
"And not just that, from... the pony I was back when Starlight was still in charge of our town, and... But then, the bell rings, the kids go back to class and it isn't long before I remember the dumb fool I was, the pony who was loyal to a pony who had lied to his face, to everyone else around me, used my trust and fears to pressure me into doing things I wasn't comfortable with!

"But I did them anyway! It... it just felt easier to listen to Starlight, because I thought everything she'd told us was the truth, about ponies and their cutie-marks, how having talents and being different divided us. But it was all a big lie, and I realize what a coward I was, and I can't get over how I could have been so stupid..."

"Double Diamond, you made mistakes, there is no denying that," Faerie Tail chose her words carefully, having listened to every word and considered what was going on in the white earth pony's head.
"What's more, even though you'd convinced yourself that Starlight's words were true, there was a part of yourself telling you that the things Starlight had you do? You knew they were wrong. Your moral compass was trying to tug you back onto the right path, even as Starlight was trapping you with chains in your heart and your head. I'm not sure I can give you all the answers you're looking for where Starlight Glimmer is concerned, because I don't know what drove her to make the choices she made and what led her to be so against cutie-marks and differences, that friendship and harmony could only be possible through equality and conformity.

"I am not lecturing you or trying to make you feel bad. I am only explaining to you what it is that has you so conflicted. Everypony is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs, Double Diamond, but forcing those opinions and beliefs onto others isn't teaching or enlightening. It's an affront to free will, the right to choose for ourselves, and no cause is worth taking that away.

"I can easily recall our earlier sessions, and I paid attention to every detail you shared. You believed in Starlight, even though there were times what she had you do bothered you. And when you learned she'd taken advantage of your trust, you were sincerely devastated. Was it because she'd lied to you, or is there something more to it than that?"

Double Diamond shifted uncomfortably on the couch, a part of him disturbed by how Faerie Tail's question made sense. Starlight's betrayal had shook him to the core, not just because she'd lied to them, but for the life of him he just couldn't put his hoof on it as to why it had hurt him so.

...

"Why don't we stop here, for now?" suggested Faerie Tail, putting her notebook away, levitating it into her desk drawer. "It's good to take a break from these sessions and give them a think on your own before you come back. Just try not to overthink it, otherwise you'll just confuse yourself."

"Okay..." Double Diamond got up and stepped towards the door but paused before looking to the mare, "I enjoy talking to you, ma'am. I've said this before, but... thanks. For looking out for my friends and neighbors."

"Well, to be honest, I needed something to dive into myself," Faerie Tail admitted with a slight smile, "It hasn't been easy for me either."

She looked out the window, gazing on the Ponyville passerby, "I fell asleep and woke up to find over ten years had gone by. My family, my life, everything changed in the blink of an eye..."

"Ma'am...?" Double Diamond looked at Faerie Tail with a hint of worry.

"It's nothing. Now, unless you feel the need to talk, I'll let you know when our next session is," Faerie Tail shooed him out the door and exited as well, locking her office behind her.
"Now, get out and enjoy the day. You never know, something interesting may happen."

"I think you may be right about that," Double Diamond was looking towards the main doors of Town Hall and they saw town officials were looking on curiously to something going on outside.

"What in the world...?" Faerie Tail wvaed Double Diamond goodbye before venturing over and seeing a familiar face, "Lady Justice? What's going on?"

The green coated orange maned earth pony mare who served as the local judge in Ponyville Town Hall, pointed her towards a group of locals who were muttering amongst themselves as they looked towards another group. Faerie Tail looked and saw the other group were Midnight and Twilight's friends, Big Mac, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, Thunderlane, Cheese Sandwich, Soarin, and Applejack. But where were...?

Oh that's right, Faerie Tail thought as she recalled.

Due to their part in liberating Griffonstone and restoring the Griffon Kingdom's monarchy, Blueblood, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie had been invited to the coronation of Godric as the new griffon king. Midnight and Twilight had gone along to witness the coronation in a royal capacity.

The onlookers were muttering amongst themselves with concerned curiosity as to what might be going on with the present members of the Council of Friendship this week.

"Do we know what they're on about?" asked Octavia Melody, a well-known earth pony cellist.
"The way they're huddled up like that," Apple Bloom commented, "Ah'd say it's either a friendship problem or a monster attack."
"A monster attack?! Blast!" Octavia wasn't pleased to hear that, "I'm performing at the ceremony this afternoon and I still haven't sorted out what to play!"
"Now hold on, everypony," Faerie Tail spoke up, "whatever the concern may be, I'm sure the Council of Friendship can handle it."
"You're probably right, Miss Faerie Tail," Sweetie Belle agreed, "and it'll all be cleared up in a half-hour or so."
"Ugh, I hope so..." Octavia groaned as she left to work on her scheduled performance.

"Where's Pinkie Pie?!" Matilda barged into the group, looking frantic, "I NEED MY WEDDING PLANNER!!"

Before anypony could answer her, a loud buzzing growl demanded everyone's attention and they all looked up to see a HEE-UGE monster that looked like a cross between a bear and a bumblebee! It had a black and white body with yellow markings and wings, glaring red eyes, antennae, and six legs. Not to mention fangs and claws and a very big and very scary and very sharp-looking stinger!

Big Mac, Applejack, Thunderlane, Rarity, Fluttershy, Soarin, and Cheese Sandwich stood together, ready to face this ferocious beast as it roared and came at them with its stinger poised! They broke apart in all directions, the monster creating a trench from its stinger stabbing through the ground. Soarin and Thunderlane used their Wonderbolt training to unleash a lightning bolt on the beast, stunning it, as Big Mac and AJ each gave it a nasty apple-bucking on both sides! The monster buzzed upwards and gave chase to them, as Matilda looked on in worrying horror.

"Oh no, on my wedding day?!" She pulled at her ears, "SOMEPONY'S GOTTA HELP ME!!"

"Matilda, what's wrong?" Matilda looked to see Faerie Tail come over to her, looking concerned.

"I need to move an entire wedding from tomorrow to today!" Matilda answered, looking at a loss.

"Hmm, well, I have some experience in organizing events on short notice, but with that Bugbear on the loose I'm gonna need..." Faerie Tail looked around and saw young unicorn mare directing the bystanders to safety.
"YOU!"

The young mare noticed Faerie Tail addressing her, "Me?"

"What's your name, dear?"

"Oh, uh, I'm Amethyst Star. You're Faerie Tail, right? Prince Midnight's mother?"

"Matilda here needs to have her wedding today and I need an assistant to help me organize the event."

"But nopony's asked me to organize anything since Twilight came to town!"

"Well, Amethyst, I can organize a wedding in a day but I don't know who to go to in Ponyville for the necessities, like flowers, a cake, or-or music!" Faerie Tail explained, "you're a local here in Ponyville, and I'm guessing you know who to speak with to help throw this wedding together."

"I did used to be the best organizer in Ponyville," Amethyst admitted with a humble shrug.

"So you'll help?" Matilda smiled hopefully.

"You bet I'll-" Amethyst began to say when a loud growl caused the three of them to look towards the Council of Friendship having a more difficult time facing the bugbear than they'd expected, as it knocked Soarin into a nearby house, and he barely managed to dodge as the monster lunged at him, demolishing the cottage in the process.

"Come on, we'd better get to the salon before that monster flattens it!" Matilda hurried off, Faerie Tail and Amethyst following.

Author's Note

Fun Fact - For Godric's coronation as the new King of Griffonstone and the Griffon Kingdom, they melted down the Idol of Boreas and formed the liquid gold into a new crown for their new king

277. Old and New - Part 2

"So you were among those who were pressured into giving up your cutie-mark," Faerie Tail was looking at Sugar Belle with careful scrutiny.

"Yes... I was adrift, looking for a place to call home after I'd completed the culinary art course in my hometown and wanted to somewhere to share my own baked goods," Sugar Belle was sitting in an armchair across the office from Faerie Tail, gazing out the window but not really looking outside.
"When I found Starlight's village, I thought it was rather drab and pale even though everypony walked around smiling. I thought I could... bring a little more color, more brightness, to them if I stayed and shared whatever tasty treats I could make."

"Until Starlight told you what staying meant..." Faerie Tail gathered.

"She... she said I could only fit in if I didn't have my cutie-mark to stand out," Sugar Belle remembered that unpleasant moment, "and the way she said it, it felt more like an order than a request, to give up my cutie-mark. But it was even worse when everypony in town was looking at me, waiting for me to listen to Starlight and... I gave in and Starlight removed my cutie-mark.

"But when she did, I-I just didn't feel like the baker I was without it! I couldn't say anything, though. I couldn't find the inspiration or... or the cheer or love I had for baking or making my treats, and- and when I forced myself to make something, I always wound up making those awful-tasting muffins. It made me miss my cutie-mark but I had to keep that to myself because I was afraid of every- No... of Starlight finding out! It was such a relief to know I wasn't alone with those kind of thoughts, when I found out Night Glider and Party Favor actually felt the same."

"Peer pressure can be a powerful tool for someone like Starlight Glimmer, Sugar Belle," Faerie Tail pointed out, "It might seem small and inconsequential in theory, but to actually experience the pressure on yourself coming from the expectations of all around you and the fear of letting them down in some way, it's actually very effective in brainwashing or converting someone into a cult. The member's individuality is rubbed out in order to make them feel as though the group matters more.

"But by holding onto the things you loved and missed about baking, which was tied to your cutie-mark, you retained your own individuality, even if only a little. It's holding onto and remembering that which is precious to us that can save us from ponies like Starlight trying to sway our hearts and minds and be shackled to a group driven by a misguided soul with a deluded and self-righteous view that refuses to compromise her perspective."

"...Then why do I still feel lost and confused?" Sugar Belle sighed woefully. "Starlight is gone, we're not being fooled by her anymore, but I-"

Groaning into her hooves, Sugar Belle felt a hoof on her shoulder and looked to see a soft motherly smile on Faerie Tail's face as the older unicorn mare leaned over and established a connection through physical contact.

"Because of what you experienced," Faerie Tail explained, "to have your home attacked, without warning, without provocation, and to have survived such a traumatic experience and seen friends and neighbors hurt or worse. Sugar Belle, you are now at a very familiar point in your life where you are uncertain of your future and your place in the world, not unlike how you were before you first arrived in Starlight's village.

"To be honest, I am walking a very similar path that your are on as well. I lost over ten years of my life, my husband, and missed out on so much of my sons' lives. I am here for you and your friends but I am also here for me. To say otherwise would be dishonest of me. I hope that by helping you and your friends I can find myself in this new time and world I've woken up to. But right now, as I said, you are practically in the same place you were before. What you're looking for now is a place to belong and find fulfillment, anything else you must discover for yourself."

Sugar Belle looked on at Faerie Tail as her own emotional fog of confusion began to clear and she couldn't help but give Faerie Tail a hug, which she was glad to return. Once they parted, Faerie Tail went on, "And you're not alone in this. You have your friends, old and new. All you have to do is come to them if you ever feel lost again, and they will help you to the best of their abilities. And so will I."

Sugar Belle felt the weight on her being lift, not all the way but now it was much easier. She stood up, smiling with deepest appreciation, "Thank you, Faerie Tail, I... I think I want to step out now."

"Very well, we'll end our session here," Faerie Tail set her notes and walked Sugar Belle out of her office, "Take your time in figuring out things to find the answers you're looking for, Sugar Belle, and always know you can trust your friends to help you find them."

"I will, thank you, Faerie Tail," Sugar Belle smiled sweetly as she stepepd out of Town Hall, saying, "I think I have a new idea for a sweet to make over at Bon Bon's candy store!"

"I can't wait to try it," Faerie Tail waved her off, smiling to see one of her patients leaving her office in high spirits.

The rest of the town was going nuts. The rushing around, gathering the essentials at the last minute, and needless to say the arrival of the bugbear coming in to wreak havoc could drive anyone insane on it's own. Combined altogether however was a guaranteed recipe for clinical insanity.

One such example was Dr. Whooves, Double Diamond and Party Favor hurrying around to find tuxedo suit fitters last minute and the three stallions looked more like mice in a maze looking for cheese than three grown stallions with jobs.

“How the hell does someone screw up the wedding dates?!” Dr. Whooves demanded in agitation.

“Don't ask us, we're not clocks!” Double Diamond retorted.

Party Favor wisely kept his mouth shut. He was having his own issues on top of that. The local party store had been lacking in appropriate wedding decorations for the ceremony and had to wait on a shipment from the Crystal Empire, but with the airships that made deliveries there and the railway out of action due to the wedding itself, it meant that all shipments were delayed.

Dr. Whooves had been in charge of organizing the town hall for the wedding and currently, Mayor Mare was holding some kind of meeting in there when he needed it and she would tell him that he could have it “in ten more minutes”, which meant he'd have it in a few hoursand not minutes.

Double Diamond who was in charge of the gifts and wedding decorations, was also sore as the shipment of supplies from Dodge City was held over due to delays with the warehouse staff catching every variety of flu and illness down there. He had to try and arrange with other towns and had no luck. The lack of any positive motion was starting to peeve him to no end whereas the perky attitudes of his volunteer helpers, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon, was just rubbing him the wrong way.

“I hope the mares here are fairing better then we are,” Double Diamond grumped. “If not, I'll eat a cactus sandwich with ghost pepper sauce.”

“We'll pay for the water tanks to be shipped in,” Dr. Whooves said.

Had they overheard three mares, they would have found out that Roseluck, Sunshower, and Lily Valley were in the same boat as them. The three mares had been trying to get into Rarity's shop, but with her having to help with the Bugbear fiasco, the shop was closed and it left them in a right state.

“This is now getting out of control!” Lily Valley huffed indignantly. “We can't go one damned day with out something causing utter chaos!”

“It's life,” Roseluck snorted. “What more do you expect?!”

“At least peace and quiet!” Sunshower snarled. “Something to go simply right!”

The mares snarled and kept complaining as Night Glider took up the couch in Faerie Tale's Office.

“All this grumbling and tension in town lately?” Night Glider groaned as she laid back and gazed up at the ceiling. "Even flying doesn't make it feel better."

She had recently come from a row with Bon Bon and Ambrosia over whether or not the wedding would be put off until the bugbear was taken care of and everything had been sorted out. They were of the opinion that they would carry on with nothing to hold them back. She was of the opinion that the wedding would be held off.

“I know, but there's nothing we can do to sort this out right now,” Faerie Tale assuaged. “Only time itself can sort this out.”

“Great! More whining, snapping and tantrum throwing,” Night Glider moaned into her hooves with a deep sigh before letting her hooves drape over the sides of the couch.
“I've had enough of that already! Not to mention Starlight's little tantrum when she was rumbled!”

“Rumbled?” Faerie Tale was unfamiliar with the use of that word.

“Found out,” Night Glider explained, “when someone is found out after their lie has been exposed.”

“Oh I see. Well, it seems you're one for not taking too lightly to anyone throwing a tantrum when they no longer get their way,” she told the pegasus.

“I am. It started when I was younger and had to put up with my older sister, Fleetfoot, doing that all the time. It got worse after she was accepted into the Wonderbolts Academy, she couldn't help but rub it in my face that she was going to train to become a Wonderbolt and wouldn't shut up about her new friend Spitfire. I had met her once, but we never got along. I liked to take it slow and do things as they came up and Spitfire was always diving headlong into anything. She had a tendency to complain or make such a fuss over things not going her way, it was no wonder she and Fleetfoot got along so well!” Night Glider continued with a soft bitterness in her eyes.

“That can get old,” Faerie Tale nodded sympathetically as she remembered, “My brother, Joe, he used to make such a fuss whenever he was upset or things didn't go his way when he was a colt."

Night Glider sighed, turning her head to look out the window and was about to continue when she saw something headed straight towards them at a decidedly unsafe velocity. Night Glider wasted no time in grabbing Faerie Tale and hurrying towards the door, shouting to anyone in the vicinity to get out as fast as they can.

“The Bugbear's about to hit!” she shouted to a couple passing mayoral staff.

They wasted no time in getting out just as the massive creature slammed into Town Hall and tore down a good chunk of the building. Luckily, there weren't any injuries as Night Glider's warning had spurred the staff to evacuate in the nick of time. The Council of Friendship (minus Midnight, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Blueblood, and Pinkie) quickly arrived and fought the beast away, allowing the bystanders to look upon the damage to Town Hall with a mixture of disappointment, irritation, and a little shock and awe.

“Looks like the wedding's off,” Night Glider said, feeling defeated.

What they didn't know was that, watching from the shadows was someone who had been invited down to help with the preparations.

“This is a sad state of affairs,” Kevin thought as the changeling buzzed back to his planning office. “If there was some way to sort this mess out. If only....Yes! That's it! I'll write to him at once!”

278. Old and New - Part 3

Princess Celestia and Thorax were enjoying a quiet lunch in the Crystal Empire. Ever since his part in helping to stop the second Changeling Invasion, Thorax had been given the job as a personal aide to Cadence and Shining Armor. However, that turned out to only be an “as needed” basis, meaning, more often then not, he spent time looking after his little sister Elytra in the apartment Shining Armor and Cadance had given them. That had been a concern to Cadence, until Shining Armor put in that Thorax, with his organization skills and penchant for checklists, would make a great wedding planner.

It seemed to be a blessing in disguise, as Thorax turned out to be far more organized and prepared for everything. He had checklists for everything and his checklists had checklists and they had back up checklists and so on down the list. It seemed that, every wedding he planned, it went off without anything going wrong.

Princess Celestia herself couldn't help but compare Thorax to Twilight, thinking perhaps the changeling's own skills for organization might be equal or even greater then her old student's. This encouraged her to invite Thorax out to lunch, having also noticed Thorax was still having problems in being more social due to his hesitance to have outings.

“I must know your secrets,” Celestia teased him as they enjoyed a pasta dish at a cafe table in the Crystal Empire.

“Trust me, it's nothing, really,” Thorax replied, idly stirring his pasta. “I've been doing it for years.”

The two chuckled and continued on with their lunch when they were rudely interrupted. A Royal Courier pony hurried in and thrust a letter at Thorax, startling the changeling.

“Urgent, for you,” the pony said and left, nearly dropping the letter in the pasta had Celestia not caught it.

“That's...something,” she commented as Thorax opened the letter and read it.

“Princess Celestia, it seems we have a problem in Ponyville,” he said. “A wedding for two donkeys named... Cranky and Matilda was foiled by a sudden Bugbear attack.”

Recognizing the names from the invites she'd received, Celestia jolted and then accepted the letter from Thorax to read it herself.
“Thorax, grab a clipboard, we're catching the next airship to Ponyville."

“All airship and rail traffic has been halted due to the fiasco with the Bugbear,” Thorax brought up.

“Then it seems I'll have to teleport us there,” Celestia stood up, leaving payment for the lunch on the table and signaled Thorax to follow her. “With Twilight and Midnight away attending the coronation of a new griffon king, you're the best chance the wedding has on short notice.”

Thorax nodded, "I'll meet you at the statue of Spike after I get Elytra's sitter."

"We can bring her along," Celestia assured, "go and fetch her and I'll await you by the statue."

Celestia waited all of ten minutes before Thorax returned with the clipboard and a pen, little Elytra at his side who smiled happily before running up to the princess.

"Princess! I missed you!" Elytra was just so sweet and huggable that Celestia threw regal decorum out the window just for her favorite little cuddle bug and gave her a warm hug.

"Elytra, it's so good to see you," Celestia held the little changeling close but gave her a loving smile, "but you can call me Auntie Tia, if you like."

"Okay!" Elytra smiled big before Celestia set her down and looked to Thorax who nodded with a confident look in his eyes.

“Ready,” he said.

"Stand close to me, the both of you, and... don't move," Celestia instructed.

Once the two changelings stood at her side, the white alicorn then lit her horn, tapping into the ley lines, which swept them away in accordance to Celestia's will.

It brought them right into the middle of Ponyville, where the three of them saw that the town hall had been totaled. On top of that, Cranky and Matilda were both sulking sorrowfully that their ceremony had been ruined before it began, despite their friends trying to cheer them up.

"Uh-oh..." Elytra could just feel the sadness and apprehension around them, as did Thorax who looked up to Celestia.

"Worry not," she assured with a wink before striding forward, catching the eyes of everypony, who all quickly bowed in respect.

"There is no need to bow, my little ponies," Celestia assured as she approached the two donkeys, Cranky looking tongue-tied when Matilda almost spoke up, only for Celestia to raise a gentle hoof.
"I am aware of what has transpired, including the mistaken date on the invitations. Consider this a blessing in disguise, a valid reason to postpone the ceremony to the time to properly prepare. As such, I have brought my good friend, Thorax, whose organizational skills are at your disposal."

"I've actually organized a few weddings in my time," Thorax said a tad bashful, "but I give you my word, that with some cooperation, I can have everything ready by at least noon tomorrow."

“Just so long as it's ready and is up to par,” Cranky grunted coldly.

“It will,” Celestia assured them. “I have all faith that Thorax will give you a wedding to remember. Just leave it to him.”

Cranky agreed, though he was not convinced that Thorax would arrange the wedding and make it work out in the end. Celestia smiled and assured the two that things would soon straighten themselves out in due course.

“Well, if you have the princess's recommendation and faith, how can we not have faith as well?” Matilda smiled softly and agreed with Celestia.

Thorax, meanwhile, had been busily looking over the damage.

“Not good,” he muttered. “We can't hold the wedding here. Even with a team of repair ponies, it just wouldn't be ready in time for tomorrow."

He gave it a thought when he noticed the distant Castle of Friendship and realized, That place...!

Thorax walked down the street to get a clearer view of the castle and gazed upon it. It reminded him of the crystalline beauty and architecture of the Crystal Empire but in a more natural sort of way. The Castle was both crystal and wood, alive with magic, a monument to the Magic of Friendship, and as he continued to look at it Thorax noticed two pegasi flying in his direction, both of their faces lighting up to see him as they landed and trotted over.

“Thorax! When'd you get here, you're looking...?" Thunderlane's smiling voice trailed off as he noticed Thorax wasn't looking so positive.

"Oh Thorax, whatever's the matter? Did you get a tummy ache?" Fluttershy went over the placed a motherly hoof on Thorax's withers, and the compassion he felt from her lifted Thorax up a little.

"Princess Celestia was visiting me and Elytra-"

"Fluttershy!" They all startled as Elytra fluttered over, giving Fluttershy and Thunderlane the sweetest smile, "And Thunda!"

"Oh, hello Elytra!" Fluttershy couldn't help but give the changeling foal a warm and tender hug, "It's so good to see you!"

"What brings you both here?" Thunderlane asked, and Thorax sighed.

"Well, like I was saying, Princess Celestia recieved notice about Ponyville Town Hall," Thorax pointed out the damage to the building and the two pegasi realized the implication, "So she brought us here so I could help prepare Cranky and Matilda's wedding for tomorrow. However, even with a team of repair ponies, Town Hall just wouldn't be ready in time."

"And we were taking care of the Bugbear that did this," Thunderlane sighed, feeling guilty.

"Don'be sad, Thunda, you didn't mean to," Elytra said kindly and Thunderlane gave her an appreciative smile.

"Well, if Town Hall can't host the wedding..." Fluttershy considered before she suggested, "maybe we could have it in the Castle of Friendship!"

“Really?! I- Uh, well, I was actually gonna ask you guys about that," Thorax brought up, "but since Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight are away right now, would that be okay?"

"I don't see why not," Fluttershy said kindly, "Twilight said that even though it's her and Midnight's castle, they've been planning to set up a part of the library to serve as the public library until a proper one can be built."

"That's a great idea, Flutters!" Thunderlane agreed, "And y'know, I think they might be back tomorrow so they'l get to attend the wedding after all. I'm sure they'd be happy to host it in their castle."

"Oh, thanks so much!" Thorax sighed in relief, "Um, would either of you mind watching Elytra for me? Just for a couple hours or so? I have to go speak to the planner who was in charge before this happened."

"I'd be happy to," Fluttershy volunteered, "I foal-sit little Discord for Princess Celestia every other week or two."

"And i'll let our friends know the situation," Thunderlane added before taking flight, "See you guys later!"

Thorax thanked them and after telling Elytra to be good for Fluttershy he went to find Faerie Tail, who was looking over the damage to Town Hall, along with Mayor Mare and her aides. After the introductions and a few words, Faerie Tail was relieved to have more help, having already arranged for all the invited to recieve notice that the wedding would be postponed to tomorrow.

"I have to say, Thorax, changing the venue to the castle is a stroke of genius," Faerie Tail sighed as she took a sip of coffee. After a quick word with the mayor, Faerie Tail had offered Thorax some coffee from the local coffee shop. Her Pumpkin Creme Mocha was just what she needed as she went on, "But in light of what's happened, I feel like the wedding should have something... more. Something special, something to really highlight Cranky and Matilda's vows. Do you know what I'm saying?"

Thorax hmmm'd at Faerie Tail's words as he wracked his brain for ideas. He'd arranged a few weddings in his own time before and had even studied wedding traditions here and there, but one old tradition stuck out as he smiled and asked, "Have you ever heard of a Good Luck Package?”

“Why yes!” Faerie Tail's face lit up at the idea as she recalled, “Something Old, something New, something Borrowed and something Blue. You know, my grandmother did that same tradition at her wedding. I was only a teenaged filly when I heard of it, but at the time I didn't think much of it. Now thought? It'd be perfect for Cranky and Matilda's ceremony!"

“Then we'll need someone or four someones of your discretion to take up the parts of the Good Luck Package,” Thorax explained. “I'm going to go see Princess Celestia about this and inform her."

“While you do that, I'm going to see the mayor,” she said. “I believe I have just the four to put the Good Luck Package together."

Thorax thanked her and headed off to the castle, while Faerie Tail considered her next scheduled session.

That evening, after careful examination, while the foyer of Town Hall had been totaled, the rest of the building was relatively fine, as it was all still standing. After making sure it was structurally sound, Faerie Tail got the all-clear that her office was still useable, it just didn't have a door. So, her scheduled appointment with the last of the four she'd proposed to Thorax about the Good Luck Package was still on, and he arrived at her request.

Sitting across from him, and after assuring him their conversation would remain private thanks to a soundproofing barrier over the empty doorway that had been curtained off, Party Favor sighed, "So, I guess the wedding is still on."

"Yes, but we're here to talk about you, Party Favor," Faerie Tail reminded him gently, "While most of you who came from Starlight Glimmer's village have been doing fairly well, I have to say that you are among those who haven't been adjusting as well as the rest. I can understand; to have the place you called home suddenly attacked, without warning or reason, to watch your friends and neighbors suffer... to have suffered along with them."

Party Favor looked at the bandages on his shoulder, covering the burns he'd gotten while trying to stand up to the monsters who had attacked his friends. Due to the limited medical treatment he got after the attack and how long it was before he was examined by a real doctor he'd suffered a mild infection. The meds he'd taken and instructions on treating his burns had gotten him through the infection, but the doctors told him that even after his burns made a full recovery they would leave a scar.

"It takes true courage to step up on the behalf of others, Party Favor," Faerie Tail said with gentle praise, "even if you're afraid. But what you went through can leave scars that can't be seen. Forgive me if I'm overstepping here, but... I've heard about how you've been since you settled here in Ponyville. I spoke to your employer at the party store, and... she couldn't help but notice how you make yourself scarce whenever a certain somepony visits to buy party supplies."

Party Favor shifted uncomfortably, knowing what Faerie Tail was talking about. Or rather, who.

"You trusted me enough to tell me your birth name, Party Favor," Faerie Tail went on as delicately as she could, "As I understand it, you trusted Sugar Belle enough to share your past with her, which leads me to my question - Is there a reason why you haven't told the truth of the connection you have with Pinkie Pie?"

"Y-You won't tell her, you can't!!" Party Favor almost yelled, an alarmed look on his face.

"I won't," Faerie Tail promised, "but you should. Party Favor, I had a grandfather who ran from his past, a past he wasn't proud of. He got involved with some bad sorts until he was, as he said in his memoir, set on the straight and narrow. He turned his life around, pursued his dream, started a family, and here I am because of his decision to be a better pony.

"You are a good pony, Party Favor. But somewhere inside you is a part that is yearning for what you left behind. You've been able to ignore it, but then you met Pinkie Pie, realized who she is, and since then that yearning has become almost unbearable, has it?"

Party Favor frowned, feeling his insides heavy yet fluttery, but Faerie Tail's words resonated with him, causing him to sigh and nod.
"It just... I don't know how to explain it."

"Take your time, and just let it flow," Faerie Tail assured.

"Well... Back when I first came to Starlight's village," Party Favor began "I was actually in a rut. I'd struck out on my own after learning from Ponyacci and the circus. i wanted to test what I'd learned and make ponies laugh and smile and happy, but... without Ponyacci, without the friends I'd made back in the circus... I just couldn't find the-the... that something I always felt when I made ponies laugh, that thing that sparked my passion!

"I guess... without someone there to share it with me, someone constant, I just didn't feel like the party pony Ponyacci had helped me become. I wandered and wandered, no real destination in mind, but my family... I thought about them, how i'd missed them, and there was a part of me that wanted to go back. But how could I? I ran out on them, had a big fight with my father, made my mother and sisters cry... and I was reminded how I just never really felt like I belonged on that Rock Farm. Then, out of nowhere, I somehow came across Starlight's village! I saw all these smiles, these... perky attitudes, and Starlight... she talked to me about all that stuff how cutie-marks divide ponies, that a truly happy life was only possible if we were all equal."

Party Favor's demeanor turned to bitter as he went on, "I regretted giving up my cutie-mark almost immediately after it happened, but... Sugar Belle, Night Glider, and Double Diamond had been so good to me, and I got fooled by Starlight's kindness as well. Then, to find out she was a liar, and our village burned, I..."

Faerie Tail could see Party Favor was at a loss for words, a confusion of emotions and thoughts buzzing in his head, that she reached over, placing her hoof on Party Favor's unharmed shoulder, causing him to look her in the eyes, and she saw a colt looking for assurance, safety, a resolution.

"There are no easy answers, Party Favor," she said gingerly, "but addressing your worries is the first step."

The way she said it to him, Party Favor felt a little at ease, taking another deep breath, when Faerie Tail leaned back and said, "Let's end our session here for now. It's getting late and there is actually something I'd like to discuss with you and your friends, Party."

"What is it?" Party Favor followed Faerie Tail out of the office and stepped carefully as they made their way out of the damaged part of Town Hall.

"I'll tell you when we meet with Sugar Belle, Double Diamond, and Night Glider," Faerie Tail replied before giving the party pony a smile, "For now, let's say, it has to do with tomorrow's wedding."

The next morning, at 8:45 am, Night Glider, Double Diamond, Party Favor and Sugar Belle were in Faerie Tail's office. The four were somewhat confused as to why Faerie Tail had requested the four of them to see her at once, and one of the mayor's aides brought them refreshments while they waited, mentioning Faerie Tail was running late.

Finally, the unicorn mare stepped into the office, politely saying, "Good morning everypony, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting."

"Morning, Faerie Tail," Night Glider welcomed.
"And it's okay, it wasn't long at all," Sugar Belle added.

“Well then, let's get down to it, shall we?” Faerie Tail took her seat at her desk and regarded her four visitors. “I take it you all know of Cranky and Matilda's wedding has been rescheduled to today, and is due to start at noon in a few hours?”

The four of them nodded, so Faerie Tail went on, “Well, after talking to Thorax, we've come to the idea of incorporating an old wedding tradition that not many still do nowadays, but would be perfect for Cranky and Matilda. It's called the Good Luck Package. Four wedding attendees are chosen to put together the Good Luck Package which is comprised of four things: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue.”

“And I guess you're telling us this because you want us to put together this Good Luck Package," Double Diamond gathered.
"But why us? Shouldn't Cranky and Matilda choose who's gonna put the package together?" asked Party Favor.

“Well, actually, this is a surprise for Cranky and Matilda," Faerie Tail cleared up, "Since the wedding invitations had the wrong date and Town Hall was damaged, which was a convenient excuse to postpone the ceremony to today, Cranky and Matilda both had a... Well, they had a bad moment. So, to really make their wedding special, Thorax and thought it'd be a good surprise to use an old tradition for their ceremony.

"And i thought being a part of such a special event would be good, not only for the four of you, but also your friends and neighbors you brought with you here to Ponyville. If they see the four of you participating in this wedding, it could help raise their spirits, boost their morale. Do you see what I'm saying?"

The four friends did and as they shared looks they saw they were of one mind, smiling with a little excitement and then nodding to Faerie Trail who was glad to see they were in.

“Alrighty then! So, for the Good Luck Package... Double Diamond, you'll bring the Something Old; Night Glider, you'll bring Something New, Sugar Belle, you'll include Something Borrowed and Party Favor, you can add Something Blue."

“That's not because I'm blue myself, is it?" Party Favor cracked, spurring a few friendly chuckles.

“Very good., everypony! So, you have roughyl three hours to putthe Good Luck Package together,” Faerie Tail explained, “Don't get too worried about the time, just consider the thing you have to include and make it something special. Once you've done that, come to me, and we'll put the package together for the ceremony."

They nodded and headed out to help with the wedding. Night Glider and Double Diamond split off , leaving Party Favor and Sugar Belle to go to their own way.

279. Old and New - Part 4

The Castle of Friendship was alive with activity as everypony was going to and fro in in the entry hall, Faerie Tail and Thorax giving instructions to the volunteers on what to do, where to put what, what went where, all the madness associated with throwing together the finer details of a holy matrimony. Midnight, Twilight, Blueblood, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, along with Midnight's griffon friend Doran (who was now a prince of the Griffon Kingdom), and the Prince and Princess of Friendship were more than happy to host the wedding in their castle, sympathetic to the events that had delayed it yesterday but secretly glad they wouldn't miss it after all, though Twilight was admittedly a tad miffed that she wouldn't be organizing it.

The rest of the guests were due to arrive in just over an hour but in one wing of the castle Shining Armor, at the request of Faerie Tail and Thorax, was with Cranky and Matilda, with Double Diamond, Night Glider, Sugar Belle, and Party Favor at his sides.

"Cranky and Matilda, as a Prince of Equestria, it is my honor and privilege to oversee an old tradition to honor your imminent nuptials," the white alicorn prince looked to Double Diamond.
"First, from Double Diamond, Something Old."

Double Diamond stepped forward and held out a somewhat worn jacket that had clearly weathered some time out in the world, "For you, Cranky, my lucky jacket. I've been to almost every mountain range in Equestria, and the one time I went skiing without my jacket I found myself in a very bad place. I want you to have this so that it brings you luck just as it did for me."

Cranky smiled as he accepted the jacket but before he could say more, Shining Armor said, "From Night Glider, Something New."

Night Glider came forward and held out a pristine jewelry box towards Matilda with her wings, "For you, Matilda, this jewelry box, not just a container for your jewelry, but a place where you can keep some of your dearest treasures."

"Thank you, sweetie," Matilda placed a hoof on Night Glider's cheek in a motherly way before she accepted the jewelry box.

"From Sugar Belle," Shining Armor went on, "Something Borrowed."

Sugar Belle came forward, giving both Cranky and Matilda a sweet smile before she levitated a note out to them, and Matilda accepted it, seeing it was a list of ingredients with instructions as Sugar Belle stated, "This is my mother's recipe for Banana Cinnamon Raisin Bread, which will be served along with the catering. I hope when you try it it makes you smile as much as it did my mom whenever she made it for me."

"Oh, Sugar Belle," Matilda couldn't help but shed a tear as she got up and pulled the unicorn into a hug, which she was happy to return and peer over Matilda's shoulder to see Cranky smile at her and she knew the jack was looking forward to trying the bread.

Once Matilda and Sugar Belle parted and stepped back, Shining Armor said, "And last but not least, from Party Favor, Something Blue."

Party Favor walked up to Cranky and Matilda with a cheeky smile and apparently having nothing to offer. For a moment the two donkeys wondered if Party Favor was the 'something blue' he was supposed to present when he levitated some un-inflated balloons. He turned around, blew them up and then very quickly twisted and bent them together, his horn lighting up for a moment, and then a spritzer rising up as he sprayed whatever he was making with the spritzer, the scents of blueberries, cotton candy, and roses becoming apparent in the room, and he turned around to proudly present a bouquet of balloon flowers!

"A little something-something special to serve as a funny memento of your wedding," Party Favor explained with a coltish excitement, "these balloon flowers will never lose their scent, are enchanted never to pop, and they're all yours!"

Cranky and Matilda shared a chuckling smile but found the bouquet of balloon flowers to be really special indeed that made smile and reminded them of Pinkie Pie and Matilda said, "Thank you all so very much. That you went to this trouble just to make our big day all the more special means more than I can put into words."

"And it was free," Cranky added lightly, Matilda elbowing him so sharply he almost hee-haw'd in pain.

The Four shared a proud and happy moment when the door flew open and in walked Rarity who seemed astounded to see them all, "Oh my, what's everypony just doing standing about? We've a ceremony to prepare these two darlings for. Gentlecolts, Cranky, out you go, shoo-shoo!"

Without missing a beat, the unicorn diva herded the stallions and jack out of the room before she turned to Sugar Belle and Night Glider, "Now ladies, with your assistance, let's turn this plane jane into a true vision of beauty!"

Plane jane? Matilda thought with an indignant raise of her brow. But she let it go once she saw Rarity levitate in her wedding dress and the fashionista looked to Sugar Belle and Night Glider.

"Ladies, if you would be so kind, I would welcome your assistance and encouragement for Matilda."

The main foyer of the Castle of Friendship looked amazing! With Faerie Tail and Thorax's direction, everything had come together. Any minute now the ceremony would start and the wedding guests were all murmuring amongst themselves, Sombra stopped an argument between the Sisters about the gift they had brought for the wedding by showing he'd made to sure to bring it after Luna left it on the counter, Cadance was trying to cam Shining Armor as the occasion was getting to him, which Cadance explained to Hayseed Turnip that Shining often cried at weddings, and Ditzy was proudly looking upon the "flowers" she'd prepared for the wedding to make up for her blunder with the invitations, Lyra and Bon Bon were having some kind of tense moment that quickly passed and they shared a BFF hug, and Dr. Time Turner Whooves was feeling under-dressed, having had to resort to a scarf instead of his suit that he'd forgotten to get back from the ponies he'd bowled for at the bowling alley the other day. His wife and daughter both assured him he looked like a million bits. The Harmonic Twelve were all seat as well, Pinkie and Cheese smiling so happily for Cranky and Matilda, Rarity promising them the bride was going to be a absolutely lovely, Twilight and Midnight were sharing a moment of their own, glad to have Cranky and Matilda's wedding in their castle and both were thinking perhaps their own wedding wasn't that far off in the future.

And Cranky was so awed by how everything and everyone had come together to make this day possible that he almost forgot how nervous he was feeling until his Best Beast, Stephen Magnet, pushed him forward, saying "Now get in there and marry that donkey!"

Octavia and her friend and roommate, Vinyl Scratch, played a very interesting blend of their favorite genres of music to produce such a unique melody of 'Here comes the Bride' as Mayor Mare took her place, Cranky standing where he needed to be, and then all eyes turned down the wedding aisle as the doors opened to reveal Matilda, and Rarity had been right about what a sight she was!

Her hair was styled into intricate curls with strands of pearl holding it all together, her trailing gown was decorated with white velvet butterflies and shimmered like mother-of-pearl in an abalone shell, and with every step she took down the aisle Cranky could gain an increasingly clearer view of the love of his life through her wedding veil. In that moment, Cranky felt all doubts and hesitation fall away, leaving only a heartwarming conviction.

This had always been his quest. From that moment so long ago when he'd decided to search Equestria for the donkey he loved (missing her note), only to lose sight of it after years of fruitless searching and then in a strange turn of events he found her in the very place he'd meant to live the rest of his life alone! And then Midnight gave him and Matilda a second chance to grow old together, and despite a few more shaky steps along the way here in this moment his beloved was taking those steps to join him at the altar.

Once the bride stood before the groom, Cranky looked to Mayor Mare who nodded, and he reached up to lift the veil. What he saw looking back at him was a sight so beautiful it made up for all the donkey had been through ten times over. He resisted the urge to kiss here then and there as Mayor Mare began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of Faust to join these two in holy matrimony. As I look around this room I can only imagine at how... uncomfortable Cranky must be" - Having noticed Cranky kept pulling at the collar of his suit, Mayor Mare resorted to a little humor to lighten things up a bit before she resumed - "But I also see so many individuals, not only ponies, from all trots of life brought together by love. Cranky searched practically all four corners of this great nation of ours to find Matilda. And no matter what obstacles kept them apart, love would finally bring them together just as it has brought all of us together now.

"It's remarkable to me how a story like Cranky's search for Matilda could fill this foyer with such a unique collection of beings! It makes you realize that everyone is the star of their own story, and how everyone has a role, minor or significant, in the stories of others that finds a way to enrich each other's stories with the experiences they share, whether the parts they play be big or small.

"Were it not for everyone in this castle and many more who could not be here today, Cranky and Matilda's lives would not be as full nor vibrant as they are. And so, in front of all of these loved ones, Cranky, do you take this donkey to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"You bet I do," replied Cranky with a soft yet warm smile.

"And do you, Matilda, take this donkey to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

Tearing up but keeping it together, Matilda smiled as she happily said, "I do!"

"Then I am proud to say, I announce you jack and jenny!" Mayor Mare declared, "You may kiss the bride."

The moment the two donkeys' lips met with deepest joy, everyony in the room rose up in cheer and happiness for the newlyweds so excitably that nopony (except for Dr. Whooves) noticed the "flowers" Ditzy had prepared for the ceremony were lighting up brighter and brighter until the zoomed upwards in exquisite explosions of light and color!

"AH-HAHAHA!! OF COURSE! THEY NEED LOVE TO IGNITE! HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED IT?!?!"

The surprise fireworks didn't really phase the newlyweds but they looked on without a doubt that they would remember this moment long after they'd grown old. Again. Together.

Author's Note

Fun Fact: Both Bon Bon and Doctor Time Turner Whooves are secret members of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods

(B'tween) Progress

The Dream Realm never ceased to amaze the little colt, but tonight, Twinken had asked Luna if they could talk rather than dive into more dream-walking instruction. Setting into a dreamscape formed by Twinken into the likeness of Auntie Spice's Pepper Pony's pizza parlor, the student willed a pizza pie to appear on the table he shared with his teacher and said, "Ever try pizza before, Princess Luna?"

"I have noticed this pizza dish as of late," Luna admitted, eyeing the pie as pizza cutters slit it into eight perfect slices, "but never took the time to try one. Though, I should tell you we're not eating a real pizza and whatever I taste will be based on how you remember what pizza is supposed to taste like."

"Heh, well, I usually have Auntie Spice's pizza at least once a week," Twinken assured as he took a slice and gave it a big bite, mmm'ing at the taste but the more he chewed the more he noticed the taste wasn't quite as delicious as the real deal.
"Huh... Y'know, it... it tastes like her pizza but it..."

"It's not the same," Luna smiled understandably, "not surprising. It's easier to remember what we see, hear, feel, or even smell. But taste can sometimes be the most elusive memory. Especially when you haven't had the food or drink you associate the taste with for a long while."

"Sorry, Princess," Twinken felt bad that his idea was a bit of a flop and willed the scenery to change into his favorite spot at Ponyville Park, "but the next time you're in Ponyville, I'll treat you to Pepper Pony's pizza!"

"I'll look forward to it. Now," Luna sat on a comfortable spot of grass, "what exactly did you want to discuss?"

"Um... this is a little awkward," Twinken rubbed the back of his head, "but... Now, I'm not trying to make this come out the wrong way, I- I just seem to have noticed I haven't really gained any new powers after you brought out my lunar pony heritage to unlock my own potential for dream-walking."

"Ah, I was wondering if you would bring this up," Luna nodded sagely as she willed the scenery to change into a starry night over the park, casting everything into a gentle glow.
"Twinken, I worked the change in you to bring out something that was already there. If the situation that led to that occurrence had not been so dire I doubt I'd have done it in the first place. I have made in you such a fundamental change to your very being not unlike that of how I did a more elaborate and admittedly somewhat controversial way to around fifty young colts and fillies, but unlike how it had been back then you already had the heritage of lunar magic buried deeply within yourself. As I said to you before, that part of your self would likely have never come to the surface, the chances being next to nil even in such a moment where you might have felt your life was in danger or you were in desperate need.

"My point is, I brought out the part of you that is a Lunar Pony but tweaked it so to make sure you would unlock the power of Dream-Walking. Under normal circumstances, that is to say if you had naturally unlocked your lunar pony heritage without outside help, it is likely the other natural strengths and abilities characteristic of lunar ponies would have become apparent within the first few hours, if not days or weeks."

"But... since you technically brought the lunar pony side of me out without it happening on its own...?" Twinken leaned forward.

"The lunar powers and everything else that makes a lunar pony will become apparent on their own at their own pace or not at all," Luna confirmed, "you might or might not gain new powers, you might or might not exhibit different traits or quirks, it's really a question of whether or not there is enough of what it is that makes you a lunar pony that will rise to the surface, my very young apprentice.

"I understand if this is not what you were hoping to hear, but I hope it answered your questions, child."

"It does, Princess Luna," Twinken replied with a light sigh, "I mean... Lately, I've been wondering about being your student, what I'm learning from you and what it's all about! Like... I get that you're teaching me to be a guardian of dreams, but is that it? I don't even have my cutie-mark yet, I don't know what I'm supposed to do, what kind of pony I'm gonna be when I get big, and- And I..."

"Hmm, you're asking yourself the big questions," Luna understood, "Who are you, and what do you want? Twinken, you are mistaken. Like countless colts and fillies and even stallions and mares before you, you believe that a cutie-mark will have all the answers you are looking for, but you fail to realize that the cutie-mark is not a solution but rather it is a point towards a direction. These marks that appear on our flanks do not define us but rather reflect a part of ourselves that only become apparent in those moments where we shine from within.

"Think of your friend, Troubleshoes, and how you and your friends helped him realize his cutie-mark was not a curse but a representation of that wonderful gift that helps him to make others laugh and as Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich would agree there is no gift quite so special as to help others laugh. I should know, for I once embodied Laughter, back when my sister and I wielded the Elements of Harmony.

"But I digress. My dear apprentice, you are still young and have so much more to learn and experience as you grow, in body and mind. I am teaching you for something more than merely overseeing the dreams of our little ponies, but I need you to trust me, as your teacher, that I will teach you to the best of my abilities and prepare you as best I can for whatever your future may hold. Can you do that?"

Taking a moment to process the things Luna had just said to him, Twinken took a deep breath and nodded. But then he asked, "How did you and your sister get your cutie-marks?"

"That... is a long and very complicated story," Luna didn't like looking back on those events that led up to her and her sister receiving their marks of destiny, "but I'm afraid we're out of time."

"What do you-" Twinken tried to ask only for the dreamscape to blur and distort as he heard a distant voice.

"...time to get up, sweetheart!"

The sensations of the physical world became apparent to the young colt as he woke up, feeling the warmth of his quilt and pillow, and the hoof of his mother gently shaking him awake as the restful haze of slumber parted to make way for the intrusion that was self-awareness.

"Come on, dear, wake up," Faerie Tail said in that annoyingly chipper way a morning pony exhibits when welcoming a new day. "Granny Smith is already making pancakes with maple syrup and apple butter. You'll want some before you head off for school."

"Ughhh..." Twinken covered his head with his pillow, only for it to be enshrouded in his mother's mana, along with the curtains to her son's bedroom window opening to invite in the wicked light of daybreak to assault Twinken's eyelids.

"Come on, mister sour-puss," Faerie Tail teased as she moved to the door, "I expect you up and ready for breakfast shortly."

After Faerie Tail left, Twinken groaned as he sat up in bed and gave the curtains and annoyed glance, willing them to close, sparing him the glare of Celestia's sun.

"First off, I want to thank the both of you for meeting with us," Midnight said courteously as he stood in front of a drawing table angled upwards while he faced his guests, Blueblood standing to the side.

They were standing in the basement of Blueblood's warehouse, the door sealed and warded to prevent intrusion, eavesdropping, practically any chance they could have of unwanted guests barring unforeseen circumstances. Midnight and Blueblood had invited two ponies to consult with on a matter of personal importance, two earth ponies, both devoted to the studies and exploration of science.

"My friend and colleague here, Blueblood, and I have been brainstorming a theory for some new technology that we hope could revolutionize Equestria and improve technological innovation, perhaps inspire technicians, engineers, and even inventors to pursue their dreams and see their visions come to life. Which is why I have asked the two of you here, because I believe you both have something to contribute that could see this theoretical technology constructed, innovated, and made to serve our nation and perhaps even one day the whole world. Blueblood, would you like to take it from here?"

"Don't mind if I do," Blueblood stepped up, his mana enshrouding the tarp set over the drawing table, "Gentlecolts, as Midnight has just stated, this technology is currently only in the theoretical stage but that has not stopped us from hypothesizing its inner workings via diagrams and noting particulars to keep in mind. So please, see for yourselves."

The tarp fell away, revealing several diagrams, notes, scribblings, a few scratch marks, all detailing the technology that Midnight and Blueblood hoped to one day make real.

"Great whickering stallions!" Doctor Time Turner Whooves smiled like a colt left unattended in a candy store, "Is... is this some sort of plan to create a new engine?"

"I would say so!" Techorse looked on in captivated wonder, paying attention to the notes and little things as much as the bigger pictures, "but... based on what I'm seeing here, this engine doesn't use conventional fuel."

"Very astute, my friend," Midnight smiled as he stepped up to Techorse's side and pointed out the detail the green earth pony had brought up, "for this engine, we are looking for a type of fuel that has no adverse effects on the environment, like coal or oil. But the principle on how this engine will work was inspired by the steam engine."

"Unlike the steam engine however," Blueblood spoke up, "this engine will be powered by the force of what is essentially an electrical storm. Take note of the transparent dome you see in the diagrams; it is actually reinforced bonded crystal, a little something Midnight and I have invented while experimenting with the properties of the more commonplace crystals found in the Crystal Empire."

"Bonded crystal is perfectly see-through but as durable and strong as solid steel, perhaps even stronger," Midnight explained, "and the dome you see covers a hollow chamber that will contain a miniature storm cloud that will spontaneously release random strikes of lighting onto an electric-proof pad located on the floor of the chamber."

"That pad will absorb the electrical energy, refine it, and that energy will be used to power systems like that of an airship, a power generator," Blueblood noted, "perhaps it may even completely replace the steam engine itself, rendering the latter as obsolete technology."

"So where do we come in?" Techorse asked.
"Indeed, it seems the both of you have this well-thought out," added Dr. Whooves.

"Well..." Midnight and Blueblood shared a sheepish look before the alicorn admitted, "We haven't actually... begun the development on this engine."

"I have engineered airships and all the inner workings that make airships for most of my life," Blueblood admitted, "but this is a little outside my comfort zone. Midnight has highly recommended the both of you, citing that you two are no strangers to techno and mechanical engineering. Not to mention, as we've previously explained, this engine must be designed to be fueled on what is essentially clean energy."

"The storm cloud that will be placed inside the engine's chamber won't retain its cohesion and power unless it is provided power," added Midnight, "this isn't just science; it's magical science. We're currently looking for a way to make this work through science and sorcery, and that means finding a "fuel" that is natural."

Dr. Whooves and Techorse shared an intrigued look before nodding and Techorse said, "We're both very interested in this project and I think we'd both like to be a part of it."

"As for the magic part," Dr. Whooves brought up, "I'm not entirely sure as to how we could assist you in that aspect of this project but I say that with the four of us putting our heads together we can determine a solution!"

"So I take it you're both in?" Blueblood smiled, his excitement growing.

"Heck yeah, we're in!" Techorse held out his hoof, Midnight doing the same, and then Blueblood and Dr. Whooves met them in as well in a four-way hoofbump and they shared an optimistic laugh.

"Say, howsabout we step out and grab a bite at the local pizza parlor?" Midnight offered, "My treat!"

"Sounds smashing, allons-y!" Dr. Whooves led the way to the door, the others following.

Just before they left basement however, Techorse asked, "Hold on, by any chance does this engine have a name yet?"

"Oh yes indeed," Blueblood chuckled as he brought up the rear and closed the basement door behind them. "We intend to call it... the Electro-Storm Engine!"

As the four stallions chatted it up on their way to the pizza parlor, somepony caught Midnight's eye and he saw it was Twinken sitting on a bench under a tree, looking deep in thought. A quick glance at the clock tower showed Midnight that Twinken's class had just got out, so he was relieved that Twinken wasn't playing hooky. Mom would be all over my ass if something like that happened...

"Uh, gentlecolts," Blueblood, Dr. Whooves, and Techorse paused to look back at Midnight who gave them an apologetic smile, "I'm afraid something has just come up, so... Blueblood will take it from here and speak with you more about the project. Blueblood, go ahead and tell Auntie Spice to put the pizza on my tab. See you later!"

"But Midnight, I-" Blueblood sighed at the sight of the sapphire alicorn hurrying off... until he saw whom Midnight was going to see. Clearing his throat, Blueblood said, "Right then, gentlecolts, I guarantee you, Auntie Spice's pizza puts any pizzeria in Canterlot to shame! While we much, perhaps we can come up with the appropriate fuel source for the project. Shall we?"

While Blueblood led them onward to Pepper Pony's, Midnight quietly approached his brother, his hoofsteps completely silent even on the dirt road by willing solid shadow to cushion his hooves. He leaned against the tree, standing between it and the bench Twinken was sitting on, the colt hadn't even seen or heard his older brother approach but somehow he knew.

"Hey, big brother..."

"Something gotcha down, kiddo?" Midnight was casual yet solemn in demeanor, looking relaxed as he leaned against the tree and just looked on at the passerby of Ponyville.

For a long moment Twinken didn't respond until finally he said, "I'm... well, I... it's something Luna said."

"You can tell me anything, Twinken," the colt felt a wing wrap around him and looked to see Midnight had come over to sit beside him on the bench as the stallion looked at his colt brother with a caring smile.
"And if you're not ready to tell me something, then I'll wait until you are. Just know that no matter what I will always be here to help you out with whatever's troubling you."

The unicorn colt smiled appreciatively before taking a deep breath and thinking a moment to decide what he wanted to share, "OK... See, I had a talk with Princess Luna in the Dream Realm, and... I asked her something about my powers. She told me about how she reached into my magic to bring my lunar magic out but did something to make sure I'd have Dream-Walking, and then she said because of that I might never get any other Lunar Pony powers."

"And you want to be more like a lunar pony?" asked Midnight, a little worried about his brother's words but they were quickly dashed away.

"I wanna be more like you!" Twinken looked up at Midnight with a look of mixed up emotions, some admiration, self-doubt, confusion. "See... Princess Luna says she's teaching me not just because I can dream-walk, but there's more to it! She didn't say what else she was teaching me for or-or why or... I dunno! Midnight, I'm-I'm just feeling like I need to be stronger or smarter or able to do more but I don't know what for or why!

"I don't even have my cutie-mark yet! I don't know what I'm meant to do! Am I supposed to protect others? Teach them? Help them?! Or am I just supposed to be a regular ol' unicorn who lives peacefully and- I don't- What if I'm supposed to do something important but it's not something I want to do!? What if I have some scary destiny but I wind up rejecting it and running from it for the rest of my life?!"

Then Twinken felt Midnight's wing and foreleg pull him into the alicorn's barrel in a warm and close protective hug, the alicorn's wings completely enfolding the colt, shielding him from the big scary world around them. And in that moment, there was only that comforting sense of security that came from being held by someone who loves you. He even felt Midnight rest his muzzle on top of Twinken's head, and as he felt so safe, his big brother's heart beating gently in the stallion's chest, Twinken felt his own begin to slow down... and then Midnight leaned back in the bench and gently tipped Twinken's face up to look him in the eye.

Twinken saw a warm understanding in his big brother's turquoise eyes, and perhaps a glimmer of sadness, "You're just like I was..."

"Huh?" Twinken's bright red eyes widened at those words.

"You remember the entire story? The one I told you about me before I took you to see Mom in the hospital in Canterlot?"

Twinken remembered, that this Midnight holding him was the reincarnation of the Midnight who volunteered to be his big brother, the blank-flanked unicorn he met at the orphanage where this Midnight had to leave him, a decision for which he never truly forgave himself.

"Before you were born, when I did the impossible and earned my cutie-mark for it, along with these wings, and the memories of my prior life, I can't tell you the many times I was afraid. All the times I doubted myself. Feared the mistakes I could make and ruin everything. So much depended upon me, a colt, alicorn or not, with the memories of another life he had lived. Princess Celestia, all my mentors, and especially our dad, Ignitus Enflame, and certainly our mom, they helped me to keep moving forward, to understand that no matter how hard I tried, how careful I was, whatever I did, whatever I learned, I was going to make mistakes, big and small.

"They helped me realize that I couldn't live my life consumed by fear of failing in the things I knew I had to do. Because a life dominated by fear and doubt is no life at all. So, I studied hard, I trained hard, I swore I would find a way to achieve my goals, because I had to have faith that no matter what everything would be alright. I felt that faith even more the day you were born and Dad had somepony take that picture of our family in your locket. So much bad happened, of course, and for a long while after I lost my way, and I never really forgave myself for leaving you alone even though you had to be where you were for everything to work out.

"Twinken, I say this not just because I'm your brother but because I can sincerely see it in you, that you will grow up to be great! You have a good heart, you have good friends beside you, a family that loves you, you have the makings of a fine wizard and the compassion of a truly good person, and not to mention you have the Princess of the Night as your teacher, and you can always count on me to guide you if you're unsure of what to do or who or where to turn to. Your time will come, little brother, and when it does I hope I'm there to see just how brightly you shine."

Twinken's heart was swelling and he struggled to hold back the tears while giving his big brother a quivering smile and laughed a bit at a ticklish feather from Midnight's wing as he wiped away a tear from his brother's face. They gave each other another long and warm hug before Midnight said, "And you know what... I think it's time you learned a little of our family history. Come on."

Midnight gently placed Twinken on the ground before getting off the bench and gesturing for the colt to follow him. The two brothers made their way towards the Castle of Friendship, and inside Midnight led Twinken to the castle library, which Twilight was still working on to fill out and categorize. Most of the shelves were bare, there were stacks and piles of books, the stacks set apart based on what type of books they were while the piles were the ones that hadn't been sorted. In the middle was a large table with some beanbag chairs or cushioned seats, and Midnight invited Twinken to sit wherever he felt comfortable. The colt thought that Midnight was going to look through the stacks or piles or shelves of books but instead Midnight lit up his horn and a turquoise bubble of mana swelled up out of nothing before it floated over the table and popped, revealing a small chest and an old tome.

Midnight levitated the tome and said, "This is the current and most recent edition of the family history of House Obsidian, of which you and I are the youngest and latest generation."

"Is House Obsidian really such a big deal?" asked Twinken as he sat on a cushioned chair next to the table, curious of the tome as well as the chest Midnight had made appear as well.

"Well, our family has a long history, certainly," Midnight opened the tome and showed each page was dedicated to a family member, including names, birth dates, particulars about their lives, and where they fit in the family tree.
"But it may surprise you, Twinken, that the founder of House Obsidian was an earth pony."

"Really?" Twinken leaned forward as Midnight showed a page with an illustration of a large and strong earth pony with a sooty gray coat and ginger mane tied into a braid, a handsome beard, with a cutie-mark of a hammer and volcano.
"He looks cool, what was his name?"

"Our ancestor and the founder of our house was named Vulcan, firstborn son of the legendary hero Rockhoof," Midnight explained with subtle pride. "While his father was a warrior, Vulcan was a blacksmith, devoted to his craft. He crafted armor and weapons for his father's unit, the Mighty Helm. He also made tools for farmers, workers, and laborers. Then one day, Vulcan became interested in the volcano that his village was built near, and explored it. He took volcanic soil and rock, experimented if they could be used in the forge, but what ultimately got his interest was volcanic glass, better known as... obsidian!

"He showed the substance to a mare he fancied and she became enamored by it and used it in her own craft as an artisan! Together, they found obsidian had some uses, as flint, jewelry, arrowheads, and even as knives and some early scalpels. Ponies from far and wide came to barter for their obsidian wares. News of their work even reached the ears of the princesses and they were invited to the Castle of the Two Sisters. Vulcan and the mare who became his wife accepted their invitation and combined their passions as a blacksmith and an artisan to create matching necklaces of silver plated steel with polished obsidian medallions.

"The Sisters then saw that obsidian had unique properties that made them ideal for enchanting, and Vulcan helped improve the armor that was worn by the Royal Guard back then, and his improvements in the design helped the guard during a revolt, saving them from injuries that would certainly have killed them. For all their work and ingenuity, the princesses honored Vulcan and his wife by bestowing upon them titles of nobility and Vulcan named his bloodline after the substance that had brought him and his wife their honor and prestige, and thus House Obsidian was founded."

"Wow..." Twinken was certainly impressed by the story but still curious, "you'd think somepony would have to do something like slay a big scary monster to save a village or rescue somepony important for a reward like that."

"Sometimes great deeds aren't heroics, Twinken," Midnight replied as he closed the tome, "but rather it's what one contributes through hard work and being clever. Vulcan and his wife found use from something that resulted of the destructive nature of a volcano. And of course Vulcan's own work as a blacksmith improved the guards' ability to do their jobs. Sometimes, little brother, it's the smallest things that can make the biggest difference."

"Hmm," Twinken considered his brother's words when his eyes wandered back to the chest, "and... what's that there?"

"That is for you," Midnight smiled, looking rather proudly at his little brother though there was a slight hint of disappointment, "Our family, House Obsidian, began with an earth pony, and there have been members of the family who were pegasi and unicorns. But after Princess Luna was overcome with darkness and became Nightmare Moon bad things happened to a lot of ponies back then, including to our family. House Obsidian survived but after Princess Celestia moved the royal capitol to Mt. Canterhorn and founded the city of Canterlot more and more unicorns came into the family and more unicorn-type traditions were set up.

"Including this one. Technically, you're supposed to be a little older before you receive this, but... I think now's the right time."

Midnight levitated the chest to Twinken who held his breath as the lid slowly opened, and revealed a large black sphere that looked to be made of glass.

"Twinken, Son of Obsidian, as the current Head of our House I bestow upon you your rite of birth, a magical object our family has crafted and wielded for many generations, this, the Obsidian Eye, is yours."

Twinken realized this was no mere glass sphere but a solid sphere of obsidian! He looked up at Midnight who nodded, and Twinken very carefully levitated the Eye out of the chest and saw it had the circumference of one hoof. He made it rotate and saw very faint swirls frozen inside, and when he held it up to a light he could see a grayish illumination.

"Wh...what's this for?" he asked.

"Every unicorn in House Obsidian is given an Obsidian Eye, which serves as a magical tool," Midnight explained, "Every parent crafts one for his or her children and presents it to them when they come of age. Technically, Dad should be the one doing this, but... Anyway, that Eye has a very special ability, Twinken. Once you learn how, you'll be able to use it like a third eye!"

"A third eye?" Twinken didn't get it, giving his big brother a baffled look. "What does that mean?"

Instead of answering, Midnight lit up his horn and a similar black sphere popped into existence, floating above their heads. Twinken looked up at it when he noticed Midnight turn around and say, "Do something. Dance, make a face, whatever, and I'll tell you what you're doing without looking at you with my eyes."

Twinken was starting to get the idea but decided to see for sure, looking up at the sphere Midnight had made appear. He looked at one of the piles of books and levitated some over and made some float around in a circle over his head, "How many books am I levitating and in which direction?"

"Three, counterclockwise," Midnight responded without turning his head to see.

"Hmm," Twinken wanted to be certain so he put the books down and started waving his left hoof but said nothing.

"Now you're waving your left hoof.

"Now your shaking your tail at me.

"Your touching your nose with your tongue and crossing your eyes."

A pillow flew at Midnight's head and he whipped his leonine tail up, smacking it away, to Twinken's bewilderment as his brother turned around, giving him a smug smirk, "Nice try."

"Midnight, are... are you able to see me without looking at me?!" Twinken was shocked and starting to smile in excitement.

"Well, I'm not looking at you with my own eyes," Midnight corrected before pointing at his sphere, "but I am looking at you with my Obsidian Eye."

"So then, these Eyes..." Twinken looked at the one Midnight had given him, "they're used to see things without actually looking at them?"

"It's a magical practice called Remote-Viewing," Midnight explained, "one of our unicorn ancestors in House Obsidian dabbled in the use of obsidian in magic. Besides discovering what a great natural conduit the stuff is, she created a way to magically link herself with a sphere of pure obsidian and see through it instead of her own eyes. Ever since then, it became a tradition to pass on this arcane knowledge to the unicorns in our family. It's a secret that even the Princesses don't know, because we've kept it completely in the family, afraid of how this knowledge could be misused by those of ill intent.

"I'll teach you how to use yours the next time we have Button Mash and Rumble over for Midnight Hour. Sound good?"

Looking into the Obsidian Eye his brother had just given him, Twinken saw his reflection and that he was smiling before he carefully set the Eye back in its chest before going over to his big brother to give him another hug, which eh gladly returned.
"I love you, big brother..."

"I love you too, kiddo."

Author's Note

At the moment, Twinken only has the lunar pony magical power of Dream-Walking, and I addressed this situation by making it a question of whether or not he may develop any other lunar pony abilities or traits. I'm not entirely certain whether I want for Twinken to gain new powers, but I am enjoying the character development involved with it

The Electro-Storm Engine is an idea I brainstormed a while back and wanted to introduce into the story at some point but felt the intro of the idea should be at the theoretical stage; that's why I am involving Dr. Whooves and Spirals95's OC Techorse on the project in the story

The Electro-Storm Engine was inspired by both the steam engine and the combustible engine; similar to how the latter is powered by tiny explosions, the Electro-Storm Engine is powered by a little electrical storm cloud that randomly strikes inside the engine's chamber, the bottom of which is covered by a pad that absorbs the lightning, refines the energy, and that energy would be used to power systems or machines, like an airship or provide power

However, magic is involved and one of the aims is the engine has to be powered by a clean fuel; sunlight is the most likely candidate, but while the team on the project might have thought of that by now they're trying to figure what would be the most efficient way to collect solar energy to fuel the Electro-Storm Engine

I've always wanted to explain a little about Midnight and Twinken's family, House Obsidian, and Rockhoof is my most favorite of the Six (Seven) Pillars of Equestria, and I liked the idea of creating a special magical object exclusive to their family; the Obsidian Eyes work very much like a security camera but the user sees through the Obsidian Eye rather than seeing what it sees on some monitor; it's a magical art or ability called Remote-Viewing, similar to scrying or seeing something in a crystal ball

281. High Noon Nonsense - Part 2

The Saguaro Bloom hotel was a cozy place to relax, but for two earth ponies bigger than average in the same room, it was a tad awkward. Honestly, the way Trouble Shoes had to sit on the bed in his hotel room (which wasn't designed for a pony his size) it made him look even more like a giant. Big Mac sat on a chair by the window while Trouble Shoes broke out some Cactus Water and HBLT sandwiches, which Big Mac gratefully accepted.

Taking a slow guzzle of the Cactus Water really hit the spot, having missed the taste of something a little stronger than even his family's hard Apple Cider.

"Glad t' hear lil' Bloom and her friends `r doin' well," Trouble Shoes grunted as he kept shifting his big bottom on the bed, trying to get comfortable without hitting the ceiling fan (which he'd already done but thankfully hadn't broken it... yet).
"Wish Ah could say th' same for wha's been goin' on around here."

After letting out a belch, Big Mac asked, "So why'd ya get tossed out onto yer keister earlier?"

"Things been happenin' `round San Clydesdale, partner," Trouble Shoes started off, "wagon accidents, private property gettin' messed up, even some thievin' goin' on! Th' general store got broken into an' some o' th' goods inside were nabbed. A farmer's windmill got busted up that he almost couldn' fix it, and a runaway wagon damn-near crushed a colt an' a closer look showed th' break on it'd been sab-o-tawj'd.

"And at every spot where them bad things happened, th' local sheriff, a pegasus named Dust Devil, he's found some clue tha' says Buffalo Bull and his Travelin' Wild West Show troupe are s'posedly responsible!"

"Buffalo Bull? Ah met one o' his performers headin' fer th' train station on muh way here," Big Mac brought up.

"Yup, since Buffalo Bull an' his troupe `r gettin' blamed, some o' th' locals have been harrassin'em," Trouble Shoes explained, "some poor hombre got beaten up only yesterday an' th' sheriff didn' arrest nopony, jus' broke it up an' told them t' go home. Buffalo Bull swears on his impendin' marriage tha' he an' his troupe ain't done wrong an' Dust Devil has warned Bull tha' he an' his troupe better not leave town until this whole thing is over an' done with.

"Ah guess th' guy you met had enough an' jus' wanted to get away from it. Ah can understand tha' but it might make Bull look even badder than everypony is thinkin' he is."

Mac gave what Trouble Shoes had just said a thought and realized he was right. If Bull and his troupe weren't supposed to skip town, one of his performers quitting and hightailing it outta there would certainly make things look bad when Bull and his troupe were being investigated. But if Bull and his troupe weren't responsible - And Big Mac was certain they weren't - then what was with these alleged clues being found at the scenes of the crimes implicating them?

Although he spent a lot of time outside, every now and then Big Mac enjoyed a good book himself, one of his favorite series about an earth pony marshal who wandered here and there to catch the bad guys and even solve mysteries. The idea of living such an adventure brought a subtle thrill to Big Mac that his worries about handling this problem suddenly didn't seem so daunting.

"Say Trouble Shoes, ya think you could introduce me t' Buffalo Bull and his troupe?" asked Mac.

"Mah pleasure, partner, c'mon," Trouble Shoes got up, being careful not to bump into Mac or the furniture of the hotel room, he ducked his head down and grunted as he shimmied his considerable stature through the doorway until...

"Oh, typical.... Mac? Uh, a lil' help please?"

Big Mac stifled a chuckle, "No problem, haystack."

But instead of being gentle, Big Mac gave that big brown rump one of his trade-mark Apple-Bucking skills, sending Trouble Shoes "YAUGHOWWW!!"ing out the door and "OW! AUGH! BUCK, BUCK, BUCKIN' COCK, BUCK!!!" down the stairs.

A few minutes later...

“Sorry `bout that, haystack,,” Big Mac chuckled weakly. “Don' know mah own strength.”

Trouble Shoes grumbled, as the hotel owner told Trouble Shoes to hold an icepack over a nasty bump on the poor guy's head. Before long, the two headed out and down the road a bit until they came to a small circle of wagons, all make up and prop wagons. Big Mac was impressed, seeing a couple rodeo clowns practicing their juggling and somersaulting, a mare with her lasso, pulling off some amazing tricks, a stallion wearing a band on his head with an eagle feather as he held a bow with an arrow at the ready, aimed at a haybale with a target on it, and released his shot, the arrow making a perfect bull's eye, and several other acts going on.

“Ah must say, this is mighty impressive,” the Apple Farmer commented.

Trouble Shoes nodded as he moved towards a large wagon and knocked on the door with the word 'Dominus' on it.

“Whuzzat mean?” Big Mac asked.

“It means 'Troupe Leader' in some fancyschmancy language ah haven't th' time for,” Trouble Shoes huffed. “Now, do ya wanna start asking some of them there questions?”

Looks like I have no choice here, Big Mac thought.

He followed Trouble Shoes in and he was greeted by the sight of an older stallion with a light tan coat, dull orange mane and mustache, and a ten gallon hat, sitting at a desk, looking at the damage reports, looking tuckered and morose. His cutie-mark was a pair of metal bull horns.

“Excuse me, Bull, but some help has arrived,” Trouble Shoes informed.

“Be with you in a minute,” Buffalo Bull replied with a dreary voice, “Trouble Shoes, get t' practice with th' other clowns."

“Sure thing, hoss,” Trouble Shoes said and turned to leave but paused as he gave Mac a hopeful look, and the red stallion nodded as Trouble Shoes left.

After a few moments looking over the paperwork he had, Bull turned and faced Big Mac.
“Ah actually sent for some guards to help, but you'll do."

“Can Ah ask one thing before ya gimmme th' facts?” Big Mac asked.

“Certainly,” Bull said. “Ah got nothin' t' hide. Keeping skeletons hidden don' bode well.”

“True,” Big Mac agrred before clearing his throat. “But may Ah ask....Wha's goin' on `tween you an' th' sheriff in this town? Ah got th' impression from Trouble Shoes that he holds a grudge against you.”

“Well, it was years ago,” Bull said with a sigh as he remembered, “we'd jus' set up fer a show in Horseshoe Bay. Tha' day, it was powerful windy with pounding rain an' storms thunderin' louder than a front row seat to a percussion band. It was a dress rehearsal, like wha's going on t'day. Dust Devil was an aerial acrobat an' loved pullin' some crazy stunts.”

“Ah see,” Big Mac had an idea of where this was going.

Bull nodded and continued, “Well, at th' time he was practicin' fer a new trick that involved fire. But durin' a freak gust o' wind blew some burning coals onto him mid-flight! Oh... Ah can still remember how bad th' burns looked, like it only happened yesterday. We rushed Dust Devil t' a doctor an' he got Dust patched up. But... he had bad news. Dust's wing got burned in a place that frazzed his nerves some. He'd still be able t' fly, but the doc made it clear tha' Dust Devil's career as an aerial acrobat was over.

"Ah had t' explain t' Dust wha' the doc told me, but he refused to listen, wanted t' get right back to practice after his burns healed up."

“Ah guessin' tha' didn' turn out well either," Big Mac supposed.

“No it did not..." Buffalo Bull held his head up with a hoof, "Ah tried t' convince him to try fer somethin' new but he jus' wouldn' listen t' reason. Finally, Ah had no choice - Ah dismissed Dust from mah show, an' told him t' go home. He's held it against me an' th' troupe ever since."

“Ya think tha' has anythang t' do wit' wha's goin' on around here?" asked Big Mac.

"Ah wish Ah could say otherwise, but yeah," Bull sighed sadly. "Ah had no idea Dust lived here in San Clydesdale when we arrived o'er a week ago. But only a couple days after, things started takin' a turn fer th;' worst.

"Every time somethin' goes wrong in San Clydesdale, Sheriff Dust Devil finds some evidence tha' says me or mah troupe members are responsible! Th' townsfolk believe it an' they're makin' it harder on mah performers. We cain't just leave or we'll look even more guilty that we already do. Ah hav' t' prove our innocence or this'll hang o'er our heads for maybe th' rest of our lives."

Buffalo Bull's words made perfect sense to Big Mac, and as he digested all that Bull had just told him, he began to consider how he was going to connect the dots to reveal the incriminating picture.

"Bull, ya can't feel bad about how things went with Dust Devil," Big Mac said, "because sometimes bad things happen fer no good reason no matter how hard we look fer a reason why. Ya had t' let `im go or he'd have hurt himself even worse. Now whether Dust Devil believes it or not, ya did right right by him and ya did th' right thing. But yer not responsible fer his choices, an' Ah'm here t' make sure yer not held responsible fer things you an yer troupe din't do."

The older stallion gave Mac a look of hesitant appreciation so Mac kept going, "Whatever's goin' on around here, Ah'm gonna help ya."

"Yer a good'un , Macintosh Apple," Buffalo Bull held out his hoof, and Big Mac took it, and they shared a strong hoofshake when all of a sudden there was some urgent knocking on Bull's wagon door.
"Now what...?"

Buffalo Bull got up, Mac stepping aside, and Bull opened his door to see a mare looking worried, "Bull! It's th' sherrif, he wants t' see you."

Buffalo Bull gave Mac another worried look but the look Mac returned assured him the red stallion had his back, and Bull sighed, "A'ight, let's go an' see th' law."

They stepped out and Bull saw the members of his troupe murmuring amongst themselves with worry and he saw Dust Devil standing just outside the circle of wagons, giving the stink eye straight to Bull. He was a pegasus with a cactus green coat, a dry dirty blonde mane and sideburns, he wore a dark gray fedora, a bolo tie holding his sheriff badge, and his cutie-mark was a dust devil with pegasus wings.

Taking a deep breath, Buffalo Bull approached the sheriff, and then asked, "So, wha's th' complaint o' th' day this time, sheriff? Whatever it is, neither Ah nor muh troupe have anythang t' do with it."

"...Is tha' a fact, Bull?" Dust Devil narrowed his dusty brown eyes with accusing skepticism when he held something out with his wing, revealing a red clown nose, "So then this little sumpin'-sumpin' Ah found over at Miss Pepita's pumpkin patch is jus' a lil' coinky-dink, huh? Ah don' think she'll see it tha' way, poor thing, seeing as how most o' her patch has been smashed to messy bits!"

Several of Bull's troupe members let out gasps of concern, both for themselves and for the mentioned Miss Pepita, but Bull kept a straight face and furrowed his brows, "Now, Dust, Ah've been nuttin' but cooperative an' Ah stand by my word tha' not me nor any member o' mah troupe has done wrong. Ah checked on all muh performers last night, nopony left their wagon fer anything but an outhouse break."

"Well, seein' as how all this trouble only started when Buffalo Bull's Travellin' Wild West Show strolled into San Clydesdale," Dust Devil said snidely, "not t' mention Ah've seen things at th' sight o' each incident, like a rhinestone boot, a hat belongin' to Miss Calamity Mane o'er there, a barrel with yer logo on it, and now! A clown nose, which reminds me, Ah believe Ah saw one o' yer clowns skippin' town!

"Now, Ah'm sure you'll understand if'n Ah find a clown nose smack dab at th' latest crime scene an' one o' yer clowns headed fer th' hills t' be coincidence, Buffalo Bull..."

"He quit th' show, which meant Ah had no right t' keep him here, Dust Devil," Bull explained, even though he knew that wasn't going to fly, "Ah'm responsible only fer th' members o' mah troupe. Those who quit are no longer mah responsibility."

"Now ain't tha' convenient?" Dust Devil raised a brow.

"Sheriff, if Ah may," Big Mac stepped up, all eyes turning to him, "are you sure yer history wit' Bull ain't colorin' th' way yer looking at th' matter at hoof?"

"An' who're you, boy?" Dust Devil glared at Big Mac, not caring the red earth pony was a head taller, "Some new stage hoof? If Ah was you, Ah wouldn' have nuttin' t' do with wha's goin' on around here."

"Sir, yer a law pony," Big Mac reminded Devil, holding his ground, "so you gotta know about 'innocent until proven guilty'. Th' evidence you say you found might say one thing but they don' tell th' whole story. An' if you say a few props makes Bull an' his troupe guilty, then Ah gotta wonder... This about justice? Or payback? Because of how Bull had t' let you go?"

Dust Devil growled, glaring into Mac's eyes as he then seethed, "Y'better watch yer step, stranger. San Clydesdale's seen better days..."

The sheriff then turned around and walked off, several townsponies giving him a wide berth.

That night, at Dust Devil's house, the pegasus sat, waiting. He had just broken out the poker set he got one year as a gift from an old acquaintance in Manehatten. He was now waiting for Longhorn to arrive for a game of 5 stud poker, deuces wild.

“He's late,” the pegasus snorted indignantly, and some ten grating minutes later, his competition arrived in the form of a large, bulky, gray bull with long and sharp horns, wearing a black cowboy hat, which he set on a coat hanger by Dust Devil's door. Dust Devil furrowed his eyes at his guest. If he didn't know who this guy was beforehoof, he would already suspect he was the type of varmint he was charged with taking in. This was Longhorn, the no-good leader of a gang of outlaws called the Cattle Rustlers.

“Sorry, got tied up dealing with another plan o' sabotage,” Longhorn said in a tone that meant he was sorry at all as he sat his meat behind down at Dust Devil's card table.

“Doesn't matter,” Dust Devil sighed wearily as he joined him and the pegasus dealt out the hands for the game. As they played, Longhorn filled Dust Devil in on his next set of plans.

“Sounds good,” Dust Devil considered the plan but still had to set boundaries, “But reign in yer gang. We wanna make trouble for Buffalo Bull, not you.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Longhorn responded smugly.

“And so y'know," Dust Devil brought up as he drew a card, "one o' them Guardians o' Harmony's rolled int' town t'day."

“WHAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT?!” roared Longhorn, dropping his hand and the look on his face was both somewhat alarming but still amusing to the law pony, to finally see the big bad outlaw shaken.

“It's true,” Dust Devil shrugged although he worked in a worried demeanor.

“Which one?!” Longhorn bellowed.

“Some red earth pony, goes by Big Macintosh,” Dust Devil confirmed.

“HIM?!” Longhorn snorted angrily, slapping his cards down and started pacing the room.

“You know him,” Dust Devil noted.

“Yes! His family has been th' bane o' mah existence, an' eight times he, his sister, or his relations managed t' make me look like a fool!” Longhorn seethed.

“Save th' backstory fer th' movie theatre,” Dust Devil sighed wearily. “It seems revenge runs in two sets of veins.”

“Yeah, no kiddin'," Longhorn growled as he sat back down.

The two continued their poker game. During round three, a figure entered the house. The figure was short, wore a large coat and a fedora style hat, with a pair of horns poking out of the brim.

“Deal me in,” the figure said, removing their hat to reveal it was a goat.

The goat had a female voice, ginger fur with reddish-brown marks and brows, and had an air of having control over the situation. Longhorn dealt the goat into their game and they played, with the goat winning most of the games.

“Just like everything else in life,” Longhorn grumbled.

“Taken by someone else,” Dust Devil added.

“Whatever are you two complaining about this time?” the goat said with snide innocence. “You two have been nothing but a bunch of sour lemons since I joined.”

“Because you keep on winnin'!” Dust Devil complained.

She chuckled, “You should know better then to backtalk your partner."

“I don' care, Cactus Spine,” Dust Devil snapped. “Plus yer always coming out lookin' mighty pretty whenever there's a crime spree!”

“It's called doin' our job, honey,” she retorted. “Besides, don't you have someone you care about?”

“Wha, like a mare? No, Ah don' give two shiny bits about datin'. They hinder everything ya want to achieve in life. Same thing with friends!” Dust Devil snapped bitterly.

Cactus Spine chuckled with a woeful undertone and dealt out the next dealings. The last round saw her with three of a kind with a pair of aces while Longhorn had 2 pairs while Dust Devil had a garbage dealing.

“Not bad, gents,” she teased.

Dust Devil gave her a dirty look and headed out to the firewood bins to take his anger out on logs that needed to be chopped. Cactus Spine walked out after bidding Longhorn a good night. With another less than successful poker night over with,Longhorn growled and tromped out and started making his what back to his gang's hideout outside of town.

Cactus Spine headed out and back to Bull's caravan. After telling Bull and Big Mac everything, Bull sighed, “Figures..."

“So Devil's workin' with Longhorn t' frame you an' yer troupe but what does Longhorn get out of it...? Big Mac wondered before it hit him and he asked, "Wait, is there somethin' around here that he an' his gang could want?”

“Our coal mining operation. In these parts, coal's th' biggest resource,” Cactus Spine confirmed, "but Ah don' think Devil's in on that. He's lookin' t' get even with Bull but he wouldn' sell out th' town by allowin' Longhorn even a pebble o' coal from our mine."

Big Mac nodded, as he began seeing the picture the more the dots began to connect.

Author's Note

Longhorn and his Cattle Rustlers gang are outlaw bulls from the MLP comics and Applejack's tangled with him at least once

282. High Noon Nonsense - Part 3

Big Mac had trouble sleeping that night but eventually sleep took him and now he was gazing out the window of the Saguaro Bloom hotel where he'd rented a room for the night, and was seeing the light of daybreak gently reach across the landscape. After that confrontation with Devil and hearing from that goat Cactus Spine about the sheriff being in cahoots with that no-good outlaw Longhorn, he wondered how he could help resolve this haystack of problems piling up in San Clydesdale. According to Buffalo Bull and Cactus Spine Dust Devil was having Longhorn and his thugs, the Cattle Rustlers, make messes and problems all over town but making sure to leave phony evidence that Devil could use to point hooves at Bull and his troupe.

Okay, so Bull dismissed Devil from the troupe, but why couldn't Devil understand Bull had done so for Devil's own good? It'd been several years, as Mac understood, that Devil was fired from Bull's show but apparently time had not dulled the bitter sting that spurred Devil's grudge.

Still, something about Dust Devil during that confrontation yesterday seemed off. Sure, he mouthed off a little, but he backed down just a tad too easily and something about him had wavered. Like perhaps he wasn't entirely certain of going through with this whole charade after all.

Dust Devil was in the middle of all this but Mac wasn't entirely certain where Devil fit into this picture. Was Devil's grudge so bitter that he would sacrifice the town he was supposed to protect just to get back at Buffalo Bull? Big Mac didn't think so, but Devil was working with a known outlaw, and what had he promised Longhorn in exchange for his help? Cactus Spine suggested Longhorn was after the town's coal but she didn't believe Devil would allow it.

But before he could think on it further, he heard a commotion and looked out to see several townsponies, led by Dust Devil, were headed down the street and definitely towards Bull and the troupe!

"Ah gotta get there an' help!" Big Mac grabbed his saddlebag and hurried outside, but made sure to stick to behind the buildings so Devil and his mob didn't see him.

Buffalo Bull stood protectively in front of his troupe, his family, standing between them and the angry townsponies, looking Dust Devil in the eye who returned Bull's look with one of bitter spite.
"San Clydesdale's patience has rung out, Bull! An' you an' yer bunch o' misfits have outworn yer welcome!"

"We'r not responsible fer anythang or any wrong tha's happened since we've come to yer town, Devil," Bull responded with furrowed brows, "but you know well enough tha's th' truth, don'cha?"

"Don'choo try any tricks `r fancy words to wriggle yer way outta this, Bull!" Devil flared his wings, stamped his hoof, glared at the pony he once looked up to, "You an' yer pack o' ne'er do-wells are gonna spend a good long time in jail an' yer silly show's about t' shutdown fer good!"

The townsponies behind Dust Devil all shouted and jeered at the troupe in agreement of Devil's words and it was at this point that Big Mac stepped forward, "Sheriff! Yor s'posed t' serve an' protect yer neighbors, an' t' enforce the law in th' name o' justice! Don' let an old grudge steer you any further away from tha' path an' tell th' truth!"

"You hush up or Ah'll arrest you too fer aidin' an' abettin'!" Dust Devil threw Big Mac a nasty stink eye, "Th' only law tha' matters around here is me!"

Big Mac and Buffalo Bull shared a look of pity before they nodded and Bull called out, "Cactus Spine! Time t' set th' truth free!"

"WHAT?!!?" Dust Devil flinched in abject horror to see the old goat Cactus Spine step out from among the troupe, giving Dust Devil a blatant look of disappointment.

"Ponies of San Clydesdale!" Cactus Spine spoke up loud, making sure all could hear her, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Sheriff Dust Devil has tricked all of you, all so he could get payback on Buffalo Bull!"

"Sh-shuddup. goat!" Dust Devil fidgeted before looking to the townsponies behind him, "Don' listen t' her! She's obviously wit' them!"

"Dust Devil has teamed up with known outlaw Longhorn, the leader of the Cattle Rustlers," Cactus Spine went on, "Longhorn and his thugs are the ones that've been going around making a mess of ponies' properties, and after they're done they leave behind a fake clue that Dust Devil finds so he can implicate Buffalo Bull and his troupe!"

The ponies of San Clydesdale murmured amongst themselves in response to Cactus's words and Devil felt his ego deflate and his nerves wind up to see some of his neighbors appeared to be considering Cactus's words were true.
"Now tha's jus' crazy talk! Why in Faust's name would Ah work with a no-good'un like Longhorn t' frame some silly old show?"

"Perhaps this could explain why," Bull retorted before he signaled some stagehooves on top of one of the wagons and the townsponies gasped to see a large poster unfurl to reveal what was most assuredly Dust Devil!

Devil was shocked to see his old poster, 'Come and see the Aerial Acrobatic Experience that is Dust Devil the Daring'. The sight of it and those words sparked a mixture of emotions in the former performer. A nostalgic warmth of the reminder of the pony he used to be, the good times he recalled, seeing audiences marvel and gasp at his acrobatic feats and stunts, the bitter sting of that awful memory when that stray bolt of lightning cut his career short, and the burning animosity he felt towards Bull for dismissing him from the troupe.

"Sheriff!?"

He looked back to see one of the townsponies, a young stallion Devil was fond of, like a little brother, looking at him with eyes confused as he pointed to the poster, "Is tha' you?!"

"Ah- Well, y'see- It's jus-" Dust Devil flabbergasted his words, trying to think straight but unable to come up with an explanation.

"But Sheriff, why would ya wanna cause trouble fer yer old troupe?" "Ain't it obvious?! He got canned, so when Mr. Buffalo Bull an' his show turned up in our town th' Sheriff wanted revenge!" "Tha's just... despicable!" "Mah colt was almost killed by tha' wagon wit' th' broken break!"

Seeing his friends and neighbors starting to turn on him, Dust Devil, already wound up from setting up this mob, confronting his old boss, seeing the reminder of the pony he used to be, and being found out, it finally wound him up so tight that all he could do was snap.

"FINE!! AH ADMIT IT! Ah teamed up wit' Longhorn an' his gang t' get even with Bull an' the troupe!" Dust Devil then turned to glare at Bull, who was surprised to see tears welling up in his old employee's eyes, "But you betrayed mah trust an' mah respect! Instead o' supportin' me after Ah got hurt ya cut me loose an' left me t' deal with th' broken pieces Ah was after Ah'd never felt so broken!

"Do ya know what tha's like?! T' feel like yer up so high tha' you can see all th' world only fer somethin' like a lightnin' bolt t' come along an' zap you down t' earth an' learnin' you'll never be able to fly so high like that again!! And then you! Ah admired you, looked up t' you! An' wha' did Ah get in return?! Th' heave-ho! Ya fired me an' told me t' go home, an' when Ah did everypony in mah hometown talked smack behind muh back about 'Dust Devil th' has-been, Dust Devil th' plucked over, DUST DEVIL THE LOSER'!!!"

Everypony watched, speechless by Devil's tirade as he fell back onto his haunches and everypony there was treated to the sight of a grown stallion crying, "Ah couldn' take it no more... So Ah left an' wandered till finally Ah found San Clydesdale. Nopony here'd ever heard of 'Buffalo Bull's Travelin' Wild West Show' so they'd ne'er heard o' me either. But Ah never forgot you, Bull!"

Dust Devil wiped away his tears and got back on his hooves while giving Buffalo Bull the look of a pony who felt betrayed, "Ah was told Ah'd never be able t' perform again after wha' happened, an' you turned me away right when Ah needed you most!"

Sighing bitterly, Dust Devil took off his hat and badge and turned to leave, "Ah'll go an' clean out muh office. Ah'll leave San Clydesdale before sunset."

"Dust Devil, wait!"

All eyes, even Dust Devil's, turned towards the troupe and they saw an earth pony mare with a velvet red coat, a golden mane tied in a long braid with colorful ribbons woven into the braid, a cutie-mark of theater curtains, and soft green eyes full of sympathy. Devil didn't know her name but she did look familiar...

"Dust, you prob'ly don' remember me, but Ah was around back then. My name is Curtain Braids, a stagehoof in th' show."

Dust devil said nothing, his face unreadable.

"Dust, you have every right to feel as you did after Bull dismissed you from th' show. But he din' make that decision so easy! He never got over the hurt of dismisisn' you from th' show. It hung on his heart for years after. He even tried lookin' to make amends and find a way to help you."

"Why should Ah care about that? He din't! He made tha' plenty clear after he fired mah ass an' told me t' go home!" Devil responded bitterly.

"He does care, Dust," Curtain Braids assured before she held a hoof over her heart, "and so do I!"

"You?" Dust Devil didn't understand.

"I joined Bull's show back when I was a teenage filly," Curtain Braids explained, "but I didn't have th' talent or th' confidence to perform. So I settled for being a stagehoof, an' having the best view of all the performances. But never did I feel the magic of show biz so well as I did when I watched you perform!

"Oh, I remember it so well, as though it were only yesterday. Seeing you practice and practice, how confident you were, how brave! But none of it compared to just how brightly you shined when you performed such mane-raising stunts that a couple times I thought you were gonna get yerself killed! But then you'd pull off such a twist mid-performance and defy death, oh! You were an inspiration!"

Everypony listened to Curtain Braids but Dust Devil felt moved and confused, "But... Ah don' understand, why duz this matter so much t' you? Tha' was all a long while ago."

Curtain Braids hanged her head with guilt before she took a deep breath, "I wish I'd told you this back then. Then maybe you wouldn't have had t' go through all that alone, I just didn't have the confidence to `fess up. Dust Devil, when I watched yer first performance, you captured your audience. As well as my heart."

Dust Devil's eyes widened as he began to realize what Curtain was trying to say.

"I wanted to tell you how I feel, but I just... I mean, I was just a stagehoof and you were a star performer! How could I compare to that...? But after yer accident and Bull dismissed you from th' show, I wanted to go after you, to tell you my feelings! But I just didn't have the courage to leave the troupe, the family I'd come to love. I'm so sorry, Dust Devil. After what happened, I begged Bull t' take th' show to yer hometown but by th' time we got there you were long gone and nopony knew where you went, and I thought I'd lost you forever..."

"Miss Curtain, are- Are you sayin'...?" Dust Devil managed to utter but he found himself speechless, and Curtain Braids gave him a tearful smile.

"I love you, Dust Devil!" Curtain gave a teary laugh, as though a great weight had lifted off of her withers, "I've loved you ever since I first watched you fly!"

Curtain's words lit something in Dust, something warm, something that made the old hurts start to hurt less as he realized, Somepony loves me...!

But just as Dust Devil was going to reply and finally fix his mess once and for all, the far side fence surrounding the lot where Bull's troupe was staying burst down in a wreck of splintered wood, and Longhorn, flanked by two bulls, came forward, looking pretty full of himself.

“So Ah see y'all got muh lil' pawn t' bleed his heart out. Big deal,” Longhorn gloated. “He's done his job o' distractin' San Clydesdale by makin' y'all turn th' stink eye towards this two-bit circus!"

Everypony gasped to see Longhorn and his henchbulls giving everypony menacing sneers and snorts, looking like they were itchin' to run wild and do some real damage.

"Ah had a feelin' you'd be nearby, Longhorn," big Mac spoke up first, so all eyes turned to him as he furrowed his brows toward Longhorn, "but it still begs th' question - Why go to all th' trouble o' framin' Bull an' his troupe and why'd ya involve Dust Devil?"

“Ol' grudges have a way o' makin' stupid ponies like th' sheriff o'er there blind wit' rage, which is always so easy t' take advantage of,” Longhorn mocked. “As fer th' why, Ah've been lookin' t' expand mah territory an' San Clydesdale's got th' biggest coal biz this side o' th' San Palomino Desert!

"While Dunce Devil there was pointin' hooves at this buncha riffraff, all you townsponies were lookin' th' other way while mah boys have been helpin' themselves to yer coal mine! An' once mah buyer arrives, Ah'm gonna make a fortune from all tha' coal!!!"

Longhorn and his bulls threw their heads back in mooing laughter, triumphant and mocking all at once.

The townsponies were beginning to jabber, some were glaring at Longhorn but too many were glaring towards Dust Devil who'd fallen back onto his haunches and looking so ashamed and defeated at what a fool he'd been played for. Big Mac knew he had to do something and quick otherwise things were gonna get ugly and somepony would get hurt. Remembering Longhorn's defeat at his sister's hooves, the red pony got an idea.

“Longhorn, why don'choo jus' give up?” Big Mac gave the bull a cocky smile. “Mah lil' sister bucked yer fat ass six ways from sunday, so wha' chance hav' ya got against me, her big brother?"

That shut the outlaw up and he glared reproachfully at Macintosh, who'd just thrown down the gauntlet.

"Ah still owe tha' lil' whorse a reckonin'," Longhorn narrowed his eyes before he pulled his lips back in a wicked sneer, "but fer now you'll do!!"

Longhorn let out a bellowing roar before he lowered his horns and charged!

"Big Mac!!" Bull cried out, only for one of Longhorn's goons to bar him and the troupe, the second doing the same with the townsfolk.

Big Mac stood his ground however, fully prepared to knock this bully down a peg when all of a sudden, Dust Devil tackled Longhorn in the blindside, causing them both to stumble and everypony gasped in shock as Dust Devil leapt off of Longhorn, twisted through the air, and landed perfectly on his hooves near Buffalo Bull.

"Dust...!" Bull was astonished by what he had just seen as Dust gave his old employer a smirk.

"Ah still got it!"

"An' yer gonna get it, too!!" snorted Longhorn as he got back on his hooves and heard a ruckus.

Trouble Shoes had knocked down the bull who'd barred the troupe and several stallions among the townsponies had wrangled the other with some fine lasso work. Seeing the situation was falling out of his favor, Longhorn began to see red as he glared furiously at Dust Devil but then noticed Curtain Braids, the simpering mare who'd opened up her pathetic heart to his pathetic pawn. If he couldn't make Devil hurt, then he'd make him suffer!

Letting out another bellowing roar, Longhorn charged again, towards Dust Devil and Bull at first. But then suddenly veered the other way and the troupe cried out in horror as they saw Curtain Braids was in danger! Big Mac felt something spur him into action as something awoke, and he leapt forward, putting himself between Longhorn and Curtain Braids!

*FLASH/BONG/CRACK*

Everyone wasn't sure what had just happened until it was too late, but Longhorn found himself blown back and looked up in abject horror to see his horns had both been broken halfway off! He gaped forward and saw Big Mac with a round golden shield emblazoned with his cutie-mark of a green apple sliced in half and surrounded by sparkles, expanding to the width of a wagon wheel. Floating next to the shield was a knightly sword, gleaming a faint silvery red, with a golden hilt and on the pommel was a green apple ornament.

Big Mac stood up, something guiding him instinctively as the sword and shield moved in accordance to his will, the shield at his left, the sword to his right, and he spoke without realizing it, "Stand tall, Stone Edge!"

Their name called, the sword and shield blazed with energy, as Big Mac willed the sword to point at Longhorn, "Yer gonna answer fer yer misdeeds, Longhorn, as well as yer posse!"

The goat, Cactus Spine, stepped forward and said, "The cell in the sheriff office'll be a tight squeeze fer you an' yer thugs, but we'll make do."

Longhorn growled but the damage to his horns, his bulls subdued, and the reality of his situation caused him to sink in defeat as everyone started to converge.

As Cactus Spine expected, It was indeed a squeeze for Longhorn and his two bulls after locking them up in the cell over at the sheriff's office. After, the mayor of San Clydesdale asked Big Mac to lead a team to the coal mine to subdue the rest of the Cattle Rustlers and recover the stolen coal. The bulls who'd been left at the mine to gather the coal were quick to surrender after Big Mac threw the broken halves of their boss's horns at their hooves, and they found the coal was safe and sound.

Once the Cattle Rustlers had been safely secured, the mayor demanded Dust Devil turn in his badge and Devil obliged without hesitation and even surrendered himself to be held accountable for his actions. The mayor considered holding Devil equally as guilty as Longhorn and his gang but Big Mac, Buffalo Bull, and even Cactus Spine defended Devil, saying while he had done wrong he'd had no idea that Longhorn was stealing the town's coal behind his back. So, the mayor decided to sentence Dust Devil to community service instead, which Devil accepted, intending to take his medicine and square his accounts.

Then the mayor issued an apology on behalf of San Clydesdale to Buffalo Bull and his troupe, and Bull kindly accepted it with no hard feelings, and even offered a free performance from his show for everypony in town to enjoy. Cactus Spine was made interim sheriff until further notice.

After finally having a moment to himself, Big Mac went to an open field where he summoned his sword and then willed it to transform into the sword and shield known together as Stone Edge! To his bewilderment, he found he could control the sword and shield with his mind, almost as though he were a unicorn moving things with magic. The sword was sharp and enduring, the shield stout and mighty.

He made them float in front of him, gazing up their forms and details, and somehow felt that Stone Edge suited him. Ordinarily, Big Mac wasn't partial to weapons, but then he recalled something his father once told him - It was better to have a weapon with which to defend yourself and those you care for and not need it than to need a weapon and not have one. Those words had turned up in a conversation back when Mac was a little colt, at a time where he thought being a hero meant being big and strong and having some cool weapon to beat the bad guys with.

"You looked mighty heroic th' way ya held tha' sword n' shield, partner."

Big Mac turned to see Trouble Shoes giving him an admiring smile, "An' Ah'm mighty glad you showed up here when ya did."

"Ah came cuz Ah was needed," Big Mac nodded when he felt his flanks shiver and he looked to see his cutie-mark glowing inward and he knew that he was needed no longer, "but now it's time fer me t' go home. Ah miss muhShy."

"Ya sure ya wanna head out now?" Trouble Shoes looked a little disapointed, "th' show's still goin' on."

"Eh, Ah'm good," Big Mac politely declined as he willed Stone Edge back into their single sword form before it de-materialized, becoming an energy that he absorbed into his hoof. But as he turned he paused and said, "Y'know, Longhorn mentioned a buyer he was gonna sell th' coal to. Ah wonder who it is..."

"Well, whoever it is, they'll be plenty disappointed when Longhorn don' show wit' coal tha' wern't his t' sell," Trouble Shoes came over and held up his hoof to Big Mac, "Maybe sometime Buffalo Bull will steer th' troupe o'er t' Ponyville."

"Ah'll look forward to it, haystack," Big Mac smiled as he bro-hoof'd his friend, "an' how're Dust and Miss Curtain Braids?"

"Dust Devil's already workin' on his community service," Trouble Shoes reported but smiled as he added, "an' Curtain Braids is helpin' him out. He said she don' hav' ta, but she said she wants ta'. Ah think they'll be good fer each other. He already seems kinda happy."

"Glad t' hear. So long," Big Mac started walking away, "Ah'll tell Apple Bloom ya said hi."

"Be seein' ya!" Trouble Shoes waved and called after Macintosh as the red earth pony started down the road to the train station.

Author's Note

Big Mac's weapon is a Sword and Shield paired together and called Stone Edge. This was a little difficult to decide on due to wanting to find something that fits and how it fits. The name refers to them both but 'Stone' refers to the shield and 'Edge' the sword. They are magical weapons and that's why even though he's an earth pony Big Mac can wield them with his mind

283. Party Pooped - Part 1

The Harmonic Twelve were all standing in the foyer of Midnight and Twilight's castle as the latter was pacing in front of them, clearly nervous but trying to hide it as she said to Pinkie Pie, "You look nervous. There's no reason to be nervous! Nothing to be worry about, everything's gonna be fine!"

The sweating and forced smile Twilight displayed made Pinkie giggle, "Twilight, tell those butterflies in your tummy to 'beat it'! Making friends is always fun!"

Twilight phew'd, not quite unwound but feeling slightly better. Then, her beau Midnight placed a comforting wing around her withers, saying with an understanding smile, "We're all here to help, Twily."

"Yeah! An' b'sides, you've been plannin' this shindig fer weeks," Applejack spoke up, "It's gonna be dandy."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

Midnight removed his wing and watched his Twilight do Cadance's calming technique before saying with a more confident smile, "You're right. But remember that Equestria and Yakyakistan haven't opened their borders for centuries! In fact, Yakyakistan is so far north of the Crystal Mountains, nopony's ever been there!"

Almost nopony, Midnight thought privately.

At this point, a little of Twilight's neurosis mixed into her confidence, causing her smile to look just slightly manic as she added, "Imagine the look on Princess Celestia's face when she finds out we made friends with a yak prince! Ha, ha! I'm calm, I'm calm..."

"Yeah, sure, you're calm," Midnight interjected, "and things will be fine just as long as you-"

A glorious fanfare interrupted Midnight and they looked towards the front doors of the castle, Spike standing to the side and sounding a clarion horn, only to get smacked in the face by the door as a red carpet rolled in. Everypony watched to see two large yaks wearing the garb of their homeland enter and part to reveal and even larger yak with reddish-brown hair and fur. Gold ornaments adorned his large horns , earrings hanging from his ears, a gold band tied the end of his beard, the covering on his back was colored a deep spring green, and his hat or helmet had designs that likened it to a crown.

"PONIES! GREETINGS, PONIES!" he spoke in a deep, rough, and shouty voice that was still amicable.

Grabbing her stallion, Twilight teleported herself and Midnight over to stand before their guest, Twilight bowing and Midnight quickly following suit as the former said, "Prince Rutherford, Your Majesty, on behalf of all of us I welcome you to Equestria."

"Me honored. Yaks hope for great friendship between Ponies and Yaks," Prince Rutherford replied, not shouting but maintaining his rough speech. His broken Equish indicated he hadn't completely mastered the language. Then he shouted in their faces, "FRIENDS FOR A THOUSAND YEARS!!"

Twilight rubbed her ears while Midnight managed to stifle a gag as he thought, I guess they don't have breath mints in Yakyakistan...

But then he heard Twilight say, "You must be hungry after your long journey-"

Already having an idea of where this was going, Midnight bumped Twilight aside, quickly saying, "So in that case! I would be honored, Prince Rutherford, to treat you to some of our local cuisine!"

Twilight got up and tried to maintain decorum as she said (through a smile with clenched teeth), "But Midnight... We already have something prepar-"

"NOWEDON'T!!!" Midnight saw the covered table Spike was beginning to wheel over and lit up his horn, making the table and everything on it disappear. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm sure, Prince Rutherford, you're looking forward to trying something new, something you... might never have had in Yakyakistan."

"Hmm, true, Yak Food good but something new sounds good too," Prince Rutherford considered, "TAKE US TO PONY FOOD!!"

"I know just the place! If you'll kindly wait outside, Your Highness," Midnight requested and Rutherford and his two attendants exited the castle, leaving Midngiht to face a vexed Twilight Sparkled.

"What was that all about?!" she demanded to know once the doors were closed, "I had an entire banquet of traditional Yak dishes all set up and prepared for the prince!"

"Twily, please listen to me..." Now Midnight looked nervous but it wasn't because his mare was annoyed with him (okay, maybe it was a little), "but I've met with Yaks before and believe me! They are absolutely tou....chee! They're extremely temperamental, easily offended, and the smallest slight, even where none was intended, whether it was real or imagined, can set them off and provoke a very violent reaction! And they are very proud of their culture.

"If something relating to their culture is presented to them and doesn't meet their standards, they - get - mad...!"

"But... I've already planned to show the Yaks examples of their culture while they're here for their visit!" Twilight wasn't sure what to think. She wasn't sure if Midnight was exaggerating, not to mention she'd already planned and prepared and now he was telling her that it would all likely backfire?!
"I studied seven volumes Yakyakistan history-"

"Really? And nowhere in that history you got an indication of how Yaks tend to be?" Midnight gave her a raised brow, "Were these volumes written by a pony?"

"Eh..." Twilight recalled the author's notes and the look on her face said 'yes'.

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but whatever plans you had prepared for the Yaks, anything involving their culture even slightly, it all has to be kiboshed," Midnight stated firmly and raised his hoof when Twilight almost protested, "All of it! If we're going to establish amicable relations with Yakyakistan, we're gonna have to improvise from here on out.

"Now, I gotta get out there and lead them to get something to eat. Pinkie, Cheese!"

Both Party Ponies popped up, wearing army helmets, "Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, reporting for duty, sir!"

"Start putting together a party for the Yaks for this evening, something fun, something friendly, I don't care," Midnight instructed, "Just make sure to not include anything relating to Yak culture."

"You got it, pal!" Cheese responded boldly before bouncing away on his tail, "C'mon, Pinkie!"

"Right behind ya, Cheesie!" Pinkie hopped along after.

"But... I was..." Twilight was upset, this was all her idea, her project, her plan to gain a new ally for Equestria, and it was all being swept out from under her.

"I'm sorry, Twilight," Midnight sighed, feeling bad but knowing how Yaks are, "but we can still do this together! Think of something we can show the Yaks during their visit, something they could enjoy! As long as it isn't Yak-ish, that is. Now, I gotta go."

Midnight hurried out of the castle, leaving Twilight with their friends as the princess furrowed her brows and wondered, There has to be something I can do to show the Yaks how we respect their culture...

"Pony pizza good! MMM!!" Rutherford was absolutely loving the pizza of Pepper Pony's, and Chili Spice was still over the stars that a foreign prince was enjoying her food!
"Yaks must learn how make pizza! Take pizza to Yakyakistan!"

"Well, I can give you a few of my recipes, Your Majesty," Chili Spice smiled kindly as she brought over another pizza pie and offered, "Would you like some nice cold colt cola to wash that pizza down?"

"Try it, Prince!" Midnight chuckled as he accepted a cup, "Nothing goes better with Auntie Spice's pizza than ice-cold colt cola."

"Yaks try cola," Rutherford accepted and after enjoying a few more bites, he noticed Midnight hold up his cup.

"A toast, Prince Rutherford," Midnight offered and the Yaks held their cups too. "To friendship for all!"

"FRIENDSHIP FOR ALL!!" the Yaks bellowed and sucked on the straws of their cups, receiving a nice cold explosion of flavor that fizzed in their mouths and allowed the pizza to slide down their throats, and causing a strange feeling of bubbling in their bellies.

Then, Midnight threw his head back and BELCH'd a good one and sighed in content, "In some countries, belching after a good meal is a compliment. Especially a meal between friends!"

The Yaks liked this idea and did the same, sounding a cacophony of of burps and belches that rattled the chairs and dishes in the restaurant, and spurred a hearty laugh between them all.
"YAKS LOVE PIZZA AND YAKS LOVE COLA!!!"

Then the door to the restaurant opened and in walked Blueblood, and Midnight went over to him, "You're just in time, my friend, you know what you're gonna do?"

"Trust me, Midnight," Blueblood chuckled haughtily, "these Yaks will feel like they're in heaven."

"Alrighty then," Midnight said before clearing his throat and addressing their guests, "Prince Rutherford, when you and your attendants are finished with your meal, perhaps you would like a chance to relax after your long journey?"

"Yes, full belly makes Yaks lazy," Rutherford retorted, finally feeling the weariness of travel, "Pony princes have something in mind?"

"As a matter of fact, my good sirs," Blueblood spoke up, "as I understand it, you are strong and gritty warriors who pride yourselves on toughing out all sorts of hardships and coming out stronger for it. But that is exactly why, I would like to treat you all to an experience of rest and relaxation that will knock the weary aches in your joints clear out of your bodies."

"Hmm, what experience white Pony Prince talking about?"Rutherford asked.

"To the Spa, Yaks!" Blueblood declared as he turned for the door, "You won't be disappointed!"

"Spice Pony!" Rutherford looked to Auntie Spice, "Yaks come back for pizza recipes before trip is over!"

"I'll have some good ones ready for you, Prince Rutherford, as well as some samples to go," Auntie Spice smiled kindly and the Yaks followed Blueblood out the pizzeria with Midnight bringing up the rear when he heard an ahem and looked to see Auntie Spice giving him a smirk and raised brow while gesturing to the leftovers of the Yaks' meal.

He sighed and said, "Put it all on my tab..."

Author's Note

This will go a little differently than it did in the episode but still with a similar outcome

284. Party Pooped - Part 2

In Pinkie's room above Sugarcube Corner, she and her Cheesie were brainstorming up a party that would leave a lasting smile on Rutherford and his attendants long after they left Ponyville.

“So you want to have a cake or some pies?”

“Why not both? It'd give them a taste of two of our favorite treats.”

“That's a great idea, Pinks!”

Pinkie smiled and hugged Cheese who gave her a chuckling nuzzle and was about to suggest something when there was a knock at Pinkie’s bedroom door.
“Pinkie! You’ve got somepony to see you downstairs, dear!” called Mrs. Cake’s voice.

“You keep thinking up ideas, Cheesie,” Pinkie smiled at him as she walked to her door, “I’ll be right back.”

“I’m gouda here, Pinkie!” Cheese gave her a silly salute, cracking a smile from his special somepony.

Downstairs, Pinkie was greeted by the sight of a Twilight Sparkle that looked like she had a bur caught in her tail a tad too close to her filly bits.

“Hiya Twi! What brings ya by? Ooh! That rhymes, haha!” Pinkie laughed before holding up a cupcake she hadn’t had before she came from upstairs. “Cupcake?”

“Uh, no thank you, Pinkie. I’m actually here to talk to you about something,” said Twilight, as she conjured a few large books, “These are the first few volumes of a seven volume set of yak history, could you maybe skim through some of it and try to include something... yak-ish for the party?”

Meanwhile, Soarin was laughing with Prince Rutherford and the yaks as they exited the Ponyville Cinema, where they’d just enjoyed an action movie starring the famous earth pony stallion Buck Florris.

“Buck Florris strong like yak!” Rutherford commented, “Yakyakistan needs movie theater of its own! More Buck Florris movies!”

“I’m glad you enjoyed the show, Your Majesty,” said Soarin with a smile, “anything else you’d like to do? Oh! Y’know what, I’d like to treat you guys to some apple pie from the Apple Family over at Sweet Apple Acres! In my opinion, best apple pies in all of Equestria.”

“Apple pie sound good! TAKE US TO PIE!!” Rutherford agreed very loudly, causing Soarin’s mane to fly from the force of the yak’s voice.

Taking a moment for the ringing in his ear to stop, giving it a quick rub and listening to the passerby to make sure his hearing was fine, Soarin nodded and said, “Then follow me, I bet Applejack or her Granny Smith can easily throw something nice and sweet together for your taste buds!”

Out front of Town Hall, Cheese Sandwich was directing some ponies who’d volunteered to assist putting the party together. Streamers, balloons, a buffet table, stands for games, all kinds of fun stuff to do. Seeing it all come together made Midnight smile as he took it all in but it wasn’t long before he noticed a certain pink something was missing.

“Heya Cheese, you have a minute?” he called over to the orange party pony who was standing on the veranda of Town Hall.

“Hey Midnight!” Cheese crouched down and leapt, somersaulting in the air, landing on his tail, sprung upward as though he’d landed on a bouncing spring, and stuck a perfect landing right in front of Midnight, as though he were in a gymnastics challenge that several ponies around applauded Cheese’s acrobatic display.
“Everything’s all gouda here, we’ll be more than ready for Prince Rutherford and the yaks before it’s party time!”

“Well, I’m glad we’re on schedule but...” Midnight looked around again, “where’s Pinkie? I thought she’d be here with you, helping set this all up.”

“I dunno,” Cheese was confused too, looking down the street towards Sugarcube Corner, “she told me to go ahead on the preparations while she looked into something for Twilight.”

“Twilight?” Midnight echoed, already feeling a slight chill run up his tail, then his spine, all the way up to the tip of his horn, “What’s Twilight got to do with this?”

“Well, earlier, while Pinkie and I were brainstorming a few ideas for the party,” Cheese explained, “Twi came by and wanted a word with Pinkie.”

“Ugh, mares...” Midnight didn’t like the direction this was going but before he could head over to the bakery he saw a certain purple princess already entering Sugarcube Corner.

“Pinkie! Is it ready yet?” Twilight called as she went upstairs towards Pinkie’s room.

“Not quite yet, Twi, but come on up!”

Taking Pinkie’s invitation, Twilight made her way to Pinkie’s bedroom door and walked in. She found Pinkie scrutinizing what looked to be a wire-mesh bust of Prince Rutherford, but the horns were lopsided, the mesh hadn’t been completely concealed yet, and the paint job hadn’t even been started. Pinkie was kind of a mess, with paste and strips of newspaper stuck to her mane and coat, and she looked a tad discouraged.
“Sorry, Twilight, this might not be ready in time for the party. Sculpting isn’t really my strong suit.”

“Oh no problem, Pinkie,” Twilight assured kindly, “I think it’s coming along fine, and I’ll even help you finish up! You’ve actually gotten a lot done quicker than I’d hoped.”

“Hey Twi, can we finish this outside?” Pinkie wiped her brow, going ‘phew’, “I could do with some fresh air right now.”

“Sure, I’ll carry the sculpture,” Twilight offered and levitated the piece while Pinkie gathered the materials to finish it.

Taking it outside and towards the party preparations, Twilight could already picture it - The party would be in full swing, Prince Rutherford and his attendants would be enjoying themselves, fully prepared to establish amicable relations between Yakyakistan and Equestria, perhaps even a basic trade agreement from which both nations could only benefit. Then, as a gesture and symbol of their respect and good wishes, Twilight would unveil this sculpture of the yak prince on behalf of her little ponies, and Rutherford would be-

“Twilight Sparkle!”

Uh-oh! Twilight had been so caught up in her visions of grandeur that she hadn’t noticed her big blue beau looking oddly red at her as Midnight came her way.
“Uh- hi Midnight! I was just-”

“What is that?” Midnight asked plaintively, pointing at the sculpture, still concealed by a tarp.

“Oh, that? It-it’s just- Hey!” Twilight had been so flabbergasted she was too late to prevent Midnight from removing the tarp to show off the unfinished sculpture of Rutherford.

Midnight facehooved before giving Twilight a disapproving look, “Twilight, this has to go!”

“Now hold on just a minute there, Midnight!” Twilight said, indignant in her poise, “At the very least, the party for Prince Rutherford needs something to show respect and-”

“That’s what the party is for, Twily!” Midnight admonished, “It’s sharing our culture with the yaks! It’s fine to respect and appreciate their culture too, but they don’t see things the way we ponies do.”

“Well I think you’re not giving Prince Rutherford enough credit,” Twilight maintained her opinion, “once this sculpture is finished, I’m certain Prince Rutherford will-”

“Too late!”

“Huh?!” Midnight looked to Pinkie who seemed uncomfortable and followed her line of sight, flinching to see Prince Rutherford and his attendants glaring at the incomplete sculpture.
“Oh no...!”

Rutherford approached the sculpture and began to shake with fury before bellowing, “PONIES INSULT YAKS WITH LOUSY CRAFTSMANSHIP!!! YAKS DESTROY!!!!!!”

Rutherford brought his hoof down on the sculpture, completely crushing it before whirling around and charging blindly into a table covered with party decorations! His attendants shouted in fury as well before they too joined their prince in ransacking the incomplete party, ponies cried out in fear as they ran to get out of the way. The local properties weren’t spared the Yaks’ rage as they not only smashed but also charged into nearby buildings, one hit a wagon and used his horns to throw it onto the roof of Town Hall, tearing down the streamers, banners, and balloons Cheese and his volunteers had already set up, stomping on flowers (”The horror! The horror!!”), almost nothing in the area escaped the Yaks’ destructive fury.

When finally the dust (and confetti) settled, everypony looked on dispirited to see all their hard work broken, torn, shredded, smashed, and crushed. As for Rutherford and his attendants, they snorted furiously before approaching Twilight and Midnight as the prince raved, “PONIES INSULT YAKS! YAKS NO FRIENDS! Yaks declare war....!!”

Then Rutherford and his attendants turned around and walked away, Midnight calling out, “P-Prince Rutherford, please!”

He glared back at a shellshocked Twilight and snapped, “You are in BIG trouble!”

But he left it at that as he followed after the Yaks, trying to talk Rutherford out of his threat, as Twilight fell back onto her haunches, hardly able to comprehend how quickly and how badly things had gone wrong, barely noticing Cheese and Pinkie approach her with sad looks on thier faces, feeling as though this was their fault, when Cheese asked, “So... cancel the party?”

“Ohhh...!” Twilight fell flat on her face in response.

Cheese and his volunteers were sadly cleaning up the mess after Prince Rutherford and his attendants’ rampage tore all their hard work down, along with their spirits. It was so disheartening, to have gone through all this trouble only for the prince to lose his temper and even declare war! As he was sweeping some streamers into a dustpan, Cheese heard some hoofsteps and looked up to see Party Favor coming his way, his face showing deep concern as he asked, “Is everypony okay? I heard about what happened from Sugar Belle.”

“Nopony’s hurt, if that’s what you mean,” Cheese sighed before looking down the street towards Sugarcube Corner, “but you might have noticed nopony’s not in much of a partying mood after all that.”

Party Favor followed Cheese’s line of sight and, seeing Sugarcube Corner, he got the idea, “Pinkie must be really upset.”

“She is,” Cheese could still recall the way his Pinkie’s mane deflated and her pep just vanished as she moped on back to the bakery, “she feels if she’d finished the sculpture before bringing it outside then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Midnight is trying to talk Rutherford down but the way that yak looked, Party!

“Eesh! Well, right now, I think it’d take a miracle at this point.”

“Hmm, do...” Party Favor hesitated but something inside told him he had to do something, “Do you mind if I go see Pinkie? Maybe I can help her out with a little pep talk.”

“Be my guest,” Cheese returned to sweeping, “I wanted to say something to her, but Pinkie asked to be left alone for a while. I hope you can help her out, Party Favor.”

“...I’ll do my best,” Party Favor promised before heading towards the bakery.

Lying in bed in her loft apartment above Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie sighed, morose and feeling like the ugly turn of events that had transpired barely half an hour ago were her fault. Cheese, Mr. & Mrs. Cake, even Twilight all assured her she was not to blame, but it just didn’t change the way the pinky pony was feeling-

*Knock-knock-knock*

“Mrs. Cake, I’m not really hungry,” Pinkie called but the door opened and she saw it wasn’t Mrs. Cake, “Oh! Uh, Party Favor! Wh-what... brings you by?”

“Hi Pinkie,” Party Favor gave Pinkie a small and understanding smile, “I heard about what happened, and, well, I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

“Yeah, well...” Pinkie sighed as she slumped onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, “I’ve been better, to be honest...”

It was quiet for a moment when Pinkie heard the sound of balloons blowing up (a sound she was intimately familiar with) and looked up to see Party Favor work his magic hooves, twisting, bending, shaping his balloons into a skirt, which he wrapped around himself before clapping his hooves together. Then, from nowhere and everywhere, Pinkie heard some lively stage music as Party Favor began dancing around, doing the can-can. It was just so silly and corny, Pinkie couldn’t help but crack a smile and laugh!

After a little more dancing, there was a musical flourish as Party Favor held the ends of his balloon skirt and took a bow, a triumphant ‘ta-daa’ sound effect ringing and Pinkie clapped her hooves, “Bravo! Encore!”

Party Favor chuckled before he took another bow, at which point his balloon skirt chose a very inconvenient time for the knots to come loose-

*PPPPBBBBBHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh....*

Party Favor’s soft blue face turned faint red as his balloons flew about, the air inside of them razzberry-ing as they zipped to and fro, and since Party Favor was bending over for his bow it presented such an implication that Pinkie was lying in bed, bursting her gut with laughter, her legs waving in the air. Despite the slight mishap, which Party Favor would never live down, he joined in on the laughter too. It was a long while before they were panting, their sides aching from laughing so hard, and again the room fell silent as the awkward moment resumed, as neither of them knew what to say to each other.

Well, at least I cheered her up a bit. But now what do I say?! Party Favor wondered with worry, I’m... I’m not ready to tell her just yet, but what can I-

“Thank you for that, Party Favor,” Pinkie said, her mane not so lank and straight as it was before, but not quite as cotton candy-poofy as it normally was, “I feel a little better, but- I don’t know what to do now. If I’d just finished that sculpture before Prince Rutherford saw it-”

“hey, c’mon, Pinkie,” Party Favor went over, sitting next to Pinkie on her bed, “you couldn’t have known the yaks were gonna show up when they did. As Ponyacci taught us, it’s just like with comedy - You just need the right set-up and proper timing before you deliver the punchline. Sometimes preparing for parties is the same way.

“I’m sure things will work themselves out, but you shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened. From what I’ve seen and heard, those yaks are just too sensitive and proud and if they really wanna be friends with Equestria, they need to have a little understanding. So yeah, maybe things didn’t work out on your end but it’s the yaks’ fault too! If there really is gonna be friendship between Yakyakistan and Equestria, we gotta show the yaks how special our home is.”

Party Favor’s words resonated with Pinkie as an idea began to form in her mind, and Party Favor smiled to see he was getting through to her, “So whattya say, Pinkie Pie? Ready to get back out there and throw a party these yaks’ll never forget?”

“Hmmm...” Pinkie began to smirk with confidence before she gasped and blew in to her hoof, her mane inflating up until it popped into its full party pony glory!
“Party, I have an idea!”

Not long later, Party Favor was carrying a tarp covered-something with his magic while Pinkie and Cheese rounded up their volunteers to get the party back in order. The curly-maned blue unicorn galloped past an annoyed Midnight and dreary Twilight, the former calling, “Party! Where you off to in such a hurry?!”

Party Favor skidded to a halt and hurried back to them, to explain, “I’m gonna go see Prince Rutherford so we can fix this whole mess!”

“You're nuts, Party!” Twilight squawked with worry. “He'll turn you into Party Confetti!”

“I've got to try something,” Party Favor stated, his tone firm and determined. “I may not be as wacky as Pinkie or Cheese, but I’m a party pony too! I gotta do my part!”

Midnight and Twilight shared a doubtful look but before either of them could say anything, Party Favor had already taken off to find the yaks. Twilight moaned with worry, but Midnight bumped his rump to hers, making her give him a look and he shrugged while giving a weary smile.
“Who knows? Party ponies are known to make miracles happen, right?”

“...You know what, Midnight? You are right,” Twilight felt her worries lift from her shoulders and leaned over to give him a nuzzle, which he gladly reciprocated. “C’mon! Let’s go see if Pinkie and Cheese could use a couple extra hooves!”

285. Party Pooped - Part 3

“YAKS STUCK HERE?!?! WHY TRAINS NOT WORK?!” Rutherford was not happy and nor was the poor conductor who’d been the bearer of bad news after the Yak Prince and his attendants had come to Ponyville Train Station to depart.

Except their plans to leave were derailed once the conductor has (nervously) informed them due to “technical difficulties”, the train wouldn’t be going anywhere until tomorrow.

Thankfully, Party Favor came to the conductor’s rescue, stepping onto the platform, the tarp-covered something floating behind him, as the blue party pony said, “Excuse me, Prince Rutherford, but I have to have a word with you.

“What blue pony want?! Yaks going home! Purple Pony Princess and pink pony insulted Yaks with lousy craftsmanship!” Rutherford growled, “Ponies pay with war...!!”

“Now hold your horses there, Prince. I have something to say and to show you,” Party Favor levitated the object so it was between him and the yaks before removing the tarp.

It revealed a fully-finished bust with a remarkable likeness to the yak prince, whose attendants couldn’t help but give a couple oohs and ahs as they regarded this fine piece of art. Rutherford however snorted, “That abomination. No compare to real me!”

“This, Your Highness, is a bust that Pinkie Pie and I made together for you as the guest of honor for the party,” Party Favor explained, “Princess Twilight wanted to present to you a token of how we respect you and also admire your culture. You just showed up before this bust was finished but then you reacted before anypony could explain.”

Rutherford grumbled, knowing deep down that Party Favor was right, and his attendants were even starting to look regretful.

“Now, Prince Rutherford, you have your right to be proud of your culture,” Party Favor went on, “but is a little misunderstanding really worth declaring war on these ponies who only want to welcome you among them and be your friends?”

The more he digested the blue pony’s words did Rutherford understand how right they were and how silly, immature, and foolish he’d been to react in the way he did. Of course his people and their culture was one of a long and proud history, but to rile his people up to war over a misunderstanding was not only foolish and unfair to the ponies but to his yaks as well.

“...Very well, Yaks give ponies one more chance,” Rutherford obliged.

“Then if it’s okay with you...”

They all looked across the train tracks to see the Harmonic Twelve, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich in the middle, Party Favor floating over on a balloon to join them as the party ponies all declared, “It’s... PARTY TIME!!!”

Ponies laughed and smiled, going to and fro to all the food stands, games, seeing performers, marveling at the decorations, just all-around having a good time at this turnout! There were even stands featuring displays, offering foods, and other amazing things from different corners of Equestria, such as Cherry Jubilee’s cherry dishes from Dodge Junction, a booth selling Wonderbolt merchandise and inviting everypony to a show that would be performed before the end of the party, even a booth from the Crystal Empire selling art pieces crafted from crystal!

Rutherford and his attendants deeply enjoyed themselves, receiving complementary food and souvenirs, and the Yak Prince was even having a friendly chat with Princess Celestia and Prince Sombra!

“Wow, guys!” Twilight and Midnight looked to their party pony friends as Twilight commented, “This came together quick, even for the three of you.”

“What can I say?” Pinkie shrugged as she hugged her stallion and balloon-artist friend close, “We’re good at what we do!”

Then Pinkie Pie went over to the yaks, “Prince Rutherford, I know it’s not Yakyakistan, but I hope that even when you’re away from home you can come to feel at home here in Equestria! And to do that, we’re not just throwing this party in your honor, we’re showing you why we love it here. That way, you’ll come to love it too!”

Rutherford looked from Pinkie to the party, seeing all these ponies smiling, laughing, having a good time, and being happy. How could he ever have wanted to declare war on these ponies? A mixture of guilt and joy filled his heart as he shed tears, “Party ponies work hard to make yaks feel at home... Now yaks happy. No declare war!”

Twilight and Midnight both phew'd in relief when they noticed the disturbed looks on their mentors’ faces and forced smiles as though nothing had ever gone wrong.

“Ponies and yaks friends,” Rutherford gave a smiling nod.
“For a thousand years?” Pinkie hoped.

“FOR TEN THOUSAND YEARS!!” Rutherford declared with a triumphant shout, causing everyone to cheer happily.

“We are very impressed, Your Majesties,” Celestia said to Twilight and Midnight, Sombra giving them a sneaky smirk.

“Oh, just... doing our best to spread friendship and harmony!” Twilight giggled nervously.

“And you did wonderfully,” Sombra congratulated, “You and your friends!”

“Thank you, Master,” Midnight replied when he noticed Pinkie, Cheese, and Party Favor getting crushed by a happy Rutherford. “But to be honest, all the credit goes to our resident party ponies.”

Author's Note

I apologize - Doing this episode felt like a chore and I meant to include Pinkie’s party planning cave but I wound up wrapping it up before I included it, and once I did it felt like it would be pointless to do so

So, i’ll just say after the party ended and the yaks went home Pinkie decided to show all her friends where she “makes the magic happen” and upon seeing the cave Cheese was so awed that he pulled his mare in for a passionate kiss, leading to an “Oh my” from Fluttershy and Rarity

(B'Tween) A Glimmer of Will

Somewhere, dark, dismal, wet, Starlight languished. For months, she had been subject to unrelenting horrors, time and again waking up from a nightmare only to be thrust into another just as terrifyingly mind-rending. The one thing they all had in common was of a hissing pair of green feline eyes, pitiless and cruel. All too often she doubted her waking mind, uncertain of the difference between fantasy and reality.

She’d been made to relive every heartbreaking moment of her life, every bad memory, every struggle leading up to what she had thought would be the beginning of her grand vision of equality, only for those two to come along and ruin everything!

She thought she’d been captured by that preaching prince, only to wake up in a cold and lonely cell, an inhibitor ring locked onto her horn. She’d cried out for help, asked if anyone was there, demanded to be let go, screamed until her throat was raw and coarse. Every time she’d fallen asleep and woken up she’d found a bucket of oats and a bucket of water and a bucket that was empty. It didn’t take long for her to realize what the empty bucket was for. Every so often, a green haze sifted into the cell, causing her to be woozy, unable to think clearly, only recalling a faint figure coming and going.

The figure never said a word to her.

She tried over and over to remove the ring, loosen the bolts on the door to her cell, trying some way somehow to escape! But nothing worked, and she quickly suspected that magic reinforced the walls around her. Looking out the window of her cell offered no comfort, only ever seeing fog and rocks.

Elsewhere, Catrina hissed with fury as her studies into Starlight’s cutie-mark removal spell proved fruitless. She knew how it worked, having peeled every shred of the knowledge regarding it from Starlight Glimmer’s mind, but no matter how many times she tried, no matter what approach she took, the spell wouldn’t work for her! Her armored warrior’s cutie-mark remained intact and untouched, despite Catrina’s efforts to master the spell.

Slumping into her favorite chair, Catrina pressed her knuckles to her brow as it began to sink in, Starlight Glimmer’s spell is too foreign for my own magic to work... but I can’t just let her go.

She snapped her finger, sparks of green flashing, and in came Tirek, growling with restrained aggravation at being summoned like a common dog.

“It would seem this theory I had in mind has proven to be pointless,” Catrina massaged her stressed temples, “so that Glimmer pony is now irrelevant.”

“What is to be done with her?” growled Tirek.

“Kill her,” Catrina said with an off-handed wave of her claws, “and throw her body out for the crows.”

“As you wish,” Tirek turned to leave but paused, “and the manner of her execution?”

Catrina narrowed her eyes, “You’re a killer, aren’t you? Be... CREATIVE!!”

Despite his mistress’s snatchy tone, her words brought a wicked smile to the demon centaur’s face as he exited the chamber.

*CLING-CLING... CLACK*

The inhibitor ring finally snapped off, falling to Starlight’s hooves, along with drops of blood. She wasn’t certain why but over an hour ago, she’d woken up, clear-minded, and something inside told her - She had to escape and she had to escape now. Very carefully, she’d struck the bars of her cell window with her horn, being especially carefully not to damage her horn, trying to concentrate the damage to the ring. It had taken her most of the hour but finally she’d done it. Aside from some bruises and scraps around the base of her horn, she was now magically-able.

It was at that moment when her ears perked to the sound of heavy hoofsteps, getting louder and louder, signaling the approach of someone coming towards her cell. Her instincts screamed at her ‘GET OUT’. Focusing, ignoring the throbbing ache of her horn-

*KABLASH*

The wall of her cell blew open, and Starlight looked over the edge, seeing a precarious height but her fight-or-flight response was spurring her towards flight. She concentrated again, feeling her magical aura cloak her over and jumped forward, her aura providing a calming effect to counter the shocking alarm of her body that she had just jumped, and as she floated downwards, Tirek tore open the door to the cell and saw the gaping hole in the wall, along with the broken inhibitor ring on the floor.

Sighing with mild disappointment, along with annoyance, he turned around and after informing Catrina what had happened, he stood stoic, expecting her to throttle him with the arm she’d given him only to be met with a ‘meh’.

“‘Meh’?” Tirek echoed, incredulous at this reaction, “You spend months trying to emulate that unicorn’s spell, give up, tell me to execute her only for her to escape and your response is ‘meh’?!”

“I told you, that pony was irrelevant,” Catrina took a whiff of witch weed as it burned ever so softly in a nearby brazier, the scent calming her as she exhaled away some of her stress.
“There will be other opportunities, other powers for us to exploit. Even now, the Duke of Commerce is preparing a coup against Celestia and her alicorn freaks. Whether or not he succeeds, we’ll reap the spoils of the aftermath...”

After putting considerable distance between her and where she’d been, Starlight began to stumble through the unfamiliar location, which looked like some kind of forest. She panted and growled at her situation.

“Time to get back at those two!” she snarled.

“Are you sure?” asked a voice.

Starlight froze. The voice sounded like an older and more grizzled version of herself. She turned to see a spectral version of herself that looked more like a tortured older mare.

“What do you want?!” Starlight yelped in terror.

“I want to tell you that your idea of revenge has a big hole,” answered the grizzled specter.

“How so? I have to! They ruined me!” Starlight cried, shaking with a tangled mess of emotion.

“But what if they didn't?” The specter pressed. “What if they merely brought forth the inevitable?”

“Explain,” Starlight snarled.

“What if you are to also blame? What if it was your own actions?” the specter went on.

Starlight stopped. That question rang something in her, “You mean....”

“Yes, your sins have brought you to Catrina,” the specter said.

“But the revenge...” Starlight whimpered.

“Your revenge will leave you trapped in your own sins and mind,” The specter warned, “You will relive all the torture you escaped from if you go through with this.”

Starlight sat down and began to whimper in fear. The fear of being trapped in her own horrors.

286. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 1

In a reading room in their castle one nice and lovely evening, Midnight and Twilight were both curled up on a comfortable sofa, the sapphire alicorn was re-reading his father’s favorite book, Master Stud Tzu’s “The Art of the Warhorse”, while the lavender alicorn read one of her old favorite spell books by Starswirl the Bearded. All the while, the couple held hooves, enjoying each other’s company as much as their own books.

A tired sigh signaled their favorite little dragon as in walked Spike, wearing an apron, rubber gloves, and a red scarf around his forehead, “You know the worst thing about you guys being the Prince and Princess of Friendship? The dishes!”

Spike huffed as he pulled the gloves off while Twilight and Midnight gave Spike a thankful smile, “Thanks for taking care of that, Spike.”

“Yeah, after three events in one week,” Midnight let go of Twilight’s hoof while making room for Spike on the couch, “we really needed to kick back and enjoy a good book.”

“It’s kinda funny, innit?” Spike reached for his own book behind one of the couch pillows and turned to a page he’d dog-eared, “all these ponies coming to you for advice about friendship, Twi?”

“What’s so funny about that?” Twilight asked as she slid off the couch, taking her book with her.

“You know, cuz you used to be so famous for being such a bad friend- Ouch!” Spike rubbed the back of his head before noticing the glare Midnight was giving him.

“What are you talking about? I had good friends in Canterlot,” Twilight said, sounding just a tad insecure.

Sighing, Midnight cut in, “Well, he has a bit of a point, Twily. Look at the wall!”

He got up and gestured at the framed photos of them and their friends from various experiences they’d shared, such as Shining Armor and Cadance’s wedding, one of Pinkie Pie’s parties, spending time over at Sweet Apple Acres, testing one of Blueblood’s airships, even helping Soarin out with his weather work.
“None of these photos show you from before you moved to Ponyville.”

“And look at you now, the Princess of Friendship!” Spike pointed to the main picture, showing Twilight and Midnight with their friends at their coronation.

Gasping with realization, Twilight exclaimed, “This is a disaster! All my old friends, I- I can’t even remember their names!”

Then she got up in Midnight and Spike’s faces with her own expressing her characteristic neurotic worry, “Do you really think that they think that I’m a bad friend?!”

Midnight and Spike looked at each other from the corners of their eyes and Spike offered, “Well, I only meant that you’ve come so far! You’re a great friend now and-”

“Oh I feel terrible!!” Midnight face-hooved as Twilight declared, “I’ve got to make it up to them! Pack a bag, boys, we’re going to Canterlot!”

She hurried out the door, coming back a few seconds later to sheepishly ask, “And make a list of my friends’ names?”

As Twilight cantered off, Spike sighed while Midnight smacked the dragon in the back of the head with his tail, snapping, “See what you started?!”

“Okay! I get it, I have a big mouth, sheesh...” Spike responded when they both heard Twilight shout from down the hall.

“BOYS!! C’MON, WE HAVE TO GET GOING!”

They both sighed yet again and got up and out of the room.

It was getting late by the time they flew in to Canterlot. During that flight, somehow, an old memory surfaced in Midnight’s mind as he recalled his fifth grade soccer game...

*Flashback*

The game was nearly over and the score was tied. One last goal from either school wins them the game. 10 year-old Midnight looked around to see that everycolt and filly on the field was nervous. One colt in particular was more nervous that the others.

"Midnight I can't do this. I'm usually the goalie in these games and besides that I'm not that good with sports. Are you sure about this idea of yours?"

Midnight smiled to let him know everything would be alright. He had to make sure his friend went along with this.

"Of course I'm sure. Have I ever let you down before?"

"Do you want that list in alphabetical order?"

"My point is that I know you can do this. I need you out there for this to work. I want you out there with me so we can win together. Besides, this might be our last chance before..."

His friend stopped him mid-sentence with a hoof to the young unicorn’s mouth.

"Okay! Okay... I'll do it. Just lets not remind ourselves about what's soon coming alright. Lets just let today be about us and our win."

He got up as their team was getting ready for the last few minutes. But before they get there Midnight’s friend turned to him and smiled with little tears in his eyes.

"Oh and Midnight, thanks for believing in me."

“C’mon, Twilight! You’re getting worked up about nothing.”

“Huh?!” Midnight snapped out of it and realized he’d slowed down and Twilight, with Spike on her back, was already on the ground, in the park near Twilight’s old tower, to be specific, and he joined them with a soft landing and looked around, his eyes glimmering with recognition.

This was the area where Twilight liked to go and get some fresh air while catching up on her reading, and it was up at her tower she looked at as she declared, “The only logical place to start is at the beginning.”

They made their way up the tower and entered through the double doors, a wave of nostalgia washing over them, Twilight and Spike mostly, as Twilight took it in, “It’s exactly as we left it, except... It looks like it’s been cleaned recently.”

“Yeah, I asked Princess Celestia to do that,” Midnight admitted with a shrug, “I figured maybe one day you might come back but I asked Celestia if she’d have somepony keep the place nice and clean. Wouldn’t do to come here and cough our lungs out from a build-up of dust.”

“Well, thank you, Midnight,” Twilight gave him a warm cheek-nuzzle, which he happily returned before the three of them made their way up to the main study room.

There, Twilight noticed a book on her old podium and recognized it, “Look, it’s “Predicitions and Prophecies”! And... It’s bookmarked to the Elements of Harmony.”

Spike noticed something on a nearby countertop and picked it up, “And here’s that present I was gonna give Moondancer!”

Seeing the teddy bear in it was damaged, he shrugged and set it aside, “Guess she won’t be needing that” - when he noticed something else - “Oh, but the rest is still here!”

“And look,” Midnight pointed to the circle of pillows on the floor and gave Twilight a warm look, “Where we had our first time... the first time around.”

“What?” Spike didn’t get it but Twilight cleared her throat.

“I’ll- Tell you when you’re older,” she giggled nervously before approaching the floor-to-ceiling windows in awe of the night sky outside, “How could I have let this happen...?”

“C’mon, Twilight, Princess Celestia gave you an assignment,” Spike reminded her, “No pony could blame you for that.”

“It’s how things were meant to be,” Midnight added, “The beginning of your journey to achieve what you were meant to become.”

“But I left this place behind without a second thought!” Twilight pointed out before leaning her face against the glass with a despondent look, “I left my friendships behind without a second thought... I’ve gotta make it up toooo...”

She gave a slightly pleading smile to Spike who said, “Oh, uh, Minuette, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, Lyra Heartstrings, and Moondancer.”

“Yeah, them,” Twilight nodded firmly.

“Well, Twily, if you feel you really need to do this, then do it,” Midnight placed a wing over his mare’s withers, “and I’m sure it’ll work out wonderfully.”

“You’re not gonna help me?” Twilight asked, sounding just a little disappointed.

“Your friends don’t know me, Twi,” Midnight reminded her, “I was away preparing for my future, remember? But you don’t need me to mend some old friendships. Remember, you embody the Magic of Friendship, and I embody Faith, which is why I have no doubts you’ll make things right in the end.”

“You always know just what to say,” Twilight nuzzled up to her stallion, which he returned warmly, before the lavender alicorn gave him a flirty bump with her rump, “and speaking of our first time...”

Growling seductively, Midnight said, “Spike, why don’t you go to Joe’s and get a treat on me?”

Having an idea of what was about to transpire, Spike hurried out, yelling, “I’ll be back in an hour!”

They waited until they heard the doors close shut, and Twilight said, “And now that I have you all to myself...”

She threw her hooves around Midnight’s neck, making him yelp as she pulled him down with a giggle, as Midnight wagged his brows at his mare, “I like the direction this is going!”

It was late into the morning by the time Midnight was walking through the streets of Canterlot. After wishing Twilight luck on mending her old friendships the sapphire alicorn figured he’d take a stroll through the City of Unicorns, see what had changed and what had stayed the same in the place of his birth. He’d cast a simple ward on himself that would prevent ponies he didn’t know personally from approaching him, being in no mood for ponies looking to meet royalty.

He saw Joe’s doughnut shop was still in business but wondered who was currently working there, as Joe had been spending so much time with Chili Spice back in Ponyville. The University of Canterlot looked the same as ever. The New Moon Theater was doing a show of “The Knight and the Moon Princess” next month. Restaurant Row smelled delectable though Midnight noticed a few had some three hoof-rating thing going on. Canterlot Castle looked the same pristine grandiosity as always.

He searched his memories however as he came onto a familiar street and saw a few changes. He saw the toy store he loved as a colt had changed into a juice bar. His mother’s favorite bookstore had become an office for accounting. Even the antique store where his grandmother used to take him had been changed into a florist’s shop.

But he was glad to see a certain someplace had not changed as he ventured down the street and saw his old primary school, Canterlot Elementary, and getting closer he smiled to see the colts and fillies were enjoying recess. Some of the playground equipment had changed but he still recognized the swing set, the merry-go-round, and the sandbox. Everything else had been upgraded or replaced.

Then he heard the school bell and an earth pony stepped out, yelling for the students it was time to come in, a stallion with coffee brown fur, a poppy orange mane that had lost some of its luster, and his cutie-mark was an old-fashioned key with a rolled up scroll through its handle.

“Mr. Lodestar...?” Midnight couldn’t help but chuckle to see his old teacher still worked there and as much as he would like to have gone over and say hello Lodestar was already herding the last few foals inside, so Midnight shrugged and carried on.

He moved to the next block which was a public park, just across the street from the school. It seemed the same as he remembered, the soccer field where he won that game back in the fifth grade, the duck pond where a filly was feeding pieces of bread to the local ducks, but then his eyes were drawn to the old willow tree. Or rather, the pony sitting at the base of the willow tree.

He was an earth pony with a canary yellow coat, soft brown mane, his cutie-mark was a teddy bear holding a quill in one paw and a paintbrush in another. On his lower sides and flanks were faint but noticeable golden brown stripes similar to a zebra’s, but it was the pony’s floofy pudge and soft round belly that made him stand out as he was apparently writing in a notebook.

“Bright...?”

The earth pony perked up and looked around when he noticed who was addressing him and gasped while Midnight began to smile so big, “Bright Side, is that you?!”

“We-he-hell! If it isn’t my old friend, Midnight Blaze,” the fat earth pony got up on his hooves before going, “Oop! Or should I say, Prince Midnight Blaze, Your Majesty!”

Bright gave a playful bow that spurred a laugh from Midnight, “Oh get up, you fat ol’ teddy bear!”

“Hey! That just means there’s more of me to love, and more of me to hug! Come here, you!” Bright hopped over and pulled Midnight into a glomping hug with such fervor that Midnight choked back a laugh. Midnight was tall for a stallion but Bright had more mass.

“Br- Bright! Too tight!” Midnight uttered but returned the hug all the same before they let go of each other, both chuckling.

“By the Goddess, Midnight, it’s been years!” Bright had hardly changed at all, aside from several extra pounds. But his smile remained as warm as his hugs as he said, “I didn’t really expect to run into you here in Canterlot. I heard you live in Ponyville.”

“I do, friend, I do,” Midnight nodded as he gestured they sit down and both sat beneath the willow tree, “and there I live with my princess and soon my bride to be.”

“Haha, I always had a feeling you and Twilight Sparkle would wind up together,” Bright picked up his notebook and stowed it into a saddlebag he had lying on the ground.
“But I never would have thought the two of you would wind up becoming royal alicorns.”

“Well, we’ve come a long way, had some adventures,” Midnight shrugged, “but what about you? Whachoo been up to these past years?”

“Well, I’ve done some of this and that,” Bright leaned back against the trunk of the tree as he recalled, “I’ve been an artist, worked with a toymaker, wrote some funnies in a newspaper for a while - I still get royalties on those, by the way, heheh - but lately I’ve actually taken an interest in ancient lore and mystic artifacts.”

“Really?” Midnight gave Bright a look up and down, “Well, you’re no Daring Do but I wager you’ve done some interesting research.”

“And you caught me at a good time, pal,” Bright pulled Midnight into a one-foreleg hug while giving Midnight’s chest a rowdy thump, “I’m about to do an expedition into the Everfree Forest!!”

“...wha?” Midnight had a bad feeling about this.

Author's Note

As you’ve probably guessed, this occurs during “Amending Fences”. I promised to use this arc to introduce an OC of a fellow writer a long time ago

Bright Side was created by Creative Quill and is a foalhood friend to my OC Midnight Blaze

They went to elementary school together and in the fifth grade they pulled off a maneuver to win a soccer game but not long after that Bright moved away

While this will focus on Midnight and Bright it will get back to Twilight and Moondancer at that critical moment

287. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 2

The Friendship Express chugga-chugged along as the two colthood friends gazed out at the passing countryside while Bright told his story, “After I started researching old legends, I felt... inspired! It made me consider taking up writing again, but I felt like just reading about them wasn’t enough.”

“You wanted to see legends,” Midnight gathered, “check out the artifacts, the relics, the clues and remains of bygone ages and all that?”

“You got it,” Bright smiled as he took out his notebook and leafed through the pages, “and recently, I’ve read an old history book in the Canterlot University library about the Castle of the Two Sisters. See, thousands of years ago, the royal capitol was built practically in the heart of the Everfree Forest! It made sense, of course, the forest was, at the time, thought to be the center of Equestria.

“But see, I got to wondering, how could a royal capitol have existed and thrived in what is today considered to be perhaps among the most dangerous environments in the country? Well, it wasn’t exactly like I could make an appointment with Princess Celestia and ask, but then I considered the forest itself. Tell me, Midnight...

“How did the Everfree Forest get its name?”

“Hmm,” Midnight wracked his brain before he slowly answered, “If I remember my studies into historical lore... the forest was named after... Gaia Everfree, who is said to be the Spriit of the Everfree Forest, and also known as the Lady of the Wilds!”

“Yes, but see, Gaia was also known by another name,,” Bright Side showed some notes in his notebook that detailed a few things, “the First Farmer, because legends say, Gaia was the one who first taught earth ponies how to farm, to lay down seed, to tend to the earth, and grow crops. It was perhaps the first major leap for ponykind towards creating their own civilization.”

“It sounds to me that this is more about Gaia Everfree than it is about the Castle of the Two Sisters,” noticed Midnight.

“Well, you see, I’ve done more research,” Bright leafed through more pages in his notes, “and there’s some old rumors and tales that after Princess Celestia banished Nightmare Moon and left the Castle of the Two Sisters, ponies have gone there a few times every century or two. Almost all of them reported back some strange happenings in that castle, supposedly perpetrated by a... Pony of Shadows.

“But I have this theory, that perhaps this so-called Pony of Shadows is perhaps a manifestation of Gaia herself, scaring away ponies from her forest.”

“Intriguing theory, I’ll admit,” Midnight rubbed his hoof to his chin, “so what’s the plan?”

“After we arrive in Ponyville, I was hoping you could introduce me to a certain somepony who lives in the Everfree Forest,” explained Bright before pulling a smirk, “or rather, I should say... some zebra.”

“I take it you’re talking about Zecora,” gathered Midnight, “I mean, she does live in the Everfree Forest because she’s an herbalist and skilled in making all kinds of potions and brews. I asked her once why she chose to live there and she explained it’s because the Everfree Forest is so rich with all kinds of herbs and ingredients with potent properties.”

“I take it she knows this or that about lore or legends?” asked Bright hopefully.

“She does give that impression,” Midnight considered, “and she’s shared a story or two once in a while when she visits Ponyville. Who knows? Perhaps she knows more about the Everfree Forest than we think.”

The train whistle interjected and the PA system sounded as the conductor announced, “We shall be arriving in Ponyville in five minutes.”

Bright Side smiled as he took in the sight of Ponyville, a humble town with humble beginnings. But now was regarded as among the most well-known places in all of Equestria, thanks to a certain bunch of heroes known as the Harmonic Twelve. Even from the station platform, Bright could see the Castle of Friendship, appearing as a giant tree with veins of crystal in its trunk, leaves that gave off a faint white glow, shimmering vines, topped with a splendorous moon and star, representing its resident prince and princess.

“I gotta tell ya, Midnight, Ponyville looks amazing- Your castle looks amazing!” Bright stepped down from the platform, Midnight following, as Bright ventured forth, seeing the Ponyville residents going about their daily business with friendly smiles and giving each other friendly howdy-doos, pausing to shoot the breeze with a friend, all around just having a lovely day.
“You’re quite lucky to live in a place full of friendly and happy-”

“HIYA!!!”

“BWAUGH!!” Bright Side reared up but his saddlebags, along with his belly, threw off his balance and he fell towards his side, only to feel somepony catch him and groan.

“Oof, you’re a hefty guy, ain’t’cha, urgh...!” Cheese Sandwich helped Bright come down squarely on his hooves, the rotund earth pony panting a bit and feeling like he’d just lost a year or two from his life.

“Uh, sorry about that, phew!” Bright finally calmed his beating chest, taking a deep breath as Midnight came over to fan him with his wing, “Thanks, Midnight. You two just came out of nowhere, how’d you do that?”

Pinkie and Cheese shared a knowing look before cracking up as though the answer were obvious, to Bright’s confusion before Midnight chuckled, “Trust me, pal, there’s no figuring out our resident Party Ponies, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich!”

“Wait, Cheese Sandwich?” Bright perked up before giving Cheese an admiring smile, “I’ve heard of you in my travels, I have a friend in Baltimare who told me about the party you threw for his neighborhood!”

“My Cheesy used to travel all over Equestria, throwing epic parties wherever he visited!” Pinkie nuzzled up against her stallion who chuckled at her praise.
“But after coming to Ponyville, let’s just say I realized my place is here,” Cheese pulled Pinkie into a loving hug, “Even so, every once in a while, my Cheesy Sense tells me of a party in the making and I head off to where I’m needed” - he and Pinkie then shared a kiss and looked warmly into each other’s eyes - “but I always come home.”

“Heh-heh, sounds wonderful...” Bright said although he didn’t seem so bright in that moment when Midnight cleared his throat.

“So, Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, I’d like to introduce you both to Bright Side,” Midnight said with warm regard, “He’s a good friend of mine from back in our primary school days.”

“Ooh-ooh! Two foalhood friends reuniting and coming here to catch up?!” Pinkie gushed.
“Y’know what that means, Pinks!” Cheese added.

“A PARTY!!!” they shouted from the rooftops; no really, they suddenly both appeared on random rooftops, shouting before pulling out flugelhorns and tooting a rallying melody that went ‘Do-do-do, DO-do-DOOO’, only for Bright to sheepishly smile and say, “Sorry, Party Ponies, not today.”

The Party Ponies’ manes made a sound like the sputtering of deflating balloons but maintained some of their curly floofiness as Bright assured, “But I am up for some partying in a couple days or so. You can, I dunno, use that time to plan something out.”

“Okey-dokey-lokey!” Pinkie accepted before she bounced away, “C’mon, Cheesy, to the Party Cave!”

“Wait up!” Cheese hurried after her, leaving Bright and Midnight both to sigh in relief.

“They mean well, and I betcha they’ll throw you a party you won’t soon forget,” Midnight playfully shouldered Bright, just like they used to as colts.

“Oh I’m sure they will, and I’ll be looking forward to it,” Bright agreed, “especially after a dark, cold, and likely harrowing expedition into the Everfree Forest.”

“Shall we? There’s a path just outside of town that leads into the forest and straight to Zecora’s home,” Midnight invited.

“Lead the way, old friend,” Bright nodded and the two started off.

Bright Side smiled with building awe and excitement at the sight of Zecora’s home. The walk there through the forest had been uneventful and that somehow made this imminent meeting all the more exciting to Bright as Midnight said, “Zecora’s a wise and kind Zebra mare, just... be patient.”

“About what?” Bright asked as Midnight raised his hoof to knock.

“Rhyming couplets,” Midnight gave three loud but polite knocks and stepped back a few moments before the door opened, revealing Zecora with a friendly smile.

“Prince Midnight has come to say hi, but tell me, friend, what brings you by?”

Midnight raised a brow and slight smirk to Bright who shrugged and then cleared his throat.

"Ni nzuri kukutana na Zecora. Jina langu ni Bright Side."

The zebra's eyes widened with surprise but then she smiled in a nostalgic way before responding, "Hii ni mshangao kabisa. Sijawahi kuzungumza na mtu yeyote kwa lugha yangu kwa wakati Fulani?"

"Ninaweza kuandika, kuzungumza, na kuzitambua kikamilifu. Bibi yangu ana uhakika wa kuimarisha urithi wangu wakati anaweza." Bright answered.

It was at this point Zecora noticed something about Midnight’s friend besides his fluent use of her native language. They’d been faint so she didn’t notice them at first. But now she saw the stripes that adorned Bright’s ample flanks, and she smiled somewhat giddy. Meanwhile as the two continued to speak, Midnight was at a bit of a loss. He wasn’t fluent in Afriskan languages but was able to pick up every third word or so. Still, he was starting to feel a bit out of the loop.

"Kama napenda kuendelea kuendelea tunahitaji kurudi kwenye suala Zecora. Sasa wakati wowote ulipokwenda kwenye msitu umeona mahali popote ulionekana kuwa ulinzi na kufungwa?" Bright proclaimed.

"Ninakumbuka kuwa ni sehemu ya misitu ambayo sikuweza kupata kwa sasa wakati ..."

"Hey guys..."

Bright and Zecora turned to look at Midnight, who respectfully asked, “I'm kind of only getting bits and pieces here. Think we could spare me some translation please?”

The two sheepishly grin and chuckled at their mutual friend’s confused expression before Bright said, "Sorry about that, Night. I guess we got a little carried away there."

“Please, inside we shall adjourn,” Zecora invited, “and we’ll see what I can help you to learn.”

Bright marveled at the cultural Afriskan decorations and furnishings Zecora had around her homeland of Zebrabwe, as well as the many jars of ingredients, bottles and flasks of different potions, elixirs, and of the bubbling cauldron that centered it all.

“Midnight wasn’t kidding!” Bright marveled, “Truly you must be an alchemist of great renown.”

“Many a brew I have made, that is true,” Zecora nodded before taking a ladle and giving the cauldron’s contents a few good stirs. “But all too often fame is fickle, for many it leads to quite a pickle.”

“Heheh, I hear that,” Midnight took a seat, “Now Zecora, I apologize if we dropped in on a bad time, but Bright here has some things he’d like to ask you.”

Zecora looked Expectantly at Bright who cleared his throat, “Well, um... I’ve actually come here to the Everfree Forest to investigate any ruins or find lost relics, especially anything pertaining to the Spirit of the Everfree. I thought we should speak with you and ask how much of the Everfree you’ve explored or if you’d seen anything of archaeological significance, as well as any areas we should avoid.”

“The Spirit of the Everfree, you say? Well, I shall help you on your way,” Zecora went on (in rhyming couplets, of course) to explain the ruins of what must have been a town from a long time ago not too far from the Castle of the Two Sisters but she had avoided it because of a feeling of dread any time she had gone near it, as though her senses were warning her.

She made note of some areas they should avoid, such as an abandoned hut that was haunted by the wretched spirit of a hag, a boggy pit inhabited by something large with writhing tentacles that ensnared anything that wandered too close to the edge of the pit, the favorite hunting grounds of a pack of timberwolves, and the cave of an Ursa Major that was currently pregnant and thus especially vicious.

“As for the forest spirit, well you see,” Zecora went on, “never once have I seen Gaia Everfree. But her gaze is ever watching, her heart cold like stone. If you ask me, you should leave her well enough alone.”

“Hmm, that does match up to the legends and lore I’ve read up on her,” Bright rubbed his chin, “but as foreboding as it is, it just makes me all the more excited to find what’s out there to discover!”

“Well said, Bright!” Midnight gave his friend an admiring look, “And you know you’ve got me to back you up.”

“If truly you are determined, I shall see you well and ready,” Zecora went to and fro, grabbing some ingredients and quickly putting together some new brews or mixes.
“Antidotes and repellant for the journey to go steady.”

Zecora made sure to point out the contents of each bottle and explained what they were for and how to properly use them, such as an antidote for most venoms, a repellant for predators or poisonous insects, an elixir that completed rehydrated the drinker with one sip, a powder that when blown would create vivid flashes of light to temporarily blind and dazzle the eyes of any who looked directly at it, and so on.

Midnight conjured a case to hold the containers and the contents Zecora had given them, along with his own saddlebags to carry them. Before long, the two friends stood outside Zecora’s door as she wished them well, “Take care, my friends, and visit some more. And Bright, I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“It was a real pleasure to meet you, Zecora,” Bright said before adding, “Nakutakia siku njema!”

“Safari njema!” Zecora replied with a giggle before closing her door.

“So then, where to, partner?” asked Midnight as they began walking down the path.

“I’m thinking... let’s check out the Castle of the Two Sisters,” Bright suggested as they came to a fork in the path, “even if we don’t find anything, we could use the castle to get a better vantage point and maybe look for a direction to take. Honestly, I’m curious of the town ruins Zecora mentioned. I have this strong feeling that they are what remain of the village Everfree! It was so named not only after Gaia Everfree but because it was meant to symbolize how nopony would ever again be enslaved under the Sisters’ rule.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Midnight agreed, “then let’s go. Perhaps there’s something I can show you while we visit the castle.”

The halls and throne room of the Castle of the Two Sisters were... cleaner and tidier than Bright had been expecting. But still he marveled at the tapestries, the pedestals, the thrones that once upon a time served as the seats of power of the Equestrian nation over a thousand years ago. Due to how the throne room had been straightened up, aside from a collection of dust and a noticeable draft, it almost felt as though he’d stepped through time to a bygone age.

“Absolutely amazing...” Bright was in awe as he took out his notebook and did a quick sketch of what he was seeing, adding notes to anything in particular that caught his eye.

“Yeah, see, a while ago my friends and I came here to clean the place up a little,” Midnight explained as he stood back and let Bright take it all in, “Princess Celestia okay’d it and we felt this place needed a little dusting off. The history these walls have housed, it deserves a little respect, don’t you think?”

“You can say that again,” Bright closed his notebook and then looked to Midnight, “shall we move on? As grand as this room is, I don’t think it’s gonna hold much clues to what we’re looking for.”

“Then let’s try the old library,” suggested Midnight, “there are still plenty of books there and last time she was here Twilight worked some magic to restore some of them to better conditions. Heheh, honestly, when she checked it out the first time some of those old tomes fell apart on her and she freaked out!”

“I can imagine!” Bright smirked and they both chuckled as they made their way to the library.

Bright was glad to see the place was organized (”You can thank my Twily for that” commented Midnight), as it would make the research a little easier. For the next couple of hours, both stallions poured through the ancient tomes, searching for hints or clues about Gaia Everfree. Bright was however interested to learn a little more about the Castle, such as its history and the architectural plans that were used in constructing it.

“Hmm, nothing really useful here, Bright,” Midnight commented while setting down the eleventh book he’d picked up to pour through. “Unless you count old pony tales about Gaia Everfree having teeth like craggly stone and leaving trails of gem dust.”

“I’m not finding much either,” sighed Bright, “wanna try taking that look up in one of the towers? Maybe we’ll see something.”

“Sure, follow me,” Midnight led Bright up one of the towers, one of which he’d previously okay’d to make sure it was safe. He had to give the architects of the castle credit in making a structure that had lasted well over a thousand years.

Reaching the top of the tower, Bright breathed in the rich chilly air of the high altitude and gazed out at the forest that surrounded them. Most of it looked simply like a vast green carpet of the treetops, but there were irregularities here and there. Such as the nearby chasms, a distant field, some small mountains, and although they were so far into the Everfree they could just barely see Ponyville and the Castle of Friendship in the other direction. The position of the sun meant it was well into the afternoon and it would be dark soon.

“I dunno, Bright,” sighed Midnight as he looked on, trying to see a sign of the Everfree Village, “There’s a chance the ruins of the Everfree Village are just gone.”

“Well, Zecora did say they were hard to find,” Bright brought up, “but she also said that they’re not far from the castle. I’m sure if we look carefully, we’ll find something that can... wait! What’s that over there?”

Midnight turned and went to stand beside Bright as he pointed towards a direction that was adjacent to the path that led up to the doors of the Castle of the Two Sisters. Focusing his pegasus magic to his eyes, Midnight furrowed his brows and looked carefully... until he saw what appeared to be a sign that lay broken upon the remains of a cobblestone path that was almost completely concealed by weeds and grass.

“C’mon, let’s go check it out,” Midnight placed a hoof on Bright’s shoulder and FLASHED them down to near the broken sign.

Bright groaned a bit, rubbing his belly with a dazed look, and Midnight flinched, “Sorry! Should’ve given you a heads up.”

“No problem, but...” Bright stifled a belch and sighed, “I think I left my stomach behind.”

Midnight gave Bright a teasing poke in the belly and laughed, “Nah, looks like it’s all still there.”

“Very funny, now let’s see what we got here,” Bright went over to the sign and carefully stood it up.

The sign was wooden and whatever paint or carvings that had been imprinted on it had long worn away from the elements. Part of it looked like termites might have gotten to it, some of it looked like it might have broken off long ago, and there was a distinctive odor of wood rot.

“Ugh, I can’t tell anything from this!” Bright turned it around, hoping to see something on the back but it was as featureless as the front.

“Hold on,” Midnight carefully levitated the sign to float upright in front of them, slowly rotating it as though it were a product display in a store as Midnight studied the remains and its shape.
“Y’know... this looks like it might have once been shaped like an arrow.”

“Really?” Bright gave the sign a better look. It looked like a ‘two by four’ with both ends broken or rotted but he noticed one end had a certain point to it, and when he imagined it he could see what Midnight was suggesting.
“Huh. Do you think this might...?”

“Only one way to find out,” Midnight cast a spell on the sign to set it where it was supposed to be, along with a reinforcement charm and ward agaisnt the elements. Then he looked at the remains of the cobblestone path the sign pointed towards and telekinetically cleared away the weeds and grass growing over it.

The path wasn’t smooth, which was understandable, but now it was more easily seen, and so the two friends followed it onward.

They walked in silence, eyes and ears on the lookout for anything that might be a threat. The birds tweeted, the underbrush rustled, everything seemed calm and fine. But as the sunlight began to dim through the treetops, the two friends began to grow more and more hesitant to venture forward since nightfall wasn’t far off.

After walking the path for maybe half an hour, Midnight paused and Bright stopped to see his friend slowly looking around.

“...What is it?” Bright asked in a hushed voice.

“Listen...” Midnight continued to scan their surroundings and Bright looked around, trying to listen for anything unusual.

...

“I don’t hear anything,” he commented.

“Exactly,” was Midnight’s response, “No birds, no insects, not even the wind. It’s much too quiet, as though the whole forest is holding its breath.”

“OK, that’s... disturbing,” Bright granted, “but what could...?”

“Up ahead,” Midnight alerted and Bright whipped his head forward in alarm, but only saw the path and the trees and foliage ahead.

But then he looked more carefully and through the trees, he could see what Midnight was seeing, an archway large enough to accomadate a two-lane road for wagons, and beyond that were the faint shapes of what could only be buildings.

“Is that...?!” Bright looked excited but then remembered Midnight was on guard. “But if that’s Everfree Village, then what...?”

“I don’t think we should go in,” Midnight stated, “not when it’s getting dark. We’ll make camp here and check it out in the morning when it’s light.”

“Yeah, yeah, that...” Bright agreed that the suggestion was sound as the more he looked at that archway and those unmistakable shapes of buildings the more he felt a coldness settling uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach.
“That sounds like a good idea.”

The campfire crackled as Bright huddled in front of it, wrapping a blanket around himself to stay the cold night air trapped underneath the tree line. Using both Zecora’s repellants and Midnight’s wards, the prince was all but certain they’d be safe for the night. He’d formed a makeshift shelter of stone slabs forming two walls with a third stacked on top as the roof and charming it not to fall or break and he’d made some blankets and a couple of snug sleeping bags appear.

For a long moment neither of them said anything as they just warmed themselves up and stared into the dancing flames, hearing the hiss of smoke, the pop and cracks of burning wood, seeing the embers float in whimsy moments before they died. It’d been a long and interesting day but now it was as though all the hype had deflated. Made sense, they’d hardly stopped to rest since early that morning. But the bitter reality sank in as they both realized that even though they were old childhood friends they couldn’t help but feel as though they were spending a night in a dark forest with a stranger.

That made it hard for either of them to say anything, both uncertain of what should be said. Sighing, Midnight decided to break the ice and took a deep breath.

“So what happened to you?”

“Huh?” Bright looked up at Midnight, who was glancing at him from the corners of his eyes.

“After you and your mom moved away. You went to Afriska, right? What was it like?”

Bright considered it a moment, looking into the fire, before he leaned his head back, looking up but not at anything in particular, as though he were trying to peer through the leaves above to the stars in the sky and maybe spot a flash of his time back then.

“Well, after my dad disappeared on a trip to go see his tribe, my mom decided to offer her medical expertise to refugees in Afriska,” he explained, “that, and she wanted for me to get in touch with me Zebra roots. I finally got to meet my grandmother and her and my father’s tribe, the Kambi ya buibui. My grandma taught me a lot about our tribe and shared some stories with me, especially one about a magical spider called Anansi who helped the Zebras vanquish the rhino warlords using cunning and trickery rather than brute force and violence.

“It’s how I came to love stories so much. But a few years later my mom wanted me to get back to a formal education, so we moved to Trottingham. I met a wonderful stallion there who was an artist and he became my tutor in painting and drawing, and so I also found my passion in art as well.”

“Sounds to me that you moved a lot,” noted Midnight.

“Mmm...” Bright had a faraway look on his face, almost sad. “Eventually, I got my cutie-mark while attending school in Baltimare. But instead of settling down, I felt this wanderlust, partly because of these old maps of places he’d visited my dad left for me. So, I just wandered, traveling here and there, doing all kinds of things. I’ve been a writer, an artist, a nurse, a laborer, a gardener, I even work sometimes as a freelance journalist and write newspaper comics.”

“Sounds like you’ve been around,” Midnight observed though he sensed there was more to it.

“Hmm, I guess I inherited more than just these faint stripes on my flanks from my dad,” Bright nodded solemnly, “Even after he married my mom and they had me, he really couldn’t stay in one place for long.”

“Bright... have you been doing okay?” Midnight asked out of nowhere, “I mean, it sounds like you’re fine financially, but... are you okay?”

Bright opened his mouth to respond but paused, as though he didn’t know what to say.

“Bright, do... do you have a home to go back to?” asked Midnight, concern in his voice, “I mean, you sound like you spend so much time traveling, and-”

“I’m a drifter,” Bright finally admitted, a distant look on his face, “I can always go back to Baltimare where my mother is, but... I don’t really have a place to call my own. I guess I just bury myself in my work, whatever it is at a given time, so I can ignore it.”

Those words left a lingering depression into Midnight as he registered exactly what Bright was saying - His friend from their colthood days was basically homeless. Sure, he had his mother to go back to but it also sounded like Bright was searching but didn’t know that he was searching or even what he was searching for.

“It’s okay though,” Bright added with a shrug, “I mean, I’ve seen the sun rise on the eastern shores of Equestria and the sun set on the shores of the west. I’ve been to so many places, seen amazing things, met awesome ponies and creatures... It’s a great life, really, going around, doing all kinds of things, having so many experiences, making memories.”

“Let’s um... let’s get some rest,” Midnight laid down onto his sleeping bag, “I have a feeling we’re gonna need it for tomorrow.”

“Alright, good night,” Bright agreed but as the big earth pony was getting comfortable, Midnight was having a think.

Bright Side was well named for trying to stay positive, even as he’d spoken of how he’d lived his life for the past number of years in a redeeming light. But Midnight couldn’t help but feel that his old friend had a yearning for a place to settle. A place to call home. He gave it some thought before an idea popped into his head-

*SNNNOOORRRrrr....*

Midnight’s eyes popped open, his brows furrowed, and he turned over to see Bright with his mouth wide open, tongue hanging out, as he sawed logs louder than chorus of chainsaws.

*SSSNNNOOORK*

“Oh you have got to be kidding me...” Midnight was glad to know the soundproofing bubble spell, casting it around himself and was relieved by blessed silence.

But as the two stallions slipped away to dreamland, a presence looked on at them with disapproving eyes of yellow.

Author's Note

Creative Quill came up with the conversation between Bright Side and Zecora. The language is Swahili but I just refer to it as an Afriskan language (Africa + frisk, as in frisking about)

"Ni nzuri kukutana na Zecora. Jina langu ni Bright Side." - "It's nice to meet Zecora, my name is Bright Side."

"Hii ni mshangao kabisa. Sijawahi kuzungumza na mtu yeyote kwa lugha yangu kwa wakati Fulani?" - "This is quite a surprise. Have I never talked with anyone in my language at a time?"

"Ninaweza kuandika, kuzungumza, na kuzitambua kikamilifu. Bibi yangu ana uhakika wa kuimarisha urithi wangu wakati anaweza." - "I can write, talk, and fully understand it. My mom is sure to strengthen my legacy when she can."

"Kama napenda kuendelea kuendelea tunahitaji kurudi kwenye suala Zecora. Sasa wakati wowote ulipokwenda kwenye msitu umeona mahali popote ulionekana kuwa ulinzi na kufungwa?" - "If I wish to keep on going, we need to come back to Zecora's case. Now, whenever you went to the forest, you saw everywhere you felt safe and closed. "

"Ninakumbuka kuwa ni sehemu ya misitu ambayo sikuweza kupata kwa sasa wakati ..." - "I remember it's a part of the forest that I could not get right now ..."

“Nakutakia siku njema” - “Have a nice day”

“Safari njema” - “Have a good journey”

288. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 3

The morning came and with it a small relief that the two friends could explore the ruins of Everfree Village during the day even though the sunlight that managed to shine upon the forgotten place was sporadic at best. What with the thick foliage of the trees blocking the majority of the morning light out, leaving only shifting sunbeams here and there like shaky spotlights.

Even so, it was truly fascinating to walk streets that had not been touched by pony hooves for centuries and gazing upon what they had left behind after Princess Celestia decided to relocate the Equestria royal capitol to Mount Canterhorn. Midnight insisted they stay together, for even with the sun shining, the area remained unnaturally quiet and there was still that sense of unease even though it wasn’t as bad as last night. As though whatever presence had been there had retreated but was still around.

As they’d explored, Midnight had spotted two places that were familiar from memories of his prior life, a blacksmith’s forge and an inn with a sign that showed a sleeping pegasus making Zs that had almost completely worn away from exposure to the elements. He wondered if the ponies who had ran these old places of business had descendants still living in Equestria though he recalled seeing the blacksmith’s son as an adult during that whole time traveling fiasco he was made to endure.

“Interesting...”

Midnight looked back to see Bright examining what looked to be some kind of mural. Stepping over, Midnight asked, “What’cha got here?”

“This mural...” Bright pointed out the various scenes, “it seems to detail some kind of legend or history regarding this village.”

“And it’s in rather good condition,” Midnight pointed out before he lit up his horn, “Hmmm...! This mural has some kind of charm on it, some magic that has kept it in good condition despite centuries of exposure!”

“That reinforces my theory that this mural is about something really important,” Bright commented before he gave the mural a closer look, “It looks like... thousands of years ago, there was some kind of epidemic that swept through the Everfree Village. Many perished from this disease and nothing seemed to help, not magic, not traditional medicine, even the Royal Sisters’ efforts to quell the sickness!

“The ponies of the Everfree Village prayed to the Goddess for salvation, and then... A figure appeared from the Everfree Forest, leaving a trail of flowers and fresh green grass wherever she walked that sparkled with... gem dust!”

The both of them gasped and shared a look of wonder, Midnight asking, “Do you think...?”

“Let’s see...” Bright looked at the mural again, “The figure wore a heavy cloak but spoke with kindness. She invited the sick and the worried to sit with her in prayer, and then... she shed... tears? Yes, tears! And wherever the tears fell a flower suddenly bloomed! She instructed the ponies of the Everfree Village to collect the flowers’ nectar for the sick to drink, and just like that, the sickness was stopped! The ponies of the Everfree were saved, but the mysterious was gone before anypony could offer her gratitude.

“Princess Celestia believed... yes! She believed the figure was Gaia Everfree and she suggested a shrine be made to honor the Spirit of the Everfree. And that shrine... is right here in this village!”

“You wanna see if we can find it?” asked Midnight, smiling at the excited look of his friend.

“Heck yeah! This shrine could tell us knowledge of Gaia nopony has ever discovered before, c’mon!” Bright galloped off, Midnight following frantically.

“Bright, wait up!” Midnight galloped after the earth pony, thinking, For a big guy he can really hoof it when he sets his mind to it!

However, neither of them noticed the presence watching from the shadows, growling at the sight of these intruders...

For the next couple of hours, they searched the ruins of the village for this shrine dedicated to Gaia Everfree. Bright had suggested they split up but Midnight absolutely forbade it because he still felt something about the village that instinctively told him to keep his guard up. They tried looking in the village’s court building but no records had survived due to a hole in the roof that had allowed rain in. They checked the garrison but found nothing but rusty old pieces or armor and broken weapons. The library had become such a wreck that Midnight made a mental note to never let Twilight see it.

Sighing, Bright sat on the remains of a stone bench as they took a break in what appeared to be an old park set in what used to be the village square, “That shrine has to be around here somewhere!”

“It’s possible the shrine’s gone, Bright,” Midnight shrugged, “a thousand years is a long time, after all. A lot could have happened in that interim, perhaps something that destroyed the shrine or something.”

“Maybe... but I can’t help but feel it in my big plushy gut that that shrine is nearby, somewhere just under our muzzles!” Bright groaned as he tapped his head, hoping the answer would come to him by knocking on his brain.

“Hmm...” Midnight considered Bright’s words and scanned their surroundings. The square was large, even larger than the town square of Ponyville, edged with cobblestone roads, the remains of shops, old iron lampposts still standing, the court building located across the street from one end, but when he looked the opposite way...

Huh... maybe it’s just me or does that look out of place? he thought, seeing a vast wall of hedge-like bushes growing out and over the roads from the half of the park behind them.
Granted, this place has been abandoned for centuries so it makes sense if the park’s hedge bushes got out of control. But...

The instinct that told Midnight to be careful became a warning to be on the alert. Something was close, something dangerous, and it hadn’t become apparent until Midnight had shifted his attention to those hedge bushes.

“What’cha looking at, Midnight?”

“Huh?!” Midnight startled and saw that Bright was giving him a curious look, “Oh, uh! It’s...”

Midnight hesitated but he knew how much this meant to his old friend, “It’s those hedge bushes over there. It just dawned on me that a shrine dedicated to Gaia Everfree would probably be somewhere surrounded by plants, not in buildings.”

Following Midnight’s line of sight, Bright brightened up at the suggestion, “Of course! It makes perfect sense, good thinking, Midnight. C’mon, let’s go check it out.”

Bright started to trot towards the hedge bushes when Midnight suddenly felt a horrible feeling that made a shiver run from the tip of his horn, down his spine, all the way to the end of his tail - The intent to kill!

“BRIGHT, GET BACK!!” Midnight shouted, causing Bright to suddenly grind to a halt but trip over to fall on his chest, ow’ing as his chin struck the ground... just a hoof short of a large spear embedding itself into the ground, causing both ponies to gasp in terror at how close Bright had come to being shish-kabob’d!

Midnight lit up his horn, levitating Bright back to his side, before looking in the direction the spear came from, “Who threw that?!”

A large and imposing figure stood upon the roof of a nearby shop, glinting a golden bronze under the sunlight so neither of them could get a good look. But at that moment, a cloud passed overhead to bar the sun, and the two ponies were awed to see a warrior clad in armor from head to toe so not hide nor hair could be seen. All they could tell was that the warrior walked on two legs.

“Who goes there...?” the warrior called in a voice harsh yet disturbingly soft.

“I am Midnight Blaze, Head of House Obsidian and a Guardian of Harmony,” Midnight responded while flaring his wings and lighting his horn to show he meant business, “and this is my friend Bright Side. Identify yourself and why you just tried to do us harm!”

“I am Grrawl, a Knight of Sirius and guardian dog of this forgotten place, owner of its sacred treasure!” the warrior snarled as he heaved a sword as long as he was tall and held out a paw-shaped gauntlet, “All who dare approach my protectorate are my enemies!!”

A blast of power launched from Grrawl’s open grasp and washed over the ponies with a painful pulse, causing them both their knees to buckle but they didn’t go down. Lucky thing too, as Grrawl rushed them, his sword raised to strike. Midnight quickly dove into his own shadow, easily avoiding the blade as it came down on him, and slithered away towards Bright, who yelped in alarm as he sank into the shadow before it sped away. Grrawl growled as he yanked his sword out of the ground and looked around, barking, “SHOW YOURSELVES, you yellow-bellied ponies! Face your demises with dignity...”

In a nearby alleyway west of the park, Bright shivered after Midnight had brought them out of the shadow, the yellow earth pony whispering, “Seems you’ve picked up on some tricks...”

“Stay out of sight, that dog clearly means to kill us for trespassing,” instructed Midnight as he looked out of the alley and saw Grrawl lurching around, looking for them.
“I’ll take care of him...”

“Midnight, wait!” Bright protested, “He said he’s a knight, so maybe we can reason with him, appeal to his honor-”

“A true knight does not attempt murder with warning or provocation,” Midnight responded with a steely tone, “and besides, he clearly has some kind of magic and if we try to run he might come after us. I can’t just leave him be, not when he might pose a threat to other unwary explorers in the future. It’s better he’s dealt with sooner than later.”

“Are you gonna...?” Bright didn’t want to say it.

“Only if I have to,” Midngiht answered, “but if I can force him to yield I will command him to return to his homeland and never come back. Stay here and don’t call attention to yourself.”

“...Be careful, my friend,” Bright bade with concern, and smiled a little when Midnight gave him a smirking wink before taking flight.

“Hmm?” Grrawl heard the beat of wings and looked to see the sapphire alicorn rise up from between two buildings and come to face him, landing a few yeards away from the knight with a resilient look on his face.
“Well, at least you have the courage to face me man to man! Prepare to fall to my sword!!”

Midnight didn’t respond nor move as Grrawl roared and charged but this time Midnight raised his wings and willed shadow to enshroud them with unyielding solidness, causing a splash of sparks when Grrawl’s sword came down on them. The dog knight snarled with vexation as he stepped back and swung his blade `round at Midnight’s neck, only for the alicorn to burst into smoky shadowstuff and slither around Grrawl before popping out of the smog, his tail raised with a blade of solid shadow, the tip curved down like a scorpion!

The attack was quickly defended against as Grrawl has raised his sword to intercept the shadow blade, impressing Midnight one moment before he was blown back by whatever force Grrawl had used before, launching another blast of power from his gauntlet, sending Midnight flying backwards towards the hedge wall, landing on his back just a yard shy of it.

“You are a cunning adversary but ultimately no match for me!!” Grrawl growled as he raised his sword but held it up as he seemed to concentrate, Midnight sensing a quick build-up of mana before Grrawl swung forward, and a crescent-shaped golden blade of energy was hurled at Midnight! He cried out in alarm as he quickly rolled to the side, feeling the wind cloven by the energy blade as it passed him by.

The blade parted the hedge wall and almost instantly both ponies felt it! A power, soft, gentle, warm, like the comforting presence of compassion, and they looked through the opening in the hedge to see what appeared to be a stone shrine made up of monolithic stones, two standing upright with the third horizontally placed on top. Beneath the third, nestled safely between the two vertical stones, grew three flowers that had yet to bloom. Leaf, stem, and bud all gave off an ethereal glow of bright gold and soft blue.

“Wha- What are those...?” Bright asked aloud from the sidelines and was apparently heard by Grrawl.

“You know full well what they are, thieves!” Grrawl seethed, holding his sword in both gauntlets, “They are the Tears of Gaia, my treasures you have come to plunder!”

“You are mistaken!” Bright exclaimed, “We didn’t come here to steal those flowers from you!”

“You lie!” Grrawl snapped.

“He’s telling the truth!”

They both looked to see Midnight slowly walk towards them, putting himself between the dog knight and his friend, “We were just exploring the remains of this village and were unaware of your presence or of those flowers.”

“Heh! Stop insulting my intelligence,” Grrawl scoffed, “you want them for yourselves as I did long ago. I will not be taken for a fool!!”

Grrawl roared as he lunged his sword at Midnight, who grunted while forming shadow blades with his wings and fighting off the dog’s sword but he was ferocious! They locked blades, grunting and growling, when Midnight asked, “Why do you want these flowers so much anyway?”

“That is my business, and nothing shall get in the way of seeing my goal fulfilled!” Grrawl snarled, “Those flowers are meant for one and only one!! Once my goal is fulfilled only then can I be worthy to stand before She who brings the night and day.”

“Night and day?! You speak as though Princess Celestia’s sister Princess Luna had never returned from her exile!” Midnight was confused.

“Who is this... Princess Luna?” Grrawl asked off-handedly as though he were barely interested before he snarled and pushed back, Midnight leaping away as Bright stepped out of the alley.

“He doesn’t know of Princess Luna? Could he be-” Another pulse of power from Grrawl interrupted Bright mid-sentence, causing the earth pony to groan in pain while Midnight was caught off guard and blown back.

“I know of no such princess!” Grrawl growled suspiciously, “I have protected the Tears of Gaia ever since I first laid eyes on them. I am uncertain how long it’s been since that time but surely I’d have heard of this so-called sister of the Sun Princess, assuming she does exist...”

Could he... could he have found the flowers sometime after Nightmare Moon’s defeat by Princess Celestia? thought Bright as he felt Grrawl’s power weigh upon him and his legs felt that needle-like sensation of waking up a sleeping limb.

From where he was, Mifngiht groaned as he came to when he saw something laying nearby, “Huh...? That helm...”

“Tell me of this... Princess Luna,” growled Grrawl in a relatively calm voice but held his sword threateningly. Still, whatever magic he’d worked seemed to have receded, allowing Bright to stand upright.

“Over a thousand years ago, two sisters were found by the legendary archmage Starswirl the Beareded,” Bright began, “two fillies who had horns and wings, bearing the traits of all three of the pony tribes. The elder sister was named Celestia and the younger was called Luna. In these two sisters, Starswirl saw a promise of hope and raised them to become the Princesses of Equestria, equal in rule, one to raise the sun and bring the day, the other the moon to bring the night.

“Alas, as the centuries passed, the ponies of Equestria praised and adulated the Princess of the Sun while shunning the Princess of the Moon, and a painful envy was seeded into her heart. Ignored in favor of her older sister, Princess Luna was soon corrupted by darkness and became a fearsome evil known as Nightmare Moon. She swore to bring about Nighttime Eternal and thus Princess Celestia was forced to do battle with her fallen sister that escalated until finally Princess Celestia used the most powerful magical artifacts of ponykind, the Elements of Harmony, to vanquish her sister to bring back the day. Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon itself for a thousand years and in that time Celestia raised the sun and moon to maintain the natural order though a prophecy warned that on the longest day of the thousandth year Nightmare Moon would return to finish what she’d started.

“Return she did but this time, a band of heroes wielded the Elements of Harmony as they were meant to be wielded and so the true power of Harmony saved Princess Luna, who was happily reunited with her sister and so Celestia and Luna have rekindled their love and friendship and again rule Equestria as they did over a thousand years ago, with them both wiser and closer than ever before.”

“Hmph! Your attempt to beguile me with a pony’s tale is pitiful,” Grrawl responded dryly.

“But it’s true! Everything I just told you is true!” Bright exclaimed only to groan in pain as Grrawl used his magic again and raised his sword.

“SILENCE!!! I’ve entertained your foalish delusions long enough!!” Grrawl snarled and Bright knew the dog was going to kill him.

“Hold it right there, you coward!!”

Grrawl froze before he could swing his blade at the helpless earth pony before him, snarling in offense, “What was that?! How dare you call me, a knight of Sirius, a coward!!?”

“You may wear the armor of a knight but you do not have the heart of one,” responded Midnight, a shadow blade extended from his wing as he glared at Grrawl.
“A true knight stands for honor!”

“What do you know of honor, pony?” spat Grrawl.

“Over there...” Midnight pointed with his other wing towards two rusted suits of armor lying like corpses on the cobblestones nearby, armor that matched Grrawl’s perfectly.
“The remains of two Sirian knights, your comrades I assume, both slain by a blade. Tell me, Grrawl, how did they meet their ends?”

The knight hesitated, a whimper echoing in that helmet of his before he uttered, “My... my comrades- Nay, my true brothers in arms! The moment they saw the Tears of Gaia, they immediately ventured forward, their paws reaching out towards them!”

“Your... your brothers?!” Bright whispered in shock.

“I... I had to do it!” Grrawl went on as the memories came back, leaving him stunned with pain and regret. “I had told them of my mission, there was only enough nectar for one! I begged them to stop as I pursued but one of them tore one of the Tears out of the soil, roots and all, and I drew my sword before I realized what I was doing, and they drew their swords too. As I fought my brothers, the Tears’ nectar fell to waste in the dirt and by the time I had... dealt with my brothers, the Tears had withered...

“But I did not despair. I knew that if I protected the Tears and waited, in time they would bloom again and the nectar would be ready to collect so then I could complete my mission. As the new buds began to rise from the soil, I planted the hedge bushes to conceal them and slew any who dared come too close!”

As Grrawl was lost in his memory, Bright noticed Midnight very quietly and slowly moved around the knight.

“Anyone who ventured too close could not be allowed to threaten the buds before they bloomed! I slew monsters, encroachers, it didn’t matter what they were! None would stand in the way of my mission, for the nectar of the Tears of Gaia belong to one and only one!!!”

*VSSHHHUNK*

Bright gasped, Grrawl groaned, and both looked to see a long blade of solid shadow extending out of his chest and the rest extending from his back towards Midnight’s wing, whose gaze was dour.

“Forgive me...” Midnight spoke, sorrow in his voice... only for Grrawl’s uttered groans to turn into laughter, dark, arrogant, mad!

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!” Grrawl’s barking laughter was disturbing enough, but the fact that he’d just been run through and was acting like it had tickled was what made the ponies’ blood run cold.

“Impossible! That should’ve been a fatal blow!” Midnight was horrified.

Grrawl whirled about, somehow shattering the shadow blade with his sword while using his free paw to sock Midnight in the face, as he was struck to the ground. Groaning, Midnight peered up at the armored dog who snarled, “You thought you could defeat me...? You will SUFFER!!!!”

Grrawl moved in for the kill, but Bright ran over and wrapped his forelegs around the dog’s sword arm, begging, “Please Grrawl, you don’t have to do this!”

“Get off me, you oaf!” Grrawl barked as he punched Bright off, but in that moment as he fell towards the ground, it was as if time had slowed and Bright felt something, and emotion that was not his own, a deep and desperate love.

Accompanying it were visions that flashed into the earth pony’s mind, of Grrawl, clad in his armor but his removed, revealing a face like a doberman, as he kneeled at the bedside of his son. The pup was sick and feeble but gazed up at his father with shaky eyes that shined with faith and admiring love as his father clasped his tiny little paw.

The visions ended, leaving Bright to groan from his aching jaw as Grrawl snarled, “You wait your turn, fat one...”

“Grrawl, wait! Who are the flowers for?” Bright ignored the pain and gave Grrawl a serious look, the question causing the warrior to pause.

“...I already said that is my business.”

“What could drive a knight to slay his brothers over a prize like the Tears of Gaia?” asked Bright rhetorically, “What else but a father’s love for his son.”

“Huh?! How could you know that?!” demanded Grrawl.

“I have a gift, Grrawl, a gift that allows me to feel the emotions of those around me,” Bright explained, “and sometimes a potent emotion from someone can give me visions of what it is that causes those emotions. The Tears of Gaia were said to have saved the ponies that once lived here in this village from a terrible sickness. That’s why you went looking for them, because they could save your son from his own illness!”

“My... my son, my dearest treasure,” Grrawl shuddered in his armor, “He and his mother, the love of my life, they were both touched by the same disease but my wife... she... didn’t have the strength to- On her deathbed, she made me swear that I would save our son! No matter the cost. I made the same vow to my little boy and left him in the care of his aunt.

“My brothers betrayed my trust and tried to take the flowers for themselves, and I had sworn that no matter what I would save my son whatever the cost. My brothers’ betrayal may have waylaid me but before long the Tears will bloom and their nectar will cure my son!!”

“Grrawl... how long have you been guarding the Tears of Gaia?” Bright asked sympathetically, noticing Midnight was watching and listening with rapt attention and sympathy in his own eyes too.

“What does that matter?! The Tears will bloom and their nectar will save my son!” Grrawl snarled, raising his blade again, “But nothing will save you...”

“Grrawl, think about it! You’ve been guarding the Tears for a long time, haven’t you?” Bright pointed out, “How many times have the seasons passed you by? How many times have the leaves turned red, the snow fallen and melted, the blossoms turn to fruit?”

Grrawl growled but as he considered the pony’s words, he recalled the seasons changing many times since he had sworn to guard the Tears until they bloomed again. This realization caused an anxious whimper to escape him.

“I’m sorry, Grawl... but look at the armor of your brothers,” Bright added, “Rusted and decayed. Many years have passed ever since that awful day you were forced to slay them to protect the Tears for your son’s sake. Many years have passed since you’ve left your son to find the Tears. You must realize...”

“Shut up...” Grrawl uttered softly.

“Your son is no longer of this earth,” Bright said sadly.

“SHUT UPPP!!!!!” Grrawl roared as he lunged forward at Bright, only for Midnight to bar his weapon with another shadow blade and push him back with a telekinetic pulse, the dog warrior anchoring himself with his sword even as he was forced back three yards.
“LIARS! THIEVES!! I SWORE TO SAVE MY SON WITH THE TEARS OF GAIA AND THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING TO-”

*Cr-Crack/KRSHLAAMM...*

Bright and Midnight were stunned as a wall from one of the ruined buildings suddenly toppled and collapsed on top of Grrawl, and as the dust cleared, they slwoly approached only to be shocked!

“Wha- I- I don’t understand!” Bright couldn’t believe his eyes!

“It’s... empty!” Midnight said as they looked upon the crushed armor of Grrawl, only to find there was no corpse inside.

It was empty.

“Could... could that be why my attack didn’t hurt him?” Midnight thought about it aloud, “Because there was nothing inside to wound?”

Bright gasped softly as he felt a presence and looked around. He couldn’t tell exactly where it was coming from, for it felt as though it were all around him. A presence that was stern yet now seemed relieved, as though a weight had been lifted. He looked back at the empty armor and understood, “I think.... i think Grrawl’s body turned to dust long ago, but his unfulfilled vow to save his son, along with his single-minded goal of harvesting the nectar from the Tears of Gaia, it somehow caused his spirit to posses his armor.

“But once the armor was destroyed, what had been inside could no longer persist.”

“Poor wretch...” Midnight bowed his head solemnly, Bright doing the same as the alicorn prince said, “Be at peace, Knight of Sirius, and go now to be with you family in the next great adventure.”

For a moment, they were silent but then Bright felt that presence again, a feeling of urgency and then as though something were coming to life! He looked back at the opening in the hedge and gasped, “Midnight, the Tears!”

Midnight looked too and gasped as they saw the Tears of Gaia finally bloom, their five petals blue like the sky yet edged with cloud white, and something liquid and golden running down the lowest petal.

“Oh!” Bright hurried over, to Midnight’s confusion, and the earth pony took out a couple of small phials from his saddlebag and carefully held it below the flower’s petal, making sure to catch the nectar before doing the same with the other two flowers.

Both of the phials were filled, and no sooner did Bright cork the phial did the Tears of Gaia suddenly wilt, the petals falling and the pollen being caught in the breeze.

“They withered so quickly...” Midnight noted, his voice just a little sad.

“It’s not much, but at least I got some,” Bright said with a smile, “These two phials contain a real treasure! Something much more special than gold or jewels.”

“Will they ever bloom again?” asked Midnight.

“I believe they will, and somehow I think with Grrawl gone the Tears will grow back even stronger than before,” Bright placed the phials of nectar into his saddlebag.
“His goal was right but his obsession had some kind of negative effect on the Tears, which is why they took so long to bloom.”

“To think, we were saved by some building crumbling,” Midnight looked back at the broken remains of the fallen knight’s armor and all the rubble and debris around it.
“I’m not sure whther to call it luck or something else... Either way, I think there’s nothing left for us here, Bright. Let’s go back to Ponyville.”

“That’s for me,” agreed the earth pony and he began to follow his old friend but paused a moment before looking back.

There, standing beside the shrine where the Tears had wilted, a tall cloaked figure with a horn extending from the hood, and sparkles of gem dust surrounding the cloak, looked directly at Bright Side. Although the figure looked intimidating, Bright didn’t feel afraid. In fact, if he didn’t know better he could swear that the figure was smiling at him.

“Bright Side, what’s keeping ya?”

Bright looked forward to see Midnight waiting for him, and then back. He gasped to see he figure was gone, but the Tears had already began to bud again. He chuckled to himself, and galloped onward, “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

289. Catch you on the Bright Side - Part 4

The two friends sighed with relief once they made their way out of the Everfree Forest and Ponyville was in sight. They’d spent another night camping in the Forest since they decided to see Zecora again and let her know that the presence haunting the village ruins was gone, and the morning sun was shining warmly upon them as they made their way into town.

“So what do you plan to do with those phials of the Tears’ nectar?” asked Midnight curiously.

“I’m not sure yet,” Bright considered as they kept walking, “I think I’ll donate one phial to medical science, maybe they can study it and replicate its properties. The other? Well, it might just come in handy one day, save someone’s life.”

“Sounds good to me,” Midnight nodded approvingly, “but after all that, I’m in serious need of something sweet. You?”

“I could go for a cupcake myself, yeah,” Bright smiled with a lick of his lips.

“Then I know just the place,” Midnight led the way towards Sugarcube Corner.

However, before arriving...

“LOOK OUT BELOOOW!!!”

“Twilight?!” Midnight looked up and immediately ducked in time to avoid being hit by Twilight, Spike on her back, as she came in for a landing, skidding along the dirt but managing to stick it.

Spike slid off in a relieved slump, as Twilight shook the dust from her hooves when she looked to see, “Oh, Midnight! There you are, I wish you’d told me you’d come back to Ponyville-”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” chuckled Bright, earning him Twilight’s attention and her eyes slowly lit up when she recognized him. “You haven’t changed much since you were a filly, haven you?”

“Bright Side...?” Twilight slowly smiled big and happy and laughed as she and Bright met in a big and warm hug. “I can’t believe it! What’re you doing here in Ponyville?”

“Why don’t you join me and Midnight and we’ll tell you all about it over a snack,” Bright invited.

Twilight was excited to hear about the ruins of Everfree Village and Spike thought the story of the Sirian Knight was awesome. Then, Bright showed Twilight the two phials of the nectar from the Tears of Gaia.

“I bet Princess Celestia would love to have one of those phials for her research team,” suggested Twilight, “a shame you couldn’t bring one of the Tears of Gaia back with you. But I’m just glad that you’re both alright.”

“I feel bad that Grrawl spent all that time protecting a flower only for it all to have been for nothing,” Spike commented, “it’s scary... being obsessed that you don’t even notice how much time has passed or...”

“Grrawl is gone, Spike,” Midnight assured, “and if there’s any justice in this world, he’s with his family now, at rest.”

“I still can’t believe that on the same day I go to Canterlot to rekindle my old friendships that you found Bright!” Twilight looked to the earth pony, “Talk about a coincidence.”

“What you call coincidence, Twilight, I think is fate at work,” Bright shrugged, “sometimes things really are just coincidence but even then I think it’s actually something bringing about these unusual circumstances for some kind of purpose, big or small.”

“Speaking of purpose, how’d it go catching up with your old friends, Twily?” asked Midnight but when his beloved’s smile faded into a dispirited look, he knew something was wrong.
“That bad?”

“Oh no, actually...” Twilight explaiend the whole thing, that it had gone swimmingly when she and Spike had caught up with Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine. It was how things had gone with Moondancer that things had soured. Apparently, Moondancer had become a bitter recluse, studying and studying, but no longer spent time with friends, having given up on friendship altogether. Twilight had tried several times to make things right with Moondancer and it wasn’t until after finding out that Moondancer had turned out this way because Twilight hadn’t gone to Moondancer’s party on that same day when she had left for Ponyville to oversee the Summer Sun Celebration preparations.
“I have to make things right with Moondancer, which is why I’m here.

“PINKIE PIE! CHEESE SANDWICH! Front and CENTER!!”

Midnight and Bright both chuckled at Twilight as the two party ponies popped out from under the table, both wearing army helmets and saluting at attention.

“Party Pony Services reporting for duty, SIR-Ma’am-SIR!!”

“Lemme guess,” Bright spoke up, “you’re gonna throw a party for Moondancer.”

“Do you think it’ll work?” Twilight asked hopefully.

Bright shared a stony look with Midnight before saying, “I think it’ll help... Just be ready.”

“For what?” asked Twilight.

“For when the floodgates open.”

Minuette had just knocked on the doors to Twilight’s tower and waited a few moments before shrugging, “Huh. Guess they must’ve gone back to Ponyville.”

But as Minuette turned to leave...

“WHEEEEE!!!” “YAHOOOO!!!” “WhoaOAOAOOOOGGH!!!” “HEEELLLLPPP!!!!”

She looked up to see Twilight and Midnight flying while pulling a makeshift chariot that carried Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, Bright Side, and Spike, the two party ponies enjoying the wild ride (thanks to Twilight destabilizing them) while Bright and Spike were hanging on for dear life.

“Mayday- MAYDAAAAAYYYYY!!!” Midnight screamed as they crashed into Minuette, knocking her off the tower, before they all came crashing down into a pony pile on the grass of the castle grounds.

“That was AWESOME!” Pinkie cheered while spinning her tail like a gyrocopter to hover while Cheese Sandwich blew his tail up like a ballon that held him up.
“We gotta go flying more often, guys!” Cheese added excitably as everypony stood up.

“Sure, Cheese. After somepony catches up on some flying practice she’s clearly been neglecting,” Midnight gave Twilight a light stink eye.

“I’ve had other things occupying my time...” Twilight twiddled her hooves when Minuette sat up.

“There you are! I thought you threw in the ol’towel and headed home,” the blue unicorn commented.

“I did head home, but not to throw in the towel. I went to get my secret weapon,” Twilight explained before pointing out the party ponies, “Minuette, meet-”

“Hey, Pinkie Pie!” Minuette beat Twilight to the punch when her eyes fell upon the pink party pony.
“Hi, Minuette!” Pinkie replied before they shared a warm and friendly hug.
“Hey there, Minuette, real gouda to see you again,” Cheese shook Minuette’s hoof before giving it a kiss, causing Minuette to giggle with a slight blush.
“Oh Cheese, you’re still such a charmer” Minuette tittered.
“Twilight, you didn’t say Minuette would be here!” Pinkie hopped happily in place.

“...You three know each other?” Twilight was baffled when she got a face full of pink.

“Oh, sure! She was one of Cadance’s bridesmares,” Pinkie answered, “We hang out all the time whenever she visits Ponyville! Didn’t you know that?”
“Hah! And you call yourself the Princess of Friendship,” Cheese ribbed in a friendly teasing way to Twilight, who took it in stride.

Pinkie and Cheese then zipped up to Minuette.
“Twilight briefed us on the way over,” Cheese began.
“We’ll need fifteen bags of confetti,” Pinkie added, “and as many hooves as we can get.”

“Let’s go! We can pass by the donut place on the way,” Minuette suggested excitably as she led the party ponies off to get the supplies.

“And... what’re we gonna do?: Spike spoke up, looking to the alicorns and Bright.

“Just come with me,” Twilight instructed and they all followed after her.

Moondancer had just stepped out of the Canterlot Public Library, in all of her unflattering glory, when she noticed something on the ground, a book and got excited when she read the title, “Ooh! ‘A Brief History on the Wagon Harness’!”

She levitated it off the ground when she noticed another book and read the title, “’The Life and Times of Marwari the Maneless’?”

It was at this moment when Moondancer noticed the trail of books that led across the street and around a corner. Now, a sensible pony would find it odd to see all these books lying in a trail on the public sidewalk... but Moondancer was too curious to see what sort of books these were as she followed the trail, colelcting them, findign each titled something more interesting than the last.

She didn’t even pay real attention to her surroundings and it wasn’t until she’d collected two stacks of books that she found where the trail had been leading her, to a very familiar location where what could only be a party had been prepared. There were streamers, balloons, a nice spread that included a punch bowl, and even a pink glitterball hanging overhead from some white archways.

“Wh-what is this?” Moondancer adjusted her glasses in confusion.

“It’s a party, for you.”

She looked to see Twilight Sparkle wearing a party hat, along with Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine, as Spike rolled in a multi-stacked cake that was even taller than the average pony... and out popped Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, shouting, “SURPRISE!!”

Pinkie slapped a party hat onto Moondancer while Cheese put a noisemaker into her mouth, to her annoyance, as she spat it out, crushed the party hat in her magic, and said, “Uh, thanks but no thanks, I don’t do parties.”

“Eesh, Twilight wasn’t kidding about Moondancer,” commented Midnight as he and Bright watched from behind a pillar, having been asked to hide so Moondancer wouldn’t feel crowded.

“It’s more than that,” Bright said as he looked sadly at Moondancer and saw Twilight teleporting in front of her to talk, “She’s... in pain. But it’s a pain she’s kept buried for quite some time to dull its sting.”

“And you think this is going to do it, huh?” said a bitter voice, causing both stallions to pay closer attention.

Moondancer had taken a stick from Twilight to bat unenthusiastically at a piñata.

“...Yes?” Twilight responded weakly.

“Well, sure, why wouldn’t it?” Moondancer said, her tone bitter and growing angrier with every word, “That was only the first time I ever put myself out there and then you didn’t even bother to show up!”

By this time, Moondancer had turned while pointing the stick accusingly at Twilight, “Then you left town without even saying goodbye, even though we were supposed to be friends. I was humiliated! I felt like I wasn’t important! I never wanted to let myself be hurt like that again!”

Then she pointed the stick at Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine, yelling as tears filled her eyes, “THOSE THREE FINALLY CONVINCED ME THAT I HAD VALUE! That other ponies might like me and want to be my friend! AND YOU! DIDN’T! SHOW! UP!!!”

Midnight knew Moondancer’s unloading was coming from sincere pain but he felt it was unfair. He was about to step out there when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and saw Bright shaking his head, “This needs to happen and they must work this out for themselves.”

Bright spoke wisely and Midnight sighed as he continued to watch.

By this time, Moondancer had thrown herself onto the ground in a sobbing mess, causing everypony to look on sadly, some feeling guilty, when Pinkie perked and whispered into Spike’s ear while Twilight stepped over to console Moondancer.
“You’re right. This party can’t make up for the way I hurt you. But please... don’t let my mistake be the reason you can’t be friends with anypony else!”

Moondancer looked up at Twilight, who helped her to her hooves when she saw Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine approach.
“We were your friends then and we’d be honored to be your friends now.”

In their eyes, Moondancer saw sincerity, the warmth of their smiles breaking through her defenses as she struggled to calm down and wiped her tears. Then she felt Twilight’s hoof and looked as Twilight pointed out a group of ponies. Three of them she recognized, the other two not so much.

“Wha- She’s the librarian, and the bookseller, and my sister!” Moondancer was confused, “And... Prince Midnight Blaze?”

“You have more friends than you realize, Moondancer,” Midnight spoke, “and it would be the pleasure of myself and my friend Bright Side here if we could be your friends too.”

Moondancer teared up again but this time with a smile.

“I’m sorry, Moondancer,” Moondancer looked to see it was Twilight as she said, “I’ve faced magical creatures, the End of Equestria, all sorts of things! But seeing how my actions affected you, that was one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had.”

For a moment, Moondancer didn’t know what to say before she composed herself and responded, “Thank you, Twilight. I never realized how much I needed to hear that.”

Twilight held out her hoof in friendship but noticing Moondance’rs hesitation, she shook it off and pulled her old fillyhood friend into a warm hug. Then, a sudden surge of emotion invigorated Moondancer after she and Twilight broke the hug, and she calledo ut, “Now... come on, everypony! Let’s party!”

Then she whispered to Pinkie and Cheese, “Is that right?”

“RIGHT!!!” The party ponies pulled out a trio of party cannons and everypony cheered in a blast of confetti!

It wasn’t a big party. it wasn’t a formal party. It was a good and happy party of friends getting together, sharing laughs and smiles and even stories, all around having a good time. Moondancer found herself hitting it off with Bright Side and spent a a lot of time with him during the party. She received a personal invite from Midnight to his and Twilight’s upcoming wedding. She caught up with her sister, who was happy to see Moondancer out of her slump and having friends in her life again, and shared some refined conversations with the librarian and book seller.

It lasted a good while after the sun set and by that time, everything slowed down, and Moondancer had already said goodbye to some of the partygoers when she heard Twilight behind her, “I think it’s time for us to go, Moondancer.”

She looked to see Twilight, Midnight, Spike, the party ponies, and Bright Side, giving her warm smiles.

“Thank you for helping me make some new friends,” Moondancer said while giving Bright a warm look, the two of them sharing a mutual blush, “even if most of them are my old friends.”

“We’ll come back and visit soon,” Bright offered.

“That would be great!” Moondancer replied just a tad too enthusiastically before clearing her throat and saying to Twilight, “You...’ve still gotta teach me that Haycart technique.”

“Deal,” Twilight promised when Spike stepped up.

“Um, Moondance,r it got a little banged up, but...” Spike held out his somewhat crumpled present, “Here’s a little something I wanted to give you back at your first party.”

Moondancer accepted it, undid the wrapping paper with her magic and smiled with a tear to see it was a framed picture of herself, Twilight, and the rest of the girls all enjoying treats at Joe’s donut shop.
“Thank you, Spike, it’s just perfect!”

“And you’d better show up at our wedding,” Midnight gave Moondancer a teasing smirk, “or else I’ll hunt you down myself.”

“I’ll be there, just send me the date,” Moondancer promised and waved goodbye as they all turned to leave. But then Bright paused and trotted over to Moondancer.

“I didn’t have time to get you anything since this party was kinda sudden, but...” Bright dared to do it and planted a quick smooch on Moondancer’s cheek, causing her to gasp and blush.
“See you soon, Moondancer.”

Moondancer watched, almost frozen, as Bright hurried to catch up with the others while absent-mindedly touching her cheek before she smiled.

“You dog you,” Midnight chuckled as he ribbed Bright, who was blushing but smiling just the same.

“Alright, alright, knock it off before I change my mind,” Bright laughed.

“About what?” Spiek asked.

“I’m just taking Midnight’s offer,” Bright explaiend, “I’m settling in Ponyville!”

“Ah! Double amazing, then you’re due for an extra-spectacular ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ Party!” Pinkie Pie declared.
“I’ll get the monkeys!” Cheese added.

“And i’ll get the airship tickets,” Midnight spoke up, “I think a more safer flight home is in order.”

Seeing the teasing look Midnight had given her while saying that, Twilight groaned, “O-kaaay, I promise to practice my flying more.”

The friends all shared a laugh as they made their way to Canterlot Airfield, but Bright couldn’t help but think of Moondancer and felt his heart flutter at the thought of seeing her again.

Real soon.

290. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? - Part 1

They were coming. She could hear the echoes of their hooves galloping, becoming louder and louder as they got closer and closer. She waited, knowing it was inevitable, surrounded by the destruction she had wrought in her and her sister’s throne room. Despite the vice she felt pressuring her insides, her stoic poise betrayed no anxiety, not even when it appeared over her shoulder.

An amorphous blue-ish purple orb of haze.

“Greetings, Tantabus. I am ready... Do your worst.”

The orb rose up and suddenly radiated with the reddish haze of a lunar eclipse, beams of darkness reaching out, their touch bringing the pitiless pain!

The twelve of them burst into the throne room and gasped to see her rise in writhing agony as she was enveloped in darkness and Twilight cried out in alarm, “Princess Luna’s turning into Nightmare Moon... again!!”

Indeed, her deep blue coat darkened, her wings became blade-like, her mane and tail dissolved as they were replaced with an eldritch nebula, her crown and regalia twisted into that familiar frightful helm and armor, and even as her teeth painfully scraped and sharpened into fangs within her mouth did she cackle with madness as Princess Luna became again the dreaded and megalomaniacal Nightmare Moon!

“Yeah? Well, we’ve got the cure for that!” Rainbow Dash responded with a cocky smile.

In quick succession did Twilight Sparkle, Midnight Blaze, Applejack, Thunderlane, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Rarity, Blueblood, Pinkie Pie, and Cheese Sandwich all become enveloped in pillars of flashing light and again wore the colors of Rainbow Star Power! The twelve of them rose up, showing no fear, assured that everything would be alright, and their power released in the forms of colorful beams that launched against Nightmare Moon.

The dark alicorn staved the offensive with her wicked power, even as those beams all came together in a concentrated rainbow force, cackling madly-

“Wait!!” she looked to see the orb she had called ‘Tantabus’ revert from the eclipse back into its hazy form and tear some kind of hole through mid-air, “What is it doing?!”

The orb vanished through the hole, making way for daylight, as Nightmare Moon cried, “NO! It’s gone!!”

The distraction gave the Harmonic Twelve the time they needed to marshal the full of their collective power and unleash it upon Nightmare Moon who cried out as her fallen state was burned away! In a flash of light, she was Princess Luna again, and immediately flocked by the Twelve as they gave her a happy group hug, not noticing Luna frantically looking around, confused-

*GASP!! Pant - Pant...*

Luna woke up, her heart hammering, and found she was back in her royal chambers, safe and sound. The same moon-themed bed, the decor featuring many shades of blue inspired by nightly wonder, the black lamps that resembled trees but with soft glows akin to that of starlight.
“My dream ended... happily?”

Somewhere in her mind, Luna couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Only for her horrific realization to drown that relief out as she exclaimed in alarm, “That... cannot. HAPPEN!!!”

It was late into the morning in Ponyville, as the Harmonic Twelve had gathered at Carousel Boutique for a pet grooming day, Pinkie Pie declaring ,”Ooh! This is amazing!”

Letting out a big yawn, Rainbow Dash added, “Yeah... thanks for setting all of this up, Rarity.”

Everyone was there, along with their beloved pets. Applejack and Midnight were brushing out Winona and Dreamer’s coats, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Cheese Sandwich were giving Tank, Skye, and Basil baths (Basil had put up quite a fight until the badger found the warm water to be quite relaxing), Rarity was styling Opalescence and carefully combing the cat’s tail, Blueblood, Big Mac, and Twilight were carefully cleaning the feathers of their pets, Splendor, Goldilocks, and Owlowiscious, Fluttershy and Thunderlane were drying off their pets Angel and Soundwave, and Pinkie was going around, enjoying everyone’s company having already cleaned Gummi.

Everyone else...

Well, the bags under their eyes, the yawning, and the nodding off

*doink/CAT YOWL*

“Oh my!” The cry of her cat snapped Rarity out of it a little and she peered up to see poor Opal hanging from the ceiling while giving her the stink eye, “I didn’t get my normal beauty sleep last night.”

Opal responded with a miffed hiss.

“From the looks of us...” Midnight yawned, “I’d say you’re not the only one, Rares.”

A round of tired murmurs agreed with him, Pinkie cartwheeling through it all with an upbeat, “I’m totally beat, too!”

*Bark*

“Aw’righ, Winona, time fer yer brushin’,” Applejack absent-mindedly grabbed for Winona’s brush but accidentally grabbed Gummi, who nipped onto the dog’s ear, to Winona’s irritation, as she whipped the toothless aligator off, causing him to land on top of Owlowisious’s head, startling the owl into accidentally bumping intow Twilight, who fell over into Basil’s tub-

*SNARL/”EEYAUGHUGAAAUUAAARRGHHHG!!!!”*

Twilight screamed bloody murder as Basil pounced her in a toothy fury for having his bath interrupted, Midnight and Big Mac quickly coming to Twilight’s rescue while Cheese grabbed Basil and calmed him down while Pinkie chased after Owlowiscious, who still had Gummi on his head.

“Whoop! Uh, sorry y’all,” Applejack sighed, leaning onto her hoof, “Ah guess Ah’m too plumb tuckered out t’ do this right.”

Yawning, Fluttershy commented, “I even went to bed early last night, but then... I had this really scary nightmare.”

“ME TOO!!” “Eeyup...”

Uh- Only, y’know...” Rainbow backpedaled, “I didn’t think mine was that scary.”

“Then why’d you ask me to hold you, Dashie?” teased Soarin, who got a stink eye from his mare but the way her feathers ruffled in embarrassment was worth it.

“Well, mine sure was scary. There was this blue smoke monster and-” Twilight began to explain but then she noticed the way everypony was gaping at her in shock.
“What?”

“I dreamed about a blue smoke thingy too!” Fluttershy responded, and a chorus of ‘Me too’s followed, along with Big Mac’s typical ‘Eeyup’.

“Oh come on, guys, so we all had a similar nightmare,” Thunderlane shrugged it off, “prob’ly just a coinky-dink.”

“I dunno, Thunder,” Midnight pondered as he levitated some towels Spike broguth over for Twilight as she got out of the tub, “I’m getting a funny feeling there’s more to it.”

“Huh, I wonder why I didn’t have that nightmare, I slept great!” said a chipper Spike, everypony else thinking, Lucky dragon...

“Well, that still begs the question,” Blueblood spoke up, “How could we all have had the same nightmare?”

“I don’t know but I do know who might,” Twilight finished toweling off, before asking, “Spike could you send a scroll to Princess Luna?”

“Sure!” Spike threw the towel away and pulled his quill and a roll of parchment from behind his back, “All set!”

“’Dear Princess Luna,’” Twilight began, “’Last night, my friends and I all dreamt of a creature made of blue smoke. I’m sure you’re very busy but’” - Yawn. - “’when you have the chance, please let me know if you have any idea what it could mean. Yours,’” - Yawn. - “’Princess Twilight Sparkle’ You can leave out the yawns...”

Spike gave her a cheeky smile while crossing those yawns out in the scroll. Putting his quill away, he blew his magic breath on it, the glimmering ashes vanishing out the window. It wasn’t two seconds when there was a loud BANG and Rarity’s door flew open to reveal a frantic looking Princess Luna.
“Which of you saw the creature of blue smoke in your nightmare?!”

“Wow that was fast,” Fluttershy muttered, her husband muttering, “Eeyup.”

“We all did!” Twilight responded to Luna.

“Not me!” Spike added in a smart alecky tone.

“Ugh, we know!!” the ponies groaned.

“So you’ve encountered the smoke monster too?” asked Midnight to Luna.

“The Tantabus is a creature of my nightmares,” Luna explained, sounding strangely guilty as she approached the Council of Friendship, “It escape from my slumbers yesterday.”

“but... how did it get into ours?” asked fearful Fluttershy, Big Mac hugging her close, the both of them concerned.

“The Tantabus is like a parasite. My dreams must no longer be enough for it,” Luna went on, “Now it seeks others to infect and corrupt. It must have learned of the twelve of you from seeing you in my dream.”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa! So what you’re saying is...” Spike spoke up, “you dreamt about all them and not me?”

Spike got puppy-eyed but Midnight zipped his lip and glared the limy lizard down before Rainbow Dash scoffed, “So smoky gave us bad dreams, no biggie!”

Princess Luna shook her head, “I saw that the Tantabus had grown more powerful, but I did not realize that power was enough to allow for it to escape my dreams. If its power grows, it could very well find a way to escape into the waking world. It could turn the whole of the world into a living nightmare!”

The scenario Luna had just described, along with the morbid fear on her face became reflected upon the ponies and Spike, Rainbow Dash uttering, “Okay-okay-okay, I take it back - That does sound bad!”

“Really bad!” Thunderlane added.

“What can be done to stop this creature?” asked Midnight. “We’ll do whatever we can to help.”

“Unfortuantely, there’s not much any of you can do to help, Midnight,” Luna sighed woefully, “Only through dreamwalking can the Tantabus be tracked...”

Then something seemed to dawn in Luna’s eyes, “But there is something you do to assist me in this task.”

Night had just fallen and as everypony gathered in the Castle of Friendship, Twilight stated, “We’ve prepared everything exactly as you requested.”

They all ushered into Twilight and Midnight’s bedroom and found multiple beds had been added to accomadate them all, Luna saying, “Good. As the twelve of you slumber here, I shall pursue the creature into whose ever dream it infests.”

“Ooh! It’ll be like a royal sleepover!” Pinkie cheered as she hopped into one of the beds, everypony else climbing into the covers.

Big Mac and Fluttershy shared a bed, as did Blueblood and Rarity. Soarin tried getting into bed with Rainbow but she was too conscious to share a bed with all their friends in the same room, to Soarin’s mild hurt feelings.

“Speaking of royals, aren’t you going to ask Celestia or Sombra for their help as well?” asked Twilight as she and midnight got into their bed together.

“There is nothing my sister and brother can do to aid me,” Luna shook her head no, “They have no power in in the Realm of Sleep. Only I and my Dreamwalking Lunar Ponies are able to move from dream to dream, and they are busy watching over the dreams of Equestria. I am afraid nopony can help me tonight.”

“Well what about us?” asked Thunderlane.

Luna looked to him and then at all of them, seeing the looks on their faces, worried but wanting to help. It made her heart swell and ache at the same time, “Nay. Even you, the Council of Friendship, cannot help me tonight. You have all suffered so much because of me. You need only slumber while I hunt the Tantabus in your dreams.”

*Yoink-yoink-yoink*

Luna looked down to see Spike had tugged at her mane, “I know you said no pony can help, but I’m no pony!”

Spike hopped onto one of the empty beds, declaring, “I’m gonna stay up and watch over you guys just in case.”

“Oh, thank you Spike,” Twilight held her hoof over her heart while Midnight chuckled at the little dragon’s bravado.

Yawning, Applejack said, “Well, one good thing about not sleepin’ well last night: shouldn’t be too hard t’ fall asleep now.”

“Are you kidding?!” Pinkie popped out of the covers on Applejack’s bed, “This is so exciting! I don’t know how I’m ever-”

*Plop/SNORE*

Apparently, not sleeping well the other night and keeping up her usual exuberant self had finally taken its toll on the pink party pony, and sure enough everypony else followed her into blessed slumber. Their tranquil looks, their sleepy murmurs, it all served to strengthen Luna’s determination, to protect them from her mistake.

She rose up, the lines of her horn lighting up all the way to the tip, threads of white magic weaving out and connecting to the twelve sleepyheads around her before Luna ventured forth into the Dream Realm.

“Oh my!”

Rarity marveled to see a host of gowns floating all around her, each of exquisite design and eye-catching color, “This is simply divine!”

A little bluish-purple orb of smoke floated behind her - “How avant garde!” - and passed through one of the dresses, causing it to collapse in a heap before it rose up, blue ribbons flaring out, and snarling through the neckline which had taken on a monstrous mouth-like appearance as it charged Rarity!

“Forget ‘avant-garde’,” alarmed Rarity as she backed up in fear, “I should have said en garde!”

Squealing in fright, Rarity fired beams of magic, striking any dress that launched its monstrous self at her, one of them hitting a wall and sliding down in a heap... before it swelled up and burst in a flash of fabric, revealing Princess Luna.
“It is here!”

Indeed, the Tantabus passed through more dresses, corrupting these figments of Rarity’s dream into phantasms of fear, tearing the dresses that hadn’t been corrupted into pieces, upsetting Rarity.
“You were such a pretty little chiffon...” she whimpered while rubbing a piece of torn fabric to her cheek before she collasped and cried, “What kind of mosnter would do this?!”

“The Tantabus,” answered Luna who’ stepped up beside Rarity.

“Then let’s stop it!” Rarity wasn’t about to let this trespass on her mind and imagination go unpunished!

“No please!” Luna stood in front of Rarity, looking ashamed, “I don’t want for you to suffer anymore because of me” - The Tantabus flared mockingly behind her before zipping away - “I will catch it!”

Luna zoomed after the Tantabus but several monster dresses barred her way. She zapped them aside just in time to see the Tantabus fly out a window, which almost suddenly became bricked over.
“It has fled to another dream! I’m sorry but if I am to stop it I must follow it to where you cannot!”

“Go!” Rarity bade and watched as Luna blasted through the bricks and flew on, “I should be able to handle things here!”

That boldness deflated some when she saw how many more monster dresses were closing in, and she squeaked, “I hope!”

291. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep - Part 2

Merrily and happily did Pinkie Pie la, la-la, la-la, as she hopped, skipped, and jumped from one place to another. From Whitetail Woods to the cavern of the Mirror Pool, from the Dragon Lands to Cloudsdale-

“I followed the Tantabus here,” stated Luna who had just arrived, “Now I only need find-”

*HOP*

“Sorry! Can’t help it,” Pinkie apologized after she’d hopped into the Forbidden Jungle, “An idea pops into my head and-”

*HOP/GASP!*

Pinkie fund herself in Sugarcube Corner surrouned with some of the most beautiful, succulent, delicious, and tasty-looking cakes she’d ever laid eyes on! “Ooh! Cake!”

She was so dazzled by the baked goodies around her she didn’t even notice the Tantabus float about like a cobweb before it touched one of the cakes and slipped away. Pinkie was just about to help herself when-

*SPLAT*

Shaking off some of the icing, Pinkie’s bright blue pupils shrank to needlepoints when she saw the cake turn into a monster! As did many more, as she backed up in abject horror, “EW! Cake!!”

Thankfully, a triple decker hopped to her side and burst apart to reveal Luna, who surrounded herself and Pinkie with a shield spell that released a blinding pulse that obliterated the baked baddies into a mess, with cakey insides and outsides splattering the walls. Luna saw the Tantabus disappear into a box and tried to follow it-

*SCENE SWITCH/BUMP/”Ow!”*

Luna looked up to see the statue of Spike, the Brave and Glorious and realized the scenery had changed to the Crystal Empire!
“No!”

“Sorry!” Pinkie apologized, spurring a frantic Luna to move onto the next dream. Afterwards, Pinkie hopped into Ponyville and was greeted by a triple scoop ice cream cone even taller than she was, and best of all it had sprinkles, chocolate syrup, and a cherry on top!

“Who wants ice cream!?!” Pinkie called and smiled to see everypony in town step out for a lick.

The chase went on and on, from dream to dream, as Luna pursued the Tantabus into another of the Harmonic Twelve’s dreams, turning those pelasant dreams into terrible nightmares, and every time the Tantabus kept slipping away and growing larger and stronger.

In Fluttershy’s dream, where Fluttershy dreamt she was a giant Angel’s pet and getting her mane brushed, the Tantabus turned the figment of Angel into a horrible monster.
In Big Mac’s dream, the farmer pony dreamt of kicking back and relaxing... as a unicorn horn on his head worked his magic and did all his chores without raising a hoof or breaking a sweat. Then the Tantabus made Big Mac’s unicorn horn turn twisted and bent out of shape, which caused his magic to run out of control and destroy Sweet Apple Acres!
In Thunderlane’s dream, Thunderlane was winning race after race, to the point where he became a Wonderbolt and even Rainbow Dash wanted his autograph. Then of course the Tantabus twisted it around into Thunderlane’s feathers falling off mid-flight to the point where he had no wings at all and he almost fell to his doom, only for Luna to save him at the end.
In Applejack’s dream, AJ was shining the biggest apple she’d ever grown while basking in the fruits of her labor, all her trees heavy with the freshest, shiniest, most delectable apples she’d ever done seen, and of course the Tantabus came around, touching every apple tree and causing them to rot into mulch, including her humongous apple!
In Soarin’s dream, Soarin was enjoying his favorite desert, Sweet Apple Acres cinnamon apple pie, while having a picnic with his Dashie, only for the Wonderbolts to come along and sweep him away form his despairing Rainbow’s hooves, forcing him back into uniform and performing for masses of nameless strangers, with no friends or family there to support him.
In Rainbow Dash’s dream, Luna was surprised to see it was of Rainbow Dash (along with her Soarin in recent dreams) kicking bad guy butt and being the very definition of awesome... when it brightened into a sickeningly sweet dream of happy smily cutesie-wootsy flowers with gumdrop paths, cupcake bushes, frosting-topped trees, a bright pink sky, cotton candy clouds, and other unbearably cute garbage, leaving Rainbow to scream in terror!
In Blueblood’s dream, Blueblood was standing at the bow of his most luxurious airship ever, Rarity before him as he held up her forelegs, the both of them feeling the wind in their manes as they watched the sunset, when the Tantabus came in, smashed through the airship and the shaking, to Blueblood’s horror, caused his Rarity to fall to her doom!
In Cheese Sandwich’s dream, Cheese was performing one of his happiest songs with his accordion before a crowd of foals and their families, only for the Tantabus to swoop in and Cheese found himself dressed in business attire, his accordion replaced with a briefcase, his curly brown mane tied back, glasses over his eyes, and the foals all crying that the show was ruined and those tears and frowns made Cheese want to cry too.
In Twilight’s dream, Twilight was at a desk within a vast library filled with all the knowledge she could possibly want, books flapping to and fro, some coming to her and stacking themselves as they waited to be read, the books that were finished flapping back to their proper places in the bookcases. The Tantabus infected these books, turning them into bat-winged monstrosities, forcing Twilight to flap for her life and she was almost engulfed by a larger Tantabus when Luna swooped in and blasted the abomination with her magic.

“Luna!” Twilight cried out in relief as crystal encased the Tantabus from Luna’s spell... only for it to suddenly break free and Luna was forced to pursue it even as the evil books surrounded Twilight.

That left only one more dream, and Luna found herself in Midnight’s dream where she saw Ponyville in the evening hours and there was Midnight, attending a party with his friends and family. Including a tall and dark red unicorn stallion with a black mane highlighted gold as he opened a present that was given to him by his youngest son Twinken. The stallion pulled out what appeared to be a framed picture and smiled while ruffling Twinken’s mane, causing the colt to protest but with a happy smile. But none smiled so happily and deeply as Midnight, who looked like a pony who could have asked for nothing more as he sat next to Twilight, who was visibly pregnant.

Then the happiness ended as the Tantabus arrived and enshrouded the happy dream with darkness. Midnight could only watch helpless as one by one his loved ones were taken from him, grabbed by writhing black tentacles and dragged away into darkness...

“No...!” Luna couldn’t let this go on as she saw Midnight fall into a weeping mess and she screamed, “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”

*GASPS/YELPS/GROANS*

“What happened?! Are you guys okay?!” Spike checked on his charges, seeing them all suddenly wake up, each with a terrified look on their face.

“That... that was terrible!” Fluttershy whimpered as she clung to Macintosh who held her closely, both to comfort her as well as himself, “I never want to have that nightmare again!”

“Oh... me either!” Cheese Sandwich moaned as he bitterly recalled his nightmare.

“But Luna caught it... didn’t she?” asked Spike nervously.

“Forgive me, everypony,” Luna floated down with a gentle flap of her wings, a look of shame on her face, “I’ve failed you. The Tantubus will return and continue to twist your dreams into nightmares when next you fall asleep.”

“Oh no!” cried Fluttershy as she pulled her covers over her head.

Midnight was shaking with fear that Twilight noticed and hugged his head to her barrel when they heard Soarin declare, “If I never see that thing again it’ll be too soon!”

“But you will...” Luna said ominously, “Again and again until it grows powerful enough to infect the waking world!”

Luna looked shamefully out the window to the moon as she bemoaned, “After what I did as Nightmare Moon, the fact that I am once again responsible for harming others is more than I can bear.”

“It’ll be okay,” assured Pinkie with her chipper voice and a wave of her hoof like it was all no big deal, “Everypony makes mistakes.”

“Well, as long as none of you dreamt about another pony, the Tantabus remains confiend to your dreams,” Luna added with just a hint of hope, “I still have a chance to catch it before it’s too late.”

“Phew! That’s good to hear,” Pinkie said, while everyone sighed in mild relief... only to clench their flanks when Pinkie added, “Although after you left, I did happen to dream I was eating a giant ice cream cone with everypony in Ponyville while taking a test we hadn’t studied for.”

Spike had never seen jaws drop like they did as everypony gaped in shock at Pinkie, “See, what’d I tell ya? Everypony makes mistakes!”

“And disaster-prone Pinkie Pie does it again...” Midnight face-hooved in vexation.

“HEY!”

“But that means the Tantabus could be turning every dream in Ponyville into a nightmare!” exclaimed Twilight in worry.

“It is far worse than that!” Luna interjected with even greater woe, “Infecting all of those dreams gives it more and more power. Soon it will be able to escape into the real world and infect Equestria- Nay... the world with its nightmare plague!”

“Then you must allow us to aid you to prevent that from happening!” declared Blueblood valiantly.

“But how? The Tantabus was able to escape Luna when it only had twelve dreams it could get to,” pointed out a morose Fluttershy.

“It is true. With so many dreams to hide in,” Luna fretted, “I do not know how I can catch it...”

“Hmm... what if everypoiny in Ponyville were having one dream?” offered Twilight.

“You mean one single dream that everypony is having at the exact same time?” asked Midnight with a look of wonder.

“I... can create shared dreams, yes,” Luna saw merit in the theory, “But for so many ponies at once? I have never done anything like that! The amount of power it would take...”

“Perhaps I could help you,” Midnight offered, “I may not be a Dreamwalker but I am a Lunar Pony! Maybe I could help you muster enough power to create this shared dream and maintain it!”

“And meanwhile we go on a Tantabus hunt!” Thunderlane cracked his fetlocks, looking ready for a challenge.

“It is worth a try, isn’t it?” asked Fluttershy.

“Of course. I will do anything to end this,” declared Luna, “Including accepting your help. The Tantabus cannot be allowed to escape into the real world. All of you must now go back to sleep...”

As everypony lied back into their pillows, including Spike, Luna said, “and hope, with Midnight’s help, that I can create such a dream that encompasses all of Ponyville!”

Once everyone was snoozing away, Luna focused her power again, her horn lighting up, threads of magic weaving out to connect every sleeping mind in Ponyville, spreading like a web as her power shined like a supernova...!

Ponyville by night was a peaceful and relaxing place to be. Except... something was not right.

Muffins flew on feathery wings. Mayor Mare was walking backwards until she bumped into the fetlocks of a GIANT Ditzy Doo! Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon found themselves attached at the flanks. A Lamppost was walking casually while giving a gentlemanly bow. Somepony was rowing a boat in mid-air, Berry Punch had no head, her head floating above her like a balloon on a string. A pony the size of an apple was running from a prowling Opalescence.

“Princess Luna did it!”

The Harmonic Ponies found themselves in this familiar-turned foreign place, Applejack mentioning, “Now Ah’ve seen many a strange sight but this takes th’ cake, don’choo agree Big Ma- !?!”

Applejack looked up at her brother to see that Big Mac had a unicorn’s horn on his head!

Noticing it, Big Mac concentrated, a faint green aura lighting his horn up before a glowing apple shot out the tip and soared over the sky while he shrugged, “Eeyup.”

“PONIES!!!”

Everypony present followed the cry of that voice and exclaimed, “Princess Luna! Prince Midnight!”

Floating in a sphere of white light that shimmered like light refracting through water was Luna and Midnight, the both of them channeling their power to create this shared dream that connected every sleeping mind in Ponyville! They floated back to back, the tips of their horns almost touching, both of their faces grimaced with increasing effort as they sweated with exertion.

The townsfolk approached the two alicorns of the night and bowed in adulated respect, only for Luna to cry, “There is no time for bowing, my friends! There is something coming- Something terrible!”

Midnight gasped as he sensed it before he saw and pointed at it, “It’s too late! It’s already here!”

Everypony looked up towards the night sky and cried out in horror to see a terrible haze of shimmering purple and blue darkness blot out the stars. Seeing her subjects beginning to panic, Luna swore, “I am so sorry that I’ve brought this upon you! But I will end it now!”

“Luna, no!!” Midnight tried to warn her but it was too late as Luna channeled an energy beam at the Tantabus, causing Midnight to cry out in pain but the Tantabus didn’t seem at all bothered by Luna’s attack. She quickly ceased, the Tantabus writhing amorphously as it floated towards the ponies who ran screaming.

“Princess Luna, Midnight!” The rest of the Harmonic Twelve galloped up to the two dark alicorns, Twilight asking, “What’s wrong?!”

“Ugh, it’s taking all of our combined strength to maintain this massive dream!” Luna groaned, sounding like she were bearing an immense weight.

“And when Luna divided her attention to attack the Tantabus, the magic drew way too much power from me,” panted Midnight, one eye scrunched shut while he rubbed his temples with his hooves.
“It’s up to all of you to vanquish the Tantabus!”

“I truly wish I did not have to ask this of you!” apologized Luna, sounding deeply ashamed.

“Hang in there, you two,” Twilight looked up at Midnight, who gave her a shaking smile but the look in his eyes showed he had faith in her and their friends.

“No worries, we got this!” Soarin took flight, alongside Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, “C’mon, guys!”

They all stampeded in pursuit of the Tantabus, which slithered through a house, its corrupting touch twisting this figment into a horrific visage of a house with eyes instead of windows, fang-filled mouths instead of doors, and began walking on monstrous legs. It did the same to another house, one pony barely escaping through the door before it became lined with sharp teeth while a claw reached into the second floor and pulled out Filthy Rich!

“Please! I’ll pay you anything!” the business pony begged cowardly while offering a gold bit, only to get roared in the face.

*“HiYAH!!”/THWACK*

Thunderlane caught Mr. Rich and helped him safely to the ground, but more and more houses were becoming huge monsters by the Tantabus’s touch.
Twilight, Blueblood, and Rarity combined a Magic Arrow spell that blasted a huge hole through one of the monster houses, which caused Noteworthy Blues to fall out and was thankfully caught by Applejack.
The monster house then tried stomping on Crescent Skies as he ran for his life, only for Soarin to zoom him out of the way while hitting the monster house’s foot, causing it to trip and fall on its face.
A houseplant that had turned into a giant carnivorous plant had Neon Lights in its viney clutches, only for its toothy maw to be lassoed shut by Applejack, but as she pulled on the plant, trying to shake it so it would let Neon go, Applejack was too distracted to see the winged muffin swarm surrounding her.
Realizing his sister was in danger and that his brother couldn’t help them right now, Big Macintosh was struck with inspiration and whinnied with excitement as he transformed! His hooves were clad in golden hoofboots, his workhorse collar gained a jewel with decorative embellishments, a crown appeared on his head, shaped like a green apple, his mane and tail gained a slightly golden luster, and he spread a pair of magnificent wings, going “E-WHEEEEEEE!!!” as he took flight and zapped the winged muffins away from Applejack!

Applejack was a little stunned by the display but smiled at her brother’s creativity when Rainbow Dash and Soarin zipped up to her.

“Focus! If that Tantabus turns anymore of this dream against us, we’ll be too busy saving everypony to catch it,” Rainbow pressed.

“And it won’t be long before it grows strong enough to escape into the real world!” Soarin reminded them.

“How’re we even know when it’s gonna be able t’ escape?” asked Applejack as they regrouped with their friends and saw them looking up at the Tantabus.

The fiendish fog formed a blade - *SLICE* - and slit a rift in the sky, which bled a blinding light, and the Tantabus began to reach in, as Rainbow Dash deadpanned, “Oh, I think we’ll know.”

Twilight quickly shot a powerful Magic Arrow at the Tantabus, causing it to recoil in shrieking pain. Seeing the situation, Luna concentrated a beam towards the rift, quickly sealing it back up, although dividing her energies again caused Midnight to wince in pain as the energy he was sharing became apparent in the form of an infinity-like energy bridging his horn and Luna’s. The Tantabus flew past them, Luna crying out, “Hurry, my friends!”

“The longer this goes on, the stronger it’ll get!” added Midnight.

Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Thunderlane took flight and pursued the Tantabus, only for it to form a hoop they sailed through, missing it completely. The Tantabus wasn’t just growing stronger, it was getting smarter!

“Please! We need your help too!” Fluttershy beseeched the ponies who were all just nervously standing by.

Blueblood launched a spiraling line from his horn in an effort to entangle the Tantabus with it, but the malicious miasma simply split apart to avoid the attempt before joining back together. Seeing that their efforts on their own weren’t working, Twilight joined Fluttershy and said to their neighbors, “Fluttershy’s right, we all need to work together to stop it from escaping!”

“But how can we help?” asked anxious Carrot Cake, “Nopony in Ponyville has your magic, or-or your speed!”

“That’s true,” Rainbow Dash boasted before pointing out, “in Ponyville...!”

“But this isn’t Ponyville, it’s a dream!” Thunderlane reminded them all when they heard blasts of mana and saw Alicorn Big Mac fly by while blasting the winged muffins that were clucking for mercy in their vain efforts to escape.

“Eeyup!”

“And not just any dream, this is your dream!” Twilight helped them understand, “Anything you can do in your dreams you can do here and now!”

Taking Twilight’s explanation to heart, Spike smiled before he concentrated with a big smile... as he glowed and grew into a larger, musuclar, and admittedly more dashing version of himself, complete with pauldrons on his shoulders, from which hung a red cape down his back.
“Well, if you’re gonna dream, might as well dream big, right?”

Spike leapt into action, landing astride the giant Ditzy Doo - “He-ya!” - and she rose up, flailing her forelegs before taking flight. The display of what any dreamer was capable of spurred everypony into cheering before they too charged into the fray, and just in time!

The Tantabus formed a pair of scissors and began snip-snip-snipping another whole in attempt to escape into the real world, only for Sir Spike and his noble steed Ditzy Doo to fly up, a lance in claw, as they slit a gaping seam through the Tantabus, causing it to shriek in pain.
Then Cheerilee rose up, standing on a giant flower before she summoned a blizzard of cherry blossom petals to waylay the Tantabus.
It tried again, slicing another rift to get to the real world, only for Scootaloo and Rumble, the former with giant wings, the latter in adult form and garbed in Wonderbolt uniform, to fly up and work together to create an electric gale that both shocked and blew the Tantabus away.
Thunderlane focused and became the Bronco Buster hero, Apollomino of the Arcane Arrow, garbed in the same outfit and wielding a bow with a quiver of magic trick arrows, three of which he strung, pulled back, and fired, creating a volley of firework-like missiles that burst the Tantabus apart into many wisps.
Taking the initiative, Rainbow Dash turned herself into Power Pony Zapp and formed a powerful tornado to capture the wisps of the Tantabus!

“It’s working!!” Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane shouted together!

“But it’s not enough!” Twilight cried and they all gasped to see the Tantabus rise out of the tornado, bigger than before!

“Keep it up, everypony! Whoo-hoo-hoo-HOO!” Cheese Sandwich rolled out his Cheese Supreme Cannonball Surprise Mark II (complete with cherry bomb catapult, triple-barrel sweet-seeker missile launcher, and nacho cheese splattershot, to name a few dream-possible upgrades) and fired his biggest P-Bomb (Party Bomb) that blasted the Tantabus, creating a mushroom cloud of confetti, glitter, streamers, and blinded everypony while a cacophony of noise-makers deafened the situation... and when it all died down, all of Ponyville looked ready for a party.

But still, they sensed it. They couldn’t see it, but everypony felt the chill as the Tantabus was lurking in the shadows, as Luna began to give into her fears.
“Ugh, I can’t hold this dream for much longer!”

“Hold on, Luna...!” Midnight grunted as he tried to channel more power to Luna’s horn, “They can do it but we have to keep maintaining your dream spell!”

“It doesn’t matter!” Luna wailed as her magic was faltering and her eyes tearing up, “Equestria will fall because of me...!!”

A guttural growl sounded to everypony’s ears as the Tantabus made itself known, rising from every dark corner of the dream-Ponyville while releasing a pulse of power that disrupted everypony’s dreaming. Cheerilee’s flying flower platform lost its petals and she almost fell, only for Soarin to catch her. Big Mac’s alicorn wings molted until they were completely gone while his “royal” apparel turned to rust. Scootaloo’s giant wings shrunk back down to normal, forcing her to flap as hard as she could to hover, with Rumble coming over to help her down gently. Cheese Sandwich’s party cannon fell apart into a literal junk pile, and many other figments of the ponies’ shared dream disappeared too.

“Am I crazy or did it just get even bigger after Luna said that?” asked a nervous Spike, who’d managed to maintain his dream form, but Ditzy shrank down to normal size under him, and everypony gasped as the Tantabus’s amorphous form began to take on a more distinct shape, vaguely equine but still imperfect.

“Not if I can help it!” Twinken ran in out of nowhere and leapt into the air, a silvery cloud giving him lift as he rose up to the “face” of the Tantabus and channeled his own dreamwalking power in an attempt to weaken the monster!

The beam was unleashed in a twin spiral of electric-indigo and deep sky blue with a burning red beam in the middle, striking the Tantabus with considerable force as it shrieked. Twinken smirked in satisfaction, only to gasp in horror as the Tantabus reformed, this time with a wicked mouth-like hole lined with jagged “teeth”.

“Twinken, get away from it!” Twilight shouted to him, “It’s too powerful for you!”

No! I’m Princess Luna’s student, Twinken thought to himself as he dreamed himself into an adult form that looked very similar to Midnight (minus the wings and a different manestyle) and formed a sword shaped like the crescent moon!
I’m gonna be a Guardian of Dreams, so there’s no way I’m letting this thing hurt anypony!

Twinken roared as he leapt at the Tantabus, sword raised, Luna crying out, “NO, MY PUPIL!! STAY AWAY FROM IT!!”

But Luna’s warning camr too late as the Tantabus reared its ugly head back and blew a putrid plume of smog that engulfed Twinken, his sword crumbling to silvery dust, his form shrinking down to normal, and he was sent hurtling through several buildings until he crashed into the dirt, leaving a furrow in the ground several yards long!

“TWINKEN!!” Midnight broke his connection to Luna, causing her to cry out as the full weight of the dream fell upon her, and the sapphire alicorn flew to his brother’s side. He picked up Twinken, seeing the little colt was covered with scrapes and bruises, but his eyes were open yet unseeing!
“Twinken! Twinken!! Look at me, talk to me, little brother!”

Everypony looked on in fearful concern while Luna was sobbing, helpless to do anything but struggle to keep the shared dream together!

“Twinken, please talk to me!” Midnight was on the verge of tears as he hugged Twinken, when he heard something...

Worthless... Weak! Pathetic. Loser... This is the student of Princess Luna?! More like a joke...a waste of time.

The voices were harsh, whispery, cruel, pitiless. Midnight didn’t know who they belonged to, but then... shadows seemed to stretch out before rising up around him and Twinken. At first, he couldn’t see what they were until he recognized, “M-Mom?!”

It looked like her but it was missing a very important something - A face!

Then, Midnight saw figures of Twilight, of himself, of Luna, and even of Dinky Doo! All of them lacked faces, all of them facing him and Twinken in his forelegs.

“How did I wind up with such a worthless colt...?” whispered the faceless Faerie Tail, to Midnight’s shock.

“A weak little blank flank like you doesn’t deserve to live!” hissed the faceless Twilight.

“Shut up, all of you!” Midnight had no idea what was going on but he knew these faceless ponies were connected to Twinken somehow.

“How did I get saddled with a pathetic loser of a brother?” sneered the faceless Midnight, “It’s embarrassing, really.”

“Twinken, don’t listen to them!” Midnight pleaded to his little brother, feeling his heart break to see those bright red eyes dulling and tearing up at the same time.
“You’re not pathetic or a loser! You have a spirit brighter than anypony else’s I know!”

“What was I thinking choosing you to be my pupil?!” scoffed the faceless Luna, “After all, clay cannot be turned into gold...”

It was then Midnight realized, These are Twinken’s fears!

His realization was confirmed as he saw Twinken’s coat and mane dull to shades of gray, especially when the faceless Dinky Doo giggled cruelly, “You’d actually be funny if you weren’t such a waste of time and energy...”

“Twinken, you have to stop listening to them! They’re just figures in a dream!” Midnight begged as he gently slapped at Twinken’s cheek, trying to snap the colt out of it when he heard a loud and guttural growl. Looking up, he saw the Tantabus leering down at him-

No... at Twinken! Midnight growled as he gently laid Twinken down before facing the Tantabus, baring his fangs and flaring out his wings, “You will not touch him!!!”

Midnight willed himself to be clad in his Harmonic Armor and Helm of Faith before manifesting a majestic sword that bore an insignia of his cutie-mark below the handle... and charged the Tantabus, sword raised...!!

Only for the Tantabus to split apart and flow around Midnight like a river around a stone! Midnight was flabbergasted for a moment before he realized what it was doing, and looked back in horror as he screamed, “NOOO!!! TWINKEN!!!”

It was too late - The Tantabus engulfed the doubt-stricken colt, forming a hazy sphere that crackled with electric-like tendrils of energy that slowly rose into the air, a dark wind blowing that drew everypony’s attention as they saw the sphere light up from within, allowing them to see Twinken’s silhouette writhing as though he were in pain before his form appeared to grow! Then the haze of the Tantabus seemed to shrink inward, and hooves and a long tail appeared, all clade in very familiar cobalt blue armor until they saw him!

Twinken now appeared to be a large stallion of slender musculature, his face concealed by a wicked helmet with a sharp beak-like piece extending down over his mouth, tiny bat-like wing pieces extended from the sides of the helmet while a demonic frill went down the middle over the head, his coat had turned from its normal electric indigo to a dark regal purple, and his eyes... through the holes in his helm they now burned a hellish red like hate! His mane and tail flowed like dark curtains of zaffre blue and he threw his head back to release a terrible wicked laughter that no colt could ever make!

“HahaHAHAAHEEHEEHAAAHAHA!!!!” This creature that had been Twinken threw its cruel gaze towards Luna with a mocking sneer and stated, “You were right, Princess Luna! I didn’t understand the power of dreams before... BUT I DO NOW!!!!”

292. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep - Part 3

The dreamers looked on in horror at this terrible nightmarish creature Twinken had become! The Tantabus seemed to have taken notice of the colt and now it had overtaken him, as the former colt, now in the form of a sinister stallion, held up his armored hooves, each ending in claws, and unleashed arcs of purple electricity that lashed out randomly. Ponies screamed as they ran to avoid the tendrils of energy but wherever they made contact with something, the object would shudder and turn transparent while giving off an ominous glow.

“The power of everypony’s fears at my command...” snarled the monster with wicked glee, “I like it!!”

“Twinken, no! This isn’t you, you’re not a monster!” cried out Midnight, a tear trailing down his face.

“You’re absolutely right, big brother!” the creature snickered, “This isn’t ‘Twinken’. Twinken is weak! Worthless! A waste of breath... No! With this new power, I am something greater than even my pathetic teacher ever had the stomach to be! I am... FADING STAR!!!”

“Restrain him but don’t hurt him!” Midnight yelled out to the others as Midnight manifested shadowy tendrils that lashed out, ensnaring the hooves of the creature calling itself Fading Star, who growled in vexation.

“C’mon, everypony!” Twilight launched a chain of magic from her horn, which wrapped around Fading Star’s barrel, who snarled and bucked like an angry bronco.

Applejack concentrated and became Power Pony mistress Mare-volous, using her lasso to catch Fading Star around his neck, as he snorted with contempt, “Release me, you foals!!”

Thunderlane retook the form of Bronco Buster Apollomino of the Arcane Arrow and fired magic arrows that turned into lengths of rope to entangle Fading Star even more while Rainbow Dash and Soarin flew together, creating a rainbow line between them and flew circles around the sinister stallion, enwrapping him in a giant rainbow ribbon, to his humiliation!

“ENOUGH!!!” Fading Star snapped as he unleashed an energy pulse, dissipating every figment of every dreamer around him!

Thunderlane and Applejack’s hero costumes and gear vanished, Twilights magic chain came undone, Midnight’s shadow tendrils went up in smoke, and Rainbow and Soarin’s rainbow wrapping was torn to shreds while everypony else’s figments seemed to fizz like static before fading away.

“I grow weary of playing pretend...” Fading Star declared wickedly, “So let’s get real!!”

Fading Star raised his horn, manifesting a hurricane-like tempest, the howling gales blowing the buildings of Dream Ponyville right out of their moorings, ponies struggled to stand their ground while the pegasi flapped desperately against the wind screaming past them. But then! Lightning bolts rained down, and here and there did they strike random points where rifts were torn asunder and instead of light this time everypony could see what lied beyond them!

“Is that Ponyville?!” “Equestria!” “He’s trying to escape to the real wor- AUUUUGGGHH!!!!” “AAAAUUUUUUGGGGHHHH” ”RRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!” “AAIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!”

Everypony all screamed, falling to the ground and clutching their heads in agony. But even as their heads pounded with pain, many of them took notice as cracks appeared on their bodies, like statues fracturing under unassailable pressure!

“Wh-what’s... going on?!?!” Blueblood cried out through clenched teeth.

“UGH!!! He’s trying to tear this dream apart!” cried Luna as she felt the web of magic spanning the sleeping minds of Ponyville become shorn with gaping voids, “The destabilization is affecting everypony because this is a shared dream! If the dream falls, it could fracture everypony’s psyches!”

“And it’s all thanks to you, my dear mentor!” sneered Fading Star, “After all, if you hadn’t created the Tantabus none of this would ever have happened!”

“WHAT did he just say...?!” Midnight threw such a stink eye at Luna that she felt her heart sink even deeper.

“It’s... it’s true,” Luna whimpered as she continued her struggle to maintain the shared dream despite the destabilization, “I created the Tantabus to give myself the same nightmare every night. To punish myself for all the evil and harm I caused as Nightmare Moon!”

“And because you couldn’t forgive yourself and forget the past,” Fading Star cackled, “I was able to feed on your guilt to become strong enough to escape you, and here we are!”

Then Fading Star held out his clawed hoof again and slit a bigger rift while growing in size till he towered over all of Ponyville!
“And now I have all the world to make into a living nightmare! HAHAHHAHAAAHAHAA!!!!!”

“Princess Luna! If the Tantabus inside Twinken is growing stronger because of your guilt,” Midnight yelled as he forced himself to stand and ignore the pounding in his skull, “then you have to let go! Overcome the guilt by stopping Fading Star!”

“How can I forgive myself?!” weeped Luna as she saw her corrupted student begin to enter the rift, “I am no better now than I was then! And now my creation has warped my pupil into the same monster I turned myself into and is about to subject every creature in the world to a waking nightmare!”

“But look at what you’re doing!” Twilight winced but kept talking, “Nightmare Moon would have wanted for what Fading Star intends to do, but you’re doing everything you can to stop him!”

“Not everything!”

Midnight dove into the energy sphere containing Luna and wrested control of the shared dream from her while forcing her out, causing her to panic as everyone felt a spike of pain and their forms fracture even more.
“Midnight! What are you doing?!”

“UNGH!! I can maintain the shared dream on my own for a while,” Midnight felt as though he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders while his horn screamed for mercy, “but you need to give it your all to stop Fading Star and save my brother! Don’t get me wrong, Luna, we’re gonna have ourselves a long talk when this is over!

“But you’re not the same pony you used to be! Nightmare Moon is ancient history, and we have faith that you will save us now! But that’s not enough if you dob’t have faith in yourself! So tell me Luna!”

Luna felt her heart skip a beat as Midnight, even in his agony and struggle, gave her a warm smile that had no doubts, “Do you believe?”

Luna looked upwards to see the giant Fading Star was halfway through the rift he had torn through the fabric of the Dreamscape, then back down at everypony to see they too were giving her smiles that showed they bore no ill will, that they believed in her. It lit a warmth inside that she had not felt for a very long time- No... a desire.

A desire she used to feel from way back when.

The desire to protect her little ponies.

With a smile on her face and fire rekindled in her heart, Luna declared, “I do!”

Fading Star was suddenly ejected out of the rift, grimacing to find himself fully back in the shared dream, “What th- What is this?!”

Luna took flight to meet Fading Star at his eye-level, “Twinken, you have to stop this!”

“Why should I?! There’s a whole world out there just ripe for the taking!” Fading Star snarled, annoyed at being addressed as his weaker self as he tried to go through the rift again, only to feel numerous magical chains ensnare his hooves and he looked to see them anchored to the moon in the shared dream.

“But if you destroy this dream you’ll break every sleeping mind here!” beseeched Luna.

“So what...? I have the power now, and I refuse to be weak ever again!!!” roared Fading Star as he fired razor sharp shards of dream magic at the princess, who manifested a vast shield that shattered the shards upon impact.

She made the shield vanish and called out again, “This isn’t the way, my dear pupil! I’ve experienced the power you feel, I’ve been where you are! I made the same mistake you’re making! I gave into my insecurities and just like you I underestimated the power they held over me! I thought I could use them to create a better world...”

“That’s the difference between you and I, my dear teacher...” Fading Star sneered mockingly, “unlike you I can create a better world!”

“You can’t and you won’t! No matter what you may believe, the Tantabus is controlling you!” insisted Luna, “It will use you to turn life itself into a nightmare and you’ll be alone and feared and hated! I know what that’s like and I wouldn’t wish it upon anypony!

“But I’m done living with this guilt. I am done punishing myself when everypony else has forgiven me. And most of all, I am done giving into my fears!”

Fading Star heard a clap of thunder and Luna began to glow brighter than the full moon, “I understand you, Twinken, and that’s why I am going to protect you and everypony else here!”

Luna waved her hoof, creating a ring of energy beams that flew up, conjoining into a sphere of light that suddenly rained down a volley of beams! The beams came down, undoing the damages to the shared dream, closing up the rifts, healing the harm upon the ponies’ dream forms, causing everypony to cheer Luna on after the pain and fear suddenly disappeared!

Fading Star groaned as he felt the power he’d fed upon, the guilt from Luna, the fear from everypony, and the damage to shared dream, all of it vanished, causing him to shrink back down to his original size. He glared viciously at Luna and charged, his horn literally burning with the intent to kill! Luna responded with a charge of her own, and as soon as their horns locked, a pulse of power forced them apart and they shared a glare of opposition before both charged their horns and fired!

The beams met in mid-air collision, sparks and embers burning out from the clash of powers, and for a moment Luna faltered as she hesitated in harming her student. Sensing his power was overtaking hers, Fading Star cackled yet again, certain he would vanquish his pathetic excuse of a teacher-

“Twinken!”

That voice! Fading Star looked out the corner of his eye and felt his heart waver as the colt he truly was inside felt his heart hurt to see the worry on the face of the pony who’d just called out to him, “Mommy...?”

Sensing he was distracted, Luna finally gave it her all and focused her magic to turn the tide against Fading Star. He flinched at his error and screamed as he was engulfed in Luna’s power!!!

In a fleeting timeless moment, somewhere in the Dream Realm, the Princess of the Night gazed upon her dear pupil as he clutched the Tantabus to his chest as though it were a blanket, shying from his teacher’s eyes, his own full of shame and sadness.

“Give me back the Tantabus, Twinken. You don’t need it to be strong. What you need, you’ve had all along.”

Then he saw them appear around them. His friends, his neighbors, his family, all of them giving Twinken a warm and welcoming smile. No judgement. No blame. Only smiles glowing with love and support, as Luna held out her hoof, inviting Twinken back. He hesitated, a wisp of shame halting him. But then, he gave in and let go of his negative feelings and embraced all that those he cared about offered and felt such a relief to let the Tantabus go.

Twinken’s eyes fluttered open just in time for him to see his teacher absorb the Tantabus back into herself, and he noticed he was being held.

“Baby?” Twinken saw it was his mother, Faerie Tail, causing him to gasp a little as he noticed Midnight, Twilight, Applejack, Big Mac, all the rest of his friends and family gathered around him, all looking worried and concerned.

“M-Mom...?” Twinken uttered before he teared up and hugged her tight, which she was happy to return as he whimpered, “I’m sorry! I’m so-so sorry, I- i don’t know what happened! I couldn’t control myself!”

“Shh-sh-sh-shh-shhh, it’s okay, sweetheart,” assured Faerie Tail, as she lightly rocked Twinken back and forth a little, “Everypony is okay.”

“Indeed,” Everypony turned and made way for Luna as she approached Faerie Tail and Twinken, who nervously looked up at his teacher, only to sigh in relief when she caressed his cheek in her hoof as Luna said, “We all make mistakes. But when we own them, we become stronger for it. And now, I bid you all a good night.”

Luna lit up her horn and returned everypony back to their own individual dream, making sure everypony in Ponyville had sweet dreams to make up for all they had been put through this night. As for Luna herself, for the first time in over a thousand years she slept well....

...until she was given a rude awakening and found herself being jolted out of her blessed rest and gazing up at a contemptuous Midnight. Luna grimaced but kept her composure as she stood up and faced the younger alicorn, who was just a hoof taller than her now.

"I know why you are here, Midnight Blaze, and I am prepared to face any punishment you deem fitting for me."

"I warned you, Luna, when you took Twinken on as your apprentice..." Midnight brought up, "if he ever suffered on your account..."

"I remember and as I just said, I will accept whatever punishment you intend to give," Luna nodded and bowed her head, waiting for Midnight's wrath, just a little afraid of whatever he was going to do.

"The Tantabus," Luna gazed up at Midnight, surprised as he said, "give it to me!"

"Wha- You want the Tantabus? Why?" Luna was baffled.

"Let's just say, I don't trust you with it..." Midnight said with a soft growl and his eyes narrowed in contempt.

Luna took a deep breath and conjured the Tantabus, contained within a magical glass prison, along with a stack of papers, "This is all my notes regarding the Tantabus, so you know what you're dealing with."

"Very good," Midnight enveloped the notes and the Tantabus within bubbles of his turquoise mana before tapping them, causing them both to pop out of existence. "They'll be kept safe in my Alicorn Dimension."

Midnight turned to take his leave, his cloak appearing over him in a shroud of black as he harrumphed, "Sleep well, Princess..." and vanished, leaving Luna to shamefully go back to bed, knowing she'd lost some of her fellow alicorn's trust and respect and could only hope she might earn it back.

Author's Note

Fading Star, the alter-ego of Tantabus-possessed Twinken was suggested by SageBrony07 to whom I express my thanks for such brilliance!

Midnight wanted to make sure what happened with the Tantabus doesn't happen again... but he might do his own research into what else this thing is capable of

293. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 1

Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and magnifiqué, Ponyville’s premiere place of fashion, a business that began with the dream of a beautiful unicorn who aspired to bring beauty to all around her. Speaking of whom...

“Spools of thread, extra sewing needles, what else should I take...?!” Rarity was manic as she was going back and forth through the boutique, stuffing all manner of sewing tools and such into her fourth hoofbag-
“FABRICS! I should take fabrics, of course! Cashmere? Cotton? No, silk! Everypony loves silk!”

“And... she’s been like this the entire morning?” whispered Blueblood to Sweetie Belle as they stood by and watched their Rarity in a frenzy.

“She got that letter from Pinkie Pie over there because Miss Ditzy the mailmare had a tummy ache,” Sweetie Belle pointed it out on the nearby table, “At first, she was really happy, but then she started panicking,”

“Let’s see...” Blueblood levitated the letter over and read it to see what had his muse so ecstatically anxious, “Ah! Well, little Sweetie Belle, it seems your big sister’s hopes of expanding her business has become a reality.”

“Huh?” Sweetie Belle didn’t understand, but Blueblood was already walking into the fashionista’s frenzy and very carefully swept her off her hooves before pulling her into a passionate kiss, which caused Sweetie Belle to gasp and cover her eyes and blush, but she couldn’t help peeking with a filly-ish giggle.

At first, Rarity protested but was unable to use her lips to voice her protests as they were preoccupied with Blueblood’s. But then she gave in with a swoon and ran her hooves through those wheat-gold locks she loved so much. Finally their lips parted, and Blueblood raised a brow and pulled a smirk before saying, “I would say, congratulations are in order, my muse.”

He levitated the mail Rarity received and beamed, “Opening a branch boutique of your business in Canterlot?! You’re moving up, love!”

“Thank you, darling,” Rarity gave her stallion a grateful smooch on the cheek before taking the notice from him and worry falling over her face again, “It’s just... I was indeed hoping that spot I’d scouted out on my last visit to Canterlot would become available, but... I wasn’t entirely certain my request would bear fruit! I have some ideas to put this new store together but not an actual plan!”

“Perhaps I-” Blueblood started but Rarity wasn’t done.

“And the boutique here! I can’t just shut close it up and leave it unattended while I’m away taking care of this new one,” Rarity fussed, “not to mention I have a few orders I still need to complete this week. But if I don’t answer this notice by tomorrow noon, the building will be passed onto someponey else!”

“Well, that’s what I’m saying-” Blueblood tried again-

“And who could I ask on such short notice to mind the store and fulfill those orders to give me the time I need to take care of this?!?” Rarity was on the verge of freaking out again when Blueblood levitated her around to face him, and then he mimed his sister Cadance’s calming technique. Rarity did the same, taking a deep breath, and then exhaling the anxiety.
“Thank you, Blueblood... I suppose I needed that.”

“Rarity, go,” Blueblood declared, “I shall oversee the Carousel Boutique in your absence.”

“You?!” Rarity flabbergasted before regaining composure, “Uh- Not that I underestimate you, my beau, but... Are you certain you can take care of the boutique and the orders I have yet to even get started on?”

“Worry not, my love,” Blueblood chuckled while waving at Rarity’s concerns, sounding just a little condescending, “I am the owner and CEO of a multi-million bit airship industry. I am fairly certain I can handle running a little fashion shop and some tailoring on the side for a while.”

“You can sew?” Rarity raised a brow, a slight miffed by Blueblood’s tone.

“I’ll have you know, I was the best of my Home Ec class back in my Auntie’s School for Gifted Unicorns,” Blueblood demonstrated his point by levitating out Rarity’s cleaning utensils, one of her sewing kits and machines, and in no time at all, he’d cleaned the main room of the boutique from top to bottom and had made for himself a snazzy jacket, a glamorous shawl for his Rarity, and a pretty hat for Sweetie Belle.

“Ooh!” Sweetie Belle liked the hat’s ribbon fastened with a jeweled brooch.

“Well... I suppose you have a handle on things,” Rarity hesitated when she felt Blueblood hold her hoof and give her a warm smile.

“Rarity, this is an opportunity you’ve been hoping for,” he reminded her, “A chance to expand your vision of beauty and culture from Ponyville to Canterlot, and perhaps one day even across the land of Equestria!” - He grabbed Rarity’s cheeks and whispered to her face-to-face, “Don’t. Pass. It. Up!”

He stepped back, Rarity considering Blueblood’s words before regarding the jacket, shawl, and hat he’d made, and had to admit. The work was good, the materials exquisite, the looks were appealing to the right kind of ponies. She looked to Sweetie Belle, who was posing in front of the mirror, enjoying her new hat, and then to Blueblood, who was smiling encouragingly.

Then, the hope and the dream of expanding her business and spreading her taste of fashion lodged itself into her mind, and Blueblood’s words met their mark as she smiled determinedly.
“So be it, you’ve convinced me, Blueblood! Sweetie! Get out my luggage, I’ve got a business trip to pack for!”

“BYE!” “SEEYA WHEN YA GET BACK!!” “KNOCK `EM DEAD, MISS RARITY!” “HAVE A GOUDA TIME!!”

The guys waved at their girls as they poked their heads out the windows of the Friendship Express taking them off to Canterlot. The girls had decided to go with Rarity to prepare her new boutique in Canterlot as emotional support, and that meant Rarity was going to be away for about a week, and it only felt fitting their boys saw them off.

They watched until the train had vanished into the distance before Thunderlane said, “Welp, I gotta get to training. I got a notice from the Wonderbolts Administration that I’d be summoned to a special training session sometime this week, and I wanna be at the top of my game!”

As he zoomed off, Midnight and Soarin shared a knowing look before Soarin asked, “So Blue, you’re really okay to handle Rarity’s boutique while she’s away?”

“No worries, boys,” Blueblood responded confidently, “All the real hard work will be taking care of a few orders Rarity took from some clients. I’ll just get those out of the way and-”

“Oh, Blueblood, don’t you remember?” Midnight interrupted, “Techorse and Dr. Whooves are coming in a couple days to discuss the engine project we’re all working on and a clean energy to fuel it.”

“Oh! Uh- Yes, of course,” Blueblood reeled back, as he did remember, but it had admittedly (to himself) slipped his mind, “No worries, Midnight. The engine project, and our brilliantly-minded friends will have my full and undivided attention when they arrive. I suppose I can spend the next couple of evenings to work on Rarity’s orders-”

“Uh, haystack...” Big Mac spoke up, causing Blueblood to stifle a sigh.

“Yes, Macintosh?”

“Th’ Sisterhooves Social is gettin’ t’ be around th’ corner,” Big Mac explained, “and Ah know Miss Rarity often gets some orders from sisters t’ make `em matchin’ accessories an’ such. Applejack’s told me it’s one o’ Miss Rarity’s best times t’ make good income.”

“I... see,” Blueblood was starting to get the picture. But he shook it off and struck a regal pose, “But again, gentlecolts, I say, neigh to your worries! I have full confidence in my ability to run Carousel Boutique in the absence of my Rarity and I endeavor not to let her down!”

But as Blueblood walked away, he made sure his friends didn’t see the slightly nervous look on his face as he thought to himself, Okay, so... maaaybeee this week might be a little more busy than I bargained for. But it’s a tailoring business! What could go wrong?

The sketch, design, and notes on the first order, Blueblood had to admit it was quite ambitious. But he wasn’t deterred; if he stuck to it and worked carefully, he’d have this ensemble complete by nightfall. He tied his mane back, took his reading glasses, and got to work. Blueblood took his time as while he could put together a suit and such, he’d only worked a few times on dresses back in his Home Ec classes. He knew what to do and how to do it, but he wasn’t experienced in making them.

He paced himself, double-checked his measurements, conferred with the notes and details on the order to make sure he was doing it right, and only twice did he glance at the clock but otherwise forced himself to ignore it. He barely noticed the light in the room dimming when his stomach growled and he realized the hour was close to dinner time. Wiping his forehead and removing his reading glasses, Blueblood levitated the dress to gauge his progress and smiled in satisfaction to see how nearly finished he was. His growling stomach demanded his attention, and he retreated to the kitchen to feed the beast in his belly.

Deciding he could finish the dress in the morning, Blueblood made himself comfortable on Rarity’s fainting couch, with a cup of his favorite tea and one of his favorite books on engineering to refresh himself for when the gents arrived to discuss the engine project. He didn’t make it past the first chapter before he fell asleep, his tea left untouched on the coffee table.

“Blueblood? Blueblood, wake up!”

“Ugh, mmwha...?” Blueblood creaked his eyes open, feeling somepony pushing up against his barrel. His eyes cleared enough to see it was, “Sweetie Belle?”

He yawned and stretched before sitting up to scratch an itch on his belly and asking, “What brings you by...?”

“Blueblood, you might wanna take a look outside,” Sweetie Belle said precariously.

“What’re you talking about, Sweetie?” Blueblood asked, still not quite up and ready for the day as he pulled the curtains back to look out the window, “It’s only- !!”

Blueblood jerked fully awake to see a long line of mares and fillies, a couple stallions here and there, all waiting to enter Carousel Boutique and looking excited or chatting it up.

“They’re all here to get matching accessories for the Sisterhooves Social coming up,” Sweetie Belle explained, causing Blueblood to gulp as he realized just how much he might have underestimated the work ahead of him in managing the boutique for his Rarity.

“...Oh boy!”

294. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 2

The long line of mares and fillies, and a few stallions and colts stretched down the way to the point of being ridiculous to Blueblood. Sure, Big Macintosh had told him the week or so leading up to Sisterhooves Social was typically a busy time for Rarity, But this is insanity!

Groaning in woe, he backed from the window, Sweetie Belle asking, “Are you okay, Blueblood?”

“Uhhhhh....vvvv course, Sweetie Belle,” Blueblood forced a smile as he cleared his throat, “I’m... well, it’s just a tad early right now and I haven’t had breakfast yet.”

“Well, I’d be happy to help,” offered Sweetie Belle before she smiled, “Tell you what, I’ll make you some breakfast while you help the first few customers with whatever they want.”

“Hmm,” Blueblood considered, finding Sweetie Belle’s offer to be sensible and very helpful before smiling, “Very well, little filly. You have me convinced, and grateful for whatever help you can provide.”

Then Sweetie Belle surprised Blueblood with a big hug before saying in an adorable way, “Anything for my future big brother!”

The filly’s words struck a chord in the white stallion that he returned the hug in daze and carefully wiped a tear welling up in his eye, before smiling at her and raising a confident hoof, “Then let’s get to work!”

After Sweetie Belle left for the kitchen, Blueblood quickly brushed his coat, mane, and teeth, put on his casual lapel with the blue bowtie, and finally opened the door, welcoming the first two customers, Amethyst Star, who was a volunteer big sister to Dinky Doo. Thankfully, having spent a lot of time with his Rarity in her boutique, Blueblood knew where all the materials and sewing kits were, and it wasn’t long before he was fabricating lovely accessories for all the sisters eager for the arrival of the Sisterhooves Social. Nor was it long before it became wearying, as it wore on his patience. The same questions over and over.

Does this bow match my coat? Does this ribbon complement my hair? Will this cap ruin my mane? Do you have this in another color?

Thankfully, the line had eased and Blueblood kindly asked those still waiting to come back in an hour while he broke for brunch. He was glad they didn’t raise a fuss, and collapsed against the door after closing it.

“OK! Okay, whew!” Blueblood panted as he slowly stood back up on his hooves before the grumbling in his stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten since he’d woken up and remembered Sweetie Belle had gone to the kitchen.
“I hope I didn’t keep her waiting too long.”

But the moment he stepped into the threshold of Rarity’s kitchen, Blueblood’s jaw dropped to see the mess Sweetie Belle had made of it, and he was certain he could smell some lingering scent of something burning. Just as he began to grow cross however, Sweetie Belle popped up, levitating a tray as she said, “I hope you’re hungry, Blueblood!”

Her chipper tone and eager smile stalled Blueblood’s ire, and his hunger completely quelled it when he saw the meal the little filly had prepared for him.

“I made this strawberry crepes and scrambled eggs with cheese just for you, Blue,” Sweetie Belle levitated the tray onto the dining table and Blueblood saw besides the crepes and eggs, Sweetie Belle had also prepared half a grapefruit, a tall glass of chilled orange juice, and even a steaming mug of coffee. He calmly sat down and levitated the coffee to his mouth, testing the flavor, and found it to his liking.

“Mm! A well-made brew, Sweetie Belle,” he complimented, “since when do you know how to make coffee?”

“Rarity taught me,” Sweetie Belle answered while levitating her own plate and juice onto the table and joining him, “Sometimes whenever I sleepover at the boutique, I’d help her out by preparing her breakfast. I kinda... wasn’t the best cook at first, but Rarity showed me the ropes.”

“Well, I’d say you learned well,” Blueblood smiled as they continued to enjoy their brunch together.

After finishing their meal, Sweetie Belle insisted she’d clean the kitchen and the dishes, which was just as well since Blueblood still needed to finish that order he’d been working yesterday. As the hour wasn’t up yet, he had just enough time to complete the order, and welcome back the customers for their Sisterhooves Social accessories. Fully refreshed and with a good meal in his tummy, the rest of the day wasn’t so bad, and it was even better after Sweetie Belle finished cleaning and came to assist Blueblood.

It was after 3 o’clock when finally the line of customers ended and Blueblood and Sweetie Belle phew’d in relief that it was over.

“Glad that’s over...” the stallion sat in the middle of the floor, Sweetie Belle beside him, whom he smiled at tiredly but gratefully, “and thank you very much for all your help, Sweetie Belle.”

“I was happy to help, Blue,” Sweetie Belle gave him an adorable smile and hugged his foreleg, “it was a lot like helping Rarity, only with a brother instead of a sister.”

The filly’s words warmed up Blueblood’s heart as he pulled her into a hug, and said, “And thank you for showing me what it’s like to have a little sister of my own.”

They stayed that way for a long tender moment - *Knock, knock, knock* - until they were interrupted, causing them both raspberry their lips in irritation, as Blueblood got up, “I swear, if that’s another pair of sisters asking about mane ribbons...”

He answered the door and stifled a gasp to see it was, “Midnight! Oh- Uh... Apologies, my friend, I wasn’t expecting you today.”

“I’m sorry to drop in like this, Blueblood,” Midnight sounded a tad worried, “but I came to let you know - The meeting we’re having with Techorse and Dr. Whooves? It’s gonna be tomorrow instead of tomorrow after!”

“I- You- Wha-wha-ga-” Blueblood stuttered and jumbled, his weary mind trying to wrap itself around this sudden development, when he felt Sweetie Belle hug his foreleg again, and it helped to calm him down and he cleared his mind, using Cadance’s calming technique.
“Tomorrow?! Where did this come from?”

“Well, they both sent me letters explaining they each had something come up,” Midnight explained, ”and both asked if the meeting could be a day early. I’m sorry, Blueblood, but if that doesn’t work for you, perhaps we can reschedule the meeting for a later-”

“NO!” Blueblood’s outburst caused both Sweetie Belle and Midnight to flinch, and their reactions caused Blueblood to clear his throat and recompose himself, “No, that... that won’t be necessary, my friend. After all the project this meeting is about is too important to delay it, and... we must be accommodating to our friends who want to be a part of it.”

“But Blueblood, what about the other two orders Rarity has that you said you’d fill for her?” Sweetie Belle pointed out.

“Not to worry, Sweetie Belle, my dear,” Blueblood pulled a confident and dashing smile, “I’ve handled deadlines plenty of times before, this won’t be any different. Besides, I have the rest of this day to work on the next order, and the rest of the week to finish the last, not counting the day I have to go to the meeting.”

“Now Blueblood, I’m not doubting your word,” Midnight spoke up, “but I don’t want you to overextend yourself and be too tired for the meeting tomorrow unless you’re certain.”

“It’s fine, Midnight,” Blueblood waved off the concerns, “I just need to manage my time well enough and work diligently. It’ll all work out just fine.”

Midnight and Sweetie Belle shared a look and the former sighed, “Alright, Blueblood, if you’re certain.”

“However...” Blueblood paused a moment in consideration, “I’m afraid I’ll have to close the boutique early today, to have as much time as I can to work on the second order.”

“What if more ponies come, looking to buy something for the Social?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Well, I’m afraid they’ll have to look elsewhere,” Blueblood answered evenly, “These orders are more important to your sister’s business than making accessories for a bunch of mares and fillies. So then, I’m going to rest for a bit and then get back to work. Sweetie Belle...”

Blueblood’s horn lit up and a sign popped into existence in a burst of sparkles, and he levitated it to the filly, “Place this on the door. I am in need of my beauty sleep.”

As Blueblood started for the back, Midnight couldn’t help but rib him, “Trust me, brother - There aren’t enough hours in the day!”

“Rrrrggghhh...” Blueblood threw Midnight a stink eye but mock-harrumph’d as he proceeded.

Sweetie Belle read the sign to see it said:

Closed Until Further Notice - Apologies for the Inconvenience

The rest of the day was still busy for Blueblood. He worked on the second of Rarity’s orders, and it was even more detailed than the first. At one point, he thought he was missing two pieces of material crucial to the design and left the boutique to go buy them in town. However, when he got back and looked at his progress again, he realized he’d already added them to the dress! He cursed himself for wasting time and money and for not paying attention though he somehow managed to do Cadance’s calming technique and realized he was putting just a little too much stress upon himself. At least, that’s what he thought.

“Phew!” Blueblood sank back into the fainting couch, having just finished the dress a minute ago, and he noticed it was dusk. The events of the whole day had worn him out, and he was ready to hit the hay, except he had to plan for tomorrow.

Lying on the couch, he gazed up at the ceiling and said aloud, “Tomorrow, tomorrow... Well, I’m sure Midnight will come and inform me when the meeting is starting, but just in case perhaps I should ask somepony to look after the boutique while I’m gone. So then... In the morn, I’ll find somepony to manage things for a few hours, make sure I’m ready, and attend the meeting - This engine project must yield its first prototype, and the help we’re getting will be vital.”

“I could take care of the boutique for you, Blueblood!”

Blueblood turned his head to see his dear little Sweetie Belle, looking ready for anything. Chuckling, he caressed her cheek, saying, “That’s kind of you, little filly, but you have school tomorrow, and I doubt your sister or your parents would appreciate you skipping, even if it was to help me.”

“Aw, I guess...” Sweetie Belle moped but then perked, “Well, at least let me clean up the boutique for you and you can go ahead and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Hmm, I suppose that’s fine,” Blueblood nodded sagely before giving the filly his most charming smile, “Thank you, Sweetie Belle.”

“Happy to help, future big brother,” Sweetie Belle threw her forelegs around Blueblood’s neck, surprising him with such a tender hug, before she got to work.

Pulling his blanket on, Blueblood considered his future. With Rarity, with his friends, and especially with Sweetie Belle. His plans for the future were to make sure this engine project become a reality, something to revolutionize the airship industry and inspire technological innovation. More importantly, he planned to make a life together with Rarity, though he was still waiting for the right time to propose to her. He could imagine it clearly - Himself in his finest suit, waiting at the altar for his bride, watching dearest Sweetie Belle spread flower petals along the wedding aisle to make way for his special somepony. He wasn’t certain how her wedding dress would look, but he had a feeling her friends might insist on making it for her instead of Rarity making her dress herself.

Then, of course, his dreams of marriage transitioned to what could result of their union. Blueblood had never really pictured himself as a father, but he did find the idea of sharing his passion of airships and technology with a foal of his own. Colt or filly, it wouldn’t matter to him so long as they could share in each others’ interests and he could raise this foal given to him by his Rarity with her to become a pony of worth immeasurable. Then, the image of his Rarity fat with their foal made itself known in his mind, and he felt a stirring down below, and was relieved Sweetie Belle wasn’t around to see him pitching a tent. He re-positioned himself to make sure his roused stallionhood would remain unseen, and relaxed, letting his hopes and dreams cast him adrift into peaceful rest.

The next morning, Blueblood woke up to find himself alone, but Sweetie Belle had left a note explaining her parents had come to pick her up. She’d done a fine job of tidying things up and her note told him to make sure he had breakfast before doing any work today, making Blueblood smile at the concern for him. Remembering the meeting today, Blueblood decided to get started - Since he didn’t know what time the meeting was, he took the time to send a letter to an acquaintance in Canterlot with a special quick-delivery spell he’d often used back in his company when he’d needed fast communication with his employees.

The letter returned with an answer, and he was relieved to see the pony he’d contacted was already on her way, and would arrive in an hour or two. So he took that time to have a filling breakfast, and then made sure everything was where it should be. Time flew, and so had the pony he’d contacted when he heard a knock at the door and answered.

There stood a pegasus mare with a pale lavender coat, her mane colored pink, violet, and periwinkle, and her cutie-mark was a rose pink diamond.
“Diamond Rose, thank you very much for your quick response.”

“Prince Blueblood, the one that got away,” Diamond Rose tittered as she entered at Blueblood’s inviting gesture, “I’m just kidding, sweetie, I’m happily married and am happy to help out Cadance’s little brother.”

Blueblood smiled gratefully. Technically, he and Cadance were adoptive cousins, but Cadance’s fillyfriends back from their Canterlot Academy days always saw her and Blueblood as sister and brother, due to how close they were. They’d drifted apart somewhat back when Blueblood started using his ‘royal pain’ persona to ward off gem-diggers and delusional mares looking for a fairytale prince, and Cadance had been sad that Blueblood had all but given up on love.... until that night at the gala when he met Rarity.

Diamond Rose marveled at the couture of the boutique, “I must say, Bluey, your Rarity has quite the exquisite tastes! Her new store, Canterlot Carousel is taking the City of Unicorns by storm with her new princess dress! I can’t tell you how excited I was by your letter.”

“Well, it’s only for today, Diamond,” Blueblood explained, “I have a very important meeting that I simply cannot miss, but I would be remiss to close my muse’s business for the day just to take care of my own. So then, you can handle running the boutique for me just for today?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Diamond Rose affirmed with an excited smile.

“Excellent. So, let me show you a few things in particular, and then I’ll leave you to your devices,” Blueblood showed Diamond Rose where to find what she may need, what to do or say, what to expect from the mares and fillies who might show up for the upcoming Sisterhooves Social, but before long he had to leave.
“Now, in case I’m not back soon, you can expect a filly named Sweetie Belle to drop by. She’s Rarity’s younger sister and she’ll be happy to assist you in case you need it.”

“I’ll be on the lookout for her, and don’t worry about a thing, Blueblood,” Diamond Rose said as she walked him out, “I’ve handled my own jewelry business and worked at a few fashion stores in my time. I’ve got this!”

“Very well, good luck and good day,” Blueblood bade and trotted off to the Castle of Friendship.

It felt good to be out and about, having spent so much time in the boutique, and the fresh air and sunshine was doing wonders for Blueblood. He smiled contently and would give a friendly wave or hello to passerby, many of which he’d become well acquainted with since moving to Ponyville. The brisk trot to the castle felt energizing and upon arriving, he was about to knock when the doors opened and he and Midnight found themselves almost bumping into each other.
“Oh, Blue! I was just about to come get you.”

“I’m here, and looking forward to this meeting,” Blueblood struck a confident pose, causing Midnight to chuckle.

“Glad to hear it. Come on, let’s head to the train station,” Midnight trotted out, Blueblood following. “You’re looking refreshed compared to how I saw you last.”

“Well, my good mane, there’s only so much sewing and intricate needlework one can do before one begins to lose one’s mind,” Blueblood sighed a little theatrically, “But I am sworn not to let my Rarity down! Nor am I inclined to let this meeting and project go on without me.”

“You finished up those orders Rarity has?” asked Midnight, “I recall you mentioning they were kinda ambitious to make.”

“Just finished the second one last night,” Blueblood reported, “and I have the rest of this week to complete the last. But for the present moment, this meeting and project take precedence. A prototype for the Electro-Storm Engine is long overdue, and we still must devise a way to efficiently harvest solar energy to fuel it.”

“Agreed, but let’s save the rest of this conversation for when the others arrive,” Midnight suggested, “there’s the station, and... Oh, there’s the Doctor, too.”

Doctor Time Turner Whooves was already waiting at the station for the two princes and waving them over. Upon joining him, the Doctor said, “Good day, Your Highnesses, and Great Whickering Stallions am I excited!”

“Glad to hear it, Doctor,” Midnight smiled, “and glad that you’re on board with this project. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“Indeed. After seeing your lab and your engineering skills,” Blueblood added, “I say we are very lucky to have you as a member of this team.”

“You’re both too kind, but we all know most of my projects still have a few bugs to work out,” Doctor Whooves smiled sheepishly, “Still, thank you all the same for making me a part of this. Oh, and I checked the schedule, and Techorse’s train should be arriving...” - he glanced over towards the clock on the platform when they heard a distant train whistle - “Ah! Looks like he’s just about here.”

They waited patiently, and before long a train that bore the insignia of the Iron Horse Locomotive company on its side pulled into the station several cars behind it. It was a powerful and imposing locomotive made of brass metal plating, heavy and clearly capable of hauling freight in addition to passengers. The behemoth's tall stack cast a thick fog of steam that blanketed the platform before the car doors opened and out stepped the arrivals.

“Iron Horse Locomotives?” Blueblood asked with a raised eyebrow, “I thought they never run through Ponyville unless...”

“Unless you're heir to the Iron Horse fortune,” Midnight bragged.

“He rerouted one of his family's trains to come here?!” the unicorn chuckled, “I like this stallion!”

Through the thick steam dumped out by the trains' boilers, a green earth pony stallion wearing nothing but a pair of mechanic's goggles and a mysterious metallic saddle on his back emerged pushing his suitcase. Upon spotting Midnight with his blue eyes, he quickly removed his goggles from his rather messy brown hair and dropped them into a door that opened up on his saddle. Then with a big smile and a quick trot, he walked up to Midnight and greeted his buddy.

“Midnight! Glad to see you again!”

His alicorn friend met him halfway on the platform and stuck out his hoof for the shake. Techorse's saddle opened up at the sides with the whir of servos driven by sub-arcane motors, a thin robotic arm and leather gloved hand emerging and grabbing Midnight's foreleg in a tight shake. Blueblood felt a bit impressed by the saddle, curious as to how an earth pony was controlling it without unicorn magic.

“So, everypony's here, right?” Tech asked as he looked behind Midnight, “we're still keeping the development team to just us four?”

“Correct,” he answered as Techorse’s robotic limb slid back into the saddle, “we need to keep our project a secret though, Tech. Don't ask too many more questions until we get to the warehouse.”

“Just as long as we're following the law,” joked the inventor, approaching the Doctor and offered his hoof instead of the cold metal limb, “Good to see you again, Doctor.”

“And you as well,” the other stallion replied, completing the 'hoofshake'.

Blueblood got his turn next, “Thank you for coming all the way from Fillydelphia for this meeting, Techorse. I didn't want you to miss this discussion, your skills will likely be vital.”

Turning to Blueblood, Techorse tried to avoid being rude, “You're welcome, but remember, this project is a little bit outside of the usual kind of engineering I specialize in.”

“I wouldn't sell yourself short,” the prince said with a hint of smile, “there's a lot of different pieces to this kind of puzzle, and I bet you'll solve some of them!”

“Then let's get started!” Techorse responded positively, glad to be needed.

“Right, follow me to the meeting room,” Midnight said, “we'll bring you up to speed on what's new since we last talked.”

296. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 4

The silence was a little unsettling for Blueblood as he gazed hopefully at his colleagues, having just shared his idea with them.

“It could work,” Midnight finally spoke up, all eyes and ears turning to him (while Blueblood quietly sighed in relief), “I’m certain, with the right alchemy, we could find a way to make Solar Sails a reality.”

“But could the Solar Sails harvest enough sunlight energy not only to fuel the ES Engine but enable the engine to power the crystals imbued with the right magicks to allow the airship to get airborne?” Doctor Whooves brought up. “I mean, the concept of an airship that flies without a gasbag has been discussed before...”

“It can work,” Looking excited, Blueblood levitated some notes he’d written after he’d come up with his idea, “but I’m going to need the help of everypony here.”

He pointed to the notes he’d given to Midnight, “First, we need to come up with some kind of alchemical agent to soak the sails in to give them the solar absorption properties the sails will need, maybe some kind of powdered spell crystals.”

“I’ve got some ideas,” Midnight answered confidently.

Then he pointed to the notes he’d floated to Techorse, “And Tech, we need to make these sails with a specially-intricate weave of wiring to serve as conduits that concentrates the solar energy to a specific point.”

Then he looked to Doctor Whooves, “Doctor, you have a knack for engineering and chemistry. You and Midnight can work on preparing the crushed spell crystals to be made into the alchemical agent that will be applied to the sails, as well as a conduit that will connect a centrifuge for the solar power to direct the absorbed solar energy to the ES Engine!”

Stepping back, he gave them a moment to look over his notes, “We can do this, gentlecolts! Not only can we make a new engine, we can pioneer perhaps the most efficient method of solar energy harvesting in innovative history! Powering airships will be but the start of what we will accomplish. Imagine, clean free energy, not only for the ponies of Equestria but for the sentient creatures across the globe!”

“This is going to be spectacular indeed!” the Doctor cheered, clapping his hooves together, “Midnight, I propose we-”

“We’re going to need a specialized grinder for the solar-absorption crystals,” Midnight interjected, “enchanting those may take some time and concentration, but we need a machine that won’t ruin the enchantment with blunt force.”

“I can build the crystal grinder,” Techorse declared, grabbing a screwdriver, "it'll be like the ore processor I invented."

He pointed the screwdriver at the white unicorn in the room, “Also, Blueblood, I’m going to need some supplies you don’t have in the warehouse for the sail sewing machine,” Techorse declared, grabbing a screwdriver, “Since you want to incorporate conduits, I’ll need a machining table, four hundred kilograms of steel plating, a null magic rotary conduit splicer, some welding tools… and a can of Colt Cola Zero.”

“Why do you need the soda can?” asked the prince with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m thirsty,” came the witty answer.

Blueblood smirked and cast a spell he had memorized to teleport in supplies from one of his other workshops, a useful tool for bringing in just what he needed during a burst of inspiration. A big pile of scrap metal crashed into the warehouse, spooking Dr. Whooves and eving making Midnight flinch a little. A red toolbox filled with welding gear, the strange conduit tool Techorse had requested, and a batch of gears came in next in a flash of white light. Finally, the agreed upon drink appeared next to Techorse’s head, and he eagerly grabbed it with his saddle’s robotic arms. After cracking the can open and taking a nice swig, Techorse smiled and dashed into the middle of the provided parts. The warehouse filled with the noise of air wrenches and welding as the inventor went to town on his new supplies.

“That stallion can really build!” laughed Blueblood.

“Yup, that’s my friend!” chuckled Midnight, “Come on Doctor, let’s get to work on the crystals!”

Blueblood went to supervise Techorse’s rapid construction efforts while Midnight found a large cache of clear crystals in a bin marked for them halfway across the warehouse.

“These clear gems are just what we need,” Midnight told the doctor, “they’re small enough to grind up, made of the right material, and will hold an enchantment. Now I just need to cast the Sun-Catcher Charm into them...”

He held one of them in front of his head and started to fire a jagged ray of energy into it, symbols of arcane knowledge leaping off of the target. Dr. Whooves could see Midnight strain to imprint the solar absorbing behavior on the gem, and knew his eagerness was getting the best of him.

“You are overloading the enchantment,” he said, “you’re going to imbalance them if you don’t slow down and cast properly!”

“I know what I’m doing,” he answered, eyeballs fixed on each passing gem, “these need to be highly enchanted to produce the most power, Dr. Whooves, I’ll be finished with this one just as soon as I...”

POP

The crystal lost integrity from the lack of time needed to absorb the enchantment energy properly, and it exploded like a dropped lightbulb, nearly getting fragments in the stallions’ eyes. Each piece of the destroyed gemstone hit the ground, the two ponies looking at them in disbelief. Dr. Whooves looked up at the startled Midnight, and placed a hoof on his heart.

“Poor thing never stood a chance in this cruel world...”

“H.. hey!” Midnight stammered, “I just got carried away. There’s got to be a better way to do this.”

“Try holding up each of the crystals in a ring, then enchant them a little bit, rotating to a new crystal after each spell,” suggested his friend while adjusting his tie back to where it was before the explosion, “that way, there’s less chance we’ll overload them.”

Nodding, Midnight hovered twelve more of the clear stones out of the container and put them into orbit around his head. This time, whenever he charged one of the crystals, he turned the ring to the right to bring a fresh one between his eyes. His horn arced energy over to each one, the crystals turning black as they absorbed the sun-catcher charm.

“There we go. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go get a dustpan for the deceased on the floor,” joked the other pony, trotting off to grab the janitorial supplies.

“Half wrench,” Techorse called from underneath the machine, his hind hooves and robot arm sticking out.

Blueblood smiled and rummaged through the toolbox, pulling out a silver crescent wrench and dropping it into Techorse’s manipulator. The machine pulled it underneath, only for Techorse to snort into laughter.

“This is a nine sixteenths, Blueblood!”

“Seriously, Techorse?” Blueblood muttered while rolling his eyes, “I ought to do this myself...”

“I’m kidding,” he answered, sliding out from under the machine, “that wrench still did the job. Now that we’ve finished the grinder for the crystals, we can get to work on the sail sewing machine!”

Blueblood helped Techorse get up off his back by offering a hoof and pulling him up, “Splendid! Now, since I already know how to build a normal sail sewing machine from my airship facilities, I only need your help integrating the conduits between each thread.”

“I’ve got a mechanism in mind,” Techorse responded with a smile, “but I don't have that machining table to build the rest of the sewing machinery.”

"Oh yes we do!” Blueblood answered, “Follow me.”

The team got to work, Midnight working with Doctor Whooves to create the alchemical agent for the sails’ sunlight absorption, and Blueblood with Techorse to make the sails themselves, as well as all of them working together on the ES Engine.

Midnight started by making the mana liquid and then imbuing them with the sunlight absorption spell before using the Crystallization Spell his master, Prince Sombra had taught him, to make the liquid spells turn to crystallized form. At the same time, Doctor Whooves constructed a grinder based on instructions borrowed from Techorse to process the spell crystals into a nice fine powder. Once that was done, they very carefully inserted the crystals into the machine and waited for the device to do its work. Before long, it had produced the powdered crystals and they then began working to turn them into an alchemical agent that they would apply to the sails. Midnight converted a decommissioned arcane laboratory centrifuge into the perfect mixer for the agent, adding the powder along with some other elements and allowing it to run unattended.

While the chemicals were being concocted, Midnight also took the time to create the storm-chamber for the ES Engine. This involved using bonded crystal to form the primary chamber, along with building the conductive floor panel and probe for the miniature storm’s lightning strikes. He had completed the cylindrical storm chamber just in time for Doctor Whooves to remind him that he'd need to leave room for the suspension device at the top. After a groan and a facehoof, Midnight cut the proper space for the rotation ring and put that component in place, two holes left in the ring for the casting tubes Techorse had completed earlier. While he worked on trying to connect the tubes to the rotation ring, Doctor Whooves put together a frame for the engine assembly, making sure it would be large enough to house the rest of the work. Unfortunately, he forgot to check his welding torch's fuel supply, and ran out of flames halfway through which forced a quick dash to the back of the warehouse for another canister.

Blueblood had explained how the enchanted machine bench worked at this point to Techorse a couple of times, but it felt like the earth pony had ignored him and was trying to force it to do things it shouldn't be doing, namely print out machine parts way too small. Just like his mechanical saddle, Techorse was used to doing a lot with a little, and hadn't yet adjusted to a parts making device that worked at a larger, bulkier scale. The first prototype of the sail-sewing machine that he had created was barely the size of a poster printer, and had several looms mounted on the top spun up with canvas and conduits, with the idea being that the sewing apparatus would “print out” a fresh sail with the push of the button. Techorse smiled at Blueblood and adjusted some of the knobs and levers he had installed to set the desired size of the sail, then hit the green start button.

BOOM

Within seconds the machine exploded in Techorse's face, darkening it with soot and frazzling his already messy enough mane. The inventor coughed and sputtered, getting out a handkerchief to clean himself off. Blueblood explained that he was trying to cram things together, and inspected Techorse's plans for the printer carefully. Indeed, there were several tiny components squeezed together so tightly, that they had ended up tangling up in the moving canvas fibers and conduits, causing the machine's motors to self destruct. The prince adjusted the numbers of the machine to be twice as large, assured Techorse that they had plenty of room, and worked with his machining bench's arcane devices to produce a set of larger parts. Unsurprisingly, Techorse was able to put together his own machine on a larger scale fairly easily once he had stopped being stubborn about making it “efficient”. On its first test run, it produced a nine foot square cloth woven with conduits, a great platform to test the energy harvesting capabilities of the sail.

Ultimately, these designs created by the stallions were meant to see if they could even come up with basic prototypes. Each day brought a more complete engine chamber as Dr. Whooves and Midnight installed more parts, and the sail maker slowly got larger, more complex, and less susceptible to blowing up. Midnight also started to get better at producing crystals for the grinder, which itself needed upgrades to meet the growing demand of crystal powder to coat the solar sails which were increasing in size each day. When the final day came around, not only was the primary engine chamber complete, the stallions had a massive solar sail as large as what could be seen on Equestria's galleons, and the crystalline alchemical mixture had been produced in a large enough batch to coat it. Midnight opened up the centrifuge, and a thick, tar-like substance had been created which he smeared all over the easily-unfurled sail. Stepping back from their hard work, each of the four felt a surge of pride in seeing the completed prototype engine connected to the pitch-black solar sail for the first time.

“Gentlecolts, I say some congratulations are in order,” Blueblood chuckled as he and his colleagues admired their hard work.

“We put them together, now all that’s left is to test them,” Midnight agreed with an eager nod.

“Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow,” Techorse peered out the window of the warehouse, “the sun’s already going down.”

“That’s fine with me, gentlecolts, but Great Whickering Stallions!” Doctor Whooves cheered, “I just can’t wait to see how this new technology fares, and it only took us the rest of the week to make it all.”

“Yes, it was a lot of work,” Blueblood nodded, “but all the time we spent will be well worth the-”

Rest of the week.

Rest of the week... Blueblood felt the words resonate in his head, a rising anxiety welling up in his chest before he realized what he had just heard!
“THE REST OF THE WEEK!?!?!!”

Midnight, Techorse, and Doctor Whooves flinched back from Blueblood’s outburst, as the white unicorn began to hyperventilate, “Th- The time- The order- I GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!!”

Blueblood hurried out the door, ignoring Midnight’s call for him to come back.

How did I let this happen?! Blueblood hurried as fast as he could back to Carousel Boutique. I got so caught up in my work I completely forgot about completing the last order, and I haven’t even sent the first two dresses to the clients who ordered them!

The clocktower was ringing ,and Blueblood looked up in horror to see it was already seven o’clock. The post office closed at eight, so he only had exactly an hour to complete the last dress and mail them all off to the clients who’d ordered them! There was no time to-

“Blueblood!”

Blueblood almost tripped while stopping to see Sweetie Belle coming his way, a paper floating in her pale green magic aura, “Blueblood, I’ve been looking for you, I-”

“Sweetie Belle!” Blueblood levitated the filly onto his back and resumed his frantic hurrying to the boutique, “No time to talk, we’ve got to finish the last dress and get them all mailed before eight!”

“But Blue-OO-oo-OO-ooo....!!” Sweetie Belle tried to talk but the way Blueblood ran stymied her effort as the stallion ran hard.

In no time at all, the reached Rarity’s boutique, and Blueblood all but crashed inside, quickly setting the filly down while panting like a dog.
“Okay!” - Pant! - “We must...” - Pant! - “find the order and...” - Whoo! - “the first two dresses...” - GASP!!

“Blueblood, I need to tell you-” Sweetie Belle tried to speak, but Blueblood lit up his horn, levitating out the sewing utensils and several random rolls of fabric.

“Must prepare! Sweetie, find that order and get the dresses folded and boxed!” Blueblood set up one of the sewing machines as well.

“Blueblood, you need to listen to me-” Sweetie tried again.

“Sweetie Belle, please! Get the dresses ready for delivery!” Blueblood pleaded with a manic look, “There’s so much to do and so little time-”

“PRINCE BLUEBLOOD POLARIS, YOU STOP AND LISTEN TO ME!!!!” Sweetie Belle screamed from the top of her lungs, phasing Blueblood, who froze... before sitting down on his haunches, finally giving the filly his full and undivided attention.

Clearing her throat, Sweetie Belle explained, “I already mailed the two dresses you completed. But while I was at the post office, Miss Ditzy Doo gave me this letter for Rarity. Take a look.”

She levitated the letter to the stallion who accepted it and saw that the letter came from the client who’d ordered the third dress.
“‘Dear Miss Rarity’,” Blueblood read.

“’I must deeply apologize, but unfortunately, due to unexpected developments I’m afraid I have to...’ cancel my order?!”

The stallion gaped at Sweetie Belle who shrugged but prompted him to read on.
“’I do apologize if this sudden turn of events caused any undue and undeserved fuss, stress or bother.

“’Yours truly,
Sunny Topaz”

...

“Oh...!!” Blueblood collapsed onto his belly, sounding so relieved, but Sweetie Belle would have to have been blind to not see the look of disappointment on the stallion’s face.

“Um, are you okay, Blueblood?” the filly asked, “It’s okay! So, the client canceled, the other orders got delivered, and everything’s fine!”

“That’s just it, Sweetie Belle,” Blueblood sighed, looking ashamed as he got up onto his haunches again but slumped in guilt, “I promised your sister that I would take care of her business while she’s away. I may have taken care of the first two orders, and I thank you for making sure they got mailed, but I allowed myself to be distracted by my own work, and if the client hadn’t canceled I would have failed and disappointed Rarity! The fact that this happened doesn’t excuse my negligence.”

“Maybe,” Sweetie Belle said in understanding as she went over and nuzzled up to Blueblood’s side, “but your work is important too! Rarity knows that, and she understands how you feel about your work because it’s the same she feels for her own! You both make amazing things, your airships and her dresses, and you both put your hearts and souls into it!

“Even if this hadn’t happened, Rarity would understand.”

“Rarity will never trust me when this reaches her,” Blueblood still worried, “I shouldn't have over extended! I should have asked for help!”

“Don't worry,” Sweetie Belle assured. “I've done the same thing. Over extend and fall flat when the project assigned is canceled. It's been a pain, nd, truthfully? We aren't the only ones in that boat.”

Blueblood smiled softly at the young filly when...

*Knock-knock-knock*

Sweetie Belle answered the door to see it was Ditzy Doo, “Hi there, Sweetie Belle, letter for Blueblood. It arrived shortly after you left the post office.”

“Thank you, Miss Ditzy,” Sweetie Belle accepted the letter and bade the mailmare good night before closing the door. Looking at it, she said, “Blueblood, this letter is from Rarity!”

“Hmm...” Blueblood accepted the letter, opened the envelop and read:

“‘My dearest and dependable Blueblood,

I regret to inform you that my stay in Canterlot has to be extended by another week. my new boutique, Canterlot Carousel, has made quite an impact here and the manager I hired, Sassy Saddles, and I are smoothing things out as the novelty of a new fashion store in the city dies down.

I hope things have gone well for you, but I am confident you are doing well and have done well in handling my clients’ orders on my behalf. I do so admire that about you, my darling. Truly, you have shown yourself to be a paragon and I feel so blessed to call you the stallion I love. I miss you everyday, and the thought of being back in your hooves helps me keep moving forward. on a side note, I hope you’ve had time to see to your own work at your warehouse and the meeting with your colleagues went swimmingly. I look forward to seeing what technological marvels you unveil next, and I encourage you to do your best, and I will do mine.

All my love,
Rarity

P.S.
I hope Sweetie Belle has been helpful and that the two of you are getting along’”

Those were just the words he needed to hear. Or read, Blueblood thought with a chuckle when smiled at Sweetie Belle. Getting up, he walked over and pulled her into a hug and chuckled softly.

“How about dinner on me tonight. As a special thank-youfor having been my little helper,” he offered.

“Not a problem and that sounds good,” Sweetie said sweetly as she gave her futue big brother an extra squeezy hug.

The two chuckled and headed out, as the sun set on a day full of stress, breakdowns and repairs. As the rest of the world says, tomorrow's another day.

Author's Note

Spirals95 helped me a lot with this chapter, fleshing out the technical details of the ES Engine and helping me think up how to design the Solar Sail

(B'Tween) Rising Expectations

*Ding-Dong*

The door opened and Rumble looked out to see nopony was there. Just as he was about to close it, thinking it was a prank, a letter floated down to his hooves and he picked it up, seeing it was for his big brother.
“Thunderlane, you got some mail!”

He took it into the house and left it on the coffee table before heading back to his room, while Thunderlane came in and found the letter. Opening it, he read,

“’Wonderbolt Reserve Thunderlane,

You have been selected, along with several others, to participate in an advanced training session for the chance to prove yourself skilled enough to join a new elite flying squad. If you are interested, fly to the location listed at the bottom of this letter and arrive no later than noon tomorrow. The training shall test you not only your skills in flying but also your character and if you have what it takes to earn this chance to be a part of history in the making.

We hope to see you tomorrow and wish you the best of luck,
The Wonderbolts Administration Office’”

Thunderlane read the located listed and saw it was quite a distance away from Ponyville. It was weird, he knew the Wonderbolts were scheduled to make an aerial performance at a Royal Garden Party in Canterlot tomorrow night. To his irritation, he hadn’t been invited as a backup flyer but Rainbow Dash had. The smarmy look on her face was still fresh in Thunderlane’s mind.

Hmm, maybe I didn’t get invited because the Wonderbolts want me to try this training thing out, Thunderlane wondered, and the more he thought about it the more his mind was made up.

Somewhere in an out-of-the-way place, atop a vast mesa, Midnight Blaze stood alongside his good friend, Soarin, as they waited patiently.

“I still can’t believe we’re doing this,” Soarin commented but couldn’t deny the excitement, “But I gotta admit, it’s kind of awesome!”

“Don’t soar the skies before you flap your wings, my friend,” Midnight replied with a slight smirk, “we’re still not sure just how many will answer the invites.”

“You also mentioend you invited a... special guest to help oversee the training?” Soarin brought up curiously.

“He’ll be along shortly,” Midnight nodded sagely, “and he’ll make sure this training goes right.”

“You know, Rainbow Dash is gonna have quite the opinion where she hears about this group,” Soarin pointed out.

“And that’s exactly why I didn’t send her an invite,” Midnight retorted, “Rainbow Dash is a great flier, but she’s so used to being a solo act that if and when she gets into the Wonderbolts, I have a feeling she’ll have to adjust a lot of things, including that ego of hers.”

“Heh, I can’t argue with that,” Soarin said, sounding almost offended about that kind of talk regarding his mare, before sighing, “Rainbow Dash does have a sky-high opinion of herself, but hopefully she’ll learn a thing or two about being humble before she makes it into the `Bolts. By the by, I looked at the roster sheet of all the fliers you sent an invite to, and a certain name caught my eye.”

“Lightning Dust...” Midnight answered, having had a feeling Soarin would bring this up, “She has the skills, and despite being expelled from the Wonderbolts Academy Thunderlane had good things to say about her after Lightning made that plan to save Cloudsdale from the Thunderbird. I’d say that gives her a second chance.”

“I hope you’re right,” Soarin responded when they heard a whoosh and looked up to see Thunderlane arrive.

The dark gray pegasus was surprised to see his friends as he asked, “Guys? You got invites to this new group of fliers too?”

“No, Thunder, we’re not invited, we’re the inviters,” Midnight clarified, “but you’ll have to wait for the full explanation. We’re about to have more company.”

No sooner did Midnight finish speaking, a large form landed to Thunderlane’s left with a heavy thud, and Midnight smiled in satisfaction to see his old friend, Doran, now a prince of Griffonstone, had taken up his invitation too. Along with him were two other griffons, one male, the other female. As the minutes dragged on, several pegasi arrived, mares and stallions, along with a few lunar pegasi, one of whom looked a little young. not quite a stallion but no longer a colt.

As the hour dragged on, it became apparent that no one else was coming, so Midnight finally stepped forward.
“Welcome!”

He spoke loudly, the newcomers all cutting the chitchat and looking to him, “Welcome. Fliers from near and far, we welcome you. Starting today, you shall begin your training to prove your worthiness in order to join a new squad of elite fliers.”

Those words seemed to take them all by surprise as they murmured amongst themselves, but Thunderlane raised a hoof.
“Wait, hold on! I thought this was a training session sponsored by the Wonderbolts!”

“It is, and at the same time it isn’t,” Midnight responded as he began to pace along the line of his potential recruits, “this group is going to be something you would call old and new. We will be rivals to the Wonderbolts, but we will also be allies and friends, not only to them but to all who are in need, whether they come from Equestria, from the Griffon Kingdom, the Shetland Isles, or wherever else the worthy and tenacious spread their wings to take flight.

“Each and every one of you was selected or recommended to me because someone saw something in you. During your stay here, you’re going to show just what that something is and whether it’s enough to earn you a spot in this group. There are about...” - Midnight paused and took a quick count - “twenty-five of you. But know this!”

He gave them all a sharp look as he spoke with a deep undertone, “This group will be comprised of three squads, all under my command. Each squad will have no less than five fliers. In other words? Out of the twenty-five of you here, at least ten of you will go be going home once the training is over.”

The tension spread quickly as everypony and everybirdy (not so) subtly looked around at all the other fliers present. In the future, some of these fliers would be their colleagues and teammates, but for the moment? Competition.

“And now that we have the particulars out of the way, allow me to introduce to you all who will be overseeing your training,” Midnight spoke up again, although his announcement took some of them by surprise.

Midnight wasn’t going to be their trainer?

“He’s an old friend who kicked my big blue butt six ways from Sunday for three months straight and taught me everything I know about advanced flying techniques,” Midnight said proudly with a disturbingly evil look in his eyes.
“Some of you may have heard of him, because he’s trained all the best Wonderbolts for the past twenty years or so. He was once a member of the Wonderbolt A-Squad during the time of Captain Hellfire. Truth be told, I’m taking a risk asking this guy to oversee your training. Because before he’s done with you he just might make the lot of you fly home crying to your mommies!”

“GET ON WITH IT, YOU BLUEBALLED BLOWHARD!!”

Midnight flinched, one eye peering up and everyone followed his gaze towards a cloud right above them. Shrugging, Midnight said, “here to kick your ass into gear... or into the curb, whatever comes first... I present Wonderbolt Commander and Drill Sergeant, Silver Lining!”

Several of the newcomers stomped and even cheered although they were apprehensive, as Silver Lining, a pegasus stallion whose silver gray coat had begun to lose its luster, flew down, his white mane voluminous like a cloud, his blue eyes were piercing and narrowed as he gazed upon the row of fresh meat he’d been asked to work with as a favor to his old student, and he snorted.

“So... you’re the sorry bunch of excuses for good fliers that His “Majesty” Midnight Blaze requested me to train,” Silver’s tone was edged like a dagger as he began to pace along the row.
“He thinks you might have what it takes to join this new squad of fliers he’s putting together. Well tell me this, rookies!”

He gave them a whiplash of a look, that they all stiffened up and looked forward, “What do you think?”

...

“Nothing? No one has anything to say?” Silver’s tone was inviting but the undertone was a warning. “Nopony or nobirdy here wants to mouth off of how good a flier they are? Well it seems to me that Midnight’s gathered a bunch of PUSSIES!!”

“Not me, sir,” responded a familiar voice that Thunderlane looked down the row out of the corner of his eyes. He knew only one pony who had the nerve to talk like that to a high-ranking Wonderbolt.

Quicker than anyone could see, Silver zoomed up to the pony who’d dared to speak in that tone, and he recognized her, “Lightning Dust... The oh so full of her reckless self cadet that got her sorry ass kicked out of the Academy for endangering bystanders... Why Blaze invited you here I can’t fathom.”

“I... also helped save Cloudsdale from a Thunderbird, sir,” Lightning Dust reminded.

“Oh yeah, I know,” Silver said, plainly not caring, “Even the mayor was grateful, from what I heard. But if you think saving the Pegasus Capitol balances out the shit you pulled in the academy, THINK AGAIN!!”

Lightning Dust cringed from the force of Silver Lining’s yelling as stallion carried on, “But regardless of my opinion where you’re concerned, Dunce, I am here as a personal favor to my old student to whip you and the rest of you pansies into a respectable squad of fliers. Why did he ask me? Because it’s my job to make great fliers greater.”

Then he gave them all a sweeping sneer, “Only problem is... I don’t SEE great fliers here! You’re all doormats beneath my hooves! You don’t wanna be a doormat? Then listen up cuz’ I don’t waste time in repeating myself! Before I’m through with each and every one of you in the course of your training, you’re gonna hate my guts to the point where I’m gonna need Prince Midnight to place his best security spells on my door! But by the Pale One’s cold and shriveled testicles I’ll have it said that the Prince’s personal squad of elite fliers were made elite because I MADE YOU SO!!

“So let’s go over some ground rules... RULE NUMBER ONE! Why the fuck are you looking at me?!” Silver gave them such an angry look, “When I am present you stand at attention! FACE FORWARD!!”

As though they’d done it countless times, Thunderlane and the rest of the recruits stood at attention and faced forward, rigid in posture, “You will not meet my gaze unless I address you directly! If you so much as peer out the corner of your eyes I will RIP OFF your feathers and use them to stuff my pillow!!”

Thunderlane could hear a few stifled whimpers, but held his gaze forward.

“Moving on, RULE NUMBER TWO,” Silver paced along the row, “when I speak to you, whether directly or altogether as a group, the first and last words that come out of your damn pie-holes had better be ‘SIR’! Am I understood?!”

“Sir, yes sir,” the recruits responded albeit in sloppy unison.

“What the hell was that...?” Silver glared, “When I wanna hear you speak, you had better speak clearly and distinctly, IS THAT CLEAR!?!?”

“SIR, YES SIR!!” responded the recruits, sounding more in synch.

"I suppose that’s better,” Silver fumed, “On a side-note, I find too many greenhorns lacking in the ‘proper respect for authority’ department nowadays, so listen up! Before I’m done with you, you’ll be kissing our asses unless we say otherwise! Now let’s have a proper look at what Midnight has for me to work with...”

Silver Lining began slowly walking along the row, giving each and every recruit a scrutinizing look, when he stopped at a tall lunar pegasus stallion, whose coat was metallic gray while his mane and tail were jet black. His wings were cobalt blue and his eyes were the usual piercing yellow with slit pupils, and he had the tufts on the tips of his ears that every lunar pony had. His cutie-mark was a blue shield with various weapons poking out from behind it, such as a sword, a smithing hammer, a scythe, and a spear.

The stallion was looking forward, but Silver couldn’t help but notice the hardened look of this one, along with a stony look from his furrowed brows.

“Now here’s quite a detailed statue if I ever saw one!” Silver planted himself right in front of this stallion, who stood just a little taller that Silver ever so slightly had to look up.
“They really captured your stonefaced profile, recruit! Your name!”

“Sir! Steel Edge, sir,” the lunar stallion responded with a deep baritone that sounded like a slight growl of annoyance.

“Oh-ho-ho! I’m getting the impression you don’t like me, that’s a record!” Silver snapped, “I haven’t even gotten started on making your life hell! Do you always finish before you start, recruit? My condolences to your bedmate.”

Steel Edge didn’t answer, but he couldn’t help rolling his eyes, which turned out to be a mistake, as Silver butted heads with him, their eyes only inches part.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me in that tone of voice, recruit! If you think you can intimidate me, think again, slapdick! If anything, I find you as vicious as a kitten choking on its own hairball! Since you seem to be at a loss of words, I’ll just go with ‘yes’!”

He whipped around and continued on, looking at more recruits when...

*Frrrrrt/whimper*

Silver stopped abruptly and made a loud and obvious sniff, bring an undesirable odor to his nostrils.

“Who... the fuck... has the nerve to fart in my presence?” Silver’s tone was low and calm, but his undertone was dangerous. When no one answered, he added, “Either you step forward before I count to three, or you all get to fly a thousand laps around this plateau!”

A chorus of groans responded that stifled when Silver began, “One...

“Two...!!”

A stallion stepped forward, moaning a little, but keeping his gaze upwards. Silver looked to him, seeing another tall stallion, hefty in build, but had strong wings. This one had a pale orange coat and messy dark brown mane and tail with faint reddish highlights, nervous baby blue eyes, and his cutie-mark was a winged cloud. He was just barely keeping it together as Silver approached him and glared him up and down.

“And what’re you called, gassy?”

“Uh- Sir! Wind Breaker, sir!” the stallion responded, and he shifted nervously as a guttural sound came from his gut.

“Of course it is...” Silver snorted with derision.

“S-Sir! Apologies, sir!” Wind Breaker said, trying to sound focused but groaned from an uncomfortable bubbling in his belly. “I... my stomach acts up when I get nervous, sir!”

Silver reached up and yanked on Wind’s ear, the stallion eep’ing just a little, but thankfully kept it in, as the older stallion glared into Wind’s eyes and said, “No guts... no glory, recruit! I don’t care if you swell up and pop, rip on your own time!”

He let Wind Breaker go, and continued down the line (Wind Breaker phew’ing in relief as he stepped back) when Silver’s eyes fell upon two lunar pegasi, one a mare, the other a teenaged colt. The mare had a pale yellow coat and a mane and tail silver like moonlight, deep violet eyes, her wings were burgundy red, and her cutie-mark was a hazel flower drifting in the wind. The teenaged colt beside her was ashy gray with pale silver mane and tail, storm-gray wings, he had deep blue eyes, but his flank was blank.

Passing the mare, Silver stopped in front of the colt and said, “You look lost, colt! I don’t see a playground anywhere here, do you?”

“Sir! No, sir!” The colt stood at attention, his voice cracking a little but if he was annoyed or discouraged by Silver’s words he didn’t show it. “I am here to train and be the best I can be, sir!”

“Well, well, sounds like we have a hotshot here!” Silver glowered down, not sounding impressed, “What’s your name, hotshot?”

“Sir, Night Mist, sir!” the teenager answered, “I was recommended to Prince Midnight by Princess Luna, sir!”

“You think that makes you special, kid? Huh?!” Silver put his face right in front of Night Mist’s, “If so, you damn well better prove it!”

“Sir, yes sir!” Night Mist gave off that feel of young determination, and although Silver would never say or show it, he respected that as long as such young ponies followed through on it.

“I think that’s enough friendly sharing for now,” Silver stepped back and then turned to look at all the candidates, “I’m not here to shoot the breeze with you, I’m not here to bake you cupcakes, cupcakes, and I certainly ain’t here to waste my time turning a gaggle of lazy-”

Silver suddenly bucked backwards, hitting a pegasus stallion who’d been standing behind him, mirroring the Wonderbolt’s movements, and sent the joker for a loop. Everyone gasped, and watched as Silver looked down on this upstart, who was on his back with a dazed and stupid look on his face, and comically appeared to be missing teeth. He had a bright gray coat, silver and sky blue mane, his rolling eyes were piercing blue, and his cutie-mark was two feathers being twirled about in a tornado.

“The hell is this?” Silver leered down, “I’ve seen recruits do a lot of stupidass things in my time, but you take the cake!”

The zonked stallion just groaned stupidly, and Midnight chuckled, “You’ll never get a straight answer out of him, Sir. That’s Whirly Gig. Drove me damn near to the brink of wanting to violate him with a bolt of lightning when we first met, but I would go as far as to say he’s been blessed by Stormbreaker himself how well he flies.”

“Don’t care,” Silver responded before grabbing Whirly Gig and pulling him up to his face and saying with al ow and dangerous voice, “Ever try that shit with me again, I’ll do what my old student didn’t, only I’ll do it into BOTH ENDS!! NOW GET BACK IN LINE!!”

Silver heaved and threw Whirly Gig towards the candidates, some of whom ducked as the KO’d pony sailed over them in a painful crash.
“Thanks to your new pal, Swirly Gag or whatever the hell his doped out mother called him the day he was born, you can all get started with five hundred laps around the plateau!”

The candidates all groaned again, only for Silver to rise up above them, casting a horrifying look as he thundered, “NOW!!!”

The twenty-five-ish candidates were about to spread their wings when Midnight’s horn lit up, blinding them all for a split-second, and they gasped to see the flat of the plateau had gained several buildings, such as a mess hall, dormitories, a warehouse, an obstacle course, a runway, and many other commodities perfect for training. They would’ve paused to ask where it had all come from but Silver had scared the horseapples out of them to move their tails and flap.

Watching them leave, Midnight and Soarin walked up to Silver as the older stallion alighted onto the ground, and asked, “So, where’d all this come from? You had me thinking I’d have to train these amateurs old school.”

“This, is my world,” Midnight explained, “Specifically, this is my own personal pocket dimension. Every alicorn has one and they can do practically anything they want in it.”

“This place is better equipped than the Wonderbolts Academy!” Soarin looked around in awe.

“In here, you’ll have everything you need to train the candidates and they’ll have everything they need to get by,” Midnight explained, “The Mess Hall will always be serving and the food won’t ever go bad. The Obstacle Course will instantly arrange itself to your liking, Silver, and the dormitories are furnished and comfortable for them. Your place will be that office-type building over there.

“Also, you’ll be training them for a month in here, but in the outside world, only a week will pass. Oh, and I have some assistants for you.”

Midnight willed two pegasus stallions wearing similar outfits that Spitfire’s assistants at the academy wore.
“These two will assist you to your liking, but they have no names because they’re not real.”

“Hmm,” Silver didn’t look at all impressed, simply taking it all in stride.

“Also, if you want it to,” Midnight brought up, “you can increase the gravity in here somewhat, make it a little more challenging for them. This training ground will exist for exactly eight days in the outside world, but to you and the class it will seem like a month, only they won’t really notice the passage of time like you will. And also, if anyone injures themselves they’ll just need an overnight rest and be fit as a fiddle the next morning, with barely a memory of the injury at all.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever,” Silver waved it off, “Come back in... a week or month, whichever, I’ll have your ‘elite flying squad’ ready by then.”

“Thanks, Silver,” Midnight held out his hoof, “It means a lot to me that you’ve agreed to this.”

“Well, at least you have the brains to ask somepony who actually knows how to train good fliers,” Silver scowled but smirked in a goodnatured way as he shook his old student’s hoof.
“See you when you get back.”

“C’mon, Soar, let’s fly,” Midnight took flight, Soarin flabbergasted as he quickly followed.

Once they were far enough away from the plateau, Soarin had to ask, “Hey Midnight, I don’t think you ever told me what this new squad is gonna be called.”

“Let’s save that for a week from now,” Midnight promised, “I wanna make the big reveal when the time is right.”

Author's Note

This B’Tween chapter is dedicated to Calm Wind

Originally, this was going to be an arc but due to various problems and circumstances I decided to make it a B’Tween chapter, and address it later.

Various OCs were donated for this on the condition I credit their creators:

*Night Mist, donated by Night--Mist

*Bloody Mane, donated by SageBrony07

*Skyjoy, donated by Gargon94

*Signal Flare, donated by DrakeSlayer

*Amethyst Tides, donated by Violet Shores

*Steel Edge, donated by ihatehaters1994

*Mix-Up, donated by Mix-up

*Adeler, donated by Southern Wing

*Shadow Breeze, donted by ShadowBreeze

297. Made in Manehatten - Part 1

In the library of the Castle of Friendship, Twilight and Midnight were going over their wedding plans while Spike enjoyed his comic book collection. There was still time, but Twilight, being the list-obsessed princess she was, kept looking over the details. Midnight didn’t mind, this was one of the reasons he loved his Twily, however much of a bane on his existence it was.

“...and once we says our vows, we’ll kiss as the first snow of winter begins to fall,” swooned Twilight, as she envisioned their wedding, which they planned to occur at the very beginning of winter.

“We have our guest list, Pinkie, Cheese, the Cakes, Auntie Spice, and Uncle Joe are handling the catering,” Midnight looked at the main checklist (again), “Sombra will officiate the wedding, our friends will be your bridesmares and my groomstallions, Cadance your mare of honor and Shining my best stallion, Spike the ring-bearer, the Crusaders will be the flower fillies and pagecolts, and of course your father will walk you down the aisle. Am I missing anything, Twily?”

“Don’t forget, Rarity is still finishing my wedding dress, Blueblood’s working on your uniform, the Pony Tones are going to sing during the reception,” Twilight added, “and Fluttershy offered to have her birds sing ‘Here comes the Bride’ just like they did for Cadance!”

“Sounds like you guys have this covered from front to back,” Spike commented yet his eyes remained glued to his comics.

“I just hope nothing crazy happens,” Midnight leaned back a bit in his chair, “First it was the changelings at Shining and Cadance’s wedding, then the Plunderseeds ponynapped the Royal Sisters before Celestia and Sombra’s wedding.”

“Well, since we’re the third prince and princess getting married,” Twilight pointed out, “I’m confident that this third royal wedding will be the charm.”

“You are so going to be my wife!” Midnight chuckled as he leaned over and kissed his mare on her neck, Twilight giggling as she kissed him back and they were on the verge of making out.

“Hel-lo?! There is dragon minor present!” Spike didn’t look up but he certainly didn’t want to hear the sound of two ponies making whoopee. The two alicorns broke apart and blushed a bit while chuckling sheepishly.

“Sorry, Spike,” Twilight apologized but looked warmly into her stallion’s turquoise eyes, “Winter can’t come soon enough.”

“But when it does,” Midnight gave Twilight a saucy look, “I’m taking you on the honeymoon of the-”

“Twilight! Midnight!”

“Rarity?” Twilight hurried off, Midnight and Spike quickly following.The three of them burst into the map room, looking frantic when they saw Rarity by the map.

“Oh darlings, there you are! It seems that my-”

Before Rarity could finish her sentence, they heard loud galloping and flapping, and in came Applejack and Soarin, Applejack phew’ing, “Got here as fast as Ah-”

*GASP*

Twilight and Midnight saw that Applejack’s flank was glowing, Midnight looking up to Soarin who shrugged as his own flank glowed as well. Twilight turned to see Rarity approach them as her flank glowed too.

“Yes! Finally, we’ve been summoned!” Twilight went over to the map looking around excited, “I wonder where-”

“Uh, Twi?” Midnight gently lifted Twilight’s wing to show her un-glowing cutie-mark, and did the same with his own to show his wasn’t glowing either.

The lavender princess realized the Map was only calling on Rarity, Applejack, and Soarin. She sighed in disappointment while Soarin said, “I wonder where-”

But then, glowing images of his, Rarity’s, and Applejack’s cutie-marks rose up and floated down to the map, specifically, to Rarity’s giggling delight, “Manehatten! We’re been called to Manehatten- Oh, I’ve simply been dying to go back for a visit! But now, I return...” - Rarity put on a game-face look - “with a purpose!”

“Huh, it looks like we’re being called to this part of Manehatten specifically,” Soarin pointed out with his wingtips, only to get pulled in by Rarity, who pulled in Applejack with her other foreleg.

“We’re off to solve a friendship problem in one of the busiest and most vibrant cities in all of Equestria!” the diva got starry-eyed, not noticing the pressure she was putting on her companions. Literally. Thankfully, she let go and got up in their faces with an expression of giddiness, “Isn’t this exciting?!”

“Seems a hair odd though, don’it?” Applejack brought up, “Th’ map callin’ me to a big city like Manehatten?”

“You may be more of a country pony at heart, Applejack...” Twilight spoke up, “But the map picked the three of you because you must be the best ponies to tackle this particular mission.”

Seeing the encouraging nods of agreement from Midnight and Spike helped a bit, but Soarin had to ask, “But how’re we even gonna find out what the mission is? I’ve been to Manehatten plenty of times and I still get lost there, even when I’m flying!”

“Soarin ain’t wrong,” Applejack agreed, “Tha’ neighborhood prob’ly has twice as many ponies as all o’ Ponyville!”

“More like three times,” Rarity scoffed before getting starry-eyed again, “Why it’s not only home to the Haypacking District – it's also home to the Fashion District!”

That was when everypony noticed the crestfallen look on Twilight’s face, that they smiled apologetically, Rarity saying, “Shame that the map didn’t call you, though darling. You did end up quite a fan of the hustle and bustle of Manehattan on our last visit.”

“It is an exciting city, and there’s so much I’d like to do there,” Twilight said dreamily before flapping upwards as her hopes got worked up, “So many museums and historical landmarks to visit. Not to mention all the libraries- Eep!”

Midnight had pulled Twilight down with his long tail, not wanting her to hit her head on the chandelier, which he pointed out with his hoof. Twilight giggled sheepishly while mouthing ‘thank you’ to Midnight, before clearing her throat and looking at the three summoned ponies, “But this is your mission. Don’t worry about me!”

“Besides, we still have to finalize the wedding plans,” Midnight brought up, hoping a distraction would take his mare’s mind off of her disappointment, “and that includes the invitations.”

Soarin, Applejack, and Rarity all mm-hmm’d when Rarity GASPED and looked to Applejack, “I just remembered something - The Sisterhooves Social!”

Applejack facehooved and sighed, “We’ll haff ta miss it... Ain’t no tellin’ how long we’ll be in Manehatten.”

“Well, it is a friendship problem,” Soarin said encouragingly, “Maybe Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle will understand.”

Arriving in Manehatten, the three friends exited Grand Central and took in the big city. The streets were busy, a river of strong earth pony stallions pulling carriages, some working the taxi service, some pulling wagons full of merchandise to deliver, the sidewalks were crowded with ponies walking to and fro, and the skyscrapers loomed over all like mighty pillars. Rarity leapt forward, hanging from a lamppost, “Oh Manehatten! What you do to me!”

Soarin chuckled to himself at Rarity’s excitement but noticed Applejack rolling her eyes before she flinched at the sight of the busy traffic before them, and her knees started to rattle.
“You okay, AJ?”

Hearing Soarin, Applejack shook it off but still voiced her concerns, “Ponies move so fast here, not at all like back home.”

Applejack stepped towards the curb where the crosswalk started, accidentally bumping into two other ponies, as she muttered to herself, “Eyes peeled, ears open. Eyes peeled, ears open...”

A shrill whistle sounded from a police pony who was overseeing the flow of traffic, causing the wagon and carriage pulling ponies to stop, as the officer waved the poneis at the crosswalk to go ahead. Applejack tried to move forward, but the Manehattenites and tourists quickly surged forward, and the crossers from the other side barred her, to Applejack’s discomfort.

“Remember, Applejack, you’re in the big city now,” Rarity said, “no ‘moseying’. You’ve got to walk with speed and confidence!”

“I just fly over,” Soarin shrugged before flapping his wings to do just that and avoid the hustle and bustle, to Applejack’s slight envy. He made it to the other side just as did Rarity, who yoo-hoo’d Applejack to cross and catch up.

Applejack pawed her hoof and snorted before hurrying forward, only for the flow of crossing to be more difficult than Rarity had made it look.
“Move it!”
“Sorry `bout that.”
“Ah! Get outta my way!”
“Sorry.”
“Watch it!”
“He- Oh dear!”

Applejack made it across, exclaiming, “Butter my biscuits! Ah can barely cross th’ streets in this town. How’m Ah s’posed t’ help solve a-”

Rarity interupted with a horrified gasp before pointing down the street, “There!”

Applejack and Soarin looked to see an earth pony mare trying on a green hat fro ma hat vendor pony. She pulled out a gold bit, saying “Yes, I think this is the one-”

“NO! No,” Rarity zipped over, knocking the bit from the mare’s hoof.

“Excuse me?” the mare asked, not understanding what was going on.

“That hat clashes with your mane,” Rarity explained, “not to mention it's far too large and will undoubtedly obstruct your vision.”

Rarity removed the hat from the mare’s head before looking at the vendor’s stock, “Oh dear, none of these will do.”

That’s when she noticed Applejack and Soarin approaching, or more specifically, that Applejack was bringing the chest Rarity had brought along.
“Ah, Applejack, impecable timing.”

She opened the chest lid (accidentally hitting Applejack) and peered in, humming to herself, Soarin flapping beside her, saying, “Uh, Rarity-”

“Here!” Rarity levitated a soft purple hat onto the mare’s head, “This will do splendidly.”

Soarin and Applejack both sighed as the mare smiled at her reflection in a mirror Rarity levitated in front of her, “Oh it’s lovely! How much would you like for it?”

“Oh no, no, please-please keep it!” Rarity offered kindly, “I can always make another.”

“Well thank you very much, and have a nice day,” the mare smiled before trotting off.

Rarity looked to her friends, “And you thought we wouldn’t find our purpose here, p’shaw!”

“Rares, I’m pretty sure the map didn’t send us all the way to Manehatten just so you could give some random pony a hat,” Soarin deadpanned, Applejack nodding in agreement.

“What?! We just saved that pony from committing a terrible crime of fashion,” Rarity insisted but noticed the raised brows her friends were giving her. “Well, she could’ve been meeting a friend who would've laughed at her new hat, and then their friendship could've been ruined forever! And... mmm... it's possible.”

“Didjer cutie-mark glow signifyin’ a job well done?” Applejack asked plainly.

“Ye- No... no I suppose it didn’t,” Rarity said lamely after seeing her cutie-mark not glowing even the faintest radiance. “Still, a disaster was averted.”

“Averted?!”

They looked to see the hat vendor, a large overweight earth pony, wearing a shirt, apron, and a large top hat, giving Rarity such a stink eye, “You just lost me a payin’ customer!!”

“Oh my, I-I-I-I-I’m so sorry!” Rarity honestly felt bad, “I never meant to-”

“Beat it...!” The vendor waved his hoof threateningly, that Soarin stepped in between them,

“Hey pal, the lady apologized, there’s no need to start something,” Soarin furrowed his brows.

“Errgh, get outta my face or I’ll-” The vendor looked about ready to throw a punch.

“We could always involve that nice police officer over there,” Soarin smirked while pointing out the officer who was still directing traffic.

The vendor gulped in response to the threat, and nervously tipped his hat as he backed off, allowing the three friends to move along. Much o Rarity’s relief, but as they walked away, she called out to the vendor, “Might I say, what a lovely establishment, you have there!”

Giggling nervously, she sighed and said to her friends, “You’re right, darlings. The search continues,” who both rolled their eyes in response.

Alas, the search led nowhere, Applejack and Soarin kept trying to politely ask passerby if they or if anypony they knew was having a problem involving a friendship. Their questions fell on deaf ears and they were subject to cold shoulders that sometimes rudely pushed past them. Rarity tried a little harder, setting up a makeshift stand and calling out, “Friendship Advice! Anypony looking for friendship advice!”

Seeing nopony even looking in her general direction caused her to slump, “Good grief. This isn’t working...”

She heard her friends’ sighs as they approached her stand, Applejack saying, “Ah’m not sure wha’ wer’ s’posed t’ do! T’ be honest, Ah’m still not even sure wha’ th’ map called me here for.”

“Oh try not to worry, Applejack,” Rarity said assuringly, “The Map picked us for a reason.”

“Well, ladies, at this point I dunno how we’re gonna find that reason,” Soarin brought up, “We can’t search this entire city for whoever it is the Map wants us to help o-w!”

Soarin had been unexpectedly interrupted by what appeared to be a flyer, which Rarity took into her magical grasp to read, “‘Please help us restore our long-lost but beloved tradition, the Midsummer Theater Revival. There's a guest performance by a local theater troupe, the Method Mares, as well as games, food, and much, much more. This event promises to bring our Bronclyn neighbors together and restore our sense of community, but there's so much to do and we need your help’...”

Soarin and Applejack shared a look, the former asking, “You don’t think...?”

“DARLINGS This is it!” Rarity smield widely as she pointed to a name on the bottom of the flyer, “The contact on the flyer is Coco Pommel!”

“Who?” Soarin asked dumbly.

“Oh, that’s right, you weren’t there,” Rarity noted, “She’s a sweet dressmaker the girls and I met when we last came here.”

“Oh right, she’s th’ one you got a job makin’ costumes fer tha’ designer friend o’ yers,” Applejack recalled.

“Don’t you see, dears? This must be why the map called us here!” Rarity was excited as she read the flyer’s details further, “Oh, and you were so worried, Applejack.”

“Well, Ah s’pose it’s at least worth lookin’ into,” Applejack conceded before adding, “Tha’ is... if we can ever get off this street corner.

It took a little longer than expected, but the trio managed to hail a taxi pony and make their way to the address on Coco Pommel’s flyer. Upon arrival, and after paying the cabby, they saw the address was an apartment building and it didn’t take long to find Coco’s residence.

“I can’t believe you found my flyer,” Coco said, looking like she was forcing a smile but the three would had to have been blind to see Coco wasn’t in good spirits. “Quite a coincidence, don’t you think?”

The trio looked around Coco’s apartment, and saw a mess. Paper bags from takeout restaurants, more of her flyers scattered across her table, and her mane was looking disheveled.

“The three of us specifically were summoned here to be of service,” Rarity said assuringly, “and Coco, darling, don’t take this the wrong way, but-”

“You look like you could use all the help you can get,” Soarin interrupted, ignoring Rarity’s stink eye.

“So this... Midsummer Theater Revival, wha’ is it, exactly?” asked Applejack, to keep the talk rolling, and the question seemed to perk Coco up.

“An outdoor play at the community park,” she held up a photo album to provide visuals as she explained while smiling, “Many years ago, local theatre troupes would perform and ponies in the neighborhood would help make the costumes and design set pieces, prepare food to share during the performances.”

The three friends could see Coco in the photos as a filly, participating in putting these plays together, smiling quite like she was now, that Soarin smiled too, saying, “You looked like you all really enjoyed yourselves, working together like that!”

“Reminds me o’ Ponyville,” Applejack added, suddenly recollecting some fond memories.
“It sounds lovely, darling,” Rarity agreed.

“It was!” Coco sighed sadly as she turned the page to show a mare, “Up until several years ago. This is Charity Kindheart, a well-known costume designer on Bridleway. She founded the Midsummer Theater to share her passion for the performing arts with the neighborhood. No matter how busy she was, she always made time for it.”

Coco then closed the album and walked out to the balcony, saying, “But after she moved away to be closer to her granddaughters, the neighborhood lost the special tradition she had started, and worse, the sense of community it fostered.”

“Hey! I’m trottin’ here!” the three friends heard, knowing somepony outside was being rude.

“Y’mean nopony stepped up t’ take over fer Charity?” asked Applejack, sharing concerned looks with Rarity and Soarin.

“I’ve been trying to, but I've just gotten a last-minute request to alter costumes for the cast of ‘My Fair Filly’, and I'm afraid I haven't made much progress,” Coco said sadly as she began to look hopeless, “There’s just so much to do and my flyers haven’t attracted a single volunteer to help me with the Revival!”

Then it got worse as Coco began to tear up, “And if that weren’t enough...!”

They gasped as Coco collapsed and began to sob, Rarity hurrying over to console her friend, “Darling! Whatever’s the matter? We’re here to help, after all.”

“That’s right, Coco, we’re here for you,” Soarin promised.
“Darn tootin’!” Applejack added, “We got yer back, so go on an’ tell us wha’s botherin’ ya, sugarcube.”

After the three of them calmed her down, Coco was able to explain, “I’ve been getting harrassed! These... three troublemakers have been sending me threatening messages and tearing down my flyers! I don’t know who they are, but they don’t want the Midsummer Theater Revival to happen!

“I'm close...to giving up,” she whimpered as she accepted a tissue from Rarity and wiped away her tears, “I’m afraid whoever is sending me these threats is going to make good on them, and somepony might get hurt! But I don’t want to quit!”

“An’ ya shouldn’t!” Applejack agreed, “You wanna bring back somethin’ tha’ was special an’ brought ponies t’gether. Ah know it looks bad, but wer’ gonna help ya an’ these varmints, whoever they are, aren’t gonna stop us.”

“Hear, hear!” Rarity cheered, and the words and the spirit behind them helped to lift Coco’s own, as she smiled a little more deeply while her eyes began to glimmer with determination.

“We’ll put together a performance that this neighborhood will remember for years to come!” Soarin vowed, unaware of how bad it was or what he and the others were up against.

298. Made in Manehatten - Part 2

As it turned out, rounding up volunteers for a community project was no trot in the park. A newspaper kiosk pony was uninterested in spreading the word because ‘it was never a good time’, a popcorn vendor pony didn’t want to help because ‘she had her own problems’, and some rich pony, while interested, was too lazy to lift a hoof while claiming to be too busy running his oat and hay import/export business before he snoozed on a floaty in a public pond.

“This is a nightmare...” Coco bemoaned back in her apartment later on.

“Oh, not at all, darling,” Rarity inspected a nice hat in her telekinetic aura, “It’s quite lovely.”

“Ah think she was talkin’ about th’ Midsummer Theater Revival?” Applejack deadpanned, Soarin adding, ‘Duh’.

“I’ve finished the alterations for ‘My Fair Filly’, but I’ve barely started the costumes for the Revival,” Coco worried, “and the Method Mares are coming tomorrow for a costume fitting and rehearsal!”

“Well, I could help you with the costumes,” Rarity volunteered.

“But what’re we gonna do about the rest?” Coco continued to fret, “The park is in desperate need of repairs, and the sets still need to be built!”

“Well Ah know a thing or two`bout fixin’ things,” Applejack added, “It’s kinda, well, muh thing!”

“And I’m no stranger to a little hard work,” Soarin stood up beside AJ, “You and Rarity can finish up the costumes while AJ and I get things ready for the play in the park!”

“You see, dear?” Rarity said kindly to Coco, “We went out looking for volunteers when all the help you need is right here.”

Both Applejack and Soarin said ‘Uh-huh’ in agreement as Rarity added, “The map wouldn't have chosen just Applejack, Soarin, and myself if it was more than we could handle. Everything is going to be just fine!”

The confidence the friends had felt earlier quickly deflated when they saw the dismal state of the community park where the Revival was supposed to take place. It was painfully obvious that the park hadn’t been attended to for a looooong time. The paths were overgrown with weeds and ivy, long-dead flowerbeds were littered with fallen leaves and pieces of trash, dirt and moss coated park benches, a statue of a mare, and what had once been the stage for the old Midsummer Theater Revival back in Charity’s day was now a decrepit shack that looked like it was bout to fall apart.

“Perhaps I spoke too soon...” Rarity murmured timidly.

“Oh dear, you’re right!” Coco looked to Applejack and Soarin, “Are you sure the both of you can handle this by yourselves?”

“Well, there’s a lot to do...” Soarin commented in a slightly overwhelmed way.
“But th’ map wouldn’a called us here if we weren’ up to th’ challenge,” Applejack stepped forward, sounding upbeat, “You two go an’ take care o’ th’ costumes. Soar an’ Ah will see you at th’ dress rehearsal.”

Seeing the two fashionistas leave, Soarin asked, “Applejack, I’m totally up for giving this my best, but... Do you really think we can clean all this up and get that stage ready in time?”

“Well, we ain’t gonna get things done standin’ here an’ flappin’ our gums,” Applejack gulped at the workload they had in front of them but furrowed her brows. “Let’s get to it!”

First, they started weeding, which was harder than most would think, and they only had one wheelbarrow to hold the uprooted weeds. Though Soarin took the wheelbarrow to empty it in the nearest dumpster, it still slowed their progress, which they hardly made. To try and speed things along, they tried using push-lawnmowers, which was tiring and really worked up a sweat. Applejack almost ruined her hat but thankfully Soarin had seen her drop it and was quick enough to swipe it out from the path of her lawnmower. After they’d made a wide-enough clearing, they started tearing off the vines and ivy snaring the park benches and clearing away the moss on the statue, but unfortunately one vine Applejack yanked on caused said statue to almost topple on top of her, but thankfully Soarin held it up just long enough for Applejack to clear it perfectly.

They were getting tired, and there was still work to be done to fix up the stage. But they decided to take a quick break before continuing on.

“HOO!” Soarin collapsed onto his back, feeling the prickly unevenly cut grass poke into his coat while his sweat made him feel slimy and hot. “Reminds me of how wiped out I felt after a day of training under Silver Lining!”

“Let’s jus’... catch our breath, sugarcube,” Applejack fanned herself with her hat, “Then we gotta... get t’ workin’ on th’ stage.”

“I don’t think so!”

The two friends looked up to see an unusual trio who didn’t look friendly. One was a drake, with brick-red scales, a purplish black belly and dull crimson eyes. She crossed her arms as her associates moved along side her. The second was a young zebra with orange eyes, his mane dyed completely jet-black, he had the characteristic black n’ white stripes, and his tribal mark looked like a spear. The last associate was a hippogryph with a faded tarmac black fur coat, faded yellow beak and faded green eyes.

The trio of teenagers gave off the aura of being straight-up trouble.

“And who are you three?” Soarin asked while narrowing his eyes.

“Alley Punch, and these here are my homeies Zigz and Street Streak,” the drake snarled, “and you're on our turf!”

“What she said!” Street Streak flared her wings to look scary.

“What’re you talking about?” Soarin stood up, confused. “This is a public park, it belongs to the city and everyone in it.”

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say because it seemed to incense the three hoodlums, and Applejack was starting to see trouble brewing. The zebra colt, the drake, and hippogryph all seemed gearing for a scuffle, so the farmer stood up, saying, “Now, hold on, y’all. Let’s not go an’ start somethin’.”

“Shoulda thought o’ that before you came in here messing around with our space, ya feel me?” Street Streak growled.

“Well you’d all better scram before this gets unpleasant, ya feel me?” Soarin glared while flaring his own wings.

“Or what, homey?” Alley Punch snorted, a spark of fire shooting from her nostrils.

In response, Soarin suddenly launched skyward, and they all watched as he zoomed and zipped about, cloud-busting some stray clouds that the local weather office hadn’t bothered to take care of lately. His past training as a Wonderbolt, along with his study and recent practice in weather, allowed Soarin to bust those clouds up quicker than the trio and Applejack could follow, before he came back for a landing with a foreboding thud, looking solid as the steely look he gave them, causing them to step back, intimidated.

“Uh... whatever, fools!” Alley Punch huffed, “But you’d better believe we’re not done here, for real! Let’s bounce, y’all!”

Watching the three punks scurry away, Soarin sighed in relief when he heard Applejack clear her throat and saw the look on her face wasn’t exactly approving.
“Now, AJ, I was-”

“Soarin, tha’ was one o’ th’ dumbest things Ah’ve ever seen, somethin’ Ah’d expect from Rainbow Dash, but you?” Applejack glared.

“Applejack, I was never gonna get physical with them,” Soarin swore, though Applejack raised her brow. “Look, I’ve met lots of ponies and creatures like those three. They might have bark but might not be so keen to bite. In some cases, all you gotta do is stand up to those types and show them you’re not gonna back down. They’re like schoolyard bullies, acting all tough until you show them you won’t be pushed around.”

Soarin’s words rang true with Applejack, and she sighed, because she honestly had the same opinion, “Aw’right, Ah guess it’s fine ya didn’t throw any punches or did any actual harm...”

“Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, AJ,” Soarin sat down again, still feeling winded from the work they’d already don on the park, and showing off his moves hadn’t exactly helped.

“Nah, it’s fine, sugarcube,” Applejack waved it off. “Let’s jus’ enjoy our break, then we’ll get started on th’ stage.”

Thankfully Applejack and Soarin were able to make some modest progress on the stage before deciding to get started on painting when Rarity and Coco arrived with the costumes for the Revival, and found their friends painting a large slab of wood. The two mares gazed around and while the area did look a little better, they could tell there was still much work to be done.

“Ah know it ain’t much, but wer’ movin’ as fast as we can,” Applejack said tiredly before accidentally stepping into her can of paint, much to her chagrin. Though Soarin helpfully got it off her and offered a rag to wipe off the paint.

“Oh don’t worry, darlings. Things appear as though they’re coming along nicely,” Rarity assured, “After all, we’ve still got plenty of time before-”

“Um, excuse me?”

The four friends all seized up and looked to see four earth ponies had just arrived, two mares and two stallions, the older chap, On Stage, wearing a jacket and sunglasses as he asked, “Is this where the Midsummer Theater Revival is supposed to be, perchance?”

“We’re here for the dress rehearsal,” added the mare beside him, Raspberry Beret. She had a strawberry milk pink coat, a purple mane, and wore a sweater and a beret, just like the one symbolizing her cutie-mark.

“Oh yes!” Coco smiled, glad that the Method Mares were here, “We’ve just put the finishing touches on the costumes.”

“At least those look professional,” the younger stallion, Lateshow, said not-so-subtly to the other mare in the group, Stardom.

“We’ll do a dry run of the play first, and then the fitting,” said Raspberry Beret before she sauntered up onto the stage, where she began making weird noses, sputtering her lips and then vocalizing.

Soarin and Applejack gave Rarity and Coco weirded-out looks, and Rarity explained, “She’s finding her voice, darlings. Many actors and singers do similar exercises before performing.”

Raspberry Beret then cleared her throat and took in a deep breath... just as a loud grinding sound made itself known, to everypony’s confusion. Applejack looked in the direction it was coming from and gasped to see what was unmistakably a dumpster hurtling straight for the stage! She jumped onto the stage and pulled Raspberry out of the way, yelling, “LOOK OUT!!!”

*CRASHPLATTER-UMble...*

Everyone looked on in shock to see the dumpster had demolished the stage, bringing it all down and spreading garbage everywhere. As the shock and awe wore off, bringing with it the bitter sting of dispiriting disappointment, they all heard loud, raucous, obnoxious laughter and turned to see it was those three from earlier, as Alley Punch, Street Streak, and Zigz were high-fiving and pointing at their handiwork, looking far-too-pleased with themselves as the young dragon heckled, “Nice performance, dickheads! Really brought the house down!”

Coco whimpered as tears welled up in her eyes as her dreams of living up to Charity’s example had suddenly collapsed, just like the stage’s roof.

Without a stage or any ideas of how to fix the situation, the Method Mares had gone back to their hotel while Coco, Rarity, Applejack, and Soarin retreated to Coco’s apartment, where the poor mare was crying on her sofa, completely hopeless.

“I-I... just w-w-wanted to... to bring my neighborhood back together again!” sniffled Coco as she wiped her tears with a hanky offered to her by Rarity before she blew her nose with an adorable toot-like snort.

The three friends shared a despondent look, understanding the situation and how much it made Coco sad. The park was still a mess, they hadn’t even gotten to finding refreshments to serve during the performance, and what did that matter if they didn’t have a stage on which the Method Mares could perform?

“I don’t understand,” Rarity whispered to Applejack and Soarin, “The map sent us here to solve a friendship problem, we’ve clearly found it.”

“But why did it send the three of us?” Soarin asked the million bit question, “Twilight or Midnight could’ve fixed up that park with their magic in a flash!”

“Ah’ve been thinkin’ th’ same thing,” Applejack added, “Ah cin understand why it sent you here, Rarity. Coco’s yer friend an’ you’ve an eye fer costumes, an’ all. But whadda `bout you an’ me, Soar?”

Sighing, Soarin agreed, “Even together we were never gonna fix up that park and the stage in time for the performance! Not to mention, those three jerks ruined all our efforts!”

“We’ll return to Ponyville as failures!” Rarity despaired dramatically, falling into Soarin’s hooves, her own tears running her mascara, “Why must this be, friends?! Why, why, WH-”

Soarin slapped his wing over Rarity’s mouth, cutting her drama queen act and Applejack said, “Now hold on there, Ah’m not suggestin’ we pack up an’ go home!”

Rarity muffled something, trying to speak through Soarin’s wing, and he removed it, smiliing sheepishly as Rarity spat out a piece of fluff, “Then what are you suggesting?”

“Ah’m suggestin’ we stop worryin’ `bout wha’ we can’t do,” Applejack declared decisively, “an’ start doin’ wha’ we can. Coco? Sugarcube?””

Sniffling, Coco turned over on the sofa to look at Applejack as the farmer said, “Ah think Ah’ve gotta plan. It won’ be anythin’ big `r fancy, but it’ll be somethin’.”

“Well, something is definitely better than nothing,” Soarin agreed before bringing up, “But don’t forget Alley Punch and those other two. What exactly is their problem that they don’t want this performance going on, I have to wonder.”

“Well, fer wha’ Ah got planned,” Applejack assured, “Ah don’ think we’ll hav’ to worry too much from them varmints.”

“Even so, I think I’m gonna have a word with those three,” Soarin flapped up off the balcony, calling, “I’ll be back in a flash!” before flying off.

It took a while, but Soarin managed to find Alley Punch, Street Streak, and Zigz hanging out on the other side of the park. But upon observing them, Soarin noticed how they were talking amongst themselves looking excitedly at a poster advertising the play ‘Hinny of the Hills’. The question was why? From what Soarin gathered, these three had been so against a play of any kind taking place in the park he’d assumed they didn’t like theater.

“I just love the music,” Alley Punch commented with a dreaming sigh.
“Don’t forget the dancing!” Street Streak added, “The way the actors move along with the rhythm, it makes you wanna get up and dance along too!”
“And it’s always so amazing to watch a good story besides just reading about it,” Zigz nodded before sighing woefully. “I just wish that... we could afford tickets.”

“Where was that love of theater earlier today?”

The three young hoodlums jumped and turned to see Soarin leaning against a lamppost, giving them a look.

“Wha- You- We-!” Alley Punch stuttered, trying to save face when Zigz covered her mouth with his hoof and gave Soarin a regarding look.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough.” Soarin approached them cooly, even as Alley and Street raised their wings but Zigz didn’t display any hostility as Soarin asked, “I’m not here to trade blows or barbs, you three. All I wanna ask, is why? Why don’t you want the Midsummer Theater Revival to take place if you like theater so much? I can see it in your eyes that you want to see that ‘Hinny of the Hills’ play so much, but why would you ruin the chance to see another play for free?”

Alley Punch and Street Streak shared an uncomfortable look, but Zigz took a deep breath and answered for them, “It’s because... Look, we’re a gang that’s hardly even a gang. There’s lotsa gangs here in Manehatten but only the biggest, toughest, and most ruthless gangs get any respect around here. But lookit us! We’re only three members, we don’t even have a name, and the only turf we have is the park because none of the other gangs want it!”

“But it’s still our turf!” Alley Punch snarled, “And that means defending it an’ keepin’ schmos out no matter what!”

“It’s not that we hate the Midsummer Theater Revival,” Street Streak said, sounding guilty, “As a matter of fact, we’d love to see it! But if we let everypony go in and out and doing whatever in our territory, the other gangs would never take us seriously ever!”

“So we kept tellin’ off that Coco pony to shove out,” Alley grumbled, starting to sound guilty as well, “We didn’t wanna throw that dumpster into the park, but-”

“Alright, enough,” Soarin interrupted, “I don’t know why you three even want to be a gang or think you should have respect of others who would bully or mock you just because you don’t meet their standards of what a gang is! Don’t take this the wrong way, but when I saw you looking so excited at that poster and expressing how you love theater, I didn’t see a gang of ruthless troublemakers, I saw three good friends talking about something they all have in common and love!”

Those words stunned Alley, Street, and Zigz as they shared regarding looks, but Soarin kept going.

“Not to mention, you don’t really care about the park at all, do you?” Soarin pointed out, “If you did, you’d have cleaned it up a long time ago! All it is to you guys is a waste of space you think you gotta protect just to have some meaningless sense of accomplishment.”

That point was well made, and it made the three young gangster wannabes feel increasingly guilty and uncomfortable, so Soarin sighed.
“Look guys, I can’t tell you how to live your lives, but if you’re willing to hear one pony’s opinion, I say you three should be better than that! I’m sure you’ve probably heard that before, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Coco wanted to bring back the Revival to restore the spirit of her neighborhood’s community and remind everypony of something special. You could be a part of that too. Or not. The choice is yours.”

Then Soarin took flight and left Alley Punch, Street Streak, and Zigz to wonder.

The sun was just beginning to set as Applejack and Soarin put the finishing touches on a small and simple stage that faced outwards to the street instead of inwards to the park. It had curtains, a sign over it with the theatrical joy and sorrow mask symbols, and hanging lanterns providing a soft radiance.

“Alright. y’all, it’s ready!” Applejack declared, and she, Soarin, and Rarity were glad to see Coco smile.

The earth pony and pegasus hopped off the stage just as On Stage poked his head through the curtains, looking around to see no audience, but he asked, “Should we go ahead and start?”

When Coco nodded, On Stage stepped back behind the curtains and moments later they parted to reveal himself standing as a desk and Raspberry Beret, dressed up like Charity Kindheart.

“Excuse me, I’m Charity Kindheart,” Raspberry acted as she brought out a cardboard prop made to look like a rack of costumes, “I’m here about the open design position. I’ve brought some samples of my work...”

As the Method Mares continued the performance, one by one, passerby began to take notice of what was going. They paused to stop and listen, before they began to sit down and watch. After only the first scene, Applejack, Soarin, Rarity, and Coco marveled to see the many ponies the play was attracting, including a colt who asked his mother if they could stay and watch, a construction worker who fondly remembered going to the Midsummer Revival with his father, and so many more.

Among the growing audience, Soarin almost didn’t see them, but there they were, standing at the fringes. Alley Punch, Street Streak, and Zigz, looking guilty but enthralled as the play went on, transfixed but troubled, like they didn’t belong here. Then Soarin noticed the popcorn vendor pony they’d met earlier that day and had an idea. He excused himself from his friends and bought a bag of popcorn before going over to those three youngsters.

“What’s a good show without popcorn?” he offered with a kind smile, to Alley, Street, and Zigz’ bewilderment. “The Midsummer Theater Revival is for everyone. Enjoy the show, guys.”

He left the popcorn with them, which they reluctantly began to sample before truly enjoying themselves as the play went on.

“So nice of you to put on this play for the neighborhood,” said Stardom, still in character.

“I couldn't have done it without everypony's help!” Raspberry Beret continued to act while using a prop sewing machine, “I know it's not Bridleway, but-”

“Oh, pish-tosh! It's perfect, dear!”

The audience was absolutely enthralled, a warm and comforting atmosphere bringing them all together, as a stallion moved aside for an elderly mare.
“Oh, you're such a dear, thank you! This is so nice. Haven't seen the neighborhood this friendly since Charity moved away!”

Though those words weren’t directed at her, Coco couldn’t help but feel so very happy as the audience applauded for the end of the play while the Method Mares gave a bow.

“Thank you, fillies and gentlecolts,” Onstage called out, “Please give a warm welcome to the one who made this entire event possible – our neighbor Coco Pommel!”

The audience cheered for Coco, who blushed and eep’d as she was lifted up and crowd-surfed onto the stage where she cleared her throat.
“Thank you all so much for coming. The Midsummer Theater Revival was always something that meant so much to me, and it seems it means quite a lot to all of you as well. I really can't take all the credit, though. My dear friends Rarity, Applejack, and Soarin helped me ever so much.”

The three mentioned ponies came on stage to accept the audience’s praise as well.
“Oh please, darlings, it was just a few costumes,” Rarity said with a humble smile.
“Aw shucks, Ah jus happen t’ be good wit’ a hammer, is all,” Applejack blushed, “T’ be honest, we had much bigger plans t’ start.”
“But when those plans didn’t work out, we decided to make things simpler,” added Soarin, “and all of this was the result. Also, I think there’s somepony here who has something to say.”

The others and the audience shared a confused look as Soarin gestured someone to the stage, and Coco gasped to see Alley Punch, Street Streak, and Zigz show up, the three of them looking ashamed.

There was a pregnant pause as the awkward moment ended with Alley Punch clearing her throat and saying, “Coco Pommel, my friends and I owe you a really big apology, and an apology to everyone else here. We were the ones who were getting in the way of your plans to bring back the Revival.”

There were several gasps amongst the crowd when Street Streak spoke up, “We thought we were protecting something that was ours, but it turns out it was never ours to begin with, and we were getting in the way of you trying to bring back something wonderful!”

“We know it can’t begin to make up for all that we’ve done,” Zigz said as he led his friends in bowing shamefully, “but we are really-really sorry, and if you’ll give us a chance we’ll do whatever we can to make up for all the trouble we’ve caused you.”

Again there was a pregnant pause as everypony waited for how Coco would respond. The kind earth pony stepped over and gently lifted Zigz’s face to look at her as she said, “Well, whether for the Revival or other theatre projects, it’s always nice to have some help.”

Zigz, Street, and Alley all smiled and nodded as the crowd applauded Coco’s forgiveness and then everypony dispersed and began to talk to each other, like they hadn’t done for such a long time. There were friendly faces catching up with their neighbors, some talking to the Method Mares, and Alley, Street, and Zigz were already talking to some other hopeful volunteers about cleaning up the park for everyone to enjoy.

Two ponies approached Coco and her friends, the mare saying, “We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the Midsummer Theater Revival and how much it inspired us!”

“Oh yeah?” Soarin smirked.

“I used to think that to help my community I had to do something big,” said the stallion with the mare, “and let’s face it! In this day and age, who has the time for such a commitment? But here, you did something as simple as building a stage and putting on a play, and look at how it’s brought everypony together!”

“I saw Coco’s flyers for volunteers, but didn’t think that anything I’d have the time to do would be that useful,” said the mare, “Now I wish I’d offered to help, even if it was just pulling a few weeds or planting a few flowers.”

“Not sure if you’d noticed,” Applejack spoke up, “but th’ park is far from bein’ fixed up.”

“And those three,” Soarin pointed out Alley, Street, and Zigz, “are already asking around if anyone would like to volunteer with them to fix things up and make the park the way it should be.”

“Ah imagine if you look around an’ work t’gether,” Applejack added, “you’ll find plenty o’ lil’ things t’ do fer you t’ get involved in changin’ this place for th’ better!”

“And I will!” declared the mare.
“And I think we have some young folks to talk to,” the stallion added as he and his friend walked towards Alley, Street, and Zigz.

Then, the three friends felt a familiar tingling and saw their cutie-marks lighting up and glowing inwards, signaling to them that their work here was done, Applejack YA-HOO-ing, “We did it!”

She hugged Rarity and Soarin, Rarity suddenly gasping, “I figured it out!”

“Figured what out?” Applejack asked.

“Why the map called you here, darling,” Rarity explained, “If Twilight had used her magic to fix the park it wouldn’t have fixed the real problem, which is that these Manehatten ponies didn’t think they had time to do something for their community.”

“Of course!” Soarin gasped, “By building the stage and making sure the play went on, Applejack, you showed them that even doing something small, you can make a big difference!”

“Well, Ah’ll be,” Applejack perked, “An’ Soarin, you showed them young’uns a better path an’ now they’re on their own way t’ becomin’ better than they were before!”

“Heh-heh, everyone deserves a chance to become better versions of themselves,” Soarin responded, “But all the same, let’s head to the train station. i miss my Dashie.”

“An’ Ah miss muh lil’ sis,” Applejack agreed as they began walking down the road, “Ah’m hopin’ th’ Sisterhooves Social went okay fer her an’ Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh absolutely, dears- !!” Rarity flinched before saying, “Just as soon as I stop that pony in the shop over there from purchasing that dreadfully hideous scarf!”

She ran off, shouting, “Stop! You're making a terrible mistake!”

Applejack and Soarin sighed but shared an amused smile.

299. Scare Master - Part 1

It was that time of the year again, a time when chills became thrills, where everypony looked forward to the darkening hours and eagerly awaited the screams! Throughout Ponyville, everypony lent a hoof, blowing up ghost balloons, hanging cobwebs, carving jack-o-lanterns, and preparing costumes, tricks, and treats. But most important of all...!!!

To have (and get) a good scare!

“Tonight’s gonna be a Nightmare Night to remember!” Midnight looked on, eager to get the festivities started as he walked with Mayor Mare around the square.

“Oh I do hope so, Midnight, and I can’t wait to get into my costume,” Mayor Mare felt like a filly, the holidays always that effect on her, “just you wait and see what I’m gonna be!”

“Thanks for allowing me to be the Host of Ponyville’s Nightmare Night Festival this year, Mayor,” Midnight said as he helped a nearby stallion pull his wagonful of pumpkins free of a pothole, and getting a thank-you in return.
“I have quite an idea for this year, and I hope to make it both fun and scary for anypony who wants to participate.”

“Ooh, sounds thrilling,” Mayor Mare gave Midnight a shrewd smile, “Any hints?”

“I’m saving the surprise for later when I start the festivities,” Midnight gave her a shrewd smirk back when he saw Big Mac, Granny Smith, and his mother, Faerie Tail, all working together to fill a wagon with hay.
“Hey everypony, what’cha doing here?”

“Oh howdy there, Midnight, Mayor,” Granny Smith waved, “Wer’ jus’ gatherin’ hay for th’ Apple Fam’ly Haunted Maze!”

“Happy Nightmare Night, sweetie,” Faerie Tail came over and gave her boy a hug and a kiss, which he warmly reciprocated.

“Happy Nightmare Night to you, too, Mom,” Midnight smiled happily, “It’s gonna be even better this year because you get to be a part of it.”

“Fluttershy?”

They all looked to see Big Mac had found his wife, Fluttershy, shivering under the wagon, “What’re you doin’ out an’ about?”

“Yeah, it’s Nightmare Night, remember?” brought up Granny Smith.

“How could I forget...?!” Fluttershy responded in a fretful voice when she noticed the hay, “Oh, I don’t suppose I could borrow a few pieces of hay from you?”

She pulled herself out from under, “I forgot to stock up on food for Angel and you do seem to have quite a lot.”

“We need it fer th’ Apple Fam’ly Haunted Maze,” Granny Smith repeated before saying in a spooky voice, “Th’ scariest maze tha’ there ever was... Who knows wha’ lurks inside?”

“Oh, I’m sure I don’t!” Fluttershy shivered, when she felt a warm hoof hug her and she saw it was Faerie Tail.

“Now, Granny Smith, I think that’ll be enough,” Faerie Tail gave Fluttershy a maternal smile, “Not everypony has to enjoy the same holidays, and we shouldn’t press them into something they’re not comfortable with.”

“What?!” Granny Smith gave an indignant look, “Ah ain’t even told her of th’ mummified pony! Or th’ bones o’ ponies who ne’er made their way out, or eyeballs- Eep!”

Big Mac put a hoof to his grandmother’s lips, giving her a respectful ‘shhhh’, and then Granny Smith noticed Fluttershy was shivering even more, despite Faerie Tail trying to comfort her.

“Oh, sorry, honey,” Granny Smith apologized.

“Uh, it’s... alright,” Fluttershy rubbed up to her stallion, and he nuzzled his chin on top of her head, “I can’t blame everypony for... their holiday spirit.”

“Well, speaking of holiday spirit,” Midnight spoke up, “The mayor’s asked me to be the Host of the Nightmare Night Festival. Spread the word, Mac - Show up tonight at the opening ceremonies for the Festival, where I’ll make an announcement for a Special Nightmare Night Event! Gotta go, lots to plan, lots to do! Happy Nightmare Night, everypony!”

Midnight fell backwards, his body dispersing into smoky shadowstuff that slithered away, giving Fluttershy the creeps, and plenty of ponies yelping and avoid the shadowy figure of Midnight as he streaked away, quick as a snake.

“I know Nightmare Night isn’t your favorite night of the year, Fluttershy,” Faerie Tail said, “but all the same, I wish you a good night.”

“That’s very kind of you, Faerie Tail,” Fluttershy thanked, “A good night for me will be a quiet, safe, and warm night with my animal friends. But I hope you all enjoy yourselves and that you have a safe evening. Love you, Mackie.”

“Love ya too, dahlin,” Big Mac let his `Shy get on her way and turned to Granny Smith and Faerie Tail, “Welp, let’s get t’ work too!”

The sun had set, the moon was high! The terrors of Nightmare Night was nigh, and everypony was already out and about, costumed as fiends and horrors, monsters and ghouls, heroes and villains, tricksters and fools. Foals were trick-or-treating, ponies jumping out and yelling ‘BOO’, but the real fun would begin in a minute or two...

[Nightmare Night Ponies]
Colts and fillies of every age
Wouldn’t you like to see something strange?

Come with us, it’s now in sight
This, our town at Nightmare Night

This is Nightmare Night, this is Nightmare Night
Ghosts are screaming as they take flight
This is Nightmare Night, truly it's a scary sight
Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright
It’s our town, everypony scream

In our town at Nightmare Night

I am the chill running up your spine
Warning of the monster that’s about to dine

I am the one behind your closet door
Hungry and itching for a tasty gore

This is Nightmare Night, this is Nightmare Night!
Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night!

In this town we call home
Everypony hail to the haunting song

[Mayor Mare]
In this town, don’t we love it now
Everypony’s waiting for the next surprise!

[Nightmare Night Ponies]
Round that corner, mare hiding in the trashcan
Something’s waiting no to pounce and how you’ll

Scream! This is Nightmare Night
Purple n’ Black and slimy green
Aren’t you scared?
Well, that's just fine

Say it once, say it twice
Take a chance and roll the dice
Ride with the moon in the dead of night
Everypony scream, everypony scream!

In our town at Nightmare Night!

I am the stalker who follows you home
Knife raised, waiting for when you’re alone

I am the "who" when you call, "Who's there?"
I am the wind blowing through your hair

I am the mare in the moon at night
Filling your dreams to the brim with fright

This is Nightmare Night, this is Nightmare Night!
Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night!
Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night!

[Cutie-Mark Crusaders]
Tender lumplings everywhere
Life's no fun without a good scare

[Mr. & Mrs. Cake]
That's our job, it isn't spite
In our town on Nightmare Night

[[Mayor Mare]
In this town, don't we love it now?
Everypony's waiting for the next surprise

[Nightmare Night Ponies]
Midnight Blaze might catch you in the back
And scream like a siren
Make you jump out of your coat
This is Nightmare Night, everypony scream
Won't ya please make way for a very special guy

Midnight Blaze is King of the Werewolf pack
Everyone hail to the Fright Knight, now!

This is Nightmare Night, this is Nightmare Night
Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night!

[Cutie-Mark Crusaders]
In this town we call home
Everyone hail to the haunting song

[nightmare Night Ponies]
La la la la la la la la la la (Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night!)
La la la la la la la la la la (Nightmare Night! Nightmare Night!)

Everypony had gathered in town square, encircling a pit that hadn’t been there yesterday, and watched in bone-chilling awe as their shadows reached out under them towards the pit. A swirling mass of inky darkness steamed and hissed... as a figure arose from the pit, a Hooded Pony garbed in a shadowy fabric, a horn poking through the brim of his hood when a pair of seams opened in the back, allowing for a large pair of bat-like wings to unfurl as piercing pale blue eyes glowed from within the shadow of the hood, fangs flashing in the moonlight, and everypony applauded as their generous Host stepped forward.

“Welcome, welcome fillies and gentlecolts to another terrifying Nightmare Night!” called out Midnight as he spoke in a voice welcoming yet sinister, the edges of his cloak drifting about like cobwebs in the breeze, shadowstuff trailing out as he walked around, “As your humble host this year, I am proud to declare this year’s Ponyville Nightmare Night Festival officially... open!”

The festival-goers all cheered and whooped and howled and shrieked with excitement when Midnight raised his leathery wings to beckon silence. Once the square was as silent as a tomb, Midnight declared, “Furthermore, I announce the first ever Ponyville Nightmare Night Festival Scavenger Hunt! I invite anypony brave or foolish enough to embark on a journey that will take you to all kinds of scary haunts and spooky places here and there across our little town, as you search for clues and hints to find a very special prize... What is this prize, you may be wondering?

“Well, you’ll have to be the first to complete the Scavenger Hunt and find out! However!”

He let the word hang in the air for a few ominous moments before saying, “Be warned... The quest to find the Prize is not for the faint of heart. Indeed, before this night is over, those of you who dare to take this challenge may find yourselves facing terrible danger!”

Nopony really noticed, but as Midnight continued to talk about his scavenger hunt, a spooky fog was rolling in.

“For on this Nightmare Night, there are rumors of something stalking the outskirts of our quiet little town, something big! Something scary! Something... hungry...!”

Midnight smiled in satisfaction to see several ponies, not just foals, were beginning to shiver, “A BEAST! With fur as black as pitch, eyes that will pierce you with icy terror, razor-sharp claws, and a mouth full of vicious fangs, looking to devour ponies when they’re lost and least expect it...

“If still you dare to brave this foolhardy task, have a word with Mayor Mare,” Midnight pointed to Mayor Mare, who was sitting at a fold-up table with a sign-up sheet and dressed as a mime.
“She will provide the first clue of the Scavenger Hunt. And so, I bid you all good night, and good luck to any who seek to claim the Prize, for let me tell you - It is absolutely worth it!”

Midnight threw his head back in barking maniacal laughter, as a fearsome wind and shadows stirred up and enveloped Midnight like a dark cocoon before dispersing, and Midnight had vanished! His evil laughter however continued to echo, as everypony held their breath... before erupting into more screaming cheers as several ponies were already lining up for the sign-up sheet to participate in the Scavenger Hunt.

“Whoa-ho-ho!” Soarin laughed, dressed up as a Lunar Guard, wearing fake bat wings and contacts to give himself yellow eyes with slit pupils, complete with the armor and helmet, “Midnight really knows how to put on a show! I bet that prize is really something!”
“Well, you can be sure that Ace Thunder, Private Eye, is on the case,” Thunderlane said, dressed up as a Hardboiled Detective, complete with a trench coat and fedora.
“Sounds like a challenge worthy of Leoneighdo Da Ponci, Master of the Itailian Renaissance,” declared Blueblood, wearing a costume that made him look like the famous historical polymath.
“Eeyup, lookin’ forward to it,” Big Mac said, dressed up as a mummy with a golden mantle around his neck and shoulders, “Bu’ first Ah gotta help Granny Smith a bit at th’ Haunted Maze.”
“Well, looky here!” Cheese, dressed up as Mariachi musician, complete with his accordion and a big sombrero, held up a piece of paper shaped like a spider, “According to this clue, the first stop is the Haunted Maze!”

“Let’s see that,“ Blueblood took the clue and his friends gathered as he read, “‘Twists n’ turns, don’t lose your way in the Haunted Maze this night. Before you enter, be sure to pray, the clue is in plain sight’.”

“Sounds straightforward enough,” Thunderlane commented.

“Ah, but I’ve a feeling Midnight is going to make this rather tricky, gentlecolts,” Blueblood looked boldly determined, “Tally ho, a hunting we’ll go!”

Yes, it seemed like the promise of a Nightmare Night to remember, as everypony set out to enjoy themselves this Nightmare Night. But as the fog rolled in, everypony in Ponyville was blissfully unaware that they were being watched. For on a distant high ledge, there stood a monstrous creature, its large mass concealed by a pelt of fur that made it invisible in surrounding darkness, its fangs dribbling with salivating hunger, its eyes narrowed upon all these tasty treats, its belly rumbled but its growls were savage before the Beast rose its head to the silvery moon and let out a bone-chilling howl!

It was time to hunt...

Author's Note

Costumes include:

Midnight - The Hooded Pony
Thunderlane - a Hardboiled Detective
Big Mac - a Mummy (since that’s what he was in the episode)
Blueblood - Leoneighdo Da Ponci (ponified Leonardo Da Vinci)
Soarin - a Lunar Guard
Cheese Sandwich - Mariachi band accordion player

Twinken - a Canis Minor
Rumble - a Bandit
Button Mash - Asriel from Undertale

Faerie Tail - a Fairy Witch
The Cakes - Salt (Carrot Cake), Pepper (Cup Cake), Sugar (Pound Cake) and Spice (Pumpkin Cake)
Cloudchaser and Flitter - a Cat and Mouse
Chili Spice - a Femme Fatale Thief
Doughnut Joe - a Suave Secret Agent
Cranky and Matilda - The Ponz (ponified version of the Fonz) and a Rollerskate Waitress
Vinyl Scratch and Octavia - a Vampire and Bride of Frankenstein
Mayor Mare - a Mime
Comet Tail - Vampire Hunter
Hotshot - Brony Hawk (ponified Tony Hawk)
Lucky Clover - Mad Scientist
Cheerilee - Bighoof (Bigfoot)
Dinky Doo - Spike (because in ‘Scare Master’ Ditzy Doo was dressed as Twilight)
Noi - Zombie (she said she wanted to be a zombie in ‘Luna Eclipsed’)
Twist - Gingerbread Pony

300. Scare Master - Part 2

The Haunted Maze was okay, as far as holiday-themed attractions went. But it wasn’t all that impressive, especially to a group of stallions who’d been there and done that. The “bones of ponies who didn’t make it out alive” were just sticks painted white, Big Mac’s ambush scares as a mummy were ruined by his "eeyup” habit, and the “eyeballs” were of course just peeled grapes. Honestly, the creepiest thing about the maze had been Granny Smith’s mask at the entrance.

After deciding to take a break, Big Mac joined his friends to look for the next clue of Midnight’s Scavenger Hunt.

“Whattya think the clue meant by the next one being in plain sight?” asked Cheese Sandwich as the five of them took the next left, and all of them groaned to see it was a dead end and doubled back.

“I’m guessing it means we’ll know it when we see it,” Thunderlane replied as they passed by Ditzy Doo and Dinky, who were dressed up as Twilight and Spike respectively.
“But we’d better hurry. More and more ponies are coming to the maze and one of them might find the clue before us.”

“We could always fly up and find that clue faster,” Soarin suggested.

“Now, now, let’s not take any unfair advantages,” Blueblood chided, “We are the Guardians of Harmony, we’re practically a knighthood and that means we act with honor.”

“Eeyup, an’ no self-respectin’ stallion tries t’ cheat jus’ t’ win some prize,” agreed Big Mac.

“And playing the game like this just makes it more fun,” added Cheese as they came around a corner, “not to mention all the suspense, wondering what’s gonna happen ne-”

“Hey, lookit that!” Soarin pointed ahead and they all saw it was another dead end, except this one had a headstone and something carved onto it. “Think that’s it?”

“Let’s see,” Thunderlane stepped forward while the others crowded around him and peered over his shoulders while Thunderlane read, “‘Don’t close your eyes, don’t try to hide, The Beast approaches with silent stride. Should you find yourself in doubt, where North meets West is your way out.”

“Where North meets West?” echoed Soarin, not understanding.
“Ooh, and it says we gotta be careful,” Cheese added with a shudder, “Midnight might not have been kidding about that Beast he mentioned before.”
“Th’ way is out...” Big Mac thought before saying, “Since wer’ in th’ maze, Ah reckon th’ clue means there’s another way outta here aside th’ entrance. But Ah helped put this thing t’gether, an’ Ah don’ know where another way out could be.”
“Where North meets West...” Blueblood considered, “Two directions meeting... at a point!”
“But how does that apply here?” pointed out Thunderlane. “There’s lost of paths in this maze where North and West can meet.”

“But hold on,” Blueblood looked down at the ground and drew two lines in the dirt, one vertical, the other horizontal, and making them meet, “The vertical line represents North and the horizontal one is West. What do they look like when they meet?”

The others looked carefully at what Blueblood was hinting and then they all got it, “A corner!”

“Exactly!” Blueblood smiled as he wiped the liens away, “And even a maze can have corners, and if I’m correct the way out we need to find is located where the maze’s exterior corner is where north meets west!”

“Way to go, Blue!” Cheese cheered, “Now let’s find that exit, before somepony else catches up, or the Beast comes along!”

They hurried down the way they came, and Soarin said, “Cheese, I’m sure Midnight’s just trying to make this scavenger hunt thing a little more scary with all that beast talk. We’re gonna be fine.”

Elsewhere in the Maze, Joe and Chili, dressed as a handsome secret agent and a foxy femme fatale thief, were wandering, unsure of what they were looking for.

“Ah, this sucks,” Joe sighed, “We’re gettin’ nowhere fast, we’re never gonna find that clue!”

“Well, even if we don’t win this scavenger hunt, sweetie,” Chili said, “I’m still having fun. It’s a perfect Nightmare Night, full moon, a chill in the air, and even this fog, really builds the suspense.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Joe eyed the fog, rolling along the ground like the breath of the dead, “it’s really starting to give me the creeps. Maybe we should just get outta here an’ go back to the Nightmare Night festival.”

A growling sound filled the air and Joe sighed, “Aw c’mon, Chil! You don’t need to growl about it.”

“Th-that isn’t me, Joe!” Chili pressed up against Joe, and he felt her anxiety as they heard the growling getting louder and then they heard footsteps, soft but heavy.

“What is that...?!” Joe’s voice wavered in rising terror as he held his mare close.
“I can’t tell if it’s coming from behind us or in front!” Chili began to shake.

Then, they saw them in the foggy darkness. A pair of eyes a piercing pale blue, like icicles, and then a maw opened, revealing fangs that flashed in the moonlight, and a dark form slowly became visible in the fog. Joe and Chili gasped in silent terror and found themselves frozen in fear as the Beast pounced!

Massive paws knocked the two apart, and Chili felt her head strike a rock as she fell to the ground while Joe cried out in horror. Though dazed, Chili remained conscious as she saw the Beast, huge and terrible. Before it, Joe may as well have been a newborn foal, and he was one of the larger stallions in Ponyville. Chili was helpless as Joe’s head was engulfed in the Beast’s maw, and she could do nothing as the Beast lifted Joe in its jaws, like a bird, and began to swallow him down no matter how hard Joe kicked. Chili was horrified as the moon shined through the fog and she saw the Beast’s form. It looked like a blend of a wolf and a gorilla, and she cried out in terror as the Beast swallowed Joe down with a mighty GULP and Joe, outlined by a lump, fell all the way into the Beast’s belly, which bounced from the weight of the stallion dropping in, and the Beast let out a hearty BELCH. Chili whimpered and very carefully tried to scoot away as the Beast licked its lips and happily rubbed its belly, before it set its eyes on her!

Chili screamed as a maw filled with fangs lunged right at her...

“Did you hear something?” Soarin asked as he and his friends found the corner of the maze they were looking for.

“Nnope.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Not me.”
“Me neither, but let’s see what we have here.”

Blueblood looked at the corner, “This is the place, a corner where North meets West. Except where’s the way out?”

“Maybe we just go through the wall?” Thunderlane suggested, and since nopony else had a better idea, they gave it a try.

Big Mac was surprised to find the corner was rather thin compared to the rest of the maze’s walls, and said, “Ah think we got it.”

He carefully moved through the wall of cornstalks and hay, and when he disappeared completely through it, he called, “C’mon through, boys, looks like we have our next clue here.”

Once the others made their way through, Big Mac was pointing to another headstone... only to find it didn’t have a rhyme on it, but a name.

Here lies Ol’ Hayseed, Ponyville Park Gardener

“Wha- Is this for real?!” Cheese grimaced, afraid that this was an actual grave.

“It can’t be,” Soarin protested, “Just last week I saw Ol’ Hayseed swing by the weather office! He was requesting a rain shower to pour a few days after Nightmare Night!”

“Not to mention this headstone is brand new,” Blueblood pointed out. “But if this grave is false, what does it mean?”

“Well, Ol’ Hayseed hasn’t kicked the bucket, we all know that,” Thunderlane conjectured, “so maybe... maybe this clue is directing us to Hayseed or- No- it’s telling us to go to the park!”

“Let’s git!” Big Mac led his friends away from the maze.

A few minutes after they left however, two more ponies came out of the maze corner, Comet Tail, dressed up as a vampire hunter and his friend Lucky Clover, a mad scientist.

“Whoa! Lookit this clue!” Lucky pointed to the headstone.

“Now I know that’s not real,” Comet said, sounding self-assured, “I saw Ol’ Hayseed at the Nightmare night Festival before we came here.”

“But whattya suppose it means?” asked Lucky, looking to Comet but finding his mad scientist goggles misty. “Oh, excuse me.”

He took them off and rubbed the lenses on his lab coat, “Must be getting late, the evening air.”

“I... don’t think that’s the air,” Comet responded warily and Lucky looked up to see a strange fog surrounding them, and then they both felt an odd dizziness for a moment but easily shook it off.
“Let’s just figure out this clue quick and-”

*Grrrr....*

Both stallions froze and Lucky whimpered, “Please tell me that was your stomach!”

“It’s not yours?” Comet whined in response.

The two of them slowly looked behind them to see a large hulking black figure panting hungrily, revealing a muzzle full of sharp teeth. Before either of them could open their mouths and scream, the Beast caught them both in its massive maw and GULPED them down, sighing with content at their struggles inside its belly...

Ponyville Park was normally a bright and happy place full of foals at play, ponies enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, often while dabbling into their hobbies. In other words, the park was one of the liveliest places in Ponyville on any given day. Tonight? Especially on Nightmare Night?

It was creepy.

A carpet of fog covered the grass, mist rising around the bushes and trees and lampposts, with the moonlight glowing through it, creating an eerie shadowy atmosphere. A few Nightmare Night decorations had been set up, such as jack-o-lanterns, fake cobwebs on the bushes and park benches, and balloon ghosts floating about without direction.

The five friends had a bit of a shiver as they slowly walked into the park, on the lookout for whatever it was they were looking for (and maybe also that Beast they kept hearing about).

“Hard to believe just this morning the park was so bright and happy,” Cheese shuddered under his sombrero, “now I don’t wanna be here at all.”

“Eeyup...” Big Mac agreed, almost tripping on his own bandages.

“Oh c’mon, guys!” Soarin pushed up the face-guard of his helmet, “so the park’s a little freaky-looking at night, big deal!”

“Let’s just find whatever the clue is and get outta here,” Thunderlane huffed, pulling his trench coat a little tighter to fend off the nightly chill, “Maybe we’re supposed to find Ol’ Hayseed.”

“Hayseed could be here,” Blueblood supposed, “but I imagine he’s more likely to be at home asleep. Though he does have a shed for his gardening tools close by.”

“Sounds as good a place as any t’ hide a clue,” Big Mac agreed.

Finding the shed wasn’t a problem, though the open coffin set in front of the door was rather disturbing.

“Gentlecolts, I am starting to think Midnight’s reaching the point of going too far,” Blueblood grimaced at the sight of the coffin.

“Well, I’ll admit, it’s a little scary,” Soarin shrugged, “but lots of ponies set up fake coffins for Nightmare Night decorations.”

“Except this thing’s a real coffin, and there’s also a note inside,” Thunderlane picked it up and his friends listened as he read “‘Ponyville Funerary Service’. Now why would Midnight be telling us to check out a funerary service?”

“There’s no building in Ponyville that specializes in funerals,” Cheese Sandwich pointed out, “that’d be really depressing for anypony who worked there.”

“But there is an office at Town Hall where one goes to discuss funerary services,” Blueblood brought up, “Maybe the next clue is at Town Hall.”

“Then let’s go, I don’t wanna look at this coffin for another second,” Soarin was already trotting off, Big Mac following with his usual ‘Eeyup’, and the rest followed.

The Crusader Colts had given up and left the Haunted Maze. Twinken was dressed up as a Canis Minor, Rumble was a bandit with a black and white striped shirt, a black eye mask, a black knit cap, and his “bandit bag” doubled as his bag full of goodies he’d already gotten from trick-or-treating, and Button Mash was dressed up as Asriel from Undertail.

“This sucks, we searched all over that maze for ‘where north meets west’ but I still don’t have an idea of what it meant!” Rumble grumbled.

“Aw, it’s alright, guys,” Twinken assured, “we can still have fun at the Nightmare Night Festival back in town.”

“That’s cool, we can get some treats from Mr. & Mrs. Cake,” Button Mash suggested as the three of them trotted down the path, which was becoming carpeted with an eldritch fog.
“Uh... you guys wanna race? Not that I’m scared and wanna get back into town as fast as we can or anything!”

“I’m not in the mood for running...” Rumble said tiresomely. “Let’s just walk. It’s spooky out but it’s also kinda pretty.”

*snap*

Twinken’s ears flicked and he looked back down the way they came, but the fog, and a cloud blocking the moon, cast their surroundings in near-total darkness. At least it did for Rumble and Button. Ever since becoming a lunar pony, Twinken had slowly begun to notice how sharper his senses were. Where total darkness could render a normal pony completely blind, it was now still adequately perceivable for Twinken, like walking in a dark room but still being able to see the shapes and faint colors of his surroundings. His hearing improved as well, and he knew whatever had made that sound just now was a fair distance away. He also noticed how he could feel it whenever the moon was out, like it made him feel stronger somehow.

He focused his red eyes, the pupils narrowing into slits like a cat, and his vision was improved further, allowing him to see the bushes and sparse woodland around them. As well as a large dark shape moving about in the distant foliage.

“M-m-maybe we should hurry back to town,” Twinken’s voice wavered a little but he did his best to keep his cool, “It’s getting a little too spooky out, for my tastes.”

“But that’s exactly what makes it so cool,” Rumble responded with a smirk as he trotted forward to lead his friends. “A creepy moonlit night, the ground covered with this spooky fog, it’s a perfect Nightmare Night!”

*WHOOSH*

Something had just moved incredibly fast, and when Rumble and Twinken turned around... there was no Button Mash!!!

“Button? Button! Where’d ya go?!” Twinken looked around for his friend a tad frantically.

“Uh, he... he’s probably just trying to scare us,” Rumble brushed it off with a chuckle, “Okay, good one, Button. You can come out now!”

From the darkness came a BURP of a response.

“Did you hear that?!” Twinken’s little hooves were really staring to shake.

“Oh I bet it’s Button eating some of his candy,” Rumble brushed it off again. “C’mon, Button, the joke’s over now!”

“Rumble... I don’t think that was Button,” Twinken whimpered, his ears folding back, “Let’s get outta here!”

“Twinken, come back!” Rumble yelled after the little unicorn colt as he began to gallop off down the trail. “This is just Button’s idea of a Nightmare Night prank, you don’t have to be-”

Then, bursting from a shadowy bush on the side of the trail, a large mass growling with hunger pounced on Twinken, who screamed before Rumble heard a SLURP and a GULP before the big thing seemed to vanish like smoke!

The little gray pegasus stood there, frozen in shock at what he’d just seen!

“T--T-Twinken...?” Rumble whined as he realized, I just saw my friend get eaten!

Maybe there was still time, he could turn around right now, and if he hurried he could get back to the Haunted Maze and warn Granny Smith and the Crusader fillies what had just happened. But as he backed up, just before he was going to turn around, his rump bumped into something. He froze, and reached back with his wing, feeling something big and furry, before he heard a growl, and a line of drool dribbled down in front of him. Dread filled him, he didn’t want to look up, but look he did.

He was swallowed whole and alive before he ever had a chance to scream!

301. Scare Master - Part 3

“Hello?”

The five stallions entered Town Hall, finding it quiet, empty, and dark, as opposed to the loud, merry, and bright festival going on outside. Blueblood lit up his horn, casting a golden periwinkle radiance, as he led his friends inwards, “Well, ordinarily Town Hall would be locked during a holiday like this.”

“Eeyup,`cept it ain’t, so Ah s’pose wer’ where wer’ s’posed t’ be,” Big Mac added with an agreeing nod.

“I guess Midnight unlocked the doors for anypony who made it to this point in the Scavenger Hunt,” Thunderlane surmised.

“I hope the next clue ain’t so spooky...” Cheese had not enjoyed the coffin outside Hayseed’s gardening shed.

“There’s the office for funeral services,” Soarin pointed to a door, “let’s check it out.”

The five of them crowded through the door and found it was a simple office with a desk and chair, filing cabinets, but the most eye-catching feature was the desk lamp turned on with some kind of card in its light. Blueblood picked it up with his magic and floated towards them so they could read it.
“Hmm, this is a business card for the Ponyville Lumber Depot.”

“Phew!” Cheese was relieved that the clue this time was straightforward and in no way scary.

“That’s on the far side of town,” Soarin commented, “and it’s getting late. If we’re gonna win this Scavenger Hunt we’d better hustle!”

“Let’s ride!” Big Mac led the charge out of Town Hall but Blueblood made sure to leave the business card back under the desk lamp, to be a good sport.

Double Diamond led his friends, Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle through a shortcut he’d suggested. But somehow, that shortcut led them to one of the more isolated alleyways of Ponyville.

“Nice shortcut, DD,” Night Glider groaned, which complemented her zombie pony costume.

“Okay, so maybe the fog got me a little mixed up,” Double Diamond apologized, glad for his Abominable Snow Pony costume keeping him nice and warm on this chilly night.

“Well, I hope we find our way soon,” Party Favor sighed, not looking like a happy clown in his clown costume, “I’m pretty sure somepony else got to the coffin by the shed in the park before us.”

“Don’t worry, everypony, you have me to light the way,” Sugar Belle giggled in her birthday cupcake costume, using her lit-up horn as the candlelight. “Let’s try this way!”

As Sugar Belle led her friends, they found the alleyways eerie. They heard the chilly breeze, distant sounds of trash being blown by said breeze, a distant yowl of a cat, and the only lights were coming from ponies’ backdoor porch lights. The fog made it even spookier, and then a cloud began to block out the moon-

*whoosh*

“Did you hear that, Night Glider?” asked Double Diamond as they took the straight way down an intersection of alleyways..

Silence.

“Night Glider?” Double Diamond looked back and stifled a gasp to see nopony behind him. “Uh, guys? Where’s Night Glider?”

Party Favor and Sugar Belle stopped and looked back as well, the former saying, “Wasn’t she right behind you?”

“She was, and so was this sound I heard,” Double Diamond looked around, seeing only the intersection. “I don’t know what it was, it was so soft I almost didn’t hear it. That’s why I asked if Night Glider heard it but all of a sudden she’s gone!”

“Maybe she took a wrong turn. I’ll go find her,” Party Favor took the left alleyway.
“In that case I’ll take the other way,” Double Diamond volunteered.

But before he left, he looked to Sugar Belle, “Hey Sugar, stay here and keep your horn lit so we can find you after we find Night Glider.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Sugar Belle promised but when she realized she was alone after Double Diamond and Party Favor took off, she called out, “But don’t take too long, okay?!”

...

“Oh...” Sugar Belle began to shiver, and the fog around her made her feel as though she were surrounded by ghosts.

“HELLLLLPPP!!!”

“Huh?” Sugar Belle wasn’t sure, but did she just hear somepony call out for help? It sounded like it came from the alleyway Party Favor took.

She slowly moved towards the alleyway Party had gone down, but didn’t see horn nor hoof of him. That didn’t stop her from softly calling out, “Party? Are-are you okay?”

*BELCH*

Sugar Belle eep’d and leaped up before spinning around to look down the alleyway Double Diamond had taken. She didn’t see him either, and her horn light flickered as her heart began to pound in her barrel. She took frantic soft breaths, trying and failing to calm down... when the fog thickened in the alleyway they’d all come from before splitting up, and she heard heavy footsteps. Heavy but soft, so they couldn’t be from hooves. Despite her rising panic, Sugar Belle was frozen as she heard it coming, and she knew it was big, even as the fog masked its movements.

Then the cloud above finally passed, and the moonlight shined down, illuminating through the fog and Sugar Belle gasped in abject horror to see the outline of this horrible something stalking her through the mist. Then its eyes glowed icy blue, and she heard a distinct yet soft growl as it lowered its head towards her... and then blew out the light of her horn, like she really were a cupcake with a birthday candle.

Sugar Belle screamed as the fog suddenly swirled around her, blinding her in its chilly vaporous embrace before she heard a hungry growl and was surrounded by teeth and a tongue!

Ponyville Lumber Depot was a large warehouse located not far from Blueblood’s own personal airship constructing warehouse. The business kept afloat by purchasing, selling, and distributing lumber, not only in Ponyville but from many other lumber businesses across Equestria. At one point, the Depot’s manager had tried cutting down trees from the Everfree Forest to use as lumber, but bad things happened to the pony lumberjacks who did, as well as anypony who bought the lumber made from the Everfree’s trees.

The rumors and superstition led to many ponies refusing to do business with the depot for a while that it almost went bankrupt, especially after somepony lost his leg when an Everfree log loosened and crushed it. It was only when the manager swore no more lumber would be cut down from the Everfree Forest did the strange accidents and bad luck stop.

The warehouse was surrounded by a chain-link fence, and the yard had huge piles of lumber, some loaded in wagons, with signs indicating from where they came and where they were going, and who was purchasing them.

The wide-open gate was clue enough that they were supposed to be here, but the five friends still found this... intimidating as they walked about the Depot’s yard, uncertain of what to expect or where to look for the next clue.

Cheese winced at the sight of so many saws and axes gleaming in the moonlight, and whispered, “I hope we find that clue quick, this place is spooky at night!”

“Relax,” Blueblood sighed, starting to get a little tired of this runaround, “I’m fairly certain Midnight’s next clue is close by.”

“You can say that again.” Everypony looked to see Thunderlane pointing to what was oddly a trail of sawdust.

Following it led them around back the Depot, towards a woodpile and an axe sticking out of a dead stump with a note tied to the axe’s handle. Blueblood picked it up and everyone crowded him (to his chagrin) as he began to read the clue.

“’Nightmare Moon, Nightmare Moon, if she doesn’t get you, the Beast will soon. To Whitetail Woods, go feast your eyes, for deep within you’ll find your prize. Though beware the late hours of Nightmare Night. For that is when the Beast whets his appetite. If still you seek some Nightmare Fun, I have just one word left for you:

RUN.’”

Not a moment after Blueblood finished reading that clue did the five friends hear the sinister silence be broken by a chilling howl!

“Let’s git!” Big Mac suggested and nopony argued as they quickly made tracks.

Thankfully, the depot wasn’t far from Whitetail Woods, and the five friends stood outside those woodlands, enshrouded with a fog so thick one could cut it with a knife. It was eerily silent, the quiet almost sinister, and the moonlight’s guiding glow only seemed to make the sight before them even more mane-raising.

“Um, on second thought, guys,” Cheese chuckled nervously, “why don’t we call it a night and just go home. There’s no shame in throwing in the towel, right? Right?!”

“No way, we made it this far, we’re not quitting just because we get cold hooves,” Thunderlane declared, flaring his wings while straightening his fedora, “Eyes on the prize, boys!”

“Whitetail Woods is nowhere near the size of the Everfree Forest,” Blueblood considered, “yet it is still plenty thick with trees and foliage in certain areas. I haven’t studied any maps on it so I can’t even guess as to where Midnight will have placed the prize.”

“Ah’ve been here a few times an’ remember a few places innit,” Big Mac spoke up, “not sure if Midnight left th’ prize at any of em but at least Ah know th’ area, morer less.”

“Okay guys, I know you don’t want me to,” Soarin flapped up, “but I can’t take this anymore! I’m just gonna fly and look for the prize from above!”

“No wait, Soarin!” Cheese cried out as their friend took flight, “Rule number one in scary situations: Never split up!!”

But Soarin was already much too high to hear his friends’ protests, and with each beat of his wings he rose even higher and higher until he beheld the entirety of the Whitetail Woods. Blueblood was right, this woodland area wasn’t that big, but there were some rather thick patches here and there and very few clearings, not including a couple of ponds bridged by a creek that branched from a river that ran along once side, and the trail that was often used by Ponyville during the Running of the Leaves, which wasn’t far off.

“Heh, no way that Beast can get me up here,” Soarin smirked before concentrating. Sharp as his pegasus eyes were they weren’t designed to help him see in the dark, despite the full moon providing a helping glow.
“Now... where would Midnight have hidden that-”

Before he could finish that sentence, he found himself hurtling towards the treetops with a hungry growl in his ears, his wings pinned to his barrel by huge strong paws, and just before he we enveloped by the leafy environment below, he managed to look up into the eyes of the Beast, and screamed like a little filly.

Blueblood, Big Mac, Thunderlane, and Cheese Sandwich stood there with dropped jaws and eyes wider than dinner plates at what they had just witnessed. They never even saw it coming, never even suspected the Beast could fly. But it had, right out of the night sky, from behind a shadowy cloud, on wings like a giant bat yet its wingbeats had been silent like an owl’s. The Beast had struck from above and free-fallen into Whitetail Woods all the while holding Soarin in its grasp before they both vanished over the tree line.

...

“And that’s why you don’t break rule number one,” Blueblood deadpanned, ending the morbid moment.

“What he- He wa- It jus- I don’t-” Cheese flabbergasted, trying to find his voice, until Thunderlane smacked him in the face, and Cheese took a moment before calmly saying, “Thank you,” and cleared his throat, “WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!?!”

"Either Midnight is taking this too far, or there really is a Beast out here," Thunderlane answered grimly, "I just hope Soarin's okay."

"Take care," Blueblood suggested, "Be mindful of your surroundings. Forget the prize, we gotta find Soarin and get the heck out of here!"

"Eeyup," Big Mac led them in.

The Whitetail Woods was a beautiful place, perfect to go on nature-walks and enjoy natural scenery any time of the year. During the day. At night, with this eerie fog and the full moon glow, not to mention knowing a pony-eating Beast was on the loose, it was quite possibly the scariest place the five stallions had ever been. Their senses were on red-alert, their ears perking at every sound, doing their best to see in this foggy darkness where the shapes of the trees and the foliage could actually be something far more monstrous...

"Oh! I just wanna find Soarin and get the hay outta here!" whined Cheese, earning him a collective SHUSH from the others, "Sorry, it's just... in the horror movies, you have Rule Number One - Never separate from the group. But then there's the next rule!"

"And what, pray tell, is that?" Blueblood was afraid to ask, with a roll of his eyes, only to get his cheeks smushed between a freaked-out Cheese Sandwich's hooves.

"Rule Number Two!" the Party Pony answered in a shuddery whisper, "The monster and-or villain hunts down the good-looking comic relief guy- ME!!!"

"Get a grip, Cheese Sandwich!" aggravated Blueblood, "as long as we stick together and stand our ground we'll be fine."

"He's right," Thunderlane agreed, adding with a firm tone, "there's nothing to be afraid of."

A distant mournful howl interrupted the conversation, as if some nightmarish entity begged to differ, causing Cheese to shiver even more as he hid behind Big Mac. The wrapped-up pony patted Cheese on the back a couple times before jerking his head towards the main trail, saying, "C'mon, y'all."

As they walked down the trail, Big Mac stepped over what appeared to be an upturned root. However, Cheese didn't see it and-

"Yow!" Kerplump!

Mac, Blue, and Thunder all froze up but sighed to see Cheese had just faceplanted into the ground, his sombrero falling off. He lifted his face, spat out a pebble, and chuckled nervously, "Uh, I'm good."

They all sighed and shook their heads before continuing. But as Cheese was standing up and dusting himself off, he felt something curl around his rear fetlock and looked in horror to see something that was most definitely not a root suddenly ensnare him!

"AUGH!!! GUYS, HELP!!"

The others turned and gasped to see Cheese was being dragged away by his hind leg, which was ensnared by something long and furry. He was being dragged towards a large burrow-like hole at the base of a tree, but Mac and Blue quickly hurried over and grabbed their friend by his front hooves. They grunted and groaned, as whatever had its grasp on Cheese was STRONG. Thunderlane hurried over and started beating on the furry tail? Tentacle? He wasn't sure, but he started slamming down on it with his hooves. He heard an annoyed snarl from within the hole, as another furry limb lashed out, knocking Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Big Mac away, and they could only watch as Cheese was dragged under, screaming, "WHAT'D I TELL YOU?! RULE NUMBER TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...!!!"

And then, the hole Cheese had been dragged into, suddenly closed up, Blueblood, Mac, and Thunderlane each looking freaked out!

"Okay, this has officially stopped being fun!" Thunderlane raised his wings, ready to fly if he had to.

"Eeyup!"

"Now, uh- Don't panic!" Blueblood pulled off his hat, as his mane was feeling sweaty, "We-we can still save our friends, maybe... maybe if we get the prize Midnight will show up and help us!"

"Okay! That-that sounds like a plan!" Thunderlane agreed, "Let's go!"

The three started galloping down the trail when they heard a haunting mournful growl, and looked back to see the fog turning dark and bunching up. Then the fog rose up and formed a figure with piercing blue eyes that turned angry red surrounded by a sickly green, and purplish miasma flowed out the corners of the eyes. Big Mac and Thunderlane felt their hearts jump into their throats as they remembered seeing eyes just like those... when the Crystal Empire returned!

Blueblood lit up his horn and fired a Magic Arrow spell at the figure, which snarled in vexation as the bolt of mana went through it, creating a gaping hole that quickly closed up. The beastly fog continued to slither towards them, so Blueblood looked back, saying, "Go on! I'll hold it off for as long as I can!"

"Don' be crazy, haystack!" Big Mac protested, "Ya cain't beat tha' thing!"

"I don't need to beat it!" Blueblood responded before he looked back at their amorphous adversary and pawed the ground with his hoof, his horn aglow even as the monster rose up like an ocean wave... before it came down and Blueblood charged forward, his horn shining brightly even as it all crashed down upon him.

"BLUE!!!" Thunderlane and Big Mac called out to their friend but it was too late.

The fiendish fog dispersed and all that was left of Blueblood was his hat.

"This can't be happening!" Thunderlane flipped out, starting to finally panic for real, "This-this-this is jus- It's supposed to be a dumb game!"

"Pull it t'gether, haystack!" Big Mac grabbed Thunderlane by the shoulders and gave him a shake before meeting his eyes, "There's still a chance, but now, we gotta run!"

The same mournful howl from before sounded as if to punctuate Big Mac's words, and the two stallions got galloping. They ran along the trail that led deeper into Whitetail Woods, hoping that it would lead them to the prize. Terror spurred them onward, along with a fading hope that there was still time to save their friends. The moon had reached her highest point, casting her guiding glow directly downwards, so the two had an easier time seeing in the dark.

That didn't however stop them from seeing the ridge they were running straight towards and any moment no-

"YOW!" "NNNOPE!!" "OUCH!" "OOF!!" "EECH!!" "DAMMIT!" "LOOK OUT!!" "A-HA-HOW!!"

Thunderlane groaned in pain, and grunted as he lifted his head, only to feel Big Mac's big keister weighing him down and his cropped tail and some of his mummy bandages coming down over the dark gray pegasus' eyes.
"Mac..." he groaned, "would you be so kind as to, I dunno.... get. Off. ME?"

"Whoop! Ergh, sorry there, haystack," Big Mac got up, allowing his friend to do so as well, when they heard heavy foot falls and looked up the way they came and saw it.

It was huge, bigger than a bison, but while its mass was bulky it was much more slender and it stood noticeably taller. It was covered in thick shaggy fur as black as pitch. Its body was ape-like, with long meaty arms that ended in sharp claws while its legs were stifle-jointed and had paws. Spreading from behind its back were the leathery wings of a bat, and writhing off of its shoulders were snaky tendrils of shadow. The head however was unmistakably that of a wolf, its maw opened to reveal razor-sharp teeth and fangs dribbling with drool, and a fat pink tongue hung out as it glared hungrily down at the two ponies as a long whip-like bushy tail rose up behind it, like a cat ready to pounce.

"Thunder..." Big Mac said warily as he kept his eyes on the monster leering down on them, "Get goin'!"

"Not a chance, Mac!" Thunderlane gaped at his friend like he was crazy, "I'm not leaving you to face that thing by yourself!"

"Thunder, Ah'm jus' gonna slow you down," Big Mac reasoned, "Y'gotta find th' prize an' get Midnight here quick as you can. Ah can prob'ly hold `im off for a lil' while but it's gotta be you an' those wings o' yers."

"But Mac-"

"GO!!" Big Mac shouted as he saw the Beast lunge down, and the sight of the monster coming spurred Thunderlane to take flight!

The Beast landed with a heavy THUD onto the ground at the bottom of the ridge, and glared across the way towards Mac. The farmer pony narrowed his eyes, snorted with fervor, and pawed at the ground. Pony and Beast stood there, waiting for the other to make a move, but the big red stallion's patience was legendary. It wasn't long before the Beast snarled and started running. Big Mac cracked out a crick in his neck and shoulders before rearing up to flail his front legs and charged to meet his opponent head on!

The gap quickly closed and Big Mac lowered his head and took a leap...!

Into nothing?!

As soon as his head made contact with the Beast, what should have been an epic headbutt became Mac taking a head over tail of a tumble across the ground. He barely managed to get up and see the fading smoky wisps of the Beast's body being blown away by the night wind.

"Wha' in th' Sam Hay- URGH!!" Big Macintosh was suddenly tackled from the side, and found himself pinned to the ground, a heavy paw on his throat, and he gazed up to see the Beast glaring down at him, hunger written all over its vicious face.

Then, to Mac's horror, the Beast grew! It hunched its back as its muscles ballooned, its limbs lengthened, its bones seemed to snap and crick as it growled in pain. Big Mac breathlessly gasped as the Beast now towered over him like wolf over a lamb! Then, the Beast forced Mac around before clamping its lupine jaws onto his rump, and Big Mac struggled to get loose, only for the Beast's paw to pin him even harder to the ground. Then, the Beast grabbed Mac by his barrel and lifted him up as he felt its jaws widen around his backside, his hind legs were forced up, and the Beast threw its head back, letting gravity do the rest.

"NNOPE!! NNOPE!!!" Big Mac screamed but his struggles only caused him to sink further down as the Beast began to swallow.

Thunderlane had put distance between himself and the Beast, but he'd heard his friend's screams and stopped. He hid in a tree and looked on in horror as Big Mac was swallowed alive, the Beast's throat expanding to accommodate the large earth pony stallion, and before Thunderlane knew it the Beast's jaws completely encased Mac in its mouth and there was a loud GLUCK sound, and the huge bulge in the Beast's throat slid down its chest and Thunderlane saw its belly bounce downwards as he realized Big Mac had dropped entirely into the monster's stomach. The gut expanded and thrashed, the stallion inside squirming in terror.

This can't be real... this can't be real!!! Thunderlane's mind raced and then derailed as he saw the Beast look straight in his direction and he knew that somehow the Beast was aware of his location.

The Beast pulled its lips back into what was unmistakably a smile, sinister and hungry, as it licked its jagged chops as the fog around it seemed to rise up, completely concealing it before it blew away in the breeze, the Beast vanishing without a trace.

"Screw this, I'm flying!" Thunderlane flew up high into the night sky and gazed down. "Now... where is that- !!!"

Something gave off a haunting glow right in the middle of a large clearing smack dab in the middle of the Whitetail Woods. He focused his pegasus eyes and saw this the "glow" coming off of this something was behaving like steam wafting off a hot meal. Deciding to get a closer look, he dived down to the clearing, landing in a meadow of silvery-white grass and saw this glowing something was some kind of small archaic-looking chest.

That's gotta be it! Thunderlane zipped up to the chest, and the moment his hoof touched it, the wisp-like glow it gave off went out. Hesitantly, he opened the chest and found it empty aside from a folded piece of paper at the bottom. He picked it up with his feathers and carefulyl opened it to see it was written with something.

"'Congratulations, Winner of the Scavenger Hunt'?!" Thunderlane couldn't believe this, the prize was a slip congratulating him?!

"Well done."

Thunderlane almost jumped right out of his trench coat, his fedora falling off, and he looked to see Midnight, still wearing his hooded cloak, descending down with his bat-like wings, his eyes giving off their pale blue glow.
"Thunderlane, you are the Winner of my little Scavenger Hunt."

"FORGET YOUR STUPID SCAVENGER HUNT!!!" Thunderlane roared into Midnight's face, "That beast you were talking about?! IT'S REAL!! It ate all of our friends and who knows how many other ponies!!!"

...

The silence was disturbing when Midnight sighed, "I had hoped this year would be different..."

"What're you talking about?!" Thunderlane demanded, "You know this Beast?"

"I do," Midnight nodded solemnly as he stepped past Thunderlane and lowered his hooded face, "This creature is under a curse... Every year, on Nightmare Night, this poor soul is beset by this dreaded curse, and transformed... into the Beast. It is overcome with a painful hunger to fill its belly, and nothing can stop it."

"How do you know about it?" Thunderlane looked at his cloaked friend, "Why didn't you warn anypony for real about the Beast?!"

"Because, Thunderlane..." Midnight's voice deepened into a monstrous growl, and then he grunted and groaned and hunched over.

Thunderlane looked on in icy terror, as Midnight's form, still covered by the cloak, shuddered and writhed. He heard bones snap and flesh stretch, Midnight growling and groaning in agony, his voice monstrous and deepening, before he began to grow. The cloak concealed his growth a short while before he outgrew it, and the hood tore as Midnight's neck and head expanded, his muzzle turning lupine and opened into a roaring maw full of silvery sharp fangs, his horn lengthened, smoothed out, and curved upwards, turning blade-like, his ears grew tufts at the end of them, his hooves seemed to crack apart to reveal large paws with terrible claws, his ruined cloak fell away to reveal his coat had turned into a shaggy pelt of black fur, his tail thickened at the vase while his mane extended down his spine and along his tail all the way to the lion-like tuft at the end, from which grew a long crescent-shaped blade-like spike of bone, and the bat-like wings fanned out, the span making them look dragon-like, before the Beast turned around to face the frozen Thunderlane as it opened its mouth and snarled, "I am the Beast!!"

"M-Midnight...?!" Thunderlane tried to move but his body wouldn't respond.

"And I'm soooo hungry...!!!"

"M-M-Midnight... Please!" Thunderlane managed to utter out but his plea fell on deaf ears.

The Beast Midnight had become snarled softly as he hunkered down, his hind quarters in the air, tail rising... and he pounced!

Thunderlane felt two large paws grab him from both sides before he was flung into the air! He screamed and tried to fly, but his wings felt locked to his sides, and as he began to fall he looked down to see the Beast's maw open as he fell headfirst down its gullet! Entering the fleshy tunnel, Thunderlane felt himself completely restricted as the throat muscles pressed down on him from all side. It was hot and slimy and as he slid down further into the esophagus, it all became too much. The pressure from all sides, the hot stinky thin air, the fear and anxiety he'd experienced...

Goodbye, Rumble... was Thunderlane's last thought as everything went dark.

*CRACK/POP*

"What the?!"

"CONGRATULATIONS, THUNDERLANE!!!"

Thunderlane thought he was hearing things, but when he felt his wings loosen up, he slowly stretched them out to his full wingspan. Every so slowly, with a deep breath, he opened his eyes... and found himself blinded a moment before his eyes readjusted, and he saw he was surrounded by ponies in their costumes! He saw his friends, he saw the Crusader Colts, he saw Joe, Chili, Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, Comet Tail, Lucky Clover, and several others.

They all stood with him in a large room with dark pink walls, lit up with candles and jack-o-lanterns, Nightmare Night decorations covering the walls, a long table covered with treats and drinks and foods, there was a couple Spider Toss games, a game that read 'Whack-a-Spook', a skeeball game, a wooden tub filled with water and apples for apple-bobbing, armchairs and beanbag chairs with coffee tables, a boombox set upon a couple speakers, and standing in the middle of it all, garbed in his shadowy cloak but his hood pulled down, was Midnight Blaze!

"Congrats to you, Thunderlane, and welcome everypony!"

"Hold on a minute!!" Thunderlane cried out while pointing an accusing hoof ad Midnight, "You- you turned into a Beast! You ate me! And my friends- WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE PALE ONE IS GOING ON HERE?!?!"

"It was all a trick, Thunder," Midnight said with a sneaky smile, "Did anypony notice how foggy it was all night long?"

Thunderlane stood there a moment and did recall that it had been foggy the entire Nightmare Night no matter where he and his friends went. The other ponies all murmured and nodded, so Midnight continued.
"The fog was actually a magical spell I cast over all of Ponyville, as well as to the locations of every clue in the scavenger hunt. Those who breathed in the fog would be subject to a hypnosis and powerful illusion, causing them to see the Beast and think they were being hunted down and eaten alive. When in fact, I was capturing the participants of my little contest every time a clue was found, and bringing them here to wait for the winner's congratulatory Nightmare Night Party!"

"So wait a doughnut-picking minute!" Joe spoke up, "Youse mean to tell me, the Beast, thinking we were getting eaten- It wasn't real?!"

"Of course not, Uncle Joe," Midnight assured, "It was all nothing more than an illusion and special hypnosis. Nopony was ever in any real danger, only subject to my biggest Nightmare Night prank yet!"

Then he looked back to Thunderlane, "So now, Thunderlane, as the winner of my scavenger hunt, I award you this as your prize!"

Midnight's horn glowed and popping into existence before Thunderlane was a pair of goggles, the frame was black while the lenses were crystalline, the strap was elastic, and somehow Thunderlane new these goggles were not ordinary.

"These goggles are special," Midnight explained, "I enchanted them to allow the wearer to see in the dark and detect sources of living energy, plus they repel water, making them perfect for flying through rainy weather. In addition..."

Midnight lit up his horn again, and in front of everypony present did appear a small black card, "I invite everypony who participated to join... the Midnight Society! A little club I'm putting together where the members will meet every once in a while to share ghost stories by campfire, as well as discuss plans or parties or pranks for Nightmare Night!"

"Ooh...!" "Cool!" "That sounds awesome." "I could get into that!" The ponies present all shared looks of interest.

"And now, I invite everypony here to relax, mingle, and enjoy this party to your hearts' contents!" Midnght declared and everypony cheered in response.

They ate good food and treats, talked and joked, played some of the games provided, but as the party went on, Thunderlane approached Midnight and asked him a question.

"Seriously?! The whole Beast thing and getting eaten alive was a trick?"

Midnight gave Thunderlane a smirk and then said, "Get the rest of the guys over here and I'll tell you everything."

A couple of minutes later, Midnight stood with his five friends in a secluded spot away from the party, Macintosh, Blueblood, Cheese Sandwich, Soarin, and Thunderlane all giving him an expectant look.

"I was fibbing earlier," Midnight admitted, "I did transform into a Beast and swallow everypony here whole and alive, including you guys."

His five friends all gave Midnight terrified looks and even took a step back from him.
"Relax, nopony's in any real danger. Let me explain - Every alicorn has a Pocket Dimension in which they can do anything they imagine. The fog I mentioned earlier? It was actually blending the realities of the dimension we live in with my own Pocket Dimension. In my Beast form, I swallowed everypony and sent them to my Pocket Dimension, which is currently existing at the same time as my own stomach. Take a look around you."

Following Midnight's instruction, the guys looked around and then they realized the dark pink walls around them were fleshy and moist!

"How in th' hay...?!" Big Mac couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"This room is a metaphysical place that is also my stomach at the same time," Midnight explained, "and I'm both here inside my belly with you guys, and at the same time I'm outside back in Ponyville, sitting in a dark corner with an aversion ward active so nopony out there bothers me."

"So you mean to say we're really in your stomach?!" Soarin gaped at Midnight like the alicorn had just grown two heads.

"In a sense, you're all in two places," Midnight elaborated, "My stomach and my Pocket Dimension. Everything in here is as real as I want it to be, the food, the decorations, even this avatar of myself you see. The only reason you guys can see my stomach walls is because I allowed you to by pointing them out. Everypony else here simply thinks they're in a room having a Nightmare Night Party.

"Once the party's over, I'll release everypony here back out into Town Square and everypony will go home tonight with a Nightmare Night they won't soon forget."

...

"When you say 'release', do you mean the front door or the back?" Cheese asked.

Sometime later, Midnight woke up in the corner where he'd went into a trance, and dispelled the Aversion Ward he'd put up. Looking around, he saw that the Nightmare night Festival was wrapping up. The Cakes were closing down their snack stand, their baby twins asleep on their stroller, he saw the girls sans Fluttershy walking together in the midst of an ecstatic conversation, from which he could hear 'prank' and Fluttershy', he saw Mayor Mare talking with some ponies who carried sacks and sticks with points at the ends for picking up trash, and parents taking their foals home.

"Well, looks about as good a time as any," Midnight stood up and oof'd, placing his hoof on his full belly, which felt as big and round as a basketball, and he thought with a grim chuckle, Guess I ate too much!

He walked over to the front of Town Hall and faced outwards before taking a deep breath... and letting out a monstrous BELCH.

From Midnight's mouth came a familiar fog that enshrouded the whole area before Town Hall, and he willed a gentle breeze to blow it away, revealing everypony who'd participated in his scavenger hunt. They all murmured in slight confusion to find themselves outside Town Hall, when Midnight called out, "Well, everypony! Tonight was quite a Nightmare Night to remember, if I do say so myself, and I do. I hope you all had fun tonight, had some good scares, and some good treats. I wish you all a safe walk home and a good night's sleep. Happy Nightmare Night, everypony!"

"Happy Nightmare Night!!" Everypony responded with a rousing cheer, but it was quickly followed by yawns and 'good night's to each other as the crowd began to disperse and go home.

Thunderlane approached Midnight, and the stoic look on the pegasus stallion's face gave Midnight a moment of fear that perhaps he'd gone too far and Thunderlane was angry. But then Thunderlane chuckled lightly and said, "I gotta admit, your 'Beast swallowing everypony alive' thing was probably the scariest prank I've ever seen on Nightmare Night, or any other night! Thanks for the party, Midnight, and the prize."

"I'm glad there's no hard feelings, Thunder," Midnight sighed in relief, "and you deserve that prize. I'm pretty sure you'll find it comes in handy one day."

"I'm sure it will," Thunderlane nodded when he felt a tap on his leg and looked to see it was Rumble, looking tired.

"Can we go home, Thunder?" yawned the little gray pegasus. "I'm... feeling real sleepy."

"Sure, pal, let's go," Thunderlane placed his brother onto his back so Rumble wouldn't have to walk, and then said to his friend, "Happy Nightmare Night, Midnight."

"Happy Nightmare Night, Thunder, and you too, Rumble," Midnight waved them off Thunderlane began the walk home when he heard a distant howl in the night sky, and flinched a moment.

He looked back at Midnight in alarm, but the alicorn shrugged and said, "Hey, don't lookit me!"

The awkward moment lasted all of three seconds before they two stallions had a laugh, and both went home to hit the hay.

302. The Pale One - Part 1

The mid-morning of Sweet Apple Acres was busy, as it typically was. Especially for Applejack. With Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Midnight, Faerie Tail, Twinken, and even Thunderlane, Rumble, and Button Mash's help, Applebucking Season was coming along nicely, and it wouldn't be long before it was Apple Cider Season, what with Fall already halfway through. The Running of the Leaves wasn't that long ago (Midnight won again, to Applejack's irritation), but as Winter wasn't far off the Apple Family had to make sure everything was ready and they drummed up enough business to keep the farm afloat through the winter.

"Hoo-whee!" Applejack wiped the sweat from her brow as she loaded the last basket of apples onto the wagon, the boys and Faerie Tail stood by as the cowgirl declared, "Well, everypony, Ah do hereby declare Applebucking Season a success!"

Everypony cheered, stamped their hooves, but abruptly stopped when Applejack raised her hoof for their attention, at which point she added, "Ah'm mighty proud o' my fam'ly an' truly thankful t' our friends fer workin' hard an' in record time too! Which is why Ah invite y'all t' join us inside fer a nice hearty lunch courtesy o' Granny Smith."

"That's for me!" Midnight licked his lips.
"Can we have apple cinnamon pie too?" asked Twinken, with added pleas from Rumble and Button Mash.
"If we do, it's good we didn't ask Soarin to help out," Thunderlane cracked wise, "he'd have inhaled the whole pie himself!"

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed but then he said, "Fraid Ah'm gonna hav' t' turn ya down, AJ.Shy's expecting me home an' Ah don' wanna keep her waitin'."

"S'alright, big brother," Applejack waved it off, "go give tha' mare o' yors some "special" attention!"

The way Applejack bobbed her brows caused Macintosh to wince in slight embarrassment, and Faerie Tail gently scolded, "Applejack, there are foals present!"

"Wha' duz Applejack mean `bout 'special attention'?" Apple Bloom asked innocently as she and the colts looked up at Faerie Tail, who flabbergasted.

"Oh- Uh... Well, kids-" Faerie Tail stumbled on her words so Thunderlane came to the rescue.

"You'll find out when you're all older."

Ignoring the disappointed "aw"s, Big Mac phew'd in relief before saying, "Well, Ah hope Thunder gives you th' "special attention" you deserve, sis."

Applejack blushed and babbled nonsense at having been given a taste of her own medicine as Macintosh turned and left. Midnight sighed and said, "Enough with the banter, let's get inside and eat!"

Granny Smith's food was perfect no matter what mealtime. The Apples (minus Big Macintosh), their adoptive members, and their friends all chowed down heartily on vegetable soup, hot buttered rolls fresh from the oven, salad, apple juice, and apple muffins as a treat. Apple Bloom talked about some new Crusading ideas, some of which Applejack and Faerie Tail were quick to dissuade her from (some of which included free climbing, snake charming, and logrolling), Twinken talked about his study sessions in the Dream Realm with Princess Luna, Button Mash brought up a sleepover he was planning soon and hoped his fellow Crusaders would come, and Rumble brought up Hot Shot, who'd acted like a real jerk the other day at school.

"...and then he got dirt on my wings!" Rumble grumbled, "Cloudchaser and Flitter wouldn't leave me alone when they saw me! They spent hours preening my wings and making me take a bath and I even got soap in my eyes!"

"Well, it's only because they care, little brother," Thunderlane assured, "They love you enough to clean you up even if they might have went a tad overboard."

"Thunder's right, Rumble," Applejack agreed, "Cloudchaser an' Flitter wouldn' do tha' stuff if'n they din't care. Ah know Ah'd do th' same if Ah saw Apple Bloom all dirty an' upset cuz some bully was givin' her a hard time."

Faerie Tail smiled and looked to Rumble, "Those young mares are more than just your foalsitters, Rumble. They're like your big sisters."

Those words left Rumble in awe as he thought about Cloudchaser and Flitter with a little more consideration, when Faerie Tail added, "Family takes care of each other, no matter what."

"Amen to that!" "Darn tootin'!" "T' fam'ly an' friends!"

"TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!" Everypony raised their glasses in a toast to Apple Bloom's words, and resumed eating. For a few minutes, there was only the sounds of everypony eating and enjoying their food.

But then Granny Smith spoke up, "Applejack... it's gettin' real close t' that time o' th' year again."

Applejack paused for a moment and said nothing, so a curious Faerie Tail asked, "Is there some special occasion about to happen?"

"Uh-uh, uh-uh!" Midnight whispered to his mother while motioning a "cut it out" gesture with his hoof.

"Granny, every year you bring this up, an' every year Ah say th' same thing," Applejack responded in a rather cold way. She got up from the table and said, "Thanks fer th' lunch, but Ah gotta take th' apples int' town t' sell. Our Client'll be expectin'em real soon."

The others watched as Applejack left the house, and Faerie Tail felt her heart sink to see the sad looks on everypony's faces, especially Granny Smith and Apple Bloom.
"Should I have said nothing?"

"It ain't you, child," Granny Smith assured with a tone morose, "Next week is th' day Applejack's parents died. She ne'er really got past th' pain o' losin' them. Every year, Ah'd invite her an' her brother an' sister t' come wit' me an' visit their folks' graves. But Applejack... She jus' can't bring herself t' come along. One year, we argued real bad, an' she said t' me tha' wer' wastin' our time, tha' her folks r gone, an' all we go is talk to a couple o' headstones with bones buried underneathem."

"Oh my..." Faerie Tail felt her heart hurt, especially when she saw how sad Apple Bloom, Rumble, and Button Mash all looked. She got up and went over to give them all a motherly hug, before she asked Granny Smith, "So Applejack has a hurt heart that just never healed up."

"An' Ah fear it never will," Granny Smith sighed with a nod, "not unless she fin'lly accepts it for wha' it is, an' stop mournin' them sadly an' start missin'em fondly."

Applejack pulled the wagon of apples like a mare on a mission. Every year - Every year! - Granny Smith would bring this up and every year it stuck in Applejack's craw. She didn't understand why her grandmother kept insisting on salting this old wound. Her parents are dead, so what was the point of visiting their graves? Stare at a couple of headstones with their names on them, set above two skeletons buried six feet under? No thank you.

"Hey there! Applejack!"

Snapping out of her funk, Applejack looked up and saw her client, Ale Cask. A middle-aged pegasus who'd passed his prime, he had a caramel apple red coat, brown mane and eyes, and his cutie-mark was a barrel, representing his talent and self-employment as a brewer. He used to be one of the biggest and strongest stallions in town, until an accident in his early thirties damaged one of his wings. Now he couldn't fly like he used to, and the depression he fell into caused him to let himself go a little, evident by his rotund barrel. But his family finally helped him get back up on his hooves and he managed to make a name for himself in brewing booze. His recipes, which always included various kinds of fruit, made his booze popular and he managed to earn enough bits to open up his own brewery right here in Ponyville.

"Howdy-doo, Ale Cask," Applejack approached the brewer pony with a friendly smile, pushing all her troubles aside and pulling the wagon of apples she'd brought, "As you can prob'ly see, Ah got sumpin' for ya."

"Ya sure do, AJ," chuckled Ale Cask before he turned while saying, "C'mon, let's head into town. My wagon's parked an' ready to recieve all this fine produce, an' I'm mighty excited t' turn it all into some apple-flavored moonshine!"

"Lead th' way, partner," Applejack followed, and as they shot the breeze, Applejack fell back a bit, the weight of the wagon feeling a tad heavier all of a sudden.

"AJ? you feeling alright, cowgirl?" Ale Cask looked back in concern.

"Yeah, Ah'm fine, Ah jus-!!" Applejack felt her jaw drop when she saw Ale Cask was surrounded by... something! It was dark, and hazy,and in full light of the sunshine! She scrunched her eyes shut and shook her head before looking again.

It was gone, as though it were never there, surrounding Ale like flies. He gave her a worried look, "You alright, sugarcube? Yer lookin' spooked!"

"No, Ah... Ah think muh eyes're jus' playing tricks on me," Applejack sighed as she fanned herself with her hat, "Maybe Ah could do with a drink."

"Well, you've come to the right pony, AJ," Ale Cask smiled kindly, "After I've paid for those apples, let's have a drink on me to another good transaction."

"Sounds like a plan," Applejack agreed. But as she followed Ale, she just couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

The two walked towards his brewery, passing the steep ramp up to where the carts were loaded. The carts were loaded and moved down carefully, as one wrong move could spell disaster. Applejack turned to look at Ale Cask, only to see the same dark haze over him from before. She paused to rub her eyes, and looked again to see it was gone.

Noticing the look on her face, Ale Cask asked, "AJ, are you sure yer okay?"

“Y-Yeah, Ah'm... guess Ah din't get enough t' eat earlier,” she shrugged it off before clearing her throat and unhitching herself from her cart. “C'mon now, we got work t' do.”

Ale Casks nodded in agreement and turned to see something that instantly filled him with horror. One of the carts, which was being loaded, wasn't properly secured and was now running loose down the ramp.. right towards Applejack!

He didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, shoving Applejack out of harm's way, causing the earth pony mare to stumble and roll across the dirt road, right as she heard a loud THUMP. Groaning and looking up, Applejack looked and her blood froze to see Ale Cask laying on the ground, the wagon broken, and a large gash on his head, bleeding profusely.

"No...!" she whispered in abject horror, her body frozen in shock, her mind barely registering the shouts and cries around her.

For a moment, everything seemed frozen in time. But then she saw it again, the dark shroud that had been closing in on Ale... and from it emerged a tall hooded figure, standing even taller than Princess Celestia or Prince Sombra.

She saw a long gray horn, that looked worn and chipped in places, poking through the hood of the cloak, which was a gray so dark it was almost black, shadowy, with some kind of jeweled brooch fastening it at the shoulder, the jewel cloudy like quartz, and the hems of the cloak flowed along the ground never touching the dirt, so she could barely see the hooves of the figure. But then she also noticed the figure had wings! They were feathered but also looked dusty, colored a pale gray, and there was also a long mane flowing out the bottom of the hood, colored white like sun-bleached bone.

The figure gently touched Ale's corpse on the shoulder, and Applejack gasped to see a pale glow come from Ale's body... and then rise up, becoming a transparent figure of Ale Cask himself!

Then Applejack saw the figure look her way, and in the shadow of his hood she saw eyes a most pale blue, and she looked back at the see-through double of Ale Cask, and saw he was looking at her... and smiling in relief. Then, the hooded figure raised his wings and gently embraced Ale Cask's spirit, and both vanished, like smoke from blown-out candlelight!

303. The Pale One - Part 2

Ale Cask's funeral was held just days after the accident. It was attended by Ale's wife and sons, the Apple Family, the rest of the Council of Friendship, close friends and neighbors, and even some business associates of Ale's brewery. Ale's oldest, Strong Ale Cask, would inherit management of the brewery, which he now owned in equal share with his younger brother, Red Ale Cask.

After the service, Applejack was approached by Ale's widow, Framboise, who gave the farmer a notebook with copies of all the brewing recipes Ale had made with apples from Sweet Apple Acres.
"He would have wanted for you to have them," Framboise had told her.

The gesture had come close to penetrating Applejack's emotional composure, though she'd been unable to deny shedding that one tear. She'd hardly said anything to anyone since the accident. A part of her felt that it was her fault, that Ale didn't need to die to save her life. But what truly troubled her was what she had seen. The hooded figure that had taken away Ale's... ghost? No, more like his spirit. It had terrified her in a way she hadn't felt since her parents' funeral, and that familiar cold pressure weighing in on her heart and shoulders... She'd hoped she'd never have to feel that again.

Her family and friends had tried talking to her, but she'd shut them all out. She just wanted to be alone, to process this out for herself. At the moment, Applejack was at the local cafe, trying to enjoy a light lunch, but she hardly had an appetite and didn't get down more than a few bites of her sandwich and soup, and had only taken a single sip of her drink.

“I swear, the Pale One must be a happy camper right now."

Applejack's ears perked in the direction she heard those words and she carefully peered over her shoulder and recognized two ponies from the funeral service, having lunch together.

“At least He's keeping us employed. I mean, imagine a world without death. We'd have to look for other work,” the other one said with a shrug.

“But aint' He, like, a collector of souls?"

“Busy work, that, but it's a sad state of affairs. It almost feels like He has no regard for the friends and family of the deceased.”

“It feels like that, but He does care. To Him, death is sacred, another fact of life. Now shut up and eat. I'm in no hurry to meet Him."

Th' Pale One... Applejack knew the name, and its association with death. Until the day of the accident however, she'd always thought it was just metaphorical, a religious figure. Then she realized something else when she'd seen that figure take Ale's spirit away.
He was an alicorn!

Twilight and Midnight were trying to enjoy a nice read in the lounge, but the last few days weighed on their minds.

"I'm worried about Applejack," sighed Twilight, putting her book down.

"Join the club," Midnight sulked a bit in his armchair, "We all tried talking to her. Me, Bloom, Granny Smith, Mom, Thunderlane- She just won't open up! I knew she was gonna mope after Granny Smith brought up visiting her parents' graves, but Applejack sure didn't need-"

*Knock-knock-knock*

They looked up from their seats to the door, Twilight calling, "Come in."

In walked Spike, who said, "Uh, sorry to disturb you guys, but..."

He moved out of the doorway, allowing Applejack to enter with a solemn look on her face.

"Applejack!" Twilight got up while Midnight sat up, a little surprised to see his foster sister. "Wh-what brings you by? You... need to talk?"

"Yeah, but..." Applejack took a deep breath before looking at Twilight and Midnight, "Ah need t' know somethin'... Is th' Pale One real?"

Twilight looked perplexed by the question, but Midnight looked shaken, which didn't escape Applejack's notice.
"Spike, go to your room."

"What?!" Spike protested but a look from Midnight, where his pupils turned to predatory slits cowed him into complying and he left the lounge, closing the door behind him.

Standing up, Midnight sighed before asking, "What brought this up?"

"...Th' day Ah wen' t' see Ale Cask," Applejack explained the dark shroud she had seen around Ale, that it would be there and then gone the next moment. How she'd dismissed it as her eyes playing tricks on her, being tired from Applebucking Season.
"But then... th' accident happened, an' it was there again. Only this time, a tall figure came out of it, wearing a dark hooded cloak, an' Ah saw he had a horn and wings! He looked at me, but then touched Ale, an' Ah think Ah saw Ale's spirit come up outta his body, an' th' alicorn took him away.

"Midnight, Ah need t' know."

"Midnight?" Twilight looked disturbed by what Applejack had described, but began to dread whatever Midnight was about to say.

"The Pale One..." Midnight spoke softly, "Merciful Haydes, the Warden of Tartarus... the Pony of Death. He is real, and He is the figure you saw."

"How do you know this?" asked Twilight fearfully.

"Because I met Him," Midnight answered, recalling that bitter experience, "It was about a year after I revived the Brotherhood. I was personally leading a mission with several Hoods to stop a shipment perpetrated by a smuggling ring. They were about to ship out a cargo, a cargo with beating hearts... Ponies they were selling to a buyer overseas. We saved the ponies from a fate worse than death, but the smugglers weren't happy we'd ruined their transaction.

"A fight broke out, and during the chaos, I saw one of my best Hoods was being followed by a dark shroud."

Applejack's eyes widened, but she kept listening.

"I didn't know what it meant, but I didn't have time to worry about her. I was protecting a mare who was with foal, and I thought my operative would be fine, she was one of my best. But even the best can falter, make a mistake, or sometimes the unexpected happens..."

"Yer operative died," Applejack realized.

"Murdered," Midnight corrected with furrowed brows, "By the leader of those scum selling innocent ponies like they were nothing but merchandise. Once the conflict turned quiet, I hurried to my fallen Hood, and that's when I saw Him appear. He took her spirit, hardly gave me a glance, and they were gone...

"I reported the whole thing to Princess Celestia, and she explained to me what I'm explaining to you. The Pale One had escorted another on to what comes next."

...

"So Death has a face..." Applejack said softly after a long uncomfortable silence, looking away from her two friends.

"Applejack?" Twilight uttered, unsure of what to say, when Applejack turned to face them, determination in her eyes.

"Which means we can stop him!"

Twilight and Midnight shared a troubled look, the former echoing, "Stop him?"

"All along, Ah thought death couldn't be stopped," Applejack explained, sounding almost morbid, "but now Ah know better! Let's gather th' rest o' th' council, an' go after him!"

"...Applejack," Midnight looked at her, disturbed by her words, "The Pale One cannot be stopped, you're acting like He's a force of evil."

"He brings death wherever he goes," Applejack exclaimed, anger in her eyes and tone, "O'COURSE HE'S EVIL!!"

Midnight and Twilight cringed at Applejack's outburst, but Midnight spoke gently, "Applejack, I know the last few days have been... difficult. But you have to understand, death is a part of life as much as birth. It happens to everyone."

Applejack snorted, "'All life comes to an end', whudda load o' crap!"

"Applejack, please," Twilight said kindly, "I can't even begin to understand what it's like to-"

"YER RIGHT! YOU DON' UNDERSTAND!!" Applejack shouted at the top of her lungs, "You don' know wha' it's like t' lose somepony you love, or be th' reason somepony died!"

Then Applejack spun around and stormed out, slamming the door behind her so hard that Midnight and Twilight both flinched, feeling the force of it through the floor beneath their hooves. For a moment, neither of them moved or said anything, but Midnight began to walk towards the door, only to feel Twilight's hoof on his shoulder. He looked to her, and she shook her head sadly, "She needs some time to herself. Anything we say to her now..."

Midnight hung his head, and then felt Twilight nuzzle up against his chin, and he welcomed her gesture with an embrace of his wings.

Somehow, Applejack found herself in the middle of her orchard, far from town, from her house, nothing but her and the apple trees. How could they say those things to her? How could they not see her point of view? It wasn't fair. None of it, just like it hadn't been fair when her parents were taken. She remembered that day bitterly, how Granny Smith and Big Mac had cried, how baby Apple Bloom had napped soundly in her hooves, blissfully unaware of the mama and papa she would never know. How peaceful they looked before the caskets closed and they were lowered into the ground.

A part of her had resented them, for leaving their family, for leaving her.

It was why she originally left Sweet Apple Acres back when she was a filly. Saying she didn't want to be a farmer had been an excuse, a lie to everyone else but mostly to herself. At that time, she just wanted to run away from everything that reminded her of her parents. But living with her Aunt and Uncle Orange in Manehatten hadn't helped. It'd left her miserable and lonely, trying to be something she simply was not, trying to fit into a society of ponies who looked down on good, hard-working ponies like her parents had been. Then she saw that rainbow, and it led her back home to where she belonged, and she swore she'd never leave home and family again.

"Bit for your thoughts?"

Applejack gasped and turned around to see Him, leaning casually against an apple tree.

He wasn't wearing his cloak this time, exposing his tall and slender form, almost skeletal to the point where she barely could see his ribs in his barrel, his wings folded tightly against his sides. She noticed his cutie-mark was a withered lily flower. His mane, white like sun-bleached bone, hung like worn drapes but in a way that seemed angelic while his tail dragged behind him, his expression tired and distant. His hooves were dull and cracked in places, like an old sidewalk.

"Ah, uh..." Applejack felt dread rise up in her.

"Well, spit it out," He said, sounding just slightly impatient. "I have places to go, others to see. Others who all have to go somewhere in particular."

"...Ah'm not lettin' tha' happen," Applejack finally found her voice, standing to the full of her height, "Ah'm not gonna stand by an' let you take anyone else!"

"And what makes you think you can stop me?" He asked, narrowing his pale blue eyes, "I am inevitable. I am what awaits everyone when their time comes to an end."

"You have no right!" Applejack argued, "You go around, takin' lives an' leavin' everyone else t' deal with th' loss!"

"Of course..." He sighed with a shake of his head, "Why else would you see me as though I were the ultimate evil?"

"Tha's cuz you are!"

"No! I am not evil, nor am I good, I just am," the Pale One declared firmly, "But you don't see that... because all you see is someone to blame for your loss. Who was it? A husband? A brother?"

Appljeack backed away from Him, trying to keep her cool, trying to refuse the tears.

"No... Your parents," He rolled his eyes and condescended, "I've heard it all, the pain, the anger, how everyone blames me for taking way their loved ones. i saw you then, you know."

"Stop it..." applejack whispered, backing up more as he stepped towards her.

"How stoic you looked, even as mommy and daddy returned to the earth," the Pale One said coldly, "Didn't even shed a tear, even as your grandmother and brother let it all out."

"Jus' go away...!" Applejack finally began to sob.

"No. You wanted me? You got me!" He scolded, cruelty in his words, "All this time since their passing, you've locked away your tears, denied yourself the chance to heal by clinging to the refusal to accept death for what it is, especially now that you see my face! I am not a villain, I am not a monster!"

"Stop it!" Applejack cried, but then He reached out with his hoof and made her look him in the eyes.

"I'm the Pony of Death!" He whispered in a sinister voice before asking with a mocking tilt of his head, "What were you the pony of again?"

"STOP IT!!" Applejack screamed, pulling her face away, and falling down to her knees, finally letting it out.

She didn't know how long sat there, crying into her hooves. but then she felt a comforting hoof stroke her mane, and just barely peeked to see Him, giving her a look of genuine sympathy, almost like a father comforting his filly. It baffled her, even as he held his hoof to her, and she hesitantly accepted it, letting him pull her up onto her hooves.

"I have felt your pain more times than I care to remember," He explained, to her surprise, and she heard real pain in his voice as he recounted "I have fallen in love, fathered children, but watched them all grow old and die. Or worse yet, I had to stand by as my family was taken from me, for the most unfair of reasons, petty, or even meaningless, and then I had to guide them away from this life.

"I am every bit a pony as you, I feel. I have a heart, and just as you have come to realize, it doesn't get easier when you lose someone close to you."

Applejack was speechless, but doubt yet lingered in her mind even as her instincts told her He was being nothing but honest. He gently lifted her face up to look at him again, and he said, "There is something I want to show you."

He held out his hoof to her, but this time Applejack looked at it warily.
"Don't worry. It's not your time."

Slowly, Applejack reached out and grasped His hoof...

...and in a whirl of warm vaporous shadows, she found herself in what looked like a dirty old alleyway. The buildings were brick and mortar, the sky above cloudy, but then she heard a loud clanging and looked down the alley to see a Dog around her age, with white fur, spotted black and brown with a shirt around his chest, floppy ears, running scared out of his mind. On his tail were four Diamond Dogs, vicious looking, stony colored pelts with ugly tails, and gem-studded collars, more ape-like than the Dog.

"Wha's goin' on?" Applejack watched as the Dog came her way, and she took a stance, ready to help him... only for him to walk right through her, as did the Diamond Dogs, like she wasn't even there!
"Wha' in Sam Hill?!"

She chased after them, shouting, "STOP! Leave him alone!"

But her words fell on deaf ears. indeed, neither the Dog nor the Diamond Dogs made any indication they heard her as the Diamond Dogs continued to chase the Dog through the alleyways. Unfortunately, the chase abruptly ended, as the Dog found himself facing a dead end. He turned around, whimpering at the sight of the Diamond Dogs coming his way, scraping their sharp claws along the brick walls, sharpening them.

"Please...!" The Dog begged, getting down and making the begging gesture, "I won't tell anyone, I swear!"

"That's right...!" the biggest Diamond Dog snarled cruelly, "You won't."

The Diamond Dog leader raised his paw... and pointed while saying, "Sic'em."

"NO!!!!" Applejack's scream went unheard as the Diamond Dogs all attacked, and she turned away, unable to watch but that didn't stop her from hearing the poor Dog's screams as he was torn apart.

She fell back down onto her haunches, crying, and then the slaughter ceased. She sobbingly looked back up and the Diamond Dogs were high-pawing, laughing, their teeth and claws stained with blood. They left, and Applejack looked on in guilt-ridden horror at what they had done to that poor Dog. Then, from out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Him approach the body, and gently touch the Dog.

Just as she'd witnessed before with Ale Cask, the Dog's body glowed before the glow rose up and formed into his spirit. He looked up at the Pale One, who kindly embraced him with his wings, and then everything went black...

...and Applejack found herself back in the orchard, the Pale One standing over her, his face full of pity.

"...why?" Applejack uttered with pain and guilt, "Why did you show me that? Why didn't you let me help him?"

"You would have been alone, outnumbered," the Pale One answered.

"But Ah could'a fought them!" Applejack pressed.

"You would have died, Applejack," the Pale One reasoned, causing Applejack to gasp lightly. "And then I would have been taking you."

"...You know mah name?"

"You are the Element of Honesty," the Pale One shrugged, "but lately, you haven't been honest with yourself. You'd convinced yourself, Applejack, that I was an evil to fight against, but in doing so that leaves you vulnerable to the true evils of this world. It's why you've been able to see me. Because you couldn't accept, or perhaps you'd just forgotten, a simple truth that every earth pony should know."

"An' wha's that?"

"Death is as natural as birth," the Pale One explained, “As an earth pony, and as a farmer, you cherish life, nurture it. You plant your seeds, care for them, and watch them grow. It is the same with all living creatures, but as all living things do, their time comes. Just as it did for your parents.”

Applejack shuddered, the emotions having calmed down, as she whispered, "It still ain't fair... Mah little sister hadn't even said her first words."

"Death is the ultimate fairness, Applejack," the Pale One responded, "Sometimes bad things happen for no good reason, however much we might look for one, and even then it doesn't make us feel any better. As pointless as the circumstances may seem, that in and of itself is the point of Death."

Applejack hung her head, shuddering, refusing to cry anymore, but she couldn't help but say, "But... how do Ah make it stop hurtin' so much?"

"...You mourn, Applejack."

She looked back up at him, and was surprised as he sat beside her, wrapping a wing around her shoulder to warm her up, "And then you move on. I wish I could say the pain eventually goes away, but it doesn't. But with time, it hurts less and less as you go on, and it helps to have those who love you at your side whenever you're feeling low."

Then He gave her a warm fatherly smile, and she couldn't help but smile back and lean against Him. But then, He whisked them away, and she found herself standing on a hill overlooking the front yard of her house. There, she saw Granny Smith, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh, and even Thunderlane, Midnight, Twinken, and Faerie Tail, all gathered outside the front door, listening to something Granny Smith had to say.

"Cherish the time you have with your family Applejack," the Pale One advised, "especially your grandmother."

Applejack gasped and looked up at Him in worry, but He gave her a small smile, "Don't worry. She still has time. But she's old, Applejack. She's getting ready, and she's not afraid."

"Ah don' understand," Applejack whispered.

"For some like your grandmother," the Pale One explained, "Death is not something to be feared, but welcomed. When her time comes, it won't be sad. More like... going to bed, after a very long day."

Then, He turned to leave, his cloak appearing over him like mist. But Applejack called after him, "Wait!"

He paused and looked back out the side of his hood, and she asked, "Wha's yer name? Yer real name."

He smiled and gave a tip of his hood before he answered, "Thanator, at your service, ma'am."

Applejack chuckled a bit but then Thanator said, "I'll see you again, Applejack. But not, I hope, for a very long time."

With a twirl of his cloak, Thanator vanished as he stepped into the shade of a tree, leaving Applejack alone on the hill. Except she wasn't alone, as she looked down towards her family, and strolled down to join them. Seeing her approach, they all paused as Applejack walked up to her grandmother and gave her a hug. Granny Smith returned it warmly, when Applejack said, "Ah'm sorry... Can Ah still come with y'all, visit Ma an' Pa?"

"Oh child," Granny Smith replied warmly as they broke the hug and she gazed into her granddaughter's eyes, "Ah was afraid you'd never ask."

Author's Note

I chose to focus this arc on Applejack, because ,although she seems like one strong in heart and body I saw her as one whose heart carried an old wound that never truly healed after the deaths of her parents, and her stubborn perspectives might cause her to view death in the negative

So I took the opportunity to have her look Death in the face so He could help her move on

(B'Tween) Spreading our Wings...

The time had finally come, as Midnight and Soarin flew back to the mesa where they'd left the recruits to be tortured- (sorry) trained... by Silver Lining. To anypony else, the mesa's flat top was empty with nary a flyer in sight. But to those in the know...

The two friends landed smack dab in the middle and shared a look as Midnight said, "Ready for the next step in making history?"

"As I'll ever be," Soarin returned the look with a smirk.

Nodding, Midnight concentrated and called forth his pocket dimension, applying it to the mesa, and almost entirely at once, buildings, obstacle courses, training gear, and of course the recruits surrounded the two of them. Gazing up, Midnight and Soarin saw the recruits were flying laps around the mesa, and there was Silver, watching each flyer, as vigilant as a hawk.

"Commander?"

Silver's ear flicked at the sound of Midnight's voice, but instead of turning to face him Silver gestured with his head for Midnight and Soarin to come stand by him. They did so and followed his gaze up at the recruits. Pegasi along with a few lunar pegasi and griffons, each one flew fast and straight and determined. Clearly Silver had disciplined them well.

"You're late!"

Chuckling a little sheepishly, Midnight said, "Sorry, sir, to be honest I let the time get away from me. But... it appears that things have gone swimmingly here. Any washouts, quitters?"

"Hmph, no, they've all stubborn'd it out," Silver responded gruffly though you could hear just a hint of pride in his tone, "which is saying something given the hell I put them through."

"We'd expect nothing less," Soarin commented, "You certainly didn't pull any punches with me, or Midnight, from what he told me. But nothing went wrong with them?"

"Sure, I had some whiners but they've got the guts enough to hold out for the glory. Still..." Silver eyed certain recruits in particular, "There are a few among them that I'm afraid aren't gonna cut it."

"Not doing well enough physically?" asked Soarin.

"Got it in one," Silver huffed, "They've all got spirit and determination, there's no arguing that. The ones I'm talking about however just aren't measuring up, no matter how hard they try. I kept track of every single one's performance for you both to look over, but if you want my recommendation? Drop the dead weight."

Midnight and Soarin shared a look before Midnight bade, "Call them down."

Silver took his whistle and blew a powerful shrill, ear-piercing note that was heard all over the meas. The recruits heard it but didn't falter or get distracted. Instead, they began to fly in formation, forming a V as they came around the bend before the V turned into a line and one by one the recruits all came in for a landing, single file, in front of Silver, Midnight, and Soarin.

"Decent landings, asswipes! Now stand at attention! Your sponsor and possible captain and his second are finally back to review your progress!" Silver yelled, and the recruits all got in line and faced forward.

Midnight scanned them over one by one. He saw his good friend, Doran, looking resolute and in full control. It was no surprise to him, given Doran's background as a Sky Knight under his father, and now he too was a prince since Sir Godric became King of Griffonstone. Then he looked at the largest lunar pegasus in the group, a stallion by the name of Steel Edge. He was among those recommended to him by Princess Luna, and Steel's background as a Lunar Guard Corporal, along with his experience in search & rescue, certainly made him desirable. Then his eyes turned to two pegasi in particular among the group, his good friend Thunderlane and the still-infamous Lightning Dust. Both looked bold and determined, and truth be told, Midnight had high hopes for them.

But I have to review every single recruit's progress before I make my decision, he thought with an inward sigh, This isn't gonna be easy...

Clearing his throat, Midnight called out, "At ease."

Everyone chilled, a few exhaling, and Midnight stood before them, his gaze and tone even, "Your first taste of basic training is over. I have no doubt that Silver Lining has been a harsh taskmaster, but that's his job! He takes you on, he breaks you down, and it's up to you whether you hold yourself together as he builds you back up! Or you wimp out and fall to pieces.

"That said, it's now time for me to look over your progress and determine which of you will join this new squad... and which of you don't make the cut."

He paused a moment, letting them share their troubled looks and murmurs amongst themselves, before continuing, "Be advised, I will be making these decisions based on a variety of factors, and I won't be making them by myself. Soarin and Silver will both give their input on all of you individually, but make no mistake that the decision is mine to make...

"That said, if it turns out that you are not selected, don't take it personally. It merely means you still have areas in which to improve, and it won't be your last chance. In time, after this group has been formally organized and introduced to the world, there will be periodic tryouts to form additional squads to the organization overall. Pass the tryouts and you'll get to undergo basic training yet again and improve from there. I have no doubts that each and everyone of you here has trained hard and are now at least a little better than you were before you first arrived. But this squad needs to start off strong, comprised the best of the best here. As I told you when you first started, at least five of you will be dismissed and the rest of you will be informally accepted. Your membership won't be made official until further notice. So for now... hit the showers."

Midnight turned around and made for the office building he'd given Silver before, with Silver and Soarin following him. The recruits all began to talk, some worrying they weren't gonna cut, others confident they were a shoe in to join. Thunderlane watched his two friends and his drill sergeant vanish into Silver's office. in the entire week he'd been here, which honestly felt like it'd been months (hint-hint), he'd trained hard, worked his feathers off, and he was certain he'd improved. But in that entire time, Silver had never complimented anyone's performance, certainly not his. The only thing Silver ever had to say about anyone's progress was to put it down or to work harder in some colorful choice of words.

I hope I make it. But... Thunderlane wanted to get into this new squad, but he honestly hoped Midnight didn't choose him just because they're friends.

The annoying shrill of Silver's whistle reached every flyer on the mesa and quickly enough, they all fell in and got in line.

"Alright, you maggots! Listen up! The time has come to learn whether you're in or out. So shut up, unclench your sphincters, and pay attention!"

Silver stepped back while Midnight stepped forward, a clipboard in his telekinetic grasp as he scanned the line of his hopeful recruits.
"I'm not gonna waste my breathe saying who's in, so I'm just gonna cut to the chase and list who's out. In no particular order, those going home are...

"Trade Winds!" A tall and brawny pegasus who was just a little portly around his barrel sighed in disappointment.

"Strix!" A griffoness with an owlish face hissed bitterly.

Midnight named two more who hadn't measured up, but it was the last that got a real reaction, "Lightning Dust!"

"WHAT?!?!" Lightning Dust screamed, flaring her wings, and throwing such a stink eye it looked almost enough like it could kill. "What the HELL?!? I worked by ass off, I respected my instructor and my fellow recruits, I never interfered with anyone's training or attempted to show off at anyone else's expense! HOW IN FAUST'S NAME DO I NOT MAKE THE CUT?!?!"

Midnight returned her look of outrage with one as unfeeling and stony as a marble statue.
"Your history."

"WHAT?!" Lightning Dust flabbergasted, "I know what I did in the Wonderbolts Academy, but I-"

"Except that's not all, is it, Dust..?" Midnight interrupted with a hinting edge in his voice, Lightning getting nervously shifty-eyed. "I took a risk in even giving you this chance, but then I looked at your full history... how you were a bully in Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, cheated in a Best Young Flyer Competition, became a delinquent with a rap sheet comprised of trespassing, destruction of private property, shoplifting.

"This group needs to start off strong, but it also needs to start off with members that don't have a questionable background like yours..."

"That's- I... You can't- !!! RRRRGGGGHHH!!!!" Lightning Dust zipped up and threw such a look of fury at the alicorn before seething, "You'll be sorry....!!"

And then she flew off. Everyone watched her vanish into the distant sky, some were stunned, sympathetic, others indifferent or just shrugged.

Silver stepped up to his old student's side and grumbled, "Are you sure about this? I had my own problems with Dust... but she has skill, talent, and she was straight as an arrow this whole time."

Midnight looked on, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach...

One hour earlier...

He'd just gone through each recruit's progress report, discussed them all with Silver and Soarin, and now that he finally had some time to himself, Midnight was struggling with this decision. A decision that promised great risk, a decision he was reluctant to make despite knowing the necessity of it. He'd asked Silver and Soarin to give him some time to himself in the office he'd provided Silver, but the solitude made the weight of it even harder.

Did he have the right to ask this of somepony? A pony who wasn't even one of the Evening Hoods. To undertake something so dangerous, to risk so much with little guarantees of success. Or survival.

But the threat was out there. They'd tipped their hoof back in Cloudsdale, risked every pegasus there, as well as the Cloudsdale Weather Factory. They were growing bold and brazen, and the clues were too much to ignore. His spies had seen them there, played some kind of instrument before the Thunderbird arrived, and then observed how they;'d been watching the Mayor of Cloudsdale honor the heroes who'd saved their city, including Lightning Dust.

Midnight had been doing these covert ops for a long time. He was the Cloak and Dagger of Equestria. But he couldn't do every mission himself, save for those when assassination was the objective. He would never ask his agents to cross that line unless they were defending themselves or someone in immediate danger.

But this mission demanded somepony going undercover, probably for a long time, and he couldn't afford to just vanish from the public eye for an extended period of time. Especially since his family and his friends and his Twily would miss him.

There was no other option, and she was the ideal choice to take this mission. The only question was, would she?

Reaching out with his mind, connecting to his pocket dimension that blended with the reality of this mesa top, he found her and spoke, "Lightning Dust. A word."

When he opened his eyes, there she was, looking just a little freaked out, and upon seeing him, she gasped and wing-saluted, "Sir!"

"At ease, and take a seat," Midnight offered, a comfortable chair appearing behind Lightning at Midnight's word. She sat down and looked to the alicorn curiously. "Lightning Dust, I'm just gonna come right out and say it - You're in."

"...What?!" Lightning Dust whispered in awe.

"You're in," Midnight repeated. "You will be a part of the second squad."

"I- I don't... Sir, I don't know what to say! But..." Lightning Dust looked excited but hesitant, "Why are you telling me like this, in private?"

"...Lightning Dust, tell me about what happened back in Cloudsdale," Midnight asked, "When the Thunderbird attacked."

"Uh... okay, sir," Lightning Dust told the whole story of what happened that day. How she had been visiting with her little brother, Hotshot, how Rainbow Dash had confronted her, then later hearing some strange music all across Cloudsdale shortly before the Thunderbird attacked! She went on about how she managed to team up with Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane, convinced them to follow her plan, and how they'd saved Cloudsdale and the Weather Factory from being destroyed by the Thunderbird.

"...To tell you the truth, sir," Lightning Dust said solemnly, "That day? As scary and harrowing as it was, how I'd helped save the City in the Clouds and all that, that felt like the truly best and sincere accomplishment I'd ever made in my entire life. Because it wasn't for me, it was for all of Cloudsdale, and I am so thankful to Thunderlane and even Rainbow Dash for giving me a chance."

"That's good to hear, Lightning Dust," Midnight leaned forward as he conjured a folder, "Because I have an offer for you."

"What kind of offer?"

"A mission. Lightning Dust, the Thunderbird didn't just arrive in Cloudsdale on its own," Midnight explained, "It was summoned."

"Summoned?!" Lightning Dust echoed in confusion, "Who could- or would summon something so dangerous and put everypony at risk?! Sir, what are you getting at?"

Midnight opened the folder and showed Lightning Dust some photographs. She looked at them and was surprised to see they were of pegasi wearing flight suits somewhat similar to the uniform of the Wonderbolts. Only these were black and purple with dark yellow electric patterns and the goggles were an unfriendly shade of orange, and the pegasi wearing them looked like ponies you didn't want to meet in a dark alley.

"Who are they?" Lightning Dust looked up at Midnight.

"They were the ones who summoned the Thunderbird to Cloudsdale," Midnight explained, "They remind you of anypony?"

The look in Lightning's eyes was answer enough so Midnight explained, "They are the Shadowbolts..."

"The Shadowbolts?!" Lightning had heard the name before, except, "I thought they were just a rumor, an old pony's tale!"

"If only," Midnight sighed, "They began several decades ago when a disgraced Wonderbolt was cast out of the organization. She swore revenge and vanished to parts unknown. Over the years, other pegasi who washed out, whether in training or out of the Wonderbolts themselves, some of them vanished as well. Overtime, a mysterious group of pegasi began to appear here and there in various countries, always relating to some kind of incident. Rumors spread about this group, but certain things became clear enough; they were mercenaries for hire, and often involved in crime or some national incident or scandal. At some point, Saddle Arabia made accusations that Equestria was meddling in their affairs, but Princess Celestia managed to convince the Sultan of Saddle Arabia that Equestria was not involved, and whoever these pegasi were, they were rogues. In recent years, some agents of mine came across a pegasus who had flunked the Wonderbolt Academy.

"He told them that some pegasi in these same uniforms approached him, offering him membership, training, money, adventure, and a chance to get even with the Wonderbolts for turning him away. Thankfully, this guy got a bad feeling about them and turned them down. They seemed to shrug it off... until they jumped him and beat him up, broke both of his wings and threatened to kill him if he ever said one word about them. He survived, his wings healed but he became reclusive for a long while. It was sheer luck my agents met him and got all of this out of him."

"But what does this have to do with me?" Lightning Dust asked but then she realized what Midnight was saying, "I was kicked out of the Wonderbolt Academy!"

"And you're a top-notch flier," Midnight added, "That makes you a highly desirable candidate. My agents saw these Shadowbolts in Cloudsdale the same day you were there with your brother. We have reason to believe that somehow they brought the Thunderbird to Cloudsdale, perhaps to test you or something. They want you, Lightning Dust, which leads to my offer..."

Midnight put the folder into a saddlebag and placed it on the desk, pushing it forward.
"Lightning Dust, I am asking you, not ordering you, to undertake a mission, to go undercover, join the ranks of the Shadowbolts, and gather as much intel on them as you can."

Lightning Dust was shocked, to say the least. She sat there, speechless, so Midnight elaborated.
"I understand this is asking so much from you. But please understand. Do you recall the strange music you heard in Cloudsdale just before the Thunderbird attacked?"

Dumbfounded but still listening, Lightning Dust nodded her head.

"I have reason to believe that the Shadowbolts used some kind of instrument, perhaps something magical, to summon the Thunderbird to attack," Midnight explained, "This is perhaps the biggest move they've made against Equestria - that we know of - so now we can no longer dismiss them as a minor threat. They've made it clear, by threatening so many innocent lives and the Weather capitol of our nation, that they are not friends of Equestria. We can't afford to ignore them anymore.

"Lightning Dust, I know what I am asking of you, and frankly I would never ask this of you if I had any other options. But you are perhaps the only real chance we have of getting eyes and ears into their organization. I would never send you in without preparation, of course, and there will be no hard feelings if you decline."

"But... what about what's going on here and now? "Lightning Dust brought up, "What about this organization? You just told me that I'm in!"

"You are," Midnight assured, "As i just said, I will understand if you decline. You will still be a part of this new group of fliers. But Lightning Dust... As I just said, you are the only real option I have right now. The only one with a real chance of success in infiltrating the ranks of the Shadowbolts. I can't send one of my agents to try, because none of them fit the criteria the Shadowbolts are apparently looking for. You do!

"You were turned away from the Wonderbolts due to your actions, you are an uncommonly skilled flyer, and as far as the Shadowbolts know, you have no affiliations other than your Equestrian citizenship. I have no doubts the Shadowbolts are interested in you, which puts you in the best position to join their ranks as a double agent. I'm not trying to pressure you, I'm only explaining why you're best-suited for this mission. You've come a long way. Silver Lining has never said anything you, but he's impressed by you."

Lightning Dust's eyes widened in response to that.

"You trained hard, you've been patient, friendly and sociable to your fellow recruits, never boasted or showed off, you never complained, and you even offered pointers and encouragement to the others. You're hardly the pony you were when you went to the Wonderbolt Academy. That's why you've earned this spot on this team. And that's why I want to make the most of your skills and your capabilities. The Shadowbolts are a threat, but we don't know nearly enough about them to make a move against them. We don't know their infrastructure, their leadership, we don't even know where their base of operations is. And we have reason to believe they'd recently added somepony to their ranks, you might have heard of him."

Midnight conjured another photograph and Lightning Dust gasped to see the pony on it, "Wind Rider?!"

"Wind Rider, a retired member of the Wonderbolts, a decorated veteran, regarded as a living legend for his long-distance speed record in the Mustang Marathon," Midnight elaborated, "until he tried to frame Rainbow Dash for a crime she didn't commit to get her kicked out of the Wonderbolt Reserves, just to make sure she didn't beat his record. For this transgression, he was stripped of his retired Wonderbolt status by Spitfire.

"A couple months ago, he was seen in the company of a Shadowbolt. A week later, he vanished completely. Now, either he went into hiding out of shame, or he's joined the Shadowbolts, who would be happy to have even a retired Wonderbolt veteran on their side. For his knowledge of the Wonderbolts, for his experience, and perhaps even to train some of their own recruits. If that is the case, then the Shadowbotls will become even more dangerous than ever."

Taking a deep sigh, Midnight gave Lightning Dust a look. A look of worry, of a pony with no other options, and a look of hope.
"Lighnting Dust, I have no right to ask this of you. To risk everything, including your life, to fly alongside enemies and traitors of our nation and our fellow pony. if I had any other option, I would take it. But you... you are the best hope we have of taking down the Shadowbolts from the inside. As I said before, there will be no hard feelings, and I'll look for another way, if you-"

"I'll do it.

"...What?" Midnight whispered in surprise.

Lightning Dust furrowed her brows and gave Midnight a determined look, "These psychos threatened my hometown and my little brother. Because they were interested in me... I know how self-absorbed I used to be, and back then, before my time at the academy, I might very well have joined the Shadowbolts, just to prove myself the best flyer there is. But I'm not that pony anymore, and I am going to make these creeps regret thinking me otherwise."

Midnight gave Lightning Dust a hard look. He saw she was determined, he'd heard no doubt in her words. Even so, he saw just a glimmer of hesitation in her eyes, but perhaps that was better. His old teacher, Godric, taught him that only fools claim to be fearless or were too arrogant to heed their instincts.

"Very well," Midnight gestured to the saddlebags, "I've packed everything you'll need in here, including a means of communication, weapons, rations, medical supplies, and especially a means to get out in case something goes wrong. These bags will respond only to you; if the Shadowbolts look in them they'll only see empty bags. Keep in mind, you have to put on an act - Act the scorned talent, act the pony seeking payback. You'll find further instructions inside, and if you have any questions or need guidance you can use contact the pony who will be your handler.

"She's an experienced undercover agent and can advise you well."

"Understood, but..." Lightning Dust looked to the office door, "What about what's about to happen here and now? Everyone outside is waiting for you decision on who's getting into this new group of fliers."

"To help sell your cover and backstory, I'm going to claim you didn't make the cut," Midnight explained, "You have to sell a negative reaction. Act scorned, unappreciated, and vengeful. After that, you have to fly away as fast as you can, so no one tries to talk to you. After that, you're on your own. Use the instructions in the saddlebag to point you in the right direction, and contact your handler."

"I understand," Lightning Dust said solemnly before looking Midnight in the eye, "Anything else?"

"Nope, well, there is one thing," Midnight reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a pair of flight goggles, levitating them to Lightning Dust. "When it's time, I look forward to seeing you fly with us wearing those goggles."

Lightning Dust nodded and accepted them, along with the saddlebags, which became invisible thanks to a charm Midnight had placed on them. But just before she could leave, she heard, "And Lightning Dust?"

She paused to look back and saw a deeply concerned look on Midnight's face as he then gave her a wing-salute and uttered, "Thank you."

She smirked and wing-saluted back, "Just doing my duty... Captain."

They gave each other a smile of respect, and just as she was opening the door, Lightning Dust perked, "Oh, and... i apologize and forgive you in advance for whatever either of us say."

"Apology given and accepted," Midnight responded.

Just as that turquoise and golden orange speck disappeared in the distant horizon, Midnight whispered in response, "I hope I am..."

Goddess-speed, Lightning Dust...

304. Here comes the Frost - Part 1

"Hmm, invitations sent... check. Decorations and chairs arranged, check. Catering?"

Twilight stepped over to the wedding buffet table, seeing all the dishes and treats, and especially the wedding cake, with the topper of herself and her husband-to-be, and smiled as she confirmed checklist, "Double-check!"

"Only you would be check-listing her own wedding ceremony before it begins."

Twilight turned around and saw, coming up the wedding aisle, "Auntie Faerie Tail!"

She met Faerie Tail halfway and they embraced warmly as the older mare sighed nostalgically, "I can still remember the first time you asked me to read to you. It made me wonder if that was what it was like to have a daughter."

Twilight smiled warmly at her surrogate aunt and imminent mother-in-law before asking, "So, what brings you out here?"

The ceremony was to be held in Ponyville Public Park, and it felt like a long-time coming. Today, when Winter was officially here (in Ponyville) she would wed her Midnight, and then they would be off to enjoy their honeymoon in Manehatten, as Twilight hoped to see the museums and even catch a performance on Bridleway.

"Actually, Rarity asked me to come find you," Faerie Tail answered, "She wants you at the boutique for a last-minute fitting into your wedding dress. She wants for your special day to be absolutely perfect, er, dress-code-wise, that is."

Twilight giggled, "I want for this day to go well, too, but... You know, Faerie Tail. I'm strangely calm about all this."

"What do you mean?" Faerie Tail asked as they walked back down the aisle towards the sidewalk.

"Well, I'll admit, I can be... fussy over details," Twilight admitted in a light manner, "but today? I just can't help but feel that everything is going to work out. Oh, I'm prepared for any bumps or mishaps- In fact, I wouldn't at all be surprised if something came up, but... instead of worrying about it, I'm just going to take whatever happens, work through it, and I know it'll all be worth it when I finally get to say 'I do'."

Faerie Tail smiled proudly and hugged Twilight again, "Your Uncle Iggy would be proud to hear you say that."

Meanwhile, Soarin had flown high above Ponyville, and was satisfied to see Cloudsdale on the approach, with weather ponies already towing in clouds that would bring in the first snow of winter for Ponyville. Ever since getting his degree, Soarin had worked extra hard in the Ponyville Weather Office that he was now the Weather Captain, as Rainbow Dash had stepepd down to focus on her Wonderbolt training while Thunderlane was still preparing for Midnight's own elite flying team.

Still hasn't told me the name of that team, but whatever, Soarin thought. He'd accepted Midnight's offer to be second-in-command of the team after he officially brought the team forward into the public eye but until their training was complete he was being kept in the dark.

But then he noticed his Dashie flying about excitedly, and Tank was with her, hovering with his Mystech motorized rotors, much like a helicopter. Rainbow seemed excited about the coming winter and seemed to be trying to get the tortoise equally psyched, but Soarin noticed Tank yawning.

He flew over, asking, "Hey Dashie!"

"Soarin!" Rainbow Dash happily nuzzled cheeks with him but then he pointed at Tank.

"I was just waiting for the Weather Factory Ponies to bring in the snow clouds, but I noticed Tank seems a little off today."

Tank was hovering in place and yawned, proving Soarin's point.

"Yeah... I've been trying to get him excited about all the great stuff we're gonna do for our first winter," Rainbow Dash noted, "Extreme sledding, ice hockey, but... Tank just keeps yawning and nodding off."

"Hmm, well... I don't think you have anything to worry about, Dash," Soarin assured, "Tank's probably just getting ready to hibernate."

The look Rainbow Dash gave him instantly made Soarin wary.
"You do realize he's not a bear, right?"

"Ha-ha, Dash," Soarin gestured her to sit with him on a cloud though Rainbow made sure to hold Tank so he wouldn't hover off aimlessly, "Lots of animals experience hibernation, including reptiles like Tank and Skye. Because reptiles are cold-blooded, when the weather gets colder their bodies do too, so they hibernate in order to conserve energy and body-warmth.

"Once winter is over and the spring sun warms the weather back up, Tank will wake up fresh as a daisy."

"Wait... so, you're saying hibernation is sleeping the whole winter?!" Rainbow Dash looked anxiously between her stallion and her pet.

"He'll wake up again Spring, Dashie," Soarin said kindly, "no need to worry."

"Tortoises don't hibernate," Rainbow Dash scoffed as she flapped up, holding Tank, "obviously, you got your info from a bad source."

"Dash, Tank needs to hibernate," Soarin gently insisted, "otherwise, he could get some serious health problems."

"Whatever! C'mon, Tank," Rainbow Dash flew off.

"Where are you going?!" Soarin called after her.

"To talk to Fluttershy, a real animal expert!"

Sighing, Soarin watched his mare leave, worried not just for Tank's health but also for Rainbow, "Oh Dash..."

To Midnight, being a prince wasn't just about being a leader. It was also being a servant to the ponies of Equestria. He served them not only by protecting them, but also by working alongside them. He had volunteered to help the Weather Ponies in distributing the snow clouds from Cloudsdale's weather factory to make sure every inch of Ponyville and the lands surrounding it would soon be blanketed with fresh and pure snow.

He knew working alongside the ponies that were supposed to be his subjects served to set an example as well as to inspire. It would have been easy to use his magic to bring winter to Ponyville, but where would the lesson be in that?

"Slow and steady..." Thunderlane said as he helped Midnight move one of the clouds to where it needed to be. "I gotta say, Midnight, I'd think you'd be more concerned about your big day then making sure winter comes to Ponyville."

"But the wedding is winter-themed," Midnight pointed out, "and we can't have a winter-themed wedding without winter being here. Besides, Twily will make sure everything's in place, the wedding guests will arrive before noon, and once winter has officially arrived in Ponyville, the ceremony will begin."

Then Thunderlane heard Midnight sigh heavily, "Nervous?"

"Kinda, yeah. There we are," Midnight admitted just before the cloud was in its proper place and he gestured Thunderlane to follow him so they could get another one, "Something's gonna happen to waylay things, I'm all but certain of that, and although Twilight assured me whatever happens we'll work through it to make it to the altar, I just hope all end's well."

"DON'T SAY THAT WORD!!!"

The two stallions looked and saw Rainbow Dash giving Pinkie Pie a real stink eye while clutching Tank.

"Which one? Snuggly? Wuggly? Tanky? Hiber-"

"THAT ONE. "Rainbow Dash stopped Pinkie Pie from finishing that word by pushing her hoof against the party pony's mouth.

"I was just saying how cute he loo-" Pinkie tried to say, only for Rainbow to get up in her face.

"If you think hiber- You know, that napping thing is soo cute, why don't you go do it?!"

Then she pushed Pinkie along, yelling, "Somewhere far away from here!"

Then the rainbow pegasus noticed Midnight, Thunderlane, Soarin, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Applejack, Blueblood, and Cheese Sandwich all giving her looks that varied from concerned, confused, and weirded out.
"What are you all looking at?! Pinkie Pie and I are just having a conversation!"

"Look, Dash, we know that you're not happy about Tank hiber-" Soarin tried to say, only for Pinkie to rush up and shush him.

"Don't say that word! That's what started this all!"

Soarin amended, "We know how upset you are about Tank, but you shouldn't take your anger out on your friends."

"Who said anything about anger?! I didn't say anything about anger!! I'm not upset!!! And I am not ANGRY!!!" Rainbow shouted before demanding, "DO I LOOK ANGRY?!?!"

"YES. You do!" Midnight stepped in, sternly scolding, "And unless you don't want to be a part of the wedding today, I suggest you do that something about that anger and calm the heck down!"

"RRRRGH!!!" Rainbow growled, "Whatever! C'mon, Tank! Let's get outta here!"

As Rainbow Dash flew off with Tank, the friends all shared troubled looks of concern.

Faerie Tail made sure the rows of chairs were ready, the altar was properly set up, and looked to see the Cakes were looking over the buffet table and wedding cake while Pinkie and Cheese kept the Cake Twins entertained. The guests were already arriving, and Blueblood was acting as usher and greeter, welcoming every attendee and directing them to their seats.

Already, the Royal Sisters, Prince Sombra, Prince Shining Armor, Princess Cadance, and Night Light & Velvet had arrived, and couldn't wait for things to get started. So the ceremony would be comfortable for the attendees, a Thermal Barrier had been cast over the park, a preserving charm upon the wedding buffet so the food wouldn't go bad, all an' all, things seemed to be coming along nicely.

"Should we go ahead and get dressed?" Thunderlane asked Midnight as they stood at the sidelines, along with Big Mac and Cheese Sandwich.

"I suppose," Midnight looked around, "But... has anypony seen Soarin? And the girls?"

"Fluttershy's talkin' with some geese tha' somehow wound up goin' th' wrong way," Macintosh answered, "tellin'em they're spos'd t' be goin' south, like every year."

"Applejack's helping gather some leaves that somehow got back up in the trees," Cheese added, "and Pinkie's looking into some ponds and lakes that are supposed to be freezing up."

"And I think Soarin is still looking for Rainbow Dash," Thunderlane confirmed, "and of course Rarity is still with Twilight, getting her ready."

"Hey! Where'd our fluffy clouds go?"

They looked up to see a few pegasi talking in some oddly open clear skies as one of them pointed, "Fluffy Clouds? He's over there!"

"Something stinks here," Midnight muttered to himself before he lit up his horn.

Looking around, Rainbow Dash realized all her efforts to stop winter from coming to Ponyville just weren't working! The pegasi were still bringing in winter clouds, the earth ponies and unicorns were still raking up the leaves and setting up icicles, the lakes and ponds were freezing up, and snow was blanketing everywhere.

"For every hoofstep back, they move three hoofsteps forward!" Rainbow Dash worried as she held Tank on a cloud, overlooking the situation. "What am I gonna do?!"

Then, she began to notice the snowflakes falling and cast her gaze up, past the pegasi knocking the snow out of the clouds, past the pegasi bringing in fresh clouds, all the way to Cloudsdale, where the Weather Factory was distributing new winter clouds to be delivered to Ponyville.

"Cloudsdale... That's it, Tank!" Rainbow Dash lit up as she looked at Tank, "If I can't stop winter in Ponyville, maybe I can stop it at the source!"

Leashing Tank, Rainbow Dash flew up to the Pegasus Capitol, and found her way to the Weather Factory easily. Very carefully, she sneaked onto the premises, making her way to the front courtyard just as the factory whistle blew. Looking out from her hiding place, she saw the workers flow out, and she realized, "Lunch hour, perfect!"

A part of her knew she was interfering with Midnight and Twilight's wedding plans, But they don't need it to be winter so they can get married, she thought to herself.

Sure, maybe she was being a little selfish here, but she was doing this for Tank! Pushing the doubts and guilt down, she flew up to the roof and made her way into the vent system. Making it inside, she found herself in the locker room and almost got caught before she pulled herself and Tank into one of the lockers and waited for a couple of workers to pass by. Exiting, she was garbed in worker uniform (as was Tank) and trotted into the main lobby where the front desk was. She knew her way around, her dad used to bring her to work a lot when she was a filly.

Looking down the hall to the front desk's right, she saw her target - The Cloud Room, and made her way inside... until she felt Tank's leash go taut and heard a slam outside the door. Growling in annoyance, she realized she'd walked in but Tank was still outside. She gave it a couple tugs before yanking Tank in with her, and then turned to look around at, "The Winter Lab! We're in, Tank! Now we just gotta figure out a way to shut it down!"

"Is that what we're doing?"

"YIPE!!" Rainbow Dash looked towards one of the machines and gasped to see, stepping out from behind it, "Midnight!"

"I thought progress for Ponyville's winter was moving rather slowly," Midnight said while boring his eyes into Rainbow Dash's, "but then I used a locator spell to look for you, and color me surprised to find that you were coming to Cloudsdale. I suspected you were up to something, that you were coming here. I was hoping I would be wrong."

Rainbow Dash grunted and said, "Get out of the way, Midnight!"

"Why? So you can sabotage the Weather Factory? Stop the winterizing of Ponyville?" Midnight correctly guessed, noticing Rainbow Dash's wings raising. She was ready to challenge him, if it came down to it.
"Rainbow Dash, I know this is hard to accept... But you're not being fair to Tank."

"I'm doing this for Tank!" Rainbow Dash yelled.

"NO! You're doing this for you!" Midnight raised his own wings and lit up his horn, "Preventing Tank from hibernating will endanger his health, Rainbow Dash, and not just his! The animals that live around Ponyville that need to hibernate as well."

"I... I don't care!" Rainbow Dash refused to tear up, "Tank deserves to experience all the awesome things about winter, and I'm not gonna let him down!"

"But you are letting him down, Rainbow Dash," Midnight argued, "You need to let Tank hibernate, for his sake and the sake of all the other animals. Otherwise, you're being selfish."

"SHUT UP!!" Rainbow Dash lunged towards the machinery, only to feel a pulse of telekinetic power push her back, and she gaped at Midnight, whose stoic expression became unfeeling as his eyes glowed.
"I'm warning you, Midnight...!"

"You leave me no choice," Midnight cast a spell and Rainbow Dash gasped to find herself enclosed within a bubble of mana.

She pounded at it, ripples of force spreading from each point of impact of her hooves, but nothing gave way.

"There's no point trying to break free, Rainbow Dash," Midnight said as he levitated Tank onto his back and started walking out of the lab, the bubble containing Rainbow Dash following him.
"That container spell is reinforced by kinetic energy. Each time you hit it you only make it stronger."

"NOOO!!!" Rainbow Dash screamed as the doors to the winter lab closed and she finally began to cry. "LEMME GO, MIDNIGHT!! I SWEAR, I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!!"

Midnight felt his heart sink, but betrayed no emotion except, "I'm sorry, Rainbow Dash. Winter is coming."

Author's Note

I decided to finally wed Midnight and Twilight but liked the idea of throwing in some drama, and used "Tanks for the Memories" to meet that goal

305. Here comes the Frost - Part 2

The wedding was soon to start, and winter in Ponyville was back on schedule. It wouldn't be long, but there was a lack of enthusiasm. Midnight had brought Rainbow Dash and Tank back and told everyone what she'd tried to do. Blueblood and Macintosh had wanted to berate her for her selfishness, but Midnight insisted that Rainbow Dash needed time to herself. He sent her home with a warning that she was not to leave Ponyville until the wedding was over, and if she tried, he would know. Though he did tell her she was still welcome to be a part of the wedding Rainbow Dash had given him the cold shoulder.

Now, she was sulking in her cloud house, knowing that by the time the wedding was over winter would have officially arrived, and there'd be no stopping it. Soarin offered to go home with her, but she told him she just wanted to be alone with Tank. The wedding would start any minute now, and the guys and girls were all garbed in their suits and dresses, though Twilight was still at the boutique with Rarity, her mother, Velvet, and Cadance.

In the tent where Midnight and his groomstallions had prepared for themselves, Midnight was finishing up his uniform, the same one he wore to his and Twilight's coronation. It was a golden uniform with a white collar and borders, black buttons, a royal blue sash, and his mane had been combed so his usual bangs didn't hang above his face. The guys wore their tuxedos, and Shining Armor his own uniform. But hearing a sigh, Midnight looked over towards Soarin, as did the rest, and saw their friend looking downhearted, hadn't even bothered to fix his bow tie. They all shared concerned looks, and Midnight decided he had to say something.

Stepping over to his friend, Midnight said, "Soarin, I'm sorry for the way I handled things with Rainbow Dash. I'm not going to justify her reasons for what she tried to do, but I can understand them. Still, if you would rather be with her-"

"I'm gonna go talk to her," Soarin interrupted while standing up. "I know she said she wants to be alone with Tank, but I think she's due for a little... tough love. Do you mind if I ask the girls to come with me to see her?"

"Sure, buddy," Midnight patted Soarin on the shoulder, "Take all the time you need. The attendees can wait a little longer for things to get started."

In her cloud house, Rainbow Dash, garbed in her purple night robe, was lying in her bed, holding Tank, onto whom she'd put some pajamas Rarity had made for him, as the little tortoise yawned again, to her chagrin. Then she heard her door open, and several hoofsteps and Pinkie Pie saying, "Knock, knock!"

"How are you feeling, Rainbow Dash?" asked Fluttershy in a gentle and slightly upbeat way.

"Whatever..." Rainbow Dash sighed in response, not even looking their way.

Soarin looked to Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack, the last of whom walked up to Rainbow's bedside, "Buck up, sugarcube. Yer gonna miss th' whole shebang goin' on at th' park!"

This time, Rainbow Dash's tone was colder as she repeated, "Whatever..."

Unable to take the tension any longer, Pinkie hesitantly whined, "I hate to say this, but well... You've become... a party pooper!"

Finally, Rainbow Dash sat up and looked at them all tersely, "Didn't you hear me? I said 'whatever'. I don't know if you're here to cheer me up or what, but I'm fine!"

Seeing her sulk back to her pillow, Soarin opened his mouth, only for Fluttershy to step forward, placing her hoof on his shoulder as she said, "Let me handle this."

She approached Rainbow's bedside, and cleared her throat, "Rainbow Dash, your winter is going to be PET-LESS."

Rainbow Dash's ears perked up before she sat up to look at Fluttershy, then at Soarin, and Applejack, and Pinkie, and her eyes quickly welled up with tears and her lips pursed shakily... until finally she broke out into heart-wrenching sobs! She sniffled, trying to catch her breath while looking at Tank but continued to bawl her eyes out, Tank looking at her with concern.

Soarin nudged Fluttershy in the shoulder, whispering, "Was that really necessary?!"

"Yes, otherwise," Fluttershy explained, "she'll never get past this until she lets it all out."

And let it out she did as Rainbow Dash's crying started to turn hysterical, clutching Tank as though her life depended on it. Then Applejack pushed Soarin forward, to his confusion and saw her wave him forward to say something. He sighed, knowing this was gonna be hard, but Fluttershy was right.

He walked over, sat on the edge of Rainbow's bed, and gently placed a hoof on her withers, and kindly said, "Dashie, it's okay! Tank will hibernate just for a few months."

"MONTHS?!" Rainbow Dash got up in Soarin's face, her eyes begging to redden from her crying as she wailed, "I DON'T WANT HIM TO GO-HO-HO..."

Soarin laid by his mare, not caring if he got his suit wrinkly, gently saying, "Go ahead, angel, get it all out..."

They all waited a few minutes longer before Rainbow's crying began to soften and slow down. Soarin took out the hanky in his suit and offered it to Rainbow, asking, "Feeling better?"

Rainbow accepted it, wiped her tears away and blew her nose before uttering a soft, "Uh-huh..."

But then just a few seconds later, Rainbow bawled out again, and Soarin couldn't take it anymore! He hugged Rainbow from behind and started to sniffle, "C'mon, Dashie! I can't stand to see you like this...!"

"It's so... heart-wrenching!" Pinkie Pie agreed as she pulled Fluttershy into a hug, that the butter yellow pegasus couldn't help crying either.

Looking up, wiping away his tears, Soarin looked at at Applejack and asked, "Uh- AJ? How come... you're not crying?"

"Applejack cries on the inside, Soarin!" Pinkie Pie shrieked tearfully.

Applejack crossed her forelegs and nodded, "It's true."

After several more minutes of crying, Rainbow Dash broke it up, "OK, everyone, I... I'm good."

She hiccuped and sat up, Soarin letting go, while Rainbow gently set Tank aside, "I feel better. Really, I do."

She looked at Soarin and smiled warmly, "Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you. Without any of you."

Then she noticed Tank looking at her and teared up again, "Or him!"

Seeing her shelly friend slowly smile at her, Rainbow Dash knelt down to be eye-level with him, "Oh Tank, I'm sure gonna miss you."

Then Tank put his foot onto Rainbow's hoof and they shared an adorable nuzzle, when Rainbow felt Soarin rub up against her side, and she looked to him.
"Tank's not gonna be gone forever, Dashie! Three months will go by faster than you know it, and the both of you will be so darn happy to see each other come the spring. And even if you can't share winter with Tank the way you wanted to, you can take pictures and show him an album."

Rainbow Dash smiled at her stallion, "How did I ever get somepony as awesome as you to love?"

She nuzzled him, and he nuzzled her back, their ears perking to the aw's from Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, and then Soarin said, "If you don't want to go to the wedding, I'm cool to hang out with you here."

"...I'm... still a little miffed at Midnight," Rainbow admitted before she sighed, "But... he was right to stop me. If Tank really does need to hibernate, then if he got sick because I wouldn't let him I'd never forgive myself. So... I'll go. At least for Twilight."

"Then it's a good thing we brought your bridesmare dress!" Fluttershy held it up while Applejack shoo'd Soarin out.

The attendees were starting to get impatient, as the Best Stallion, Shining Armor, received a levitated note from his mother and what he read made his sigh before he leaned over to whisper to Midnight, "Um, how much longer before we can start? Mom just informed me that Twily and Dad are ready and waiting."

Midnight winced, knowing they had to move this along and soon... when thankfully, he saw the Soarin and rest of the girls, including Rainbow Dash, arrive and hurry to their places. Though he noticed Rainbow Dash stood as far from Midnight as she could alongside the bridesmares, and didn't give him so much as a glance. He understood, but then nodded to Sombra before nodding to Fluttershy, who flew up to a fancy perch where her songbirds were waiting and the ceremony began.

The birds began to sing 'Here comes the Bride' and everyone eagerly looked down the wedding aisle to see Night Light, looking sharp in his tux, standing beside his daughter, Twilight, who wore a gorgeous wedding dress. It was designed with velvet, faux fur, and touchings of pale lavender and gold. Magenta stars lined the hems of her gown while the train behind her was designed to resemble fanciful patterns of frost. On her head, she wore a crown of snowdrops interwoven together with ribbons of gold, turquoise, and lavender, and she wore crystal slippers on her hooves.

Her face, however, was what caught everypony's attention. She wore only the faintest makeup, mere touches to emphasize her natural beauty, which was genuine, humble, and warm. The moment her violet eyes met Midnight's turquoise eyes, their hearts soared so that it took all their willpower not to run to each other delay the ceremony any longer. Cameras flashed, tears were shed, everyone watched the Princess of Friendship walk down the aisle with her father towards the Prince of Friendship. Upon arriving at the altar, Night Light took his daughter's hoof and held it out towards Midnight, who humbly accepted it as they shared a look and nod of respect. For a moment, Night Light stalled, his heart wavering as he was giving his daughter away to another stallion. He felt a squeeze on his hoof and saw Twilight giving her father a warm understanding smile.

With deepest love and pride, and just a little sadness, Night Light let his little girl go, and watched her join Midnight at the altar before Sombra. He felt a gentle tug on his tail and saw his wife, Velvet, shedding tears of joy but gesturing him to sit beside her. Sitting down, night Light joined everyone else as they watched.

"Dearly beloved, family and friends, we have come together to be a part of this moment where two incredible ponies join their hearts in holy matrimony," Sombra began, sweeping his gaze across the crowd of attendees.

He saw the rest of the Harmonic Twelve, along with Shining Armor, Cadance, the parents of the bride, the mother and brother of the groom, their friends, their neighbors, as well as many ponies and creatures whose lives had been touched and made better because of the Magic of Friendship. And of course, Sombra saw his wife and sister-in-law, who were getting along and not bickering like petty fillies because this time Sombra had reminded them to bring their wedding gift.

"Theirs is a story that defies time and destiny," Sombra went on, "a bond that has been tried and tested by doubt, by fear, by the most incredible and trying of circumstances. Yet through it all, that which these two feel for each other, deep down in their heart of hearts, has only been made stronger and proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that they truly are meant for each other. Do you, Prince Midnight Blaze and Princess Twilight Sparkle, join us here of your own free will to acknowledge the eternal bond the both of you share?"

"I do," Midnight answered, unable to stop his own tear of joy.
"I do!" echoed Twilight, feeling her spirit soar.

"You may face each other and join hooves," Sombra instructed, and once they did so, he added, "Midnight, you may recite your vows."

Gazing into his Twily's eyes, Midnight felt nervous. Then he felt her gentle squeeze on his hooves, and the smile she gave him helped. Taking a deep breath, Midnight began.
"Twilight Sparkle? We've come a long way. We've known each other in ways not many ponies can relate to, but despite all the trials and obstacles we've faced to be standing here, I can say with absolute certainty that it was worth it. That you are worth it, and you will always be worth it, no matter what the future may yet hold for us. I vow to spend the rest of my life loving you, protecting you, to be a good husband who listens to you, respects you, and will settle for nothing less than making you happy, and perhaps one day to do all that and more for a family of our own.

"Because I love you, Twilight. I love everything about you. Your determination, your intelligence, your everything that makes you the magical miracle that captured my heart and spurred me on even in my darkest times. For as long as you are with me, as long as you believe in me, there is nothing I can't do!"

Twilight felt her heart flutter from every word, and was so lost in her feelings that she didn't hear Sombra the first time, and looked at him, "What?"

Chuckling, Sombra repeated, "You may now recite your vows, Twilight."

"Oh, yes!" Twilight giggled a little sheepishly, looking adorable to Midnight, when she cleared her throat and took a deep breath.
"Midnight Blaze... Never have I known a pony like you. You've always looked out for me, even when I didn't even know it. I feel blessed to have you in my life, and now we join our lives together. I won't deny I have had doubts about what we have between us, but now, in this moment, I have none whatsoever. If you of all ponies can have faith in our future together, how can I not believe? So to you, I vow to love you, to support you, to believe in you, to be a wife who is there for you when you don't know where else to turn to for guidance, and to return all the happiness you give me and more, and yes, to one day mother your children and work with you to raise our future foals grow up to be happy and the best they can be.

"Because I love you too, Midnight. I love you for your strength, your spirit, your ability to inspire me and our friends to bring out the best in ourselves and in each other. Whatever challenges the future may yet have in store for us, we will overcome them together!"

The crowd was aw'ing and shedding more tears, wanting to applaud, so Sombra nodded and declared, "Then by the power invested in me, I sanction this union in the name of Faust and declare these two souls as husband and wife! May we have the bands?"

All eyes turned to Shining Armor who was sniffling, trying to hold back the "liquid pride" (as he insisted) as he levitated out the wedding bands Midnight had entrusted to him, placing them onto Midnight's outstretched hoof. He faced his Twilight again and both nodded before they took the other's ring and gently slipped them over each other's left forehoof, and finally, Sombra said, "You may now kiss the bride!"

Midnight laughed and pulled his wife towards him before dipping her, making her giggle before their lips met right as snowflakes began to drift down through the Thermal Barrier, creating a magical effect as everypony cheered!

Still lip-locked with her new husband, Twilight held up her bouquet, earning the attention of a lot of mares and a few stallions. Without a care, Twilight launched the wedding bouquet and wouldn't you know it, the one who caught it was Joe, who hadn't even tired. He blushed and looked to Chili Spice who gave him a saucy wink, making him laugh nervously.

Moving on to the reception, the newlyweds began with their first dance, unable to stop looking into each other's eyes and smiling with a warm content. Then, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders walked up to Vinyl Scratch, Twinken whispering something into her ear, and the DJ nodded. After the song Midnight and Twilight were dancing to ended, there was feedback on the microphone and everypony looked to see the Crusaders standing in front of the microphone as Twinken cleared his throat.

"Um, hi, everypony!" he waved, sounding a little nervous but you could see the determination in his bright red eyes. Clearing his throat, Twinken announced, "My name is Twinken, Prince Midnight's little brother, and now I'm happy to call Princess Twilight my new big sister!"

"Oh...!" Twilight wanted to run up and give Twinken a hug but obviously he had something to say.

"For a long time now, I've seen Midnight and Twilight together, even before they were... together," Twinken chuckled nervously, and some of the attendees laughed lightly as well. "I've seen them do all kinds of things together, and they were always happy just because they were doing those things together. So now, in honor of their marriage, my friends and I, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, would like to sing a song for them. Big brother... big sister? I hope you like it."

Twinken invited his friends up to the microphone with him before he signaled Vinyl, and the DJ pony began the music.

[Twinken]
Amigos, Ami, Buddies and Chums
We'll all be friends forever no matter what comes

[Cutie-Mark Crusaders]
Friends, friends, friends
We are all friends, yeah
I'm a friend to you, you're a friend to me
We're the best of friends, friends, friends

[Apple Bloom]
Compadre!

[Rumble]
Comrade!

[Sweetie Belle and Button Mash]
Bosom buddy of mine!

[Twinken]
No matter how you say it
Friends have the best time

[Scootaloo]
Homie!

[Rumble]
Rafiki!

[Sweetie Belle and Button Mash]
Companion too!

[Twinken]
There are all sorts of ways to say
"I'm a friend to you!"

[Cutie-Mark Crusaders]
Friends, friends, friends
We are all friends, yeah
I'm a friend to you, you're a friend to me
We're the best of friends, friends, friends

As soon as the song ended, Midnight and Twilight hurried over to give Twinken a big hug, and then included the rest of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders for that wonderful song, as everypony cheered. The music continued, this time for everypony to dance. Twilight excused herself from Midnight to dance with her father, but before Midnight could look for his mother, he was tapped on the shoulder and turned to see a reluctant-looking Rainbow Dash.

"Can... can we talk?"

"...Sure, let's go find some privacy," Midnight obliged and led Rainbow Dash to behind the wedding altar.

For a few long moments it was a very awkward silence when...

"I just wanted to-/Listen, Rainbow, I-"

They both stumbled on their words when Rainbow Dash held up a wing, took a breath, and then spoke, "Listen, Midnight, I'm... I'm sorry. You were right, I was being selfish and not thinking about the consequences of my actions would have had, not only on myself but others as well. I just got so caught up in how much it hurt that Tank is going away for a while and... The point is, I'm sorry and I shouldn't have said those things to you. You were just stopping me from making a huge mistake."

"Well, Rainbow, I could have been a little more sympathetic," Midnight sighed in response, "Instead of forcing you and accusing you, I should have tried talking to you- I mean, really talking to you. Not that I could have in any way allowed you to go through with what you were planning, but while I am sworn to protect this nation and those who live in it I still appreciate our friendship. You're loyal and dependable, you never leave your friends hanging, and that means more to us than you think.

"But a part of being friends is stopping your friends from doing something they shouldn't. Even if they don't appreciate it or resent you for it. I know that saying goodbye to Tank for the winter is gonna be hard on you, but if you're ever feeling troubled or worried or scared for a friend, talk about it. Your friends are here for you, no matter what, Rainbow Dash."

"Thanks, Midnight, Rainbow Dash smiled gratefully, and the two friends shared a hug before returning to the party.

They danced, had cake (and the newlyweds did the traditional smushing cake in each other's faces), they received plenty of wedding gifts, but as the hours passed the time for Midnight and Twilight to leave came before anypony knew it.

Standing at the foot of the gangplank that led up to their airship at the Ponyville Airfield, Midnight and Twilight faced their friends and family happily.
"Have a great trip!" "Bring souvenirs!" "Take lots of pictures." "Come back in time for Hearth's Warming Eve!"

"OK! Okay," Midnight laughed, holding up his hooves in surrender, "Just... try not to burn Ponyville down while we're gone!"

"Oh hardy-har-har!" Thunderlane responded, and everypony laughed.

Night Light, Velvet, Faerie Tail, Twinken, Shining Armor, and Cadance all approached the newlyweds and they came together in a big family hug, everypony watching the touching moment. When they parted, they allowed the Royal Sisters and Sombra to step forward, and Twilight looked up warmly at Sombra, "Thank you for the sermon, Prince Sombra."

"Thank you and your husband for giving me the honor," Sombra responded kindly.
"We are all so very happy for you," Celestia hugged them, feeling like a proud mom.
"You'd better get going!" Luna reminded them, as the hour was getting late.

Once Midnight and Twilight boarded the airship, they waved farewell as they disembarked, and kept waving until they were too high to see their friends and family. Making their way to the bow of the ship, Twilight gazed out towards the horizon, feeling Midnight wrap his wings around her, and she nuzzled up against his chin before they were cheek to cheek.

"I'm all yours and you're all mine..." she heard him whisper deviously... before she felt something poking her.

"Hmmm, you have my interest and apparently I have yours," Twilight responded in a sultry voice.

"I'm not sure I can wait until we get to our hotel in Manehatten," Midnight said in pretend sulky way.

"Aw, poor baby," Twilight looked up at him and gave him a tender kiss. When they parted lips, they lost themselves in each other's eyes and she finally relented, "Aw, to hay with it."

Throwing up a Privacy Barrier, the newlyweds consummated their marriage right there on the deck of the airship in full glorious view of the moon.

Author's Note

The beautiful artwork is by Hoodwinked MCShelster

Disclaimer - "The Best of Friends"

306. Hearthbreakers - Part 1

The snow was beautiful but to Party Favor, the decorations were a depressing reminder of his colthood. Hearth's Warming was only a couple days away, and although his friends had invited him to their Hearth's Warming party, he had declined, saying he "had plans", which was to say he had no real plans at all to celebrate.

He'd come to love Ponyville and regard it as a real home, especially compared to the Town he once lived in, back when he bought into Starlight Glimmer's equality crock. She was stopped, disappeared, and just when it seemed Party Favor and his friends would be able to live their lives in that Town the way they should, two strangers attacked, without warning, without provocation, without mercy. Party Favor had been some of the ponies who'd tried to stop them, and now he had a burn scar on his shoulder as a reward for his actions. Some of the others hadn't been so lucky.

Double Diamond and Night Glider had led the survivors all the way to Manehatten, where the Manehatten Police Department reported what had happened to the Alicorn Royals, and Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight had invited the survivors to Ponyville. A part of Party Favor had been reluctant to accept but since all his friends had leaped at the chance of a new home to start over he'd come along as well. The reason he had been hesitant was because of a certain pink party pony.

After settling into Ponyville, Mayor Mare and her staff in Town Hall had helped some of the newcomers find new jobs in Ponyville. Party Favor had been offered a job at the local party store, which suited him perfectly. But every time she came for party supplies (which was often) Party Favor would vanish. Then he later received a notice that somepony had volunteered to offer counseling to the new Ponyvillians, and Party's friends had convinced him to take the opportunity.

It was to Faerie Tail that Party Favor revealed the truth of his past. His birth name was Basalt Pie, born in the earth pony town of Nickerlite, and that he was all but certain that Pinkie Pie was his younger sister. He'd confided in Faerie Tail that he ran away from home when he was a colt but never divulged the reasons why, which was part of the reason he was avoiding Pinkie and refusing to admit the possible familial connection he had with her.

Another year, another Hearth's Warming... he thought as he trudged aimlessly through town, ignoring the wintry cold but unable to ignore his rumbling stomach as it complained to him to fill it up.
Alright, mister slave-driver, lemme just find-

"Whoa, nelly!"

Party Favor yelped as he suddenly halted but he'd been walking a little too fast and stumbled forward, only to feel somepony catch him mid-fall. His rescuer helped him get back on his hooves and he saw it was, "Applejack? Oh, I'm sorry, i was lost in thought.

"Aw, no harm done, pardner," Applejack assured, "happens t' all of us. Wha'cha doin' out an' about?"

"I was actually just about to go look for somewhere to get a bite," Party Favor answered, "but right now, I'm not sure what I'm hungering for."

"Well, why don'cha walk wit' me t' Sugarcube Corner," suggested Applejack, "Ah'm lookin' t' wet mah whistle wit' a cuppa hot cocoa!"

"Sugarcube Corner?!" Party Favor echoed in discomfort, recalling who works there, "Um, I'm not sure if-"

"C'mon, haystack! Mah treat," Applejack insisted as she threw a foreleg around Party's shoulders, and he mumbled a nervous okay.

Lots of ponies went to Sugarcube Corner during the winter for holiday-themed eats and drinks, so it was usually a busy time for the Cakes and Pinkie Pie. Cup Cake managed the counter while giving customer orders to her husband and Pinkie, the former kept busy in the kitchen while Pinkie helped wherever she could as well as brought the customers' orders to their tables.

There was lots of excited chatter in the bakery's atmosphere, plenty of ponies in good holiday cheer, a few tired from all the holiday hustle n' bustle. But otherwise it was just a good day, and as Pinkie was serving some red velvet cupcakes to a customer, she felt it.

"Uh-oh!" As the sensations came, she listed them off, "Ear flop, eyes flutter, knee twitch?! Look out for the doors!"

Noteworthy, who had been on his way out, quickly shrank back, and just in time as the door flew open and in walked Applejack, followed by a nervous PArty Favor, "Hoo-WEE! it's jus' bracin' outside t'day!"

Hopping over, Pinkie Pie happily said, "Hi Applejack, and welcome to Sugarcube Corner, where life is always sweet! Ooh, and Party Favor too!"

"Uh, hi?" Party Favor waved nervously.

"Well, go right ahead and sit wherever's empty," Pinkie invited, "then I'll be right with ya!"

"C'mon, Party, Ah see a good table," Applejack led the way to a comfortable booth, and she noticed the booths and all the seats had been given wool coverings, mostly likely to help warm up the customers in this weather.
"Take a seat, pardner, an' order whatever ya like off th' menu."

"It's okay, Applejack," Party Favor said politely, "You don't have to buy me anything to eat."

"Well, Ah'm feelin' mighty good right now, Party Favor an' Ah jus' wanna share it," Applejack shrugged, "so why don'cha jus' think of it as muh Hearth's Warmin' gift t' you?"

"What can I getcha?"

They both looked to see Pinkie had popped out, seemingly from udner the table, but before they could give their orders (as they hadn't really perused the menus long enough to decide), Pinkie asked, "And Applejack! Are we still on for tomorrow?"

"We sure as sugar are," Applejack nodded excitedly, making pinkie squeal with delight.

"What's up?" asked Party Favor curiously.

"Well..." Pinkie Pie immediately ran her mouth off on how she and Applejack found a possible relation between the Apple Family and the Pie Family, but never got total confirmation on whether the theory was certain. But the adventure she'd had with the Apples had just proven to them all in their hearts that whether or not there was a real familial connection, Pinkie was family to the Apples and that was that.
"...so this year, we thought we'd have our families come together to celebrate Hearth's Warming! We're going to my hometown, Nickerlite, tomorrow for Hearth's Warming Eve!"

The announcement couldn't have been more troubling for Party but he forced a smile, "That sounds... like a lot of fun!"

"Oh it will be!" Pinkie was too excited and caught up in her holiday plans to notice Party's smile wasn't legit.

"Well, Ah hate t' tell ya, Pinkie Pie," Applejack reported while rubbing the back of her head, "Ah'm afraid not all o' the Apples're gonna make it."

"Why not?" asked Pinkie, sounding a tad disappointed.

"Well, Big Mac is goin' t' celebrate Hearth's Warmin' wit' Fluttershy an' her folks in Fillydelphia," Applejack explained, "an' Midnight, Faerie Tail, an' Twinken are plannin' t' go with Twilight an' Spike t' Canterlot t' be with Twilight's parents fer th' holiday. So, it's jus' gon' be me, Apple Bloom, an' Granny Smith."

Sighing, Pinkie added, "And Cheesie's already gone to visit his parents in Baltimare. But at least we'll still have you, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith!"

"Uh, I just remembered something!" Party Favor interrupted, looking shifty-eyed, "I gotta go home and... takecareofsomethingbye!!"

And just like that Party Favor slipped out of the booth and out the door quicker than Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush, that she went, "Wow! I've never seen anypony move like that!"

Chuckling at Pinkie, Applejack rolled her eyes and said, "Ah have."

Once again, Party Favor was walking dejectedly through town, now with more on his mind.

"To go or not to go...?" he muttered, for that was the question.

True, growing up in Nickerlite had been a miserable foalhood for Party Favor, but that was only because of his father and sister, Limestone. His mother had been kinder but still hard to connect with, especially his other sister, Maud. The only family he'd ever really felt close to had been Granny Pie. The regret and guilt felt even worse as he thought about, remembering when he'd ran away he hadn't even said goodbye to his grandmother.

He'd just hopped onto the first train out of Nickerlite and never looked back.

"Party Favor?"

Snapping out of his train of thought, Party looked to his right and saw Faerie Tail, enjoying a nice hot cup of tea and a muffin at the local cafe. Sighing, he moseyed on over, and Faerie Tail asked, "Not feeling the holiday cheer, I take it?"

"Hey Faerie Tail," Party Favor sighed, "Listen, um... I have this conundrum, because I just heard from Applejack and Pinkie Pie that they're having their families spend the holiday together in Nickerlite."

"I see," Faerie Tail already had an idea of the direction this was going.

"And see, I've been thinking more and more about my past and..." Party Favor admitted, "Well, you know, I never had the best relationships with any of my family, but I won't deny I feel some regret in how I ran away."

"Hmm..." Faerie Tail gave Party Favor one of those looks only mothers can give, and when Party Favor saw it, he gulped.

"I can't believe she talked me into this..." Party Favor bemoaned as he slouched in his seat. He was on the Friendship Express, en route to Nickerlite.

Faerie Tail had declared to Party that it was time he faced his family and made amends. He'd tried to get out of it, but somehow she'd gotten him on board, in more ways than one. Early the next morning, Party bought his ticket at the station but made sure not to be seen by Pinkie or the Apples upon boarding the train, and he'd made sure to sit in a different passenger car.

He gazed out the window, watching the scenery go by, nervous and wondering how this was going to turn out. He couldn't be sure how his parents would react to seeing him again after all these years, but he was certain Limestone would be as sour as she was as a filly and would either tell him to get lost or give him the cold shoulder. He knew Maud wouldn't give a reaction to his return. She'd be as stony and monotone-y and boring as she'd always been. Sure, Maud had been nicer than Limestone but the way she acted just made it so hard for Party to connect with her on any level.

C'mon, Party, enough with the neigh, think of the yay! He thought while shaking his head.

He began to think up ways of patching up with his family, mostly with his father and sisters. Maybe the right gifts, maybe he could do something with his balloons, he wasn't sure. Except for one thing.

This isn't gonna be easy, he mentally sighed.

Before getting off the train, Party Favor made sure his winter clothes covered him sufficiently, as the only ones getting off in Nickerlite as well were Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith. He quickly left the train platform and gazed around the old neighborhood, Hardly looks like anything's changed.

Nickerlite was another earth pony town, and not a popular one. The earth ponies here made their houses with rock and stone, with hay or thatch roofs, and almost everypony here, not just the Pie Family, made a living that involved rocks. Rock Art, Rock Architecture, Mining, Sculpting, Masonry, crafting Jewelry, there was even a school here dedicated to Geology.

I wonder if Maud ever got in... Party wondered as he walked down the street, seeing the same shops and places of business.

Strangely enough, Nickerlite's rock-related businesses kept the town afloat well enough, but the ponies here were like uncut diamonds. At first glance, they looked okay but if they made an effort they could truly shine. Instead, the ponies of Nickerlite were content with "good enough", stubbornly pragmatic, but in Party's opinion they were just afraid of change.

He saw some familiar faces, but he'd never really befriended anypony during his colthood. The ponies he knew in Nickerlite had been only acquaintances sometimes business associates or frequent customer of the Pie Family's rock farming business. To his relief, nopony paid him much mind though he would have been surprised if anypony here could recognize him. He stopped to lean against a lamppost as he pondered on what sort of gifts he could bring.

Maybe a gift for the whole family, he thought and nodded, That would be better. Save me time and money, and thought as to what they each would like. But what could I get for them all to enjoy?

Besides being a party pony and balloon artist, Party Favor had some notable knowledge and skills for enchanting, which he had mostly used on his balloons. Like the Unpopping Charm to prevent his balloons from being popped by sharp points or pressure, the Elasto Charm to make his balloons more stretchy and elastic to make them easier to twist and model, and the Bouncy Spell to make some of his balloons more bouncy and better able to withstand pressure, to name a few.

Still, he knew his parents and sisters (except probably Pinkie Pie) weren't very partial to balloons, when his mind turned to the Featherweight Charm and Floaty Charm, and he noticed the old Rock Art shop's wares out on display... and his brain hatched an idea!

His heart was beating no matter how hard he tried to stay calm. Every step was hesitant as he walked up the hill, and he felt himself weighed down by doubt and worry. He wasn't sure how his family would react to him coming back after all these years, but Faerie Tail was right. The time was long overdue to face them and make amends.

He felt some of that worry go away when he reached the top and gasped to see the old Pie Family Rock Farm, decorated simple Hearth's Warming Lights the shined down on geode crystals that cast sparkles and glimmers of translucent light beams all over the yard.

Wow... I don't remember them ever decorating like this for Hearth's Warming, Party Favor thought but the closer he got to the house, the more unsure he felt. No! I've already decided, I've got my gift...!

He took a deep breath and walked right up to the front door, raised his hoof and...

...

Party Favor didn't know how long he stood there, feeling like an idiot, unable to make even one little knock. But then, he heard a click, and he almost lost his nerve as the door opened, and there she stood. An earth pony mare whose gray coat had once been he palest shade of blue not unlike his own, stony gray mane pulled up into a matronly bun, an old pair of reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose with a beaded cord connecting from each frame to behind her head, and a cutie-mark of three simple gray stones.

They both looked into each other's eyes, the mare at first curious as to whom this unexpected visitor was... when recognition began to dawn across her face and she stifled a gasp, putting her hoof to her mouth.

"Hey Mom! Who's at the door?"

And then Pinkie Pie popped up beside her mother and she smiled to see, "Oh hi, Party Favor! What brings you here?"

Cloudy Quartz was too stunned to answer her daughter as she stepped up closer to Party Favor, who shuddered a little when she raised her hoof to his face before she whispered, "B-Basalt...?!"

Gulping and forcing a smile, Party Favor responded, "Hello, Mother."

307. Hearthbreakers - Part 2

The Apples had just learned, to their silent horror, that the Pie Family's idea of a Hearth's Warming Dinner... was Rock Soup. As in simple water that had been boiled with nothing but rocks added. Literal rocks. No vegetables, no spices, no hot buns, no pies, no mulled cider. Literally nothing but Rock Soup.

Struggling to hide their disappointment and subtle disgust and maintain their manners, Applejack had just been about to take a sip when-

"Hold on!"

Phew! Applejack mentally thought as everypony saw Pinkie undergo some strange sensations.

"Shuddery shoulders, ears perked, quivering dock!" Pinkie GASPED, "Somepony's about to knock on the door!"

"Prithee continue to enjoy thy meal," Cloudy Quartz walked out of the dining room, "I shalt welcome this unexpected visitor."

"Hold on, Mom!" Pinkie hopped after her mother, "I wanna see who it is, too!"

After seeing the two mares leave, the rest of the Pies turned to look at Applejack again expectantly, and Applejack realized they were waiting for her to resume tasting the soup.

C'mon, AJ, think fast! she thought in slight panic before uttering out, "Uh- Be awful rude t' jus' eat without everypony here, wouldn'it?"

The looks she got from Igneous and Limestone were uncomfortable, but Marble managed to utter, "Mm-hmm," which helped put Applejack at ease a bit.

"So! Wh-wha' kinda things do y'all do here on yer rock farm?" Applejack inquired, "Like... Whattya sell yer rocks for?"

Igneous shared a look with his daughters before taking a breath and-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Everypony at the dinner table jumped out of their seats and looked to the doorway Cloudy Quartz and Pinkie had gone through to answer the door. But before anypony could go and see what the screaming was about, in zoomed Pinkie, bringing her mother and their apparent guest, seating Cloudy Quartz back beside her husband and... Party Favor between Pinkie and Applejack?!

"Wha' th' hay?!" Applejack uttered, "Party Favor, wha' in Sam Hill're you doin' here?"

"HE'S THE DOOZY!!!" Pinkie pie grinned from ear to ear, eyes wider than dinner plates as she zipped over to Marble, "MARBLE!!! You know how's it's always been so awesome to have big sisters?"

"...mm'hm?" Marble responded, unsure of the question.

"Well... Get ready to feel Super-Dee-Tastic to learn that we..." Pinkie zipped back over to Party, who was forcing a smile as Pinkie declared, "HAVE A BIG BROTHER!!!!!"

That's when Igneous realized who this stallion was, recognizing him as Igneous gave him a stony glare, "So... The prodigal son returns after all these years. Pray tell, Basalt Igneous Pie, what draws thee homeward to face thy family?"

Party pointed out, "Pinkie Pie."

"Me?!" Pinkie gasped with a smile. But then she looked confused, "But hold on! We met a while back, in Starlight's Town place where everypony shared a fake cutie-mark and wore even faker smiles! Why didn't you say anything then?"

"Because at the time I wasn't entirely sure we were related," Party answered before he explained. That he left Nickerlite as a colt, hopping onto a train that took him far away from his hometown before it stopped in Baltimare. There, Party realized the train was a circus train when he was discovered by the circus's best clown, a legendary party pony by the name of Ponyacci.

Ponyacci took Party Favor in, taught him how to make others laugh and showed him all kinds of funny tricks with all kinds of props and gag items. It was during that time Party discovered his talent for twisting balloons into all kinds of miraculous shapes and found they could be used as the things he modeled them into, and that's how he got his cutie-mark. Eventually, he grew up and the circus fell on hard times that many of the performers lost their jobs, including Party Favor. Ponyacci gave Party a warm farewell and encouraged him to go out and find his place in the world.

While traveling, Party Favor signed up for a correspondence course in magic to advance his magical skills and knowledge, leading him to be talented in Enchantments, which he used to improve his balloons with magical properties. But all too quickly there came a sameness to the journeying. He became alone, uncertain, directionless. Then, he came across Starlight Glimmer's Town, and fell into her web of lies and deceit, that his cutie-mark had led him nowhere and in a moment of weakness he forsake it.

"...then you and your friends came," Party Favor reached over, putting a hoof onto Pinkie's shoulder, "and thanks to you all, Starlight was exposed for she truly was and my friends and I realized how misguided and we had been to give up our cutie-marks."

"But... that still doesn't explain why you didn't tell me who you are," Pinkie reminded.

"I left this place before you were born, Pinkie," Party Favor sighed, feeling a little ashamed, "I knew our mother was expecting twins, but... I wasn't happy here."

"Why not?!" Pinkie was stumped to how this brother she never knew she had couldn't have been happy with his family.

"Maybe if thou had been true to thy family's ways," Igneous spoke up, no longer able to stay silent, "thou might have been better off."

Party Favor narrowed his eyes at his father, "I came here to make amends, not to argue. So why don't we just..."

It was at this point Party finally noticed, with bitter familiarity, that dinner was Rock Soup.
"Ugh, on second thought."

He reached under the table and pulled out some saddlebags he'd brought, saying, "I brought my own food."

Then, with a whirl of his hooves, Party Favor brought out warm pies, buttered rolls, a bowl of mashed potatoes with gravy, a jug of cider, and extra bowls, plates, and cups, "And I'm happy to share."

Without asking or waiting, Party Favor served up slices of his pies to the Apples, as well as Pinkie, along with helpings of the rest of his food, which he placed around the container of Rock Soup. Igneous bit his lip with annoyance while Cloudy Quartz looked back and forth her son and husband with discomfort. Limestone sneered at the food and turned her nose up at it, Maud showed no reaction, and Marble hid behind her mane.

"Please, everypony," Party Favor smiled, albeit just a slight smugly, "enjoy."

He looked to his father and said, "And everypony else is welcome to help themselves to anything on the table."

He began eating, and Pinkie decided to try the food Party had brought, which was enough for the Apples to sample Party's food. However, the rest of the Pies refused to touch what Party had set upon their dinner table, as Igneous said, "T'would appear thou hath forgotten proper manners regarding dinner, Basalt Pie, where good and polite ponies eat what's put in front of them."

Party paused in the midst of eating a spoonful of mashed potatoes, before raising his brow at Igneous, "Well, I agree manners are important, but I think good ponies feed their kids food that is edible and nutritious, and actually tastes good and makes them happy!"

"Uh- Why don't we all just finish up dinner, and then we can move on and make our Hearth's Warming Dolls!" Pinkie suggested with a slightly nervous chuckle.

"Ah'm in!" "Me too!" "Darn tootin'!"

The Apples finished up their meals quick, and stepped out of the dining room, quickly making their way up to the guestroom they were staying in.

"Boy howdy, did tha' seem like it was goin' off rails!" Applejack commented.

"Wow! So Pinkie Pie has a big brother," Apple Bloom noted before looking a little upset, "But... how come they din't seem all tha' happy t' see him? An' why was Party actin' tha' way?"

"Well, sugarcube, Ah think Party has some... issues wit' his fam'ly he never really took care of," Granny Smith answered, "an' him showin' up outta th' blue an' all jus' caught Pinkie's fam'ly by surprise."

"Well Ah hope things get better, but Ah gotta feelin' they're gonna get worse first," Applejack added.

"HEY APPLES! We're going outside to make our Hearth's Warming Dolls, c'mon!"

The Apples shared a hesitant look, but sighed, Applejack saying, "C'mon, y'all, Ah'm sure we can still make this a Hearth's Warmin' t' remember!"

Pinkie led everypony down to the quarry, and once she was sure everypony was present, she held up a rock, saying, "Who wants a Hearth's Warming Doll?!"

Applejack looked confusedly at her sister and grandmother who mirrored it with their own before asking, "Are you sayin' tha' rock is a Hearth's Warming doll?"

"Don't be silly, Silly!" Pinkie picked up a miniature pick axe before placing the rock on a stony pedestal and gave it a sharp tap. The rock quickly split, pieces falling way, to reveal a rock roughly shaped like Pinkie Pie.
"Our dolls are these little pieces! Isn't that right, Marble Pie?"

Marble blushed a bit for being put on the spot but responded, "Mm-hmm."

Then the rest of the Pies starting picking away at the rocks they'd chosen and were carving out their dolls. Party Favor noticed the looks on the Apples' faces and zipped over, "Why settle for boring and depressing dolls made of rocks..."

He blew out some balloons and quickly twisted and turned them over before holding up a balloon model of himself, "...when you can have dolls bright, colorful, and huggable?! I could make some of you guys, if you like!"

"Really? Thanks, Party Favor!" Apple Bloom smiled.
"Sign me up!" Granny Smith added.

Applejack could understand why her sister and grandmother would prefer Party Favor's alternative, but when she gazed towards the Pies... Igneous was beginning to grind his teeth in annoyance while Limestone was furrowing her brows with fury. Cloudy Quartz, Marble Pie, and Pinkie Pie all shared looks of anxious discomfort, and Maud... displayed no emotional reaction whatsoever.

"Uh- Tha's mighty nice o' you, Party, but..." Applejack took a random rock and placed it on one of the pedestals, "Ah think Ah'll try makin' mahn th' traditional way."

Honestly, Applejack wanted a doll made from Party's balloons too, but she hoped this gesture would help defuse some of the tension building up between the Pies and Party Favor. Of course, her rock doll didn't turn out well, but Pinkie Pie zipped over, whispering, "Thanks for that, AJ. I don't know why my parents and sisters aren't warming up to Party!"

"For tha' matter," Applejack pointed out, "seems t' me tha' Party ain't so keen on yer fam'ly traditions."

"Well, hopefully these frowns'll turn upside down once we get to the Flag-Finding Mission!" Pinkie whispered excitedly.

"Wha'-findin' wha', now?"

After the dolls were made and taken inside, Pinkie had everyone gather in front of Holder's Boulder, stating, "Limestone Pie, you're the judge!"

She then zipped around, putting ponies together, "Party Favor, you and Marble will be Team 1!"

Party Favor barely seen much of Marble, and given the way she shied from him and hid behind her mane, it wasn't surprising. It made him feel just slightly down, as he was used to making ponies happy.

"Apple Bloom, you and Maud will be Team 2!" Pinkie said as she set the filly by Maud, who didn't show any reaction.

"Ma? Pa? You're gonna be with Granny Smith," Pinkie said before setting the elderly mare between them, "Don't think of it as 'team Old', think of it as Team 3!"

She then zipped to Applejack's side, "And I'm with Applejack, of course, since we might be cousins!"

"So now tha' wer' all split up," Applejack brought up, "mind tellin' us wha' wer' doin'?"

Pinkie trotted up onto Holder's Boulder, "As everypony knows-"

"STAY OFF HOLDER'S BOULDER!!!" screamed Limestone, causing Pinkie to 'sheesh' before hopping down.

Party Favor rolled his eyes, Some things never change...

He could recall the many times he'd accidentally bumped into that stupid boulder and Limestone would tattle on him and get him in trouble.

"When the three tribes united to form Equestria," Pinkie began, "the first flag was sewn by Nimble Thimble. It's tradition to raise a flag on Hearth's Warming to celebrate that famous day."

As the ponies nodded and murmured in agreement, Pinkie then asked, "But who gets to put the flag on Holder's Boulder?"

"Don't you mean th' flagpole?" Applejack asked.

"No, she means the boulder, because its the highest point around here," Party Favor said tiresomely, "and instead of the youngest raising the flag, the tradition here is to have a corny scavenger hunt, where the winner is the one who gets to raise the flag."

"What's wrong with that?" Pinkie was a little stumped by Party's lack of enthusiasm.

"Oh nothing, if you don't mind never getting the chance, even once, to raise a Hearth's Warming flag during your foalhood," Party Favor threw a stink eye towards his parents and to his sisters, Limestone and Maud.
"And you know, I could honestly not take that so personally if it weren't for what this family does after the flag is raised..."

"Basalt Pie, I believeth thou hath made thy-" Cloudy tried to say, only for Pinkie to interrupt.

"Whattya mean? After the flag-raising, we hide presents!" Pinkie said excitably, to the Apples' confusion.

"Y'all hide yer presents?!" Applejack didn't understand.

"Of course! What's more fun than getting a present?" Pinkie asked before answering, "FINDING A PRESENT!!"

"Except almost nopony ever finds their presents," Party Favor added before he began his rant, "Every year, we did these rock-based traditions! Rock Soup for Hearth's Warming Dinner, making dolls out of rocks, finding a drawing of a rock to hang the flag on a rock, and then hiding presents instead of exchanging them!"

"The traditions are not what matter, Basalt Pie!" Igneous stepped forward, sternly stating, "It's the reasons behind them and the ponies thou do them with! But then, thou never truly appreciated how hard thy mother and I worked to provide thee and thy sisters with everything we did, but lo, thou could only bemoan and whine and set poor examples for thy sisters!

"But then I shouldn't be surprised that a unicorn could never understand nor appreciate our ways."

There was a collective GASP and almost instantly, Igneous realized he'd gone too far, especially when he saw the look on his son's face. It was stony, but the tear that ran down the young stallion's face made it clear.

"My entire colthood, you punished me for being born with this horn on my head," Party Favor spoke softly, "you saw a whiny lazy colt because that's all you cared to see. You never once considered how miserable I was, growing up on this farm, how alone I felt, a unicorn born to a family of earth ponies. How small and worthless you and her" - Party pointed to Limestone who scoffed at the accusation - "made me feel day after day after day. And you two!"

This time, Party pointed to his mother and Maud, "You hardly did anything at all! You never stuck up for me, barely comforted me, listened to me, or even took the time to cheer me up! The only one who ever really cared was Granny Pie! She was the one who first told me how wonderful Hearth's Warming can be, but your traditions are nothing but a bad and depressing joke!

"Rock Soup?! I had to choke down every pebble because you wouldn't let me leave the table! Why bother making dolls out of rocks when we're just gonna throw them away afterwards?! I don't really mind the scavenger hunt to decide who would raise the flag, but hiding the presents instead of just giving them to each other?! Every year, I was disappointed because I could never find my presents, and nopony could appreciate the presents I wanted to give because you all made me hide them and wouldn't even let me hint to you where they were so you could find them! One year, I got you a new pipe but you never found it! The year before, I made a geode pendant for Ma but she never found it! And another time. I found some rare rocks for Maud, she never found them, and of course Limestone didn't find my presents for her either!

"SO WHAT'S THE POINT OF EVEN HAVING PRESENTS IF YOU NEVER GIVE OR RECEIVE THEM?! And every time I worked up enough courage to try and stand up for myself, you always just talked down to me or spanked me or locked me in my room without dinner, Pa! I'm sorry I left before Pinkie and Marble were born, but I couldn't stand living on this Rock Farm another day! I have my regrets, but running away from this place was the best decision I ever made!"

The silence that followed was bitterly uncomfortable. Everypony was sharing looks of discomfort and uncertainty, but Party Favor and Igneous held each other's gaze, before the older stallion snorted and asked, "Then why did thee even bother coming back?"

Mores GASPS were uttered, from Cloudy, Granny Smith, Applejack, Marble, Apple Bloom, and especially Pinkie, who looked to be on the verge of tears as her mane was starting to deflate.

"I thought I wanted to repair something that was broken," Party Favor sighed as he turned away, "but now I realize, there was never anything to fix."

As Party Favor walked away, leaving the Rock Farm once again, Pinkie tried to hold back the sobs, but broke into tears, her mane turnin completely straight, before she hurried inside to cry, Maud and Marble hurrying in after her out of worry.

308. Hearthbreakers - Part 3

The situation had turned bitter, as the Apples and Pies watched Party Favor vanish over the hill. Furrowing her brows, Granny Smith threw such a stink eye at Igneous and Cloudy, "Wha' in Faust's name is wrong wit' y'all?! Yer boy comes back after bein' gone so long an' instead o' welcomin' him back you drive him away!"

"He hath made it clear that he never wished to be a part of this family," Igneous responded, but he couldn't hide the shame he felt, "besides... I've done enough to that boy."

Granny Smith wasn't going to let them off that easily, but she looked to her granddaughters, saying, "Go after him, make him come back."

"Wer' on it, Granny Smith," Applejack nodded before gesturing Apple Bloom to follow her.

As they left, Granny Smith looked back to Igneous and Cloudy, whom she noticed was tearing up, and said, "You din't raise him right, tha' much is obvious. Why?"

Igneous and Cloudy shared a troubled look and sighed as Cloudy admitted, "We were not prepared to raise a unicorn as a son... We couldn't believe our eyes to see our firstborn foal was not of the earth but of magic when our lineages hath always been earth ponies. We were uncertain, so..."

"So, we thought to raise him as we would any earth pony," Igneous said when his wife couldn't finish, sighing, "I foolishly thought if I could have him do things as an earth pony would then-"

"Ya can't make him something he ain't and ya shouldn't in the first place!" Granny Smith snapped, causing Igneous and Cloudy to flinch in response. "Now you listen here - Mah family, the Apples? Wer' a well-known an' widespread fam'ly o' earth ponies. We got Apples from practic'ly all corners of Equestria. Doesn't mean we ain't had our share o' unicorns an' pegasi born amongst us. But unlike wha' you've done t' tha' poor boy, we never made them feel like they had t' be anythang but themselves! We accepted them, whether they had horns or wings, cuz tha's what family does!

"Not prepared t' raise a unicorn? More like unwillin' t' understand an' accept yer boy an' help him become the best of himself he could be! Well, it seems he was able t' do that just fine wit'out y'all, and more's th' pity. Ah've met mah share o' earth ponies tha' gave our tribe a bad name but you take the cake!"

For a long moment, the three stood there in comfortable silence, until Igneous pressed his ears down and said with regret, "We just... wanted for him to be what we-"

"And that was the problem..." Igneous looked to his wife as Cloudy shed tears but returned her husband's look with one of determination. "I stood by in accordance to our family's ways and let thee discipline our son for being what he is instead of what you wanted him to be. I was a coward, but no more, Igneous."

"Cloudy, I-" Igneous tried to say, only for Cloudy to raise her hoof to him.

"No more! Basalt was never the problem, Igneous," Cloudy stated, "We were. Now we have a chance to finally do right by our son, and we must take it. Otherwise... we lose him forever."

Igneous finally let the tears run as he collapsed to his knees in shame, and as Cloudy hugged her husband, Granny Smith nodded in approval as she thought, There may be some hope for these Pies yet.

Party Favor stood there on the platform of the train station, staring off into nothing. He'd meant to catch the next train back to Ponyville, but he'd forgotten the service was closed until late tomorrow. It was Hearth's Warming Eve, after all.

What was I thinking...? he thought, feeling bitter but also miserable. They're no different now then they were then, just like their precious rocks. But then again, who am I to talk? I wanted to patch things up with them, but...

"Party Favor!" "Wait!"

Party's ear perked and he looked out the corner of his eye to see Applejack and Apple Bloom running his way. He didn't move but made no attempt to respond, as they hurried over to his sides, Apple Bloom saying, "Please don' run off, Party Favor! Ya don' wanna run out on yer fam'ly, no again!"

Sighing, Party Favor dejectedly said, "Look, I appreciate that you just want to help, but there's no point."

"Well, we don' believe that, an' neither does Granny Smith," Apple Bloom insisted, "Ah betcha she's back there right now talkin' to yer folks about all they did wrong by you so they'll see sense!"

"So what? My parents will never change," Party Favor looked away from those big orange eyesful of sad, "It's not gonna help, like putting a bandage on a broken leg-"

"Now Ah know tha's not true an' deep down Ah think you know it too, Party," Applejack interrupted with a voice so bold, Party Favor couldn't help but look at her, "Now sugarcube, Ah can only imagine how hard it musta been livin' there. T' be honest, Ah've sorta gone through t' same thing. Not exactly, but even so! When Ah was around Apple Bloom's age, Ah left home cuz Ah thought Ah wanted more outta life than bein' a farmer. Ah went t' live with an aunt an' uncle in a big city where th' life Ah thought Ah wanted turned out t' be th' furthest thing from.

"Then somethin' helped me realize how much Ah was missin' mah real home an' muh family, an' it led me back to `em straight n' true, an' Ah knew fer shor Sweet Apple Acres was where Ah was meant t' be. Cuz' when Ah got back home, Ah'd earned muh cutie-mark."

"...But Applejack, I got my cutie-mark because I left the Rock Farm," Party Favor reminded, "I would never have figured out my purpose in life was to make ponies laugh and happy if I'd stayed there."

"But ya wanted t' come back!" Applejack reminded him back, "Ya came here cuz deep down ya wanna make right wit' yer kin. Only as you got into it, ya lost sight o' that."

"...You're right," Party Favor sighed deeply, the shame washing over him as he fell back onto his haunches, holding his hoof over his face. "I mean- Oh Faust help me, I... It's just when I was reminded of those traditions we did for Hearth's Warming, I guess the bitterness came back. It reminded me of all those times I felt like an outsider in my own family."

Then he felt somepony hugging him and looked to see it was Apple Bloom, giving him as nice a smile as she could, "Tha's why ya gotta stop holdin' onto th' past, an' think of all th' fun you could still have with yer folks n' sisters!"

Applejack smiled proudly at Apple Bloom as Party Favor sighed and then said, "I dunno, after all the things I said, how can I face them?"

"Well, sugarcube, we don' know fer sure whether th' Apples n' Pies truly are related or not," Applejack said while putting a foreleg around Party's shoulders, "but tha' don' matter, cuz we love Pinkie Pie like she were an Apple born n' bred. So, Ah guess tha' makes you part of our family too."

Party Favor felt so touched by those words but it was what Applejack said next that convinced him, "Go back there an' speak t' yer folks again, Party Favor. We'll be right there wit' ya."

Party Favor gave it a thought a few moments longer before furrowing his brows and standing up.

The Pies faced their wayward member, who had Applejack and Apple Bloom at his sides while Granny Smith stood at the sidelines, ready to intervene if things turned ugly again. Pinkie's hair had inflated just a little with hope, but she was afraid of things going bad again, Marble kept trying to work up the courage to pull back her mane, Limestone looked as sour as always, and Maud... looked like she felt nothing.

But Party Favor was looking at his parents and saw they had a wrapped present between them, their faces wracked with uncertainty. As much as the Apples wanted to help, they could not interfere at this critical stage.

"Oh for pony's sake!" Limestone couldn't take it anymore and everypony flinched from her irate tone as she stepped forward and looked her brother in the eye before sighing and saying, "Alright, listen up, Basalt! I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I was such a lousy sister when we were foals, always ratting you out to Pa and Ma, getting you in trouble, and-and..."

Limestone held back the tears as the shame and guilt finally bubbled to the surface but she refused to break down emotionally as she said, "...and I'm sorry that I contributed to making you feel so miserable that you ran away. I guess... I guess I was jealous of you."

"Jealous of me?!" Party Favor flabbergasted.

"Well, you're the oldest!" Limestone explained, "Pa was always so hard on you because he hoped that you'd be the one to inherit the Rock Farm one day. So... I thought if I made you look bad and worked harder, he'd choose me instead. Well, I got what I wanted, and all it took was driving my brother away, breaking our folks' hearts, and depriving Pinkie and Marble of a chance to grow up knowing their big brother. And me?"

Limestone sighed and finally shed a tear, "I get to run this farm, feeling lower than dirt for all I did."

Party Favor was just speechless. Every word of his sister's apology had been from the heart, he could tell. From the emotion in her voice and in her eyes, however much she tried to look tough.

Then Maud stepped forward, Party looking to her, and she said, in a voice none of them heard, full of emotion and her imperfect side, "I want to apologize as well, Basalt. Or if you'd prefer, I can call you Party Favor. I'm not perfect....but I want to be there for you."

"...Whichever you're comfortable with," Party Favor shrugged.

Maud nodded and continued with, “I understand that I'm not exactly the easiest pony to understand, and I didn't do anything to make your colthood easier. But...standing by and doing nothing can be just as bad as actually doing something that hurts somepony, sometimes even worse. Believe it or not, I didn't really understand much of what was going on back then. Pa had you and Limestone doing chores outside, so I was often inside, helping Ma.”

“And that's something we can agree on,” Party said with a nod and a small smile. “Now, I believe I've done enough chopping down of emotions. Let's enjoy this time together. After all, Family is important.”

“Tha's good o' you,” Granny Smith smiled proudly. “Findin' perfection in imperfections.”

"Though..." All eyes turned to Igneous and Cloudy as the mare and her husband stepped forward, looking deeply humbled and regretful, "There is yet more to say, especially from us."

Taking a deep breath, Cloudy gave her son a solemn look, "Basalt, Party, son... To say that we are sorry does not begin to amend for all of the wrong we've done to thee. But for now, it is a start, and I hope that thou shalt allow for us to continue making up for the past."

Igneous nodded, grimacing before taking a moment to gather himself and add, "The blame is mine, and I realize how wrong I was to refuse to accept thee for what thou are, to fail in understanding just how unique thou are and always have been. I cannot change the past, Son."

Igneous stepped up to Party, hesitantly placing his hoof on Party's shoulder, especially when he saw the burn scar on it, "But if you will give me the chance, I promise to be sincere and true in my efforts to make things right by thee. My pride and my foolishness tore a great rift in our family. There's no one to blame but me... I am all but certain I do not deserve it, but...Will you give me this chance, son? Can we be a family again? Can we mend our bond?"

Again, Party Favor was struck speechless as he looked into his father's eyes. He reflected on all those unhappy memories, forced to do things the earth pony way, denied the chance to be the unicorn he was, derided, condescended. In that corner of his mind where those memories dwelled, the bitterness and animosity simmered, only to be washed away with something he had all but given up on.

Hope.

He smiled and said, "Happy Hearth's Warming, Pa."

Igneous finally let the tears flow freely, his heart swelling as he pulled his boy into a hug, and the rest of the family, Pies and Apples, all joined in.

The holiday celebrations were back on track, and this time they were warmer and livelier. The Apples and Pies cooked together, making another Hearth's Warming Dinner, with pot pies, buttered rolls, vegetable soup, salad, cider, and snow flakes made from rock candy as a holiday desert. They crocheted Hearth's Warming Dolls and included pieces of geode crystal to represent the dolls' hearts. Working together, they formed a pillar from natural rock, and Apple Bloom hung the flag. And when night fell, it was time for bed.

Before going to sleep however, Party Favor took a moment to be with Pinkie and Marble. He sat before them in their room, feeling a little awkward, especially how Marble was still shyly hiding behind her mane a bit.
"Pinkie, Marble? I'm sorry, to both of you."

"What for, Party?" asked Pinkie, "Everypony's happy again, and now our family is finally whole."

"Mmhm," Marble nodded.

"Yes, it is," Party Favor sighed, "but Pa wasn't the only one who tore a rift into our family. I ran away before the two of you were even born, so... I'm sorry. Sorry that I wasn't around, to be the big brother you should've had, to see you grow up. But I'm glad to see you both turned out all right, especially you, Pinkie."

"Remember what Granny Pie always used to say, big brother!" Pinkie giggled, the feeling of the words in her mouth feeling so right.

Party looked at her, and then at Marble, who managed to smile and pull her mane out of the way, as they all smiled and said it together.

"Giggle at the ghosties."

They all laughed, before Party Favor stood up and gave his two baby sisters as warm a hug as he could, "I love you both. Happy Hearth's Warming."

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Party," Pinkie replied, Marble uttering another 'mmhm', as Party Favor moved for the door.

"Sleep well."

Hearth's Warming Morning was announced by Pinkie Pie bouncing around the house, telling everypony to wake up. Once everypony was awake and in the living room, they shared more holiday treats and for the first time in the Pie house, they exchanged gifts. Pinkie Pie had been especially glad to give the present she'd gotten for Applejack and see her face light up after she opened it to reveal... a Rock. But to Applejack, it may as well as been a lump of gold, because it came from somepony she loved as both friend and family.

When it was Party's turn, he was happy to show them the present he'd brought and made for the family.
"Pa, I'd like for you to open it."

Igneous smiled deeply as his son levitated the large present to him as his wife and daughters crowded around him to see. He tore away the wrapping, and when he opened the box... out floated a bunch of rocks shaped like balloons, each one carved with the name of one of the Pies on it. Igneous's rock balloon was literally made of igneous rock, Cloudy Quartz's of quartz, Limestone's of limestone, Maud's was sandstone, Pinkie's was rock candy, and Marble's was smooth and polished marble. Each of the Pies marveled at the gift they'd been given and Party Favor chuckled.
"I know I didn't appreciate rocks all that much when I was little. But that doesn't mean I can't understand what they mean to you all. These rock balloons will always float and will be drawn to each other, representing the bonds of our family."

The Pies all teared up at Party's words, even Maud cracked a bit, and they came together in another family hug, and the Apples proudly looked on to see the family Pie was whole again.
"It's still a tad surprisin', Granny Smith," Applejack whispered, "Ah never would'a thought Pinkie had a big brother too. An' t' think we met Party in a bad situation an' look where he is now."

"Life's funny sometimes, honey," Granny Smith agreed, "full o' twists n' turns, ya never know where it's gonna take ya. But tha's what makes life so dang interestin'."

Giggling, Applejack agreed, "Eeyup."

"Attention, everypony!" called out Apple Bloom, "Maud wants t' sing some Hearth's Warmin' carols tha' she wrote!"

Everypony chattered excitably as all eyes and ears turned to Maud Pie, who stated, "The first one is about rocks."

Then she added in that stony monotone she was so well known for, "They're all about rocks."

She pulled out the paper she'd written the first one on and began to recite, "Hearth's Warming is great, like Calcium Silicate. What a wonderful day, as good as Mica or Clay..."

309. Herd and Bothered - Part 1

The snowfall last night had turned Ponyville Park into the epitome of wintry beauty, much to the liking of the husband and wife as they walked together, a long comfy scarf tying them together and helping them to keep warm. It had been quite a month - They'd gotten married at the first snowfall of the season, gone on a wonderful honeymoon in Manehatten, visited museums, seen a Bridleway Performance, and made it back home just in time to celebrate Hearth's Warming with their family. However, they'd opted to celebrate the holiday in Canterlot, taking Faerie Tail, Twinken, and Spike with them, to spend time with Night Light and Velvet. They'd asked Joe to come along, but the big oaf had kindly turned them down to spend the holiday with Chili Spice.

Now the holiday was over, and finally they could unwind.

"This is wonderful," sighed Twilight as she and her husband sat on a park bench and took in the pleasant scenery, feeling her tail curl around Midnight's. "This whole winter has been wonderful! I loved our honeymoon, seeing all those exhibits in the Museum of Supernatural History? And then afterwards we saw those street performers, remember?"

"Heh, how can I forget when their magician made me fart bubbles?" Midnight had been so embarrassed but had still found it hilarious, "Remember the look on his face? Probably thought I was gonna imprison him in a dungeon, banish him, or banish him and throw him into a dungeon at the place where I'd-"

"O-kay!" Twilight put a hoof to Midnight's lips, ignoring the snickering look his eyes gave her, prompting her to smirk nostalgically as well, "I have to admit, sometimes it still feels so... incredible that I've known you since foalhood and met another version of you. It's like there never were two of you at all."

"And... you can say that no other mare has had the pleasure of deflowering her special somepony twice!" Midnight bobbed his brows, Twilight shouldering him while blushing.

"Stop it!"

Chuckling, Midnight leaned over and nipped gently at his Twily's ear, making her laugh and jerk away a bit. She then nuzzled up against the underside of his chin, and he wrapped his wing around her in response. These moments of being so close that they feel each other's heartbeat, she cherished them, more than she'd ever dreamed of before the idea of finding romance ever took root in her thoughts.

Midnight in turn treasured these moments especially, having lived and journeyed and died and been reborn, a long and arduous journey it had been, perilous and many times he'd felt the weight of the world on his shoulders so heavily. It'd only been the thoughts of her, the vision of what could be, that had been the spark of faith that spurred him to keep moving forward. Now that she was his, his to love, his to protect, his with whom to share the best and the worst of his future, he could think beyond any shadow of a doubt it had all been worth it.

They kissed and made out a little, not wanting to get too frisky because of how cold it was. When their lips parted, they looked into each other's eyes, and lost themselves for a moment before Twilight cleared her throat, "Um, Midnight?"

"Yeah?"

"Now that things are slowing down this month," she proposed before giving a slight blush, "I was wondering if... Maybe we should... talk?"

"About what?" Midnight hoped nothing was wrong though he sensed hesitation in his Twily.

"Well, lately, I've been having dreams," Twilight explained, sounding a little faraway, "dreams where... Well, remember the vision you showed me?"

"Twilight, are... are you-?!" Midnight began to seize up.

"Oh! No, no! I'm not, Midnight, I'm not with foal" Twilight answered quickly before clearing her throat, "though not for lack of trying."

"Oh! Uh, I... I'm not sure what to say right now," Midnight rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, what I'm trying to say, Midnight," Twilight tried to get this conversation back on track, "I'm thinking we should discuss starting our own family."

"Ah, that makes more sense," Midnight inwardly sighed in relief. Though he did in fact hope to make his vision come true, he wanted for him and Twilight to talk about it first and prepare themselves.
"Okay then, I guess... these dreams you've had were like the vision I shared with you. A foal of our own, having our own family?"

"Yes," Twilight nodded though there was a slight longing in her voice that concerned Midnight, so he cuddled her close, to her appreciation, and she said, "Midnight when you showed me that vision, I felt so... so...! I don't even know how to describe it!"

"And then the vision ended," Midnight sighed, recalling that bittersweet moment when he'd first experienced that vision, only for it to be over and realize it had not been real, that it had only signified a possibility.
"Did you feel like crying a little when you woke up from that vision? I did."

"Because of her?" Twilight gave Midnight a knowing look.

"That sweet, smart, beautiful filly," Midnight nodded, "what hurt most about that vision was I didn't even learn her name. But... I guess that's why they say 'the future isn't set in stone', that it's up to us to make our futures."

"I'm not entirely sure if we're ready, to be honest," Twilight shrugged before giving a warm smile, "but I am absolutely certain I want this, Midnight. Not yet, maybe, but soon."

Midnight smiled deeply at his wife, his happiness and hope mirrored in her face. They shared a deep and loving kiss... when Midnight felt his flanks shudder and vibrate, alarming him a bit that he whinnied aloud. He and Twilight looked and saw his cutie-mark was glowing, and they both knew what that meant.

In the Map Room, Midnight and Twilight saw that only he had been called by the Map, and he was being summoned to a small town on the west coast, specifically on the coastline that bridged Equestria to the Dog Nation of Bargos.

"If I'm not mistaken," Twilight took a careful look, "it appears that the Map wants you to go to... Coltson."

"Can't say I've never been," Midnight commented, "smaller towns don't get a lot of crime, not like the bigger cities do."

He gazed up at Twilight and saw she too was dispirited. He cupped her cheek in his hoof, gazing into her eyes as he sighed, "Don't wanna go."

"You must, Midnight," Twilight responded, reaching up to grasp his hoof with her own.

"I love you," Midnight gave her another kiss before stepping away and lighting up his horn.

Twilight watched as Midnight conjured saddlebags around his barrel, and his shadow rose up, enshrouding him, then falling away to reveal he was now garbed in his cloak. She saw him give her a small sad smile in the shadow of his hood as he then promised, "I'll be back as soon as I can. We still have a family to talk about."

Twilight smiled warmly in response and said, "Whoever needs help, they're lucky it's you coming."

Chuckling, Midnight stepped over and gave Twilight a see-you-later nuzzle before he collapsed into his own shadow. Twilight watched as Midnight, in his shadowstuff form, slithered away, quiet as a cat, silent as a snake.

Midnight took the Slipstream, after asking Blueblood to borrow it. The unicorn aeronautical engineer had been a tad reluctant until Midnight showed he actually had a pilot license, ("That's actually quite an interesting story," he'd said) and Blueblood caved, especially when he learned Midnight was off on a mission from the Map. Thankfully, the airship was equipped with an autopilot setting and Blueblood had pointed out various gimmicks to keep in mind.

Midnight found it both relaxing and thrilling to pilot an airship, and he looked forward to taking the airship he, Blueblood, and their friends Techorse and Doctor Whooves were designing out on its maiden flight. The one he'd commissioned and would be outfitted with their experimental technology. The prototypes had yielded promising results but until they were certain they'd worked out any bugs or flaws, the tech would not be installed into Midnight's ship.

Before leaving, Blueblood had invited Midnight to check on his commission's progress, and Midnight was pleased to have seen it was coming along nicely. The ship was just over halfway constructed, and Blueblood had pointed out the various areas and points of the ship's blueprints where Midnight would be able to make his magical modifications once the ship was at a certain stage in its development.

Soaring through the sky, Midnight began to think, if all went well with the prototypes' developments, then perhaps he could unveil his new ship before the ever-approaching Summit, where the Aristocracy would be officially dissolved to make way for one comprised of democratically elected members. The Aristocrats would formally surrender their power before the Triarchy of Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Prince Sombra, who would then declare the New Equestrian Council as a ruling body equal to the Triarchy, comprised of elected councilors, each one overseeing specific matters and duties and from different corners of Equestria.

Techorse would make a fine addition to that council, Midnight considered, though I'm not sure if he'd be interested.

Techorse had great integrity, and that was one of the biggest reasons why Midnight respected him. The young inventor sought to innovate new ideas, create amazing technology to help others, and he refused to use his talents for development of weapons, keeping his more dangerous inventions to himself. It'd taken some deep assurances for Midnight to convince Tech for privileged use of the inventor's Zapper-Saddles from before that second changeling invasion.

Then there was Doctor Time Turner Whooves, secretly one of Midnight's Evening Hoods. Time Turner had many amazing ideas but due to a misunderstanding (or rather because of a coward's envious scheming) Time Turner's reputation in Equestria's scientific community in his hometown had been all but ruined. Midnight had approached Time Turner with a proposal of him joining the Brotherhood in exchange fro granting the scientist a research and development grant to open up his own private laboratory in Ponyville. While not all of Time Turner's works had turned out well, he had contributed to the Brotherhood with some useful inventions.

But getting his head back on track, Midnight could only wonder why the Map was sending him to Coltson, and alone at that. He recalled Thunderlane and then Big Mac being sent on solo missions too while Blueblood had accompanied Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to Griffonstone, and Soarin had gone with Applejack and Rarity to Manehatten. Regardless, he knew there was a problem that apparently required his help, and whoever was in need he'd be there for them.

310. Herd and Bothered - Part 2

Ugh, I knew I should've arrived in disguise... Midnight thought with a grumble as he walked alongside Ledger Seal, the Deputy Mayor of Coltson as she rambled on and on on the history and various points of interest of the community.

Earlier, he'd arrived at Coltson and touched down just outside the town in the Slipstream before making his way to Coltson Town Hall. Before disembarking the airship, he'd mentally juggled between going in disguised as a traveler or appearing as his royal princely self. As much as he preferred the former, he ultimately decided it would be better to mingle with the locals as himself and face whatever problem he'd been sent here to resolve with his own face.

Before he could even enter Town Hall however, he'd been confronted by an ecstatic Ledger Seal, an earth pony mare with a pencil yellow coat, graphite gray mane, and earth brown eyes, with a cutie-mark of an office file tray. She wore a mare's suit, colored ebony black, with a royal purple tie, and had a beauty spot below the corner of her left eye. Understandably excited, she'd gone on for a few agonizing minutes about what an honor it was to have an alicorn prince visit their quaint little hamlet while subtly mentioning how inconvenient it was (of Midnight, he knew she meant without saying so) to have no forewarning to give her time to prepare a proper welcome before she'd offered (insisted) on personally giving Midnight the grand tour, which of course meant indulging her bootlicking.

"... and in recent years, Coltson's population has steadily grown," Ledger continued to speak as she led Midnight around town, "As such, we are endeavoring to expand our domestic neighborhood and encouraging the locals to study abroad and return to open their own places of business. For example, while we have a train station, you probably noticed we lack an airfield or means of conducting air travel, Your Majesty.

"It is my hope and dream to build Coltson up to the heights of Manehatten or, dare I even say it, Canterlot, one day, in population and modernization."

"Oh, I don't know, Ledger Seal," Midnight looked around and smiled at the homey neighborhood. Aside from cobblestone roads, tiled roofs, electric lampposts, and a little more pony-drawn wagons, it very much reminded him of Ponyville. Then of course there were the locals, merchants selling their goods, weather ponies keeping the skies nice and orderly, everypony going about their business and being friendly.
"Bigger cities tend to have bigger problems, and I enjoy the more peaceful and friendlier towns of Equestria, like my home in Ponyville."

"Well, Sire, progress waits for nopony," Ledger said dismissively as they continued to walk, "and it doesn't change the fact that Coltson's population is growing by the year. Oh, speaking of..."

Midnight noticed the change in the mare's tone and saw she was looking ahead towards a unicorn stallion with a white coat dappled with black spots, a red mane, and his cutie-mark was a squirting hose. He was a big stallion, similar in build to Big Mac and Midnight's uncle Joe. The guy was levitating bags full of groceries and was making his way towards the same corner that Ledger and Midnight were approaching.

"Now, getting back to what I said about our population increasing, Your Majesty," Ledger said, talking rather loudly, to Midnight's confusion, "while in most cases, I feel it's not a problem, it's the likes of that stallion that have me concerned."

The stallion apparently heard Ledger and when he looked their way, he looked both annoyed but troubled. He levitated one of his grocery bags up to the side of his face, as though he were trying to hide, as he stood at the corner, waiting for the street to be clear of wagons.

"I... I'm not sure I follow," Midnight responded, wondering what kind of problem Ledger had with this stallion.

Ledger looked to the stallion out the corners of her eyes and snidely answered, talking loudly as she apparently wanted for him to hear, "Oh, you know, Highness, he's... one of those."

"Come again?" Midnight asked, his brows furrowing, but Ledger was too busy sneering at the stallion to notice.

"He's a Herder, Your Majesty," Ledger clarified.

"You mean, he's in a herd relationship?"

"Relationship? Ha! That miscreant is married with two wives, a foal with each!" Ledger harrumphed, "I swear, the very thought of it puts me off my tea. Herds... they're barbaric, lewd, and just plain terrible examples of respectable Equestrian citizens. I shudder to even think what that sort of upbringing can do to a foal."

The stallion began to shake as he tempered his anger but refused to give Ledger the satisfaction, though Midnight could see it in the poor guy's eyes clear as day while Ledger kept looking snidely at the stallion with her nose up.

"Well, Ledger, herds might not be as common as they used to but they served a purpose in helping mares have stallions who love them and help them have foals," Midnight brought up.

"Exactly, Your Majesty. They served a purpose, past tense," Ledger stated firmly, "But as more colts have been born in the last few generations, thank Faust, herds have become obsolete and unnecessary. But some ponies, like Marshal Red there, cling to practices that no longer have any place in a modern, wholesome, civilized society."

Having heard more than enough, Midnight, wanting to put her in her place, smiled broadly at the deputy mayor.

“Please, define 'modern, wholesome, civilized society' without any of your choice words,” Midnight requested in his sweetest tone.

“Well, I...er....what that means is......uh....” Ledger Seal stammered around, failing to define the very words she used to scorn Marshal, who looked perplexed by this sudden change of events.

Midnight smiled again and stated, “I bid you adieu, Ms. Ledger Seal. Maybe, in another world, we'll meet again and you can come up with an explanation then.”

Ledger Seal "Huh?!"d in confusion as Midnight walked off to help Marshal with his grocery bags. Ledger Seal watched the pair walk away, her own ways now twisted up in knots. Once they had walked well out of earshot of the deputy mayor, Midnight looked to the stallion, who was now calmer.

"Feel better?"

"Y-yeah," Marshal answered hesitantly, a tad incredulous that an alicorn prince was helping him with his grocery bags, "I, uh... Not sure what I should say, except-"

"You don't have to thank me for anything," Midnight said kindly, "Honestly, the likes of Ledger Seal? I always take a guilty pleasure in knocking them down a peg or two."

Marshal couldn't help but chuckle in response, before saying, "Well, just the same, Your Highness, I'd like to thank you. Why don't you join me and my family for dinner at our place?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude-" Midnight began but then he paused in thought as he then wondered, Or should I? Could this have something to do with whatever reason I'm here?

*GRUMBLE*

Midnight paused mid-step and so did Marshal, who gawked in surprise at Midnight's barrel, as it gave off another demanding growl, quivering with every rumble, causing Midnight to blush a bit, as he tried to calm his stomach down by rubbing it.
"But, if you're sure... I hope you don't mind the challenge of satisfying this hungry beast."

Both stallions had a laugh before Marshal said, "Oh trust me, the beast will be more than satisfied after my wife's cooking!"

Marshal lived in a two-story house that looked a little rundown and old yet gave off a welcoming feel. Before entering, Marshal said, "Uh, just so you know what to expect, I have two wives, a foal with each of them. My wife, Silk Slipper, is a stay-at-home mom while my other wife, Arabesque Armoire, owns her own antique store."

"And your foals?" asked Midnight.

"My colt and filly, a year apart in age," Marshal explained, "my boy's kinda excitable and his sister's more mellow. I'll let them introduce themselves."

Marshal lit up his horn, casting an unlocking spell on the door, and it swung open. Inside was a cozy living room with a phonograph playing lounge music, a comfy sofa, foal-sized beanbag chairs, and recliner chair, a teakwood coffee table, a TV with a VCR and a couple movie cassettes lying around, some old paintings hung on the walls along with crayon drawings clearly done by foals, and to the side was a staircase with a lit doorway at the foot of the stairs.

"Silky! I'm back!" Marshal called to that doorway, "Oh, and I brought a guest for dinner!"

"Okay, dear, but did you get the groceries?" answered back a soft and warm voice that was followed by the mare and Midngiht assumed this was Silk Slipper.

She was an earth pony mare with a candlelight yellow coat, a fawn brown mane with a pale orange highlight, warm and bright brown eyes, her cutie-mark was a thread and needle forming the outline of a heart, and she wore an apron that did nothing to hide that she was very pregnant. The moment her eyes fell upon Midnight, seeing his horns and wings, she gasped!

"P-P-P-Prince Midnight?!" Silk lifted her hoof to her mouth in shock.

"Hello, miss. I apologize for dropping in like this, but your husband invited me to have dinner with you and your family," Midnight said kindly.

"Oh my! Marshal!" Silk gave a somewhat exasperated look, "Look at me, I'm hardly presentable for royalty!"

"Oh stop your fussing," Marshal went over to give his wife a squeeze and a calming kiss before gazing warmly into her eyes, "You look lovely."

"And, if you don't mind my saying," Midnight added, "a mare doesn't quite glow as she does when she is fat with foal. How far along are you?"

"Oh, I... Well, I'm actually due next week," Silk replied with a blush.

"And what're you doing leaving your pregnant wife to take care of the house!" Midnight gave Marshal a teasing glare.

"Trust me, Midnight, as sweet and polite as my Silky is, you'll be hard-pressed to find a more stubborn mare," Marshal chuckled sheepishly, ignoring the pointed glare Silk Slipper gave him.
"That's just one of the reasons I married her. Oh! And you haven't met the kids yet. Where're they at, honey?"

"Playing out in the backyard," Silk answered, "Comfy wanted to help me, but I insisted she play with her brother."

"Well, I know you invited me as a dinner guest," Midnight offered, "but I would be happy to help prepare dinner. I actually like cooking."

"Are you sure?" Silk asked, "I mean, it just doesn't seem proper to-"

"I'm home!"

The front door had opened and in walked a pegasus mare with a dull copper-gold coat, a mane of oak brown with pine green streaks, her eyes were a deep maroon, and her cutie-mark was an open cash register on a countertop. She wore a paisley silk scarf around her neck, horn-rimmed glasses, and was carrying some kind of notebook with her wing as she threw her scarf onto a coatrack, and sighed with obvious frustration while rubbing the space between her eyes.

"Oh, Ara!" Marshal went over and gave her a hug but sensed her tension, "Long day?"

"Ugh, that- that...!" Ara seemed to hesitate before asking, "Are the kids present?"

"No, they're outside playing," Silk replied.

"Oh good," Ara took a breath before yelling, "That BITCH!!!"

"Ledger Seal?" sighed Marshal.

"More like Ledger STEAL away all my potential customers!" Ara vented as she distractedly gave Marshal a kiss.

"My family and personal life are no business of that bigot!" Ara continued to vent as she distractedly gave Silk a kiss too.

"But NOO-ooo, it's not enough she mocks our family, she has to dissuade our neighbors from coming into my store!" Marshal and Silk both realized how distracted Ara was when she gave Midnight a kiss too., causing the sapphire blue alicorn's face to turn a soft shade of purple from his confused blush.

"I swear, with Faust as my witness, I am going to turn the tables on that- Wait a minute...!" Ara paused as she realized she'd kissed three ponies, not two.

She slowly turned around, seeing her husband, her wife, and... an alicorn? Midnight gave her a hesitant wave, and Ara turned beat red and groaned, "Ugh, I did it again!"

"Again?" Midnight echoed.

"Uh- Midnight! Heh-heh, I would like to introduce you to my other wife, Arabesque Armoire," Marshal interjected, changing the subject. "We call her Ara for short- OW!"

"Why didn't you tell me we had royalty visiting?!" Ara snapped at Marshal, "What kind of impression have you been giving him?"

"Nothing, Ara!" Marshal insisted, hating whenever she talked down to him as though he were a teenager.

Chuckling nervously, Ara gave Midnight a forced smile, "You'll have to excuse him, Your Majesty! He can be quite a dunderhead."

"But he's our dunderhead, Ara," Silk interjected, causing Marshal to smile in a bittersweet way-

*GRRRROWWLL...*

Midnight blushed as his stomach complained yet again, and Silk gasped, "Oh my! You poor thing, clearly you're starving! Let's get dinner started."

"Not so fast there, Silky," Ara gave her a firm look. "It's bad enough that you're still working around the house when your due date isn't far off. I know I'm not gonna get you to stop cooking, but at the very least I'm going to help you."

"In the meantime," Marshal looked to Midnight, "you can meet the kids! I'm sure they'll be excited to meet you."

"Well, I-" Midnight had actually wanted to help cook but he could see that things appeared settled, "All right, but if something comes up let us know. Oh, and please just call me Midnight."

Marshal led Midnight to the backdoor, and opened it to reveal a spacious backyard with some toys askew, and then he saw the foals. The colt was a pegasus, with a coat red like his father's mane while his own mane was golden with a green highlight. The filly was white dappled soft brown with a mane of earth brown with a highlight as golden as wheat. They were a little younger than the Cutie-Mark Crusaders and neither had their cutie-marks yet, though the colt was a little bigger than his sister as he was playing patty-cake with the filly, making her happy.

"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's mare!" the filly sang.
"Bake me a cake with loving care," the colt added.
"Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with a B", the filly continued.
"And put it in the oven for Sissy and me!" the colt finished, giggling as his little sis gave him a sweet hug, which he returned warmly, causing the two stallions to stifle their awe's before Marshal cleared his throat.

"Red! Comfy! C'mon over here, we have a guest," Marshal called, and the foals squealed with delight to see-

"DAD'S HOME!!" they shouted as they hurried over and tackled their father, the three of them falling into a pile of laughs and hugs and kisses, Midnight standing by as he smiled at the beauty of the moment.

"Dad, I played hoofball at school today! I kicked the ball reallly hard that it flew past the goal post!" the colt proudly reported.

"That's my boy, tough and great, like yer dad, c'mere!" Marshal growled playfully as he gave his boy a noogie, making him laugh while trying to escape his father's hold. When they were done, Marshal looked to his daughter and asked, "Whudda `bout you, sweetheart? Anything fun happen at school today?"

"Missus Cotta gave us arts n' crafts!" the filly smiled so brightly, "I painted a picture of you, Daddy, and both our mommies, and Big brother, and me! It's hanging on the fridge in the kitchen!"

"That sounds wonderful, baby," Marshal pulled his little filly into a big hug, "After dinner, I wanna look at that picture! Oh, by the way, kids, we have a guest!"

Marshal gestured towards Midnight and the kids finally took notice of him , and so Midnight sat down on his haunches and gave them a friendly smile, "Hi, my name's Midnight. What're yours?"

"Hey, my name's Redstreak!" the colt flared his little wings and puffed his chest out, "I'm eight years old and one day, I'm gonna be big and strong, just like my dad!"

Midnight smiled and felt a pain in his heart, as Redstreak's words reminded him of a little unicorn colt he used to be, a long time ago. He looked from Redstreak to his sister, who was shyly ducking behind her father, who gave a soft chuckle before whispering, "C'mon, sweetie, be brave."

The filly nervously stepped out from behind Marshal, but found it hard to look up at and meet the eyes of the big blue stranger.
"Uh... I'm... Comfy Quilt."

"That's such a pretty name," Midnight spoke softly and gently as he slowly got down on his belly so he'd be closer to Comfy's eye level. "I bet when you grow up, you'll be a very beautiful pony."

Comfy couldn't help but crack a smile when the backdoor opened and Ara called out, "Alright, everypony! C'mon inside, we're about to start dinner."

"YAY!!" Redstreak hurried inside while Marshal levitated Comfy onto his back.

"Prepare yourself for a culinary cornucopia, Midnight!"

Dinner was wonderful. Silk and Ara had prepared spaghetti and wheatballs with garlic bread and salad, and had included Colt Cola for the foals, herbal tea for the mares, while Marshal had insisted on sharing his favorite brand of booze with Midnight. Although he didn't normally drink, Midnight consented after Marshal assured him it was light liquor. The atmosphere around the dinner table was warm, felt safe, and there were laughs and smiles all around. Once or twice the dinner conversation steered towards Ledger Seal and the problems she was causing for them but they immediately steered away from those topics, not wanting the kids to hear and worry.

And Midnight? At this dinner table, in this house, he didn't see "barbaric, lewd, and just plain terrible examples of respectable Equestrian citizens". He saw a family. A truly loving, close, and wonderful family, that was soon to grow just a little bigger.

311. Herd and Bothered - Part 3

Dinner ended nicely, and after the foals brushed their teeth and were tucked in for bedtime, the adults were relaxing in the living room, where Midnight finally asked the million bit question.

"So... how did you guys all wind up together?"

"How did we become a herd, you mean," Ara answered and gave a shrug. "There's no need to beat around the bush, Prince Midnight. It's actually kind of a cheesy story."

"It's how our family began, Ara," Silk corrected, "and it might never have had you not given me the courage."

"And I already told you, just call me Midnight," Midnight assured them, "honestly, all that royal treatment sticks in my craw unless it's during official business."

"Fair enough," Ara shrugged before clearing her throat, "It began back Vanhoover when we were fresh into university I was majoring in appraisal, antiquities, and such while Silk was studying foal development."

"Ara and I have been best friends since we were fillies," Silk added, "and we pushed each other to work hard to become successful and achieve our dreams. She wanted to work with antiques, I wanted to become a teacher."

"So where did Marshal enter the picture?" asked Midnight.

"It was after our first midterms," Ara went on. "There was an accident in the science lab, and a whole wing of the university caught fire. I was outside on the campus when it happened..."

"I was inside," Silk spoke softly, remembering that terrible day, "Besides studying, I was also working as a clerk. I was delivering some papers to one of the professors, when... there was an explosion. A door flew off its hinges and fire flowed out like a wave. I panicked, couldn't think straight. Instead of running, I hid in a broom closet. Very quickly, it began to get... so hot! The closet began to fill with smoke, but I was frozen with fear. The smoke finally got to me and... I passed out."

"So what happened?" Midnight leaned in, the story drawing him in.

"I was working at the Vanhoover Fire Department back then," Marshal answered. "We quickly got word that the university was on fire, and hurried there as fast as we could. Upon arrival, we got word there were still ponies trapped in the science wing. I suited up, cast some protective wards, and went in. I got out some students and teachers, but I wanted to make sure I didn't leave anypony behind. I cast a life-sensing spell, and I found Silk in the closet.

"The smoke had caused her to pass out, and I got her outta there as quickly as I could. While the rest of the firefighters were handling the hoses, I carried Silk to a paramedic. That's when Ara showed up."

"I was terrified," Ara looked over to Silk and they shared a warm look, "At first, I was afraid she was dead, almost flew into hysterics. Marshal managed to calm me down and let the paramedic take care of Silk."

"Eventually, I came to," Silk spoke, "I woke up in a hospital bed, and Ara and Marshal were both there. After hearing what he'd done..."

She looked to Marshal who smiled at her deeply as they held hooves, "It was love at first sight."

"I asked her out to coffee once we did intros," Marshal added, "but she chickened out, said she wanted to focus on getting better and- uh, getting things back to normal."

"As soon as Marshal left the room, i said to Silk 'Are you some kind of idiot?'," Ara added, using the appropriate tone.

"I was- I was caught of guard!" Silk protested, "I mean, I almost died!"

"So, I kept... encouraging her to go see Marshal," Ara went on, "and when she did, they... hit it off."

"It's more like she kicked my plot out our dorm room and wouldn't let me back in," Silk corrected before sighing and smiling, "But sometimes a kick in the plot is exactly what you need."

"Silk came to me at the station," Marshal took it from there, "asked if that offer for coffee was still standing, and... we started seeing each other."

"But then, how did it turn from the two of you to the three of you?" asked Midnight.

"Well, at first, I didn't notice because of how close Marshal and I were getting," Silk replied, looking a tad guilty, "I was falling in love with a wonderful stallion, enjoying my studies, cherishing every date... But finally I took a moment and realized that Ara and I were growing distant from each other."

Midnight looked to Ara, who took a deep breath and explained, "I was happy for Silk, really I was. it's just... That day, when Marshal came out of that burning building, Silk on his back, I was worried for her, but I also couldn't help thinking... he looked rather heroic."

"You were smitten with Marshal too," Midnight realized.

"And when I saw the connection between him and Silk form, I... I suppose I sort of pushed my feelings onto Silk," Ara nodded. "When they finally started dating, I began to regret my choice, but I didn't want to step in and mar something beautiful. Seeing them together, smiling, kissing, just happy to be in the other's company, i felt.... left out. I started talking to Silk less and less, I avoided Marshal, but none of it stopped the hurt."

"Finally, I took Ara out to have lunch together, I had to insist upon it," Silk took it from there. "We talked, and she admitted all of this to me. She had feelings for Marshal too but she didn't want to come between us. So... I told her she didn't have to, that she could come beside us!"

"Wait, so... you suggested that the three of you become a herd," Midnight gathered.

"I did, but I also made sure we both spoke to Marshal together since this included him too," Silk nodded.

"I admit, I was... a little surprised and unsure of the idea," Marshal shrugged, "but I gave it a chance, and I started dating Ara along with Silk. We talked, we got to know each other, we had arguments and disagreements. Honestly, if Silk hadn't been so patient and stubborn I'm not sure if it would've worked out at all."

Then Marshal gave both his wives a deep and considerate look while holding their hooves, "But it was worth it. We talked to each other, we listened to each other, and when finally I had no doubts and I was truly certain of my feelings I went out to a jewelry story, took them both on a romantic night on the town, and with the full moon shining down on us I asked them both if they would marry me."

Silk and Ara leaned up against their stallion, each resting their head on his shoulders, Marshal kissing them both. Midnight kept silent, letting them enjoy this moment, when a thought crossed his mind about Ara, something she'd said. How she'd felt 'left out'. He wondered, Could that have something to do with Ledger's enmity towards herds...?

It seemed plausible, but Midnight knew he had to be sure.

The next morning, Ledger Seals was on her way to Town Hall. But first, she needed her morning coffee. Taking a short detour, she entered a coffee shop she frequented and ordered her usual from the barista. Sitting down as she waited for her coffee, she opened her bag to look at the proposal she'd been working on. She'd worded it down to the last letter, because this would be her first step towards making Coltson great.

But by the Pale One... she thought with furrowed brows, there will be no places for herds in this community.

"What'cha working on there, Deputy Mayor?"

Ledger looked up and felt her seat clench to see it was Midnight Blaze, enjoying a strawberry-kiwi frappuchino, sunglasses over his eyes, and wearing a casual blazer, "`Cuz the way you're pouring over it, seems like it's important."

"Prince Midnight..." Ledger spoke with an even voice, "I didn't realize you were still in town. What was it you said before? Maybe we'd meet again in another reality?"

"Another world, actually, but who's to say the world is the same one we wake up to every day?" Midnight shrugged and slurped on his frappuchino before suddenly stopping and groaning as he rubbed his head, "Ooh! Brain freeze... It's so easy to get them with drinks like this, but this stuff is so darn good!"

"Deputy Mayor?"

Ledger was glad for the timely announcement and she quickly stowed her proposal into her bag before getting up, "Well, forgive me for cutting this short, Prince Midnight, but it's back to the daily grind."

She went up to the counter and got her coffee, thanking the barista before curtly saying to Midnight, "Enjoy your drink."

Midnight watched her leave, and as Ledger continued on along the sidewalk, she passed by somepony reading a newspaper on a public bench.
"What you called Marshal and his family was so far from what you claimed..."

She paused mid-step and looked back as the newspaper was folded down and there was Midnight sitting there, giving her a cheeky look, "It makes me wonder what sort of basis you would have to form such an unflattering opinion towards herds."

Furrowing her brows yet again, Ledger clenched her jaw before taking a breath and stating, "Herds are no longer a solution, they are a catalyst for all sorts of problems. Too many foals, too many wives, too many mouths to feed, not enough attention, food, or money to go around, and sometimes herds aren't even about family! The worst of them are groups of perverts and sexual deviants using the term 'herd' to excuse their sick fetishes and gang up on innocent ponies who have no idea what they're really getting themselves into!

"That's what they are, Your Highness!"

Midnight was stone-faced at Ledger's outburst, so she calmed down and added, "The time and need for herds has come and gone. I am not so deluded into believing I can get rid of herds all over Equestria, but I can start here in Coltson. Good day, sir!"

She harrumphed and turned around to continue on her way, not even realizing she'd done exactly what Midnight had hoped she would, as he thought, There's no way it's not personal for her... But I'm going to need to look into this further.

Bunching up the newspaper in his magic and tossing it into a nearby waste bin, Midnight collapsed into vaporous shadow that slithered away.

Rising out of his shadow, Midnight gazed up at the building before him, the Coltson Record House, a large building of impressive structure. Its construction was overseen by a famous architect who was actually born in Coltson. Entering while casting a glamour upon himself, he spotted a rather sour and haggard stallion clerk behind the front desk, looking as though he saw a sunset that was tainted by that of a overly noisy family.

"You here for a record?" he growled towards Midnight, not really noticing the fact that Midnight was an alicorn.

"Yes, I'd like to read what you have on Ledger Seal," Midnight replied.

Sighing grumpily, the stallion got up, saying, "Wait here, be back in a bit."

As he trudged away, Midnight heard the clerk grumbling about how everypony treated his place of work as though it were a candy shop, requesting records like orders from a menu. Midnight didn't let it bother him, he could understand some jobs had their downsides, especially in the ponies some jobs had the workers deal with. The clerk returned shortly after and Midnight thanked him kindly for it before taking his leave.

In Coltson Town Hall, Mayor Keys was very conflicted after having just listened to her Deputy-Mayor's proposal to ban herds in their community. Personally, she had nothing against herds so long as they didn't cause a problem with the public, but she didn't believe in giving special attention.

"Mayor Keys?"

She snapped out of her head and looked across her desk to Ledger, who had an expectant look, "Well? You didn't say a thing during my proposal. Don't you have any questions, anything to say?"

"Ledger, your proposal is... very detailed," Mayor Keys responded with an even tone, "and clearly you've put considerable thought and time into this, but truthfully I don't really see a point to it. Now, when it comes to herds, I am indifferent and unless they make problems for the public-"

"Mayor Keys, it's not just the public that could have problems with herds," Ledger interrupted tensely, "It's what goes on within the herds! At the very least, we should have foal services look into them and remove any foals from their custody!"

"Now, Ledger, that's going a little too-" Mayor Keys tried to respond when she was interrupted again.

Except it was a knock on her office door. Before she could answer it, the door opened, revealing it was her secretary.
"What is it, Holly?"

"Excuse, Miss Mayor and Deputy-Mayor, but..." Holly cleared her throat and looked a little overwhelmed before she said, "Prince Midnight Blaze is here to see you!"

"A prince?!" Mayor Keys flabbergasted, not noticing Ledger suddenly freeze. "I- Is- Wha- Are you sure?"

"Big blue alicorn stallion, wings raised, levitating a folder with his telekinesis?" Holly responded, "Hard to argue with that evidence, Mayor."

"Well, send him in, then," Mayor Keys instructed.

"Actually, Mayor, he asked you to come see him in the lobby," Holly corrected before adding, "He's not here by himself."

Holly ducked out of the office and Mayor Keys stood up from her desk, straightened her suit out and looked at a mirror on her wall to make sure her mane looked presentable.
"Whatever could an alicorn prince be doing here?! I-I'm not prepared for this, I'm-"

"Then maybe you shouldn't talk to him, Mayor Keys," Ledger spoke up, "it is inconvenient of him to drop in like this unannounced."

"I'm afraid that just won't do, Ledger," Mayor Keys responded after she was satisfied with her image, "Come, let's go greet royalty."

Ledger gulped but hid her anxiety as she followed Mayor Keys out to the Town Hall lobby. Her heart jumped into her throat when she saw that Midnight was here, accompanied by Marshal and his family, and none of them looked like they were her for a social call.

"Prince Midnight Blaze!" Mayor Keys gave a respectful bow before holding out her hoof, and Midnight politely shook it. "This is quite the unexpected honor!"

"Really?" Midnight raised a brow before eyeing Ledger Seal, "I would think your deputy-mayor would have at the very least informed you of my arrival yesterday."

"Wha-?!" Mayor Keys gave a confused look to Ledger Seals, who got nervously shifty-eyed. "...You are dismissed for the day, Seals."

"Mayor Keys-" Ledger tried to say only for Mayor Keys to raise her hoof.

"You are dismissed, Ledger!" Ledger backed down, hearing the rise in Keys's tone. "We'll discuss this later."

Ledger Seals clenched her teeth but kept silent as she walked past Midnight, Marshal, and his family, ignoring their disproving looks. Once she was gone, Mayor Keys sighed and asked, "So then, Your Highness. What is this about? Judging by the fact Marshal and his family are present, I must conclude this has to do with my deputy-mayor."

"Unfortunately, it does," Midnight nodded before explaining, "Recently, I found out Ledger has been discreetly harassing them due to their being a herd. Truth be told, Mayor, Marshal's family is the first herd I've ever really gotten to know, and in direct contrast to Ledger's claims and opinions regarding herds, I found Marshal, his wives, and their children to be a close, warm, and deeply loving family, and isn't that all that truly matters?"

"It is," Keys sighed, feeling guilty as she had a good idea of where this was going "Family's something I hold dear, and to tell you the truth, I having nothing against herds either. Please, explain to me exactly how Ledger Seals has... done wrong."

Midnight looked over to Marhsal and gave a nod, so Marshal stepped forward and took a deep breath.
"Mayor Keys, when we moved here from Vanhoover six months ago, everything was just fine. I joined the Coltson Fire Department, Ara opened her antique store, and Silk was looking forward to having our new foal here in this community.

"But then a couple of months ago, Ledger Seals began harassing us. She approached me and made a thinly-veiled threat to leave Coltson or else. I ignored her. The next day, my chief at the fire station got a notice and I was put under investigation for some trumped up accusation of soliciting sexual favors! It didn't stick, but I was suspended from work for nearly three weeks!"

Ara stepped forward next and stated, "Ledger Seals came into my store one day and tired to discourage me from continuing my business. When I asked her to leave, she made some derogatory remark to think of my family, but the way she said it was poisonous! Then I started hearing rumors from my customers, who all slowly but stopped coming to my store! I finally asked one of them directly what was the problem, and he told me the deputy-mayor was whispering lies about me, my business, and my family! Calling me a con artist selling fake antiques and cheap knockoffs, and that I was some kind of tail-lifting whorse!"

Finally, Silk stepped forward, whispering Red and Comfy to stand by their daddy, and then looking Mayor Keys straight in the eye and she spoke, "I was given a message from my children's school to attend a parent teacher conference. When I got there however, I wasn't meeting with my children's teachers, it was with their principal and Ledger Seal. The principal said Ledger Seal had approached him about my children learning bad things from their parents but she advised him to meet only with me rather than all three of us.

"She stood there the whole time, silent but watching me with this awful look on her face. Like she was waiting for me to say something that would be misconstrued. I... I could barely keep myself calm during the conversation, but once it was over the principal gave me a warning that if either Redstreak of Comfy misbehaved they would both be expelled!"

To say Mayor Keys was appalled by what she'd just heard was putting it mildly before she remembered aloud, "Before you all arrived, Ledger made a proposal to me to ban herd relationships in Coltson, she... she advised removing foals from any local herds' custody!"

Marshal, Ara, and Silk all gasped in horror, Ara holding Redstreak while Silk hugged Comfy, who was starting to get upset. Midnight gave Mayor Keys a look and stated, "Miss Mayor, with respect, I think Ledger Seals has to be dealt with."

"Yes, I agree," Mayor Keys sighed while rubbing her forehead, "Her conduct is unacceptable, to say the least. I give you all my word, Ledger Seals will be suspended pending an investigation and I promise you this will not happen again. Not in my town."

"Allow me to shed some light onto that investigation, Mayor," Midnight levitated a folder to Mayor Keys, who accepted it, confused.

"This... this folder is about Ledger?"

"Take a look inside," Midnight invited, "and you'll see what I mean."

Mayor Keys opened the folder and began to read the content inside. It didn't take long for her to see what Midnight meant, and she looked to her secretary, Holly, "Send word to Ledger Seals that I want her in my office now. Not tomorrow, not next week; now!!"

Ledger Seals entered the office, finding Mayor Keys at her desk, Midnight standing beside it. The atmosphere in the room felt like a volcano on the verge of erupting, but she betrayed no anxiety, maintained her composure, and walked up to them before saying, "You wanted to speak with me, Mayor?"

"When you started out here in town hall, you were the supervisor of the staff," Mayor Keys stated, "a graduate from Vanhoover University in political science, exceptional organization skills, and definitely determined to succeed. You rose up, joined my election campaign, and I won't deny that had it not been for you I would not be Mayor of Coltson. So at the very least, I owe it to you."

Ledger knew Keys wasn't done talking but took the bait, "And what is it exactly that you owe me?"

Mayor Keys threw the folder onto her desk and Ledger saw her name on it, closing her eyes, before softly saying, "So the cat's out of the bag."

She looked to Midnight, whose expression was unreadable, and said, "I take it you brought this to Keys's attention."

"Don't blame Prince Midnight," Mayor Keys scoffed, "What I heard from Marshal and his family about your actions against them is disgraceful. You have abused your position and authority and brought shame to this hall. I am kicking myself in the ass for not nipping this problem at the bud, especially in how I never questioned you as to why you hold such enmity towards herds!"

She tapped the folder on her desk and added, "This explains so much, but as to what I was saying before, I owe you the chance to explain yourself. To hear your side of the story. Why you hate herds so much despite the fact that you were born to one."

For a long and uncomfortable moment, Ledger didn't say anything. She just stood there, silent, unable to look Keys or Midnight in the eye, looking for all intents and purposes like a little filly who knew she was in trouble. Midnight was about to speak, when finally Ledger took a deep breath.

"it's true. I was born to a herd. My father. My mother, The other two wives. My older brothers and sisters, and the youngest in the herd was me. Big families are loud, disorganized, everypony's busy with their own thing; makes it very easy to be overlooked. Then of course all the mouths to feed, the individual wants and needs, it gets very-very expensive. My parents and the other two wives struggled to make ends meet. They exhausted themselves every day at work and coming home to seven foals all wanting attention for some reason or other. 'Dad, I need help with this homework assignment', 'Mom, did you finish washing my sweater for my date tonight?', 'Dad, come play catch with me', 'Mom, that's not how I like my peanut butter and jelly sandwich!'... With all my brothers and sisters cutting in line for attention, I could've walked into the middle of the living room, screamed my lungs out, and nopony would notice...

"The only one who ever really listened or paid attention was my oldest sister. We didn't share the same mother, but she was more a mother to me than my own ever was!"

Ledger paused to take a breath, a shuddery breath as the memories surfaced, before she continued, "I wasn't old enough to understand then, but around that time my father, mother, and the other wives were having more and more sex to relieve stress and tension. Then the financial problems got worse. My father started drinking, and when he got drunk he got loud and angry and scary. It wasn't long after that he got violent. Everypony in the house became afraid of him, even the smallest thing set him off. One morning, I woke up... and my mother was gone. She'd packed her bags and walked out the door... She left me behind."

Keys and Midnight felt their hearts sink as Ledger began to shed tears yet still held onto what composure she still had.
"One night, one of my brothers stood up to our father. He didn't like that. My sister took me away from the room, but I still heard the sounds of my father hitting my brother and throwing him against the wall... The neighbors heard the shouting and the noises and the police became involved. My father fled before they arrived, and my brother was taken to the hospital. That night was the final straw - My sister took me away from that house. She led me to the Vanhoover Orphanage and told me that I was going to get a new mommy and daddy, that I wouldn't have to be scared or sad anymore. I realized in that moment, she was saying goodbye. I cried, I begged her not to leave too. She hugged me and promised me that I was going to be okay, and that she'd be okay knowing I'd be better off. I asked if I could visit her, but she shook her head no. She said to me, 'You'll have a new life, a new family. Take care, don't look back'.

"She gave me one last hug, kissed me on the cheek, and knocked on the orphanage door, telling me to give the ponies inside a note she put in my saddlebag. The last time I saw her, she was watching the orphanage matron take me inside from an alleyway across the street. I was seven."

Ledger finally choked out a sob and wiped her tears before sighing and finishing her story, "It was only a couple of months later a couple came to the orphanage and not a week after they signed my adoption papers. My new parents were everything my birth parents hadn't been. They were warm, attentive, they made me feel loved and safe. I was nervous when they had a foal together, that they would ignore me in favor of a foal that was truly their own. They didn't! They introduced me to my baby brother and I named him after my brother who was hurt and my sister who made sure I got a second chance. I helped raise him and love him as closely and deeply as they had done for me.

"I know my actions have been below the belt, there's no arguing that. But when you come from the sort of family I had, it leaves scars. The kind you can't see, the kind that weigh down on your soul no matter how hard you work to keep the wheel turning."

The uncomfortable silence resumed and while Mayor Keys sighed into her hooves, Midnight realized he wasn't here just to protect a family.

"Mayor Keys, I hereby resign as Deputy-Mayor of Coltson," Ledger softly stated, "I'll go clean out my desk."

But just as she turned to leave Keys's office, Midnight said, "Wait."

Ledger paused but didn't look back.

"Ledger Seals, I can't fault you for the way you feel. You have my sympathies, no foal should have to come from a household like that. But as bad as your birth family was, it wasn't all bad, right? Your sister looked out for you! She loved you enough to let you go, to get you out of a bad situation because you would be safe, you'd have a better chance, and it sounded to me like your brother was brave, brave enough to stand up to his own father, despite what happened. Your family wasn't perfect but there were those in it who loved you and looked out for you. But what family is perfect? I had friends back when I was a colt who had problems at home, and none of them came from herds. You can't let your background paint the entirety of herds in a bad light, and it's wrong of you to impose that opinion on others. I encountered a unicorn not too long ago who imposed her beliefs on others as well, but she took it to far more terrible extremes.

"You're intelligent, successful, and determined, and I respect those qualities. But you're still carrying that weight you talked about. You need closure, and the only way you're-"

A knock interrupted, and in came Holly yet again looking a little anxious, "Oh, sorry to interrupt, everypony, but- Prince Midnight! I just got word from Mr. Marshal. He says his wife Silk Slipper has gone into labor. They just got to the hospital, and he wants you to be there."

"Thank you for informing me, miss," Midnight nodded to her, and once she left, Midnight looked to Ledger Seals and said, "I want you to come with me, Ledger."

"For what?" Ledger huffed wearily.

"...To see," Midnight answered.

313. A Star is Born - Part 1

Having lived the last couple years or so on Sweet Apple Acres had conditioned him to rise with the sun, but still Twinken always managed to sneak in a few extra winks of sleep. He didn't worry so much about Applejack coming in to boot his rump out of bed, since his mom, Faerie Tail, had moved in as well. She insisted Twinken and Apple Bloom needed just a little more sleep, which meant now he and his adoptive sister got to sleep past the crack of dawn.

But even as his mind was adrift in slumber, he was teetering closer to wakefulness, which allowed for a particular aroma to tickle his nose and he snapped out of it, bolting right up in bed as he smelled, "Waffles...!!"

Groaning and stretching, Twinken hopped out of bed, went to the bathroom to relieve himself, brush his teeth and mane, and then stopped by Apple Bloom's door. He knocked and called, "Apple Bloom, you awake?"

He heard her sleepy groaning inside and though he considered letting her sleep in (and help himself to a bigger helping of waffles) he knew she'd be ornery if she wasn't woken for breakfast. He opened the door, walked in, and smiled deviously to see her all snug and tight under her covers. His horn lighting up red, he levitated Apple Bloom up off her bed and unceremoniously whipped off her blankets, starling her awake!
"T-Twinkennnn!!!"

Apple Bloom rubbed her eyes and stretched her forelegs out before giving her adoptive brother the stink eye, which made him chuckle, "Sorry, Bloom, but you don't wanna be late for my mom's waffles, right?"

"...Waffles?" Apple Bloom's mouth already began to water at the mention of Faerie Tail's waffles. She took a deep sniff but looked confused, "Ah don' smell waffles, did yer mom tell you she was makin'em?"

"No, I smelled them in bed, is what to me to wake up. C'mon!" Twinken gently set Apple Bloom on her hooves on the floor, and now that she'd taken another look at him, Apple Bloom gasped.

"Twinken, your- Your eyes! And- And..."

"What about my eyes?" Twinken raised a confused brow.

"Look fer yerself," Apple Bloom pointed to her mirror and Twinken gave himself a look and gasped to see what Apple Bloom was saying!

His eyes were the same bright red as they'd always been, but his pupils... They were narrow, darker, like the eyes of a predator. Then he began to notice other things. When he'd gasped, he couldn't help but notice his teeth now had fangs, and the tips of his ears had longer tufts of hair. He ran his tongue along his fangs, which were sharp and felt slightly bladed in the back. He reached up with his hoof to touch the tufts of hair on his ear tips and was surprised by how sensitive they were.

"...Princess Luna said this might happen," he whispered.

"Wha' was that, Twink?"Apple Bloom walked up to her brother's side, concern in her bright orange eyes, "Are y'okay?"

"I'm... alright, Bloom," Twinken was a little disturbed, if he was being honest with himself, "Remember how I told you Princess Luna gave me the power of Dream Walking? She said it was only possible because I have lunar pony blood. She said other traits or lunar powers I might get would come on their own or never at all. I guess... my lunar pony side is finally coming out a little more."

"But yer okay, right?" Apple Bloom pressed, "Feel like anything's wrong or...?"

"No, I'm okay, just... a little surprised," Twinken felt a little dense, "I guess I didn't notice the changes because I was so excited to get- !!"

He gasped as he remembered, "Waffles!

"C'mon, Apple Bloom!"

Although she herself was a tad put off by these new changes in her brother, Apple Bloom followed Twinken downstairs. As they descended downstairs, Twinken was certain he heard Granny Smith, Applejack, and his mom, Faerie Tail.

Oh, Mac an' Fluttershy are jus' lookin' sweeter than candy on a apple. Won' be long before they're growin' their branch o' th' Apple Family an' Ah'll be hearin' tiny hooves in th' house again.

Ah gotta talk t' Mac about tha' part o' the southern orchard. Thunder said it looked mighty rotten an' them wormy apples were proof enough when Ah checked.

I wonder if there are any jobs in town that involve books... I'm grateful to the Mayor for giving me work in Town Hall, but...

As they stepped into the living room, Twinken saw Granny Smith setting out copious helpings of waffles, hay-bacon, apple sauce, and juice to every plate and cup at the dining table while Applejack had already started eating and Faerie Tail was looking in the morning newspaper.

"Mornin', sugarcubes, come n' get it while th' gettin's goo-," Granny invited the foals only to drop her spatula as her eyes fell upon Twinken.

"Uh, good morning, everypony," Twinken responded with a forced smile as Applejack and Faerie Tail also took notice of Twinken's... changes. "Okay, nopony freak out! Lemme explain!"

The mares were relieved to hear Twinken wasn't ill or under some strange spell but were admittedly a tad put off by his new features.

"So then... this happened because Princess Luna gave you the power of Dream Walking?" asked Faerie Tail.

"Yes and no," Twinken elaborated, "See, Princess Luna said it's because I have lunar pony blood that I had the dormant potential for Dream Walking, but because of how distant it is I prob'ly would never have developed it. So she... woke it up? Something like that, sorta... bringing that part of me to the surface. Later on, she said other lunar pony traits might appear in time or not at all."

"Ah s'pose after all this time, wha' wit' you learnin' from Princess Luna," guessed Applejack, "yer lunar pony side is... startin' t' kick in fully."

"Well... as long as you're okay," Faerie Tail still looked a little troubled, "though I am going to read up on lunar ponies."

"Oh don' fret too much over it, honey," Granny Smith reached over and ruffled her adoptive grandson's mane, making him laugh in protest, "Jus' means th' boy's growin' up in another way, is all. Now scoot yer cabooses an' get t' stuffin'!"

They all enjoyed their breakfast in silence, but as they ate, Twinken felt a funny feeling at the base of his horn.

Wait, if Twinken is of lunar pony descent, who does he get it from?

Twinken looked up at his mother but her mouth was busy chewing on some hay-bacon. Weird... Maybe she just said that before she popped it into her mouth?

Ah wonder if Thunder would lend a hoof dealin' wit' them rottin' trees.

Twinken looked to Applejack but realized she was drinking her apple juice. Shaking his head, he just kept eating.

Ugh, darn tha' itches, gonna need some extra cream pretty soon.

Twinken suddenly sucked too hard while his mouth was full- "ACK!!!" He began coughing as he felt a bit of his mouthful go down the wrong tube while the rest he accidentally coughed out onto the table, alarming everypony! Faerie Tail quickly patted Twinken's back as he cleared his throat and began to pant, relieved to breathe again.

"Twinken, wha' in th' hay?!" Applejack grabbed a dish towel and began cleaning up the table.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Faerie Tail held Twinken's face and the colt nodded.

"Yeah...! Yeah, I'm good, Mom, I, uh... " Glancing at the clock, Twinken quickly said, "I just... realized the time! Apple Bloom, let's go!"

He hopped off his chair and made for the door, "We're gonna be late for school!"

"But Ah'm not fini-" Apple Bloom protested only for Twinken's red aura to enshroud her and levitate her out the door.

But just before he closed it behind him, he gave Granny Smith a look and said, "Granny? ...Too much information!"

SLAM.

The three mares all sat there at the table, confused, Faerie Tail and Applejack looking over to Granny Smith for answers and she shrugged, as much at a loss as they.

"Didja hav' t' drag me out before Ah finished eatin'?" Apple Bloom complained as they neared the schoolhouse.

"Sorry, Bloom, it's..." Twinken then shuddered in disgust when he had a picture in his head, "I promise to make it up to you. Howza milkshake or cupcake over at Sugarcube Corner after school sound?"

"Mmm, Ah guess, it'll gimme sumpin' t' look forward to t'day," Apple Bloom compromised.

"Hey guys!"

They looked ahead to see the rest of their fellow Crusaders coming their way, I can't wait to share my ideas with them!

"Hi everypony," Twinken greeted them, "Got something for, Sweetie Belle?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Sweetie Belle beamed, "I've been looking over our charts, and even though we've tried a lot of different things I did a lot of thinking last night before bed and came up with some more ideas to get our cutie-marks!"

"Tha' sounds dandy, Sweetie Belle!" Apple Bloom's funk quickly vanished as she smile,d "After all..."

[Apple Bloom]
We've been searchin' for our cutie-marks for a while now
Tryin' t' find out how we fit in

[Sweetie Belle]
So many ways we've tried before
But we keep on trying more

[Cutie-Mark Crusaders]
Cuz' the Cutie-Mark Crusaders don't give in!

We'll make our mark!
One way or another
We'll make our mark
On the day that we discover

The ultimate reward of our cutie-marks!

*BRRRRRRRRINNNNNNGGGG*

"Alright, my little ponies!" called out the voice of Miss Cheerilee, "It's time for class, everypony inside!"

Everypony hurried in and once everypony had taken their seats, Cheerilee raised her voice over the colts & fillies, "Settle down, my little ponies, big day today!"

The excited chatter finally ceased and all eyes and ears were turned to Cheerilee, who announced, "It's now the second term of the school year, so it's time once again to elect a new Student Pony President! Like always, we-"

"Miss Cheerilee! I'd like to run for president!" declared (and interrupted) Diamond Tiara, who'd raised her hoof as high as she could.

"Oh, well, very well, Diamond Tiar-"

"Miss Cheerilee, I'm running too!" yelled Hotshot as he zipped up with his hoof in the air, earning a glare from Diamond Tiara.

"Uh- Okay, Hotshot, goodness!" Cheerilee hadn't expected candidates so quickly.

"Oh great!" Twinken whispered to Button Mash beside him. "You know if either Diamond Tiara or Hotshot win they're gonna milk it for all it's worth."

"Well then... why don't you run for president, Twinken?" whispered Button back.

"Me?!" Twinken flabbergasted and his friends joined in.

"Yeah, you're the little brother of a prince," Rumble pointed out.
"Everypony in class knows you and likes you," added Sweetie Belle.
"Yer a hard worker an' always so helpful," Apple Bloom praised.
"You'd cream those two!" Scootaloo softly punched her hooves together.

Well, at the very least I could prevent them from taking advantage of becoming president... Twinken thought before he furrowed his brows and raised his hoof.
"Count me in too, Miss Cheerilee!"

"Well... Alrighty then!" Cheerilee wrote Diamond Tiara's, Hotshot's, and Twinken's names onto the blackboard and then invited, "Anypony else? Hmm?"

When nopony else spoke up or raised their hoof, Cheerilee nodded, "Very well then, Diamond Tiara, Hotshot, Twinken, the three of you are this semester's candidates for Student Pony President. Today, I want the three of you to brainstorm on your campaign and tomorrow you'll each take a turn to speak to the class as to why you believe you should be voted for and elected Student Pony President."

The three students all nodded, but then they shared glaring looks at each other...
Blank flank...
Loser!

Twinken softly gasped in alarm as he heard what were unmistakably his competitions' voices, except, They didn't move their mouths!

Later, the class had been excused for recess, and now Twinken was sitting with his friends as they discussed his campaign with him.

"Yer gonna need a real good pitch f'yer speech tomorrow, Twinken," Apple Bloom stated.
"I wonder what Diamond Tiara's gonna say in her speech," Button Mash brought up.
"Probably go on and on about how she alone deserves to be president because she's soooo much better than everypony else," Sweetie Belle remarked with a huff.
"What about Hotshot?" Rumble wondered.
"Yeah, why does he even wanna be Student Pony President?" Scootaloo pointed out, "He's a showoff!"

As they continued to talk, Twinken wasn't really paying attention to his friends as his eyes wandered around the schoolyard. He saw Carrot Crunch playing with First Base, Cotton Cloudy talking with Piña Colada, Pipsqueak was on the merry-go-round with Featherweight, and Shady Daze was discussing a Bronco Busters comic book with Chip Mint, to name a few of the other foals' activities.

Except... Twinken wasn't so much watching his fellow students hanging out, at least... not so much as he was listening.

He's crazy, Elasti-Colt could totally kick the Mane-iac's butt! I hope Piña's big sis will make those awesome fruit smoothies for our slumber party next week. I wish Dad would get back out there... I think he'd be happy, especially if I got a new mom out of it. Ooh... Gotta get off, getting really dizzy...! I hope Twinken wins, or at least Hotshot. Diamond Tiara's such a meanie. I bet Hotshot will do something awesome if he wins! Ugh, I hate these teeth, but I'm still scared of getting my braces!Twinken for president! Hee-hee, he'll do great!Why are they all...I wish Diamond Tiara would listen to me more. Who said that? I-I can't... Heh, dumb losers, they'll both be eating my dust after I win this election! Stop it, I can't hear- I need- Why ain't Twinken sayin' nothin'?Apple Bloom...? Help me... please!

As so many different voices filled his head, Twinken was quickly becoming overwhelmed, unable to think, all the while the base of his horn tingled and vibrated uncomfortably as he began to feel as though a vice was pinching the inside of his brain! He became more and more lost inside his own head as all these voices were echoing inside his skull like a cacophony of instruments out of tune.

Those stupid blank flanks are not going to get the better of me! Hey, Twinken's not looking good.Stop it... I hope the candidates remember what's important about this election. Stop it! Bladerunner's such a dummy head! STOP IT!!!!!

An agonizing spike in his head caused everything to turn black as Twinken fell over, and the last thing he heard was somepony shouting his name.

Author's Note

This takes the place of "Crusaders of the Lost Mark"

In case you haven't read my blogs or don't remember, I'm going a different route with the Crusaders getting their cutie-marks. Instead of getting their cutie-marks together and at the same time, in my story-canon they're going to get their marks one by one and their marks won't be so closely connected as they are in the show-canon, which admittedly annoyed me. Cutie-Marks should represent more than just a talent but also individuality, especially in more complicated characters

So you'll probably guess that this arc will have Twinken getting his cutie-mark first; I made this decision not because I'm favoring Twinken but because what I have in mind for his mark and talent apply appropriately to what's going on in this arc; also, I've gone ahead in emphasizing Twinken's unlocked lunar pony heritage and revealing his new power

314. A Star is Born - Part 2

Twinken drifted in and out of cognitive thought and unthinking darkness. When his mind became a little coherent sometimes he thought he heard voices. Heard with his ears, not... in his head. Shapes and figments took form in his resting mind but quickly dispersed like puffs of smoke before they became distinct enough for him to recognize as anything.

Finally... the colt's mind found its way out of blessed slumber and he groaned and tried to move, becoming aware that he was tucked into a bed.

"Twinken?!"
"My pupil. Can you hear me?"

"Uhhhh..." Twinken's eyes fluttered open and he hissed and scrunched them shut from the rude and irritating glare of the ceiling lights and managed to free his front hooves from under the covers and rub his eyes.
"Wh... what happened?"

"Oh, thank heavens," he heard his mom whimper before feeling her hoof gently stroke his mane and then a kiss on his brow.

"Can... can somepony turn down the lights, please?" groaned Twinken.

Having an idea what was up, Princess Luna lit up her horn and dulled the lights in the room until it was pleasantly dim. Twinken lowered his hooves and saw his mother and his mentor, Princess Luna, the both of them looking deeply concerned for the colt.
"Mom? Princess? What happened, I- How did I get here?"

"You collapsed at school today, sweetheart," Faerie Tail gently held Twinken's hoof in her own, "I was on my way to Town Hall and was passing the schoolhouse. I heard cries of alarm and hurried over to see what was wrong. When I saw you, I- I-! Oh, Faust, I was terrified something was so terribly wrong with you!"

"Your mother brought you here to Ponyville General Hospital, my young protégé," Luna spoke, "The doctors had trouble figuring out what was wrong. Your mother sent word to me and I came as quickly as possible. I ran my own diagnosis and... Well, Young Twinken, you fainted from telepathic overload."

"Tele-wha...?" Twinken didn't understand.

"Tell me, child, this morning, since you woke up..." Luna sounded apprehensive, "Have you been hearing voices from others? Except they didn't move their mouths or lips to talk?"

Twinken's eyes widened, answering Luna's question and she nodded in confirmation, "What you've been experiencing, young one, is Telepathy, more popularly known as Mind-Reading. You've been hearing stray thoughts from those around you, and today at school you heard the thoughts of all your schoolmates en masse. You didn't understand what was going on, but with so many thoughts in your mind, I imagine you found it increasingly overwhelming, unable to hear yourself think."

"...Yes!" Twinken whispered, looking scared. "It was like... hearing so many voices, except the voices sounded... off. Jumbled, echoing, like how your voice sounds from a speaker, out of tune or... Wait!

"How come I'm not hearing anything now?"

"I've placed a ward on you," Luna explained, "it is currently protecting your mind, keeping out thoughts that are not your own. However, it is only a temporary relief. Eventually, the ward will wear off and you'll hear the thoughts of those around you again."

"How do I make it stop?!" Twinken was afraid, he didn't want to go through that again. "What do I do to-"

Luna reached over, gently shushing her beloved pupil in a motherly tone, "Fear not, my protégé. I shall teach you how to control this new power of yours. You will find that Dream Walking and Telepathy are closely related, both allow one to connect with another's mind, know their thoughts, their feelings, their secrets. Like Dream Walking, Telepathy is a powerful gift that must be used responsibly. Do you understand, my young protégé?"

Twinken laid there, silent, uncertain, until finally he gave a shaky nod to his teacher, and Luna bade, "Very good. Now, lay back and get some more rest. Faerie Tail, a word if you please?"

"Uh- Yes," Faerie Tail followed Luna out of Twinken's hospital room and a ways down the hall.

For a few moments in that hallway, neither said nothing, until Faerie Tail uttered, "Princess... what is happening to my little colt?"

"As you have surely noticed, Faerie Tail," Luna began, "Twinken's lunar pony traits have finally surfaced. His eyes, his fangs, the tufts on his ear tips, and then of course his new power."

"But telepathy?" Faerie Tail felt so worried for her child, "I've read up on Telepathy, Your Highness. Only unicorns with the right magical talents can learn how to wield Telepathy. It's a magical skill that takes years to learn and to master!"

"Ordinarily, that is true," Luna nodded, "But in this case..."

Luna's sentence trailed off as there came a distant look in her eyes, that Faerie Tail hesitantly asked, "Your Majesty? Is something wrong?"

Snapping out of it, Luna said, "Forgive me, Faerie Tail, I... Well, to answer your question, do you recall what I said to Twinken? That Telepathy and Dream Walking are closely related. That is partially true, but the theory as to why this is happening, I would rather share with you and your elder son, Midnight, once he returns to Ponyville."

"I... understand," Faerie Tail sighed before wondering aloud, "Both of my sons... of lunar pony heritage. I don't know who they get it from-"

"From you."

Faerie Tail gasped and looked up at Luna, who nodded and said, "Your sons are lunar ponies by heritage, and the traits of that heritage surfaced due to incredible circumstances. Midnight became an alicorn, which somehow stirred the lunar pony blood inside him awake, while I personally unlocked Twinken's potential so that he may help during a crisis. My lunar ponies bred with the three tribes ages ago, Faerie Tail, and not all of the offspring from those unions exhibited lunar pony magic, and the generations have only thinned the bloodlines, making it almost impossible for those descendants to come into their lunar pony abilities on their own or even under stress.

"These days, I have to personally meet a pony in order to sense whether or not they have lunar pony blood in their veins however thinned. And you, my little pony, are indeed a descendant of my Children of the Night."

"I'm of lunar pony descent..." Faerie Tail whispered in awe. Then she asked, "What does this mean for Twinken? The changes on the outside, the inside?"

"It will soon become apparent," Luna explained, "that Twinken's physical abilities and senses are now superior to what they originally were. His senses of sight, hearing, and smell, his physical strength, his stamina, stronger magic, and he may develop further abilities. One in particular for certain will be the power to absorb energy from the light of the moon.

"He will be able to see even in total darkness, hear sounds imperceptible to regular ponies' ears and the tufts on his ear tips are sensitive to vibrations, special sound waves, and assist him in echolocation. His nose will put a dog's to shame. Also, he will eventually develop an appetite for meat."

...

Luna was worried somewhat by Faerie Tail's lack of response to that last tidbit of information. But before she could ask if Faerie Tail was alright, the unicorn mother said, "What can we do to help Twinken now? You said the ward you placed upon him will wear off."

"...I can fashion a talisman imbued with the ward," Luna assured, "it will feed on a constant trickle of Twinken's mana in order to maintain the ward's power. But it will protect his mind from perceiving other's thoughts and overwhelming him again. Presently, my schedule is quite cluttered, but I promise you that I will make time very soon to give Twinken his first lesson in how to handle his new powers, in person. Give me an hour or two, and the talisman will be ready for Twinken to take home. After a good night's rest, he'll be just fine."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Faerie Tail sighed in relief, "anything else?"

"Make sure he wears the talisman to school tomorrow," Luna made sure to point out, "So many thoughts in one place, it would almost guarantee this will happen again if he's not prepared."

"Understood. Thank you, Princess Luna," Faerie Tail replied.

"Not at all, he is my protégé, and in a way he is my child almost as much as he is yours," Luna said gently as they walked back towards Twinken's hospital room and peered through the window to see him resting peacefully.
"In the short time I've been his teacher, he has already become so dear to me. I look upon all the lunar ponies as my children... They fill a hole in my heart that..."

Again, Luna's voice trailed off and in the Moon Princess's eyes, Faerie Tail saw what could only be the pain of loss. Before she could ask the princess what she was going to say, Luna cleared her throat and said, "I advise you to speak with the doctors and have him checked one more time though I am certain they will clear him and you'll be able to take him home. Once it is finished, I will have the talisman sent to you before sunset."

"Thank you, Princess Luna, for everything," Faerie Tail said gratefully, holding her hoof over her heart.

"There is no need, my dear," Luna regarded Faerie Tail warmly, "As far as I am concerned, you and your sons are family. I will see you again soon, Faerie Tail."

As Luna departed, Faerie Tail looked on at her baby boy- Her colt. It pained her sometimes, especially in moments like this. That she had been robbed of those early years of his foalhood. That she had been forced to sleep what felt like a moment and ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Now, her child was to be burdened further.

"Oh, Ignitus... How I wish you were here," Faerie Tail whispered to herself, feeling her heart hurt, "I miss you so much!"

The next morning, Rumble, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash were waiting outside the schoolyard. Yesterday had been a bit of a scare for them. They hadn't been allowed to come to the hospital after Twinken's mom, Faerie Tail, had taken him away to get him to a doctor.

"Whattya think happened?" "Heatstroke?" "It was sunny but it wasn't that hot yesterday." "Maybe the campaign just got to him." "I dunno, it seemed like something was really bothering Twinken. He didn't say a word when we were talking about what he could say for his speech." "I hope he's okay, and I hope he makes it to school otherwise he'll have to drop out of the election and everypony will have to vote for Diamond Tiara or Hotshot!" "Look, there he is, and Apple Bloom's with him!"

They looked down the path and saw Twinken and Apple Bloom. She walked closely alongside him, and Twinken looked hesitant with every step. Their eyes fell upon a strange pendant he was wearing around his neck. It was smooth, black, round, polished, and had a silver crescent on it. Very slowly, they approached him, Sweetie Belle saying, "Hi, Twinken, `Bloom. How are you guys today?"

"Oh, wer' fine, uh..." Apple Bloom said with a somewhat forced smile, "Twinken's jus' a lil' nervous `bout t'day."

"...I... I didn't prepare my speech," Twinken looked away, feeling a little ashamed, "Sorry, guys, and sorry if I made you worry."

"No problem, dude," Scootaloo assured, "anypony would get a little nervous about these things."

"Is that why you fainted, Twinken?" asked a worried Button.

"Uh, yeah!" Twinken forced a smile, "I guess I... well, didn't really appreciate how important this election thing is."

"If you don't wanna run for Student Pony President anymore, Twinken, we under-" Sweetie Belle tried to say.

"No!" Twinken interrupted, determination in his eyes, "If I drop out, Diamond Tiara or Hotshot will definitely win, and they'll use the position to push us- push everypony around even worse than before. I don't know what I'm going to say for my speech, and I can't just say bad things about Diamond Tiara and Hotshot, even if they're true..."

"So then... what will you say, Twink?" asked Rumble, and for a moment the question hung in the air.

Twinken took a moment before he gave his answer, "I guess... what's in my heart."

"...so a vote for me is a vote for awesomeness," Hotshot concluded smugly, and he actually got a few of his classmates to applaud his speech, Which is more than Diamond Tiara got, heh, the loser.

Indeed, Diamond Tiara fumed with barely-contained outrage that nopony had applauded her speech, only stares, some blank, some glaring, others had had the gall to sleep while she was speaking!

"Thank you, Hotshot, for that... invigorating speech. You may return to your seat," Cheerilee said and once Hotshot was sitting down, she looked to Twinken and said, "And finally, our last candidate, Twinken. Please come forward."

Gulping, Twinken got up from his desk and slowly walked up to the blackboard before turning around to face his class. He felt the pressure as all eyes and ears were on him, some, he was relieved to see were supportive and encouraging. A few, mostly Diamond Tiara, Hotshot, and even Silver Spoon, were less than so. Without realizing it, he reached up with his hoof to the talisman he'd received from Princess Luna, grateful that it was preventing him from hearing the thoughts of everypony around it. But for a moment, he almost wished he could, if only to know what they were thinking, what they were expecting, anything to give him something to work with, at the very least. Then his eyes met with Dinky Doo's.

In her eyes, a gentle pale gold, he saw encouragement, and the way she smiled showed the faith she had in him. Though he hadn't told anypony, deep down he knew it, that Twinken... liked Dinky. He played with her at recess, included her if she asked to play with him and the Crusaders, he sometimes partnered with her on school assignments, but the one time she asked him to milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner he'd chickened out. Then he remembered something she'd said to him a while, one night when he'd been dream walking amongst the sleeping minds of Ponyville and found Dinky having a bad dream. He'd help her overcome her fears, and what she'd said to thank him lit something up in his mind.

Taking a deep breath, just the way Twilight did whenever she calmed herself down, Twinken began.
"I'm going to be honest with all of you. Because of what happened the other day, and some... other things, I didn't really get to prepare a speech. I don't have some fancy words or phrases to say, I don't really know what I can say that would make you think I would be a good Student Pony President. To tell you the truth, the only reason I volunteered was, well... because I don't think the right ponies were running for this election for the right reasons.

"But when I put that reason aside, I realize that up until this moment, I didn't have any real reason to become Student Pony President. I don't have any ideas to make the school better, I don't really care about leading anypony because I just want to do what I've always done! Go to school, learn, be with my friends, play, dream about what I'm gonna be when I grow up. Not to mention, you've all probably noticed by now that I look a little different. I'm going through some things right now, and that's part of the reason what happened yesterday.

"I feel a little selfish saying these things, especially when the reason chose to participate in this election was to make sure Diamond Tiara and Hotshot don't win. But then I remembered something that somepony in this room told me a while back. That when we help each other is when we're at our best."

Dinky's eyes widened as she remembered a dream she had suspected was more than a dream, but said nothing and continued to listen.

"Helping somepony by itself is something special, and sometimes even the smallest bit of help can make a huge difference," Twinken went on. "Still, sometimes help is given but not for the right reasons. Sometimes help we offer our help because we want something in return. Now, there's nothing wrong with being rewarded for your help, but if reward is the only reason you decide to help someone then really, you're not helping anypony, and that includes yourself.

"Getting back to what that somepony said to me before, helping each other out, especially when it's for the right reasons, is more than being kind, or generous, or even loyal to those around you. Sometimes we help each other for the right reasons, and sometimes we help each other for the wrong reasons. After all, we're only equine. Nopony's perfect, and there's nothing wrong with that. Because if everypony was perfect then life would be boring and empty. It's the imperfections each and everyone of us has that helps define us and shows who we are. So that's why I want to see everyone's perfect imperfections. Because that is the way where we can truly come together and build bridges with everyone."

As everypony let those words sink in, there was a moment of silence... before somepony started clapping and Twinken couldn't help but blush a bit and smile to see that it was Dinky. Then Cheerilee joined in, and one by one so did the rest of the class and there were excited murmurs and whispers among them as a few of the colts and fillies started discussing Twinken's words between them.

Except, however, for Hotshot and Diamond Tiara, both of whom weren't ones to be outshone by some upstart.

“Is that what you call your friends?” Diamond Tiara sneered. “Perfectly imperfect? I've never heard of something so pathetically absurd."

“Prince Midnight is more perfect than you, and he's your brother,” Hotshot sniped, bitter that Twinken had gotten a bigger applause than he did. “You should be trying to be perfect like he is!”

Twinken gave a muffled growl that, if it hadn't been drowned out by the excited atmosphere, would have sounded scary. Twinken knew that his brother wasn't perfect, not by a mile. The only reason these two clowns thought of him as perfect was because he was a prince.

Before he could respond however, Dinky stood up from her desk and said, "You should try to be like your brother, Twinken."

HUH?! Twinken looked at her, flabbergasted, when she continued, "Prince Midnight is really nice. He and my daddy are good friends and one time Daddy invited him over to our house for dinner. Midnight was so polite, he used his magic to clean the dishes for my Mom, and before he left he gave me my own book of beginner's magic! He told me if I studied hard and practiced, I could do wonderful magic one day. I have no doubt you can be just as amazing as him, Twinken."

“Wow... Thanks, Dinky,” Twinken truly felt flattered, the humble and heartfelt kind of flattered. “I'll do my best."

Twinken retook his seat, and so Cheerilee announced, "Well, that's it. Each of the candidates have spoken their piece, so now, if you would all follow me outside..."

Cheerilee led her students out the front door, and on the pathway they saw what was unmistakably a booth. Next to it was a small table with a stack of forms, and a tincan with pencils in it.
"One by one, I want each of you to take one of those forms into the voting booth. On those forms, you'll check mark which of the candidates you vote for and leave the form in the ballot box inside. Think carefully on who you're going to vote for and why, my little ponies, and please keep your decision to yourself and do not try to sway anyone to vote for someone in particular. The voting begins... now!"

315. A Star is Born - Part 3

"The votes have been counted!" Cheerilee announced as everypony looked on expectantly, "The Student Pony President is..."

Diamond Tiara held her head up high and had taken that first step of assumed victory-

"Twinken!"

"HUH?!" Diamond Tiara gaped in utter disbelief towards Twinken as everypony cheered and shouted congratulations.

"Omigosh, Crusaders! Twinken won!" Apple Bloom beamed so brightly, feeling very proud of her brother.

"And I couldn't have won without the support of my best friends, my fellow Cutie-Mark Crusaders," Twinken added.

"Hey! Maybe we got cutie-marks for helping Twinken's campaign!" Sweetie Belle suggested but as always, the Crusaders' flanks were blank, which Diamond Tiara didn't hesitate to point out.

"Guess you're not as good as you thought, Blank Flanks!" She then looked over to Cheerilee, "In fact, I demand a recount!"

"Trust me, Diamond Tiara, Twinken is the winner," Cheerilee responded dryly.

"Then you won't mind if I look for myself!" Diamond Tiara huffed as she stepped past Cheerilee to look at the ballot. "WHAAAAAATTTT?!?!?"

She came back out, "ONE VOTE?! Silver Spoon!"

She stepped over towards Silver Spoon, flabbergasting, "You didn't vote for me?!"

"No, I didn't," Silver Spoon replied with a 'so there' attitude.

"But- But you're my best friend!!" Diamond Tiara reminded her, with a sincere look of hurt in her eyes.

"Am I? Because this whole time I kept trying to help you, but you kept telling me to be quiet, wouldn't listen to one helpful word I said, and honestly, you just kept treating me like dirt," Silver Spoon pointed out, "You could have won this election if you'd just listened to me. Wanna know how?"

She raised her hoof before gently tapping Diamond Tiara under the chin and smarmily speaking in a hushed voice, "Sorry! I'm not allowed to speak."

Diamond Tiara stood there in stunned daze before she growled while inhaling and then letting out such an angry SHRIEK and storming off. The Crusaders watched her leave before looking to Silver Spoon, "What? I'm done putting up with all her drama."

The Crusaders shared a concerned look and Apple Bloom said, "Ah know Diamond Tiara's been pretty awful, but we should prob'ly make sure she's okay."

"Yeah, she might not care about anypony else's feelings," Twinken added, "that doesn't mean we shouldn't care about hers."

"Huh, you really a a bunch of bleeding hearts..."

They looked over to a miffed-looking Hotshot, who was running his comb through his mohawked mane, looking oddly okay with losing. When he noticed their looking at him, he sighed, "What, expecting me to pout and throw a tantrum too?"

"Well... you're taking your loss kinda well, Hotshot," Twinken pointed out.

"Prob'y because I voted for you," Hotshot responded with a shrug. "Listen, I didn't really care about being Student Pony President either. I only volunteered because I wanted to win another competition. But it wasn't until I heard your speech that I figured out this wasn't a competition. It was to stand up and be a leader or... something."

He strapped on his helmet and grabbed his skateboard, "Anyways, kudos to you, Mister President."

As Hotshot zoomed off, the Crusaders shared a look of amazement before Twinken reminded them, "C'mon, Crusaders. Let's go find Diamond Tiara."

Remembering the aversion ward his brother taught him, Twinken cast it upon himself and the rest of the Crusaders to make sure Diamond Tiara or anypony else would notice them following her, even if they were standing right behind her. As they followed her, they couldn't help but see how despondent Diamond Tiara was. For some reason, she looked miserable for something other than losing the election. Maybe it was the fact Silver Spoon basically turned against her, maybe it was the realization of what a bad friend she'd been to Silver Spoon?

The answer made herself known as Diamond Tiara walked past a beauty parlor and out stepped her mother, Spoiled Rich, the head of school board for the Ponyville Schoolhouse. Like her husband and daughter, Spoiled Rich was an earth pony, and her coat was the color of strawberry milk, her mane was in an elaborate style, colored shades of magenta and dark heliotrope, her eyes were opal, she wore a soft blue blouse with a golden necklace, and her cutie-mark was a diamond ring giving off a sparkle.

"Diamond Tiara!"

The mentioned filly froze in terror as her mother approached her with an expression like she smelled some offensive odor, asking with a haughty tone, "Why are you making that face? That is not the face of a winner."

"Because... I didn't win," Diamond Tiara answered hesitantly, peering at her mother nervously.

"What? You mean I hefted all these party supplies to celebrate nothing?!" Spoiled Rich pointed out the Rich Family servants taking away the mentioned party supplies, including a statue of Diamond Tiara that the butler had a miserable time moving.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Diamond Tiara said miserably, "The class elected Twinken instead of me..."

"Prince Midnight's younger brother? Ugh! I suppose that wouldn't be soooo bad if he wasn't a blank flank!" Spoiled Rich snubbed, "As a daughter of the Family Rich, you must always think of your social standing!"

She made that apparent when she waved politely towards Fancy Pants and his very pregnant wife, Fleur Dis Lee. Once they had moved out of earshot, Spoiled Rich continued to admonish her daughter, "That starts here in Ponyville and reaches all over Equestria."

She touched her hoof to her daughter's chin, making sure she was looking her in the eye, "Don't ever forget that, Diamond Tiara. EVER!!"

The Crusaders all grimaced at the way Diamond Tiara flinched from her mother's irascible tone before the mare walked away, her nose up in the air. Their eyes went back to Diamond Tiara who walked up to a jewelry store where a large diamond was displayed in the window.

[Diamond Tiara]
If I'm a diamond then why do I feel so rough?
I am strong as a stone, even that's not enough

There's something jagged in me and I've made such mistakes
I thought that diamonds were hard yet I feel I could break

Would you believe...
That I've always wished I could be somepony else?

Yet I can't see...
What I need to do to be the pony I want to be

I've been told my whole life what to do, what to say
Nopony showed me that there might be some better way

And now I feel like I'm lost, I don't know what to do
The ground is sinking away, I'm about to fall through

Would you believe...
That I've always wished I could be somepony else?

Yet I can't see...
What I need to do to be the pony I wanna be!

Diamond Tiara walked without a destination in mind, never having felt so alone as she did now, unaware of the six eyes watching her.

To be the pony I want to be...

"Is it... weird that I feel bad for her?" Sweetie Belle asked her friends, all of whom had the same concerned and sympathetic looks on their faces as she.

"If it is, then... I'm weird, too," Scootaloo replied after rubbing the back of her head.

"With a mom like that, it's no wonder Diamond Tiara's the way she is!" Button Mash pointed out, "My mom never talks to me like that or makes me feel bad unless I actually did something bad."

"She wants t' change, but, she duzen't know how," Apple Bloom brought up.

"Seems like she could use a friend or two to help her figure it out," Rumble suggested.

"Let's talk to her after school tomorrow," Twinken added and they all nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Diamond Tiara continued to wander aimlessly, feeling sorry for herself. Why did it always turn out like this? She strove to be her mother's idea of a proud and dignified daughter of the Rich family, but it just seemed that no matter what she did or how hard she tried her mother always found some fault to point out, some mistake or flaw to admonish her over.

The time she scored the highest in her class's math test? Her mother had belittled her signature.

The time she modeled for a Filly's Jewelry line? Her mother was unimpressed with her poise.

When she'd asked for a special doll for her sixth birthday? Her mother had instead gotten her crystal figurines she wasn't even allowed to touch, otherwise she'd break them.

Her father was nicer to her, but Filthy Rich was always so busy and sometimes didn't come home for days. And the few times she worked up enough courage to try to talk to her father about her mother, Filthy Rich didn't really listen, telling her to listen to her mother and then try to placate her with some expensive gift.

Just once, she wished her father would listen to her. Just once, she wished her mother would be proud of her! Her heart felt as though something were squeezing it, and began to feel the urge to cry-

"OW!"/"Oof!"

Diamond Tiara fell onto her side, her tiara slipping off, and she groaned, more in irritation than pain, as she sat up and rubbed her shoulder-

"Oh, I'm so-so sorry! I should've been watching where I was going. Please, let me make it up to you."

"You're darn right you should've- !" Diamond Tiara finally looked at who'd bumped into her and saw he was an earth pony colt, with a soft brown coat, a creamy white mane, arctic blue eyes glimmering apologetically, and his cutie-mark was a bowl of ice cream. He was a little older, a year or two, maybe. He held out his hoof, and she hesitantly accepted it, allowing him to help her up to her hooves.
"Um... just... just be more careful, okay?"

"Oh, uh- Your... crown?" the colt peered down on Diamond Tiara's tiara, and she groaned to herself to see it had gotten rather dirty. "Again, I'm so sorry, but... lemme make it up to you. Follow me, and we can get your crown thing cleaned up."

The colt sounded a little earnest but he was being so nice. Sighing, Diamond Tiara picked up her tiara and said, "Sure..."

"Cool," the colt started leading her down the street before peering over his shoulder and saying, "Oh, by the way! My name's Lickety Split. You're, uh... Diamond Tiara, right?"

"That's me," Diamond Tiara answered with a shrug.

"If you don't mind me saying, Diamond Tiara, you look kinda down," Lickety Split commented before smiling, "Nothing a little ice cream won't help!"

"Ice cream?" echoed Diamond Tiara, honestly finding the idea appealing.

Lickety Split led Diamond Tiara to a little ice cream parlor, the sign reading 'Sweet Licks', and he held the door open for her, saying, "After you."

She entered and found the ice cream parlor was nice and homey-looking, with soft comfortable chairs and tables, a glass counter that displayed what flavors were available, glass jars filled with different toppings, a fancy-looking blender for milkshakes, and at the register was a big and tall earth pony stallion, just a little on the portly side, wearing a white shirt and apron colored with pastel blue, yellow, and pink, along with a deli hat.
"Hey there, son! Who's your friend?"

"Hi, Dad," Lickety Split walked up to the counter, "This is Diamond Tiara, I... kinda bumped into her and now her crown's dirty. Would it be okay if we gave her something sweet as an apology and I clean her crown in the back?"

"Sure, champ, go right ahead," the stallion gestured Lickety Split through the door next to the counter before looking to Diamond Tiara, "What can I get'cha, lil' miss? Whatever you, want, it's on the house!"

"Um..." Diamond Tiara felt hesitant but her eyes wandered to the menu and she saw a number of delicious-looking ice cream dishes, milkshakes, frozen yogurts, sundaes, it all looked so good!
"Well... I guess that strawberry shortcake sundae looks good."

"Coming right up! Go ahead and have a seat," the stallion got to work while Diamond Tiara took a seat by the window.

Having time to herself again, Diamond Tiara reflected on the day. She'd made her speech, boasted her superiority, promised favors to some of her classmates, her silence to those with problems they didn't want others to know about, she'd showed ambition, determination, everything her mother drilled her to be.

Hotshot's speech had just been him blowing hot air about himself, promising awesome tricks and dumb stuff to do with his skateboard. And Twinken... he'd said he hadn't prepared a speech, but he'd given one that won over the entire class! Even her so-called best friend, Silver Spoon!

But then... she thought and then accepted, she hadn't been a good friend to Silver for the last few days.

Thinking back on Twinken, the things he'd said, she hated to admit, but she could tell they came from the heart. Twinken hadn't promised anything, boasted about himself, not even using the fact that his brother is a prince. He'd just been honest, and humble, and sincere. As she thought, the words Twinken used in his speech began to cross her mind in a slow and methodical way. As they did, she began to see that the words he used were words that came across as humble and showed him as one for the class and he'd take them into consideration. The words and their meanings seemed similar to her father's words of humble and loving manner. As it clicked, she looked up to see....Lickety Split return with her tiara and the sundae she'd ordered.

"There ya go, all nice and clean," Lickety Split set the tiara on the table and then the sundae right in front of Diamond Tiara, "and this, nice and cold. Enjoy."

Diamond Tiara looked at her tiara and was relieved to see it was clean and pristine, and then at the sundae. The angel food cake looked soft and sweet, with three scoops of vanilla fudge ripple, and the perfect amount of strawberry sauce, all served in a cocktail-like glass with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Diamond Tiara couldn't deny it - It looked delicious!

"...Thank you," Diamond Tiara said curtly before she took the spoon that came with it and began to eat. Thought the first bite of the sundae she set in her mouth gave an explosion of delicious flavor! It was sweet but not too sweet, the fudge ripple, the strawberry sauce, the whipped cream, and the angel food cake, it all meshed together so well yet each was distinct enough for her to taste them and identify them on her tongue, that she couldn't help but smile a little and softly utter, "Mmm...!"

Lickety Split smiled, glad to see Diamond Tiara was enjoying it, and he couldn't help but notice that whatever walls she'd put up around herself were beginning to crack open.
"So Diamond Tiara, that sundae helping you feel better?"

"...Mm-hmm, it..." Diamond Tiara paused before giving a small smile to Lickety Split, "Thank you."

"Well, you looked like you could use it," Lickety Split said with a friendly shrug, "Y'know, when something's botherin' ya, it always helps to talk to somepony about it. You don't have to, if you don't wanna."

...

"Well, I got some chores I should do, so..." Lickety Split made a show of beginning to leave, which caused Diamond Tiara to drop her spoon.

"Wait!"

Smiling, but making sure she didn't see it, Lickety Split got back into his chair and gave Diamond Tiara a patient smile.

"I... I...!" Diamond Tiara took a deep breath and finally choked it out, "Mymother'sangryatme!"

"Uh... say that again? A little slower this time," Lickety Split suggested.

Huffing, Diamond Tiara finally got it out, clearly this time, "My mother's angry at me, because... I didn't become Student Pony President of my class."

"Well, I guess that can be a little disappointing," Lickety Split shrugged, "but it's not the end of the world!"

"Ugh, maybe not the world, but my mother would say it might be for my 'standing in society'," Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes. "I do everything she tells me to do, and it's never enough for her! No matter how hard I work, no matter how good I do, she always finds something to point out and make me feel like dirt...

"Then there's my daddy. He buys me whatever I want, but sometimes... sometimes I just want him to listen! But nooo! Every time I try to talk to him about Mother, he's always 'listen to your mother, princess' and gets me something so I can't complain, or- Or... Then I found out that my best friend didn't vote for me, and... I can't blame her because I was being such an awful friend to her lately."

"It's okay," Lickety Split assured, "There is always a tomorrow."

"I don't even know if she'll speak to me again..." Diamond Tiara whimpered, not wanting to cry, but now that she was unloading the tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.

"Don't worry about it. Let the rest of today play out," Lickety Split said gently as he reached over and touched his hoof to Diamond Tiara's, which caused her to take on just the faintest red around her pink face.
"I get things are hard, and you feel like a failure. But Diamond Tiara, you're only a failure if you don't get right back up and keep moving forward and continue to try your best. You'll have good days and you'll have bad days, But if you ever have another bad day and you don't know who to talk to, you're always welcome here."

"Wow... Thank you, Lickety Split," Diamond Tiara smiled with deepest appreciation when she noticed the clock on the wall and saw the time! "Uh-oh! I have to go home, I have an etiquette lesson I cannot be late for!"

Diamond Tiara took a few more bites of her sundae, and then wiped her mouth clean with a napkin from the dispenser. She moved for the door but then paused and looked back at Lickety Split, who was giving her an encouraging smile.
"Thank you."

"Come back anytime," Lickety Split smiled and waved, and Diamond Tiara blushed again before hurrying home.

Faerie Tail and Twinken gazed up at the Castle of Friendship, its crystalline features reflecting the fading twilight of dusk, giving it an eerie beauty. Not long after Twinken and Apple Bloom went home after seeing Diamond Tiara getting read the riot act from her mother, a note had arrived from Princess Luna, informing them Midnight was back and that the two of them would be expecting Faerie Tail and Twinken at the castle to discuss his new powers.

Twinken touched the talisman hanging around his neck, the only thing protecting his mind from picking up the thoughts of any around him. Then, he looked up at his mother and he didn't have to read her mind to know that she was deeply concerned for him. He touched her hoof, and smiled up warmly at her, trying to put on a brave face. It helped, because she smiled back and then gave him a loving hug.

Finally, she knocked on the door and moments later, Midnight opened it.
"Mom, little brother, thank you for coming."

He invited them inside, saying, "Follow me. Princess Luna is already waiting in the council room."

Entering the council room, they saw Princess Luna sitting in Twilight's throne, and she said, "Faerie Tail, Twinken, my pupil, I am pleased to see you both, and now that Midnight is here, we can discuss Twinken's new powers in fuller detail."

"Have a seat wherever you like," Midnight invited, as he took his own throne.

Twinken sat in Cheese Sandwich's throne, which was to the left of Twilight's, and Faerie Tail sat in Pinkie's, which was to the left of Cheese's.

"Would anypony like refreshments?" Midnight offered with a forced smile, trying to ease the tension.

"No, thank you," Twinken replied, and Faerie Tail politely shook her head no.

"Then let's get started," Princess Luna decided, "So that the two of you know, I have already informed Midnight about the new development on Twinken's new powers and how it's evident he has gained the physical traits of a lunar pony."

"You said that..." Faerie Tail spoke up, "that Twinken will now develop an appetite for meat. Should we be concerned?"

"Not at all," Midnight answered his mother, "Do you remember back then after I became an alicorn, Mom? I also unlocked my lunar pony heritage, which included my diet for meat. Princess Celestia arranged for meat to be provided for me back then, and these days I get my meat through private channels, mostly from the Griffon Kingdom, occasionally from the Lunar Pony colony out on the Shetland Isles.

"I can still recall how it disturbed you back then... and I'm sorry for that."

"No! No, son!" Faerie Tail got up and went over to Midnight, placing a hoof on his cheek, "...I could never fault you for something that is a part of your nature! Because... you get that nature from me."

Midnight touched his mother's hoof, cherishing her touch. A touch he had been robbed of for over ten years, and said, "We'll get through this, just as we did back then."

Faerie Tail nodded and sat back down, reaching over to stroke Twinken's mane, the little colt still looking nervous. So Luna moved things along.
"Midnight or I can provide Twinken with meat, once he begins to hunger for it. I recommend Midnight that you help Twinken through this transition."

"I already planned to," Midnight replied while giving an encouraging wink to Twinken, which helped the colt feel a little better. "But back on track, his powers. From what you informed me, Luna, Twinken has developed some degree of Telepathy."

"You said you had a theory regarding that, Princess," Faerie Tail added.

"I do, and my theory, everypony," Luna declared, "is that Twinken is a natural Telepath."

"...Those are rare," Midnight looked in awe.

"Natural telepath? Wh-what does that mean?" Twinken asked, a little afraid of what he was going to hear.

"Ordinarily, my pupil, Telepathy is a magical art that only Beta-level unicorns and above are capable of learning, though it's not unheard of for Gamma-level Unicorns to possibly learn a minute form of Telepathy," Luna explained, "In any case, it is a learned magical skill, that takes years of practice. The power to perceive and even control others' thoughts.

"What you have experienced is its raw and basic form, the power to hear stray thoughts around you, without knowing how to tune them out so that they don't overwhelm your mind. Let us be grateful that is all you have experienced, at least... for now."

"For now?" Twinken echoed, not liking the sound of that.

"Twinken, your power has only begun to sprout, and in time it will grow," Luna explained heavily, "and not even the talisman I have given you will be enough to protect your mind. Nor the minds of those around you. As a matter of fact, I am afraid that in time I will have to ask for the talisman back."

Twinken shrank back in his seat, holding the talisman against his chest, looking more and more afraid.

"I understand that you are scared, young one," Luna said gently, "but you must understand. Your power must be allowed to bloom, and so you must learn to control it. Relying on the talisman is a crutch, especially if and when your power grows too strong for it to handle. Furthermore, as you have learned that the power of Dreamwalking is a responsibility so too is Telepathy.

"There have been a regrettable number of telepaths in the past who abused this power and caused no small amount of harm. They were dealt with and made examples of, both before and after my millennia-long banishment. But know that we are here for you, to guide you, to teach you how to use this power and to use it responsibly. Even your brother can help you this time."

Twinken looked from his teacher to his brother, who smiled with a nod, "I'm not a natural telepath, but I am learned somewhat in wielding telepathic powers. In Luna's absence, I can teach you what I know and help you in case something goes wrong."

"Can you... I dunno, teach me how to not hear what everypony around me is thinking?" Twinken didn't want to give up the talisman, but what his teacher had said made sense. Eventually, it wouldn't help, so it was better to get learning.

"Oh that's easy, you just need an earworm!" Midnight replied, but then he saw the weirded-out looks on his brother and mother's faces and chuckled, "It's not an actual worm; it's just a little catchy music or song that gets stuck in your head even after it's no longer playing! With that filling up your head, it drowns out stray thoughts your telepathy might pick up from those around you."

"So I just need some annoying song or music stuck in my head?" Twinken deadpanned, "Yeah... I'm not altogether sure if that's better."

"Try your favorite song," Luna suggested. "I, being a classical music....fan, if you will, I let classical music fill my head, to block out unwanted thoughts if ever my own telepathic abilities got out of hoof. It's simpler then listening to some cheesy song or some little foal's song from some kind of children's puppet show."

"I guess that makes more sense," Twinken gave it a thought... before he said, "Okay, I wanna try."

"Very well. When you're ready, take off the talisman," Luna instructed, "The three of us will think your name and you tell us whether or not it's working. Even if you think you hear us, concentrate on the song, let it fill you."

Twinken nodded, closed his eyes, and concentrated. For a few long moments there was silence, all eyes on the colt. Then he began to bob his head just a bit, hum a little, and finally he levitated the talisman and took it off while gesturing with his hoof to everypony to go ahead.

Luna thought, My pupil, I am thinking of you. Can you hear my thoughts?

Midnight thought, Hey, little brother! I'm thinking of a hundred-hoof tall green penguin!

Faerie Tail thought, Twinken, sweetheart, if you can hear what I'm thinking, know that we'll help you get through this!

Twinken growled to himself, for even though he kept focusing on the tune in his head he could hear their thoughts, even if they weren't as loud. Still, that didn't stop him from giving his brother the stink eye while subtly shaking his head.

"Midnight? Stick to friendship problems, cuz'... I don't think creative writing's your thing."

"Huh! I'll have you know I've written and published a few novels under a pen name!" Midnight responded, acting just a tad pouty. "And one of them made it onto Canterlot's Top Ten Reading List in the Canterlot Gazette!"

"Really?" Twinken and Faerie Tail and Luna all looked at Midnight, who sulked.

"Okay, maybe it was more like an... honorable mention," he admitted.

They all chuckled softly in a good natured kind of way, and Luna asked, "So, how did it feel, Twinken? Given your words, I take it you still heard what we were thinking."

"I did, but... this time, it was more... muted?" Twinken tried to explain, "Also, I actually heard Midnight's thoughts a little more clearly than yours or Mom's."

"Hmm, not quite there yet, but it's progress," Luna nodded, "You can put the talisman back on."

Twinken did so, and Luna said, "Well then, Twinken, now that you have the basic idea, I want you to practice using an earworm to tune out others' thoughts every day. Also, keep this in mind. Your new power is instinctive, meaning it responds to how you feel. If you stay calm, focused, and keep your thoughts centered, you can keep control over your power. But if you let your mind wander, if you grow nervous, anxious, scared, your power will become harder to control.

"In other words, just keep a calm and cool head, and you should be fine."

Twinken nodded solemnly, and Luna said, "Very good. Faerie Tail, you can take Twinken home now. I think we could all use a good night's sleep."

"Thank you very much, Princess Luna," Faerie Tail got up and Twinken went over to give Luna and Midnight each a hug.

After they left, Luna looked to Midnight, "A natural Telepath... I haven't encountered one since before I became Nightmare Moon, but I am sure there have been others since then."

"There have, and a few did terrible things with their power," Midnight confirmed, "made all the wrong choices..."

"This is my doing..." Luna looked despondent, "I unlocked his bloodline and brought out his potential for Dreamwalking. I should've considered this might happen, and now I've burdened him yet again."

"Is it possible he would've developed Telepathy without you?" questioned Midnight, "As the Prench say, C'est la vie. Now, we just both need to make sure he gets the guidance he needs. But just between you and me, Luna... how long can Twinken rely on the talisman?"

"I can't be sure," Luna sighed, "Natural Telepaths are always the most powerful. Maybe not at first, but Twinken's power will grow, and for his sake as well as the sake of those around him, he must learn control it..."

"What do you want to do in regards to Twinken's instruction?" asked Midnight.

Luna considered before deciding, "For now, I shall continue to provide him guidance in the dream realm, and I would like for you to use that Midnight Hour you have with him and the colts to give him hooves-on experience in the waking world. In time, we will have to put your brother to the test, in his ability and his willpower."

316. A Star is Born - Part 4

The school bell rang, and as everypony hurried off to go home, Diamond Tiara ambled at a slow pace. She'd seen Silver Spoon at school today, but the gray filly had made it clear she wasn't interested in talking to her. It hurt, but then she'd thought of Lickety Split, and remembered his offer to come back to his folk's ice cream parlor-

"Hey" "Diamond Tiara!" "Wait up!"

Hearing those annoying voices she detested to much, she turned to see it was the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, "What do you all want?! To gloat? Rub in my defeat?"

"Actually... we wanted t' invite you t' our clubhouse t' hang out," Apple Bloom replied kindly, and they all noticed Diamond Tiara's look of surprise.

"...Really?"

The Crusaders shared agreeable smiles and Rumble said, "Yeah, for real."

For a moment, Diamond Tiara was surprised and felt... good, for some reason in response to their offer. But she pushed it down and huffed, "What, just because I don't have any important Class President business to attend to, you think I have nothing else to do? Thanks, but no thanks!"

She harrumphed and walked away, the Crusaders all flinching in response to her snapping at them, and Sweetie Belle meekly commented, "That sounded like a no..."

"Looks like she's worse than we thought," Button Mash added.

"Well, let's try again," Twinken suggested, "Maybe if we don't all crowd her she won't feel overwhelmed or something."

They rest nodded and they followed after Diamond Tiara, being sure not to let her see them, as she walked through town. The Crusaders were curious as to where Diamond Tiara was going, but they hoped she wouldn't be scolded by her mother again. Before long, Diamond Tiara came to what they recognized as the local ice cream parlor.

"Looks like she's just getting some ice cream," Button Mash said to his friends as they peered through the window and saw Diamond Tiara talking to the ice cream pony.

"Hold on, I don't think she is," Sweetie Belle said, "Look."

The ice cream pony shook his head, and Diamond Tiara looked a tad disappointed, until the ice cream pony said something else to her, and she perked up. She turned around and made for the exit, and the Crusaders quickly ducked around the corner before she saw them. Again they followed her, and it wasn't long before she unknowingly led them to Ponyville Park. The Crusaders darted across the way and hid in a large bush, holding still a few moments before they carefully peeked through the leaves, seeing Diamond Tiara had walked up a hill and appeared to be looking for something.

"What's she doing here at the park?" Scootaloo whispered, "She almost never comes here, unless it was to show something off."
"Well, it looks like she's looking for something," Sweetie Belle suggested.
"Or somepony!" Twinken whispered in realization as he pointed with his hoof.

They all looked and saw Diamond Tiara looked elated as she trotted towards a colt sitting in the shade of a tree while enjoying a comic book. They noticed Diamond Tiara looked a little bashful as she approached the colt, and he had apparently heard her coming, as he looked up and gave her a friendly smile before waving her over. Diamond Tiara went over to sit by him and they began to just talk.

"Who's that colt she's talking to?" "Ah think... yeah, tha's Lickety Split! His ma n' pa own th' ice cream parlor Diamond Tiara went to earlier." "So then, Diamond Tiara was looking for Lickety Split, and his dad must've told her where he'd gone." "They seem to be getting along." "Yeah, Diamond Tiara looks... happy!"

Twinken began to think, he knew Lickety Split, just not personally. Lickety was a year ahead of him and his friends, and this was his last year in school before he graduated, and given his cutie-mark and his parents' business it would be no surprise if Lickety became an ice cream pony too. That was the way it worked in smaller towns, like Ponyville. Colts and fillies who got their cutie-marks by the time they graduated elementary school would either find somepony to apprentice with, or they'd go to bigger cities and continue their education until they could attend college or university.

Pinkie Pie had left her hometown of Nickerlite a while after she got her cutie-mark and apprenticed with the Cakes at Sugarcube Corner, which became her new home.

"Huh, I guess Diamond Tiara doesn't need our help," Twinken said aloud, only to hear Apple Bloom gasp.

Everypony looked at her as she was pointing, "Ah wouldn' be so sure o' that!"

They followed her hoof and grimaced to see Diamond Tiara's mother, Spoiled Rich, trotting towards her daughter, with a disapproving scowl on her face. Diamond Tiara had no idea her mother was approaching, looking very displeased.

"DIAMOND TIARA!!!"

She nearly jumped out of her coat and nervously looked to see her mother, standing a yard away, the look on her face as though her nostrils had been offended by some repugnant odor, while her eyes were piercing her daughter.
"What are you doing around this... colt? Where is Silver Spoon? Her company, at least, is more appropriate for your social standing, young mare!"

"Mother! I- Uh... this is my new friend, Lickety Split," Diamond Tiara smiled nervously while Lickety looked uncomfortable but also worried for Diamond Tiara. "His parents own the-"

"I don't care who he is!" snapped Spoiled Rich, making Diamond Tiara flinch. "This colt is beneath you, Diamond Tiara, and associating with him will only drag you down. You are coming home with me, right now, young lady, and you are not to meet with him again!"

Spoiled Rich turned around and began to walk away, her nose in the air, but she quickly noticed her daughter, upset and unsure, wasn't following.
"DIAMOND TIARA... now!!"

Diamond Tiara whimpered and couldn't help shed a tear as she gave an apologetic look to Lickety, and began to follow her mother.

In the bush, the Crusaders were all upset.

"I can't believe Diamond Tiara's mother could be so-so... awful!" Button Mash was honestly on the verge of tears, feeling so sorry for Diamond Tiara.
"We gotta do somethin'! We cain't jus' stand by an' let this happen!" Apple Bloom urged but looked at a loss on what to do.
"But what can we do?" Rumble asked, "Mrs. Rich isn't gonna listen to us! We're just kids."

As the other Crusaders continued to fret and talk, Twinken felt the deepest sympathy for Diamond Tiara. True, she'd been a bully and a brat for as long as he'd known her, but with a mother like Spoiled Rich, it really was no surprise. While she was still responsible for her own actions, Diamond Tiara, like everypony, deserved better than this. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and walked out of the bush.

"Twinken!" "What're you doing?!" "Shush, y'all! Let's wait n' see wha' he's gonna do..."

"Mrs. Rich!" Twinken called out, and Spoiled Rich paused to eye him.

"What can I do for you, young colt?" she asked in a tone of edged politeness.

Diamond Tiara was also surprised to see Twinken, as the young colt took another deep breath, before he stated, "You're not being fair to Diamond Tiara."

"Excuse me?! I don't think how I raise my daughter is any of your business!" Spoiled Rich snapped before she realized, "Oh, wait... You're Twinken, aren't you? Well, congratulations on beating my daughter in your little election, young colt, but I don't expect your term in office to last very long. After I speak with the rest of the school board, I'm certain they'll see you are unfit to be Student Pony President. But rest assured, I'm certain Diamond Tiara will make for a far more ideal class president than you..."

"Why, because I'm a blank flank?" Twinken challenged.

Spoiled Rich narrowed her eyes at Twinken, but said nothing.

"Your daughter and I have never gotten along, Mrs. Rich," Twinken stated, "In fact, in the time I've known her, she's been nothing but a bully, a brat, a showoff, and frankly, an all-around unpleasant pony. But then again, it's no surprise given the way you've raised her."

"What was that?!" Spoiled Rich's tone rose up dangerously, but Twinken wasn't done.

"Still, despite the way she's turned out, Diamond Tiara has a side to her that I would be happy to get to know."

Diamond Tiara looked at Twinken in surprised wonder as he went on, "When I look past the bad things about her, I see a filly who's strong, determined, and driven to succeed. Maybe not always for the right reasons, but even so. And today, just now, I saw her happy and bright as she was talking to Lickety Split, who has clearly seen something special in her too. But not because she's a pony of high society or some nonsense like that, but because Lickety sees a nice and sweet pony in Diamond Tiara, and is happy to be her friend!"

Diamond Tiara and Lickety Split both at awe by Twinken's words, but Spoiled Rich sneered.
"Her 'friend'?! Don't insult my daughter! She is going to grow up to be a pony of high society, that means being the best and surrounding herself with the best. She doesn't need the likes of that colt and distracting her and filling her head with foolish ideas, just as I needn't entertain your insolence any longer!"

"Because I'm a blank flanked colt?" Twinken wasn't going to let Spoiled Rich off so easily. "You know, Mrs. Rich, the way you talk about ponies of high society and stuff like that? I think it's silly, because if my brother, Prince Midnight Blaze, were here right now, you'd be kissing the ground he walked on, just because he's a prince, a pony of 'high society'. But that's not who my brother is; Midnight would be friends with anyone, whether they're some upper class duchess or a humble farmer, as long as they're good ponies.

"He doesn't flaunt his royalty in other's faces or use it to walk all over others and treat them like dirt. He respects his fellow pony, whoever they are, and treats them fairly and kindly, and that's why he's better than you in every way. Because your ideology is all wrong!"

Everypony's jaws dropped as a stunned silence befell the situation. Spoiled Rich felt her ire burn and the urge to lash out and put this insufferable child in his place. It was only the fact that she was out in public and there were other ponies nearby that could witness her that allowed her to rein in her temper and take a shuddery breath in an effort to maintain her composure.

"I have had enough of this nonsense!" she seethed before snapping, "Diamond Tiara! We are going home, now!!"

Spoiled Rich began walking away again, and feeling the parental pressure urged Diamond Tiara to obey. But as she walked past Twinken, she saw concern in his eyes before he gave her an encouraging nod. Her heart wavered, but she hesitantly kept walking, not noticing Twinken remove the talisman around his neck.

Diamond Tiara...

Diamond Tiara paused mid-step with a soft gasp, as she heard words in her head that were not her own.

Stand up to your mother. Tell her how you feel.

But... I can't! She's my mother, she- She knows what's best! Diamond Tiara thought, her heart feeling like it was caught in a vice.

She's wrong, and deep down you know it.

Diamond Tiara whimpered, uncertainty holding her still.

Diamond Tiara, you are strong as a stone. But the reason you feel so rough is because you've been misguided. Be the pony you want to be, the pony Lickety Split sees in you, because on our own we twinkle. But when we have friends who stand beside us, to give us courage and love, that is when we truly shine.

Diamond Tiara finally looked back in wondrous awe, seeing Twinken, as well as the rest of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders who'd stepped out of the bush, and especially Lickety Split, all of them giving her a smile... and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Diamond Tiara!"

Everypony looked to see Spoiled Rich was looking back at them though her eyes were on Diamond Tiara, "I have had just about enough of you associating with these confused, insignificant lowlifes! Socializing with the likes of them is not how you're going to move up into the Equestrian high society! Now, come, Diamond Tiara!"

Again her mother began to walk away but this time, Diamond Tiara furrowed her brows and steeled herself, "...No, Mother!"

Spoiled Rich felt a vein pulse on her temple as she glared at her daughter, "Excuse me?!"

"You've spent your life acting like a high horse and raised me to follow in your hoofprints!" Diamond Tiara spoke her mind, "For so long, I listened because I thought you were right, that following your guidance and beliefs would get me ahead in my life. But then I finally realized I wanted something, something that you don't have! Friends."

There was a chorus of gasps and for the first time, everypony noticed there were more ponies watching and listening to what was going on, including some of the schoolfoals, Cheerilee, along with a few adults, including Faerie Tail.

Realizing this, Spoiled Rich felt uneasy but furrowed her brows, "That's enough, Diamond Tiara! Step away from those BLANK FLANKS!!"

"These 'blank flanks' are the Cutie-Mark Crusaders," Diamond Tiara corrected her mother, "And just like Lickety Split, they are my friends! You and I have to stop calling them such rude and awful names, because they work harder than anypony I know to get their cutie-marks! And when they do, I have no doubts that whatever talents their cutie-marks symbolize will be something amazing!"

Everypony watching cheered and praised Diamond Tiara, and as she looked on, stunned and at a loss for words, Spoiled Rich began to see the smile on her daughter's face. She'd never seen her filly smile like that. It was warm, happy, bright, and something else she couldn't put her hoof on. An aching pressure began to bear down on her heart as she felt something, along with a strange warmth.

Why did her heart feel like it was swelling? She couldn't be sure whether it hurt or... was it joy?

"Mrs. Rich..."

Spoiled Rich snapped out of it and saw a unicorn mare come her way with an unreadable look on her face.
"My name is Faerie Tail, Twinken and Midnight's mother. I would like to talk to you about your daughter..."

The mother of Prince Midnight?! Spoiled Rich suddenly felt her blood run cold... only for Faerie Tail to give her a kind and sincere smile.

"You have quite a remarkable young filly."

"W-what?" Spoiled Rich hadn't been expecting that.

"Why don't we talk over tea? My treat," Faerie Tail led Spoiled Rich down the way, but as they left, Spoiled Rich peered over her shoulder to look at her daughter again... and that smile on her little filly's face brought a tear to her eye. A tear of joy, and guilt.

"Cutie-Mark Crusaders?" Diamond Tiara said to them, "I want to thank you all, for helping me, and even after all the awful things I've said and done, how much of a brat I've been. I couldn't have blamed you if you'd ignored me."

"Well, Diamond Tiara, jus' cuz' ya do wrong don't mean ya shouldn't be given a second chance," Apple Bloom replied kindly, "See, Granny Smith taught us tha' good ponies are th' ones who show compassion an' mercy. T' wanna help others ya see are in trouble, an' give second chances even if they don' deserve `em. Even so, it's up t' those ponies who do wrong t' make up for it."

"You're right," Diamond Tiara sighed with a humbled smile, "which is why I'm going to start being better pony. The pony I want to be, not what my mother was trying to make me be."

"Diamond Tiara...?"

All eyes turned and saw Silver Spoon, looking apologetic and hesitant. Diamond Tiara was surprised to see her and the two fillies approached each other. For a long moment neither said anything, so Diamond Tiara opened her mou-

"I'm sorry!"

"Huh?!" Diamond Tiara was shocked to see Silver Spoon bowing her head in apology.

"I'm sorry for hurting your feelings!" Silver Spoon said, sounding truly sorry, "I mean... we've argued before, and we haven't always agreed on things, but-"

"Silver Spoon..."

Silver Spoon paused, the tone of Diamond Tiara's voice made her apprehensive. But she couldn't stop herself from peering up to look Diamond Tiara in the eye... only to be surprised by the apologetic look she was wearing!

"Why are you apologizing to me?" Diamond Tiara asked, sounding so guilty. "I'm the one who was being a terrible friend! The way I treated you, talked down to you? You were absolutely right to do what you did. And you know what, I'm glad I lost the election, because if I'd won I wouldn't have finally stood up to my mother... or made a new friend in Lickety Split."

Silver Spoon felt her heart clench with worry, a new friend?

But then Diamond Tiara held out her hoof to Silver Spoon, "I am so sorry, Silver Spoon, and to show you I mean it, I want to introduce my best friend to my new friend."

Everypony smiled fondly at friendship that was repairing before them, as Silver Spoon smiled deeply and gave Diamond Tiara a big hug, which she happily returned. Then she waved over Lickety Split and said, "Lickety, this is Silver Spoon. She's been my best friend since forever."

Lickety smiled and held out his hoof to Silver, "Nice to meet ya, Silver! How about later you and DT come over to my parents' ice cream parlor later for milkshakes?"

Silver couldn't help but blush, as she bashfully responded, "I- Uh... I think I'd like that very much."

Smiling to see her two friends hitting it off, Diamond Tiara then turned around to Twinken, and said, "Twinken, I owe you the biggest thanks of all. If you hadn't stepped in, said what you said, I don't think I'd have ever stood up to my mother. Now, I feel like a whole new pony, a pony I'm proud to be!"

"And that's all you gotta be, Diamond Tiara," Twinken replied with a smile. "Because... i kinda realized something after all this."

Everypony around him listened as Twinken said, "The Cutie-Mark Crusaders and I, we spend so much time looking for our cutie-marks together, and we're happy to work together and hang out together to discover our true talent. When we're together, we're stronger than we could ever be on our own, except I've realized that was the problem!"

"What're you talking about, Twinken?" asked Scootaloo.

"We've spent so much time together trying to find our cutie-marks that we forgot something very important," Twinken explained, "that cutie-marks come to each and every one of us when we find the inner strength to shine, but only when we figure out what it is that makes us special, as individuals! That's why we kept failing, because we've been trying to get our cutie-marks together rather than each of us figuring out what it is about our selves that truly makes us shine.

"It's not a bad thing to wanna achieve something together, but there are some things you have to figure out on your own. That doesn't mean you shouldn't offer help and encouragement to those you care about, though. Look at Diamond Tiara! Until today, she didn't know how to become the pony she wanted to be, because she didn't know how and nopony gave her the push in the right direction that she needed. But now she has, and I am very happy for her, and so proud of us all for the way we helped her."

Everypony was about to cheer in response to Twinken's words when... he was suddenly engulfed in a flash of silvery light! Everypony held up their hooves to cover their eyes while Twinken gasped, feeling a pleasant warmth spread through his body, before it seemed to concentrate towards his backside, and then it was over. The light quickly dimmed out and everypony looked on and then gasped!

"What? What's everypony looking at?" asked a bewildered Twinken.

Diamond Tiara smiled and said, "Well Twinken, it seems your flank is no longer blank!"

Twinken felt his heart skip as he slowly looked to his flank and was shocked! There, upon his flank...!

"I... I got my cutie-mark!" Twinken whispered, seeing it but not entirely believing it... when he was suddenly glomped in a big group hug by his fellow Crusaders!

"Way to go, Twink!" "You did it!" "Congratulations!" "Ah'm so proud o' you!" "You've leveled up!"

Twinken finally snapped out of his stupor and laughed happily as he hugged his friends back when Lickety Split called out, "C'mon, everypony! Celebratory ice cream cones at my parents' ice cream parlor!"

Everypony cheered and followed him there.

Word apparently got out, as after the Crusaders arrived at the ice cream parlor, Midnight, Twilight, Spike, and Faerie Tail arrived, happily hugging and congratulating Twinken.

"We're all soooo happy for you!" Faerie Tail couldn't help but shed a joyful tear.

"Congratulations, Twinken," Twilight agreed, "and I hope the rest of you Crusaders keep working at getting your cutie-marks too!"

"We will!!" the Crusaders all replied excitably.

Midnight smiled as he ruffled his little brother's mane, making him chuckle and protest when he felt Midnight hug him to his chest before he whispered into Twinken's ear, "Dad would be proud."

Twinken was stunned for a moment, because it was so rare for Midnight to talk about their father.

"Alright ,everypony! Let's make this moment last forever!" Spike called out, holding a camera, "C'mon, Twinken, you gotta get up and show off your new cutie-mark! Okay, okay, big smiles, everypony and...!"

*SNAP/FWOOSH*

In Canterlot, Celestia was in the throne room, talking with Sombra and Luna... when in flew the magical ashes of another one of Spike's magically delivered messages, which burst into its restored form in front of her.
"Oh, look! A message from Ponyville!"

She eagerly undid the seal as Sombra and Luna waited patiently, Luna asking, "What is it, Sister? Another friendship lesson learned?"

"Twilight making some kind of report?" Sombra guessed.

When Celestia unrolled the message, she paused in momentary surprise before smiling warmly.
"No. Just another young colt growing up."

She shared with her husband and sister the message, which was a photograph of their respective students, along with Faerie Tail, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders and many of their friends all having ice cream together. But it was Twinken in the middle that garnered their attention, as the three alicorns saw the colt had found his mark, smiling so big and proud and happy.

Author's Note

Twinken's Cutie-Mark commissioned by Hoodwink MCShelster!

317. The One Where Pinkie Knows - Part 1

"Five hundred and sixty-six...!" "Five hundred and sixty-seven..." "Five hundred and sixty-eight!"

Both party ponies stepped back and phew'd the sweat off their brows, before looking at each other and giggling at how messy they'd gotten themselves, when they noticed little Pound Cake riding on Gummi, and Pinkie beamed, "Look at it, everypony!"

They gazed up upon a stacked display of cupcakes that the party ponies had been hard at work in icing each and every single cupcake, their hard work glimmering in splendor as an angelic choir sounded in the background.
"I am so close to breaking my personal cupcake icing record!"

"My goodness!"

In walked Cup Cake, holding a letter and carrying Pumpkin Cake on her back, "I can't believe what I'm seeing here!"

"Yeah, it is a thing of beauty, Mrs. Cake," Cheese Sandwich responded while nuzzling up to his mare, Pinkie beaming up at him, "Oh, and thanks again for letting me work here. I gotta tell ya, I did not expect to see Auntie Spice running off to elope with Doughnut Joe."

"Uh- Oh, you're welcome, dear, but... could you and Pinkie watch the counter while I pop into the supply room?" asked Cup Cake, rolling her eyes in an amused way as she had not been talking about their mounting stack of cupcakes.
"We've just received a very special order, and the ingredients need to be perfect."

"Okie-dokie-lokie!" Pinkie replied with a happy salute.

"Thank you!" Cup Cake suddenly zipped past the two of them so speedy-like that she sent them both for a whirl, causing them both to fall flat on their faces.

However, as they were getting up, Cheese looked to Pinkie and chuckled, "Uh, Pinks? Heh-heh, you gotta little something on your..."

"Oh, I know," Pinkie responded before she took the paper off and realized it was the letter Cup Cake had been holding earlier. Figuring it was the order she'd mentioned, Pinkie gave it a read to find out what exactly the order was about... and it was about, "A baby?!"

"Baby? You mean Pound Cake here?" Cheese picked up Pound Cake, who giggled and cooed at his Uncle Cheese-

"No, not that baby!" Pinkie was grinning ear to ear, her eyes wider than dinner plats and brighter than fireworks! "Shining Armor and Cadance are having a baby!!"

GASPing, Cheese Sandwich pulled Pinkie, Pound, and even Gummi into a big hug, cheering, "WAIT `TILL MIDNIGHT AND TWILIGHT FIND OUT!!!"

"Uh, dears?"

The party ponies paused and looked to see Cup Cake behind the counter, whispering, "It's a Top Secret surprise!"

She emphasized that statement by softly shhhhhhhhh'ing as she slowly stepped into the back, keeping her eyes on them, Pumpkin copying her mommy as they vanished through the doorway.

"A Top Secret surprise? Even better!" Cheese Sandwich liked the sound of that.

"But..." He looked to see Pinkie looking uncomfortable, "That means we have to keep the exciting news..."

She gulped before mushing her face between her hooves, "To ourselves!"

"Hopefully this doesn't go pear shaped," Cheese added in a teasing way. "I still remember the last time we had the secret to keep of Princess Celestia's birthday and you blew it faster then I've seen a miner blow up a rockface at a quarry."

Pinkie sighed in an overwhelmed way as her legs slid apart and she oozed down onto her belly.

Later, the two party ponies were on their way to the Castle of Friendship. Shortly after Pinkie's moment of deflation, they'd received a notice that the Council of Friendship was being called to convene. As they passed through Town Square, Pinkie Pie said, "Even though we technically didn't make a Pinkie Promise to Mrs. Cake, we can't tell Twilight, Midnight, or anypony the big news!"

"Huh, hyeah, that would make you a... dare I say it?" Cheese teased before dramatically whispering into her eyes, "...a spoiler!"

GASPING, Pinkie fretted, "I don't wanna be a spoiler!"

"Relax, Pinks, I'll make sure ya don't spoil anything," Cheese assured, "Come to think of it, have you ever... I dunno, wanted one of your own?"

"My own what, Cheesie?" Pinkie asked in a sweet innocent way.

"You know, to be a mother," Cheese clarified, "to have your own baby."

"What's all this about a baby?"

"EEK!"

Cheese Sandwich yelped and jumped into Pinkie's forelegs, panicking, "Wha- Who- Wha- Who said something about a baby?!"

"You did, Miss Pie, you and Cheese, just now!"

It was at this moment that Pinkie and Cheese realized they were talking to Rarity and Blueblood, the former asking, "What were the two of you talking about?"

Pinkie started getting shifty-eyed, until Cheese Sandwich hopped out of her hold and said, "What we should be talking about is over at the castle, so quit dilly-dallying!"

He trotted off, with Pinkie, Rarity and Blueblood sharing a confused look before they followed.

When they arrived in the throne room, Rarity and Blueblood took their thrones, taking notice of Pinkie's nervous look and Cheese wearing glasses while holding a novel, as though he were busy.

"Great! Everypony's here."

All eyes turned to Twilight, who levitated a scroll Spike held up for her as she said, "Now we don't have to wait any longer to tell you all the wonderful news! Somepony special is coming to visit Ponyville."

Pinkie and Cheese shared a relieved knowing nod and smile, while Twilight continued, "And we need your help to get everything ready."

Everypony chattered and murmured excitably before Midnight announced, "It's... Shining Armorand Cadance!"

Midnight gave a surprised look to Pinkie Pie, who simply smiled with hopeful excitement. Chalking it up to it just Pinkie being Pinkie, he said, "Yes, and they're coming tomorrow!"

Again, eyes turned to Pinkie, including Cheese, who raised his brow at her. This time, Twilight spoke, "Yes, on the-"

"Friendship Express rather than the Crystal Empire train so as not to cause too much of a scene when they skip town to come visit?"

"Yes..." Twilight confirmed, only for Pinkie to get up on the map table and into Twilight's face, her own expressing more hopeful excitement.

"Annnnnd...?"

"And that's it," Twilight responded, with a shrug of her hooves.

"Oh." Pinkie replied with evident disappointment.

"Uh..." Everypony looked to see Soarin, "How did you know all that?"

Giggling nervously, Pinkie tried, "Pinkie Sense?" before she backed up, her neck stretching before her head zipped back along with her body to retake her seat, while Cheese gave her another disproving rise of his brow.

Brushing it off, Rainbow spoke up to Twilight and Midnight, "So! You said you needed our help with something?"

"Follow us," Midnight requested, and he and Twilight led their friends through the castle hallways to one of the guestrooms.

Inside, they saw what was evidently designed to be a colt's room. There was a four-poster bed, a bookcase crammed with foal's books and hobbies, a train set on the round carpet in the middle of the floor, a toy chest, posters, and other things a colt would like. Midnight and Twilight led everyone in and they all took it in, Rainbow Dash complimenting, "Sweet Posters! Is that Smash Fortune?"

"It sure is, one of our favorite movies when we were colts," Midnight nodded with a smile. "That particular poster just happens to be one of the original copies printed back when the movie first came out."
"When Shining Armor said he wanted to come to the castle and visit," Twilight explained, "we started collecting things he liked as a colt for a surprise!"

"Surprise?!" Pinkie popped out of the toy chest, a toy helmet on her head, which raised some brows from Rainbow, Thunder, and Soarin, so Cheese interjected by throwing the chest lid closed on Pinkie. "HEY!"

"We've been so excited..." Twilight gave her husband a smile and he nodded.
"It's just been so hard to keep it to ourselves!" he agreed.

"We have no idea what that's like!" Cheese responded while leaning onto the toy chest, only to yelp as Pinkie Pie forced the lid open.
"NONE AT ALL!"

"Aww, lookit the cute little ant farm," Fluttershy gazed at the mentioned object on one of the furniture pieces .

"And check out all these old comic books!" Spike said excitably while lifting one of them up to read the title through the plastic bag it was in.

"Careful," Midnight cast a protective charm on the comics, "They're mint in bag."

And it turned out to have been excellent foresight as Spike took a deep breath to blow the dust off... only to realize he'd have scorched it accidentally with his firebreath. Quickly rubbing off the singed dust, he put it back and inched away.

Pinkie and Cheese looked into the toy chest and found a little pony stuffy dressed like a superhero, Cheese asking, "What's this?"

"This is Brutus Force," Twilight said with fond recollection in her voice, "Shining Armor used to carry him around like his baby!"

Pinkie nearly dropped the stuffy in response to the B word, nervously putting it back as she forced herself to laugh, "Yeah, ha-ha-ha, really cute!"

"Twilight, Midnight, I must say, this is quite a surprise you've made for Shining Armor," Blueblood complimented, "In fact, it reminds me of something my Aunt Celestia told me. No matter how old you get, never forget the foal inside who taught you the wonders of imagination."

"Oh, Blueblood," Rarity nuzzled up to him, which he warmly reciprocated, "That is very beautiful."

"I'm sure Shining Armor will love your surprise," Fluttershy smiled.
"Eeyup," Big Mac chimed in as he usually did.

"But there's a few more things I'd like to add before he gets here," Twilight brought up, "and we could really use a hoof collecting them."

"Whuddever ya need, sugarcubes, we'll help ya get," Applejack assured, and everypony added their own words of agreement and assurance.

"Thanks, everypony," Midnight said as he and Twilight shared a hug, "We're really looking forward to seeing the looks on their faces when they walk in and see everything."

"Totally understandable!" Rainbow Dash commented, "Watching someone else be surprised with something is almost better than being the one who's getting surprise!"

"But..." Pinkie whimpered anxiously, "What if the surprise is something so incredibly exciting that a pony can't keep it any longer and she has to tell theponywho'sstandingnexttoherwhatitisorshemightexplode?!"

"Ulp! I would say... no!" Cheese choked a bit as Pinkie had slunk over to hug him, seeking some comfort due to mounting pressure.

"The pony who ruins the surprise for somepony else has to live with that guilt...!" Rarity said ominously to Pinkie.
"FOREVER..." Blueblood added dramatically.

Giggling nervously, Pinkie quickly said, "Gotta bounce!"

Jumping up, she curled into a ball and everypony watched in awe as she bounced to and fro, dinging like a pinball machine until-

*CRASH*

Out the wall she went, Cheese going after her, as everypony looked on in wonder.

"Yeah... I know the bar is pretty high, but..." Thunderlane spoke up, "but does anypony else think Pinkie Pie was acting weird? Even for her?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac confirmed what everypony else was thinking.

*SLAM*

Pinkie panted with relief, Cheese offering her a cupcake to calm her nerves, but she kindly turned it down as she said, "That was close, too close! I almost spilled the beans...!"

"Yeah, and not the kind of beans you can easily clean up," Cheese said with an understanding nod.

"I just can't be around our friends right now, or anypony for that matter!" Pinkie said as she made for the stairs, "so... That's it! Until Cadance and Shining Armor show up tomorrow, I'll just lock myself in my room away from everypony, so I won't spoil the sur-"

"Oh, good! You're back."

Pinkie and Cheese both looked to see Carrot Cake ,looking relieved up to Pinkie on the stairs, "Mr.s Cake needs my help but these deliveries can't wait! I can't thank you enough for agreeing to be my backup delivery pony, Pinkie!"

"I did?"

"Yeah, Pinkie, don'cha remember?" Cheese said before going all dramatic, "Initiate super-wavy flashback effect!"

Yesterday, Carrot Cake had a wagonload of cakes and pastries to deliver, "Maybe I should hire somepony to be my backup delivery pony."

"I'll do it!"

He turned to see Pinkie Pie and Cheese taking turns mixing a bowl of brown batter for brownies.

"Really?" asked Carrot Cake, smiling in relief.

"Sure! There's no possible way I could ever have anything that might interfere with doing that task," Pinkie responded, when Cheese chimed in.

"You mean like a gigantic, emotionally-exhausting surprise that would make it super hard to be around other ponies?"

"Yeah! I mean, c'mon!" Pinkie shrugged, accidentally getting bits of brownie batter on Cheese's face, which he happily licked up, "What're the odds of that happening?"

"Great!" Carrot Cake then hesitated, "Uh, you're sure you won't change your mind?"

"No way," Pinkie vowed before making the mistake that would cause herself unspeakable stress the following day, "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"

"And scene..." Cheese concluded before looking to Pinkie who sulked.

"Oh yeah... I Pinkie-Promised I'd do it, and I never break a Pinkie-Promise. Never!"

"Welp, thanks again!" Carrot Cake exited into the back, saying, "You're a real cake saver!"

Pinkie groaned, slumping down the stairs like molasses, so Cheese Sandwich stepped over and helped her up before kindly saying, "Pinkie, if you really don't wanna go out, I can take care of those deliveries just gouda!"

"Nope! Like I said, I never break a Pinkie-Promise," Pinkie maintained before perking up, "And besides, maybe it'll be a quiet day, and I can just avoid everypony!"

"Well... okay," Cheese stepped out of Pinkie's way, "I guess I'll... just go see if I can lend a hoof to the Cakes with anything."

"I'll be okie-dokie-lokie, Cheesie," Pinkie gave him a tender smooch, "but you're sweet to worry."

"Seeya then, love you," Cheese waved after her as she bounced out the door.

"Love you back!" she responded before shutting it behind her.

Now that he was alone, Cheese took a deep breath. Pinkie was more wound up than he'd ever seen her, and it wasn't doing any good to his own nerves. Sighing, he made his way to the front door, and nearly ran smack into Midnight, who had just been about to enter!
"Whoa!/Sorry!"

"Whoo, sorry `bout that, Midnight," Cheese backed up, letting Midnight enter. "Wasn't expecting you to show up like this."

"No worries, uh..." Midnight looked out the door and seemed relieved to see Pinkie Pie walking off, taking the wagon of orders to deliver. "I... actually wanted to talk to you about Pinkie Pie. Any idea why she was acting strange at the castle?"

"I see nothing, I know nothing!" Cheese responded vehemently in a German accent while suddenly wearing a toothbrush mustache.

"Uh, okay!" Midnight held up his hooves in a 'whoa, calm down' sort of way, before asking, "Look, I understand if Pinkie has something going on right now, but I need to ask that you keep her out of the way. Just until Shining Armor and Cadance arrive."

"I can do that," Cheese shrugged.

Midnight lowered his voice, so as to not draw unwanted attention.

"If Cadence and Shining Armor tell me their secret or it somehow becomes known to the rest of our group, I want you to keep her at bay and if she says anything, deny all knowledge," Midnight instructed, "I don't want this leaked anywhere."

"You got it, Boss," Cheese saluted before he slunk out the door to follow after Pinkie.

Midnight sighed wearily while shaking his head. He hated being called "boss".

318. The One Where Pinkie Knows - Part 2

The preparations for Shining Armor and Cadance's arrival went smoothly, as everypony (sans the party ponies) followed Twilight's organizational skills and instructions on what to get and what to do. All the while, to Midnight's relief, Cheese Sandwich was keeping an eye on Pinkie Pie, who continued to carry out her deliveries with uncharacteristic focus and avoidance of social interaction.

A couple times, some of the others tried saying hello to Pinkie and/or Cheese, but both of them ignored their 'hello's and 'come hang out with us's.

At some point, Midnight managed to have a word with Cheese, "So how's it going?"

"Okay, but now Pinkie's gotta take care of some Pinkie Promises that she made yesterday, including the one where she promised Twilight she'd bring some cupcakes to the castle," Cheese reported before commenting, "Y'know, she's been getting liberal with those Pinkie Promises."

"Well, as long as she's kept busy and out of our manes," Midnight responded, "We all love Pinkie to pieces, but there are times we need to limit our doses of her."

Cheese Sandwich continued to watch over Pinkie, but making sure she didn't notice him, which was harder than one would expect. He barely avoided being inflated and twisted into a balloon sculpture, very nearly bumped into her at Town Hall, and dove under a crib on display at Wooden Legs' furniture store when Pinkie ran off screaming from yet another reminder of the secret she was dying to reveal.

And it seemed it wouldn't be far off, as the Council of Friendship were putting the finishing touches on preparing everything for their guests' arrival. Rarity and Blueblood set a lovely vase full of a glamorous bouquet of flowers at the center of the map, Applejack, Thunderlane, Big Mac, and Fluttershy were polishing or dusting, Rainbow Dash and Soarin were putting lavender bunches onto wall sconces, and Midnight and Twilight were going over the list, just to make sure they hadn't missed anything.

"...and the party ponies should be arriving with refre-" Twilight was saying when Midnight tapped her shoulder and pointed to the doorway, where they saw Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, carrying platters of veggies with ranch dip, cheese n' crackers, fruit cups, and the Sugarcube Corner's patented Cupcake Sampler Platter.

"Wow! All of that looks lip-smacking good, you guys!" Midnight complimented the party ponies as he took the platters in his telekinetic aura, "Lemme take those off your hooves, huh?"

"But we'd better cover them up so they don't spoil," Twilight suggested, setting some cloches over the platters after Midnight set them on the map table.

"Why would they get spoiled?" Pinkie asked, "We're all gonna eat them super-soon!"

"Oh, sugarcube, din't Cheese tell ya? Shinin' Armor n' Cadance are held up," Applejack informed Pinkie, not noticing the anxious stink eye she was giving Cheese, who gave a nervous and apologetic smile in return.
"They might not arrive `til Saturday."

"WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAT...?!??!!?!"

All eyes gazed up at Pinkie Pie as she hyperventilated in the chandelier above, looking increasingly distressed as she began gasping, "You mean" - GASP - "I have" - GASP - "to wait" - GASP - "another whole day?! Uhhh-I don't know if I can!!"

"Pinkie Pie, do you have something you need to say?" asked Twilight as she and everypony else looked up at Pinkie Pie in concern. "You seem like you've been keeping something in."

Pinkie hesitated and opened her mouth, only to gasp yet again as she shook her head. The desire to tell the good news warred with the Party Pony instinct against spoiling such an amazing surprise!

"We're here to listen," Fluttershy offered.

"NO!!!" Cheese Sandwich bounced his way up to Pinkie Pie, putting himself between her and their friends, "This is NOT for her to say!"

"But Cheese, lookit her!" Spike pointed out, "Whatever it is, she'll feel a lot better once she gets it off her chest!"

"Pinkie, I don't know what's going on with you, but-" Midnight tried to say.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!" Pinkie finally screamed before she took a deep breath and... "SHINING ARMOR AND CADANCE ARE GONNA HAVE-"

"An awesome weekend with the best little sister and brother-in-law in all of Equestria!"

All eyes turned back to the doorway and there stood Shining Armor and Cadance, their bags on the floor at their sides, as Cadance laughed, sharing a smile with her husband as she said, "Hi, everypony!"

The sight of them caused Pinkie to collapse in utter relief while Twilight cheered, "Shining Armor, Cadance! You're early!"

"I thought something came up," Midnight added, "Weren't you supposed to arrive tomorrow?"

"That's what we thought," Cadance answered, "Turned out we weren't needed in Maretonia until next week, and the summit we were supposed to attend today had to be rescheduled, so... we got here sooner than we planned."

"Surprise!" Shining Armor pulled Twilight and Midnight into a big hug, which they happily returned, nopony except Cheese noticing Pinkie biting her hoof with anxiety.

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Cady!" Blueblood welcomed his adoptive sister, as everypony crowded their guests, offering their welcomes, good-to-see-yous, but as the excited ponies talked...

*Sniff...! Sniff-sniff-sniff-sniiiiffff/"Hmmm..."*

Midnight smiled knowingly while Twilight said, "I'm so glad you're here, because Midnight and I have a big surprise for you!

"Oh yeah?" Shining Armor raised his brow with a smirk before throwing that look towards Pinkie, who got shifty-eyed, and they all followed Twilight down the hall.

Shining Armor paused to walk beside Pinkie and Cheese, whispering to them, "Lucky we came when we did, huh? I'm guessing you saw the message we sent Mr. & Mrs. Cake?"

"So that's how she found out! I'm surprised she's still keeping her nosy pie hole shut."

They looked to Midnight who was giving Shining Armor a knowing smirk, "So, when is Cadance due?"

"Uh- How did you...?!" Shining Armor gawked at Midnight.

"Have you not seen the way she's glowing?" Midnight responded cheekily, before confessing, "That... and she gives off a distinct scent this lunar pony nose of mine can detect quite easily."

Then Pinkie got up in Shining Armor's face, "So now that Midnight's figured it out, are you gonna tell Twilight now-"

Midnight and Cheese both quickly covered Pinkie's mouth while Shining Armor flinched and looked to see whether Twilight had heard. He sighed in relief as the others kept going down the hall, chattering excitedly.

"You're gonna have to wait just a little bit longer. We have something special planned," Shining Armor answered before assuring, "It'll be worth it. I promise! Midnight?"

"Right behind ya, bro," Midnight walked alongside Shining Armor, leaving a disappointed Pinkie to sulk.

"It had better be..." Pinkie muttered in a pouty way, Cheese chuckling in understanding as he put his hoof on her shoulder.

As they walked down the hall after the others, Midnight asked, "Since you're not coming right out to tell Twilight the big news... you wouldn't happen to be planning a little scavenger hunt like we used to do back when we were all foals!"

"You know me too well, Blaze," Shining Armor gave Midnight an eager smirk, "Cadance and I already have it all planned out and set up. That's actually what we were doing just before we arrived at the castle!"

"Well, I hope Pinkie enjoys squirming," Midnight chuckled shamelessly as he lit up his horn to cast a spell. Once that was done, he said, "C'mon, let's catch up with them. Twilight and I are really excited to show this to you!"

The decorations were coming along nicely, and Cadance checked off the streamers from her list, saying, "Thank you very much for your help in setting up this party, Midnight. But won't Twilight and the others be wondering why you didn't join them for the scavenger hunt?"

"No worries, Cade!" Midnight waved off Cadance's concerns, "As far as they know, I just got notice for some important business that couldn't wait, but that I'll be back before the day is over! And I wasn't technically lying, so AJ didn't call me out on it."

"I am still geeking out about that room you made for me in your castle!" chuckled Shining Armor as he brought out the punch bowl for the party's spread, "Where did you and Twily even get all that stuff?! Mint-condition comics, one of the original posters for Smash Fortune, and even my old Brutus Force plush?!"

"Let's just say, Twi and I have our ways," Midnight gave him a smarmy look before looking curious, "So just out of curiosity, where's this scavenger hunt taking Twilight?"

"We told Twilight to meet us in Town Square, where the big fountain is," Cadance started, "where the first clue is in the fountain statue."
"Then, it leads to the next clue at the Ponyville Schoolhouse where she'll find said clue in the Foal Free Press," Shining Armor added.
"After that, they'll go to Town Hall to look for the next clue behind Applejack's birth certificate," Cadance went on.
"And finally, the last clue is on a baby crib at the furniture store," Shining Armor wrapped it up, "which will lead them here to Sugarcube Corner."

"Ah...!" Midnight connected the dots, "And each clue leads Twilight to something relating to foals! Genius, as always, Shining Armor."

"Thank you!" Shining Armor nodded in satisfaction.

"Uh, Shining Armor?"

They all looked to see Carrot Cake, poking his head out through the doorway from the kitchen, "We have the cake ready, just as you and Cadance asked, down to the last detail!"

"Great! Thanks a lot, Mr. Cake," Shining Armor followed Carrot Cake into the kitchen... and levitated the cake out, a triple stack cake with pastel yellow, blue, and pink icing, decorated with candy pieces shaped like a baby bottle, rattles, bows, and a topper piece shaped like a baby carriage. The Cakes, with the twins on their backs, followed Shining Armor out of the kitchen as everypony marveled up at the cake.

"It's perfect, Mr. & Mrs. Cake!" Cadance gushed warmly, "Thank you both so very much for helping us set all this up!"

"Oh, it's our pleasure, dearie!" Cup Cake replied warmly, "It's always cause for celebration when you're expecting your very first foal!"

"Twilight is gonna be sooo surprised!" Midnight smiled so happily, before smirking, "And I bet Pinkie will be so relieved when Twilight finally hears the good news."

"I just hope she manages to keep it to herself," Cadance commented with concern, "From what you both said, it sounds like she's becoming really anxious for Twilight to find out."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Midnight waved it off, "she won't spoil the surprise. I am absolutely certain of it."

"Well, if you have faith in her ability to keep it on the down low, Midnight, then I guess there's nothing to worry about," Shining Armor said as he gave Cadance a hug with his wing.

"Something like that..." Midnight said quietly with a guilty smirk, before asking, "So, I didn't hear before, but when are you due? How far along are you?"

"Almost an entire month, so there's still ten more months to go," Cadance answered, "I have to admit though, this wasn't exactly planned."

"No plans ever survive contact with fate," Mrs. Cake said as she cleaned a nearby table. "Take it from someone who's seen it happen to friends of the family."

Cadence nodded. Mrs. Cake seemed to be wise beyond her years. In truth, Mrs. Cake was more of a real world practical thinker, using what she's seen before to help with situations in the present. Midnight's bewilderment was saved by Mr. Cake bringing them some pastries to nibble on while he waited to present the cake. Seeing the subtle look of awe on the sapphire blue alicorn's face, Carrot whispered to him, "Y'know, sometimes the missus seems to have more advice in her than the princesses do."

"I'll take your word for it," Midnight whispered back when they heard a 'Uh-oh!'

They looked towards Shining Armor who was peering out the window, "They're almost here! Places everyone!"

Shining Armor and Cadance stood in front of the cake, the Cakes stood to one side of the room, Midnight the other. They waited eagerly before the door opened, ringing the bell as the rest of the Harmonic Twelve entered, and Shining Armor welcomed them with a "Surprise!"

He and Cadance shared a smile before he stepped forward to ruffle his sister's mane, "Twily! Did you like the scavenger hunt?"

"It was perfect! Just like old times," Twilight nodded happily before adding, "Except even better because this time I got to share it with my friends!"

Everypony smiled, even when Pinkie forced her way through with a hopeful look on her face. Then Twilight noticed, "Midnight? Already done with that important business?"

"This was the important business," Midnight replied with a chuckle, "I volunteered to help set up this party for after the scavenger hunt."

"Speaking of..." Twilight looked Shining Armor over, "There's seems to be missing something."

"What's that?" asked Shining.

"The book prize at the end!" Twilight replied with a remind-y tone and smile.

"Heh-heh, there is a prize," Shining Armor assured as he backed up to stand next to Cadance, "but it's a little different this time."

"Oh... I don't understand," Twilight looked confused-

"Hee-hee-hee!!"/"AHEM," Cheese cleared his throat to cover up Pinkie's laughter.

"All the places we sent you today had something in common," Cadance hinted as she, Shining Armor, and Midnight all shared a knowing smile.

"First we went to the schoolhouse..." Pinkie began shaking with increasing anticipation, "and then we read the Foal Free Press." Pinkie opened her mouth, only for Cheese to whip his tail into it, "After that, we found Applejack's birth certificate..." Pinkie spat Cheese's tail out and growled in annoyance, "and then the last clue was under a crib." Pinkie held up the Cake Twins, trying to get Twilight's attention, only for Cheese to bar her way, the twins giggling while Twilight hmmm'd, "School, foal, birth certificate, and crib..."

Everypony (except Twilight) grimaced at the look on Pinkie's face, the poor party pony looking to be on the verge of eruption-

*GASP!!!!*/"Can it be?! Are you two...?!"

Shining Armor and Cadance both smiled so big as they showed off the cake and proudly announced, "We're having a baby!!!"

Pinkie grimaced and twitched and winked until finally she exploded with glee, "A BABY, TWILIGHT! It's a baby!! WOO-HOO!!!"

Pinkie pinball'd around the room in exhilaration as Twilight stood there, stupefied, before Midnight walked over to her, giving her a big smooch and hug, "We're gonna be an aunt and uncle, Twily!"

"Me? An aunt?" Twilight said in soft excitement, her eyes drifting to the cake in all its baby-themed glory, "This... is the best prize EVER!!!"

Midnight, Shining Armor, and Cadance all laughed at their Twilight's happiness as she pulled the four of them into a big hug, "Oh I love you all!"

"And we can't wait to meet your little foal," Midnight added.

"Neither can we," Shining Armor agreed, and everypony began to chatter, offering their congratulations to the expecting parents.

Blueblood was just as happy and excited as Twilight was, Rarity offered to make baby clothes for the foal when it came, Applejack and Big Mac promised to make their family recipe of apple sauce for the baby, Fluttershy offered to knit a baby blanket for them, and of course Cheese offered his and Pinkie's service in throwing a proper baby shower for Shining Armor and Cadance in the future.

As everyone was preoccupied with all the excitement and merriment, Pinkie cheered, "I did it, I did it, I DID IT!!"

Then, in mid-hop, she collapsed into pieces, sighing, "Go Pinkie..." and then pulled herself back together, with the help of Cheese when Cadance came over with a piece of cake.

"You did it, Pinkie Pie! You kept it a surprise. Thank you," Cadance gave Pinkie a hug before offering her the cake, "Was it much trouble?"

"Piece of cake," Pinkie responded before she mouthed 'no' to Cheese while shaking her head, causing him to laugh.

"Well, I hope it will be a piece of cake the next time you have to keep a surprise that's not yours to divulge, Pinkamena Diane Pie."

Pinkie and Cheese looked to see Midnight leaning against the counter while giving the former a smarmy look.

"Uh... hopefully there won't be a next time, Midnight," Pinkie Pie responded before taking a bite of her cake, "Today has been exhausting...! I can't tell you how many times I just wanted to scream out the surprise!"

"Eh, you couldn't have blabbed the surprise no matter how much you'd have wanted to," Midnight shrugged, "My spell would have made sure of that."

"Wha- Spell?!" Pinkie zipped up, pressing her snoot to Midnight's as she gave him an incredulous look, "You cast a spell on me to make sure I wouldn't have spoiled the surprise?!"

"The zip-it spell to be precise," Midnight nodded while gently pushing Pinkie out of his personal space. "If you'd deliberately tried to spoil the surprise, the spell would've gone into effect and your mouth would have been zipped shut."

"Why didn't you TELL ME?!" Pinkie whined.

"One, because it was funny," Midnight said while holding up one of his primary feathers.

"True," Cheese agreed before Midnight held up a second primary feather.

"Two, to teach you a lesson about reading mail that wasn't yours to read," Midnight added with a raise of his brow, "Even if you hadn't done it on purpose, I say it served you right to have had to endure this whole day the way you did."

Sighing, Pinkie dropped her face onto the table, muttering, "You're right... If I hadn't read Shining Armor's message to the Cakes, I could have avoided all of this!"

"Well, you didn't spoil the surprise and you learned your lesson, so... no harm, no foul," Midnight shrugged before apologizing, "I'm sorry if I added to your stress, Pinkie."

"It's okay, Midnight," Pinkie gave him a hug, which he kindly returned, "No hard feelings."

"Same here," Cheese held up his hoof to Midnight and he happily bro-hoof'd him as Cheese said, "Now c'mon, this is a party ain't it?!"

Cheese bounced off to go entertain the Cake Twins, Pinkie went to go talk to Twilight, and Midnight decided to take a break and sit down next to Fluttershy and Big Mac, who'd done the same thing.

He looked on, seeing his Twily happy, his brother and sister in law even happier, and their friends all so happy and excited.

And to think I only caught on because I took a sniff around Cadance. Sounds a tad dirty when I think about it, Midnight thought with a light chuckle as he took a sniff. Wait... Is that..!

Midnight's eyes lingered towards Fluttershy and Big Mac. He sniffed again to be sure before smiling as he stood up and said, "Congrats and best of luck, Mac n' Shy!"

"Huh?" Big Mac uttered in confusion while Fluttershy blinked, not understanding Midnight's words as he went over to go talk with Shining Armor.

"Don't ask," Shining said to Big Mac. "Leave him to his own devices."

"Ah'll....do that," Big Mac said.

Cadence gave Midnight a scolding look.

"Don't go scaring your friends," she scolded. "It's not becoming of a prince."

Midnight shrugged, as he thought, Things are certainly gonna get more busy around here!

Author's Note

Hint-hint

Oh, and for those who didn't really notice at the beginning, Doughnut Joe and Chili Spice of the Pepper Pony's Pizza Parlor have eloped. They'll be back soon

319. The Hoofields & McColts - Part 1

The Pepper Pony's pizza parlor was closed until further notice, due to the surprising development that its owner, Chili Spice, popularly known to her customers as Auntie Spice, had gone and eloped with Doughnut Joe. She'd left a note for her employee, Cheese Sandwich, that he was welcome to keep living in the room he was renting but that the restaurant would have to be closed until she came back.

This had left Cheese a little worried for a short bit until Pinkie had spoken with the Cakes on his behalf and they agreed to hire him part-time until Pepper Pony's was open again. Even so, Cheese rather missed working at the pizza parlor, and while he was happy that Auntie Spice had found her special somepony he hoped they would come back soon.

It'd been two weeks already since they'd run off, and Cheese was becoming bored. Sure, he loved working with Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner, looking after the Cake Twins, and helping Pinkie plan parties, but he hoped something would happen soon to relieve his boredom. It'd been a while since his Cheesy Sense had alerted him to a party in the works, and as he was sitting on a bench in the middle of town square, he groaned, "I am soooooo booooorrrred..."

It was a nice day and yet Cheese just wasn't feeling it! He didn't wanna play his accordion, he didn't wanna crack jokes or make treats, he didn't wanna dance or fool around- He just felt like he was in such a rut!

"Uhhhh, something awesome and exciting had better happen in the next five seconds otherwise I won't be held responsible for my-!!!" Cheese had been winding himself up (literally) when he felt a tingly feeling on his flanks, which just happened to be giving off a glow! He then saw a holographic image of his cutie-mark float off his flank and then zoom away.

"GASP! The map!" Cheese exclaimed, his body spinning in rapid un-twirling, the velocity of which he used to get going towards the castle!

As he approached, he saw Fluttershy flying in, following her own cutie-mark, as both hers and his vanished through the doors.
"Heya Fluttershy!"

"Oh, hello, Cheese Sandwich," Fluttershy said as she landed on the path beside him, "You got called by the map, too?"

"Uh-huh! And thank goodness! Eee-hee-hee!!" Cheese squealed like an excited colt, dancing on happy hooves, "I've been hoping something awesome would happen lately-"

The doors to the castle flew open, revealing an excited Twilight as she grabbed her two friends, "You're both here!" and Flashed into the hallway, where she held up her glowing flank for them to see, "Isn't this exciting?!"

"Oh, you were called too," Fluttershy noted.
"The more the merrier!" Cheese cheered as he hugged his two friends close, "Whatever this friendship problem is, it's practically solved with us on the case!"

Flashing out of Cheese's grasp, Twilight said, "I was about to come get you two, but then I got distracted."

She led them to the map room, opening the doors to reveal multiple stacks of books and paper, charts, scrolls, and writing utensils nearly filling the room!

"Oh..." Fluttershy and Cheese both uttered.

"Ever since the map called us," Twilight explained as she led them in, "I've been doing a ton of research."

She Flashed over to a chalkboard with multiple formulas and diagrams written on it, "Testing out potential friendship problems," she Flashed to their side to levitate a book, "diversifying my solution portfolio..."

"Ever since the map called us?" Fluttershy echoed as she shared a confused look with Cheese.
"Twilight that was barely, what? five minutes ago?" Cheese agreed.

"I know! But I want to be one hundred percent prepared," Twilight replied, "I mean, I'm the Princess of Friendship! How would it look if I couldn't solve a friendship problem?"

Cheese shrugged while Fluttershy kindly said, "Well, I feel so lucky I'm going to help a friendship problem with you both!"

"Speaking of which, where is the friendship problem?" Cheese brought up.

"The Smokey Mountains!" Twilight pointed the location out on the map as their three cutie-marks rotated above it.

"Oh, I've never been there before," Fluttershy commented.

"Me neither, and I've been to a lot of places all over Equestria," Cheese remarked.

"Well, there isn't a lot of information on them," Twilight explained, levitating a stack of books out of the way (revealing Spike who was enjoying a comic book) to pull out a book from underneath (and letting the stack collapse upon the poor dragon).
"All I could find was this!"

She levitated the book to Fluttershy and Cheese, opening it to a certain page, "'The Smokey Mountains harbor the most beautiful valley in all of Equestria between its two majestic mountain peaks'."

"Sounds like a really gouda place to visit," Cheese commented with an interested smile.
"And where there's nature, there's a ton of animal friends," Fluttershy added with an excited twinkle in her eyes as she clapped her hooves together!

"I can't wait to get started! I'm a little nervous since that's all I could find," Twilight said with a wary smile, "I usually like to be a bit more prepared."

Fluttershy and Cheese looked at all the research material and agreed as Fluttershy responded, "You seem pretty prepared to me."

Then Cheese noticed three pairs of saddlebags, each baring their cutie-marks, and he said, "I take it these are for us?"

"Yup! I've prepared our things," Twilight noted, "Snacks, books, blankets, books-"

"You said books twice," Fluttershy pointed out, Cheese nodding.

"There are a lotta books," Twilight replied as she levitated the saddlebags on their backs, (poor Fluttershy heaving at how heavy hers were) as she led them out of the castle with an eager trot, "What do you think our friendship problem's gonna be?"

"I don't know...! Ugh!" Fluttershy struggled with her bags, so Cheese dug into them and threw out some of the books Twilight had packed into them, lightening Fluttershy's load, to her silent gratitude, "But I'm sure we'll figure it out."

They followed Twilight to Blueblood's warehouse where the Slipstream was already prepped and waiting. Boarding, Twilight began to set the instruments as she asked, "Do you think it'll be a problem about lying?"

"If it were, I think Applejack would be going too," Cheese pointed out as he and Fluttershy boarded.

"Good point," Twilight said before she asked, "Undo the mooring line?"

"On it!" Cheese saluted before seeing to the task.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure we'll find out when we get there," Fluttershy said as she made herself comfortable.

"You're right," Twilight agreed.

But not long after they disembarked, Twilight continued to wonder aloud over what their friendship problem was gonna be about.
"Ooh! Could it be about when two friends just randomly decide to do something together but they forget to invite their third friend and the third friend feels left out?"

After a few hours of air-sailing, they landed not far from their destination, Cheese making sure the mooring line was secure while Twilight continued to ramble, "Or when one friend tells another friend's secret after they ask them not to?"

"Well, we're almost there," Cheese pointed to the Smokey Mountains in the distance, "Let's go check it out."

Twilight and Fluttershy took flight while Cheese pulled out a balloon pump from his mane, stuck the hose into his tail, and blew it up, causing it to carry him upwards, with Fluttershy helping him along. When the three of them were directly overhead the Smokey Mountains, Cheese commented, "I'm starting to wonder, who is it we've been sent to help? I haven't seen coat nor mane of any-"

*WHOOSH*

"WHOA!!!" Cheese yelped while Fluttershy squealed and Twilight barely glimpsed what nearly hit them... and quickly moved her friends out of the way as more shot in their direction.

"What in Equestria is happening?!" Twilight worried.

"Were those... pumpkins?!" Cheese added in confusion.

"Look down there, on the mountaintops," Fluttershy pointed out.

One mountain top had a ramshackle of a barn on it, and the other had a wooden fortress, Fluttershy saying, "It's nothing like you book said it would be!"

"Twi, just how old was that book on the Smokey Mountains?" Cheese asked.

"Uh, I'm starting to feel very unprepared," Twilight fretted, "Where do we even start?"

They dodged another pumpkin, and Fluttershy suggested, "Maybe by figuring out where the flying pumpkins are coming from?"

"Gouda suggestion, Flutters!" Cheese agreed and the three of them descended towards the mountaintop with the barn and flying pumpkins.

As they got closer, they heard somepony yell, "Ready?!" and there were dozens of earth ponies, with coats and manes colored in a varying shades of auburn, cream, and reddish-brown as two stallions stuffed a pumpkin into a homemade cannon, an old mare yelling, "AIM..." one of the stallions angled the cannon just so, and the mare yelled, "FIRE!!!"

The stallion behind the cannon yanked on a cord, and they watched as the pumpkin launched and arched clear across the valley, landing near the fortress on the other mountaintop.

Landing not far behind these ponies, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Cheese shared a wary look before Cheese stepped forward, "Excuse me?"

The ponies ignored him and continued their barrage.

"EXCUSE ME!" Cheese barked, finally getting the ponies' attention, particularly the old mare who seemed to be in charge.

She was old, though not quite the same age as Granny Smith, with a rusty brown coat, poofy old graying blonde mane, she wore a light blue shirt with a dark blue vest, an orange ascot, she had thick eyebrows, buck teeth, and her cutie-mark was a pumpkin.

"Uh- Sorry to interrupt, but what're you doing?" Cheese asked politely.

"Wer' pumpkin'in our neighbors!" the mare said with a snatchy tone while gesturing to the wooden fortress on the other mountaintop.

"Yes, but um, why are you... pumpkin'ing your neighbors?" asked Fluttershy.

"Welp, b'cuz th' McColts are jus' plain ROTTEN!" the old mare seethed while glaring across the valley. "Hey, wait a tic!"

She suddenly glared at the three of them, "Who're y'all, anyways?! Spies fer th' McColts maybe?!"

"I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship," Twilight announced to the old mare and her family. "And I am here to solve your friendship problem."

"WE are here to solve their friendship problem," Cheese corrected her before clearing his throat, "I'm Cheese Sandwich, certified Party Pony, Guardian of Harmony, and the Element of Music!"

"I'm Fluttershy," Fluttershy said in her typical shy demeanor, "and um, I'm here to help, too."

"Ma Hoofield, pleased t' meet'cha," Ma Hoofield welcomed before reverting to her sour disposition, "but yer wastin' yer time. We don' hav'a friendship problem; we gotta McColt problem..."

"An' thar's absolutely no friendship thar," added one of Ma Hoofield's family members, Ma Hoofield nodding.

Twilight levitated her portfolio, "Well, there could be if we figure out what the McColts did to make you so mad."

"Oh well, they've done so many things!" Ma Hoofield bellyached, "Why, jus' t'day, they shot pebbles at our farmhouse an' wrecked it!"

She pointed out the damage, a big heapin' pile of wood and debris, some of the younger Hoofields looking at it, upset.

"See, wer' not very good at buildin' so a pebble was all it took," Ma Hoofield explained before snapping, "But still!!"

"Hmm," Twilight looked into her portfolio, trying to find the right solution for the apparent problem.

"Well, is there a reason why the McColts shot pebbles at your farmhouse?" Cheese Sandwich asked, "Like... did any of you do something to offend them?"

"Wha're you sayin'...?" Ma Hoofield responded with an accusatory tone and stinkeye, making Cheese sweat a little.

"Oh no!"

Cheese looked to see Fluttershy pull a pumpkin that had just been loaded out of the cannon and saw her set it gently down, realizing because it was the home of a family of field mice.

"I know what to do," Twilight declared, "We're going to talk to the McColts and hear their side of the story. Once we have all the facts, we can put an end to this, using reason and rationale."

"Good plan," Fluttershy agreed, and Cheese Sandwich had to admit it was a sensible one.

"So, until then, would you mind holding off on the pumpkin'ing?" Cheese asked, his coltish face helping to sell his puppy-dog pout, "Pretty please with shredded cheese?"

"Oh, all right!" Ma Hoofield griped.

"Great! Let's go, girls!" Cheese took his balloon-inflater and swelled up his tail again, causing him to float, with Twilight and Fluttershy moving him along as they took flight.

*Knock-knock*

"State yer business!"

The three friends gazed up at the wooden fortress and saw an earth pony stallion with a soft purple-blue coat and messy cotton candy blue mane gaze down at them from over the top of the wall with a surly expression. Then a mare with similar coat and mane colors, aside from a pink bandana typing her mane up, popped up beside him, snapping, "Don' even bother! They're prob'ly spies fer th' Hoofields!"

"Hey, wait!" the stallion was surprised as he looked directly at Twilight, "Yor an alicorn! Ah thawt jus' th' three princesses were alicorns."

"There are actually seven alicorn princesses and princes in Equestria now," Twilight explained, "I am Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship."

"I'm Cheese Sandwich, and I'm a Party Pony," Cheese Sandwich added.

"And... I'm Fluttershy," Fluttershy added meekly.

"There're seven alicorns now? When did tha' happen?" the stallion wondered aloud, "An' how did th' Hoofields come by a princess spy?"

"We are not spies!" Twilight insisted before saying to her friends, "Why does everypony assume we are spies?"

A loud rattling alerted them to the doors in front of them and they gulped as the doors slowly opened - "B'cuz we don' get a lotta visitors!" - and revealed a surprisingly small earth pony stallion (not much bigger than the colts that went to Cheerilee's school), with a pale greenish-turqouise coat, dark blue beard, green eyes, raggy overalls, and a tall cowboy hat on his head.
"Ah'm Big Daddy McColt. Y'all caught us adda weird time. Wer' in th' middle of a giant feud with our..."

He zipped over to the edge of the mountaintop, shouting, "TERRIBLE NEIGHBORS!!!"

*NEIGHBORS-NEIGHBORS/Collapsh*

He smirked in satisfaction at the sight of the Hoofields' attempt to rebuild their farmhouse collapsing from the sheer echo of his shout.

"Well, actually that's why we're here," Twilight noted, "To solve your problem with the Hoofields."

"So yer here t' help us get rid of `em?!" Big Daddy McColt assumed with an excited look, his family cheering behind him, shouting whoops and laughs.

"Whoa-whoa! Hold your horses," Cheese Sandwich tried to back things up, "That's not what we mean."

"Well, if you ain't for us, yer against us..." Big Daddy said in a low threatening tone, to the three visitors' mutual discomfort.

"Big Daddy McColt, please! All of you!" Twilight beseeched as the rest of the McColts walked up behind their patriarch while giving the three visitors a collective look of animosity. "We are not on anypony's side, we're only here to help you all be friends again!"

"Well, tha's gon' be hard," Big Daddy harrumphed, "Ah don' believe we've ever been friends with the Hoofields!"

"But you could be! They're just really upset that you ruined their farmhouse-" Twilight tried to explain, only for Big Daddy to get up in her face.

"Wait a hog-wogglin' minute! We only did that b'cuz th' Hoofields pulled th' pin outta our wagon wheel!" Big Daddy pointed to said wagon, which was missing a wheel, and the stick that was propping it up chose that particular moment to snap, causing the produce it carried to spill out.

"Huh, kinda funny Ma Hoofield didn't see fit to mention that particular fact to us, isn't it, Twi...?" Cheese said with a raised brow, Twilight gently telling him to shush.

"A whole week's worth o' food rollin' down th' mountain! Us McColts are mighty fine builders, but we don' know th' first thing about farmin'," Big Daddy lamented, his family nodding in agreement, "we hav' t' travel a ways away t' buy our food..."

He then stepped over to the mushy remains of the pumpkins from earlier, bellyaching, "An' now, we'll be stuck eatin' th' pumpkins th' Hoofields launched at us! Pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, pumpkin kessadillas, pumpkin paella, pumpkin ch-"

"We get it, you have a lot of different pumpkin recipes!" Cheese interrupted, "But at least it's still a bit of variety!"

"But it'll get old!" Big Daddy snapped.

As her friends were talking to Big Daddy, Fluttershy took notice of the messy remains of the pumpkins the Hoofields had launched earlier that the McColts were now cleaning up and gathering. One of the McColt stallions took a bag of pumpkin and set it on a table, a piece of pumpkin falling just out of reach of a hungry squirrel. Before the little critter could help itself another McColt cleaned up the pumpkin piece, to the squirrel's dismay... only for Fluttershy to kindly offer it another piece, for which it gave her a grateful smile.

"Have you tried meeting at a neutral location, talking about your problems, and really listening to each other?" asked Twilight while giving her portfolio a look.

"WHAT?! No! They'd sooner launch their dinners at us than listen t' us!" Big Daddy McColt harrumphed.

"Well, they'll listen to me," Twilight proposed, while Cheese gave her a flat look, as did the rest of the McColts, "I'm an impartial third party."

They all watched Twilight take flight and fly up towards the airspace above the valley while Cheese deadpanned to Fluttershy, "How much you wanna bet whatever she's about to do won't work?"

"Well, making peace between the Hoofields and the McColts has to start somewhere, Cheese Sandwich," Fluttershy responded diplomatically.

"Attention, Hoofields and McColts! I'm not on anypony's side, but I can see you're both wasting time and resources on being mean to each other. Ponies are supposed to help each other and be kind. So let's stop this senseless fighting."

A couple of moments later, Twilight landed back on the McColts' homestead, looking absolutely confident as she said, "There, that should do it. Cheese, Fluttershy, are you ready to go home?"

"Really? You suggest everypony just stop fighting and assume it's all better?" Cheese responded dryly.

"I'm not sure I like your tone, Cheese Sandwich..." Twilight retorted with a rise of her brow.

"Well, what Cheese Sandwich means, Twilight," Fluttershy spoke up, "if we solved the problem, wouldn't our cutie-marks be glowing again?"

"Hmmm?" Cheese nodded while pointing at their un-glowing flanks.

"Oh yeah, they'll be glowing any minute now," Twilight maintained, sounding rather like a high horse as she looked at her cutie-mark-

*Splat*

-suddenly obscured by the mushy remains of a tomato.

Having a bad feeling, Twilight hesitantly looked towards the Hoofields and saw a volley of produce sailing through the air their way.

"Or not."

320. The Hoofields & McColts - Part 2

"TAKE COVER!!" Cheese yelled as everypony scrambled to avoid the barrage of tomatoes.

He, Twilight, and Fluttershy took refuge in the McColts' storage house where Twilight tore out and crumpled a page from her portfolio while sighing, "So much for potential friendship solution number twenty-eight."

"I guess we should find out why the Hoofields are launching tomatoes now," Fluttershy suggested.

"And ask them why they didn't mention the wagon wheel they unpinned," Cheese added while wiping a splattered tomato off of his shirt in annoyance.

Meanwhile, the Hoofields were loading tomatoes onto giant slingshots and launching them wave after wave towards the McColts' home.

"One at a time, Greenhoof," Ma Hoofield instructed to one of her female relatives, "If you smush them tomaters in th' slingshot, they won' break on th' McColts!"

"What are you doing?!"

Ma Hoofield looked to see Twilight, Fluttershy, and Cheese arrive, the three of them looking offended, annoyed, and concerned respectively, as Twilight said, "I asked you to stop fighting!"

"Oh, is tha' wha' you were hollerin' about? We thawt th' McColts rubbed you th' wrong way so we tomatered them for ya. Mah mistake," Ma Hoofield responded in a not-so-sorry tone before yelling , "STOP TH' TOMATER SLINGSHOTS!!"

The Hoofields pony'ing the slingshots stopped, but a loud clank from across the valley caught everypony's attention and they all gasped to see volleys of hay bales hurtling their way! After two crashed onto one of her granddaughters and the three visitors, Ma Hoofield shouted, "RELOAD TH' TOMATER SLINGSHOTS!! Wer' gonna paint their mountaintop red!"

Poking their heads out of the hay pile, Twilight, Cheese, and Fluttershy coughed and spat and shook pieces of hay out of their manes, as Twilight lamely said, "Well that didn't work. I was so sure it would!"

"Twi, we haven't really done anything to get the two families to stop fighting other than ask them not to!" Cheese lambasted, "For that matter, why are they even fighting to begin with?!"

"We'd better find out, and soon!" Fluttershy said as she helped a tortoise find cover in some bushes, "All this fighting is really affecting the animals around here."

Finding out why the Hoofield and the McColts were fighting turned out to be easier said than done. Both sides claimed the other "knew what they did", and both claimed the other did them "a grave injustice some time ago for some reason". Thinking perhaps they could get them to find some common ground to bond over, Twilight had asked what do they do when they're not fighting. Big Daddy McColt's answer was "gettin' ready t' fight", and when Fluttershy asked what they hoped to get out of fighting, Ma Hoofield had answered "th' satisfaction o' winnin'", and Cheese's question of what winning it was they were trying to win was "th' fight, t' prove our family is th' best", "th' best at winnin'", leading to the obvious conclusion:

"The only thing they have in common is that they both want to win a fight and neither of them know what it's over!" Twilight kept double-checking her notes, vainly searching for an answer.
"How can I end this feud if I don't know what it's about?!"

"Well, we're not gonna find out asking them! Either of them!" Cheese grumbled while massaging his temples, "Because even if we ask them to put all else aside, they'll just make some half-baked accusation that the other side is to blame..."

As he and Twilight sighed, begging to feel overwhelmed, Fluttershy perked, "Ooh! Maybe somepony just needs to say they're sorry."

"Fluttershy... sweet and innocent Fluttershy," Cheese gave her a flat look, "As much as I wish it were that easy, I have to say that idea is-"

"Perfect!" Twilight chimed in with an upbeat smile while levitating her portfolio, "I mean, it's only friendship solution number forty-eight, but we can move it up."

"Now hold your horses there, Twi-" Cheese tried to say, but the princess had already hurried over to speak to Ma Hoofield.

"I told her this is a bad idea, my Cheesy Sense says so...!" Cheese muttered as he and Fluttershy followed behind a wagon holding a huge cake that Ma Hoofield was pulling.

Twilight was walking beside the old mare, commending her for giving this idea a chance and coming up with this peace offering. What bothered Cheese even more was how easily Ma Hoofield caved into the notion of making amends with the McColts.

"I tell ya, Fluttershy," Cheese whispered to her out the corner of his mouth, "this is not gonna end well."

"Well, who knows, Cheese Sandwich?" Fluttershy responded with gentle optimism, "Sometimes all it takes is a simple gesture of kindness."

They all soon approached the McColt fortress, the guard shouting, "Who goes there?"

"It's Ma Hoofield!" the old mare responded just a little touchy in her tone.

"HOOFIELD ALERT! Arm th' cannons!" the guard yelled, two McColt mares hoisting cannons over the wall to point at Ma Hoofield who smirked and gestured behind her.

"With an apology cake!" she added with a rise of appeal in her voice.

"Didjoo say... cake?" the guard uttered as he and the mares looked at the giant pastry, glimmering with glazed goodness covering its soft pastry brown sides, decorated with carrots, the bottom layer filled with pieces of fruit.
"As in... cake?!"

"Consider it a gesture o' good will," Ma Hoofield said in a rather generous voice, "From us t' you."

The three McColt guards hesitated until one of the mares said, "Ah haven't had cake in ages!"

"Open the gates!" the stallion called and the gates opened, allowing Twilight to levitate the cake inside.

"Well..." Cheese had to admit, he was surprised, seeing the happy faces of the McColts gaze up at the cake with sincere gratitude, "maybe my Cheesy Sense was wrong!"

One of the McColt mares uttered, with a tear in her eye, "It's such a beautiful cake!"

"Think of this as more than just a cake," Twilight said, "It's the first step in the long road to forgiveness."

"Huh, yeah!" Cheese finally got on board, "There's something special about sharing something sweet and delicious."

"I agree. Nothing says, 'let's be friends' like a cake that says 'let's be friends'," added Fluttershy before saying to one of the McColts, "I wrote that in icing on the top."

But at that moment, the cake seemed to shudder and there was some strange noise coming from it... before the top exploded open, revealing three Hoofields had been hiding inside!
"FOR GLORY!!"

They began throwing oranges and tomatoes at the McColts, who scrambled for cover, the Hoofields leaping down from the cake, ready for a fight... only to be caught in a net trap, courtesy of Big Daddy McColt!
"McColts! Assume Delta Force Formation!!"

Twilight, Cheese, and Fluttershy watched in horror as the McColts chased Ma Hoofield down their mountain, truly infuriated. But Ma Hoofield had prepared for this, as she yelled, "Ready?!...Aim! ...FIRE!!!"

It turns out, she'd had the rest of her family lying in wait, prepared with traps to fire carrots, ears of corn, watermelons, and cupcakes at the McColts she'd let out into the open. Seeing the volley coming their way, the McColts quickly shielded themselves with boards of wood.

"CHARGE!!" Ma Hoofield yelled, her family charging in to attack the McColts.

"MA HOOFIELD!!"

Twilight, Cheese, and Fluttershy landed in front of the old mare as Twilight snapped, "You hid ponies in that cake?!"

"Yes! What, were you serious about apologizin'?" Ma Hoofield got up in Twilight's face, "WHY IN EQUESTRIA WOULD WE DO THAT?!"

Pushing the princess out of the way, Ma Hoofield hollered towards the McColts, "WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHANG WRONG!!"

"Wha're you talkin' about?!" Big Daddy McColt shouted back, "Ya done soooo many things wrong!"

"Not as many as you!" Ma Hoofield argued back, getting up in the stubby-sized stallion's face before they started trading blows!

It was awful and just plain despicable, as the Hoofields and McColts traded blows, threw things at each other, spat and shouted insults and barbed words, pushed each other into the dirt, pulled each other's manes-

"ENOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"

Everypony flinched at the sheer volume and tone and ferocity in that voice and all eyes turned to see it was Cheese Sandwich, his eye twitching, his nostrils snorting, his hoof pawing the ground, looking livid!
"What in the name of the Holy Mother of Celestia is wrong with all of you?! By the Pale One, is all of this fighting and arguing and hurting each other really worth it?! None of you can even remember why your families starting fighting in the first place, which leads me to think that whatever it was that started this feud was as stupid and pointless as how you've carried it on for so long!

"Do you actually enjoy hurting each other like this? How can you think it's even right to teach your foals to hate and hurt each other and continue this feud?! Not only are you hurting each other, you're hurting yourselves! Your wasting your food and your tools and so much else on this dumb fighting and one-upping the other side that I have no doubts that underneath all that delusional rivalry and blaming the other side, you're all just plain miserable! But you know what? You have no one to blame but yourselves! Do you really wanna keep fighting? Do you really wanna push your foals into carrying on this feud so they'll be just as miserable as you've all been, fighting when you can't even remember what started it all?! If your answer is 'yes' then go ahead and fight until you have nothing left! Because you're all just- just... AWFUL!!!"

...

Everypony stood in stunned silence, considering Cheese's words. Everything he said had a point to it. The fighting, the wasting of resources, the bickering, it was hurting them, the Hoofields and the McColts, but they were just too proud to admit to it. Fluttershy and Twilight looked around at the silenced ponies.

“Reckon he's got a point,” said Mama McColt, Big Daddy McColt's wife.

“Dern right,” agreed Pappy Hoofield, Ma Hoofield's husband.

However...

What happened next, no one knows. Maybe the wind came, maybe Big Daddy McColt and Ma Hoofield got a bit carried away with some excited talk, maybe Fluttershy zigged when she should have zagged, but all they knew was that the Trojan Cake came crashing down and it nailed Pappy Hoofield and Mama McColt as it hit the ground and burst into tiny pieces.

“THEM NO GOODS!” came a shout and...to no one's surprise, the fighting started again.

Cheese was beyond seething at this point. There was no clear evidence to say who screwed up or what happened, and the blame was flying fast and furious. As for Fluttershy, she'd just saved a squirrel from being trampled and failed to get two mares to stop fighting and avoided being impaled by some carrots, that she finally called out, "Cheese Sandwich? Twilight?!"

"Fluttershy, you okay?" Cheese came over to her, leading her away from the violence.

"I'm fine, but where's...!" That's when she and Cheese saw a despondent Twilight walking away.

They hurried over to her as Twilight being tearing out pages from her portfolio, feeling like a failure.

"Um, Twilight? We should probably get back there," Fluttershy suggested, "I mean, if you need a break that's fine, but... I don't think we can do this without you."

"I don't know if we can do this at all!" Twilight responded, feeling awful, "Even if we step in and get them to stop, they'll just go back to fighting again."

"Oh, Twilight..." Cheese sat down next to her and gave her a one-armed hug, "I'm sorry for being the way I've been since we got here, but let's face it! The Hoofields and the McColts have been fighting each other for a very long time! All that anger and animosity isn't just gonna go away with an insincere apology or a suggestion to stop. I mean, if only we could figure out just what it is that started this feud in the first place...!"

"But how?" Twilight held up her hooves, feeling helpless, "Neither of them know or are even interested in figuring it out for themselves!"

*Growl*

"What was that?" Twilight asked as she and Cheese turned around to see Fluttershy surrounded by little critters and animals, all of the poor things clutching their growling tummies and looking sad.

That was when Fluttershy took a better look around the valley and saw how bad it really was! The grass was dry, the place was overgrown with weeds, nearly all the trees had been cut down, and the stream had long stopped flowing. Even a dry old tumbleweed ambled on by, and Fluttershy realized, "Oh, you poor things! There isn't enough food here for you."

The animals all nuzzled up to Fluttershy, aching for comfort and safety, as she brrr'd, "And you're freezing!"

"Well, the way they Hoofields and McColts fight each other so much, it's obvious they're not even thinking about how their feuding is hurting the valley around them," Cheese realized, "They're not even lifting a hoof to care for the land, and so the animals are suffering as a result!"

"I'm gonna take you al home with me, and give you cups of cocoa," Fluttershy declared, wrapping the critters in her wings, "How do you feel about book clubs?"

"I don't understand!" Twilight spoke up, "This is supposed to be the most beautiful valley in all of Equestria!"

"So what happened?" Cheese asked the million bit question. "I mean, obviously the Hoofields and McColts happened, but what was it that started this whole crazy thing?!"

That was when a squirrel hopped onto Fluttershy's back and started chittering into her ear, "Huh? What's that... Oh. Uh-huh...Twilight, Cheese! They know what happened here!"

"They do?" Cheese asked.
"Ask them to tell you, Fluttershy," Twilight asked, "The whole story..."

The Hoofields and the McColts were still at each other's throats! The fighting was starting to get more violent and more injurious, and the objects thrown were starting to become heavier and more damaging. Twilight flew overhead, yelling, "Stop! You have to listen to me!"

*Splut*

Wiping the frosty cupcake off the side of her face, Twilight had finally had enough!
"Everypony... FREEEZE!!!"

From her horn she cast a spell of magenta light that enveloped every Hoofield and McColt in the entire valley. Once the light dimmed, every Hoofield and McColt was frozen in place, held in check by Twilight's magenta mana, including all objects that had been thrown, were now frozen mid-flight. Landing among the immobilized ponies, Twilight grunted and struggled to maintain the spell, "Fluttershy, Cheese! Tell them! I can't keep a whole army of ponies frozen for long!"

With the critters on their backs and behind them, Fluttershy and Cheese Sandwich came forward, as the former raised her voice, "Before you keep fighting, there is something you should know! Long ago, there were two best friends, Grub Hoofield...

"And Piles McColt!" Cheese added, "When they found the valley between the Smokey Mountains, they knew that they'd found something truly special."

"So they made a promise to each other," Fluttershy went on, "to protect and preserve the valley for all its adorable furry inhabitants. But they disagreed on how to go about it."

"Grub wanted to start by planting crops so that everypony would have something to eat," Cheese went on, "but Piles thought that they should start by building a shelter to protect them from the wild weather conditions."

"The two ponies were unable to come to an understanding," Fluttershy lamented, "So Piles went ahead and started building a shelter right on the land where Grub was going to start his farm."

"Grub was miffed at Piles, so he tore down the shelter Piles was working on," Cheese brought up, "And from that point on, they only fought and argued. It got worse and worse until finally it turned into a feud after both ponies got their families involved by moving them to the valley!"

"The valley suffered from the constant destruction," Fluttershy wrapped it up, "until finally the Hoofields and McColts moved to separate mountains. Even then, the valley and all the animals in it continue to be caught in the crossfire."

"Don't you understand now?!" Cheese admonished them but not in a scolding way but in a sincere way, hoping they would finally understand, "By fighting, all you're doing is destroying the very thing that brought you all here in the first place, and hurting the animals that have lived here long before you all moved in."

"The time has come to put your differences aside," Fluttershy implored, the animals looking on with hopeful desperation, "Come together and make peace, if not for yourselves, then for the sake of all these cute and cuddly guys!"

The Hoofields and the McColts, even frozen, finally felt shame and remorse for all that they'd done, as they now finally understood that they weren't only hurting each other but all these innocent creatures whose home they'd practically invaded!

"Aw shucks..." Big Daddy McColt sighed as he looked into Ma Hoofield's eyes and saw his own regret looking back at him, "We ne'er meant t' hurt all you lil' critters."

"Yeah, wer' sorry," Ma Hoofield agreed, feeling lower than dirt.

A squirrel chittered into Fluttershy's ear and she beamed to report, "They say they accept your apology."

"But now, it's time to show your apology," Cheese said firmly, "By settling your differences and working together to restore this valley back to the natural beauty that caused your foreponies to fall in love with this place."

"Yer absolutely right there," Big Daddy McColt smirked until he realized a certain something, "Um, Princess? You can unfreeze us now."

Grunting when she heard Big Daddy, Twilight responded, "Oh, right."

The magenta auras enveloping everypony vanished-

*Kerplump*

-releasing them all as they finally faced each other for the first time with open hooves and good will.

"Ma Hoofield, on behalf o' th' McColts, Ah promise we won' fight you no more," Big Daddy said to to her with a sorrowful look.

"Us too..." Ma Hoofield replied, Except we promise not t' fight you. Ah s'pose it duzent matter who's right. We'r both wrong."

"Tha's one thang we can agree on," Big Daddy nodded before they both spat into their hooves and met each other halfway.

The animals smiled happily while Twilight FLASHED between Ma Hoofield and Big Daddy McColt, "This is wonderful! I am so proud of you two."

"Aw, thanks, Princess," Ma Hoofield smiled... before she smarmily said, "Though Ah would like t' point out tha' Ah was first t' admit Ah was wrong."

"Tha' may be but Ah promised not t' fight first," Big Daddy responded in a 'so there' tone, "Tha' counts fer more."

"Oh yeah?!" Ma Hoofield was ready to start something... only for her and Big Daddy to realize the animals were chattering at them in annoyance, while everypony else was giving them looks of disapproval, annoyance, or even thinly-veiled disgust.
"Oh, aw'right. We don' hav' t' speak animal t' know what y'all're sayin'."

She looked to Big Daddy, "Truce?"

"Truce," Big Daddy replied.

For the first time in so many generations, the Hoofields and the McColts worked together. They cleaned up all the garbage and debris from all their past fighting, replanted flowers and grass and trees, got the stream flowing again, and shared in each other's company and good fortune. The Hoofields planted a field of crops that both families would share and the McColts built better housing and shelters that not only they and the Hoofields would be happy to call home but also the animals around them. They even started teaching each other, the Hoofields learned to build and construct, and the McColts how to sow seed and cultivate what they grew.

As a promise to end their feud and work together, they built a fountain right in the middle of the valley, with a hedge sculpture of Grub Hoofield shaking hooves with a stone statue of Piles McColt, commemorating their foreponies and promising to live up to the promise Grub and Piles failed to keep. To protect and preserve their valley for all lived there.

Before long, everypony took a break, but as they sat down to have lunch Cheese Sandwich called out, "Can I have everypony's attention please?"

All eyes and ears turned to Cheese as he cleared his throat, "First off, Hoofields, McColts, I wanna apologize for the way I shouted at you all earlier."

"Oh don'choo worry none," Ma Hoofield waved it off.
"Yeah, you wer' right t' call us out like that," Big Daddy McColt agreed.

"Be that as it may, now that you've finally ended your feud and are working together to restore this valley," Cheese whirled around, his accordion appearing between his hooves, "I wanna celebrate with you all... in song form!"

He began to play as Twilight and Fluttershy shared a smirking look, "Wait for it..."

How come your always such a fussy young mare
Don't want no Briny Bits, don't want no Raisin Fare

Well don'cha know that other foals are starving out there
So eat it! Just eat it!

Don't wanna argue, I don't wanna debate
Don't wanna hear about what kind of foods you hate

You won't get no desert `till you clean up your plate, so eat it
Don't ya tell me you're full, just eat it! Eat it!

Get yourself some eggs and beat it!

Have some more porridge, have some more pie
It doesn't matter if it's boiled or fried

Just Eat it. Just Eat it. Just Eat it. Just Eat it. WHOO!

Your table manners are a cryin' shame
You're playin' with your food, this ain't some kind of game

Now if you starve to death, you'll just have yourself to blame, so eat it
Just eat it

You better listen better do what you're told
You haven't even touched your barley casserole
You better chow down or it's gonna get cold, so eat it

I don't care if you're full, just eat it!
Eat it!
Open up your mouth and feed it

Have some more yogurt, have some more jam
It doesn't matter if it's fresh or canned, just eat it!
Eat it!

Don't you make me repeat it!
Have a banana, have a whole bunch
It doesn't matter when you had lunch, Just eat it (eat it, eat it, eat it. Eat it, eat it, eat it, eat it)

The Hoofields and McColts partied and danced, so caught up in the music, they couldn't remember the last time any of them was so happy! And as they watched new friendships grow, Twilight and Fluttershy both felt their flanks shiver and glow, and they saw Cheese's flank glowing too, signifying their mission was complete.

"Yay! I told you we'd figure it out," Fluttershy cheered.
"We did, and we didn't need my friendship portfolio to do it," Twilight agreed while giving Fluttershy a hug as they watched Cheese continue to perform for the two families. "We just needed each other. Speaking of, what now? The map's called every single one of us by now, so I wonder what will happen next..."
"I'm not sure, but right now..." Fluttershy felt her hooves getting trotsy, "Let's just enjoy the now."

And as everyppony partied away, the valley, while still having a lot of work ahead, was already looking like a true natural beauty. Almost as it did when two friends first stumbled upon it a long time ago... as they smiled down upon their descendants, relieved and overjoyed to see their families had finally found their common bond.

321. The Mane Attraction - Part 1

Time had seemed to fly by, recently. Midnight, Blueblood, and their friends Dr. Whooves, Techorse, and Stencil Guide had unveiled a new airship, Midnight had introduced the Silverbolts, the Council of Friendship had stopped a conspiracy against the crown, the boys had become the Knights of Harmony, and insured the reformation of the government, Blueblood and Rarity got married and become the godparents of the baby daughter of their good friends Fancy Pants and Fleur, and Big Macintosh finally figured out he was going to be a daddy, and even Celestia and Sombra had announced they were with foal.

After all that excitement, the Council of Friendship was glad things had slowed down in the past couple of months and now they could get back to their lives in Ponyville, and just enjoy the moment.

However, at the moment, things were quite busy. The Council of Friendship had decided to organize a charity concert called the Helping Hooves Music Festival, and Applejack had volunteered to oversee the organization of the event. She'd led the construction and detailing of the stage for the musical performances, made sure all the decorations were in place, and had plenty of help in keeping things running smoothly thanks to the assistance of Amethyst Star.

"Wow, Applejack!"

She looked to see Twilight and Midnight coming her way as Twilight asked, "Are you sure you've never organized a concert before?"

"Well, it turns out tha' doin' up a concert's a lot like settin' up a rodeo," Applejack shrugged but was glad to see things were going smoothly.

"Not to mention Pinkie's connections organizing the Ponypalooza Rock Concert and Cheese knowing practically every performer in Equestria," Midnight brought up while levitating a list, "we've got quuuuiiiiite a lineup. The Helping Hooves Music Festival is gonna be a blast!"

"Twilight! Midnight! Applejack! Thunderlane! Rainbow Dash! Soarin! Rarity! Blueblood! Big Mac! Fluttershy! Cheese Sandwich! Spike! Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie blinked and realized she was looking in a mirror after getting up in everypony's faces.
"Oh wait, that's me... EVERYPONY!!"

"Pinkie Pie, what's going on?" asked Midnight as everypony gathered around.

"I have the most amazing news ever!" Pinkie declared, "It is totally gonna freak your frizz!"

"Well, spill it, Pinkie!" Rainbow Dash urged.

"It wasn't easy. in fact, it was terribly difficult," Pinkie stated firmly while marching back and forth in front of her friends, "But I have managed to book the biggest Pony Pop Star in all of Equestria as the main attraction of the Helping Hooves Music Festival!"

"Sapphire Shores?" guessed Applejack with a bright look.

"Sapphire Shores?! Puh-lease!" Pinkie snubbed, "Sapphire Shores is merely the SECOND biggest Pony Pop Star in Equestria. I have booked: The One. The Only. COUNTESS COLORATURA!!!"

The immediate response were collective ooh's and ah's from everypony present in response to this big news, courtesy of Pinkie P-

"Who in the hay is Countess Coloratura?"

*RECORD SCRATCH/GASPS*

Applejack shrank meekly as everypony helping set up the stage for the concert gaped at her in utter disbelief while Pinkie Pie's mane and tail popped upwards as she said, "My frizz has been freaked."

She sat down to fix her mane a bit as Applejack approached her, "Pinkie Pie, who is this... Countess Coloratura pony?"

Once her mane and tail were in their typical cotton candy bounciness, Pinkie Pie responded, "I just told you that she's the biggest Pony Pop Star in Equestria! How - How - How - How - HOW have you not heard of her?!"

"Dunno, though Ah did know a gal named Coloratura when Ah was just a filly," Applejack gave it a quick thought before chuckling with a soft snort, "Wouldn' it jus' be th' funniest thang if tha' Coloratura an' this Coloratura were th' same Coloratura?"

"do you mean to tell me that you actually know Countess Coloratura?" asked Pinkie with a raised brow.

"Well, Ah don' think it's th' same pony since mah friend wasn' any sort o' highfalutin' countess," Applejack shrugged.

"Do you remember her cutie-mark?"

"Sure do! It had this super colorful bunch o' musical notes tha' jus' shimmered in th' light," Applejack smiled at the memory.

"You mean... like this?!" Pinkie showed her rump where a photo was taped over her cutie-mark to show somepony else's rump with just the cutie-mark Applejack had described.

"Well, fancy that!" Applejack was surprised. "Tha' there's th' very same cutie-mark."

"Do you have any idea the number of hoops I had to jump through to get her to perform at the festival?!" Pinkie got all up in Applejack's face, which shook no in response. "A WHOLE LOT OF HOOPS! That pony is very demanding!"

"Naw."
"Yaw!"

"We completely understand," Rarity spoke up.
"Yes, every artist requires certain things in order to bring out the best in their work," Blueblood added.

"This is clearly jus' some misunderstandin', cuz Rara was jus' as down home as me," Applejack stated.

"RARA?!" Everypony present echoed in confused response.

"Even tha' big name was too fancy for her," Applejack went on, "So Ah shortened ColoRAtuRA to Rara."

She smiled warmly at the memories as she elaborated, "We had th' best time at Camp Friendship. Rara was jus' so easygoin'. We wer' like two apples from th' same branch. Rara an' Ah even prepared this song for th' Camp Talent Show, an' when we performed she belted it out, singin' in th' most colorful clear voice Ah'd ever heard. After camp, we wrote t' each other fer a bit, but... then we lost touch. But Rara always did wanna go t' Manehatten t' try an' make it big. But a demandin' diva?"

She shook off the very idea and stated, "Jus' you wait, Pinkie. Once Rara gets here, you'll see she's just a plain ol' pony like you `r me."

"I don't have to wait!" Pinkie smiled like the biggest fanfilly in the metaphorical room as she shrieked, "SHE'S HERE!!!!!!"

"Really?" Applejack looked where everypony else was looking... and it wasn't what she expected.

A large, geometrically-shaped golden... thing was carried by four earth pony stallions dressed in punk-rock styled clothes in the same manner of carrying somepony on a litter before they stopped and set it down. Immediately afterwards, steam hissed out of the edges of the big object as panels unfolded, speakers came out, and a light effect showed the silhouette of somepony lounging on a throne with a certain cutie-mark on it before that somepony slowly stepped out, revealing herself.

She was an earth pony with a pale aquamarine coat, she wore a purple jacket and jewelry on her legs, her mane and tail... somehow everypony knew it wasn't her real mane or tail. Both were too long and had a look to them that everypony figured meant they were a wig and tail extension. Over her face was some kind of black veil through which they could see her heavily makeup'd brows, lashes, and mascara surrounding her opal eyes.

It was her cutie-mark, so she knew it had to be her, but this was not the pony Applejack had been expecting as she confusedly uttered, "Rara?"

"AAAAAAH!!! COUNTESS COLORATURA!!!" Pinkie fainted on the spot when another pony came forward.

He had a white coat, wore a full blue business suit, his mane was curly and two-toned salmon pink, dark tangelo eyes behind a pair of spectacles on the bridge of his snoot, and he wore a look that said 'I'm better than you' as he approached (unknowingly or perhaps uncaringly stepping on Pinkie Pie) as he snapped, "Clear the way! Step back. Keep your hooves and tails to yourselves!"

Following him (and also stepping on Pinkie) were the punk dressed stallions and Countess Coloratura, whom they surrounded like bodyguards.

"No... tha' can't be her," Applejack whispered before she approached Coloratura, clearing her throat, "Uh, hi. Remember me? We met at Camp Friendship? Ah gave you th' nickname Rara?"

The name rang a bell as Coloratura gave it a thought before her eyes brightened up behind her veil and she turned to smile at Applejack, "AJ?"

"Yeah! Heh, howdy, Rara," Applejack was relieved to see her old friend remembered... when the snooty pony whispered something to Coloratura... who pressed her hoof to Applejack's cheek, leaving a red hoof and heart-shaped kiss mark, from a stamp she was holding.

"Hoovsies!" Coloratura exclaimed brightly before walking away, leaving Applejack bewildered.

"Ooh! You got Hoovsies from Countess Coloratura!" Rarity smiled at Applejack before levitating a hoofheld mirror to show her, "Look! Ooh, she clearly thinks you're very special!"

"Hoovsies!"

They looked to see Coloratura was doing the same thing to other ponies lining up to get Hoovsies from the Countess! "Hoovsies! Hoovsies!"

"Yeah... real special," Applejack muttered while wiping the Hoovsy mark off her cheek while watching that snooty pony, whom she gathered must be Rara's manager, talking to the Countess.

That was confirmed when he called out, "Where is the pony Pinkie Pie?!"

"Ooh!"

The aforementioned pinky party pony pulled up a wagon full of stuff, saying, "I'm the pony Pinkie Pie, Mr. Manager, sir!"

"Do you have the water imported from Rainbow Falls that I requested from Countess Coloratura?"

"I have twenty glass containers full right here," Pinkie held up a wooden crate holding the imported water in glass bottles, all of them with a label showing Rainbow-colored falls.

"Did I not tell you to provide straws in all of Countess Coloratura's beverages?!" he snapped.

"I don't think so..." Pinkie Pie said warily while Applejack was a little put off by the manager's behavior.

"Hmph, well, let us confirm that you acquired the rest of the items Countess Coloratura requested before she performs her run-through, shall we?" the manager approached the wagon and listed off the items it carried.
"Floral arrangements from the Royal Canterlot Gardens, chocolate eclairs made by Gustave le Grande, a selection of crystals from the Crystal Empire, freshly picked cherries from Cherry Jubilee's farm separated red from yellow...?"

"Absotutely!" Pinkie nodded, and the manager returned to his client's side.

"Well, by some miracle, your requests have been reasonably met, So let us move on-"

Then, one of the stallions of Coloratura's entourage came over to whisper something into the manager's ear, "WHAT?! What do you mean the other two backup dancers didn't show?!"

There were several gasps among the volunteers, as well as Coloratura, as the manager griped, "Well isn't this just perfect!! How - I ask you - HOW is Countess Coloratura supposed to perform her rehearsal without her full team of backup dancers?! Somepony take a note, whoever those dancers are, I don't give a flying buck what their sad little excuses may be-"

"Uh, excuse me, Mister Manager, sir!" Cheese Sandwich popped up, interrupting the manager's rant, "I know it can be stinkier than old cheese when something like this goes wrong, but the rehearsal can still go on!

"Just lemme and my friends fill in for the backup dancers."

"Say what?!" chorused Midnight, Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Soarin.

"Hmm, the Knights of Harmony dancing with the Countess..." the Manager considered before perking up but covering his approval with a look of impatience.
"Well... it's last minute, but I suppose it'll have to do. I trust you already know the choreography?"

"No prob, just gonna have a quick word with the guys and then we'll be right with the Countess onstage," Cheese saluted before slipping over to the guys, who all looked reluctant.

"Cheese, what the hay?!" Thunderlane gave the orange party pony a 'for real?' look.
"Sandwich, sure the Countess is a faous celebrity," Blueblood added, "none of us know the dance moves to her music."
"Eeyeaahhh, Ah'm not real sure `bout this," Big Mac rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, guys, Cheese does have a point about one thing," Midnight raised a forefeather, "Countess Coloratura is the headliner for this concert, and remember what this concert's about."
"If she can't perform, then the concert and the charity might be ruined," Soarin agreed.

"Yeah! I mean, c'mon, guys," Cheese bounced like an excited colt waiting in line for a big carnival ride, "I'm sure we've got this! I mean, it wasn't that long ago we were going hoof to hoof with a crazy magically-armored politician!"

"And... I think I know a little spell that'll help us get the dance moves down to pat," Midnight brought up.

"O Knights of Harmony...!" the Manager called in a singsongy tone laced with his impatience, "Whenever you're ready! Oh, not unless it's an inconvenience to you all..."

"Coming!" Cheese smiled nervously to him before turning back to his friends, "C'mon guys, whattya say?"

"Well... it would be kinda awesome to dance with Countess Coloratura," Thunderlane smiled hesitantly.
"An' we gotta make sure th' concert works out," Big Mac sighed.
"All right Cheese. We're in," Blueblood nodded amicably.

Thankfully, Coloratura's entourage brought spare dancer outfits and her personal choreographer to show the guys the moves they had to do for the rehearsal, and Midnight's spell of adoptive muscle memory made learning the dance moves a cinch. Once they were ready, the manager, who by now they had learned was named Svengallop, called everypony to their places, and all the volunteers crowded in anticipation before the stage, as the lights went out, and before long, rehearsal began.

Time for the spectacle, time for the show
(The Countess descended down a stair case, whipping her head side to side as lights flashed on and off while a fog machine began to fill the stag with mist)

The lights are bright and the colors glow

I'm not just anypony, I think you know
(She reached the bottom of the stairs, neared the audience...)

The time is now, it's about to blooooooooowwwwwww
(...and threw her head back as lights flashed, lasers lit the place up, and fireworks blew the audience away)

Razzle Dazzle! Glitz and Glam!
(To the countess's left were Blueblood, Cheese Sandwich, and Soarin, who'd reared up to wave their forelegs, and on her right were Thunderlane, Midnight, and Big Mac doing a kickoff the ground before the stood up and waved towards Coloratura; all six of them wore sleeveless faux-leather jackets with metal studs and opened to reveal their chests, accessories and minor makeup, and their manes and tails were styled punkish or wild)

Turn it all up, it's a spectacle

Razzle Dazzle! Glitz and Glam!
(Coloratura continued to dance to the beat, as did her backup backup dancers, as everypony watched in jubileous awe)

Turn it all up, it's a spectacle

Give me more Razzle Dazzle

Glitter eyes, big surprise

Lights, camera

(At this point, Coloratura's choreographer and lead special FX expert channeled a beam of light to her necklace, creating a prismatic shine, while she vocalized)

Razzle Dazzle! Glitz and Glam!

Turn it all up, it's a spectacle

Hear the applause
(Coloratura walked towards the back ot the stage...)

Here to impress

Not just a pony, I am the Countess!
(...before whipping around to strike a pose between her backup dancers, all holding their hooves out to her in reverence)

The crowd of volunteers cheered and whoo'd, not only for Coloraturas, but for their friends who got this awesome chance to perform with her. But then, Svengallop came back.
"Alright, dancers, take five! And my shining star! Thanks to the sparkling costumes, dazzling choreography, and brilliant vocal effects that I designed, ha-heh, your performance was SPECTACULAR, Countess Coloratura."

"Well, thank you, Svengallop," giggled Coloratura.

As they stepped offstage and got out of their outfits, Soarin whooped, "Okay, is it just me or was that absolutely the very definition of AWESOME?"

"You guys totally were looking at least 20% cooler up there!"

Except for Applejack and Rarity, the guys took notice of their girls and Spike walking up to them, all looking wowed and excited.

"You, uh, you liked it?" asked Midnight, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Totally! You all looked like you'd been dancing with Countess Coloratura forever!" Spike complimented.

"Speaking of, I gotta help Countess Coloratura with her schedule," Pinkie zipped away over to the Countess and Svengallop, whom they watched share a few words before Applejack stepped up and led Coloratura away.

Then, Fluttershy sighed, and Big Mac looked concerned, "Are you alright, darlin'?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Mackie," Fluttershy assured as she reached to her barrel, where she was finally beginning to show. "I suppose all that's going on is starting to wear me out a teeny bit."

"Well, dear, you simply must rest," said Rarity as she came over. "You and Macintosh are expecting, after all."

"But, I wouldn't want to leave everypony else to finish all the work for the concert and not do my part," Fluttershy protested softly.

"Oh Fluttershy, don't worry about it," Twilight assured, "You've already done plenty to help with the concert, and when you're feeling fresh as a daisy you can help again."

"C'mon, `Shy, howsabout we go an' get some grub?" Big Mac suggested to his wife, stepping over to nuzzle up to her, which she warmly reciprocated when her belly grumbled a bit.

"Alright, little one, mommy knows when she's outvoted," Fluttershy giggled, and everypony laughed and watched her and Big Mac walk off back to town.

Author's Note

Big Mac and Fluttershy are finally confirmed to be expecting! At this point, Fluttershy's about two months along

322. The Mane Attraction - Part 2

Following Big Mac and Fluttershy's example, the rest of the volunteers (except for Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich) decided to take a break. While most went home, Midnight had asked Twilight out to lunch at the local cafe, and though she'd tried to decline, citing she thought she'd go over a list for possible emergencies or necessary deviations to make in preparation for the concert, Midnight had insisted.

At the cafe, they'd ordered a pasta lunch from Savoir Faire, but then came the awkward silence.

"So, uh... are you looking forward to the show?" asked Midnight, trying to engage.

"Yes, I'm sure it will be exciting," Twilight replied in a less-than-enthusiastic manner, finding it hard to meet Midnight's eyes.

...

"Alright, this has to stop," Midnight sighed, Twilight finally looking at him, not understanding. "Twilight... it's been two months. I agreed to give you time and space to come to terms with what happened, but this is... it's becoming... painful!"

"Midnight, I-" Twilight tried to say, only for Midnight to raise a hoof.

"Please let me finish... Twilight, I understand that learning about what me and Celestia did with the Brotherhood was different from watching us pass judgement upon somepony. I've done things I'm not proud of in the Brotherhood, and I appreciate that part of you that looks for the good and the positive in the world.

"But real life is... messy. It's not neat and tidy like a well-organized library or a thoroughly-researched report. It's like... like a research paper full of errors, whether in spelling or facts, and sometimes... the only answer to making it work is to cut something out."

Midnight's metaphors seemed to click with Twilight, and at first she opened her mouth to respond, only to say nothing as she took a moment to consider.

"...If she asked you to obstruct justice, would you do it?" she finally asked.

"How do you mean?"

"Midnight, I know that I... Well, it's not a bad thing to look for the good in others and give them second chances if they do wrong," Twilight explained, "I know what I said to you in the hospital after... well, after Chryalis's second attack on Canterlot concerning Aurora Boreala. What I mean is...

"Have you and the Brotherhood ever... interfered with a criminal case that led to an innocent being implicated?"

"Never," Midnight said solemnly in such a way that Twilight almost instantly believed him, "The Brotherhood was founded to protect the innocent and punish the guilty whom the law cannot touch because of technicalities or other such red tape. To foil criminals and hurt innocents in the process would be against everything the Brotherhood stands for.

"Has Celestia given me orders that bothered me? I'd be lying if I said no, but she always gave me permission to handle the mission as I see fit, and if she hadn't, if she'd given me direct orders to do things that i can't help but feel are wrong... Either I'd have dissolved the Brotherhood altogether and refused or I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I'd submitted to her will."

"I see..." Twilight said and again silence resumed.

Midnight sighed, knowing that Twilight was still apprehensive... when they heard an excited, "BIG BROTHER AND SISTER!!!"

They looked down the way and saw Twinken hurrying towards them as fast as his hooves could carry him, his telepathy-inhibiting talisman bouncing off his chest with every running step. Very quickly, both alicorns put up a positive look of having a good time as Twinken hurried up to them, and Twilight asked, "Hey there, Twinken, what's got you so excited?"

"Well, you know how Countess Coloratura is singing for the concert tomorrow night?" Twinken asked, his brother and sister-in-law both nodding, "Well, today, she came over to our school where she said that some of us are gonna get the chance to sing with her onstage during her performance!"

"That sounds awesome, you and the Crusaders gonna try out?" asked Midnight.

"Yeah, and even if we don't win, I'll be happy for whoever in my class does get to sing with her," Twinken replied with an adorable smile (that was just a teeny bit scary because of his fangs).
"Even if we don't win, at least we'll have tried. I mean, where would we all be if you guys hadn't tried?"

"What do you mean, Twinken?" asked Twilight.

"You know, the way you've always faced everything that came your guys' way," Twinken explained, "and no matter what, by relying on each other and believing in each other, you always came through. Like that very first night when you stood side by side to stop Nightmare Moon, or you helped each other to find the will you needed to beat Discord!

"The Magic of Friendship's helped you to overcome everything you faced, and because of that you've gotten us all through thick and thin."

Then Twinken hopped up and hugged them both, causing them both to blush a bit but smile as well, as they returned the hug and let Twinken down.

"Anyway, I'm heading over to Button's house. He has this boss he wants some help beating on one of his favorite games. Seeya!"

They watched Twinken hurry off, and then looked at each other... before scooting closer together, Midnight wrapping his wing around his Twily's shoulders.

"How is it kids have a knack for saying things that need to be heard?" asked Twilight with a warm look in her eyes as she gazed up at her husband.

"Eh, they haven't grown up yet," Midnight retorted, causing them both to chuckle and then lick their lips to see Savoir Faire returning with their order, a big heaping bowl of spaghetti and wheatballs with a salad drizzled with Prench dressing, and iced tea for Twilight and colt cola for Midnight.

In their house, Big Macintosh and Fluttershy were passionately at work preparing a nursery for their baby. Macintosh had already made a cradle from some apple wood and Fluttershy had knitted a baby blanket, and now they were painting the nursery walls. Mac had tried to convince Fluttershy to let him handle it, worried about the paint fumes, but Fluttershy had insisted it would be fine as long as they kept the door and window open.

On the wall she was working, Fluttershy was painting a flowery meadow with all sorts of cute little critters frisking about in play whereas on Mac's wall, he was painting a bright sunrise peering over a hill covered with apple trees.

Ah hope everything works out... Big Mac thought as he continued to dot the apples on each tree with his paintbrush.

To be honest, he just wasn't sure whether he was ready to be a dad. He was a simple farmer and that was the size of it.

Ah mean, sure, Ah married th' love o' muh life, he continued to think, Ah'm one o' th' Elements o' Harmony, Ah've helped take down all sorts o' bad'uns, now Ah'm a thunderatin' Knight and...

By this point, Mac's tension deflated a bit but only because he mentally realized that at this point he was practically whining about his own accomplishments.

But bein' a pa is somethin' else entirely! he insisted to himself.

Her husband's anxiety did not escape Fluttershy as she peered over her shoulder and noticed how wound up he looked. Giving it a thought, she had an idea as she rubbed her growing baby bump, Looks like Daddy needs a little pick-me-up.

Setting her paintbrush down, she stood up and very lightly stepped over to Macintosh, nuzzling up against his side.
"You okay?"

Sighing before giving his Shy a demure smile, Macintosh replied, "Ah'm fine, Ah... well,Shy, this is... It's gonna be a mighty big change" - he reached down and gently placed his hoof over Fluttershy's belly - "after this lil' one comes along."

"I know, isn't it exciting?" Fluttershy smiled widely yet maintained her soft and delicate volume, which made Big Mac chuckle... until he heard her say, "After all, it's such a... big step, becoming parents an' all..."

Big Mac gave Fluttershy a closer look and saw she was shaking, her smile was quivering, as though she were forcing it and then... the faraway stare!

"Uh, `Shy?"

"What if this was a mistake?" uttered Fluttershy in a low tone that teetered towards the edge, a soft yet dangerous hint that she was on the verge of freaking out!

"What if something happens to the baby before its even born? What if I make a mistake and hurt the baby before I give birth? What if I'm in an impossible situation when my water breaks and can't get to the hospital in time?! What if we're not ready- Oh Mackie!!! What if we're bad parents?!?!"

"Now you hold jus' one apple-pickin' minute!" Macintosh made sure his Shy was looking him straight in the eyes as he declared, "Wer' not gonna be perfect. Things might happen beyond our control. But tha' don' matter. Wha' matters is how much love n' care we give our foal. Tha' we be there for him or her, no matter what, show our foal how much they're loved, how much we supportem, an' taking th' time every single day t' jus' enjoy those days t' come as we watch our child grow up happy an' healthy.

"So no more o' tha' kinda talk! Yer gonna be a wonderful mama, an' Ah'll do muh absolute very best t' be a good daddy. Ah'll provide fer our fam'ly, always make time fer fam'ly, an' Ah'll..."

By now, Big Mac had just noticed the cheeky smile on his `Shy's face before it dawned on him. Likewise, Fluttershy giggled at the look on her husband's face before she asked, "See what I did there?"

"Eeyup," Big Mac sighed before smiling, finding himself suddenly relaxed before he rubbed his nose to his `Shy's and asked, "How'd you get so smart?"

"Well, foalsitting for the Crusaders and little Discord certainly helped," replied Fluttershy and they both laughed again before she said, "Why don't we rest a bit? I'm getting a little tired of the smell of paint."

"Sounds good," Big Mac chuckled and they went to their living room to cuddle.

"Hmmm, what about Hay-waii?" Blueblood mused aloud as he poured over his favorite map of Equestria, "White sandy beaches, tropical sunshine, primping and pampering around the clock?"

"Mmm, let's call that our default honeymoon venture," Rarity responded as she was trying to brainstorm her next masterpiece of the textile arts. "As heavenly as it sounds, dear, I find myself inclined towards a honeymoon of a more... unusual location."

Recently wed, Blueblood and Rarity were in the boutique, now trying to plan out their honeymoon, which they hadn't even started on given their rather impromptu wedding ceremony. Of course neither of them had even spared a thought to their honeymoon until Rainbow Dash had asked them not two weeks ago.

"What about San Fransiscolt?" suggested Blueblood. "We could tour the city in their famous Cable Coaches. Or perhaps Trottingham!"

"Hmm..." Rarity started to look distant, is when Blueblood looked up from his map and noticed his wife.

"Rarity?" he came over and nuzzled up against her, "Is something wrong?"

"Well nothing's wrong, per se," Rarity replied, trying to find the right words. "It's... well, Macintosh and Fluttershy, Shining Armor and Cadance, even Princess Celestia and Prince Sombra! They're all going to be parents in the near future, so... a great deal of changes lie ahead of us."

"Rarity, do you...?" Blueblood let the unfinished question hang in the air.

"What?! Me? Oh no-no-no-no, Blueblood!" Rarity waved her hoof, "We've only been husband and wife for two months, I am simply not ready to be a mother!"

"But...?" Blueblood pressed, knowing there was more to it.

"But... well, I suppose..." Rarity took a deep breath, "They way Fluttershy has been simply aglow, she hasn't even given birth yet and motherhood already seems to agree with her. Then there's the idea of having a foal..."

"So... you're not ready and yet you find yourself appealed to the role of motherhood," Blueblood smiled softly as he hugged his muse from behind, and the way his wife snuggled up to his embrace and then peered up at him with those limpid pools of blue was all the answer he needed.
"Rarity, you are the most amazing mare I know."

"Oh?" Rarity raised a brow and couldn't help but ask with a giggle, "How so?"

"For as long as I've known you, you've shown yourself to be a driven, ambitious, and task-oriented mare," Blueblood started off, "You started your own successful business, made a name for yourself, and you've begun to branch your business out. I know you're already planning to open another store besides Canterlot Carousel, and I support you 100%.

"But for all your success and your dreams of a lifestyle posh and lavish, you've never lost sight of who you are or what's important. Sure, you sometimes needed a little help to keep your hooves on the ground, but the fact that your friends cared enough to help you from going astray just shows how special you are and how important your friendship is to them.

"What I'm getting at, Rarity, is if you want to be a mother one day, then let's talk! We don't have to rush things and we'll decide together when we are ready, to start our family."

"Oh Blueblood," Rarity sighed, lovingly nuzzling against her stallion, "How is it you always know what to say?"

"I don't," Blueblood responded, Rarity looking at him before he said, "I just try and... say what's in my heart."

"Oh...!" Rarity pulled her stallion close and gave him a passionate kiss, and Blueblood fell into it, as husband and wife began to make out while their horns lit up, locking the door and windows and turning the 'open' sign outside over to 'closed'.

"That... was awesome, Soarin," sighed Rainbow Dash as she propped her head up with her hoof, looking at her stallion as they lied in bed.

"I'm glad you think so, Dashie," Soarin panted as he sat up, "because after a... workout like that, I've got quite a case of the munchies. Wanna go grab a bite at the Hayburger or something?"

"Actually, Soar..." Rainbow Dash hesitated, and to Soarin that was a rare occurrence. He waited patiently as Rainbow sat up as well and took a moment to consider what she was going to say, before taking a deep breath.
"Well... it's just, lately, y'know, after what happened in Canterlot? That whole conspiracy, and then throwing together a quick wedding for Rarity and Blueblood..."

"Dashie, do you...?" Soarin didn't dare finish the question.

"Well, Soar, you know I love you and I've gotten used to being mushy with you," Rainbow Dash leaned her head against Soarin's shoulder, "Marriage though... I have to admit it, there's a part of me that... wants to tie the knot but at the same time there's something about it that just..."

"I know what you mean," Soarin said in an understanding way as he wrapped his wing around his Dashie's shoulders, "but there's no rush! After all, a lot's been going on lately, and before long we're gonna get called back into our daily grinds. I bet it won't be long before you're an official Wonderbolt and Midnight and I are gonna be busy organizing the Silverbolts."

Rainbow Dash smiled up softly at him and though there yet remained some disappointment that she and Soarin would not fly together in the Wonderblt uniform, she'd let it go. After all, what good would it do to hold onto a silly grudge?

"I know you were a little begrudged by Midnight's decision," Soarin went on, "but you'll be a great addition to the Wonderbolts. Who knows? Maybe one day, you'll succeed Spitfire as captain."

"Heheh, maybe..." Rainbow Dash replied though she found herself surprised with herself that the idea of one day being captain of the Wonderbolts seemed... a little daunting to her.

Shoving that aside, she pulled Soarin into another kiss, and when they parted momentarily, he chuckled, "Opposites do attract," before they took a moment to cuddle.

Lunch could wait.

"...an' then, she said we'd gone in different directions," sighed Applejack as she sat against a post of her farm's fence. "Ah'm glad t' see she ain't lost sight o' herself, but she's jus' not seein' wha's right in front o' her!"

"Well, AJ, Coloratura's worked with him so long I take it that Svengallop hides that rotten side of himself from her," responded Thunderlane, as he leaned onto the railing of the fence, resting his chin on his crossed fetlocks.
"And because he's helped her rise to stardom, maybe she just feels she owes Svengallop her trust or something."

"Ah dunno, Thunder, Ah... it's still a load o' rotten apples!" Applejack insisted, "He's obviously one o' them bigwig agents who take advantage o' their clients who're just too starstruck t' see otherwise."

"It's not exactly the same, but I can relate," Thunderlane shrugged, and when Applejack looked up at him, he explained, "After it was just me and Rumble, I had to work my tail off to prove I could take care of him and go to school at the same time! My first job was at a coffee shop, and I worked really hard to get a pay raise, but my manager gave the raise to the new barista just because she was pretty... I wanted to douse the jerk with hot coffee but I needed the job...

"It wasn't easy, Applejack, but I had to work so hard to keep social workers from splitting me and Rumble apart."

"Oh sugarcube," Applejack stood up and gave Thunderlane a warm nuzzle, "Ah gotta say, Ah really respect th' workin' stallion, especially when he does it fer fam'ly."

"Do you... respect the working stallion enough to, maybe... go on a date?" Thunderlane asked with a hesitant smile.

Applejack smiled back but before she could answer-

"APPLEJACK!!"
"WE NEED APPLES!!!"

Pinkie and Cheese came hurrying up the path, both of them looking quite frantic and almost worried to the point of being labeled physically ill.

"What's got you all in a hurry?" Thunderlane asked.

"Svengallop demanded 500 apples peeled and cored by tomorrow or he'd pull Coloratura out of the show," Cheese said, gasping for breath before collasping.
"What he said..." Pinkie panted.

"Ah knew it!" Applejack growled, "An' Ah betcha tha' even if'n ya didn't get tha' Svengallop all o' those apples an' his other demands take care of by then he couldn' follow through on his threat. `Cuz Rara would never pull outta performance fer charity."

"He's manipulating her but she's just not seeing it," Thunderlane added before giving Applejack a sneaky look, "but if she did see it..."

"Ya read mah mind, sugarcube," Applejack smirked, "gather `round, y'all. We gots us a louse of an agent t' unmask..."

323. The Mane Attraction - Part 3

The next morning, Applejack went to the stage and called out, "Countess Coloratura!"

"Wow, AJ!" Coloratura perked up after being so busy directing her backup dancers, "You said my real name."

"Ah said yor new name, but Ah saw th' real you hangin' out with those school ponies yesterday," Applejack corrected, "an' Ah know somepony who'd prefer if you stopped doin' those lil' events."

"Ugh, not this again," groaned Coloratura, instantly turning her nose up and away.

"C'mon now, jus' gimme a chance t' prove wha' Ah'm sayin' is true," Applejack asked.

"And just how are you planning to do that?" Coloratura responded dryly.

"Do exactly wha' Ah say," Applejack explained, "We'll see if tha' Svengallop truly has yer best interests at heart."

Not oo long later, as the Harmonic Twelve were helping to put the finishing touches upon the stage, Coloratura called out, "Svengallop? Svengallop! Where are you, Svengallop?"

"Here I am!" Coloratura looked to see Svengallop hop up onto the stage, "Did you need something?"

"Yes, I was... considering... maybe cancelling the contest with the school ponies?" Coloratura uttered out, hesitating every word.

"Countess, this is wonderful!" Svengallop instantly perked up before snootily adding, "I've been waiting forever for you to cancel that pointless school pony contest."

"You... have?" Coloratura was honestly surprised, but her veil hid it.

"You do it at every charity event and it does absolutely nothing to promote the Countess Coloratura image that I built. Consider it CANCELED," Svengallop boasted before yelling out, "PINKIE PIE, CHEESE SANDWICH!!"

The two party ponies hurried up, both with messy manes and looking nervous and frantic.
"Right here, at your service!" Cheese panted.
"You called, Mister Svengallop? Uh- Sir?" Pinkie added before she coughed out an apple core.

"We are making some adjustments to the show, follow me," Svengallop instructed before walking off and around stage, the two party ponies following.

Coloratura looked doubtfully to Applejack who nodded and then gave a signal to Thunderlane, who made sure the camera was ready...

"Cancel the contest for the foals and schedule me a spa treatment," Svengallop ordered in a smarmy tone, "now that I don't have to oversee a rehearsal with those brats I have time for the works."

Then he glared at them, warning, "You know the drill! Deliver or the diva ditches your dippy charity!"

Straightening his tie, Svengallop returned to the stage where Coloratura was waiting for him, declaring, "Okay, Countess Coloratura! All taken care of."

You know the drill! Deliver or the diva ditches your dippy charity!

Svengalop's jaw dropped at the sight of the projection showing his ill-becoming behavior and empty threat towards Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, and he noticed a lot of stink eyes glaring his way. Especially Coloratura!

"So, that's how you've been managing things?!" Coloratura demanded, clearly disgusted.

Snorting, Svengallop responded, "Yeah, so? What's the problem?"

"The problem is that you've been using my name to intimidate ponies to get what you want," Coloratura responded.

"But I work incredibly hard for you!" snapped Svengallop, not sorry in the slightest. "I deserve everything I get!"

"But not because you scare ponies into thinking that I won't perform for their charities otherwise!" Coloratura admonished, "I would never do that to my fans! Which is why you should have known that I would never cancel the School Ponies Contest."

"Hmm, all this charity and school pony contest nonsense," Svengallop condescended, "it's all just remnants of that boring little 'Rara' I met back in Manehatten!"

"You clearly don't understand the real me," Coloratura threw off that bothersome veil. It tickled her nose on a constant basis anyway.

"Ha! That's a joke! I made you into somepony!" Svengallop huffed before challenging, "What can you even do without me?!"

"I think she'll do just fine without you."

All eyes turned around to see a pegasus with a dappled silver coat, bubblegum pink mane styled perfectly around an awesome pair of shades above a pair of vibrant red eyes, her cutie-mark a spotlight lighting up multiple multi-colored stars, and she wore a designer electric indigo jacket with various accessories. Accompanying her were two burly stallions, one an earth pony, the other a unicorn.

Svengallop and Coloratura, and even several of the volunteers present GASPED as Svengallop uttered, "D-Duchess Showstopper?!"

"Former Duchess, the aristocracy's been debunked," Showstopper winked, "Get with the times, Svengallop. As I was saying, I think Coloratura will do perfectly fine without you, because I'm here to offer her my sponsorship, and my recommendation for a Seat on the Council Princess Celestia is reforming, specifically to encourage her to become the Councilor of Media and Entertainment."

"Wai- You- WHA-?!" Svengallop was absolutely flummoxed while Coloratura was stunned.

"Gentlecolts, I think Svengallop has outworn his welcome," Showstopper declared and Svengallop was escorted away, too mind-blown to put up a decent resistance, while the ex-duchess approached her new client.

"I don't understand! What are you doing here?" Coloratura was still a little shellshocked.

"Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight told me a mutual friend of yours thought you could use an agent who has your best interest at heart," Showstopper replied, "And when I heard tell of what Svengallop was really doing behind the back of a real Star like yourself, I knew I had to see to it personally you got the help you need and deserve."

"Wait, you don't mean...!" Coloratura saw Applejack coming, and thne she sulked. "Oh AJ, I'm so sorry I ever doubted you. You were right about Svengallop... it's just, I owed him, for-"

"It's alright, Rara," Applejack waved it off, "but... are you gonna be okay? Fer th' concert t'night?"

"Of course, the show must go on," Coloratura repleid with a forced smile. But Showstopper could spot those a mile away.

"Coloratura or... Rara? How about you try something else for your performance tonight?"

"What do you mean?" Coloratura asked.

"Well, you've displayed this image of 'Countess Coloratura' throughout your whole career as a pop star," Showstopper explained, "Maybe it's time you took a step back, and got in touch with the pony you were before all that."

Coloratura and Applejack shared a look and though there was a mutual smile, Applejack saw there was yet doubt in her old friend's face.
"Now, buck up there, Rara. Svengallop turned you int' 'Countess Coloratura' an' acted like yer friend so he could enjoy th' perks tha' came wit' being a star. But th' real perk of friendship is gettin' t' see yor friend bein' true to theirself. An' Rara? When yor simply yerself, yor th' brightest star Ah've ever seen shine!"

Letting those words sink in, Coloratura gave it a though... before her eyes lit up and she knew what she was going to do!

Once night had fallen, the crowd had gathered, and the spotlight lit up, showing Midnight and Twilight step out onto the stage from behind the curtain, spurring an excited cheer from everypony present.

"Good evening, everypony! Welcome to opening night of the Helping Hooves Music Festival!"

"Now it is our great honor to introduce you all to our opening act, Countess Coloratura!"

They stepped offstage as curtains rose and the spotlight fell upon Coloratura, who'd shed the makeup and veil and fake mane and tail and ritzy clothes, showing a more humble yet elegantly beautiful mare that had long been hidden underneath. Her mane and tail, done in spiraling styles, were dark shades of indigo with streaks of opal, she wore a black blouse with a veil over her rump through which all could see her cutie-mark, a yellow star surrounded by five colorful eighth notes, and she stood before a beautiful grand piano.

"This song may be familiar, but yet it's totally different. Kind of like me, Rara."

The crowd sounded confused by those words, murmuring amongst themselves... when a soft and gentle melody sounded and they quickly shushed and listened as Rara began to play a piece on the piano before taking a deep breath...

I'm here to show you who I am

Throw off the veil, it's finally time

There's more to me than glitz and glam, oh-whoa

And now I feel my stars align...!
(One by one, unicorns in the audience very softy lit up the tips of their horns, adding to the atmosphere)

For I had believed what I was sold

I did all the things that I was told

But all that has changed and now I'm bold, `cuz I know...

That I am just a pony!
(Behind Rara, visible by a light on the other side shining through the curtain, shadows of an orchestra were seen, their combined melody adding to the swell of the music)

I make mistakes from time to time

But now I know the real me

And put my heart out on the line

And let the magic in my heart stay true, oh-oh-oh-oh

Just like the magic inside of you

And now I see those colors right before my eyes

I hear my voice so clearly and I know that it is right

They thought I was weak but I am strong

They sold me the world but they were wrong

And now that I'm back I still belong, cause I know...
(Everypony watched in awe to see Rara's cutie-mark light up...)

That I am just a pony
(...and they let out a wondrous applause)

I make mistakes from time to time

But now I know the real me

And put my heart out on the line
(From where she watched, Applejack smiled as tears filled her eyes to see her old friend at her best again)

And let the magic in my heart stay true, oh-oh-oh-oh

Just like the magic inside of you
(As the music began to die down, the shadows of the orchestra faded away)

Just like the magic inside of you...!

Stepping down, Rara smiled out to see the crowd applauding in a way they'd never applauded before, and somehow it felt all the more special. She stepped out onto the stage walkway before calling out, "Thank you, everypony! When I arrived at the Helping Hooves Music Festival, I had forgotten who I really was. But then an old friend reminded me what real friendship is about, and she told me that if I was true to myself, I couldn't go wrong. So, I have a very special surprise for her, but for it I'm going to need a little help.

"Cutie-Mark Crusaders, come on up here!"

The CMC all hurried up onto the stage and everypony listened as another number began, something that sounded quite familiar to a certain apple farmer...

Equestria, the land I love

A land of harmony
(Behind Rara and the Crusaders, the Equestrian flag unfurled)

Our flag does wave from high above

For ponykind to see...

Equestira, a land of friends
(Rara then held out her hoof to Applejack...)

Where ponykind do roam
(...and pulled her onstage to share in this moment)

They say true friendship never ends

Equestria, my home...!

As the crowd cheered again, Applejack noticed an old triangle levitate up and gave Rara a cheeky smile before tapping it, ending the number just as they did it at Camp Friendship.

"Thank you, Rara, thank you Crusaders, and thank you Applejack! And now, it's time for our next performer!"
"She's an aspiring musician hoping to make her own mark in musical history. Fillies and gentlecolts, put your hooves together for a real singing sensation, Scarlet Ash!"

Everypony gave a rousing cheer as a pegasus mare with a cream colored coat, a scarlet red mane done up in a wild spiky style, and chocolate eyes stepped onto the stage. She wore a faux-leather punk-style jacket and carried an electric guitar. For a few moments, she didn't do anything, but just before anypony could question it... she began to stamp her right hind hoof again. And again. And again. And again.

Somehow, the crowd knew what to do and began to do the same with their own hooves, creating a repeated beat throughout the atmosphere, until finally...

I followed my heart into the fire
Got burned, got broken down by desire

I tried and tried but the smoke in my eyes
Left me blurry
Blurry and blind

I picked all the pieces up off the ground

Got dirt on my feathers but that's gone now

I've got the glue on hand

I'm sticking to the plan

Sticking to the plan that says I can

Do anything at all

I can do anything at all

This is my kiss goodbye

You can stand alone and watch me fly
Cuz nothing's keeping me down
Gonna let it all up
Come on and say right now, right now, right now

This is my big hello
Cause I'm giving, never letting go
I can finally see, it's not just a dream
When you set it all free, all free, all free

You set it all free
(Scarlet then cut loose and began to shred a killer guitar solo under the flashing stage lights)

This is my big hello
Cause I'm giving, never letting go
I can finally see, it's not just a dream
When you set it all free, all free, all free

You set it all free

As the music died down, the crowd rose up and roared with applause, causing Scarlet Ash to pause, stunned by her reception... and smile, unable to hold back the tears at the sight of so many ponies suddenly chanting "Ash! Ash! Ash! Ash!" before Midnight and Twilight ran out onto the stage.
"What about that?!"
"We just witnessed the birth of a genuine rock star!"

Scarlet Ash waved and gave a bow before exiting stage left, and Midnight and Twilight gestured for the crowd to calm down.

"And up next, we have a very special performer all the way from Afriska!"
"She's recently arrived to begin her Equestria Tour, which she decided to start right here in Ponyville!"
"Allow us to introduce to you... GAZELLE!"

Everypony cheered as the music swelled and curtains rose to reveal four Tiger Dancers as Gazelle appeared between them all!

Oh, oh, oh, oh oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

"Good evening, Equestria! C'mon everypony, put your hooves up!"

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

I messed up tonight
I lost another fight
Lost to myself
But I'll just start again

I keep falling down
Keep on hitting the ground
But I always get up now to see what's next

Birds don't just fly,
They fall down and get up
Nobody learns without getting it wrong

I won't give up, no I won't give in
`Til I reach the end
And then I'll start again
No, I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything!
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Look how far you've come
You've filled your heart with love
Baby, you've done enough, take a deep breath
Don't beat yourself up
Don't need to run so fast
Sometimes we come last, but we did our best

I won't give up, no, I won't give in
'Til I reach the end
And then I'll start again
No, I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail
I won't give up, no, I won't give in
'Til I reach the end
And then I'll start again
No, I won't leave
I wanna try everything
I wanna to try even though I could fail

I'll keep on making those new mistakes
I'll keep on making them every day
Those new mistakes

Oh oh oh oh oh
Try everything
Oh oh oh oh oh
Try everything
Oh oh oh oh oh
Try everything
Oh oh oh oh oh

Try everything

The crowd went wild with applause as Gazelle and her dancers gave a bow and exited the stage, Midnight and Twilight coming back out.

"Wow! Wasn't that great?!"
"It sure was, Midnight, but so is our next act! Everypony, give a warm Ponyville welcome to..."
"The Buttnaked Fillies!!"

A curtain rose up, everypony applauding as the band behind it began their song...

It was a recipe for disaster
A four course meal of no sirree
It seemed that happily ever after
Was happy everyone was after me

It was a cup of good intentions
A table spoon of one big mess
A dash of overreaction
And I assume you know the rest

One little slip,
One little slip

It was a fusion of confusion
With a few confounding things

I guess I probably took the wrong direction
Well I admit I might have missed a sign or two
I ran a light past your affection
At Humiliation Avenue
Took a right turn at confusion
A left when I shoulda gone straight on through
I ran ahead with my assumptions
We all know what that can do

One little slip
One little slip

It was a fusion of confusion
With a few confounding things

I get the feeling in this town
I’ll never live till I live down
The one mistake that seems to follow me around
But they'll forget about the sky
When they all realize this guy's
About to try to learn to fly or hit the ground

It was a cup of good intentions
A table spoon of one big mess
A dash of over-reaction
I assume you know the rest

One little slip,
One little slip
It was a humble little stumble
With a big un-graceful...

One little slip
One little slip

It was a fusion of confusion
With a few confounding things

The crowd cheered like crazy, some of the mares actually swooning to the stallions in the band as the curtain fell. Midnight and Twilight came back out as Twilight began.

"What a great performance, everypony, but now, let's try a little something different."
"Courtesy of Mister Flank Sinatrot!"

Everypony apllauded as the curtains rose again, revealing the famous Flank Sinatrot himself as the silhouettes of musicians behind him started up big band music.

I've got you under my skin
I have got you, deep in the heart of me
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me
I've got you under my skin
I'd tried so, not to give in
I said to myself this affair it never will go so well
But why should I try to resist when baby I know so well
I've got you under my skin
I'd sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of having you near
In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats, repeats in my ear
Don't you know, little fool
You never can win
Use your mentality
Wake up to reality
But each time I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop before I begin
'Cause I've got you under my skin
I would sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of having you near
In spite…

The music ended with a percussive flourish as Flank Sinatrot gave a bow to the applause and the curtains fell. The night wore on and there were plenty more acts and songs and musicians and singers, all of it was wonderful and amazing. But it was getting late.

After the most recent act finished their number, Midnight and Twilight stepped out onto the stage once more.

"Well, everypony, I'm afraid it's just about time to conclude the Helping Hooves music Festival."

There were several aw's among the crowd, but the number of yawns made it apparent that it really was just about time to wrap things up.

"I know, everypony, but we had a great time tonight, right?!"

The crowd let out a rousing "YEAH" cheer, especially from Bulk Biceps, and when they stopped, Twilight went on.

"But I think we have time for one last song, and it's a little something my husband and our friends and I have all worked on, and so... Ponyville, this is for you!"

The lights dimmed, the curtain fell, and everypony murmured excitably before the lights lit up and a powerful beat and melody began as the curtains rose and there was the Whole Harmonic Twelve! Big Mac, Applejack, Thunderlane, and Soarin all on guitar, Blueblood on the violin, Cheese Sandwich on the accordion, Pinkie Pie on drums, Rainbow Dash on electric guitar, Fluttershy on tambourine, Rarity on piano, while Midnight and Twilight shared a mike.

[Twilight Sparkle]
I spent so much time searchin'
Lookin' for somethin' more
Diggin' holes too deep
And opening every door

And when you stand too close
Yeah, the picture's never clear
And when you look too far away
It all but disappears

[The Harmonic Twelve]
And it was right (right) there in front of me (Oh-oh, ah-oh-oh)
Just too close for me to see (Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
Sometimes the things you want
Are not the things you need
And it was right there in front of me

[Midnight Blaze]
There was a time before
I didn't know where I belonged
I thought I needed more
And that I couldn't get along

[Twilight and Midnight]
But who I am
Was all I ever needed
And when I faced that test
I finally succeeded

Oh, whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

[Twilight and Midnight]
And it's all I'll ever need

[The Harmonic Twelve]
Oh, whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

[Twilight and Midnight]
And it was right there in front of me

[The Harmonic Twelve]
Oh, whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

[Twilight and Midnight]
And it's all I'll ever need

[The Harmonic Twelve]
Oh, whoa-oh, oh-whoa-oh

And it was right there in front of me-ee-ee

Oh oh oh
All this time
It was in front of me

As the crowd went wild, Midnight, Twilight, BigMacintosh, Fluttershy, Applejack, Thunderlane, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Blueblood, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Cheese Sandwich looked out to their friends and neighbors and family and even saw the performers who'd all come to be a part of this amazing night cheered their hearts out, and they nuzzled their special someponies as they all knew.

This was going to be a night they would remember for a good long time.

Author's Note

Showstopper is a character created by Creative Quill

I showed her a few times before but I wanted to give her a more significant role even if it was small, and plus I didn't like how Svengallop walked out on Coloratura on his own terms and thought him being flabbergasted by the appearance of a celebrity like Showstopper would be an excellent way to show him he could shove it

Also, I included more songs and performers since Coloratura was technically the opening act for the Helping Hooves Music Festival

Disclaimer:

"Set It All Free"
"Try Everything" and the character Gazelle
"One Little Slip"
"I've got You Under My Skin"
"Right There in Front of Me"

324. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1

The moment was a little tense as Midnight walked paced in front of his friends, glad that each of them had already summoned their sword. They stood in the meadow behind the Castle of Friendship, where there was plenty of room and it was harder for the locals to see them.

Midnight moved at the steady and dutiful gait of the guardsponies his father once led as Captain of the Royal Guard, the same kind of gait he'd drilled into Midnight's head during his alicorn training years. It rubbed him the wrong way when his father's training regarding the guard came in handy, but for this occasion it was necessary.

"It's been over six months since the incident in Canterlot when Buck Cheap conspired against the throne and Equestria itself," he began, his voice firm yet solemn, "and we all remember what we experienced both prior and during that crisis."

He looked to them and saw them share looks of hesitant bewilderment, so Midnight carried on, "We were appointed a noble and mighty office by the Champion of Faust Himself. By His guidance and words, we finally came to understand why Harmony bestowed these swords upon us. Though no disasters have threatened the peace or well-being of this nation since then, I have come to the realization that just because all appears to be well that we cannot lower our guard. We must be ready for when the next Buck Cheap rises up to threaten Equestria and all of her little ponies.

"Even before we were given these swords and called upon by Lord Stormbreaker, we, along with our girls, have accomplished many incredible things. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra, Tirek, as well as plenty of other threats and emergencies, minor and significant, that endangered our fellow pony and the peace and prosperity of Equestria. However... in light of recent events, I believe the time has come for us to truly embrace the honor and duty bestowed upon us by Stormbreaker."

He looked to his friends again, and though he saw a little bit of doubt in their eyes, they each gave off a stance and emanation of resolve and courage.

"Gentlecolts, my friends, my brothers... say the oath!" Midnight bade.

"For Harmony, we stand united..." Soarin drew his sword, blue like the sky yet shimmered like a rainbow.

"For Harmony, we inspire!" Cheese Sandwich drew his sword, orange like melted cheese yet bright like a party.

"For Harmony, we will be true." Blueblood drew his sword, white like a diamond, regal as gold.

"For Harmony, we believe in each other!" Thunderlane drew his sword, dark gray like a thundercloud yet glimmered like a flash of lightning.

"For Harmony, we never give up." Big Macintosh drew his sword, red as a shiny apple while gleaming like a crystal clear pond.

"For Harmony, we vanquish evil!" Midnight Blaze drew his sword, black as night yet glowing like the silvery blue of a full moon.

They raised their swords high above their heads and declared, "So we swear, as the Knights of Harmony!!!"

The swords each gave off a bright and glimmering glow as energies emanated from them before swirling around their wielders, and one by one each was clad in their Harmonic Armor and Helms, before the glowing swords and armor dulled, and the guys checked themselves out, admiring their armor and commenting on each other's swords-

"Ateeeennnn.... SHUN!!!" Midnight snapped like a drill sergeant, the knights all quickly resuming a stance very similar to the Royal Guardsponies in Canterlot. Again, Midnight began pacing in front of them after sheathing his sword.
"We are a Knighthood. We are sworn to stand together, to inspire, to be true, to believe in each other, to never give up, and to vanquish evil. That means we are protectors of the innocent and of those who cannot protect themselves. We answer the call when others need help. But in order to do that, we must be ready and able. In other words...

"TRAINING."

Although they maintained their poises, Midnight's sharp ears heard the stifled groans and mumbles of his friends and so added, "However, that's not to say we're gonna dive right into some hard training. Just a moment..."

Midnight lit up his horn and conjured six training dummies before them, along with some books, and explained, "Each of you will take one of these dummies and books home with you. You are to read the books and learn as much as you can on your own time but be sure to make it a priority. The books will give you basic instruction of armed and unarmed combat. The dummies are for you to practice on, and they are enchanted to repair themselves, so don't worry about breaking them.

"What I want for you all to do is devote at least one hour a day to training and study, and from now on we will meet here in this field once a week in the afternoon to train together. We will train in combat, strategy, teamwork, sparring, weight-training, and anything else we can in order to become an effective fighting unit. We owe it to ourselves as well as our friends, our families, and to Equestria to become the best we can be. At ease."

The guys all sighed and relaxed a bit before Midnight asked, "Any questions?"

"I've got one!" Cheese raised his hoof. "You, Thunder, and Mac, your guys' swords can become new weapons. Does that mean mine, Blue's, and Soarin's can, too?"

"I don't see why not," Midnight shrugged, "I didn't unlock my sword's dual gauntlet form of Nightfall until our battle with Cheap."

"My sword became a bow called Skystrike when I helped stop a crime boss from framing an innocent Dog," Thunderlane brought up.

"Mahn became a sword an' shield called Stone Edge when Ah helped a troupe o' performers from bein' framed by some outlaws," Big Mac nodded.

"So it stands to reason our own swords have alternate forms as well," Blueblood examined his sword closely, "Interesting..."

"I guess it took fighting against some bad guys to bring your swords' alternate forms out, right?" guessed Soarin.

"I'd say it was more like..." Midnight conjectured, "when we were standing up to unjust individuals."

"I have a question as well," Blueblood sheathed his sword. "As a Knighthood, will we only be comprised of the six of us? Or do you think we might add others to our ranks?"

"That's a good question," Midnight considered it, "I think it would be a good idea, provided we find the right individuals who could join us. On a side-note, I think it's fair to say that our swords' alternate forms have special powers. So, make that another priority during your training; practice not simply your swordsmanship but try to determine exactly what sort of hidden powers your swords have and learn to wield them.

"I cannot be certain what this knighthood of ours will come up against. I cannot be certain if we'll always be victorious. But I believe as long as we stand by our oath and each other, that we will become true defenders of Equestria in time."

Time

Time....

Time?! Midnight suddenly remembered something before asking, "The time! Does anypony have the time?!"

"Well, judging by the position of the sun in the sky," Blueblood gathered, "I'd say it's just about noon."

"Class dismissed! I have to meet Twilight and Spike at the train station!" Midnight hurried off, his armor turning back into energy that was sucked up into his sword, which was absorbed back into his body, before he took flight.

Arriving just in time to see the Friendship Express pull in, Midnight smiled as he waited for the travelers to disembark, peering over to look for his wife and her assistant. He didn't look for long as he saw them step off the train and waved to them.

"Midnight!" Twilight hurried up to her husband, and they embraced each other warmly before sharing a kiss and an adorable snoot-nuzzle. "You're a welcome sight after a long train ride."

"You're a welcome sight anytime," Midnight retorted, spurring a laugh between them.

"Hi Midnight, anything exciting happen while we were away?" asked Spike as he walked up to them.

"Eh, not really," Midnight replied as he led them off the train platform, "Though I am interested to hear about how the lecture went at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns."

"I'll tell you about it on the way home," Twilight said as they started on the path to the castle.

"Heheheh! Spike fell asleep during the presentation?!" Midnight stifled a guffaw, trying not to upset the dragon, though it didn't work as Spike moaned in embarrassment.

"Twilight took a long time rehearsing, I got tired!" he griped.

"Oh don't worry about it, Spike," Twilight assured, "at least Moondancer was there to help."

"So the lecture went well, then? Nothing unusual happened?" asked Midnight... and was met with a solemn silence from Twilight who showed a troubled look. "Twily? Is everything okay?"

"It's... Well, Midnight," Twilight took a deep breath, "during the lecture, I'm pretty sure I saw somepony."

"Who?" asked Midnight, suddenly feeling uneasy.

"I saw her as I was scanning the audience, but when I looked back she was gone," Twilight explained, "Midnight... I'm certain I saw Starlight Glimmer!"

"That's... not good," Midnight was stunned before he considered, "But wait... Starlight Glimmer was taken away from us by Catrina. If you really saw her in Canterlot, what could that mean?"

"I don't know," Twilight sighed, "there's no telling what she could be up to."

"Nothing good, I'll bet," Spike commented, "From what you guys told me, she wasn't very friendly the last time you guys saw her."

"Forcing everypony in her village to have the same cutie-mark wasn't right," Twilight responded, "we had to do something."

"That pony needs to be locked up," Midnight stated firmly, "Her power to remove cutie-marks makes her dangerous... and I fear that power may not be hers alone anymore. Twilight, we've never discussed this, but perhaps the time has come we formed our guard."

"Our own guard?" echoed Twilight.

"Celestia has the Royal Guard, Luna has the Lunar Guard," Midnight elaborated, "and Shining Armor and Cadance have the Crystal Praetorian Guard up in the Crystal Empire. Even Sombra has begun organizing a guard of his own. Me and the guys have formed the Knights of Harmony, so maybe you and I should have a guard of our own to protect Ponyville and our castle."

"Midnight, I agree that Starlight needs to be taken care of," Twilight replied patiently as they neared the castle, "but I don't think having a guard of own in Ponyville is necessary. To be honest... I'm not entirely sure of what I saw. Besides, Ponyville is such a small and quiet town. There's no crime here, everypony's friendly and neighborly, and as long as we have our friends I know everything will be alright."

They entered the castle, Twilight and Spike setting their bags aside, as Twilight added, "Maybe I was just more stressed about that speech than I thought."

"Yeah," Spike laughed in an offhanded way, "That sounds better than Starlight Glimmer coming back with an evil plot for revenge."

"Maybe you guys are right," sighed Midnight, "but I still think a guard wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"Midnight, relax," Twilight assured as they opened the doors to the Map Room, "Ponyville is the friendliest place in Equestia. There is no need for a guard to protect it."

"Or maybe there is...!" Spike said in an uneasy voice as he pointed forward and they looked and gasped!

There she was, sitting in one of the thrones at the Map as Starlight sneered, her horn alit with mana, "Welcome home, Your Majesties!"

*SHHHHZAP*

A bolt of magic flew from Starlight's horn, striking Midnight in the chest, knocking him back and out with an groaning kerplump!

"Midnight!" Twilight cried out in alarm as she looked to her husband.

"Twilight, she's up to something!" Spike pointed again and Twilight watched in stunned horror of whatever.

Starlight's horn lit up and levitated a parchment written with archaic words, letters and glyphs before she cast some kind of magic upon it. The parchment rose up higher, swirls of mana gathering around it before it struck the Map with a bolt of magic, causing the Map to activate and reveal the holographic display of Equestria!

Twilight and Spike hurried up to it, Twilight demanding, "What are you doing, Starlight, and what did you do to Midnight?!"

"Oh worry not about your hubby, Twilight," Starlight assured mockingly, "He's only stunned. As for what's about to happen? Well, I'd hate to spoil the surprise..."

She then crumpled the parchment in her aura, "Won't be needing that anymore," before throwing it aside. Twilight lit up her horn, prepared to fight, only for Starlight to cackle menacingly as rings of magic rose up around the Map! Twilight tried to zap it with a Flux Spell to disrupt whatever was going on, only for the rings to deflect it, and an unnatural wind picked up, almost blowing Spike away until Twilight held him protectively under her wing.

They watched as an orb of light formed at the apex of the rising rings before the orb expanded, showing arcane symbols and magic circles surrounding what appeared to be a portal!

Then, before they could stop her, Starlight levitated herself, giving them one more wicked smile before she vanished into the portal, and it vanished behind her in a blink of light.

"Where'd she go?" Spike asked.

"I don't know, but we'd better find out," Twilight declared. She paused and looked back to Midnight and was relieved to see him coming to-

"Well, I guess we can start with this."

!!!

Twilight looked and saw Spike reaching down to pick up the crumpled parchment, "Spike, no! Don't touch that!"

But Spike's claws had already clenched the paper... and they looked on as the same magical process began again! The rings rose up around the Map, the portal opened, and as the wind picked up, Midnight groaned as he lifted his head and saw his Twilight and Spike watching this strange phenomenon... before it began to suck them up!

"AAAUUUGGGHHHH!!!!" Spike and Twilight cried in alarm as they flew towards the portal.

"TWILIGHT!!!"

"MIDNIGHT....!!!"

And in a blink of light, they were gone, leaving Midnight stunned, horrified, and uncertain.

325. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2

The stunned sapphire alicorn didn't know how long he laid there, looking up to where the portal that had sucked away his wife and their dear little assistant, but finally it set in, and he furrowed his brows before standing up. He didn't know what had happened or what Starlight was up to, but one thing was certain, I'm not gonna accomplish anything just standing here...

Summoning his sword, Midnight hurried outside, hoping to find some clue as to where Twilight, Spike, or even Starlight had gone, and perhaps to rally a search party. But the moment he stepped outside...!

What is this?! He felt his horn tingle at the base before it shivered along its length, and a chill ran down his horn, then his spine, all the way to the tip of his tail!

Then he heard something. It was loud yet distant, and he gazed up in confused horror to see... some kind of... wave of light! It spanned the horizon, stretching from one side to the next and reached skyward, and it was headed straight for Ponyville! Midnight had never seen anything like it, yet his horn, his instincts, his very being warned him that whatever this phenomenon was he could not overcome it, and with every passing second it drew rapidly closer, enveloping everything in its path, which was to say everything as far as the eye could see.

With his pegasus vision, Midnight was able to see animals and creatures and even other ponies taking notice and suddenly trying to run. It did them no good, and all were swallowed up by this wave, and it hadn't even arrived in Ponyville yet. There was no time to lose, he had to do something and quick!

But what can I do? he thought in panic, This thing... it's so powerful! I can't- !! Twinken! Mom! Everypony!

He had no idea where they were, and the wave was almost upon Ponyville! He came to a difficult conclusion, There's no time... but there's still hope.

With heartbreaking reluctance, Midnight forced himself to make this decision as he raised his horn and tore into the barrier between this dimension and another! The rift opened and through it, he saw his Alicorn Dimension. Looking back, the wave nearly over Ponyville, he shed a tear as he whispered, "I'll save you all, somehow!"

Forcing himself not look back anymore, he jumped through, the rift sealing up behind him as Ponyville was engulfed in the wave of light.

All Alicorns possessed their own pocket dimension called an Alicorn Dimension, where everything existed in accordance to the whims and imagination and will of the alicorn it was connected to. This was one of the lessons Celestia personally taught Midnight during his younger years after his ascension. Here, not only could he change the landscape with but a thought, time had no meaning here.

He could literally spend eternity in his own Alicorn Dimension and never grow even one second older than he was when he entered. But she had warned him, that to spend too long within his Alicorn Dimension was tantamount to losing himself in his own mind. It made sense, as his Alicorn Dimension practically was his own imagination given tangible form.

He stood there in his Alicorn Dimension as it typically was, a wintry forest that wasn't cold with cosmic wonders dancing across the night sky above. It reflected Midnight's mind in some ways, but the longer he stood there, his guilt and fears bubbling inside him, the more his Alicorn Dimension changed to reflect it. The snow melted away, leaving a dreary barren wood, the stars and constellations and nebulae and moon above faded away, leaving only darkness, with only Midnight's cutie-mark giving off a glow. He knew he couldn't stay in here forever, his family needed him. His friends. His people. His nation.

His Twily...

But there was a part of him that dreaded what he might find once he stepped out and back into the real world. What had Starlight done? Where had she gone and what was her scheme? Where was Spike? Where was his wife? What was that wave of light he had avoided at the obvious cost of his home and everypony in it?

These questions buzzed in his head like a hungry swarm of parasprites, and the buzzing would only grow louder until he stepped out to find those answers for himself. Then he felt his sword, stirring inside of him, and he summoned it in his hoof. The black blade edged with a sapphire glow, casting an eerie light on the dreary world around him. It gave off a strange sensation that felt to Midnight like heat and cold at the same, intensifying as if anxious to move forward.

It made him think of earlier today, when he'd been with his friends and of the oath they remade. An oath to protect Equestria and everypony in it. The memory, the feelings surrounding it, it made itself known in the environment around him, as the land caught a blazing blue fire before quickly burning out, leaving snow and frost coating everything as it did before while a star sparkled by its lonesome in the darkness above before it exploded into clusters of stars, lines intersecting between them to form constellations while remnants of the explosions became the luminescent shrouds of nebula, and the darkness parted to make way for the moon, glowing its silvery blue guiding light.

Finding his resolve, Midnight absorbed his sword and turned around, a door appearing before him as he whispered, "Don't worry, everypony. I'm coming!"

Stepping through, Midnight found himself in the field behind the castle and for a moment, everything seemed alright. But then he turned around, and gasped!

"The Castle of Friendship!" He hurried forward as he called out, "Where is it?!"

It was gone, and all that was left... was the Map and several broken thrones! He looked upon it and was disturbed to see the Map of Equestria was different as well. It gave off a foreboding blood red glow and it showed that the Crystal Empire took up half of Equestria.

"What could this mean...?" he thought aloud when a shadow flew over him and he looked up to see, "Thunderlane?!"

The dark gray pegasus wore some kind of protective uniform similar to the Wonderbolts, but he kept on flying! Taking flight himself, Midnight quickly flew after his friend, calling, "Thunderlane, wait! Where are you going?!"

Thunderlane paused mid-flight and turned to look at Midnight... only to take a defensive posture, and glare at Midnight threw the opening of a helmet he wore, responding, "State your name and purpose! Come no closer!"

"Whoa-whoa, Thunder, cool down," Midnight paused while holding up his hooves, "It's me, Midnight!"

"I don't know any Midnight... and I didn't know there was another alicorn," Thunderlane gave Midnight a suspicious look, "Are you allied with Princess Celestia?"

"Yes, of course I am!" Midnight replied, suddenly confused, but he could see it in Thunderlane's eyes. ...He doesn't recognize me!

"Uh, I am Midnight Blaze, Arbiter of Canterlot and enforcer of Princess Celestia's will. What's going on? Why are you out here?"

"...I'm on my way to deliver a message to Applejack of Sweet Apple Acres," Thunderlane responded though he still kept up his guard, "Production of rations must be doubled in light of unexpected developments in the war."

"The war?! Equestria is at war?" Midnight gave Thunderlane a weirded out look.

"Where have you been the last few years?" Thunderlane rolled his eyes, not in the mood for this.

"I... I'm not sure exactly what's going on, but this is gonna sound strange to you," Midnight replied, "But you, me, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh, Fluttershy, Rarity, Blueblood, Soarin, Cheese Sandwich, and Pinkie Pie are all friends and have saved Equestria several times from disaster."

"...Did you fly too close to the sun, or something?" Thunderlane gave Midnight a weirded out look of his own. "I don't know you, or most of any of those ponies you just mentioned, apart from Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Soarin, and I only know Applejack and Big Macintosh because they contribute rations from their farm, and Blueblood because he's the head of weapons development for the war."

"I'm telling you the truth, and if you'll just come with me, I can explain more," Midnight flew back down towards the Map and used his magic to 'encourage' Thunderlane to follow, much to the pegasus stallion's irritation.

Upon seeing the Map and the remains of the thrones around it in a spot he'd passed over many times before, Thunderlane had to admit, "I've flown all over Ponyville so many times but I've never seen this thing here before."

"There's actually supposed to be a castle here to go with it," Midnight noted.

"Okay.... but what does this have to do with you and me being friends?" asked Thunderlane, becoming genuinely curious.

"A unicorn named Starlight Glimmer infiltrated the castle and used this map in conjunction with some kind of spell," explained Midnight, "Before I could do any thing, she hit me with a stunning spell and disappeared, and then so did my wife, Twilight, and our assistant Spike. I don't know what it is, but I'm certain that this whole entire thing is Starlight's fault!

"Everything as I know it has changed, but for some reason the map is still here."

"What do you mean, everything has changed?" asked Thunderlane

"Well, for starters, where I came from, there was never a war with King Sombra," replied Midnight, "As a matter of fact, you me, and the rest of our friends worked together to stop him before he could do any real harm."

Sighing, Thunderlane responded, "That's not the way I know it... When the Crystal Empire returned, it brought King Sombra with it. He immediately resumed power over the Crystal Ponies and then used his dark magic on them, turning them into his mind-controlled slave-soldiers before he declared war on Equestria!

"And even with Princess Celestia leading the war effort, the war is taking its toll. On everypony! King Sombra sends his slave-soldiers to abduct unprotected ponies so he can turn them into more slave-soldiers! He does the same to any of our soldiers his army manage to capture. A lot of us hold back because more and more of the enemy are really our friends, our neighbors, even our families! But in doing so, we're playing right into Sombra's hooves... In the ground we're managing to hold and protect, everypony is doing their part, working day and night to fight the good fight."

Thunderlane sighed morosely, "But honestly? It just seems to be getting more and more hopeless..."

"...So, we weren't around to stop King Sombra when he retur- !!!" Midnight froze mid-sentence as that specific word he's just uttered hit the lid on the coffin and he whispered, "When..."

Aloud, he said, "When! That's it! The magic Starlight used must be time-travel! She went back in time, changed history, and so in this present we're not friends and thus we never stopped King Sombra the day he returned with the Crystal Empire!"

As the realization got Midnight excited, Thunderlane sighed and said, "Look, I hope whatever all this is helped, but I really need to get this message delivered. I'm behind schedule as it is."

Thunderlane turned to leave and was about to take off-

"Thank you, Thunderlane."

He paused and peered over at Midnight, who looked solemn, "I promise. Somehow, I'll find a way to make things right."

Thunderlane didn't say anything... but then he turned and wing-saluted Midnight, who wing-saluted back, and watched as the pegasus took flight and veered off to what looked to be Ponyville.

Left alone, Midnight sighed as he wondered, "And just how am I going to make things right?"

He had no earthly idea. He'd studied time-travel magic somewhat, given his unique existence, but nothing he knew could allow him to go back in time very far. Certainly not far enough to whatever time it was when Starlight changed history. He wandered away from the Map, becoming oblivious to his surroundings as he began to ponder, But what was the event in the past that Starlight changed?

He knew the situation but little else. He needed to find out more in order to figure out how he was going to get everything back to the way it was.

Thunderlane doesn't know me, he didn't recognize some of the names of our friends... And because we didn't become friends we weren't there to stop Sombra when the Crystal Empire returned, he wondered, sighing. Damn you, Starlight.... what did you change?!

Then... Midnight's horn felt a familiar sensation and then a familiar rush of wind! "Wait! Is this...!! The spell!"

He turned around and hurried back to the Map, coming out of the grove of trees he'd wandered into and gasped to see Twilight and Spike rising up into a portal!
"TWILIGHT!!"

He called too late, and the portal closed, once again leaving him alone. He walked up to the Map in disbelief, "Were they here the whole time?!"

But before he could process this further, another familiar sensation, and he looked to the distance to see the same wall of light from before.

"No, not a wall of light... a Time Wave!" Midnight finally realized before he opened the rift and ventured back into his Alicorn Dimension.

Sitting there, he willed a glass of iced colt cola to appear to wet his whistle. He reconsidered and added some rum to it, the circumstances calling for something a little harder. Mixing the drinks he took a LONG swig until he emptied the glass of all but its ice cubes and let out a big BELCH, groaning as he figured something out.

Those... Time Waves, obviously they were the phenomena that caused the changes to the present, originating from some point in the past where history was changed.

"...and Twilight and Spike both just vanished into that same portal," he surmised, "so that means they must have somehow figured out how to use the time-travel spell Starlight used. But if they went back in time and then that Time Wave showed up, then maybe... they stopped Starlight?"

Somehow, Midnight knew it wasn't going to be that easy. After waiting a while, he stopped out of his Alicorn Dimension and found himself back at the Map, the thrones more broken, a few were missing, and just as before, everything around looked different.

Very different.

The land around the map was polluted, trees had long been cut down while others withered and were bare of leaves. The river nearby was gray and the surfaced skimmed with sludge and scum. Then he looked towards Ponyville, and felt his heart sink!

It looked like a village of slums and ghettos, ponies wandering about, everypony shifty-eyed, some were smoking cigars, others playing knives, he even saw ponies gambling on the streets, and that was just from the distance. He hated to think what else he would find here. Conjuring his cloak and an Aversion Ward, Midnight cautiously entered Ponyville. He saw many windows were broken and some were also boarded up, some ponies, dressed in rags and filth, were in the streets huddled around metal barrels with fire in them to get warm and then make themselves scarce as a few tough-looking thug ponies strolled the streets acting like they owned them. One of those thugs waved a knife at a foal, making the poor thing hide under somepony's porch.

"What happened here...?" Midnight whispered when-

"AUGH!!!"

He looked ahead and saw somepony thrown out of a building that looked disturbingly similar to Sugarcube Corner but instead of a bakery it was obviously a pub.

"Annnnnnd STAY OUT!!!"

"Eeyup, it's Sugarcube Corner," sighed Midnight in weary sorrow as he saw Pinkie Pie, her mane short but straight, wearing a stained apron, and her being devoid of laughter or cheer, snubbed the pony she'd thrown out before stepping back into not-Sugarcube Corner.
"Well... no better place to get the local flavor than its watering hole."

Midnight entered and very nearly avoided being skewered as a knife flew past him and he saw it stick into a dartboard, along with more knives, and he saw the interior was devoid of the warm and happy atmosphere that was the Sugarcube Corner her knew. Instead, he saw ponies and maybe a few griffons and minotaurs and diamond dogs sitting on barrels around wooden tables, drinking tankards full of rum, bottles of cheap wine, there was even a large brawny pegasus drinking straight from a keg as several around him were doing the typical "CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!" chant, and he saw Pinkie Pie and also Mrs. Cake serving drinks while Mr. Cake was tending the bar. On one side of the room, a weary blue unicorn was playing a saxophone alongside Octavia Melody and her cello, the two of them providing lounge music, which didn't really fit the atmosphere in this situation.

Looking around at these ponies and other creatures, Midnight saw scum, criminals, thugs for hire. The filth he often dealt with in the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods.

"Hey! You gonna order something or let the flies in?"

Midnight noticed Mr. Cake looking at him impatiently. The fatherly and awkwardly kind earth pony Midnight knew was not this pony. This Mr. Cake looked gruff, noticeably buffer than his lanky true self did, he wore a fancy lapel collar and bow-tie and cuffs on his forehooves, no hat, showing his mane was combed and greased down, and he had a soul patch.

"...Sure," Midnight approached the bar and sat down, "A Pink Pussy, hold the cream."

"Coming right up," Mr. Cake started mixing strawberry liquor with coconut rum.

As he waited, Midnight felt a rude jab to his shoulder and looked to see an ugly amphibious creature, rather similar to the ones he'd seen in a shithole to the south he'd been to before, a place called Klugetown. The creature was obviously saying something to him but spoke in a voice and language that sounded like he was gargling mud. Ignoring him, Midnight waited for his drink when he felt another jab to his shoulder and he looked to see it was a grizzled-looking unicorn pony with a dead eye.

"He doesn't like you," he clarified.

"Whatever," Midnight tried to ignore them but the unicorn grabbed his shoulder and forced him to face him again.

"I don't like you either! You'd better watch your step, my friend. The two of us are some of Lord Avarice's most infamous mercenaries."

"You two? I've seen worse..." Midnight scoffed derisively as Mr. Cake served him his drink.

"You'll see your own guts when we're done having a word with you!!" The unicorn snarled, unable to see the smirk under Midnight's hood as he summoned his sword... and the unicorn and his associate both gasped in brief agony as a blade impaled them both before it vanished, the both of them falling to the floor, dead.

This didn't escape the bar's notice as a chilling silence as the music stopped and everyone looked to see the corpses before Midnight reabsorbed his sword and then responded in a sinister tone, "I'm not much of a talker..."

Some of the onlookers actually laughed while the musicians resumed playing and the loud and obnoxious atmosphere returned. Midnight reached for his drink, only for Mr. Cake to pull it away.
"You made that mess, you clean it up!"

Sighing, Midnight lit up his horn, and teleported the two corpses outside, "There, can I have my drink now?"

"Four silver Bits," Mr. Cake responded.

Although he didn't have money on his person, Midnight always kept some of his wealth in his Alicorn Dimension and so conjured a small sapphire and placed it on the counter for Mr. Cake to see.
"Keep the change."

He took his drink and helped himself as Mr. Cake hesitantly took the sapphire and hurried off to stash it. Turning around on his seat, Midnight took a closer look at the patrons in the bar, and saw a few more familiar faces. He saw Gilda beating Iron Will in arm-wrestling, there was poor Button Mash picking pockets and slipping around as quiet as a mouse, and then he noticed Pinkie Pie coming his way.

"Hey, miss?" Midnight raised a waving hoof over and Pinkie approached.

"Yeah, what do you want?" she asked, sounding irritable, tired, and just plain unhappy.

"I'm from outside Equestria and just recently came into this country," Midnight knew there was no point trying to convince Pinkie they were friends because in this time they weren't. "I've been hearing of some... Lord Avarice, he in charge?"

"Are you kidding me? He and his damn family have been in charge for like ever!" Pinkie huffed, "Well, actually, a few hundred years ago, there was some kind of scandal or something, I dunno. But whatever happened, the Princess who was ruling at that time got kicked off the throne and the noble family, House Avarice, rose up and took over."

"I see..." Midnight wracked his brain and began to think, A few hundred years ago? Did Starlight travel that far?

"HEY!"

All eyes turned to an oversized and over-muscled white pegasus with angry red eyes as he held up a certain little dragon by his tail, yelling, "YOU STEPPED ON MY HOOF!!"

"Uh, sorry?!"

"Spike!" Midnight gasped and the little dragon looked the same as he always was.

"Let go of him!"

"Twilight!" Midnight whispered as he saw her light up her horn and wrested Spike out of Bulk Bicep's hold.

Bulk angrily picked up his barrel chair and threw it at Twilight, who yelped as she dodged out of the way, and the barrel hit a minotaur instead. Snorting angrily, the minotaur whirled around and glared at Bulk before lunging over to punch him square in the schnoz.

"BAR FIGHT!!!" Gilda screamed excitably and all-too-quickly did everything turn to chaos.

"TWILIGHT! SPIKE?!" Midnight tried to yell over the madness as tankards, some still half-full of drink, flew and splashed others, punches and kicks were thrown, dishes shattered, the musicians took cover while their precious instruments were used as makeshift clubs, a pony was thrown through the window, shouts and curses filled the air, and finally Midnight turned to shadow and slipped outside.

Looking around, he didn't see Twilight or Spike... until he sensed the Time Travel Spell activate and he looked in the direction of the Map and barely saw them vanish through the portal, which blinked out of existence, leaving Midnight to groan.

"Missed them again!" he cursed when he sensed the Time Wave coming and sighed before jumping into his Alicorn Dimension yet again.

"This is getting ridiculous!" he paced in annoyance, "I've got to figure out this problem and somehow catch up with Twilight and Spike! But every time this happens, the present is changed and I get lost in what's going on!"

Sighing, figuring enough time had passed, he stepped out of his Alicorn Dimension (yet again) and yipe'd as he heard an explosion while ducking to cover. He heard thundering hoofsteps and yells and fires burning before he looked up and felt his heart tear in two to see there wasn't even a Ponyville anymore! The land upon which Ponyville stood, it was devoid of trees, buildings, farms, homes, places of business. All there was, he saw a barren muddy landscape, barbed wire and large spiked posts in the ground, ponies dressed in war uniforms, the earth ponies carrying crossbows or pulling wagons full of supplies, unicorns operating Shield Cores that kept blinking on and off, there weren't any pegasi in the air. They were all hunkered down in trenches, peering out and ducking as arrows and stones were launched from the distance, and giant boulders, some engulfed in flames launched their way, ponies shouting, "LOOK OUT!!" or "TAKE COVER!!!"

The smoky air, the desperation in the atmosphere, the thousand mile long looks in some of these ponies' eyes...

"This is a war zone!" Midnight whispered in horror.

Author's Note

Midnight avoided being changed along with history because he took refuge inside his Alicorn Dimension - In this story, each alicorn has access to their own pocket dimension, which is basically their own world and their imagination combined. It exists outside space and time, so anything living in an Alicorn Dimension doesn't grow old and isn't affected by changes in history

I couldn't send Midnight along with Twilight and Spike in their repeated attempts to stop Starlight from preventing the Rainboom, so went with this alternative.

I began the whole chronological catastrophe as it did in the episode but decided to make the alternate timelines more random and diverse, since in this story there are plenty of differences already

I'd also like to point out that Midnight, Twilight, and Spike never encounter different versions of themselves because Twi and Spike didn't either in the two-parter; I think that's because the present versions of themselves weren't changed along with history and so there couldn't be new versions of them living in these alternate timelines

326. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 3

The situation here looked dire, as Midnight walked along the trench dug into the ground, and saw ponies, both soldiers and civilians, hunkering down, all of them scared to death, flinching at the sound of every explosion or shout. His cloak and Aversion Ward kept attention off of him, which suited him fine. But then the trench opened up a little, revealing what appeared to be a fortified base and yard and Midnight lit up to see a familiar face.

It was Shining Armor. Or rather, this present's version of Shining Armor. While his colthood friend retained some of his handsome looks, it had become marred by war. This Shining Armor was still a unicorn, he sported a beard along his jaw, an eyepatch over his left eye, he carried his helmet by a strap to his shoulder armor, and he was standing at a table and map, talking with soldiers, one of whom looked like Spearhead, another was Spitfire.

"Shining Armor?"

Shining looked up from the map towards the Cloaked Pony, and for some reason he felt a faint sense that he knew this pony as Midnight lowered his hood, "Do you know me?"

"...Midnight?" Shining Armor looked stunned, "You're alive!"

He approached Midnight in shock, others around them watching in confusion when Shining Armor embraced Midnight, who was a little afraid to hear what Shining Armor meant by 'you're alive' but just went with it and hugged him back. A distant explosion cut into the moment, so Shining Armor broke the hug and said, "Walk with me, there's much to discuss."

Shining Armor led Midnight down the trench ways, passing more soldiers and civilians, a few storehouses, a medical tent, an armory, and many fortifications ramshackled together. The more faces he saw, the worse Midnight felt before finally he had to ask.
"Shining Armor, what is going on here? Who are we fighting?"

"The Griffon Kingdom," Shining Armor answered as he continued leading Midnight along the trenches, "A few years ago, a griffon lord by the name of Gar managed to take full control of the kingdom and crowned himself the new Griffon King before he declared war on Equestria. He plans to return the Griffon Kingdom back to its slave empire days, and because Celestia and Equestria led the international intervention that originally cowed the Griffon Kingdom into abolishing their slave trade he's declared war against us.

"Already he's claimed most of the eastern Equestrian coast, captured hundreds of ponies to make into slaves, and he's pressing his advance!"

"But... what did you mean when you said, 'you're alive' back there?" Midnight asked, and Shining Armor paused.

"...Early into the Griffon Kingdom's invasion of Equestria," Shining Armor explained with a heavy tone, "you were one of the first to act. You led a Company of Guards to assess the situation and oversee an evacuation of the coastal towns around Horseshoe Bay... you walked right into an ambush. There was an explosion and your ship... we all assumed you went down with it but nopony ever found your body."

"But what's going on here?" asked Midnight, when they heard someone shout.

"CATAPULTS!!"

Shining Armor raised a large dark magenta shield spell overhead, expanding it as wide as he dared, and just in time to stop multiple boulders from crushing down on the trench. Once they slid off and some unicorns managed to move them aside to some fortifications, Shining Armor explained, "The griffons have made it to this point and so me and the local brigade have been assigned to hold them off here.

"The griffons are out there, just a few hundred yards across the field."

"But then why aren't you-" Midnight tried to ask when he felt someone tug on his cloak and he turned and was aghast to see it was Ditzy Doo, holding little Dinky!

"Help, please help!" Ditzy begged in a sobbing voice of heartbreak as Dinky gazed up at Midnight with eyes as sad and forlorn as Apple Bloom's were at the last Apple Family Reunion.
"They've taken everything! Homes, food, and those who couldn't get out in time they've taken as slaves!"

"Where did this happen?" asked Midnight.

"That way! They took them to a slave camp," Ditzy pointed, "On the other side of No One's Land."

"Midnight!"

Midnight turned to see Shining Armor, "I need you to follow me to the Communications Base."

"We need to help these ponies," Midnight gestured to Ditzy and Dinky.

"Captain, what's the holdup?!" shouted Spearhead from further down.

"If we don't do anything, these ponies will starve, they have nowhere to go!" Midnight insisted. "Ditzy just mentioned some ponies were recently captured and taken as slaves!"

"I know, Midnight, I know!" Shining Armor was trying to be patient, "But we're just not in the best position-"

"How can you say that?! These ponies need us!" Midnight was appalled that Shining Armor would turn down protecting ponies in need when they heard another distant explosion from over the trench.

"This is No One's Land, Midnight! It means no one can cross it, okay?!" Shining Armor admonished, "Me and my soldiers have been here for almost a year and we've barely gained an inch! Because on the other side, there are a bunch of griffons pointing their weapons and war machines at us and they have much sharper eyes than we do. We can't take so much as one step out there without getting shot at or blown up! Not even our best pegasus fliers have managed to get an aerial advantage. They always see us coming! There's no way feasible way to press onward, it's just not possible."

"So then what, we leave these ponies here to suffer?!" Midnight argued.

"Midnight, we..." Shining Armor was obviously in conflict, and Midnight knew why. His oldest and truest friend whose cutie-mark came from his desire to protect others, to shield them from harm.
To act against the nature of his cutie-mark, it must have been tearing him up inside.
"We can't save everyone in this war..."

"Maybe you can't..." Midnight said coolly as he stepped back and looked to the ladder out of the trench as he flared his wings, his cloak vanishing like a wisp of smoke, as he summoned his sword and invoked its power.

Everypony watched in awe as swirls of magic emanated from the blade and surrounded Midnight, forming pieces of armor that fit onto his form. His shoulders, his chest, his barrel, his rump, until finally the plumed and winged helm appeared on Midnight's head and his sword floated at his side as he gave Shining Armor a glance, "But I can!"

As he ascended the ladder, he whispered, "Find the Light, Nightfall!"

The sword shined as it became the dual pair of armored gauntlets with claws on Midnight's forehooves, the gauntlets black like obsidian with cobalt trimming and the claws shaped like crescents and colored gleaming silver, and the gauntlets having emblems matching Midnight's cutie-mark.

"Midnight, no!" Shining Armor called but Midnight ignored him... as he stepped into No One's Land.

He paid no mind to the catapult-flung boulders and blast-powder explosives, but he very quickly saw an arrow coming straight for him-

*FLIKSH*

-and knocked it away with an almost casual flick of Nightfall's claws, and continued to walk, to Shining Armor and the soldier's disbelief! He knocked another arrow away, and he heard distant shouts eagle-like screams from across No One's Land as more arrows were shot his way. He picked up speed and continued to deflect the enemy's arrows coming his way when Shining Armor realized, "He's drawing enemy fire, LET'S GO!!"

Shining Armor roared as he leapt out of the trench, his soldiers following as they brandished spears, shields, and even crossbows, as well as phials of potions.

As Midnight galloped towards the griffons, they aimed one of their catapults and launched a humongous boulder that suddenly caught fire, becoming a flaming ball of death hurtling towards Midnight. He raised Nightfall, focused an ice spell through it, and launched a frigid blast of subzero cold that quickly engulfed the flaming boulder, snuffing out its flames, and then used a strong flap to leap for the frozen boulder.... and slice it in half with Nightfall, a large crescent-shaped energy blade extending from one of the claws easily splitting the boulder into two halves that fell harmlessly to the sides while Midnight somersaulted forward in mid-air before he landed back on the ground and continued to charge towards the griffons!

But now that he was getting closer, their arrows were becoming more frequent, so he reared up and crossed his forelegs, Nightfall erecting the silver-blue bubble-shaped barrier around himself, the arrows harmlessly pinging off it. While the griffons' attention was on this sapphire alicorn knight, they forgot to pay attention to the rest of the battlefield as Shining Armor and his soldiers came in from the sides. Their crossbows fired, taking out the first line of griffon archers, surprising them.

Then some of the pony soldiers threw their potion phials into the griffons' trench, and it blew up in various different explosions, some releasing subzero cold, others an electric pulse, there was even one that exploded in a mess of sticky adhesive, hindering the griffons' movements, and even blasts of sneeze or itching powder. Seeing Shining Armor and his soldiers hindering the enemy, Midnight manifested crescent-shaped energy blades from each gauntlet and carried on the charge. The griffons who could still move saw him coming and grabbed their weapons, screaming as they charged out of the trench meet him head on.

Big mistake.

Midnight waved Nightfall while casting his ice spell again, sending a wave of cold over most of them, freezing them all over in ice in a matter of seconds. The ones who hadn't been caught in the ice-wave halted in shock as Midnight stabbed the left claws of Nightfall into the ground and started waving the right claws, charging his magic into the gauntlets, before he reared up and threw out his forelegs, launching a barrage of crescent-shaped waves of burning power that he flung at the griffons, and wherever these waves hit they exploded!

What few griffons who hadn't incapacitated and were still alive retreated, and Midnight realized where they were going.
"SHINING ARMOR!!"

Shining looked to his friend who was pointing to the retreating griffons, "THEY'RE HEADED FOR THE SLAVE CAMP!!"

"SOLDIERS! I NEED SOME VOLUNTEERS TO DETAIN ANY SURVIVING GRIFFONS AND TAKE THEM AS PRISONERS! THE REST OF YOU FOLLOW ME!!" Shining Armor called out as he ran after Midnight.

Following the retreating griffons' path led them to the area south-east of the foot of Mount Canterhorn, where they found a fortified base surrounding a wired fence enclosure, where dozens of ponies were chained up together. The griffons already on guard were alarmed to see their front liners returning, and very quickly the alarm was sounded.

Midnight gestured Shining Armor and the soldiers with them to stay down.

"This is a problem. They're on the alert and they've got prisoners they can use as hostages," Spearhead whispered.

"We have to handle this surgically," Shining Armor agreed, "We can't risk endangering the prisoners, but these griffons are already expecting trouble."

"...Wait here," Midnight ordered, "I can scout the area without being seen."

"Midnight, hold on a-" Shining Armor tried to protest, only to watch as vaporous darkness rose up out of Midnight's own shadow, enshrouding him before he fell into it, and the shadow slithered away, silent as a snake in the grass.
"I hate it when he does that..."

Rising up from his shadow, Midnight backed up against the walls of the griffons' base and gazed up at the corner watchtower where a griffon archer already had an arrow at the ready and was on the lookout for enemy movement. Snorting, he broke the griffon's neck with a simple application of telekinetic pressure but made sure the griffon dropped silently, and then silently hurried up the watchtower to hide the lookout's body before it was discovered.

He carefully peered down, seeing the enclosure, griffons at the ready, chatting among themselves of the attack they were certain was imminent, armed with spears, swords, bows and arrows, barracks against one wall, a mess hall to the other, and right in the middle of the enclosure were the dozens of ponies they'd taken prisoner.

To Midnight's horror, some of the unicorns' horns had been cut off while the lucky rest had been outfitted with inhibitor rings, the wings of the pegasi had been plucked, leaving them bare and incapable of flight, and the earth ponies had all been manacled and weighed down with heavy chains. not even the foals had been spared this monstrous abuse. The stallions, mares, and foals had been separated by corrals as though they were common animals, each had water troughs that had become filthy, and all these poor ponies were forced to stand and sleep in their own filth.

"I'll kill them all for this...!" Midnight snarled to himself.

First, he insured the prisoners would be safe by casting several protective wards over them that would make it so the griffons couldn't get near them or harm them in any way. That was when he leapt out into the open and shouted, "HEY BIRDBRAINS!! WHO'S IN THE MOOD FOR A SCRAP?!"

"INTRUDER!!!" "GRIFFONS, TO ARMS!!" "ATTACK!!"

The oversized catbirds all screamed as they lunged into the air, swords and spears raised, as Midnight spread his wings, willed his shadow magic to writhe off of his form in the form of nightmarish tendrils, which suddenly lashed out! Some impaled several griffons in random parts of their bodies (only a few were instant kills) while others ensnared them and jerked them downwards to the ground with enough force to break bones or threw them around like rag dolls.

In a matter of seconds, Midnight had already subdued most of the griffons in the fort, causing some of the pony prisoners to perk up at the sight of their tormentors being laid lo. Midnight then launched a flare spell skyward, signalling Shining Armor and his soldiers to attack, and he wasn't kept waiting long as a griffon commander on the ramparts shouted, "ENEMY FORCES INBOUND!! EVERYBIRDY FOR HIMSAAUGH!!"

The commander fell dead, a blade of shadowstuff sticking out from his back, which quickly dissolved into vaporous nothing. The fort doors were easily broken down by Shining Armor's magic and the strength of several earth pony soldiers, and what few griffons still lived quickly surrendered.

"The fort is ours, gentlecolts!" Shining Armor boldly declared, the soldiers and pony prisoners all letting out a rousing cheer, "Get the medics in here, these ponies need treatment! We need to get them away from here as soon as possible!"

The former prisoner ponies' chains were quickly broken and they were set free while the griffons still breathing were chained up and thrown into the enclosure in their place. As the medics examined the liberated ponies, Shining Armor and Midnight met up, the former saying, "It's good to see you again, old friend. You were right. Saving our people is just as important as saving our country."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Shining," Midnight smiled as they hoof-bumped... when Midnight sensed a familiar power. So did everypony else, as they looked to the distance and Midnight felt his heart sink to see another Time Wave.
"Because... I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

"What do you mean? What is that?!" Shining Armor felt afraid when he noticed Midnight backing up. "Midnight, what's going on?!"

"It's okay," Midnight promised despite the hesitant smile he showed, "Everything will be alright."

He turned around and opened the rift to his Alicorn Dimension, leaving this present to be wiped away.

Later, Midnight stepped out of his Alicorn Dimension yet again, and found himself back at the Map, only this time the environment around it was now overrun with wild forest, which looked suspiciously familiar to the Everfree.

"This is comforting..." Midnight whispered to himself sarcastically.

He could still recall when the Everfree Forest went wild, because the Tree of Harmony had run out of magic after so long and was no longer strong enough to keep the Everfree Forest wrangled in. Of course, that was because of those plunderseed plants that had been planted long ago by Discord just before his first defeat. Still, Midnight knew the Everfree Forest was filled with all manner of mysteries and secrets, monsters and creatures yet unseen.

"Eeny-meeny-miney-fuck it," Midnight chose a random direction and started that way.

Traversing the thick underbrush was simple enough. Usually he tore it away with telekinesis or hacked a path with his sword. His lunar pony senses were on high alert, listening for anything that could be a potential predator, his nose sniffing for anything that could forewarn of danger. While he could see fine during the day, however, his eyesight was much better at night.

Still, he had a sensor spell at the ready for anything of ill-intent, and after walking for a little while, he hacked his way through a bush and stepped for-

"AAAAAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!!! UGH!! OW!!! DAMN IT!! FUCK! FUCK, FUCKIN' COCK!! FUCK!!!!" Midnight screamed and yelled and cursed as he took a doozy of a tumble down a steep hill, hitting plants, vines, rocks, and branches all the way down, and then rolling a fair distance before he came to a very agonizing stop on his belly and lied there in groaning agony...

"...are you sure?"

...Voices? Though he was still in a great deal of pain, Midnight's mind remained clear enough to hear some voices not too far.

"Indeed, my queen. Zecora and her little resistance group have finally been found."

Wait, that voice...! Midnight had heard it before. But then finally he recognized the first voice he'd heard as she boasted.

"Excellent! Once Zecora's pitiful rebellion falls, I will have conquered all of Equestria at last! Well done, General Thorax..." Her voice oozed with smug malice and Midnight forced himself to crawl towards some foliage, through which he peeked and confirmed it.

There stood Queen Chrysalis, along with a swarm of changelings, two in particular standing before their mother-queen. One was colored different from the rest, having a purple carapace over his wings, purple eyes, and a red frill. Beside him, clad in changeling armor was Thorax! He wasn't the same Thorax however. He was bigger, stronger, and far scarier.

"I shall personally lead the first wave," Chrysalis decided, "As for you, my loyal generals, remain here and send your scouts to check the areas nearby. I don't want even a single pony slipping through our grasp."

"We hear and obey, Your Majesty," Thorax and the odd-colored changeling responded with a bow, and Chrysalis, along with two nearby changelings, changed form, with Chrysalis taking the form of Applejack and the other two Rarity and Rainbow Dash.

The three of them hurried off through the Everfree, leaving Thorax and the rest of the swarm to await the signal for attack.

"I gotta get out of here, urgh..." Midnight whispered, doing his best to ignore the pain as he turned to leave... only for a spear with a spearhead resembling a barbed stinger pointing at his face halting him in his tracks.

He looked up and saw it was a changeling who let out a loud HISS, obviously alerting the swarm, and Midnight forced himself to ignore the pain as he took flight, lunging upwards to get above the canopy. Alas, the swarm easily caught up and surrounding him in the air, and Midnight growled as he lit up his horn and bared his sword threateningly.

"What do we have here...?"

Midnight turned to see Thorax and the odd-colored changeling buzz up to him, Thorax saying in a condescending way, "It appears we've found ourselves an alicorn!"

"Let's take him out, Thorax!" the odd-colored changeling growled, "He's too dangerous to be allowed to live..."

"No... We'll capture him and present him to our queen once she's dealt with the rebels," Thorax decided, "Can you imagine how ecstatic she'll be to have another alicorn for the Hive to feed upon? I know I would be, Pharynx!"

"Heheheh, good point, brother," sneered the changeling Thorax had called Pharynx.

Midnight used the Mana Wielding Recovery technique to soothe his bruises, dulling the pain, before he smirked, "Do you know what happens to a bug when it gets too close to the light?"

"No tricks, alicorn!" Thorax hissed, "Come quietly, and save yourself the trouble."

"I'll tell you my answer to both you and my previous question.... ZAP!!!!" Midnight released a pulse of electrical power that spread throughout the air around him, zapping every changeling nearby.

Most of them fell back into the forest, some of them fell to the ground writhing in pain, only a few, including Thorax and Pharynx, managed to stay flying although they looked like they'd just been roasted and snarled in furious pain as Midnight took flight!

"GET HIM!!!" Thorax screamed as he, Pharynx, and the few changelings still in the air pursued.

Unfortunately for them, Midnight was much faster. But it seemed he wouldn't have to fly for long as he sensed another Time Wave and sure enough, he saw it coming from the edge of the Everfree Forest. He looked back at his pursuers, giving them a mocking salute before he vanished into his Alicorn Dimension and the changelings stopped mid-flight as they were engulfed in a white light.

328. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 5

"No..."

Starlight couldn't believe this. She'd seen it before, Twilight and Spike had warned her. But in her rage and hubris and heartache, she'd refused to listen.

"...what have you done?"

Those words uttered behind her suddenly filled her with chilling dread as she turned around and suddenly feared for her life to see Midnight, his eyes red with rage and green with disgust and flowing with a purplish miasma from the corners of his eyes as he roared, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!"

Faster than she'd seen anypony cast a spell, Starlight felt a painful pulse of magical power strike her in the horn from Midnight, and concentrated to cast a shield spel-

"AUGH!!" She held her head, feeling it spike with pain before she felt something on her horn and reached up to feel something hard and sharp growing all over it like blemishes, and then cried out in alarm as something seized her by the throat and lift her clear off the ground.

Struggling to breathe and unable to grasp whatever had her in a choke hold, she saw it was Midnight, a shadow extending from one of his wings while the other held up a blade of solidified shadow and angled it towards her throat as he snarled, "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED?! WAS THE RUIN OF EQUESTRIA WORTH YOUR PATHETIC REVENGE?!"

"MIDNIGHT, STOP!!"

Twilight rushed over, placing her hooves on her husband's cheeks, looking into those dark magic-filled eyes of rage as they shifted between Starlight and Twilight, twitching and beginning to tear up as her own were, Spike hiding behind the Map, terrified of what was happening.

"Midnight, please! Let her go!"

"Let her go...?! LOOK AT WHAT SHE'S DONE!!" snarled Midnight.

"Midnight, please! It's not worth it," pleaded Twilight, her tears beginning to flow, and the sight them finally made Midnight pause. "Punishing her won't help... it's over."

That did it. The hopelessness in his beloved's face, in her voice, her eyes... it hurt his heart worse than anything before ever had. It hurt like when Flash had been killed right in front of him, when his mother had been cursed, when his father had abandoned him, when he'd had to give up his little brother. Worse than having to avoid his friends and family and watch them from afar while pulling the strings to make sure his past self fulfilled his role before his own time-traveling journey.

It hurt... so much that he let go of the rage, his eyes returning to normal, his shadowy grip releasing Starlight, who fell to her knees, coughing and gasping for breath, and his shadow blade dissolved as he held his Twily in his wings, giving comfort and much as he sought it, feeling her press her face to his chest while he rested his muzzled on top of her head, his tears flowing as the cold and terrible reality set in.

They'd failed Equestria. They'd let everypony down. All they ever loved and cared about was gone.

"Are you proud of yourself...?"

They turned to look at Spike as he glared tearfully at Starlight, who shrank in shame at his condemning stare.

"You think you're so special because one friend let you down?!" Spike teared up as he stomped closer towards Starlight. "LOOK AROUND YOU, STARLIGHT GLIMMER!!! YOU did this!! We tried to warn you, we tried to understand you! We tried to convince you that you could still experience true friendship, but NOW LOOK WHERE WE ARE!!!!

"Y'know what?! Maybe your friend left you behind, but YOU LET THE FRIENDSHIP YOU SHARED FAIL. Why didn't you go out there and congratulate him when he got his cutie-mark?! Why didn't you try staying in touch with him when he left for magic school? Is it that hard to write and send a letter?! Well, I hope you're proud of yourself! YOU WON. You've ruined friendship- No... you've ruined everything FOR EVERYPONY!!! INCLUDING HIM!!"

Spike finally fell to his knees and began to cry his heart out, as Starlight laid there, a stupefied look on her face, tears flowing down her cheeks, unable to utter a single word in response. Spike was gently picked up in Twilight's aura and taken into hers and Midnight's embrace, as they cried together.

Starlight cried alone, unable to look at them as she took in what her vendetta had led her to destroy. A crushing weight of guilt and despair washed over her. It wasn't supposed to end like this... it was supposed to end with her revenge destroying the friendships Twilight held so dear and ruining her life as payback for ruining everything she herself had worked for and built.

No one else was supposed to-

No... I didn't care about anypony else, Starlight thought in self-disgust. I didn't spare a thought on how my revenge would affect anypony else but Twilight...

Looking back, Starlight thought of that day that began her path, when her foalhood friend had gotten his cutie-mark and left their hometown, and her, behind. How she'd relieved that pain to illustrate her point to Twilight, that a cutie-mark, that differences, ruined her friendship. Then she wondered, what would life had been like had she not decided that a cutie-mark ruined a bond she had held so dear?

She couldn't imagine it, but in this awful, gut-wrenching moment after all those things Spike had said to her, anything else would most likely have been better.

Did she really let the friendship she once had fail? She hadn't gone out there after her friend got his cutie-mark, to celebrate with him what he had achieved. She hadn't even tried to say goodbye when he left for Canterlot the next day to study at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. To her, it was as if life had suddenly moved on and there was no point trying to think or do otherwise.

That's when it truly clicked and she realized, Spike is right...! Sunburst getting his cutie-mark didn't ruin our friendship, I let our friendship fall apart...

The wind blew a bitter cold upon them all, and they didn't know how long that sat there, wallowing in their failure... until finally, Twilight broke the hug, wiped her tears and forced herself to say, "Come on, everypony... maybe we can find someone out there."

She levitated Spike onto her back and started to walk away, passing Starlight, who was too ashamed to look Twilight in the eye. A part of Twilight felt like telling Starlight to stand up and come with them, but another was bitter to her very presence. Just because she'd stopped Midnight from killing her, it didn't mean Twilight was now in a forgiving mood. She'd tried. She'd tried to convince Starlight to change, to give friendship another chance without ulterior motive or biased views. She didn't blame Midnight for suddenly showing up right when she was getting through to Starlight, he'd had no idea what was going on and had only been trying to stop Starlight.

No... As far as Twilight was concerned, Starlight was on her own.

She looked back to Midnight, who was looking off into the distance and yet his eyes were empty.

"Midnight, come on," Twilight called to him. "There's nothing left for us here."

Sighing, Midnight stood, glared at Starlight, and began to follow Twilight before he peered back one last time to look at the Map.

The Map.

The Map... Something suddenly nagged at his mind as Midnight looked at the Map, which was now as flat and lifeless-looking as the land around them, and yet that something spurred him to give the Map a closer look. Then, for some reason, weird thoughts filled his mind.

The Map... time-travel... the present... changing the past...

...

!!!

Something began to dawn in Midnight's mind as he suddenly realized... He looked at the Map. He looked at himself. He looked at Twilight, Spike, and even Starlight-

"Midnight, let's go!" Twilight urged almost irritably. "There's nothing more to do. Let's just... see if we can find shelter before it gets dark."

Twilight was becoming a little concerned by her husband's strange behavior right now, the way he was looking at her, at Starlight, at himself, the Map-

"There's still a chance...!"

"Midnight, what are you-" Twilight tried to say.

"There's still a chance to set things right!" Midnight declared, which roused Spike from his moping on Twilight's back, and even Starlight from her guilt trip.

"Midnight... the spell is gone," sighed Twilight before she reminded him, "we can't use it to go back."

"Yes, but we're still here. The Map is still here! I mean think about it," Midnight elaborated with just a slightly manic look in his eyes, "If history really was changed with no hope of setting everything back on the proper course, then we shouldn't be here! Because...?"

He let the question hang in the air, smiling at them expectantly while giving them a look that welcomed an answer, to come to the same conclusion. But then, the pieces slowly came together in Twilight's mind as she began to see what Midnight was saying, "Because..."

"Because each of us is the result of an exact series of events that didn't happen in this timeline!" Spike declared triumphantly, giving him odd looks from Twilight and Midnight and even Starlight.
"What? Some of my comics involved time travel!"

"Wait, then... since we are the products of a history that didn't happen..." Twilight realized, "then we shouldn't exist! Except we're still here."

"Exactly, and so is the Map!" Midnight pointed out, "Which can only mean one thing - We must have done, or will do, something that will allow us to restore the timeline to the way it's supposed to be! If we can just figure out what that is..."

The three of them thought and pondered and tried to figure out what in the name of Faust whatever the solution to this chronological conundrum could be the answer, when...

"Um, excuse me?"

Their eyes turned to Starlight, each of them bitter and distrusting, causing Starlight to shrink back a bit, but guilt spurred her to say, "I know I have no right to... what I mean is... I have no excuse. I didn't even consider what my revenge would do other than getting back at you all, but... I would do anything to make up for what I've done, and that's the honest truth."

Twilight, Midnight, and Spike shared looks, taking Starlight's words with a grain of salt, but then they all nodded as Midnight stepped forward and gave Starlight a hard look.

"However this turns out, you will answer for what you've done. Not only here, but what you did to the ponies of your old village, and what you did to Twilight and our friends."

"I understand, and I will accept the consequences of my actions," Starlight nodded solemnly before taking a deep breath. "In my... well, in the time I took preparing for... What I mean is, I did a lot of research into Star Swirl the Bearded's work involving magic over time. What I put together, it was only possible by the Map, along with my own knowledge in magic.

"But nothing I managed to find can undo what I've done, and even though I reworked the spell I can't recreate it. I know this isn't exactly helping, but-"

"Hold on..." Midnight raised a hoof as something made itself known in his mind and he remembered something. "I think... I think I have the answer!"

He lit up his horn, calling upon an object he had stashed away in his Alicorn Dimension, and summoned a scroll to his hoof. Twilight, Spike, and even Starlight leaned in for a closer look and saw that this scroll had the seal of Star Swirl on it!
"This isn't the first time I've been in a mess involving time travel."

"That's right!" Spike remembered, "When you got blasted into the past!"

"Feels like a lifetime ago," Midnight nodded while giving Twilight a wink, which actually managed to crack a smile on her face, "And I actually met Star Swirl."

"You met Star Swirl the Bearded?!" Starlight couldn't resist. "Wait- That's- How did you get sent so far into the past that you actually met the Star Swirl the Bearded?!"

"Long story, but the point is, I met Star Swirl, convinced him that I was from modern day Equestria, and he helped me figure out a way to get back to my proper time," Midnight went on, "by leapfrogging through history using a magical object I created, that was imbued with temporal magic. Basically, it kept me in a bubble of slow time while time flowed past me like a river, allowing me to bypass years, decades, even centuries of time, depending on how long I maintained the spell. During my journey through history, I visited Celestia at a time a while after Star Swirl had passed away, and she gave me this scroll, along with a message from Star Swirl.

"He'd done some research and managed to make this unique time-travel spell just for me. He mentioned destroying all records of his research into the making of this spell, and left it to me to decide whether or not to use the spell to get back to my own time. Ultimately, I chose not to use it, which turned out to be the right choice. But anyhoo, I think this spell might be the answer we're looking for!"

"So then, what did Star Swirl design for this spell to do?" asked Twilight.

"In the message he left me, Star Swirl explained that this particular time-travel spell isn't for time-traveling to any when you want to go," Midnight explained, "but rather... it's to send a subject or even a person who is out of their proper place in time back to their proper place in time."

Spike didn't get it, "Meaning...?"

"Meaning that this spell might be able to send us back our proper time!" Midnight answered. "Think of it like... one of your comic books being out of chronological order until you put it in its right place among your collection."

"Oh...!" That Spike got. "So, it's like if somepony put my Power Ponies seventh issue between the second and third issues!"

"But, Midnight... technically, we already are in our proper place in time," Twilight pointed out.

"Not necessarily," Midnight responded, "True, this is the point in time we should exist in, if we were the Midnight, Twilight, Spike and Starlight that resulted from this history. Except we're not. We all know where we came from, when and where we all were born, how we lived our lives. Our personal histories didn't occur before the present of this timeline.

"Which leads me to my theory - The past we remember and lived through, somehow, someway, somewhere, some-when! It's still out there, wherever or whenever you wanna call it, existing in some cosmic plane we can't access. But maybe, just maybe, with this spell, we can transport ourselves back to the present as we know it, before all of this began!"

"I... suppose that it's possible," Twilight conceded, "even if logic and science might argue otherwise."

"C'mon, Twilight, if there's even the slimmest chance that this spell could work, I say it's worth taking!" Spike urged.

"Now, considering our situation, I think we're gonna need all the mana we can muster," Midnight undid the seal and unrolled the scroll, revealing the spell and its arcane formula, letting Twilight, Spike, and even Starlight look at it.
"This is a long shot, at best. But you know what? Faith is all about long shots."

He reached out to Twilight with his left hoof, and Twilight thought a moment before giving the pony she loved her smile, "You've always been there for me, and you've always come through for me. How can I not do the same for you?"

She gladly took his hoof, Midnight smiling gratefully before he held out his right hoof to Spike.

"Now, hold on, Midnight," Spike hesitated, "I'm no unicorn wizard."

"I need someone who believes that anything is possible," Midnight stated before asking hopefully, "Do you believe in that?"

"As long as you guys are there... absolutely!" Spike grinned with determination, taking Midnight's hoof in his claw, when he and Twilight noticed the look Midnight was now giving Starlight.

Starlight held Midnight's gaze, but her own was no longer of the brazen contempt she used to sneer with, but rather a newfound sense of humility.

"You said that you would do anything to make up for what you've done," Midnight stated in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone.

"I did, and as I said before, it's the honest truth," Starlight nodded.

Midnight narrowed his eyes... and his horn bubbled with dark magic that quickly dispelled the black crystals he'd inflicted upon Starlight's horn to disable her magic. He nodded to Twilight and Spike, and they got the idea before holding out their free hoof and claw respectively. Taking a deep breath, Starlight approached, and met them the rest of the way in each of her own hooves. Once the circle was complete, all eyes turned to Midnight.

"Okay then, I'll start us off. I'll speak slowly and clearly. One by one, each of you join in. Are you ready?"

"Not really," Spike was starting to feel the pressure.
"As I'll ever be," added Twilight.
"No, but let's do this," Starlight responded.

Midnight nodded, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, the rest doing the same as they cleared their minds and began to focus before Midnight began.

A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time
To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme

Midnight's magic began to fill the air, mana collecting around the four of them in the form of shimmering streaks of light as they concentrated...

A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time
To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme

Twilight's magic began to contribute, the streaks of mana becoming intense and faster...

A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time
To when and where we belong I send us with this rhyme

Even Spike's inner magic began to heat things up as the air began to intensify...

A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time
To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme

Starlight's magic contributed greatly to the sheer combined magical might building up towards this spell, as the four of them began to rise from the ground, maintaining their connection as they gave it one more big push!

A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time
To where and when we belong I send us with this rhyme

The power ignited, and launched skyward like a firework before it exploded into... a time portal! The four of them smiled in excitement and near-disbelief that they'd done it... and then they rose, slowly but surely, until they ventured through. But just before she entered the portal, Starlight had a thought.

I failed you, Sunburst... but I can still make things right!

The time portal opened, and the four fell out in an alarmed yelp of a pony pile. Groaning and pulling themselves apart before getting back on their hooves, they took in their surroundings... and were astounded. Nice sunny day in an open blue sky, fresh air with a faint scent of some baked goods, the sounds of distant laughter and day-to-day chattering of pony passerby, cozy homes and business stands, Sugarcube Corner, Town Hall down the street, and the Castle of Friendship standing tall and inspirational for all of Ponyville to see.

They were back!

"We're... we're home!" Twilight couldn't believe her eyes, which were on the verge of becoming tearful with joy.
"The spell worked..." whispered Midnight, his look of disbelief turning into a happy smile.
"Does this mean we-" Starlight tried to say, but-

"Get down!" Spike hissed as he pushed them all into a nearby bush.

"Spike, what are you-" Twilight tried to say, only to get a sharp 'SSHH' from Spike before the little dragon pointed down the street that led to the castle... and they all gasped!

Coming up the street, the four of them stifled their gasps to see... Midnight!

The other Midnight looked to be in a bit of a hurry as he trotted at a quick pace through town, clearly with a destination in mind. They ducked when he got too close, and poked their heads out of the bushes a few seconds after he passed them by, and watched him carry on down the way.

"What th- Was that...?!" Twilight wasn't certain what was going on.

"That was me!" Midnight whispered in confused shock, "But... that must mean-"

"We must have arrived before the whole time-travel mess began!" Spike nodded.

"Wait, so then... Midnight where are you off to, right now? The other you, I mean," asked Starlight.

"Let's see, uh... I remember! I- Er, I guess my Past Self is on his way to the train station to greet Past Twilight and Past Spike after their return from Canterlot," Midnight figured.

"Which means... that by now, my Past Self is in the castle," Starlight brought up.

"Was this how the spell was supposed to work?" asked Spike in a lame way.

"Never mind that, what do we do?!" Twilight fretted.

"We need to get to the castle and stop Past Starlight," Midnight responded, "Otherwise, we start this whole thing all over again!"

"But what about your past selves?" asked Starlight. "What if they show up and- I don't know, I'm so confused right now!"

"Time, Travel, am I right?"

"AUGH!!!"

The four jumped to see everypony's favorite pink party pony as they shouted, "PINKIE PIE?!?"

"Hi guys, and I see Starlight's here too," Pinkie smiled, "She's not here to be a meanie-mac-meansterpants again, is she? If not, then I gotta throw her the customary 'Welcome to Ponyville' Party!"

"Pinkie! We- Uh... I..." Midnight flummoxed, trying to find the right words, "We... got us a really serious situation, and-"

"The four of you are all actually future versions of the Midnight, Twilight, Spike, and Starlight of this present, and you all just got here after a huge timey-wimy mess that nearly doomed all of Equestria, and you used a special time-travel spell to arrive at this moment, but you didn't mean to show up while your past selves are still here, and so you gotta get somewhere to make sure this timey-wimy mess doesn't start all over again, and you need somepony to keep your past selves busy for a little bit?" asked Pinkie Pie right off the bat.

...

"How do you know all that?!" Starlight gaped stupidly at Pinkie Pie.

"Just a hunch!" Pinkie gave a big smile.

"So... can you keep our past selves preoccupied for a while, Pinkie Pie?" asked Twilight.

"Yupper-doodles, but ya better hurry and do what ya gotta do," Pinkie replied before she merrily hopped off down the same street Past Midnight had taken.

The four of them watched her go, and Spike commented, "Fillies and gentlecolts, I give you the living mystery that is Pinkie Pie."

"Let's go!" Midnight urged, and they all galloped off to the castle, Twilight lifting Spike onto her back.

Reaching it didn't take long, but just before they were about to open the doors, Starlight called, "Wait! Just a moment."

They paused and looked at her, "Listen, my Past Self is in there right now, expecting you three to walk through those doors into the Map Room."

"What's your point?" asked Spike.

"My point is, if you all go in there, Past Starlight is just going to think you're all your past selves," Starlight explained, "Nothing you say or do will convince her otherwise. She'll activate the spell, and like you said, Midnight, we'll have to start this all over again."

"I take it you have an idea?" asked Twilight.

"Yes. Let me go in there and talk my Past Self down," Starlight asked.

"Excuse me...?!" Midnight gave Starlight such a stink eye, "Just because you helped us cast my time-travel spell, doesn't mean you're off the hook!"

"I'm not trying to trick you or get out of facing the consequences of my actions," Starlight swore, holding up her hooves in a begging gesture, "Like I said, my Past Self won't believe any of you. But if she sees me, her own self, she'll hesitate, she'll pause and listen, and I will do my very best to get through to... to my self, and convince her to give me the spell and make sure it's never used.

"I know now what I did was wrong and selfish and horrible, and the reasons why were self-righteous and in no way worth it. I accept that I have a long way to go to make up for my misdeeds or even earning your trust. But please, let my start by stopping my Past Self from making this horrible mistake."

There was no hint of deception in Starlight's voice or in her face, but that didn't mean anything. She'd spent years hiding her true self from all the ponies she'd lured into her "equality" sham and manipulating them whenever they stepped out of line. She had charisma, skills in leadership, an eye for detail, a head for organization. These skills alone made her a worthy adversary... or perhaps she could be an ally.

Midnight had no intention of letting Starlight get off scot free, whatever Twilight or Spike might say. But her words had merit - If they went in there, horns a'blazing, there was too great a risk that Past Starlight would quickly activate the time-travel spell and they would be right back where they started. But if Starlight saw herself...

"Midnight?" He looked to his Twily, and saw an encouraging look, "Give her a chance. I know you meant well and that you were only trying to stop her, but just before you appeared, I was getting through to her. The Starlight of this present moment is absolutely resolute in her scheme, so she won't listen to us if we go in there.

"But she might listen to her self!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Spike added, "But come on, Midnight, let Starlight try! After all, if she hadn't helped with your time-travel spell, we wouldn't have this second chance."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a less-than-enthusiastic sigh, Midnight gave Starlight a hard look, "You have five minutes to get your Past Self to fork over the time-travel spell. After that? No promises..."

"I understand, and thank you," Starlight nodded, "Now let's go in, but hang back so my Past Self doesn't see you when I go into the Map Room."

Very quietly, they entered the castle, making their way to the entry hall before they looked to their right to see the doors that led into the Map Room. Gulping, Starlight looked a little anxiously to the others, Twilight whispering, "Good luck, Starlight."

Spike gave a thumb's up while Midnight gave her a curt nod.

Taking a deep breath, Starlight approached the doors, Midnight hiding on one side, Twilight and Spike on the other, close enough to listen but out of the doorway so as to not be seen. Starlight gazed up at the doors, thinking about who she was going to meet on the other side. It felt a little... psychological. Deciding there was no putting it off any further, Starlight lit up her horn and eased the doors open as she stepped forward.

"Welcome home, Your- !?!?"

She gaped in shock at who had just walked in. She'd been expecting those egotistical alicorns and their little dragon, but... It was like looking at a mirror!

"Wha- What is th- Who are you?!" Past Starlight demanded, lighting up her horn.

"What do you think, Starlight?" Future Starlight responded coolly, "I'm you!"

"But that's-"

"Impossible?" interrupted Future Starlight. "You're holding a time-travel spell invented by Star Swirl the Bearded, which you modified and keyed to the Map in front of you, and you're saying it's impossible to be meeting yourself from another time?"

"..." Past Starlight had raised her hoof and opened her mouth... but found she couldn't argue with that. Before long, she found her voice, "Prove it! Prove you're me from another time. Just because you know what I'm planning, isn't enough!"

"...When I was a filly, I lived in a town called Sire's Hollow," Future Starlight began, "I lived with my parents, but my dad always embarrassed me the way he kept treating me like a baby. Then.... I made a friend. We had so much in common, we enjoyed magic, we loved playing Dragon Pit, we talked about how our parents got on our nerves, and we spent practically every day together."

From the doorway, Midnight, Twilight, and Spike listened in but didn't dare to take a peek for risk of Past Starlight seeing them.

"I thought we'd be together always... until that day, when we were stacking books and it nearly fell over onto me. He was there and quickly used his magic to stop the books from hurting me, and that was when he got his cutie-mark, a talent for magic. He was so happy and excited, that immediately he ran outside to show his parents. But me? ...I just stood there, standing in the doorway as my best friend celebrated that literal symbol on his flank that meant he was growing up, surrounded by his family.

"It was as if suddenly he was far away and I couldn't catch up with him. The next day, he was gone, sent off by his parents to Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. At the time, I was so hurt and angry that he didn't even say goodbye... and from that day onward, I blamed his cutie-mark- No, I blamed Cutie-Marks in general for ruining the friendship I shared with Sunburst!"

Midnight felt his blood turn to ice when he heard that name but kept quiet.

Past Starlight was awestruck. She'd never shared that with anyone ever since she'd left Sire's Hollow. Not even her parents.

"...you're really me?"

"I am, and Starlight..." Future Starlight slowly approached her Past Self, stopping until she stood before the Map and looked at her from across it. "I'm from the future. I'm here to tell you something, something you absolutely need to hear."

"What is it? Did I fail? Did Twilight stop me from my plan to prevent the Sonic Rainboom from happening?" Past Starlight furrowed her brows. "Tell me, so I can be prepared!"

"No, Starlight, that's just it," Future Starlight shook her head. "You win. You succeed in your revenge. I prevented the Sonic Rainboom. Twilight and the rest of her friends never got their cutie-marks as a result, and so their friendship never came to be."

"So then what's the problem?!" Past Starlight demanded. "Why are you here if I win?!"

"Starlight, you won't want to hear this, but it's the truth," Future Starlight took a deep breath, "It's not worth it."

"What...?!" Past Starlight leaned back, incredulous.

"It's. Not. Worth it," Future Starlight repeated slowly and deliberate, "Listen to me, this act of revenge won't just hurt Twilight. It hurts everypony!"

She gestured to the Map and lit up her horn to activate its magic, causing the holographic display of Equestria to appear, "What I did, what you're planning to do, it hurts everypony all across Equestria. Including Sunburst!"

Hearing that name again, Past Starlight suddenly felt a twinge of doubt and regret, but she quickly buried it under her bitterness, "So what?! Sunburst abandoned me! He got his cutie-mark and all of a sudden I wasn't good enough for him! And why should I care what my revenge does to Equestria? It's a place where every pony struts about, showing off their precious cutie-marks, acting like they're better than everyone else! Differences tear friendships apart, just as it did with me and Sunburst the moment he got his cutie-mark before me!"

"No, Starlight, a cutie-mark didn't cause our friendship with Sunburst to fall apart," Future Starlight said gently, "We did!"

"What?!"

"Don't you remember?" Future Starlight reminded her younger self, "I know you do. You just stood there! You didn't say a thing. Sunburst was so happy, and I regret that I didn't celebrate his accomplishment with him. The next day, Dad told you that Sunburst was leaving, but you refused to go see him off at the train station.

"And even after he left, I just assumed that he wasn't my friend anymore. I didn't even try to get in touch with him. I let Sunburst go, his cutie-mark didn't take him from us. Yes, it's what started the whole thing, but you- I could have done better. I let the friendship I shared with Sunburst fail, Starlight. I just sat there, acting like the world had moved on and that there was nothing I could do about it.

"And in case you forget, Sunburst got his cutie-mark because he was protecting me! If that isn't proof that he cared about you, what is?"

Past Starlight found herself at a loss for words, hearing what her future self was saying, as it began to reach past the bitterness and the spite.

"Give me the spell, Starlight," Future Starlight bade in a gentle voice. "Give friendship another chance. Just like someone else did for us."

"But..." Past Starlight began to tear up, levitating the instrument of her revenge, suddenly holding it as though it were a security blanket, "I thought Sunburst and I were the same, but we turned out different and it tore our friendship apart!"

"Then try again," encouraged Future Starlight with an understanding smile, recalling the words a certain princess had said to her, "and if something happens beyond your control, work through it with the friends you make, because that is what true friendship is. Not lying to others or manipulating them, but honest and sincere compromise and understanding. Everypony's friendships are important, not just Princess Twilight's!

"We gave up on Sunburst's friendship and look where it's brought us. But just imagine all the other friends out there, waiting for our discovery!"

"How do I know they won't all end the same way?" Past Starlight questioned, finding herself afraid at the prospect. She didn't want to go through that pain again.

"I guess, it's up to you to make sure that they don't," Future Starlight answered, giving her other self a warm smile before she held out her hoof.

This time, Midnight and Twilight and Spike dared to peek just a little bit, as they watched in growing anticipation. Past Starlight looked to her future self, the emotional turmoil in her eyes as clear as day, and then at her future self's extended hoof. She looked at the spell she had worked so hard to create for the purpose of her revenge, and the guilt and regret stirred up again, only this time... there was now a longing.

For so long, she'd lived by the belief that friendship was not possible because of differences and inequality, and that cutie-marks were the obvious example as to why. It's why she dedicated her life to creating equality through meticulous control and removing cutie-marks to enforce her beliefs. She'd sought validation, is why she founded her little village, but looking back, she remembered how she'd started her little utopia in a place isolated and out of the way because she didn't think everypony would agree with her.

That simple reflecting back caused her to realize that even then there was indeed a part of her telling her that what she'd been planning was wrong.

She'd "welcomed" travelers to her village and "taught" them her point of view. Some had taken "encouragement" to agree with her, but over the years, she slowly but surely populated her village with ponies from all walks of life. She'd removed their cutie-marks, stored them in a vault while replacing them with her "equal" marks, and reminded them day after day after day that only through equality and being the same could their way of life and friendships be possible. She was happy, surrounded by all these ponies she'd swayed into her way of thinking, even though she hadn't been honest and sincere about it.

But looking back, with all these new thoughts and self-reflections and realizations... she now understood how wrong she'd been, about so many things!

Once more, she looked at the spell, and then up at her future self, and in her own eyes, she saw something. Something better. She smiled back at her future self... and accepted her hoof-

*SHWOOOOOMMMM...*

Midnight, Twilight, and Spike shielded their eyes as both Starlights suddenly shined a blinding light, a vibration in the air, and then there was a pulse that spanned the world with a subtle yet powerful touch. Then, almost immediately afterwards, the light dimmed, and they looked into the Map Room... and saw only one Starlight. She was sitting on the side of the Map where the Past Starlight had been, but now the Future Starlight had disappeared!

For a moment, the three of them feared something had gone so horribly wrong, when Starlight called out to them, "It's alright! Please come in."

The three of them entered as Starlight came around the Map and the thrones, and levitated the spell to them, smiling as she said, "Everything is okay now."

"Wha- What just happened?" asked Twilight, but before Starlight could answer...

"That's what we'd all like to know!"

The four of them turned to the doorway... and there stood the Past versions of Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, along with the rest of the Council of Friendship.

"Sorry, guys, I tried to keep them away, but then there was some big weird light and funny feeling that everypony in Ponyville felt," Pinkie Pie apologized the Future versions of Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, and the lone Starlight.

"What is going on here?" asked Past Twilight, "What is Starlight doing here, or these other... us's for that matter?"

Starlight shrank back at all their glares and looks of apprehension, when Future Midnight, Future Twilight, and Future Spike all stepped forward.

"It is a long story, but we can most assuredly say, that all is as it should be," Future Twilight replied.

"Well... maybe not everything," Future Spike pointed out as his Past Self approached him.

"Say, have I always been this good looking?" Past Spike smirked.

"Like you even need to ask... Up high!" Future Spike held up his claw and Past Spike did the same, and when they came together-

*SHWOOOOOMMMM...*

The same thing happened again! A blinding light, a strange feeling in the air, and the same force that spanned the globe, and when the light dimmed, Future Spike had vanished, leaving only one Spike.

"Okay, this is getting trippy," commented the lone Spike as everypony gaped at him.

"It happened again!" Future Midnight realized, "First the two Starlights touched each other, and then there was that strange phenomenon and when it was over, it left only one Starlight, and when the two Spikes made physical contact-"

"-the Future Spike vanished and left the other Spike behind!" added Past Midnight.

"So... does that mean we're going to cease to exist?" asked Future Twilight, looking afraid.

"I don't think so," said Starlight, and all eyes turned to her, "Because if that were the case, I wouldn't remember all that just happened. I remember casting the spell, doing the things I did in the past... I think when my future self and my past self touched each other after my past self chose not to go through with my plans for revenge, the two Starlights... came together as one Starlight - Me!"

"Hey, I remember that whole crazy mess too!" Spike realized. "Maybe since the whole time-traveling mess has been prevented from happening, the future versions of us that came from that whole... experience have combined with our past selves as a way of time fixing itself."

Future Twilight and Future Midnight shared a look and then looked to their Past Selves, seeing some hesitation... until Past Midnight came forward and held his hoof out to his Future Self. Future Midnight smiled and approached his Past Self and said, "Faith is good to have..."

"...but Friendship is even better." agreed Past Midnight, smiling in response as his future self bro-hoofed him-

*SHWOOOOOMMM...*

-and yet again, the same phenomenon occurred, temporarily blinding everypony, and then they saw there was once again only one Midnight. Midnight looked to the Past and Future versions of his wife and chuckled, recalling a certain fantasy of his, before he assured, "It's okay, Twily."

Both Twilights nodded before they approached each other, finding themselves most curious about this most miraculous of circumstances literally standing before them. It was as if a reflection had come to life, and while that was both interesting it was honestly just a little... very much disturbing. Finally, they both mustered their courage and held up their hooves before they met each other halfway-

*SHWOOOOOMMM...*

-and the phenomenon completed its work. The timeline was whole again, and then... a spark of magic ignited in front of Twilight, then Midnight, Spike, and finally Starlight!

Everypony watched in wonder as those sparks flew about like bees zipping about to and fro, before they all converged upon the time-travel spell. They watched as it was engulfed in a strange magic that suspended it directly above the Map, and from the Map came a pale turquoise mana matching Starlight's own magic, and that mana seemed to get sucked up into the spell's paper... before a time portal opened above, just below the root chandelier, and they watched as the spell vanished into it in a blink of light, taking it away to be lost forever in time where it could never do harm, like it did in a timeline that would never happen.

"Could somepony explain to us what in the heck is going on around here?!" Rainbow Dash cried out in impatience, and the others all nodded and murmured in agreement.

"You're all gonna want to sit down," Twilight smiled as she gave Starlight an assuring pat on the shoulder, "It's kind of a long story."

Then Midnight looked to Starlight and said, "Wait outside, and I shouldn't have to say that you'd better not leave..."

"I won't," Starlight promised and she nervously walked past the others to wait outside the Map Room while the Council of Friendship went into session.

"I mean, I knew my Rainboom was awesome," Rainbow Dash exclaimed after they'd heard the whole story from Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, "but I never thought all of Equestria depended on it!"

"Or on us!" added Pinkie Pie.

"I think it's more than that," Twilight spoke up as she gestured to the Map displaying their nation, "Friendship connects all of Equestria, and undoing one group of friends made its magic less powerful."

"I can't believe you were able to travel through time as you all did," Blueblood brought up. "Surely Starlight Glimmer is an uncommonly powerful wielder of magic!"

"She obviously has more talent for magic than almost any pony I've seen," agreed Twilight, "My magic couldn't stop her. It took Starlight seeing the consequences her revenge would have on everypony that she finally understood and convince her past self to let go of her vendetta."

"Your magic couldn't stop her...?" Midnight asked in a tone that caught everypony's ear. "Or perhaps you weren't willing to do whatever it took to stop her."

"What are you saying, Midnight?" asked Twilight, finding her husband's manner standoffish.

Knowing Twilight wasn't going to like what he had to say, Midnight took a deep breath.
"You tried to stop her using methods to incapacitate her or at the very least waylay her long enough so that Rainbow Dash would be able to complete the Rainboom, none of them worked. Did it ever occur to you that you were holding back?"

"Holding back?" echoed Twilight.

"The way I see it, Twilight," Midnight lectured, "is that you saw a threat to the ponies of Equestria, perhaps the entire world, but you didn't go far enough to stop this threat and prevent catastrophe."

"Midnight, what are you saying I should have done?" Twilight furrowed her brows. "That I should have hurt Starlight?"

"If that was what it took, then yes," Midnight nodded, getting some reactions from some of his friends around him. "We are not simple everyday ponies who can make easy decisions to solve extraordinarily complicated problems. Particularly you and me, Twilight. We are alicorn royalty, sworn to guide, to lead, and to protect our little ponies and Equestria from all manner of threats that would jeopardize the peace and harmony we work so hard to maintain.

"I have led the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods for nearly ten years, and though I am not proud of some of the things I've done, everything I did was to protect Equestria from her enemies whether they come from outside our borders or lurk within. Starlight presented a clear and deliberate threat. Not just to us, to ponykind, to Equestria, but to the entire world! ...And while she has come to understand the wrongness of her actions and her motivations and even aided us in preventing a doomed Equestria, that doesn't change the fact she is still dangerous, that she still has many other misdeeds to answer for, and that is why we cannot overlook those misdeed and permit her to just walk away."

For a long moment, there was a pregnant pause, the air becoming tense, and nopony was certain what to say in lieu of Midnight's words. He'd made some very good points, even though he'd implied what Twilight should have been willing to do was...

In any case, Applejack was finally the one to break the silence, as she said, "...Ah'm afraid Ah gotta agree with Midnight. We cain't jus' send her on her way. She's got a lot o' stuff t' answer for, an' while Ah'm glad t' hear she's honestly sorry an' wants t' make amends, there has t' be some kind o' consequence."

"I actually have something in mind about that," Twilight replied, though she looked over to Midnight. "I won't argue with you on the matter that Starlight needs to make amends, but I don't believe locking her up will really resolve anything."

"...One of the things I love most about you, Twilight, is your kind and forgiving heart," Midnight sighed, "Still, forgiveness can't always be given so easily... I'll go along with what you want to do with Starlight, but I will have conditions of my own. Nothing harsh, but all the same. Can you agree with that?"

"I can agree with that," Twilight nodded before gesturing to Spike.

The little dragon hurried over to the door and opened it, peering through. He then quickly hurried back to his throne, and they weren't kept waiting long as Starlight entered, looking nervous as she approached the Council, all eyes on her.

"I know that there is no excuse for what I did," she spoke, sounding calm, guilt behind her tone, "but I want you all to know that I'm ready for whatever punishment you think is fair."

"I've been thinking a lot about how badly Equestria fared without just one group of friends," Twilight replied, "Because even when one friendship dies, the results can be disastrous."

"I know, firsthoof, how true that can be," Starlight sighed with guilt.

"And that's why I've asked you here," Twilight stood up and walked over to Starlight, "If you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach you what I know. You'll come to learn of a greater power that can help you change Equestria for the better."

Starlight looked around at them all, and she saw smiles, smiles of encouragement, acceptance, and even excitement. Like everypony here was eager to get started helping to teach her all they could about friendship.

"How do I do that?" asked Starlight.

"Getting started is easy, all you have to do is make a friend," Twilight smiled encouragingly, "And you have thirteen friends right here."

Starlight felt touched as everypony came to her sides, and for the first time in a long-long time, she truly felt hopeful.

"However..."

Midnight's voice cut through the positive atmosphere like a crack of thunder interrupting a sunny day, and all eyes turned to him as he approached Starlight, a stony look on his face.

"That does not change the fact that this is only the latest example of how you have abused magic and used it to cause harm. Making up for your mistakes is noble, but on a scale as what you put us all through, there has to be consequences. Do you accept the judgement that the laws of Equestria demand?"

"...I accept your judgement, Your Majesty," Starlight bowed respectfully with a solemn tone, and everypony became nervous for what Midnight might have in store.

"Very well... Starlight Glimmer, for the crimes of high treason and malevolent use of magic against the ponies of Equestria, I sentence you... to probation," Midnight declared, which was honestly a bit of a surprise to everypony.

They'd almost expected something worse, but then Midnight continued.
"You are henceforth forbidden from leaving Ponyville, unless you are accompanied by a member of the Council of Friendship. If, at any time, you attempt to leave Ponyville without permission or supervision, you will lose your probationary status and be branded a fugitive, to be tracked down with extreme prejudice and charged to the fullest extent of the law. The same condition applies if you attempt harm upon anypony.

"Furthermore..." Midnight lit up his horn and conjured a ring of dark metal with a dark blue jewel on it, "you have shown yourself to be a dangerous wielder of magic, and your previous usage of magic would entail a far worse punishment. Instead, along with your probationary status, you will wear this Inhibitor Ring, which will limit your magic to basic Levitation and Illumination. No spells of any kind will be permitted. If you attempt to cast a spell or remove the ring, you will have your magic nullified completely and your probationary status will be extended even further."

Twilight found herself wanting to speak up on Starlight's behalf, but she had given her word to her husband. His conditions in exchange for her decision to take Starlight under her wing.

"...How long would I have to wear the ring?" asked Starlight, hoping this wasn't the wrong question.

"Until I am convinced that you will not misuse your magic or use it to cause harm to anypony without just cause," Midnight replied coldly, "Which leads to my last condition... Your Cutie-Mark Removal Spell.

"You will share that spell with us, explain to us every single detail about it, how it works, how you created it, and afterwards it will be declared Forbidden Magic. If in the future you have proven to me that you can be trusted not to misuse your magic, it goes without saying that you are forbidden to ever cast that spell again, or to share it with anyone else.

"Do you accept and understand your probationary status as I have explained it to you, Starlight Glimmer?"

Taking a deep breath, Starlight stepped forward and lowered her head, "I do, Your Majesty."

"So be it..." Midnight slid the Inhibitor Ring onto Starlight, and cast the lock spell onto it, insuring that it would not be removed by physical force or otherwise.

For a long dreary moment, nopony said anything, until Midnight suggested, "Now we've got the unpleasantries out of the way, how about we have our resident party ponies throw you your customary 'Welcome to Ponyville' party?"

Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich gasped with delight, and Starlight felt herself cheer up as everypony cheered and they herded Starlight out of the castle.

That afternoon and into the night, Starlight partied like she'd never partied before. It blew her mind how quickly Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich threw a party together so fast, but it began with an extremely awkward and nervous reunion with several of her old "friends", chiefly Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle. At Twilight and Midnight's encouragement, she faced them, as hard as it was, and gave the most heartfelt apology she could.

It absolutely stunned her when they accepted her apology and gave her a hug, honestly happy to see her again and now able to get to know the real Starlight and she them. Double Diamond actually invited Starlight to come with him on a skiing trip he was planning, Night Glider asked Starlight to come watch her participate in the next Young Fliers Competition in Cloudsdale, she was absolutely blown to find out that Party Favor and Pinkie Pie were brother and sister, and was deeply touched by the delicious cake Sugar Belle made for her party.

Besides the party, the Harmonic Twelve and Spike took her out on the town to do all sorts of things together.

At Carousel Boutique, Starlight modeled a dress for Rarity, who told her it was hers to keep once they were done. Blueblood took Starlight for a ride on The Break of Dawn. Fluttershy introduced Starlight to several of her animal friends, with Harry the Bear welcoming their new friend with a bonecrushing hug. Even with her magic inhibited, Starlight was able to levitate herself to join Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Thunderlane for a flight. Then she enjoyed some backbreaking labor with Applejack and Big Mac at Sweet Apple Acres, where she learned how to applebuck to harvest apples. She was invited by Pinkie Pie and Sugar Belle to make cupcakes together, and got into a brief prank war with Cheese Sandwich and Party Favor (didn't end favorably for her, given their use of itching powder), and she took some time with her new mentor, Twilight, to talk magic.

The only one who didn't really hang out with Starlight was Midnight, who had barely spoken to her during her party. She didn't question it, or really mind. She knew that Midnight was going to take time to win over, and she respected his decision. It could have been a lot worse for her.

As the day drew to a close, Twilight, Midnight, and Spike got Starlight settled by giving her a room in their castle. She was free to set it up however, as long as she was comfortable, and would be given payment based on how much she helped around Ponyville. It wasn't Midnight's idea, but Twilight, Applejack, and even Fluttershy thought it would help Starlight learn and connect with the ponies of Ponyville. Though he did suggest Starlight see his mother, Faerie Tail, for psychiatric guidance.

For what it was worth, despite all that had transpired, all that had been avoided, all that had been experienced... all was well that had ended well.

Author's Note

The Time Travel Spell they used to get back to before this whole thing occurred, I first came up with it in my side-story "A Midnight Stroll Through Time", specifically in its twenty-fourth chapter

I didn't wind up using it back then when I published that chapter, which was actually almost a year before "The Cutie-Remark" two-parter premiered, and when I watched it I eventually thought back to this spell,

A Time for Everything and Everything in its Time
To where and when you belong, I send you with this rhyme

I thought that this could be a perfect way to finally use this spell once I finally reached this part of the story

As for how I resolved the situation, the plan to merge the time-travelers with their past selves was meant to help create explanations for my future plans, as well as insure that even though the experience they all went through wasn't forgotten and preserved in the memories of the characters who merged with the versions of themselves who came from a future that no longer exists

The idea came from "Mr. Peabody and Sherman", the last episodes of the original "Charmed" and "Xiaolin Showdown", as well as "Zathura"

329. The Cutie Re-Mark - Epilogue: Hiccups in Time

Night had fallen, and as he prepared to turn in, Rainbolt couldn't help but pick up that old framed photo. The one of him and his Firefly shortly before their Rainbow Dash was born. The doctors had warned them of the complication early into the pregnancy, but Firefly never backed down. She had been determined to bring her baby into the world, and they had agreed to hope for the best.

Then, the birth happened. Firefly lived long enough to see her baby filly, give her the name Rainbow Dash and as much love as she possibly could before she passed away, leaving the weather factory worker to raise their daughter on his own. He'd never blamed Rainbow Dash however. She was the light of his life, his pride and joy, and he couldn't help seeing the best of himself and Firefly in her. However, the day he'd dreaded most eventually came when he had to tell Dashie about her mom and how she passed away. It'd broken his heart when she cried and blamed herself, and it had taken so much heart-to-heart'ing to convince her that it wasn't her fault. That her mother had wanted her so much, she'd looked death in the face and spat in it, just to have the chance to love her baby, brief as it was.

"Goodnight, my girls," the rainbow-maned stallion whispered as he kissed the photo and put it back on his bedside drawer.

He laid himself down, got comfortable... and looked over to the empty bedside. Though it was moments like this where he honestly felt lonely, he just never had the heart to find somepony else. Sighing, he closed his eyes, and set himself adrift into slumber...

Morning came, and Celestia's sun had the inconsiderate nerve to shine a beam directly into his face, stirring him from his serene rest. Awareness pushed out his dreams, and he groaned in hesitation as he sat up and stretched out some kinks in his back and shoulders. Yawning, he got up and ambled groggily into his bathroom where he did his typical morning piss into the toilet, brushed his teeth, his coat, straightened up his mane and...

Huh, I could use a bit of a shave, he thought to himself as he noticed his five o'clock shadow... and then looked down at his body. He stuck to a typical workout regimen to maintain some of the muscles he'd built up back in college, but as he rubbed his paunchy belly, he strangely recalled a memory of his Dashie saying he had a great dad bod, and thought, Have I put on some weight, lately...?

"Oh..." Her voice caused his ears to perk and he stepped back into his bedroom and saw Windy was waking up too. His wife's coat was just a slightly lighter shade of their daughter's, while her mane was done in a pixie cut and colored a pinkish orange, and she shared the same cerise purple eyes as their daughter.

Sitting up, she took notice of her husband and said, "Good morning, hon..."

He wasted no time and hopped into bed, causing Windy to bounce, waking her up completely as she cried out in alarm and giggled as he pulled her into a sweet and frisky cuddle. She fended him off, laughing at the change of their morning ritual... when she noticed a tear going down his face, "Honey, are you okay?"

"Oh, sweetheart," he replied while pulling her closer to give her a warm and tender kiss, "I'm just so darn happy you're here."

"And I'll always be here, Rainbolt," Windy assured.

"Rainbolt? I haven't used that name since college," he responded though... it seemed to ring some kind of bell that hadn't been rung in a long time.

"Eh, I'm feeling oddly nostalgic this morning," Windy shrugged before getting out of bed. "I'll get started on breakfast, and don't you forget to mow our cloud-lawn today or you're in for it, Bow Hothoof."

All right, all right, I'm on it," Bow held up his hooves in surrender as he pulled on his favorite shirt from his bedside drawer, and paused to look at the open photo album he'd left on top of it, and smiled at the sight of one of his favorite family photos in it.

Yesterday evening, Celestia and Sombra had been out on the balcony, enjoying the night settling in as the stars began to twinkle above. Resting her head onto her husband's shoulder, Celestia sighed happily as Sombra gently rubbed his hoof over her belly. She was over halfway into her pregnancy and their foal was growing healthy and safely inside of her. For all her life, Celestia had feared perhaps she would never experience the joy of motherhood, even if she was still expecting. After... what happened in their past had torn her and Sombra apart, she'd considered herself unworthy of romance and never sought out another romantic partner.

She'd dove into ruling and looking after all her little ponies, thinking of them as her children instead.

But fate, long as it had taken, had been kind and shined upon them, giving them a second chance. They'd been reunited, they'd married, and now at long last they were to be more than husband and wife. Soon, they would be mother and father.

Their last checkup with the royal physician had assured them that their baby was healthy, but despite their earlier wish to not be told their foal's gender, wanting to be surprised, it had been slipped that they were going to have a a colt. Although a bit of the fun had been spoiled, both Celestia and Sombra were elated to learn more about their baby.

Sitting there on the balcony, with his expecting wife, Sombra was content. Before long, they would have a son whom they would hold him most dear to their hearts, and he would ask for nothing more other than his wife and child's good health and happiness.

"This is so peaceful..." he whispered to her, wrapping his wing around her, unable to stop touching her belly.

"I think we should enjoy it while we can," Celestia giggled softly, "Once this baby comes, moments of peace will be few and far in between."

"True, but it will be absolutely worth it," Sombra kissed her on the cheek, and Celestia sighed.

"It's times like this I wish we weren't royalty," whispered Celestia, "How complicated our lives are, how much attention is demanded from us..."

"I understand what you mean," Sombra whispered back, "When I was ruling the Crystal Empire, I never really had time to... Well, great duty calls for us to embrace great responsibility."

"Sombra, I've been working on a lullaby and... would you like to hear it?" asked Celestia.

"In this beautiful moment? I would love nothing more," Sombra smiled and cuddled his Tia, and felt her place her hoof over his own, the both of them rubbing her pregnant belly, as she took a deep breath.

Look to the stars, my darling baby boy
Life is strange and vast
Full of wonder and joy
Face each new sun with eyes clear and true
Unafraid of the unknown
Because we'll face it all with you...

On a balcony, watching her sister and brother from afar, Luna felt a tangled knot of emotions bittersweet, as she conjured a locket that carried the one picture of that she once held so dear to her heart, before she took a deep breath herself...

Look to stars and gaze up at the moon
Even as these days pass,
I’m always thinking of you…
Face each new day and keep your hope alive
I promise I will be there soon,
It won’t be long til I’m with you…

She wiped away her tears and closed the locket, when she felt a presence and uttered, "This- This isn't a good time..."

Stepping out of the shadows behind her, a Lunar Unicorn, garbed in Lunobi style clothing, as he knelt down and bowed, "My apologies, Your Majesty. But we have discovered something in the Shetland Isles, something we feel you must be made aware of."

Sighing, Luna faced the Lunobi, wearily asking, "And what is it?"

The Lunobi reached into a pouch and pulled out something for Luna to see, and the moment her eyes fell upon it... she GASPED in utter disbelief!

It was a baby rattle. A rattle she had not seen in over a thousand years.

Raising their tropical smoothies together, Chili Spice and Joe held their new spouse's gaze warmly, as they enjoyed their honeymoon only a couple of weeks after they'd married in a private ceremony. A while back, Joe had made the out-of-nowhere suggestion that they elope. At the time, they knew they were in love, they knew they wanted to be together, and they also knew they didn't care to be made a big deal of regarding their relationship.

So... Chili had accepted, and Joe had taken her to Rainbow Falls, where they sought an officiator to wed them in private. That same night, they consummated their marriage (even though they'd done plenty of hanky-panky long before they'd run off), and toured Rainbow Falls a while before Joe had surprised Chili with a honeymoon to a beach resort in Horseshoe Bay.

After spending nearly two glorious weeks at Horseshoe Bay's premiere resort, the two had slowed down after so much beach walks, scuba-diving, volleyball (Chili had poked at Joe needing to shed a bit of his paunch after seeing his performance), and lot's of other fun activities. Their time away from home was drawing to a close, and honestly they were relieved.

"A toast, to us, to our combined business, and to our future," Joe smiled as he began to suck up his smoothie threw its straw.

"And to our family," Chili added as she placed her hoof over her barrel.

For a moment. Joe wondered exactly what his wife meant... when his eyes widened in realization by her gesture, and he fell over, fainting, to Chili's amusement. She'd finished up her smoothie and salad before calling upon a bellcolt to help her get her husband to their hotel room. Needless to say, Joe woke up absolutely stunned to confirm that he was going to be a father... and boy did they make love that night!!!

The next morning, Joe and Chili woke up, the both of them remembering this was their last day at the resort, when they noticed the almost-four year-old pegasus colt sleeping sweetly between them. The little colt had a dull red mane and his coat was the golden yellow of pasta. Looking upon their little boy, they looked up at each other, smiling warmly as Chili whispered, "I can't bare to wake him up just yet."

"Me neither, and... our train doesn't leave till this afternoon," Joe pointed out.

"Let's go ahead and sleep in," Chili suggested, "Pepper will wake us up eventually."

Chuckling, Joe nodded, "It's been a great family vacay, but I'm glad we're going home today."

"Shh, back to sleep, handsome," Chili boop'd her hubby's nose and they laid back into their pillows, laying their forelegs over their son, Pepper Flake.

Somewhere in Equestria, a time portal opened, and out fell three figures, landing in a heap of ow's, watch it's, get off me's, followed by some shoving and grumbling before they each sat up.

"Uh, girls? Where are we?" said the first voice, sounding just a little... out of it.

"Ugh, nice going, Adagio," complained the second voice in a sarcastically snarky manner.

"I don't want to hear it, Aria! And Sonata? Just go to sleep," snapped the third, sounding vexed. "ERRRRGH! If I ever see that miserable unicorn again I'll... wait, something's wrong here!"

The three figures realized they were standing on hooves and then they took a closer look at each other and saw what they were.

A cerulean blue unicorn with a jagged blue and purple eighth note over a pink heart on her flank as a cutie-mark.

A mulberry purple pegasus with a cutie-mark of a two-toned purple star over a forte symbol.

A light brilliant gold earth pony, her cutie-mark displayed as a gem beside a G-clef.

...

That was when they all pointed at each other and screamed!!!

Author's Note

I call these strange incidents 'Hiccups in Time'

If you read the chapter before this one, then you read about how four characters (Midnight, Twilight, Spike, and Starlight) met their past selves and merged with them. The result of four characters' past selves merging with versions of themselves from a future that no longer exists resulted in these "Hiccups in Time"

The first one, I established at one point that Rainbow's father was a widower and that her mother died shortly after giving birth; one of the Hiccups in Time changed her parents' present, turning Rainbolt into Bow Hothoof and bringing Firefly back to life as Windy Whistles

The second Hiccup... Well, let's just say Luna has regained something she lost a long time ago, but that won't be revealed just yet

The third Hiccup, I mentioned Joe and Chili Spice had run off to elope a little bit ago. As a result of the third Hiccup, their present has been changed to them having already been married several years and having a young son named Pepper Flake, with their honeymoon being turned into a family vacation that's just ending

Finally, the last Hiccup - In my side story, "A Midnight Stroll Through Time", Midnight and Star Swirl encountered the Sirens at the time they were using their evil magic to spread disharmony and strife in Equestria; they put a stop to it when Star Swirl tried to banish them to another dimension but Midnight's interference caused them to disappear.

What actually happened, is the Sirens were lost in time, until the last Hiccup opened a Time Portal and dropped them into modern day Equestria... as Ponies!!!

Disclaimer:
Della's Moon Lullaby (DuckTales) [Covered by Anna]

330. The Crystalling - Part 1

"Okay! Library, library..." Starlight wandered the castle hallways, searching for her destination, "Where did they put the library?"

Checking through one door, she saw it was just another hallway with no indication as to what was where, causing her to sigh, "This castle looked a lot smaller from the outside..."

It'd been a few weeks since she'd become Princess Twilight's new student. After the whole time-travel-related revenge thing fell through and she'd given up her vendetta to finally learn about true friendship, and was put on a probation status by Prince Midnight, Twilight had decided to let Starlight get used to her new life in Ponyville before they actually got started on anything other then a few conversations about friendship, among other things.

It'd been a transition, to say the least. She went out to town to lend a helping hoof to the locals, doing her best to fit in, to be accepted. She was allowed to go anywhere she liked in Ponyville... as long as she didn't try to leave, which was one of Midnight's conditions to her probation. That, and the Inhibitor Ring on her horn limiting her magic to basic Levitation and Illumination. She would have to earn her right to magic back, and was forbidden to cast a spell or even try to remove the ring until then. Not unless she wanted her magic to be nullified completely and have her probation extended.

She'd slowly become used to life in Ponyville. In the morning, she'd have breakfast in the castle, then she'd go out and enjoy the day, help somepony out, such as make some deliveries for the Cakes, lend a hoof to the Apples over at Sweet Apple Acres, help Rarity or Fluttershy with a new dress or taking care of some critters, or even assist Blueblood and his workers over at his airship warehouse. At Midnight's... suggestion, she'd also started seeing his mother, Faerie Tail, to talk about herself, her past, anything really.

Faerie Tail was there to listen, and though it had been a little awkward at first Starlight found it easier to talk to the older mare, who somehow made her feel at ease and comfortable during their sessions. In their last session, Faerie Tail had suggested Starlight go to Big Mac and Fluttershy's house to help them out. When she'd asked 'With what?" Faerie Tail had simply smiled and said 'You'll see'. When she got there, it turned out that Macintosh and Fluttershy were busy finishing up the nursery for their foal, as Fluttershy was due soon. Somehow, the three of them got to talking, with Starlight asking if they were nervous about their impending parenthood. Mac had responded he himself wasn't nervous... he was terrified! Fluttershy on the other hoof admitted she was indeed nervous, but her anxiety was outweighed by her overwhelming joy of meeting her baby when it came.

Seeing them cuddle so lovingly as the stallion touched his mare's baby bump, Starlight found herself suddenly feeling awful by the realization that she'd almost ruined this. She didn't say anything, though she did her best to help out finishing the nursery before Mac and `Shy thanked her once it was done and invited her to stay for dinner. She'd politely turned them down by saying Twilight was expecting her back soon, but truthfully she just didn't have the heart to face them any longer.

Bringing herself back to the present moment, she continued her search for the library, and tried another door... only to find it was a bathroom, where Spike was brushing his teeth after a nice shower. Noticing her in the mirror, Spike turned and gave a friendly wave, "Morning, Starlight."

"Whoops!" She quickly closed the doors while covering her eyes (not that she actually saw anything), wishing she'd knocked first. "Sorry, Spike! I guess I'm still trying to find my way around. You don't happen to know where the library is, do you?"

Spike poked his head and hand out to point out, "Next door on the left."

Starlight turned to see said door, realizing how close she'd been to avoiding that awkward moment, "Oh. Thanks!"

Inside the library, Twilight was going over a list in her plans to mentor Starlight, while Midnight was prepping his own list, planning to organize his and Twilight's own personal guard. After what happened, he'd finally gotten Twilight to cave and so, the Friendship Guard, Dawn and Dusk Divisions, were a go. All he had to do was figure out some requirements, get the word out, and hope he'd get some volunteers.

"Starlight, good morning! Come in!"

And there goes my good morning... Midnight grumbled mentally as he looked to see Starlight walk in.

"Sorry I'm late, I got a little turned around," she apologized. "I know it's already been over three weeks, but... I still can't believe you're letting me stay here! As your pupil. After... everything I did."

"Keep your friends close, your enemies closer," Midnight responded dryly without taking so much as a glance in Starlight's direction.

"Midnight!" Twilight snapped before seeing the slight grimace on Starlight's face, "Uh- Let's not dwell on the past. This castle is your home now, and as far as being my pupils goes..."

Twilight led Starlight over to the table where her list lay, "I was just trying to figure out what your first friendship lesson should be!"

"Oh! Well, it looks like you're really narrowing it down," Starlight commented, seeing it was a rather long list.

"Oh those are just the A's," Midnight pointed out with a slight horseapple-eating grin.

"That they are," Twilight confirmed as she pointed behind her before saying, "After this, I move onto the B's."

Starlight looked and grimaced to see a whole table covered with stacks of papers and scrolls, some were even on the floor next to the table, taking up considerable space around it.

"I know I'm just learning about friendship," Starlight said as she began to look at some of the stacks of paper, "but I didn't think there were this many lessons for anything!"

Feeling for Starlight, Midnight spoke up, "Take it from me, Twly's a bit of a compulsive list and chore maker. She'll invent chores when she can't find real ones."

"Maybe I should pare things down a bit before we go through them," Twilight admitted, in hind sight, this was overkill on her part. She was just so excited to be the teacher having been the student most of her life. Then she threw a raised brow to her husband, "And I do not invent new chores."

"Then why did you have me sweep the trees around the castle last week?" he reminded her with a raised brow back, Starlight stifling a laugh at the marital banter.

Not liking the example she was setting, Twilight zipped over to Starlight and said, "Why don't you join the others in the Throne Room? They're planning our trip to the Crystal Empire when Shining Armor and Cadance have their baby."

"Throne room, got it!" Starlight galloped out the door... and came back a few seconds later, "Which way is the throne room?"

Twilight sighed good-naturedly while Midnight answered, "Down the hall to the left, make a right at the first intersection of hallways, you'll find your way back to the Entry Hall and the Throne Room is to the right of the grand staircase."

"Thank you!" Starlight took off, leaving Midnight and Twilight to share a chuckle.

Then there was a silent moment before Twilight looked to her husband and saw a troubled look on his face.
"Midnight, are you okay?"

"Uh... Yeah, I'm..." Midnight cleared his throat and returned to his planning, "Just trying to decide the right requirements for the Friendship Guard."

"Okay, well... I'll leave you to it," Twilight gave him a kiss and trotted out of the library, while Midnight looked at some papers he'd had hidden under his notes.

Weather reports, to be exact, detailing strange weather patterns up in the Frozen North. Granted, the Crystal Empire was safe as long as its Thermal Barrier stood, the reports were making this development out to be perhaps the most disturbing weather movements the Frozen Empire had seen in ages.

Taking a deep breath, he thought, Goddess watch over us...

"Well, I think we should leave ASAP. I don't wanna miss the Crystalling!"

Starlight had just walked in, and apparently the others were already meeting to discuss the coming events.

"Dash, the baby hasn't arrived yet," Thunderlane pointed out, "We all can't just drop everything to go to an event before the... guest of honor has even been born."

"Frankly, Ah'm not quite clear on all these customs an' traditions th' Crystal Empire's got," Applejack commented, "`Specially when it comes to a Crystallin'."

"What's a Crystalling?" asked Starlight after working up the nerve to join the conversation.

"Well that's the thing, Starlight," Blueblood responded, "Cady and Shining Armor's foal is due any day now, and... we're still not sure. The Crystal Empire was gone for a whole millennium, after all, so... Many of their customs are a mystery to us ponies nowadays."

"We know it's got sumpin' t' do wit' th' new baby," Applejack started- "And a party!"

Starlight was still getting used to the randomness of the party ponies.

"And the Crystal Heart," added Fluttershy- "And a party!!"

"And some kind of crazy magic," Soarin added, when the two party ponies stepped onto the Map.

"And...A PARTY!!!"They declared with an explosion of confetti and streamers.

Starlight gave Soarin a look, and he just shrugged when they heard, "It's not hard to understand."

In walked Spike, carrying a rolled-up paper," Most things in the Crystal Empire aren't!"

He hopped into his throne and unrolled the paper, revealing it was a picture of himself striking a pose while breathing fire, "Like how I'm kind of a favorite hero there, for example!"

in response, he was given an awkward silence, along with a mixed result of different looks from the others, before he sheepishly admitted, "Plus I helped Twilight do a lot of research on Crystallings."

He reached under the table to pulled out a Crystal Empire vase, covered with intricate images that helped him explain, "Whenever a baby is born in the Crystal Empire, the parents bring it before the Crystal Heart. They get the purest shard of crystal they can find, then pick a Crystaller to present the baby to everypony who comes. Then they share all the light and joy they feel, feeding it into the crystal that joins with the Heart and increases its power.

"And this is gonna be a Royal Crystalling, so pretty much the whole Empire will show up. That hasn't happened in a millennia!"

"What do you mean, it increases the Crystal Heart's power?" asked Starlight.

"The energy it uses to protect the Crystal Empire, I guess," shrugged Spike.

"Protect it from what...?" Starlight was honestly afraid to ask.

"I... didn't help Twilight with that part," Spike admitted lamely.

The next morning, Big Macintosh and Applejack came by the Castle to share some important news with Midnight and Twilight.

"Fluttershy went into labor?!" Twilight cried out in alarm, only for Applejack to raised her hooves in a calm-down gesture.

"Now hold on there, sugarcube!" Applejack raised her voice a little, "It was a false alarm, right, big brother?"

"Eeyup..." Macintosh looked a little tired and bedraggled, "Shy thought sumpin' was wrong before we wer'bout t' hit th' hay, an' Ah took her straight t' Ponyville General. Doctor Stable assured us th' foal's fine an' it weren't comin' just yet. But..."

Big Mac trailed off, reluctant to finish so Applejack did it for him, "He's sayin' tha' the doc recommended tha' Fluttershy check int' th' hospital's maternity ward since she's gettin' close t' her due date as well."

"Which means..." Big Mac sighed, "tha' `Shy an' Ah can't come wit' y'all t' see th' Crystallin'."

"Rainbow Dash sure bellyached when she found out," Applejack rolled her eyes, "Who tells an expectin' mother t' jus' hold it in?!"

"An idiot," Midnight remarked, getting a slight slap on the shoulder from Twilight, though she had to roll her eyes at Rainbow Dash's insensitivity as well.

"Well, it won't be the same," Twilight accepted, "but the health of Fluttershy's foal is more important."

"Thanks fer understandin', Twlight," Big Mac smiled a little sadly, "Give them up there at th' Empire our best."

Big Macintosh turned to leave when Midnight asked, "What about you, Applejack? You gonna stay too?"

"Ah was thinkin' about it," Applejack shook her head with a weary smile, "but th' big lug there put his hoof down."

"At least one of th' Apples oughta go an' show our support, AJ," Big Mac responded without looking back before he disappeared out of the Throne Room.

"Ah guess tha' is a good point," Applejack shrugged, "Well, Ah'm gonna go see Thunderlane, let him know about Mac n' `Shy."

Watching their friends leave, Midnight sighed, sounding a little disappointed.
"What's wrong, Midnight?"

"Oh it's... Well, I was planning a surprise for Shining Armor," Midnight explained, "and it's just not gonna be the same without Big Macintosh there."

"What's the surprise?" Twilight was interested, and Midnight never got tired of seeing that sparkle of interest in her eyes.

Chuckling, he replied, "You'll see when we get there. Now, I'm gonna get back to my research for our guard."

Making his way through the halls, Midnight heard a distant CRASH and a few seconds later, "Ugh, I am never going to find my way around this place!"

"Starlight...?" He heard approaching steps and quickly collapsed into his shadow, slipping up onto the ceiling, and just in time to see Starlight come by, Spike hurrying up to walk beside her.

"Gee, Starlight, what's wrong?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

"I don't know, Spike," Starlight answered, sounding weary and reluctant, "Twilight's figuring out what my first friendship lesson is, and... I guess I'm not exactly thrilled with the options. Well... with one of them."

"Which one?" Spike asked, but Midnight already had an idea what that option was, given Twilight's request to him to find a certain somepony's location a few days ago.

"Reuniting me with my first friend," Starlight replied, which caused Spike to pause mid-step.

"What's so terrible about that?" he asked, bewildered.

Sighing as she remembered the good ol' days, Starlight explained, "When we were foals, Sunburst knew everything there was to know about magic. He always knew just what to do, and... he was always there to help me. I guess it's not surprising that Sunburst got his cutie-mark in magic and... went off to Princess Celestia's school. But when he left..."

"You blamed cutie-marks and stripped a whole village of theirs, and when Twilight and the others put a stop to it you went back in time and almost destroyed Equestria," Spike wrapped it up, feeling no need to skirt along edges.

"Not stuff I'm super eager to tell Sunburst about," Starlight nodded nervously. "I mean, he's probably some big, important wizard now and- I can't even find my way around Twilight and Midnight's castle..."

"Well if Sunburst is that good at magic, maybe he'd appreciate your..." Spike cleared his throat as he tried to put them light, "exploits."

But seeing the despondent look on Starlight's face, Spike spoke gingerly, "You should talk to Twilight about it. I'm sure she'd want to hear what you have to say."

"I know, but... i don't want her to think I'm not ready to learn," Starlight replied, "or that I'm not grateful for everything she's doing!"

"SPIKE! MIDNIGHT! COME QUICK!!!"

Spike and Starlight hurried down the hall they'd heard Twilight's voice, Midnight running up behind them, as they came out to the castle balcony, finding Twilight there, the wind blowing through her mane as she looked outwards. That's when they saw it, riding on the breeze, a large crystalline snowflake flit and float their way until Twilight caught it in her wing.... and six triangular folds opened up to reveal a message in its center.

"It's a crystalling invitation!" Spike smiled.

"Shining Armor, Cadance, they're parents now!" Midnight gasped with a smile as he pulled Twilight into a hug.

"Which means we're an aunt and uncle!" Twilight added before she pulled herself free of Midnight's embrace and faced Starlight, "Well, this settles it. Since we're going to the Crystal Empire, your first friendship lesson is going to be... reuniting with Sunburst!"

"Great..." Starlight forced a smile as Twilight, Midnight, and Spike went back inside, leaving her on the balcony to fret.

Author's Note

I apologize about excluding Fluttershy and big Mac, but there were so many characters in the two-parter already, and my story almost dbl'd that. so I decided to have at least two of the Council of Friendship remain in Ponyville in an attempt to make things less crowded and more manageable once they reach the Crystal Empire

331. The Crystalling - Part 2

Starlight hardly uttered a word for most of the journey to the Crystal Empire. It was decided that they would take The Break of Dawn to save time and were seen off by Big Macintosh, the Crusaders, and Faerie Tail. Blueblood piloted the airship while Midnight kept an eye on the main control panel. The crew consisted of mostly Blueblood's employees at his warehouse, and the rest of the Council of Friendship (excluding Big Macintosh and Fluttershy) had made themselves comfortable in the mess hall dining area below deck near the bow, where they had a perfect view of the land below.

It wasn't long before the green earth beneath them began to whiten with snow and frost.

It was around that time Midnight joined them in the dining area. Coming in, he and Starlight made eye contact for a brief moment, and then he moved to join Twilight and the others as they had begun discussing the gifts they were bringing to give to the new parents and their baby. Starlight had kept her distance from Midnight and done all she could not to get on his bad side, but it always seemed he held her mere presence in contempt.

"Ooh! I can't wait to see all that light and love make the Crystal Heart even more sparkly and shiny!"

"Actually, Pinkie," Midnight responded, "the Crystal Heart is an ancient relic of great power. Without its magic, the Crystal Empire would be lost to the Frozen North. That's why Crystallings such as this one are so important, for strengthening the Heart so it continues to protect the Empire with its Thermal Barrier. Otherwise, the Crystal Heart would risk losing sufficient power to keep the Empire protected."

"Wow, this Crystalling sounds pretty important!" Starlight interjected, "Twilight, if you wanted to say, I dunno, wait to give me a different friendship lesson in light of this big event, I would completely understand."

"Are you kidding? This trip is perfect," Twilight pish-posh'd, "Not only do Midnight and I get to see our new niece, and take part in a ceremony that helps maintain the magic of the Crystal Empire, but I'm starting my new pupil off with the most amazing friendship lesson ever. I can't wait!"

"Right, me neither..." Starlight replied in a less-than-enthusiastic manner, which did not escape Midnight's notice nor did the way Spike gesture towards Twilight while giving Starlight a look.
"Actually, Twilight... I am a little worried about meeting Sunburst."

"Oh trust me, Midnight and I know what it's like to see old friends again after a long time," Twilight said reassuringly.

"Really?" Starlight couldn't help but give Midnight a curious look.

Sighing, he admitted, "A while back, Twilight went to Canterlot to rekindle some friendships she had there, and had a bit of trouble making amends with a unicorn named Moondancer. I on the other hoof ran into an old foalhood friend of mine, Bright Side. We did right by our old friends and now Moondancer is doing better and Bright Side even decided to settle in Ponyville. We even invited them to attend our wedding, and from what he's told me, Bright's been getting close with Moondancer."

"So don't worry, Starlight," Twilight assured, "I'll be right there to help things along."

Then she held up a scroll, "I've broken the lesson down into a few easy steps to make sure things go off without a hitch," and Starlight gawked at how long the scroll was after it unrolled, revealing it to be over three pony-lengths long!

"Attention! This is your pilot speaking," came the voice of Blueblood on The Dawn's PA system, "The Crystal Empire is in sight. At our current speed, we will be landing in thirty minutes."

The Break of Dawn descended over the Empire's new airfield. It'd been a recent addition during the Empire's Modernization Project, specifically at Blueblood's suggestion to Cadance and Shining Armor. It was located upon a farmland that was no longer in use, near the edge of the Thermal Barrier, so it was repurposed into an airfield for the Empire so as to have a place for their own airships.

As the ponies below secured the mooring lines, bay doors on the starboard side opened to reveal a walkway to allow the passengers to disembark.

"Step One, head to Sunburst's house and get you two started on the right hoof," Twilight listed off as she and Starlight stepped down the walkway, followed by Midnight and Spike, "Step Two, get to the castle with enough time to visit the ba-"

"Twi, look out!" Midnight exclaimed-

*"Oof!/Huh?!"*

Twilight gasped to see the pony before her was, "Shining Armor!"

"Twilight!" Shining Armor welcomed with a tired voice and demeanor and giving her a hug, and everypony could see the white alicorn prince had looked better. His mane and tail were disheveled, his feathers were in need of a good preening, he obviously hadn't shaved lately and been missing sleep.

"We didn't know you were meeting us," Midnight smiled, happy to see his brother-in-law.

"Of course I am! It's me, right here," Shining Armor sounded just a little delirious with exhaustion, "Here I am! Why wouldn't I come to meet my sister and brother-in-law? Though we have met before, heheh..."

"...Are you alright?" asked Twilight, as everypony gave Shining Armor a funny look.

"Never better! Being a father is amazing and wonderful!" Shining Armor waved his hooves and wings with big wide eyes that glinted with slight insanity, "And amazing! And wonderful, and confusing- And AMAZING! But- ...surprising too, you know? I mean, not that you'd know. You wouldn't know, I know... You know?"

...

"If... that's your way of asking us if we're expecting or planning to become parents ourselves, I assure you neither is the case," Midnight deadpanned. "At least, not anytime soon."

"Sorry!" Shining Armor got it together, "I haven't really slept since Cadance had the baby... Come to think of it, she hasn't either. It sure would be great to get a break."

"Oh, of course! I don't know what we were thinking," said Twilight sympathetically, before turning to her pupil, "I'm sorry, Starlight. It seems that combining your first lesson with this visit isn't going to work after all."

"Oh! Don't be ridiculous," Starlight waved it off, taking this development rather well, "You and Midnight are an aunt and uncle now! That's way more important than some friendship lesson."

"Well, maybe there's a way to do both," suggested Midnight, which caused the relieved glee on Starlight's face to shatter.

"I think there is," Spike spoke up, having the lesson all rolled up and tidy in his claw as he looked to Twilight, "You've already done the work for Starlight's lesson with this list..."

He looked to Starlight, "All we have to do is follow it!"

Starlight facehooved while Twilight exclaimed, "Spike, you're a genius!"

"Yeah, genius..." Starlight muttered with an unenthusiastic manner.

"I suppose that settles it, then. We'll go with Shining Armor to the castle while you two go to see Sunburst," Midnight nodded.

"Aye-aye, Your Majesty!" Spike saluted before marching off, Starlight in reluctant tow.

"Starlight?"

She looked back to Midnight, who softly said to her, "Good luck."

Those two little words caught Starlight off guard and were probably the nicest things Midnight had said to her ever since she became Twilight's student. But before she could respond, she heard Spike, "Starlight, c'mon!"

Starlight gave Midnight a small smile before she followed after Spike, and Twilight said, "Alright, big brother, let's go see this amazing baby pony!"

*Zzzzzz.....*

Poor thing, Shining Armor had literally fallen asleep on his hooves, everypony sharing sympathetic smiles when Midnight stepped forward, "Atteeennnn... SHUN!!"

"WHA?! Hold up- I'm awake, I'm awake!" Shining Armor startled awake when he noticed everypony giving him cheeky looks and laughed lightly. "Oh, uh... did I doze off?"

"Sorry about that, Shining, but I need you awake for this," Midnight spoke up. "Gentlecolts, present your swords."

Thunderlane, Blueblood, Cheese Sandwich, and Soarin stepped forward and held out their hooves, manifesting an energy as they summoned their swords, to Shining Armor and the girls' confusion.

"...What's going here?" asked Shining Armor.

"A gesture of respect and camaraderie," Midnight answered as he manifested his own sword, "Ideally, Macintosh should be here for this as well, but he had to remain behind in Ponyville to look after Fluttershy. Shining Armor, step forward and kneel."

Having an idea of where this was going, Shining Armor did as he was told, kneeling before Midnight while the other stallions positioned themselves behind him, their swords raised in front of them as they watched Midnight tap Shining Armor's shoulders.
"Shining Armor, for actions done in service to Canterlot, to the Crystal Empire, and to Equestria as a whole, by the right of the Council, by the Magic of Friendship, I bid you rise, Sir Shining Armor, Knight of Harmony!"

Everypony watching smiled, especially Twilight, who was surprised and proud, when the knights' swords suddenly gave off vibrant glows, to everypony's confusion. The swords' glows became vaporous energies that streamed together, collecting in front of Shining Armor after he'd stood up, and he was stunned to see these energies combine... into a new sword!

It was a pristine blade, silvery-white with a rippling pattern along its length, the guard and handle a dark and crystalline blue.

"Okay..." Midnight broke the silence as they all gazed upon this new sword floating before Shining Armor, "didn't see that coming."

Shining Armor was in awe as he reached out to the new sword... only for it to flash with light at his touch before he felt it get absorbed into his own body. He was confused and alarmed at first until Midnight calmed him down, "Uh- No need to worry, Shine! The sword is now a part of you. When you don't need it it's stored inside of your body until you simply will it to appear when you do need it."

"Oh! Well, uh... awesome," Shining Armor cleared his throat and gestured, "This way, then."

Inside the Crystal Castle, Shining Armor led them to the door to the new nursery where the baby was.

"Before we go in," said an apprehensive Shining Armor as he politely halted everyone, "I should probably tell you, seeing the baby might be a... bit of a shock."

"Come on, big brother, I've met babies before," Twilight waved off the concern as she magicked the doors open and they all piled through inside to find a tired Cadance, along with a still heavily pregnant Celestia, Luna, and Sombra, who all nodded a welcome to the arrivals.

"Yeah, c'mon, Shining," Midnight chuckled, "Don't take this the wrong way, but what's the big whoop about yours?"

He and Twilight approached the cradle, where they found the baby wrapped snugly in a baby blue blanket. She had a soft pale pink coat, her mane was a soft purple that transitioned slightly towards pink with light blue streaks, and she had a horn. The Council of Friendship all smiled and felt their hearts swell... when the baby fussed and freed herself of her blankey and they gasped to see her unfurl a pair of wings!

She cooed as she looked up at them with the most gorgeous opal eyes, and Midnight dumbly said, "Oh... that."

The baby began sucking on her hoof as Twilight flabbergasted, "The baby is an alicorn?!"

"Amazing!!" Midnight snapped out of his stupor and was instantly starstruck as he smiled at his niece.

"I suppose it is," Cadance shrugged as she and Shining Armor smiled lovingly at their daughter.

"Hold on, I'm confused," Blueblood spoke up as he stepped closer to give his niece a better look, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't one only able to become an alicorn by accomplishing a worthy deed of sorts?"

"Yeah, how can ya jus' be born an alicorn?" agreed a confused Applejack.

"The birth of an alicorn has not happened for over a thousand years," Celestia explained, "The last time that occurred was when Luna was born, and before her, me."

"It makes sense to me," Sombra pointed out, "After all, both parents are alicorns themselves, so why not should this little one be an alicorn?"

"Wow! A unicorn and a pegasus!" Pinkie exclaimed as she and Cheese got a closer look at the baby.
"I betcha she'll be a superstrong flyer and have crazy baby magic!" added Cheese Sandwich.

"Well, I know all about super-strong flying," boasted Rainbow Dash while loop-de-looping.

"And I can help keep tabs on her magic," volunteered Twilight, when they noticed the baby fuss a little before she made a big snee-

*ACHOO/CRASHOOOOOM*

It'd only been for a brief moment, but the baby's sneeze had unleashed a literal pillar of magical power that blasted straight through the ceiling above, and then to the ceiling above that one, and even that one after and so on! A mare two floors above meekly looked down at them, part of her mane burned away, and all eyes looked in stunned stupor to the baby as she rubbed her tickled nose and began to doze.

"It appears her magic is more powerful than that of a newborn unicorn!" Celestia exclaimed softly while gently stroking the baby's mane.

"The crowds have already started to gather," Luna brought up as she looked out the windows, seeing the citizens gathering outside. A balloon swelled beside her and it suspended Pinkie for a moment...

"This Crystalling is gonna be some party!"

... before it popped and she went kerplump.

"Do you... think maybe we should call it off?" Cadance brought up while letting her baby suck on her hoof.

"Um, we've all faced a lot worse than baby magic," scoffed Rainbow Dash.

"I can't imagine canceling such a beautiful and important ceremony over something so potentially adorable," Rarity added, and the girls all added their own words of excited agreement.

"Maybe so, but this little one is clearly far more powerful than any newborn unicorn," pointed out Midnight. "I suspect she may be on the verge of a magic surge, which could explain why her magic is so strong so soon."

"In light of this young one's abilities, this Crystalling may be more important than we initially thought," Sombra stated before addressing his two successors, "Perhaps you should address your subjects and remind them of that."

Cadance nodded and gave her sweet little filly a tender kiss before she ventured out the door, Sombra and the Royal Sisters following, when the Council of Friendship heard more snoring and noticed Shining Armor had dozed off yet again.

"Uh, Shining?" Midnight gently jostled his brother-in-law awake, "Is there anything you need before the ceremony begins?"

!!!

"OH NO!!!" Shining Armor instantly remembered and began to panic, "I still have to interview the Honor Guards, choose the purity crystal, and pick a Crystaller!"

The enormity and importance of these tasks he'd let slip his mind threatened to overwhelm the new father as he dropped onto his rump and shook like a leaf when Twilight placed an assuring hoof on her brother's shoulder, "Alright, take it easy. Pinkie and Cheese can stay to help me watch the baby."

"And we'll all help you take care of everything," added Midnight, the others all nodding and murmuring yes... when again, Shining Armor's exhaustion got the better of him, "assuming you can stay awake long enough to make sure we do things right."

Meanwhile, after a little delay instigated not-so-subtly by Starlight, she and Spike were approaching the address on the list where Sunburst was supposed to live. It was a small crystal house built of pale green crystal with an orange roof that resembled a wizard's hat. Walking up to the doors, Starlight raised her hoof to knock-

"Wait!" Spike suddenly yelled.

"What?!" Starlight flinched, looking at Spike over her shoulder.

"Knocking on the doors isn't the next thing on the list," Spike pointed out.

"...Seriously?" Starlight gave the dragon a flat look.

"I know Twilight can be a little nitpicky, but this is your first lesson as her pupil," Spike explained, "and it's important that we do it right."

"Fine... What's the next thing on the list?" Starlight caved.

Clearing his throat, Spike read aloud, "'Before they see each other, make sure to highlight the importance of the meeting'."

"I'm... pretty sure we can skip that."

"I don't know... I mean, if we skip it, the whole lesson could go south. And then you might end up taking a giant step backwards instead of forwards. Maybe you'll never be able to learn anything about friendship at all!"

Starlight flinched yet again when Spike got up in her face, "It's almost like your whole future depends on this moment..."

Then the libelous lizard held the list and smugly said, "Highlight the importance of the meeting, check! I can't believe you wanted to skip that."

Starlight turned to look at the door again, grimacing as she forced herself to knock.

*Knock, knock, knock*

Stepping back, she waited... and there was no answer. She and Spike shared a look before she almost turned away, only for the door to ease open.

"Sunburst?"

"Yes?" a unicorn stallion asked with a slightly nerdy voice, "what can I do for you?"

Although he kept to the shadows inside, Starlight could see him and recognize him. He had the same sunny golden coat and vivid vermillion-orange mane (which looked like it was in need of a good combing), and he had a blaze mark running down between his eyes to the tip of his snoot the same color as the "stocking" marks on his hooves and fetlocks, but now his deep blue eyes were behind a pair of glasses, and he'd grown a slightly unkempt beard, and he wore some kind of cloak.

"It's me, Starlight," she said hesitantly, "We... used to be friends?"

Sunburst thought for a second before he remembered and stepped out into the sunlight, awkwardly smiling, "Oh, of course! Starlight, uh- My goodness, it's... been such a long time. What uh, what have you been up to?"

"Me? Oh! You know, some of this, some of that. Different stuff..." Starlight replied awkwardly herself, "Right now I'm sort of Twilight Sparkle's new pupil."

"The Princess of Friendship?!" Sunburst was honestly impressed to hear that.

"Heh, yeah, that's actually kind of why I'm here," Starlight confirmed, "I mean- I know you're probably very busy."

"What do you mean?" asked Sunburst.

"Well, I figured, after magic school, you'd go on to do important wizard work, but..." Starlight assumed.

"Oh, no- YES! Oh, yes, that's me," Sunburst replied, a little shifty-eyed and nervous, "Important wizard! Really busy with lots of, uh... wizarding stuff."

...

"Right! Well.... good to see you," Sunburst immediately stepped back inside and shut the door, leaving Starlight to look anxiously at Spike.

"Huh. Maybe we should have skipped 'highlighting the importance of the meeting', after all," he shrugged.

"Well, I guess that's that," Starlight began to leave, only for Spike to bar her way.

"Starlight, c'mon! We have to at least explain what Twilight wants."

"Ugh..." Starlight responded as Spike pushed her back to the door and she knocked again.

After hearing Cadance make the announcement of the Crystalling to their citizens and the crystal ponies cheering in response, Shining Armor was panicking yet again as he looked back and forth between the curtain and the guardsponies who comprised the Honor Guard division of the Crystal Guard.

"I'm not ready!" Shining Armor fretted.

"Shining, relax, remember," Midnight held his hoof to his chest and waited for Shining Armor to do the same, and then they both took a deep breath before exhaling and making the gesture of letting it out. Then the sapphire alicorn levitated the two helmets for the guardponies who would be selected.
"Just choose who among the Honor Guard you have the greatest trust and respect for."

"Right! Right..." Shining Armor took the helmets but instead of pausing to think, he just levitated them randomly onto two of the guards, who nodded in gratitude of the honor albeit with the helmets on the wrong way while the rest of them looked a tad disappointed they hadn't been chosen and they all excused themselves.

Shining Armor looked lamely at Midnight, who'd already facehooved.
"Ugh, I'm sorry, Midnight... Fatherhood is way more stressful than I ever thought."

"I can only imagine what you're going through, Shining Armor," Midnight replied in an understanding tone, "but you gotta loosen up! Yes, this ceremony is important, but instead of worrying about it so much, try to remember that this is a happy day. You and Cadance are going to present your daughter and heir to the crystal ponies, and their happiness and hope in celebration of your foal will help to make the Crystal Empire an even safer kingdom."

"Okay, okay..." Shining Armor finally began to relax-

"Oh Shining Armor...!" called Rarity as she and Blueblood approached, the fashionista levitating a box. "Glad to have caught up with you, Blueblood and I have narrowed down a choice set of crystals for you to choose as the Purity Crystal for the Ceremony!"

She levitated the box and opened the lid, revealing the shards inside, "Thus, I have gone through the trouble of arranging them from in order from incredibly pure to-"

"Rarity, my love," Blueblood interjected, "I've already told you, apart from their forms they are all the same in purity!"

"Blueblood, dear!" Rarity scoffed, "I would think you've a keener eye for these sort of things!"

As Rarity and Blueblood bickered, Midnight whispered to Shining Armor, "Ugh, I hope Twilight, Pinkie, and Cheese are doing well with the baby."

"Oh, I'm sure they're okay," Shining Armor whispered back, "Earlier, Cadance said to me she sent word to our little... secret weapon."

In the nursery, Pinkie tried her best to hold onto the baby, who was laughing and cooing as she flapped about the room, zapping beams of pastel yellow magic around, which Twilight was doing her best to counter with her own magic.

"Pinkie, hold her still!" Twilight yelled.

"I'm trryyyyyyiiiinnnnngggg...!!!" Pinkie wailed as the baby dragged her along when Cheese tried to wave some stuffies.

"Hey, baby! Come get the pwetty bunny, or-or the... snail?" Cheese chuckled nervously,m hoping one of those baby magic beams didn't burn a hole through his noggin.

The baby noticed Cheese and the stuffies and squealed in delight before suddenly twirling about and throwing Pinkie for a loop, who landed painfully onto the changing station, while she flew over to Cheese, who nervously held out the stuffies... and felt her take the snail. They watched as she finally relaxed and cuddled with the snail stuffy, cooing softly, which tuged at their heartstrings, and they all went, "Awwwww!!"

"Everything okay in here?"

Their eyes turned to the door and they smiled to see a familiar changeling foal step in, with reddish-pink coverings over her wings and bright pink eyes, and Twilight smiled, "Elytra!"

"Twilight!" Elytra hurried over to Twilight, who swept her up into a hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you," Twilight gave the cuddlebug a warm and tender hug before setting her down, "You look like you're doing well."

"And you all look like you're doing okay with the baby," Elytra commented, "and I see you found her favorite stuffy."

"The snail?" Cheese was a little surprised. Sure it was a cute snail, but...

"Uh-huh, it was one of the toys on sale in the market a while back," Elytra explained, "Thorax and I saw it and I thought it would be a nice present for the baby when she came, and somehow it became her favorite. Usually, if she gets fussy, just give it to her and she'll calm down."

"Phew! That's good to hear," Pinkie sighed as she gathered herself.

"Cadance thought you all might need a little help, and asked me to come check on you," Elytra mentioned before she went over to the baby, who smiled happily to see her that she immediately flew to her and they shared an adorable hug.
"Hi, baby! Ready for your big day?"

"I hope so, and I hope that her magic calms down and soon," Twilight sighed with relief to see her niece behaving.

LAter, Midnight had gotten Shining Armor to freshen up and get himself together after they'd just grabbed a random crystal from Rarity's box and told her and Blueblood to cool it. Arriving back in the Crystal Heart courtyard, they were joined by Thorax, who'd been finishing up some paperwork for the Crystal Empire advisory board and asked him to come along.

As they got there, they saw that the Royal Sisters, Sombra, and Cadance had just arrived as well, and Shining Armor hurried over to his wife, "OK, I chose the Honor Guard, picked the purity crystal, and, if you agree, I thought that Thorax could be our Crystaller!"

"Me?!" Thorax suddenly felt like a vice had latched onto his chest.

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Cadance agreed before smiling at Thorax, "You've been so helpful ever since you and Elytra came to live here with us, and I think you deserve a little recognition for everything you've done."

"I- I- I-" Thorax stuttered.

"Then it's settled. Now all we need is..." Shining Armor trailed off, trying to remember-

"The baby?" Midnight asked, causing Shining Armor to pull a dumb look of realization.

"We're here!"

Shining Armor phew'd to himself in relief as everypony looked to see Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Cheese Sandwich coming, with the baby and Elytra inside a magenta bubble of mana flying about and laughing. Cadance lit up her horn to probe Twilight's bubble, and she let it give way to allow Cadance's mana to enclose the baby in her own bubble, separating her from Elytra who Twilight gently set down, none of them noticing the baby's distress as she began to tear up.

It was only when she let out a whimper that they looked up at her and-

*"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"*

-she released such a screaming cry that would have made any lunar pony green with envy, everypony feeling the power behind those pipes as they struggled to stand their ground, some covered their ears, and nopony noticed the Crystal Heart suddenly stop rotating on its pedestal, vibrate as if it were struggling... before webs of cracks spread all over it and it shattered to pieces!!!

*GASP*

Everypony gaped in abject horror at the splintered shards that were all that remained of the precious artifact, Cadance absentmindedly reaching out with her foreleg to catch her daughter as the little one alighted herself into her mother's hold.

"Ah'm... guessin' tha's gonna make it hard t' do th' Crystallin'," Applejack said lamely.

"It's worse than that..." All eyes turned to Twilight as she opened the curtain, revealing a distant storm on the rise, "Without the Crystal Heart, the Empire is about to be buried under a mountain of ice and snow!"

Indeed, dark surging clouds of cold gathered all around the borders of the Crystal Empire, slowly but surely encroaching inwards, bringing with them the promise of a frozen doom for all, and it was all because of a baby filly's tantrum.

332. The Crystalling - Part 3

"So, not only is the Crystalling unable to be performed...." Blueblood raised a wary concern as they all surrounded the Crystal Heart's splintered remains, "but we're all about to be frozen solid!!"

"Without the Crystal Heart's Thermal Barrier," Twilight woefully concurred, "the entire city will be turned into a frozen wasteland!"

"But- Wha' about when Sombra was evil an' rulin' th' Crystal Empire an' he'd hidden th' Heart?" brought up Applejack, "Th' city wasn't covered in ice an' snow then!"

"Technically speaking..." Sombra grimaced uncomfortably at any reminder of his past, "the Crystal Heart wasn't missing from the Empire, only that nopony knew where I'd hidden it. It was still in the castle, therefore the Thermal Barrier and the other magical protections remained in effect."

"I'm afraid Sombra is correct," Celestia added in concern, "And the storm clouds are forming even as we speak!"

She lit up her horn to open the curtains for everypony to see the violent storm a stirring as it began to loom overhead, with a foreboding crack of thunder.

"No prob, Soar, Thunder, and I can totally bust those puppies away," Rainbow Dash zipped up, ready to do some good ol' cloudbusting, only for the curtains to close.

"I wouldn't advise it, Rainbow Dash," Celestia warned, "Those storm clouds are unlike any you've ever come across."

"This far north, the weather has a will of its own," added Luna, "and now it will only grow stronger, enveloping everything in its path."

"Including the Crystal Empire!" Thorax cried out in alarm as he hugged Elytra.

"And us along with it!" added Midnight.

Meanwhile, back over at Sunburst's place, things... could have been going better.

"There's gotta be something!" Spike was going over the list, trying to find a step that would help the painfully awkward reunion going on between Starlight and Sunburst.

"I... know Princess Twilight is keen on the two of us rekindling our friendship, but it's been so long," Sunburst hesitated before he said towards Spike, "I don't see how anything on that list is going to help."

"i know, right? It's not like there's some spell that would magically compel us to pick up where we left off," Starlight agreed.

"Oh, actually there's several," Sunburst stated as a matter of fact, before he levitated several books from his MANY shelves, "Mistmane's Material Amity, Rockhoof's Rapport, Flashprance's Fellowship..."

He trailed off when he noticed the odd look Starlight was giving him before he cleared his throat and put his books back, "But I-I get the feeling that the Princess isn't looking for a spell."

Giggling, Starlight nodded, "Definitely not."

"Got it!" They looked towards Spike (who was a little tangled up at the moment) as he read, "'...and if all else fails, ask them to share an embarrassing moment from their past, maybe even something they regret'."

The two unicorns shared a stunned look of discomfort before Sunburst stuttered, "Duh- Uh, I... don't see how that would help."

"Uh- Yeah! We should just... get out of your mane," Starlight decided as she made towards the door, levitating Spike to follow her, "It's pretty obvious this isn't going as Twilight hoped, and I'm sure you have plenty of important work to do."

"What? Oh- Right! Yes," Sunburst chuckled nervously, "No rest for the wizardly."

"Come on, Spike," Starlight said as they stepped out the door, or floated while sighing in Spike's case.

Back at the Crystal Heart courtyard (or was it just a courtyard now?), Midnight asked, "Master! You created the Crystal Heart, is there any way it can be restored?"

"I..." Sombra trailed as he found himself stalling, trying to remember before he lamely concluded, "...don't remember."

"Sombra!" Celestia pressed urgently.

"Well- It's been over a thousand years since I created the Crystal Heart!" Sombra anxiously touched the tips of his hooves together before his eyes lit up as he recalled "But I do remember writing a notebook detailing everything about it, how I created it, what kind of crystal I used and where I got it, the properties, everything! I remember... yes, I remember storing the book in the private archives of the Crystal Empire's Library!

"And said library has an impressive collection of magical knowledge, so even if my notebook doesn't have the solution surely the library has something in it that can help!"

"We'll have to hurry, but what about the storm?" Twilight pointed out.

"We can hold it off for a time," Sombra volunteered, "but even together the three of us will succumb to the fury of the Frozen North."

"We will do what we can," said Celestia as she, her sister, and husband took flight, "but as Twilight stated, you must hurry. Time is of the essence."

The three alicorns boldly flew out to face the storm clouds and immediately got to work holding off the weather's advance. In the courtyard, Midnight stated, "There's no telling how long it will take to find a way to restore the Crystal Heart. So until then, we'll need some of you to direct the crowd to get inside and keep warm."

"And try not to mention the Crystal Heart," requested Cadance, "We don't want to start a panic."

"We got this," Thunderlane saluted before calling, "AJ, Dash, Soarin, c'mon!"

Watching the four ponies hurry off, Twilight looked to the rest still present, "I'm going to need the rest of you to help me research. The library is enormous!"

"You can count on us, Twily," Midnight assured when the baby teleported onto Pinkie's face, which caused her to freak out and throw the filly off, making everypony flinch in abject horror!

Shining Armor dove to catch his daughter, only for her to FLASH away yet again and he bolted up, "WHERE'D SHE GO?!"

They listened and heard the filly's giggles and Cadance heard them coming from the door back into the castle, "This way!"

As they all hurried inside, Midnight cuffed Pinkie on the back of the head, "OW! What was that for?!"

"For throwing my niece!" Midnight snapped, making Pinkie sulk.

As they walked back towards the castle, Starlight sighed, "Well, Spike, looks like my biggest fear came true... I wouldn't be surprised if Twilight decides to give up on me entirely, and Midnight will probably have me sent to prison."

"Nah, it's not your fault... I'm the one who said we only needed this list," Spike replied gently before he gave the list a curt look before burning it to ashes.

"It's not the list, Spike. Or you, or-or Twilight!" Starlight explained despondently, "I'm the one Sunburst doesn't want to be friends with."

"I don't remember him saying he didn't wanna be friends," Spike debated.

"He didn't have to say it..." Starlight felt so down.

"Well, Twilight obviously thinks you're worth being friends with, and I do too," Spike assured while giving Starlight a hug he think she needed.

"Thanks, Spike. At least I have two friends," Starlight honestly did feel a little better, "Even if one of them has dragon breath."

Testing his breath and finally noticing the disturbingly low temperature, Spike fretted, "Uh, that's not dragon breath. It's freezing!"

Looking around, and finally seeing the snowfall and buildup of snow here and there in the city, Starlight realize,d "You're right! But- I thought the Crystal Heart was supposed to keep the cold weather out."

"It is! Unless... something's happened!" Spike worried before he ran off, yelling, "C'mon!"

"Young filly! Come back here!"
"Come on, sweetie, hold still for Uncle Midnight! Please?!"

Shining Armor and Midnight flew after the baby, wondering how a newborn could be so darn fast as the tiny alicorn laughed and whooped with delight, giving her daddy and uncle a real workout as they zoomed through the library. It wasn't long before Pinkie and Cheese and even Blueblood and Elytra joined the hullabaloo.

Everypony else was looking for anything that might be helpful. Thankfully, the archives did indeed have Sombra's original notebook on the Crystal Heart and Twilight was pouring through every page, honestly fascinated by all the work Sombra put into it. But she kept the urgency of the situation in mind and hoped that Sombra had written a solution to the problem at hoof.

"Anything up there?" Twilight called to Cadance, and Thorax who were checking a section on the floor above.

"Not yet," Cadance replied as she was beginning to develop a serious case of library-neck, "I'm not even sure how these are organized!"

"Ugh, I knew I forgot something in the memo last week," Thorax facehooved as he and Cadance converged towards an empty space on the bookshelf-

*FLASH*

The baby had teleported onto the empty space, and Cadance slowly tried to reach for her daughter when she noticed the filly on the verge of a sneeze-

*ACHOO/ZZZHHOOOM*

-and ducked in time to avoid a powerful energy beam, and the baby continued to fly around, everypony else trying in desperation to settle her down.

"Shining Armor, Midnight!" Cadance called, "I thought you were taking care of the baby!"

"We're trying!" Shining Armor responded as he chased after the baby around a corner.

The mad chase continued, the baby flying so happily fast and teleporting whenever somepony got too close, and becoming a menace whenever she fired magic beams at everypony, who dove for cover or ran for their lives. It was at this point that Starlight and Spike arrived and saw the chaos going on, of the baby chasing and the desperate researching-

"YOW!!"

They ducked just in time to avoid one of the baby's energy beams before Starlight finally asked, "What's going on?!"

"You want the long version or the short version?" asked Pinkie as she and Cheese were dragged by the baby happily clutching their tails.

"Uh, short?"

"The baby's an alicorn and she accidentally destroyed the Crystal Heart so Twilight, Cadance, and Thorax are looking for a spell to put it back together and save the Crystal Empire from turning into a wasteland of ice and snow," Cheese answered right off the bat.

"Oh," Starlight replied as she and Spike stood up and watched as Midnight tried to pounce on the baby-

*CRASH*

-only to land in a dazed pile of party ponies, the racket testing Twilight's patience as she snapped, "Do you mind?!"

Groaning, she continued to pour through Sombra's notebook when she turned the next page... and her eyes slowly lit up, "I think this is it! Sombra wrote a Spell of Relic Reconstitution in case the Crystal Heart was ever destroyed!"

"Oh thank goodness," Cadance sighed in relief as Twilight held the notebook open for her to see.

"It's a good thing he made such extensive notes, otherwise I don't know what we'd do," Twilight added when the baby FLASHED into existence beside her and flew over her head, Cheese hopping onto the table and leaping to pounce the baby to the floor.

"Ha-ha!" Cheese held the baby triumphantly... only for her to sneeze and cast a beam of magic!

Rarity held up a mirror to reflect it away, which caused it to rebound towards Midnight who EEEK'd and dispersed his physical form into shadowstuff, passing harmlessly through him and towards Shining Armor, who cast a personal shield spell. Again the beam of magic rebounded, this time towards Starlight, who raised a Bubble of Mana around herself and Spike, and the beam reflected off it... and straight towards Sombra's notebook!!!

Twilight gasped in horror to see the notebook burned all the way through, meaning the spell was now gone! As everypony looked at the ruined notebook in shock, Cheese cringed as he squeaked, "Whoopsie..."

"That spell was the only thing we found in the library that was even close to what we needed!!!" Twilight fretted.

"I'm so sorry, Twilight!" Starlight apologized, feeling awful for her mistake.

"It's not your fault, Starlight," sighed Twilight as she opened the notebook to see if any notes survived but it was all just scorched and ash, "None of us were expecting any of this."

"Do you think you can remember the spell?" asked Cadance hopefully.

"I only read through it once!" Twilight remarked incredulously.

"Well, Twily, you've always had a great memory after reading something for research," Midnight tried to sound encouraging with a forced smile but even he sounded doubtful. Still, he cleared his throat and firmly added, "Just take a moment to think about the spell and do your best."

"I'll try... but I'm not sure how long it'll take," Twilight replied when a snowy chill blew into the library and they saw it coming from a hole that presumably had been blasted open by the baby.

"Is quickly an option?" Pinkie asked with worry.

"I'll help if I can," Cadance said to Twilight before she turned to Shining Armor and took the baby from him, "but we should evacuate the city just in case."

"Agreed, we'll have to lead the citizens to the train station before the tracks freeze over," added Midnight.

"Then let's do it," Shining Armor nodded solemnly before saying to Cadance, "But between you and Twilight, I'm sure you'll remember the spell."

"C'mon, everypony!" Midnight led the charge, Shining Armor, Blueblood, Rarity, Pinkie, and Cheese following, "It's already colder than a windigoe's balls outside!"

"I only hope this spell is the one we need," Twilight said to herself in worry as she took a fresh page of parchment, dipped a quill into an inkwell and got to writing as she wracked her brain to remember the spell.

"Is there anything I can do?" asked Starlight.

"I don't think so. I'm just sorry about your lesson," Twilight responded apologetically.

"That doesn't matter now," Starlight waved it off although her voice was laced with disappointment, but mostly in herself. "Sunburst and I have nothing in common anyway. He's a big important wizard, and I'm relearning everything I ever thought I knew..."

"Sunburst? I don't recognize the name, but if he is an important wizard you should bring him here," Cadance requested, "Maybe he'll know what to do if the spell fails."

Perking up, Starlight gasped, "Of course!"

She hurried off, Thorax and Spike following as the changeling said, "Hold on, we're coming too!"

As the princesses, changeling filly, and the baby were left alone, a roar of thunder made them shiver with worry as they gazed out the hole in the wall and saw the Royal Sisters and Sombra doing their best to hold off the storm, blasting gales and avoiding bolts of lighting but the tempestuous clouds continued to rankle and surge.

"Princess Cadance?" Elytra looked up in worry, "Are... are we gonna be okay?"

Seeing the little changeling filly she'd become so fond of scared, Cadance pulled her into a hug, "Whatever happens, we'll get through this.

Bursting through the door, Starlight, Spike, and Thorax shivered as the forced the door closed although a pile of snow did get in before they finally got it shut.

"SUNBURST!!" Starlight yelled to him, "Haven't you looked outside?!"

Alarmed, Sunburst dropped the books he'd been levitating and looked out a nearby window and saw the weather and something else getting into the empire, "Snow? That's... not right! The Crystal Heart-"

"Is gone!" Starlight answered, "The baby- Er, Shining Armor and Cadance's baby. It's an alicorn!"

Stunned, Sunburst pushed his glasses back up after they'd slid down his snoot, "Really?"

"Really! And her magic is a little berserk, and, well, I guess she destroyed the Heart!" Starlight elaborated.

"But Princess Twilight thinks she can fix it," Thorax added, "and Princess Cadance thought that you could help."

Sunburst flinched, his eyes moving between Starlight, Spike, and Thorax a moment before he found his voice, "Me?!"

"Of course!" Starlight smiled excitedly, "You're an important wizard here in the Crystal Empire, it just makes sense!"

"Right! right, right, right, right..." Sunburst got shifty-eyed and gulped nervously as he turned towards his book shelves and put the books he'd dropped away, "You know, I-I'd like to help. Really, I would, but I.... just have... so much, um, important wizard work to do around here."

Starlight, Spike, and Thorax were aghast by Sunburst's words, Starlight furrowing her brows, "Sunburst, I get that you're busy, but did you not hear what I just said?!"

"Uh, I heard you, but-but like I said, when you're an important wizard, the work just... piles up," Sunburst kept rearranging his books needlessly, not turning to look Starlight in the eye.

"SUNBURST."

Hearing the urgency in her tone, Sunburst sighed and cleaned his glasses before saying, "Look, Starlight, I.... I want to help, I do! But, I can't..."

"What do you mean?" asked Starlight, hearing how ashamed Sunburst sounded when Thorax finally let out a groaning yell!

"Look! Starlight, Sunburst? the situation is getting worse by the second but the real thing that's wasting our time is you two!" Thorax snapped, "You're both hiding something from each other, I can sense your anxiety and trepidation! You're both so ashamed of what you're not telling each other that it's getting in the way of you two rekindling your friendship!

"Starlight, I heard about what happened, and as awful as you may think it is you'll never stop worrying about it until you come clean and tell him, and Sunburst? I understand you feel ashamed about what you're hiding, but it's better to tell the truth than perpetuate a lie!"

"A lie? Sunburst?" Starlight looked to her old friend, who was fidgeting uncomfortably.

He couldn't take it anymore and burst out with tears, "I LIED, OKAY?! I'm not an important wizard. I'm not even a wizard at all!!"

He ran into his living room to hang his head in shame, and Starlight felt like she was walking on eggshells as she slowly approached him, "Sunburst...?"

"I know it's hard to understand," Sunburst explained, sounding dumpy and self-deprecating, "but not all of us end up achieving greatness!"

"What? Why wouldn't I understand that?" Starlight sat down on the chair opposite his own as she looked at him from across his table.

“Really? You’re the protégée of the Princess of Friendship," Sunburst remarked with a 'whoopty-doo for you' tone, "I don't think she picks just anypony for that."

"Technically, she's more of a student than a protégée," Spike interjected when he noticed the stink eyes Starlight and Thorax both gave him... and he slipped under the table.

"Whatever. I'm sorry I'm not the big, important wizard you were expecting," huffed Sunburst as he slumped in his chair.

"Sunburst! I-I don't care if you're a wizard or not, I'm just surprised!" Starlight was confused, "You always knew so much about magic! I mean, look at all these books!"

"Yeah, well, reading about magic is one thing but you don't know what it was like at Magic School!" Sunburst recounted those days miserably, "To know so much and be able to do any of it! ...To not be able to be there and be able to help when a friend really needed you..."

Starlight was stunned by this revelation and realized she'd instigated it with her own assumptions about Sunburst, and yet the old hurt she felt burned with an animosity she'd all but forgotten as she responded, "Well, you don't know what it was like to be left behind! And then getting so bitter that you steal the cutie-marks of an entire village and then get defeated by Twilight and Midnight and their friends. So you travel through time to get back at them but they beat you again and teach you about friendship and hold you accountable for all your misdeeds and wind up getting an Inhibitor Ring locked onto your horn to limit your magic and worry day after day about making even one more screw-up and ruining the rest of your future!! Then you're so terrified that ponies will find out what you did and that you can't make any friends!!!!"

Starlight wiped her own tears while Sunburst looked at her so stunned he didn't notice his glasses slip down his snoot again.

...

Pushing his glasses back up, he asked, "Did you really travel through time?"

Spike popped back up while giving Starlight a friendly ribbing, "See? I told you he'd be impressed."

Sighing, Sunburst stood up and sad, "I'm sorry that we lost touch. Maybe... maybe if I'd reached out, you could have helped me at Magic School, and I could've helped you..."

"Not become totally evil?" Starlight finished it for him, and they shared a smile before she sighed, "Let's just say I know what it's like to have something you're not exactly proud of."

"You showed up, thinking I was a big wizard, and... I'm sorry. I should've just told you the truth," Sunburst replied.

"It's fine, at least we worked it all out," Starlight assured, "I think Twilight would be proud of us."

"Yeah, okay, I'm glad you've worked things out..." Thorax said in an urging voice.
"...but if you ever want to tell her about it, we should probably leave now!" finished Spike as he pointed out the window.

Gasping, Starlight said, "I forgot to mention - They're evacuating the city! You need to get to the train station ...unless you've got a spell here that will drive back the Frozen North and fix the Crystal Heart so the baby can have her Crystalling?"

!!!

"The Crystalling, of course!" Sunburst said in a tone of Eureka!

He hurried to his books and started looking for something, to the others' bewilderment.

High up, the three Alicorns were doing their very best but it just wasn't enough! They were getting colder and colder and running low on mana and becoming exhausted, as they shot beams of alicorn-level power at the storm in a vain attempt to hold it back. But it was like trying to dam a raging river with a box of toothpicks. It just couldn't be done!

Below, Midnight and Shining Armor were leading the evacuation, using their own shield spells to try and keep the way clear while Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Soarin did their best to fight off the storm even if it was only a little. Blueblood, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Cheese Sandwich were doing their best to keep the crystal ponies moving, helping any who tripped or got scared.

Dash, thunder, and Soar finally paused and were absolutely freezing, despite their natural resistance to cold weather. Ice was forming on their wings and other parts of their bodies, and they knew they couldn't keep this up. They landed below to join the rest in leading the evacuation as Applejack called, "JUST A LIL' BIT FURTHER, Y'ALL!! TH' STATION'S JUST AHEAD!!"

But then they saw four figures coming their way from the opposite direction, and as the frosty air cleared a bit they saw it was Starlight, Spike, Thorax, and Sunburst, who was carrying saddlebags with books.

"WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!!" Starlight shouted to the evacuees and her friends as Celestia, Luna, and Sombra descended to join them.
"I KNOW HOW TO STOP THIS!!" Sunburst added, and Celestia smiled to see one of her old students again, and that this time he seemed certain of what to do.

Before everypony turned around to go back, Sunburst made eye contact with somepony he hadn't seen in a long time. Midnight looked back... and nodded before turning around, and Sunburst gulped.

I really hope I'm right about this...

"Uh, I think that's everything...?" Twilight and Cadance were back at the Crystal Heart courtyard, the relic still in shards, and she'd just finished writing down the Spell of Relic Reconstitution to the best of her memory, which was saying something and yet she still doubted.

Cadance gave it a look, "It looks right to me, but there's only one way to find out."

She stepped back while Twilight took a moment, gathered her mana... and then cast it! She concentrated a beam of power to the pedestal where the Heart normally rotated above, and the energy drew in the shards like a magnetic field, causing them to slowly rise up above the pedestal. Cadance added her own mana to the spell, and the shards began to come together, forming the likeness of the Heart... until it was whole!

Albeit... still webbed with cracks. and for a moment the two princesses smiled in relief, only for the glow of the magic to suddenly snuff out and the shards fell back to the floor in splintery disappointment.

"The spell failed, I don't know what else to do..." lamented Twilight-

"An old student of mine believes he does."

The other princes and princesses, along with their friends, Thorax and Elytra, Starlight and Spike returned... accompanied by Sunburst, who Twilight vaguely remembered back from Magic School, even though she never knew him personally. Sunburst hurried forward to give the shards as look, "The baby did this?!"

"I tried putting it back together with this, a Spell of Relic Reconstitution by Prince Sombra," Twilight explained, showing the spell to Sunburst.

"Hmm, I'm afraid this won't do it," Sunburst scrunched up the spell in his aura and tossed it aside before he brought out his books, "The Crystal Heart's been around for millennia. Restoring a relic like this takes magic way beyond one spell. You'd need to combine it with something else, something unique to the relic itself, something that strengthens it and provides it with power..."

Sunburst's tone of voice was implying something as Twilight gave the book he was showing her a look, specifically the page he'd opened it to, before she finally realized, "The Crystalling!"

"Combining that spell with the light and love of everypony gathered for the ceremony, together with..." Sunburst brought out more books and showed the bookmarks placed to the choice spells inside them.

"Somnambula's Weather Abjuration to clear away the snow and..." her gave that one to Midnight.

"A little Fledgling's Forbearance for the parents," he gave that one to Shining Armor and Cadance while giving the baby a little tickle, making her giggle, "That should curb the little one's power fluctuations."

"You must be Sunburst," Cadance noted, "Starlight said you were a powerful wizard."

"Oh, I'm no wizard," Sunburst corrected, which was apparently an alarming thing to say as everypony gaped at him.

"But he's studied magic his whole life! you should see his house!" Starlight defended, "And since nopony has any better ideas, what do we have to lose?!"

Shining Armor and Cadance shared a look before they nodded and he took their daughter, "I had planned for Thorax to be our Crystaller, but I think, given the situation..."

He levitated the baby to Sunburst, who humbly took her into his forelegs and smiled, "I'd be honored!"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Twilight urged, and everypony else ran outside to the platform for the ceremony while Celestia, Luna, Sombra, and Midnight remained in the courtyard, and prepared for their roles.

Remembering his Spell of Relic Reconstitution, Sombra cast his red mana to bring the shards of the Heart together while Celestia and Luna lent their own mana to the spell while Midnight added the Weather Abjuration to the mix.

Outside on the platform, Shining Armor and Cadance kissed their daughter's cheeks before they cast the Fledgeling's Forbearance, hoping it would indeed put a stop to the foal's out-of-control magic. The baby giggled as she gave off a radiance and rose up while Blueblood offered the purity crystal to Sunburst.

"Citizens! May I present the newest member of the Crystal Empire!" he declared while raising his hoof up at the baby.

The crowd cheered, the parents and their friends smiling happily at the filly, and then, one by one, every citizen of the Crystal Empire bowed to honor and celebrate the heir to the Crystal Throne, and their light and love lit up the streets beneath their hooves! The energy spread from every crystal pony, until it lit up all the main streets of the Empire, and Sunburst quickly floated the purity crystal down to the street so it could siphon the energy. Once that was done, he hurried back to the courtyard and willed the purity crystal into the relic as the alicorns continued to hold it together... before it shined and span and dimmed just enough to show the Crystal Heart was whole once again!

Everypony smiled before the Heart gave off a pulsing flash and spread out, everypony gaining the crystalline appearance and glow while the snow and ice that had been freezing everything over was quickly vanished away, as was the storm clouds, leaving the Crystal Empire as bright and warm as it was before. Perhaps even brighter, as everypony in the streets shouted and cheered and whooped in celebration.

The parents held their daughter as she floated down to them, and nuzzled her warmly, relieved that everything was once again alright.

Midnight hurried over to his friends and family while Starlight commented, "For a pony who isn't great at magic, you did pretty well, Sunburst."

"Indeed."

They looked to see Celestia, Luna, and Sombra approach as the Sun Princess said, "I'm glad to see you've found a way to share your unique gift, Sunburst."

"You may be a more of a wizard than you think," complimented Sombra with a wink.

The two old friends shared another smile when...

Sunburst...

He jolted a little in alarm, hearing that voice in his head... and looked towards the others as they celebrated with Shining Armor and Cadance, but only Midnight was looking his way.

You have done a great deed today. Before you make any important decisions henceforth, I would like to have a word with you later.

Sunburst gulped and nodded in response, a tad nervous of what Midnight wanted to say.

Hours later, everypony (but the Royal Sisters and Sombra, who had all already left) had gathered at the train station to greet Twilight and Shining's parents, Night Light and Velvet, along with Midnight's mother and little brother, Faerie Tail and Twinken.

"You would not believe the crazy weather that delayed our train," chuckled Night Light, "Came out of nowhere."

"But it was all worth it to come and see this peaceful little angel," Velvet added as she took a closer look at her granddaughter, "Aw so sweet, come to your grandma!"

The baby cooed and reached out to Velvet with a heart-melting smile while Applejack commented, "Yeah, peaceful now anyway. Ow!"

Thunderlane elbowed Applejack for her lack of tact and added, "Looks like that spell really did the trick for her mag-"

He stopped and they all flinched to see the baby on the verge of a sneeze...! They all cried out and ducked for cover-

"Achoo!" The baby settled down but everypony was relieved to see nothing happen.

"We have Sunburst to thank for that," commented Shining Armor.
"I hope he accepts our offer," Cadance added, "He'll make a wonderful Crystaller and magic advisor for the baby."

"Cadance, dear," Faerie Tail gently took the baby in her aura and held her, "Are you going to tell us the little darling's name or are we just going to keep calling her 'the baby'?"

"Yeah! What's my new niece's name?" Twinken reached up to touch the little one's tiny hoof and she giggled at the colt. "She... is my niece too, right? Midnight's her uncle, so.... doesn't that make me her uncle too?"

"Heh-heh, yes, Twinken, you definitely are her uncle," Shining Armor chuckled while ruffling the colt's mane.

"And we were thinking of calling her..." Cadance began-

"Princess Corazón y Alma!" Midnight stepped in with excited drama, all eyes turning to him as he smirked and added, "Princess Cora for short!"

The baby squealed with delight and flew over to her older uncle, who laughed as he held her and tickled her belly, while Shining Armor and Cadance shared a look.

"Cora..." Cadance mused, testing the taste of the name in her mouth. "I like it!"
"Heh, and we were thinking 'Flurry Heart' to remember the occasion," Shining Armor joked.

"Oh goodness!" tittered Rarity, "How could anypony forget?"

"I think it's lovely," Twilight smiled softly as she and Midnight kissed their niece, Cora, on both of her cheeks, little Cora laughing while reaching for her auntie.

At that moment, at the end of the train platform, Starlight was talking with Sunburst, joshing him as she said, "Well, looks to me that you're a big, important wizard whether you like it or not."

"Oh, I'm not sure if I'll have time for any wizarding. Princess Cadance has asked me to be the Royal Crystaller, it's a big responsibility," Sunburst replied, feeling a tad embarrassed by Starlight's praise.

"Are you going to accept? Because I can't think of anypony more qualified," Starlight assured.

"Maybe? It's just that... Prince Midnight-" Sunburst tried to explain when...

"Sunburst!"

They looked to the other side of the platform and saw Midnight looking straight at Sunburst as the other knights, including Shining Armor, summoned their swords and held them straight.

"Step forward," bade Midnight, and Sunburst shared a nervous look with Starlight before he approached, passing the knights and noticing the nods and smiles of respect from each of them. Midnight summoned his own sword, its steel, black and shiny like obsidian yet edged with the silvery-blue glow of the moon ringing, as he ordered, "Kneel."

Sunburst did as he was told and Midnight declared, "For stepping forward to use your knowledge to help save the Crystal Empire from certain disaster... By the right of the Council, by the Magic of Friendship! Sunburst, you may rise."

Sunburst did so, noticing the knights all salute him before he asked, "I-I don't understand! What does this mean?"

Midnight smiled solemnly as he explained, "It means you are now one of us! A Knight of Harmony."

He raised his sword, the others doing the same, and everypony watched in awe as each knightly sword came alive with different colored radiances that gave off vaporous mana that suddenly swirled together before collecting in front of Sunburst... and forming a new sword for the new knight. It was a fine blade colored the soft orange-yellow of the sunrise while the guard matched the colors of Sunburst's cloak.

"Hail, Sir Sunburst, Scholar of Sorcery, Savior of the Crystal Heart!" cheered, Midnight, and everypony present likewise shouted, "HAIL! HAIL! HAIL!!"

"Wait-wait-wait!! Hold on!" Sunburst yelled over all the shouting and once they were paying attention, he exclaimed, "I can't be a knight! I already told you all, I'm not a wizard and I'm certainly no warrior!"

"Sunburst, being a knight doesn't mean you have to be some big important wizard or that you even have to fight," Midnight assured before he explained, "It means stepping up to do the right thing, especially when you know you have a solution that can help solve a problem. Because a hero isn't somepony who goes out and fights evil villains or accomplishes fantastic feats. A hero is one who steps forward to offer a helping hoof simply because they know it's the right thing to do.

"Which is why I have to do the right thing right now. Starlight, please come here."

Starlight was confused but approached, standing beside Sunburst as they gave him bewildered looks, everypony looking on in wonder... that turned to utter shock as Midnight got down on his knees and pressed his head down in penitence.

"Words cannot express how sorry I am..." he stood back up, looking deeply ashamed, "to both of you."

"What are you talking about?" Starlight didn't understand... when she noticed a similar look of shame on Sunburst's face. "Sunburst? Do... do you know what he's saying?"

"It's alright, Sunburst," Midnight sighed, "I release you from your gag order."

"Gag order?!" Starlight echoed, "What is going on here?!"

Sunburst grimaced before he took a deep breath and started, "Starlight... there's more to my earlier confession. As I said before, I went to Magic School, and I didn't do as well as I'd hoped. At least, not practically. Back then, I aced written exams because I was able to soak up what I read and researched from books so well, and... Somepony saw my grades on the written exams, and... thought they saw something worthwhile."

"Who?" asked Starlight.

"My father, Ignitus Enflame, who was Captain of the Royal Guard," answered Midnight, who sighed before he explained his own part in this, "I became an alicorn when I was only ten years old, but due to... a lot of circumstances at the time, Princess Celestia had to keep my ascension a secret from the world. I was sent away from Canterlot to a country estate, where I was to begin studying and training for my future. I was given multiple teachers for different subjects and disciplines, but... It was lonely and miserable.

"So... my father spoke with Celestia and they decided to give me some... fellow trainees, I guess you could say. Colts my own age to train alongside me, and for me to lead in order to learn to become a leader. One of them was Shining Armor, another..."

He looked to his old friend and confirmed, ."...was Sunburst."

"But... what does this have to do with... whatever this is?" asked Starlight.

"Like I said, I wasn't doing as well as I'd hoped in Magic School," Sunburst went on. "I felt so pressured and afraid of disappointing my family, despite my grades on written exams. Midnight's father, Ignitus, saw my grades and mistook me for... a prodigy in magic. So, he arranged for me to be one of the colts to train alongside Midnight. I wasn't allowed to send or receive letters for the duration of the training... that's partly why... why I didn't stay in touch with you, Starlight."

Starlight was stunned, uncertain of what to say. So Midnight went on.

"A few years passed during our training, and when I was fifteen, something terrible happened... One of our fellow trainees, a pegasus named Flash Sentry... He was murdered right in front of me. By Catrina."

Starlight flinched to hear that witch's name again, though Midnight kept going.
"I was devastated... Helpless to stop her, and I was so ashamed that I'd failed a friend and comrade I loved like a brother. Because of what happened, I dismissed my team and told them all to go home. My father issued them all a gag order, forbidding them to reveal anything regarding their time training with me. Including my existence."

"Flash's death was terrible, but... the way Midnight turned us all away," Sunburst added, "I felt like... he blamed us for what happened."

"Wait, what?!" Midnight gaped at Sunburst, "Sunburst, that's not true! Yes, I dismissed you all, but I didn't blame any of you for what happened! I blamed myself, I felt like I'd failed! And... I couldn't bare to fail any of you like I did Flash. I just... didn't want any of you to get hurt because you were close to me."

"Really?" Sunburst was stunned to hear that, "I-I thought- Well... I kinda felt like the fault was mine, not just because you dismissed us. But because I'd failed to imbue our gear with that forewarning ward or-or-"

"Sunburst," Midnight raised his hoof to gently shush him. "What happened wasn't your fault. Or mine, as I've recently come to accept. We were trainees, kids! None of us could have known what was going to happen, and none of us were prepared for who attacked us."

"So then... part of the reason Sunburst fell out of touch with me," Starlight realized as she looked to Midnight, "was because of you."

Sighing shamefully, Midnight nodded, "It is... and I am sorry, Starlight. If Sunburst hadn't gotten involved with me, then maybe he and you would have stayed in touch, and you wouldn't have... well, you know."

"Well, I also didn't go home after Midnight and his father dismissed me," Sunburst pointed out. "I was so ashamed of my failures and not living up to my cutie-mark I just couldn't face going home..."

"Which was still partly my fault and the fault of my father," Midnight affirmed "Believe me, I know how much it can be suffocating when you're held up to really high expectations, whether your own or somepony else's. Which reminds me..."

Then Midnight surprised everypony when he lit up his horn and unlocked the Inhibitor Ring on Starlight's horn, removing it as he gently said, "I don't think we'll need this anymore."

"I... I don't know what to say," Starlight was at a loss as Midnight made the ring vanish.

"While we're all still ultimately responsible for our own actions, I believe we shouldn't forget that sometimes our actions result from the actions of others," Midnight stated before declaring, "Starlight, you are no longer on probation. You're a free mare and I wish you luck in wherever your future may take you."

"...Thank you, Midnight," Starlight gave him a respectful bow and smile. "Well, I guess it's just about time for us all to home?"

"Not quite..." Midnight smirked before he turned to Sunburst again, "I know Cadance and Shining Armor have made you an offer, to be their Crystaller and magic adviser."

"Earlier, you told me not to make any big decisions before you had a chance to talk to me," Sunburst brought up.

"I did, which leads me to the second thing I want to talk to you about," Midnight confirmed before he asked, "Sunburst, I would like for you to be my apprentice!"

"WHAT?!" Sunburst, Starlight and some of the others who were still watching all of this unfold shouted.

"Me? Apprentice under you?!" Sunburst flummoxed, trying to make sense of this unexpected development, "Well- Uh, I- Wha-"

"It would mean coming to live with us in Ponyville," Midnight went on, sounding hopeful, "but if you would rather stay here in the Crystal Empire and serve as Cadance and Shining Armor's magic adviser, I understand."

Sunburst suddenly found himself with a big decision to make, as he looked from Midnight to Shining Armor and Cadance, who both shrugged, meaning they weren't going to persuade him one way or another. He looked at Starlight, who looked ecstatic at the idea but then she gave it a thought and said, "I would be thrilled to have you with us in Ponyville, but... I think you should go with whatever will make you happy."

Sighing, Sunburst gave it a thought. On one hoof, it was a real honor to be asked to serve as Royal Crystaller and magic adviser to the rulers of the Crystal Empire, but on the other, he couldn't help but find himself excited by the notion of training under Midnight. Granted, he knew way more about magic than the sapphire alicorn did, but he knew there was plenty of things his old friend could teach him.

Everypony leaned in, waiting for Sunburst's answer until finally he said, "I lost touch with my oldest friend and... it didn't exactly turn out well, for either of us."

Starlight stifled a gasp, not daring to think-

"So... sign me up!" Sunburst smiled excitably before turning to Starlight and pulling her into a hug!

"We wish you the best of luck, Sunburst," said Shining Armor.
"Although I wish you'd stay," Cadance added, "I think we all deserve to make the decisions that we feel are right for ourselves."

"Welcome to the group, Sunburst," Midnight smiled as everypony rushed in, giving Sunburst and Starlight hugs and friendly punches to the shoulders and saying all kinds of nice things when Midnight felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to see it was his Twily.

"I'm proud of you, Midnight," she smiled tenderly at her husband.

"For what?" Midnight was confused.

"I know that you and Starlight haven't been on the best of terms since she moved in with us and became my student," Twilight explained, "but the way you just humbled yourself before her and Sunburst, and finally gave Starlight your forgiveness..."

She nuzzled up to her stallion, and he nuzzled her back as she whispered to him, "It just makes me think of how I love you so much."

"And I love you," Midnight said back, wrapping his wings around his wife, just enjoying the moment.

Author's Note

Since this is an 'Alternate Universe' story, I felt justified in changing Flurry Heart's name to something else. So I chose:

Corazón y Alma, Spanish for 'Heart and Soul'

Or Cora, for short. I went with this kind of name because her mother, Cadance's full name is 'Mi Amore Cadenza'

333. The Crystalling - Epilogue

The flight back to Ponyville was delayed somewhat, so Sunburst could go back to his house and pack up his things. Midnight helped by giving his new apprentice saddlebags with extra-dimensional space, which Sunburst was over the moon with giddiness to receive, so he didn't have to worry about packing up the hard way. They also stayed a little longer so Night Light, Velvet, Faerie Tail, and Twinken could enjoy getting to know little Cora.

But as the afternoon wore on, it was truly time to go home. The Council of Friendship, along with Starlight, Sunburst, Faerie Tail, and Twinken bade the new parents and baby, Night Light, Velvet, Thorax, and Elytra a fond farewell before disembarking and taking to the air in The Break of Dawn. Sunburst was absolutely fascinated by the mystechnology behind such an advanced airship and while Blueblood invited Sunburst up to the bridge, Midnight spent the trip in his private quarters with Twilight, having earlier noticed she appeared a little down after they'd left the Empire.

"Spill. What's wrong?" Midnight asked as they laid in bed together in the cozy and surprisingly roomy apartment. It had a bed big enough for two ponies to lie comfortably in together, a wardrobe, a writing desk, and there was a small private bathroom in it too, with a toilet, sink, and shower.

"I don't know, Midnight," Twilight said, sounding a little morose, "I think I have a lot to learn about being a teacher."

"What are you talking about? The lesson was learned," Midnight pointed out, "Starlight and Sunburst have put their past behind them, rekindled their friendship, and now they're gonna continue enjoying their friendship since Sunburst is coming to live with us in Ponyville."

"No thanks to me," Twilight disagreed, "I know a lot happened; I just wish I could have given my pupil the attention she deserves."

"Well, she did need to be guided to the right path, but stepping back and allowing her to make her own decision worked out quite nicely," Midnight raised a cheeky brow, "Isn't that how Celestia taught you?"

Hearing those words, Twilight perked in realization and brightened up, "You know, I never really thought about it, but I guess it is."

"You're gonna be a great teacher, Twily, and you're already off to a good start," Midnight assured, "and I'm gonna do my best to do the same for Sunburst."

"Thanks, Midnight..." Twilight enjoyed these moments where they cuddled and just enjoyed being alone with him. Hmm...

"Midnight... are these private quarters... soundproof?"

Raising his brow, Midnight gave his wife a smirk and said, "No, but I can take care of that."

Twilight giggled as she reached down and stroked her husband's stallionhood, which was already rising to the occasion. Midnight growled in a naughty way as he took a friendly nip at Twilight's ear ,making her gasp and giggle before they got busy...

It was almost sunset by the time they got back to Ponyville, and they were surprised to find the Cutie-Mark Crusaders waiting for them at Blueblood's warehouse as they disembarked The Dawn.

"Applejack, Applejack!!" Apple bloom hopped up and down, giddy and bright eyed, the other Crusaders behind her smiling and happy.

"Apple Bloom, wha' in thunder-ation's got y'all so riled up?" asked Applejack.

"It's Big Mac an' Fluttershy!" Apple Bloom replied, "Y'all gotta hurry, they're at th' hospital!"

There was a collective GASP except from Sunburst, who asked, "Am I missing something here?"

"C'MON Y'ALL!!" Applejack led the stampede off to Ponyville General.

Upon arriving, they had a quick word with the receptionist at the front desk and allowed to go to the nursery, like the girls, Midnight, Thunderlane, and Big Mac had done a long while back when they'd come to see Mr. & Mrs. Cake's newborns. They crowded around the window murmuring excitably as they scanned the several foals snoozing peacefully inside, Rainbow, Soarin, and Thunderlane flying above to get a better look.

"Ah cain't believe Fluttershy had her baby while we wer' gone," Applejack said in sweet sorrow, "Ah'm glad th' baby's fin'lly here, but... Ah wish we'd been here for when it happened."

"Fluttershy and Big Macintosh must so darn proud," Midnight commented warmly.

"Is it a colt? A filly? An earth pony? A pegasus?!" Rainbow Dash was really excited for her oldest friend.

"I wanna see the new baby pony!!" Pinkie had her face smushed up against the glass.
"Me too, me too!" Cheese was doing the same before they both exclaimed, "WHICH ONE IS IT?!"

That's when they saw Big Mac come in, looking tired but happy and content as he softly stepped over to a baby and said to his friends, "Everypony? Ah want y'all t' meet our daughter, Bellflower Apple."

He gently pulled the baby blanket down to show a teeny pegasus filly with a coat a fainter and softer shade of her father's red, her mane the soft pinkish-orange of a peach, and she had her father's freckles beneath her eyes, which she rubbed while cooing in her sleep.

Everypony's hearts just melted as they aw'd at the sight of this precious little one, when Big Mac smiled and added, "And... our son, Sandow Apple!"

He turned to the baby next to Bellflower and pulled down the baby blanket to reveal an earth pony colt with a leafy green coat and his mane was apple red, the little guy yawning as he turned over, to everypony's surprise. They hadn't been aware that Fluttershy had been carrying twins!

"Two new foals for us to play with?!" Pinkie was blown.
"That's two-two-two times the fun!" Cheese added, "This is the greatest day ever!"

Then the two party ponies ducked below the window... and popped up in the nursery, both wearing party hats, as Pinkie exclaimed, "We gotta celebrate your birthday, babies!"

"After all, you guys were just born today!" Cheese added with a smile as he prepared to play his accordion... only for Nurse Redheart to rush in and sharply SHHHH them and make a deliberate point towards the door that had only one meaning.

OUT.

"Oop! Sorry... C'mon, Pinkie," Cheese made for the door, and Nurse Redheart nodded in satisfaction, but didn't notice Pinkie leave.

"Happy, happy birthday, to you and you today-"

Then Pinkie flinched to see Nurse Redheart giving her such a stink eye before she forced her out of the nursery, muttering, "Are we going to have to do this every time you visit the nursery?"

Pinkie pouted while Cheese smiled sheepishly as he pulled her towards the back of their crowd friends. Big Mac came out to join them and immediately the flood of congratulations and good wishes came, and Big Mac said, "Alright, alright, thank y'all fer yer kind words. But really, Ah jus' wanna go see `Shy right now."

"How is the new mother, by the way?" asked Thunderlane.

"She's alright," Big Mac was relieved to say. "She got mighty scared after her water broke an' she went into labor. But Ah helped her through it, an' after she squirted out Belle, Sandow was a lot easier, she said. But hoo boy! Muh `Shy's got a grip like an earth pony, don' think mah hoof'll ever be th' same."

"Well, we're all so glad to see everything turned out well and that your family is okay, Big Mac," Twilight came forward to give the big red pony a hug.

"An' we're all jus' so darn proud o' ya, big brother!" Applejack was tearing up and Big Mac pulled her into a hug too as she sniffled, "M-Ma an' Pa would be-"

"Ah know," Big Mac said softly as everypony came together to join in on the hug.

Author's Note

Big Mac and Fluttershy are parents! :yay: :eeyup:

Their twin foals are pegasus filly Bellflower "Belle" Apple and earth pony colt Sandow Apple

334. Life in Friction - Part 1

The days that followed after the Crystalling and subsequent births of Big Macintosh and Fluttershy's foals were hardly eventful apart from the late-birthdays party Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich threw for the new twins, Belleflower and Sandow Apple. Sunburst settled into the Castle of Friendship, just as Starlight did, but when he asked his new master Midnight what and when their first lesson would be, Midnight told him to get used to Ponyville first.

Sunburst spent a whole week checking out the town (and also got his 'Welcome to Ponyville' party) and finding it to be a very nice and welcoming place. He spent some time talking Mystech with Blueblood, doing some magical research with both Twilight and Starlight, enjoyed meeting Chili Spice, Joe, and their little colt Pepper Flake, and making more friends around Ponyville than he'd ever had in the last few years.

It was the end of the week where things began to look interesting.

Midnight had called his fellow knights to the training area behind the castle, and stated, "Alright, Knights, we all know why we're here. Except for Sunburst, I hope each of you took some time to do some training since our last meeting."

Cheese, Blueblood, and Soarin all exchanged hesitant looks while Big Mac and Thunderlane both nodded in confirmation. Sunburst however was a little nervous.

"Hmmm, no matter," Midnight shrugged, "Things have been a little intense for a while and we've all just gotten back to how peaceful it can be. You know, when things aren't going crazy.

"Be that as it may, it's time to begin honing our skills and sharpening our senses. So, let's start with some sparring. Harmonic Knights, draw your swords!"

They all did as their leader bade, though Sunburst was the last to summon his, which didn't escape his master's notice. It was still taking some getting used to the fact that his sword was a part of him and was absorbed into his body whenever Sunburst needed to put it away.

"I want you all to pair up and spar. Focus on disarming your sparring partner, for now, and don't worry about harming each other."

Midnight cast a spell and everyone noticed the edges of their swords light up and dim almost as quickly.
"I've cast a ward on the edges of your swords. They are now blocked by a thin barrier that will prevent them from being able to actually cut anything, but don't be reckless. Even if they can't cut right now, these weapons are still stout enough to inflict bruises and other serious injuries, depending on where they hit you. The wards on your weapons will last until you sheathe them. So now!

"Pair up and spar!"

Blueblood wound up sparring with Cheese Sandwich, Big Mac with Thunderlane, and Soarin decided to spar with Sunburst.

Sunburst technically had an advantage as he could wield his sword using Telekinesis whereas Soarin had to hold his with his hooves, his magic allowing him to grasp his sword's handle even without Manipulation Shoes. During his Wonderbolt training, he'd learned how to manipulate objects with his hooves by concentrating his magic to them without relying on Manipulation Shoes. It'd been a practice in being able to focus and control his mana.

Sunburst gulped as he held his sword diagonally in front of him, hesitant to make the first move.

Not wasting a beat, Soarin struck first and he struck down hard. Sunburst flinched but held his sword block the attack, which impressed Soarin a little though he could see Sunburst seemed to be wavering somewhat and looked a tad pale.

"We're all nervous here. Don't worry," Soarin chuckled in a friendly way.

"It's just...I'm more used to books and research," Sunburst gulped. "Fighting's not really my forté."

"Well, it's been said the pen is mightier than the sword," joked Soarin, which actually helped Sunburst to crack a smile. "Listen Sunburst, it's okay to feel nervous. Everypony starts fresh when they begin to learn about something new, and they're not gonna get it right at the beginning.

"Remember, this is just training, and we're in this together. We're friends now, a team. In some ways, we're also a family."

Sunburst's eyes widened at those words as Soarin went on.
"To tell you the truth, I'm feeling kinda pressured by all this, too. I never thought I would become a knight! For a long while, I was a Wonderbolt, and although I originally became one to make my dad happy, I won't deny the ups and downs that came with being a Wonderbolt. I enjoyed helping to inspire other ponies but I was also afraid of letting them down or giving a bad example.

"Then my captain, Spitfire, turned out to be lacking a little in integrity, same with a few of the other Wonderbolts, and I quit. But it took flying with them again to help me figure something out - That there are somethings we just can't do on our own, but when we work together there's nothing we can't do! That's why I earned the Element of Unity."

"I see..." Sunburst gave it a thought and realized Soarin was right. Everypony had to start somewhere, and when he thought about it, he found himself glad.

Glad that he was starting out with the help and guidance of his new friends. He smirked as he felt his confidence spark before raising his sword, "Okay! Let's get back into it!"

"If you insist..." Soarin raised his sword too... when he felt a familiar buzzing sensation on his flanks and he looked to see, "My cutie-mark! It's glowing!"

"Does... that mean something important?" asked Sunburst, when an image of Soarin's cutie-mark floated up and away.

"Sorry guys! The Map's a'calling!" Soarin flew off, leaving the rest of the knights momentarily perplexed.

"Didn't Twilight say the Map was busted or something?" asked Cheese Sandwich.

Inside, Soarin found Twilight, Spike, and Starlight and the Map aglow, "I'm here! Anypony else?"

"Hi, Soarin, this is... unexpected," Twilight was scratching the side of her head.

"Why, is something wrong?" asked Soarin as he approached. That's when he saw the image of his cutie-mark drifting aimlessly all over the Map.

"Well... Starlight and I were just testing a spell to restore functionality to the Map," explained Twilight, "ever since..."

She hesitated to finish that sentence so Spike did it for her, "Ever since Starlight messed with the Map so she could go back in time to change history."

Starlight winced while Twilight nodded, "Yes. That. Anyway, we did some research and tried a spell to get the Map working again, but it started showing random cutie-marks all over the place until finally it settled on just yours."

"My flanks were shivering and I followed my cutie-mark in here," nodded Soarin, "Except... it doesn't seem to know where I'm supposed to go."

"Hmm," Twilight looked at Soarin's mark hovering over the Map and noticed it was floating around one area in particular. "What about there? It's not certain, but it seems to be drawn to this area."

Soarin took a closer look too, and saw his mark floating aimlessly over the middle-northern part of Equestria, not far from the edge of the Frozen North.
"That area... it's along the route taken annually by Cloudsdale as it works its way around Equestria, making sure everypony is distributed good weather. Hold on, I think I might know where I'm supposed to go!"

Soarin reached into the Map's three-dimensional imagery and carefully zoomed in, revealing a town upon closer inspection, "There, Stratusburg."

"I've read about Stratusburg a few times before," Twilight perked up, "It's the first town that was established by a pegasus after Cloudsdale was founded centuries ago as the pegasus capitol of Equestria. Lots of pegasi who leave Cloudsdale usually go to live in Stratusburg."

"Soarin, I just realized that the Map only seemed to call you after we tried our spell to fix it," Starlight brought up, "does that mean the Map is still not working right?"

"Actually, this has happened before," Soarin answered, "Thunderlane, Big Macintosh, and Midnight were each called by the map to go on solo missions. But instead of friendship problems, the problems they were sent to take care of were more like... righting a wrong or resolving some kind of injustice."

"You could be onto something, Soarin," Twilight found herself intrigued, seeing the dots connecting as she gave Soarin a smirk, "Care to test your hypothesis?"

Soarin smirked back as he drew his sword, "With pleasure... Stratusburg, here I come!"

It took Soarin a few hours of flying with a couple breaks, but he made it to Stratusburg early into the afternoon. It was a large town, just a little bigger than Ponyville, where the inhabitants lived either on the ground or in the clouds, just like the cloud house he and his Dashie lived in. As Twilight had stated, this was a town founded by pegasi, so most of the ponies he saw as he got closer were winged and flying.

"Okay, so how's this gonna work...?" Soarin muttered to himself as he sat upon a cloud and gazed down at the nearest neighborhood. "Do I just wander about, looking for a big problem or does the problem find me?"

But then Soarin took another look and realized the neighborhood wasn't looking all that neighborly. Or scenic. He glided down for a closer look and was mortified to see the neighborhood looked like it'd been recently trashed! There were broken windows and fences, yards messed up, gardens torn apart, broken branches hanging off of trees, garbage littered the ground from spilled over trashcans, and the locals were all looking despondent as some of them were endeavoring to tidy things up.

He approached a mare who was sadly trying to fix her flower garden and asked, "Excuse me, miss? What happened here? Your neighborhood looks like it's been ransacked!"

The mare gazed up at Soarin a little hesitantly before she asked, "New in town?"

"I am. I am Sir Soarin of the Knights of Harmony, and I was sent here to resolve a problem," Soarin stated, trying to sound as formal and official as possible.

"I've... never heard of the Knights of Harmony," the mare replied before sighing, "But I suppose there's no harm in telling you; Stratusburg is caught in the middle of a gang war."

"A gang war?!" Soarin was stunned.

"It began only a couple of weeks ago," the mare explained, "a gang of griffons showed up out of nowhere and their leader, a griffoness calling herself Iron Wing, declared Stratusburg was now her turf and if we wanted to stay and live peacefully we'd have to pay her for protection!

"But a young pegasus by the name of Cyclone, he immediately rose up, along with some other ponies, and declared they wouldn't be pushed around. At first, Cyclone seemed like he would be our protector... but instead, he and his gang fighting with Iron Wing and hers have caused all kinds of damage and problems to Stratusburg. A few of us complained to Cyclone about the damage he and his gang were inflicting upon our town but he just ignored us! Every few days since, Cyclone and Iron Wing's gangs have fought in the streets, not caring about the damage and harm they're causing to everypony here. They don't even help clean up the messes or fix anything afterwards. They just leave after they're done fighting and go who knows where to lick their wounds..."

That definitely explains why this neighborhood is in such a sorry state, Soarin thought as he regarded the ruined area again.

"Look, I'm sure you mean well, but please just go home," sighed the mare wearily as she saved what flowers she could, putting them into some flower pots, "You'll end up just contributing to the violence and the damage..."

The mare went into her home, taking her potted flowers with her, leaving Soarin perplexed.
"This isn't gonna be an easy one... On one wing I can't stand by and do nothing but on the other she has a point. I have to handle this delicately, otherwise things could get even worse."

He wandered the neighborhood, puzzling on what to do about this situation, when...

"Stop it! Leave me alone!"

His ears perked and he immediately took flight to get a better view of what was going on. His sharp eyes zeroed in on the direction he'd heard that voice and he saw a young earth pony stallion being confronted by two griffons, who didn't look the least bit friendly. They had the poor pony cornered up against a delivery wagon, their wings raised to prevent him from trying to get away.

"We warned yer dumbass boss to stay out of our business, pony!" snarled one griffon.
"Since he's not wising up, we figure sending him one of yer hooves might illustrate our point a little more clearly," added the other griffon before he wickedly sneered, "OR better yet, your head!"

"No! No, please!" the earth pony was terrified, "SOMEPONY HELP!!!"

Without hesitation, Soarin charged forward as the first griffon raised his talons with an ugly sneer and didn't see the buck in the face coming until it was too late, sending him hurtling into a rose bush, causing him to squawk in agony.

"Oh, you are gonna regret that, pony!" snarled the other griffon after the shock of this unexpected development wore off.

Soarin didn't respond, only taking a fighting stance and gesturing with his primaries a very clear message, 'Bring it on'. The second griffon growled and pounced, only for Soarin to leap straight up, flapping away while the griffon scrambled back onto his feet after misjudging the force of his pounce tripped him up. Glaring up angrily at Soarin the griffon took flight and chased after him, but Soarin was a trained ex-Wonderbolt, and Silver Lining had made him among the very best of the best fliers in Equestria.

He flew back and forth, practically dancing around the griffon, always one flap ahead no matter how hard the griffon tried to keep up and close his talons around him. It wasn't long before the griffon was panting and tired whereas Soarin was smirking smugly, "Oh c'mon! You can't be tuckered out already, I haven't even broken a sweat!"

The griffon clenched his talons, growling furiously when he noticed something behind Soarin and sneered, "Is that so? Hard to believe that coming from some has-been!"

"Yeah, I'm not a Wonderbolt anymore, but one thing I learned from my time with them....!" Soarin did a mighty flap, back-flipping upwards and easily avoiding the first griffon from behind as he'd tried to tackle Soarin from behind, only to squawk in alarm as he and the second collided and landed in a groaning heap of bruises back on the ground as Soarin landed nearby, "...is to watch your back!"

Growling, the griffons disentangled their limbs and shakily got back up, ready for more. Until Soarin raised his crystal and willed it to transform in his sword, causing the griffons to gulp at the sight of the blade as Soarin raised a brow and asked, "Who's up for Round 2?"

The griffons growled in frustration before they turned tail and flew away. If Soarin didn't know any better, he could have sworn they were buck-buck-bucking like chickens the whole way away.

"Heh, I don't know whether to call them chickens or scaredy-cats," Soarin quipped before turning to the earth pony he'd just helped out.

He was young, just becoming a stallion, with a mint green coat and wheat-golden mane, and his cutie-mark was three brown hoofprints sided by stalks of golden wheat. He stood there, stunned and perhaps in awe of what had just transpired, so Soarin chuckled and asked, "You doing alright, buddy?"

"...Holy Mother of Faust!" the young earth pony whispered before getting a hold of himself, "Uh- I- What I mean is- THANKS! Um, thank you, for... standing up for me. I thought I was gonna be a scratching post or something."

"No prob. Are those griffons with that Iron Wing I've been hearing about?" asked Soarin.

"They are, a couple of her biggest bullies," the earth pony sighed before remembering his manner, "Oh! Sorry, my name is Harvest Maize

"Nice to meet you, Harvest," Soarin nodded, "So... is there anything else you can tell me about this Iron Wing situation going on here in town?"

Harvest suddenly got a tad shifty-eyed, looking to his left, then to his right, and then softly answering, "Follow me."

Harvest led Soarin to an old neighborhood where most of the houses were old and no longer occupied, and the few that were housed grungy middle-aged ponies, the types who would come out and shout 'you kids get off my lawn'. Soarin had tried to ask where they were going but Harvest shushed him and asked him to wait until they arrived. Before long they came to a house that was surrounded by old trees. It wasn't a manor, but it was definitely larger than a typical house and had nice architecture.

Walking up the steps to the wraparound verandah, Harvest approached the door and used the old brass doorknocker in a series of knocks, which Soarin assumed was some kind of code or signal. The door opened only slightly, held by a chain-lock and Soarin heard somepony ask, "Password?"

"Hurricane sent me," Harvest answered.

The door shut, there was the sound of the chain-lock coming undone, and it opened to reveal a tall and burly earth pony who gave a nod to Harvest but eyed Soarin suspiciously.
"It's okay, Boulder Brawn, he's with me. He helped me out, and I think he could help out with the griffon problem. That's why I brought him here, to meet Cyclone."

Boulder Brawn sighed and stepped aside to let them through, "Your funeral."

Harvest went in, Soarin following, ignoring Boulder's sudden growl in an attempt to intimidate him, which he found laughable. Silver Lining was a jungle cat compared to this kitten in pony's skin.

"Wow, most new recruits turn tail as soon as Boulder Brawn gives them the stink eye," Harvest was impressed as he led Soarin through a hallway.

"Take this tip - There's always someone far more intimidating out there," Soarin replied smugly, "But I am getting anxious to have my questions answered."

"Trust me, you'll wanna hear them from the Commander himself," Harvest chuckled as he led Soarin upstairs, down another hall, and came to a door. He knocked a few times and waited.

"Enter."

Harvest opened the door and gestured Soarin to follow. The inside was a large bedroom that was instead used as an office and training room. There was a desk with a large wooden bookcase behind it filled with books, a map of Stratusburg on the desk, and by the window was a pegasus stallion, younger than Soarin, with a grayish-blue coat, his mane blonde with streaks of electric blue, stormy gray eyes, and his cutie-mark a spiral shaped like an electrical current.

He was lifting weights, grunting as he said, "Gimme a minute, almost done here...!"

Soarin just rolled his eyes at the "Commander". He'd seen his type plenty of times back in the Wonderbolts, grandstanding blowhards trying to show off strength and leadership. Grunting as he put his weights down, the pegasus rolled his shoulders, reached down behind the bench he was sitting on, and raised a water bottle to take a swig.

He gave Soarin a glance from the corner of his eye while he drank before finally stopping and commenting, "So who's this clown?"

"Clown? Kid, I recommend you choose your next words carefully," Soarin responded coolly with an edge in his voice. "I take it you're this Cyclone I've heard about from the locals?"

"Commander Cyclone, Praetor of the Legio XIII Fulminis," Cyclone boasted, standing tall, his chest out, his head held high, his eyes narrowed at Soarin, "And I just remembered who you are. Soarin, former Commander of the Wonderbolt A-Squad. In other words, a has-been."

"The last asswipe to call me that, I sent him and his buddy clucking like the chickenwusses they really are," Soarin retorted, narrowing his eyes back.

Surprised as he was, Cyclone wasn't going to give Soarin the satisfaction of seeing it. Still, if this guy can scare off griffons as easily as he claims, perhaps he could be useful...

"So what's the situation here?" Soarin sat on his haunches and folded his forelegs, "I've been hearing about this Iron Wing and you, and frankly it's painted my view of you in an unflattering light."

"It's nothin' we can't handle," Cyclone waved it off, "Just a bunch of yahoos horning in on-"

"Let me make myself perfectly clear," Soarin interrupted, his tone and expression as foreboding as a fast-approaching tornado, "I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me Goddess, or I contact the local police, the nearest garrison of guardsponies, hell, I'll even call in my old Wonderbolt buddies, and we'll be the ones to clean up this town of everybirdy and everypony making a mess out of it to restore order and peace to Stratusburg.

"Based on what I've heard about you, you may be leading your guys to fight off Iron wing and her lackeys, but you're all every bit as responsible as them for the damages and depression plaguing Stratusburg as of late. I don't have time for a self-righteous brat masquerading as some kind of heroic commander who says he's doing good and doesn't care about collateral damage. You're not a commander, your guys are not a legion, and you're not helping Stratusburg. Get the picture?"

...

Cyclone stared with his jaw on the floor, suddenly feeling like a colt being scolded and looked down upon by his dad all over again. Soarin had just issued a clear and deliberate threat, and called him out on his arrogant irresponsibility, and in retrospect, Cyclone acknowledged that despite his efforts to protect his home from Iron Wing, he hadn't been doing a good job of it.

Sighing, he sat down at his desk and finally dropped the vaunted commander bit he'd been displaying, "Look... This started a few weeks ago. You know how not too long ago, Griffonstone got its act together and crowned their first king in forever?"

"King Godric," Soarin nodded, "Some friends of mine helped him and his Sky Knights out in weeding out his corrupt brother and the local thieves guild. Then someone nominated Godric to be their new king. My friends, Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight, attended his coronation."

"Well whoopty-doo for them," Cyclone huffed, "because ever since the new Griffon King started cracking down on the Griffon Kingdom, the native criminals, thugs, and lowlifes have been getting their kitty tails hooved to them and some of them decided to leave the Griffon Kingdom and set up shop elsewhere!"

"In other words, Iron Wing was a criminal in the Griffon Kingdom until King Godric's Sky Knights chased her out," surmised Soarin.

"Bingo. And now that bitch and her cronies are here, muscling in on my hometown, trying to make it her own little nest," Cyclone slammed his hoof onto his desktop, snorting angrily.
The first few days she got here, she flies to town square and calls out to everypony present that she's in charge and if we step out of line she'll gut us like rabbits! She did just that to a rabbit she brought along to demonstrate! Traumatized my niece and nephew..."

"And you decided to stand up to her," Soarin gathered.

"You're damn right I did!" Cyclone growled, "Look, I get it. I came off as an asshole, but I just so happen to be a legitimate descendant of Commander Hurricane himself, once the ruler of the Pegasus Empire and one of the Founders of Equestria. I've always been proud of that but I never bragged about it... Well, at least until recently.

"I started the Thirteenth Legion, called for volunteers and friends and anypony else willing to follow me to stand up to Iron Wing and her gang. Each and everypony here is willing to put themselves on the line to string our rackets with the guts of those birdbrained cats!"

"Well, I can respect wanting to stand up for your home but you're going about it the wrong way," Soarin responded, "Gang-fighting in the streets, causing damage to your neighborhoods and scaring the ponies you claim to be protecting? Well guess what, I'm taking over here, and we're gonna settle this with one of two methods:

"Method One - Peacefully."

Soarin turned to leave the office, Harvest respectfully stepping out of the way, to Cyclone's incredulous expression but then he said, "Hold on a minute, you said two methods. What's the second?!"

Soarin paused and looked back before smirking grimly, "Method 2? ...You don't wanna know Method 2."

Author's Note

I needed to bring the Map back sooner than it did in the season since this story includes more than just friendship problems

335. Life in Friction - Part 2

At Soarin's instruction, Cyclone had one of his guys, a unicorn named Starshot, send a message via enchanted arrow to Iron Wing, requesting a meeting at a neutral location, an old abandoned warehouse that used to be a storage for excess clouds used to construct cloud houses. It caught fire several years ago and was left to molder.

Once the hour had arrived, Soarin led Cyclone, Harvest Maize, Boulder Brawn, and Starshot to the warehouse, and Soarin was satisfied to see Iron Wing had accepted his invitation. She was a tall and lean griffoness, her lion body coated in shiny black fur, her raptor beak was sharp and dark yellow, her plumage and head were snowy white while her wings were a pale metallic white color, and her eyes were faded silver.

She was a tough-looking bird, carried herself with an air that showed she was an in-charge sort of gal, her talons clicked on the warehouse floor, and accompanying her were two larger griffons, both were ugly bruisers yet were obviously the sorts of griffons one didn't want to meet in a dark alley. Not that meeting in an abandoned warehouse was all that better, but still.

The two sides stared at each other with four pony lengths between them, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife, until finally...

"What's this, a three ring circus?" Iron Wing narrowed her eyes.

"First off, thank you for answering the invite to this meeting," Soarin responded, ignoring Iron Wing's tone. "My name is Soarin, Knight of Harmony, and I am here to help work out this issue between your two groups so that things in Stratusburg can go back to normal.

"Frankly, I have to mention however the extent of how you've all allowed for this to go on and reach this point, that I'm hoping you have some semblance of sense to-"

"Oh blow it out your ass, motherplucker!" Iron Wing snarled harshly.

Cyclone, Boulder Brawn, Starshot, and even Harvest Maize got riled up, only for Soarin to raise a wing, telling them to stand down.

"Now listen up, griffon..." Soarin said with a low tone of warning, "I don't give a damn how things worked for you back where you come from, but in Equestria we do things differently. You actually have a chance to turn your life around and become a decent and better person, but only if you apply yourself and use your skills in practical and beneficial ways rather than use them to extort and threaten others."

"And you damn pests don't know how to keep your snoots out of matters that don't concern you!" Iron Wing shrieked angrily, raising her wings in an intimidating manner that didn't work.
"Because some ponies stepped in where they weren't wanted, there's a new king in the Griffon Kingdom and his frickin' knights ran me and my crew out of our town! You ponies screwed up my life and cost me my territory! Way I see it, it's only fair I do the same and take a town from you!"

"Why I oughta...!" Cyclone growled, only for Soarin to gesture him to stand down yet again as he stood up to the full of his height and looked Iron Wing in the eye.

The griffoness suddenly felt a twinge of fear, looking into Soarin's eyes, seeing the promise of war as he warned, "Hope your bank's got the money to cash the checks your beak just wrote. Let's blow this joint, gentlecolts."

Iron Wing watched them as they left, feeling stupefied, wanting to tell her griffons to rough them up but found herself unable to give the order.

"Now what?" Cyclone huffed to Soarin as they exited the warehouse.

"Method 2," Soarin responded.

Stratusburg Market Square was always a nice place to do some shopping and mingle. Lots of ponies had set up stands to sell food, produce, wares, merchandise, and of course shoppers out looking for ingredients to make tonight's dinner, grab new paints for their latest art projects, a gift for that special somepony or perhaps as a surprise for a son or daughter. Otherwise, the ponies just enjoyed being out and about, sharing in each other's company.

That bright and friendly atmosphere was immediately marred by the scream of an eagle and everypony looked up and gasped in horror to see Iron Wing along with four wicked-looking griffons drop out from the sky, everypony backing up as these five landed in the middle of the merry day they'd so rudely interrupted.

Iron Wing stood disturbingly still apart from her head, which she angled in ways no pony could do that obviously likened to her raptor-like side. She kept looking this way and that, her eyes scanning these frightened equines until she fanned out her wings, everypony gasping in alarm before she yelled out, "TEAR THIS PLACE APART! ANYONE WHO GETS IN YOUR WAY? MAKE THEM SUFFER!!!"

The griffons all raised their wings and let out raptor-like screams and shrieks, and immediately everypony in the square screamed and panicked as Iron Wing and her gang started ransacking the place. They overturned fruit stands, tore through cloths and blankets on display, threw crates and buckets and anything else they could get their talons on in random directions, already injuring ponies who were trying to get away.

Iron Wing just stood there, drinking in the chaos and the panic and the fear. Oh how she loved this, exerting her will, flexing her might, seeing the weak run and scream in her presence. She was so enamored by her boys' enjoying themselves that she forgot to watch her back.

"Aren't chickens supposed to stay nice and safe in their coops, laying eggs like good little birdies?"

She growled to herself and slowly turned to see Soarin standing there, casually leaning against an overturned stand, smirking as he added, "Oh, but you're not just a chicken, aren't you? You're also a scaredy-cat. Honestly, I'm not sure which fits you more because comparing you to either would be an insult to chickens and cats."

Iron Wing fluffed up her plumage in an angry effort to make herself look a little more intimidating as she hissed, "I'm going to pluck your wings bare and choke you with your own feathers..."

"Really? A dainty little thing like you?" Soarin goaded. "If you had nerves for something like that, you wouldn't be hiding behind your own thugs."

Snarling, Iron Wing lunged, her talons poised for Soarin's throat, only for the sky blue pegasus to easily maneuver around Iron Wing's attack and suddenly bring his hoof down hard to the back of her neck, causing her to stumble and trip, crashing into a fruit stand. Groaning in pain from the attack and disgust from the sticky fruit staining her fur and feather, Iron Wing forced herself onto her feet and threw a murderous look at Soarin.
"You'll pay for that, pony!!"

"Bits or Raptras?" Soarin wisecracked. "But seeing as how I don't have either on hoof, would you accept an I-O-U?"

Iron Wing shrieked in fury as she charged Soarin again, only for him to quickly take flight, and yell, "Catch me if you can, featherhead!"

Growling in outrage, Iron Wing let out a rallying shriek to her griffons, all of them hearing and looking to her as she pointed at Soarin who was already flying away, "AFTER HIM!! I want his wings for a trophy!!"

They all took flight and began to pursue Soarin. Strangely enough, they began to catch up to him until he was only two or three pony-lengths ahead of him but he always stayed will out of their sharp and murderous grasps. Soarin wasn't worried. He wasn't trying to lose them, because as a Knight of Harmony he intended to teach these oversized vultures a lesson in humility and decency.

He flew towards a field of farmland that was no longer used, but it was a safe distance away from the locals of Stratusburg and other private properties. Nopony would get hurt, no property would be damaged. He landed in the middle of the field, and soon enough Iron Wing and her griffons had him surrounded.

"Tired of trying to outrun your death, pony?!" spat Iron Wing.

"Not at all, just wanted to make this party a little more... exclusive," Soarin shrugged, obviously unfazed by the way each of these griffons were poised and ready to pounce.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your yuks and your little flight here because it's the last enjoyment of life you're gonna get!"

"You'll understand if I beg to differ, Iron Wing," scoffed Soarin, "I intend to live a good long life with my friends and my family. I still haven't popped the question to my mare."

"You should've thought of that before you tried to make a fool out of me!" snarled Iron Wing.

"Tried? Looked more like I succeeded," corrected Soarin. "Either way, I've decided to give you one more chance, Iron. Stand down, turn yourself over to the authorities, and I'll put in a good word for you. You'll serve time but you'll still have the rest of your life ahead of you."

"What the FRICK are you talking about?!" shrieked Iron Wing, "I am about to kill you! You're gonna suffer for insulting and humiliating me, and then I'm gonna parade your sorry corpse around Stratusburg as a warning to everypony there about what happens when you cross me!

"I'll admit you have some skill, but you're still outnumbered!"

"Am I...?" Soarin responded with a smirk and raise of his brow.

Then, one by one, Iron Wing and her guys soon realized that they were surrounded! They saw Cyclone, Boulder Brawn Starshot, Harvest Maize, and six more ponies appear to pop out from underground when really they'd been covered with blankets charmed to appear as ground, grass, and weeds. The other six ponies were three pegasi (two stallions and a mare), two unicorns (twin brother and sister), and one more earth pony (a tough-looking mare who rolled her shoulders), and immediately Iron Wing realized she'd been had!

"You sneaky little...!" she hissed hatefully at Soarin.

"Ah-ah, a lady shouldn't swear," Soarin teased, "let's settle this like mature creatures."

"Are ponies always this spunky or am I just lucky?" Iron Wing smirked before she shouted, "TAKE THEM DOWN!!!"

Immediately, one of the griffons screamed as it lunged for Soarin, who flapped and flip-kicked the griffon smack in the beak, sending him back and clutching his beak, fearing it was broken while Cyclone and his comrades all ran in to back Soarin up. Iron Wing's remaining three griffons screamed loudly and flapped their wings, trying to be intimidating but they knew they were outnumbered and likely outmatched.

Iron Wing wasn't going to have it however. She noticed Boulder Brawn charging her way, and she met him head-on, except she grasped him by the withers, racking her talons down his shoulders, making him cry out in pain, as she threw her weight around while retaining her grip and brought Boulder down hard.

She sneered down at him, enjoying his agony, something Soarin noticed and was about to summon his sword when the griffon he'd bucked in the face roared as he leapt up at the knight, who quickly avoided his claws. Cyclone meanwhile had already come to his friend's rescue, tackling Iron Wing to the side, and as the two leaders glared each other down after disentangling themselves from each other, Cyclone snapped, "Go back to being a bitch in your own nation, chickenblood!"

"I've come to like it here in Stratusburg, so I think not..." Iron Wing hissed, clawing at the ground beneath her.

"You'll just wind up another wanted criminal here in Equestria," warned Cyclone, "the authorities would have come down hard upon you eventually. Soarin just got here before them."

"Screw you," hissed Iron Wing.

"Flattering, but I don't do inter-species relationships," Cyclone retorted, "Tell me, whattya think's gonna happen to your little pride? Or is it a flock? For that matter, what have you been eating since you started screwing up our town? If you're eating pony meat, Merciful Haydes, the authorities will put you down like a rabid animal!"

Snarling in offended fury, Iron Wing charged Cyclone, only for the young pegasus to raise his hooves and knock her talons away. They traded blows, both getting shots upon the other, flapping their wings furiously to stay upright. The ferocity they displayed soon caught the attention of everypony and every griffon present as both sides watched their leaders duke it out.

Soarin had to admit, The kid's got talent, but if he gets too many cuts he might bleed out!

Indeed, Cyclone was bruising and battering Iron Wing pretty badly but her talons continued to slash him wherever she could, and some of the wounds he sustained would most likely leave scars, and all of them were bleeding profusely. Brave and determined as he was, Cyclone was in trouble. Looking around and seeing the other griffons were preoccupied, Soarin took the chance and once he saw the opening he acted without hesitation.

He tackled Iron Wing away from Cyclone, catching the griffoness completely off-guard as he shouted, "Take care of Cyclone!"

Harvest Maize ran to his bleeding friend while Soarin scored a mighty hit down on Iron Wing's head, leaving her dazed and shaky on her feet.

Shaking it off, Iron Wing glared bloody murder at Soarin, "I HATE you...Everything was going perfectly, and then you show up!"

"I gave you a chance to leave peacefully or live peacefully," Soarin responded coldly, "You've brought this on yourself. I'm going to turn you and your gang over to the authorities and you are going to prison, whether here in Equestria or back in the Griffon Kingdom."

Snarling like a savage beast, Iron Wing lunged for Soarin, who misjudged his timing and got his shoulder raked by Iron Wing's talons, causing him to cry out in pain but more so in surprise as he fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding shoulder. Turning around from her lunge, Iron Wing smiled viciously as she slowly approached, enjoying the rising panic on Soarin's face while saying, "I'm going to rip off your wings and then I'm going to mount your head on a pike for all of Stratusburg to see!"

Seeing the bloodlust in her eyes, Soarin knew she wasn't bluffing. He struggled to stand, but slipped in the mud, to Iron Wing's amusement... when Cyclone, Boulder Brawn, and Starshot stood in her way. She looked past them and hissed in vexation to see her griffons had been incapacitated, with one knocked out, two others tied up, and the last having obviously surrendered. She glared back at Cyclone, and took pleasure to see him in pain despite the way he stood before her.

"If you know what's good for you, stand down..." Cyclone panted, doing his best to tough out the pain, even as some of the bandages he'd been patched up with were reddening from overexerting himself.

"If you know what's good for you..." Iron Wing responded as she raised her talons, "allow me to put you out of your misery!"

No! Soarin couldn't hesitate, he had to move, he had to protect them!

Soarin's will brought forth his sword without him even realizing it as he propelled himself forward to stand between Cyclone and those deadly talons, when the instinct to defend his comrade sparked something in Soarin's mind...

"Rend the skies... Stormreaver!" in his hooves, Soarin's sword gave off a prismatic flash before it burst with light and tempestuous winds, blowing Iron Wing back, and she gaped in shock, uncertain of what had just transpired and feeling oddly tingly all over her body, as though she'd been struck by a current of energy.

There he stood, the light dimming to reveal his armored form... and the Wingblayds attached to his wings!

They were fastened to his wings by faux-leather straps, composed of a metal that was almost as light as a feather and yet as durable as the stoutest steel, the blades resembling large primary feathers and adding an extra hoof in length from each wingtip. They reflected a prismatic sheen under the sunlight and at the same time gave off the foreboding promise of a coming storm!

Cyclone and his friends, Iron Wing and her griffons, they all gaped in utter disbelief at what they were seeing - A Knight of Harmony had come into his own.

"Awesome..." Cyclone was truly in awe. This stallion he had so foolishly dismissed at first had suddenly, in a literal flash of light, become everything he wanted to be. A noble protector, an honorable pony, and the fact he wielded the signature weapon of the Ancient Pegasus Empire's most elite warriors seemed absolutely appropriate.

Iron Wing however found herself feeling... afraid?! Afraid of a grass-grubbing pony?! The very idea filled her with self-disgust and further incensed her hatred of these miserable creatures! As much as she wanted to tear his throat out, she knew she had to be wary.

As for Soarin, he stood there, gazing unflinchingly at the griffoness with a near dismissive air before he smirked... and then span `round, the Wingblayds flying off his wings and hurtling straight for Iron Wing, who squawked in panic at the spinning blayds! They were coming from both sides and appeared to be zooming in on her. She immediately flew straight up, the first Wingblayd missing but the second immediately veered upwards, the wind whistling as it cleaved through the air... and then scored a cut on a sensitive spot on Iron Wing's left wing, causing her to cry out in pain!

She tried to ignore it and keep flapping, only for the pain to flare into agony, and her wings locked, no longer able to flap! She'd only made it two stables high into the air, so she didn't fall too far. Except the fall hurt her even more due to all the injuries she'd already sustained.

Lying there, bruised, battered, and bleeding, Iron Wing struggled to raise her head when a blade point tapped her beak, and she gazed up to see Soarin.

"Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once..." Soarin said with a stone cold expression, "You are going to surrender yourself to the authorities and answer for your crimes. If you comply, maybe we won't tell the Sky Knights we have you in Equestria, so you won't be charged with whatever crimes you committed in the Griffon Kingdom.

"You'll do time, but you'll have a chance to make a fresh start in life. Or you can go back to crime and I'll throw your ass back into jail... Get the picture?"

Pain and fear overwhelmed her, but with her wing injured to the point that she couldn't fly, Iron Wing had become deflated of all brazen defiance, as she lowered her head in submission.

Soarin instructed Cyclone to send one of his friends to alert the authorities, and before long officers arrived and took Iron Wing and her griffons into custody. At Soarin's... encouragement, Cyclone and his friends surrendered themselves as well, due to how their previous fights with the griffons had led to vandalism and damage to private property.

While Iron Wing and her griffons were sentenced to jail, with Soarin's vouching for their good intentions, Cyclone and his friends were sentenced instead to community service after they pled guilty, and were promised that if they fulfilled their community service fully and without incident their records would be wiped clean.

After Soarin reverted Stormreaver to its sword form, his armor vanished into it before the sword was absorbed into his body. The next day he was ready to go home. This time, he opted to take the train, and Cyclone and the others came to see him off at the station.

"Thanks for everything, Soarin," Cyclone said on behalf of his friends and of Stratusburg, "If you hadn't come along, I don't think things would have ended well."

"Your hearts were in the right place," Soarin assured as he patted Cyclone on his uninjured shoulder and gave them all a proud look, "I think Hurricane himself would have been proud to have you all in his army."

"Yeah, maybe not," Cyclone shrugged, "From what I know about my ancestor, he was a bit of a tribalistic, somewhat paranoid, asshole. But who doesn't have an icky side to them?"

Everypony there chuckled, and Soarin asked, "So how's the community service gonna go?"

"We're gonna clean up the messes we made, repair the damages we caused during our fights with Iron Wing's gang," Cyclone replied, "and... maybe we'll also work on improving our community, some new paint jobs, plant some flowers... We started this group to look out for our neighbors but we wound up adding to the problem. We've got things to make up for."

"You'll all get there," Soarin assured, "How we fight is just as important as what we fight for. Remember that, and who knows? Maybe the Thirteenth Legion will serve Equestria after all."

He then gave them a wing-salute, and they smiled and saluted back, feeling honored and grateful, when the train conductor called out, "ALLLLLL ABOOOAAARRRDD!!!"

The train whistled, and Soarin picked up his saddlebags, "That's my ride home."

He boarded the train but paused at the doorway before turning to give his new friends a wave of goodbye, "Be seeing ya, legionnaires!"

Cyclone, Harvest Maize, Boulder Brawn, Starshot, and the rest of their friends all called out goodbyes, thank yous, good lucks, and waved to Soarin even as the train pulled out of the station. Soarin waved back until he couldn't see them anymore before heading into the passenger car to take a seat, into which he collapsed with relief.

"When I get home, I'm gonna shag my Dashie senseless..." he smiled to himself and leaned his head back to enjoy the ride home.

336. Different isn't Bad - Part 1

The bell rang and Cheerilee declared, "And that's all for today, my little ponies! Have a good weekend!"

The colts and fillies cheered as they poured through the door though some returned Cheerilee's good wishes and as they breathed in the fresh air of freedom, Scootaloo and her fellow Crusaders began talking.

"So, what're we gonna do for our crusades this weekend, Cutie-Mark Crusaders?" she asked as she rolled along on her scooter.

"I've got some magic lessons with Midnight and Sunburst," Twinken said apologetically, "Sunburst wants to experience Telepathy and asked if I could assist him and Midnight."

"Blueblood and Rarity are renovating the boutique," Sweetie Belle brought up, "I think they wanna expand the house, make it roomier."

"Weren't they planning to move into a new house?" asked Button Mash.

"They were, but after they checked it out," Sweetie Belle explained, "they decided it was just too big and... Well, not very homey. So Rarity suggested they add more to the boutique, a couple more bedrooms, another bathroom... I think they might be preparing for when they wanna have foals one day."

"Hey Scoots, is that your mom?" Rumble pointed ahead and Scootaloo saw Rumble was right!

Standing at the path beyond the schoolyard, stood a pegasus mare with a light blue coat, her mane a soft red with yellow-orange highlights, soft and warm brown eyes, and her cutie-mark was a book resting on a cloud. She smiled big and wide and yelled out, "MOM!"

Throwing her scooter aside, Scootaloo ran up to her mom, who happily caught her filly in an embrace and they laughed as she spun Scootaloo around before setting her down, and Scootaloo asked, "What're you doing here? I thought you'd still be at work!

"Well, I have some big news for you, sweet girl," Scootaloo's mom responded with an excited smile.

"Oh hi, Missus Scootaloo's mom!"

Scoots and her mother looked to see the Crusaders coming their way, and the mare said, "Apple Bloom, I told you before, call me Sunny!"

"Sorry, AJ an' Granny Smith always tell me t' respect adults," Apple Bloom blushed.

"So what's up, Mom?" Scootaloo looked up at her mother with excited curiosity.

"Somepony we both love so very much is coming home today!" said Sunny in a singsongy tone and bright smile, causing Scootaloo to gasp.

"You don't mean...?!" she didn't dare say it.

"That's right, sweetie," Sunny pulled Scootaloo into another hug and kissed her on the forehead, "Daddy's coming on the 4 o'clock train!"

"YAY!!" Scootaloo cheered and she hopped up and down, along with her mother, leaving the rest of the Crusaders a little perplexed but still happy for their friend.

"Hey Scoots, I don't think we've ever met your dad before," Rumble brought up.

"Yeah! You've never told us much about him either," Button Mash added, "except that he likes hoofball."

Scootaloo and her mom shared a cheeky look.

"Likes hoofball?" Scootaloo chuckled, "Guys, my dad doesn't just like hoofball. He's a pro! He plays for the Baltimare Blackbirds!"

That little tidbit about her dad got exactly the reaction from the Crusaders as Scootaloo expected: Dropped jaws, eyes as wide as dinner plates, and stunned silence. But moments later, the expressions pulled back into ear-to-ear grins, those eyes twinkled with excitement and each of them began to squeal in rising intensity that Scootaloo and Sunny both covered their ears before the Crusaders all WOW'd and WHOO'd and it took all of forty minutes to calm them down. But then the questions flooded in.

"What's he like?!" "Why didn't you tell us?!" "Can I ask for an autograph?!" "Does he have a hoofball he doesn't use anymore but I can have?" "Can I introduce him to my dad?"

"Kids, kids, please calm down!" Sunny raised her wings, trying to beckon silence, and when they finally quieted down, all eyes turned to her and she explained, "I'm afraid I have some ice to break here regarding Scootaloo's dad."

"What're you talking about, Mom? Is Dad okay?" Scootaloo suddenly felt a little worried.

"Oh he's better than okay, honey," Sunny assured, "It's just, well... He's retired now! He made the announcement yesterday!"

"WHAT?! How come?!" Scootaloo was surprised, her dad was retired? "Did he get hurt? Or in trouble?! Did they knock him off the team?!"

"No, no, Scoots, nothing like that," Sunny assured again, "Your dad, he... Well, he decided he was tired of being away a lot, away from us. So, he retired, cashed in his last check, and... he's coming home today, has plans, and it also means I'm quitting my job at the Cloudsdale Library."

"How come? You like the library!" Scootaloo was confused.

"Well, honey, Cloudsdale moves around Equestria a lot," Sunny sighed, "And... even though I was only working part-time there, it was still hard going back and forth whenever Cloudsdale got further and further away from Ponyville. I'm gonna find a job here in town and your dad- Oh! Sorry, can't tell you that."

"Tell me what?" Scootaloo asked.

"That's a surprise your dad wants to tell," Sunny clarified, "But never mind that. Let's all have a quick snack and then afterwards we'll go welcome your dad home at the train station."

"OKAY!" The Crusaders all cheered.

Sunny treated her daughter and the rest of the Crusaders to a round of milkshakes and cupcakes (though Sweetie Belle made sure to prevent Button Mash from starting another milkshake race), and Scootaloo and her mom told her friends a little more about her dad. They met in Stratusburg when they were teenagers and got off to a rocky start, which Sunny didn't feel like going into.

Despite aforementioned rocky start, Scootaloo's dad eventually worked up the courage to ask Sunny out on a date, and though she had reservations she accepted. To her surprise, Scootaloo's dad treated Sunny to a wonderful night, with dinner, dancing at a nightclub, and then watching a show of fireworks after.

"The entire time, he never did anything to make me feel uncomfortable," Sunny sighed as she remembered that night so fondly, before smirking, "though he did keep teasing me and, oh Faust, the way we bickered! It was as if we were already married, because during dinner the waitress thought he was my husband at the time. I was about to correct her but the big oaf immediately said we were celebrating our anniversary by recreating our first date, which we weren't!"

Although it was mushy, the Crusaders couldn't help but laugh and think how nice it must have been, and they laughed even harder when Sunny added, "I got even though, because when they brought out our desert I mushed his cake into his face!"

They laughed even harder when Apple Bloom noticed the clock in Sugarcube Corner, "Uh-oh, Sunny! Looks like th' train's gonna be pullin' real soon."

Sunny glanced at the clock too, "Oh my! 3:52 already? Time really does fly when you're enjoying yourself!"

"Let's finish up and go see him at the station," Button Mash then declared, "MILKSHAKE RACE!!!"

"BUTTON, NO!" Everypony tried to dissuade the colt-

"Auuugggghhh, AAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!" the colt clutched his head in agony before falling off his seat, "It hurts, it HURTS SO MUUUUUUUCCCCHHHH!!!!"

Everypony sighed and shook their heads while the rest of the customers in the bakery glanced their way, confused or concerned by whatever the screaming was about.

"Smooth..." Sweetie Belle huffed, but as Button's wails quieted down a bit and the colt clutched his still-aching head, she couldn't help but smile a little at how adorkable he was.

Eventually, Button calmed down enough and they all hurried to the station and were just in time to see it pull in. Ponies stood back on the platform, some awaiting to disembark, others waiting to welcome those arriving. The passenger car doors opened and out spilled weary travelers, some of whom brightened up and smiled to see friends and family welcoming them back.

"So what does your dad look like, Scootaloo?" asked Twinken as they scanned the crowd, "Is he a pegasus like you and your mom?"

"No, he's actually an earth pony," answered Scootaloo, "and, well... He's probably not what you're gonna expect. He'll probably be wearing his lucky jersey."

"He'd better have washed that thing before going out in public," Sunny huffed, "Honestly, it's so embarrassing the way he insists it's luckier the more he sweats in it!"

The Crusaders all laughed at Sunny's words when they heard heavy hoofsteps coming their way and all but Scootaloo and Sunny gasped at the sight of the earth pony before them. He was large and tall, somewhat bigger than Big Macintosh even! His coat was purple, a darker shade of Scootaloo's mane, his own mane was black, and his eyes were metallic gold, and his cutie-mark was a hoofball helmet, and he was wearing saddlebags.

He was imposing to the Crusaders, looking like a bar bouncer rather than a hoofball player.

He looked to his wife, saying, "Sunny."

"Tackle," Sunny responded back.

Then he gazed down at his daughter, "Scootaloo."

"Dad," Scootaloo responded in the same manner, and the Crusaders sensed some tension building... until the family could no longer keep their straight faces, stifled chuckles escaping their lips until finally..

"DADDY!" "SCOOTS, SUNNY!"

The big stallion boomed with laughter as he hugged his wife and daughter, the three of them laughing and happily nuzzling each other.

The Crusaders were stupefied. What they thought was an oversized brute was really a big teddy bear, the way he laughed and hugged and cuddled his family. Then Button Mash gasped, "I know you! You're Tackle, one of the OTs for the Baltimare Blackbirds!"

The Crusaders all looked at Button Mash, surprised by the video gamer's knowledge of hoofball positions and pro players, and Button Mash shrugged, "Big Mac showed me his limited edition rookie card from his collection."

Tackle chuckled as he set Scootaloo down and finally regarded these colts and fillies, "Well, well, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders! My little girl's told me all about you guys from her letters. Having a hard time keeping up with this little speedster?"

"You can say that again," Button joked.

"Says the one who constantly has milkshake races and freezes his brain," Scootaloo retorted. "Sometimes I wonder about you."

"And I wonder about you as well," Button retorted in kind.

"And it's retired OT of the Baltimare Blackbirds now," Tackle corrected with an "oh well" shrug before they all heard a gurgly GROWL, causing them to flinch until Tackle laughed and patted his barrel, "And this beast in my belly hasn't been fed since this morning."

"Then it's time we head home," Sunny decided, "It's been entirely too long since we've had a family dinner."

"Sorry guys, looks like we gotta cut this short," Scootaloo said to her friends.

"No big, Scoots, have a good time with your mom and dad," Twinken insisted. "Maybe we can come over tomorrow and hang out with you guys then."

"That'll have to wait, Cutie-Mark Crusaders," Sunny spoke up, "Scootaloo has a checkup at the hospital tomorrow morning."

"But I'm not sick!" Scootaloo protested.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's just a checkup," Sunny assured, "The doctor will just o a quick examination, see how you're doing, and once it all checks out..."
"...You, your buddies, and I? We'll play touch hoofball and I can tell you all about my best plays with the Blackbirds!" Tackle smiled excitedly, causing the Crusaders to cheer.

"Okay, that all sounds awesome!" Scootaloo hopped and flapped her little wings, though she dropped back onto the ground after hovering for only a few seconds, but she didn't let them see it bothered her.

"C'mon, loves of my life," Sunny bade, "I'm making our favorite, Spaghetti and Wheatballs with angel food cake for dessert!"

"YES!!" Scootaloo cheered before promising her friends, "See you all tomorrow!"

"Bye!" "Seeya!" "Aw, I want angel food cake!"

Scootaloo happily hurried ahead on her scooter, leaving her parents free to talk privately as they followed her home.
"Any improvements since...?" Tackle whispered hopefully.
"None. I just hope the doctor will see signs that that will change," Sunny replied, though somewhere deep down she feared she already knew the answer.

"Hey Dad!"

"YOW!" Tackle jumped in surprise and landed on his rump with a noticeably loud THUD and blushed in slight embarrassment at his daughter's laughter, as well as some stifled chuckles from passerby. Dusting himself off, he stood up and said, "Uh-heheh, baby girl, what have we said about sneaking up on your pop?"

"Sorry, Dad, but Mom said you have some kind of surprise to tell me about," Scootaloo brought up, "I'm guessing it's not your retirement."

"Uh- No, it's not!" Tackle mentally sighed, glad Scootaloo hadn't heard him and her mom talking, "Even though I'm not playing for the Blackbirds no more, I got a nice severance package once I left, so... I'm opening my own sporting goods store right here in Ponyville!"

"Really? That sounds cool!" Scootaloo found herself intrigued, "Tell me more!"

"Sure thing, sweetheart, but..." Tackle gave his wife a look and cleared his throat, "During dinner. Gotta feed the beast or he might decide to eat you!"

Scootaloo gave her dad a cheeky look, "The beast would have to catch me first!"

She zipped off, and Tackle chased after her, roaring, "I'm a hungry beast and I'm gonna eat a naughty little filly for dinner! ROOOAAARRRR!!!!"

Sunny giggled, hearing Scootaloo scream and laugh as her dad chased after her, so happy to have her family together again, but...

O Faust, let tomorrow turn out alright!

Author's Note

And so I finally introduce my own version of Scootaloo's mom and dad: Sunny Bookmark and Tackle

The basic design in appearance (apart from his colors) for Tackle were inspired by this guy:

Similar mane style but a somewhat larger tail.

Tackle
Type: Earth Pony
Sex: M
Eyes: Metallic Gold
Coat: Purple (darker shade of his daughter's purple mane)
Mane: Black
Cutie-mark: Hoofball Helmet
Occupation: Pro Hoofball player (retired), Sporting Goods store owner

Despite his big and gruff appearance, Tackle is a big teddy bear who prefers to give hugs and noogies rather than shake hooves, and a loving father and husband. He and Sunny met and fell in love in Stratusburg until they married and moved to Ponyville. However, due to their respective jobs they were both often busy, with Tackle often away training and playing in pro Hoofball games.

He finally got tired of being away from his family and retired to focus on being a father and husband while also opening his own sporting goods store in Ponyville.

As for Scootaloo's mother, her basic design is based off this mare:

Sunny Bookmark
Type: Pegasus
Coat: Light Blue
Mane: Faded Red with Faded Yellowish-Orange highlights
Eyes: Soft Brown
Cutie Mark: Book resting on a cloud
Occupation: Librarian

Until recently, Sunny Bookmark worked as the librarian in the famed Cloudsdale University, as well as a part time substitute teacher in the subjects of literature and writing. She may look young, but don't let her age startle you, as she can quote circles around you. She also takes no nonsense, often times stepping into a situation and rightly talking down the bully without resorting to physical violence.

She grew up in Stratusburg where she met and fell in love with Tackle, and after they married they moved to Ponyville to raise their daughter.

Apart from her job at Cloudsdale University's librarian and a part-time teacher, she was a stay at home mom, looking after Scootaloo while her husband was often away, playing for the Baltimare Blackbirds. His recent retirement has caused her to start looking into new employment in Ponyville

Her love of books and even her rather unique teaching style made her popular with students and visitors to the library. In fact, word about her spread so much, a new library in Ponyville was planned. To hear anything negative about her isn't impossible, but it's rather rare.

PLZ note - The ponies in the pictures aren't Scootaloo's parents, their designs helped inspire them and give an idea of what they look like

337. Different isn't Bad - Part 2

"...and that should do it," Doctor Stable nodded as he began putting his medical tools away.

"Finally!" Scootaloo sighed wearily, "I hate having to sit still for so long, and peeing into a cup? That was gross, embarrassing, and a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be."

"I offered to help you out with that," reminded Sunny as she and Tackle sat on the chairs by the door.

"Uh, no! I've had just about all the embarrassment I can handle," Scootaloo shook her head.

She'd just had her heartbeat and reflexes examined, did some simple exercises and answered some questions, did a quick eye test, which she aced, but the peeing into the cup was humiliating. At least she didn't have to have blood drawn.

"Oh what's to be embarrassed about, little speedster?" Tackle blurted, "It's not something we haven't seen before from your diaper years."

"DA-AD!!" Scootaloo shrieked while turning red.

Chuckling, Doctor Stable said, "Well, Scootaloo, your check-up shows you're healthy as a horse, so why don't you go wait outside, maybe ask Nurse Redheart for a snack. I just wanna wrap things up with your folks here."

"Okay!" Scootaloo turned to her parents and gave them a hug and a kiss each, "I'll ask Nurse Redheart if you guys want anything, if you like?"

"Oh no, sweetie, we're good," Sunny assured.
"Yeah, go ahead, we'll be right behind ya," Tackle gently nudged their filly out, and once the door was closed they turned to the doctor and saw the neutral look on his face... but the look in his eyes was different.

"Well, like I said, your daughter is perfectly healthy," Doctor Stable nodded before taking a deep breath, "but... I'm afraid there's something else."

"Doctor Stable, please..." Sunny feared she already knew, "please tell me there's signs of improvement, signs that-that something will change!"

"I'm sorry, but there have been no improvements in her wings since her last check-up," Doctor Stable shook his head sadly, "and she's well past the age where she would be considered a late-bloomer."

"Doc, there has to be something, anything!" Tackle hoped vainly.

"There isn't. I'm sorry, Tackle, Sunny," sighed Doctor Stable as he woefully forced himself to say it, "but Scootaloo will never fly.

"The best she'll ever do is hover briefly in the air, maybe glide, but true flight is beyond the capabilities of her physique."

The tears flowed before Sunny realized they'd been shed as she felt her heart break. Tackle had never seen his wife so shattered as he took her into his embrace, despite knowing he could not hide her from this ugly truth - Their baby girl, bold of spirit, unafraid of any challenge, would never know the true freedom that was the right of all pegasi. The joy that came from soaring on her own wings. The wonder of gazing down upon the world and seeing how small everything was yet fit together to form a grander design.

Struggling to focus her emotions, Sunny gazed up at her husband and saw his own heartache. He wasn't a pegasus, but he knew how hard this was going to hit their little speedster.
"...How do we tell her?"

"By reminding her that no matter what, she is our daughter," Tackle whispered even as he shed tears of his own, "and that she will find that special something that makes her truly shine."

Wiping her tears, knowing she would have to steel herself for what they were about to do, Sunny took a shuddery deep breath as she uttered, "Y-you're right... Let's go find her."

They turned to the door and opened it... only to find Scootaloo on the other side. The filly stood there, a stunned blank look on her face, her eyes gazing downwards but not really looking at anything. It took only a moment or two for her parents to realize.

Scootaloo had heard every word through the door.

Scootaloo was despondent. Having overheard what the doctor had said to her parents, she'd been almost unresponsive to their efforts to make her feel better or to just talk. All she said was that she wanted to go home. When they got home, Sunny offered to make Scootaloo her favorite dinner, but Scootaloo had responded monotonously that she wasn't hungry, that she just wanted to go to her room.

Thinking perhaps their filly needed some time to herself, Sunny and Tackle let her go. For the rest of the day, they didn't hear so much as a whisper from their daughter's room. It wasn't until they'd almost gone to bed that they felt something was wrong and went to check on her, only to hear her crying through her door and rush in to do their best to comfort her.

She just cried into their embrace, didn't say a thing, just... let it out.

The next morning at breakfast, Tackle offered to show Scootaloo the venue for his new store but Scootaloo, obviously still in the dumps, had politely declined and said she was going to tinker with her scooter or something. So after they had both taken care of some errands that morning, Tackle and Sunny had brunch at the local café where the big stallion sighed, "I don't know what to do, hon."

"I know, dear, I don't either," Sunny felt so helpless. "I keep wondering... is there anything we could have done differently? Did we make a mistake somewhere along the line and now Scootaloo is paying for it?"

"No, Sunny, this is just one of those times when genetics gives you a kick in the balls," Tackle pushed away his dish, "All of a sudden I've lost my appetite."

"I just wish there was some way we could cheer Scootaloo up," Sunny replied.

"Maybe we can help."

The two parents turned and were surprised to see Scootaloo's friends, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, gazing up at them with looks of concern.

"Howdy, Tackle, Sunny, we ain't seen Scootaloo since yesterday an' we wer' gettin' kinda worried," said Apple Bloom, "Did somethin' go wrong at her check-up?"

Tackle and Sunny shared a sad look and sighed, knowing these colts and fillies were going to find out sooner or later.

"Kids..." Tackle hesitated but forced himself to bring it out, "Scootaloo's healthy, but... Well, the doctor examined her wings and... he told us that Scootaloo is never going to fly."

The Crusaders GASPED in horror, especially Rumble, who protested, "Now wait a second! Scootaloo has super-strong wings, she's always using them to make her go real fast on her scooter! I-I mean, sure, she hasn't gotten flying down yet, but-"

"Rumble, honey," Sunny shook her head, "it's not that her wings aren't strong, it's just... they haven't developed enough for her to be able to fly. She can hover a little, maybe glide, but flying like you or any other pegasus..."

"No, I don't believe that!" Rumble yelled angrily, as he hurried off.

"Rumble, where are you going?!" Sweetie Belle called after him.

"To talk to Rainbow Dash!" Rumble responded without looking back.

The parents and their daughter's friends all shared concerned looks, having a feeling this wasn't going to work out as Rumble hoped.

Sunny and Tackle entered Scootaloo's room, finding her fiddling with one of the wheels on her scooter. The little pegasus filly looked all cried out but her cheeks remained stained from her tears. They really hoped this would help bring her out of her funk, if only a little.

"Scootaloo, honey," Sunny forced a smile, "your friends are here, they wanted to hang out with you today!"

Scootaloo sighed and looked to see her parents step aside, showing her friends standing in the doorway, all looking concerned but forcing smiles of their own.

"Hi, guys..." she said wearily, "I guess Mom and Dad told you..."

"Aw, Scoots, don' feel too bad," Apple Bloom went in first, followed by Twinken, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash. "This ain't nothin' a lil' crusadin' t' find yer cutie-mark won' help!"

"And you're still a plenty awesome pony, Scootaloo," Button Mash added, "but if it means cheering you up, we just gotta find you the right power-up!"

"It doesn't matter if you can't fly, Scootaloo," Sweetie Belle assured, "everypony has something they're good at and makes them special."

"We're your friends, and no matter what anypony says, you're perfect in your own way," Twinken declared as he then said, "Group hug!"

"Aw!" The Crusaders all came in to give Scootaloo a hug she was sorely needing... and the little orange filly couldn't help but crack a smile of appreciation and shed a grateful tear. Her parents smiled at each other and nuzzled, relieved to see their little speedster cheer up, even if it was just a little.

"Thanks, everypony, but ..." Scootaloo finally noticed something missing from this picture, "Where's Rumble?"

"Oh, he got a little upset when..." Twinken hesitated, "Anyway, he ran off, saying he was gonna talk to-"

*KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK*

"I'll get it," Tackle went to answer the door, and open opening it he saw, "Rainbow Dash? Rumble?"

"Hey there, Tackle," Rainbow Dash waved in a half-hearted way as she patted Rumble on the back, "Rumble here told me, well... How's the squirt?"

"She's feeling a little better," Tackle replied, "The Crusaders are helping to cheer her up."

"Well, would it be okay if I took Scootaloo out for a while?" offered Rainbow Dash, "Maybe get her some ice cream, or something?"

"I'm sure she'd like that, lemme ask her if she's up for it," Tackle invited Rainbow Dash and Rumble to wait inside while he went to his daughter's room.

"So, Rainbow? What're ya gonna do with Scootaloo?" whispered Rumble.

"I'm gonna prove that quack doctor wrong, is what I'm gonna do, Rumble," Rainbow Dash whispered back. "I mean, what does he know? He's a unicorn, right? I'll treat the squirt to some ice cream, get her excited, and by the time I'm done with Scootaloo she'll be good enough to graduate from the Wonderbolt Academy!"

Rumble grimaced ever so slightly, "Are you sure about-"

"Rainbow Dash!"

In rushed Scootaloo, followed by the other Crusaders, and her parents, as she gazed up at her idol a little hesitant, "I... guess Rumble told you, huh?"

"Yeah, I heard," Rainbow Dash nodded, "So it got me thinking, and Scoots? Why don't you and I spend the day together? We'll get some ice cream, hang out..."

"I think I'd like that," Scootaloo looked up hopefully to her folks, "Can I go? Please?"

"Sure, sweetie, just so long as you're home for dinner at six," Sunny nodded.

"No prob, Sunny. C'mon, squirt!" Rainbow Dash hurried off, not flying thankfully.
"Wait for me!" Scootaloo followed as fast as her little legs could carry her.

"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Twinken couldn't help but say, some of the Crusaders looking to him, "Like... Rainbow's gonna handle this in the wrong way."

"Oh I'm sure it'll be fine," Tackle said with a smile although he could honestly feel the doubt as well.
"Yes, I mean... Rainbow Dash is like the big sister Scootaloo never had," Sunny seconded though she and her husband couldn't help discreetly looking at each other from the corners of their eyes.

"Mmm!" Scootaloo sighed in satisfaction, having just finished a bowl of vanilla ice cream slathered with hot melted chocolate and strawberry sauce at the ice cream parlor of Lickety Split's parents.
"Thanks a lot, Rainbow Dash. That really did make me feel better."

"Glad to hear it, Scoots, `cuz now it's time to get serious!" Rainbow Dash stood up from her seat, suddenly putting on a pair of shades, a cap, and a whistle.

"Serious? About what?" Scootaloo suddenly had a bad feeling.

"Training, Scootaloo! Serious training," Rainbow Dash declared, "I don't care what that doctor said, I'm gonna make you a flyer even if it kills you!"

"...Uh-oh!" Scootaloo suddenly realized she might have been better off staying at home

Standing on clouds was akin to standing on a damp mattress, though some might have felt more like fabric giving way under too much weight. It depended on how thick the cloud in question was. Some clouds were so thick and condensed they could feel as solid as the earth beneath them.

It was always a fun experience for Scootaloo to stand on clouds, but this time she wasn't as interested as Rainbow Dash flew up in front of her, "Alrighty, Squirt! Today is the day you're gonna fly!"

Scootaloo hesitated but forced herself to speak, "Uh, Rainbow Dash? I appreciate this and everything, but-"

"No need to thank me, Scoots!" Rainbow Dash interrupted, "But let's get started. Now, the first thing we're gonna do is start you off easy. Even if you can't fly just yet, you can still glide."

"Glide?" Scootaloo had never even considered the idea of gliding.

"It's the next best thing to flying," Rainbow Dash then demonstrated, keeping her wings extended but not flapping them as she began to glide around, angling herself to turn one way or the other.
"See, the trick to gliding is ya just gotta let the air carry you. Keep your wings out, don't overthink it, and don't flap unless you really-really need to."

She landed on a cloud not far from the one Scootaloo was standing on, though it was further down. Maybe one stable lower. Gulping, Scootaloo stretched her wings as far as she could. She had doubts but deep down she felt the yearning to feel the wind in her wings, as well as the desire to prove herself to her idol. Taking a deep breath, she stepped to the edge of the cloud... and jumped!

To her surprise, Scootaloo found herself gliding, feeling the wind in every feather, and as she soared towards Rainbow Dash, she thought, Maybe I can do this! Maybe...!!

All of a sudden, there was a gust of wind that came from out of nowhere, ruining Scootaloo's balance, and in a panic she began to flap. Almost immediately, she started to fall and cry out in terror, only for Rainbow Dash to quickly zoom down and easily catch her, bringing her back up onto the cloud where they'd started.

Sighing woefully, Scootaloo said, "I was... I felt that wind and-"

"No worries! You were doing just fine," Rainbow Dash assured, "You just gotta keep your head when something like that happens."

Scootaloo nodded, understanding Rainbow's words, and for a moment she thought about how much she'd enjoyed it. It wasn't flying but it was the next best thing! And it felt... peaceful.

"Now, let's give hovering a try," Dash suggested, and the serene moment passed, Scootaloo suddenly thinking, Uh-oh!

"...Yeah!" Scootaloo forced a smile, hoping Rainbow didn't see her fear.

338. Different isn't Bad - Part 3

Humming to himself as he enjoyed a nice flight o'er town, Soarin had love on his mind. He'd been going out with Rainbow Dash for a good long while, especially after Rainbow Dash invited Soarin to move into her house with her. She was the one, of that he was certain. His Rainbow Dash, his inspiration, his angel.

And maybe one day... he thought warmly when he heard something.

"AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Focusing his eyes, he looked in the direction he heard the scream coming from... and gasped to see it was Scootaloo falling from high in the sky!

"Scoots!" He wasted no time as he crouched downwards, remembering the motions... and BLASTED OFF!!!!

Soarin might have resigned from the Wonderbolts, but he remembered his training, especially his signature technique, the Sonic Blast-Off! Faster than even a trained Wonderbolt's eye could follow, he caught Scootaloo and quickly brought her down to safety on solid terra firma before seating her onto a park bench. The filly was panting from all the... excitement while Soarin was giving her a look-over.

"Are you alright, Scoots? Anything hurt, or don't feel right?" he raised his left wing's primary feathers, "How many feathers am I holding up?"

"I-I'm okay, Soarin, really," Scootaloo finally stilled her breath, "Thanks..."

"How did you get so high and then fall?" asked Soarin.

"...I-" Scootaloo was about to say.

"She was training with me!"

They both looked up to see Rainbow Dash come down, looking apologetic, "Scootaloo, I'm so sorry! I got blindsided by some errant cloud and-and- Oh, thank you so much for catching her, Soar!"

She went over to give him a smooch on the cheek, which made him smile with a blush as he nuzzled her cheek-to-cheek, Scootaloo going 'Bleh!' at the sight of it. But then Soarin had to ask, "So, if you were training, does that mean Scootaloo's flying has improved any?"

Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo shared an uneasy look as the latter tried to respond, "Well, actually-"

"Are you kidding?!" Rainbow Dash interrupted, looking confident, "By the time I'm done with the squirt, she'll be out-flying any new recruit for the Wonderbolts Academy!"

Soarin noticed the dejected look on Scootaloo's face, and Rainbow Dash wasn't paying attention.
"Uh, Dashie? Maybe we should-"

"No time to talk, Soar!" Rainbow Dash zipped under Scootaloo, putting the filly onto her back, "Still got lots of training to do!"

"Uh- Maybe I should join you!" Soarin quickly responded with a forced smile, "I mean... Two top-class fliers? It's a no-brainer!"

"Sure, Soar, I could always use an assistant coach for my favorite little speedster," Rainbow Dash shrugged, "Now, let's get back to-"

"Um, Rainbow?" Scootaloo spoke up, "I... kinda wanna take a break, if that's okay."

Rainbow Dash looked a little perplexed until Soarin agreed, "Yeah, Dash, nopony should push themselves too hard too fast."

Rainbow hmmm'd before nodding and letting Scootaloo down off her back, "Alrighty, Scoots, why don't you hang with Soarin for a while? I'm gonna take some time to think up your next training exercise. Be back in 15!"

*SHOOM*

Soarin and Scootaloo watched as Rainbow Dash launched skyward and flew off, before the two of them shared a look as Soarin finally asked, "...So what's up?"

Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo explained what she'd found out the other day. That her wings were underdeveloped and had been so long past the stage of being a late-bloomer, that the doctor had told her parents that she would never fly.
"...my friends were cheering me up except for Rumble, because he went to tell Rainbow Dash, and now... here we are."

"Aw, Scoots," Soarin felt so bad for the little speedster as he sat down on the bench next to her, taking a deep breath as he considered his next words before finally getting them out. "Sometimes, Scootaloo? Life just doesn't work out in the ways you hope that it will. I've met other pegasi who couldn't fly, some of them accepted it, others tried to overcome the handicap but just wound up hurting themselves, and I don't mean just physically. They... got hurt kind of like how you felt when you found out about your handicap.

"But you know what? The ponies who have to live with these kind of conditions, the best of them choose not to look at these handicaps or conditions or whatever as weaknesses. They find a way to turn them into a strength!"

Scootaloo perked up a bit at Soarin's words as he went on, "Like you, Scoots. Before yesterday, how have you always used your wings?"

Scootaloo paused to think as it escaped her for a moment... until she realized, "For my scooter! I... I use my wings to give me a boost in speed and airtime when I'm riding on my scooter!"

"And boy do you zoom on that scooter!" Soarin smiled encouragingly, "I've seen you ride that thing so fast and so agile through Ponyville, Scootaloo, it's all kinds of awesome!"

"...You really think so?" Scootaloo looked up at Soarin with hopeful eyes.

"I know so," Soarin chuckled as he pulled the filly into a noogie, causing her to cry out in protest and stamp her little hooves against his barrel to push him off. But it had the desired effect of putting a smile on her face and raising her spirits.

Only for an unfriendly voice to cut into the touching moment, "Wow, and I thought you were a loser before!"

They both startled and looked up to see Hotshot leering down at them with a nasty smile on his face, "Couldn't help but notice you and rainbow liquid for brains doing some training, though after what I just heard two words come to mind. Wanna know what they are?"

"Not particularly," Soarin narrowed his eyes at the young braggart of a colt.

"Why. Bother," Hotshot then began to laugh cruelly, and Scootaloo folded her ears back as she glared up at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of provoking her. "This is absolute proof of how lame you really are and in every sense of the word, and the best part?"

He then surprised Scootaloo by zipping down and getting up in her face as he whispered, "There's nothing you can do about it!"

Scootaloo struggled not to cry and to maintain her 'don't mess with me' look but Soarin knew the filly was hurting as he stepped between the two pegasus foals and told the colt, "Back off..."

"Aw, does the flightless failure need a big dashing hero to defend her honor?" Hotshot backed up but peered around Soarin to give Scootaloo a disparaging sneer.

But then Hotshot zipped away and flew around a nearby tree and came out... holding a familiar scooter, to Scootaloo and Soarin's alarm!
"You're a lame loser, and the lame shouldn't play around with such dangerous toys!"

"Wait, stop!" Scootaloo cried out but Hotshot ignored her... as he whirled around and SMASHED the scooter into the tree, breaking it to pieces, causing Scootaloo to gasp in hurt devastation!

Soarin was appalled at what he had just seen, a voice inside telling him to do something despite uncertainty stalling him... until he heard a sniffle. He looked and saw Scootaloo had finally broken, tears trailing down her face before she finally began to sob and ran away crying.

Hotshot narrowed his eyes and smirked with cruel satisfaction-

"Are you proud of yourself?"

He looked and saw the look Soarin was giving him. It was... upset, hurt, disgusted, resentful. But Soarin held his fury in check as he went on, "Are you so bitter about your sister flying off to Goddess knows where that you have to take it out on somepony who had nothing to do with it, who was hurting enough already?!"

Hotshot's smirk turned into a resentful frown, "That had nothing to do with Lightning Dust, a better flier- A better pegasus than Rainbow Crash will ever be!"

"Obviously it is," Soarin sighed with a look of pity, "why else would you say and do something so awful to a filly your sister's rival loves and considers the sister she never had? I'm sorry that Lightning Dust left after washing out with the Silverbolts, but that in no way excuses what you just said and did. I suggest that you apologize to Scootaloo the next time you see her, like you mean it! Or I just might decide to pay a visit to your parents..."

Hotshot shrank back a bit but maintained his resentful glare, "You expect me to be sorry just because you'll tell on my mom and dad?"

Soarin's look softened, "No. Because whatever rivalry or problems you and Scootaloo may have between you, I think that deep down you know what you just did was wrong. Think about that, Hotshot..."

As Soarin turned and hurried to catch up with Scootaloo, Hotshot stood there, feeling... unsure. Insecure, and...regret? No! He'd put that lame and talentless loser in her place, he wasn't sorry!

But if he wasn't sorry, Why does my chest feel so tight that it hurts...?

He began to shake and felt a tear well up in his eye but he quickly blinked it away before flying off, hoping to leave whatever this feeling was behind. Though he flew as fast as he could, he had no real destination in mind as the feelings hung over him, weighing so heavily that it was as if his chest was caught in a vice. He couldn't escape his feelings, but why not? His sister always told him that if he flew fast enough nothing could catch him or hold him down.

What is up with me...?! he wondered as the twinge of regret began to feel like a thorn in his heart.

"Scoots! Scootaloo, are you around?" Soarin was worried as he reached the edge of the park that led to the marketplace.

Scootaloo had never looked so upset as she did after what Hotshot had said and done. Best case scenario: She'd gone home. Worst case scenario? She'd run off and didn't want to be found.

"Soarin!"

Soarin looked up and groaned nervously to see Rainbow Dash fly down to him, brow raised as she asked with an edged tone, "Where's the squirt?"

"Hey Dashie..." Soarin took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened shortly after Rainbow had left. When he was done, Rainbow Dash's feathers were ruffled with rage!

"That little twerp...!" she seethed, "Well, he's gonna be eating his words after I get Scootaloo into the air!"

"Rainbow Dash, wait!" Soarin raised his hooves in a slow-down gesture, "Don't you think we oughta give Scootaloo a little alone time?"

"How's she supposed to get the training she needs to fly if she's alone?" Rainbow retorted, "I'm gonna find her and we're gonna train double-time!"

"Dash, hold on!" Soarin placed his hooves on his mare, "I know you just want to help Scootaloo, but you're going about it the wrong way!"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" snapped Rainbow Dash, "If we just keep trying-"

"NO." Soarin raised his voice and furrowed his brows, "You need to stop trying."

Rainbow Dash was struck speechless though she managed to utter, "Soarin...?"

"Dashie... I've met pegasi with the same handicap as Scootaloo," Soarin said gently with a sympathizing voice, "Some of them tried to do just what you're trying to do with Scootaloo. They practiced, they trained, they tried to prove naysayers wrong. But the unfair truth is... it just can't be done."

"But- But... What about Bulk Biceps?!" Rainbow Dash protested, sounding upset. "No offense to the guy, but have you seen him?! How freakishly huge he is compared to his teeny wings?! If a pegasus like him can be good enough to get into the Wonderbolts Academy-"

"It's not the same thing, Rainbow," Soarin shook his head, "Sure, Bulk doesn't have the... ideal pegasus physique. But the difference between him and Scootaloo is something else; Bulk has more pegasus magic than Scootaloo does."

"... So?" Rainbow Dash had an idea of where this was going but she kept hoping that she could debate her side better.

"Pegasi don't fly just because of their wings," Soarin reminded her, "We fly because our magic gives us the necessary lift and propulsion while our wings are what allow us to control our flying and velocity. Scootaloo's wings are underdeveloped and her magic just isn't strong enough to give her the lift she needs."

Rainbow Dash wanted to argue, to say something to defend Scootaloo's potential, anything!

...but nothing came to mind. Soarin's words made sense, even to her, though she couldn't help but softly say, "But... there's still a chance that with the right training-"

"No, Dashie," Soarin took his mare into his wings, and hugged her close, feeling low as he then said, "Your training isn't going to help Scootaloo. If anything, it's just gonna make her feel worse, not only because it's not working and never will but also because by failing the training you want to give her, she feels like she's letting you down..."

Rainbow Dash couldn't fight the tears as she shook with heartache and buried her face into her stallion's chest. She spoke in a shaky voice that was close to sobbing, "Then what'm I supposed to do?! Tell her that I can't help her, that she should give up? That I was wrong and the doctor was right?!"

"No," Soarin said kindly as he eased back and gently lifted his Rainbow's face to meet his encouraging gaze, "We help her, by getting her to understand that even though she can't fly, she can find her own special way to be awesome."

*Knock-knock-knock*

The door opened to reveal Tackle answering the door, "Rainbow Dash. Back with Scootaloo already?"

Rainbow Dash grimaced uncomfortably, "You mean... Scootaloo isn't here?"

Tackle didn't like the sound of that, "What happened?"

Sighing, Rainbow Dash explained to Scootaloo's father what Soarin had told her and when she was done, "I thought she came home after she ran off. Oh, Tackle, I'm so sorry..."

Seeing the despondent pegasus, Tackle assured, "It's alright, Rainbow. Your heart was in the right place, but we should probably step out and look for Scootaloo."

"I just wish I knew how to maker her feel better," Rainbow Dash nodded as she stepped aside for Tackle to venture out.

They started walking through town together when Tackle suggested, "Well, maybe a new scooter to replace the one that bullying colt broke will help."

"That's definitely a start," agreed Rainbow Dash, "but Scootaloo's gonna need more than that, something to help her figure out how awesome she can be even if she can't fly."

"One step at a time, Rainbow," Tackle replied as they came to the marketplace, "one step at a time."

Author's Note

Someone asked me how Scootaloo can be handicapped compared to Bulk Biceps; so I came up with the explanation that Scootaloo simply doesn't have enough magic to overcome her handicap. Her (underdeveloped) wings are strong, obvious by how she can use them to propel herself on her scooter and go real fast but her pegasus magic just isn't potent enough to gift her the necessary lift and propulsion

339. Different isn't Bad - Part 4

A sad little filly wandered around Ponyville, sticking to the less frequented roadways because she didn't want to talk to anypony. It had hurt when she'd overheard the doctor telling her parents that this condition wasn't going to get better, that she would never fly. But seeing her scooter break into pieces after failing to show improvement of any kind from her idol's training had been the final straw that drove the point into her head.

She was a flightless pegasus with a spirit that had been fully broken alongside her beloved scooter. She'd had that scooter ever since her dad gave it to her just before he'd left home to play pro hoofball across Equestria. It'd been one of the things she held most dear to her heart, because whenever she rode it, it was as if her dad was spurring her to keep going, to believe in herself.

Now it was smashed to pieces and with it her confidence.

Maybe Hotshot was right, she thought while kicking a pebble in her way, Why bother...?

She was never going to fly. Any spirit or drive she'd had left after learning that cold and awful fact was gone with her scooter. What was the point in trying to say or do otherwise? Rainbow Dash's training had sounded great at first, but every time she failed the exercises she'd felt lower than dirt from the disappointed looks on her idol's face even though Rainbow had kept being encouraging and determined to lift Scootaloo up in more ways than one. Then after talking with Soarin, she'd felt a little better until that jerk Hotshot came along and shattered her confidence.

But what he'd said about her, it'd technically had some truth to it, and it made her bitter. Now a part of her was resenting it all. The pity, the sadness, the sorry's, the encouragement. Even though it was all sincere, it no longer made her feel better. That left only one question in her mind.

What was she going to do about it?

She had no earthly idea or even where to start when her ears perked up to a sound she'd become rather familiar with as of late. The sound of crying.

Following it, Scootaloo came to a tree at the far edge of the park, closest towards the railroad. She could see the train station, but she peered up the tree and saw a familiar colt, sitting on a large branch, crying into his hooves.

The sight of him stirred up the bitterness she felt into resentment, along with confusion as she thought, What, now he chooses to feel bad?

"What's wrong with you?" she asked coldly, "Somepony break your favorite set of wheels?"

Hotshot flinched and hiccuped at the sound of Scootaloo's voice and peered down, revealing his eyes were turning red and his nose was runny. He'd obviously been crying harder than she thought but Scootaloo wasn't in the mood to be sympathetic.

"How's it feel to look down on a flightless loser?" Scootaloo furrowed her brows, "Does it make you feel good? Does putting me down and kicking me when I'm down somehow make you feel better about your own sad little insecurities?"

Hotshot looked away, like a colt who couldn't meet his parent's gaze while getting a scolding.

"I don't know what your problem with me or my friends is, but I don't really care anymore!" Scootaloo went on, "Yeah, I'm a blank flank, and yeah, I'm handicapped and I'll never fly on my own wings, but unlike you I have friends who actually care about me and support me no matter what. I'm not saying I'm over it all, but my friends and my family will help me through it all and somehow I will come through it and find whatever the hay it is that makes me worthwhile!

"So go ahead and call me mean names, break my scooter, but no matter what you or anyone says or do, I'll keep getting back up because unlike you I don't need to show off or brag or put others down just to prop up my own fragile ego!"

All of a sudden, Hotshot finally gave Scootaloo an angry look and came down from the tree with a careful flap of his wings to slow his descent as he glared Scootaloo in the eye. She didn't back down, she glared back. But even though she could see anger in Hotshot's eyes, she saw... pain? Guilt. Confusion, stress, and anxiety evident by how Hotshot's left eye was twitching a bit.

His angry look softened with a struggle to hold it together... until finally he fell back onto his bottom and cried!

Scootaloo couldn't believe it. She'd expected Hotshot to yell at her, make fun of her, say any awful thing he could to her face. She had not expected him to start bawling like a baby.

"I- I- I'm s-sorr- I'm sor-" Hotshot blubbered, trying to talk but his crying prevented him from being coherent so he continued to sob before crying into his hooves, too ashamed to look up at Scootaloo anymore.

"Uh..." Scootaloo was at a loss. Sure, she'd wanted to make Hotshot sorry for being so mean to her since practically the day they met, but this was more than she'd bargained for.

Seeing him cry, Scootaloo couldn't help it as she felt... sympathy! It puzzled her, that she would feel this way towards somepony who had bullied her, called her names, made fun of her friends, and then to top it off, he'd broken her beloved scooter after saying the most hurtful things. And yet... Scootaloo couldn't forget how Hotshot had congratulated Twinken back during the running for Student Pony President, and of course she remembered seeing how close Hotshot was to his sister Lightning Dust that time Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane took her and Rumble to visit Cloudsdale. Seeing him now, how sorry he was, truly sorry...

Maybe... maybe he's not all that bad, after all, Scootaloo sighed and stepped over to sit beside Hotshot, who was still crying so much he didn't notice.

Until he felt a foreleg around his withers and he hiccuped as he peered up from his hooves and saw Scootaloo, giving him an awkward hug of sorts.

...

They just sat like that, neither sure of what to do next even though one was sorry and the other sympathetic, both were growing increasingly awkward. They sat like that for a long while as Hotshot's crying finally began to settle and calm down somewhat before finally...

"I-I...miss... my sister," he uttered out, trying to fight back tears.

Scootaloo didn't say anything, so Hotshot continued, sniffling and wiping his tears as he explained, "...she was really sad after she was k-kicked out of the Wonderbolts Academy. She stopped... training, practicing, so instead she started spending time with me. At first, I was happy because she- ...She hadn't played with me or talked to me or was even nice to me for a long time.

"Before she went to the academy, she was... not really mean, but she always told me not to bother her, that she had to train... Then, she came back from the academy and she was like... like a balloon that couldn't float anymore. She started spending more time with me, being nice to me, talking to me and being a better big sister. But I could tell. She was really-really sad."

"...So then what happened?" Scootaloo finally asked.

"I got her to talk to me about why she was sad," Hotshot had finally stopped crying and snrrking his nose though his cheeks were still stained with his tears.
"That's when she told me about Rainbow Dash... I got angry, I know that's not exactly fair, but I was angry at Rainbow Dash for getting Lightning Dust kicked out of the academy. She told me that wasn't true, that she got herself kicked out. I wouldn't listen... We moved to Ponyville while Lightning stayed in Cloudsdale, working part-time jobs. When I came to Ponyville, I found out that you and Rainbow Dash were close, and... I took out my anger on you. That wasn't fair, I know that now."

"But... you seemed like you were getting better not too long ago," Scootaloo brought up, "Remember the Student Pony President election? You took your loss well and you even congratulated Twinken!"

"That was just because I was trying to win something and I wasn't in that election for the right reasons," Hotshot shook his head. "Sometime after that, my sister got an invite to join a new squad of fliers. The next time I heard from my sister was through a letter; she said she'd failed to join the new squad and wasn't coming home.

"I was heartbroken, and I'm so worried about her! Our parents are too! We don't know where she is or even if she's okay!"

Hotshot held back fresh tears, forcing himself not to cry-

"I know what that's like."

Hotshot managed to hold it together before he slowly looked up at Scootaloo and saw a very familiar look on her face, a distant sadness. He then realized, that was a lot like the look he always had whenever he was missing his big sister.

"My dad, Tackle, just came home," Scootaloo explained how her father was until recently a famous professional hoofball player who played for the Baltimare Blackbirds. How he'd traveled all over Equestria to play for his team in big pro hoofball games for thousands of fans of the sport and of the Blackbirds team. How she rarely got to hear from him, mostly getting postcards and presents in the mail but he rarely knew where he was gonna go next and when. So Scootaloo wasn't able to send him a lot of mail. More than once she'd sent him a letter and he'd never received it.
"...I know it's not exactly the same. But I know what it's like to miss someone you love, to worry about them, to just want them to come home and be with you."

"Y-you do?" Hotshot looked at Scootaloo with soft surprise.

"Yeah, like... my dad? He's a pro hoofball player and until recently he'd spend weeks or even months away from home," Scootaloo shrugged, "Mom and me always missed him, but for me... Well, whenever somepony found out that he's my dad, they'd say things like 'you've got big horseshoes to fill' or 'work hard and you'll be as great as your father'.

"I love my dad, but sometimes it's hard living under his shadow."

"I feel the same way!" Hotshot zipped up, "Lightning Dust is a talented flier and I wanna fly as fast and awesome as she does one day, only... Whenever I asked her to coach me or show me her moves, she'd laugh and say things like 'when you're older, kid' or 'that's a little too high for you to fly, baby brother', urgh!

"I know she didn't mean to, but she always made me feel ... like I'd never measure up or something."

"So, you bullied other colts and fillies and showed off and bragged just to feel better about yourself," Scootaloo deadpanned, causing Hotshot's eyes to pop with realization and droop in response as he floated down to the ground.

"...yeah," Hotshot slumped in shame before taking a deep breath, "Look, I'm... I'm sorry. Sorry for all the rotten stuff I said and did to you a-and your friends too. I guess I just got so caught up in trying to look like cool and awesome that I... I just forgot to be me.

"Well, I'm still kind of mad at you for breaking my scooter," Scootaloo folded her forelegs while giving Hotshot a slight stink eye, that he shrank back in guilt. But then her face softened as she added, "But even though your words hurt me too, I just have to accept that it is what it is.

"I'll never fly on my own wings, but my friends and my parents told me something that I haven't really believed in until now: I can find my own way to be awesome. But it's up to me to find that way as well as to believe I can do it."

Hotshot couldn't deny it as he looked upon Scootaloo, this blank-flanked filly who would never know the joy of feeling the wind carrying her on her own wings, with a whole new perspective. Scootaloo noticed the look he was giving her and suddenly felt a little awkward... until Hotshot gave her a smile that was smug but also warm before he held out his hoof.

"Friends?"

Scootaloo looked at Hotshot's hoof for a moment and though there yet remained a simmer of resentment, she smiled back and accepted his hoof, "Friends."

"WHAT?!"

Both of them startled up onto their hooves and turned to see Rainbow Dash flapping above a bush behind them, in which Tackle was barely able to conceal his sizable rump as he gave his daughter a sheepish look at having his cover blown.

"Seriously?!" Rainbow Dash gave Scootaloo a look of disbelief, "After all the rotten crap he's said and done to you, you're just gonna let hm off the hook and be friends with him?!"

Scootaloo gave her idol a flat look before simply responding, "I am."

Rainbow Dash was perplexed as Tackle chuckled with fatherly pride and walked up to his daughter to nuzzle her cheek, which she warmly returned before the large stallion stood to the full of his height and said, "I'm proud of you, Scoots. You've learned something that most ponies don't figure out until they're much older."

"What's that, Dad?" Scootaloo gazed up at her father.

"There is strength in forgiveness," answered Tackle while not-so-discreetly giving Rainbow the stink eye, the technicolor mare sighing.

"I guess..." But then Rainbow poked her hoof into Hotshot's chest, telling the colt straight up and forward, "but I'll be keeping an eye on you, pipsqueak..."

"Uh-heheheh..." Hotshot chuckled nervously as he backed up a bit before looking to Scootaloo, "I... should actually be getting home. My folks will be wondering where I am."

"Okay then, Hotshot, see you later," Scootaloo offered her hoof and Hotshot got the idea, meeting her halfway in a hoofbump and they waved before Hotshot took flight and flew away.

"I'll admit it, that was a pretty grownup thing to do, Scootaloo," Rainbow Dash gave her favorite little filly a smile that was cocky and proud at the same time, "and coming from me, that's saying something."

"Which is why, sweetheart," Tackle went back behind the bush, "I feel you absolutely deserve... this!"

He came out from behind the bush, rolling out a brand new scooter! Scootaloo gasped at the sight of it: The board was designed to aerodynamic perfection yet sturdy enough to support a full-grown stallion, the wheels were made of reinforced plastic with rubber traction, the handlebars could fold back for storage, and the paint job was based on the Wonderbolt uniform!

Scootaloo was stunned at the sight of it... but though she made a small and hesitant smile, Tackle and Raimbow Dash quickly noticed there seemed to be a problem. They shared a look before Tackle asked, "Sweetheart? Is something wrong?"

"If you don't like it, we can return it and get a different one," offered Rainbow.

Shaking her head, Scootaloo answered, "Uh- No! It's... it's not that I don't like it."

"Well, then what's wrong, Scoots?" Tackle felt worried but when he saw a little tear go down his filly's cheek, he felt his heart seize up as though it were in a vice.

"...Dad? It's an awesome scooter, really it is," Scootaloo wiped the tear away, but the sadness in her voice was unmistakable, "It's just... my old scooter? I rode on it, practiced on it, and loved every moment I played with it! Because... when you gave it to me, I'd always think of you when I rode on it, and every time I went fast or did air time on it, I- ...I always imagined I was flying, and that you were the one helping me lift off."

"Oh baby girl..." Tackle went over and gave his daughter the warmest and deepest hug, and felt his heart hurt when he felt Scootaloo begin to sob into his chest.

Seeing her favorite fan crying into her dad's chest, Rainbow decided, I gotta do something about this...

"Tackle, Scoots! Don't go anywhere. I'll be back in a flash," Rainbow Dash quickly zoomed off and found the area of the park where she'd taken Scootaloo to train earlier.

Thankfully, finding the broken pieces of Scootaloo's scooter was easy. But seeing the damage herself deflated her hopes of putting it back together. Gathering all the pieces she could, she returned to Scootaloo and sat with her and Tackle, placing the broken pieces of the scooter in front of them.

Seeing them again, Scootaloo was on the verge of more tears when she heard Rainbow awkwardly clear her throat.

"Scoots, look, I..." Rainbow sighed, "I had the idea that maybe we could fix your old scooter, put it back together. But... well, clearly we can't. It's too damaged."

Scootaloo wanted to cry, but Tackle noticed Rainbow's dispirited look turn into an encouraging smile. He gently squeezed his daughter and gestured her to listen to Rainbow.

"So instead, how `bout we do this? We take some of the pieces of your old scooter and add them to the new one," Rainbow Dash stood up the new scooter and pointed out, "See? The wheels and handlebars are interchangeable. Even though the old scooter can't work anymore, the most important pieces of it will stay with you, as part of your new scooter. That way, the memories will stay too."

"In other words, the scooter I first gave you is still helping you to speed along and take to the air," Tackle agreed as gave his daughter an encouraging smile of his own.

Scootaloo looked at the pieces of her old scooter and then to the new one. Though the idea of taking pieces of the old and adding them to the new was appealing, there yet lingered a sadness that the old one was beyond repair.

"Scoots, it's okay to miss things," Scootaloo looked back to Rainbow Dash, who had an understanding look on her face, "Everyone misses that one special something that was near and dear to us, and sometimes it hurts to face the fact that those things aren't with us anymore. But a part of growing up is letting go and moving on so that we can embrace new change in our lives.

"Sometimes the changes are scary or difficult to face, but change comes whether we want it to or not. The trick is, figuring what's the right change and embracing it, and figuring out how to work with the changes that aren't right for us. That's kinda why I suggested taking the important pieces of your old scooter and adding them to the new one. To show you that you were holding onto the hope of fixing it, which is denying the fact that it's not gonna work anymore."

Scootaloo hesitated but nodded sadly, "I understand..."

"It's okay to miss things, squirt," Rainbow went on, kindly stroking the back of Scootaloo's head, "but if you keep looking back on what you've lost, you won't be able to look forward to see what you may have. So whattya say? Up for a little customization?"

Looking at her idol and her dad, Scootaloo felt their encouragement and their love. Her sadness washed away and she smiled boldly, "Yeah!"

"And... we're done!" Tackle happily declared.

He, Rainbow Dash, and Scootaloo stepped back to admire their handiwork on the new scooter. They'd gone back to the house to get Tackle's tools and after a little tinkering, the new scooter now sported the wheels and handlebars of the old one. Also, just for the hay of it, Tackle and Rainbow Dash had painted Scootaloo's name on the underside, along with a few stripes of orange and purple matching Scootaloo's coat and mane.

It was amazing they'd done such a good job on the paint... compared to how much of a paint war they'd just had. All three of them had splotches and stains of paint on their coats and manes after that fierce battle. Looking from the scooter to each other, and noting the paint stains... they all burst out laughing a bit before Tackle commented, "We're all gonna need a bath!"

"Not as much as you, Tackle!" Rainbow Dash laughed while pointing out the big splatter of orange on Tackle's backside. It was even covering his cutie-mark!

Scootaloo smiled at the scooter, a bittersweet warmth in her heart as she accepted this gift while at the same time honoring the old. She heard somepony clear their throat and looked to see her dad and Rainbow regarding her with warm smiles.

"Ready to take her for a spin, Scoots?" asked Tackle.

"...Yeah, I am," Scootaloo smiled boldly and was about to step onto her new scooter when they heard somepony galloping and looked to see an earth pony mare running frantically down the path in front of Scootaloo's house.

She had a peach yellow coat, bright brown eyes, a marigold mane with a blossom pink highlight in tied back in a bun though it had become a little frayed with loose locks due to her running, and her cutie-mark was an inkwell and a coffee table. She carried a sealed folder of some kind and as she was passing them-

*Trip/"OHHH!!! Oof!"*

-an errant pebble had caused her to slip and tumble head over tail, the folder flying from her mouth and landing conveniently near Scootaloo's hooves. Tackle and Rainbow Dash hurried over to help her, the stallion asking, "Ma'am, you alright?"

"What's got you in such a rush?" Rainbow Dash asked as she gently dusted off the mare's withers with her wing.

But as she stood up, the mare cried out in pain and fell on her flanks while gingerly holding up her right foreleg. "Ow! My fetlock..."

"Hold still, lemme look," Tackle carefully looked at the mare's fetlock. He very gently placed his hoof over it, applying a teensy bit of pressure, and the mare cringed in discomfort, confirming it.
"Sorry, miss, but it looks like you've sprained your foreleg here. Must've been from that nasty tumble you just had."

"Oh no! This isn't good!" the mare whined when she noticed the folder she'd been carrying having been picked up by Scootaloo. "Uh- Careful with that, dear! That folder has some very important papers in it!"

"If you don't mind us asking, miss," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "why were you in such a hurry just now?"

"Oh, my husband! He's leaving for Canterlot to meet with some tycoon of sorts to discuss a proposal for a business expansion," the mare explained, "but he was in such a hurry earlier to get to the train station before his train arrives that he forgot the proposal and other important documents in that folder! I didn't notice he'd left it behind until shortly after he'd left. I was rushing down to the station to get it to him before he leaves without it!"

"Who is your husband?" asked Tackle.

"Davenport of Davenport's Quills and Sofas," the mare answered, "and his train leaves in only a few minutes! If he doesn't have his papers with him at his meeting he'll lose such a big opportunity!"

"No sweat, Mrs. Davenport, just leave it to..." Rainbow Dash suddenly had an idea as she looked at Scootaloo, who was still holding the folder, "to Scootaloo here!"

"WHAT?!" Scootaloo and Tackle both flabbergasted at Rainbow Dash.

Even Mrs. Davenport looked...doubtful.
"Um... no offense to the young filly, but, why don't you deliver the folder, Rainbow Dash? I'm confident a pegasus of such renown would get it delivered in... ten seconds flat?"

Mrs. Davenport smiled both nervously and hopefully, but Rainbow Dash shook her head, "Uh- No, I... can't right now. See, I was... doing some intense training a little while ago and... my wings are plumb tuckered out. But Scootaloo can do it, Mrs. Davenport! She's a regular speed demon on her scooter! I guarantee she'll get that folder to your hubby before he leaves on his train!"

"Well..." Mrs. Davenport regarded Scootaloo, who was a little put off from being put on the spot so suddenly.

But Scootaloo looked back at Mrs. Davenport... and saw a pony in real need of help, upset that her husband was in trouble and he didn't know it. She looked back at Rainbow Dash and saw her idol giving her a look of utmost confidence. Not in herself but in her number one fan. She looked at her dad, and though he was a little flummoxed by these unexpected developments Tackle gave her a fatherly smile and nod that told her exactly what she needed.

You've got this.

Furrowing her brows, Scootaloo quickly donned her helmet and pads, stepped onto her scooter, "I'll get that folder delivered to Mr.Davenport in no time, Mrs. Davenport!"

Seeing the determination and confidence in the filly, Mrs. Davenport felt some of her doubts float away though it didn't completely dash away the worries she felt.

"Alright... You need to get that folder to my husband at the station before he boards his train and leaves for Canterlot at 3 o'clock," Mrs. Davenport told the filly with a clear and deliberate tone, "Hurry! The train arrives in just over five minutes and the station is on the other side of Ponyvile from here!"

Picking up the folder, Scootaloo gave Mrs. Davenport another determined look as she promised, "I've got this."

"We'll meet you there once we've taken care of Mrs. Davenport," Tackle went over and gave his filly a strong hug, "Go get `em, baby girl!"

"I'm on it, Dad," Scootaloo got back onto her new scooter, got a felt for it... and kicked off as she buzzed her wings like there was no tomorrow!

The three ponies watched in awe as Scootaloo sped off like the speedster she always was!

The filly had to admit; this new scooter? She handled real well. Whereas before, her old scooter didn't actually turn the front wheels so she had to lean to steer into another direction, this one allowed her to immediately turn whichever direction she needed. Which was good for her. She buzzed her wings like she'd never buzzed hem before. Thankfully, she'd driven her old scooter since she was six, and she was well-familiar with the streets of Ponyville.

The only obstacles to watch out for were the ponies themselves and whatever they might be doing. She dodged under a mattress being hoisted by two earth ponies, agilely moved left and right to avoid hitting anypony, and up ahead she saw a wagon with planks set down onto its aft end as some ponies were preparing to push a piano onto it. Glancing at the clock tower, Scootaloo knew she was running out of time. Another glance at the street signs she passed by told her she was only halfway to the station! She knew from the direction she was taking that this would lead her in the general direction towards the station and provided she got enough air-time she'd be able to literally pass over the general pop without needing to weave through them.

I may not be able to fly... Scootaloo steered straight for the wagon and planks, but I can soar!!!

"CLEAR THE RUNWAY!!!!" she shouted to the ponies ahead and they cried out in alarm to see a speeding scooter-riding pegasus filly zooming in their direction!

She got closer, and closer! And there she flew!

Passerby couldn't help but gasp, in alarm, in awe, in marvel, in horror, or any combination as they witnessed this filly take flight astride her scooter! She soared through the air above, doing one- No, two! Wait... three 360s! Sensing she'd reached the apex of her air-time, she straightened herself out and spread her handicapped wings as she began to descend. Her air-time extended, as did her distance as she made it down four blocks and counting!

Scootaloo glanced at the clock tower again and felt her racing heart race even faster as she saw there was only one minute left before the train's departure!

The ground was coming up and though she was still zooming at breakneck speeds, Scootaloo kept calm and expertly angled her scooter so that the rear wheel would touch down to the ground first. She stuck it!

And without even decelerating, she continued to speed along, when the distant sound of the train whistle alarmed her!

Gotta go faster! She put all she had into it as she zoomed down the street, ponies yelping and/or dodging at the sight of her while some began to cheer her on!

The station was in sight, she was almost there! Hold on... Oh no!

The train was pulling out! She was too late! Or am I...?

Scootaloo didn't slow down and turned towards the train tracks, hoping to catch up. She was running out of time because before long the train would speed up and she'd tire out. She managed to keep up and speed alongside the passenger cars before she took a deep breath.

"MR. DAVENPORT!! CALLING MR. DAVENPORT!!!" Scootaloo shouted as her lungs began to ache but not nearly as much as her wings!

Windows in the passenger car opened up as the passengers stuck their heads out in surprise to see a filly trying to race their train.
"I HAVE SOMETHING FOR MR. DAVENPORT! IS HE ABOARD?!"

The brown earth pony with the slicked back mane stuck his head out and called back, "I'm here! What're ya doing, little filly?!"

"YOU FORGOT YOUR BUSINESS FOLDER!!!" Scootaloo held it out, doing her best not to drop it, "YOUR WIFE SENT ME TO GET IT TO YOU!!!"

"Oh Sweet mother of the Royal Sisters!!" Mr. Davenport gawked in abject horror at the folder Scootaloo carried. Looking frantic, he suddenly had an idea! "Listen! I'm gonna head to the caboose! Meet me there and hoof me the folder!"

Mr. Davenport disappeared back into the train and Scootaloo very carefully pressed onto the brake built onto the scooter's rear wheel. Almost instantly the train outpaced her but she kept her wings buzzing as she measured her deceleration and kept a decreasing pace... until she was at the caboose. Thankfully, Mr. Davenport didn't keep her waiting long as he stepped out of the rear door, onto the back platform of the caboose, and leaned onto the safety rail as he reached out for his folder.

Though her heart pounded so hard it felt it might burst out of her chest, her every breath burning her lungs, her wings screaming in agony, Scootaloo pressed on. Very carefully, she held the folder out towards Mr. Davenport, but the distance between them was beginning to widen. The earth pony cringed in suspenseful agony, afraid that his little miracle worker wasn't going to pull through after all.

But Scootaloo felt something inside, a tingling excitement that spurred her to give it her all, spreading to every fiber and feather of her being! Sure, she was a flightless pegasus but by Faust she would never let that get her down! That empowering feeling gave her strength, seeming to focus into her wings... and onto her flanks, as she found another burst of energy and closed the gap!

He got it! She'd delivered the folder and finally, she stopped buzzing her wings, letting herself decelerate on her own. As the train rode on down the tracks, she heard Mr. Davenport call out to her, his voice shrinking in the distance, "THANK YOU SO MUCH, SCOOTALOO! AND CONGRATULATIONS...!!!!"

"Wha... wha'di-" Scootaloo uttered, trying to find her voice... when that same tingle continued to make itself known. On her flanks. She turned her head to see... and gasped before smiling the biggest smile she'd ever had.

Back at the house, Tackle, Sunny, and Rainbow Dash waited patiently at the dinner table. Tackle and Rainbow Dash had helped Mrs. Davenport to the hospital where Nurse Redheart assured them they'd get Mrs. Davenport back on her hooves in no time. Rainbow Dash had considered flying to the station afterwards to check on her number one fan, but then felt that would imply to Scootaloo that she didn't fully believe in her.

So here she waited with Scootaloo's parents, the three of them hopeful that things had turned out okay-

The sound of the door opening caught their ears and they went to see that it was Scootaloo, facing them as she took off her helmet, to show she was teary-eyed.

"Sweetie?" Sunny felt her heart tighten, as did Tackle while the mother pegasus said, "Did... did something bad happen?"
"Scoots, whatever it is, it's okay!" assured Tackle.
"Yeah, if anything, it's my fault, squirt," Rainbow Dash sighed woefully. "I should have delivered the folder myself."

But then Scootaloo looked up at her parents and idol... and they saw that though her eyes were welled with tears, she looked as though she couldn't be happier! They were confused, until Scootaloo turned just so, allowing them to see her flank.

The three ponies' jaws dropped in shocked realization that gave way to elation and joy and pride, especially as Scootaloo declared, "I got my cutie-mark!!"

That evening, Scootaloo's Cuteceañera took place in the park, where all attendees watched her display her radical scooter skills. She got presents, kudos, so-proud-of-yous, the whole package from friends and family alike! The party was hosted by Pinkie's brother Party Favor at her suggestion, since she and Cheese always threw the parties in Ponyville and she felt her brother should get to throw his share.

Once it was time for cake, Scootaloo asked Rainbow Dash to get everyone's attention for her, and the rainbow pegasus shouted, "HEY!!! Listen up, the guest of honor has something to say!"

All eyes turned to Scootaloo, who shied a little but stood up before clearing her throat, "Thank you, everypony, for... well, for being here to support me. Just a short bit ago, I learned that I'm handicapped. I'm never going to fly."

Several eyes and smiles turned sad but Scootaloo went on, "Yes, I'm still sad about it myself. But... this and that happened, and my parents and Rainbow Dash continued to support me. I got this new scooter, and then I also got this opportunity to help Mrs. Davenport."

She looked straight over to Mrs. Davenport, who smiled back warmly at the filly.

"She let me help her by delivering a very important folder to her husband who was leaving for Canterlot. Long story short, I made the delivery by using my wings as I've always done - I kept moving forward, and right when it counted I dug deep and found a strength inside I never knew I had! And this cutie-mark is the proof of that, same as for everyone. That we can all be awesome and amazing and unique in our own ways no matter what life throws at you or what anypony might say otherwise, and you can always count on those who love you to find the way to figuring that out for yourself."

Tackle and Sunny teared up with deepest pride and joy in their little filly as they couldn't help but start stamping the ground to spark an applause. Before long everypony was whooping and cheering for this filly, flightless though she was but truly an inspiration. Rainbow Dash raised her glass and shouted, "TO SCOOTALOO!!"

Everyone did the same and echoed "TO SCOOTALOO!!!" and the party continued.

At the same time, watching from a nearby hill, Hotshot smiled, touched and humbled by Scootaloo's speech-

"I hear you've been missing your sister."

Hotshot jumped to his hooves and turned to see, "P-Prince Midnight?"

The alicorn stallion had a friendly smile as he asked, "Mind if I join you?"

"Uh... no?" Hotshot was rather stunned that a Prince of Equestria was sitting next to him, sharing their view of the celebration going on. For a long awkward moment, Hotshot wasn't sure what to say, but Midnight's earlier words finally spurred him to ask, "Do... do you know what happened to Lightning Dust?"

"Lightning Dust is okay," Midnight replied in an assuring voice, "Right now, she's... let's say she's doing something really important. Something that required she had to go away for a while. But before she left, she asked me to give this to you when the time was right."

Midnight's horn lit up and a photograph appeared in a flash of ember-like mana before it floated over to Hotshot. He gasped as he saw it! It was a picture of him and Lightning Dust and their parents at his last birthday, where they'd all gone on a trip to Horseshoe Bay. They'd spent the whole day playing on the beach, zooming across the waves, enjoying snow cones, an all-around perfect day. The picture showed him, Lightning, and their folks beside an awesome sand castle they built together, smiling so big and wide for the camera.

Hotshot couldn't help but tear up but he didn't want to cry in front of the prince... until he felt a comforting wing around his withers and he looked to see Midnight giving him an understand smile.
"I can't tell you what Lightning Dust is doing, Hotshot, only that it's a big and important job that only she can do. But part of the reason she took the job is so she can protect others, including you."

Hotshot fought the urge to cry as he uttered, "C-can I... can I talk to h-her?"

Midnight looked crestfallen, "No, I'm afraid not. But I can promise that she'll be back. Not anytime soon, but she will. Also, she has this same photograph with her, so in a way you and your parents are with her too, giving her the strength and courage to do what she has to do."

Hotshot finally allowed himself to shed some tears before he threw his forelegs around Midnight, who kindly gave him a hug back as the colt whispered, "Thank you... for telling me."

"You're welcome," Midnight whispered back before standing up and heling Hotshot to his hooves, "Now c'mon! That cake down there looks mighty delicious, and I think Scootaloo would be happy to see you at her cuteceañera."

Midnight started down the hill towards the psrty but noticed Hotshot hesitating. It was understandable, he'd spent quite a while being a bully to Scootaloo and the rest of the Crusaders. But hearing about Lightning Dust, the 'c'mon' gesture Midnight made with his head, and how Scootaloo and he had settled things and accepted each other's friendship, it gave Hotshot the confidence he needed. He smiled boldly and followed Midnight towards the party, and to a better future.

Author's Note

Scootaloo's Cutie-Mark commissioned by Hoodwink MCShelster

341. The Gauntlet of Fire - Part 1

A fine day it was to have visitors, as Princess Twilight and her husband Prince Midnight did at that moment in the Castle of Friendship. Princess Celestia and Luna, along with Celestia's own husband, Prince Sombra, had arrived to have lunch with their fellow alicorn monarchs.

"We're so glad you could make it, everyone," Twilight said kindly as the five alicorns sat around the dining table.

"As are we, Twilight," Sombra said with a nod and smile.

"Indeed! We so rarely get a chance to relax and just visit," added Luna.

"Speaking of relaxing..." Midnight brought up with a tone of concern as he looked to Celestia's round pregnant belly, "Are you and the foal doing alright?"

"Not to worry, Midnight," Celestia assured while giving her foal-filled tummy a fond rub, "we alicorns are made of stronger stuff, although... I will admit to not having as much energy than I normally do as of late."

"Doctor Miracle Cure did tell you that you need to slow down, dear," Sombra gently scolded, "our foal is due next month."

"Oh, I can't wait!" Twilight clapped her hooves in a giddy way, "First Shining Armor and Cadance had their filly, Cora, then Big Macintosh and Fluttershy had their twins, Belle and Sandow! Do you know if you're having a filly or a colt?"

"We wanted to be surprised, but...The medical staff accidentally let it slip," Sombra shrugged with an 'oh well' smile, "We're having a son."

"Congratulations to you both," Midnight smiled happily for his master and godmother. "Just know, that you can always count on Twilight and I to be there for your colt."

"We appreciate that, Midnight," Celestia smiled back while she and Sombra nuzzled up against each other, "now, tell us what's been going on around Ponyville lately. Usually, we have some crisis to deal with, somepony needs help and-"

"HELP!!!"

That distant cry was followed by the doors bursting open to reveal a dirty Rarity, wearing a mining helmet, and levitating a glowing Spike who looked to be in real discomfort.

"TWILIGHT! MIDNIGHT! There's something wrong with Spike!!"

Rarity hurried in while levitating the food and dishes off the table to make room for Spike to lay down, everypony standing up as Twilight worriedly asked, "What's wrong?!"

"Ugh, I don't know! Nngh!" Spike sat up, looking around alarmed while scratching all over himself, "All of a sudden my scales just started glowing and... burning!"

"Little is known about dragon culture, but this is a phenomenon we've seen before," Luna spoke up, "It is the call of a Dragon Lord."
"Dragons glow whenever a Dragorn Lord has need of them in the Dragon Lands," added Celestia.

"Actually, I think there's more to it than that," Midnight spoke up, all eyes turning to him, "If I'm not mistaken, I think I know why Spike is being summoned."

"Forget why! How do you make it stop?!" whined Spike.

"I'm afraid the only way it will stop is if you answer the summon," Midnight replied with a shrug, "So, it looks like you're on your way to the Dragon Lands."

"B-b-but the Dragon Lands are full of... dragons!" protested Rarity.

"Really? The Dragon Lands have dragons in them?! I never would have guessed!" Midnight responded sarcastically, only to get shushed by Twilight, along with a muttered 'Be nice'.
"Relax, Rares! I'll personally escort Spike to the Dragons Lands, we'll take care of whatever's going on, and we'll be back safe and sound in no time."

"Ooh! Oh my goodness!" Twilight suddenly began to gush, "A trek into the Dragon Lands?! We are sadly lacking any information on dragon culture and customs. I could research them, maybe even write an article! This could be my chance to make a great contribution to the knowledge of Equestria!"

...

It was then that Twilight noticed the looks everypony and dragon was giving her, causing her to clear her throat sheepishly, "And be there for Spike, heh, of course."

"Before we go anywhere, I should tell you what I know," Midnight looked to the Sisters and Sombra, "I apologize, everypony. Looks like we're gonna have to cut our visit short."

"Oh it's no bother at all, Midnight," Sombra assured, "Perhaps Rarity and Blueblood would be happy to be our hosts for the rest of our visit."

"Oh! Uh- Well, that is, um Your Majesties..." Rarity gobbledygook'd now that she had to entertain visiting royalty while Midnight levitated Twilight and Spike out the door.

"C'mon, there's something I want to share with the both you before we disembark," he said before he set them down and then led them to the Throne Room.

There, Midnight called up the Map and gently guided it to show them the holographic image of their destination, "The Dragon Lands, homeland to perhaps the fiercest creatures of our world."

"The Dragon Lands are rather small compared to Equestria," Twilight noted, seeing how the Dragon Lands weren't even half as big as the Pony Nation.

"Yes, but the dragons are fierce and powerful," Midnight pointed out, "and contrary to popular belief, they are not simple-minded beasts. Well... at least, not all of them are."

"Whattya mean?" Spike asked while scratching although his piqued interest helped take his mind off his discomfort.

"The Dragon Lands are divided into four territories," Midnight said as the Map seemed to illustrate his words for him, showing a territory to the north, the south, the east, and the west.
"Each Territory is ruled by a Dragon Lord."

"So there are four Dragon Lords in all," Twilight realized.

"Yup, and the Dragon Lords rule their own Territories and at the same time they enforce Dragon Law," Midnight went on. "At the center of the Dragon Lands, where all four Territories meet, is Drakaerys, the Dragon City, their capitol and the home of Korangar, the Dragon King!"

They saw the image of the Dragon Lands zoom in a little to show a holographic symbol of Drakaerys right in the center and above it a rotating golden crown.
"His Majesty, Korangar is the biggest, the strongest, the fiercest dragon alive and surely among the most powerful beings on Earth! His strength, wisdom, and power would make him a great alicorn prince, if he'd been born a pony."

"Have you ever met him?" Twilight asked.

"Oh no, but King Korangar's reign has been impressive enough," Midnight went on, "He's only the third dragon to sit upon the throne, but he's ruled far longer than either of his predecessors. Korangar is actually the reason why dragons aren't as destructive and chaotic as they were in ages past. When he became king, he established Dragon Law and chose his four most loyal lieutenants to directly rule over a fair share of his kingdom and enforce his laws."

"How do you know all this?" asked Twilight. "Not that this isn't so incredibly fascinating! But... hardly anypony knows all that much about dragons."

"You forget, Twily," Midnight smirked, "one of my teachers was a dragon sorceress!"

"UGH!!! I like that we're learning more about dragons an' all," Spike interrupted while giving his tail a fierce scratch, "but can we get GOING?!"

"Oh! Yes, right," Midnight remembered, "So tell me, Spike. Can you feel to where exactly the summoning is calling you?"

Spike gave the image of the Dragon Lands a careful look. His scales continued to burn and itch, but not so badly when his eyes drifted towards one side of the Dragon Lands.
"Uh... I might be wrong, but that side of the Dragon Lands seems right."

"The Western Territory, Drazgard!" Midnight looked excited, "Which means my hunch is right!"

"Hunch? What hunch, Midnight?" asked Twilight.

"You'll see when we get there, Twily," Midnight lit up his horn...

...and they burst into existence, finding themselves in a rocky environment. Full of dragons! Just like Spike, all of them were glowing (so this had to be the place Spike needed to be) though they all appeared to be young, not quite adults, mostly teenagers as a matter of fact. In the distance were mountains across a rocky shoreline, and in the middle of this location was a large peak with a flat top.

"Uh, Midnight?" Twilight was looking nervous at all the dragons around them, "I now I said I wanted to learn more about dragons, but... I was hoping for a more... safe experience."

"Relax, Twily, you and Spike are with me!" Midnight assured confidently, "I can handle any dragon that dares to so much as snort smoke in our general direction."

"Is that a fact...?"

The three of them turned and lo and behold it was a familiar face accompanied by some vaguely familiar faces. A tall and sturdy young dragon with burning red scales, harsh yellow underbelly, and a rather unfriendly scowl on his face.
"Look It's our old friend, Sparkle-Warkle!"

"It's 'Spike'," Spike responded in a snippy tone.

"And you...!" Garble glared hatefully at Midnight, "I haven't forgotten how you broke my wings! Do you have any idea how long it took for them to heal?! How embarrassing it was to ask my mom to carry me for the rest of the Dragon Migration?!"

"Aw, I'm sure mommy made sure her pwecious Gawble-wawble was comfy the whole way," Midnight mocked.

"Midnight, he might not be nice but don't go starting fights," Twilight scolded.

"Fighting is the Dragon Way, Twilight," Midnight responded coolly. "Unlike other creatures, they don't care for reason and friendship. They only respect power and strength."

"What do namby-pamby ponies know about the Dragon Way?" snarled Garble as he and his gang started to look menacing.

"More than you, I'd wager," Midnight responded dryly, "which is sad, really, considering you're the dragons and we're the... 'namby-pamby' ponies, was it?"

"Boys... I think it's time we taught these ponies and their lousy excuse of a dragon a little respect!" Garble snarled viciously, his gang showing off their fangs and claws.

Twilight and Spike stepped back fearfully while Midnight didn't look intimidated in the slightest as he said in a nonchalant way, "Friendly advice, Garble. Turn around and walk away."

"It's like you said, pony! Dragons don't do friendly," Garble snorted sparks of fire and bared his claws menacingly, "Maybe that'll sink in after I smoke you and your little pals!"

Midnight furrowed his brows... and his horn blazed with mana before there was an explosion of magical power! All eyes looked on, awestruck, as a pillar of blazing turquoise-blue mana erupted around Midnight. The pillar extended skyward and began to widen, Twilight grabbing Spike and flying out of the way right before a pair of dragon wings unfurled from out of the pillar and the pillar of power was blown away by a ferocious roar!!!

Where Midnight had stood now towered a dragon Twilight and Spike had seen before. He was taller than most adult dragons but his form was more slender and his neck wasn't as long. Still, his body was heavily-muscled and strong, and his tail lashed out like a fearsome whip, several young dragons flying away to avoid getting lashed by it. His scales were the same dark blue as the highlight of his mane in pony form while the scales on his underside were sapphire blue, his horns, claws, and spines were black, as well as the membranes of his wings, he had frill-like ears in front of the bases of his two large horns, and he still had his black mane with the dark blue highlight. He snarled as his mouth opened, revealing dozens of fangs a hoof long, when he reached out and slammed his mighty paw onto Garble, his gang flying away to avoid getting stomped on.

Garble coughed and gasped, shocked to see he was still alive, and instantly wished he wasn't as Dragon Midnight leered down at him contemptuously.
"Y-You're- You ca- This is-" Garble stumbled over his words until finally he cried out, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE A PONY!!!"

"I am a pony, wyrmling..." Midnight snarled softly, "but I can become a dragon as well. So I suggest you and your thugs make yourself scarce. Before I lose my temper..."

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!?!" roared a voice far louder and scarier than Dragon Midnight's, and it made itself known as a shadow fell over almost everyone in the area.

"Uh-oh..." Spike muttered to himself as all eyes gazed up towards the center peak, where a dragon bigger than any Twilight and Spike had ever seen now sat.

He had grayish-blue scales, the interiors of his wings and the frill at the end of his mighty tail were colored vermilion, he wore fearsome armor around his chest, powerful horns grew from his head, somewhat resembling the horns of a ram and the left horn had a band of gold, he had a nasal horn similar to a rhino though it was colored the same as his scales, and on top of his head he wore a crown-like piece resembling spikes of ruby, and his offended gaze was aimed at Dragon Midnight... who stood only up to the mighty dragon's shoulder and he was sitting down!

"Prince Midnight..." the dragon snarled with an edge of warning in his harsh voice, "Any particular reason you're attacking one of the dragons I've summoned?"

"Lord Torch," Midnight released Garble (who quickly flew away) and gave the dragon, Torch, a respectful bow. "My apologies, this wyrm dared to threaten my mate and our... associate. I simply showed him how insignificant he is before me."

"As is your right," conceded Torch, "but I hope you're not here to meddle in dragon affairs."

"I would never interfere with one of the Dragon King's most sacred laws, Your Lordship," Midnight responded with a smirk, "It's just... the associate I mentioned? It appears when you sent out your summons, it affected him as well. So here we are."

"I see... Be that as it may, Prince Midnight," Torch furrowed his brows, "I'm not sure I appreciate your presence in this most important of matters-"

"Well, I think there's no harm in a leader of another nation sitting in as an observer!"

Torch gasped while Midnight rolled his eyes before they gazed up, as did Torch's, to see a dragon descend. She was small though, like about as tall as Midnight in his alicorn form, with amber gold scales, pale amber-gold underbelly, red spines starting from the middle of her head and extending down her back, a brown cloak hanging from around her shoulders yet held back by her wings, and her green eyes narrowed mischievously at Torch as she alighted herself on the tip of his nasal horn, looking positively teeny compared to the Dragon Lord, who seemed just slightly nervous by her sudden appearance.

"L-Lady Singescale!" Torch carefully nodded his head so as not to make the dragoness fall from his nasal horn, "I am honored by your decision to witness this occasion."

"Don't be. I was just in the area, and I had nothing better to do," Singescale responded with a dry smirk, causing a few dragons, especially Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, to all chuckle a little at Singescale's little barb as she flew off of Torch's nasal horn and landed down next to Twilight and Spike.
"Princess Twilight and her Number One Assistant Spike, it's such a pleasure to meet you both at last."

"Um, hello, Singescale...!" Twilight perked up in realization, "My husband's told me about you, you taught him dragon magic!"

"And his father, Ignitus," Singescale added, "but as much as I'd like to reminisce with you, I reckon Torch is getting antsy to move things along. Midnight? If you'd revert?"

"Sure thing," Midnight nodded before he folded his wings around himself, ignited with fiery mana, and shrank back down to his alicorn form again.

Singescale looked to Torch, "Continue, Lord Torch."

"My thanks, milday," Torch nodded before spreading his wings and shouting, "HEAR ME, YOUNG DRAGONS!!! For a thousand years, I have ruled the Western Territory of Drazgard, and my reign has been extraordinary!"

...

"AGREE WITH ME!!!" snapped Torch, and almost immediately all the dragons sans Singescale and Spike began to cheer and chant Torch's name, only for him to raise a paw to beckon silence.

"Who is that?" asked Spike, pointing in Torch's direction.

"He is Torch, Dragon Lord of the Western Territory of Drazgard," Singescale answered.

"No, I mean- The dragon next to him," Spike clarified and they all looked.

Flying next to Torch's head was a teenaged dragoness with brilliant blue scales, light turquoise colored underbelly, dark blue spines, and horns very similar to Torch's, along with an imperious look in her red eyes as she looked down on all the dragons.

"Oh, you mean his daughter, Princess Ember," Singescale nodded, "though I discourage any ideas you might have, young one. Torch is... protective of his daughter. In fact, I believe the last dragon that got too close to Ember without her father's permission, Torch... eh, never mind."

"What?" Spike pressed.

"He probably ate them," Midnight commented dryly, causing Spike to gulp.

"This is fascinating," Twilight was writing observations, "Dragons are notoriously reckless but they all do as the Dragon Lords says!"

"Unfortunately, according to the law of our king, it is time for me to step down," Torch went on, sounding sore about it. "Sad, I know."

...

"BE SAD!!"

Almost immediately, the intimidated dragons made with the crocodile tears (or was it dragon tears?) until Torch continued to speak.
"This is why I have summoned you – to compete for the title in the Gauntlet of Fire!"

The dragons all cheered (except for Singescale and Spike) while Midnight chuckled at how Twilight was so engrossed in her note-taking.

"Whoever has the strength and fortitude to retrieve this Bloodstone Scepter," Torch raised said scepter, which was the size of a toothpick in his claws, "from the heart of the flame-cano will be named Lord of Drazgard!!!"

Then, with a flick of his claws, Torch sent the Scepter soaring through the air. Until it disappeared. Into a haphazard-looking volcano. Across the bay. After which it immediately belched a blast of fire and ash as a pulse of red mana spread throughout the area, causing all the dragons who'd answered Torch's call to stop glowing. Including Spike, much to his relief.

"Amazing! When Torch sent the scepter away, the dragons stopped glowing," Twilight giddily jotted that down, "We are learning so much!"

"That Bloodstone Scepter is the symbol of Torch's power as the Dragon Lord of Drazgard," Singescale explained, "Each Dragon Lord carries such a relic that was originally bestowed upon the first four Dragon Lords by the King. Once a Dragon Lord's reign comes to an end, their relic passes onto their successor."

"The Gauntlet is dangerous, for I designed it myself!" Torch boasted, "Only dragons with my ferocity, strength, and determination will be able to finish. We will gather at the cliff when the sun is at its peak!

As the dragons cheered, Spike said to Midnight and Twilight, "I don't wanna be Dragon Lord or dragon toast, so let's get outta here!"

"Excuse me?!" Spike felt his heart skip as he slowly turned to see Torch glaring down at him, "And just where do you think you're going, little dragon?"

All the other dragons put distance between themselves and Spike as he nervously responded, "Oh, uh- Hi, Your Lordship, I was... just... going home?"

"No dragon gets to leave unless I say you can!" snarled Torch with his eyes narrowed to razor edge.

Singescale and Midnight both stepped forward to speak on Spike's behalf... when Princess Ember landed next to Spike, "Dad, lookit him. He's just a runt! Besides, he doesn't even want to compete. Let him go."

"He is rather tiny, heh-heh! I could squish him with my pinky claw!" chuckled Torch, Spike chuckling along nervously, that Torch corrected, "That wasn't a joke, that was a fact. When I want you to laugh, I will say 'BE AMUSED'!!"

"Excuse him, Torch," Singescale interjected, "Young Spike here is... unfamiliar with certain dragon customs. While I for one think he has greatness in him, he probably wouldn't be ideal as a candidate for your title."

"Hmm. Very well, little dragon," sighed Torch before he made a move-along gesture with his paw, "I release you."

"Thank you, Your Lordship," Spike gave a respectful bow, "and thank you, lovely dragonesses."

Singescale giggled in response whereas Ember rolled her eyes and started flying towards the flame-cano, only to get caught in the grasp of her father, "Where do you think you're going?"

"To prepare for the Gauntlet," answered Ember.

"No, you're not," Torch shook his head almost derisively at his daughter, "You're not much bigger than that runt I just dismissed!"

"But- I'm smarter than all these boulderheads and you know it!" protested Ember indignantly as she flapped up to her father's face.

"Being smart won't help you win this Gauntlet! It was designed for a big, strong dragon to win, because it takes a big, strong dragon to lead!" Torch retorted before adding, "Besides, I said no!"

The force of her father's firm words sent Ember back a bit but she straightened herself out and growled, "I hate when he does that!"

This didn't escape Singescale's notice, as she sighed at the sight of Ember flying off, "Torch has been a good Dragon Lord, but he's still plenty boulderheaded himself."

"You're telling me, I've still got the bruises the last time I met him when he challenged me to a spar," Midnight agreed, "If only the rest of your kind was more like you and the dragons in Drakaerys."

"Fat chance of that, Midnight," Singescale shook her head, "most dragons alive only value physical prowess and how much wealth they accumulate, and snub magic. Granted, the dragons of Drakaerys would easily dominate the rest of the boulderheads if they were ever stupid enough to revolt against the king's rule, it's still disappointing at how... barbaric and primitive the rest of dragonkind is."

"No offense, but the only good thing about them sticking to the way things are is how it's kept the dragon population under control," Midnight added, "too many dragons fighting each other over limited resources and food."

"And it's only the king's laws that keep them from venturing out into the world to cause destruction," sighed Singescale. "Be that as it may, Midnight... unless a real change happens in the Dragon Lands, I fear what my kind will become in the future."

"Midnight! Singescale!"

The two old friends looked to see Twilight and Spike hurrying over to them, looking frantic.

"We just overheard some of the dragons who are going to participate in Torch's Gauntlet!" Twilight worried, "A lot of them are planning to threaten Equestria if they win and become Dragon Lord!"

"Equestria will be in big trouble if any of them take over!" added Spike before looking determined, "And to prevent that from happening, there's only one thing to do - I have to win the Gauntlet of Fire!"

Twilight gasped while Midnight and Singescale shared an incredulous look. Midnight cleared his throat, "Uh, Spike-"

"It's the only way to protect Equestria from the dragons," Spike insisted, "Except for this one dragon we heard who wants to make burping an official greeting, the rest of them, especially Garble, have horrible plans for ponies if they win! Somehow, I have to become Dragon Lord."

"Spike, that's not-" Midnight tried to say.

"No, Spike it's just too dangerous!" Twilight disagreed before looking to her husband, "What about you, Midnight? Can't you compete and become Dragon Lord?"

"I can't," Midnight shook his head no, "Only trueborn dragons can become candidates for the mantle of Dragon Lord. I may be able to transform into a dragon, but that doesn't make me one for real. Besides, even if I could, I'd have to stay here to rule over the dragons of Drazgard."

Spike sighed sadly, "Which means it's all up to me, and I'm willing to do what I have to, in order to keep my friends safe."

"But Spike- UMPH!" Midnight was interrupted again by Singescale who forced a smile at Twilight and Spike.

"Please excuse us for just a few moments..." she pulled Midnight by the tail to behind a large boulder.

Twilight and Spike could hear hushed conversation but nothing they could hear clearly.
"Whattya think they're talking about?"
"I don't know, but I hope Singescale has another idea."

Finally, Singescale and Midnight emerged, Midnight looking put out while Singescale looked to Spike with eyes full of support, "Spike, if you are truly set on this course of action, then I wish you luck."

She then elbowed Midnight, who looked disgruntled before nodding, "And we'll be rooting for you all the way."

Twilight didn't like it but she couldn't help but admire Spike's courage, "I wish there was another way, but I'm proud of you, Spike, whether you win or lose."

"Thanks. Twilight," Spike smiled gratefully, "Now c'mon, Torch said they'll be gathering at the cliff and it's almost noon!"

Spike hurried off, Twilight following, Midnight and Singescale bringing up the rear as Midnight whispered to her, "You'd better be right about this..."

"Trust me, Midnight, this will work!" Singescale waved off his concerns, "Stay close to your wife and be ready if things go sideways. There's someone I have to have a quick word with..."

Author's Note

Singescale is a character belonging to TwilightUCrazy

She is a Dragon Sorceress and a Representative of the Royal Court of the Dragon King, is why Torch is respectful towards her. She also taught Midnight Dragon Magic at the request of his father, Ignitus, who was also her student

342. The Gauntlet of Fire - Part 2

The competitors all gathered at the cliff overlooking the shore and offered a perfect view of Flame-cano Island. Most of them now wore armor and looked up towards Torch as he was about to address his candidates.

Nearby, sitting together on a cloud that overlooked everything going on, Midnight and Twilight sat together as the latter worried, "I know I told Spike we'd cheer him on, but is there anything-"

"We already discussed this, Twily," Midnight shook his head. "We cannot interfere with the Gauntlet. If Torch or any other dragon believes we've meddled with a contest that is sanctioned by Dragon Law, it could lead to an international incident. You and I can only be observers in this competition, nothing else."

"Besides!"

The two of them were startled as Singescale flew up... and alighted herself on the cloud with them, "Spike will do just fine. He may be young and small, but he's got much more brains and common sense than the rest of these pitiful wyrms."

"Do you really think Spike can win, Singescale?" asked Twilight.

"Who knows? Spike seems like the kind of drake who can surprise you when it counts," Singescale shrugged, "In any case, hush. Torch is about to speak and here comes Spike."

They peered down and indeed they saw Spike hurry towards the cliff with the other competitors.

"I thought I released you, Tiny One..." Spike cringed and looked up to see Torch leering down at him.

"I decided to compete," Spike answered in a respectful manner, "I am a dragon, after all."

"Are you sure? You can't even fly!" Garble mocked, pointing out Spike's lack of wings, and most of the other competitors laughed at Spike as well.

"All dragons summoned are welcome to compete, but they do so at their own peril..." Torch spoke up, cutting off the chuckles, "Reaching Flame-cano Island is only the first of many challenges you will face in your quest to find the Bloodstone Scepter! RRAAAAAUUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!!!"

The gout of flame Torch launched form his massive maw startled the competitors as all (but Spike) took to the air and started flying for Flame-cano Island.

"Here we go," Midnight took a breath.
"I just hope Spike- !!!!" Twilight let out a cry of alarm as they watched Spike get knocked off the cliff by Garble and fall towards the ocean below.

"It's alright, Twilight," Singescale assured, "Even a young dragon like Spike can survive a fall like that no problem."

They leaned forward in anticipation as Spike fell into the water... and surfaced only a few seconds later. no worse for wear.

"Oh thank goodness..." Twilight sighed in relief.

"Don't forget," Singescale brought up, "the competition's only just started and the first challenge is just getting to the island."

"If you don't mind my asking, Singescale," Twilight responded, "why don't you compete? You're a dragon and I think you would make a fine Dragon Lord."

"I most certainly would," Singescale nodded with a casual shrug, "but I wasn't summoned by Torch when he used the Scepter. Only dragons who are less than a hundred years and are descended from or otherwise related to the first Lord of Drazgard can qualify as candidates for the mantle, it's how the summoning for this occasion works. Besides, I'm already a Representative of the King's Royal Court."

"Wait, so if Spike was summoned..." Twilight was putting two and two together, "that must mean-"

"Oh...!" Midnight winced, alarming Twilight again.

"Is it Spike?!"

"Nah, it's just one of Torch's obstacles," Midnight pointed with his wing to show some strange fish-like serpents popping out of the water and shooting powerful spouts of water skyward, already knocking several dragons out of the air and into the sea.

At that moment, Spike was swimming, ignoring the serpents, when a dragon fell into the water right in front of him! He noticed the dragon sinking and gasped, "He's gonna drown!"

Taking a deep breath he went under... and soon surfaced with the dragon, gasping for breath before helping the dragon stay above water while swimming the rest of the way to Flame-cano Island. He carefully pulled the dragon ashore, noticing some thing strange.

the dragon wore golden armor, including a helmet that hid his face, but his scales appeared to be turning from a shade of green to a familiar blue. He peered through the eye holes of the dragon's helmet and noticed his eyes fluttering open.
"Hey, are you okay?"

The dragon began coughing out water and Spike removed the helmet so he'd be able to breathe easier... only to notice he was actually a she!

"Princess Ember?!"

Finally regaining her breath, Ember stood up, suspiciously asking, "Whattya think you're doing?"

"You fell into the water and were sinking," Spike explained, "I couldn't just let you drown!"

"...Well, thanks," Ember took her helmet back, looking uncertain for a moment before hardening her expression, "now if you'll excuse me, I have a Gauntlet to win."

Spike started to bring up, "But I thought your dad said-"

"I don't care what my dad said!" Ember snapped, sounding sore about it, "I'll show him and everydrake that thinks I'm just a little 'princess' that there are better things to be than just being 'big and strong'! Besides, even if and when he does try to bellyache about my victory, I have the support of- !!"

Ember stopped speaking, looking just a tad uncomfortable, as if she'd almost blown a whistle, Spike asking, "The support of who?"

"None of your business!" Ember responded when they heard a cry of alarm and looked up to see Garble come crashing down on the shore, a heavy rock pinning him down. As eh struggled to get free, Ember quickly donned her helmet, knowing the fewer dragons who knew she was competing, against her father's wishes, the better.

Noticing him nearby, Garble cried out, pleading, "Don't leave me here, Spike!"

Although he wasn't exactly fond of Garble, Spike couldn't in good conscience ignore a plea for help. He hurried over and carefully helped Garble by pushing the boulder off of him, causing him to stumble forward and fall down.

"Ha ha! I knew you'd do it," sneered Garble as he stood up and dusted himself off, "Those pony friends of yours have made you soft!"

To add insult to injury, or perhaps injury to insult, Garble then spitefully kicked sand into Spike's face, the young drake narrowing his eyes as he contemptuously responded, "You're welcome..."

"For what? I didn't say 'thank you'," huffed Garble when he felt someone punc him a bit in the shoulder and Spike saw it was Ember, still wearing her armor and helmet.

"What are you wasting time with him for?" said Ember while deepening her voice, "We've got better things to do than stand around all day when there's a Gauntlet to win, and frankly I could do with some worthy competition like you."

"Huh! Good point, stranger... Say, don't I know you fro msomewhere?" asked Garble, giving the disguised Ember a shrewd look, "You sorta look like..."

"My old neighbor!" Spike stood between Garble and Ember, shiftily-looking around, "Uh, uh... Sandy... Rock... beach. Yeah, Sandy Rockbeach!"

Sandy Rockbeach, Spike, seriously?! Spike thought to himself, That's even worse than when you called Thorax Crystal Shade.

A loud noise caused the three young dragons to look up towards a higher ledge to see some large reptilian beasts throwing boulders with their tails, launching them towards all the incoming dragons.
"Huh! Stupid slingtails knocked me down. But I've wasted enough time making small talk. Get it? Haha, because you're too small to win this!"

Garble laughed jeeringly as took off, saying, "I'm funny...

Once he was gone, Ember took off her helmet and asked Spike, "Why did you cover for me? You could've had one less competitor."

"Well, you stood up for me," Spike pointed out, "Despite what you said, I know you did what you did to get Garble to get off my case."

"Well..." Ember hesitated as she began to sound just the slightest bewildered as the words came out, "I just... don't like seeing others be picked on."

Despite the apparent dawning on Ember's face, Spike smiled a little, having a feeling there was more to Ember than even she thought about herself. They heard a commotion and looked up to see the dragons, including Garble, were having a hard time avoiding all the boulders from the slingtails as they tried to make their way to the Flame-cano.

"Yikes! That looks rough..." Ember truly sounded daunted but gathered herself, "But that's what makes it a challenge."

"Are you kidding? Those boulders are hee-uge!" exclaimed Spike before he had a thought, "Hey, what if we work together?"

Ember gave him a suspicious look as Spike went on, "You fly me up there and I'll help you look out for boulders. Like a second set of eyes!"

Ember looked unsure, but she could see the logic in Spike's proposal.

Back on the cliff, Midnight, Twilight, and Singescale were using binoculars to do their best to follow what was going on.

"I'm a little surprised Ember defied her father's orders and participated in the Gauntlet anyway," commented Midnight, "If Torch had really wanted for Ember to not participate, he could've used the Bloodstone Scepter's magic to enforce his authority."

"And it looks like she and Spike are teaming up!" Twilight added, "Wow, look at them go! Spike must be helping Ember avoid the boulders that she can't see."

"Heh, that's my girl," Singescale sounded pleased, "I knew I made the right call..."

"What was that, Singescale?" asked Midnight, a tad absentminded from watching Spike and Ember.

"Nothing!"

Meanwhile, Ember had just reached the entrance to the Flame-cano, which was a third of the way up, after easily outflying the slingtails' many boulders, thanks to Spike watching her tail. Unfortunately, Garble had flown in before them. Hopping off of Ember's back, Spike asked, "So whaddoo we do now?"

"I think we go through there," Ember pointed out the mouth of the cave right as two more dragons flew in... only to get blasted by a wave of fire. They flew out, looking crispy and whimpering.

"Eesh, that didn't look pleasant..." Spike commented lamely.

"Listen, Spike, I wouldn't have made it this far without you," Ember admitted rather humbly, "So, if you want to, we can keep working together. I mean- Just until we get through that tunnel."

"Okay!" Spike gave her a thumb's up and they hurried inside and it wasn't long before they caught up with a couple of other dragons and saw the way barred by what looked like a mouth of stalagmites and stalactites shutting and closing hard like a mouth crunching food. Looking harder, they saw there was more of these stony teeth, along with several other dragons having trouble getting through.

Nodding to each other in determination, Ember let Spike climb onto her back and took flight. Very carefully, remembering the timing between each moment the spikes closed, Ember got them through just fine. Unlike Garble, who got caught in the third wave and growled furiously, seeing his rivals venture ahead of him. He forced himself free though not without discomfort before hurrying to catch up.

At that moment, Spike and Ember were dodging seemingly-random spikes of giant red gemstones that came from left, right, up, down, diagonally, at one point Spike dove at Ember to push her out of harm's way by the scales of their hides. Like before, Garble didn't get through this obstacle unscathed either.

As they reached the end of the tunnel, Spike and Ember found themselves in a large cavern with descending lava pools.

"This is pretty cool," Spike marveled at how something amazing could be found in such a scary place.

"I don't get you, Spike."

"Huh?" Spike turned to see Ember giving him a look of bewilderment.

"Why are you competing in the Gauntlet? You don't strike me as, well... Dragon Lord-material," Ember responded.

"I overheard Garble and some other dragons talking about what they were gonna do if they became Dragon Lord," Spike explained how Equestria would be in danger if any of those other dragons won, "...and the only way I can keep that from happening is to win Gauntlet and become Dragon Lord so none of them will threaten my friends."

"For real!? You're basically risking your life and potentially giving up your life in Equestria for friends?" Ember was absolutely baffled, "Not only that, those alicorns... They stayed to watch the Gauntlet to support you!"

"That's just what friends do," Spike said as if it were the most obvious thing, "Don't you have anyone who looks out for you like that?"

"Not really. Unless I count you..." Ember looked uncomfortable before hardening her heart, "Which I don't because we were only helping each other get through the tunnel, and now we're through the tunnel! So... that's it."

"Wh-What do you mean?" Spike didn't like the direction this conversation was going.

"Well, there's only one winner, one Scepter, and one Dragon Lord of the West," Ember pointed out with an edge in her voice. "So, I guess it's every dragon for themselves."

"Oh... so we aren't really friends?" Spike asked, his eyes wavering with some hurt.

"Maybe if we were in ponyland but like I said," Ember responded with a definitive tone before turning to walk away, "Dragons don't do friendship."

Then, without another word or even looking back, Ember spread her wings and took flight deeper into the Flame-cano, leaving Spike despondent.

"Hmm..." Singescale had her eyes closed but both Twilight and Midnight sensed the dragon sorceress was casting some kind of spell. After a few long moments, she opened her eyes and looked disappointed, "...perhaps my faith was misplaced."

"What are you talking about, Singescale?" asked Twilight, feeling concerned.

"Let's just say... one of the competitors isn't living up to the hopes I had for her," Singescale answered cryptically. "But based on what I sensed, Spike is doing well. He's deep inside the Flame-cano though he has yet to find the Bloodstone Scepter."

"I just hope Spike comes out of this in one piece," fretted Twilight.

Midnight said nothing and peered over his shoulder to look at Torch. The soon-to-be former Dragon Lord was sitting back on the stone he'd first appeared upon to address his competitors, looking still as a statue. He didn't care who won his Gauntlet as long as they brought back the Bloodstone Scepter to him to prove their worthiness, which was more the pity. Singescale was right about her kind; unless a real change was made, the dragons would never evolve as a culture and as a society, firmly stuck in their brutish and violent ways. Unwilling, or perhaps even afraid, of making a change in themselves and in their race.

Midnight respected the dragons but saw the majority of their kind in the way most of the world saw them, as violent, bullying, monstrous thugs who threw their weight around, took what they want when they wanted it. The only thing keeping them in check was the law of their king, and even he hardly made any efforts to be more than his race was seen as by all other creatures. There were few exceptions, Spike and Singescale being among them.

Midnight didn't know whether or not he really wanted for Spike to win the Gauntlet. Winning meant Spike would have to stay and rule a territory of dragons that would surely look down on Spike despite having the Title of Dragon Lord, and Spike, while organized, intelligent, and brave in his own right, would be biting off more than he could chew. Not to mention, they would have to let Spike go and hardly be able to see him anymore.

Midnight leered over at Singescale, miffed that his old mentor had talked him into supporting Spike's participation and now that it seemed like her plan wasn't working he wasn't sure if he should stand by and let this situation escalate anymore than it already had.

Spike, he thought, don't let us down...

As he made his way through the bowels of the Flame-cano, Spike wondered if he had been right about Ember or not.
She stood up for me in front of Garble, even if she acted otherwise, and we worked together to get into the Flame-cano... No, whatever Ember said, we are friends! She just doesn't understand it yet.

Spike refused to lump Ember together with the rest of those boulderheaded dragons, as she called them; she wasn't like them, she'd made that clear by how she'd defied her father forbidding her participation in the Gauntlet. Unlike Torch and so many other dragons, Ember placed value in other strengths besides physical might and size. Perhaps she could see the value in friendship the way Spike did, as well.

After wandering for a while, Spike was beginning to feel lost, until he took a moment to really give his surroundings a good look. He noticed a crevice that he was certain he'd seen at least three times already... until he noticed one passage he hadn't checked out before. Venturing down that way, he came around a corner... and gasped!

Ahead of him, at the end of a natural catwalk of rock, was the Bloodstone Scepter!

"I can't believe I'm the only dragon to make it this far!" Spike smiled so big-

"You're not!"

-and that smile turned into a grimace of worry as he looked back.. .and there stood Garble, looking vicious and ready for a fight as he marched up to Spike and poked him in the chest, "And I'm not losing to a puny pony-loving dragon like you!"

Garble then grabbed Spike around the throat, causing him to thrash and gasp for breath, "What're... you doing?!"

"What I should have done the moment we met!" Garble sneered wickedly as he held Spike over the edge of the catwalk, holding Spike over a chasm of stalagmites below.

Spike tried to gasp in horror but couldn't as Garble was pinching his windpipe. He struggled to get free though it was useless as Garble growled with a wicked glint in his eyes, "See you never, peewee!"

Then he let go.

Spike thrashed as he fell, looking for anything to grab onto though nothing was in reach. He glimpsed Garble watching him fall when Garble seemed to gasp at something else, and Spike felt something grab him, and lift him upwards. His heart racing, he looked and saw it was, "Ember! I thought you said it was every dragon for themselves!"

Ember got them both onto solid ground, onto the catwalk between Garble and the scepter, before she answered, "Because that's what friends do! And I am- I mean... we are! I never should have left you back there. Ugh, please don't make me talk about my feelings..."

"Princess Ember?!"

The two friends looked back to see Garble glaring at them, "I thought daddy said his little princess wasn't big and strong enough to be in the Gauntlet!"

"Well, this princess is gonna show you and my dad that there are more important things than being big and strong," Ember cracked her knuckles before saying, "Spike, get the scepter!"

"NO!!" Garble launched himself towards Spike, only for Ember to tackle him aside and force him against one of the cave walls. Noticing how close Spike was getting to the scepter, Garble grunted angrily as she managed to shove Ember aside and again zoom at Spike, only for Ember to yak him back by the tail at the last second, the both of them flapping aloft. Snarling, Garble spun `round to grab Ember by the shoulders and force her down onto her back, where she struggled to force him off. Noticing Ember was pinned, Spike didn't hesitate to run to her air, jumping onto Garble's back and pull at his ears, annoying him so that he grabbed Spike and threw him towards the edge of the path that he nearly went over, grabbing onto the ledge just in time.

Spike struggled to pull himself up while Garble and Ember wrestled each other, Garble seething, "I'm sick n' tired of you two helping each other!! Dragons don't. Do. HELPING!!!"

"These dragons do!" Ember yelled back before she leapt over Garble's head, somersaulting forward so that she was standing right behind him, reached backwards, and threw him over her head, sending him for a loop as he landed on the ground again.

Helping Spike up, Ember stepped aside and gestured to the prize, and Spike smiled at her before he seized it. Climbing up onto the cluster of red crystals, in which the scepter had been hidden, he grasped the handle as he held it up... and gasped as the Bloodstone Scpeter flared with life before unleashing a crimson pulse of power just as several other dragons arrived and bore witness.

The pulse spread through the cave, out the tunnels, and out the top of Flame-cano Island so that all observers knew that the prize had been claimed!

Except for Garble, as he'd been a little dizzy during, but he'd just gotten up and was about to attack Ember from behind-

"Leave. Her. ALONE."

Garble gasped in abject shock to see Spike standing triumphant, the Bloodstone Scepter in claw, "What?! YOU!?! You have the scepter? But- That means that you're..."

Garble couldn't bring himself to say it, so Ember did it for him, "The Dragon Lord of the West. Dragon Lord Spike.

Garble looked back to see Ember bend the knee, as did the other dragons who'd managed to arrive in time, and though it was a most bitter pill to wallow, Garble grumbled as he too bent the knee and said, "Dragon Lord Spike..."

"That's right. Uh, now go start your long journey home," Spike commanded Garble before adding with a cheeky grin, "and give every dragon you see on the way a hug! Don't tell them why."

"WHA?!! But- That'll be super embarrassing!!" Garble couldn't help but whine as he cringed.

"I command you to do it," Spike pointed with the Bloodstone Scepter for emphasis.

"Ugh... I can't believe this!" Garble grumbled as he hugged a random dragon (which caused said dragon to have a flattered smile) before he flew off.

"Dragon Lord Spike, hm," Ember tasted the words in her mouth as Spike approached her with the scepter, "Has a nice ring to it."

"Dragon Lord Ember sounds a lot better," Spike retorted as he placed the scepter into her claws, passing the authority it carried to her.

"What? No, you're the Lord of Drazgard now," Ember protested, trying to hand the scepter back.

"The Lord of Drazgard is whoever brings the scepter back to your father," Spike amended as he gently pushed the scepter back, "Besides, you'll make a great leader. I only participated in the Gauntlet to protect Equestria, but I know you'll protect the peace between Equestria and the Dragon Lands just as well as I would have. Probably better, even."

"Are you sure about this?" Ember asked, still reluctant to accept something she hadn't truly earned.

"Absolutely. My home is in Equestria with my friends," assured Spike.

"...Well, you'll have at least one friend here too," Ember replied with a smile, getting a hug in response. "What're you doing?"

"It's called a hug!" Spike laughed.

"Oh. I don't know if I like it but... okay," Ember smiled awkwardly.

"Oh, I wish something would happen already!" Twilight fidgeted on the cloud she, Midnight, and Singescale were still sitting on, a fair distance away from Torch, who appeared to becoming impatient as well.
"That power, it was just like before when Torch threw the scepter to the Flame-cano!"

"Yes, it means someone has claimed the scepter and is most assuredly coming back to assume Torch's role," Singescale nodded with her arms folded before she smirked, "and it seems my hunch was right."

"Are you sure?" asked Midnight when he noticed Singescale gazing upwards.

"You'll see soon enough," she responded as a red light shined through the dismal clouds above, catching Torch's attention as well.

They weren't kept waiting long as Ember descended, the scepter in claw, with several dragons following behind her. While they flew down to witness what was about to unfold, Ember flew up to her father's face, "Ember? You?!"

"I know you didn't think i could do it, but I did!" Ember retorted.

"I expressly told you NOT TO DO IT!!!" roared Torch, "Because you're-"

"Not big and strong?"

Torch and Ember looked to see Singescale intervene as the smirking sorceress said, "Well, it's obvious to everyone here, Torch, that your daughter won anyway!"

"So then maybe it takes more than being big and strong to be a good Dragon Lord, Dad," added Ember, and several of the dragons who'd participated yet lost, they all nodded in agreement.

"...I was wrong, Ember," Torch finally spoke, his tone taking on a firm yet humble tone, "You might not be big, but you are strong. And smart. And perhaps that counts for more than I thought, and you will make an excellent leader."

"Thanks, Dad," Ember smiled at her father before giving everyone else a shrewd look, "AGREE WITH HIM!!!"

The dragons all looked flabbergasted and uncertain of what to do until Ember added, "Just kidding! That's not gonna be my thing."

Tickled pink, Torch let out a boisterous yet proud laugh when Midnight shouted, "All hail Ember, Dragon Lord of the West!"

"Hail! Hail!! HAIL!!!!" the dragons all shouted and cheered, Ember basking while giving Singescale a grateful wink when she noticed Garble fly up to hug Torch's nasal horn.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"I can't tell you!"

Later, Twilight, Midnight, and Spike were walking down a path, deciding to journey home the hard way for a while before they used a ley-line empowered teleport to finish it. Joining them was Singescale, who'd insisted on coming along.

"You did well, Spike," Twilight congratulated her Number One Assistant, "With Ember as Dragon Lord of Drazgard, Equestria is safe and you've gained us a powerful ally."

"And a new friend!" Spike added.

"Oh, Equestria was never in any danger, Princess Twilight," Singescale spoke up with a sneaky smile.

"What?!" Twilight looked flabbergasted.
"But- The dragons who participated!" Spike pointed out, "They were all planning to-"

"I wanted to tell you before, guys," Midnight sighed as he gave Singescale the stink eye, "But Singescale asked me not to."

"Tell us what?" Twilight asked.

"That there is a non-aggression pact between Equestria and the Dragon Lands," Singescale explained, Twilight and Spike's jaws dropping, "It was established over a thousand years ago between King Korangar and the Royal Sisters. Neither side is allowed to threaten the other, and so even if any of those witless wyrms had won and become Dragon Lord they couldn't do anything to Equestria, as all Dragon Lords are bound to enforce the laws of the Dragon King."

"But then why did you have me go through all that in the first place?!" demanded Spike.

"Because I wanted to... try and make sure a worthier dragon won the Gauntlet and become Dragon Lord," Singescale responded, "I encouraged Ember to participate in the Gauntlet against her father's wishes and you too, hoping you would have a good influence on her."

"And you knew this the whole time?!" Twilight glared at Midnight, who shrank back at the sight of his angered wife.

"Twily, please, I wanted to tell you-" Midnight begged, only for Singescale to come to his rescue.

"Oh, don't be so sore at your hubby, Princess," the sorceress waved off the drama, "I put him up to it, after all, and besides, it all worked out, and if that's not enough for you, I'll answer any questions you may have about dragon culture!"

Twilight glared at Singescale and at Midnight, the former betraying no loss of composure while the latter hid by wrapping himself in his wings, before taking a deep breath and sighing, "Anything I want to know?"

"Enough to write a whole book if that's what you'd like," Singescale offered.

The very idea of authoring an entire book about dragons the likes of which had never been read before filled Twilight with such giddy excitement, yet she still felt the anger that Spike putting himself at risk had been completely unnecessary. She gave Midnight a hard look and said, "When we get home, you're cleaning the castle. Without magic!"

"What?!" Midnight gaped at his wife, "Without ma- TWILY!! I can't clean an entire castle by myself without magic!!"

"Oh c'mon, Twilight," Singescale put a claw around Twilight's withers, prodding her along, "At least let him use telekinesis."

"What the- Singescale, it was your idea in the first place!" Midnight protested, "YOU should clean the castle!"

"Sorry, Blazy, I think Twilight and I will be too busy writing a best-seller," Singescale and Twilight both giggled as they ventured on, Midnight falling back onto his haunches as he hung his head with a groan.

"Eh, no worries, Midnight, I'll help you out," Spike offered while patting Midnight on the back, "Between the two of us, cleaning the castle should only take... a couple of weeks?"

Midnight groaned as he morosely followed after the ladies, Spike bringing up the rear.

Author's Note

In my storycanon, the Dragon Lands are divided into four territories, each one ruled over by a Dragon Lord:
*The Northern Territory of Drakozu
*The Eastern Territory of Dranor
*The Southern Territory of Dradea
*The Western Territory of Drazgard

At the center of the Dragon Lands, where all four territories meet is the Dragon City/Royal Capitol of Drakaerys, the home of the Dragon King, Korangar, the biggest, the strongest, the fiercest dragon alive.

Fun Fact - The Royal Sisters met Korangar over a thousand years ago at his request to meet the new alicorn rulers of ponykind. He was welcoming but condescending to them, underestimating their abilities and lack of experience to rule, and decided to test them... by subtly threatening to extend his kingdom's borders to the western shores of Equestria.

Celestia didn't like that... She moved the sun closer over the Dragon Lands, causing much of it to become scorched, and threatened Korangar that if his dragons ever threatened her little ponies than the Dragon Lands would burn first. Korangar was both impressed and intimidated, congratulating Celestia for passing his little test and proposed a non-aggression pact

343. The Gauntlet of Fire - Epilogue

In the southern Dragon Lands, in the territory of Dradea, a young dragon was flying swiftly towards Burning Rock, the stronghold of his liege. He arrived at the gates where two dragons standing guard raised their wings to bar his path.
"Halt!"
"Who goes there?"

The dragon raised a medal for them to see, and they nodded before lowering their wings and opening the doors. In the dragon walked to behold the vast cave decorated with the wealth and trophies of his mistress. The walls were encrusted with rubies, topaz, garnet, amber, reflecting and refracting the torchlight to make the cavern appear as though everything was on fire. As always, he was tempted to pluck maybe just one juicy gemstone from the walls... until his eyes once again fell upon the skull of the last dragon to do something so foolish.

"Ah, my trusted spy..."

The dragon gazed towards the back of the cavern, to a throne, upon which sat Lady Infurya, Dragon Lord of Dradea. In the two hundred-and-fifty years since she claimed the mantle of Dragon Lord from her predecessor, she'd proven herself a leader to be feared and respected. She'd garnered wealth, reverence, and plenty of trophies, each one a memento of her accomplishments.

The dragon gazed upon his liege, for Infurya was a beauty truly breathtaking. She was large yet slender, strong yet lithe. Her scales were a vibrant dark orange while her wings were burning red. Her spines and horns were charcoal black yet gave off a golden shimmer under the light, and her eyes, draconic and piercing, reflected the beauty of a forest fire. She wore bands of gold with rubies to complement the symbol of her rule, the Bloodestone Necklace. It gave off a shimmer of power as Infurya spoke.

"My Bloodstone Necklace has already informed me the obvious; new blood has assumed lordship over the West. What it cannot tell me, I hope you can..."

The spy gulped, hearing the edge in those words before he bowed and answered, "My Lady, I bore witness to the entire contest set by the former Lord Torch. It is his daughter, Princess Ember, who has emerged victorious as his successor. Though I suppose she is now Lady Ember."

"Hmm, so Torch's welp has assumed her father's mantle," Infurya rubbed her chin, "Anything else?"

"Yes, my Lady," the spy nodded, "it is how Ember won the contest. You see, it was not she who made it to the Bloodstone Scepter first, but rather it was another dragon, a rather young one who hasn't even grown into his wings yet. A dragon by the name of Spike."

"Oh? But if this... Spike claimed the scepter first, then why is Ember the new Lord of Drazgard?"

"It still baffles me, your Grace. The welp chose to give the victory to Ember! He wasn't competing to become Dragon Lord for power, but rather..."

The spy hesitated, unsure of how to say the rest until his liege prodded, "But rather...?"

"...Well, he... he did it because he felt it would protect Equestria!"

"Equestria?! What are you talking about?! What allegiance does a dragon have to that nation of pitiful inferior creatures?!"

"Well, you see, my Lady, Spike arrived accompanied by two alicorns!"

"Alicorns?" Infurya found herself intrigued, "Which ones? What color were they?"

"Well, one was a male and colored blue while the other was female, colored a soft purple."

"...Prince Midnight Blaze and his mate Princess Twilight Sparkle," Infurya was becoming more and more intrigued.

"Not only that, my Lady, but the Sorceress, Singescale, she was involved as well. Apparently, she encouraged Ember to compete for the scepter despite her father forbidding it, and last I saw them, Singescale is accompanying the ponies and Spike back towards Equestria!"

Curiouser and curiouser... Infurya was starting to see this interesting report in a less interesting light.

"And this Spike... he is allied with the ponies?"

"It appears so, my Lady."

"Then perhaps... he could be what I've been looking for," Infurya smiled with a most despicable mischief in mind.

"And... what's that, Lady Infurya?" asked the spy.

Chuckling darkly, Infurya cryptically answered, "Two birds, one stone..."

344. No Second Prances - Part 1

The morning air felt soothing with every inhale he took as Sunburst sat outside the castle alongside his teacher, Midnight Blaze. It'd been a while since he'd accepted his old friend's offer to apprentice under him and moved to Ponyville. At first, Midnight had limited their training to swordsmanship alongside the other knights once a week while he allowed Sunburst to get used to living in Ponyville.

Now? He wanted to help Sunburst come into his full potential.

At the moment, they were undergoing meditation where Midnight had instructed Sunburst to get a feel for his mana but not to use it. To feel it flow through his body with every breath he took. To feel it but not to control it. Sunburst was curious as to why, but he held his silence and did as he was told.

"Empty your mind, take a deep breath..." instructed the calm and clear voice of Midnight. “Mana surrounds us, living in everything. Sometimes it’s strong, other times it’s weak. It is the root and basis of all magic. Now, concentrate on your inner sounds, the beat of your heart, the inflation of your lungs…”

Sunburst set his focus inward, listening as much as feeling the beating of his heart, the swelling of his chest whenever he breathed, even the feeling of his breakfast digesting in his stomach.

“Now take in sounds that are nearby.”

Sunburst listened and heard the rustling of the grass. There was a faint squeaking of a nearby field mouse, and even felt the ground beneath him seem to give off a subtle vibration.

“And finally, distant sounds…” spoke Midnight, and Sunburst extended his awareness.

He heard the going-ons of Ponyville nearby, distant chatter and laughter, ponies going about their business.

“Keep listening and focus on the taste in your mouth,” Midnight went on, “then focus on your nose, what can you smell?”

All the while Midnight gave instructions and he followed them, Sunburst, without realizing it, was feeling his own mana as it spread to each part of his body that he focused on based on Midnight directing him, and was even beginning to feel the mana of his surroundings as Midnight continued.

“And touch! Feel your cloak over your coat. The wind in your mane, the heat of the sun! Now imagine I am lost, and that you must find me. And… look!”

Sunburst gasped as instinct opened his eyes and instead of seeing the world as he always did, everything looked dull and muted while color was in the form of auras cloaking the environment and shrouding everything else around him.

Sunburst became briefly disoriented and color returned to the world in the way he knew it, and he looked around, seeing everything as it was.

“What was that?!” asked Sunburst in soft awe as he turned to look up at Midnight, who was giving him a satisfied look.

"You have taken a step forward," Midnight answered, "It was only for a moment, but you opened a sense you never knew you had and that will make it easier to learn everything else I have yet to teach you."

"That... it was..." Sunburst didn't know what to call it. It wasn't like anything he'd ever read about magic, and he'd read many books on magic. He gazed at Midnight reverently before pleading, "Teach me more...!"

"I will, but for now, let's take a break," Midnight lit up his horn, conjuring some garden chairs, a large umbrella for shade, and a cooler full of ice chilling bottles of colt cola.

As they relaxed and took a sip, Sunburst finally asked, "I... I never knew mana could be wielded like that."

"You mean like this?" smirked Midnight as he raised his bottle of colt cola... in his hoof!

Sunburst was confused as he looked closer, and realized, "You- You're not wearing manipulation shoes! And your horn isn't glowing! How are you holding your drink with your bare hoof?!"

"This will be the next lesson," Midnight chuckled as he set his drink down, "Learning to concentrate your mana to your hooves in order to pick up and hold objects with your bare hooves. You see, Sunburst, everypony, not just unicorns, has the potential to learn the things I'm teaching you, to wield their mana in ways they normally don't. This application of the art is actually easier for earth ponies and pegasi to learn, because earth ponies' mana is generally concentrated into their legs and hooves whereas pegasi subconsciously concentrate mana into their hooves to walk on and move clouds.

"Unicorns have a harder time because for them it's easier to just use their horns to levitate objects, something of an intellectual laziness."

"I suppose that makes sense..." Sunburst considered it, "it's just... this is unlike the kinds of magic I studied for years, and it always frustrated me to know so much and be able to do so little of what I learned."

"Mana Wielding isn't something you just study, Sunburst," Midnight explained, "It's not so much about using your head than it is trusting your instincts and letting it flow. What you just experienced earlier was using your mana as a sixth sense. The way your surroundings looked monochromatic and dull but the living things were shrouded in color? Think of that as a sixth sense, allowing you to "see" the energies around you and learn to identify them and their sources, which includes the mana inside other living creatures."

"That's... incredible!" Sunburst was truly at awe.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg," Midnight nodded with a smile, "There are many applications for Mana Wielding, and I intend to teach you all of them. You will wield your magic in ways you never thought you could before."

It was everything Sunburst had always wanted, not simply to learn but to put what he learned to use. However, the memories of his time back in Princess Celestia's School and then training alongside Midnight during their youth, his failures discouraged him.
"But... what if I can't? I studied harder than anypony else I knew, but no matter what I studied it didn't seem to matter. I couldn't cast the spells I wanted to perform, I couldn't measure up to the so-called greatness everypony saw in me..."

"Sometimes, we're our own greatest enemy," responded Midnight, Sunburst looking at him in confusion. "Something my father used to say. Sometimes we make decisions or we think things about ourselves that don't work out in our favor. Sometimes we have regrets and doubts that cripple us in ways physical injuries don't."

"What are you saying, Midnight?" asked Sunburst, somewhat dreading where his mentor was going with this.

"Sunburst, despite what you may think about yourself," Midnight gave his student an encouraging smile, "I have faith in you, that you are so much stronger than you believe. But the only thing getting in the way of that is you yourself."

"Midnight, I'm just a low-functioning Gamma," Sunburst tried to debate.

"Maybe, maybe not, and even if you are, you can still be a powerful wielder of magic," Midnight assured, "Rarity's a Gamma and she's got such a mastery of Telekinesis it still blows my mind sometimes how precise and skilled she is in multi-tasking to do her work as a fashion designer!"

"That's... true," Sunburst couldn't argue with that. He'd seen Rarity at work for himself and it had been so difficult to believe that Rarity herself confirmed she was only a Gamma-level unicorn.

"Besides, Sunburst, think of your cutie-mark, think of how you got it!" Midnight reminded, "There is a light inside you that is burning to shine, but you're letting your doubts and self-deprecation preventing you from giving it the spark it needs. I've seen that in other unicorns, you know."

Was it true? Sunburst had to wonder, was the only thing standing between him and his true potential himself?

He noticed Midnight stand up and beckon Sunburst to follow him, "C'mon, let's see how Twilight and Starlight are doing."

"...okay," Sunburst got up and Midnight made their seats and drinks vanish. To his Alicorn Dimension, most likely, as Midnight had explained to Sunburst where he kept many of his belongings safely and easy to summon at a moment's notice.

As they entered, Midnight decided to say, "So, I want you to keep practicing what you just learned. The only reason you stopped using the Sixth Sense earlier was because you lost focus you stopped maintaining the flow of your mana to your senses. Understandable, given it was your first time, but remember: Patience yields focus. Don't rush yourself, don't overthink it, and trust in your instincts. You'll get it!"

"Understood," Sunburst nodded before giving his mentor a grateful smile, "Thanks, Midnight."

"What're friends for?" Midnight smiled back ,"Now, lemme explain a little about using your hooves to grab objects via Mana Wielding. When you concentrate your mana to your hooves, imagine... fingers, or better yet, a hand around your hooves. It won't be visible to the naked eye but your mana will extend from your hoof in the shape of fingers or a hand, and even better, so long as you maintain the flow, you'll actually experience the sense of touch through these phantom hands."

"Why is that?" Sunburst asked, becoming more and more fascinated.

"Because your mana is extending from your thaumaturgical system, which is closely linked to your nervous system," Midnight answered. "While you use your mana in this manner, it can enable you to experience sensory information you can't in your normal state."

"Fascinating..." Sunburst was going to have to put all of this into his personal notebooks later. "I wonder if Starlight knows any of this."

"Possibly, she knows a lot of magic as well," Midnight responded, though the tone of his voice suddenly lost a little enthusiasm.

"...Didn't you forgive Starlight for the things she did?" asked Sunburst, a little hesitant.

"I can forgive, Sunburst," sighed Midnight, "but the things she did? ...I can never forget."

Sunburst didn't know what to say afterwards but Midnight went on, "Be that as it may, Starlight is Twilight's student now, as you are mine, and the both of us will do our best to guide you. Twilight is helping Starlight to better understand friendship, I'm helping you to better understand yourself."

"By teaching me new magical skills?" questioned Sunburst.

"Like I already said, Sunburst," Midnight nodded, "I believe there is more to your magic than even you believe, and by helping you master the discipline of Mana Wielding you'll come to realize that and tap into a power you never knew you had, or perhaps you just forgot how to do so."

"What do you mean?"

"You told me how you earned your cutie-mark by saving Starlight from being injured by a collapsing tower of books," pointed out Midnight, "You'd never used your magic so elaborately or powerfully before. Or since. Think back, what was it about that moment that spurred you into action?"

"I guess..." Sunburst really considered it before he uttered, "it was... Well, Starlight was in trouble. I didn't really think of anything except that I had to help her before she got hurt. I didn't think about... whether I could do anything or what would happen if I did something else. I just..."

"Acted."

Sunburst gave his mentor a look before it slowly began to dawn on him, "...I acted! I didn't hesitate, I didn't think or doubt, I just... did the first thing that came to mind and somehow... Somehow I used magic like I'd never done beforehoof and it acted in accordance to my desire to keep Starlight safe!"

"There you go," Midnight smiled as they were nearing the dining hall, "Your unhesitating desire to protect somepony close to you helped you tap into your potential in the moment you needed it, and that earned you your cutie-mark! Hold onto that, Sunburst, and I have no doubts that before long you'll come into your own, as a wizard, as a knight, but most important of all, as a friend."

"Wow, Midnight, I... I don't know what to say," Sunburst looked upon his mentor with a new understanding and Midnight chuckled.

"Now, let's find the ladies," Midnight started to open the doors to the dining room, "I'm pretty sure they'll want to-"

"Hey! Maybe I'll just force friendships by magically enslaving the entire population of Ponyville!"

*SHUNK*

"AUGH!!!" Starlight yipe'd to see a blade of solid shadow strike the wall to her right, extending out to between her face and Twilight's, as the two of them looked to see an unamused Midnight standing in the doorway beside a freaked out Sunburst.

"MIDNIGHT!!" Twilight glared at her husband.

"Oh, relax, Twily..." Midnight pulled on a spurious smirk while giving Starlight a stink eye, "Just as I'm certain Starlight was only kidding just now so was I in giving her a... friendly yet firm reminder as to what she can expect if ever she reverts back to her evil ways."

"Good! Because I was!" Starlight responded indignantly and with a slight crack in her voice from the fake attempt on her person, shivering with intimidation as the blade dissolved into vaporous shadow.

For a painfully long and awkward moment, nopony said anything, until Sunburst, after his heart began to slow down a little, cleared his throat, "So! Uh... what's going on here?"

"I'm glad you asked, Sunburst," Twilight harrumph'd at Midnight before explaining, "We were just in the middle of preparing a dinner party for tomorrow night, where Princess Celestia and Prince Sombra will come to check up on Starlight's progress under my tutelage. Of course, to exemplify how she's progressing, she is required to make a new friend to bring to dinner."

"And I'm guessing her response was just before we showed up," Midnight smirked, still feeling undeservedly smug about his "friendly yet firm" reminder.

"Yes...and like I said, I was just kidding," Starlight maintained.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do just fine, Starlight," Sunburst encouraged, "After all, you've got the Princess of Friendship as your mentor."

"Thank you, Sunburst, that means a lot coming from you," Starlight came around the table and have her old friend a hug, which he was happy to reciprocate.

But when they parted, Starlight had to ask, "Though, just curious, Sunburst, but why are you always wearing that cape?"

Sunburst looked down at his cape, its dark green-blue color with lighter blue-green stars and the fastening clip resembling his cutie-mark, "Oh! Well... mostly, it was just to try and get into a... wizardly... feel?"

Sunburst was forcing a smile, looking a tad nervous, and almost immediately Starlight, twilight, and even Midnight sensed there was more to it. Without even asking, Midnight whipped the cape off, sending Sunburst for a loop before he dizzily collapsed yet managed to keep himself up by holding onto the table edge... and they saw that Sunburst wasn't in the best of shape. He wasn't fat, but he did have some pudge around his barrel, presumably from being indoors all the time and not being very active.

"Uh..." Sunburst blushed a little with embarrassment while Midnight sighed while shaking his head.

"Well, here's another contributing reason as to why you haven't unlocked your magical potential!"

"Well, I- It's just... I thought if I studied magic more diligently-" Sunburst tried to protest.

"I'm afraid Midnight is right, Sunburst," Twilight interjected. "It's a common misconception that magic wielders don't have to rely on physical fitness when in fact a strong and healthy body allows a unicorn to yield more powerful magic. Better physical stamina equals greater magical output. Even my teacher, Princess Celestia, made absolutely certain I stuck to a health regimen, ate healthy, and kept in good shape through frequent exercise."

"Well, then I know exactly what our next training session will entail," Midnight declared while giving Sunburst an evil smile.

"Y-you can't mean...?!"

"From now on, we're gonna do trotting everyday!" Midnight decided with a smile on his face, "At least one lap around the entirety of Ponyville!"

*Thump*

The three of them looked to see the poor unicorn stallion had apparently fainted. Twilight and Starlight shared a look before breaking into giggles while Midnight added, "That's the spirit!"

Later... a portal opened in the field behind the Castle of Friendship and out stepped Midnight, followed by a much trimmer-looking Sunburst, who groaned, "Glad that's over..."

"Oh suck it up," Midnight chuckled, "At least you're already in better shape."

"Two weeks... Two. Entire. Weeks! Straight!" Sunburst glared at Midnight, who shrugged.

"Well, you have to admit, we got a lot more done in my Alicorn Dimension than we would have the old-fashioned way."

Sunburst sighed as he flexed his muscles a little, and couldn't help but feel pretty good about them. Before, he'd stayed healthy with a respectable diet, but he had to admit his physical activities had been severely lacking, as he'd been more concerned with reading and studying and doing desk jobs to get by. Now, the pudge around his barrel was gone and his legs and chest felt sturdier.
"It still amazes me, that Alicorn Dimension thing... Are you sure time out here hasn't passed at all?"

"We left around 11," Midnight glanced at the Ponyville clock tower, "and despite spending two weeks in there, it's only been a few hours out here. See, it's only almost 3 o'clock."

Sunburst noted, but then he asked, "But is it really the same day?"

"Time in an Alicorn Dimension doesn't work the same way as it does out here," Midnight assured, "I can spend literal eternity inside it and never grow a second older than I was the moment before I entered. While I'm inside my Alicorn Dimension, I can experience time as I wish it and while I can physically change, I don't age. That's why I proposed doing your fitness training in there rather than out here after you woke up from your little... unscheduled nap."

"Well, at least you didn't let the muscles aches and other associated torture with exercise linger," admitted Sunburst before he smirked somewhat proudly as he flexed his foreleg. "And the results do speak for themselves!"

"Say, why don't we grab a bite at Pepper Pony's? My treat," offered Midnight, and Sunburst nodded as he followed his mentor into town.

After shooting the breeze with Midnight's uncle Joe and Aunt Chili Spice, as well as saying hello to his little cousin, Pepper Flake, Midnight and Sunburst enjoyed a pizza and ice cold colt colas to wash it down.

Gulping down a bite, Sunburst asked, "So... what's next for my training? Are we still going to practice... what did you call it? Holding objects with our bare hooves?"

"It doesn't have an official name," Midnight answered as he held his drink with his hoof though Sunburst knew it was also with his magic. "Personally, I just call it the Phantom Hands technique, just to name it so I don't have to keep explaining what it is. As I said to you before, this is a somewhat difficult technique to learn for unicorns because unicorns find it easier to just levitate objects with their horns though it's also an excuse not to have to work hard when a faster option is easier to learn.

"You wouldn't believe how many unicorns in Canterlot, especially among the Canterlot Elite, are actually lacking in magical skills. They put far too much stock into politics, economics, business skills, law, which isn't entirely a bad thing except when those subjects are used for the wrong reasons. But on the other hoof, I'm sort of glad the wrong sorts are lacking in their magical abilities. Means they have to pay for more skilled and experienced mages to do their dirty work, and that makes it easier to bust them."

"A Prince of Equestria, leader of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, now leader of the Knights of Harmony," Sunburst chuckled in an awed yet daunted matter. "Am I missing anything else?"

"Well, I am in the planning stages of organizing a personal guard for Twilight and myself," Midnight shrugged before hesitantly adding, "After... Starlight's last misdeed, Twilight finally agreed with me that having our own guard would be for the best."

"I'm still not really sure what to think of all that," Sunburst remembered how Starlight had confessed to him all the bad things she'd done, and since it stemmed from him gaining his cutie-mark and leaving her alone in their hometown, he couldn't help but feel responsible in some way.

"Don't blame yourself, Sunburst," Midnight sighed, "Starlight and I may not exactly be friends as of yet, but I bear some of the blame for the path she took. If my father had allowed you to stay in touch with Starlight and your family back when he was training us, then maybe she would have chosen a different path, one for the better."

"...Maybe I should go and help her out a little," Sunburst decided, "That dinner Starlight will be attending with Princess Celestia and Prince Sombra tomorrow night is really important to Twilight, so maybe with my encouragement she can find a new friend."

"Eager to show off the leaner bod to your foalhood friend?" Midnight raised a teasing brow, causing Sunburst to blush a bit.

"Wha- No, not at all!" He fidgeted a little in his seat before meekly admitting, "Maybe a little?"

Chuckling, Midnight shooed him off, "Go on, get outta here. And no worries, Sunburst. You have every right to feel good about the progress you've made in your fitness training."

"Long as it was," Sunburst confessed, "it sure beat trotting all around Ponyville everyday."

"And it'll get better," Midnight nodded, "From now on, we'll work on more fitness training alongside your training in Mana Wielding. Like Twilight said, a fit body means stronger magic. Now scram, I think Starlight will appreciate your company wherever she is."

"Alrighty, thanks Midnight," Sunburst waved before hurrying off.

"Soup spoon, salad fork, pasta spoon, strawberry pick..." Twilight used her magic to move said strawberry pick just so as she excitedly looked over her work in setting the table up for the dinner tomorrow night, "I'm beginning to think that after Friendship, the greatest magic of all... is proper silverware placement!"

"Aw, I thought the greatest magic of all..." Twilight felt her heart swell when she felt her husband nuzzle her cheek-to-cheek, "was our love."

"Oh, you know what I mean," Twilight warmly nuzzled her stallion back before looking at the table and the dinnerware again. "I just want for this dinner to go smoothly, and I'm confident whoever Starlight brings as her new friend will be-"

"Twilight, guess what!" The two of them turned to see Starlight rushing in, looking excited, followed by a proud-looking Sunburst. "I made a new friend! Well- we made a new friend, as in Sunburst and me."

"That's fantastic news," replied Twilight, feeling proud.

"She's great!" Starlight smiled giddily.

"Great!"

"She's powerful," added Sunburst.

"Powerful?"

"She's-" Starlight and Sunburst almost said when...

"Hello... Your Majesties!" The prince and princess looked to the doorway and there stood a soft blue unicorn mare with a silvery-blue mane underneath a purple wizardly hat and garbed with a matching cape as she tipped her hat back to give them a... friendly smile.

"Trixie?!" Twilight was aghast.
"Oh no..." Midnight whispered wearily.

345. No Second Prances - Part 2

Looking between her new friend and the alicorns, Starlight asked, "You know each other?"

"You could say that..." Twilight responded while sharing a dry raised brow look with Midnight.

"We've... had our differences," Trixie added with an equally dry tone before saying in a more... positive way, "What matters is, Twilight and Midnight gave me a second chance," before she gave them a spurious humble smile, "and I appreciate it."

Twilight gave her a spurious smile in return while Midnight cleared his throat, "So! Um, Trixie... what brings you back to Ponyville?"

"The Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie has come to perform a new stage show of grand illusion! I'm calling it..." Trixie paused for dramatic effect, "The Humble and Penitent Trixie's Apology Tour."

"That's kind of a mouthful," Sunburst commented softly.
"It's a working title," Trixie shrugged off before giving him and Starlight a wink.

"Starlight? Sunburst?"

The two of them looked to see Twilight, "A moment? Over here..."

Not waiting for a response, Twilight levitated Starlight and Sunburst over to herself and Midnight, before she spoke in a hushed voice, "I know I said make friends with 'anypony', but... well, Starlight, with Trixie's past and your past, I'm not so sure she's the best 'first friend'."

They all looked to Trixie, who was looking at the tableware before giving them a slightly shady-looking smile and wave of her hoof.

"But whatever she did," Starlight responded, "you've forgiven her, right?"

"Of course?" Twilight forced a smile before meekly adding, "It's just... she wasn't the nicest pony."

"But, to be fair, the last time she caused trouble she was under the influence of an evil soul-sucking amulet," Midnight pointed out a bit nervously before looking to Twilight, "and you did tell Starlight 'anypony' so clearly you trust her to make her own friends the way Celestia trusted you, Twily...?"

Seeing the raised brow of her husband, and then her student, and then her husband's student, Twilight sighed before saying to Starlight, "Midnight is right, and I do trust you, Starlight. Just be back in time for the dinner with Princess Celestia and Prince Sombra."

"Thanks, Twilight!" Starlight was already at the doorway, waving, "You won't regret it!"

Sunburst looked to Midnight with a hopeful look, "Um..."

"Go on, enjoy yourself," Midnight said encouragingly, Sunburst smiling gratefully as he hurried after Starlight.

It was the smarmy look Trixie gave the prince and princess as she followed Starlight and Sunburst out that bothered them, as Twilight uttered, "I hope not..."

"I'm... sure things will be just fine, Twily," Midnight gave Twilight a nuzzle.

"I really hope so too, Midnight," Twilight gave Midnight a worried look, "You remember what happened when Trixie showed up wearing the Alicorn Amulet-"

"Completely my fault," Midnight suddenly confessed with an uncomfortable look.

"Excuse me?" Twilight was confused.

"You're thinking of the old me, Twilight," Midnight clarified, "as my prior unicorn self with no cutie-mark? Well, the thing is... I'm the one who gave Trixie the Alicorn Amulet, the current alicorn me, that is."

"You- I don't- That is.... WHAT?!" Twilight gawked at Midnight with a mess of emotions that he cringed in response.

"I had to! It's the way things happened and had to happen!" Midnight explained, feeling his guts twist at the look his wife was giving him. Taking a deep breath, he went on, "Back then, when my prior self was still around and I was incognito, I was keeping an eye on things, making sure they went as they were supposed to. They way I experienced them back when I was the Past Midnight. I found out that Trixie had been doing better after the first time we met her, and I had to make sure she would go to Ponyville that second time while wearing the Alicorn Amulet.

"I tracked the artifact down and got Trixie to wear it and implanted the idea of getting back at us, is why she returned to Ponyville, and all of that happened as it did."

"Midnight..." Twilight narrowed her eyes.

"Twilight, I'm sorry!" Midnight got down on his knees and begged, "I know it was a bad thing, but I had to make sure my Old Self experienced the history I already lived through as my Old Self to make sure things would turn out the way they were supposed to, and they did! The only reason I'm saying all of this now is because Trixie is here and since I messed with her already it's only fair I give her the benefit of the doubt!

"I understand you're wary of her, but if she and Starlight have a real connection as friends, then it would be against everything we stand for to meddle in their budding friendship."

...

Midnight felt his guts squirm again as Twilight's glare continued... until she finally sighed but gave him a harsh look, "Couch. Two weeks."

"But Twily-"

"Want to make it a month?!" Twilight raised her voice in warning, and Midnight sulked with a sigh.

Starlight and Sunburst helped Trixie put her stage together in Ponyville Park for her big show as Trixie declared, "This magic show's gonna be the greatest thing Ponyville's ever seen!"

Starlight and Sunburst smiled at Trixie's confidence... when they heard some murmurs behind them, and as they looked around they saw several locals who were passing by giving Trixie unflattering looks and whispering to each other. Trixie noticed it too and couldn't help sulking a bit.

"Everypony always says they'll give you a second chance, but deep down they never forget!"

"That's what I'm worried about," Starlight agreed as Trixie added a star decoration to the stage.
"Starlight, I know you and Midnight still aren't exactly friends yet," Sunburst spoke up, "but don't forget how he humbled himself and apologized to us back in the Crystal Empire. He even removed that inhibitor ring on your horn.
"Well yeah, but he still hardly talks to me and doesn't involve himself in my lessons with Twilight except to ask about my progress," Starlight replied, "Twilight say it's going just fine, and he'll just nod and move along. I know he's not my teacher and I did a lot of bad things that I know I still have to make amends for, but it'd be nice of him to be... well, nice!"

They heard Trixie sigh, and Starlight asked, "What's wrong?"

"I heard what Twilight said about me and she's right; I wasn't very nice myself," Trixie confessed, "so I'd understand if you didn't want to be friends."

"Are you kidding? You're the first pony I've met who has any idea how I feel!" Starlight exclaimed.
"Besides, we didn't know you back when you did your... misdeeds," Sunburst added, "because compared to what Twilight said about you, Starlight and I can honestly say we like the you we're getting to know."

Trixie smiled appreciatively at their words before looking around and then softly asking with a slightly sneaky look, "Can you guys keep a secret...?"

"What are... friends for?" responded Starlight hesitantly but smiling.
"Whatever it is, mum's the word," Sunburst assured.

"The things I've done, I did them because I was jealous of Twilight and angry at Midnight," Trixie admitted before getting ornery, "They're both just so talented at pretty much anything they do, and I just wanted to beat them at something!"

Seeing Trixie had gotten it out of her system, Starlight and Sunburst gently patted her on the withers as Starlight promised, "Your secret's safe with us," and Sunburst nodded.

"Thanks," Trixie smiled at them both before asking, "Wanna help me unpack my wagon?"

Starlight and Sunburst both smiled as the latter said, "Lead the way!"

The three of them left the park as Trixie showed the way to the aforementioned wagon and said, "I spend a lot of time on the road in my wagon so it might be a tad messy."

"Maybe we can help," offered Starlight.

"Yes, we're both pretty good in organization," nodded Sunburst, "Magic props..."

"Brainwashed crowds."

"Huh?!"

The mares both giggled while Sunburst stood there, slightly stupefied by Starlight's choice of words when he heard a 'pssst, pssst' sound. Looking around, he heard the noise coming from a bush. When he got closer, he startled a bit to see Twilight's face pop out while gently ssshhhh'ing him.

"Sunburst, are you coming?"

Sunburst looked to see Starlight and Trixie down the way, waiting on him.
"Uh- I'll catch up! I got some cockaburs in my cape."

"Okay, the wagon's just around the corner," Trixie replied before she and Starlight vanished around the corner of a nearby house.

Once they were out of sight, Sunburst gave a disapproving raise of his brow towards Twilight, still hiding in the bush as she asked, "So... how's it going with Starlight and her new friend?"

"It's going great, Princess..." Sunburst responded dryly, "Thank you for asking. In a completely un-trusting way-"

"Because you know," Twilight interrupted as she stood up from the bush, "If it isn't working out for whatever reason, I could introduce her to somepony I have in mind! I know Starlight enjoys music, and DJ Pon3'd be the perfect guest for tonight's incredibly important dinner with Celestia and Sombra! You know, if she decided to make a last-minute change."

"So... back at the castle, when you told Starlight that you trust her," Sunburst pointed out with an edge in his tone, "you meant that you don't trust her."

Twilight cringed at Sunburst's words but responded, "Sunburst, I'm just trying to look out for my student."

"I can appreciate that, but I don't approve of your methods," Sunburst furrowed his brows, "She and Trixie have a real connection, and honestly, I think of her as a friend now too! Besides, if you want for Starlight to truly learn about Friendship, then you have to let her experience it for herself so that she can be better than she was."

"But are you sure that Trixie is the one who can help her do that?" Twilight asked and almost immediately wished she hadn't once she saw the look of contempt Sunburst gave her.

"Well, call me a horse of a different color, Trixie was right!" Sunburst glared reproachfully at Twilight, "You haven't given her a second chance at all! Makes me wonder why you even took Starlight on a student to begin with."

Sunburst harrumphed and left Twilight to stew in her guilt.

Sunburst didn't like lying to Starlight nor did he want to hurt Trixie's friends. But Twilight's behavior had bothered him so that he fibbed to them that he was going to see Midnight about the construction of a new library, an excuse to go see his mentor, Midnight. At the castle, he found Midnight in the castle library, still going over some papers he was writing as he was still in the planning stages of forming his and Twilight's own personal guard.

"Midnight?"

The sapphire alicorn gazed up to see his apprentice with a troubled look, "Everything okay?"

"Well..." Sunburst hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck with his hoof.

"Twilight?" Midnight asked with a flat look.

Sighing, Sunburst nodded, "Twilight."

Midnight stacked the papers neatly before inviting Sunburst to sit with him at the table. When Sunburst was done, Midnight sighed wearily, "I thought she'd listen to me earlier..."

"Midnight, I don't meant to cause anything between you and-" Sunburst tried to say, only for Midnight to raise a hoof.

"I'll speak with Twilight and make sure this doesn't escalate, you have nothing to apologize for, Sunburst," assured Midnight, "Go hang out with Starlight and Trixie. I need to have a more... definitive conversation with my wife."

Twilight had gone grocery shopping to prepare for tonight's dinner, and Midnight knew the stands at the market Twilight frequented. He found her easily enough, her saddlebags stuffed with new scrolls, parchment, quills, and inkwells while she levitated her grocery bags behind her while she was looking over some tomatoes, trying to discern which were the best among the bushel.

"Twilight."

She turned to see her husband giving her a flat look and quickly realizing, "Sunburst spoke to you, didn't he?"

"Don't blame him for your own behavior," Midnight took the grocery bags in his mana and gestured Twilight to follow him.

She sighed, hating to be treated like a filly but knew she couldn't avoid this. She followed Midnight to the Hayburger, one of their favorite restaurants in Ponyville. Not one of those stuffy and uptight restaurants where everypony expected absolute perfection, but a place where the goers could just sit, relax, talk, and enjoy some delicious albeit somewhat greasy fast food.

As they walked in, a memory played out in Twilight's head as she recalled the first time she and Midnight ate here together. One day, she'd been so frustrated with some research, trying to find books on a subject she couldn't even remember now, which made her question what it was that got her so stressed out... until Midnight came up to her, took away her books and said 'We're going out, no arguments' with a hopeful smile on his face. He'd led her out and told her she could pick wherever she wanted for them to eat and it was his treat, a casual date.

Twilight had remembered the Hayburger after the Cutie-Mark Crusaders introduced her to the restaurant and though it had been different, she couldn't deny that she'd enjoyed the food and the friendly service. When she suggested, Midnight had said 'interesting choice' in a slightly jokey way. As though he were surprised Twilight would like fast food in the first place. That lunch was very nice. It'd unwound her, helped her relax, and she and Midnight had just talked. About a lot of things, whatever popped into their heads. They talked long after they finished their meals, almost to the point where it was nearly closing time for the Hayburger and they'd realized they'd been in that booth for hours. They hadn't noticed because of just how much they'd enjoyed each other's company.

Twilight had known long before then that she loved him and he her, and yet that one lunch that turned into hours of enjoyable conversation was among the happiest times she'd spent together with the stallion who became her husband.

Now however, she began to dread what words they were about to share. Midnight got them their usual booth, they both ordered a simple hayburger and drink, and sat there. Midnight said nothing, looking at Twilight expectantly with a flat look. Twilight struggled not to squirm, hating the awkward silence. It wasn't until after one of the waitresses brought them their orders that Midnight finally took a deep breath.
"Twilight... Starlight is not you."

"What?" That statement caught Twilight by surprise. "Midnight, I know Starlight isn't me-"

"Then why did you try to meddle into her budding friendship with Trixie?" asked midnight whole folding his forelegs. "You know Sunburst told me, and I already confessed to you my role in Trixie's last wrongdoing. If anything, you should see her in a more sympathetic light yet you were looking to choose a different friend for Starlight."

"I- Well, that is- It's just the dinner-" Twilight flabbergasted, and Midnight held up his hoof.

"Is that what this is about? Presenting your pupil to your former teacher to show how well things are going?" Midnight sighed and shook his head. "Twilight, Starlight doesn't have to be perfect and neither do you, for that matter! But you're still allowing your neurosis and need for control and perfection to drive you towards questionable decisions."

"Well what about you?!" Twilight pointed at Midnight. "You gave Trixie the Alicorn Amulet, resulting in that entire situation! Trixie ordered your past self to kill me, and if he- You- Well, you know what I mean. If you hadn't found the will power to turn against her and destroy that relic, things could have ended badly!"

Midnight returned Twilight's glare with one impassable before sighing, "I am not proud of many things I've done, Twilight. Awful as some of them were, I never did them without purpose and the best of intentions. That's not an excuse, I know that, but where Trixie was involved, I had to make sure those events unfolded as they did. I couldn't afford to deviate, to allow for 'what ifs'. Too much depended on a series of events playing out as neatly and straightly as possible. But we're not here to talk about me, we're here about you, so no more changing the subject!

"Twilight... Starlight's made questionable decisions before and we know what happened as a result of them. I played a part in those decisions, even if it was unknowingly, unwittingly, and unintentionally. But Starlight needs to change on her own merit if she's to learn about friendship."

Twilight slouched a bit, before finally saying, "I'm just... Midnight, I'm just not sure if Trixie is the pony to help her do that. What if Trixie isn't the friend Starlight thinks she is? What if she hurts Starlight and my pupil is hurt by how her first attempt to make a friend wasn't what she hoped it would be?"

"That's her bridge to cross, Twily..." Twilight felt her husband take her hoof and she looked up to see those beautiful turquoise eyes she loved so much, filled with such love for her. She felt her heart relax a bit, and she smile back.

Somehow, she could always see the best of herself in Midnight's eyes.

"Even if Trixie doesn't turn out to be the right friend for her, it will still be a learning experience for Starlight. Yes, she could get hurt, but remember what you said to her before!"

Twilight looked confused for a moment until Midnight reminded her, "If somepony turns out not to be the friend you think they are, then try again. Because real friendship is worth the search for it."

Finally Twilight got it, and she hung her head with a sigh, "What was I thinking...?"

"You were thinking you were looking out for your student and your friend," Midnight assured. "But sometimes we allow unnecessary things to cloud our judgement. Which reminds me, Twily, I'm afraid I'm not going to attend the dinner with Celestia and Sombra."

"What?! But... but Midnight!" Twilight wanted to protest, but Midnight held up a hoof.

"Twilight, I'm sorry to tell you this, but Starlight is going to have to make a choice," he explained, "Trixie's show is tonight, same as the dinner. Either she chooses to be there for her friend, or she chooses to ignore her just to please you. If you were in her horseshoes, what would you choose? I know that's not a fair choice but if your idea is to attend a function to please a VIP over being there for a friend during something that means a great deal to them, then perhaps you should rethink some of the things you've learned in friendship.

"I love you."

Midnight leaned over and gave his Twily a warm kiss on the lips before taking his food and leaving her to really think about herself as of late. Granted, Twilight couldn't argue that her recent behavior was wrong regardless of her good intentions. A part of her still didn't trust Trixie and she'd allowed her concern to become suspicion and even paranoia to a lesser extent.

Sighing, she took a sip from her drink as she thought, I owe Starlight and Trixie an apology. Midnight's right, whether or not this friendship between them works out, it's up to Starlight to make it happen. If I don't trust her to do that, then I have no business being her teacher after all.

She began to eat her burger as she decided, I'll talk with Starlight the next time I see her, though it might do me some good to talk to Celestia when she and Sombra arrive.

346. No Second Prances - Part 3

The stage was in sight and as he approached, Midnight's keen ears couldn't help but hear a certain showmare yell, "This can't be HAPPENING!!"

Uh-oh! The sapphire alicorn hurried over, coming around the stage to see Trixie pacing back and forth looking anxious, Starlight and Sunburst standing by uncertain of what to do when Sunburst noticed his mentor.
"Midnight! Uh- just so you know, not a good time."

"I gathered," Midnight responded before stepping up to Trixie and asking, "What's the matter?"

"My big performance can't be done tonight, is what's the matter!" Trixie was fretting, "The manticore I need to pull off the Moonshot Manticore Mouth-Dive! It's not here!!"

"Whoa, the Moonshot Manticore Mouth-Dive?" Midnight couldn't help but smile at the idea, "I've never seen it but I did read up on how it was one of Hoofdini's greatest tricks!"

"Yes, and I wanted to perform my idol's trick tonight, but the manticore I rented got sent to the wrong location!" Trixie dismayed, "It'll never get here in time for the show, and my performance will be ruined!"

"Now c'mon, Trixie," Sunburst said with an encouraging tone, "I'm sure you've got plenty of tricks to knock the horseshoes off the audience!"

"But this was going to be my opening act for tonight's show!" Trixie slumped, "It just won't be the same..."

Midnight felt sorry for Trixie, and hated to see her show be ruined, along with her chances to show Ponyville that she had changed and sought acceptance. As he looked at Starlight and Sunburst try to comfort Trixie, he gave it a thought... before he was struck by a really weird idea.

"I could be your manticore." Trixie gaped at Midnight, as did Starlight and Sunburst, all with confused and/or weirded-out looks on their faces as Midnight shrugged as if it were no big deal while he explained, "I could shapeshift into a manticore and you could use me to pull off the trick."

"Uh... Midnight," Sunburst's weirded-out look turned into one that was slightly grossed out and disturbed, "You do realize that the trick involves the manticore swallowing the pony pulling it off, right?"

"Eh, wouldn't be the first time I had a pony in my belly," Midnight chuckled before giving a rather ambiguous wink.

So Sunburst wasn't entirely sure if his mentor was joking or not. But Trixie didn't care as she zipped up to Midnight, "Are you sure?! I mean... I don't want to have you do something you're not comfortable with."

"Well, my only concern is how to get you into the box after I... swallow you up," Midnight raised a valid concern.

"Oh, that's my job!" Starlight spoke up, "After Trixie, uh... dives into your mouth and you... swallow her, I use my magic to teleport her into the box, and she'll be just fine."

"I guess that works," nodded Midnight before he closed his eyes and his horn lit up.

The three unicorns watched in awe as Midnight's body lit up the same way before i morphed and expanded, shivering just a little, before the light dimmed to reveal Midnight had indeed shapeshifted into a manticore! His fur was the same sunset orange as the streak of it in his mane as an alicorn, his manticore mane was black with a sapphire highlight, his bat-like wings and large scorpion tail were dark blue while his turquoise eyes were now feline yet fierce... as he let out a soft growl before opening his wide mouthful of fangs to release a scary roar!

Starlight and Sunburst's jaws dropped while Trixie happily cheered, "You're perfect!"

As evening fell, the dining room was set, the tapestries above displaying Starlight on one and Celestia and Sombra on the other, and the big ice pony sculpture on the middle of the table was starting to melt, as Twilight sat there.

Alone.

"...Where is everypony?" Twilight was worried, not simply because her pupil wasn't in attendance but Celestia and Sombra hadn't arrived either. In all the years she'd been Celestia's faithful student, her mentor had never been tardy for their sessions together. Of course, every now and then Celestia had to cancel a lesson or postpone, but she always gave notice.

She supposed Sombra would arrive along with his wife, but then where was Starlight? She had a pretty good idea, and though she'd taken a good long moment to think it over she accepted she had to give Trixie the second chance she claimed to have given before, though it still irked her that Starlight hadn't arrived or even sent a notice of her own.

Sighing, Twilight decided to see for herself. Although she wanted to do as Midnight encouraged and trust Starlight, she had to at least remind her student about the dinner, in person apparently. Leaving the castle, seeing night had fully fallen, she began to look around and saw locals and started asking, "Hello? Has anypony seen Starlight Glimmer? I'm looking for her!"

But then she noticed where many of the passerby were going and followed them... to Ponyville Park. Coming up onto a hill, she gazed down and saw them gathering before a stage , and the decor and posters weren't even necessary for her to figure out, "Trixie..."

As she ventured down the hill and got closer, Cheese and Applejack were in the crowd.
"So this is the 'Humble and Penitent Trixie's Apology Tour'?" Cheese wondered aloud.
"Ain't tha' a mouthful o' molasses," commented Applejack.

"It's a working title!" came a familiar voice from the curtains.

Meanwhile, below stage, Manticore Midnight wore a heavy collar with chains, to make him appear as though he were perfectly secured. Sunburst was with him, making sure all was set.
"Okay, you're ready, you're scary-looking and set on the rising platform to appear onstage, the Black Box is in position on the other side of the stage, the cannon is outside, Starlight already charmed Trixie so her teleportation spell will take effect once Trixie's in, well, inside you... Am I missing anything?"

He looked to Manticore Midnight, who shrugged. Sunburst kept having to remind himself that this ferocious beast was really his mentor even if Midnight couldn't talk in this form and using telepathy gave him a headache. So they were limited to yes & no questions and physical gestures.

Sunburst shrugged, "Well, I guess i should-"

*Clomp-clomp-clomp-clomp...*

The hoofsteps came from above, sounding like somepony had rushed out of the backstage in a hurry. Manticore Midnight and Sunburst shared a concerned look as the latter said, "I'll go check that out. Wait right here. Trixie already said she has the mechanism ready for the platform to raise you up onto the stage."

Manticore Midnight nodded with a soft growl and watched Sunburst rush out. He sat there alone in the darkness for several long minutes... when he heard softer hoofsteps step out onto the stage and light shine through the floorboards.

"Come one, come all," declared the voice of Trixie... in a flat and unenthusiastic manner with nary a drop of dramatic flair. "Come and see the Pathetic and Friendless Trixie's 'Way-to-go-Dumb-Dumb-you-Really-Messed-Up-Big-Time Repentance Tour'."

Murmurs of confusion spread amongst the crowd until Trixie shouted in frustration, "IT'S A WORKING TITLE!!"

Resuming the unenthusiastic tone, she continued, "Behold, your fears come true..."

Her horn lit up ever so slightly to activate a certain mechanism as a trapdoor opened to reveal Manticore Midnight rising up on a platform, "...a pony-eating Manticore."

Taking a deep breath, Manticore Midnight rleased a FEROCIOUS roar while pulling on his collar as if he were trying to break free of his chains. The display caused some gasps among the audience, especially Fluttershy who quickly covered the eyes of her babies, sweet little Belle and adorable Sandow though the filly and colt both giggled and clapped their teeny hooves while saying, "Kitty!"

"For tonight, the Great and Powerful Trixie will be performing... the Moonshot Manticore Mouth-Dive," Trixie explained, not even bothering to show excitement of any kind, earning her another round of gasps, but this time they were excited.

"Now, now, save your gasps for when I defy the beast's jaws of doom..." Trixie moved over to the side of the stage and pointed to, "and appear inside that black box."

She finally dropped the lack of enthusiasm for a voice guilt-ridden and apologetic, "I was supposed to perform this trick with my great and powerful assistant, who was also my great and powerful friend."

She stepped down from the stage, the audience parting to make way for her as she moved for the cannon as Starlight and Sunburst watched from the hill nearby. Sunburst lent a shoulder for Starlight to cry on after hearing from her that Trixie had only befriended her to get one up over Twilight, causing Starlight to run off in hurt. He'd found her rather quickly, surprised she'd stayed to watch the show, but he wasn't sure what to say to her after she'd vented.

Part of him wanted to think that Trixie had been sincere but another warned him he could be wrong, especially since Starlight had said as much.

"Starlight?"

They both turned around to see Twilight approaching them, looking sympathetic.
"When I first came to Ponyville, Princess Celestia gave me room to make my own decisions and my own friends. Earlier today... I was going to talk to you to choose somepony other than Trixie to bring to the dinner tonight because I didn't trust Trixie. Sunburst stopped me and Midnight spoke to me that my actions and thinking, despite good my intentions, were wrong.

"I need to give you the same freedom. I shouldn't have tried to pick and choose your friends for you. To do so would have been hypocritical of me, as a teacher and as the Princess of Friendship."

"Twilight's right, Starlight," Sunburst agreed, Starlight turning to look at him. "Ultimately, you have to make your own decisions and your own friends all on your own merit."

At that moment, they saw the cannon, Trixie loaded into it, was raised and poised to fire her into Manticore Midnight's maw.

"But... what if Trixie really was using me just to one-up you?" Starlight asked while giving Twilight an anxious look.

"From what I've seen," Twilight replied, "she's the real thing."

"And if she's going through with the trick," Sunburst added, "it must mean she has faith in you and is willing to risk getting eaten alive to prove it."

Trixie had just lit the fuse...

"But it's not our place to judge," Twilight confirmed.
"It's all up to you," Sunburst agreed, "but you can always count on us to help you figure things out."

Manticore Midnight let out another fierce roar as he prepared himself for his... unconventional meal as the fuse got shorter and shorter.

"Starlight? If you're out there, and you still wanna be friends," Trixie called out before she pulled herself into the cannon, "let's be great and powerful together! ...Please!"

The fuse sparked and burned until....

*KABOOM*

The audience watched as Trixie soared through the air... towards the growling maw of Manticore Midnight, while Trixie shrieked in terror while covering her eyes as she flew into Manticore Midnight's mouth. He closed it, his cheeks full of Trixie, hesitating somewhat as he hoped that he wasn't gonna have to take ipecac or laxatives later. He felt Trixie move inside his mouth and he very carefully moved his jaw up and down to make it appear as though he were chewing Trixie up but being sure not to do her actual harm. Knowing he had to move this along, Manticore Midnight then used his tongue to move Trixie into position, tasting the salty sweat of her fear, causing his mouth to salivate, which helped lubricate her body as her head faced the back of his throat and he tilted his head back, causing Trixie to slide downwards. Trixie couldn't help but let out a scream inside Midnight's mouth that went unheard to the ponies watching though Midnight felt her scream reverberate inside his throat, feeling it stretch first with the shape of her helmeted head, then her shoulders, the throat muscles forcing Trixie's forelegs down, pinning them to her sides.

Sensing an impending meal, Midnight felt his stomach rumble and tighten, eager to receive the mouthful of mare Midnight was sending it, and Midnight felt Trixie's head go squeeze through the opening at the bottom of his throat while her form appeared as a bulge below his jaw neck, showing everypony where Trixie was in the process of being swallowed whole and alive. As Trixie continued to descend, Midnight gave another mighty gulp, Trixie sinking deeper that his throat swelled and then he felt Trixie reach his chest cavity as she sank deeper but a struggling move from Trixie nearly caused Midnight to just barely stifle a gag, nearly coughing as his windpipe was already obstructed, as well as him opening his mouth just a little bit... for Trixie's tail to hang out of his lips, causing several ponies to gasp in horror. Keeping calm, Midnight made sure to keep holding his head up and back, utilizing gravity to aid in this endeavor. Finally, he felt Trixie sink further, her shoulders passing the tight ring of his stomach as she dropped fully into the empty digestive sack, causing a light bounce in his belly while he slurped her tail up like a spaghetti noodle, and relaxed, glad to be able to breathe again while his stomach stretched to accommodate its new occupant... and he couldn't stop himself from letting out a big obnoxious BURP while slightly thumping his chest.

Everypony gasped in shock while Cheese quickly held up Baby Belle and Sandow as their poor mother fainted in horror.

For a few long moments, nothing happened, and Midnight was starting to worry, especially as he felt Trixie starting to struggle inside his stomach. Likely from a lack of breathable air after his burp, and he was already thinking of what potions he'd need to take in order to... free Trixie of the prison that was his own body (Hopefully it'll be the front door, not the back... he thought anxiously) when he suddenly felt a certain emptiness and a growl of complaint from his belly for being robbed of its meal. He sensed a spell at work and he discretely looked towards the black box... before it fell to pieces and there was Trixie!

She looked discombobulated, singed and a little slimy (probably from gastric juices) as she deliriously declared, "Behold! The pate and growerful... Triskee!

As she keeled over, there was silence as Fluttershy stood back up, accepting her foals from Cheese... and joining in the applause as everypony cheered while Trixie felt two pairs of hooves help her back up onto her own. She turned to see it was Starlight and Sunburst, the both of them smiling at her as the former winked at Trixie. Smiling back, Trixie spoke out, this time dramatically and for all to hear, "And now, I am proud to introduce my great and powerful assistants," and privately whispered to them, "and my friends," before raising her voice again, "Starlight Glimmer and Sunburst!"

The three unicorns and the alicorn-in-manticore's skin all gave a bow for another applause before the curtains fell. Now that the act was over and nopony could see, Midnight's manticore form shined as it remorphed back into his alicorn form, and he turned to the three unicorns, smiling proudly and happy for them as Trixie and Starlight hugged.

"Trixie!"

They all looked to the door and saw Twilight standing there, Trixie huffing, "What do you want?"

"I was wrong, and I'm sorry," Twilight apologized, sincere and true remorseful as she put a good-natured hoof onto Trixie's whither, "and I have to say, I could never have pulled off a trick like that."

Trixie was speechless. The princess was humbling herself before her? She looked to Starlight, Sunburst, and even Midnight, all of them smiling for her before Trixie humbled herself back at Twilight by tipping her magician's hat and softly smiling, "Thank you... Princess."

As Trixie and Starlight continued the show with Sunburst remaining to be their stagehoof, Midnight and Twilight started the walk back home.

"I'm proud of you, Twily," Midnight said warmly, "Even the best of us can sometimes find it difficult to admit when we're wrong and humble ourselves before others."

"Well, Trixie, Starlight, and Sunburst were right," Twilight sighed, "I didn't give Trixie a second chance. Not really. I just... kept thinking about the misdeeds she did before and worried about how she could be a bad influence on Starlight, and... I suppose I was making this whole thing a little about me. This dinner where I was trying to show my old teacher what a good teacher I was?

"Speaking of her, I hope she's not annoyed that I wasn't there at the castle to greet her and Prince Sombra."

"What? You mean they hadn't shown up yet before you arrived at the show?" Midnight was surprised.

"Well, no actually," Twilight agreed it was confusing as the castle was in sight. "I was just sitting at the table for a while, thinking everypony was late. Then I thought I'd step out and find Starl-"

*KABWOOOOMMMMMMMM.....*

Off in the distance towards Canterlot, a brilliant radiance exploded for all of Equestria to see as it burst so bright that for a fleeting moment it seemed night had suddenly turned to day... only for the restful darkness of night to return, leaving everypony in Ponyville (and likely all of Equestria) in troubled bewilderment.

"Sweet Mother of the Royal Sisters, what the hoof was that?!" Twilight flabbergasted.

"I don't know, but it looked like it came from Canterlot!" worried Midnight. "Maybe we should hurry to the castle."

"TWILIGHT! MIDNIGHT!!"

They looked ahead and saw Spike hurrying their way, looking frantic yet excited. He came to a stop in front of them, putting his hands on his knees while he caught his breath, "B- I... You..."

"Whoa, Spike, take a moment first," Midnight suggested, "You must catch your breath before you can release it."

...

Finally, Spike took a calming breath before he declared, "It's wonderful! You won't believe it!"

"What's wonderful, Spike?" asked Twilight, starting to feel anxious again.

"Well, I got this message a little while ago," Spike held out a scroll, "I was going to give it to you but you weren't in the dining room."

Twilight accepted the scroll and read:

'My dear friend, Princess Twilight,
I regret to inform you that Celestia and I must cancel on the dinner to which you invited us to gauge the progress of your student Starlight Glimmer and her studies under your tutelage. But Celestia's water has broke and she is now in the castle infirmary, going into labor. Our foal is coming!

I will contact you shortly,
Prince Sombra

P.S.
Midnight, I strongly advise you brace yourself when you and Twilight have foals. My beloved Tia... I never thought I'd hear such curses stain her tender lips'

Midnight and Twilight gasped in realization as they began to suspect what that explosion of light was when Spike held out a second scroll, "This one arrived just a minute ago."

Midnight took this one and saw it had drops on it that looked like they might have come from tears, and though the words were short the joy in them was clear as the moon above:

'We have a son!'

347. No Second Prances - Epilogue

Though Twilight and Midnight were over the moon with this most joyous of news, they received another message from Sombra, assuring them that mother and child were well and resting, but requested that they remain in Ponyville for the time being. Much there was to be done, to prepare for the celebration that would introduce Equestria and everypony in it to the Son of the Sun.

However...

This news had already reached unsavory ears, thanks to a certain queen having a set of ears meticulously planted among the staff of Canterlot Castle, and after hearing of this development from Queen Chrysalais's proxy, Catrina was pacing in her lair, Sunset, Destrier, Tirek, Chrysalis's proxy, and Paraoh Phetlock watching her every step.

"So... our old teacher has at long last birthed that which she had always sought in the students she took under her wing," she said in a soft yet sinister demeanor while she took her cigarette holder to take a long and calming inhale of burning witchweed. Though it did not abate the spite burning within her breast, for anything that brought her former teacher joy rubbed the witch's fur the wrong way.

"Oh-hoh-ho... what I wouldn't give to see the look on her face as I strangled that whelp in my bare hands," Tirek snarled wickedly, which honestly disturbed Sunset and Phetlock while Destrier remained as impassive as sculpted marble.

"I think not! That child would be the perfect tool for my children to feed upon Celestia's love," protested Chrysalis's proxy, serving as her mother-queen's mouthpiece.

"No..." All eyes turned to Catrina as she stood the full of her height with an imperious look in her narrowed eyes, "We must continue to increase our ranks, consolidate power and remain vigilant to any and all opportunities. Speaking of which, Sunset, have you located the source of conflict that has been spreading along the lower east coast?"

"Not just yet," sunset reported, "but the ponies I've spoken to, while difficult and ornery, all of them mentioned one thing in common - Prior to their giving into their negative feelings, they always heard some kind of singing. The most recent incident occurred in Horseshoe Bay."

"Excellent..." purred Catrina, genuinely pleased this time, "which means we may have some new members joining us very soon."

"Why are we wasting time like this?!" demanded Chrysalis, "My drones could have infiltrated Canterlot and replaced every figure of authority ten times over by now without any of those ponies the wiser! My hive is starving, Catrina, far more severely as of late, and what's more Thorax and his young sister Elytra are harbored under the roof of Shining Armor and Cadance! Who knows how many changeling secrets that traitor has revealed?!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with this parasite," Tirek grumbled, "As far as I know, you haven't even conspired any real plans or strategized any sort of offensive against Equestria! We should- AAUGHH!!!"

Tirek's mystech prosthetic arm suddenly jerked and twisted around, Tirek grinding his teeth in pain as he felt the artificial limb bend in a way that arms weren't supposed to bend, thanks to the thaumaturgical implants connecting to his nervous system. All eyes turned to Tirek as he came down to his knees, grunting and groaning in pain as he bowed his head submissively and those eyes turned to Catrina, whose left arm was glowing as she willed the arm she had provided Tirek to punish him.

"Let me say this in a way even a rabid brute such as yourself can comprehend, Tirek," stated Catrina in a silk-soft voice before her eyes glowed with intense cruelty and her ginger hair seemed to flow and undulate as if it were underwater as she bore her fangs while her magic flowed around her in the form of green and black flames.
"I have many plans. Plans within plans, and all of them with one aim. Equestria will be mine. I will topple the foundations of the ponies' society, I will shatter the illusion that is their precious harmony, I will right the wrong their precursors committed against my ancient ancestors before this miserable speck floating in the cosmos ever came into existence! And when the time comes, I will see the alicorns extinct as they should have been before this world first turned, starting with Midnight, with Celestia, and especially her newborn brat!! Is. That. CLEAR?!"

Tirek nodded and even began to whimper as Catrina released her sway over him and he feebly began to rub his hurting shoulder while Catrina looked upon the others.
"And let this be a reminder to you all the fragility of this coalition of ours. It is important not to lose sight of what drives us: Love, recognition, vengeance... but the moment you put your desires before my own... they will be lost to you."

She turned to walk back to her fainting couch, "This isn't a threat. It is simply the truth. The path to your desires can only be found," she turned to glare at them from the corner of her right eye, "through me."

But instead of taking a load off, her form glowed a poisonous green before dispersing into acrid smoke that faded away, leaving the villains to stand there in stricken silence for a long moment... before Sunset, Phetlock, and Destrier went one way and Tirek the other. Chrysalis's proxy however stood there, mirroring her mother's emotions and offended sensibilities as she looked through her daughter's eyes upon that mangy cat's chair.

She dares to order a queen...? seethed Chrysalis's thoughts in her daughter's head, A brazen inferior creature like her?!

Should I... do away with her, Your Grace? asked the thoughts of Chrysalis's proxy.

...No. At least not yet, Chrysalis narrowed her eyes shrewdly back upon her throne, where she lounged safely in the comforts of hive. The only reason I deigned to enter this alliance with her was the fact she could wield magic in the area of my throne's effect. I'd hoped to learn how, so as to insure it could not happen again. Alas, her passive schemes and secrets and lack of action is starting to wear even my patience thin... No, daughter. I'd say it's high-time we formulated a scheme of our own. One that will insure the total and absolute victory of the Changeling Hive and the ponies of Equestria will never even know it!

348. Darkness Before Dawn

Barely a week had passed since that evening a brief flash of daylight that spanned Equestria declared the birth of a new alicorn, and rumors spread to all corners of the nation quicker than a racing Wonderbolt. Ponies everywhere were talking, from the humble and most down-to-earth farmer to the snootiest and most posh noble, discussing the jubilant news that at long last their much-beloved Princess of the Sun had finally become a mother.

Nobles and commoners alike were sending their best wishes… along with their hopes to see the newborn prince with their own eyes. However, Prince Sombra, Celestia’s loving and protective husband, had respectfully requested their subjects allow mother and child to rest before the formal introduction of his son to the nation, which was about to take place.

Rather than within the castle, the Canterlot Triarchy had opted to hold the celebration in Canterlot Public Park so that stone walls and towers would not bar everypony’s chance to see the little prince, which of course meant security was going to be on high alert. Indeed, Sombra would allow for no chances for any harm to come to his son.

So naturally, Sombra had requested Twilight organize the celebration and for Midnight to provide additional security.

As the two alicorn princes walked through the verdant meadows of Canterlot Public Park, they took in the preparations being made under Twilight’s meticulous supervision, for not only ponies from all over Equestria would be coming to attend this happy occasion but so too were foreign leaders and ambassadors from neighboring and allied nations coming to attend the formal introduction of the little prince to the world. Thus certain accommodations had to be made, for the attendance of several different species!

“And you are certain there will be no chance of any possible threat to my son?” asked Sombra.

“I give you my word, Sombra,” Midnight assured, “I’ve called in my very best Hoods to be in attendance during the celebration. They will each be in key positions, constantly vigilant, unseen and unheard, no one will so much as glance in their general direction and notice them in their black cloaks.

“If and when all goes well, then once the celebration has concluded and the little prince is safely inside the castle, the Hoods will slink away as if they were never even here. Your son will be safe, my master. I swear it upon my life,” vowed Midnight as he gave a wing-salute.

Nodding with fatherly pride, Sombra smiled at his apprentice with deepest appreciation, “You always come through, Midnight. It means so much to me to know my son is safe under your careful watch.

“Time and again you’ve made me proud, not so unlike the pride I felt the moment I gazed upon my foal for the first time hardly a week ago, but…”

Sombra trailed off and Midnight chuckled, “I understand. Though we share blood and I do love you like a father, Sombra, I imagine it’s a very different pride to have in your actual child compared to your… Goddess knows how many times great-grandson, or something.”

“In a way, yes,” Sombra nodded before surprising Midnight by pulling the smaller alicorn stallion into a strong and paternal hug, “but in all ways that matter, you are my son too. Not only that, you are my heir while my foal is his mother’s heir. Already, ponies are calling him the Son of the Sun and though I am his father, I agree the legacy he should carry on is his mother’s.

“You, my apprentice, already understand sacrifice and duty, and you have made difficult choices in the most trying of circumstances. Even your brother, young Twinken, has accepted a burden along with an honor that promises great responsibility in his future. It gladdens me to know my bloodline has produced such exemplary ponies as yourself and your brother.”

“Thank you, Sombra,” Midnight replied, feeling proud yet humbled by his forefather’s words when they heard hoofsteps and looked to see Twilight coming their way, Spike following with a clipboard.

“Prince Sombra, you’ll be happy to know that preparations are coming along nicely and we are actually ahead of schedule,” Twilight declared proudly, “the decor is almost finished, as is the catering, and the roped-off sections for the pony attendees have been set up as well as the places for the visiting foreign leaders and representatives.”

“That is good to hear, Twilight,” Sombra smiled with warm regard, “Remind me again, who among the VIPs are we expecting to attend my son’s celebration?”

“Let’s see…” Spike looked at his clipboard and lifted a paper, “There’s… King Godric of Griffonstone and his sons, the Sultan and Sultana of Saddle Arabia, a representative from Zebrabwe is coming, a diplomat from the Dog Nation’s capitol of Sirius, a dignitary from the minotaur royal capitol Minox- Eesh… Prince Rutherford from Yakyakistan, and… huh. An ambassador from… Mt. Aris? Never heard of it.”

“I think that’s the home and kingdom of the hippogriffs,” commented Midnight.

“Um, Sombra,” Twilight spoke up, “do you mind if I have a private word with my husband?”

“Not at all, Twilight. I must go check on my wife and son anyway,” Sombra responded before he spread his wings.
“Keep up the good work, my dear young friends!”

As he took flight, Twilight sighed, Midnight asking, “What’s wrong, Twily? Tired?”

“No, it’s just… oh!” Twilight fussed, “I still can’t believe Sombra and Celestia won’t tell anyone the name of the baby! Even Luna doesn’t know her nephew’s name and you saw how annoyed she was when we saw her earlier.”

“Heh-heh, they said they wanted to introduce him here and today at his big celebration for all the world to hear,” reminded Midnight, “It’d be kinda unfair if we got to hear his name first, royalty or not.”

“And besides, it’ll be even better to hear his name for the first time once Celestia announces it during the celebration,” added Spike.

“I know… He’s just so adorable!” gushed Twilight, her face brightening up at the memory of when they were invited to Canterlot castle the day after Sombra sent them that message that Celestia had given birth so she, Midnight, and all their friends in the Council of Friendship got to see the baby alicorn colt for the first time.
“He’s so like his parents and at the same time so- So… unique! Oh, our niece Cora is still the cutest little baby ever but the little prince is a very close second.”

“We’ll see how you feel when we have foals of our own one day,” teased Midnight, and the moment turned so awkward that Spike flustered and excused himself, saying he wanted to check on the catering.

…

I’m sorry, Twily, I…” Midnight rubbed the back of his head, uncertain of what else to say.

“No, uh- It’s okay, Midnight,” Twilight assured him by nuzzling up to his side, and he nuzzled back, resting his chin on top of her head. They stayed like that for a long and comforting moment before Twilight said, “Believe me, Midnight… I want to become a mother, I want to give you foals, I want for us to start our own family, it’s just…”

“I know, I’m scared too,” Midnight pulled back and cupped his wife’s cheek in his hoof, seeing Twilight’s yearning that matched his own.
“It’s a huge commitment and a perilous journey, raising a foal from infancy to adulthood. Always wanting to love them, to teach them, to guide them, but also wanting to protect them and keep them safe.”

“Exactly,” Twilight held her husband’s hoof in her own, “and as much as I want to be a mother, I- Well, you know me, Midnight, I worry about every little thing! Sometimes I still have moments of panic over things that are ultimately trivial and meaningless because I let my anxiety get the best of me.

“With a foal?! Well, the way I am, I’d be worrying about our child whenever I couldn’t see him or her and wasn’t completely certain that they’re safe or even happy! Then assuming we got past the baby years and our foal started moving about, talking, maybe get into trouble because we weren’t watching them closely enough and they got hurt because of it! And then when our child got older, they’d be getting more independent, more certain about themselves but might not have the proper knowledge or maturity to handle big problems and would feel like we’re suffocating them with our-”

“Twily!” Midnight raised his voice but in a gentle way, his wife halting her anxiety-building rant over their theoretical child’s growth and development, and she saw him hold his hoof over his chest and take a deep inhale.

She did the same… and they did Cadance’s calming technique of breathing in and breathing out while waving the worries away.

“Feel better?” Midnight asked with a knowing smirk.

“...yes,” Twilight answered meekly when she felt her husband wrap his wings around her.

“Twilight, it’s good you’re thinking about all this and taking the prospect seriously,” Midnight said, “but seriously! There’s no need to rush. There’s plenty of time to plan and to talk and to prepare. But I don’t mean to plan and prepare for any and every possibility, because we both know that didn’t work out so well for you after your little temporal paradox, remember…?”

“Ugh, please don’t remind me,” Twilight groaned, recalling what was among the worst weeks of her entire life.

“What I’m saying is, if and when we discuss starting our family,” Midnight went on, “we’ll be honest, open-minded, patient, and of course realistic… Odds are, any foals we have will be alicorns too, just like Cora and the little prince. Thankfully, we have Spike, Starlight, Sunburst, and all the rest of our amazing friends to help us, especially Fluttershy and Mac. They’re doing great with Belle and Sandow, and I’m perfectly sure they’ll be more than happy to give us pointers in being good parents. Not only that, our foals will have so many great aunts and uncles and the rest of our family to love them and teach them as we will.

“And Twilight, we’ll be great parents. I’m not saying we won’t make mistakes because there’s no such thing as the perfect parents. I mean, think about how you’ve brought up Spike. Sure he’s more of a little brother to you, but you’ve always made sure he was healthy, educated, and happy, and honestly when it comes to foals that’s what matters.”

Twilight gave it a thought before she softly smiled, “I guess in a way I have been something of a mother to Spike.”

“Yes, you can be a great mother, Twilight,” Midnight smiled while rubbing noses with her as they gazed into each other’s eyes, “After all, I have foreseen it.”

They stood like that, just enjoying being together, before Twilight nuzzled and hugged her husband and said, “Thank you, Midnight.”

“Always, Twily,” Midnight hugged her back.

The attendees were arriving by the dozens and dozens! Ponies were told to keep to the fringes and not enter the sections designated by velvet ropes, the Royal Guards all standing vigilant. There was excited chatter in the air, as well as clouds for many pegasi to have a bird’s eye view of the events about to unfold. Earth ponies and unicorns that couldn’t get closer instead stood upon balconies and rooftops as all eyes gazed inwards to the park, towards a grand tent of white fabric hemmed with golden material, the Equestrian flag flying above it. The tent was not in the middle of the meadow but rather to the side, as inside the tent Celestia and Sombra were getting ready.

Peeking out the tent flap, Celestia couldn’t help but feel her heart race, feeling nervous and excited.

Or nervou-cited, as Pinkie Pie would say, she thought with a soft laugh.

“Are you alright, my love?”

She turned to her husband, and again thanked her lucky stars he was here as she so often did in moments like this. She stepped up to him, raising her hoof to caress his cheek as he looked upon her with his pure green eyes with wonder and contemplation, as though he could not believe this moment was real.

“I… I’m just beginning to feel overwhelmed,” Celestia answered to her husband, cherishing his touch as he reached up to hold her hoof.
“For centuries, I have been a princess, a ruler, a teacher. I broke the bond of sisterhood I shared with Luna and could have lost her forever. I ruined what we had and turned you away, and I thought I lost you as well. Now here we are, husband and wife, father and mother!

“Oh, Sombra! Until I heard his cries, felt him in my hooves, the role of mother always seemed like a beautiful dream just beyond my reach, and here we are, about to introduce our son to the world! And yet, I… I don’t know, I’m…”

Sombra wrapped his vast and powerful wings around his wife, and touched his forehead to hers, minding their horns, as he gently whispered, “Ours has been a long and difficult journey, Celestia. We have made mistakes, some we redeemed, others we could not, but you know what?”

He pulled back and lifted Celestia’s face before giving her a deep and loving kiss before saying, “I wouldn’t change even one moment of it, because in this moment, this here and now after the long way we have come, I can say with nary a doubt that it was all worth it.”

Then he looked to the nearby crib and Celestia did as well, their eyes falling upon their beautiful son.

He was wrapped snugly in a baby blanket colored a gentle sunshine yellow and was hugging a stuffy that looked like a generic Royal Guard pony, and to their mutual relief he was waking up. The way he yawned and stretched his wings before rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Sombra and Celestia felt their hearts well before Celestia levitated the little prince and held him in her wings while gently removing the blanket so he wouldn’t get too hot.

The little prince had a coat of white much like his mother's but while Celestia’s coat was tinted a soft pink her child’s was tinted a gentle orange like a sunset. His mane was black, like his father’s, but it also had streaks of gold, sunshine orange, and pastel blue and green like from his mother’s mane. His eyes as they were opening revealed them to be a beautiful bluish-green as he smiled at his mommy and daddy.

A fanfare outside let the happy parents know as they shared each other’s gaze and Sombra stated with a proud smile, “It is time.”

Outside, Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, Party Favor, Sugar Belle, and Mr. & Mrs. Cake were making sure the buffet tables were fully stocked while Big Mac and Fluttershy kept their foals, Belle and Sandow close and were even watching the Cake Twins with the help of Cadance, who had brought Cora with her while Shining Armor kept a careful watch alongside all the Royal Guardsponies, Rarity was chatting it up with some of her socialite friends about how she was going to make baby clothes for the little prince and Blueblood was discussing business matters with Jet Set. Starlight and Sunburst were talking to Trixie, who’d gotten permission to light up some of her magical fireworks, Rainbow had wrangled Soarin to come talk to Spitfire and several other attending Wonderbolts to make an aerial display to help celebrate the big day, Applejack and Thunderlane were hanging out and just enjoying each other’s company, and Midnight and Luna were talking with King Godric and Doran as they stood near the other foreign visitors.

Twilight and Spike were making some last-minute checks on the raised platform and podium as well as insuring the camera pony would have an excellent shot to feed live footage for the projectors to display the little prince’s close-up.

“Check, check, and… check!” Spike declared as he held up the checklist, “We are ready to get this celebration underway, Twilight!”

“Alrighty then, Spike…” Twilight took a deep breath, “Signal the guard.”

Spike nodded as he hurried over to some guards holding some really large trumpeting horns and gave them the go-ahead. They nodded as they raised their horns to their mouths and took a deep breath before sounding a well-rehearsed fanfare that they’ve done hundreds of times, alerting the vast crowd of attendees that it was time.

There was hushed chatters that quickly died down as Twilight stood at the podium and concentrated before speaking using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, visitors from near and far! Thank you all so very much for coming, for today we celebrate Princess Celestia and her husband Prince Sombra, but most important of all, we celebrate their foal, the little prince, the Son of the Sun! In just a few moments, they will step up here to speak on their child’s behalf before we are finally introduced to their heir! And as Princess Celestia’a former student, I simply cannot say how happy I am for my old teacher.

“For centuries, Celestia has been ruler of our nation, but more than that, she has also been a mother to all little ponies in her own way. She watches over us, she guides us, and she protects us. She encourages us to follow our hearts and become the very best of ourselves that we can be, and she wishes nothing but the best for all creatures great and small, especially our visitors from nations all over the world. So on behalf of Princess Celestia, I say thank you for being a part of this wonderful occasion.”

Many ponies in the crowd cheered and even called out thanks to the VIPs as they waved and smiled.

“So now, it is time for us all to give a well-wishing applause to the Royal Family of Princess Celestia, Prince Sombra, and most of all the Little Prince!”

Cheers rang out as an applause built up to honor them as Celestia and Sombra stepped out of the tent, Celestia’s wings obviously holding a certain bundle of joy yet keeping him hidden as she and her husband stepped up onto the platform. She gave Twilight a thank-you nuzzle as the lavender alicorn stepped aside. Celestia carefully gave Sombra their child for him to hold while she stepped up to the podium and cleared her throat.

“For over a thousand years, I have dedicated my life to be a servant, a guide, and a protector to my little ponies. Too often is the role of leader misunderstood and assumed to be a role of power and entitlement. I made that mistake when I was a young and naive filly and it drove a wedge of resentment and miscommunication between myself and my sister. Out of hubris, I ignored my sister’s feelings while allowing myself to become a high horse, and my selfishness led to one of the darkest chapters of my life.

“The blame was my own yet the punishment was hers, and the guilt I carried thence weighed upon my heart as the centuries passed me by. I endeavored to be a better leader and to serve and protect my subjects with a wisdom for which I paid a heavy price. I still made mistakes, some more costly than others, and yet it was the hopes and dreams and efforts of many an extraordinary pony I had the privilege of knowing, many exemplary individuals who would come to me even at my deepest lows and most vulnerable of moments and would somehow inspire me with the will to keep moving forward. It is a never-ending struggle, especially for those whose lives span the pages of history.

“All the same, a truth has persisted in my struggle, a truth that I began to lose touch with because as much as I appreciated these individuals for helping me to pick myself up and carry on, their parts in my story ended all too soon. But now… now that I have at long last embraced the role I have only dreamed of for so long, the role of mother, and have laid eyes upon the foal I carried within my own womb this past year, that truth has never shined brighter in my mind and in my spirit.

“Life… is beautiful! It is precious. And it must be protected.

“So to you all that have come to honor my child, I make this vow: I vow to persist. I vow to stand by my duties. I vow to continue to serve, to guide, and to protect, for as long as I carry the mantle and responsibility of Princess, for by the birth of my son never has my resolve been stronger! For now, I am more than a Princess. More than a ruler. Now… I am a mother. And so, fillies and gentlecolts, friends from far and wide, it is with deepest pride and most profound of joy that my husband, Prince Sombra, and I present, for the very first time…”

Celestia stepped aside as Sombra came forward and held out his wings while Celestia conjured something in the air… and as Sombra pulled his wings back, he revealed the little prince sitting upon the podium, looking out with foalish wonder at the many before him while his mother placed a tiny circlet of white-gold with a pristine topaz as its crown piece upon the alicorn colt’s head.
“...our son, Prince Solaris Corona Eclipse!”

For only a moment, there was reverent silence, and then the moment ended.

The crowd erupted into cheers and whoops and happy smiles, confetti and balloons and Trixie’s fireworks filling the air with color and joy while journalist ponies took pictures (none with flashing lights however as the guards had explicitly forbidden flash photography). The little prince began to shake and whimper from all the loud noises and commotion when he felt himself lifted in the warm and secure hold of his mother’s magic and was happy to be given a comforting nuzzle from both his mommy and daddy, the proud and happy parents shedding tears of joy.

For Celestia, this would be among the brightest and happiest days of her long life. For over a thousand years she denied herself this most natural yet sacred of roles, a self-punishment for all the wrongs and misdeeds she’d done. Yet in this moment, standing side by side with her family, she’d never felt so light.

For Sombra, this day was most bittersweet. Long ago, he fathered a daughter he would never know with a crystal pony he had known only for a short while but had loved her all the same. Yet this day that belonged to his son, with the pony who first stole his heart, was the warmest he’d ever felt.

In the front row, Twilight couldn’t stop the tears of her own as she looked upon her old teacher and her family. Never in all the years she’d been Celestia’s student had Twilight ever seen her so happy. She felt a bump to her rump, making her gasp ,and saw the silly smile on her husband’s face as Midnight regarded his wife with deepest love, and they shared a nuzzle, cheek to cheek. Without saying a word, they agreed that one day, that pride and joy on their mentors’ faces would be theirs, along with a foal to call their own. A foal to love and guide and watch with truest pride go out one day to change the world.

Blueblood looked upon his aunt, who had always been more a mother to him since she took him in after his parents’ passing. It filled him with such joy and wonder to see her with her own family at last. He would always cherish the memories of his colthood after Celestia first comforted him upon the deaths of his parents, yet as he stood by his wife, a jewel he treasured above all else, he gave a silent thank-you to his aunt for raising him to be the stallion he was today, especially as Rarity nuzzled up under his chin. Rarity sighed as to her there was nothing so beautiful as love, no matter form it took, though love of parent and child was a type of beauty in a class of its own. Though she was not ready yet, the thought of having a filly of her own to dress up and make clothes for filled her with a hopeful delight.

Big Mac and Fluttershy smiled at each other and their own babies, understanding the joy Celestia and Sombra felt. Somehow, Belle and Sandow knew this was a happy day as they clapped their tiny little hooves together, which made the hearts of their mama and pa swell so big they couldn;t contain their own tears of joy. Usually, Macintosh was a stallion of few words and Fluttershy’s old lack of social confidence had made it so hard for her to speak around others. But standing side by side, they felt a warm and appreciative pride in each other for they one brought out the best in the other.

Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich were bawling their eyes out, so happy for Celestia and Sombra and for their wonderful baby colt, Prince Solaris Corona Ecli- “Let’s call him Sol for short, ya think, Cheesy?”
“That’s an awesome nickname, Pinks!”

Applejack and Thunderlane stood together, looking stoic yet happy and wishing nothing but the best for the new royal parents… when Thunderlane stole a kiss from the earth pony beside him, leaving her stunned and blushing. Thunder went still as a statue, hoping he hadn’t offended the mare who’d unknowingly crept up on him and stolen his heart… when he felt a punch to his shoulder, making him stifle a whimper only to gasp as he felt Applejack nuzzle up to him and when he dared to meet her gaze she kissed him back and smack on the lips. They held each other’s gaze, and kissed again. Longer and more intimate.

Rainbow Dash was struggling to keep her cool when she saw how Soarin was beginning to blubber and try to stay calm yet he looked to be on the verge of ugly-crying.
“Aw c’mon, Soar! Don’t cry or you’re gonna make me cry!”
“I-I-I-I c-can’t help it, Da-ha-shie! I-it’s just… so beautiful!!!”
“Aw the hay with it, c’mere ya big lug!”
And they ugly-cried together.

Starlight and Sunburst stood together and when they shared each other’s gaze… a blush spread across both of their faces though they became strangely transfixed with the others’ eyes. Their friendship since childhood had been nearly forgotten after Sunburst had left and Starlight took a misguided path, only to lead them back together, and in this moment they both wondered, was there something more?

Finally, the applause soon died down despite the cheer that lingered in the air… only to give way to a sudden chill.

*Clap...clap...clap...clap...clap…*

Along with a slow and obviously sarcastic clap. Murmurs of confusion spread amongst the crowd as to where that clapping was coming from when it made itself known by a voice that sent chills down the spines of three ponies in particular.

Midnight, Starlight, and Celestia.

A voice as soft as crushed velvet yet belied a most subtle wickedness.

“How sentimental. Truly, if it grows any more saccharine I’m going to stick a finger down my throat.”

She stood up on two legs, yet she was not a minotaur. She wore a long and flowing dress of burgundy red with a fluffy white collar around her neckline that reached down past her ample bosom to reveal her abdomen. Her fur was a pale shade of brown, her face a dark golden, and her long and voluminous hair was a resplendent ginger. A long and lithe tail swayed behind her as her paw-like hands stopped clapping and her feline green eyes narrowed with subtle excitement upon her old teacher.

Whispers of confusion spread throughout the crowd, as to who this mysterious creature was.

“Midnight, is that…?!” Twilight whispered to her husband.
“It’s Catrina…” snarled Midnight.
“What does she want here?” Rainbow Dash raised her wings, ready for a scrap, only for Blueblood to shhh her.

With a brazen boldness, Catrina slowly and confidently made her way towards the platform, something about her so disturbing that the crowd parted before her while she paid none of them any mind. Celestia felt her heartbeat madly in her chest yet she held her composure and her son while her husband held them both protectively as Catrina soon stood only a few yards away from the platform.

“Well, well, isn’t this quite the menagerie, Princess Celestia? Griffonstone, Zebrabwe, Mt. Aris, and…” Catrina’s eyes drifted towards the Council of Friendship.

She saw barely-contained hatred in Midnight’s eyes while Starlight looked so terrified she could hardly breath, amusing Catrina so that she quipped, “How quaint. Even the boonies.”

“Oh, I’ll show you ‘boonies!” Rainbow snapped as she tried to fly at Catrina, only for Soarin to frantically hold her back.

Ignoring the prismatic pegasus, Catrina returned her eyes to Celestia, “Though I must confess I was rather bewildered as to why I never received my invitation.”

“Because you weren’t sent one…” spat Midnight with undisguised animosity.

“I wasn’t se-” Catrina echoed in mock surprise before laughing as though embarrassed, “Oh dear, what an awkward situation...

“I merely thought it to be an error on the part of my former teacher. As it is, I suppose I shall take my leave.”

“Then… you do not begrudge us, madam?” asked Sombra hesitantly.

“Why no, Your Majesty,” Catrina responded graciously, “On the contrary, I shall give you a gift in celebration of your child.”

“We want nothing from you…” the voice came from Celestia in a tone very few had ever heard her take.

It was cold, hard, and the look in her eyes as she bore them into the Cat was seething though Catrina was not cowed.

“And yet you shall have it. My gift to you, is this happy, happy day… Cherish it, revel in it, remember it fondly for once its sun has set my real work begins. You vow to protect this nation, Celestia? Well, hear this vow of mine...” Catrina’s gracious tone turned increasingly hard and cold with every breath she took as her face became twisted with spite and hate.
“All that you hold near and dear to your heart, bit by bit, piece by piece... I will take it from you, and from the ashes of your despair will rise my victory! So help me if it is the last thing I do, I will destroy everything you love…”

“You insolent fool!”

From out of nowhere, a Royal Guard charged, spear raised to pierce this witch’s heart, ignoring Shining Armor as he cried out,”NO, DON’T!!”

The guard roared as he lunged for Catrina, who merely smirked… and span `round his assault as she raised her claws, radiating a fearsome green, as she raked the guard’s flank, drops of blood glistening in the sunlight, and he cried out in agony while tumbling head over hooves onto the ground.

“SEIZE THAT CREATURE!!!” roared Luna, several guards, Royal, Crystal, and Lunar along with ponies in black cloaks charged forward to surround the witch.

“Stand back, you fools!” Catrina sneered with a feral hiss as she raised her hands, a pulse of power spreading throughout the park that was felt by everyone in Canterlot, causing the attendees to flinch while a flash of green light cracked with the sound of thunder and Catrina’s mocking laughter left a lingering echo as she had disappeared before their very eyes.

As Celestia stood there, utterly struck by what had just transpired, her sweet baby colt began to cry, and she felt her heart squeeze as she shuddered and struggled to contain her own tears. Tears of fear. For her subjects. For her kingdom.

For her son.

That night, Canterlot remained on high alert. Shortly after Catrina’s uninvited visit, Sombra, Shining Armor, and Midnight had scrambled the guards and all other armed forces present in Canterlot to search for the witch. They’d been told to search everywhere. The castle, the districts, the crystal caves beneath the castle, the mountainside, the surrounding areas of Mt. Canterhorn, to leave no stone unturned.

The sun set and the late hours; arrival yielded no sign of her, as though she had disappeared into thin air.

In the throne room, the Council of Friendship (minus Fluttershy, Big Mac, Cadance, and the foals), along with Starlight and Sunburst stood before Sombra and Luna.

“No sign of her, not so much as a whisker…” growled Sombra as he shook with anger. “This… this was supposed to be my son’s day! A day of joy! A-a day of…”

“I am sorry, master,” Midnight bowed, ashamed that the day had been ruined. “I thought we were ready for anything, and yet Catrina walked in without any of my Hoods noticing.”

“Don't beat yourself up, Midnight, “Shining Armor said, feeling equally as bad, “The Guard shares the shame.”

“Well, at least our allies have put the word out on Catrina,” Luna brought up, “She is now officially a fugitive of Equestrian justice, to be pursued with extreme prejudice.”

“Why wit’ so many countries lookin’ out fer her, tha’ no-good varmint Catrina’ll have nowhere t’ run `r hide,” Applejack commented.

“I wish it were that easy, Applejack,” Midnight said bitterly, “I really do…”

“Sombra, how’s Celestia?” asked Twilight softly.

“She is in the nursery, watching our son sleep,” Sombra answered, “She’s hardly said anything since Catrina vanished…”

“Okay, so she’s a scary and nasty witch with a bone to pick with Equestria,” Rainbow Dash commented, “Big deal! I mean, sure she can make trouble but she’s still just one enemy! What’s the worst that could happe-”

“NO!!!” Pinkie and Cheese clamped their hooves over Rainbow’s mouth.
“Never tempt fate, Dashie!”
“Asking that question is always a bad idea! ALWAYS.”

Pushing them off, Rainbow debated, “Yeah right, it’s not like somepony’s gonna rush in and say we have an emergency.”

Not two seconds passed when the throne room doors flew open and in ran the royal physician, yelling, “YOUR MAJESTIES! We have an emergency!”

All eyes turned to Rainbow Dash who shrank back while uttering a sheepish laugh.

The physician led everypony to the castle infirmary, saying, “The guard that tried to attack the Cat? He- I… Oh, your Highnesses, it’s horrible, horrible! I’ve never seen anything like it!!”

“Calm yourself,” Sombra bade gently, “What is the condition of the guard?”

“You have to see this for yourself, Sire…” the physician uttered direly as she led them to the guard’s bed.

The guard was sleeping but seemed to look… strangely dull and not quite as healthy as he did when he’d bravely tried to subdue Catrina. His coat and mane seemed lax in color, his breath was raspy, and he appeared as though he were thoroughly exhausted. Something about him looked familiar to Starlight when Sombra asked, "What is wrong with him? Did the witch curse him or something?"

"Or something..." the physician answered as she pulled the guard's blanket back... and everypony gasped in shock at the sight of the poor guard's flank!

It was blank! Blank of a cutie-mark, with nothing but the claw-marks healed from the physician's magic, and Starlight began to shake in fear.

"What... what is this?!" Sombra was utterly stupefied. "Where is... where is this pony's cutie-mark?!"

"That's just it, Your Majesty..." the physician answered woefully. "We ran numerous tests upon this poor pony. Apart from the obvious there's nothing physically wrong with him. Yet our tests showed that his magic has become weak, and-"

Starlight stepped forward and lit up her horn, her mana spreading over the guard's form, the physician taking offense, "Excuse me, young lady, what do you-"

"Let her continue," Midnight interrupted and they waited for Starlight to do whatever it was she was doing... until she stepped back in sheer horror, shuddering as though she were struggling for breath.

"No... it's- It's not possible!" uttered Starlight, unable to believe what she'd just discovered.

Sunburst hurried over to hold Starlight, and she clung to him, desperate for comfort of any kind though it did little good

"Starlight..." She looked to Midnight and Twilight as the sapphire alicorn hesitantly asked, "His cutie-mark... it's been stolen?"

"No, not stolen..." Starlight could hardly bring herself to say it, but it had to be said as she gulped and finally answered, "His cutie-mark... is destroyed!!!"

Everypony present felt their blood run cold with such incredulous horror that for a long and heavy moment. It was Luna who eventually broke the silence.
"We must find her, at all costs! We must keep this contained, secret! If word of this gets out-"

"It won't work," Midnight shook his head woefully, "This wasn't simply a declaration of undying vengeance, this was a warning! She has a power that will strike straight into the heart of ponykind and she will use it again! We can't keep this secret!!"

"A cutie-mark getting destroyed..." Spike shuddered, "Is that even possible...?"

"This is my fault!" Starlight was beginning to sob, no matter how much Sunburst tried to comfort her, "She-she invaded my mind! Gleaned through my most secret thoughts! She took what I created and made it far worse than I'd ever intended even then!"

"Starlight Glimmer..." Everypony turned to Sombra as he gave the young unicorn a hard look.

Starlight gulped and pulled away from Sunburst, hard as it was, and stepped before the dark prince before bowing in shame.

"Your creation was born of a misguided and self-righteous ideal that led you down a dark path," Sombra narrowed his eyes and spoke with a soft and deliberate tone of authority. "Now that creation is in the possession of an enemy the likes of which we have never faced before, twisted and turned into a most fearful weapon that could spell disaster for ponies everywhere.

"Though this is not your doing, you are the catalyst for the threat we now face. Thus... I charge you with this task: You must discover a way to protect ponykind from this magic that destroys cutie-marks, and, if possible, find a way to restore what has been broken. You, Starlight Glimmer, must make this right."

"I will," Starlight swore as she looked up and into Sombra's eyes with resolve despite the tears staining her cheeks, "I promise you."

"And you won't do it alone," Twilight stepped forward. "As your teacher, you shall have my aid."

"And mine," Sunburst added.

"And mine," added Midnight, and the rest of their friends present made the same vow.

Sombra and Luna shared a look of slight relief. The heroes that had defended Equestria were again answering the call without hesitation and with resolution. It was then however, Blueblood asked the question, "And what about Aunt Celestia? She has to know what we've just learned."

"Luna and I will tell her, but not just yet," Sombra promised, knowing how hard his wife was going to take this dreaded news. "Just for a little longer, let her have peace. Let her enjoy these blessed fleeting moments of serenity with her child..."

In the royal nursery, Celestia laid upon the soft and comfy blanket in the middle of the floor, her beautiful foal by her side, sleeping peacefully. The walls were painted with scenes of natural beauty Celestia had seen and witnessed firsthoof across the centuries, such as Rainbow Falls, the Tree of Harmony, the white sandy beaches of Horseshoe Bay, the lush and wondrous wilderness of Whitetail Woods. There was a tall bookcase filled with story books and picture books, a large sofa, a toy box, stuffed animals and toys set everywhere, a changing station with plenty of fresh diapers, a crib with a mobile from which hung stars, moons, flowers, clouds, a crystal lava lamp that had been a gift from Shining Armor and Cadance, the magic storybook that played vivid illusions of the stories inside that had been a gift from Midnight and Twilight had been set aside after Sol fell asleep during the first story, and as he snoozed so peacefully with his tiny head on a little plush pillow, under the quilt spun of cosmic wonders and constellations dancing upon its patches that had been a gift from his Auntie Luna, Celestia just watched him.

Her baby. Her boy. Her colt. Her son. Hers...

So quietly, so gently, she reached over and brushed a stray lock of his mane off of his beautiful face, listening to his every breath, she made a new vow. Speaking as softly as she could so as not to disturb her most dearest treasure, she vowed, "With all my strength, with all my will, with all my power, with all my heart and soul... I will protect you, whatever may come. I will allow nothing to bring you harm. I will keep you happy and safe. I will see you grow into the stallion I know will change the world and make me so proud. Because never before have I had something so precious to protect as you..."

She leaned over to give her child a soft kiss before she laid back down, her eyes upon him as she slowly allowed herself to drift away into blessed slumber. The double doors that led to the balcony gently opened as a tall figure walked inside, the gossamer curtains parting to reveal her as an alicorn with a coat soft white, a long mane the gentle red of love, her cutie-mark a maroon quill and inkwell, and her eyes a deep blue that gazed down upon her daughter... and her grandson.

Her lips pulled back into a bittersweet smile as she very gently caressed her daughter's cheek, something she hadn't done in over a thousand years.

Author's Note

"When you have a child, the world has a hostage" - Ernest Hemingway

349. Party-Prepper - Part 1

Typical day, typical routine, typical job. Which was a bit of a letdown to the blue party pony since he worked in Ponyville’s most successful party goods store. Ever since his former village (where Starlight Glimmer had lied and manipulated him alongside many others), Party Favor had been making a living in ‘Fun Times, for all your Partying Needs’ under his boss, Ms. Novelty.

One would think working in a party store would be ideal for a party pony, except…

“Ugh, boring…” Party Favor uttered as he sat before the cash register, as he did every workday.

The problem was, Party Favor only got to sell party supplies, like balloons, streamers, confetti, wrapping paper, noise-makers, cheap plastic novelty items, but it had been so long since he’d actually thrown a party!

His little sister, Pinkie Pie, along with her coltfriend, Cheese Sandwich, were the recognized party ponies of Ponyville and though he offered his services as a party-planner to many customers, they always politely turned him down because they’d already asked Pinkie or Cheese to plan their parties. It didn’t matter that Party Favor was revealed to be Pinkie’s brother or that he was a party pony too.

He’d tried to show off his own party pony skills in Ponyville Park, where he’d make the most amazing balloon-sculptures and do silly acts that never failed to make the passerby smile and laugh, and even earn a little extra money. The problem was, he just wasn’t well-known enough for anypony to consider him when they already knew Pinkie and Cheese so well.

So as much as he enjoyed working for Ms. Novelty, the job was starting to lose some of its charm.

“Party, everything all right, hon?” Party looked from the register towards Ms. Novelty, a pegasus mare about Mrs. Cake’s age and figure, with a spring green coat and mane the color of orange sherbet. Her cutie-mark was a bunch of balloons tied to a goody bag, and she wore red cat eye glasses over her caramel brown eyes.

“I’m fine, Ms. Novelty, it’s just... “ Party Favor sighed, “I can’t remember the last time I threw a party for anything! Well, actually I can, but… it had some bad party crashers.”

Ms. Novelty felt her heart hurt when she noticed Party rub the burn scar on his chest without even realizing it. She’d heard what’d happened to Party Favor’s old village and once he and all his friends and neighbors had been welcomed to Ponyville, she’d added her name and store to a list that of others offering jobs to all these new ponies so they’d have an easier time settling in.

To her delight, Party Favor had been sent her way and she was ecstatic to have a real party pony working in her store… but nopony seemed interested in hiring him to plan a party for them. She didn’t blame Party Favor at all, but she knew how sad this must be making him.

“Party Favor, why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” Party Favor gaped at his boss as Ms. Novelty nodded kindly.
“Have a nice day out, get some fresh air, maybe even spend time with your sister, Pinkie Pie! Ha, it really knocked my horseshoes off when I found out you two are siblings.”

“Ms. Novelty, are you sure? I mean, I’m not even halfway through my shift,” Party Favor was hesitant. As much as he’d quickly come to love his sister, Pinkie, they were still getting to know each other.

“Oh, get outta here, hon, you’ll still be paid for the whole day,” Ms. Novelty insisted, “Besides, business has been a little slow lately. If it weren’t for Pinkie and Cheese being such frequent customers, my business would be struggling.”

Yet another reminder of how appreciated his sister and her coltfriend were and he wasn’t. He sighed but wore a smile as he said, “Thanks, Ms. Novelty. See you tomorrow?”

“Oh no, the store will be closed for the rest of the week, Party Favor,” Ms. Novelty informed him, “I’m actually taking a train early tomorrow to go visit my brother and his family. I’m really looking forward to seeing my nieces and nephews!

“So, you have the next four days off. Make the most of it and I’ll see you next week.”

As Ms. Novelty went back to her office, Party Favor gave it a thought before deciding, Maybe I should talk to Pinkie. I haven’t taken the time to spend some big brother-little sister time with her yet.

However, Party Favor didn’t find Pinkie Pie at her home and job at Sugarcube Corner, where Mr. & Mrs. Cake told him that Pinkie was going out of town for a few days but if he hurried he could see her before her train arrived.

Hurried he did, and he saw Pinkie standing on the platform with her friend, the white fashionista unicorn, Rarity. They were both excitedly discussing something and Party Favor felt uncertain as to whether he should interrupt them or bother Pinkie when she was about to head out. She made the decision for him however once she spotted him.

“Party Favor!!” Pinkie waved at him with a big smile, “C’mon over here! C’mon-c’mon-c’mon!”

Unable to hold back a chuckle at his sister’s exuberance and came her way, and she quickly closed the gap to wrap her forelegs around him in a big and supersqueezy hug, which left the blue unicorn briefly breathless before Pinkie let him go.

“Hiya, big brother, heehee!” Pinkie giggled, sounding so happy, “I love saying that so much, almost as much as I love you, Party Favor!”

“Uh-heh-heh, well, I was actually hoping to spend a little quality time with you, little sis,” Party Favor replied, sounding hopeful but at the same time a touch nervous.

“Well, Rarity and I are actually waiting for a train to take us to Manehatten,” Pinkie explained, “She’s scouting a location to open a new boutique and I’m gonna visit our sister, Maud! Wanna come?”

Party Favor hid his disappointment well, as he’d hoped that he could spend some time with Pinkie, he wasn’t really keen on sharing that time with Maud. Although they’d made amends back in Nickerlite during Hearth’s Warming, Party Favor and Maud’s relationship remained as vague and distant as Maud herself. It baffled him how Pinkie was so close to Maud when he himself had never been so.

“Um, actually…” Party Favor’s ears pressed downwards as he looked down at his hooves in slight disappointment. “I… just wanted to wish you luck with that! I think you and Maud will have a great time!”

Somehow, looking upon her brother and seeing the way he forced a far-too-wide smile, Pinkie could tell something wasn’t sitting well with him.

He seems… down, she thought before she was struck with inspiration!

“Well in that case, big brother, why don’cha hang out with Cheese?”

“Your… coltfriend? Really?” Party Favor was confused.

Pinkie nodded her head excitedly.
“Yeah! He’s been around me for some time, so hanging out with him could be like hanging out with me,” explained Pinkie with her typical Pinkie logic.

Party Favor gave it a thought and as weird as hanging out with his sister’s coltfriend sounded, especially after the way she worded it… it actually appealed to him somehow. After all, Cheese Sandwich was a party pony too.
Maybe he can help me out or give me some tips on how I can up my partying game.

“Well, I guess it’d be something to do,” Party Favor shrugged, “Ms. Novelty gave me some time off and I suppose I oughta get to know my little sister’s coltfriend.”

“That’s the spirit!” Pinkie gave Party Favor a hug when a distant train whistle perked their ears and she gasped. “Uh-oh! My train’s coming! Well, Party, you’ll probably find Cheese over at Pepper Pony’s, if he’s not on break yet.”

“Okay, thanks,” Party Favor pulled Pinkie into a hug and warmly said, “Have a good time, little sister.”

“I will, and I’ll bring you back a souvenir!” Pinkie offered as the train pulled in, the breaks making an obnoxious screechy sound before it came to a complete stop.

“Tally ho, Pinkie Pie!” Rarity called as they waited fro the arrivals to exit the train, “Manehatten awaits!”

“Bye-bye, big brother!” Pinkie then hopped away to join Rarity while Party Favor left the station to make his way to the pizza parlor.

The walk there didn’t take long, and the ‘Pepper Pony’s’ sign sported a picture of a pizza with a hoofprint cutout, a soft drink, and now included a doughnut with pink glaze and rainbow sprinkles. After all, Chili Spice, or Auntie Spice as she insisted everypony call her, had been married to and gone into business with Doughnut Joe for the last five years, and now had a little colt, Pepper Flake.

Entering, he saw business was busy but not overwhelming, as Joe pony’d the cash register, Auntie Spice was cooking in the kitchen, and there was Cheese, serving a pizza pie fresh from the oven to Noteworthy Blues and his two fillyfriends, Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon, serving with a smile… and a surprise confetti-popper that spurred a laugh out of the happy trio, and Cheese Sandwich was courteous enough to make sure none of it got on their pizza.

Party Favor, upon seeing Cheese doing his thing, just didn’t want to disturb the happy atmosphere that was going on. However, the semi-hyperactive stallion suddenly felt a tremor as his whole body began to shudder, and he felt a very familiar sensation of his cutie-mark squashing and stretching on his flanks before he hopped up with a happy “Whoo-hoo-hoo-HOO! Now that’s a doozy!”

As the sensation left him, with a destination and mission in mind, Cheese’s eyes drifted to the entrance of the pizza parlor where stood-

“Party Favor! Well, ain’t this swell as swiss!” Cheese Sandwich bounced over, smiling like a schoolcolt, “There’s a party in the works that needs the help of a party pony, but two would be better!”

“Uh- Really?” Party Favor hadn’t been expecting this. He’d heard of Cheese Sandwich’s Cheesie Sense, much like his sister’s Pinkie Sense, which allowed the orange party pony to sense when a party was being planned that needed help and where it was going to take place, but this was the first time he’d ever witnessed it.

He liked to think he had his own sort of party pony sense, having had vibes and gut instincts that helped him to make others laugh and smile when they were in need of it. Though these sensations were never as… apparent as what he’d just seen.

“Well, I actually have the rest of the week off and… Lately, I’ve been feeling a little down, but this could be the perfect pick-me-up!”

“Great! Then pack your gags and decorations, my fellow purveyor of partying,” Cheese pulled Party Favor into a one-foreleg hug as he held out his free hoof towards the window, “`cuz we’re going to…”

One train ride later…

“SIRE’S HOLLOW!!!” Cheese declared as he and Party Favor stood outside the gated community.

It was a cozy yet pristine looking town, not so dissimilar to Ponyville yet it had an archaic touch of modernization. An odd sense of old yet new. But that wasn’t all it had. Oh no! Because even from outside the wrought iron gates, Cheese and Party Favor could hear the calliope of carnival music and see the flag flying above a rather familiar big top.

A wave of nostalgia washed over them both as they shared a look and saw it in each other’s eyes that both were thinking the same thing. Party Favor quickly blew up some balloons and formed them into stilts beneath his hooves the slowly allowed him to ascend and get a better look at what was going on in town.

To his delight, he saw a very familiar sign over the entrance to a large circus tent, and quickly hopped off his balloon stilts, which blew away in high squeaky, raspberry-sounding form, and landed next to Cheese who had a giddy hopeful look, to which Party Favor confirmed with a nickering nod and giddy smile… and they both burst with joy (and confetti) as they yelled, “YAY!!!”

Then, without hesitation, both entered the gates, hearing a strange automated voice say ‘Welcome to Sire’s Hollow’, and took in the town square, with a fountain as its centerpiece. But the area was filled with the locals, along with their visitors, circus performers, and everything was decorated with streamers, banners, balloons, and even silly string! They saw jugglers, acrobats, carnival stands and games, vendors selling soda, popcorn, carrotdogs, cotton candy, and everypony was having a grand time.

“I can’t believe the party I sensed in the works is gonna happen here of all places!” Cheese smiled so big and wide.
“I know, do you think it’s for him?” asked Party Favor when a PA system rang and everyone paused to listen.

“Attention fillies and gentlecolts, please gather inside the Big Top, because in exactly fifteen minutes the show will begin!”

Cheers and whoops and shouts of joy rang out and everypony started making their way to the circus tent. Cheese and Party Favor shared am excited smile as Cheese suggested, “Let’s get our tickets right now, or all the gouda seats will be taken!”

“I hope they’re not out!” Party Favor prayed.

Thankfully, the ticket vendor still had a few tickets left, and immediately after getting theirs, the two party ponies hurried inside and found some good seats close to the center ring. Just as they were sitting down, the lights dimmed… and a spotlight shined down upon a pony in the center ring. He was a white earth pony stallion with a dark gold mane and mustache, blue eyes, he wore a vibrant red jacket and a large top hat, signifying he was the ringmaster, and his cutie-mark was three intersecting rings.

“Fillies and gentlecolts, Colts and fillies of all ages!” he said through into a mic, sounding boisterous and excited and adding just a touch of anticipation to his voice.
“To start off, thank you all for making us feel right at home here in Sire’s Hollow! It makes our hearts soar to see you all enter our humble little circus and leave with great memories and satisfied that you had a great time. But you’re not here to listen to this old windbag of a ringmaster, am I right?”

“NO!!” the crowd responded in good fun, making the ringmaster laugh.

“Well then, let’s not delay the fun any longer! So without further ado, fillies and gentlecolts, prepare yourselves for the astounding antics of Equestria’s silliest star…”

The ringmaster pointed to what was obviously a party cannon and shouted, “PONYACCI!!!”

The party cannon blew and in a burst of glitter, confetti, and trailing ribbons launched a pony dressed as a clown in a white and purple costume with a yellow collar, white makeup on his face with pink circles on the corners of his mouth, a yellow star in the middle of his forehead, a clownish cowlick of blue hair with a magenta streak and a party hat on top of his head.

“Wa-hey-hey, party ponies!” Ponyacci cheered as he landed on a huge bouncy ball, bounced off of it, somersaulted through the air and landed in a giant custard pie…

...and burst out of a huge balloon on the other side of the center ring, popping loudly as he called out, “Who’s ready to laugh?!”

The crowd went wild as Ponycci got to it.

He played music with a one-pony band, did tricks swinging on the trapeze and juggled a one-ton weight, a bowling ball, and a pink walrus with his hind hooves while balancing himself on one of his forehooves on a ball, and between every stunt and trick and display of his manic mastery, he told jokes that never failed to leave the audience members doubled over in laughter!

And the two party ponies in the audience loved every single moment, as it took them back.

Cheese Sandwich remembered the days he learned clowning and performing under Ponyacci. After he was adopted, his parents taught him all they knew about music and jokes but felt he deserved the best tutor. So they got him an apprenticeship in Ponyacci’s circus, where Cheese spent three crazy weeks learning all kinds of awesome tricks and gags and jokes from Ponyacci.

Party Favor was even more happy. He remembered the day, back when he was still Basalt Pie, he ran away from home, he hopped the first train out of Nickerlite and never looked back. Fate smiled upon him that the train he stowed away on was the circus train Ponyacci lived with, along with his troop! Although some of the troop were angry and annoyed by the young colt’s presence, Ponyacci saw something in the colt and asked his name.

The runaway colt was afraid of being sent back to his miserable life on that rock farm… so he made up a new name, and introduced himself as Party Favor and that he wanted to make ponies laugh. For the next few years, Party Favor lived as a member of the circus troop while learning about clowning and joking from Ponyacci. It was when the clown gave Party Favor lessons in sculpting balloons that the little unicorn earned his cutie-mark and discovered how he could make the most amazing balloon sculptures! At Ponyacci’s suggestion, Party Favor began a correspondence course in magic to improve his skills in partying and making even more amazing balloon art.

Eventually, Party Favor decided he wanted to go his own way and was given a warm send-off from his mentor and the troop.

If only that turned out a little differently... Party Favor thought a tad glumly but seeing his old mentor performing again lifted him back out of that funk.

Other members of the troop joined Ponyacci in performing, such as juggling, acrobatics, silly stunts and gags, and more musical performances. Every now and then Ponyacci took a break so other performers could entertain the crowd, but he always came back to make them smile and laugh and whoop and cheer.

After a good long performance, the show was over and as all the performers stood around the center ring to take a bow, everypony noticed Ponyacci walk to the middle, a spotlight shining on him. As he did however, Party Favor couldn’t help but notice… the way Ponyacci was dragging his hooves, hanging his head, until he stood in the middle and as the crowd died down after giving the performers their applause, he took a mic and cleared his throat.

“Well, everypony, I hope each and everyone of you had a great time! I know I did, along with the rest of the troop. For many years, I’ve performed and no matter how many times I heard the laughter and saw the smiles, how many times I traveled with my troop to various towns and cities to perform at, how many times I inspired joy and wonder and lasting memories, I always thought ‘There was nothing else I’d rather do than be a clown’.

“I love being a clown. I love making ponies laugh, making them happy, giving them a wonderful experience to remember fondly long after the show is over. But life… Well, life doesn’t work that way. At least, not forever. It may surprise you, ponies of Sire’s Hollow, that I was actually born here, a long time ago, when this circus had stopped here on its first tour when it was starting out, so even though this circus is my home and my family, Sire’s Hollow has always held a special place in my heart, which… is why I felt it only made sense that I do this here.”

The sadness in Ponyacci’s voice was unmistakable, as the ponies in the crowd were murmuring with concern and confusion before Ponyacci finally announced, “It is with bittersweet acceptance that I make this decision as I tell you all that tonight was my last show.”

Almost immediately, there was a stunned silence that was quickly followed by confused and upset chattering as Ponyacci continued.

“For some time now, I’ve been struggling with a fact that I didn’t want to accept as the truth, but it is a truth no matter how much I wish it were otherwise - I’m getting old, and though my love of clowning around remains as strong and vibrant as ever, I can’t keep this up anymore. Even in my youth and my prime, performing and clowning and everything else was a dedication and a resolve to work hard, and I haven't been a young pony for a while now. Please don’t be sad, everypony, because though I’m retiring I hope that I gave you a fond memory to look back on and that I inspire other hopeful would-be clowns to follow the dream all us clowns share - To make you laugh and smile.”

…

Cheese Sandwich was the one who initiated the applause and one by one the others in the audience applauded as well, before it swelled into one of deepest appreciation, admiration, and acceptance.

All except for Party Favor, who couldn’t help but shed a tear to hear that his old mentor, who had been more a father to him than his own had been when he was a foal, was hanging up the clown wig.

Why had Cheese Sandwich’s Cheesie Sense brought them here if Ponyacci was retiring? What party could possibly be in the planning stages in the wake of this? Whatever it was, Party Favor intended to make it a good one.

Author's Note

This takes place during "The Gift of the Maud Pie"

350. Party-Prepper - Part 2

"PARTY FAVOR!!" "You're back!" "Oh, don't you look so grownup!" "And handsome too, especially your friend here..."

Needless to say, the circus troop was ecstatic to see Party Favor again as they crowded him, speaking excitedly, and somewhat making the cotton candy blue unicorn a tad uncomfortable yet was happy to see them again as well.

"Uh- Thanks, everyone, it's good to see you all as well," Party Favor raised his voice, "but can you give me a little room, please?"

"Oh sorry, hon," said the dance choreographer, Light Step, the circus's head dancer and acrobatics expert, an earth pony with a coat of spring green, a mane of pale yellow like magnolia that was shaved at the sides while the rest grew down from the top into a flowing ponytail at the nape of the neck, and eyes colored aquamarine, with a skintight colorful dance suit concealing Light Step's cutie-mark.
"But honestly, dear, it's been so long! Oh, but where are my manners?"

The... stallion? Mare? Cheese could exactly tell which, as the pony approached him and said, "You can only be the famous Cheese Sandwich! The troop and I have heard about your partythrowing expertise from many places we've performed at! I take it... you and our little Party Favor are here because you somehow got wind of a party we're planning?"

"Uh- Yes! As a matter of fact," Cheese pulled Party Favor over, "My Cheesy Sense was a'tingling and Party Favor asked to come along to help me throw a party that I sensed was being planned here in Sire's Hollow! We had no idea your circus would be here, though."

"Well that's fantastic, darlings!" Light Step clapped hooves before getting pushy, "Although I have a feeling you probably want to talk to a certain somepony..."

Party Favor and Cheese shared a look before the former asked, "If that's okay...?"

"You'll find ol' Ponyacci in his wagon," Light Step made a shoo-shoo motion, "Go on, we'll be right here when you get back."

"Thanks, Light," Party Favor nodded as he and Cheese moved along.

When he was sure they were out of earshot, Cheese reluctantly brought up, "Uh, Party? About Light Step..."

"Dude or gal?" Party Favor guessed with an amused chuckle and Cheese nodded, looking uncertain. "Relax, you're not the first to be uncertain of Light Step's gender and you won't be the last. Light Step doesn't identify as a stallion or a mare. Light Step identifies as Non-Binary, as in neither, so when you refer to Light Step, you use the singular they."

"No kidding!" Cheese Sandwich was honestly surprised. "Huh... I've met all kinds of ponies and other creatures who identified or swung one way or the other, Light Step might be a first for me. Do you... know what their physical gender is?"

"Honestly, no!" Party Favor shrugged with a laugh, "As far as I know, nopony in the troop does! Light Step has never revealed their biological gender and they don't care to. They behave so genderfluid that nopony can guess for sure. Now enough about Light Step, there's Ponyacci's wagon."

Up ahead was a colorful wagon with Ponyacci's image painted on one side and a private tent that extended off the other, and as they got closer they hear a splashing. Quietly, they walked around and saw the clown who was Ponyacci, still garbed in his costume but obviously washing off his makeup. He must have had good ears because he said, "Be right with ya in a moment..."

"Ponyacci?"

The voice had changed but the clown recognized it just the same. He stood up straight, revealing his cream orange coat, his short white balding mane, and turned around to reveal his amber eyes wide with growing recognition, which made the age lines around them all the more apparent. He was tall and skinny, like Cheese Sandwich, although he was a tad heavier, presumably his age making it harder to maintain a healthy figure, and as he removed his costume, he never took his eyes off Party Favor though he did notice Cheese Sandwich as well, and gave them both a fatherly smile.

"Hey boys, still helping others to laugh and smile I hope," he welcomed them kindly.

"Hiya Ponyacci," Cheese Sandwich stepped forward, Party Favor following, as they gave their old mentor a warm hug for a long and tender moment before they broke apart and Cheese sadly said, "We, uh... we caught the show."

"Yeah, I expect you did," Ponyacci nodded with a sad smile, "So you also caught my announcement, I take it."

"You're really gonna retire, Ponyacci?" Party Favor asked sadly, "But- You love performing! There's no clown or even another party pony quite like you! I would never have become a party pony if it weren't for you!"

"Me either," added Cheese Sandwich.

"Well boys, it's like I said in my announcement," sighed Ponyacci as he soaked his rainbow-dyed tail to wash it out, "I've been a clown for a very long time. Why, I was treading the boards before either of you were born. Traveling from town to town, performing night after night... I love being a clown - I love making ponies laugh because that's the party pony way - But even for a young pony, it's hard work, and like I said before... I haven't been a young pony in a very long time."

Ponyacci tilted his head back as he wringed his tail dry, "All I want to do in life is to make ponies laugh. Comedy is even in my cutie-mark."

Party Favor and Cheese Sandwich looked upon their mentor's flank and saw the white comedy mask with a purple shade they were so familiar with. Its simplicity somehow made its meaning and the life's purpose of the pony whose flank it was on so perfectly clear. Ponyacci was a clown and a party pony through and through! Sure, he didn't plan parties all that much, but a party pony's purpose in life was to make others laugh and smile, and Ponyacci had done that a thousand times over to the thousandth power!

Cheese remembered the mere three weeks he'd spent learning about clowning and joking and performing from Ponyacci. Brief as it had been, it'd left a lasting impression from which he continued to draw inspiration to this day. His folks had gotten him those private sessions with Ponyacci and they'd been time well spent, as Cheese had learned so much from his old mentor.

As for Party Favor, it hit him rather harder. He hadn't even known he'd run away from Nickerlite and his family on a circus train that had just been passing through to stock up on coal and supplies. It was a remarkable surprise to wake up in one of the boxcars to Ponyacci smiling kindly down at him, asking the young colt where he'd came from. Party Favor had been hesitant to talk about his hometown and family apart from how miserable they'd made him. He even refused to acknowledge his birth name, Basalt Pie. So Ponyacci had cheered up the colt with a few jokes and silly tricks. It'd been the tricks that involved balloons that had enthralled the colt and somewhere along the line Ponyacci gave him a new name, and Party Favor held onto those memories as fondly as he did with his Grandma Pie.

"But being a clown is draining, and I just can't keep performing like I used to," Ponyacci said sadly, "So, I've decided to retire."

The two younger party ponies shared a sad look before Cheese asked, "Are you sure about this, Ponyacci?"

"I'm afraid I'm just too old to perform like I did in my prime," Ponyacci nodded as he moved to the door into his wagon, "After I pack up, I'm going to resign from the circus and find a place to stay here in Sire's Hollow."

Noticing his old students' sad looks, Ponyacci gave them a warm smile, "But it makes me happy to know that Equestria- No, the whole wide world has young party ponies like you both to be around to make sure everyone will be able to laugh and smile, so do an old clown a favor boys?"

"Anything, Ponyacci," Cheese and Party Favor nodded.

"Keep clowning, and maybe inspire others to follow in our hoofsteps so that there's always cheer and laughter," Ponyacci couldn't hold back the bittersweet tear as he entered his wagon while saying, "As for me, well... Every performer needs to know when to leave the stage."

The door closed behind Ponyacci as he entered his wagon and the two young stallions shared a troubled look before Party Favor said, "We have to do something."

"Well, I don't think we can change his mind, Party," Cheese hated to say, "My dad taught me a lot about performing but he can't do half the stuff he used to nowadays. I'm sorry to say, but age catches up to everyone no matter what we do or think or say."

"Then we have to make sure Ponyacci gets a party worthy of the inspiration and happiness he's given his entire career!" declared Party Favor. "We're gonna help the troop put together a par-tay that Ponyacci will remember for the rest of his life!"

"You're right! Let's go talk to Light Step and the troop," Cheese Sandwich gestured and they started headed back to the Big Top.

"...Cheese?" Cheese Sandwich looked to Party Favor as they trotted. "Would it be okay if... I took the lead here? I know the troop, I have some ideas, and it'd mean a lot to me."

"Oh sure, bud!" Cheese Sandwich smiled at Party Favor as they stepped into the large tent, "This one's all you! I bet you'll make a party that Ponyacci will remember so well he won't be nearly as sad about retiring!"

"Thanks, Cheese," Party Favor smiled gratefully when they saw the troop ahead, all looking anxious to hear about what happened. Putting on his game face, Party Favor exclaimed, "Let's do this!"

The next morning, Ponyacci was checking over his things, making sure he'd packed everything. Today, he was going to check with the Sire's Hollow real estate office, hoping there was a house for sale. If he didn't have enough money saved he planned to sell his wagon, which was another depressing thought. Looking around, he saw his boxes, labeled 'Wigs', 'Costumes', 'Exploding Things', Rubber Chickens', and so much more, and the very thought of them all being left in storage to collect dust?

He was on the verge of shedding a tear when-

"Letter for Mr. Ponyacci!" Ponyacci turned to see an excited-looking Party Favor, dressed up like a mail-carrier, holding a letter in his aura, which he kindly offered to the old clown.

The moment Ponyacci accepted it, Party Favor quickly zipped away, vanishing around another wagon as Ponyacci opened the envelope. It read only three words:

Look This Way

Followed by a yellow arrow pointing to the right, and Ponyacci did just that and saw a big red and yellow box labeled 'SURPRISES'. He went over to check it out and the moment his hoof barely touched the box-

*PFOOOOOOOMMMMM/FWEEEEEEEE*

Out popped Party Favor in a explosive burst of colorful confetti as he blew a noise-maker at Ponyacci and a musical number started up.

[Party Favor]
Oh Ponyacci, Ponyacci
What's got you feeling blue?
(Party Favor led his old mentor into the Big Top, where awaited the entire circus troop, with a party ready just for their beloved clown)

You're tired of performing
And so you think you're through!
(Party Favor danced around on a large bouncy ball, expertly bouncing against the poles of the Big Top and landing in the middle of the center ring)

But Ponyacci, Ponyacci
Please don't look so down
(Party Favor took cans of silly string and blew them all around onto rising balloons that carried them upwards)

`Cause the best way to cheer up a clown is with another clown!
(Party Favor bounced into a box of props and popped out alongside Cheese Sandwich, the both of them costumed and make-up'd as clowns)

[Cheese Sandwich]
Oh Ponyacci's famous for his many brilliant tricks!
(Cheese Sandwich was playing his accordion as bubbles blew around him and some of the performers in the troop)

[Circus Performers]
He juggles knives
(Two jugglers and Party Favor juggled knives between the three of them with the skill and expertise that came from years of practice)

He swallows fire
(A performer took a swig of alcohol and blew on a torch, creating a plume of beautiful flame)

He spins plates `round on sticks!
(Three acrobats span plates on sticks while also throwing plates to each other like frisbees and catching them on the sticks)

[Party Favor and Cheese Sandwich]
His corny jokes are legendary
They're known the whole world `round

"I washed my dog with spot-remover and now he can't be found!"

"I suppose you and the troop are also trying to convince me not to quit, Light Step?" Ponyacci gave an amused raise of his brow to the choreographer as they and the rest of the circus dancers danced with the music.

"Oh, we're just happy to be a part of this party in your honor," Light Step gave Ponyacci a wave and wink before they said to their dancers, "Step, kick, pivot, kick, walk, walk, walk!"

[Party Favor]
So put on your costume
And powder your face
(Party Favor burst with balloons, suddenly begin garbed in a clown costume, unaware that his balloons rose up to the top of the tent....)

Give yourself a chance
to finish your race
(...while a few balloons popped, scaring some of the circus animals but no one noticed)

Keep dancing on that stage
Until the curtain falls
(The circus animals finally made themselves known as they ran around, ponies scrambling to get out of the way, especially from Zumba, the circus's biggest elephant as she charged for the main support pole!)

And laugh, Ponyacci, laaaaaauuugh!!!

(Party Flavor rolled out a party cannon and blew it, releasing a burst of confetti, glitter, and streamers, masking some of the chaos already in progress)

*K'KRACK/"AAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!""LOOK OOOOOUUUUUUUTTTT!!!""It's falling!"*

Party Favor looked around in sudden realization of what was going on! Now that the blast from his party cannon (which had been a gift from Pinkie Pie) had settled, he saw members of the troop running around, trying to calm the animals, others trying to avoid getting charged, the rest running for the opening as the Big Top was coming down, knocking apart the rest of the support poles, ripping out the mooring lines, and more damage resulting.

No... no, no! Party Favor couldn't believe this was happening. This was supposed to be an amazing party, thrown by him, to honor his mentor, the greatest party pony and clown in all of Equestria!

"Party Favor, c'mon!" Cheese Sandwich grabbed Party Favor and led him out of the tent just as it was about to come down on him, and they hurried over to the rest of the troop, who'd gathered at the fringes, while several other circus ponies worked to calm down the animals and get them safely back into their pens.

Party Favor turned around and looked at the collapsed Big Top, parts of it still suspended by the poles that had broken and splintered, ragged streamers blowing askew, and dirty confetti littering down upon the whole situation as loosened balloons began to float away.

As everyone converged, including some of the locals of Sire's Hollow who'd stepped out to see what was going on, a depression fell upon everypony present. Party Favor most of all.

Falling back onto his haunches, he looked speechless and devastated at the ruined party as he felt his heart hurt with shame and disappointment, in himself and in his selfishness. He couldn't stop the tears as he stood up and looked to Ponyacci, who likewise looked just as sad when he noticed his old ward looking at him and blinked with surprise at how the younger party pony was crying... before he ran off.

"Party Favor?! Wha- Hold on there, kid!" Ponyacci almost hurried after Party Favor when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked to see a sad Cheese Sandwich.

"I... I think Party Favor needs a little time to himself, Ponyacci."

"...Maybe," Ponyacci sighed as he looked down the way Party Favor had run off, "but he needs somepony to talk to."

Some murmurs and chatters got started before the ringmaster called out, "Alright, everypony, let's get this place cleaned up."

Down at Sire's Hollow train station, Party Favor awaited the next train out, even though he'd already checked and knew it would be hours. He felt so ashamed and awful and stupid and pathetic, but most of all he felt selfish.

I wasn't even supposed to be here... he thought as he wiped the tear stains from his cheeks. This was supposed to be Cheese's gig, I just horned in. I... just wanted...

"Going my way?"

Party Favor flinched but managed to look up and felt his heart sink to see his old mentor. The fact that Ponyacci was giving him a kind smile somehow just made it hurt even more as the old clown sat beside him, but Ponyacci didn't say anything or press him. He was content to wait for Party Favor to get it off his chest.

...

"I... I just wanted to prove I'm a good party pony." Ponyacci didn't reply, allowing Party Favor to explain himself, "After I left the circus, I was lost. I wound up somewhere I thought would make be happy and feel better, but it was a lie. Cheese Sandwich and my sister, Pinkie Pie, they and their friends showed up and showed me and my friends that we'd been misguided into believing the wrong things.

"And just when it seemed like things were gonna be better, something even more horrible happened. It's how I got this burn scar on me," Party Favor touched the scar that was on the side of his chest, close to his shoulder.
"Pinkie and Cheese's friends, Princess Twilight and Prince Midnight, they gave me and my friends all a new home in Ponyville. It's great place to live, full of friends and good neighbors, but... even though I'm a party pony, nopony there asks me to throw parties for them. They ask Pinkie or Cheese instead, so... as awful as it is to admit, I'm jealous! I'm jealous of my sister and her coltfriend and I just got so tired of being passed over and ignored that I-I wanted for everyone to see me the way-"

Party Favor began to choke up and heave as he struggled in vain to keep calm as he began to sob, and felt Ponyacci put a foreleg around the young stallion's shoulders and gave him a comforting hug, encouraging Party Favor without words to let it all out.

They sat that way for a long while, and when Party Favor finally began to calm down, Ponyacci started speaking.
"I get where you're coming from, son. Everypony wants the chance to be appreciated for their talents and what they have to offer. And despite what you might think, being jealous doesn't make you a bad pony, it makes you equine. It's when you do the wrong things because of your jealousy that it turns ugly, for yourself and for those around you.

"If it helps, your performance was actually excellent."

Party Favor wiped his tears and looked to his old mentor, a little incredulous by Ponyacci's words as the older stallion noted, "Fine singing, good juggling, the balancing you did on that ball though could use a little work. Like... If you inflate it a little more, it'd give you a firmer stance.

"And that party cannon, a Z & R model? Try using two parts glitter to one part confetti, it'd give you a bigger bang. The music you arranged well, though if you had a string section that might be even better. Decent lyrics, except for the oblique rhyme at the end..."

But by this time, Party Favor had begun to zone out from Ponyacci's words as inspiration slowly began to light up his mind that he couldn't help but beam before he gasped, "That's it!"

He pointed at Ponyacci, the older stallion flinching a moment before Party Favor declared, "You don't have to be a clown - You should teach clowns!"

"Teach...?" Ponyacci quickly found the proposal appealing, "Huh! I never would have thought of that."

"Why not?! You taught me back when I was a colt, and you even gave Cheese Sandwich some tutoring," Party Favor pointed out, "Just now, you pointed out how to improve the performance I just gave, apart from the ending... But you could help other ponies become better clowns!"

Ponyacci thought about it more and more and the more he did the bigger he smiled as he said, "I wouldn't have to travel so much... I wouldn't have to perform every night!"

"You could help aspiring clowns come into their own and leave your mark on comedy at the same time!" added Party Favor.

"Party Favor, you're a genius! I can keep being funny without having to perform!" Ponyacci pulled his old protégé into an extra-squeezy hug of warm and happy gratitude, "This is wonderful!"

"You'll be a great teacher, Ponyacci," Party Favor smiled back, "I should know! If I hadn't met you, I don't know what kind of pony I'd have turned out to be."

"Aw, you'd have found your way," Ponyacci assured. "But right now, I think we should go back to the troop and help them out, and give them the good news."

Taking a deep breath, Party Favor nodded and said, "Let's go."

Needless to say, Ponyacci's announcement of teaching was a huge and truly pleasant surprise to the circus troop that the ringmaster offered to help Ponyacci in any way the circus could. Party Favor apologized to all his old friends and to Cheese for how the party didn't turn out well, but was easily forgiven.

"After all, it was all just an accident," Cheese had pointed out how some of the props had accidentally loosened the ropes holding up the Big Top and advised the ringmaster to double-check them from now on to ensure they stayed secure.

The circus was cleaned up and soon the troop was getting ready to pack up and move on. Still, it was most bittersweet that their beloved Ponyacci wouldn't be joining them though they were glad he had found a new way to continue his legacy as a clown and wished him all the best in the world.

At the train station, Ponyacci saw his two old students off before they disembarked.
"I'm real glad you boys came along when you did. Otherwise I'm not sure what I would have done after I retired from the circus."

"We're happy that you'll continue clowning and hope you'll teach your future students just as well as you taught us," replied Cheese Sandwich.
"And I hope you let us know when you've gotten your clown teaching started," Party Favor asked, "What are you gonna do next?"

"Believe it or not, I'm actually thinking of founding my own clown school!" Ponyacci happily declared, "I think I'll call it... Ponyacci's School of Clowning, Japes, and Buffoonery!"

"Sounds good to us!" Cheese and Party Favor smiled in excited approval.

"All aboard for Ponyville!"

"That's our train," Cheese Sandwich noted before he pulled his old teacher and his friend into a hug, "We're really grateful, Ponyacci, for everything you taught us."
"Yeah, and I can't wait to see all the aspiring clowns you'll guide to spread laughs and smiles across Equestria," added Party Favor.

"And you boys keep doing the same," Ponyacci smiled back before telling Party Favor, "and you keep putting yourself out there. Everypony will recognize your talents as a party pony just as they do your sister and Cheese. You boys keep in touch, alright?"

"We will, Ponyacci," promised the two young party ponies before they boarded their train and smiled and waved out the windows, calling, "So long!"

Ponyacci waved and kept waving as the train pulled out of the station and until he couldn't see them anymore in the distance, all the while smiling so happy and proud, wondering if this was what it felt like to be a proud dad.

351. A Hearth's Warming Tale

Author's Note

Blueblood - Snowfall Freeze

Thunderlane - Thunder Crash

Button Mash - Young Crash

Cheese Sandwich - Shaken Barley
Party Favor - Stirrup Barley

Sweetie Belle - The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past

Pinkie Pie - Fizzy Pop

Rarity - Crystal

Big Mac - The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present

Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Rumble - As Thunder Crash and Young Crash's Family

Midnight - The Spirit of Hearth's Warmth Yet to Come

Spike - Charles Drakkens / The Narrator

Little Discord - Little Discord / Comic Relief

351. A Hearth's Warming Tale

Past Canterhorn, through the wintry chill, lay the friendly, warm town known as Ponyville. Winter had come thus naught could bereave everypony's cheer for Hearth's Warming Eve. Every window was flocked, every lamppost was dressed and everypony just had to sing their holiday best.

Ponies' voices fill the night
(The Ponies of Ponyville moved to and fro in an excited hurry to decorate as much of their town as equinely possible, hanging lights, wrapping ribbons, and stealing kisses under the mistletoe)

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again

Happy hearts, so full and bright

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again

Oh, what a sight!
Look at the light
(Everypony gazed up in a particular wonder at the sight of the Castle of Friendship as it gave off a joyous radiance...)

All for tonight
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again
(...as carolers gave their singing a little more soul)

Clouds arranged so they're just so
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again
(Soarin and Rainbow Dash led the Weather Team in making sure the winter clouds they'd ordered were all located exactly where they needed to be...)

Gonna make some awesome snow
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again
(...in order for the snowfall to achieve the perfect display of a winter wonderland)

The chill wind blows
Making a show
Snowflakes aglow
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again
(The effect was greatly improved by holiday lights giving the snowbanks and falling snowflakes a resplendent glow)

Inside the main hall of the Castle of Friendship...

A day that's filled with songs to sing
Ding-Dong, Ding-Dong-Ding
(Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich, along with many other ponies, were decorating every inch of the castle as they could)

Cakes an' pastries we shall bring
Ding-Dong, Ding-Dong-Ding
(Applejack, Thunderlane, along with the Cake Family were providing all kinds of delectable holiday treats)

We're busy and so merry
Windigoes should all be wary
As our mighty voices carry
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Decorations we shall make
(Rarity and Blueblood were supervising the decoration of the holiday trees...)

Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again

Perfection you just cannot fake
(...and also giving away free holiday hats and custom-made decorations, provided by wife and husband respectively)

Heart's Warming Eve is here once again

Not one mistake
(While Blueblood was making a decoration, Rarity watched as Ditzy Doo carried a fragile decoration towards the top of a tree...)
Don't let that break
(...and jinxed the poor pegasus into dropping it to the floor in a tinkly smash)
For goodness' sake!
(Blueblood calmed his wife down by providing a backup he'd already prepared and smiling to Ditzy to assure her no foul)
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again

Happy, Happy Hearth's Warming, Happy, Happy Hearth's Warming Eve
(The main doors opened and in came Big Macintosh, pulling a wagon full of presents, along with Granny Smith, Faerie Tail, Twinken, Fluttershy, and her and Big Mac's twins Belle and Sandow, as the mares and colt gave presents to every pony they passed by, the foals giggling happily

And everypony came together with a proud holiday declaration:)
Hearth's Warming Eve is here once again!

Yes, all of Ponyville looked forward to holiday fun, except for two ponies who simply thought, Ho-hum.

As noon passed, the locals of Ponyville were lined up and waiting their turn to enter the Castle of Friendship, each and every one of them excited for the performance that Prince Midnight had announced at the beginning of the holiday season.

"I'm so excited!" Twilight was at the doors, welcoming everypony in, "This pageant is going to be simply magical! Are you guys as excited as I am?"

Joining Twilight were Starlight and Sunburst though neither of them looked at all as though they were enjoying themselves, but rather going through the motions as they directed the attendees which way to go in the castle.
"Actually, Twilight, Sunburst and I were thinking we'd just skip the pageant."
"Yes, I think we'd rather focus on our studies instead of all this holiday hoo-ha."

"What?!" gasped Twilight, along with several attendees who'd overheard, Starlight and Sunburst shrinking back a bit at all their gaping looks of disbelief. Twilight lit up her horn, conjuring signs that pointed the directions to take for all the arrivals before she teleported herself and the two unicorns to the upper floor.
"You can't mean to say you're skipping Hearth's Warming Eve!"

"I just find it all a little silly," Starlight shrugged with a wave of her hoof.

"Yes, all the songs and decorating," Sunburst droned while straightening his glasses, "I think it'd be better to make more practical use of the time than get all kerbobbled over presents and candy and such."

"But Hearth's Warming Eve is about so much more than presents and candy," Twilight gently insisted, "It's a time to spend with friends and family when we celebrate a very important day in Equestria's history."

"You mean the one about earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns singing songs around a hearth to fight back an eternal winter caused by the mythical windigoes?" Sunburst smirked.
"Every colt and filly's heard that story," Starlight added.

"Not that one, my favorite holiday story," Twilight corrected, "A Hearth's Warming Tale, and it just so happens to be what the pageant is about! When I mentioned it to Midnight a month ago, he decided to make it his holiday gift to me by putting together a play about it! Which is why you two are going to watch the pageant with me."

"But we-" Sunburst tried to say, only for Twilight to hold out her hoof.

"Trust me, it'll be good for both of you," Twilight insisted before raising a brow, "Besides, consider it... something to help with your studying under me and Midnight."

Sunburst and Starlight shared a deflated look before sighing.

In the main hall, all the attendees gathered before a stage that had been painstakingly set up with devoted and careful work. Excited whispers and murmurs filled the air when lights flashed on and off for a few seconds, signalling to everyone that the show was about to start. Twilight made sure that she, Starlight, and Sunburst had gotten excellent seats to have a perfect view of tonight's performance though she wished they would be more... open-minded to the holiday spirit.

A slow and casual tune befell the audience as the lights dimmed and everypony hushed as the curtains rose... and everypony couldn't help but gasp at the sight before them!

It was as if they were looking outside, seeing an old-fashioned town from long ago, similar in ways to Ponyville but more cluttered, a tad more filthy, cobblestone streets instead of dirt roads, and the ponies dressed in old garb, such as woolen coats, top hats, knitted scarves, floofy dresses, and the passerby were going about their businesses, to and fro. A colt stole cabbages from a vegetable wagon. Merchant ponies were calling out, advertising the wares of their stands. A soused drunkard got tossed out of a pub. A teenage stallion was holding up newspapers, shouting "Extra, extra, read all about it!"

Then the focus seemed to zero in on a familiar young dragon, as well as a foal-sized draconequus as they were shouting, "Holiday apples! Get your holiday apples, right here! Three coppers a piece, while they last!"

"What?!" the dragon (Spike) was dressed in a shabby yet sharp-looking coat with a scarf around his neck and a silken top hat on his head as he looked to the draconequus foal, "They won't last long at the rate you're eating them!"

"Hey, the less we have, the more we can charge," the draconequus foal (Little Discord) chuckled as he took a big bite of one of their apples. He was dressed in a more casual looking winter coat and wore a flat cap.

The dragon shook his head with a sigh before he seemed to notice the audience and smiled, "Oh hi, everypony! Didn't see you there for a moment. Welcome to tonight's performance of 'A Hearth's Warming Tale'! I am here to narrate the story!"

"And I am here for the food," the draconequus foal laughed as he took another bite.

"My name is Charles Drakkens."

"And my name is Discord the Draconequus- Hold on!" Discord looked to Charles Drakkens (Spike), "You're not Charles Drakkens!"

"I am too!" Spike protested.

"A short purple and scaly Charles Drakkens who hangs out with the Spirit of Chaos?! No!" Little Discord shook his head in a teasing way, "Charles Drakkens was a Ninth Century novelist! A genius."

"Well thank you very much," Spike- (sorry) Charles Drakkens tipped his heart in a smarmy way.

"Okay, if you're Charles Drakkens, prove it! Tell the story," Discord challenged.

"Alright, I will," Charles Drakkens cleared his throat, "The Barleys were dead, to begin with-"

"Wait, hold on, somepony's dead?!" Discord flabbergasted.

"Well, yeah, that's how the story begins, Discord, 'The Barleys were dead, to begin with'," Charles Drakens insisted, "As dead as a doornail-"

"You call that a beginning for a holiday story?" Discord complained, "It's creepy and spooky."

"Would you please stop interrupting so we can get this story going?!" Drakkens snapped.

"Well, I apologize, Mister Drakkens," Discord snubbed before saying, "Proceed."

"Thank you..." Charles Drakkens cleared his throat again and resumed, "In life, the Barleys were the business partners and colleagues of a tightwad magic scholar by the name of... Snowfall Freeze, whom we shall meet as he comes around that corner!"
"Where?"
"There!"
"When?"
"...Now!"

All eyes turned to a corner of the street to see a tall and foreboding unicorn stallion step into view, garbed in a heavy cloak and an expensive top hat, as he started walking through the streets, passerby instantly parting to make way.

"Brrr! Is it just me or did it get even colder all of a sudden?" asked Discord as he pulled his coat closer.

"Freeze liked the cold," narrated Charles Drakkens as the audience followed the movements of the stallion, "He was hard and sharp as a flint. Secretive, self-contained, as solitary as an oyster... "

They watched as Snowfall Freeze made his way through town, not sparing a look to anyone unless it was one of snubbing dismissal. Most folks kept clear except for one poor homeless pony, who held out his hoof to Freeze as the unicorn passed him, and said, "Spare a bit for the poor, guv'nor?"

Freeze didn't so much as acknowledge the poor pony's existence and coldly ignored him.

As he approached a dreary-looking place of business, Freeze's place of business, a three-story office building where he dealt in money-lending, alchemy, and antiquities. He walked up to the door, paused, and turned to scrutinize the streets and common pony with a cold look of disdain as he muttered, "Humbug..."

As Freeze entered his building, Discord and Charles Drakkens stood to the side, the young draconequus shivering, "Not the nicest guy around, obviously."

"Mm, yes, Freeze was tighthooved, he wa-" Drakkens stopped to see how fogged and messy the window was, "Ugh, this town is just filthy!"

"Oh here, lemme take care of that," Discord snapped his fingers, a flash of light blinding everypony for a brief moment... only to see the window was now made of hard candy. Transparent but still unclear.

"Discord..." Charles Drakkens sighed.

"Sorry, I'm still hungry," Discord tried again and this time he got the window clean as a whistle and clear as crystal.

Clearing his throat, Drakkens continued as the audience's view zeroed in through the window to see what was going on inside.
"He was a tighthooved hoof at the grindstone, Freeze. A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, clutching, covetous ol' sinner..."

All watched as Snowfall Freeze removed his cloak and hat... revealing an oddly handsome and statuesque stallion with a pristine coat as white as a diamond, his mane and tail the pale blue of suddenly frozen ice, and he wore a tiny pair of spectacles on the bridge of his muzzle. He wore a dapper vest of royal purple with a gold chain holding his pocket watch, white cuffs on his forehooves fastened with diamond cufflinks, and the cold flat look on his face hinted at the ugliness inside that contrasted with his appearance.

"It was said of Snowfall that he was almost as studied and practiced in the mystic arts as Starswirl the Bearded, "Drakkens went on as Snowfall measured a pound of lead while double-checking some facts in a tome of alchemy.
"Almost, since everypony knows that Starswirl was an archmage, commanding a mastery of Transfiguration, Dimensional Calibration, Teleportation-"

"We get it, Starswirl's awesome, move it along!" Discord snapped irritably.

"Uh- Yes, right," Drakkens cleared his throat yet again and continued. "The point is, Snowfall was a powerful unicorn wizard and sought perfection in everything he did, and reaped the rewards of his efforts though sometimes-"

"Sometimes?" Discord raised a skeptical brow.

"Okay, all the time," Drakkens amended with an irritated sigh, "All the time did his work come at the expense of others. Anything that got in the way of his work was a waste of time."

Snowfall focused as he levitated the lead over a cauldron simmering with an alchemic concoction, and as he began to sweat he smirked to see his efforts paying off as the lead slowly but surely began to change from an ugly black to pure and valuable gold-

*Cling-Clong-Clang*

That incessant ringing broke Snowfall's concentration and he looked out the window and growled in annoyance to see passerby ringing bells with frivolous abandon.

"Well, that batch is ruined... CRASH! Get in here!" Snowfall shouted, and in hurried a pegasus stallion.

"Thunder Crash was Snowfall's assistant, overworked and underpaid," Drakkens explained.

Thunder Crash was a dark gray pegasus with a pale silvery-blue mane, golden eyes, and wore a drab and patched up coat, "You called, Master Freeze?"

"Clean this mess up," Snowfall levitated a broom to his assistant while sneering, "Those scattergood twits outside were making such a racket, with no decent regard to others' hard work, that I lost my concentration."

"Wow, ponies actually enjoying Hearth's Warming Eve," Thunder Crash muttered as he swept, "Wherever did they get that idea...?"

"Today is nothing to celebrate, Crash," Snowfall huffed as he sat at his desk and went over his ledger, "Ponies preparing feasts and parties, wasting time and money, singing songs and being nice, thinking it solves anything? Humbug! I've spent years studying my craft and accumulating my finances to know that life isn't a happy musical where you sing a little song and suddenly all your dreams come true. Like that ridiculous legend of the three pony tribes and the windigoes... That's not how life works!"

"I... feel as though you might be missing the point, Master Freeze," Thunder Crash warily responded, only for Snowfall to teleport in front of him and glare his employee down.

"Work hard! Learn! And use your skills to better Equestria!" Snowfall declared with near-tyrannical authority in his tone. "That is a worthy goal for any pony."

Snowfall then went back to his worktable, where his spell components lay in organized chaos as he then sarcastically said, "But by all means, if you want to go home early, ignore all of the work you have and spend the-"

"YES! Thank you very much, Master Freeze, and Happy Hearth's Warming!" Thunder Crash flew out without another word, to Snowfall's groaning ire.

As Snowfall gazed out the window and looked down upon all those plebeians wasting time and spending money on useless trinkets, Drakkens and Discord watched from below as Discord shivered yet again.
"Whoo! If looks could kill!"

"Indeed, Snowfall Freeze hated the holiday season," Drakkens narrated, "for he had spent the whole of his life endeavoring to hone his mastery of magic and make his fortune through hard and dedicated work that spared nary a moment for anything Freeze deemed a waste. As his umbrage and bitterness burned up his guts, he thought more and more that perhaps Equestria would be better off if they skipped Hearth's Warming altogether.

"And the more he thought it, the more he was assured the idea had merit."

[Snowfall Freeze]
Happy Hearth's Warming, they say in the street
Happy Hearth's Warming, they think they're so sweet
(Snowfall magicked the curtains shut as moved around his office)

Words said so often that they lack any meaning
Why should I join in when I could be intervening
(Snowfall began to levitate numerous ingredients from his collection of alchemical components)

Everypony loves this cursed holiday
But would they be better off with it out of the way
(He mixed some liquids together, a reaction causing a burst of greenish fiendish smoke)

Well, o-kaaaaaaayyyyyyyy

Say goodbye to the holiday
(Snowfall opened his front door and tore down a wreath somepony had the gall to hang on his property)

With my magic I'll erase it
(He took down ribbons somepony had been decorating an alleyway with)

The greatest gift that I give today
And everypony will have to face it
(And he even cruelly took a toy from a colt that had been just gifted to him, leaving the colt teary-eyed)

No more little games for you to play
After you say goodbye to the holiday
(Snowfall sneered down at the passerby as he went back into his office with all the holiday objects he'd taken)

Goodbye Hearth's Warming, you had a good run
Goodbye Hearth's Warming, it's over. You're done!
(Snowfall approached his cauldron and threw in all the holiday decorations, candy, and toys as ingredients for a most insidious purpose...)

Finally set free from your forced celebrations
No need to reply to your trite invitations

Calendars shorter by a single day

Is my magic up to the test?
(Snowfall levitated certain alchemicals from his shelves...)

Time to see, I can't delay
(...before checking his magic books)

Say goodby to the holiday
(Snowfall poured three more bottles of potions to add to the mix)

Prepare the spell, no hesitation
All memories shall fade away
See Equestria's new transformation
(The concoction gave off a chilly haze as two equine-shapes began to fly about)

No more shall any ponies say

Happy Hearth's Warming (Snowfall gave a most sinister chuckle)

After today...!!!
(The windigo-like hazes returned to the cauldron as Snowfall smirked with awful anticipation)

After today....

Through the window, Drakkens and Discord watched Snowfall as he worked, Discord saying, "No way, is he really gonna get rid of Hearth's Warming?!"

"His intention was clear and his resolve like a cold stone," Drakkens nodded woefully, "but Snowfall never did anything half-way, which offered perhaps a faint hope."

"Once the spell is cast, all of Equestria will be better off!" Snowfall declared, "And they'll have me to thank for it! Now all that's left to do is wait for the mixture to boil..."

Snowfall estimated he would have to wait until just before dawn for the mixture to be ready for him to cast the spell. Just in time to erase the holiday before everypony woke up to celebrate it. Knowing there was no point hanging around, Snowfall threw on his cloak and hat after setting his pocket watch to alert him when the mixture would be ready and made for home.

The scenery changed from the inside of Snowfall Freeze's office to a shadowy neighborhood where Drakkens and Discord rode upon a buggy being pulled by an earth pony.

"Freeze lived in the home that once belonged to his late business partners, Shaken and Stirrup Barley," Drakkens narrated.

"Fruitcake?" offered Discord.

"Not while I'm working," Drakkens shook his head no.

"Suit yourself," Discord fed while Drakkens continued.

"The building was a dismal heap of brick on a dark street. Now once again, I must remind you that the Barleys were dead," said Drakkens as he began to speak in whisper, "That one thing you must remember for what happens next will seem darkly wondrous..."

"Why are you whispering?" whispered Discord.

"It's for dramatic emphasis," Drakkens whispered back.

"Oh!" Discord nodded in approval as they looked down the way and saw Snowfall Freeze approach his front door and reached into his pocket to pull out his key... when he noticed something off and looked at the doorknocker, which ordinarily appeared the face of a lion with a ring in its mouth.

Only now, it bore a disturbing resemblance of a pony Snowfall once knew. A coltish face and wild mane of curly hair and narrowed eyes. It was unmistakable that Snowfall couldn't help but utter, "...Shaken Barley?"

"FREEEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZEEEEEE....!!!!!!!!!"

The earth pony reared in fright and charged forward, the sudden movement causing Drakkens and Discord to fall out of the buggy while an alarmed Snowfall leapt back. His rear hoof almost caused him to slip on some ice on the street though he managed to right himself. When his eyes returned to his door, he saw that the face of his old business partner was gone and that the doorknocker was as it always was.

As the momentary instinct of fight or flight left him, Snowfall shook his head and muttered, "Humbug..." before unlocking his door and venturing inside.

"Spike, er- I mean Mister Drakkens! Talk to me, are you okay?" Discord fretted over the little dragon lying prone in the snow... only for him to immediately sit up, no worse for wear.

"To say that Snowfall was not startled would be untrue. Soon the moment had passed and the world was as it should be."

"Wow, didn't even break his concentration," muttered Discord, Drakkens giving him a curious 'Hm?' and Discord shook his head, "Nothin'."

Standing up and brushing the snow off his coat, Drakkens narrated, "Up Snowfall went, ascending the staircase, caring not a button for the darkness. Darkness was cheap and Snowfall liked it. But the incident at the door had left Snowfall wary. Before he settled in for the night, he proceeded to search every room of his manse."

"Now wait just a minute!" griped Discord.

"What is it now?" Drakkens gave Discord the stink eye.

"How do you know what Freeze is doing when we're out here and he's up there?" Discord demanded while pointing to an upstairs window.

"Storytellers are omniscient; I know everything," shrugged Drakkens.

Scoffing, Discord, "Oh my, forgive me, mister godlike smartypants!"

Sighing, Drakkens narrated, "To conduct a proper search, Snowfall was forced to light the lamps," and as he said that he pointed to the same window, and Discord was awed to see it light up from an inner source.

"How does he do that?" Discord flabbergasted to the audience, spurring a little laughs among them.

Having just lit the hallway wall-lamp, Snowfall proceeded to finish his search in his master bedroom, candle and fireplace poker held in his magic. Entering his private chambers, he was tense for despite his earlier display after what he'd just seen, Snowfall wanted to be absolutely certain his home was empty of enemies. Finally his household search confirmed he was alone as he always was each and every night, and so Snowfall finally sighed in relief.

Undressing, Snowfall pulled on his night robe and set his smoking cap atop his head as he lit the fireplace in the parlour. As the fire burned, Snowfall made a quick trip to his pantry and came back to sit in his easy chair, whereupon he proceeded to enjoy a meal. But just as he was taking his first bite...

*Ding-a-ding-a-ding...*

Snowfall paused and looked up to the bell, one of several that hung in his house that alerted him when he had a visitor at the door. Yet Snowfall couldn't remember the last time he'd ever heard that bell ring (if it had ever rang at all after he'd moved into this house) that after a moment he dismissed it from his mind and took another bite-

*DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING-A-DING....*

This time the bell was louder and rang longer before ti stopped perhaps a tad too suddenly as a strange chill fell upon the parlour, so cold that the fireplace quickly died down and Snowfall realized he could see his breath. It was then he noticed the floor was covered with an ethereal mist that flowed towards the walls and when he dared to peer around his easy chair to see where the mist was coming from he saw it was from the staircase and a tight pressure made itself known in Snowfall's chest as he began to dread that he was not as alone as he had thought!

Indeed was his suspicion proven as two figures, transparent and pale, suddenly rose from the mist, their legs trailing with rattly chains as they moaned low and high and turned to laughter! They were both stallions, a tall and skinny earth pony whose face was the same that had given him a fright at his door while the other was a unicorn with a similarly curly mane but not so voluminous. Both wore suits that looked worn, ragged, and filthy yet both had a look of dark amusement as they took notice of Snowfall!

"Oh look! It's Snowfall Freeze!"
"Looking colder and nastier than ever..."
"i knew he wouldn't disappoint us!"

They laughed again and stared at Snowfall as he gave them an incredulous look yet managed to utter, "...who are you?"

"In life, we were your partners! Shaken..." said the earth pony.
"And Stirrup Barley!" added the unicorn.

"It looks like you. Even sounds like you," Snowfall admitted before he narrowed his eyes, "But I don't believe it's you!"

"Why do you doubt your senses?" asked Stirrup Barley.

"Because," Snowfall stood up imperiously, as cold and rigid as he appeared whenever he went out, "I am a pony of logic as much as I am of magic. And as a pony of logic, I don't believe in spirits because spirits do not exist! At best, you're a simply a dream I'm having after dozing off. At worst, you're a delusion resulting from stress or perhaps indigestion. The proof is in the pudding, as you can see," Snowfall stated while pointing to the pudding he had on his coffee table.

Shaken and Stirrup both laughed heartily yet there was a mocking undertone to it as Shaken echoed, "Proof is in the pudding?!"
"How long did it take you to come up with that one?" guffawed Stirrup.
"Leave comedy to the clowns, Snowfall," sniped Shaken as he and his brother approached their old partner while they continued to laugh.

"Please, Shaken! Stirrup, don't criticize me," Snowfall both pleaded and begged before growling, "You were always criticizing me!"

"We were always heckling you!" Shaken corrected.
"It's good to be heckling again," Stirrup nodded.
"It's good to be doing anything again!" Shaken cracked and both brothers laughed some more.

"Why do you come before me?" asked Snowfall.

[The Barley Brothers]
We're Barley and Barley, Selfishness and Greed

[Stirrup Barley]
We took advantage of the poor, just ignored the needy

[The Barley Brothers]
We specialized in causing pain, spreading fear and doubt

[Shaken Barley]
And if you could not pay the rent, we simply kicked you out!

"There was the year we evicted the entire orphanage!" brought up Shaken proudly.
"Yeah, I remember the little tykes all standing in the snowbanks," nodded Stirrup.
"With their little frostbitten teddy ursas!" Shaken agreed and they both let out another loud laugh, only to shiver, sounding regretful for but a moment.

[The Barley Brothers]
We're Barley and Barley, our hearts were painted black

[Stirrup Barley]
We should have known our evil deeds would leave us both in shackles

[The Barley Brothers]
Captive, bound, we're double-ironed, exhausted by the weight

[Shaken Barley]
As freedom comes from giving love...
[Stirrup Barley]
...so prison comes with hate!!

[The Barley Brothers]
We're Barley and Barley, OoooOOOOoooOOoo
We're Barley and Barley! OOOOOooooOOoooOOOOO

"But my friends, you were not unfeeling towards your fellow pony," Snowfall brought up.

"Yes, there was something about ponykind we loved..." Shaken agreed with a slight sarcastic edge.
"I believe it was their riches!" snapped Stirrup as they threw their chains out to ensnare Snowfall and forced him into a face-to-face experience.

[The Barley Brothers]
DOOMED, Freeze! You're doomed for all time!

[Shaken Barley]
Your future is a horror story written by your crime!

[The Barley Brothers]
Your chains are forged by what you say and do

[Stirrup Barley]
So have your fun; when life is done, a nightmare waits for you...

Snowfall frantically removed the chains from his person as he dreaded to ask, "Wha- What are these chains?!"

He watched in growing horror as more chains fell upon and ensnared the Barley brothers, as they groaned in woe and misery, pain and despair, burdened and tormented by these cold and heavy chains.
"The chains!"
"We forged these chains in life by our acts of greed!"
"You too will wear chains such as these!"

"Humbug! Speak comfort to me, friends!" pleaded Snowfall as his poor partners were slowly but surely dragged away.

"You will be haunted this night by three spirits!" Shaken warned.

"Haunted?! I've already had my fill of that!" Snowfall backed up against the wall, fearful of anymore eldritch encounters.

"Without their guidance you cannot hope to avoid sharing in our fate!" Stirrup added.
"Expect the first ghost to appear before the clock strikes twelve!" added Shaken.

"Can't I meet them all at once and get it over with?" hoped Snowfall.

"Before the clock strikes twelve!" Shaken repeated as he and his brother were dragged away to their damnation.

[The Barley Brothers]
We're Barley and Barley, and now it's time we part

[Stirrup Barley]
To go back where they keep our kind, the wretched and the heartless

[The Barley Brothers]
The news we shared has got you scared, we're glad that we got through

[Shaken Barley]
So make amends
[Stirrup Barley]
And make some friends!

[The Barley Brothers]
The future's up to you!

We're Barley and Barley, OoooOOOOoooOOoo
We're Barley and Barley! OOOOOooooOOoooOOOOO
We're Barley and Barley!! OOOOOOOoooOOooo

And as the Ghosts of the Barley Brothers vanished completely, along with the last wisp of mist and glow of spectral light, they gave one last word of advice....

CHANGE!!!

...

The fireplace returned to life with comforting warmth and light and it seemed for a moment that all was well. Yet Snowfall could not help but wonder...

"And just like that, Snowfall's former partners vanished as if they'd been nothing more than a bad dream," Drakkens narrated as he and Discord were still outside, "leaving him once again alone in his house..."

"Brr, that was scary. Uh, shouldn't we be worried about spooking the foals in the audience?" asked Discord.

"Eh, don't worry, this is culture," scoffed Drakkens with a wave of his hand. Taking a deep breath, Drakkens continued, "Retiring for the night, Snowfall pulled the curtains of his four-poster bed shut, telling himself that all he'd just seen and heard was nothing more than..."

"Humbug..." Snowfall muttered as he lay his head down into his nice, soft pillow.

"Ergh, Snowfall... slipped into the somnolent comfort of a dreamless sleep!" Drakkens grunted as he and Discord climbed a tree.
"Uh- Maybe we should have tried the backdoor," whimpered Discord as he struggled not to look down.
"You wanted to see what was going on!" Drakkens reminded him, "And couldn't you just teleport us to the top or something?!"
"Oh yeah," Discord was about to snap his fingers when Drakkens continued.

"It seemed that... the so-called warning of the Barleys was perhaps indeed a hallucination," Drakkens finally pulled himself up onto a sturdy branch and looked into the bedroom window.
"Little did he realize, the warning would prove to be no jest as the minutehand of his grandfather clock neared the hour of midnight!"

Inside, the grandfather clock's minute hand ticked with every passing second and before long, it announced the hour!

*DING, DING, DING...*

Snowfall's eyes suddenly opened. *DING, DING...*

"EXPECT THE FIRST GHOST BEFORE THE CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE!!!" Drakkens called out to the window in dramatic exclamation!

*DING, DING, DING...*

Snowfall didn't know what to do, as the stokes continued and the mysterious cry alarmed him yet he remained frozen in bed.
(DING, DING, DING...!*

Snowfall held his breath!

*DING....*

...

Silence.

Darkness.

Snowfall smirked in his bed. The so-called spirit had not arrived before the stroke of twelve as he had been warned, because there were no such things as spirits after all. So much for superstitious nonsense. So much for warnings of the deceased. Humbug, he thought as he began to shift in bed to get more comfortable...when his canopy bed curtain lit up with light!

Snowfall sat up in alarm (while Discord fell out of the tree outside, blinded from the light blaring out the window, only for Drakkens to grab the little draconequus's tail in the nick of time).

Snowfall raised the fireplace poker he'd taken to bed with him and slowly faced the curtains... before throwing them open , only to be briefly blinded by the white light! It dimmed just enough for him to see vaporous swirls of radiance collapse into a central point before they flashed intensely... and revealed a little filly floating in the air. She wore a hooded cloak and dress of heavenly white that floated around her as though she were underwater, her mane was a pale pastel color of periwinkle and powder blue, her eyes the green of spring twinkled like distant stars. Small though she was, Snowfall couldn't help but feel tiny and awed by this entity, unsure of whether he should be impressed by such a presence or afraid of it.

"...Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?" he finally asked.

"I am," answered the spirit with a voice of innocent wisdom.

"...You're just a filly," Snowfall dared to utter.

"I can remember over one thousand and two hundred years. I am the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past," the spirit responded as she floated closer to Snowfall.

"What business has brought you here?" asked Snowfall.

"Your welfare," answered the spirit.

"Huh. A good night's sleep, uninterrupted, will serve my welfare just fine," Snowfall snubbed.

"Your salvation, then. Take heed. Come," the Spirit waved her hoof to the window, which opened wide, giving Drakkens and Discord a perfect view of what was going on.

"Spirit, as you can see by the horn on my head, I am a unicorn," Snowfalle hesitated.

"A touch of my hoof and you shall fly," offered the Spirit, along with her little hoof, which glowed like exquisite marble in the sunlight.

Snowfall was reluctant and yet he felt compelled to accept the Spirit's hoof while Discord conjured a rope.

"Uh, why did you ask for a rope?"

"Just wait..." Drakkens said and no sooner did the Spirit fly out the window, Snowfall along for the flight, and Drakkens quickly threw a lasso, which took hold of Snowfall's hind leg.

"Wait, don't tell me- ?!" Discord began to panic as Drakkens held him close.

"Hold on!"

Discord screamed as he and Drakkens rose into the air, trailing below as Snowfall flew by the aid of the Spirit o'er town. For a moment, Snowfall couldn't help but crack a slight smirk of thrilled awe at the view and the feeling of flying! But then ahead, peering over distant rooftops, he saw a growing brightness.

"Spirit! What is that light? It can't be dawn!"

"It is the Past," the Spirit answered as she led her charge (and two hitchhikers) onward to a time Snowfall had long left behind.

Soaring through that brilliance, Snowfall was briefly blinded and then saw a familiar sight as the Spirit began to sing.

[The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past]
As a young one, life is really something

You're making choices large and small
(The Spirit brought Snowfall, along with their two hitchhikers, down safely to the ground... although Discord got smacked by a rather prickly branch of pine)

Always growing like a seedling

And playing is like dreaming

And before you know it you're big and tall
(The Spirit led Snowfall to a familiar rise whereupon he looked down to see his old hometown, a merrier place than he even remembered it had been)

And every tiny little choice you make
(She led him through her old neighborhoods, smiling at the warmth of familiarity in his eyes as he looked around...0

Leads you down a path to who you are today

So let us take a little stroll down memory lane
(...which widened at the sight of several foals running by, towards the colt he was once upon a time... )

And see just what the past has to say
(...smiling and rearing at his classmates beside a wagonful of decorations)

"Aww, look how cute you were," the Spirit teased with a little giggle while Snowfall rolled his eyes, "and it appears you're quite excited about Hearth's Warming as well

The seeds of the past
They grow rather fast
(Snowfall was honestly surprised to see his younger self so excited as the colt he used to be was helping to decorate...)

Just look at who you were back then
(...and awed by how his younger self had been so giving)

The seeds as they grow
Look what they can show
Reveal the truth time and again
(The Spirit waved her hoof, and Snowfall saw himself and his younger self back in his old classroom!)

The young Snowfall levitated in a box of decorations and began to hang some-

"Just what do you think you are doing, Snowfall?" asked a voice he recognized and saw a drabby middle-aged unicorn garbed in a dark cloak and an oily mane as he gave the decoration his student had accidentally hung onto his horn a look of disdain.

"Decorating the classroom for Hearth' Warming Eve, Professor Flintheart," replied Young Snowfall with a smile.

Snuffing, Flintheart levitated the decoration off, "You said you wanted to learn to be a powerful unicorn, did you not?"

"I do!" young Snowfall nodded.

"And what is the way that one becomes a powerful unicorn?" asked Flintheart almost as though he were drilling the colt.

Clearing his throat, Young Snowfall responded, "Work hard, learn, and use your skills to better Equestria."

Present Snowfall gave a sheepish look to the raised brow of the Spirit as Flintheart asked his student, "And how do these help you to learn magic?"

"I want to be strong enough to stop windigoes and help ponies," Young Snowfall answered.

"That is just a story we tell to little ponies. Real magic takes time to learn," Flintheart grilled as he crushed the decoration in his telekinetic aura, frightening Young Snowfall and disheartening him as Flintheart tore down the other few decorations the colt had hung earlier as the professor snubbed, "It's your choice. Spend your time learning to become a powerful unicorn, or playing with your toys and make nothing of yourself."

And with a cruel kick to the box, Flintheart took his leave, leaving Young Snowfall hurt and conflicted.

[The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past]
Then some distress, words so careless
Standing there, you don't know what to do
(Grownup Snowfall watched with confusing sadness for his younger self as the colt walked away from the decorations...)

Feeling helpless, can't make it hurt less
Leading you to change your point of view
(...and gazed outside at his classmates notice him through the window and rush up to smile at him)

And in that moment though you didn't know it
(Young Snowfall frowned as he turned away, closing the curtains on his classmates, to their confusion)

You raised up walls that were meant to last
(Young Snowfall threw the box of decorations away, set up his school supplies...)

Leading you to the pony you've become today
(...and began to focus on his studies)

And the spell you plan to cast
It stems from your past

Snowfall looked upon his younger self and saw that despite the choices he made then, they'd weighed on his heart and left him to a painful loneliness throughout his foalhood.

[Snowfall Freeze]
The seeds of the past
We grow up so fast
Some hurts never go away

For the first time in distant memory, Snowfall began to wonder, What if I'd just chosen to play with my cl- My friends that day?

[The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past]
The seeds as they grow
This we can't let go
All tied to this one holiday

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Past placed her hoof onto Snowfall's withers, giving him a comforting warmth before she said, "Come, Snowfall, there is more to see."

As the two of them turned around, history passed them by with a flash and a blur as Drakkens and Discord climbed up a lamppost, the little dragon narrating, "A moment later, Snowfall Freeze found himself standing on a city street, looking at a building he had not seen in years!"

As they approached it, the Spirit asked, "Tell me, Snowfall, do you know this place?"

"Know it? Ha, this place was my first job!" Snowfall couldn't help but smile, this time large and bright, in a way that felt foreign yet familiar, like a longlost comfort. "This is Fizzy Pop's baked goods restaurant!"

"Once again, it was Hearth's Warming Eve. Night was falling and the lamp-lighters were plying their trade," Drakkens narrated as he lit up the lamppost he and Discord were on... except he'd lit something else by accident.

"Hey- hey! Light the lamp, not the draconequus!" Discord began to panic and cry in pain as he whipped his flaming tail, "PUT ME OUT, PUT ME OUT, PUT ME OUT...!!!"

Drakkens, frantic and alarmed, looked around for something to fix his little boo-boo... when he noticed something at the base of the lamppost.
"DISCORD!"

"WHAT?!" Discord was answered by a push off the lamppost sign down into a conveniently placed bucket of water... that was frozen at the surface. He surfaced, shivering from frigid water as he uttered, "Th-th-th-thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

"Look, there she is!" Snowfall pointed to a happy pink earth pony, garbed in a festive gown, "Fizzy Pop herself, my employer!"

"Look, everypony! The stars are coming out and the lampworkers are busy," Fizzy Pop happily declared, "It's Hearth's Warming Eve, for certain!"

"What a boss she was," Snowfall actually laughed, warmed by nostalgia, "as tough and pushy as taffy."

"Let's PART-AY!!!" Fizzy Pop cheered as she stepped back inside her restaurant.

"Oh! I remember this Hearth's Warming party!" Snowfall hurried inside, followed by Drakkens as he carried a frozen-over draconequus colt.

Seeing a hardwood table, Drakkens went over... and heaved his frozen friend onto it, causing the ice coating him to shatter, leaving him none worse for wear as he sat up and gave Drakkens a stink eye.
"I suppose I should be grateful for that."

"You're welcome!"

"Hi everypony, and welcome to the annual Fizz Pop's Hearth's Warming Eve Party!" Fizzy Pop happily announced, "As you probably remember, it's tradition for me to make a little speech!"

"And it's tradition for us to make some Zs!" came a familiar voice and Snowfall looked up.

"It's the Barley Brothers! I remember, this is where I first met them," Snowfall recalled.

"Oh don't mind those party-poopers," Fizzy Pop waved them off as she held up a piece of paper, "and now my speech! Ahem... 'Thank you all for coming, and Happy Hearth's Warming'!"

She stopped and smiled brightly... and said nothing else.

"That was it?!"
"It was dumb!"
"It was obvious!"
"It was pointless!
"It was... short!" The Barley Brothers shared a look before declaring, "I LOVED IT!!!"

As the party unfolded, Snowfall soon took notice of a very familiar stallion, the stallion he was as a young adult. He watched his younger self approach Fizzy Pop and say, "Uh- Fizzy Pop? Do you realize how much money you're spending to throw this party?"

He held out a paper, presumably of what he'd accounted but Fizzy Pop threw it away, "Oh, Snowy! It's Hearth's Warming Eve! A time to be generous, share laughter and- Ugh, you know what, no more working for you until after Hearth's Warming! Enjoy the party!"

Then Fizzy Pop suddenly GASPED, as if struck with inspiration, realization, constipation, her employee wasn't sure which, as she then insisted, "Snowy! Here's somepony you just gotta meet!"

She dragged him over towards one side of the party, leaving the young stallion momentarily flummoxed... when he noticed a mare standing before him. She was a head shorter, a unicorn like he, and her coat was the warm yet subtle white of a fluffy and sweet marshmallow, her mane was a pale yet pristine wisteria, styled well, complemented by the gorgeous dress she wore. But it was her eyes that stupefied him. Deep yet clear, like the distant blue of the sea on the horizon.

"Snowy! I'd like for you to meet my neighbor's daughter, Crystal," Fizzy Pop gave Snowfall a light elbow to the ribs while giving him a hint-hint look, "And Crystal, this is my accountant, Snowfall Freeze! You won't find a better number-cruncher anywhere else in the city!"

"A pleasure to meet you, Master Freeze," Crystal curtsied before holding out her hoof, which Snowfall gently took and kissed.

"Uh- I... The pleasure is all mine, Miss Crystal," the younger Snowfall couldn't hide his blush while his older self looked on.

"Do you remember this evening?"

"...Oh, yes. I remember," Snowfall answered the Spirit, a bittersweetness filling his mouth and his heart.

"There was, of course, another Hearth's Warming Eve you shared with this young mare," the Spirit brought up, "only a few years later."

"Oh please, Spirit...!" Snowfall tried focus on what he was seeing yet the ache in his heart tugged at that memory he'd long left behind, "Not that Hearth's Warming!"

His pleas went ignored as whiteness engulfed his vision, followed by a soft silence that was interrupted by the crunches of hooves walking through snow. When the world was again clear, Snowfall looked upon his younger self beside Crystal, who seemed sad.

"Another year before our wedding, Snowfall," Crystal pointed out.

"It can't be helped, Crystal," replied the younger Snowfall. "We can't afford decent housing, and I would not have my wife without a home to call her own. I'm afraid the investments haven't been as productive as I'd expected."

"That's what you said last year," reminded Crystal.

"The business has yet to truly take off," said the stallion in a manner that wasn't quite sympathetic, more like an authority figure giving a firm word.

"You're a partner in your own firm now," Crystal brought up, which was clearly not to her betrothed's liking, "and your research and practice has borne fruit. Surely there is another solution."

"The partnership barely clears expenses," shook the stallion's head. "As for my personal work, I am endeavoring to find a way to turn it into a profit."

"I thought the partnership was the goal," Crystal almost argued.

"This is for you, Crystal." Snowfall couldn't help but look on with disappointment and even disgust at the words of his younger self, especially when he knew what was about to transpire as the stallion he used to be spoke to the mare he had loved, "I love you."

It was subtle, but knowing how this resulted, the current Snowfall saw it easily in how Crystal's eyes lost a little sparkle, her smile, small and sad, and the pain on her face barely concealed to the pony she'd thought she would call her husband as she replied, "You did, once."

The younger Snowfall was rendered speechless as Crystal stood up and gazed out towards the snowy landscape, resplendent with sunlight.

[Crystal]
There was a time when I was sure
That you and I were truly one
That our future was forever
And would never come undone
And we came so close to being close
And though you cared for me
There's distance in your eyes tonight
So we're not meant to be

The younger Snowfall watched as Crystal slowly walked away, pausing as she continued to sing...

The love is gone, the love is gone
The sweetest dream that you have ever known
The love is gone, the love is gone
I wish you well, but I must leave you now alone

...and when he tried to approach and console her, she would step away and walk away again.

There comes a moment in your life
Like a window and you see
Your future there before you
And how perfect life can be
But adventure calls with unknown voices
Pulling you away
Be careful or you may regret
The choice you make someday

Hearing the finality in Crystal's voice, along with the heartbreak, the younger Snowfall's gaze became downcast... as he respected her decision.

And walked away.

When love is gone, when love is gone
The sweetest dream that we have ever known
When love is gone , when love is gone
I wish you well, but I must leave you now alone

Crystal stood there, knowing she was alone, unaware that an older and suddenly-wiser Snowfall was at her side, tears welling up in his eyes.

[Crystal and Snowfall]
It was almost love
It was almost always
It was like a fairy tale
Would live out you and I

And yes some dreams come true
And yes some dreams fall through

[Crystal]
And yes the time and come for us to say goodbye

Snowfall began to sob, as this memory he relived illustrated to him what a fool he had been. This beautiful miracle he had taken for granted, and allowed to slip away that until now he had been too blinded by greed and pride to truly see.

And yes some dreams fall through
And yes the time and come for us to say goodbye

He watched with familiar heartbreak, far more painful than it had been when he'd first felt it, as the best thing that ever happened to him walked away and left him alone. Forever.

Discord was sniffling as he used the tufted tip of his tail to wipe his tears while Drakkens comforted his friend.

"Spirit, show me no more..." wept Snowfall as he looked on down the way his beloved Crystal took that parted them as tears trailed down his cheeks. "I cannot take this torment...!"

"Remember, Snowfall, that you fashioned these memories yourself," the Spirit said with distant sympathy as Snowfall fell to his haunches and buried his tearstained face into his hooves, unaware or perhaps uncaring that he was back in his bedroom.

"Snowfall was left alone in exhausted misery as the clock began to strike the hour," Drakkens said as he and Discord watched poor Snowfall through his window.

"What time is it?"

"One in the morning," Drakkens answered.

"Huh, way past my bedtime," Discord commented as the clock struck one.

"Snowfall knew the next spirit would appear any moment, now that the knell had rung out."

Snowfall raised his face, having wiped away the tears and regained himself somewhat, waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, he sighed and stood up to return to bed... only for a bright light behind him along with a hearty laugh, warm and jovial, froze him in his tracks. He turned to see his bedroom door wide open... and for a LARGE face and big green eyes to appear past the threshold as that laughter turned into an invitation.
"C'mon in, an' know me better, friend!"

The face pulled back yet the laughter continued, and Snowfall felt caught off guard by this apparently warm and jolly presence as he slowly ventured through into the parlor, and marveled to see it was filled with bountiful foods of all kinds! Fresh vegetables, flowers, berries, fruits, baked goodies and holiday treats, all bathed in the friendly warmth of candlelight... and in the far side of the parlor sat the BIGGEST earth pony Snowfall had ever seen!

Indeed he was truly a giant! His coat was red like the hollyberries around his ears, his mane ginger orange, his eyes so green they matched well the flowing warm robe he wore, along with a belt that carried an empty scabbard, and there was no sword in sight. The belt however seemed somewhat strained by the bulk it was holding in, for this earth pony was large in size and plump with merriment as he boomed, "C'mon in, an' know me better, friend! Uh- did Ah say that already?"

"You did," Snowfall nodded, unable to hold back a smirk at this whimsy he was seeing and feeling.

"Welp, then Ah won' be rude by not making yer acquaintance. Ah'm th' Spirit o' Hearth's Warmin' Present, an' this is th' night before th' dawn before th' day o' Hearth's Warmth! Heh-heh, did Ah tell y'all tha' Ah'm th' Spirit o' Hearth's Warmin' Present?"

"Yes, you did," Snowfall couldn't help but chuckle.

"Welp c'mon in, an' know me better, friend!" laughed the Spirit.

"You seem a bit absent-minded, Spirit," Snowfall commented.

"Nnope! Ah'm a bodacious absent-minded spirit!" laughed the Spirit, getting snowfall to crack a louder laugh and a wider smile, "Muh noggin's geared t'ward th' here an' now! An' th' here an' now is... Hearth's Warmth!"

Chuckling, a warmth spread from Snowfall's heart that washed away his recent sadness without him even noticing as he said, "I don't believe I've ever met anypony like you."

"Are ya sure? Around twelve hunderd o' muh brothers n' sisters have come before me," the Spirit replied.

"Twelve hundred? Imagine the grocery list," Snowfall actually cracked a joke and watched amazed as the laughing Spirit shrank in size until he was a only a head taller than Snowfall and yet still seemed bigger than life.

"Have you ever noticed that everything seems wonderful during Hearth's Warming?" asked the Spirit with... well, spirit!

"...If I'm to be straight with you, Spirit, no," Snowfall was crestfallen, "There's so much I've never understood about Hearth's Warming."

Snowfall found himself pulled into a one foreleg hug as the Spirit assured, "Before this day's done, ya will!"

The Spirit then went straight for the windows and threw them open (knocking Drakkens and Discord down to the ground) and breathed in the bracing chill of the air.
"Ah, we'll gitalong out t' th' world!"

Then with a whirl of magic, Snowfall found himself and the Spirit outside as the Spirit declared, "This is... Hearth's Warmin' Mornin'!"

At his words, the streets were suddenly alive with cheer and song, everypony out and about, smiling, laughing, sharing and caring, and for the first time in his life Snowfall took a good look at what was going on around him on Hearth's Warming.

[The Spirit of Hearth's Warmth Present]
It's in th' singin' of a street corner choir
It's goin' home an' gettin' warm by th' fire
It's true, wherever ya find love
It feels like Hearth's Warmth

Snowfall saw a choir of young boys singing with gusto and happy resolve.

A cup o' kindness tha' we share with another
A sweet reunion with a friend or a brother
In all th' places you find love
It feels like Hearth's Warmth

Snowfall saw a mare giving free cups of hot cocoa and roasted chestnuts to passerby, even to the homeless.

It is th' season o' th' heart
A special time o' caring
Th' ways o' love made clear
It is the season o' the spirit
Th' message, if 'n we hear it
Is make it last all year

Snowfall marveled at how such a large stallion as the Spirit could so gently and warmly hug a whole class of foals as they followed their teacher.

It's in th' givin' of a gift to another
A pair o' mittens tha' were made by yer mother
It's all th' ways tha' we show love
That feel like Hearth's Warmth

Snowfall saw an impoverished family smile and sing even though they did not have much as they exchanged even these simple gifts, as Snowfall began to understand the gifts themselves were not the point but what the gifts represented.

A part o' foalhood we'll always remember
It is th' summer o' th' soul in December
Yes, when you do yer best fer love
It feels like Hearth's Warmth

Snowfall saw warm and friendly good wishes and Happy Hearths' Warmings exchanged and shared even by total strangers, and began to feel that the words were not so empty as he had thought. That even the show and wishing of good will to another was a gift in its own way.

IIt is th' season o' th' heart
A special time o' carin'
Th' ways o' love made clear
It is the season o' the spirit
Th' message, if'n we hear it
Is make it last all year

Snowfall marveled at the dancing in town square between rich and poor, young and old, coming together to celebrate.

It's in th' singin' of a street corner choir
It's goin' home an' getting warm by th' fire
It's true, wherever you find love
It feels like Hearth's Warmth
It's true, wherever you find love
It feels like Hearth's Warmth
It feels like Hearth' Warmth
It feels like Hearth's Warmth

Snowfall had never felt this way. A warmth in his heart, a pep in his step, a ticklish flitter in his belly, and a sense of wonder he never knew he had. Or perhaps had just forgotten.

As the Spirit led Snowfall through town, Snowfall soon noticed the shabby-looking neighborhood they were entering and he had to ask, "Spirit, why have we come to this... old place?"

"Well, it's Hearth's Warmin' here too!" the Spirit said as if it were the most obvious thing when he pointed to a ramshackle place, "An' this here is Thunder Crash's home."

"Perhaps it was the Spirit's own generous nature and his sympathy for all poor creatures that had led them straight to the home of Snowfall's loyal assistant," narrated Drakkens as he climbed a ladder up onto the roof with a chimney sweep and saw Discord eagerly sniffing the chimney.

"Sugarplum pudding! They're making sugarplum pudding in there!" he whined hungrily.

"Discord, move out of the way," Drakkens stuck the sweep down, to Discord's annoyance.

"Aw c'mon, Drakkens, you're blocking the smell!"

"This is Thunder Crash's house?" Snowfall asked and sure enough, he saw Thunder Crash inside.

There the pegasus was, watching his foals, a young light gray pegasus colt with a swept back black mane and a soft yellow earth pony filly with a red mane held up in a pink bow, smiling as they decorated a small Hearth's Warming tree with strung popcorn while an earth pony mare of gentle orange and a light blonde mane cooked a rather small meal. As Mrs. Crash began to set the table, the foals hurried to their seats.

"Not just yet, kids," Thunder Crash said gently, "We must wait for Young Crash."

"I'm coming, Papa," all eyes turned to the stairs to see a young brown earth pony colt, using a crutch to walk yet betrayed nos discomfort as he smiled at his family, "I'm coming!"

Thunder Crash quickly swept up his youngest son, causing the colt to laugh at the sudden rush, before he was carried to his seat at the table. But as he'd settled, Young Crash's laughter turned to a strained coughing and Thunder Crash was alarmed, "Oh! uh- Son, I'm sorry! I got you a little overexcited!"

"S'alright, sugarcube, jus' sit still a moment while yer pa an' Ah things ready," Mrs. Crash came over and gestured her husband away.

"Um... how was he today?" Thunder Crash asked his wife with concern.

"Oh, you know Young Crash, as good as gold an' better," Mrs. Crash smiled warmly yet there was a concern in her eyes as well.

From out the window, Snowfall and the Spirit focused upon Young Crash as his rough breathing began to settle and clear, Snowfall felt his heart quiver with... concern? Sympathy?

When finally the whole Crash Family was sitting together for Hearth's Warming dinner, Snowfall saw what they had on the table and said, "...a meager feast."

"An' still deeply appreciated," the Spirit confirmed, not scolding Snowfall, merely telling him.

Snowfall found that he understood, that even though the Crash Family did not have much, they had each other. And that was what made their meager feast so rich and filling. But his eyes were drawn back to Young Crash and the crutch leaning onto his chair, and Snowfall found himself asking, "Spirit... what exactly is wrong with that young colt?"

"Much Ah'm afraid..." answered the Spirit in a somewhat haggard voice and when Snowfall turned to look at his guide, he was shocked!

The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present, jovial, plump, alive with merriment and red with excitement, was now thinner, his red coat grayed and dull, his ginger mane now snow white, just liek the beard that had not been on his face only moments ago, and his robes hung rather loosely. He groaned as he stood up, "Though mah realm is th' Present, Ah can't help but imagine an empty chair where Young Crash once sat, an' a crutch without an owner left forgotten in a corner, if these shadows remain unchanged..."

"You- you mean.... Young Crash will...?" Snowfall couldn't bring himself to say it as the Crash Family faded into darkness around him, leaving him with the rapidly aging Spirit in a bitter cold wind.

"Come, mah time grows short..."

The darkness faded and Snowfall found himself and the Spirit walking through a wintry village devoid of life and warmth, but the pained groans of the Spirit, along with his elderly appearance still alarmed Snowfall as the Spirit sat down on a frost-covered bench.
"Spirit! What's happening to you?!"

"Ah told ya, Ah am th' Spirit of Hearth's Warmin' Present," coughed the Spirit, "an' like all mah brothers n' sisters before me, Ah exist only in th' here an' now o' Hearth's Warmth. Mah time has come an' now it's jus' about over."

"It was then Snowfall realized the Spirit's words when a distant bell in a nearby empty chapel began to ring," Drakkens narrated as Discord rang the bell. "and there was nothing he could do to stop the marching of those terrible knells."

"Spirit! Don't leave me!" Snowfall pleaded, kneeling before his guide, even as the Spirit gave him a sad smile, not because his time was about to end but rather sympathy for the stallion kneeling before him as Snowfall teared up again, "You-you have opened my eyes, you have changed me! Surely there's something I can do!"

"There is. Listen well an' hold onto yer courage as Ah leave you... with th' Spirit o' Hearth's Warmth Yet t' Come," the Spirit requested.

"You mean... the future?" Snowfall felt his heart sink as the Spirit began to fade with dying twinkles around him, "Must I?"

"Go forth... an' know him better, friend!" the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Present bade and gave one last merry laugh before he completely vanished into thin air.

Alone. Cold. Afraid. Snowfall held back a sob as he mourned the loss of his guide despite their brief time together... when an ominous fog began to roll in and Snowfall cried out in alarm as he ran. He ran through the town and quickly saw the dismal emptiness around him. Nopony had lived her for years! The buildings were frozen over, some had doors and windows boarded up, chimneys had fallen over or roofs had collapsed.

There was not a soul in this forgotten place, no one to call to for help. Not that he deserved it.

As he came to what was probably once the town square, he paused for breath, despite the chill freezing his lungs... when he sensed he was not alone after all. It was not a comforting thought.

He slowly turned... and barely held back a scream to see a tall and forbidden figure, garbed in a heavy cloak with a hood so dark he couldn't see a face apart from a horn through a brim of the hoof... and a pair of wings spreading from the figure's back. So tall was this apparition, Snowfall felt like a colt staring up at his father, and he wished it was exactly that instead.

"...Am I in the presence... of the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come?" he whispered fearfully.

"Indeed..." answered a voice low and harsh.

"Spirit... I fear you more than any specter I have yet met," gulped Snowfall as he humbled himself with a respectful bow of his head.

In the chapel doorway, Drakkens and Discord peered out and shivered as the latter whimpered, "Oh this is way too scary! I don't think I wanna see anymore!"

"Well, when you're right you're right," agreed Drakkens as he then addressed the audience, "You're on your own, folks! We'll meet you in the finale."

And just like that, the narrator and his sidekick stepped out.

"I am prepared to follow and to learn, with a grateful heart," Snowfall spoke softly and as respectfully as he could. "What does the future hold for Hearth's Warming Eves?"

"It does not..." answered the Spirit, sounding almost angry. "For there are no more Hearth's Warming Eves for me to show."

"Wh-why not?!" Snowfall was alarmed but then he realized the answer as the Spirit confirmed it.

"You will succeed in erasing the holiday," growled the Spirit as the shadow of his hood cleared to reveal the cold and bitter stallion inside as he glared reproachfully at the insignificant nothing before him.
"Just as you wished!"

Snowfall remembered what he'd left back in his workplace, and if what surrounded him gave any indication as to what was to come he dreaded to know the answer to the question he knew he had to ask, "And what happens?!"

[The Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come]
I see a cold wind blowing through

Snowfall took another look at this town that was buried under ice and snow, homes and businesses forgotten and empty.

I see days neither fun nor free

No one was here. No stallion, mare, or foal, not so much as a mouse or bird.

I see a future caused by you

The Spirit pointed a hoof at Snowfall, who understood this was all his fault.

I see a path that should not be

Snowfall couldn't understand? Why were things like this? Even if the holiday had been erased...

The future should be filled with magic

The Spirit waved his hoof, a pale icy blue mana spreading about in the forms of whimsical winds and snowflakes...

Dreams and wishes brought to life

...to show visions of happy times, of cheer and dance. Of Young Crash running happy and healthy as his family smiled so brightly.

But the days ahead are dark and tragic

The vision changed... and Snowfall felt his heart break to see the Crash family, their heads hanging with grief, before a little grave marker as Thunder Crash tearfully placed a crutch beside the stone that read' Here lies Young Crash, beloved son, beloved brother, beloved friend'.

No time for hope when all is strife...

With a wave of his hoof, the Spirit made the vision end just as the Crash family left the grave of their lost foal with heartbreak.

Whatever might have been

The Spirit glared into Snowfall's eyes as the stallion remorsefully stepped back and nearly fell into a chilly crevice.

All the dreams we could have shared

The Spirit circled Snowfall like a shadowy wraith, never breaking eye contact, never expressing even the slightest pity as Snowfall's eyes teared up again as he realized his selfishness had brought about this horrible future.

Because of you, Snowfall Freeze

The Spirit pointed at Snowfall yet again before gesturing out to the world around them...

The future is a cold nightmare...!

...as equine specters of cold and cruelty flew about in sinister abandon, reveling in this dismal frozen wasteland around them.

"WINDIGOES?! They're real?! I-I thought it was just a foal's story!" Snowfall now understood! Without Hearth's Warming Even around, the day of the year when all ponies came together in the spirit of love, generosity, and good will, the warmth of their friendship and love was not around to keep these spirits of cold and hatred away.

"They are all too real, Snowfall," the Spirit stated as he gave Snowfall a look of condemnation. "And it is because of you they will return! The future of Equestria shall be consumed in a blanket of eternal snow!!!"

The Spirit raised his wings and gave a fearsome flap that sent a frigid icy wind at Snowfall, as he was engulfed in a twister of subzero cold! The windigoes encircled Snowfall as well as horror and guilt filled him to the breaking point!

"NO! This isn't what I wanted! I- I didn't understand! I know now the true importance of Hearth's Warming Eve! Please, Spirit! I haven't cast the spell yet! And I won't! Please say this future can be changed! Because I will! I'll change!!!"

The cry of the frozen winds and merciless cold tore at Snowfall Freeze before they whisked him off of his hooves and sent him hurtling through the empty darkness as he screamed, "I'LL CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNGGGGEEE!!!!!"

And the last thing he saw and felt was being dropped onto the cold, hard ground as he was buried beneath the merciless snow...

"Spirit! Let me out! Let me out, I say-" Snowfall pushed off, not snow, but the comforter of his bed. Sitting up, he realized he was on the floor beside his bed and looked around as he realized, "I... I'm back in my bedroom?"

"Yes, the bedpost was his own, the curtains his own. The room was his own!" said the voice of a certain narrating dragon.

"Hi guys, we're back!" waved Discord as he and Drakkens sat outside Snowfall's window.
"We promised we'd be back," Drakkens nodded warmly, "but what made Snowfall happiest of all was that his life yet lay before him and that it could be changed for the better."

Snowfall threw open the window (Drkkens and Discord ducking to the sides to avoid being seen) and gasped at the twilight peering over the rooftops and he knew, "It's Hearth's Warmth Morning! Hooray!"

Snowfall began to frisk and dance in his room, "I'm as light as a feather! I'm as happy as an angel! I-I feel like a schoolcolt again! There's so much to do and so little time to do it! O blessed be this day of Hearth's Warmth!"

It was then Snowfall heard something shake and vibrate, and looked to where his coat hung on the coatrack and levitated out his pocketwatch, confused a moment before he remembered, "...The spell!"

His brows furrowed as he declared, "First things first."

He threw on his coat, cloak, and hat, not caring he still had on his night robe, and hurried off. He made excellent time by running, calling out Happy Hearth's Warming to every stallion, mare, and foal he passed by, leaving several of them perplexed yet oddly warmed by the gestures. Snowfall reached his place of business, stole up the stairs, and there it was, the spell he had concocted to perform what would have been the greatest mistake of his entire life.

He concentrated the strongest Abjuration he knew and blasted that damnable draught, leaving nothing but an empty cauldron... and all the decorations and candy and toys he had taken and used as ingredients, restored and pleasant and warm, and Snowfall knew what he had to do next.

He ventured out, smiling and wishing more Happy Hearth's Warming to his fellow pony as he hung the decorations, offered treats and toys, but most of all, an invitation. He went to the nearest toy store and bought a huge sack of toys and games, then stopped by his old employer, Fizzy Pop's baked goods restaurant, and hired some catering and gave them a certain address.

As he led them towards his intended destination, he made sure to offer generous bits to any homeless folk out, and invited them along as well.

When they all reached the door of Thunder Crash's home, Snowfall quietly asked them to hide around the corner as he steeled himself before knocking on the door.

"Thunder Crash!" he called, making sure to sound cross.

The door slowly opened to reveal a nervous-looking Thunder Crash, "M-Master Freeze! Uh- I-I wasn't expecting you."

"Well, I was expecting you!" Snowfall gave a harsh frown, "I don't recall granting you time off."

"But- But-but Master Freeze, Sir! You said that I could take time off for the holiday!" Thunder Crash brought up.

"I? I, Snowfall Freeze?!" Snowfall furrowed his brows, "Would I do a thing like that?"

"No! uh- I- Yes, but-but you did-" Thunder Crash tried to say.

"Thunder Crash, I've had enough of your excuses," Snowfall said harshly, and the door flew completely open to reveal Mrs. Crash, standing by her husband with a challenging look.

"An' Ah've had enough o' you, Snowfall Freeze!" Mrs. Crash snapped, ignoring her husbands pleas to let him handle this.

"And therefore, Thunder Crash..." Snowfall said with a warning rise of his voice, ignoring the couple's squabbling, "I have no choice but to raise your salary."

"An' Ah'm gonna raise yer keister off o' mah-" Mrs. Crash nearly threatened when Snowfall's words clicked in her head as she and her husband both uttered, "Come again?"

"Yes, Thunder," Snowfall finally smiled, warmly and kindly, "I am raising your salary, I am paying your mortgage for your house... and I'm making you my partner."

"P-p-partner?!" Thunder Crash couldn't believe his ears and yet he saw no sign of dishonesty in Snowfall Freeze.
"Oh! Well in tha' case, Master Freeze, won'cha c'mon in an' get yer hooves nice n' warm?" invited Mrs. Crash.

"I would be happy to, Mrs. Crash, if..." Snowfall let the word hang a moment before giving a giddy smile, "if you and your family would care to join us for a lively feast on this fine Hearth's Warmth Morning."

The Crash family were awed and incredulous as Snowfall smiled and said, "Happy Hearth's Warming, everypony," and he stood aside to let all he'd invited in as friends and neighbors and even relatives entered the Crash household, bring all kinds of food, warm and delicious and filling, to the table, along with presents for the Crash family, decorations for their house, and even musicians entered and started a whimsical holiday tune while Drakkens and Discord watched from outside.

"And Snowfall was as good as his word," Drakkens narrated, "He did it all and infinitely more!"
"And, uh... Young Crash?" asked Discord withg a hopeful look.
"And Young Crash, who did not die..." Drakkens beamed, to Discord's joy, "To Young Crash, Snowfall became like a second father, as well as a friend, a teacher, and a good pony that was soon beloved by all the townsponies around him.

"And it was always said from then on that nopony bore the spirit of Hearth's Warming Eve so well as Snowfall Freeze, and as Young Crash observed the joy and laughter around him, he could wish only for one thing more..."

The feast and merriment suddenly paused and quieted just enough as Young Crash was lifted up onto Snowfall's back and the colt happily wished, "Faust bless us, everyone!"

The applause gave a standing ovations as the curtains fell and the lights slowly brightened up, and Twilight wiped a tear at the magical performance and was pleased to see Starlight and Sunburst applauding with everypony else, their eyes opened to the true importance of Hearth's Warming... when the curtains parted, and there stood the actors all lined up as they took a bow, earning another applause for a play well performed.

Then stepped forward Midnight Blaze, who'd played the part of the Spirit of Hearth's Warming Yet to Come.

"Thank you, everypony, and thank you my friends for a truly magical performance. Needless to say, I am proud and humbled by how we all came together to give to our friends and neighbors this wonderful experience. And I hope that you will all join us for a Hearth's Warming afterparty, courtesy of our local party ponies, Pinkie Pie, Cheese Sandwich, and Party Favor, with delicious foods provided by the Cake Family and the Apple Family."

Indeed, all adjourned to the main hall, so there'd be enough room, as all sat at tables covered with holiday recipes and treats, which they washed down with hot cider or cocoa. The conversations were merry and excitable, but as the atmosphere calmed down and the hour grew late, it was almost time for everyone to go home.

But before they did, Blueblood, who had so brilliantly played the role of Snowfall Freeze, stepped in front of the lit hearth and a slow and warm melody began.

[Blueblood]
Here we are, warm and cozy by the fire's glow
(Blueblood smiled as Rarity came to cuddle up to him by the fire)

[Fluttershy]
Singing songs and stealing kisses under the mistletoe
(Fluttershy was led by Big Macintosh under an arch where hung a sprig of mistletoe and she happily gave him a tender kiss before they hugged their baby foals, Belle and Sandow)

[Applejack]
We've finished our feast

[Pinkie Pie]
Had the tastiest treats

[Faerie Tail]
But the spirit of Hearth's Warmth just isn't complete...

[Everypony]
...without true friends and family and the mem'ries we recall

[Time Turner, Ditzy Doo, and Dinky Doo]
It's the love we share that fills the air

[Everypony]
And makes this the best Hearth's Warmth of all

[Little Discord]
Something special underneath the tree
(Little Discord couldn't help but shake a present, trying to figure out what was inside it until he got a good-natured stinkeye from Fluttershy who caught him in the act)

[Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo]
We hope they fit you all perfectly
(The fillies of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders went around, giving away hoofknitted scarves... which weren't perfect yet warm all the same)

[Twinken]
I'm making a wish on a sparkling light!
(Twinken lit up his horn and sent a sparkling light to the top of the tallest Hearth's Warming Tree in the castle)

[Midnight and Twilight]
But that's not what makes this a magical night...!
(The Prince and Princess rose up and slowly danced in a circle as they held each other's gaze)

[Everypony]
It's our true friends and family
And the mem'ries we recall (That we recall)

It's the love we share that fills the air
and makes this the best Hearth's Warmth of all...

[The Council of Friendship and then Everypony]
It's good friends and warm wishes that make this the best... (It's the best...)
Hearth's Warmth of all!!!!

As they watched everypony go home, with cheer in their hearts and a wonderful memory to take with each and every one of them, Twilight and Midnight shared a look of deepest love as the sapphire alicorn said to his mare, "Happy Hearth's Warming, Twilight."

"Happy Hearth's Warming, Midnight," Twilight smiled back as she held up a present for him, to his surprise.

352. A Hearth's Warming Tale - Epilogue (Adult Content)

Author's Note

The chapter here includes Adult Content; if you are younger than 13, do not read

352. A Hearth's Warming Tale - Epilogue (Adult Content)

As the night fell with flakes and powder of snow, Faerie Tail kissed her colt good night and wished him a Happy Hearth's Warming Eve as she left Twinken's bedroom. Returning to hers and after going through her bedtime rituals, she settled into bed... and gazed at the empty spot beside her. It'd been months since she'd awoken from her enchanted sleep, and a part of her still woke up expecting to feel the warm mass of her husband in bed with her, a warm, good morning kiss, or a hoof and foreleg hugging her around her side from behind, only to be disappointed when she saw that she was alone.

She hid her pain and her sadness from her sons, her daughter-in-law, her friends Night Light and Velvet, and the Apple Family. A few times, Midnight and Twilight had both tried to get Faerie Tail to talk about her husband, but apart from fond reminiscing, Faerie Tail avoided the subject altogether. At first, she'd spoken more earnestly about Ignitus with Midnight and even with Celestia, only to be told that despite numerous searches and pursuits of all possible leads, Ignitus Enflame had not been seen or heard from for over ten years. Midnight even told her he'd searched beyond Equestria's borders, chasing even the most vague rumor to many distant places, spoken to many beings and creatures.

All leads led to nowhere, and Midnight was finally forced to call off the searches to focus on his duties in Equestria.

The logical and reasonable side of Faerie Tail understood. Her heart however continued to ache.

Even so, she knew Hearth's Warming Morning would be bright and wonderful, and seeing her family together for the holiday would surely cheer her up. At least, that's what she thought to herself as she drifted away...

It was rare for Faerie Tail to discern that she was dreaming and become lucid with awareness. Her mind wasn't totally clear, but close enough as she dreamed up her old home back in Canterlot. The home she'd shared with her husband and her firstborn son. A three-and-a-half story manor, large yet warm with the comfort of family and the intimacy of a place where she could always feel safe and sound.

The memories of her old home were not perfect, but she could recall a surprising amount of detail as it all fleshed itself out before her very eyes. The hallway, the staircase, the living room, the dining room, the furnishings. She saw her bookcase built into the wall, filled with her collection of the written word. Some of them her own published works, others valued first editions that would be the envy of any collector of literature. The framed pictures on the mantle piece, one showing her and her husband on their wedding day, one on their first anniversary, another where she was pregnant with her first foal, the next of her holding her foal the day he was born, and more.

She continued to look around and noticed more. Her husband's favorite chair, where he often read the paper while their son played at his hooves. The fireplace where they'd taught their son how to make s'mores when he was only a toddler. The open middle of the room where her son and his best friends used to play, read comic books, and even have sleepovers with Shining Armor and Bright Side.

Though those memories were beloved and warm, of those her husband felt painfully bittersweet. She could see him right there in his favorite chair, holding up his usual paper, preventing her from seeing his face. Her wish to see him manifested in the paper lowering... and there he was. His handsome, smiling face, warm and subtle yet loving and true.

Faerie Tail didn't even notice the room around them change into their old bedroom, and Ignitus now sat on the edge of the bed, giving Faerie Tail a come-hither smirk.

"...Ignitus?" Faerie Trail spoke softly as she asked, "Can... can you tell me what happened to you?"

Ignitus said nothing. Instead, he stuck out his tongue just a little while bobbing his brows in a cheesy yet tempting manner, that Faerie Tail couldn't help but giggle though she tried to stifle it.

Candles suddenly lit up, casting the bedroom into a warm and sultry radiance, rose petals seemed to rain around them, and the look her husband was giving her. It stirred Faerie Tail in a place that hadn't been stirred in Goddess knew how long. A subtle heat in her nether regions... and apparently Ignitus was feeling a similar urge as she noticed his sheath swell before his meat silo began to peer out, colored a darker red than his coat.

Ignitus spread his legs, allowing Faerie Tail to have a clear view of his increasing erection. It wasn't at full mast yet but... did it look a little bigger than she remembered? Either way, Faerie Tail shuddered with anticipation as she stepped forward, crouched down and sniffed, breathing in the musk of her stallion and awakening needs she hadn't thought about (much) since she'd woken from her cursed coma. As her hubby's stallionhood rose to the occasion, she eyed the length, smirked at the girth, and licked her lips as she breathed in her stallion's scent more deeply... and began sliding her tongue along the length. Ignitus growled softly with pleasure and softly gasped when Faerie Tail took her husband's member into her mouth, a bit difficult at first due to his flare, but in no time at all she gave a rousing fellatio to her stallion, who tilted his head back, groaning as he enjoyed his wife's tongue.

Faerie Tail went slow and steady at first, wanting for them both to enjoy this. But already she could feel Ignitus's shaft getting fatter and harder, and likewise she was feeling her marehood heating up as she enjoyed this, this intimacy. The feeling and the taste in her mouth though it was rather... bland? Lacking? Maybe she just had to get more into it, and so she began to deep-throat her husband's cock. She heard his groans turn into growls of barely-contained pleasure and didn't even notice how far down her throat she was sucking nor that she didn't even need to breathe.

Ignitus's growls began to turn into anxious groans, growing louder and louder, as he fought the losing battle of the fast-approaching climax and Faerie Tail rubbed herself down there, trying to abate her lust but feeling her hoof becoming wet. Finally, Ignitus let out a gasping bray and Faerie Tail felt her mouth fill with cum that quickly slid down her throat though she didn't choke. She released Igntius's cock from her mouth, which dripped with semen and saliva.

She sat there, shuddering as her arousal calmed a little but it remained. Though the taste of cum didn't seem right either. She didn't get to dwell on it as she heard a growl and looked up to see Ignitus giving her rev'd-up smirk as he gestured for Faerie Tail to come to bed. Smiling, Faerie Tail crawled in and snuggled up to her big red stallion, enjoying this familiar warmth as he leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers. She kissed back and they both started making out, kissing, cuddling, enjoying the other's touch. Even the touches to the other's nether regions.

Faerie Tail and Ignitus nuzzled cheek to cheek before he positioned himself over her and looked into her eyes and she his.

They stayed that way for a long moment. Until Faerie Tail reached up and caressed her husband's cheek in her hoof.
"Ignitus... I've missed you. So much. Ever since I woke up from that-that... I have so many questions for you. What happened to you? Where did you go? Why did you leave our sons? ...Are you even still alive?"

Ignitus did not answer. His face was almost blank except for a subtle semblance of regret and desire, as he leaned his head down and very gently nibbled at Faerie Tail's neck, causing her to shudder, even as Ignitus's hooves began to reach down and gently feel her barrel, her tummy, and even her teats. His touch was gentle but growing more and more passionate as he began to work his way down, nibbling Faerie Tail's sensitive parts, licking her skin where her fur was thin, and even sniffing in her scent. Faerie Tail felt her lower lips puffing with arousal... and lightly gasped as Ignitus began to lick her sex!

"Ohh... Ignitus!" Faerie Tail whispered as she held his head with her forehooves, the feeling of his big warm tongue gently moistening her marehood, how he tickled her clitoris, and tasted her arousal growing hotter and hotter with every lick.

Then he stopped.

Faerie Tail looked down and saw Ignitus leaning back... to show off his erection was once again at the ready, and she realized what was next. She spread her hind legs and bade him to proceed with a longing look. Ignitus nodded and positioned his cock just so, the flare gently brushing with Faerie Tail's petals in a teasing kind of way. She gave him a pouty look of annoyance and the way he gave her a cheeky smirk in return to tease her was rubbing her the wrong way.

"Either you rut me like an animal or I'lllaaaaAAAAAUUUGHHHH!!!" Faerie Tail cried out in aroused alarm as Ignitus stuck his dick inside her. The length, the girth, the sheer size brought back a ghost of familiarity as he began to fuck her.

He was vigorous with every thrust yet gentle with every pull, and his medial ring felt so good every time it entered and exited her marehood. Faerie Tail moaned and grunted with every thrust. Oh, how she'd missed this. This most natural yet carnal of pleasures, the feeling of being claimed by a worthy stallion, a devoted partner. The wordless process both partners shared in finding the right rhythm- Oh! There it was... She felt it, building slowly but surely, and as much as she yearned for the moment to come already, she wanted for this to last as long as equinely possible!

Words buzzed in her head yet never made it to her mouth, as Faerie tail couldn't bring herself to interrupt this most intimate of progresses, this most natural of acts between a mare and her stallion. At the back of her mind, she wanted to say something despite knowing deep down that as much as she wished for him to be, this was not her Ignitus.

The impending pleasure was nearing the apex. She threw her forelegs around Ignitus, moaning in both pleasure and heartache, juxtaposed by her wishes that this could last... maybe not forever, but for a while longer, and for the moment to come already. In more ways than one.

Then... she came. Oh, how she came! She threw her head back, her eyes closing in ecstasy, feeling the brief yet incredible pleasure of climax...

...and then she woke up.

Looking around, Faerie Tail realized, she was still in her bedroom, in the Apple Family residence. And she was alone. But the blissful pleasure of climax yet lingered in her marehood and she realized, she'd just had a wet dream.

A wet dream that had been so intense and passionate it caused her to wake up from an orgasm.

As she lay there in the afterglow, feeling the pleasure fade away... she felt the bitter heartache return with the reminder of reality. She was alone. Her husband was not here. The tears began to well up in her eyes as her heart hurt... but no. There was no use crying over- Well, not spilled milk, or even the damp aftermath of pleasure courtesy of her wet dream.

She got out of bed, quickly changed her sheet while levitating in a paper towel from the hallway bathroom and cleaned herself.

Before returning to bed, Faerie Tail looked out her bedroom window and gazed out to the night sky. It was so beautiful. Far more beautiful than it had ever been when she'd been growing up. It made sense, of course.

Princess Luna had still been banished to the moon.

Clearly the Princess of the Night had started making up for lost time in glorifying the night. As much as the day was more busy and lively, the night was now so much more resplendent for those who only took the time to appreciate it. The stars shined brighter, the constellations more detailed and perceivable, distant nebulae glimmered with a rainbow of colors by the various lights of the galaxy's celestial bodies shining through their stardust.

But her eyes were drawn to one certain star.

It was a star that always shined beside the moon, radiating a blue so pale it was almost white. It was known as the Lunar Arrow, because it made the crescent moon look like a bow with an arrow at the ready. She'd never known that. Until her third date with Ignitus Enflame, who'd pointed it out to her and explained that the Lunar Arrow both represented and honored the Guardspony who first served Princess Luna millennia ago, early into the initial reign of the Royal Sisters. He'd been her most devoted and loyal soldier, such that he gave his life to protect his princess during a battle.

Touched by his sacrifice and heartbroken by his loss, Princess Luna had made the Lunar Arrow Star to represent her first soldier, who'd always helped her stay on the straight and narrow. His loss had attributed to her losing her way, that she became Nightmare Moon.

When Faerie Tail had asked Ignitus why he was telling her this story, he'd answered that because Faerie Tail was now his guiding star. So touched and charmed by his words, the look on his face, the sound of his voice, they'd kissed right then and there for the very first time.

Looking upon the Lunar Arrow now, a comfort settled Faerie Tail's heart, as well as a newfound faith.

"Ignitus..." she spoke softly as she held her gaze upon that star, "I can only suppose you left to find a way to wake me up. That doesn't excuse you for leaving our sons, but I can understand. I don't know how, or why, or even when... but somehow, I know you're still alive, that you're still out there. That, Faust willing, you will come home to us.

To me."

Returning to bed, Faerie Tail no longer felt sad, but rather assured. Sure, she had no irrefutable proof that confirmed whether or not her husband was dead or alive, but that's what faith was all about. To hope that, in spite of the odds, that things would turn out okay.

Such as it would for the life inside Faerie Tail that was long overdue to begin.

353. Spice Up Your Life

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

354. Annoying Little Bummer

Author's Note

This turned out a lot longer than I intended, partly because since I made up my own versions of Fluttershy's parents, I did the same with her brother and used my own version instead of Zephyr Breeze, and wanted to add more and do it right. I'm not one hundred percent sure I did, but here we are

Crashing Wave, or Crash for short, is a big earth pony with facial features similar to Doughnut Joe. He has a similar color scheme to Zephyr Breeze but a different cutie-mark, talent, and aspirations

354. Annoying Little Bummer

Baby Belle and Sandow were laughing happily as they sat up against their Grandma Posey's side while their Grandpa Sunsplash played Peekaboo with them, Fluttershy sitting next to her mother as she enjoyed her foals' adorable laughs.

"Wherrrre's Grampa...? Here I am!" Sunsplash would cover his face with his wings before spreading them out and showing his grandfoals his warmest smile, and feeling his heart swell with love when the twins laughed happily and reached up to touch his face with their little hooves.

"Oh, Fluttershy, it's so good to see you and the foals as well," Posey nuzzled her daughter though she was unable to take her eyes off her grandfoals and giggle at how silly her husband was being to make them happy.
"Though I am a little disappointed Macintosh couldn't make the trip here, I understand that he's needed at Sweet Apple Acres."

"He wanted to come, but yes, with spring in the air," Fluttershy shrugged, "the Apple Family have to get their orchard started for this year's harvest. Not to mention it's almost that time of the year again..."

"Well, think of it this way," Posey gave Fluttershy a knowing look, "since you're already a mommy, you won't have to worry about those... needs."

"I really hope so, Mom," Fluttershy looked anxiously at her children, "I don't want for Belle and Sandow to... see or hear their mommy and daddy like that."

"Well, I'm sure you and Mac will have it perfectly covered," Posey assured her daughter. "After all, even if you do get those needs, you have your big strong stallion to-"

"Mother!" Fluttershy was almost as red as her husband, "Not in front of the foals!"

"Who wants pudding?" Sunsplash asked out of the blue, quickly changing the subject before he picked up the foals in his wings and led everyone into the kitchen.
"Honey, we still have a large bowl of that vanilla pudding, don't we?"

"We sure do," Posey went to the fridge and brought out the aforementioned bowl, "We made this a few days ago, when..."

Noticing her mother trailing off and seeing the nervous look on her face, Fluttershy asked, "When what, Mom? Did something happen lately?"

"Oh! Uh, when... I was... feeling in the mood for pudding!" Posey smiled a little too big as she set the big bowl onto the table, the foals looking curiously at it as Sunsplash brought out two baby-sized bowls and some spoons although the look on his face was tiresome.

"Someone was in the mood for pudding, yeah," Sunsplash sighed.

"Am I missing something her- !!" It was then Fluttershy noticed a canvas stashed in the narrow space between the fridge and the counter.

Posey slumped her shoulders while Sunsplash filled the foals' bowls and began spoonfeeding them, Belle and Sandow squealing happily at the yummy treat their grandpa was giving them. Fluttershy pulled out the canvas and her suspicions were confirmed when she saw an unfinished painting of a coconut tree.

The brushstrokes were light and subtle yet gave depth and form to the coconut tree, but the leaves were too faint and there was no background to highlight on it all. Groaning softly, Fluttershy turned to face her parents and bluntly asked, "Where is he?"

"Upstairs in his room," Sunsplash answered flatly, obviously no more pleased about this than his daughter was.

"Well, honey! He's just between jobs, right now," Posey defended.

"And how many times has he been 'between jobs' in the last couple of months, Mother?" Fluttershy raised a brow.

Posey raised a hoof and opened her mouth to answer... but hesitated, looking uncomfortable with answering that question, only for some hooftsteps coming down the stairs to interrupt and all eyes turned to the doorway where in walked an earth pony stallion a couple of years younger than Fluttershy. He was tall, just a few inches taller than Sunsplash, and definitely heavier. He was pudgy around the barrel, had soft cheeks, and his coat was a bright yet pale seagreen, his mane sandy gold tied back in a loose ponytail with some stray locks framing his face, a little blonde stubble along his chin, and his eyes were the same cerise as Posey's. His cutie-mark was a blue ocean wave with white crests being painted on by a paintbrush.

"Crashing Wave..." Fluttershy gazed disapprovingly at her younger brother, "Living with Mom and Dad, I see. Again."

"Oh, wassup, Flutters?" replied the stallion called Crashing Wave as he regarded his older sister with a a reluctantly welcoming smile. "I didn't know you were here! I was just... uh, upstairs! Trying to find a little inspiration for my next painting."

"I can see that," Fluttershy pointed to the unfinished painting she'd pulled out from its hiding place beside the fridge.

"Oh! Uh, you found it, huh? Well, I...!!" Crashing Wave's eyes lit up with joy when they saw the foals, "O - M - F, are those the twins?!"

He came in and sat at the side of the foals opposite Sunsplash (who was giving his son a tired look) and smiled at the foals, who gazed up at this new pony, "Hey there, little colt n' filly! It's me, yer totally sweet n' chill Uncle Crash! Uh..."

He gazed over at Fluttershy, looking sheepish, "What're their names again?"

"Bellflower Apple and Sandow Apple," Fluttershy answered flatly, but with a softer look. "Which you'd know if you'd visited during my pregnancy, or even after the births..."

"Who're the cutest colt n' filly in the whole wide world? You are!" Crash laughed as he began to coochy-coochy-coochy-coo his niece and nephew, who were both laughing, quickly warming up to their uncle.

"So you're... between jobs again, little brother?" Fluttershy brought up not-so-subtly, causing Crash to hunch his shoulders before collecting himself.

"Oh! Uh, you heard about that, huh..." Crash stood up while he held Belle in his hooves, possibly to shield himself from her mother or as a source of self-assurance.
"Yeah, see, my boss? He was being real harsh, y'know? Always on my tail for any and every little thing..."

"Are you sure you weren't just slacking off?" Fluttershy responded while adding in a soft voice, "As usual."

"Well... it's hard being an artist, big sis," Crash shrugged in an offhooved manner, "Inspiration can come anytime, anywhere, and then the mind wanders on how to implement that inspiration into your next project!"

"Really? You mean, like this project?" Fluttershy pointed to the unfinished painted canvas she'd found earlier. "Because, it doesn't look like you're done with it. Just like a lot of your past projects..."

The tone in Fluttershy's voice made Crash cringe as she went on.
"When was the last time you completed a painting, Crash? How long did you keep this job until you were fired? How many jobs have you had in the last year alone? And how many of them were you fired from as well?"

"Uh- Flutters, big sis!" Crash pulled a nervous smile as he stood behind the twins in their high chairs and hugged them sweetly, "Let's not dwell on the past! Let's focus on the now or- I know! Tell me all about these adorable little guys! I wanna get to know my nephew and niece."

Fluttershy narrowed her eyes, annoyed that her brother was skirting the subject when Posey stepped up to her and carefully said, "Flutters, honey? Maybe we can have a word?"

Fluttershy looked from her mother to her brother, who was already rubbing his snoot adorably to little Belle, who was giggling at the ticklish gesture. Fluttershy sighed, unable to deny the moment was adorable and followed her mother out into the hallway. Stepping a little further down the hall, Posey turned to her daughter, "Fluttershy, I understand you're a little.... peeved with your brother. But it's been so long since we've all been together, and with you bringing the twins to meet their uncle for the first time..."

"But Mom, you know he always does this," Fluttershy responded sternly, "He gets a job, he gets lazy or he claims to get a new idea for a painting, his work eventually fires him, and then he comes back to you and Dad to house him and he never finishes his latest piece!"

"Well, dear, Crash is just... Well, he's just trying to find his place," said Posey, though she was obviously conflicted.

"Well, it's just this his place always winds up being you and Dad's place," Fluttershy pointed out, "and then he just lays around, letting you do things for him until he gets bored and tries finding another job and this whole thing starts all over again."

For a long moment, Posey said nothing, appearing to be going over the situation in her head and looking rather uncomfortable for it. Fluttershy hated having to put her mother in this position, but she knew unless something happened this problem would never be resolved. She was about to say something, only for her mother to raise a hoof, take a deep breath, and say, "Fluttershy..."

"WHAT?!"

Both mares startled and Fluttershy heard her babies whimpering as she and Posey looked to the doorway into the kitchen as they heard Crash say, "Dad, what do you mean 'rent'?!"

They hurried to the doorway and saw both stallions glaring at each other, but Fluttershy's eyes went right to her foals, the both of them lowering their heads and covering their eyes or ears with their hooves, looking frightened. Neither Crashing Wave nor Sunsplash noticed as they were focused on each other as the older stallion stated, "If you want to keep living under my roof, then it's about time you took responsibility and contributed instead of sitting around on your ass doing nothing!"

"Aw c'mon, Pop! Don't be like that!" Crash sighed wearily.

"I will be like that, because honestly, son? I am sick n' tired of this!" Sunsplash's golden yellow coat was reddening, causing him to turn a noticeable orange-red.
"In the last few months, you've had six jobs and got fired from each of them because you were being lazy, daydreaming, were late for work or missed days of work altogether! I'm done with it! Either you go out there now and come back with a new job and start contributing to this household or else!"

"Sunsplash!" cried the worried and concerned voice of Posey and both stallions looked to see Posey giving them a worried look and both of them felt ashamed, even more as they saw Fluttershy hurry over to pick up and comfort her foals in her wings.

Crash stood there, looking a little stunned and upset at his father, who returned that look with one of uncompromising sternness. While Fluttershy calmed her foals, Posey was about to step in and try to mediate the situation, only for Crash to huff, "You don't want me here? Fine... I'll go get my things and be out of your mane within the hour."

"Uh- Crash, wait!" Posey pleaded as her son walked out of the kitchen, only for him to shrug off her hoof from his withers.

Fluttershy watched as her parents both shared an unreadable look... and then Posey left the kitchen to the living room while Sunsplash sighed and began cleaning up. It wasn't long after that they all heard Crash's hoofsteps descend the stairs, but they kept going to the door and he left without a word.

Fluttershy checked on her parents, each of whom avoided the other's presence, and she wondered, Did I do the right thing...?

The train ride home was long and somewhat depressing. Fluttershy's babies seemed to sense their mommy was sad as they kept fussing and giving her anxious looks. Fluttershy would give them each a bounce in her wings while assuring them 'Mommy's okay' and giving them a smile, but they seemed to know she was fibbing. It was late after noon by the time Fluttershy arrived at Ponyville station and there was her big and warm husband, waiting for his family on the platform.

Big Mac immediately saw Fluttershy was down and offered to carry the foals home and Fluttershy nodded and carefully gave the foals to their daddy, who'd arrived to greet them with the foal carriers strapped to his barrel. As they walked home, Macintosh noticed his wife was depressed. Usually, they preferred to talk about personal matters in the privacy of their home but it seemed his `Shy needed somepony to talk to about whatever was bothering her.

"So... how're th' folks?"

Fluttershy gave her hubby a troubled look but quickly put on a smile, "Oh, it was lovely. Mom and Dad were so happy to see Belle and Sandow and they loved seeing their grandma and grandpa too. We even had pudding!"

Although Fluttershy was obviously trying to appear cheerful, Big Mac saw right through it and he noticed his son and daughter seemed to have noticed too. When foals took notice of something like that, Big Mac knew it had to be something serious.

"`Shy... tell me wha's wrong, sugarcube," Macintosh gently bade his mare as they left the busy neighborhood of Ponyville behind and made their way down the path towards their home.
"Even lil' Belle an' Sandow can tell yer upset."

Fluttershy paused and looked at her family. Her strong and devoted husband, her sweet daughter, her playful son, all of them looking at her with warm concern, and knew she couldn't keep up this charade. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "My brother was there..."

Big Mac's ears perked and he raised a brow. He'd never met his brother-in-law but Fluttershy had told him some unflattering truths about Crashing Wave. He gestured Fluttershy to walk at his side and they continued on down the path, their house in sight as he gently invited, "Tell me ev'rythang."

They'd made it home shortly before Fluttershy recounted what had happened during her and the foals' visit to Fillydelphia and Big Mac was downright ornery with disapproval and even disgust to hear how his in-laws had acted, especially Crash.

"Ah tell ya, `Shy," Big Mac grumbled as he let Fluttershy take the foals from the carriers around his barrel, "us Apples wouldn' put up wit' tha' kind o' laziness, no-siree."

Sighing, Fluttershy agreed, "I know, Mackie, I just... I just don't understand my brother sometimes. He's so talented but he just doesn't seem motivated to stick to his jobs or even his paintings! I can't remember the last time he finished a piece or even name it."

The foals both took that moment to open their mouths and make the most adorable squeaky yawns and the parents smiled warmly as Fluttershy said, "I think these little ones are due for a nap. It's been a long day, after all."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed, "Take em on up t' their room an' putem t' bed. Ah'll be up in a few."

"Okay, dear," Fluttershy and Mac shared a quick yet tender kiss before she carried their babies upstairs.

Meanwhile, Mac went to the kitchen and got started making a late lunch as he wondered if perhaps there was a way he could help Fluttershy with her brother. It still baffled him that he hadn't even met Crashing Wave yet. The stallion hadn't even come to his and Fluttershy's wedding or visited during Fluttershy's pregnancy. The first Mac had heard of Crashing Wave was when he and Fluttershy were dating.

According to his `Shy, Crash came and went on a whim, often coming back home to Fillydelphia when he got fired from a job and then leave a month or two later to find work elsewhere, and the cycle continued over and over. Supposedly, the longest Crash had ever held employment was three months, and that was five years ago. If he wasn't employed, he got by on assisted living programs that he barely qualified for.

It disgusted Big Mac that his wife's brother was so lazy and unmotivated, and that he constantly leaned on their parents on a periodic basis. A real stallion earns a living with a devotion to hard work and a goal.

Big Mac's own goal was to be a provider for his family, to one day expand the business of Sweet Apple Acres, and to raise his son and daughter into good, smart, and capable ponies who would one day stand on their own hooves and work towards their own dreams.

So wha' is this guy's problem where he keeps bein' a burden on his folks? Big Mac wondered resentfully.

*Knock-knock-knock*

Big Mac set the kitchen knife down and looked to the front door. He wasn't expecting guests and he doubted his `Shy was either. She'd just gotten home with the twins, after all. He moseyed on over and opened the door-

"Wazzzup! My brother from another mother, you've totally gotta be Big Macintosh!" exclaimed the obnoxiously loud voice of a certain seagreen earth pony stallion, whose picture Big Mac had seen before and he was certain enough of who this was.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" came the cries of the foals from upstairs and Big Mac glared at this uninvited visitor as he realized what he'd just done.

"Uh- Heheh, whoops?" Crash smiled sheepishly.

It took a few long lullabies, but eventually Fluttershy and Big Mac got their son and daughter to finally calm down for their nap and were relieved when the twins began snoozing peacefully. Afterwards, they went downstairs to find Crashing Wave lounging on the couch so relaxed he hadn't even noticed them come down.

"Crash..."

"Huh- Wha-?!" Crash startled out of his dozing and nearly fell off of the couch when he noticed Fluttershy and Big Macintosh staring at him as though he were an inconvenient stain on the wall.
"Oh hey, sis! Bro! So, uh... the foals okay?"

"They're finally asleep, no thanks to you," Fluttershy answered with soft reproach. "And speaking of you, what exactly are you doing here?"

"Well, big sis, you're gonna laugh," Crash explained sheepishly, "So after... what happened back home in Fillydelphia with the folks, I was gonna ask an old work buddy if the Crash could crash with `em for a while, only..."

"Only what...?" Fluttershy pressed, already having an idea of where this was going.

"Yeah, my buddy was having some home improvement done and said it just wouldn't work for the time being," Crash went on lamely as he already began to make himself comfortable, putting his easel to one side, his paint stuff on the coffee table, and a blank canvas to the side of the couch.
"So.... I thought, if it was okay, I'd come stay with you here in Ponyville a while! Get to know my bro-in-law's side of the family, see what kind of awesome stuff you do for fun around here!"

"And let me guess," Fluttershy sighed, "because you have nowhere else to go."

"Well..." Crash let the response hang in the air awkwardly.

"Fine, you can stay here-" Fluttershy said, only for Crash to interrupt with a hug.

"Aw, thanks so much, sis!" Crash was ecstatic, "Oh, I'm looking forward to having a good time here in Ponyville-"

"On one condition," Fluttershy pushed Crash gently back.

"Totally, anything you say," Crash said coolly.

"You have to get a job," Fluttershy said with a subtle tone of finality while poking her hoof into her brother's snoot as he felt his excitement quickly deflate, especially when Big Mac agreed.

"Eeyup," Big Mac nodded, "An' it jus' so happens Sweet Apple Acres could use another-"

"Er, Mackie? A quick word," Fluttershy gently pushed her husband back into the hallway while giving her brother a look that meant 'stay put'. Once they have privacy, Fluttershy softly said, "I understand what you're getting at, but unfortunately, Crash isn't one for... hard labor."

"Yeah, Ah can see that..." Big Mac said contemptuously as he peered around the corner, seeing Crash already lazing back on the couch... with that noticeable paunch of his.

Crash was around Mac's size but he was not so much bulky that came from years of dedicated hard work on a farm as he was a husky couch potato.

"Which is why," Fluttershy went on, "I will find a job that i think Crash is capable of doing well enough that it gets him out of the house and contributing. Because, and no offense, sweetheart, but I think putting him to work on the farm will just send him running for the hills."

Big Mac gave it a thought and sighed, figuring his `Shy was probably right.
"Aw'right, fine, but if he don' get his act t'gether, you tell him his tail's mahn!"

"Hmm, I think that just might be the motivation he needs," Fluttershy responded with a rare devious look.

"Heheh, so rare t' see ya lookin' so wicked, `Shy," Big Mac complimented in a flirty way that it made his wife giggle before they shared a kiss.

The next morning, Mac n `Shy roused a weary Crash from bed, and surprise-surprise he complained. Until Fluttershy had informed him she was holding him to his word from yesterday about getting a job, which caused him to groan like a foal until Big Mac "offered" him work on the farm, saying he could always use an extra hoof moving heavy loads, which spurred Crash to tell Fluttershy to hurry up so he could find a job in town.

Big Mac took the twins to the house over at Sweet Apple Acres and entrusted them to Faerie Tail's care while he and Applejack got to work around the farm. After hours of good backbreaking labor, they both ambled off to take their lunch breaks and Mac made his way to Pepper Pony's for his weekly pizza pie meet-up with his friends.

"The usual, Auntie Spice," Midnight ordered from Auntie Spice and the mare nodded as she left the six stallions to get cooking. "So Mac, I take it things are... different with your brother-in-law living with you?"

"Ugh, tha' guy'd better bust his ass wherever `Shy's got him workin'," Big Mac grumbled as he took a swig of colt cola and let out a belch. "Otherwise, he can expect some mighty hard chores on th' farm."

"I'm afraid you're going to have to get in line, Mac, my friend," commented an irate Blueblood as he propped his head up on his hoof, leaning onto the table.
"Fluttershy asked Rarity to give Crashing Wave some work, dyeing fabrics, at the boutique. My wife later informed me that Wave tried to hoof off the task she gave him to some local critters and they made a real mess of Rarity's work space."

Mac furrowed his brows and was about to say something, but Midnight beat him to the punch.
"Yeah... Fluttershy asked me and Twilight if Crash could do some work in the castle. So, we tasked him with cleaning the castle windows... only for Crash to con Spike into 'showing him how it's done so he gets it right', which Spike didn't catch onto until after he'd done all the work Crash was supposed to do."

Big Mac was starting to get steamed, but then Soarin spoke up.
"Oh, that's nothing. Fluttershy asked me to have Crash be my assistant over at the Weather Office? He mixed up some paperwork and now Ponyville's due for a heatwave this weekend! And I can't find the forms to tell the Weather Factory in Cloudsdale that they got the wrong order because Crash ruined my system! I had everything exactly the way I like it and now I'm gonna have to put in extra hours to sort it all out!"

Big Mac groaned as he facehooved before asking, "Where are they? Y'know?"

"I think they went to Fluttershy's cottage," Thunderlane answered and Big Mac left right as Cheese Sandwich and little Pepper Flake were coming with their order.

"Uh, trouble?" Cheese asked.

"For somepony, yes," Midnight shook his head, almost feeling sorry for Crashing Wave.

Almost.

Big Mac made his way straight for Fluttershy;s cottage near the Everfree Forest. She didn't live there anymore apart from night she spent there to be close to animal patients that needed her to be close by, but she still visited everyday to check on her animals, make sure they were fed and healthy, spending about a few hours a day with them.

She'd considered moving some of her animals to their house but Mac had to put his hoof down, especially back when he figured out Fluttershy had been pregnant with the twins. Though he allowed for Fluttershy to bring a critter or two over to visit, especially for Belle and Sandow to play with.

As he approached however, he could already hear there was trouble going on as he heard Fluttershy raising her voice, "Keep trying? Finish something for once? Maybe that way, you'd find a job you actually like or finish one of your paintings!"

"How many times I gotta yell ya, Flutters," snapped the disrespectful voice of Crash, "You can't rush art, and I can't spend my time doing work that stifles my creative process..."

The door flew open, startling both Fluttershy and Crash and they saw an ornery-looking Macintosh as he threw such a stink eye at the lazy stallion that Crash briefly considered running for his life.

"Sweet Apple Acres. Now..." Big Mac ordered with a deep tone that would stand for no argument.

"Mackie-" Fluttershy tried to say, only for her husband to shake his head.

"Ah warned ya, both o' ya..." Macintosh kept his stern and piercing gaze upon Crash, who was beginning to shake on Fluttershy's sofa. "He don' get his act t'gether, his tail's mahn. Now move yer ass unless ya want mah hoofprints on it."

Crash got the picture and whimpered as he followed Big Mac out the door though he couldn't help giving a pleading look to his sister. Fluttershy could only shrug and shake her head for even though there was sympathy in her eyes the look on her face read 'you brought this on yourself'.

Unfortunately, Big Mac's approach didn't work out any better. He marched Crash to Sweet Apple Acres and assigned him chores, but no matter what chore Crash wound up with, he made a mess or hurt himself. He hurt his tail when he tried applebucking, he kept dropping haybales that he was supposed to be stacking and causing them to come loose, he got the tools in the barn mixed up when he'd been tasked with cleaning the hayloft, he got the feed for the animals wrong and caused the pigs and chickens some bad tummy aches, and he kept bruising or ruining apples he tried sorting or collecting, making them no good.

Needless to say, it was driving Big Mac up the wall with frustration. He allowed Crash to take a break after a few more mishaps and while Crash bellyached about his sore legs and the unfairness of it all in the living room, Mac sat in the kitchen with Fluttershy, the both of them coming towards the end of their proverbial rope.

"He's hopeless!" Macintosh exasperated as he gently bounced baby Belle on his lap, the filly giggling sweetly at her father.

"I just don't understand how he got to be this way..." Fluttershy responded while she fed little Sandow his bottle, the colt happily sucking away as he had his fill. "He was such an active colt when he was little, going outside to play in the sunshine."

"Well, perhaps that's something you need to talk to Crash about, Fluttershy," spoke up Faerie Tail, who was taking a break from foalsitting while having her favorite tea. "If not, you could have him talk to me down at Town Hall. I'm still working there as a therapist."

"I might just take you up on that offer, Faerie Tail," Fluttershy then gave Sandow a light pat on the back (*Burp*) before placing him back in his baby chair, as did Mac put Belle into hers, next to her brother.
"And thanks again for foalsitting, it's a great relief to me and Mackie."

"Well..." Faerie Tail hesitated before explaining, "I'm afraid I can't foalsit any longer. I received a notice from Doctor Stable that he would like to speak with me at the hospital."

"Is sumpin' wrong?" asked Macintosh, looking concerned.

"Oh, not at all, Mac," Faerie Tail assured, "The doctor is still insisting on periodical check-ups, given my... unique case. Which of course means I can't watch the twins until I get back, and I could be gone for a few hours. I actually should have left a few minutes ago."

"Well, then don't worry, Faerie Tail," Fluttershy assured as she got Faerie Tail's shawl from the coat rack by the door, "Mackie and I will manage or figure something out in the meantime."

"Thank you, dear," Faerie Tail then stepped over to give the twins each a kiss, "I've had a lovely time foalsitting these two darlings, takes me back to when Midnight was their age."

"Hmm, got any baby stories o' Midnight you'd mind sharin'?" Macintosh gave Faerie Tail an interested smirk.

"Maybe... See you all later this evening," Faerie Tail stepped out, leaving the parents a little deflated.

"Now wha're we gonna do...?" Macintosh sighed, "Ah still got a lotta chores t' tackle, AJ's out runnin' errands, an' Granny went t' visit Goldie Delicious."

"And I have some baby badgers back at my cottage who need a check-up," fretted Fluttershy, "who could we get to watch the foals for the afternoon on such short notice?"

Belle and Sandow didn't notice their mommy and daddy as they were too busy hugging their favorite stuffies, Belle's Wissa robin bird and Sandow's Uffy wolf pup.Then they all heard a toilet flushing and noticed Crash pass the doorway and moan in relaxed content after he collapsed onto the couch. Fluttershy looked to her husband but Big Mac quickly figured out what she was thinking and firmly stated, "Nnope!"

"I know Crash hasn't been very... productive today, Mackie," Fluttershy acknowledged, "but what other choice do we have? Those baby badgers are counting on me and you can't watch the twins and do your farmwork at the same time."

"...Maybe we could get `Bloom an' Twinken t-" Big Mac tried to say, only for Fluttershy to shake her head.

"The Crusaders are good foals, but they're not ready for foalsitting, even if it's just for the afternoon," Fluttershy disagreed. "Macintosh, maybe this time Crash will surprise us. He cares for his niece and nephew and I'm sure he'd come through for them."

"Ah jus' dunno, `Shy," Macintosh sighed into his hoof, "he ain't done a good job o' anythang we tried t' get him t' do all day! Either he tried gettin' someone else t' do his work or he kept messin' up an' complainin'."

"Well, this time he'll have to do the work, Macintosh," Fluttershy assured, "and I think this time Crash will come through."

Seeing the faith his `Shy had in her brother, despite all evidence to the contrary, Macintosh sighed, knowing they didn't really have much other choice.

"Alrighty, sis and bro-in-law!" Crash was, in a jokey way, gently pushing Fluttershy and Big Mac towards the door, "No need to worry, I've totally got this."

"Now, Crash, we're counting on you to watch Belle and Sandow for a few hours," Fluttershy side-stepped just before she and her husband passed the threshold and gave her brother a firm look.
"Just keep them safe and happy, they've already had their lunch but just in case we don't make it back in time, the diapers are right there beside the couch in the living room. You can change a diaper, right...?"

Although the idea of diaper-duty was... unappealing to Crash, he nodded his head and solemnly swore, "I promise, big sis, Uncle Crash is all over this and won't let you down."

Seeing the look in Crash's eyes, Fluttershy felt some of her apprehension lift before sighing, "Okay. The twins will probably just play with their stuffies or, if they're feeling satisfied from their milk earlier, they may take an early nap. We'll try to return as soon as we can- Oh! And I wrote down some tips and other helpful notes here."

She held out a list that had some simple instructions and tips on what to do in several situations regarding the foals, which Crash accepted and then said, "Thanks, Flutters, I won't let you down."

"Good luck, just let me give the twins a quick hug and kiss," Fluttershy walked past Crash to the living room while Mac gave Crash an unreadable look.

It began to bother Crash when Fluttershy returned and said, "If you have trouble, just call out to Macintosh. He'll be busy with chores but the moment you call, he'll hurry over. Good luck!"

Fluttershy gave Crash a quick hug before stepping outside and flying off towards her cottage while Mac continued to stare at his brother-in-law, slowly but surely unnerving him. Crash was about to say something only for Mac to speak first, "Take good care o' mah son n' daughter. Otherwise..."

As Big Mac let the word hang in the air, Crash hesitantly asked, "...otherwise what?"

Big Mac raised his hoof, his stare becoming a stink eye, as he mimicked slitting his throat while making a "KKKTTTTTCCcchhh!!"

Mac stepped out the door, his glare never leaving Crash's disturbed eyes until the door closed... and Crash's ears perked as he began to hear sniffles. He turned around to see his nephew and niece, the little ones standing in the doorway from the kitchen to the living room, both looking upset at the door their father had just stepped through... and then both began bawling their eyes out.

"Uh-oh..." Crash gulped.

Three Hours Later...

Fluttershy hummed merrily as she glided down to the path leading up to Sweet Apple Acres, and could already see her big strong husband phewing as he wiped off the sweat from a few hours of backbreaking progress. His tired demeanour quickly brightened up the moment his eyes sighted his sweet and beautiful wife, and the two trotted up to each other to share a mutual nose-nuzzle.

"Get plenty of work done?"
"Eeyup."
"Tired?"
“Eeyup.”
“Wanna take a break?”
“Eeyup…”
“Shalle we have a snack inside?”
“Eeyup!”
“Any trouble with Crash?”
“Nnope.”
“He's doing a good job?”
“Eeyup…”
“You're annoyed?”
“Eeyup.”
“Think he could foalsit again?”
“Eeyup…”
“Want to end this conversation?”
“Eeyup!”
“And would you like some of our... special time tonight before we go to bed?”
“Eeyup?”

Fluttershy giggled at the hopeful smile on her Mackie's face and she said, "Then c'mon, Mommy wants to see her little gifts from above."

Macintosh chuckled as he followed Fluttershy to the kitchen door of the house... and they gasped!

To say it was a mess would have been understating it. Even saying it was a disaster's area wouldn't have been quite enough to perfectly describe the kitchen and, from what they could see through the doorway, the living room. The dinnertable was splattered with applesauce, as were the twins' high-chairs, the chairs of the table were thrown over haphazardly, dried baby formula staiend the walls, refrigerator, and the window while the baby bottles were left dripping on the countertop. On the hardwood floors were tiny hoofprints of what looked to be congealed pudding tracking all over and two tiny bowls and spoons were strewn about on the floor.

The little pudding hoofprints led into the living room and there they found a sleeping Crash snoring on the sofa...!!!!

And the twins were both pulling on the electric cord of a lamp set upon the mantlepiece of the fireplace!

Before the lamp tipped over, Fluttershy quickly flew over and snatched up her babies, saving them from the heavy ceramic lamp as it shattered upon the space of the floor where they had just been! The loud noise startled the foals and they began to cry while Crash jolted awake, "I'm awake! I'm up! I'm..."

He noticed his sister and brother-in-law glaring furiously at him as Belle and Sandow cried in their mommy's wings, causing Crash to gulp, "...in big trouble..."

"Yer damn right, big trouble!" snorted Macintosh, feeling angrier than he'd ever felt in his life! More than when the FlimFlam Brothers tried to take his family farm, more than when his stained-glass wedding present for Fluttershy got shattered-

But then Fluttershy surprised him by standing in front of him and holding the foals to him, and he accepted them into his protective hold, annoyed that his wife was interupting him... when he noticed a demeanor in her he'd never seen before. Crash apparently sensed it too, cringing as Fluttershy slowly turned around, her long mane framing her face and partly concealing her eyes, as she looked in his general direction... before she raised her face up, her eyes expressing a cold and reproachful contempt.

"Crashing Wave Dawn... I trusted you."

"Uh- Flutters, wait! Just let me ex-" Crash tried to say, only for Fluttershy to hold up her wing in a silencing motion.

"I. Trusted. You..." Fluttershy spoke with deliebrate emphasis, her fury as piercing as the cold blue flame of a cutting torch. "I trusted you to watch my foals. My foals! My daughter, my son! I entrusted to you those most cherished in my heart because I wanted to believe I could trust you, that you were trustworthy enough, as my little brother, to be a responsible uncle, to foalsit your niece and nephew for just a few hours!

"And what do I find when I get back?"

"Fl-Flutters, I..." Crash was shaking, with hurt, with remorse, with anxiety, but he could no longer meet his sister's condemning gaze- No. It wasn't a gaze, nor even her infamous Stare.

This was a Glare.

A Glare expressing the purest contempt, the most condemning blame, and outright digust.

"The kitchen and the living room are a mess. The foals were unsupervised as they were pulling on an electric cord that would have toppeld a heavy ceramic lamp onto them, and you were asleep!!"

The full scope of his error dawned in Crash's mind as he began to shake with the realization of what had almost happened. Because he'd been asleep on the job! He began to shake and whimper as guilt slowly but surely overwhelmed him, and a tear ran down his face. Despite her warring emotions, the tear on her little brother's cheek caused Fluttershy to sympathize with him, but only a little. Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy spoke once more.

"Crash. I want you to leave. And this time?"

She waited, knowing her pause would eventually cause Crash to look her in the eye, and when he did, she stated, "Don't come back."

She turned to her husband and gingerly took her foals back from his embrace and stepped past her guilt-ridden brother, who sat there, slumped and feeling lower than dirt. Macintosh didn't know what to do or what to say in that moment. Never once in his life could he have imagined his wife could be so cold. Crash deserved every word and though he agreed with his `Shy, Macintosh couldn't help but feel just a little sorry for Crash. But reminding himself of what had almost happened quashed his sympathies and he followed his family to the stairs, leaving Crash alone.

Several days had passed after Fluttershy told her brother to leave. Since then, Fluttershy had fallen into a depression though she tried to hide it from her family and friends, but they weren't fooled. As much as she tried to act as though she were fine, it took only a good look into her eyes and the way she carried herself. She was in pain, for despite the way Crash had let her down Fluttershy felt the weight of it all on her heart.

"Aw'right, tha's it."

"Hm?" Fluttershy looked up and saw everypony at the table giving her looks of concern though Applejack's showed she'd had enough. Like they did so often, Fluttershy, Macintosh, and the twins were having lunch over at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, Twinken, and Faerie Tail.

"Um- What's wrong, everypony?" asked Fluttershy, trying to play dumb.

"Sugarcube, yer hurtin' an' it ain't gettin' better fer you," Applejack answered, sounding firm. "Ah no Crash let ya down an' all, an' there's no excuse fer leavin' th' twins unsupervised, but ya gotta stop this mopin' an' deal with it!"

"Applejack is right, Fluttershy," Faerie Tail agreed though in a more motherly tone. "As I understand it, you wanted to help Crash to be more independent and stop relying so much on others. Yes, he disappointed you and I can't blame the way you feel for how his irresponsibility almost got your foals hurt, but if you don't mend your bond as sister and brother you'll carry that regret for the rest of your life."

Fluttershy couldn't hold back the tears as she finally let it out and quietly began to sob into her hooves, when she felt her husband come over and embrace her with his comforting warmth and strength. She lifted her face and quietly whispered she was okay, and Macintosh went back to his seat. She took a few moments to regain composure before taking a deep breath and saying, "You're right... I am still very angry with Crash. But you're right! If I don't do something, I- I could... I could lose him forever.

"But I don't know where he is! Rainbow Dash told me Crash isn't anywhere in Ponyville and Twilight told me a stallion matching Crash's description left Ponyville Station the same day that... well, I don't know where he's gone or where to look for him."

"Maybe he went back to your parents back in Fillydelphia?" suggested Twinken.

"If he did, I know my father would have contacted me..." sighed Fluttershy woefully, when there was a knock at the front door.

"I'll get it!" Apple Bloom went to answer it, and returned a couple moments later with Midnight.

"Hey there, Flutters," Midnight forced a smile as he levitated an envelope, "I met Ditzy Doo on the way here and, uh... Well, you got some mail and I offered to bring it to you for her. I think it's from your parents."

Fluttershy eagerly accepted the letter with a hopeful look in her eyes and everyone waited for her to read it... only for Fluttershy to utter an upset whimper and tear up even more.

"Oh, wha's wrong, child?" asked Granny Smith. "Yer ma n' pa okay?"

"No, it's- It's not my parents, Granny Smith!" Fluttershy struggled to keep herself together as she pushed the letter away, Applejack picking it up.

"Um, Fluttershy? Do yam ind if Ah...?" Applejack trailed the question but when she got neither permission or otherwise from Fluttershy, Applejack took a deep breath and read aloud, "'Dear Fluttershy,

'Wer' worried about yer brother. Crashin' Wave sent us a letter th' other day, sayin' a lot o' apologies an' promises t' be better, but also said we won' see or hear from `im fer a while. He didn' say much else except he's feelin' really bad about lettin' you down. We don' know where he is an' wer' hopin' you can talk t' him an' make sure he's aw'right. Please let us know if ya do an' tha' he's okay.

'Love you always'
Mom an' Dad'."

The way Fluttershy let out another distressed whimper caused her babies to look over to her, the both of them upset and concerned for their mama, that they fussed and reached out to her. Macintosh picked up his foals and brought them over to their mother, and his family coming together in this one simple hug did wonders for Fluttershy, calming her down even though she still continued to tear up with worry.

"Fluttershy..."

Fluttershy held her head up after burying her face into her babies' manes and looked to Faerie Tail, who asked, "What exactly happened after you and Macintosh returned from your errands? I know that Crash was asleep and the twins were nearly injured, but what else? Did Crash say anything?"

Fluttershy thought for a moment, then looked to Macintosh, who shrugged, and then Fluttershy remembered.
"No... I didn't really give him a chance to say anything. I was so angry with him that I wasn't interested in hearing his excuses, and I just... admonished him before I told him to leave."

"So, in other words..." Faerie Tail sighed, knowing this was going to be a little prickly, "you didn't give him a chance to explain himself or give his side of the story. Not that that excuses his negligence, but it appears you had a failure to communicate."

Fluttershy's eyes widened with realization as Faerie Tail went on, "Communication is vital for any and every relationship. Whether it's friends, family, coworkers, associates, it all boils down to proper communication. In a relationship, both sides need to be heard and both sides have to listen. I understand why you didn't want to hear what Crash had to say, and I can't blame you for feeling that way. Nevertheless, you made it cear you weren't interested in hearing what Crash had to say, and here we are.

"I'm not saying this is your fault, only that while you had every right to admonish Crash, perhaps you could have handled the situation a tad more... carefully."

Fluttershy whimpered as her foals touched her face with their little hooves, cooing with worry for their mama. She gave them a smile and nuzzled them each warmly, making them giggle so that their worries would go away. She then had Macintosh take them and then stood up, taking a deep breath before saying to everypony, "I have to find my brother. I'm not quite... ready to forgive him for what happened, but I have to make sure he's okay. I... I would appreciate it if-"

"Say no more, Flutters," Midnight smiled kindly, "I think I can help you figure out where Crash might have gone, or at least get a better idea of what happened before."

"Huh?" Fluttershy tilted her head at Midnight, not understanding.

"Everypony, please stay in the kitchen," Midnight requested, "Feel free to watch through the doorway, but it'd be easier for what i'm abotu to do if it's just me and Fluttershy in the living room. Fluttershy?"

Midnight walked to the living room without waiting for Fluttershy's response and she got the idea and followed him, as Mac, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Twinken, Granny Smith, and Faerie Tail gathered around the doorway connecting the dining room to the living room, and Midnight asked Fluttershy to stand close to the wall after he'd closed the shutters and curtains to leave the liivng room shadowy and without light. Midnight stood by the front door and then said, "I'll need everyone to be very quiet and not to move much. Just relax... and watch."

Everypony looked on in wonder of what Midnight was about to do, as he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gently focused his mana to his horn, which began to glow a gentle turquoise blue.

"Historia Viventum...!"

The light of his horn spread throughout the living room, casting everything in it in the glow of Midnight's turquoise blue mana. Then... they noticed images of light, fully three-dimensional yet transparent, and when they became clearer and more distinct, Fluttershy gasped as she recognized the larger image was Crash! The smaller images were her foals, Belle and Sandow. The images of the foals were all over the place, Belle flittering around like a hummingbird and Sandow scampering, all the while Crash was trying to round up his niece and nephew, looking frantic.

The twins weren't crying but they didn't seem to be having much fun either. If anything, they looked grumpy, even as they were making a mess of their surroundings.

"What is this...?" whispered Fluttershy as she watched the scene unfold before her.

"It's an Illusion spell," Faerie Tail answered softly, "an advanced one. It allows the caster to watch a past event in the form of an illusion, somewhat similar to replaying a scene in a movie. You can't interact with it, but you can see an event you didn't personally witness come to life before you, and perhaps learn from it."

Indeed, and things slowed down when crash finally got the foals in his forelegs and they fussed and struggled to get loose, sounding distressed...

Hush now, quiet now, rest your sleepy head...

Fluttershy gasped softly as she heard that lullaby, coming from the image of her brother as he gently rocked the foals in his embrace, his soft singing and the familiar words reaching his niece and nephew, as they gazed up at their uncle in surprised wonder.

Hush now, quiet now, time to go to bed

They watched the illusion as Crash carefully set the twins down on the sofa, the foals starting to look tired, and Crash very carefully laid out a baby blanket and baby pillows on the floor, making sure it was all set out of the way. He then carefully pickedu p his niece and nephew again...

Drifting, drifitng off to sleep, the day's excitement behind you

...and he laid the foals down for a nap, making sure they were comfortable as he laid another baby blanket over them to keep them warm.

Drifting, drifitng off to sleep, let the joy of dreamland find you

The illusion of Crash looked upon his niece and nephew, hearing their adorably soft little snores, and he smiled so warmly as he leaned down and gave them each a light kiss on their heads.

Hush now, quiet now, rest your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now, time to go to bed...

Then the illusion of Crash carefully tip-hooved back to the sofa and sat down, whispering a tired 'Whoo!' before he softly said, "I had a feeling you'd sing Mom's lullaby to your own foals, sis... Never imagined I'd use it."

Crash looked to the foals, smiling at how Belle was resting her head on Sandow's back, "You and your husband... You made a couple of truly amazing bundles of joy. They're not even mine and I can't help but feel happy every time I look at them. Heh, they sure gave their uncle a bit of a workout just now, but looking at them sleep, I can't see anything but something truly special and pure."

Then, Crash's eyes seemed to glimmer as something appeared to come to him as he lightly chuckled to himself and leaned his head back, staring up at the ceiling, "Say... Maybe I can do something for my next painting that I can dedicate to the twins. Yeah, I know Flutters, I haven't finished or even named an artpiece in like forever, but... this time feels different. This time I feel... an inspiration."

Fluttershy felt her heart swell so that it was starting hurt a bit in her breast, but the illusion of Crash continued to talk. This time however, his demeanor changed, as his eyes gazed downward and appeared melancholy.
"I'm a loser... A pot-bellied, lazy-ass, talent-wasting quitter who keeps losing his nerve and being a burden on everyone..."

Crash gazed at the sleeping foals, "I hope you kids don't ever become like me. Heh, who am I kidding- Of course you'll never be like me! With your wonderful mom and your awesome dad, I know you two will grow up to be the kind of ponies that'll leave an impact on the lives of those around you and make them better for it."

Fluttershy's heart swelled again, tears running down her face.

"So you listen to your folks," Crash advised his sleeping niece and nephew with a tender smile, not at all caring they were asleep and that they were still babies and couldn't understand him anyway.
"And whatever dreams you have, I'm sure with your parents and all the friends you'll make, you'll find the strength you need to make them come true. As for me..."

Crash looked nowhere in particular yet appeared to be looking towards forever, "If I could fulfill just one of my dreams, I think it'd be me having a home of my own, one next to the awesome beaches of Horseshoe Bay. Has your mom ever told you guys about our family trip to Horsehoe Bay?"

Fluttershy gasped as she remembered that trip, and the illusion of Crash fondly recounted.
"This was a long while back. Your mom hadn't gotten her cutie-mark yet, and I was a little stinker... in more ways than one, but let's not get into that. Anyway... your Grandpa Sunsplash, he... he got hurt during a fire rescue. He had to take some time off work to get better, but your Mom and I couldn't be around because your Gramma Posey had to work really hard taking care of your Grandpa.

"So... they sent your mom to Cloudsdale to live with our grandparents there a while. I was sent to live with our other grandparents. It was a little over a month, but in that time I really missed my big sis and our mom and dad. My grandparents were nice and did their best to make me feel comfortable, but I was small back then. Not as small as you two, but still. I made a fuss about wanting to go home and... I wouldn't play with my grandma or my granddad. It made them sad, but I was being a bratty little colt at that time, so I didn't notice, or... maybe I just didn't care.

"Then... my grandma gave me a surprise. It was a paint-by-numbers canvas- Uh... that's a kind of painting where the picture's already there but you gotta finish it by painting certain colors in certains spaces marked by numbers. At the time, I thought it was stupid, but then I saw my grandma looked really sad and I felt awful! I said I was sorry and asked my grandma to show me the canvas and ow it worked. She showed me how to mix different colors and paint them where they had to go. It was a little hard and even frustrating at first... but then, little by little, I was painting something I thought was really neat. It took me the rest of my stay to finish, but I managed to do it the day before I was finally gonna go home to my mom and dad. My painting was of a mermare swimming through an ocean wave. I thought it was so pretty and I couldn't believe that I was the one who'd painted it!"

Fluttershy remembered that painting, and how her little brother had been so proud of it when he'd showed it to her and their parents back then. That painting... and something more.

"I asked my grandma to show me more about painting, and she got me new paints and brushes and even canvasses. She promised to get me an easel for my next birthday, and I was totally bummed when it was time to go home. I wanted to stay a little longer, but then I remembered how much I missed my mom, my dad, and my big sis. When I finally got back home, I was so happy to see them all, and I was nervous about showing them my painting. But when they saw it, they lit up with the biggest smiles and told me it was wonderful, that i was talented, and hoped to see me paint more.

"I felt so proud i didn't even notice when my cutie-mark appeared! Heh, your mom still got me beat though. She got her cutie-mark two weeks before I did. Apparently, our grandfolks in Cloudsdale sent her to Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, hoping it'd toughen her up and make her a better flier. Didn't go quite as they hoped, but I think it went the way it was supposed to."

Fluttershy smiled, feeling so touched by those words.

"As for me... the moment I saw these epic waves on my butt, somehow... the name of my first painting just came... crashing down on me, heheheh! And I called that first painting... 'Making a Splash'. It's still at your grandparents' house in Fillydelphia, but... I think it's packed away now. I've been there so many times lately and I can't even remember the last time I saw it....

"I don't know what's wrong with me... I don't like quitting or-or starting new paintings but never finishing them, I- I just... I guess I feel like nothing I make or do will ever... measure up, or..." Crash sighed and was looking drowzy, "Huh, here I am whining in self-pity again, but I was gonna tell you... about... Horseshoe... zzzzz..."

Then Crash just drifted away, and Fluttershy understood as Midnight dispelled the illusion and the pegasus mare felt awful.
"He was taking care of my foals. He just... got ran a little ragged and fell asleep. I suppose he thought, since the twins were already napping..."

Fluttershy moaned despondently into her hooves and felt her husband embrace her from behind, and then felt more and more of their family join in on the hug. When the moment passed, Fluttershy said, "They wanted to celebrate us..."

All eyes and ears were hers as Fluttershy held her babies warmly as she reminisced, "Mom and Dad felt a little sad they'd missed out on being there when we'd each gotten our cutie-marks. So... after Dad got better and some things were taken care of, when we came home from our grandparents, Mom and Dad surprised us by announcing we were going on a family trip to Horseshoe Bay.

"I'll never forget that trip. A long and wonderful week on those beaches, having fun in the sun. But I remember Crash sometimes just sitting on the beach and staring at the waves. Whenever we asked him if something was wrong, he'd say everything was fine and then join us for swimming, playing with our beachball, or building sandcastles. Every day of that week we'd be there practically from morning until the sun was going down.

"Then, on the last day, I saw Crash watching the waves again as the sun was setting... It was really beautiful, the way the sunset reflected across the surface of the sea as night began to fall. I went over to sit beside my little brother as he kept watching the waves. Then, it hit me! It made perfect sense that I asked him 'Thinking of your next painting, little brother?' Hm-hm, and Crash nodded and answered me back, 'Yeah... and I think one day I'd like to live here'."

...

!!!

That's when it struck Fluttershy as she lightly gasped! She knew where Crash had gone!

A couple of days later, she found him. On that same beach, in the same position, staring out to the waves as the sun was just beginning to go down, reflecting its fading light onto the surface of the sea while the waves crested and crashed onto the beach of Horseshoe Bay. The cries of gulls, the sounds of the waves, and the breeze in her ears composed a melody from Fluttershy's distant memory, that trip from a long time ago replaying in her mind's eye. Her heart swelled and ached at the same time as she approached Crash, who sat there in the sand alone, gazing out at the waves as though he were in a trance.

She anted to say something to him, but at the moment it felt like it would have been an intrusion. Sitting beside him, Fluttershy looked at her brother, who made no sign that he acknowledged her presence, and she saw a depressed stallion who was deep in thought. He'd gotten a little five o'clock shadow and his eyes looked a little red and certainly tired, like he hadn't been sleeping well. His ponytail mane was undone, so his sandy gold hair spilled all over his shoulders, making him look something of a beach bum.

Seeing her brother however still stirred some feelings of contempt in her, but Fluttershy knew she had to make this right. Taking a deep breath through her snoot, she began.
"I should have let you tell your side of things. Granted, I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't still angry at you... but I can't in good conscience leave my little brother alone, or else... I lose you. I'm sorry, Crash. What I said was cruel and I know now that you weren't neglecting your niece and nephew. You didn't mean for those things to happen, I just..."

Fluttershy sniffled, a tear running down her face as she struggled not to choke up when she felt her brother's forelegs pull her into a tight and warm embrace. She was a little surprised by this reaction; she'd thought Crash wouldn't want to talk to her or something, but then he pulled back and looked his sister in the eyes and she saw a confusing mix of love, shame, uncertainty, and something else, something... deep.

He sat back down and gazed out to the ocean again, confusing Fluttershy until he spoke, "Do you know what I remember most about that trip we took here back when we were foals?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fluttershy look stumped a moment before shrugging, causing him to chuckle lightly as he answered, "The waves!"

"The waves?" echoed Fluttershy.

"Yeah... After I got my cutie-mark," Crash explained, "I wanted to paint something special, but I wasn't sure what. Then, Mom and Dad brought us here, so proud of us... and everyday we were here, I couldn't help watching the waves. The way they move, the way they sound, the way they look, even the way they smell and felt whenever I was in the water. Heh, wasn't too crazy about the way they tasted.

"Remember that?"

Fluttershy did remember: That first day of their trip, she and Crash had run straight into the water... only to hurry out, spitting because the seawater was so salty, which they hadn't known beforehoof. She giggled at the memory as well, and saw Crash had more to say.

“The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can't.” Fluttershy was awed by her brother's words, when he sighed.

"It was that last day of our trip, I knew what I wanted to paint. So, after I took art classes and got a little more experienced, I made my first attempt to paint the ocean waves, but... It didn't turn out well. So I tried again. And again. And again... But no matter how many times I painted the ocean waves, it just never looked right! The colors, the shapes, the lighting... I just couldn't make my waves come out right no matter how many times I tried!"

Crash sighed woefully, "So... I never finished the subject I really wanted to paint. I kept quitting with each attempt, and... I dunno, I guess I just started not caring about my paintings entirely, and somehow that transferred over to my work ethic."

"Crash... I think you're being too hard on yourself," said Fluttershy. "I remember some of the paintings you made during your art classes, and they were really nice! They weren't ocean waves, but other things, like... That painting you did for me, the one of a tree with a robin and her nest on the branch. I still have it in my cottage!"

"Thanks, Flutters, but this!" Crash gestured to the waves, "This is the subject I've wanted to paint since practically forever! It's on my cutie-mark, for Faust's sake! I just can't help but feel that if I could get even one painting of the waves right... I dunno, I'd come into my own as a painter."

"Didn't you ever try painting something other than ocean waves?" asked Fluttershy.

"I did..." Crash hung his head, "but all other subjects I tried to paint? They came out... lifeless, boring. Because nothing captured my inspiration so like this one simple wonder of nature."

"Crash, maybe you're being too hard on yourself," Fluttershy suggested, "Maybe there's something that's bothering you, and it's kept you from completing the painting that you absolutely want to complete. Did you ever think of it that way?"

Crash paused to consider Fluttershy's words... and his eyes widened just a little and Fluttershy knew she got it. Now, they had to figure out what was the issue that was holding Crash back.
"Crash, forget your painting, forget your past jobs, forget everything else, and think: What is it that really bothers you? What is it that's troubling you underneath all the problems you've been having? Talk to your big sister."

"Yeah, big sister..." Crash responded just a little dryly, but then he looked apologetic. He groaned as he hung his head, "Look, Fluttershy, it's... I dunno, it feels stupid and selfish."

"It might feel that way to you, but I promise I won't judge as long as you're honest," assured Fluttershy. When Crash appeared reluctant to be forthcoming, Fluttershy tried a different tactic, "Crash, you're smarter than you think and you're very talented! Even though you haven't finished most of your paintings, I've seen the work and technique in them and often thought 'He's going to have his work in art museums all over Equestria one day'. You could be a famous artist if you truly tried your best!"

"...What if I give it my all and it's still not enough?" Crash sulked. "Sometimes, it just feels like I shouldn't even bother trying."

"But then you'll never finish the painting you want to make, or anything else!" pressed Fluttershy.

"Well, how could you know?" Crash sighed petulantly, "You and your friends have saved Equestria, like... a dozen times or something? I've heard Mom and Dad talk about how proud they are of you, and even though they don't say much to me about it, I know they're disappointed in me. I have for a long time! ...How could anything I paint or work on ever measure up to your accomplishments?"

There it was, and Fluttershy now understood. It wasn't just that Crash was so hard on himself; he felt overshadowed by her and that had an effect on his own self-confidence and dampened his drive.

"And I was worried I'd fail each and every time!" Fluttershy responded earnestly, that Crash gave her a bewildered look. "I didn't save Equestria all by myself! I did so alongside my friends, whom I was afraid of letting down! I was afraid of letting Equestria down. But I stood by my friends and my husband, knowing they stood by me too, and their presence along with my own determination to do what had to be done is what carried me through those harrowing moments. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, and plenty of other terrible threats to Equestria?

"I didn't face them by myself and tell them off! I faced them alongside my friends, who gave me the courage to rise above my own self-doubts and to do my part. And one more thing, Crash."

Crash was paying his sister close attention as Fluttershy went on, "Those kinds of moments where I was there to help during these emergencies? I couldn't afford to try, because in those sorts of situations, you do or you don't; you succeed or you fail; there is no try."

"You mean... you went into the thick of it, knowing there was a chance you'd fail and what that could have meant for all of Equestria?" Crash was blown. "I... I don't think I could have faced those kinds of odds."

"Well, quitting isn't much better, is it?" Fluttershy pointed out.

Crash thought about it and deflated as he sighed, "No..."

"Crash... Forget the unfinished paintings, forget the quitting, forget the fears and doubts of failing and disappointing," Fluttershy said with gentle firmness, holding her little brother's face to look her square in the eyes.
"Think! Think about that trip, not just the waves, but everything else that happened. The fun we had, the good times we shared, with each other and with our parents, how each and every day of that week-long trip ended on such a wonderful note we didn't want any of them to end. Use that to help you paint, and don't worry so much about the waves!

"For that matter, didn't you ever add anything else to those paintings apart from the waves? Didn't you ever add ponies on the beach? Seagulls in the sky? Crabs in the sand? Dolphins in the water?"

Crash's eyes widened with each and every word his sister conveyed to him, as he realized, It was staring at me the whole time...!

Seeing it dawn on her brother, Fluttershy released Crash from her grasp as he stared out towards the ocean. Only this time, he wasn't looking at the waves, but seeing what he had been missing all along.

"Crash, I'm still rather angry with you for what happened, even though I know exactly what happened," Fluttershy sighed, "Just the same, I don't mind you coming back to live with us, if you want to, or even with our parents back in Fillydelphia. But now, this time, I'm hoping this whole thing has taught you something or helped you somehow.

"Whatever that is, it's up to you. I'm not going to tell you what to do, other than what you need to hear: Don't be afraid to try and don't be afraid of failure. Find work that you can enjoy and stick with it. You're still going to make mistakes, and you'll probably fail a little more, but keep moving forward. You'll find your way, little brother."

Fluttershy leaned over and gave Crash a kiss on the cheek, making him blush just a bit and then chuckle softly, "Thanks, Flutters. I think I got exactly what I needed. I've found..."

Crash gazed not just at the ocean or the distant horizon, but at the beach and every living detail within it as he smiled, "...an inspiration!"

A few weeks later...

"Mail call!" Midnight announced as he stepped into the Sweet Apple Acres homestead.

Once again, Fluttershy, Macintosh, and their baby twins had come over for a family breakfast, and Midnight leafed through the postage, "Bill, coupons, junk mail... Fluttershy! I think this is for you!"

Fluttershy accepted the envelope Midnight levitated to her and she smiled brightly to see it was from Horseshoe Bay. Tearing it open, she read it aloud to everypony.

"'Dear Fluttershy,

'A lots happened since our talk on the beach. I'm glad you came looking for me, and that you spoke with me, because I'd have never found what I was looking for when it'd been right in front of me the whole time, without you to point it out. The next morning after you went back to Ponyville, I couldn't let the inspiration you helped me find go to waste. I used what money I had saved to rent a studio apartment and buy some fresh art supplies, and immediately got to work.

'I'm so very happy and proud to say, I've finally completed the painting I've always dreamed of. I call it 'Fun in the Wavy Sun', and I can't wait for you to see it. Not only that, but I painted this artwork on the beach, where beachgoers noticed me painting and kept stopping to see the work in progress. I actually got some bits from some of them admiring my work. It took me nine days to finish it, but on the day I made the last stroke of my brush, some bigwig celebrity stopped to give it a look and was very impressed with it, not to toot my own horn. She's some famous kitesurfer and beach model, Amber Sands, and she wanted to buy my painting. I respectfully told her this one was not for sale but offered to paint her something else, and she immediately hired me and got me in contact with some artists in Horseshoe Bay!

'I sold my first commission for a pretty bit, and I've finally achieved one of my lifelong dreams - I look forward to having you and your family visit me in my beachhouse here in Horseshoe Bay. I'm gonna invite our folks first, but if you want to come and make it a big family get-together, lemme know.

'Fluttershy, I can't thank you enough, for everything you said and did for me. It was a swift kick in my caboose I never knew I needed. I guess everypony needs a little tough love every now and then. If you accept my invite, I hope you'll bring the twins. I know I disappointed you, but I hope I can still be a part of their lives. Who knows? Maybe one day, I'll find the right mare and you'll get to be an aunt for foals of my own.

'But not any time soon!

'Anyways, I guess what I'm trying to say is, thanks for not giving up on me, big sister. I've still got a ways to go, I'm technically not employed right now, but I'll look for a job I can enjoy doing, in case my art commissions don't hold up. Hope to hear from you soon.

'Love from your totally rad baby bro,
'Crash

'P.S.

'Tell Macintosh I wanna hoof-wrassle him some time.'"

Fluttershy beamed warmly, feeling so proud and happy for her little brother, so lost in herself she was almost deaf to the words of her family around her as they expressed good wishes for Crash. Until she felt her husband's embrace from behind and she felt thr rumble in his chest as he chuckled into her ear, "He's gonna regret callin' me out."

"Oh I'm sure he will, Mackie," giggled Fluttershy as she hugged her brother's letter to her chest, "I'm sure he will."

355. Clear as a Belle

The Crusaders couldn't stop marveling as they watched from the bow of The Break of Dawn as she began her descent to the Canterlot airfield, and seeing the many other airships coming and going.
"So cool!" cheered Rumble.
"Amazing!" Sweetie Belle agreed.
"Ah cain't believe Blueblood's takin' us t' Miss Rara's campaign concert!" Apple bloom brought up.
"I guess she took up Showstopper's idea to run for a seat on the Council," added Twinken.
"And don't forget the opening act for Rara's concert," Scootaloo brought up, "he's... DJ Pon-3's big brother, what's his name, Button? Button?"

...

"Button Mash?" The Crusaders looked around, seeing that their joy-boy-playing buddy wasn't with them at the bow... until they noticed him down the starboard bow, groaning as he slumped at the safety-railing, looking a little green around the gills.

"Button Mash!" Sweetie Belle hurried to her friend, the others following, as Sweetie gently rubbed Button's back, "Are you okay?"

"Ulp... Yeah, Sweetie, I'm... ugh!" Button Mash moaned as he tried to look chipper and failed miserably, which was how he was feeling at that moment as he felt his stomach rebel at the breakfast he'd had earlier before they'd disembarked.

"Aw, poor guy's looking a little airsick," Rumble surmised. "Maybe Blueblood has something on the Dawn that could help?"

"Something wrong, Cutie-Mark Crusaders?"

They six foals looked to see Blueblood, wearing a pilot's jacket and aviator goggles on his brow as he came over, "I was coming to tell you all to come below deck; we'll be docking in five minutes and we need to get buckled in for safety."

"Blueblood, Button's airsick," Sweetie Belle looked up at her big brother and then at Button, "Do you have anything that can make him feel better?"

"Not to worry, my dear little Sweetie," Blueblood chuckled as he carefully levitated Button onto his back, "I've had passengers with this same problem. A tsp of my mother's homemade cure for airsickness and he'll be good to go. Come along, Crusaders."

Meanwhile...

In an unknown location somewhere in Canterlot, two stallions approached a large mirror. One was a tall unicorn clad horn to hoof in armor, the other an earth pony, wearing a hooded robe, lowering his hood to reveal the nemes crown he wore. The mirror before them rippled as an image of Catrina soon looked back at them from the looking glass.

"My lady..." spoke the earth pony, "we have entered the city undetected, as you instructed, and now we are ready to begin our mission."

"Very well, Pharaoh Phetlock," purred Catrina with amused anticipation, "Destrier has already been armed with the blades I enchanted. Await the opening act of Coloratura's concert tonight, and then proceed... Destrier has his orders, you have yours, Pharaoh."

"Understood," Phetlock nodded respectfully, "it will be as you designed, my lady."

"I look forward to hearing of your success..." Catrina narrowed her eyes, which glowed a fearsome green as her image in the mirror rippled and faded away, leaving the two stallions to stare at their reflections yet again.

"You know... You may accomplish your side of this mission more effectively, if you discarded your armor. It's liable to slow you down..."

But the way Destrier slowly turned his face, completely concealed inside his helm, towards Phetlock sent a chill up his spine and he held his nerve as he acquiesced, "Or not. I simply want for this mission to go as smoothly as possible. Just remember: Keep casualties to a minimum. Living victims will send a far clearer message than corpses..."

Destrier didn't respond as he turned to leave, "Wait!"

He paused but said nothing as Phetlock moved to stand in front of him... offering a necklace with the moon-shaped amulet carved from lapis lazuli, "This may make your end more efficient. The Amulet of Khonsu can provide its wearer with the power of Invisibility."

Destrier's horn lit up, a burning red aura enshrouding the amulet as it was slipped over Destrier's helm and rested around his neck, Phetlock nodding, "But be warned: Though the amulet with make you invisible once you invoke its power, your magic will not be afforded that same luxury. It can conceal your body and whatever you have on your person, but while you actively use magic, your horn, alit with mana, will be visible. Somewhat of an inconvenience, yes, but every magic has some kind of limit. Even if your position is given away, you can still use the amulet to cover your escape.

"It goes without saying, however, that I want that back once this is over and done with. Agreed?"

Destrier nodded as his horn lit up and levitated six comma-shaped blades from a bandoleer around his barrel, and raised them around himself in foreboding rotation as each blade's edge glowed an eerie green.

Arriving in the castle, Blueblood and the Cutie-Mark Crusaders were received by the Triarchs in a cozy parlor.

"Cutie-Mark Crusaders," Celestia welcomed them warmly, "I trust your searches for your cutie-marks are proving to be learning experiences?"

"Well, Princess, we keep tryin' n' tryin'," Apple Bloom answered as she, Button Mash, Rumble, and Sweetie Belle showed slightly dispirited looks, "but it feels like wer' jus' gettin' nowhere."

"Take heart, Crusaders," Sombra encouraged, "each attempt is not failure but rather a point in the right direction, leading you closer and closer to your goal. Besides, as Twinken and Scootaloo have certainly learned, sometimes we find what we're looking for without even searching for it, for rather it finds us instead."

Twinken and Scootaloo shared a proud smile as they high-hooved when Luna spoke up, "Speaking of finding what one isn't searching for... Twinken! While you are here in Canterlot, I would love to have you for a surprise lesson, one that is better done in person than in the dream realm."

"Really?" Twinken looked excited, and then reluctant, "But... what about the concert tonight?"

"Worry not, this lesson won't take very long, and though there is a practical side to it, I intend for this to be an introductory lesson to this new topic. Shall we, my pupil?" Luna stood up.

"...Okay! Let's go!" Twinken followed his teacher to the door before looking to his friends, "I'll see you tonight at the concert!"

"Bye Twinken!" The Crusaders waved at their friend as he and Luna exited the parlor, right as a maid pony hurried in and rushed to Celestia's side and whispered something to her.

"Oh? Well, I'd better go see my little taskmaster," she giggled before looking to the Crusaders, "I apologize, children, but a mother's work is never finished."

"Is it the Little Prince?" Sweetie Belle sounded concerned, "Is he okay?"

"He's fine, Sweetie Belle," Celestia assured, "he's just woken up from his afternoon nap, and he's always hungry when he does. My little Sol is so fussy, he won't eat unless I'm the one who feeds him."

"Luna and I have both tried to feed him, but while Sol loves to play with his daddy and auntie," Sombra sighed as he shrugged in a 'what're you gonna do' manner, "he only accepts food from his mommy."

"Could we see him?" Sweetie Belle looked up at them hopefully, "We've only seen his picture in the newspaper and on the news."

Almost immediately, the other Crusaders began asking and pleading to see the Little Prince as well, and Celestia laughed softly, "I don't see why not? As long as you are all quiet, you can meet my son. Shall we, Crusaders?"

The Crusaders all smiled as they followed Princess Celestia out the door.

Following his mistress, Twinken was led into a gloomy chamber with stone floor and walls, their hoofsteps echoing eerily around them. The only source of light was a distant beam above them cascading down directly onto the middle of the chamber floor. Luna skirted the shaded edges of the light as she spoke, "I've noticed you are no longer wearing the talisman I enchanted for you. I take it that means you have been doing the mental exercises I taught you?"

"Yes, Mistress," Twinken said respectfully, "My telepathy doesn't bother me much anymore. I can keep my mind closed off from the thoughts of those around me, it's become second-nature, like you said it would. Although... sometimes I still hear a stray thought, some so loud I can't help but hear them in my head."

"That is good, your progress is coming along well," Luna nodded, satisfied to hear her pupil was following her lessons. "But as to why I've brought you here... Twinken, I must ask: Have you noticed anything new about yourself ever since your lunar pony traits and telepathy made themselves known? Anything at all?"

"Well... I have been eating meat every once in a while, like you said," Twinken confessed, sounding just a little uncomfortable, "Mistress, I'm... kinda troubled."

"Then please, apprentice," Luna bade, "share them with me."

"Eating meat..." Twinken sat down, the stone floor hard on his little plot but the cold felt a little nice, as he looked conflicted, "I like it, but I don't like that I like it. Meat... it tastes so... so good! When it's cooked... when it's raw! Mom and Applejack don't know it, but... the rats and mice around Sweet Apple Acres. I hear them. I smell them. Then my mouth gets all watery and I look for them... I like the crunch of their bones in my mouth, slurping up their tails!

"I avoid the chicken coop and the pig sty. I don't trust myself around them. Midnight brings me meat he imported from Griffonstone. He's tried to talk to me about eating meat, hunting... but I always tell him the meat he gives me is enough. But I feel this..."

"Instinct," Luna answered for her troubled protégé, "the predatory instinct that drives you to feed when your hunger for meat becomes unbearable. What you are feeling, Twinken... I know it is difficult to accept, but it is a part of your heritage and a sign that your lunar pony nature is growing stronger. Your brother and I will help you through this transition, but I must know more. What else have you noticed about yourself?"

"...The moon," Twinken replied, "sometimes, after the sun goes down, I look up at the moon. Sometimes I just... stare at it for hours, even after my bedtime. I feel something as I watch it. Like, I dunno, refreshed? Like I don't need to sleep. But then... my head, or-or my mind... I just... drift away and I sleep all the same."

"You have developed the power to draw strength from the moon," Luna confirmed, sounding pleased. "It is the gift shared by all my Children of the Night. Basking in the moonlight works, but gazing at it directly is more efficient to enjoy the energy it provides. However, if you gaze at the moon too much, you can be overwhelmed by it. A bucket can contain only so much water before it overflows, so to protect you from absorbing too much energy, your mind closes itself off to the waking world, allowing you to sleep.

"The energy the moon provides can boost your strength, senses, your stamina, even your mana, enabling you to cast even stronger spells. But the mind still needs rest after being conscious for too long. I will teach you how to manage this power so that you can maintain a proper sleep cycle. Anything else?"

"...Sometimes," Twinken sounded troubled yet again, but this time he seemed... intrigued, "when I'm in my room, in the middle of the night. I... I feel things. Even when I'm asleep, i-I'm aware of- I dunno, like... One night, I felt something while I was dreamwalking. It wasn't from a dream or anything in the dream realm, it was... some kind of sensation I felt as though something I'd been poked.

"I woke up, afraid somepony was in my bedroom and that I might be in trouble. But then I realized... I could see in the dark! And then, I felt that same sensation, only... it wasn't the same. It wasn't something I felt, like a touch more like... just something I suddenly became aware of! It wasn't in my bedroom, it was in the hall. I got out of bed, opened my door, and I saw Applejack going downstairs. I heard her hoofsteps, only they were muffled. When she came back up, I saw it was because she was wearing slippers. But I-I was feeling her, somehow! Like, I was aware of how she moved and when she moved, and where she moved inside the house!"

"Hmm, Twinken, do you know why spiders make webs?" asked Luna, all of a sudden.

"Huh? Uh..." The question caught Twinken off-guard, leaving him momentarily confused, before he answered, "To catch flies and insects to eat, right?"

"Yes, but when a spider weaves her web, what does she do afterwards?" Luna pressed.

Twinken sat there, feeling dumb for a moment before trying, "She... she just sits there, she waits for the flies to come to her, get stuck in her web."

"And when they eventually do, they try to escape," Luna went on, "but they only entangle themselves worse, all the while they are disturbing the web, alerting the spider that her meal has arrived. Now Twinken, another question: Have you ever held your hoof up to a speaker while it played music?"

"Yeah, a few times," Twinken nodded, "sometimes Pinkie Pie or Cheese Sandwich have big music acts during their parties."

"And when you did, you felt something, didn't you?" Luna pressed. "Speakers, especially when they're playing loud music, when you're close to them, you can feel the beat of the rhythm without touching the speaker. It's a sensation of touch without actually touching something. The closest one could come to physically feeling a rhythm. After all, sounds are just vibrations passing through the air that we detect with our sense of hearing and interpret it in some way that's unique to the source of the sound. Our voices, the sounds made by different musical instruments, but forgive me, I'm getting off-track.

"You see, Twinken, what you just described to me, is very similar to a spider's web and the sensation of feeling something that your natural senses do not perceive. My pupil... you are becoming sensitive to darkness!"

"Darkness?" At first, Twinken felt nervous but the look on his mistress's face implied this was good.

"You've seen your brother wield shadows, have you not, Twinken?" When Twinken nodded yes, Luna went on, "Lunar Ponies are born with the power to make Darkness their ally, their tool, their shield, their weapon! What you've been experiencing, as you described it to me, is something akin to a spider's web. Lunar Ponies can use the darkness around them in a similar fashion, as an extension of themselves - They can detect movements made by anything moving within the darkness of the Lunar Pony's position to a certain range, much like how the spider can detect vibrations made in her web.

"This allows Lunar Ponies to sense their allies' positions or enemies attempting to sneak up on them though it takes practice to tell the difference. Imagine it, my dear pupil: You could wield this power to defend yourself, to defend your family and your friends. I want for you to speak with your brother the next time you see him; he will help you learn to master this new power. For now, I shall help you to better get a feel for it. You've only just scratched the surface, but under my guidance and your brother's, you shall one day master this power. Who knows? You might give the Lunobi a gallop for their bits."

"Lunobi?" echoed Twinken, the word sounding familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd heard it.

Chuckling softly, Lunar assured, "I shall answer your questions as we proceed. Come, my protégé."

Luna turned towards some stone stairs that ran along the wall of the tower, and Twinken couldn't help but feel both nervous and excited as he followed his Mistress upward.

The Crusaders 'aww'd as softly as they could while watching Princess Celestia spoon-feed her little Sol some banana pudding, the tiny alicorn colt enjoying every dollop in his highchair.

"He's just so cute!" Sweetie Belle was starry-eyed, "Maybe when he's a little older, we can help Sol find his cutie-mark!"

Chuckling, Sombra nodded as he sat behind the Crusaders while loving this simple moment, watching his wife and son, "Who knows, Crusaders? Sol just might require a little guidance from some experienced searchers of destiny. That won't be for a while, however. Celestia and I just want to enjoy these precious moments with him."

"Oop! Got a little something here..." Celestia said playfully as she gently wiped a bit of pudding that had dripped down Sol's chin and made sure it got into his mouth, "There we go!"

Sol's happy giggles were just too adorable as he smiled at his mommy, who couldn't take her eyes off of her beautiful baby boy. The Crusaders couldn't help but notice the joy on the princess's face, warm and deep.

Apple Bloom wondered, if her own mother used to smile like that, as did Rumble. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash had seen smiles like that on their own mothers and were already thinking of giving their moms a big hug the next time they saw them... when some grumbly sounds caught everypony's ear and noticed it was coming from the Crusaders' tummies, spurring a kind chuckle from Celestia and Sombra.

"It appears Sol isn't the only hungry pony here," Sombra commented.
"So then why don't we all have a nice lunch," suggested Celestia, "and then afterwards, Blueblood will take you all to the concert this evening."

"What about Twinken?" asked Rumble. "He's still with Princess Luna."

"I'll send word to let them know we're having lunch," assured Sombra, "I'm sure Luna will want Twinken not to miss out. Even if they can't make it, Luna will be sure to have Twinken fed before she brings him to meet with you before you go."

At that moment, Luna watched as her pupil was struggling. She'd given him instruction and an explanation of what to do and now waited for him to finish his first attempt as Twinken was focusing his magic while trying not to let it concentrate into his horn, which was far easier said than done.

After leading Twinken up the stairs to the top of the tower, she'd closed all the windows' curtains and turned off the electric lights, leaving the room they were in cast in shadowy gloom. At her instruction, Twinken was trying to concentrate his magic, not to his horn, but to the shadows around him, cast from what little light managed to peer in around the curtains covering the windows.

"Focus, Twinken," Luna instructed, "concentrate on extending your mana to the shadows around you."

"I... can't!" Twinken gritted his teeth, finding it very difficult as his mana kept wanting to go towards his horn, "I feel the shadows, but... my mana won't do what I... want it to!"

"That's fine, Twinken," Luna said gently, "you may stop now."

"Oh!" Twinken sighed in relief as he released his mana, feeling it retreat back within him, and looked apologetically at his Mistress.

"It's alright, Twinken, this is only your first attempt," Luna assured, "I didn't expect you to perform shadow-forming on your first try. That would have been extraordinary."

"Why can't I do it...?" Twinken felt disappointed in himself. "I mean, I wasn't even trying when I felt the darkness telling me where Applejack was in the house!"

"That is a passive way of using your shadow powers, Twinken, at least at first," Luna explained, "Even though it is a power many lunar ponies share, it is still a learned skill, much like studying a spell and practicing to perfect your ability to cast it. It's easier to shadow-form in actual shadows rather than total darkness because light gives shadows a definite shape whereas darkness does not.

"What you're trying to do is focus your mana outwards, but not from your horn, in order to imbue your mana into any surrounding shadows. This allows you to give shadow substance and physical form, and it is your will that moves and shapes the shadow into what you want. Think of it as... stretching or squashing rubber, but the elasticity depends on the mana you are providing to the shadow."

"Is it that easy?" asked a bewildered Twinken.

"It is not," Luna shook her head no, "As I just said, it is a magical skill, and skills take practice to master. In time, with practice and dedication, you will learn to wield shadows and make them an extension of yourself."

Twinken nodded in understanding, feeling a subtle excitement and looking forward to master his new powers, when a paper bird flew into room, chirping like the real thing, as it flapped around Luna.
"What's that, Mistress?"

Luna held out her hoof and the paper bird landed on it before it unfolded, "It is a message... Ah, My Sister and Brother are treating your friends to lunch before Blueblood escorts you to the concert this evening. I think lunch would do us both some good right now, so we'll finish our lesson here."

"but what about-" Twinken tried to bring up, only for Luna to raise her free hoof.

"It is fine, Twinken. Remember, this is only your first practical lesson in learning how to wield Shadows. Perhaps later tonight, we'll continue. If not, then when you go home, speak with your brother about what we've discussed and ask him to help you."

"Okay," Twinken nodded respectfully.

"Very good. Now... hold onto your hooves!" Luna smirked as she lit up her horn and teleported herself and Twinken off to the dining room.

As evening fell, a Royal Guard-drawn carriage carried Blueblood and his six young charges towards the Cultural District of Canterlot, known for its theaters, both live and cinematic, museums, dance halls, and even sports arenas and arcades. Their destination was set in a public Canterlot park called Rock n' Rolling Pasture, famous for hosting numerous concerts and music festivals, just like the one tonight for Coluratura.

"Here we are!" announced Blueblood as they felt the carriage come to a halt and then the door opened, revealing the park was already teeming with music fans of Coloratura, along with stands selling food & drinks, glow sticks, souvenirs, and even merchandise of famous celebrity musicians and their records, some of which had been signed by the singers and songwriters themselves.

"WOW!!!" the Crusaders were all starry-eyed as they took it in and breathed in the excitement in the air, Blueblood chuckling as he instructed the carriage to pick them up later in a few hours.

"What should we do first?" asked Rumble.

"I wanna check out the music vendors," Button Mash brought up. "I've heard of these chiptune and techno music cartridges that were released recently. They can be played on JoyBoys!"

"I wanna get a glow stick necklace!" Scootaloo hopped up and down.

"Hey look!" Apple Bloom pointed to several posters and banners displaying Coloratura, reading 'Rara for Councilor of Media and Entertainment: Your Support Means A Lot!'

"I hope she wins the election," said Sweetie Belle, "Rara's famous an' all, but after seeing and getting to know her back when she performed in Ponyville, I think she's the pony for the job."

"She is the favorite to win," Blueblood nodded, "but other celebrities are running for the same seat on the Council as she. Sapphire Shores, Songbird Serenade, Neon Lights, some casino owner from Las Pegasus named Gladmane, even the actress Chestnut Magnifico!"

"Oh yeah, she stars in the Daring Do movies!" Twinken pointed out. "I hear besides being an actress, she founded an organization to help animals."

"Sounds like she'd have Fluttershy's vote," commented Button Mash.

"Politics aside, let's enjoy ourselves before the opening act," Blueblood led the Crusaders onward, "there's still half an hour before the concert starts."

The half-hour passed and everypony had gathered before the sound stage that had been set up in the middle of the local park of the Cultural District, marveling at the lights and speaker systems set up, and the acoustics weren't bad either. The Crusaders stuck close to Blueblood, who'd allowed Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom onto his back for a better view while Rumble flapped aloft, holding Scootaloo and Twinken and Button Mash stood straight in front of Blueblood as they all gazed up at the stage alongside all the other music fans as everypony couldn't keep still because of the growing anticipation.

Finally, a spotlight shined as a familiar face trotted merrily out onto the stage and everypony cheered to see it was a pegasus with a dappled silver coat, bubblegum pink mane styled into a topknot secured by several glow sticks with curly bangs over a pair of vibrant red eyes, her cutie-mark a spotlight lighting up multiple multi-colored stars, and she wore a designer electric indigo jacket with various accessories. The former Duchess of Media and Entertainment, Showstopper!

Whipping out a microphone, Showstopper's voice was magnified by the speakers as she said, "Hey everypony! How're y'all doin' tonight?!"

Again she received an excited applause and cheer and stomps from the audience, and Showstopper responded, "Aw, c'mon, you can do better than that! Can I get a whoop-whoop?!"

She made a show of holding her hoof behind her ear, which she turned towards the audience who all obliged with a hearty, "WHOOP-WHOOP!"

"That's better! Now, I suppose you all wanna get this party started, am I right?!" Again she was answered with a rousing cheer, that sounded just a little impatient this time.
"Awesome-possum! So then, my little ponies! Lemme start by saying thanks for coming to Coloratura's Campaign Concert to show your support! But before we bring the Countess out, let's start things off with the awesome musical stylings of one of the coolest ponies in the music business! He's the big brother of DJ Pon-3 herself and taught her everything she knows in being a disc jockey! Fillies and gentlecolts, please give it up for the one! The only...

"33⅓-LP!!"

Showstopper disappeared in an explosion of confetti and glitter as a fog-machine breathed out thick vaporous fog and neon lights started off slow as a beepy tune began to play with a techno beat. As the rhythm got faster, the lights flashed and flickered and beamed in bright patterns of neon colors as so very slowly did a figure arise from out of the fog onstage, standing before a turntable, expertly scratching dics, adding an exotic remix to the melody playing as he nodded his head to the beat.

He was a unicorn stallion with a white coat, a wild mane of reddish-brown streaked vermilion and his cutie-mark was a vinyl record with a musical note over it. He wore a headset microphone, covering his right ear while his left ear, pierced with a gold earring, was perked to hear his music, and as the song began to swell, his eyes opened wide and bright, revealing them to be a brilliant yet pale cerulean as he sang:

ONE MORE TIME!

One more time
We gonna celebrate
Oh yeah, all right
Don't stop the dancing

One more time
We're gonna celebrate
All day, all night
Can't stop the dancing

One more time!

One more time,
Celebrate and dance so free
Music's got me feeling so free
Celebrate and dance so free

One more time
Music's got me feeling so free
We're gonna celebrate
Celebrate and dance so free

One more time!
One more time!
One more time...

ONE! MORE!! TIME!!!

"WHAT UP, PART-AY PON-AYZ?!" 33⅓-LP called out, using a voice-amplification spell, and was answered with a lively cheer across the audience as several pegasi flew up to dance overhead while the rest stamped their hooves on the ground or waved them in the air as they danced while various lights of neon colors beamed and flashed and lit up and lit out in accordance to the rhythm and beats of the song.

One more time!

One more time,
We're gonne celebrate
Oh yeah, all right
Don't stop the dancing

"Tonight is about... Family, Love, and Music!!" 33⅓-LP declared, getting shout-outs of excited agreement and joy so the disc-jokey unicorn slid his hooves across a touchscreen on his turntable, inputting a specific series of commands as he yelled, "C'mon, lemme hear you stomp! ONE - TWO - THREE - FOUR!!!"

The earth ponies and unicorns and pegasi that hadn't taken to the air all reared up and brought their hooves down, which caused burst of sparkling colors from every point of impact, driving them wild as those sparks of color caught onto their coats and manes, adding splashes of shining neon, turning the crowd into a living rainbow of dance and good times!

"AND GET READY FOR THE DROP!" 33⅓-LP happily announced as he set things up on his turntable and then called out, "Wait for it...!"

"C'mon...!!" called out Button Mash from the crowd as his eyes widened.

"Wait for it..." 33⅓-LP repeated, only softer.

"Yeah!" responded Apple Bloom as she was riling up.

"Wait for it!" 33⅓-LP said again as he popped up in the crowd, Sweetie Belle on his head, before he teleported back behind his turntable and said it again, "Wait for it!!!"

Then he reared up on his hind legs and rotated around, saying "Wait - for... - it!!" one word at a time when he turned to face the crowd as his music and light show was building the tension towards the breaking point!

"C'mon, mane, hit us!" shouted Rumble.
"Just do it already...!!!" urged Scootaloo as though she were in pain.

The music swelled and the strobe lights flickered on and off in pace with it... as 33⅓-LP rose up, a determined smirk on his face as he raised his hoof...!

ONE MORE TIME!!!!

...and he brought it down onto a big red button on his turntable, triggering an EXPLOSION of music and light so loud and bright that for a moment it was almost as though all of Canterlot were in the middle of the day before it dimmed and the music lowered its volume just a little and pixelated magic spread throughout the crowd as ponies were floating in ecstasy of the release.

One more time
We're gonna celebrate
Oh yeah, all right
Don't stop the dancing

One more time
We're gonna celebrate
All day, all night
Can't stop the dancing

The music and the song continued and everypony danced and cheered and waved their hooves in the air. Everypony was having the time of their lives, dancing to the techno beat with nary a care in the world. So it felt most startling to Twinken as he felt a chilling sense of foreboding wash over his withers, causing him to stop joining in on all the excitement.

Something was wrong... and that became obvious when all of a sudden, the lights went out and the music stopped, casting the whole concert and the audience in darkness apart from the unicorns lighting up their horns, only to find it a struggle to keep their horns lit as if the darkness were pushing down on them. Ponies cried out in alarm, shouting questions and other things like 'What happened', 'What's going on?', 'I can't see!', 'Is this part of the concert?', and already ponies were beginning to get scared, bumping into each other and trying to avoid it.

"Uh- Don't worry, everypony!" called out 33⅓-LP using his voice-amp spell, "I'm sure it's just some... technical fritz. We'll get back to the party in a minute, just let us take care of this real quick."

"What's going on here?" "Who turned out th' lights?!" "Sweetie Belle?! Apple Bloom? Crusaders, stay close to me. Everypony here? Rumble? Scootaloo? Button Mash? Twinken?" "I'm here!" "So am I." "Me too!"

...

"Twinken? Are you still here?" Blueblood struggled to light up his horn, but something wasn't right. He struggled to cast the Illumination spell, but it wasn't working very well, almost like blowing a very stuffy nose but there was too much mucus. Only in this situation, Blueblood was certain there was some kind of magical interference.
"Twinken, answer me!"

"I'm here!" answered Twinken, but he sounded scared, evident when Blueblood felt the colt hug his foreleg.

"It's all right, Crusaders, just... stick close to me," Blueblood instructed. "I don't want to lose you in all this madness."

"Blueblood... I think something's wrong," Twinken spoke up, "I-"

Time to get started...

Twinken felt such a chill run up his spine, from tail to the tip of his horn. Whoever that was, he hadn't heard their voice, but rather their thoughts. It alarmed him further! He'd been using his mental exercises to block out all the thoughts of the audience members, knowing full well that being surrounded by so many ponies, especially in this situation, could lead to another telepathic overload and he certainly didn't want to go through that again.

And yet... despite closing off his mind, and through all these ponies and their thoughts doubtlessly being all over the place, Twinken heard this particular individual's thoughts as clearly as though they were his own. Only, the mental voice he heard was... hollow yet the underlying tone of that mental voice. Twinken had never heard- No... he'd never felt such rage!!

Twinken started looking around. Though it was dark and none of the unicorns could light up their horns for more than a few brief flickers before their horns went out, Twinken was a lunar pony. He saw far better than anypony else present but he noticed that instead of seeing everypony as though they were in a dimly lit room (where even regular ponies could see another and make out their colors), Twinken only saw shapes and silhouettes and barely any color from anypony's form at all, despite the rainbow colors from the earlier special effect.

He looked in the direction where he'd heard that frighteningly incensed thought, hardly able to distinguish anypony in this strange darkness. Remembering the lesson he'd had from his Mistress earlier, Twinken concentrated. He focused his mana outwards but not with the intention of controlling the darkness, but rather to use the darkness to extend his awareness. It was disorienting, feeling and sensing the movements of perhaps hundreds of ponies around him, almost overwhelming that he wanted to stop! But something drove him to keep it up, as he focused upon the thought he'd felt and had his telepathy work in concert with his darkness-enhanced awareness...

There!

Standing perhaps a dozen pony-lengths to his 5 o'clock, Twinken found him! His mind... it was filled with such rage yet it was disturbingly focused, like the blue flame of a cutting torch. Then... the intent behind that focus made itself known in Twinken's mind as he heard the individual's next thought:

Time for some screaming!!

Gasping, Twinken inhaled and screamed with all his might, "LOOK OUT!!!!!!!!"

It did no good, as the villain focused, his horn lighting up and briefly revealing his position even though his form could not truly be seen, and six blades shaped like commas appeared, the single curved spike on each one giving off a disturbing green glow... as they lashed out!

Immediately, there were cries of alarm and pain as random ponies felt themselves suddenly cut. On their faces, their necks, their shoulders, their flanks, their barrels, it mattered not, because the assailant wasn't really aiming. His only intention was to cut as many victims as he could possibly cut with his blades within a short amount of time. Panic and terror quickly spread as ponies tried to force their way through each other in a vain attempt to escape whatever this unseeable threat was.

It got worse when the pegasi tried to fly away... only for something to ensnare their hind fetlocks or around their barrels and yank them downwards, crashing down onto the panicking masses. The darkness gave way just a little bit, making it slightly easier to see, and a mare slipped on something and was horrified to find it was blood she'd stepped in, pooling around the neck of a pony who already lay dying from bloodloss.

Unicorns tried casting spells, only for some strange shadowy strips of fabric to suddenly enwrap their horns, rendering them powerless. They weren't the only ones. Not many noticed it, but the ponies who'd felt themselves get cut suddenly became lethargic and tired, as one moment they were alert and worked up and then felt as though their strength suddenly fade away while their minds became sluggish and unable to focus.

"IT'S POISON!!!" "SOMEPONY'S ATTACKING WITH POISONED BLADES!!!" "SOMEPONY CALL THE ROYAL GUARD!!!"

"Crusaders! Stay by me!" Blueblood ordered, and was glad to feel all six of them sticking close, "We've got to get away from here!"

"The attacker, Blueblood!" Twinken pointed with his hoof and Blueblood looked.

Though he couldn't see the attacker directly, every now and then he saw what might have been a unicorn's horn flaring with a burning red mana and immediately after some strange blade glowing a sickly green lashed out and struck a victim. Deciding to forget lighting his horn, Blueblood concentrated and chanted, "Navi Polaris..."

He'd already had the sense of it, but his spell confirmed which way was true north when he felt his horn being tugged in that direction by the magic of the spell. To his relief, it wasn't in the direction of whoever this scoundrel was. Very carefully, he led the Crusaders away and towards the edge of the panicking crowd while using another spell he'd learned from Shining Armor, a Ward that repelled living things if they were outside the area of effect, which was centered on the caster, repelling the terrified ponies who got too close to Blueblood and the Crusaders with a subtle force.

As they neared the edge of the mass panic however, the violence seemed to stop... and the lights came back on!

Screams of horror and disbelief filled the air when at first, everypony focused on the seven ponies lying dead from cuts that had struck vital arteries or from ponies who'd fallen and couldn't get up because they'd been trampled from the panic. But then... a disturbing silence befell the whole crowd as ponies started gaping at one another with shock, horror, but most of all, disbelief.

"What happened to you?!" "Your cutie-mark!" "What happened to my cutie-mark?!" "It's gone!" "My cutie-mark is gone!!" "What's going on here?!?!" "This can't be happening!!!!"

Dozens and dozens of ponies among the crowd... their coats and manes had dulled and their sluggish expressions quickly lit up with horrified realization as they looked at their flanks! All these ponies, who everypony quickly noticed were bleeding from some cut or cuts somewhere on their bodies!

Their cutie-marks were gone!

...And the screams that followed announced a new kind of horror.

Somewhere in a dark alley in downtown Canterlot, Destrier removed the Amulet of Khonsu, becoming visible again, and then sat in the shadows to wait. He didn't wait long as he heard hoofsteps coming from the other end of the alley and looked to see it was Pharaoh Phetlock, holding the Staff of Anubis, with a grim smirk of satisfaction on his face.

"Fine work, Destrier," congratulated Phetlock, "and I'm glad my staff's spells were of help keeping the situation under control. You'll be satisfied to hear I completed my side of the mission, so... I think we can call it a night."

Destrier nodded as he sat up and offered the amulet back, which Phetlock accepted and nodded his thanks for returning his property before he used his staff to levitate out a piece of parchment with a magic circle drawn upon it. Setting it down on the ground, Phetlock whispered the appropriate words, causing the magic circle on the parchment to light up before the parchment burned away and the circle itself remained yet expanded along the ground until both stallions stood in its radius. A moment after, it shrank inwards, causing the stallions to disappear as the circle shrank itself out of existence.

Screams filled the air as panicking stomps thundered the ground. Lights harsh and blinding flashed and burned her vision. Greenish orbs of fire zoomed around like angry hornets as her vision cleared... and she looked on in horror to see the crowd of ponies... They were everyone she knew back home in Ponyville!

She watched as Ditzy Doo tried to fly away with Dinky, only for one of those green orbs to hit her, causing Ditzy to cry out in pain as her cutie-mark burned off of her flank and she fell, Dinky crying 'Mommy!' Cheerilee tried to shield her students, only for more of those green orbs to strike her and then strike the foals, all of their cutie-marks burning right off their flanks as well. Big Macintosh tried to distract the orbs to give Fluttershy time to fly away with their foals, but it made no difference.

Left and right, she watched as her neighbors, her friends, and her family, one after the other, were struck by those terrible green orbs of burning fire, causing them all to writhe in agony as their cutie-marks burned off of their flanks. It was then she noticed the ponies who lost their cutie-marks became dull in color and broken in spirit, their heads hanging in despair, their forms withered and the light in their eyes gone. Her parents, Hondo and Cookie, Twilight, Midnight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Cheese Sandwich, Thunderlane, Applejack, Soarin, Starlight, Sunburst, Mr. & Mrs. Cake, Faerie Tail, Mayor Mare, Granny Smith, Doctor Whooves, Berry Punch, Golden Harvest, Comet Tail, Caramel, Cherry Fizz, Cloud Kicker, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Hotshot, Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor Sugar Belle...

Then, she noticed her best friends, Apple Bloom, Twinken, Scootaloo, Rumble, poor Button Mash, and even Spike! Even though only Twinken and Scootaloo had their cutie-marks, the green orbs of fire attacked them too, and they wound up just like everypony else, and seeing them dismal and gray... it broke her heart.

"Sweetie Belle!!"

She turned to see her big sister and brother rushing towards her, the both of them looking terrified. But not for themselves as Blueblood cried, "LOOK OUT!!"

She heard it. The sinister hiss of the very air burning, an awful heat spreading over her withers... and she turned around to see one of those horrible orbs of green fire floating hardly a pony-length beside her. It just floated there, giving off a menacing radiance that began to burn her eyes. Yet she could not bring herself to blink or look away.

It then began to zip around like a balloon losing its air before it zoomed straight for her-

"SWEETIE BELLE!"

She felt Rarity hug her, heard Blueblood rush to put himself between the orb and them... and she heard the sound of burning meat and soft utterances of suffering so gut-twisting that she had to look. She felt her heart wrench as she saw Blueblood and Rarity's cutie-marks burn away, their coats dull... and then she heard a smouldering whisper-like sound and turned to its source, and felt her heart tear in two as she watched all her neighbors, all of her friends, all of her family. Their bodies turned to ash that quickly blew away on a cold breeze. One by one. Scattered into nothingness.

"Sweetie..." She looked up at her big sister, and saw a sad relief and then noticed Blueblood turn to ash behind them. And then so did Rarity.

She was left alone. Surrounded by faint flitters of the ashes of everyone she knew and loved, dancing around her, a cold and terrible despair washing over her whole being. She didn't even care when the orbs of fire surrounded her... and then-

Sweetie Belle woke up screaming and almost instantly felt somepony embrace her, "Sweetie Belle! Little sister, it's okay!"

"Th- I- Wha...?" The warmth of the hug brought comfort to Sweetie Belle, but it was the voice of her big sister that calmed her, and when she looked up into Rarity's deep blue eyes, she knew it was real.
"R-Rarity...?"

"Shhh, it's alright," Rarity said as gently and reassuringly as she could, gently stroking her little sister's head, "It was just a bad dream."

"It was horrible!" Sweetie Belle cried, burying her face into Rarity's shoulder, and Rarity sat there, holding the filly for as long as it would take. She didn't even care when Sweetie Belle accidentally got a little snot into her fur. She'd had worse when Sweetie Belle had been a baby. She rubbed Sweetie Belle's back and soon the heaving sobs calmed down and Sweetie Belle hiccuped a little as she pulled away and rubbed her teary eyes.
"Wh-what happened? Rarity, what happened at the concert, do you know?"

"Hush now," Rarity levitated a hanky to Sweetie Belle, letting the filly wipe away her tears and then blow her nose. "I think you could do with a little breakfast. Come, your friends will be happy to see you."

"No!" Rarity paused and looked at her sister as the filly pleaded, "Just... just hold me?"

Rarity crawled into the bed with Sweetie Belle and did just that, and the filly held onto her sister like she'd never let her go.

It was late into the morning after the incident, but the news medias were already abuzz on the terrifying events that had happened, along with the aftermath. The Royal Guard had arrived as quickly as possible to secure the scene and search for the assailant, along with numerous medics to tend to the injured. And the coroner to see to the murdered. Though seven ponies had lost their lives, it was the surviving victims who got the attention because their cutie-marks were gone!

Then of course the news medias were reporting the incident faster than the Triarchs or the Canterlot authorities could stop them and revealing to Equestria that the victims had lost their cutie-marks. The whole of the nation would learn of this terrible tragedy and what had resulted of it before day's end, and already ponies were demanding to be received in Royal Court to find out how this was possible, what was being done, and if the cutie-marks could be restored.

Sombra and Luna summoned Midnight, Twilight, Starlight, and Sunburst to aid in this dilemma, and the rest of the Council of Friendship (not including Macintosh and Fluttershy) came with them, partly to offer their help as well, but also because the Crusaders were still in Canterlot with Blueblood.

At the dining table where the Crusaders had eaten with the Triarchs yesterday, the alicorns convened, along with Spike, Starlight, and Sunburst. Celestia held Little Sol close as he sucked on his mother's hoof and Sombra sat protectively next to them, his wring around his wife's withers, while Luna was having a quick word with one of her Lunar Guards when Celestia said, "We must get ahead of this, somehow! We need to research this condition the victims are in and find a way to reverse it. Starlight Glimmer."

Starlight looked directly at Celestia who inquired, "Have you made any progress since the first victim?"

"Are we certain this is the same thing, Princess?" asked Starlight.

"It is," Luna interjected, "Just like the first case, the guard whose cutie-mark was destroyed by Catrina, these victims' cutie-marks have been destroyed as well. Our best medical and magical experts examined them closely and determined they are in the same condition as Sergeant Spearhead."

"Then we must accelerate the research and find a way to restore the cutie-marks," stated Twilight before looking to Starlight, "You're in charge of this research Starlight, and you'll have all the resources and aid you need to find a cure."

"What about the attacker?" asked Sunburst. "Did anypony see the assailant who did this and how?"

"Nopony saw the attacker," Luna reported, "but Twinken told me he sensed the attacker's thoughts. Also, the victims were all cut by some kind of blade and our best enchanters examined them and found residue of a malevolent mana that matches the same mana that was left on Spearhead when he was struck by Catrina..."

"Then she is behind this," Midnight spoke up with furrowed brows, "Is there any chance she was the one who carried out the attack?"

"Twinken told me the thoughts of the assailant felt like that of a violent stallion," Luna answered, "and he was a unicorn. Multiple witnesses reported seeing what looked like the shape of a horn lighting up with a burning red mana but nopony there; he was likely using some kind of invisibility."

"We have our guardsponies investigating all over Canterlot and Mount Canterhorn for any signs of the assailant," added Sombra who didn't sound hopeful, "but given what happened with Catrina, I doubt they're going to find a tangible lead."

"I contacted Shadow Lock before we arrived and ordered him to assign any available Hoods to aid in this investigation," added Midnight. "They might not find where the assailant went after the attack, but there's always a chance they might find something else."

"Meanwhile, I asked Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Soarin to aid the pegasus guards in aerial patrols," Twilight noted, "Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich went to the hospital to try and cheer up the afflicted ponies, and Applejack, Rarity, and Blueblood are looking after the Cutie-Mark Crusaders. As for us..."

Twilight, Midnight, Starlight, and Sunburst all stood up from the table, "We'll concentrate on researching this condition and hopefully we'll determine a way to restore the victims' cutie-marks. By any chance is Doctor Miracle Cure still in Canterlot?"

"She and one of my best magical researchers, Astral Ink, are focused on the research into this condition," Celestia answered, "but I'm sure with all of you working together you can find a way to resolve this crisis."

"Astral Ink? That name sounds familiar to me..." Twilight touched her chin with her hoof, trying to remember.

"He's a magic scholar, one of the top graduates of his final year in my magic school," answered Celestia. "If you had not become my personal protégée, Twilight, Astral Ink most likely would have."

"He sounds like an impressive magic expert," Twilight had to admit, hearing of the pony that might have assumed the destiny she undertook was rather humbling.

"Yes, he is..." agreed Luna with a sigh as she got a faraway starry look in her eyes, "The way he can name the constellations with but a glance...!"

It was then Luna noticed the looks everypony was giving her, especially her sister and brother-in-law. Clearing her throat as she gathered herself, Luna added, "It may also interest you to know that Astral Ink is also running for a seat on the Council, and well he should! There are other candidates, but he's the most promising for the seat he's running for and has qualities the others are lacking."

"We'll take your word for it, Luna," Midnight chuckled as he stood up from the the table, "C'mon, everypony. We've got work to do."

In one of the castle suites, Sweetie Belle lay upon a sofa built into a bay window, giving her the perfect view of the citizens outside, some of which were mouthing off to the Royal Guardsponies, most likely demanding answers about what happened last night, who was responsible, and if the ponies who'd lost their cutie-marks were going to be alright. Otherwise, the citizens of Canterlot all looked afraid and anxious, avoiding each other, uncertain of whom to trust.

The door to the suite opened and she looked to see her sister, Rarity, arrive with a meal on a silver platter.

"It's time for brunch, little sister! I figured since you didn't want to go earlier this morning, well..." Rarity cleared her throat as she held out the platter in her magic, "Strawberry crepes?"

"I'm not hungry," Sweetie Belle replied dolefully, looking out the window again to watch the infection of fear and paranoia slowly but surely spreading.

Sighing, Rarity set the platter down onto a coffee table and said, "Sweetie Belle, it would be a good idea to eat something. You'll feel better after, especially once we get you home-"

"What?!" Sweetie Belle turned to Rarity, her spring green eyes wide with disbelief. "We can't go! We have to stay and help!"

"Oh, Sweetie Belle, it's kind of you to be worried for the ponies who... well, I'm afraid it's better if I take you and your friends back to Ponyville," Rarity said with gentle firmness.

"No! Rarity, those ponies, they- They... They lost their cutie-marks!" Sweetie Belle sounded so upset that Rarity knew she had better listen as she sat down beside her little sister and lay a foreleg around the filly's withers as Sweetie Belle took a moment to gather herself, before saying, "...Ever since my friends and I started the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, we've done everything we can think of to get ours. We still do... Twinken got his, then Scootaloo, and it just made the rest of us so happy for them, and-and all the more determined to find out what it is that makes each of us... us!

"I haven't found mine yet, but what I saw last night?"

Sweetie Belle looked up at Rarity, who felt her heart sink to see her little sister's eyes tear up again as Sweetie Belle pressed her face into Rarity's shoulder, and Rarity held her sister close.

"I never thought that a pony could lose their cutie-mark, Rarity... it scares me! Scares me more than I ever felt by anything!" Sweetie Belle sniffled, the comfort of Rarity's hug helping. Just a little.
"To have a part of yourself taken away like that? It's horrible to even think of, and it happened to a whole bunch of ponies who didn't deserve it. I want to help them somehow, even if it's only a little."

Again the sisters held each other's gaze as the little one asked, "Please, Rarity... I know I can't do much, but if there's anything at all I can do to help those ponies, please! Let me try?"

"Oh Sweetie Belle..." Rarity felt her heart swell and ache at the same time as she pulled Sweetie Belle into the warmest, snuggest hug she'd ever given her.

Unbeknownst to the sisters, Blueblood stood outside the suite, watching them through the creak between the frame and the door. He sighed woefully, feeling responsible somehow for the way his little sister-in-law felt. Even before he had married Rarity, Sweetie Belle had easily found a place in Blueblood's heart that it hurt so much to see her this way. He was uncertain of what he himself could do, but perhaps the research team into this terrible condition might give him a push in the right direction and he hurried off through the castle.

As he approached the castle hospital wing, where some of the afflicted ponies had been transferred for medical study, Blueblood was surprised to see Midnight exit, followed by Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Doctor Miracle Cure, Twilight's old friend Moondancer, and a unicorn stallion who looked familiar to Blueblood but couldn't remember who he was. He had a grayish-blue coat that made Blueblood think of the evening, a mane and tail as white as starlight, a pair of soft blue eyes behind a small pair of reading glasses, and his cutie-marks was a purple galaxy drawn by a feather quill.

"Blueblood?" Midnight was surprised to see his friend.

"Midnight, have you uncovered anything about the victims and the loss of their cutie-marks?" asked Blueblood.

"We were all just on our way to inform your aunts and uncle on our findings," answered Midnight.

"You're welcome to join us, Blueblood," invited Twilight and Blueblood nodded in appreciation as he followed.

"So, here's the thing..." Starlight started off the presentation with a projector and screen that Moondancer operated for her. "The victims are just the same as Sergeant Spearhead, the first pony, that we know of, to be afflicted with this unique and awful condition: The destruction of a Cutie-Mark. The loss of a pony's mark results in the loss of the talent the cutie-mark symbolizes. Not only that, it weakens the afflicted pony's magic, evident by how their coat, mane, and eyes dull in color, which correlates to their depression and even a feeling akin to the pain of loss."

"Not only that, we spoke with several of the victims," Sunburst spoke up, "and what they all said is disturbing. They told us... that they find it difficult to remember exactly how they got their cutie-marks and why! Upon further conversation, we determined the ponies' memories regarding their cutie-marks and their talents to be foggy, muddled, or worse, they can't remember their talents at all, or even the occasions they made use of their talents."

"We discussed it with Doctor Miracle Cure, Astral Ink, and Moondancer" Midnight stepped up, "and we agree that despite the wound that was inflicted upon them this is not a physical ailment, but a magical one. Something so powerful it affects these ponies' minds, spirits, and magic. After considerable debate, we're uncertain of how we can help these victims."

"What about the cutie-mark memory spell Twilight used to help the others after they'd been changed by Discord?" asked Celestia.

"In that situation, the cutie-marks weren't destroyed," answered Twilight with a despondent shake of her head. "Without them, the spell wouldn't help these ponies. If anything, it might just depress them further by reminding them more clearly of what they've lost."

"There's still so much about this new magic that we just don't know," Moondancer added while glancing at some notes she'd taken. "There's even a chance the next method we try could be counterproductive or simply make things worse."

"There is something I would like to point out," spoke up Doctor Miracle Cure, "The victims all carry within their thaumaturgical systems trace elements of Catrina's mana, which is hard evidence that she is indeed behind this horrific incident. However, the traces of Catrina's mana have not left the victims' systems, which leads me to believe that if we could purge the infectious mana, it could alleviate some of the symptoms of this condition."

"On a side-note," interjected Astral Ink, levitating a notebook as he looked at some notes he'd taken before saying, "The first pony to fall victim to this malevolent magic, Spearhead, has shown a slight improvement in his condition ever since he was struck by Catrina and lost his cutie-mark. A bit of his color came back and his mood has improved a little, but he's still far from recovered. It seems that emotional support was the factor to his improved condition, after he was visited by friends and family, and he even said his memories regarding his cutie-mark were a little clearer though he still can't make use of the talent his cutie-mark symbolized."

"Then perhaps the victims' own conditions would improve if something was done to... raise their spirits, up their morale,. In other words, maybe a good place to start would be to do something to help the victims by cheering them up," suggested Luna while she shared a private look with Astral Ink, and the both of them hid their slight blushes.

"That's an excellent idea, sister," Celestia agreed. "If she is still willing, we'll arrange for Coloratura to perform her concert for the victims, as well as the rest of Canterlot."

Having been listening and taking this all in, Blueblood suddenly had an idea. Recalling a time when he'd overheard Sweetie Belle enjoying a bath, he spoke up, "If you don't mind, Auntie..."

All eyes turned to him as he said, "I'd like to make a suggestion."

Evening fell, and the castle courtyard had been prepared with a stage, and many citizens had arrived while the victims had been given the best seats in the crowd to enjoy. Although enjoying the concert seemed to be the furthest thing on anypony's minds. Indeed, there was a depressive air in the courtyard and not much conversation going on and anypony who was talking did so in hushed and subdued voices. There was no excitement, no anticipation, no good vibes of any kind amongst the crowd.

Only anxiety, distrust, and a want to get this over with and go home.

Peering through the curtains, Twilight moaned fretfully as she turned and said, "I'm starting to think perhaps this wasn't the best idea..."

"We have to start somewhere, Twily," shrugged Midnight though he held his own doubts and worries as well. "But if Blueblood's idea works... perhaps it'll be just what the victims- Hell, all of Canterlot or even Equestria needs in light of what's happened! We just have to have faith."

Sighing, Twilight gazed into her husband's eyes, finding strength in the love they held for her as she asked, "How do you find the courage to hold to faith? With no guarantees or real assurances?"

"Because that's what faith is, Twi," Midnight pulled his wife into a tender embrace while holding her gaze, loving those amethyst eyes as they always reflected the best of himself in them.
"To have faith is to hope that no matter what, things will work out, that things'll turn out okay. Especially if you have faith in those around you."

Twilight smiled a little as she reached up to caress Midnight's cheek before taking another breath and saying, "Let's hope Blueblood's faith is in the right pony."

"I can't do it! I'm- I'm terrified!" Sweetie Belle was on the verge of hyperventilating and feeling rather hot in her dress, which Rarity had provided her. A demure yet sweet-looking slip of candlelight yellow silk with a transparent gown of gossamer, a maneband held her curly bangs back with a pink poppy tucked behind her ear, if it weren't for the anxiety she was having she'd appear an adorable and soft-spoken filly on her way to an event classy yet casual.

Rarity and Blueblood shared a troubled look, not sure of what to say to Sweetie Belle in case they said the wrong thing and make her feel worse than she already did. It was at that moment they heard somepony clear their throat and looked to see it was Coloratura.
"Rarity and Blueblood? Would it be alright if I had a word with Sweetie Belle?"

The husband and wife shared a look and both nodded in agreement and they stepped aside, allowing Coloratura to approach the filly, who'd noticed the celebrity singer's presence, that her fanfilly side helped a little to assuage her anxiety but did nothing to loosen up how uptight she felt. Coloratura invited Sweetie Belle to sit down with her onto some cushioned folding chairs before taking a deep breath, "Sweetie Belle, I know what you're feeling right now, but all the same, I think you're a very brave and generous soul for agreeing to do this in the first place."

Sweetie Belle looked up at Coloratura, her heart still beating hard in her chest but she started to feel a little cooler in her dress. So Coloratura went on.
"It's a scary thing, to face a large audience in order to perform, whether you're singing, dancing, acting... Even after all this time being a famous singer, I still get scared or nervous sometimes before I perform. It wasn't easy getting over my stage fright when I was your age, and I wouldn't say I'm completely over it, because I care about my fans and want to be a good example for them.

"It was the reason I took up Showstopper's suggestion of running for a seat on the Council of Equestria, but..."

Sweetie Belle was stunned to see a tear run down Coloratura's face as the mare softly cried, "The horrible things that happened last night... maybe it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been using my popularity to garner support and votes from my fans and other ponies in Canterlot. Maybe that's a little silly to say, but I can't help but feel responsible somehow for what happened to those ponies..."

"Hold on, Rara!" Sweetie Belle spoke up, using the nickname Applejack had given this much-beloved celebrity singer to reach her in a more sincere way, "What happened wasn't your fault at all! It was done by horrible ponies or creatures or whatever, and if it hadn't been your concert it would have just been another time and place! But that's not important right now! It's the ponies out there who..."

It was then Sweetie Belle noticed the rising brow and subtle smirk on Coloratura's face and she got the picture: It wasn't about her; it was about them! And deep down in her heart of hearts she felt the sincere desire to give them something to help them feel better. Coloratura saw it in this little filly's eyes and let out a proud chuckle as she pulled Sweetie Belle into an encouraging hug before gently nudging her towards the stage as she said, "Break a leg!"

Sweetie Belle looked out towards the stage and the lights dimmed, causing the audience to hush in response to the signal that the performance was about to start, as a spotlight shined upon a microphone stand center stage. Although her heart was still thumping in her chest, determination and a sheer desire to help these ponies somehow spurred Sweetie Belle on. As she ventured out onto the stage, she walked as she felt Rarity might, with poise, her head held high, betraying no lack of confidence, even though nopony could clearly see her yet knew she was there from the sounds of her hoofsteps as she made her way to the microphone.

Stepping into the spotlight, Sweetie Belle's view of the audience was somewhat obscured by the light although knowing that hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of eyes were now all focused upon her caused her perseverance to falter and she struggled to keep her breathing steady. Nervously, she looked back the way she came and saw Coloratura, Rarity, and Blueblood giving her warm smiles, of love, of encouragement, and... to look the other way?

She looked to the other end of the stage and gasped! Standing on the other side were her friends, her fellow Cutie-Mark Crusaders... and her parents! Hondo and Cookie gave her smiles that told her exactly what she needed in that moment: That no matter what, they were proud of her.

And just like that, the fear and anxiety floated away so subtly she didn't even notice it as she calmed down, not all at once, but after taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. She looked back to Rarity, Blueblood, and Coloratura as she nodded to them and stood before the microphone... and a tender melody began.

What if I told you It was all meant to be

The ponies of the audience watched in gloom though several among them were impressed by the voice of this young filly.

Would you believe me, would you agree

Rarity and Blueblood watched in awe of their little sister, having always known Sweetie Belle had a fine set of pipes, but this... This was beyond whatever they'd expected.

It's almost that feelin' that we've met before

So tell me that you don't think I'm crazy

When I tell you love has come and now...

Sweetie Belle took another deep breath and began to pour her soul into it...

A moment like this
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this
Some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this

...and slowly but surely did something come over the audience, almost like an infectious spread of smiling joy. One after the other did the ponies in the crowd feel their hearts stir at the voice of this little filly and perhaps a faint tingling in their backsides, especially in the afflicted ponies who'd lost their marks.

Everything changes but beauty remains

Behind Sweetie Belle, the curtain lit up from a light shining behind it to show the silhouettes of the musicians playing their instruments for Sweetie Belle's song.

Something so tender, I can't explain

A large projection screen slowly lowered down above Sweetie Belle as her image was cast upon it, giving the audience a better look of this surprising talent.

Well I maybe dreamin' but 'till I awake

Can we make this dream last forever

And I'll cherish all the love we share

For a moment like this
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this
Some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this

Could this be the greatest love of all

The ponies in the crowd all smiled, some of their eyes welling up with tears as their hearts swelled...

I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall

So let me tell you this

Some people wait a lifetime for a moment...

Behind the curtains, a silhouette of backup singers could be seen as they made themselves heard, lending their voices to add to Sweetie Belle's performance!

Like this
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this
Some people search forever
For that one special kiss
Oh, I can't believe it's happening to me
Some people wait a lifetime
For a moment like this (Moment like this)

Oh, like this (Moment like this)

As Sweetie Belle shed tears of soul and passion, everypony watched in awe as her flank shined underneath the gossamer gown, as destiny left its mark upon the filly!

Oh, (Moment like this) I can't believe its happening to me

Sweetie Belle wasn't even done or aware of what had just happened, but the crowd was cheering in barely-controlled excitement as the ponies whod' lost their cutie-marks felt a warmth touch each and every one of them in a way that seemed so familiar, like a half-forgotten dream... and their manes and coats and eyes lit up with their true colors!

Some people wait a lifetime

The lights behind the curtains dimmed, causing the silhouettes to disappear as Sweetie Belle's friends and family all shed tears of joy and pride.

For a moment like this

Ooh, like this

Not a tear n all the audience was dry as Sweetie Belle received a standing ovation, and she felt just a little overwhelmed by applause... that she was startled to feel somepony hug her and saw that it was Button Mash, giving her a teary-eyed smile with just a bit of snot dribbling from his nose, which he quickly SNRRK'd and said something, but his voice was drowned out by the applause still going. Then they were joined by the rest of the Crusaders, then Sweetie Belle's parents, and then Rarity and Blueblood. And then... Blueblood and Hondo both raised Sweetie Belle up high and proud for all to see and cheer.

Sweetie Belle couldn't help but shed tears of joy as she saw the ponies who'd lost their cutie-marks had gotten their colors back. Their marks may not have returned, but she'd done what she'd wanted to do.

She'd helped them, and wouldn't realize till later that she'd been rewarded.

Author's Note

I wanted to show off that despite her slow-&-steady approach, Catrina isn't just lying in wait and quietly scheming. I also have to confess, this chapter was a bit of a mistake; I had a planned order of which Crusaders earned their cutie-marks, but when the ideas for this chapter came to me, I forgot that planned order and didn't remember until I had made too much progress to stop.

Button Mash was supposed to get his cutie-mark next, and then Sweetie Belle

Sweetie Belle's Cutie-Mark commissioned by Hoodwink MCShelster

Disclaimer:

Astral Ink is an OC belonging to Scribe of the Nightwings

"One More Time" by Daft Punk

"A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson

356. Clear as a Belle - Epilogue

Lounging upon her fainting couch while enjoying a puff of her witchweed, Catrina's ears perked as she heard hoofsteps approach her lounge and she opened her eyes to see Pharaoh Phetlock and Destrier enter, the both of them giving her a nod of respect before she asked, "Well?"

"The mission went perfectly, my lady," Phetlock reported with a subtle smirk of accomplishment. "Destrier's distraction was, well, to call it effective would be understating it. The ponies of Canterlot were so alarmed and horrified by the destruction of a cutie-mark, thus far no one has noticed my little visit to the Canterlot Library. The Restricted Section was right where you said it would be."

"No troubles getting in?" inquired Catrina.

"None whatsoever," Phetlock answered as he removed a notebook from his cloak, "and as you instructed I took nothing. Instead, I copied the information you desired and left everything as it was. Even if those fools find evidence the Restricted Section was entered, since I didn't physically take anything, they'll be at a loss as to what my purpose there was, and might I say, Catrina... your Copy Spell was brilliant!"

He held out the notebook to the Cat, who accepted it and leafed through pages. Her fearsome eyes lit up with gleeful satisfaction to read and see the information she had sought at long lost in her possession!

"You have done well, Phetlock, as have you, my loyal agent," Catrina purred, eyeing both stallions with congratulations, "I'd say this calls for a toast! Phetlock, if you'd be so kind..."

"As you wish, my lady," Phetlock went to the bar and brought out a bottle, holding it up to the light so its blood red radiance cast the lounge into a ruby glow. "If I may ask, Catrina... where is everyone else?"

"Tirek is training his new arm and letting out some steam down in the grotto," Catrina answered as she accepted a full glass and took a sip, "Sunset has gone to Horseshoe Bay to do a little recruiting, and I don't know where that proxy of Chrysalis is..."

"Is there a problem, Catrina?" asked Phetlock, "I always gathered an impression that you don't hold the bugs in high esteem."

"Because I don't, Phetlock," Catrina sighed in content of the tangy taste of the wine, "Those bugs are parasites, driven by their baser instincts and their misplaced hubris. Granted, some of their gifts are indeed powerful and useful, but that's only if such powers are wielded properly and for a greater purpose than mere survival.

"As it is, I've a feeling whatever interests initially aligned us, Chrysalis will soon act rather rashly..."

"What do you intend to do about it, my lady?" asked Phetlock as he took a sip of his own wine.

"For the moment? Nothing," Catrina shrugged as she looked through the notebook, "Chrysalis is a pawn that only thinks she is a queen... But it is in enemy territory where one is truly tested, and whatever paltry designs she has in mind for Equestria, I rather doubt it will work out the way she thinks. For you see, Phetlock, unlike that sad little tick, I learn from my mistakes and I give my enemies due respect.

"Chrysalis views her enemies either as food or as someone to destroy because they slighted her, and therein lies her folly."

"And... the information you had me acquire, my lady?"

Catrina smiled as she looked at the illustrations copied into the notebook, displaying a circle of thirteen colored stones, surrounding the image of a generic alicorn. She reached into the folds of her gown and pulled out the Medallion of the Aegis Armor, its gemstone burning with a lust for battle as she replied, "One down, twelve to go...heheheha!"

"Wh...what did you say?"

Faerie Tail was speechless. What she'd just heard seemed impossible and yet it had been for that very suspicion she'd come to Ponyville General. Her prior visits had been periodic check-ups to make sure her condition from having been in a magically-induced coma for over ten years had no lingering side-effects apart from her ageing process having been paused for its entirety.

It had been the third check-up when Doctor Stable had thought he'd seen something unusual about Faerie Tail, but he'd thought it was a mistake after she'd answered some questions. But a while later, Faerie Tail had begun to notice symptoms she was having, symptoms she could recall having for only two different periods in her life.

"The tests confirm it," Doctor Stable confirmed as he kindly yet awkwardly repeated, "Congratulations, Faerie Tail, you are with foal."

...

Faerie Tail finally rubbed her hoof onto her belly, which showed no signs of pregnancy at all, but she couldn't deny Doctor Stable's words, because she'd recognized the symptoms she'd been having as of late. Nausea, some cravings (which had included spaghetti with apple slices and ketchup), and occasional morning sickness.

"Doctor, this... this doesn't make sense!" Faerie Trail protested.

"And, normally, I would agree with you," Doctor Stable said with gentle firmness, "but you aren't exactly an ordinary patient, Faerie Tail. See, after you'd woken up, we'd tested you for anything detrimental or anything else that might be wrong, but found nothing. But our earlier tests did note some slight... oddity, for lack of a better word. It was so slight that we didn't really pick up on it until your third check-up, where I originally asked you those questions, which I'm sure you figured out as to why I asked them.

"Then today, when I noticed that oddity yet again in your test results, along with the confirmation of your pregnancy, I looked back on the tests again, including the medical records regarding your coma. Faerie Tail, you aware of course that throughout the long period of your coma you didn't age a day! You're literally the same age you were when you were cast into that enchanted sleep, albeit several months older since you've woken up. However... after a closer and much more careful examination, I have concluded the halted ageing has yet to truly wear off!"

"So... what are you saying, doctor?" asked Faerie Tail.

"You are ageing right now, Faerie Tail," confirmed Doctor Stable, "but at a notably slower rate than is normal! It's why the development of your foal has gone unnoticed for so long. Your delayed ageing is also affecting your foal, and we don't even know when you conceived, because, as you've told me, you haven't been... intimate with a stallion since your awakening."

Faerie Tail took a moment to think despite the incredible situation she was in, and thought of the only stallion she'd ever truly loved. Her husband. Although it hurt to, she looked back into those memories, of when she had lived in that country estate where her son, Midnight, had to live back when he became an alicorn as a colt and his ascension had to be kept secret for some obscure reasons Princess Celestia never deigned to share apart it being for Midnight's own protection. It had been a trying period of her life, because Faerie Tail felt her son's life was no longer truly his own after he'd grown those wings. How he'd had to grow up in secret, been made to train and study to prepare him for the future, the many times she'd seen Midnight stress, afraid, crying for fear of not living up to what he was supposedly destined to be.

She'd fought more than once with her husband, telling Ignitus that he and Celestia were expecting far too much of a child, alicorn or not. It never seemed to help, because despite the training and studying and the misery he was going through, Midngiht would tell his mother that he was okay and that he wanted to become the best alicorn he could possibly be. That and Celestia and Ignitus always gave vague reasons as to why training Midnight was necessary, but Faerie Tail could always sense there was more to what they were telling her. Her pregnancy with, and later the birth of her second son, Twinken, proved to be a happy distraction as Faerie Tail had to focus on looking after her newborn colt.

Then, Midnight had nearly died and lost one of his best friends be murdered right in front of him. It'd been the final straw that Faerie Tail confronted her husband and really let him have it, threatening divorce and legal action if he and Celestia continued to make Midnight train. Ignitus had broken down in front of her, revealing his own misgivings and doubts and regret of putting their son through all of this, but he'd bottled it up, because of his sense of duty, his loyalty to the princess, and his sincere wish for his son to be prepared for whatever his future held.

Almost losing their son had broken something in Ignitus, a revelation that alicorn or not, regardless of his dedication to his training, Midnight was still only a teenage colt when this all-too-close call had happened and under his watch. The realization that he'd basically put his son in harm's way had caused Ignitus to break down into tears in front of his wife, sobbing apologies, promises, pleas. That he'd allowed this to happen. That he'd never put his family through this sort of thing again. That Faerie Tail not leave him and take their sons away.

That night would forever stay with Faerie Tail, as she and her husband finally talked held nothing back. It'd been a long talk but a productive one. They came to an agreement that they'd talk with Midnight and Celestia, a talk to resolve this whole situation to everypony's mutual satisfaction. Once they came to that agreement, Faerie Tail had pulled her husband to their bed.

Sweet Mother of Celestia what a night that had been.

...But then came the morning, right before the sun had been due to rise. Ignitus and Faerie Tail heard Midnight screaming for their help, their baby colt Twinkin crying for his mama. Their country estate had been broken into by an assailant. Faerie Tail never got a good look at the assailant, but those eyes! Those horrible green eyes still haunted her dreams.

They'd been the last thing she saw before she was cast into the oblivion of a dreamless slumber.

"...I remember," Faerie Tail finally spoke to Doctor Stable. "The night when I was... well, just before I was cursed, I spent the night in bed with my husband."

"Dear Goddess..." Doctor Stable realized what his patient was saying. "Then... Faerie Tail! You conceived this foal all those years ago, but... because of what happened to you, it's remained just as stuck as you were! Unchanging and unable to grow!"

Faerie Tail was aghast as well, but then... a warm thought slowly filled her mind with a subdued joy! Ignitus was not here, but this foal was! A third foal she'd conceived with the love of her life! Tears of a sorrowful joy began to well up in her eyes, so Doctor Stable offered her some tissues, and she dabbed her eyes to clear her vision. Finally regaining some of her composure, Faerie Tail then asked, "Can... can you figure out how far along my foal is in its development?"

"We'll need to perform an ultrasound," Doctor Stable answered, looking... pensive. "But Faerie Tail, I must run a theory by you. As I've previously stated, there are lingering effects from your enchanted sleep that have yet to fully fade away, which is why, like I said, your ageing is still slower than normal. This explains why your pregnancy wasn't noticed earlier despite it having been... six months since you've woken up!"

It was then Faerie Tail began to see the implications of what Doctor Stable was telling her. Six months?! She looked down at her belly, which didn't look at all pregnant!

"Doctor... what are you saying?!"

"I'm saying... in all likelihood, your pregnancy isn't a typical case," explained Doctor Stable, "As you are still under the lingering effects of the enchanted sleep despite having woken up, not only is your ageing slowed, but so is your pregnancy the development of your foal! There's no telling how long your pregnancy will take before your foal is developed enough for birth!"

"Can't- Can't we... do something about it?" asked Faerie Tail, starting to feel upset.

"Well, we... could try to purge the lingering effects of the enchanted sleep from your thaumaturgical system," Doctor Stable supposed, "but in all honesty, Faerie Tail, there's no telling what effects that could have upon your foal! Maybe nothing bad will happen and your foal's development will be able to progress at a normal rate, but there's the risk it could have a negative effect upon the foal! We can't be absolutely certain that it won't."

Faerie Tail found herself speechless yet again as she placed her hooves on her tummy. Could she really take such a risk? Just to hasten her foal's birth to be sooner rather than later? No, she could not! She'd lost over ten years of her life, missed her oldest son grow up, her younger son's early years, and though her husband wasn't here, this foal they had conceived together was a miracle!

"Perhaps, with some consultation with more experts we can determine whether or not the retarded ageing effects can safely be expunged," Doctor Stable offered, "but until then, I'm scheduling more appointments, twice a month for the foreseeable future. Perhaps with a little luck, the effects will wear off if we just wait and your pregnancy will assume a normal rate of progression. Would you... would you like to try the ultrasound, Faerie Tail?"

Faerie Tail found herself strangely reluctant. According to what she'd just learned, there might not be anything large enough for her to see despite the tests confirming it. But her maternal instincts had been stirred, invoking a need to ascertain the well-being of her foal. Even if she wasn't sure what she might or might not see, she had to check on her foal, if only for her own peace of mind.

She nodded to Doctor Stable and he calmed said, "Then follow me."

As she followed the doctor through the hospital hallways, a thought crossed her mind, one that troubled her somehow as Faerie Tail thought, What am I going to tell my sons?

357. Bite of the Family Sandwich - Part 1

The blank paper set in the typewriter mocked him as Tomato Sandwich groaned, burdened with self-doubt, enchained by uncertainty, as a nasty case of writer's block stonewalled his creativity. Sure, he had until the end of the week, but with every moment his eyes wandered over that mocking blankness, the more he thought, I'll never have this speech ready for the conference!

It'd been months since the incident of the attempted coup of Buck Cheap, the former Duke of Business and Commerce, to usurp the Triarchy, only for the villain's schemes to be undone by the Knights of Harmony. Buck Cheap had gotten his, and the Aristocratic Council was abolished to make way for the upcoming Equestrian Council, where its members would be elected by democratic vote. At Prince Sombra's suggestion, Tomato Sandwich was now running for the seat of Councilor of Business and Commerce.

He was perhaps the youngest candidate running for the seat, but his part in helping stop the so-named Coup of Avarice had been noted in the news, so he'd gotten some support from grateful admirers and even from Manehatten University, where he'd graduated with a degree in business. While there were other candidates for the seat of Business and Commerce in different cities of Equestria, this part of the election was sort of like a preliminary round. Every major city and town had an initial round of elections that would determine who among them would run for the various seats on the upcoming council.

While Tomato had rival candidates for Business and Commerce in other cities to eventually run against, at the moment he was only concerned with the three rivals he had here in Manehatten. Two of them didn't truly concern him; it was the third that was getting his goat.

Walker Trotrun was the owner and head of a wealthy and successful company, and though he was charming, handsome, and had donated millions of Equestrian Bits to various charities and fund-raisers, Tomato had had the displeasure of seeing him back in his university days, where he got a glimpse at the real Walker Trotrun underneath all that generous and wholesome baloney.

To put it lightly, Trotrun was a greedy slimeball who only did something for someone if he got something in return.

As a matter of fact, a few weeks ago, during a press conference where all the candidates had been introduced to the Manehatten public, Tomato had been formally introduced to Walker Trotrun and he had... offered Tomato an exorbitant amount of money to... "rethink his priorities" about running for Councilor of Business and Commerce, saying Tomato just didn't have the experience to run for such responsibility and commitment to Equestria. That Tomato would be better off stepping aside so that somepony better prepared and experienced, namely Trotrun, would assume the office.

Tomato was young, but he wasn't stupid and was both appalled and insulted that Trotrun would have the nerve to try and bribe him and condescend to his abilities and determination. He'd "thanked" Trotrun for his offer and advice, but then told the older stallion that after he was Councilor of Business and Commerce he'd be making proposals to screen the business practices of all major companies in Equestria, to be sure nothing illegal was going. Walker Trotrun appeared to take it in stride but Tomato had seen a malevolent glint in that stallion's eyes after they'd spoken.

Since then, Tomato, with the help of his friends and supporters, had been setting up his campaign for the initial election. If Tomato won, he'd be one step closer to being elected Councilor of Business and Commerce! Unfortunately, things just didn't seem to be going his way. The merchandise he'd ordered had come out wrong or been delivered to the wrong city, some rumors had gone around saying Tomato was not emotionally stable, and if that weren't enough just last week Tomato and his friends had arrived at their campaign headquarters (an unused classroom generously lent to Tomato by his old dean) where their posters, paperwork, and everything else had been ransacked and ruined!

As much as Tomato wanted to find out why these awful things were happening, and having a sneaking suspicion that Trotrun was behind it all, he just didn't have the time!

This weekend, he had to give a speech alongside the remaining candidates for Business and Commerce in order to garner more votes from the public and if he didn't come up with something inspiring, moving, or even something to attract more voters he'd be dropped out of the polls!

"Hey Tomato!"

Tomato looked up and saw his best friend, Bluejinx, coming over, levitating a stack of papers, "Those posters we ordered finally came in and these ones are good. I've already got Cirrus and Nimbus out there spreading them across the city."

Bluejinx was a Faustsend in many ways to Tomato Sandwich, because not only was the blue unicorn his best friend he'd also volunteered himself to be Tomato's campaign manager while rallying their friends to help Tomato in this election. Bluejinx had a pleasantly soft blue coat with a cloud white mane, friendly brown eyes and his cutie-mark was a folded newspaper, representing his talent for spreading information through writing, which complemented his work as a journalist.

"Well, at least something's going right around here," Tomato grumbled as he gazed contemptuously back at the black paper in the typewriter. "I'm never gonna write a good speech before the weekend conference!"

"Well, you gotta write something, buddy," Bluejinx looked at the newspaper, "According to this, Trotrun's the most favorite to win the preliminary election for Business and Commerce."

"You think I don't know that, Blue?" Tomato griped, "Every time I see that smarmy smirk of his, I just wanna throttle something!"

"Well, maybe if you had some kind of gimmick," suggested Bluejinx as he mused the idea, "something to... you know, attract potential voters so you can show everypony that you're the stallion for the job, and not that two-faced tightwad."

"Like what?" moaned Tomato, "So far, it's just been my role in stopping Buck Cheap's coup along with Prince Sombra's support that's been carrying me through all of this, but all that can only take me so far! I'm still working on my priorities and goals for becoming Councilor of Business and Commerce, and lately things have been going wrong, for which I'm all but certain that aforementioned two-faced tightwad is responsible!

"What could I possibly do to attract the voters when I've got so little to offer...?"

"Then it's a good thing I'm here, Tommy boy..." said a grim and gritty voice that cut through the pessimism and the two stallions looked to see a pony, wearing a zarape and fedora leaning in the doorway as he blew on a noisemaker.

At first, Tomato had no idea who this sudden appearance was, but then he got a familiar vibe and softly groaned to himself, "Oh no..."

"Who're you, stranger?" asked Bluejinx.

"Name's... Cheese Sandwich," answered the pony as he lifted his fedora'd head and revealed his face to be the spitting image of Tomato (albeit without glasses and having a more positive disposition), "I plan parties."

"...Cheese Sandwich?!" Bluejinx echoed with a dumbfounded look as he started looking back and forth between Cheese and Tomato for a few long and awkward moments before he asked, "Is he...?"

"My long-lost twin brother, it turns out," Tomato confirmed with a lack of enthusiasm-

"Talk about stranger than fiction!"
"I know, right?!"

The voices came from behind Cheese, who looked and smiled as three ponies appeared behind him.

Two were pegasus twins, both light gray in coats, with manes striped blue and yellow, the mare's mane being dominantly yellow and the stallion's dominantly blue. Their cutie-marks were similar but different, hers being a blue Tragedy Mask and his a yellow Mask of Comedy, they had the same bright sunset orange eyes although she had light freckles on her cheeks. The third pony was an earth pony mare with a spring green coat, her mane was honey blonde held back by a purple bandana, her eyes blue like the morning sky, and her cutie-mark was a five-petaled flower that was purple with pink edges and a yellow and orange swirly pattern in the center, and she wore a necklace of magenta beads.

These were more of Tomato's friends from their university days, as well as the team helping him and Bluejinx with his campaign, the twins Cirrus and Nimbus and the earth pony being Flora Peace.

"Wowza, Tommy! We had no idea you had a twin brother!" Nimbus exclaimed with a happy look on his face.
"Yeah, we ran into Cheese while we were out putting up your campaign posters," Cirrus added.
"And after we got over how you guys look so much alike," explained Flora, "we introduced ourselves and Cheese confirmed it - Why didn't you ever tell us about Cheese? We just had to bring him here to see you!"

"Well, uh..." Tomato wasn't sure what to say or where to start, so he asked, "Er- Cheese! Heheh, uh, what brings you to Manehatten, huh?"

"Well, it's a long and complicated story..." answered Cheese with a foreboding tone while gazing off into infinity.

Seven Hours Ago

“P-Pinkie…I don’t…I don’t know how much longer I can last!”

“Come on, Cheese! Just hold out a little longer!”

“I-I-I can’t... hold it! Aaaahhh!”

“Wow! That was awesome! It sprayed everywhere!”

“But it sure did make a mess. I mean look at you, you’re covered in it.”

"You too, and so's the room."

The Party Pony Pair gazed in awe of the results of their party-making love as confetti and glitter fell off their forms, thin brightly-colored streamers trailing off their manes and tails as they looked upon their latest party-cannon, the Carni-Volley. Set upon a collapsible tri-pod, it sported a triple-barrel cannon to launch cake, decorations like the aforementioned glitter, confetti, and streamers, and the third was designed to shoot bouncy balls, water balloons, and joke items, like whoopee cushions and bubbles that burst into super-slippy slick-uid ("Patentpending"). Unfortunately, their little trial shot had resulted in the experimental party-cannon breaking and getting a mess into its inner workings.

"Hmm, looks like the Carni-Volley's still needs some tweaking, Pinks," Cheese mused as he gave the contraption a closer look.

"Welp, y'know what they say, Cheesie! Try, try and try until you just can't try no more," Pinkie said sagely, "and if that didn't work, well then you just wasted your time trying to do something you just couldn't do!"

"Who said that?" Cheese gave his girlfriend a 'are you for real' rise of his brow.

"Nopony! Because it's hooey," Pinkie said with a positive yet firm nod of her head. "We'll get this new party-cannon ready, and it'll make our next big party a capitol-B BLAST!"

Cheese chuckled and went over to give his Pinkie Pie a loving hug, which she warmly reciprocated... before they looked into each other's eyes and it seemed the colors of the world around them seemed dull compared to the eyes of the pony each was gazing into. Cheese could recall that fateful day he wandered into Ponyville as if by chance, only to stumble into such a happy celebration where this amazing pony before him was the life of the party. Every time he gazed into those bright blue eyes, always cheerful, always looking on the bright side, always ready and excited to make somepony smile, he always saw the best of himself looking back, for without the inspiration Pinkie Pie had given him, he didn't know nor care to think where or how or even who he would be today.

Pinkie Pie likewise never tired of looking into those beautiful green eyes, full of exuberance, full of harmony, bright with the wish to turn everyone's frown upside-down, something which she could intimately relate to. It was actually humbling to her that she had been the one to help Cheese find the party pony within himself, even if she hadn't known it at the time it happened. Looking back on Rainbow's Birth-iversary, when she had officially made Cheese's acquaintance, Pinkie still felt a twinge of regret for how she'd acted towards Cheese and especially on one of her best friends' big days, making it about her when it was supposed to be about Dashie. Which was why every time she looked into Cheesie's eyes, she'd see herself and remember to love and support him just as much as he loved and supported her.

As the distance between their lips shortened, their eyes slowly closed as they puckered up and...

"Whoa!" Cheese felt a shivering in his flanks, similar to but not quite like his Cheesie Sense, and he heard Pinkie gasp!

"Cheesie! Your cutie-mark!" Pinkie pointed to Cheese's flank and they saw his cutie-mark was glowing!

Present Moment

"See, in the Castle of Friendship, there's this magical map of all Equestria that lets us know when there's either a friendship problem that needs our help," Cheese explained, "or there's some kind of problem the Knights of Harmony have to look into! The Map told me I was needed in Manehatten, and, well, here I am!"

Then Cheese wore a look of sudden realization, "Huh, I guess it wasn't long or complicated."

Despite the near-misunderstood opening, the haphazard middle, and the end, for some reason only one thing in Cheese's story stuck in Tomato's mind.

"Knights of...?!" Tomato yiped to see Cheese conjure a sword in his hooves, the blade a bright orange like melted cheese while the handle was colored a soft brown that gave off a yellow-green highlight.

Cheese held the blade downwards as he grasped the handle and declared with an exaggerated air of official-ness, "Sir Cheese Sandwich, at your service!"

"...Whoa!" said Nimbus in hushed awe while his sister Cirrus took a look at Cheese's sword and Flora giggled yet couldn't hide her own awe.

"Uh..." words failed Tomato when Bluejinx pulled him aside. "Blue?! What're you-"

"Tommy, this could work!" Bluejinx whispered while hiding himself and Tomato behind a posterboard, which didn't go unnoticed by Flora.

"What?!" Tomato gaped at him.

"Look, the Knights of Harmony were the ones who took down Buck Cheap," Bluejinx pointed out, "Having one of them openly show his support to you is sure to bolster your campaign and sway voters to your side!"

"Well, maybe, but..." Tomato hesitated, "I... I want to win this election on my own merit. Besides, he's my brother! Isn't that, I dunno... biased?"

"So what?! Family supports family, and that can still help you here," Bluejinx waved off the concern, "And you never know! Having Cheese around to support your campaign, you could... get to know him!"

"Get to know him," Tomato echoed dryly as he and Bluejinx peered around the posterboard to look at Cheese.

He was presently wearing silly nose-glasses with the pop-out slinky eyes, Nimbus and Cirrus smiling as Cheese appeared to be finishing a joke, "...and I said, 'So whatever you do, don't sell that goat'!"

They laughed uproariously as Flora came over to Tomato and Bluejinx, "Tomato! Your brother is so charming!"

Tomato chuckled nervously as he waved a little at Flora, thankful that his orange-red coat hid his blush, when Bluejinx pulled him back behind the posterboard, "Look, Tomato, I say this with the greatest respect and as your best friend: You can be kind of a stick in the mud."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Tomato furrowed his brows.

"It's just... Look, in those interviews you've done, you were... tense, monotone, not very intriguing," Bluejinx explained, "You're not making much of an impression with the public, and that's hurting your campaign. Maybe if you hang out with Cheese and rub off on him a bit, you can loosen up, absorb some of his zeal! Present a more confident, exuberant side that will show Equestria that you're the pony to be Councilor of Business and Commerce!"

"Okay, so maybe I've been a little too... rigid since I'm basically running for one of the most prestigious ranks in Equestrian politics," sniped Tomato, "but what does Cheese have to do-"

"Oh Tomato, listen to what your friends are telling you," Flora piped in with a gentle tone, surprising the two stallions as Flora joined them behind the posterboard. "You know, you're not the only one with a party pony for a brother. Remember Bananas?"

"How could I forget...?" Tomato recalled that day with a shuddering sense of weirdness. "I'll never feel safe around banana peels again, thanks to him!"

"Okay, maybe not the best example, but Cheese is your brother, Tomato!" Flora responded with a gentle firmness, "Take the time to bond with him! Which you can do for the rest of the day and tomorrow, I suggest you hang out with Cheese! Get to know him, let him get to know you, learn from each other! You never know, you just might be surprised!"

Seeing Bluejinx nod just a tad too exuberantly in agreement with Flora, Tomato sighed as he looked at Cheese again and saw the orange stallion balancing office supplies on his snoot like a circus seal with a ball as Nimbus and Cirrus both laughed.

"...That's what I'm afraid of."

Taking Bluejinx and Flora's advice, Tomato decided to invite Cheese to a nice walk through Central Park. Not because it would mean less ponies seeing the two of them together in public, not at all! The taxi-wagon ride there was quick but a little awkward as the brothers weren't really sure what to talk about now that it was just them. Arriving at their destination, Cheese decided to break the ice just as they entered the park.

"So, my little brother's running to become a bigshot, eh? I bet your folks are proud as can be!" Cheese smiled as they walked together.

"Little brother? As far as I know, we were left together at the orphanage as infants with no clue as to who was born first," Tomato raised his brow.

"Oh I dunno, I just used to think about what it'd be like to have a little brother," Cheese shrugged, "Hanging out, having fun together, sharing good times and secrets and all the things brothers share! It's just whenever I imagined having a brother, I couldn't help but imagine having a little brother. That... and I think maybe I'm just a little taller than you."

"It's that curly mane of yours!" Tomato debated, "mine's slicked back so I just look shorter than you."

"Nah, I'm pretty sure I'm taller," Cheese teased in a no-hard-feelings kind of way as he playfully nudged Tomato's shoulder with his own. "Comes from years of being a traveling party pony!"

"Anyway... what have you been up to since we met in Canterlot?" asked Tomato before quickly adding, "Besides parties."

"Oh, just enjoying my life in Ponyville," Cheese shrugged, "Got the most awesome friends, a great job working at a pizzeria, and uh, heh... the sweetest fillyfriend I could have ever asked for."

"Oh! You have a fillyfriend? What's her name?" asked Tomato, genuinely interested.

"You met her along with me back in Canterlot, Pinkie Pie," Cheese answered, "She's the reason I became a party pony in the first place!"

Cheese told Tomato the backstory of himself he'd shared with Pinkie, that he'd felt unnoticed and unwanted in the orphanage and wound up running away. That he'd somehow stumbled into Ponyville, where he found a party going on and how everypony there had been having a good time, and it was there he first saw Pinkie Pie making all those ponies laugh and smile. Seeing Pinkie inspire laughter and cheer in her friends and neighbors had resonated with Cheese so that he was inspired to become a party pony himself! He wound up going back to the orphanage in Manehatten, where he was adopted by a loving couple and became a wandering party pony once he was old enough to be on his own. He'd returned to Ponyville many years later, hoping to show Pinkie what a great party pony he was, only to unintentionally make her feel insecure. Once they'd cleared the whole misunderstanding, the two of them had organized the birthday and anniversary of Rainbow Dash together, and one thing led to another that caused Cheese to agree to stay in Ponyville. He'd gotten a job at a pizzeria, Pepper Pony's, and though he lived in Ponyville he'd leave every so often to help plan a party in the works thanks to his Cheesy sense.

"Cheesy Sense?" Tomato echoed, not understanding.

"It's this weird sense I get whenever there's a party being planned somewhere in Equestria that could use my help," Cheese explained, "It lets me know when and where it's gonna happen so I can get there in time to lend a hoof. Why, do you have some special kind of sense, Tommy?"

"Uh..." Tomato hesitated to answer when they both heard crying, and looked down the path to see a little earth pony filly standing away from a playground, upset because she'd dropped her ice cream cone into the dirt.

"What, ho? A foal in tears? Not on my watch..." Cheese got all exaggerated-serious as he kapwing'd away, to Tomato's confusion, and suddenly came back, with tubs of ice cream strapped to his barrel, wearing an ice-cream pony work outfit, complete with the little hat, and started calling out, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"

The filly heard Cheese, as did several other colts and fillies, all got wide-eyed as Cheese Sandwich came over, asking, "Who wants, Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, Mint Chip, Cookie Dough, Butterscotch, or any combination of the six? Only 1 Bit for a cone!"

"YAY" ICE CREAM!" Can I have Vanilla and Butterscotch, mister?" "I want Chocolate and Mint Chip please!" "Strawberry!"

Cheese laughed as he started serving the foals ice cream, even if they didn't have Bits at all, which Tomato was perplexed by. Sure, it was nice of Cheese to give ice cream for free, but the business-side of the orange-red stallion was just slightly disapproving. Once all the foals were happily licking away on their ice cream cones, including the filly who'd dropped hers earlier, Cheese span `round so fast that he was a blur and when he came to a dizzying stop, he was no longer wearing his ice cream pony clothes or had the tubs of ice cream on him.

As Cheese staggered over to Tomato, Tomato asked, "What happened to...?"

"Huh? I- What?" Cheese was too loopy to answer Tomato's bewilderment as he held his head and his eyes stopped spinning around in their sockets.

"Never mind," Tomato sighed before asking, "But Cheese, why suddenly go to the trouble of serving these foals ice cream? Especially when it was only one Bit for a cone. Seems to me you lost more than you made."

"Oh that wasn't about making money, Tommy," Cheese chuckled, waving off Tomato's business concerns. "That lil' filly was sad, and as a party pony, it's my job to turn frowns upside-down. So, I served ice cream to her, as well as the other foals on the playground so nopony would feel left out. I only 'charged' for money because their moms and dads might have felt uncomfortable if a stallion was giving ice cream to their kids for free."

Then Cheese felt a tapping on his hind leg and he looked to see it was the filly from earlier, looking up happily at Cheese as she said, "Thank you so much, mister!"

"You're welcome, little filly," Cheese replied with his 'pony with no name' voice before reverting to his happy voice, "As long as I can make everypony smile, that's all the thanks I need."

"Really?" asked the bewildered filly as the other foals took notice and gathered around Cheese with similar expressions. "I've never heard of something like that. "What's your name, mister?"

"I'll tell you..." Cheese said with a prankster-ish look before declaring, "in song form!"

"Oh no..." Tomato uttered dismally as a jaunty tune seemed to start up.

Cheese Sandwich is my name, and sure I may be goony

But just because I'm happy does not mean that I'm a loony

Cheese was trotting merrily, the foals following with upbeat looks as Cheese continued to sing.

Oh, when they call me crazy, it can be a real pain

Cheese nearly walked into a cinderblock wall but pulled out a large zipper from his mane and used it to literally unzip an opening through the wall!

But if you guys need ketchup, I'll give you ketchup rain!

Cheese whipped out a bottle of ketchup and squirted it skyward. The globs and drops of ketchup, instead of falling everywhere and making a mess, fell exactly where they were needed. Like a hapless stallion staring at his plain hayburger until a good dollop of ketchup fell on it, and a filly who had a plate of hayfries but were to salty without ketchup until they were covered with a succulent drizzle of the red stuff.

Although Tomato had been initially put off by Cheese's out-of-nowhere musical number, he couldn't deny these ponies looked pretty happy with the ketchup apparently coming right in the moment they needed it. He was a little surprised when a little ketchup fell onto the tip of his snoot, and, looking left and right, he hesitantly licked it off and smiled a little too when he noticed Cheese wasn't done.

Oh let's all play some dodgeball and throw with all your might!

Cheese spun `round, a bunch of red dodgeballs springing out of his tail and mane, which were quickly picked up by the colts and fillies...

Ponies keep your head low, they're coming left and right!

...and the dodgeballs flew, the colts and fillies laughing and screaming and dodging and throwing. Then Cheese picked up three dodgeballs, gave them a skillful juggle before he three them one by one into the air. When they came down, they bounced around but miraculously stacked upon each other as Cheese took a running start before jumping through the air, bouncing on top of those stacked dodgeballs, which sent him straight up, where he did a mid-air twirl and when he came down, he stuck his landing while holding his forelegs out, catching a dodgeball in each hoof while the third landed softly onto his voluminous curly brown mane as Cheese made his big finish!

Oh good eve-uh-ning, frieeeeeeeeeennnnddsss!!!

After watching Cheese's performance and because everypony had a good time, all the ponies in he park happily applauded as Cheese made some hammy bows and blew kisses to everyone, much to Tomato's light embarrassment of his brother's behavior in public. But he quickly noticed the smiles and laughter upon the parkgoers faces and the smile Cheese wore, expressing his own joy of making these ponies laugh.

Normally, Tomato wouldn't hang around ponies who act so publicly immature, at least in his opinion, but seeing the positive atmosphere over this whole situation and these ponies, Tomato thought, Maybe Cheese can help me with this election. After all, he... he is my brother.

And for the first time that day, Tomato felt a real smile on his face as he joined in the applause of Cheese, who was touched to notice Tomato showing his support, even if it wasn't as exuberant as everyone else's. What nopony noticed however was a sleazy-looking pony slip away from the park.

This pony made his way through the streets until he came to an alleyway and approached a backdoor. After knocking a precise sequence of knocks, it opened and in he went to speak to a secretary, who'd been instructed to let in anypony who said, "Avarice sent me."

The pony was directed down another hallway to an isolated room, where he waited patiently. Finally, the door opened and in walked a tall and handsome amber-brown stallion who had a paunchy barrel yet a powerful chest and forelegs below his winning smile and had his graying blonde mane in a loosely formal style. He wore an expensive suit with a solid gold stickpin on his lapel, with his initials, W. T., embroidered on the other lapel. His pants concealed his cutie-mark.

"Street Rat..." the stallion said in a welcoming manner although there was just a subtle edge in his voice, "I hope this is worth both our valuable times, as I'm due to entertain some rather influential socialites and perhaps encourage them to show me their support in the upcoming election...?"

"Oh you're gonna love this, Mr. Trotrun," assured the sleazy pony called Street Rat, "That Tomato Sandwich guy who's running against you? I just found out he has a brother!"

"And...?" Walker Trotrun responded dryly with a raised brow.

"And it just so happens that his brother is the party pony Cheese Sandwich!" Street Rat exclaimed.

"Cheese Sandwich, you say..." Walker Trotrun hmmm'd as he recalled Cheese Sandwich is indeed a famous party pony, as well as one of the Knights of Harmony who played a part in the downfall of Buck Cheap and his House Avarice after Cheap's failed attempt to overthrow the alicorn royalty.
"That could be a problem...Cheese Sandwich is a recognized hero of Equestria, and his support of his brother could sway more voters to Tomato's side."

"I'd like to mention, Mr. Trotrun," spoke up Street Rat, "that those brothers don't exactly seem to click."

"What do you mean by that?" Walker gave him another raised brow.

"Well, I saw them in Central Park," Street Rat explained, "Cheese Sandwich is wacky, he was all over the place. Tomato Sandwich on the other hoof? Looked embarrassed to be seen in public with him."

"Really?" Now Walker was even more interested. He'd had the... pleasure of formally meeting his young political rival and from what he'd gathered, although Tomato was a political idealist he was also uptight and introverted. His brother was obviously the opposite, And perhaps I can use that... drive a wedge between them and take advantage!

Nodding approval, Walker Trotrun chuckled, "Alrighty then Street Rat, continue to... observe the competition and report back to me at the end of the day unless something especially interesting develops. Before this week is over, I'm gonna separate those Sandwiches and watch them fall apart."

Author's Note

Tomato Sandwich, Bluejinx, Cirrus & Nimbus, and Flora Peace are all the OCs of Sketcha-Holic

Walker Trotrun was created by me and his name comes from "walk, trot, run", which is some kind of business jargon.

Cheese Sandwich's song was based on one sung by Daffy Duck

359. Bite of the Family Sandwich - Epilogue

As night fell over Baltimare, things were quiet... except for a local favorite eatery, where the patrons inside were all snarking and sniping at each other, talking loudly, rudely, and basically arguing over the pettiest of reasons, all the while none of them noticed a pale green mist forming beneath them as it slithered along the floor towards a table in the corner.

At this table sat three young mares, wearing hooded cloaks as they softly and subtly vocalized before they each took a long and deep breath, breathing in the green vapor as it gave only a minor relief before they stopped singing and lowered their hoods.

"That was barely worth the effort, Adagio. I am tired of fast food, I need a meal!"
"Well what do you expect, Aria?! Our powers aren't what they once were, so now we can only gain so much negative energy."
"URGHH, if it weren't for those unicorns we'd be ruling Equestria by now!"
"Well, at least they're gone... for all the good that does us."
"For realsies?"

Adagio and Aria looked to Sonata, who was pointing out the window towards a billboard, "Because... isn't that one of those unicorns, but with wings?"

The three of them pressed their snoots up against the window and gaped at the billboard on top of the building across the street, displaying the seven alicorn princes and princesses, with Celestia at the top, Sombra and Luna to her left, Cadance and Shining Armor to her right ,and below there were the images of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight Blaze.
"I don't believe this... that is him!!" Adagio was incensed that one of the two ponies who'd interfered with her and her sisters was not only still alive after a thousand years, "And he's an alicorn when we've been turned into pitiful ponies?!"

"Alright, that does it. All the votes are in," Aria said in deadpan as she slouched in her seat, "Life is now officially unfair."

"Well, I'm the one who had to pay for our table!" Sonata whined, "You guys are unfair!"

"And being stuck in this land in these inferior forms, especially with you two," Adagio seethed through gritted teeth, "isn't making this situation anymore... bearable."

"Then why don't you girls do something about it?"

!!!

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata looked towards the pony who'd just spoken to them, seeing her, a unicorn garbed in a wine red cloak of velvet as she relaxed at her own table while enjoying an iced tea before she looked in their direction, her face hidden in the shadow of her hood, "Unless you're content to live the rest of your lives on scraps..."

"Who... are you?" Adagio narrowed her eyes and the stranger came over to join them at their booth table, making herself comfortable next to Adagio.

"The name's Sunset Shimmer," the unicorn lowered her hood, revealing her brilliant amber coat and amaranth mane with pale gold highlights, her greenish cyan eyes smug as she said, "I'm here on behalf of my mentor to extend... an invitation."

"What kind of invitation?" asked Sonata, leaning forward in interest, only for Aria to pull her back.
"Just go to sleep, Sonata," she grumbled.

"Well, I couldn't help but overhear you saying... that particular alicorn on that billboard?" Sunset pointed to it, specifically at the sapphire blue alicorn stallion, "He used to be a unicorn, went on some time-travel thing, messed with you three in the past? Well, nowadays he's an alicorn prince, and for the record, his name is Midnight Blaze."

"And you're telling us this... why?" Adagio raised a suspicious brow.

"Because," Sunset sat up straight, giving them a menacing look, "like the three of you, Midnight has interfered with my ambitions, and the destiny that should have been mine became his and his precious wife's, that purple princess, Twilight Sparkle!

"In other words, ladies... we share a common interest - Getting revenge upon the pony who ruined our goals and left us with nothing but our hate and our bitterness."

The three sisters shared a look and none of them could deny the truth of what Sunset was saying. So, Adagio gave the unicorn a shrewd look, "We're listening..."

Sunset smirked in satisfaction, Catrina is gonna love this!

Author's Note

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata were originally sent through a time portal that had no exit, so they were lost in time for over a thousand years. Thanks to a hiccup in time, they were finally released, but some magical anomaly transformed them from Sirens into ponies:

Sonata into a Unicorn (because she's the most incompetent), Aria into a Pegasus (because she's rebellious), and Adagio into an Earth Pony (because she hates it)

They still have a semblance of their Siren magic, but their pendants were destroyed; they basically have a flicker left and they have to maintain it by using their dwindling power to absorb negative energy, but it's a losing battle. Like a candle that's going to burn through all of its wax

365. 28 Pranks Later - Part 1

Twilight lightly hit the gavel onto the table before announcing, "Alright, everypony, the Council of Friendship has officially come to order. We are here at the request of Fluttershy and Big Macintosh, concerning a prank that occurred last night, committed by-"

"What is the big deal?!" All eyes turned to Rainbow Dash, "It was just a prank! I mean, the setting, the execution- How can you not appreciate that?"

"Because I don't think being scared is very funny!" answered a peeved Fluttershy as Big Mac glared at Rainbow.

"We do!" Cheese Sandwich interjected.
"Your hearts get all racy," agreed Pinkie Pie as her heart seemed to beat out of her chest, held back only by a layer of skin.
"Your hooves get all tingly..." added Cheese.
"Your mouth gets all dry-y," Pinkie puckered her dry lips before conceding, "Actually I don't like that part."
"But the rest is great!" Cheese exclaimed, his fillyfriend nodding excitedly.

"See?! Everypony likes to get pranks," Rainbow shrugged, "They're just jokes!"

"They're not jokes when it involves scaring baby foals so much that they cry!" Fluttershy glared contemptuously at Rainbow and then all eyes turned to disapproval, causing Rainbow to shrink in her throne. Even Soarin was giving her the stink eye.
"Y'know how long it took us t' get th' twins t' sleep last night?!" Macintosh griped.

"Scaring babies, Rainbow Dash? For shame," Thunderlane shook his head.

"Well- I didn't know Fluttershy had the twins with her!" Rainbow defended herself.

"Rainbow Dash, even if the foals hadn't been there," Blueblood spoke up, "I don't think Fluttershy would have called for this meeting if she thought your prank was funny."
"Indeed, darling. Everypony has things they like and things they don't," agreed Rarity.

"An' scarin' Fluttershy is jus' lazy," sniped Applejack.

"Lazy?!" scoffed Rainbow.

"A prank isn't very good if you're the only one laughing," Twilight brought up as she stood beside Fluttershy.
"No matter how funny you might think it is," added Soarin.
"The trick to a prank, Rainbow, is making sure your idea of funny matches with their own idea of- HUH?!" Twilight had been about to sit in her throne, only for Midnight to levitate her away from the seat.
"Midnight?!"

"Sorry, Twily," Midnight levitated a needle and stabbed it to the seat of Twilight's throne, making a huge POP, to everypony's surprise, except for Rainbow who looked as deflated as the whoopee cushion Midnight raised for everypony to see.

Everypony gave Rainbow another look while she sighed grumpily at her most recent prank being foiled, when Midnight smirked, "A whoopee cushion, Rainbow Dash? Heh, talk about juvenile and lacking in imagination..."

"Excuse me?!" Rainbow Dash immediately took offense. "What do you know about pulling pranks, Midnight?"

"He's gotcha there, Dash," Applejack agreed, "A whoopee cushion is like a joke shortcut."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow, Pinkie, and even Cheese all exclaimed in response.

"Honestly, Rainbow Dash," huffed Rarity, "If you are not willing to put forth the effort required to pull a prank that everypony can enjoy, you may as well not pull one at all."

Looking to the party ponies for support, Rainbow was dismayed wen they shrugged and didn't offer any support, so Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves onto the table, "FINE. If you ponies want effort, then that's what you'll get. And Midnight?!"

She got up in his face, pressing her snoot to his as she glared into his unworried face, "You'd better watch out..."

Watching her fly away and out the castle window, an uneasy air fell over them all when Blueblood said, "I don't think she understood what we meant."

Over the next couple of days, Ponyville was plagued by a string of pranks, courtesy of Rainbow Dash. She pranked Rarity by replacing her sewing machine with a cake shaped like it. She'd gotten Soarin by mixing up a weather scheduling so a raincloud poured onto him when he'd taken his lunch break. She pranked Applejack by moving the sleeping farmer's bed into her pigsty, leading to a messy awakening. She'd pranked Blueblood by replacing his oil can with one filled with frosting. She pranked Spike by making him think the messages he was sending Princess Celestia were coming back by dropping identical scrolls onto him every time he burned them (which had the bonus of pranking Princess Celestia by burying her in scrolls). She'd pranked Sunburst and Starlight during their first date, where she'd replaced a box of chocolate bonbons with harmless firecrackers. She set a heavy boulder onto Big Mac's wagon as he'd been about to make it up a steep hill, only for him to be dragged back all the way down. She'd replaced Carrot Cake's oatburger patty with a brick. She'd erased Cheerilee's lesson plan on her chalkboard with an unflattering drawing of her, causing her students to laugh. She even pranked Cheese Sandwich by filling up his accordion with spray cheese.

And for everypony she pranked, she also gave them an obnoxious "GOTCHA!"

Befre closing the box, Pinkie Pie examined the cupcakes before deciding they needed a quick sprinkling. Once they'd been sprinkled to perfection, Pinkie closed the box and turned arou-

"Pinkie, we need your help."

"Eep!" Pinkie dropped the box and noticed she was being visited by Twilight, Midnight, Starlight, Spike, Sunburst, Big Mac, Fluttershy, Applejack, Blueblood, Rarity, Soarin, Thunderlane, Cheerilee, Carrot Cake, and many other of their friends and neighbors.
"Okay! With what?"

"Are you honestly just going to stand there and tell us you know nothing about all the pranking Rainbow Dash has been doing lately?" exclaimed Rarity.

"Oh no. She's been pranking up a storm!" Pinkie replied positively.

"Did she prank you too?" asked Fluttershy as she held and Macintosh held their babies, Belle and Sandow warmly.

"Oh yeah! She and Gummy both!" laughed Pinkie as she recalled finding Rainbow Dash and Gummy hanging in her closet like bats and giving her a 'Boo'. "They got me good."

"Well she needs to stop," Sunburst said firmly.

"Stop? But pranks are so much fun!" Pinkie debated.

"Not for everypony," Twilight amended, "and it doesn't seems like Rainbow Dash is taking the time to see who enjoys them and who doesn't."

When everypony murmured in agreement, Cheese stepped forward, "Look Pinks, we know that you and Rainbow Dash have a great time pulling pranks. So we think you should be the one to tell Rainbow to... how to put this lightly... quit it."

"Et tu, Cheese?" Pinkie was surprised her coltfriend and fellow party pony had the same opinion and look as everypony else giving her such a firm look, it made her squeamish.

It was then Midnight stepped forward, giving Pinkie an unreadable look, "Pinkie, just talk to Rainbow Dash. Try and get her to ease up on the pranks. But if she won't listen..."

He levitated up a folded piece of paper, "Give her this note. It's for her eyes only, understand?"

Pinkie accepted the note before sighing heavily and nodding.

Making her way to Rainbow's address, Pinkie Pie looked up to Rainbow's cloud house and shouted, "Hey, Rainbow Dash! I have something very important to tell you!"

"Pinkie! Hey," came Rainbow's response before she flew out of her window and came to join Pinkie Pie down on the ground, "I actually have something very important to tell you!"

"You do? Oh! You go first," Pinkie got giddy hooves as Rainbow Dash looked to the left and then to the right.

"Okay, you know how I've been pranking everypony?"

"Yeah, hahaha! It's been pretty funny," giggled Pinkie Pie before she remembered why she was here and backpedaled, "Uh- I-I mean, that's what I have to talk to you about."

"Here, have a cookie," Rainbow offered a box of cookies to Pinkie.

"Ooh! Thanks," Pinkie chomped onto a cookie Rainbow threw her way.

"So, I got to thinking," Rainbow explained, "why waste my time pranking everypony one at a time when I can prank everypony all at once?"

"Everypony at once?! That sounds amazi-" *record scratch*

Pinkie froze in mid-cheer as she realized what she was saying, "Uh- Wait! It's... not."

"You don't even know what it is yet!" protested Rainbow. "Pinkie, this is gonna be... the best prank ever!"

Having a feeling of where this was going, Pinkie Pie sighed, "Well, Rainbow, I'm sorry that I can't talk you out of it. Which leaves me to tell you two things: First off, I'll have no part of it."

"WHAT?! Pinkie! We're prank buddies, the devious duo!" Rainbow pressured her friend, "Just let me tell you what this prank-"

"I'm sorry, Dashie! But everypony isn't liking your pranks and that's why they asked me to talk to you," Pinkie shook her head. "I think you should ease up on the pranks, but obviously I can't talk you out of it. Which leaves me with the second thing I gotta tell you."

Pinkie pulled out the note from her mane and held it out, "Midnight told me to give this to you if you were gonna keep pulling pranks. I don't know what it says, but- WHoOaOaAoAoAaOOoAoAAoah!!"

All of a sudden, Pinkie was spinning around in place as her body coursed with an unpleasant sensation while the note fell into Rainbow's wing. But the rainbow-maned pegasus was taken aback by whatever was happening to Pinkie, "Pinkie Pie! Are you okay?!"

"Uhhh..." Pinkie stopped spinning, but looked rather queasy, "Oh, that... I've never felt that before!"

"What was it?! The Pinkie Sense?!?" Rainbow dreaded to hear but had to know.

"Uh-huh! That-that was... a whopper!" Pinkie had a really bad feeling, "I don't know what it is... but it has to do with you! Sorry Rainbow, but I-GOTTA-GET-OUTTA-HERE!!!"

Pinkie hurried off as fast as her hooves could carry her, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with the note and her dread and disappointment. A Whopper? She couldn't recall Pinkie ever having something like that from her Pinkie Sense. The Doozy, sure, but never something called a Whopper! Even so, she was really disappointed that Pinkie wasn't going to help her with her prank, but then she looked at the note Pinkie had left her.

"From Midnight, huh..." Rainbow unfolded the note and read:

Dear Rainbow Dash

If you're reading this note, it means Pinkie Pie failed to convince you to ease up on the pranks. Therefore, you leave me no choice but to challenge you... to a Prank-Off! You have until sunset to pull a successful prank on me, the Prank Master! Succeed and I will relinquish my title to you and never get in the way of your pranks again.

However, if you fail, you will stop pulling pranks and will be forbidden to pull pranks for an entire year!

If you don't think you're up to it, simply stop the pranks and we'll call it even. You'll still be permitted to pull pranks every once in a while but you'll have to make sure they are pranks that everypony involved can enjoy and laugh at and that there are no hard feelings. But considering your ego, I am all but certain you'll take up my challenge.

In which case, I honestly and truly wish you the best of luck, because your pitiful attempts to prank me will only lead to your own humiliation.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Yours truly,
Midnight Blaze

P.S.

Look up

!!!

Rainbow Dash quickly zoomed to her left in order to avoid the perceived prank from above-

*SPLUT*

...only to find herself covered in something mushy, cool... and delicious? Licking whatever it was she'd flown into, she realized it was, "Banana cream?!"

"Hey, is there a kitten nearby?" Rainbow wriggled free from what was apparently a giant pie set up vertical, and there stood Midnight, having a good laugh before he smirked and softly said,"Because Rainbow Dash just got prrrranked, hahaha. Gotcha!"

"RRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH, MIDNIGHT!!!" Rainbow Dash shook herself like a dog to get off as much of the banana cream pie filling and whip creme as she could before she glared such a stink eye at the sapphire stallion.
"IT - IS- ON!!!"

"Sure, sure, whatever, Dashie," Midnight chuckled with a sympathetic shake of his head as he turned to leave, "Talk to you at sunset... when you lose! HA!!"

Watching the precocious prince amble away all casual-like, Rainbow gritted her teeth, "You... are going down, Blaze."

Author's Note

"28 Pranks Later" is going to turn out a bit scarier than it was in the actual episode...

*cue diabolical laughter, booming thunder, and flash of lightning*

366. 28 Pranks Later - Part 2

With the last stroke of paint, Rainbow Dash snickered as she stepped back to admire her work. She'd spent over an hour on it, but the sight of Midnight's workshop painted with rainbows, clouds, and smiley suns and flowers was giving her a case of the giggles as she said, "This is really gonna get Midnight's goat!"

*Baa*

"No offense," Rainbow said quickly to a female goat as she huffed and walked away while the Cutie-Mark Crusaders approached, all of them looking surprised by Rainbow's little art project.

"Rainbow! What's going on here?" Twinken led the Crusaders up to Rainbow as they all gazed up at her work upon the workshop, "Did you do this? Midnight doesn't like anypony messing with his workshop! He tells me over and over not to go in or near it without him in case he has something dangerous in there."

"Oh relax, Twinken," Rainbow scoffed, "Midnight and I are... just in the middle of a Prank Off! He asked for it and I'm here to deliver. I hope he's ready to fork over that title of-"

There was a loud and dramatic GASP and they looked to see a rather unhappy Midnight nearby, gaping at his painted workshop before he furrowed his brows and demanded, "Who did this to my workshop?!"

The Crusaders immediately pointed at Rainbow Dash as she made a show of shivering as if she were cold, "Ooh, do you feel a chill? `Cause you've been p-p-p-p-p-pranked!"

Rainbow beatboxed in victory as Midnight seemed to sulk as he griped, "Ugh, I hate bad art!"

But then there was an evil gleam in his eyes as he smirked, "But I do love...applesauce!"

Midnight lit up his horn as he levitated the Crusaders over to his side, formed a bubble-shaped shield of mana around them and himself, and conjured a big vat of applesauce, which poured onto Rainbow Dash, burying her in its wet, squishy goodness, to Rainbow's shock as she spat and dug herself free. As she ew'd at the sticky mess of her coat and wings, Midnight lowered the shield as he and the Crusaders laughed at Rainbow's expense and Midnight sighed in satisfaction, "Oh, Rainbow Dash. Sweet, naive Rainbow Dash! You should have known; the Prank Master cannot be pranked."

"Can't be pranked? Uh, hello! Did you not see how I painted your workshop?" Rainbow Dash whipped out a golden star badge and placed it upon her chest, declaring herself, "Prank Master!"

"Whatever are you talking about, Rainbow Dash?" Midnight responded in condescending pity before he pointed behind Rainbow, "My workshop's over there!"

"HUH?!" Rainbow looked and sure enough, there it was!

It was the same little workshop she'd just painted, only free of paint! Only it was standing about seven pony-lengths from Rainbow's position as she looked back n' forth between the clean workshop and the one she'd spent the last hour or so painting, "What the- I don't under- What the hell?!"

"You didn't paint my workshop, Rainbow Dash. You've been painting..." Midnight dispelled the illusion as the 'painted workshop' to reveal it was really, "the Sweet Apple Acres fertilizer pile."

Rainbow Dash gaped up at the big pile of poop in abject horror! Her paint was there, on the pile of fertilizer which stood as tall as a stable and stank something fierce under the warm sun. And Rainbow Dash realized in dismal disgust, I've been touching that thing this whole time...!

The Sweet Apple Acres fertilizer pile was collected every few weeks or so from the outhouses set up around the orchard for the Apple Family members to use if the farmhouse was too far though they allowed visitors to use them. Ever since Midnight started living at the farm (as his past unicorn self, that is), he'd taken up the chore since his magic made it so much faster and so much easier.

While the Crusaders all EWWWW'd and expressed their disgust, Midnight took the Prank Master badge from Rainbow and placed it upon himself, "I'm inside your mind, Rainbow Dash. One. Step. Ahead..."

Snapping out of her disgusted stupor, Rainbow Dash fiercely responded, "No, you're not!"

Rainbow Dash was momentarily surprised as Midnight had spoken the same sentence with her in perfect synchronization.

"Of course I was gonna say that!" He'd done it again!

"STOP IT!!" Midnight was smiling all smarmy while Rainbow Dash was beginning to steam and he made a face at her as he did the same angry growl at her scowling, "UURRRGGHHH!!!"

"AUGH!!" Rainbow Dash flew up and pointed down at Midnight, "Before sunset, I am gonna prank your big blue butt so hard, buster, your grandfoals will be embarrassed!"

"Then come get my big blue butt..." goaded Midnight with a cheeky smile as he turned around and wiggled his rear end, the perfect blend of plush yet firm, at Rainbow Dash, before giving it a slap, "It'd be hard to miss!"

Rainbow Dash gave Midnight another growl of frustration before she zoomed off.

"Is Rainbow Dash gonna be okay, Midnight?" asked a concerned Scootaloo as she and the other Crusaders looked at Midnight.

"Eh, she's just getting a taste of her own medicine, Scoots," Midnight assured while ruffling Scootaloo's mane, "although I doubt she expected a prescription courtesy of... the Prank Master. Later!"

The sapphire stallion then flew off, leaving the Crusaders amazed, stupefied, and uncertain of what to do next.

Or expect.

Peering down from a cloud over the balcony of the Castle of Friendship, Rainbow Dash snickered to see Midnight snoozing peacefully in a lawn chair, "Oh, Midnight, sleeping out in the open during a Prank Off? Ha! And you call yourself the Prank Master..."

Flying as softly and quietly as she could, Rainbow Dash landed behind the snoozing Midnight, hearing him slumbering in content. Thankfully, she'd had the foresight to wear woolly socks on her hooves so they wouldn't clippety-clop on the floor of the balcony. Taking out a can of whipped cream, she carefully sprayed a hooful onto Midnight's hoof as his foreleg hanged over the side.

She then slipped around and reached with her wing to tickle Midnight's snoot... until his whip cream-covered hoof made a squishy slap onto his face in reaction to the tickle.

"ARGH!!" Rainbow stood up and looked down onto Midnight, "Avast, landlubber, for Captain Rainbow Dash has just made you walk the prank- !!!!

"Oh no..." Rainbow Dash gasped to herself to see it wasn't Midnight after all!

The pony in the lawn chair was clearly a stuffed dummy, what with buttons for eyes, a sewn-on smile, and pinned onto his chest was a paper that read in big messy ink, 'GOTCHA!!!'

"IT'S A TRAP!!! AAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Rainbow Dash started flying away, unaware that the real Midnight had been watching from the tallest tower of the Castle of Friendship. He'd enchanted his stuffed double to slap itself in the face, having foreseen exactly what Rainbow Dash would do in this so-called ideal situation to prank him. He then hefted a large rocket-shaped firework onto his shoulder.

"Target two hundred-and-seventy yards out..." He held out a primary feather to check the wind, before he peeked through the scope of the firework launcher, "Wind coming from the west... Target locked!"

He cast the homing charm and then the ignition button on the launcher, "Fire."

The rocket launched in a burst of glitter and harmless firecrackers as it zoomed and zeroed in on Rainbow Dash. She flapped harder and sped up, but still the rocket was slowly yet surely getting closer and closer. She tried zigzaging, dive-bombing, using any and every aerial trick she knew to lose it. It didn't matter! The rocket was closing in, and she was already getting tired from her speeding and fancy flying. She had to outsmart this smart bomb!

Looking around, she saw Ponyville Clock Tower! She knew she'd have to clean up the mess, but it would be worth it if she could outfly Midnight's prank. She dove straight for it, the rocket following her. She had to time this just right....!

At the last second, she used her downward momentum to turn straight up and flew skyward. Gazing down, she sneered in assumed triumph of having outflown the rocket... only to see it coming right at her from an angle as it came out of her blind spot.

Oh buck me...

*KAFLOOOOOOOMPH*

Midnight, having watched the whole show on the castle balcony and lounging on his lawn chair with a bag of popcorn and some ice cold colt cola in hoof, chuckled as he thought, Thank you, Fun Times for All Your Partying Needs.

He'd have to thank Party Favor for that discount on joke fireworks.

As a result of Midnight's rocket, Rainbow's coat had been dyed an awful pattern of yellow, red, and blue argyle, her feathers a pattern of spring green and poppy orange-colored vine patterns, and her mane and tail were cotton candy blue with bubblegum pink polka dots. She spent a whole hour trying to wash it off, but nothing worked! She strongly suspected Midnight had a solution to get rid of the dye, but to go to him for help in the middle of a Prank Off would have been equal to surrender.

And Rainbow Iris Dash never surrenders... she seethed into her bathroom mirror before pulling on a cloak.

She would have to endure this humiliation, at least until sunset.

Alas, the humiliation continued. For the rest of the day, Rainbow Dash tried like Haydes to prank Midnight, only for each attempt to be foiled or worse, turned against her.

She tried to prank Midnight by putting glue on his sparring dummies, only for one of the dummies to come to life and give her a really sticky hug (it took her a while to get to the hardware store to buy the solution because the dummy had been heavy). Her prank of putting itching powder on the seat of Midnight's throne resulted in her with an itchy tail (and something else) instead since Midnight had used his Distracter and Attracter spells to get hers and Midnight's thrones mixed up. She'd tried an exploding pie, but he'd passed it along to Thunderlane and pointed out Rainbow Dash, causing an angry Thunderlane to chase after her for nearly an hour.

And with every failed prank, the lowering sun warned Rainbow Dash that she was running out of time.

Finally, Rainbow Dash went to the party store, exclaiming, "PARTY FAVOR!! I'm gonna need your biggest water balloon!"

"I had a feeling I'd be seeing you today, Rainbow Dash," Party Favor levitated an empty balloon, "Made from the highest quality sap of a rubber tree. Pear-shaped and tapered at the nozzle for easy filling. Its standard filling is 150 ccs, but it'll hold twice that in a pinch."

"Bigger!" Rainbow Dash demanded while slamming her hooves onto the counter.

"Hmm," Party Favor lit up his horn and a wall panel flipped to reveal a balloon as round as the width of a chariot wheel, "The Phalanx! This sucker will-"

"BIGGER!!" shouted Rainbow Dash, disturbing Party Favor.

"You... you don't mean...?!"

"Bigger...!" seethed Rainbow Dash through furrowed brows.

"Oh... Faust forgive me," Party Favor shuddered as he reached under the counter flipped a lid open and pushed the button beneath it, and the wall holding the so-called Phalanx rose up, revealing a hidden room, in which something gave off an ominous radiance, much to Rainbow Dash's devious delight as she sneered.

"Come to Dashie..."

The locals of Ponyville were going about their usual biz. Saying hello to friends and neighbors. Buying and selling at the marketplace. All around enjoying the day, even as the sun was beginning to set... but that fading light was still enough for them all to see a vast shadow loom overhead and everypony looked up in gasping awe and dread to see what appeared to be a MASSIVE water balloon, holding enough water to fill two- No, three swimming pools!

It was suspended in the air by a cloud, which was being towed by Rainbow Dash (much to her relief, the crazy colors from that joke rocket had finally worn off) as she pulled her aqua-filled ammo towards the Castle of Friendship.

"COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE, BLAZE!! And admit that I'm the PRANK MASTER!!!" she shouted to the castle before laughing maniacally, "MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!" as thunder cracked and lightning flashed behind her (don't ask how) before she pulled her lips back in a devious and diabolical grin-

"NNOPE!!"

The inexplicable sound of a record scratch sounded as Rainbow felt her heart skip a beat in dread as she looked up and behind her... to see Midnight flapping himself aloft, carrying a water balloon, even larger than the one Rainbow had brought, with his magic, as he had his forelegs crossed and a smug look on his face... before he telekinetically poked Rainbow Dash's balloon, making it pop and splash down to the ground, soaking nopony but grass and soil.

"The real Prank Master is one step ahead of you, again!" declared Midnight before rubbing his chin as if deep in thought and then pointing at Rainbow Dash, "or, technically, I was several steps behind you."

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash raised a confused brow.

"I'm saying... I followed you to the party store and saw you get that huge water balloon. Try to keep up!" Midnight clarified with a 'duh' sort of tone and then said, "Now, prepare to meet your prank-"

Rainbow Dash zoomed away, Midnight indignantly saying, "HEY! I had a quip!"

Not wasting his breath any further, Midnight was quickly in pursuit. His magic held the massive water balloon without effort, able to carry it at high speeds despite its jiggly, cumbersome mass. He stayed on Rainbow Dash's tail, as she managed to stay well ahead of him although she couldn't shake him. She kept making sharp turns, ascending, descending, but it did no good. Despite leading Midnight on a grand chase, Rainbow Dash wasn't losing him and she glanced at the sun and groaned to see it was beginning to set.

"YOU KNOW, DASHIE, I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GET YOU WITH THIS WATER BALLOON!!" Midnight shouted to her as he continued to pursue, "THE PRANK-OFF ENDS THE MOMENT CELESTIA SETS THE SUN AND YOU LOSE EITHER WAY!!"

"URRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!" Rainbow Dash hated it when her opponents rubbed it in (conveniently forgetting the many times she'd done exactly the same thing). But she had to face facts: She wasn't going to get Midnight with time rapidly running out and her fleeing from her target just to avoid a massive soaking.

Then an idea crossed her mind. It made her skin crawl to even consider it, but if she failed to win this Prank-Off she'd never live it down.

She veered back towards Ponyville, flying straight for Town Square where she hid behind a public bench near the fountain with the pony statue before she shouted, "I GIVE UP!!!"

Midnight halted his massive water balloon before he raised a brow, crossed his forelegs, and slowly descended to the ground like a boss, his steely gaze never leaving Rainbow Dash's freaked-out eyes. Once he was back on terra firma, he cleared his throat and made a show of putting his hoof to his ear, "Come again? I didn't quite get that..."

"UGH!! I surrender, okay?!" Rainbow Dash's wings slumped as she hanged her head in defeat, "You win! You're the Prank Master..."

Everypony in the square chattered in response to this unexpected development. Quite a number of them had been pranked by Rainbow dash over the last few days, so they were honestly satisfied to see the techniclored trickster humbled as Midnight shrugged his shoulders before his horn lit up and the massive water balloon over head faded away, revealing it was never real to begin with, much to Rainbow Dash's flabbergasted dismay.

"Wha- Was- Wait a- Hold on!" She zipped up to Midnight, glaring at him, "That water balloon was an illusion?!"

"In the sagely words of my big brother, eeyup!" Midnight gave Rainbow a horseapple-eating grin, "Even to prank you back, I couldn't lob a water balloon big enough to fill the town reservoir at you all willy-nilly! It could have caused major water damage! My prank this time was scaring you into giving up, and I... gotcha!"

Everypony present began having a laugh at Rainbow Dash's expense as she softly groaned to herself and Midnight scoffed, "Oh don't take the loss so hard, Rainbow Dash. You never had a chance against me; I'm the obnoxious little colt that got bouncy balls outlawed on April Foal's Day. Just ask Princess Celestia."

"Whatever..." Rainbow Dash turned to leave, doing her best to ignore the chuckles aimed at her from the ponies taking it all in.

"Aw, c'mon, Dash, don't be like that," Midnight cut the teasing and held out his hoof, giving his friend a sincerely friendly smile, "You did come up with some creative pranks, even if you tried to classic whip cream hoof prank. Come on, let's shake and be good sports about this. No hard feelings?"

Rainbow paused and looked back at Midnight, and she saw neither cockiness nor did he seem like he was being sneaky. She was hesitant all the same, but with everypony watching, she knew it'd reflect badly on her not to accept Midnight's hoof and end this amicably. Sighing, she walked up to him and said, "Sure, Midnight. No hard feelings..."

And she met him halfway-

*BZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTT*

"WHOA!!!"

Midnight yanked his hoof back, having felt an alarming sharp and tingly vibration when Rainbow Dash had accepted his hoof, Wait a minute...!

He looked from his hoof to see a horseapple-eating grin on Rainbow Dash's face as she held out her hoof, revealing, "A joy-buzzer! Looks like the Prank Master just got pranked! HA! I gotcha, Midnight! In - YOUR - FACE!!!"

As Rainbow Dash started beatboxing and doing a victory dance, Midnight's stunned surprise quickly evaporated as he began to seethe and glare at the rainbow-maned pegasus, "Really, Dash?! I was being honest when I complimented your pranks, and I offered my hoof as a good sport!"

Rainbow Dash stopped her boasting and gave Midnight an uncaring look as he went on, "Not only that, you forfeited! If you think that-"

"So what?! I might not have beaten you fair and square..." Rainbow scoffed, "but I just tarnished your so-called title of 'Prank Master'. What was it you said before? The Prank Master cannot be pranked?"

Rainbow Dash was being entirely too smug about this, that everypony watching was starting to look at her disapprovingly and walk away, while Midnight glared at her, "You still technically lost! So no more pranks, Dash!"

"Yeah, right! I can prank anytime and anyone!" Rainbow threw a jibe at Midnight with that emphasis before saying, "So enjoy your empty title, Prank Master! Hahahahha!"

Rainbow Dash walked away, having lost the Prank-Off but was victorious all the same at having successfully pranked Midnight while Midnight glared after her when he heard, "Sorry, Midnight..."

He looked to see it was Pinkie Pie, "Rainbow Dash got that joy-buzzer from one of my hiding spots."

"Ugh... lemme guess," Midnight sighed, "you have prank items hidden all over Ponyville, for pranking emergencies?"

"You could say that," Pinkie giggled sheepishly, "So... now what?"

Midnight glared after Rainbow Dash again before his brain hatched an idea, and he sneered most evilly, "Oh, I have just the prank in mind to teach Rainbow Dash a lesson once and for all!

"Come on, Pinkie Pie," Midnight turned and walked away, a bewildered Pinkie following, "We've got work to do and we're gonna need a lot of help."

Author's Note

Rainbow's "victory" was to paint her as a bad sport and a sore loser as well. She forfeited the Prank Off, but seized an opportunity to prank Midnight anyway just to tarnish his "reputation" as the self-proclaimed Prank Master

Her method and motivation were underhanded and quite petty, but she's been petty before in the show-canon. Most often when it involved competition

367. 28 Pranks Later - Part 3

As night fell, Rainbow Dash snickered as she flew home. Everything was in place: She'd ordered boxes upon boxes of specially-made joke cookies and had switched them with the Filly Scout cookies that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had sold to every house in Ponyville. It'd cost her a pretty bit, but once she saw everypony with a rainbow mouth after eating the cookies tomorrow, it was going to be worth it!

Arriving at her cloud mansion, she entered and yelled, "Hey Soarin! I'm home! How was your day at the weather office?"

Her answer was silence, which confused her. Soarin was always home by the evening after working at the weather office, and he never went to bed without her. Looking around the living room, she noticed a folded piece of paper with her cutie-mark drawn on it. Picking it up, she saw it was a note and read it, "'Hey Dashie, sorry I'm not home, but something came up and I had to go check something out at the Weather Factory. Some experimental clouds are being produced and they requested some extra weather pony hooves for help in case anything is wrong.

"'Hopefully it's nothing, and I'll be home by tomorrow. I miss you already, my blue Angel, and wish you sweet dreams. Love, Soarin. P.S. Make sure to give Tank and Skye some nice lettuce and a kiwi before you go to bed.'

"Aw..." Rainbow Dash went to her fridge to get the lettuce and kiwi to feed the pets, "I don't know how I'm gonna get to sleep tonight..."

Rainbow then went to the corner of the living room where Tank and Skye's beds were, finding the tortoise and the feathered serpent snoozing. She smiled and left the lettuce and kiwi beside them for them to have as a treat when they woke up and took the time to gently pet Tank and Skye, being careful not to wake them up. But as she passed the window, she took notice of some unusual cloud cover outside. The clouds were dark, looking heavy with rainfall, only there was nothing pouring. Even stranger, she could have sworn she saw faint purple glowing here and there, but the more she stared, the darker it got.

"Huh... maybe I'm just seeing things," Rainbow shrugged, but she did wonder why these clouds were gathering so thickly over Ponyville when there wasn't a weather pegasus in the sky.

Could these be the experimental clouds Soarin had mentioned in his letter? Well, whatever the case, it would be there tomorrow to take care of. Entering her bedroom, Rainbow sighed at the sight of Soarin's empty side of the bed. They'd grown so much closer ever since Rainbow had invited Soarin to move in with her, and she could say without a care of sounding mushy that she loved him. Far more than she'd ever thought she could love someone who was not family or even a friend.

But then a shame crept up on her as she recollected her defeat-slash-victory today. Yes, she'd given up the Prank-Off but she'd managed to successfully prank Midnight after that smirking prince put her through all sorts of shenanigans, Especially the itching powder, urgh...!

Rainbow Dash didn't think her filly bits would ever be the same after that. I bet Soarin could've helped me with that, ohh! Some nookie would have been awesome after today.

Still, as much as she'd relished the look on Midnight's face when she'd gotten him with that joy-buzzer, there was a discomfort coming over her, a weight in the pit of her stomach. But before she could think on it further, the unmistakable boom of thunder derailed her train of thought and she gazed out the window again, just in time to see the clouds begin to pour with heavy rain.

Soar, I hope you'll be okay, Rainbow thought as she settled into bed. I'm gonna need some serious cuddle time after you get back...

When Rainbow Dash woke up, the weight she was feeling had not lifted as Rainbow stood at her doorway and saw the sky was still thick with cloud cover. The clouds spread all over Ponyville and even extended out past its town limits. The air hung heavy with moisture and without any sunshine, the day was rather depressing. Checking the clock, Rainbow saw it was actually half past noon, which surprised her.

My alarm clock didn't wake me, Rainbow thought as she went to her bedside table and looked at the clock, only to find it wasn't on at all. Huh, batteries must've run out again.

Even so, Rainbow Dash realized with disappointment that Soarin wasn't home yet. Plus, the heavy feeling she had was still weighing her down, on her shoulders and in the pit of her stomach. Something felt wrong...

Snap out of it, Rainbow Dash! the rainbow-maned pegasus thought to herself as she slapped her cheeks with her wings and stepped out her front door, Today's the day all of Ponyville will remember you as the greatest prankster ever!

By now, everypony would've had those Filly Scout cookies she'd replaced, and her little signature would be unmistakable. Taking a running start, Rainbow dived off the edge of her cloud lawn and glided down to Ponyville... only to find it oddly quiet. Landing in Town Square, Rainbow Dash was bewildered to see not a soul in sight and the only sounds she heard came from the heavy breeze and some unsecured shutters creaking on several windows.

"Where is everypony?" Rainbow muttered to herself, getting a weird feeling when she heard some distant hoofsteps. "Hello? Is somepony there?"

Rainbow looked down the street she'd heard those hoofsteps, but it sounded like they were going away. She followed after them, taking a turn that brought her to Stirrup Street... and gasped, "Wha- What happened here!?"

Windows were shattered, a wagon was overturned, strewing crates and barrels around it, the ground was covered with deep hoofprints, like there had been a panic or at the very least a wild dance though somehow Rainbow doubted it was the latter. But what she found most alarming... was the sight of blood. There were puddles of it, stains and splatters on the sides of houses, and upon taking a closer look at the dirt... Rainbow could see multiple trails of what looked as though several somethings had been dragged away.

"What's going on here...?!" Rainbow whispered to herself, deeply unnerved by this situation, "Where is everypony?!"

She was certain she'd heard hoofsteps earlier and though she considered calling out again, Rainbow had this rising feeling of dread that told her to be quiet. So she perked her ears, listening for anything she could. She heard the creepy cold breeze blowing through town, the sound of a can rolling, and... What is that?

It sounded like... eating. Messy eating, with loud chewing and tearing and growly groaning.

Although warning bells were going off in her head, Rainbow followed the sound, approaching an alleyway between two houses, and she peered in. It was a little dark from the alley being so cloistered as well as the cloudy overcast. But Rainbow's sharp pegasus eyes allowed her to see what looked to be a foal's tail and little backside sticking out from behind a garbage can.

Then... she saw the foal's cutie-mark, a spinning wheel surrounded by a surging spiral of purple, blue, and yellow electricity, and the foal had an orange coat!

"Scootaloo? Squirt, is that you?!" Rainbow called, but she heard no answer but more eating sounds. She started walking over, saying, "C'mon, Scoots! Something really weird is going on and I think we- !!!!!!!"

It was Scootaloo. But not the Scootaloo Rainbow knew and loved. As soon as she stepped past the garbage can and could see her clearly, Rainbow was shocked in disbelieving horror to see Scootaloo... her coat pale, her mane and tail ragged, and her little wings mussed up. But it was the nasty bite mark on her withers that had congealed blood around it and what Scootaloo was eating.

It was Spike!

The little dragon laid there on the ground, his face frozen in horror, and his little belly a bloody torn mess that Scootaloo was chewing on when she pulled out what looked to be a loop of intestine before it snapped like a piece of taffy stretched too far and Scootaloo continued to chew... her face expressionless apart from her eating Spike's innards, her mouth bloody yet there was a telltale stain of rainbow colors, and her eyes were a disturbing milky white.

"Sc... Scootaloo?!" Rainbow uttered in abject horror, and apparently Scootaloo heard her.

The filly turned away from Spike's corpse and looked at Rainbow with those awful milky eyes, and in them Rainbow saw no recognition. No familiarity. No life. This... thing that had once been Scootaloo growled at her as it began lurching towards her, causing Rainbow to stumble back and fall on her ass as she started to hyperventilate in fear before her fight-or-flight instincts spurred her to take flight and take to the air.

Now that she was higher and directly over Ponyville, Rainbow Dash could finally see. There were more ponies out and about, but all of them were not right. She could see Ditzy and her little muffin Dizzy eating away at Doctor Whoooves. Comet Tail stumbling as he was missing part of his hind leg and looked like his throat had been ripped out. Cheerilee was bumping into a door over and over, as though she were trying to get into the house the door was in. Bulk Biceps was dragging himself as the back half of his body, along with a lot of the muscle of his upper body, looked to have been ripped (or eaten) away.

And every single one of them had their mouths stained with rainbow colors.

"What the buck happened to Ponyville?!" Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was seeing. "This- This can't be real!! It's... Twilight, Midnight!"

She looked to the Castle of Friendship, "They'll know what's going on!!"

She immediately flew to the castle, landing on the balcony and rushed to the door and frantically knocked as she whisper-shouted, "TWILIGHT! MIDNIGHT, OPEN UP!! IT'S RAINBOW DASH!!!"

Then... Rainbow could hear the telltale flapping of pegasi, but something about it sounded off. Uneven, haphazard, clumsy. She turned around and stifled a squealing gasp to see several pegasi, all looking as pale and bloody and... decaying as Scootaloo and the other ponies in Ponyville had been, especially those dead, milked over, empty eyes! The thought hadn't truly crossed her mind, but in this moment as these things that could only be undead were awkwardly flying towards her, all groaning and growling, snarling and slobbering, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but whisper, "...zombies!"

She recognized them: Open Skies, Blossomforth, Fluffy Clouds, Cloudchaser, to name a few, and there were too many. They were coming in from all sides and if she tried to fly away she would surely crash into one of them and one mistake could be her last! Rainbow's heart was racing, her mind faltering with uncertainty, her wings locking up-

*click*

-when she felt the doors open and she yelped as hooves pulled her inside and quickly shut the doors. Almost immediately, Rainbow began to panic and fight, only for a hoof to cover her mouth and she heard a soft yet urgent, "SSSSHHHHHHH... Calm down, Dash..."

!!!

Rainbow relaxed and was released, allowing her to turn around and see it was Thunderlane! Clad in his Harmonic Armor, the dark gray pegasus looked ragged and wary as he seemed to be checking her out. But before she could say anything, she heard loud bumps and thumps and they looked to see the zombie pegasi outside banging on the doors that led out to the balcony.

"Dash, were you bit?"

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash looked to Thunderlane, who had taken a few steps back from her.

"I said 'Did you get bit?'" Thunderlane raised his hoof and manifested his sword, Skystrike, looking ready for a fight, which unnerved Rainbow Dash.

"Wh- I... No! Thunder, what the buck is going on here?!" Rainbow Dash demanded answers. "What happened to Ponyville, what happened to everypony?! I-"

It was at that moment that Thunderlane invoked Skystrike's power, transforming the sword into its bow form and he took aim with his left foreleg, pulling back a nonexistent bowstring with his left wing yet conjuring an energy arrow, pointed straight at her, causing her to freeze up.

"Slowly turn around, and no sudden movements..." Thunderlane ordered, his tone and expression inarguable.

"Thunderlane...!" Rainbow Dash was shocked that Thunderlane, her friend, her rival, the brother she never had, could point an arrow at her!

"I won't ask again, turn around slowly..." Thunderlane ordered, the energy arrow beginning to crackle with electricity.

Gulping, Rainbow Dash did as he asked and slowly turned around, noticing that Thunderlane seemed to be examining her. When she completely turned around and was facing him again, Thunderlane seemed to relax, and Skystrike vanished like dying embers as he sighed.

"Sorry, Dash... I had to make sure you weren't bitten," he apologized, sounding regretful.

"Thunder... what the buck is going on here?!" Rainbow demanded, getting up in Thunderlane's face, "Ponyville- Everypony- ZOMBIES!!! And you go and pull this crap on me?!"

"I'm sorry, Dash, just let me explain," Thunderlane apologized as he gestured Rainbow Dash to follow him.

She huffed with her ruffled feathers but did so, and as they ventured into the castle hallway, Thunderlane explained, "It came out of nowhere and by the time anypony realized what was going on, it was already too late..."

"Too late for what, Thunder? What the hell is going on?!" Rainbow demanded with a stomp of her hoof as they made their way into the grand hall and stepped down the stairs.

"It's exactly what it looks like, Dash," Thunderlane said as they reached the ground floor and he gave her a bleak look, "A zombie outbreak."

"But- That's..." Rainbow wanted to argue, to protest, but she'd seen it with her own eyes, and a wave of horror washed over her as she felt her heart break at the memory of seeing, "...Scootaloo! And Spike!"

"Not just them," Thunderlane nodded woefully as he led her to the throne room, "practically everypony in town is infected, dead, or in hiding."

They approached the Map and sat in their thrones before Thunderlane brought up a holographic display of Ponyville, which also included the scary dark purple clouds overhead, along with what appeared to be a massive transparent dome over the whole town, making Ponyville look like a snow globe.
"We're not entirely certain why, but we believe these clouds have something to do with the outbreak. Once Twilight reported the incident to Princess Celestia, a quarantine was established. That's why that dome is covering Ponyville."

"What's that mean? Where is Twilight? Any everypony else?!" Rainbow demanded.

"Nopony is allowed to enter or leave Ponyville," Thunderlane said grimly, "because whatever is causing this must be prevented from spreading the infection to the rest of Equestria or even the whole world! Twilight was summoned to Canterlot before the quarantine was officially established in order to help figure out a cure or a means to quell the plague. As for the rest of our friends..."

Thunderlane shook his head, "I have no idea... and without Spike, we can't send or receive communication from the outside."

"...How did all this happen, Thundy?" Thunderlane looked to his rival and saw how crestfallen she was as Rainbow began to tear up, "When I fell asleep last night, everything was fine... and then I wake up into this- this... nightmare."

"...Like I said," Thunderlane looked away, "it happened so fast. The purple clouds blocked the morning sun, so a lot of ponies slept in. When they woke up and stepped out, they never saw it coming. The infected had succumbed and become zombies and they were on the rest of Ponyville before they realized what was happening. Because of the rain and thunder, nopony could hear the screams until after the weather started to let up."

"That's awful..." Rainbow looked at the images of the clouds over Ponyville and remembered, "Wait... Soarin! He left for the Weather Factory yesterday, he left a note saying some weird clouds were being produced and they needed some extra hooves in case of emergency!"

"That probably explains it..." Thunderlane considered, "whatever those purple clouds are, they must somehow be the cause or at least part of the reason of the zombie outbreak. But if that's the case..."

Thunderlane paused as horror dawned upon his face, Rainbow urging, "What, Thunder?! If that's the case what?!"

"...We're already infected!" Thunderlane said softly in barely-contained horror, "Dash, whatever this is, it must be from those clouds and since it rained and the air outside is still rich with moisture, then odds are we're infected too! Along with anypony else who's managed to stay safe!"

"But then... why aren't we turning into zombies too?" asked Rainbow, giving herself a quick look-over.

"Hmm, I guess there's more to it than just breathing it in?" guessed Thunderlane with a baffled shrug, "Maybe the infection takes longer or... it needs something else, but when the zombies bite you, the infection is quick. You feel sick, then you feel tired and after you fall asleep, you wake up as one of them! I saw so many of our friends and neighbors..."

Thunderlane hanged his head in sorrow as he whispered, "Rumble..."

Rainbow felt her heart break, Rumble too?

She furrowed her brows and raised her wings, "We have to get out there and help anypony who's still okay!"

"Wh-wha...?" Thunderlane looked at Rainbow Dash, as she studied the image of Ponyville.

"We can't just leave them out there at the mercy of the zombies," Rainbow decided, "we have to find them, help them and get them here to the castle where they'll be safe. Even if we can't escape Ponyville, we need to save as many lives as we can."

"That won't be easy, Dash, because as I know you saw, the pegasi who become zombies still remember how to fly," Thunderlane brought up, "they're not fast or graceful, but if they surround you you're in real trouble."

"Then I'm just gonna have to be faster and always on guard," Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs, to Thunderlane's bewilderment, "I'll distract the zombies, you search for survivors."

"Dash, no!" Thunderlane protested, "Look, you're fast, faster than any pegasus I know. But you can't outfly a horde of zombies for long. Let me do it, I'm an endurance flier, I can outfly you when it comes to stamina and you know it."

"But Thunder-"

"And... you can search for survivors way faster than me and get away if you encounter any zombies in tight situations," added Thunderlane, and as much as it stuck in her craw Rainbow Dash couldn't deny it made sense.

"But... what was I thinking- Thunder, maybe we shouldn't split up after all," Rainbow argued, "Isn't that the number one rule for these kind of situations?"

"You're thinking about scary movies, Dash," Thunderlane deadpanned before taking a deep breath, "Look, there's a good chance one or even both of us will get turned into a zombie if we go through with this plan, but if it works and we can get some more survivors here into the castle, then you're right. We gotta go for it!"

Rainbow mentally chewed on it before nodding and put her game face on, "So what's the plan?"

"I don't like this plan..." Rainbow Dash had quietly and sneakily flown to the Ponyville Clocktower, to have a good view of town and monitor the zombies. Every zombie she saw was a stab to her heart because she knew almost every face in Ponyville and a lot of their names.

"Dash, come in, You read me?" The disc-shaped device Rainbow was carrying was vibrating and set at low volume.

Thunderlane had suggested they use these communication devices called Communechoes, or Echoms for short. They were invented by Midnight and used magic to transmit sound waves that couldn't be scrambled, intercepted, and could even transmit to Echoms located underground on through solid rock.

Groaning, Rainbow answered, "I read you, Thunder. In position."

"Excellent. Now, just like we planned, I'm gonna set off some firecrackers that will draw the zombies away from your position," explained Thunderlane through the Echom. "After they clear out, search for survivors as quickly and quietly as you can.

"Avoid the zombies as best you can and make sure any survivors you find are not infected. Don't gather too many if you find them; smaller groups will be less risky and easier to get to the castle."

"And you watch your back," Rainbow Dash responded, concerned but kept her voice sounding strong and firm. Even so, she couldn't help feeling her heart waver, "And Thunder?"

"Yeah, Dash?"

Dash paused, uncertain of what to say despite her feelings welling up. This was not the time to be sentimental. She took a deep breath and gave it a thought before saying, "If any of those undead geeks give you trouble, you give them Haydes. Got it?!"

"Heheh, copy that, Dashie," Thunderlane answered, sounding cocky and touched at the same time before the Echom buzzed with static that signaled he'd ended the communication.

And so Rainbow Dash was left to sit in the clock tower and wait. The plan, as Thunderlane had repeated, was for him to use firecrackers to draw any zombies away from the area Rainbow Dash was going to search for survivors. He'd told her repeatedly to listen for the firecrackers and then wait for the zombies to follow the sound. Every ten minutes, he'd light more firecrackers to lure the undead away.

She wasn't kept waiting long. The loud and snappy pops and cracks of firecrackers rang out and slowly but surely did the zombies all take notice. They turned towards the direction the heard the noise coming from and started shambling that way. Rainbow didn't dare contact Thunderlane to let him know the zombies were coming his way because she feared she might give away his position. Patiently she waited, aggravating as it was, thinking, C'mon you walking maggot hotels, get going!

Eventually, the zombies cleared out of the area though Rainbow waited a little longer... when she felt her Echom vibrate and then heard more firecrackers.

"The signal!" she whispered before she took flight.

Thunderlane had told her that after the first firecrackers, he would contact her through the Echom's vibrating function but told her not to answer. After doing so, he'd light more firecrackers further away from the center of town.

Slowly and as quietly as she could, Rainbow landed in the middle of Town Square, taking notice of Town Hall, the fountain, the nearby Day Spa, the Joke Shop, and looking down the streets she knew so well she saw Sugarcube Corner, the marketplace, Café Hay, and not a zombie in sight. Thunderlane's distractions were working, but that only applied to any zombies outside. She'd have to be careful of any zombies still lingering indoors.

Taking a deep breath, Rainbow thought, Okay... let's try Town Hall first.

She tippy-hooved over to Town Hall (wearing woolen socks so her hooves wouldn't make clip-clop sounds on the ground), and carefully peered inside. She was dismayed to see Mayor Mare wandering aimlessly inside, her eyes milky and glazed over... and her mouth stained rainbow.

Huh, I've noticed other zombies with those, Rainbow thought. It seemed that some of the locals had eaten her joke cookies before they'd been infected. Come to think of it... Mayor Mare doesn't look like she has a bite mark on her.

Although she was curious, considering the zombie mayor was relatively placid, Rainbow suspected there were no survivors in Town Hall. The zombie mayor would be trying to get them if there were any. So she moved on. She went building to building, only entering if she didn't see any zombies inside and was fairly certain it was safe. Every so often, she'd get the vibration alert from her Echom, letting her known Thunderlane was okay and continuing to distract the horde.

It got worse and worse and Rainbow saw more familiar faces, which sadly included Faerie Tail, Double Diamond, the Cake Family, Mulia and Cranky, Granny Smith, and she wasn't finding survivors hiding or hunkering down either.

After checking what must have been the nineteenth place she'd tried, Rainbow was starting to lose hope.

This is awful! Rainbow thought as she hid in a ran barrel behind Lyra, Bon Bon, and Noteworthy's house (the trio had all been zombified, though only Noteworthy had a rainbow stained mouth while Lyra and Bon bon both had bite marks), peering through a hole to make sure the coast was clear before she slowly poked her head out of the top.
I haven't found any survivors, just more zombies!

A part of Rainbow wanted to think her fruitless search might be a good thing, that the survivors were hiding themselves so well, thus safely avoiding the zombies. But she could shake her feelings of dread. A few times while she'd searched somepony's home she'd dared to whisper-shout if anypony was there and needed help. She'd had a close-call when she'd heard what was unmistakably a zombie pounding at the basement door. As she'd left that house, she'd noticed an opened box of her joke cookies and crumbs on the floor.

Recalling Thunderlane's words, this outbreak had come out of nowhere and despite what little evidence there was, Rainbow was starting to wonder if the purple clouds above were truly responsible for whatever was going.

"Thunderlane thinks the clouds are the cause, but if they were," Rainbow wondered aloud, "would he and I already be craving flesh and everything?"

...

!!!

Thunderlane! Rainbow thought in alarm as she realized she hadn't heard from Thunderlane in a long while, His last signal must have been... Urgh, when was it?!

She puzzled it over but Rainbow just couldn't remember, only that it was during her search. She reached to her saddlebag and pulled out the Echom, thinking, If he hasn't signaled me... well, the area still seems kinda zombie-free. Maybe he just forgot? No, no, Thunderlane's always on time and really responsible, no way he'd forget to signal me in this situation!

But if Thunder's not signalling me... something must be wrong!

Rainbow wanted to believe Thunderlane could get himself out of a dodgy situation, And... if he needed my help, he'd call me! Yeah, he-he's gotta be fine!

As much as Rainbow wanted to call Thunderlane herself, she hesitated, What if he's hiding and I give him away?

*Thump*

"EEP!" Rainbow ducked back into the barrel, having heard a light thump sound. A few moments later, she heard another and this time she realized something had hit the barrel she was hiding in. Something small, "Like...Ow!"

Rainbow felt something small but hard hit her on the head and she saw that it was a little rock. Did zombies throw rocks? Rainbow didn't think so, they weren't supposed to be smart enough to do even simple tasks like that.

"Psst! Rainbow Dash!!"

Rainbow stifled a gasp and looked around before finally noticing, in the house across the street, an open window with a hoof waving before it lowered and a face popped up.

"Chip Mint?" Rainbow recognized the colt. She volunteered every once in a while to give lessons and safety tips to the pegasus foals over at Cheerilee's Schoolhouse, and Chip Mint was one of her star pupils.

"Hurry! Get in here before they come back!" Chip Mint whisper-shouted before closing the window.

A few moments later, Rainbow heard a click in the door of the house Chip Mint was in and every so slightly did it open. Looking around, she saw that the coast was clear and didn't waste a second as she zoomed in, but made sure to softly close the door and lock it behind her. She turned around to find a relieved-looking Chip Mint gazing up at her and Rainbwo said, "Chip, are you okay?"

"Uh-huh, I'm really glad to see you, Rainbow," Chip smiled up at the mare, "I wasn't sure if there was anyone else still... you know."

"Yeah, are you alone?" asked Rainbow.

"No, I'm keeping lookout for my cousin, Caramel," Chip Mint replied, "we've been taking turns sleeping and keeping lookout. We almost got caught by those... those things and barely managed to get away! After we lost them, we hunkered down in here. Caramel was up really late, keeping watch, so this morning I took over so he could get some rest."

"Where is he?" asked Rainbow.

"In the bedroom upstairs," Chip led the way and Rainbow followed.

He led her to a bedroom and inside, they found Caramel who was already beginning to wake. It was when he noticed Rainbow that he froze up until Chip hopped onto the bed and said, "Caramel, it's okay! Rainbow's here to help us! Right, Rainbow?"

"You bet, little buddy," Rainbow assured before coming over to sit on the bed next to the stallion and colt, "Great job staying safe, Caramel, and for taking care of your cousin too!"

"Uh, thanks, Rainbow Dash," Caramel finally woke up but Rainbow noticed Caramel didn't look so good as he groaned a little and his eyes seemed a little red.

"Uh, you okay, Caramel? Did you get enough sleep?" Rainbow asked.

"Uh, it's... just been really-really stressful, RD," Caramel moaned as he stretched a bit, the blanket falling off to reveal a bandage wrapped around Caramel's fetlock.

"Oh, what happened there, Caramel?" Rainbow pointed to the bandage and Caramel seemed to hesitate.

"Uh... I... cut myself on a piece of broken glass," Caramel said slowly, "things got super crazy and scary when it all went down, I didn't even notice it until later. But no worries, I took care of it."

"So Rainbow, do you have any idea of what we should do?" asked Chip Mint. "Earlier, I heard some loud noises and then the zombies all went away, but since that big dome is all over Ponyville, I'm pretty sure they'll come back."

"Ponyville's under quarantine," Rainbow explained how she'd run into Thunderlane at the Castle of Friendship and learned of all that had happened from him. She went on about the plan for Thunderlane to distract the zombies while Rainbow searched for survivors and take them to the Castle where it would be safer.
"So once I do a check to make sure it's clear out, we'll take off and get to the Castle as quickly as we can."

"You should take Chip Mint and just fly there," Caramel suggested, sounding a little congested before he cleared his throat, "once he's safe you could come back for me."

"Nuh-uh! I'm not leaving you, Caramel," Chip Mint gave his cousin a hug, "we'll all get to the castle together!"

"Chip's right, we don't leave a pony behind," Rainbow agreed, "it's too risky to leave you behind, Caramel."

"Well, okay," Caramel gulped, "but is this really a good idea?"

"Maybe not, but it's the only one we've got, so hang tight," Rainbow went to check outside, looking out a window.

To her relief, the coast seemed to still be clear, Not a zombie in sight... and still nothing from Thunderlane!

Rainbow was really starting to get worried, but she was too afraid of contacting Thunderlane and giving him away to any zombies he might be hiding from. She would just have to trust in him and have faith that their plan would work. Hopefully, they'd be back in the castle soon, with Caramel and Chip Mint safe and sound.

She went back to them and said, "It looks clear, but the moment we step out we have to be as quick and quiet as we can."

"That's why I found these socks," Chip Mint pointed out Caramel's, which he'd already put on. "They'll muffle our hoofsteps."

"Are you sure about this, Rainbow Dash?" asked Caramel, sounding nervous. "You and Chip can-"

"We already agreed, Caramel," Rainbow cut him off.
"Yeah, no pony left behind," agreed Chip.

Caramel couldn't help smiling at his little cousin before taking a deep breath, "Okay! Let's do this."

The sneak back to the Castle of Friendship took a long while since the house Caramel and Chip Mint had been hiding in was over a dozen blocks away. Rainbow would scout ahead, making sure the route was clear before signalling her companions to follow her. A few times they saw a zombie wandering by itself and there'd been only one close call when Caramel had tripped and almost given them away, but luckily Rainbow had grabbed a pebble and thrown it into a garbage can down the way, misdirecting the zombie (who had once been Doughnut Joe).

After nearly an hour of sneaking through Ponyville, the trio were looking around a corner and down a street, at the end of which began the path that led straight to the Castle of Friendship!

"Okay, it's a straight path to the castle," Rainbow whispered to her two charges, "once we make it inside you guys will be safe."

"How far is it from here?" asked Caramel reluctantly.

"Um..." Rainbow took another peek, her keen pegasus eyes allowing her to gauge the distance quite accurately. Which of course caused her to wince as she lamely answered, "About... five furlongs, give or take a few pony-lengths?"

"Five furlongs?!" Caramel groaned into his hooves.

"Uh.... how long is five furlongs?" Chip Mint asked the million Bit question.

"Three-thousand-and-three-hundred hooves," explained Rainbow Dash, "it's the minimum distance of a professional racing track on the ground."

"And we'll be out in the open once for any zombie to see!" Caramel fretted, "I have a good gait when I gallop, Rainbow, but-"

"There's no buts about it, Caramel," Rainbow Dash stated, "Besides, the zombies are clumsy and don't run as fast as they normally would. We have a good chance of making it to the castle safely."

"Just take Chip to the castle, I'll be-" Caramel tried to argue, only for a distant scream to catch their ears. Along with what sounded like a stampede and what was unmistakably the uproar of the undead!

The three of them peered around the corner again and Rainbow stifled a gasp to see, "Thunder!"

It was Thunderlane. His wing hung uselessly, looking injured and bleeding, as he was running towards the castle, looking desperate and even sounding terrified. The reason why became obvious as a horde of zombies soon appeared from behind a distant row of houses, all shambling and moving with surprising speed although several kept tripping, but they got themselves back up and in pursuit of Thunderlane in no time at all.

Taking the Echom, Rainbow Dash contact, "Thunder! Come in! I see you!"

"Dash?! Dash, help me! I don't think I'm gonna- OW!!" Rainbow Dash gasped again as she saw Thunderlane trip and stumble head over tail a few pony lengths because of how fast he'd been running.

The horde was closing in and several zombie pegasi were taking flight, albeit clumsily yet they'd be on him in moments.

"NO!!" Rainbow shouted and was about to jump out and launch herself into the air, only for Caramel to jump on her and hold her down, "LEMME GO, CARAMEL!! HE'S-"

"It's too late, Rainbow!" Caramel said, sounding apologetic but holding firm, "There's nothing we can do!!"

"RAINBOOOOWW!! HEEELLLLP MEEEEEEEEEAAAAUUAUAUGUGHHHH!!!!!" Thunderlane continued to scream through the Echom, and Rainbow Dash began to sob as she saw the horde pile onto the poor stallion, groaning and snarling as they began to feast on fresh meat. Feathers flew and there was a spray of blood as Thunderlane continued to scream.

He didn't scream for long.

Rainbow felt the tears trail down her cheeks as she thought, This... this can't be happening! He- He can't- Thunder!

"Rrrrraaaggghhhh..." The three ponies all froze up and slowly looked towards the roof of the house they were hiding behind, and saw a zombified Flitter leering down at them, her saliva beginning to dribble.

"...Run!" Caramel whispered in abject horror.

Tears and grieving were not a luxury she could afford right now as Rainbow Dash stood up after Caramel got off her, and she led him and Chip Mint down the alley behind the house as Flitter dropped down, letting out a loud and hungry snarl. This unfortunately alerted some nearby zombies, who likewise began to make vicious growls and groans, alerting even more.

The sounds of shambly steps and flustered flaps accompanied the growls and groans as the three survivors hurried through the alleyway, desperate to put as much distance between the monsters coming for them as possible.

They came out to an open street and looked around, Chip Mint sounding scared as he asked, "Rainbow! Wh-whaddoo we do?! The castle's the way we came and there's too many zombies between it and us!"

"Uh, we... we'll hide innnnnn..." Rainbow drawled as she looked around, desperate for a solution when her eyes fell upon, "Sugarcube Corner! Pinkie Pie has a secret party-planning cave beneath it!"

"Of course she does," Caramel commented as they quickly galloped towards the bakery, zombies starting to appear from alleyways, corners, and in the air.

The three of them skidded to a halt at the front door as Rainbow looked for the spare key, Caramel panting, Chip Mint whimpering, and the sounds of the horde growing louder as they were beginning to close in from all sides.

"Rainbow...!" Chip Mint whimpered with rising urgency.

"Aha! There you are!" Rainbow Dash had forgotten Pinkie Pie kept her spare key hidden under a potted flower set among the flower garden in front of the bakery.

She quickly unlocked the door, urged Caramel and Chip inside, and shut the door behind them, locking it, "No time to lose, quick! Start barricading the door and find me a hammer, nails, and anything we can nail over the windows!"

"But what about the party-planning cave?" asked Chip anxiously.

"If we delay them, it'll be harder for them to get inside, go!" Rainbow ordered.

She and Caramel took all the tables that weren't bolted to the floor, along with their chairs, and threw them in front of the door while Chip Mint searched around for a hammer and nails. As they finished barricading the door, Rainbow noticed Caramel was panting and not looking so hot.

"Caramel, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm... i think... it's all this crazy getting to me," Caramel waved off the concern but he was honestly looking sick. He was even shivering. "I'm just... trying not to be scared stiff!"

Rainbow reached over, placing her hoof on Caramel and kindly said, "We'll get through this, somehow."

Caramel smiled though it was doubtful and hesitant. "Guys!"

They looked to see Chip Mint come back, "I couldn't find a hammer or nails!"

Groaning, Rainbow Dash said, "We'll just have to find something else to cover the windows."

The sound of breaking glass and some groans growing louder kiboshed that idea and they all flinched before Rainbow said, "Never mind! We'll just have to chance it. To the party cave!"

Rainbow Dash hurried to the banister and tried to open the secret compartment, only for nothing to give way. The undead groans grew louder and Caramel and Chip Mint were fretting anxiously, when Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered, "Omigosh! The switch to open the Party Cave isn't down here... it's up in Pinkie's loft!!"

"Up the stairs, up the stairs!!" Caramel urged and they hurried up the stairs, no longer caring about being quiet or sneaky.

They came to the door to Pinkie's loft and barged in, only for Rainbow to slip and fall flat on her face, which was cushioned by a box with something crumbly inside. Caramel closed the door behind them, groaning as he held his head in pain. But this went unnoticed by Rainbow and Chip Mint as they looked around and saw the floor was covered with boxes and crumbs of...

"Filly Guide cookies?" Chip Mint looked at the box in confusion when they heard some noisy munching.

They looked towards the bed in the middle of the room, and over it they saw a familiar dark pink curl bobbing and heard those munchy sounds denote a sloppy eater. Chip was about to take a closer look only to see Rainbow's wing gesture him to stay put as she ever so slowly approached the bed, moving around the foot of it to see...

"...Pinkie Pie?"

It looked like Pinkie Pie, sitting on the floor beside her bed, hunched over, obviously eating something, when she seemed to stop. She slowly raised her head and turned to Rainbow Dash, her eyes glazed and milky, groaning as crumbs and drool dribbled from her rainbow-stained mouth, to Rainbow's horror-

"AAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!"

Rainbow froze and cried out in horror to see Caramel holding the struggling Chip Mint as the stallion was biting into the colt's neck, blood already trailing from the poor foal's wound, his screams of agony quickly softening into whimpers as his eyes rolled up and he slumped in Caramel's hold, the stallion pulling his mouthful away, ripping out skin and flesh as he glared at Rainbow and she saw the bandage on Caramel's fetlock had come loose... revealing a bite mark!

Rainbow finally screamed as she tried to distance herself from Pinkie and Caramel, only for her rump to bump into the wall just as the door was forced open and in ambled more zombies... including a zombified Midnight!

Thoughts and desperation ran through Rainbow's mind a million miles an hour as she tried to think of a way out of this, logic asserting itself to try and understand how - why - this was happening!

Then... the evidence and clues somehow made themselves known in Rainbow's mind as it began to connect the dots:

She'd seen so many ponies turned to zombies, but she'd also noticed a lot of those zombies had had rainbow-stained mouths, obviously meaning they'd eaten her joke cookies.

Then she'd noticed there had been zombies without the rainbow-stained mouths but somewhere on their bodies there'd been a bite mark or wound of sorts.

None of the rainbow-stained zombies appeared to have had a bite mark on them anywhere.

Joke cookies + rainbow-stained mouths - bite marks... Rainbow thought even as the zombies, zombified Midnight at the front, were closing in on her... then it finally dawned on her!

"I... I did this!" Rainbow said aloud, "My joke cookies... they somehow turned those of you who ate them into zombies, and you attacked those who didn't eat them and infected them! This- this is my fault!"

Zombie Midnight was now standing right in front of Rainbow, leering down at her with an empty yet hungry look, his mouth, stained not rainbow but red, opened to reveal his terrible fangs, blade-like incisors that were poised to rip into the living flesh right in front of them.

"No! Midnight, stop!" Rainbow pressed her back against the wall as Midnight moved in on her and she fruitlessly tried to push him back, "I never meant for this to happen! It was just a prank! It was supposed to be funny, but this- This isn't funny at all!!!"

Midnight pushed Rainbow's hoof away, raising his hooves to hold her by the shoulders and snarling like a rabid animal as Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, waiting for the end...

"Gotcha!"

!!!

Rainbow's eyes popped open as she felt Midnight let her go and step back, a horseapple-eating grin not just on his face but on the face of every zombie present, who'd all stopped groaning, growling and snarling as they all began to laugh at the stupefied look on Rainbow's face and wiped away the rainbow or red stains on their mouths. Midnight's horn lit up and the dreary atmosphere and bleak light quickly brightened up in the loft, replacing the feeling of doom with a sense of bamboozled relief as Rainbow stood up and gaoed at everypony.

"Wait- What's happening?!"

"Oh, just taking a moment to enjoy pranking the prankster," answered the voice of Blueblood as he squeezed past a few of the ponies present and levitated a device, "Did you like the special effects? The fog machiens I set up in the clouds were a nice touch, especially with the phosphorous to give them that subtle purple glow."

"Heheh, yeah," agreed Thunderlane as he appeared in a window, "How does it feel to get a taste of your own medicine, Dash?"

"So- Wait... you're not infected with a plague that turns you into an undead creep with a craving flesh?!" Rainbow flabbergasted.

"Of course not, silly!" Pinkie answered with a jokey elbow to Rainbow's side before everyone took a quick inhale and let out a triumphant:

"GOTCHA!!!"

"This... it was all... a PRANK?!" Rainbow couldn't believe this.

"Eeyup, an' you can thank Midnight n' Pinkie for it," Big Mac gave the alicorn and party pony some props, as did several others.

"After ya told her about yer plan t' prank th' whole town," Applejack spoke up, "she an' Midnight got everypony t'gether t' come up wit' a way t' turn th' tables on you."

"Aw shucks, it was nothin'!"
"Yeah, it was just a few special effects, make-up, magical illusions..."

"Wow-how! You shoulda seen the look on your face!" Chip Mint laughed as he rose up above the others to point at Rainbow, Caramel coming up under neath him as the earth pony reared up.
"Oh yeah, it was priceless!" he added. "The funniest thing I'd ever seen!"

"Wh- ugh! I don't think it was funny!" Rainbow disputed indignantly, "And I'm the one who got pranked, I was terrified! I thought that I... I thought I'd accidentally started a real outbreak of zombies! You-you can't ust go around-"

"Pranking whoever you feel like?"
"Without thinking about how it might make them feel?"
"Or if they'd even enjoy it?"
"Or think it's funny?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow suddenly had an epiphany and felt her hot air deflate a bit, "Oh.... I see what you did there."

"Pranks can be a lot of fun when everypony has a good time," said Pinkie Pie.

"But you needed to see what it's like when they don't," added Midnight. "Not only that, your pranking me after you'd forfeited the Prank Off the other day wasn't proving yourself a good prankster but a sore loser and unworthy of respect. So me and Pinkie decided you needed to see how it felt to experience a prank that wasn't funny to you."

"Like how it wasn't funny when you made Belle and Sandow cry," agreed Fluttershy.
"And it wasn't funny when you made me bite that brick you switched my hayburger with," added Carrot Cake, "Colgate told me I was lucky I didn't break a tooth!"
"And it wasn't funny when you filled my accordion with cheeze whiz," said Cheese Sandwich in a surprisignly stern voice. "I love that accordion and what you did nearly ruined it to the point where it might not have worked anymore!"
"An' it weren't funny when you put tha' boulder on muh wagon," Big Mac brought up, "Ah coulda gotten hurt from tha' thing draggin' me down tha' hill."

Sighing woefully, Rainbow apologized, "I'm sorry, everypony. I really wasn't considering the feelings of everypony I pranked or what else could have happend because of those pranks."

"Well, as long as you learned your lesson, angel." Rainbow felt her feathers ruffle as she looked to another window and saw Soarin giving her a smirk and raised brow.

"Soarin?! You were in on this too?!"

"Yeah," Soarin squeezed in and went over to give Rainbow a kiss on the brow, "Midnight told me how you were acting and what you were doing, and I had to agree you were due for a little comeuppance. So me and the Weather Ponies set up those clouds and put Blueblood's fog machines with the phosphorous in them to make them dark and glowy. That way, Ponyville would be grim and scary, a perfect setup and background for this whole prank!"

"...That... was..." Rainbow reached up to grab Soarin by the shoulders, "AWESOME!! The setup, the execution- You all set up an amazing prank!"

Soarin mentally phew'd and said, "Well, glad there's no hard feelings and as long as you-"

"I'm gonna have to work extra hard to top it!" Rainbow interupted with an evil plotting look, causing everypony to gape at her with trepidation. "Gotcha!"

And just like that, it was over as everypony enjoyed a good long laugh of amusement and relief while Rainbow pulled Soarin over to whisper into his ear, "But if you want my forgiveness, you'd better be ready for some rough make-up sex tonight..."

Soarin gulped, unsure whether he should look forward to tonight or be flying for his life.

368. 28 Pranks Later - Epilogue

"That... was wonderful, Midnight," sighed Twilight in satisfaction as she laid in bed with her husband, Midnight propping his head up to give his wife a loving look.

"I like what you did with the Magic Hands spell, fondling my balls up until climax," he bobbed his brows, "excellent way to multitask, Twily."

"I have to admit," Twilight gave her hubby a deep kiss, which he returned as deeply and warmly as he gave him, "trying these different kinks is really interesting. Though I'm glad neither of us liked the BDSM."

"Yeah... even though it was role play, I didn't like hurting you or saying those nasty things to you," Midnight rubbed the back of his head, "or when it was reversed."

"I didn't either. Although... I have to admit, I did like getting spanked like a naughty little filly," Twilight gave her stallion a sultry giggle, which got Midnight to give her a mock-disapproving look.

"Oh? Does the naughty little filly require more... discipline?" Midnight sat up, playfully glaring at his mare with a smirk, and Twilight positioned herself where her shapely plot was raised into the air, her tail raised, her soft purple cheeks clenched in anticipation.

"Oh yes, I've been a baaaaad filly!" Twilight tittered with a light swoon and held her breath as Midnight raised his hoof-

*Knock-knock-knock-knock-knock*

-and yelped as he was thrown off his aim and the momentum caused him to fall forward, his muzzle winding up goosing Twilight who EEP'd as the door opened. Thankfully, they had their privacy barrier up so Spike didn't see them in their intimately awkward position.

"Midnight? I'm sorry to bother you and Twilight, but I got this message for you, it says it's urgent," Spike held up a scroll, which had the word 'URGENT' stamped on it and was sealed with wax imprinted with Midnight's cutie-mark.

Groaning, glad Spike couldn't see them but still finding it inappropriate to be in that position with a minor in the room, Midnight and Twilight quickly straightened themselves out, cast a few spells to get rid of the smell of their spunk and to make themselves presentable before they lowered the privacy barrier. Midnight levitated the scroll from Spike's hand, undid the seal, and read it.

"Midnight?" Twilight took notice of how serious Midnight's face became before he rolled up the scroll, contained it within a bubble of mana, and burned it to ashes.

He sighed as he got out of bed, saying, "I've got to go, Twily."

"Is it bad news?" Twilight was concerned, especially when Midnight enshrouded himself with shadow that fell away to reveal him garbed in his dark cloak.

"I'm not sure. My lieutenant in the Brotherhood has requested to meet with me, saying that it's urgent we speak face to face," Midnight walked around the bed to Twilight, whom he gave a tender kiss and touched their foreheads together, minding their horns, as they gazed into each other's eyes.
"I don't know what's going on, but I don't want you to worry."

He stepped back, saying, "Go to sleep, I'll be back soon. Spike, make sure she doesn't freak out."

"I'll do my best!" Spike saluted.

"Midnight..." Midnight paused to share a look with his wife, as she reached up to him and he let her caress his cheek as Twilight said, "Just be careful."

"I always am," Midnight promised before giving his wife another kiss and then stepping back as he sank into the shadows and vanished.

Somewhere in the Macintosh Hills, there stood an old lookout tower, long abandoned. It was constructed centuries ago at a time when border-patrol was a greater concern for Equestria. The ponies assigned to border-patrol would spend long weeks in shifts keeping watch for any possible enemies or undesirables attempting to sneak past their guard and invade Equestrian soil.

As time passed, and Celestia succeeded in establishing peace treaties and amicable relations with foreign leaders, the Equestrian Border-Patrol became unnecessary. That opinion was not shared by Midnight's predecessors in the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods as he gazed up at this forgotten place before venturing inside.

The ground floor was empty, picked clean from scavengers and rogues long ago. Along the wall, spiraling up the interior of the tower were stone stairs, leading to the top, though some of the steps had broken or worn away. The air inside was rank and musty, but there was something else. A lingering scent of burnt wood and smoke. His pupils dilated, allowing him to see even in this pitch-black darkness, and he noticed a dying ember just as it was going out in an old brazier.

He didn't hear a sound. He didn't see anything. But a sense no normal pony had alerted Midnight of a presence as he suddenly whirled around, his wings raising and coating with solid shadow to block a downwards strike and then hurtling the attacker over Midnight's head, causing his attacker to fall head over hooves, a blade of solid shadow extending from his tail as his dark brown cloak was hanging over the left of his barrel and his hood hid his face except for his horn.

"Impressive, you almost got the drop on me. Literally," Midnight lowered his hood and folded his wings back under his cloak while the unicorn who'd just attacked him sighed and made the shadow blade extending from his tail vanish and he too lowered his hood.

He was a unicorn a little younger than Midnight, with a coat pale gray, his mane a cobalt blue so dark it was almost black with a soft and pale purple highlight, soft emerald green eyes, and his cutie-mark was a spellbook glowing with purple mana.
"I thought for sure I had you. I even used the wards you taught me to conceal my presence!"

"And they worked," Midnight nodded but raised a hoof, "however, you forgot about Shadow Sense and you didn't completely put out the fire in that brazier before I got here."

"URGH!! I thought I had more time..." the unicorn facehooved, Midnight chuckling understandably.

"Don't beat yourself up, cousin, the day you can successfully sneak-attack me, I'll make you a knight," Midnight promised with an understanding smile.

"Is that really a good idea? Being a knight and a hood?" the unicorn pointed out the logic of a public officer working also as a stealth operative.

"Well, I'm already known to Equestria, so it's probably more precarious for me," Midnight so-&-so'd his hoof before getting serious, "but what I'd like to know is what's so urgent you had to speak to me, Shadow Lock."

"Right, of course," Shadow Lock cleared his throat and levitated out a folder from inside his cloak, offering it to his cousin and his superior, "Some of our brother and sister Hoods operating outside of Equestria have sent reports about something... disturbing."

"Hmm," Midnight looked at the documents inside the folder and noticed a list, "Klugetown, Ornithia, Fasari, Equinypt?! These... these are all minor nations, or city-states if you could call Klugetown that... What's going on with them?"

"Midnight... they've been taken over," Shadow Lock said, sounding daunted and deeply concerned. Seeing the look on his cousin and commanding officer's face to continue, Shadow explained, "For the past several months, these minor nations, along with a few others, have been systematically infiltrated, the leadership usurped and forced to continue ruling their peoples but as puppet rulers on behalf of... someone else."

"Who?" Midnight furrowed his brows and raised one when Shadow gestured him to look more into the folder. He turned the list of nations and found himself looking at a drawing of a symbol he had never seen before.

"We haven't identified the who behind this symbol, but there is somepony we've managed to identify," Shadow noted, catching the intrigued look on Midnight's face at the mention of 'somepony' and he gestured Midnight to look further in.

Midnight did so and his eyes fell upon a photograph. Of a pony he knew very well and couldn't help growling softly as his eyes burned with unforgiving hate at the pony in the picture. At first glance, one would mistake her for an earth pony, but really, her horn was broken. Her coat was dark orchid purple, her mane a moderate rose with a lighter highlight, her opal eyes narrowed with cold and calculated focus. She wore armor, with the symbol located over her flanks, concealing her cutie-mark.

The most wanted criminal in Equestria, among the most dreaded serial killers to terrorize ponykind, and an old enemy of Midnight's as he seethed, "Tempest Shadow..."

"Yes. She seems to be in league with whoever is conquering these minor nations but for some reason is allowing them to keep governing themselves," Shadow Lock nodded solemnly.
"It was sheer luck the Hood who sighted her got this photograph, which was taken in Klugetown just a week ago. He reported seeing her speak with a crew of Parrots that were loading crates onto their airship, but was too far away to hear anything. But from what he gathered, observing their behavior, it was obvious that Tempest was some kind of superior to the Parrots, all of whom were nervous and submissive around her. He also mentioned some little Hedgehog sticking close to Tempest, seemed like a lackey."

"Was it Capper?" asked Midnight as he continued to glare at the photograph of Tempest.

"Yes, it was. He only took this single photograph because the flash almost gave him away and he didn't dare risk another," Shadow confirmed before sighing, "He also requested... assistance."

"Again?!" Midnight was beginning to wonder why he ever took that felonious feline fugitive into the fold of the Brotherhood. Shaking his head, he said, "Well, this is good intel, even if it doesn't paint a clear-enough picture. Send a few Hoods to Capper to provide him his requested 'assistance'. I don't care what it takes, just make sure Capper's position isn't compromised, and let him know if he wants to continue to enjoy my protection, he'd better gather more intel regarding Tempest, those Parrots, and whoever is behind this symbol."

"Understood, sir," Shadow nodded as he accepted the folder back after Midnight levitated it to him, but took notice of the dread spreading over Midnight's face. "Midnight, are you okay?"

"No, Shadow, I don't think I am," Midnight sighed as he looked out a window in the tower, looking at the dark overcast, "I thought things were bad enough with Catrina being out there, plotting who knows what. Now we find out some new enemy is conquering minor nations so quietly they haven't been noticed except by those able to see the signs, and Tempest is working with this enemy."

"...We'll find a way, Midnight," Shadow placed a comforting hoof on his cousin's withers. "With you leading us, I have faith."

"Thank you, Shadow," Midnight gave his cousin a hesitant smile but looked out at the dark clouds yet again, "but I can't help but feel that this is merely the calm before the storm..."

"Welcome," bade Catrina as she, Tirek, Chrysalis's proxy, Pharaoh Phetlock, and the armored unicorn Destrier watched Sunset Shimmer lead in the three Sirens-turned-ponies.
"Adagio, Aria, and Sonata, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

The three newcomers were wary as well as surprised that Catrina already knew their names and took in the surprisingly lavish room, filled with luxurious furniture, a fully-stocked bar, the floating bubbles of soft radiance lighting up the room just right, and then of course were the creatures inside it. They'd never have guessed such a refined domicile could be hidden beneath what must have been several stables of bedrock and rocky hills.

Tirek looked a little uncomfortable, having to sit on the floor and still hunch over to avoid bumping the ceiling though that didn't stop him from giving the newcomers an arrogant sneer. Chrysalis's proxy didn't pay them any mind, simply lounging on one of the sofas. Phetlock gave them a sultry look and offered to mix them up some drinks. Destrier just stood there, almost looking like a suit of armor on display, but the horn and tail betrayed the pony within it.

Catrina was on her fainting couch, smoking her usual witch-weed, the acrid green smoke surrounding her and reaching the noses of the newcomers, causing them to scrunch their noses.

"Ah, forgive me," Catrina put the witch-weed out in a nearby ash tray and stood up, "my medication isn't pleasant to the olfactory sensor but it's the only way I can get through the day. Now..."

She approached them with the soft and silent stride of a lioness on the prowl, walking around them as she eyed them, Adagio returning Catrina's gaze with one of subtle interest as though she were trying to figure the Cat out. Aria outright glared defiantly while Sonata tried holding eye-contact but wavered, looking away nervously. Once she was standing in front of them as she was earlier, Catrina chuckled condescendingly.

"My, my, what has happened to to you, ladies?"

"Truthfully? That's what we'd like to know," Adagio huffed. "Once we were powerful and would have been the rulers of the land and sea! But then-"

"Yes, I'm-I'm just gonna stop you right there," Catrina interrupted, obviously not interested in hearing the usual blah-blah-blah of vengeful villainy, "I know who you three are, and just as important, I know what you three are. Or, I suppose, what the three of you used to be."

Catrina's condescending was beginning to rub the three young ponies' coats the wrong way, but the witch continued, "Star Swirl the Bearded mentioned you three in the books Princess Celestia once showed me when I was a Kitten... the Sirens! Your voices captivated all who heard you, and in doing so you turned earth pony against pegasus against unicorn, bringing strife and division to Equestria.

"It was the negativity born of that strife and division that fed you power! Well... look at you now."

Catrina, Tirek, Chrysalis's proxy, even Phetlock all had a derisive laugh at the three's expense while Sunset stood by the doorway, saying nothing. Destrier remained as motionless and silent as a sculpture of marble.

"If we had our siren magic, you wouldn't be-" Adagio tried to threaten, only for Catrina to raise a claw, coated with greenish fire and Adagio, Aria, and Sonata found themselves suddenly frozen, intimidated, speechless.

"But you don't, do you," Catrina smirked ever so subtly as she let the green fire on her claw snuff itself out, "not all of it, at least. I know for a fact there's a dying ember of your old siren magic still within you three. Emphasis on 'dying'. I estimate at the way you're carrying on, it won't be long before that ember dies completely, and you'll be reduced to nothing more than three unremarkable, ordinary noponies with nothing but each other. Constantly tortured by the reminder of the power you three once wielded, by the disappointment of being robbed of all you could have been."

Adagio, Aria, and Sonata all sulked and looked down, bitter and depressed, unable to speak up and retort Catrina's words.

"Unless I turn that ember into a spark so that it may catch fire." They looked up in confused surprise of Catrina as she purred, "I am a sorceress of the highest level, my dears. I have spent years mastering magicks the likes of which few would dare to even dabble! I am confident I can find a way to restore your greatness..."

"For?" Aria asked blatantly, causing Adagio to kick her sister for being rude.

"No, no, Adagio, it's a fair question, and honestly, I respect that kind of attitude. To a point..." Catrina glared at them, her pupils dilating, glowing poisonous green, "Before you were the Sirens, you were once ordinary Sea Ponies."

The sisters all gasped softly, astounded that Catrina knew that, "The daughters of a sea witch who was exiled for scheming a coup. She raised you three before she bestowed upon you the powers that made you into the Sirens, so that you would be strong enough to aid her for a real attempt to seize power. For these crimes, your mother, Cirsea, was condemned to the Trench..."

Sonata whimpered and began to sob into Aria's side, Aria glaring reproachfully at the Cat as tears welled up in her own eyes. Adagio however maintained her composure though her eyes narrowed at Catrina.

"I offer the three of you, not merely the restoration of your powers," Catrina smiled subtly yet there was a gleam of manic hunger in her eyes, "I offer you not simply revenge on Midnight Blaze. I offer you the chance to honor your mother's legacy, to conquer Aquastria and rule the sea ponies as your mother wished!"

"And in exchange...?" Adagio pressed.

"In exchange..." Catrina nodded, "you will swear your allegiance to me, and... I want the Trident."

The sisters all gasped in disbelief, Adagio furrowing her brows, "The Trident is the symbol of power and rule over Aquastria! We would need it to enforce our-"

"The Trident would be of no use to you other than being a petty symbol, as you just admitted it is," Catrina interrupted, "Only the lineage of Ponydon can wield it, but in case you weren't informed that lineage has supposedly gone extinct, ergo no one can wield the Trident. My plans in the long-run, it is a necessary piece to a grander scheme. Besides, without the Trident, the sea ponies would lose hope in their supposed 'destined ruler' coming to them in their darkest hour. Trust me, it is an obstacle to you and a source of misplaced faith to them.

"Because of their faith in the foretold coming of their 'rightful ruler'', the Sea Ponies continue to isolate themselves in the sea, cutting them off from support and potential allies. They have stagnated as a culture out of a pride stubborn and paranoid, and to deprive them of their greatest treasure would quash it. All you three would have to do is be there to pick up the pieces and build your own position of power so that you would be seen as the true rulers of the sea pony kingdom instead of their mythical messiah or that miserable sea lion who is only a steward."

The sisters shared a look, seeing the logic in Catrina's words, before the witch continued.
"By all means! Once I have the Trident, do what you will with Aquastria. Rule it, destroy it, I couldn't care less. But it would do you well to be allied with the one who will soon be this planet's undisputed ruler. My allies grow in numbers and power, my reach extends to corners you would never believe! And as you have surely noted by now... my knowledge is my power."

The three sisters couldn't help but feel chills, a mixture of admiration, respect, fear, as they stood in awe of the witch as she turned to lie back onto her fainting couch, Phetlock coming over with a serving tray of drinks, which were accepted by Catrina, the proxy Chrysalis, and even Tirek. Catrina gazed into the wine glass filled with a delicious champagne before taking a delicate sip and giving the sisters a tempting smile.

"So what's it going to be, girls? Are you in or are you out?" The three former sirens shared a hesitant look when Catrina added, "Choose wisely, for an unwise choice would leave me with... three loose ends."

Author's Note

I do plan to integrate the MLP movie into "Blaze the Pony Tale" eventually but I don't just want to dive into that conflict about a megalomaniac suddenly invading Equestria from out of nowhere and with no foreshadowing, which I felt was a big failure on the showmakers part

Midnight has a history with Tempest Shadow, who will be so much worse in this story than she was in the movie...

As for Catrina, she's still scheming and gathering her forces and powers to prepare for her conquest of the world and enslavement of ponykind.

For the record, Aquastria is not the same place as Seaquestria; the Hippogryphs are not true Sea Ponies though I will eventually reveal there is a connection between the two places

369. Level Up! - Part 1

"Hear ye, hear ye!!" yelled Spike in the middle of Ponyville Town Square on a bright and sunny morning, the little dragon holding up a poster for ponies to see as they paused to listen.
"On behalf of the Prince and Princess of Friendship, I am here to announce the formation of a new guard. Princess Celestia has the Royal Guard, Princess Luna her Lunar Guard, the Crystal Empire the Crystal Praetorian Guard, and not so long ago did Prince Sombra announce his own, the Shadow Guard.

"Today, I announce the official formation... of the Harmony Guard, Dawn and Dusk Divisions!"

The locals were murmuring in interest as Spike went on, "Starting today at noon sharp, Prince Midnight will be accepting applicants who wish to sign up and join the Harmony Guard. For those of you who are interested, report to the field behind the Castle of Friendship and meet with Prince Midnight's apprentice, Sir Sunburst, to sign up for tryouts!"

As midday approached, Twilight was gazing down from her and her husband's bedroom window, seeing all of ponies who'd shown up to apply for membership into the Harmony Guard.

"I still can't believe I let you talk me into this..." Twilight sighed as she turned to look at her husband as Midnight was putting on his armor and conjured his sword, strapping it to his barrel.

"We discussed this, Twilight," Midnight said firmly as he gave her a look, "Starlight's misdeeds made it clear that even Ponyville isn't entirely safe from wrongdoers. She walked right into our castle and you remember what happened."

"How could I forget..." Twilight sighed as she recalled the memories of experiencing alternate timelines from a version of herself she had merged with, time's way of setting itself right.
"And I can't deny that what Starlight did might not have happened... if we'd had a guard of our own, keeping the castle safe."

"And not just the castle, Twily," Midnight said as he put on his helmet and turned to her. Twilight couldn't help but admire her husband in his armor, helm, and with his sword at his side. A true Knight of Harmony, an honorable defender and a protector of those who could not protect themselves. Though she understood the necessity of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, Twilight would prefer that Midnight be only a knight rather than an assassin.
"More than once, Ponyville has been the site of some form of disaster. Discord, monsters, Tirek, and there's no telling what else may inevitably come looking for trouble. Catrina is out there and she wields a power that strikes the very heart of ponykind!"

"The destruction of a cutie-mark..." Twilight would never have believed such a thing possible. Not even when she'd experienced being robbed of her cutie-mark by Starlight when first they met.
"Starlight spends a lot of her free time researching a way to undo that horrible magic, looking for a cure... She knows she's responsible even if Catrina is the one committing the crime."

"All the more reason to form this guard, Twily," Midnight affirmed, "our enemies are out there, planning Goddess knows what, and Catrina wields a weapon that could yet shatter the spirit of our nation. We have to prepare ourselves, ready our defenses, and to expect the unexpected. Who knows what other threats we may face and not even know it?"

"...Agreed," Twilight finally conceded before asking, "So then, what sort of training methods have you planned for those trying out for our new guard?"

"Not me, Twi," Midnight shook his head as he wore a smug smile, "I decided this endeavor required a more... experienced touch. So, I called in a favor from an old friend."

"Who?" asked Twilight as she saw her husband leave the room.

"You're welcome to come and see who," he invited, "In fact, it'll probably do the applicants some good to see the Prince and Princess they're planning to devote themselves to giving a supportive welcome."

The applicants for the nascent Harmony Guard numbered around thirty individuals, mostly ponies, a lot of them native to Ponyville. To the surprise of the local applicants, there were a few non-pony applicants too, such as a griffon, a minotaur, a Sirian Dog, and even a Zebra mare with wings! Sunburst was sitting at a foldup table beneath a set-up canopy, going over the list of applicants, their names, hometowns (which was mostly of Ponyville but there were several from out of town, evident by the non-pony applicants), and the divisions which they hoped to be a part of in the Harmony Guard.

"Hmm, good to see some of the pony applicants have experience," Sunburst muttered to himself.

It was common for stallions to volunteer to join the Equestrian EUP Military. Basic recruitment required any stallion that made the cut to serve for a minimum of five years, during which they would be paid for active duty, provided health benefits, and were given a free education that would help them qualify for a free term in Canterlot university or any other Equestrian university of their choice. Lots of stallions left the guard once their five years of service were over, but some chose to remain and continue on in the Military and possibly be promoted to serve in the Royal Guard, the Navy, or even be granted a guaranteed spot in the Wonderbolt Reserves for the pegasi.

Midnight said the Dawn and Dusk Divisions would require commanding officers, a lieutenant for each division and a captain for the Harmony Guard overall, Sunburst thought, and he wants those officers to be chosen from among the applicants... this isn't gonna be easy.

Sunburst had suggested to Midnight that perhaps the Harmony Guard should call in volunteers from the EUP, only for the sapphire alicorn to disagree, saying it would serve the guard better for some of its members to come from Ponyville, since Ponyville is where the Harmony Guard would be stationed. There were already plans to construct a garrison, a training area, an armory, and even stockades. The Harmony Guard would be not only a guard for Midnight, Twilight, and their castle, but also serve as a police force for Ponyville.

"Hi Sunburst, how's the guard coming?" Sunburst looked down to see it was Twinken, accompanied by his friends, Rumble and Button Mash.

"Oh, uh- Hey Twinken," Sunburst pushed back his glasses after they yet again slid down his snoot. He was starting to consider contact lenses, "Yeah, I'm just here to keep things organized, we're waiting for Midnight to show up with the applicants' drill instructor."

"Drill instructor?" echoed Button Mash, not understanding.

"That's the guy who's gonna train the applicants trying out for the Harmony Guard," Rumble explained, "Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane said that Captain Spitfire was their drill instructor when they went to the Wonderbolts Academy."

"Who's the drill instructor, Sunburst?" asked Twinken.

"I dunno. All Midnight said is this guy was his first and last choice for this job," Sunburst shrugged, "sounds like he really respects whoever this guy is."

Sunburst.

Sunburst gasped to himself, hearing the telepathic voice of his mentor, Uh, yes?

Twilight and I are coming out, let the applicants know.

Yessir, Sunburst nodded before saying out loud to the colts, "Uh, boys? You're gonna have to move along, things are about to get busy."

"Aw, okay, Sunburst. C'mon guys," Twinken said to his friends, "Let's go see my Uncle Joe and Auntie Spice over at Pepper Pony's."

As the colts started down the way past the Castle of Friendship and back into town, Button Mash couldn't help peering over his shoulder towards the meadow where the applicants were being quieted down by Sunburst.

"So, uh... what exactly do drill instructors do?" he asked.

"Like I said, Button, they're trainers," Rumble explained, "Captain Spitfire was the drill instructor for Rainbow Dash and my big bro, Thunderlane, over at the Wonderbolts Academy. She was tough on them but she helped them improve their flying skills and techniques, so now Rainbow's in the Wonderbolt Reserves, one of the most likely to officially join the Wonderbolts while Thunder's in the Silverbolts."

"Yeah, everypony in town knows it," Twinken agreed, "Scootaloo's so proud of RD and Thunderlane's one of the first of a new team of fliers. It's really cool! My little cousin Pepper Flake even said he hopes to be a great flier one day, too!"

"Hmm..." Button Mash was starting to get an idea as a bittersweet memory surfaced in his mind, of when his own big brother, Cheat Code, had proudly announced to him and their parents of how he was the valedictorian of his class after he graduated basic training in the EUP.

Back in the meadow, all the applicants were standing in single file after Sunburst had politely asked them to calm down and announced Prince Midnight and his wife Princess Twilight would be stepping out of their castle to meet with them all momentarily.

Among the applicants, the griffon and the minotaur were muttering to each other.
"So... is Prince Midnight gonna be our trainer?"
"No idea, but that'd actually be pretty cool."
"Unlikely," spoke up one pony beside them, a white earth pony with snowflakes for a cutie-mark, "I heard that Prince Midnight is getting someone else to train us. Some... war horse?"
"Heh, you mean some worn out fogey?" chuffed the Sirian Dog in the group. "What tricks can some old-timer teach this young Dog?"
"Shhh, here they come," whispered the zebra mare with wings and all eyes turned to see the alicorns coming their way.

The applicants were impressed with the helm and armor of Prince Midnight, including his sword, Nightfall, which was sticking to his back without a belt or scabbard, hinting magic held it in place. He walked with a calm discipline and gave off a slightly intimidating impression. His wife, Princess Twilight, wore only her crown and yet she was beautiful and her presence was actually comforting, helping to balance out the unease induced into the applicants by her husband.

They walked up to Sunburst, who showed them the list of applicants and shared hushed words that none of the applicants could hear. It was when Midnight gave them a whip of a glance that they all tensed up and stood at attention, before Midnight took a deep breath.

"Welcome. To start things off, I shall express to you our gratitude by your decision to apply for a position in this new branch of the EUP," Midnight declared before going on, "The Harmony Guard is purported to be a force of protectors who give hope to those they protect, to help those in need, and to serve not simply my wife and I or even Ponyville, but Equestria as a whole.

"Thirty-three of you have applied to join the Harmony Guard, and as Spike the Dragon heralded this morning, the Guard shall be split into two division: The Dawn Division will be charged with serving and protecting my wife, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the Dusk Division will do the same for me. However... in order for this Guard to be as effective as it can be, it will need commanding officers. Three among you shall be chosen for roles of leadership and assigned a rank once training is complete. Two of you will be bestowed with the rank of Lieutenant, charged with being the commanding officer of either the Dawn or the Dusk Division. The third will be Captain of the Harmony Guard overall, and answer only to myself or my wife."

He paused to let that particular tidbit sink into the applicants minds, hearing very quiet murmurs and seeing them peer at each other through the corners of their eyes.

"Your training will last a total of three weeks, and believe me when I say each and everyone of you will be watched..." Midnight said with a low edge of warning.
"You have chosen to take up the honor of responsibility. Each of you will be tested, in mind, body, and spirit. I expect each of you to work hard and do your best, but also to conduct yourselves with honor and integrity. I will not tolerate seekers of glory or abusers of authority. Is. That. Clear...?"

Every applicant gulped in response before they silently nodded nervously, uncertain whether or not they should speak but elected silence as a safer option.

Clearing her throat, Twilight stepped forward, "Uh- Don't let what my husband is saying discourage you, because it is important to note that the Harmony Guard is just getting started. We don't expect perfection or flawlessness from you all. I recognize a lot of faces here and understand that some of you are inexperienced and unfamiliar with guard training or even military protocol.

"You're going to make mistakes, and that's okay! Those mistakes will help the development of the Harmony Guard in the long run. All we ask of you is to do your best with the right intentions, as well as to remember that the applicants beside each and every one of you is going to be your comrade should you pass basic training. You must learn to work as a team, to find your strengths and acknowledge your weaknesses and trust your comrades to support you when and where you need it. Don't be afraid to reach out and offer help as well as to accept it. Have faith in yourselves and have faith in each other, because I know I have faith in all of you."

The applicants felt their anxiety and tension seem to just float away as some of them even smiled gratefully at Princess Twilight before Midnight stepped forward again.

"Now, allow me to me introduce your instructor and the one who will be evaluating each and every one of you over the course of your training," Midnight said stepping to the side, showing the stallion who wasn't there a few moments ago.
"General Firestorm."

Slowly stepping up in front of the applicants, Firestorm gave each and everyone of them a loo so cold they felt shivers go up heir spines. He was a unicorn of fiery orange, his burnt brown mane in the traditional buzz-cut style of the EUP though he'd let it grow just a little (however both his coat and mane had lost some of their luster due to his age), and most eye-catching was his right foreleg. Instead of it being flesh, blood, and a hoof, it was a metal mystech prosthetic, ending in several talons, similar to those of a griffon.

The look on the old war horse's face seemed so emotionless! Like he was judging every inch of them, but not giving away even the slightest hint of what he might be thinking.

He was garbed in full combat fatigues (which hid his cutie-mark), and attached to his belt was a medium black staff, much like the training staffs cadets practiced with before being allowed to use real weapons.

He turned his head slightly as he continued to note each and every one of them with a curt glance that lasted for a moment or two, as he got an impression not just from their appearances but the looks on their faces.

Indeed, Firestorm was known for being able to read others like a book, even if he was meeting them for the first time.

"Good day to you, recruits. Although Prince Midnight called me general, I should point out however I am retired from active military service. I am here as a favor to him and his wife, Princess Twilight, and that favor... is to spend the next three weeks kicking your sorry asses and breaking you down before I build you back up and see which of you is able to hold yourselves together or fall apart and run home crying to your mommies! Make no mistake... I won't be pulling punches and the next few weeks may very well be the worst weeks of your entire life!

"My advice? Follow my orders and my clear instructions, respect your fellow recruits, and always give it one hundred and ten percent! If you can't do that, I will haunt your nightmares long after you have the nerve to waste my time by dropping out."

Firestorm spoke not with the barking harshness of a drill sergeant but rather the strength, discipline, and even the eloquence of a great commanding officer who both inspired and demanded respect.

"And what could you teach us that we don't already know?"

A few of the recruits failed to stifle their gasps as all eyes turned towards the Sirian Dog, who was giving Firestorm a challenging look, which might have intimidated the average pony, but for the likes of Firestorm it was honestly cute.

"Well, if a young pup like you thinks you can take on this...worn-out fogey, you're welcome to try," invited Firestorm, his voice sounding amused and just slightly provocative as he gave the Sirian a stare-down as his blazing blue eyes turned red for a few moments, daring him to try.

The Dog appeared to hold his cool, but he secretly gulped as he realized, He heard me!? When did he actually get here for him to have done that?

The Sirian Dog was a little put off when he noticed Firestorm's talons on his prosthetic leg seemed to lift upwards before the bases slid back and then the talons folded and set themselves within the prosthetic, leaving it with the basic appearance of a hoof. Firestorm displayed no real emotion apart from looking like he was waiting as his eyes were locked onto the Dog.

Folding his talons away? Makes sense, this is just sparring after all, the Sirian thought though he did wonder, Unless there's something else to it.

Firestorm eyed the young Sirian, whose fur was dark silver on the sides, black along his spine, white on his face with the dark silver framing his eyes except for the space between them and above that was a marking similar to a widow's peak. His underbelly, legs and the underside of his bushy tail were white as well, and his eyes were pale brown that seemed a faint silver. He was big and well-muscled on his chest, his legs, and around his hips, and his pelt was shiny and looked healthy, indicating he took good care of himself. He wore a leather collar with a tag that had his name on it, Avalanche.

Alrighty then, greenpaw... let's see what you got, Firestorm gave just the barest smirk, knowing even a hint of smugness would rub Avalanche the wrong way, and it worked.

Avalanche softly growled, furrowed his brows, and his hackles began to rise... before he charged!

Firestorm quickly side-stepped as he undid the clasp fastening his staff to his side and grasped it in his hoof, holding it out in Avalanche's path. The Sirian reacted quickly by jumping and somersaulting in the air, avoiding the attempt to trip him up, and landed on his paws, quickly turning around to face the old unicorn.

"How- How can you hold a staff with a hoof?!" Avalanche was bewildered.

"Long and short answer is magic, but don't worry, pup," Firestorm chuckled as he twirled the staff around his hoof with expert flourish. "I won't throw any spells at ya, keep it fair."

He didn't say or show it, but Avalanche respected that. If this were a regular fight, he would honestly expect Firestorm to use magic against him, but this wasn't a fight. It was a spar.

Growling, he attacked again, but this time he didn't go charging recklessly

Dashing towards Firestorm, Avalanche decided to use his momentum and dig his claws into the dirt and swing around to kick at him, hoping to catch the old sod off guard. With a smirk, Firestorm ducked low and held the staff up, catching both of his opponents hind paws in the air.

"Let's see if you know the basics. Roll over." Firestorm twisted the staff, causing Avalanche to roll to his side and he completed the full roll ending back up on his paws.

"Good boy," Firestorm said with a smirk. "If you keep this up we'll go for walkies later."

This got Avalanche to growl deeper at him as he watched Firestorm slowly walk away from him, almost making it seems like he was done with them.

"Don't you walk away from me, you old fart! We're not done here!" Avalanche barked at the stallion as the rest watched. Including both of the Midnight and Twilight, the latter wanting to intervene, only for Midnight to hold his wing in front of his wife.

"Let them spar, the others need to see their trainer in action," he whispered to her, "and Avalanche would do well to take his piece of humble pie."

Twilight sighed but nodded as she continued to watch the bout.

"Oh we're not done at all, puppy! We haven't played fetch yet," the old soldier said, tossing the staff up into the air.

Everyone watched the staff as it came down. Right before it hit the ground, Firestorm bucked it right at Avalanche sending it at him like a missile. Yelping the dog ducked , putting his forepaws over his head, while the staff shot over him, only taking a few hairs off the end of his tail.

"Ha, you missed!" Avalanche barked as he sprang to his paws.

What any of them other then Midnight and the general himself failed to notice was a clothes line hanging behind a house not too far away from the castle. The staff flew at and pulled back on a shirt that was hanging out to dry for almost a few seconds... before it shot back towards the fight as Avalanche slowly stepped towards the stallion, expecting him to be now harmless.

With a THWAP, the staff nailed Avalanche in the back of the head, causing him to stumble forward and fall flat on his muzzle, while the staff flipped up and back down where Firestorm caught it in his hoof.

"Well at least the pup knows how to give the stick back." Firestorm smirked as he did before, placing one end against the ground and let the staff rest against his withers. "So do you think you've learned your lesson or do I need to give you another brain duster to knock out any loose tennis balls you have wedged in those ears?"

Growling irritably as he stood up, Avalanche gave Firestorm the stink eye... but there was something else to his look. Respect. He gave a submissive bow of his head and swallowed his pride, "I yield."

"Really, that easily?" Firestorm was a bit surprised.

"No. Because I realize I was wrong to underestimate you," Avalanche sighed deeply, "I am ready to learn all you have to offer, and to train my tail off!"

Firestorm walked up to Avalanche with an unreadable look until they were muzzle to muzzle, maintaining each other's gaze. The tension was thick and several of the applicants honestly held their breath... before Firestorm smirked and said, "There's hope for you yet, pup!"

Meanwhile, watching from some bushes nearby, Button Mash whispered "Wow..." as he gazed upon Firestorm all starry-eyed and became more certain of himself as a crazy idea took root in his head.

Author's Note

Ponyville locals who signed up:
*Double Diamond - E/M
*Caramel - E/M
*Golden Harvest - E/F
*Cherry Fizzy - E/M
*Noteworthy Blues - E/M
*Lucky Clover - E/M
*Meadow Song - E/M
*Royal Riff - E/M
*Dangleberry Doo aka Hughbert Jellius - E/M
*Comet Tail - U/M
*Lyra Heartstrings - U/F
*Sea Swirl - U/F
*Amethyst Star - U/F
*Written Script - U/M
*Night Glider- P/F
*Starry Eyes - P/M
*Whitewash - P/M
*Open Skies - P/M
*Clear Skies - P/F

Firestorm is an OC belonging to DFatman, who gave me permission to use his character. Firestorm was originally on the Aristocratic Council as the Duke of Defense and Security. The council was abolished to make way for one where its members are democratically elected. Thus, Firestorm is retired from military service but he jumped at the chance to train a new guard at Midnight's request

370. Level Up! - Part 2

After being directed by Firestorm, who had explicitly instructed the recruits to always address him as Sir or Sergeant, the recruits were all getting ready for training by putting on some training gear provided by Midnight, Twilight and Sunburst. The gear would magically transition to fit the wearer, regardless of size or species.

"Good work on that gear, you two," complimented Midnight to his wife and apprentice, "it'll serve the cadets well in the coming weeks."

"Well, Sunburst is the one who suggested the Protean Adaptation Alteration spell," brought up Twilight, giving the unicorn a smile, which made Sunburst blush.

"Yeah, but you're the one who did all the enchanting, Twilight," Sunburst sighed, "I'm still having trouble with advanced spells, it's so frustrating!"

"Keep your chin up, Sunburst," assured Twilight, "your magic is getting stronger, thanks to all your training and study under Midnight. Before you know it, you'll be the wizard you were always meant to be!"

"And every wizard has a wizardly hat," suggested Midnight with a teasing smirk, "though... I don't think you could pull off bells, like Star Swirl. Perhaps a smoking cap would fit you better."

"Hmm," Sunburst had seen smoking caps before and they honestly had a wizardly appeal to them.

"Excuse me, Midnight, Twilight?" The three of them turned to see Button Mash (strangely lacking his signature propeller cap), wearing his saddlebags around his barrel, and holding up an applicant form fully signed out!
"I wanna join the Harmony Guard!"

"Uh..." Midnight found himself oddly speechless, a colt was asking to train to be a guard?

Sunburst took the form and looked it over. The hoofwriting was a tad sloppy, but he was surprised how it was completely filled out, "Wow, uh... you seem serious, little guy."

"Uh- Button Mash, heheh," Twilight knew she had to handle this delicately, "I appreciate your bravery, but this isn't-"

But she was interrupted by her husband, who'd placed a forefeather to her lips and then looked to Button, "Young colt... why do you want to join the Harmony Guard?"

All three adults were giving him their undivided attention, which made Button nervously gulp. But he took a deep breath, furrowed his brows, and explained.
"I want to follow in my big brother Cheat Code's hoofsteps. When I was really little, he was always there for me. He taught me a lot of stuff, played with me, always helped me feel better when I was sad... and I was really sad when he signed up to join the EUP once he was old enough. I said some awful things to him and didn't speak to him for a long while. My mom and dad were upset too, but they were supportive.

"The first letter Cheat Code sent us while he was away for basic training, I didn't even wanna read it. But Mom finally talked to me about how I was actually hurting Cheat Code's feelings! She told me how hard Cheat Code was working, what he was working towards, and the reasons he wanted to be a guard in the EUP was because he wanted to protect us! I felt like a brat after she was done, and I wrote Cheat Code back.

"Cheat Code always wrote back no matter what," Button Mash forced himself not to cry even though the memories were bringing tears into his eyes, "he'd tell me my letters always gave him courage and inspa... inspa..."

Button Mash stalled so Twilight helped, "Inspiration?"

"Yeah! That's it, he always said my letters gave him inspiration!" Button Mash smiled affirmatively as one tear escaped and trailed down his cheek, "When he came home after graduating the top of his class, he was soooo happy! Mom and Dad were so proud, and... I told Cheat Code that he was my hero...!"

Button couldn't hold the tears back anymore and began to cry, which made the prince, princess, and knight all look sadly at the colt sympathetically, Twilight stepping over to give Button a little hug and conjured a hoofkerchief for him to wipe his tears and blow his nose, which he did, making a cute little toot sound.

"Thank you..." Button calmed down and gathered himself, "When I told him that... Cheat Code told me that I was his hero! I was so surprised, especially after he gave me this."

Button reached into his right saddlebag and pulled out what appeared to be a badge that resembled a star around a castle tower similar to a rook chess piece, "It was his graduation gift, the Rookie of the Year Badge! He told me he got it for being the most dedicated recruit, for working the hardest, and always remembering to do what's right.

"He asked me to hang onto it for him, so I could bestow it upon him for a successful career as an officer in the EUP once he retired... but then..."

Button Mash refused to let himself cry again as he steadied himself and took a deep breath, "I'll never get to give Cheat Code his badge back... but I'd like to be worthy of it myself. Cheat Code did so much, gave up so much, to be a guard, to protect his fellow pony, and even though there were times I was angry at him for it, I was always proud to call him my big brother. I wanna follow his example and become a guard he would be proud of.

"So please, Twilight, Midnight, Sunburst!"

Button Mash got down, touching his forehead to the ground, surprising them, "Let me join! Let me train to become a part of the Harmony Guard! Please!"

Midnight, Twilight, and Sunburst shared a conflicted look, the three of them having been so deeply moved by Button's story and his motivations. But...

"I say, let him try." The alicorns, unicorn, and earth pony colt looked to see Firestorm coming their way as he gave Button an interested look.

"But he's just a young colt!" protested Twilight, surprised by Firestorm's suggestion and glaring at him for it.

"If I could have a word, Your Majesty," requested the old soldier, looking at Midnight before using his eyes to gesture off to the side. Midnight nodded, gave his wife a 'wait a moment' gesture and walked away with Firestorm so they stood a distance away to speak privately.
"I would like to train the colt, Midnight."

"If he was two or three years older I would agree, Firestorm," Midnight furrowed his brows, "but this young colt is still in primary school! Look, I sympathize with Button and I understand his reasons, but how can you possibly think this is a good idea?"

"Because like that brave little colt, we too have felt the pain of loss," responded Firestorm with a heavy heart.

Midnight's expression didn't change though his ears did droop in response to the older stallion's words as Firestorm went on, "Loss like that stays with you, especially at a young age, and you can't say that you don't see that in his eyes."

Midnight looked back towards Button Mash as Sunburst and Twilight were talking to the colt, more than likely trying to get him to change his mind without outright saying no and hurting his feelings. Button however continued to appear adamant and it was becoming increasingly clear that he would not be dissuaded.

Sighing heavily, Midnight said, "Somehow you always seem to be right, old soldier..."

"It's a gift. Or a curse, depends on how you look at it," Firestorm shrugged before getting serious, "Look, I give you my word, as a soldier. I won't push him any harder than I think he can handle, and I'll make sure he is safe. I can't promise he won't get a few bumps or scrapes, but if he comes to real harm, I'll forfeit the entire wealth of my House and forsake my family name."

Midnight was honestly surprised by Firestorm's words. In all of Equestrian history, there'd only been two or three nobles who'd done exactly what Firestorm was promising. Over the centuries, nobility became less about integrity and more about wealth and prestige, and it was harder and harder to meet true nobles, the kind of which who stood for something worthwhile and lived with honor.

"Why does this mean so much to you?" asked Midnight. "I can understand you sympathizing with him, but what is it about Button Mash that motivates you to go this far for his sake?"

The look the old stallion gave the alicorn told volumes of one's life. As much as he hated the aspect of it, Firestorm knew of the dangers of being a soldier and had seen it first hoof. Even going as far as giving his own hoof to it, but the one thing that always stayed with him was those he lost in the line of duty. The stallion held up his prosthetic hoof and opened a small plate to the inner workings of the leg. That's where Midnight saw it, a list of names, and right there at the bottom was the one name that said it all.

Cheat Code.

"I don't often take an apprentice, because when I lose them it hurts the most and if I can help the families of my brothers in arms in any way... All I ask, Midnight, is your trust and your faith in me that I watch over him closely and I won't let him get seriously harmed under my watch," promised Firestorm as he closed the plate.

Midnight looked upon the old warhorse with understanding. He was already familiar with Firestorm's charities for the families of soldiers that had fallen in the line of duty back when he was Duke of Defense and Security. Not only that, Firestorm volunteered as a guidance counselor for ponies suffering PTSD, whether they had been soldiers or not. Midnight deeply respected Firestorm, almost as much as his own father had respected the older stallion many years ago.

Taking a deep breath, Midnight conceded, "Alright, he can try. But you're going to have to speak with his mother about this and if she says no then that's that."

"Understood, now if you'll excuse me I gotta go whip some pansies into shape," Firestorm said as he started walking towards the recruits, all wearing their training gear and looking entirely too excited for the misery he planned to put them all through.
"Send the colt to me after you speak with him."

Midnight chuckled in amusement and anxiety as he didn't relish the idea of having to explain this to his wife once they were alone, Not looking forward to that conversation...

Since it was only the first day of training and because there was very little training equipment (these begin a few training dummies and training weapons), Firestorm went old school and simply had the recruits do laps, push-ups, and other basic exercises throughout the day. He made a point of declaring Button Mash a junior recruit and not to question why a colt was participating in their training. The way the recruits had looked to be on the verge of wetting themselves had satisfied Firestorm's assumption that he'd gotten his point across.

He told them further that Button would be treated like any other recruit and receive no special treatment, and as such they were expected to treat him as a fellow recruit and not a child, which meant no help other than encouragement.

Indeed, Button proved himself to be a tenacious young colt but it became very obvious very quickly that he couldn't keep up with the other recruits. He could barely do ten push-ups, he couldn't keep up when they did laps (in fact he got lapped more than once by most of the others), there weren't any training weapons small enough for him to handle, and he wasn't big enough to spar safely with anyone. He was, after all, still just a foal.

Meanwhile, the other recruits were working hard though some tripped while running laps, got distracted by something or other, and others (particularly the ones with no prior guard training) had any combat experience at all. More than once a scrap almost started from arguments between them, only to get broken up by Firestorm who told them to stow that crap or else.

It was late into the afternoon when finally Firestorm said, "Alright, you wimps are done for today!"

So many of the recruits either flopped onto their bellies, dropped over onto their backs, and took a relieved sit down, each and every one of them exhausted. Only a few continued to stand though even they panted like the rest as Firestorm announced, "I expect each and every one of you to be bright-eyed and bushy tailed back here by noon tomorrow. Because we have a long hike in front of us and I for one love the crisp morning air."

The sounds of groans and come-ons were music to Firestorm's ears as he looked over to Button Mash, seeing the colt was lying on his back, his tongue hanging out as he panted in exhaustion, too tired to complain about Firestorm's announced hike for tomorrow. Firestorm had to admit it to himself that the colt had promise.

For the entire five hours he'd trained the recruits, Button Mash had done his best even though it was painfully obvious he couldn't compare to or keep up with the adult trainees. Even so, Button hadn't complained or asked for easy treatment, which impressed the old soldier. He could see the colt had his brother's tenacity in him, truly.

Stepping over to the tired colt, Firestorm suggested, "Why don't I give you a lift home, kid? Mind showing me the way?"

After he knock-knock-knocked on the front door, Firestorm stepped back and gently levitated Button off of his back and set him on the ground beside him only a moment before the door opened, revealing Love Tap, Button's mother.

"Button, sweetie, wha... Um, is something wrong, sir? Did my son do any-" Firestorm lifted his prosthetic hoof.

"Your boy's not in trouble, ma'am," he assured, "I just helped the boy home after... well, would it be permissible, miss, for me to have a word with you?"

"Um... I suppose," Love Tap gestured Button and Firestorm in, "Button, why don't you go take a bath, dear, while I talk to this.... gentlecolt."

"Okay, Mom," Button replied, sounding tired as he gave his mom a quick hug before going upstairs.

"Thank you for that," Firestorm said before suggesting, "May we sit down and talk?"

"Y-yes, in here," Love Tap led Firestorm into the living room and invited him to sit wherever he liked.

The old unicorn made himself comfortable in the easy chair that belonged to Love Tap's husband, who was away yet again for work. Love Tap offered, "Could I get you something to drink, mister...?"

"Firestorm, and an ice water would be nice, thank you," Firestorm replied gratefully.

Love Tap prepared some glasses of ice water with lemon wedges and once Firestorm had taken a refreshing swig, he waited until he could hear the shower running upstairs before he cleared his throat, "Now, let's stop beating around the bush, miss, and get to why I'm here... In case you are not aware, the local prince and princess have begun formalizing their own personal guard, the Harmony Guard, and have requested me to train the applicants."

"What does that have to do with my son?" asked Love Tap warily.

"Your son has applied to join," Firestorm responded bluntly, which caused Love Tap to tense up in disbelief. "Now, let me just say-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!" Love Tap screamed at the top of her lungs as she stood up.

"Ma'am, please! You don't want your son to hear you like this," Firestorm said in a calm manner.

"Don't you talk to me about my son, you... You-" Love Tap suddenly found her lips sealing themselves shut, accompanied by what sounded like a zipper, and she realized, much to her outrage, that Firestorm had used the zip-it spell on her (she'd seen it before), and her muffled yells communicated to Firestorm that she was not amused.

"Ma'am, with all due respect," Firestorm said with just a subtle hint of authority, "I wish to discuss the situation with you and I would like to discuss it in a calm and reasonable manner where we both speak and express our thoughts and make our points and come to a mutual understanding."

The incensed look of contempt Love Tap was giving him caused Firestorm to sigh before he spoke again, "Love Tap... I trained Cheat Code."

The mare's eyes widened a little with surprise and Firestorm went on, "When he first started in basic training, he was hopeless. Kept tripping, stumbling, fumbling, a lot of his fellow recruits derided him... but you know what, he never complained. He never asked for special treatment. He just kept picking himself up and he kept moving forward. Before I knew it, he was the one leaving the rest in the dirt.

"Cheat Code gave it his all and then some. He conducted himself with honor and dignity. He was respectful but at the same time he had a mouth on him, very witty. It helped him cheer up some of his fellow recruits when they were feeling down, doubting themselves, or even considering dropping out. He inspired them to follow in his example, to not give up, to give it their all. It was my honor and privilege to award him the Rookie of the Year badge when he graduated valedictorian of his class."

The look of sadness coming over Love Tap relieved Firestorm as he could see he was getting somewhere and so he undid the zip-it spell. It was a long moment before Love Tap took a deep breath.

"My oldest son... died," Love Tap uttered, shutting her eyes in pain, "he died far from home, in a dark place, and for what? Protecting a government interest? I know that the mine for which he was assigned to oversee security was supposed to be classified, but that didn't prevent what should have been a safe assignment. And now you're telling me my little colt wants to put his own life on the line for-for... duty?! Honor?! Crown and country?! I will not allow it."

The adamant look of a mother protecting her child was one that Firestorm both respected and feared, but he knew that this mare needed to hear what he was about to say.

"Love Tap... there is nothing I can do or say to make you feel better about what happened to Cheat Code. Not many ponies who join the guard catch my interest and even fewer do I take an interest in training personally," Firestorm spoke solemnly, "Cheat Code? ...He was the sort of recruit that doesn't come along very often. He didn't start out gracefully, but by Goddess he became among the finest Guards I ever trained.

"When I learned what happened to him, I felt like I too had lost a son. I thought Cheat Code was gonna go further - Much further - in proving himself, rising through the ranks. Hell, I even thought I would be calling him 'sir', one day. I've only called three ponies that I trained 'sir' or 'ma'am' in my entire career in the EUP. I sincerely wish Cheat Code would have been the fourth."

"You're not going to change my mind," Love Tap maintained her adamant look.

"If you'd heard what Button Mash had said when he approached Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight today," Firestorm brought up, "I think you would have been proud. Truly, ma'am, I don't think I've ever been so moved and impressed by the words of a colt as I was today.

"Button Mash intends to follow in his brother's hoofsteps and I don't think anything is going to stop him."

"He's just a colt!"

"A colt who had the brass balls to walk right up to alicorn royalty and volunteer himself to train to become a guard so as to protect crown and country!" Firestorm raised his voice just so, not in a scolding manner but to emphasize his point.
"He talked about the shame he once felt about being angry with his brother and being so humbled to learn that he was the source of his brother's motivation to soldier on through training and then call that little colt his hero. Then he showed the prince and princess his brother's badge, the Rookie of the Year badge I myself bestowed upon Cheat Code, and how his brother asked him to hold onto it for him.

"Button had hoped to give it back to Cheat Code once he'd retired from the military. That's never gonna happen... and then Button said that if he can't give it back to his brother, he wants to be worthy of it himself! He pressed his forehead to the ground and begged the prince and princess to give him a chance!"

Love Tap's composure began to crack as tears were running down her cheeks as she whispered, "He's my colt, sir! My baby... When that guard showed up that evening and told me what had happened to my firstborn, I was shattered. I can't bear to lose my remaining foal."

"I understand that, ma'am, more than you realize," Firestorm sighed deeply and Love Tap recognized the pain in his voice and knew that he meant it. "You're not the only one who's lost a son in the line of duty... but the truth is, you can't stop Button from doing what he's set his heart on doing. You can only make sure he is prepared. Even if I respect your wishes and tell him he can't continue training, he's not going to give up!

"He's going to do whatever he has to in order to prove himself. He just might wind up doing something... reckless."

Sighing into her hoof before giving Firestorm an almost challenging look, Love Tap both asked and demanded, "Then what do you propose I do? Let him go through with this-this... nonsense that a colt can train and become a guard? At his age?!"

"Let me train him," Firestorm requested, "and I promise I will never let him do anything I know he isn't capable of or shouldn't be doing. I will never push him any harder than what he can handle. He most certainly won't join the Harmony Guard at his age, but it will give him confidence, focus, a means of helping him move on from the mourning for his brother he is still feeling."

Love Tap felt her heart hurt from that last sentence but Firestorm kept going, "Button Mash has more of his brother in him than you think, ma'am. Cheat Code used to tell me about him. Button was always engrossed in his video games, right? Reluctant to get out there, participate in life, bit of a momma's colt. I don't mean to sound offensive, I'm merely repeating what Cheat Code told me.

"Button Mash uses video games to escape his troubles, or am I wrong?"

Love Tap wanted to say otherwise, but her silence and looking away indicated Firestorm was spot on.
"But only this time the escape he years for follows him no matter how much he tries to ignore it. So instead of escaping it, he's being a stallion and embracing it! He's taking inspiration from his brother's memory and using it to motivate him. Honestly, ma'am... you should be proud."

The way the old soldier had worded it, said it, it did make Love Tap proud. It swelled her heart with pride, joy, and pain all at once it was almost suffocating and only by letting the tears flow could she ease it as she struggled not to break down, when she noticed a tissue levitating towards her and she saw the look of understanding on Firestorm's face.

Accepting it, she uttered "Thank you..." and wiped her face blew her nose. Firestorm took the tissue back, bunched it up in his mana, and threw it into a nearby wastebasket in the corner of the living room.

For a long time, neither of them said anything and Firestorm didn't press her. He knew she had to think on this for herself, having said his piece. So now it was time for Love Tap to say hers as she finally took a deep breath.

"...The day Cheat Code signed up for basic training in the EUP," she began, "I was proud and afraid at the same time. He said he was motivated, excited, determined to make something of himself. But I could see it in his eyes. Mothers know these things, after all. Cheat Code was nervous, like... was he making a mistake?

The first time he sent a letter home, he wrote that he was working hard, training was going well. But I could just feel it... he was doubting himself, afraid of failing, letting everyone down. When I began to write a response, I asked Button if he would write something nice to his brother but he... well, let's just say what Button said was unacceptable and I set him straight."

Love Tap looked out the window, but Firestorm could see she wasn't looking outside or at anything in particular. She was looking back.

"Button felt bad but he still didn't write anything. But when I was going to send the letter, he suddenly ran up to me and begged me to let him write something after all. To this day... I still don't know what he wrote in that letter, because the minute he was done, he mailed it himself! The next letter we got from Cheat Code, I could tell immediately from his words. He was doing great! His words were confident, determined, maybe just a little cocky, heh... I asked Button what he wrote to his brother and you know what that little colt said to me?"

She looked at Firestorm, smiling sadly yet proudly, "He said... 'I just told him what i thought he should know'. Then he smiled, said 'I love you' and then he ran off to play. That was five years ago."

"Children so very often turn out to be so much smarter and wiser than we grownups give them credit for," Firestorm replied with a smile, Love Tap nodding in agreement. "Love Tap... I've lost friends, fellow soldiers, and innocents who died because I wasn't fast enough, strong enough or smart enough to... My point is, those who join the military and all branches of it, they join with the understanding... that they are, at some point, going to put their lives on the line. Cheat Code understood that and he joined anyway. He was a good soldier, a recognized officer, but most importantly, he was a son, a brother. A friend. I miss him, very-very much. And I wish to honor his memory by honoring the determination of his brave little brother and seeing that colt go the distance his brother didn't get to.

Button Mash is Cheat Code's legacy, and I could see it in that little colt's eyes."

Love Tap looked Firestorm in the eye as the old soldier smiled as he declared, "He has it in him... to become a Legend!"

The mother felt her heart waver, butterflies in her stomach, a sense of... excitement? It surprised her, for she was starting to believe as well. Taking another deep breath, she asked, "You'll watch over him?"

Firestorm stood up, knelt down, and bowed his head as he swore, "With my life."

Author's Note

This was difficult to do because of the emotion in it. I killed Button Mash's big brother Cheat Code in my story and knew Button deciding to follow in his brother's hoofsteps would be very difficult for his mother Love Tap to accept

DFatman's character, Firestorm, had to walk a precarious line in order to convince Love Tap to entrust him with her foal's well-being by making an impression into her regarding Button and her late son Cheat Code, a line I felt I had to make absolutely apparent and to me it felt precarious as I wanted to write it in a way that felt right without leaning one way or another towards a way that would ruin it

371. Level Up! - Part 3

The next few days flew by. Firestorm continued to train the recruits, including Button, who was allowed to continue training and came by after school though the old soldier only allowed the colt to train for two or three hours before sending him home. Most of the training was measuring stamina and willpower through exercise though Firestorm promised the real training would begin the following week.

As he'd promised Button's mother, Firestorm never pushed the colt any further than he was certain Button could go. Firestorm watched him closely and he continued to see that Button had heart, tenacity, a bit of a stubborn streak, and most certainly courage. Once, Button tripped and scraped a knee, coming very close to crying. But the colt forced himself to stand up, hold in the tears, and he kept going.

However... Firestorm could still tell that as dedicated as Button was, he just wasn't keeping up with the rest of the recruits. More than once, Button worked himself to exhaustion despite Firestorm telling him not to push himself too hard. But the problem was, Button was feeling insecure about being left behind by the other recruits even though several of them gave him words of encouragement. Firestorm as glad that the other recruits were treating Button fairly, and though he was sworn to see Button become a guard his late brother would be proud of, a bittersweet realization was becoming painfully obvious.

Button was just too young. It was too soon.

Three days after Firestorm had spoken with Love Tap, around the middle of Thursday afternoon, Firestorm called out, "Alright, take a break, you lightweights!"

The recruits all breathed a sigh in relief as they put their training equipment away. In the days since they began training, they'd done basic exercises, ran laps around the training field, and Firestorm had given the noobs introductory sessions in weapons training while entrusting those who'd done guard training in their past to tutor and help the inexperienced recruits.

The training weapons were made of light wood and covered with foam though they'd been charmed to be unbreakable by Princess Twilight. Prince Midnight had provided training dummies for them to practice on and Firestorm oversaw all sparring, warning the recruits that any fighting would be grounds for dismissal.

Walking among his trainees, Firestorm came upon Button, who was having trouble lifting a training sword, mainly because it was too long and awkward for the colt.

"Button Mash..." Button turned to see Firestorm coming his way and the colt stiffened up and saluted, causing Firestorm to chuckle, "At ease."

Button relaxed and said, "I'm- I'm doing my best, sir! Everything's-"

"Fine, Button," Firestorm interjected with a firm yet gentle tone. "Everything is fine, son. However..."

Button had a bad feeling of where this was going as Firestorm said, "Button Mash, you are, by far, the most hardy little colt I've ever had the pleasure of seeing work hard and do his best. You do your brother proud."

"...Thank you, sir," Button gulped before hesitantly asking, "But...?"

Taking a deep breath, Firestorm said, "But... I'm afraid that perhaps this wasn't-"

"Button, sweetie! Firestorm!"

Colt and stallion turned to see Love Tap coming their way, a basket secured to her saddlebags as she approached, "Pardon me for showing up out of the blue, I just wanted to surprise you!"

Firestorm wasn't sure whether this was a bad thing or a good thing. On one hoof, once he broke it to Button Mash that it was just too soon for him to be training Love Tap would be relieved and immediately able to comfort her colt. On the other, Button might be embarrassed about being coddled by his mother in front of the other recruits.

"I'm not interrupting any training, am I?" asked Love Tap as she stopped in front of them before gesturing to the trainees all hanging around and chatting with each other through out the training field.
"It looks like you're taking it easy, and I just wanted to surprise you with a little picnic."

"Mo-om-" Button tried to complain, blushing just a bit, only for Firestorm to put his hoof over the colt's mouth.

"Not at all, Love Tap," he assured, "as a matter of fact I'm feeling rather peckish. Would it be fine if I shared in your picnic with your boy?"

"Oh by all means, Firestorm," Love Tap set the basket on the ground, only for Firestorm to levitate it up.

"Allow me," the old unicorn smiled as he meticulously set everything up in his telekinesis.

He laid out the picnic blanket, set the basket down, and then the paper plates, cups and napkins, a few sandwiches, a pitcher of iced lemonade, and a container of cookies.

"By all means, help yourselves," Love Tap invited as she sat down, Firestorm joining her and Button sighing as he sat down too.

Firestorm poured the lemonade and Love Tap made sure each of them had a sandwich, which were, to Button's delight, grilled cheese and peppers. The light kind that added just a little spiciness to the flavor. But as much as Button enjoyed his sandwich, he couldn't help looking at his mom out the corners of his eyes, unsure of what to say or do, or of what she might say or do.

It didn't escape Firestorm's notice.

"Button," Firestorm said after stifling a burp and then wiping his lips with a napkin, "I think we should finish our talk."

"Oh, is there something going on?" asked Love Tap, looking just a bit concerned. "Should I...?"

"No, no, miss," Firestorm politely declined, "This is... sort of a stallion-to-stallion talk. Come along, kid."

"Uh- Thanks, Mom," Button made sure nopony was watching before he reared up and gave his mom a kiss on the cheek before scurrying after Firestorm.

Once they were standing on the other side of the training field, Firestorm bade Button to sit with him on the grass before clearing his throat, "Button Mash, I respect your spirit, kid."

Button gulped again, his ears pressing down as Firestorm went on, "You have so much of your brother in you, more than you realize. You don't look alike, but every time I look at you... I see him. I miss him, Button Mash. Very much, and it's for that reason I want to help you follow in his hoofsteps, to be what he never got the chance to be."

Bracing himself for what he knew was coming, Button sighed, "But?"

"...But I'm afraid you're not ready, son," Firestorm spoke as gently and kindly as he could but also with a firm paternal tone, "You're not old enough. Not strong enough, not big enough, and I know you're trying your absolute hardest. You never complain or ask for it to be easy, and I've seen you trip, get back up, and keep going. You're dedicated to this goal you've chosen, Button Mash, and I respect that."

"But I can't train anymore... can I?" Button Mash hung his head in disappointment, when he felt Firestorm's hoof gently lift his gaze up to meet the old soldier's encouraging smile.

"Not for a while," Firestorm promised and his voice gave Button Mash just a little hope, "But you can still-"

"AAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!" "LOOK OUT!!" "TIMBERWOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLVVVEESSSS!!!!"

-only for the old soldier and young colt to startle and gasp to see a pack of maybe ten timberwolves or more come running out of the nearby woods behind the training field. The beasts covered in bark ran after the nearest ponies, some of whom grabbed training staffs and jabbed defensively at the monsters. The pegasi kept to the air though the zepbrasus, the griffon and Night Glider dive-bombed a few timberwolves to distract them so the others could get away.

Avalance the Sirian Dog and the minotaur were the only ones who fought the timberwolves directly. Though the timberwolves were twice his size, Avalanche was fighting one with teeth and claws and holding his own. The minotaur was doing quite well as his punches broke the monsters to twigs. The problem was they kept putting themselves back together shortly after.

"Button, go hide and stay safe until this is over!" Firestorm ordered as he extended the talons in his prosthetic leg and hurried to join in the fray.

Button was stunned and took in the battle with a coltish mixture of amazement and fear. The yells, the growls, the shouts, the snarls, and he saw them. Not even a week's training and these trainees he'd trained alongside (despite not being able to keep up) were holding their own. He saw Caramel and Lucky Clover give one timberwolf a double-buck that broke the mutt into splinters. Comet Tail and Lyra Heartstrings fire Magic Arrow spells that blew away several timberwolves piece by piece, not letting up to prevent them from putting themselves back together. Open Skies and his sister Clear Skies working in perfect sync as they flew around the pack, distracting them, frustrating them, leaving themselves open to attack from the others. That wasn't to say nopony didn't get hurt. Amethyst Star got clawed on the flank. Dangleberry Doo got tackled. Starry Eyes got yanked down hard when he flew too low and was nearly mauled, only for the others to come to his aid.

Button Mash saw blood, and it scared him with the realization of what signing up for military service really meant.

"AAAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!"

Button Mash felt his heart leap into his throat as he recognized that scream and saw his mom, on her back, trying to crawl away from a timberwolf that was crouched and growling softly, ready to pounce at any moment.

"MOM!!!!" Button didn't hesitate. He didn't think. The only thought in his head in that singular moment was that his mom was in trouble and he had to protect her.

He ran as faster than he'd ever run in all his life. Noticing a training shield on the ground, he picked it up, and hoofed it! The timberwolf snarled at Love Tap, who was too terrified to even notice her son running towards her, especially when the monster lunged, Love Tap closed her eyes and held her breath... only to hear a loud clatter-y crash, like branches breaking, and a scared yelp followed by panting.

Love Tap slowly opened her eyes... and gasped to see her Button, holding a shield, pieces of the timberwolf lying scattered around him as he dropped the shield and turned to look at her.

For a moment, they just stood there, the both of them stupefied by what had just happened... until Button threw himself at his mother and Love Tap embraced her colt, who was sniffling, "M-Mom! Are-are you...?"

"I'm okay, sweetie!" Love Tap shuddered before kissing her baby all over his face and hugging him again, "I'm okay... thanks to you!"

They let go of each other, mother and son holding each other's gaze as Love Tap looked upon her colt in a way she never had before.
"Button Mash... you saved my life!"

"I... I just... wanted to protect you," uttered Button Mash, still a little stunned by what had just happened, and he began to relax when he felt his mom's hoof on his cheek.

"And you did," Love Tap smiled, a tear running down her face, "I have never felt so proud of you."

Button Mash slowly began to smile, only for the moment to be cut short when they heard a strange noise. They looked and saw the branches and twigs and pieces of bark shudder and shiver before they all slid towards each other in a big bungle that quickly took shape and they realized in horror that the timberwolf was still alive as it reared its ugly head and snarled at them angrily!

Love Tap and Button Mash hugged each other as the beast reached towards them, only for a gout of fire to come out of nowhere and burn it to ashes. The timberwolf's dying cries went unheard over the roar of the fire and Love Tap and Button Mash watched in awe as the fire went out, flits of ashes blowing away in the breeze, and Firestorm stepped towards them, his horn smoking ever so slightly from his spell.

He looked relieved to see them both unharmed when they heard whine and yelps and they all looked to see it was Prince Midnight, Princess Twilight, and Sunburst using their magic to drive the rest of the pack away. Then Firestorm returned his gaze to Love Tap and Button before holding out his prosthetic leg, willing the talons to fold away.

"Let's convene with the others, make sure everyone's alright," he suggested.

Minutes later, Midnight, Twilight, and Sunburst were calling names, making sure everypony was present, checking to see who had been hurt. To everypony's relief, nopony was seriously injured apart from scratches and bruises that would heal up in no time. But then Firestorm signaled the prince, princess and Sunburst over to him and he said, "Well, Your Majesties, it seems somepony has made their mark today."

"What do you mean?" asked Sunburst before Firestorm looked in one direction and all eyes followed... to see Button Mash standing by his mother, and Love Tap gasped when she too looked upon her colt.

"What? What is it?" asked Button, not understanding what was going on.

"...You're really growing up, sweetie," Love Tap replied in an almost bittersweet way as she smiled and pointed to Button's flank.

Button softly gasped in disbelief, for his flanks... bore his mark of destiny:

"...my cutie-mark!" Button whispered, stupefied with amazement and joy.

"You know, it's been said that ponies who bear the mark of a shield," spoke up Firestorm, "they are destined to be protectors."

"I can attest to that," Twilight smiled, feeling glad for Button Mash, "my big brother, Shining Armor, declared, when he got his cutie-mark, he would protect everyone. It's one of the reasons he originally joined the EUP."

"THREE CHEERS FOR BUTTON MASH!!!" shouted Midnight as he and Firestorm lifted the colt up for everyone to see.

"HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY!!HIP HIP HOORAY!!!" cheered all the trainees as Button Mash couldn't help but smile as well as blush, feeling a little bashful.

But seeing the tearful and smiling pride on his mom's face, it made Button feel happier than any video game ever had.

A couple days passed after the incident with the timberwolves and after receiving a summons from Firestorm, Button Mash and Love Tap were walking together towards the Castle of Friendship.

"I wonder why Firestorm asked us to come to the castle," Button said to his mom. "He also said to bring Cheat Code's badge."

"I'm not sure, dear," Love Tap shrugged before lowering her head to give her boy another nuzzle, making him smile, "but I have no doubt that your big brother would be every bit as proud of you as I am. Maybe even more."

"Thanks, Mom," Button smiled at her as they approached the doors to the Castle of Friendship.

But before Love Tap could reach up to knock, the doors opened, revealing Spike, smiling as he said, "Hi, Button, Love Tap! Everyone's waiting for you!"

"Every...? What do you mean, Spike?" Button asked as he and Love Tap entered.

"Well, let's just say... you have arrived," Spike said with a cheeky laugh before gesturing to them, "Follow me!"

It always baffled Button Mash by how much bigger the Castle of Friendship seemed to be on the inside compared to its outside. He'd only been inside the castle a few times, but it never ceased to amaze him. Nor his mom, once he noticed her subdued awe as they walked down the hall. She might not have been gawking around like a filly in a toy store, but Button Mash could see his mom's eyes filled with starry-eyed wonder.

They soon came to another pair of doors where Spike paused and looked at them.
"Love Tap, I'll need you to follow me once I open the doors, and Button... you'll know what to do."

Mother and Son shared a confused look before Spike placed his hands on the doors... and pushed, revealing the entry hall where, to Button and Love Tap's surprise, they saw all of the trainees for the Harmony Guard standing in two rows, facing inward. At the end of the rows, stood Firestorm at the foot of the grand staircase, and a few steps up, there were Prince Midnight, Princess Twilight, and their apprentices, Sunburst and Starlight standing beside their mentors, albeit a step below.

Spike led Love Tap aside and gave an encouraging thumbs-up to Button, who stood there, uncertain, nervous, until Firestorm bade, "Step forward, Button Mash."

Gulping, Button Mash slowly walked down between the rows of the trainees, surprised whenever he passed somepony, they would lift their hoof (or paw, hand, or talons in the case of a few) in salute, a lot of them giving him looks of respect and even smiles. Finally, Button Mash stood before Firestorm, who received a certain badge from Spike (which the dragon had kindly requested from Love Tap before bringing to the old soldier) and Firestorm cleared his throat.

"Button Mash... For showing tenacity, grit, and true courage that is rarely seen from ponies your age, the proof of it for all to see on your flanks," Firestorm levitated, to Button's disbelief, Cheat Code's badge, "It is my honor and my privilege to bestow upon you... this Rookie of the Year badge, once proudly worn by your brother, Cheat Code, before you, Goddess rest his soul."

The velvet necklace slipped over Button's head and the colt held the badge in his hoof, noticing it'd been cleaned and polished to the point where it shined like new.

"Young colt," Button looked back up to Firestorm, "you have the heart and the mark of a protector, and your brother may be gone in body but he lives on inside of you. It is-"

"Um, I'm sorry," Button Mash interrupted, feeling nervous but he had to get this off of his chest, "I'm... honored and grateful for all of this, but... Well, after having time to think it over, I... I understand something. I signed up to join the Harmony Guard, because I wanted to honor Cheat Code's memory, and I still do, really!"

Nopony interrupted. They listened without judgement and with understanding as Button took a deep breath, "But after what happened? Well, I know now that... I'm not ready. Not yet. But I will be one day! It's just, even though I saved my mom, I know that the timberwolf would have hurt us if it hadn't been for you, Firestorm.

"As much as I want to train and join the Harmony Guard, I understand that I have to wait for a while. Until I'm older, bigger, stronger and probably... wiser?"

He was relieved when he saw several nods and Button Mash looked at Firestorm, "So... can I come back to train when I'm big enough to?"

"Absolutely, and I applaud your maturity, Button Mash," Firestorm smiled proudly before he lowered himself to be closer to Button's level and whispered into the colt's ear, "You're gonna grow up to be a fine stallion, one day."

He stepped back, the colt and stallion sharing a mutual smile of respect and admiration... before they saluted and everypony in the hall cheered.

But none felt so proud as Love Tap, gazing upon her colt, when she felt a familiar presence beside her... and she looked in bittersweet disbelief to see it was Cheat Code! He was looking at his little brother, proud as can be, before he looked to his mother with a warm smile, leaned over, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Just like he always used to when he was a colt.

Love Tap felt her heart swell and then ache as she watched Cheat Code walk away, becoming transparent, before he peered back at her and gave her a wink before he vanished completely, and Love Tap...

She was surprised by how she felt in that moment. It was not sadness. It was not loss. It was not heartbreak. No, for the first time since that night a guard came to her door and told her that her firstborn son had fallen in the line of duty... Love Tap felt at peace. She still missed her son, Cheat Code, and she always would. But now, she realized, despite saying nothing, she got to say goodbye.

And now, instead of dreading her Button's future, she looked forward to it. Looking back to her colt, she smiled to see him being held up by Firestorm as everyone surrounded him with admiration, encouragement, and hope.

Her eyes fell upon Firestorm and she recalled something he'd said to her:

He has it in him... to become a Legend!

Smiling, Love Tap whispered, "And what a legend you will be, sweetie..."

Author's Note

I was originally gonna end this with Firestorm being knighted and Button Mash would become his squire, but I realized that would sort of take away the glory in this arc that is reserved for Button

Button wanted to become a guard and, understandably, he was in a rush. But he found the maturity and wisdom to realize he's not ready and the patience to wait for when he is

DFatman and Pen Dragon have my thanks for their guidance and second opinions in the making of this arc.

Button Mash's Cutie-Mark commissioned by Hoodwink MCShelster

372. Applejack's "Night" Out - Part 1

Each day when the sun rises, I hurry from my sleep
I can't wait to greet you with my song

“Mmph... “ Applejack’s eyes creaked open, surprised to wake up, not to the shrill and obnoxious crowing of the family rooster… but to a most beautiful song.

“Wha… whoozat?”

She got out of bed, put a quick mane-tie on, and poked her head out the door, hearing the singing more clearly and noticing she wasn’t the only one.

You are every kind of flower, every animal I meet

She saw Apple Bloom, Twinken, and even Granny Smith up and awake as they all shared confused looks as they all had the same question: Who was singing?

You are nature, full of grace and majesty

Granny Smith gestured with her head to the stairs and they followed the old mare down them, the singing gracing their ears as they got closer to the singer.

From your skies the snow gently falls to the earth,
From your trees the birds nest and play

They approached the kitchen and their answer made herself known as they saw it was Faerie Tail, just finishing breakfast before setting the table with her magic and serving up helpings for everyone. However, she hadn’t noticed yet that she had an audience.

From your oceans the fish school and travel the world,
Oh, nature, please don't ever go away

Apple Bloom and Twinken smiled and were about to go in, only for Granny Smith and Applejack to hold them back and silently hold their hooves to their lips and they continued to listen to Faerie Tail.

Each day when the sun rises, I hurry from my sleep,
I can't wait to greet you with my song
You are every kind of flower, every animal I meet,
Nature you are grace and majesty

Sighing in content as she finished her song and was satisfied that breakfast was ready, Faerie Tail was caught utterly off guard as she heard a little applause and looked to see everyone awake, smiling at her.

“Mah word, whudda gorgeous way t’ wake up!” Granny Smith smiled warmly, everypony nodding in agreement.

“Oh! Oh my, I- Good morning, everypony…” Faerie Tail blushed, looking bashful before she cleared her throat and said, “Breakfast is ready! Heheh!”

"Faerie Tail, Ah gotta say," Applejack said as she sat at the table, "tha' was one o' th' most bee-yoo-tiful songs Ah ever did hear."

"Oh stop it, Applejack," Faerie Tail got all bashful as she took her own seat.

"Don't be embarrassed, Mom!" Twinken sat next to his mom and gave her a hug, which she warmly reciprocated. "It was wonderful! Where did you learn it?"

"Yeah, Faerie Tail, tell us, please!" Apple Bloom gave the unicorn mare her heartbreaking eyes, which caused Faerie Tail to cave.

"Alright, alright, settle down, I'll tell you all," Faerie Tail took a deep breath, "It's not my song, but it has been sung for over a thousand years. My mother-in-law taught it to me after I married Midnight and Twinken's father, Ignitus. She told me it was first sung by the wife of Vulcan, the founder of House Obsidian, and it was tradition that all female members of the family, by blood or marriage, would sing it to their children or to welcome the morning in the hopes for a good day."

"Well, wakin' up t' such a beautiful song an' voice like that?" Applejack said as she started to enjoy her breakfast, "Ah ain't got no doubt about mah day turnin' out great! Jus' as soon as muh chores are done. Wha's on anypony else's agenda?"

"Ah'm goin' t' see muh friends fer our weekly tea n' biscuits," Granny Smith replied, "little bingo on th' side, some knittin'..."

"Hey Twinken, is tha' grammar homework due t'day or tomorrow?" asked Apple Bloom.

"Tomorrow, no worries," assured Twinken before he took a swig of sparkling apple juice. Afterwards he stifled a burp and then said, "Thunderlane's at the door, wants to see you, AJ."

"Huh?!" Applejack looked to the door and saw Twinken's red mana turn the handle to reveal Thunderlane just as he'd been about to knock, surprising him.

"How'd ya do that?" asked Apple Bloom, all eyes turning to Twinken.

"Telepath, remember?" Twinken pointed at himself before taking a bite of buttered toast.

"Uh..." all eyes turned back to Thunderlane, who stood before the doorway, looking caught off guard, "...good morning?"

"Howdy, Thunderlane," Applejack waved him, "join us fer breakfast?"

"Um, no, that's... okay," Thunderlane cleared his throat, "AJ, I'm... uh, see... it's... such a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"It sure as sugar is," Applejack agreed, failing to see the blush and forced smile on Thunderlane's face, which did not however go unnoticed by the rest of the family. "Once some chores're done with, Ah'm gonna-"

"Wouldyougooutwithmetonight?!" blurted out Thunderlane, clearly acting on impulse for he immediately seemed to regret, the way he sucked in his lips and got shifty-eyed.

"Uh..." Applejack said dumbly while Apple Bloom and Twinken shared a foalish laugh at her expense and Granny Smith and Faerie Tail shared a maternal smirk. "Well, uh, Thunder, Ah'm... well, Ah- Hey!"

Applejack was being levitated out the door in Faerie Tail's soft golden mana as the older mare said, "Have a good time out, Applejack, and don't worry about the chores, Twinken and I can handle them. Don't you kids get into any trouble now!"

"Wait!" Applejack tried to protest, only to get her snoot smacked by the closing door. "Ow..."

"You okay, AJ?" Applejack turned to the concerned Thunderlane, holding her nose.

"Uh- Yeah... Oh!" Applejack gently flared her nostrils a bit, letting the pain dull away before clearing her throat, "So uh, Thunder? Um... a date, huh?"

"Uh-huh! I, uh... thought we could enjoy ourselves with a steam bath at the spa," Thunderlane started to get just a little excited as he explained, "and then afterwards, there's this movie over at the cinema I think you'd like, it's called 'Lone Ranger Silver', and finally I thought we'd have a nice dinner at the restaurant of your choice!"

Applejack had to admit: All of that sounded really nice, An'... Ah s'pose Ah could take a day off eve'ry once in a while.

But still, this wasn't hanging out with a good friend, but an actual date! How long had it been since Applejack had been on one of those? Applejack had never been the romantic type, especially after her parents passed away. Oh, she'd tried to date a couple of times, once with Caramel, the other with Dangleberry Doo (how that stallion could love jelly so much still disturbed the young mare), but neither had gone anywhere.

Granted though, she hadn't liked them as much as she liked Thunderlane. She was well aware that Thunderlane had feelings for her and truly she admired and respected Thunderlane a great deal, and considered him a very good friend, practically family.

But still... Applejack thought with a slight gulp before clearing her throat and saying aloud, "Tha' all sounds... mighty dandy, Thunderlane! Tell ya what though: Can we... take some time t' prepare? Ah mean, Ah'd like t' spruce up a bit, powder muh nose, an' such?"

"Oh! Uh, absolutely!" Thunderlane was secretly relieved. Sure, he had some general ideas for the date but he hadn't entirely prepared himself for it. "So... you go ahead and get ready, I'll meet you at the Spa at three o'clock, after that is the movie at 4:15, and finally we'll go wherever you'd like to eat. Sound good?"

"Fantastic, seeya then!" Applejack galloped past Thunderlane so fast, it sent him spinning a bit, leaving him in a loopy daze of dopy hopefulness and anxiety as he shook it off and watched Applejack disappear down the way towards Ponyville.

"OH MY!!" gushed Rarity with a swooning smile, "Thunderlane asked you out on a date?! Applejack, darling, this is-"

"A dee-zaster!" interjected Applejack as she was pacing around in a circle within Carousel Boutique, leaving Rarity perplexed as she sat on her display stage.

"Okay, not the word I was going for..." Rarity debated before clearing her throat, "Now, Applejack, dear! How, in Faust's Holy Name, could this possibly be a... 'dee-zaster'? I think it's rather wonderful! Thunderlane is rather like you in some ways; you're both hard workers, responsible, everypony knows they can trust each of you and rely upon you."

"Rarity, Ah- It's jus' tha'..." Applejack sighed as she fell back onto her haunches and moped a bit, Rarity stepping down from her stage to sit beside the mare who was among her oldest and dearest friends despite their considerable amount of differences, and gently nudged her shoulder to the cowgirl before Applejack gave Rarity a look and saw an understand smile on the fashionista's face.

Gathering herself, Applejack took a deep breath, "It's jus'... it's been so long since Ah've... dated anypony. Ah mean, shor, at some point Ah considered findin' me a stal'yun, a partner, somepony Ah could depend on, an' maybe... have foals with..."

"As I recall, you've dated a few stallions before, but..."Rarity gave it a thought before realizing, "Oh goodness, it has been a long time, hasn't it? I believe Caramel was the first pony you ever dated? Nice chap, but somewhat... blasé."

"Caramel was a nice guy, only he wuz always fergettin' stuff an' he tended t' complain," Applejack nodded, "Truthfully, Ah think he was relieved when Ah let him down an' broke it off. Ah dated a couple more after that, but when Apple Bloom got older things jus' got busier at th' farm."

"Well, I am confident Thunderlane would fare far better in winning your affections, Applejack," assured Rarity, "He's no slouch when it comes to attacking chores and labor, and you must admit, having to raise his little brother by himself after their parents' accident... he sacrificed much to keep foal services from splitting him and Rumble apart."

Applejack sighed, mentally agreeing with Rarity. She could recall when Thunderlane first moved to Ponyville with Rumble; Thunderlane had arrived a few years after Rainbow Dash moved to Ponyville, and was often working at the Weather Office to earn enough income to support himself and his little brother. Thankfully, his neighbors-turned-friends Cloud Chaser and Flitter had been kind enough to foalsit for Rumble anytime, helping Thunder a great deal. But Applejack could also recall how workaholic Thunderlane once was, devoted to proving himself a responsible guardian for Rumble, something she could relate to, only she'd had Granny Smith and Big Macintosh to lean on.

As hard as Ah've worked, Thunder's worked even harder t' keep his fam'ly t'gether, Applejack thought morosely. But then that sadness gave way just a little for a sense of warmth and... giddiness? Applejack wasn't entirely sure what to call it, only that it made her feel flattered that of all the mares in Ponyville, Thunderlane was interested in her!

That's when she heard a barely-contained giggle from Rarity and looked to see the unicorn was giving her a suggestive look, making Applejack feel bashful.
"Come, come, darling, there's no need to shy away from your feelings! In all honesty, Thunderlane is quite a catch. And let's not forget that technically you already agreed to the date."

"Oh..." Applejack glanced at a clock on the wall and saw that it was still hours before she had to meet Thunderlane, "Well, thankfully there's a lotta time t' get ready-"

"Time? Time, darling?! There's no time for time!" Rarity got up in Applejack's face, "If you want for this date to go splendidly we must get you prepared one hundred and ten percent!

"So let's not waste a-" Rarity was about to bring out her beauty products, only for Applejack to interject.

"WAIT A MINUTE." Applejack hadn't shouted, only raised her voice in a firm manner before politely saying, "Ah don' need t' be froufrou'd up or wear makeup, Rares. Firs' stop's th' spa, remember? Besides, if'n Ah go out wit' somepony, Ah wanna go as muhself."

"Hmm, fair enough, Applejack," Rarity respected Applejack's decision, putting her beauty products back, before she got up in Applejack's face, "But at the very least, let me give you just a few touches to emphasize your natural beauty, along with some... advice."

"Uh... okay?" Applejack had a feeling she might regret this.

Meanwhile...

"So yeah, it's finally gonna happen," Thunderlane explained on the wraparound veranda of Macintosh's house, leaning onto the railing as he kept shifting his gaze between Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres.
"I asked Applejack out, and... she... technically said yes? I mean, she didn't actually say no and told me to meet her at the spa at three. That counts as a yes, right?"

Thunderlane looked over to the porch swing where Macintosh was gently swinging with his baby foals, Belle and Sandow, the filly and colt smiling and giggling adorably as they enjoyed the gentle swinging as their daddy held them in each foreleg.

"Eeyup," Mac nodded while minding his children.

"Even so... I'm really nervous!" Thunderlane began to pace around a bit, making sure to be quiet so as not to upset the foals, "I've been planning this date for weeks! I just want for it to go well and AJ and I have a nice time, because... I really do like her, Big Mac! Um..."

He gave the red stallion a hesitant look but Macintosh was enjoying making Sandow go uppy, the colt giggling happily in his daddy's hooves while Belle watched curiously.

"That doesn't... bother you, does it?" asked Thunderlane as he resisted the urge to gulp.

"Nnope," Macintosh replied before he set Sandow down on the swing beside him and started raising Belle uppy, making her fuss, which quickly told the father that his baby girl didn't like it. So he set her down onto his lap, feeling her lie back onto his belly.

"I'm mean, sure, a while back you said you were cool with me having a thing for your sister," Thunderlane noted, "It's just you're one of my best friends, Mac, and I just don't want things to be weird if I'm dating your sister, you know that, right?"

"Eeyup," Macintosh laid down onto the swing, making sure his foals were on his belly so they could all settle down for a nap.

"Good, good... but I'm still so nervous!" Thunderlane couldn't help ruffling his feathers, trying to cool himself down, "I planned this date for weeks, but it took me forever to work up the guts just to knock on the door to ask AJ out! Although technically, Twinken opened the door before I could knock-"

"Thunderlane."

Thunderlane stiffened up at the subtly raised tone of Big Macintosh as the earth pony relaxed, his babies beginning to doze off on his belly, as he peered at his friend out the corner of his eye, "Speakin' as her big brother, Ah can tell ya, Ah think you n' AJ would be good t'gether. Jus' be yerself, treat AJ right, relax, an' hav' a nice time. S'all there is to it."

"I... guess so," Thunderlane did the calming technique he'd seen Twilight do a lot, feeling some of his anxiety abate though it didn't entirely go away. Despite this, he furrowed his brows and steeled his resolve as he then declared, "This date is gonna go great and with Faust as my witness, it will be only the first of many!!"

Almost forgetting the twins were dozing off on their daddy, Thunderlane nearly launched himself skyward, but remembered to be careful and quiet as he gently took flight and soared off to Ponyville.

Big Mac yawned as he smiled, feeling his son and daughter snoozing adorably on his paunch and softly muttered, "Yeah, you do that..." before drifting away to dreamland himself.

Author's Note

The song Faerie Tail sang was sung by Princess Shayla, the mentor of the Power Rangers Wild Force, which is one of my all-time favorite PR generations

And, as you might have guessed, the date isn't gonna go the way Thunderlane hopes. Also, it replaces the episode of "Applejack's 'Day' Off"

373. Applejack's "Night" Out - Part 2

It was 2:58 and Thunderlane had shown up in front of the Spa, wearing his aviator jacket, having nothing nicer for a first date apart from his suits, which were too fancy for the occasion. He'd made sure to preen his feathers, brushed down his coat, and put on just a spritz of stallion's cologne. Truthfully, he never understood the appeal for them but he'd gotten the cologne from Blueblood as a gift a while back and he figured he might as well give it a try.

Thankfully, the scent was subtle and didn't annoy the olfactory sensor, and Thunderlane had to admit (to himself) that although he'd only used a small spritz, it made him feel just a little distinguished, which helped his confidence at the moment. He was still plenty nervous but after he'd prepared and Rumble had given him some brotherly encouragement, Thunderlane felt ready.

I just hope AJ is ready... he thought as he waited. He was just a tad early though he knew Applejack might not be quite so punctual, given her history of attacking her chores to earnestly that sometimes the time got away from her.

"Howdy, Thunderlane."

Thunderlane had to fight the urge to spread his wings when he turned to see Applejack, who had just arrived. For Applejack looked decidedly more beautiful than usual. She wore very light and subtle makeup, a bit of rouge that made her freckles stand out more adorably, a bit of gloss on her lips, her mane was in its usual style, she wore her hat, but she also wore a soft shawl warm brown like healthy soil wrapped snugly around her withers secured with a brooch with an apple green jewel, and she looked uncharacteristically shy.

Overall, Applejack was beautiful the way a gem had been cut and polished to unlock its true and inner beauty.

"So, um... you look quite fetchin'," Applejack smiled nervously, and somehow it set Thunderlane at ease as he smiled gently back.

"Not nearly as fetching as you, Applejack," Thunderlane replied before saying in a voice that was honest and heartfelt, "You look perfect."

"Really? Ah wasn' sure about it muhself," Applejack tilted her hat, "Rarity sorta thawt maybe Ah oughta leave muh hat at home-"

"Nah, I'm glad you brought it," Thunderlane waved off the concern before kindly saying, "You're never more you than when you're wearing your dad's hat."

Applejack blushed, feeling a bit bashful but touched at the same time when she cleared her throat and said, "Well then, uh, Ah s'pose we oughta get started, right? I'm lookin' forward t' tha' steam bath ya mentioned before."

Entering the establishment, Thunderlane and Applejack saw that the Spa was relatively busy today, evident by how many ponies were in their waiting room, including...

"Rainbow Dash?!" Rainbow Dash, who was sitting on the waiting couch, wearing her purple robe and tortoise-shaped slippers while she looked at the Spa's brochure, startled to see Thunderlane and Applejack, the former asking, "What're you doing here?"

"Heheh, yeah, Ah din' think spa treatments were yor thing exactly," chuckled Applejack while Thunderlane just pulled a teasing smirk.

"What?!" Rainbow threw off the robe and slippers and gobbledygooked, "Oh, they're totally not! At least... not the froufrou kind."

Thunderlane and Applejack shared a knowing look before looking at RD again as she gingerly held up her left wing and excused, "Yeah, uh... I think I... tweaked something at Wonderbolts practice the other day. I just came in here for a deep tissue sports massage."

"Oh Miss Dash," said a Spa Pony, coming up to her, "I am so sorry but we are running just a tad behind, and we're not quite ready to start your pampered muzzle massage and indulgent hooficure just yet."

Rainbow froze and peered at her friends from the corner of her eye and their expressions told her she'd been caught fibbing, but she just couldn't resist. With a forceful chuckle, she said, "I- I'm pretty sure that wasn't what I signed up for."

The Spa Pony checked her clipboard, "But, they are your usuals-"

"And it seems like you're really busy today! I'll just come back tomorrow," Rainbow interrupted before looking to her friends, "See you two later, have fun!"

Then she leaned over to the Spa Pony and winked, "But put me down for the same thing!"

And with that, Rainbow Dash zoomed out of the Spa, salvaging any semblance of 'cool' she thought she was safeguarding, much to Applejack's amusement, "Heheh, too bad Rainbow Dash just 'hates' those 'froufrou' spa treatments. She coulda joined us fer a nice steam. Hoo-wee, Ah can't wait!"

Thunderlane found himself a tad bothered that Applejack would have invited Rainbow Dash in on their date, but he mentally brushed it off before saying, "Well, if they couldn't fit in Dash, I hope that won't be a problem for us too. We've only got an hour of R n' R before we have to get to the cinema. Thankfully, we have a reservation."

They allowed the Spa Ponies to take their coat and shawl before Thunderlane led Applejack through the veiled doorwa-

*Bump/"Huh?!"*

Thunderlane stepped back and stifled a GASP to see the line ahead of him! Pony after pony, standing in the hall, wearing towels on their heads, some with bath robes, some with hoof slippers, all of them with impatient looks on their faces, and the line appeared to continue around the first corner. Thunderlane and Applejack shared a troubled look, Thunderlane flabbergasting, "Well, uh- M-maybe not everypony's waiting for the steam room."

"Oh no, no, that's exactly what we're all waiting for," confirmed the last pony in line before them, Caramel. "Hi Thunder, AJ. I hope you guys aren't in a hurry, we've all been standing here for hours!"

"So everypony here wants a steam bath?!" Applejack called out and got numerous annoyed affirmations in response.

Sighing but shrugging, Thunderlane said, "Well, we can always do something else, like a massage-"

"Uh-uh! Nothin' doin', Thunder!" Applejack said stubbornly, "Ah came here t' have a steam, an' by th' Pale One tha's wha' Ah'm gonna get!"

"B-but Applejack, you heard them!" Thunderlane pointed out, "They've been waiting in this line for hours! There's no way we'll-"

He was interrupted by the arrival of Aloe, one of the Spa ponies, who smiled to see, "Thunderlane, Appleyack!"

Appleyack? Wha's wit' her accent? Applejack thought as Aloe gave Thunderlane a kiss on each cheek.

"So wonderful to have you both here for your first date!" Aloe exclaimed, "I hope you both have a lovely time."

"Well, I'm afraid it's not off to a good start," Thunderlane responded, slightly disgruntled as he pointed out the line waiting for the steam bath.

"Yes... the wait time for the steam room certainly has been getting worse lately," Aloe grimaced apologetically. "But we can provide you with all sorts of alternative treatments, with a nice discount in honor of your date!"

"Not without mah steam!" Applejack stubbornly declared, sounding just a bit like a pouty filly.

Sighing, Thunderlane explained, "Apparently, Applejack won't even consider any other treatments unless she gets a steam bath and we only have an hour before we have to get to the movies."

"That... is a problem," Aloe apologized, but then Applejack started going past the line.

"AJ?! Where're you going?" asked Thunderlane in surprise.

Reaching the ponies at the end of the line, just around the corner, Applejack saw they were standing outside the steam room, while also shivering in their towels and bathrobes.
"Uh... why're y'all jus' standin' here?"

Grunting in frustration, a stallion who was second in line, answered, "Just waiting for the steam to build up."

"Without steam, a steam room's just a room," added Spoiled Rich, who was first in line, speaking snobby as always, "and I've got plenty of those at home... because I live in a mansion."

Everypony present all rolled their eyes before Applejack approached the steam room door and noticed the steam temperature gauge next to it hadn't risen in even the slightest! She gave it a slight tap, soft wisps of steam bursting through the piping, but the gauge's dial lifted just slightly before dropping back to zero.

"It has been taking longer for the steam to reach that 'Ponyville Day Spa' quality," Aloe said behind Applejack, "We even had to add a warm towel service."

At Aloe's words did arrive a spa pony unicorn stallion named Birch Bucket, rolling in a cart stacked with folded warm towels, "So sorry for the delay, everypony. Please help yourselves."

They absolutely did, as the stack was gone in seconds and they threw their used towels onto the cart, one landing on Birch's face, to his annoyance, as he levitated it off and pushed the cart down the hall. As everypony enjoyed the warm towels, making their wait just a little more bearable, Applejack looked at the gauge again as she considered something and then said aloud, "So if yer not gettin' enough steam, tha' must mean there's not enough hot water."

Applejajack looked up at the ceiling and noticed a pipe starting from the wall above the steam room door, extending down the hall while Thunderlane sighed, "Applejack, I know you want a steam bath, but why don't we try something else? Like-like a dip in the jacuzzi or something while we still have time to do it before we have to-"

But Applejack was already following the pipe, Aloe in tow, so Thunderlane sighed, putting a light grumble into it, as he followed as well. Applejack hmmm'd as they followed the pipe past the private massage rooms (one with Cup Cake, the second with Carrot Cake, the third with Joe, the fourth with Chili Spice) until Applejack followed the pipe through a door, which led downstairs past some plumbing works, going down another hallway until they came to a corner and Applejack ah-hah'd!

"Now wha' do we have here?"

"Duh, the laundry room?" huffed Thunderlane as they saw Birch Bucket stowing the dirty towels into one of the washing machines, "And I'm starting to think I'm not gonna get my usual wing passage and deluxe preening!"

"The Ponyville Days Spa prides itself on sanitary conditions," explained Aloe with an upbeat look, "and fresh linens are integral part."

"Well, sure, but... have ya always run every single one o' these machines full-bore, all day, every day?" Applejack questioned with a raised brow.

"The answer is no, but ponies sure do love their warm towel service," answered Birch Bucket as levitated out some freshly dried towels and magicked them into neatly folded stacks onto his cart before rolling it off.

Applejack hmmm'd again and followed Birch Bucket back upstairs into the spa hallway, Aloe and Thunderlane following too, and they watched how Birch levitated warm towels into the private massage rooms while he kept going. But just before Birch made it back to the line of ponies waiting for the steam room, he noticed his followers and confusedly asked them, "Eh... you are all wanting towel?"

"Looks t' me tha' you don' have any left," Applejack pointed out and Birch Bucket was dismayed to see his fresh towels were yet again replaced with a pile of dirty ones. Especially when another one was thrown onto his face.

Levitating it off, he gathered his composure and said, "Well, like I said. Warm towels are big hit."

As Birch Bucket took yet another cartfull of dirty towels away, Applejack looked at a pipe with a valve and noticed it was leaking steam on a constant rate of spurts. In that moment it dawned on her, the clues running through her mind, coming together like a puzzle to form the answer as she declared, "Ah think Ah figured out th' problem!

"You've got a small leak," Applejack explained, "an' tha' means th' steam takes a lil' longer t' build up," she pointed to the temperature gauge next to the steam room door, "an' while ponies wait, they get cold. Cold ponies start wrappin' themselves in towels," she said before leading them back to the laundry room to show Birch Bucket doing laundry, "an' all those dirty towels need t' be cleaned, because Ponyville Day Spa prides itself on cleanliness."

When Birch Bucket returned to the hall and saw everypony looking at him and his towels, he was dumbfounded, "Eh, what?"

"Basically, losin' steam makes you use more towels," Applejack went on, "Tha' means ya do more laundry which uses up th' hot water ya need t' make more steam so th' problem jus' keeps gettin' worse!"

Birch Bucket sheepishly took the cart of fresh towels away as the line of ponies waiting for the steam all murmured in realization and nodded at Applejack's explanation, while Aloe exclaimed, "I had no idea!"

"Great! Now that the mystery of the missing steam is solved, we can get back to our..." Thunderlane furrowed his brows as he looked up at a wall clock and his wings sagged at the time, "increasingly limited amount of time for R & R..."

"Thunder, are ya kiddin'? Ah cain't jus' leave things like this," Applejack disagreed as she looked at the steam valve again and declared, "Ah'm gonna need mah tools..."

So, Applejack spent the remainder of the hour fixing the steam problem, sealing up the leaks, checking to make sure everything was as it should be, and testing the steam to make sure the maintenance was successful and talking to Aloe and her employees about the problem and how to avoid it in the future. Meanwhile, Thunderlane had gone ahead and taken a few spa treatments on his own, disgruntled with Applejack.

He could appreciate and understand her desire to help the Spa Ponies and their customers, but this was supposed to be their first date.

Later...

"Whoo! Now tha' th' leak's fixed, "Applejack wiped the sweat from her brow as she explained to Aloe who gave the steam valve a satisfied look, "ponies won' get so cold they use up all those towels an' without all tha' laundry, there'll be plenty o' hot water for all th' steam anypony could want!"

"And I'll only have to be doing wash once a day!" cheered Birch Basket right before he zipped into the steam room for a well-deserved break.

"Wow, Appleyack! Have you ever considered a career in the spa industry?" asked an impressed Aloe. "I'm sure I can find something for you."

"No thanks," chuckled Applejack before taking a deep breath, "Ah'm jus' relieved Ah can fin'ly relax in th' steam."

"Welp, finally came a little late, Applejack," said the voice of Thunderlane as he approached the mares and pointed at the wall clock in the hall, "Unfortunately, you spent so much time fixing the steam room, and now we have to get a move on if we're gonna catch our movie at the cinema!

"Seriously, Aloe!" Thunderlane addressed, "How on earth did it never occur to you to check for leaks in the steam room's plumbing?"

"There's just so many other things to worry about," Aloe shrugged although she did feel a tad down on herself for letting this problem escalate as it did, "I suppose we get used to the way things are and we don't realize there was problem,"

"Well, it always pays to have an outsider's opinion to look a situation over," Thunderlane sighed, "Lucky for you, AJ's too stubborn to relax."

"Eh, Ah'm sorry, Thunder," Applejack apologized, truly feeling bad. "But we still got th' movie an' dinner, right?"

"Which is why we should get a move on," Thunderlane urged before looking to Aloe, "Your coworkers were great as always, and I am glad that your situation has been resolved."

"Have a good day, the both of you," Aloe bade them as Applejack followed Thunderlane out.

They made it to Ponyville Cinema in time to see 'Lone Ranger Silver' with five minutes to spare before the trailers started. They'd agreed to get small sodas and share a small bag of popcorn, so as not to spoil their dinner afterwards.

They softly whispered to each other about the trailers they saw, such as an upcoming sci-fi movie adaptation of the book 'Alien Alicorns vs. Space Pirates', a mystery film based on the literary detective, Shadow Spade, and one depicting a romantic drama period movie taking place in Saddle Arabia. Finally, the movie began to start.

It was about a young earth pony stallion named Silver who lived in a fictional western town and admired the local sheriff. The sheriff claimed that the town was being threatened by a tribe of buffalo and rounded up some stallions as a posse. Silver tried to volunteer too but his mother protested, which led to Silver getting embarrassed in front of the whole town.

"Yknow, Thunder, on one hoof, Ah can see why his ma don' wan' him goin' wit' th' sheriff's posse," whispered Applejack, "but he's a grown stallion."
"Mothers just wanna protect their foals, AJ," Thunderlane shrugged.

Then came an early twist, where they watched as Silver had followed after the posse... only to find them beating up a buffalo brave, who was tied and unable to defend himself. The sheriff then threatened the brave that he was going to confess to a crime he had not committed because as it turned out, the sheriff was corrupt, as were the ponies in his posse, and their plan was to run the buffalo out of the land so they could profit off the natural resources.

"He's a disgrace to tha' star on his vest," harrumphed Applejack.

It got scary when Silver tried to sneak into the posse's camp after dark to free the buffalo... only to get caught in the act! The sheriff "charged" Silver with "aiding & abetting" and "sentenced" him to a one-way ticket to that big green pasture in the sky. Poor Silver was beaten unconscious and then thrown off a cliff into a river... only to be fished out of it by the same buffalo he'd tried to help and nursed back to health!

Seeing the buffalo brave help Silver on the big movie screen somehow reminded Applejack of her first encounter with buffalo back when she and her friends visited Appleloosa. Boy, did that seem like a lifetime ago!

Looking back, Applejack found herself ashamed of her behavior back then. Yes, her cousin and relatives worked themselves to the bone to build their town and their orchard, but the buffalo tribes had lived on that land for far longer than she could even imagine. Perhaps since even before the Founders of Equestria founded the nation. But all Applejack had been (understandably) concerned with, was how the conflict affected the ponies, and she'd been too stubborn and bullheaded to even consider how unfair it was for the buffalo.

She still had trouble with her stubborn streak every now and then...

...But am Ah doin' enough t' manage it? she wondered to herself. She recalled how she'd stubbornly refused to try any other spa treatments and fixing the steam problem the Spa Ponies had been having, and as a result she hadn't gotten to relax or spend time with Thunderlane.
An' am Ah bein' unfair t' Thunder too?

They continued to watch, as the buffalo brave, who was called Storm Horns, commended Silver on his compassion and bravery, and informed the young stallion how the sheriff and his posse he been threatening his tribe for some time. Silver was horrified and disgusted the stallion he'd admired was in fact a lowdown, dirty outlaw, and Storm Horns led the young earth pony to his tribe, assuring his brothers and sisters that Silver was a friend and brought him to meet with the shaman, an elderly buffalo female, who sensed a pure and valiant heart beating within Silver's breast.

She then kindly requested Silver to help stop the corrupt sheriff and bring peace between the buffalo tribe and his town, a request Silver gladly accepted. She then offered him a large lump of silver, saying it was blessed by the spirits and could be forged into a tool for justice and peace. Unsure of what to do with the gift, Silver was invited to rest before going back home and it was while he slept he had a dream of flying horseshoes and the corrupt sheriff. Waking up, Silver was inspired and motivated to see justice done and had a good idea of what to do with the gift he had been given. Storm horns led Silver back to the town, making sure to sneak in (since Silver was supposed to be dead) and Silver met with his friend, the local blacksmith, who was relieved Silver was alive but baffled by what the Sheriff had told the whole town. Silver cleared it up that the Sheriff was two-faced son of a rattler and asked his friend to help him with the lump of silver, telling him what he needed. While the blacksmith worked on Silver's request, Storm Horns told the young earth pony that his advantage was that the Sheriff and his thugs thought him to be dead and until the task at hoof was complete it had to remain that way before the buffalo brought out a simple black eyemask as well as some sharp duds (a cowboy hat, dapper blue vest, a red bandana, batwing chaps, and a belt), adding a simple request that Silver not ask where he got them.

The movie started to get more exciting, but Thunderlane wasn't paying attention. He kept looking over at Applejack out the corners of his eyes, noticing how she smiled and was relieved that at least she was enjoying the movie. But now, he felt compelled to do something! He didn't want to do that 'yawn and place his foreleg around his date's shoulders' cliché because it felt lame and he was too nervous to even consider how Applejack might perceive the gesture. She'd know that it was a ploy.

But... her hoof? Thunderlane considered as he subtly peered down at Applejack's hoof on the armrest. Quietly as he could, he took a deep breath, and very slowly, very carefully did he reach with his own hoof towards AJ's.
Don't rush it, be gentle, be subtle...!

But at the barest of touches when his hoof made contact with Applejack's, she quickly pulled it away and Thunderlane clenched in his seat, fearing he'd offended her-

"Oh, sorry, Thunder. Didja want th' popcorn?" whispered Applejack as she offered the little bag of it to him, "Ah've only had a few bites, don' wanna spoil dinner!"

"Uh... sure, thanks, AJ," Thunderlane responded softly as he took a small hooful and crunched on the popcorn with a morose sigh and slumped into his seat.

Later, Thunderlane and Applejack exited the cinema, the latter saying, "Hoo-dandy! Ah can still see th' look on tha' dirty sheriff when Ranger Silver's silver horseshoes flew offa his hooves an' smacked him th' kisser! Heheh, least th' tooth pony'll give tha' varmint a visit in jail! Thank ya kindly fer th' show, Thunder!"

Applejack bumped her rump to Thunderlane's, which made him blush but a tad confused on whether it had been affectionate or more of a buddy gesture. Clearing his throat (and smoothing his plumage), Thunderlane said, "Well, then, hope you've got your appetite, AJ, `cuz we still got dinner to go to. There's this-"

"Oh don' Ah know it, sugarcube?" Applejack agreed when she felt her tummy grumble a bit, "Belly's askin' fer a hayburger, so let's go t' tha' place Twilight likes!"

"The Hayburger fast food joint? But, AJ, there's this other place-" Thunderlane tried to say, only to yelp as Applejack grabbed him by the foreleg and pulled him down Stirrup Street.

"Less yappin, more stampin' our way t' some good eatin'," she insisted.

The Hayburger fast food restaurant was a favorite casual eatery in Ponyville, but sitting down at one of their booths, Thunderlane found himself deeply disappointed but he kept it inward. He'd wanted to treat Applejack to a nice dinner at a high end restaurant and order a fine bottle of nectar to propose a toast to their first date. And yet, here they were, looking at the menus of a burger joint. Hardly what Thunderlane would call romantic.

The more this date went on, the more it didn't feel like a date to Thunderlane.

The waitress took their orders and left them to chat.

...

Sitting there, neither of them attempted conversation...

...

...and they were so uncomfortable and distracted with themselves that they didn't notice Spike wave at them while he got takeout.

...

Finally, Applejack could bear it no longer.

"So, uh... nice weather wer' havin' lately?" Applejack's awkward attempt to break the ice just made it even more awkward.

"Eeyeah... Soarin's doing great over at the weather office," Thunderlane responded stiffly and he could tell Applejack was nervous too. He didn't want her to be, despite being annoyed with how she'd steered this date in the direction it was still going. Sighing, Thunderlane asked, "So then, how's business and stuff over at Sweet Apple Acres?"

Almost instantly, Applejack;s demeanor brightened up... and she rambled. Talked about this chore, that apple tree, how Granny Smith had offered to teach her how to knit, how Faerie Tail seemed different lately, how good Twinken was doing in school and as Princess Luna's apprentice, how much of a hooful Apple Bloom was in her Crusading, how Big Mac and Fluttershy often visited and brought their foals, sometimes asking AJ or Faerie Tail to foalsit for them so Big Mac could concentrate on chores around the orchard or Fluttershy could fly back to her cottage to take care of her animals.

Yes, Applejack talked and talked and talked about everything except for just one subject.

Herself.

The waitress returned with their burgers, fries, milkshakes, and ketchup packets. Hardly what one would consider a romantic dinner for two. Thunderlane liked an occasional bite of fast food, but this time it was extremely disappointing, given the occasion.

"Welp, no sense lettin' this grub go cold," Applejack unwrapped her burger and held it in her hooves, "Let's dig in!"

Silence resumed as the both of them ate, Thunderlane less than enthusiastic while Applejack seemed content. But beneath that content, Applejack could notice the dispirited look on Thunderlane's face, and it set her at unease.

This whole date thing... she thought guiltily, it shor ain't gone as well as Thunderlane had hoped. An' it's cuzza me. But why? ...Why can't Ah...?

Revisiting her feelings, reconsidering the implications of it all, it left Applejack confused and concerned. She liked Thunderlane, potentially as more than a friend. Yet she was reluctant, hesitant to engage further and see what more of could become of their relationship. She knew, deep down, that someday she did indeed hope to find the right stallion, to have his foals, to have her own branch of the Apple Family as her father before her had done. She'd known Thunderlane for a long time, but it wasn't until after Midnight and Twilight came into her life that she began to be around him more, get to know him better.

She respected him. She cared about him. She admired him. A young pegasus who'd lost his parents from an accident and had basically moved heaven and earth to keep what remained of his family, his little brother Rumble, close, to prove himself a worthy caregiver and a stallion well before he should have had to. She related to that, and respected him for it. Faust knows he'd had a far tougher time growing up sooner than he had to than she had when her own parents died.

So why can't Ah open mahself...? she thought, a sadness welling up inside her that she almost couldn't help shedding a tear, but she caught herself just in time. However, she saw that Thunderlane was noticing her demeanor and, on impulse, bit so hard into her burger that a splotch of ketchup and mustard squirted out onto her cheek.

"Oop! uh- Pardon me," Applejack said as she picked up a paper napkin and wiped off most of the condiment splot. "Ah'm jus' gonna... head into th' restroom, don' wan' this t' stain. Be right back, sugarcube."

"Sure," Thunderlane responded softly as he watched Applejack head for the restroom, and he sighed.

Cleaning the stain didn't take along, but now Applejack stood uncertain and indecisive. She clutched the sides of the sink as she glared at her reflection, "C'mon, Applejack! Snap out of it, girl! Wha's so scary n' hard tha' ya cain't get through a dang date?!"

Her angry expression bore into her for a long moment as the thoughts and feelings took time to disentangle with each other... before it all fell into place as her expression softened with a sigh. Now that she was alone and could be more open with herself, the pieces to this jigsaw slowly but surely came together in Applejack's mind.

"Be... because Ah'm afraid," Applejack finally admitted to herself. Yes, it was obvious but it was the why, "Ah'm afraid of givin' mah heart t' somepony an' not enough t' muh fam'ly an' farm. If Ah gave more time to a special somepony, Ah'd get distracted from mah responsibilities. Ah promised Mom an' Dad Ah'd take care of Sweet Apple Acres, an' mah brother an' mah sister an' Granny Smith!

"Mom an' Dad..."

Applejack closed her eyes, a tear running down her face as a heartache as familiar as an old friend returned as she wondered, What would y'all do...?

The bittersweet memories, all the good times and bad, of her Daddy playing with her and Mac, of her Momma tucking her into bed and singing the sweetest lullabies. Of the first time Bright Mac let Applejack wear his hat and they laughed at how it was too big and he assured her she'd grow into it. When Buttercup first taught her how to play guitar. When she'd accidentally broken her mother's hoofmade suncatcher because she'd wanted to play with it and instead of being angry her Mom had been sad and said how disappointed she was in Applejack, which had hurt more than any spanking her Dad had ever given her for being a bad filly.

What she wouldn't give to hear their voices in this moment, to have some advice on what she should do or think or say. Looking back, Applejack could recall how her mom used to say, if she was ever at a loss she should listen to her heart. Being a full-grown mare now, that sort of advice seemed a little corny and not very helpful.

But is it? Applejack thought as she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, cleared away all the thoughts and feelings and worries cluttering up her mind, and she gave it a good think.

She didn't want to stay single forever and be lonely into her winter years. She wanted a stallion to be with her, to love her, to hold her in his warm and strong forelegs. Or wings.

But she wanted a stallion who was strong, dependable, faithful, moral, and would make her feel so loved as to feel blessed. Her thoughts returned to Thunderlane and she considered:

Thunderlane was absolutely strong. Maybe not strong like an earth pony, but strong in spirit, will, and devotion. He might be a pegasus, but he's got th' heart of an earth pony.
He was certainly dependable. She'd easily put her trust in him and had no doubts he'd come through. He had to, for his lil' brother.
He was faithful, despite his aggravations with their friends' downsides and idiosyncrasies. He must be, t' put up wit' how bullheaded an' insensitive Ah've been tonight.
He was truly moral, and had more than once displayed integrity and honor, as well as helped others make the right choices. He certainly helped me do jus' that when those Flim Flam Brothers made tha' phony tonic.

But then Applejack came to the last quality she'd listed in her mind, and found herself at a loss for words as she felt her heart swell, her face warm up, and butterflies in her stomach. Thunderlane more than met all of the qualities she sought for in a potential partner, and her respect and care for him, along with the realization that he clearly expressed a hope to be more than just her friend, it dawned upon Applejack that she truly did feel so strongly enough for him that she wondered, Could Ah care about him as more than just a friend?

She took a moment, did the calming technique she'd seen Twilight and midnight do so many times, and looked herself in the mirror again. This time, instead of seeing an hesitant and nervous fool, she saw a mare strong and certain and warm, not unlike how she once saw her mother as a long time ago.

"A'ight, Applejack. Time t' go an' do right by tha' good stallion," she whispered to herself. She made sure her mane was fine before stepping out of the restroom and walking back towards hers and Thunderlane's table...

...only to find it empty!

Applejack felt her heart jump into her throat, but she held the reins of her composure and looked around, Maybe he went to the restroom too?

She didn't see Thunderlane around in the restaurant, so she decided to sit back at her table when she noticed something on the table. It was a folded piece of paper with her name on it.

374. Applejack's "Night" Out - Part 3

Applejack...

Perhaps this was too soon. Maybe I misread something. Either way, if I've said or done anything to put you off, I'm sorry. I paid for the meal, so don't worry about it.

For what it's worth, I hope you find the one you're looking for.

Talk to you later,
Thunderlane

"WHY THA' GOTDANG-" Applejack reined in her outrage, remembering she was in a public place but that didn't stop her from crunching up the note and throwing it into the nearby trashcans where unfinished food, used napkins and such went for those who ate in instead of taking their food to go.

"Is everything okay?" Applejack looked to see the waitress, looking concerned and she took a deep breath.

"It ain't you or th' food, it's... didja see mah date leave?" Applejack asked.

"Eeyeah, the poor guy looked real down," the waitress nodded, "He gave me a good tip after he paid and left, although I think I heard him mutter he was gonna take a walk, clear his head..."

"Then he ain't goin' home! How long ago did he leave?" asked AJ.

"Mmm, about... five minutes or more? I think he went that way" The waitress pointed to the left of the doors, and she barely caught a 'thanks' from Applejack who rushed out the door.

Night had fallen and that made searching for Thunderlane harder. Just because she knew he hadn't headed straight for his home didn't mean Applejack knew where he could have gone to 'clear his head'. Although she acknowledged she'd been a pretty lousy date tonight, Applejack was still quite ornery that Thunderlane had clocked out without so much as a word. Honest and goodhearted as Applejack was, she still had her pride and by the Pale One she was going to give that stallion a piece of her mind.

Taking a moment to compose her self, Applejack considered what she knew: Thunderlane hadn't gone him because he wanted to clear his head. The direction the waitress had pointed out supported that since it didn't lead towards Thunderlane's residence.

With nothing else to fall back on, Applejack ventured the same direction Thunderlane had apparently taken and soon realized she was going towards the Ponyville Lake Reservoir. Getting closer, her ears perked at the unmistakable sound of skipping rocks. She knew that sound well because when she was younger she used to go skip rocks whenever things were bothering her and she wanted to be alone.

Despite the fall of night, the moon provided a gentle and visible spectrum to see just fine, and getting closer she soon saw the rock skipper was Thunderlane. Her irritation riled up and nearly spurred her to go out there and give Thunderlane a stern talking to, but something held her back. It was the way Thunderlane was picking up rocks with his wing, winding up, and throwing the rocks with surprising skill that the next one made seven fine skips across the surface of the lake.

Noticing a bush nearby, Applejack carefully crept closer to hide behind it so as to get a closer look. Upon doing so, she focused her eyes and saw that Thunderlane appeared to be deep in thought and low in heart. It was the look of a stallion who'd been told bad news, like he'd been turned down a great opportunity he'd been working so hard for, and to have lost the opportunity had broken something inside.

It dulled Applejack's annoyance and softened her heart with sympathy, that she almost stepped out to reveal herself, only to pause when she saw Thunderlane step back from the lake, close his eyes and begin humming as he began to slowly walk along the lake edge...

I know your favorite song
I hear it every day
Whoever made your smile
Made it to get in my way

Thunderlane paused and knelt near the water's edge...

And every time you laugh
You make that little sound

...and imagined seeing Applejack next to his reflection, that upbeat smile and cute little snort she made sometimes when laughing.

It's just the hardest thing
To love you, but not know how

So I spend all my nights in the dark and afraid
'Cause I've tried to forget you
But these things just don't go away

He stood up again and gazed across the lake, looking towards Sweet Apple Acres in the distance.

I hate that you're perfect, perfect for me
If I didn't know better, then I would believe
That we were made for each other, but I'd know the truth
You're no good for me, I'm no good for you

Thunderlane was morose and depressed as he slowly walked along the shore of the lake, unaware that Applejack was watching and listening to every word.

And I hate that you're perfect, you're perfect for me
I hate that you're perfect, you're perfect for me

Thunderlane paused, spread his wings... and took flight, soaring around the lake, just a few hooves shy of touching the mirror-like surface.

What good are words
When they always just get in our way?
And it hurts the most just to know
That you don't feel the same, the same, the same
So sometimes, I get down on my knees
And I pray things will change
But life is what happens when things
They don't work out our way, our way

He alighted back upon the shore but was now on the side of the lake opposite of Applejack, who'd stepped out of the cover of the bush to listen though Thunderlane remained unaware of her presence.

And I hate that you're perfect, you're perfect for me
I hate that you're perfect, you're perfect for me

Despite the distance, Applejack was able to see Thunderlane peer back towards the lake, seeing his eyes full of bitterest disappointment before he hanged his head in sorrow before he ambled on back towards Ponyville, presumably going home.

Applejack fell to her own knees and hanged her own head in shame as she now truly realized how much she'd hurt Thunderlane, and felt her heart hurt. His words had been melancholy and yet strangely beautiful. She now understood that Thunderlane truly did want to be more than friends and instead of recognizing that she'd let her own anxiety and insecurity hold her back and send all the wrong signals.

She was half-surprised by the tear that trailed down her cheek, but now she knew, Ah've gotta fix this...

The next morning, Thunderlane stood with the other knights, watching the recruits for the Harmony Guard train and spar. Firestorm was being a tough but fair taskmaster, determined to whip these "creampuffs" into a "proud and respectable force to be reckoned with and could be counted on". His friends kept glancing at Thunderlane, who was trying to focus on the recruits but his gaze kept drifting downwards in gloom.

"Should we say something?" "He's lookin' really down!" "Eeyup." "Perhaps we ought to do something to cheer him up." "Maybe a guys' night out-"

Belay that.

All the knights except for Thunderlane heard Midnight's thought in their heads and they discretely looked towards him as the alicorn prince kept his gaze on the recruits training but his thoughts reached them.

Thunderlane's business is his own in this situation. Besides, we're not the ones who need to reach out to him.

Sunburst, Cheese Sandwich, Macintosh, Blueblood, and Soarin all shared troubled look but nodded when they noticed Spike coming their way, holding a letter. He kept quiet, not wanting to interupt the training going on, and walked over to Thunderlane, who noticed Spike approaching him.

"Hi Thunderlane, got a letter for you," Spike held it out to him, and Thunderlane accepted. "Later guys, Twilight needs me for a lesson plan with Starlight."

As Spike hurried off, Thunderlane opened the letter to read it and was surprised to see it was from Applejack:

Howdy Thunderlane,

Listen, I want to apologize for what a lousy date I was before, and I was hoping, if you're willing to give me another chance... maybe we could have a first date do-over. if you're up for it, just show up at the Spa at 4 o'clock, and I give you an Apple Family Promise that I won't ignore you or be inattentive. you will have my full and complete attention. Don't worry about the rest of the date, I've taken care of everything, with a little help from some friends.

I hope you'll accept my invitation and give me another chance, Thunderlane. If not, I understand.

Your friend (though hopefully something more),
Applejack

P.S.
Fairy Tail helped me write this, I had trouble looking for the right words. I ended up putting my hoof in my mouth trying to sort this out otherwise

Thunderlane hadn't known what to expect when he went to see Applejack at the Spa, but he certainly never expected her to pay for the premium package. Indeed, she went the full nine yards and got them a series of the very best of the best that the Spa had to offer.

First, they got full body massages, with Thunderlane getting the pegasus package that delicately and tenderly massaged his wings as well. After that was a mud bath.

As they each relaxed in the warm mud, rich with minerals, Thunderlane gazed over at Applejack and said, "Y'know, you didn't have to-"

"Yes, Ah did an' don'choo say otherwise," Applejack said firmly as she looked over to him, that familiar stubborn look on her face unable to conceal the guilt she felt. "Ah ruined our first date because Ah couldn' keep mah attention on th' amazin' stallion who wants t' offer me his heart, so Ah'm gonna make this the... th' best do-over first date in th' history o' first dates! Ya hear?"

Thunderlane couldn't help but snort a chuckle before he replied, "Okay, okay, I hear."

"Now jus' enjoy th' pamperin', Thunderlane," Applejack sighed as she let herself relax again. A moment passed before she said, "Yknow... this reminds me of th' time we got into a mud fight. Remember that?"

"I... Oh! Yeah, I do remember that," Thunderlane eyes lit up in nostalgia. "Mac invited me over to Sweet Apple Acres and I brought Rumble with me. I hadn't met Flitter and Cloud Chaser yet, so I didn't have anypony to sit for Rumble at the time."

"Yeah... we'd already met but tha' was when Apple Bloom an' Rumble met an' we let em play t'gether," Applejack reminisced, "We took our eyes offem for a minute an' they ran off t' play wit' the pigs in a big ol' mud puddle from th' rain th' day before!"

"We went to get them out of the mud and clean them up... but then they threw mud at us!" Thunderlane laughed, "We were like 'This - MEANS - WAR!!' and jumped into the mud with them!"

"It was a war! An' somehow we got th' whole barnyard a mess!" Applejack laughed, making that adorable snort again. "Granny Smith was not happy, but she couldn't help laughin' either!"

They shared a warm and nostalgic laugh before they looked at each other again and smiled, enjoying each other's company, but before they could say much more, Aloe and Lotus came in, announcing it was time for the next treatment. After getting cleaned up from the mud in the showers, they went to the sauna, where they let the steam work on their pores.

Since they were alone, they resumed talking as Applejack asked, "Any good mem'ries from those times ya spent in Cloudsdale as a colt, Thunder?"

"Oh, plenty," Thunderlane shrugged, "Because my... my parents worked in the Weather Factory, I sometimes had to spend time with Rainbow Dash and her folks. Heh, good parents Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles, but... a little overenthusiastic in showing parental support for their daughter."

"Whattya mean?" Applejack leaned forward, curious.

"Well, back then, since my parents worked a lot, Dash's parents were often my foalsitters. They became like a second mom and dad for me, and Rainbow is probably the closest thing I've ever had to a sister."

"Heheh, explains why you two gitalong so well," Applejack smirked.

"Haha, yeah. Anyway, when we were foals, Dash's parents often took us to participate junior flying competitions and races," explained Thunderlane. "Back then, even though she'd done the Sonic Rainboom, Rainbow was still developing as a flier. The first few races we took part in, she didn't do as well as she'd hoped. Didn't place first, second or even third. Instead, she got participation awards. So did I, but I wasn't as competitive as her.

"But no matter what place she got, Dash's folks cheered their hearts out for her. I mean, painting rainbows on their faces, taking photos, holding up a poster board with Dash's face on it, it was kind of embarrassing. But... looking back, I think it was probably the sweetest, nicest thing I'd ever seen parents do for their kid. Don't get me wrong, my parents worked a lot but they loved me and were great to me too. I just... I wish..."

Thunderlane's eyes started to well up with tears, when he felt somepony lean against him and he saw it was Applejack, looking sympathetic yet smiling at him, "Ah think yer folks would be mighty proud of th' stallion you've grown up t' be, sugarcube."

The bashfulness gave way to a touched smile, and Thunderlane leaned into Applejack and even rested the side of his head onto the top of hers and he gently said, "Thanks, AJ..."

After the sauna, they had a nice refreshing drink of a specially blend of fruit juice rich with nutrients and after they had an herbal bath while getting their scalps massaged, and then they had a second body massage to work out any remaining knots in their muscles while their manes and tails got touched up with slight trims and brushing, and Thunderlane even got his wings preened by a pegasus spa pony.

Applejack sighed in content as her hind legs were soon freed of a stubborn muscle ache that had been bothering her for a while after an applebucking mishap she'd rather forget while Thunderlane was glad to be rid of a broken feather in his left wing that he'd been having trouble getting out on his own but had been too self-conscious to ask his brother or even Flitter or Cloud Chaser to help him with.

As they enjoyed their second massage, feeling their aches and stress gently rubbed away, Thunderlane peered over at Applejack, seeing how serene she was and how lovely she looked in this moment. Out of nowhere, a thought crossed his mind so suddenly, he found himself asking, "Applejack... do you like how our lives have turned out?"

Applejack looked over to him, "Whattya mean, haystack?"

"Well... how different would our lives be? How different would we be if..." Thunderlane hesitated a moment before saying, "if we'd never helped find the Elements of Harmony? You represent Honesty and then later I found out that I represent Trust. We've had experiences that helped us find an understanding about our Elements a little better. But where and who would we be if we'd never gotten involved in all of that?"

"Huh. Y'know, Ah never rightly did consider that," Applejack gave it a think before saying, "Ah think Ah'd just be workin' a little more peacefully at Sweet Apple Acres, but one way or another Ah think we'd still be involved because our friends are involved. Th' girls, th' boys, all th' problems we've overcome an' taken care of, th' ponies an' other creatures we've all helped.

"Do Ah wish Ah'd never become th' Element o' Honesty? No, Thunderlane, Ah don' think so. Ah'm proud o' who Ah am an' Ah'm mighty glad Ah can help others th' ways we do, even before Twi n' Night's castle showed up wit' tha' map sendin' us t' diff'ernt places here n' there t' help friendship problems an' such. We've all helped t' make things better in some way or other, an' that's th' truth.

"...Do you wish you'd never gotten involved in all this, Thunderlane?" Applejack asked, and Thunderlane gave it a think of his own.

It took him a long moment before he furrowed his brows and gave Applejack a smile, "No, Applejack, I don't think I do either. I mean, sure, there are times I could have done without the harrowing dangers and crazy situations we've gotten into. But that's mostly because I'm afraid of what would become of Rumble if anything ever happened to me.

"Even so, you're right! We've done and accomplished and helped so much and so many. Besides, if not us then who? Not everyone is cut out to be a hero or brave or determined enough to face and overcome the odds. Then I look at you and our friends and think 'I'm glad it's us and not someone who's only out for his own interests' and it comforts me in a way.

"So no, AJ. I don't regret becoming part of this whole Harmony thing, and... it makes me glad that you don't either."

In that moment, Applejack and Thunderlane shared a tender smile as they gazed into each other's eyes.

Emerging from the Spa, Applejack and Thunderlane both felt truly fresh as a daisy. Thunderlane felt far better today than he did yesterday when he'd been getting spa treatments by himself while AJ had been preoccupied with helping the Spa Ponies with their steam room problem. This time however, he truly felt refreshed.

"Boy howdy, izzit jus' me, or do y'all feel like a million bits as well?" Applejack smiled at her date as Thunderlane took a deep inhale through his nose... and sniffed some telltale smells that told him something was ahoof.

"Do you smell... cotton candy?" Thunderlane asked as he took some more sniffs, "And there's also... popcorn... carrot-dogs..."

His chain of sniffs was cut short when his ears perked and Thunderlane looked down the street to see ponies going that way and some balloons and streamers set up around the corner of said, where they were congregating.

"What's going over there?" he wondered aloud.
"Dunno, let's go see," Applejack suggested and she led the way without waiting for Thunderlane's reply.

He raised a brow but followed and when they rounded the corner, he gasped! Before him, the street had turned into festive environment, with balloons tied to the lampposts, streamers hanging between the lampposts, confetti was lightly falling from above, which apparently came from a few pegasi sitting on small puffs of cloud and gently sprinkling the colorful flecks of paper onto the goings-on below, and lining the streets were foodstands with all kinds of treats and fried foods and drinks, games like throwing balls at stacked bottles, skee-ball and even arcade games, merchants selling simple wares like hooficrafts, toys, and there were ponies street-performing.

Such as a team of acrobats, there was a puppet show going on, and he could see Cheese Sandwich playing a one-pony band while Party Favor was making amazing balloon art, such as a bounce-house made up of balloons, a long and surprisingly majestic balloon dragon, and he let a balloon phoenix go and it popped, bursting into bright orange and red confetti and golden glitter as a baby phoenix stuffy floated down into the hooves of a filly who happily hugged it, there was Trixie doing a magic show with Starlight and Sunburst's assistance, several stallions were playing tug-o-war against Big Macintosh by himself and they still couldn't make him budge as he stood there, holding the rope in his mouth, looking a tad bored and almost-unaware he was even engaging a tug-o-war though his amused brow signaled he was done being a good sport and one yank pulled all of his opponents forward into a kiddie-pool full of styrofoam pellets.

"Wha- What is this?!" Thunderlane was flabbergasted as Applejack hid a knowing smirk when Pinkie Pie popped up out of nowhere (as she does).

"Hiya, Thundy! Happy Random Fest...!" Pinkie blew a roll-up noisemaker into Thunderlane's face, startling him a moment before Pinkie threw a soda-drink hat onto Thunderlane's head and put a pair of comically oversized sunglasses onto Applejack's face and blew confetti poppers in front of them.
"It's a new holiday Cheese and Party and I came up with, where Ponyville has a random festival event as a holiday, but it can be held any time of the year!"

Thunderlane then noticed how shifty-eyed Applejack seemed, and how fidgety her hoof was, pressing at the dirt and he smirked, "AJ... did you have anything to do with this?"

"Wha- Me?! Naw, Thunder, Ah'm a farmer, not a party pony," Applejack responded with a forced chuckle, "but... be a cryin' shame t' let all this fun go t' waste, now would it?"

"Heheh, c'mon, I'll win you some prizes!" Thunderlane took Applejack's hoof and they charged the fest!

They did a little bit of everything: They played games, such as the Ring Toss, where Thunderlane won a large Ursa Major stuffed animal for Applejack, and though she appreciated it she noticed how a little pair of foals looked longingly at it and she let them have it, which suited Thunder just fine because it was yet another example of how Applejack wasn't just honest, she could be as kind as Fluttershy and as generous as Rarity.
They moved to the 'Ring the Bell' game where the player had to buck the button hard enough to send the weight up to ring the bell. Thunderlane tried it first but he only made it go up 6/7ths the way, which was still pretty darn good for a pegasus. When Applejack gave it a go, she, of course, got the bell to ring, thanks to all those years of apple-bucking. She won a Medal with a Golden Hoofprint on it.
Then they went to catch Trixie's magic show, where Thunderlane got chosen to be sawed in half. Applejack laughed a little nervously when Thunderlane waved at her while his hind hooves wiggled in the other box.
After that, Party Favor came over and blew up and made some balloon sculptures for each of them, forming a balloon kite for Applejack and a balloon bluebird for Thunderlane.
When Thunderlane's belly grumbled to be filled, Applejack led the way to Doughnut Joe's doughnut stand, but she only let Thunderlane have one doughnut, saying they needed to save room for later though she ordered some Apple Family cider from Granny Smith to wash down their doughnuts with something truly refreshing and delicious.

They played more games, won a few more prizes, caught a couple more performances, but then the sun was starting to set. It was then Applejack said, "An' now, fer th' last part of our do-over date!"

She led Thunderlane to Sweet Apple Acres, guiding him around the tree-covered hills, until they came upon a rise that had the perfect view of the orchard, cast into the radiant setting sun... and waiting for them was a large picnic basket!

Thunderlane gave Applejack a knowing smile, "What's this?"

"Wha' kinda date wold this be without a proper dinner?" Applejack smiled as she stepped over to the basket and said, "Help me set up?"

"Sure thing, ma'am," Thunderlane said with a light drawl and he helped Applejack lay out the picnic blanket.

The basket contained a full spread that carried the unmistakable delicious smell of home styled cooking, what with a salad, grilled cheese sandwiches, a thermos filled with still-warm tomato soup, a pitcher of chilled apple juice, paper plates but with glasses to drink their juice, and apple muffins for desert. It wasn't fancy or anything, but it was still special. More down-to-earth, more warm and loving.

"And this was just sitting out here all by its lonesome?" Thunderlane gave Applejack a knowing smirk after they'd finished setting up the spread, and Applejack giggled sheepishly.

"well, Granny Smith n' Faerie Tail were kind enough t' make this for us," she admitted when both their bellies grumbled impatiently and Thunderlane chuckled.

"Heh, Midnight was right! You do have an appetite like a full-grown stallion," Thunderlane poked teasingly at Applejack's tummy, which made her blush, "Welp, no point standing here and letting all these good eats go to waste."

"Eeyup, as they say in Prance, Bawn appateet!" Applejack settled onto the picnic blanket with Thunderlane, who inwardly chuckled at Applejack's butchering the Prench word.

They were silent the first few minutes to enjoy the meal, but then Applejack spoke, "So Thunder, how's things goin' wit' those knights n' tha' Guard Midnight's gettin' trained?"

Thunderlane thought about it for a moment before he answered, "Well, I tell ya, AJ, I wouldn't wanna be one of those recruits right now. The pony Midnight got to train the Harmony Guard, Firestorm? He's a real taskmaster but I can't deny that he's fair. Still a little harsh, but fair all the same. At first, you might think he's being a jerk but he wants to whip these guys into shape, make them a force that is strong, confident and able to do the job they've all signed up for."

"Whudda `bout you guys? Ah remember talkin' to Mac," Applejack prodded, "Said Midnight's being tough on y'all too."

"As he should be," Thunderlane nodded, "Midnight's been teaching us how to wield our swords and their powers, how to conduct ourselves, how to think on our hooves and outside the box. He's not as tough on us as Firestorm is to the recruits but he still pushes us hard. We can take it though, AJ, we're big colts."

"Heheh, well, asides knightin' an' soldierin' an' such, what else ya got goin' on, Thunderlane?" asked Applejack. "Ah mean, where do you see yerself in th' future?"

"Hmm, well..." Thunderlane gave it another thought, "I guess I'd like to help make the Silverbolts as big as the Wonderbolts one day. We have several squads but we're still not on par with the Wonderbolts in skill and numbers. I still work part-time over at the Weather Office for some extra cash and Soarin has really improved the operation there ever since he took up the management position.

"And, well..." Thunderlane blushed a little, "I hope to see my little brother Rumble grow up happy and living his life as well as he can, and to... well, to start my own family one day."

Applejack smiled, because she had the same wishes for her little sister and for herself: To see Apple Bloom a happy and successful mare in her own right, and to find the right stallion to help her have foals. The only question was, Could Thunderlane be the one...?

"AJ? Hellooooo, earth to Applejack~" Thunderlane's voice finally breached Applejack's reverie, startling her, muttering things like 'Huh, wuzzat' and Thunderlane chuckled, "I said, what about you, Applejack? What sort of dreams or goals to you hope to achieve in the future?"

"Hmm," Applejack thought about it herself. She reminisced of when she was a filly and went to live with her Aunt and Uncle Orange in Manehatten because back then she'd thought she wanted more out of life than being a farmer... only for destiny (acting through an unwitting Rainbow Dash) to guide her back home with a beautiful rainbow and she found for herself in absolute certainty that Sweet Apple Acres was her home and her destiny.
"Well... you know me, Thunder. Ah thought Ah was meant fer bigger things than bein' a farmer, but turns out Ah was always and always will be right where Ah belong. Ah love who Ah am, Ah love Sweet Apple Acres, an' Ah love muh family.

"Even so, Ah'd like to make somethin' of myself tha's bigger than jus' being a farmer but still honors everything Ah live an' breathe for. Y'know what Ah'm saying?"

"I think I do, sure," Thunderlane gestured her to keep going.

"Well, recently... Ah've been thinkin' of ways t' make Sweet Apple Acres th' most famous an' successful apple orchard in all of Equestria," explained Applejack, "but then it came to me - Why settle fer jus' Equestria? What if... we made our operation international? Do business wit' other farms an' such beyond Equestria's borders!"

Thunderlane gave a low whistle, indicating that he was impressed by Applejack's ambition, "That's a mighty tall order, AJ. Even Cloudsdale doesn't take their weather business outside of Equestria. Not a lot of other creatures and nations are able to control their weather like we pegasi do so they're left to the whims and mercy of random and wild weather."

"Ah think we could do it," Applejack said confidently, "If'n th' whole Apple Family worked together, we could more easily ship our goods `round Equestria easy enough. Shipping what we got t' offer outside of Equestria would be th' real challenge.

"Th' real trick would be reliable communication."

Thunderlane hmm'd in response to that, starting to get an idea and already planning to pitch it to Midnight and Soarin the next time they got down to Silverbolt business. He then asked, "Well, Applejack, you, me, our friends, we've all been kinda here and there around Equestria... but is there anywhere else in the world you ever thought you'd like to visit?"

"Huh... y'know, Ah never really thought about it," Applejack said before giving it a think, "Sweet Apple Acres demands so much work, tender lovin' care, not t' mention carin' fer mah family. Back when Ah thought Ah wanted t' be a bigshot or somethin' in Manehatten, Ah guess Ah thought about... seein' th' world, goin' t' faraway places... When Ah think about it now though, Ah don' think Ah would take such a trip. Unless..."

Applejack gave Thunderlane a bashful smile and he smiled back, "Unless... you took that trip with somepony special?"

The blushing nod Applejack gave him made Thunderlane resist the urge to fan his wings to release excess heat. Wing-boners could be so embarrassing, even around ponies other than pegasi.
"Well... I'd like to take a trip like that, one day, AJ. Especially, if I got to share it with you..."

Applejack looked at Thunderlane with a subtle wonder while he gave her a look of hopeful encouragement. But there was something else, which they saw in each other's eyes.

Something worthwhile.

The evening was still warm when the two arrived at Applejack's doorstep. Thunderlane, being the gentlecolt he was, insisted on seeing Applejack home safely, and as wonderful as this do-over first date had been, there was the unmistakable disappointment that it was just about over.

Applejack stood before her door but then turned to Thunderlane and barely concealing her anxiety as she asked, "So, uh... didja have a good time, Thunderlane?"

Thunderlane smiled, "Applejack... this has been the best do-over first date in the history of do-over first dates."

They shared a soft laugh and Thunderlane then said with a hopeful look, "I hope we can do it again soon."

Applejack raised her brow at Thunderlane, and he froze, hoping he hadn't just made a mistake by making some kind of assumption... only for Applejack to lean forward and give Thunderlane a soft and warm kiss on his cheek and then giving him a loving smile as she opened her door and said, "Real soon, haystack.

"Good night, Thunderlane."

Thunderlane stood there, stupefied so that his response was, "Ahpaaahjahhh..."

Applejack giggled and waved as she closed the door behind her, the sound snapping Thunderlane out of it... as his lips pulled back in a smile so big and happy and just a little goofy as he crouched down... and launched himself skyward with a triumphantly happy, "WHOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"

Hidden behind the curtains, Applejack watched Thunderlane fly around the airspace above Sweet Apple Acres, happy as a yearling before he zoomed off into the darkening night, leaving a contrail of hearts beating like echoes of thunder, and she felt her heart swell as she whispered to herself, "Real soon indeed..."

Author's Note

Disclaimer: "Perfect for Me"

375. The Duality of Fire - Part 1

"ALRIGHT CREAMPUFFS!" Firestorm shouted to his trainees, "We'll wrap up here for today!"

All of the trainees collapsed in relieved exhaustion as Firestorm then announced, "It's been almost three weeks since your training began, and that means in just a few short days, you will all be the first of the Harmony Guard.

"As you may recall, the positions of Lieutenants for the Dawn and Dusk Divisions as well as the Captain of the Harmony Guard overall will be bestowed upon those among you that have proven themselves worthy and competent to fulfill these duties and be entrusted with the responsibilities that come with them. It pleases me to see that each and every one of you has proven his or her mettle."

He continued as he walked back and forth in front of the trainees giving them each an analytical gaze, "Don't think this will give you a reason to relax. Quite the opposite, I expect each and every single one of you to prove to me that the time wasn't wasted. Now hit the showers. Dismissed!"

Firestorm's barked order caused them all to moved into single file before heading home to get cleaned up, as anyone could see the sweat dripping from every inch of them.

Watching his trainees head home, Firestorm considered what he'd just told them. In just a few days, their basic training would be complete, and while he had eyes on a few that could possibly fill the roles of Lieutenants of the Dawn and Dusk Divisions, he wasn't sure which, if any, among them could serve as Captain of the Harmony Guard overall.

"I take it training went well today, old friend?" Firestorm turned to see Prince Midnight and his wife Princess Twilight approaching, the both of them looking forward to the Old Soldier's report.

"As well as it's to be expected for roughly a month of training. They are going to need a lot more before I would consider some of them at their peak performance." Firestorm answered turning back to them. "But I do at least see promise in them, Your Majesties."

"Please, Firestorm, it's just us right now," Twilight kindly responded, "there's no need for formality. But it sounds like you have things handled and that the Harmony Guard will be off to a good start once it's official."

"I reckon so, although..." Firestorm hesitated a moment before saying, "while there are a few among this sorry lot that could do a passable job at being a lieutenant, I'm not certain which of them could carry the responsibility of Captain."

"Well, what about the trainees you think could work as lieutenants," proposed Midnight, "could any of them be a good captain?"

"Middle management is one thing, Midnight," Firestorm shook his head, "but the top often has the biggest horseshoes to fill. I just don't think even the most promising of these rookies is captain material."

Looking down the way his trainees went, he whispered, "At least not yet..."

Turning back, Firestorm looked at Midnight, "I would recommend that one of the Knights should take up the captain's mantle till such time one of the trainees is ready."

"...If circumstances were different, I would agree with you, Firestorm," Midngiht sighed, looking a tad disturbed, "but presently I can't ask any of the Knights to devote their time to training or overseeing the Harmony Guard."

"What circumstances?" Firestorm raised a brow.

Midnight looked to Twilight, who gave him an encouraging nod, before the sapphire alicorn explained himself.
"As you've heard, Catrina basically declared war against Equestria, and we have reason to believe she's gathering allies of sorts, and she now has a magic that allows her to destroy cutie-marks! Not only that, I recently received intel from my lieutenant in the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, that Equestria may soon be under threat, if it isn't already, from an unknown enemy.

"This enemy has somehow been conquering small nations without raising alarm or suspicion, and affiliated with this enemy... is Tempest Shadow."

Firestorm furrowed his brows, "I've heard of that mare... she has a lot of blood on her ledger."

"With Catrina and this new threat on the horizon, we need to be as prepared as we possibly can," Midnight went on, "as such, Twilight and I have recently begun brainstorming a way to prepare ourselves and even our future guardsponies in ways conventional training methods cannot."

"It's really quite brilliant, Firestorm," Twilight spoke up, "My husband is proposing we use one of the rooms in the castle as a sort of training room, but not with training equipment but rather... using immersive scenarios that can give us a simulated experience of various situations, obstacles and enemy tactics.

"Basically, we would be creating realistic illusions that simulate situations that would give the next best thing to actual hooves-on experience."

"But the situations need to come from real combat situations. Nothing thought up on the spot, and even going into no win scenarios." Firestorm debated, looking skeptical, "Because soldiers need to be able to understand and surmise the best possible actions out of the worst situations."

"Which is why, the first time these recruits undergo training in this room, once it's completed," Midnight smirked, "they'll think it's real."

"Not only that, but even after they're made aware that the experiences in the room are just a simulation," Twilight added, "we can temporarily seal their awareness that it's just a simulation when one is active. That way, we can get actual results from the trainees who will think it's real every time, only remembering when the simulation ends."

"I'll believe it when I see it..." grumbled Firestorm, folding his forehooves together.

"TWILIGHT! MIDNIGHT!!" They all startled to see Spike running their way, holding what looked like a scroll.

"Spike! What's wrong? A Message from Prin-" Twilight said, only for Firestorm to interject and take the scroll from Spike's hand.

"This isn't from the Princess," he narrowed his eyes at the wax seal, "It's from a Dragon Lord!"

"Oh! From our friend, Lady Ember, I'm sure," Twilight reached to take the scroll, only for Firestorm to hold it out of reach.

"No, this isn't from the Dragon Lord of the West. If it was, the seal would depict the Bloodstone Scepter," Firestorm gave the seal a good look before his brows furrowed and he declared, "This is from the Dragon Lord of the South!

"The seal depicts the Bloodstone Necklace."

"If I remember right.... the Dragon Lord of the Southern Territory, Dradea, is a dragoness," Midnight spoke up, "goes by the name of... Infurya?"

"That's her, nasty customer," Firestorm glared at the scroll, "which is why we should burn this scroll and forget we ever go- Hey!"

Twilight had yoinked the scroll from Firestorms' magical grasp and undid the seal before anypony could stop her as she said, "As Equestrian Royalty, it would be improper of us to discard a message from a foreign leader without even reading it! Now let's see...

"'Messr Spike, You are formally invited to the Dragon Territory of Dradea for a diplomatic meeting between dragons of two different nations to find a common ground. Sincerely yours, Lady Infurya of the South'.

"Hmm, kind of short, but... this sounds promising!"

"I dunno, Twily, it's kinda vague, don't you think?" Midnight pointed out warily.
"And hard to read between the line or get their unlined desire." Firestorm added, sounding suspicious.

"Well, it's still an invitation from a national leader," Twilight insisted, "it'd be rude and a loss of opportunity not to answer it."

"But why invite Spike? He's not a leader or even an Equestrian official," Midnight questioned, "It can't simply be because he's a dragon..."

"...Okay, that's a fair point," Twilight had to admit.

"HEY! What's that supposed to mean?" Spike demanded with an indignant tone.

"There's something else going on here, kid," Firestorm answered firmly. "The laws and politics of the dragons are very different from those of Equestria. Not to mention this Infurya has quite a reputation, along with the dragons of her territory, the Wyverns, and diplomacy isn't something she's known for."

"Yes, I remember now," Midnight spoke up, "Infurya is known for skirting the edges of Dragon Law. She's done questionable things with her power, but they were always within the legal boundaries of the law of the King.

"She punishes offenders of the law and subjects them to gladiatorial combat to win their freedom. She also offers wealth, food and prizes to any dragon who volunteers to fight for her amusement."

"And that's what we know of," Firestorm commented grimly.

"Well... perhaps she has a poor reputation, but we can't just dismiss this possibility that she wishes to establish amicable relations with Equestria," Twilight responded but even she was sounding doubtful at this point.

"And she invited me! It may come as a surprise to you, sir," Spike glared at Firestorm, "but Twilight taught me plenty growing up. Including etiquette and diplomatic history. Clearly, this Lady Infurya heard about me and must think that if a dragon like me can live well among ponies then perhaps other dragons too."

"More like she sees you as an opportunity to exploit," Firestorm huffed, causing Spike to redden angrily, so Firestorm tried to cool him down by saying, "It's - Not - Safe!"

Before any of them saw it coming, Spike whipped out a quill and parchment, wrote something down, and they all cried out, "Spike, no!!" as as he burned it with his dragonfyre, and the shimmering ashes zoomed off towards the horizon.

Facehooving, Firestorm groaned, "Tell me you didn't-"

"I accepted Lady Infurya's invitation and told her I'd arrive in Dradea by noon tomorrow," Spike responded with a 'so there' attitude.

"Spike..." Midnight sighed while shaking his head, "I understand wanting to prove yourself, but this is serious! You have no experience in diplomatic affairs and you don't know Dragon Law!"

"Which is why I'm coming with you, young dragon," Firestorm stated in a tone inarguable.

"Fine. But remember who's the diplomat here," Spike harrumphed. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go ask Blueblood if we can borrow the Slipstream. We'll need to travel by airship if we're gonna make it in time."

They watched Spike march off, his nose in the air, and Twilight sighed, "Firestorm, I'm sorry about Spike. He's a good dragonet, but every once in a while..."

"Think nothing of it, Twilight," Firestorm waved it off, "I've dealt with plenty of hotshots whom I whipped into respectable soldiers in my time. As it is, I'm the best candidate to go with him to make sure he doesn't louse this up and cause an international incident."

"Firestorm..." Firestorm looked to Twilight, who was clearly concerned, "...will you look after Spike?"

The Old Soldier smiled kindly and gave a respectful bow, "I'll bring him home safely, Your Majesty."

"Thank you," Twilight smiled back, feeling a little relief.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Your Highnesses," Firestorm turned to head into the castle, "I must prepare for the journey."

Ever since he'd come to train the nascent Harmony Guard recruits, Firestorm had been given room and board inside the Castle of Friendship so he wouldn't have to live in a hotel in the meantime. His room was comfortable but in a way spartan with how it lacked much of anything to express Firestorm's personality.

In fact, what stood out most was a potted flower set in the windowsill to enjoy the sunshine.

Firestorm approached the flower and took in its beauty. It was as though a burst of flame had somehow become the floral equivalent, with its reddish-orange petals tipped yellow, growing upon a stem that had a texture very similar in appearance to scales, and the leaves were sharp and spiny like those of a holly.

The fragrance had a spicy characteristic in how it inflamed the sinuses the more you smelled it and yet it was so appealing, even as it caused Firestorm's eyes to water a little. But it wasn't just the flower's scent.

It was the memory it represented.

Sighing, he gingerly plucked a few petals and leaves, setting them aside onto the desk in his room, before he focused upon the flower and closed his eyes.

"Firestorm?"

"Wha?! I-" Firestorm whipped around to see Midnight standing the doorway.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to startle you," apologized the younger stallion. "I-I was going to... What're you doing with that flower? It's beautiful."

"Oh Midnight, I..." Firestorm took a deep breath as he looked back at his flower and Midnight walked over to stand beside the Old Soldier. "This... this is a Dacorona, a rare flower rich with special properties, as it only grows from soil that has been burned by dragonfyre. It's, uh... the secret behind my fireproof potions and such."

"Forgive me for saying so, Firestorm, but..." Midnight looked between the flower and Firestorm before saying, "I sense there's something more to this flower than it just being valuable for potion ingredients."

"Eh, you caught me," Firestorm sighed as he looked upon the flower with the look of a stallion who'd long carried an old wound. "This... this is the last gift I received from my wife. Before her time came."

"Cherry Rose." Firestorm looked at Midnight in mild surprise, and the alicorn shrugged with a small smile, "Of the Rose Family, among the few Canterlot noble families made up of earth ponies.

"She was a good friend of my grandmother."

"I remember, yes," Firestorm nodded, "My sister, Gaia, was the one who introduced us. They knew each other from their work in crossbreeding exotic flowers to produce hybrids with more potent properties.

"Heh, she stole my heart right away, my Cherry Rose... She gave me this Dracorona as an anniversary gift. Thirty years of marriage! A few months later, she was gone..."

"How do you still have this flower thought?" asked Midnight, genuinely curious. "Shouldn't it have withered a long while back?"

"Heh, my Cherry might not have been a unicorn, but she helped me discover something real special. You just watch..." Firestorm looked at the flower again before he closed his eyes and concentrated.

Midnight watched as Firestorm's horn gently lit up with his fiery red mana.... before it seemed to calm into a gentle simmer instead of a blistering burn as the mana seemed to shrink inward into Firestorm's horn... before he got closer to the Dracorona and seemed to exhale a gentle plume of faint red vapor onto the flower.

Almost instantly the Dracorona perked and stood straight, its colors brightening while the petals and leaves Firestorm had plucked away grew back, while some buds sprouted along the stem and quickly blossomed into smaller flowers. Once it all settled, the Dracorona seemed to glow a strong yet balanced radiance of the same red that was the color of Firestorm's mana.

Firestorm started to pant lightly while Midnight marveled at what he'd just seen.

"H-how did you...?" He looked upon the Old Soldier in stunned awe as Firestorm steadied his breath.

"Well... as you are surely aware," Firestorm took a deep breath before continuing, "Earth Ponies passively channel their mana through their legs and hooves, is why Earth Ponies are physically the strongest of ponykind. Apart from alicorns, that is.

"Cherry Rose helped me figure out that while Earth Ponies can channel their mana passively, allowing them to enrich the earth they walk on, the crops and plants they tend to, or even soothe and calm those they touch, Unicorns could do the same, albeit more directly."

"Amazing...!" Midnight looked at the Dracorona closer before he realized something, "But then why did you suddenly seem a little short of breath?"

"Earth Ponies channel their mana passively and do it through their exertion and interaction with their surroundings," Firestorm explained. "As a result, they only feel as tired as how hard they worked. But Unicorns don't typically use their mana in such a way. What I just did for my Dracorona was giving it some of my stamina and energy, thus I felt a tad tired from the effusing my mana to the flower as if I'd just done a physical activity that would tire me out to the same degree.

"By doing this, I've kept my Dracorona alive and healthy for all these years. It's been a source of my strength and a beloved keepsake of my Cherry..."

"Hmm, it's an interesting application of mana channeling," Midnight reconsidered his previous thought, "but it seems to benefit the flower more than it does you."

"I wasn't finished," Firestorm raised a brow. "See, you're not just providing energy that improves the health of the plant or even the environment.

"Doing this frequently can cause a change in the plant so it takes on characteristics of the unicorn who provides it with energy in this manner."

"How so?" Midnight found his interest piqued yet again.

"We had a housemare, Melody, up in Canterlot before she resigned and moved away," explained Firestorm. "We taught her this same technique and she used it to care for the flowers in Cherry's garden.

"In Melody's case, when the wind would gently breeze through the flowers, they would give off musical notes. So depending on the pony the characteristics of the plant would slightly change to match. Not to mention their properties can increase in potency as well as change, depending on the mana of the unicorn."

Midnight found his interests reignited by Firestorm's words as he stared at the Dracorona, wondering what it was before Firestorm started caring for it in the way he still does.

"That brain of yours hatching an idea?" Firestorm raised an amused brow.

"You could say that..." Midnight nodded before giving Firestorm a serious look, "But the matter at hoof... what do you think Infurya could possibly want with Spike?"

"Nothing good, that's for sure, and if half of what I've heard about her is true, then Spike is delivering himself on a silver platter into the lion's den covered in garnish," Firestorm responded as he got to packing his saddlebags.

"Remind me again how well respected you are in the Dragons Lands?" asked Midnight.

"Depends on if you believe the rumors or not," Firestorm retorted with a smirk after adding a few of his potions to his bags.

"Oh I believe plenty of them, though a couple I admit to finding hard to swallow," Midnight teased before he resumed his serious demeanor. "But seriously, Firestorm, at least tell me you have an exit strategy if and when things go pear-shaped."

"I plan to get in contact with my old teacher who has a lot of pull in the Dragon Lands. If we have to escape, we can count on her for aid to get back safely to Equestria. Other then that, I'll have to play it by ear `till I know why or how it went pear-shaped," Firestorm answered as he strapped his saddlebags on.
"Hopefully it won't come to that."

"With her helping you, I have faith you both will come home safely," Midnight said solemnly, "but it's still gonna be dangerous."

"I might be past my prime, junior," Firestorm said in jest, "but I weren't Senior General of the EUP for nothin'! Understand?!"

"Heheh, sir, yessir," Midnight wing-saluted his father's mentor and a stallion he deeply respected. But before Firestorm left, Midngiht couldn't help saying, "General? Good luck."

"Hm" Firestorm just nodded before making for the castle exit, but he wasn't there in that moment but a thousand miles away as he muttered to himself, "Goddess knows I'm going to need it."

Thankfully, Blueblood was glad to lend Spike and Firestorm the Slipstream though he wasn't happy to learn of their destination. Firestorm had to go over Blueblood's head in telling him to keep his gob shut and promise he'd look out for Spike.

In order to reach Dradea in time, they had to fly all night across the Glistening Eastern Sea though it was an immense relief to Firestorm that the Slipstream had an autopilot and he'd set his alarm to wake him early the next morning.

Spike woke up a little later and found Firestorm at the wheel, his gaze locked onto the way ahead and Spike saw they were approaching the Dragon Lands. Looking back to the old unicorn, Spike sighed and went over. Firestorm made no indication he noticed Spike's approach.

"Listen, um... I want to say I'm sorry for the attitude."

Firestorm said nothing, but Spike noticed the barest raise of the unicorn's brow, so he went on.
"It's just... I've been Twilight's Number One Assistant ever since I started walking and talking and because I just wanted to help the pony who's basically my big sister.

"But that's all I've ever really been - An assistant. Sure, I've helped with a lot of big and important things, but nopony in Equestria talks about those things because I was involved, because hardly anything or anyone has ever relied solely upon me."

This time, Spike got a reaction as he saw Firestorm maintain his poise but then his eyes looked in Spike's general direction.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... I just want the opportunity to do something great!" Spike stepped to the bow of the Slipstream, looking towards the fast-approaching Dragon Lands. "Something that will get ponies to say 'Hey look, it's Spike!' or just feel proud to know me or...

"Something that I accomplished myself, not something I just helped with or was present for. You know what I'm saying?"

"That's the thing though Spike," finally came a response from the Old Soldier. His analytical tone drawing Spike's gaze to Firestorm as he looked on towards their destination. "Every time you helped accomplished something and that's what it really is. You accomplish to finish your mission or task so the next pony could do the same. Do you think Starswirl would have been able to accomplish his spells without the ponies before him doing the time to study magic and in turn those that improved or reworked Starswirl's spells. Just has he had done before? Think about all of the accomplishments that happened there? That wouldn't have happened if the Apples hadn't accomplished founding the town.

"Even in the military. Generals are able to form plans based on the information that other soldiers were able to obtain by accomplishing their missions. Every accomplishment is like a pebble thrown into the water. Which creates ripples and waves that lead to them crashing into the next pony to accomplish. Who in turn toss their own pebbles and the cycle continues. Always moving forward, regardless if what they accomplish is good, or bad."

Spike found himself speechless, unsure of what to say in response when Firestorm went on.
"I understand full well what it's like to want to make your mark on history, to leave something behind that others will admire and remember you for, for generations to come.

"For me... I'd hoped my legacy would be carried on by my son."

Spike would had to have been blind to not see the pain behind that stony gaze everypony associated with the Royal Guard, or deaf to not hear the subtle mourning underneath Firestorm's tone of composure.
"Regardless, there will always be those who remember you for the things that truly matter, those who matter to you because you matter to them. Because they will remember you, not for accomplishing some grand and exalted deed, but simply because of how you touched their lives and made them better for it."

"My friends, my family..." Spike realized, and for the first time, Firestorm cracked a smile, a small one but a smile all the same.

"Yes, and never forget, Young Dragon," the Old Soldier said in a tone that caused Spike to meet his gaze. "Even the smallest contribution can make the biggest difference."

Spike looked down for a moment before looking back up at Firestorm, expressing respect and barely-concealed admiration before he asked, "So then... is there anything you can tell me on what I should do or expect about this meeting with Lady Infurya?"

"She will probably play it friendly but will question you about Equestria or about things to get to know you," answered Firestorm. "But I would also say keep it professional tone wise with her as I've heard she's rather quick to anger. As the Dragon Lord of the South, she is of the Wyvern lineage, and Wyverns have always had the nastiest reps among dragonkind."

Now that he was being calm and more open, Spike was beginning to catch the drift that despite his initial thoughts regarding this meeting, that Firestorm might be right about Infurya.
"...Is she really as bad as you're implying?"

"No." Firestorm furrowed his brows as they approached what appeared to be an outpost as he answered, "She's worse..."

Then he reached to pull a lever to begin their descent and something slipped out from the aviator's scarf he had wrapped around his neck and Spike recognized it, "Is that... a phoenix feather?"

"Huh?" Firestorm looked and saw the phoenix feather hanging from his neck by a cord necklace and he raised it up with his magic, saying, "Uh, yes, an old good luck charm of mine."

"Huh! Looks old but it still looks vibrant," Spike commented, "Reminds me of my pet phoenix, Peewee."

Snorting in amusement, Firestorm asked, "You named a phoenix Peewee?!"

"I'll tell you the story later," Spike rolled his eyes, "but tell me about your feather. It must be special if you hold onto it for good luck."

"This... was actually a little gift from Princess Celestia, back when I first became Captain of the Royal Guard," explained Firestorm. "She plucked it off of that feathery fiend she calls her pet, Philomena, and told me it might serve me well one day. So, I just hold onto it for luck."

"Hopefully we don't need it," Spike replied as he looked towards their destination and pointed to the outpost. "We're supposed to meet a dragon at that location."

Sighing as he brought the Slipstream down, Firestorm thought, Goddess watch over us...

Landing their airship and disembarking, they were met with a dragon unlike any Spike had ever seen. He looked like an adult except he was nowhere near as big as all the other adult dragons Spike had ever seen. Still, this dragon towered over the two of them, standing at least three times Firestorm's height, upright on two legs like Spike, and he was fearsome-looking.
His scales were the dry golden yellow of a desert while his underbelly was a faint purple and his horns, spikes, spines, the membranes of his wings and even his hair was a richer purple. He wore a red scarf around his shoulders that sported medals signifying past accomplishments, a dark purple apron/kilt-like piece around his waist, and he carried a battleaxe.

"Greetings, Sir Spike," the dragon said with a rich adult voice, "I am Titan, assigned by Lady Infyurya to escort you to her palace."

"Um, hello! I, uh... well, lead the way, good sir!" Spike forced a smile, feeling a tad intimidated by this dragon even though he wasn't nearly as big as all the other adult dragons he'd ever seen.

But then Titan took notice of Firestorm, "I... was not aware you had brought company, Sir Spike."

"Oh, this is Firestorm, he's my.... chaperone," Spike introduced, hoping that Firestorm's presence wouldn't be a problem.

"Indeed, I am here on behalf of Spike's guardians," Firestorm narrowed his eyes at Titan, "Where he goes, I go."

"...Be that as it may, only Sir Spike was invited by her Ladyship, so..." Titan looked ready to make use of that battle axe...

... when Firestorm levitated out what appeared to be a medal, depicting a symbol as he declared, "In the name of the Dragon King's Royal Court, I order you to escort the both of us to meet with Lady Infurya."

Titan balked in surprise at the sight of the emblem Firestorm had presented and a closer look confirmed that it was legit. He growled in soft annoyance before turning around and saying, "Follow me..."

They did so, staying over two pony-lengths behind Titan and Spike whispered to Firestorm, "What did you show him? Something about the Dragon King's court?"

"This Emblem represents the Royal Court of the Dragon King," Firestorm showed it to Spike, "and the fact that I have it means that I am affiliated with a court member. Thus, as long as I don't show it off or abuse the privilege, I can issue orders to other dragons in the name of the Court."

"Cool. But... who's the court member that you-" Spike tried to ask, only for Firestorm to cover the young dragon's mouth with his hoof when he noticed that Titan seemed to be trying to eavesdrop.

"Don't get distracted, Spike, keep your concentration on the here and now, where it belongs," Firestorm instructed in whisper.

"But Twilight says I should always learn what I can where and when I can," Spike whispered back.

"Not at the expense of the task at hoof. Be mindful of the present, young dragon," Firestorm said firmly.

"Yes, sir," Spike had noticed Titan peer over his shoulder to glance at them but looked forward when he saw they were noticing his nosiness.
"So... any idea what Lady Infurya actually wants?"

"I can't be certain until we actually speak with her. Let us hope that the meeting is short and uneventful," Firestorm replied, hoping he'd be right.

Spike nodded in agreement, but as they followed after Titan, walking down a dusty path in Dragon territory, Firestorm had a distinct feeling that he would be horribly wrong.

Author's Note

This arc is co-written by DFatman, who owns the OC Firestorm

376. The Duality of Fire - Part 2

Spike and Firestorm followed Titan but kept their distance of two pony-lengths behind him as he led them down a path through a rough-looking environment. A lot of it was rocky but here and there they saw woodlands, there was a river, but the air was dry and warm. Every so often, they saw dragons, dragons that were more like the ones Spike had seen. Large, ferocious, and even bestial. But Spike also noticed some dragons were like Titan.

Smaller but still imposing, walked on two legs, carried themselves with an air of superiority and adorned with simple yet majestic looking wears, like cloaks, scarves, some wore armor and helm, plenty carried a weapon like a sword, a battleaxe, a spear, and they snarled at the larger dragons who all kept their distances despite being much bigger. Spike also noticed a lot of the dragons, among the larger ones and the ones like Titan, their wings were also their forelimbs, unlike Titan, whose wings grew out from his back.

"Uh, Firestorm?" Spike spoke softly to his escort, "Why are some of these dragons... different?"

"You mean, like how some are smaller and similar to our guide here?" Firestorm replied and got a nod from his charge. "Dragons as a whole are prone to Greed, but for Dragons Greed can be most dangerous. If a Dragon succumbs to Dragon Greed, he begins to collect anything that catches his fancy, and the more a dragon collects the bigger and greedier he gets.

"As a result, the dragon grows in size and strength, but he is robbed of his potential."

"Potential?" echoed Spike in confusion.

"You talking about the wyrms?" asked Titan, revealing he was listening to their conversation.

They stopped walking as Titan turned around to face them, looking arrogant as he pointed his battleaxe to one of the larger dragons.
"I'll tell you the difference between that wyrm and myself, little dragon. I... am a true Dragon."

"True Dragon?" Spike was confused, "Firestorm aside, aren't we all dragons here?"

"Ugh, you might be a dragon but culturally, you're a pony," Titan rolled his eyes. "As your... escort said, all dragons are vulnerable to greed. But there are some dragons, such as myself, who are able to learn the merits of Focus and Discipline, so as not to allow greed to overcome us.

"When dragons reach a certain age, they undergo various studies, tests, and training in order to be tempered with a steely resolve. Those that are successful are able to forge for themselves an iron will so as to exercise self-control and become true Dragons, as I did. But some like him..." He pointed to the large dragon again, as the brute was basking in the sun like a cat, raised his tail, and let out a fiery fart.
"...such weaklings fail to find the inner strength to hold fast in the face of greed and become bestial wyrms! Still capable of thinking and conversation, but they are now practically animals, driven by primal urges and baser instincts."

"So they're... not as developed as they could be," Spike debated, "Is that really such a big deal?"

"YES!!" Titan roared at Spike, who cowered behind Firestorm. "Because wyrms sacrifice their true potential for larger size and strength to protect their precious hoards, when they could learn true disciplines, such as the study of warfare and combat, the honor of leadership and purpose, and most of all, the potential to learn Dragon Magic!"

"Dragon magic...?" Now Spike was really interested.

"He means that when a dragon gives into his Greed and becomes a wyrm, his mana, as well as some of his intelligence, is expended in increasing the dragon's size and strength," explained Firestorm. "As a result, the dragons that become wyrms are unable to learn or wield Dragon Magic as the True Dragons, like Titan here, can."

"And they live the rest of their miserable lives in disgrace," Titan snorted bitterly, "they still serve a purpose, they are still dragons, but they could have become so much more... Let's keep moving! Lady Infurya frowns upon tardiness."

About half an hour later of walking, Infurya's palace was soon in view. Spike was getting tired, but he'd declined Firestorm's offer to be carried as he didn't want to look weak in front of the other dragons.

Infurya's palace, known as Burning Rock, was a large fortress carved into a mountaintop sided by two active volcanoes. There were fortifications along the foot of the mountain, towers between it and the volcanoes, and what appeared to be a waterfall pouring between the mountain and the volcano to the right. Burning Rock, even at a distant, glimmered and sparkled fiery colors, which Spike could tell, even at a distance, were coming from gemstones.

Titan noticed the look of wonder on Spike's face and chuckled, "Her Ladyship is wealthy and vaunts it by decorating Burning Rock with choice gemstones, as well as gold."

"But... isn't she afraid that a dragon will, uh...?" Spike made a berry-plucking gesture before putting the imaginary berry towards his mouth.

"Heh, no one dares steal from Her Eminence," Titan scoffed, "Lady Infurya enforces Dragon Law in a manner ruthless yet just. Any so foolish to steal from her will wish they'd never hatched..."

It took another ten minutes to reach the gates surrounding the bottom of Burning Rock, but as the doors opened Spike and even Firestorm were amazed by the reception as they saw two rows of True Dragons, about sixteen in all, standing in the middle of the courtyard, leading up towards the palace doors. Almost all of them, their wings doubled as their arms.

Titan took a deep breath and let out a mighty roar and the Dragons raised their halberds and held them crisscrossed, indicating the obvious as Titan bade his charges, "Follow me."

They did so, and every Dragon they passed pulled his halberd back and stood at attention. If things didn't feel so tense, Spike might have enjoyed this welcoming committee. But every now and then he caught a glare from one of the Dragon guards and heard a soft growl.

They were less than impressed by the guests of their Lady.

Reaching the opulent doors of the palace, Titan grabbed the door handles, gave a soft grunt of exertion and slowly pushed them inwards. The interior revealed an entry hall of stone with the walls glittering with rubies, topaz, garnets, amber and gold, creating a marvelous mosaic-like art of fiery patterns.

The only thing that stood out was a pedestal with the skull of a dragon on it that had a cracked hole above the brow, indicating something had stabbed this poor creature in the head. On the pedestal's front, Spike saw a freshly-polished brass plaque that read 'Steal at your own risk' and Spike got the impression of what that meant as he gulped nervously.

"Wait here," Titan pointed to the middle of the entry hall floor where they saw an emblem of a Cloud from which Fire fell.

They did so but did not stand directly on the emblem, which Firestorm whispered, "The Emblem of the Wyvern Clan. Infurya's kin."

Titan then stepped over to what looked like a gong and struck it with his tail, its majestic reverberation echoing throughout the hall and extending down the hallways that branched to the left and right and even up the stone staircase directly in front of the palace doors. They waited several minutes before they heard footsteps and before long, a female Dragon appeared, standing at the top of the stairs.

She was slender but strong, her scales a vibrant dark orange while the membranes of her wings, trailing from her arms, were burning red. Her spines and horns were charcoal black yet gave off a golden shimmer in the light, and her eyes... Piercing, the color of burning coals, were narrowed in intrigue upon Spike. She wore a gown of chain-mail burnished a resplendent bronze and armbands of gold with rubies to complement the Bloodstone Necklace, the symbol of her rule.

"Presenting her Grace, the Dragon Lord of the South, daughter of Clan Wyvern, Lady Infurya!" Titan declared as he knelt and bowed before his liege.

Spike moved to do the same, only for Firestorm to gesture him no and instead simply bow his head in respect like he did.

"Welcome, welcome," Infurya bade as she descended the stairs, "though it appears I invited one and have received two..."

"Uh, greetings, your Ladyship," Spike cleared his throat, remembering his lessons in etiquette. "I am honored to receive your invitation and to behold your amazing palace!

"Um, excuse me for bringing along my... escort. This is-"

"General Firestorm, yes, I know who he is," Infurya interrupted but then gave the subtlest look of condescending as she seemed to catch herself and say, "Oh! My apologies... Of course, I mean the former General Firestorm.

"My, my, you are quite famous in our circles. For a pony, that is."

"Your Grace is entirely too kind," Firestorm responded with a respectful bow of his head, apparently deaf to the light verbal jab. "It would appear that the rumors about you are... mildly exaggerated."

"Oh? And what rumors would those be?" Infurya asked with the barest raise of her ridged brow.

"Really, Your Grace, I would not waste your time with gossip," Firestorm could just barely restrain a smirk. "Surely you are above concerning yourself with such petty trivialities..."

"Hmm..." Infurya bore a brief baleful look at the pony before snubbing and saying, "Titan, you are dismissed. Leave us and resume your normal duties."

"Yes, my Lady," Titan stood back up before giving a dismissive nod to his Lady's guests and leaving as Infurya raised her wings.

Rather than walk down the stairs, she gracefully glided down them, impressing Spike with her poise and composure, appearing statuesque even in motion until she alighted before them.

"Now then, before we get down to business, allow me the pleasure of extending my hospitality," she invited, "After coming such a long way to be punctual, you must be exhausted..."

"Well, uh, a little R&R would be appreciated, milady," Spike chuckled hesitantly.

"Thankfully, I've a meal in preparation," Infurya chuckled in a haughty manner, "it shall be ready momentarily, so grant a fair dragoness your patience as we take in a few sights along the way to the dining hall. Come along!"

They followed Infurya as she led them down a western hallway and Spike noticed the interior of the palace, the walls, the ceilings, all of it looked like it had been dug out, carved, or even blasted with heat so intense the walls and ceilings were smoothed out.
Unusual method for architecture...

Remembering something, Spike whispered to Firestorm, "Uh, Firestorm? How come you told me to bow like you and not kneel like Titan did?"

"We are visitors in Infurya's realm, Spike," Firestorm clarified, "thus we are not her subjects and so we are not obligated to kneel before her. Instead, visitors like us bow or curtsy."

"Do keep up, Firestorm," Infurya interjected though she didn't so much as glance back at them. "We mustn't be late for our luncheon but I'd share a few examples of my home with you both."

Along the way, Infurya would stop and point out rooms, such as her Trophy Room, which was filled with artifacts, treasures, weapons... and skulls of various creatures who'd once opposed Infurya for some reason or other that she didn't care to remember. To Spike's horror and Firestorm's contempt, among the skulls was that of a pony.

Another place she showed them was the training area for her guards, where they saw Titan overseeing some Dragons training in weapons combat, and Infurya vaunted her guardsdragons demanding yet effective training regime weeding out the weak links and forging the strong.

After showing them a couple of more rooms, like her private study and even her ballroom, Infurya led them to her dining hall where a large and long table with the tabletop made from petrified wood awaited them and she took her seat at it's head, inviting Spike to sit at her right and Firestorm to her left.

She then raised her claws and clapped them together, and almost immediately did a pair of doors open as a tall and rotund dragon, wearing a chef hat waddled in, pushing a serving cart with the dishes covered with cloches.

"My Lady and esteemed guests," the dragon chef declared pompously, "for your dining pleasure..."

He set the dishes onto the table and set plates before Infurya, Spike and Firestorm, including cutlery and gem encrusted goblets and pulled out a crystalline bottle containing a ruby-red liquid and then a pitcher.
Once he was done, he snapped his claws, sparks flying from them, and the cloches gently lifted off the dishes to reveal, "Voila! My latest culinary masterpieces!

"For my Most Esteemed Lady, a serving of Venison cooked to your preference of roasted on the outside and juicy on the inside, dressed with spices and your favorite garnish. For Messr. Spike, a sirloin steak grilled to perfection, and... my apologies, Sir Pony," the chef chuckled derisively at Firestorm.

"We are lacking in pony-appropriate foodstuffs-"

"If you've oats, I'll take an oatburger with bacon," Firestorm interrupted, and his request was met with surprise from not only the chef but also Infurya and Spike. "Yes, ponies can eat meat but it's an acquired taste and not many do it."

"Um, right away!" The chef hurried off to prepare Firestorm's order when Infurya noticed Spike looking apprehensively at the steak before him.

"Is something wrong, Spike?" Infurya asked, sounding just slightly concerned.

"Um, this steak... was made from a cow, right?" Spike poked at the steak with a fork.

"Yes, prime beef, my food supplies hold nothing but the highest quality," Infurya cut some of her venison and almost eagerly snapped up a strip, enjoying the taste.

"Spike is... hesitant as one of his neighbors is a cow, Lady Infurya," Firestorm clarified before raising a brow, "but you would never butcher a sapient bovine, surely, this came from a dumb cow..."

"All my food is derived from sources acceptable within the legal boundaries of my king, Firestorm," Infurya responded before smirking, "And don't call me Shirley."

Spike stifled a sputtering laugh at Infurya's play at humor before recomposing himself, "So, forgive me if I decline your chef's cooking, Lady Infurya, but perchance you might have a ruby you'd be willing to spare? Preferably a fire ruby?"

"Oh-ho-ho my, do forgive me , Young Spike," Infurya laughed condescendingly, "I forget you are still a dragonet. Why, you haven't even grown into your wings yet... Very well, when the chef returns, I can have him fetch for you a fire ruby. You are a growing dragon, after all..."

"A growing dragon with great potential and an even greater future," Firestorm retorted. "Even at a young age, he has shown mettle and continues to show promise."

Spike smiled appreciatively at Firestorm while Infurya backpedaled with a slightly put-off chuckle, "Oh do excuse my misconduct. I... just momentarily forgot the necessity for eating gems for young dragons like Spike."

"Huh? Then... you don't eat gems, Lady Infurya?" Spike asked, genuinely curious.

"My, my, you poor thing," Infurya responded with a facade of empathy, "To know so little of your own kind. While I can see you are a bright and well-mannered young dragon, whoever was in charge of your upbringing was tragically ignorant in dragon culture."

"Well, it's just that ponies generally don't go near dragons because of how big and scary they are," Spike clarified, feeling a little miffed at Infurya's indirect jab towards Twilight.

"You mean, the wyrms," Infurya nodded as she ate some more of her venison. "Mm, they are more numerous than us, the True Dragons, so it's understandable ponies would encounter them fare more frequently."

"Course that wouldn't be a problem if the Dragon Lords could reel them in and teach them a better way before they are too far gone and when they did keep them somewhere safe so they couldn't harm anyone," Firestorm shot back with a smirk as he knew that was as much as her failing then any other dragon lord's but he wanted to get under her scales.

It seemed he had failed as although Infurya's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at him, she seemed to shrug it off and respond, "Well... perhaps that is among the topics Young Spike and I shall discuss."

Spike unclenched in his seat in mild relief, as he'd feared Firestorm had gone too far. But Firestorm could see it. Infurya appeared to be taking his harsh words well, but inside he could feel her rage beginning to boil. His mentor in dragon magic had taught him plenty of things besides some fancy magic tricks to enhance his skills as a warrior. He'd also learned ways to sense things other ponies could not.

For the rest of the meal, barely another word was spoken. Spike got his fire ruby and Firestorm his oatburger with bacon, and hardly more exchanges were made apart from complimenting the food and drink. Infurya and Firestorm had a wine that was only available in the Dragon Lands while Spike was given dragonberry juice.

Once the meal concluded and the dinnerware was taken away, Infurya stood up, "And now, to business... alas, dear general, this meeting is for privileged ears only."

Firestorm had been expecting this - Infurya wanted something from Spike and didn't want Firestorm's meddling.

"I understand I wasn't invited and that I have no right to participate in a diplomatic matter," Firestorm spoke with a calm control, knowing he had to play this right, "but perhaps I should sit in on your meeting with Spike.

"I am afraid he is... inexperienced in these matters and hasn't brushed up on Dragon Law. My mentor taught me-"

"Oh, that won't be necessary, General. Our talk won't be all that complicated," Infurya was not going to let this maimed has-been interfere, so she suggested, "Perhaps I could offer you a guide to... take in the sights of Burning Rock! There are many beautiful places to observe, or maybe you could have a sparring session with my guards.

"I'm sure an old warhorse like you might be able to show them a thing or two..."

She'd responded exactly as Firestorm hoped, so he gave a show of considering before saying, "Hmm, Burning Rock is a majestic bastion, Lady Infurya. I suppose I will accept your offer."

"Then I shall call for a dragon to serve as your guide," Infurya stood up to step out for a moment, and Firestorm knew he couldn't waste it.

He leaned over towards Spike and whispered, "Listen closely, young dragon. Infurya is going to ask you questions that might seem strange or harmless, they but might imply far more than they sound like."

"What should I do? I don't want to mess this up!" Spike was really beginning to worry and realize he might have bitten off more than he could chew.

"Listen carefully, we don't have much time," Firestorm spoke in a tone that meant Spike was listening one hundred percent. "Never give her direct answers, be vague with what you say especially if the question makes you feel uneasy or like something you shouldn't talk about. Don't agree to anything she offers, simply say something like 'Thank you, I shall take that into consideration'. Be polite, flatter her a little but don't go overboard with compliments.

"Finally... if you ever feel as though you are in danger..."

Spike gulped, afraid of the serious tone Firestorm was using, "...make an excuse of some kind, say you need a restroom, anything. Then make your way to the entry hall of the castle to hide."

Spike squirmed a bit in his chair as he ran everything Firestorm had told him through his mind, doing his best to commit it to memory, until a certain question came to mind.

"But what if I'm caught?"

Firestorm was about to answer when the doors opened and in walked Infurya, accompanied by a young dragoness, slightly shorter than Princess Ember, her scales were seashell pink while her underbelly and horns were a soft amber yellow, her spines and the frill at the end of her tail were wysteria and she wore a gold necklace with a red heart-shaped ruby, along with a scarlet shawl around her shoulders that apparently covered her wings.

"General," Infurya smirked slightly as she gestured to the young drake beside her. "My clawmaiden, Amber, will serve as your guide while Spike and I discuss matters..."

The young dragoness, Amber, curtsied to Firestorm and respectfully asked, "If you would please follow me, sir?"

Firestorm and Spike shared another look before Firestorm, hoping Spike could read lips, discreetly mouthed, 'You can do this'. He was glad when Spike nodded despite still looking nervous and followed Amber out of the room.

Once they were alone, Infurya gave Spike a look like an owl would to a mouse and smiled, "Now then, shall we?"

After following Amber down a long hallway, Firestorm relaxed a bit now that they were out of Infurya's earshot, when he heard a cry of alarm and saw Amber stumble forward and fall flat on her face. He almost rushed forward to help her up... when he noticed her shawl had moved just so and how unusually flat it was against her back.

Moaning in pain as she got up on her claws and knees, Amber mumbled, "Um- Please excuse my clumsiness, sir, I...!!"

She noticed the way Firestorm was looking at her. Or rather, at her back, and she realized he'd seen. She stifled a whimper and looked away in shame, so Firestorm cleared his throat and spoke as kindly as he could.

"I understand the shawl, but in a way it's still obvious," he said gingerly, not wanting to upset her. When she didn't respond, he continued. "You shouldn't be ashamed, you're not the first dragon this has happened to."

"...no... but that doesn't make it any better," Amber was on the verge of tears as she undid the brooch holding her shawl in place, letting it fall from her shoulders to reveal nothing.

Amber had no wings.

Firestorm could only imagine how sad and ashamed Amber must feel, and how heartbreaking it was that she had been denied the glory of the sky. He knew some pegasi who'd had accidents that had forever left them earthbound, even one or two whose wings had never developed enough for flight. Magic was a major factor to pegasus ponies being able to fly yet still genetics had a big part to play.

Amber sniffled as she hanged her head, feeling sorry for herself, "So many of the dragons say the most hurtful things after they find out. One time I was nearly beat up by another dragon because she was angry My Lady had chosen me over her.

"Lady Infurya came to my defense, but afterwards, she warned me that that would be the first and last time she ever did. Either I toughen up or I'd be thrown out of Burning Rock to crawl in the mud with the wyrms..."

"I understand how you feel." Amber was surprised by that as she gave Firestorm a confused look. "I am a unicorn but I was born to Pegasus nobility. Plenty of my family members were disappointed and didn't hide the fact from me that they were.

"It was even harder after my older brother died and I became the new heir to be Head of the Family. I worked my ass off to prove my worth in the military and in mastering magic, and only after I showed my mettle did the family finally accept me as the new Head of the House."

Firestorm raised his mystech prosthetic, "It only cost me a leg."

Amber bit back a gasp as she hadn't really noticed Firestorm's prosthetic and how the griffon-like talons flexed in place of a hoof was a little intimidating.

"Forgive me for saying so, Amber," Firestorm said, "but I noticed there was no scarring on your back, so..."

Amber nodded as a tear finally trailed down her cheek, "My wings never grew in... my parents were so disappointed. So when I became of age, I worked my absolute hardest! I just... I just wanted them to be proud of me."

"And they should," Firestorm assured her, "What happened to you is unfair, but every once in a while it happens. But it's random and beyond your control and through no fault of your own.

"Even if you never get your wings, look at you, young one. You're a True Dragon! You proved your spirit and your will are strong. Stronger than many others and that counts for far more than most would have you believe."

Amber then looked up at Firestorm, who saw a she was incredulous but starting to smile just a bit. But he knew he couldn't afford to waste time. "Amber... I need to ask you something. Do you know or heard anything as to why Infurya wanted Spike here?"

Amber shrank back, hesitant and her anxiety returning.

"I know you must feel loyal to her for giving you your position," Firestorm said understandingly, "but I'm sure you've seen her for the dragon she truly is. She invited Spike here, saying she wanted a diplomatic meeting, but where is the logic in having such an important meeting with a child?

"...Unless that's not the true reason, Amber. You know, don't you."

The young dragoness had her gaze down again, but this time it was not shame but doubt and maybe even fear.

"You don't have to say anything, Amber," Firestorm assured, "Just nod or shake your head. Is Spike in any possible danger with Infurya?"

It was a long and tense moment... before Amber looked up at Firestorm again and fearfully nodded her head.

Having the confirmation he needed, Firestorm focused his horn, conjuring a garnet that glowed like a burning coal and levitated it to Amber, who was bedazzled by it.

"Hold onto this gem, don't let any of the other dragons see you have it," Firestorm instructed, "and go to a tower where you won't be seen or bothered by anyone. Someone will come and she'll be a friend if she senses you have this garnet. Understand?"

Amber nodded as she accepted the gem and Firestorm softly told her, "Go, and be careful."

Watching the young dragoness hurry off down another hall, Firestorm turned back towards the hall he'd come from and began his plan.

Infurya led Spike to a balcony that overlooked her castle courtyard and also gave a grand view of her nearby land. For a moment, Spike forgot his precarious situation and was amazed by the beauty of the surrounding landscape despite how dry and somewhat desolate it was. Some nearby mesas had layers of dry colors, looking almost like they'd been painted on, and the woodlands added a nice touch of green along the river.

"You are an unusual dragon, Spike." Spike gulped, remembering who he was with before he turned to look at Infurya, only to see she too was taking in the view. "Tell me, what was it like, growing up in a land so unlike the land of your fellow dragon? Living among the ponies?"

"Well..." Spike remembered Firestorm's advice but a part of him felt he should sprinkle in some truthful answers or Infurya might get the impression he was holding back. "I was hatched in Princess Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns by a young unicorn filly named Twilight Sparkle..."

Spike went on to say how he was raised by Celestia, a hoofmaid, and Twilight herself, to whom he became close and eventually her Number One Assistant. He learned various subjects and even art forms, though the fact he was a dragon living in the nation of ponies until after he and Twilight moved to Ponyville. Now and then, Infurya asked a question or two but she mostly listened. Still, Spike did his best not to be too detailed and keep some things vague.

"...so now we're here, and I'm really excited to learn more about dragons! Honestly, after Garble and his gang, I was put off by dragons until I, uh... met... Princess Ember."

"Ah yes, I was getting curious about that," Infurya rolled her eyes, making sure Spike didn't see, for much of what he'd said boiled her volcano. "Word really got around, Young Spike. As I understand it, you were the one who reached the Bloodstone Scepter in the Gauntlet of Fire, not Ember."

"Uh, yeah?" Spike confirmed warily.

"Well, Spike, I simply find it curious. You could have assumed lordship over Drazgard, become my peer," Infurya pointed out curiously, "Why pass up such prestige and power to someone else?"

"Well, I didn't enter the Gauntlet of Fire to become a Dragon Lord," explained Spike, "I was only answering the Call I was experiencing and was gonna opt out. But then I heard what the candidates were planning to do if one of them became Dragon Lord, and how it would have threatened Equestria and the ponies. So I entered, thinking it was the only way I could protect Equestria if I became Dragon Lord."

"Oh? Protect them how?" asked Infurya.

"If I became Dragon Lord, I'd forbid the dragons from attacking Equestria," Spike answered.

"So then how did Ember get involved?" Infurya pressed.

"It turns out, Ember participated even though her father forbade it," Spike answered, "We had our differences, but in the end Ember showed she appreciated friendship and that's why, even though I got to the scepter, first, I knew she would be a great leader as well as an ally. But most importantly, she became my friend."

"Hmm, you are an unusual dragon, Spike," Infurya noted, her back to Spike hiding how she was furrowing her brows and sneering in disgust.

This miserable excuse of dragon was assistant to a lowly creature and he was proud of it! Alicorn or not, royalty or not, the very idea of a dragon in a lesser position, subservient to some grass-scarfing prey was disgraceful.

Keeping a firm grip on her composure, Infurya took a calming breath before putting on another polite smile as she turned to face Spike again. She was satisfied to see he no longer looked nervous and less on guard. Perhaps cajoling him for useful information would be easier from here on out.

"Walk with me," she invited and led Spike deeper into Burning Rock, closer to the heart of one of the volcanoes of her castle. "I simply must say, Spike, that I'm so glad you're here."

"You are?" Spike looked upon the dragoness curiously.

"Oh yes! After all, it doesn't matter where we live..." Infurya's eyes glinted as something about her seemed to change, "we're all dragons here, and that's what's important."

There is no greater power than to rule over the land
Infurya gave Spike a smile that relished in her pride as a dragon and as a Dragon Lord, when she sensed something...

We both have it inside us, it's here where we stand
...and punched into a wall before pulling out what looked to be a jackrabbit, holding the poor thing by its ears.

My friend, you know it's true. Look close and you will find
She sneered cruelly at the little morsel but noticed how Spike was disturbed by her action...

Ruling every creature is destiny for our kind!
...and so let the hare flee for its life.

So if we join together, we will never fall
She then patted Spike on the head and led him deeper into Burning Rock.

Dragons must rule forever
Spike noticed how hotter it was getting ,especially when he saw pools and canals filled with lava flowing through the corridor!

Dragons over a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-alll...
And Spike became horrified when he saw thsi was also a mine, and the miners were Dogs chained and shackled, enslaved!

Dragons over all, no creature is more grand
Infurya stepped up onto a stone platform...

Dragons over all, it's why we rule the land
...too overlook her dominance over her slaves, as she raised her claw, concentrating a burning mass of mana around it.

We scorch any resistance so that enemies keep their distance
She threw the mana in the form of a fireball at the ground only a yard in front of Spike, startling him.

Dragons, dragons over all
Spike was disgusted. He'd thought he might be speaking with a Lady with the hopes of peace and diplomacy. he was wrong and he had to make a stand.

If we do as you suggest, we'd be evil and cruel
Infurya no longer hid her sneer...

Using force and threat, that's not the way to rule
...finding it hilarious that Spike was protesting what she saw as Dragon way while preaching such weak views.

But if we join together, we will never fall
She glided down to Spike, just as she did down her staircase before.

Yes! Dragons must rule forever
They walked around each other, their eyes holding each other's gaze.

DRAGONS OVER A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-ALLLL!!!
His was disapproving, hers imperious as she no longer hid her despicable pride.

Dragons over all, no creature is more grand
(Be noble, true and grand)
Spike was disgusted more to see Infurya take a swipe at one of the enslaved Dogs for no other reason that her cruel amusement.

Dragons over all, it's why we rule the land
(We must protect the land)
Spike followed Infurya up an outcropping of stone that overlooked all of the slaves, risking their lives around this hot lava to satisfy the greed of the Lord of Dradea.

We scorch any resistance
(Friendship is Magic)
Infurya and Spike faced each other, their gazes boring into the other as if daring the other to look away.

So that enemies keep their distance
(Your thinking is tragic)
She scoffed and turned away from Spike, taking in her power yet again...

Dragons, dragons over all
...before she wickedly peered over her shoulder at him.

Spike was disgusted and although common sense told him he should be afraid, he wasn't. He saw nothing noble or honorable about Infurya. She was cruel, tyrannical, greedy, a monster.

"Infurya," Spike furrowed his brows, "You and I have different ideas of how dragons should act."

"And that's why we're here. To talk," Infurya responded in dry amusement as she went down a passage, and Spike cautiously followed.

Author's Note

Since I'm delving more into some dragon culture, I wanted to diversify on certain things and took inspiration from "Secret of My Excess" (which didn't actually happen in my story-canon but still)

Spike's transformation, which was sparked by greed, gave me the idea of dividing dragons between two types:

True Dragons and Wyrms

The Wyrms are dragons like what Spike turned into, large, powerful, bestial, but above all greedy. I explained that a dragon that gives into and is consumed with greed grows in order to become bigger and stronger so that he is strong enough and fierce enough to take whatever he wants. The downside is, he's expending his magic and some of his intelligence to do so, and thus is robbed of much of his potential. He can still think and have a conversation but he's ruled by his savage instincts, primal needs and greed

True Dragons are what dragons call themselves who've undergone training and studies in order to build an iron will through discipline and self-control. As a result, they don't get nearly as big as the Wyrms but they are in many ways superior and more powerful. The dragons from "Spyro Reignited" were kind of the inspiration for what True Dragons would look like. They're bipedal (like Spike is), intelligent, cultured, and are still large and imposing just not like the Wyrms are. The character Titan was based off a dragon of the same name from the game, the first dragon you free when you reach the world of the Peacekeepers. True Dragons are still strong and fierce, but they are also intelligent and have greater potential, especially to learn Dragon Magic

The song is based off "Lions Over all" from "The Lion Guard", which was sung by the character Zira. I liked it so much and realized how well it applied to my character Infurya and her belief of dragon superiority, and so altered it to fit into the story

377. The Duality of Fire - Part 3

Spike was aghast at the sights before him. Deep within the heart of the volcano, blistering with heat and the air reeking of brimstone, he saw that it wasn't just Dogs but also some griffons, a few dragons, and even ponies working in forced labor as they mined ore, minerals, and gems in the most miserable of conditions.

And there, Infurya stood with remorseless pride and satisfaction of the operation running smoothly.

"Quite a sizable work-force, I know," Infurya chuckled imperiously, "petty criminals, trespassers, those running from debt, all made to serve a purpose to answer for their misdeeds and eventually work off their debt to dragon society.

"It seemed counterproductive to simply put lawbreakers to death or leave them lazing away in jail cells, so I figured, why not get some use out of them?"

"You can't be serious!" Infurya looked to Spike, who was glaring at her, "I don't care what you might call it, Infurya! This- This is slavery!"

"Oh perish the thought, Young Spike," Infurya waved off his protest, "slaves are the conquered masses dominated by a superior civilization. These are undesirables being made to be productive in order to atone for their wrongdoings."

"Wrongdoings?! Like what, protesting? Complaining? Being in the wrong place in the wrong time?!" Spike's words were beginning to rub Infurya the wrong way. "And trespassers?! How many of these creatures were found in your Territory and brought here without just cause or being given a chance to defend themselves?!

"I'd wager they're all regarded as missing from their hometowns, and you'd rather they stay here forever working for you because it'd look pretty bad for you if any of them ever told what happened to them here! What you're doing is crimes against sapient creatures!"

"I am the Dragon Lord of Dradea..." Infurya responded with a rising edge of warning as she turned to face Spike, raising her winged arms to emphasize herself, "I am the Law around here! These creatures committed offense and so they shall answer for it."

"You mean they answer to you when they don't have to!" Spike pointed in accusation.

"Measure your next words carefully, dragonet..." threatened Infurya, "I invited you here-"

"To take advantage of me!" Spike interrupted, "You're not interested in friendship or building alliances, you just want power!

"Ponies and other creatures have always feared and avoided dragons for simple, obvious reasons, but you're everything other creatures say are wrong with dragons and more! You're a tyrant, a monster!"

"SILENCE!!!" roared Infurya, her voice echoing throughout the mine, causing every enslaved miner to flinch and freeze in fear. "I've tolerated your incessant blather and whining long enough! I offer you a choice, Spike: Join with me... or be made to serve."

For a long and tense moment, Spike and Infurya held each other's burning gaze until Spike answered with an unyielding, "No."

Furrowing her ridged brows, pulling back her lips to snarl, Infurya flexed her claws, her Bloodstone Necklace pulsing with her every heartbeat, as she focused her magic into her claws... before she lunged forward, her claws poised to wrap around this insolent dragonet's throat- * BRZZZZLT *

"RRRAAAUUGGHH!!!" Infurya jumped back and shuddered as she held her claws to her face, feeling a painful sensation like pins and needles so intense her claws were shaking in pain and severe discomfort.

Spike had barely been able to prevent himself from flinching when Infurya had tried to attack him. But then a ripple in the air in front of him glowed before Firestorm appeared, his horn alit with blistering mana as he gave Infurya an insolent smirk.

Seeing the unicorn, Infurya snarled, "How dare you inflict harm upon a Dragon Lord, you insignificant little nothing?!?!"

"I dare quite easily," Firestorm responded, "and it seems I was right to be suspicious."

Channeling her magic to soothe her aching claws, Infurya glared murderously, "I will have you flayed alive and then slowly roasted for this outrage!! You will beg me for death..."

"I'm afraid the only thing I'll be begging is your pardon," Firestorm scoffed, "because, I challenge you, Lady Infurya, to a Dragon's Duel!"

"Ha! A Dragon's Duel? Why would I ever entertain such a ludicrous challenge from a creature who isn't even a dragon?" Infurya scoffed back but lacked in humor.

Firestorm responded first by levitating a scroll with the Sigil of the Dragon King's Court to Infurya, who took it in her claws, looked it over... and found herself beginning to grow nervous when Firestorm stated, "Because I'm not giving you a choice."

"Uh..." Firestorm looked to Spike, who dumbly asked, "What's going on here?"

"Well, Spike, I have just issued Her Grace here a challenge and shown she cannot refuse it," Firestorm explained, "because even as we speak, my mentor, a representative of the Dragon King's Court, is on her way here to act as... well, something like a referee to oversee our duel."

"Y-Your Mentor?!" Infurya snarled incredulously, "What self-respecting dragon would mentor a pony?! Much less a representative of the king's court!!"

"I'm reasonably sure you at least know of her, Your Grace," Firestorm gave Infurya a horseapple-eating grin. "The most famed dragon sorceress of her generation, Lady Singescale."

Infurya felt her fire lose some of its heat as her eyes widened in abject horror.

"She should be here very soon," Firestorm nodded, "and she'll be expecting to oversee a... friendly duel between you and her old student."

Infurya shook with a most tense fury, barely able to keep hold of herself as she took a deep breath, stood to the full of her height, and seemed to temper her temper before giving Firestorm a look of cold and calculated focus, like a cutting torch.
"Very well, General. I accept your challenge..."

By Infurya's order, Amber led Firestorm and Spike to the Burning Rock Arena, located in the heart of the right volcano. It was an impressive feat of architecture, with seating, steps, and private boxes carved out of volcanic rock while the arena itself was a vast and circular expanse in the middle with random rocks and boulders here and there to mimic the appearance of a rocky environment, looking to be about two times the expanse of the field within the Crystal Empire's coliseum. Surrounding the arena was a moat of molten and bubbling hot lava!

"This is the arena?!" Spike was instantly afraid for Firestorm, who seemed pretty casual about this whole thing.

"Eh, I've seen worse," commented the old warhorse with an unconcerned shrug.

"You've see- ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Spike flabbergasted at his escort, "Firestorm! Infurya is going to kill you!! How are you not scared?!"

"Relax, kid, I've faced many dragons and while I admit to there being a few close-calls," Firestorm consented before boasting, "none have ever gotten the best of me!"

"ARGH!! What is Infurya even doing anyway, she said she had to prepare?!" Spike threw his claws up into the air.

"The Lady has fought duels before, sirs," Amber spoke up, "and she always strides into battle with her armor freshly scrubbed of any rust, dust, and polished to shining perfection.

"Many dragons have witnessed her Magnificence in the arena and those who faced her had the... pleasure of such a sight being the last thing they saw in this world."

Amber's implication made Spike gulp that he placed his claws on Firestorm's front, giving him a pleading look, "Firestorm, please, let's just go! I'm sure with your mentor's help we can get away without anything bad happening."

"I threw down the gauntlet, Spike," Firestorm shook his head, "To flee from a challenge I issued would be cowardly and disgraceful. I will not live with such a stain on my honor."

"There has to be another way, Firestorm! I mean..." Spike backed away and looked downtrodden before taking a deep breath. "Firestorm, with all due respect... you're not exactly a young stallion anymore."

"Ouch, just ouch. You wound me sir," Firestorm said, feigning like he'd been shot with an arrow at Spike's words.

"That's not what I meant!" Spike waved his arms in the air in frantic panic. "I'm just saying that, it's been a while since you've seen real combat."

"So that battle with the changelings was what, a little sparring match?"

"You had other soldiers there to help you!"

"Spike, I get what you're trying to say. But I have to do this. My moral compass points me this way and I choose to follow it as I have throughout my life. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a potion to brew," Firestorm said before leaving Spike with Amber as they watch the old stallion walk down the set of stairs towards the entry to the arena.

Spike stifled a worried whine while Amber gave him a look and said, "Pardon me for saying so, young sir. But it seems ponies can be rather stubborn."

"Ugh, you have no idea...!" Spike prayed to Faust that this would end well.

Infurya tapped her feet impatiently, her foot claws emphasizing her loathing to wait with loud and unsettling clicks on the stone floor, as she waited for her clawmaidens to clean and polish her battle gear.

"FASTER!! I have an insolent challenger I am verily eager to put in his place," snarled the ornery dragoness.

"Sheesh, even the king knows that patience is a virtue, Infy."

Infurya startled and whipped around to see a dragoness in her chambers. She was of Drake descent and noticeably younger and shorter than Infurya, with burning yellow scales, a fiery orange frill on her head that extended down her spine to the tip of her tail, she wore a heavy brown traveling cloak, and her eyes were narrowed mischievously at the Lady of Dradea.

"Singescale..." Infurya seethed, steam wisping out of the corners of her mouth. "You have truly a brazen nerve to intrude upon my private chambers..."

"Eh, I prefer to think of it as an adventurous spirit," Singescale shrugged as she began to amble around the chambers, her eyes wandering over the opulent furnishings with little interest.
"Besides, you're one to talk..."

The look Singescale gave Infurya caused the Dragon Lord to feel a burning in her guts that stifled with just an inkling of fear.

"I... I'm not sure I follow whatever it is you're implying," Infurya played dumb, only for Singescale to tsk-tsk in response.

"Come now, Infurya, I would prefer an honest chat," Singescale waved a foreclaw in an ah-ah-ah manner, "not to mention, I would appreciate you not think me stupid to fall for a sad attempt to feign ignorance. You're in quite the pickle, you very well know."

"I- I simply invited a fellow dragon to my home for a friendly visit," Infurya insisted, only for Singescale to raise a skeptical brow before she held up her claws and a parchment appeared in her grasp via a burst of magical flames.

"Inviting a dragonet who has no right to act as a representative of a foreign nation to a diplomatic meeting, without the approval of His Majesty's Royal Court," Singescale read with a fake pair of reading glasses that she didn't need but it served to play up the drama, "admitting to holding dozens of creatures as well as dragons against their will and forcing them into labor, than attempting to harm the dragonet you invited on the pretense of diplomacy...

"Mm-mm-mmm, you have been a very naughty dragoness," Singescale smirked at the seething look of barely-contained fury on Infurya's face. "But, seeing as you're about to engage my old pupil in a Dragon's Duel, I suppose we can come to an agreement..."

The long and awkward silence that followed rubbed Infurya's scales the wrong way that she snapped, "FINE! What kind of agreement?!"

"As you are aware, I will be acting as the referee between you and Firestorm," Singescale noted, "If my old pupil wins, you will not take revenge upon him or Spike, or anyone else they care about, whether directly or indirectly, which includes acting through someone else.

"Furthermore, you will release all of the creatures you've enslaved, and neither you nor anyone you command or employ may do harm or otherwise against the citizens of Equestria. Should you be so foolish as to ignore my warning and break these conditions, I will personally give damning evidence of your misdeeds to the king, and you know how unfavorably he looks upon such transgressions. Especially from one of your position..."

Snarling, Infurya scoffed, "So be it, you insipid sorceress! But when I am triumphant over that pack animal you had the lack of self-respect to mentor, I will-"

"Receive all the information you're looking for... from me!" Singescale raised her claw while interrupting Infurya.

"You?!" Infurya gave Singescale a skeptical glare.

"Me. As it so happens, I recently co-published a book on dragon culture with Princess Twilight Sparkle," Singescale shrugged as though it were no big deal, "and the dear was happy to share Equestrian culture and information with me in return. Including knowledge of their armed forces..."

"Hmm," Infurya gave Singescale a shrewd look but for some reason she believed the younger dragoness.

"However..." Singescale pointed a claw at Infurya, "I expect you to engage Firestorm in a fair duel. No foul play, no dirty tricks, otherwise..."

Singescale moved her pointing claw to an oil painting portrait of Infurya and launched a gout of golden Dragonfyre that slowly but absolutely burned the painting to ashes so thin it was as if it was incinerated into nothingness!

Infurya tensed up while Singescale poked, "Get the picture?"

Infurya narrowed her eyes and nodded, "Verily..."

“Hey Firestorm, can I ask you something?” asked Spike as he watched the old stallion slowly turn a small cooking pot before him.

“You already did.” Firestorm replied with a smirk. “But go ahead, what's on your mind?'

“What did you mean, your moral compass points this way?”

“Well, to put it simply my moral compass is a set of rules I go by. Something that guides my actions to this day,” Firestorm explained as he pulled out orange-gold petals that he tore up and let them sink into the purple concoction. Spike watched as the goo began to bubble more and more as sparks of magic popped from it.

“You mean like my dragon laws?”

“In a way, but you've got to make sure that your laws change and adapt with the times. Where they grow with you.” Firestorm clarified while adding in some kind of powders to the mixture.

“Is this all why you decided to face Infurya?” asked Spike, finally voicing the big question on his mind.

“Yes. The real test of it all is, can you stand by your moral compass to protect those you care about or do you put it aside?” asked Firestorm solemnly, lifting the pot and slowly dumping the contents into a mug.

“Put it aside?” echoed Spike, not understanding.

“Do you put your morals aside or do you follow them?” asked Firestorm more clearly before drinking the mix. After swallowing it down, he shivered, “I really need to work on the taste...”

“What is that?”

“Let's call it the 'oil' for my moral compass. It helps me follow it with fluidity,” answered Firestorm, looking it over the empty mug before setting it down. “Spike, go ahead and head up to the stands. At the first sign of trouble, I want you to stick with Singescale. Do you think you can do that for me?”

“Yes, but...” Spike said, watching Firestorm pack up all the pots and mugs before handing the bag over to Spike and pulling out a locket from a pouch, sliding it on.

“Good.” Getting up and turning towards the door, Firestorm looked back at Spike with a solemn smirk on his face as he said, “Once more into the fray, my friend.”

Spike followed Firestorm out of the room until parting towards the stands while Firestorm made his way into the arena. Walking towards the center, he saw a bunch of dragons in the seats around the arena. The arena itself was designed much like Infurya's castle. Turning towards the main box was a large imposing throne and upon it sat Infurya.

“I will admit, I'm a tad surprised you didn't turn tail and run when you had the chance,” she sneered down at the lone pony as she got out of the throne and walked towards the edge pf the box.

“What can I say, my mother told me to follow-through on my word,” Firestorm shot back with a grin. “So the question is, is the wannabe queen able to hold up to her word or is this just a dog and pony show?”

That got Infurya's eye left eye to twitch, giving Firestorm cause to smirk, “Did I touch a nerve?”

“Not at all. What kind of dragoness would I be if I let a little petty poke at my pride get to me...” Infurya shrugged it off while doing some stretches. Firestorm gave a look of not being impressed by her little display.

“Regardless, how is the victor decided in our match?” he asked.

“The match is decided when one or the other can no longer continue or if one gives up,” Infurya responded as she lifted herself into the air and slowly descended towards the arena.

“I can agree with that.” Firestorm rolled his shoulders, glad they weren't feeling stiff.

“Then the match starts at the bell,” Infurya declared, Firestorm nodding to it.

Almost immediately, Infurya used her tail to smack a small rock that she tossed over her shoulder, right at the bell causing it to ring out, signaling the match to start. Not missing the chance, she started blasting a large gout of fire down at the stallion.

Already catching onto her cheap shot, Firestorm's horn lit up as he raised a slab of stone out of the arena floor to block the oncoming flames. Reaching out with his magic, he began pulling all of the loose rocks from the arena nearby. Noticing it wasn't enough, he began to focus on the ground around him. The once volcanic hard rock began to soften into thick mud that rose into the air. It slammed towards him before forming a thick dome. Infurya, getting angry, reached down and grabbed the slab of stone. With a quick lift and toss, she saw the dome where the stallion was standing before.

“Do you really think you can hide in a dome like that?” she scoffed while cracking her claws and took the brute force method.

With massive force, she brought her clawed fist down on the dome shattering it into pieces. But instead of the pulpy mess she expected that would have been the remains of Firestorm, she found it empty.

“What the?” she uttered before hearing something large hurtling through the air. Flapping her wings, Infurya took to the air to just in time to notice the large rock that was flying towards her. She barely had enough time to react and evade it, though she felt the wind rush past her from how close it had been.

“You little-” Infurya turned towards where the rock had came from, and saw twenty stone figures standing there. All of them clad in matching full body armor that looked like it obscured every part of the pony in them.

“I thought this was supposed to be one-on-one,” Infurya furrowed her brows.

“Oh, it is one-on-one...” all of them in the same voice as Firestorm. Next to each of them floated a thick stone war-hammer. “But the question is, which one is that one?”

“You think you're being cute yo-” was all she got out before the figures all interrupted her in unison.

“Bitch, I'm adorable!” they all said as Infurya could just hear the smirk on his smug face. “So what happened to showing this pony his place?”

“You smug little-” was what she got out before a second rock flew up from under her and slammed into her belly sending her on to her back.

“You miserable rodent!” Infurya seethed with fire in her eyes as she flipped around and charged at the group of stone figures.

Some of them were thrown hard against the wall, shattering them into pieces with lava dripping from them. In seconds they reformed with the lava returning back into the core of each of figure. They then turned and swung at Infurya with their war-hammers, some of them hitting sensitive spots and others just beating against the hardened scales of her body. Infurya in turn grabbed two of them and slam them together shattering them into pieces before throwing what remained into a nearby lava pool. Once she did that, she spun `round and did the same to the next two.

What she failed to notice was, the much larger one forming behind her till she was down to the last two. So she never saw the massive Warhammer make an underhanded swing that sent her flying heavily into the wall. Enough so that the impact itself snapped a bone in her right-wing. With a heavy thud, she hit the ground before looking up at the figure.

“Something wrong?” the larger stone figure asked as it holds the war-hammer against his neck almost mockingly.

“Oh, I'm going to relish searing that smugness from you...!” she growled, getting up before she unleashed another torrent of flames at the figure.

But this time she focused her flames instead of a wider blast. She closed her mouth focusing it more to a point, which forced it to burn hotter. Slowly as the figure moved closer the once-solid stone began to glow brighter till it began to liquefy before her. What Firestorm didn't expect was Infurya to reach deep into the lava pool and grab onto the obsidian sphere that was deep within it.

“And look at what I found!” She began to squeeze on it.

Firestorm looked up as he focused his magic on the figure and the two shields he was keeping around him. One inside the obsidian sphere and the second on the outside of it.

“I'm not that easy.” he responded defiantly as he willed the figure to throw his war-hammer at Infurya. She reached up with her free claw and grabbed it, causing Firestorm to grin. “Checkmate.”

The war-hammer began to glow with runes etched on the head. In seconds the war-hammer exploded sending shrapnel that ended up tearing into her other wing and marred some of her scales.

“Okay... that is it! No more missus nice dragon!” she snarled as she grabbed onto her Bloodstone Necklace.

Magic began to glow and surround her as she began to increase in size. Her grip around the sphere increased as she was able to grab it like a baseball.

“This time I'm ending it.” she rumbled while tightening her grip.

This caused cracks within the outer shield. Firestorm felt the cracks form and instead of reinforcing the outer shield. He focused on the inner one drawing the ambient magic from the lava to help feed it. This forced the obsidian sphere to grow around Infurya's claws.
“You think making it harder for my claws to move is going to stop me from crushing you? Then you have another thing coming...!”

Firestorm watched in horror as his outer shield shattered and the obsidian crack as lava began to touch the inner shield. He continued to pump magic into his shield and drew it from the lava, trying to seal up his protective case. It was all he could focus on. He watched as the shell would crack and reform. Over and over and over, so many times he lost count as he began to tap heavily into his own mana as the shield around him was almost four hooves thick. Just enough for him to press his hooves against it. In seconds the obsidian cracked one more time and before he could reseal it Infurya reached in further and had a hold of the last standing shield between him and death.

On top of that, the heat from the lava was now affecting him directly causing his vision to blur.

“Say goodbye... little... pony!” she snarled with a bloodthirsty grin as she tightened her grip.

The last shield cracked before Firestorm's eyes all the way through as lava began to trip lightly into the bubble. With a push of magic Firestorm horn who was already rocking a massive over glow of burning orange magic suddenly began to radiate blue as the center of it began to turn a shade of white.

Crunch.

Spike watched in horror hearing the sound echo throughout the arena. Everyone there fell silent watching the match. Not one of the dragons watching ever saw someone go toe-to-toe with their Lady, Infurya. Even Singescale watched on with a sense of unease as she stood beside Spike throughout the whole match so far.

Infurya's power retreated as she felt the last shield give way. She decided to let the remains of the stallion's body burn to oblivion in the lava. She grinned as she turned to see the stone figures collapse into rubble or crumble into dust on the ground.

“And so we come to the natural conclusion of this farce,” she said with an arrogant smile as she raised her claw in victory.

What she didn't expect was for the lava pool behind her to erupt as something burst out of the liquid earth.

Infurya turned in time to watch all of the lava around the arena turn into solid obsidian. Then it began to compress and smooth out as if it was polished stone. It took the shape of a massive dragon that even dwarfed any wyrm in Infurya's territory. Its right eye began to glow blue as it glared down and took a swipe at the Dragon Lord, who quickly dove out of the way.

“What in the name of Drakon?!?” Gazing up at this monstrosity before her, fear began to set into Infurya's bones. The only one who rivaled this creature's size was the king of dragons himself.

“Not Drakon...” The massive monolithic monster growled as he took another swing.

This she dodged as well but what she didn't expect was it opening its palm and sending out a pulsing wave of electricity throughout the battlefield, which she was unable to dodge in time. Currents of energy tore through her body, disrupting and agitating her nerves, leaving Infurya in pain so excruciating she couldn't even hear herself scream.

The figure then slammed its massive paw onto Infurya, pinning her to the floor of the arena. The spectators watched as the Lady of Dradea struggled in vain to free herself. The pressure was so heavy on her chest she could barely breathe.

“Something to say? Spit it out then.” mocked the monster before picking Infurya up and then throwing her across the arena, where she slid against the ground.

“You're no dragon!” she angrily spat as she struggled to stand but could only get up onto one knee as she'd expended much of her strength and mana. But she still had a few tricks up her sleeve. She reached up and grabbed her Bloodstone Necklace and concentrated, the Bloodstone beginning to glow an intense red.

She then pointed her gaze at the golem dragon as she took a deep breath... and then opened her mouth. Right then and there, a large blast of blistering magic blasted out like a cannon and shot at the obsidian dragon. It soared through the air and before it could connect, the dragon swung down at it, knocking it back to her. Still holding on to her necklace Infurya focused her magic and swiped her claw out as if to bat it back and that's exactly what it did as Infurya's magic did the work while she guided it.

This went on as they played a very dangerous game of tennis with a magical ball of death.

Wham, wham, wham, each smack back and forth was punctuated with another wham. Trying to outplay it Infurya fired a second ball of magical death. Right when the draconic figure punched the ball back, it connected with the second. The impact caused both of them to explode, almost engulfing it. Infurya grinned before it turned to horror as within the obsidian wasn't just another fake figure, but rather a mutated one.

“Did you miss me?” asked an irritatingly familiar smug voice as Firestorm appeared out of the obsidian armor shell.

With a flick of magic, he began to pull off all of the obsidian as it formed around his once forelegs and claws. His right foreleg was no longer a prosthetic. It had changed into an organic limb that was scaled mostly red with golden trim and bore actual claws, but those of a dragon. His hoof had also become draconic claw. His normally dulled orange coat was now covered up to his shoulder in thick vibrant red scales. White markings ran from his elbows to the tips of his claws. His face, which had been hardened by age, was now once again full of life, regaining a youthful handsomeness of a stallion in his prime. His cheekbones, brows and the bridge of his muzzle were now covered in scales as well, and his normal pony teeth had changed into dragon fangs.
His bright blue eyes had turned into matching draconic eyes. Upon his head, his unicorn horn was now joined by two darker orange horns that grew towards the back of his head before they curved up. All barely hidden by his now rather wild and unkempt mane that had grown.
His body was now covered in spots of scales that had white markings in them. Even to the point, his cutie-mark was also scale covered on both sides, but they were remained untouched by any of the new markings. The other key point of his change was his tail, which ad changed from a regular pony tail to one that was long and reptilian, covered with matching scales, and was prehensile, strong enough to constrict and crack bone. At the tip, he had a black spade that looked like a flame shooting out like a decorative fan.

“How is this possible? I crushed you in lava, you should have burned to nothing!” Infurya snarled in abject disbelief.

“You still don't realize who you're facing... I am Firestorm, the Flaming Sword of Equestria! Do you think you're the first dragon I've faced?” Firestorm challenged while slowly getting closer, and Infurya noticed how massive Firestorm now was compared to his old pony size. Firestorm noticed too; he was even bigger than he had been back in his prime, and he reveled in it!
“Honestly, I faced foes, rivals, and monsters much bigger than you! So regardless of how big you think you are, there is always someone bigger and better”

Firestorm slammed his hoof into the ground as another eruption of lava shot up but this one ended up covering Firestorm and dripped off him like water. “Now I'm fireproof. Which is a big problem... for you.”

Opening his mouth, Firestorm began to shoot out flames that engulfed him and raised up into the air forming an orb of fire.

“Why is that...?” Infurya asked in an attempt to sound unimpressed but she was slowly backing away.

“Because... do you know what happens to air when you super-heat it?” asked Firestorm while grinning, showing off his new fangs as the fire above him turned from bright orange to white.

“No...” responded Infurya as she watch the ball of fire grow along with her own fear. That's when she noticed it, sparks of electricity coming off the ball of fire.

“Well, then let me introduce you... to the fourth state of matter!” Firestorm's horns began to light up with magic as the sparks began to shoot down towards his horns gathering into a ball between the horns.

“You know what? I think I'm going to show my giving nature and forfeit, if it's all the same to you,” Infurya said, smiling with a nervous laugh.

“Oh, we are far past the point of surrender...” Firestorm smirked fiendishly, the look of that expression striking such fear into Infurya she felt her inner warmth go alarmingly cold. A feeling so foreign it added to her growing terror.

“Firestorm!” roared a voice from the crowd.

Firestorm looked towards the stands to see his teacher, standing on the edge in her full form. He stared at her for a moment as she returned his gaze with her arms crossed. Turning back to Infurya, and leaned in close so only she would hear him.

“You ever try anything like this again and I find out... Let's just say: No matter where you go, no matter where you hide? I will hunt and I will find you, and more importantly, I. Will. End. You... Do I make myself clear?” He growled at her and after a few moments staring into his eyes seeing the murderous intent there, she nodded.

“Good.”

He turned around as he dispelled his magic, the ball of fire and the electricity snuffing out as though it had all been nothing more than candlelight. Afterwards, Firestorm seemed to shrink down to what must be his normal size, which was still noticeably taller than he was before this miraculous transformation. Stepping towards the exit, his foot brushed against something. Looking down, he saw the golden locket that he'd worn around his neck. Lifting it into the air, looking inside it to find only ash, and then a theory crossed his mind but he decided it was long past time for him and Spike to depart. Shutting the locket,, he carried it with him as he exited the arena.

Author's Note

DFatman did the duel between Firestorm and Infurya

378. The Duality of Fire - Part 4

They wasted no time, and Singescale made sure to bring along young Amber with them as they left Burning Rock and went straight back to the Slipstream. Of course, Spike had geeked out about Firestorm's transformation but was quickly made to button his lip by Singescale, who saw in her old-turned-young again pupil an uncertainty.

Remembering the instructions Blueblood had given him, Spike adjusted the controls once they'd launched and reached their cruising altitude and set course for Equestria and the group was on their way.

At Singescale's "suggestion", they gave Firestorm some space and he'd mumbled a thank-you before going into the airship cabin to be alone. But even Singescale couldn't resist peeking through the window to look upon her old friend, back in the prime of his life and now a perfect blend of pony and dragon.

"He truly is fascinating..." Amber said aloud in wonder.

"How did this happen?!" Spike was still geeking out, finding it so incredibly cool and awesome while Amber politely sat to the side, enjoying the amazing view.
"Firestorm's young again and he's now part dragon!"

"As far as I know, nothing like this has ever happened before," Singescale considered it, "Perhaps it might involve dragon magic, but I don't believe that alone could explain this miracle."

"Maybe..." Singescale and Spike looked over to Amber, who was reluctant, but they smiled and invited her to speak, "maybe it has something to do with those draconic runes on his scales?"

"Draconic runes?" Spike echoed before remembering the unusual marks on Firestorm's new scales, "That's what those are?"

"I noticed those as well," noted Singescale, "which is why I do believe dragon magic is involved here, but like I said, I believe there's something more to it."

"Wait..." Spike's eyes lit up, "when we came here, I noticed something Firestorm had on him, in that locket of his. It was a Phoenix Feather! He told me Princess Celestia gave it to him a long time ago as a good luck charm."

"...And phoenixes behold the power to be reborn from fire!" Singescale realized, "That must be it! The phoenix feather must have acted as some kind of catalyst when Firestorm was engulfed in the lava. It reacted as it was burned and somehow must have sensed Firestorm on the verge of dying, so its rejuvenated flames restored him to his prime!

"The transformation must have resulted from the phoenix fire mixing with Firestorm's dragon magic, is why he has become a blend of pony and dragon."

Spike and Amber shared an incredulous look, for as farfetched as Singescale's theory was it seemed the only explanation for this incredible phenomenon that had happened to their gallant hero.

Regaining her composure, Singescale cleared her throat, "Well, of course- This is only a theory, after all. But... perhaps we should keep it to ourselves."

"How come?" asked Spike.

"If word got out that someone could possibly gain new powers using different magicks and phoenix feathers," Singescale implied with a considerate tone, "well, some creatures could very well be taking unnecessary risks.

"I'll share this theory with Firestorm, so he has something to help him make sense of all this, and who he shares it with is entirely up to him. Though I will advise he keep the number of those he confides in to a minimum. Amber? Have you considered my offer?"

"I have, Lady Singescale," Amber smiled hopefully, "and I would gladly be your assistant. It sounds like it would be much better than serving Infurya."

"I promise it will be, child," Singescale gave her new assistant a kind smile.

Inside the Slipstream's cabin, Firestorm was at a loss.

There was a bed, a desk, a storage closet, and a bathroom stall that functioned as a toilet, sink, and shower, and there was a mirror on the closet door. He was checking himself out, looking at his scales, his new horns, his tail. His foreleg. His claws. His eyes. His face.

Sitting back onto his haunches, he raised his claws, flexing them, grasping and then spreading, feeling sensations that he'd only barely experienced before with his prosthetic foreleg with the talons designed to resemble those of a griffon.

His prosthetic was gone. His forelimb had been restored. It was flesh and blood underneath the scales now coating it. He'd been able to feel before with his prosthetic connecting to his thaumaturgical system, but it had been a pale comparison to the actual sensation of touch that he'd long forgotten in his forelimb after it had been taken from him.

Then he looked at his face again in the mirror.

It was jarring, as he saw the semblance of himself back in his prime, only it was different now because he had scales on his cheekbones, his brows, on the bridge of his nose, and then there were the sharp teeth in his mouth, the draconic eyes replacing the weary eyes of a veteran he still was on the inside.

He let out a sigh as smoke slowly blew out of his mouth. It bellowed out of his mouth and hit the mirror spreading out almost as a if it was ink through water. With a pull of magic, he pulled the smoke together forming into the same of a small little bird. He looked as if he was watching the smoke bird fly before he dropped the magic as the bird disappeared in a puff of air. Focusing again he began to breath out just smoke and formed it into the shape of a fully grown pegasus stallion that stood higher then he did. The smoke stallion looked as if he was the pegasus equivalent of a Royal Guard but with a more chiseled chin and much larger wings.

Firestorm stared at the smoke shaped-into-a-stallion and said, "What would you have done in my position?"

Though he knew it was just an image made of smoke, some part of Firestorm was disappointed when it didn't respond. Right about then the door to the room opened, which broke Firestorm's concentration on the magic as the smoke slowly dispel dropping the shape as he watched Spike slowly step into the cabin.

"Uh, hey Firestorm," Spike tread lightly, hoping he measured his words correctly and didn't say the wrong thing. "Just wanted to check on ya, and... Well, I wanna say, thanks for protecting me. And I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to accept Infurya's 'invite' like that. All the same, I'm really grateful that you looked out for me."

"Mm," Firestorm nodded but didn't say anything, his eyes wandering between Spike and the edge of the mirror.

"It's fine Spike. You didn't know, and sometimes... sometimes you have to learn things the hard way," Firestorm replied, sounding he was lost in a memory for a moment.

"Firestorm...?" Spike's concerned tone brought Firestorm out of it a bit that he glanced towards the dragonet in an insecure way. "Are you... upset that this has happened to you?"

"Honestly, Spike?" Firestorm paused to take a deep breath as he looked himself in the mirror again before he finally answered, "I don't know what to think! Or to feel, or....

"I'm staring at a face that's my own and yet it feels almost like that of a stranger."

"Is that all?" Spike had a feeling it wasn't.

"No, it's not..." Firestorm was quiet for a long moment before he sighed, and he thought, What's everyone gonna think when they see me? Will they see a freak? A friend? A stranger? Will they even believe that it's me? How can they when I hardly believe it myself!?

His expression was firm and stony, betraying almost nothing except the look of a stallion who was tense.

Spike had no idea what exactly was going on in his friend's head, so all he could offer was a gentle claw on Firestorm's shoulder and an encouraging smile as he said, "Well, no matter what, it's gonna be okay, Firestorm! Midnight, Twilight, and all your other friends will help you through this, and that definitely includes me."

Firestorm mentally sighed, appreciating Spike's words, but he didn't think the dragonet really got it. Still, he pulled a relaxed look and gave Spike a kind smile, "You're right. Let's go home."

"Great! C'mon, let's go turn up the airship's thrust," Spike suggested as he moved for the door.

"I'll be right with you," Firestorm waved him out. "Just wanna relax a bit."

Spike gave Firestorm a considerate look before nodding and closing the door behind him, leaving he stallion alone once again with his troubles.

Midnight and Twilight were in their library in the Castle, the both of them pouring over research Starlight and Sunburst had presented to them in their work to find a way to restore the destroyed cutie-marks of the victims from Catrina's latest attack back at the music event.

"This seems promising, don't you think?" Midnight asked his wife as they looked at some theories Sunburst and Starlight had worked on.

"Maybe... it's interesting that starlight noticed how Sweetie Belle's performance seemed to have a positive effect on the afflicted ponies," Twilight noted. "Their colors had been muted and paled by the loss of their marks, but Sweetie Belle was somehow able to reach something inside of them that brought back their true colors. Almost as if... "

"TWILIGHT! MIDNIGHT!!"

The two of them startled as in flew Rainbow Dash, followed by Soarin, Pinkie Pie, Blueblood and Rarity. Rainbow Dash was almost dragging a radio, much to Blueblood's displeasure, as she announced, "It's Spike! He's on the radio!

"Spike, they're here!" Rainbow spoke into the com before hooving it over to Twilight.

All eyes were on Twilight, as she cleared her throat and hopefully spoke into the radio, "Spike? Are you there?"

"Hi Twilight! Firestorm and I are almost back!" replied Spike's voice, causing a round of relieved sighs and murmurs. "We'll be landing the Slipstream at Ponyville Air Field within the hour, and we also brought some guests!"

"Ooh! New friends?!" Pinkie piped in, "I gotta start planning a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party!"

"Uh, could we... not have a party or big fuss when we get back, please?" requested Spike through the radio, causing Pinkie to gasp in abject horror. "See, besides the guests, there's a... well, it's... I guess you could sorta call it a 'surprise'-"

"A SURPRISE?!" Pinkie swiped the radio from Twilight, to her chagrin, as the pink party pony asked, "What kind of surprise, Spike?! Is it something yummy? Something fun? Something cute?! Something so amazingly amazing that nothing has ever amazed anything as amazing- EEP!"

Midnight's turquoise aura enshrouded Pinkie Pie, took the radio away from her and giving it back to Twilight, while Pinkie was brought over to Midnight, who spoke in a patient and polite tone, "Pinkie Pie? You know we love you and appreciate your optimistic views on life. So, I say this, with all possible respect..."

Midnight then hardened his tone, furrowed his brows and bore his gaze into Pinkie's eyes as he softly yet harshly instructed her, "Zip - Your Howling - Screamer...!"

He cast the zip-it spell to shut her up and set her aside before gesturing to Twilight to talk with Spike.

"Is everything alright, Spike?" asked Twilight.

"Well, uh... let's just say Firestorm's undergone... a change during our trip to Dradea," replied Spike through the radio. "I can't really explain it right now, it's better if you see for yourselves. That's why we'd rather there's no big fuss or fanfare for when we get back."

"Are you guys alright?" asked Midnight.

"We're fine, Firestorm's fine, he's just... different," assured Spike but it sounded like he was being evasive. "Listen, just come see us at the airfield and we'll discuss things more when we get to the castle. We'll see you within the hour."

The signal went dead, signifying Spike had turned the Slipstream's radio off, leaving Midnight to regard his friends, "Well then... I guess we'll all go welcome Spike and Firestorm back and their guests to Ponyville. Just remember, no making a big deal or anything... Rainbow Dash."

"What?! I get it, I'll keep my 'party screamer' shut," Rainbow did the air-quote gesture with her primary feathers though took offense to Midnight's stink eye.

"Actually, he said 'howling' screamer," Twilight corrected as she and her husband led everyone out of the castle library.

"What-ever! Just as long as I get to set up a party!" Pinkie hopped after them before gasping, "I gotta get Party Favor involved!"

After discussing it a little further, Midnight and Twilight had everyone else wait for them in the Castle Entry Hall while they went to meet Spike and Firestorm, along with their guests, at the airfield, whereupon they would teleport them all to the Entry Hall.

As always, Pinkie, with Cheese Sandwich and Party Favor's help, had quickly set something up, decorating the Entry Hall with streamers and balloons, set up some confetti and glitter rigged to fall over the party at their impunity, and had already set up a nice spread with a buffet table of party snacks, along with a punch bowl.

Besides Rainbow, Soarin, Blueblood and Rarity, they'd also called on the rest of the Council of Friendship and Starlight and Sunburst to attend. Sugar Belle, Night Glider and Double Diamond were there too, Sugar Belle because she'd helped with the catering, Night Glider and Double Diamond because they wanted to welcome their trainer back.

"Snacks, decorations, music and... games!" Pinkie checked off her list, "This party is ready to get started, all that's left is for the guests to arrive!"

"I do hope nothing amiss went wrong during their trip," Rarity fretted.
"Relax, love, Spike was with Firestorm," Blueblood assured his wife, "That pony taught me all I know about fencing and strategy."
"Ah'm still puzzlin' o'er wha' kinda 'change' Spike wuz talkin' about Firestorm," Applejack brought up.
"Well, as long as they all get home safe and sound, that's what matters," Fluttershy commented.
"Eeyup," agreed Big Mac.
"Are they gonna be much longer?" Night Glider sighed, growing impatient.
"Relax, I'm sure they'll be here any-" Double Diamond was saying when a FLASH in the middle of the Entry Hall revealed Midnight, Twilight, and Spike, Singescale, a young girl dragon a little older than Spike... and a cloaked pony?

"Oop! Cheese, Party Favor!" Pinkie whisper-shouted to them and the three party ponies sprang up in front of the arrivals as they shouted, "SURPRISE!!!"

In response, Midnight and Twilight's horns lit up, gently pushing the party ponies back as they gave them subtle shakes of their heads no.

"Uh- Amber!" Spike jumped forward and looked to the young dragon girl, who was looking at the party ponies in an alarmed way. "This is Pinkie Pie, her coltfriend Cheese Sandwich, and her brother Party Favor! They're party ponies and they'll show you a great time!

"Pinkie? Cheese? Party? This is Amber, and that's Singescale..." Spike went on, while discretely using his tail to gesture to the cloaked pony, who quietly slipped away, into the nearby Throne Room.

Only Applejack seemed to notice him sneak off and she murmured, "Now what's he sneakin' away for? Was tha' Firestorm?"

In the throne room, Firestorm lowered the hood of the cloak Singescale had loaned to him. The magic in it allowed him to wear the hood without his new dragon horns or even his unicorn horn being a problem. He gulped, wishing the group out there was smaller than he'd been expecting. But he knew he couldn't hide in the Throne Room forever.

He took a moment to gather himself, take a deep breath, finding his center. Like a soldier about to enter the battlefield.

Not exactly the same, but it's still nerve-wracking, he thought.

He sighed deeply, as for some reason his family came to mind and his sigh exhaled a surprising volume of smoke. As if reacting to Firestorm's thoughts and feelings, the smoke slithered out, branching out and rising up to form figures most familiar to Firestorm.

His family.

He noticed out the corner of his eye, and was startled to see smoke figures of his twin brother, Shadow, his sister Gaia, his brother Hermit. And worst of all...

Granite... Firestorm thought ruefully, seeing his brother's face again, strangely vivid for a figure of smoke.

Granite was the Head of House Storm until his untimely end, which forced Firestorm, as the second born, to step up and assume headship.

He could still recall the naysayers and whispers and doubtful looks he got. A unicorn becoming the head of one of the most prestigious pegasus families in all of Canterlot?

Granite and Firestorm would butt heads a lot, and Granite had been what many considered an ideal pegasus for a stallion of his pedigree and position. It hadn't mattered that Firestorm had proven himself a better soldier, warrior, and military strategist when he and Granite joined the EUP together.

He was always second best to Granite in everypony's eyes. Only Princess Celestia had ever really believed in him and encouraged him.

After Granite's death, however, Firestorm was really the only candidate to succeed him, as neither Hermit nor Gaia wanted the position and all the responsibilities that came with it while Shadow dedicated his life to hunting down the one who caused Granite's death.

So, Firestorm became Head of House Storm by default, which caused further controversy and whispers behind Firestorm's back.

He'd worked towards proving them all wrong, that he deserved his positions and his responsibilities by becoming a respected General in the EUP. He'd married his true love, Cherry Rose, and she'd given him a son. Alas, his wife and son both perished, leaving Firestorm without an heir.

Seeing them all together like this, despite knowing it wasn't real, Firestorm took the opportunity... and unloaded.

Looking to the figure of Granite, he said, "Why was it always you were the prodigal son? Yes, our family lineage descends from pegasus nobility, but in this day and age? Character and actions are what should be recognized, not pony type!

"I worked my ass so much harder than you did and you still got the praise, the adulation, the recognition in our family and from the peers in the Canterlot Elite."

He then looked to the figures of his sister and second brother, "And you two! As much as I respect the both of you for choosing your own paths in life other than enlisting into the military, you still never supported me!

"And when Granite died, neither of you cared for our family responsibilities and simply hooved it over to me since I was the only one who really wanted to step up and do our family proud."

Finally, he looked to the figure of his twin brother, Shadow, "And Shadow... you could have Granite's successor, and I bet everyone else would have supported and respected you for it.

"But no! You decided to waste your life pursuing a vendetta of 'avenging' Granite, where has that life led you? I'll tell you where - Being thrown into the streets from bars and shady businesses because you snap at every alleged rumor or supposed clue that you believe beyond any logical or plausible explanation to be evidence of Granite's murder like a starving dog!"

Returning his gaze to the smoke-figure of Granite, Firestorm adjusted his voice, doing his best to remember his brother's voice, and pretended his brother was talking to him, "'Oh boo-hoo for you! You think you had it hard? You think it was easy being the favored foal of House Storm?! It wasn't! I was always stressed out from the expectations I had to live up to, so you know what? I'm honestly glad I didn't have to anymore after that punk mugger shiv'd me in an alleyway!'"

A shuffling sound, like a hoof brushing against the floor, caught Firestorm's ears, which were also much sharper than they ever were, and he whirled around his horns blistering with burning mana that conjured one of his favorite swords, as he quite literally roared, "WHO GOES THERE?!"

Standing a little over a pony length from him... was Blueblood, looking to be on the verge of wetting his hooves, but mostly because of the sword Firestorm was brandishing, as he hesitantly and very softly bade, "Easy, Soldier. Easy..."

Oh buck me...! Firestorm thought as he froze in self-mortification and found himself at a loss for words.

Somehow, Firestorm regained his wits and vanished his sword before clearing his throat awkwardly, "Ahem! Apologies, Blueblood, uh... sometimes an old soldier doesn't know when to lower his guard."

"Well... you don't seem to be old anymore, General," Blueblood stared in undisguised amazement at his old fencing teacher. "You- You look... you're young again! You look like you're in your thirties!"

"Really? You're overlooking the draconic characteristics and focusing on my physical age?" Firestorm was honestly perplexed.

"Well, I... actually did notice the draconic traits," Blueblood admitted with a sheepish grin, "but considering you're talking to smoke-"

"Ack!" Firestorm quickly whipped his tail through the smoke figures, making them disperse.

"...so yes, I figured I might ease the tension by pointing out your youth," Blueblood deadpanned. When Firestorm sighed and looked away, Blueblood asked, "I suppose you're afraid to go out there and let everyone see you this way?"

"...I am. This?" Firestorm lifted his right claw, which had once been prosthetic, flexed the claws, clenching and spreading them, before saying, "This was an accident! I jumped out of the frying pan and fell into the fire, literally!

"But it seems the Pale One decided it wasn't my time. That, or it was just plain dumb luck that I had a phoenix feather on me when the fires swallowed me up."

"I get the phoenix feather detail," Blueblood gestured to Firestorm's horn, the claws on his forelimbs and the dragon tail, "but how did all this happen?"

"I was wielding dragon magic, that's all I got," Firestorm responded as if it were an obvious detail barely worth bringing up.

"Fair enough. Firestorm..." Blueblood took a serious tone, "what is it you're really afraid? That everypony won't accept you just because you've changed?"

Firestorm looked away again, giving Blueblood his answer.

"Firestorm, do you remember when you were teaching me fencing?" Blueblood brought up. "You said even the best sword is nothing more than a sharp piece of metal in the hooves of a greenhorn!

"...then you turned my horn green," Blueblood pointed out in exaggerated disgruntlement, which had just the reaction he'd hoped for when Firestorm snorted in reminiscing amusement.
"If you'll pardon the pun, the point is... you told me, 'it's not the sword that makes the swordspony, but the pony holding the sword'."

"I... did say that, didn't I?" Firestorm remembered and couldn't help smiling at the memory. Princess Celestia had requested him to mentor her nephew, Prince Blueblood, in the art and discipline of fencing. He'd been expecting a whiny royal brat. Instead, he got an excited colt who was eager to learn and took everything his mentor told him to heart.

"You did, and I'm sorry to say that for a long while I forgot those words and how they also apply to life in general," Blueblood went on. "I searched for friendship in the wrong places and got nothing but false friends and insincere relationships that I almost gave up on friendship entirely and nearly resigned myself to loneliness.

"So let me say something to you: It's not the pony on the outside your friends care about and value, it's the pony on the inside. Something miraculous has happened to you, Firestorm, and I can't imagine what you must be feeling or what may come of this change," Blueblood's expression turned from empathic understanding to an encouraging smile, "but I can still see the ornery, spirited, dutiful and unyielding military officer who took the time to teach a young colt not just lessons in swordplay but about life, and those ponies out there will see the same pony they consider their friend and the leader they respect.

"Your words helped me more than you realize, and now I am happily married to a pony whose love and generosity is so sincere I can't believe I ever doubted it. So take a taste of your own medicine, go out there, and say hello to your friends."

Firestorm found himself impressed. He couldn't help but smile proudly, feeling a familiar pride and caring for his old student that was similar to what he felt for his son at his graduation ceremony. Similar to his caring for Cheat Code, for Button Mash, and plenty other ponies he'd mentored.

Including another two in particular as he raised his voice, "If you two plan to add anything to this you may as well come out of the shadows. I know you're both there."

Some heavy velvet drapes ruffled as Midnight stepped out from behind one, and a dark midnight greyish-blue unicorn mare with a dust-grey mane and tail both shortly cropped, and her mark a moon wand with a wing extending from the moon, stepped out from another, Firestorm's latest protégée, Nightling.

"How'd you know we were here?" asked Nightling.
"I'm guessing that sniffer of his is a lot better than it used to be," Midnight guessed.

"That, and I've trained both of you," Firestorm raised a brow and pulled a smirk. "Granted, I didn't train Midnight as much as I would've liked, but I know when somepony's trying to use my tricks on me."

Nightling scoffed but with a smirk on her face while Midnight chuckled before getting serious.
"Be that as it may, Firestorm, Blueblood is right. You have changed, but you're still you. Nopony here is gonna judge you like the snobs in Canterlot or Manehatten or other places with high horses."

"Besides, Sir," Nightling brought up, "don't you think it'd be better if you went out there for yourself rather than hide this and risk it getting out without the proper context?"

"Alright, alright, I'm convinced," Firestorm chuckled while holding his claws up in surrender. "May as well rip off the bandage... or a body cast in this case."

"Either way, you'll feel so much better afterwards," Nightling nodded as she stepped over to Firestorm's side and surprised him by putting her foreleg around his, as though they were on date. Smiling up at her mentor (and mentally thinking how handsome he was now, scales an' all), she asked, "Shall we?"

Firestorm looked to the doors and saw Blueblood and Midnight on either side, their horns lit up, ready to open them for his big entrance, and he took a moment before smirking confidently, "Let's."

A week passed after that party, and Firestorm was relieved to see he had worried over nothing. Though his transformation and restored youth did come as a surprise, everypony was glad to see him and eager to hear of his and Spike's so-called "diplomatic visit" with the Lady of Dradea.

Twilight was dismayed to hear it had indeed been a trick in order for the ill-minded dragoness to exploit Spike, but she was just relieved Spike and firestorm had returned home safely and she was grateful to Firestorm for looking after her surrogate little brother.

Spike had pressured Firestorm into telling everypony about his dragon's duel with Infurya, along with his theory of how his transformation had occurred. Twilight expressed a vivid interest in studying Firestorm and looking into further theories, but Midnight had belayed that idea, saying if Firestorm didn't want to get poked and prodded he reserved the right to his privacy.

Still, Firestorm agreed to an examination, one from Twilight and made a plan to be medically examined, as he wanted to know as much about his new body as he possibly could.

After the party winded down, and everypony else went home, Firestorm discussed the trip to Dradea with Midnight, Twilight, Singescale and Nightling, and expressed his concerns that despite cowing Infurya they probably haven't heard the last of her. Singescale assured them all that Infurya was all but certainly unable to do anything, since Singescale had collected ample evidence of her transgressions and the threat of sending said evidence to the Dragon King's Royal Court was likely to keep her in check.

At least, for the time being.

The conclusion of the week coincided with the finishing touches of the Ceremony. Invites were sent to VIPs (Very Important Ponies) while all of Ponyville was invited to stand witness to this momentous occasion. Near the front sat the VIPs, including Princess Celestia as she held her baby son, Prince Sol, with her husband Prince Sombra and sister Princess Luna at her sides. Also in attendance were Brass Scales of House Candor, Fancy Pants and his wife, Fleur, along with their baby daughter Gold Orchid, Spitfire, Fleetfoot and Rapidfire of the Wonderbolts, Shining Armor, Cadance and baby Cora, Thorax and Elytra, Techorse and Stencil Guide, and of course all of Ponyville behind them. Granny Smith, Faerie Tail, and the Cutie-Mark Crusaders were with the VIPs so they'd have the best view possible.

Standing in front of the doors to the Castle of Friendship were Prince Midnight Blaze and his wife, Princess Twilight Sparkle, both of them garbed in their royal apparel and wearing their crowns. Standing to Twilight's side were Spike, Starlight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Fluttershy. To Midnight's side were the Knights of Harmony, all clad in their armor, their swords drawn but at rest, held downward.

Midnight and Twilight shared a bold look and raised their wings to beckon silence and the excited chatters among the attendees soon quieted down.

Using his lunar pony voice, Midnight spoke, sounding like he had a microphone and speakers.
"Family. Friends. Neighbors. Trusted visitors and honored guests, welcome. Today, we announce a new generation of protectors, sworn to defend Equestria and protect and serve her citizens. It is with sorrow I admit that recent happenings have spurred the formation of this new organization, and as fortune favors the prepared my wife and I have determined that we must be ready for whatever our enemies have in store for us."

Twilight stepped forward and utilized the Canterlot Royal Voice to add her own words to the speech.
"My husband and I, as well as the Council of Friendship, are in agreement that while we should always hope for the best it would be irresponsible and potentially disastrous not to prepare for the worst. Long has Equestria enjoyed peace and prosperity, and amicable relations with neighboring nations. That isn't to say that there haven't been... mistakes or problems. The coming elections for the New Equestrian Council is a promise of great change though challenges still lie ahead. So, indeed we must prepare for the future, whatever it may have in store."

"So it is with great appreciation and anticipation that we form this new Guard, a Guard that will be stationed here in Ponyville," Midnight spoke, "A Guard that will be formally affiliated with us, the Prince, the Princess and the Council of Friendship, while still aligned with Equestria as a whole. Fillies and gentlecolts, visitors from near and far, it is our honor to introduce to you, the first generation of... The Harmony Guard!"

Fireworks and confetti burst into the air as hoofsteps marching in formation rumbled through the ground and was felt by every attendee. They looked on in awe as ponies and a few creatures in armored uniform marched out from either side behind the Castle of Friendship.

The uniform was opalescent, appearing a gentle soft shade of blue yet reflected a distinctive orange under the sunlight. The Guards coming from the side Twilight was on had a secondary color of a pinkish-orange while the Guards approaching from Midnight's side had a secondary color of a dusky blue. All wore plumed helmets but they differed from most Guard Units' helmets by having a pair of decorative wings extending from the sides, which also had the benefit of protecting their ears.

Almost all the faces in the Harmony Guard were familiar because most of them were Ponyville locals, who'd signed up to be a part of this. A few among them weren't local, especially the ones that weren't ponies. One was a zebra mare with pegasus wings, there was a male griffon, a minotaur bull, and a Sirian Dog. They wore the same uniforms though theirs had been tailored to fit them more comfortably.

They marched relatively well, in rhythm for the most part, but the attendees could see a few guards weren't used to moving in sync in this manner. It was understandable - They'd only gotten a few weeks of training and still had much to learn and experience before they could be considered true Guards of Equestria.

Before long, they all came to a halt, standing in formation between the attendees and the Castle of Friendship, all present looking upon these nascent Guards with a mix of awe, trepidation, doubt, respect, concern, and other feelings and thoughts before Midnight spoke again.

"Behold, Ponyville and visitors," he said, "These individuals have chosen to accept this honor and this responsibility, to protect and serve, to defend Equestria, her citizens, their safety and their rights. But above all, to uphold the ideals of harmony, truth, justice and friendship. There is no telling what lies in their futures, but we must have faith in them, that they will strive to do right and proudly by their nations, their friends and families, their fellow citizens, and their oaths. So on behalf of all Equestria, I wish you luck, Harmony Guard and bid you to do your best."

The Harmony Guard all turned to face their prince and princess before they saluted and nodded solemnly, and for their conduct they were given an encouraging applause from the attendees until Twilight raised her wings to beckon silence once more.

"While the Harmony Guard affiliated with myself, my husband, and the Council of Friendship, it needs infrastructure," Twilight stated, "a chain of command. As such, my husband and I have agreed that three among the current Guard will be hoofpicked by us: Two will each serve as a Lieutenant in direct command over two divisions of the Harmony Guard. As you may have noticed, the Guards' uniforms share a primary color while having different secondary colors.

"The Guard on my side with the secondary color of orange-pink, like a sunrise, will be known as the Dawn Division, charged with protecting and serving myself. The Guard on my husband's side, with the secondary color of evening blue, will be known as the Dusk Division and so protect and serve him. Each of us has chosen who among the current Guard will be the Lieutenant of our respective divisions, and so let it be known, I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, choose... Lyra Heartstrings!"

In the Dawn Division, Lyra Heartstrings, the mint-green unicorn, was startled as all eyes turned to her, and she saw Twilight kindly bade her to come forward.

Lyra barely kept it together as she approached Princess Twilight, who gestured her to calm down by using Cadance's breathing technique, and it helped. Still, Lyra gave Twilight a nervous look so Twilight spoke.
"Lyra Heartstrings, we classed together in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. As such, I know for a fact that you have the skills and the smarts necessary to be a good leader. I know this is a big responsibility, but I wouldn't ask this of you if I didn't believe you were up to it. There will be no hard feelings if you decline, but still i must ask: Will you, Lyra Heartstrings, accept the title and position of Lieutenant of the Dawn Division?"

Lyra looked into Twilight's eyes and saw there was no doubt. She looked over to the Dusk Division, where she could see her coltfriend, Noteworthy Blues smiling at her, and then over to the crowd and was able to find their fillyfriend, Bon Bon. Both of them smiled at her. Both of them believed in her, and she saw similar encouraging looks from her friends and neighbors all around. Facing forward back to Twilight, Lyra was first solemn before her lips pulled back in a bold smile and she gave a nod, "I accept this honor and responsibility. I promise to do you proud, my Princess!"

"Then congratulations, Lyra Heartstrings," Twilight declared as she raised a sash the orange-pink of a sunrise, set it around Lyra, and pinned onto it a badge depicting Twilight's magenta six-point star cutie-mark, "Lieutenant of the Dawn Division!"

The crowd gave a rousing cheer that almost drove Lyra to tears, with pride, with humility, with worry balanced by a newfound determination to do her best. Then Midnight raised his wings and again was obliged with silence.

"Leadership is too often sought by those who should not have it," he spoke. "For leadership is a great burden, heavy with responsibility. Those who do not appreciate and feel that burden on their shoulders do not deserve to lead. Regardless, no one can be certain how well they'll be able to carry that weight until they do. Situations and circumstances determine how much the burden will weigh. Only in the thick of it, when you are faced with adversity or dilemma do you truly determine how well you can shoulder the burden.

"After careful deliberation and discussion, I have chosen who will serve as Lieutenant of the Dusk Division. I choose... Avalanche!"

More gasps followed as the members of the Dusk Division looked towards Avalanche, the Sirian Dog with husky-like characteristics. The Dog was truly stupefied by what he had just heard, that he didn't respond until the third time Midnight called to him. Shaking it off, Avalanche steeled himself and strode towards Prince Midnight. Midnight was glad to see Avalanche looking determined, but he seemed rigid and so whispered so softly that he knew only Avalanche would hear him, "At ease."

Avalanche did so though he continued to maintain his breathing rate so as to keep his cool before Midnight spoke.
"Avalanche, former Officer of the PAW Patrol, it should go without saying that we know why you were discharged, and why you came here to Equestria..."

Avalanche gulped nervously, He knows?!

But Midnight's expression and tone softened just a little, "Be that as it may, everyone deserves to make a fresh start. Everyone deserves a second chance. Although some of your behavior during basic training was less than impressive... your determination, your hard work, and your skills and sharpness of mind have not gone unnoticed. So while I am recognizing your qualities, I want it to be a constant reminder to yourself... to act with proper conduct and show that you deserve the rank and title of Lieutenant. Am I understood...?"

"Yes, sir," Avalanche nodded solemnly. "I won't let you down."

"Then congratulations, Avalanche," declared Midnight as he raised an evening blue sash, secured it around Avalanche, and then pinned onto it a badge depicting Midnight's pale blue crescent and five-point star cutie-mark, "Lieutenant of the Dusk Division!"

The crowd gave yet another congratulatory applause though Avalanche did not feel so much joy and pride as he did trepidation and humility. The memories and reason as to why he was discharged from PAW Patrol remained as vibrant in his memory as though they'd only happened yesterday. To offset the emotional drag weighing down on him, he made a vow to himself, This time... will be different.

Once the crowd had calmed yet again, Midnight and Twilight shared a satisfied smile as their Lieutenants went to stand in front of their Divisions and Midnight announced, "Before we reveal who will be bestowed the rank and title of Captain, we must give credit where credit is due, in light of recent events. Just a week ago, a foreign leader invited a member of this Council on the pretense of diplomacy. It was a lie, a nefarious trick in an attempt to exploit said council member to the personal gain of this foreign leader.

"Thankfully, our council member was safely returned and the conflict was resolved, thanks in part to Lady Singescale, representative of the Royal Court of the Dragon King. But mostly thanks... to Retired General Firestorm."

Then Midnight gestured down the path that started from the castle doors and split the divisions and the crowd, all eyes looking down to see nopony in the back... until a plume of gentle burning fire sparked, bloomed out and then parted like a curtain as it dispersed into harmless dying embers, and revealed Firestorm.

There were some gasps and wide eyed looks at the sight of the unicorn who now sported claws, horns, scales, and a tail like that of a dragon. He was garbed in military dress uniform, colored royal purple with shiny black buttons and a sash of blazing golden red, decorated with various medals and stripes, representing a historic career of military success and respect.

Then Midnight summoned his sword, Nightfall, and bade, "Step forward, Firestorm."

Firestorm approached, walking with the gait of a calm and regal warrior, composed and dignified. A few attendees in the crowd were honestly afraid of him. They'd never seen a pony like him. A few even backed away when he got too close. Some were fascinated by his appearance, others by his reputation yet were baffled by how Firestorm now looked so much younger, so different. Firestorm paid none of them no mind... until he got to the forefront where he couldn't help but look towards the princess to whom he'd sworn an oath so long ago.

Princess Celestia had heard of Firestorm's transformation, but seeing it was something else. Gone was the grizzled yet devoted military stallion who had served her well for many years. In his place was a face familiar yet foreign. He was as handsome as he was back when he joined the EUP, albeit still older despite his clearly rejuvenated youth. This was the soldier she'd long respected back in his prime, enhanced with the features of the dragons whose magic he so valiantly wielded. A confusing emotional malaise stirred inside her... when Firestorm locked eyes with her.

That phoenix feather was good luck indeed!

Celestia gasped softly, smiling as Firestorm gave her a wink and then passed her by, walking amongst the guards that had been his trainees over the last month, until he stood before the Prince and Princess of Friendship. Midnight gave him a gesturing nod of respect and Firestorm knelt down before him and Midnight raised Nightfall.

"In recognition of your long and unwavering devotion and courage for the good of Equestria," Midnight gently tapped Firestorm's shoulders and then raised his sword while saying, "By the right of the Council, by the Magic of Friendship, rise Firestorm, Knight of Harmony!"

By Midnight's words, his sword, along with the swords of the knights present, all radiated a light strong and burning, before energies flowed from each of them and then collected in front of Firestorm. He watched in awe as the gathering energies took shape and then coalesced.... into a sword!

The blade was ruby red with a black edge, the same black as the handle and the pointed obsidian pommel. The guard was vaguely shaped like the wings of a dragon and had an insignia on the ricasso, just above the crossguard, matching his cutie-mark. Under the light of the sun, it reflected a blistering shimmer like the reflection of fire off a gleaming shield.

Firestorm looked upon this majestic blade with humbled awe, as for a moment he almost didn't feel worthy of it. It was in that moment, he heard a not-so-subtle 'ahem' and looked to see Nightling, standing next to Lyra Heartstrings. Some part of Firestorm wondered, Where did she come from all of a sudden? while another saw the tiresome smile on Nightling's face that impatiently said 'Just accept it already, you big oaf'.

Chuckling to himself, Firestorm looked back to his sword... and reached up to grasp it into his claws. The moment he did so, he felt something touch him in a way that was not physical, mental or even emotional. It was... a connection, linking him to this fine weapon. A fire lit up in his belly that he couldn't help but raise his sword up high and proud as he let out a roaring gout of fire from his mouth, causing some gasps among the crowd. But it still sparked quite an excited applause as the attendees stomped and cheered for Firestorm, honoring him, admiring him, that all his doubts and worries were well and truly dashed.

Once the noise calmed down yet again, Midnight and Twilight cleared their throats and Midnight announced, "Now, we announce the one we wish to be the Captain of the Harmony Guard."

"My husband and I have discussed it thoroughly, gotten opinions from the right ponies," Twilight nodded, "and we are in agreement on whom we wish to take up this office of great responsibility. An individual with proven valor and keenest of mind."

"A warrior proven and tested," added Midnight, "the obvious guy for the job..."

Firestorm somehow knew the answer before they said it together, "Firestorm, the Blazing Sword of Equestria!!!"

Suspecting was different from hearing, and hearing them declare his name still jolted Firestorm with surprise! He watched as Midnight and Twilight's horns lit up with their turquoise and magenta mana, pooling together into a bubble that swelled until it popped in a burst of resplendent droplets of mana that quickly dispersed into thin air while revealing a uniform. It was similar to the Harmony Guard uniform but had both the sunrise orange-pink and evening blue secondary colors, the wings on the helmet had gold trim while the plume on top was dyed a shimmering blend of silver and gold, and there was a gradient sash that transitioned from lavender to sapphire, and pinned onto it was a badge depicting a crystalline tree with Midnight's crescent moon on the top left corner and Twilight's six-point star on the top right corner, clearly representing the Castle of Friendship and themselves.

Firestorm stared at the uniform, helm, sash and badge, completely stupefied, so Twilight kindly said, "Firestorm, it would be a great honor to have you serve as the Captain of our Harmony Guard yet we also understand it is presumptuous of us to make this offer after your lifetime of service in the military. You have given your all for this nation, and... here we are, asking you to come out of retirement for a nascent unit."

Firestorm looked up from the offered uniform to Twilight, still looking at a loss for words, so Twilight continued.
"It really is presumptuous and unfair to put you on the spot like this. What's happened to you is, well, nothing short of a miracle. You've been given something not everyone gets the chance to truly have: a chance to start over.

"So, if this isn't what you want, if you want to live your life differently this time," Twilight said in truest understanding, "then do whatever it is that will make you happy."

For a long and drawn-out moment, Firestorm said nothing as he looked away, like a socially awkward teenage colt. A few murmurs rippled among the crowd as all present waited for Firestorm's response.

Finally, he turned around to face the crowd, scanning the mass of faces gathered before the Castle of Friendship... when his eyes met Celestia's. The princess to whom he had sworn an oath to protect and serve for decades. Celestia saw a weary conflict in the eyes of this stallion who had served her faithfully for so many years. She saw that Firestorm was utterly unsure of whether or not to accept this offer, and probably for more reasons than the obvious or what Twilight had suspected.

Follow your heart, my little pony, she thought to him and he heard her.

Firestorm nodded to her ever so subtly before taking a deep breath. "I... did not choose for this to happen to me. The circumstances that resulted in the pony you see before you... for all intents and purposes, what happened should have been it for me, and yet... And yet, it seems Faust isn't quite done with this old warhorse."

Everypony listened raptly as Firestorm went on. "I spent my life focusing on my career in the Equestrian military, trying to prove myself worthy of my family name. But in the end, I lived for a pointless goal rather than truly living for myself. I don't regret serving my nation and my princess, but I do have regrets. I couldn't save my son. I couldn't give my wife the happiness she deserved.

"After retiring, I thought I would just make the most of what time I had left, which was why I obliged the request to train the recruits for the Harmony Guard. Perhaps I could leave behind my mark on something that bore my name, not the name of a so-called noble lineage whose time came and went a long time ago.

"I don't know whether this," Firestorm went on as he raised his right claws and grasped them into a fist, "is the will of some higher power or just sheer dumb luck, or perhaps something else entirely.

"What I do know is this: It's an opportunity, and I am going to make the most of it. And so..." Firestorm raised his new sword as he declared, "I accept this sword. I accept this honor and responsibility. For as the new Captain of the Harmony Guard, I renew my vow to protect Equestria, to serve the cause of Harmony, to stand for the Magic of Friendship!"

Firestorm raised his sword yet again, the blade bursting with flames as he roared, "BECAUSE I AM THE BLAZING SWORD OF EQUESTRIA AND I WILL MAKE SURE EQUESTRIA'S LIGHT WILL FOREVER SHINE!!!"

In response to Firestorm's passionate words that burned as brightly as his sword, the attendees rose in thunderous applause, as did the now-official Harmony Guard, each member standing at attention as they gave their new Captain a salute of respect as much as it was congratulations. Firestorm smiled, feeling an excitement that hadn't been stoked in his belly for Faust knew how long, when he heard hoofsteps and looked to see Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight walk down the stairs to stand beside him.

"You honor us, Captain," Midnight gave his father's mentor a wink.
"We look forward to working with you, Firestorm," added Twilight with an encouraging smile.

"I do have one condition," Firestorm raised his foreclaw, "I want Nightling to serve under me as an additional lieutenant, equal with Heartstrings and Avalanche."

Midnight and Twilight shared a look and both nodded before Midnight responded, "That can be arranged. But for now... just smile and wave, Sir."

"Heheh, sir, yes sir," Firestorm retorted as he did just that.

As the applause continued, somepony watched the events from afar. He was a unicorn, clad entirely in armor that gleamed metallic gold and obsidian black. He stood still as a statue yet observed the birth of a new Guard with a menacing glare behind the visor of his helm.

Author's Note

Perhaps I could have divided the return of the conquering heroes from the pomp and circumstance, but I wanted to get this done. DFatman explained about Firestorm's siblings and came up with the scene of him talking to smoke figures of his siblings and airing out his issues with them in an effort to release the tension he was feeling about facing everypony in his new form

The Harmony Guard! The personal guard of Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight, split between the Dusk and Dawn Divisions, captained by a transformed Firestorm restored to his prime.

I chose Lyra to be Lieutenant of the Dawn Division because she and Twilight were classmates in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. The fact she was a student indicates Lyra is a talented magic user, and figured she has the skills and smarts to become a good leader

I chose an OC, Avalanche, to be Lieutenant of the Dusk Division, and the fact he's a Dog represents how Midnight and Twilight welcome anyone with the right stuff into their Guard and that they are inclusive of other creatures besides ponies. Plus, I hinted that Avalanche has a history that got him in trouble with the last law enforcement he was a part of, and that Midnight took that into account for reasons his own

After all, it was revealed Gallus the Griffon became Captain of the Royal Guard at the end of MLP: FiM, so why not?

Firestorm is a Knight of Harmony and now Captain of the Harmony Guard, a fresh start in certain ways, to no longer be tied down to past regrets concerning his family. His protégée Nightling was included to be another lieutenant, equal with Lyra and Avalanche.

379. The Duality of Fire - Epilogue

A clawed hand set down a cup still steaming with freshly poured tea as that hand moved to intertwine with the claws of the other, and Infurya smirked, "Before, you had my interest. Now, you have my attention..."

Sitting across from the Dragon Lord of Dradea was Catrina, quite comfortable in the lounge seat her esteemed host had generously provided.
"With my considerable resources and my capable followers, combined with your forces and influence, overthrowing the Dragon King would be all but certain, paving the way... for a Dragon Queen! Free to rule her kind as she sees fit."

"As delicious as I find that proposal, I remind you that I am under a magnifying glass," Infurya narrowed her eyes. "That miserable little dragon witch, Singescale, has the evidence that could destroy me! Losing my labor force itself has cost me considerable wealth, not to mention the wealth I had to expend to buy their silence!

"The fact that I had to bargain with such insignificant creatures...!!"

"What if I were to tell you, Infurya," responded Catrina, "that you could have your gem cake... and eat it too?"

Infurya gave Catrina a skeptical glare, "Until Singescale is dealt with, there's hardly anything I can do. At least, anything outside the boundaries of my legal power."

"True. But if someone, myself for example, were to... make certain undesirables disappear-" Catrina began, only for Infurya to raise a clawed hand in a halting gesture.

"Ah-ah! Resist telling me too much," Infurya then gestured her claws over her ear frills, "Plausible deniability..."

"Heheh, you are experienced in matters behind closed doors," Catrina purred deviously.

"I have my share of talents," Infurya nodded before giving Catrina a shrewd look, "but you've yet to explain what you get out of our little... alliance."

"I require only one thing," Catrina said with a velvety tone that had an underlying firmness. "In exchange for my services to install you into the highest seat of draconic power, I want the Dragon King's sword."

Infurya gasped slightly, "You're not talking about-"

"I want Fyrenaid," Catrina nodded.

"Fyrenaid is the irrefutable proof of legitimate claim to the crown!" Infurya snarled, smoke seething out the corners of her mouth. "Without it-"

"Then the only other way to make your claim to the throne legitimate... is to prove yourself the most powerful dragon in the world," Catrina interjected with a raised claw. "And to do that, you must show dragonkind... that King Korangar is weak! Think about it, Infurya... a leader that cannot provide order, safety, and sufficient nourishment is no leader at all.

"What's more, the Dragon Lands are completely self-sufficient. They would never ask foreign nations for aid, because to ask outsiders for help..."

"...is admittance of weakness," Infurya nodded was still reluctant, "Even so, the dragons-"

"Would rather destroy each other for what resources there are in the Dragon Lands then ask outsiders for help," Catrina interjected again. "Even better, a dragon that becomes desperate enough... will seek resources beyond the borders of the Dragon Lands!"

"That's against Dragon Law!"

"Exactly. A king that cannot control his subjects will be discredited by other nations and that will draw unwanted attention, create issues and harm what relations Korangar has established with outsides forces. What's more... what if the king were to lose his symbol of power?"

Infurya considered the question before answering, "If you're suggesting we steal it-"

"And replace it with a counterfeit," noted Catrina.

"It wouldn't matter! The sword's power gives off a unique and unmistakable energy signature," Infurya argued. "The king, his court, his personal guard are all intimately familiar with it! They would see through any forgery no matter how well made or accurate in detail."

"Oh believe you me, Infurya," Catrina smirked, "I am well aware of the power coursing through Fyrenaid. I have studied and practiced magicks for my entire life, including how to recognize, differentiate and even mimic the individual signatures of different magical energies. I know I could create a replica so convincing the king would never know... until it was too late.

"Can you imagine it? Korangar giving off a rousing speech, raising his sword... and with but a snap of my fingers that sword crumbles into dust in his claws..."

Infurya could imagine it, and she was starting to see merit in the idea, "Korangar's image would be broken beyond repair. All his subjects would lose their faith and respect for him!"

"And all you'd have to do is set the stage in your favor... to remove him," Catrina nodded.

Infurya mulled it over, noting this and that, the details she was certain she could arrange and set up. It would be a vast undertaking, where one misstep would surely end with her head on the chopping block.
...but if I play my cards right...

Finally, Infurya gave Catrina a piercing look, "You have a deal, Catrina."

She offered her hand to the Cat, who narrowed her eyes before reaching out to grasp it... only for Infurya to raise it up, along with her foreclaw.

"On one condition..." Infurya growled with an undertone inarguable.

Raising a brow, Catrina asked, "And that is...?"

"That freak, that fraud that dares to call himself a dragon, Firestorm...!" Infurya seethed with sheer hatred so intense Catrina could almost swear it was starting to swelter in the parlor they were in.
"He humiliated me, in word and deed. I. Want. Him. Dead...!"

Catrina smirked, "Is that all? Why, friend... I'll personally deliver you his head to hang on your wall."

Infurya grinned like a shark and finally took Catrina's hand in her own as they glared into each other's eyes with glints of devious conspiracy.

381. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 2

Canterlot Academy, 10 years ago...

Canterlot Academy senior Blueblood was depressed. He'd overheard his so-called fillyfriend bragging to her gal pals of having Blueblood as her coltfriend. She'd gone as far as to say, 'I have that royal dunce eating out of my hoof'.

Needless to say, Blueblood was heartbroken.

At the moment however, he was with his alchemy class partner, a freshmane named Terra, assigned to a project together. But Blueblood was too busy feeling sorry for himself to lift a hoof to help.

"...me that beaker of quicksilver? Blueblood? Blueblood!"

"WHA!? Uh- What's..." Blueblood snapped out of his funk and looked to see Terra giving him a confused look. "Come again?"

"I asked you to pass me that beaker of quicksilver!" Terra pointed to it.

At first, it would seem strange for a senior and a fresh to be working on the same assignment together. But Terra had surprised his teachers with his knowledge and expertise in Alchemy that he was promoted to Advanced Alchemy and other relating classes. Not to mention the fact Terra was an earth pony, which made his knowledge of magical theory even more impressive.

"Oh, uh, here," Blueblood sighed as he levitated the beaker to Terra, and resumed his moping, propping his head up with his chin on his hoof.

Terra gave his upperclassmane a concerned look. They weren't exactly friends but any decent pony could see that this young stallion was going through some heartache.

"Er.... trouble in paradise?" Terra smiled weakly, hoping it wasn't a sore subject.

"You could say that..." Blueblood said with light bitterness in his tone. "I swear to Faust, is it too much to ask for a sincere relationship?! That whorse... I'm going to make her regret the day she met me!"

"Whoa, Blueblood, hold on!" Terra said in concern, "Don't stoop to the level of those who wrong you, it just makes you as bad as them."

"Am I supposed to let them just walk all over me?! I don't think so!" Blueblood furrowed his brows. "I am just so tired of others pretending to be my friends and then turning out to be anything but!

"It seems the only person one can really rely on in this world is himself!"

Blueblood didn't see, but Terra became crestfallen upon hearing him say those words, turning back to the alchemy project as he hid his hurt.
"Let's... just get this assignment done with. I wanna get a good grade in this class."

Present Day...

"BLARGH!!!"

Something large, wet, and covered in white fur plopped unceremoniously onto a thick woolen rug spread over the stone floor, groaning.

"Ugh! He stinks! What did you eat before swallowing him?!"
"Eh, the usual..."
"So what're we gonna do now, genius?! Why didn't we just take him back to the surface and leave him out there?"
"He's here for a reason and I want to know what it is... Leaving him outside doesn't guarantee he won't come back."
"I guess that makes sense... Sorry, big guy, it's just... I'm worried for you, but it's also because this guy..."
"You know him?"
"You could say that..."
"I know that look. What happened between you two?"
"Never mind, what are we gonna do when he wakes up?"

Blueblood was in fact waking up at that moment, mostly due to the incessant chatter going on. Also because he found himself a tad chilly from being wet with... something he'd rather not think about. But it was also because he couldn't believe he was alive!

Wasn't I just swallowed alive...?! He thought as he kept still, laying prone on this oddly comfortable rug. And is that really...!

Although he kept mostly still, Blueblood had ever so slightly angled his head to get a look at who was talking and what he saw.

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there, my little pony..." spoke a GIANT of a pony with a plum purple coat and alabaster white mane that extended along his spine and went halfway along a LONG and THICK tail, the latter half of which was wrapped around the yellow earth pony as he was held up above the face of the behemoth, who looked upon the tiny pony (in comparison) with sensuous golden eyes. The pony's massive size and tail, aside, the most unusual trait he had was actually a pair of gray ram-like horns extending out from his head.

Blueblood had never seen a pony like this! He was bigger than even his aunt and uncle, both in height and mass! He wore a silver regalia studded with amethysts, with matching bands on his fetlocks, and was bulging with muscle while his barrel was thick and plump, indicating a stallion with an appetite. His plush and ample flanks bore a cutie-mark of a jeweled amethyst.

It was in that moment Blueblood realized, This is the monster that ate me!! But why did he... oh no!

"TERRA!!!" Blueblood screamed as he leapt to his hooves, startling Terra and the giant pony.

The situation worsened as Blueblood made his sword appear in hoof, and in response the giant pony's tail released Terra, causing him to yelp as he was unceremoniously dropped, and the tuft of hair at the end of the giant pony 's tail seemed to go taut and gave off a strange shimmer under the light coming from the crystals in the chamber's walls. Blueblood raised his sword above his head, only for the giant pony's tail to lash out and whip the sword right out of Blueblood's magical grasp, leaving him stunned and frozen in terror as he thought, He could've taken off my head...!

"WHOA! Whoa-whoa!" Terra quickly got up and stood between them, holding his hooves towards both of them. "Let's all just relax before somepony does something they regret!"

"I think I already am regretting this..." grumbled the giant pony as he glared at Blueblood, still stupefied with fear.

"Well, you did swallow him alive," Terra pointed out as he went over to give a gentle shake to Blueblood. "Are you okay, Blueblood? Say something!"

"Wha- Ya- Guh- Ze- A jye- A hyoo- Enorma-" Blueblood blathered until SLAP. He shook off his confusion while grimacing from his aching cheek before giving Terra a deadpan, "Thanks..." and then clearing his throat.

"What. In the name. Of the Holy Mother of Equestria... IS GOING ON HERE?!?!" Blueblood shouted at the top of his lungs, his scream echoing so loudly that Terra covered Blueblood's mouth and gave him a sharp SHHHHHHH.

"Well, Blueblood, allow me to introduce Praetura Amethyst," Terra said while giving the giant pony a reverent look and speaking with a little majestic flair, the pony called Praetura smiling as he puffed out his mighty chest (and sucked in his paunchy gut) while giving a regal pose.
"Lord of Subterra and also... my coltfriend."

"Come again?" Blueblood responded dryly and a skeptical raise of his brow.

"I was thinking of renaming it... Enterra," Praetura chuckled as he lowered his massive head and playfully nuzzled up to Terra in a flirty way.

"Stop it...!" Terra blushed as he pushed the giant of a pony off but he couldn't help smiling.

Clearing his throat and standing at the full of his height (which was absolutely massive, from Blueblood's perspective, He's even bigger than Sombra!) Praetura explained, "As you will have noticed, I am not your average pony.

"I am... a Geo Pony."

"Geo Pony?" echoed Blueblood, having never heard of such a thing. "Are you related to earth ponies?"

"Them as well as crystal ponies," nodded Praetura. "Ours is a long and complicated story of how we came to be, as a new kind of pony, as our own culture, and how we came to live here, deep underground beneath Mt. Canterhorn."

"Well... you'll understand if I find this a little hard to swal- !!" Blueblood's eyes popped wide as he remembered, "Wait a minute- YOU SWALLOWED ME!!"

"I only did that because at the time I thought you were hurting my Terra!" Praetura said, sounding like a petulant colt as he grabbed Terra and hugged him to his face like a favorite plush toy.
"But then, he cleared it all up and I brought you here to my private residence to... let you out.

"Right now, the only outsider allowed in Subterra is Terra, and if you'd been seen it would have caused a big fuss."

"Uh-huh..." Blueblood eyed Praetura with renewed suspicion.

"Look, Blueblood, I get that what Praetura did was..." Terra hesitated while giving Praetura a regarding look before egg-shelling, "unusual..."

"That's putting it lightly," Blueblood crossed his forelegs.

"But the Geo Ponies are still ponies!" Terra insisted, "I've spent time with them, walked among them, learned about them! So if Praetura wants to trust you with the secret of his people and their culture, don't you think that's saying something?"

Terra and Praetura both gave Blueblood hopeful smiles, which chipped at his emotional armor, causing him to sigh, "Alright, fine... Where do we start?"

"Right through here," Praetura touched a stone wall, and the moment he did so, the stone literally rippled as though it were liquid while an opening formed, revealing a stone balcony. Praetura led Blueblood out, Terra standing on the massive pony's back, and Blueblood eyed the balcony, which was much too high for him to see over.
He gave Praetura a raised brow, and the Geo Pony said, "Oh! Sorry."

Praetura touched the balcony, and Blueblood was surprised at how it lowered downwards, as though the stony material was receding into itself. It lowered enough the Blueblood could rear up onto his hind legs to peer over the balcony (making him feel like a colt) and marvel in utter awe!

Before him... was a VAST underground chamber, the walls and ceilings aglow with glowing clusters of crystal and phosphorous mushrooms in various colors of greens, blues, purples, a few yellows and oranges. Besides the clusters, the ceiling was speckled with flecks of faint yet shimmering crystal. But it was the community below that was the real marvel. There were stone houses that appeared to have been molded out of clay and then solidified into solid rock, some built into the walls themselves, with a few stairways leading up to higher levels.

A river ran through the middle of the community, providing water that glowed with mystical minerals, and all around were gigantic ponies very much like Praetura! The same thick and long tails, manes running down their spines and halfway along those tails, and similar ram-horns, some larger or smaller, some broken, some with gems embedded into them. Some wore crystal jewelry of sorts while some seemed to be on patrol, wearing helmets and carrying spears tipped with crystal spearheads, and he noticed some rolling forms, which confused him, until they stopped rolling and revealed themselves to be the same kind of pony populating this subterranean setting.

"...Incredible!" Blueblood wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when Terra and Praetura mentioned Subterra being an underground community, but this was far more than he'd expected of anything it might be! "This- This is large enough to be a village!"

"There's more to Subterra than you see here," Praetura chuckled, "We have tunnels and more chambers further out and deeper down, all interconnected, some serving specific purposes. This area here is, how would you call it... something like a town square?"

"It's bigger than this?! How many Geo Ponies are there?" Blueblood gawked at Praetura, who gave Terra a reluctant look.

Terra gave him an encouraging nod, so Praetura replied, "Not as many as you think. Due to how we live, we have to keep a strict limit to our population, part of it because of our limited resources, the other to lower the chances of us being discovered."

"And that's exactly why you gotta take a chance, big guy," Terra spoke up, giving his big beau an encouraging look. "The Geo Ponies have lived underground for far too long, and despite the measures you take, it's no longer sustainable down here.

"Your resources are running out and you can't nor should you prevent the other Geo Ponies from having their foals together. You have to take the first step and find a way to meet with the rulers of Equestria diplomatically."

"I know, Terra, but can I really risk exposing my people like that...?" Praetura sighed morosely, already knowing the answer to his own question.

"Then why did you bring Blueblood here?" Terra pointed out, "And don't say, because you thought he was hurting me!"

"Praetura...?" Blueblood gave the massive pony a confused look, and Praetura took a deep breath.

"Prince Blueblood... I know we've only just met. Under... unusual circumstances," Praetura grimaced before calming himself. "But please understand, the Geo Ponies' history is... not a happy one. Our forefathers were seen as monsters and beasts, because of our bigger sizes, our appearance, our abilities. It's why we chose to live underground, where the Pony Tribes of Earth Pony, Pegasus and Unicorn would never find us.

"We've made attempts to assimilate into Equestria before, but they always ended badly. Lives were lost... It's why I'm reluctant to risk exposing my people in this day and age, where communications are so much more advanced, capable of reaching coast to coast so quickly. If we come to the surface and reveal ourselves, there will be no turning back."

It was in that moment Blueblood knew, This is why I'm here! To help these ponies join the ponies of Equestria as they should have gotten the chance to.

Blueblood took a deep breath of his own before responding, "Praetura... I understand and appreciate your concerns regarding this decision. I am sorry to say that ponies have had a history of ostracizing other beings, even other ponies, purely for the simple reason of being different.

"But if you will give me the chance, I promise to do everything in my power to help you, to make sure you are heard and judged for who you are, not what others see you as. Because you and your people deserve to walk under the sun instead of under the dirt! To breathe fresh air, to experience the world above instead of hiding yourselves away down here.

"I can't promise it will be seamless or without incident. There's going to be mistakes, but you have to keep trying so the Geo Ponies can be a part of Equestria as they were always meant to be."

Praetura looked at Blueblood with surprised awe. This white unicorn prince, who looked like he could be a selfish snob who cared for no one but himself was anything but. He was truly noble and had the passion and sincerity of a true leader.

"We-he-hell, Blue!" Terra piped in, looking at Blueblood with great admiration, "You're hardly the same guy who used to practice his swordplay on the castle topiary!"

Blueblood gave Terra a confused look, Swordplay? Castle topiary...

Then... his memory stirred.

Canterlot Castle Gardens, 6 years ago...

"Huh! Ho! Hee... yah!" Blueblood swung his practice sword around in his magical grasp, practicing his swordplay in the Castle Gardens. Specifically, around the topiary. His aunt wouldn't like it if he damaged the sculpted hedges, but they provided a decent cover to give him a sense of privacy.

After allowing his skills to get rusty, Blueblood's old sword instructor, General Firestorm, had instructed him to spend at least one hour a day practicing his swordwork for an entire month. He could still recall those fond memories of first learning the way of the sword back when he was a colt. They were among his most cherished memories after he lost his parents and his Aunt Celestia took him in. But he'd discontinued honing his skills during his adolescence, so now it was back to square one, and Firestorm had ordered him to re-familiarize himself with the basics.

Some of it was coming back to him while the rest eluded his muscle memory despite brushing up and reading the book the general had given him to study. Part of Blueblood admonished himself for neglecting his martial skills, but another part made excuses regarding his studies and devotion to preparing to take over his late father's company. It had been a lonely life ever since his breakup with his first girlfriend. Although his cousin (more like a sister) Cadance had encouraged him to keep trying, all of Blueblood's romantic pursuits had ended badly. They turned out to be insincere for one reason or another, and the fact other ponies tried befriending him only because they wanted to exploit him for their own gain made it worse.

Truly, the only ponies he could really count on were his Aunt Celestia, Cadance, his friend Shining Armor, his classmate Twilight Sparkle, and his father's trusted board of directors who were all waiting for him to be ready to take the helm of New Heights Avionics. Besides his studies, Blueblood had devoted a fair amount of his time and effort to thinking up and innovating new technologies, not just for his company but for the Equestrian scientific community. He had plenty of intriguing theories and ideas and how he yearned to work on making them a reality in order to trial and error before arriving at the perfected models.

But for now, he was determined to brush up on his skills as a swordsmane. His pride and his honor demanded it.

He took a stance, remembering a specific form, eyed his target (a topiary shaped like a rearing earth pony), and took a deep breath, remembering Firestorm's words, which he whispered to himself, "Patience yields focus..."

He held is sword upright in front of his face, his eyes looking past the wooden blade, focusing on his target. He lowered his front half just a bit, pulled back his left forehoof, extended his right, shifted weight onto his right hind hoof... he took a deep breath and then lunged-

"Your form is off!"

Huh?! The distracting critique threw Blueblood off. His focus wavered, causing him to drop his practice sword, and his stumble caused him to cry out in alarm as he tumbled head over hooves and then-

*CRASHPLINT*

"Ouch... Sorry!"

Blueblood groaned in response as he heard hooffalls rush to his side, and somepony helped him onto his hooves as he winced at the smarting pain in the left side of his barrel.

"Ooh, bit of a bruise you got there," said the voice of that untimely interruption, "but it doesn't seem like anything's broken, a nice rest, take it easy, you'll be good to go in no time."

"Ugh! Who are- !!" Blueblood's eyes finally looked at the pony and he recognized him, "...Terra?"

"Oh hey! You remember me!" Terra smiled brightly. "It's only been a few years, but even so! Great so see you again, Blue!"

Blueblood found himself... at a loss. He remembered Terra, a classmate back in Canterlot Academy, but he'd only known him for about a year as he'd graduated his senior year while Terra had just completed his year as a freshmane.

Taking a calming breath, trying to ignore the throbbing ache in his side, Blueblood gave Terra a flat look, "What are you doing here? You're on castle grounds, and if you're not permitted to be here-"

"Relax! I'm fine, see?" Terra reached into one of the saddle bags he was wearing and pulled out a folded laminated paper that had the royal seal on it. "I've got a pass! See, I'm here to apprentice under my dad, the Royal Smith? I graduated the academy not too long ago, wasn't sure of what to do next, so I asked my dad to teach me what he knows! He arranged it with the princess so, here we are.

"I asked about you because I wanted to see you again, maybe we could catch up! Sorry to have interrupted you like that, didn't mean for that to happen."

Sighing as he rolled his eyes without Terra noticing, Blueblood responded, "Well, it's nice to see you, Terra. But I'd like to return to my practicing, if you don't mind..."

"Oh that's fine, Blue," Terra seemed to miss the strain of impatience in Blueblood's tone, "I should get going or else my dad will have my ass for being late my first lesson in the forge. Let's catch up later, maybe we can even work on swordplay together. See ya!"

As Terra hurried off, Blueblood sighed in relief to be alone again and returned to his practice.... but then recalled the form he was doing and Terra's (albeit untimely) pointing out that it had been wrong. He searched his memory and realized Terra had been right, and got the right stance before getting back into it.

The Present Moment...

A twinge of regret for his behavior at that time washed over Blueblood before he suggested, "So then, let me go and speak with my aunts and uncle, the Royal Sisters and Prince Sombra. They are benevolent, fair and wise. If I speak directly to them about you and the Geo Ponies, they will surely be glad to arrange a meeting with you to talk out the greater details in introducing yourselves to Equestria.

"My Aunt Celestia would even grant you some land where you could build a new community on the surface, if that's what you'd like."

"Blueblood... if this works out, I and the Geo Ponies will forever be grateful," Praetura smiled, sounding hopeful.

"If? You mean 'when' you big meathead!" Terra chuckled while giving Praetura a playful smack. "Are those horns screwed on just right?"

"Heh, watch it you, unless you want to be my next snack," Praetura glared playfully at Terra when he noticed the alarmed look on Blueblood. "Oh! Don't worry, Geo Ponies are... well, let's say we sometimes use our stomachs like storage spaces. Or holding cells... We don't eat-eat other ponies, not at all! Though we can eat meat... Y'know what, I'll just stop talking and let you be on your way.

"I need to inform my brother of this development," Praetura stood up, moving his massive frame, as he turned to leave, being careful not to accidentally bat Terra and Blueblood with his tail.

"Your brother?" Blueblood suddenly wondered something, "Uh, how big is your brother compared to you?"

"Just a few inches shorter," Terra spoke up, "Praetura's the biggest Geo Pony alive though his brother, Jade Diamond, is very close second. They're fraternal twins and technically they both lead Subterra, but Praetura's considered the overall leader.

"C'mon, I'll lead you to the surface. With me confirming your words, the Princesses and Prince will find your big reveal more credible."

Praetura paused and looked back in slight concern, so Terra hurried over and gave his beau an encouraging smile, "Everything's gonna be fine. This will work!"

Praetura smiled warmly, "I was never more blessed than the day you came into my life."

The Geo Pony and Earth Pony shared a tender kiss and loving nuzzle before Terra shooed him off and then he said to Blueblood, "So then, shall we?"

Terra and Blueblood didn't go right through the main chamber of Subterra, though they did pass by several Geo Ponies. A few had been alarmed to see Blueblood but Terra had assured them that Blueblood was permitted to be there, with Praetura's blessings and asked those Geo Ponies to spread the word.

The design of the tunnel system, along with the glowing crystals and phosphorous mushrooms, utterly astounded Blueblood with their eerie beauty. It was almost as though he were on an alien planet like those sci-fi novels he'd read or seen in the movies.

But as they continued through the tunnel, saying hellos and how-do-you-dos to every Geo Pony they met, Blueblood soon noticed something. The Geo Pony adults averaged in size, being about the size of that Trouble Shoes pony whose picture had been shown to Blueblood by the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, some were bigger and others smaller, but they were all much bigger than the average pony. The foals however seemed to match the size of regular foals around the Crusaders' age ranges and they either had no horns or their horns had just begun to grow in as little nubs, but the adolescents were certainly larger than the average adult pony, their own horns on their way to growing large and curving.

They all came in colors that likened to gemstones, precious metals, had those long and thick tails and crystalline manes running down their spines. Their cutie-marks often related to gemstones, masonry, shields, mining, but Blueblood soon noticed something missing.

"Terra?" Blueblood spoke to his guide, getting a 'Hmm?' in response before he asked, "Uh... excuse me if this is personal, but... I'm not seeing any mares or fillies around."

"Oh right, I probably should have mentioned that..." Terra cleared his throat, apparently trying to find the right words, before saying, "I-It's a long story. But the simple answer is... because there are none."

"Come again?" Blueblood gave Terra a weird look.

"Yeah, there's... no such thing as a female Geo Pony," Terra clarified, sounding unsure of exactly what to say when he saw the confused look on Blueblood's face. "Yeah, I didn't get it either, the first time Praetura told me. The Geo Ponies are completely male, they... reproduce with... each other."

Blueblood's confusion turned to one of disturbed disbelief, causing Terra to sigh wearily, "Look, do you really wanna hear the Geo Ponies' version of the birds and the bees?"

"...Not particularly, no, but are you serious?" Blueblood maintained the look that matched what he was feeling.

"As serious as the anvil on my ass," Terra chuckled while wiggling his plush flanks, before recomposing himself, "But yeah, dead serious."

Blueblood then regarded the Geo Ponies quite differently... when he noticed a pair of Geo Ponies sitting together under a giant phosphorous mushroom glowing a gentle blue. They were both obviously stallions, nuzzling and cuddling, with one of them wrapping his tail around his mate... and then lowering his head to nose his mate's bulging belly, happily rubbing his nose to it before giving it a lick up its curvature and then sitting up straight to receive a loving lick from his expecting partner, who smiled lovingly at his stallion in response.

Blueblood had nothing against same-sex couples, far from it. But what he was seeing and confirming with his own eyes? Blueblood picked up the pace, rigidly saying, "Let's get a move on!"

Terra peered back and noticed the sight of the expecting fathers, and couldn't help smiling, both in amusement of his old friend's manner and considerate happiness for those future dads, when he wondered, Will that be me and Praetura one day...?

The idea filled him with warm glee as he became thrilled with the idea of starting a family with the stallion of his life. Goddess I'm so damn lucky!

Author's Note

The illustration was done by McShelster and depicts the OCs of Secretly Yordle, Terra and Praetura. It was commissioned by Secret and approved for use as an illustration by McShelster

382. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 3

Terra found the Slipstream to be a pretty awesome airship, despite its small size, calling it the flying equivalent of a luxurious carriage. Blueblood piloted them back to his private landing zone at New Heights Avionics so they could discuss exactly what they would pitch to his aunts and uncle about the Geo Ponies.

"...and that's why it's better not to come between a Geo Pony and his mineral water," Terra blathered, spouting random facts about Geo Ponies (thankfully, it was all foal-friendly tidbits of information).

"Uh-huh, so, uh, Terra?" Blueblood finally interjected, "Back down in the mine, when we encountered each other? What were you doing with those gemstones?"

"Oh, those? They're for my research," Terra shrugged, like it was no big deal.

"Research?" echoed Blueblood, "For what?"

"Well, Geo Ponies are able to imbue gems, crystals and minerals with unique properties and create even more unique gems, crystals and minerals," explained Terra, "and Praetura gave me permission to study them and see what could be done with them."

"Hmm, well... after this is all taken care of, remind me to introduce you to my good friends, Midnight Blaze and Twilight Sparkle," Blueblood smirked, noting the perk of interest he got from Terra. "They enjoy studying magic and would jump at the chance to study something magical that's never been delved into before.

"I bet they could provide you with ways to benefit your research."

"...wow!" Terra was stunned so that he forgot to keep walking and Bludblood almost didn't notice. "The chance to work with the Prince and Princess of Friendship? That... that'd be... well, thanks, Blueblood."

"Thank me when this is over and I've introduced you," Blueblood chuckled, "Now c'mon, let's get to the castle and.... what the?!"

Blueblood looked down the street and saw some kind of commotion as ponies were gathering en masse in Canterlot Public Park, where, standing on the amphitheater, was a familiar pony, whose shouting became more distinguishable as the two of them got closer.

"...heard me right, fillies and gentlecolts of Canterlot!" shouted Glam Gold, apparently using a Voice Amplifying Spell. "Lurking beneath our very hooves, deep in the beating heart of Equestria, festering like a parasite... are monsters! Beasts that look pony but are anything but! I've seen them with my own eyes, just as I witnessed..."

Glam Gold covered his face, sounding like he was stifling a sob, before saying, "Just... as I witnessed... one of them, a gargantuan purple monster swallow my good friend, Prince Blueblood, whole and alive!"

Terra gasped in abject horror while Blueblood furrowed his brows in outrage as he realized, He knows!

"Blueblood, how does he know?!" Terra whispered to Blueblood, looking terrified but not for himself. "Who is that guy?!"

"Glam Gold, I ran into him earlier today, before coming down to the mine," Blueblood glared menacingly at the snob, sowing fear and panic among the masses. "He must have followed me and saw everything."

"Why would he follow you though? He's not really your friend, is he?" Terra was starting to get angry.

"Absolutely not! He's just a typical Canterlot snob full of hot air, a tiny dog barking loud to look big," Blueblood responded vehemently. "And I'm gonna get to the bottom of this... Stay here."

Blueblood shouldered his way through the crowd as the horseapples continues to spew from Glam Gold's mouth, "We must call upon the princesses, scramble the guard! We must root out these verminous beasts infesting our nation's capital and lock them up like the monsters they are!"

"And... you really saw Prince Blueblood get eaten, Mister Glam Gold sir?"

"Yes, I did, random voice in the crowd," Glam Gold replied, looking pained and mournful. "It grieves me that our little exploration resulted in his demise...!"

"Then why am I standing right behind you?"

"Huh?!" Glam Gold turned and GASPED to see Blueblood right there beside him, giving him such a stink eye, that was soon followed by stink eyes coming from everypony in the crowd.
"P-P-Prince Blueblood! You're alive?!"

"Yes, Glam Gold, I'm alive," Blueblood responded dryly, "and I think you'll find your tall tales no longer credible by everypony here."

"You have an annoying habit of turning up where you're not welcome!" Glam Gold snapped and gasped as he covered his mouth and looked to see the ponies in the crowd beginning to disperse and grumble.

"Wait, wait! I did see the monsters! They're right under the mountain! You have to believe me, I... !!" Glam Gold's eyes fell upon Terra. "Him! He was there, that yellow earth pony! He's in league with those monsters!"

Numerous eyes turned to Terra, who shrank in anxiety of becoming the center of attention all of a sudden.

"He lured Blueblood into a trap and that creature showed up!" Glam Gold accused, "Who's to say how many other innocent victims he's led to their demises?!"

"Wha- No! That's not true!" Terra protested, "And they're not monsters, they're-!!"

Terra froze in abject horror as he'd realized what he'd just done.

"You see?! He admits they're real, that they're down there!" Glam Gold screamed, taking a savage satisfaction to see fear and anxiety wash over the crowd again.

"That is enough!" Blueblood pushed Glam Gold to the ground, "Everypony, don't listen to him! Yes, there are... unusual ponies living in the abandoned mines beneath the mountain, but they are not a threat!"

"Glam Gold doesn't know what he's talking about!" Terra added, looking to be on the verge of tears.

"But how many are there?" shouted a panicked voice among the crowd. "How big are they?" "Do they eat meat?!" "What are they up to?!" "We don't know anything about them." "What if they are our enemies?!" "What if they attack us?!"

"Not if we attack them first!" Glam Gold spoke up, "I volunteer to lead my private security force to deal with these beasts and put them in chains!"

"Put them in chains!" somepony shouted, echoing Glam Gold's words, and all-too-quickly did the effect spread as more and more ponies joined in and repeatedly chanted, "Put them in chains!

"PUT THEM IN CHAINS!!

"PUT THEM IN CHAINS!!"

"NO!!" Terra shouted, but went unheard, unable to overtake the roar of the crowd. Terra whirled to face Blueblood, tears already trailing down his face, "What are we gonna do?! They're not listening to us!"

Blueblood wasn't sure, but he noticed Glam Gold was already speaking with some thuggish-looking earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns, all garbed in armor with Glam Gold's cutie-mark as an insignia, and bearing shields, spears, and weapons caches.

"We have to warn Praetura, and fast!!" Blueblood rushed back to New Heights, Terra following.

Thankfully, they arrived at the mine entrance first, using the Slipstream. But Blueblood knew it wouldn't be long before Glam Gold and his security force showed up. After touching down and getting off, they rushed towards the mine entrance but Blueblood came to a halt before it, surprising Terra.

"What're you waiting for?! We gotta-" Terra urged but stopped when Blueblood raised a hoof.

"You have to go and warn Praetura of what's coming," Blueblood instructed, "and tell him that I will do everything I can to keep Glam Gold and his thugs at bay."

"Wha- Are you serious, Blueblood?! Now isn't the time time to be a hero!" Terra protested.

"It might not have been intentional, but it's my fault that Glam Gold followed me to this mine," Blueblood said solemnly, "and it's my fault that he discovered the Geo Ponies.

"Tell Praetura not to interfere. If he or any of the Geo Ponies fight back, it'll give Glam Gold more justification."

"And then what?!" Terra got up into Blueblood's face, turning angry red, "You expect me to just sit back and let you face them alone?! You'll be outnumbered!"

"Terra..." Blueblood spoke solemnly as he summoned his sword, the blade reflecting the adamantine sheen of a flawless diamond and the crossguard a regal gold.
"I am a Knight of Harmony. This is what I am meant to do."

Terra stepped back, in awe but also in concern as he looked upon Blueblood differently. Equal parts admiration, disbelief, and concern, and... something else. His gaze softened as he asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Blueblood felt a tingle in his horn and he looked up to see a large airship descending from on high, coming their way. He locked eyes with Terra again and bade, "Go. Look after them, and don't worry!"

Blueblood smirked, looking more than confident but not quite arrogant as he gave his sword an expert swing before saying, "Everything will be alright."

Terra looked up to see the big airship coming before sighing as he said, "Whatever you say, Your Highness..."

As Terra turned and hurried into the mine, Blueblood felt something shake loose as those words seemed to resonate with that something... when he remembered.

Canterlot Gardens, 5½ years ago...

Wooden training swords, magically reinforced to make them more durable, clacked loudly as they stuck each other. Blueblood and Terra sparred passionately, pushing each other and providing the other with formidable challenge. The unicorn prince alternated between levitating his training sword and holding it with his own hooves, having mastered the mana wielding practice of being able to hold things with his bare hooves and not require manipulation shoes. Terra had likewise mastered the same discipline and so didn't need to rely on manipulation shoes either. But he had to rear up and stand on his hind hooves to better wield his training sword and yet he still held his own well against Blueblood.

Blueblood was grateful to have Terra as his sparring partner. Thanks to having an actual opponent to duel against, his swordspony skills had returned to their former glory after just a few months and were steadily improving.

Still, that didn't solve all of his problems. As much as he'd prepared to inherit his father's company, Blueblood had been overwhelmed when he'd started, even with the board of directors helping him. Not to mention, the Canterlot elite bothering him with this and that, along with unwanted advances and flirtations from noblemares and such.

He'd tried dating again, but it had been just the latest disappointment when it turned out this one had just been trying to marry into wealth and mooch off of him. He'd dumped her and warned her never to bother him again, threatening legal action otherwise.

His recent troubles however had no place here, a fact he remembered when he became distracted and Terra knocked Blueblood's training sword out of his grasp, sending it flying before it came back down and speared into a nearby flowerbed.

Terra then gently tapped Blueblood on the side and smirked, "And that's another for me! We're tied again."

"Heh, kudos to you," Blueblood tried to shrug it off with a cocky smile but just came across awkward and forced.

"Okay, break time, because something's obviously on your mind," Terra decided and he led Blueblood over to a stone bench under the shade of willow tree, where they'd left their towels and water bottles.

"Ugh, sure, it's getting hot anyway," Blueblood followed Terra, who was already toweling off the sweat they'd worked up and accepted his when Terra held it out to him. He dabbed and wiped wherever he felt the slimiest, pressing a little here and there to massage the sore muscles and a few of the bruises he'd earned from their sparring.

Going unnoticed by Blueblood, Terra sat on the stone bench with a faint shade of pink across his muzzle with an expression of awe as he watched the prince dry himself off. Terra shook it off just before Blueblood finished and joined him on the bench, passing him a water as well.

As they sat next to each other, still smelling like a couple of sweaty stallions despite toweling off, an awkward silence ensued for a moment that Terra just had to break the ice, "So...? What's going on?"

"Nothing, I-" Blueblood tried to deflect, only for Terra to raise a hoof.

"Ah-ah, don't dodge, talk," he pressed. "Something's obviously eatin' ya, better to spit it out before you get indigestion from holding it in until you have to shit it out."

Sighing almost irritably, Blueblood answered, "Well, it seems everything I've been preparing for is so much harder than I thought it was going to be, and I already thought it was going to be no trot in the park."

"Let me guess, it's about your father's company?"

"Yes, it's..." Blueblood hesitated. A part of him wanted to talk about how his latest attempt to find a decent girlfriend had been yet another disappointment, but Blueblood didn't feel comfortable talking about it, even to Terra.
"My father worked hard to build New Heights Avionics, even with the endorsement of my aunt. My first week was grueling! I'd studied what I needed to know, but it was still a lot more than I'd expected... I can't afford to screw this up! Even one bad business decision can bring the whole company down. I'd ruin not just my father's legacy, but also the jobs and livelihoods of all my employees!"

"I get it, Blue, being responsible for a huge business like that is daunting," Terra said kindly while putting his hoof onto Blueblood's shoulder as a gesture of assurance, "but you can't back down now! You're just getting started. I know it feels that way, but once you get your groove you'll be running that company like a wiz!

"Like my dads always say: Just take it one step at a time."

His words seemed to work, as Blueblood didn't seem as tense, but he still seemed down.

"And you know, uh..." Terra reached up to rub a spot behind his neck as he gathered his courage despite his anxiety, "you don't... have to face this alone. I'm no business pony, but... Well, the thing is, Blue... I-"

"Terra."

The tone belied something that caused Terra to freeze and a weight to drop into the pit of his stomach as Bluelood became stone faced and spoke in that tone, "I think that... you should find other friends."

"...what?!" Terra's voice was soft and shaky, laced with shock.

"I can't do this anymore," Blueblood seemed cold and distant, not even looking at Terra as he said, "Too much is counting on me to oversee New Heights. I must give the company my full and undivided attention...

"And you are a distraction."

Terra was shattered. His heart hurt, and when he managed to find his breath again, he softly said, "But... but Blue!"

"My name is not 'Blue'," Blueblood's tone became edged and subtly harsh, "it is Prince Blueblood."

The silence that followed those cold words... Blueblood didn't have the heart to even look at Terra, who finally stood up, gathered his things, and responded with an empty voice, "Whatever you say, Your Highness..."

As he heard Terra's hoofsteps gradually soften until he couldn't hear them at all, Blueblood blinked away a tear that had almost escaped his eye as he thought about his decision. A part of him meant what he'd said, painful as it was, but another assured him he'd done the right thing. Being associated with Blueblood would only have led to trouble for Terra, who'd be eyed and possibly exploited by others for his friendship with the unicorn prince.

He took a deep breath as he gathered his things as well and went a different direction, thinking to himself, It's for the best.

The gut-wrenching feeling that he was wrong tried in vain to get through to him, but he buried it.

The Present...

Blueblood felt his heart sink with regret as he watched Terra vanish into the darkness of the mine. How could he have forgotten something so cruel? He'd told himself he was doing Terra favor back then, but now he realized, I was just being a selfish ass...

Looking back, Blueblood recalled plenty of decisions he'd made while fooling himself that they'd been for the best. But in this moment, he understood, It wasn't best for anyone but myself...

He turned to see the airship, marked with Glam Gold's cutie-mark and a stylized G, about to touch down. Summoning his sword, Blueblood furrowed his brows as he swore to himself, I'll make it up to you, Terra, and I'll start right here!

Glam Gold's ship landed and a walkway extended, allowing dozens of thuggish pony goons to disembark. They were ponies of all three tribes, mostly with earth ponies and unicorns but several pegasi, and there were a few mares among all these stallions. They all looked tough, edgy, unfriendly, and wore armor and gear akin to some kind of paramilitary unit but they were certainly not part of the EUP. Some might have been in their pasts, but no respectable EUP soldier would be caught dead among these lowlifes.

No, these were mercenaries, paid by the highest bidder and speak of the devil for he appeared in the form of Glam Gold leaving the airship last.

"Blueblood!" Glam Gold sneered as he came forward, his hired muscle parting before him, until he stood in front of them all and smirked condescendingly at Blueblood, who stood directly between him and the mine entrance.
"I don't suppose you're here to lend a helping hoof in Canterlot's little pest problem?"

"Glam Gold... I will say this only once," Blueblood raised his sword and speared it into the ground in front of him. "Leave and take your... employees with you."

"You surprise me, Your Majesty," Glam Gold narrowed his eyes while smirking, "You would fight for monsters against your mother country?"

"You wouldn't fight for your own mother," Blueblood quipped, which got a few stifled snickers and amused smirks among Glam Gold's hired muscle, irritating him.

"Rrgh! I advise you to reconsider your standing, Prince Blueblood..." Glam Gold said through gritting teeth as he gave threatening glances at his goons, which shut them up.
"The public won't look kindly on this act of betrayal... but I'm willing to forget this ever happened if you just step aside."

"What is this really about, Glam Gold?" Blueblood furrowed his brows. "I hardly know you, but I do know the kind of stallion you are. Because you're quite similar to the stallion I used to be."

"Oh? And what kind of stallion is that?" Glam Gold huffed.

"A stalion who strove to be more, to be perfect, to be a paragon in the circles of high society," Blueblood declared as he let his shame and his humility flow outwards. "I worked to be such a paragon while turning away from all the things and the persons in my life that truly wanted the best for me, because I had my head so far up my ass that I couldn't see a truth so obvious when it had been right in front of me.

"I blinded myself with my pride and my arrogance and my insecurity. I sought validation from the wrong people while losing the faith and respect of those who truly matter to me. Then, one night, I came all too close to losing an opportunity that would have left my life all the poorer for it.

"I know now that somepony I care deeply about and who cares deeply for me was looking out for me that night and she gave me just the nudge and the encouragement I needed to take a chance... and I found my special somepony! She was well within her rights to have turned me down after the way I first treated her but she took a chance as well and gave me another. Now, she is my wife and by her guidance and the guidance of my friends and family I truly have become a paragon of my own merits and my own virtues rather than some pompous and shallow high horse the Canterlot Elite kisses up to."

"And...?!" Glam Gold furrowed his brows, glaring enviously at Blueblood.

"And... I am happier and better than I ever was, all thanks to my family and my friends," Blueblood answered. "Glam Gold, true respect is earned, not bought or inherited. Don't make the mistakes I did, don't slave away to earn the shallow admiration and empty validation of those whose opinions and fancies change at the drop of a hat. They're not worth the effort. You can be a paragon as well, a stallion of your own merits, a stallion worthy of respect from those who care for you. But most of all, respect for yourself!

"And you can start right here, by standing down and giving the Geo Ponies a chance."

Glam Gold found himself stupefied. An emotional malaise stirred within him, something inside conflicting with his intentions and motivations. Since his colthood, Glam had been derided and pushed by his father to be a worthy scion of their noble bloodline and never once being able to earn his father's unreasonably high standards. Glam had only become the head of his House by the unforeseen passing of his father, who'd never left behind a proper will so Glam Gold inherited it all by default. But deep down, Glam knew his father had never been impressed with him despite working so hard in a vain attempt to earn his father's approval. Part of him had honestly been relieved that he no longer had to put up with his father's cruel derision and distant judging.

When he'd once won 2nd place in his school test scores, his father had snubbed him by saying somepony else's father was happier than him. When Glam Gold had made the front page on the Canterlot Gazette, apparently for his work in energy refinement, his father had ruined it by revealing he'd had it arranged. At one point, Glam Gold had even considered enrolling into the EUP but his father had expressly forbidden it, threatening to disinherit him.

All the while, Glam's father would admire Prince Blueblood, noting how a young orphaned noblepony had the blessed fortune to be taken in by the Princess of the Sun yet risen to become Canterlot's Favored Son with his work and inventions in the airship industry. One time, he'd even had the cruelty to say 'If only I'd been able to adopt him before the princess did' right in front of Glam Gold.

Then the miserable old stallion had croaked, and Glam Gold became embittered that he'd never prove himself a worthy successor to his sire, who'd made it clear he'd never approved of or respected the pony that was his actual son. And now, here was the pony his father had been impressed by, giving him the advice of a bleeding heart to show mercy and understanding to a pack of monsters!

So why am I hesitating...?! Glam Gold felt it weighing down in the pit of his stomach, something like an angry dog pulling to get loose and attack, only for something desperately holding onto the leash.

Blueblood's words ran through Glam Gold's mind again, true respect? A stallion of his own merits? It all sounded appealing, a part of him wanted to believe them. But here he was, on the verge of rooting out enemies of Equestria, which would surely earn him the admiration of Canterlot, and here was its Prodigal Son standing in his way!

He's always been in my way...! Glam Gold thought bitterly as the many memories of his father comparing him to Blueblood and pointing out how he fell short of the so-called prince echoed discordantly in his mind.
...No more.

"BLUEBLOOD, I'VE NEVER WAVERED IN THE FACE OF OPPOSITION AND I'M NOT STARTING NOW!!" Glam Gold shouted at the top of his lungs before pointing at the unicorn prince, "If he won't step aside, make him!"

Blueblood sighed, sincerely disappointed at Glam Gold's response and noticing the mercenaries all beginning to approach with threatening body language, sleazy smirks, and some of them sporting swords or clubs as they set their eyes on him and Blueblood held true as he summoned his knightly sword, the adamant blade pristine under the sun, complemented by the regal gold cross guard.

"So be it..." Blueblood's unwavering spirit brought forth the words before he could process them as he pointed his sword straight at his adversaries.

"Onward and forward... Polaris!"

A large circle of white, gold and periwinkle appeared before Blueblood, just inches from the tip of his sword, and he saw it displayed his Compass Rose cutie-mark! The borders showed the design of degrees with numerals along with glyph-like runes, before the Circle began to spin... and it came towards Blueblood's sword, which glowed as it pierced the circle. The glow radiated like a beacon guiding a lost ship before it dimmed and Blueblood marveled to see his sword had changed form!

No longer was his sword a knightly long sword, but now it was a gentlecolt's rapier, and an unorthodox rapier at that. The hilt had four points spread out, resembling the North, South, East and West on a compass, but it also had golden coils shaped into vines, forming a "cup" around the handle, which had a pristine diamond on the pommel. Straight above the hilt, connecting the blade, was some kind of spherical chamber, containing what looked to be a gyroscopic compass!

The blade itself was long and though it was thin it gave off an adamant gleam, revealing an engraved design of a floral vine along the length.

Not only that, but Blueblood's knightly armor had appeared, cladding him in its protective keep, along with his helm. It gleamed with colors of gold, white, periwinkle, and even accents of royal blue.

The display of magic caused the mercenaries to hesitate more than the sword's transformation, but still Glam Gold scoffed, "Wow! Impressive, Your 'Majesty'! You brought a pretty ornament to a stand-off! It goes so well with that glorified Nightmare Night costume!

"Well, what're you idiots waiting for?!" Glam Gold addressed his hired flunkies, "Knock him aside and get to work!"

The goons shared disgruntled looks but nodded as one of them, a brutish unicorn stallion gave Blueblood a derisive look.

"Apologies in advance, Prince Blueblood," he chuckled darkly as he charged a spell into his horn, "Just business..."

"Of course..." Blueblood whispered in response as he invoked the power of his new Polaris and placed his trust in it and in himself. "Business as always."

The ground upon which Blueblood stood lit up with the Magic Circle of his Compass Rose, and Blueblood jumped, the power of the Circle launching him higher than he'd ever been able to jump normally, easily dodging the unicorn thug's spell even when he'd tried to follow Blueblood's movements and realign his aim. Reaching the apex of his jump, Blueblood felt his mana surge and then his hooves get a solid footing as another Circle appeared, this one in thin air, making it an angled platform for Blueblood to stand on.

The pegasus goons took flight and zoomed straight at Blueblood, who waved Polaris around, creating three smaller Magic Circles as he whispered, "North Wind, Boreas!"

The trio of smaller Magic Circles quickly launched projectiles of solid ice! The pegasi faltered in alarm but were too late as the ice collided with them, freezing over the points of impact, making them too heavy to fly and drop to the ground, which thankfully hadn't been that far beneath them.

The unicorns all narrowed their eyes before focusing their horns and launching Magic Arrow spells, bolts of mana projectiles zooming towards Blueblood, whose Magic Circle platform lit up as it propelled him eastward, another Circle appearing for him to stand on, but angled just so as it subsequently propelled him down by south-east, reaching the ground, where he waved Polaris again, conjuring four smaller circles before he declared, "East Wind, Vulturnus!"

From those four small Circles zoomed out bolts and tendrils of Lightning! They struck the Magic Arrow spells mid-flight and followed their residual energies through the air, shocking the unicorns who'd shot them, causing a few of them to pass out while the rest jittered and spasm'd, trying to shake off the tingly discomfort of pins & needles on random spots of their bodies that sparked and sizzled.

The others hung back a bit, realizing Blueblood's fancy sword was no joke, and Blueblood himself, as composed and focused as he was in the present moment, was bewildered!

He didn't know where all this power and these magical abilities were coming from, aside from the obvious source being his newly-transformed sword. But these powers, the ways to wield them, they just somehow came naturally, to the point where Blueblood was thinking without thinking, acting on instinct, yet somehow moving with deliberate intent and unhesitating boldness!

"Rrrrgghh, surround him!" Glam Gold ordered, and his mercenaries obeyed, charging forward and then going left and right until they completely surrounded Blueblood, even having a few pegasi still ready for more in the air to discourage any attempts to escape with some more fancy aerial hoofwork.
"If you attack him at once, at least one of you should be able to score a direct hit!"

"You heard him, all!" shouted one of the thugs, "LET'S GET `IM!!!"

"AAAAAAUUUGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" the mercenaries all shouted as they began to close in on Blueblood, who let his power and instinct guide him as his Compass Rose Magic Circle appeared beneath him again, but instead of launching or propelling him, he crouched down a bit, Polaris extended diagonally, before yelling, "West Wind, ZEPHYR!!!"

He spun `round, the Magic Circle spinning with him as Polaris sliced the air itself and a squall kicked up into a cyclone, sharp currents zooming through the air while also literally sweeping the mercs off their hooves and the pegasi fought to stay in control before they too were yanked and sent a hurtling in a circle.

Round and round and round they went, though Blueblood doubted they'd repent.

Then they started crying out in alarm, a few of them begging to be let go, one even saying, "Yeah, I'm gonna barf!"

Reckoning they'd had enough, Blueblood held Polaris vertical before him as he focused, the Magic Circle gaining clock-like patterns and characteristics before it spread out in rippling tick-tock vibes as he declared, "Temporal Lock."

The spinning ponies came almost to a stand-still, but ever so slightly they continued to move, only at a super-slow pace that one would notice if they took a closer look.

Glam Gold was lucky to be outside the area of effect, but it still caused him to drop his jaw in utter disbelief of what he was seeing. Blueblood then summoned another Magic Circle, only this one took on a dark purple color as it span, Blueblood crouching... and then he was launched straight up, rotating as he pointed in random directions around the still-floating band of mercenaries caught in a super-slow flow of time, and among them appeared seven magic circles while one appeared right above Blueblood, which he landed against, standing upside-down though angled just so... before he had it launch him towards the nearest circle!

He lashed out with Polaris, striking multiple mercenaries at once, as he landed on the second circle, which then propelled him to the next, whilst he struck several more of the thugs. Then the fourth circle, the fifth, the sixth, seventh, and finally the eighth, all the while he'd struck every single mercenary pony, not seriously injuring them but hitting weak spots all the same.

Finally, he landed back at the spot where he'd began and flicked his mane while simultaneously releasing the Temporal Lock, the mercenaries all crying out, in alarm, shock and pain as they dropped like a ton of bricks! As they groaned and whined in a circle of tangled limbs, Blueblood stepped lightly over the goons as he kept his gaze fixed on Glam Gold, who was glaring back furiously.

"South Wind, Auster," Blueblood pointed Polaris back at the heap-over-each other thugs as a Magic Circle surrounded them with its circumference igniting into a ring of fire that discouraged any rash movements. His eyes having never left Glam Gold, Blueblood spoke, "Stand down, Glam Gold. It's over."

"This is FAR FROM OVER!!" shouted Glam Gold, charging his own horn for a spell, "When the Canterlot Elite hears about this, you traitor-"

"I couldn't care less what the so-called 'Canterlot Elite' will think, and it baffles me that you still do," Blueblood interjected, his expression no longer sympathetic, "especially since before beating you back here, I sent word to the Castle, informing my aunt of a settlement of ponies in need of an audience while being threatened unprovoked by a pony overstepping his bounds."

Glam Gold froze as his eyes drifted upward and he saw several Royal Guards already descending, Prince Sombra leading them, as they all glared reproachfully at Glam Gold, who found himself surrounded.

The tables had been turned.

Glam Gold had broken into a cold sweat. How had it all gone wrong so easily?! The answer was obvious, but still his refusal to accept the circumstances unfolding before him-

"Glam Gold!" He turned to see Prince Sombra, giving him a disapproving look. "My nephew has informed the Royal Court that you have attempted to lead an unprovoked attack against innocent ponies."

"Unprovo- Innocent?!" Glam Gold glared back at Blueblood, but then noticed behind him, the mine entrance was now filled with those creatures!

That little yellow upstart, that big purple beasts! Aside them were more, three large ones and a few foal-like smaller ones, all of them looking anxious yet hopeful. Blueblood looked back at them and gave them a smile to let them know that everything was going to be all right.

"Your Majesty! These beasts may look pony, but they are monsters!" Glam Gold spat, "And your nephew is aiding and abetting them, which makes him a traitor to crown and country!"

As Glam Gold sputtered more of his hot air, nopony noticed the earth around him shifting ever so subtly.

"I suggest you stand down and come quietly, son," Sombra furrowed his brows, "you're only making it worse for yourself..."

"Worse for myself?! These creatures in ponies' skin are what's worse for Canterlot- Nay, for Equestria!" Glam Gold pointed an accusing hoof directly at Praetura, who narrowed his eyes reproachfully... only to smirk as he saw a familiar form move through the ground like a shark swimming through water towards its prey.
"For Faust knows how long, they have squatted beneath the very seat of Equestrian power, hiding like rats, all the while surely they have been conspiring to rise and take over our blessed kingdom!

"And you and your bastard nephew are just too blinded by your naivete to see it!"

"I won't say it again, boy..." Sombra conjured his obsidian scythe, and held it menacingly even though he had no intention of using it. "Stand down."

"Rrgh!! I am willing to do what must be done to safeguard this kingdom!" Glam Gold was starting to get a crazy look in his eyes as his horn lit up to summon a sword to his side. "And if you don't have the spine, then I will-"

A tremor shook right under Glam Gold's hooves, causing him to stop mid-sentence as he felt the earth beneath him quake, alarming him. He looked around, nervous, riled up, before shouting as he stabbed his sword into the ground around him, yelling, "I won't be cowed by beasts living in the dirt!

"Come out and face me, monster!"

An explosion of dirt, rock and soil blasted upwards behind Glam Gold, who gasped in abject horror as he peered over his shoulder just in time to see a large mouth come his way. His scream of terror was quickly cut off as a large green form engulfed Glam Gold in his mouth, threw his head back and made a loud GULP, feeling the little pony slide down his throat and drop nice and snug into his belly.

There where Glam Gold stood no more than a minute ago was a Geo Pony unlike what Blueblood had seen yet. He was just about as tall as Praetura. His coat was a jade green, but had what looked to have jagged patterns across his body as if it were cracked with lighter green blotches filling gaps. Like the rest of the Geo Ponies, his mane, a pale bluish-white, ran down his back and tail, directly along his spine, shimmering a pale blue like diamonds, matching the color of his eyes, and his ram-like horns were a darker green. His cute-mark was an oval-shaped ornamental jade studded with eight pointed diamonds, three along the top, three along the bottom and one pointing out from each vertical side. He wore a silvery gray peytral studded with diamonds and matched the metal bands on his fetlocks, and his hooves looked like marble with a faint pale blue tinted white.

He then dropped onto his bottom, making a noticeably loud THUMP, revealing his bulbous belly, shaking with the terrified movements of the pony inside it, while he smacked his lips and then blech'd before saying, "Ugh, he tastes awful, but I couldn't take listening to anymore of his crap."

"Uh..." Sombra was dumbfounded, having just witnessed a criminal get swallowed alive and the pony who;d done it was acting like it was no big whoop.

"Don't worry about Glam Gold, Your Majesty." Sombra turned... and was surprised to find himself looking up at somepony else, as Praetura had calmly walked over to stand beside the alicorn prince. Ever since becoming an alicorn, Sombra hadn't stood eye-level with anypony, always looking downwards. Looking up to somepony was a foreign experience he'd all but forgotten.

"Come again?" he said dumbly.

"That's my brother, Jade Diamond," Praetura pointed to the massive green pony. "He just made sure Glam Gold won't be causing any more trouble until he can be properly arrested and locked up.

"It's.. a Geo Pony thing."

"Okay. I'll take your word for it," Sombra was still dumbfounded but then Blueblood and Terra came over.

"Uncle, I think we have a lot to talk about," Blueblood smiled as he reverted Polaris to its normal form and absorbed the sword back into his being. "Why don't we move this talk back to the castle? It'll be more comfortable and we can have snacks!"

The geo ponies all smiled and murmured excitably, while Sombra thought, I hope Tia has some cakes to spare...

Author's Note

And so another Knight of Harmony comes into his own power!

I won't deny, Blueblood's Harmonic Sword and its powers are all inspired by Weiss Schnee's weapon Myrtenaster and the Schnee Family Semblance of Glyphs from "RWBY"

What Blueblood forms however are Magic Circles that basically share the design of his Compass Rose cutie-mark, and its four main attacks are based on the Anemoi, the Gods of the Four Winds from Greco-Roman mythology, along wiht a few other tricks.

Blueblood was able to wield his sword's new powers so well by trusting them and letting them guide his actions, which deeply contrasts with the pony he used to be.

His sword's name is Polaris, after the North Star which is a constant guide to those who know to look out for it and trust it, which is also the name of Blueblood's family

Now all that's left is to resolve the situation with the Geo Ponies, and don't worry about Glam Gold. His real just deserts aren't being desert himself

383. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 4

Much was discussed and explained in the meeting between Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Prince Sombra with Praetura and his brother Jade (who still had Glam Gold inside his stomach, refusing to let him out until the meeting ended in their mutual satisfaction) while Blueblood and Terra were allowed to sit in on the meeting as observers.

Celestia was happy to meet a new kind of pony while Luna was admittedly suspicious of the Geo Ponies having lived beneath Canterlot for so long. Sombra preferred to participate as little as possible, still finding it odd to meet other ponies bigger than him after he'd spent a long while thinking he was the biggest pony in Equestria.

Praetura explained the Geo Ponies' history to clear things up before they moved it along, and Jade asked the million bit question, what now?

Praetura explained how the Geo Ponies needed a place to live since their subterranean community was gradually becoming unsustainable. Sombra made the suggestion of giving the Geo Ponies their own land where they could build their own community, and even suggested having one of the Geo Ponies serve as their representative between their community and Canterlot.

Celestia agreed and decreed the Geo Ponies would have a valley in the Macintosh Hills, where the earth was fertile and there was a clean river flowing through it. Praetura and Jade quickly agreed that was all they needed. With that said, Jade disgorged Glam Gold right then and there, who slumped to the floor, covered in drool and gastric juices, shivering and in shock as the prince and princesses gave him a look of figurative and literal disgust. They assured the Geo Brothers that Glam Gold would be held accountable for his actions before they had a pair of guards take him away to the castle dungeons.

All that was left... was to make it official.

The Castle Courtyard was packed with the citizens of Canterlot. A division from the EUP Messenger Corps spread the word across the city that the Royal Sisters and Prince Sombra were making an announcement precisely at noon that needed to be heard by as many ponies as possible. Even tourists and visitors from out of town were in attendance, so in some parts of the courtyard it was truly crowded, that castle staff had provided cloud seats for any pegasus attendees.

Inside the chamber that led out to the big balcony above the courtyard, Blueblood stood with the rest of the Council of Friendship, who'd all come at his request to give the Geo Ponies support as well as a subtle way to assure the public once the big reveal was made. Terra was standing with Praetura, looking tiny in comparison, especially with how Praetura had his tail wrapped around his little boyfriend, clearly nervous and finding comfort that Terra was there with him in this pivotal moment.

Needless to say, many among the Council of Friendship (especially Twilight and Pinkie Pie) had been over the moon to learn about a community of a new kind of pony. Midnight and Cheese Sandwich both had to keep their mares on a proverbial short leash, what with Twilight wanting to examine and learn about the Geo Ponies whereas Pinkie wanted to throw them a "Congratulations on becoming a Part of Equestria / Celebration of a New Pony" party.

The rest were more varied in their reactions to learning about the Geo Ponies, but welcoming all the same.

Besides the Council, Terra and Praetura, there was also Jade Diamond, a few of the other Geo Ponies they considered their most trusted subordinates, along with Prince Sombra, as they waited for the Royal Sisters to arrive to initiate the announcement.

Saying 'excuse me' to his friends and wife, Blueblood went over to Terra, still snugly wrapped by Praetura's long and thick tail, and asked, "Nervous, I take it?"

"Nervous? Wh-why would I ne bervou- Be nervous! Heheh, yeah, why would I be nervous? What makes you think I'm nervous?" asked the clearly nervous and anxious-sounding Praetura.

"Because you're starting to suffocate Terra," Blueblood pointed to the golden yellow earth pony, whose face was reddening from how much Praetura's tail was constricting him.

"ACK!! Terr, sorry!" Praetura quickly let go, Terra gasping for breath.

"It's- s'okay, just... gimme a moment," Terra panted before taking a deep, calming breath and then giving Praetura the sweetest look he could muster. "Prae, what's about to happen... well, there's no sugarcoating it, the Geo Ponies are about to be revealed, for better or worse. But I can't help but feel it will be for the better."

"...You really believe that?" Praetura lowered his head to be closer to Terra, who gave him a hug and a loving kiss on the snoot before looking him straight in the eye.

"Really-really," he responded, getting Praetura to smile in appreciation.

The doors of the chamber opened and in walked the Royal Sisters, everypony standing at their arrival before Celestia said, "Praetura? Jade? It's time."

Praetura gave Terra another nuzzle before standing with his brother and they both approached the Royal Sisters, making them look small in comparison.

"Luna and I will start things off..." Celestia started.
"...and then the two of you will step out, along with the Geo Ponies you hoofpicked," nodded Luna.
"Are you ready?" asked Celestia.

Praetura and Jade gave each other a solemn look before nodding, Jade saying, "As we'll ever be."

The courtyard was alive with chatter and barely-contained excitement.

"What do you suppose the royal family's going to announce?" "No idea, but it's not often they call up the whole city for public announcements like this!" "Oh, I hope nothing's wrong! Oh! what if it has to do with that horrible Catrina character?" "Or the attack at that concert where ponies lost their cutie-marks!" "I wonder if there's a way for those poor ponies to get their cutie-marks back."

The chatter was interrupted by the clarion call announcing the Royal Sisters, who stepped out onto the balcony and stood for all their subjects to see. They were quickly joined by the famed and admired Council of Friendship, along with Terra and Prince Sombra.

"My little ponies! Today is a grand day, a sign that in spite of recent concerns the Goddess smiles upon Her children," declared Princess Celestia with a tone and look of sheer faith and optimism.

"For today, the family and the nation that is Equestria grows a little larger," added Princess Luna, looking more subdued but bright-eyed all the same. "It has come to our attention that for far too long, a community of rather unique ponies have lived in hiding due to their ancestors having been victimized by the most unacceptable yet common of fears, for being different."

"But thanks in part to our nephew, Prince Blueblood, and the understanding and open-mindedness of an upstanding young pony by the name of Terra," Celestia glanced at Blueblood and Terra, who respectively puffed his chest out proudly and looked bashful but grateful for the compliment, "we have met with and spoken with the leaders of these unusual ponies, and are certain of their good intentions and their hopes of being counted amongst their fellow pony. As such, rest assured that although these ponies are indeed unlike any you've ever seen, they harbor no ill will and truly wish to live in peace and harmony with all ponies of Equestria for they are truly ponies too."

The Sisters paused for a moment, to let their words sink in and they noticed their little ponies looked apprehensive but excited, and so there was no point holding it off any longer.

"And so... without further ado," Luna lit up her horn, lighting up the doors behind them.
"We are proud to introduce the brothers Praetura Amethyst and Jade Diamond," Celestia lit up her own horn to signal the Geo Ponies the brothers had hoofpicked.

"LEADERS OF THE GEO PONIES!!!"

The doors opened, Praetura and Jade stepping out, as their trusted subordinates did the same, appearing from the doors down at the courtyard to reveal themselves directly to the crowd. Gasps and shudders and murmurs spread as the attendees all stared in wide-eyed bewilderment and anxiety of these MASSIVE ponies before them, so different yet unmistakably pony. Praetura and Jade approached the balcony railing, the Sisters stepping aside to let them take the spotlight, as they shared a look of wordless agreement.

No turning back.

Taking a deep breath, Praetura began. "Greetings, citizens of Canterlot. I am Praetura Amethyst."

"And I am Jade Diamond," added Jade.

"We are the leaders of the Geo Ponies," Praetura continued, "and for centuries, we have lived in our subterranean community far below Mount Canterhorn, living peacefully and keeping to ourselves as a result of being ostracized and shunned by the rest of ponykind for being different."

"Due to the difficult conditions of living in a subterranean community, ours was a strict and limited way of life," explained Jade. "But in recent years, we came to the conclusion that our society underground was no longer sustainable. We realized... that we had to make a change.

"We have to take a chance."

"It was my blessed fortune to meet Terra," Praetura looked lovingly over towards Terra, who returned his look with a blushed yet tender smile. "He helped me learn that despite the misgivings and concerns the Geo Ponies have had for so long, that there are indeed good ponies who are willing to open their hearts and minds and welcome us.

"Although there was a recent close-call, Terra's encouragement led me to place my trust in Prince Blueblood, who not only earned my trust but is now our friend, the first of many we hope to make amongst all the citizens of Equestria."

"For the time being, however," Jade interjected, "we, the Geo Ponies, must start fresh on our own power. As such, Princess Celestia has generously given us a valley in Macintosh Hills to call our own, a place to begin again and build our new community."

"And we shall call this community..." Praetura gave a flirting glance Terra's way, "Enterra."

Terra blushed but couldn't stop himself from smiling, as he thought, He's a big dork, but he's my big dork!

"To represent us and our interests, our trusted friend, Tiger Eye," Praetura gestured downwards to the Geo Ponies in the courtyard who'd revealed themselves directly to the public, where an earthy golden Geo Pony with a red-brown mane and dark brown horns, smiled and waved to let them know he was Tiger Eye, "will remain here in Canterlot to serve as our representative. He's keen of mind and large of heart, and we know he will do well."

The Geo Brothers were dismayed to see many among the crowd still looked apprehensive, and realized they had to say something more and hope they'd change the right minds. They shared a determined nod and Jade cleared his throat.

"The road ahead of us is long. For generations, we've lived in darkness because of our fears and our doubts," he spoke from the heart, as honest and sincere as he possibly could, "But in doing so, we denied ourselves and our foals the joys and opportunities of truly living lives of their own."

"That time is over, as it should have been a long time ago," declared Praetura, furrowing his brows, "I can see those among you have misgivings about us. But ask yourselves this: How is it that Equestria came to be?"

There were murmurs and hushed whispers among the crowd as they considered Praetura's question... until two ponies, a husband and wife, among the crowd stepped forward as Fancy Pants answered.

"With open minds and open hearts," Fancy Pants was glad to see many among the crowd were paying especially close attention, Sometimes it was worth it to be so high in the Canterlot Elite's pecking order.
"Before Equestria, ponykind was divided by differences, cultural and physical. The Earth Ponies and the Pegasi and the Unicorns needed each other but were too blinded by arrogance and distrust to acknowledge this truth. Had it not been for the ponies who became its Founders, Equestria would not be here today. Perhaps none of us would be here today."

Then Fancy Pants' wife, Fleur de Lis, spoke up, "It is because our ancestors embraced each others' differences that we are here today. A keen mind notices differences but a true heart celebrates them, because I believe that the most wonderful and amazing thing any one of us can be... is different! I look upon the Geo Ponies" - Fleur gestured to the Geo Ponies standing at the castle doors, only a few pony lengths from herself and her husband - "and I see ponies just like us in all the ways that matter, and I see ponies unlike us in ways I would be happy to learn and get to know!"

Fancy Pants then approached Tiger Eye, who looked stupefied at how these unicorns approached him without any hint of apprehension, as Fancy Pants offered his hoof, "I wager you may be in need of some dos and don'ts regarding your new position, Young Tiger Eye. If you would be willing to accept my friendship, I'd be honored to mentor you."

All eyes and ears watched the offer to meet halfway... when Tiger Eye smiled and accepted Fancy Pants' hoof and said, "Sir, the honor would be mine."

"Then let us be the first to welcome you, Tiger Eye, and all the Geo Ponies to Equestria!" Fancy Pants declared as he and his wife began to clap their hooves. Fleur gave a subtle look at some of the present Canterlot Elite snobs, who began to clap too.

Before long, the awkward claps grew and swelled into a mighty applause as real whoops and cheers called out things like, "Welcome, Geo Ponies!", "Let's have tea sometime!", "Jade, let me have your foals!"

The Geo Ponies finally dared to join Tiger Eye as they began to mingle with the closest ponies in the crowd while Praetura and Jade looked on in apprehension that soon gave way to relief and then a joy unlike anything they'd ever felt before. They'd done it! The Geo Ponies no longer had to hide. At long last they could truly be a part of Equestria and live their lives like they never could before.

Celestia, Luna and Sombra shared proud smiles of their own, feeling like proud parents of all their little ponies, Luna especially. She'd noticed how her Lunar Ponies had all had a difficult time finding acceptance in Equestria, but was glad they had become part of this big nation-wide family that was Equestria. Sombra was glad too, but knew he had to atone for his own mistakes that led to the Geo Ponies. Celestia was the happiest of all the royals. It never made her feel so proud of her little ponies as when they came together to live in harmony.

The next day, the Geo Ponies were boarding a large train at the Canterlot Station. Cargo and supplies were loaded onto the freight cars, more than enough to give the Geo Ponies a good start for building their new village in Macintosh Hills, where the train would take them. Although they'd been offered building supplies and tools, Praetura and Jade had kindly declined, as they didn't need such things to construct their future homes and properties, though they'd gladly accepted food, gear, clothing, weapons, medical supplies, as well as books, games, and technological equipment (that came with thoroughly written instructions) for them to use.

Before long, everything was loaded and all the Geo Ponies going were aboard.

On the platform, Praetura looked lovingly at his Terra, who gazed up with a bittersweet smile at his giant special somepony. Blueblood stood to the side, having come to see his new friend off and be there as moral support for Terra, who was struggling not to look sad. But Praetura knew his little pony's heart.

"It's not forever," Praetura promised as he nuzzled Terra warmly and hugged him with his tail, Terra cherishing every touch and the warmth, "But I need to see this through."

"I understand," Terra held back the tears, "Your people need you. This is the most important thing to happen to them in a long time."

"Thank you for understanding. Once Enterra is safe and sustainable, I plan to retire," Praetura explained, surprising Terra and Blueblood. "I'm going to relinquish all my authority and bestow it upon Jade. He'll become the sole leader of the Geo Ponies and Village Chief of Enterra. He's always made a great protector, which is why I know he'll make an excellent leader."

"So then... after you retire...?" Terra was starting to realize what Praetura was getting at.

"I'll come back to you, and we can have our own happily ever after," promised Praetura with a smile that showed he looked forward to it, making Terra's heart swell and settle at the same time.
"So, try and find a nice place for us to live, but no matter where it is..."

Praetura pulled Terra in closer... and their lips met with tender passion for a long exquisite moment before they parted and Praetura finished, "As long as we're together, I don't need anything else."

"The day I stumbled down that old mine shaft was the best day of my life," Terra couldn't help it anymore as he finally shed some tears, but of joy, "because that's when I met you."

"Yeah, after you dropped onto my belly!" Praetura chuckled, spurring laughter from Terra and Blueblood as well.

The train whistle screeched, signaling it was time to go, and the two shared one more bittersweet look... before they let each other go. Praetura turned to board the train but paused as he looked over to Blueblood and said, "Blueblood, thank you. For everything you've done for my people."

"And there's a few things more I can do," Blueblood smiled before summoning Polaris and saying to Terra, "Kneel, my friend."

Terra was confused but did as he was asked as Blueblood held Polaris and spoke, "For having the courage to open your heart and mind, as well as to stand by your principals in the face of opposition, by the right of the Council, by the Magic of Friendship, rise, Sir Terra."

Terra stood up in awe while Blueblood declared him, "Knight of Harmony."

Polaris then lit up with a prismatic radiance as a vaporous energy spread from the blade similar to frosty vapor from cold ice, and that energy coalesced in front of Terra, turning into a sword! The blade was a deep metallic gold while the handle was colored a soft yet vibrant orange, like metal that had been heated up. Except it was quite cool to the touch as Terra hesitantly accepted the blade and was startled as it shined and he felt it... disappear into his body, as though it was a part of him.

But then he realized, It is a part of me... I'm... I'm a knight!

Terra couldn't help but smile from ear to ear, at Blueblood and then at Praetura, who smiled so happy and proud for his little pony that he had to give him another cuddle, only for it to be interrupted with another train whistle.

"I really do gotta go now," Praetura smiled sadly.

"It's okay," Terra assured, no longer as sad as he was before, "I'll come visit you soon."

"I'll look forward to that," Praetura looked over to Blueblood, "Look out for him for me?"

"Certainly," Blueblood threw a foreleg around Terra's withers, "Got a lot of catching up to do with my old friend here, plus I still have to introduce him to Midngiht and Twilight for that geo crystal research."

"Sounds right up your alley," Praetura gave Terra an encouraging look, "Be the best knight you can be, your own knight."

"So I can sweep my big fat prince off his hooves?" Terra teased, which got him a light tap on the head from Praetura's tail. They shared one more look, a moment of love that would only grow fonder from the distance, before they nodded and Praetura boarded the train (the car he got onto shaking a bit from the strain of such a BIG pony climbing aboard) and Terra teased again, "Like I said, my big fat prince!"

Praetura looked out the window, which was too small for his huge head to fit through, but he smiled all the same at his little pony and the train began to pull out of the station. Terra looked on in heartache as his special somepony rode away to fulfill his responsibility, and stopped when he reached the end of the platform and waved. His heart swelled when Praetura decided 'Screw it' and broke a hole through the roof of the car so he could watch Terra for as long as possible and they held each other's gaze long after they could no longer see each other and Praetura was gone.

Terra sighed bittersweetly as he heard Blueblood come up behind him and ask, "Are you okay, Terra?"

"...I will be, it's just for a while after all," Terra said softly as he wiped his tears away.

"Well, let's get to Ponyville then," Blueblood encouraged, "You've got a great future ahead of you, Terra, and I can already imagine the great things we're gonna do together."

"Yeah..." Terra was only half-listening, which didn't escape Blueblood's notice.

"Terra, I'm sorry."

That helped Terra snap out of it a bit, as he gave Blueblood a confused look and saw the white unicorn looking ashamed. Taking a deep breath, Blueblood said, "I made so many bad choices years ago, but one of the worst I did was how I treated you and broke off our friendship. You were there for me in ways no one else was. You were sincere, genuine, and instead of recognizing and appreciating that, I was a dumb bonehead who let bitterness and misplaced values to get me to make the wrong decisions, including how I drove you away...

"I'm so sorry for what I said and did, Terra, and if there's an-"

"I forgive you."

"-ything I can- Wait, what?!" Blueblood gawked at Terra, who looked back with a friendly smirk. "You- You forgive me? Just like that?!"

"Just like that," Terra shrugged but then he got serious, "Blueblood... you did hurt me. Back then, I wondered if I said or did something, I thought about what could have driven you to break off our friendship... but then I remembered the times you were down and at a low.

"A young stallion bearing far too much than anypony should have to shoulder, especially alone. It took me a while, but i decided a long time ago, that if I ever met you again and you said even one word of apology to me, then I would forgive you."

"Terra..." Blueblood was at a loss, but then surprised when Terra came over and gave him a warm hug.

"Blue, forgive and move on," Terra said kindly. "Don't hold onto the past, but learn from it. I forgive you, so don't beat yourself up about it. You've apologized, but you've done so much more! You helped save the Geo Ponies, supported them, and now they're starting anew.

"So why don't we do the same, pal?"

Blueblood felt his heart swell so much a tear escaped his eye as he couldn't help but smile and reciprocate the hug. Finally, they let go and Blueblood said, "Welp, nothing more to do but go back to Ponyville!"

"Ponyville..." Terra mused on it, "I've heard quite a lot about it in recent years. Sounds like my kind of place!"

"Say, maybe you and Praetura can settle there," Blueblood suggested as they left the station and headed to New Heights Avionics. "You're gonna be doing a lot of work with Midnight and Twilight in your geo crystal research, though I wager there's plenty other great stuff you can do too."

"I'm liking this more and more," Terra chuckled before saying, "Then what're we waiting for, Blue? Let's go home."

"Yeah," Blueblood couldn't agree more. "Let's go home."

They boarded the Slipstream and disembarked to Ponyville-

"But just a head's up, you'll be due for a 'Welcome to Ponyville' Party, courtesy of our local party ponies," Blueblood warned, and Terra had a feeling this was going to be a lot of fun!

Author's Note

This took a tad longer because I needed to find the right words and make the right impression for the Geo Ponies revealing themselves and getting a favorable reception

The Geo Ponies will begin anew, building their own village in a valley in Macintosh Hills. Praetura plans to retire from leading his people, give his brother full leadership, and then eventually settling down with Terra

Terra gets knighted and relocates to Ponyville, where he will do some magical research with Midnight, Twilight, Starlight and Sunburst, as well as get a special position

As for Glam Gold... he went to prison, `nuff said

384. The Ticking Tower - Part 1

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

*Panting*

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

*Panting*

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

The repetitive ticking felt as though it was continuously poking at his soul. It was as if no matter where he went, or where he tried to hide the sound only continued to grow louder, and louder, and ever closer.

The stallion's name was Grey Bar, a local blacksmith and resident of Trottingham. All he could do was run as fast as his hooves could carry him before tripping over his hooves.

*Splash*

"Blegh!!! Guh! C-can't stop now," he uttered to himself after spitting the foul water out..

It was then he noticed the distant tower, dark and dismal as it was. A long abandoned edifice languishing on the outskirts of town. From a distance it looked like a bleak and pitch-black shard stabbing towards the sky above it. With every step he took, the sounds of an old clock grew ever closer, which baffled him… until he realized he was moving towards the tower!

'Impossible!?!?' he thought to himself as he began to back away, his hooves trembling in fear.

Through the wrought-iron gates of the yard surrounding it, in the tower’s front doorway, there was a figure of abysmal blackness staring out at him with a pair of piercing pale blue eyes. It wore a white suit with a red tie.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

Grey Bar could not run away as he continued to look on in horror as the creature before him started sprouting black tendrils from it’s back, dripping black tar. It wasn’t until they suddenly lashed towards him, Grey falling onto his back as the putrid limbs of muck squeezed his hind legs together and around his barrel, before they began to drag him towards the tower.

Grey panicked as he struggled in vain to free himself, trying to grab something - Anything - to hold onto but there was nothing. He looked up and saw hope as he reached out.

“SILVER!!!!! SILVER, HELP ME!!!! PLEASE DON’T LET IT TAKE ME!!!!!”

“UNCLE!!!!” A young stallion screamed as he bolted awake, sweat drenching his sheets and pillow as he rubbed his forehead. He began to look around, seeing an old nightstand beside his bed with a half-empty glass of water and a scroll he had received the previous day.

“C-Calm down Silver… It was… just a nightmare.” he said to himself, climbing out of his bed as he began to make his way out of his room and towards his bathroom to prepare for the day.

“Get a hold of yourself, Silver Smith. Uncle Grey is okay… He’s at the convention in Baltimare right now. He’s fine!” the stallion called Silver said to himself in confidence, splashing water on his face. “Gotta get ready, Uncle should be back in time to greet Watcher. Heh, hard to believe it’s been ten years since I last saw him… I wonder what he’s up to.”

After preparing for the day, and running a few errands for his Uncle’s shop, Silver Smith made his way to Trottingham Station to await his friend’s arrival. He could still recall his time at Canterlot University where he’d met Watcher. One of the most stubborn, hard headed yet brilliant unicorns he had ever met. Because of him, he had embraced becoming a blacksmith like his uncle and to hopefully start his own blacksmithing business in Fillydelphia.

However, reminiscing would have to wait as the next train finally arrived. Silver waited patiently until he saw his friend step out. A tall and strong charcoal black unicorn with a snow white mane with a single red streak going through it, wearing a brown trench coat while carrying a suitcase and sword on his back.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Ol’ Silver… I see you’re still wearing that ridiculous red tie and collar,” he said, smirking as Silver rolled his eyes.

“And I see you are still wearing that dusty old coat,” Silver rebutted with a raised brow and a smirk.

“It’s good to see you, old friend.”

“Likewise Watcher,” Silver smiled as both stallions locked hooves together and began patting each other on the back.
“So, where’s that special marefriend you were planning to bring?”

“Yeah… that ain’t happening anytime soon.” Watcher answered, his voice lowering in annoyance. “It’s better to leave it be for now. Where’s that old fart hiding anyways?”

“Well from what I remember, his train should be arriving tonight,” Silver replied while tapping his chin with his hoof as he added under his breath, “I hope…”

“I’m sure he’ll be just fine,” Watcher assured, having picked up on Silver’s worrying, “For the time being, let’s head over to the nearest pub! I could really go for some good ale right about now!”

Silver’s eyes widened, “Dude! It’s only 12:30 right now!!!”

Hours seemed to have flown by as the two stallions continued to chug down another mug of ale. Silver had drunk about three mugs while his friend had finished nine total. Yet Watcher still seemed to be sober if not a little buzzed.

“Watch, seriously how are you not drunk… I can barely keep up with yo- Urp!”

“Well, if you must know… It’s my super power!” he replied, chuckling as he began to finish his tenth mug.

“Ugh… no more - Hic! - for me...” Silver moaned while pushing his fourth mug away. “A-Anyways, how’s your mom?”

Watcher groaned in annoyance as he slammed his mug against the table. “She’s a pain in the ass still! You’d think that after leaving home, improving my magical abilities, and helping Equestria, she’d be proud? NO! All she’s talked about since I got back was about my cousin and how he appeared on the paper recently…”

“S-Sounds like you're jealousss!” he slurred, patting the larger unicorn on the back.

“Oh please… I stopped being jealous of that guy a long time ago… It’s just, I was expecting-” Before he could finish his sentence, a loud scream was heard by everypony in the bar.

“W-What was- Urp!”

“Everypony remain calm!” The bartender said as he tried to get everyone’s attention. “The local Guard will handle whatever's going on, they're on patrol right now.”

“H-Hey, what’s going on, Silver?” Watcher asked as the white stallion tried to remain focused.

“There’s been about twenty missing cases recently here in Trottingham, but I think we should just stay-”

“I’m heading out to have a look,” Watcher didn’t wait to hear the rest as he stood up, throwing a bag of bits toward the bartender and said, “Keep the change!” on his way out.

Silver shook his head rapidly before stumbling out of his seat to follow his friend out the bar, trying to keep up with the larger unicorn. He tried to see which way Watcher had gone with only the light of Luna’s moon to illuminate the dark streets of Trottingham. It wasn’t long until he managed to catch up with the black stallion who had suddenly stopped.

“W-Watcher… W-What’s with yo-” Silver suddenly stopped as his eyes widened at the very sight of what was before them.

A young colt laid lifeless on his back, his blue coat and mane paled until they were almost colorless, his eyes were glazed and milky white with tear trails staining his cheeks. The two noticed that the colt had several bite marks on his neck and limbs. Some of his mane and tail were missing chunks. Watcher couldn’t help but snarl as he approached the lifeless colt, checking to see if he had a pulse just to be sure, but he felt nothing.

It was as though something had sunk its teeth into this poor foal and sucked the life right out of him!

“Holy Mother of Faust... Why?!” Silver uttered in a soft and shuddery voice, gagging at the sight of the poor foal as he turned away, fighting the urge to vomit and trying to calm his pounding heart at the same time.

“Whoever did this… will fucking pay-” Watcher paused, noticing that colt was holding onto something in his hoof. “Hey, you said your Uncle was out of town, right?”

“Y-yes…” Silver finally slowed his heart down to where he was able to be comfortably cool though his nerves were still worked up, given the situation.
“He-he’s in Baltimare at a convention, but he’ll be back soon.”

“Then, why… does this colt have his lucky pen?” Watcher said, levitating a red fountain pen with his magic up to Silver Smith who held it in his hoof and examined it carefully, seeing his Uncle’s initials on it.

G.B.

“N-No…" He uttered.

"Is it possible that he could have dropped?" Watcher asked, closing the little colt’s eyes before turning to his friend.

"My uncle would never forget his lucky fountain pen!"

"What’s going on over there?" The two friends looked back to see a stallion coming their way and it was then Silver recognized the colt and realized who this stallion was.

He hurried over to bar him, saying, “Bronze, you- You shouldn’t-”

“What are you looking at over there?” The stallion called Bronze kept peering over Silver’s shoulder, who tried in vain to block his line of sight. “Is that- Is that a colt? Is that Nickel?!”

"Silver, keep him back!” Watcher sensed something else was wrong.

“Is that my son over there?! Let me see- Nickel! Buddy, it’s daddy! Nickel, answer me!!” Bronze was finally getting physical as he tried to push his way past Silver, who tearfully held him back.
“Is that my son?! Let me see, Silver!!”

"Silver, get these two out of here… Now!" Watcher ordered, Silver seeing his friend glaring at something down the road.

Several yards away, barely visible in the murky fog, there stood two figures, growling with a sinister softness before their eyes appeared, glowing a pale blue, piercing like icicles, and Watcher saw they were some kind of dogs. But no dogs could give off a feeling so dreaded as they did.

He focused his power, channeling it into his horn, remembering the spell, and then unleashed it, launching a scattershot blast of dart-like projectiles of mana! Following his will, Watcher’s mana darts zeroed in on the beasts, who both seemed to vanish into the fog just before the darts got close enough and he sensed they hit nothing, and he no longer senesed the malevolence those beasts had been giving off.

“THAT’S MY SON!!!” Watcher looked back to see Bronze had managed to get by Silver and was now kneeling beside the cold and little body of his foal.
“THAT’S MY BOY…!!!!”

Ponies nearby were taking notice and converging to see what was going on, and several among them gasped as they saw Bronze gingerly pick up and hold little Nickel’s lifeless body as he wailed in devastated grief. Silver began speaking to some of them whom he knew and trusted to let them know what was going on.

Watcher approached the grieving stallion with a look of deepest sympathy, placing a hoof on Bronze's shoulder.
"I'm sorry… we didn't make it in time."

"He-he…. He went missing a week ago!! What ha- what happened… to my boy?! Uhuhuhuh..." Bronze sobbed, utterly inconsolable as he held his colt like he’d never let go.

Watcher couldn’t help but sigh as he did his best to try and comfort the stallion when he noticed Silver coming over with a few ponies, one of them bringing a sheet. They nodded to Watcher, letting him know they’d take care of Bronze and Nickel, who backed up and then trotted over to where Silver stood.

"We better head back to your place."

"We're just leaving?!"

"I fear this is something bigger than either of us can resolve… I have to send a message to somepony and hope he can help," Watcher explained, as he trotted past his friend.

Hurrying to keep up, Silver asked, "Who?"

"...my cousin," Watcher answered, pulling out a lollipop from his saddle bag, unwrapping it and started crunching into it.

In the training field behind the Castle of Friendship, several unicorns, most of them wearing Dusk Division Harmony Guard armor, standard issue, stood in a row in front of a shooting range with hay bales that had targets set over them.

Midnight paced behind them, saying, “The Magic Arrow spell is the standard offensive spell for long-range targets. Any unicorn who is at least Gamma level can do it and even some Deltas are able to muster the power and will to cast the spell themselves to some limited degree.

“Each of you must master this spell, for those of you in my Division to better fulfill your duties, and the others…” Midnight glazed to the two unicorns at the end of the row.

One was his little brother, Twinken, looking excited and eager. The other, his apprentice, Sunburst, who was anything but. The sunny yellow-orange unicorn stallion looked self-conscious and doubtful as he gazed across the distance towards his target.

“Others among you, I want to be able to defend themselves,” Midnight nodded to them encouragingly. “Each of you must be able to cast a Magic Arrow at its basic level - A single projectile of mana with the force and speed of a real arrow yet is guided by your intention and your focus.

“More advanced mages can cast multiple Magic Arrows in quick succession or simultaneously, or Magic Arrows with elemental properties, like fire, ice or lightning, and so on. Some are easier to do, others more difficult, depending on the individual unicorn as some are naturally attuned to elemental magic while others lean more towards control and finesse, or some strive for more unusual or creative applications of a Magic Arrow. So let’s begin by focusing your energy.”

Everypony closed their eyes as they focused themselves towards a calm yet focused state of mind (at least, most of them). They began by ignoring all outside distractions and isolating their mana.

“Good, now, run the spell through your minds and let it shape your mana with your intention as you channel it towards the base of your horn.”

Doing as Midnight instructed, the unicorns went through the spell in their minds, remembering the incantation, the associated glyphs, all the while they concentrated their mana to the base of their horns and held it there.

“Let the mana accumulate so that it will yield a greater energy output. Imagine your horn is a cup and your mana the water filling it to the brim.”

Midnight smiled in satisfaction to see his guards’ horns steadily lighting up from the base towards the tips. He was especially proud of how well Twinken was doing, when he noticed Sunburst wasn’t faring well.

Sunburst’s horn was flashing like a faulty lightbulb and releasing sparks, each pop of energy causing some kind of discomfort as Sunburst tried to maintain control. Midnight wanted to stop the lesson there but it was past that point, and he knew regardless of what happened next Sunburst needed to experience it.

“Open your eyes, focus on your targets, and keep your mana under control,” Midnight instructed and aired for them all to open their eyes, noticing Sunburst grimacing, but then Midnight ordered, “You may fire when ready.”

A few seconds later, the unicorns released the energy and launched their Magic Arrows, which flew from the tips of their horns as bolts of magical energy matching the color of the unicorn’s aura each one came from.

Midnight was glad to see plenty of them hit their targets although less than half managed to score a bull’s eye while some hit the edges of their targets or missed completely. He was truly proud to see Twinken hit his target dead center first, scoring a clean hit in the front and out the back, piercing into a distant tree behind it.

But then he noticed Sunburst’s Magic Arrow popped and fizzled as it zoomed through the air slower than the rest and seemed to burn itself out halfway across the shooting range.

The unicorns all had proud or happy reactions of their shots while the ones who didn’t do as well were more considerate or even dismayed somewhat.

Twinken smiled happily but kept his cool while Sunburst hung his head in shame.

Sighing, Midnight said, “Why don’t we take a break? Everyone else is dismissed, but Sunburst and Twinken stay.”

The other unicorns cleared out, some chattering excitedly amongst themselves while Midnight waved Sunburst over, the unicorn sighing in frustration, “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!

“I’ve gone over it so many times, I know the proper casting technique-”

“It’s not about your technique,” Midnight clarified.

“How is it not about my technique?” Sunburst debated, “I’ve read every book on magic I could get my hooves on, and no matter what I lose control or can’t maintain it!”

“Twinken?” Midnight gave his little brother an encouraging nod, and Twinken nodded back as he stepped away.

Sunburst looked on, confused… when Twinken’s red magical aura lit up around his horn and he conjured a magic circle, edged with glyphs yet the center bore his cutie-mark of three four-pointed twinkling stars surrounded in a starry nebula.

Mana Projection, an advanced spellcasting technique to project mana and shape it into various shapes and forms to be used for offense, defense, utilization, and so on, depending on what the situation demanded.

Twinken willed his Magic Circle to spin a full 360 degrees, keeping the glyphs in the circumference stationary while his cutie-mark in the center span, releasing sparks of mana that collected into a ring that began to rotate around the Magic Circle like cosmic rings on a planet.

Then, Twinken had the glyphs light up and then burst into threads of mana that shot around like shooting stars before they flew upwards, the Circle fading as the energy was taken by the stars into the air, where they all collided in a vivid burst of light that rained faint astral glimmers around them in a light show similar to the Northern Lights.

Sunburst was blown away while Midnight smirked and said, “Thanks, little brother, well done.”

“Heheh!” Twinken giggled before he galloped off.

“Well- His teacher is Princess Luna and you’ve been instructing him too,” Sunburst pointed out, sounding a tad petulant. “Not only that, I know he’s a Beta while I’m just-”

“A Gamma? The Ranking System of Magical Power is generic and broad, a basic yet flawed system of measuring one's magical power,” Midnight raised a brow.
“Far too often, unicorns think that their magical power is something that cannot be changed. Deltas the weakest and Alphas the strongest. What most don’t realize is, it is state of mind as well as strength of will that can strengthen or weaken one’s power, and occasionally outside forces can do the same to our potential, and affect our magical output.

“Sunburst,” Midnight spoke more kindly, “You are indeed studious and knowledgeable, but like I told you before: The only thing standing in your way to reaching your true potential is you. I know it’s difficult to be confident and believe in yourself, but it’s also detrimental to overthink things and let frustration get to you.”

“But I’ve read and studied so much and I still can’t-” Sunburst tried to say, only for Midnight to raise a hoof.

“You cannot beat a river into submission. You must surrender to its current and use its power as your own,” Midnight stated solemnly.

“Take control by surrendering control?! That- That doesn’t make sense,” Sunburst tilted his head in confusion.

“Not everything does! Not everything has to,” Midnight shrugged before pointing out, “Your intellect can only take you so far. Knowledge and booksmarts are but one aspect to mastering the mystic arts, which are like a multifaceted gem that can shine with a rainbow of colors under the right light.

"For years, you’ve set too much stock into literary studying while ignoring the subtler aspects to learning and mastering your magical abilities.”

“Well, what else is there?” Sunburst rolled his eyes.

“Confidence! Faith, trust, belief in yourself and acknowledging that the power you seek to master has a will of its own,” Midnight explained. “This will is not like the will of a sentient creature, like you and I. It is aware in a way we can’t truly comprehend and unhindered by ego or deliberate intent. It is serenity, inner peace, harmony…!”

Sunburst gawked at Midnight, his logical mind unable (or perhaps unwilling) to grasp this illogical concept Midnight was explaining.

Then, Midnight seemed to perk with an idea before saying, “Let me teach you an advanced Teleportation spell.”

“T-teleportation?! Midnight, I haven’t even mastered the Basic Teleportation spell and that’s still advanced stuff!” argued Sunburst.

“This kind of Teleportation is reliant on something that is not the average Unicorn’s own power,” Midnight explained as he projected a Semblance of a map of Equestria above their heads.

Then, lines seemed to web out in a haphazard fashion, random yet there seemed to be some kind of pattern despite the apparent randomness as the lines interconnected various points, some Sunburst knew while others seemed to connect to places in the middle of nowhere.

“A studious unicorn such as you has surely heard of… the Ley Lines?” asked Midnight, and he chuckled softly at the wide-eyed realization on his student’s face.
“Rivers of arcane power and knowledge that span the world over, connecting places and sources of old magic. For ages, Unicorns have studied and sought to wield the power of the Ley Lines, only to be swept away by the sheer power of their currents. Even Star Swirl the Bearded could never truly master the energies flowing along these unseen paths of power.”

“And you want me to tap into one?!” Sunburst gaped at Midnight as though he were a crazy pony.

“Not without this,” Midnight dispelled the Semblance, making the map disappear, while conjuring something.

It was a ring of resplendent metal, with a prismatic quartz-like crystal set within it.

“This Horn ring is enchanted with an intricate combination of spells,” explained Midnight. “Princess Celestia gave it to me a long time ago in order to more easily master my magic after I became an alicorn.

“Alicorn magic is not so different from the energies flowing along the Ley Lines. Powerful but dangerous if mishandled. This ring kept my power stable and easier to maintain control when I was learning to master my alicorn magic. Once she was certain that I was ready, Celestia had me remove the ring… and then tap into a Ley Line.”

“What happened…?” Sunburst was starting to become enthralled with what he was hearing, especially by this ring.

“The power…” Midnight spoke softly, closing his eyes as he remembered. “It was exhilarating! But terrifying… One wrong move, one misstep, and the Ley Line would have swept me away. As an alicorn I would survive but not unscathed.

“It was my first real taste of the great power that is also the alicorns’ great responsibility. Despite what I experienced however, it emboldened me to keep moving forward, to keep striving to reach my potential, and that’s why… I’m lending this ring to you.”

Midnight willed the Ring to float over and gently slide itself onto Sunburst’s horn. He was a little disconcerted at first, but quickly noticed a warm comfort spread over him, originating from his horn.

“You feel it, right? The Ring helps but you must wield the power,” said Midnight before he made his horn glow, “It will be more efficient if you let me do this…”

Midnight’s horn lit up with his turquoise mana, as did his eyes, the mana extending from his horn and enveloping Sunburst’s, causing him to gasp as he felt Midnight in his mind!

Mind to Mind, otherwise known as Communing. To communicate directly to and from one mind to another, to share thoughts, memories, feelings, knowledge.

This… there- there are no words! Amazing feels so inadequate to describe this!

Telepathy works in a similar way but Communing is quite different. Think of it like finding the right note, resonating the right frequency. As teacher and student, we are able to commune in this way, so now you know the Teleportation Spell I was talking about earlier.

I do? Wait… Incredible! I know it! Every detail, every glyph, every- Wait! Are you serious?!

The connection cut off, leaving Sunburst alarmed and briefly feeling alone and uncertain before he regained his full senses and saw that Midnight was still right in front of him.

“Wha- I don’t-” Sunburst tried to speak, only for Midnight to lay his wing comfortingly around Sunburst’s withers.

“Your emotions caused you to become out of tune in our Communing, so I cut the connection to prevent it from growing worse,” explained Midnight.
“Communing goes both ways, as your emotions could have affected me and hampered our progress here. I’m sorry for that.”

“No, no, it’s… just… gimme a minute,” Sunburst did the calming technique Midnight had shown him, taking a deep breath, holding it for a brief moment to gather his jumbled thoughts and feelings, and then breathing it all out.
“Okay… I’m okay.”

“Like I was saying, your knowledge has taken you as far as it can, Sunburst, but the rest is up to you. In order to do that however, you must rely on something other than knowledge. Quiet your mind, Sunburst, and your power will spark,” Midnight’s horn lit up as mana flowed out the corners of his eyes and he conjured a ring of glistening energy, like fractal flakes of power, before it became a portal and he said, “come with me.”

Sunburst reluctantly followed his master through the portal… and gasped in abject shock!

The air was bracing cold and hard to breathe. A blistering wind shrieked in his ears, and he quickly took notice of his surroundings. They were on a mountainside, frigid and snowy, clearly at a high elevation and the view was majestic!

He was glad he had his wizard cloak but it wasn’t enchanted to protect him from extreme temperatures.

Sunburst looked towards the mountaintop… and then looked stupefied as he uttered, “Wait… is this-”

“Everhoof!” Midnight nodded as he seemed to take it all in with a pleasant smile and deep breath, “Beautiful, isn’t it…?!”

“Y-y-yeah, b-beautiful…” Sunburst pulled his cloak tight though it did little to keep him warm as his teeth began to chatter. “Freezing, but- Beautiful!”

“In these conditions, the average pony may last an hour before succumbing to the extreme cold,” noted Midnight while subtly lighting his horn and the ring on Sunburst’s horn likewise lit before both went out.

“F-F-Fascinating…!” Sunburst commented, on the verge of turning around to go back through the porta-

“But you’ll probably go into shock around the first five minutes,” commented Midnight as he turned towards the portal.

“Wai- What?!” Sunburst looked back and gasped in abject horror as Midnight ventured through the portal.

“Surrender, Sunburst...!” said Midnight’s voice, sounding almost teasing, just as the portal was closing and ignored Sunburst’s wait-wait-waits and hold-ons as he jumped towards the portal, only for it to disperse into flurries of mana that quickly went out.

Grunting as he forced himself back up, Sunburst was still in horrified disbelief - Midnight Blaze, his friend, his teacher! - had left him here on top of Mount Everhoof with the spell he needed to get back being so advanced he didn’t think he could cast it!

Deciding to make the best of it, Sunburst concentrated to cast an firestarting cantrip he knew, only for it to barely produce sparks… and then he felt the Ring on his horn apply some kind of pressure. Not the physical kind, more like… it was as though his mana was dampened from the cantrip he’d been unable to cast.

Wait… did he… he set the Ring to dampen my magic! Sunburst realized and figured, So that I’d have to rely on the Teleportation Spell!

Sunburst ‘URGGHHHAAUUGHH’ed in frustration as he stamped his hooves, only for the bitter cold to remind him of his present situation.

Sunburst ran the spell Midnight had communed to him in his mind - It was indeed advanced, but he’d also gained additional knowledge, that this Ring Midnight had placed onto his horn stabilized his magic and gave him the necessary boost while also protecting him from adverse effects or any spells backfiring on him.

The Spell, while it was Teleportation in a sense, was actually more like hitching a ride.

On the ley lines.

By maintaining focus and a calm state of mind, he would ride the flow of the ley lines to his desired destination as long as he kept it in his mind’s eye. If he lost focus or panicked, he would instead be driven out of the current and wind up somewhere else, probably in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps near a town or community, if he was lucky.

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, he tried to relax as he kept his mind focused on a specific place. However, the thought of screwing up still plagued his mind. What if he couldn’t make it? Or Midnight had to step in to help or stop everything altogether.

No. No, don’t think about any of that, quiet your mind, Sunburst, he thought as he let the calm from the ring help abate his anxiety and just let it slide off of him, and he felt lighter.

Not quite where he had to be, but getting there.

He did his best to ignore the frigid cold that was seeping through his cloak and into his coat, ignore his shivering, and let the spell flow. It wasn’t easy, because logic and facts kept plunking in, creating ripples or splashes of disturbances.

“Surrender, Sunburst, surrender…!” he whispered, trying to focus his mana for the spell.

It was a struggle, trying to maintain his calmness and let it flow when these thoughts and feelings kept disrupting it all. Then, Sunburst thought about the things Midnight had said.

Overthinking, frustration...Confidence. Faith, trust, belief in yourself.

Simple concepts that somehow were difficult for his mind to accept, to let go of the habits that had held him back and embrace these virtues that were independent of logic, of thinking, and instead relied on what was essentially blind faith in this trial by fire.

Or trial by cold…heh, Sunburst thought with an amused chuckle, and almost at once he felt more of his doubts and worries fade away.

It was in that moment Sunburst began to comprehend what Midnight had been saying to him. This power he was striving to master, this spell he needed to cast in order to escape this frozen wasteland, it wasn’t a power that could be wielded with logic and factual thinking.

It was truly an energy that he had to let flow, through his heart, through his mind, and let it carry him!

Serenity… Sunburst’s energy sparked.

Inner peace… Sunburst’s energy began to burn.

Harmony…! Sunburst’s power began to rise!

And a light shined like a beacon across the mountain range.

Back at the archery range, Midnight sat in the middle of the area, waiting. He appeared calm and that all was well… except his long, leonine tail was swishing from side-to-side, betraying his anxiety.

Is it too soon? Am I expecting too much, even with the ring helping him? He thought, beginning to worry.

“Midnight?” He peered over his shoulder and saw Twilight coming his way. She came over, asking, “I thought you were out here with Sunburst. Did he go somewhere?”

“He’ll be along,” Midnight answered cryptically, before sounding just slightly uneasy, “Any second now…”

At first, Twilight didn’t understand, until she remembered that teleportation lesson she’d had with Starlight and Midnight had interjected to give his own spin on the lesson. Groaning, she looked around as she muttered, “Oh no, not again…!”

Sighing since there was nothing else to do but have faith, Twilight sat beside her husband and joined him in waiting for his apprentice.

A minute passed. Then another, and by the third, Twilight was on the verge of casting a spell to locate Sunburst, only for Midnight to reach her withers with his tail and gently say, “Give him a chance…”

“Are you sure?” she asked, concerned.

“Just… wait,” Midnight really was on the verge of worrying… when he sensed something.

Twilight did too, and just a few yards in front of them, sparks flew, spinning round in a circle as it turned into a ring large enough for a pony to walk through… and through it dropped Sunburst, the sparks quickly fading like embers and they both cried out, “Sunburst!”

The prince and princess hurried over, Twilight casting a healing spell to safely warm Sunburst up while Midnight gently moved Sunburst onto his back and listened to his heart, glad to see it was still beating strongly.

“Sunburst? Sunburst, can you hear me?” Midnight gently patted Sunburst’s cheek while levitating his glasses to the side. The lenses were frosted over and one had cracked from the sheer cold, but it could easily be repaired with a spell.

Sunburst’s breathes became deeper as he came to and realized where he was. A feeling bloomed inside, warm and bright, exhilarating in fact, as Sunburst realized he had succeeded in casting an incredibly advanced spell!

“I-I… I did it!” Sunburst whispered in a shudder breath.

“Yes. Yes you did,” Midnight smiled proudly as he helped Sunburst sit up, “and this is only the beginning.”

“But for now…” Twilight interjected, “I think a little bedrest and some warm tea or soup is in order.”

“That-that sounds… like a good idea,” Sunburst whispered and Midnight helped him to hooves when a scroll appeared before him in a burst of ember-like mana, with a purple seal on it, depicting a shield with twin blades behind it.

"Is that from Celestia?" Sunburst asked.

"No… it's… from somepony I haven't heard from in a long time," Midnight answered while removing the seal and opening the scroll.

~~My dearest cousin~~

~~Dear Littl~~

Midnight

It’s… It’s been a while since I've contacted you and your family. I know there are still… issues between us, but those don’t matter right now.

I need you to come to the city of Trottingham as soon as you possibly can.

Strange things have been happening here. Over twenty of the locals have gone missing and last night we found one. A colt, killed in cold blood, his body in such a strange condition...

Not only that, but I sense a dark presence here… something evil is haunting the outskirts and the ponies of Trottingham and I don’t think I can handle it on my own.

I wouldn't be reaching out to you for help, if-

Please… Just get here as soon as you can.

From,

Watcher

Midnight found himself utterly at a loss as old memories, fond and bitter, were stirred and he furrowed his brows.

His cousin needed him.

And that alone emphasized how serious this problem must be

Author's Note

This arc will be decisively darker than a lot I've done, and am doing with with Pen

His characters in this are Watcher, Silver Smith and Grey Bar, along with others (note that they are different versions who fit in this story). (To see some of Pen's work and learn more about the original Watcher, click right here)

We took inspiration from several sources, which will be ref'd if you know what to look for

385. The Ticking Tower - Part 2

An hour later, Midnight gazed up at his ship, The Break of Dawn, as a crew composed of members from his Dusk Division in the Harmony Guard prepared the ship to disembark.

“Midnight Blaze!”

Sighing, Midnight looked to see Twilight and Twinken coming his way, the both of them looking miffed. After getting Watcher’s request for help, Midnight had teleported away and sent a notice to Avalanche, the Sirian Dog Lieutenant of the Dusk Division, to meet him at the Ponyville Airfield with a squad of six guards to accompany him.

Once they’d arrived, he’d ordered them to talk with the employees of the airfield and get The Dawn ready to launch. He’d somewhat been hoping to be gone before his wife and brother had found him, but no luck.

“Midnight, where are you going and on The Break of the Dawn no less?” demanded Twilight.
“What was in that scroll, Midnight? You promised no more secrets!” Twinken looked like he was getting upset.

Looking at his wife and brother and seeing the worry and concern underlying their irritation with him, Midnight sighed deeply before saying, “You’re right… I’m sorry, this- It’s kind of a delicate situation. A… family situation.”

“Family? Is- is it my parents or Shining Armor, Cadence and Cora?” Twilight fretted.

“No, no, this is… from someone else,” Midnight assured, “The message is from a unicorn named Watcher. He’s our cousin. That is, me and Twinken’s cousin, on our father’s side.”

“We have a cousin?!” Twinken flabbergasted.
“You never mentioned him before!” added Twilight.

“You used to know him, Twilight,” Midnight explained, “but you were really little, and Twinken wasn’t even born at the time. Watcher and Shining Armor are the same age, but he and his parents used to live in Vanhoover. So he wasn’t able to visit us all that often.”

“So, if Watcher is related to you on your father’s side…” Twilight gathered.

“Watcher’s father was named Coal Obsidian, the younger brother of Ignitus Enflame,” clarified Midnight before he explained, “My uncle served in the Royal Guard alongside Ignitus. While Dad achieved the rank of Captain, Coal was one of his Lieutenants, in charge of his own division in the guard. However, Coal was killed by a group of marauders and our aunt blamed my father for it. Out of grieving anger, she forbade us from ever coming near them. So our families haven’t been in contact ever since, but before being separated, Watcher shared with me a spell that would allow us to exchange letters with one another. The spell makes it so the message can only be sent and received between those who are related by blood.”

“So, why is he contacting you now?” Twilight asked, raising a brow at her husband suspiciously.

“Despite our limited visits and my aunt splitting our families apart, Watcher and I kept contact but we lost touch,” Midnight explained, sounding woeful. “I haven’t heard from him in years, but for him to send me a message like this, asking for help… it has to be something serious, because although he never blamed my father for the loss of his own, Watcher couldn’t help but feel some kind of resentment and I guess our letters were just a reminder to him of what he’d lost.”

Twinken looked sad and went over to give his big brother a hug, which Midnight warmly reciprocated.

“I’m… I’m sorry you had to find out about our family this way,” Midnight’s ears drooped.

“It’s okay. I mean… I’m sad that I’ll never get to know our uncle,” Twinken shrugged but kept his composure, “but you can’t really miss someone you never knew.

“But I am sad our aunt and cousin don’t wanna talk to us anymore.”

“Well… perhaps helping Watcher now may be the start of mending our family bond,” Midnight smiled with doubt but hope at the same time when he heard someone coming.

They looked to see it was Avalanche, Midnight’s Lieutenant of the Dusk Division. The Dog saluted his prince and princess and their little brother before reporting, “The airship is ready to take to the sky, sir. Just give the word and we’ll be on our way.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. You may join the rest of the crew, I’ll be along shortly,” Midnight kindly dismissed and Avalanche boarded The Dawn.
“It’s time for me to go.”

“Lemme come too!” Twinken suddenly asked, surprising his brother and sister-in-law. “I wanna meet Watcher and I wanna help!”

“No, Twinken, you need to stay here, where it’s safe,” Midnight shook his head no.

“But Big Brother…!” Twinken pleaded, using the same mournful eyes that Apple Bloom sometimes used to sway those around her.

“Nice try, little bro, but as adorkable as you are right now, that works better coming from a filly,” Midnight snickered, causing Twinken to ‘Dang it...!’ in irritation.

“Come on, Twinken, maybe I could teach you a couple new spells, you’d like that, right?” Twilight offered kindly.

“All right…” Twinken moped as he went to stand by Twilight again as she gave Midnight a concerned look.

“Just be careful and come home safely,” she said with loving worry, that she got a tender nuzzle as Midnight rubbed his head with hers, and they enjoyed the warmth of each other from that simple yet intimate gesture.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” he promised.

Midnight turned around while his cloak appeared over him like a shroud of shadows spinning itself into an ominous fabric, and he boarded The Break of Dawn while calling out, “Cast off!”

The mooring lines were automagically undone and then retracted into the ship’s sides as it began to rise. The Solar Sails were unfurled, the shimmering fabric reflecting the glorious radiance of the day and soaking up its enriching light. The crystal linings imbued with the anti-grav spells lit up as the arcane thrusters provided some extra thrust to get the ship airborne.

As it rose into the sky, Twilight marveled at what an amazing feat of mystechnological engineering The Break of Dawn truly was. She wished she’d gotten to participate in its creation but understood it had been Midnight’s brainchild, along with Blueblood, Techorse and Time Turner. But recently, Midnight had proposed an idea for something equally as interesting, which they were planning to apply once they were done with the theoretical stage.

The stern arcane thrusters of The Dawn fired up and the airship zoomed off, becoming a speck in the distance before long.

Sighing, Twilight said, “Alright, Twinken, why don’t we head back to the castle and-”

But looking to her side, Twilight was stumped to see that Twinken was no longer there.

“Twinken?” She looked around but saw neither coat nor mane of the colt. “Twinken? Twinken, where are you?”

Suddenly, a disturbing thought made itself known in Twilight’s mind as she looked back towards the sky, just in time to see the speck that was The Dawn before it was gone out of her sight, and she had a theory of where Twinken had got to.

“Oh dear…” Twilight hoped Twinken wouldn’t get into trouble, but her immediate worry was, “Auntie Faerie Tail’s gonna kill me…!”

It was almost 6:30 PM in Trottingham as Watcher waited patiently inside Silver’s shop as the charcoal unicorn flipped a single gold bit out of boredom. He knew that it was risky getting involved with his cousin, especially since the last letter he sent to Midnight was seven years ago, but Watcher knew that he’d need help with this current job.

‘Twenty missing citizens just this month alone… If it was just a normal kidnapping, I could handle this by myself, but whatever those things were, means something really nasty is going on here. This whole city could be at risk if nothing is done about it,’ he thought to himself as he placed his gold bit in his coat’s pocket and began to make his way outside before a letter ‘Popped up’ in front of him.

‘Watcher,

I’m on my way, and will arrive outside Trottingham in my airship. Whatever the problem is, I’ll do everything I can to help.

See you soon, cousin,
Midnight’

Looking it over carefully, the charcoal unicorn couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh as he wondered if it was better for him to go greet him outside the city or to wait patiently in Silver Smith’s shop. It was a difficult call, but Watcher knew that it’d be faster to just meet him there rather than wait.
“Well it shouldn’t take me too long to get that guy’s sorry flank over here, as long as nothing happens.”

Just as Watcher was about to leave, he noticed his friend returning with a few bags of what looked like groceries. He knew that Silver Smith needed to come as his uncle may also be among those who had gone missing.

“Hey Silver? Do you need some help with those?” Watcher offered, but Silver shook his head in response.

“Nah, it’s fine… Any word from your cousin yet?” Silver asked, placing the bags of groceries inside with his magic.

“He’ll be arriving shortly in an airship, we’re going to meet him outside of town where he’ll land.” Watcher explained, fixing the collar of his trench coat. “Once we fill him in on everything going on, I’m sure the three of us can find those missing ponies and prevent this shit from happening to anypony else.”

“Right, I just hope your cousin can help us find my uncle…” Silver fretted in worry. “I learned that he never made it to Baltimare for the convention. Something must have happened to him before leaving the outskirts of town.”

“Hey, don’t worry, my friend. We’ll find him and the others, plus my cousin is a prince now. He probably has an entire battalion at his side right now. Even if he doesn't, the three of us will be more than enough to solve this mystery,” Watcher reassured his friend as the two began to make their way to the outskirts of Trottingham to meet Midnight.

By the time the two made their way outside of the city, they soon noticed the impressive airship up ahead and were baffled by its lack of a gasbag and having sails instead, like an actual seafaring ship. However, the two continued to make their way over where they soon noticed a small group of guards, led by a Sirian Dog, exiting the ship, followed by a pony wearing a black cloak, his face concealed underneath a hood as he made his way off the ship.

“I take it Tall, Dark and Gloomy coming out the ship is your cousin? If so, I can see the resemblance,” Silver playfully shouldered Watcher, earning a groan from the charcoal unicorn.

Taking a deep breath, Watcher approached the cloaked stallion, his horn flickering a bit as he began to feel a familiar aura coming from the hooded stranger, causing him to smirk.
“Well, well, look at you! Lil’ Nighty, all grown up.”

The Hooded Pony looked at Watcher… who heard a sharp yet soft inhale and the Hooded Pony seemed to freeze for a moment as he thought, He looks so much like them…

“Hellllooooo!? Earth to Nighty, are you there? Are the lights on up in the attic?” Watcher asked with light impatience but teasing at the same time.

That seemed to work as the Hooded Pony growled softly while shaking his head a bit and then throwing it back, causing his hood to fall back, revealing his face. Watcher raised a brow at the stallion his cousin had grown up to be.
“Huh. At least you look the part of the ‘dashing prince’. How many mares have you beaten off with a stick lately?”

“I’m happily married, for your information,” Midnight responded dryly before bringing up, “I… sent you an invitation, remember?”

“Yes… And I couldn’t make it at the time…” Watcher rubbed the back of his head, a tad uncomfortable, “I was answering a request from a client of mine and needed to take care of it. Sorry about that, I won’t bore you with the details. Anyways I’d like for you to meet my closest friend, Silver Smith. Silver, this is my cousin, Midnight Blaze.”

“Prince Blaze, it’s… nice to meet you!” Silver replied nervously as he bowed to the alicorn.

“Please, there’s no need for that,” Midnight said politely, “I really can’t stand formalities unless the situation actually calls for it. But any friend of Watcher’s is a friend of mine.”

“Oh that’s a relief!” Silver said, standing up straight.

“Anyways, care to explain who the colt hiding behind those crates are?” Watcher asked, his horn flickering as his mana surrounded the crates and levitated them into the air, revealing a little indigo unicorn.

Midnight's eyes popped a moment…before he did Cadance’s calming technique of breathing in and then breathing out, and very calmly he said aloud, “I’m not going to turn around… but in exactly five seconds that colt had better be… FRONT AND CENTER.”

“Yipe!” Said colt reluctantly ambled out, shoulders hunched, head hanging, ears drooping, trying to look as sympathetic as possible as he moped over to sit in front of Midnight.

“I’m assuming this is your son?” Silver asked.

Midnight and Twinken both gaped at him with a ‘seriously’ look before Midnight cleared his throat, “Watcher, Silver, this is Twinken, my little brother who I seem to remember leaving in Ponyville where he’d be safe and sound- Oh wait! He’s not!”

“I’m sorry, Midnight!” Twinken whimpered before looking over at Watcher, who seemed befuddled, “I just wanted so much to meet our cousin!”

“Oh! So you’re Twinken?” Watcher commented before gently yet firmly saying, “Well, it’s… nice to finally meet you, ya little squirt, but this isn’t exactly the best time for family reunions. It’s for grown ups only right now.”

“Well, I’ll have you know! I am an adept-level mage and apprentice to Princess Luna herself!” Twinken harrumphed. “I’m also a Lunar Pony and a skilled Dreamwalker!”

“Sure, and I’m a descendant of the Great King Sombra and will soon rule Equestria with an Iron Hoof!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!” Watcher declared with an overly dramatic boast of a belly-laugh.

“Watcher, don’t encourage him. Besides all three of us are descended from Prince Sombra,” Midnight pointed out flatly.

“I know, just playing with his little ego a bit. Anyways, as fun as it is to meet you, Twinken, I have to agree with your brother,” Watcher said kindly but with a slight sternness, “This really isn’t the time or place for you to be right now.”

“He can wait in my uncle’s shop while we take care of that issue,” offered Silver.

“He can’t be left alone, as he’s already proven,” Midnight said sternly, “So...Avalanche!”

The Lieutenant came over, “Sir, yes sir!”

“I’ll need one of our guards to stay with Twinken and make sure he stays out of trouble,” Midnight requested.

“I’ll get Comet Tail on the task, sir,” Avalanche nodded.

“Very good, maybe he can keep my brother under control,” Midnight gave the colt a stink eye, which made Twinken shrink back a bit.
“He’s shown he can’t do it himself…”

“Well, at least he’s not like my sister… she’s always getting into shenanigans,” Watcher commented, while Midnight’s eyes popped yet again

“Wait, wha- You have a sister?! Since when?!”

“Since ten years ago,” Watcher responded nonchalantly. “I love that little filly, but honestly she drives me insane.”

“Can we meet her sometime?” asked Twinken with a hopeful smile, which actually got Watcher looking uncomfortable.

“Uh, I dunno, kid, she lives with our mom and…” Watcher grimaced lightly in discomfort. “Anyways, we better get going.”

“Silver, can you give Avalanche directions to your uncle’s shop?” asked Midnight, and upon getting a nod, Midnight looked to Twinken and said, “You are going with Comet Tail to that shop, where you will remain until we leave.”

“But Midnight-” Twinken tried to protest, only to get a Zip-It Spell for his vain efforts.

“I don’t wanna hear it! You deliberately disobeyed me and unless you want your punishment to increase I suggest you go quietly,” Midnight said with an edge, causing Twinken to deflate.

The yellow unicorn guard, Comet Tail, stepped forward.
“Ready for… escort and bodyguard duty, sir.”

“I’m sorry, Comet, but I appreciate this,” Midnight then glared at Twinken to get moving and the colt begrudgingly followed Comet, who received directions from Silver and they ventured towards Trottingham.

Midnight kept an eye on them until they vanished through the distant streets before looking at Watcher and Silver, “So what do we got?”

“Well if you read my letter, then you know that there've been civilians going missing… This month alone, there have been a total of twenty,” explained Watcher, sounding troubled but keeping his cool. “One of them turned up last night… killed by these… monsters! Unnatural, strange creatures that looked to be completely made out of a tar-like substance.”

“Twenty missing cases within the span of just a month?!” Midnight was absolutely worried but then asked, “Wait… how long has this been going on? How many have gone missing altogether?”

Silver Smith pulled out a notebook from his saddlebag with his magic and handed it over to Midnight as he had this look of concern. “Y-You won’t like this answer, Midnight, but this has been happening for about-”

“OVER FIVE HUNDRED YEARS?!?!” Midnight yelled in total disbelief at what he was reading.

“Don’t yell at me!” whined Silver.

“Sheesh, cuz, don’t hex the messenger,” Watcher added, disgruntled.

“I- Ahem, sorry…” Midnight took another calming breath and a moment to regain his composure, and then looked at the notebook again and he was dismayed and horrified to see, “Silver… it says that ponies and other creatures have gone missing in the outskirts of Trottingham over the course of centuries! Like… every eighty years or so. Never exactly at the same time, but still!

“Hundreds of missing cases that went unsolved, every single one of them relating somehow to some... tower?! How has nopony brought this up to the royal courts?!”

“As far as I know, it was brought up a few centuries ago, but times were different and there was always corruption back than. The last time the royal guards got involved was three hundred years ago and… well, they sent forty to investigate the tower… only one made it out alive… And well, they say that he had completely lost his mind. So they barricaded the tower’s entrance, but that didn’t stop ponies from disappearing,” Silver explained, feeling rather sick to his stomach even talking about it. “As for Celestia herself, nopony knows if the word of the tower ever got to her… like I said it was a time of corruption then. Politicians and nobles would do anything to keep their own Bits in their pockets for as long as they can.”

Midnight furrowed his brows in disgust and guilt. He led the most successful and efficient covert ops in all of Equestria and he’d had no idea… He closed the notebook and said, “Where do we begin?”

“Well, if you must know… we need to head to the same place where it all began.” Watcher said sternly. “But before that… I need a drink.”

“Really!?” Silver groaned.

“Trust me when I say that… once we start this, there won’t be any backing out,” Watcher declared as he trotted past the two stallions.

For a moment, Midnight and Silver stood there before Midnight shrugged, “Well, a little liquid courage might be in order, especially if they have Colt Cola with rum.”

Midnight then looked to Avalanche, “Have two guards remain to watch The Dawn. You and the remaining three will patrol the outskirts of Trottingham. Be on the lookout for anything suspicious and protect the locals if they're in danger.”

“Sir! Yes sir!” Avalanche and the Dusk Guards all responded with a salute as Midnight then followed his cousin.

Silver hanged back a moment and sighed, “Once again, I’m the third leg…”

Watcher led them to the pub where he and Silver had been the other night, the Gassy Bronco. The sign showed a wild-looking stallion smiling a naughty smile down at the viewer from around his plump rump, with his tail lifted and letters starting from where his pucker would be, reading ‘The Gassy Bronco’ illustrated with a foggy gas around the letters.

The sight of it, along with the name, made Midnight stifle an amused chuckle as he followed his cousin, Silver in reluctant tow.

“I’ve said this once, but I’ll say it again… worst name ever,” Watcher stated.

“Oh don’t gimme that, Watch,” Midnight playfully shouldered him, “You used to crack up at jokes like that back when we were obnoxious little colts.”

“Heh, I’m surprised you still remember that,” Watcher chuckled.

“Sure it’s gross, but at least it’s memorable, heheheh,” Midnight said as he sat down at a nearby table.

“Mm, can’t argue with that,” Watcher shrugged as he sat down too, followed by Silver.

As the three of them waited for the barmaid to come over, they were unaware that they were being watched…

Standing on an old rain barrel, Twinken peered through the pub window, spying on his brother, cousin and Silver. A simple sleep spell had taken care of his foalsitt- Pardon, bodyguard, and after gently leaving Comet on a public bench to snooze, Twinken had followed the stallions to the Gassy Bronco (‘Hehehe!”) and now he was trying to eavesdrop but the inside was a little noisy with slurred chatter, clinking beer glasses, and belches.

“Unbelievable, he reads me the riot act and then goes drinking…” Twinken huffed.

As annoyed as Twinken was, he was still apprehensive of being caught and getting into more trouble. Yet he wanted so much to help, as well as get to know more of his family, and here was his cousin he never got to know, along with the knowing he had another cousin and an aunt out there too.

Sure he was young and still had plenty of growing up to do, but Twinken wasn’t helpless! His brother, his sister-in-law and his mistress, Princess Luna, had taught him so much about magic, but they hardly ever let him put his knowledge and skills to practical use.

If they’d just… let me prove myself, Twinken thought, so lost in his head… that he didn’t hear something slinking towards him.

Back inside the pub, Watcher was waving his hoof towards the barmaid to bring another round for them. Midnight couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he watched his cousin chug down his beverage quickly.

“Ah! Nothing like a good mug of fresh ale to ease the stress!” Watcher declared, licking his lips as the barmaid brought another mug for him, winking at him.

“I prefer light booze,” Midnight commented as he took a swig of his cola and rum. “In my line of work, it’s nice to get tipsy but not drunk off your ass.”

“Ha! I say I have the right to get drunk after what happened with my last marefriend!” Watcher boasted confidently as he took another swig from his mug. Silver, shaking his head in annoyance as he took a sip of his own drink before turning to Midnight.

“Watcher doesn’t remember telling me this, but last night he mentioned he caught his marefriend cheating on him.” Silver whispered to the alicorn.

“Ooh…” Midnight cringed. “How’s he… been handling it?”

“He’s fine… when he’s not drunk off his-” Silver started, but suddenly stopped when he heard a low growl and noticed the stink eye Watcher was giving him. “Uh- I mean… that is- Well, all things considered…”

“All things considered, what, Silver…?” asked Watcher with an edge so subtle Silver felt like a knife was at his throat.

“I- Uh…!” He noticed his saving grace when the barmaid passed their table, and he hastily said, “Uh- heya, miss! Wanna have a drink together sometime?”

He regretted it the moment he said it, but the barmaid gave him a teasing look but said, “Sorry, sweety! Daddy doesn’t like me hanging around with the patrons, or vice-versa.”

“Y-your dad?” Silver uttered when he noticed the barmaid point towards the bar… and he saw the barkeep, a BIG earth pony, giving him a look that promised no mercy if he didn’t watch his step.

Gulping in bone-chilled terror, he shrank back in his seat and whimpered, “Have a nice night, miss…”

“You too, hon,” said the barmaid with a strangely bright smile and she carried on while Midnight and Watcher had a good laugh, banging their table as they guffawed and pointed at Silver.

“Oh shit, what I wouldn’t give for my camera right now-how-ha-ha-HA!!” gasped Midnight, trying to calm down while wiping a tear of amusement.

“I know!!! Silver, seriously you looked like you were about to piss your hooves!!!” Watcher added, nearly falling out of his chair before catching himself.

“Oh come on! At least I tried! Unlike you Watcher!”

“There is only one mare-” Watcher started, but suddenly they heard a loud scream come from outside the bar, followed by the pub windows getting blown in, causing the patrons to let out terrified screams of their own as they ducked under their tables to avoid the shattered glass.
“Oh… Dang, fun’s over… We better get going!”

“Wait- That sounded like-” Midnight was saying when they heard:

“BIG BROTHEEEERRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!”

“TWINKEN!!!!” Midnight screamed before throwing the table aside, spilling drinks, and running out the door, quickly followed by Watcher and Silver.

Outside, they saw it was strangely foggy, but they still saw blasts of red mana and heard Twinken screaming, “MIDNIGHT, HELP MEEEE!!”

“TWINKEN, WHERE ARE YOU?!” Midnight cast a spell to clear the fog away… only for nothing to happen!
“Something’s up with this fog, my spell won’t clear it up!”

“It’s not natural!” Silver realized out loud.

“Hold on…” Watcher focused his horn, a purple glow beginning to radiate…before it seemed to pulse and his eyes snapped open, “Got it! Follow me, quick!”

The three made their way through the thick fog, following Watcher as his horn glowed brighter and brighter until they eventually saw four silhouettes that both Watcher and Silver recognized immediately. The same hounds from the previous night that had killed the poor colt had returned once more, but this time they were dragging Twinken by his hind legs, which were clamped in their jaws.

The sight of the colt in peril and his blood dripping incensed the dark gray unicorn, “You’re not taking my little cousin!!! You mangy mutts!!!”

“You’ll pay for threatening my little brother!!!!” added the infuriated alicorn whose cloak seemed to burn away and pale blue mana flowed from the corners of his eyes, behaving like fire.

“Guys!!” Silver gasped in horror as he looked ahead and saw where the beasts were taking Twinken, “This is it! This is the tower from my dream!

“Dream!?” Watcher asked, keeping his eyes focused on the beasts before them. His horn glowing brightly as a purple flame formed at the tip. “Let’s see them try to escape this!”

Soon, the charcoal unicorn fired off a large ball of fire at the hounds, before it split off into multiple projectiles that locked onto them, causing the mindless beasts to try and dodge, dropping Twinken to the ground as he laid down on the ground with his hooves over his head as the balls of fire flew over him, following the tar like creatures before eventually connecting, scorching the four hounds' legs, melting off as one howled in pain as it tried to stand on its three remaining legs.

Midnight raised his leonine tail and a cord of solidified shadowstuff extended from the tip before lashing out to snare Twinken around his barrel and quickly pulled him out of harm’s way, into Midnight’s embrace.

“Twinken! What’re you-” Midnight started but stopped when he heard whimpers and felt his heart sink to see Twinken look up at him, his eyes teary and terrified that gave way to relief.

“B-b-big brother-her-her…!!!” Twinken sobbed as he buried his face into Midnight’s chest, and Midnight felt his ire burn out as he gently hugged the colt close.

“Midnight, get Twinken out of here now! Silver and I can deal with these beasts!”

“Don’t worry… We got you covered, just get the colt out of here!” Silver said, his horn glowing yellow as he levitated an old rusty pipe that was laying on the ground and swung it at one of the hounds that tried to leap after Twinken once more.

Silver gritted his teeth as he bashed the head of the tar-like creature over and over again until it’s body was nothing more than a puddle, but his victory was short lived as another hound came up from behind him and bit into his shoulder, causing the stallion to yell in agonizing pain as he tried to shake it off his back while trying to hit it with the metal pipe he had found to no avail. Until the hound’s jaw was blown off suddenly by a turquoise blue beam of magic.

Surprised, the white stallion turned to see Midnight’s horn glowing as he glared at the remains of the beast that had harmed his little brother.
“I’m not leaving you guys!”

“T-Thanks…” Silver said, bowing his head before turning his attention over towards Watcher who hooves we’re surrounded by a purple aura as he continuously beat one of the creatures to an inch of it’s life with his bare hooves, snarling as he started to tear the beast apart. Not before the last remaining hound pounced on his back.

“RRRGH!! Geddoff me, you ass-sniffing pile of-” Watcher was bucking, trying to throw one of the hounds off his back after it’d jumped onto and was biting onto his withers when Midnight Flashed over beside him…

...and raised one of his wings, a blade of solid shadowstuff extending from the tip, which he deftly used to decapitate the hitchhiker, causing its body to fall off of Watcher and go ‘KERPLOP’ onto the ground as it dissolved into filthy sludge, along with its head after it stopped rolling.

“AUGH… Thanks, cuz,” Watcher winced, already feeling his blood dripping down his side, grabbing the limping hound by it’s hind leg with his hooves and began to spin it with all his might before throwing it against a lamp post, splattering it’s remains across the floor as the tar dissipated.
“E-Everypony alright? I think that was the last one… ”

“Watcher! You and Twinken need to get those wounds patched up, you’re both bleeding!” Silver looked at Watcher in concern but hurried over to Twinken, who was shivering in horror, almost in shock, whimpering as the pain was finally starting to register in his mind.

“Twinken, what happened?!” Midnight hurried over and quickly cast a healing spell he knew, which cleaned off the blood and the wound to prevent infection, dulled the pain somewhat, and covered it with a protective layer of mana that would work akin to a bandage until proper first aid could be applied.
“I thought you were with Comet Tail!”

“The- The dog- beast- things! They-they came out of nowhere…!” Twinken shuddered and struggled to get a hold of himself, but he was just too traumatized at the moment, causing Midnight's heart to sink. This was exactly why he hadn't want Twinken along, but this wasn't the time for reprimanding.

“Midnight, here…” Watcher said, pulling out a small roll of bandages from his coat. “These have some ointment in them that’ll help… It’s not much, but Twinken needs them more than I do.”

“But what about you?” Midnight accepted the bandages but looked at Watcher, concerned for him too.

“Heh, I’ll live… Not the first time I had to tangle with a mangy mongrel… Timberwolves are way worse. Their bark was worse than their bite,” Watcher scoffed, trying to look tough despite the pain
“But, Faust does it sting!”

“Well, let’s get back to my uncle’s place,” suggested Silver Smith. “We should all be safe there for the ti-”

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

That dead yet monotonous sound instantly froze Silver with overwhelming dread, remembering where he’d heard it.

From his nightmare.

Slowly everypony began turning their heads towards the constant sound of a clock ticking, at first they believed it was coming from the Clock Tower, but the old tower had stopped functioning a long time ago, so they only wondered where it was coming from.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

Watcher’s ears twitched in annoyance as he tried to pin-point where the constant ticking was coming from, but soon the fog began to thicken, becoming heavier and more difficult to see, barely seeing his cousin’s silhouettes in front of him. However, just as he was about to approach them, he was able to see Silver Smith, standing there completely still, looking like he was staring off into infinity.

“Hey, Silver… You okay? We need to get out of here… Silver?” Watcher said, tapping his friend on his shoulder, but he did not react to him. Seeing him unresponsive, the charcoal unicorn forcefully turned Silver around, and seeing his face sent chills down the stallion’s back as Silver’s expression was that of pure dread and terror. Something that Watcher had never seen in his friend before as the stallion was usually the one who was level headed and calm in intense situations.

Just as he was about to shake the stallion once more, his eyes widened in alarm as he noticed a large silhouette standing over the two of them, barely seeing a large massive arm swinging down towards the two of them. Thinking fast, Watcher shoved the white stallion to the side and braced himself with his hooves covering over him, feeling the full force of the impact and being pushed to the ground.

“GAHHHHH!!!”

Midnight heard Watcher scream and wanted to get up to lend a hoof, but he couldn’t see much as it appeared the fog was getting thicker by the minute. His horn sparked as he attempted to try to illuminate streets for even a moment to see where his two companions were, but he could see nothing.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

“Big Brother… I’m scared!” Twinken whispered in soft terror, his hooves tightening around Midnight as the stallion tried to locate the source of where the ticking was coming from.

“Don’t worry… I won’t let anything happen to you… Stay close okay, we’re going to find Watcher and Silver and get out of here!” Midnight reassured his little brother as he carried the young colt on his back.
“WATCHER!!! SILVER SMITH!!! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS!?!”

“oOoVeR HErrRe…!” Midnight heard in response, briefly thinking it was either Watcher or Silver answering him, before realizing how distorted it sounded. It was odd, but they had nothing else to go off of. So with little choice, they followed the direction where the voice had come from.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-

The ticking suddenly stopped, setting off several alarms as Midnight’s horn flared up, ready to cast a spell, but he soon found himself standing face to face with a stallion towering over him, whose coat was black as the night sky with piercing pale blue eyes, he wore a white suit with a red tie. Midnight attempted to cast a spell, but soon felt something grab hold of his throat and began to strangle him, causing him to panic and preventing him from being able to concentrate.

He was soon lifted up into the air suddenly, Twinken slipping from his back and landing on the ground. It was then he noticed black tendrils coming from the stallion’s back.

“BlAaAzZzzEeee!” It said as it’s mouth suddenly began to open, revealing multiple mandibles as it began to absorb Midnight’s mana, slowly draining him, but not before getting hit in the face by a rock, interrupting it.

“LET MY BIG BROTHER GOOOO!!!!” Twinken yelled, tears running down his face but his eyes blazed with protective desperation. He began charging his horn, ready to put his magic training to the test, but was suddenly knocked to the ground, by several tendrils from the strange creature.

“T-Twinken… run away!” Midnight managed to choke out, when he felt the pressure on his throat relax just a bit but the grip held tight as Midnight felt the monster swing him around and throw him into a nearby tree, knocking the wind out of him.

Twinken struggled to sit up, his head dazed… when he heard a heavy step in front of him and looked up in sheer horror to see the monstrous figure leering down at him… until it raised its leg and struck Twinken over the head, just barely missing his horn, and Twinken was out like a light.

Slimy tendrils writhed as they extended from the figure’s back before reaching down to ensnare the colt into their wretched coils, and raised poor Twinken up.

The figure then turned around and marched straight back through the gates of the high fences surrounding the Tower, a resonant tick-tock sounding with every step, as it returned to its dark domain with its latest victim.

Midnight, Watcher and Silver had all just come to and saw in horror as they saw Twinken get taken away as the- The… Entity carried its prize through the Tower’s doorways and turned to sneered wickedly back at them and the doors slammed shut.

Twinken was gone, and Midnight felt his heart in an ice-cold vice as he threw his head back and screamed in despair!

Author's Note

The dark figure at the end, the Entity, is the villain here, designed and created by Pen. He used the Machine from the film "9" as a reference regarding the Entity

386. The Ticking Tower - Part 3

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

The loud and dissonant pounding of gears stirred Twinken awake, the colt groaning as he felt a splitting headache hurting his waking awareness before he noticed his surroundings!

He was in a large room, filled with giant gears and clockwork, rusty, decayed, and littered with dusty old cobwebs. The ominous feeling froze him in fear as he recollected the Entity over him… and then blackness.

His ears perked from a sniffling sound and he looked towards a corner, where he saw old boxes of rotten wood and debris. Concentrating, he listened carefully and Twinken realized, It’s… somepony crying?

Groaning as he got up onto his hooves, Twinken cautiously approached the corner, softly calling out, “H-hello? Is somepony there?”

“Shhh… Don’t let him hear you!” answered a soft and demure voice before it revealed itself as a filly peeking out from her hiding place.

Although he only saw her head, Twinken could see that she had a cream-colored coat and a fawn-brown mane that looked messy to where he almost didn’t see her unicorn horn. Twinken made his way over quietly as the little filly continued to try to huddle further into the corner.

“And… who’s he? Or you, for that matter.”

“I… he’s the monster who lives here,” the filly whispered back in a shuddered voice.

“Yeah… I think he brought me here,” Twinken gulped nervously before putting on a brave face, “But my big brother and cousin will come for me! They’ll help us, so don’t worry!”

The filly seemed unconvinced, so Twinken tried another tactic, “My name’s Twinken, by the way! I didn’t catch your name.”

“...” the filly seemed to want to answer, except there was a look of loss and confusion on her face, before she finally uttered, “...I don’t know! I can’t remember!”

Uh-oh, Twinken thought. His mistress, Princess Luna, had instructed him on memory loss regarding his telepathic powers.

Experienced telepaths could help those who had lost their memories, but it was a very delicate process and could have severe consequences from even one mistake on the patient’s psyche.

Often, it was better to just let the amnesiac recover their memories on their own.

“Um… W-Where did you come from?” she asked, slowly approaching him inch by inch out of curiosity.

“Well, some horrible monster brought me here, I think,” Twinken answered, looking around the room for a way out and noticing a door.
“Did it bring you here too?”

“I guess it must’ve,” the filly whimpered, now standing in front of Twinken and he saw the deep fear and sadness in her eyes, and he realized she needed something, so he gave it to her, and gently put his forelegs around her, surprising her a moment, “Wh- what’re… you doing?”

“You looked like you needed a hug,” Twinken replied gently, “My mom always says a hug can do wonders.”

The filly was hesitant, but she let the hug’s warmth spread over her and found herself reciprocating, suddenly feeling better and not so alone as she had before. Twinken was glad that it gave the filly some comfort, before he finally ended the hug and he said, “Hold on a moment. I’m gonna see if I can reach my brother.”

“How?” asked the filly.

“I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve,” Twinken smirked.

“You don’t have a sleeve,” the filly pointed out with a stifled giggle.

“It’s a figure of speech,” Twinken clarified with pretend-irritation but he made it clear he was kidding. “Just stay quiet for a moment and… don’t move.”

Twinken took a deep breath as he closed his eyes. He centered his thoughts, cleared his mind… and reached out.

Midnight? Are you there? This is Twinken, can you hear me?

His mind reached out, feeling some kind of murky haze all around them. It was chilly and felt gross, but he pressed on.

Midnight, can you hear me? I’m okay for the moment, but I’m not alone! I’m with a filly, who’s got some kind of amnesia, and we’r-

‘BlLlAaAzzZeeEsSs… LIeEessS… Vengeance!!!! Boy…YoU… WiLL nOt EsCApe!!!’

“AAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH!!!!!!!!” Twinken screamed as he clutched his head, feeling as though a spike of sheer cold was piercing through it as he fell over, almost fainting as he panted and his heart pounded in his chest.

“Twinken! Twinken, are you okay?!” the filly cried in alarm, tears welling up in her eyes as she hurried over to cradle his head, looking worried.

“Uurrrgghhhh….” Twinken groaned and whimpered, having never felt something like that in his head.

It had struck him in his center.

He’d thought he’d been scared before? No…

Now, he was truly terrified as he managed to creak his eyes open and gaze up at the filly, who saw her fear mirrored in Twinken’s eyes as he softly uttered, “...we’ve got to get out of here!”

Watcher could only watch as his cousin wept in anguish as he tried to limp over to him to try and reassure him that things were definitely not over. The charcoal unicorn was in pretty bad shape due to being ambushed by a large beast and having his left hoof smashed due to the force of the blow and he believed he might have broken a rib or two, but he kept his head high as he approached the young prince. Rearing his hind leg up, Watcher delivered a swift kick to Midnight’s back and sent him falling face first to the ground.

“Are you done crying!? If so, how about you get off your big blue ass and we go after them!” Watcher snapped, groaning in pain as he tried to steady himself before Silver came by to prevent him from falling.

“I’m sorry! I should have done something, but I… I was too scared, I’m sorry..” Silver moaned, earning himself a slap to the back of the head from Watcher.
“Okay… I deserved that.”

“You’re damn right you do… Because of you spacing out on me, I had to save your ass and look! I have a busted leg and probably some broken ribs because of you!” he shouted in the stallion’s ear before turning back to his cousin who had finally gotten off the ground.
“Now… Midnight, you crying isn’t gonna get him back! All we can do now is get in there, kick that thing’s scummy ass and end all this crazy shit!”

Wiping his face clean of tears and dirt, Midnight got a hold of himself as he did Cadance’s calming technique… and then said, “You’re right, I’m good… but what about you? You’re hurt, Watcher, and clearly in pain.”

“It’s no big- Urgh!” Watcher winced after putting too much weight on his leg, “I… I got a high-grade healing potion in my coat, hold on…”

Watcher’s horn lit up and levitated out a phial with a glowing red potion inside it. Removing the stopper, he downed it all in one gulp and then waited… he shuddered, feeling the potion already spreading through his system and doing its work.

He felt a painful sensation of pins and needles in his busted leg and groaned as he felt the bone realign while simultaneously healing. His ribs dulled in pain as well, but not entirely, and then the feeling of the potion abated.

“Well, crap…” Watcher grimaced, “My leg’s good again, but I guess the potion concentrated on the most serious injury. My ribs still hurt…”

“Hmm,” Midnight focused his horn and conjured a long bandage that quickly lit up with a gentle glow of his turquoise mana, before he willed it to delicately wrap around Watcher’s barrel but under his duster coat.

Watcher winced from the bandage getting wrapped snug around him… but then he felt the pain of his ribs dull even more and he felt a relaxing sensation .

“Wow… what did you do?” he asked.

“I enchanted the bandage with healing spells, such as a painkiller and a modest boost to your body’s natural healing rate,” explained Midnight.
“Regardless, don’t overexert yourself too much and try to avoid too much action for the next few weeks.”

“Kinda redundant since we’re about to go into a tower and battle a monster that’s been around for over seven hundred years now.” Watcher said, chuckling as he felt his chest hurt from laughing.
“F-For now though… We need to try and prepare ourselves before we go inside.”

“Inside… the tower?!” Silver fretted and they all gazed up at it.

The tower stood well over fifteen stables tall, built of ancient architecture that was almost completely rundown from perhaps centuries of exposure to the elements and neglect. It was constructed of stone and wood and long-worn out plaster with a design that looked macabre and grim. Parts of it had broken or worn away, revealing the dilapidated structure inside, the windows were either broken or their panes long coated with grime and dust.

Honestly, given the state of it, it seemed a miracle the Tower hadn’t keeled over long ago!

Unless something was keeping it erect.

Surrounding the base of the tower was an old courtyard enclosed with old stone walls, weeds and moss growing here and there, and before them was a wrought-iron gate rusted yet still holding strong.

“How long has this tower been here?” asked Midnight aloud.

“Uh…” Silver checked his notes, “It was first founded three hundred years after Nightmare Moon’s banishment. Approximately seven hundred years ago.”

“That means, whatever that thing is… was there when the Tower was first built.” Watcher added, pulling a lollipop from his pocket and began to crunch on it.
“But I have a feeling there’s something else we have to worry about… whatever broke my hoof and ribs was definitely not the same creature.”

“Looks like we have our work cut out for us, huh guys?” Silver asked with a nervous laugh.

“And around every eighty years or so… ponies and other creatures went missing,” Midnight gazed up at this forbidden place with growing dread.
“Goddess knows how many souls have vanished and it feels like this tower is behind it all somehow.”

“Ur- Yes, it says here…” Silver looked at his notes again, “strange happenings began a while after the tower was completed. Accidents, scares, it got to the point where no one wanted to be here anymore!”

“Hold on, what was this tower constructed for?” asked Watcher.

“Given its faces…” Midnight pointed to the top of the tower, where it showed four round faces, the one facing them with only one “hand” and missing most of its numerals around its circumference, and how filthy it was, “I’d say this was meant to be a clock tower.”

“Tick-tock… tick-tock!” Silver whispered to himself as he recollected those awful sounds and now understood why they kept hearing them.

“We’d better get in there… The less time we spend trying to figure out everything, the sooner we can rescue Twinken,” Watcher said, his horn beginning to glow as a pair of black blades appeared in front of him. Removing his trench coat, he placed the pair on his back which had a pair of straps and strapped them around his chest.
“You ready, cuz?”

Midnight responded by summoning his sword, the blade as black as night yet gave off a glow of silvery-blue like the guiding light of the full moon before he uttered, “Find the Light… Nightfall.”

The sword shone with a shimmering darkness that gave off a silvery-blue light before it split and reformed onto Midnight's hooves. As the light dimmed, the sword had become a pair of armored hoof gauntlets of obsidian black and cobalt blue, each bearing a set of gleaming silver crescent-shaped claws, three in the front, one in the back, and moved like grasping digits, and each gauntlet bore an emblem matching Midnight's cutie-mark.

He glared up at the Tower with the intensity of the blue fire of a cutting torch as he spoke, “Let’s get my brother back…”

“Um…” They both looked at Silver, who sheepishly asked, “Do I get a cool weapon?”

Seeing how he didn’t have anything with him, Watcher summoned a mace and hoofed over to the white unicorn.

“Try not to break it, I spent four hundred bits on that mace.”

“I’ll reimburse you for your troubles,” Midnight rolled his eyes.

“Nah, no offense but I’d rather earn my keep than accept anything from royalty. Feels like I owe you a favor you know?” Watcher explained, as he picked up his trench coat with his hoof before using his magic to send it off back with his other belongings.

“Not all my money comes from my royal stipend, you know,” Midnight huffed, “and it’s not a favor if it’s from family.”

“I’ll think about it… Let’s just get going already, the sooner we finish this job, the better.” Watcher said, trotting ahead as the alicorn raised a brow by what he had said.

Silver held the mace in his telekinetic aura as he brought up the rear. Gazing up at the tower again, he gulped as he couldn’t shake off a subtle yet distinct chill of dread.

Back inside the room where he’d woken up, Twinken was having just a teensy bit of trouble.

“No! No-no-no!” the filly fussed as Twinken groaned while rubbing the back of his head.

“I know you’re scared, but we can’t stay here,” he tried to persuade her, “If we don’t escape, we’ll never get out and something horrible will happen to us!”

“No! It’s too scary out there…” the filly bawled, “I tried to leave before and got chased by these awful monsters! I ran back into here and heard them pounding and scratching at the door for hours before they left me alone…!”

“Hey, it’s okay… we’ll take this one step at a time,” he said, reassuring her with a smile as he offered a hoof to her.
“I’m scared to, but if we work together, we can get out of here… You’ve been here longer than me, you can guide us and I’ll protect you!”

The filly couldn’t help but wipe her tears away as she looked at the young colt with a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she struggled to find the words she wanted to say. Twinken saw she needed just one more little nudge of encouragement.

“Listen, being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared,” Twinken put on a determined look, “It means you do what you gotta do even if you are afraid! One of my teachers told me there’s no such thing as being fearless, because anyone who says they are is either lying or they’re dumb.

“Because it’s okay to be afraid! What’s important is that you don’t let it stop you.”

“I’ll… I’ll t-trust you…” she replied, her hoof reaching out to grab his as she finally left the safety of her corner. “B-But you have to promise, to stay with me. P-Please?”

Twinken smiled and then went through the familiar motions as he said, “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

“Huh?” the filly tilted her head in confusion.

“It’s a Pinkie Promise, and no one ever breaks a Pinkie Promise,” Twinken smiled before giving her a silly edgy look, “or else…!”

“EEP!!” She yelped, releasing her grasp on his hoof, wanting to retreat back into the corner. “P-please, don’t do that!?”

“Oh! Sorry!” Twinken quickly apologized with an embarrassed smile, “It’s- Uh… well, never mind. Y’know, I still don’t know what to call you, you said you couldn’t remember your name.”

“I-I don’t know… I’m not sure I even had a name, it’s just been me here, alone…” she replied.

“Well, you must have had a name. But…” Twinekn regarded their present location with wariness, “I think this place might have done something to you to make you forget. I can sense bad magic all around us, which is why we have to get out of here as quick as we can.”

“B-But, if we do get out, what am I supposed to do? I’m not even sure I have a home or family,” she sniffled, her eyes beginning to tear up once more as she leaned onto Twinken and embraced him suddenly.
“I… don’t want to be alone again.”

“Um…” Twinken blushed a little from the fact a filly was hugging him this way, but he returned the embrace to comfort her (and perhaps to get a little comfort in return) before saying, “Well, who’s to say your memory won’t come back?

“After we get out of here, I’m sure you’ll figure out who you really are, and maybe even find where you come from and whoever’s missing you. But until then, I think I’ll nickname you…”

His pause for dramatic effect got the filly to lean back and look at him in soft anticipation as he said, “Mona! I’ll call you Mona, does that work for you?”

“Mona?” She said, her brow raised.

“The name Mona is actually a name of a fictional character from a story that my mother told me once. She’s a little filly like you that was raised by a magician who would one day become this fearless leader who would one day save her hometown from an evil ruler.” he explained. “At least, that’s what first came to mind when I look at you.”

“I… I like it, thank you Twinken.” she said, smiling for the first time which made the young colt blush a little as he let out a cough.

“W-Well, we better get going,” Twinken lit up his horn and cast a couple of protective spells Midnight and Twilight had taught him, upon himself and Mona.
“This Ward will work kinda like armor on us. If we get hurt, the Ward will take some of the damage for us, but not all of it. I also cast a minor Distacter Spell that will divert attention from us if it’s something bad.”

“Um… W-Wait, I think we’re gonna need this,” she said, heading back to her corner and grabbed an old rusted lantern with her magic. “I-I used this to see… it’s very dark out there in the halls… A-And magic c-can’t help to see.”

“Wait… you mean an Illumination Spell won’t work here?” Twinken was starting to get a little more concerned. He’d figured there was bad magic at work here, but never considered it could dull or dampen their powers.

“I found this when I tripped over it one day… or night, and lit it with some old matches.” Mona explained, pulling out a small box of matches from within a small compartment within the lantern and lit it with a spark from her horn. “U-Using magic is dangerous… the monsters come whenever I try to use it, a-and can only use a little of it. L-Levitating is fine, but a-anymore leads to... dying. There were others…”

“Others?!” Twinken whispered in alarm.

“Mhm… A big pony, wearing gold… he tried to fight them… got… No! Forget, forget, forget!” Mona said, repeatedly hitting her head with her hoof.

“Mona! Don’t do that!” Twinken quickly grabbed Mona’s hooves and held them down.

“I-I don’t… want to remember the bad! The bad stuff…” she whimpered, before being embraced once more by Twinken. She suddenly felt warm, and calm, it was still new to her, but she didn’t dislike it.

“It’s okay, you’re okay, we’ll just pretend I didn’t ask okay?” he asked, earning a nod from the little filly.

“Okay,” Mona replied, taking a deep breath and exhaling before trotting ahead with the lantern in hoof. “there’s a hole in the wall I crawled through to get in here… We can use it to escape into the halls, but w-we need to be careful… Twin Head doesn’t like ponies.”

“Twin Head…?!” Twinken echoed, not liking the sound of that.

“Shhh… Not too loud… this way,” Mona whispered while leading the young colt toward a wall where a box laid. She pushed it out of the way, revealing a hole just big enough for the two of them to fit through.
“Um… Twinken, thank you again...I don’t know what I would have done.”

Twinken gave Mona a look and he saw a filly, who was still very much afraid of what he could only guess. But he saw something else.

Hope.

He furrowed his brows in determination, and said, “Mona, we’re gonna get out of here and you’re gonna have a wonderful life. I promise.”

“...I believe you,” Mona smiled ever so subtly, despite her fear, her doubt, her worries, because somehow, Twinken seemed to her less like a colt… and more of a guardian angel.

Smirking in determination, Twinken nodded and said, “Then let’s go! Follow me and keep quiet.”

Mona nodded and smirked back, “As a mouse.”

And the two little unicorns stepped forward into the unknown…

Meanwhile, Midnight, Watcher and Silver slowly opened the front doors of the Tower’s entrance and cautiously made their way inside, armed with their weapons as they scoured the room for any signs of the Entity or anything that might be a threat to them.

The room was large, including the second floor with an indoor balcony, a large metal column dominated the center and extended up through the ceiling, indicating it continued upwards, there was debris and broken crates scattered around and a layer of dust and grime explained the stink of old rot.

“Hard to imagine living in a rundown place like this,” Watcher commented, readying his swords as he looked around.

“Kinda reminds me of those old haunted houses, but actually terrifying and the monsters are real...” Silver Smith said before gulping nervously, sweating as he tried his best to remain calm.

“Nice place to live, if you got a bolt through your neck…!” Midnight jokes as he spoke in a creepy voice and wore a grim expression and waved the claws of his gauntlets, Nightfall, in a sinister way.

“Knock it off, Horis Coltof!” Watcher scolded while whipping Midnight in the face with his tail. “Let’s be on our guard, we have no idea what we might find in here…”

“Awahhh...ah… ahah...”

“Midnight! Didn’t I just tell you to stop!?”

“Th-that wasn’t me…!” Midnight responded, suddenly on edge.

“But then… who was it…?!” Silver clutched the mace Watcher had lent him fearfully as they heard messy steps.

A gross and disgusting suction-like sound preceding a wet ‘splop’ over and over, coming from all around them, as eyes glowing yellow edged with red made themselves known in the darkness.

“I don’t think we’re dealing with a who,” Midnight raised his wings through his cloak, extending blades of solid shadows from them, “More like a ‘what’...!”

The closer the charcoal unicorn peered into the darkness, his eyes widened as his blades suddenly ignited in flames, illuminating the darkness and what they all saw horrified the three stallions as they all gazed upon several creatures made completely out of tar, however what truly made them shrink with fear was that they all were wearing the skulls of ponies upon their faces.

“By Faust…” was all Watcher could utter as one of them let out a loud shriek and charged at him, forcing the charcoal unicorn to swing his blades, decapitating the tar-shaped pony and kicking it into an old table with his hind hooves.

“HRAAAAAAHHH!!!!”

“Here they come!!!” Watcher shouted, as the three stallion’s soon charged towards the large group of monsters with their weapons ready in hooves.

One of the tar-ponies leapt towards Midnight, who cloaked his wings completely with solid shadow and raised them to shield himself from the creature’s attack. As it battered at his defenses, he reached under and raked Nightfall’s claws across its underbelly, causing it to throw back its head and let out an ear shattering wail of pain as its putrid innards seemed to splish out.

Meanwhile Silver Smith, was tackled to the ground by one of the creatures, biting into the hilt of his mace. He tried to shake it off of him, but soon noticed a nearby pipe just a few inches away from his grasp, using his magic, he managed to levitate it enough and plunged it into the tar ponies skull, before kicking it over him and swinging his mace into another one’s head.

More of the tar ponies started pouring out of the walls and began to increase in numbers, while Watcher continued to slice away at all of the new coming enemies so that they didn’t get overwhelmed, ripping and tearing with every swing of his blade, as the creatures limbs and other body parts went flying. Seeing as they just kept on coming, Watcher’s horn ignited with a purple flame and began to scorch the oncoming forces of tar.

“These bastards just keep on coming! We’re gonna have to-” Watcher yelled, before being tackled to the ground by three of the tar ponies, as they began to bite into his flesh, suddenly draining him of his mana very rapidly.

“WATCHER!!” Silver cried out in concern.

“I’ve got him!” Midnight focused his mana for a spell and then chanted:

“Filiká Pyrá!”

Taking a DEEP breath, Midnight then breathed out a vast gout of silvery blue flames that engulfed the entire room! Watcher cried out in alarm and braced himself… only to feel a pleasant warmth wash over him while he heard a wretched cacophony of agonized screams!

He looked and was amazed to see these mystic flames only burned the monsters, causing them to writhe and thrash around, trying to escape or shake off the flames, but it did them no good. The flames were everywhere, burning only them while Midnight, Watcher and Silver were untouched.

Once the creatures seemed to drop dead, Midnight dispelled the fires, causing them to quickly snuff out, leaving only faint blue embers that drifted to the ground before vanishing as well.

Watcher struggled to stand on his hooves before groaning in pain as he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his torso and suddenly grasped it with his hoof. Midnight noticed a large bite where he felt the pain, blood dripping as the stallion hissed in pain.

“Hold on… I don’t like the look of this bite,” Midnight very gently moved Watcher’s hoof out of the way, and Midnight and Silver both felt their hearts sink as they saw the area around the wound seemed to have paled somewhat.
“This wound is not natural!”

“I’ve- I’ve seen something like this before,” Silver gulped in worry. “Before Watcher contacted you, we encountered… a colt was found dead, lots of bite marks, but… he was almost completely pale! Almost as though… the life had been sucked right out of him!”

“Aw crap… as if I had enough to deal with!” Watcher groaned when Midnight lit up his horn and conjured what looked like a doctor’s bag.

“Hold still, I’ve been trained as a field medic,” Midnight brought out some first aids, along with a potion phial of a blood red liquid.
“Drink this.”

“What is it?” Watcher eyed the phial warily.

“It’s an elixir that boosts the body’s natural healing process,” explained Midnight as he poured a little disinfectant onto a bandage.
“Not as fast as the spell I cast earlier, but it still works. Besides, we have to conserve what mana we have left. There’s no telling what else we’ll face here, and we still have to find Twinken and any other survivors.

“Now, bite down on this,” Midnight brought out a cleaned piece of wood and forced it into Watcher’s mouth. “This is gonna hurt, but we can’t risk that wound getting infected.”

Watcher groaned in irritation as he hadn’t even drank the elixir yet, but braced himself as Midnight set the bandage to his wou-

His eyes popped as he suddenly exhaled and struggled to contain himself while thinking, STORMBREAKER’S BALLS, THAT FUCKING STINGS!!!!

The burning and stinging sensation of the disinfectant as it was pressed onto his wound lit all pain receptors near it on fire as Midnight willed the bandages to tie themselves snug and secure around Watcher’s barrel.
Seeing the painful expression on his face, Silver couldn’t help but cringe at the sight, saying. “Oof… That’s gotta hurt.”

Spitting out the piece of wood from his mouth. “Nooo… Ya think, dumbass!?!” which earned him the elixir phial being stuck in his mouth, like a pacifier by Midnight.

“Drink,” Midnight ordered curtly while helping Watcher to his hooves.

“Looks like those things left us alone, but we shouldn’t stay long, we need to keep moving.” Silver noticed, doing a double check of the surrounding area to make sure there weren’t any more enemies to deal with.

Spitting the vial out of his mouth, now empty of its contents, he tossed it against the wall, shattering it to pieces as he glared at the alicorn. “Don’t you ever, EVER do that again!”

“I was just helping,” Midnight rolled his eyes. “But I can see the elixir is starting to do its work.”

“I am fully capable of taking care of my wounds, not the first time I’ve been bitten by some kind of beaAUGHRP!” Watcher quickly covered his mouth despite it being too late to cover that burp, but then smacked his lips.
“Hmm… strawberry?”

“Who wants yucky medicine?” Midnight smirked with a shrug.

“...Not bad,” Watcher muttered before clearing his throat, “I want the recipe for it after we get out of here. Now, let’s scram before more of those… things show up again.”

Silver couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief that his friend was doing alright, despite still having injuries that need to be taken care of, but with Midnight here helping them out, it could be a sign that everything was going to work out for everypony in the end.

At least, that’s what he thought.

Author's Note

Mona is Pen's OC

The joke Midnight made was an impression of Boris Karlof (who portrayed Frankenstein's Monster in the 1931 film Frankenstein), parodied in this as Horris Coltof

387. The Ticking Tower - Part 4

The three stallions cautiously made their ways through the forbidden halls of the clocktower, finding that the stairs ran along the walls of the tower’s interior. This meant they had to go through the hallways of each floor. As they did, they checked every room and doorway, looking for Twinken and perhaps anyone else being held prisoner.

More than once, they found someone, but the poor souls were long dead. Such as a pony who’d apparently sat down in an old armchair and never stood up. A griffon’s decayed remains hanging from a meat hook. A Sirian dog stuffed into an old trunk. With each cadaver, Midnight grew more and more worried for his brother.

“You know, I’ve seen a lot of messed up shit in my line of work, but this is by far the worst I’ve seen in a long time,” Watcher said, covering his nose with his hoof after inhaling a bit, causing him to gag.
“They didn’t even stand a chance…”

Watcher’s ear twitched when he heard a soft but unmistakable whimper and looked to see Midnight, whose castdown gaze made him wince at his words. He walked beside his cousin and gently nudged his shoulder with his own.

“We’re gonna find Twinken, and we’re gonna get him home safe,” he assured his royal relation. “You hear me, cuz?”

Midnight arched his head back as he took a deep breath and furrowed his brows, “I hear you. Next room?”

“Can we not and say we did?” Silver was getting more and more freaked out with every corpse they came across, but Midnight and Watcher ignored him as they entered the next room.

Inside, they didn’t find any bodies.

What they found… was something perhaps even more disturbing, the room they had entered had nothing but worn down furniture scattered across the floor, a foul odor filled their noses as they saw writing all across the walls, floor, doors. All with a few words that sent a shiver down the stallion’s spin.

AlL is DARkness ArouNd mE

Aloooonnne... lost, HUNgrY!!

It’s HIS FAULT...

His Fault...

Deceiver... DeCeIVEr...

HE LIeS... BLAZES LIES...

...don’t trust him!

NO MORE BLAZE!!!

These messages continued to repeat over and over and over again until it looked like there was no more space to write. The three stallions stood there speechless as they tried to understand what all these messages scrawled onto the walls meant, and more importantly, try to figure out ‘Who?’ wrote it.

Silver Smith stared at one particular message that really stood out to him as it was written more times than anything else ‘Blazes Lies… He lies’ and glanced over at Midnight who was looking at another word on the wall. Glaring at him, before he felt a light nudge on his head.

“Hey, you okay bud?” Watcher asked.

“Yeah, I just had this weird thought, that’s all,” Silver replied with a nervous tic.

“What drives someone to write things like all this...?!” Midnight questioned with a chilly dread as he got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

“Not sure, but if you take a good look and sniff, you’ll see all that writing is blood,” Watcher noted with a grim tone, “and given how much is written here, you don’t exactly walk on your merry way after losing that much.

“I get the feeling they were trying to stay sane by writing whatever was happening to them, but lost it anyway.”

“Can we get out of here now?!” Silver pleaded, “I don’t wanna be in this place any longer than I have to!”

“I agree, let’s go,” Midnight led the way out, “the sooner we find Twinken the better.”

‘Blazes lies’? Watcher’s cousin has Blaze in his name! It’s probably a stretch, but.... He could be connected in some way to the tower and may not even know it yet. I’ll have to look deeper into this while we search for this colt. Hopefully my uncle is okay, he just needs to hang in there a little longer, Silver thought to himself as he continued to follow his companions deeper into the tower.

“Hey Midnight, have you been here before? I mean in Trottingham?”

“Uh, a few times, but never this tower,” answered Midnight as he glanced back. “I didn’t even know it was here.”

“I see… Well what did you do during your stay here in Trottingham?”

“That information is classified,” Midnight responded with a flat business-like tone that meant he would say nothing else regarding the question.

“Hmm…”

“Guys, this tower only goes up right?” Watcher asked.

“Yeah? Why?” Midnight asked.

“Then, explain to me why there’s three different hallways that are… well… Take a look.” Watcher pointed ahead, the two stallions noticing what the charcoal stallion meant as the hallway had three different paths, one path was curving downward from the left while the one on the right went upward.

“I don’t like the direction this is going…” Midnight facehooved before asking, “What is this?”

“I don’t know, but from what I’m sensing, there's obviously a lot more dark magic than we previously thought. It takes a significant amount of mana alone to warp objects and bend them to your will, let alone a whole building.” Watcher explained as he readied his blades once more.
“Something tells me that we’re going to be dealing with something down each of these halls. We’re probably gonna have to-”

“NO! Do not say ‘we should split up’, that is the number one rule in these situations!” Silver was adamant.
“I put all four of my hooves down on this!”

“Silver, come on! Only morons in those lame horror flicks would suggest something as idiotic as splitting up! That’s the last thing we want right now! I was saying that probably each of these paths have some sort of trap, so we’re gonna have to take one and deal with whatever’s in our way… We could barely hold off those mindless beasts by ourselves, it’s better for us to stick together.” Watcher explained to his old friend, causing the stallion to let out a sigh of relief.
“Still, I don’t know what anyone would ever suggest something like that! You're practically asking to be murdered.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be as interesting if they all stayed together you know..” Midnight debated. “Besides, it’s only a plot device to split up in movies or novels, get things to happen or move things along...”

“It’s lazy is what it is… If it was me, I’d try to be creative and separate them forcefully rather than suggest ‘Let’s split up! Make it easier for the killer to get us’ Bah! So stupid.”

“Well, at least we aren’t in a horror flick, usually by now when the heroes are distracted, the monster usually comes up from-

Tick-Tock,Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

“F-From… b-behind…”

“You had to say it, didn’t you…?!” Midnight uttered in fear as he pulled back his lips to bare his fangs and furrowed his brows, looking fearsome and ready for what was coming.

“...that sound!” Silver whimpered in recognizing terror.

The three of them turned around. The hallway behind them was dark… but they heard it. Ticking, tocking, signaling its every step. Unable to see through the darkness (which worried Midnight since his natural nightvision wasn't working), Watcher’s horn lit up, casting a bright purple flame above his head and sending it down the hall to get a visual on their approaching foe, but as the flame began to dissipate, they saw nothing but a bare and dismal hallway.

“It should be there, but there's nothing!” Watcher was baffled.

“Hey, let me try-” Midnight paused after something wet fell onto the back of his neck, his hoof reaching out to touch what had fell on him and after pulling back, he saw a small glob of tar in his hoof.

The trio looked up towards the ceiling… and there it was!

Leering down at them like a bat as writhing tendrils of goopy blackness lashed out from its back! This forced them to jump out of the way to evade The Entity’s attack, but this also resulted in dividing them. Before any of them could react or try anything else, more wretched tentacles lashed out, this time from the walls or floors, ensnaring them around their barrels. Midnight was snared around his neck, causing him to gasp for breath, Watcher around his eyes, blinding him, and Silver around his hind fetlock, causing him to fall forward.

“I can’t see!” Watcher cried out.

“G-guys… he- Help me!” Midnight wheezed as he struggled for breath, unable to focus his mana to do anything.

Silver realized he was the only one in that moment who could do something. He was terrified, shivering from a cold sweat, his heart on the verge of pounding out of his chest… but something spurred him, emboldened him, enough that he stared at The Entity, and a feeling of resentment burned deep in his guts.

“You took my uncle… you won’t take us!” Silver furrowed his brows in concentration, his horn lighting up with mana… before he launched a bolt of fire, striking The Entity in the face.

The Entity let out an unearthly scream of agony as the tar congealing its face lit up with searing intensity, throwing Midnight and Watcher down one hallway before retreating from where it came, and as soon as it left, the other hallways vanished suddenly, separating Silver Smith from the others.

Twinken and Mona slowly and quietly made their way down the halls of the tower, making sure not to draw too much attention. So far the two hadn’t encountered any of the monsters or creatures that Mona explained to Twinken and as the two continued to make their way down, Twinken started to see how Mona managed to survive on her own.

“So, you mean to tell me… that you stole rations from the royal guards that entered the Tower? How long ago was that?” Twinken asked, finding it hard to believe as she was very frightened when he found her.

“Um… I don’t know… A few days ago, I think? I don’t know… The ponies in armor dropped their bags and I got desperate. I had to take what I could find and I hid myself in that big room, then you came… ” she explained, staying as close to the young colt as she possibly could, “and I’m glad you’re here.”

“Don’t worry… We’ll get out of here and everything will be fine, I promise, Mona!” Twinken declared, giving the little filly a confident smile before the pair made a left turn before stopping suddenly. The colt’s eyes widened as the pair looked ahead and spotted a very large figure in front of them, slamming something repeatedly to the ground.

Mona started whimpering before Twinken placed a hoof over her mouth and motioned with his other hoof for the two to stay quiet.

“Mona, you have to be quiet, if you scream now, that thing will-”

Twinken suddenly stopped as he soon took another glance at the creature in front of him, it was a very large minotaur that had three heads, a large massive right arm, and two smaller arms on its left, it was completely made out of tar, but what really terrified the young colt, was what the Minotaur was holding in its massive hand.

The body of a griffon.

“H-He-lp..” was all the two heard before the Minotaur grabbed hold of the griffon’s head and suddenly ripped her in half. Blood spilling everywhere as the creature began to gorge on the remains of the griffon.

*CRUNCH...CRUNCH… CRUNCH...*

“N-NO!” Twinken yelled, before covering his mouth with his hoof, the Minotaur slowly turned around, revealing its three, grotesque faces to the little foals. Two of its mouths dripped with fresh blood, one of them pulled out a piece of wing from its mouth and fed it to the center head.

*CRUNCH*

It began to drool at the sight of the two, licking their lips as it slowly approached the two.

“AHHHH!!!” Mona suddenly screamed.

“RUN, MONA! RUN!!!” Twinken screamed as he focused his mana.

“ROOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!!!!”

The Minotaur bellowed and began to charge at the pair, leaping into the air and attempted to smash them to the ground with it’s massive arm. Twinken pushing Mona out of its way, barely escaping its attack.

Twinken kicked the monster in one of its faces, quickly getting its attention as he ran for his life down another hallway.

“TWINKEN!!” Mona cried out in alarm.

“Don’t worry about me, just run!” Twinken screamed as the Minotaur gave chase.

Twinken led it into a large room, where he made for one of the corners and turned to face the beast as it crashed its way through the too-small door frame and glared down at the colt, its three mouths pulling their lips back in fiendish grins. All three mouths began to chuckle a grisly and deep laugh that shook the marrow in Twinken’s bones. Twinken teared up and whimpered, all but frozen with fear… but he didn’t let it stop him, as his courage provided the spark for him to unleash the most powerful fire spell he had in his repertoire!

An explosive burst of crimson flames ignited mere inches from the tip of Twinken’s horn as he willed it to attack the Minotaur, engulfing it completely in its burning embrace. Twinken didn’t waste time to wait and see if it would work as he raised a Mana Shield and quickly sped past the monster and out the door.

He heard it booming with the angry mooing roars of a hundred bulls, but he went back the way he saw Mona run, and very quickly, he saw Mona, hiding behind an old crate, and he grabbed her hoof as he all but dragged her along with him. They didn’t stop running until they couldn’t hear the Minotaur and hid in another room, closing the door behind them, and then collapsing as they gasped to catch their breath.

“Did… did you kill it?” Mona asked hopefully.

Twinken did the calming technique a few times before it worked, and then answered, “I don’t think so…

“I think I just made it mad.”

They shared a cold look of dread as those words sank in.

“RRRROOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!”

The roar was still far but it was still terrifying by its clear expression of rage. Thankfully, they heard the Minotaur’s heavy hoofsteps receding, meaning it was distancing itself from them. They listening as the creature's footsteps began to get further away until they could no longer hear it.

Mona, shaking in place, held onto Twinken’s foreleg and began to weep quietly.

“I-I… c-c-can’t d-d-d-do this…I-I-I w-want this to end…” she whispered, tears dripping down onto Twinken as she held on tightly, refusing to let go as the colt pulled her into a tight embrace.

“It will end… I promise we’re gonna get out of here.”

“Ugh… My head, that really hurts!” Watcher groaned, rubbing the back of his head after waking up.

“Watcher?”

“Midnight? You okay?” Watcher looked around for his cousin.

“Please get off me…” The charcoal unicorn looked underneath him to find his cousin laying underneath him with a strained grimace on his face. Immediately, Watcher stood up off of the alicorn and began to survey his surroundings.

“Well that went well…” Watcher muttered, pulling out a lollipop from his trenchcoat, not noticing a folded piece of paper fell out.
“If we hurry, we can still find Silver Smith and get the BUCK out of this Faust-forsaken place!”

“Urgh!” Midnight stood up while stretching out the kink in his spine from Watcher landing on him and then taking a calming breath, “Alright, but we need to be careful. That’s, what? The third time we’ve encountered that thing!

“Clearly it’s the source of whatever negative power controls this place, and we still don’t know what it is or what it wants!”

“Well, from what I’ve gathered, it could have killed us, but it didn’t… Why?” he asked, sheathing his swords back in place before trotting forward a bit.
“I mean, think about it… That thing is a lot more intelligent than it’s letting on. Remember the three hallways? The Entity was planning on separating the three of us, but thanks to Silver’s fire spell, it lost focus for a moment and threw the two of us down the same hall by mistake.”

“Just a question, Watcher,” Midnight brought up while raising the foreclaw of his gauntlet, “How well does Silver do in a crisis? By himself, that is.”

“Hey, Silver is a brave stallion, he may not look like it, but he’s got guts… As a matter of fact, he’s probably trying to figure out a way to get the three of us out here right now!” Watcher responded confidently, before looking around their present location
“Why did we even come here to begin with!?”

“Because the Entity foalnapped my brother...?” Midnight raised his brow while his tone took on an edge.

“Your brother?”

“Twinken?! Unicorn colt? Indigo coat and blue mane, red eyes, twinkling stars and nebula for a cutie-mark?!” Midnight gawked in disbelief at his cousin. “Got dragged into this hellmouth by that monster?!”

It was then Midnight’s eyes lingered towards the floor… and he noticed a slip of paper, “What the?”

His horn lit up to levitate it to his face and he saw something written on it, “Watcher…”

Watcher heard the tone and got a chill, but it was Midnight holding that piece of paper up to him with an unreadable look as he softly asked, “What is this?”

Seeing Midnight with the letter he had received, he immediately checked his trench coat's pocket, before turning back to his cousin with a scowl on his face.
“That is none of your concern, Midnight… Give it back now.”

Midnight held it away and glared reproachfully at his cousin, “This is why you came to Trottingham. It wasn’t because Silver asked you for help, someone paid you to check out this tower!

“Don’t deny it, the date on this paper is days before Silver contacted you!”

“Heh, And? I don’t see what the issue is, Midnight… So I was hired to investigate this place, it didn’t mean I cared any less for my friend. How else am I supposed to make a living? Work like everypony else? Live in a fantasy world that is full of harmony and rainbows?! That everything will all be alright because you and your fellow princes and princesses say so!? Come on! Get your head out of your ass and think realistically!”

Midnight’s reproachful look softened only slightly… but Watcher was baffled to see a tear run down Midnights’ face as the sapphire alicorn sighed and gave the paper back. Midnight turned around and said, “I won’t lecture you, Watcher, because I absolutely don’t have the right to…

“Whatever you think you know about me as a ‘prince’ is total bullshit… I have far more on my conscience than you’ll ever have. Let’s find Silver and Twinken and get out of here…”

Midnight ventured back the way they came and Watcher sighed with a slight scoff.

“Go right ahead! Turn your back on me. After all… your sorry excuse for a father turned his back on mine. Must run in the family.” He said, smirking as he placed the piece of paper back into his trenchcoat.

Midnight paused mid-step… and Watcher instantly felt an intense change in the air, a strange sensation that felt like a mix of a frigid chill, a creeping crawl of static, and a searing heat all at once!

Then, Midnight turned to look back at Watcher, who gulped as he realized he might have gone too far when he saw turquoise blue mana flowing from the corners of Midnight’s eyes, like flickering fire as the alicorn responded.

“My father was not perfect, Watcher,” Midnight seethed, “I hate him… I hate him for all the crap he put me through! I hate him for leaving his family, for abandoning his sons and his wife and never coming back!

“He left me to pick up the broken pieces and I did my damnedest to hold things together and do my part in protecting Equestria! I’m sorry he wasn’t there to help your father, but don’t you… ever… compare me to him!”

Scoffing at the alicorn, Watcher pushed past him and continued to make his way down the hall. “Perhaps my mother did something right after all… It was a mistake getting you involved in my work!”

“Oh? And how do you figure that?” Midnight demanded.

“Heh, why don’t you figure it out? You can look for your brother, but I’m completing my job and getting out of here with Silver.”

“Ha! Wow…” Midnight scoffed derisively, “So now you’re the one who’s turning his back. On a colt who is your blood and needs you. I guess it does run in the family!”

After hearing that, Watcher couldn’t help but turn back to face the alicorn and immediately swung his right hoof to strike Midnight in the face… only for a wall of solid shadow to shield Midnight from the assault. Watcher was briefly stunned before a pulse of power sent him hurtling head over hooves across the floor of the hallway, but he quickly leapt onto his hooves and glared at Midnight with sheer contempt.

The alicorn narrowed his eyes and warned, “You don’t want to do this, Watcher…”

Ignoring his words, Watcher’s horn began to glow, as shadows suddenly appeared behind Midnight, grabbing hold of his hind legs and tossed him against the wall! But upon impact, Midnight’s form dispersed into a vaporous shadow that seemed to spread in all directions!

Watcher narrowed his eyes as he stood vigilant, waiting for Midnight to reform and strike back. He noticed a mass of shadow rise up, and launched a blaze of purple fire towards it! But instead of striking Midnight, there was nothing, and he realized his mistake too late as he heard a sound behind him and was ensnared by tendrils of shadow that slammed him against the wall, pinning him there while Midnight’s form rose up out of a shadow and he gave Watcher an irritated look before asking, “Gotten it out of your system yet?!”

The charcoal unicorn only snarled in response as he began to cast another spell, his body suddenly melting until he was a pile of sludge on the ground before reforming, throwing a quick uppercut at the alicorn until he was on the ground. Pinning him to the ground, Watcher could only glare at the alicorn , who looked back at Watcher with a look that was cold and detached. It infuriated the unicorn! He felt his blood burn in his veins, his long-repressed rage and bitterness boiling for release… and he released it all over Midnight's face with his hoof!

“I WASN’T THE ONE WHO TURNED HIS BACK ON OUR FAMILY!!!” Watcher yelled, hitting his cousin as hard as he could in the face.

*POW*

“IT WAS YOUR DAD’S FAULT!!!”

*POW, POW*

“WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE BROTHERS!!!”

*POW*

“I HATE YOUR FATHER! BUT I HATE MY FUCKING MOTHER MORE!! SHE TOOK US AWAY BECAUSE OF YOUR FATHER!!!”

*POW, POW, POW*

“YOUR FAMILY IS TO BLAME FOR ALL OF THIS!!!”

*CRACK*

Watcher suddenly stopped, hitting the floor instead, cracking the old wooden floor as he continued to glare at Midnight, but now he saw what he had just done. Midnight’s face was swollen and bruised, his left eye blackened and puffed up to where it was swollen shut, there was a tooth on the floor… and more tears flowing from Midnight’s eyes. Even the blacked, swollen one. He groaned in agony, but he managed to move his head just so he was able to look Watcher in the eye… and Watcher saw deepest sympathy, regret… even love.

Memories flashed into his mind, of when they were colts, playing together. Midnight had looked up to him, admired him, and he’d happily looked out for his little cousin. The brother he’d never had!

Shame and remorse washed over him as he fell back onto his haunches and noticed his hoof. Stained with blood. Midnight’s blood. He began to shake and a mournful cry escaped his lips as he squeezed his eyes shut in a vain effort to hold back the tears.

“I… never… wanted any of this… I didn’t get a choice… I’m sorry.”

Midnight painfully sat up, looking at the crying wreck his cousin had reduced himself to, but he felt no contempt. No anger. Not even bitterness. It hurt, but he blew out his nose to be able to breathe more clearly and then whimpered as he opened his mouth and then levitated the tooth Watcher had knocked out. His horn lit as he set the tooth back into place and he softly groaned in pain as the spell bound the tooth back into his jaw, and then he reached deeper into himself to muster forth his alicorn magic.

He focused it and then felt the pain dull away, the swelling go down, and even his black eye was able to creak open a little for him to see through it.

He took a deep breath and stood up. Stepping over to Watcher, who was still crying into his hoof, Midnight gently placed his own hoof onto Watcher’s shoulder, causing him to flinch… but then Watcher hesitantly looked up to see his cousin showing him compassion, not anger like he’d expected.

“Your dad was taken from us in the most unfair of ways…” Midnight spoke with a soft croak, “His death haunted Ignitus for many years. I… I think it affected how he was with me after I became an alicorn.

“Your mother… I can still remember her, and I was heartbroken by how she reacted. Grief and loss affects us all, some worse than others. I don’t condone how your mom tore our family apart, but I can understand it came from the loss she felt and the pain she must still carry after all these years.”

“My mother… never liked Ignitus… even after you were born. Heh, I still remember the time she once called him a blockhead in front of us,” Watcher stifled a chuckle before the gloom returned as he recounted, “However, after losing my father, she completely changed, controlling every action me and my sister make. Everyday, every hour, every minute, and I just felt like a prisoner.

“I couldn’t even have fun like a normal colt, and after I got my cutie mark, she immediately told me that I couldn’t join the guard, that I should spend my time studying to be a scientist like her! She was like a tyrant, making the whole changeling thing in Canterlot seem like a bad joke…”

Midnight sighed, “Loss can change us and sometimes it can be for the worse. I think after losing her husband, the love of her life, your mom was desperate to control her life… which unfortunately caused her to control yours. She tried to keep you close but instead has pushed you away.

“I understand that you feel resentful, Watcher… but you need to face your mom and convince her to work out her issues. It will not be easy or be resolved just like that. But we’ve allowed our family to be divided for too long. We’ve gotta work towards bringing them all back together,” Midnight stepped back and offered his hoof to Watcher.

He looked at it and then at Midnight, who now gave him an encouraging smirk… and he accepted Midnight’s hoof as the alicorn helped the unicorn up.

“So whaddya say we start by finding Twinken and Silver and then getting the hell outta this cheap excuse of a haunted house?”

“Heh, fine…but don’t think this changes why I’m here. I still have a job to do…” He said, trotting ahead of the Alicorn with his horn creating a small flame to illuminate the way.

“Uh, hold on a moment, Watcher?”

“Yeah?” Watcher looked back, and found himself knocked for a loop as Midnight's hoof struck him in the schnozz, knocking him flat onto his butt as he groaned in agony and felt his nose bleeding.
“URGH! What the hell?!”

Midnight gave him a cocky chuckle as he put his gauntlet back on and said, “Now we’re even.”

“EVEN!? That was a cheap shot and you know it! Bastard...” Watcher griped, groaning in pain but was unable to hide his smile.

“Yeah sure, like it was cheap of me to let you pummel my face just so you could let out your inner demons,” Midnight responded with a dry tone. “Still hurt like hell, but I guess it was worth it.”

“Tch! Whatever… I won that fight… But no matter what, you're still my cousin. So I’ll do what I can to fix what our parents did with you.”

“That’s all I ask,” Midnight smiled warmly as he shouldered Watcher and Watcher shouldered him back, the both of them laughing nostalgically, feeling the bond they once shared as colts at long last restored.

Meanwhile… Silver Smith had been wandering around for quite some time until he eventually made a left turn and stumbled upon a hallway full of doors. Seeing as how he couldn’t go back due to the fear of running into the Entity again, he was left with little choice but to press onward. So one by one he began checking every door he could see, trying to see if his friends, uncle, or the little colt that got captured was by some chance hidden amongst them, but each room he checked had something that he didn’t quite understand.

Some of the rooms had writing in them with the same messages repeating over, and over, and over again. Words like “Deceiver” or “Blazes Lie” or even “It’s his fault”. It was all related to somepony or perhaps something, but Silver couldn’t put his hoof on it.

“Hmm… This Tower is trying to tell us something, but what? The creature, the messages, ponies disappearing, all of this is connected somehow, but what could it be?” he asked himself as he finally reached the final door at the very end of the hallway, seeing how there were no more doors, Silver took a deep breath before exhaling and opening the door rapidly. Only to find something… odd.

A single chair in the center of the room.

It was the only room he had found that wasn’t covered in writing on the walls in blood or bones that laid on the floors of the rooms. Seeing how he didn’t have many options, Silver entered the room, closing the door behind him. He noticed the chair was facing in the direction of the door, but the question was why? Why in the center of the room?

He looked around and found nothing in the room, no furniture besides the chair, no books, no paper, not even a drop of blood from a victim. This room was completely clean, but he knew something was missing.

With no other options, he decided to sit down in the chair and when he faced the direction of the door, he gazed up subconsciously and his eyes widened in horror at what he had seen. It was a drawing… of an Alicorn with a name written above it.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

Unable to take his eyes off the drawing, he didn’t bother to look behind him to find The Entity standing a few feet away from him. How he got there remained a mystery, but that wasn’t what really concerned him.

“M-Midnight… The Prince orchestrated all of this!? But why?! It doesn’t make sense, he didn’t even know about this tower until-”

“Midnight… Lies… HE… Has come here… before!” The Entity spoke, causing the stallion to jump out of his seat and immediately turn to face the monster controlling the tower and wreaking havoc in his city.

“W-Who are you?” he asked, shaking in place as his horn glowed, but no spell came out.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

“Midnight… Lies… The Deceiver… Will take everything… from you…” The Entity uttered in a tone most sinister, trotting towards the stallion and placing a hoof on his horn.
“See him… Take everything…”

“AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!”

388. The Ticking Tower - Part 5

A door opened ever so slightly, making a soft creak in protest… before an indigo horn poked out, followed by a pair of fearful red eyes that looked left and then right to confirm that the hallway was empty.

“Okay… it looks like the coast is clear, but let’s be careful,” Twinken whispered as he went first, followed by a shivering Mona.

“O-Okay… Um… Twinken?” she asked, the colt turning towards her as she started blushing. “Um… I-I just wanted to say that… you are really, really brave.”

“Thanks, Mona, but really? I’m terrified!” Twinken laughed nervously while trying to keep a brave face. “But…my big brother and my teacher have both taught me that if you don’t keep your head on straight, you won’t be able to think straight.

“Don’t deny your fear but don’t let it take over. Otherwise, you’re likely gonna run into even bigger trouble.”

“Wow... I wonder if I have a big brother or somepony out there who’s looking for me...” Mona sniffled, wishing she could remember something about her past or even her real name.

But it was like seeing a faint image in smoke, reaching out to grasp it, only for it to disperse and fade into the void of forgetfulness. As long as she remained in the tower, her old life would forever be out of her reach, and there was nothing she could do. At least she thought, until she met Twinken and how he promised her that he was going to get her out of there and help her recover her memories.

“I-If I even have a past or not, I still want us to be friends… No, best friends!” Mona exclaimed hopefully, her face turning a bright shade of red.

“I have a lot of friends I’m gonna introduce you to, especially my friends, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders,” Twinken smiled kindly while feeling a little coltishly awkward.
“Maybe we’ll make you an official member!”

“I-I’d like that Twinken… ” she said, ecstatic as she hugged the colt tightly.

The moment came to an abrupt halt as the two young unicorns felt a dreaded chill wash over them, causing them to flinch in fear and freeze in their tracks.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

That sound! Twinken thought in abject horror, having heard it before.

It’s… it’s here! Mona thought at the same time as she immediately pulled Twinken around the corner of another hallway, peering around while trying to stay out of sight to find the Entity making its way down the hall, dragging something or rather somepony with its tendrils.
“I-It’s got… a-another p-pony.”

“Wha- Whattya mean, another pony?” Twinken whispered fearfully.

Motioning with her hoof to look, the young colt took a peek around the corner,seeing the creature that had captured him now holding a pony against the wall with it’s long black tendrils and it looked like it was… a royal guard!?

“Y-You… freak! C-Celestia… will come an-” he was quickly silenced as the tendrils wrapped around his neck, beginning to strangle him, but not killing him. The two foals could only watch, helpless to do anything to help the poor stallion as they knew they wouldn’t stand a chance against this powerful foe.

“nO onE… will… CoMe.” The Entity growled with a grisly undertone, bringing the stallion closer to him as his mouth started to open slowly and began to close its eyes. And what was to follow, shocked and horrified the two foals as the stallion’s very life force was suddenly being drained, appearing as a strong and radiant vapor flowing from his eyes and mouth into the Entity’s own disgusting maw.

The stallion tried to wiggle free, but the more he fought, the weaker he seemed to get and as the Entity continued to steal his life force, the fur on his body suddenly began to fall off, revealing his flesh was quickly turning gaunt and disease-ridden… until it seemed to sag and hang from the poor pony’s body, and then… fall off, with his insides having turned viscous and goopy, not blood red but a putrid and filthy black!

Like tar…! Twinken thought in utter horror as he looked away and made sure Mona didn’t look either. He gave her a look that conveyed his fear before he whispered as softly as possible, “We gotta go back the other way…!”

“But we have to go down that hallway! “Mona whispered back while pointing the hallway out.

Which passed the hall the Entity was presently standing in as it turned the poor guard into more tar, having drank every last drop of his life force and throwing away the leftovers like the filth it had become.

There was no way they could sneak by and not be seen by the Entity. Twinken didn’t know any invisibility spells and he couldn’t count on his distracter spell working on this monster. He looked around, hoping there was something they could use, when his eyes fell upon what looked to be the remains of an old ceramic egg. Not caring as to what it had been doing here, Twinken carefully lit his horn as softly as possible, not wanting his mana to give them away, and levitated the egg to himself. The Entity seemed to perk, as though it sensed something.

No time to hesitate…! Twinken really hoped that this would work and gave the egg a telekinetic heave, throwing it over the Entity’s head as it was distracted and they heard it shatter further down the hall the Entity stood in.

It released a vicious scream of fury before it tore down the hall, its gooey steps signaled by more tick-tockings that receded as it left.

“Now’s our chance!” Twinken whispered, taking Mona’s hoof and began to lead her down the hall.

“I-Is this really happening!? A-Are we going to get out!!?” Mona asked, surprised that Twinken’s plan worked.

“We just have to make it to the stairs and we’re home fr-WAH!!” he yelled, suddenly being pulled by his legs along with Mona and being lifted up into the air by black oozing tendrils.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

“CLeVer plOY… You are… as SNeaky as I remember… TWINKEN… And MINI ECLAIR… Oh, HOw I’ve missed YoU!”

“You- You know our names?!” Twinken whispered in a shuddery voice.
“My name… my name is Mini Eclair!” uttered Mona, or rather Mini Eclair, a rush of memories flooding forward, warm, scary, exhilarating.

“You… Two ArE the reason, WhY I’m here! For in THE pAst… No… NoW are responsible for My EXisTEnCE!!!”

“W-WHAT!? I’VE NEVER EVEN SEEN YOU BEFORE IN MY LIFE!!!” Twinken shouted, not feeling fear, but anger as he glared at the creature before him while hanging upside down.

“Yes… you have… AnD you ARE the ones responsible for mY existence… WherE iS hE?”

“What you’re saying doesn’t make sense!” Twinken protested, fear fueling his denial and defiance. “Until tonight, I’ve never been anywhere near this place! YOU brought me here, and Mon- Mini Eclair, and Goddess knows how many others and you KILLED them!”

“No matter, no matter, no matter… He wILL CoMe FoR Y-YOU… JuST liKE bEFoRe, BUT THIS TIME, I WILL SUCCEED!!! HE’S THE DECEIVER… I AM JUSTICE!!!”

“No…” Twinken shook his head as he looked upon the Entity with bitter contempt and perhaps a smidgen of pity.
“You’re just a monster… who’s killed and destroyed so many. And when my brother gets here, he’ll make sure you never hurt anyone ever again.”

“Twinken… please… stop! I don’t…want you to get hurt! We can’t get out of here!” Mini cried out, not out of fear of losing her life, but losing the closest thing she had to a friend in Faust knows how long. She looked at the Entity, so vile, so horrifying. But somehow, Mini Eclair saw something else underneath that frightening visage. She saw pain and fear, someone who had suffered for so long.
“Please… just stop…No one else has to die. There’s no need for anyone else to get hurt, please let us go!”

“When he pays for what he has done! After the light…comes the DARK!” he snarled in a slithery voice as more tendrils came out of his back and lunged at Twinken, the last thing he saw was the Entity’s mouth starting to form a sinister smile.

Meanwhile, Midnight and Watcher managed to make their way down a hallway full of doors, and with every one they’ve looked through, there was no sign of Twinken or Silver Smith.

“I knew this was going to be a difficult job… but this Tower shouldn’t have a complex design like this.” Watcher griped, grimacing at some goop on his right hind hoof he’d stepped in.

“I wager some kind of magic is twisting space and maybe even time in here somehow,” suggested Midnight as he kept the claws of Nightfall ready to strike at any spook or nasty that dared to leap out. “But nothing I know of could be capable of this. At least, not something your average magic user can do.”

“Ugh, the sooner we find Silver and Twinken the better,” huffed Watcher as he kept his own weapons and a spell at the ready.
“Hey, Midnight I’m curious… I never got the chance to ask you this since I wasn’t around, but are you certain that Twilight Sparkle is the one? I know it’s stupid asking this now, but I never got the chance to ask you before… So I’m asking you now.”

Midnight gazed at his cousin out of the corner of his eye, “You couldn’t begin to understand how sure I was, am and always will be. Why so curious about my wife, Watcher? Don’t tell me you had your own eye on her back when we were all foals.”

“Hah! As if… Besides, the way you were drooling over her, I don’t think I had the heart back then to break yours.”

“Ha! No offense, cuz, but while my Twily will gladly consider you a friend and extended family, she’d never have considered you a potential partner,” Midnight scoffed. “She’s a scholar, and you were quite the juvenile delinquent back in your youth.

“Not to mention, I was there for her as much as her brother. You hardly knew her at all, considering you lived in Vanhoover.”

“True, however, that all changed when my mother separated our families… See, I became a bit of a scholar myself… Even though I despised every second of it. However, the real reason I ask is because I don’t want her to hurt you… I wasn’t around to look out for you like I did back in the day, so I’m not sure how she turned out.”

“Oh, I’m not afraid of her hurting me, Watcher,” Midnight gave his cousin a hard and solemn look. The moment last a long time and it honestly felt a little tense for Watcher until Midnight clarified:

“I’m afraid of hurting her.”

“I take it you must have done something to her if you’re saying something like that, right?” he asked.

“I did. In another life,” Midnight said cryptically. “Let’s keep moving, something really stinks in here and I’d prefer not to tolerate it any longer than I have to.”

“You’re honestly realizing that now? This whole place reeks of death and rot… Makes me sick thinking about how long these bodies have been here!” Watcher stated, looking at a corpse slouched over in the corner with flies covering it. He honestly wanted to puke at the very sight and decided to continue onward.
“Anyways, while I’m sure you don’t want to talk about what happened… Let me give you a piece of advice that will help you along the way… LISTEN to your wife, and think about your actions before you make them. Whether it’s for the greater good or it’s down right immoral… Think before you act, cause now you are a married stallion. Your actions from this day forward to the next will not just affect you anymore… It affects your wife, and your future foals. Assuming you decide to have any..."

“Okay, Watcher, where is this coming from?” Midnight turned to give his cousin a look. “You hardly knew Twilight as a foal and now here you are telling me how to handle my marriage with her.

“...Something happened to you and somepony you cared about. Didn’t it?”

“First off… the advice I’m giving you now is to help you in the future, since you don’t feel like telling me what happened. However, I can pretty much guess you did something stupid right?”

“Believe me, Watcher, you’d hardly believe me if I told you the whole, long and intricate story,” Midnight sighed wearily as he kept going.

“We live in Equestria. As far as I know, anything at this point is possible. You don’t have to tell me, but take my advice at heart… It will help you down the road in life. And something did indeed happen, which is why I asked you if she was the one for you.”

Midnight paused and turned to look back at Watcher, “What happened?”

“About a year ago...I broke up with my last marefriend… We had been dating for about three years. She was a seamstress and at the time I was making a name for myself as a mercenary in the criminal underworld.”

“What were you thinking?”Midnight groaned, facehooving. “Watcher, getting involved with somepony while working in criminal circles?! You’re lucky I never busted you myself. Hell, it’s a miracle I never found out you were involved in crime!”

“Pfft! It’s called using an alias, and if you must know… She was a part of a mob family so she pretty much knew everything.”

“Who were you?” Midnight demanded. “What kind of work did you do for the mob?”

“First off, my aliases don’t matter… However, the work I did for them was rather simple, escorting their illegal weapons to Saddle Arabia and protecting the leader of the mob’s daughter. I was hired and they paid me handsomely for it, but I didn’t think I’d fall in love with that two-timing bitch!”

A cold dread suddenly dropped into the pit of Midnight’s stomach before asking, “Watcher… were you in Vanhoover three years ago?”

“Yes I was… Why?”

“Watcher, you look me in the eye and tell me,” Midnight said with a most serious tone as he glared into Watcher’s eyes and said, “Tell me you weren’t involved in the Blue Magic drug trade.”

“No… I wasn’t… At least not yet, I was there visiting my sister… since I promised my mother that I’d drop by once in a while to see her. I try not to get too involved with drugs, but when I do, it’s usually me removing certain targets from the equation.” Watcher said, his gaze now cold and empty that it almost frightened the alicorn.

“Now, I’m going to ask you…” Midnight continued to glare icicles into his cousin, “Did you ever work with somepony named Hard Knocks?”

“Hard Knocks… The name’s familiar, I think I might have met a guy like that… but I’m not sure.” he replied, opening another door to find yet another room with writing on the walls.
“Anyways, why do you care so much about this? Last I checked I was answering your previous question…”

“I care… because I killed him, Watcher,” Midnight said with a look of a haunted stallion.

Watcher couldn't believe what he had just heard. His cousin? A prince of Equestria? Confessing to murder?!

“I told you, Watcher, I have done things far worse than you can imagine,” Midnight elaborated. “For the past several years, I have been the leader of an off-the-books covert group that punishes criminals that the law can’t touch.

“Hard Knocks was a hired thug working for a drug trafficking ring operating in Vanhoover. My agents and I held a sting operation to catch them in the act. One of my agents almost died and to save her I had to kill the one who would most certainly have ended her life. Hard Knocks. It wasn’t till later I learned I’d made his son an orphan.

“And he’s not even the first, Watcher,” Midnight sighed, hanging his head, before saying, “I have killed all sorts of the lowest of the low. Some I don’t regret, a few… My wife and my friends know about this, and so does Princess Celestia. She’s the one who made me the leader of this group. I do the dirty work that she can’t afford to do herself. And while I have a considerable amount of blood on my ledger, I make no apologies for it, because of all the lives I’ve saved and the ponies I’ve helped.

“When this is over, Watcher, your mercenary days are over. From now on, you’re working for me.”

“So, I guess the both of us have blood on our hooves huh?” Watcher said, placing a hoof on his shoulder. “Midnight, I know what it’s like… to get my hooves dirty, for almost seven years now, I’ve been hired to escort illegal weapons, kill, threaten, and protect criminals. All for money… What you’ve done is protect the peace…”

“Which is why you’re gonna atone for your crimes by serving under me,” Midnight stated in a tone that implied there would be no arguing that.
“Some of the things I’ve done weren’t always for the right reasons, Watcher, so don’t go thinking I'm a saint or something, not by a long shot.”

“Who says I think you are a saint? No pony is perfect, Midnight, and the two of us are no exception. Truth be told, this was going to be my final job… one-hundred thousand bits for a little piece of whatever that thing is… And I’d be out, starting over in Manehattan,” he explained with a vaguely hopeful look.

“Well, you can kiss those bits goodbye,” Midnight responded tersely. “But I suppose I can find you something to do in Manehattan. A nice apartment, if you want it.”

“I’d appreciate that… However, I have one request to make?” Watcher asked, his tone softening a bit.

Midnight could see that it was important, and so kindly asked, “What is it?”

Taking a deep breath, Watcher turned towards Midnight. “I’d like some time to sort everything out before doing anything for your group… The only reason I took this job wasn’t just for the bits, but to settle everything once and for all… I have a lot on my plate and I can’t start over until it’s taken care of.”

“I can understand that,” nodded Midnight. “You’ll be given the time you need to get your affairs in order… but once that’s done, you're mine. Are we clear?”

“Crystal… And one more thing… My sister, Winter Rose… if something happens to me or my mother, take care of her for me. Or I’m coming back from the grave to haunt your sorry ass,” Watcher warned jokingly.

“Heh, I’d expect nothing less… from my big brother,” Midnight replied warmly, his response causing Watcher to freeze in place.

How long has it been since he called me that…? he thought to himself, feeling a warmth inside his heart that he hadn’t felt for so many years as he was unable to crack a smile.

“AAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

“That sounded like a filly!” Midnight rushed towards the sound, Watcher quickly following.

The Entity carried both Twinken and Mini in its tendrils as the two struggled to free themselves from its grasp, while making their way up a flight of stairs.

“HiS FaULt… Must PaY…”

“Psst… Twinken, I’m sorry! If I wasn’t a coward…w-we wouldn’t be in this mess,” Mini whispered, no longer struggling to escape the grip of the Entity’s tendrils.

“Ungh! Don’t blame yourself, Mini,” Twinken grunted as he continued to struggle, gasping a little when the tendril around his tummy tightened in response.
“If I wasn’t here… I wouldn’t have gotten to meet you!”

Mini gasped softly before she uttered, “You… you meant that?”

“Absolutely! And you would be alone if I wasn’t here,” Twinken gave her a kind smile, despite their present circumstances.
“No matter what happens, however scary it gets, we’ll be okay! Because my big brother and cousin are gonna come save us!”

“SILENCE!!” the Entity snapped harshly, tightening its tendrils so much more that both foals cried out in gasping pain.
“YoU aRe JuSt BaIt!! nOtHiNg MoRe… hE wIlL CoMe AnD hE wIlL PAY!!!!”

“Ergh! Who are you talking about?!” Twinken demanded, despite finding it difficult to breathe. “You still haven’t... explained how you know us! So... who is it we’re supposed to be bait for?”

“mUst paY! He’LL pay! BLaZe wIlL pAy dearly...!” The Entity seethed, its eyes glowing brighter with rage.
“I won’t kill you… I want Blaze… dead!”

“Wait, ‘Blaze’?!” Twinken gave the Entity a look of horrified realization. “You’re not talking about… Midnight Blaze?!”

“BLAAAAAAZZZZEEE!!!” The Entity roared in anger, quickly moving up the stairs and reaching the very top of the stair.
“I said that I wouldn’t kill you two… but I didn’t say anything about allowing you to live! I wILL dEstrOY BLaZE! And WaTChing YoU die before HiM sHalL break his spirit!”

“ERGH!!!” Twinken found his grit and focused on himself and Mini, the both of them Flashing out of the Entity’s grasp, making it snarl in frustration and look around when it sensed them reappear at the end of the hall.

But to the surprise of both the Entity and Mini, Twinken glared at the monster with a look of challenge, which intrigued the Entity while Mini looked afraid.

“Mini, get out of here! Call for my brother Midnight and cousin Watcher! They’ll help you!” Twinken ordered but kept his burning red gaze upon the Entity.

“Wha- NO!” Mini put her hooves on Twinken and tried to pull him away. “You can’t face this monster, Twinken! Let’s get out of here while we can!”

“YoU have No ChAnCe against ME,” the creature stated, its mouth revealing itself again as it started to form a smirk.
“However, I PlAnnED someThIng SpEciAl for you two brats! A DInneR date! AND yOu’rE the MAiN CouRSE!!!”

The Entity’s eyes flared with wretched darkness that spread through the hallway, across the walls and floor and ceiling, right under the foals’ hooves, alarming them! Before either of them could do anything, the darkness rose up like a murky and sticky ooze, engulfing them and keeping them from moving.

Twinken was scared but he didn’t let the fear get to him as he tried to focus his magic agai-

“Oh NO… nO mOrE mAgIc FrOm YOU!!!” The Entity sneered as its darkness rose up and coated Twinken’s horn, snuffing out any spark of mana it could muster.

Now Twinken really was scared as he struggled more desperately and began to whimper in terror along with Mini. But it was like trying to fight molasses in winter. It got even worse when the scummy darkness slid up their necks and covered their mouths, preventing them from talking any more, but it left their noses clear so they could still breathe.

“NoW, wE’vE dAlLiEd LoNg EnOuGh, We MuSn’T bE lAtE,” the Entity tut-tutted with a vile smugness.
“CoMe AlOnG tHeN, mY lItTlE aPpEtIzErS…”

Twinken and Mini whimpered in alarm as they seemed to slide along the floor, still gooped up with this filth, and followed after the Entity, like an obedient dog following its master.

Now what do we do?! Thought Mini as she was tearing up again.

We have faith, Twinken responded telepathically. My brother and cousin will come for us!

The Entity led them to a higher floor within the tower, throwing the two foals into a dank room with a heavy door. The darkness restraining them seemed to dissolve into a mustiness that allowed the foals to finally breathe more clearly even though it stank of rot and ash.

“NoW dO STay ALivE, I want YOur Brother to see YOU DIe beFoRE HiS VERy Eyes!”

“But why?!” Twinken glared at the Entity angrily but now tears were flowing from his eyes. Although the dark substance no longer restrained his movements, a little of it remained on his horn, preventing him from using any more magic.
“What reason do you have to hate Midnight?! He’s never even been to this tower before, none of us have!”

“You’ll see… the future shall change… Have fun with my latest creation. He’s very hungry.”

His… creation!? Twinken realized they were not alone in this room as the Entity left and shut the door, and a heavy sound of metal indicated it was now locked.

“Ugh! I’m… late…”

The low and raspy voice startled both foals as they pressed against each other for comfort and looked towards the dark corner from where they’d heard it, shivering with fear. A stallion in dirty brown cloak peered it’s head out of the darkness, seeing a normal stallion’s face began to put Twinken at ease, and just as he was about to reassure Mini that everything was going to be okay, he saw how pale she had become with the look of horror on her face made it apparent that things were not going to be alright.

“N-Not… Him!?” Mini uttered in abject terror. Twinken didn’t like the sound of that.

The stallion began to crawl towards the two and began to rise up slowly. “I’m… Late… So very late…”

Tar began dripping to the ground as Mini held onto Twinken tightly as the two watched the stallion get taller and taller until it finally revealed the stallion’s lower half was missing and in its place was a long exoskeleton of a centipede, it’s multiple legs clicking the ground as it approached them. The stallion’s right hoof was replaced with that of a large razor sharp blade similar to the pincer claw of a praying mantis.

“I’m late, I’m late, I’m late, I’M LATE!!!” The stallion roared, bringing down it’s pincer down, attempting to skewer Mini, but before it could strike her, Twinken managed to push her out of the way with his hoof before the impact sent him flying back.

“TWINKEN!” Mini shouted, rushing over to the colt’s side. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay…” Twinken stifled a groan of pain as he and Mini held each other and gazed up in horror at this mangled thing that used to be a pony.

“Twinken... what do we do now...!?” Mini asked, looking up at the wretched form of the monster that stood before them, the stallion’s face making a manic smirk as he slithered closer to them.

“I’m late… So very late!”

“I-I remember him! H-he’s the worst one! He’s crazy!!!” Mini explained, gripping her hooves around Twinken tightly.

“LATE!!!” The monster yelled charging directly at the two of them, thinking quickly Twinken and Mini both jumped out of the way before the stallion rammed its head into the wall.
“LATE LATE LATE!!!”

The sight of the twisted pony inflicting harm upon himself didn’t just scare the foals, but they couldn't help but feel sympathy. Whoever this poor pony once was, he was clearly suffering, in body and in mind.

“T-Twinken… Get out of here! You don’t know what this thing will do to you! I’ve seen it, and I don’t want you to get hurt!” Mini yelled, her eyes tearing up as she glared at the monster, watching it pull it’s head out of the wall and turn towards the two of them.

“Hold on, let’s see if I can reach him,” Twinken focused. His magic was disabled but not his telepathy.

Concentrating, he reached out with his mind, telepathically linking himself to this tortured creature as he thought:

If you can understand me, please be calm. I know you hurt right now, but-

LATE!! I’M LAAAATTTEE!!!!! GET OOOOUUUTT!!!

“AAUGH!” Twinken cried out in pain, falling back from the splintery thought of insanity that scratched at his own psyche, and he felt Mini fret over him as she helped him sit up. He looked at her and then at the-the… centi-pony as it seemed to writhe and curl up to shudder and whimper in the corner.

“What happened?!” whispered Mini.

“It’s… it’s too late for him,” Twinken whispered back, tearing up again with greater sympathy and even sorrow. “His mind, it’s… there’s no reaching him. Either he gets locked up… or someone ends his pain.”

“Twinken, please! You saved me, now it’s my turn to do the same for you! There’s a vent on the other side of the room! Now go!” Mini demanded as she charged at the stallion who was still disoriented from Twinken’s telepathy.

“MINI, NO!!” Twinken cried out, but before it could get physical-

*KABLAMM*

Twinken, Mini, and the centi-pony all cried out in alarm as the door exploded open and rushed Midnight and Watcher.

“Twinken!” Midnight hurried over to pull his little brother into a tight embrace.

“I’ve got the filly!” Watcher grabbed Mini and pulled her away from the centi-pony.

“Big brother! We’ve gotta get out of here!” Twinken looked up at Midnight in worry, “The monster! The one that brought me here! It’s after-!”

“Midnight! We found your brother, so let’s scram and find Silver before-” Watcher paused as he got a closer look at the monster in front of them. Seeing its face, the charcoal unicorn’s eyes widened in horrified recognition.
“...Grey Bar!?”

“Wait, you know him?” Midnight asked, concerned.

“That’s Silver’s uncle… but what happened to him!?” Watcher asked as he unsheathed his swords and they ignited in purple flames.
“Change of plans… you guys go find Silver Smith. I’ll see what I can do to help his uncle!”

“No, Watcher!” Twinken looked to his cousin with tearful sorrow, confusing the older unicorn. “He’s… he’s too far gone. His mind is shattered! The only way you can help him now… is to end his pain…”

“Doesn’t matter, you three need to leave now! No one else is getting hurt here!” Watcher said, his horn glowing brightly as he suddenly vanished and reappeared above Grey Bar.
Sorry old friend… But I can’t allow you to hurt anypony else!

Bringing his swords down, Watcher attempted to strike down Grey Bar quickly, but to his surprise his attack was blocked by a large pincer that then pushed him back and sent Watcher crashing into a pile of crates.
“Late… LATE!!!”

“WATCHER!!!” Midnight shouted, watching his cousin pulling himself out of the debris as the charcoal unicorn began to cast another spell, conjuring off a large black cloak that began to wrap around the morphed monster, suddenly scorching it in black flames.

The monster that was once Gray let out an unearthly shriek of agony while Midnight hurried Twinken and Mini out of the room and set them aside.
“Stay out here and don’t move and don’t watch! If something dangerous comes, run back in and alert us!”

Without waiting for their response, Midnight rushed back into the room where he saw the monster had managed to throw off the burning cloak as it scuttled viciously towards Watcher, who raised his swords for the monster’s overhead strike… only for it to come down onto Midnight’s gauntlets, as he’d jumped between his cousin to block the attack.

“What’re you doing?!” Watcher demanded.

“What does it look like, dingus?!” Midnight pushed the monster off as he focused his shadow powers towards his tail and spun `round, a blade of solid shadow whipping out from the tip of Midnight’s tail to strike the monster’s underbelly, causing it to scream in outraged agony as tar mixed with its own blood spilled from the wound.

“I don’t need your help! Just protect the foals!” Watcher shoved Midnight aside and launched himself at the monster… but seeing Grey’s face, his fear, his pain, it caused Watcher to falter and he didn’t see the monster’s tail swing out of nowhere to smack him around for a loop.

“You heard Twinken, Watcher!” Midnight hurried to stand beside his cousin as they both looked upon the former pony, mutated, twisted, vicious and insane.
“Look at him! Body and mind, it’s too late for him. The only way we can help him now is to make it so he no longer suffers.”

“URGH!! Just because you're a prince doesn’t mean you get to decide who lives or who dies!” Watcher argued, but looking upon Grey… his heart hurt with the bitter truth as he inwardly acknowledged that Midnight and Twinken were right.
"I’ll take care of him! Just get them out now!"

“Watcher, just listen to-” Before the alicorn could finish, the two were struck by the back of Grey’s massive pincer and sent flying through the room, landing near an old archaic elevator shaft.
“That- ugh… was close.”

“No kidding… Cuz, you’ve done more than enough here, you have a family to look after, and if anyone’s putting the old coot down… it’s going to be me,” Watcher said with somber grit, grasping his chest with his hoof, his injuries aggravated despite the healing measures he’d taken, as he struggled to stand up. His horn glowing brightly as a circle began to form around the two of them.
“I’ve been saving this spell for a while… Was going to use it against a certain target a while back, but it looks like we’re out of options. I’m going to need your help to put Grey down, but don’t expect me to teach this spell to you! Next time you see it hopefully it’ll be for our rematch!”

“Get on with it!” snapped Midnight urgently.

Watcher could only smirk as mana began to build up around them, surrounding them before it began to flood straight into their horns. Midnight suddenly felt a rush of energy flow into him and his mane began to ignite in silvery blue flames.

Twinken and Mini felt it too, but their manes only glowed but brightly all the same while the filth on Twinken's horn dissolved into nothing! While Watcher’s pure white mane began to turn into dark purple flames that seemed to only get bigger with every second.

“We’ll only have two minutes… but that’ll be enough to end this! So make it count!” Watcher ordered as he suddenly propelled himself into the air from the flames of his hooves and flew directly towards the monstrous stallion, sending multiple fireballs from his hooves at him, burning the beast’s face.

“URRRAAAAAUUUGGGHHHH!!!” the morphed stallion roared in painful rage before three more mantis-like pincers sprouted, tearing out from his back, blood dripping from the tips of each blade.

Seeing the charcoal unicorn hovering over him with purple flames, the deformed pony couldn’t help but lunge at Watcher with his new bladed limbs, only for the unicorn to maneuver shakily past each pincer and fly directly towards Grey Bar, striking him in the face with his hoof which then set it ablaze by Watcher’s flames, causing Grey to let out an unearthly scream of outraged agony as he literally slammed his face around in a desperate effort to put out the fire.

In the midst of his flailing however, Grey struck the charcoal stallion in the chest with his one remaining hoof and sent him falling towards the ground, skidding across the ground into the pile of crates from before, his flames dissipating as the stallion yelled in agony.

“GAHHHHH!!!”

“WATCHER!!!” Midnight rushed forward, quickly putting himself between his cousin and the twisted creature that was once a pony.

It snarled angrily at Midnight, who was a little disturbed to see its face burned, its left eye shriveled like a sunburned raisin…. Only for the damaged flesh to quickly ooze with that scummy tar! The foul substance seemed to congeal over the wounds, as though it were healing the body in some abominable way. The pain in Grey’s labored snarls lessened… before he lunged with his scythe-like limbs raised!

Midnight reared up, his clawed gauntlets, Nightfall, raised, and he focused his powers, augmented by the energies provided by Watcher’s spell, and he called upon the shadows as he shouted, “SHADOW CLAW!!!”

The shadows around them zeroed in, flowing to Midnight, like water, up his body and straight to both gauntlets of Nightfall, coating the gauntlets and their claws, extending their reach and their range and their deadliness as Midnight raised them up to easily block Grey’s attack! The monster was surprised that his assault was easily halted when Midnight focused again, this time calling upon his lunar magic as the jewels on the back of each gauntlet lit up with silvery blue energy and he growled, “Night Saber…”

From each gauntlet extended a blade of both lunar and shadow magic, appearing as energy blades form from the darkness of night yet radiated with the silvery-blue of moonlight! Midnight narrowed his eyes at the creature as he said, “My turn…”

He lunged at Grey and before the beast knew it, all of its scythe-like limbs were cut off in a twirling flash and then scattered across the floor. It roared in pain as it bled more of that black filth, but it only turned and lunged at Midnight, who whispered, “Shadow Twin.”

Midnight suddenly propelled up and over Grey as Grey struck at a fleeting image of Midnight, which quickly vanished in a visual flicker, confusing him while Midnight landed behind him and then held out his gauntlets as he shouted, “DARKEST LARIAT!!!”

He spun like a tornado, his claws a ferocious flurry striking Grey in a relentless assault of attacks, slashing, striking, beating at the monster as it tried to throw Midnight off. Only when the monster faltered that Midnight ceased his assault and jumped away as he glared at the monster, only for his glare to soften as he heard it… or him whimper despite continuing to snarl and seethe.

I have to wrap this up, Midnight thought, there’s nothing more that can be done.

Midnight had taken life before. He’d killed various criminals, gangsters, crime lords, the worst of the worst. But never had he killed someone like this. This was not a criminal. This was once a pony. But no more. Now, he was twisted and tortured into something that was in constant agony and would never be who he once was.

All that could be done was to give him one last mercy.

But Midnight hesitated just a moment too long, for all of a sudden, the monster spun `round, launching a flurry of quill-like spikes at Midnight, who gasped but managed to react by yelling, “Half Moon Shield!”

A frontal shield of moonlight solidified by mana appeared in front of Midnight,appearing like half of a bubble, protecting him from the dark projectiles, but it had been a distraction!

Neither Midnight nor Watcher had noticed, but Twinken and Mini had both walked back into the room, afraid of being in the hallway by themselves, and moved to the side of the door. Unfortunately, they’d caught Grey’s attention as he then lunged towards them, like predator pouncing towards its prey.

The screams of his little brother and the filly alarmed Midnight like nothing else! Time seemed to move slowly for just a fleeting moment. But Midnight’s big brother instincts spurred him and guided him as he focused the whole of his power, gathering his magical energy, his lunar energy, his shadow energy, concentrating all of it into Nightfall.

He held out the gauntlets, feeling the energies surge and crackle between the claws, volatile yet focused. Ready and eager for release. This monster that was once a pony was to be pitied…

But no one threatens my little brother!! Midnight thought with furrowed brows as he aimed and shouted:

“LUNAR FORCE!!!!”

No one heard a thing. No one saw anything. Because the light blinded them all, except for Midnight, as a super dense beam of sheer power was unleashed! It burned and flowed and surged with the shadow beyond the darkest night and the light of the full moon! It completely engulfed Grey while blowing right through him into the wall, out of the tower and into the distant horizon, visible for miles like a shooting star!

And then it was over, the energy going out in flickers, like a faulty lightbulb.

As the dust settled… Midnight, Watcher, Twinken and Mini looked with stunned disbelief at the devastation Midnight’s power had done to the Tower. The hole was wide enough for an average sized pony to step through, but the damage was undeniable. Yet the parts that were just… gone showed no signs of burning impact. It was as if the beam of power had literally wiped out whatever had been in its path from existence.

Including Grey. Or at least part of him.

His head was still there, along with his right foreleg and the right side of his barrel. The rest of his body however was as gone as everything else the power had wiped away as easily as leaves in the wind.

Grey laid upon the floor, wheezing as death began to take him.

Midnight felt the weight of guilt return as he looked despondently at Grey’s face. It seemed perhaps a semblance of sanity had returned to him, because he looked back at Midnight, who was dismayed to see Grey… shed a tear from his remaining eye as he pulled his lips back in the barest of smiles before he drew his last breath.

And then the light left his eye.

“M-Midnight…” Watcher muttered as he limped over to his cousin.

He saw Midnight was now hanging his head in regret, letting his wings limp in shame, and he saw the gauntlets on his forelegs flash as Nightfall returned to being a sword that clattered in front of Midnight on the floor and then was absorbed back into his body. Midnight then gave Watcher a tearful look, his lips quivering, the look of a pony whose heart bled with remorse.

“Midnight... you did what was right. Thanks to you, Grey is free,” Watcher assured, placing a hoof on the alicorn’s shoulder before pulling him into a tight embrace.

They were quickly joined by Twinken, who was worried for his big brother, and Mini, who just wanted to be part of the hug. Midnight shook as he choked back a sob and uttered, “W-What about Silver?! How do I…?”

“I’ll explain everything to him… Right now though we need to worry about finding him and getting the hell out of here,” Watcher said, pulling away from the prince.
“No point lingering, so let’s find Sil-”

“No need! I’ve seen everything I needed to know.”

The four ponies turned towards the doorway to find a pair of glowing blue eyes. At first they thought it was the Entity, but peering out of the darkness, they found Silver Smith standing before them, but his cheeks were stained with tears. Midnight felt the blood in his veins turn to ice and his heart begin to pound, his eyes widening at the sight of Silver.

“Silver?” Watcher whispered as he felt a chill, noticing something about his friend. Something about Silver was not right, for his friend wore a blank expression on his face as he approached them.
“Silver, wait… Whatever you're thinking, please just wait and listen!”

“What do you mean Watch, I haven’t done anything… In fact, I’m here to help you! Get away from that freak and that twerp of his!” Silver demanded as he suddenly snarled at his friend, his blank expression twisting into a bitter animosity as he glared coldly at them.

“That ‘freak and twerp’ are my family! What’s with you?!” Watcher yelled back as he put himself between Silver and the others, Midnight pulling Twinken and Mini close.

“What’s with me? What’s with you, Watcher!?” Silver ranted like a mad pony, his eyes starting to twitch and his hooves beginning to shake.
“Can’t you see that everything that is happening here is because of HIM!?! I found out that this Tower, the monsters within it, the Entity itself! All of it is because of MIDNIGHT BLAZE.”

Silver pointed at the alicorn, glaring with hatred as he gritted his teeth.
“The writing! The Whispers! All of it is because of HIM!!! He’s a murderer, he just killed my uncle in cold blood! He manipulated all of us! That creature has been here for over seven hundred years and it’s done nothing but try to warn us about HIM!!! Midnight created that thing, and all it wants is revenge for taking something important! Well right here, and right now I’m finishing this!”

“Silver, are you evening hearing the shit coming out of your mouth!? Midnight wasn’t around seven hundred years ago! I know because I’ve known him since he was a baby, so how the hell could he have created that thing when he wasn’t even born! You’re talking crazy, you need to calm down and we can talk about this after we get out of here,” Watcher explained, his horn flickering as he stood his ground between Silver and Midnight.

“I thought you’d say that… So I worked out a deal.” Silver explained, his horn glowing bright before tar started to seep to the ground and two wolves formed before them, lunging at the charcoal unicorn as they pinned him to the ground.
“They won’t kill you… However I can’t let you stop me from killing this bastard!”

“S-Silver, listen… I didn’t make that thing! I didn’t lie about anything!” Midnight explained, still holding onto Twinken while Mini held onto his leg, shaking in fear as she noticed the glow in the white stallion’s eyes. The same glow the Entity had.

“Really? Cause I learned something from the Entity that I’m sure you won’t mind sharing with everypony. You are a cold blooded killer! You created a group that kills innocent ponies, and you lie to cover it up! Am I wrong?! How could the Entity know something like that… unless you created it!”

“Silver, just listen-”

“SHUT UP!!!!” Silver bellowed, his horn firing off a gust of wind, blowing the three ponies away, separating Midnight from the two foals!
“You are going to pay! For lying, for killing, and manipulating my friend! But above all else...for MURDERING MY UNCLE!!!”

389. The Ticking Tower - Part 6

Silver Smith looked at the blue alicorn, his eyes burning with hatred, never in all his life had he hated somepony so much. It gave him focus, made him stronger! Midnight had just taken away the only family he had left and now he had nothing. Nothing... but revenge!

“Midnight, I honestly thought you were a decent pony, I might have even called you a friend. Uncle Grey Bar was the only family I had left, and now… I have no family,” Silver spoke with a sinister calm as a single tear welled up in his eye. He blinked it away as he focused his emotions and mana together.

“My soul… that is what you have taken FROM ME!!!” he shouted, his horn sparking with a dark aura as swords of solid blackness formed above his head and fired them directly at the alicorn.

Midnight’s horn immediately created a barrier around himself to block the barrage of blades, only for it to shatter, barely protecting him.

“Silver, please listen to me! We didn’t have a choice, Grey Bar was corrupted by the creature controlling the tower! He was suffering and we tried to help him!” Midnight tried to explain, but before he could go on, Silver only scowled at him as his body suddenly evaporated and fog began to fill the room.

“Midnight! I’m coming!” Watcher yelled as he kicked the mindless beasts off of him and pulled out his last remaining sword. Despite having a few broken and fractured bones, along with his cuts and bruises from fighting Silver’s uncle, he wasn’t ready to stop fighting just yet. However, before he could run into the fog, two more hounds appeared out of the ground and suddenly began to meld together forming an even larger beast.
“Seriously?! I can’t catch a break!”

Meanwhile, both Twinken and Mini could only watch in fear, hidden behind what few remaining boxes there were as the fight continued.

“T-Twinken, what are we going to do?” Mini asked fretfully as they watched the violence continue.

“I’m not sure…” Twinken gulped when a crazy idea crossed his mind, “but… maybe I can help.”

Twinken closed his eyes and focused, reaching out with his mind, sensing Mini, then Watcher and Midnight… and finally Silver! Twinken winced as he brushed against Silver’s mind, already becoming entangled with madness yet there remained some clarity.

Silver, please! You don’t want to do this, Twinken pleaded telepathically, I felt your uncle’s mind! He was in pain but he couldn’t be reached! It’s not fair, I know, but what Midnight did-

GET OUT!!!

“AUGH!!” Twinken cried out in pain from the spike of rage, so sickening it literally made him feel like puking, piercing into his head.

“Twinken!” Mini placed a concerned hoof on Twinken’s back.

“He won’t listen!” Twinken whispered to her fearfully as they watched the fog bunch up and reform into Silver’s body.

Silver gave Twinken a poisonous look that promised he would be next soon enough, but his attention was on Midnight.

“Midnight, I promise you will suffer… you’ll regret ever crossing paths with my family!” Silver declared as another blade formed in his hoof, he couldn’t help but smirk seeing how weakened Midnight was after fighting his uncle.

“Silver, please! I am sorry, but your uncle was too far gone!” Midnight pleaded, tears running down his face, “We tried to reach him but his mind was too damaged to be reasoned with, and he was suffering!

“I know what it’s like to lose someone you love, but you’re not alone! You still have Watcher and you could still make friends who will be there for you!”

“SHUT UP!!” Silver snarled, spittle flying from his mouth as his eyes were wide and maddened with rage and spite.
“From the moment I stepped into this damned place, your name has haunted my every waking moment! It took some searching… but I found the truth for myself! All of this is YOUR FAULT. So now it’s time for you to PAY! You AND YOUR BRAT BROTHER WHO JUST TRIED TO MESS WITH MY HEAD!!!”

“Silver… I want to help you,” Midnight narrowed his eyes, “but I will not stand for any threats towards my little brother. I beg of you - Stand down and let’s leave this horrible place together before-”

“The only ones leaving are me and Watcher, once he’s seen the truth as I have,” Silver’s sword burst with cursed flames burning with miasma, “while you and those incessant foals will remain in this tower as your tomb!!”

Midnight tried to fire off a bolt of magic at the white unicorn, but before he could, Silver Smith charged at him, swinging his sword downward in an attempt to cut him in half. However, using his wings, Midnight took flight, barely dodging the blade.

Damn it! I’m not just tired, I’ve exhausted a lot of my mana! Midnight winced as he tried to circle around Silver. I’ve got to end this quick or-

“You aren’t getting away from me, you bastard!!!” Silver shouted, as tendrils sprouted from the ground, surrounding him as they suddenly lashed out at the alicorn. However, before they could make contact with the alicorn, purple flames began to form around Midnight, preventing him from being harmed.

“SILVER!!! That’s enough!!!” Watcher yelled in anger as he struggled to stand. Midnight noticed that his cousin wasn’t looking so good, blood dripped from his forehead, claw marks covered his entire body. He could only imagine the pain his cousin was feeling, regardless of all the healing measures he’d taken.
“It’s time to stop… Are you really going to kill an innocent pony? You never had the spine to do it, Silver, because you aren’t a killer! Grey Bar would be disappointed in you!”

“My uncle isn’t here!! Is he?!!” Silver shouted, the tendrils surrounding him suddenly lashed out at his oldest friend.

In response, the charcoal unicorn to fire off a barrage of purple flames, disintegrating the black tendrils as Watcher created a black orb of mana above his head and launched it at his oldest friend while Silver Smith created a barrier made out of tar to protect him from the oncoming assault.

The sudden impact caused the wall to disperse, scattering across the entire room while Midnight fell to the ground from exhaustion. The Alicorn struggled to stay on his hooves as he watched his cousin charge at his former friend and began to exchange blows with him. It was strange for him to suddenly become so weak that he could barely stand on his hooves, but somehow his cousin, who was in more pain than anypony else, could somehow push onward.
What’s… wrong with me? I feel so weak! It-it must be this tower… something about it is draining me. Watcher… be strong, big brother.

It was difficult for Watcher to fight his best friend, and despite his injuries, he needed to push forward and put a stop to this nonsense Silver was spouting on about. Holding fast, Watcher began to wind up his hoof for another uppercut as the white unicorn came charging at him again, throwing a left hook that barely missed his face, before returning with a counter strike, hitting Silver Smith in his jaw and sending him falling to his back.

Watcher had the advantage in combat and experience with his time as a hired mercenary, but somehow Silver Smith was holding his own against him even though he had never had been in a serious fight in all of his life. The white unicorn stood up and back hoofed him in the face, before throwing a left hook, knocking Watcher to the ground.

“Watcher! Why are you protecting that lying bastard!”

“Because he’s family! Same as you, Silver!” Watcher grunted as he ignored the pain and forced himself to stand.
“Silver, please! Wake up! This isn’t you, it’s this place! It’s cursed, evil! It’s messing with your head. This isn’t you, Silver!”

“Isn’t it? I feel more like myself than I ever have!” Silver pulled his lips back in a twisted smirk and a look of happy madness in his eyes that quickly darkened into a warning glare. “So let me make myself clear, Watcher… Step aside, or I will kill you along with that fraud of a prince!”

“ERRAUGHH!!!!” Watcher mustered a powerful spell that ignited magic flames of purple and zoomed straight at Silver like undulating ribbons, sending him for a loop.

Silver hadn’t expected such a vicious attack as he fell and rolled across the floor, only a pony’s length away from the shaft. Groaning angrily, he shook his head and was about to stand when he felt Watcher rush over to pin Silver down.

“Silver… please!” Silver felt a flicker of shock to see Watcher giving him a desperate look of sympathy, “You’re a good person but you’re making all of the wrong decisions!”

“SHUT UP!!” Silver tried to force Watcher off, but he held firm.

“Is this really what Grey Bar would have wanted? What your parents would have wanted?!” Watcher demanded.

“I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!!!” Silver screamed as his voice began to break and a shock spread across his face as a sliver of sanity surfaced and Silver broke into tears as he uttered, “I- I don’t… I don’t know what else to do…!”

“It’s not too late to end this…”

“Your… you're right… I should end this!” Silver yelled, his horn was suddenly surrounded by a dark aura and it suddenly wrapped around the charcoal unicorn, lifting him up into the as he began to yell in agony, mana began to flow out of Watcher and into Silver Smith.
“I’ll fix you Watch… You’ll be free from that freak's control!”

However, before Silver Smith could take anymore mana away from Watcher, Midnight suddenly tackled the white unicorn to the ground, causing him to release his cousin from Silver’s grasp and began to punch him repeatedly.

“I’M THE ONE YOU’RE AFTER SO LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!” Midnight shouted, throwing punches across Silver’s face, but he was suddenly thrown off of him. Silver soon stood on top of his back and began to crush one of his wings with his hooves.
“AHHHH!!”

“Hurts doesn’t it!!!” Silver yelled, picking up the alicorn from his neck with his tendrils and held him up high into the air!
“You won’t take anything else from anypony again! With this power, I’ll eliminate everypony you corrupted, saving them all. And Equestria will finally be free from your evil!!!!”

“LEAVE THEM ALL ALONE!!!” Everypony turned towards the source of the voice, terrified and desperate, seeing Mini Claire dashing towards them with a lit up lantern in her magic before she suddenly tossed it directly into Silver’s face, hot melted wax burning his fur and flesh, causing him to drop Midnight as he screamed in pain.

“MINI!!! GET OUT OF THERE!!!” Twinken shouted, running towards her.

“INSOLENT BRAAAAATTTT!!!!” Silver screamed in agonized madness, grabbing her by her mane with his hoof before she could have the chance to run and threw her against the wall with all his might

*CRACK*

“Mini?” Twinken uttered as he stared at the unmoving form of his friend as a pool of blood began to form around her.

“Stupid foal…” Silver winced as he conjured some grim mana that seemed to heal the burns on his face yet left some foul residue, staining Silver’s fur with dark bluish-purple as his eyes turned back towards Midnight, who was struggling to stand as he felt his strength slipping away.
“Heheha, can you feel it, your highness?! Your strength, your power, fading like the sunlight at dusk…”

“Silver, please…!” Midnight groaned, not just feeling weak but now starting to feel sick to his stomach. “You’ve crossed a line already, don’t make it worse!”

“What, the filly?” Silver snubbed, “That poor thing was already lost. Her mind clouded and poisoned into believing you to be some kind of a hero, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, now could it…”

“It’s true… I have blood on my hooves,” Midnight might not have had the strength, but he certainly had the will, to stand and face adversity and return Silver’s look of disdainful arrogance with one of a stallion who remained true to his virtues.
“I have taken life, more times than I care to count. But it was always in the service of doing good, to protect the people and the nation they call home. You? I don’t know what kind of pony you were before you stepped into this tower… but whoever you were before, now you’re unrecognizable.”

Silver narrowed his eyes as Midnight went on.

“You’re poisoned with fear, spite, and insanity! Blind with paranoia and self-righteousness, and now you are a murderer of an innocent soul!”

“SHUT UP, YOU…!!!” Silver screamed as he lashed out with his hooves, wretched darkness extending from them to form a vile grasp that seized Midnight by the throat as he pulled the alicorn closer to look him in the eye as he seethed, “You are going to look me in the eye as I kill you… so I can see the light leave your eyes! Just as it left my uncle’s after you killed him!!!”

“Sil- Ach!” Midnight tried to utter, but Silver began to squeeze, Midnight starting to choke, too weak to force Silver off, only able to resist pitifully as he tried in vain to push Silver off. But he might as well have been trying to break a wall of solid steel with a weed.

Twinken had been staring in utter shock and heartbreak to see Mini’s unmoving body as blood pooled around her head. But hearing his brother’s choking cries snapped him out of it as he looked over and saw Silver choking the life out of him.

“No…!” Twinken whispered. He’d just lost Mini. He would not lose his brother!

Looking around, he quickly noticed what looked like a rusty old pipe. He focused, his red mana lifting the pipe, which was heavier than it looked, and Twinken screamed desperately as he gave it a HEAVE!

An explosion of pain sent lightning bolts through Silver’s skull, breaking his concentration and causing him to release his grip on Midnight’s throat. Midnight fell to his haunches, gasping for breath while Silver stumbled, dazed, in pain, but through the fog of it… he took notice of Twinken, who stared at him in contemptuous horror.

Silver felt rage burn in his guts, incensed by his pain, field by his hatred! He glared with the twisted look of a madpony as he ROARED and lunged for Twinken, who fell back, whimpering… when Watcher charged in from out of nowhere, tackling Silver away from his little cousin!

The impact of the larger and heavier stallion caused Silver to roll with momentum… straight for the shaft.

For the briefest of moments, Watcher and Silver’s eyes met, and Watcher felt his heart tear in two as he’d realized what he’d just done, and felt a terrible weight drop into his stomach as Silver uttered one word in confused fear.

“Watcher?”

And then… he fell.

“AAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH...!!!!!" Silver screamed at the top of his lungs as he plummeted down the shaft, vanishing into the dark, his screams echoing until his voice could no longer be heard.

“Silver… You left me, with no other choice.” Watcher muttered to himself, before turning to see Twinken helping his brother to his hooves, tears streaming down his cheeks as his eyes were trained on Mini Claire.

Seeing how devastated the young colt was, he immediately rushed over to the little filly’s side and noticed that her horn was cracked and she was dripping blood from her forehead, but using his magic, he checked for a pulse and he felt a faint heartbeat. The filly was still alive!
“She’s alive, but we need to get her to a hospital fast! Let’s get out of this damn place!”

It took them a while, but eventually, the two stallions and foals made it to the bottom floor hall. Hardly a word had been spoken as they’d descended the several flights of stairs. Midnight had put Grey Bar out of his misery, Watcher had killed his best friend to save his cousins and Twinken was worried about Mini Claire, whose horn had been cracked and despite bandaging it up as best they could, the secured cloth was starting to redden.

This place, this tower… Midnight thought as they reached the ground floor, It must be destroyed.

Although he and Watcher were still in bad shape, Midnight was relieved that a little of his strength had returned to him, but that didn’t assure his dread nor did it shed any light as to exactly what sort of evil haunted this cursed place. Lives had been taken here, dragged into these dark walls, driven mad, terrified, drained, slaughtered by a faceless horror that none of them could comprehend.

Looking across the room, they saw the doors ajar, faint starlight pouring in.

“We’re almost out…” Watcher winced in pain as he felt his injuries punishing him for continuing to deny himself rest, yet he couldn’t help smirking in relief.

“I know a flare spell,” Twinken stepped in front of his brother and cousin, “I’ll run out and launch it to let the guards know we need help!”

“Twinken, wait!” Midnight called after his brother, but the colt was already running towards the exit.

He hadn’t even made it halfway when…

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tock-tock…!

Twinken froze in utter horror as he whispered, “Not again!”

Midnight and Watcher sensed it too as a malevolent aura filled the room, a sickening weight dropping into the pits of their stomachs and an ominous chill washed over their aching bodies! Though she did not wake, Mini stirred and whimpered in her unconscious state.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

Twinken took notice of the dripping tar coming from above him and it was there that his eyes widened in terror as the Entity started oozing from the ceiling above them as he immediately ran back to Midnight and Watcher, who took a stance as the Entity began to form before them. Its piercing blue eyes stared at the two stallions with pure hatred, as its limbs began to grow, and the same old white suit reformed around it. The Entity towered over the four of them as it’s tendrils waved back and forth in the air before finally the same white hat appeared atop of it’s head.

“A-AlIVe!!? N-No… Nonononono! HoW? TELL ME HOW!?!?” The Entity roared, its tendrils grabbing the four of them and hoisted them up high into the air, bringing Midnight closer.
“The Blaze lies… Death follows you… like a shadow! I MUST DESTROY!!!”

“LEAVE HIM!!!” Watcher shouted, shooting out a bolt of mana at the Entity, scorching it’s torso, causing it to drop them all to the ground.
“Midnight, get these kids out of here… I can hold off this thing long enough for you to get to safety. And once you are out… BLOW THIS FUCKING TOWER TO HELL!!!”

“No! I’m not leaving you!” Midnight argued, but before he could continue, he suddenly had the wind knock out of him as he was sent crashing into the wall by the force of the Entity’s black tendrils.

“Leave now with the foals… or die like that deceiver!” The Entity spoke, keeping a blank expression as it’s words sent a chill down the charcoal stallion’s spine, but he held his ground.

“Sure… After I kick your goddessdamn ass!!” Watcher shouted, using what little mana he had left, he managed to conjure a black flame above the tip of his horn, it seemed small to the young colt who held Mini in his hooves as he watched his cousin launch at the Entity. However, once it connected, the creature was suddenly engulfed in black flames, its suit burning away as it let out a wretched screech that echoed throughout the whole tower, shaking the very surface they stood on.

Seeing the Entity true to put the flames out, Watcher rushed over to Midnight’s side and helped him to his hooves.
“Midnight… Please tell me you have a plan? Cause I’m… fresh out of mana and ideas! We can’t conjure our weapons and it looks like those flames of mine ain’t going to last long! In other words, our butts are against the wall here!”

“Urgh… I barely have any mana left myself, but…” Midnight groaned as he tried to think when something crossed his mind. “Wait… this place… it’s like a prison or… no, it’s more like a wizard’s tower!”

“What do you mean?” Watcher asked, keeping his eyes on the Entity as it was literally pulling itself together.

“Unicorn mages that dedicate themselves to the arts of magic often construct a tower to serve as their home or at the very least a stronghold where they can safely and privately practice their magic,” explained Midnight, “and as with every venue, it’s all about… location!”

Midnight focused what mana he had left and directed it towards the ground on which the Tower stood. Through the murk, the darkness, the unclean essence that flowed through this evil place like poisoned blood…

There! Midnight’s eyes snapped open and he smiled with just a little madness but more with restored hope, “I knew it! That explains why this place is so rife with energy!”

“Get to the point already, cuz…!” Watcher urged as the Entity was almost done repairing the damage to its body.

“Watcher! This tower! It’s built upon a ley line!” Midnight explained, “If you can keep it busy for just a moment…!”

“AUGH!! Why do I always gotta do the dirty work…?!” Watcher griped as he charged forward. “Midnight, you damn well better be onto something here! If I die and you don’t I’ll haunt you for the rest of your life!”

“Just keep him busy…!” Midnight closed his eyes as he concentrated, his horn beginning to light up while his wings spread.

“Damn it!” Watcher groaned as he picked up an old rusted dagger that had been sticking out of an old skeleton.
“HEY, OVER HERE YOU, BIG PILE OF RANCID HORSEAPPLES!!! COME AND GET ME!!!”

However, as Watcher held the old dagger in his hoof, the Entity started to reform once again, but something felt off to the unicorn as he noticed tar coming out of the walls, floors, and ceiling and began to flow into the Entity.

“Midnighhhhhtt!!! YOU DONE YET!!?!!”

“Patience is a virtue, you know, cuz!” Midnight responded as he probed deeper...

“Not right now it isn’t, you bastard!!!”

“Midnight, I really think you should hurry!” Twinken called from the sidelines, keeping Mini out of harm’s way.

“Almost there, almost there…!” Furrowing his brows in the most intense of concentration, Midnight was beginning to sweat, a vein pulsing on the side of his head, as he pushed what little power he had left downwards…

Watcher could only watch in frustration as he quickly turned to face the monster once more, but when he did, he was met with something even worse. The creature that stood before them now was a massive beast that had three heads of a hound like Cerberus, the Keeper of Tartarus, it had six long legs and six arms that resembled that of the dragons.

“For seven hundred long years… I’ve dreamed of you… I remembered you… I-I HATED you!!! OH I’VE BEEN WAITING… HERE… ALL THIS TIME FOR THIS VERY MOMENT!!! TIME TO DIE!!!!” The Entity roared, raising its massive arms and flexing its terrible claws.

Watcher was scared, but he held his ground as he shouted, “And how many lives have you destroyed?! How many have suffered a dark and lonely demise because of your insanity? I bet you don’t even remember who or what you are, but whatever happened to you, it was your own fault because none of us have ever been here and you’re totally bonkers to continue to delude yourself otherwise!!!”

“RRRGGGGGHHHAAAAUUUGGHGHHH!!!!!!!!” The Entity screamed and roared in utter fury as it threw its many claws right toward Watcher, who winced and closed his eyes-

A chill suddenly cut through the violent situation, causing the Entity to quite literally freeze in its tracks, its claws mere inches away from enclosing around Watcher’s form… and then there was a light!

Watchter, Twinken, and the Entity looked to the source and saw Midnight. He now stood on all four of his hooves, his head hung low… as fractals of mana flowed around him in a flurrious display of power! Slowly but surely, he raised his head and stood tall and proud as his eyes then opened and from the corners flowed turquoise mana behaving like blue fire!

The wounds Midnight had accumulated throughout this night in this wretched tower glowed and faded away, completely healed.

“Find the Light… Nightfall!”

Midnight’s sword appeared in a burst of blue embers that quickly burst again into flames that flowed over the whole of his form! Then the fires died away, revealing Midnight now clad in his Harmonic Armor and Helm, armed with the clawed gauntlets of Nightfall’s empowered form!

His horn lit up like a beacon as Midnight looked to Watcher and a beam of energy quickly flew to the older stallion and he gasped! He felt his energy reignite! His pain and injuries burned for the briefest of moments before they gave way to the soothing warmth of a healing magic and he felt as though he was filling to the brim with power! For he was, as the excess energy flowed from his own eyes in the form of purple flames!

Watcher sighed in blessed relief as he gave Midnight a good-natured glare, “Damn it all, Midnight! I’m not sure if I just lost a few years of my life from that close shave or if you added a few decades!”

“Eh, prob’ly both,” Midnight shrugged, “Better late than never though, huh?”

“Guess I can’t complain now.” Watcher stated, his horn beginning to glow as he fired off multiple black flames at the Entity, consuming the beast’s body, but not before it swung several of its arms at the two mages. The two managed to dodge the counter attack with ease.

“YOU SHALL ALL PERISH!!!!” The Entity roared in rage as it had finally put the rest of the black flames out. Tendrils suddenly sprouted from all over its body and tar began to drip to the ground and ponies began to form.

“Crap… as if we haven’t had enough to deal with!" Watcher shouted, as he tried to conjure up his blades, but the tar ponies began to charge at them, forcing them to take them on bare hoofed. Watcher's hooves quickly ignited in purple flames and he began to swing his hooves at each of the oncoming waves of enemies, burning parts of their bodies off with each strike.
“I’ll hold them off while you take care of that bastard!”

“Gladly…” Midnight faced the Entity, the claws of Nightfall bared and itching for a slaughter. He raised the foreclaw towards the force of evil as he declared, “You have been tried and you have been measured. You have terrorized this land and those of Trottingham for too long, and have taken countless lives, subjecting them to horror and death! Whoever or whatever you once were, I pray Faust will show mercy on your soul… Count up your sins!!”

Without hesitation, Midnight charged and the Entity snarled as it met him halfway in a brutal impact of its goopy hoof smashing into the closed fits of Nightfall’s right gauntlet, but did not expect the left gauntlet to slash upwards, cutting the Entity’s hoof off, making it stumble back and scream in agony.

It shook in pain and rage as its tar-like filth bled from the open wound and formed a new hoof to replace the one Midnight had taken. It threw a livid glare at Midnight as it seethed, “I HATE YOU!! YOUR VERY EXISTENCE IS A CURSE!!!! A LIE!!!”

“You hate the fact that you’re facing someone who can fight back,” Midnight responded coldly, “someone you can’t scare and push around like the coward and bully you really are!”

“RRRAUGH!!!” The Entity roared as tendrils grew and writhed from its back and withers before lashing out at Midnight.

“Full Moon Shield,” Midnight spoke softly, a spherical shield of silvery-blue energy rising up to protect him.

The Entity’s filthy tendrils tried to whip and grasp and break through, but it couldn’t get a grip. It was like trying to grasp a smooth and slippery ball.

“ERRGH! Hide ALL you like, Welp! Hide like the coward you really are!!!” The Entity raged.

“PATHETIC!” Midnight focused a pulse of energy across his shield’s surface, jolting the tendrils and the Entity recoiled them back, more from surprise than pain, when Midnight raised one of his gauntlets, energy flowing as he waved it forward.
“You are… NOTHING!!!”

The energy rose up in vaporous wisps before bunching into a dense energy ball… that suddenly fired a volley of lasers straight at the Entity! It shrieked in pain as some of the lasers tore into its body, causing it to retreat and run to avoid the lasers but they kept coming.

"No, nononono…?! Me! On the run! IMPOSSIBLE!" The Entity thought with a most infuriated outrage!
"No! I’ve waited too long, I’ve suffered too much! I… will have MY REVENGE!!!"

The Entity stopped running but its form collapsed into a viscous sludge, avoiding the lasers as they only affected the Entity’s physical body. Midnight stopped his Lunar Lasers and narrowed his eyes as the Entity’s putrid slime seemed to seep and sink into the cracks into the floor, seemingly disappearing.

Midnight was on high alert, looking around but keeping his cool, waiting for his enemy to strike. Remembering his training, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes before reaching out with his senses. His ears listened, his nose smelled, his hooves felt. He had been trained by a master Lunobi to sense presences as well as the intent to kill. It’d been difficult, but he’d mastered the discipline… as he suddenly whirled around, forming blades of solid shadow from his wingtips to meet the sneak-attack from above as the Entity had reformed from cracks in the ceiling and dropped down, its own wretched claws bared, only to meet Midnight's defense before he threw it to the side, causing the Entity to roll head over feet before it scrambled to stand and growl viciously at Midnight.

“Your sneak-attacks won’t work on me!” Midnight raised both gauntlets, uttering, “Night Saber…”

From each gauntlet extended a blade of solid moonlight energy, before Midnight charged forward again, slashing towards the Entity as it mustered a pair of blades of its own, wicked saber-like swords of blackness as it clashed with Midnight and they engaged each other in ferocious swordplay.

Midnight was surprised by how skilled his foe was. He’d never have pegged a wretched monster could be so exemplary in the way of the sword. It held its own against him and though Midnight wasn’t holding back, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by the Entity’s surprising skill.

Vile as it was, the Entity was a nimble opponent. It seemed to dance around Midnight’s strikes, preferring to deflect rather than block. Whenever it attacked, its blows were savage yet calculated, like the strike of a snake.

This dance of blades went on for only a few seconds longer before Midnight dropped and lashed out his long tail, tripping the Entity, which caused it to drop its weapons, the blades splattering on the ground, no longer solid and holding their shape.

Leaping back, Midnight dispersed the Night Saber blades while focusing a Freeze Spell into his gauntlets before unleashing a focused blast of a most bitter cold towards the Entity. However, before he could fire off a his freeze spell from his gauntlets, the creature’s black tendrils began to whip around wildly, breaking apart the walls and ground around them, debris getting thrown about, some towards Midnight, who lost his concentration and raised his wings, armored with solid shadow, to shield himself.

No impact came though and when he removed his wings, he saw his cousin standing before him with a wall of burning hot lava. The charcoal unicorn had a few scrapes and bruises on his body, but when he looked into the stallion’s eyes, he only saw a burning rage of determination in them.

“You can conjure lava?!” Midnight gawked at his cousin’s magic in utter disbelief. Conjuring Lava was an incredibly advanced magical skill, usable only by advanced fire or earth mages.

“When fire is the only thing you’re good at… may as well stick to spells around that! Not as easy as it looks though! It took me two years to perfect this spell!”

“Remind me to give you some magical study aids later on!” Midnight smiled proudly at his cousin, “You’ve got serious skills and power, big brother!”

“Hah! We’ll see… After we escape this damn Tower!” Watcher said, smirking as he continued to glare at the enemy before them. His mane igniting in flames once more as several spear-like flames formed above his head.
“It’s going to take both of us to beat this freak, Midnight… We just need one moment and when that moment comes, take the shot no matter what!”

“Alright! Let’s do this!” Midnight shouted as he suddenly took flight into the air, followed by the charcoal unicorn who propelled himself into the air by concentrating the flames on his hooves to take off while simultaneously firing off his flaming spears at the Entity who guarded himself by raising a wall of tar into the air.

“I’ll take care of his defenses, while you try to get in close, I’ll cover you!” Watcher ordered as he suddenly twirled around in the air and began firing off a barrage of purple spheres of concentrated fire at the Entity’s tendrils, blowing them to pieces as the tar like being howled in pain.

“RAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!” The Entity roared in anger as more black tendrils sprouted from its back and lunged towards charcoal unicorn who dodge each of them due to the flames increasing his speed.

Watcher leaped over on tendrils that struck the wall and began to run up on one of the Tendrils, summoning a black sword with his magic and began to cut through the tar as quickly as he could, before motioning with his free hoof for the alicorn to fly in as he continued to run up on towards the Entity who tried to knock the black unicorn off with its razor sharp claws.

Midnight, doing his best to avoid the remaining Tendrils, flew in quickly, extending his hoof out towards his cousin, who grabbed on tightly and began to spin the alicorn around in a circle quickly, dropping his sword momentarily in order for his hoof to be free. Using the flames from his free hoof to increase the speed of his spin. Creating a purple ring before finally releasing the alicorn towards the Entity as he fired off three flaming spears, striking the Entity in the eyes as Midnight struck the tar-like being in the neck, sending it crashing into the ground.

“GRAAAAHHH!!!” The Entity stood up quickly as more Tendrils began to come out of the walls and ground, whirling around rapidly as they began to destroy everything in their path, nearly hitting the two foals as debris flew everywhere around them. Twinken could hardly believe that this monster was still holding its own against the two powerful wizards.

Watcher tried to avoid the tendrils, but kept getting struck by them, but what came next surprised everypony as something big had jumped onto the charcoal unicorn and sent him crashing towards the ground.

“COUSIN WATCHER!!!” Twinken shouted, about to run towards him, but stopped as he saw the three-headed minotaur that had chased both him and Mini in the tower. It was trying to smash him with its massive arm, but somehow Watcher was holding it at bay with his hooves, trying to melt it off, but was flung to a broken chair.

“N-Not… this fucker…”

“Watcher! Are you okay!?” Midnight shouted, still avoiding the tendrils trying to grab hold of him.

“I’m fine… but this thing is what broke my arm outside the Tower!!! Try to hold out while I take this guy down!!!” Watcher said, whirling around suddenly as he propelled his arm backwards, striking the monster with his elbow and sent it crashing to the ground.
“GRAH!!!”

“What do you think I’ve been doing!!?” Midnight shouted in aggravation as he bore his gauntlets’ claws at the Entity.

Seeing the Entity getting larger and larger by the second as his cousin tried to hold out on his own, the charcoal unicorn soon realized that if he didn't finish off the minotaur now, his cousin was going to die. That was something that couldn’t happen and would not happen as he started channeling the heat from his own body and focused it at a singular point at the center of his body as a small purple flame appeared and began to condense itself. The flames from Watcher’s mane and tail began to evaporate and pull towards the center of that single flame.

A rare phenomenon that displayed a unicorn of truly formidable magical power, when he could turn his own mane and tail into flaming mana!

If we are going to stop that monster… I need to finish this bastard off now! To think I’d have to actually use that forbidden spell on a worthless three headed freak!!!

“You’re the one that broke my foreleg outside earlier! So allow me to pay you back by turning you to ashes!!! EMBER’S FLASH!!!” Watcher shouted, as the condensed flame suddenly erupted and flew rapidly at the three headed minotaur rushing towards him, meeting his attack head on only for its fist to start falling apart before the blast began to consume the giant beast until it was completely overtaken and reduced to a smoldering pile of ashes. Seeing that the massive monster was now gone, Watcher tried to turn his attention towards the Entity and his cousin only for searing pain to wrack his entire body.

He knew that using that spell would not only take a year off his life, but would cause unimaginable pain that most ponies would be rendered unconscious. However, somehow he was still awake and standing.

It… it must be all that energy Midnight gave me! Watcher realized, and some relief washed over him only for it to be replaced with worry as he thought, But it hurts so much…! I can’t help Midnight like this!

Then, Watcher had an idea and immediately wished he had a better one, but there was no time. Especially when he saw the Entity lash out a tentacle of vile tarrish-goo, literally sweeping Midnight off of his hooves and falling onto his back.

Before the alicorn could scramble back up, more of those tentacles lashed out, snaring his hind legs together, pinning his gauntlets to his side, and one snaring his neck!

Arghh, Midnight will kill me for this…! Watcher looked over to Twinken, who watched in terror, and shouted, “Twinken! You gotta help your brother! I can’t move!”

“H-How? I-I can’t stop that- That… thing!” Twinken looked desperately at Watcher.

“Don’t doubt yourself!!! Never doubt until you try!!! Whatever Midnight taught you, reach deep down and push forward!!! You can do it!!!” Watcher shouted at the top of his lungs as he fell to the ground, trying to push himself back up but to no avail.

Whimpering but seeing Watcher couldn’t help, Twinken looked back to his brother, who was struggling to free himself as well as to breathe. The Entity now towered over them all, needing to hunch in a room where the ceiling was two stables high. It leered down sadistically at its prey as it put the squeeze onto Midnight’s windpipe, and it was when Twinken heard, even amongst the choked gasps, frightened cries and whimpers coming from his big brother, a fire lit in his heart.

No… no! Twinken furrowed his brows, stoked his anger and ignited his mana, which burst from his horn in sparks of searing red. “I lost him once, I won’t lose him again!!!”

Making sure Mini Claire was safe, Twinken rushed forward as he launched a fireball spell into the Entity’s face, making it snarl more in annoyance than pain. But it did the trick as it relaxed its grip on Midnight and threw a spiteful glare at the colt.

“Aw… tHe LiTtLe FoAl RuShEs To BiG brOtHeR’s ReScUe,” it mocked with its gritty and puckery voice, “WaIt YoUr TuRn, YoU lItTlE BRAT!!!! ONCE I’M DONE WITH YOUR BROTHER, YOU’RE NEXT!!!!”

“No! You’ve hurt and ruined the lives of too many already!!” Twinken focused his power as he steeled his spirit.
“You will never hurt anyone else again!!!”

Twinken closed his eyes as his power coursed through his veins, causing him to float in the air… before his eyes burst open with bright red mana and he lashed out in telepathic assault, his power snaring the Entity’s mind…

Darkness…

Darkness was all that could be seen before the little indigo unicorn opened his eyes and what he was greeted with was a sight that was unlike anything he had ever seen before in his life. It looked as if he had stepped into a shattered Trottingham, debris floating everywhere and black hooves larger than the buildings themselves floated across the sky.

Twinken took a step forward and noticed wooden floors began to form in front of him. It was hard to tell who or even what this thing was, but whatever this thing was thinking, it was truly terrifying and the more he trotted, the floors and walls began to form around him. It was there he noticed writing on the walls.

“H-He lies?” Twinken muttered to himself as he noticed the further he walked he started hearing something familiar.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

“N-No… NOT AGAIN!!!” Twinken suddenly ran and the ticking sounds started to get faster.

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick…

It was then that he realized that there was something off, something that wasn’t the same as his pace began to slow down and the rhythm of his hoof steps began to echo or rather the rhythm of the ticking. It was his own hooves, and realizing that he was able to sigh in relief as he continued his way down the apparently long hallway that had formed before him.

Twinken noticed that by the time he reached the end of the hall, the floor had shattered beneath him and he began to fall until it was dark once again until he landed on something hard and he soon found himself in a dark cavern of sorts. It was strange as he began to realize that he was in a memory, as it was the only thing that wasn’t shattered or distorted.

Though frightened by what might lay ahead he pushed forward as he knew that the answers everypony needed was somewhere in this memory.
“I can do this… I can do this!”

Twinken marched forward into the dark cavern, his horn illuminating the darkness around him with a bold red as he noticed pools of bubbling tar around him. They simmered and puckered and gave off a hot, humid and foul, festering stench like rot. Twinken could feel it…

This place is evil…! he thought with a nervous shudder.

However it wasn’t until he moved towards a ledge of a cliff that his eyes widened in horror as he saw a massive pit of black tar before him. He looked down and saw skeletons that were nearly melted completely and from them he heard moans. Insects made their way towards the black oozing pit and one touch caused them to bloat and bloat until they completely exploded as tar flew across the pit.

And from the piles of tar, they began to form into large massive centipedes made of tar.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” Twinken heard, and he instantly recognized that voice. It was Silver Smith’s and just above the pit, the silver-white unicorn fell through an opening in the cavern ceiling.

“Oh no!” Twinken realized what was about to happen as it unfolded before his very eyes, and Silver Smith fell into the pit.

His screams of agony echoed throughout the cavern as Twinken watched as the stallion’s fur began to burn off of him as he struggled to try and swim out of it, but the more he struggled the further he began to sink in. The smell of burning meat filled the air as Silver’s naked skin burned and reddened from the boiling filth. But it was the searing screams of agony that horrified Twinken as he saw one of Silver’s eyes begin to melt right out of his eye socket before he completely sank inside.

The little unicorn wanted to vomit as he turned away and began to gag, but suddenly he found himself at the bottom of the ledge instead and when he turned back, a oozing black hoof burst out of the pit and began to pull itself forward. Twinken saw a pony’s head came out. Shivering in place he heard the pony muttering.

“L-Lies… B-Blazes lie…” It was Silver, but he couldn’t see his face that well.

Before Twinken could get a better look, the memory changed, taking them somewhere else. A room with a chair at the center and before he could take a moment to look around, Silver Smith had trotted past him, picking up an old white suit.

“-Cold… Cold…”

“W-What's going on?” Twinken muttered until he suddenly found himself outside of the tower and saw Silver strangling a pony as a stream of mana began to flow out of the pony and into the stallion’s mouth.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

Turning around rapidly he soon found himself back in the tower and the stallion smearing blood across the walls. ‘Blazes Lies… ‘Deceiver’ and a bunch of other words that seemed to get more and more messier. And crazier.

“BLazES LIes…”

However before Twinken took a step back, he soon found himself outside the Tower once more only it was day time.

“Today I’d like to announce the first Nightmare Night haunted Tower!!! With this group of young lads venturing in for the very first time!” A stallion wearing a white fedora said with glee as a trio of young minotaur that looked no older than him entered the tower with excitement.
“It has taken us quite some time but hopefully we’ll be able to make this a tradition every year!”

Twinken saw as the three little minotaurs entered the tower with excitement and wonder, but it was then that he began hearing something very, very familiar.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock…

The front doors closing behind the trio as the same stallion was suddenly pulled by a black tendril, his hat hitting the floor.

“W-What’s going on here!?” The stallion yelled, only to suddenly be lifted into the air as the three minotaur began to cower in fear as a stallion made completely out of tar, stared down at them with glowing blue piercing eyes, picking up the stallion’s hat and placing it on his head.

“CHildReN… HElp… mE…”

“W-What?” One of the kids muttered as the three hugged each other tightly.

“HUNGRY!!!” The stallion once known as Silver Smith was gone, and in his place was the very thing he had feared.

“T-The Entity…” Twinken whispered, watching as the creature opened its mouth as it suddenly attacked the three little colts and began to rip their bodies apart as it slowly began to drain the life out of them.

Now Twinken knew.

This evil. This horror! This… thing that had terrified and threatened them throughout this horrible night!

It’s… it was always Silver! Twinken realized in cold, sickening horror.

However, before he could dwell on it any further, something began to hover over him, his ears drooped as he slowly turned around, his eyes widened in horror as he saw the Entity’s mouth dripping with bloody maw, carrying the heads of the three little minotaurs.

He watched as their heads began to slowly melt into tar as the Entity suddenly lunged at Twinken.

The last thing the colt saw was…

Darkness…

“AAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!” Twinken screamed as he came out of the telepathic link, closed his eyes… and slumped to the floor, silent and unmoving.

“TWINKEN!” Midnight cried out in concern.
“YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!!” Watcher yelled as he glared at the Entity…

...and saw something was off.

Both stallions were confused to see the Entity looking dazed and in pain as it shrunk back down to its regular size- No… even smaller!

It now stood no taller than an average stallion, some of its putrid gloop sliding off its rotting flesh, revealing a pitiful creature, neighing lowly in miserable agony.

“Whatever Twinken did, it seems to have worked!” Watcher said to his cousin.
“Then it’s time to end this, and put this creature out of its misery!” nodded Midnight as he focused.

His horn lit up with blistering blue mana matching the fiery mana that leaked out the corners of his eyes, and he instructed, “Watcher, hold it still!”

“You got it!” Watcher jumped forward, landed squarely on his hooves and cast a spell.

“Tethar Riasso!”

From his horn lashed out an energy line of purple mana, that formed a lasso and snared the Entity around its neck, causing it to whinny in alarm but it was too weak to resist.

“NOW!” Watcher shouted as he kept hold.

Midnight let the fiery mana flow across his entire form… before he charged, his every hoofstep burning the floor as he felt the power ignite and he shouted:

“CITO AGMINE INFERNO!!!!”

He leapt and somersaulted at high speeds, becoming a blazing disc of fiery power that tore and burned through the Entity at the same time, causing it to throw its head back and let out a pitiful cry of hurt before its body quickly burned up, leaving nothing but ash.

Midnight landed on the other side of the room, the fiery mana dying down to reveal his armor gone, his gauntlets returning to their sword form before it was absorbed back into Midnight's body, and he spun `round to see for himself.

It was over.

Watcher felt his own energy die down some as the adrenaline finally ran its course, leaving him panting yet he still felt pretty good.

They shared a look before they both rushed over to Twinken and checked on him.

“He’s alright… just unconscious,” sighed Midnight in relief after examining his little brother.

“I wonder what happened when he did whatever he did!” Watcher brought up. “Somehow… Twinken seemed to weaken the Entity!”

“I dunno, but-” Midnight was interrupted by a rumbling sound and a distant yet bone-chilling shriek, sounding like something was dying.
“Something’s wrong!”

“I feel it too, it’s…!” Watcher gasped as a beam fell through the rooted ceiling and he realized, “The tower! It’s collapsing!”

“We gotta get out of here!” Midnight levitated Twinken onto his back. “The filly!”

“I got her!” Watcher hurried over to levitate Mini Claire, still out of it, onto his own back, and the two of them carried their precious charges as they charged for the exit!

Everything began to fall apart around them as they trotted as fast as their hooves could carry them, avoiding any debris that fell in front of them. Watcher quickly pushed Midnight out of the way of a falling beam while also quickly doing a somersault to avoid a broken piece of ceiling crashing on them, the both of them using their magic to keep their precious cargo from falling off of their backs.

The two stallion’s burst through the front entrance, shattering the door to pieces as they didn’t bother to look back, they only ran.

It was almost dawn as Celestia’s sun peered over the horizon and ponies began to come outside due to all the commotion only to be greeted by the sight of the old haunted tower that had taken so many lives for so many years…

…finally collapsed.

390. The Ticking Tower - Epilogue

Three days had passed since Midnight had returned to Ponyville, along with his brother, cousin, and their guest, Mini Claire. After the tower had collapsed, Midnight had sent for EUP forces to quarantine the area so a team of alchemists could examine and study the cursed area so as to determine the best methods of purifying the malevolent magical residue to ensure the taint would have no further adverse effects on anyone who might wander into the area in the future once the quarantine was lifted.

Once Midnight was content the situation there was under control, he’d contacted Twilight to let her know he was bringing guests.

It’d been an awkward reunion for Twilight meeting Watcher all over again, but she’d welcomed him gladly. Seeing Faerie Tail however had been somewhat harder for Watcher but still bittersweet.

They’d had a long talk about mending the wounds in their family and removing the wedge that had driven them apart, and so they agreed that it was long past the time to see it done.

Standing in the grand hall of the Castle of Friendship, Watcher was pacing while Midnight and Twilight stood at the foot of the stairs and Twinken and Mini were with Faerie Tail. Faerie Tail had not been happy about Twinken sneaking off but was concerned when he hadn’t protested to her grounding him, simply taking his medicine and squaring his accounts in a way that made Faerie Tail suspect something was wrong with her youngest foal.

“We should call this whole thing off before she gets here,” Watcher muttered aloud as the charcoal unicorn continued to pace back and forth. A part of him just wanted to ditch everypony and leave while he still could, but he knew that would be impossible, especially when his cousin could track him down and drag his butt back whenever, but the real question was if he wanted to leave. Watcher hadn’t seen his family for over four years and now was the time to fix the mistakes of the past.
“You can meet up with my mother, but I should leave-”

“Watcher…” He looked to his aunt as Faerie Tail gave him a sympathetic yet stern look that only a mother could. “I understand this is going to be difficult, but this divide of our families has gone on long enough. I respected your mother’s wishes back then because I knew she was grieving and needed time to come to terms with everything, but neither she nor you have ever truly healed from your loss.

“It’s time to rip off the bandage and let the infection bleed out, however painful it may be. We didn’t always get along, but Blossom Guide is still my sister-in-law and I wish to help her and you, and that starts by bringing our family back together to face the issues instead of continuing to ignore or run away from them.”

“It’s not as simple as that, Aunt Faerie Tail! After my father died, my mom controlled every aspect of my life to the point I had to give up on becoming a royal guard. She took my dream and crushed it to pieces… So I said I wasn’t going to deal with her and just left… I left and never once looked back because I never wanted to see her again. Now, after all these years, I have to face her… This completely sucks,” Watcher explained, taking a seat in an empty chair near a window.

“Well, like I said, nephew,” Faerie Tail came over to place a comforting hoof on her nephew’s cheek, giving him warmth and comfort that he had unknowingly been starved of that left him speechless. “It’s time to stop running away. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you, and how your mother treated you wasn’t fair.

“But, to be fair, it wasn’t fair of you either to run off and drive another wedge into the family. I’m not scolding you, simply pointing out that mistakes have been made and that we must address them before they divide us forever. I know, deep down, you still love your mother and I am certain she still loves you. But grief and bitterness changed her, and instead of looking for help she let it guide her actions and you suffered for it. This is as much an intervention as it is a reunion. Everyone will get their turn to speak their minds but everyone will also listen, and that includes her. We are here for you, Watcher, and we will support you, because that is what family is for.”

Watcher felt a sense of relief from his aunt’s words, feeling his anxiety abate a little, and he noticed the encouraging smiles his cousins and even Mini were all giving him that he couldn’t help but smile back. Remembering that calming technique Twilight showed him, Watcher took a deep breath, holding his hoof to his chest, and then exhaled while pushing his hoof outwards as though he were banishing the stress and felt a little better.

“I’ll talk with my mother today… I don’t think I’ll really be able to forgive her. But if it’s to help bring us together again, I’m willing to try and fix things,” Watcher said, giving his aunt a genuine smile, one that she hadn’t seen for a very long time.
“I still don’t like this though… Feels like something bad is going to happen.”

Faerie Tail smiled with gentle pride, “The first step is always the hardest, but that’s why it’s called the first step. You don’t have to forgive your mother just like that, because that will take time and effort on both of your parts. But as long as you both work at it I’m sure you can find the strength to forgive her one day and the peace that will come with it.”

The sound of the doors opening alerted everypony and they looked to see Spike step in.
“They’re here. Should I…?”

All eyes turned to Watcher, who gulped but then did the calming technique again. It didn’t completely stop his heart from pounding but it eased him a little before he said, “...Let them in.”

Spike nodded before peering through the door, saying, “Alright, come on in.”

He opened the door and in walked a mare and a filly, both unicorns. The mare had a dark grey coat with white spots. She had a mane that was almost as white as snow with red streaks flowing through it. Her cutie-mark was a flask with a green chemical or potion in it, and she wore round frame glasses over her purple eyes, the same eyes Watcher had inherited from her. While the filly beside her stuck close to her, everypony could see that she had a jet black coat just like Watcher, but her mane and tail were red with white streaks flowing through them while she had inherited the silver eyes of her late father.

Watcher let out a sigh as he approached the two, though hesitant to say anything to them. It was strange seeing them again after nearly four years, and he was honestly expecting his mother to start scolding him for leaving both her and his sister. Instead…

… He was pulled into a tight embrace by the two of them.

“Watcher… I’ve missed you so much! I can’t tell you how worried I was!” Blossom Guide uttered as tears began to flow down her cheeks.

“Me too, Watch!” Winter Rose added, squeezing the stallion’s foreleg as tight as she could. “I missed you so much!!!”

The charcoal stallion was speechless, but even though he still felt a gut-twisting resentment towards his mother, that didn’t stop him from reciprocating with a tight embrace as well.
“I… I missed you too.”

Everypony couldn’t help themselves as they themselves let out a few tears of joy. It was a bit before the hug ended as Blossom and Winter stepped back, both of them now looking a little uncomfortable themselves as they noticed Watcher’s own discomfort.

Watcher was glad he wasn’t getting the self-righteous scolding he’d expected, but there was still a lot to talk about and work through. So Blossom said, “We… We have much to discuss.”

“Yeah…” Watcher nodded softly with a curt tone.

Mother and daughter shared a sad look when Blossom noticed everypony else in attendance. She recognized her sister-in-law, her nephew, and Twilight Sparkle, but she didn’t know the two foals there as well.

Old hurts ached but she knew she had to do this, and so… she stepped past her son to approach the others before she said, “Hello, everypony. It’s… it’s been a long time, hasn’t it.”

“Yes, yes it has, Blossom,” Faerie Tail replied kindly, “You haven’t aged a day.”

“Me? Look at you!” Blossom responded with an indignant smirk, “If anypony hasn’t aged a day here, it’s you! Although…”

Blossom narrowed her eyes as she hmm’d while giving Faerie Tail a closer look, confusing her sister-in-law, who uttered, “Uh… is something wrong?”

Then, Blossom chuckled to herself before stepping back as she asked, “When are you due?”

Faerie Tail softly gulped nervously as she heard her son and daughter-in-law.

“Huh? Due?”
“Mom, what does she…!!”

The prince and princess both put two and two together as they softly gasped! Watcher had been confused too, but he also understood the implication as his eyes widened.

“What’s going on?” asked innocent Winter as she looked at her mother and aunt.

It was then she noticed Twinken and Mini coming over to stand next to her, the colt looking stunned as he stared at his mom and her tummy.

“I, uh… I think my mom is…” Twinken was too stupefied to get it out.

“Uh- Heheh, how did you…?” Faerie Tail asked with a nervous smile.

“Oh, you can’t fool me, Faerie,” Blossom teased, “I’m a mother too, plus I'm a scientist. Besides, you’re positively glowing!”

“Mom!” Midnight came over, “Are you really…?!”

“Welp! I guess the cat’s out of the bag,” Faerie Tail shrugged with a self-conscious smile, “I was going to tell you all, it was… well, just the matter of finding the right time.”

“This is so wonderful, Aunt Faerie Tail!” Twilight came over to give her surrogate aunt/mother-in-law a happy hug before remembering who else was here as she noticed Blossom and Winter were present. Recomposing herself, she cleared her throat, “Well! Um… if anypony’s hungry, we can whip something up and continue this in the dining room.”

“That’s for me!” Watcher jumped at the suggestion, “Lead the way, Twi.”

As they followed Twilight to the dining room, Midnight noticed his mother was bringing up the rear, a troubled look on her face. Walking beside her, he softly asked, “Are you alright, Mom? Is it… the baby?”

Midnight couldn’t believe he was asking that, but Faerie Tail shook her head no, “I’m worried about Twinken.”

Midnight looked towards his brother, standing by Mini who was talking with Winter, the both of them looking like they were friends already. But Twinken’s expression had this hollowness to it.

“Yeah, he’s… he’s been kinda distant since the tower,” Midnight sighed deeply. “I’m so sorry, Mom. I should have sent him home the moment I found out he’d stowed away.”

“Midnight… What happened to him?” Faerie Tail asked her firstborn with deepest worry, “What happened to my little colt?”

“I don’t know,” Midnight answered, sounding ashamed and troubled himself. “The Entity that haunted that tower… Twinken, he got into its head with his telepathy. I don’t know what he saw in that thing’s mind, but he hasn’t said a word about it. I didn’t ask him, only alluded to it, but he didn’t answer me. All I got was this… blank look, then he was confused, then he shrugged it off.

“But when it happened, he screamed! He looked so terrified that he fainted. Honestly, Mom, I’m afraid of asking him because I don’t want to- To… well, pick the scabbing wound, if you will.”

Now Faerie Tail was truly worried. Besides being a librarian back in Canterlot, she had worked part time as a therapist. What Midnight had described to her about Twinken, she strongly suspected, Whatever he saw in that monster’s mind… is it possible it was so horrible he couldn’t take it?

Faerie Tail knew that sometimes someone could be so psychologically traumatized that their mind couldn’t handle it, and there was no telling how the mind would react to such trauma. In this case, she suspected that Twinken may very well have blacked out the memory of whatever he had seen in the Entity’s mind.

That troubled her. For her colt to have been so traumatized that his mind had to black out the trauma to avoid damage to his psyche, it scared her and left her with a confusing emotional mix. At least he wouldn’t remember the trauma, but there was no telling how this might affect her colt in the future.

Perhaps I should consult Princess Luna... Faerie Tail thought.

“What are you guys talking about?” Faerie Tail snapped out of it and noticed Twinken was walking next to her.

She quickly glanced at Midnight, who came to the rescue by saying, “Oh, we were just saying how you and I are both gonna be big brothers soon!”

Those words lit up a smile on Twinken’s face and he replied, “I guess we are!”

The family sat down together for a delicious meal of spaghetti and wheatballs. It’d been awkward, but there’d been meaningful dinner conversation. Blossom had even taken the time to compliment her nephew, Midnight, by saying he’d grown into a fine stallion, and was happy to meet her other nephew Twinken while happily introducing her daughter, Winter Rose, to the family. However, she’d asked about Mini Claire and Watcher had explained they’d rescued Mini from a terrible situation but she was alone and had no one.

Upon hearing that, Winter had spontaneously asked her mother if Mini could be her new sister, to Blossom and Watcher’s mutual bafflement.

It was strange, but Watcher didn’t see any real issue with it, especially since the little filly needed someplace to call home. It was the least that they could do since she had been alone for most of her life and if it wasn’t for her, Twinken couldn’t have made it out of there without some help.

“Winter, we’ll have to see, do remember that mom is busy with work and I’m moving to Manehattan for a little while-” Watcher tried to explain when he was suddenly hit in the face with a wheatball.
“Oh, real mature!”

“Mom, pleeeeaaaassssee!?!?!”

“Well… We’ll just have to see, but throwing food at your brother isn’t going to help your case!” Blossom said while raising her brow at her daughter, an expression the filly was familiar with, that she shrank back down into her chair.
“Apologize to your brother now.”

“Sorry, Watch…” Winter said meekly.

“It’s fine… Anyways I was going to say that I’ve already considered taking care of her as her legal guardian.” Watcher explained, pulling out a folded piece of paper from his saddle bag and began to unfold it.
“It says here that I’ve agreed to look after Mini Claire as her legal guardian. Of course there’s legal stuff that I have to go through before taking full custody.”

“W-Wait!” Mini Claire spoke in soft disbelief, “A-Are you saying that-”

“That I’m adopting you?” Watcher finished Mini Claire’s question for her. “In four months I’ll be your legal guardian, Mini. I see a lot of potential in you and I’d love for you to be a part of this family.”

Mini couldn’t believe what she was hearing, this pony was willing to adopt her and it was all just so difficult to tell if it was a dream or if this was really happening. The little filly couldn’t help but cry, as tears of joy filled her eyes. For the first time in her whole life, she was finally where she belonged.

It was truly a new beginning for Midnight’s family, after years of being separated he was finally reunited with his cousin, he had the chance to meet his newest cousin for the very first time, and now his mother was soon to add another member to their family. It truly felt like he was home.

On the steps outside the front doors of the castle, Watcher sat, ale in hoof, having taken a moment to step away from everyone to have some alone time. A lot had happened after only a few days and now he could finally be alone with his thoughts to make sense of it all. The ale just made the train of thought easier to process.

Alas, it was derailed as he heard the doors open and he peered over his shoulder to see it was Midnight, who was surprised to see Watcher on his front steps.
“Oh! Uh, sorry, I didn’t realize you were out here. I’ll leave you al-”

“Nah, Midnight get out here,” Watcher waved him over, “I… I think I could use someone to talk to, and you’re probably the only one I can at this point. Besides, we need to talk, stallion to stallion.”

“Okay…” Midnight obliged and sat down on the steps besides his cousin, who levitated over another mug of ale, the alicorn accepting it with a soft thanks.

They both took a long swig before they each let out an obnoxious BELCH, Watcher winning as his was louder, a little longer, and definitely sounded more disgusting. They shared a laugh, glad the other remembered one of their oldest games, belching contests. It’d been one of their favorites, for various reasons.

But then silence befell them… and Watcher took a deep breath, “Midnight, I’m sure you can guess why I’m out here, right?”

“I can, but I’d probably be wrong… So what’s bothering you, cuz?” he asked, earning a groan from the charcoal stallion.

“I think I really need change… I mean for the past four years now, I’ve been doing nothing but running from the past. Ever since my father died, things just… haven’t been the same. I remember him telling me that if I was ever going to be part of the royal guard… to become a hero like him someday. He’d always say that ‘Heroes always look ahead.’ At the time, I didn’t really understand what that meant, but I think he was trying to tell me that I should always look forward and not worry too much about the past… but I just can’t seem to let go and move forward.

“It’s a ridiculous saying now that I’ve said it out loud, but that saying has always stuck with me and for a time I believed that I was doing the right thing, becoming a mercenary, killing the bad guys, getting money for my sister. But the truth was, I was just… running. I couldn’t face my mother, I left my sister all alone, and I became a criminal. How ironic…” Watcher explained, taking in another big gulp of his ale before turning to his cousin.
“I thought I could be a hero when instead I became just another criminal, like the ones that my dad would lock up.”

Midnight took a moment to think before he responded, “Coal was a great stallion. I didn’t get as much time with him as I wish I could have, but he said those same words to me. But I became an alicorn and due to a freakin’ buttload of circumstances I had to be hidden away… Becoming an alicorn was my destiny, but it was a miserable one, Watcher. My father, Ignitus, he suddenly decided that my foalhood was over and all that mattered from then on was training, studying, and preparing for my future.

“After my mother was cursed, he left me and Twinken with Celestia to look for the witch who cursed my mom. I understand…why he left, Watcher. But I still felt abandoned! I hated my father for leaving us, and to a degree I still do. My point is that I’m guilty of the same thing. I started the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods to do good, but I steeped myself in darkness, doing the dirty work, taking down the bad guys that the law couldn’t touch. But there’s a difference between serving justice and punishing the guilty. I wish Coal was still here, Watcher. Not just for your sake, but for our whole family’s sake, even Equestria! I miss him, very-very much. But… for all our mistakes, for all our missteps, we’ve found our way back to the right path. Not on our own, but that’s what family and friends are for. I think our dads would be proud of us.

“So… stop living in the past, Watcher. Learn from it, but don’t hold onto it for the wrong reasons because it’ll just drag you down. Especially when it’s so painful that you just want to escape it,” Midnight looked to his cousin with a firm resolve, “No more running.”

Watcher looked at Midnight and for the briefest moment, he swore he saw something that reminded him of his father. He couldn’t help himself as he smirked. “Looks like I’ve got no choice but to listen, huh?”

“Yep and there’s no backing out,” Midnight replied with an evil smirk.

“Well cuz, I’m glad that I was able to have this last mug of ale with you… It’s about time I stopped drinking anyways.”

“Eh, it’s okay to indulge every now and then. I do!” Midnight raised his mug to Watcher, who got the idea and raised his own. “To family.”

“To family.” They bumped their mugs together and took a good chug before letting out another duel of belches, Midnight winning this one, and they shared another laugh.

Then, an envelope floated in front of Watcher, who saw it was with Midnight’s turquoise aura, and he asked, “What’s this?”

“The key and deed to your new Manehatten apartment,” Midnight replied with a shrug and taking another swig, like it was no big deal.

“N-No, Midnight, I can’t accept this, it’s too much.” Watcher tried to refuse, but Midnight just dropped it into his hooves.

“It’s in your name, it’s non-refundable, so… tough,” Midnight chuckled before getting serious, “And who says I’m just giving it to you? Your ass is mine now, remember?”

“I’ll get you back for this… you know that, right?” Watcher smirked, pulling the alicorn into a headlock and began to give him a noogie.

“Augh! Geddoff, ya brute!” Midnight chuckled as he freed himself before giving Watcher an evil smirk, “Besides… do you think it’s wise to swear revenge upon the pony who got bouncy balls outlawed on April Foals Day?”

“There’s more than one way to get vengeance cuz… heh! Jokes aside, thank you, Midnight, I’ll do you proud.”

“It’s not gonna be easy work, Watcher. There may even be assignments or missions that will be of great risk to you,” warned Midnight. “All the same, I won’t be sending you into a meat grinder without proper training and preparation.”

“I’d be pretty disappointed if it wasn’t dangerous… I’d probably ditch your group otherwise.” Watcher said. “There is something I am wondering about… That Tower, whoever sent me there was after something and I doubt it was just to get a piece of tar.”

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter now… It’s been reduced to rubble, and the quarantine will see to it that that place never becomes a threat to anyone ever again,” Midnight said firmly.

Meanwhile, back in her secret lair, the feline witch, Catrina, lounged upon her fainting couch, smoking another joint of witch-weed. A familiar presence approached and she purred with anticipation before opening her eyes to see her obedient servant, the armored unicorn Destrier, standing before her.

“Ah, right on time,” Catrina sat up before asking, “I take it there are no witnesses?”

The armored unicorn nodded, to Catrina satisfaction, “Good… wouldn’t do for witnesses to blab. Regardless of what little they see, if anything, even the smallest detail could have been detrimental to my plans… You have it then?”

Destrier’s horn burned with a seething mana, conjuring a rusted and weather-worn piece of metal almost three pony-lengths long. At first glance, it seemed like a random piece of metal, but a closer look revealed it was actually the hand of a clock.

Catrina purred as she waved her hand, bringing the clock hand floating before her. She sensed an enchantment on it and so dispelled it, causing the hand to shrink down until it was hardly bigger than a sewing needle. On the base point, where the hand would be set onto the face of a clock, there was a fragment of a gem, minuscule but still discernible.

“To think… this tiny little thing created a temporal anomaly so powerful it went undetected for well over five hundred years,” Catrina mused.

“Catrina?” The witch looked towards the doorway into the lounge and there stood Sunset Shimmer, “What is that?”

“Oh, just another important acquisition, my dear,” Catrina purred though she then huffed with irritation, “Alas, it is but a mere fragment of something quite powerful, something of equal power to the Aegis Armor, perhaps more so.”

“So then… there’s more pieces to this thing?” inquired Sunset.

“Three more pieces, to be exact,” Catrina brought the seemingly insignificant bauble closer to her eye, “but now that I have this piece of it, divining the locations of its remaining pieces is now possible. It will take time… but very soon, time will most absolutely be on our side…

“You are both dismissed.”

Destrier gave a respectful bow and turned while looking directly at Sunset. She got the message, as he’d done this before. So she turned around and left, Destrier following to make sure she left their mistress to her privacy.

Once she was certain she was alone, Catrina waved her hands, closing and locking all the doors into the lounge while also dimming the lights.

She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes… and then they opened, revealing the whites had turned pitch black while the green of her pupils glowed an intense poisonous shade.

“...divide and conquer… a distraction? Yes… the idea has merit,” Catrina’s voice was chilling and dissonant, thoughts and feelings mixing and contrasting within her fiendish brain as it constantly schemed and planned.
“Finding the rest will take time, but like I said…”

She held up the clock hand and sneered a twisted grin, “Time is certainly on our side…”

Author's Note

This was a long and complicated arc to do but Pen and I had a lot of fun working on it together

For those of you who didn't get the explanation, Silver and the Entity were always one and the same - A time anomaly, caused by a piece of a powerful relic (which was just delivered to Catrina) was what caused Silver to become the Entity by being transported centuries into the past after he fell down the elevator shaft. He fell into a literal pit of evil that transformed him into the Entity and that fractured his mind, explaining the Entity's insanity

A direct connection between the Entity, the time anomaly, and the pit of malevolence was what warped and twisted the Tower into a place of evil, and once the Entity was finally vanquished, that caused it all to collapse, ending the Tower's threat for good

The armored unicorn, Destrier, went to the ruins to obtain the piece of the relic, which is a hand from a clock. By itself, it couldn't have caused all of this to happen, but influence from the pit of evil beneath the tower, as well as a ley line providing raw power, the nightmare became possible and so Silver stepping into the tower sealed his fate, terrible as it was

So now, Watcher and Midnight had begun healing the rifts in their family and Watcher has become Mini Claire's legal guardian. Also, Midnight has "conscripted" his cousin into the Brotherhood and given him a place to stay in Manehatten to do work there. Watcher will return in the future, just not sure when

I thank Pen for collaborating with me and allowing me to feature his characters: Watcher, Silver Smith, Mini Claire, Blossom Guide and Winter Rose (as well as the mention of Coal Obsidian)

391. Crystal Quest - Part 1

The Crystal Empire. A glorious, resplendent and prosperous city, world famous for its being completely constructed of solid crystal that was mined from the riches to be found underneath the snowy tundras of the Frozen North. Otherwise, it had been formed and shaped from the efforts and power of the city’s founder, Prince Sombra, the greatest crystal mage in all the world.

Even back in its day a thousand years ago, it was truly a magnificent sight to behold. After the curse that made it vanish into thin air for that whole millennium, it had returned more-or-less the same as it was prior to its disappearance.

In order to help the citizens, the Crystal Ponies, adjust to being ponies out of time, their new rulers, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, had established a Modernization Project and reformed the Crystal Praetorian Guard.

The Project had been to set up a magi-lectric grid to provide power for technology, indoor plumbing, as well as to teach the Crystal Ponies of all they had missed, as well as get them up to speed on modern Equestrian culture and society.

The Praetorian Guard had resumed its duty and obligation to protect and serve the citizens of the Empire, as well as their prince and princess, and especially the little princess, Corazon y Alma.

Cora for short.

Since the Empire had gotten back onto its hooves, some Equestrian citizens had come as tourists or even to become residents of the crystal city.

Such a newcomer was Astral Flare, a young dragon, enjoying his usual stroll through the city streets, saying hellos and how-do-you-dos to his neighbors

Most ponies mistook him for a teenage dragon, but Astral was actually an adult dragon, young but still. His smaller size came from his being a Drake, unlike the huge and dumb Wyrms that gave into their baser instincts. Though he had reached adulthood, he had plenty of growing to look forward to, provided he worked hard and strove for self improvement.

Astral had green scales with darker green markings, fiery spines, and icy blue eyes. His attire for the day was his usual white gi shirt and grey vest, and because of his relaxed mood, he walked on all fours like a pony. Otherwise, he stood upright.

Some days he would run errands for his friends in the Crystal Castle, but today he had decided to take the day off and went to the nearby bakery for his usual breakfast of a maple bar with a sausage, a hash brown, and some milk.

Nice day, same routine... but honestly, I sorta wish I could get a little action around here, Astral thought as he approached the bakery when he sensed something.

He paused and looked down an alleyway, noticing a figure skulking in there, looking rather shifty. Furrowing his brows, Astral rose up onto his legs and cautiously approached the alleyway, focusing his magic to his eyes to see through the shaded area.

He felt his scales shake as he saw... a changeling!

He immediately saw that it wasn't Thorax, however. This one was a little bigger, had a purple carapace and eyes, and a red spine running down his neck. Not only that, Astral could hear the changeling softly snarling to himself in a way he'd never heard Thorax do.

Then... the changeling stopped down, pressing some kind of object to the wall of the building... and then immediately buzzed off, vanishing down the alley.

"Hold it right there!" Astral raised his left claw and conjured one of his swords, an unusual weapon that appeared similar to a two-pronged tuning fork, before he rushed down the alley, only to hear something alarm him.

He skidded to a halt beside the wall where the object the changeling had left behind seemed to be flashing like some kind of electrical bulb on a device, and it was beeping. The beeping started to hasten... and Astral felt his heart jump into his throat as he realized what was about to happen.

Thinking fast, he wrapped his wings around himself while focusing a Mana Shield of blue mana to protect him-

*KRABOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!*

-right in the nick of time.

The Mana Shield held, but Astral was sent hurtling through the air, disorienting him though he somehow managed to maintain the shield even as he came falling back down and bouncing off the street like a rubber ball. The Mana Shield gave way, popping after the third bounce and Astral belly-flopped, thanking the Drakon for apparently sparing him.

But even in his dazed and sore state of mind, he could hear more explosions, distant but loud, and already terrified screams filled the air!

Groaning as he forced himself up, Astral shook his head, the ringing in his ears dulling a little as he looked around and could see panic spreading like a wildfire. Checking himself over, he was glad to see he didn't seem injured, and so took flight!

He gazed in horror to see that multiple areas around the empire had been caught in explosions. Smoke and fire filled the air, debris and large shards of crystal littered the streets. But it was the citizens that quickly drew his attention!

Landing down for a closer look, Astral saw several crystal ponies who were now dull and listless, just as they had been when they returned with the Empire. Their coats didn't shine and seemed opaque, they looked dazed and depressed, almost as though all the positivity had been sucked out of them!

Seeing emergency services were already arriving, Astral thought, I need to alert Cadance and Shining Armor!

“...and that concludes my report, Your Majesties,” Astral lowered his claw, after having saluted while reporting to the Crystal Prince and Princess of what had just transpired and what he had seen.

"And you're certain you saw a changeling setting the explosive?" Shining Armor inquired, having already donned his armor and helm while his wife, Cadance, sat in the throne, looking deeply troubled.

"Affirmative, Sire. I saw him with my own eyes," Astral nodded grimly before bringing up, "But it wasn't Thorax! This one was different and I've already confirmed he is with the Little Princess and Young Elytra in the nursery, which I checked on my way here to be sure your daughter is safe."

That, at least, gave Shining Armor and Cadance some relief but only a bit, as they shared a deeply troubled look of worry.

"My Top Lieutenant has already dispatched emergency medics to the afflicted citizens," Shining Armor explained, "So far, no serious injuries have been reported. No deaths either, but many ponies have been... I'm not sure how to explain it!

"The victims appear to be in some strange condition not unlike how they were when the Empire returned."

"I'm also concerned that this may very well be an attack by the changeling hive," Cadance noted, "We always knew this was a possibility when we took in Thorax and Elytra. but if word gets out that changelings are responsible for this attack, the citizens may very well point blame at Thorax and Elytra!"

"We must bolster our defenses and take decisive measures," Shining Armor stamped his hoof, "An investigation must take place to determine what's going on and find the instigators responsible for this attack!"

"Then, if I may, Your Majesties," Astral spoke up, "I advise we call in reinforcements to aid the empire in these endeavors. We should-"

"Your Majesties!" A Crystal Guard burst into the throne room, looking anxious and riled up. He hurried over but remembered to kneel in respect before removing his helm, "Please forgive this intrusion, my lord and lady, but something most troubling is happening... to the Crystal Heart!"

Shining Armor, Cadance, and Astral's eyes all lit up with alarm before they all rushed out of the throne room and made their way to the courtyard where the Crystal Heart was kept.

To their dread and bafflement, they saw the Crystal Heart was no longer rotating and giving off a healthy prismatic shine. Now, it was floating aimlessly on its pedestal while its lower side was starting to give off a faint but noticeable sickly green glow.

"Has something like this ever happened before?" Astral quickly asked the guard, who flinched at how serious the drake looked.

"N-No, sir! In the entire history of the Crystal Empire, the worst thing that ever happened to the Heart was it being shattered and then restored by the Little Princess’s Crystalling.”

Astral turned towards Cadence and Shining Armor, "Send Thorax and Elytra somewhere they'll be safe and under the protection of a group of guards in whom you have complete trust. You must also be sure your daughter has similar protection.”

"What are you going to do in the meantime?" the pink alicorn asked, her husband looking confused himself.

"I need to write a letter," Astral replied before almost collapsing on the spot as he fell to his claws and knees as the adrenaline had worn off and he realized, Urgh! Looks like I was injured worse than I thought...

"First we need to get you checked out in the infirmary, then you can write your letter." Shining decided while lending the drake his shoulder to lean on and helping him make his way to the castle's medical ward.

"Thank you, sir..." Astral groaned, trudging along with the white alicorn prince.

Cadence looked back at the Crystal Heart, and then towards the south.
"Goddess protect us…!"

Inside the Castle of Friendship, Midnight and Twilight had set up a laboratory in one of the many rooms to be found in their home, which obviously had Extra-Dimensional Space (they were still finding new rooms inside the castle despite how long it had been since they'd gotten it).

The lab was equipped mostly for general studies and research, with smaller rooms branching off from it that focused on specific kinds of studies. But it was equipped for Alchemy, Astronomy, MysTechnology, and more. It even had a Computer system very much like the one Twilight used to have beneath the Library Tree. But unfortunately, it too was destroyed by Tirek back when he’d attacked Ponyville. This new one however was a more advanced model, capable of calculations, inputting data, transmitting and receiving radio signals for communication, and more. Midnight was hoping his friend Techorse wouldn’t mind checking it out and seeing how it could be improved.

It was a little known fact that computers were becoming more prevalent in Equestria, ever since one of Midnight’s Hoods had… acquired the data and schematics on such computers in Sirius. The Dogs of Bargos were indeed among the most advanced civilizations in the world, but they didn’t rely so much on magic beyond much more than a source of clean energy. Which is what made their technological advancements all the more impressive.

In the main lab, the prince and princess were joined by their apprentices, Sunburst and Starlight, as well as Ponyville's newest resident and an old friend of Blueblood, Terra, an above-average sized earth pony with a yellow coat, curly dark brown mane, purple eyes, and on his ample-sized bottom was an anvil for his cutie-mark.

At Blueblood's suggestion, Terra had asked the prince and princess if they would be interested in studying and researching Geo Crystals, special crystals that were imbued with the magic of Geo Ponies.

Twilight had jumped at the chance to study some new kind of magical research and Midnight had been interested too. Very quickly, they had made some progress in uncovering the unique properties of these crystals.

"Fascinating..." Twilight marveled as she peered through a scope-like instrument as she examined a piece of Geo Crystal before looking up at Terra, "I really must say, Terra! These crystals are so incredibly unique!

"I've some crystal samples from the Crystal Empire, but these Geo Crystals are very different, both in composition and mana! Your notes have been quite helpful and I hope your research will yield even more incredible findings!"

“Well, trust me, Princes- Er, I mean, Twilight!” Terra smiled sheepishly as he sat at a work table, leafing through his notes, “it’s really an honor to have my research catch your interest as well as to have you and your husband and students work with me on it.”

“Well, based on what you’ve managed to determine,” Sunburst noted as he focused his mana through another sample of Geo Crystal, “it appears Geo Crystal has properties that make it perfectly ideal as a conduit for magical energy!

“This alone could mean incredible advancements in research involving channeling and focusing mana, and that’s just a start!”

“Not only that,” Starlight added while setting a piece of Geo Crystal to a magnifying glass, “it seems Geo Crystal maintains magical energy and spells much more efficiently than regular gemstones and crystals and such used for enchanting objects!

“See, I just enchanted this magnifying glass with a Zoom-In Cantrip, as well as to work very similar to a telescope and a microscope without losing focus or blurring whatever it is used to look at, and the Geo Crystal I set upon it is maintaining the spell’s integrity without any imbalances or fluctuations, it’s truly incredible!”

“Incredible indeed…” Midnight was examining a Geo Crystal as well, but unlike his wife, their students, and their new colleague Terra, he was considering other possibilities as to what this new magical substance could possibly be used for.

After all, Midnight was the sort to… think outside the box.

“While these samples will serve the studies into Geo Crystals just fine,” Midnight looked over to Terra, “is there any chance the Geo Ponies would be willing to donate more for research purposes? I get the feeling there is yet more to learn about them that we might not learn with the samples we have.”

“I’ll certainly ask Praetura in my next letter to him,” replied Terra with a sure-thing sort of smile but there was a soft undertone of depression in his voice that quickly caught the others’ notice. Seeing the concerned looks they were giving him, Terra assured, “It’s okay, I… well, it’s not exactly okay in the sense of everything’s hunky-dory.”

“But…?” Twilight gently prodded, coming over to sit beside Terra with a comforting look.

“But I miss Praetura,” Terra sighed morosely, “His big smile, his huge ass, his voice low and rumbly like it’s the voice of the earth itself! Oh….!”

Twilight, Starlight and Sunburst all blushed in response to the earth pony’s words and clearly excited demeanor while Midnight smirked in good-natured understanding.

“Ahem, what I mean is… Letters are special, but seeing and speaking with my big fat geo prince would be infinitely better,” sighed Terra again, propping his head up on his hoof as he stared out the window, not looking at anything in particular.

“Well… how’s the new community Praetura and the Geo Ponies building coming along?” asked Midnight, coming over to sit on Terra’s other side.

“Slow and steady,” Terra harrumphed, “Building their homes isn’t so much the issue, it’s everything else. A market, farmlands, learning and studying Equestrian culture and technology and how to implement it all into their new village!

“Praetura says they were given all kinds of things to help them plan out and then build their new village, but they’re still figuring things out. He seemed optimistic in his last letter but I still got the feeling that, uh…Enterra could be developing quicker than he’d like.”

“Well, building a new community isn’t easy, Terra,” Starlight pointed out though she looked a little uncomfortable, as though she were walking on eggshells.
“I once built my own community, kept it simple, but still. It wasn’t easy, and… well, mistakes were made but eventually it became what I was building it for.

“However, in the end it just didn’t work out, due to...some mistakes and decisions I very much regret. But all the same, building your own community takes trial and error. Not only that, but the Geo Ponies are just starting to fit into a much larger world than the one they’d lived in for so long! Even after Enterra is finished, it’s gonna take them time to find their places in this world and among their fellow pony.”

Midnight was impressed by Starlight’s words and nodded, “She’s right, Terra. All you can do now, is have faith in Praetura and the Geo Ponies and give them all the encouragement and support you can. They’ll find their way, and before you know it Praetura will find his way straight to you.”

Terra seemed to perk up a little and gave them all a grateful smile when Midnight suddenly had an idea, “Say, Terra?”

“Yeah?”

“You mentioned that you’re good with metalworking and have even done artisanry before, right?” asked Midnight.

“I have, yeah,” Terra nodded, “My dads taught me everything they know about working the forge and with metal in all kinds of ways. It’s how I got my cutie-mark. I even took classes in alchemy and magical studies, even though I can’t use spells like a unicorn.”

“Well, I just had an idea,” Midnight gave the newest knight to join his knighthood’s ranks a smile, bold and encouraging, “How would you, Sir Terra, like to be named the Royal Armorer of the Castle of Friendship and the Knights of Harmony?”

“Wha- Me?!” Terra gawked at Midnight in disbelief.

“Why not? You’re a fellow knight, you’re experienced with the forge, and we could set one up for you,” offered Midnight.
“Plus, it would serve the Harmony Guard to have a smith to turn to when armor and weapons are in need of repair or maintenance.”

“Huh…” Terra had to admit, he liked the idea and if doing what he loved got him a title and position of honor, why not?
“I wanna think it over some more, but you definitely have me intrigued!”

The doors were thrown open and everyone looked to see Spike, panting as he held up a sealed scroll before he wheezed out, “M-message… Crystal Empire… Astral!”

Gasping as he keeled over, Spike was quickly caught in Starlight’s magic, levitating him over onto a chair for him to sit down while Twilight took the scroll. She looked at the Seal and saw it was indeed from the Empire, but she also sensed dragon magic on it.

“Wait… did Spike just say Astral?” Twilight hadn’t heard that name in a long time when Midnight took the scroll from her, undid the seal and read the message.
“Hey! Midnight, I… Midnight?”

Twilight noticed the grim look on her husband’s face before he set the message on fire and declared, “Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, Spike! We’re going to the Crystal Empire.”

“Wha- Midnight!” Twilight watched as Midnight summoned his shadowy cloak and made for the door. “Midnight, what’s going on?! What did the message say?”

Midnight paused as he looked back at his wife, their students, Spike, and Terra. He sighed before saying, “I’m sorry, Terra, but we’re gonna have to cut this short. I recommend you go home. And Twilight?”

The look her husband gave her made Twilight anxious and gasp when he answered, “The Empire was attacked. Cadence and Shining Armor need us!”

Author's Note

This arc is collaborated with AstralFlare42 and features his OC, Astral Flare, who (in this story) is a member of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods

I disclaim the OCs Astral Flare who belongs to his namesake, and Terra who belongs to Secretly Yordle

392. Crystal Quest - Part 2

The Emperor and Empress of the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor and Cadance, accompanied by a hooded Astral and a platoon of the Crystal Praetorian Guard, stood together on the Crystal Empire airfield as the Slipstream slowly descended. The mooring lines automagically secured themselves to the ground and a gangplank extended before touching ground, revealing Midnight and Twilight standing ready to disembark the airship.

The sapphire alicorn stallion and the lavender alicorn mare were disheartened to see smoke still rising from here and there around the Empire. But they quickly presented themselves with strength and elation as they came down, followed by Spike, their apprentices Starlight and Sunburst, along with Captain Firestorm, his Lieutenant Nightling, along with four Harmony Guards, two of the Dawn Division, the other two of the Dusk.

"Halt." Midnight and Twilight were a little taken aback as one of the Praetorian Guards stepped forward and lit up his horn to cast some kind of spell.

The unicorns could sense it was some kind of abjuration, most likely to detect any magical form of disguise. Once it was over, the guard gave a respectful nod, "Apologies, Your Majesties.

"We had to make sure you weren't in disguise."

Midnight and Twilight shared a troubled look before looking over to Shining Armor and Cadance. Cadance stepped forward cautiously, "Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake..."

Twilight smiled and stepped forward to do the rest, "Clap your hooves and give a little shake."

Cadance smiled in relief while their husbands approached each other... and then saluted as they both said in perfect synch, "To Equestria, I pledge my life, along to everypony. To safeguard all from fear and strife, alongside my best brony!"

They both chuckled in relief before hoofbumping and Shining Armor said, "I apologize, everypony, for the iffy welcome wagon..."

"There's no need to apologize, BBBFF," Twilight assured as she came over to give her big brother a hug, "In light of what's happened..."

"Astral," Midnight looked at the hooded dragon, "What’s the situation?"

"Sir!" Astral stood upright while saluting Midnight before reporting, "Earlier this morning, I was following my usual routine, about to go out for breakfast, when I sensed something was not right...

"I spotted a changeling in an alleyway and was about to pursue him. But he'd left something behind, a strange device that... beeped, and I realized what it meant, just barely protecting myself with a Mana Shield, before it suddenly exploded. More explosions went off around the Empire and in the panic and madness, I... I am afraid I lost sight of the changeling."

Astral hung his head in shame, though Midnight kindly said, "It's alright, Astral. Please, continue."

Sighing, Astral went on, "I was disoriented yet adrenaline spurred me on so that I didn't notice my injuries. I quickly noticed that many citizens around the blast areas had-had... urgh!"

Astral grimaced as he clutched his shoulder, Cadance going over to let him lean on her as she said, "Don't push yourself, Astral."

Shining Armor stepped forward, "No fatalities, no serious injuries, but the ponies who were near the sites of the explosions...it's as though they had been reverted to the dismal state they were in back when the Empire first returned. Almost as though...as though all their positive energy or something had been sucked out of them!"

"Oh my goodness!" Twilight remembered how the Crystal Ponies were back when the Empire first returned. She and her friends had spoken with many of them in the hopes of learning of some method to protect the Empire or of the monstrous tyrant Sombra once was, only for them to refuse to talk about it because they couldn't nor desired to remember any of it.

"And that's not even the worst of it..." Astral spoke up while giving Cadance an assuring gesture that he was alright, and she let him stand on his own.

"Whattya mean?" asked Spike, concerned.

Cadance, Shining Armor, and Astral shared a troubled look before Shining Armor answered, "It's the Crystal Heart. Something is wrong with it, it's starting to turn green! Almost as though... it’s been infected with something!"

"Infected?" Twilight was aghast. "I know the Crystal Heart is alive with magic, but... If it's alright with you all, could I have a chance to examine the Heart? See what we're dealing with?"

"I was hoping you'd offer, Twily," Shining Armor nodded, "we have magical experts but none of them are as good or knowledgeable as you."

"Alright then, Starlight? Please come with me," Twilight ventured forward, Starlight following.

Spike almost followed but Cadance said, "Spike, if you wouldn't mind, would you go see Thorax and Elytra, help them look after the baby? I would really appreciate it."

"Oh, sure!" Spike didn't mind at all, plus he'd get to catch up with his buddy Thorax, and Cadance instructed a guard to escort Spike to the secure room where Thorax, Elytra and Cora were all staying in for the duration of this crisis.

"Sunburst, go with Twilight and Starlight," Midnight ordered.

"But... shouldn't I stay with you, Midnight?" Sunburst was a little surprised.

"They'll need all the best magical experts they can to figure out what's going on with the Crystal Heart," Midnight explained, "and you're my wife's peer in magical expertise."

"Makes sense," Sunburst nodded before hurrying to catch up with Twilight and Starlight.

Midnight then looked to his brother & sister-in-law, "What about the victims you spoke of? Where are they?"

"We moved them to the hospital," Shining Armor answered, "but only after we did a thorough sweep of the whole building to make sure nothing dangerous was set up there, as well as counted for every single member of medical staff.

"I'm afraid whatever's going on, it's not over."

"It all but certainly isn't," agreed Firestorm as he stepped up to stand beside Midnight. "This is clearly an act of terrorism, and horrific as what's already transpired is, I'm afraid there is most certainly a bigger endgame the culprits have in mind."

"Firestorm, I would like you and Nightling to coordinate with Shining Armor and oversee the Praetorian Guard," requested Midnight before addressing Shining Armor, "If that's alright with you."

"Sounds good to me, and it'd be an honor," Shining Armor agreed while giving a respectful nod to Firestorm who saluted in response.

"Cadance, you should check in on the afflicted ponies," suggested Midnight, "I expect Twilight will want to see them once she's done checking out the Crystal Heart, see how the two are connected."

"Agreed," Cadance nodded before looking at Astral.

Before the hooded drake could say anything to her, Midnight spoke up, "And Astral? I would like for you to show me where exactly you saw the changeling, as well as any reports regarding the explosions."

"Yessir," Astral gave a respectful bow to his superior before giving Cadance an assuring pat on her withers and leading Midnight towards the damaged district where the whole thing had occurred.

The air was thick with fear and worry. Every citizen they passed by was afraid and on the lookout for potential danger, even with the Guardsponies out making patrols. Before long, they arrived at the alleyway where Astral had seen the changeling set up the explosion, and Midnight was glad it had been cordoned off with crime tape.

Stepping into the alley, the hooded alicorn and hooded drake took a closer look at the blast site.

"Whatever this explosion was," Midnight sniffed carefully, "it wasn't incendiary though it was certainly an instant release of energy, given the damage. The fires were caused by damage to electrical systems in the buildings directly affected by the blasts."

He pointed out how the area in the alleyway looked damaged and de-structured, shards and debris of crystal from the adjacent buildings littering the ground.

"I barely got a glimpse of the device before it exploded," sighed Astral, "It was about to explode and I had to protect myself with a Mana Shield or-"

"Hey." Astral stopped and saw Midnight giving him an understanding look, "You did what you had to do and you're still here to do your duty. Whoever did this is the one responsible for the damage, and we're gonna get him."

Nodding, Astral looked around the site again, wondering, "The explosions were loud and flashy but apart from minor injuries, as well as their strange conditions... nopony died and no one was seriously hurt.

"Was that a fluke or intentional?"

"Depends on what their intention actually was," Midnight considered the question before asking, "Was this the first explosion? Your report said there were multiple blasts. Did they go off in a sequence or were they all basically simultaneous?”

"Hard to say," Astral sighed as he ran the experience through his head again, a pit in his stomach conflicting with the relief that he was still alive.
"I was so close to this explosion that although I protected myself I still got rattled. I heard the others, but I can't be sure if they all went off at the same time or even afterwards.

"The investigation is still trying to determine the time-frame of the explosions and what kind they were before they went off."

"But you saw a changeling set up this one," Midnight pointed out, "and shortly after you almost chased him, the device was remotely detonated or, as you noticed the rapid beeping, it was on a timer or was perhaps activated via pressure sensing or proximity.

"I'm all but certain that this was the first explosion or at least it went off along with the rest almost simultaneously."

"So... then perhaps this one was the last explosive device set up but when I chased the changeling, he had to set them off to salvage whatever he's up to," added Astral.

"Either you caught him setting up the last device or you interrupted him," Midnight nodded. "If it's the latter, he's probably not happy right now that his plans might have been rushed prematurely."

"If that's the case..." Astral gulped nervously, "his next attack might have real casualties."

"Which means we haven't a moment to lose," agreed Midnight. "Let's go see them at the Crystal Heart."

In the courtyard beneath the crystal castle, right where the Crystal Heart was kept on its pedestal, Twilight, Starlight and Sunburst examined the relic with careful concern. They'd tried spells to dispel any malevolent magicks, ward off any outside influence, but they weren't exactly sure what was wrong so their efforts amounted to putting a band-aid on a broken leg.

Sighing, Twilight asked, "And that was... the eighth spell?"

"Ninth, actually," Sunburst corrected while pushing his glasses back in place. "I thought for sure the Albion Abjuration would work!"

"What exactly is wrong with it?" Starlight stared at the Crystal Heart, floating like a dreary balloon whose helium was running out, its lower side giving off a poisonous green glow.

"Well that's just it," Sunburst concluded, "Until we determine the cause, we won't be able to determine the method that will fix this."

"We need more information, and I really hope-" Twilight was saying when they heard approaching steps and turned to see Midnight and Astral coming their way. "Midnight!"

She went over to hug her husband and he warmly obliged before asking, "Any luck?"

"None," Twilight sadly reported, "Whatever's wrong with the Crystal Heart, we can't figure it out or how to help it."

Astral looked despondently on the literal heart of his protectorate, which didn't go unnoticed by Midnight.
"This isn't your fault, Astral. What matters is that you do everything within your power to make it right again."

"...yessir," Astral took a deep breath, "I need to be strong. Everypony else's spirits are down, I can't let them see me that way."

Astral's words seemed to click in Twilight's mind as thoughts and tidbits of information started to run through her mind's eye. She looked back at the Heart, and considered the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Ponies, the fact that the victims had been somehow reverted to their depressed and dull conditions like they were when she first met the Crystal Ponies...

"...that's it!" Twilight whispered in revelation!

All eyes turned to Twilight before Midnight asked, "What's it, Twily?"

Twilight approached the Crystal Heart, scrutinizing its facets and the sickly green glow in its lower side before she turned around to face them all and said, "The Crystal Heart is powered by the love and hope and all other positive emotions of the Crystal Ponies throughout the Crystal Empire!

"The victims of these strange explosions, it's as though they've been drained of their positive emotions! Ergo..."

Twilight invited them to figure out where she was going with this and Sunburst was the first to get it, "Of course! Because some of the citizens have lost their positive emotions, that's having a negative effect on the Crystal Heart as well!

"Perhaps whatever has afflicted the victims is also having a negative effect on the Heart as well through them!"

"That makes perfect sense...!" Midnight realized, seeing the dots connect, "Without positive emotions, the Heart will weaken, but whatever is happening to cause this is also causing this strange side-effect on the Heart as well."

"Which means we have to find a way to restore positive emotion to the afflicted citizens," proposed Starlight.

"How would we do that?" Astral brought up, "We can't exactly have a Crystal Faire, with an enemy on the loose. Large gatherings of citizens would put them at risk of further attacks."

"That is true," Midnight considered, "events that draw in crowds are favorite targets of terrorist attacks. I'm afraid we're gonna have to track down this enemy and bring them in before we try something big to lift the citizens' spirits.

"Once the threat is taken care of, it should be safe."

"But what about the Heart?" Starlight gestured to the relic. "There's a chance that its condition could get worse unless we can either refresh it with positive emotion or at the very least purge it of whatever is infecting it!"

"Then perhaps..." All eyes turned to Midnight as he gave Starlight and Sunburst a teasing grin, "the two of you should stay here. Maybe your blossoming romance can be of help to the Heart while Twilight, Astral and I go speak with Cadance."

Starlight and Sunburst blushed heavily and started sputtering causing everyone else to start laughing.

Giggling, Twilight nodded, "The two of you should continue to study the Heart, find out more if you can. As Midnight said, we'll check on the afflicted and see what we can determine from their conditions."

"Comet," Midnight spoke to one of his guards, "Remain here and assist Sunburst and Starlight if necessary. If something comes up they can send you to inform us of any developments."

"Yessir," Comet Tail nodded.

The two alicorns and drake made it to the hospital where they found Cadance in the waiting room, pacing back and forth in worry.

"Cadance..." She looked up to see her sister & brother-in-law arrive, along with Astral, who asked, "How are the patients? Any improvement?"

"I'm afraid not," fretted Cadance, "I can't say if they're getting worse but their condition has... changed."

"What do you mean?" asked Twilight.

"It might be easier if you see for yourself," Cadance led them to the wing where the patients afflicted by the explosions were being treated.

They laid in rows of beds, several doctors and nurses attending mares, stallions, fillies and colts. Whatever bombs the changelings had created, they apparently didn't discriminate and could affect anypony too close to the explosions' effects.

The patients were all dull and depressed, some moaning, others even looked like they had tummyaches or something. Worse were the ones crying or staring off into nothing.

Grimacing, Midnight gingerly said, "Well... they don't seem any worse than the reports indicated."
"Look at their eyes," Cadance pointed out as she led them to a filly's bedside, the poor thing whimpering as she stared at nothing at all... with her pupils giving off a faint but discernible green glow!

"By the Drakon...!" Astral uttered in deep concern.

"Why are their eyes glowing like that...?!" Twilight was aghast.

"I don't know," Midnight gave the filly a closer look, but the filly gave no indication she was aware of Midnight's presence, "but it looks like this glow is the same green as the one on the Crystal Heart!”

"It seems your theory is correct, Princess Twilight," Astral sighed, "the victims' conditions is related to the condition of the Heart."

"What does that mean?" Cadance looked to her sister-in-law.

Twilight quickly explained the theory she arrived at earlier and Cadance worried, "That makes sense... the Crystal Ponies are the source of the Crystal Heart's power! Because some of them have been drained of their positive emotions..."

"...the Heart is likewise suffering some kind of malediction," Twilight nodded.
"We need to learn more and figure out how to restore these ponies to their positive minds."

Just then Astral felt himself about to deliver a message. He opened his maw and burped out a small gout of fire in the air so as not to accidentally hurt anyone.

"Who sent the scroll?" Twilight asked.

Astral looked at the seal and said, "It's from Shining Armor. It's addressed Midnight," he burped and another scroll came out, "still from Shining but for Midnight."

"Lemme see those..." Midnight undid the first message's seal and read it over, "Shining Armor wants to see me and Astral. He says... Sunburst found something about the bombs!"

"What did he say Midnight?" Cadence asked.

Looking at the second scroll, Midnight found what he was looking for.
"He says that Sunburst spoke with Thorax, and in addition to what they found out about the bombs themselves Sunburst has a theory as to what the changelings are doing.”

"You should go speak with them, Midnight," Twilight said before kissing her husband on the cheek. "I'll stay here with Cadance and help with the patients."

"Be safe and keep your guards with you," Midnight muzzle-nuzzled his mare before saying to Astral, "Let's go!"

"Right behind ya!" Astral saluted as he followed Midnight out of the hospital.

Midnight and Astral arrived at Sunburst’s old residence back when he still lived in the Crystal Empire. The two-stable crystal house, colored orange and green and the roof shaped uncannily like a wizard’s hat, now served as a magical laboratory. Shining Armor and Cadance had kept it for Sunburst and Midnight had arranged for the domicile to be outfitted with equipment, books, and other things for magical research and development.

Inside, they found Shining Armor and Starlight watching Sunburst pacing back and forth, a look of subdued excitement on his face, showing he was eager to share his thoughts.

"Sunburst, would you calm down?" Starlight sighed in slight humor, "You're wearing a groove into the floor."

Sunburst paused to look at the floor, "So I am."

He was stepping out of the groove when he noticed Midnight and Astral were present, as well as amused as well.
"Oh! Midnight, sorry, I- I didn't hear you come in."

"No worries, Sunburst," Midnight assured his student, "We came as soon as Shining Armor sent us the message. What's this theory you've come up with?"

"Right! Straight to the point," Sunburst led everyone over to a worktable, where bits and pieces of something lay, a nearby marker board with scribbles, notes and even a diagram that showed a vague spherical shape.
"So, the investigative team was able to find rather few pieces of the bombs, but from what I've been able to conjecture from what they did find..."

Sunburst pointed to the diagram, "I believe the explosives were generally shaped like this. What do you think, Astral?"

"Well..." Astral gave the diagram on the marker board a close look, "I only had a glimpse of it before I had to shield myself from the explosion. But... yeah, I think this may match the device I saw."

"Well, anyway, the evidence I've gone over from the bomb fragments," Sunburst gestured to said fragments, "leads me to believe that these bombs aren't incendiary."

"I figured that too," Midnight concurred, "When Astral showed me where the bomb he saw went off, I found little-to-no traces of scorch marks or anything getting torched. It's as though the bombs released a sudden burst of sheer force."

"Not force, air!" Sunburst corrected, "These bombs, like you said, weren't incendiary, but rather... they contained super-condensed amounts of air! Now, we all know what happens to a balloon when you poke it with something sharp."

"It pops, makes a bang," Shining Armor interjected.

"Yes, these bombs were basically balloons with an incredible amount of air contained inside of them!" Sunburst went on, "along with other elements, such as some kind of detonation mechanism, something that is most certainly changeling magic-based... and fireworks!"

"Fireworks?" Midnight echoed in confusion.

"Magical fireworks were added to the bombs to make a flashy explosion in addition to the sudden release of so much air, which explains the force of these explosions," Sunburst nodded before levitating something else from the table.
"In addition, there were these! Crude but serviceable electromagnetic pulse devices, which went off along with the bombs, creating EMP effects to short out or damage any nearby electrical or mechanical systems, which also explains why some electrical systems shorted out and even caught fire, creating incendiary effects."

“Okay, the magnitude of the explosion, the fireworks for an incendiary effect, the emps, and whatever this changeling magic that drains positive emotions from nearby victims," Midnight listed it all off before asking, "but Sunburst, what's this theory you mentioned in the message?"

"Right, sorry!" Sunburst put the stuff back on the table before stepping over to the markerboard and turning it around for the blank side.
"I had a word with Thorax about how these bombs are apparently stealing positive emotions... and he said something that intrigues me - Changelings are always hungry for love and other positive emotions, but all this? The explosions, this attack on the Empire... it's counterproductive."

"What does that mean?" asked Astral.

"Well think about it," Sunburst explained, "These bombs are apparently a new way for the changelings to-to... harvest positive emotional energy! So, judging from the number of afflicted ponies by this incident, it does indeed mean they would acquire a large supply of positive emotional energy..."

"But...?" pressed Starlight.

"But... it's a supply," Sunburst pointed out, "Finite, limited, and then afterwards the method is no longer productive."

"Why's that?" asked Astral.

"Because of what it's done to the Empire as a whole!" Sunburst answered with an almost manic gleam in his eye.

He stopped talking, letting his words sink in for a moment before Shining Armor realized, "This attack... it's got the whole Empire alert and afraid!"

"Bingo!" Sunburst drew a simple picture of the Empire on the marker board and then drew the spots where the explosions went off.
"There were... nine explosions altogether, each of them in a place that was guaranteed to have lots of ponies there."

"The bakery where I go for breakfast every morning," Astral pointed some of them out, "the library, the spa, the new cinema...."

"Yes, and that guaranteed that as many ponies as possible would be afflicted by the effects of the bombs," Sunburst elaborated. "But as I said, as much positive emotion as this has given the changelings... it's still counterproductive because this sort of method guarantees that afterwards the populace will be afraid, scared, angry, suspicious. Negative emotions that no changeling would touch unless they were absolutely desperate for any nourishment whatsoever!"

"So then what are you getting at, Sunburst?" Starlight was begging to get impatient.

"...I think this is an experiment!" Sunburst answered almost as though it were an obvious conclusion. "As far as we know, the changelings have never done something like this before. They've attacked, invaded, stolen victims to serve as livestock for them to collect positive emotion from... but this seems like something entirely new!"

"So what you're saying is...these bombs are some kind of prototype," surmised Astral.

"Most likely, because if this had already happened elsewhere in Equestria we would have heard about it," replied Sunburst, "The changelings must be trying to work out a new and more efficient method of harvesting positive emotion and they chose here because the Crystal Empire has more Love and positive emotion than anywhere else in Equestria!

"Odds are, they'll take what they can, learn what worked and what didn't and determine how to improve this method with their next test!"

"Which means their next tests could prove to be even more dangerous than what's already happened..." Midnight furrowed his brows. "Astral, if you hadn't spotted the changeling setting the bomb up we'd have never known they were behind this to begin with!"

"Well done, Astral," Shining Armor gave the drake a teasing salute, making Astral shrug and smirk in a slightly bashful way.
"So... if this is really an experiment, the changelings must have a hideout somewhere nearby where they're holed up. The question is where? We're doing regular sweeps of the city to make sure no one is a changeling in disguise or has been replaced by one, and so far the bugs haven't been detected."

"If the changelings aren't in the city..." Midnight deduced, "they must be on the outskirts near the Thermal Barrier's perimeter or even just outside it. But it would have to be somewhere they can be safe for a period of time, somewhere dark, sheltered and warm.

"We'll need to send teams of scouts with the right sensory spells to detect any changeling presences out there."

"Thorax has been a great help with that, actually," agreed Shining Armor, "he volunteered to let us examine him and his magic so that we could devise the means and methods for detecting changelings.

"We know they work because we tried them out with him and Elytra disguised while playing our own little game of hide n' seek. The little wuvbug had the time of her life."

"Heheh, you're really fond of those two, aren't you?" giggled Starlight, finding Shining Armor's words and the smile on his face from reminiscing cute.

Before Shining Armor could reply, Astral hurked, looking like he was about to barf... when he burped up a stack of papers thick enough to make an encyclopedia blush, along with a scroll with Twilight's mark on it.
"Urp! Whoever did that should send this stuff a little at a time..." Astral thumped his chest while gulping, trying to keep his breakfast down.

Sunburst picked up the stack of papers and saw that it was research, and then looked at the scroll and sensed a charm that indicated the intended recipient. He floated it to his master, saying, "This is for you."

Midnight read the scroll before saying to Shining, "It looks like Twily's figure out why the victims aren't getting better. She wants to meet us in the throne room."

“Let’s get back there,” Shining Armor declared and they hurried out the front door.

As the group left Sunburst's old house, they were unaware of a crystal pony watching them from a distant rooftop... only to be engulfed in purple-red flames to reveal his true form as a changeling with a purple carapace and eyes and a red frill on his head.

Closing his eyes before opening them again to reveal a pair of green pupils looking out through his eyes, he thought, Your Majesty, the plan is in motion and is going according to your design...

Excellent work, Pharynx, echoed the voice of Queen Chrysalis in Pharynx's head. Wait for the opportune moment... and then move onto Phase 2.

Yes, my Queen, Pharynx thought as he felt his queen-mother dull the connection, returning him to lucidity and he disguised himself again before sneaking off.

It'd been a risk to drop his disguise but the Hive Mind was clearer when in one's true form, especially when so far from the Queen. Not to mention, he needed for his Queen to see through his eyes to assure her things were going smoothly.

Pharynx avoided a patrol making rounds and then looked towards the Crystal Castle, thinking, Enjoy what you have while you still can... because you'll never see what's coming next!

He chuckled to himself as he made his way towards his next destination.

393. Crystal Quest - Part 3

In the throne room, Midnight, Shining Armor, Sunburst, Starlight and Astral stood in front of Twilight, who had a marker board and poster board set up, along with a table that had papers and files on it.

"Alright, Twily, we're here," Midnight said, "What have you found?"

"First, the victims," Twilight levitated photos of the dozens of victims afflicted by the bombs and magicked them to stick to the poster board.
"After examining them further, I'm afraid I discovered that they're not improving... because the effect that drained them of their positive emotions is still active!"

"How did you figure that out, Twily?" asked Shining Armor, troubled by this news.

"Cadance tried to help one of the victims by giving her love energy with her magic," explained the lavender alicorn with a concerned look.
"She didn't even respond! This allowed us to determine that although the victims can still feel positive emotions, it's all quickly drained away almost immediately so it doesn't even register in their minds.

"Which lead me to my conclusion that the effect of those bombs is still actively draining the victims' positive emotions."

"We have to find a way to undo this and help those ponies!" urged Starlight, who hated feeling helpless.

"We will, Starlight," Sunburst gave her a comforting nuzzle, "But our best shot of doing so is finding the changelings responsible and stopping them! If we could just determine where their hideout is located..."

"Actually, I think I can help with that," Twilight brought up while levitating a folder, "The investigation has shed some promising evidence!

"It seems at the locations of where each bomb exploded..." She brought out a photograph that depicted what resembled a manehole in a street, "there was a hatch that leads to some underground catacombs! That has to be how the changelings got in and out without being discovered, and why we still can't find them.

“In fact we know at least two used those hatches to escape into those passageways because we found traces of changeling gew inside of them."

"I know about those catacombs!" Astral took a look at that folder and its contents, facepalming, "I studied the layout of the Empire, including these catacombs for my job working here! I should have known that's how they got in and away..."

"After all this excitement? I could forget something like that as well, Astral," Midnight said while giving the drake an assuring pat on the back, "Don't beat yourself up."

Astral nodded with a sigh and Midnight said to everyone, "We were actually discussing the changeling hideout before you called us, Twilight. This is a major clue which supports my theory that the changelings have to be somewhere underground.

"They'd need to be somewhere safe, sheltered and warm, because they lack the ability to shiver, which makes them more susceptible to extreme cold."

"And the catacombs enable them to get almost anywhere in the city undetected in order to set up their attacks!" Astral added. "Not only is it the perfect place to hide and move about with impunity but they can set up traps and ambushes down there in all those winding paths. Unless you know where you're going, you can get lost down there for days!"

"So we're going to need a way to narrow our search for the hideout and a way to avoid any traps or other surprises they may have down there..." Midnight considered before asking, "Would Thorax be willing to help?"

"That's up to him," Shining Armor replied before addressing a guard present, "Go ask Thorax to join us here in the throne room, and assure him he's not in any trouble but rather we need his help."

The guard nodded and left the throne room while Twilight unrolled a map of the Crystal Empire and gestured everyone to join her at the table to look it over.
"Nine places were bombed, each of them with a hatch that leads down into the catacombs. Look."

Her horn lit up and markers levitated over the map and then marked the mentioned bombsites and then started drawing numerous lines all over and around the city, and then some of those lines extending towards the outskirts and one beyond the perimeter of the Thermal Barrier.

"These lines mark the catacombs based on maps and documents in the Empire Archives," explained Twilight. "I sent word to Captain Firestorm to inform him of every single hatch throughout the city and he's coordinated with the Praetorian Guard to have at least two guardsponies stationed at every single one.

"The changelings won't be using them again as they did before."

"Hopefully, that will at least discourage them from making their next move for the time being," considered Midnight before adding, "Meanwhile, it's time for us to prepare our team!"

"Uh, team?" Sunburst gave his master a slightly nervous look.

"Shining, Sunburst, Astral," Midnight looked to each of them, "I propose that we venture into the catacombs, find the bugs' hideout and clean up house! We'll need Thorax with us in order to get a good idea of what we may encounter, but I understand if any of you-"

"I'm in," Shining Armor said without hesitation as he summoned his sword.
"...So am I!" Sunburst couldn't deny he was afraid but his sense of duty, as well as his desire to make his mentor proud, spurred him to summon his own sword too.
"I'd follow you straight into Tartarus, sir!" Astral conjured his twin swords.

Midnight smirked, glad and relieved, as he summoned Nightfall and raised his sword up and they did the same with theirs.

The doors to the throne room opened and they looked to see Thorax timidly walk in, in his "Crystal Shade" persona, and ask, "Um... am I interrupting anything?"

"C'mon, Cora, watch me!" Spike sat in front of his honorary niece, Cora, trying to show her the motions. "Pat a cake, pat a cake, baker's mare... Bake me a cake with loving care..."

"Pabba ca, pacca?" Cora babbled with infantile confusion, finding it hard to follow the motions her Uncle Spike was trying to show her.

"Close, but let's keep trying," Spike chuckled when he noticed Elytra wasn't participating.

The changeling filly sat aside, holding a stuffy that looked like a cute little caterpillar and kept glancing at the door. Outside said door were two guards, assigned to protect the Little Princess along with her favorite sitters, Thorax and Elytra. But Thorax had been called away and returned a little while later to tell his little sister that he needed to help with the big problem going on, and asked Elytra to stay in the nursery with Cora and Spike, where they would be safe.

Elytra understood Thorax was needed, but she was so worried. Despite their freedom, Elytra herself remained connected to the Hive Mind despite all attempts to sever her connection to it. Most days, she went without hearing so much as the slightest buzz of telepathic static, due to her being so isolated from the rest of the Hive. But lately, the static had grown louder, more frequent, and now she was occasionally picking up faint telepathic conversations, only able to make out a few words now and then.

It'd been further confirmation of the changelings being behind this big problem, and though Elytra offered to help, Thorax, Cadance and Shining Armor wanted her to be safe and had her stay with Cora in the nursery.

"Elly?" Elytra looked back at Spike, unable to crack a smile at the nickname he'd given her as he asked in concern, "Are you okay?"

"...no, Spike. I don't think I am," Elytra sighed as she closed her eyes, "I... it's hard to explain, but... well, I'm scared! Not just for me, but for Thorax, Shining Armor, Cadance, and especially Cora."

Hearing Elytra say her name, Cora turned to look at Elytra and crawled over to her, giggling at the changeling filly as she grabbed Elytra's hoof and gave it a squeeze. Elytra felt her heart melt with love as she felt the pure and innocent love Cora felt for her, and that made her both happy and ashamed.

"I'm still young and little, but I know more than Thorax thinks I do," Elytra put on a smile for Cora's sake, "The Hive... is not a good place for any of the changelings. Mothe- Queen Chrysalis... she doesn't love any of us. Not really... we're just extensions of herself and her power, slaves with no true identity or right to call our lives our own.

"We are taught that our individual selves don't matter. Only the Hive matters, and the Hive survives by serving the queen without question. Even if our orders would... would hurt us."

"But you're free now! You're safe here," Spike assured, coming over to sit beside the two fillies, and putting an arm around Elytra's withers, "They can't hurt you anymore."

"Can they, Spike...?" Elytra felt her emotions bubbling up inside her as she struggled not to cry, "I'm still connected to the Hive Mind! The changelings have come and they've already hurt the crystal ponies! Oh, Spike, I... I wish... oh, why couldn't I have been born a pony instead of a changeling?!"

Elytra couldn't hold back the tears anymore as she began to cry, burying her face into the caterpillar stuffy, and Spike hugged the filly close, as well as his niece as Cora began to get upset that Elytra was sad.

In Shining Armor's Study, he, Midnight, Sunburst, Astral and Thorax stood around a table with the map of the catacombs before them as they planned their strategy. Thorax was already briefed on what was going on and so they needed his input on this.

"Well, as Midnight said, changelings need someplace sheltered from the cold, somewhere safe but in this case they need a place that's... strategic for them," Thorax ran his eyes over the map. "So, it'd be best for them to hole up somewhere that's not directly underneath the empire. Too risky to be that close."

"So then... they're most likely based in one of the catacomb tunnels that extend to the outskirts or even past the perimeter of the Thermal Barrier," Astral pointed out said catacombs on the map. "There's five altogether."

"But... only one of them extends past the perimeter," Shining Armor pointed to it, "This one, to the south-east."

"Shining, can the Crystal Heart alert you when uninvited guests step through the barrier into the Empire?" asked Midnight.

"It gives off a special resonant sound and glow whenever anyone steps in or out of the barrier's perimeter," Shining Armor confirmed. "We have an office in the Praetorian Guard that keeps track of those comings and goings to determine which are scheduled and which are not."

"Have there been any unscheduled or unsanctioned crossings in or out of the barrier in the past few days?" asked Midnight with a raised brow.

"I get where you're going with this, Midnight," Shining Armor considered, "I'll have to check with the office, but they normally keep me, Cadance or our closest advisors informed of suspicious traffic through the barrier."

"Assuming there isn't any," Midnight pointed to the catacomb tunnel that extended past the perimeter, "then this must be how the changelings have infiltrated the Empire without raising any alarm!

"It's the only way in and out of the city without passing through the barrier and the Heart detecting it."

"I feel I should point out something," Sunburst spoke up, "Given the Heart's current malediction, it's possible it may be unable to sense traffic through the barrier and inform us of said traffic."

"Which makes putting a stop to these invaders and saving the Heart and citizens all the more precedent," added Astral in agreement.

"Sunburst, can you see the closest access point to that tunnel?" asked Midnight.

"I'll find it and memorize the catacombs' network of pathways to be sure we don't get lost," Sunburst took the map and began to study it.

"I volunteer to be Thorax's bodyguard," Astral raised a claw, "So far, we've kept the instigators being changelings under wraps from the citizens, but if they find out somehow there's a chance they'd do him harm out of accusation."

"Thank you, Astral," Thorax smiled with bittersweet appreciation. Although he and Elytra had been embraced by the Empire, there were still a few bigots here and there that weren't exactly subtle in their opinions regarding changelings.

"In the meantime, let's prepare for our expedition into the catacombs and inform the girls," Midnight suggested to Shining Armor.

"Right. If we took off without telling them, we'd be in for it," Shining Armor chuckled with just a hint of apprehension.

Which got him and Midnight a 'Wa-pish' from Astral as he made a teasing show of whipping his tail. In response, Midnight used his magic to pull Astral's hood over his head, causing him to cry out, "Hey!"

Entering the nursery, Thorax and Astral both smiled to see Spike was sitting on the blanketed floor, Princess Cora snuggled up to his warm tummy and napping peacefully while Elytra looked at the filly with warm eyes.

She noticed them and her eyes lit up before remembering and she quietly held a hoof to her mouth and pointed out Cora napping. Spike gently waved at them, not daring to move and disturb his honorary niece.

Thorax gestured Elytra to follow him and she did so, stepping out of the Nursery and into the hallway with Thorax and Astral. Astral kindly asked the guards to give them a moment to talk privately and they walked away but kept at the opposite ends of the hall, ready to resume their posts.

"What's going on?" asked Elytra, gazing up at her big brother.

"Elytra, we... we're going to go find the changelings that are hurting the crystal ponies," explained a hesitant Thorax. "Prince Shining Armor and Midnight Blaze asked me to come along and help."

Elytra's face turned to fear as she shook her head, "No! Don't go!"

The changeling filly quickly hugged Thorax, almost desperately, surprising him and Astral as they shared a bewildered look. Thorax gently hugged Elytra back and said, "Hey, hey! It's okay, Elytra, we'll be fine."

"I give you my word, little filly," Astral knelt down and comforted Elytra with a soft pat on her head. "I'll protect your brother and have his back."

Elytra gazed up fretfully at the dragon and said, "It's... I have a bad feeling. I've... I've heard buzzings."

"Buzzings?" Astral didn't get understand, but thorax did.

"She means the Hive Mind," Thorax answered, "Elytra's still connected to it, but since we're so far up north and isolated from the rest of the Hive it hasn't bothered her aside a few dreams. What is it, Elytra? What have you heard?"

"Nothing clearly, just... a haze and-and noise," Elytra held her head with a hoof, "The other changelings who've come aren't close enough for me to hear them clearly through the Hive Mind.
"But... earlier, I heard- No... I saw something in my mind, something... strange."

"What was it?" asked Astral.

"I don't know, a... a lion? A snake? But then I heard some kind of... bleating," Elytra explained apprehensively. "It sorta reminded me of the ewes at the petting zoo we visited last week."

Thorax and Astral shared a confused look, but both shrugged, not getting it either.

Sighing dejectedly, Elytra whimpered, "You don't believe me..."

"No, no, little sis, we believe you, I promise," Thorax assured her before clarifying, "We're just... confused, like you."

"A lion, a snake, and the sound of a sheep bleating?" Astral pondered a moment, "It... sounds familiar, but I just can't put my claw on it."

"Astral. Thorax." They all looked down the hall where they saw Midnight, garbed in his cloak. "It is time."

Thorax and Astral nodded to him, and they looked at Elytra again, Thorax saying, "It's time for us to go, Elytra. Stay in the nursery with Spike and Cora. You'll be safe, and Cadance will be by later to check on you all, so be a good little wuvbug, okay?"

Elytra gave her brother such soulful eyes it darn-near broke his heart, even though she nodded and they hugged again. But it was in that moment, she spoke to him so softly that only he could hear her, "Thorax... he's here."

Thorax was glad his back was to Astral, because his eyes widened in understanding and worry. He let go of his little sister and quietly prodded her back into the Nursery. Astral gave Elytra another assuring pat on the head and a wink before he closed the door, even as Elytra stood there, afraid for her brother and hoping he'd just come back safe and sound.

In the courtyard, with a perfect view of the infected Crystal Heart, the group, armed and equipped and prepped for their mission, had a quick word with Twilight, Starlight and Cadance. The princesses nuzzled their husbands while Sunburst and Starlight had a moment as well that included a tender kiss for luck.

Thorax felt the love shared between the stallions and mares, and strangely found himself not hungry for it. This would have baffled him were it not for Elytra's words as he thought, What am I gonna do if I see you... brother?

Astral stood at the ready, arms crossed, his swords strapped to his back, as he patiently waited. He then noticed Cadance come over to him with a worried look, causing him to salute.
"Worry not, my princess. I'll be sure your husband comes home to you safely."

"You take care as well..." Cadance gave him a teasing look before saying, "Pie Splatter."

Astral's eyes nearly popped out of his skull as he quickly responded, "SHHH-Shh-sh-sh-shhhh... Cadance, if I've told you once, I've told you a millions times! Never call me that in front of anypony who doesn't kno-"

"Oh Shining already knows," Cadance interrupted with a trollish smirk.

"Ergh! Stupid loopholes..." the embarrassed drake uttered under his breath while facepalming. but then he playfully glared at the pink princess, "Sometimes I wonder if you've hung around your aunt too much."

"Who, me? Never," Cadance said, playing innocent.

"There's a reason you barely got a passing grade back in drama class, Cade," Astral raised a brow and smirked while crossing his arms, clearly not fooled as he rolled his eyes.

Cadance giggled before pulling astral in for a hug, and whispering, "Be careful" into his ear.

He hugged her back and said, "Aren't I always?"

"Alright, guys!" They broke the hug to see Midnight and Shining Armor standing together as Shining said, "Time to move out!"

The princesses and Starlight watched as their stallions and two good friends ventured off, side by side, looking oddly heroic, not needing to look back because they knew they were going to come home to their loved ones without a shadow of a doubt.

"Say Astral," Midnight asked out of nowhere, "What was that about pies you were discussing with Cadance?"

Astral groaned to himself as he began to plan diabolical revenge on his old schoolmate.

The group made for a hatchet that was located close to the edge of the city, as Sunburst explained the catacomb beneath it was the closest route to the one that led to the catacomb that extended all the way past the perimeter of the Thermal Barrier.

Once all five of them had dropped down into the dark depths, Midnight, Shining Armor and Sunburst illuminated their horns while Astral breathed a small fireball into his hand and Thorax lit up a special changeling gew lantern he'd made, which provided a modest glow.

They looked towards the catacomb, which was constructed of both stone and crystal, and found it to be dark and chilly.

"In case it's not obvious," Shining Armor said as his feathers shivered, "but this places gives me the creeps."

"Yeah, I've got a bad feeling about this...!" Thorax gulped.

"Oh come on, guys! It's just a catacomb built directly under the Crystal Empire," Sunburst assured, sounding oddly optimistic, "Just think of the history!"

"Speaking of," Astral interjected as they started walking down the tunnel, "Why exactly are these catacombs beneath the city? Did Prince Sombra construct them when he was still the Crystal Empire's king?"

"He did. I sent a message, asking him about these catacombs," Midnight answered, "He built them in case of emergencies, as well as to provide additional shelter to the citizens in times of crisis.

"As a matter of fact, this catacomb we're looking for, it was meant to be an emergency escape tunnel to get the crystal ponies out of the empire without being seen by enemies."

"Well, unfortunately, it's allowed my former hive mates access into the empire," Thorax sighed woefully. "If only there was a way to free them from the Hive Mind, like me. They could see there's a better way, to earn love and friendship rather than steal or lie to get it."

"We'll keep trying to figure it out, Thorax," Shining Armor assured his friend. "Cadance and I did it for you, we'll find a way to do the same for other changelings. Starting with Elytra."

Thorax smiled gratefully at Shining Armor when Midnight asked, "So, Shining, how's it been, trying to learn more about your sword?"

Shining Armor responded by summing said sword to his hoof. Its blade was adamant and crystalline while the handle was cobalt blue with his cutie-mark on the crossguard.

"It's a fine weapon," Shining Armor admired it, his eyes noting every detail, before he sighed and absorbed it back into his body. "But I haven't figured out how to tap into its powers."

"You never know, Sire," Astral gave Shining an encouraging smirk, "That day could be today! All you need is the right motivation and perhaps some inspiration."

"If it makes you feel any better," Sunburst brought up, "I haven't had any luck with my own sword either."

"It's possible the Map back in my and Twilight's castle will call upon you," Midngiht suggested, "To send you somewhere where a wrong needs to be righted.

"That's how it worked for the rest of the Knights of Harmony. Although in my case, it was facing a corrupt businesspony who staged a coup and outbreak of poisonous food."

"Well, I'm sure the powers of our swords will reveal themselves when the time is right, eh Sunburst?" Shining Armor shrugged in good nature.

"Most likely. All the same, I believe my spellcasting skills will serve me better," Sunburst responded wit ha confident smirk. "Midnight has really been helping me hone my magical pr-OW!"

Sunburst stumbled forward, falling onto his belly, the others stopping and looking to him in concern as Midnight asked, "You alright?"

"Yeah! Ergh, I... I think I tripped in something," Sunburst propped himself up and looked at his hoof... to see it was steeped into something pale green, viscous and sticky.

Gasping, Thorax gave it a close look and a sniff before confirming, "Changeling gew, less than a couple hours old."

"it seems we're on the right track," Midnight narrowed his eyes as he gazed down the tunnel... and then let out a droning hum sound. His ears perked as the sound carried down the catacomb, but nothing echoed back.

Opening his eyes, he looked to his friends, saying, "The way is clear for quite a long distance. I didn't detect anything alive further in."

"Then let's keep moving, "Shining Armor took point, "but take care. The changelings could be anywhere. Or anything..."

They sallied on, keeping an even pace as they ventured further and further down the tunnel. The distance made sense, as this catacomb was supposed to reach all the way past the empire's perimeter. After walking for nearly an hour, Midnight had them pause once more so he could use his echolocation again.

His ears perked at what he sensed, and Astral quietly asked, "What is it, sir?"

"...Ahead, about another fifty yards," Midnight pointed onward, "the tunnel opens up into a large chamber, with multiple passageways."

"Strange, that wasn't in the maps or records regarding the catacombs beneath the empire," Sunburst was confused. "I went over them backwards and forwards while memorizing them."

"It's possible Sombra constructed something else in these catacombs but left them out of the records and maps intentionally," Midnight suggested, "I know I would, if I was going to design a network of secret passageways."

"We're gonna have to talk to him about these catacombs once this is over with. C'mon," Shining Armor took point again, and eventually they came to the chamber Midnight had sensed via his echolocation.

It was a vast space, round with a spherical ceiling that had a HUGE crystal set into the middle of the ceiling, and judging from the light glistening through it it must have reached all the way to the surface. Said light gave the chamber enough visibility to show the group that there were four passageways equidistant from each other and the one they'd just come in through.

Cautiously, the five walked in and around as they gazed upon this ancient architectural marvel, Midnight speaking softly, "This room is old. Very old..."

"Yes, it is!" Sunburst examined the walls and saw carvings of pictograms that reminded him of the artistic style he'd seen in the Crystal Empire. "Judging from these pictograms and the stone used to construct all this, this place is surely over a thousand years old! Perhaps even older than the Empire itself..."

"But didn't the Empire vanish into thin air for an entire millennium and come back the same way it was when it left?" Astral pointed out. "Wouldn't this place be the same way?"

"Not unless it didn't vanish with the Empire back then," Shining Armor considered, "Since this place is outside the Empire's perimeter, it might not have been affected by the curse that made the Empire vanish. So it remained here, completely lost and forgotten until the Empire came back."

"Sombra had to have constructed this place," Midnight gazed up at the giant crystal in the ceiling, "I sense his magic woven into these very walls."

"Well, in case you're all wondering," Thorax spoke up as he dared to get a little closer to the other passageways in the chamber, "I believe a changeling has been down each of these tunnels, but I can't be sure where they are now."

"Midnight?" Shining Armor looked to his brother-in-law.

"On it," Midnight stepped forward, took a breath... and let out another droning hum, using his echolocation towards the passageways.

They waited patiently as Midnight listened... and his eyes opened before he turned to them and said, "Two of these passageways lead to the same room, one goes upwards, so I believe it may go all the way up to the surface."

"That might be the way the changelings got in here and then into the empire," Shining Armor pointed out.

"What about the other two?" asked Astral.

"One curved around, I think it may lead back the same direction as the tunnel we came," Midnight answered, before he pointed to the tunnel that was directly in front of them, located opposite from the one they'd came in.
"This one... leads further way, so far that I couldn't sense anything else down there."

"Hmm, that tunnel has more traces of changeling gew in it than the others, except for the one that could lead to the surface and the one we came here through," Thorax brought up.

"Then that's the tunnel we have to take," Shining Armor furrowed his brows, "Onward!"

They were about to enter the tunnel when all of a sudden they heard a loud and harsh insect-like buzzing! The kind that came from an angry swarm of bees.

Or changelings! Thorax realized when they heard a dark chuckle echo through the buzzings and from all around them as a voice Thorax hadn't heard in a long time spoke but two words that filled him with dread.

"Hello... brother!"

394. Crystal Quest - Part 4

The two words coming from nowhere and everywhere took the group by surprise, but they quickly realized what they meant as all eyes turned to Thorax, who looked very uncomfortable.

"Pharynx? Is that you?" Thorax responded, looking around the chamber.

"Oh, so you do remember me, you little traitor!" the voice answered, sounding gruff and bitter.

"Pharynx, whatever you may think of me, I am not a traitor!" Thorax protested, sounding a little defensive and a tad whiny. "I care about the Hive, but the Hive is being misled. Chrysalis is insane!"

He got an angry echoing buzz in response and the voice spoke again, "You dare besmirch the name of our mother and queen?! It's bad enough that you abandoned your own species for these self-righteous ponies, but worse yet you dragged along an innocent changeling nymph! We know she's here, we sense her!"

"Elytra would have grown up to be what I was, what you still are, Pharynx," Thorax furrowed his brow, speaking more boldly, "A slave!"

"Our unquestioning obedience and absolute devotion to our queen is for the good of the Hive!" Pharynx's voice admonished. "From a tiny newly-hatched grub to the most battle-hardened drone! We all must make sacrifices for the sake of the changeling race!"

Shining Armor stepped forth and called out, "Your so-called sacrifices are in vain and unnecessary! If Chrysalis would be willing to compromise we could discuss a solution that could bring about lasting peace for both changelings and ponykind, perhaps even a means from which both species could mutually benefit.

"I have more reason than most ponies to hate your kind. But Thorax and Elytra have shown that changelings are capable of change and peaceful coexistence, even friendship!"

"Pah! Her Majesty is right," spat Pharynx's voice, "You're as soft in the head as you bleed from your heart, Armor!"

"You don't have to live your entire lives hiding and struggling to survive," spoke up Sunburst. "Thorax and Elytra are living proof that a peaceful and amiable coexistence between ponies and changelings is possible!

"You could sustain yourselves off of friendship and love you earn rather than lying or stealing to acquire!"

"It's true, Pharynx! Ever since Shining Armor and Cadance welcomed us into their homes and their kingdom, Elytra and I have lived happily and never gone hungry," Thorax added, "because we've earned love and friendship! We don't need to hurt or trick others, and we're so much better off!"

"SHUT UP!!" shouted Pharynx's voice, sounding angry and spiteful before more voices joined with his own and they spoke as one:

"We are the Hive! Throw down your weapons and surrender. We will harvest your love and your knowledge to nourish our own. Your species will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

Midnight furrowed his brows before calling out, "You have made an unprovoked attack on the Crystal Empire, an ally of Equestria! Your attack has resulted in innocent ponies being hurt and afflicted by a malediction that we know is the work of changeling magic.

"However, we acknowledge your actions are by the orders of your queen. If you surrender, you will be shown leniency."

"You? Show us leniency? Heh, this coming from a species that relies on such a pathetic protector!" responded Pharynx's sneering voice, "Wouldn't you agree... dragon?"

Astral's eyes widened with realization as he put two and two together regarding a feeling he'd had since this Pharynx began talking to them.
"That was you! You set that bomb that sent me for a loop!"

"Yes, and you couldn't even stand your ground against a little breeze!" Pharynx mocked, his voice echoing around them. "Why don't you go crawling back to your nest like the wimpy salamander you are."

Anger boiled within the drake as his irises slightly glowed red. This insolent pest had attacked his protectorate, threatened the ponies under his protection, and now dared to insult his worth as a protector?!

He snorted fire from his nostrils before he drew his swords and snarled, "I'll show you what this wimpy salamander can do, bug!"

He flapped his wings and zoomed down the hall, ignoring the others yells to come back, Midnight groaning, "Ugh! We better go after him."

"I'm gonna have words with that drake after this is over," Shining Armor huffed as they galloped down the tunnel after their friend.

The tunnel didn't last long and they soon found themselves in another chamber, almost as large as the prior one. But this one was most assuredly not empty. The walls and ceilings were coated with hardened changeling gew, spikes, and some fresher gew dribbling from the walls and hut-like structures.

"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU COWARDLY VERMIN?!" Astral roared, looking around, burning for a fight. "SHOW YOURSELVES!!"

"Astral, calm down!" Shining Armor ordered as they hurried over to him, "Don't you realize they're just baiting you?"

"This is most certainly a hive base," Thorax looked around, "but I don't sense Pharynx or his swarm are here!"

"So then where are they?" asked Sunburst.

All of a sudden, they heard a moist and disgusting squelching sound behind them and looked to see thick and viscous changeling gew glowing as it moved by itself... and then sealed up the passageway they'd just come from. Midnight launched a score of Magic Arrows at the mass of gew, but it held strong.
"They've sealed us in!"

"Foolish ticks! They've trapped themselves in here with us!" Astral growled.

Midnight glared at Astral, marched over to him, and wingslapped him on both cheeks before yelling, "You mean, you let them get to you and now we've fallen into their trap, you dummy!"

"Er..." Astral rubbed his cheeks, having gotten his common sense back from those wingslaps as he realized he'd just done a major 'uh-oh', which was emphasized as the buzzing they'd heard earlier came back and was growing louder and louder!

"Form up in a circle, facing outwards!" Shining Armor called out and the five did so, in order to have each other's backs and to have no blind spots.

The hard and dense mounds of changeling gew then opened up... and out came around a dozen changelings, all buzzing and snarling viciously as they rushed out and surrounded the five heroes. Thorax gulped as he saw many of them glaring at him with abject hatred and they heard them whisper in buzzing undertones, things like...

"Traitor!" "Deserter!" "Fool..." "He will pay dearly!" "He will answer to our mother-queen!"

Remembering his promise, Astral said, "Thorax, get behind me..."

While Astral raised his swords, ready to defend Throax, Midnight summoned his sword and uttered, "Find the Light... Nightfall."

The blade became his pair of armored gauntlets with claws while Shining Armor and Sunburst summoned their own swords.

Unbeknownst to them, in the chamber they'd been in prior, an old rock erupted in green flame, revealing itself to have been a changeling in disguise! Remembering his role in the plan, he made for the tunnel that led back to the Empire.

"Wait... Pharynx isn't here!" Thorax spoke up in alarm. "He's the leader of this swarm!"

"But if he's not here leading them to fight us...!" Midnight suddenly sensed something and shouted "MOVE!!"

They all rushed in different directions in the nick of time as large sticky globs of changeling gew fell from above, having come very close to engulfing the five heroes and immobilizing them.

"That was close!" Sunburst kept his sword raised and nervously pushed his glasses back in place.

"ERGH!!" They looked up to see the source of that frustration was a changeling with a carapace and eyes colored purple and a red spine, snarling, "Don't get cocky! We still outnumber you!"

"Pharynx..." Thorax looked up sadly at the changeling, who returned his look with one of contempt.

"It's been a while, little brother...." Pharynx growled as he buzzed down to join his swarm.

"I had to leave, Pharynx!" Thorax pleaded, "I am no longer connected to the Hive Mind. The queen would have killed me once she found out."

"I would have stood up for you, assured her that as long as you remained loyal and obedient there would yet be a place for you among the Hive," Pharynx snarled, but deep down... he knew Thorax was right. The queen would never have tolerated the existence of any changeling she couldn't control. He narrowed his eyes, ordering via the Hive Mind, Separate them, they'll be easier to pick off...

Then aloud, Pharynx said, "Then you should have just left! But no, you had to run off with our little sister! What kind of life is one for a nymph to spend her whole life running and hiding? Endangering her just because you couldn't let go?"

"But we're not running or hiding," Thorax furrowed his brows and glared back at Pharynx with a boldness the older changeling had never seen from his brother.

It honestly surprised him... and deep down, he couldn't help but feel a little pride.

"Elytra and I, we have true friends, a place to belong," Thorax went on, "a place to be free and happy and alive! But the Hive? Each and every changeling is born into unquestioning slavery under a queen who serves herself above all! The rest of the Hive are just her servants despite the fact they are her children! You know it's true, Pharynx, all of you do:

"Chrysalis doesn't care about anyone but herself."

Pharynx growled... when he felt something through the Hive Mind. Out the corners of his eyes, he noticed his swarm appeared to be taking Thorax at his word. He sensed their doubt, their concerns, their pondering of Thorax's words, and that infuriated him!

Thorax is mine... deal with the others once you've separated them, he ordered via the Hive Mind. When they all looked to him, he threatened, Do it! Unless you would like for the queen to know you've been thinking traitorous thoughts...

Sensing their fear temper their resolve, Pharynx sneered... before he opened his mouth and shot out a line of gew, ensnaring Thorax, whom he jerked forward. Before Midnight, Shining Armor, Sunburst or Astral could do anything-

*Ker-floomf*

Trapdoors opened right beneath their hooves (and feet), as Midnight and Sunburst fell through one and Shining Armor and Astral fell through the other, all of them crying out in alarm as they vanished into darkness, the trapdoors closing shut, and Thorax gulped now that he didn't have his friends with him.

He struggled to stay calm, even as Pharynx glared at him before sneering, "What say, we catch up on some brotherly bonding..."

A lone guard walked through the halls of the crystal castle. It'd been difficult acquiring the armor, but necessary for the ruse. He gave appropriate nods and salutes to other guards he passed by, inwardly relishing how easily he was fooling them.

Guided by his powers, he found the door he was looking for... except there were two guards station by it, as well as one guard positioned at each end of the hall.

He needed to complete his mission at all costs! But an integral part of this mission was to get in and out without exposing his true nature.

I need to lure them away for just a few moments! the infiltrator thought. But how...?

Looking around, the halls were somewhat sparse in decor, but every half a dozen pony lengths stood a pedestal that had either a luminescent globe, a crystal bust, or a cultural piece of pottery on display. Then the infiltrator sneered as he thought, Sometimes I amaze myself with my own brilliance!

He snuck away from the hall, had a look around and saw just what he needed a good-enough distance away. Making sure nopony was around, he ever so gently tipped a large pottery just enough, rushed behind a heavy window curtain (shifting in size to better conceal himself) and....

*SHATTER*

"What was that?!" the infiltrator heard a guard say and then he heard urged hoofsteps coming to investigate.

He held absolutely still behind the curtain, waiting for the guards to pass him by, and once he was certain, he peeked out, The coast is clear...

He saw down the hall that the guards were checking out the broken pottery, and once he was sure they weren't looking he stole back down the hall, back in his guard disguise, and carefully approached the door he was looking for.

He raised his hoof... and set a tiny box in front of it before giving the door a knock.

He rushed away and hid behind a statue, carefully peeking out to see the door open a little... and out peeked Elytra, curious to find nopony there. The changeling filly felt a brief apprehension that was dashed once she noticed the little box on the floor, and picked it up.

Inside the nursery, Cadance sat with Spike (who had been cajoled into wearing a dress, to his bitter chagrin) and little Cora, sitting in a special high chair so she could join them for their tea party. As promised, Cadance had come by to check on the young ones to be sure they were fine, but Elytra had pleaded Cadance to stay with them for a while and even suggested a tea party. Cadance had agreed and Elytra then guilt-tripped Spike into wearing a dress as Duchess Spinel.

Spike had almost refused until Cora had joined Elytra in giving him the most heartbreaking sad eyes he'd seen since Apple Bloom, so he'd caved and decided as long as it was kept between them, he'd do it for his niece (and just die a little on the inside).

Elytra returned to the tea party, Cadance asking, "Who was it, Elytra?"

"Nopony, I didn't see anyone there," Elytra answered, sounding confused. "Even the guards were gone."

Cadance suddenly felt wary and stood up, "All of you wait here."

Cadance gave Cora a loving nuzzle and motherly kiss before she went to the door and said, "I'm going to speak with the guards and lock the door. Don't answer it for anyone! I'll be right back."

She left, locking the door behind her, and Spike and Elytra shared a concerned look.

"You really didn't see anypony, Elytra?" Spike asked, a tad worried.

"No, it was weird," Elytra confirmed, sounding puzzled.

"Well... I guess Princess Cadance will make sure everything's okay," Spike put on a brave face when Cora fussed. "Oh! Okay, Little Princess, here's your tea."

Spike gave the fussy filly her "tea" (which was actually her baby bottle), not noticing the bracelet Elytra now wore on her left forehoof. It was a deep green cord... with a tiny butterfly charm on it. The charm reflected a faint green. The same green that shined over Elytra's seashell pink eyes as she rejoined the tea party and smiled as she offered Cora her Whammy.

Sunburst groaned as he slowly returned to consciousness when he felt a gentle prod to his barrel.

"Sunburst? Are you okay?" came the voice of his master, Midnight, and Sunburst felt his glasses, which had been askew, get set straight and he opened his eyes to see Midnight looking at him in concern.

"Ugh, I feel a little sore, but... yeah, I'm fine," Sunburst rubbed his aching backside as he sat up... and realized where they were. "Wha- We're in a cage?!"

"Just woke up myself," Midnight nodded as he looked around.

They were inside a cage that was suspended from the floor of a modest-sized room. A glob of changeling gew on a nearby wall glowed, providing luminescence, and they saw the cage was suspended by gew affixing the cage to the ceiling.

"Those changelings had this all nice and set up," Sunburst realized. "We have to get out of here!"

"Easier said than done," Midnight gave Sunburst a wary look before indicating the cage's bars. "This cage is ensorcelled with some rather strong wards and is charmed to be unbreakable. I could overpower it but it would take time, not to mention there might be some kind of alarm or more surprises if I force the cage open."

"Hmm, how are you with Abjuration?" asked Sunburst after considering Midnight's words.

"I'm competent but I'm no master," sighed Midnight, sounding displeased with himself. "I'm way better with Enchantment, but this cage is warded against enchantments."

"Urgh, I'm well versed in Abjuration but I don't think I have enough magical power to undo the spells on this cage," Sunburst grumped.

"Hmm... perhaps we can work with that," Midnight suggested.

"What do you mean?" asked Sunburst.

"I'll provide the power but you have to wield it," explained Midnight. "You know much more about Abjuration than I do, but if I provide you with my own magical energy you should be able to utilize it and get us out of this cage!"

"Collaborative casting!" Sunburst realized before smiling, "That could definitely work!"

"Alright, are you ready?" Midnight asked as he lit up his horn.

Sunburst took a deep breath as he ran the proper abjuration spells through his mind and closed his eyes to focus. He nodded to his master to go ahead... and Midnight began to gently channel his mana from his own horn to Sunburst's. Sunburst softly gasped. Midnight was being gentle and careful, but Sunburst still felt the enormous gap between them as Midnight's mana was added to his own.

It threatened to overwhelm him, so he got started on the incantation.

"BWAAUUGGHH!!!" Astral screamed, too riled and panicky to focus but Shining Armor wasn't.

The trapdoor had dropped them at least five stables down before they felt themselves reach a slippery slope and were now sliding to Goddess knew where. Wherever this was taking them, Shining Armor knew it wasn't somewhere pleasant. He ignored the drake screaming beside him and the velocity they were building from their sliding, and focused his mana, casting one of his favorite Shield spells.

It conjured a mana construct shaped like a shield ahead of them and was large enough to block the way down, causing the both of them to crash against it.

Groaning as they pushed themselves off it and shaking it off, Shining Armor carefully angled the Shield downwards until it was horizontal, serving as a sort of platform for them to stand on.

"Ech, what a ride..." Astral rubbed his snout, which had unfortunately smacked dab into the Shield. "But at least we're okay."

"We would have been just fine if you hadn't charged into an obvious trap," scolded Shining Armor, causing Astral to wince. "Astral, what were you thinking? It's not like you to make such a crucial mistake like that."

"I know, I know! I messed up..." Astral sighed, looking ashamed of himself, "It's... I've been trying to focus on the mission, to do my duty, but... I failed in my duty, Shining Armor."

Shining Armor's frustration softened with sympathy, especially when he saw Astral shed a tear, "What're you talking about Astral? You haven't failed, you're here! Doing your part, sworn to see the citizens of the Crystal Empire are protected."

"But I was right there!" Astral insisted, "I saw him, that changeling Pharynx. I was right there when he set that bomb and I could have stopped him! If I had, then maybe I would have stopped their plan before it happened, and those afflicted ponies wouldn't be suffering...

"The Empire, Midnight, you and your family! I'm a Hood and I was charged to serve and protect you all. When Pharynx said all those things in that last chamber... I felt the full sting of my failure to do my duty."

"He was rubbing salt into the wound..." Shining Armor noted, sounding like he understood. "Astral, you are charged to serve and protect us here in the Crystal Empire. But the fate of the Empire and everypony in it doesn't fall squarely on your shoulders alone.

"I've been there, back when I was Captain of the Royal Guard back in Canterlot. Whether you're a soldier or a leader, the burden of duty can feel heavy on anyone's shoulders. But it helps lighten the load a little if you trust in your fellow protectors to help you carry that weight."

Shining's words had just the effect he'd hoped, as Astral shyly peered over at the alicorn prince.

"So you let the enemy get one over you, big deal! What matters is that you keep going and do your duty: Protect the people you've sworn to defend," Shining Armor furrowed his brows as he stood up and offered his hoof.
"Now, whattya say we get outta here and kick those changelings' buggy butts all the way out of the empire?"

Astral looked down... then furrowed his brows as he accepted Shining' s hoof and the prince hauled the drake back to his feet.

"I say, we kick them even farther," Astral smirked. "Because, technically... we're already outside the empire."

Shining raised a brow and let out a laugh, "Heheha, very good point!"

"Thanks, Shining Armor," Astral said with grateful respect.

"You're welcome, Astral. Now..." Shining Armor willed the shield spell serving as a platform onward down the way the slide had been taking them, "Let's see where this leads. We can't go back, this tunnel isn't big enough to accommodate our wings to fly back up."

The end of the tunnel came and they saw if they had kept sliding they'd have been dropped into a cage, waiting for them. But the room the cage was in was spacious enough for them to spread their wings and safely glide down to the floor.

"Ha! Won't they be surprised when we show up?" Astral boasted.

"Let's hope Midnight and Sunburst are okay," Shining Armor said as he pointed towards a doorway, "because that's the only way out of here."

Back in their cage, Midnight continued to channel his magic to Sunburst, as his apprentice put his greater knowledge of Abjuration to good use.

"Almost there... just have to dispel one more cantrip..." Sunburst groaned in discomfort as he was sweating and a vein pulsed on his forehead.

"Hang in there, Sunburst, you can do it!" Midnight encouraged as he maintained the ebb and flow.

"Nearly there, and..." Sunburst applied the last counterspell and felt the magic safely break, his eyes popping open with excitement, "Bingo!"

"Let's blow this joint!" Midnight raised the clawed gauntlets of Nightfall and uttered, "Night Saber!"

Extending from each gauntlet conjured a blade of lunar energy, and Midnight gave Sunburst a playful smirk, "You might wanna duck."

Sunburst flinched and quickly ducked down, allowing Midnight to spin`round, the energy blades effortlessly cutting through the bars of the cage, and they felt the floor beneath them give way. Quickly, Midnight dispelled the Night Sabers, grabbed Sunburst, and as they fell to the floor beneath them, where the cage floor clattered, Midnight's shadow enveloped them both... and they impacted upon the stony floor in a puff of vaporous shadow!

The shadowstuff quickly gathered, and from it rose Midnight and Sunburst, safe and sound.

Midnight let Sunburst go, as the unicorn shivered slightly before asking, "What was that?!"

"Shadow Morphing," Midnight answered, "Shadow powers is one of the primary magical abilities of lunar ponies. Shadow Morphing allows me to slip into a... alternate space while my presence is marked in this plane by shadowstuff. Then I can emerge anywhere as long as there is space enough to accommodate me."

"Fascinating!" Sunburst whispered in reverence of his mentor.

"Now..." Midnight looked around the room before pointing, "There! It's the only way out of this room, and we gotta find Shining Armor and Astral and rescue Thorax."

"Then we should hurry, lead the way," Sunburst urged and they rushed out.

The passage led them on a curving turn, and ahead they heard running hoofsteps, causing them to quickly halt as Midnight focused his natural nightvision and saw...

"Shining Armor, Astral!" He smiled and they approached their friends as they too had paused.

"Midnight? Is that really you?" Shining asked warily.

Midnight chuckled in understanding before he saluted and said, "To Equestria, I pledge my life along to everypony..."

Shining Armor smiled in relief as he too saluted and finished it, "To safeguard all from fear and strife alongside my best brony!"

The brothers-in-law happily chuckled as they rushed to meet each other in a happy hug and Astral and Sunburst came over to join them.

"I'm glad to see you guys are okay," Shining Armor said, "but we need to get back up there and help Thorax before that swarm does anything to him."

"And it looks like we've found our way up," Sunburst brought up as he pointed to a nearby set of stairs that went up.

*THWACK!!*

"UGH!!" Thorax was knocked onto his backside from the force of Pharynx striking him in the face.

"You can make this a whole lot easier, if you just cooperate and talk, little brother..." snarled Pharynx as he reached down and pulled Thorax closer. "Patrol schedules, access points, anything at all! Help us and perhaps the Queen will show you leniency once we return to the Hive."

"N-n-no..." Thorax weakly refused, despite the pain.

For the past several minutes, Pharynx had been beating him, demanding information from him. Clearly, he wanted to do worse than he already had to the Crystal Empire, and he believed Thorax would be a gold mine of information. Which he wasn't. Thorax never bothered to learn things that could be used against the Empire or his friends, and he'd sadly kept Elytra from interacting all that much with the ponies as well. It'd hurt him to do so, but as she was still connected to the Hive mind the risk that she could inadvertently provide the Hive with even a tidbit of information was too great.

So Elytra mostly kept to inside the castle and spent a lot of time playing with Princess Cora. But since Throax himself was no longer connected to the Hive Mind, Pharynx would have to... persuade his wayward brother to spill his guts.

One way or another.

Unbeknownst to Pharynx, in the chamber beyond the one his swarm was using for their hideout, two of his underlings were nervously approaching a large cage, draped over with a heavy fabric, a couple lengths of chains reaching in through the bars.

Above the cage... hung a pod of changeling gew, glistening with radiant and positive colors. It was the sac of all the positive emotions that their bombs were draining from the crystal ponies who'd been afflicted by the blasts. Once their operation here was fulfilled, they would take their prize back to the Hive for Chrysalis and their fellow `lings to gorge themselves.

"Let's get this over with..." said one of the changelings as they approached the cage, carrying a platter of raw meat. "I don't wanna be anywhere near this thing a moment longer than we have to!"

"Honestly, I don't know what Pharynx was thinking arranging for this thing to be part of our mission!" agreed the other as he hesitantly opened the cage door.

The inside was darkened by the fabric covering the cage's exterior, while it's interior was large and massive, enough to contain half a dozen buffalo.

The changeling holding the platter gulped nervously and gave the other a pleading look.

"Ah! Don't gimme that, you lost the coin toss!" the second narrowed his eyes as he stayed behind the cage door. "Just leave the platter within its reach and get the heck out! I'm ready to shut the door once you're clear."

The changeling holding the platter whimpered as he fearfully took a hesitant step into the cage, staring at the darkness on the other side, but unable to see anything. He was about to set the platter down when something caught his eye. He looked... and felt his blood run cold as he saw the chains were no longer attached to the cage's occupant!

Before he could scream or warn his compatriot, something shot out of the darkness and latched onto his throat with a crushing grip! It prevented him from crying out or screaming as he felt two fangs puncture his throat and squeeze like a vice, though he managed to choke out a few agonizing croaks as he dropped the platter, which alarmed the other changeling that something was wrong.

The sound of a struggle alarmed him further that he couldn't help but peer into the cage... and saw his swarm-mate was gone! All that was left was the platter of raw and blood meat on the cage floor. Whimpering, he was about to shut the cage when something big and hungry reached out from the darkness with a massive paw with claws extended to grab onto the changeling's head! He tried to scream but the paw was wrapped around his face, its claws securing its grip, and it dragged him inside!

The changeling's stifled screams were silenced and followed by the sound of a sickening crunch... and green blood began to spread around the cage floor as two pairs of eyes stared out the open cage and growled with soft hunger...

395. Crystal Quest - Part 5

"Why can't you just cooperate...?" seethed Pharynx as he hoisted Thorax up and threw him over his shoulder, the younger changeling stifling a cry of pain as he felt a break in his chitin around his withers.

"Why do you force me to resort to pain?" He then reached down, his hoof forming into a pincer-like claw, to grab hold of Thorax's chin and force him up and towards his own face as Pharynx said, "You know we'll get rid of your so-called friends and the Crystal Empire will be ours for the taking! You can be a part of that as well.

"Side with us, help us! You would be welcomed back into the Hive as a hero!"

"I could deliver all of Equestria to her..." Thorax groaned painfully as he glared as much as he could through his swollen eye. "She'd kill me all the same! She loves power but is obsessed with control. You know I'm right, Pharynx!"

"Oh Thorax..." Pharynx shook his head almost in sympathy but more in disappointment. "Still the sissy little grub you always were, letting others push you around, why I had to step in an stand up for you-"

*BOOF*

Pharynx found himself stumbling back, though he managed to stay standing as he then clutched his aching cheek... and gawked at Thorax, who had clearly just sucker-punched him. The younger changeling, despite being bruised, his eye swollen, and a trickle of green blood dripping from his lip, stood defiant even though he still shook with a little fear.

But that didn't stop him from saying, "I don't let anyone push me around anymore, big brother. Including you."

Pharynx couldn't believe it. Never once, in their entire lives together, had he seen his little brother stand up for himself, much less get physical. He wasn't fooled that Thorax was still scared, but regardless. It took guts to do what he just did, even if he was afraid.

Since when did he grow a thicker exoskeleton...? Pharynx couldn't believe it... but then a strange feeling bloomed within him. It felt joyful somehow, but not for himself. For his brother. A semblance of respect, which itself baffled him. But then he realized what it was!

Thorax... I'm... I'm actually proud of yo-

From out of nowhere, Magic Arrow spells were launched, striking several changelings around the brothers, stunning them. Pharynx barely had time to dodge one and launch himself away, only to realize he'd been fooled as a turquoise aura enveloped Thorax and levitated him away. Towards the passage that led to the chamber with multiple tunnels, and from it appeared the ponies and drake Pharynx could have sworn they'd gotten rid of!

"YOU!!" Pharynx snarled as his swarm buzzed angrily and they got ready for a fight.

"Pharynx!" Midnight's horn lit up and he bore the claws of Nightfall, "Stand down..."
"All of you are under arrest!" Shining Armor raised his sword and conjured a Shield spell.
"You might have us outnumbered," Astral spun his swords around like a dervish, "but you're outclassed!"
"If you just come quietly, we won't hurt you," Sunburst suggested, preferring not to settle this with violence that he didn't even summon his sword.

"WAIT!!" Thorax stood between both sides, "We don't have to fight! We can settle this without anyone getting hurt.

"Pharynx..." Thorax turned to his brother with a pleading look, "Please! We haven't always agreed on things, but one thing we do agree on... is we both want to protect the Hive! I know you can't disobey the queen, but you don't have to throw away your lives in a fight you know you can't win. I know you - You don't engage in a fight unless you're certain you can win or at the very least salvage what you can from a strategic withdrawal.

"Just stand down, undo what you've done to the crystal ponies, and you can get out of this peacefully."

Pharynx glared at Thorax as the moment took a pregnant pause, as all eyes were on Pharynx and his response. Only Thorax noticed, but in Pharynx's purple eyes... he saw a shadow of regret before he answered:

"Peace... was never an option."

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, as both sides stood their ground, daring the other to make the first move. When something hurtled through the air and landed between them with a sickening SQUELCH noise... and they saw it was the mangled and eviscerated corpse of a changeling!

One of Pharynx's drones HURK'd before puking his guts out at the sight of the corpse, and Thorax whimpered in abject horror, "Wh- what happened to him?!"

Wait... Pharynx realized, judging from the direction the corpse had been thrown from- "Oh no...!"

He looked towards the back of the chamber, where a large doorway, mostly gew'd over, was shadowed by a large mass behind it, and a strange buzzing growl echoed from it into the hive chamber, sending chills over everyone in it!

"Okay, dumb question," Astral raised a claw before nervously pointing and asking, "What's behind door number one?"

The answer came in the sound of a ferocious buzzy and skittery ROAR reverberating off the walls of the hive chamber as the solidified gew was suddenly shattered apart as out burst a massive beast! It was big. Bigger than a full-grown yak or buffalo, but more slender. It had a strong and leonine body that was armored with plates of chitin, mostly on the back, forward half of the body, and the exterior of its legs. Otherwise, it had dirty golden-brown fur, some of sticking out between the chitinous plates, and around its neck was a mane made up of feathery antennae similar to those of moths, and a long pair of goat-like horns extended from its skull. Its face was definitely that of a lion's, except for its large changeling eyes that glowed a menacing red, its whiskers moved like feelers, and it bore a frightening pair of saberteeth that were serrated! On its forelegs were paws while its hindlegs had cloven hooves that had on shackles, the chains apparently melted somehow, and on its back buzzed a pair of translucent wings that gave off a sound similar to a helicopter, and likewise blew a gust of wind of considerable force. But then they saw it raise its tail... it was pale white in color, with chitin running along its length in green designs. But the tip of the tail.... was alive with the head of a snake! It opened its mouth to reveal fangs dripping with venom, its eyes red like the eyes of the main head, and it extended a hood to reveal it was like a cobra, except the edges of the hood were jagged and spiky!

"Is that...?!" Midnight had heard of them, but he never actually saw them during the second Changeling Invasion of Canterlot.

"It's a hybrid! Everyone get clear!" Thorax shouted.

Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the hybrid, its eyes falling upon the changeling doubled over after puking his guts out. The poor changeling never saw it coming, for, without hesitation, the monster pounced and agonized screams filled the chamber but only for a few seconds as the beast gorged itself on its latest victim.

Thankfully however, it had been distracted long enough for the others to get clear and hide behind the hive huts in the chamber.

The five heroes huddle together, staring apprehensively at the monster as it finished its latest meal, when they noticed Thorax and Astral looking especially nervous but something seemed to have dawned on them.

"Guys, what is it?" asked Midnight with a soft voice.

Thorax and Astral shared a look before Thorax whispered, "Right before we left, when I was talking to Elytra... she mentioned dreams or visions she'd seen through the Hive Mind.

"She didn't really understand them confusing one for a lion, another for a snake, and hearing some kind of bleating."

"I didn't get it before, but now it makes sense!" Astral spoke up as he stared at the monster before them. "This thing... it's a chimera!"

"A changeling-chimera hybrid, actually," Thorax corrected. "Oh, what was Pharynx thinking bringing this monster here?!"

At the same time, Pharynx was hiding with his swarm, thinking, Curse it all, how did it get loose?! Of all the things that could've gone wrong...

"Ph-Pharynx?" said one of his underlings fearfully, "What're we- what're we gonna do?! The hybrid is clearly out of control!"

"Shut up! I'm thinking..." Pharynx hissed as he took in the situation.

The hybrid was resting in the middle of the hive chamber, lazing and growling softly. But it'd take notice of them all soon enough. He noticed his brother and his group hiding behind another hive structure to the right of the passage, to which he and his swarm were located to the left. It was in that moment that Pharynx made eye contact with the alicorn prince Midnight Blaze. They glared at one another... when something crossed both their minds. And they shared the same distasteful look.

Groaning as he slumped down onto the floor, Midnight facehooved before he heard, "Midnight, what is it?"

He looked to his brother-in-law and the rest before saying, "Guys... the enemy of our enemy is our friend."

It took a few moments for those words to sink in before Astral scowled, "Oh no... You cannot be serious!"

"Well, we can't risk this thing getting out and attacking the empire," Midnight reasoned, "and we stand a much better chance of killing it if we work together with Pharynx and his swarm."

"I'm afraid Midnight is right," Thorax agreed, albeit with his own apprehension. "Hybrids are much more dangerous than regular changelings, depending on what creature they're a hybrid of! Chimeras are fierce, deadly, and are known to breathe fire. That alone will make facing it hazardous, but it can also fly thanks to its changeling wings."

"I can provide cover for its fire," Shining Armor offered, "not to mention this could be our chance to settle this without fighting Pharynx and his swarm, a way to show them we can work together for a common goal!"

"Even if he rejects those views afterwards, it could still mean something to him," added Sunburst. "Midnight's right, we have to work together with them."

"If anything, Pharynx will agree for the sake of self-preservation," nodded Thorax. He peered around the hive hut and saw Pharynx looking back, apparently aggravated but willing all the same.

And then the brothers shared a nod of agreement.

The hybrid was done eating and lazing, as it now prowled around the large chamber, knowing its prey was hiding in there with it. It buzzed softly, its tail flicking its tongue out while the front head sniffed, smelling food. Nice and fresh too.

Then it heard numerous hoofsteps on all sides, and took notice of the many prey running alongside the walls on both sides of the chamber. It sensed aggression and extended its claws as it let out a challenging snarl, ready for a fight!

Pharynx confirmed his swarm was in position before relaying that to Thorax by softly buzzing his wings as a means to signal him.

Thorax whispered to his friends, "They're ready when we are."

"Alright, guys, on three!" Midnight spoke softly before raising the tufted end of his tail and manipulating the fur at the end to resemble three "fingers" as he mouthed 'One! Two...'

And then aloud, he yelled, "THREE!!!"

"AAAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!!" Everyone shouted as they lunged out from their hiding places, ponies, changelings and a drake, baring their weapons. While Midnight bore his clawed gauntlets, Nightfall, Shining Armor and Sunburst their knightly swords, and Astral his dual swords, the changelings wielded spears with the spearheads shaped like barbed stingers, shields shaped like black beetles, and wore helmets that had stag beetle jaws.

The hybrid took notice of them all but its eyes were drawn to its former captors as it seemed to hock in a disgusting way before it spewed a seething gew-like liquid at Pharynx and his swarm!

"SCATTER!" Pharynx yelled to his subordinates and while he and most did so, a few were not so lucky as they were doused with the strange gewy substance.

To everyone's horror however, instead of being held down by something sticky, the gew burned and corroded the poor changelings as they let out horrific screams of agony!

They didn't scream for long.

Their chitin dissolved, revealing their soft insides that melted into a goopy mess that in no way resembled the changelings they once were.

"What in Haydes just happened?!" Sunburst cried out in alarm.

"It's hybrid of a chimera!" Thorax answered fearfully. "Ordinary chimeras breathe fire, but since this one is a changeling hybrid, its changeling gew must have become some kind of acid instead of an adhesive!"

"Well, this just got more interesting!" snapped Astral sarcastically before he threw a dirty look at Pharynx, "What were you thinking bringing this monster here?!"

Pharynx just glared back and growled at Astral while Midnight yelled, "Never mind that! We need to take this thing down; it can't be allowed to leave this chamber alive! Shining!"

"I'm with you!" Shining Armor raised his sword and Midnight bore his claws as the brother alicorns rushed towards the monster. It roared as it pounced at Shining Armor, who raised a spherical Mana Shield to protect himself while Midnight zoomed forward and raked his gauntlet threw the hybrid's wing, causing it to roar in pain as its wing was now shred to useless ribbons.

The snake tail let out a vicious hiss as it struck towards Midnight, but he raised his own Mana Shield to stave off its fangs. The snake headed tail continued to hiss in frustration before it bore its fangs and spewed his acidic poison at Midnight. But thankfully his Mana Shield held as the poison slid off it like rain on a glass window.

With the hybrid mostly distracted, Pharynx took the initiative as he morphed into a large insect-like monster and snarled to his swarm, "ATTACK!!"

He led the charge, tackling the hybrid, now roughly its equal in size and mass, while his swarm thrust their spears towards the soft underbelly and between the plates of chitin armor on the beast.

Sunburst and Thorax held back, the unicorn asking, "Thorax, any idea on how to best take this thing down?"

"Hybrids aren't stable," answered Thorax, "they're mostly bred for war and combat. Afterwards, they're disposed of, partly because they need more positive emotion to nourish them than regular changelings do. They feed on anything, desperately trying to sate their hunger but they can't.

"Eventually, they'll even eat other changelings, which is what makes them so dangerous."

"So... if it had a source of positive emotions to nourish it, it could be placated?" asked Sunburst.

"For a little while, sure, but where would we get some? The situation isn't exactly ideal for it," Thorax pointed out as the hybrid forced Pharynx back and was cheap-shot by Midnight with a lightning bolt to its face.
"I have an idea, but it's risky."

"If you think it'll work, I'm all ears," Sunburst pressured with a slight tone of urgency, keeping his eyes on the battle and his sword and a shield spell at the ready to cast.

"Just protect me for a few moments..." Thorax closed his eyes and focused, reaching out with his natural sense of empathy.

All changelings were empaths, able to sense the emotions of those around them. It was a little similar to the telepathic nature of the Hive Mind, but their empathic ability only worked on other creatures and didn't give them access to their thoughts. Only insight on their emotional states.

Normally, changelings only used their ability as empaths to seek out positive emotions to potentially feed on, as well as get an idea of what others were feeling in order to complement their deceptions.

Chrysalis always taught them never to embrace the feelings they sensed that were not their own. To feel others' sadness, misery, pain, anguish, to sympathize. It was a weakness that could not be allowed to poison the Hive.

Thorax had always had neglected to adhere to the queen's doctrine. Only the Hive Mind had kept him in check... up until Shining Armor and Cadance's love-empowered magic somehow freed him of the Hive Mind's sway, and from then on Thorax embraced emotions not simply as sustenance but as a means to relate and understand other creatures.

It was Thorax's most fervent hope that he might do the same for his fellow changeling and so free them all from the tyrannical enslavement of Chrysalis.

Finally, after rifling through the fear, the determination, the anger, the distrust, the courage, and other feelings associated with battle, Thorax sensed a source of positive emotion that didn't feel right.

It was located... in the chamber from which the hybrid had emerged!

Got it! Thorax opened his eyes and looked to Sunburst, "We need to sneak around and get into the next chamber. You with me?"

"Let's go!" Sunburst nodded and he followed Thorax as they scurried along the wall, hiding behind hive huts to avoid the battle.

Unfortunately, they didn't escape notice, as the hybrid's snake-headed tail saw them and spewed more of its acidic poison in their direction!

Luckily, Sunburst had kept an eye on the battle and saw the poison hurtling their way and quickly pushed Thorax forward while raising his own Mana Shield to protect himself. But now the monster had its eyes on Thorax, seeing him as easy prey.

"Thorax, keep going!" Sunburst was terrified but adrenaline spurred him as he raised his sword in Thorax's defense.

Pharynx and the other changelings were exhausted and Midnight had been knocked unconscious from being thrown into a pillar. Shining Armor was being helped to his hooves by Astral, who saw the hybrid advancing on Thorax and Sunburst.

The unicorn was struggling to be brave but Astral could tell Sunburst wasn't up for this kind of battle. The hybrid raised his large paw to swipe at Sunburst, only for Thorax to barrel into the unicorn just in the nick of time as they both felt the wind of the monster's claws cutting through the air, too close for comfort.

The hybrid and its tail snarled and hissed respectively as they glared hungrily at Thorax and Sunburst, the former putting himself between the beast and his friend. He was afraid. not for himself, but for his friends. For the place he called home. For the ponies who had accepted him.

For his sister.

The hybrid appeared ready to pounce as it raised his hindquarters up for its snake-headed tail to rear up... and then lunge forward, its fangs poised to strike!

"THORAX!!" The changeling never saw it coming.

Astral had flown in out of nowhere, putting himself between Thorax and the monster, pulling his friend into a protective embrace... and he felt the fangs pierce his aching shoulder. Ordinarily, Astral's scaly skin was very durable, but getting his shoulder bruised had softened the skin there up just enough for the fangs to penetrate deep enough to inject its horrible poison!

Astral then felt his shoulder inflame with pain as the snake-headed tail tore itself free, Astral's blood spilling while he could barely utter a word and buckled, startling Thorax as he held Astral up. The pain was so intense! Astral couldn't even muster a scream, but it stayed localized in his shoulder. Regardless, he was now incapacitated and helpless to keep his promise to Elytra to protect her brother.

Seeing its prey now helpless, the monster licked its lips, ready for an easy meal.

Shining Armor had taken it all in, as he'd seen his good friend, Astral, risk his own life to protect another. Now, he was injured and in mortal danger! He felt his cutie-mark tingle with the sensation of pins n' needles, as it reminded Shining Armor, the Shield & Sword of Canterlot, the Emperor of the Crystal Empire, a Prince of Equestria, a Knight of Harmony, of his one true purpose: To protect.

He put everything he had into his lunge, his wings carrying him as he zoomed to put himself between his friends and this abomination, and his sword in hoof as he felt it reach out to him and the words made themselves known in his heart and mind, and so he uttered, "Shine and rise... Valiant Heart!!!"

The sword and its wielder both lit up with a blinding, shining light!

The hybrid snarled as it closed its eyes and looked away and everyone else in the chamber shielded their eyes from the intensity of the light!

Shining Armor felt a power awaken, in his sword and in himself. His body became clad in Harmonic Armor and Helm colored Gold, Crystalline Blue and Deep Magenta. His sword changed as well, growing in size until it was as longer than he was and thicker and heavier, the blade becoming a translucent blade of crystal, the guard now designed to resemble a fractal snowflake, his cutie-mark emblazoned above the handle which bore all the same shades of blue as his own mane.

As the light dimmed, all eyes, even those of the hybrid, gazed in awe at the Knight who had come into his own as Shining Armor hefted the claymore-sized crystalline Valiant Heart onto his withers and glared boldly at the beast.

Although the chimera/changeling hybrid sensed this new threat, its hunger distracted it... that it foolishly tried to leap over the Harmonic Knight, extending its claws towards the injured Astral and horrified Thorax-

"CRYSTAL BARRIER!!" shouted Shining Armor as he stabbed Valiant Heart into the ground while facing it towards his friends in peril.

Almost immediately did appear a translucent barrier of crystal blue, appearing faceted and adamant, protectively surrounding the drake and changeling and the moment the hybrid came into contact with it, it suddenly burst with light and repelled the monster's attack, sending it sprawling backwards.

While the beast was knocked for a loop, Shining quickly checked on Astral and Thorax, "Are you alright?"

"Urgh, we'll be okay, but that thing's snake-tail managed to get some of its poison in me...!" Astral winced as he grasped his shoulder. "I can't fight anymore...!"

"Sit tight, soldier," Shining Armor gave Astral a gentle pat on his uninjured shoulder before turning to face the monster, "I'll take care of the rest. Thorax, watch over him."

Without waiting for Thorax's answer, Shining Armor charged the beast as it was getting back on its hooves and paws, and then Shining Armor raised Valiant Heart straight up and yelled, "Heart's FIIIIRRRRRRRREEEE!!!!!!"

From the tip ignited a literal heart-shaped flame colored deep magenta as it burned with a magical heat. The hybrid snarled as it closed its eyes and looked away, feeling this heat that was so very much like standing right in front of a roaring bonfire. But for everyone else in the chamber... it was warm, comforting, and even soothed their aching wounds and injuries, even Astral felt the pain from the poison abate somewhat, while at the same time it harmlessly burned all the gew away into ashes. Pharynx and his remaining swarm were stunned at the magical nature of this fire coming from Shining Armor's sword... but deep down inside they all felt a strange discomfort, a... guilt?

Satisfied his Heart's Fire had done its job, Shining Armor snuffed it out before baring Valiant Heart at the hybrid as it shook off the discomfort and roared at him. Shining Armor wasn't afraid. Not for himself. What fear he felt was for everyone else if he did not put this monster down lest it escaped and did more harm.

Without hesitation, he charged the hybrid again, holding Valiant Heart at the ready as it ignited with prismatic fires that wreathed its mighty blade, and Shining Armor leaped into the air, using his wings for boost, Valiant Heart raised as he roared, "BLAZING ASSAULT!!"

The magnitude of power and force the alicorn displayed as he soared at the monster struck fear into it that it panicked a bit as it lunged to the side to get away. Unfortunately, it was just a tad too slow and though it hadn't been his target, Shining Armor lopped off the snake-headed tail, causing it to fall to the ground and writhe in hissing agony while the hybrid roared in pain.

Everyone watched as the cobra-like snake tail writhed, confused, angry, in pain... until final it stopped and strangely it began to dissolve into a gew-ish substance but more goopy and viscous. Ignoring it, Shining Armor looked to the hybrid as it glared with bestial hatred at the alicorn that had hurt it, and it began to make hocking sounds, similar to somepony hocking a loogie, before its cheeks bulged out... and it spat a glob of acidic gew at him, the size of a beach ball.

Shining Armor quickly realized that even if he dodged it it would splatter all around the chamber and hurt his friends and the changelings. He quickly pointed his sword and exclaimed, "CRYSTAL FREEZE!!!"

A resplendent blizzard of crystal snowflakes howled from the blade itself, and engulfed the huge globe of acidic gew, causing it to quickly freeze solid and hit the ground with less impact from having been slowed down by the force of the frigid bluster.

Seeing its weapon rendered useless, the hybrid was getting more and more afraid! Its instincts told it it was time to flight rather than continue to fight. Shining Armor noticed the beast peering towards the passageways out of the chamber and knew it was about to make a break for it.

It lunged towards the nearest passageway, only for Shining Armor to swing Valiant Heart around as he yelled, "Linking Luster!"

From the tip of the blade conjured energy links that formed a long and winding chain of kaleidoscopic color as it lashed out and ensnared the hybrid, around its neck, its middle, and even its legs, before they secured themselves to the ground and a nearby wall, trapping the beast. It began to panic, snarling and spitting and roaring as it struggled to break free.

On some level, Shining Armor felt pity for this creature.

It was created just to be a weapon, and most likely it would have been disposed of after it'd served its purpose. But this wasn't a sapient being like himself. It was a dangerous monster that would kill innocent sapient creatures, such as his subjects, if it were allowed to escape.

As the hybrid was distracted, trying to break free, it noticed too late when Shining Armor had zoomed right up to it, poising Valiant Heart to its face as he gave it a look of regret, before he uttered, "...Shining Force!"

At the top of Valiant Heart, a tiny orb of radiant light ignited, building up, radiating with energy, before it formed a halo of light around the middle of the blade and then it unleashed a devastating blast of shining prismatic power so intense it lit up the room with blinding light that everyone had to cover their eyes as an eerie silence befell them!

Unbeknownst to them, the beam of Shining Force not only obliterated the hybrid's head, but it blew right into the ceiling of the chamber and burst out of the ground outside, launching skyward for all in the Crystal Empire to see, until the beam of light dissipated.

The sound of something heavy hit the floor, and once everypony (and everybuggy) was able to see again, they saw the headless corpse of the hybrid laying dead at Shining Armor's hooves. His armor, helm, and sword gave off another flash of light as the armor and helm turned to energy that was absorbed into Valiant Heart, which shrank down to its regular size. The sword was then absorbed into Shining's body, and he heard someone approach him. He looked to see it was Pharynx and the two shared tense stare-off for a long moment... before Pharynx gave Shining Armor a respectful nod.

"You saved our lives, so in exchange..." Pharynx nodded to his swarm and they brought forth a large cocoon brimming with pastel colored energies, "we return the emotional energy we harvested. Simply break open the cocoon and the energies will return to the ponies they belong to, and they will recover."

"You still have to answer for your attack on my empire and my subjects..." Shining Armor narrowed his eyes at Pharynx, who smirked.

"On the contrary, my swarm and I are leaving," Pharynx then lifted up a phial of purple liquid, "assuming you want this medicine to help your dragon friend's poisoning."

Shining Armor growled softly when he heard Astral groan and he looked to see his friend starting to look sick and Thorax gave Shining Armor a worried look.

Sighing bitterly, Shining Armor said, "Fine. Give me the medicine, and so help me if it doesn't help Astral...."

"Just have him drink it and then let him sleep," Pharynx instructed as he motioned his swarm towards the opening in the chamber ceiling. "He'll sweat it out and be in the clear after he wakes up."

Once Pharynx's swarm had all flown out the hole in the ceiling, he moved to stand directly underneath it before he set the phial on the floor. He peered past Shining Armor, looking at his brother, and Thorax gave his brother a neutral look.

The two said nothing to each other but could read enough from each other's faces and understood enough. Thorax knew, as much as he wished his brother could, Pharynx could not defy the queen's Hive Mind Control unless he was disconnected from it as Thorax had been. Pharynx likewise knew that Thorax was right. The queen didn't serve the Hive, only herself. He hoped that whatever miracle had worked to free Thorax of the Hive Mind perhaps another would save them all as well.

Pharynx then took flight and zoomed out of the chamber, just as Midnight and Sunburst were coming to.

By morning the next day, all was well. After breaking the cocoon that had contained the stolen emotional energies, it had all zoomed out and returned to the ponies they belonged to, and they all made a miraculous recovery. Likewise, with the crystal ponies no longer afflicted by the draining effect of the changeling magic, the Crystal Heart was cured as well, bringing it back to its pristine radiance.

Astral was in the clear too, as he and the rest of the heroes were treated to a breakfast feast in their honor! Afterwards, Shining and Cadance bestowed medals of honor onto Astral, Thorax, and Sunburst. Midnight had declined, since he was doing his duty.

After the ceremony had ended the group of friends were all in the dining room to further discuss about what happened in the catacombs the previous day.

"You mean to tell me that you got bit in your bad shoulder while protecting Thorax and Sunburst?" Cadence said, looking at her friend that had an arm in a cast.

"It was a split second decision." Astral grumbled.

"Well at least you're still alive." Cadence said before looking him in the eyes, "But if I hear you do something stupid that injures yourself more, I'll be sure to have you sent to Yakyakistan for medical help."

The drake's eyes widened before he started begging for forgiveness causing everyone to laugh at him since one of his first missions was in Yakyakistan and the doctors were not happy with the workload from the collateral.

As soon as everyone finished laughing, Midnight spoke up, "I hate to put a damper on things... but didn't anyone find it odd as to how small Pharynx and his swarm was?"

All eyes turned to him as he elaborated, "I mean, sure, you can't have too large a group when infiltrating enemy territory, but counting Pharynx there were only about a dozen changelings! Has the sweep turned up anything that might be changeling related?"

"We've had patrols with the necessary means to tracking changelings and their magic on the streets around the clock," reported Firestorm. "They'll continue for the next few weeks to be certain, but it appears that, apart from Thorax and Elytra, there is no longer a changeling presence in the Crystal Empire."

Midnight hmmm'd, looking troubled, that his wife, Twilight, asked, "Midnight, what's wrong? You guys did it! The Empire, the citizens, and the Heart are all safe and sound."

"It's just... Pharynx gave up all that emotional energy just a tad too easily for my tastes," Midnight answered, looking out the window towards the edge of the empire. "You'd think he'd have tried to take some of it with him back to the Hive."

"What matters is everyone is safe, Midnight," Shining Armor assured, "The catacombs will be secured so they can't be used to infiltrate us again and whatever the Hive is up to, we'll be ready for it."

397. Way Off the Mark

Author's Note

Be warned, this will be dark and terrible, and it factors into my plans for what lies ahead of the story.

Also, you might recognize this is based off something

397. Way Off the Mark

The day began with such promise, as Canterlot, the Royal Capital of Equestria, shined like a pristine jewel on the Canterhorn mountainside. Visible to see in virtually all directions for miles around, it stood proud and majestic, a glorious city that housed the seat of Equestrian power, a veritable melange of culture, opportunity, potential, education, and possibility. Granted, the noble ponies and highfalutin' unicorns strutted their stuff as though each and every single one of them was the most important pony in all the city, yet there was much to enjoy and admire within this majestic metropolis.

And then... Canterhorn erupted.

It happened without warning, an explosion from the mountain peak louder than the roars of a hundred dragons! Burning globs of molten rock rained down upon every side of the mountain.

Including Canterlot.

Screams and mass panic quickly spread as the citizens ran for cover while a few dared to risk the peril of reaching the nearest airships or the train station to quickly escape the destruction that was sure to follow. The pegasi among the Royal Guard took flight to protect the people, to guide them to safety. But there was no safety to be found, as lava fell in endless gushes vomited from the bowels of the earth.

The Guard was simply not prepared to handle this.

There had never been an indication that Canterhorn was a volcano, no signs or evidence of any kind that it ever was a natural chimney to release the pressure from the planet's core. It just didn't seem possible, and yet the destruction and the chaos was happening all around, as lava oozed through the streets, burning and melting and searing anything unfortunate enough to stand in its path. From above, more globs of lava fell like meteors, trailing volcanic gas and smoky ash that were toxic to breathe!

Lives were already being lost, if not by the lava or the gas, then by the fires and the panic that was going on despite the Royal Guards' best efforts to guide and protect the citizens. Buildings and structures and monuments that weren't melting were instead ablaze in roaring flames or engulfed in volcanic smoke or ash. Structures were toppling, and foundations were faltering as the city was growing increasingly unstable.

In Canterlot Castle, the Royal Sisters and Prince Sombra were scrambling to figure out a solution. Celestia and Sombra had woefully sent their beloved foal, the Little Prince Sol, away with his nanny and a dozen bodyguards, whom they trusted enough to keep safe their most precious treasure. Luna poured over the city map and the map of Mount Canterhorn and the surrounding lands, trying to determine what they could do to save Canterlot... when all of a sudden, throughout the city, a strange crackling sound unnerved all who heard it and the fire falling out of the sky stopped.

All too suddenly, it became eerily quiet.

They all rushed outside and were stunned to see the rivers of lava had suddenly cooled and hardened. It was still miserably hot, the air reeked of brimstone, and the damage to the city was still evident, and lives had still been lost. Yet while some took a sigh at the moment of reprieve, the alicorns feared this was a calm before the-

A distant crumbling sound, the crack of rock splitting, and then a shaking rumble caught their ears and they gazed up towards the mountain top, where the lava had been flowing earlier... and then something rose up and out of the peak, displacing tons of rocks and debris, causing landslides to come down, further damaging the city but thankfully the survivors had cleared out of the way and evacuated via the airships and trains.

Now, standing on the peak of Mt. Canterhorn, looming ominously over all, was a frightening and grim fortress of dark volcanic rock, with towers topped with MASSIVE red gemstones that glowed menacingly like heated metal in a forge, interconnected with heavy chains of wrought-iron that glowed with intense heat, the primary tower belching out smog like the smokestack of an industrial factory. Already, the sky above Canterlot and Mt. Canterhorn was becoming polluted as the clouds darkened with ash and soot.

The danger was not past, for it'd been but a prelude to this unknown foe. Without hesitation, the three alicorns took flight while their forces spread out to assess damage control and help those in need. Already a news crew was getting to work, reporting the devastation that had assailed Canterlot while Celestia, Luna and Sombra flew towards the fortress of whatever new enemy they now faced.

Rising up until they were level with the vast burning red jewel atop the fortress's main tower, Celestia called out in the Royal Canterlot Voice:

"We are the Rulers of this nation, on which you have made an unprovoked assault and taken innocent lives! Whether this was your intention or not is irrelevant, thus you shall receive this singular warning - Stand down and send your leadership out to discuss the terms of surrender, which are UNCONDITIONAL!! You have three minutes to comply, otherwise I swear by the Holy Goddess we shall CRUSH YOU WITHOUT MERCY AND WITHOUT QUARTER!!!"

The Sun Princess was answered with silence, and it seemed in that one moment that all of Equestria held her breath as they awaited the encroachers' response... which came in the form of that massive burning red crystal suddenly intensifying with a harsh and searing light before a beam of unimaginable heat ignited!

Celestia, Luna and Sombra raised their Mana Shields to protect themselves, but hardly a moment later the heat-beam burned right through them and their screams were cut off as they were suddenly burned away into ashes!

The citizens of Equestria, those present in Canterlot who had just personally witnessed the unthinkable, as well as those watching the news at home, looked on in utter horrified disbelief as their Triarchs were gone. It had happened so quickly, so easily!

Panic. Terror. Screams!

The Canterlot citizens, those who had survived the first wave of this out-of-nowhere attack, scrambled to the airstrips, the train station, even the mountainside roads that hardly anypony used anymore, in a mad and desperate dash to escape!

The EUP wasted no time as the militia took charge and sent their best pegasi warriors to meet this enemy head-on and buy their fellow soldiers time to evacuate the citizens!

The vast red gem on the fortress intensified again for a moment before it unleashed beams of heat that shot across the skies in multiple directions, seemingly shooting at nothing as they disappeared beyond the horizons. But then... the smaller towers of the fortress opened up as something zoomed out like a plague of locusts. They were like a vast swarm that quickly dispersed as many flew off in the same directions the giant gem's beams had shot earlier while the rest zoomed down towards Canterlot, where the citizens and EUP were still trying to evacuate.

To everyone's horror, the "swarm" was made up of what appeared to be crystal golems!

They were small, about the average size of a foal, but their bodies were shaped like rhombus diamonds with arm-like appendages, floating off the upper half of the bodies, ending in three sharp claws, and the top points of the bodies had blistering fireballs as "heads" and the golems' crystal bodies radiated a burning red!

As they descended, the golems soon came to a halt above the Canterlot rooftops, raised their arms... and then started shooting everypony with the same kind of heat-beams from their claws that had just killed the Royal Sisters and Sombra mere minutes ago! Left and right, in the air and on the ground, ponies were being blasted into oblivion, leaving nothing behind but faint and simmering ashes on the ground and in the wind.

The screams grew louder and the horror even colder as everypony realized this enemy was not here to conquer them, but to destroy them!

"General Bloodthorn, what's the situation?" asked Midnight as he and the rest of the Council of Friendship, along with Starlight and Sunburst, gazed up at a projected screen displaying a lunar pony named Bloodthorn, a general in the EUP.

"The situation is growing more dire by the minute, Your Majesty," answered Bloodthorn with a grim demeanor. "Whoever, or whatever, this enemy is, they are not interested in talking. Those strange crystal golems are blasting anypony, any creature at all, and leaving nothing but ashes in their wake... I estimate Canterlot will be lost before the day is over, and we're working as fast as we can to evacuate as many as we can.

"My pegasi are doing their best to distract the enemy, my unicorns their best to shield the citizens, but it's a losing battle! I'm sorry, Prince Midnight, but Canterlot is lost..."

The Council of Friendship hung their heads solemnly at Bloodthorn's words when the doors opened and they looked to see their families arriving, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders up front as Twinken rushed up to his brother and sister, saying, "Midnight! Twilight, is-is it true...?"

Midnight and Twilight shared a despondent look as they all looked upon their little ponies and Twilight answered with deepest mourning, "It is... Sombra, Luna.... Celestia! They're all gone..."

"We have to get out there!" Rainbow Dash flapped up over the Map, "We need to help the EUP, save as many as we can! Soarin, Thunder, we should fly off to Cloudsdale and rally the Wonderbolts!"
"We gotta protect Ponyville, y'all!" Applejack spoke up, "We need t' protect our friends n' neighbors from wha's comin'!"
"New Heights Avionics will lend all our airships to offer aerial support," added Blueblood. "We must use everything at our disposal to face this enemy!"

"SILENCE!!!"

All chatter ceased and all eyes turned to Midnight as he furrowed his brows, "We must keep our heads and form a strategy! We are facing an enemy unlike anything we've ever seen before. If we rush out there half-cocked we're just gonna get blown away like everypony else. Council of Friendship, Knight's of Harmony! ....It's all hooves on deck."

The tone in Midnight's voice fell upon them all with a bitter chill as the Knights all nodded and summoned their swords. Midnight looked to his wife, Twilight, and said, "Twily, gather all of Ponyville here to the castle and prepare Project Away."

"Project Away?!" Twilight echoed in disbelief. "But- But Midnight-"

Her husband touched noses with her and he softly said, "Just in case..."

She nodded fearfully and then said, "Girls! Spread out through Ponyville. Alert everypony that they need to come and take refuge here in the castle!"

Starlight, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy all nodded before they shared a brief moment with their own stallions and rushed out of the Map Room, passing by their families and friends as they hurried off.

"Knights of Harmony!" Midnight called his brothers to attention, "We must help the EUP to protect the citizens and face this enemy. Make no mistake, there is no promise of victory or survival. We are in for the fight of our lives! I would not ask of any of you what I am not willing to do myself, but if this is too much, then I understand."

Without hesitation, Macintosh, Thunderlane, Blueblood, Soarin, Cheese Sandwich and Sunburst stepped forward, their expressions solemn yet determined and Midnight nodded before he ordered, "Rally the Harmony Guard Dusk Division! The Dawn Division and Captain Firestorm will remain in Ponyville to help protect the people.

"Blueblood, prep The Break of Dawn! Be sure all weapons and defenses installed are primed and ready! Bloodthorn!" Midnight turned to face the screen again, where Bloodthorn was still displayed as he saluted and awaited orders.
"Save as many as you can and then have all our forces fall back to a more defensible position. We will come as quickly as we can to reinforce you."

"Yes, Prince Midnight," Bloodthorn nodded before he cut the connection and his image on-screen vanished.

"Midnight...?" The sapphire alicorn looked to see his brother and his friends all approaching him with fearful looks as the electric indigo colt asked, "You're gonna save everypony, right?"

Midnight wanted so very much to give his little brother, the Crusaders, and all else present a cocky smirk and say something like 'Oh sure, no prob! Those bad guys are about to have their butts kicked!' but he couldn't. This enemy had so suddenly and so effortlessly killed three powerful alicorns and was killing ponies and other creatures even as they stood there in that moment, so Midngiht took a deep breath, knelt down and placed a hoof onto Twinken's withers.

"Little brother... we will give our very lives to protect Equestria and all her little ponies. But should we fail..." It killed Midngiht to say this, but he knew he had to emphasize the gravity of the situation as he said, "then the responsibility will fall to you, Cutie-Mark Crusaders."

Twinken felt like his heart jumped into his throat, when he heard hoofsteps and saw his friends standing at his side. They were scared too, but as they stood together, an inner strength took root in their hearts and they nodded to each other before Rumble said, "We'll do our best."

"This is Iris Flag of SHM News reporting live from Horseshoe Bay!" said a pegasus mare reporter to her camerapony as they shot a live feed of Horseshoe Bay being attacked. "The mysterious enemy has spread its attack to-"

"Behind you!" the camerapony shouted as they saw the fearsome crystal golems zooming through the air, shooting heat-beams at the panicking masses as ponies and other sapient creatures were turned to ashes in the blink of an eye!

Then, from out of nowhere, two Wonderbolts swooped down, saving Iris and her camerapony from being blasted and dropping them off on a distant rooftop.

"You guys should be safe here for the moment, but don't stick around!" Spitfire commanded before she and Fleetfoot took wing.

"Uh, as you can see, the Wonderbolts are spread thin as they desperately work to protect the citizens and...!" Iris and the camerapony watched in despair as Captain Spitfire and several Wonderbolts suffered the same fate as so many else and their ashes scattered to the burning streets below. They were so despondent, they hardly noticed one of the golems float up in front of them, glinting forebodingly before there was a flash of red light!

"Iris! IRIS, LOOK OUT!!" shouted Novel Scene as she watched helplessly as the screen behind her turned to static, with the words 'NO SIGNAL' overlapping it, and the mare, still safe in the studio, sighed in mourning as she cleared her throat, "My-my apologies, we... appear to be having some... technical difficulties from our Horsehoe Bay feed. We... take you now to a devastated Manehatten."

The screen changed to display Manehatten while Novel Scene narrated the grim scenario going on.
"Thankfully, it appears the Manehatten Division of the EUP seems to be having a bit more luck as they stand their ground and do their best to protect the citizens."

Several skyscrapers had either been toppled or were on fire as the crystal golems zoomed over the streets below, shooting at anypony unfortunate enough to be caught in their line of fire. Many guardsponies and the local policeponies did their best to protect and evacuate the citizens.

Soarin and Thunderlane led the Silverbolts through the air, attacking the golems, doing their best to outmaneuver them and avoid their heat-beams, and they even succeeded in destroying several. But the golems were just too fast and too many. It wasn't long before the tide turned in the enemy's favor as Novel sadly confirmed, "Fillies and gentlecolts, we've... just lost Soarin, Thunderlane and the Silverbolts...Other heroes and defensive forces reported dead or missing include:

"Shining Armor, Cadance, Praetura, Techorse, Rainbow Dash, Blueblood, Cheese Sandwich, Twilight Sparkle and Starlight Glimmer. As for Princess Cora and Prince Sol... their statuses are unknown."

"MIDNIGHT! BEHIND YOU!!!" Midnight Blaze missed being turned to ashes by the skin of his teeth as he flew over Canterlot, having gone there with his Dusk Division and what fellow knights had volunteered to go with him to aid the resistance in the royal capital.

The Break of Dawn had carried them towards Mt. Canterhorn and was about to rise towards Canterlot, but the enemy had ambushed them at the city limits. Midnight and Sunburst, along with a few of the Dusk Division had jumped off the airship, Midnight ordering Lieutenant Avalanche to flee so they could give her and what few refugees they'd managed to get out safely, and now they were fighting for their lives.

The crystal goldems zoomed around them, fast and their surfaces flashing to momentarily blind them at the worse possible moments, and randomly shooting heat-beams. Midnight and Sunburst's Shield spells were useless against the attacks and all too quickly it was down to the alicorn and his apprentice while Midnight's guards were all burned to ashes before their very eyes.

As they tried to protect themselves and figure out a way to escape, Midnight spotted a golem right above them and gasped as it shot a heat-beam at Sunburst.

"Sunburst, look out!!" Sunburst found himself getting pushed away and barely had time to glimpse Midnight vanishing in a a blinding flash of heat for he had no time to mourn as he desperately tried to defend himself, throwing up Mana Shields, dodging heat-beams when none of them held, and he activated a communication device pinned to his cloak.

"Sunburst to the Castle!" Sunburst panted as he dodged a heat-beam and shot a Magic Arrow back, but it was in vain. "I- I think I'm the last knight left! But- Ergh! I don't think I'm gonna... AUGH!!!!"

"No..." Spike clenched his fist as he slammed the Map table in frustration, as he and the Crusaders had witnessed it all on the news broadcasts displayed on the screens Spike had brought into the Map Room so they could follow what was going on out there.

Canterlot, Manehatten, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, every major city in Equestria was under attack by the crystal golems. It became clear that the giant red gem atop the enemy fortress had launched those heat-beams before as preemptive strikes on the major cities, which had also directed the golems on where to concentrate their attacks.

The Knights of Harmony. The Council of Friendship. The Harmony Guard's Dusk Division. The Silverbolts, the Wonderbolts, and most of the EUP.

They had failed.

Twinken spoke with a heavy heart what his friends were thinking, "It's up to us now."

"So then, what're we waiting for, a theme song!?" Scootaloo urged. "We gotta get out there and do something!"

"First, we must make a strategy," said Twinken firmly, "The best Equestria had to offer couldn't stop these things. They're small but fast, and can strike from almost anywhere and you'd never see them coming. Not only that, they burn right through magical defenses."

"Then we gotta figure out the enemy's weakness and use that to beat them," added Rumble. "Otherwise, we're dead ducks."

"Spike, do you mind?" Button asked the young drake, who sorrowfully stepped away from the map and Button, remembering how it worked, brought up the holographic display that showed all of Equestria, with various "hotspots" marked red.
"The red is where the enemy is right now. They're mostly attacking the big cities, but they're already starting to move onto the smaller towns and villages."

"Did tha' one get lost?" Apple Bloom pointed to a tiny red dot moving towards the Frozen North.

"No! It's heading for the Crystal Empire!" Sweetie Belle pointed out. "But... why aren't the rest of them going up there?"

"Maybe... it's the cold environment," Twinken suggested. "These things came out of a volcano, right? Maybe they avoid the cold but have somehow detected the Crystal Empire, so they sent a scout to look into it."

"We'll go after that golem and capture it," Rumble declared, "If we can figure out what makes it tick, maybe we can find a weakness we can use against the rest of them."

"You'll need to get there fast," Spike had gotten a hold of himself. "Take the Slipstream over at Blueblood's warehouse. It's not equipped with any weapons but it's small and fast and should get you there in time."

"Let's move!" Scootaloo exclaimed and the Crusaders rushed off.

By the time the Crusaders had arrived in the Frozen North, they soon came upon the single enemy unit, a lone crystal golem, floating aimlessly about, looking positively lost and perhaps even confused. That didn't mean they weren't afraid of it. They'd seen just one of these things turn dozens of panicking ponies into ashes in a flash of light!

It was small but it was dangerous.

Besides, they'd come prepared. They wore enchanted cloaks designed to protect them from extreme temperatures, and hopefully help them survive the heat-beams though they doubted it. Button had grabbed a shield just his size, Scootaloo a pair of fleet-boots to allow her to run at incredible speeds, Sweetie Belle a slingshot with special magic marbles that would pop upon being launched into all kinds of surprise ammo, Apple Bloom had gotten one of Applejack's spare lasso ropes, and Twinken had grabbed an Evening Hood cloak Midnight had shown him, for it was enchanted to make its wearer invisible and intangible if necessary and he'd given Rumble a special pair of bands that would increase his strength.

Before they'd left, Midnight's pet wolf, Dreamer, had followed and they let him come along, and all of them honestly felt safer to have the big friendly wolf along for the mission.

They'd made their plan: An Ambush.

They couldn't afford to let this golem thing get away and call for help.

Just in case it might hear them, Twinken had suggested they use his telepathy to mentally communicate without risk of being heard talking.

As everypony moved into position in the snowy landscape, they were careful to keep their distance in case their hoofsteps in the snow were heard and Twinken, invisible and standing on a high hill overlooking the situation, subtly used his magic to erase his friends' tracks in the snow.

I'm ready! Button Mash

All set.

Me too.

Me three!

It's showtime, ponies!

Alright, remember the plan... Sweetie Belle! Twinken thought, his telepathy doing its work to link their minds to communicate and Sweetie Belle stood up from her hiding place and took aim with her slingshot... and launched a pebble that zoomed past the golem and vanished into a nearby snowbank, creating a soft but discernible "piff" sound, which alerted the gem!

It spun `round, glaring at the hole in the snow, made by the pebble, unaware of Twinken preparing a spell and then shooting it straight at the golem!

A loud sound, like a reverberating knell, filled the air while the golem shook and seemed to struggle to stay aloft and its arms seemed to drift away from its body.

My spell should have fluxed whatever is remotely controlling it, thought Twinken, Move in!

Sweetie Belle took aim with a blue marble and when it struck the golem, it suddenly became coated with magical ice! Unfortunately, it was not enough as the golem built up some heat and launched a heat-beam in Sweetie Belle's general direction, forcing her to take cover.

Ah'm goin' in! Apple Bloom burst out of her hiding place under some snow and, with a skilled touch that would have made her sister proud, she lashed her lasso out, ensnaring the golem and yanking it downwards.

Although the golem hit the ground, it wobbly floated up and its glow indicated it was about to shoot Bloom, only for Dreamer to run out of nowhere, headbutting the golem and Button Mash rushed in, slamming his shield down upon the golem to pin it. Thankfully, the shield's magic forged into it caused a disruption of the golem's ability to muster its heat-beam while it was in contact with the shield.

Rumble flew down, nodding to Button, who raised the shield off the golem, only for Rumble to grab it and quickly pin it against the shield again, preventing it from using its heat-beam. It struggled surprisingly hard that both colts cried out in alarm, which spurred the others to hurry forward as Twinken did a scanning spell on the gem.

I found a spot that should disable it but not destroy it, here! He pointed to just below the golem's "head".

"RRRRAAUGH!!" Scotaloo rushed in, running faster than she ever had before, thanks to the fleet-boots, and struck the spot Twinken had pointed out, causing a web of cracks to spread from the point of impact yet the golem remained whole while its light seemed to dim and one of its arms dropped, no longer connected to the body.

"Great work, everypony, so far so good," smiled Twinken and his friends smiled back, none of them noticing the sparks of red energy coming from the claws on the golem's remaining arm.

But Dreamer did, as he saw the sparks were much too close to Button Mash.

It happened so suddenly, as the golem's energy seemed to flux and the sparks shot out from its claw with more intensity, straight towards Button Mash... only for Button to be pushed away as Dreamer protected him and the sparks fell upon the wolf's pelt and he cried out in agony as he was engulfed in a magical fire that quickly snuffed out!

And Dreamer was gone.

The Crusaders stared in shock as Twinken sorrowfully thought, Dreamer...

It- It must have had some kind of surge when we disabled it... Sweetie Belle sadly thought.

"There's nothing we can do for him now," Rumble spoke aloud, "With the golem disabled, talking should be okay. Now, let's get this thing boarded onto the Slipstream and-"

"LOOK OUT!!" Button shouted as he pointed to the sky and they all barely had enough time to duck for cover as two more crystal golems shot heat-beams at them and zoomed overhead.

"Get that golem onto the Slipstream, I'll buy you some time!" Rumble shouted as he took flight.
"Me as well!" Apple Bloom rushed out into the open before anypony could stop her.

"Rgh! I'll get the airship, Sweetie Belle, Button, the golem!" Twinken teleported to the Slipstream and used his magic to remotely control it to float towards his friends.

As they carried their prize to reach Twinken and the ship, Scootaloo kept close in case they needed backup. But they all couldn't help but worry as Rumble flew like he'd never flown before and Apple Bloom creatively lassoed a rock and swung it around like a flail to strike one of the golems when it zoomed too close, causing it to crash onto a nearby hill.

Rumble managed to fool the other and strike it dead-center, causing it to fall and crash as well when he noticed the others had done their job and shouted, "Apple Bloom, they got it! Retreat!"

Apple Bloom hurried to catch up with her friends and reach the Slipstream, unaware that the golem she'd struck was still glowing... before it managed to raise its claw and ignite its burning energy, focused towards the filly.

As he made sure their prize was secured, Twinken felt a terrible chill on his withers and he looked to see his sister in mortal danger. She wasn't going to make it. She never saw it coming, as the other golem mustered its burning energy and shot a heat-beam as Apple Bloom had looked back and gasped in horror right before she was turned to ashes.

"APPLE BLOOOOOOMMMM!!!!" screamed Twinken in horror as his sister was taken from him and he'd been helpless to do anything about it.

"APPLE BLOOM!!!" cried Scootaloo as she and the rest of the Crusaders looked on in heartbroken disbelief.

"Get on the ship!" Rumble snatched Sweetie Belle's slingshot and ammo, flew upwards and shot a yellow marble at the golem that had just taken their friend from them... and it was engulfed in a burst of lightning that caused it to shatter in an explosion of incinerating energy.

As the Slipstream flew back to Ponyville, the Crusaders were handling the loss of Apple Bloom with tears, anger and disbelief. Rumble piloted the airship with a pained look on his face while Sweetie Belle cried with Button doing his best to console her, Twinken was inconsolable, and Scootaloo was raging, "Why didn't she stay back?! It should have been me, I could have-"

"This is not the time for tears!" yelled Rumble even though they could hear the pain in his voice too. "We have a job to do: Protect Equestria, and make sure Apple Bloom's sacrifice wasn't for nothing."

"Th-then... we need to get back to Ponyville, to the Castle," Twinken wiped his tears away and forced himself to get back into it, "There should be a means for us to make a broadcast to get a message out to everypony. Equestria needs to know that there is still hope."

Alas, the enemy had finally turned its searing gaze upon Ponyville when the Crusaders arrived. What remained of the Harmony Guard surrounded the Castle of Friendship, where the survivors had all taken refuge, as Firestorm led the defenders against the dozens of crystal golems floating around, shooting heat-beams seemingly at random, slowly but surely burning through what defenses were left.

"Keep firing!" Firestorm shouted as he launched a super-condensed sphere of Dragonfyre at the golems, "The townsfolk inside the Castle are depending on us! We will not let them down!"

What remained of the Harmony Guard was their unicorns launching Magic Arrow spells while the pegasi and earth ponies kept building a barricade around the castle doors. But it was a losing battle. The guards were being picked off one after the other, the barricade was failing, and it wouldn't be long before their defense was broken through, and there would be nothing standing between the townfolk and obliteration.

As Firestorm launched more dragonfyre spells, his lieutenant, Nightling stood beside him and he said to her, "If this is where we meet our end, Lieutenant, if... if this is the day we will meet the Goddess..."

Nightling stood shoulder to shoulder with the pony who had been her commanding officer, her mentor, the father she never had, she smiled at him and said, "It's been an honor serving under you, Captain Firestorm."

The moment passed when a barrel fell from the sky towards the crystal golems, a magical fuse sparkling before it vanished into a hole in said barrel-

*KRA-FLOOOMMSSSHHHHH*

A burst of technicolor magical fireworks spread out in all directions, which seemed to dazzle and confuse the golems as they appeared uncertain of where to concentrate their attacks and even seemed to shake and struggle to stay aloft in the air. Some of their arms dropped, their fireballs for heads snuffed out, some of them crashed into each other.

Firestorm and Nightling had no idea what as going on, but they saw an opportunity before Firestorm shouted, "The enemy's disoriented! Attack before they can recover!!"

The remaining Harmony Guards didn't waste a moment as the unicorns launched their Magic Arrows with great fervor, the pegasi zoomed in and struck the golems head-on and the earth ponies threw or bucked anything they could to knock the enemy down. Before long, the golems were broken or shattered or otherwise disabled as they all fell.

"Sir! Wha... what just happened?" asked Nightling once the fighting had stopped.

Firestorm looked up and answered, "I think they happened."

All eyes followed his gaze and they looked to see the Slipstream descend and aboard it stood the Cutie-Mark Crusaders. Once they touched ground, they hurried up to Firestorm, Button saying, "Captain, I'm glad we arrived in time."

"In the nick of time, I should say, son!" Firestorm smirked, "I don't know what you Crusaders did but you gave us the opening we needed to kick some tail!"

"We managed to capture one of the crystal golems and look it over," Twinken explained, "We found out the golems track us by our magic and body-heat. So the magical fireworks messes with them and sends them into a fritz that prevents them from seeing us or keeping control of themselves."

"Hmm, sounds like these golem things are being remotely controlled," Firestorm considered, "But it'd have to be something pretty powerful to broadcast a magical signal like that to control so many of these things and across the nation."

"We'll show you the magic fireworks we used to mess with the golems so you can be better prepared for the next attack," Rumble said, "In the meantime we need to get the message out to everypony that there's a way to fight these things. There's still hope to save Equestria."

While the Harmony Guard was preparing the magical fireworks, the Crusaders checked out Ponyville Square to see the damage done to their hometown. It was heartbreaking to see buildings burned, roofs collapsed, the singe marks of those who hadn't been able to get away. Even the pony statue of the fountain had been knocked over and her head broken off.

Now that they had a moment to pause, the full weight of everything that had happened, everyone they'd lost, it fell upon them as the surviving Crusaders wept. Button and Sweetie Belle comforted each other while Scootaloo struggled to keep some semblance of her cool even as she shook with heartbroken rage. Rumble too was mourning, clenching his eyes as he thought of Thunderlane, the only family he had left, was gone.

As for Twinken, he sat on the edge of the broken fountain, crying into his hooves, blaming himself for the loss of their fellow Crusader, wishing his brother and sister-in-law were still here. Midnight and Twilight had always been the ones to lead the others in saving the day. Twinken had admired them for that, but until now he'd never understood the burden that came with being a hero.

They were gone. Along with his-

!?!

Twinken jumped to his hooves, his sudden motion alerting his friends, and they watched as he levitated the pony statue of the fountain aside, revealing somepony under the debris. Taking a closer look, they saw...

"Princess Luna!!" Twinken smiled in relief to see his teacher, lying there, dazed and holding her head as Luna sat herself up, her eyes a tad twitchy as she came out of it.

"Is it really her?!" Scootaloo hurried over.
"Wasn't she wiped out at the start?" asked Button Mash. "Her and Celestia and Sombra!"

"Princess Luna, is... is it really you?" asked Twinken as she approached her.

"Y- Yes, I... I remember that attack," Luna struggled to sit up onto her haunches as she held her head with one hoof. "But... I have no idea how I survived, or how wound up here."

"Maybe you teleported right in the nick of time but the heat-beam messed with you somehow," suggested Twinken.
"And maybe you don't remember because you might have got sent for a loop or something," added Button Mash.

"My mind, it... it does feel strange," Luna concurred, "It's difficult to.... to remember anything, but I can't help but feel that... I think there's something I need to tell all of you."

"Wait... maybe that's it!" Sweetie Belle smiled as something crossed her mind, "Twinken, the golem we caught, remember the energy inside it?"

"Yeah, it... it gave off spatial vibrations," nodded Twinken.

"Exactly! The kind that can be detected when somepony teleports!" Sweetie Belle pointed out excitedly, "The golems aren't burning ponies to ashes, they're teleporting them!"

"But if the enemy is teleporting everypony... where are they?" Button had just asked the million-bit question.

"THEY'RE BACK!!" The shout of warning was far away but they all could hear it as they looked up and saw at least a hundred of crystal golems in the sky over Ponyville and they were already descending.

"Back to the Castle!" Rumble shouted and they hurried to the Castle of Friendship as volleys of lasers came down, blasting what remained standing of Ponyville.

The Harmony Guard was already being overwhelmed as the Crusaders and Luna rushed inside, meeting Firestorm, Nightling Spike, and what remained of the Harmony Guard inside the entry hall.

"Princess Luna, glad to see you're still alive," Firestorm saluted the Princess of the Night. "We've managed to relocate the townsfolk."

"How?" asked Button Mash.

"Project Away, an asset classified by Midnight and Twilight," explained Spike, "Basically it's a device that can create a portal to another location. We sent the townsfolk to a hidden location where an emergency bunker was constructed, but due to sending so many at once the portal device has been overloaded."

"So we're trapped?!" worried Sweetie Belle, especially when they heard a loud boom outside.

"We can still get away, but the device can now only send one pony at a time," Spike assured.

"Take us there!" Twinken ordered when an explosion down the way they came indicated the enemy was now inside. "RUN!!"

They followed Spike to a large room deep inside the castle where they saw a large crystalline hoop connected to some kind of terminal awaited them. Firestorm nodded to Spike, and he hurried to the terminal and said, "Remember, only one can pass through at a time. I'll set the portal to take you to-"

"The Castle of the Two Sisters," Luna suddenly interjected even though she continued to hold her head. "Its isolated location will make it a safe place to hide, at least for a while."

"You heard the princess! Do it!" Firestorm ordered Spike, who got to work setting the coordinates while Firestorm stood with his soldiers, "As for us, we'll hold them off as long as we can to buy you all time to escape."

"But- But Captain!" Button Mash protested, only for the dragon-pony to gently grasp Button's shoulder with his claws and looked upon the colt who so reminded him of Cheat Code.

"Go do your brother proud, son," Firestorm smiled with a cocky gleam in his eyes, causing Button to tear up but nod in understanding.

At that moment, the crystalline hoop began to glow with energy before a veil of mana filled its circumference like a ripple of liquid and Spike said, "Alright, one at a time, and wait at least three seconds before the next one! If anyone goes in too soon after prior the portal will destabilize and take too long to work again!"

As if to emphasize Spike's words, they heard more explosions coming from the hall outside the room.

"Whoever's going first had been go while the going's good!" Spike yelled, and Button Mash pushed Sweetie Belle forward.

They shared a quick look, both of them worried for each other, before Sweetie Belle hurried through the portal, which rippled until the "surface" seemed to smooth out and Spike said, "Next up!"

Button went next, and the commotion outside the room grew louder before Twinken went through as well. It was in that moment the door to the room exploded, knocking several guards away, some getting pinned by debris. Scootaloo was about to help when Rumble grabbed her and threw her into the portal before she could protest.

Stepping back, Rumble yelled, "Spike, you next!"

"No, I'm the only one who knows how to operate the portal," Spike shook his head. "If there's a chance, I have to stay so the others can make it through."

"I will help the-" Luna almost volunteered, only for Rumble to interrupt.

"No! The Crusaders need you more than they do! You're next, princess," Rumble ordered and pointed to the portal.

Luna hesitated but she knew the colt was right and started to go through as the crystal golems launched a barrage of beams, and the guardsponies vanished one after the other despite their efforts, including Nightling and Firestorm. Rumble saw one of the golems aim at Luna... and he jumped to intercept, vanishing in a flash of light.

Spike teared up to see his friend gone when he noticed the golems leer down at him with their burning "faces" and their claws sparking with heat, and the drake quickly turned off the portal and blew a gout of his own dragonfyre onto the terminal destroying it. He glared brazenly at the enemy and raised his fists, "They'll stop you... and they'll save Eqeustria!!!"

Spike bravely leapt forward to attack, only to be engulfed in the burning light.

In the Castle of the Two Sisters, the Crusaders and Luna had taken refuge and a moment to catch their breath. It seemed that things just continued to become more and more hopeless. They thought they'd succeeded in finding a weakness in their enemy, only to lose Apple Bloom. They thought they'd begun to turn the tide when they arrived to help the Harmony Guard, only for more enemy forces to overwhelm them and forced the Crusaders to retreat, during which Rumble had been lost as well.

Now, here they were, hiding like rats in an ancient ruin and all they had now was a theory that maybe the enemy wasn't killing everyone off after all but perhaps capturing them.

Finally, they picked themselves up, brushed off their doubts and began to plan their next move.

"So... if the enemy really is capturing everypony and taking them prisoner," Twinken said as his horn lit up and he projected an image of the enemy fortress atop Mount Canterhorn, "this is the only place they have that could possibly contain them all. Whattya think, Princess Luna? Does... does that sound familiar any?"

"No... Forgive me, my... I still can't remember," Luna replied, still sounding a little out of it, even weak.

"So... if we're gonna break in and save them, we're gonna need a distraction," Button Mash proposed before looking to Scootaloo. "Scoots, you're the fastest, you stand the best chance of pulling it off and getting away."

"But... the enemy will be all over her! Even at her fastest, Scootaloo-" Twinken protested, only for Scootaloo to give him a friendly punch in the shoulder.

"Aw, no worries, Twink!" Scootaloo acted all confident but inside she was very much afraid, yet she understood only she could do this. "Those cheap ornaments will never see me coming or going!"

"Worst case, Scootaloo will be teleported into their prison and we'll free her along with everypony else," assured a hopeful Sweetie Belle.

Twinken sighed, understanding this was their best shot. He just wasn't sure if he could take losing anymore of his friends....

Night had fallen. Thankfully, Luna had been able to muster enough clarity to lower the sun and raise the moon, with Twinken helping by adding his own lunar magic to hers and giving her a telepathic nudge maintain focus. With the cover of darkness, the four Crusaders and the Princess of the Night managed to make their way to foot of Canterhorn. They were dismayed to see the surrounding lands had been reduced to scorched earth. The railroad had been melted, indicating the trains were no longer an option for any survivors, however unlikely, to get away by rail.

High above, sitting upon the peak of Canterhorn, the enemy fortress loomed menacingly, the giant red gem on the main tower giving off a simmering shimmer like heat waves, as thousands of crystal golems zoomed around the airspace surrounding the mountain. The fact none of them fired their beams and seemed to be moving relatively slow and steady indicated there was nopony nearby for them to attack.

That was a troubling thought, as the four foals and princess stood before a cave that led to the system of crystals inside the mountain. Thankfully, Luna could recall the quickest route through those caves that led to an isolated ledge higher up on the mountainside. They'd considered having Luna levitate them up the mountain while she'd fly, but soon agreed that it was too big a risk, that they might be detected by the enemy and they'd never get close enough to the fortress.

Navigating the crystal caves took longer than they'd like, but soon they reached their destination: a wide ledge on the mountainside, above Canterlot and below the enemy fortress. Thankfully the ledge had foliage to keep themselves hidden, and thanks to a spyglass they'd found back at the Castle of the Two Sisters they had a perfect view of the fortress above and the crystal golems, apparently floating around on patrol.

"Stay close to Princess Luna," Button Mash suggested to Twinken in a hushed tone, "She's still kinda..."

Twinken nodded in understanding as he peered over to his mistress. Though Luna was able to focus on the moment and the task at hoof, she remained fuzzy in the head whenever she seemed to think back and try to remember whatever it was she still felt she needed to tell them. Twinken had considered telepathically assisting her in clearing her head, but he wasn't at that level yet and they couldn't afford for Luna to become incapacitated.

There was no point waiting any longer, so Twinken telepathically said, Alright, everypony! Let's do this, remember the plan. Once Luna and I are inside, you're all good to go for your parts!

They nodded while Luna allowed Twinken to climb onto her back and she took flight while he cast an invisibility spell over them both, leaving the other Crusaders standing by as they waited.

The flight up the mountain and reaching the enemy fortress was nerve-wracking. While he trusted his mistress to carry him safely, it was still frightening for the colt to see how high they were in the air and how far below the ground was. Finally, much to Twinken's relief, they reached the fortress. It was made of volcanic rock and even in the cold hours of the night and at this altitude, where the air was cold and thinner, the fortress was miserably hot, and it reeked of brimstone.

The princess and her pupil set hoof on a curtain wall but didn't linger as they carefully snuck down the nearest doorway they saw to find cover before Twinken contacted his friends, We're ready and in position! Take care, you guys...

Hearing Twinken's mental voice in their heads, Scootaloo looked to Button Mash and Sweetie Belle and saw their concern. She gave them a cocky smirk before she stepped over the edge... and ran down the mountainside, straight down to Canterlot! Thankfully, the fleet-boots not only allowed her to maintain an impressive running speed, they seemed to keep her hooves adhered to the mountainside instead of falling.

She reached the streets of Canterlot, ignored the destruction, the devastation, the scorch marks, the ashes she kicked up in her wake... and stopped right out in the open before shouting out, "ALRIGHT, YOU OVERSIZED FIREFLIES!! YOU THINK YOU'RE HOT?! WELL COME AND GET IT!!!"

That seemed to do just what Scootaloo wanted as her voice echoed through the empty wastes of Canterlot and before long several crystal golems zoomed down and began firing their heat-beams at her. She easily dodged and started running with the golems in pursuit.

That's our cue! Princess Luna, we're ready! Sweetie Belle thought as she carefully focused her magic so Luna would be able to lock onto it.

Button hugged Sweetie Belle as they waited, hoping Luna would use her summoning spell before they were noticed... when they vanished in a burst of pale green and evening blue sparks of mana, and they found themselves standing besides Luna and Twinken inside the enemy fortress.

Let's go! Twinken urged and they ventured deeper into the fortress.

Meanwhile, outside, Scootaloo led the golems on an epic chase. The fleet-boots allowed her to run an speeds nopony could run normally, but they drew their power from the wearer, and Scootaloo, despite being a flightless pegasus, was surging with power! She dodged the heat-beams with uncanny speed and agility, even tricking some of the golems to shoot each other with speedy maneuvering.

She made sure to be mindful of her surroundings, leading the golems through tight spaces so they couldn't gang up on her or get a clear shot. Unfortunately, as fast and clever as Scootaloo was, her fleet-boots didn't give her a boost of energy. She was getting tired and as much as she hated to admit it she wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer.

But I have to buy them as much time as I can! Faster, Scootaloo... FASTER!!! Scootaloo urged herself and her inner magic sent her into overdrive as she sped up, going to fast she created a vacuum, causing glass to break in her wake,

Alas... Scootaloo's luck soon ran out as she made a wrong turn and a heat-beam struck the ground right in front of her, making it explode and launching Scootaloo into the air as she cried out in alarm! She flapped her little wings, trying to right herself and hopefully land on her hooves, but she was helpless in the air as a heat-beam got her in the back.

"AUGH!!" Twinken collapsed as he, Luna, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle made their way through the fortress and they looked to him in worry as the unicorn colt teared up again as he thought to them, She's... she's gone! They got Scootaloo...

It's okay! Sweetie Belle assured but sounding more like she was trying to convince herself as she added, We'll find her along with Apple Bloom, Rumble and everyone else.

No... All of them looked to Luna, who had a despondent look as she explained, My mind has cleared a little. The heat-beams do exactly what we originally thought! There is no prison, no one to rescue. I'm sorry, my little ponies, we came here for nothing...

What? No! The spatial vibrations we found on the golem- Sweetie Belle protested in denial only for Twinken to stand up and force Sweetie Belle to look at him.

Sweetie Belle, enough! I wanted to believe just as much as you! he thought to her with furrowed brows and tear-stained cheeks, But I've been reaching out, trying to sense the minds of any prisoners since the moment Luna and I got in here and I feel nothing! There's nopony here. Apple Bloom, Rumble... all our friends and family! They're gone.

Sweetie Belle whimpered as the tears came back and she thought of her sister, her parents, their friends, when Button Mash proposed, But we can still make a difference! We have the magic bomb that can disable the golems. If we set it off at whatever it is that's controlling them all, we'll beat them and save everypony else who's still out there.

The group ventured further in, avoiding some golems that were patrolling the fortress halls. Twinken and Sweetie Belle used their sensor spells to detect the golems' energy source and following it, until they all came into a vast chamber!

It was a huge open space, bigger than the throne room in Canterlot Castle ten times over! In the center there was a large red crystal that seemed to pulse with energy that flowed along veins of crystal that spread throughout the chamber and out various passageways. Surrounding the base of this menacing crystal was a moat filled with molten lava, and floating around the giant crystal were several golems, apparently there to protect what could only be the heart of the enemy!

We'll take care of the golems! You guys set the bomb, Twinken thought to Button Mash and Sweetie Belle, and the unicorn colt and alicorn princess charged in, the golems quickly taking notice of them as they zoomed in to attack.

While the golems were distracted, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle snuck towards the giant crystal, with the lava moat in their way. Getting an idea, Button Mash held up his shield, grabbed Sweetie Belle... and took a running start! Just before they reached the edge of the moat, Button Mash took a leap, the shield held directly underneath Sweetie Belle and himself, and they skimmed the surface of the lava before they jumped again and made it across though the shield sank into the lava.

There was no time to worry about that as Button Mash led Sweetie Belle right up to the giant red crystal and they touched it, feeling the pulsing vibration that was very similar to a heartbeat. They shared a determined look before Button Mash removed the magic bomb strapped to his back and set it onto the giant crystal before Button Mash began to punch in the necessary settings.

"I... I think I did know they weren't here," uttered Sweetie Belle gloomily. "I just... I had to know for sure..."

Button Mash raised Sweetie Belle's chin so she'd look him in the eyes... and surprised her when he touched his nose to hers, a foal's idea of a kiss, which caused Sweetie Belle to blush up, as did Button. But they shared a look that was perfectly clear before Sweetie Belle nuzzled Button Mash and they looked at the bomb as Button punched in the final setting.

"The bomb is armed! We have five minutes to get out of here once I start the countdown!" Button shouted to Twinken and Luna, who'd just shattered the golems present.

Luna carried Twinken with her as she flew to Button and Sweetie Belle to gather them right as Button started the countdown, and then they hightailed it out of there!

They ran as fast as they could through the fortress hallways, dodging any golems they ran into, as they couldn't afford to waste even a second. Soon, they reached a larger hallway and saw the way out, a huge pair of heavy doors made of dark iron. Luna, Twinken and Sweetie Belle charged their horns before unleashing Magic Arrow spells upon those doors, only for them to ricochet off, nearly blasting themselves with their own Magic Arrows!

They came all too close to getting blasted from behind as the golems finally caught up and was shooting their heat-beams and they all ducked for cover, Luna and Twinken to one side, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle to the other.

Less than thirty seconds... Princess Luna! Button Mash thought to her, There's an opening above you, take Twinken and get out of here!

What?! Don't be crazy, we're not leaving you! Twinken protested.

Don't worry, we have a way out, assured Sweetie Belle, we'll be right behind you!

"NO!! WE CAN'T LEAVE ANYPONY ELSE BEHIND!!" screamed Twinken as Luna took her thrashing pupil and took flight, zooming through the opening Button had pointed out, flying off to safety.

As the heat-beams now concentrated firing at them as they kept to cover, Button Mash and Sweetie Belle shared one last look, solemn and heartbreaking, before they hugged each other as the countdown neared zero...

Outside, the fortress loomed in the darkness of the night, its giant red gem burning like a blistering coal atop its main tower, a monument to the greatest devastation Equestria had ever suffered.

And then it blew up.

The gem suddenly lit up with an intensifying light, cracks forming, lava bleeding out of it, before a terrible explosion blew and the volcano the fortress was built upon erupted! Lava spewed and fell with greater volume and impact than Neighagra Falls and Canterlot was wiped completely off the face of the earth. The crystal golems that had been outside, the ones that didn't get caught n the explosion, suddenly dropped, their light going out, as the source of their power was now dead. From a distant hilltop, Luna and Twinken looked on as the fire and smoke formed a massive mushroom-shaped cloud of smog, dust, ash and debris and the fires were so intense and hot it felt like it was the middle of an unbearably hot day rather than night.

Neither of them felt the sweetness of victory however. Only ashes...

My pupil... the mission- Luna tried to think to the colt, only for Twinken to shake his head in heartbroken sorrow.

Don't... I don't care that it was a success! Twinken felt his heart being torn in two as he shook and struggled to keep what little control and restraint he had left. The cost was too high...

As the destruction seemed to settle however, a tremor caused the alicorn princess and unicorn colt to shudder in fearful confusion. Had the bomb done more damage than they'd thought? They looked towards the lava-soaked remains of Canterhorn... when they felt the earth shake and heard a CRACK as the earth around Canterhorn seemed to split open, the remains of what had once been the heart of Equestria getting swallowed up... before another mountain- Nay, a volcano rose up from the depths of what had to be hell and there was another fortress!

No...! Twinken couldn't believe it!

All that they'd sacrificed, all that they'd lost! It had been for nothing! The enemy was still here and all the world, not just Equestria, was in danger!

No, no! No!! Twinken finally lost it as he sobbed in anger, disbelief, sorrow, and only a sliver of what self-control he managed to keep hold of spurred him to turn around to Luna, We have to get out of here!

No... responded Luna as she gave Twinken a cold look, grasping him with her hoof, We have to end this now!

And then, a blade of solid shadow extended from Luna's free hoof as she suddenly stabbed Twinken right into his heart, his face filled with disbelieving horror as everything went black...

398. Way Off the Mark - Epilogue

Twinken gasped as his eyes opened, a stymied scream escaping his lips as he bolted up... and was stunned to find himself in the grand hall of the Castle of Friendship!

He laid upon a bed, as did his friends! Apple Bloom, Rumble, Scootaloo, Button Mash, Sweetie Belle, even Dreamer as the wolf was nuzzling against Apple Bloom! He also saw Midnight, Twilight, Spike, Princess Luna, Starlight, Sunburst, the rest of the Council of Friendship, a unicorn named Astral Ink, who was helping Luna get up as the moon princess looked exhausted and suffering a headache, the way she held her forehead.

"Wha- You're all alive?!" Twinken was relieved but still confused, still wound up and uncertain of what was going on while Apple Bloom was checked on by Applejack, Macintosh and Fluttershy, Rumble by Thunderlane, Scootaloo by Rainbow Dash and Soarin, Sweetie Belle by Rarity and Blueblood, while Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich looked after Button Mash.

"What happened in there?" The question came from Midnight who was helping Astral check on Luna.

"The test, it... it all went wrong!" Luna uttered as she held her head.

"Test?! What test?" asked Button Mash.

Midnight gave each of the Crusaders a serious look before he said, "Try to remember... What the six of you just experienced was a test, issued by Princess Luna to Twinken as well as the rest of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders. She bridged your minds into a shared dream where the object of the test was to discover a solution to a problem, you all knew this before you fell asleep.

"What you didn't know... was that the true purpose of the test was to accept failure by giving up. No matter what the Crusaders accomplished, the scenario was designed to grow worse... Still, you were aware, the deaths of the alicorn princes and princesses, the defeat of the Knights of Harmony, the loss of the Council of Friendship, all of it was only a dream!"

"This is why you hardly grieved for anyone, even when Dreamer was turned to ashes before your very eyes," confirmed Luna after she'd shaken some of her headache off. But then her tone took a dark turn as she then said, "But everything went wrong... when Apple Bloom perished."

The Crusaders turned to look at Apple Bloom, seeing she hung her head, looking scared and uncertain despite AJ and Mac trying to comfort her as Luna continued.

"Though consciously, he knew it was not real, his subconscious mind could not make that distinction. Witnessing the death of Apple Bloom in the dream, Twinken forgot it was only a test, so his subconscious took control, which caused the rest of you to forget as well."

Now all eyes turned to Twinken as the colt was starting to realize, all that horror, all that despair they'd experienced. It was his fault!

"Uh- I'm... I'm sorry!" Twinken uttered, confused and not understanding the full scope of it all.

"This isn't his fault!" Button spoke up in his friend's defense.
"Yeah! Why didn't you end the test and wake us up?!" demanded Scootaloo.

"We tried!" Luna answered earnestly before continuing, "But Twinken had... a death-grip on the scenario. Even Apple Bloom, who should have awakened upon her death in the dream, was so convinced she had passed she slipped into a coma! I knew I would have to seize control from Twinken's subconscious from within.

"But upon entering the fantasy, I was overwhelmed by your collective emotions! My mind was... in a fog. I couldn't think clearly. I couldn't remember why I was there! The deaths of Rumble and Scootaloo helped, but it was only after the volcano fortress erupted, and Button Mash and Sweetie Belle were silenced, that my mind cleared enough that I remember what had to be done - To shock Twinken into awakening and so end the dream altogether before your comas became permanent."

A cold and terrible realization fell over them all, especially Twinken as the poor colt realized and understood what he had almost done. To himself, to his friends! And the guilt was more than he could bear, even as his mentor, so full of remorse all her own, apologized, "Forgive me, my little ponies... I never imagined a simple test could turn out to be so dangerous! So damaging..."

Twilight went to comfort her little brother-in-law as the colt broke down into heart-wrenching sobs. He had almost destroyed his friends! Not killed them, but may as well have had Luna failed to stop him. He'd almost done to them what had been done to his mother, a dark oblivion from which they might have never awakened, and Twinken thought with deepest remorse and a loathing of himself, I'm... I'm a monster!

Luna tried to stand on her own but felt so woozy she almost fell over. Midnight and Astral Ink gently helped her stay on her hooves before Midnight worriedly asked, "As bad as all that?"

"Perhaps worse..." Luna responded grimly.

"Yet this is not what troubles you," Astral sensed, worried for his princess.

"Please understand, my apprentice, your brother," Luna said to Midnight, "He is young and inexperienced; he cannot be held responsible for this- For our oversight..."

"Nopony blames him," Midnight assured, feeling his heart hurt to see his little brother, crying his eyes out as Twilight hugged him, uncertain of what to say or do other than just hold the colt as warmly as she could.
"But obviously we haven't considered what he's capable of."

"You understate it!" Luna corrected as they saw the look she had in her eyes as they were trained on Twinken. "Of all the telepaths I have ever encountered, Twinken, even at his fledgling stage, is the most powerful of all! Even more powerful than... myself."

Luna's words brought a chill to Midnight's bones, while Astral gulped and nervously shook in realization by the fact that Luna, a powerful alicorn princess, was afraid of her own student whose raw power was eclipsed only by his potential.

Not that anypony cared to point that out, as the Crusaders all began to weep and shake despite the literal nightmare being over. Because, thanks to Twinken, it might very well have been a nightmare from which they'd have never awakened.

Author's Note

Horrifying, isn't it...

I hated putting the Crusaders through all this, especially Twinken, but my plans made it necessary to emphasize that Twinken's telepathic powers are a force to be reckoned with, and this experience is necessary for his growth and for what I have in mind for him

All will be made clear soon enough

399. Viva Las Pegasus

"The map is callin' us WHERE?!"

In the Map Room of the Castle of Friendship, Applejack and Fluttershy looked on in disbelief and discomfort to see their cutie-marks, along with Midnight's, encircling the image of Las Pegasus aka Equestria's Playground, the City of Flights, the Arcade Capital of the World, and other such ludicrous epithets.

"Las Pegasus?!" Fluttershy was equally dismayed.
"But Las Pegasus is a wild vacation spot!" protested Applejack as she looked upon the mere image of it with disapproval, "It's jus' one big party!"
"All those lights and sounds, not to mention the crowds!" agreed Fluttershy with a severe shudder of discomfort from the very idea, and they hadn't even left yet. "Oh! Just the thought of it is overwhelming...!"

"I know Las Pegasus isn't either of your cups of tea," spoke Twilight as she approached the Map, standing beside her husband. "But I have total faith that you wouldn't have been called if you weren't the ponies for the job!"

"I love you, babe, but there are times when that blind faith you have in this thing," Midnight gave the Map a kick with his front hoof, much to his wife's appall, "it worries me, and coming from me, of all ponies, that's saying something."

"Midnight! How can you say something like that?!" Twilight gave the sapphire stallion a piercing look, "Do you doubt our friends and yourself being the right ponies for tackling this friendship problem?"

"Not at all," Midnight assured before flatly saying, "I doubt you putting your unconditional trust into a magical object with nary a doubt of it being flawless is a good idea. Faith is good to have, but not when it's blinding."

"Mmph..." Twilight grumbled to herself, hating it when Midnight made a good point like that.

"And besides, if the Map has taught us anything," Midnight ran his hoof through the 3-Dimensional image of Las Pegasus to zoom in on it a bit for better detail, "it's that friendship problems and other issues can happen anywhere at any time and affect anyone!

"AJ, Flutters, I understand Las Pegasus isn't your kind of place, but as members of the Council of Friendship, we owe it to whoever is having a problem with their friendships and to help them. So whattya say?" Midnight gave them an encouraging smile before he conjured some clothes and stuff onto himself to look like the cliché of a tacky tourist, complete with silly sunglasses that had palm trees on the frames, "Up for a trip to the City of Sin?"

The two mares shared a doubtful look before Applejack cracked, "Well, it's... prob'ly not as bad as we think. It can't jus' be a loud, obnoxious party all th' time... right?"

Fluttershy mirrored Applejack's uncomfortable smile while Midnight said, "Alrighty then! I'll go prep the Slipstream! May as well travel in style and luxury, right?"

Sighing, Fluttershy said, "I'd better go tell Macintosh that we'll be going out of town for a few days or so."

One Flight Later

"Uh, Applejack, it isn't as bad as we thought," said Fluttershy before she, Applejack and Midnight avoided a stampede of galloping crowd of whooping tourists, as they took in the Las Pegasus Strip!

There was the Glamour Hotel, replicas of various famous landmarks, such as the Eifilly Tower and Lady Li-Bray-ty, the Bananazon Gift Shop, the Stalladin Hotel with its exclusive golf club and course, the Amusemedrome amusement park, the Luxan, Planet Applewood, the Savannah Resort, Trots-A-Fun, Cosmarepolitan, Tropicanter, and so much more, all built upon and supported by the second-largest Olympumice-based skyward metropolis in all of Equestria, outdone only by the pegasus capital of Cloudsdale.

"Yer right! It's worse!" concurred Applejack as she felt her ears already beginning to hurt from the hustle and bustle and shouts and whoops and cheers of the thousands of tourists and visitors present.

"Yep, this place hasn't changed much," Midnight was glad he'd had the foresight to wear his tacky tourist outfit. He wasn't in the mood to be mobbed by his subjects here of all places.
"Fun place to visit, but only in small doses."

"Still baffles me how anypony can have fun or vacay here," Applejack grumbled as somepony bumped into her but didn't say excuse me or anything. "Overpriced souvenirs? Expensive restaurants and hotels? All these flashy lights and loud noises?!"

"Oh my, I already wish I was home, holding my foals..." Fluttershy sighed woefully. "Where do we even begin to look for a friendship problem in all this- This...?"

"Hubbub?" offered Midnight helpfully.

"Uh-huh..." Fluttershy nodded as the three walked along, not even sure of where they were going.

"Well..." Midnight looked to their right and saw a hotel resort that seemed to be quite popular, given how many ponies were going in. "When in Roam!"

"Huh? Roam? Midnight, where are you...Ergh!" Applejack followed her brother, as did Fluttershy, and they ventured through a giant golden pair of doors and all gasped to see the interior!

Inside was an indoor amusement park, with a mini marris-wheel, a roller-coaster, a swing ride, and there was a large passage to a fully stocked and packed arcade and other passages, leading to the check-in desk, the restaurant, the hotel rooms, and so on. And of course the place was packed with guests, all having a blast and enjoying themselves! The majority were ponies, but here and there they saw guests who were other creatures, like a family of Sirian Dogs, a Zebra stallion, and a couple of senior griffons.

"Do you think the Map could be on the fritz again?" asked a doubtful Fluttershy. "I mean, this place seems a lot more suited to the Party Ponies, or even Rainbow Dash!"

"True, but it was our marks floating over the Map," Midnight pointed out.

Taking a deep breath and focusing, Applejack said, "If Twilight trusts th' Map, then so do Ah! All we haff ta do is solve our friendship problem an' get back home."

"Excuse me..." Midnight tore of his tourist getup while also casting a mild distracter spell on himself but worked it to not affect Applejack and Fluttershy. He spread his wings, sighing with content before saying, "Was getting a little uncomfortable. Now then, let's have a look around, see if we can find that problem..."

All around, they saw tourists, guests, some flashing cameras for the memories, chattering, swapping stories as to why they needed to "get away from it all", the usual loud and obnoxious behavior of ponies and other creatures on vacation. Speaking of "loud and obnoxious"...

"...and make sure to experience our signature show: Poné Fantastique!" The three friends looked towards a showboaty announcer as he spoke to a crowd of guests with some posters behind him.
"Trust me when I say, you've never seen anything like it! Unparalleled acrobatics, unique animal antics! Your only regret will be that you didn't see it sooner! And like everything at this amazing, incredible 'I can't believe it even exists' hotel, Poné Fantastique is brought to you by the Chairpony of Kindness, Gladmane himself!"

All eyes turned to gaze upon the golden statue that served as the lobby centerpiece, of an earth pony rearing up, looking bold and magnificent, and the crowd swooned and cheered as they all rushed in to experience all that Gladmane's hotel had to offer.

"Wow! This Gladmane sure seems impressive," commented Fluttershy.

"Well, it is a li'l embarressin'," said a voice behind them with an accent similar to Applejack's.

They all turned to see it was the Mane himself, a middle-aged earth pony, somewhat portly with a grayish Persian blue coat, his silver mane done up in a big swept-back pompadour-ish style and a brilliant sheen, below which were a relaxed pair of soft green eyes. He wore a royal blue blazer with a flashy lapel and collar, an orange bowtie, and though it was hidden under his snazzy cape, his cutie-mark was a trio of sparkling gold bits.

"But th' crowd seems t' like it, uh-huh-huh," Gladmane chuckled with the charm of a southern gentlecolt.

"Mister Gladmane?" Applejack uttered as she, Fluttershy and Midnight approached the older stallion.

"Jus' Gladmane'll do," Gladmane assured before taking their hooves to give them a friendly (if a tad overly enthusiastic) shake while saying, "an' maht Ah say, it is an honor t' meet th' Prince o' Harmony an' his friends! Thank you fer comin', thank ya very much."

"How did you notice me?!" Midnight was baffled. "I have a distracter spell active to avoid unwanted attention!"

"Well, Yer Highness, let's jus' say, Ah've gots me a keen eye," Gladmane said before changing the subject, "Ah'm wha' you'd call a... friendship connoisseur , so nat'rally Ah'm familiar wit' y'all n' yor lovely wife, Princess Twilight, an' even yer fine friends, Applejack an' Fluttershy! It's an honor t' have y'all here, uh-huh-huh!"

"Ah haff t' admit, yer not th' type o' pony Ah expected t' find in Las Pegasus," replied Applejack, finding Gladmane to be quite likable.

"Well, mah guests might be lookin' for lights, music n' parties," laughed Gladmane, "but workin' hard an' makin' friends is how Ah turned this hotel into wha' it is today! And how Ah plan t' make it even bigger, uh-huh-huh. Uh, excuse me one second."

Gladmane stepped away from them before raising his hoof, and a microphone lowered itself into his grasp and he spoke into it, his voice ringing out throughout the hotel via the PA system, "Wise ponies may say th' folks tha' come here are customers, but Ah can't help but thinkin' o' each an' every one o' you as friends. Tha's why there's a three-fer-one special on apple fritters in th' cafe fer th' next hour. Enjoy! Uh-huh-huh."

No sooner did Gladmane stop and his microphone rose back up to wherever it had come from, at least a dozen of guests ran past them, cheering and whooping happily as they rushed for the hotel cafe while Gladmane offered, "Would y'all like t' take a tour o' th' place? Ah'm jus' about t' do mah rounds an' check on mah friends who work here."

"Well, I suppose we can-" Midnight started to say.

"Prince Midnight!! As I live and breathe!"

"Oh fantastic..." Midnight sulked and they all turned around to see a unicorn pony about Gladmane's age and figure, wearing a suit and tie and glasses and what was obviously a toupee, attended by a secretary mare and a police officer.

"Why, Mister Mayor! An' Chief Coppa Brass, a pleasure as always, uh-huh-huh," Gladmane welcomed as he took notice of them. "Wha' brings y'all t' mah humble hotel?"

"Actually, Gladmane," the Chief, Coppa Brass, said, "we're here to speak with the Prince, if you're not too busy, Your Majesty."

Midnight looked to Applejack and fluttershy, who both shrugged, and he sighed softly before putting on his "Regal Smile" and replied, "Why not at all, Chief, Mayor. How can I be of help?"

"Uh, if you wouldn't mind, Sire," the Mayor said with a shifty look and hesitant smile, "A private word?"

Midnight nodded and followed the Mayor and Chief over to a spot out of earshot and they started talking with discrete tones. Applejack and Fluttershy were so concerned they looked over to Gladmane and Applejack asked, "Is there somethin' goin' on, Gladmane?"

"Oh, it's nothin' fer y'all t' worry about," Gladmane assured, "It's just our esteemed Mayor tends t' make problems sound bigger than they are, uh-huh-huh."

"But he does have the Chief of Police here..." pointed out Fluttershy.

"Well... Ah'm not sure if'n Ah should tell y'all bout this," Gladmane stymied before shrugging, "But fer th' last few weeks, there's been troubleround th' Strip."

"Trouble?!" both mares echoed and then Applejack asked, "Wha' kind o' trouble?"

"It's not all tha' bad, just some hoodlums makin' a ruckus here an' there," Gladmane waved it off. "Li'l vandalism an' such, but th' Mayor don't want it gettin' out so tourists an' ponies on vacation won' be scared off from Las Pegasus. Bad fer business."

Applejack and Fluttershy shared a look before the latter asked, "Do you think...?"

"Mm, Ah dunno, don't sound liek a friendship problem," Applejack debated when they heard hoofsteps and saw Midnight coming back.

"AJ, Flutters, I'm sorry," Midnight sighed, "But the Mayor and Chief need my help. You think you can handle this yourselves?"

"Is it bad?" Fluttershy asked.

"That's a big question," Midnight shrugged, "but they're really concerned that this problem they're having might be bigger than it seems."

"Welp, Ah'm sure we can handle this, Midnight," Applejack assured, "We understand if'n it's real important."

"Well, all the same," Midnight lit up his horn and conjured a pair of disc-shaped devices, "I want you to take one of my Echoms so we can contact each other, just in case."

"Oh, I remember these," Fluttershy accepted one of the Echoms while Midnight kept the other.

"Ah'm mighty sorry ya can't join us, Prince Midnight," Gladmane said like it was a crying shame.

"Oh, no worries, Gladmane," Midnight replied with a similar attitude, "Perhaps once things are taken care of, I can come back and give your hotel a once-over. I might be up for a vacation in the future."

"Sounds like a plan, uh-huh-huh! Shall we, ladies?" Gladmane smirked to them before trotting off with his head high.

Midnight discretely whispered to his friends, "Gladmane seems like a nice guy, but... keep your eyes and ears peeled for that friendship problem."

Before Applejack and Fluttershy could ask Midnight what he meant, he vanished in a Flash!

As it turned out, various hotels and resorts around the Las Pegasus Strip had been victims of vandalism and petty crimes, with the most severe being a break-in at the Stalladin and Bananazon, and a few aggravated assaults at Savannah, Glamour and Tropicanter. Even Gladmane's hotel got vandalized last week! No arrests had been made and for some reason there were no witnesses to these crimes. Recalling his dossiers of infamous criminals who operated in Las Pegasus, Midnight realized, his dossiers were now out of date ever since Buck Cheap and his criminal empire and associates were taken down.

He recalled his cousin and lieutenant in the Brotherhood, Shadow Lock, reporting how all major organized crime in every major city in Equestria had been surgically taken down and the key players arrested and imprisoned. The lesser criminals who'd been affiliated with those syndicates had either been imprisoned as well or they'd slipped away and gone into hiding.

All of Las Pegasus' most infamous criminals have been imprisoned, thought Midnight as he lurked through an alleyway. So who could be behind this petty crime wave...?

When he thought about it, Midnight sighed, figuring whoever was behind this was likely someone new looking to fill the power vacuum, I suppose it was only a matter of time...

Empty thrones could be tolerated only for so long before someone, tempted and greedy, sought to fill those thrones. Since the foiled Coup of Avarice, organized crime had been all but eradicated in Equestria. That didn't mean the criminal element was entirely purged however.

Taking the folder Chief Coppa Brass had lent him, Midnight reviewed the crime scenes again, looking for a pattern, a common element.

All of these are major tourist attractions along the Strip, Midnight considered, and the crimes are relatively petty and minor... but each one has suffered a decline in business!

That had to be it.

*Vvvt, Vvvt*

"Huh? Oh," Midnight held up his Echom and answered the incoming call. From the jewel in the center, an image was projected, revealing Fluttershy and Applejack. "Fluttershy, AJ, is everything alright?"

"Boy-howdy, Midnight, this echom doohickey's really sumpin'," responded Applejack.

"Hello, Midnight," Fluttershy spoke up, "after Gladmane gave us a tour, you'll never believe who else we found here at his hotel!"

Applejack sighed irritably and answered before Midnight could ask, "Th' FlimFlam brothers...

"You don't say..." Midnight was suddenly intrigued.

"But the thing is, Flim and Flam aren't getting along!" Fluttershy explained, "Apparently, Gladmane hired them to help promote the Poné Fantastique show but they're trying to outdo one another and they keep arguing!"

"Huh, never would have thought the map would send us to help those two," Midnight rolled his eyes.

"Hold on there!" Applejack interjected, "Jus' because they're here at th' place wer' lookin' for a friendship problem don't mean they are th' problem we gotta solve. So Ah had another look around th' hotel an' it turns out there are some more ponies arguin' in th' Ponè Fantastique: th' acrobat an' show director, an' th' two magicians who do th' animal act!"

"Huh... so, if we include Flim and Flam, that's three friendship problems in the same place," Midnight pointed out with a curious look.

"Well, Ah don' count Flim n' Flam since those two not bein' friends isn't a problem," Applejack asserted with a sore tone.

"Well, it certainly isn't for Gladmane," Fluttershy brought up, "It seems like he's better off with them fighting."

"Come again?" asked Midnight.

"Oh, well, Gladmane said because Flim's an excellent showpony and Flam has a real head for business, that they could run his hotel quite easily," explained Fluttershy.

"Actually... th' other ponies' problems seem t' be good fer Gladmane too!" Applejack brought up. "Both th' trapeze show an' th' animal act would be better off if they left, but everypony's so busy arguin' tha' they can't!"

"Do you think he knows?" asked Fluttershy.

"Oh, I have a feeling he knows full well..." Midnight's tone grabbed AJ and Fluttershy's attention as the sapphire stallion went on, "Earlier, when we met him, Gladmane made such a big deal about friendship an' all, then he announced that special over in his café while calling his customers his friends. As pleasant and charming as he sounded, I didn't buy Gladmane's words for a moment!"

"Whattya mean? So he's a friendly an' welcomin' businesspony who treats his customers kindly," Applejack pointed out, "It ain't a crime."

"No, but think about it, girls," Midnight clarified, "Hotels and resorts are the most competitive businesses here on the Strip. The more customers they get, the more money they make, and because business is always tight here in Las Pegasus, if a hotel doesn't make a consistent amount of profits it won't stay in business for very long. That's why hotel owners, like Gladmane, do anything and everything to attract potential customers.

"Gladmane calling his customers friends while announcing a special in the same announcement is just a way for him to appeal to his customers, butter them up, and encourage them to spend more money in his resort! It's actually a common business strategy - Treat customers like friends and family and that will appeal to them so much they'll want to spend more money at your business."

"So then all o' his talk about friendship is just a load of applesauce?!" Applejack was appalled.

"Now, now, before we jump to conclusions," Fluttershy interjected, "we should be certain before we start pointing hooves."

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack agreed before asking, "An' wha' about you, Midnight? Wha's th' problem th' mayor an' chief asked you t' look at?"

"Apparently, there's been a wave of petty crime all over the Strip for the past few weeks," answered Midnight. "All the hotels and other tourist attractions have been victims of petty and minor crimes, such as vandalism, break-ins, there's been a few physical assaults, but no arrests have been made and no witnesses have come forward. Even Gladmane's hotel was vandalized last week."

"Oh my! Do you think there's a reason he didn't bring it up?" asked Fluttershy.

"I would say, he's trying to keep it under wraps because it could discourage ponies from coming to his hotel," shrugged Midnight when something crossed his mind. "But... come to think of it, all the other hotels have been vandalized, broken in, or had disputes more than once but Gladmane's hotel only got that one incident of vandalism! Why would these criminals only target Gladmane once but target the other hotel businesses multiple times?"

"Do... ya want us t' come help you, Midnight?" asked Applejack.

"No, stay there, see what more you can figure out," Midnight politely declined, "but keep an eye on Gladmane, and the FlimFlam brothers too. I'll contact you soon."

Midnight ended the communication, and the hologram of Applejack and Fluttershy winked out before Midnight returned the Echom into the folds of his cloak. He raised his hood as he considered the facts: The wave of petty crimes, the hotels and other attractions targeted multiple times while Gladmane's hotel was only targeted once, no arrests, no witnesses, no one seriously hurt.

It reeked of conspiracy, but by and against who were the bigger questions. Questions for which he had no clues, no suspects, and no leads. This didn't dissuade the sapphire stallion however. He'd done far better with less, and when there was no evidence to go on or theories to try, that left only one place to go.

The scummiest watering hole in the dark, sleazy underbelly of this seedy city of sin.

"A bar," Midnight nodded to himself.

Granted, there were hundreds of bars in Las Pegasus. Most of which did better along the Strip since they were so close to the various hotels, resorts and other attractions. But then there were the bars spread further out around the city. Dive bars, beer halls, cider houses, cigar bars, gay bars, nightclubs, saloons, pubs, frequented by all sorts of different flavors of locals.

Recalling his history in Las Pegasus, Midnight knew there was only one place he could go where he might find a lead, rumor or suspect that might provide the clue he needed to bust this case wide open.

The Bangover.

It was the kind of joint no decent citizen would ever be caught dead in... unless they weren't decent citizens or had had the worst luck as of late. Thanks to his cloak and a Distracter Spell, Midnight had walked right in and made himself comfortable at a booth with nary an eye or ear taking notice of his presence.

He looked around and saw the Bangover was somewhat busy today. He saw a couple business ponies drowning their sorrows in beer, a few stallions who looked like they were frequent patrons shooting the breeze with each other, a few guys were watching a hoofball game playing, apparently betting on plays and such, and of course several shady characters that kept to themselves or their conversations barely above a whisper.

Having done this before, Midnight kept to himself, relaxed, and opened his senses as he cast the Eavesdropping Spell.

This was a method he used to listen in on these sorts of crowds to listen for anything that might be a lead. No matter the criminal, they always went somewhere to brag or talk or whisper or share either something they were involved in or had some knowledge of. It didn't matter how tight-lipped or careful they were. Eventually, the devil's nectar lowered their guards, unclenched their puckers and loosened their lips.

That wasn't to say, Midnight found something right away. This was very much like fishing, as he listened to whines and grumbles and the tipsy chit and chat and blah-blah-blah. It was a waiting game, where patience was the only advantage he had. Patience and vigilance. He had to listen, no matter how boring, no matter how aggravating, no matter how crude or nasty or just plain disgusting some of the patrons were whenever they belched or farted or went on drunken rants after having a beer too many.

He'd heard it all before.

The office is wearing down on my ass. I think my wife is cheating on me. I should have gotten that promotion. My bills are piling up. Go to hell. I'd like to screw Celestia silly. My kid's giving me lip. The neighbors are inconsiderate assholes. I wanna be a movie star! Hey, the waitress is cute...! Is he looking at me? Another beer over here! I could totally kick Shining Armor's ass. Eh, damn yaks... Those griffons are monsters. Stupid mudponies! Who'd you vote for? I don't care what my folks think, I'm gay and proud of it! So I'm seeing this mare who's got these nice mammaries... Did you catch that show last night on the tube? I've had this itch in a very uncomfortable place for the past couple of weeks... Where are we gonna strike next? The Amusemedrome, make a big thing of it, scare the customers off.

What?! Midnight's eyes snapped open and he concentrated his focus onto those last couple voices.

"Look, I know it's only been a few days since our last... jaunt," said one of the voices, "but we can't go too long without an incident making a muck of things or else business picks up on the Strip again."

Midnight heard them. There were four of them, sitting together in a booth in the corner. One of them was a unicorn, who'd raised a barrier to ward off eavesdropping. The attempt made Midnight chuckle to himself at how cute it was because his spell was working regardless of it. Sometimes spells worked but if they were made to work against one whose magical power was superior to the one who cast the spell it then the weaker power would be countered. Midnight guessed this unicorn was around the Beta range, because his spell was strong, but as an alicorn Midnight's power was superior.

"How long do we gotta keep doing all this?!" griped one of them. "We're risking our asses out here, trying to ruin the businesses around the Strip and he's basking in the glow of his customers!"

"It'll all be worth it once he's bought out the other hotels and resorts," insisted the voice that was apparently in charge. "With our cut of the profits he'll make, we'll finally be able to build ourselves up and become the new power of organized crime in Las Pegasus! Aren't you guys tired of being the small fish?! Well, the big fish are gone and out of the way! It's our time to become the big fish around here but to do that we need money! We have to seize this opportunity while we still can or else we're just gonna be petty crooks for the rest of our lives!

"Is that what you want?!"

The responding grumbles indicated their discontent and their agreement with this guy's words.

"All right then, so let's plan our next move and we'll strike while the iron's hot," said the head honcho. "Do we have the map of the amusement park?"

"Yeah, but..." said the voice of the unicorn, "what guarantees do we have that he'll honor our deal? We could be giving him the entire Strip on a silver platter and wind up with nothing to show for it."

"Oh, he'll honor our deal..." said the boss with a grim confidence. "That blowhard fatass is so smug he never considered I had a camera all nice and poised to film our entire conversation. Once everything is in place, I'll show him the tape so that he'll see he's so deep in our pocket he'll beg for a seat at our table."

His boys all murmured and even chuckled in approval and agreement before he said, "Alrighty then! Now that we're on the same page, unless someone else has a question, whattya say we get started?"

"Just one..."

The gang of petty crooks all gasped and jumped in their seats to see the Hooded Pony, suddenly seated at their table as if he'd been there the whole time yet none of them had even noticed his presence up until he spoke up.

He leaned forward as he asked with a fanged smirk, "Who's... he?"

Busting those two-bit crooks was easy, especially since he'd had the foresight to turn on a recorder whilst he'd listened to their boss blather on. Afterwards, he'd made them take him to any hole they'd been comfortable in and found enough evidence to link them to the wave of petty crime they'd inflicted upon the Strip and all its hotels and attractions.

However, Midnight wasn't entirely sure if he'd gotten them all despite their insisting otherwise. Not that it mattered. This gang and their little plot to become a force of organized crime was all but foiled, and all that was left was to take care of this mysterious partner of theirs.

But first, Midnight decided to check in on Fluttershy and Applejack after delivering the gang into police custody.

Walking back into the main lobby of Gladmane's hotel, Midnight was about to turn on his Echom to call the girls when...

"...spose Ah should be impressed. Yer th' only ponies t' ever figure out th' secret t' mah success. It takes a lotta work keepin' everypony fightin', but as long as Ah keep`em convinced tha' Ah'm their only friend, all o' Las Pegasus will be mine! Oh, you cain't trick a confession out of a pony like me! Ah'm always one step ahead."

"Welp, ya better check yer hooves. Becuz... you jus' stepped inna confession."

"Oh no...! Oh no- Wait, wait!"

Midnight looked up towards the windows of Gladmane's office, and sure enough there he was, looking in a panic as he gazed down and Midnight followed his line of sight... where he saw several ponies, including Flim and Flam, all of them glaring up reproachfully at Gladmane.

"Did that sound okay?" asked the voice of Fluttershy over the PA system.

"Never better!" responded the giddy FlimFlam brothers.

"Flim n' Flam told us you'd see right through th' fake rich pony bit. An' tha' once ya did, ya wouldn' be able t' resist gloatin' about it. This was all part o' th' plan!"

"Oh, n-now, friends! Listen, I-I can explain everythang!" Gladmane spoke up, nervous and sweating.

"I think you've done enough of that!" responded the bitter and former director of the Ponè Fantastique before he offered his foreleg to his dear friend and acrobat, "Darling?"

The acrobat took her mentor's foreleg and harrumphed, not wasting her breath on the pony she'd trusted and misled them, and they took their leave.

"Oh!" Midnight looked towards two unicorns dressed flashy and with some prairie dogs in kennels, "I cannot believe we let him almost ruin our friendship!"
"And our act..." responded his friend and partner before he shouted to Gladmane, "GOOD LUCK FINDING ANOTHER ONE!!!"

They left as well, taking their critters with them while Gladmane began to panic.

"WAIT!! No! Y'all come back! C'mon now, I-I-I'm gon' be ruined! THIS IS GLADMANE, Y'ALL! C'mon, ya can't do thi-hi-his...!" cried Gladmane, his voice fading as he apparently ran out of the office.

"Gladmane has left th' building!" declared Applejack.

As the girls came back down to the ground floor, Gladmane's statue was pulled down from its pedestal in recognition of his disgrace. Nopony knew where the blowhard had run off to yet, but they didn't really care. Including Fluttershy and Applejack as they stepepd back into the lobby.

"I guess the map wasn't on the fritz after all," commented Fluttershy as she and her sister-in-law noticed their marks glowing, meaning their task was done. "If it weren't for your history with Flim and Flam, you never would have been so determined to find somepony else to help, and we never would have found out what Gladmane was doing."

"An' if it weren' fer you wantin' t' show even those two con ponies kindness," Applejack conceded, "we never woulda been able t' trick th' trickster."

Speaking of, they approached Flim and Flam, who were just about to clean up the mess of Gladmane's broken statue when Applejack said, "It musta felt pretty nice t' fin'ly put all yer connivin' an' cheatin' skills t' good use."

"In fact..." Flam responded, "we like to think of it as a... one-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
"Emphasis on the 'once'," Flim added before winking to his brother-

"Well, that's a pity."

"Huh?!"

All eyes looked to see Midnight coming their way, his own mark glowing before he said, "Which just means this is going to be all the more satisfying."

Out of nowhere, two rings zoomed around Flim and Flam, moving so fast they got dizzy. but not dizzy enough they didn't feel the rings slip onto their horns!

"Hey!"
"What's going on here?!" Flim and Flam began to focus their mana to their horns, only for it to get snuffed out with a very audible raspberry sound. "Our magic!!"

"I've been looking forward to saying this for quite some time," said Midnight before he declared, "Flim and Flam, you are under arrest."

"Arrest?!"
"For what?!"

Midnight put on a flat look as he conjured a pair of glasses (which he didn't need) along with a list and read it off, "Let's see... Trespassing, damage to private property, multiple counts of fraud, jaywalking, disturbing the peace, public nuisance, multiple misdemeanors, reckless endangerment, gross negligence, selling a so-called tonic without a license to sell medicine, conduct unbecoming, associating with known criminals, felony tax evasion, oh! And littering...!"

Flim and Flam both gulped as they realized the long arm of justice had finally caught up with them.

"Littering?! For shame," Fluttershy scolded like only a mother could.
"Well, how about that?" Applejack felt just a tad guilty for feeling good about this, but still!

Flim and Flam suddenly threw themselves at Midnight's hooves as they began to make with crocodile tears and blubbered pleas and excuses, when Midnight vanished the glasses and list away and made them stand back up on their hooves and said, "Oh, relax, boys! I'm not gonna lock you up and throw away the key!"

"Yer not?!" Applejack flabbergasted.
"You're not?!" Flim and Flam were equally stunned.

"Nah, I've got a... much better idea of how to deal with you two," Midnight gave them an evil smile, which made them suddenly fearful and wonder if jail was a better fate after all.

Community service.

That was the sentence Flim and Flam had been passed by Midnight, who informed them they were going to spend a LONG time working their tails off and not getting paid a cent for it! Their bank accounts were frozen, their magic was severely limited, and they were allowed room and board at a halfway house, where they'd get limited privileges and be rewarded for good behavior by their supervisors, and any attempts to escape would be invariably thwarted and only prolong their sentence and make things harder on themselves.

As the three friends rode the Slipstream out of Las Pegasus that evening, they couldn't help but agree that despite all the madness of that city, it was truly a sight at night when all its lights glistened and shined and glimmered with so many colors.

"Ah guess Las Pegasus ain't too bad," Applejack shrugged as she relaxed in her seat.

"It is beautiful at night..." Fluttershy smiled at the sight of it before looking to Midnight, "But I'm glad you gave Flim and Flam a chance to work towards being better ponies instead of just locking them away."

"Eh, I wouldn't hold my breath on those two, but I figured working for nothing as opposed to languishing behind bars would be a far more painful punishment for them," chuckled Midnight as he kept the wheel steady.

"Say, Ah wonder whatever happened t' Gladmane," Applejack brought up.

"Dunno," Midnight shrugged, "It turns out Gladmane was in on a scheme with a gang of criminals to take over the Strip. They would ruin business for the other hotels and attractions so that once their money ran out they'd go out of business, allowing Gladmane to buy them off cheap. He'd basically own the Strip and share a cut of the profits to the gang, so they could have enough money to build their own force of organized crime."

"How awful!" Fluttershy was appalled. "I knew he was mean, but to go that far?"

"Gladmane just wanted to get rich, no matter who he messed with, Fluttershy," Midnight clarified, "but now everypony knows what a pony-baloney he is, and the Las Pegasus Police is looking for him. If Gladmane's lucky, the cops will find him first, before whatever criminals that didn't get arrested get their hooves on him..."

Gladmane was not lucky.

The few members of the gang that managed to avoid getting arrested caught up with him, took him to a dark alley, and brutalized him. Once he was beaten black and bloody, Gladmane groaned and spat out a tooth as he pitifully pleaded, "N-now, friends, Ah... this is just a... minor setback-"

"SHUT UP!!" said the gangster who was in charge of what was left. "My big bro and uncle are in jail because of your stupid plan and now our gang's less then a fourth of its strength! I warned my brother we shouldn't work with you, fatass... and now I'm gonna correct his mistake!"

He reached to his right and another gangster hooved him a crossbow pistol, loaded and ready, and the gangster grimly aimed it at Gladmane, who broke into a cold sweat and felt his heart jump into his throat!

"Four our friends! For my brother..." the gangster said vengefully as he prepared to fire.

Gladmane clenched his eyes shut, his whole body tense and had gone cold as he waited for his imminent demise-

*Shhk, shhk, shhk*

-only to hear the sound of bodies dropping a moment later.

Whimpering, Gladmane dared to open his eyes, and he was horrified to see the gangsters lying dead before him. Their throats slit and blood pooling around them. But there was somepony standing before him. A tall and mighty unicorn clad fully in armor, his helmed face glaring down at Gladmane, who saw only his own expression of terror in the reflecting visor concealing his... rescuer.

"Wha- who.... who are you?" Gladmane managed to utter.

He flinched as the unicorn's visor lit up with an intense light and then Gladmane could barely make out a pair of glowing green eyes with narrow pupils no pony could have.

"Good evening, Mister Gladmane..." spoke a purring voice. "Please excuse our first meeting being this informal. I'm a very busy woman, so my associate is standing in for me while I have this word with you from afar."

"Wh- you... you know me?" Gladmane spoke softly, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

"Mm, not personally, though i am aware of your recent scheming," said the voice. It purred, was distinctively female, and though she sounded polite and pleasant, Gladmane couldn't help but feel his mane starting to stand on end.
"You dealt with petty criminals in a quaint plot to take over the Las Pegasus Strip. And how did that work out for you? It didn't.

"Mister Gladmane..." the voice turned hard and cold as she said, in a most contemptuous tone, "you are a disappointing, greedy stallion."

"Wh-what're ya gonna do t' me?" whimpered Gladmane, still in pain from being used as a punching bag.

"Why, Mister Gladmane!" the voice purred pleasantly, "I'm going to offer you a job!"

Gladmane hadn't been expecting that, and as much as this voice put the fear of the Pale One in him, he had a fearful feeling that it would be hazardous to his health to decline.

So, he nodded with a nervous gulp, just praying to the Goddess he wasn't making the biggest mistake of his life.

Author's Note

I finally gave Flim & Flam exactly what they deserve... and Gladmane will eventually make an encore appearance.

I like Gladmane, but don't get me wrong; he's absolutely a sleazy scumbag and i bet his mane's a wig, but i sorta wish we'd seen him again after his one and only appearance

The idea of Gladmane being connected to crime came from the part in the episode where he shared his plans with Flam to take over every hotel along the Strip, which would have allowed him to basically own Las Pegasus. I found it intriguing and truly an ambitious plan and felt it was the perfect angle to work with, thus allow me to paint Gladmane even worse than he was in the episode

400. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 1

The mornings at Sweet Apple Acres had taken a grim and uncomfortable atmosphere as of late, as Applejack, Granny Smith and Faerie Tail would eye Apple Bloom out of the corners of their eyes every so often as they had breakfast.

And the empty chair where Twinken normally sat.

The Cutie-Mark Crusaders had not been the same ever since they'd taken Princess Luna's test via a shared dream... only for that dream to turn into a horrific nightmare. Because of Twinken and his powers going out of control.

Since then, they'd hardly hung out together, were quiet, and just seemed to go through the motions of the days following. Getting up, having breakfast, going to school, coming home, doing their homework and chores, bathing and brushing their teeth, and then going to bed.

They hadn't even gone on a single crusade to find their cutie-marks since then (at least, Apple Bloom and Rumble hadn't, since they were the only two remaining with blank flanks).

"Ah'm finished," Apple Bloom said as she took her dishes to the sink and got her saddelbags by the door. Her sister, grandmother, and Faerie Tail almost said something when Apple Bloom added, "Ah think... Ah think Ah'm gonna play wit' muh friends after school if'n tha's okay."

That alone was such a relief to them that they sighed to themselves and Granny Smith replied, "Sure thing, honey, go on an' have a good day."

Apple Bloom smiled as she came over and gave her granny and her big sister a hug, and even gave a hug to Faerie Tail. She waved bye as she stepped out to go to school, and the three mares all shared a collective sigh and smile of relief.

"She's gettin' better," Applejack noted with a joyful sparkle in her eyes.

"The other Crusaders as well," Faerie Tail assured, "Princess Luna had a word with me in my dreams. She told me she's been watching over the Crusaders' dreams, doing what she can to help them heal and get past what happened. Nothing drastic, just gentle nudges and getting rid of bad dream if they got too intense."

"Why not make it so they don' have bad dreams at all?" asked Applejack.

"Because it's important that the Crusaders learn to face what happened, accept it, and not let that fear and trauma continue to influence them," explained Faerie Tail. "It's like if you face your fears in your dreams, then facing them in reality becomes easier. If they just ignore it, then the fears and trauma will continue to haunt them no matter how much they deny it. Princess Luna is helping their minds heal while also help them build their strengths and spirits so they can confront their fears. It's a slow-going process, but in time the Crusaders will be able to move on.

"Apple Bloom telling us she's going to go play with her friends instead of us encouraging her to do so? That's a sure sign of progress, and I'm sure the other Crusaders are making progress as well."

"Is Twinken doin' aw'right too?" asked Granny Smith.

The uplifted look on Faerie Tail's face immediately took a nosedive, turning from the look of an assuring and confident mother to one gloomy and deeply concerned. Applejack and Granny Smith shared a concerned look but neither said anything, letting Faerie Tail center herself as she took a deep breath and then responded.

"Twinken is resisting healing..."

"Wha- Why?!" Applejack was flabbergasted.

"He blames himself," Faerie Tail explained, pain starting to lace her voice as tears began to well up in her eyes, "For what happened... for what could have happened. He's wearing the talisman Luna originally gave him to keep his telepathy under control and he's refusing Luna access into his dreams. He's just... locking himself away! He's been doing all his schoolwork from home, but... he won't go out to play! He hardly eats or talks to anyone, even me! He teleports to go to the bathroom but then he goes right back to his room, I-

"AJ, Granny...!" The younger and older mares felt their hearts hurt to see Faerie Tail struggling to stay composed as she uttered tearfully, "I don't know what to do! My little colt is suffering and I feel so helpless...!"

"Oh, Faerie Tail..." Applejack said as she and her grandmother came around the table to comfort the worrying mother.
"There, there now, child," Granny Smith said gently, "it'll all sort out. Jus'... give th' youn'un time. Ah'm sure he'll reach out when he's ready."

Sniffling, Faerie Tail replied, "I hope so, Granny Smith. I really do..."

As the mares comforted each other, they had no idea Twinken was listening from the top of the stairs. He'd sensed his mom's heartache and stepped out to listen, and hearing how much she was hurting made him feel ashamed. But instead of going to his mom and his honorary granny and big sister... Twinken just went back to his room and locked the door.

The school bell rang, and as the colts and fillies all rushed off to get home, Rumble noticed how his friends had begun cheering up and talking to each other again. Part of him was glad to see the girls and Button snapping out of the funk and gloom that had shadowed their spirits as of late, and seeing them talk to each other again. He'd spoken with them too but had participated the least in conversations and playing.

Apple Bloom had suggested they go on another crusade soon, but none of them were up to it.

Then Rumble had asked Apple Bloom if Twinken could be coming back to school anytime soon, and to their dismay Apple Bloom had responded, "Ah ain't seen Twinken even once since... well, y'know."

That had really troubled Rumble.

As horrible and terrifying as the whole experience had been, Rumble didn't blame Twinken for happened. It had been an accident resulting from something none of them had really been prepared for. Princess Luna had taken full responsibility and had been so apologetic and ashamed that her test had turned out the way it did. Still, what mattered was, they were all still here and physically they were all okay. Even so, it was going to take time for the Cutie-Mark Crusaders to get past this.

The first few nights after the Test, Rumble was subjected to vivid and awful nightmares, of the crystal golems using their heat beams to burn Ponyville, his family and friends, and Rumble had been unable to do anything about it. In his nightmares, he'd been a statue. Just standing there, helpless but to watch the terror and destruction until finally nothing was left but ashes... and only then did the golems blast him into oblivion, which was when he'd wake up crying and sweating.

His big brother, Thunderlane, and their neighbors, Cloudchaser and Flitter, had all been worried and keeping a close watch on him.

Then the dreams started getting better, not as scary and not as long, and sometimes he'd wake up before they got too bad. Rumble suspected Princess Luna was helping him there, and likely his friends too. After a couple of weeks, Rumble had been able to muster the will to take control of his dreams and face the fears that still haunted him. He didn't always succeed, but he was doing better.

Seeing his friends were doing better too helped, but that Twinken wasn't left Rumble conflicted as he took a casual flight home. Flying always helped Rumble clear his head and focus on whatever he needed to. Enjoying the feeling of the wind lifting him up, he felt his own spirits rise with it, and the view was nothing to sneeze at either. When he'd started flying, Rumble had been scared of flying too high, even when his big brother, Thunderlane, had been right there, encouraging him, cheering him on. Back then, he'd hardly been able to fly higher than a swing set. Going too high had caused him to get so scared that his wings would lock and he'd drop like rock. That had resulted in a few close-calls...

Then he'd met Scootaloo and the rest of his friends. They gave him the courage and the self-confidence to improve his flying skills and overcome his old fear of heights, and looking across Ponyville and beyond Rumble wondered how he'd ever been afraid of being up so high when it made everything else seem so small and inconsequential, as it filled him with the uplifting thrill that came from an unequaled sense of freedom.

Then his eyes noticed Ponyville Clocktower- Wait, was that accurate? 3:15?!

Uh-oh! Rumble thought as he remembered Thunderlane had told him to come right home after school... for a surprise.

The door flew open and Rumble rushed in, yelling, "I'M HERE!!"

"Cutting it close, little brother...!" responded Thunderlane's voice from upstairs and Rumble looked up to the second floor hallway.

"I know, I'm sorry! I..." Rumble fumbled, trying to find the right words. "Um- I... what'd you want to show me this morning? You said I had to wait until I got back from school, and here I am! A little late, but still!"

"Heheh, no worries, Rumble," chuckled Thunderlane's voice, his approaching hoofsteps clopping in the hallway. "I just didn't want you to be late and miss out..."

Then Thunderlane stepped into view at the top of the stairs, revealing himself to be garbed in a flight suit, similar to the ones worn by the Wonderbolts. His however was gleaming silver with blazing blue flame-shaped patterns, along with a pair of flight goggles secured above his eyes, and Rumble gasped as he recognized this uniform.

"On the first-ever Silverbolts Aerial Show!" Thunderlane declared as he spread his wings and smoothly glided down the stairs and landed in front of his stunned little brother, smirking with satisfaction at the colts reaction.
"But you are cutting it close, we gotta get going!"

"Wha- Where to?" asked Rumble as Thunderlane picked up some saddlebags and strapped them to his barrel and then tapped his goggles.

In a bright flash of light, Thunderlane's suit vanished, leaving him naked except for his goggles and saddlebags.
"We have to take the next airship to Canterlot, because that's where the aerial show is taking place, along with the Silverbolts' first derby against the Wonderbolts ace fliers, Spitfire, Fleetfoot and Rapidfire. C'mon, kiddo! We gotta flap!"

It was little more than an hour later by the time the brothers arrived in Canterlot. Disembarking the airship, Rumble asked, "So... where are we going and when's the big show and derby?"

"We're going to spend the weekend here," explained Thunderlane as they left the Canterlot Aerodrome, "and we'll be hosted by the Wonderbolts Administration Canterlot branch. The Silverbolts don't have their own administration yet, so the Wonderbolts Administration are assisting us until we do. As such, we'll get to sleep in a private hotel room during our stay.

"In the morning, I gotta meet with the Silverbolt A-Squad to practice for our show, and then we're gonna draw straws as to who will represent us in the derby and race against Spitfire, Fleetfoot and Rapidfire."

"Who else is gonna be there?" asked Rumble.

"Midnight, since he's our captain, as well as Soarin, Doran, and Hazel Blight," answered Thunderlane. "The five of us make up the Silverbolts' A-Squad. B-Squad and C-Squad will be there too, but only their squad leaders, Steel Edge and Amethyst Tides, will get to participate in the aerial show. Once that's over, we'll move onto the derby and, like I said, three among A-Squad will race against Spitfire, Fleetfoot and Rapidfire.

"Another reason the Silverbolts exist is to provide the Wonderbolts with a direct rival but in the spirit of friendly and sporting competition."

"So, you might get to race the top three fliers in the Wonderbolts!" Rumble was getting more and more excited, until he realized something and asked, "...what about me? What am I gonna do?"

"Well, you'll get to watch the show and derby with the royal family in the royal box," answered Thunderlane. "I asked Princess Celestia if that'd be okay, and she said she'd be delighted to have you there watching the show with them."

"Is Rainbow Dash gonna be with the Wonderbolts? She did get into the Reserves," Rumble brought up.

"Nah, she won't," Thunderlane shrugged. "She's still only a reserve member, but a little birdy told me she's very likely gonna become an official member soon."

"Well, even if she was here, you guys are gonna clean up on the derby!" Rumble scamped around his big brother, smiling and excited, as they made their way through the Canterlot streets.

Thunderlane was glad. This was exactly what he was hoping for, bringing his little brother along for such a big and exciting event. Even though he'd noticed Rumble was doing better recently, the stallion had hoped this would have a positive effect on the colt and wash out some of that funk he'd been moping under.

Unfortunately... Thunderlane had no idea that somepony was watching him from a shaded alleyway. somepony wearing black, purple and gold with flight goggles set with orange-lenses, the eyes behind them narrowing contemptuously at the Silverbolt and the colt with him.

Author's Note

The arc title is derived from "Cross my palm with silver"

401. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 2

"Wow...!" Rumble marveled at the vast training field, where he saw the Silverbolts had already arrived ahead of him and Thunderlane, flying through pre-set obstacle courses, like hoops, wind-mills, tunnels, fans to simulate powerful gusts of wind, and even swinging pendulums the fliers had to avoid or they'd get knocked to the ground.

The field was located on a plateau, situated on a lower level of Mt. Canterhorn's mountainside. Its space and location made it ideal for training privately from the Canterlot citizens.

The pegasus colt counted five fliers in the sky while nine others stood on the ground, watching, including Midnight, Soarin, the griffon prince Doran, while the rest Rumble didn't remember or recognize.

Noticing them, Midnight took a whistle and blew it, calling down the Silverbolts in the air, and he welcomed, "Thunder! And Rumble too, `bout time you guys got here."

"Hey there, Captain," Thunderlane responded with a smirk and then a shrug, "Sorry about that, hope we didn't keep you waiting long."

"Aw, don't sweat, Thunder," Soarin came over and pulled Thunderlane and Rumble in to a winghug with himself in the middle as he declared, "Now that A-Squad is all here, the rest of the Silverbolts can really get down to business!"

"Yes, back on track," Midnight cleared his throat and then raised his voice, making sure everyone was paying attention, "Alright, Silverbolts! We've had our debut, but this is gonna be where we make a real impression, not only to Equestria, but also to the Wonderbolts. They have history. They have generations of legacy and hard work and triumphs and failures, and so, we must do our very best to show them that while we may be a new team of aerial daredevils, we can be and we will be every bit as determined, as gritty, and as bold as they are.

"A-Squad, consisting of myself, Soarin, Doran, Hazel Blight, and Thunderlane, along with Steel Edge and Amethyst Tides, the leaders of B-Squad and C-Squad respectively, will spend today practicing to perfect our first-ever routine. A little something I like to call..." Midnight lit up his horn, and conjured a roll-away whiteboard, scribbled with illustrations and designs and even notes, along with a stick, which he pointed to the words spelled out over everything else on the board:

"The Storm Breaker. Named after the Thunder Belcher Himself."

Midnight stepped aside to give his team a closer look at the marker board so they could study it, so he explained, "The routine requires seven fliers, which as I've already explained, will be A-Squad along with the leaders of B- and C-Squad. Together, we will fly in formation and demonstrate our ability to fly in sync. We've all taken Silver Lining's training, so now it's time to put it to the test. B and C? I apologize for excluding you, but I promise, you'll all get your chance to show your stuff to the world in good time.

"So, we have all day and tomorrow morning to get this routine down.We'll run through standard training and exercises, and practice the Storm Breaker until we nail it. What're we waiting for?"

The Silverbolts began to study the routine on the marker board while Midnight explained it step-by-step, and Thunderlane took Rumble aside, "You can stay and watch from the sidelines or I can have someone take you to our hotel room and you can enjoy free room service."

"No way! I wanna watch you guys, big bro!" Rumble insisted, pumping his own little wings, looking excited.

Thunderlane smiled and said, "Alright, but no interrupting and if you're hungry or need a bathroom break, talk to the security guard we passed by. She'll help you out."

"I'll be good, promise!" Rumble assured his brother and went to sit on a nearby bench to watch. But quickly grew bored, since the Silverbolts were first studying the routine before they actually practiced it. Sighing, the colt figured, "May as well get a bite or something."

And he went to find the security guard.

Elsewhere in the city, six dark figures sat around a table within a basement when one of the stepped up and lowered a hood to reveal a pale blue mare with a midnight blue mane held back by a pair of flight goggles, golden with sharp frames and orange lenses. Her eyes were molten gold, narrowed sharp and a smug look on her face.

"Everyone is here, right? Good," the mare assumed, "Then listen carefully... tomorrow afternoon, these noob fliers, calling themselves the 'Silverbolts', are gonna perform their first aerial show. But they're not why we're here. No, it's their opponents we're interested, their competitors whom they're gonna race after their show. The Wonderbolts..."

The mare let the hate simmer within her followers, taking grim satisfaction in seeing some of them shake, hearing some of them growl, one even stomped the floor to let off a little steam. Once they simmered out, the mare went on.
"That's right, and their top three, including their captain, Spitfire, is gonna race three of the Silverbolts in a derby after their aerial show. Which is going to be the perfect opportunity... to take. Them. Out!"

The others all chuckled darkly and nodded in agreement as the mare said, "We have to do this carefully however. It wasn't that long ago the criminal underworld of Equestria took a major blow after Buck Cheap was taken down, giving those high n' mighty alicorns the dirt on all of Equestria's organized crime. We got lucky since our dealings with the Equestrian crime world was done with immaculate care and the utmost discretion. But we've tipped our hooves a little too much recently, so now those hooded spooks are on the lookout for us."

The others shared looks of disgruntled enmity as well as fear. They didn't know who these hooded ponies were, but they knew they had been a major player in taking down the Equestrian crime world.

One of them cleared his throat, and asked, "If I may speak, Captain...?"

"Wind Ryder, by all means," the mare welcomed him forward and she stepped aside, giving the disgraced ex-Wonderbolt veteran the floor.

"I devoted my life to the Wonderbolts," Wind Ryder said bitterly, "and I made my mark by my breaking the long-distance speed record in the Mustang Marathon. Then that technicolored tart, Rainbow Dash, threatened to take that record away, so I... tried to remove her from the equation by trying to get her kicked out of the reserves. If it weren't for that cosplaying harlot I'd have gotten away with it!

"Ur- Ahem, but that's besides the point," Wind Ryder recollected himself and then explained, "The particulars of the events that will take place have been confirmed; tomorrow afternoon, the Silverbolts will do their little 'routine', and then three of their best will race the Wonderbolts' three best. These being Captain Spitfire, her brother Rapidfire, and Fleetfoot. Thanks to a couple friends I still have in the Wonderbolts Administration, we've learned the race will start at the derby, but instead of taking place just there the race will extend all around Mount Canterhorn!"

The others in the meeting shared intrigued murmurs and Wind Ryder went on, "Now don't think this makes things easier. The race will be closely followed by a camera crew, filming live-feeds to television screens and a jumbo-tron. In order to achieve our goal, we need to knock out the live-feeds so the spectators and royals can't see what's going on."

The other ponies minus the mare Wind Ryder had addressed as 'captain', all nodded and murmured, and Wind Ryder went on, "So, before we can even attempt to take out Spitfire, we need to knock out those cameras. Fortunately, I know a... shopkeeper who deals in some questionable magical merchandise. You want it, he's got it, and what we want is something we can use to disrupt the television signals, something of which I am confident he can assist us with."

"Good, good, so then, Ryder has the cameras handled," the captain spoke up and took back the floor, disgruntling the older pegasus but he said nothing as he sat back with the others. "However, we have a short window of opportunity and this must be handled with the greatest care. So then, Shadowbolts, huddle up and listen carefully... here's what we're going to do."

They all leaned in closely as they noticed that golden gleam of malice in their captain's eyes they knew so well.

With a good meal snug in his tummy, Rumble returned to the training field and was amazed by the Silverbolts' practicing as he watched from the bench he'd been sitting on earlier. Sure, he'd seen his brother train before, as well as Rainbow Dash and even Soarin, and he'd been to a few Wonderbolts shows before and after Rainbow joined the reserves. But seeing a team of fliers practicing was something else. It was obvious, though the Silverbolts were each skilled and talented fliers individually, were not quite yet the well-oiled, coordinated team that the Wonderbolts are.

Well, duh, they're still new at being a team, Rumble thought as he watched the huge griffon, Doran, trying to keep in formation with Steel Edge and Hazel Blight without knocking them out of the air with his huge wings and bulk. Apparently, part of Doran's role in the routine was to catch some of his teammates mid-flight and give them a heave into another direction. He did his best to keep an even pace in his down-stroke so as to stay relatively in the same place while airborne while he braced himself to catch Hazel as the mare flew into Doran's careful embrace... and then swing her around, missing Steel as he zoomed at Doran, and the griffon did the same, albeit getting knocked out of place a little since Steel was larger and heavier than Hazel. But the griffon still succeeded in maneuvering the lunar pegasus exactly the way he needed to be.

Meanwhile, Midnight, Soarin, Amethyst Tides and Thunderlane were discussing something about a stormcloud that was apparently a crucial part to the routine... when Thunderlane, who wasn't very deep into the conversation, gazed over at his brother.

And he saw something in that colt's eyes as the younger pegasus seemed to be... drinking up everything before him, trying to watch and observe every little detail going on. Then he saw Rumble hop down from the bench, and then start flapping his wings to get aloft. It was right there... that Thunderlane noticed something was off about his little brother. Ordinarily, Rumble would be smiling and barely holding in his excitement watching something like this, his big brother training and practicing alongside his wingmates.

But he's not... Thunderlane thought as he looked at how Rumble gazed up at the Silverbolts all taking flight (except for Thunderlane) to practice the routine.

The colt's wings seemed to lose their fervor and Rumble slowly slumped back down to the ground, hanging his head as a haunted shadow befell his downward eyes.

"What's the matter, Rumble Bee?" Rumble gasped softly as he looked up to see his brother, giving him a warm smirk, and they shared a moment of reflection at the nickname Thunderlane had just called him.

Rumble Bee.

The colt had been young when the accident happened, the one that took their mom and dad from them and left them on their own. But still, Rumble could remember their mom, that nickname she'd given him, how silly it sounded yet it always made him feel safe to hear it. The last time he'd heard his mom call him 'Rumble Bee' was the morning of the day she and Dad never came home.

"Thunder, pl- Please... don't ever call me that again," the colt asked dismally, looking away from the older pegasus.

"Sorry, I... do you wanna talk?" asked Thunderlane, coming over to sit beside his kid brother and pulling him close with his wing.

"...I know why you brought me with you, Thunder," Rumble sighed woefully, "and... I appreciate it an' all, but-"

"Rumble... I know what happened, and what you did in the shared dream," Thunderlane spoke gently, "and, as much as I wish you and the rest of the Crusaders hadn't gone through all that... I gotta say, I'm proud of you, little brother."

The gray colt peered at his big brother from the corner of his eye as Thunderlane sat down next to him and the older pegasus said, "...I know it's not easy to talk about, Rumble, and it's so confusing, how real it felt when it was only a dream... but you really showed guts through all that, Rumble. I could tell you were afraid, and it would have been understandable to give up or... my point is, you carried on and even helped your friends keep going, even when it all seemed hopeless. You are absolutely the bravest colt I've ever seen, Rumble, and I'm not saying that because I'm your brother."

The gray colt gave his brother a careful look... and saw that Thunderlane meant every word.

Then Thunderlane stood up, spread his wings, and said, "So... whattya say to some training alongside the Silverbolts?" as the stallion held out his hoof to his little brother.

Rumble found himself hesitant, but the excitement of training alongside his brother with the Silverbolts, and the encouraging smile showing him how proud his brother was of him, he couldn't help but crack a smile of his own... and he stood back up, meeting Thunderlane's look with a smirk of reinvigorated determination.

Glad to see his kid brother had the will, Thunderlane whistled to the other Silverbolts, and when they all gave him their attention, he nodded in affirmation and they nodded back before Thunderlane said to the colt, "Then let's get started..."

And before Rumble knew it, Thunderlane had jumped over, grabbed the colt, and with a skyward throw, he yelled:

"HUP!"

Rumble found himself suddenly surrounded by the Silverbolts, all flapping in mid-air, as they gave him encouraging looks while Thunderlane flew up to join them and gestured Rumble to follow.

Oh the power to be strong, and the wisdom to be wise

All these things will come to you in time

The Silverbolts flew in a formation with Rumble bringing up the rear. The colt was flapping a little too hard to keep up that he began to falter... when he found himself rising up as the griffon Doran had risen up out of nowhere, giving Rumble a gentle boost with his head before Rumble caught his breath and took another leap to catch up with the formation.

On this journey that you're making, there'll be answers that you seek

But it's you who'll climb the mountain, it's you who'll reach the peak

The Silverbolts later engaged one another in some friendly aerial sparring, and though Soarin had gladly accepted Rumble's challenge the older pegasus didn't make it easy for the colt, but he never got rougher than he knew Rumble could handle. Thunderlane trusted his friend and fellow `bolt not to go too far with his brother though he still couldn't help worrying a little, that he got distracted and was suckerpunched by his sparring partner, Steel Edge.

Son of Storm, take to the sky

Lift your spirit, set it free

The Silverbolts then began flying through an obstacle course set up by their other two squads, and though they each did well none of them were as small as Rumble...

Someday, you'll soar high with pride

Son of Storm, a storm in time you'll be

...who showed himself to be surprisingly nimble as he wove through the obstacles almost effortlessly! Until he got distracted and was knocked off-course into a cloud-cushion.

Though when no one's there to guide you

No one to ease the pain

During a required session of archery practice, Rumble watched as all the Silverbolts practiced with the bow and arrow, some firing at stationary targets but the best shot at the moving ones, including some clay pigeons. Deciding to try his hoof, Rumble took an arrow, zipped into the air, and took aim...

Hold to trust and understanding

And you'll journey from colt to mane

...and nearly nailed Midnight in the wing when he'd aimed for a clay pigeon that had suddenly veered towards the archers, to Rumble's embarrassment. But both Midnight and Thunderlane showed him there was no hard feelings and gave him some extra pointers, such as aiming not directly at moving targets but to where they will be.

Son of Storm, take to the sky

Lift your spirit, set it free

The Silverbolts went on another flight, this time through simulated hard weather. During which, Thunderlane instructed Rumble on dos & don'ts when flying through hard weather, like heavy rain or harsh winds.

Someday, you'll soar high with pride

Son of Storm, a storm in time you'll be

Rumble used what his brother told him, and surprised everyone when he made use of a powerful gale to give him lift and then dive to get some velocity to pierce his way out of the simulated tempest, beating everyone else out!

In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn

You'll find your place besides the ones you love

During lunch, Rumble got hijacked into being his brother's sous-chef, which surprised the colt when Thunderlane revealed he really enjoyed cooking, bashfully admiting because Applejack taught him and showed him how fun and fulfilling it was. For that reason, whenever the Silverbolts got together for extended training Thunderlane would often volunteer to cook their meals.

Oh, and all the things you dreamed of

The visions that you saw

Resuming training, the Silverbolts ran down a path to take a running start before take-off, and Rumble followed... only to trip and stumble head over hooves.

Well, your moment's drawing near now

It's yours to claim it all

Rumble felt so embarrassed by his stumble, he almost began to cry... only to feel a gentle nudge helping him back up onto his hooves, and he smiled appreciatively to see it was his brother, as Thunderlane nodded for him to give it another go. The encouragement spurred Rumble to run again and take to the air.

Son of Storm, take to the sky

Lift your spirit, set it free

The Silverbolts had flown higher than the summit of Mt. Canterhorn herself before they all leapt from a cloud and sky-dived together, including Rumble, who was the last of them to open his wings and make use of the momentum he'd built up to fly `round the mountainside, showing guts, endurance and impeccable control for a pegasus his age, impressing the Silverbolts.

Someday, you'll soar high with pride

Son of Storm, a storm in time you'll be

The Silverbolts watched as Rumble pushed himself yet maintained a steady speed as he barrel-rolled, loop-de-looped, did a free-fall before making a perfectly timed pull-up, and they cheered him on as the colt kept going.

Ee-yay-oh

Rumble, after climbing up an impressive altitude suddenly dove, picking up breakneck speeds that Thunderlane almost panicked and was about to fly out to catch his little brother, only for Rumble to angle himself upwards and soar through the air with his wings folded...

Son of Storm

A Storm for all to see...!

...and the gray pegasus colt landed perfectly onto a stray cloud, and stood with determined triumph, looking towards the horizon, only his smirk betraying his acknowledgement of the Silverbolts cheering and applauding him, while Thunderlane thought to himself, That's my bro!

402. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 3

Celestia had set the sun for a while before Midnight called, "Alright, everyone, good work today! Join me on the ground and take a breather."

The Silverbolts all landed back on the training field, each of them tuckered and panting as they surrounded their captain, and Midnight said, "Okay, so we haven't quite nailed down the routine yet. But we still have time to get a good night's sleep and make use of the time we still have tomorrow. Don't get discouraged and don't fret about it. We all did some good training today and I can tell each and everyone of you has improved since the last time we were together. Take pride in that, and take heart that the Silverbolts are gonna show the Wonderbolts that they're not all that! Am I right?!"

"RIGHT!!" the Silverbolts all responded with a beat of their wings.

"That's what I wanna hear! It's past six now, so I want you all to have a filling dinner, head to your hotels, shower off and then get some sleep," instructed Midnight. "Then I want your butts back here tomorrow at 7 am sharp! Until then, Silverbolts! Dismissed."

The Silverbolts all nodded and began to disperse, B-Squad and C-Squad expressing good lucks and kudos to their squad leaders, Steel Edge and Amethyst Tides, while the rest of A-Squad converged on Midnight, with Doran asked, "Captain, I agree we've made good progress today. But are you certain we can master the routine in time for the aerial show tomorrow afternoon?"

"I am. While the Storm Breaker is flashy and certainly not for amateurs to attempt," Midnight assured, "it really isn't all that difficult. That's why I designed it so, for our first aerial show. I'm confident we can get it down to pat in time for the show tomorrow. But we must be fresh and ready."

"You still haven't told us who among us will race against Spitfire and the others tomorrow after the show," Hazel Blight brought up.

"As I said, the three Silverbolts will be chosen among us who perform in the show tomorrow," Midnight clarified, "but we will literally draw straws to determine which three will do so."

"Is that a good idea, Midnight?" Soarin debated. "All of us are great fliers an' everything, but Spitfire and her two wingponies are the very best the Wonderbolts have. Shouldn't it be you, me and maybe Hazel or Thunder? No offense, Doran, but you're the biggest and heaviest out of us all. You're fast but not the fastest flier here."

"None taken," Doran shrugged. "Speed isn't always the factor that decides who wins a race, after all."

"Doran's right," Thunderlane agreed. "It's also stamina, determination, thinking ahead, and outsmarting your competition."

"I hear you all, and you all make good points," Midnight raised his wings, beckoning their attention, "but the moment of truth, right before the race is to begin, that will be our advantage. The Wonderbolts won't know who among us they're racing until right before the race begins. Each of us is a skilled flier, more than a match for most of the Wonderbolts.

"But Spitfire, Rapidfire and Fleetfoot are their best. Do I think our team can win? I absolutely do, but I'm not discounting the real talent and skill the top three Wonderbolts have. Regardless, whoever is chosen tomorrow to race them, win or lose, I have no doubts they will do their best and make us all proud. So, if there's nothing else, I recommend we all get some dinner and get some rest. Good night, Silverbolts."

Midnight took flight, and so the remaining Silverbolts all nodded and agreed it was time to take the rest of the night off. Thunderlane went back to the bench, where Rumble was napping. After all the training and flying the colt had done today, he'd soon been out like a light, and Thunderlane smiled warmly at his kid brother. Rumble looked so like their dad, Thunderboom, with his gray coat, but he definitely had the eyes of their mom, Misty Light, whose silvery-blue mane Thunderlane had inherited, while he'd gotten the golden eyes of their dad (Thunderlane was just glad neither of them had inherited their dad's sensitive stomach).

How he missed them, how loving and strong and confident they were. He could still remember that day. How it began like any other morning. Their mom's waffles, their dad reading his morning paper, little Rumble eating his applesauce, and Thunderlane ready to race Rainbow Dash again at school. Mom had kissed him, Dad ruffled his mane, and they said what they'd always said right before he flew off to school.

See you when we get home.

Thunderboom and Misty Flight never came come.

An hour after getting home, Thunderlane got a visitor, one of his parents' coworkers at the weather factory, and he got the news that ended the world as he knew it forever. An accident at the factory had resulted in a lot of damage, and several workers losing their lives. Thunderboom and Misty Flight gave their lives to save some of their friends and coworkers from an out-of-control weather anomaly that had accidentally got loose. The funeral service was held, and Thunderboom and Misty Flight were posthumously given awards for their courage and sacrifice.

With no other living relatives besides each other, Thunderlane and Rumble were taken in by foal services and put into the foster care system. Thankfully, Rainbow's folks had petitioned to be his and Rumble's foster parents, which Thunderlane was grateful for, not only because he trusted Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles but also because they'd prevented foal services from separating Thunderlane from his little brother.

Thunderlane studied hard in school and did after school jobs to raise money. Eventually, he grew old enough to petition for legal guardianship of Rumble, and thanks to his good grades and his savings he'd passed the tests, proving he could be a responsible caregiver. He'd thanked Rainbow's parents for all their love and support before taking Rumble and moving them to Ponyville. He'd gotten a job there and managed to get sufficient housing for them both. The foal support he got was a life-saver, because at the time Thunderlane had been anxious and stretching himself thin working to pay his bills, keep his brother fed, sheltered and educated, and he'd been grateful to their neighbors Flitter and Cloudchaser becoming Rumble's go-to foalsitters whenever Thunderlane had had to work late or long hours.

Remembering his parents, remembering all the hard work he'd done to keep what remained of his family together, looking upon his little brother, and feeling so darn proud of how hard the colt worked today, Thunderlane smiled as a single tear was shed and he thought, You're gonna fly so high one day, everypony will be looking up to you, little brother.

Then, very gently so as not to wake him up, Thunderlane carefully picked up his little brother, and gently took flight, heading off to the hotel.

In the shadiest district of Canterlot, three cloaked pegasi entered ye old magick shoppe, a bell ringing when they opened the door and went in. Inside, they saw rows of shelves, displaying numerous antiques, odds and ends, baubles, old vintage stuff, dusty, grimy, in some cases filthy with rust. But they felt it. Though they weren't unicorns, all ponies had magic, and anypony would sense this place was rife with magical energies. There was a decrepit old birdcage, a silk top hat that sometimes shook a little as a pair of rabbit ears poked over the brim, apparently listening before disappearing back inside, there was a display case with various jewels, gemstones, crystals, a deck of bloodstained tarot cards, and one glass case contained an old-fashioned ragdoll that had a sign that blatantly read, 'NOT FOR SALE, DO NOT OPEN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.' There was a delicate skeleton of what was unmistakably a Breezy, a disembodied pony's hoof with a tag that read 'Hoof of Glory', and even the crystalline skull of a dragon dominating one corner of the shoppe!

"Eyugh, how is this guy even in business?" said one of the cloaked pegasi as she stared at what looked like a glass jar of marbles, only to freak out a bit when they turned, revealing they were eyeballs!
"I get the feeling some of this stuff is... frowned upon, legally speaking."

"Oh, some of my wares might not be within legal boundaries..." said a sleazy voice and they looked ahead towards the counter as a figure emerged from a dark doorway behind it. He was an earth pony with pale golden eyes, a stone gray coat, pale purple mane in a queue braid, he wore oriental clothing and pince-nez glasses on the bridge of his muzzle. He gave them a smirk as he finished his sentence, "...but you'll find I possess an extensive collection of magical merchandise you'll find a challenge to locate anywhere else in Canterlot."

"I'm surprised you're still in business after the failed Coup of Avarice," chuckled another one of the pegasi, a different mare with a more confident and stronger voice as she led the other two up to the counter.
"Didn't those hooded freaks crack down on the Equestrian crime world? As I understand it, a lot of organized crime was eradicated."

"Well, thanks to careful business with my clientele, along with a few special treasures, I've managed to avoid uncomfortable associations with the law," the shopkeeper shrugged with a light chuckle.
"But you're not here to hear me brag about my... talents for discretion."

"Heheh, certainly not," the mare replied before gesturing to one of her companions. "This guy tells me you could fix us up with, uh.... what was it, old mane?"

The pegasus the mare had referred to, he grumbled softly at being called old, before answering, "Something to disrupt camera feeds or electricity. Something to disable technology, magical or otherwise."

"Hmm... I might have just the thing, just a minute..." the shopkeeper considered before ducking down behind the counter, apparently looking for something... before he stood back up and placed a pouch of something onto the countertop.
"Perhaps these would suit your purposes."

The mare in charge stepped closer, took the pouch and looked at the contents... and saw they looked to be little marbles, colored electric blue, yellow and green, giving off an aura similar to static electricity.

"Stormy Eyes," the shopkeeper explained, "quite a fad when they were first created... until an unfortunate accident led to them being discontinued and their manufacturing made illicit."

"Pretty little baubles, but what makes them so dangerous?" the mare asked, genuinely curious as she picked up one of the Stormy Eyes and gazed into it, seeing split-second arcs of electricity dancing within it.

"Throw one hard enough, it breaks and unleashes a nasty discharge," the shopkeeper answered, "knocks out any electrical gimmicks within or even close to the area of effect... and can also inflict some awful electrical burns on anyone too close. Won't kill, but it will certainly hurt far worse than the sting of a static shock."

The mare smirked with sadistic relish as she gazed upon these hazardous little spheres before nodding, "We'll take all you got, and, if you know how to make them or who does, I'll pay you triple their worth."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up with money signs as he rang up the charge, and asked, "Would you like that gift-wrapped?"

Early the next morning, Thunderlane had woken up to the alarm clock he'd requested from the hotel, and roused Rumble up as well so they could have breakfast before Thunderlane had to get back to training.

They'd found a nice diner in Canterlot and ordered Prench toast, omelets, hay-bacon, and orange juice, as well as a pot of coffee for Thunderlane, while enjoying the morning air at their outside table. As they ate, Thunderlane quickly noticed how withdrawn his brother was, eating his food rather slowly.

"Rumble?" The colt looked up to see his big brother giving him a look.

It wasn't concerned. It wasn't authoritative. It was just calm and open, as Thunderlane invited, "Do you wanna talk?"

"About what?" Rumble responded, poking at his omelet with his fork.

"Whatever you want," Thunderlane shrugged. "About the Silverbolts, flight tips... Twinken?"

Rumble paused mid-poking, as he furrowed his brows, looking so confused and conflicted, almost afraid to close his eyes, before he shuddered and took a deep breath.

"I know that... what happened... Twinken didn't mean for that to happen," Rumble answered, sounding calm but a slight tremor in his voice and ruffle of his feathers betrayed the struggle he was making to keep his cool.
"As horrible and scary as all that was... Twinken is the one suffering the most. I'm angry at him, Thunder, and I feel bad for being angry at him. It's not fair to be angry at him, because he didn't mean for all that to happen. But it did. Because he couldn't control his powers, because something in his head made a mistake and turned a stupid test into- into...!"

"...a nightmare," Thunderlane finished for the colt, who nodded, looking guilty. Thunderlane moved his chair to be closer to his brother, and gently put a wing around the colt's withers.
"Rumble... I understand how you feel. It's not the same, but I've been in your horseshoes. I felt what you're feeling... the day we lost Mom and Dad."

Rumble gasped softly before looking up at his big brother, confused but curious to hear where the stallion was going with this.

"That day at the weather factory... the employee who was in charge at the time, High Bar, made a mistake," Thunderlane explained, his tone laced with a mild bitterness but there was a softness to it, as well as in his eyes.
"His mistake... cost our parents their lives, including others. When word got out, High Bar was subject to harassment, threats, and hatred from the loved ones who died because of his error in judgment. It got so bad for him that he moved away, leaving the home he'd loved and lived in all his life. I never did anything to him myself, but I hated him for a long time, Rumble. If he hadn't made that one mistake, our parents would still be here. Later they found out a mix-up in paperwork had sent some weather to the wrong department in the factory, and a foreign element was added to a storm cloud that was meant to be held in reserve.

"It was a mistaken, but it was an honest mistake... and it wasn't just High Bar's mistake."

"Why did you never tell me about any of this?" Rumble asked softly, confused about where his brother was going with this. "You just said it was an accident."

"Because I spent many years after the accident hating High Bar," Thunderlane said sadly, almost sounding ashamed. "It was an accident, Rumble, but High Bar didn't mean for anypony to get hurt and he wasn't solely to blame. I was just too young and angry and broken to care... until it almost cost me you, little brother."

Rumble was astonished to hear those words, see the shame on his brother's face, how he let his wings hang from his withers.

"I acted out, did something stupid. Back when Rainbow's folks were taking care of us," Thunderlane admitted, a tear running down his face, "and because of what I did, a social worker almost deemed them unfit foster parents and she would have had use taken away and we would have been separated.

"Somehow, I managed to convince the social worker it was my fault, begged her not to separate us. She read me the riot act and told me to get my crap together. That's when I took my schoolwork and part-time job seriously. I asked for counseling, and I told the therapist what I'm telling you about High Bar. He told me... to let go, to forgive, because the baggage I was carrying was weighing me down. and I realized, there was only one way I could do that."

"What did you do?" asked Rumble.

"...I managed to find where High Bar moved away to," explained Thunderlane, a slight shudder in his voice, "I went to his house, knocked on his door... and when he answered, I told him who I was, that our parents, Thunderboom and Misty Flight, died in the accident. Almost immediately, High Bar looked terrified, there was... pain in his eyes. Like an old wound that never really healed.

"I told High Bar, I had hated him, blamed him for a long time... but I couldn't live that way anymore. So then I said three little words that made a world of difference."

"What were they?" Rumble felt his feathers shiver in anticipation as Thunderlane looked him square in the eyes.

"I said, 'I forgive you'," Thunderlane answered, and the dour demeanor on the older pegasus' face suddenly became light. A subtle kind of light, as his frown became a small smile, especially when he saw his brother's face dawn wit ha bewilderment.
"Those three little words... did something to me, and to High Bar. That one act of forgiveness... gave the both of us a healing we sorely needed. High Bar had lived with such guilt, such pain, that to be forgiven by somepony who had every right to hate him and hold him in contempt... he broke down into tears, bawled like a baby. He was an emotional mess: relieved, still sorry, but also happy. So, I gave him a hug, and I cried with him."

"...What happened after that?" Rumble asked.

"We got a hold of ourselves, we talked for a while... and then we made each other a promise," Thunderlane reached over, holding his hoof to Rumble, and Rumble took Thunderlane's hoof into his own, before Thunderlane said, "Don't live your life hanging onto pain, because if you don't you'll never really heal."

The brothers were quiet for a long moment before Rumble said, "You want me to forgive Twinken. For what happened."

"Yes, Rumble," Thunderlane nodded. "You said it yourself - Twinken is suffering. Midnight talked to me about it. It's easy to blame and to be angry and to hate. But as hard as it can be, forgiveness and compassion are so much better. Twinken didn't mean for the nightmare to happen; he's still a colt, same as you. He hasn't gotten all the know-how or the experience he needs to be in full control of his powers. I know what happened still haunts you, but maybe... maybe it'll get easier if you and the rest of the Crusaders clear the air with Twinken.

"You're all still friends, aren't you?" Thunderlane gave Rumble a smile that was hopeful and encouraging, and was relieved to see Rumble nod. "Well, when you're ready, talk to him and assure him that he is still your friend, and be there for him. Can you do that, little brother?"

Rumble gazed up at Thunderlane, tears running down his face, before the colt scooted over and embraced his big brother, the stallion returning the hug with one warm, gentle and strong.

"Rumble... don't make my mistakes. I'm not saying you have to do it now, but I hope soon that you and your friends will talk with Twinken, and forgive him, and help him to forgive himself. Don't hold onto the bad feelings, like I did. Because when you forgive someone, you help them heal, as well as yourself."

Rumble looked up at Thunderlane, smiling and teary-eyed, the stallion wiping those tears away, and the colt said, "I love you, big brother."

"And I love you, little brother," Thunderlane replied warmly, when...

BONG! BONG!

Thunderlane and Rumble both startled and looked towards the BONG sound as it made its third, and Thunderlane gulped to see a nearby clock tower showing it was now 7am.

"Oh horseapples...!" Thunderlane raised a wing while calling into the diner, "Check, please!" and ignored the amused sniggers from his kid brother.

Shortly after, the two brothers took flight, unaware of a pegasus watching them from around the corner of the diner, shedding a tear of her own as she was painfully reminded of her own little brother.

Author's Note

“Holding on is believing that there's only a past; letting go is knowing that there's a future.” - Daphne Rose Kingma

403. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 4

The Silverbolts' practicing was looking sharp and awesome, as Rumble watched from the bleachers of the training field, marveling at the daredevil displays the Silvers were gonna show off for their first show later. They had already done the routine correctly, but were now doing it over and over again, making use of what time they had left before they had to get to the Wonderbolts derby for their show.

Everypony in Canterlot is gonna be blown away! Rumble thought to himself with an excited chuckle when he felt a GUST of wind from the Silverbolts' flying rush past him from his right, causing Rumble to shy back and lower his head towards his left to avoid the worst of it... when something caught his eye. Huh? Who is that...?

There was somepony hunkering down at the end of the bleachers, wearing a purple and black hoodie, looking rather shady. But the wind had blown off their hood to reveal...

"Lightning Dust?!" Rumble whispered in disbelief, and he saw how frantic the pony was as she hurriedly put her hood back up and scooted back behind the bleachers.

Immediately, Rumble got the feeling something was up, and he went over to one of the training assistants and said to him, "Uh, I need to go get something from the hotel, would you tell my brother, Thunderlane, I'll be back in time for the show?"

"Uh-huh, sure, kid," the trainer responded, paying more attention to the Silverbolts than the colt, as he went around the bleachers and saw the hooded Lightning Dust sneaking away before taking flight.

Rumble had an odd feeling and though he had misgivings something spurred him to follow.

And he did.

"Where is she going...?" Rumble whispered to himself as he carefully followed Lightning Dust.

The colt was young but he was still a pegasus, and pegasi had the sharpest eyes of the pony tribes. He'd recognized Lightning Dust the moment he saw her with her hood down, and he was curious, What's she doing here?

Rumble had heard from Scootaloo and Hotshot that Lightning Dust had participated in the Silverbolts try-outs, and was passed over. She was so angry and upset she'd flown off and no one, not even her family, had any idea as to where she'd gone and she was eventually reported missing.

Rumble kept to the rooftops of the neighborhood Lightning Dust was walking through, an older part of Canterlot given the out-of-date architecture of the buildings, some of which looked a bit shabby and weather-worn. Rumble had considered following Lightning Dust on the ground, but given how careful Lightning Dust was being and how frequently she peered or outright looked back to see if anyone was following her, he'd figured the safer bet was to follow her from above by sneaking over rooftops so Lightning Dust wouldn't see him.

He'd seen a few action movies at the Ponyville cinema that taught him, Nopony ever looks up.

That wasn't to say, Rumble was being cocky and that he was wrong. Once or twice, he almost got glimpsed by Lightning Dust from a casual look up and then when she'd noticed his shadow on the ground as he'd zoomed to the next rooftop. That second time, she'd flown up over the rooftops herself to look for any foolish snoops and Rumble had just barely been able to hide behind a nearby water tower.

After a few long moments, Lightning Dust had relaxed and landed back on the ground before continuing on her way. Rumble had waited just a few moments more before he continued to tail her, and afterwards he was much more cautious.

Finally, Lightning Dust came to an old manor standing right up against the mountainside, on the furthest reach of Canterlot's perilous perch upon Mt. Canterhorn. Rumble watched Lightning Dust enter the manor from the stone wall enclosing the front yard, overrun with grass and weeds long past due for a good mowing. The moment the door clicked shut, Rumble quickly but carefully zipped up to the front window, peering in just in time to see Lightning Dust trot down a hall as she shouted, "I'm back!"

"Who's she calling to?" Rumble whispered to himself, not noticing a shadow above him.

Entering the study, Lightning Dust was welcomed back by expectant glowers from her peers, all of them pegasi, each of them looking like a pony one wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. There were nine present, Lightning Dust included, and she saw Wind Ryder standing to the right of an old antique desk, at which sat their leader, a pegasus mare of pale blue, her mane and tail a grim shade of midnight blue, and her eyes a piercing golden yellow, narrowed predatorily as she lounged back in her chair and said, "Did you find out anything about those bolt wannabes?"

"Well... yes and no, Captain," Lightning Dust responded warily, barely managing to keep her cool as the leader, their Captain, and the rest of them furrowed their brows or sneered contemptuously, "Their captain, Prince Midnight, he said they're gonna draw straws to determine who among them will race the top three Wonderbolts after their little show. But they're not gonna draw straws until just before the race."

"Hmm..." the Captain considered this, rubbing her hoof to the underside of her chin, "I gotta admit, that's smart. They won't know who to expect to race them... but we won't know until the moment of truth either. It's a fine strategy, but it's still a gamble on their part."

"Is this a problem, Captain?" asked Wind Ryder.

"We can't be certain until the race and they choose which among them will race Spitfire and her two lackeys," the Captain thought it over before deciding, "From what we've gathered, the Silverbolts may be skilled fliers individually, but they're still not exactly experienced in flying together as a team, certainly not in combat situations... Only Midnight, Soarin and Thunderlane concern me, them being knights an' all, but the rest of them are still amateurs when it comes to actual fighting, except for perhaps the griffon."

"I feel I should point out that griffon is also a Sky Knight from Griffonstone and a prince since he is the son of the new Griffon King," brought up one of the pegasi present, and the Captain nodded in acknowledgement.

"The objective is too important," the Captain sighed as she leaned forward, her forelegs on the desktop, her hooves together and pressed against her muzzle. "Regardless of which of them will face Spitfire and the other two, we can't pass up this opportunity. Killing the Captain of the Wonderbolts will weaken them, create conflict, confusion, doubt... not to mention the opportunities the client has promised."

"If I may, Captain," Lightning Dust spoke up, "would it tip the odds further in our favor if we were to... use the Call?"

"I have considered it," the Captain responded, "but no. Using the Call would arouse too much suspicion. We cannot risk our enemies or anyone else discovering we have it, our greatest treasure... No. We will stick to the plan and use the Stormy Eyes to knock out the live feeds of the camera crew, allowing us to strike with impunity. Make no mistake, Shadowbolts!

"This op must succeed..." the Captain stood up, her hooves on the desk as she gave them a sweeping gaze that was piercing and unforgiving, so intense that her underlings all shifted their gazes downwards, like pack animals too submissive to look an alpha in the eye.

"It will be a turning point and the risk is exposure. The rumors regarding our existence have been circulating and spread from other nations where we've done our work. To tell you the truth, a part of me feels we should just quit and go home... but then I ask myself, 'How long can we really go like this?' We have operated under the radar for over a hundred years... we've only taken jobs outside of Equestria to fund our mission and our goals so as to avoid discovery by the Wonderbolts and the alicorns. Our founder finding the Call was the one and only achievement that this team has ever truly made!

"Sure, it gives us an edge no other pegasus has and has allowed us to stay hidden, but hiding, my friends..." The Captain rose up from behind the desk and alighted herself in front of it as she demanded, "is that all we'll ever amount to?!"

She took satisfaction in seeing her followers furrow their brows and shake their heads in discontent and ire, as she went on, "Each and every one of us! We showed our steel, our resolve, to fly higher, faster, better than anypony else! And how were we rewarded by the so-called best of the best fliers in all of Equestria? Rejection... Denied! Cast out and labeled undesirable or unworthy, robbing us of the honors and glories that should have been ours!"

"I trained for years to join them and they refused me!" "Those Wonderbastards stole my dreams!" "They knew I was good, they just didn't want me to knock any of `em off their pedestals..." "I gave them everything! They took it all away..."

"Yes, yes! My brothers and sisters..." the Captain nodded, seeming almost empathic, "Those frauds recognized the talent and greatness in each and every one of us... and they feared our potential so that they snubbed what we had to offer and spat it in our faces... Our founder, Dark Shade, my great-grandfather! He refused to be dismissed and forgotten. He refused to let weak-willed inferiors tell him his worth! He followed the teachings of Commander Hurricane and he was rewarded for it by his finding of our treasure...!

"It is because of my honored ancestor that each of us stands here in this room, the washed out, the rejected, the unrecognized greatness that they so feared would overshadow them that they turned us away! That is why we are who we are. That is why we... are the SHADOWBOLTS!!!"

"SHADOWBOLTS!!!" the rest of them, including Lightning Dust all screamed in response.

"Our time is fast approaching, perhaps sooner than we may think!" the Captain went on, "Our time to reveal ourselves and show not just the Wonderbolts, not just Equestria, but the world that we are here! That we are the greatest fliers ever to take to the skies! Because unlike those bleeding hearts who never shut up about 'morals' and 'ethics', we have the strength - The courage! - to do whatever it takes to come out on top, to come in first, to win...! Whether we are revealed today or tomorrow, soon all will know and respect the Sha-"

The Captain stopped mid-sentence as her ears perked to a creak coming from above and some bits of dust floating down onto her muzzle. She gazed up at the ceiling and saw a hole, through which she saw an alarmed eye, and she furrowed her brows.

"TRESPASSERS! In the attic!" She exclaimed, her followers getting riled as some of them quickly made for the door. "We're being spied on!"

"Oh mane, oh mane...!" Rumble hurried to the door and closed it before throwing anything he could to barricade it. Thankfully, the attic was full of old junk. He made it in time as the door opened just an inch but struck the bookcase Rumble had toppled in front of it, along with the rest of the stuff he'd used to barricade it.

*BAM BAM BAM*

"OPEN UP, YOU LITTLE SNEAK!" shouted a loud and angry voice, scaring Rumble. "We know you're hiding in there!"

He kept his mouth shut before he quickly whirled around and sprung for the window he'd jimmied open to get inside-

"ACK! Oh no...!" Rumble found himself suddenly tangled in what appeared to be an old net, which he'd unknowingly been standing in front of and had missed in his panicked spur to escape.

As he struggled desperately to free himself, a shadow fell over him and he looked up and felt his spirits go down to see two angry faces leering at him through the window.

Rumble winced as the ropes were tied tight and secure, holding him in a chair, set in the middle of the study, surrounded by these... Shadowbolts, as they all glared at him suspiciously. But it was the frigid piercing gaze of their Captain that had Rumble on the verge of wetting his hooves. The colt was terrified, not only because of what he'd gotten himself into, but the fact he'd learned these rogues were planning to attack Spitfire and whoever raced alongside her against the Silverbolts, who would be in equal danger.

Rumble peered slightly to his right, towards Lightning Dust, who was giving him a neutral look as opposed to the hostility he was receiving from everyone else.

The Captain noticed this, and suddenly understood the situation.

"My friends..." she spoke softly, yet her voice was of a grim undertone, "it appears our... guest is young Rumble! Little brother of Silverbolt and Knight of Harmony, Thunderlane, if I'm not mistaken..."

Rumble gulped fearfully, they knew who he was?! Unbeknownst to him, Lightning Dust's feathers ruffled as her eyes shifted downwards uncomfortably, while the Captain walked to stand behind Rumble and lower her mouth to his ear.

"You must be so proud of your big brother, Rumble..." Her voice oozed with malice, "and yet, I wonder just how cold it is, standing in his... shadow?"

She raised her head while chuckling softly at her little pun, and the others laughed as well, though their was mostly forced and rigid while a few genuinely found it funny and enjoyed the tense moment, as their Captain continued.

"Orphaned at such a young age, raised by foster parents and then just your brother," the Captain said with faux sympathy. "I know what it's like, Rumble, to feel alone, with hardly anyone in the world to be there for you.

"To seem insignificant next to someone else," the Captain went on as she moved to stand in front of Rumble again. "Though I am afraid I cannot extend my hospitality, for we find ourselves in... a conundrum."

Gulping, Rumble nervously raised his gaze to meet the Captain's, finding her calm expression confusingly unnerving, "C-conundrum?"

"It's not nice to eavesdrop on others' private affairs, young colt, and I have no doubts that you've heard enough that it makes you... a problem," the Captain elaborated as she leaned forward, her muzzle only inches away from Rumble's as she bore her metallic golden eyes into his soft purples. But then, to Rumble's bafflement, her eyes softened as she pulled back and stood to the full of her height before saying, "and yet I acknowledge that the problem isn't your fault..."

Without warning, the Captain whirled around and smashed her hoof into Lightning Dust's face, sending her for a loop while Rumble cried out in alarm, and the rest of the Shadowbolts backed away from their captain and comrade, the former standing over Lightning Dust. The young mare groaned in agony as she clutched her face, or rather her right eye, gingerly pulling her lowering her hooves to reveal the swollen shiner she'd been suddenly gifted with.

"You are to blame for this discomfort, Lightning Dust..." the Captain said, her voice soft yet edged with tempered ire, before she reached down, pulled Lightning Dust up, and began beating her.

THWACK! POW! BOOF!

Lightning Dust was helpless as the Captain slammed her hoof into the young mare's face over and over. Flecks of blood and spittle flew around them while cries and whimpers and groans of agony filled the room, including Rumble's. The colt heard every strike, every utterance of pain, and he whimpered, not only in terror but sympathy. He'd heard the unflattering stories about Lightning Dust, but there were also the stories of how she helped save Cloudsdale, was loved and missed by her little brother, Hotshot, and it hurt him as well, having to witness her torture.

"You had one simple job." BOOF "A task even a new recruit could have done without screwing it up." SOCK "And you allowed yourself to be followed..." THWOCK "...straight to our hideout by a CHILD?!?"

"STOP IT! Please, you're gonna kill her!" Rumble cried out, unable to take it anymore as he teared up. "She didn't know I followed her, please!!"

The Captain stopped mid-punch, and released Lightning Dust, who slumped back to the floor, her face bruised with ugly splotches of purples with smudges of blood, both her eyes swollen, her right eye completely shut but her left remained open enough for her to still see out of it though blood and tears smudged it up a little, there were a few cuts from the edge of the Captain's hoof, she had a fat lip, and she felt a tooth or two were loose.

She whimpered and wheezed and painfully hocked to spit out a bloody loogie.

The Captain turned to face Rumble, her own still a disturbingly calm mask that Rumble now realized concealed a truly wicked and cruel pony, especially in how there were some flecked drops of Lightning Dust's blood on her forehead, cheeks, and below her right eye. Another Shadowbolt stepped forward to offer the Captain a towel damp with warm water, and she used it to clean herself off before dismissively tossing it onto Lightning Dust's face.

"This is an embarrassment, Lightning Dust," the Captain said, continuing to sound eerily calm and yet Rumble had never been more scared of anypony in his life as he was of her, for she kept her gaze on the colt even as she spoke to Lightning Dust.
"This foal, brother to one of our enemies, is speaking on your behalf out of some childish sense of empathy. What shame you must feel..."

The other Shadowbolts all chuckled derisively as they gave both Lightning Dust and Rumble mocking looks, before the Captain raised her wing and it suddenly became silent.

"Time is not a luxury we can afford at the moment, Shadowbolts," the Captain reminded, a slight urgency in her voice, "We haven't the time to deal with this brat, so we shall attend to him once our mission is complete. Chain him in the basement, Lightning Dust, and Ryder, go with her to make sure she doesn't blunder anything else. Once the colt is secured, meet us at the rendezvous.

"Consider yourself lucky I need you able-bodied for this mission, Dust..." The Captain sneered as she walked past Rumble and all but two of the Shadowbolts followed her, leaving Rumble alone with the brutalized Lightning Dust and an older pegasus stallion Rumble vaguely recognized as Wind Ryder.

He gave Lightning Dust a look of cold contempt, devoid of any pity.

*CLICK*

Rumble whimpered at the rusty yet heavy chain securing him to the wall by the uncomfortable collar around his neck. He gazed up woefully at Wind Ryder and Lightning Dust, the former giving Rumble a cold look before saying, "Sit tight. We'll be back to put you out of our misery... Come on, Dust!"

Ryder exited the basement, Lightning Dust in awful agony as she slowly turned to leave as well-

"Don't go!" She paused and looked back at Rumble through her left eye, though swollen yet still allowed her to see after painfully wiping away the tears and blood. She saw Rumble, looking at her pleadingly, "Please, Lightning Dust! Don't go with them, they're bad ponies and they're going to do bad things. I know you've made mistakes before, but you don't belong with them!

"Hotshot and your folks miss you so much!"

Lightning Dust huffed, just glad her loosened teeth hadn't been knocked out (she was going to have to find a dentist soon) and responded, "Why couldn't you have jush minded your own damn bushinesh, Rumble...?!"

Rumble winced at how harsh one could sound even when they spoke softly and had trouble speaking clearly. He could tell it caused her pain to speak, and as awful as he felt for her, he knew he had to do whatever he could to prevent this.

"If you go through with this, then there really is no coming back!" Rumble pleaded, his chain clinking as he pulled at it, trying to get close to Lightning Dust. "You deserve better than what these- these... Shadwbolt jerks are, you're better than them in every way that matters!"

"I washn't good enough for the Shilverboltsh..." Lightning Dust turned to glare fully at Rumble, who grimaced at the sight of Lightning's pummeled face. "Washn't good enough foe the Wonderboltsh! But the Shadowboltsh... They came t' me when I felt sho alone and worthlessh, and showed me the true way to greatnessh is that everything and everyone ish a tool to get what you want!"

"You know that's not true," Rumble began to tear up, which Lightning Dust couldn't bear to look at.

Especially when they both heard "DUST! Get your ass up here, we are not gonna be late."

Lightning Dust peered over at Rumble, who expressed such pleading in his eyes that she honestly felt a twinge of shame, before stating, "Word of advishe, Rumble... the weak linksh are alwaysh the eashiesht t' break..." and she left, her hoofsteps pounding as she ascended the stairs.

After a long and quiet moment, Rumble knew he was alone. It was an awful feeling he was familiar with. He'd been very little when his parents died in the weather factory incident., but still, he could remember his Mom and Dad. How warm and comforting Mom's hugs were, how big and strong yet gentle Dad was, how they made him feel safe. Mom's songs and bedtime stories, Dad's big and soft belly his favorite place to fall asleep. He and Thunderlane had plenty of pictures of their folks, Rumble knew he'd inherited his dad's gray coat (I wonder if I'll ever get his beard...), while he'd gotten his purple eyes from Mom.

And ten of course there was the nickname Mom had for him, her little Rumble Bee...

That awful day when Thunderlane had told him their parents were never coming home, Rumble felt a pain inside unlike anything before. Or since. He eventually realized, he'd felt his heart break.

Break... Rumble thought, the word echoing in his head for some reason, Break...? Break!

He stood back up and remembered what Lightning Dust has said to him: The weak links are always the easiest to break. For some reason, Rumble couldn't help but feel suspicious as to why she'd told him that.

"Weak link? Link..." Rumble considered when his hoof bumped against the chain, and he realized, "A chain is a bunch of links...!"

He gave the chain another look. It was sturdy and heavy, but old and rusty. It gave him only four hooves of length between its base securing it to the wall and the collar around his neck. He'd only gotten a brief look at the collar before it was secured, but it was a ring of metal with a fastening latch. Touching it, he could barely feel a small keyhole, which he supposed was how the collar locked. No way he was going to break the collar off.

But what if... Rumble thought as he examined the chain more closely.

The decay of age and rust had done a number on this old chain. It must have been here in the manor when the Shadowbolts had settled in to use it for a hideout. Checking each link, Rumble was soon elated to see one of the links was brittle-looking and one side was thin compared to the rest.

"A weak link...!" Rumble realized and he looked around at the basement, and was glad to see the halved remain of an old brick was within reach. Grabbing it, Rumble positioned himself just so for the link to be on the floor. this wasn't going to be easy, but his brother, the Silverbolts and even the Wonderbolts needed him!

"I won't let you down!" he declared and brought the brick down for the first strike!

404. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 5

"Congrats, Silverbolts!" Midnight raised a can of soda for a toast, the rest of his team raising their own in response. "We've perfected the Storm Breaker, and in less than an hour we'll be performing it for the first time for all of Canterlot to see. We'll blow them away with our display, and then three among us will show the Wonderbolts what we're made of! If you are chosen in the drawing to fly in the race, just remember - Use your strengths, mind your limits, do your best, because that's all anyone can ask of you.

"So raise your drinks, Silverbolts! Today, all of Equestria will know our name, and the Wonderbolts will realize, the skies are now ours for the taking!"

"HEAR, HEAR!" the Silverbolts all responded before taking a hearty swig of their drinks... and they followed Midnight's example in letting out the loudest and most obnoxious BELCHES they could muster.

As they resumed eating their quick lunch, to put fuel in their bellies for the excitement to come, Thunderlane had already noticed his brother wasn't sitting at the bleachers at the edge of the training field. Noticing one of the training assistants nearby, he waved him over and asked him, "Say, uh, have you seen my brother, Rumble? The little gray pegasus colt who was sitting on the bleachers, watching us train."

"Oh yeah, earlier, he said he was going to the hotel for something, said to let you know if you asked, sir," the assistant answered before looking over at the bleachers. "Hmm, surprised he ain't back yet."

"...how long ago was that?" asked Thunderlane, concerned.

"Mmm, I'd say..." the assistant gave it a think before answering, "almost two hours after you all started training this morning."

Almost two hours?! Thunderlane was starting to worry. Granted, he knew Rumble was quite responsible for his age, and on their way to Canterlot, Thunderlane had spoken with Rumble at length of what to do if he wound up by himself or who to go to. He'd always made sure Rumble knew how to handle himself in situations like this. in this case, he'd told Rumble, if he got lost, to go to the derby and tell the guards there he was expected by the Royal Family to join them in their royal box because he was there to watch his big brother in the Silverbolts aerial show.

We don't have to be at the derby track until a little later... thought Thunderlane, I could take a quick flight to the hotel and check on Rumbl-

"Prince Midnight! Prince Midnight!" The riled voice snapped Thunderlane out of it, and he, along with everyone else present, noticed a pegasus mare, wearing a clearance tag, meaning she was another of the training assistants, flew over to their captain, and she exclaimed, "The Wonderbolts Administration! They've got the derby track all prepared and they want the Silverbolts there early to get ready for your show!"

"Of course..." Thunderlane muttered to himself.

"Alright, Silverbolts! They're playing our song!" Midnight stood up and spread his wings. "Stuff whatever you can into your traps and let's get flapping, we've got a show to do!"

As some of the Silverbolts quickly ate a little more of their meals before following Midnight, Thunderlane sighed and followed, thinking, Rumble you'd better be sitting with Princess Celestia at the royal box.

"...urrrRAUGH!!" Rumble shouted as he brought down the brick and smiled to feel the link finally snap and give way, and the chain securing him to the basement wall slackened, to his immense relief.
"Phew! Finally, I'm free. Still got this dumb thing attached to me, but I'll have to deal with that later. I gotta warn Thunder and the others!"

Rumble started for the basement stairs, when a distinctive creak in the floorboards above alarmed him and he froze. He held still and waited, hearing hoofsteps, meaning he wasn't alone after all.

They must have left somepony to keep an eye on me! Rumble realized, and, knowing now to be careful, he slowly made his way up the stairs until he was standing before the basement door. Pressing his ear against it, he listened for a few long moments, until finally he was certain there was nopony on the other side of the door. All the same, he ever so carefully twisted the door handle and slowly crept it open, flinching when the door hinges whined a bit, but soon it widened enough for him to take a peek and he was glad to see the room outside the basement door was empty.

Rumble carefully made his way out, wincing when the chain still attached to him rattled a little, so he held it with his wing to keep it quiet. Listening, Rumble heard some distant conversation down a nearby hallway. He carefully crept down it and saw an open doorway as he heard the conversation get a little louder.

"...believe we're stuck babysitting! Dust is the once who screwed up, not us!"
"Relax, at least we got the easy job. The little brat's not going anywhere, and once the Captain and the rest come back, we'll get rid of him."
"Is that a good idea though? Getting rid of the little brother of one of the freakin' Knights of Harmony? If they screw this up, all of Equestria will find out about us before day's end!"
"We will follow Captain's orders, whatever they are, Grimstone... she says 'fly', we ask 'how high'. She says get rid of a runt too nosy for his own good..."

Rumble gulped as he carefully looked and saw two of the Shadowbolts, both of them, garbed in flight suits, similar to the ones worn by the Wonderbolts and Silverbolts. Only theirs were purple and black with golden yellow lightning-shaped linings, and they wore flight goggles with sharp lenses colored orange. They were sitting on an old sofa while watching TV, and Rumble saw the channel was showing SHM News as the reporter was on the scene.

"...right, folks! In just a couple short minutes, the Silverbolts will be making their debut with their first-ever aerial show! Practically all of Canterlot and lots of ponies from out of town have arrived for this momentous occasion that the entire derby stadium seats are full to the brim.

"As you can see, Captain Spitfire and the Wonderbolts are in attendance as well, for after the show she, Fleetfoot, and Rapidfire will race three of the Silverbolts in a race all around Mt. Canterhorn, finishing right back here at the derby where they're starting from."

Only two minutes before the show?! I gotta get to the stadium and warn them! Rumble thought in alarm.

He waited until Grimstone and the other Shadowbolt were too engrossed in the news coverage before carefully slipping by the doorway and he smiled to see the front door just a couple pony-lengths away-

*Clink*

"What was that?!"

Rumble flinched and realized, in his anxious rush, his wing had loosened its hold on the chain, and it had hit the floor. Hearing them getting up, rumble wasted no time and rushed for the door, throwing it open and taking flight!

"FROST, HE'S ESCAPING!!!"

Rumble pumped his wings like he'd never pumped them before, but the blasted chain hanging from the collar on his neck weighed him down. He was on the far side of the city, and he knew the derby stadium was quite a distance away.

Gotta go fast, gotta go fast...! Rumble urged his wings, his keen ears hearing the Shadowbolts were in pursuit before long.

Unfortunately, the area was an older part of Canterlot that not many citizens lived in or frequented all that much anymore. Rumble knew he had to escape, but there was no way he'd lose them in open air, where they'd easily catch up to him. He had no choice... he descended, flying between old houses and buildings, using his smaller size to his advantage o make sharp turns and zoom through narrower openings.

It helped, but Rumble didn't know the neighborhood.

"Get back here, you runt!" shouted Grimstone as he and Frost pursued the colt.
"Surrender and we'll only hurt ya a little..." warned Frost with a seething undertone.

Oh yeah, like that's gonna convince me, you jerks! Rumble thought as he kept flapping, dodging a clothesline with laundry hanging out to dry, and he took a smirking satisfaction when he heard one of the Shadowbolts get entangled but the other was still on him.

Urgh, I gotta get to Thunder and the others! Rumble urged himself, spurring his wings to fly faster, I gotta warn them!

"I'm sorry, sir," responded the royal guard standing at the entrance to the derby royal box seats, "but your brother hasn't shown up to sit with the royal family. He is on the list, however."

Now Thunderlane was worried, feeling it weigh down in the put of his stomach. The Silverbolts were about to perform their first show, and as far as he knew no one, even himself, knew where Rumble was.

"Thunderlane." Thunder turned to see Midnight, in his hooded cloak to avoid unwanted attention before the performance, "It's almost time! We got to get with the others and get in position."

"Midnight, Rumble's missing," Thunderlane said with a worried urgency, Midnight instantly paying attention, "I-I don't know where he is! He was at practice today, but th- the assistants said he left to get something from our hotel! He never came back. He was supposed to go straight here to the royal box seats, but the guard said he never showed up here either!"

"It's alright, Thunder, we'll inform the guards and send all they can spare to look for him," Midnight assured, "they're good at their job, they'll find him. But the show is about to start, we have to go get ready."

"...what if he's in trouble, Midnight?" Thunderlane hesitated. "If anything happens to him-"

"I can task some Hoods to assist in the search," Midnight added, "With them on the job, they'll find him for certain. They've never let me down, Thunderlane."

Thunderlane sighed before looking out over the derby track, towards the city beyond it. When he felt a wing on his withers and looked to see Midnight giving him an encouraging look.

"You're the Element of Trust, Thunderlane, "Midnight reminded his friend. "True trust goes both both ways. Trust me, trust our subordinates... and trust your brother! You've raised and taught him well, and he's a smart and responsible colt. Now c'mon, the team needs us."

Midnight started making for the locker room of the stadium, with Thunderlane in reluctant tow before he thought, Little brother... wherever you are, I trust that you're okay.

Panting, sweating, feeling his heart pounding in his chest, Rumble was between a rock and a hard place, as he'd made a wrong turn and now found himself cornered in an alleyway, the two Shadowbolts blocking the way out. The buildings they stood between were so high that Rumble knew if he tried to fly up and out, they'd catch him for certain.

He was trapped, and he knew it.

"You should have just been a good foal and stayed in timeout, you little pissant..." snarled the Shadowbolt called Grimstone.
"So, before we drag you back, we're gonna have to punish you," leered the other, Frost.

"Wh... why? Why do you care whether I tell the Silverbolts anything?" panted Rumble, hoping if he got them talking he might figure a way out of this mess.

"Ha! Our Captain is gonna strike such a blow to the Wonderbolts they'll be demoralized and disorganized for months!" Frost responded with an arrogant chuckle.
"And if some of those Silverbolt posers have to die as well, big whoop," added Grimstone with a malicious sneer. "The Wonderbolts have owned the skies long enough! It's time for the Shadowbolts to have their time in the sun and show the world that we're the best fliers around, not those bleeding hearts or even those second-rate wannabes! After all, Silver is the color for second place..."

"It doesn't have to be that way," Rumble exclaimed, the two Shadowbolts giving him a derisive look, but he kept talking, "I heard what your captain said, you all had dreams of flying with the Wonderbolts, right? But they didn't work out."

"'Didn't work out'... we were told we weren't good enough!" Grimstone snapped. "That we weren't the kind of ponies they wanted flying in their colors..."
"Each of us trained and practiced until it felt like our wings would fall off, and even then we pushed ourselves!" Frost added bitterly, "Only for it all to be for nothing when they rejected us. Our Captain found us, lifted us, raised us higher than the Wonderbolts ever bothered!"
"And we realized, our destiny was not to fly as Wonderbolts. They're self-righteous weaklings who fear being overshadowed by their betters," Grimstone affirmed. "That's why we are who we are, and we are..."
"The Shadowbolts!" Grim and Frost declared as they boldly posed together.

"Everypony has the right to be recognized for their skills and their abilities," Rumble responded, sounding sympathetic, "but not at the expense of others! Harming the Wonderbolts and anyone else isn't going to make things better for yourselves. The higher you fly, the more others will look up to you!"

Grimstone and Frost gave Rumble a blank look before the latter replied, "Uh... yeah? That's kinda obvious."
"But if you fly too high they won't see you at all," brought up Grimstone in a rather dumb manner.

"No, it means that when we rise above ourselves, then we become better than what we are," Rumble clarified, "and others will recognize that and admire you for it."

"SHUT UP!!" Grimstone suddenly lashed out, knocking Rumble down, the colt crying out in pain from his throbbing cheek as he laid upon the dirty alleyway ground. "I've had just about enough of your bleeding hearted sap! So you just lay there... and we'll finish punishing you for being such an annoying pain in our asses."

His cheek throbbed and ached, and Rumble was afraid a tooth was loose, and he couldn't help but let out a scared whimper, causing the two Shadowbolts to laugh mockingly. But in spite of the fear and pain he felt in that moment, something surged within the pegasus colt. It was subtle at first, but it quickly coursed through him, almost like an electric current.

These are your first steps, Rumble... Rise and take them...

Dad...?! Rumble thought, for the voice he'd heard in his mind had sounded so familiar, reminding him of the strong and safe presence his father once had in his life.

But that was impossible. Rumble knew his father was gone, and though it had sounded like him, it wasn't his exact voice. And yet, Rumble could not help but feel that surging energy circulating within him, dulling the pain, quashing the fear, reinvigorating every fiber of his being.

He still heard them, laughing like jerk-holes, and this feeling, this energy that had come from Faust knows where, it spurred him as he decided then and there he wasn't going to lay there and take it. Ignoring what pain he still felt, Rumble then slowly stood back up as he glared defiantly at the two Shadowbolts before him who'd dared to hold him against his will, talk down to him - Hit him! - and when they noticed his bold gaze, they stopped laughing and furrowed their brows.

"If you know what's good for ya, kid, come quietly..." Frost warned.
"...or that first attempt to knock some sense into you will feel like a gentle caress of the cheek compared to what we'll do to you next!" threatened Grimstone as he punched his hooves together and raised his wings in a display of intimidation.

"Shut up..." Frost and Grimstone both flinched at the harshness of the tone despite the softness of the words.

"What did you just say to us, you-"

"I SAID 'SHUT UP'!!" Rumble shouted, his voice like the crack of thunder, and a feeling spread throughout the alleyway, the jarring sense of static electricity making itself known as sharp yet subtle cracks of energy from any friction, and even more disarming was the glow of electric blue coming from Rumble's purple eyes, brightening as the colt's emotions intensified.

"You worked hard, only to be turned away, I get it..." Rumble spoke, his tone even and firm, "but that doesn't give you the right to hurt others! You can beat me down all you like, but I'm not gonna back down while you egotistical jerks plan to hurt others just to make yourselves feel better!"

"Rrrgh!! You should have just listened and come quietly, kid!" Frost seethed as she glared at the colt while Grimstone seemed to be hesitant while his partner began to advance. "Now we're going to show you just how hard real life really is!"

As Frost raised her hoof to strike Rumble, Grimstone felt a prickly chill in his feathers and peered back just in time to see a lightning bolt descend towards them! He screamed and ducked as the bolt flew over him, past Frost... and struck Rumble right in the heart!

Kra-BOOM!!

Wha... where am I? Rumble found himself floating, surrounded by dark clouds, faint crackles of lightning flashing between every cloud rubbing against each other, a swirling abyss of tempestuous power!

He felt frightened at first, but it gave way to a strange sense of exhilaration! Here, in this place, he felt the freedom of the sky. Smelled the fresh and pure air. Heard the music of rainfall punctuated with booms of thunder. Tasted the enriching moisture of a morning after a rainy night. And he saw... a shape obscured by the clouds before him. Flashes of lightning revealed the silhouette of a mighty castle, and Rumble wondered, What is this place?

To answer that question, you must have the will to find it on your own, my son.

Wha- Who said that?! Who's there? Rumble looked around, but saw no one... when the clouds began to move, piling together while rotating, looking similar to cotton candy as it was made, before the cloudstuff took shape.

Rumble marveled at the sight of a vast and powerful alicorn made entirely of stormclouds! His wings beat with the sound of thunder, His beard full and handsome, His horn like a lightning bolt caught in a photograph... and then He lifted His tail and farted a sonic boom, causing the air to smell like ozone to Rumble, leaving the colt flummoxed. But then he relaxed at the sound of the alicorn's fatherly chuckle, for that had been His intention. The colt was a little too tense, and needed something to set him at ease. As the great alicorn gazed upon the little pegasus, His eyes surged with electric blue energy.

You have proven yourself worth of your heritage, Rumble, Son of Thunderboom. Thus, I grant you your birthright as a Son of the Storm!

Streaks of electrical energy zoomed out and surrounded Rumble, as he felt the power enter him, flow through his veins, and awoke a legacy that had long lain dormant in Rumble's blood, and he gasped...!

Rumble woke up, his heart racing, as he looked around and saw he was still in the alleyway... only he found it was now scorched and singed, as though a blast of power had struck, and he saw the two Shadowbolts, Frost and Grimstone, laying unconscious nearby. Faint smoke trailed off their prone bodies, while Grimstone's hoof fidgeted at the same time a faint crackle of electrical energy surged over him.

Remembering the breathing technique, he'd learned from Midnight during their Midnight Hour sessions, Rumble calmed himself down, and realized, Something's different...

Before he could contemplate however, Rumble heard the flaps of wings and approaching hoofsteps, and was relieved to see three guardsponies, along with two Hoods, arrive at the scene. The guard in charge, a pegasus, approached, saying, "Rumble! Thank Faust you're alright. Your brother is worried about you, young mane, and..."

The guard noticed the two Shadowbolts and asked, "Wha- Who are these guys?"

"Sir! They're part of a group of bad ponies!" Rumble quickly reported, "They call themselves the Shadowbolts, and they're here to attack Captain Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts during their race with the Silverbolts!"

"Shadowbolts? I... I'd heard rumors, but- Wait! They're planning an attack on the Wonderbolts?!" the guard was stunned.

"There's no time to waste, sir!" Rumble urged, "We have to warn the Wonderbolts and the Silverbolts before the race begins!"

The guard nodded and looked to the other two guards, as well as the Hoods, "Take these two into custody. I'll escort Rumble to the derby arena."

"Let's go!" Rumble exclaimed before taking flight, and zooming off faster than a colt his age should have been capable of flying.

"HEY! Wait for me!" the guard yelled as he followed, the other guards and the Hoods taking out hoofcuffs and wingclamps for the two Shadowbolts still out cold.

The straws were drawn and the competitors determined. Thunderlane stood alongside Doran and Amethyst Tides, facing Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Rapidfire after Midnight had confirmed to the officials that his teammates would be representing the Silverbolts in the race. The show had gone well and the Storm Breaker had left their audience in awe before screaming for more. But now, it was time to move onto the race.

Thunderlane knew the Wonderbolts had the advantage here. He could keep up with Rainbow Dash to a point in terms of speed, but his real strength lied in his stamina, which allowed him to outlast most other pegasi. Doran was a strong flier, but he was also the heaviest among the Silverbolts, meaning he wasn't quite as fast as the others. Amethyst Tides was among their speediest fliers, but training had proven her endurance still needed work.

Spitfire, Fleetfoot, and Rapidfire were seasoned, fully trained, kept their skills sharp and had learned to overcome their personal weaknesses, turning them into strengths. The skies were in their favor.

But that doesn't mean we're not gonna give them a flight for their bits... Thunderlane thought with furrowed brows. His thoughts were derailed however when he saw Spitfire raise a wing and waved the announcer over.

She said something to him, and he nodded before taking off his headset microphone and lending it to her. As Spitfire put it on, her face appeared on the jumbo-tron as she took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, for generations the Wonderbolts have served you, the people of Equestria, as protectors, as entertainers, and as inspiration. Every generation of the Wonderbolts has striven to be the best of the best, to fly higher, faster, better than the generations before them, and to own the skies! But now... now, we find ourselves faced with something we've never truly had: A rival!"

Spitfire gave the three Silverbolts that would race against her and her two wing-ponies, stating, "Rivalries can push us to improve and do better, but there are times we can allow rivalries to bring out the worst in ourselves. I shared a long conversation with Prince Midnight before he even formed this new team, and while I won't deny I had my problems, I understood and even accepted that the Silverbolts are not here to replace us. They are here to help us in all the ways that matter.

"They will be the direct rivals we Wonderbolts have long lacked meant to spur us to train and improve and compete against in the spirit of good sportsmanship and friendship, while we will serve as the bar they must reach and perhaps one day surpass, a goal which we will make as challenging for them to accomplish as possible.

"So... Thunderlane, Doran, and Amethyst Tides," Spitfire acknowledged them directly before giving them a competitive yet friendly smirk, "I hope you're hungry, because you're all gonna be eating our powder!"

Amethyst shook her mane and gave a brazen smile. Doran rolled his shoulders and let out a fierce yet bold eagle-like scream. Thunderlane gave Spitfire a tilted look before smirking with subdued eagerness as he responded, "Bring it on!"

405. Cross the Sky in Silver - Part 6

The derby stadium was thundering with activity even as Rumble and the guard arrived outside the entrance. Rumble was so anxious he didn't notice his escort panting and out of breath, as the colt sighed, "Oh good, the race hasn't started yet. There's still time to warn them!"

"We need to... inform the alicorn royals," the guard panted as he wondered, How is this colt not out of breath like me?! He didn't even pause once on our way here!

"I'll find the Silverbolts and-" Rumble started when a loud voice over the PA system interupted him.

"AND THEY'RE OFF!!!"

The two of them looked and were dismayed to see the racers take flight and zoom off, Rumble crying, "We're too late! We gotta warn everyone!"

"The Silverbolts will be watching the race in a private row that way," the guard pointed to a doorway inside the stadium. They hurried over, the security guards standing vigil, and the guard said, "Official business! This is Rumble, brother to Silverbolt Thunderlane, he must speak with Prince Midnight regarding a threat to the Wonderbolts."

The security guards nodded and opened the door for Rumble, who looked up at the guard, "I'll tell Midnight, you should warn the Royal Sisters and Prince Sombra, tell them everything I told you!"

"You got it!" the guard wing-saluted before hurrying off and Rumble ran through the doorway.

Meanwhile, watching from a ledge higher up the mountain, the Shadowbolts glared down at the racers as they took flight from the derby stadium and then dove downwards as the race extended around the base of Mt. Canterhorn, then up to the summit, and then finally finished right back where it started from. The camera ponies weren't far behind, filming the race and sending the live feed to the jumbo-tron screen back at the stadium.

The Captain stepped forward, her wings ready, and then she peered over her shoulder, speaking with a sinister undertone, "Follow me..."

She dove, free-falling to pick up speed, before spread to catch the air, her squad following her example, each of them garbed in their purple and black flight suits, the sun catching the orange lenses of their flight goggles, as they began their pursuit, descending like vultures upon a meal...

"What?! Rumble are you serious?!" Midnight couldn't believe what he'd just heard, surprised at how Rumble had shown up in the private box he, the Silverbolts, and the Wonderbolts were sharing together, as they'd been watching the race. Nor could the rest of his team and their new friendly rivals, as all their eyes and ears were focused on the little gray pegasus.

"It's true, everyone!" insisted Rumble with worry, "A scary group of pegasi calling themselves the Shadowbolts are gonna attack the racers! They have some kind of grudge against the Wonderbolts, and saw this as their chance to take out Captain Spitfire!"

"Midnight, we've got to do something!" Soarin asserted, "I may not be a Wonderbolt anymore, but I still care about my old wingmates."

"But what can these Shadowbolt guys do out in the open?" brought up Lightning Streak. "If they attack, everyone will know!"

As if to answer that very question, the jumbo-tron suddenly went out, the feed being replaced with static, much to the audience's disappointed annoyance.

"Er- Our deepest apologies, folks," said the race commentator over the PA system. "We seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties. Please be patient as we try to resolve the situation, thank you."

"Oh no!" Rumble cried out in alarm, "The attack has begun! The Shadowbolt captain said they were gonna mess with the camera crew so nopony would be able to see what's going on! They're gonna attack Spitfire and others, including my brother!"

"Don't worry, Rumble, we'll save them," Midngiht assured before addressing the Silverbolts and the Wonderbolts. "Listen up everyone! Our wingmates are in trouble, and there's no time to lose! Silverbolts! Wonderbolts! Take to the air!"

Without hesitation, both flight teams leapt from the stands and followed the direction the racers had gone.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, it... seems that the rest of the Wonderbolts and Silverbolts are joining in the race!" the commentator pointed out, "I have no idea what they're- Hold on... Wha- Are you serious!? Fillies and gentlecolts, I've just been informed, the racers are in danger and their teams are flying to the rescue!"

Rumble was about to follow as well, only for Midnight to bar his way.
"No, Rumble! It's too dangerous. I want for you to go to the royal box seats and stay with Princess Celestia. The guards will let you through."

"But my brother!" protested Rumble, Midnight placing a gentle hoof on the colt in assurance.

"Rumble, I promise," Midnight swore, "I m not gonna let these scumbags hurt your brother and the rest of our friends. Do as I tell you, and stay safe!"

Without waiting for a response, Midnight took flight and zoomed to catch up with the Silverbolts and Wonderbolts, Rumble watching anxiously... before spreading his wings.

Moments earlier...

The race was on! Thunderlane was doing well, maintaining a good speed without overexerting himself. He was in third behind Fleetfoot and Spitfire, while Rapidfire on his tail. Unfortunately, Amethyst Tides and Doran were both in last and starting to fall behind. Doran was a strong flier, but his mass was slowing him down. Amethyst had made the mistake of going too fast too quickly, and now she was paying for it with her expended stamina.

We're not gonna win this, Thunderlane understood as they arrived at the halfway point. Specifically, near the lower side of Mt. Canterhorn opposite to side where Canterlot was positioned.
But Faust willing, I won't allow it to be a total victory for the Wonderbolts!

Thunderlane began to speed up, but steadily. He knew his strengths and weaknesses well, and his strength was his stamina. If he could maintain it well enough, perhaps he could gain an advantage and outpace Fleetfoot and Spitfire when they began to get tired. He might make second place if his strategy worked, though he was more likely to come in third. Thunderlane knew Spitfire and Fleetfoot were far more experienced than him in flying and all its details. They'd mind their stamina as well, and adjust accordingly as the race unfolded.

From the corner of his eye, Thunderlane noticed the pegasi following them, carrying cameras to cover the race and show everypony what was going on. There were six of them each assigned to focus on one of the racers-

*SHZAM SHZAK SHZAP SHZATZ SHZZOK SHZITZ*

Out of nowhere, electrical pulses of energy shocked the camera ponies, and they strained out cries of alarm and pain from the eldritch electrocution, causing them to drop their cameras... and then themselves as they were all stunned unconscious. Thunderlane gasped in disbelieving horror as the camera ponies began to drop!

"THE CAMERA CREW!! THEY'RE FALLING!!" Thunderlane shouted to the other racers, and immediately they all followed Thunderlane as he dove to catch the nearest camera pony.

He reached the pony, and watched as the others zoomed to catch the rest. Rapidfire caught one. Then Fleetfoot. Then Doran, Then Amethyst. Spitfire pumped her wings to catch the last one, a mare, and just as she was about to touch her-

"AUGH!!" Spitfire cried out in alarm and pain as something small but sharp struck her in the back, near the base of her wings. She felt it cut her, but then it was gone, so it didn't pierce her. However, the distraction waylaid her and...

*Kathump*

The Wonderbolt Captain gasped and looked down... and felt her heart ache to see the camera pony lay lifeless on a ridge far below, blood already pooling around her and dripping down the cliff side.

"No...!" Spitfire whispered as remorse squeezed her heart.

"So close..." Spitfire looked up and was shocked to see an entire flock of pegasi, no less than thirty, garbed in flight suits of black and purple, outlined electric yellow, their flight goggles a menacing orange, all glaring at her, as the mare in front, their leader apparently, held feather-shaped throwing blades as she mocked, "...and yet so far."

"Who are you?!" Thunderlane demanded, having already given the camera pony he'd saved over to Doran, the griffon and the others taking the camera ponies to a nearby outcropping to set them down.

"We are the Shadowbolts!" the mare answered, her brows furrowed as she bore Spitfire with a glare of unwavering hate, "Each and every one of us, we were rejected, forgotten, and wronged by you self-righteous Wonderbolts and your pitiful egos so afraid of our talents that you denied us rather than be overshadowed by our greatness."

Spitfire noticed familiar faces among these so-called Shadowbolts. Some of them had been students at the Wonderbolts Academy, students who couldn't make the cut and were thus failed out of the program. Including one in particular, flying next to a disgrace.

"I see you found a different flock to fly with, Lightning Dust and Wind Ryder!" Spitfire glared at them reproachfully. "As if your misconducts were bad enough, you choose to fly with these lowlifes?"

"I did what I had to in order to protect my legacy and you dishonored me for it!" Wind Ryder retorted bitterly before patting a hoof onto Lightning Dust's withers. "As for my student here, at least she has the spine to allow nothing and no one to hold her back!"

"How much spine does it take to join scum like you?" Thunderlane interjected. "Or how little...?"

"You want to see spine?" the Shadowbolt Captain raised her hoof. "I'll be glad to show you yours, Thunderlane. After I've snapped it in half and torn it out of your back... NO MERCY!!! Kill them all!!"

The Captain pointed her hoof and the Shadowbolts all let out roars and cries of battle as they zoomed out in both directions and began to fly literal circles around the six racers.

"Form up!" Spitfire commanded, and Fleetfoot and Rapidfire were immediately at her sides.

Doran and Amethyst looked to Thunderlane, who nodded, and they flew up to position themselves behind the Wonderbolts, as the six of them faced their enemies.

"Spitfire, you're the commanding officer here. You lead!" Thunderlane called to the Wonderbolt captain.

She nodded, and said, "They outnumber us, so they're surrounding us to cut off our means of escape. I can see some of them are armed, with hoof-talons and wingblayds."

"While we are unarmed," Doran pointed out in a dry manner, before raising his own talons and adding, "myself the exception."

"You're not the only one, pal," Thunderlane raised his hoof and summoned his knightly sword, Skystrike! Its blade matched the stormy dark gray of Thunderlane's coat while its handle was the same silvery blue blue of his mane, and set into the pommel was a tiny engraving of Thunderlane's storm cloud and lightning bolt cutie-mark.

Some of the Shadowbolts quickly took notice of the sword in Thunderlane's hooves as he challenged them, "I am Thunderlane! Not only a Silverbolt, but a Knight of Harmony! If you value your lives, surrender..."

"...rrrgh!!! Wingblayders! Focus on Thunderlane and the griffon! The rest of you deal with the others! Spitfire is mine..." the Shadowbolt Captain seethed before she charged straight for Spitfire.

The rest followed, shouting things like "DEATH TO THE WONDERBOLTS!!" "TAKE THEM DOWN!!" "LET'S DESTROY THOSE GUYS!!!", their hate and rage filling the air along with their wingbeats.

The six racers were forced to scatter, the Shadowbolts armed with wingblayds veering after Thunderlane and Doran, as their Captain had ordered. Thunderlane heard the whistle of blades swinging through the air and span `round, Skystrike raised, and knocking away a Shadowbolt's attempt to slash him overhead with his wingblayds. Then he backed off as another Shadowbolt with wingblayds slashed at the knight, Thunderlane easily deflecting the following attack, and more kept coming.

Thunderlane knew his Pegasus Empire history well enough that the Wingblayds, deadly and infamous as they were as the Ancient Pegasus Empire's signature weapon, had its drawbacks. It took years of specialized training to wield them and know how to fly with them. After all, though they were a means of arming a pegasus' wings, wielding them meant putting one's wings at risk, and fighting with them meant making movements where even one mistake could leave the wielder vulnerable since they still needed their wings to fly and stay aloft.

Doran was faring well enough, as his massive size, earsplitting screams, and deadly talons made the other Shadowbolts tasked with facing the griffon hesitant and keep their distance.

Amethyst Tides was no slouch either in defending herself, provoking Shadowbolts into chasing her, and outmaneuvering them before giving them a nasty strike in the back to weaken their wings.

A few glimpses showed Thunderlane and Doran that Fleetfoot was leading some of the Shadowbolts on a merry chase, as in, she was flying circles around them, frustrating them, and even tricking them into bumping into each other. Rapidfire was being a little more direct. While Fleetfoot was deservedly known as the fastest of the Wonderbolts, Rapidfire was among their finest when it came to aerial combat. Though Rapidfire used a style of turning his foes' attacks against them. Every time a Shadowbolt charged to strike him, whether the came at his front, his side, or his back, Rapidfire had honed his pegasus senses to feel the shifts of the wind currents and counter their attacks or redirect them into attack each other.

Above, Spitfire and the Shadowbolt Captain were at each other's throats. Her enemy slashed at her with her knives, but Spitfire skillfully dodged every move and struck when the Shadowbolt Captain presented an opening... which had happened only once, and even then the wicked mare had anticipated it and blocked the attack. Neither was gaining best of the other, which proved to Spitfire that her foe was no amateur by any means.

This evil pegasus, she fought with skill, with experience, and with the intent to destroy her enemy.

And yet... Spitfire couldn't help but sense something familiar about this pony. A memory from a long time ago vaguely rang, but not clearly enough.

Seeing as their fight as it was had come to a stalemate, the Shadowbolt Captain raised one of her knives and threw it straight at Spitfire's face, only for her to easily dodge it-

*VWIT*

-and she gasped to see the Shadowbolt Captain suddenly vanish in a flickering light!

"Did she just...?!" Spitfire uttered aloud, when a subtle current of air from behind alarmed her and she spun `round, just in the nick of time, avoiding what would have been a knife to her back, straight to between the bases of her wings!

*VWIT*

And there she was again, appearing out of nowhere while simultaneously catching her knife, giving Spitfire a devious look.

"How did you do that?! Pegasi can't teleport!" Spitfire demanded, now on higher alert as she realized her enemy was far more dangerous than she'd anticipated.

"Heheheh," the Shadowbolt Captain laughed darkly while tossing one of her knives into the air with enough force that it span and expertly caught it, before she threw it at Spitfire again.

The Wonderbolt Captain dodged-

*VWIT*

-and turned to see her opponent had appeared once more, catching the knife she had just thrown, and that's when Spitfire realized, The knives... they're enchanted with some kind of teleportation magic!

"Figured out my little trick... Spitwad?" the Shadowbolt Captain mocked with a blatant tone, and finally Spitfire realized who she was, as she gasped at the memories that came back!

She remembered... being a determined young pegasus mare, fresh into the Academy. Her grandfather, Hellfire, had trained her well, but there were things she had to learn here before she could truly be considered Wonderbolt material. Spitfire had been confident, her little brother Rapidfire wishing her luck and sad he wasn't old enough to go to the academy with her, but she promised him his time would come.

She was going to be the best cadet of her class.

Unfortunately, somepony else was vying for the same goal. She'd given off a nasty impression right from the get-go. A brazen young pegasus who looked down, literally and figuratively, on everyone else in the class.

Spitfire immediately disliked her, but she wasn't there to make friends. She was there to learn and train. To work towards her dream of becoming a Wonderbolt.

Spitfire proved herself immediately, being among the ponies in her class chosen to be lead-ponies in the pair-ups. Her partner had been a young pegasus stallion named Wave Chill (there was immediately an attraction there, but nothing would come of it until a few years later).

Her rival was also chosen to be a lead-pony and her partner had been another pegasus mare, named Swift Feather.

Spitfire and Wave Chill worked well together. He was a talented flier, but not quite on the same level as Spitfire herself.

As for her rival and her partner... They didn't work well together. At all. Spitfire's rival, she seemed to breeze through training and even managed to break a record or two, while her partner kept making mistakes, having accidents. One time, Spitfire could recall hearing her rival talk smack to Swift Feather in the locker room, saying some very hurtful things. Spitfire was certain she'd heard Swift on the verge of crying. Part of Spitfire had felt she should intervene, but another had held her back. She wasn't here to make friends or wipe others' noses or be anything other than the very best of her class. Her grandfather had drilled it into her head; the will to succeed would drive her. Anything else was a distraction.

It had been the horrifying sound of a bone breaking and the agonized screams that followed that finally caused Spitfire to take another look, and she saw that her rival had ruthlessly assaulted her own wing-pony and broken Swift Feather's wing.

The academy staff confronted her, and she'd sneered their demands for an explanation and instead called them weak and pathetic... before an explosion from the academy's cloud storage distracted everypony with a release of surging storm clouds, and she'd flown out of there before anyone knew what was happening. The last time Spitfire saw this pony, she'd been a distant figure in the sky before she was gone like a harsh gale blowing through.

And now, here she was, flying before her, as Spitfire whispered with the barest intimidation, "Nightshade..."

"Aw, you remember me," mocked the Shadowbolt Captain, Nightshade, lifted her flight goggles to reveal her golden eyes narrowing with a sadistic gleam, confirming Spitfire's suspicion.
"Perhaps we should have a little alone time to catch up..."

Spitfire felt such a chill in her bones from those words, but she found her nerve and demanded, "What is this about?! Why are you attacking us?"

"As much as I'd love to play Q&A with you, Spitty," Nightshade played with her knife before giving the edge a sexual lick as she creeped Spitfire out with her malevolent gaze, "I'm afraid we're pressed for time. So you'll have to settle for knowing that once we've killed you, the rest of the Wonderbolts will be next..."

"That's not gonna happen!" Spitfire exclaimed, "But answer me this - You enrolled into the Wonderbolts Academy, same as I did. But you clearly weren't there to learn or prove yourself. So why did you enroll into the academy, only to ditch it after your hurt Swift Feather and blew up academy property? Because of what you did to her, Swift's dream of becoming a Wonderbolt was ruined!"

"You pathetic little bitch," Nightshade sneered in amusement, "I am Captain of the Shadowbolts! Our goal is to destroy you Wonderbolt pussies and prove we are the greatest to ever fly in the sky! I didn't enroll into your joke of an academy to learn how to be a Wonderbolt. I did so in order to learn anything useful to better enable me to kill Wonderbolts!!"

"You snake..." Spitfire narrowed her eyes with seething contempt. "I'll make it my life's mission to take you down, and your band of scumbags!"

"Well, I'm afraid your life, let alone your 'life's work', aren't going to last for much longer!" Nightshade responded with a manic gleam in her eyes before throwing her knife at Spitfire again.

Again, Spitfire dodged, but now knowing what was up against, she turned - *VWIT* - and socked Nightshade in the gut, causing the evil mare to fumble her catch, her knife dropping down to the cliff side below. The counterattack left Nightshade winded for only a moment as she raised her free hoof, flicked it, and a hidden blade extended, and Spitfire just barely managed to avoid a lethal blow. But not without a scratch, as she felt the edge of the blade cut through her suit and into her side, as she had made a strong flap to put distance between her and Nightshade.

Spitfire looked to see Rapidfire, Fleetfoot, Thunderlane, and Doran, who was now carrying Amethyst Tides, were all surrounded, the Shadowbolts cutting off their escape, and she knew they were in trouble.

Nightshade rose up, looking down literally and figuratively upon her targets as she boasted, "I say it's high-time we put an end to this farce! Shadowbolts! I promised you revenge upon the self-righteous Wonderbolts who rejected you, denounced you, denied you... Are you ready for payback?"

"PAYBACK!!!" the Shadowbolts all roared, vengeful, bitter, sadistic, savoring the look of the top Wonderbolts and these loser Silverbolts so completely at their mercy.

"Then what are you waiting for...?" Nightshade gestured before commanding, "Ready!"

The Shadowbolts all raised their hooves, and devices revealed themselves, miniature crossbows mounted onto their fetlocks, and they each loaded a Stormy Eye marble.

"Aim...!" The Shadowbolts took aim as they awaited their captain's command.

Nightshade relished the looks on her enemies' faces. They were helpless with no way out, about to be struck with a magic that would make them drop like stones onto stones that would break their bodies as they tumbled all the way down. And it was a long way down...

For you, Great Grandfather... Nightshade thought to herself as she opened her mouth to give the command to fire when multiples Magic Arrows rained down, striking the Shadowbolts, causing some of them to misfire.

Stormy Eye marbles flew through the air, some out into the open, others to the mountainside, causing them to break and burst into small electrical explosions. Not one managed to strike anypony flying.

"WHAT?!" Nightshade looked up and felt her victorious elation vanish as Prince Midnight descended, accompanied by all of his Silverbolts, as well as the rest of the Wonderbolts!

Her moment of triumph had been spoiled, as her enemies now surrounded her and her Shadowbolts, the wicked ponies in purple and black loading more Stormy Eyes and aiming. But now the winds had changed, as they were so fickle. Midnight came down, his gaze boring into Nightshade, as he stated, "You are surrounded and outnumbered. I suggest your surrender..."

Nightshade grounded her teeth in barely-controlled outrage! Her plan had been perfect, they'd been on the verge of striking a critical blow to the Wonderbolts, and no one would have had any idea it was them. Her moment of triumph had been swept right out from under her, and now this arrogant prince was looking down on her.

Her!

Great-Granddaughter of Dark Shade, Captain of the Shadowbolts, the greatest flier ever!

"FIGHT!!" Nightshade screamed to her followers, as she threw some more of her knives at the nearest Wonderbolts, injuring a few but the rest dodged, "FIGHT!!!"

Chaos ensued, for though the Wonderbolts and Silverbolts outnumbered the Shadowbolts three-to-one, the screams and shouts and wingbeats of so many fliers together worked to Nightshade's advantage as she screamed, "FIGHT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!!!"

"Spread out! Or we'll just crash into each other!" Midnight commanded as he used his magic to yank two Shadowbolts and send them hurtling into open air.

More screams and shouts and even barbed insults filled the air along with more clashes and wingbeats. The Shadowbolts were outnumbered, but they were still armed with weapons. Thus, the Wonderbolts and Silverbolts had to fight more carefully and defensively. Some of them flew down to the camera crew, who were all still lying unconscious on the ledge where they'd been safely set after being stunned.

As he flew up to get a better vantage point, Midnight scanned the battle. It was going relatively well, for though the Shadowbolts' weapons made them more dangerous, their numbers put them at a disadvantage, and he could tell some of them were already getting tired. It was then he noticed somepony in particular among them, and she saw him too.

Without hesitation, they zoomed at each other and quickly began to exchange blows, as Midnight yelled, "And to think I thought you'd learned your lesson, but I was a fool to let you off so easily!"

"I learned plenty, Your 'Highness'!" spat Lightning Dust as she threw punch after punch at the alicorn, "But one thing in particular I take to heart, nice guys finish last!"

Below, Spitfire was engaged with Wind Ryder, the younger mare glaring at the disgraced veteran as she dodged his wingblayds but held her own.

"You're tired! I can tell from how hard you're beating your wings!" Spitfire pressed her attack, forcing the older pegasus to fight more defensively.

"I might not be as young as I once was, but you've got nothing on my experience, rookie!" Wind Ryder retorted with bitter arrogance. But he was not so bitter as to lose his cool and maintain awareness of his surroundings. Especially when he saw Nightshade coming their way, and all he had to do was keep Spitfire's attention on him.

Soarin knocked off a Shadowbolt when he saw Nightshade zooming for Spitfire, and she was too preoccupied with Wind Ryder. He'd never make it in time, and all he could do was shout, "SPITFIRE!! LOOK OOOOUUUTTT!!!!"

Hearing Soarin's voice cry out in warning, Spitfire pushed off Ryder and just barely glanced over her shoulder to see Nightshade zooming her way, knives poised to end her life! Nightshade had the look of a mad mare and a manic grin on her face as her singular focus was on Spitfire... when out of nowhere, an EXPLOSION of sheer agony slammed into Nightshade's side, literally knocking the wind out of her and sending her spiraling through the air as a surge of electricity jolted her nerves, and everypony gawked in utter disbelief to see Rumble had zoomed out of nowhere, having somersaulted mid-flight and slammed his hind hooves into the Shadowbolt Captain, saving Spitfire's life!

A few of the Shadowbolts quickly flew to save their captain, the rest finally losing their nerve and will to keep fighting. That didn't mean the battle was over, however. The Shadowbolts were cornered, and none of them had any intention of being captured. As they fought more viciously, Spitfire turned to see Rumble, flapping aloft, looking stunned by what he had just done before meeting her gaze.

Her gaze turned from disbelief to smug gratitude and even admiration, as she said, "Not bad, kid. You've come into your own"

"Huh? What do you mean?" asked Rumble, not understanding.

But before Spitfire could answer, they heard a shout of outrage and looked to see Wind Ryder fly upwards until he looked down on the whole battle, as he raged, "You insufferable bastards have won this battle, I'll give you that! But make no mistake, Wonderbolts and Silverbolts and especially you...!" Ryder seethed as he bore his gaze straight at Rumble, who saw burning hate in the disgraced veteran flier's eyes, "All our careful planning, our perfect opportunity, ruined by a snot-nosed brat! But that doesn't matter. You've won this round, but we'll be back!

"SHADOWBOLTS! TIME TO DISAPPEAR!!!"

Wind Ryder raised something in his hoof, as did every single Shadowbolt once they put distance between themselves and their opponents, and then-

*POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF POFF*

The whole area was suddenly engulfed in thick and blinding smoke that stunk and burned sinuses and eyes, causing everypony to cough and cry out in alarm.

"What the?!" "ACK!! What is this stuff?!" "I can't... breathe!" "It's stinging my eyes!" "Where'd they go!?" "ACHOO!!" "Someone stop them!" "Ouch! Who bumped into me?"

Midnight thought quickly as he focused his power, spread his wings, and span, a whirlwind kicking up and powerful currents following him as he formed around himself a strong tornado. Not powerful enough to pull anypony in, but strong enough to blow away the acrid smokescreen. In a few short moments, the air cleared, much to everypony's relief, but they saw that the Shadowbolts were gone!

"Where'd they go?!" "I don't know!" "Does anypony have eyes on them?"

Midnight, Spitfire, Silver Lining, and Doran all flew upwards and then looked north, south, east, and west respectively, their keen eyes scanning the distance skies for any sign of their enemies in retreat.

Everyone else below looked on and waited in suspense... and after a long moment, the four descended, each of them dismayed as Midnight informed them, "The Shadowbolts have disappeared. None of us could see mane nor feather of them.

"They must have had an exit strategy in case they failed, which they did," Doran pointed out.

"But how could they have just vanished?" Spitfire wondered, irked that the enemy had gotten away. "No matter fast they fly, they couldn't have flown out of sight that quickly, without leaving behind some kind of sign of which direction they went!"

"Clearly, these Shadowbolts are no ordinary thugs," Silver Lining grumped, "they have weapons, some of which are magic, and somehow they've pulled off a very effective disappearing act."

Ignoring all that, Thunderlane flew over to his little brother, a bit frantic while saying, "Rumble! Are you okay? I don't know whether to be proud of you or to be angry with you!! That was amazing, but it was also absolutely reckless, young mane!"

"Whoa! Whoa, whoa there, Thunder," Soarin came over to calm down his teammate, "Let's not forget, Rumble's a hero!"

"Damn right he is," agreed Spitfire as she came over, giving the colt a smile of respect. "Rumble, you saved me life, and many more. While I agree with your brother that what you did was rash... but it's as obvious as that mark on your flanks that you've got a lot of guts."

"Wha- Huh?!" Rumble flabbergasted as he turned to look, "The mark on my...!!!"

Thunderlane sighed as he saw the dawning elation on his little brother's face, before he grabbed him around the barrel and raised him up for all to see as he declared, "LET'S HEAR IT FOR RUMBLE!!!"

The cheers and whoops and shouts of kudos and encouragement snapped Rumble out of it, as he took a moment to let it sink in... and smiled.

The next day, an announcement was called, and all the ponies who'd come to watch the air show and derby attended, meeting on an empty airfield at New Heights Avionics. On the raised platform, stood the Silverbolts and Wonderbolts standing together, along with the Royal Sisters, Prince Sombra, and the Council of Friendship.

The atmosphere was a little tense, as Spitfire and Midnight stepped forward, the prince casting an amplification spell, and letting Spitfire have the first word, and she began.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, yesterday, we learned we have an enemy. An enemy that is ruthless, cruel, and vile. Their aim was to kill me, as well as my wingmates, Rapidfire and Fleetfoot, as well as our racing opponents, and the camera crew that was following us, just so there would be no witnesses to their crime. It pains me to say, that while their goal failed, one life was lost. I have personally seen her body delivered to her family and expressed my condolences for their loss. Were it not for the bravery of one young colt, these rogues may very well have succeeded and nopony would have been the wiser.

"It is because of this young colt that we are still here. That we now know this enemy, and must do everything within our power to see them brought to justice. They call themselves... the Shadowbolts!"

A ripple of unease and hushed chatter spread amongst the crowd, before Midnight chimed in.

"The Shadowbolts failed, but they remain at large and so they are still a threat. We, the Silverbolts, pledge to our friends, the Wonderbolts, to lend our aid and support. These criminals may be able to run, but they cannot hide! We will find them and we will defeat them! But this victory would not have been possible without a certain colt. Rumble, please come here."

Rumble had been in the crowd, alongside the rest of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, under the care of Faerie Tail, and he nervously flapped up onto the platform and approached Midnight, who gave him an esteemed look.

"Rumble, for your courage and your determination, I hereby award you, by declaring you the very first Junior Silverbolt, and if you accept, I would like to make an offer to you," Midnight then gestured Rumble closer, and leaned down to whisper something into the colt's ear.

Rumble gasped and gazed up at Midnight, whispering, "For real?!"

When Midnight nodded, Rumble looked over to his brother, and saw Thunderlane winking, confirming he was in on it, and Rumble felt his heart skip a beat as he considered what Midnight had just said... before feeling a gentle surge in his wings that somehow brought a sense of ease. He looked up at Midnight again, smiling as he nodded.

"Very well! From this day forward, the Silverbolts hereby adopt the cutie-mark of our very first Junior Silverbolt as our insignia!" Midnight declared as he lit up his horn and cast a spell to display the image of Rumble's cutie-mark into the sky for all the world to see!

Magical fireworks launched and exploded into dazzling colorful effects, and the crowd went wild, cheering for the Wonderbolts, for the Silverbolts, but most of all, for Rumble, who was the hero of the day!

Thunderlane couldn't help but shed a tear of deepest pride and joy for his little brother. Never in all his life had he ever felt so proud of the colt, and he looked forward to what more would unfold in his brother's future. But then, the dark gray pegasus felt a strange sensation in his feathers, similar to static electricity, and he felt as though there was another presence there, when a voice spoke in his mind. A voice he had heard before:

Thunderlane... your time will come to soar above the clouds with your brother... as a true Son of the Storm.

Thunderlane felt a pleasant tingle that reminded him of static in his feathers, and turned to look to the sky, where he saw a cloud shaped as a familiar face of a certain alicorn he was certain he'd met before.

Author's Note

Rumble's cutie-mark was comm'd by MCShelster

I had another idea regarding how this would turn out, but due to certain details and becuz I couldn't see it unfolding in the direction I wanted to go, I realized it wouldn't work.

So, anyway, I also knew the Silverbolts needed their own symbol and felt that them taking on Rumble's mark as their symbol would solve that problem as well as give Rumble everlasting glory, as it honored him for his deeds and his being made the first Junior Silverbolt

406. Cross the Sky in Silver - Epilogue

In a meeting room inside Canterlot Castle, Midnight Blaze, Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, Thunderlane, and Silver Lining all gathered around a table, as Midnight cleared his throat.

"Thank you all for agreeing to this meeting. I've called you all here to discuss yesterday's events, and the details surrounding them. We now know, Equestria is threatened by yet another enemy, the Shadowbolts, and they have a particular grudge against the Wonderbolts."

"Their captain is named Nightshade," Spitfire spoke up, sounding solemn yet they could all just feel the ire seething under Spitfire's semblance of composure. She was angry. She wanted payback. But she was focused on using her rage to fuel her rather than consume her.
"I first met her when I was a cadet in the academy, but while she was a talented and skilled flier, she was no model student. She wound up hurting her wingpony, a mare named Swift Feather, so seriously that Swift's dream of becoming a Wonderbolt was ruined. Rather than face the consequences of her crime, she fled and no one knew what became of her. Now we know... She was never learning to become a Wonderbolt. She wanted to learn how to kill a Wonderbolt..."

"Wind Ryder has joined with them too," Silver Lining pointed out with contempt, "Even before this, he was a disgrace to the Wonderbolts after that stunt he pulled, trying to frame Rainbow Dash. Dishonorable discharge was too good for that traitor!"

"Not to mention Lightning Dust," Thunderlane sighed, troubled and confused. "I thought she'd changed, after helping save Cloudsdale from the thunderbird, but when she got turned down from the Silverbolts, I guess-"

"Lightning Dust is not a traitor," Midnight firmly declared all of a sudden. When all eyes turned to him, he conjured a folder, "As a matter of fact, Lightning Dust is a double agent I recruited. Her being turned down by me from the Silverbolts was actually a ploy. I recruited her to infiltrate a mysterious group of pegasus mercenaries I'd been hearing too many rumors about. She succeeded. She's been in deep undercover for months, infiltrating the Shadowbolt ranks, learning as much as she could about them, so she could compile this intel on them, which she managed to hoof to me during the fight the other day. Everypony else was so focused on fighting their foes and in the chaos, nopony noticed her give it to me. All the same, we fought in order to preserve Lightning Dust's cover so that she can continue being my eyes and ears in the Shadowbolts' organization."

"Are you serious?!" "Lightning Dust is a spy for our side?" "When did this happen?" "Is she okay?"

"Enough!" Spitfire exclaimed, before giving Midnight a look, "So Lightning Dust really is spying on the Shadowbolts for you?"

"I explained it to her in full detail, made sure she understood the risks, and gave her the option of declining. I didn't pressure her or force her into it," assured Midnight. "Based on what little intel I was able to gather before she went undercover, I figured Lightning Dust would actually be the ideal candidate to serve as a double-agent due to her skills and her circumstances making her desirable to the Shadowbolts.

"Her lashing out after her being 'rejected' at the Silverbolt training camp was staged by us in order to fool everypony present, and possibly anypony who might be watching discretely, into thinking that Lightning Dust was 'scorned talent', one who would be susceptible to whatever the Shadowbolts were selling to whomever they sought to recruit. It worked. Lightning Dust was offered to be taken into the Shadowbolts' ranks and trained, by Wind Ryder personally, who joined the Shadowbolts sometime before Lightning Dust and after he'd been dishonorably discharged. Once she completed her training, she was given full membership... and taken to their headquarters. This file," Midnight raised it up before setting it down and opening it, "is intel Lightning Dust has managed to accumulate and give to me during the fight yesterday.

"The Shadowbotls reside in a floating fortress that is constantly on the move, so no one knows where it is, but the Shadowbolts themselves. It is hidden by some strange magical weather, dark stormy clouds that never thin or dissipate, and unleash lightning strikes on anyone or anything that gets too close unless they are garbed in Shadowbolt attire."

"Judging by what's here," Spitfire gave some of the intel in the file a close look, "this... fortress has to be big! Even if they constantly gathered wild stormclouds, the Shadowbolts couldn't keep it hidden indefinitely, and it attacks anything but Shadowbolts that get too close? That sounds like some kind of complicated magic, which suggests they have a unicorn helping them, or otherwise some kind of magical aid. Nightshade wielded throwing knives that enabled her to teleport wherever she threw them."

"Lightning Dust reported in her intel that the Shadowbolts are strictly pegasi," Midnight brought up, "no earth ponies or unicorns in their fortress, but they do have lunar pegasi in their ranks, and they've done business with unicorns, earth ponies, and even other creatures. She's also compiled a list of names with notes regarding each of them. They're mostly observations she's made on these individuals, and state some are members of the Shadowbolts while others are shady associates or even criminals."

"I gotta give it to Lightning Dust," Fleetfoot commented, "She's got a lot of guts, risking her life like this..."

"She'd have been a good Wonderbolt if she'd conducted herself differently," agreed Silver Lining.

"But how long can she keep this undercover thing going on?" asked Thunderlane, concerned. "Rumble told me, because he followed her to their hideout in Canterlot, Lightning Dust got in trouble with their captain. She got brutalized, and Rumble had to watch...!"

"But because Rumble did what he did, he was able to warn us of the Shadowbolts' plan," Soarin pointed out, "It's because of Rumble that you, Spitfire, and our friends are still here, Thunder."

Thunderlane couldn't argue with that, but it still bothered him that his brother had to watch such violence. He said nothing, so Soarin moved things along by asking, "So... the Shadowbolts have a moving fortress that's hidden by some strange magical weather. Does Lightning Dust have any idea what that is?"

"Mm, according to her intel, that's something she's still trying to get to the bottom of," Midnight answered as he looked at the file, "but it's slow-going and apparently a big secret. She's still kinda new to the organization, so she doesn't have the complete trust or even the clout as to be entrusted with whatever the big secret is."

"How big is this group?" asked Fleetfoot. "When they attacked, they numbered at least thirty bodies."

"Lightning Dust isn't sure, but her intel states that there are more than just the Shadowbolts who showed up for Nightshade's scheme," Midnight nodded, "According to her, the Shadowbolts always leave the majority of their members to protect their headquarters, only sending out as many of their members they deem necessary to complete a job. She says in her notes she's personally met over twenty Shadowbolts but she continues to meet and see others she never saw before, suggesting the Shadowbolts send out members to do multiple jobs, meaning they come and go while the mentioned majority stay."

"We could be up against a whole army!" Silver Lining realized, "Even the Wonderbolts number no more than fifty members, because we only accept the best of the best, and part of the job includes risk of injury or worse, not to mention some eventually choose to retire, and we're very selective of who we would recruit to fly with us in our ranks."

"Perhaps we should lower our bar a little," Spitfire considered, "start recruiting more members and increase our ranks..."

"Perhaps, but don't lower your standards too much," advised Midnight as he magically copied the intel and gave the copies papers to Spitfire, "I plan to train and recruit more members in the Silverbolts soon, because you're right. We may very well need to increase both our organizations' roster of members if we're gonna face the Shadowbolts. The problem there, however, is their fortress is always on the move and we have no idea where they could be at the moment.

"Hopefully, Lightning Dust can obtain more intel and give us a better understanding of what we're up against. Apart from their vendetta against the Wonderbolts, the Shadowbolts are mercenaries for hire. The Crown has received complaints from other nations about them, and we keep having to assure them that the Shadowbolts are not affiliated with us. But I fear there might come a point where the Shadowbolts will force our hooves and entangle us in an international incident."

"So then what are we gonna do?" asked Spitfire with furrowed brows. "We can't let these psychos continue to fly free as birds. They have to answer for all they've done!"

"We'll find them, Spitfire, but the next time we face them it will be on our terms, not theirs," stated Midnight, before he wing-saluted them, and they saluted back in return.

"FUCKIN' WONDERBOLT SCUM!!!" screamed Nightshade in the hidden location where she and her Shadowbolts were squatting in.

Due to a lot of them getting injured, they'd had to take refuge in a previously-prepared hideout before taking the long journey back to their flying fortress. But that meant they had to put up with their captain's incessant rants.

"We had Spitfire... WE HAD HER!!" Nightshade spat as she lashed out her hoof at a nearby Shadowbolt who'd had the bad luck to be too close to Nightshade and her need to vent misplaced aggression.
"The plan was perfect... they never saw us coming, there would have been no witnesses!! Spitwad would have been dead and all of Equestria would have been none the wiser!!"

"Captain, with all due respect," said a mare who helped the pony Nightshade had knocked for a loop in her blind rage, "please refrain from beating our fellow Shadowbolts. I have enough patients as it is."

"RRGH! Don't start with me, Aconite!" Nightshade snapped at the older mare, who was tending to another injured Shadowbolt. "Just because you're my aunt, doesn't give you any say in my life!"

"Well, it may interest you to know, dear niece..." Aconite spoke, apparently unfazed and unafraid of the younger mare's psychotic tantrum, "that we have a visitor."

"What!?" Nightshade turned to the stairs, and sure enough down came a hooded pony, a unicorn given their horn, and Nightshade approached them with the steely gait of a lioness, "I don't know you got in here, but-"

"You can save the meaningless threats to my health for someone who cares," interrupted the intruder as she threw her hood back, revealing her face. "My name is Sunset Shimmer. I'm here on behalf of my mistress to hire you and your Shadowbolts, Captain..."

Nightshade narrowed her eyes at this brazen hussy. Physically, Sunset seemed younger but there was something about the look in her eyes that told Nightshade that this unicorn was no greenhorn. Regardless, she wasn't about to let this blatant disrespect go unpunished. She raised her wings threateningly as she spoke, "I don't do business with upstart little noponies who don't know their-"

Her words were interrupted again, but not by words. Sunset's horn lit up with blistering mana and almost immediately the whole room was filled with stifling heat! It was as though they were walking a barren desert, the sun beating down on them mercilessly in the form of this stranger, who suddenly turned from intimidating to frightening as Sunset's very mane seemed to burst into flame! Yet she did not cry out in pain or betray any sign of discomfort. If anything, Sunset seemed to be on a supernatural high as she felt the mystic heat of her own magical fire... until the flame suddenly snuffed itself out, her mane turning back to normal, and the searing heat that had filled the room just a moment earlier quickly began to drop, and everypony else shuddered, not in cold but relief that was mixed with a shaken intimidation.

Though Nightshade had not betrayed any faltering of nerve, that didn't mean she was so foolish as to not realize that this Sunset Shimmer was not somepony to trifle with.

"Now, unless there's anything else," Sunset levitated out a bulging bag from under her cloak, "consider this a token of our admiration. We have heard of the Shadowbolts and are impressed by your reputation, both in your success record and your ruthless execution.

"My mistress has a job for you, and, depending on how well you perform, she would be interested in providing you with her continued patronage."

Sunset dropped the bag right in front of Nightshade, and she heard the unmistakable clinking of coins. She gave the unicorn a suspicious look, Sunset gesturing her to go ahead, and Nightshade opened the bag, finding it was filled with gold Bits!
There has to be at least a thousand gold Bits in here, and this is a 'token of admiration'? Not an offer of payment?!

"I can see the skepticism on your face, Captain," Sunset chuckled, "rest assured, this token is absolutely no strings attached, an... incentive for you to hear me out and consider the job we'd like to hire you for, and a promise that, so long as you do your job and do it well there will be more where that came from. Much more..."

As much as this mare rubbed her the wrong way, Nightshade needed something to focus on, something to take her mind off what had happened. Sighing irritably, she asked, "What's the job?"

Sunset smirked as she levitated out a folder and opened it while asking, "How would you feel about helping instigate a civil war?"

Nightshade gave the folder a look and saw two photos, one was of King Godric, the new griffon king, the other his disgraced brother, Lord Gar. She'd heard through the grapevine how Gar had been found guilty of crime, bribery, association with a griffon thieves guild, and attempted murder. Instigating a civil war was somewhat beyond what she and her Shadowbolts have ever done, but it wasn't the worst thing they'd ever done for money.

"And to sweeten the deal," Sunset Shimmer added, "my mistress can provide you with magical armaments and gear that will make your next encounter with the Wonderbolts result in your favor."

"How?" Nightshade raised a skeptical brow.

"Trust me, and with the work we'll do together, my mistress and I will show you new avenues of weaponry, strategy, and tactics that will make you invincible," Sunset stated with absolutely confidence.

"...show me," Nightshade demanded, and Sunset smirked while chuckling to herself.

Meanwhile, Nightshade's aunt, Aconite, watched the exchange of words between her niece and this stranger with troubled eyes, as did Lightning Dust.

407. Roll of the Dice - Part 1

As the evening hours gave way to the night, the guiding glow of the moon fell upon an old inn and tavern beside the road. He'd traveled a fair distance as he approached this shabby-looking waterhole in the middle of scenic nowhere and yet the figure could not afford to dally. His sources claimed this particular inn, the Shy Shire, was a favorite spot for adventurers to wet their whistles. Taking a deep breath, he entered and saw the inside wasn't much of an improvement.

The patrons were sparse and spread out, with two slick-looking unicorn merchants counting some bits on a private table, a trio of Diamond Dogs examining a big gemstone in another, a grape purple earth pony mare guzzling down wine at the bar, and the barkeeper was a minotaur, presently polishing a wine glass. He heard a bar stool scritch along the floor as it was pulled out and looked to see a short little dragon with a gray beard and mustache, wearing a wizardly hat, cape, and boots, and holding a wooden staff, topped with a piece that resembled a gnarled hand holding a jewel between its thumb and index finger.

"What'll it be?" the barkeeper asked in disinterest.

"Ahem, greetings, barkeep. I am Garbunkle the Magician, and I come in search of worthy companions to aid me in a mission of grave importance!"

"Huh, well, not a lot of the sort you're looking for here at the moment," the barkeeper responded before adding, "although..."

"Yes?" Garbunkle leaned forward in interest.

"There might be one yet I can't promise he'll be interested," the barkeeper gestured to a corner of the tavern and Garbunkle looked that way.

Sitting at a table in the darkest corner of the tavern was a hooded stallion, leaning back in his chair, with his hooves resting on the table. He wore a cloak, leather armor, and there was a bow and quiver set against the wall beside his chair. He took a deep swig from his tankard and then let out a loud and obnoxious BELCH, Garbunkle wincing, whether in intimidation or disgust he wasn't sure.

"He comes around every fortnight or so," the barkeeper explained, "though he has disappeared every now and then for months on end. Keeps to himself but occasionally he's joined other adventurers on some quest or such. I don't know much about him, other than the name he goes by... Orion."

The barkeeper returned to his polishing and Garbunkle figured that was all he was gonna get... unless he dared to proposition this Orion directly.

This is no time for cold feet, Garbunkle, the dragon wizard took a deep breath, There is too much at stake.

Slowly yet deliberately, Garbunkle approached the cloaked pony called Orion and pulled up a chair to sit at his table. The pony made no indication he'd noticed him though his words made it apparent he had, "You have exactly thirty seconds to leave my table and me be..."

His voice was low and growling, like a beast, and now that he had a closer look Garbunkle noticed that Orion's hood had holes in it for his ears, and those ears were tipped with unusual tufts of fur. Then of course, through the shadow of his hood, Orion's eyes glowed a frightening yellow with predatory slit pupils.

"My apologies, good stallion," Garbunkle's voice quivered a bit yet he maintained his composure, "I have come seeking companions to join me in my mission, and the barkeep suggested you."

"I take it he also mentioned whatever job you may have for me, I am unlikely to take interest..." Orion pointed out, leaning back in his chair again.

"Aye, he did," Garbunkle nodded, "but still I ask you, sir, to hear me out: My homeland is beset by a prophecy that foretells doom, and the only way to avert it is to restore a lost treasure to the heir to the throne."

"Lost treasure, huh..." Orion yawned, revealing his mouth was filled with sharp teeth and fangs, "and what, pray tell, is the land you seek to save and the name of this heir?"

"I hail from Spiketopia and have been dispatched by Princess Shmarity," Garbunkle declared with a determined puff of his chest.

"WHAT?! 'Shmarity'? 'Spiketopia-' Really?! Stop the game, time out!"

Midnight Blaze glared at Spike across the game board, "Are you for real? We are not calling the land 'Spiketopia' and we are especially not calling the heir Princess 'Schmarity'!"

"Aw, c'mon!" Spike complained, "I won the dice roll, so I'm the leader of the party!"

"Yeah, sure, but that doesn't mean you get to name the land or the quest-giver," Thunderlane piped in.
"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

"Sunburst, you're with me, right?!" Spike turned a pleading eye to Sunburst, who held the rule book.

"I'm sorry, Spike," Sunburst shrugged, "but being leader of the party doesn't automatically give you the authority to make these sorts of details. As game master, that's my job."

Earlier, Sunburst had asked Midnight to help him search for a book he was interested in reading and during, Spike had stumbled across his old Ogres & Oubliettes rule book.

He'd suggested they play a game together, and though Sunburst was reluctant he’d caved when Midnight promised a particular lesson in Mana Wielding he’d been looking forward to after their game.Midnight also pointed out it might be more fun to include more players. The problem was, the girls had left on a goodwill tour of Yakyakistan, Blueblood was on a business trip, Soarin was busy handling the Weather Office, and Cheese had been called away to help plan a party in San Prancisco.

So, they’d gone to Big Mac, who had been watching the twins. Big Mac had always wanted to try O&O but didn't know anypony who'd be interested in playing or even where to look for the necessary pieces and rule books. On the way back to the castle, Thunderlane flown over to say hi and they’d invited him to come and play too.

So now, they were back in the castle, their gameboard, map, pieces, and everything else ready, and Sunburst had immediately called dibs on being the game master. He then declared the leader of the party would be settled via a dice-roll, and Spike won.

"Ah, fine!" Spike grumped, "So what is the name of the land and the quest-giver?"

"We'll go with the rule book and say it's Ancient Ponyland and the quest-giver is Princess Majesty," declared Sunburst, "the quest is to recover the Wand of Rule."

"I'm cool with that." "Much better..." "Eeyup."

"Fine! Can we get back into it now?!"

“Before we do…” Midnight spoke up as his horn lit up and his lips pulled into a mischievous smirk, “let’s make the game a little more… interesting!”

A Flash of Light blinded them for a moment before they were whisked away to another place but the same place…

*snore....snore....*

"HEY!" Garbunkle snapped at Orion who was obviously fake-snoring.

"I'm sorry, are you still talking?" Orion responded sarcastically, "Something about... Spiketopia or something called Schmarity?"

"No... wait a minute,” Garbunkle took another look and realized something, Is… am I seeing things?!

He raised his claws and formed a T as he cried out, “Time-out!”

Another flash of light, along with a sensation as though the world was slowing down…!

…and Spike found himself back at the table and saw Midnight, Sunburst, Mac, and Thunderlane, the rest of them (sans the alicorn) looking equally perplexed as Spike asked the million bit question, “What the hay just happened?!”

“Well, I thought, why just play a tabletop game…” Midnight explained with a smug look, “when we can live the game?! So, I took us into my Alicorn Dimension and now we’re playing the game as though it were a real scenario!

“We’re still here, playing the tabletop, but we’re also in my Alicorn Dimension, playing out the game and it’s scenarios, as though we’re actually our characters!”

“But where were we?” asked Thunderlane, raising a hoof, “I could see Garbunkle and Orion as though I were watching a show on TV. But I also felt like I was there, in the tavern! Watching you guys talk…!”

“Me too!” Sunburst brought up.
“Eeyup,” nodded Mac.

“Well, Thunder, Mac, your characters haven’t entered the scenario yet,” explained Midnight, “so the yous here watched what was happening as though it was indeed a show on TV, but the yous in the fantasy watched from the POVs of the background characters.

“As for you, Sunburst, you’re the game master, so it’s the same for you. But since you’re not an actual player, you won’t join the game since you haven’t designed your own character yet. Once your guys’ characters enter the story, you’ll be living the game alongside me as Orion and Spike as Garbunkle. Does that make sense?”

“Wow…!” Sunburst was in awe.
“This is gonna be cooler than I thought it’d be!” agreed Thunderlane.
“Eeyup!”

“So… shall we get back into it?” asked Spike.

“Absolutely, time-in!” Midnight’s horn lit up again…

“Hellooo? You were saying?” Orion teased in a singsong-y tone, “Schmarity? Spiketopia?”

“Er- No! I said… the quest is to recover the Wand of Rule on behalf of Princess Majesty of Ponyland!" griped Garbunkle, and instantly there seemed a change in Orion.

He stood up from his table, grabbed his bow and quiver and stated, "I'm in."

"Wha- Really? Just like that?" Garbunkle flabbergasted.

"Just like that," Orion sighed wearily, "though I have no idea where to find this... Wand of Rule."

"Well thankfully..." Garbunkle reached under his cape and pulled out a scroll, "Princess Majesty saw fit to see me well-informed and prepared for this quest. This scroll speaks of a legendary place known as the Dream Castle, from which the Royal Family of Ponyland once ruled, located in the mysterious Dream Valley."

"Of course..." Orion shook his head woefully, "You do know that place is cursed, right?"

"Uh- Sure I do!" Garbunkle put the scroll away with an indignant poise, "But I am determined not to let the princess down!"

"O-kay, but given where we're going, we're gonna need some help," Orion pointed out, "Luckily, I happen to know a couple guys who would be great to have along in this quest."

Orion placed a few bits onto the table and started for the door, "Let's get going."

"Really? Shouldn't we rest up and head out in the morning?" asked Garbunkle.

"Heh, apparently you don't know who you're talking to," Orion lowered his hood and the edge of his cloak rose up and revealed a leathery wing and gave Garbunkle a better look at his new companion.

Orion was a Lunar Pegasus! His coat was a dusky sapphire blue, his mane black as a nightmare, his wings were cobalt blue, and his ears were tipped with tufts of hair because those hairs in particular were a characteristic of lunar ponies. They were sensitive to sound waves imperceptible to most pony ears, and aided lunar ponies' ability to use echolocation. Their eyes could see even in total darkness, their noses were sharper than any bloodhound's, and their fangs betrayed their diet including meat, meaning they were omnivores.

Lunar Pegasi are the most common type of Lunar Ponies, though Lunar Earth Ponies and Lunar Unicorns did exist.

Alas, Lunar Ponies had a bad rep, with lots of stories calling them pony-eaters or bloodsuckers, and those were the foal-friendly rumors! Garbunkle had heard worse...

Noticing the disturbed look in the wizard's eye, Orion smirked, "Heh, still wanna adventure with me?"

"Uh.... of course I do!" Garbunkle chuckled nervously. "After all, there's really not much time for me to keep searching for more adventurers to accompany me on this quest, and the fact you mentioned two more who could help is a Faustsend!"

"Very well then, let's be off," Orion led them out the door, "the first guy I'm thinking of is a knight of Castle Chadwick."

"Wha- Orion, hold on!" Garbunkle ran out and in front of the lunar pegasus, "I get that you're used to traveling at night, and I will do my best to accommodate you in this quest, but unless these other adventurers you mentioned are lunar ponies too, I think it'd be better if we rested up here tonight before heading out in the morning to see your knight friend."

Orion gave Garbunkle an edged look and for a moment the dragon wizard was afraid he might have offended him.

Sighing, the ranger conceded, "I suppose... After all, my friends aren't lunar ponies themselves, so... your suggestion is sensible."

Garbunkle phew'd and said, "Well, then let me take care of the rooms for tonight."

Sunburst, Spike, Midnight, and Big Mac waited patiently though they were all getting antsy to move things along. Finally, the distant sound of a toilet flushing perked them up as they soon heard the hoofsteps of Thunderlane as he returned.

"Whoo! That's so much better..." Thunderlane sat back down at the table where the game was set up. "Oh, and, uh... I wouldn't go in there for a while, if I were you guys."

"Do I even want to know...?" Sunburst asked rhetorically.

"Can we just get back to the game?!" Spike complained.

"Fine, Midnight, it's your roll," Sunburst brought up.

"Finally!" Midnight levitated the dice and let them roll...

A fine morning made for a pleasant walk through the forest. If you weren't a lunar pony, that is. Garbunkle kept hearing Orion grumble and complain under his hood, avoiding looking up in case any sunlight shined into his sensitive eyes even though the treetops did a fine job keeping the sun at bay.

"Ugh, you know, we'd be making better time if you focused more on walking and less on complaining!" Garbunkle snapped .

"I am a lunar pony! We don't like daylight!" Orion snapped back, "And besides, Castle Chadwick isn't far. At the pace we're making, we should get there before dusk."

"We'd get there sooner if you would fly us to Castle Chadwick!" Garbunkle griped.

"In the full glare of the sun?! No thank you!" Orion harrumph'd.

As the two continued to bicker, they had no idea they were slowly being surrounded. Or at least... Garbunkle had no idea.

"You know what? I've just about had it with you!" Garbunkle pointed his staff at the lunar pegasus, "You're moody, disrespectful, and all-around an unpleasant pony to be arou-"

It was at that point that Orion raised his bow, pulled back an arrow, and launched it in Garbunkle's direction, causing the dragon wizard to cry out in horror and duck even though the arrow missed him. He stood up and threw a glare at Orion, yelling, "Oh that is it!! I'm gonna-"

*Thud*

The sound of something heavy dropping behind him caused Garbunkle to pause mid-sentence, and he slowly turned... and saw what appeared to be a grungy-looking Cat, garbed in dark clothing, a dagger in paw, and an arrow between his eyes. Garbunkle's jaw dropped as he emitted a high-pitched and prolonged squeak of terrified realization.

"I hope you cast as well as you nag, wizard," Orion commented as he prepared another arrow, "because if the dead Cat that was about to kill you isn't clue enough..."

Jumping out of the surrounding foliage were several bandits, consisting of two earth ponies, a griffon, another Cat, and a dragon that was taller and fiercer looking than Garbunkle. They all wore shabby dark clothes, some with scarves wrapped around their faces, and they were armed with daggers, swords, and the griffon carried a crossbow.

"...we have company."

"You find yourselves surrounded by a gang of bandits; you have three options: Attempt to bargain with them, run for your lives, or fight."

"We'll, uh... we'll fight!" Garbunkle raised his staff and prepared a spell.

"The griffon bandit has his crossbow aimed at your party member and is about to shoot; if you roll an 11 or higher, your spell will conjure a shield to protect him. 10 or lower, he gets shot through the leg."

"You'd better not fumble this, 'Garbunkle'..."

*Gulp!/Roll*

"16! Your spell shields Orion, and he quickly takes down the griffon and the dragon bandits!"

"Ha!" Orion's arrows quickly took down the griffon and the dragon bandits, the griffon getting shot in the heart while the dragon choked on his own blood from the arrow piercing his throat's softer skin.

"Orion! Behind you!" Garbunkle warned as he held off the cat bandit.

Orion turned and saw he was about to be trampled by the two earth pony bandits!

"You're about to be attacked, but if you roll a 15 or higher, you will be saved by an unexpected arrival. 14 or lower, you get injured and your primary weapon is broken."

*Roll*

"18! You're on, Sir MacBiggun!"

Orion braced himself for his enemies' assault, only for a large shape to explode out of the nearby foliage and intercept the two earth pony bandits with a shield, pummeling them aside. He was a red unicorn, large and mighty in stature, clad in dark armor with a helm with bladed horns. He had some chin stubble and a few battle scars, and his mane and tail were soft orange as he wielded his sword and shield with his magic.

"Sir MacBiggun! Your timing is impeccable!" Orion smirked while Garbunkle zapped the cat bandit, causing him to yowl as he fell unconscious.

"Eeyup!" Sir MacBiggun responded as he pressed his shield down onto the two earth ponies, preventing them from getting up, and "discouraging" them from trying with his sword to their throats.
"Don't move a muscle, ya varmi- Er, Ah mean, you knaves!"

"We surrender!" the earth pony bandits whined like crybabies.

After tying the remaining bandits up and looting their fallen comrades, Orion declared, "Garbunkle, meet my old friend, Sir MacBiggun, a Knight of the Castle Chadwick."

"An honor to meet you, sir knight," Garbunkle gave a respectful nod. "Orion speaks highly of thee and it appears warranted."

"Y'all're too kind," MacBiggun nodded in response with a polite smile. "Ah was just on patrols when Ah heard th' ruckus an' came t' see wha' was goin' on. Glad Ah did too, these bandits hav' been harrassin' travelers comin' an' goin' from Castle Chadwick fer a while. Ah'm sure muh king will reward ya fer their capture."

"We'd be honored to meet with your king, Sir MacBiggun, though I'm afraid we'd have to depart quickly," Garbunkle quickly explained the mission he was on and had hired Destrier for and how Orion had recommended they recruit Sir MacBiggun for the quest.
"So what do you say, sir knight? Up for a little daring adventure?"

"Ah'm certain muh king wouldn' mind mah absense t' help Prince Majesty," Sir MacBiggun as he levitated the bandits, "Let's turn these troublemakers in, get rewarded, an' after a quick word wit' His Highness, we'll be off."

Before long, they were on their way, again to recruit one more into their party. But first, they were making a stop in a village not far from Castle Chadwick.

"We should hav' our armor an' weapons spruced up," Sir MacBiggun said as they walked through town. "While tha's bein' done, it'd be a good idea t' stock up on anything else we might need."

"I have been meaning to get some new bowstrings and more arrows," Orion agreed, "and I could use some new daggers among other things."

"Then it's settled, we'll take care of our equipment, grab some other things we'll need, and meet back here at the big statue of Lord Stormbreaker," Garbunkle pointed out the statue of a mighty alicorn stallion, reared up, hooves raised, wings spread with lightning bolts extending from the wingtips, a handsome beard and brazen smile.
"Then we can grab lunch or something and continue on for... who's this next pony you mentioned, Orion?"

"A skilled warrior," Orion answered with a reverent tone. "He is a Monk warrior, traveling to improve his skills in martial arts. Last I heard, he was seeking a... new level of harmony or something, and he's supposed to be in a forest that's a quick trek aways from this village. Hopefully we'll find him and we can convince him to join our party."

"Aw'righty, let's split up an' get crackin'," MacBiggun declared and the other two nodded.

But before they could go their separate ways to stock up-

"AAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHHH!!!!!" "LOOK OUT!!" "MANTICOOOOOORRRRREEEE!!!!!!!!"

The three of them spun `round and saw a panic of villagers running from a large beast that had the body of a lion, demonic horns and wings, and the tail of a scorpion, snarling and growling as it prowled through the streets, gazing around hungrily.

"Forsooth! A Manticore has invaded the village, sending everypony into a panic! You have the options of running and maybe you get away, hide and hope it doesn't find you, or face the monster!"

"To arms, fellow adventurers!" Garbunkle raised his staff, "A beast threatens these good folk and we must come to their aid!"

"I'll draw its attention!" Orion took flight, rising up onto the rooftops, where he took aim and fired a couple arrows at the manticore's face, only for them to get buried and entangled in the beast’s mane, angering it as it roared in his general direction.

It raised its scorpion-like tail... and flung it towards Orion, sending several harpoon-sized stingers in his direction!

"The Manticore surprises you by shooting stingers from its tail! Roll a 16 or higher and you'll dodge unscathed, 10 or lower, you'll be impaled by all of them. If you roll 11 to 15, you'll dodge most of them but one will scratch you."

Orion had not been expecting the monster to have a long-range attack and quickly lunged one way, and gritted his teeth as all but one of the stingers missed. It didn't strike any vital spots, but it still left a scratch on his flank. Almost immediately, he felt his flank burn in agony that he dropped his bow and struggled to stand.

"Urgh! Guys, watch out for those stingers!" Orion gritted through his teeth, "They're poison!"

The manticore growled as it prepared to pounce its incapacitated prey, only to get blindsided by Sir MacBiggun, as the unicorn knight charged into the beast, using his shield. He snorted as he continued to push the manticore back, until finally, he had it braced up against the side of a building and struggled to keep it pinned, even as it snarled and thrashed and tried to sting MacBiggun with its tail.

Garbunkle raised his staff and yelled, "Sir MacBiggun! When I give you the signal, get out of the way!"

"You are preparing a spell to subdue the manticore. If you roll a 17 or higher, you'll succeed. Any lower, the manticore will get loose and you will be in danger!"

In the midst of his concentration, Garbunkle almost failed to notice the manticore manage to throw MacBiggun off and then lunge for the little wizard before his spell was ready!

"The party leader is in danger! Roll a 15 or more and you'll save him, but if you roll a 19 you'll also inflict critical damage!"

Just when it seemed Garbunkle would be fatally embraced in fangs and claws, from out of nowhere came a dark gray and golden blur that struck a flying kick right into the side of the manticore's head, sending the beast for a loop while the blur grabbed Garbunkle and zipped away to a safe distance. Once his horrific moment of terror was over, Garbunkle gazed up at his rescuer and saw he was an earth pony.

A lean and strong earth pony with a dark gray coat, his mane, silvery bluish-white, was styled in a topknot, a cloth headband around his forehead, and he wore a martial arts apparel, consisting of a dōgi colored golden white, and a dark hakama.

"Uh, thanks for the save," Garbunkle offered his hand...but the earth pony only bowed and brought his hooves together.

"You are welcome, wise wizard, but let's focus on the task at hoof," the earth pony faced the manticore as it was getting up and glaring bloody murder at him for the nasty-looking bruise on its head.
"Because it appears the task is not polite enough to wait out the formalities."

The manticore roared as it whipped its tail forwards, sending a score of stingers flying at the earth pony and Garbunkle. The wizard cringed but cast a shield spell, raising a bubble of mana around himself while the earth pony simply jumped back, avoiding some of the stingers, while he twisted his body around, evading the rest. The manticore launched more stingers, but this time the earth pony raised his forehooves... and with unseen skill and speed he batted them all aside, not one managing to leave so much as a scratch.

"Your martial arts skills serve you well, but you must end this before somepony else gets hurt. Roll a 16 or higher and you can perform a finishing skill. Any less and the manticore will cause more damage and suffering to the village and its inhabitants!"

"This must end..." the earth pony took a stance to gather his ki, the manticore snarling as it began to charge its opponent, only to stumble as Garbunkle cast a binding spell, conjuring chains of magical energy to impede the monster's movements. The earth pony took a deep breath... before he charged forward, moving faster than the eye could follow, and held his hoof over the manticore's chest, everyone, even the monster, in awe!

"Touch of Thunder..." the Earth Pony Martial Artist declared softly as he released a concentrated burst of ki, its power surging through the monstrous cat, and expelling out its back in a flash of crackling light!

...

And then, the manticore dropped, not dead but no longer able to cause any more trouble, and the Earth Pony Martial Artist stepped back, taking another deep breath, as he put his hooves together.

Now that the danger was past, introductions were made and the injured were tended to.

"Ouch! Watch it, Jin Fuu, it's still tender!" Orion complained as his old friend tended to his wound.

"Good to see you feel the pain," responded Jin Fuu, the Earth Pony Martial Artist who had saved the day, as he channeled his chi into his hooves as he held them over the scratch where Destrier had been poisoned.
"It means the healing technique is working."

They were in the village inn where Destrier had introduced Garbunkle and Sir MacBiggun to Jin Fuu, a warrior monk of the Faustynn Temple, and Jin Fuu to them. They were enjoying a meal while they let Jin Fuu treat them, thanks to his expertise in healing arts using ki and herbal remedies.

"So, whattya say, Jin Fuu?" asked Garbunkle hopefully. "Are you up for some adventure and saving a kingdom?"

"The universe guided me to this village," Jin Fuu responded in a distant tone, "and I am certain it is to aid you in your quest. It will be my honor."

"Good t' hear," MacBiggun nodded, "Ah think we'll be better off wit' you on board. So Garbunkle, let's head out an' get them supplies we wer' gonna get earlier."

"Orion and I shall await you here," Jin Fuu added, "By the time you return, he should be back on his hooves and ready for the journey ahead."

Author's Note

This replaces "Dungeons & Discords"

Orion
Sex: M
Type: Lunar Pegasus
Class: Ranger
Player: Midnight Blaze
Weapons:
*Hunter's Bow
*Twin Daggers
*Arrows and Magic Arrows

Garbunkle
Sex: M
Type: Dragon
Class: Wizard
Player: Spike
Weapons:
*Magic Staff
*Spell Book

Sir MacBiggun
Sex: M
Type: Unicorn
Class: Knight
Player: Macintosh
Weapons:
*Sword & Shield

Jin Fuu
Sex: M
Type: Earth Pony
Class: Monk
Player Thunderlane
Weapons:
*Hoof Bracers

Game Master (Sunburst)

408. Roll of the Dice - Part 2

The guys waited eagerly as Midnight returned, levitating the perfect spread for a guys' night and set it around the game board, as he declared, "Alrighty, boys, chips n' dip, two large size pizza pies from Pepper Pony's, perfectly chilled colt cola and sprix sodas, cheesed oatburgers with sesame seed buns, and of course a Sugarcube Corner Sampler Platter! Stuff yourselves silly!"

Spike, Mac, Thunderlane, and Sunburst happily took Midnight up on that and prepared to gorge, taking the paper plates and cups Midnight had also provided, helping themselves until they had filled their plates and gotten their drinks before settling to feed their bellies. For a short while there was silence except for scarfing, mmm'ing, gulping, slurping, until it concluded with a belching contest that Mac won hooves down although Spike came close, thanks to his dragonly gut giving him a boost.

The guys sat a while, enjoying the satisfying bliss that came from a full belly, and after a while, Sunburst sat up and cleared his throat, "Okay, uh- Anyone else still hungry or should we get back into it?"

"I'm good!"
"Me too."
"Me three."
"Eeyup."

"Okay then, the party has completed their preparations and have begun their quest," Sunburst started off, "the first leg of their journey... lies through the Forest of Fear...!"

The adventure had truly begun. The wizard, the ranger, the knight, and the monk had left the village after saving it from the Manticore, for which the mayor had rewarded them with all the supplies they needed, and Orion, being the ranger and thus a master of traversing the wilds, led them onward to the dreaded Forest of Fear. The noonday sun had passed, and though nightfall was still a ways off, it was still gloomy and ominous beneath the thick canopy of the forest, known for being home to many fearsome beasts and vicious creatures.

Garbunkle clutched his staff, a bit fidgety at the environment. Sir MacBiggun gulped as he was half-startled by the distant cry of some kind of animal. Orion led the party while Jin Fuu brought up the rear. Though they were composed, both the ranger and the monk were nervous as well as their senses were vigilant for any indication of danger.

"Oh...! Why couldn't we have taken the route towards the Dragon's Spine mountain range?" Garbunkle complained fretfully.

"We discussed this, that way would take far too long," Orion reminded the wizard, "and in case you forgot what we heard at the tavern before we left the village?"

"Eeyup, wer' not th' only ones a'searchin' for th' Wand o' Rule," MacBiggun sighed, "th' nice barmare told us someone's gone an' hired some mercs t' find the Wand too!"

"A web of conspiracy weaves around Princess Majesty," Jin Fuu spoke with caution, "whether by her or against her, is too soon to tell..."

"Going along the Dragon's Spine would increase the chances of us encountering those mercenaries," Orion nodded, "but no merc would dare to pass through the Forest of Fear."

*Grrrawwwbbbleee...*

"What was that?!" Garbunkle yelped as he raised his staff, ready to cast a spell.

"Ur- Tha' was me, sorry..." MacBiggun blushed as his tummy continued to growl.

"Shush up your gut!" Orion hissed, "Or every predator nearby will be on us!"

"Ah can't help it! When Ah get nervous, Ah get hungry...!" MacBiggun replied apologetically, when a scent tickled at his nose. He took a sniff. Then some more, and then a big whiff! "Sumpin' smells... yummy!"

"A delicious smell beckons at you, making your stomach growl even louder! Roll a 12 or higher and resist your hunger but increase the chance of encountering opposition. 11 or lower, you give in and follow the scent."

"Alrighty, here goes...!"

*Roll*

"9. You give into your hunger and follow the scent."

"MacBiggun..." Orion said warily as his friend licked his lips.
"Uh-oh...!" Garbunkle gulped.
"Tell me he's not...!" Jin Fuu began, but Mac Biggun confirmed it for him.

"Ah'm a comin' t' get it! YEEHAW!" MacBiggun reared up to flail his front legs before he took off through the foliage, following the delicious smell.

"After him!" Orion yelled and they hurried after their hungry friend.

Despite calling out to MacBiggun, warning him, trying to dissuade him, their words fell on ears deafened by a hungry belly growling at MacBiggun to feed it.

"I knew we should have had a bigger meal before we left the village!" Garbunkle griped as he did his best to keep up.
"He won't even stop to go through his pack for the food he has!" Orion pointed out.
"Sir MacBiggun's mind is fogged with hunger," Jin Fuu noted, "thus, he is not thinking clearly."

Indeed, as MacBiggun panted like a dog, his gut grumbling more in anticipation of whatever was causing that delicious smell. Finally, MacBiggun came to a halt and saw the source of that delectable aroma.

There, sitting on a lonesome stump, was perhaps the most beautiful, the most glorious, the most perfectly ripe golden apple the knight had ever seen!

"An apple? Really?"
"It was the first thing that came to mind!"

The others caught up with MacBiggun, just in time to see him take his first bite of the apple, causing them all to shout, "NOOO!!!!"

*THWICK, THWASH,SHHLIP, WAKISH*

The four adventurers all screamed as they all suddenly found themselves hanging upside-down, bouncing a little, as they hung by their legs from ropes, and realized, it was a trap.

"Augh! My ankle!"
"Well this is a fine how-do-you do..."
"Way to go, MacBiggun, always thinking with your stomach!"

MacBiggun didn't respond, as he mmm'd at the taste of the delectable Golden Apple awash in his mouth and carried on with his snacking.

"We need to free ourselves before whoever set this trap shows up," Jin Fuu brought up.

"Garbunkle, can you do something about this? We dropped our weapons!" Orion pointed to his bow and knives, MacBiggun's sword and shield, but there was also Garbunkle's staff.

"I can't do magic without my staff, I need a conduit to channel my mana," Garbunkle responded.

Gulping down the rest of the apple, MacBiggun spoke up, "Well, uh... Ah can use mah magic t' undo th' ropes."

"Then get to it, you big oaf!" Orion groaned, his cheek mushed up against MacBiggun's plot, "And after this, we're gonna have a talk..."

MacBiggun grimaced, but he focused his energy towards his horn, envisioning the ropes coming undone-

"WHOA!!" "ACK!" AUGH!" "WHOOPS!"

*Kerplump*

"Ow..." "Mmmaybe Ah shoulda lowered th' ropes insteada undoin' `em?" "Get your butt out of my face!"

The achy groans and dumb statements and nasty comments came to an end when the foliage around them all shook and quivered... before numerous furry savage looking creatures seemed to melt out of the forest, clutching spears, clubs, bows n' arrows, wooden shields covered in rawhide, their fierce eyes aimed at their catch of the day. They had bodies like apes, but with the heads and tails of hyenas, and paw-like hands. They had large sharp teeth, vicious claws, were garbed in tribal loincloths, leggings, wore trinkets made from bones, animal teeth and claws, some had feathers extending from headbands, some wore shoulder straps, and most of them had what seemed to be war paint in their fur in various colors and patterns.

"Uh-oh..." MacBiggun uttered dumbly.

"Orion, what are they?" Jin Fuu asked.

"Gnolls..." Orion whispered cautiously, "they're a tribal race known for being savage and ruthless! We need to get our weapons..."

"Ohhh, my head..." Garbunkle whined as he sat up, revealing himself from under some ferns, holding up his staff to lean on, and the sight of him caused all the gnolls to suddenly GASP!

Two large gnolls started speaking with each other, in a language that sounded like gnashing teeth and guttural growls, the rest seemed to mutter under their breaths as they gazed in awe of the little dragon wizard... before they all began to bow while growling softly in a rhythmic manner, bewildering the adventurers.

"Wha... what's going on?" asked Jin Fuu.
"Search me," MacBiggun responded dumbly.
"I- I've... never seen gnolls act like this," Orion was equally stumped.

Then, one of the gnolls spoke directly to Garbunkle, confusing the dragon wizard a moment before he remembered he had his staff back, and the jewel lit up softly as he cast a spell. Garbunkle then responded to the gnoll that had addressed him, in the gnoll's own language! Although Garbunkle spoke more slowly and hesitantly. When their conversation seemed to get a little more animated, Orion interrupted, "Uh- Garbunkle? Can you understand what they're saying?"

"Somewhat, yeah," Garbunkle replied, "although my translation magic is a little rusty."

"What are you telling them?" asked Jin Fuu.

"...'Hello', I think," Garbunkle shrugged, "It's hard to say, because their language is kinda primitive, they don't have a broader context for things like we do. But it seems they think that I'm some sort of god!"

MacBiggun and Jin Fuu shared a deadpan look while Orion suggested, "Well, then why don't you use your 'divine influence' and get us out of this mess?"

"Sorry, Orion, but that's kind of a no-no for me," Garbunkle shrugged apologetically.

"No-no?" Orion echoed, his tone laced with impatience.

"I am a wizard, and it is against the Code of Merlin for us to impersonate a deity," Garbunkle answered as though that were that.

"Oh, you can take your 'Code of Merlin' and shove it right up your-" Orion raised his voice when there was a 'THWIT' sound and almost instantly a feathered dart in his neck, causing him to keel over a moment after.

"We're in trouble," Jin Fuu deadpanned.
"Eeyup," nodded MacBiggun.

The party was taken to the gnoll village, where Garbunkle was placed among a primitive throne, decorated with brilliant feathers and animal skulls. As for the others, MacBiggun and Jin Fuu were tied vertically to posts while Orion was tied to one horizontal and set over what a pile of wood.

"Garbunkle..." Orion called out, already having an idea of the direction this was going, "would you care to ask your new subjects exactly what's going on here?"

"Uh, sure thing!" Garbunkle replied, before he cast his translation spell again, making his words sound like the gnoll language, and he addressed one of the gnolls near him, looking and sounding curious.

The gnoll responded, sounding respectful to Garbunkle's query while pointing to Orion, and then the other two adventurers, and then rubbing his belly while licking his chomps. Garbunkle grimaced before telling his friends, "Well, uh... gentlecolts, it seems you are all to be cooked into a feast in my honor..."

"Garbunkle, you must tell them to set us free," Jin Fuu suggested with an edge of insistence.

"Right, uh..." Garbunkle spoke to the gnolls again, at first perplexing them but then they all growled and shook their heads, grumbling, and Garbunkle was stumped.

"I take it they said 'no'," Orion remarked with the barest sarcasm and felt his heart jump into his throat when he noticed a gnoll approaching with a lit torch. "Garbunkle...!"

Garbunkle then tried speaking to the gnolls again, but the one approaching Orion was already lowering the torch to light the fire-

*Vzing/fwit*

"Hurgh?!" the gnoll with the torch was surprised to see it had snuffed itself out somehow.

Orion's sharp eyes noticed MacBiggun's horn had faintly glowed for a moment, and he phew'd in relief, realizing MacBiggun had used his magic to put out the torch. That relief went out the window however when the gnoll raised his fingers and snapped them, a small fire igniting above the fingertip, obviously some kind of magic, and he bent down to light the firewood. Orion gave MacBiggun an alarmed look, and MacBiggun cast his quenching spell on the gnoll's fire, annoying him as he tried again, and again MacBiggun snuffed it.

It would have been funny, seeing as this went on for a bit, but then another gnoll noticed MacBiggun, and barked out something, alerting the others of MacBiggun's magical meddling. The gnoll Garbunkle was talking to growled and then pointed at MacBiggun, snarling some kind of order, and two gnolls began to approach the prisoners, one holding a heavy crude blade.

"Oh no, MacBiggun!" Garbunkle called out in warning. "They're gonna cut off your horn!"

"Nnope, nnope, nnope!" MacBiggun started struggling to get free as he used telekinetic pulses to push the approaching gnolls away, but they all knew sooner or later they'd succeed.

Thinking quickly, Orion had an idea!
"Garbunkle, cover your ears! MacBiggun, use your magic to protect yours and Jin's ears!"

He waited for them to do so, and once they all nodded, Orion took in as big an inhale as he could breathe... and SCREAMED!!!!

The sheer force in the Lunar Pony's Sonic Scream, which was aimed directly at the ground beneath him, sent the firewood, as well as ashy remains of the last fire, hurtling in all directions. The lucky gnolls got ash and dirt in their eyes and mouths, the unlucky ones got their noggins struck by pieces of the firewood, and almost all of them got their eardrums blasted with such agony they did their best to cover their ears while screaming as well. Those that had been too close were sent flying backwards.

As the dust settled, the gnolls that weren't blown away were either unconscious or heaped about in a moaning daze. The firewood was gone, and the force of his scream had made Orion rise up into a somewhat slanted vertical position... until his weight caused the pole he was still tied to to tip over, and he YIPE'd as he fell flat on his face, leaving him groaning as well.

"Huh. That's one way..." Garbunkle was so glad he'd covered his ears, as Orion had warned him, and quickly grabbed his staff and levitated Orion back up while undoing his bonds. "Doing alright there, Orion?"

"Ugh... ask me when we get the hay out of here," Orion grumbled before saying, "Free the others while I get our weapons."

"Right," Garbunkle hurried over to Jin Fuu and MacBiggun, the two of them a little dazed from the sonic scream. "Hold on, guys, I'll have you free in a jiffy."

But just as Garbunkle did so and the two stallions slumped down, freed as well, they heard a "BLAURGH!!!" and looked to see a large gnoll, his arms pumped with muscle and his middle plump with fat, wearing more elaborate tribal wear and a headdress of bone, indicating this was the gnoll chief. He snarled and pointed a condemning claw at Garbunkle as he spoke in the gnoll language and Garbunkle gulped.

"Wha'd he say?" asked MacBiggun, having just snapped out of his daze.

"Er... he just declared me an imposter and that I will pay for deceiving him and his tribe, along with you, my heathen followers... something like that," Garbunkle with an uncomfortable grimace.

"Seriously? They're the ones who mistook you for their deity," Jin Fuu remarked.

But then, the gnoll chief barked out something that sounded like "GNARFAS!!" before growling as he pointed at the adventurers... and they heard a nearby roar so savage it sent an unsettling chill into the marrow of their bones.

Before any of them could ask what that was, the answer made itself known by jumping over the nearby huts that still stood and landing several yards away from them. It as a HUGE gnoll but with four arms! He had blood red fur, a tawny underbelly, dark brown spots, wore a loincloth and a crossbelt harness over his chest, and he wielding a large polearm weapon where each end had a chain that connected to heavy morning stars. His body was covered with battle scars, his mouth was filled with grisly bloodstained teeth, and he had a scar around his left dead eye while his right eye, colored molten gold, was glaring straight at them.

"You've avoided becoming dinner, but the gnoll chief has summoned the champion of his tribe, Gnarfas! Roll an 18 or more and you'll be able to cast a sleeping spell and escape without a problem. Any lower and you must fight..."

"Oh boy...!" *Roll*

"2. Sorry, guys! Time for a mini-boss battle."

"Aw c'mon, Sunburst! Those odds were way too low! I wanna roll again."

"Sorry, rules are rules. Look out for Gnarfas's first attack...!"

"DUCK!!" Jin Fuu cried out as he pushed Garbunkle and MacBiggun's heads down, and just in the nick of time, for Gnarfas had whirled his morning star pole-arm and sent one of the spike-covered cannonball-sized flails hurtling towards them. It passed over them by a hairsbreadth and utterly totaled the tree that they'd been standing in front of.

"Guys, get back!" Garbunkle got up and pointed his staff at the mutant gnoll, yelling, "Oculus Obscuro!"

A haze of magic, like a shimmering shadow, flew from the top of Garbunkle's staff, and wrapped itself around Gnarfas' head, covering his eyes like a blindfold. The monstrous gnoll warrior snarled in annoyance as he used one of his hands to try and rip the conjured blindfold off, only to feel nothing! It was as if the blindfold wasn't really there and yet it did its job, making him unable to see. Gnarfas snarled in vexation when he realized he couldn't tear off the blindfold, as it was made of magic, and held up his pole-arm/flail /morning star weapon and started lashing it out, hoping to get lucky.

Thankfully, they just had to keep out of range, but they knew eventually Gnarfas would change tactics.

"I have to maintain the spell to keep him blind!" Garbunkle explained to his friends while keeping his focus upon their foe, "Prepare for battle!"

"You're gonna need these!" They all turned to see Orion arrive, carrying their weapons, and quickly passed over MacBiggun's sword and shield, and Jin Fuu's hoof bracers, while Orion strapped on his knives and made sure his bow and quiver were at the ready.
"Garbunkle, how much longer can you keep him blinded?"

"As long as I don't run out of mana, but I could drop the spell and use something more offensive!" Garbunkle responded with a groan, indicating he was feeling pressured.

"You have a choice whether to keep the enemy blinded and go without your magical support, or end the advantage and have your wizard back you up. Which do you choose?"

"Drop the spell, Garbunkle! We'll face him together!"

"Alright... when I give the signal, attack before he can get his wits back...!" Garbunkle responded.

"Surround him!" Orion yelled to his comrades. MacBiggun drew closer, raising his shield in front of him and his sword at his side, Jin Fuu moving to stand at the opposite position, keeping Gnarfas between them though they stayed out of range of his weapon, which continued to flail about with lethal force. Orion flapped his wings and used his magic to adhere himself to stand on the trunk of a nearby tree, and took aim with his bow, an arrow ready to fly.

"NOW!!!" Garbunkle yelled as he dropped in relief, his spell ending, and the blindfold covering Gnarfas' eyes vanished like a wisp of smoke.

As light and vision was restored to the savage warrior, he blinked in a daze... when he felt something heavy crash into his side and then something cut one of his hands off! He roared more in shock than in agony, when what felt like armored hooves struck him in the face and then he felt more hooves kick his hand holding his weapon, causing him to drop it.

Before Gnarfa could look for his weapon to pick it up, an explosion of AGONY burst in his eye socket as an arrow found its mark, destroying Gnarfas' remaining good eye.

"Tethar Riaso!" cried out the same voice that had blinded him earlier, and he felt something like ropes tie his legs together, and he flailed his arms, trying to balance himself, but it did no good, and he went down like a tree falling to an axe.

"MacBiggun! It's all you!" Garbunkle yelled as he cast another spell, "Levité!"

"EEYUP!!" MacBiggun felt the magic give him a boost and he was airborne, his sword raised...!

*SHUNK*

Gnarfas let out a gurgly growl of choked agony... and his body moved no more, MacBiggun drawing his blade out from the between the monster's shoulder blades.

The comrades all converged on MacBiggun, whooping, sharing kudos, when...

"What... have you done?!" They looked to see the gnoll chieftain glaring bloody murder at them as he seethed, "You've ruined everything... EVERYTHING!!!"

*Thwipshink/"GAUGH!!"*

And just like that, the gnoll chieftain keel over from the arrow Orion had shot straight between his eyes. The others gave him a somewhat frightened look, and he shrugged, "What?! He tried to cook us, and he sicc'd his freak champion on us. Did you want to deal with his raving vengeance?"

They shared a deadpan look and shrugged in agreement before they all took some nice plunder from the gnoll village and continued their quest.

Author's Note

Oculus Obscuro (Latin for 'eye in the dark') Conjures a shroud of mana to blindfold a target, rendering them unable to see

Tethar Riaso (Tether + Lariat + Lasso) Conjures a rope of mana to lash out and snare a target

Levité (Derived from 'Levitate') Levitates a target or gives one a boost into the air

410. In Swamp Water - Part 1

The pounding of his hammer-shoe onto the heated metal held in place by his free hoof was Terra's medium. His focus. His sense of clarity through the effort of his work as a smith. It'd been a while since he'd settled into Ponyville after being knighted by his old friend, Blueblood, and been given the title of Royal Armorer by Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight, with the duty of helping the Harmony Guard in the general upkeep of their armor and weapons.

He'd been given a forge next to the HG garrison, located on the edge of the field behind the Castle of Friendship. At least once a week, the Captain of the Harmony Guard and fellow knight, Firestorm, ran the members of the guard through some exercises to keep them in shape and disciplined. Terra himself had participated in guard training and found it invigorating, and was pleased with the results of helping him to bulk a little in muscle.

Still, nothing beat the hard work and breaking a sweat in his forge, as it was not only his passion and his purpose... but it was a welcome distraction.

"Terra!" The big golden earth pony looked up, pushing up his welding goggles (warded to protect his whole face, not just his eyes) and saw Firestorm and Midnight standing in the doorway of the forge.

Firestorm, as Terra learned, was actually in his sixties, but some unexpected magical incident had restored him to his physical prime as well as... dragonized him, as it were, giving him the horns, scales, tail, and claws of a dragon while mostly keeping his original pony form, and of course he was a young-again unicorn stallion. Midnight was an alicorn, standing tall, strong, and handsome, with only a large scar on his chest he received from battling a corrupt businessmane in magical armor. Firestorm wore only a sash with his captain badge pinned to it, and Midnight was naked.

If Terra wasn't already in a commited relationship (albeit one on hold at the moment) he'd be interested in these two studs, though he was imemdiately turned off by Firestorm's rough demeanor and Midnight was married.

I ain't no homewrecker, he thought to himself with a light chuckle. "Hey there, gentlecolts, what can I do for you?"

"I've been meaning to speak with you about the quality of HG armor," Firestorm started off, in a all-business type of mood, "Prince Midnight agrees with me that the armor for the Harmony Guard could do with some magical enhancements and protective measures, and seeing as you're Royal Armorer, this discussion concerns you as well."

"Er- What Captain Firestorm is getting at, Terra," Midnight interjected more kindly, "we'd like to speak with you in how to improve the HG armor with magical enhancements, like he said, but we also want your opinion. We're aware you studied magical theory with Blueblood."

Magical enhancements to the guard armor, huh... Terra thought as he began to put his tools away and snuffed out the fire in his forge, "Well, what kind of enhancements do you have in mind? Do the guards need to be stronger, faster, have better protection?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Firestorm immediately responded, "The HG and both its divisions need to be ready for whatever that witch Catrina is plotting, and there's no telling when, where, or how she'll strike when she makes her next move!"

"Ready for whatever, huh? Well, why don't you make a list of anything else that comes to mind and leave it here in the forge," Terra said with a sigh in his voice as he put his welding goggles on the little hook on the wall and set his hammershoe below it, "I'll go over it and see what I can do.

"I'm closing up shop for the day. I could really use a drink..."

"A drink?! Now listen here, you-" Firestorm started indignantly, only for Midnight to raise a hoof to him causing him to clam up.

"We can postpone the talk the next time before you come in for your work, Terra," Midnight said kindly, "Go ahead and get some you-time."

"Thank you very much," Terra gave the sapphire stallion a grateful smile before moseying along and leaving his forge.

The prince and captain watched Terra go, and Midnight sighed with a light worry, "Boy, he looks blue..."

"I'd say brownish-gold," Firestorm responded in a rather deadpan tone.

"No, no, no, I mean he's depressed," Midnight clarified.

"Oh..." Firestorm finally got it through his thick skull and realized he remembered where he'd seen this kind of behavior in Terra. In himself, after his wife passed away. "I'm guessing distance from his somepony has not made his heart grow fonder, or something."

"He just misses his special somepony," Midnight nodded, "Faust knows I did when I had to keep my distance from my wife and everyone else I loved..."

Saveur de Rose was perhaps one of the most popular places in Ponyville, as it was its newest tea shop. There had been a few tea shops in Ponyville before, but none had been so elegant and classy and enjoyable as the Rose.

It was owned, managed, and lived in by Golden Rose, a true gentlecolt of an earth pony, who just so happened to be of Prench descent. His coat was pale pink, like blossoms in bloom, his mane and tail like vibrant pink roses with streaks of gentle golden yellow that paled in comparison to his beautiful golden eyes, his cutie-mark was a stylized golden rose symbol, and he had some faint but noticeable heart-shaped spot-like markings on different parts of his body that were just a shade darker than his coat. He was tall, with long legs, a narrow but handsome face, and his unexpectedly bottom-heavy backside emphasized his good looks in all the right ways rather than mar them.

Maybe it was how Rose's passive way of speaking Prench. Maybe it was the delightful and refreshing tastes of his own personal mixes of teas as well as his scrumptious little cakes, or maybe it was his drop-dead good looks! Whatever it was, Rose was never in want of customers as his tea shop so very often had many of the local mares (and perhaps a few stallions) swing by to order a cup of tea with a cake to go with it, the mixtures he'd made himself that were secret recipes to die for. Many tried to shoot the breeze with Rose or invite him out to spend time together or to some little shindig or soiree.

However, they were always disappointed, as Rose never failed to politely decline, citing his responsibility to run his shop and serve his customers.

So it became somewhat obvious in how much more receptive Rose was to Terra, when the golden earth pony started visiting the Rose after meeting its proprietor and they immediately struck up a rapport.

It'd been shortly after Blueblood had brought Terra to Ponyville and helped him find housing to settle in. Terra had accepted Blueblood's offer of a tour of the town, during which he'd got his first glimpse of a perfectly plush and softly pink posterior, standing in front of a tea shop!

He hadn't meant to stare, it was just so darn beautiful... up until the pony had turned around to give him a look, how embarrassed he'd been. But then the pony had given him a flirty wink and beckoned him and Blueblood over.

Blueblood had introduced Terra to Golden Rose of the Saveur de Rose, knowing him through his wife, Rarity, one of Rose's most frequent customers (and perhaps one of the few whose company he actually enjoyed, since Rarity was able to determine Rose's... preferences).

Having easily seen Terra's interest in him, Rose had beckoned him over and welcomed the golden earth pony to enjoy a fresh cup on him, and it didn't take long for Terra to become a frequent customer. Every time he showed up, Rose gave him more attention than any other customer, especially the mares, which had the intended effect Rose had been going for... though he could not deny the interest Terra had in him became mutual, and one night, before closing shop, Rose had invited Terra to his bed, and since then they became more than just friends.

It was the middle of the afternoon though afternoon teatime had come and gone, so the Rose was mostly empty apart from Golden Rose himself along with a couple older mares gossiping in one of the corner booths while Terra sat at his usual bar seat.

He'd already poured Terra his usual cup and provided the little cake he enjoyed to go with it. It didn't escape Rose's notice that his favorite customer had hardly touched his tea and cake, though he kept it casual, before asking, "So, how's work going? Anything interesting happen at the forge, mon ami, or did you get to do more research on those geo crystals you told me about?"

"Nothing much really happened today," Terra shrugged in a 'what're you gonna do' manner as he gently swirled the contents of his teacup, "Aside from more work piling on to more work. It's nothing I can't handle but it can really wear a stallion out..."

"Well, if you're feeling worn out, my bed's fun-sized, as you very well know, "Rose flirted, raising his voice just a tad, enough for the mares in the corner booth table to hear him and gasp softly, one in a 'why, I never' sort of way, the other in a blushing 'oh my', causing them to leave the pay for their tea at their table and scurry out. Perfect, now it's just the two of us...

"Tempting as I find that, I'm just not in the mood today, Rose," Terra sighed as he rested his cheek onto his hoof, eyes downwards. "I'm just... not feeling my mojo lately."

"You miss Praetura," responded the understanding voice of Rose, and Terra gawked at the pale pink stallion, cleaning a teacup, for having hit the nail on the head. "Oh, don't be so surprised, I've seen that same yearning look on your face before on other ponies."

"Is it really that obvious?" asked Terra in a slightly doubtful way, only to get a raised brow from Rose in response. Taking a deep breath and pursing his lips in exhale, Terra conceded, "Alright, fine, yes... I miss Praetura, Rose! I understand why he had to go, but... I miss his holding me, how safe he makes me feel, how he... how he smells, how he riles me up!"

"I know, I know," Rose chuckled lightly before giving Terra and understanding smile, "Look, Terr, we have fun, and I've really enjoyed getting to know you, but... I know I'm no replacement for Praetura, given all you've told me about him."

"No, you're not Praetura," Terra nodded before he reached across the counter and took Rose's hoof into his own, "You're my Rose, and Prae will gladly call you his Rose too, when he... when he finally gets here..."

"Oh? Does this mean we should be expecting him anytime soon?" Rose asked, hopeful and curious.

Sighing, Terra sat back on his chair and shook his head, "No... I mean, we've stayed in touch with letters, and he said things are coming along nicely in Enterra-"

"Heh, very creative name," Rose teased.

"Oh hush you," Terra chuckled a bit before continuing, "But he hasn't mentioned or implied he'd be done anytime soon."

"Well, maybe you just need something to take your mind off your troubles," Rose offered with sultry smirk. "We don't have to get intimate, but... what do you say to just spending the rest of the day out together, mon ami? Maybe a walk in the park or something."

"...y'know what, Rose," Terra perked up a bit. "I think that's a great idea."

Both stallions gave each other a warm smile before they leaned forward and nuzzled sweetly... only for it to end when Terra was startled by a strange sensation in his flanks. It felt like a tickle and a spasm at the same time, and he jerked his head back to see what was going on.

"Oh my, Terra!" Rose marveled at the sight of Terra's anvil cutie-mark glowing a purple and gold light. "Am I so desirable that your gloriously golden glutes are lighting up in response?"

"Funny! But... no, I think this is something else," Terra wondered before remember something Blueblood had told him and he realized, "The map is calling me!"

"To... where?" Terra didn't recognize the location where his cutie-mark was circling above the map. It was a large area south of Baltimare and west of Horseshoe Bay.

"If I'm not mistaken," Terra looked to see Twilight, Spike, and Midnight coming as Twilight levitated a book in front of her before turning it around for Terra to see, "You're being summoned by the map to Hayseed Swamps!"

"A swamp?" Terra couldn't hide the disappointment. He'd been honored to be knighted by his friend Blueblood, and he had been hoping for his time to come to prove himself a true knight (mostly to himself), but...
"Wouldn't a place like Canterlot or the Crystal Empire, or maybe... the Macintosh Hills make more sense for a... what did you call these, Midnight?"

"A Knightly Mission," Midnight answered with an understanding smile, "Sometimes the Map calls upon someone to a location to solve a Friendship Problem, or it calls upon a knight for what we call a Knightly Mission. Friendship Problems are problems that can be solved with friendship, though the concept can apply to a lot of things, plus more than one pony is sent to solve Friendship Problems together. Whereas Knightly Missions are just for the knights and you always go solo to resolve a situation involving a wrong or some kind of injustice. That isn't to say, it's always some kind of harrowing and dangerous adventure however.

"My first Knightly Mission was to stop a pony from harassing a herd-family and helping them find peace with each other while also preventing this pony from trying to ban herds in her community."

"Well, Blueblood helped me and Praetura stand up for the Geo Ponies and help them finally become a part of Equestria," Terra recalled before giving the location on the map another look.
"Still, I wonder what could be out in some swamp that needs a knight for."

"Hayseed Swamp isn't just some swamp, Terra," Twilight assured while turning the page to an old illustration of a pony wearing some kind of mask, "It's known for having been the home of Mage Meadowbrooke, a renowned and celebrated healer and also an earth pony sorceress!"

"An earth pony sorceress?" Terra echoed in disbelief, "I thought only unicorns could be considered sorcerers and wizards and things like that."

"Not necessarily," Twilight explained, "Magic comes in all kinds of forms besides spellcasting like unicorns do. It can also come in the form of potions, alchemy, enchanting..."

"And though the art isn't as well known as it oughta be," Midnight added, "there's also Mana Wielding, which anypony can learn regardless of what kind of pony they are. Remember that you've been learning Mana Wielding too whenever the knights get together for a training session?"

"Oh yeah...!" Terra remembered as he looked at his hoof, "The Phantom Hands technique has really helped me with my work in the forge!"

"And there will be more skills and abilities to learn and master as you progress in your training," Midnight promised, "But I think it's about time you get ready for your mission."

"Oh! Right," Terra paused a moment to think, "Is there anything I should bring?"

"You have your sword with you?" asked Midnight, despite knowing the answer.

"Yeah, kinda hard to misplace it when I keep it inside of me," Terra chuckled as he raised the same hoof and summoned his sword to it. The blade was a deep metallic gold while the handle was colored a deep purple like amethyst crystal, yet the whole thing gave off a glow akin to that of metal heated up. Except it was quite cool to the touch, and felt perfectly balanced in his hoof's hold, giving it a light wave, before absorbing it back into his body.

"You might also need this," Twilight added while she lit up her horn and her magenta-colored magic washed over Terra, startling him a bit, but he felt a comforting sensation as it faded, and Twilight said, "Hayseed Swamp is lousy with mosquitos and flies and other buzzy little pests. This ward will keep them away from you, so you don't get bitten or stung or anything. But it only repels bugs, so be careful of anything else out there."

"Thanks, Twilight," Terra sighed on the inside, "anything else I should know?"

"As a matter of fact," Spike came forward as he took the book from Twilight and turned to a certain page and nodded before showing it, "I believe Hayseed Swamp is due to celebrate a special holiday they have, Swampi Gras!"

"Swampi Gras?" Terra echoed, "Don't think I've heard of it."

"Well, the locals of Hayseed Swamp are a tight-knit community and typically keep to themselves," Spike explained, "though they still welcome anypony who wouold like to participate in their special holiday of Swampi Gras! It's a cultural celebration that lasts three days and three nights, where they dance and sing and eat all kinds of foods, especially their local Cajun cuisine! They also put on special performances that honor their traditions and the founder of the Swampi Gras holiday, Swamp Gas, who lived in Hayseed Swamp a long time ago and was also the husband of Mage Meadowbrooke! Swamp Gas came up with the idea of a cultural celebration to honor their community while Meadowbrooke came up with the name for it, and called it Swampi Gras since her husband started the holiday."

"You can ask Blueblood to borrow the Slipstream," Midnight suggested, "I'm sure he'll be happy to lend it to you."

"Welp, I guess I'm off to Swampi Gras," Terra gave the map another look, seeing his cutie-mark floating over his destination, I just hope this doesn't turn out to be more than I can handle...

Author's Note

Terra and Golden Rose both belong to Secretly Yordle

Saveur de Rose - French "Rosy Flavor"

The title, "In Swamp Water" is derived from the expression 'in hot water' and 'Swampi Gras' is absolutely a pony version of the Louisiana holiday of Mardi Gras

411. In Swamp Water - Part 2

The Slipstream arrived at the edge of Hayseed Swamps the next morning, not long until noon. Blueblood had made absolutely sure to show Terra the controls of the airship, how to control altitude, how to set a heading, how the devices and instruments could be set to plot a course, and especially how to land. He'd offered to come along, but Terra, tempted as he was, chose to decline.

It was his time to step up as a Knight of Harmony. He had to do this on his own, not just to prove himself as a knight but also prove it to himself.

The Hayseed Swamps were surrounded by the famous Heatherglades, tropical wetlands that surrounded the actual swamp, which itself was a vast swampy environment with treetops so thick that only the local pegasi knew where to fly in order to get through, meaning Terra was going to have to land at the edge of the territory and take a ferry.

As he brought the Slipstream down, he saw he wasn't the only outsider to come. There were several wagons parked in a wide-open dry glade, with a small cottage next to them, a pony relaxing on a leaned-back chair, a hat covering their face, a sprig of wheat in their mouth, which they were evidently chewing on.

After securing the Slipstream with its mooring line, Terra, saddlebags strapped around his barrel, approached the dozing pony, and hesitantly called, "Um, excuse me?"

A snoozy snort and waking 'huh?' let Terra know the pony, a stallion by the sound of his voice, yawn, tilting his head back to reveal his face, showing a friendly-looking mane. His coat was rusty red, his mane and tail sandy gold, and his cutie-mark was a canoe and paddles.

"Oh, sorry, wern't `spectin' no more company," the pony said with an accent. "Ah take you here t' partake in Swampi Gras? If you lookin' fer a good time, you come to de right place!"

"Uh- Yeah, I am here for... Swampi Gras," Terra smiled shyly, "I heard from someone who came here for it last year that it's a great celebration, had nothing but good things to say about it."

"Well den, we gotta getchoo t' Hayseed village an' you gon' havva good time, Cajun style!" the pony declared with a hearty chuckle as he got up, "You just wait here while ol' Paddy gets his boat, huh?"

Before long, Terra was cruising along the river on Paddy's tugboat. Paddy, as it turned out, was the ferrymane for Hayseed village, using his boat to ferry ponies in and out of the swamp, a job he'd taken on after his pappy got too old to do anymore.

I gotta admit, Terra thought as the boat cruised a steady pace down the river, Hayseed Swamp is actually a lot more beautiful than I expected.

The river was mostly pea green from all the water plants and grasses and algae, but there were lily pads in bloom all around, hanging vines with mossy tendrils, beams of sunlight filtering through the swamp canopy, he saw fish leaping out of the water, presumably to catch buzzing insects, there were herons standing at the river edges, poised before some would strike to spear a fish or frog with its long beak. Terra could of sworn he even saw a green frog in the distance sitting on a floating log while playing a banjo, but it was too far away to be sure and they passed it by rather quickly. He saw water striders and dragonflies skimming and zipping across the water's surface, a family of opossums hanging by their tails on the branch of a swamp cypress, snail kites searching the trees for apple snails, and if his eyes didn't deceive him he was certain he saw an alligator sunning itself on a log.

"Hey son, c'mon up here, huh?" Terra looked up to Paddy as the ferrymane stood at the helm and pointed ahead, "Hayseed village, along with Swampi Gras, dead ahead!"

Moving to the bow of the boat, Terra's eyes soon widened at the sight ahead of him.

They were headed towards a pier extending from the shore not far from the aforementioned Hayseed village. It was bigger than Terra was expecting it to be. The homes looked a little ramshackle yet appropriately designed for living in the swamp, with some of them built upon wooden platforms in case of flooding when the tides came in, bringing more water from the distant ocean. There were wooden walkways that reminded Terra of cat walks in theaters, but these were designed for the locals to get around their village without falling into the murky water. The rest of the homes were built upon higher ground on dry land.

There were shops, a town hall by the looks of it, a humble hotel, and of course Swampi Gras was in full swing!

Terra remembered it was only the first day of the three-day celebration, and the locals and visitors were out and about, having the time of their lives! String-lights of many colors but mostly yellow and white intertwined between the buildings, some over the main street which was filled with dancers, musicians, and even some street performers. There were balloons and confetti, cheers, whoops, and merry music filling the air along with the delicious smells of Cajun style cooking coming from various stands and even food carts!

Already Terra's belly was grumbling with excitement and anticipation of whatever eats they had to serve, and Terra found himself bewildered despite how the merriment was already getting to him. What could be such a problem that the map had sent him here?

After Paddy brought Terra ashore and said goodbye, Terra began to mingle, and found the atmosphere fun and merry! A few locals threw hoofmade bead necklaces over his head and said things like 'welcome to Swamp Gras' with bright and friendly smiles. Many wore costumes, some bright and colorful, others grim and creepy, some looked more obscure or elaborate, and Terra assumed such costumes had some kind of cultural background regarding the Hayseed community. The music was festive, changing tempo and melody every few minutes, so Terra found the different musical numbers evoking feelings of cheerful excitement, reflective contemplation, and the kinds of feelings where he just didn't give a hoot! The music drew him in, compelling Terra to join in on the dancing, stomping his hooves, shaking his booty, feeling absolutely alive!

For a while, lost in his reverie, Terra forgot all his troubles of late, or even why he was there. After dancing, he worked up an appetite and tried some of the local flavor, such as crawfish boil, potato salad, and Tarte à la Bouillie for dessert, with homemade lemonade to wash it all down. He watched a little play, as he digested, performed by the local foals about a mare, lovesick for a stallion who was the local hero of their village, was led astray by a devious witch doctor, but helped by a kindly voodoo priestess and found the confidence to open her heart to the stallion she was in love with and overcome the witch doctor's curse before finding her happily ever after.

It was then that Terra felt his own heart ache out of missing his big fat geo prince.

Later, after listening to a jazz band play a swingin' number, a loud and boisterous voice called out in a Cajun accent, "ATTENTION! YOUR ATTENTION HERE, S'IL VOUS PLAÍT!!"

Eyes and ears turned towards the building that Terra assumed was the village's equivalent of a town hall. It looked like a dapper ol' manor, its pristine architecture looking out of place in a swampy village yet at the same time it fit in so perfectly. It was around three stables tall, looked like it'd recently been given a fresh coat of butter yellow paint with beige accents, boarded roofing, and at least three chimney stacks, one of which was releasing a thin trail of smoke. There was a wraparound verandah with wood railing, and standing in front of the fine house was a large family of ponies, most of them earth ponies, a few pegasi and unicorns, but the biggest of them all was the stallion who was clearly the one who'd called everypony over.

He was BIG. Terra would have pegged this stallion as an above-average sized Geo Pony though he was clearly not one, due to missing the physical characteristics of a Geo Pony. Instead, he just looked like an uncommonly large earth pony with a heavy and jolly fat barrel that had nothing on his bulky withers, sturdy legs, massive chest, and his coat was mint green while his mane, tail, and beard were forest green with signs of graying that made him look rather distinguished. and his brown eyes were big and bright, warm with kindness and good will, and his cutie-mark appeared some kind of pot on his plush backside.

Once everypony had gathered, the large pony laughed and then spoke in his booming voice, "Hello, hello, and welcome one an' all, whether you be local and are joining us here for our annual SWAMPI GRAS!!!"

There were whoops, cheers, lively stomps of applause, before the big pony raised his hoof in a calming gesture and continued, "For those of you joining us for the first time, I am Papa Gumbo! Head of Hayseed village, and, like my family up here with me, a proud descendant of our honored ancestors, Mage Meadowbrooke and Swamp Gas!"

Papa Gumbo gestured to a nearby pair of statues, one of a mare with a large hairdo and gorgeous dress, holding a mask shaped like a large bird beak, and gazing up at a large earth pony who bore a resemblance to Papa Gumbo, though younger and not quite as pudgy.

"O'er a thousand years ago, Hayseed Swamp was the beloved home of these two amazing ponies," Papa Gumbo narrated, "Meadowbrooke followed in her mama's hoofsteps in the healing arts and learned the mystic properties of all Hayseed Swamp has to offer! Her beau, Swamp Gas, he was our hero! He explored the swamp, protected his community, and always lent a helping hoof! `Tis why Meadowbrooke began this celebration, not just in honor of her Swampy, as she called him, but also in honor of our community.

"Some who look at or even just hear of our home, Hayseed Swamp, they fail to see the beauty and wonder there is to be found if you look past what your preconceptions, but don't take my words for it, but rather... my petite granddaughter..."

At Papa Gumbo's words, the lights all around them dimmed and a shimmery mist flowed forth, and a new melody began while Papa Gumbo's sons and grandsons all began to make a deep and rhythmic hum while beginning to play their instruments as a spotlight shined down upon a figure appearing in the mist, which slowly parted to reveal a young pony, no longer a filly but not yet a mare.

She had a spring green coat, her marigold mane held up by a mane-band with a water lily decoration on it, and she wore a gown of gossamer that matched the blue of a summer sky. She rose up and stood proud as she began to sing.

Listen up 'cause this is all I have to say
This could be the thing to get you on your way
Just imagine what grows old and new again
Maybe then you'll understand
I tell you

Take a look around and tell me that you don't see
Just a filthy swamp of algae and debris
I see a kingdom! Shining bright...!
I can see the colors coming through, yeah
You'll find the beauty, if you look at something right
It's all about your point of view
And life is all about your point of view

Everywhere you look a story can be told
And the tales they tell are worth their weight in gold
In a place that reeks of stinky marshy gas
Peat moss, lily pads, and slimy clumps of grass
I dare you

Take a look around and tell me that you don't see
Just a filthy swamp of algae and debris
Cause I see a kingdom! Shining bright...!
And if you try then you can see it too, yeah
You'll see the beauty, if you look at something right
It's all about your point of view
And life is all about your point of view

I see a kingdom! Shining bright...!
I can see the colors coming through
You'll find the beauty, if you look at something right
It's all about your point of view
And life is all about your point of view
Your point of view
Your point of view

As the song ended with a musical flourish, the crowd all stamped and whooped in cheer while Papa Gumbo's granddaughter smiled and gave a bow. The cheer was mighty and joyous, but it was not loud enough to drown out the bone-rattling ROAR that instantly quashed it all away as everypony turned towards its source and heard something big and heavy approaching.

Distant screams wracked the air and the earth beneath everypony's hooves shook as its source made itself apparent in the form of a stampede of ponies all running towards them in panic, shouting, "RUN!!!" "IT'S COMING!!" "MONSTER!!!!"

Monster?! Terra felt a chill of dread run up his spine and the sound of whatever was coming swelled with the raucous racket of wood and glass breaking, another terrible roar booming over the screams and panic, before it finally appeared busting through a nearby house and everypony saw it!

It was big, almost matching the size of an Ursa Minor, but was made up of what appeared to be plant matter from the swamp. Grasses, reeds, cattails, lily pads, moss, algae all clumped and bunched together to form the basic shape of a pony, and it stank worse than any swamp gas ever could! Its mouth was an opening in its head while its eyes were holes filled with bluish-white marsh light that often appeared naturally in swamps, but they burned savagely, as the monster set its gaze straight for Papa Gumbo.

"What is that?!" "A monster! What else could it be!?!" "We're all doomed!" the locals and visitors were all crying out, on the verge of panic-

"SHUT IT!!!"

All eyes turned to Papa Gumbo, his gaze focused upon this monster that had the nerve to threaten his community and interrupt their Swampi Gras.

"All able-bodied stallions, with me! Mares and foals, take cover in the manor!"

As though responding to Papa Gumbo's words, the Swamp Monster let out another roar, its "breath" fouling the air before it, as though it had belched a vile gas that made everypony in town gag, cover their noses, cough, and squint their eyes shut as they teared up from a nasty stinging sensation. Terra did so as well, but then he heard several sounds, like something lashing through the air, followed by cries of terror.

"AUGH!!" "HELP!" "IT'S GOT ME!"

Terra forced himself to open his eyes and was horrified to see the monster had, what appeared to be, tentacles made up of its swampy plant matter, that had lashed out from its withers and reached out to ensnare several ponies, including one of Papa Gumbo's sons.

"DAD!! HELP US!!" the son begged in alarm as he and the other captives were then dragged towards the monster.

"LET THEM GO, YOU FESTERING PILE O' POND SCUM!!!" Papa Gumbo roared as he charged, followed by some more of his family members, mostly the stallions, as they ran to aid the ponies the monster had ensnared while Papa Gumbo tackled the monster head-on.

The mighty earth pony managed to push the Swamp Monster back a few pony-lengths... only to find himself being thrown back in response, getting his big keister hooved to him, while the Monster lashed out more tentacles, knocking away the ponies who were trying to free its captives before reeling them in. Everypony watched in horror as the captives screamed while being swallowed up, absorbed into the Swamp Monster's body.

The mares grabbed their foals and ran to the manor, as Papa Gumbo had ordered, while the stallions all stood together, a few of them helping Papa Gumbo to his hooves.

What the hay have I gotten myself into...?! Terra thought to himself. His 'fight or flight' instincts were spurring him to do the latter, but somewhere in his head (and perhaps his heart) something kept Terra rooted to his current position. Was it courage? Was it fear? Or was it something more...?

Out of the corner of his eye, Terra saw another pony standing dumbstruck with fear as he gazed upon the Monster. He was an earth pony, big, fat, and tall, taller than a pony like Macintosh but not as tall as the average Geo Pony, and he was stil ldwarfed by Papa Gumbo by a considerable amount of mass. His coat was an orange-brown while his mane was a pinkish-red. On his flanks, jiggling with fear, was a cutie-mark displayed as a streaming plate of some kind of food seasoned with a green herb, and his eyes were wide with fear, showing them to be bright green. Despite his considerable bulk, there was some respectable might in this pony's muscles, though that didn't seem to cross his mind as the pony was frozen in fear, even as the Swamp Monster turned its gaze upon him.

What's he doing? He's gotta get out of there! Terra thought, as that feeling keeping him from running seemed to slacken just a bit, but running wasn't on Terra's mind in that moment.

The Swamp Monster snarled as another of its tentacles emerged from its disgusting form and reared up, the pony standing fear the clear target.

Run... get out of here! Terra's heart began to pump, not with fear, but with a drive.

The tentacle lashed out...!

"NO!!" Terra finally freed himself and charged forward, his sword manifesting, as he quickly stood between the pony and the tentacle-

*SLISH*

-which then fell to the ground, writhing like a snake that got its head cut off.

The pony was in awe to see Terra, standing there, holding his sword out in a position that made it clear he had slashed the tentacle, saving his life. Though Terra was smaller than this pony, he couldn't help but blush at how bold and heroic he appeared in that moment. The Swamp Monster snarled in vexation as it retracted its tentacle, and Terra stood tall, as he said, "You've gotta get out of here! This thing is- !!"

Terra had turned to speak directly to the pony he had just saved... and was flummoxed to see right through the pony. The pony no longer looked like flesh and blood, but rather his whole form was transparent and light reflected off of him in a manner akin to... some kind of gelatin? His hooves looked goopy, and dribbles of something slimy slid down the pony's withers and mane, and it was a moment before the pony realized why Terra was staring at him.

"Er-!! I-I can't..." the pony, who looked as though he were made of goo stuttered, before his eyes popped and he shouted, "LOOK OUT!!"

The pony turned and his form seemed to collapse into a pile of goo that then bounced up and away, and Terra turned around just in time to see another of the Swamp monster's tentacles swinging his way before everything went black. The last sounds he heard before fading into the oblivion of unconsciousness were more screams, shouts, roars... and then cries of despair as someone cried, "PAPA GUMBOOOOooooo....!!!"

Author's Note

Disclaimer:

"I See a Kingdom" - Vanessa Williams

412. In Swamp Water - Part 3

The first thing Terra became aware was his aching head, causing him to regret leaving the painless oblivion of unconsciousness as his self-awareness returned to the waking world. He groaned in pain, but soon felt he was lying in a cozy bed, and he heard hoofsteps and somepony say, "Take it easy, you've got a nasty bump on your head, bud."

The voice was male, sounding gentle and kind, and then he heard the presence come closer and felt them sit on the edge of his bed before they leaned over, every so gingerly placed their hoof behind the non-aching side of his head, and carefully eased him up, "Take a sip o' this, it'll help with th' pain."

He felt something touch his lips, so he opened his mouth, and in poured an herbal-tasting warm liquid, which he swallowed and then smacked his lips from the subtly sweet aftertaste.

"There we are," the voice said kindly before he gently laid Terra back down. "Jus' lay there an' relax, little mane, the tea'll have ya back on yer hooves in no time."

"The.. the monster..." Terra groaned as he struggled to open his eyes but a wave of relaxation came over him, "what happened to it...?"

"Later, after you wake," the voice assured, but just before he slipped back into the comfort of sleep, Terra couldn't help but hear the heartache in the voice.

"...terrible!" "Whudda we gonna do?!" "Mah daddy's gone!" "So's muh brother!" "What if tha' monster comes back?"

"Urgh..." The racket, distant and muffled as it was, disturbed Terra's ears as he finally woke up, feeling better albeit still a tad sore where his head had hurt earlier.

Sitting up, he found himself in quaint yet cozy bedroom, the lack of personal touches indicating it was probably a guest room, and he slowly got out of bed and onto his hooves. He was a bit shaky at first, but found his hoofing and made his way out. He found himself in a large hallway and saw the frontdoor, but it was the windows siding it, with lots of foals and a few teenagers peering out to see what was going on.

"Um, hello?" Terra called to them, and some of the foals turned to regard him, one giving him a sharp 'SHHH' while one of the teenagers came over.

"Hey there, friend, feelin' better?" the teenage pony asked, no longer a filly but not yet a mare.

"Uh- Yeah, but," Terra gestured to the front door, "What's going on out there?"

"Th' townsfolk're worried sick about wha' happened an' demandin' answers," the pony explained, "Big Brother Jambalaya is out there tryna calm `em down, but..."

The young mare looked concerned as she looked to the window, and they heard the shouting continued.

"Jamba, wha' in Sam Hay're ya gonna do about this?!" somepony demanded.

"Um, I-" a meek yet baritone voice almost answered-

"Are we gon' hav' ta' leave Hayseed Swamp!?" cried out another voice, sounding more sad than scared.

"Ah'm not sor if'n it'll come ta'-" the same voice tried to speak again.

"Aw, who we kiddin'!? Papa Gumbo's th' only one who coulda taken care'o tha' monster an' it got him before he could!" wailed yet another interrupting voice.

"Why's everypony talking to this Jamba guy if they're not even gonna let him talk?" Terra said in a miffed way as he stepped up to peer out the window... and was surprised to see the pony standing in front of the locals was the same pony he'd seen just before he got conked out. The pony who looked like he was made of... gelatin?

Jamba was sweating bullets, looking to be on the verge of a panic attack... when one of the ponies behind him, an ample-bottomed earth pony mare, larger and pudgier than most mares but in a motherly way, stepped up and placed a comforting hoof on Jamba's withers, looking small next to him yet having an effect, on him and the ponies in front of them. She had a gravy brown coat, creamy white mane, her eyes the same warm shade of melted chocolate, and her cutie-mark was a whisk and mixing bowl. She nodded to Jamba, who looked relieved yet still ashamed as he stepped back and let her take the reins.

"Alright, y'all SHUT YER PIEHOLES!!!" she yelled in a scolding manner that got everyone to finally calm the heck down and almost suddenly things were quiet, as though a teacher had quelled a class of misbehaving foals.
"Ah know y'all are scared an' confused, but badgerin' wit' questions ya don' even give a chance t' be answered won't get anything done! Ah know wha' happened yesterday was terrifyin' an' awful! Wer' all scared an' worried for our loved ones who got taken by that monster! But we musn't loose our heads, we need t' keep a tight hold and figure out what wer' gonna do."

"But Mama Roux, Papa Gumbo has been our protector for Goddess knows how long!" said one of the ponies in the crowd. "Without him t' protect Hayseed Village... Ah jus' don' feel it's safe fer me or muh family here!"

"Now, now, we can't just give up! Hayseed is our home, and our home it's gonna stay!" Mama Roux declared firmly, "But still, y'all're right - This... Swamp Monster's gotta go! not t' mention there's still hope all th' ponies it took, includin' mah husband, Papa Gumbo, are still alive! Someone has got t' go an' face this monster an' take it out! Any soul here wit' th' grit and will to test themselves?!"

...

The silence returned, though more awkward and uncomfortable, as everypony present seemed to clam up, develop an interest in their hooves or the clouds above, some shifty-eyed, nervously peering at Mama Roux and her family before suddenly looking away.

Hearts of dragons these ponies... Terra thought to himself with a roll of his eyes.

Mama Roux sighed, "Look, everypony. Yesterday, perhaps th' worst an' scariest thing ever happened to our home! This- this... creature interrupted our Swampi Gras, scared us al outta our wits, stole our kin, an' left us shambled and teary-eyed.

"Ah know wer' all still reelin' from it. Ah know this is a lot t' ask! But someone has got to go an' face this monster an' say 'no more'. It's okay to be scared, so long as you do whatcha gotta do no matter how scared you are! Ya think Papa Gumbo's never been scared? Hoo-wee, he's been scared many times in his life! But what scared him most of all was letting down his family, his friends, an' his community, especially when they needed him most."

Terra was listening to every word Mama roux spoke, feeling something inside start to burn, not in a passionate or furious way, but more like... a 'go for it' way. A burning inclination that was revving him up to move forward.

"Findin' th' will to act, th' courage to do th' job, an' having th' strength to not let fear stop you," Mama Roux declared, "That is what it means... to be a hero!"

*SLAM*

All eyes turned to the front door of the manor, where Terra stood, looking nervous yet determined all the same, as he said, "I'll go!"

And his words were met with... yet another awkward silence. The moment stretched to being uncomfortable enough that Terra was beginning to lose his nerve, when somepony asked, "Who the heck are you?"

"Oh, uh- My name is Terra-" Terra began, only to be interrupted.

"Argh, he's just some outsider!" "I bet he's just lookin' for some reward for 'valiant efforts'!" "An' look how laughably chubby he is! He's got nothin' on Papa Gumbo!" "Well, I don't see any o' you volunteerin' to go after that monster!" "He might not be th' biggest pony around but he's certainly got guts." "We should give him a chance, who knows? He just might succeed."

The voices saying yay compared to the voices saying nay soothed Terra's anxiety, and he furrowed his brows.
"Look, I understand you have no reason to have faith in me. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have faith in myself either. A lot has happened in my life recently, but somepony saw something in me, something that I'm still not sure whether I see in myself. But this somepony bestowed upon me a great honor, and now the time has come for me to prove myself not just worthy but deserving of it.

"Until recently, I was just a humble blacksmith," Terra said as he summoned his sword to his hoof and held it in front of him, blade down, his hooves on the handle, as he declared himself, "But now, for the first time, I must prove that I am Sir Terra, Knight of Harmony! And I will do that by vanquishing this monster... or die trying!"

Murmurs spread among the crowd, some still doubtful yet others were hopeful. but then somepony shouted, "Say, wait, are you one o' those knights that helped save Canterlot, the ones who stopped that jerk duke from overthrowin' the princesses?"

Whoever asked that sparked more intrigue, and some looked to Terra, who grimaced slightly, before admitting, "No, I'm not one of those knights. I only recently joined the Knights of Harmony. Even so, I am here because I feel I am meant to be here. Not just for myself, but for you. I won't lie to you though, I'm scared. I'm scared of that monster, I'm scared what'll happen if I find it, but... when I came here, i was just thinking about me! Thinking 'Am I good enough?' 'Can I do this?' 'Is this all just a mistake?' But after what happened, and hearing what all of you said, especially you, Mama Roux."

Mama Roux looked at Terra with an unreadable look, yet there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes, so Terra continued.

"I realize now... it's not about me. It's about you! The people. As a knight, I swore an oath. The time has come for me to stand by that oath. I can't promise you all that I will succeed. But I owe it to you all to try my best! So that's what I'm gonna do."

The crowd was silent, but this time... they looked upon Terra with more hopeful eyes. Some still wavered with hints of doubt and fear, but now it felt like there was a real chance that this plight could be resolved by this unlikely hero before them.

Terra smiled a little, before taking a deep breath, "Alright, I'm going to prepare and then head out! But I'm gonna need somepony to be my guide through the swamp. Can I count on one of you to help me?"

And just like that, the uplifting feelings in the air deflated, as again the ponies in the crowd looked interested in anything else but him. Some examining the frogs of their hooves, others whistling awkwardly, and Terra thinking, Of course...

Without even dignifying that response with one of his own, Terra turned to step back into the manor-

"I'll go with you!"

A collection of gasps, not just from the crowd, but from several members of Papa Gumbo's family responded to those words, and all eyes, including Terra's, turned to Jamba, who had a look of 'what did I just do' on his face as he gulped. Knowing he couldn't take them back, Jamba took a deep breath to try and steady his thumping heart and grumbly gut, before he hesitantly spoke, "I... I'll be yer guide. I `preciate ya willin' ta' put yerself at risk to help us. But yer' liable t' get lost or in trouble if ya go out there on ya own.

"I know this swamp well, I've spent near me whole life explorin' it, with my dad an' with Papa Gumbo. You're willing t' put yer life on de' line t' help us, least I can do is guide you an' help you succeed."

The locals were in awe, before they started talking loudly, sounding more and more hopeful, and some were even giving Jamba proud and encouraging looks. Especially his Mama Roux, though in a gentler way.

Jamba gave Terra a look, and saw the knight, while certainly looking thankful, was regarding Jamba curiously.

He gulped again, thinking, I hope I didn't just make th' biggest mistake o' my life...!

The swamp was quiet as the two stallions rafted down the river that led deeper within. Too quiet. Same as it was between the two stallions, Terra riding and keeping watch up front while Jamba used a long pole to push them along. After Jamba had volunteered to guide Terra, Mama Roux had gotten them all geared up and supplied, since they didn't know how long their quest would take.

They had camping gear, rations, containers of drinking water, a first aid kit that included herbal remedies, the recipes of which were originally invented by Meadowbrooke herself, among other things. Jamba had to talk his mama down since they needed to travel light, which worked though Jamba had still been a little concerned what Roux had put together and put on their raft might be a little much. Especially with him on board.

Still, the raft held their combined weight just fine, and they were off with the best wishes and good lucks and 'come back safely's of the villagers. Terra and Jamba had tried engaging in small talk at first, but it was so awkward.

From their limited exchange, Terra had learned a few things about Jamba:
He was actually ten years older than Terra (which surprised him, because Terra had thought they were around the same age).
He was the oldest of Papa Gumbo's grandfoals.
He agreed the swamp seemed more scary than wondrous in light of all that had happened.
He agreed it was unusually muggy today.

In fact, it was so muggy that Terra wished he'd brought along a fan or something to keep cool.
I guess I could dunk my head in the water, but who knows what's in that swill...?

Terra turned, about to ask Jamba if they had an umbrella or something to make shade, when his eyes popped just a bit. Jamba continued to pole their raft along, but the sun bearing down on him reflected the sweat in his orange-brown coat, accentuating his muscles as well as his belly and flanks. Then Jamba made a big push with his raft pole, causing his belly to shake and his flanks to jiggle, beads of sweat either sliding down his body or flecking out into the air from the sudden shift of motion.

Sombra's burns, he's hot...! Terra thought, unable to resist ogling Jamba, only to flinch when he noticed Jamba about to look at him.

He immediately stood up (rocked the raft just a little), and turned forward while making a show of shielding his eyes from the sun as he called out, "Er- What was that? Did you see that... something on the swamp shore?"

Jamba didn't answer. Although the slight shaking of the raft startled him for a moment, he'd been immediately bewitched by the sight of Terra's backside. How golden they were, how glorious! How the sudden motion had caused those gloriously golden glutes to jiggle while the sun reflected off the sweaty fur coating that bodacious bottom! They were plush with the fat of a pony who enjoyed his snacks yet he could see an underlying firmness of muscle, indicating Terra was no stranger to physical labor.

Sweet Mother o' Swamp Gas, that ass! Jamba thought with a shudder as arousal loosened him up a little. Perhaps just a little too much.

Either way, the awkward silence returned for a long moment, but Terra took the initiative and cleared his throat, "Um, Jamba, I... I think we oughta make a plan or something.

"I mean, we have no idea where this Swamp Monster is or even what we'll do when and if we actually find it, so... !!!!" Terra had turned to face Jamba.

And found he could see right through him!

Jamba's body had become transparent, turning the color of amber orange, and looking as though he were a huge pony-sized mold of gelatin, except he was moving and had a definite facial expression of light swooning... that turned to alarm when he saw Terra looking at him, and he realized his goof!

"Whaaaaa....???" Terra uttered in whispered and confused awe at the sight of the pony made of gelatin when-

*BUMP*

"WHOA!!!" The raft hit something, causing Terra to lose his balance.

"TERRA!!!" Jamba cried out, and just as Terra was about to fall into the swamp water...

...Jamba's form collapsed a little, his head maintaining its shape while his body became amorphous and part of it reached out to embrace Terra and prevent him from falling off the raft into the murky water.

Terra freaked out a little, feeling the living... slime? Muck? Whatever, envelop him, and shivered at how it felt! Cool but not cold, wet and gooey as it sank into his coat, and surprisingly firm and strong it was in how it restricted his movements, like being wrapped up in a heavy blanket.

"I- Thi- Wha...!?" Terra stuttered, a little panicky from being unable to move, but he felt the pressure holding him slacken a little, and he saw Jamba's face gain more detail and color until his head looked again to be made of flesh and blood though it transitioned back to his gelatin-body at his neck.

"Look, Terra! I can explain, I... i just need you to hear me out and not be scared, please?" Jamba asked, sounding nervous but still speaking as calmly as he could and giving Terra the sad eyes of a pleading colt, which somehow worked on the... unusual pony.

"I... I am willing to... hear you out," Terra took a deep breath and despite still being rattled, he managed a little smirk, "You're not exactly... the first unique pony I've met, though you are a little... more unique?"

The two ponies shared an awkward chuckle, before Jamba took a deep breath of his own before he took a moment to figure out what to say, "Alright... to start off, I am clearly a... unique pony, as you said."

"Clearly, in more ways than one," Terra cracked, looking through Jamba's transparent and amorphous body.

"Heheh, yeah... So, I'm an Earth Pony, like you," Jamba nodded, "and I am also... a Goo Pony."

Unbeknownst to the two of them, something watched from deeper within the bayou. Something sinister as it eyed the two ponies with embittered gluttony.

413. In Swamp Water - Part 4

"The first o' the Goo Ponies was actually Swamp Gas, the husband of Mage Meadowbrooke," Jamba began as he and Terra drifted along in the swamp. "Based on what I was told, Swamp Gas was kinda the local hero o' Hayseed village, and he liked t' go out an' explore the swamps. Supposedly, he had some adventures an' even a few close calls. However... one day, his explorin' landed him in a heap o' trouble an' his life changed forever!

"Nopony really knows whuddit was, but Swamp Gas fell into something... unusual. Whatever it was, it made him real sick! Lucky for Swamp Gas, his friends were wit' him when it happend, an' they rushed him home t' his wife, Meadowbrooke. She tried everything she could, but Meadowbrooke saw her hubby was dying, an' even scarier... his body was changing! Becoming... squishy an' see-through. Gooey even!

"Then, Meadowbrooke tried an elixir she'd been experimentin' with, an' almost immediately, Swamp Gas seemed t' get better! Only... his body din't change back t' flesh n' blood. He remained a sorta... livin' goo, an' tho they thoughta workin' t' get Swamp Gas back to his normal self, he decided it was too risky. Meadowbrooke saw that, though her stallion was different on th' outside he was still th' pony she loved inside. So... they learned t' live with it, an' that's how Swamp Gas became th' first Goo Pony."

"Wow..." Terra was intrigued by the story, though he knew there was more to it than that. "So then... how is it you're a goo pony? Did Swamp Gas and Meadowbrooke have foals together?"

"They did, but not right away," Jamba explained, "they waited t' make sure it was safe, an' while they were together at some point, Swamp Gas morphed into his Goo Pony form an' was seen by an outsider! This outsider meant well, but..."

Given the uncomfortable look Jamba had on his face, Terra got the message, "The outsider attacked, thinking Swamp Gas was a monster threatening Meadowbrooke, and things went downhill from there."

"Pretty much, yeah," Jamba shrugged, "As a result of what happened, Swamp Gas made it a rule that no Goo Ponies would ever reveal themselves to outsiders though they were allowed to be their gooey selves around their families, friends, and neighbors in Hayseed village. Ever since then, that's been our way. We've kept the Goo Ponies a secret known only to those born in Haysweed Swamps, and hid our true natures whenever outsiders came."

"Jamba... have you heard of the Geo Ponies, by any chance?" asked Terra as they continued to cruise down the river.

"...um, sorta?" Jamba rubbed the back of his head, "We... keep to ourselves in Hayseed an' don' always pay attention t' wha' goes on out th' rest o' Equestria. Geo Ponies are... a new kind o' pony, right?"

"The Geo Ponies... have an unhappy beginning as well," Terra took a deep breath and explained how the first Geo Ponies were Crystal Ponies experimented on by Sombra back when he was their mad king, turning them into a stronger force for labor and perhaps war. The Geo Ponies managed to escape before the Crystal Empire vanished, and due to their altered appearances and new powers, they were shunned, feared, and even attacked by other ponies. Supposedly, by the guidance of Stormbreaker, the Geo Ponies found refuge in the crystal caves beneath Mt. Canterhorn, where they stayed for a thousand years, hiding from the rest of Equestria. In time, their society down there gradually became unsustainable and, thanks to Terra and a good friend, the Geo Ponies were given a chance to be seen and heard and recognized as ponies, and finally given a place to start over and make a valley in the Macintosh Hills their new home.

"...and that's the story," Terra shrugged, "the Geo Ponies finally got the chance to truly live and are now seen and treated as fellow ponies, as they should always have been."

Terra took a moment to think about his special somepony as he gazed out at the Hayseed Swamps, finding the beauty in it all, and wishing Praetura could be here to share it with him.

"Is one o' them Geo Ponies special to you?" Terra gave Jamba a surprised look, and was even more surprised to see the knowing smirk on the Goo Pony's face.

Chuckling, Terra nodded, "Yes, and I consider myself the luckiest pony in the world for having somepony as special as him."

Jamba's smirk turned into a warm smile... before it became confused and then alert, and Jamba's ears perked and he looked in another direction. Terra was on alert too, but only because Jamba seemed to sense something that he didn't.

"What is it?" Terra asked in a cautious whisper.

Jamba responded by pointing his hoof in the direction he was looking, and stating, "We need to go that way."

Terra looked in that direction, and saw it was just more of the same. More water stretching further into the swamp, the trees standing above the murk, rings of water from the rise and fall of tides coming and going, mossy branches hanging over their heads, logs moving ever so slowly that they almost looked like alligators at first glance. Swishes along the water's surface indicated fish were a'swimming, or maybe they were snakes. Then Terra felt it. Though it looked like more of the same, there was a foreboding sense falling over him like a cobweb setting in with a chill as he gazed in the direction Jamba was pointing out.

The pony Terra was before meeting Praetura, before reuniting with his old friend Blueblood, before he became a knight... he didn't want to be that pony anymore. No, Terra had found a higher calling, a chance to be a better him, and his time had come. He steeled his nerve, furrowed his brows, and shook off the chill of fear though he couldn't get rid of the sense of dread weighing down in the pit of his stomach. But that was okay. He was scared, anypony with common sense would be. But some words echoed in his mind, a pearl of wisdom his dads used to share with him.

Being brave isn't about not being afraid. It's about doing what you have to do, even when you are.

Clutching the raft pole, he declared, "Then that's the way we're gonna go."

Jamba felt the determination in Terra's words more than he felt them, and looked at the golden earth pony. Terra was clearly no stranger to hard work despite his paunchy gut and ample bottom. Before, Jamba had been impressed by Terra's words when he'd volunteered to go after the Swamp Monster in front of all of Hayseed village. Yet there had still been a sense of hesitation, fear, and anxiety in the earth pony who was noticeably smaller than the Goo Pony.

But now... I don't see that pony, Jamba thought as he looked at Terra, pushing their raft along via the pole. Terra's muscles bulged in his forelegs as he moved them along with the steady yet stalwart approach of a mighty ship. Terra's belly jiggled a bit while his sweat reflected the few rays of sunlight peering through the swamp canopy. His brown curly lock bounced over his eyes that looked straight and forward in the direction they were taking.

No. Jamba didn't see a nervous pony, burdened with responsibility. He saw... a hero!

The presence watching them from afar however... it saw prey, snarling softly as it sank beneath the water.

The sun was beginning to set before finally the two ponies arrived at their apparent destination. Ahead of them, having come deeper into the swamp than Jamba had ever been, was an island. Not a big one, but large enough for a community half Hayseed village's size to live upon. The island was surrounded with swamp water, its shores hidden by thick and dense foliage and trees save for a single pathway that started from the shore ahead of them and leading directly inward.

On that little beach, they pulled their raft out of the water and tied it down for good measure. Making sure they had their supplies, the both of them turned to the path that led further in, and Terra gave Jamba a curious look. Jamba gulped and nodded before pointing at the path, affirming they were on the right track. Taking a deep breath, Terra summoned his sword, preferring to have it at the ready (and to calm the fluttering moths in his stomach), before he said softly, "Let's go..."

The path they followed was beaten but seemed to be carpeted with old and drying plant matter. It stank a boggy stench, was thick with old moss, mud, and dead swamp plants, like cattails, peat moss, and even lily pads, all of it drying yet retaining a stubborn and smelly moistness that made every step "squelch". The trees and foliage lining both sides of this path were tall and thick, making it feel similar to a tunnel.

"Jamba," Terra whispered as he kept his sword raised and his eyes and ears alert, "know anything about this place?"

"Nope," Jamba replied with a shudder, "This island is so deep an' far into th' swamp, nopony I know's ever come here. The area `round it has always had this... feelin' about it, like it's forbidden!

"But earlier... I just felt like somethin'... drawin' me t' this place! I can't explain it, an' I don' like it."

"Hmm," Terra thought on what Jamba said, and considered what strange force might be haunting this island and what connection it had with the Swamp Monster. It seemed strange that such a frightening creature that none of the Hayseed Swamp locals had ever heard of would just appear from out of nowhere, and on a special day like their Swampi Gras of all days. Where had it come from? Why did it take the Goo Ponies only? Why not just anypony it could get its slimy clutches on? What did it want?
There's pieces to this puzzle that don't seem to fit, and I wager some are still missing...

"Jamba..." Jamba paused as Terra turned to give him a curious look. "The feeling you got that drew you here... can you describe it in anyway? How it feels, how it makes you feel, anything at all!"

"Hmm..." Jamba sat his gooey bottom down and gave it a think for a long moment, before finally he answered, "I... I'm not altogether sure. But... something about this feeling is... sad! I don't know why, but whatever this thing I felt is, it's sad or... lost?

"I can't really explain it, but it makes me feel... I dunno, like I gotta do something? Like I... gotta help someone?!" Jamba rubbed his head like he had a headache, starting to pant, like he was on the verge of panicking, "Urgh!! I'm just so confused, and- and everything else is making me anxious!"

"It's okay, Jamba," Terra assured, patting the larger pony on the withers, "I can't promise everything's gonna be okay. But I will do my best to help you and your community however I can, and that starts with getting to the bottom of this monster and what it's done with your grandfather and the others. Okay?"

Jamba took a moment to gather himself, his panting breaths slowing down, steadying, and then a deep, slow breath, before finally, he softly replied, "...okay."

Nodding, Terra turned to the path ahead of them and gestured with his head forward, "Come on. Let's go."

It took only a few moments for Terra to notice how quiet it was. No birds, no animals, not even insects with their annoying buzz. The air felt unnaturally still and hung heavy with the stink of marsh gas. It made him stifle a gag when he tried breathing through his mouth, forcing him to breathe through his nose, letting his olfactory sensor suffer. Finally, after what felt like half an hour of slurring through the moist and mucky path, the foliage parted fully before them, and they found themselves in a vast, open field, surrounded with the same trees and swampy underbrush.

The field was thick with grass, weeds, cattails bobbing in the breeze, but what caught the two ponies' eyes were actually several large mounds spread out around the field. Cautiously stepping out into the sunshine, its warmth bringing them a sense of relief, they carefully approached the nearest mound and saw it was made up of swamp plant matter stuck together by thick drying mud. The mounds were large, large enough to...

...to contain a pony! Terra suddenly thought in alarm.

Turning to Jamba, Terra asked, "Do you know how many ponies exactly were taken by the monster?"

"Uh, let's see..." Jamba took a moment to think, and then his eyes lit up as he realized what Terra was getting at, and then he looked around at the mounds, his lips muttering before he spoke out loud, "...eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen! When- When th' monster attacked th' village, it took fifteen o' th' Goo Ponies, including Papa Gumbo. They're all here... all o' th' abducted Goo Ponies are- are right here!"

"Hold on, let's make sure," Terra spoke calmly, not wanting Jamba to rile himself up, "Let's open one of these... things, and see what's inside."

"Okay," Jamba nodded and they rushed to the nearest mound and began digging in.

As they did so, neither of them noticed on the far side of the field, directly across from the entrance they had come in through, stood a towering Swamp Cypress. At its foot, surrounding its roots, was a large pond, its surface completely covered with peat moss, the edges of the pond lined with lilacs. At first glance, this would seem a pristine area of true beauty to be found in a swamp vast and rough. But then, the mossy surface of the pond surrounding this tree began to shudder with ripples, an eerie glow peering through the moss as whatever disturbed the water parted it, allowing the glow to breach before the surface began to bubble, an unnoticed warning to the two ponies that they were in trouble!

Finally, after digging and pulling away a considerable amount of muddy plant matter, Terra and Jamba found, what looked like, a hoof that was rubbery and squishy to the touch, but Jamba confirmed it.
"I knew it! They're in these mound things! An' they're alive."

"Are you sure?" Terra asked wit ha serious tone.

"I am, yeah," Jamba nodded, "When Goo Ponies are asleep or unconscious, th' membranes o' their bodies congeal to a rubbery consistency in order t' keep their goo contained so it doesn't leak out."

"Alright then, so let's get whoever this is out and then move onto-" Terra felt a tremor beneath his hooves that stopped him mid-sentence, and he looked around in alarm. "We're not alone...!"

"...oh no!" Jamba's briefly lost his nerve, causing his body to become transparent, his gooey form jiggling with fear as he looked around, trying to see whatever Terra had sensed.

Then they heard a loud splash as a great mass emerged and they looked to see it. Rising out of the pond at the foot of the Swamp Cypress, the Swamp Monster, wet, slimy, slick, filthy, its gargantuan size rivaling that of an Ursa Minor while its shape was distinctly quadrupedal like some kind of ungulate, its hollow eye sockets filled with burning bluish-green marsh light, glaring upon the intruders that had dared to enter and violate its sanctum!

It opened its mossy maw and roared angrily at them, tendrils of vines rising up like snakes from its withers and flanks, and they knew it was about to attack.

"Whaddo we do...?!" Jamba whispered as the cold fear began to freeze him, only for Terra to step forward as his sword appeared in hoof, the blade a deep metallic gold, the handle a deep purple like amethyst crystal.

"Jamba... you work on getting the abducted ponies out of these mounds, I'll keep the monster busy," Terra ordered.

"Wha- Terra! I-I know what you said before, but- but you can't face this thing-" Jamba protested, only for Terra to peer over his shoulder and give Jamba a look. Not an angry look, not a scared look, not even a courageous look.

It was the look of a pony who knew what he had to do.

The moment was brief, yet it felt like it stretched long into the day, with only the mucky stomps and snarls of the Swamp Monster reminding them of the now. Whatever doubts or fears Jamba had felt in concern for Terra suddenly vanished... and he nodded in understanding before uttering, "Meadowbrooke watch over you..."

Nodding back, Terra turned to face the monster and held his sword at his side. The golden blade suddenly burned with power, lighting up like heated metal. He raised it over his head... and then stabbed it into the ground in front of him, as a spark of inspiration lit up in his mind and he declared, "Forged in strength... GALLANT GEM!!!"

The ground where the sword had been stabbed into suddenly seemed to crack, burning heat rising from those cracks that suddenly turned into fire! The fire rose up and engulfed Terra, turning bluish-purple and glimmering with burning crystalline brilliance as the fire suddenly solidified into solid crystal.

Jamba and the monster both gawked in confusion at what they had just witnessed, and Jamba was afraid that Terra might have just perished, when...

Ba-bump

"...what?" Jamba whispered in awe.

Ba-bump!

The large crystal mass seemed to slowly light up, the obscured figure of Terra inside becoming visible-

BA-BUMP!!

-and then suddenly there was a CRACK. The mass of crystal around Terra shook, webs of cracks spreading across it, heat steaming out, as the mass shook, and then...

BA-BRACK!!!

The mass of crystal exploded, steam engulfing the area, along with flashing crystal dust... and then Jamba heard something move. He looked on at the screen of glittering steam, and a large figure made itself known as it stood up, the sound of a long and thick tail stretching out, and then something heavy was hefted up and then a loud WHOOSH blew the smoke away by the swing of something heavy, and Jamba was in awe!

It was Terra, but he was not the Terra he had been when he first arrived in Hayseed Swamp.

Terra now stood tall, heavy, and strong, a long and prehensile tail moving behind his glorious golden glutes, with a thick, curly brown tuft at the end that lined the top of said tail and rode up along his spine. Terra's barrel was now thick and paunchy, barely contained within knightly armor, colored mostly purple, as well as silver, and the golden-orange of heated metal, his forelegs and chest bulging with muscle, and on his head a helm that had holes for a pair of curling, light brown-ish tan, ram-like horns, and in his large hoof, he carried a massive war hammer composed of purple and white quartz crystal, the handle made of thick wood, wrapped with faux-leather for a better grip, and the pommel capped with burnished gold, and engraved with the anvil of Terra's cutie-mark, still displayed on his now-bigger-flanks! Terra's armor looked perhaps a size too small but somehow it just suited him perfectly.

Terra had become not only a fully-realized Knight of Harmony; he had become a Geo Pony!

He made no acknowledgment of his transformation however, as his eyes were fixed upon his foe, and raised his hammer, Gallant Gem, to it, before speaking in a rumbling voice deeper than it was but still distinctly his own, "Bring it..."

The Swamp Monster reared its head back and let out another fearsome roar, before it started to charge. Not hesitating, Terra charged as well, Gallant Gem at the ready, and as they quickly closed the distance between them, Jamba saw that though Terra was now much larger than before, he was still small compared to the monster, looking hardly bigger than a foal in comparison. That didn't stop Terra from spinning his whole body, bringing his hammer `round... and CLOBBERING the monster with an upwards swing of Gallant Gem right to its jaw! The force and power made a sound like a mighty sonic boom and the Swamp Monster was sent for a loop and fell hard onto its back, thankfully not hitting any of the mounds still imprisoning the captured goo ponies.

As the Swamp Monster lay dizzy and in pain, Terra looked back at Jamba and said, "I'll push it back so you can help the captured. Hurry!"

"I- I'm on it!" Jamba nodded and he dove into his task like a mad mane.

The Swamp Monster was just starting to shake off the dizziness and about to get back up, when it felt a startling impact, and was alarmed to see Terra pushing it with all his might, snorting like a bull as he pushed! Thankfully, the open field was grassy and muddy, so despite the monster's efforts it couldn't brace itself against Terra's newfound strength. Terra seemed to have no trouble with his footing, his hooves finding traction, enabling his pushing back his adversary.

Barely able to peer back as he held his foe, Terra was glad to see he'd put some distance between them and Jamba, as the goo pony was thankfully already freeing a third of the abducted ponies. Grunting with exertion, Terra pushed the monster off of himself and span `round, lashing out with his tail to whip the creature in the face, stunning it, and then raising Gallant Gem up above his head as he uttered, "Prism Flash!"

Gallant Gem's crystalline hammer suddenly radiated an intense flash of glittering light, the Swamp Monster snarling as it closed its eyes and stumbled back. Terra seized the opportunity and curled up into the Geo Pony Ball Form, the mane hair along his spine hardening and taking on sharp shard-like texture, and began to accelerate like a wheel as he yelled, "Meteor Rush!!"

And his Geo Magic launched himself like a wrecking ball, striking the Swamp Monster dead center of its chest, just below it's neck, causing the beast's form to break up somewhat, the swampish muck that composed its body parting and getting sprayed around while Terra, still in his Ball Form, came back around, but he let out his tail and thumped the ground, which launched him into the air.

As the Swamp Monster began to put itself back together, Terra, now airborne, unrolled himself and held out Gallant Gem. He eyed his target and began to somersault as gravity took effect, and he hurtled downwards, shouting, "CRATER STRIKE!!!!"

Jamba had just gotten out the fifth of the abductees and was pulling the pony towards the others he'd released. they were all still unconscious, but he sensed they were alive-

THRA-KOOOOMMM

and he 'whoa'd in alarm as he felt the earth shake beneath his hooves. But immediately afterwards, a strange feeling overcame Jamba. Something he did not hear so much as he felt, echoing into his being, an acknowledgement that something was in utter agony.It resonated with something inside Jamba, the feelings he'd felt but couldn't quite understand as he and Terra had made their way to this forbidden place.

Jamba stopped what he was doing and turned to watch the battle. Terra was smaller compared to the Swamp Monster, but he was holding his own surprisingly well. Jamba was in awe of Terra's transformation, but that same painful sensation hounded his being yet again, and he took a more careful look of what was going on. The pain flared every time Terra managed to score a blow against the monster. Jamba didn't feel the pain like it was actually hurting him, it was more like... the pain one felt when they acknowledged someone else they saw was in pain. But Jamba was confused, Terra didn't seem to be in any kind of turmoil other than the monster he was facing.

Wait, the monster... Jamba thought as he continued to watch. He shifted his focus to it, and though the Swamp Monster was still on the attack, ferocious, relentless... there was something about it that seemed afraid and confused. Jamba couldn't quite put his hoof on it, but then he began to wonder, where had this monster come from? Why did it attack and take all the goo ponies? Was this place its home? It's where it'd taken the Goo Ponies it captured, and it seemed to have emerged from the pond at the foot of the nearby Swamp Cypress.

The Swamp Cypress...!!! It was then Jamba remembered, the story of how Swamp Gas was found in a remote area of Hayseed Swamp. He recalled in the story that Samp Gas had fallen into a pond... that had been at the foot of a Swamp Cypresss! Gazing around, Jamba realized, This is it... this is the place Swamp Gas experienced whatever got him sick and caused Meadowbrooke to give him the elixir. This is the birthplace of the Goo Ponies!

"Diamond Storm!!" Terra shouted as he took a mighty swing of Gallant Gem, the crystal composing the hammer suddenly fragmenting and shooting out as crystal shards like missiles, zeroing in onto the Swamp Monster, the shards either striking with impact or slicing through the body. The Swamp Monster stumbled back in angry agony and Terra held out the handle of his weapon, the top end glowing and the shards that had launched out all glowed in response as they flew back to the handle, coming together and reforming the hammerhead of Gallant Gem.

Giving his weapon a twirl and looking at it, Terra thought, I love this thing!

"Terra!" The nascent Geo Pony turned to see Jamba rush near, and he pointed Gallant Gem at him.

"Jamba, stay back! This thing's still kicking!" he warned.

"Terra! You have to stop fighting it!" Jamba shouted, stopping a distance but not going back. "We were wrong! This creature isn't evil!"

"What're you saying?" Terra asked but shifted his focus to the monster. It was gathering itself again, growling menacingly, showing it was far from defeated.

"This place! I figured out where we are, it's the place where Swamp Gas was exposed to something and eventually became the first Goo Pony!" Jamba explained. "The feelings I've felt since we got here, what led us here! It's the creature! I can't really explain it, but I think we're not supposed to fight it, we have to help it!"

"Help it? How?!" Terra raised Gallant Gem, the monster having finally got itself together and was pawing the ground like a bull about to charge.

"Uh... how, how...?!" Jamba fretted, looking around, when he looked back at the pond beneath the Swamp Cypress, and then he had an idea. "I've got it! Terra, can you get it back into the pond?"

"The pond?" Terra echoed, not understanding.

"Yeah! The pond! Can you get it back in there!?" Jamba urged.

"Er- Yeah, I think so! But why?" Terra asked, the Swamp Monster charging.

"JUST DO IT!!" Jamba shouted in response and he rushed towards the pond.

The Swamp Monster collided with Terra, who'd thankfully raised Gallant Gem between them to take the brunt of the tackle. Now it was the monster's turn to get pushy. Thankfully, Terra was a smart one, and instead of holding his ground, he let the monster push him back while making a show of resistance.

Urgh... that's right, ya big oaf... bring us closer and closer... Terra gritted his teeth. In spite of his newfound Geo Pony strength, he was getting tired, having exerted himself by no small amount all day, in addition to suddenly putting on a lot of weight, and then going hoof to muck with this thing.

He peered over his shoulder again and saw Jamba standing a safe distance from the pond but still close to do... whatever it was he had planned. Thankfully, none of the mounds near them still had their goo pony prisoners contained, so Terra didn't have to concern himself with their safety. Once they had got to a near-enough distance, Terra made his move.

He grunted with unyielding effort as he pushed his hooves in, finding a foundation, and roared with surprising ferocity as he pushed the Swamp Monster off of himself. The beast growled, startled, but moved to attack again. However, in spite of the extra weight he'd suddenly put on, Terra retained a sense of agility, and managed to maneuver himself around the monster as it had moved in to attack him. The monster kept its eyes on the knight, and Terra smirked when he saw for certain the monster was now between him and the pond, within throwing distance though Terra didn't think he actually could pick up and throw the monster.

But the magic that flowed through his veins, empowering his body, and had guided him thus far, it spoke to Terra without him realizing it, and he knew what to do.

He set Gallant Gem aside and lowered his front half while making sure his rear end was raised behind him, including his tail.

Terra felt his magic flow through him... and concentrate into his plot! He felt a bold playfulness and shuddered as his bottom began to grow heavier and heavier! Terra didn't need to look to know that his glorious golden glutes were growing in size and firmness, the sight of it actually baffling the monster before Terra snorted and took a breath before roaring, "ROCK BOTTOM!!!!"

Using his tail to help balance him, Terra swung `round and struck the monster with his titanic tooshy, the monster stumbling backwards from the sheer force of it all, and then...

SPLASH

"NOW, JAMBA!!" Terra shouted as his plot shrank down to normal.

Jamba hurried, carrying a canteen, and quickly poured its contents into the pond. Once the last drops had fallen, Jamba rushed over to Terra's side, and they watched in suspense. The pond soon calmed, the ripples vanishing, and finally its surface became as smooth as glass. For a long, pregnant moment, nothing happened, and the both of them feared the monster would rise out at any second and they'd be right back where they started. But then...

The surface of the pond began to gently ripple from bubbles rising up, almost like a soft and gentle boil. Then, deeper within, there was a glow of green, like spring or mint. The stink of marsh gas that had pervaded the area suddenly began to fade and instead a fragrant smell made itself known. Both ponies smelled it and felt a shuddering in their flanks and in their loins... it smelled good! They couldn't exactly place it, but it had a sort of musky appeal, along with an oddly flowery scent mixed in with it.

Then, the pond began to bubble even more, the surface roiling, and they knew something was coming out. Terra picked up Gallant Gem, just incase, and they weren't kept waiting long as something breached the pond and made itself known.

It looked like the Swamp Monster, but... now it was smaller. Still big, bigger than Terra was now, yet something was clearly different. The head now sported what looked like antlers, the body no longer looked like it was made of swamp matter. In fact, the swamp matter seemed to be sliding off the form of whatever this creature now was. Before long, they saw a body that reminded them of a goo pony, except instead of being transparent goo it looked like a membrane containing the mossy peat water of the swamp.

Then, the creature shook itself free of the remaining swamp matter and they saw it now. It had large deer-like ears, large bewildered eyes, a falcon-like beak for a mouth, it raised its legs, showing the front legs had talons like a falcon while the hind legs had the paws of a large cat, and it shook its tail, long and and tufted at the end like a lion's. Its back however retained some kind of fur that looked like it was made of moss, including the moss around its neck, like a mane, and the tuft tipping its tail. The creature reminded them of the Swamp Monster, but now... it didn't seem like a monster yet it still looked like a creature of the swamp. It sort of reminded Terra of a griffon, but with no wings and with stag-like characteristics from those ears and antlers. Its body was similar to that of a Goo Pony, but instead of being made of goo, it was made of the swamp!

It opened its beak, uttering grunts and moans, and regarded them with what seemed to be confusion, gratitude, and... shame?

"What's it doing...?" Terra whispered to Jamba.
"I think it- I think... he's trying to... find his voice, to speak," Jamba whispered back.

"I... no... pain!" the creature spoke in a deep baritone voice, rumbly and sounding a little congested. It, or rather 'he' as Jamba said, seemed to cough and then hock a loogie before spitting to the side, and then he took a deep breath.
"I... I feel... no more... pain!"

"Uh- That's... good!" Jamba responded, nervous but trying to sound friendly. "You... were acting kinda cranky before. But you feel better now?"

"Better..." the creature echoed, his eyes lighting up and, to the stallions' surprise, tearing up as what could only be joy trailed down his tears, his eyes unable to contain them, as he smiled, "Better! I feel... better! The pain is gone!"

"Hmm, Jamba," Terra looked to Jamba beside him, and for a moment Terra was discombobulated because now he was bigger than the Goo Pony instead of the opposite. The realization that he had become a Geo Pony was finally starting to sink in, but now was not the time.
"What did you pour into the pond after... he went in?"

"It was the same elixir Meadowbrooke used to help her husband, Swamp Gas, when he was sick from whatever he'd come into contact with," Jamba explained, "It stabilized Swamp Gas's condition and caused him to become the first Goo Pony. She kept the recipe just in case, and it turned out the elixir is a nifty little pick-me-up that's good for practically whatever's ailing you. It doesn't cure anything, but it helps a lot! Mama Roux packed a canteen in the supplies they gave us before we left, and..."

Jamba looked around at the clearing and then the pond and Swamp Cypress behind the creature, "I realized... this is the place! This is where Swamp Gas came into contact with whatever got him sick, and I believe it's in... or maybe was in that pond over there. Not to mention, I'd been feeling like something was crying out in pain, and that somehow I had to help, even though I didn't really get it before. But once I put it all together, it became clear!"

Jamba gazed up at the creature, who stood there, uncertain but listening, and Jamba smiled, "You were the one in pain, the one who needed help! Once I understood that, and everything else here, I figured, if the elixir helped my ancestor, perhaps it could help you too!"

The creature's eyes softened with understanding, and he bowed, "You saved me... thank you... I am sorry... for the trouble... I've caused. I... I couldn't..."

"Um, if you don't mind my asking," Terra spoke up, "Why did you take all the goo ponies before? Can you remember that?"

"Yes... like... a nightmare," the creature spoke, sounding ashamed, "Pain... anger... I didn't... really think. Only felt... acted... I sensed them... the... goo ponies? They... Being close... to them... the pain... hurt less... but not by much... So I took them... brought them here... to this place... feels like home."

"I understand that you weren't in your right mind and that you were suffering," Jamba said kindly, "but I hope you understand that you can't keep them. These are my friends, neighbors, and some of them are my family."

"I understand... the pain is gone... only relief, I am thankful... and sorry..." the creature bowed his head, sounding thankful but also ashamed and sad. "I will... never bother you again..."

Then the creature turned and started to walk away, and Terra and Jamba both realized that he was leaving. They shared a look and nodded before Jamba called out, "Wait! Don't go."

The creature paused and looked back, confused.

"I know you didn't truly mean any harm, and I'm glad you understand your actions," Jamba assured, "but as long as you're sorry and do no more harm, then you don't have to leave. You don't have to be alone. In fact, I would like to be your friend!"

"Friend...?" the creature echoed back, and a hopefulness washed over him.

"Yes, let's be friends! And I bet, once we get everyone home and explain everything, then the ponies of Hayseed would be your friends too!" Jamba came over and held out his hoof to the creature, looking small in comparison, like a baby foal next to a full-grown, above-average sized stallion.

"We can be... friends?" the creature was humbled, and began to shed more tears of joy again, before he gently reached out with his talon and touched it to Jamba's hoof. "I will apologize, I will amend, and... I would be happy to be your friend."

"Then that settles it! My name is Jambalaya, but you can call me Jamba for short," Jamba smiled happily.

"Which brings up an important detail," Terra spoke up, as he touched Gallant Gem, and the hammer reverted back to its sword form, now bigger to match Terra's own increase in size, and then his armor and helm vanished, freeing his big belly and muscles (to his relief, the armor fit but it got snug after a while), and Gallant Gem was absorbed back into his body, no longer needed.
"We gotta give you a name!"

"Oh right! Let's see..." Jamba gave it a thought, as did Terra, and the creature waited, suddenly feeling a little anxious.

Jamba regarded the creature and everything else around them. Then he eyed the pond, the weeds and plants growing around it, like a marsh.

A marsh... Jamba looked back at the creature and noted the moss growing on his back, forming a mane around his neck, and tipping his tail. Smiling, Jamba asked, "Whattya think of Marsh Moss? Marsh for short!"

"Marsh Moss... Marsh..." the creature tasted the words in his mouth, a feeling of joy warming him up from his belly, and then smiled, "Yes. My name... is Marsh Moss."

Author's Note

The Swamp Monster is no longer a monster. He is, shall we say... a being of Hayseed Swamp, now named Marsh Moss by his new friend.

Marsh Moss's... birth is tied to the origin of the Goo Ponies.

The first Goo Pony, Swamp Gas, was a regular earth pony who liked to explore the swamp. One day, he stumbled into the area here, on a small island in the swamp where there's a mighty swamp cypress growing out of a pond. Inside that pond was an unknown supernatural substance relating somehow to the swamp itself.

It caused Swamp Gas to become sick with something and made his body amorphous. Luckily, his wife, Mage Meadowbrooke, was able to save him with an experimental elixir, which stabilized his condition, rendering him the first Goo Pony!

Now, the Swamp Monster (before he became Marsh moss at the end of this chapter) was born of the pond and the substance inside it too. His form resembles a falcon, stag, and lion, becuz those three animals found and died in that pond long ago (don't ask how, when, or why), and their remains became one with the substance. Overtime, the substance in the pond... fermented? Something like that, and it was disturbed by Swamp Gas long ago, though it still took a very long time before it became alive and aware.

Like Swamp Gas was, however, the life form that came to be from these strange circumstances was born unstable, confused, in pain, unable to truly think, only feel. It formed a body out of swamp matter and soon targeted the Goo Ponies that descended from Swamp Gas, becuz being near them alleviated its pain but did not cure it, so it abducted them.

When Terra, now a Geo Pony as well as a true Knight of Harmony, got the Swamp Monster back into the pond, Jamba, figuring it all out, poured the same elixir that Meadowbrooke helped Swamp Gas with, and this brought balance, clarity, and relief to the swamp monster, allowing it to become stable and assume a form akin to the Goo Ponies' amorphous bodies yet reflecting the falcon, stag, and lion that died in the pond long ago.

Marsh Moss is now a unique, thinking and feeling being

414. In Swamp Water - Part 5

"...and so, it is with muh deepest gratitude that I, Papa Gumbo," announced Papa Gumbo in front of his manor, his family behind him, his grandson Jamba at his side and Terra on the other, and Marsh Moss standing behind the crowd as everypony watched Papa Gumbo pull out a fancy-looking certificate, "am proud t' confer upon Terra, Knight o' Harmony, this certificate o' honorary citizenship! Terra, for all you've done for us, we welcome you as a member of our community an' our family. You will always have a home here in Hayseed Swamp village, as does our new friend an' neighbor, Marsh Moss!"

The locals and visitors all cheered and applauded Terra as well as Marsh Moss, the huge being stifling giggles as he felt some of the local foals climb onto his body due to how it tickled. Marsh was happy, for in spite of having every right to hate him and turn him away, the ponies of Hayseed village had not only forgiven him but embraced him like family.

After giving Marsh Moss his name, the huge swamp beast (what the locals were now calling him, as a term of endearment) had helped to set all the goo ponies free, as well as Papa Gumbo. Once they'd come to, Jamba and Terra had both assured them all that Marsh Moss was not the monster he was before. He had been healed, and all he needed was friendship. Gumbo had been the first to speak, and he'd said to Marsh Moss that all who called Hayseed Swamp home were meant to be friends.

Marsh Moss had helped everypony get home to the village, and Gumbo and Jamba and Terra had assured their family, friends, and neighbors that all was well and Marsh was their friend, not the monster he was before.

"And with th' formalities outta th' way..." Papa Gumbo said with a playful edge, "let's get this SWAMPI GRAS BACK ON!!!"

Again everypony cheered, and the celebration was back in full swing. Music and laughter filled the air, along with the delectable aromas of cajun style cooking. Looking around, Jamba smiled, glad this was all back, and that everypony was alright. Earlier, his family and friends and especially his Papa Gumbo had all slapped him on the back and said they were so proud of him. sure, he'd tried to downplay his role in it all, but Terra had to step in and remind him how it was Jamba, not the knight, who'd truly saved the day. Had Jamba not been there, Terra admitted he was afraid he might have had to do.

Once they took a moment to step away from all the festive hullabaloo, Jamba gazed up at Terra, still finding the reversal of it to be baffling. While Terra, having finally let it sink in that he'd become a Geo Pony, was experiencing a little (big) clumsy awkwardness with his new body. He kept forgetting how big he was, had to eat an entire feast to fill his new beast of a belly, and his tail kept knocking things over because he wasn't used to it being so long and thick now. Still, he liked how he could use it to grab things.

"So... ya gonna stick around for th' rest of Swampi Gras?" asked Jamba.

"...Nah. If you don't mind, I'm starting to get a bit homesick," Terra shrugged. It still bewildered him of how big he was now, compared to before. He could see Jamba was still big for a pony, but now he was twice the goo pony's size, and probably a lot heavier, that he thought to himself, Wonder if I oughta go on a diet...

Aloud, he said, "After all this, I've had my fill of excitement to last me a while."

"Heheh, well, compared to filling this," Jamba gave Terra a teasing poke in in the tummy, making him giggle from how it tickled, "that was probably a lot easier."

"Hahah, yeah, probably," Terra shrugged, but then the both of them fell silent and there was a sadness, before Terra said, "Would you... be interested in a pen-pal?"

"You mean... letters?" Jamba perked up, liking the idea. "Huh, never hadda pen-pal before. Sure! Be nice t' keep in touch."

Smiling, Terra held out his hoof (being careful since it was now much larger) and Jamba smiled back and gladly shook hooves with him, the two of them sharing a smile that was both appreciative and admiring, and Terra promised, "I'll write to you soon. Be seeing you, Jambalaya."

"Au revoir, Sir Terra," Jamba replied, his eyes wavering just a little with sadness.

Terra nodded and turned to leave when he felt a tap on his tail, and Jamba said, "Terra?"

"Yes?" Terra asked as he turned to look at Jamba again, and was caught off guard to see Jamba had reared up and stretched his gooey body just enough for him to sneak a quick peck onto Terra's cheek, and then Jamba gave him a wink and said, "Safe travels, friend!" and scampered off, stifling a coltish giggle.

Terra stood there a moment, touching his cheek and feeling a flush of warmth, his face pink'd with a little blush, and he chuckled to himself before he headed to the dock

The flight back to Ponyville wasn't long but it was a tad lonely. Terra was just glad that his increased size and weight wasn't too much for the Slipstream. Finally, he arrived and touched down onto the private airfield beside Blueblood's warehouse and workshop, and he returned the Slipstream before making his way back into town.

He'd expected it, but it was still a little uncomfortable for him when the locals, seeing Terra, all stared, shocked in recognizing Terra but confused by his new body. He smiled shyly, said 'have a good one' here and there, and made his way back to Golden Rose's tea shop.

Unfortunately, Terra's new size meant he had to shimmy his way through the door without breaking the frame with his X-X-X-XL sized rear end.

Urp- Yup, this is gonna take some getting used to... Terra thought as he clenched his lower cheeks and sucked in his gut as much as he could... and let it out in a sighing 'WUMPH' of relief when he managed to get through with the tea shop's door no worse for wear.

The little bell over the door rang as he closed it, and he heard Rose's voice from the back, "Be right with you, just have a seat, s'il vous plaît!"

"Rose! It's me, I'm back, and uh..." Terra looked at himself in the shop's window and couldn't deny he liked what he saw. "Uh- Well! Don't freak out but I... kinda went through a growth spurt."

"Terra! Mon ami, glad you're back," Rose responded as he backed his way out through the kitchen door, balancing a tea tray on his head and a warm teapot on his delightful derriere, and he kept talking as he turned around, "You're in for quite a sur....!!!"

Rose stood in abject shock at the sight of Terra that he didn't even notice the tray and teapot fall from his person and shatter on the floor. Terra gulped at how Rose gawked at him... and he blushed to see the pale pink-white of Rose's face turn a shade of magenta, so he dared to break the ice, and waved with his hoof and smiled awkwardly, "Bone-joor?"

The butchering of his father's first language helped Rose snap out of it, as he shook it off and stuttered and mumbled before managing to take a deep breath, and then asking with a voice as calm and collected as he could muster, "Terra... what happened to you?"

"My... Knightly Mission was successful?" Terra answered sheepishly. Seeing Rose raise a brow, Terra cleared his throat and added, "And... I transformed into a Geo Pony! Heh, believe me nopony was more surprised than me!"

"I can think of somepony who will be..." Rose responded with the subtlest hint of playfulness, his brows bobbing suggestively, confusing Terra.

"Er- What?" Terra said dumbly.

"Hmhmhm, and that somepony is waiting for you at home," Rose added before giving him a shoo-shoo motion with his hoof, "Go on, get out of here. I've a mess to clean up and you don't want to keep him waiting...!"

"Who are you talking about, Rose?" Terra asked, starting to get curious, but then Rose rushed up to him and started getting pushy.

"I must clean! You must leave at once!" Rose was surprisingly strong as he managed to twirl the big, golden geo pony `round and pushed against his plot multiple times, punctuating each shove with, "Out-out-out-out-OUT!!!"

The door shut and locked as Terra found himself suddenly outside the tea shop, and he looked back to see Rose lower the shade, but not before giving him a playful wink and then flipping the sign door to 'closed'.

Baffled yet curious by Rose's words and behavior, Terra decided he might as well go home now, as his mission was done and he was honestly looking forward to sleeping in his own-

Oh, right... Terra thought, remembering the fact he would no longer fit in his own bed. As he moseyed on home, he would smile and wave to some of the ponies he'd met and seen around Ponyville, only for them to pop their eyes, drop their jaws, or crash into something while staring at him yet didn't stop walking.

Terra could no longer avoid thinking about it. He was different. He was no longer just an earth pony, he was a Geo Pony! Every step, every shift of his increased weight, the feeling of his tail, long and thick, as it swayed behind him, the light jiggle of his bally and flanks, the increased weight on his head from his horns, and the thudding of his hoofsteps that left distinct and deeper tracks in the ground even when he was just walking.

Questions began to pass through his mind: Why had this happened? What did it mean? Was it forever? How would his friends and his family react once they saw him this way? What more in his life would change?

These questions he didn't know how to answer weighed down upon him, making him feel heavier than he already was, when he felt a faint tremble beneath his hooves. He didn't know what it as, but it caused him to look up and see his house straight ahead. When Terra had accepted Blueblood's offer to move to Ponyville, he was given his choice of housing. Of course Terra had refused to be giving a house for free, so Blueblood compromised he'd help pay for it and Terra would sell his old apartment in Canterlot as well as do some smithing service to cover the rest of the fee.

His house was large yet simple, a cabin built up of both stone and wood with a wooden roof, a chimney, and only one stable tall because Terra had figured a house two stables or taller wouldn't be practical for a Geo Pony to live in unless it was built for Geo Ponies in mind. Next to the cabin was his forge, one he'd had built on his property so he could work from home.

Gonna have to size that up, along with... maybe everything, Terra thought with a sigh, but he was glad to see home again.

THOOM THOOM

Terra felt those tremors through his hooves, and he couldn't help but think just how familiar they felt. He then remembered how Rose had said somepony was waiting for him at home.

Could it be...? Terra craned his neck to peer around his home, and he just caught the sight of the tip of a long purple tail with a white tuft of hair disappear around the corner. Gasping, he hurried, his hoofsteps heavier and louder, but he didn't care. Terra rushed past the side of the house and came around the corner...!

...and found only his backyard. A wave of disappointment came over him, as he plopped down on his bottom, minding his tail, and hung his head, thinking himself silly for getting his hopes up.

Get real, Terra... he thought, If he was coming he would have told you in his letters- "Huh?!"

Terra honestly felt like his butt was vibrating, but he quickly realized the vibration was coming from underneath him! He leapt to his hooves, looked around, confused, when he heard the shifting of dirt ahead of him, and he looked. The middle of his backyard shuddered and shook, as the dirt and soil parted... and then he emerged!

First his gray horns, then his ears, and then his head and the rest of his huge, mighty, royal purple body, rising up as though he'd been on an elevator, Praetura Amethyst stood in all his glory as he spun `round and struck a pose as he whipped his beautiful white mane, announcing, "That rumble beneath your hooves, the vibration reaching your belly, is it hunger? It is arousal? Neither, my golden boy! It's me! Your Big Fat Geo Prince, here at last just to be with...!!"

Praetura'd had his eyes closed up until just before he was about to finish his sentence, but as he'd gotten there, his eyes had opened, and the Terra he saw before him was a bit bigger than the Terra he'd last seen shrinking into the distance at the Canterlot train station.

"...Prae?" Terra uttered, his voice low yet heavy with emotion.

Praetura's eyes gave Terra a once-over, before he narrowed them and pulled his lips back into an intrigued smirk, "Unexpected- WHOA!!!"

Terra didn't waste a moment, as he threw himself at Praetura, wrapping his forelegs around the larger Geo Pony's neck, his laughter breaking into sobs of joy, Praetura falling over onto his back, startled yet laughing as well. Even more so when Terra started to pepper his face with happy kisses, and only stopped to take a breath and gaze down at him, purple eyes meeting golden eyes, and they held that gaze for a long and tender moment, before Praetura reached up, gently caressing Terra's cheek, and Terra grasped it like he'd never let go, causing Praetura to tear up with joy as well, before saying, "But not unwelcome."

Their lips met, warm and gentle at first. But then a growl escaped from Praetura's lips as he reached up and startled Terra in pulling him down and hoisting himself up so that their positions were now reversed. Terra gazed up at Praetura, who looked upon him with wonder.

"Stormbreaker's beard, Terr, what the hell happened to you? Not that I'm complaining, that is," Praetura whispered in amazement and bobbed his brows in a flirty way.

"Heheh, it's... kind of a long story, Prae," Terra replied, still a little teary so he wiped his eyes and then said, "But- I don't understand! Your last letter said you were still busy with the new Geo Pony community!"

"I was," Praetura shrugged, "and shortly after, I was finished! Enterra is all good now."

"Didja have to name the community after me?" Terra blushed.

"What else would I name it?" asked Praetura as he then slumped to the side, laying next to Terra, gazing at him so warmly, "None of it all would have been possible if you hadn't dropped into my life. And my belly..."

"You are never gonna let me live that down, are you?" chuckled Terra with a raised brow, and oof'd a little when he felt Prae press his hoof into Terra's stomach.

"Well, now I gots me this golden gut to play with, along with some more increased... assets," Praetura growled in a sultry way as he gently massaged Terra's belly, the golden geo softly moaning from how nice it felt, not only physically but emotionally.

He looked up into Praetura's eyes, and Praetura looked back, the warmth in that moment bringing tears to Terra's eyes again, as he emotionally whispered, "You're here."

"I'm here," Praetura affirmed, and pressed his forehead to Terra's, "I'm home."

They stayed there all night, so content to be with each other under the stars, keeping each other warm with their own girths. And making love with the moon as their witness!

415. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 1

The talisman laid upon his desk, the one thing that had kept his powers under control since the night he... since what had happened. But as his teacher had warned him, the talisman's power would not last forever, and in recent nights he'd felt his control slipping. Hearing the thoughts of his family, briefly, indistinctly. But he knew. His telepathy was aching for release, causing him headaches, making his nights restless, and more than once he'd found himself adrift in the dream plane and forced himself back to his own dream.

Twinken couldn't take it anymore. Despite being scared, despite what had happened nearly three months ago, I have to take back control...

He'd spent weeks in his room, refusing to come out or speak to anyone. Accepting the meals his mother, sister, and grandmother would leave at his doorstep, doing his homework brought to him by his other sister, ignoring his brothers, refusing to see his friends. Twinken had essentially punished himself by making his room his own prison cell. He'd only ever left to use the bathroom and he'd done that by teleporting so no one would catch him coming or going from the water closet. A few times he'd worked up the nerve to step out of his room and try to talk to his family, but he always chickened out and returned to his self-imposed incarceration .

After what happened, Twinken wore the talisman Princess Luna gave him back when his telepathy first manifested, and used it to essentially lock up his powers, including his dreamwalking. He'd refused to dreamwalk again, and kept his dreams locked up tight to prevent Luna from getting in. He'd ignored her warning the talisman would eventually fail, but the signs were too much to ignore.

Not only that, after hearing Rumble and his friends talk to him through the door almost a couple of months after the incident, he'd found himself driven to tears by their forgiveness and their pleas for him to come out and just hang with them again. His mother had tried time and again to get him to come out, assuring him over and over that it was just an accident, that he hadn't meant for that nightmare to happen, that he was only a colt in need of guidance. A few times he'd responded, saying things like he was scared, that he wasn't ready. His mother assured him that they would be here for him when he was, only asking that he not take too long, because she missed her little colt, and the sadness and crying he heard from her made him feel even more ashamed.

She also told him how she was finally starting to show, that she was getting a little pudgy from her pregnancy-induced appetite, and how she just wanted to squeeze him up warm and tight with her pregnant hug. It'd made them both laugh, yet still Twinken didn't come out.

Other friends had tried speaking to him. Applejack, Macintosh, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Blueblood, Rarity, Cheese Sandwich, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane tried getting forceful only to be repelled by a shield spell Twinken had placed on his door. Twilight and Midnight had both tried as well, but even they couldn't get through to him.

The last time Midnight tried, he'd warned Twinken that if he didn't come out soon he'd have to take drastic measures. That was only last week, and he'd been in his room for nearly three months!

His control slipping, combined with the sadness he was causing his friends and family, along with his brother's warning, along with his own feelings that he didn't think he could live like this anymore, it finally spurred Twinken to stop hiding from himself. It was already bedtime though, so he resolved to finally come out of his room in the morning after waking up. But this time, he'd sleep without the talisman keeping his mind to itself.

Taking a deep breath, Twinken left the talisman on his desk and got into bed. Pulling his covers up and resting his head into his pillow, he turned over and looked at the crystal lava lamp Twilight had given him as a souvenir from the Crystal Empire. He really loved it, the colors, the amorphous shapes constantly shifting and rising and falling, the "lava" crystalizing whenever the lamp was turned off and then breaking down into morphing blobs of "lava" after it was turned on. There was just something about it that brought comfort to him, kept his mind preoccupied. Many a night he'd spent staring at it, watching the shapes squash and stretch as they rose and fell in a prismatic dance of color.

Before long, his mind relaxed, and his body drifted into slumber...

The Dream Plane was exactly as he remembered it, a vast starry void, like outer space, distant stars, colorful nebulae, and with a thought he manifested his room, the walls transparent so he could still see the Dream Plane beyond, and he turned to his dream-desk whereupon laid what appeared to be a photo album. This was Twinken's way of looking for active dreams. While Princess Luna manifested an endless corridor of doors that led to a dream Twinken preferred to use this album to show him the dreams being had by whoever was asleep.

The photos had names and cutie-marks (if the dreamer had found their own, that is) and would display a dream in the picture if they were asleep. If they were awake, the picture was blank. The borders of the pictures also helped determine what kind of dream the dreamer was having. Gold borders meant a good and enjoyable dream. Borders of shifting colors indicated a confused dream with no real understanding, shifting and changing based on the dreamer's disorganized thoughts and feelings. Pink borders meant dreams about love (or more adult things that Twinken knew he was too young to be seeing, so he avoided those). But bad dreams had borders of dark colors, letting him know these dreamers needed help.

He saw Mac and Fluttershy's dreams were golden, the pictures displaying Mac and Fluttershy enjoying a nice walk together between a field of flowers and an orchard of trees, with honeybees and butterflies fluttering and buzzing about. The sight of it made Twinken crack a smile, Of course they would have a shared dream.

Shared dreams were rare, only possible if the dreamers had a strong and close bond and were sleeping nearby each other.

He saw their foals, Belle and Sandow, were having cute little happy dreams of their own, Belle listening to birds singing and Sandow exploring an orchard filled with apples and toys. That made him smile more. He recalled his mistress had told him to never interfere with the dreams of babies unless they were having really bad dreams. Their nascent little minds were still developing and had to do so on their own.

Then, he saw his mom's dream. Faerie Tail's dream seemed happy, and he saw her tummy round and plump, making her look so beautiful in a way he'd never seen her before. Faerie Tail appeared to be just enjoying a picnic... with Midnight. With Twilight. With...

Dad? Twinken had seen his picture before, but this was his first time seeing the whole of Ignitus Enflame. Ignitus was tall, strong, and handsome, bearing a striking resemblance to Prince Sombra. His coat was burning red while his mane was black that turned to metallic gold highlights. His cutie-mark was a sword behind a shield, all wreathed in flame, and Twinken gasped to see his father had the same red eyes as him!

His Mom laid against his Dad, Midnight and Twilight to the sides, all of them smiling, laughing, Ignitus gently rubbing Faerie Tail's beautiful pregnant belly... but Twinken could see that despite being surrounded by love, there was pain in her face. He watched her look past her husband, son, and daughter-in-law... and he saw himself.

Sitting away, looking ashamed, a literal cloud of gloom over him, and Twinken understood. Though his mom was happy, he was causing her pain and sadness by being solely preoccupied with his own.

I'll make it up to you, Mom, Twinken thought as he gave his mother's dream just the faintest touch. I promise.

And just like that, the Twinken in his mom's dream started to perk up and look over to her, and she smiled so joyously before waving him over. Twinken felt his heart swell as he saw the Twinken in his mother's dream smile and then hurry over to her to give her the biggest hug... and then nuzzle up to her belly, creating what might have been the sweetest dream Faerie Tail had had in a long time.

The real Twinken was about to turn the page in the album to look for more dreams when he noticed the border of Granny Smith's dream suddenly darken, puzzling him. He took a look at the dream picture and was confused to see only a fog. Dark, simmering, unclear, obscure, yet the borders along the picture indicated this was a troubled dream.

What's Granny Smith dreaming about...? Twinken wondered, and though he still felt reluctant to actually enter a dream, he figured, "Well, perhaps Granny Smith could use some help."

He touched the dream and his dreamspace dispersed like mist, and Twinken found himself in that same fog he saw in Granny Smith's dream. Only now, he felt a strange emotional turmoil. It was cold and shivery, as the emotions he felt, which he figured must be Granny Smith's, washed over him.

Sadness... regret... shame? Twinken quickly recognized these emotions, as he'd become rather familiar with them as of late.

"Come and get your apples! Nothin' sweeter than bitin' into a crisp apple on a beautiful fall day!"

What the?! Twinken didn't know where that voice came from, but it sounded familiar.

"Unless, of course... you could bite into a juicy pear."

Okay, that voice Twinken didn't recognize.

"Please. Pears are just what happens when you ain't no good at farmin' apples."

"Is that... Granny Smith?" Twinken had to be careful, he was out of touch with his dreamwalking powers and he didn't want to disturb Granny Smith's dream unless it took a bad turn. Ever so slightly, he imposed his power on the dream though the fog seemed to stubbornly resist. Still, he could make out what appeared to be two stalls right next to each other, one with a red and yellow striped awning and a topper that looked like an apple slice, maned by a very familiar-looking mare, surely a younger Granny smith, the other yellow and round-shaped with a stem-leaf decoration on top being run by an unfamiliar stallion, and the stink-eyes they gave each other told Twinken they surely weren't bosom-buddies.

"Pears are nature's candy. Apples are sour. Like the expression on your face right now," the stallion chuckled impishly but not in a friendly way towards Granny smith.

Who is this guy? Twinken wondered, but be fore he could see anymore, the fog returned, the voices fading, and Twinken mustered his power, trying to clear the fog though it continued to resist.

Still, he saw more, despite the obscuring mist, and the voices returned.

"An' then, th' little tree reached his branches up t' the moon..." Twinken could see it was young Granny smith again, appearing to be telling an apple tree a bedtime story, "...and the moon said, 'Good night.'"

"Good night, trees." Both Twinken and the young Granny smith turned to see that same stallion, covering pear trees with blankets as he gave one a kiss and hug, "I've got you covered."

The smarmy look he gave Granny Smith and the hussy look she got in return, Twinken thought, Wow, these two did not get along! And they were so competitive!

Twinken understood this was a long time ago, and while he could understand Granny Smith not having fond memories of this pony, it still begged the question why her dream was supposedly troubled somehow.

Then the fog returned, and a chilling wind blew around Twinken, alarming him, What kind of dream is this?! It's almost as though... the fog, it's... trying to hide something?

Twinken struggled to remember what he'd learned from his mistress about dreams, how they varied in being good, bad, anywhere in between, and some could be clear and obvious while others were messy, muddy, and difficult to understand. Then he remembered something else - Sometimes dreams were memories!

That's it! Granny Smith is dreaming old memories, but... Looking around at the fog, barely able to see shapes through it and hardly hearing anything at all, Twinken struggled to understand why Granny Smith's dreaming her memories seemed to be trying to block the memories out.

Unless... she doesn't want to remember! Twinken realized. The young dreamwalker knew he shouldn't pry into someone's memories, but something compelled him to keep going. Twinken could sense the emotional pain around him, like an old wound that never really healed. To live with that pain for so long...

Though he had misgivings, Twinken furrowed his brows and focused, pushing his power against the fog until he could see what appeared to be two ponies having a picnic together, talking to, Mrs. Cake?!

It looked like her, younger though, and not quite as plump as Mrs. Cake was today. She was talking to those two ponies, both of whom looked familiar somehow yet Twinken didn't recall ever meeting them. One was a stallion of Big Mac's size and build, but his coat was yellow and his mane and tail red like Apple Bloom's, and he wore what looked like Applejack's hat! His mark was a green apple sliced in half with a gold star in front of it.

Beside him was a mare, her coat soft pale peach-like color while her mane was a familiar orange and a little frazzled because there were flowers, leaves, and twigs in it. Her cutie-mark was a jar of... preserves? Butter?

Wait, butter? Butter... Buttercup! And Bright Mac! Twinken knew who they were now, AJ, Bloom, and Mac's parents!

Twinken finally recognized them, from some photos he'd seen a while ago in the Apple Family Photo Album. He recalled how Granny Smith and Applejack told him how her folks, Bright Mac and Buttercup, passed away a long while ago, when Apple Bloom was still a baby. They'd shared fond memories of them, how Buttercup taught Bright Mac how to play guitar and then he taught Applejack, how Bright Mac gave Big Mac his work collar, how... how Apple Bloom had only the faintest memories of them since they were gone before she could even talk.

Then he heard bushes rustling and out came Granny Smith, who gasped in sight of her son and Buttercup before saying, "What in tarnation are you doin', Bright Mac?! We do not fraternize with Pears!"

Pears?! Twinken thought his ears were mistaken at first, but the way Granny Smith spat and then took Bright Mac by the ear and dragged him off as mothers do.

"Pear Butter! You and Bright Mac?" Twinken looked back and was sure he'd heard it. The young Mrs. Cake had called Buttercup 'Pear Butter'. "Whew, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Your families hate each other."

"I can't help it," Buttercup, or Pear Butter apparently, replied while looking on warmly at Bright Mac, who threw her a wink despite his aching ear. "We just sorta... happened."

The love in that mare's eyes filled Twinken with a sort of warm and fuzziness that brought a certain unicorn filly to mind, but he shook his head as he wondered, So... Buttercup's real name was Pear Butter... and Granny Smith didn't like her? Or her family?

As the fog thickened yet again, the colt was just so puzzled. How could Granny Smith have been against the mare who became the mother of her grandfoals? He had to find out more.

He focused again, the fog parting, and he saw what appeared to be some kind of event going on late at night, set exactly between the apple orchard and the pear orchard. He could see Pear Butter and Bright Mac together, a younger Mayor Mare behind them, and the younger Mrs. Cake and a gray stallion Twinken didn't recognize at first, until he saw his mark was a charcoal log, Burnt Oak? The firewood seller at the marketplace? Wait... this looks like...!

His thoughts were confirmed when he heard Mayor Mare say, "I now pronounce you-"

"What is goin' on?! What's with all these here candles?!" All eyes turned to see Granny Smith arriving unexpectedly at the scene.

"Pear Butter! Where are ya?!" They looked again and saw the stallion Twinken had seen before, the one Granny Smith seemed to hate.

Given the look of worry he saw in her eyes, it was then Twinken realized, He must have been Pear Butter's father!

"You're s'posed t' be packin'!" The Pear stallion took notice of what was going on and then narrowed his eyes, demanding in a low tone, "What are you two doing?"

For a moment, there was an awkward and very uncomfortable silence, but it was Bright Mac who responded, as he tenderly held Pear Butter close and declared, "Ma, Grand Pear, Buttercup an' Ah are in love!"

"WHAT!?" Both Granny Smith and the stallion, Grand Pear, uttered in disbelief.

"And we'll be married as soon as Mayor Mare says..." Pear Butter turned to Mayor Mare, and she got the idea.

"Oh! I now pronounce you husband and wife!" Mayor Mare spoke in a hurry.

"Doesn't that feel nice?" Pear Butter smiled warmly before she and her new husband sealed it with a loving kiss and nuzzle... until Granny Smith came between them with such an ornery look.

"What're you talkin' about, married?!" Granny Smith glared up at her son, "You two cain't be married!"

"Fin'lly, somethin' we agree on," Grand Pear came up beside his daughter and gave her an angry look of his own. "Pear Butter, enough of this nonsense. Wer' movin'! An' you gotta stick with your family!"

As if that weas that, Grand PEar began to walk off, clearly expecting his daughter to follow-

"But... the Apples are my family now, too," Pear Butter responded, which Granny Smith caught that she gave the younger mare a bewildered look.

"You can't be serious," Grand Pear argued, unable to believe what he was hearing, " Are you choosin' to be an Apple over being a Pear?!"

Twinken felt his heart hurt as he watched Pear Butter and Bright Mac shared a pained look before Pear Butter tearfully asked her father, "Are you... makin' me choose?"

Grand Pear winced for a moment at his daughter's words, but hardened his heart, "Yes. Ah am..."

Pear Butter's eyes squeezed shut as she made the most difficult decision of her life, and made it, "Then, yeah. Ah guess Ah am."

Grand Pear stood there, completely shaken but he furrowed his brows and responded, "Fine!"

And without another word and refusing to look at her anymore, Grand Pear left, stomping every step, leaving Pear Butter with her husband... and mother-in-law, as Granny Smith came up and awkwardly comforted her.

The fog came back, and there was a rumble of thunder and a deeper chill, causing Twinken to shudder and wonder, How could Granny Smith have... why did...?

He was so conflicted. Granny Smith, so full of love and life, even at her age, wise yet funny, How could she have been so cruel and selfish?!

Then the fog turned into a storm and Twinken heard more voices, and there were flashes of lightning, revealing images.

"Did... did Daddy get my gift, Concordia?"

"He did, but... I'm so sorry, Butter. He threw it into the trash, wouldn't even open it after he saw it was from you."

A flash of lightning revealed it was Pear Butter speaking to Aunt Orange, and Granny Smith in the next room overhearing and looking ashamed when Pear Butter began to cry, her sister trying to comfort her.

The winds picked up, and then...

"Ma, it ain't right! We should make peace with Grand Pear so-"
"He made his decision, Bright Mac! He can live wit' it or he can be th' bigger mane an' admit he was wrong!"
"Or maybe you jus' cain't be th' bigger mare an' admit you were wrong!"
"Don'choo take tha' tone wit' me, sonny! Ah am yer mother an' you will-"
"Ah'll give you respect when you let go o' tha' damn pride, you old crab apple!"

A flash of lightning showed Bright Mac walking away in disgust from his stunned mother to play with a young Big Mac and Applejack, Pear Butter nearby, her tummy fat with foal. Granny Smith looked like she wanted to say something, but the stink eye her son gave her caused Granny Smith to shake her head and walk away with a bitter look. The stormy fog returned again, and over its roar, Twinken could hear more voices.

"Ma... jus' promise me an' Buttercup this..." Bright Mac's voice sounded so weak, and Twinken felt as though his heart was breaking but he knew.

This is Granny Smith's most painful memory!

"Wha' is it, sweethawrt...?" The sobbing voice of Granny wasso full of pain and emotion.

"Promise us... when they're old enough t' understand... you'll tell em," said Bright Mac's voice, followed by a cough, "tellem about their mama's side o' their fam'ly."

"Ah... Ah promise, my li'l apple o' muh eye...!" Granny Smith said, and there was a heavy exhale, and all went dark.

The familiar crowing of the rooster roused Twinken from his somnolent sojourn and he found himself back in his bed as he stared up at the ceiling, so overwhelmed by all that he'd just learned, before he whispered, "Granny Smith... what did you?"

Author's Note

Horse apples are really gonna hit the fan in this arc, and it's gonna be a hard one for Twinken

Concordia is the given name I gave Aunt Orange. in my story-canon, Aunt Orange was the younger sister of Pear Butter, and her name was Concordia (after the Concorde Pear). Like her sister marrying into the Apple Family, she married into the Orange Family.

416. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 2

The kitchen was alive and bustling, as Fluttershy sat next to Faerie Tail, watching with a warm smile as Belle and Sandow looked curiously at their favorite sitter's tummy. After three months, Faerie Tail was finally showing, enough for it to be noticeable yet there was still a long way to go. The doctors had assured Faerie Tail that her unusual pregnancy was finally starting to gain momentum in the development of her foal, and they were glad to tell her that the magic that had kept her from aging had finally worked its way out from her Thaumaturgical System.

Regardless, they had her under doctor's orders to maintain check-ups every two weeks, just to be sure everything was progressing smoothly.

Applejack and Thunderlane were making breakfast together, their relationship growing closer to the point that sometimes Thunderlane came over to cook with Applejack, and even brought Rumble along as he spoke with Apple Bloom about a book report Miss Cheerilee had assigned for their class. Macintosh was reading the paper at the head of the dining table while Granny Smith was knitting in her rocking chair nearby.

"G--good morning, everypony..." That voice caused them all to gasp and drop what they were doing, and they looked to see a nervous Twinken standing in the doorway, forcing a smile.

For a moment, Faerie Tail thought, Am-am I dreaming...?

Twinken chuckled nervously, "No, Mom, we're all awake here, and I'm here too."

"Well, g'mornin' t'you, stranger!" Applejack teased, "Yer usual? Apple-cinnamon pancakes an' a cheese omelette?"

"Er- Yeah, that'd be nice, AJ," Twinken nodded as he walked up to the table and took a seat next to his mom.

"Coming right up," Thunderlane immediately helped Applejack get started on Twinken's breakfast as they heard the chatter around the table get even more excited.

"Twinken! We've missed you," Apple Bloom scooted her chair over and threw her forelegs around the colt, who warmly returned the hug, "First opportunity we get, wer' makin' up on some crusadin'!"
"So, you doing okay, buddy?" Rumble asked kindly.

Twinken paused a moment, and took a deep breath, "I... I'm doing better, but... I don't think I'm completely over what happened. I don't know if I ever will be, to tell you the truth."

Then he felt a familiar hug that became just a tad unfamilair, as he felt how extra soft and plush it was, and saw it was his mom, giving him a loving embrace, as she gently assured, "We're all here for you, sweetheart... and so is your future baby brother or sister!"

Twinken gasped as Faerie Tail loosed her hug and then gently took Twinken's hoof and placed it upon her tummy. He found himself in awe. He'd seen pregnant mares before, and had got to feel Fluttershy's tummy when she'd been pregnant with the twins. But this time was different. The touch of his mother's belly was warm and soft, and when he concentrated, he felt not only a single heartbeat another as well.

Then, Twinken felt something else. Not with his hoof, but rather with his mind. There...

Inside of his mother, this new life was taking shape and form, as well as something more. Twinken was careful, doing nothing but observe but in a telepathic manner. The life inside of his mom's tummy... it was aware. It felt warm and snug, hearing but unable to see, much less understand. It was a faint, lacking in understanding or comprehension, but it was distinct enough for Twinken to be certain.

It was the baby's mind!

That realization brought invoked a shuddery gasp, that Twinken began to tear up and then look up at his mom, Faerie Tail smiling so deeply, so joyously, that neither needed to say a word, as they hugged so tenderly and nopony around them said a word, not wanting to spoil the moment.

...until a sleepy snort disrupted the moment anyway, "Su- wha? Ah wuz jus' restin' muh eyes... Oh! Twinken, honey, yer fin'lly out an' about, Ah see."

Twinken flinched at the sound of Granny Smith's voice, suddenly reminded of last night. It took a moment to brace himself before he looked to her. Why did this feel different? There she was, the same ol' Granny Smith, the only grandmother-figure he'd ever known in his life. She loved him, he knew that, embraced him as an Apple in all the ways that truly matter.

And yet... Twinken thought as he could not deny the suspicion worming around in his heart at the very sight of her. He had to find out more.

Clearing his throat and taking a breath, Twinken said, "Hello, Granny Smith. How are you?"

"Oh, can't rightly complain, sonny," Granny Smith shrugged as she ambled over to join them at the table, "but now it feels a whole lot better with you here, sweethawt."

"Order up!" Thunderlane placed Twinken's breakfast in front of him, "Fresh off the griddle, enjoy, little mane!"

Twinken eyed the apple cinnamon pancakes and cheese omelette, his red eyes burning with hunger, and he quickly said, "Thanks!" before digging in with gusto.

"Oh my, at least Twinken's still got his healthy appetite," Fluttershy teased and everyone laughed in a good-natured way.

Twinken focused on eating in order to avoid conversation, so as to think. How could he find out more about what he had learned from Granny Smith's dreams? While everyone else talked, he heard Applejack say, "Hey Mac, d'ya mind takin' th' Cakes' order o' apples t' Sugarcube Corner?"

The Cakes? Twinken slowed down in his eating, his ears perking.

"Sorry, AJ, Ah got some repairs on th' barn Ah've been meanin' to handle," Macintosh replied as he lowered his paper. "In fact, Ah oughta get to it before th' sun gets too high n' hot else th' day'll be plum misery."

"Alright, but Mr. & Mrs. Cake `r expectin' their apples t'day!" Applejack sighed wearily, "Ah've got mah own workload as well, so who can Ah-"

"I can do it, AJ!" Twinken raised his hoof, "I can take the apples to Sugarcube Corner! I'd like to get out anyway, so..."

"Well, thank ya kindly, Twinken," Applejack smiled appreciateively, "Once wer' done with brekky, Ah'll give you th' apples and note to take to th' Cakes. Jus' make sure ya get their signature an' th bits they're payin'."

Twinken nodded and continued to eat. This was perfect, he thought. Twinken couldn't have asked for a better opportunity. He knew he couldn't just ask Granny Smith about Bright Mac and Buttercup, but, having seen her dreams, he knew there was somepony else he could ask.

*Knock-knock-knock*

The back door to Sugarcube Corner opened, revealing tall and lanky Mr. Cake, who beamed to see his visitor, "Well, well! Long time, no see, stranger!"

"Hi, Mr. Cake," Twinken smiled politely while levitating the bag of apples in his red magic, "I got your order of apples, just need your signature and payment, please."

"Well, c'mon in and let's get that taken care of," Mr. Cake welcomed the colt in kindly, and gestured Twinken to the island-countertop where he placed the apples. "I believe that's... 52 Bits for that bushel of Sweet Apple Acres apples, and where's that pencil...?"

As Carrot Cake looked for said pencil, Twinken asked, "uh, Mr. Cake? Is your wife here?"

"Oh yeah, the missus has the register covered while I'm taking care of things in the kitchen. Aha!" Carrot Cake took a sticky note from the refrigerator and signed his name and the amount due. "I've got the payment prepared, but if ya need t' see Cup Cake, go on ahead. Just wait if she's handling a customer."

"Sure thing, Mr. Cake," Twinken nodded and he went to the front of the bakery, and was glad to see things were slow today, with only a few customers enjoying baked goods at some booth tables. Looking to the register, Twinken saw Mrs. Cake.

Despite his resolve, Twinken couldn't deny the hesitation. He cared about Mrs. Cake, seeing her as a sort of honorary aunt. Even before he'd met Midnight at the orphanage, Mrs. Cake had visited the orphanage to bring treats to cheer up all the little colts and fillies there, including Twinken himself. At one point when he was younger, he'd even hoped that Mrs. Cake and her husband might adopt him, but then Midnight came along and he found a family, the Apples and his own, along with all of his friends.

But now, here he was, about to ask Mrs. Cake a really personal question and bring up a complicated chapter of her past. He'd considered speaking with Burnt Oak, but Twinken didn't know the stallion personally, and Burnt Oak might not be as open with Twinken asking such questions about the Apples and Pears.

Taking a deep breath in an effort to steel himself, Twinken stepped closer and said, "Hi, Mrs. Cake."

Mrs. Cake startled just a bit and her eyes lit up to see her visitor, "Twinken! Hello, dear, it's been a while!"

"Yeah, it has," Twinken smiled when Mrs. Cake held out her forelegs, and he gladly went in for a hug. When they separated, he gazed up at her, and said, "Mrs. Cake? Would you... mind talking to me about something? It's... personal."

"Hold on..." Mrs. Cake looked around Sugarcube Corner and once she was satisfied nopony seemed to need anything and there didn't seem to be anymore customers coming, she shrugged and set up a 'Back in ten minutes' sign next to the register. "Go have a seat at table five and I'll prepare us a snack, okay?"

Twinken nodded and went to table five to wait. Although Mrs. Cake didn't keep him waiting long, the time had still livened up his anxiety a bit, though the snickerdoodles and lemonade Mrs. Cake brought helped a great deal.

"So then, dear, what's on your mind?" the maternal mare asked.

Gulping down his bite of snickerdoodle and washing it down with a swig of lemonade, Twinken took a deep breath, and began, "You knew AJ, Mac, and Bloom's parents, right? Bright Mac and... and Pear Butter."

Mrs. Cake was taken aback a little, surprised that Twinken knew her late friend's real name.

"You know I'm a dreamwalker, right?" Twinken asked, and when Mrs. Cake nodded, he explained, "Last night, I... well, I finally decided to dreamwalk again. When I did, I saw that Granny Smith seemed to be having a bad dream. Except, it wasn't a dream. It was memories..."

"I didn't know that dreamwalking meant you could see memories if somepony was dreaming them..." Mrs. Cake was mystified and unsure of how to respond to this. "...but I suppose it makes sense."

"I thought Granny Smith needed help, that's why I went into her dreams," Twinken assured, "but she wasn't having a bad dream, exactly, just dreaming memories, and... I saw how she was with Grand Pear and his daughter, Pear Butter. Or Buttercup, as Bright Mac called her."

"Hm, I haven't heard Pear Butter's real name in a long time," Mrs. Cake said solemnly before turning to look out the window, except Twinken could see that the mare wasn't really looking at anything in particular. Except perhaps seeing something in her memory. "Truly a sweet soul, she was... The love she shared with Bright Mac really was something special. If only her father had understood that..."

"Granny Smith didn't either," Twinken said and Mrs. Cake noticed a certain edge of contempt in the colt's voice and she looked at him, seeing Twinken's gaze downwards, and she saw a colt that seemed... disappointed. "Not until Pear Butter said that the Apples were her family too after Mayor Mare wedded her and Bright Mac."

"Oh my," Mrs. Cake remembered that as well. How Pear Butter cried so many tears when her father disowned her for marrying an Apple.

"I just don't understand, Mrs. Cake," Twinken stared into his lemonade, "How could Granny Smith and Grand Pear have been so- so... selfish? The Apples and Pears never made up either, and do AJ, Mac, and Bloom even know their mom's real name or that they're related to the Pear family?! What was the point of the Apples and Pears fighting so much, hating each other?"

"I'm afraid I can't really answer that, Twinken," Mrs. Cake replied apologetically, "Grown-up business... it can get so complicated by a lot of things. Pride, anger, jealousy, competition, lots of things can come between ponies and make them treat their fellow pony in ways that they shouldn't. Like how the three pony tribes used to be divided and at odds with each other. They're not anymore, but there are still some ponies, nowadays, among each of the tribes that hold onto those old grudges and bigotries.

"Why do they do it? What's worth putting others down just to build yourself up? So you can look down on them? Is it really worth it in the end? I just don't know. And it's not just ponies, but other creatures too! Griffons, dragons, zebras, like how Ponyville acted towards Zecora not all that long ago. I don't understand why everypony acted so back then, Zecora's such a nice and wise mare, it baffled me that even Pinkie thought she was some 'evil enchantress'. I'm sorry to say my hubby and I were away at the time when finally your brother and friends actually spoke with Zecora, but it still was something special to see Ponyville accept and welcome Zecora into our community."

"But then why didn't Granny Smith and Grand Pear do the same?! Their families are all ponies, so what's their excuse?" demanded Twinken.

"Well, before they left Ponyville, the Pears were the Apples' biggest rivals," Mrs. Cake explained, "in business and in farming. It takes a lot of work and money to run a business, especially a farm. So, of course the Apples and Pears had to compete with each other in making as much business as they could to keep their farms afloat, but things were different back then, and it just seemed Ponyville wasn't big enough for those two families and their farms.

"So, somewhere along the line, the competing turned into a full-blown rivalry and even a feud! And Granny Smith and Grand Pear were the most competitive of their families."

"Yeah, no kidding," Twinken recalled how competitive Granny Smith and Grand Pear were. How in each other's faces they were, the nasty verbal barbs they traded, it was ugly, but it also felt... juvenile, childish.

"Twinken, I don't know how to help you with this," Mrs. Cake placed a caring hoof over Twinken's in an assuring way, "but this is all in the past. Just like what happened with you and your friends is in the past. I know it's difficult, but the best thing to do is to move on."

She then raised her other hoof and gently tapped Twinken on the forehead, being mindful of his horn, "Don't let all those worries and concerns clutter up your upstairs, else they'll just distract and bother you so much you won't be able to see and think clearly. You understand, dearie?"

Sighing, Twinken replied, "I think so, Mrs. Cake. Thanks for the snack. I gotta get back."

"Anytime, dear, have a good day," Mrs. Cake bade him as Twinken went back into the kitchen to collect the payment and note from Mr. Cake, but Mrs. Cake couldn't help but suddenly worry.

After saying seeya-later to Mr. Cake Twinken started making his way back. Looking around, he took in Ponyville. Always alive with friends, neighbors, family, all smiling, saying their howdy-dos, how's-it-goings, and going about their lives. A lot of things happened in Ponyville, but no matter what everypony just seemed to move on.

Like Mrs. Cake said, Twinken though. But I can't do that... I have to find out more.

And it was then, reflecting on Mrs. Cake's words, that Twinken thought of where he might be able to find out more.

After returning to Sweet Apple Acres, Twinken delivered the money and note to Applejack, as he'd promised, and took some time to play with Belle and Sandow, since they were being foalsat by his mom, Faerie Tail. While he wanted to look for more answers to his questions, Twinken knew it would draw unwanted attention if he isolated himself yet again. Even so, he found himself enjoying it, playing with his honorary niece and nephew, and it made him wonder if this was what it would feel like when his little brother or sister was born, as he gazed at his mom and her pregnant belly every now and then, feeling his heart swell with love to see her happy.

After Faerie Tail took the twins to set them down for a nap, Twinken made his move... up the attic.

Mrs. Cake's words, despite advising him otherwise, had only spurred him, and he felt the attic might just be a place he could find the answers he was looking for.

The old and dusty room had a circular window shaded by some homemade curtains, which Twinken magicked open, casting the afternoon sunlight upon the stacks of boxes and old chests and other things long stored away up here. To be sure he wasn't disturbed Twinken placed a distractor spell upon the attic door in case anypony came looking for him, so his spell would divert their attention away from the attic.

Given what I'm searching for, Twinken thought as he began levitating the first box to himself, I can't afford to be found out too soon.

First, Twinken divided the boxes, setting aside the ones he found were full of things like holiday decorations, old knickknacks, tools, things that didn't really indicate they would hold any clues as to Twinken's query. The ones he was really interested in were boxes containing any kind of records, photo albums, even old newspapers. He found the original documents of the births of Bright Mac, Big Mac, Applejack, and Apple Bloom, but he was miffed to see that instead of her actual name of Pear Butter, his foster siblings' mother was listed as 'Buttercup'. He leafed through an older album, showing Granny Smith as throughout her youth, including pictures of her own parents and closer relatives. To his expectation, he saw no picture containing even a hint of Grand Pear or any of the Pear Family.

Then he found albums depicting Granny Smith as a mare with her husband. Then at different stages of her pregnancy, and then of the first time she held her newborn son, Bright Mac. The tearful joy in her eyes left Twinken conflicted though he was resolute. The pictures went on, showing Bright Mac as a baby, a toddler, a young colt, growing up to a strapping young stallion.

Only once did he see Buttercup as a filly, and that was when somepony seemed to catch her and Bright Mac near a patch of actual buttercup flowers.

Sighing that his search wasn't yielding any answers so far, Twinken put everything back the way he found them, not wanting anypony to suspect something. But as he did so, he noticed a box that had been buried rather deep and far into everything else. After organizing the others, Twinken levitated his box towards himself and started to open it with his hoof-

!!!

aH pRoMiSeD, bUt... WhAt'Ll tHeY tHiNk O' mE? tOo MuCh PaIn! Ah CaN't... BeTtEr ThIs WaY.

Twinken gasped as he pulled his hoof back as though he'd been burned. The thoughts he'd just heard, So jumbled, so... emotional, anguished! Granny Smith, please tell me you didn't...!

Twinken gulped, disturbed by what had just happened. He'd recognized the mental voice of Granny Smith, it'd matched how she'd sounded in her memory. Yet he'd never would have thought he could read thoughts from an object. Clearly, this box contained something Granny Smith had wanted to pack away and forget about it, her thoughts so intense when she did that she must have left some kind of... imprint? Echo? Something behind that the moment Twinken touched it, it was almost as though he were experiencing Granny Smiths' mental and emotional state of mind back at that moment.

How is that possible? Twinken wondered, Maybe I should ask Mistress about it later, but for now...

He'd come this far, he couldn't turn away now. Bracing in case it happened again, Twinken touched the box... and nothing happened. He sighed a little in relief, and opened it, finding inside an old shawl similar to the one Granny Smith wore now, a framed picture that showed Bright Mac, Big Mac, and Applejack fawning over Buttercup as they looked fondly at her round tummy, clearly pregnant with Apple Bloom. But it was the book inside that drew Twinken's attention. Lifting it, he saw it bore Granny Smith's apple pie cutie-mark and had a tiny little padlock to close it, and he immediately suspected, A diary...?

A feeling of suspense came over the colt. This was it! This was surely what he had been looking for, answers to illuminate the messy and awful revelations he had learned about Granny Smith and her past and how it affected her own grandchildren. But now, here he was, hesitating... because his answers were locked up inside a diary? It seemed silly, but was it? Twinken used to keep a journal himself, back in the orphanage, a way for him to process his thoughts and feelings with being an orphan. He understood the privacy and sanctuary a journal or diary offered. After meeting Midnight for the Sibling Revelry, his entries became fewer and farther in between... until finally he'd stopped, completely forgetting about his journal. In fact, after his formal adoption by Midnight, Twinken threw his journal away, because he'd no longer needed it.

Wouldn't it be hypocritical of him to read this diary? To violate that sanctity? Part of him thought so... but then he'd experienced that strange telepathic reading when he'd opened the box containing this diary. Granny Smith had thought something to emotionally and mentally tense it had left some kind of residual effect on the box that Twinken was able to perceive the moment he touched it. Had that not happened, had he not felt that state of mind Granny Smith had once been in, Twinken was no so sure he'd be able to do this.

No... I have to know. Even if it turns out to be... Twinken furrowed his brows and lit up his horn, and whispered, "Unlo Penock."

The little lock on the diary undid itself, and he removed it. Taking a seat, Twinken took a deep breath, and opened it.

Author's Note

Unlocking Charm - Unlo Penock (Unlock + Open)

417. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 3

That afternoon, dinner was about to be served at Sweet Apple Acres. Just as before, Thunderlane and Rumble had come over, Thunderlane helping Applejack put together a nice spread for everypony, and Mac and Fluttershy had come as well though the twins were tucked in and dozing away in the living room. The atmosphere was cheery, bright, and uplifting.

Except for the unicorn colt, as he sat between his mom and his honorary sister, Apple Bloom. Twinken was keeping quiet, but doing his best not to look dreary or negative, yet that's how he felt. A part of him knew he was about to do something that might very well be unforgivable, yet all that he'd learned of Granny Smith, Bright Mac, and Buttercup, it threatened to burn up his guts even as he managed to keep it under control to a steady simmer.

As Applejack and Thunderlane served dinner to everypony, Faerie Tail helped them do so, and just when it seemed dinner was ready to begin...

"Hey everypony!" All eyes turned to Twinken, who wore an upbeat smile, "While I was out in town, I saw a sale over at the market and thought that maybe would could try something new. Anypony up for it?"

"Well, sure thing, sugarcube," Applejack smiled at her honorary little brother, "What'cha got for us?"

Twinken glanced over at Granny Smith, who suddenly felt a strange twinge of... anger? Disgust? Whatever it was, it induced a subtle sense of dread that rose up in alarm when Twinken levitated something onto the table, and declared, "Pear butter!"

Almost immediately, the Apples (except Apple Bloom and Fluttershy) all flinched in alarm, sucked on their teeth, and their pupils shrank to pinpricks. Applejack was about to respond, but Faerie Tail and Fluttershy both smiled, the older mare saying, "Ooh! Pear butter? Well that sounds yummy. How'd you get this, dear?"

"Oh, I still had some allowance saved up," Twinken smiled up at his mom.

"Pear butter... well, if apple butter is anything to judge by, I think this will be just as nice," Fluttershy added, "I wonder if the twins might like a taste after they wake up."

"Er- `Shy?" Macintosh tried to speak, but he was cut off.

"Well, I've had pears before and they're a nice snack," Thunderlane agreed, "so why not? I'll try a spread of it on my rolls, if you don't mind."

"Thunder!" Applejack tried to interject, but she held her tone back, not wanting to say something she might regret.

"Ah wanna try it too, please," Apple Bloom bounced in her seat.
"Me too!" seconded Rumble.

"Alrighty, let's open it and-" Twinken levitated the jar and just started to unscrew the top when...

"GET THA' SWILL OUTTA MAH HOUSE!!" shrieked Granny Smith, alarming everypony as all eyes turned to her, seeing her look more ornery than any of them had ever seen.

Unfortunately, Granny Smith's outburst disturbed the twins' sleep and both Sandow and Belle began to cry, causing Fluttershy to utter 'ohmygoodness!' and hurry into the living room to comfort her foals while Macintosh, Applejack, Thunderlane, and Faerie Tail gave Granny Smith looks that varied between disappointing at best to appalled at worst. Apple Bloom was upset, Rumble was intimidated, but Twinken...

Twinken glared at Granny Smith with undisguised contempt.

"Granny Smith!" Applejack said in a tone she'd never taken with her grandmother. "What. In th' Sam Hill. Was that?!"

Granny Smith ignored Applejack and glared at Twinken, saying, "Sonny... Ah wan' tha' jar gone, so git to it!"

"Granny Smith, what in the world?!" Faerie Tail was stunned by Granny Smith's behavior, "All Twinken did was offer some pear butter for us all to try, and you act as though he brought poison into the house!"

"Uh- Faerie Tail," Applejack spoke up, trying to smooth the situation out, "We... don't allow pears in our house."

"What's the big deal, AJ?" asked Thunderlane, honestly bewildered. "I know that you're the 'Apple' Family, but Granny Smith's reaction is uncalled for."

"Well... the Apple Fam'ly's had a long feud wit' th' Pear Fam'ly," answered Macintosh, "So we don' eat th' fruit pears or allow `em in our home."

"But that's ridiculous," Faerie Tail was puzzled and put off at the same time, "Just because you have some silly feud doesn't give you the right to act this way, Granny Smith! Especially not with foals. Why is there even a feud between the Apples and the Pears to begin with?"

Granny Smith said nothing, continuing to glare at Twinken's defiant gaze, while Applejack opened her mouth to answer... only to come up with nothing, before saying, "...Well, uh, a-actually, Ah-Ah'm not really sure. You have any idea, Big Mac?"

"Uh... nnope," Macinotsh shrugged, equally ignorant.

"Then... Ah guess we should ask Granny?" Apple Bloom suggested timidly, and all eyes turned to Granny Smith, who suddenly felt uncomfortable but said nothing.

"Go ahead, Granny Smith." The tone of the voice was sort of alarming to everypony when they realized it was Twinken who'd spoken, as he continued to bore contempt at the old mare, and said, "We're all ears..."

As everypony present gave the old mare an expectant look, Granny Smith felt uncomfortable in her own skin, but steeled her will and retorted, "It was a long time ago! Pointless t' discuss now, an' th' Pears are long gone! So just drop it. get rid o' tha' butter, an' let's all jus' have a fam'ly dinner."

Applejack was perplexed. Her grandmother was clearly refusing to say anything as to why the apples and Pears feuded to begin with. Macintosh had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Thunderlane felt his feathers shudder. Faerie Tail felt something about this wasn't right, while Apple Bloom and Rumble shared a nervous look.

Twinken however was not going to drop it, for he responded, "Respectfully, Granny Smith... let go of your stupid pride, you old crab apple!"

The others around the table gasped and were on the verge of admonishing Twinken for speaking so disrespectfully. But Granny Smith felt a bitter chill in her nerves as Twinken's words rang a dissonant bell. It wasn't clear at first, as she initially felt similar feelings as to what she was feeling now, before an image formed in her head that she remembered... seeing in her dream last night. A cold dread of realization welled up in the old mare as she thought, Tha's a lot like what mah son said t' me...!

Feeling cornered, angry, and losing her temper, Granny Smith yelled back, "Ah don' hav' t' explain mahself to you! Yer only a young'un, ya couldn' possibly understand!"

"Oh I understand..." Twinken stood up in his chair, continuing to glare into Granny Smith, his eyes glowing red, his pupils dilating, "I understand... that you're a liar. A coward, and a hypocrite!"

"Twinken! Where do you geddoff talkin' to Granny Smith like that?!" Applejack demanded, standing up.

Twinken ignored her and continued to nail into the old mare, "You took me and my brother in, taught us the importance of honesty and being true and good and honorable to our family, to our friends, and to our fellow pony... but you couldn't do the same for your own son on his death bed!"

Granny Smith felt a needle of cold pierce her very being as all eyes and ears were stunned by Twinken's words yet the colt wasn't done.
"Bright Mac made one last request of you... and you didn't do as he asked! So now's your chance, Granny Smith Apple! Tell them the truth! About their parents, about the Pears! Or else..."

Granny Smith struggled to keep her breath even before defiantly demanding, "Or else what...?"

"Or else..." Twinken magicked the door open, "I will walk out that door and leave Sweet Apple Acres and never speak to you again! Unless you tell your grandchildren the truth..."

There was a long silence as everypony present unknowingly held their breaths. What seemed like was going to be a nice family dinner had turned into something ugly and deeply uncomfortable. The old mare and the young colt held each other's gazes, the former trying to stare down the colt she'd come to love like a real grandson. But now, now that love was twisted and soured, as she felt animosity and anger and humiliation. She tried her grandmotherly stare down, something she used to do with Macintosh, with Applejack, and... and with her own son back when he'd been young.

But Twinken held his ground. His posture never gave, his glare did not waver. How dare he speak to her this way? How dare he bring up old hurts she had tried so hard to bury? How dare he...

"Uh, come on, everypony," Thunderlane forced a nervous smile, "There's no need to take this any further. So why don't we all calm down, take a deep breath, and chill before somepony says something they'll re-"

"You walk out tha' door..." Granny Smith's tone cut the pegasus stallion off, sounding cold and bitter as she gave Twinken a look of pain and loathing, "don'choo ever come back."

"GRANNY SMITH!!!" Applejack, Macintosh, and Faerie Tail were utterly disgusted, but Granny Smith said nothing else as she stood up from the table and left the dining area, heading up to her room. Apple Bloom was on the verge of crying while Rumble sought a comforting hug from his big brother.

But Twinken. He stood there in his chair, impassive and stoic, before stating, "Excuse me. I have to pack."

Needless to say, a dark cloud had fallen over Sweet Apple Acres. Twinken was as good as his word, as he magically packed all of his belongings into the magic bag his brother had given him as a Hearth's Warming gift. He was hounded relentlessly by everypony in the house (except for Granny Smith who'd locked herself in her room and refused to come out or speak to anypony). Applejack in particular kept demanding Twinken explain his behavior, but he always responded, 'It's not for me to say', 'Ask your grandmother', and Faerie Tail had to intervene when Applejack started to get pushy. She tried to convince her son to at least tell her what was going on, but even with his mom Twinken refused to divulge the skeletons Granny Smith had in her closet.

Twinken apologized for how tonight had made them all uncomfortable and stated he was going to move into his brother and sister-in-law's castle. To everypony else's surprise, Faerie Tail said she would move there with him too, saying she needed to be with her sons. So Twinken packed his mother's things into his bag as well.

At the front door, Apple Bloom cried, "Please, Twinken, Faerie! Don' leave, Ah'm sure we can work all this out!"

"I'm sorry, Bloom," Twinken was tearing up, feeling awful for the pain he was causing his honorary sister, "But I can't stay here anymore."
"It's alright, Apple Bloom," Faerie Tail gave Apple Bloom a motherly hug, "We won't be far, and I'll still come over to visit."
"Plus, we still gotta help you find your cutie-mark, right?" Twinken tried to smile, but he was upset as well as somewhat ashamed.

Applejack stood away from the door, her back to Twinken and Faerie Tail, refusing to look at them. She was so angry and conflicted, and as much as she wanted to rail into Twinken she couldn't deny her granny's behavior and words had been no less unacceptable. Not to mention it was clear to her that Granny Smith was hiding something, about her (Applejack's) father and the Pear family.

Macintosh stepped forward to give Faerie Tail a hug, "Be well, Faerie, an' thanks for all th' love an' care you've given us since ya been here. Ah hope ya have a happy, healthy foal."

"Thank you, Macintosh," Faerie Tail smiled at him warmly before looking concerned, "How are Fluttershy and the twins?"

"They'll be aw'right," Mac assured, "Shy tookem back t' our house, wanted t' get `em away from... well, all tha' happened."

Then Macintosh gave Twinken an unreadable look. "Haystack... Ah don' approve o' how you acted t'night, but how Granny Smith acted was no better. Ah wish you'd tell us wha' all this is about, but Ah think yor right; Granny Smith has some `fessin' t' do."

"I'm sorry, Mac," Twinken really was. He loved and looked up to Mac as another big brother, for Macintosh had looked out for him and taught him a lot of things that strengthened the love and respect they felt for each other. "I want to, but... it has to come from her. She's kept these truths to herself for too long, and it's unfair and wrong of her to do so. I- I guess... I don't like that I did this, but... Granny Smith , I always thought she was the best grandmother a colt could ask for, but what I found out...

"I'm sorry for the discomfort it's caused everypony," Twinken sighed, "and I understand if you never want me around here again. But I was proud to be an Apple, even if it was only honorary."

"Whattya mean 'was'?" All eyes turned to Applejack, the mare sighing before turning to face Twinken and saying with a measured tone, "Sugarcube? Ah'd be lying if Ah said Ah wern' so angry with you! Th' way you acted, th' things you said, but Granny Smith's own behavior was jus' as bad. Maybe even worse... ya gotta understand, after our parents passed away, Granny Smith raised us all on her own! She taught us wha' we needed t' know, comforted us when we were sad, Ah'll always have th' utmost love an' respect for her. But t'night... Ah saw a side o' her Ah never knew was there, or... or maybe Ah did know but Ah just din't wanna see it.

"So as angry an' frustrated as Ah am with you..." Applejack surprised them all by pulling Twinken into a hug, "yer still an Apple, an' ya always will be. To the core. Same as yer ma an' brother an' all our friends."

Twinken felt his heart hurt, but before long he and his mom were walking away from Sweet Apple Acres, and never had the colt felt so awful. It was nearly as bad as he'd felt after the incident where his telepathy went out of control during the shared dream he'd had with his friends that turned into a nightmare, but in a different way.

Not to mention he felt bad for how his choice had essentially forced his mom to vacate the home she'd found herself in after her awakening. He'd tried to tel her he was fine with her staying, but she'd made it clear she would be where her colt was, and as much as Faerie Tail was sad to leave Sweet Apple Acres she could see that Twinken no longer felt he belonged there.

And he wondered, would he ever be able to go back?

Although Twinken and Faerie Tail's arrival was unexpected, what really surprised Midnight, Twilight and Spike was that Faerie Tail announced, "We're moving in."

So of course they had questions as to why Twinken and Faerie Tail now wished to live in the Castle of Friendship and not at Sweet Apple Acres. Faerie Tail tried to explain the situation as best she could as kindly as she could, but she couldn't hold back on some details, and how it resulted from Twinken's actions and behavior. Twilight asked Twinken what had prompted such behavior though Twinken was reluctant to say anything or even meet his brother and sister-in-law's gazes.

Twilight was more understanding that the situation was uncomfortable, but Midnight seemed to have a more reserved view of whatever was going on despite saying almost nothing.

"Well... why don't we put together a nice dinner?" suggested Twilight as she led everyone out of the parlor, "Considering what happened, it sounds like neither of you actually got to eat."

"That's sweet of you, Twilight," Faerie Tail smiled appreciatively though with a bit of a morose look in her eyes, "but... I think Twinken and I don't really have an appetite right now. If it's all the same to you, I think we should all turn in and try to get some rest."

"Well, okay," Twilight obliged but couldn't hide her concern. "Spike, we have spare bedrooms, don't we?"

"Oh yeah! I've seen plenty of spare bedrooms, suites, and lounges around the castle since I've been cleaning," Spike nodded, "and I know a couple in the west wing that each have their own bathrooms and walk-in closets."

"Excellent, set Faerie Tail and Twinken up in those rooms," Twilight instructed before readdressing her mother-in-law, "and don't worry about getting lost, Faerie Tail. After a few... well, incidents, we enchanted the castle to aid anyone whose unfamiliar with it via a navigation charm. Just talk to the castle and ask it to show you where you want to go or who you want to see, and it will show you. But it will only work if the place or person you're looking for is in the castle."

"Well, in that case, I think we can handle ourselves," Faerie Tail assured, "Spike, go ahead and rest or whatever you were doing before we got here. We'll be alright."

"Well, if you're sure," Spike shrugged before turning around and walking away, "been wanting to finish that Bronco Busters model I got anyway."

"So... we just ask the castle to show us where we want to go?" Faerie Tail asked for the sake of certainty.

"That's it," Twilight nodded. "But let me do it as a demonstration.

"Castle," Twilight raised her voice a little, as though she were addressing a class, "Please show Faerie Tail and Twinken to the rooms Spike suggested."

The glimmering walls and floor of the castle briefly shined, and then pulses of light ran along those walls and floors straight to Faerie Tail and Twinken, startling them for a moment before it dulled... and they saw trails of glowing hoof prints appear on the floor, heading off towards the hallway to their right. The larger hoof prints glowed the same gentle yellow of Faerie Trail's magic while the smaller ones glowed the same red as Twinken's. The hoofprints' trail glowed in and out in repetition, making an indication that they should be followed.

"The magicks we ensorcelled for this only work if you are a resident or a guest," Twilight explained, "If you're an intruder or otherwise unwelcome in the Castle of Friendship the assist won't work for you and can also be used against you."

"Very impressive, Twilight," Faerie Tail complimented, "Well, come along, honey. It's getting late anyway. Good night, dears."

"Good night, Auntie Faerie!" Twilight said kindly, but both mares had not failed to notice how quiet and impassive Midnight had been almost the entire time since his mother and brother's arrival. much of that time had been staring at Twinken... and seeing indications of ire and disappointment.

"Good night," the sapphire alicorn said in a courteous manner, but his eyes betrayed such a look that it made Twinken twinge.

He followed his mother as they followed the glowing hoof steps to their rooms, which, thankfully, hadn't been very far of a walk. Twinken's room was a little further down and across the hall from Faerie Tail's, but he helped her settle in by unpacking her things from his magic bag. Then she went with him to his room and watched him unpack his own belongings.

They didn't speak much, but Faerie Tail sat on Twinken's bed and patted it, inviting him to sit with her. He did so, and they both sat on his bed in his new room for a long minute... and Faerie tail was about to say something, "Twinken-"

"Mom," Twinken suddenly interrupted, albeit in a respectful and apologetic tone, "I... am so sorry for everything that's happened tonight. Everything was great, everything was... nice! And I ruined it..."

Faerie Tail let her son speak, even as he began to tear up and struggle not to cry, "I- I just... I thought she was- Hic! I can't..."

"I take it you're talking about Granny Smith," Faerie Tail spoke gently, and when Twinken wiped his eyes and nodded, unable to look his mom in the eye, she pulled him into a hug, "I don't understand what's going on, Twinken, and you haven't told me anythi-"

"I dreamwalked!" Twinken confessed, crying now but still struggling to keep his cool, "The night before! I th-thought that Granny- She... she was... I thought it was a bad dream! I thought she needed help... but it wasn't a dream! It-it-it was... bad memories..."

"Bad memor- Ah..." Faerie Tail was starting to get an idea as she let Twinken go and gently wiped away the snot on his snoot,, "She was dreaming of memories... and you saw something in them that you didn't like. Something that... she did that made you... angry? Upset? ...disappointed?"

Twinken hung his head shamefully, not looking at his mom but nodding again.

"Hmm, and that's why you found it hard to talk to her or even look at her at breakfast this morning?"

"...you noticed?" Twinken croaked, when he felt his mom's hoof tilt his chin up to look at her, and he saw understanding mixed with compassion and sadness and a little disappointment.

"A mother always knows when something's bothering her foals," she asserted in a faux official tone, which actually succeeded in getting Twinken to crack a smile. "Baby, I can't imagine what you found out that caused you to... well, do what you did, but in spite of the short time we've been together, I know that you are an amazing, sweet and smart young colt with a heartful of love and wonder and goodness.

"While I don't approve of how you... handled things, I trust that whatever you saw or learned, it must have felt so awful that you just couldn't reconcile it with how you've come to love Granny Smith."

"R-reconso...?" Twinken echoed with a teary stutter, not knowing the word.

"It means that you can't believe the Granny Smith you've come to love and cherish after all this time... is the same Granny Smith as the one you saw in her memories," Faerie Tail clarified, "a Granny Smith who did something that was so bad that you were angry and disappointed. Because you didn't know how to handle what you learned, you got so wound up, and... well, that happened."

Twinken whimpered and buried his face into his mom, Faerie Tail embracing him, and Twinken sobbing with his cheek to his mom's belly, feeling his unborn brother or sister in there, and finding some comfort in that.

"Mom... I was so confused! I still am! I got angry, I- I got... I felt sick! The things she said, the things she did?!" Twinken cried, "I thought if I- If i... if I found out more, it'd help me understand, but... everything else I found out made it worse! I don't know what to do... and because of me, everything's so messed up! It's my fault... it's always my fault!!"

"Sweetheart!" Faerie Tail was aghast, "Why would you ever say something like that?"

"Because it's true..." Twinken's crying seemed to die down a little, but it wasn't so much calming down as it was deflating into depression, "What I did to my friends... when I couldn't stop Trixie from mind-controlling Midnight, or-or help him when he was suffering those bad dreams that he hurt himself trying to get rid of them, when I used my magic against Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon Midnight was so disappointed in me! Or do anything to help when we got stuck in the 'Bronco Busters' comic-"

"Twinken, honey! We all make mistakes!" Faerie Tail assured, making sure Twinken was looking her in the eyes, "Nopony is perfect, nopony is without flaw, and nopony can do everything or handle anything! Your brother and sister may be alicorns, but they still rely on their friends and family to help them and each other with whatever they need to do. Twinken, sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing we can do about it... except what we can.

"Tell me, sweetheart, can you make a decision for someone?"

Snrrking his nose, Twinken hung his head and moaned, "No..."

"Can you be with someone you care about always and all the time?"

Part of Twinken wanted to say yes, but he knew the answer was, "No."

"Can you be there for someone you care about when they're going through troubles of their own?"

Twinken felt perhaps a smidgen of comfort from his mom's words, how her questions pointed out simple yet obvious situations and how one can or can't solve everything, but he did say, "...yes."

"Honey, focusing on the maybes, the what-ifs, the should-have-beens- Those kinds of thoughts will just wind you up and have you spinning around in your own head until you can't take it anymore," Faerie Tail gently laid Twinken to bed and tenderly tucked him into his covers. "So, just... let's sleep on it, get some rest, and in the morning we can get started on working things out. Sound good?"

Twinken looked up at his mom, and though she was giving him a warm smile, he still felt the sickening pit of guilt in his tummy. He managed to force a small smile and nod, so she gave him a kiss on the forehead, and gently whispered, "Sleep well, baby."

After she closed the door on her way out, Twinken was finally alone with his thoughts... and found himself feeling strangely hollow. It was a discomforting feeling, and yet his mind itself felt worn out, so much that sleep came surprisingly easy...

In the library, Twilight found her husband sitting at one of the reading tables, looking troubled and uncertain as he poured over some research notes they'd made during their geo crystal research. Except it seemed his attention was elsewhere. Bringing the mugs of hot cocoa she'd made, she came over to sit beside him, and softly asked, "Midnight, are you okay? You... you hardly said anything at all when your mom and brother showed up."

"...Twilight, did I not do enough?" Twilight tilted her head at Midnight's query, the blue alicorn sighing, "Should I have intervened sooner when he was locking himself away, speaking to nopony for so long?"

"Midnight, what happened... it was awful, to say the least, and something none of us were really certain of how to handle," Twilight leaned against her hubby, and was glad when he rested his cheek on her head and wrapped his wing around her. "I mean, a dream that turns into a nightmare that was confused for reality? Sure, some bad dreams can be intense and terrifying until you wake up and are relieved that it was all just a dream... but this was different. Even Luna wasn't sure of what to do. The Cutie-Mark Crusaders each handled what happened in their own ways.

"I kept tabs on them, ready to lend any assistance I possibly could," Twilight pulled away and made sure Midnight looked at her, "but they dealt with the trauma well, all things considered. Faerie Tail counseled them, helped them process and work through it all, they got all the love and support they needed... but Twinken suffered the worst. Not only because of everything that happened in the dream but also the crushing guilt that he was the cause of it even though Luna and you and me and everyone else involved did our best to assure him that none of us could have ever realized such a thing could happen!"

"He locked himself away, for months..." Midnight looked rueful, conflicted, uncertain as he went on, "As though he'd sentenced himself to isolation and made good on it. I gave him his space, respected his need to handle it in his own way... but when Mom got worried and sad, I gave him an ultimatum to either open up and soon or I'd make him open up.

"Twily..." Midnight gave his wife a troubled look, "Should I have intervened sooner? Was I wrong to say that to him? Should I have gotten him help instead of let him languish in his room for all that time?"

"I don't really know, Midnight," Twilight reached up to caress her husband's cheek, and smiled a bit as how he leaned into her touch, "maybe it would have been better or maybe it would have been worse. We don't know, and what's done is done. All we can do now is be there for him and gently coax him into opening up instead of closing himself off. Again. He's not quite twelve yet, still plenty of colthood for him to enjoy if we can help him find peace with his traumas. I think you're right however, that this time we shouldn't let him isolate himself again, but-"

"TWILIGHT! MIDNIGHT!!!" The library doors flew open, and in ran Spike, still in his nightcap, holding a sealed scroll, "I just got this message, I think it's from Princess Luna!"

"Spike?! A message from-" Twilight tried to say, only for Midnight's turquoise mana to cut her off by taking the scroll from Spike's hand and they examined it.

It had her seal on it, the kind of which Luna reserved for messages that indicated an emergency. They shared a look before Midnight broke the seal and they unrolled it to see only three words.

WAKE HIM UP

"'Wake him up'? Who is she...?" Twilight's voice trailed off as a terrible sensation suddenly washed over her, like a cold and frigid breeze, and she somehow knew Midnight and Spike felt the same thing. A subtle yet unmistakable sense of dread.

They shared another look and all realized it as they said together, "Twinken!"

They all immediately rushed out the library and flew through the halls, Twilight levitating Spike onto her back.

"Twinken?!" Midnight called as they zoomed through the castle.

"His room's just ahead!" Twilight said as they passed Faerie Tail's room, the older mare coming out, looking alarmed and noticing her son and daughter-in-law landing in front of Twinken's door.

"What's going on?! I had a bad...!!" Faerie Tail hurried over as Midnight threw the door open and they all gasped as they saw Twinken, floating above his bed, his horn blistering with red mana while he seemed to be asleep yet was moaning and turning as he was aloft. Twinken's things around the bedroom were floating as well, some jerking one way and then another, some spinning, somersaulting, and some suddenly crashing into the walls, and breaking. Seeing her son in tormented slumber, Faerie Tail cried out, "HELP HIM!!"

Midnight furrowed his brows and his horn and eyes both lit up with a pale bluish-white radiance that engulfed the entire room yet Twilight, Faerie Tail and Spike were not blinded, finding this mystic light oddly comforting as the dreadful feeling they'd all felt was quickly forgotten and the objects in the room returned to their proper places, the broken ones being repaired, and Twinken gasped in alarm as he woke up and fell onto the bed, bouncing a moment, looking around in alarm, crying out, "NO! IT'S NOT- I DIDN'T MEAN TO-"

"Twinken!" Faerie Tail hurried over to wrap her colt in another hug, holding him still, rubbing his back, gently shushing, "It's alright, sweetheart... it was just a dream. Dreams can't hurt you... You're okay, you're okay...."

Still shaking, still breathing rapidly, but the embrace and assurance of his mom began to calm Twinken down, and then Spike burped up another scroll, from Luna as well. Midnight took it and read it... and what he read caused his brows to furrow more and glare at Twinken.

"Mom. Step back," he ordered with such a stern tone that Faerie Tail was put off by it, as was everyone else. But Twinken froze at the way his big brother looked at him with such intensity, before Midnight held up the message, "Princess Luna just informed us that your dreamwalking and telepathy were influenced by your bad dreams. You lashed out, and caused any sleeping minds nearby to experience bad dreams as well as instill dread and fear into any mind that was awake."

"I... I didn't mean to..." Twinken shuddered in shame, his eyes tearing up.

But Midnight was drawing the line. "No. No more! No more self-pity, no more locking yourself away, no more avoiding the problem! It's time you faced your demons, as you should have sooner! Pack your bags, little brother.

"It's time for some tough love..." Midnight narrowed his eyes, as he thought of the place he once went to after experiencing his own demons after the traumas in his life.

The Shetland Isles.

418. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 4

The Break of Dawn sailed steady and true through the vast and open sky. The next morning Midnight had called on some crew members to prep his ship for takeoff and brought along members of the Harmony Guard, along with Lieutenants Avalanche and Lyra of the Dusk and Dawn Divisions respectively, for the sake of making this trip "official" as well as security. He'd then sent a message, "To our destination."

Twilight and Faerie Tail both tried beseeching Midnight to explain what he was planning, but all he'd said was they were going to the Shetland Isles, to see the lunar ponies.

Twinken was wearing his amulet again, despite knowing its ability to keep his telepathy under control was diminishing. He stayed in a cabin below deck, doing his best to keep calm and try and get some rest. Eventually, Faerie Tail had joined him and sung to him the song she often sang in the morning to greet the new day. It'd helped, and he'd managed to fall asleep, letting blissful slumber take him away... until he was gently shaken awake.

"Twinken, sweetie, wake up," came the soft and gentle voice of his mom. "Your brother wants to have a word with us."

Midnight had called a meeting including Twilight, Spike, Twinken, Faerie Tail, Avalanche, Lyra, and the first mate of The Dawn, a pegasus stallion named Skywyrd, an experienced airship pilot who was just starting to leave behind his youth and enter middle age, evident by his strong body starting to develop a paunchy belly despite his efforts to stay fit. His coat was stormy gray, his mane and tail black as a tempest with streaks of sky blue (along with a few silver hairs), he had a chinstrap beard, wore a pilot's jacket and flight goggles, and his cutie-mark was a compass surrounded by a lightning-laced storm cloud. When Midnight wasn't aboard The Dawn, Skywyrd was acting captain.

"Most of you here, as well as most of the crew and guardsponies, have never been to where we are going," Midnight started off while activating the meeting table's holo display.

It showed the Shetland Isles, an archipelago of seven isles, along with several smaller islands around them. The southernmost isle had a large lagoon while the northernmost was the only isle with an actual mountain. The middle isle, which was also the largest, had a golden dot of light not far from its southwest coastline, and everypony assumed that location was their destination.

"The Shetland Isles has been the home and territory of the Lunar Ponies for a little over a thousand years," Midnight explained, "created by Princess Luna after she spirited away around fifty foals, who were orphans, homeless, or abused, and infused into them her own nighttime magic, making them the first generation of the Lunar Ponies. After Princess Luna fell and became Nightmare Moon, the lunar ponies sensed it. Only a few left to find their beloved princess and they were never heard from again. The majority instead closed themselves off from the rest of the world, enshrouding the Shetland Isles in a magical mist that hid them... until Princess Celestia managed to find them. She respected their wishes to be left alone, and for centuries the lunar ponies mostly stayed hidden and unknown apart from a few exceptions.

"In that time, they developed their cultural identity, made their own traditions, and especially their leadership. There are three major communities of lunar ponies in the Shetland Isles, as well as around a dozen-ish smaller communities here and there. That golden light you see on the main isle of Isla Artemis is our destination, the lunar pony capital of Lunaria."

The display of the Isles then zoomed in to the location of Lunaria, and everyone was awed to see Lunaria, while not exactly a city, was still quite large. Larger than Ponville at least. The architecture of the buildings appeared oriental, with yagura towers, vernacular minka houses with decorative roof projections resembling either the moon or the bat-winged lunar pegasi, torri gates here and there, shrine houses, machiya townhouses, kura storehouses, there were shops and marketplaces, and surrounding the area around the community were farmlands, such as rice fields, peach orchards, cherry blossom trees, fields of sugarcane, melons, cabbage, potatoes, and so much more. Further away were stables and barns.

The two largest buildings in Lunaria were a stonewalled castle with pagoda towers, and some kind of arena, or was it an amphitheater?

"In their early days, the lunar ponies were tutored every full moon by Princess Luna, whom all lunar ponies, past and present, regard as their Mother of the Night," Midnight went on, "but she also requested the help of the ponies from the Village Hidden in the Bloom, specifically ponies who had been students of the legendary sorceress, Mistmane, to teach her Children of the Night while she was away, fulfilling her duties as a Princess to Equestria.

"These ponies' teachings and culture influenced the nascent community of lunar ponies, causing them to adopt some of their customs and traditions while making more of their own. In modern times, the lunar ponies are led by the Nocturnal Council, comprised of three traditional figures and their respective aids: The Shadow, the Healer, and the Elder or the Eldress, depending on their gender."

"Who are they?" asked Avalanche.

"The Shadow is regarded as the greatest of all the Lunobi warriors among the Lunar Ponies," explained Midnight. "The Shadow is charged with protecting the lunar ponies, training any among them who would follow the path of the Lunobi, and lead the lunar ponies in times of war.

"The Healer is exactly what they sound like. They are the foremost Healer in all of Lunar Pony society. More than that, the Healer represents the common folk and their interests among their society. The Healer is also charged with teaching traditional medicines and remedies made of resources both natural and supernatural.

"Finally, the Elder or Eldress, who is always an older lunar pony who is regarded and revered for their age, wisdom, and experience. Some were previously Shadow or Healer before retiring from their prior role and assuming the role of Elder or Eldress. Their duty is to guide and teach, to preserve as well as to embody the traditional and spiritual customs, values, and interests of their community and their culture, as well as to lead their community in their cultural rites and traditions, such as marriage, funerary, rites of passage, and so on.

"The three of them each choose two aides who are sorta like their co-seconds-in-command regarding their positions and duties, so this makes them nine total, forming the Nocturnal Council, which also oversees their code and their laws. They are the highest governing body in lunar pony society, while the leaders of the other communities, known as chiefs, answer to them. Only Princess Luna holds greater authority than the Nocturnal Council, but she prefers not to interfere with their governing unless they specifically ask for her help or she sees a reason to involve herself."

"Interesting! I figured that the Lunar Ponies had developed their own society and culture," Twilight was genuinely intrigued, "but I can honestly say, I didn't know what to expect, because this certainly wasn't it."

"So... who are the Nocturnal Council members now?" asked Faerie Tail, a tad nervous of this trip. She could recall Princess Luna telling her that it was through her (Faerie Tail) that her sons had inherited their lunar pony blood. Since she was not a lunar pony herself, Faerie Tail assumed the bloodline had thinned to the point it didn't manifest in her while unusual circumstances had made it manifest in her sons.

"The Shadow is Master Lunobi Pale Ryder," Midnight started off and the holo display featured a slender yet sturdy lunar pegasus, clearly named for his leucism ("not albinism," which Midnight made sure to point out). He wore a form-fitting outfit of gray so dark it was nearly black, an obi sash for a belt, a headband with a metal forehead protector engraved with the moon of Princess Luna's cutie-mark, pouches strapped to his belt, and what appeared to be armor mesh underneath his outfit, along with pauldrons on his withers held by straps of leather, a flowing cape-scarf around his neck of silvery blue, and his horse shoes seemed to have hidden mechanisms. His coat appeared a pale gray, his mane silvery white with a highlight of red like from a red moon during a lunar eclipse, his eyes were molten gold, and a pair of fangs poked out from under his upper lip. His wings, bat-like with a few frayed edges, were dark silver. His most startling feature was the three scars appearing as claw marks raking over his face, from the upper left above his left eye extending to the lower right underside of his chin.
"I trained with him in my youth, and for a while he was my rival. Despite my lunar pony heritage, he regarded me as an outsider who had no right nor business in learning the ways of the Lunobi. Plus I think he was jealous of the attention his father gave me during my training back then. That changed one day when pirates raided the Shetland Isles, trying to claim one of them as their own territory. I fought alongside the Lunobi in driving them off and even saved Pale Ryder's father. After that, he started treating me with some measure of acceptance though we never really became friends. Eventually he earned his rank of mastery and succeeded his father as the Shadow. His aides are two of his finest lunobi warriors, veteran lunobi Night Spur, and Star Swift, whom Pale Ryder trained himself."

"Sounds like a real hard case," commented Skywyrd with a smirk.

"Next is the Healer, Madame Hazel Twig," Midnight's horn lit up and the display of Pale Ryder was replaced with that of a lunar earth pony mare. She was similar in build to Mrs. Cake, having a pleasantly plump barrel and ample backside. The only signs of her lunar pony heritage were her tufted ears, little fang tips poking out from her upper lip, and the dew claws above her hooves, right on her fetlocks. Her coat was a silvery-green while her mane, tied up and out of her face by a scarf, was a honey-brown, and her eyes were orange like a poppy flower. She wore an apron of sorts, with dried herbal bundles poking out of the pockets, and her cutie-mark was a hazel tree with a mortar and pestle over its base, and the only unusual object she carried seemed to be a kunai knife.
"Hazel became the Healer a few years ago, after her father passed away, and she had already been groomed to be his successor. She's kind but firm, and yet she was actually uncertain of her ability to be a leader. Still, when push came to shove she rose to the occasion. Her two aides are her niece, Willow Shade, and a stallion named Mint Root, both her foremost apprentices in the lunar pony healing arts."

"I think I'd like to meet her," Faerie Tail commented, finding the sound of Hazel Twig to be approachable with a maternal impression.

"And... the last one?" asked Spike.

"Finally, the Eldress, Lady Moondance," Midnight's horn glowed again, changing the holo display to show a lunar unicorn mare, who looked to be old but not quite elderly. She wore a kimono-like garment of pale bluish-purple with patterns of black bats and silver crescent moons, tied by an obi sash of candlelight yellow. She was a lunar unicorn, evident by her horn, and her mane was done up in some kind of oriental bun style, colored silver like starlight while her coat was a lavender so pale it was mistaken initially for white. Her face was beautiful and noble, like a noblemare of Canterlot, but expressed a melancholy state of mind, like she was kind but there was a sadness to her. She had the look of an older mare but the only signs of her age were a few wrinkles on her face.
"Lady Moondance has served her society as their Eldress for over twenty years. She is wise, kind, and unconventional despite her position, believing in the concept of thinking outside the box. In fact she once told me that if you take your wisdom and knowledge from only a single source it becomes rigid and stale. Thus we must strive to learn and experience as much as Life has to offer us, as our time on this earth is so short. She is revered and beloved by her society. Lady Moondance's aids are her younger brother, Master Morrow Eclipse, and her oldest granddaughter, Madam Silk Trail."

"Are we gonna meet them?" asked Twinken, feeling a little nervous.

"Most likely, yes," Midnight nodded as he turned the holo off, "It's no secret to the lunar ponies that you're Princess Luna's pupil. They're likely to give you a quite the welcome."

For some reason, Twinken had mixed feelings about that.

At was late afternoon by the time The Break of Dawn reached its destination on Isla Artemis, specifically at a port of some kind on the coast, along with a lighthouse. There were a few boats, and a couple of airships, not including The Dawn. Midnight, Twilight, Spike, Faerie Tail, and Twinken disembarked, followed by two guards from Dawn and Dusk respectively, and awaiting them on the ground was Pale Ryder, accompanied by an older lunar pegasus stallion, whose left eye was scarred shut, his coat was graying black, losing its luster, his mane, colored an evening purple with a navy blue highlight, was tied back in a sort of topknot style. He wore lunobi clothing, covering his cutie-mark, and his remaining eye was yellow.
Beside him was a lunar unicorn mare a little older than Twilight. She had a coat of candlelight yellow while her mane was azure blue with a highlight of aquamarine. Her eyes were orange like a sunset, and she wore a short cherry blossom pink kimono with patterns of stars outlined silver, and her cutie-mark was a ninja star spinning while giving off star-shaped sparks.

Behind the three of them were four lunar ponies, two pegasi, one unicorn, and one earth pony, all garbed in lunobi attire so not much could be seen of their physical appearances.

"Master Pale Ryder," Midnight stepped forward and gave a respectful bow, "it has been a long time."

"Greetings, Prince Midnight, and yes it has," replied Pale Ryder, his voice having a soft grit to it, not deep but not light either, his speaking measured and in control. Pale Ryder regarded his old rival's family, and gave them a respectful bow in return. "It is an honor to meet you all. We hope you will enjoy your visit, though I would hazard a guess that this isn't a vacation."

"You'd be right about that. I am honored to meet you, Master Pale Ryder," Twilight gave a respectful bow as well, "I'm thrilled to finally have this opportunity to learn and experience your culture."

"I hope your experience will be positive, Princess Twilight," Pale Ryder responded before his eyes trailed over to Faerie Tail. A single whiff told him that this mare was of the night, though it was faint and he would not have sniffed it had he not been focusing on her enough. He didn't need to smell her to see that she was visibly pregnant. "An honor to meet you, Miss Faerie Tail. Your son spoke of you during our training as youths. I am pleased to see that you are healthy, and wish for you to have a healthy foal."

"Um- You are very kind, Master Pale Ryder," Faerie Tail was a little nervous. Princess Luna herself had confirmed to her that she was of lunar pony descent, which was why her sons had inherited the bloodline despite her own still being dormant. She was wary, and only hoped that whatever this trip entailed it would turn out well.

Then, Pale Ryder's gaze fell upon Twinken, who gulped and struggled not to shake under the intensity of the lunar stallion's glare. "So... you are the pupil of the Mother of the Night."

"Y-yes, sir," Twinken managed to answer, but balked to see Midnight stand beside Pale Ryder with a similar glare.

"He has potential... but hasn't been living up to it, as of late," Midnight stated with a soft bluntness that felt like a slap in the face.

"Midnight!!" Twilight and Faerie Tail both were appalled by Midnight, while Twinken's ears folded back in shame, because he couldn't deny the truth in his brother's words.

"Well, we'll see what we can do about that," Pale Ryder huffed before sighing, "As it is, however, a... reception has been prepared for your arrival, and I'm afraid it's unavoidable."

"Reception?" Faerie Tail echoed, not understanding.

"You'll see, just... go with it," Pale Ryder said tiresomely before he tapped his hoof, and his shadow expanded on the ground, causing Midnight, Twilight, Faerie Tail, Spike, and Twinken to fall into darkness...

...and then experience a bizarre sensation of the falling turning upwards, their bodies turning upside-down, which meant they had turned right-side up. They found themselves rising out of the shadowy darkness and standing in a strange corridor, empty yet eerie.

"What in the world...?!" Faerie Tail had never experienced such a phenomenon before, nor had Twilight. Twinken had gotten a taste of it once when he'd experienced his shadow powers starting to emerge, but it was something Midnight had felt many times.

He steadied his mother and wife, gently saying, "It's okay, just shake it off. Shadow Travel can be a little disorienting when you experience it for the first time."

"Where are we?" Twilight looked around. The corridor had a stone floor, the walls were wooden yet concealed by long curtains of silk. transparent yet shimmering. The ceiling was so high that none of them could see it up in the darkness. A source of pale bluish-white light gently glowed ahead of them, and they could hear a breezy air as it washed over them and felt it gently blow at their backsides, as though ushering them along.

"I... guess we head toward the light," Midnight cracked while his family and Spike gave him looks that varied between 'freaked out' and a sarcastic 'very funny'.

Their steps gently echoed through the corridor, the silence a little creepy that Twinken stuck close to Faerie Tail and Spike to Twilight. Midnight took the lead, not at all worried, looking more curious as to what awaited them.

I'm the light... every night in your world

The voice was soft and melodious, and they looked ahead to see another silk curtain with the silhouette of somepony standing on the other side.

Are you ready to watch me be legendary? `Cuz I-I-I-I-I-I-I'mmm... "ultraluminary!"

Then, through the silk curtains to their sides, they took notice of various gentle glows of blues and purples, as the silhouette lifted her hooves and then threw them down. At the same time, every silk curtain fell, dissolving into a glittery dust that blew away, and they saw that they had not been walking down a corridor at all! They stood in what was apparently a large stadium or amphitheater, and the silhouette was a lunar pegasus pony, not quite a mare but no longer a filly.

She had an ultra violet coat, her mane, styled up in a regal-esque bun, was black as night with a highlight of ultramarine blue, she wore an unusual dress of yellow that was literally glowing, and floating above her head was some sort of etheral "disk" (possibly a semblance) that depicted the cutie-mark of Princess Luna. her eyes, vibrant as a blue moon, fell upon the visitors as she smiled confidently, as an audience of lunar ponies made themselves known with rapturuous cheering and the music began, as the young mare, standing on a floating platform, sang with her soul.

You wish on me in my glitter light
First star you see tonight

She stepped down more platforms, getting closer to the stage floor, while the audience cheered whereas Twilight, Spike, Faerie Tail, and Twinken watched in confused awe. Midnight just smiled to himself and enjoyed the performance.

So wish away, wish with all your might
Upon this radiant sight

The singer raised her wings, silvery and golden light radiating between them before she flapped them downwards, the light hitting the stage floor, creating a ripple of light that spread throughout the whole area, illuminating things a little more.

The stars ignite
They flame from dust

The young mare stepped down more platforms, as six more young lunar pony mares appeared, two of them standing beside her, the lunar unicorn having a semblance of a waxing moon above her head, the lunar earth pony a semblance of moon waning above hers.

Born out of gravity and force, they combust

The other four stood further apart on additional platforms, all six of them raising their hooves to the main singer.

And though they try in rivalry...
They'll never shine bright as me!

The backup singers and dancers began to sing and dance alongside the main singer as te music swelled and the background changed from a nightly blue to a dusk-like pinkish-orange.

I'm the light every night in your world, hey!
You revel in the glory of my beauty

The visitors were starting to get into the performance as the ponies on stage were working it.

You ready to watch me be legendary?
'Cause I'm ultraluminary

Then, the main singer, alongside the other two with moon semblances above their heads, launched into the air, the lunar unicorn first, then the lunar pegasus, and then the lunar earth pony, magic like stardust enveloping them as they soared above the audience's heads, like shooting stars.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh! Welcome to Lunaria

As they zoomed above, twirling in succession, images of the lunar pegasus singer's face, as she had smiled confidently before the performance actually began, appeared like giant television screens, wowing everypony as things intensified.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh! So spectacularia

No longer was only Midnight smiling, as his family all smiled and awed in amazement at the performance, highlighted with more dazzling light displays.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh! Super singulary

The three young mares came back down to earth, landing lightly between the four backup performers, as the giant silk curtain behind them displayed the main singer's face like a live giant close-up.

'Cause I'm so very, very
Extraordinaria

The main singer winked and the performance went on, as the members of the audience all began to dance to the rhythm as well.

The cosmic shine of my fine display
Can turn the night to day

As he bobbed his head to the music, Spike noticed a lunar pegasus on a floating magic turntable, clearly working

I hear they say that the Misty Way
Can't help but envy me

The main singer softly fluttered her leathery wings and floated upwards towards a spiraling light, resembling a galaxy, as she gave off sparkles like stardust.

I am the brightest star!
Superb, spectacular...!

She radiated with starlight, high above everypony's heads, before diving down towards the stage, as all went dark and silent.

It was cold beneath the moon when she arrived
Comforting all of our tears, heartbreak and sighs

A gentle glow of pale turquoise lit up from the semblance of the moon over the main singer's head, as she sat, her head hanging as though in mourning before she slowly lifted her head while singing. Her backup singers and dancers surrounded her in a circle, all with their heads bowed, as an ethereal semblance of Princess Luna floated around the main singer, collecting drops of light.

Luna made magic ignite and turned us to night
In a radiant circle of light

The main singer stood up, revealing she now wore a trailing gown as she slowly rose up into the air, the gown extending and gently spun `round as she rotated, a cosmic colorful display like planets, stars, and celestial bodies surrounding her as the music swelled like a steady heartbeat. Likewise, her backup singers stood up and turned outwards, standing and then floating in a rotating circle that expanded along with the cosmic display, prismatic lights shining from their hearts as they stood in dreaming bliss.

From tears we rise...
I rise...!

Streaks of light zoomed around the main singer, like fireflies in a rush, before a reverse-pulse of light imploded inward towards her... as she then launched herself high over everypony's heads like a shooting star of glittering radiance before she swerved down and zoomed back, right over everypony, towards the stage...

I'm the light every night in your world, hey
You revel to the glory of my beauty

...and gently landed back on the stage, and sang and dance with her backup singers.

Get ready to watch me be legendary
'Cause I'm ultraluminary...!

Her image was displayed on the silk curtain again as she spun `round, and then... raised a hoof. And pointed directly at Twinken, his eyes widening in confused mystique.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh! Welcome to Lunaria

Not a single hoof in the audience wasn't still as everypony danced.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh! So spectacularia

Members of the audience made room as Spike really lit up the dance floor.

Whoa-oh-oh-oh! Super singulary
'Cause I'm so very, very
Extraordinaria

The main singer, her backup singers at her sides, burst in glimmering embers of blinding light. When the light dimmed, she and they were then instantly dressed in more traditional yet beautiful and stylish kimonos, all poised with confidence, elegance, and beauty, and the crowd went absolutely nuts as flower petals rained down upon the entire amphitheater!

Twinken was utterly blown, as he thought, Maybe this trip won't be so bad after all.

Author's Note

This is gonna be kind of a crash course in Lunar Pony society (as it fits into the world of this fic)

Disclaimer: "Ultraluminary"

419. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 5

The atmosphere was heavy with concern and judgment, along with the scent of a pleasant incense. Never had Twinken felt so small as he stood in the center of the Nocturnal Council Chamber. It was a circular room, surrounding a hardwood floor covered with tatami mats, the walls covered with emakimono painted scrolls that depicted the lunar ponies' histories in vivid illustration along with writings highlighting the significance of each event, and the council members sat on cushions while the Shadow, the Healer, and the Eldress each sat on a Zabuton chair to highlight their authority while their aides sat at their respective sides, and all of them faced inward, where Twinken stood, along with his brother, Midnight. Twilight, Spike, and Faerie Tail stood near the doorway, which was located opposite the Eldress, who gave Twinken an unreadable look that was neither encouraging nor condemning.

Midnight had just explained to the Council the reason for his family's visit - Twinken needed help, the kind of which only they could give. The kind of help that was necessary to help curb the power, and the danger, Twinken carried, and he needed it before something happened that might not be salvageable.

The Nocturnal Council whispered among themselves, apart from the Eldress, as she kept her gaze upon Twinken, making the colt feel more and more anxious. The not knowing of what her opinion of him, positive or negative, was almost worse than if she had one unfavorable.

Finally, Pale Ryder spoke first, "Your words and concerns are indeed of serious note, Prince Midnight. As a matter of fact, just after your arrival, we received a message from our Mother of the Night, corroborating your statement and expressing her pleas to us that we do everything within our power to help her pupil. However..."

Pale Ryder turned his eyes to the colt, piercing him with cold reproach, "Perhaps we ought to hear from the boy..."

All eyes and ears turned to Twinken, making him feel even more afraid, as it took everything he had to keep it together in spite of the weight in the pit of his stomach. He twitched a bit, faint red mana sparking from his horn, as he tried the breathing exercises he'd learned in a vain effort to calm down. It wasn't working. The talisman wasn't working!

Twinken could hear murmurs in his head. Indistinct, soft, but he could hear them. He sensed the talisman's power waning while his own began to wax in response to his distress.

Faerie Tail felt her heart tighten at the sight of her colt, every motherly instinct spurring her to rush over and embrace him. But as awful and as hard as it was, she stayed put, knowing that she couldn't keep shielding Twinken from the harsh reality of the danger he posed, to others as well as to himself. She felt a wing over her back, and a touch on her opposite wither. She looked to see it was Twilight and Spike, offering what comfort they could to the mother unicorn.

But then... a burst of red erupted from Twinken as he cried out in panic, a feeling like static filling the room, as red mana crackled and sparked faintly around them all, and Twinken clutched his head with one hoof and pressed the talisman to his chest with the other, and the colt began to levitate as the energy intensified.

Twinken could hear nothing. nothing but the pounding in his skull, the burning at the base of his horn, the blood rushing to his ears, and the beating of his heart as he tried so desperately to hold in his power, to keep his mind to himself, to push out the thoughts that weren't his own as they struck his mind like cacophonous noise-

Then, suddenly it stopped, and Twilight, Faerie Tail, and Spike were shocked by how fast and easily the dilemma had been remedied, as they saw Midnight, Pale Ryder, Moondance, and even Hazel Twig surrounding the colt. A silk ribbon completely wrapped Twinken's horn by Midnight, Hazel Twig pressed a bag of herbs to Twinken's nose, the earthy remedy already calming the colt with its cleansing fragrances, Twinken was being hugged from behind by the Eldress herself to provide additional comfort, while Pale Ryder had the tip of his drawn ninjato poised mere inches from the colt's heart.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!" Whatever control Faerie Tail had was gone at the sight of Pale Ryder threatening her child, as she rushed over, only for Pale Ryder and Hazel Twig's aids to bar her way.
"Get out of my way, let go of my son!!"

"Miss Faerie Tail, the colt was on the verge of a psychic outburst," Pale Ryder explained as he sheathed his blade while Midnight and Hazel Twig both backed away. Moondance continued to hold Twinken, with the caring tenderness of a grandmother. "Had we not stopped him, he could have unleashed such power that perhaps every citizen in Lunaria would have suffered psychological trauma, or worse."

"He is worse than we realize," Hazel Twig seconded, "the Mother of the Night bade us to do everything in our power to help him, and to do so as we see fit. However, if Twinken-chan endangers our people we must do what may be necessary to protect our society."

"And you would murder a child?!" Faerie Tail was on the verge of hysterics, Twilight and Spike hurrying over to try and calm her down. "How could you be so cruel?! We came here to ask you for your help! To give a suffering colt guidance. And you seriously consider that as an option!?! Have you no shame...?"

"Child." All eyes turned to Moondance as the Eldress stood up and carefully positioned Twinken to sit upright as the colt was now in a relaxed daze. "We would never make light of the suffering of a foal, much less the idea of ending his pain in such a manner. Regardless, this child, innocent though he is, he poses such danger that even our Mother of the Night fears the potential of his powers should they grow beyond all control."

The Eldress spoke with a solemn undertone of deepest concern and understanding yet was heavy with the sense of duty.

"His power is great, and so too is the responsibility that comes with it," Moondance went on as she then approached Faerie Tail, the aides stepping out of the way, as the elder mare met the younger's gaze and in the Eldress's eyes Faerie Tail saw the sincerity of Moondance's words along with the trepidation that weighed upon the old mare's shoulders.
"Selfless duty calls upon us to do what is right, especially for the lives of those we are charged with guiding and protecting. I will give you no assurances other than this:

"I promise, on behalf of the Nocturnal Council, we will do everything we can to help your son."

"...and if you can't?" Faerie Tail dared to ask.

"They will." All eyes now turned to Midnight as he regarded his mother before looking to Moondance, "Because I propose Twinken takes... the Rite."

"The Rite?" Pale Ryder sounded a little surprised.
"Prince Midnight, you can't be serious!" Hazel Twig was aghast. "The Rite is meant for lunar ponies older than Twinken, ponies who have undergone basic training to become Lunobi!"

Moondance said nothing, so Midnight went on, sounding harsh with every word, "We've tried multiple ways to help Twinken, but nothing has been done to truly help him master his power and himself! He isolated himself for months, out of some misguided attempt to punish himself rather than actually dealing with the problem! No more! I'm done letting him wallow in self-pity and fear."

"Midnight!" Faerie Tail couldn't believe that her son was being so harsh, even though she understood. "I-I understand that Twinken needs to learn to control his power, but he's still just a colt!"

"No..." all eyes turned to see Twinken coming out of his relaxed stupor, sounding weary but the look in his eyes burned with a sense of determination. "I... I can't... live like this anymore! I didn't ask for these powers. I only wanted to help my brother, because at the time I was the only one who could help him. I got more than I expected, and look what happened... I thought I had to punish myself by keeping everypony away from me, for their own safety, but I was lying to myself... I was too afraid to face the truth, that I have power and I need to master it. Or else I'll spend the rest of my life afraid of it and of how it can hurt those around me."

"Twinken..." Faerie Tail felt her heart was in a vice, caught between deepest concern and a sense of pride for her colt.

Twinken looked to the Eldress, declaring, "Princess Luna asked you to help me, and I'm done being afraid! Tell me how to master my power!"

Pale Ryder narrowed his eyes at the brazen tone of this colt while Hazel Twig sympathized with the pain that Twinken was clearly feeling while Moondance returned Twinken's insolent look with one unreadable and yet belied the authority of a queen.

"You seek knowledge?" The Eldress responded, "There is only one way to attain knowledge here."

"How?! I'll do it!!" Twinken was starting to sound desperate.

"The Rite of the Lunobi," answered Moondance, "Should you survive, you will master your power, but more importantly, you will master your self."

"Survive?!" Faerie Tail echoed, almost in shock.

"Midnight, this is crazy!" Twilight couldn't keep quiet anymore, and bore her husband a disapproving look, "Whatever this Rite is, we can't let Twinken-"

"BE QUIET, TWILIGHT!!!" Twinken snapped with such intensity that Twilight was taken aback. Shame at his outburst softened Twinken's demeanor, as he said in an apologetic tone, "I have to do this..."

"Pale Ryder, give the colt a blade," Moondance commanded with a voice cold and detached.

Twinken turned to Pale Ryder, who reached into a pouch strapped to his belt, and pulled out what appeared to be a small dagger, the blade a shimmering silver, the handle wrapped with leather and a ring on the pommel. On the blade, right above the handle, was an engraving matching the moon of Princess Luna's cutie-mark, made distinctive by black enameling. Twinken reached up to take it, but Pale Ryder didn't let go. The colt looked up at the lunar pegasus, who whispered grimly, "You had better start proving yourself..."

"...I intend to," Twinken retorted before jerking the blade out of Pale Ryder's hoof, before facing the Eldress again.

"The Rite of the Lunobi can only end one way or another..." The Eldress declared with a tone of inarguable finality. "Knowledge... or Death."

"What?!" Faerie Tail cried out in alarm.
"That's crazy!" Spike added.
"I will not allow-" Twilight tried to say, only for Midnight to step forward and his horn released a blinding flash of light, and then everything was suddenly silent.

Twinken then found himself in a large chamber shaped like a pentagon. The ceiling was rocky, indicating this room was built into a cave. The floor seemed to be stone, and in each corner stood a stone pedestal, upon which sat a globe of purplish-white light that did nothing to help the chilly temperature filling the whole chamber.

Twinken also saw that he was now garbed in a form-fitting outfit similar to Pale Ryder's, only it had nothing but leather pauldrons for his shoulders and a belt, in which his blade was strapped, and the outfit was colored pale gray. It felt snug but it didn't impede Twinken's movements and it also seemed to keep him from shivering in this dreary place. Except for the shiver he felt starting from the dock of his tail and running up his spine when he heard a sound and looked to the middle of the chamber.

There he saw what appeared to be pentagon-shaped panel appear in the floor before it seemed to sink down, leaving a hole... before the sound of a mechanism preceded the arrival of a lunar pony, fully-garbed in lunobi attire, including a hood and mask that completely hid their face, rise up out of the floor. They had neither horn nor wings, meaning they were a lunar earth pony, and the physique indicated a stallion, which was confirmed when the pony reached to a sheathed blade strapped to his waist and drew it while demanding, "Surrender the blade."

The voice was certainly masculine, and the lunobi took a battle stance while giving his blade an expert twirl, indicating he knew how to wield it, and the blade itself was larger and longer, more like a sword, with a light curve and looked heavier. It bore Princess Luna's mark just above its handle, the same as Twinken's.

"You cannot win..." the lunobi warned grimly.

Furrowing his brows and levitating his blade, despite wishing it was a little bigger, Twinken charged, blades meeting in a harsh dissonant clash of metal. Twinken knew he stood no real chance, but he'd made up his mind. He would see this through to the end.

The lunobi batted Twinken's blade away with such pressure it was knocked out of Twinken's telekinetic grasp and yet had been done with seemingly casual ease. Twinken was alarmed as his blade slid away on the floor, and he quickly ran, avoiding a stomp from his opponent, and rushed to recover his blade.

Facing him head on won't work, I gotta try to fight from a distance! Twinken thought as he focused his magic and felt it grasp his blade.

He spun `round and saw the lunobi rushing towards him, blade raised, so Twinken, keeping a hold on his own, gave it a heave and sent it spinning through the air towards his opponent. The lunobi easily deflected and kept coming, so Twinken willed his blade to yank back and it reversed its momentum, spinning again towards the lunobi.

He didn't even look, but the lunobi leapt while rotating his whole body and lashing out his blade with greater force, striking Twinken's blade so hard sparks flew, and Twinken felt his grip vanish yet again, a jab-like pain piercing his mind, distracting him as the lunobi closed in. It was only for a moment, but it was a moment too long, as Twinken felt the air get knocked out of him from the lunobi slamming the pommel of his blade into the colt's gut, the force of the blow sending Twinken flying, and he tumbled across the floor, heaving in pain, struggling to breathe.

Twinken barely had time to prop himself up when the lunobi rushed him and struck him again with a roundhouse kick, Twinken crying out in pain as he slid along the floor from the force of the attack. He managed to notice his blade nearby and desperately grasped it with his magic, but it did him no good.

The lunobi tackled Twinken, the both of them somersaulting, and then Twinken found himself with both of his forelegs pinned behind him and felt the lunobi's blade at his throat. Yet he'd managed to retain his grasp onto his own in spite of the throbbing he felt in his gut and shoulder.

"Surrender the blade and the pain will cease..." the lunobi demanded with a voice edged with cold and intensity.

Twinken gritted his teeth. In spite of being outmatched, in spite of being at his opponent's mercy, he panted, "I won't... give up!"

"...Then the pain continues." To Twinken's bewilderment, the lunobi released him and stepped back, letting the colt have a moment to catch his breath. "You are not meant to go through that door."

Door? Twinken thought in confusion, and he forced himself to his hooves and saw the lunobi now standing aside, and past him, he saw a door. Where did... was that always there?

Twinken looked at the door and then at the lunobi, who now stood there, still as a statue. He'd said that Twinken was not meant to go through the door, did that mean he would attack again if he tried to? Taking a cautious step in the door's direction, Twinken kept his eye on the lunobi. He didn't so much as twitch. He took some more careful steps and still provoked no reaction. Finally, Twinken sped to the door, giving one glance back and even as he passed through the threshold the lunobi didn't move a muscle.

Facing forward, Twinken found himself in the same chamber! Or was it just an identical one? He looked back and was startled to see that the door was gone. But then, he heard a familiar sound, only a tad louder, and he looked towards the middle of the floor in time to see not one but two lunobi rise up. One was a lunar earth pony, the other was a lunar pegasus, fanning his bat-like wings, both of them fully garbed so he couldn't see what they looked like. They both wielded the same blades as the first lunobi, and Twinken suddenly felt like he was playing a real-live version of a video game Button Mash had showed him, and he had a sneaking suspicion of what to expect as he raised his own blade, steeling himself.

"Surrender the blade," demanded one of the lunobi, he was unsure which, and they both lunged at him, the lunar pegasus flapping to gracefully flip through the air, right over Twinken's head, simultaneously avoiding a diagonal slash from Twinken's blade.

The distraction was enough for Twinken to forget a split-second too late that he was facing two opponents this time, as the earth pony lashed out in a haymaker. Thankfully, Twinken's keen ears had heard his hoofsteps and he just barely managed to duck, only to get forced back by a thrusting kick.

They didn't let up and both swung their blades with ruthless intent.

"This isn't a fair fight!" Spike protested with angry concern.

The drake, Twilight, Faerie Tail, and Midnight, along with the Shadow, the Healer, and the Eldress observed what was going on via three magic mirrors, giving different angles on the challenge, with the middle focused on Twinken as he struggled in a vain attempt to hold off his opponents.

"There is no such thing as a fair fight," responded Pale Ryder coldly. "An enemy that seeks to do you harm will not give you the courtesy of honorable combat. In the real world, outside of training and competition, a single mistake can lead to your own demise. The strong, the cunning, and the determined will seize victory. The weak, the foolish, and the cowardly will fall."

Faerie Tail was on the verge of tears as she watched, wincing at every clash as Twinken was thrown like a sack of potatoes, kicked in the stomach, barely missing a slash that could have taken his eye out and getting cut on the face still.

It wasn't long before Twinken was panting and aching, hanging his head as the lunar pegasus lunobi pointed his blade at the colt and echoed the prior lunobi, word for word.

"Surrender the blade and the pain will cease."

Panting, Twinken gazed up and stubbornly answered, "...no!"

The lunobi sighed and stepped back, "You are not meant to go through that door."

There it was again! The same door, in the same place. Or was it? The room looked the same from all angles, Twinken couldn't be sure. Seeing both lunobi standing statuesque, he picked up his blade and soldiered on.

Again, he came to either the same room or one just like down to the last detail, and again the door vanished when he wasn't looking. And again, the opponents increased, this time, they were joined by a lunar unicorn.

"Surrender the blade."

Twinken growled and charged into the fray. Again, he was bruised and battered, outclassed and outmatched and outmaneuvered at every turn. He didn't land so much as a tap or scratch on any of them.

Again, he was bested. Again, they said, "Surrender the blade and the pain will cease."

Again, he refused and was told, "You are not meant to go through that door."

And again, Twinken entered the same chamber, and the lunobi increased, adding a second lunar earth pony. Twinken had seen it coming, because it was just like the video game he'd played with Button Mash. No matter how much he progressed, the challenge would get harder and harder.

"How long does this go on?!" Twilight demanded, finding the whole thing absurd and even barbaric.

"Sometimes the greatest challenge is knowing when to stop," responded Hazel Twig.

"He'll never quit," Midnight commented in an almost-ho hum manner.

"One way or another, this will end," stated Moondance, watching how the colt forced himself to stand even as he shook in pain and exhaustion, and even then he kept fighting. "Knowledge or death."

On it went, and Twinken barely managed to make his way through the door, finding himself back in the same place. He was in agony. He was exhausted. He felt like he needed to throw up. But he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop! He didn't know how this was supposed to help him master his power, but this was the challenge he'd been given, and Goddess-willing he would see it through to the end.

And yet... Twinken wondered, whether he was actually accomplishing anything other than being a punching bag. It was starting to feel redundant. Like going around in circles, moving but not getting anywhere.

As he heard the mechanisms bringing up his opponents, he reflected on it all. The Lunobi kept telling him to surrender the blade, and doing so would end his pain. But he knew it would be giving up, and it would all be for nothing, the very thought was unacceptable. But then... why did they always tell him that he was not meant to go through the door? Twinken then remembered the test his mistress had given him and his friends before, where the point was to figure out the solution to a problem, but it turned out the solution was to give up, to accept failure. Was this challenge the same? He found himself dispirited by that, when he saw them.

They now numbered seven: Three lunar earth ponies, two lunar pegasi, and two lunar unicorns.

Twinken had taken martial arts lessons from both Midnight and Rainbow Dash. He'd known all along he stood no chance against a single lunobi in terms of direct combat. Against seven? He knew they'd defeat him in a matter of seconds once they all... !!!

That's it...! Twinken realized, and he charged as the seven lunobi were just about fully emerged. Focusing his power into the blade while keeping his visual focus upon his target, Twinken screamed as he launched the blade, sending it hurtling through the air towards the lunobi at the very back, spurring him to leap out of the way, only for Twinken's blade to stop the trapdoor from closing the hatch.

The other lunobi were stunned, enough for Twinken to knock the closest one aside, returning their attention to him, and ducking as one lashed out at him with her blade, and he slid between the legs of another, magicking his blade back to his belt and then diving into the trapdoor, which snapped shut right behind him.

"Where'd he go?!" Spike was flabbergasted.
"I don't know!" Twilight was stunned.
"Twinken...?" Faerie Tail held her hoof to her lips.
"..." Midnight stared at the mirror, seeing the lunobi in the chamber crowding the trapdoor, all of them stunned or impressed, while his own expression was unreadable.

A door opened, and out stumbled Twinken, panting, in pain, but feeling oddly pleased with himself, "I guess... I really wasn't supposed to go through tat door."

He chuckled, only to wince as he looked around, and saw he was in some kind of hallway. The floors were hardwood, and the same kind of pedestals with radiant globes provided light. He groaned, his vision shaky, and as he saw he was alone a mild sense of relief washed over him, which was enough for Twinken to collapse. He lay there, bruised, beaten, cut in several places, too tired to even think... but then he felt that he wasn't alone.

His eye creaked open, and he saw a figure standing over him. Then it eased down, as he heard a voice say, "Well done, little brother."

"M-Midnight...?" Twinken still felt woozy, but he couldn't help but smile at the sight of his brother. In spite of how hard Midnight had been lately, Twinken knew it had come fro ma place that cares, and he accepted Midnight's outstretched hoof, and let the stallion haul him up even though he still ached and throbbed all over.

"Pale Ryder said you lasted longer than anypony else in those battles," Midnight complimented, "well, at least longer than any colt your age. But I think you've done enough."

"Wha... what do you mean, Midnight?" groaned Twinken, not understanding.

"Just give them the blade, Twinken," Midnight suggested, sounding like it was no big whoop. "Give them the blade and let's go home."

"I... I can't, Midnight!" Twinken couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Faerie Tail, Twilight, and Spike couldn't believe what they were seeing. There, in that hallway with Twinken was Midnight, and yet he stood there beside him, seemingly in two places at once.

"What's going on here?" Twilight demanded, "Is that an illusion? A changeling?!"

"It's the nature of the test," answered Moondance, "those who undertake it will face more than fully trained and seasoned lunobi warriors. They will face a manifestation of their greatest hopes and fears."

"And right now... Twinken wants to see me," understood Midnight, his voice heavy and solemn as a tear ran down his cheek.

"What do you mean you can't?" said the Midnight they all saw in the mirror, the Midnight standing before the exhausted Twinken. "You know you can't overcome this challenge, all you're doing is getting hurt. Just drop it, Twinken."

"I can't, Midnight!" Twinken's tone became emotional, "If I give up now... I'll just be right back where I started! Alone, afraid, a danger to everyone around me! I have to see this through to the end."

"No, you don't! Just give up the blade, Twinken!" demanded the Midnight in front of the colt, "Give up, and it'll all be over."

"Yes! It will! And I'll never be able to live with myself if I give up here and now, when I'm so close to figuring this out!" Twinken was starting to cry, in pain, exhausted, even getting angry and confused.

"You stupid, selfish colt! You're willing to risk everything on a what-if?! I taught you better than that, Twinken, but it seems you've learned nothing..." Then the Midnight turned around and began to walk away.

"Urgh, Midnight... wait!" Twinken reached out towards his brother, but moved too fast, causing him to stumble and fall flat on his face. He lay there, groaning, throbbing, sobbing, pleading for his brother to come back.
"Please! Please... don't leave me alone! I need you...!"

"I can't take this anymore! We have to help him!" Faerie Tail was sobbing as she turned towards the door, only to hear it lock. "Did you not hear me?! He needs help!"

"The only one who can help him now is himself," Pale Ryder responded, cold and unmoving, same as Hazel Twig and Moondance.

Spike rushed to the door and blew his fire at it, only to see it didn't so much as singe it.

"I don't know what's going on here, but you're messing with his mind!" Twilight reprimanded them, "He could die!"

Seeing none of them move, Twilight turned to look at Midnight and was appalled to see he was the same, even as another tear slid down his face. Both mares and the dragon crowded him, Twilight pleading, "Midnight, you know this isn't right! He's your brother and he needs you!"

"Midnight, please stop this! Help him!!" Faerie Tail pleaded desperately.

Midnight turned his head to look at them. His expression was unwavering yet his eyes glimmered and another tear was shed, as he stated, "Knowledge or death."

As he lay there in that cold and lonely hallway, Twinken continued to cry, mumbling his pleas for Midnight to come back, to help him, feeling as though he would break. Then, the globes of light in the hallway around him dimmed, giving way to dreadful darkness. Twinken was afraid and couldn't even muster the energy, much less the will, to light up his horn to hold off the consuming black.

Was this it? Was this the end of his story? To lose himself into a cold and lonely void, with only pain, fear, and self-pity to keep him company?

No, it was not. Because as the colt's mind started to slip into the relief of oblivion, a warm light lit up the insides of his eyelids, and he felt magic, strong yet gentle, lift him up to his hooves and keep him steady as the colt slowly but surely came to... and looked up to see a face. A familiar face yet his vision was still loopy that he wasn't sure, leading him to utter, "Midnight?"

"Hahaha, no, but you and your brother get your good looks from me," chuckled a voice deeper yet warm, like the comfort of a roaring fireplace.

Groaning as he shook it off, Twinken looked again and gasped to see a pony he'd only ever seen in pictures. Particularly the picture in the locket his brother had given him for his birthday. This stallion was a tall and strong unicorn pony, his coat a burning red, his mane coal black with highlights of metallic gold, his cutie-mark a sword overlaid by a shield all wreathed in flame, and he had the same bright red eyes as Twinken.

"I don't believe this... Dad?" Twinken whispered, hardly able to believe what he was even saying in that moment.

"Ignitus Enflame! Head of House Obsidian, Master Pyromancer, Captain of the Royal Guard!" the stallion introduced himself with a bit of dramatic flair before dialing it down and kindly saying, "Haha, but yeah, 'Dad' works just fine.

"Nice to meet you, Twinken Starglow," the stallion kindly offered his hoof, which Twinken absentmindedly shook.

It was then Twinken took notice of their surroundings, and saw they seemed to be in some kind of cosmic void, not unlike the Dream Plane Twinken visited when dreamwalking. Except, something was different. They stood upon what seemed to be a cosmic spiraling nexus, the... ground? Floor? Beneath their hooves felt as though they stood in a shallow puddle of water as opalescent bubbles rose up around them before floating away into the endless yawn of space.

"What is this place?" asked Twinken, mystified and intrigued.

"I was hoping you could tell me," Ignitus replied with a touch of humor as he reached out to a bubble, "See, I've been here for long while, unable to leave. But... at least, I could keep an eye on my boys."

He held the bubble so Twinken could peer into it, and he was astonished to see himself, not as a reflection. But as a memory. It was perhaps Twinken's earliest happy memory, back when he was in the orphanage, where he was read a bedtime story by the matron, TLC, whom Twinken still kept in touch with even though she insisted on keeping contact to a minimum.

"And those who've been there for them." Ignitus added, giving the bubble a gentle tap, and it rippled before changing to show a memory of Twinken at Diamond Tiara's Cuteceañera, where he, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Button Mash and Rumble all stood together, the day they first became the Cutie-Mark Crusaders.

"And the times when they were at their best, as well as their lows..." Ignitus showed another bubble, this one showing Midnight apparently having a falling out with Twilight before leaving in his cloak, then it rippled to show Twinken that time he was kept afterschool for using his magic to punish bullies and Midnight expressing his disappointment in him for doing so.

"Speaking of lows, you seem to have hit another kind of rock bottom," Ignitus brought up, sounding concerned. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"I... well, it's been hard," Twinken started nervously, looking downcast, but Ignitus said nothing, allowing Twinken to divulge what he was willing to and at his own pace. "I was given a power to help Midnight at a time he needed my help, but then that power turned into something I wasn't prepared to handle! It made something bad happen and I was so afraid of it happening again that I pushed everyone away! I thought it was better if I was alone, to protect them from me! But... I...!"

Twinken struggled to keep his cool, but the tears flowed and he let out a sob. He felt a warm touch on his back, and heard Ignitus say, "Go ahead, son. Let it out. There's no shame in tears."

"I... I hate being alone!" Twinken finally confessed as he turned and threw his forelegs around the stallion, who kindly embraced him, letting the colt cry into his coat. "It reminds me of being back in the orphanage, of-of... of being afraid that I- That I'd never have a family! The orphanage wasn't a bad place, but it- there were bad times! Awful words! They made me afraid that I'd grow up with no one! No one to love... and be loved back! When Midnight took me in, it was one of the greatest days of my life. But the power I got, it;s dangerous...! I'm afraid of it, I didn't ask for it! I don't wanna hurt anyone... I just... don't know what to do..."

"Hey, I can relate," Ignitus said softly, while gently rubbing the colt on the back, "I was born to a prestigious family, and as the firstborn son I had a lot of expectations to live up to. Especially when it was confirmed my mystical element was Fire. I didn't have the best colthood, but I was able to make the best of it and take joy in the special moments and good times, rare as they were. Without my own little brother, Coal Obsidian, my colthood would have been unbearable.

"There was a point in my youth where I hated my own power as well. My power over Fire. I used to think that Fire was only destruction and hurt, especially after I let my fire go wild and I hurt my own brother... The shame I felt made me sick to the point I even hated myself for a time... but then somepony helped me to find a whole new perspective on Fire. Yes, it is dangerous and should not be handled recklessly. But Fire can be more than a force of destruction. It is also a force of creation."

Ignitus stepped back and demonstrated by conjuring a ball of fire that shone its light through a nearby bubble, creating what seemed to be a nebula, in which Twinken saw a memory. He saw a younger Ignitus, alongside a smaller colt Twinken figured must have been Coal Obsidian, watching as his own father, a large and strong golden earth pony named Grand Hoof, worked a forge and created a sword.

"My father, Grand Hoof, he, and others, taught me, Fire can mold and temper raw materials into something stronger. It is also a means to make art and food, and it offers light and warmth, something we all need in our lives. As long as we respect the power of Fire and are careful with it, what it offers can make all the difference. The same could be said of your power, son."

"How?" Twinken was baffled. "Telepathy isn't destructive like fire, but it's still dangerous! It can violate and ruin a mind with even the smallest mistake!"

"And the fact you are acknowledging that proves exactly my point," Ignitus smirked, confusing the colt. "Twinken, if you weren't taking your power seriously, you'd never spare a thought on the dangers it could pose to those around you. That in and of itself proves what a good person you are. It proves that you can be trusted to handle this power responsibly. However, you never will handle it unless you can accept that this power is a part of you, and always has been."

"But... I don't want it," Twinken whimpered, feeling ashamed of saying so even though it was the truth. "I was okay when it was just dreamwalking, because that way I could help others who're having bad dreams. Why couldn't that be enough...?

"To say you don't want your power is the same as saying that you don't want to be you, Twinken," Ignitus explained with an impression solemn yet kind, "and so, you'll never master it unless you choose to accept it. So the question is... can you accept your self?"

Twinken chewed on those words, trying to make sense of them, to reconcile them with his own feelings. For so long since the test went so wrong and could have been so much worse, Twinken had lived with the feeling like he was carrying a dangerous disease inside a fragile glass container. Where even a single misstep would make him stumble and lose what control he had, and those too close to him would pay for his own mistake. He reflected on everything since Luna unlocked his heritage and how it had all led him to this moment.

This power. He knew now that he'd always had it, even before Luna awoke his power to dreamwalk. It had grown into telepathy, and what had started out a test had spurred it to evolve into something so powerful it terrified him. Now, here he was, at this critical juncture, and something inside of him yearned to blaze, to burn through the cold fear that had haunted him for months, because he now realized, I refuse to live my life ruled by fear!

An encouraging chuckle from his dad caught Twinken's attention and he gazed up to see the stallion regarding him with pride, "It seems you've found the fire in your belly, kid."

"I wha...!" Twinken looked at himself and was astonished to see his own body was ablaze with a ghostly bluish-purple fire. Most ponies would have freaked out by the fact that they were on fire, but Twinken immediately realized, this was no ordinary flame. It was... comforting, focused, gave a relaxing chill rather than warmth.

"Like father..." Twinken gazed up at the stallion, seeing a warm and joyous pride in his eyes as he too was wreathed in magical flames of gold and crimson, "like son."

"I don't understand, what does this mean?" asked Twinken, bewildered yet finding himself no longer afraid.

"Every unicorn is mystically connected to one of the Four Elements," Ignitus explained, "they don't get to choose. When Midnight discovered his own Element, when he was still a unicorn, that is, he confirmed it to be Water. Like me, you are connected to Fire. You've kindled a passionate determination within your mind and heart, giving your power greater control than you had before, and it had the benefit of connecting you to your Element. Bottom line? I think you're off to a great start in mastering your self."

Twinken breathed deeply, trying to steady himself as he felt a wonderful relief. The fear, the doubt, the emotional turmoil he had lived with for months! It wasn't completely gone, and yet he felt so much better, as though an unbearable weight had been lifted from his heart. He couldn't stop the tears as he threw himself at his father, Ignitus warmly returning the embrace, and they stayed that way for a long while, as both their fires enveloped them, proving a protective comfort of warmth.

Until finally, Twinken whispered, "Are you really my dad? Or... or is this just wishful thinking?"

The hug slackened as Ignitus pulled back and gazed sadly into the colt's eyes, "I guess... you're just gonna have to find me, son, so you can ask me in person."

"Find you...? Dad?! Is it really you?! Are-are you lost? Tell me where you are! How can I find you?!" Twinken couldn't believe what he had just heard, could it be true? Was this real?

"Before you do that, you're gonna have to... wake up!"

420. Dreamwalk a Mile - Part 6

"You're cruel...!" The words cut into Midnight's soul as his mother regarded him with tearful horror, "Have you really become so cold that you can stand there as your own flesh and blood is brutalized and his mind played with by these- These... monsters?!"

Twilight and Spike didn't know what to do or say as they watched the mother and son share a gaze of emotional turmoil, Faerie Tail horrified and heartbroken, Midnight physically as composed as a statue and yet the tears running down his face from his wavering eyes betrayed his true feelings.

"He's done it." The Eldress's words cut through the heavy tension, all eyes turning to her, and Moondance turned to them, a proud smile on her face, "Twinken has taken the first and most important step in order to master his power and his self."

"What are you talking about?!" Faerie Tail sobbed as she pointed to the mirror, showing Twinken, bruised, battered, and bloody on the floor, alone in a dismal hall, "He could be dying right now!!"

"No, he's never been more alive," Moondance's horn lit up and the looking glass rippled with a resonant tone, the image changing to reveal Twinken starting to wake up on a comfortable bed while surrounded by several Lunobi warriors. It was like looking through a window.

"What is this...?!" Faerie Tail demanded, confused, relieved to see Twinken didn't look hurt or tired or tortured at all. In fact, the colt seemed to be waking up, fresh as a daisy, and becoming confused himself by how he was in a nice bed, with several lunobi watching over him.

In fact, one of them approached with an actual plate of milk and cookies, bewildering the young unicorn, who suddenly looked frustrated for a moment before he accepted the snack with hungry gratitude before enjoying himself.

"He's... okay? This isn't a trick?" Faerie Tail didn't know what to think.

"Twinken was never in any danger, Mom." The pregnant mare turned to her older son, who returned her look with one of hurt and shame. "His entire experience was a dream! Specially designed by the lunobi dreamwalkers to carry out the Rite. All his injuries, the fighting, everything in it, was only a dream."

"Wha- Wait a minute! Then what was that whole 'knowledge or death' crock?!" demanded Spike indignantly.

"Not crock, truth," Pale Ryder answered, "Just not what it sounded like to those who don't understand our traditions. The Rite of the Lunobi can end only one of two ways, Knowledge or Death. The knowledge that would give those who take the Rite enlightenment to help them grow and become wiser and open to what they were unknowingly missing or resisting, the death of the flaws, doubts, and burdens that were holding them back and weighing upon their hearts.

"The Rite is performed in a dream in order to remove the risks of actual physical harm and is overseen by our best dreamwalkers to ensure the initiate's mind is safe and in no danger of harm to their psyche."

"Well then why didn't you tell us that from the start?!" Twilight was annoyed, especially with her husband, who was doing his best to avoid her irate glare.

"Twinken is a telepath, and even asleep there was a risk, however small, he might hear or perceive your thoughts on the true nature of the Rite," explained Moondance in a patient manner. "If he'd known from the start, or even partway into it, that the Rite is only a dream it would spoil the results and hamper his efforts in overcoming it. As you are not lunar ponies, your minds are more open to his telepathic scrutiny, and despite our dreamwalkers keeping his awareness under the dream we could not allow even the slightest chance he would have heard you and learned the truth until after the fact.

"If still you doubt us, go and see for yourself."

The doors behind them unlocked, and Faerie tail almost rushed out, but froze. She looked back at Midnight, whose hurt was written all over his face, and turned away. The sight of it filled Faerie Tail with her own confused shame, but her concern for Twinken spurred her to go see him. Spike followed, but Twilight stayed.

She regarded her husband with mixed feelings, yet saw he was not in a good place. Taking a deep breath, she approached him and placed a hoof to his cheek to make him look her in the eye. Despite opening her mouth, Twilight was at a loss for words, uncertain of what to say.

"...how could you possibly think I would ever endanger my little brother?" Midnight's words struck deeply, making Twilight tear up as well, her eyes faltering.

At a loss for words, Twilight pressed her forehead to Midnight's (being mindful of their horns), the two of them just standing there, in that emotional moment-

"...what?!" Midnight suddenly said tersely, and Twilight flinched back, until she saw him looking past her and she followed his gaze to see a lunobi bowing before them.

"My apologies, Your Majesties," the lunobi said formally before standing and pulling out a scroll from a pouch she wore on her belt, "but I have an urgent message for the two of you. From the Griffon King."

Minutes earlier...

Twinken gasped as his eyes opened and he bolted upright, finding himself in a bed. He noticed the absence of the aching bruises and injuries he'd suffered and patted himself down, stunned to see he wasn't hurt at all! Looking around, he saw several lunobi surrounding him, apparently coming out of some kind of meditation, as one of them stood up, holding a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, and approached him, speaking kindly, "Stay calm, young one, you are safe. You have passed the Rite."

"The Rite? I... what's going...!!" Then Twinken realized and groaned in annoyance, "It was a dream?! Seriously?!?"

"All will be made clear soon enough. Until then, perhaps you would like to refresh yourself," the lunobi held out the milk and cookies.

Although Twinken was still irritated, his tummy gave a famished grumble, so he accepted the snack and found the cookies to be quite yummy, having a subtle sweetness that made him think of some kind of berry only he couldn't identify which one, and the milk felt good and cool as it settled in his stomach, helping his razzed nerves.

"...these are good cookies," Twinken said after swallowing and washing it down. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, and yes, the cookies are a recipe we have here on the Shetland Isles," noted the lunobi who'd spoken to the colt and given him the snack. "They're made with moonberries, a berry that can only be grown in moonlight and with the magic of lunar earth ponies. We use moonberries for all kinds of recipes, including cookies, tea, desserts, creams, jellies, gelatin, and more."

"I'd like to try some more recipes, if that's okay," Twinken said as he took another bite.

"I'm sure that can be arranged, but I think somepony wants to see you," the lunobi said, and hardly a moment later a door in the room, directly across from Twinken, opened, and in walked Faerie Tail, looking on the verge of concerned panic, followed by Moondance and Hazel Twig, as the three mares entered the room, Faerie Tail rushing over to her son.

"Twinken! Oh, sweetheart, are- Are you alright? How do you feel?" Faerie Tail was all over him, hugs, kisses, looking him over, making Twinken flush at how embarrassing this was in front of these lunobi warriors.
"You seem alright, but are you feeling okay? Do you want to go home? We'll go home, I'll bake you a cake, we can have a mother-son outing-"

"MO-OM!! Relax! I'm okay, besides, you're embarrassing me..." Twinken griped, but he smiled as well, magicking his mother over to give her a reassuring hug, which helped calm the pregnant mare's nerves, as she felt her colt hold her, the warmth, the comfort, and even the feeling that he didn't seem at all distressed.

When they finally stopped the hug, Faerie Tail looked Twinken in the eyes and couldn't help noticing a change in her son. She reached up to brush a strand of his mane out of his face, and he reached up to hold her hoof to his cheek, smiling with a warm appreciation and love, and finally Faerie Tail felt like she'd just released a breath she'd been holding in.

"You're okay..." she murmured in relieved understanding.

"I'm okay," Twinken nodded, "I know now, as real and as scary as it seemed, it was all a dream. And like my mistress always tells me, bad dreams can't hurt you but they can also help you, if you keep an open mind."

Sighing in deepest relief, Faerie Tail's subdued joy was soon replaced with feelings of shame as she recalled what she'd said to her other son.

"How are you feeling, little brother?" His voice made her flinch, but Faerie Tail kept her composure as she heard them come in.

"Different... but the same," Twinken responded with a considering smile.

"Heha, that's exactly how I felt after I took the Rite," Midnight nodded in confirmation. "Like a great burden had suddenly become lighter."

"Uh-huh. It's still there, but I feel better," Twinken understood, "This whole time, ever since the test, I've been so scared. I thought it was of my power, but I was actually scared of myself. That I wasn't ready. That I wasn't strong enough. I thought I had to keep everypony away from me, for their own safety... that was just an excuse though, because I was too afraid to face the real problem, that I have to work towards mastering my power, and mastering my self. Or else I never will.

"I'm ready to train," Twinken said to Moondance, "and I'll take my time, with my mind open and clear."

Moondance smiled with a nod, "And I'm ready to teach you."

"So then, Eldress." All eyes turned to Midnight, "I can leave my brother and mother with you?"

"Leave?! Wha- Midnight, where are you going?" Faerie Tail was alarmed, "We... I think that we need to..."

"I'm afraid this is unavoidable," Midnight responded with a formal tone, "Just minutes ago, a lunobi delivered to Twilight and myself a message from Godric, the Griffon King. He's requesting our help in light of a disturbing development."

"According to King Godric's message, two weeks ago his brother, Lord Gar, was broken out of prison... by a unicorn pony," Twilight added with a serious demeanor, "The identity of this pony is unknown but they not only helped Gar escape, but it seems they are helping him. Despite the Sky Knights' efforts to track them down, Gar remains at large and rumors are circulating he's gathering support."

"For what is uncertain, but King Godric is concerned that his brother may be conspiring against him, and since a unicorn pony is aiding and abetting Gar," clarified Midnight, "King Godric wishes for us to aid him in any damage-control and prevent what could potentially become an international incident. If it comes to that, relationships between the Griffon Kingdom and Equestria could be damaged, tensions could rise, and things could even turn hostile between our nations."

"The Shetland Isles are directly between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom," Pale Ryder brought up, "should the worst come to pass, the lunar ponies will have to get involved."

"Let's hope it does not," Midnight responded before looking to his brother and mother, "You three will remain here while Twilight and I embark for Griffonstone. We will leave you with four of the Harmony Guard as additional security. I can't say when we'll be back, but hopefully it will be soon. Until then, Twinken, train hard, focus on yourself for the time being, and look after Mom."

"...I will, I promise you," Twinken nodded determinedly, making Midnight give him a proud smile before the alicorn turned to his mom.

Faerie Tail looked at her son with her emotions tangled up. Now knowing what had really been going on, shame overwhelmed her for her harsh words against Midnight, shame for not trusting him, ever doubting him. She didn't have the heart to return the hug he gave her, only to tear up and struggle to in a futile effort to keep control, only for her Midngiht to kindly whisper, "You don't have to say anything. You're our mom, you were only worried for your colt."

"...I'm worried for both of you, and for Twilight...!" Faerie Tail sobbed softly, "Does it really have to be you?"

"King Godric is a good friend and he was one of my mentors," Midnight asserted, "He reached out to us, he needs our help. I would dishonor him and myself if I were to deny him aid."

"Ha, you have your father's honor," Faerie Tail said proudly though she did not miss the brief seething in Midnight's eyes, but he accepted her compliment all the same. Neither of them however noticed a slight gasp from Twinken as he recalled something. "Er- Wait, you said... the three of us?"

"Spike will remain here with you," nodded Twilight.

"WHAT!?" the little drake exclaimed, "What- I- Twilight! You can't go and leave me here! I'm your Number One Assistant! You need me-"

"To be safe, Spike," Twilight placed her hooves on Spike's shoulders, "and to help look after Faerie Tail and Twinken. The situation at Griffonstone is too dangerous to have you along. I can't, in good conscience, bring you to a place where danger is all but a given. Please understand that."

Spike looked into the eyes of his Twilight, his caregiver, the pony who was his big sister, not by blood but in heart. She meant every word, for it came from a place that cares, not to demean him. Sighing, Spike smiled halfheartedly, "I... understand, Twilight."

Twilight regarded her Number One Assistant warmly before giving him a hug, and then gently turning him towards Faerie Tail, saying to them, "Look after each other, Auntie Faerie Tail."

"We will, dear," Faerie Tail promised before giving them a look of motherly concern, "and you both do the same. Come home safely."

"We will," Midnight promised as he went to stand beside his wife, giving her a regarding look, "You don't have to come. I could-"

"Not this time, buster," Twilight gave him a raised brow and smirk, "King Godric asked for both of us. No sneaking off on your own this time."

Midnight gave her a sheepish smile, and flushed at the chuckles and amused looks everyone present gave him before clearing his throat, "In that case, we'd best be off.

"We'll take The Dawn, since you're gonna be here for a while," Midnight stated, "but if you need to get home sooner rather than later I'm sure the Nocturnal Council can help with that."

"We will. Allow me to escort you to your ship," Pale Ryder offered.

After a few final words of farewells, good lucks, and take cares, the two alicorns, accompanied by Pale Ryder and another lunobi, ventured outside, revealing they had been inside one of the temples of Lunaria, one not far from the lunobi training grounds. The walk to The Break of Dawn was only ten minutes, but before long Midnight and Twilight, after expressing their own gratitude and best wishes, embarked in their ship, headed east while Pale Ryder watched them go.

"Shadow... I know it's not my place," said the lunobi with Pale Ryder, "but I must express my concerns."

"And what concerns are those, Cosmic Eclipse?" Pale Ryder turned to face his subordinate, who lowered his hood and mask, revealing a stallion at least a decade his senior.

A lunar unicorn of nocturnal blue, his face flecked with silvery white spots, giving him a semblance to the night sky, his mane inky black, his eyes a cold stony gray, one of which bore an ugly scar starting from above his brow and reaching down over his eye to the bottom of his cheek.

"Need I remind you the perils of consorting with outsiders? It was only a few years ago those two mercenaries washed up on our shores, took advantage of our hospitality, and 'thanked' me with this..." Cosmic Eclipse pointed to the scar, his eyes glimmering with animosity.

"They are not outsiders, they are our distant kin, one of which is a prince while his brother is apprentice to our Mother of the Night," Pale Ryder reminded, "not to mention the prince's wife is a princess while his mother, too, is of our nocturnal blood."

"Which has been polluted with generations of breeding outside of our bloodlines and our society," Cosmic Eclipse debated, "Relation or not, favored by our princess or not, they are not truly-"

"Enough..." Pale Ryder said with an edge, "Princess Luna herself requested us to give them aid, and aid we have given them. We owe our love and loyalty to our Mother of the Night, without whom our forebears would never have found their true home and true family. The fact Prince Midnight Blaze, Twinken Starglow and Faerie Tail are of mixed heritage is irrelevant! They are our kin and we owe them our aid as we do any lunar pony, regardless of their background. Is that understood, Cosmic Eclipse...?"

The lunar unicorn narrowed his eyes, but sighed while giving a respectful nod to the Shadow, who then took flight, leaving him alone with his thoughts... along with a small hoofheld mirror, which he levitated in front of his face and whispered spidery words. The looking glass rippled like a surface of water before a pair of green feline eyes were looking back at Cosmic Eclipse instead of his reflection.

"Cosmic Eclipse..." purred a smarmy tone that made the stallion want to grind his teeth, "I almost didn't expect to hear from you again. Am I correct to assume that you've... reconsidered?"

Luna forgive me... Cosmic Eclipse thought before he made a fateful decision.

421. Old Burns - Part 1

The Point of No Return was the most infamous prison in all of the Griffon Kingdom, so named for any and all criminals sentenced to life in prison, and The Point was well known for its perfect record; none had ever escaped in the many decades since it was constructed in the most desolate corner of the Griffon Kingdom, far away from any settlement, surrounded by leagues of barren wasteland. Every prisoner wore collars engraved with glyphs that could be remotely activated by the guards to incapacitate any griffon or other prisoners that dared to cause trouble or showed even the slightest disrespect to the guards. No inmates with outside privileges who could fly didn't dare to, not only because the sentries were equipped with repeating crossbows and deadly accuracy, but the collars would causes them to literally drop like stones if they flew so much as one meter outside of the prison's walls. The meals were subpar, with only the most behaved getting anything decent to eat, and sometimes meals were even revoked for a few days to weaken the troublemakers with hunger to make them more compliant.

Despite it being a griffon prison, there were a few non-griffon inmates too, like a few ponies of different types, a minotaur, parrots who'd been imprisoned for pirating the Griffon Kingdom's coastal communities, some zebra marauders, and even a few dragons who'd attacked, thinking the Griffon Kingdom would be easy pickings. Although The Point housed offenders who were meant to be locked up for life, external factors sometimes forced the warden's talons into releasing certain inmates (almost always a non-griffon) into the custody of foreign authorities.

However, the current MIP (Most Infamous Prisoner) was Gar, former Lord of Griffonstone, finally brought to justice and sentenced to The Point of No Return by the brother he'd long hated. Not only that, as if destiny itself had chosen to rub salt into the wound, said brother was now King Godric, First of His Name, King of the Griffons, Lord of Griffonstone, High General of the Sky Knights, Sovereign Ruler and Protector of the Griffon Kingdom.

For so long the throne had been just out of Gar's grasping talons, infuriatingly empty, but in spite of his kind's intense frugality, the ancient laws had quite literally been written in stone by the first griffon king, Grover himself, that only the worthy could assume the throne in the event of no proper heir. Gar had taken that to believe that if he could find the lost Idol of Boreas then the griffons would surely deem him worthy and the throne would have been his. But no... that meddlesome unicorn prince, along with that colorful trollop and her pudgy pink friend, had gotten involved, exposed him, and then that cursed griffoness, Gilda, had proposed Godric become king, an idea that was met with a rousing cheer from the citizens of Griffonstone.

Gar had been given a trial where he had no way to bribe or sway the judge, jury, or witnesses, resulting in him being found guilty of a list of crimes that could reach from one end of the Hyperborean Mountain Range to the other, his wealth was seized, and now here he was, condemned to languish within these cold stone walls, simmering in his hate. His old employees, Wotan and the thieves guild, had been imprisoned along with him, but Wotan wasn't as receptive to Gar as he was before, likely blaming the fallen lord for his own imprisonment, and the guild members had followed suit.

For months Gar had trudged the long days away in prison, trying to think of ways to escape, worm his way into the guards' favor, recruit fellow inmates. All he got for his efforts were disappointments, revoked privileges, and a black eye and bruises, along with no small amount of humiliation. The prison was locked down tighter than Fort Flox, the guards were dedicated to their duties and so were insulted by Gar's attempts to bribe and flatter them, and whatever reputation he'd enjoyed had long been lost so none of the other inmates took him seriously, laughing and mocking him at best or he got used as a punching bag at worst.

As he lay in his cell, Gar was beginning to think this really was it. All his lying and cheating, scheming and killing, had just been to leave him here in this hole deep in the bowels of The Point of No Return. Well, given where he was, it seemed appropriate.

Little did he realize, his luck was about to change...

...for outside, standing on a cliff, overlooking The Point, a unicorn pony, garbed in a velvet cloak of wine red, gazed down with an arrogant smirk.

The Break of Dawn sailed through the cloudy skies that encircled the Hyperborean Mountains. Inside the airship's lounge, Princess Twilight Sparkle was going over the message sent to her and her husband, Prince Midnight Blaze, from their friend and ally, King Godric of Griffonstone.

To my esteemed friends, Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight,

Griffonstone is in peril. My brother, Gar, former Lord of Griffonstone, has done what no griffon has done before - He has escaped our most secure prison, The Point of No Return. Not just he, but almost every prisoner was unleashed, and while we've made strides in recapturing a few (none of whom were affiliated with my brother), Gar and his followers have been at large for the last two weeks in spite of the Sky Knights' efforts to track them down and recapture them.

Escaping from The Point was thought by many griffons to be impossible, but alas no prison is infallible. While the prison could not be broken out of, there was not enough security to prevent one from breaking in.

I am disturbed to say, that the escape was made possible... by a Unicorn pony. This unicorn infiltrated the prison, completely undetected, and once they had found their objective, plainly Gar, they used their magic without restraint to facilitate his escape, as well as all the other prisoners. Most likely to serve as distractions for my knights and other agents.

The unicorn displayed formidable power, wielding magic in the form of seething fire and blinding light. While many guards were injured or otherwise incapacitated, thankfully there were no deaths. Alas, with Gar on the loose, I fear for my kingdom. Whispers have reached my ears, whispers that my brother is conspiring with his old colleagues, as well as any unsavory sorts among griffonkind. The fact my knights and other agents have been unable to track him down leads me to suspect the unicorn helps him still, and if this escalates, I fear our two nations could become at odds. Worse yet, unless I can stop Gar and put him back in prison, I truly fear that the Griffon Kingdom could be torn apart by whatever he may be scheming.

Midnight, Twilight, it is with utmost sincerity that I request your aid in resolving this matter. My knights are stretched thin, tracking down escaped prisoners and keeping law and order, and while I trust my staff I cannot say with absolute certainty that one or more of them may be compromised. My sons, Horus and Doran, are among the few in my inner circle I can safely say that I truly trust, but we are not enough. Please... help us. I await your response.

All my best wishes,
King Godric, First of my Name, King of the Griffons, Lord of Griffonstone, High General of the Sky Knights, Sovereign Ruler and Protector of the Griffon Kingdom

Twilight was concerned, not only for King Godric, whom she had come to respect and care about as a good friend, but for the griffons of his kingdom. She'd heard the whole story form Blueblood, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie after their return from Griffonstone. How Gar had arranged for Rainbow Dash to die in the Abysmal Abyss and even had the griffoness she'd been with killed to silence her. She'd heard more of Gar from Godric, and felt sympathetic to the griffon, wondering how the brother he had grown up with turned out to be such a contemptible creature. Twilight couldn't imagine her own brother turning out in a similar manner.

Yet Godric's message did give Twilight deeper cause for concern. A unicorn had broken the most secure griffon prison wide open, allowing for every prisoner to escape. Godric was right; if this wasn't resolved, if the situation worsened, there was no telling what could happen.

Twilight found herself missing Spike even though she knew she was right to leave him in Lunaria with Faerie Tail and Twinken. As reassuring as his presence would have been, he was safer away from this whole situation. Though his magical firebreath would make sending and receiving messages quicker, she knew she could replicate the magic herself.

"Twilight?" Twilight turned to see Midnight approaching, coming over to join her in the lounge chair next to hers. She was dispirited to see her husband's warmth was underlined by a distant chill, his expression all business, before saying, "Griffonstone is in sight. We'll touch down within the hour."

"Good," Twilight sighed softly before floating the message over to Midnight, "King Godric is very concerned about this situation, and so am I. Why is he asking for our help two weeks after his brother's escape from The Point of No Return?"

"A nation that can't handle its own problems looks weak and incompetent, especially where their leadership is concerned," Midnight responded as he looked over the message again, "I wager... he wanted to handle it himself, but the situation has grown beyond his control. Not to mention this unicorn that broke the prison so wide open that every prisoner inside got out."

"Midnight..." Midnight regarded his wife as Twilight looked concerned, "He described this unicorn as being powerful, making use of fire magic. Could it be...?"

"One of the two assailants that attacked Starlight's old village?" Midnight nodded in trepidation, "The thought crossed my mind as well. If this unicorn and that one are indeed one and the same, it means Catrina is potentially involved, and that... is disturbing in and of itself."

"King Godric's concerned that this whole situation could escalate," Twilight fretted, "and the idea that Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom could become hostile-"

"It's up to us, Godric, and the Sky Knights to make sure that doesn't happen," Midnight said in determination, "But first things first - We'll speak with King Godric and his sons and advisors once we reach Griffonstone. Remember, Twily, patience yields focus."

"Patience yields focus... I like that. Where did you hear it?" Twilight smiled a bit, feeling a little better by her husband's assuring words.

"Godric taught me, that as long as you are patient, then focus will come easily," Midnight smirked as he stood up, "Let's have a quick meal, it'll do us good and give us energy that we're gonna need. For whatever lies ahead..."

Twilight stood up to follow him, but she couldn't help but notice how Midnight didn't pause for her to catch up. Usually, he did so they could walk together. Sometimes he'd even tease her with a rump-bump and they'd laugh. In spite of the assuring words and sensible suggestion, Midnight was all business at the moment.

But then... how can I blame him? thought Twilight as she followed her husband to the galley.

Griffonstone had come a long way since the coronation of their first king in over a hundred years. Godric, the Sky Knights, and all their closest allies had worked overtime, restoring Griffonstone to its full glory. It'd taken no small amount of hard work, organizing, and negotiating with builders, farmers, merchants, and such, but Griffonstone, as well as the rest of the kingdom, was coming along nicely.

Gone was the decrepit architecture of the various buildings, structures, and housing. The streets had been cleaned and cleared of dirt and debris, the shops were proudly displaying wares, delicious smells from the eateries and food carts filled the air, and even the castle was well on its way to the full restoration of its regal splendor. There was still work to do, of course, and the knights and guards patrolling had to be vigilant for any arguments and signs of hostility, keeping peace and enforcing the authority of the king's laws.

It hadn't been easy, far from it. The griffons had been greedy and miserly for generations, and that wouldn't completely disappear overnight. There were still some bad eggs, hustling, haggling, and trying to "earn" a little extra coin here and there. While various eyries, communities, and towns around the Griffon Kingdom had had these problems, Griffonstone had been the worst.

Thankfully, with their community being restored and built back up, the griffons of the royal capital were slowly but surely becoming more pleasant and prouder of their nation than being stingy and selfish. Cleaner streets, more comfortable housing, better goods, all of it helping to inspire and uplift the spirit in the community and its locals.

The Break of Dawn landed upon a platform that had been constructed specifically for airships, this one built next to the castle. As the Harmony Guard disembarked, they saw half a dozen griffons in attendance with one in the front, a griffon they were amicably familiar with, for Doran had come to personally welcome them, smiling with relief to see his two good friends come down the gangplank.

Doran was large for a griffon (though those who knew him knew that some of Doran's bulk came from his hearty appetite in spite of his sticking to his training regimen. It worked yet he never seemed to shed the extra pounds). His lion pelt a brownish-red with a golden sheen while his head was covered with gleaming golden feathers, and his eyes were the blue of a nice summer day. He wore a regal sash of blue edged with gold, signifying his status as a prince, but not heir apparent. Though they could see Doran was happy to see them, Midnight and Twilight couldn't help but notice how tired Doran seemed to be.

"Presenting their Royal Highnesses, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight Blaze," announced Lyra Heartstrings, the head of the Dawn Division of the Harmony Guard.

"Welcome, my friends, it raises my spirit to see you, though I wish it was under better circumstances," Doran gave a regal bow of respect, which Midnight and Twilight returned kindly.

"It's good to see you as well, Prince Doran," Twilight replied with a kind smile, "and it is our honor and pleasure to offer our aid to you. What else are for friends for, after all?"

"When all is said and done, we're gonna have to host a Silverbolts event right here in Griffonstone," suggested Midnight.

"I'm sure my people would greatly enjoy that," Doran agreed though he could not hide the troubled look in his eyes, "but we'll have to hold off on such discussions. My father awaits you both in the throne room. Please, follow me."

As Doran turned to lead the way, Midnight and Twilight had a quick word with their guards, instructing Lyra to inform Skywyrd to keep The Dawn prepped and ready, just in case, while ordering Avalanche of the Dusk Division and a few other Harmony Guards to follow.

The walk to the throne room didn't take long, and it gave Midnight and Twilight the chance to see Griffonstone, albeit from a distance, was looking better in spite of a subtle dread hanging over every griffon they saw. The throne room looked grand and proud, clean and restored to its full glory, and several griffons surrounded the largest griffon there, King Godric.

Godric was a mighty specimen of his species, tall and strong, with a plumage of golden brown feathers and tawny golden fur while the feathers on his head were steely white, his eyes the color of molten gold. He bore scars, one over his beak, another resembling claw marks raking from his throat to his left shoulder. He wore a shimmering black sash, hemmed with gold, across his chest, from his right shoulder to his left hip, pauldrons that seemed ornate yet bore telltale marks of having experienced battle, were strapped to his frame, and a crown upon his brow that had once been the Idol of Boreas until it was melted down and reforged into a crown worthy of the new king of the Griffon Kingdom.

Though he seemed composed, Godric's tail twitched every now and then as he listened to his advisors and regarded their reports, until his eyes lit up at the sight of his son and visitors. He raised his wings, beckoning silence before dismissing his advisors and stepping down from the throne with a troubled smile.

"Midnight, my old squire, and the fair Twilight, welcome," Godric gave them a respectful bow, which they kindly reciprocated, "in light of recent events, seeing the two of you brings a great comfort to this old veteran's heart."

"Oh, come now, my old master," Midnight smirked while saluting the regal griffon with the Sky Knight salute, by thumping his right hoof onto his chest, right over his heart. "You're hardly into the middle of your fourth decade, still plenty of years of action ahead of you."

"Argh, if only more of that action was more practical than political," Godric chuckled awkwardly before giving Twilight a warm look, "Twilight, my dear, you look as radiant as ever."

"Your Majesty, King Godric," Twilight smiled as she stepped forward and gave the king a warm hug, "It truly is wonderful to see you."

"Aye, were only it during happier occasions," Godric sighed when they parted, and the griffon looked around, "I... notice your fine assistant is absent."

"I decided it was best that Spike be left behind," Twilight nodded, sounding melancholy about it, "Given the situation, I believe it would be safer for him."

"As much as I would have enjoyed young Spike's company, I must agree," Godric nodded, "A moment, if you please?"

The two alicorns shared a confused look and noticed Godric politely gestured them back. They obliged, standing beside Doran, and watched as Godric pressed his talon upon a symbol carved into one of the stone tiles in the floor. Upon doing so, a circle of arcane characters lit up, and said circle rose into a stone table, displaying a holographic image of the Griffon Kingdom.

"Wow! This is remarkably similar to something we have back in our own castle," Twilight gazed over the magical display, "I was aware griffons have their own form of magic, but... I think this is the first example of it I've ever seen, not counting griffons being able to walk on clouds."

"Unlike you ponies, who can wield magic at will," Godric nodded, "we griffons utilize magic via glyphs, which manifest magic by utilizing ambient mystical energies, as well as other mystical sources. Different glyphs have different magical effects, and by combining the glyphs in exact ways, we can produce more advanced magical effects that are more powerful than glyphs could make on their own. Like words forming a sentence."

"Also, you can learn the Art of Mana Wielding, enabling you to use magical abilities fueled by your own mana," Midnight pointed out. "Like the Mana Shield, Sensing, Channeling..."

"Yes, which is why griffons are able to learn to walk on clouds as pegasi do, by channeling our mana to certain parts of or even across our entire bodies," Doran nodded before his father waved his talon through the display and willing several red points to light up.

"These spots mark criminal activities and such that have or are occurring in the Griffon Kingdom. My knights and other agents are spread thin, keeping the peace, enforcing law and order, and trying to track down and recapture all of the criminals that were set free from The Point of No Return. Were I not needed here, I would be out there with my brothers-in-arms..." Godric sighed, looking dispirited, when his son came over and placed his talon on his father's shoulder.

"The Sky Knights know you would never ask of them what you are not willing to do yourself, Father," Doran said with a warm and respectful assurance. "They know the kind of leader you are, and that's why they follow you. As do I."

"You have a true heart, my son," Godric smiled appreciatively. Clearing his throat, Godric continued, "As my forces and resources are stretched thin, doing their best to resolve the situation, our efforts to locate my brother and the unicorn that helped him escape have been unsuccessful. Twice it seemed we were closing in, only for one to be a false trail to mislead us, and the second was an ambush that cost two knights their lives while others were injured."

"What about the unicorn who helped him?" asked Twilight. "Have you uncovered anything about them? Their identity, motives, or even what they look like?"

"My son and heir, Horus, has been entrusted the task of personally leading a team to track down Gar and this unicorn," Godric replied with an undertone of worry, "While they've yet to sight Gar himself they managed to confront the unicorn only a few days ago. All they could determine that this unicorn is apparently a mare from the sound of her voice."

"So she spoke to them. What did she say, exactly?" inquired Midnight.

"Not much. Something abut messing with her and they'd get burned," Doran sighed with light frustration. "Simply an arrogant taunt. However, since she continues to elude Horus and his team, she might be justified in vaunting her abilities."

"Meanwhile, there have been whispers amongst the shady and crooked of the kingdom," Godric added in a slightly woeful tone, "Ever since I came to the throne I'd made it a priority to crack down upon griffon criminals and the corrupt griffon nobles that supported them. Many of them were arrested, found guilty in my royal court, and sentenced to The Point. A few in comparison shared crucial information in exchange for leniency and swearing fealty to the crown.

"Still, having overthrown the ways things had been for decades left a bitter taste in the mouths of the criminals and corrupt. I fear that Gar may take advantage of their malcontent and sway them to his side, turning them deliberately against me."

"These wretches have enjoyed being the fat cats in the Griffon Kingdom until you knocked them off their perches," Midnight quipped, spurring a light chuckle amongst them.

"Basically, yes," Godric nodded, followed by a huff, "Unless we resolve this, and soon, I fear the Griffon Kingdom may very well become at war with itself..."

"We are going to do everything we can to make sure that that does not happen, Your Majesty," Twilight vowed to the griffon king, who nodded solemnly.

"...thank you, Princess Twilight," Godric said softly.

"So. These ruffled feathers you spoke of," Midnight brought up, "Do any in particular come to mind? Any you consider the most likely to be turned by Gar."

"The most corrupt lords and barons, whose crimes the knighthood was able to uncover," Godric explained, "I had them prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Several I sentenced to execution."

Twilight had to exercise control, so as not to gasp, however lightly. She knew there were nations that still used death penalties. It wasn't that long ago she recalled Celestia sentencing the former Duke of Business, Buck Cheap of House Avarice, to death and Midnight was the executioner. The difference there was, Cheap had been executed with a phoenix arrow - Instead of truly dying, he was burnt to ashes, from which he was reborn a baby colt, given a second chance to grow up and be a different pony, a better pony. She rather doubted the Griffon Kingdom used phoenix arrows for executions.

"Others I condemned to The Point, to spend the rest of their days locked up, stripped of their titles, wealth, lands," Godric continued. "Only a few of them willingly swore fealty to me in exchange for leniency and any evidence they could offer against the worst of them. There are some griffon nobles who are truly honorable, they swore fealty to me without condition. Even so, the ones who threw the others under the wagon, I can't be completely certain of where their loyalties lie."

"The ones you condemned to The Point will surely have escaped after the unicorn set Gar free," Twilight brought up, "How many are there?"

"Of the eleven griffon nobles I imprisoned in The Point, eight remain. One took his own life rather than live the rest of it caged, the other two were killed by other prisoners who had personal vendettas against them," Godric waved his talon through the holo display, bringing up images of the eight mentioned former nobles, before six other images were displayed as well.
"The additional six are the ones who surrendered to my authority and gave testimony against the initial eleven in exchange for leniency. As I said, they swore fealty yet I have doubts regarding their loyalties. Any of them could possibly betray their oaths of fealty if they believe they could benefit from allying with my brother."

"The remaining eight who escaped from The Point however were stripped of their titles, wealth, and lands, but they could still pose a threat," Doran pointed out. "They had ties to criminals and other entities that represent considerable influence, in and out of the kingdom. The only real power they may have left is if those ties are secure enough for them to exploit, but given the fact they lost what power they had, it is possible their allies will not be so willing to aid them."

"Perhaps they won't, but we can't count on that," debated Midnight. "Perhaps they, or even Gar, have already been in contact with those allies of theirs. If you provide me a list of likely suspects, I can spy on them or search for evidence that could indicate what they may be up to. Maybe even clues on where Gar or this mysterious unicorn are hiding."

"Hmm, you'll have to be absolutely discreet in the task," Godric considered, "but I say caution, for even a single misstep could be catastrophic. Make no mistakes, my friends and my son, the Griffon Kingdom very much teeters on the edge of disaster. We should await the return of my son, Horus. His last correspondence with me stated he was following up on a promising lead in tracking down Gar. After I sent my message to the two of you, I sent a summons to Horus as well, so that he might be able to share whatever he may have uncovered. In fact..."

Godric looked towards a nearby clock on the wall, grand an ornate in design, wider than the width of a chariot wheel, the numbers replaced with numerals and the hands pointing out it was half past two o'clock, causing the griffon king to frown slightly, "He should have arrived shortly after noon. I just got so distracted by your arrival that the appointment slipped my mind."

"Horus is usually punctual, but perhaps he is just waylaid, Father," Doran suggested even though there was some worry in him too.

"I remember Horus, he's a cunning warrior," Midnight said reassuringly, "You trained him well, my old master."

Godric sighed, "Yes... but I only hope I trained him well enough, my old squi-"

*KaSLAM*

The four royals all jumped, startled by the sound of the doors into the throne room being thrown open with such force they slammed into the walls, and they looked to see, much to their shock, a large griffon, accompanied and held up by another, as the second screeched, "YOUR MAJESTY! Prince Horus has returned! He- He's gravely injured!"

"My son!" Godric rushed forward, followed by Doran, Midnight and Twilight, the latter of whom conjured a clean mattress and a first-aid kit.

"Quick, set him down, we must-" Twilight started, only for the injured griffon to hack and cough before wheezing.

"Belay that... ACK! My fate is... sealed..." Horus was bleeding from various cuts and there was a few arrows sticking out of his back and one in his haunch. One of his wings was burned bare of its feathers, one of his eyes a bloody mess, his ears torn, and bleeding claw marks raked across his belly. Horus reached up with one of his talons, two of which had been cut off and poorly wrapped in a vain effort to stop the bleeding, "Father, my king..."

"Horus!" Godric clasped his son's talons, unable to hide the horror and pain of seeing his first-hatched this way, "What happened?! Who did this...?"

"Father... we didn't... it came out of nowhere, a-a great... animal!" Horus spoke in a voice raspy yet undeniably haunted and shocked.

"Wha- Animal?! Horus, we don't understand!" Doran was at his brother's side, already starting to tear up.

"Doran, little brother... it's not what it seems, it's not what it seems!" Horus sounded desperate, suddenly grasping Doran's shoulder.

"What's not what i- Horus, we need to get you-" Doran's voice cracked with despair, knowing in his heart it was too late.

"I failed... my team, my friends! Gar... has... won..." And Horus breathed his last, leaving his father and brother speechless and tearful, as the griffon king stifled a sob, pressing his forehead to his fallen son before throwing his head back to release a piercing cry of anguish.

422. Old Burns - Part 2

A cloud cast a cold and gloomy shadow over Griffonstone. The citizens had gathered in the castle courtyard, some even standing on the castle walls, as the gazed towards the funeral pyre, upon which laid the body of the fallen Prince Horus, wrapped in a funerary shroud, as a griffon priestess performed the final rites before igniting the torch. She held it out to King Godric, a solemn look on his face as he accepted it, and stood before the body of his eldest son. All the memories, the good, the bad, the happiest and the saddest, every special moment, every first, every triumph and every failure, flowed through him in that moment, and it took every fiber of his being to not allow himself to be swept away.

He heard Doran behind him, his younger son stepping up to the funeral pyre, placing his talons upon his brother's wrapped body as he took one last moment to say goodbye.

Finally, he stepped back and Godric knew it was time.

With deepest reluctance, he set the torch upon the pyre, and it was only a moment before it was ablaze. The Griffon King, the Griffon Prince and new Heir Apparent, as well as their friends, Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight, Godric's closest advisors and most trusted knights stood behind him as the fire intensified.

Midnight was garbed in his dark cloak while Twilight had opted for a black shawl around her withers.

The mourners among the citizens let out their own cries of sadness, of respect, of rage. Many held lit candles and lowered their heads. The funeral pyre burned of a magical flame, and after an hour, it had all completely been reduced to ashes. The knights involved in the ceremonial last rites stepped forward to do their duty in collecting those ashes, only for Godric to extend his wings and speak.

"My people... today, we have lost a fellow griffon. He was a friend. A knight. A champion! A prince... a brother! A son..." Godric's voice was laced with pain yet there was a disturbing undertone as he continued, "and the one to blame for this loss... is my brother, the former Lord of Griffonstone, Gar! For too long, I have tolerated his existence because he was family. My misplaced sentiment is my sin to bear, for it allowed a villain to conspire, to harm, to exploit, to dishonor the very name of Griffon! And now, it has cost me my firstborn child...

"No more...!" A dread befell everyone present as the Griffon King stepped forward, reaching into the pile of ashes that had been his son's body and funeral pyre. He held up the still-smouldering particles in his talons, the heat nothing compared to the burning within his heart, as he pressed the ashes onto his face, creating three lines down his forehead, over his eyes, and upon his beak, as his eyes flared with unforgiving fury, "For upon the ashes of my son, I vow... that I will hunt this traitor down, and I will kill him...!"

Doran was speechless, as were Midnight, Twilight, and everybirdy else present.

The only one unfazed by this, was a one-eyed griffon watching from afar, his hood hiding his face, as he slipped away, completely unnoticed.

"'Dishonored the very name of Griffon,' have I? Well..." Gar hohummed as he lounged upon the easy chair in the lounge of his old friend, Lord Garuda, the two of them having just been informed of what Wotan had reported, "Soon enough will my brother learn... that we have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of Griffon."

"I would think you'd find this development a tad more serious, Gar," Wotan growled, narrowing his eyes at his former boss, "the king has just sworn undying vengeance upon you. There's no telling what he might do next."

"King... bah! Your concern is noted, Wotan, but this news pleases me, actually," Gar huffed arrogantly as he enjoyed one of the vittles his host had generously provided, "Anger is a double-edged sword, and my big brother is in serious peril of going over the wrong one. Knowing him, he will make his next move in the spirit of boldness, but it will be a rash move, driven by careless vengeance."

"Rash or not, Gar, it would be unwise to dismiss what Godric may do next," Lord Garuda interjected, "After all, he still has his second son, as well as those alicorns, to temper his fury."

"Hmm, true, those alicorns do indeed pose a problem," Gar interlocked his talons in contemplation, "I underestimated ponies before... a mistake I do not intend to make again."

"Speaking of ponies, where's that unicorn witch of yours?" Wotan looked around the lounge warily. "While I'm grateful to her for busting us out of The Point, I didn't exactly sign on for this kind of heat."

"Is this heat any more intense than what you've done before...?" Wotan squawked in alarm as all eyes turned to a corner, where a hooded pony stood, her horn generating a subtle glow that burned a focused intensity, the room's temperature quickly becoming uncomfortably warm. Her cloak was velvet red and clasped by a ruby brooch, the unicorn mare eyeing Wotan from the shadow of her hood as she warned, "I hope not. You've yet to repay me for giving you your freedom."

"I'll repay my debt to you... but I have no intentions of crossing King Godric!" Wotan glared at the unicorn, "It was frustrating enough back when he was just a knight, but now he's king! Plus my thieves guild is completely disbanded. Only a few of my followers remain loyal to me. The rest are dead, on the run, or in hiding! We don't have the sufficient forces to go talon to talon with a formally organized king and his lot!"

The unicorn looked over to Gar, "He's got a point there. You lost your power and wealth, as well as much of your influence over the Griffon Kingdom. Unless you can make good on your word, Gar, we are done..."

"Make no mistake, my dear," Gar sneered, "while I admit your words ring with truth, I am not wholly without clout. I know for a fact that some of my old colleagues are... less than pleased with how my brother is running the kingdom. All we need do, is convince them that aligning with me will allow them to have their cake and eat it too.

"The loss of his son and heir will do some damage to the confidence the people have in my brother," Gar considered the situation, needing to weigh his options and make sure his next move worked in his favor, "and having only young Doran left, Godric will want him safe and protected. If I am to triumph over my brother, he and Doran must die, thus I alone will remain the rightful heir to the throne, allowing me to legitimately take over."

"Assuming, of course, you are able to do away with the both of them," Garuda debated skeptically, "Gar, you know you have my support, but I was left with no choice but to swear fealty to Godric after he became king. I've lost considerable wealth and authority, and my personal guard was greatly reduced. We're going to need more allies if we are to have any chance of overthrowing your brother."

"Oh ye of little faith, Garuda," Gar chuckled deviously before looking to the unicorn, "I take it the messages were delivered?"

"Each griffon you listed received the message, yes," the unicorn nodded, "though Horus and his knights managed to catch up with me on my way back here. I have to admit, his glyph magic surprised me, but in the end he was no trouble... I didn't actually intend to kill him, but it seems my offensive magicks were not as gentle as I thought. Oh well, cross another task off the checklist, I suppose."

"Heheheh, an unexpected turn of events," Gar took a sip of wine, "one that turned in our favor. Still, we can't rely on luck. If all goes well, the recipients of my message will respond, either with silence or by signing the dotted line you provided. Their signatures will really inform us they'd wish to join us?"

"Yes, by signing their names on the message, they will bind themselves to you via magical contract," the unicorn sneered within her hood, relishing the deviousness of her spellbinding, "meaning that they won't be able to back out after the fact. Loyalty is overrated; it's better to guarantee allegiance."

"I'll drink to that," Gar poured another glass of wine and offered it to his mysterious benefactor, "Soon, I'll have the necessary forces to clash with Godric and his insufferable knighthood. Once they're eliminated, and I've claimed the crown, your mistress will have my undying gratitude. But there are those alicorns to consider..."

"Worry not," the unicorn accepted the wine and sampled it, finding it a tad bitter but it gave way to the refreshing tartness of fruit, "I have waited so many years for this opportunity... to take my revenge upon those who have what should have been mine...!"

"Hmhm, well... you know what they say about revenge, my dear," Gar held out his glass to hers, and she obliged with a toast.

"True, but when mine is served..." the unicorn's horn blistered with burning mana as she savored the anticipation, "it's gonna be red hot...!!"

The next morning in the Griffonstone castle, King Godric stood in his throne room, facing the full strength of his knighthood. After the funeral, after announcing his vow to take vengeance, Godric had sent a personal summons to every member of the Sky Knights, ordering them to come to the castle. Doran, Midnight ,and Twilight stood to the right of Godric as he stood before his throne and gazed down upon his knights, his gaze steely yet gave off the intimidation of metal heated until it glowed red.

"My brothers-in-wings, my fellow knights," Godric spoke, his voice strong and reaching every corner of the throne room, "I have called you here, away from your previous assignments, because I am in need of each and every one of you. By now, you will surely have heard, my son and heir, Prince Horus, has fallen... his spirit now flies on to join our ancestors, to fly alongside the Great Skyward. His time was cut short, he was robbed of his future and rightful destiny... by the griffon who I once called my brother...

"I have called all of you here, for two purposes," Godric raised a wing towards Doran, "Some of you will be tasked with keeping my remaining son, Doran, safe and protected as his bodyguards. The rest of you... will join me, as I personally lead the hunt for Gar, so that I may kill him with my own talons!"

Everyone present was disturbed to some degree by Godric's manner and words, as one of the knights stepped forward and spoke, "My king, with all due respect... is this wise? The kingdom is still imperiled by the escapees from The Point, and the citizens need our protection. Perhaps it would do Your Majesty well as to take time to properly mourn-"

"Time, time! There's no time for time!" Godric snapped with a sharp click of his beak. "The kingdom was problematic even before The Point was besieged, all it did was add to our problems. But the true threat now is Gar! He is surely conspiring even as we speak, rallying any forces he can. But once we find him, we'll cut off the head of this snake and the malcontents will be cowed.

"Nay! I will take my time to mourn when I have Gar's head on a pike, displayed on my castle gates!!!"

"Oh my...!" Twilight whispered, disturbed by Godric's words, and she felt Midnight reach out with his wing to comfort her. She looked to him, but Midnight's eyes remained fixed on the griffon king.

"As I stated already, some of you shall remain here to guard the prince while I lead the hunt for Gar," Godric declared in a tone inarguable before looking to his alicorn allies, "As for the two of you, my friends, I would consider it a great favor if you were to investigate the lead Horus was pursuing. It may lead you to Gar or the unicorn who is aiding him."

"We would be glad to offer any aid we can, Sire," Midnight gave a respectful bow of his head, "The actions of this unicorn bring shame to Equestria, and once we find her she will be arrested and made an example of."

"But Father!" Doran finally spoke up, "Should I not accompany you to hunt for Gar? Together, we-"

"No, son," Godric's manner finally softened though it remained firm as he placed a claw on his son's shoulder, "I need you here, safe in the castle. Gar will surely target you next, and should the worst happen and he were to succeed in taking either you or I the throne would be in great danger. I can already imagine his scheme - Gar believes that if he can eliminate us, he alone will have a right to assume the throne and take over.

"Which is why you must remain here, not only where you can be protected, but also because I trust you to keep order and protect our subjects in my absence. Horus would have made a good king... but I believe you shall as well, when your time comes. You are humble yet determined, compassionate yet courageous. Please, son..."

Doran felt his father's fear and love for him as the veteran griffon gazed into his son's eyes, and then father and son shared an assuring hug before parting and Doran furrowed his brows, "You can count on me, Father."

"I always could," Godric nodded with deepest appreciation, before calling half a dozen knights forward and telling them, "I entrust to the six of you this duty: Protect and serve your Prince well in my absence."

"We will, Your Majesty," said one of the six chosen knights.

"As for the rest of you," Godric addressed the other knights who had not been tasked with protecting the prince, "Gear up and prepare, we're going after Gar and we must be prepared for anything and everything!"

"SIRE!!!" the knights all saluted before Godric waved one forward and whispered instructions to him. The knight nodded and approached the alicorns.

"Your Highnesses, King Godric has asked of me to inform you of the lead the late Prince Horus was pursuing," the knight stated with a respectful bow.

"Thank you, Sir Knight," Midnight nodded, "we'll do our best to finish what Prince Horus started."
"Be wise, watch out for each other, and please take care of King Godric," Twilight said kindly.

"It is our honor and duty, Princess Twilight. Now please, follow me," the knight affirmed before leading them to acquire the intel from the war-room.

The Hyperborean Mountain Range was one of the largest mountain ranges in the entire world, and made up a sizable portion of the Griffon Kingdom. There were many peaks so high that the air became so thin no one could reach their summits without some kind of magical or technological means to breathe in such conditions, here and there were remote valleys, some of which had griffon towns and villages. These communities enjoyed protection from their natural barriers but were also isolated, making travel in and out of them difficult without flight. It was because some of them had been remote that corrupt griffon nobles, bandits, and other ne'er-do-wells had been able to oppress the citizens living there, until finally, after Godric had become king, he'd made a concerted effort with his knights, soldiers, and agents to send aid to these oppressed communities and free them from the grip of the tyrants lording over them.

After that, Godric had ordered for outposts to be built around the Hyperborean Mountains to help travelers get around more efficiently, as well as to send search-&-rescue teams in case anyone got hurt and/or lost.

But the intel Midnight and Twilight were given led them far off from any villages in the Hyperborean Mountains, to one of the most desolate corners of the range. They found themselves facing, what appeared to be, an ancient temple, nestled between the twin mountain peaks of Huginn and Muninn. Before the doorway stood a statue of a griffon holding a staff in one claw and a round shield in the other, a hooded cowl around his head but his face was still visible, revealing a right empty eye socket. Above his chest was some kind of medallion carved into the stone, resembling a Valknut interlocking around an eye!

"What an archaeological marvel!" Twilight was amazed as she took it all in, "So this is the Temple of Odun, the veteran prophet of griffon legend!"

"It is said he surrendered his own eye in exchange for arcane wisdom," Midnight wore his cloak and kept his sword, Nightfall, at the ready, "and the magic involved in that exchange turned his eye into a talisman of great power, the Eye of Odun. No one knows what became of the Eye, but Odun himself was said to have led a clan of griffon warriors, calling themselves the Æsir, in rivalry against another griffon clan known as the Vanir. Eventually, the two clans made peace through a marriage between Odun's son, Gungir, and a griffoness named Freya."

"But the union did not last, because there was supposedly some kind of evil trickster who sowed chaos and distrust between the Æsir and Vanir, leading to a war the griffons today call Ragnarok," Twilight acknowledged as they approached the statue, "Much of their ancient history and culture was lost as a result of Ragnarok."

"And without the knowledge of their ancestors to guide them, the griffons went on to become a warlike society that became corrupt, leading to the Griffon Empire and their practice of slavery," Midnight could still remember that dark time from his prior life.

"And now, after finally recovering its pride and integrity, the Griffon Kingdom is in danger of civil war," sighed Twilight as they gazed up at the statue of Odun. Time had worn the once grand monument away, dulling some of its features, parts of it coated with old moss, but it retained its distinctive shape to make it recognizable. "King Godric is truly afraid that Gar may very well gather enough support to become a threat, and poor Horus lost his life..."

"Not to mention that unicorn's involvement," Midnight furrowed his brows, his tone becoming steely, "What could she possibly have to gain in helping a piece of scum like Gar?"

"Well, we both suspect she's the same unicorn that helped attack Starlight's old village," Twilight reminded her husband, "and if that is the case, it could mean Catrina is involved as well."

"Catrina seems to be making good on her threat to Equestria," Midnight sighed woefully as well, looking over to his wife, worrying of what the future could hold for them. "Even though this scheme is targeting the Griffon Kingdom, there's a real chance that it could drastically affect Equestria, whether Catrina is involved or not, thanks to this rogue unicorn."

"So we have to find this unicorn and stop her," Twilight said firmly.

"Well, the lead Horus was following led him here to the Temple of Odun," Midnight gazed up at the ancient architectural accomplishment, "Perhaps that unicorn was using this temple as a hideout."

"If she did, do you think there's a chance she's still here?" asked Twilight as they passed the statue and soon stood before the entrance.

"My head says 'no' but for some reason my gut says 'yes'," Midnight tapped his chin before lighting up his horn. "Stick close to me, and expect the unexpected."

Twilight nodded as she lit up her horn too and followed Midnight in, the two of them unaware that they were being watched.

423. Old Burns - Part 3

The temple hallway was dismal and cold, the two alicorns keeping close as they ventured onward, deeper into the bowels of the twin peaks of Huginn and Muninn. The two had each cast a spell that conjured bubbles of light that followed them and provided sufficient radiances, Midnight's was turquoise and Twilight's was magenta. The walls of the hall were both painted and carved, with some of the paintings worn away while the carvings had withstood the tests of time a little better.

But it was a discarded sword on the floor that caught their attention, the two of them examining it, and they confirmed from the glyph engraved onto the cross guard, Twilight affirming, "It's Horus's sword, all right. But look at these singe marks along the blade..."

Midnight stared at the sword and his horn lit up with mana, "Arcana Examana..."

His turquoise mana enshrouded the weapon, Twilight waiting a moment for Midnight until the spell ended, and he looked troubled, "That's strange..."

"What is it?" asked Twilight.

"It's definitely been touched by unicorn magic, but..." Midnight found himself making an involuntary shudder, "I've never felt a mystic signature like this, except it somehow feels... familiar. Like I've experienced it at some point."

"Can you remember where, or from whom?" asked Twilight as she conjured a magic bag and stored the sword away into it.

"Well, what's strange is, it sort of reminds me of Princess Celestia," explained Midnight, sounding stumped, "but different. Not gentle, more... raw. Passionate, angry..."

"Well, if this unicorn is the one who attacked Starlight's old village, that sounds like it could be her," Twilight conceded. But then she seemed crestfallen, "Midnight... why would somepony be involved in all this? What does this unicorn have to gain from causing so much trouble, especially for another nation?"

"...I don't know Twily," Midnight replied, pulling his wife into a hug, which Twilight immensely appreciated, taking comfort in their embrace, "I've seen all kinds of bad guys who were motivated by all sorts of things, but almost every single one of them had a motive that was rooted in personal gain. When you want something enough, there's almost nothing you won't do to get it..."

Twilight pulled back a bit to look her husband in the eye, "Then, what could this unicorn want so much that she's willing to kill and potentially cause a civil war in another nation?"

Midnight regarded the pony he loved for a long moment before he pressed his forehead to hers, touching horns and rubbing noses before he let go and gazed down the hallway they were still following, "You can ask her that yourself when we find her... stay close and keep your wits about you."

Twilight nodded and followed, readying a spell just in case.

The hall seemed to stretch on forever, with only their bubbles of light providing illumination in this eerie darkness. The air was musty and chill, but before long it seemed to change, as though a draft was flowing through at a subtle yet noticeable pace. It was at this time that they noticed something ahead and they hurried to investigate, finding a couple of unrolled scrolls and a lantern.

Twilight looked at the scrolls while Midnight examined the lantern and though it was out, he felt the heat coming off of it.

"It's still warm, so whoever was using it was just here," Midnight noted.

"And these scrolls..." Twilight held them up with her telekinesis, "This one is a list of names, of griffon nobles, I believe. But this one... This details an obscure arcane formula that would... oh goddess!"

"What is it, Twily?" Midnight suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"This scroll details how to make a magical contract that is binding once one signs their signature!" Twilight explained with a subtle dread, "And I mean 'binding'! As in, once you sign the dotted line, you can't back out or change your mind! Your only hope would be to burn the contract or for some kind of loophole."

"What would these be doing here? It seems kinda careless to just leave these lying around..." Midnight wondered before he began to puzzle out the details, "A list of griffon names... a magical contract... Wait, let me see that list."

Twilight hooved it over and Midnight ran his eyes down the list, and immediately he recognized most of the names, "These are the names of the griffon nobles that were forced to swear fealty to King Godric in exchange for leniency!"

"The ones that aren't sincerely loyal to him?" Twilight surmised.

"The ones he suspected would turn on him if they saw the opportunity," Midnight nodded as he puzzled it out, "an opportunity that might be offered... by Gar!"

"So then... why would this list be with a scroll detailing the making of a magical contract?" Twilight wondered.

"...because Gar is planning to recruit these nobles and ensure their allegiance via magical contract!" Midnight realized in horror, "This is worse than we thought! If we're right, then this is how Gar is gonna get the forces he needs to stage a revolt against his brother!"

*KaFRAXKKKSSSHHhhhhh...*

The sound of a loud crash or impact, followed by a gust of wind and dust, and then literally highlighted by a distant light coming from deeper down the hallway alarmed the two unicorns, who stood there, stunned and uncertain.

"What was that?!" asked Twilight.
"I dunno... but I have a feeling this unicorn knows we're here," Midnight steeled himself and kept Nightfall raised as he took the lead, "Keep close and have a spell ready."

They ventured on, the light at the end of the hall steadily growing brighter... until the found themselves in a large, open chamber. The walls lined with mighty stone columns, the floor littered with stone and debris that clearly came from the large hole in the roof, letting the sunshine in along with the mountain chill. Here and there were mystical flames of burning red and gold, smoldering as they soon died out.

"What could have done this...?!" Twilight was aghast, the destruction of a historical site, the blatant disrespect to it all.

"Not what, who..." Midnight raised his sword, lowered his hood, and willed the seams in his cloak to open for his wings to unfurl through them.

Taking cue from Midnight's raising his guard, Twilight focused her magic to cast a life dowsing spell, "Revelite Vita."

She felt the effect release from her horn like a dulcet pulse of magenta light. It spread around them, washing over everything within the range of Twilight's power, and she felt a 'blip', alerting her to the sign of another life nearby, only for it to be discordant, its source seeming to echo mystically from all around, leaving her unsure of where it was, exactly.

"I sense a presence... yet can't pinpoint it," Twilight was already prepping some choice spells.
"She is here..." Midnight nodded, subtly raising his senses for shadow and gravity, perked his ears and flared his nose for the smallest sound or faintest scent.

As if to mock them with confirmation, a soft, feminine chuckle echoed from ahead, instilling unease into the two alicorns. To Twilight, the chuckle was goading and petty, like a bully trying to provoke a reaction. To Midnight, there was a subtle sense of dread washing over his skin, as though a chill that had long laid dormant inside of him was being forced into the harsh sunshine.

The husband and wife shared a look before nodding, and every so carefully began to move forward, sticking by each other's sides.

"I am Prince Midnight Blaze of Equestria!" Midnight called out, his voice strong and unyielding.
"And I am Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria!" Twilight did the same though her voice was a tad softer.

"You have aided and abetted an enemy of the Griffon Kingdom, unleashed convicted criminals, killed and harmed innocent griffons!" Midnight kept his sword and wings raised, "Your crimes against griffonkind are disgraceful and bring shame upon the ponies of Equestria! We know you're a unicorn, the evidence you left lying around, along with various reports and accounts of your existence, prove that much. Make this easy on yourself and surrender..."

"Ha-ha-ha-hah-ah-hah-ahahahah!!!"

The chuckles turned to outright laughter, mocking, derisive, loud enough to be heard but not from where. Midnight and Twilight looked around the chamber, keeping to the shadows as the sunlight bore down upon the debris-covered floor since the ceiling had apparently been blown away.

"She's mocking us..." growled Midnight, furrowing his brows.

"She's close, but where?!" Twilight was starting to get annoyed, and just as she took that first step into the sunlight-

!!!

"TWILIGHT!!!!" Midnight screamed as he threw himself at his wife, whose hoof had stepped upon the edge of a space on the floor that suddenly flared with the light, quickly taking shape as it outlined into a circle inscribed with arcane runes!

Upon full illumination, the ground upon which the magic circle was displayed erupted in a burst of pure force and heat, blowing stone, ancient grout, and dust outwards, the power so intense it reached the crumbling ceiling and destabilized it further, causing more cave-in.

From the other side of the sun-exposed chamber, a figure seemed to step out from behind a curtain of light, garbed in a wine red hooded cloak, a unicorn horn extending from the brim of the hood, as she chuckled in devious amusement. For she was not at all surprised when a second blast occurred, albeit one of less force, and from it appeared Midnight and Twilight, the both of them completely unscathed as a bubble of mana, intermixed with both Midnight's turquoise and Twilight's magenta signifying the Shield Spell had been reinforced with both alicorns' magicks, had shielded them from the blast.

Now seeing their quarry before them, standing over a dozen pony-lengths away, Midnight's horn blazed with power while Twilight's horn sparkled with a more focused intensity, the former growling, "If I had been even a second slower, that blast would have seriously injured my wife, and then there'd be no hope for you..."

"And I had a shield spell at the ready," added Twilight, her eyes narrowed reproachfully at their foe, "It took the worst of the blast, but I admit we still got rattled a little... I've only myself to blame for not even considering you'd set magic circles infused with trap magicks. I was only dowsing for your presence before, which you managed to distort so that despite sensing you I couldn't get a fix on your location."

Twilight cast another dowsing spell throughout the room, and immediately over a dozen magic circles in various different locations lit up. Twilight immediately followed with the most powerful counterspell she knew, dispelling every single circle harmlessly and without setting them off, which made the circles' light turn into flickers of mana that blew away like glimmering specks of dust before they faded away into nothing. The hooded unicorn scoffed in annoyance, but seemed to ho-hum at the fact her preparations had been for naught.

"This is your last warning," Midnight pointed Nightfall at the unicorn, "Surrender now and come peacefully... or this becomes an unpleasant experience."

The hooded unicorn threw her head back, releasing a barking and boisterous laughter that was arrogant, mocking, and incredulous, as though she had found their words so utterly absurd. Twilight rolled her eyes but Midnight felt that same dread from earlier, when he'd just heard the unicorn's subtle chuckling from the dark. It alarmed him, but it also irked him, that he snapped, "And what is it you find so damn amusing?!"

The unicorn's laughs died down into softened giggles that kept trying to take a calming breath, until finally she responded.

"I've just been waiting a long time for this rematch, Midnight Blaze...!"

The dread that had made itself known in his gut now spread across Midnight's entire body, that he couldn't help but shudder as he thought, That voice...!

"Rematch? What are you talking about? We've never met," Twilight was confused.

"You and I have never met, that is true," the unicorn said with a sneering tone at Twilight before pointing at Midnight, "but your hubby seems to have a clue as to who I am..."

"Midnight...?" Twilight finally noticed how shaken her Midnight was and moved closer to him to place her comforting hoof on his cheek, "Midnight, do- Do you know who this is?"

Midnight gulped as he shook it off and took a few steps forward before demanding, "Take off your hood!"

"What do you expect to see if I do?" the unicorn said with a snicker.

"...the face of the pony who killed me," Midnight answered grimly, causing Twilight to gasp softly at those words, confused.

The unicorn responded with yet another arrogant chuckle, before her horn lit up, her hood falling back... revealing a face Midnight had never expected to see again, but something was wrong.

"What is this...?!" Midnight was aghast. It was her, but not as he'd expected.

"What's wrong, Your Highness? Are you so choked up with emotion that you can't speak?" the unicorn mare sneered with spurious sympathy.

"Is that- No, it can't be! Can it...?" Twilight looked from her husband and saw his expression, a baffled recognition, as though he was seeing it yet not believing it.

"Sunset Shimmer...?!?" Midnight whispered as he looked upon her. It made sense now, how he'd found the magic he'd been sensing familiar but hadn't been able to put his horn on it until just this moment.

"Midnight, is she really Sunset Shimmer?" Twilight was shocked as well, trying to make sense of what was going on here, before thinking, Hold on... Sunset Shimmer was in her adolescence when she and Midnight, as his past self, first met. That was over twenty-five years ago! There's no way she could be this young!

"Or did my youthful beauty just leave you at a loss for words?" Sunset Shimmer threw her mane around in an almost flirty manner.

"You... you look like you're around my age, but you should be in your fourth decade!" Midnight finally began to get a hold of himself, "Explain yourself!"

Sunset raised her hoof and opened her mouth, almost as though she were going to do just that. But then she pantomimed zipping her lips while responding in singsong, "It's - A - Seeecreeeeeet...~!

"But..." Sunset then expressed a dark smile before adding, "if you really want to know, just ask our dear ol' teacher, Princess Celestia..."

"I'm sure Princess Celestia will be very interested in speaking with you, after we bring you to her," Twilight started to walk forward to join her husband at his side, which seemed to annoy Sunset.

"As much as I'd love to see the look on our old teacher's face when she learns about me," Sunset pulled something out from beneath her cloak, "I'm afraid we're gonna have to put a pin on that. As I already stated, I've been looking forward to this rematch for a long time..."

Before either alicorn realized what she was doing, Sunset had tossed what appeared to be a glass globe forward, radiating with a disturbing shade of green along with a shining flash of gold, followed by the sound of glass breaking-

*FAWOOOOOSSSHHH*

Midnight braced himself, but Twilight was swept back, neither of them noticing a translucent sphere expanding from where the globe had shattered, and so much seemed to happen all at once. The floor of the chamber seemed to clear of all the debris. Large chunks of rock and stone, along with gravel and dirt, moved as though a giant invisible broom was sweeping them all aside. The edges of the ceiling broken up simultaneously were forced outwards, as though something were breaking free. But the debris that fell from them slid down an invisible slope.

Twilight had noticed the falling rocks and chunks of the ceiling and was forced to fall back while keeping a Shield Spell up like an umbrella protecting her from rain in the form of skull-crushing pieces of stone.

Almost as quickly as it began, the unexpected development settled, with only the sound of crumbling rocks falling and pebbles skittering. The hole in the ceiling was now as large as a stadium. The pillars that had been holding the ceiling up were now toppled, broken, with barely a few still intact. The sun glared down above it all, and standing in the center, surrounded by a vast spherical barrier, was Sunset Shimmer, smirking arrogantly at Midnight, who now stood only six pony-lengths from her position.

"Twilight!!" Midnight turned around and ran towards the perimeter of the barrier, raising his hoof to break it, only for it to repel his blow, sending him for a bit of a loop.

"What the-" Midnight gawked at it and strained at the feeling in his foreleg. It's like I just punched a wall of rubber...!

"Interesting, wouldn't you say?" Midnight spun `round to glare at Sunset, who seemed to be just admiring the barrier around them, "Quite a feat of magical creativity, if I do say so myself. And I do."

"What is this?! Lower this wall, Sunset Shimmer!" Midnight demanded with a stamp of his hoof, trying to shake off the pins n' needle sensation in his fetlock.

Mm-mm, no can do, Midnight," Sunset shook her head teasingly, "This barrier is only coming down until either one of us is defeated or gives up, and I've said it thrice already, so hopefully this will be the charm... I've waited a long time for this rematch."

"Rematch of what?! That insipid little 'duel' we had when you were a filly?!" Midnight growled, "All you proved was how little you knew about the right things, and how little you could be trusted with the magic you already had back then! I tried to give you guidance and you turned around shot me in the heart with a curse!"

"Yes, I admit, not one of my better moments, but you said something earlier that confuses me," Sunset narrowed her eyes, "What did you mean when you said, I killed you...?"

"That depends... are you working for Catrina?" Midnight retorted with a raised brow.

"I asked first," Sunset smirked with a tease.

"Answer me!!" Midnight snapped.

"Tell you what," Sunset shrugged, "Whoever wins gets their questions answered."

"Fine!" Midnight conjured Nightfall and pointed the blade at his foe, "You'll regret ever crossing me..."

"Ooh! Shiny," Sunset lit up her horn and in front of her something ignited as it was conjured in Sunset's mana, revealing a long polearm, the shaft lacquered red, each end with a golden fixture, the bottom a three-dimensional rhombus diamond that looked heavy and solid, while the top bore an elaborate halberd of gleaming gold, shaped to resemble half of the sun symbol that was Sunset's cutie-mark.
"Ready to play, Midnight?"

"Hold on," Midnight growled before calling over his shoulder, "Twilight! Are you okay?"

"Y-yes! Yes, I'm alright," answered her voice, making Midnight sigh in relief, that he peered over and saw Twilight approach the barrier, looking concerned. "I heard what she said about this barrier, and... I think she meant it. It's very strong and intricate magic. The only way it will lower is when one of you is defeated."

"In that case..." Midnight said softly before he zoomed straight into Sunset, his blade crossing with the pole of her weapon, which she had held at the ready, their clash resulting in a pulse of force that Twilight felt even through the barrier, leaving her impressed and just a little intimidated, while Midnight glared into Sunset's eyes, "I'm gonna knock you senseless and drag you back to Canterlot!!"

"Ha!" Sunset maneuvered her halberd while pushing Midnight and then using magic to enhance her jump backwards, "I bet you say that to all the mares you screw over!"

"RRGH!!" Midnight gritted his teeth and zoomed at Sunset again, their weapons meeting in dissonant clangs of metal. Midnight kept up his attack, but Sunset, as it turned out, was no amateur.

She kept her halberd up and poised, and blocked or deflected every blow Midnight threw at her with Nightfall. Every few clashes or so, she'd strike back, but Midnight would either dodge or deflect the attack himself. Only once had one come too close to impaling him through the shoulder that Midnight was forced to burst into shadow and reform away from Sunset's position. Upon doing so, he took notice of the arrogant smirk she was giving him, and though it grated on his nerves, he thought to himself, She's no slouch with that halberd...

"If you think that's impressive..." Sunset's horn ignited with magic and then so did the halberd's blade, wreathing it with mystic flames, as Sunset took a stance and gave Midnight a menacing look, and then she took a full spinning heave of her halberd, sending a vast inferno at the sapphire stallion like a tidal wave!

"MIDNIGHT!!!" Twilight cried out in alarm, and even Midnight was intimidated.

Can't dodge, turning shadow is too risky... Midnight thought before his horn lit up and he shouted, "PYRO SHIRUDO, GEMINUS!!"

His spell worked, forming not one but two spherical bubbles of turquoise mana around him, and he held his ground as the inferno crashed down upon his shields, creating an effect akin to water touching a heated surface as the fire collided with the magic of Midnight's shields.

Even safe in his double-layered fire shield spell, Midnight felt the intensity of Sunset's power. It flowed and surged around him, like a malevolent maelstrom. Midnight was impressed. Even Starlight had never shown such power under Twilight's tutelage, and while he wasn't strained by keeping his shields up against the fiery onslaught, he couldn't believe Sunset was able to unleash such power for even a short duration of time and yet here she was, the fires of her magic going on and on, the seconds turning into minutes before finally the fires began to die away and then recede.

As the fire began to clear up, Midnight gazed at Sunset, and was honestly not surprised to see she looked no worse for wear. A normal unicorn would surely have begun to pant from having expended so much mana for magic that intense.

She's no ordinary unicorn... Midnight thought as he finally lowered his shields, releasing the spell, the shields vanishing like drawn curtains.

"I've honed my magic for over twenty-five years..." Sunset said with a dark look as she glared at Midnight, "studied, practiced, experimented! All in preparation for achieving my destiny, to become what I always should have been... what you and your pretty wife stole from me!"

"Power alone doesn't an alicorn make," Midnight retorted, "and that's all you ever cared about, isn't it. Celestia told me that she, the highest station in all of Equestria, is but a servant to her people. She serves ponykind by protecting them, guiding them, looking out for their interests, and defending their rights. We have our disagreements... but on that, we are of the same mind."

"Ha! The Princess of the Sun a servant to teeming masses that adulate her? You really haven't a clue of who you serve, do you...?" Sunset huffed, giving Midnight a bitter look that seemed underlined with a strange sense of pity.

"I know more than most..." Midnight raised Nightfall, "I've done her dirty work for over ten years!"

"And yet you still haven't the faintest clue as to the kind of pony she really is!" Sunset twirled her halberd and stabbed it in midnight's direction, a burst of flame erupting as though from a dragon's maw.

"Find the Light, Nightfall!" Midnight raised his sword, which suddenly flared with the nocturnal power it contained, and Midnight's knightly armor appeared on his body while the sword became the clawed gauntlets on his hooves as he reared up and spun`round, shouting, "DARKEST LARIAT!!"

Spinning like a tornado, laced with his magical energy intermixed with the lunar essence of his knightly power, Midnight's attack dispersed the fire of Sunset's, blowing it all away into harmless cinders, snuffing out of existence. Growling, Sunset charged forward, her halberd poised to impale Midnight, but he easily deflected the attack with one of his gauntlets.

He returned the assault with several slashes towards Sunset's face, only for her to back up, raise her halberd to defend herself, and then spin it like a propeller when it got too dicey, forcing Midnight to back off. She then tried a few swinging slashes, Midnight deflecting or dodging, before he leapt back and cast, "Frigis Terebra!"

He held out both gauntlets, and from each jewel conjured and launched large icicles that zoomed like missiles towards Sunset, who speared the bottom of her halberd into the ground and cast, "Maho Shirudo!"

A gleaming spherical shield spell enveloped her, the icicles impacting and quickly being dispersed into harmless vapor. The shield dispelled and Sunset scoffed, "Was that supposed to hurt me? My shield barely felt a thing!"

"I have every reason to want to kill you, but I'd rather take you in so you can answer for the wrongs you've done to the Griffon Kingdom," Midnight glared while reaching his gauntlet's claws towards Sunset.

"Oh please, like these pathetic savages deserve anything less than destroying themselves," Sunset sneered while playing with a fireball on her halberd as though it were a game of lacrosse, "They enslaved thousands of creatures around the world, and it was only after they saw how small they are compared to other nations, especially Equestria, that they rolled over and exposed their bellies in submission."

"The griffons lost their way!" Twilight shouted from the sidelines, "Yes, they did so many things wrong, but King Godric is their chance to be the best of themselves once more! They placed too much stock into the Idol of Boreas, but Godric is the example from whom they can learn to be better!"

"A leopard can't change its spots, and species can't change what it is," Sunset said dismissively, "The griffons are freaks. Half lion and half eagle? I've heard them vaunt that, like being a blend of the 'king of beasts' and 'king of birds' is something to actually be proud of. All it does is give them a false sense of pride that they think gives them license to be the monsters they really are! Sooner or later, they'll let that arrogance go to their heads and they'll turn their eyes on the rest of the world, as they did before, and decide they're so superior that they can expand their borders and dominate whatever creature they want!"

"Spoken like every unicorn supremacist I ever met!" Midnight retorted before jumping up and holding both gauntlets to his side, charging them with his power, "CRESCENT WAVE!!"

He threw his forelegs forward, and from the claws of his gauntlets were flung an assault of crescent-shaped energy blades. To his and Twilight's shock, Sunset picked up her halberd, but instead of shielding or deflecting the energy blades, she suddenly began to move at incredible speeds! She dodged the energy blades by speeding around, creating a contrail of light in her wake, dodging every blade without so much as a scratch.

When it was over, she zipped back to her prior position, looking smug, and Twilight asked, "How did she do that?! Some kind of... speed spell?"

"It was magic, but no spell," Sunset shrugged while examining her halberd, "Just something I'm capable of..."

Then, Midnight noticed something about Sunset. It was subtle, but there seemed to be some kind of mystical fire emanating from her mane and tail, puzzling him. There was something else going on here, and he needed to figure it out.

Let's see how she reacts when she's surrounded... Midnight thought before he cast another spell, "Aviappareo, Ravens!"

With a spread of his wings, Midnight created over a dozen magic circles, from which were conjured what appeared to be flapping and cawing ravens! Twilight was impressed by her husband's spell, a type of conjuration that created Apparitions.

Apparitions are some of the hardest things to conjure, Twilight thought as she looked upon the ravens created by Midnight's magic, More than Illusion but less than Reality!

The ravens cawed and screamed as they flew overhead, flying this way and that as they began to surround Sunset. She raised her brow and smirked, "An Apparition spell, impressive! If you weren't an alicorn I'd think you were trying some kind of cheap Illusion or else using some kind of arcanum to boost your magic. Even Alpha-level unicorns have trouble mastering this kind of spell, but here you are, conjuring an entire flock of these things! Being an alicorn must really agree with you...

"But if you're gonna do a spell like that, at least show some imagination!" Sunset smiled wickedly as her mane and tail ignited with mystic fire! Her horn blistered like a sparkler as she cast her next spell, "Arcanappareo Ignis, Cyclops!"

The spell shot from her horn like a flare towards the top of the dome keeping Sunset and Midnight contained, and then it burst like a firework as the light and energy took shape. A massive shape, radiating with blistering heat, as large ape-like arms extended from a hefty torso akin to a gorilla's, held up by goatish legs and hooves, and the head formed into the frightening face of a monstrous goat, complete with large curling horns, but a huge singular eye taking up the upper middle of its face.

Even worse, this monstrosity was wreathed in flames while its physical form looked more like a hologram than flesh and blood, but the way it pounded and stomped the floor with its fists and hooves made it clear that this was no mere illusion.

As the beast towered over Midnight, its flames lashing out and burning his raven apparitions into nothing, a memory ran through his mind, of Horus's final moments. And his final words.

It came out of nowhere, a-a great... animal! It's not what it seems, it's not what it seems!

This is the monster that...! Midnight glared past the cyclops apparition at Sunset and her smug face, and shouted, "IT WAS YOU!!! You created this monster, the one that killed Prince Horus and his team!"

"That insufferable excuse of a 'prince' was poking around where he wasn't wanted," Sunset huffed, looking away from Midnight's condemning glare, "I conjured my cyclops apparition to drive him and his underlings away. All they had to do was leave... what became of them was their own fault for being stubborn!"

"How can you be so cruel?!" Twilight shouted from beyond the barrier, "How can you aid and abet someone like Gar and hurt innocent griffons?! They're different from us, yes, but in many ways, especially the ones that matter, they and we are the same!"

"Oh, Twilight Sparkle, so studious, so educated, and yet so stupid..." Sunset spat with such contempt at the lavender princess, "For all your hard-learned knowledge, you can't help showing how lacking you are, in initiative, in perspective! It's why you're the least of all the alicorn royals, beneath even your precious, nose-wiping niece!"

"SHUT UP!!!" Midnight roared as he spun `round, his horn lighting up with another spell, "HYDROS TORRENS!!"

From around Midnight surged torrential water, spreading in a splashing burst of rushing waves that flowed forward like rapids, quickly engulfing the fiery apparition of Sunset's cyclops. The beast let out a roar of rage but also terror and it was quickly doused and seethed into a blinding flume of steam.

"Augh!" Sunset jumped back to avoid the scalding vapor while her monster was completely extinguished. "Rrrggh... Aeris Spiralis!"

Sunset's horn shined as she waved it around, a gust of wind twisting as it quickly blew the steam away and cooled off the heinous humidity. As soon as it cleared, she quickly noticed Midnight was nowhere to be seen. Even Twilight seemed uncertain as to where her husband had gone. Sunset was not fooled. There was no way Midnight could have escaped her barrier, especially without her knowing.

He's not invisible, so he's got to be... there! Sunset's eye caught there slightest movement around a piece of rubble. Or rather, it's shadow.

"That won't work with me, Midnight Blaze!" Sunset warned with a mocking rise of her voice as she reared up, her mane and tail igniting in mystical fire again as she gave off a blinding flare of radiant light, so bright that Twilight covered her eyes, but her ears heard him.

"AAAAUUUGGGHH!!!!!"

"Midnight?!" Twilight called out to him, a chilly dread washing over her. For Midnight's scream had been one of agony. "Midnight! What's wrong?!"

As the light dimmed, she saw him, writhing on the stony floor, his armor gone, his gauntlets returned to their sword form as Nightfall laid askew beside the sapphire stallion, whose body seemed to give off smoldering wisps of smoke or steam, Twilight wasn't sure. But Midnight was groaning in agony, as though any movement he made hurt, panting as he struggled to calm himself, and Sunset gazed upon him with a look of sadistic satisfaction.

"What did you do to him, Sunset Shimmer?!" demanded Twilight as she reared up and banged on the barrier, only making soft echoes of reverberation while slight ripples of force appeared at each point of impact for a brief second and then vanished.

Sunset chuckled to herself as she sashayed over to the suffering stallion, drinking in his pain, as Midnight managed to creak one eye open and shuddered as he looked up at her, uttering, "H-h-how...?"

For a long moment, Sunset simply glared down at him, until finally, she answered, "You rise with the moon. I rise with the sun."

Midnight was confused, but the pain. Oh, the pain! Never had he felt something like this. He'd tried to sneak up on Sunset in his shadow form, hoping to sneak attack and take her by surprise. It was one of his favorite tactics and almost never failed. But never before had it failed so spectacularly, because never before had someone been able to counter it in the way Sunset apparently had.

She... she shined her light, and... the light! It- it burned...! Midnight groaned, for every part of his body felt as though he'd been set ablaze. Midnight had been burned before, but this was something else altogether.

"And now... it's just about time to end this," Sunset smiled wickedly, and Midnight gulped.

He was in pain, couldn't move, couldn't muster his mana for a spell, and he was afraid of turning shadow again in case Sunset did what she already had.

"Sunset, no! Please! He's beaten, you don't have to hurt him anymore...!" Twilight was on the verge of tears, her emotions throwing her off, preventing her from being able to focus on anything but what was happening before her. And how she was helpless to do anything about it.
"He'll yield to you, just show him mercy...please!"

"Oh, I'm afraid I'm all out of mercy, princess..." Sunset said with a devious gleam before returning her gaze to Midnight, "So, I'm going to do something neither of you will forget anytime soon..."

"NO!!!" Twilight begged while Midnight closed his eyes, awaiting the end.

"Mmm..." Sunset moaned as Midnight felt something soft press lightly against... his lips?!

"Whaaaaaa....?!?!" Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing, and when Midnight dared to open his eyes, they popped!

Sh- She's... kissing me?! Midnight was helpless to do anything about it, as Sunset put just a little oomph into the kiss before she pulled her head back up and bobbed her brows triumphantly.

"I yield." At her words, the barrier dispelled, a bell-like knell ringing as the walls seemed to vibrate a moment before they faded into an ethereal mist that soon disappeared completely.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!!!" Sunset dodged a bolt of mana aimed straight at her head and quickly teleported away in a fiery burst while Twilight rushed over to Midnight's side, her wings raised in a display of aggression.

Sunset appeared only four pony-lengths away, looking far too pleased with herself, "Sorry to cut and run, Your Majesties, but I have a previous engagement to honor. Not that I really care, but if you are interested in maybe preventing a griffon civil war, you might want to get back to Griffonstone castle, on the double."

"You won't get away with this..." Twilight glared reproachfully at the unicorn, who simply responded with a mocking scoff.

"Ha! Poor little Twilight... I already have. Oh! I yielded the duel," Sunset pointed out as though it had slipped her mind, "So, I suppose I owe you an answer to your previous question, and it is... Yes! Yes, I am. Fare thee well, o great alicorns! Hahahahahaha....!!!!"

Sunset's fiery magic engulfed her as she teleported away, her mocking laughter echoing around them as Twilight turned to tend to Midnight... and noticed the stupefied look in his eyes. When he noticed the searing look his wife was giving him, he flinched before protesting, "Don't look at me like that! She kissed me!!!"

Author's Note

Arcana Examana: Arcana "mystery, secret, hidden" + Derivation of Examine - It's a dowsing spell to magically examine a subject and learn of its properties and whatever it's recently been exposed to

Revelite Vita: Revelite is Latin for 'reveal' while Vita means 'life' - Revelite is a general Dowsing Spell while adding Vita focuses it to detect anything alive within the caster's range of power.

Pyro Shirudo + Geminus: Pyro obviously means 'fire', Shirudo is a Japanese pronunciation for the English word 'shield', and Geminus refers to Gemini, as in twin or double - Pyro Shirudo is a shield spell to protect against fire and heat while Geminus modifies the spell to double its effect, making the shield double-layered

Frigis Terebra: Frigis is derived of Latin Frigus for 'cold, frost, chill' while Terebra is derived from Terbrare which means 'pierce' - Frigis Terbra conjures and launches icicles that can impale as well as freeze at the point of impact/penetration

Maho Shirudo: Maho is Japanese for 'magic' while Shirudo is a Japanese pronunciation of 'shield' - Maho Shirudo is a Shield Spell for magic in general

Aviappareo: A Latin portmanteau of Avis "bird" and Appareo "appear" - Aviappareo conjures apparitions of birds; Apparitions are magical manifestations of living creatures, more than Illusion but less than Reality. In other words, metaphysical manifestations

Arcanappareo: A portmanteau of Arcana 'secret, hidden, mysterious', and Appareo, Latin for 'appear' - Arcanappareo conjures apparitions of magical creatures

Hydros Torrens: Hydro, referring to water, and Torrens is a spell modifier, derived from 'torrent' - Hydros is a spell to conjure Water while adding Torrens conjures the water as torrential and turbulent waves

Aeris Spiralis: Aeris is Latin for 'Air' while Spiralis means 'spiral' - Aeris Spiralis conjures a twisting gust of air that is useful for blowing something away, such as breathing hazards or airborne problems.

425. Old Burns - Part 5

Author's Note

Brace yourselves

425. Old Burns - Part 5

Twenty-Eight dead: Twelve Nobles, Ten Guards, Six Knights. The casualties of the thwarted attack upon Griffonstone castle in an attempt to assassinate King Godric and Prince Doran, along with their supporters.

The plot had failed, but its mastermind, Gar, now going by the name of Scar, had escaped, along with his magically enslaved co-conspirators as well as several guards who'd betrayed their king, and now they were out there after their master had declared war upon Godric along with anyone who sided with and supported him.

Instead of pursuing his kin-turned-mortal enemy, Godric had chosen to see to the wounded and get a damage report of the castle after Scar had used some kind of magical explosives to escape. The dead had been moved to another chamber and covered with sheets. The wounded had been moved to the castle infirmary. The remaining guards had been detained to determine which were traitors and which were loyal. The remaining Sky Knights had been assigned tasks by their king to focus on while he made the regretful announcement to his subjects that their kingdom was now in civil war.

Midnight and Twilight, with Godric's permission, used their magic to repair the castle, but then he'd bade them farewell, saying it was time for them to go home. Although alarmed and afraid they'd done something wrong, Midnight and Twilight were assured by Godric that they'd done more than he'd asked of them and that he was grateful. But the situation had changed and he could no longer involve them further. They'd considered trying to convince Godric otherwise, but given all that had happened and the way the griffon king had spoken to them, they honored his wishes and prepared to depart.

It was afternoon by the time Midnight and Twilight were ready to return to Equestria. Before boarding The Break of Dawn, they spoke with Doran.

"We can't thank you enough for all you've done," Doran said kindly though there was sadness and doubt written all over his face and lacing his words. "You are true friends, and all the Griffon Kingdom is lucky to have you as our friends and allies."

"We're sorry it turned out this way, Doran," Twilight said in deepest sympathy.
"We wish we could have prevented all of this," Midnight hanged his head in apology.

"As do I... if I had gone with my brother, if I had done more, perhaps he would still be alive, perhaps the nobles would have truly come together," Doran said in defeated woe, "and the kingdom and the people I love would not be facing civil war."

"There may yet be hope, my friend," Midnight said in assurance, "Gar- er... Scar. Those he leads are not truly loyal. He enslaved those nobles via magical contract, and drew those guards into more than they bargained for. Twilight and I can look into the magic involved and perhaps find a way to undo the contracts, freeing those nobles from Scar's control. Doing so may sway them to surrender to your father and turn against Scar. As for the guards he bribed, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them ditched him or even turned against him."

"Midnight's right, Doran. I wouldn't want Scar's karma," agreed Twilight before adding, "There is most likely a way to undo the magical contracts Scar tricked his followers into signing. Any magic that can be done can be undone. It's a fundamental law of magic."

"That might be the best way to end this conflict peacefully," Doran sounded a tad more hopeful, but still in doubt. "But in any case, your parts in this is over, my friends. I will remain in contact with you, but the Griffon Kingdom must settle this conflict without direct involvement from a foreign nation. Midnight, I'm afraid i won't be able to participate in any further training or shows with the Silverbolts."

"We'll just consider you on indefinite leave," Midnight said kindly but unable to hide his own sadness, "Once a Silverbolt, always a Silverbolt."

Doran smiled at those words and then made an inviting gesture, Midnight and Twilight giving him a hug that he deeply appreciated. When they parted, Doran wiped a tear away before saying, "May the winds guide you well, wherever they may take you."

Twilight teared up a little while Midnight nodded with solemn respect before they gave the griffon prince one more hug. When they parted and the two alicorns boarded their ship, Twilight said to Doran, "Take care of yourself, and your father. I know you can save your kingdom, no matter what may come!"

Doran nodded as he waved his wing, "Safe journey, my friends!"

As The Break of Dawn rose into the sky, Midnight and Twilight gazed upon Griffonstone. In spite of all that had happened, it continued to shine like a pristine jewel, even as the dreaded future in store for it loomed like a coming storm cloud.

Twilight wiped the tear on her cheek away, feeling crushed, that they had failed in what they had come here to do.

"We did all that we could, Twily." Twilight looked to her husband and saw how solemn he seemed, how he furrowed his brows, and sighed before giving her an emotional look of his own, "We came here to help, and we did. The results are not what we had hoped, but had we not been here, Scar and his cohorts would likely have succeeded in killing Godric and Doran and all their other opposition. Scar would have taken the throne, and Goddess knows what he would have done next with that power..."

"Then why do I feel like a failure...?" Twilight barely managed not to cry. "Horus is dead, along with so many others, and Griffon Kingdom now faces a civil war! We- We need to-"

"We can do no more," Midnight stepped over to gently pull Twilight close and nuzzled the top of her head. "This is now an internal matter for the Griffon Kingdom that they have to resolve for themselves. We can lend aid, give advice, but we cannot become outright involved now that it has come to this..."

"Sunset got involved, and look at what's happened," Twilight shook with emotion and a subdued anger. "Horus is dead because of her, and Scar has the forces he needs because of her! ...Why didn't we tell Godric and Doran Sunset's name when we reported her actions to them? We only confirmed 'a unicorn' had aided and abetted Scar in his schemes."

"Because Sunset is our spilled oats, we'll clean it up," Midnight stepped away from his wife as he looked over the railing, a dark look on his face. "Something she said... we're going to have a word with Celestia when we reach Canterlot."

Twilight's depression quickly turned to anxiety by her husband's words as she realized he was correct. The things Sunset had said to them, it brought back similar emotions Twilight had felt before. Suddenly, she began to dread seeing Celestia again, and what more she would learn about her old teacher.

Unbeknownst to the two alicorns, Sunset Shimmer watched them soar away in their airship, her velvet red cloak billowing around her as she stood upon the summit of a distant mountain peak. Her horn lit up as she pulled out a mirror from her cloak and cast a spell. The looking glass rippled before the image of Catrina reflected back at Sunset, the cat's green eyes narrowing with a gleam of anticipation.

"Ah, Sunset, dear. I was expecting your call. So, tell me, how did things unfold in the Griffon Kingdom?"

"Not quite as we'd hoped, Catrina," Sunset sighed in an 'oh well' manner. "King Godric and his son, Doran, still live though Horus is dead. That arrgoant griffon, Gar, failed to assassinate his brother and nephew, but he did manage to... 'recruit' a sizable force of griffon nobles and now has command of their lands, wealth, and hired talons, and he's declared civil war upon his brother after renaming himself 'Scar'. Huh! So creative..."

"Hmm, this is less than the ideal outcome, but an acceptable one nonetheless," Catrina shrugged before raising a tome and leafing through its pages, "No matter. The objective has been reached all the same. The Griffon Kingdom is now unable to stand as an ally with Equestria. As for... 'Scar', let him play war with his big brother, as long as he keeps the Griffon Kingdom occupied with their petty conflict. We'll continue to lend him our support, in order to keep said conflict going for as long as possible. It simply would not do for it to end too quickly and not on our terms."

"Does that mean we'll still help him become the new griffon king?" asked Sunset.

"...no. Gar, Scar, whatever he chooses to call himself, he had his chance and he failed," Catrina narrowed her eyes as he kept going through the tome, "If he loses and is killed by King Godric's forces, or he stands on the precipice of victory, he will die all the same. He promised to succeed in his goal and he broke that promise. As far as I'm concerned, he will never so much as touch the throne with his furred and feathered behind. He doesn't deserve it..."

"So then... what becomes of the Griffon Kingdom? We can't exactly allow for Godric to win and get it back in order," Sunset pointed out.

"True, that potential outcome would be detrimental to my plans," Catrina's eyes lit up when she apparently found what she was looking for in the tome, "But it matters not. All we'll have to do... is find the right weapon. After all, the friend of our enemy is our enemy..."

Catrina held the tome up to the mirror for Sunset to see, and the unicorn was disturbed, as Catrina declared, "and all our enemies will tremble before this powerful force, once we find it!"

Sunset had read of this force Catrina was showing her in the tome. She'd read of a point in history when this force was unleashed out of nowhere upon the world, how it had literally cast darkness across the land, leaving chaos, destruction, and loss in its wake. Princess Celestia had risked her life to fight this force back to protect her subjects, but even she had been unable to truly destroy it. All she had been able to do was seal it away and hoped that it would never be set loose to threaten the world once more.

"Catrina... is this notion wise? How would we even be able to control this monstrosity?"

"We won't have to. Once it does its job, we'll get rid of it. Simple as that," Catrina purred with a dark delight in her scheming, "I'll see you when you return, Sunset Shimmer."

The mirror rippled again, and Catrina's image faded, leaving Sunset to see her own reflection and how troubled the look on her face was. Was Catrina really willing to go so far as to use that? A force of evil so powerful and dangerous that even Celestia had not truly been able to defeat it? For years, Sunset had followed Catrina, drank up her notions, agreed with her schemes. Once or twice, Catrina's plans had not sat well with Sunset, but she'd stuck by her mistress and things had worked out in their favor all the same.

But now? No. She had to stay the course. She'd come too far, she'd lost too much, she'd get what was owed to her and she would revel in it!

Even so, as she pulled up her hood, she couldn't help but feel an uneasy feeling deep inside as she thought of the abomination Catrina had showed her in the tome, a mindless plague, born of negativity. No one knew where it came from, but the devastation it inflicted upon the world all those centuries ago, how it spread like a relentless fire, consuming life and light, and leaving nothing but ash and stone.

In all the years Sunset had followed and come to know Catrina, she wasn't fooling herself. She knew the Cat Witch had a couple screws loose, but her cunning and guile were undeniable.

But, was Catrina really so certain? Or was she arrogant? Or perhaps she was well and truly just plain crazy. Sunset wasn't sure, and that uncertainty was what bothered her most, as she thought of the evil Catrina was planning to unleash before taking her leave.

The Erebus.

"...and so, the Griffon Kingdom now faces civil war." The finishing of their report struck a sense of finality into the Canterlot castle throne room, as Midnight and Twilight stood before Celestia.

They'd returned to Canterlot and sent word to Celestia they needed to speak with her immediately, to inform her of the tragic situation of the Griffon Kingdom. She'd called them to her throne room upon their arrival, but they found it was only Celestia there. She'd explained that Sombra was busy forming his own personal guard while Luna was dreamwalking to give Twinken further training in the dream plane.

It was only the three of them, which suited Midnight and Twilight just fine. This was not going to be a pleasant chat, after all.

Having taken a moment to absorb all that she had learned from her two old students, Celestia sighed deeply, "Oh, poor King Godric, and Prince Doran... the loss of Horus is a terrible tragedy. My heart aches for them, and for Godric, unable to mend the bond with his brother... and now they stand on opposing sides as true enemies."

At first, Celestia didn't notice the expressions on Midnight's and Twilight's faces. Midnight gave Celestia hard and piercing stony gaze while Twilight gave her one that was hesitant and afraid to engage. When the silence registered in Celestia's mind, she finally saw the ways they looked at her, and felt a chill on her withers, and so asked, "Is... there something more?"

"There is," confirmed Midnight, "The unicorn who aided and abetted Scar... we confirmed her identity."

"Who is she?" Celestia asked, genuinely curious, and her world shook when Midnight answered.

"Sunset Shimmer."

"...no!" Celestia was shocked as she placed her hoof over her heart, "It- it can't be! She... she's been gone... for so many years!"

"Missing, not gone," corrected Midnight as he spoke with a steely edge, "She lowered her hood, she confirmed her identity. She was unmistakable. Sunset Shimmer... is working with Catrina. Against us."

"This... this cannot..." Celestia began to pace in front of her throne, before she just barely managed to compose herself and took a deep breath. "...we must double our efforts. Starlight must find a way to cure the destruction of cutie-marks. We must find a way to get ahead of Catrina and Sunset's schemes!"

"Princess Celestia, there's... there's more," Twilight brought up, sounding anxious and afraid. "Sunset... she said things. Things about you."

"What about me?" Celestia asked, sounding perplexed.

"She said you're still keeping secrets. From us," Midnight answered, narrowing his eyes at Celestia, "and she displayed powerful magic. Including a magic I've never encountered. She was able to hurt me with a magical light. While I was hidden in Shadow Space."

Magical light... shadow space? How is...!!! Celestia's mind froze by a terrible realization and a cold dread filled her bones.

"Celestia?" The white princess turned to Twilight, looking upon her with a mix of concern but also a sense of suspicion. "What's wrong?"

"I-I... that is... we must... determine our next course of strategy," Celestia stammered while shifting her gaze away, "let us consult with my husband and sister-"

"No." The tone was subtle yet strong, inarguable, and Celestia looked hesitantly back upon the pupil she had guided and loved throughout her fillyhood, as Twilight gave her old mentor hard look, and demanded, "The truth, Celestia."

Midnight regarded his wife with a sense of pride but also worry, before returning his own gaze to Celestia. The white alicorn closed her eyes, clearly in emotional pain, before she took another deep breath and spoke.

"...Sunset Shimmer was- is special. Unique. Powerful! Dangerous... and it has everything to do, with her lineage."

"What lineage?" asked Midnight. "I recall that she's a daughter of House Hyperion, but-"

"No, her nobility has nothing to do with it..." Celestia shook her head, which she began to hang shamefully, "Sunset is perhaps the last of a legacy I created centuries ago. If there are others, they've never tapped into the power inherent to their bloodline, like she did as a filly..."

Midnight's eyes widened as he remembered the story, "When she was accosted by those bullies... and nearly killed them!"

Twilight gasped in horror, "She... nearly killed other ponies when she was only a filly?!"

"It wasn't her fault... she was scared, terrified," Celestia began to tear up, "and in the moment, she instinctively reached inward and tapped into a power that had long been dormant. A power she couldn't control. And she lashed out.

"The public vilified her in spite of my attempts to placate them. She was traumatized, and her parents... they didn't know what to do. I convinced them to let me take Sunset on as my pupil, but I didn't realize until later on that she was damaged long before that terrible incident."

"What do you mean, damaged?" asked Twilight.

"Sunset's parents... they were once unicorn supremacists," Celestia lit up her horn and projected images of two unicorns, dressed in fine garments, speaking to a young filly who was unmistakably a younger Sunset.
"They filled her head with their ideas of unicorn pride and supremacy, how unicorns are superior, and non-ponies were even further below them than earth ponies and pegasi."

"She did express some rather disturbing bigotry against the griffons," Midnight concurred. "But this doesn't explain her powers! She was able to hurt me while I was in Shadow Space! I didn't even know that was possible!"

"...Her power worked against you, because you are a Lunar Pony, Midnight," Celestia had finally come to it as she revealed the truth, "and Sunset... is a Solar Pony."

Midnight and Twilight shared a perplexed look, as they shared it, the both of them unfamiliar with the term as Twilight echoed, "Solar Pony?"

"Your sister created the lunar ponies..." Midnight gathered, "So then... you did something similar!"

"I did... and it was my greatest mistake," Celestia spoke in deepest shame as her memories displayed her meaning, "It was meeting the lunar ponies so long ago, and learning that they came to be by Luna's magic, that intrigued me so. She had created a new kind of pony and given them all they needed to form their own society, their own cultural identity. It was truly an achievement, a grand legacy. So back then, I wondered...

"What if I could do something similar?"

"So you created the Solar Ponies," Midnight was still confused, "but then why have we never heard of them until now?"

Celestia gave both her old pupils a look of shame, pain, and regret, and Twilight realized, "Something went wrong."

"...not at first," Celestia continued to project her memories, and they saw her standing in a circle of twenty adult ponies of all three tribes, stallions and mares. "I hoofpicked twenty of my most stalwart and dedicated servants. Soldiers, scholars, explorers, nobles, even those of humbler positions, like a schoolteacher, a blacksmith, an alchemist, a farmer, an artist, a courier.

"In the times before I formed what would eventually become the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, Equestria was suffering from rampant crime, corruption, violence... I hesitated to impose martial law, hoping that I could bring my kingdom back to peace and prosperity by my own efforts and merits. I was wrong. In spite of my power, in spite of my guardsponies, we were hopelessly outnumbered by the criminal element.

"I came to the conclusion that we needed heroes, champions! Dedicated protectors who could do more, be more, and shine with an example of uplifting inspiration!"

"You made those twenty ponies the first Solar Ponies," gathered Twilight.

"And they were... magnificent!" Celestia looked upon the memory with tears as they watched those ponies evolve in Celestia's sun-empowered magic.

Their manes and tails becoming fiery mana, their hooves wreathed in mystical flame, their coats radiating with passionate light.

Then they were shown to be clad in majestic armor, appearing as mighty paladins, standing for their princess as they fought bad guys, monsters, saved those in trouble, protected the innocent, restored peace and enforced law. Then they were shown to be walking down a street, praised and cheered by ponies on each side, as they gathered before their princess and bowed while she looked upon them with pride and joy.

"They were everything I'd hoped they would be! And what should have been the promise of a new dawn... turned into the darkest of all my failures..." Celestia spoke in anguish as the memory continued.

Midnight and Twilight watched as the Solar Ponies continued their work... until things took an unexpectedly sudden one-eighty.

In the memory, in a happy little town that reminded them so much of Ponyville, Midnight and Twilight watched as two of the solar ponies began to build what appeared to be an idol, made in the likeness of Princess Celestia's cutie-mark. When it was done, they called out to the locals.

"Come, dear subjects of our venerated Princess Celestia!"
"Come and pay homage to Her Shining Immortal Majesty!"

The locals all paused in confusion of the solar ponies' words, but approached anyway.

"Come and bask in the Light of She who brings the Day!"
"Pray for Her blessings and give thanks to Her divine protection and guidance!"

Midnight and Twilight shared a look, troubled and confused. Celestia only watched in shamed dismay.

"Um..." All eyes turned to a timid voice in the crowd and they saw it was a young pony, no longer a filly but not yet a mare. "Bright Protectors, I'm confused. Since when was it required of us to... worship Princess Celestia?"

Almost at once, the two solar ponies' gazes took a dark turn while their flaming manes and tales burned a darker shade of light.

"Required? Why, my little pony, of course it is required to worship Her Royal Divinity!"
"We are all blessed to bask in Her light! To enjoy the blessings of Her favor!"

"But... Princess Celestia is not a goddess," the young pony said in confusion. "She's always told us she leads us and protects us, and all that she asks is for us to be the best of ourselves that we can be and to live together in harmony."

"You dare to presume the thoughts and words of Our Goddess?!"
"It would seem you and this town require... correction."

And then, to Midnight and Twilight's horror, the rest of the Solar Ponies appeared in burning flashes of light, standing in unison, like a militia ready for battle. The locals of the town immediately saw something was wrong, but it was too late... and each of the Solar Ponies appeared to go supernova!

And the memory blinked out, alarming Midnight and Twilight.
"Wha- What happened?!" Twilight fretted.

Midnight turned towards Celestia, and spoke in soft admonishment, "What did you do...?!"

Celestia hung her head in shame before she projected a new memory, and Midnight and Twilight were horrified at what they saw.

The town set ablaze. Bodies lying upon the streets. The Solar Ponies burning with unforgiving fury, their burning eyes devoid of pity, their ears deaf o the smoke-choked screams that were almost deafened by the roars of the fire.

"I sensed the tragedy too late to prevent it..." Celestia spoke with deepest regret. "I summoned the Solar Ponies, demanding why had they done this? Why had they betrayed their vows? Betrayed the ponies they were supposed to protect? Betrayed me?!

"To my horror, to my disgust... they declared they had removed 'heathen traitors' from my kingdom, to prevent their 'treacherous lies' from spreading, to prevent their blasphemy from corrupting the rest of my little ponies... My champions... had become murderous zealots."

"...why?!" Twilight was horrified, "How could they do such horrible things?! How could they possibly justify this- this... Oh!!"

Twilight began to cry into her hooves, Midnight comforting her while glaring at Celestia to continue.

Celestia's heart hurt to see Twilight so dejected, but she had to finish.

"I... I had no choice!" Celestia's voice wavered with emotion, as the memory showed the Solar Ponies stripped of their armor and put in chains, as they protested, pleaded, yet continued to praise their 'goddess' even a they were dragged away.

Into the gates of Tartarus.

"I endeavored to determine, what went wrong?" Celestia went on as the memory showed her looking through magical research and notes, "I'd had to tweak the magic involved to work for my solar magic instead of the lunar magic that had created the first generation of the solar ponies. But other than that, I couldn't figure out what i had done that was so different... until finally, it came to me.

"After looking through my notes, I recalled a particular detail that I realized was the key difference between Luna's creation of her lunar ponies and my creation of my solar ponies."

Midnight wracked his brains, puzzling on what Celestia was getting at, and then remembering his prior life's time-traveling journey. How he'd witnessed the creation of the lunar ponies, how he himself had been changed, not at first but gradually.

It was then, recalling that sacred, beautiful experience, he understood.

"The first lunar ponies were foals!"

"And my solar ponies were all adults," Celestia confirmed, "The change I had worked upon them had altered their fundamental beings! Unlike the first lunar ponies, who'd had the luxury of growing up into these changes, the solar ponies had been changed too much too quickly, without having the chance to understand and figure out these changes and the powers that came with them...

"The Solar Ponies gained many powers, but the one they all shared in common was the power to draw strength from the sun. Some unicorns and even pegasi and earth ponies can do this as well, but not on the same level as the solar ponies."

"So they get a boost of power from the sun, lunar ponies do the same with the moon," Midnight was confused. "What was the difference?"

"The difference, Midnight," Celestia went on, "is that the Lunar Ponies learned how to handle their power along with the power they gained from the moon. The Solar Ponies did not... they constantly absorbed energy from exposure to sunlight. I had no idea of the burden they shouldered as they carried out their duties...

"My solar ponies... they couldn't handle the power, and it- It affected their state of mind! Their emotions, trains of thought! And their oaths... became twisted and corrupt with a passionate zealotry that turned into something monstrous..."

Celestia lit up another memory, and they watched as she returned to the gates of Tartarus and opened them, her horn alit with mana, as she waited. What they saw emerge broke their hearts, as the solar ponies came out, looking pale, wizened, decrepit, like flowers withered from being cut off from the life-giving sun.

"My solar ponies... once proud and noble champions," Celestia sobbed softly, "crippled with grief into withered shells of their former selves. By imprisoning them in Tartarus, I'd cut them off from the sun, and in doing so they'd lost their connection to it. And it came with a cost...

"Without all that solar energy clouding their minds and riling up their emotions, they had returned to their senses. And were overcome with remorse and guilt..."

The memory showed a sad Celestia, leading her fallen heroes back into the daylight, which seemed to have mixed results, as some of them regained some color and stood up straighter while others collapsed into emotional wrecks.

"The full scope of their crimes fell upon them... and they were never the same again. Some managed to find peace and move on with their lives. Others went into seclusion and were never heard from again. A few of them took their own lives, unable to live with the guilt of what they'd done..."

Twilight felt her heart ache at the agonies these poor ponies had felt, in spite of what they'd done.

"I could not bring myself to punish them any more than they'd already been," Celestia sobbed quietly. "To my relief, it seemed none of them ever regained their solar magic. How or why, I cannot say, but my project to create a force of defenders for Equestria had failed so spectacularly would be putting it mildly..."

"But... if the solar ponies lost their solar magic," Midnight pointed out, "then how could Sunset have solar magic?"

"I wondered that same question after I met Sunset," Celestia nodded, "and I took a deep look into her family background... discovering that Sunset was descended from one of my original solar ponies!

"It seemed this solar pony had unknowingly conceived a foal with his mare, and that foal continued the bloodline... all the way down to Sunset Shimmer. It was the traumatic incident she'd faced that ignited her bloodline, awakening her inheritance, and thus she became the first solar pony in centuries."

"But..." Twilight sniffled as she managed to regain some composure as she looked at the memories of all that the had just learned about her mentor, "...why have I never heard of any of this? The solar ponies, the town they razed, the lives they destroyed! All of that should have been made known to Equestria!"

Silence.

Cold, tense, gut-roiling silence.

Twilight turned to Celestia, as did Midnight. And they saw how she hung her head, her mane's forelock shadowing her eyes, but not the tear that trailed down her cheek.

And Midnight understood.

"You covered it up."

Celestia began to shake, emotions writhing inside like a cluster of snakes.

"...you... you created these ponies and brought death and destruction upon an entire town of innocents!" Midnight's eyes began to burn with blazing blue mana. "And then you had the gall to cover it up?!?!"

"I... made... a choice!" Celestia was in tears, looking scared, ashamed, cornered. "I was in... an impossible situation, where there was no choice between right and wrong! ...only bad or worse."

"There was the truth or a lie..." Twilight uttered, so emotionally distraught that she was sobbing into her hooves.
"...and you chose to lie," Midnight said with a look of condemnation.

"I chose what was best for the good of Equestria!!!" Celestia exclaimed, her eyes angry but continue to shed tears. "In a time of unrest and uncertainty! In a time where the good of the many had to come first, where division could not be afforded! A time when my little ponies needed a leader!"

Midnight was aghast, Twilight continued to sob into her hooves, and Celestia continued her rant.

"Did my actions result in loss and destruction? Yes. But they gave me the wisdom I needed to do better in creating the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods! I've faced evil over and over again and I've triumphed every time because I'm willing to make the choices necessary for the good of ponykind!"

"OH, SHUT UP!!!" Midnight shouted back, his eyes livid, his wings raised in a fighting posture as he began to circle Celestia, their gazes boring into the other's, "You don't know the first thing about wisdom! You don't learn from your mistakes. You don't solve your problems! You send others to clean up your messes for you, putting them in harm's way instead of yourself!"

Celestia looked as though she'd been bucked in the face, and then Midnight pointed his condemning hoof at her, "You may be powerful... but I've never known someone so weak as you."

Those words cut deep, but Celestia's horn flared with rage as she screamed, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, LECTURING ME?! Standing there, judging like a petulant little colt!"

"Yes, I judge you," Midnight responded as tears welled up in his own eyes, "...and I judge you unworthy."

"...what?!" Celestia reeled back as Midnight's turquoise magic threw her crown off her head.

"You are unworthy of this kingdom."

Then his magic tore off her regalia.

"You are unworthy of your titles!"

He stood before her, glaring into her eyes as his blazed with turquoise fire and flowed with tears.

"YOU ARE UNWORTHY!!! ...of the loved ones you've deceived."

Celestia gasped, but Midnight was not done as he stepped back and conjured what appeared to be a parchment and she saw it was one for royal proclamations. Created by her own scribes, imbued with her own magic, to make whatever was written upon them final and absolute.

"I now claim Ponyville and all of her surrounding lands, from the Whitetail Woods to the Galloping Gorge! I claim these lands as domain for myself and my wife! In the name of my forefathers, in the name of your Mother! I, Midnight Blaze, cast you out!"

Then a quill was conjured as Midnight signed the proclamation, and then levitated them over to Twilight. To Celestia's dismay, Twilight accepted the quill in her own magic and signed her name as well. A searing heat momentarily filled the room as soon as Twilight made the final stroke of her pen, and the the deed was done. The magic was binding, official, and unbreakable, even for Celestia, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Midnight helped Twilight to her hooves before he turned to give Celestia one last glare, when Twilight spoke up even though her eyes remain downcast, unwilling to look in her former mentor's general direction.

"We will always remain faithful servants and protectors to the ponies of Equestria," Twilight stated with a voice calm yet edged with pain, filling Celestia with greater shame, "But you will never be welcome in our domain again... unless we both grant you permission to set hoof there."

Midnight nodded in agreement of his wife's words, though he could not deny their mutual sadness as he sighed deeply.
"Come on, Twily... let's go home."

And as Midnight turned to leave the throne room, carrying the proclamation in his magic, Twilight began to follow.

"Twilight...?" Celestia uttered to her former pupil, her voice heavy with shame and desperation.

Thought Twilight hesitated, she didn't look back, refusing to acknowledge her again, and the purple princess followed her husband out, leaving Celestia alone as the doors slammed shut with an echo of finality.

426. Old Burns - Epilogue

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

427. Hunted from the Past - Part 1

It was a cold night in the city of Manehattan, as snowflakes began to fall. Friends, families, and loved ones making their journey home. However, there are those who try to take advantage of this peace and quiet, as one pegasus thought it would be easy pickings to rob the local bank in this late hour

He soon came to regret that as he was pursued by a cloaked individual. The pegasus in question had a dark red coat and yellow mane and tail, he wore a black vest with multiple pockets as he carried two satchels stuffed full with Equestrian Bits and Bills, a few dropping every now and ten but he couldn't afford to stop and pick them up since he was the subject of a hot pursuit. He was gritting his teeth as he flapped his wings as hard and as fast as they could carry him and his ill-gotten gains (which wasn’t as fast as he would have liked, given how his tailgater was getting closer and closer), weaving through the air as he tried to maneuver around the buildings to try and lose this cloaked pony before swerving into an alleyway.

“Damn it! Why don't you get lost, you freak!” he shouted, reaching into one of his pockets he pulled out a couple of stones depicting strange symbols.

“Hope those zebras were telling the truth… TAKE THIS!” he roared, tossing three of the stones in the direction of the cloaked individual, the stones began to glow bright red before exploding, creating a thick and blinding smokescreen to provide him some cover Quickly, he ducked down and hid behind a trash can as he watched his pursuer fly over him and turning left down the alley.

“Ha! Can't believe that worked!” he cheered, about to take flight, but suddenly felt a pair of hooves grab hold of him and threw him across the alley, where he slammed, back-first, into a brick wall. “Gah!”

“Very sneaky, punk… it was a good thing I was following behind, keeping a close watch of the chase… otherwise you'd probably have gotten away.” The thief's vision swam before he shook his head and saw before him a unicorn stallion with a dark gray coat, his horn glowing a purple hue as he yanked the satchel bags full of money away. “Honestly, I'm shocked, but not really.”

“That money’s my score! I stole it fair and square! You two-bit freaks aren’t gonna profit off my efforts!!” the pegasus thief shouted, pulling out two more stones from another pocket.

“Yeah… I really don’t have a need for this, I'd get scolded if I even thought about swiping it,” he said, dropping the bags behind him as he began to stalk towards the thief, who began to feel nervous.

“D-Don’t come any closer or I'll blow ya sky high!”

“Good luck with that, I'm not sure how you got a hold of magic rune stones, but I can tell you from experience that those ones you have… they aren't the blowing up kind,” the unicorn retorted confidently, as the thief looked down at his hoof suddenly.

“Th-they're not!?” the thief glanced at the stones he had, the unicorn smirking.

Now that the perp was distracted, the unicorn's horn suddenly radiated with purple mana and a trash can, engulfed in that same mana, was flung towards the thief, knocking him to the ground as he dropped the rune stones.

Taking advantage of this, the unicorn immediately levitated the dropped rune stones away while the thief was too dazed to notice. But once he regained his wits, the thief was suddenly picked up and slammed into the wall, held in place by the unicorn’s magic.

The thief could now see who this pony was clearly, with the dim light illuminating his surroundings just enough to see the white mane and purple eyes. A face that made him cower in fear.

“W-Wait… if you… let me go… you can keep-” Before he could finish, he was suddenly in pain as he fell to the ground, realizing he was punched in his stomach.

“It’s greedy scum like you that make me sick.” Suddenly stepping on the thief's back and grabbing hold of one of his wings with his magic.

“N-No! Wait! Please!”

*Crack*

“AAAUUUGGHHHHH!!!!”

“Maybe now is a good time for the two of us to start talking. Otherwise, I'll be break every bone in this wing here and that's just the start,”

“Screw… you!”

“Have it your way.”

*CRACK*

“AAAAAAUGGGGH!! AAAAAAAHHH!!!! PLEASE, STOOOOPP!! UH-HUH-Huh…!!!”

“I'll stop… when you tell me what I want to know. Where did you get these?” he asked, levitating one of the rune stones to his face. “You can't get these just from any magic shop. So who did you get these from?”

“I-I don't know!”

“Very well than…”

*STOMP*

*CRACK!!!*

“AHHHHHHHHHH!! PLEASE, I SWEAR I DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE!!!? THEY ONLY TOLD ME THEY WERE GOING TO HELP ME AND… I'd SPLIT IT WITH THEM!!!!” bawled the thief, tears streaming out as the pain felt like it was killing him.

“See… was that so hard. Where did you get them?”

“Just… ahh… just downtown… two zebras sold them to me… J-Just… to test them.”

“Thanks for the info,” he said, immediately punching the thief in the face, his head hitting the hard concrete floor, knocking him out.

“Watcher! What the hell did you do!?” A feminine voice called out to the unicorn as he turned to the opening of the alleyway to see his partner uncloak herself, revealing a pegasus with a coat of pristine white, her mane a passionate red with azure blue streaks similar to stripes.

“I did my job… take the thief down and get information. Your words exactly, Star N’ Stripe,” Watcher replied in a testy manner, annoyed by her appearance.

“You were supposed to capture him and bring him in for interrogation! Not beat him senseless and-!!!” It was at that moment the pegasus, Star N’ Stripe, noticed the thief on the ground. Despite being knocked out, he continued to moan and cry from his body being so injured and the pain was torturous even in his unconscious state.

“Sweet Mother of Celestia! You- you beast! You mangled his wing! And beat him black n' blue?! What is the matter with you?! Were you actually trying to kill him!?” she shouted, glaring at her trainee.

For the past seven months, Star N’ Stripe had been assigned Watcher as her trainee and to be his handler, by Midnight personally. He’d tasked her with training Watcher in the Brotherhood's ways, how to handle criminals, how to investigate, and above all, to respect their code.

But things hadn’t been going well. Watcher hardly listened to her at all, and often deviated from his assignments and patrols, working Star to her last nerve.

“He's not dead, and I only broke one of his wings. He got off easy, especially after that last robbery he pulled when he almost killed three bystanders, putting them in the hospital! One broken wing ain't gonna kill him!” Watcher snapped, already annoyed to no end by this goody-goody two-hooves rule follower.

“We only punish those who escape justice by manipulating the law!” Star affirmed, “This thief is just another common criminal. I concede he’s injured innocents, but the code is the code.

“I can’t overlook this, Watcher…” Star came over, Watcher moving away as his mentor knelt down to examine the thief, before she gazed up at him solemnly. “I have to report your misconduct to Midnight.”

“Tch! Go ahead… maybe he'll also help get that stick out of your fat ass!” Watcher yelled, turning his back from her.

“Ha! You mean my shapely ass,” Star harrumphed while sashaying her rump around. “You wish you had a mare with an ass this good.”

“Pfft… Whatever, you couldn’t handle me if I was even remotely interested.” Watcher chuckled.

“Ain’t much of you to handle, honey…” Star smirked with a raised brow.

“Heh! And who here has actually got some action and who didn't? Oh yeah, you didn't… That other guy at the hood had to drop your ass at your place on the couch? Uh… what's his name again?”

“You know what they say about stallions and overcompensating, you poor-poor thing…” Star said in mock-sympathy.

“Heheh… Look, I still don't see the big deal is… It’s okay to hurt dirty politicians and corporate douchebags who corrupt the law, but it’s not okay to stop and hurt petty thieves who hurt innocents?” Watcher asked, genuinely curious about the line of when to cross it or not.

“I saw what happened, spoke to witnesses to confirm it,” Star answered, sounding serious, “This thief… there’s no denying he hurt innocents, but it wasn’t on purpose. He was trying to cover his escape, not that it excuses him.

“But how we fight the bad guys is just as important as what we fight for. Dirty politicians and corporate douchebags, as you so eloquently put it, disgrace and dishonor the law in ways far worse than a common criminal like him does.”

“I still think he deserved it, but then again, this wouldn't have happened if you had seen him duck behind those trash cans, when he created that smokescreen and I know you were thinking of wailing on this guy after that… remark he said about you,” Watcher said slyly as he smirked at her.

“Yes, I was planning to rough him up some, just to show him what for,” Star shrugged but then looked serious, “But then afterwards I would have turned him over to the police along with all the other evidence we have on him.

“Now, thanks to you, he needs to go to the hospital, and he can use what happened to him as a defense if he’s actually taken to trial.”

“Yeah… three robberies in two weeks, seven bystanders injured, thousands of Bits worth of damages and evasion of law enforcement. Yeah… that defense is definitely gonna help him out. Honestly, Star, you can’t tell me you’ve never done what I just did yourself!”

Star looked into Watcher’s eyes, and then he suddenly felt oddly bad as he saw something in Star’s eyes waver, before she looked at the thief, and sighed.

“I did… and it felt great! For the first five minutes… then afterwards, I felt…” Star blinked a tear away before it could be shed, and then got herself together.
“The code is there for a reason, Watcher. Those who fight monsters are in danger of becoming monsters themselves…”

She looked at Watcher again, and he couldn’t help but feel a strange blush as he finally saw something in his mentor he hadn’t before.

She cares about me! Watcher realized to himself.

“Ahem…Well, anyways, even if this looks bad, I did get information out of him. This guy is a just low-level thug, a petty thief who could only really rob local grocery stores, and pickpocket drunk snobs, right?

“So how can somepony like him… rob banks with high-level security? Unless…” Watcher paused, waiting for Star to finish his sentence.

“Unless, he received help from someone with connections to gear and tools to help with said robberies,” she said, as it began to dawn on her that there’s a lot more going on.

“This guy had magic rune stones, and not just any… hoofcrafted by Zebras, experts on the most exotic and potent of all rune magic. Top of the line and unmatched.” Watcher explained, levitating one of the rune stones he picked up and showed it to her. “See the runic symbols imprinted on the stone? This one is a paralysis stone, rendering whoever it hits unable to move for a while. It'd take this guy’s entire food budget for the month just to afford four of these.”

“So they cost a wing and a hoof, and this guy still has his,” Star wondered, “so either he stole them or he got them in some kind of deal.”

“Most likely the latter. If he even tried to steal them, especially if they're made by Zebras, he wouldn't be alive right now. Unless you have a permit, you can only get these at the black market and Midnight cut off that chain here after the Coup of Avarice was foiled… at least in Equestria,” Watcher explained, snagging the rune stones in his saddlebag.

“But you just said these were made by zebras, meaning they’re still available in places like Zebrabwe,” gathered Star.

“Yes… but does this guy look like he can afford to go there? Just to get a couple dozen of these? No… there might be a new seller in town… or- No- We should probably get this guy taken to the police, er- The hospital, I mean, and then report it to the police,” Watcher quickly changed the subject as he immediately picked up the unconscious pegasus over his shoulder.

“H-Hey, wait, what about-”

“Sorry, I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but all I can say is that we'll probably need to send a report to Shadow Lock to look into this… Not really something we need to look into just yet.”

“Wait? Are you following protocol? Doth, my ears deceive me?” Star teased, giving a teasing smirk that made his cheeks turn lightly red.

“Nope, just… taking this situation more seriously since I can't exactly go looking into this without permission now," Watcher stated, trying to change the subject as the two began to make their way out of the alleyway. “So, are you still gonna report me?”

Star’s mirth faded, and she sighed.
“I have to, Watcher… I can’t look the other way on this.”

“Heh, I figured as much… Really fucking hate being on a tight leash,” he joked, still a little annoyed.

Sighing, Star reached out with her hoof and said, “Say, why don’t we grab a drink at the Last Drop after we take this guy to the hospital? My treat.”

Watcher’s eyes widened surprisingly by her offer. “Well I-”

Just as they were about to make it out if the alley. He stopped as he noticed something at the end of the alleyway, just barely perceptible in the shade but unmistakable. A white stallion, his head covered in blood and several scars riddled across his face and flesh missing on the side of his face.

Silver Smith?

“Why did you abandon us?” Watcher heard the phantasm say, as the blood on his face turned black, and the scars split open, tar bleeding out of them.

“Why did you forget us!?”

He shook his head immediately and noticed everything that was happening was all in his head.

“Watcher? Are you okay, you look like you've seen a ghost?”

“L-Let’s just get this guy taken care of… I'm sorry, maybe another time.”

As Watcher carried the perp away, Star couldn’t help but worry. In spite of all the aggravations and frustrations Watcher had given her, the senior Hood had found herself coming to care about her junior more and more. He was rude and nasty sometimes, and could be a real jerk. Tonight was probably the worst of him she’d ever seen. But through it all, Star had seen something beneath that thuggish and rogue exterior.

A stallion with a heart. A heart that was not cold, but broken.

As she followed, Star thought to herself, I’m not giving up on you, Watcher.

A flag flew atop Ponyville Town Hall, a flag that depicted a beautiful crystalline tree with the cutie-marks of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Prince Midnight Blaze to each side of the tree's trunk. Above the tree, from left to right, were constellations forming a unicorn, an earth pony, and a pegasus. The fabric was a darker shade of sapphire blue shimmered with magenta and turquoise sparkles that likened it to a night sky, and bordered with bright lavender.

A few weeks had passed since Midnight and Twilight returned from Canterlot after their experience in the Griffon Kingdom, which was now embroiled in a civil war. After reporting back to Celestia what had happened, and that Sunset Shimmer was involved, Celestia had been forced to confess what was perhaps her greatest mistake. The dirty details had left Midnight and Twilight so shocked and disgusted that they had claimed Ponyville and all its surrounding lands as their own domain, dubbing it the Haven of Harmony.

Upon returning to Ponyville, they had called the Council of Friendship to explain what had happened and why it was happening, and their friends and fellow council members had been... disturbed to say the least. Applejack most especially had been so disgusted by Princess Celestia's actions, but Midnight and Twilight had forbade her and the rest of them from repeating the topics of their meeting to anypony beyond it. As much as it didn't sit well with the Pony who represented Honesty, she choked it down and understood that spreading this ugly truth would do more harm than good.

Blueblood had asked, what would they do now that Ponyville and its surrounding lands were independent. Twilight clarified that they were still a part of Equestria, but that she and Midnight had established their domain and so she and her husband were now the highest authority within it, similar to Shining Armor and Cadance being the rulers of the Crystal Empire, which was a city-state. She then added that they would make a proclamation to Ponyville, explaining it to their citizens and would answer further questions.

Pinkie Pie had raised her hoof and asked if the domain had a name yet, and Midnight confirmed by declaring the domain was now the Haven of Harmony, and then commissioned Rarity to make their flag.

It was Fluttershy who'd asked a very good question that might have been a bit too soon: Would they ever make up with Princess Celestia?

Although they didn't look at her, Midnight and Twilight's expressions were answer enough for Fluttershy as well as the rest of them, to understand: It would take time.

A couple of days later, Midnight and Twilight were relieved when The Break of Dawn returned, bringing home Spike, Twinken, Faerie Tail, and the guards who'd gone with them in that initial trip to the Shetland Isles.
The day after, Spike called the townsponies to Town Hall, where Midnight and Twilight made their proclamation: That Ponyville, and her surrounding lands, from the Whitetail Woods to the Galloping Gorge, it was all now their own domain, which they dubbed the Haven of Harmony, and displayed their new flag.

Mayor Mare had not taken kindly to this sudden announcement without having even been consulted beforehoof. But Midnight glared her into submission before saying she would remain mayor to manage the town, but he and Twilight were the highest authorities from now on. Next they'd taken questions from the locals:
Were they now no longer part of Equestria? No, they remained citizens of Equestria, only that Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight were now the ruling authorities of this established domain of theirs.
Could they come and go, or was there a process for that? They were free to come and go as they pleased.
Would they still be able to do business outside the Haven? Yes, they would.
What about those visiting, did they require paperwork and ID's to enter? Confirmed relatives would be free to enter to visit family while non-related individuals would be screened to confirm whether or not they came with ill intent.
What about foreigners? The screening process would apply to them too.

After a few more questions, the townsponies were somewhat satisfied, but then somepony asked, What did the Royal Sisters or Prince Sombra think about this?

Midnight and Twilight both furrowed their brows and stated that while Princess Luna and Prince Sombra were free to visit, Princess Celestia was not unless they (Midnight and Twilight) both gave their expressed permission. When the locals asked why, they refused to answer, simply stating that was between them and Celestia.

Since then, Midnight and Twilight had kept busy with smoothing out the wrinkles of establishing the Haven of Harmony. It turned out, declaring a town and its surrounding lands a domain entailed paperwork and even meetings with concerned parties.

Midnight handled the external concerns while Twilight did the same with the internal, such as concerned citizens, families, farmers, businesses, and so on. It kept them pretty busy, but as things started to wind down, they realized there was some unresolved issues…

At breakfast one morning, Midnight was reading while waiting for Spike to finish cooking. He’d given Midnight some buttered toast and OJ to placate him in the meantime, when Twilight came in.

Noticing his wife, Midnight gave her a welcoming smile and said, "Good morning, Twily."

"Ugh..." Twilight responded in a not-morning-pony way, as she went towards the kitchen, only for Spike to bar the doorway.

"Up-bup-bup! Master Chef Spike is in the middle of making a breakfast masterpiece!” the little dragon stated in haughty manner before pointing to the dining table. “Please wait with your husband, and I’ll bring you your usual banana nut muffin and orange juice while you wait.”

Twilight groaned as she did so and sat at the table. On the side opposite of her husband instead of beside him, as was usual. Noticing this, and the way Twilight gazed off into sluggish stupor, Midnight narrowed his eyes and raised his book to cover them before saying, “Well aren’t you a bright ball of sunshine this morning…”

“Please… Don’t say the word sunshine, sunset, or sun… I don’t like it when you say it now.” Twilight sighed as she propped her head up using her hoof and foreleg on the dining table..

“Wh- Er- Where is this coming from?” Midnight flabbergasted.

“Just- Please don't say it. Hearing it coming from you just makes me more mad at you.” she huffed.

“Sheesh, all I said was good morning, I get the cold shoulder, and now this…” Midnight harrumphed as he returned to his novel.

Twilight was about to respond to that remark when Spike wheeled the serving cart, “Breakfast is served!”

He immediately got to work setting everything out, and then kissed his fingers as he placed the cloche-covered plates before the two alicorns, “Eggs sunny side up a la Spike!”

Spike raised the cloches to reveal eggs prepared sunny side up, with strawberry noses and haybacon smiles.

“Spike, you know I prefer cheese omelettes!” Midnight sighed wearily, unknowingly poking at Twilight’s ire yet again.

“Huh, I would think you would enjoy something sunny side-up,” Twilight huffed under her breath as she accepted her plate.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Midnight gaped at Twilight, having heard her light snark.

"Oh I just thought Sunny Side Up was your favorite kind of eggs, is all," Twilight said with a light edge in her tone.

"Twilight, all I said was that I prefer Cheese Omelettes- Oh! But that's right," Midnight snarked back before mockingly saying, "They're too... cheesy...!"

"Oh, but not as cheesy as her lips, I'm sure!" Twilight finally gave Midnight such a stink eye.

Those words struck a nerve, that Midnight's horn lit up with fiery mana as he threw up his hooves and shouted, "SHE KISSED ME!!"

"Uh, guys...?" interrupted the meek voice of Spike.

"WHAT?!?" the two alicorns shouted towards the drake, who flinched at their outburst and pointed towards a shaded corner in the dining room.

"We have a guest, please don't hurt me!" Spike whined as he then held his tail like a security blanket.

Twilight and Midnight both immediately felt bad for scaring Spike, but while Twilight comforted the little dragon Midnight’s eyes fell upon the shaded corner, from out of which stepped…

“Shadow Lock? Wh-what’re you doing here?” Midnight was baffled. It was rare for Shadow Lock to actually come to him whether it was Brotherhood business or not, but Shadow looked a tad uncomfortable, and it wasn’t because he’d walked into marriage drama on the verge of turning into a spat.

“I apologize for dropping in like this, Midnight,” Shadow Lock gave a respectful bow before levitating out a sealed envelope, “but I have this message from Star N’ Stripe.”

“Oh boy…” Midnight had an idea of what this might be about. He’d received a few reports from Star, one his best operatives stationed in Manehatten, and the Hood he’d assigned to be Watcher’s handler and mentor.

Midnight,
I have sent this letter to inform you of your cousin, Watcher, who had broken Brotherhood protocol: by assaulting a criminal he had already apprehended.

I won’t go into details, but the thief is currently hospitalized due to how severe the injuries inflicted upon him by Watcher are. However, we have learned a lot about this thief through Watcher’s “interrogation” and we believe there may be a possible new dealer of illicit magic here in Manehattan and we may require your aid.

I have also been meaning to mention this a few weeks ago, but Watcher has been acting strange as of late. He's become increasingly aggressive in his work as a Hood and he's been turning in hsiu reports late with little to no excuses..

I don't know if it's just me, but he seems exhausted and troubled by something. Please speak to him when you have the chance. He won't open up to me.

Your Sister Hood,
Star N’ Stripe

“Hmm…” Midnight had been afraid of this. Granted, he’d figured Watcher would be rough around the edges after bringing him into the Brotherhood, but he’d hoped the work would give him focus and perhaps fulfillment. Did I rush his basic training? Did I put him in the field too soon?

“Oh my, is something going on?” Both alicorns looked to the doorway, where Faerie Tail and Twinken stood, the both of them looking a bit sluggish, indicating they’d recently woken up.

Faerie Tail’s tummy was starting to show more and more, her pregnancy coming along. The problem was, due to the unusual circumstances of her pregnancy, they weren’t entirely certain as to how long the pregnancy would last. It’d taken about three months after Faerie Tail’s awakening before she’d even begun to feel the symptoms of early pregnancy. That was four months ago, making it seven months total, and she didn’t even look like she was halfway through.

Twinken lit up his horn to pull out a chair for his mom, the unicorn mare taking her seat and sighing in relief to be off her hooves.

“Morning everypony, but what’s the matter with Spike?” asked Twinken as he took his own seat.

Midnight looked and was not surprised that Shadow Lock had taken the opportunity to make himself scarce, as though he’d never been here at all. The only proof being the message he’d delivered.

Spike was finally calmed down, after getting a hug and soothing words from Twilight before regaining his composure, and clearing his throat, “Uh- Nothing serious! Just… a little case of the jitters… Now! Any requests for breakfast?”

“My usual is fine, thanks, Spike,” Twinken asked while Faerie Tail paused.

“Mm, can you bring me some orange juice while I have a think on it, dear?” the mare requested.

“You got it!” Spike rushed into the kitchen, leaving the family to notice the tension a little more clearly.

“Are… you two okay?” Faerie Tail knew they weren’t. Something about this tension felt familiar. Like she’d experienced it before, with her own husband. “Did something happen?”

“Yes, it has,” Midnight sighed wearily, raising the message, “Watcher seems to be having trouble, so I’m gonna go check on him.”

“Is he okay? It’s been a bit since we had that… adventure,” Twinken commented while looking a tad guilty for how he’d run off before, and gotten involved in that ‘adventure’.

“I’m not sure. But I should look into this situation personally,” Midnight responded before his shadow rose up to envelop him, and then fell away, revealing he was now garbed in his hooded cloak.
“I’m gonna be gone for a few days, a week at most. Until then, hold down the fort, everypony. I love you.”

Then Midnight sank into his shadow, his presence marked by shadowy vapor as it slithered away, vanishing out the doorway, and Faerie Tail and Twinken’s eyes turned towards Twilight. The purple princess looked to be torn between warning to be angry yet feeling sorry.

428. Hunted from the Past - Part 2

The Slipstream touched down onto a private landing site at the Manehatten Airport, from which disembarked Midnight, Macintosh, and Thunderlane. Hours earlier, the alicorn prince had invited his two best friends to accompany him to the City that Never Sleeps for a "friendly visit" with his cousin, Watcher.

Mac had been a tad reluctant, but due to feeling wrung out between his responsibilities to Sweet Apple Acres and his wife and foals, he'd agreed to a week time-off after okay'ing it with Fluttershy and Faerie Tail.

Thunderlane was up for it, since there was presently no Silverbolt business, and the workload at the Weather Office was slow lately. After making sure Rumble would be fine with his sitters, he'd eagerly agreed to come along.

“Manehatten!” Thunderlane gazed up at the distant skyscraper, “If it weren’t for those annoying ‘no fly’ zones, this place would be perfect for training in flight skills.”

“Eh, trust me, Thunder,” Midnight chuckled, “not exactly the playground you think it might be. Wind gets… funneled and shifted around by these skyscrapers and other tall buildings so much, the updrafts can be intense and unpredictable. Some hotshot fliers thought they could handle it, and wound up either dead or injured for their recklessness.”

“Speakin’ from experience?” Mac raised a brow in question.

“Guilty,” Midnight raised a hoof in admittance. “I was trained by possibly the greatest Wonderbolt to ever live, and I still wouldn’t try flying around here unless I had no choice… or the right motivation.”

“Oh ponyfeathers, still sounds pretty awesome,” Thunderlane grumbled, “like a challenge for the best fliers out there!”

“Well, we’re here on family business,” Midnight reminded, “and I’m looking forward to introducing you guys to my cousin.”

“You’re part o’ th’ Apple Fam’ly, little brother,” Macintosh pulled Midnight into a one foreleg hug, “so that makes Watcher an Apple as well.”

“Heh, we’ll see what he thinks of that, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate it,” Midnight replied before noticing somepony ahead. “Ah, there she is.”

“Ah, Prince Midnight, it's an honor to see you again, though I wasn’t aware you were bringing guests with you?” Star said, looking at the other two curiously before leaning close to his ear and whispered. “Are these new recruits?”

“Star N’ Stripe, nice to see you again, and looking as lovely as ever,” Midnight said with a friendly smile and just a bit of flirt as he took Star’s hoof and gave it a kiss, making her stifle a titter.
“I would like to introduce you to two of my best friends, Big Macintosh and Thunderlane. My colleagues, fellow members of the Council of Friendship, and Knights of Harmony. And…. no, they’re not recruits. But you’re free to speak openly about Brotherhood affairs with them present. They know about the Brotherhood and my position as its leader.”

“Okay, that's a relief, I was worried that I'd have to be discreet about it. Anyways, welcome to Manehatten, the city that never really sleeps! Or shuts up, for that matter…” welcomed Star, grinning as she shook Big Mac's and Thunderlane's hooves. “Anyways, I can take you to where you'll be staying and give you time to settle in or if you'd like, I can take you straight to Watch's place?”

Midnight gave his friends each a look, and both nodded they were cool with that, and so he said, “Why don’t we pay my cuz a surprise visit?”

After arriving outside of the apartment Star began to fill them in on their way upstairs to the fifth floor where Watcher was staying.

“So that's pretty much what I've been dealing with when Watcher and I are out in the field.” Star sighed as she led them down the hall. “Honestly, is one drink with me too much to ask? Feels like every time I ask he shuts it down immediately. I get that he doesn't want to talk about his past, but he's been acting strange lately.”

“This behavior of his does concern me…” Midnight had figured Watcher would have issues, but this was a little more than he’d bargained for.

“Beatin’ on a pony who can’t fight back, ain’t right,” Macintosh’s tone was low and laced with disapproval. “It’s cowardly, is wha’ it is!”

“No offense, Midnight, but your cousin sounds like a thug,” Thunderlane didn’t like the sound of this pony either.

“I know, I know! Watcher, he’s… he’s complicated, but he’s family,” Midnight sighed as they made their way down the hall of apartments.
“I recruited him because I knew he needed some kind of… guidance, purpose, something he could devote himself to and do good. Seems I underestimated his problems however.”

“To be fair, that punk did injure civilians in his heists. So he was warranted a few bruises… I just didn't think he'd go that far this time.” Star stated, still perplexed by Watcher’s state of mind. “Something is bothering him, and I honestly think only you can get him to open up, Midnight.”

“Well, then,” Midnight said as he stood before the door to Watcher’s apartment, “Let’s call this a… intervention, if you will.”

His horn lit up to open the lock, Thunderlane interrupting, “Aren’t you gonna knock?”

“And not take him by surprise? I don’t think so,” Midnight smirked, “Besides, I bought this apartment and placed all the right security wards, so I think I’m entitled surprise drop-ins.”

The lock clicked, but the door still wouldn't open for some reason. Like something was blocking the way. Not wanting to break the door down, Midnight gestured to his friends to help, and together they forced the door open without causing any damage, allowing them all to enter.

Noticing the door was covered in a red sticky substance that continued to ooze down. When they opened the door all the way…they all gasped when they saw everything was covered in the red substance… smoke filled the room and glass shards scattered across the floor.

“What the buck happened here…?! Watcher! Watcher, where are you!?” Star shouted, immediately she flew inside first to try and find the unicorn.

“Mmhm…” Midnight heard.

“Seriously? What is this stuff?” Thunderlane asked, touching some of it with his hoof only for it to get stuck to his hoof.

“Relax,” Midnight patted Thunderlane’s back before touching the red stuff himself to give it a sniff. “It’s not blood.”

“Well, wha' izzit?” asked Mac.

Midnight gave it another sniff… before wiping a bit off the walls and giving it a taste, “Huh, sweet. Some kind of candy.”

“Candy?!” Star echoed, completely baffled, when…

“Mmhmmm!” they all heard this time.

“You all heard that too, right?” Star asked.

“MmmHMMM!” Big Mac heard coming it from behind the door they entered. Closing it, he was able to find the source of the grunts. A dark gray unicorn completely covered in the red substance.

“Watcher!” Star hurried over to check on her charge, when she noticed he was… stuck. To the door. It was very sticky.
“What the hay…?!”

“Hnnooettmeeeownfmmmeerr…?!” Watcher mumbled in frustration.

Mac asked, “Wha’ did he say?”

“If I had to guess, ‘Can you get me down from here?’, I got this,” Midnight lit up his horn, casting a spell, and the red substance gluing Watcher to the wall dissolved into a thin mist that quickly dissipated into nothing, leaving a subtle sweet smell as Watcher slumped down to the floor, gasping and moaning.
“Hello, Cuz, bad time?”

“Actually… good timing… I was stuck there for almost six hours now. I would have gotten out, if my horn wasn't so sticky and covered in my magic candy.” Watcher answered, taking in a few deep breaths.
“Not that I'm not happy to see you or… your friends? But what are you doing here?”

Midnight gave Watcher a lookover, seeing his cousin looked a little ragged and tired besides messy. His coat was stained with the candy he’d apparently been making, his eyes were a little baggy, indicating he’d not been getting much sleep, and yet he sat there on the floor with a ‘whatever’ sort of demeanor. He couldn’t help giving Star a look, which she returned with a concerned shrug, but that was enough for Watcher to understand.

“Star messaged you,” Watcher groaned wearily as he got up and magicked a towel over to start wiping himself off.

“Well, your misconduct aside, I can see you’ve been busy,” Midnight commented, “but I’m not here to read you any riot acts, Watcher. Call it… an evaluation, if that floats your cloud.”

“Look, I got too caught up in that chase and let it get to me. It's not like I killed the guy… plus he was uncooperative. But I get I broke protocol, it won't happen again. I'm fine, I'm fine alright.” Watcher explained, his horn light as purple flames began to appear and dance across his apartment, disintegrating the red velvet. “Now while those flames take care of that. I can get back to work on my latest project.”

“Which, I’m sure…” Midnight said with a soft yet subtle tone that made it clear this was not a negotiation, “you won’t mind sharing with us, as we proceed with your evaluation.”

Watcher gave his cousin a look of subdued annoyance before looking over to Star. She was apologetic, but the look on her face made it clear she stood with Midnight on this. He then noticed the looks on Thunderlane and Macintosh’s faces, Thunder’s was wary, and Mac’s was… not exactly friendly, indicating he didn’t like who he was looking at.

Sighing, Watcher said, “Fine! Let me… regale you with my newest creations… You've already tasted my chocolate red velvet river… or what it was supposed to be. A magic chocolate ball that when you bite into it… red velvet syrup is supposed to ooze down like a river… Well you saw how that turned out.”

“Well, uh… it’s delicious at least,” Thunderlane said, trying to sound polite and friendly, “But… how’d it wind up such a mess? It’s like a bomb went off in here, and you were sticking to the door… for six hours?!”

Midnight and even Mac couldn’t help joining in on Thunder’s amused chuckles while Star stifled hers yet even she couldn't help cracking a smile, making Watcher blush a bit as he pressed his ears back.

“It was an accident involving some yeast I was using for another treat… spilled it all over the red velvet and it caused a chain reaction… which mixed with the heat led to it… blowing up… I was trying to stop it, but only made it worse,” he explained, giving them the stink eye.

“Anyways… it's a failure regardless. I have other treats I've made… granted they… aren't great.” Watcher said, his ears folded down as he pulled out three trays from his fridge of various different candies. “Give them a try.”

Mac, Thunder and Star browsed before each of them reached out… only for a shield of turquoise mana to bar their hooves from even touching the treats, and all eyes turned to Midnight, who gave Watcher a sneaky look.
“It’s not nice to trick somepony into being your test subjects, Watch.”

Their gazes turned over to Watcher, Thunder being confused, Star being disapproving in a parental kind of way, and Mac looking almost angry, and Watcher looked like the colt with his hoof caught in the cookie jar.

“...how’d you know?” Watcher asked lamely.

“You can’t outsneak a sneak,” Midnight answered, “I dowsed this apartment for any source of magic when we entered, and I detected sources in your fridge. So… when you brought them out, I put two and two together.”

“Well I am appalled at you, Midnight… Do you really think I'd give untested candy to them? Give me some credit… they are perfectly safe. More or less…”

“What’s more or less?” asked Star with a raised brow.

“They were supposed to do one thing… but they do another. That's all really.” he replied.

“Watch!” Star raised her voice.

“Ugh! Alright these are my candies that are close but aren't there yet… But I promise on Celestia’s mane that they won't harm, damage, or kill anyone. These are supposed to be for kids. They're just… not there yet,” he assured, giving an innocent smile towards them.

“Explain them to us?” Midnight asked.

“Fine… The yellow and black stripe candy is called… the ‘Bumblebee’ chocolate It’s supposed to give you the wings of a bumblebee and the effects only last half an hour,” Watcher explained, his horn levitating the square chocolate to Star.

She was hesitant to try it but seeing the pleading look in his eyes made he cave and she popped it in her mouth. Her eyes lit up as she savored the chocolate and honey flavor in her mouth.

“Bzzz bzzz!" she uttered, covering her mouth immediately. “Bzzz, bzzzz,bzzz!”

“The problem with this one is that… you just sound like a bee instead… and the effects last only two minutes,” Watcher explained, as Star merely flipped her middle primary feather at him. Watcher just rolled his eyes.

“What about this second one here?” Thunderlane asked, pointing to a pyramid shaped white chocolate with red stripes.

“Yea, tha’ one looks good,,” Big Mac added with a shrug.

“If you must know, it's my experimental apple chocolate dancing candy,” Watcher said, levitating the two pieces to them.

“Ya had me at apple,” Big Mac said, popping it into his mouth.

“Mmm… Not bad,” Thunderlane said as he’d done the same thing.

“Hold on, what does it actually do?” Midnight asked.

“Like I said, it makes them dance… but…” Watcher said with a sheepish apprehension.

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

Immediately, both Mac and Thunder began to dance as they sang, looking oddly rhythmic yet making complete fools of themselves at the same time, repeating the same verse over and over as they continued to dance under the candy’s effects.. The sight of it caused Midnight and Star’s jaws to drop as Watcher pressed his face into his hoof, shaking it, as he muttered, “Humiliating…”

“Pppthh, HAHAHAHA!!!!” Midnight burst into laughter, boisterous and taken off guard, taking a minute or two to get it out before he eventually calmed down and took a deep breath, “Th- That… Watcher, you evil genius, this… this is brilliant!”

“Normally I'd be proud, but this isn't what I wanted from it! It's supposed to make them just dance! Not sing like a couple sassy backup dancers! It'll last about twenty minutes… They'll be fine.” he explained, levitating the final piece of candy from the tray over to his cousin. “This one though… it's supposed to make you float… but instead it does… nothing. Just plain ordinary hard candy… Tastes bland too!”

“Let me see,” Midnight held out his hoof, and Watcher shrugged as he hooved it over.

Midnight cast a spell to examine the candy for a few moments, before saying, “Hmm… Well, the magical formula seems to be right, but something is missing, a… catalyst that makes the magic work upon ingestion.

“I gotta say, Watch,” Midnight gave Watcher an approving look, “Never pegged you as an alchemist, especially one who would make candy imbued with magical effects!”

“Well alchemy was a major I did in school… just wasn't fond of it until now.” Watcher muttered, slightly annoyed. “So far all my candy have been complete failures… The last 48 hours have been a complete waste… I thought I had it figured out now.”

“Well, maybe you just need another perspective on things, someone to help you,” Midnight suggested kindly. He gave the candies a look and considered the possibilities.
“Magical candies have been looked into before, but concerned parents and such rained on that parade. But I think you’re onto something here, Watch. These candies could be useful, fun, perhaps even help others, once perfected, that is.”

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

“How long are they gonna keep doing that?” Star asked in annoyance, “It was funny at first, but now it’s just grating on my ears!”

“Like I said before… twenty minutes at most. They'll be fine, we can get some grub while they're… occupied. There's a restaurant across the street that makes great sandwiches… You can stay if you want cuz while Star and I fetch them? If you want to hear them go on and on?” Watcher said slyly.

“Oh no worries, I got this,” Midnight assured before looking at his friends, his horn lighting up and turquoise flames flowing out of his eyes as he chanted, “Finité Dispel!”

A gentle pulse spread from Midnight’s horn, enveloping the room, and then washing over Thunderlane and Macintosh, the magic influencing them appearing as a sloppy web of vaporous and ethereal threads that were suddenly torn to shreds, dissipating into nothing, while the two stallions suddenly tripped over themselves mid-dance and kerplumped onto the floor, spurring a laugh from Midnight, Watcher, and Star.

As they regained their wits and stood up, Thunder and Mac both looked embarrassed before glaring at Watcher and then Thunderlane said, “We never speak of this again… and we can go on being friends. Agreed?”

“Eeyup…” Mac growled with a glare.

“Agreed,” Watcher shrugged in a teasing manner. “Now! Let's get some grub… been stuck in here for two days and I'm starving.”

“I’ll buy,” Midnight offered, “and we can discuss your project some more! I think you’re on the verge of something, cuz.”

“Well I guess I could use some help,”

“Don’t forget that we still need to talk about his evaluation, right Midnight?” Star brought up.

“You're right! Thanks for reminding me, Star.” Midnight said with a smile on his face.

“It’s what I do boss,” she said slyly.

“Star… I hate you so much right now.” Watcher uttered, glaring at the mare as she winked at him before sticking her tongue out at him.

Manehatten was among the most famous and diverse of all Equestrian cities, known for its restaurants, theaters, shopping businesses, seemingly shining like a jewel. But those were only some of its facets.

Manehatten had a dark side.

Even after the renowned Coup of Avarice, the backstreets and darkest alleyways hid the most ruthless and cruel of criminals, some keeping their heads low to avoid clashing with the mysterious hooded vigilantes. Others were biding their time, looking to fill in the empty thrones once occupied by the worst crime bosses Manehatten had ever had the misfortune to deal with.

Once a seemingly upstanding businessmane, Blackberry Hossmane, had been the King of Manehatten’s underworld, until he took his own life rather than face the consequences of all his crimes that were exposed.

Now, there was a suspenseful silence hanging over the darkness of Manehatten, as though the city itself were holding its breath, waiting to see who would make the first grab for power.

In the dreaded Haydes’ Trough neighborhood, in the Westside of Manehatten, in the basement levels of a shady pharmaceuticals company, an earth pony poured over his research notes as his brain ran a thousand thoughts through his mind.

Chemical calculations, discretion, fear of exposure and imprisonment- No…

This stallion, this scientist who had been robbed of the opportunities and the glory that should have been his by lesser minds and bleeding hearts…

I will allow for nothing to interfere at this critical stage… the stallion thought with a grim determination.

His thoughts were interrupted when something nearby began to glow and vibrate, making him groan in vexation before turning to it. A crystal set upon a pedestal, with a large facet reflecting his face back at him.

He was a stallion in his early forties, with a coat of teal, his mane a darker shade of teal with a yellow highlight, his yellow eyes below a pair of goggles, and his cutie-mark was a nucleus with a flask pouring a chemical onto it.

He wasn’t in the best of shape. He wasn’t obese, but he wasn’t skinny either. More of a couch potato, mostly from sitting while reading and experimenting so much and not being very active. He was a little raged, wore a lab coat, and he hadn’t shaved recently, plus his mane was a little mussed up.

Groaning from the sight of the crystal, he decided to get it over with and tapped its reflective facet, his face fading away and in its palace was the nasty scowl of an Abyssinian Cat. A Cat he was all-too familiar with, much to his chagrin.

“Mr. Winkle, to what do I owe this displeasure?” the pony huffed wearily.

“Ah, Dr. Nucleus, How is our latest experiment proceeding?” The Cat, Mr. Winkle, inquired with a seemingly polite tone, but the look in his golden eyes was anything but. “You did receive the package from our… acquaintances?”

“Yes, they brought the tar from the Tower of Trottingham, despite the quarantine around the site. So far it's proven to be able to… revive the dead to a limited degree, though their bodies deform and contort during the incubation period. However, I must say that they've been quite docile thanks to the rune stones The House of Assassin's brought in for us.” Atom Nucleus explained to him, although one thing did bother him.
“Although, I thought the samples would have been delivered sooner. Didn’t you hire another to complete this mission?”

“Watcher! He was originally sent to retrieve the substance and bring it here, but the coward ran off with my bits! My sources say he is currently residing here in Manehattan…” Winkle hissed vengefully.

“How do you know he’s in Manehatten?” inquired Atom Nucleus.

“Let’s say that… there’s some very kind folks who are… eager to see him again. They'll be arriving soon with the next delivery of rune stones.” Winkle explained, his mouth contorting into a foul grin. “One of them in particular is… dying to settle the score.”

“Winkle, please don't tell me you’re sending out-”

“The House of Assassin's? Why yes I am, do you have a problem with that?”

Nucleus narrowed his eyes but bit his tongue. He hated Winkle, a fat cat who thought he could throw money at any problem and solve it to his immediate gratification. More than once they’d butted heads and though Nucleus could sometimes reason with Winkle, the Cat always had the last word. After all, it was his money bankrolling this operation, and without it Nucleus would never be able to continue his work.

Swallowing his pride, he took a deep breath before Nucleus said, “Quietly… I am on the verge of a breakthrough, and cannot afford unnecessary complications. You can at least agree with me on that, Mr. Winkle…?”

“You're talking as if they'll fail and you and I both know they've never failed to eliminate their target,” Winkles said smugly. “They'll arrive within the hour with the next delivery, they've already received payment from me, your job when they arrive is to inform them about his location. They'll take care of the rest.”

“I’m a scientist, Mr. Winkle…” Nucleus stated softly and with a tone, “and we don’t deal in certainties. Only a fool disregards the margin for failure, however promising the prospect.”

“It’s not just about the results, my friend… it's all about tying up loose ends. Or-or… decreasing the variables? That science-y enough for ya?” Winkle spat before he began to cough and wretch, besting his chest and hurrying to take a drink of water.

Nucleus smirked in amusement, “Hairball medicine wearing off, Mr. Winkle?”

“Sh-shut your … mouth! Urp…!” Winkle hissed and burped at the same time, before his tubes finally cleared and calmed down. “Just… give them their next assignment, and tell them to report in when it’s done… comprendé?!”

And without even waiting for Nucleus to respond, Winkle’s image winked out from the crystal’s surface, leaving the scientist with his own reflected company once more. He took a deep breath before saying to his reflection, “Just a little longer, Atom… do the work, get paid, and you’ll have the funds you need to move forward. Pah!”

He turned away from the crystal and got back to work, muttering to himself, “Easy for me to say…hehehehaaa…”

429. Hunted from the Past - Part 3

Watcher led his cousin, and his cousin’s friends to a nearby diner Watcher frequented. It was retro, had various memorabilia from older days, a jukebox, and gave off a friendly atmosphere filled with the delicious smells of a classic eatery. The fry cook, Hoof Montagu, was a middle-aged earth pony with a rotund barrel and mane slicked back under his deli cap, and his daughter and niece were the waitresses, while the cashier was maned by his best friend’s nephew.

Seeing Watcher, Montagu smiled through the deli window and called out, “Well, well, Watcher m’boy! Come to grace this greasy spoon with your presence yet again, have we? And with friends no less! Has Tartarus finally frozen over?”

Watcher smirked and shook his head, “Hello, Montagu, you old coot.”

“Take a seat, y’all! I’ll be right with ya,” Hoof Montagu invited as he ducked back into the kitchen.

Midnight was glad he’d used a glamor to disguise himself, preferring to avoid his ‘adoring subjects’, so only Watcher, Star, and his friends could see through his illusory disguise as Watcher led them to a nearby table. He’d considered a booth, but decided a table with actual seats would be more convenient.

“I see you’ve made friends,” Midnight smirked at his cousin, but it was a sincere look of pride.

“Eh, Hoof kinda took a shine to me,” Watcher shrugged as they made themselves comfortable. “Called me the son he never wanted, thinks he’s a gas. Just don’t pull his hoof, I learned that the hard way…”

“I had no idea you were making friends outside of work,” Star said with a teasing elbow to Watcher’s ribs.

“Hoof’s owned this diner for more than twenty years, and has no plans to retire,” Watcher elaborated, “wanted to pass it onto his son eventually, but they had some kind of falling out a few years ago.”

“Over what?” asked Thunderlane.

“No idea,” Watcher sighed, finding the situation sad, “it’s kind of a sore subject for the big guy.”

“Hey, little buddy!” Watcher looked to see Hoof coming over, his forelegs held in an inviting gesture, and he humored the older stallion, getting up to give him a hug before he joined them at the table, before Hoof cleared his throat, “So, my friends! What can I do for ya?”

“To start off, I’ll take the special with a side of hayfries, please?” Watcher asked.

Hoof nodded before taking the others’ orders, but then he called over his daughter and passed said orders to her, saying he’d be along in a few to start cooking, before he returned his attention to his guests.

“Filling your bellies aside, I gather you’re here for something else… Your Majesty?” Hoof gave Midnight a knowing look, flabbergasting the alicorn, and even taking the others by surprise. “I’ve lived too long and experienced too much not to know the feeling of an alicorn’s presence, youngster.”

“Well, color me impressed,” Midnight tweaked the glamor to let Hoof see him as he truly was, before bringing up, “Y’know… I feel like I know you from somewhere. Not personally, though your name does ring a bell...”

“Oh, I’ve been around the block in my time, had my share of adventures back in my… thinner years, heheheheh,” Hoof chuckled while giving his belly a joking shake and pat. “Anyways, I take it this is more than just your appetites a’calling.”

“...I don’t suppose you’ve seen one of these before,” Watcher said hesitantly before placing something on the table.

Hoof gave it a look and awed, “Well! Whattya know? I haven’t seen a runestone such as this since my tour in the wilds of the Afriskan bush, during the Zebra Rebellion against the Rhino Lords.”

“Runestone?” echoed Macintosh.

“A stone that’s got a rune carved into it, and then imbued with mana to give it a magical effect, kind of like a spell,” Watcher explained, before looking to Hoof with trepidation. “But, are you sure it’s… zebra in nature?”

“I recognize this particular rune,” Hoof nodded, “and the carved details along the edges look like a personal touch that zebra runecasters use to 'sign' their work. Like an artist.”

“So the question is, what’s this runestone doing in Manehattan and how did some two-bit criminal get his hooves on it?” Midnight brought up.

“Well, Watcher hypothesized that someone is in town, selling runestones to criminals for money,” Star responded, “and anypony with enough bits could get their hooves on some pretty potent magic that you can hold in the frog of your hoof.”

“Well that depends,” Hoof interjected.

All eyes turned to the older stallion, and Watcher asked, “Depends on what, Hoof?”

“On how good your manners are, and how big your… pocketbook is,” Hoof chuckled with a foreboding tone. But then his tone turned serious as he held up the runestone, “Although, I can’t be sure… but there’s a chance I might know of whom this particular stone came from-”

“But, for now, I think we should eat! Can’t solve this case on an empty stomach, right Hoof?” Watcher asked, his eyes meeting the older stallion, giving him a knowing look to stop.

“Right, right, right, I’ll be back with those specials for ya,” Hoof replied with a shrug, making his way back towards the kitchen.

“By the way, Midnight, I forgot to ask, but how’s Aunt Faerie Tail doing?” Watcher asked.

“She’s doing well,” Midnight resisted the urge to raise his brow. He’d noticed how Watcher had interrupted whatever Hoof was gonna say, but for now he’d let it slide. “Her pregnancy’s starting to progress normally, but there’s still a fair amount of time before she’s ready to give birth.

“Twinken’s finally getting a better handle on his powers, and he’s working through the baggage he was under before. As for Twilight and me…”

Midnight trailed off, looking dismayed. Watcher looked over to Thunderlane and Macintosh, and both of them were concerned as well, but they said nothing, knowing it wasn’t their palace to say.

Knowing he’d have to break that ice himself, Watcher asked, “Something happen?”

Midnight sighed and asked, “Have you heard about the Griffon Kingdom?”

“I only know that a civil war has broken out and the kingdom is heading down a dumpster fire, but what does that have to do with- Wait, did you start that?” Watcher asked, his eyes widening.

Sighing, Midnight replied, “No, we tried to prevent it. But we failed, and now my friend, Prince Doran, faces something he never asked for… a war as well as the burden of being heir to the Griffon Kingdom throne.”

“But this is not what troubles you.” The two cousins gave Star a look, and she gave Midnight a knowing look and shrugged with a sympathetic smile, “Mare’s intuition.”

“Well, I am troubled by the civil war, but…” Midnight groaned as he leaned his head back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling, “It’s what happened while we were there… and it involves another mare.”

“Midnight, Ah think ya should get to th' point,” Big Mac stated, concerned for his brother.

“Midnight, what did you do?!” Watcher demanded, glaring at the alicorn in front of him. “You didn’t… Did you cheat-”

“SHE KISSED ME!!!” Midnight snapped, throwing his forelegs out in frustration. “How many goddessdamn times do I have to say it?!!?!?”

“Woah…” was all Thunderlane could say as he stared in disbelief.

As Midnight panted, he ignored the stares he felt from all around the diner while Watcher held up his hooves in surrender, “Easy, cuz, easy… Tell me what happened exactly?”

Taking a deep breath, Midnight apologized, before he explained all that had happened, about Sunset Shimmer, the role she’d played in the scheme that led the griffons to civil war, and how she’d kissed him while he’d been down and unable to defend himself.

And how Twilight was holding it against him in spite of knowing Midnight hadn’t done anything wrong.

“...and now we keep giving each other the silent treatment, the cold shoulder, or we just start spitting fire whenever I try to be nice!”

“Damn…” Star muttered as Hoof’s daughter brought them their meals. “Oh, thank you!”

“That's… wow, I’m assuming she’s put you in the dog house?” Watcher asked.

“Oh she wishes!” Midnight said through gritted teeth before he started chomping into his burger. After swallowing down a mouthful, he griped, “I don’t get why she’s being so saddlesore about this! It’s not like I asked Sunset to kiss me! I was hurt and couldn’t move! She saw it for herself, and she’s acting like I betrayed her somehow!”

“Here’s my question for you, little cousin. Did you… like it? There is a reason why I’m asking this question, so please, don’t bite my head off,” Watcher asked, taking a hoof full of hayfries and stuffing them in his mouth.

Midnight gave Watcher a brief stink eye before considering the question. Had he liked it? Looking back, he recalled the pain from having been blasted by Sunset’s solar magic. It’d left him in such agony he could hardly move, and then he’d thought Sunset was going to finish him off… and instead he was liplocked and left so utterly bamboozled his mind had stopped working up until he felt Twilight glaring at him, snapping him back into reality.

But the kiss itself?

When Midnight thought about it, from an outside perspective, he had to admit, Sunset was a rather beautiful unicorn. Though she was allied with Catrina (and not counting their history) Midnight could honestly say he found her attractive. There were things about Sunset that Midnight could actually admire, such as her determination, her grit, her prowess as a sorceress…

Watcher had all the answer he needed, just seeing even the subtlest blush on his cousin’s face.

“Annnnd that’s why your wife is mad at you. When a mare you’re with, whether she's your fillyfriend, lover, or wife, finds even a hint that you’re attracted to another female, of course she’s gonna be pissed at you! If you didn’t find this Sunset attractive then you would have been repulsed by that kiss and would have reacted accordingly. But you didn’t… Do you get it now?” Watcher asked after his explanation.

“But that’s not fair!!” Midnight protested, “I can’t help what I feel! Hell, if Twilight got kissed by another pony, I’d at least give her the benefit of the doubt!”

“Yes, I agree and I know this sucks, but like I mentioned before, Twilight knows you have some kind of attraction to this mare and she feels threatened by it. The memory of that kiss and you liking it, is ingrained into her mind,” Watcher clarified before asking, “Imagine if you saw Twilight kissing another pony, like you said, and you see her all ablush, or see that she has some kind of attraction. How would that make you feel?”

Midnight considered the hypothetical situation, and had to admit, he wouldn’t like it, and he might be a little sore about it…

“Okay, fine! I wouldn't like it, but I wouldn’t be petty about it!” Midnight maintained, taking a breath before stating, “As I said, I would give Twilight the benefit of the doubt and let her explain her take on it. So we could clear the air.”

“But did you do that?”

“I tried!” Midnight exasperated, “I mean- I… Well, not at first, that is. I kinda… ignored what happened at first. i mean- We were trying to prevent a war! After that didn't pan out, I thought I should wait a bit before bringing... that up again. But then when I tried to discuss it with Twilight, that’s when the whole drama actually started!”

“Hmm… Well all I can say is that you need to make it up to Twilight, you’re the one at fault here, and I get it. You had no control over what happened, but you also admitted that you did for a moment… feel attracted to this mare. However, I say a big romantic gesture is what you need to do to make it up to her. Take her out to her favorite restaurant, get her a present, actually talk to her. Apologize to her and explain to her everything. I think you’ll be surprised by her response.”

“Sounds like you know a great deal about this, huh Watch?” Star asked, her eye twitching as she gave a crooked smile.

“Yeah, maybe you’ve got some stories of your own to share?” Thunderlane jumped in with a grin.

“Yeeeeah… Not really, but anyways, you get what I’m saying?” Watcher asked with a dodgy look in his eyes.

Midnight gave Watcher an indignant look, like he wanted to argue the point further. But he just sighed and sank in his chair, wanting to be angry but growing increasingly tired of being angry.

He knew the kind of mare his wife was. Twilight was somepony who made sense of the world by studying and researching whatever piqued her interest or confused her into conundrum. Only feelings and matters of the heart were not so easily made sense of.

“Whatever… I’ll figure something out later,” Midnight sulked as he returned to eating his food.

“Still, I gotta admit… I kinda wish I was living there in Ponyville, just to see all the craziness that goes on there.” Watcher joked, letting out a chuckle as he took a bite out of his large sandwich.

“Well, yer always welcome t’ swing by fer a visit, Watcher,” Macintosh invited, “Midnight, Twinken, an’ Faerie Tail are honorary Apples, an’ Ah think o’ Midnight an’ Twinken as th’ little brothers Ah never had. So… Ah reckon tha’ makes you fam’ly too.”

“Well I’m honored… Anyways, you all should probably get unpacked and get some sleep, I’ve got something I need to take care of at my apartment.” Watcher suggested, his horn lighting up as the remains of his sandwich were wrapped up in the paper for it to have later. “We’ll pick up on this later.”

Back in the Castle of Friendship, Twilight was in the library, sitting at her usual spot, snoot into one of her favorite history books. It was one of her escapes, diving into books, losing herself in the world of the written word, either learning something new or refamiliarizing herself with some subject that might be fading from her memory.

Ordinarily, she enjoyed it, pouring over various works of literature or intellectual subjects of magic, arithmetic, science, chemistry, alchemy, astronomy…

But this time, she couldn’t shake the icky and infuriating feeling in her gut that was just making her ornery and frustrated. Try as she might, the image of Sunset kissing her husband always loomed in the back of her mind, however much she tried to keep her mind off of it. Then she’d remember that look on her dumb husband’s face.

Stupefied, that subtle blush, perhaps even the underlying hint of interest.

Argh, I shouldn’t think that, but… Twilight sighed as she tried Cadance’s calming technique of breathing out her stress. It helped, but not nearly enough.

“Knock-knock!” Twilight turned to see Faerie Tail enter the library, levitating a serving tray with a steam teapot, cups, and what looked to be a bowl of marshmallows?

“Hello, dear. Ooh, a tad chilly in here, isn’t it?” Faerie Tail smiled that motherly smile Twilight remembered from her days as a filly, “Nothing my mother’s old hot cocoa recipe can’t help with. Pour you a cup?”

“...Yes, please, Auntie Faerie Tail,” Twilight smiled a little and accepted the offer, as well as the unexpected company.

Though Faerie Tail was not her aunt, and technically her mother-in-law, Twilight had always known and loved Faerie Tail as her surrogate aunt, and so continued to address her as such. Faerie Tail didn’t mind. She’d always loved her honorary niece as though she were the daughter she never had.

She poured the hot cocoa, added a few marshmallows, as well as a little milk to cool it, and sprinkled it off with a hint of cinnamon, before offering it to the lavender princess.

Twilight took a careful sip, and mmm’d at the taste and drank more, welcoming the comforting heat into her stomach, and it quickly helped to begin warming her up.

“Thank you very much, Auntie,” Twilight said kindly as she set the cup and saucer onto the reading table. “I didn’t even realize how much I needed that.”

“You’re welcome, Twilight. Now…” Faerie Tail’s tone took a maternal shift. The kind where a mom gives one the foreboding sense of a lecture, before she sat beside Twilight and raised her brow at her, “What’s eating ya? And don’t you say nothing, because mothers know these things. Even mothers-in-law.”

Twilight should have expected this, but she knew there was no getting out of it. Faerie Tail could read her like a book, just as her own mother could, and in spite of having avoided discussing it with her as well as Twinken and Spike, the time had come to let it out.

“...How much did you hear this morning at breakfast?”

“Enough to know that somepony kissed Midnight, and it obviously bothers you,” Faerie Tail responded in a bedside manner.
“But, I also heard him say that she kissed him. From that, I presume a mare kissed your husband without his consent, and you are holding this against him.”

“I… well! It’s… urgh!” Twilight mentally scrambled for a response, something to give her some kind of clout but not to hang herself with.
“It’s… it’s not that I… He- She…! I don’t know! I don’t know what to think or say or do about it, but every time I try to forget about it, I end up thinking about it anyway and it infuriates me! I know he didn’t kiss her back, but… Just something about it all bothers me! I’m sorry if that doesn’t make sense, Midnight would never betray me and I know he loves me, but I don’t know why I’m still so mad at him!?”

“Did you ever think, Twilight, that this is what that mare wants?” Faerie Tail pointed out.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“What if the reason for the kiss… was to get this exact sort of reaction out of you?” suggested Faerie Tail. “To drive a wedge between you and Midnight, to hurt your relationship. I don’t fully understand the situation or anything else relevant to it. I don’t even know what this mare is like, or what her angle is. But even from what little I’ve gleaned from you and Midnight, I can conclude she’s trying to hurt your marriage by doing what she did right in front of you, and when Midnight was unable to prevent it from happening.”

Twilight was stunned, mentally slapping herself in the face by those words, and she hung her head, instantly feeling like a pile of horseapples, “I… I never thought of it that way…”

“...Is that all that’s bothering you?” Faerie Tail gently pressed.

Twilight took a moment to reflect, and looked past the kiss… as well as after it. The events in the Griffon Kingdom, what happened, and then how the meeting with Celestia went after returning to Equestria.

Faerie Tail immediately noticed a dawning expression on her daughter-in-law’s face, but the moment Twilight looked up to the older mare, about to say something, she placed her hoof onto Twilight’s lips, and said, “Nope.”

“Hmmph?!” Twilight pushed Faerie Tail’s hoof away, but the unicorn was already getting up.

“Whatever it is, it’s something you must discuss with your husband when he gets home,” Faerie Tail declared, and raised her hoof when Twilight was about to protest, “No, Twilight. It’s between you and Midnight, not me, or anypony else. You love him, you said so yourself. But you’ve allowed this mare’s actions to put a strain on your relationship, and so you and he must work at undoing the damage by being frank with each other.

“When he gets home, just talk to him, and let him talk to you. Get out your feelings, share everything that’s bothering you, because we both know it’s not just the kiss, and compromise where you go from there in figuring out how the both of you will work towards clearing the air and making amends. Okay?”

Twilight gazed up at the older mare with awe, and sighed, “Emotions can be so… messy, can they, Auntie Faerie Tail?”

“Hahah, emotions are always messy, dear,” Faerie Tail reached up and brushed a stray lock out of Twilight’s face, “I know that, as a therapist, as a mother, but most of all, as a pony. You can read all the books you like on the subject, but you can’t make sense of it intellectually, but emotionally. And that means being honest with those you care about and who care about you, but especially with yourself. Oh!”

Faerie Tail gasped slightly and looked towards her barrel, Twilight suddenly getting concerned, but Faerie Tail smiled, and said, “Your future baby brother or sister in law just kicked me.”

“Is… is that the first time you’ve felt it?” Twilight looked upon Faerie Tail’s growing tummy, finding the very image practically sacred, as she could recall the vision Midnight once shared with her.

Of them and their own family.

“It actually started a few days ago,” Faerie Tail replied before gently taking Twilight’s hoof, and placing it over a spot on her pregnant belly. “Just… wait.”

Twilight did so… and felt her heart skip a beat when she felt a gentle bump at her hoof, and the two mares shared a loving smile in that moment.

Atom Nucleus was honestly irked by the arrival of the House of Assassins. He had never been a fan of them as he had dealings with them before in the past, but they had never treated him with any kind of respect. Only doing what they pleased as they walked all over him. It’s why he had originally had his boss hire the former mercenary Watcher to retrieve the black substance from the Tower.

Seeing their boat pull into the dock, Atom immediately ushered his associates to board the large vessel to retrieve the cargo onboard. As the ramp began to descend, Atom was greeted with the sight of five cloaked individuals coming down.

“Ah, welcome back to Manehatten, it has been awhile since your last visit. I hope your travel here wasn’t inconvenient for you?” He asked, one of the hooded figures removed their hood, revealing a young beautiful Zebra who had her mane braided and tied back. Her blood red eyes sent a shiver down Atom’s spine that he could only describe as pure hatred, or perhaps it was fear he was feeling.

“We can skip the pleasantries, you know why we come to this… filthy concrete jungle. The hunt!” She answered, grabbing the stallion by the collar of his lab coat and pulling him closer to her. Her glare pierced his very soul as he was frozen stiff in fear. “Where is he? Black Death, you know where he hides, do you not?”

“O-Ooooffff… Of c-course, N-Nyra… Once we get the runes stone to our facilities I’ll give you the exact coordinates of where he’s hiding!” Atom stuttered, feeling her release her grip on his lab coat. He began to take deep breaths.

“Very well, Narbus, did you bring them?” Nyra asked, turning her gaze towards the tall hooded figure, who’s paw came out from underneath his cloak.

“Grrrrrufff… Yes… I got them. They’ll… help fffffffffind him.” The hulking hooded figure named Narbus said, pulling out four rune stones and throwing them into the air. The runes began to glow a bright purple before they morphed into large golems with glowing purple eyes. “FFFFFFFFFIND Black Death! Brrrrring him to us! Mooooove silently! Stay out of sight”

*GRRRROWWWWLL*

The four golems snarled and growled as they began sniffing the air before making a dash towards the city, climbing over the large cargo boxes and leaping into the air as they made their way to the streets of Manehatten. Atom only looked with his mouth agape as his eye began to twitch.

“What the buck! You can’t just send-” Atom was immediately silenced by a knife gently pressing against his throat.

“I suggest you hold your tongue… doc. We may have a transaction with you providing our own hoof crafted rune stones in exchange for medicine and gold for our clans, but that only goes so far…” Removing his hood, revealing another Zebra, a stallion who had several scars across his face. He had green eyes and several piercings on his left ear. A branded mark of a star on his neck. “Black Death has lied, cheated, and betrayed our House, and for that he must pay with a painful and agonizing death.”

“Ok-ok-ok-ok! I won’t question your decisions, but I don’t know who that is! You have to be more specific about who-”

“Watcher! The son of a bitch who abandoned me, stole from and betrayed us! That’s who he is!” Nyra shouted, only to receive a glare from her fellow Zebra.

“Shut. Your. Mouth…!” the zebra stallion ordered with measured menace.

“S-Sorry, Malice,” Nyra shuddered and bowed her head slightly.

The zebra stallion known as Malice then turned his gaze back towards Atom, lowering his blade from his throat. “For now, let us rendezvous at your facility, Doc, we have a lot to discuss.”

“R-Right… We have even more distributors now to spread the product of your magic rune stones, but were you able to make those special rune stones we requested?” Atom asked, nervously as he rubbed his neck with his hoof.

“Of course… Nimbus! Charcoal! Make sure those incompetent pawns of theirs bring them, the last thing we want is for them to forget.”

“Yes, Chieftain!” the remaining two cloaked figures answered, wings flared out through slips in their cloaks and they took to the air, back to their ship.

Atom wanted to speak, but seeing the glares on all of their faces or what he could see mainly from Nyra and Malice was all he needed to know.

They were ready to hunt.

430. Hunted from the Past - Part 4

As they all made their way back to Watcher’s apartment, Midnight couldn’t help but notice that his cousin was acting strange. It was mainly whenever he brought up the case involving the rune stones, that Watcher would subtly change the subject.

“Watcher I think we should-”

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask about this place down in Ponyville, it’s called… Sweet Apple Acres? Is the cider they make down there really as good as they claim it to be?” Watcher asked, turning his gaze towards Big Mac.

“Uh, eeyup,” Macintosh nodded, “but, unless it’s fer special occasions, we only make cider t’ sell in th’ fall so we can make enough bits tuh keep th’ farm afloat through th’ winter.”

“I see, the only reason why I even brought this up, cause of the cider I had a while back in Trottingham, and they claimed it was from Sweet Apple Acres, and… well… It tasted like I was drinking shit.” Watcher explained in deadpan, “I complained about it and they said to take it up with the owners who made it or I just have horrible taste.”

“Now wait just an apple-pickin’ minute!” Macintosh took umbrage, “We ain’t got any fam’ly livin’ in Trottingham, so whoever toldja tha’ was Apple Fam’ly cider was lyin’ through their teeth!”

“Whoa, calm down, big guy,” Thunderlane said, gently fanning Mac’s steaming ears and face with his wing.

“Uh, Watch? When was this?” asked Midnight, having a suspicion.

“This was about a year ago when I was hired as a bodyguard for this rich guy’s little punk. When the job got stressful I heard from one of the security guys told me about this bar called ‘Willy’s Sweet Bar’ and they had some of the best cider in town… So I took their word and decided to give it a shot… But like I said, it was the worst cider I’ve had… Told me they got it from some folks that claimed it was from Sweet Apple Acres.” Watcher explained, already getting the idea he had been lied to. “So… any of this ringing a bell or?”

“Hmm, memo to myself,” Midnight said while conjuring a notepad and pen, “‘Have Hoods stationed in Trottingham look into possible cider scam against Sweet Apple Acres’.”

He then Vanished the notepad and pen before saying, “I asked, because I thought you might have bought the swill cider from a certain pair of unicorn salesponies I dealt with not too long ago. But anyways, Watcher, I wanted to ask about the runestone.”

“Hold on! Salesponies? They wouldn’t happen to have been… the Flim-Flam brothers would they?” Watcher asked immediately, his eyes narrowing.

“Watcher…” Midnight was starting to get annoyed. His cousin was clearly dodging the question.

“Wait, you know those guys?” Thunderlane jumped in.

“Know them? Those scamming two bit punks tried to trick some old friends of mine out of their bits before I found out and gave one of them a black eye. If there’s one thing I hate the most are a couple of amateur scam artists.” Watcher explained, slightly irked by remembering the twins who nearly cheated his old acquaintances out of their money.

“Alright, good for you, Watch, but we should talk about the runestone and whoever might be behind it,” Star interjected, looking insistent.

“By the way Star, didn’t you mention a similar incident on one of your dates… who was it again? He made you pay for the entire dinner, and seats for the theater and practically left you alone for some dame-”

“I thought I told you to NEVER bring up that lowlife and bitch again!” Star shouted, her face turning bright red after slugging the dark grey unicorn in the shoulder, recalling that embarrassing night where she practically swooned over that con-artist and was left for some hussy stripper.

“Sorry, sorry, it was just a funny story that I remembered after mentioning those flim-flam guys and I guess I sorta forgot. Besides, you didn’t exactly say keep it a secret… just told me not to mention it to the other guys on patrol.” Watcher apologized, unable to hide his smug smirk.

“Other guys?” Thunderlane asked.

“Ah, right, you wouldn’t know about the other Hoods in this area.” Watcher explained, still rubbing his arm. “You want to explain Star? Since you know more than I do… at least what you can say?”

“Uh- Well, Thunder,” Star hesitated a moment before looking to Midnight who gave her a ‘go ahead’ gesture, and she cleared her throat, “Manehatten is one of the biggest cities in Equestria, and has one of the highest crime rates. Hoods are stationed in different cities and towns based on a number of factors, including crime rates as well as their severity.

“Watcher and I aren’t the only two Hoods here in Manehatten, but we’re the two here in the district of Broadway. There are other Hoods in the other districts., and we help each other if we request it.”

“Okay, I can see how that works,” Thunderlane responded while giving it a thought.

“Now, if we could just get back to the runestone-” Midnight tried to say, only for Watcher to cut him off.

“Anyways, if you do happen to meet the other hoods at some point, don’t mention the story I brought up with Star. She really couldn’t face them for a week.”

“WATCHER FLAMEBRIGHT!!!!” Midnight snapped, blazing blue magical flames flowing out the corners of his eyes.

“Yes, Midnight Blaze? Is there something you need cuz?” Watcher asked innocently, as he looked unfazed.

Midnight glared at his cousin with the intensity of a flamethrower, before taking a deep breath and using Cadance’s calming technique. The flames in his eyes subsided, but didn’t extinguish. Instead, they were now small yet focused, like the blue flame of a cutting torch, as he gave Watcher the look of an authority figure.

“I am going to ask nicely, just this once…” Midnight stated before demanding, “Stop dicking around, quit changing the subject, and spill your guts on what’s got you so flustered about this runestone… before I make you….”

“Changing the subject huh? Well, if I recall from the rules involving certain case files, I am not allowed to divulge sensitive material to those who aren’t members of the hood. I am just following the rules, that you insist I follow. Don’t think for a moment I’ve forgotten The about the case, Midnight, so if you want to know more… just wait patiently cuz.” Watcher explained, glaring back at the alicorn.

Midnight's shadow suddenly expanded behind him, umbral tentacles rising and writhing like snakes, as Midnight bore his fangs, and glared bloody angst at the dark gray unicorn.

“You really want to do this now? Cuz this won’t end well Midnight,” Watcher said, his horn glowing as purple flames formed around him.

“Alright, that’s enough, both of you!!” Star got between them, and said, “First off, kiss already…”

“HEY!!!” both cousins snapped at her, their displays of petty intimidation snuffing out by their having been taken off guard in an indignant manner.

“Second, Watcher, Midnight is right,” Star gave her junior hood a scolding look, “You’re dodging the subject at hoof and something about the case is clearly bothering you.

“Macintosh and Thunderlane both know about the Hoods, so they’re privy to whatever information Midnight deems fit, so quit using their not being Hoods as an excuse and start talking already, dammit!”

Watcher couldn’t help but glare at the pegasus before turning his gaze away from her. He didn’t like that look she gave him whenever he was uncooperative. He couldn’t explain why but he knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. “Tch! Fine… You want to know why? I don’t want… Anyone involved in this case.”

“Why?! You were the one who insist- Wait, you know who’s involved don’t you?” Star asked, receiving a nod from Watcher as he let out a sigh.

“Of course he does, and so does Montagu.” Midnight pointed out, “He was gonna say something, but Watcher got him to clam up.”

“I’ll tell you guys everything, AFTER we get inside! I’m not comfortable sharing this out in the open, you never know who's watching.” Watcher explained, looking up at the buildings.

The group moved in awkward silence for no more than a few minutes, but it felt like hours before they made it up the stairs of the apartment complex and reached his room. Unlocking the door, they all quickly made their way inside, before Watcher closed the door and locked it immediately. His horn glowed brightly as he muttered. “Silencio!” and a barrier formed around his apartment.

Midnight got the idea and his horn lit as he cast several protective wards of his own, reinforcing the protections Watcher’s apartment already had, as well as some improvements in the overall setup.

“The apartment is soundproof now and it should still look like no one is home. We should be good to talk now.” Watcher explained. “Before we start… there’s one thing I need.”

“What?” Midnight asked, already tired of his stalling.

“A drink, I’m not saying anything about this without some liquid courage.” Watcher explained.

“Hmm, fair enough,” Midnight shrugged as he summoned a vintage bottle of legitimate Sweet Apple Acres cider, “Gotta love temporal stasis, keeps anything as good and fresh as the moment it was ready for indulgence.”

He conjured some glasses and offered everypony present a cup, saying, “This is the kind Mac and his family make, but not for underage customers.”

Watcher accepted the glass of golden brown liquid and could smell the unmistakable smell of apples, as well as the telltale scent of alcohol. He gave everypony a look before saying, “Bottom’s up…”

He did just that, and the others joined him. After downing his glass, Watcher gasped a little, feeling the mild burn of an adult drink simmer around his mouth and down his throat, before a pleasant bubbling in his stomach made itself known… and then he let out a gnarly belch that reverberated out his mouth and around his apartment walls.

The others made similar expulsions out of their own mouths, but none were quite on Watcher’s level.

“Ho! Oh, that’s good… Alright, what do you want to know?” the dark gray unicorn asked.

“Montegu, he was explaining to us about the rune stones, but you got him to clam up, why?” Midnight asked before fiercely adding, “And no more stalling!”

“I know, but the reason I got the old coot to shut up is because I don’t want him getting involved in this. The guy’s already served Equestria, and he doesn’t need to do any more else. Especially since he has a family, and the last thing I want is for them to find his corpse hanging outside his shop by his entrails.” Watcher explained, taking a sip from his glass as everyone’s eyes widened by his words. Except Midnight. He’d seen similar gruesome incidents in his time, but still.

“W-What?” Star muttered, feeling a sudden weight dropping into the pit of her stomach.

“Tell me… are you familiar with the… House of Assassins?” Watcher asked, looking directly at Midnight.

“...I encountered someone I believed to be affiliated with them several years ago, when I was following a lead that led me to Afriska,” Midnight recalled that experience. “There were rumors of a group of assassins that originated from Zebrabwe, lots of ghost stories, some sounded like cautionary tales.

“But the individual I encountered led me to believe the House of Assassins is real, the kind of killers who give even crimelords nightmares. Before I could capture him to take him in for interrogation, he took his own life by drinking poison. All I got from him was, there are things far more frightening than death…”

“Well I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you aren’t that familiar with them… They always did a damn good job of covering their tracks. Even making their own clients take their own lives due to the horrific things they’ve done to keep their mouths shut… Even me telling you this already paints a hit on me now.”

“The House of Assassins… they are real, and they’ve been around for a long time, a very long time. You could even call me an honorary member since I’ve worked closely with them in the past.” Watcher explained, already getting a feeling that he’s already said too much.

“Ya mean ta tell us you worked with em?” Big Mac already glaring at him.

“Yes… It’s a long story that I don’t plan to explain, because right now we don’t have a lot of time. Right now, all of you need to get your shit and leave Manehatten immediately. The rune stones that have been appearing in this city, and the common criminals that somehow got their hooves on them. They were made by the House of Assassins, a tribe far out in Zebrabwe. They always took those that were abandoned when they were young and raised to be trained killers… They had been around a long time… long time… they can make anything seem like an accident, make anyone that makes their list disappear. Erase family trees from history as if they didn’t even exist… Even those who do know they exist are kept silent.” Watcher paused for a moment as memories of Silver Smith flashed through his mind again.

Taking a deep breath, he continued. “They did leave for awhile… thanks to you, Midnight, when you pretty much reduced crime here in Equestria to practically nothing after that Coup of Avarice incident. Now that they are back they are gonna finish what they had started… Me.”

“You?!” Star was alarmed. “What do they want with you, Watch?! I- You mentioned you were a member of sorts, but why would they want to get rid of you?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” All eyes turned to Midnight, who was looking at his cousin apprehensively, “He double crossed them.”

“It’s more complicated than that… but all I can really say is that the reason they are coming for me now. Is because I decided to go clean, to start over and leave that life I had behind. They probably think I’ve gone soft which is why they are coming now.”

“But they’re not the type of organization from which you can turn in your resignation,” presumed Midnight, before sighing, “I would have pursued them further, but they were stationed outside Equestria and I had other matters to deal with at the time. I should never have just written them off…”

“Midnight, you couldn’t have known… We haven’t spoken for years before I ended up calling for you to help with the Tower. You weren’t even 100% sure they were real, so don’t go blaming yourself. They weren’t going after me before, because of my reputation and my history with them. They probably thought that I wouldn’t leave that life of killing behind. Now that I have, they probably think I’m weak or not as cruel as I used to be. They’ve been sending me messages about coming… I’ve done a lot of shit that I deeply regret and honestly… I think it’s time that I truly paid for them.”

“You can’t just… give up.” Thunderlane said, sounding intimidated but not enough to just roll over and take it, “I mean, I get you made mistakes, and honestly it’s sickening, but you have a family to take care of, right? What about that filly you planned to adopt? Midnight mentioned a filly you are taking care-”

“Mini Eclair, is being taken in by my mother, and there’s a reason why I kept minimum contact with her for so long. I may have had my issues with my mother, but I still love her, but the work I did before was always risky, it’s why I kept a distance from her,” Watcher responded, sounding depressed yet unapologetic before stating under no uncertainty, “The House of Assassins are not your run-of-the-mill killers for hire. They are anything but common criminals. They are assassins who live for the kill… They have kill counts greater than any assassin in history.

“I may have been accepted as an honorary member, but that can only last so long. Not after what happened between me and-”

“Between you and who? Star asked.

“Well- That’s besides the point, the point I’m trying to make is that I am out of time. The rune stones were a message that they are here in Manehatten, and I may not know why they are distributing them to common crooks and scum, but I know they were meant for me to find. It was suspicious that a pegasus who couldn’t rob a grocery store before was suddenly able to rob banks with high level security and make off with thousands of bits… Whatever their plan is, I need to stop them. You guys need to go home.”

“Heh, dream on, dude,” Thunderlane scoffed. “No way we’re just gonna stand by and let you face these psychos alone.”
“Eeyup,” Macintosh nodded, “Fam’ly sticks t’gether, an’ yer fam’ly with th’ Apples whether ya like it or not.”

“You did hear everything I said right?” Watcher gave them the stink eye, however good intentioned it was, “Wiped family trees from history? Hanged ponies by their entrails in their shops? Made folks disappear, and subjected them to torture unimaginable. Made deaths look like accidents! You guys do know that I’m not exaggerating right?”

“Watcher, shut up.” Watcher flinched at the soft reproach that came from Star, as she gave him a hard look. A look of deepest concern as well as admonishing, as she walked up to him and looked up to him since he was taller than her.

Then, to Watcher’s surprise, Star threw her forelegs around his neck, hugging him tightly, warmly, protectively, and he heard her whisper straight into his ear.

“You’ve been on your own for far too long, bore this burden all by yourself… But you’re not alone anymore.”

Star let him go and stepped back, and Watcher was stunned to see a tear trailing down Star’s cheek as she gave him a caring smile, “You have your family, your friends, and you have your team! The Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods may use questionable methods to achieve their goals, but no matter what our mission is to protect and serve the people.

“That includes you, even if you weren’t a Hood. So stop trying to face this by yourself. You’re stuck with us, so deal with it, you big oaf.”

“Heh… I must be crazy if I’m even considering for a second to involve all of you in this.” Watcher said, feeling his cheeks redden as a smiled formed on his face, before realizing there is something important he needed to tell them. “Look, when I said it was a lot more complicated than just double crossing them, I need to tell you guys-”

*CRASH*

“GRAAAAAAAHHH!” A loud shriek was all that could be heard crashing through the glass windows of Watcher’s apartment before he was suddenly tackled by a statue-like figure, shaped basically like an ape, that plowed him through the wall.

“WATCHER!-” Midnight was suddenly cut off by another one of these statue-like creatures but this one was much taller and slimmer then the other one. He gazed up at it, how it resembled a large bipedal lizard with jaws like a crocodile.

Two more golems came out of nowhere, facing Macintosh, Thunderlane ,and Star, and Midnight was confused in addition to being alarmed, How did they get in here?! How could they have entered without setting off all the wards I placed upon this apartment!??!

He took notice of the golems’ purplish white and dark gray-brown, and saw they appeared to be made of quartz crystal as well as some other kind of stone. He quickly cast a dowsing spell, and was impressed by the spellwork imbued into these malevolent models.

“Alrighty you evil edifice!” Midnight said dramatically to the golem in front of him before pulling on a construction worker hardhat and spoke gruffly, “You’re a public eyesore, and it’s my official duty t’ wipe youse off th’ landscape!”

He summoned his sword and called out, “Knights! Present arms!”

Macintosh and Thunderlane got the idea and summoned their own swords before each of them held their blades and channeled their power.

“Find the Light… Nightfall!”
“Pierce the Heavens… Skystrike!”
“Stand tall… Stone Edge!”

Each stallion became engulfed in bursts of magic that swirled around them before zooming in and hitting seemingly random points of their bodies, and turning into pieces of armor at the points of impact, and before long each of the three were fully clad in their knightly armor and helms while their swords had transformed into their unique weapons.

Nightfall was a pair of armored gauntlets with claws.

Skystrike was a bow without a string.

Stone Edge was a heavier sword paired with a round shield.

If Watcher had been able to take the time to admire the Knights of Harmony in their full glory, he would have been in sheer awe. Instead, he was holding off the golem that had pounced him into the wall with a Mana Shield to block its attacks as the ape-shaped construct was ramming at Watcher with its crystalline fists.

“GRRRR… Damn Narbus! Didn’t think he’d get involved as well!” Watcher shouted, his horn beginning to flicker as a large blast of purple flames ignited, sending the large golem flying off him and crashing into the one Midnight was fighting. “This… wasn’t what I was expecting…”

Star immediately pulled out an unassuming penfrom her satchel, clicking it. Instead of the pen nub coming out the tip, the entire pen extended and even thickened to a degree, transforming into a metal bo-staff. “Who the buck is Narbus!?”

“He’s a diamond dog that was brought in as a pup… he was raised by the House of Assassins… He’s a rune stone carver and golem maker, one of the best there is…” Watcher explained, as several orbs of purple flames formed above him. “But sending in these things? It’s messy and conspicuous. It’s not like them… it’s like they threw subtlety out the window.”

Macintosh slammed the edge of Stone Edge’s shield against the golem he faced, taking satisfaction when he saw a crack form at the point of impact even though the golem kept attacking.

Thunderlane didn’t waste time, and pulled a non-existent string on Skystrike, causing an arrow made of electric yellow energy to materialize, and he fired, the arrow making its mark, striking the point on the golem Macintosh had damaged. Though there was no physical damage, the golem stopped and shook as though it were in the midst of a spasm. It jerked and moved haphazardly, like a short-circuiting robot. Mac seized the moment and stabbed the sword of Stone Edge straight into the point of impact, and was not at all surprised when the blade skewered the crystal golem as easily as stabbing through styrofoam. Then with a roaring heave, Mac swung, pulling his sword and cleaved the golem completely in twain, as its two halves fell apart, its pieces crumbling and its energy snuffing out.

“GRAAAAAAH!!!” The tall thin golem roared in anger as it leaped towards Watcher. Swiftly, Watcher fired off a barrage of fire balls at the lizard-like statue, hitting it directly as a plume of smoke filled the air.

Watcher waited patiently for the smoke to clear, but was instead met by the creature’s hand grasping his face, and suddenly the golem began to glow. In a burst of light, the golem exploded, blinding Midnight, Star and everyone in the room. Once the smoke cleared, the remaining golems were gone and Watcher was nowhere to be seen.

“Watcher…?!” Star uttered in confused disbelief.

A burst of prismatic energy and Watcher kerplumped into a gritty alleyway, and was immediately pinned to the ground by the remaining golems. He struggled and grunted, snapping, “Get your mitts off me, you oversized lawn ornaments!”

“GRRRRR… Long time, no see… Black Death… We’ve been waiting expecting you FOoOrrrrR a while!” Standing above him was a white diamond-dog with gray stripes, wearing a brown cloak.

“N-Narbus! Didn’t think they’d send you… I was expecting-”

“Who? NyRRRRRRa?!” Narbus asked, glaring at the unicorn, before stepping to the side.

Watcher’s eyes widened as he was greeted with a familiar face he hadn’t seen in awhile. Zebra who’s beauty was unmatched by even the most beautiful pony in Equestria, from her braided mane tied back to her beautiful ruby red eyes. “Nyra…”

“We never forgive, Watcher…” she said with a soft voice so ominous it made Watcher all the more afraid as she added, “and we never… forget.”

431. Hunted from the Past - Part 5

Star could only stare in disbelief at the smoldering smoke where Watcher had once stood. For six months, she had been training the unicorn to be a member of the Evening Hoods. Despite the constant bickering and complaints they had with one another, she did love how funny the stallion could be. She wasn’t sure when, but somewhere along the way, she started to admire Watcher’s drive, his kindness for others, and even when he made her laugh. She liked it when he smiled, and now… it’s gone.

Watcher was gone in an instant, a part of her prayed to Celestia that this was all a bad dream.

“N-No…He… He can’t be gone!”

Midnight wasted no time as he focused and seemed to go into a trance, his eyes flaring with his turquoise blue mana before his horn emitted rings of energy that slowly expanded outwards.

“Midnight, what’re you-” Thunderlane tried to ask, only to get a wing over his mouth.

“Shush! He’s searching…” Star had seen her leader do this before, and they waited as Midnight did whatever… until his eyes cleared up and he sighed in disappointment.

“I dowsed for Watcher’s mana,” the alicorn said apologetically, “but wherever he is, he’s outside my range. Those golems came for him and once they got him they warped away. Unless I can get closer I won’t be able to dowse for Watcher and ping his location.”

“Wha’ kinda range you got t’ search for Watcher like that?” asked Macintosh.

“Enough to cover around half of Manehatten, more if I have the energy,” Midnight responded as he released the power of his knightly magic, his armor vanishing and his gauntlets returning to sword form.

Macintosh and Thunderlane did the same, and the knights all reabsorbed their swords back into their bodies.

Thunderlane and Macintosh regarded the deeply worried Star before sighing and Thunderlane asked, “So what do we do?”

“What do you think? We’re gonna search every inch of this city until we find Watch!” Star shouted, frustrated that her leader’s spell didn’t find him. “Midnight, I think we should also send word to the other hoods to start searching as well!”

“...No, we need to handle this ourselves,” responded Midnight with a heavy tone.

“By ourselves?! We could search for weeks and not come close to finding Watcher!” Star yelled, starting to get hysterical. “Manehatten’s one of the biggest metropolitan areas and has perhaps the second largest population in all of Eqeustria!”

“Which is why the other Hoods of Manehatten need to hold their positions,” answered Midnight, his tone taking an authoritative edge, “If we just scramble and search we won’t accomplish anything, and it leaves our operatives vulnerable to any enemy units out there.

“We’re not dealing with common criminals, Star N’ Stripe. This is the House of Assassins… we have to approach this with our heads focused and cool. We’ll send word to the other Hoods to keep their eyes and ears out for Watcher and anything else that could lead us to him. Otherwise, they must hold their ground in case this goes pear-shaped. Am I understood…?”

Star firmly nodded despite wanting to argue, but Midnight had a point. “So what the buck are we supposed to do then? The longer we wait, the less time Watcher has… We-We don’t know… what they’re doing to him!

“I knew… he was having a hard time, and I didn’t do a damn thing to help him! If we had tried harder, then maybe we could have been better prepared for this! Or at the very least, he’d still be right here next to me!” Star shouted, tears immediately coming out as she started sobbing. “Why didn’t I… just tell him! I should have told him…”

“Make no mistake…” Midnight’s tone changed grimly as he turned away from his agent and his friends, looking towards the broken window of Watcher’s apartment, looking out to the city. For most, especially those who did not know, Manehatten was beautiful, Busy, bustling, but beautiful all the same. For those who knew better, it was like a rosebush containing a thorn behind every leaf and petal.

Midnight’s eyes flared with mana again, blazing and blistering out the corners of his eyes like fire, as he bore his fangs and stated, “If these pieces of filth have done harm to one of my Hoods and a member of my family, I will kill them myself… in a way that will make them beg to be put out of their misery…”

Macintosh and Thunderlane shared a troubled look before the earth pony stepped forward and placed a hoof on his brother’s shoulder, “Easy there, haystack. Like ya said, we gotta keep focused.”

“Mac’s right,” Thunderlane nodded before regarding the shattered remains of the golem he and Macintosh destroyed. “We got one of them, maybe it can provide some kind of clue, give us a lead to start searching.”

“Step back, all of you,” Midnight cleared his head and his mana reached out, ensnaring every piece, every fragment, levitating them up and then they rotated as the pieces came together, reassembling into the golem but now only held together by magic as Midnight cast a spell to analyze it. “It’s faint, but… there’s still traces of rune magic residue remaining.”

“Does that mean-”

“Yes Star, I can track where they took him… but I’ll need to get to work immediately before it dissipates completely. In the meantime, all of you prepare yourselves. If the House of Assassins is really as formidable and cunning as Watcher implied…” Midnight regarded the golem shards as he ominously stated, “They know we’re coming…”

When Watcher finally came to, everything was completely dark despite the throbbing black eye he was given by Narbus. As he tried to stand up, he immediately fell down, feeling the clanging of chains around the fetlocks of his hooves.

Damn… Narbus really did a number on me with his golems, I think they broke something…

He wasn’t sure how long he had waited, but soon he was blinded by a bright light above him and he soon realized that he was in a glass cell in a bright white room. His hooves were chained up with no ordinary chains, but enchanted ones. Built to hold powerful unicorns like him. Watcher felt a pressure on his horn, and knew at once he’d been outfitted with an inhibitor ring to prevent his usage of magic.

Standard House of Assassins procedure when dealing with unicorns… he thought with a pained grumble.

“I see you still make that face when you get lost in your thoughts… I’m almost glad that hasn’t changed at least.” Peering out of the darkness from the other side of the glass, Nyra had stepped into the light. “It’s been a long time… hasn’t it, Watcher?”

“Nyra…”

“At least you remember my name, but is that all you have to say to me?”

“No… I wanted to say… You look good, considering this shiner Narbus so kindly bestowed upon me.”

“Flattery won’t do you any good… Not this time, not after what you did to me. I’d say you got off easy considering Narbus only broke a few ribs and gave you that black eye.”

“So… You still hate me for that day, huh? Glad I’m not the only one.” Watcher let out a chuckle when he said that. “But you know why I did that though… We weren’t ready… and you know that.”

“You. LEFT. ME! At the Altar!” Nyra shouted, her face turning bright red as she glared daggers at the dark gray unicorn. “We were supposed to be married… spending the rest of our lives together, raising a family together like we always talked about.

“But you left… You left me alone-”

“We weren’t ready… I wasn’t ready… the work that we do, the things we’ve done, the lives we’ve taken! Nyra, I loved and cared about you and I did want to marry you, more than anything… But the blood on our hooves… The guilt was too much. You deserved to be with someone who loves and cherishes you, and it was when you were ready to get out of this life… Neither of us were ready to leave this life, I wasn’t ready to leave this life!” Watcher explained.

“So instead you left me… alone. To face the fear and the death with no one else to rely on!” Nyra seethed with heartbroken ire.

“I’m sorry… I know that’s not what you want to hear, but that’s all I can say… I never wanted to hurt you… and I didn’t tell you how I felt about the marriage because I was scared.”

“Scared? We’re all scared…” Nyra said ominously as she looked down her muzzle at the stallion who had betrayed her. “You’d have to be crazy not to be scared…”

Watcher couldn’t help but let out a little laugh before a smirk formed on his face. “I had a feeling you’d say something like that… Which is why I’m warning you now… Ugh… You need to leave… get far away from here, cause my cousin is coming, and he won’t show you any merc-”

“I am already aware of Prince Midnight and his Brotherhood of Evening Hoods, we even ID'd half of its members all across Equestria. It wasn’t easy, but we have Narbus to thank for that… Actually if I recall, you were the one who showed him how talented he was with rune stones.” She explained to him. “He has been creating new rune stones with specific applications… Still hard to believe he was a kid.”

“Of course you all know,”

“Watcher, I want you to know that I’ll never forgive you for leaving me, but it’s not too late for you to join us… If you beg Malice for forgiveness and swear the oath, you’ll be accepted into our clan… We can be together, just like we always talked about. Please, I don’t want to-

“You don’t want to what, Nyra?” Interrupted the suspicious tone of Atom Nucleus as he entered the room with Malice following behind him.

“Who’s this schlub?” Watcher raised a brow at the sight of the shabby-looking scientist.

“Charming, I am Dr. Atom Nucleus,” Atom Nucleus responded with a dry tone.

“Wait… Atom Nucleus? I know that name…” Watcher racked his brains trying to remember., and then it hit him, “You’re that quack doctor who wrote that crazy book on Equestrian DNA Alteration!”

“I am NOT a quack! I am a scientist who is about to change the world!”

“I believe you mean, we are about to change the world.” spoke a voice with such malice it was any wonder its owner shared that word as his name. As the zebra stallion entered the room to stand beside the doctor, his piercing gaze on Watcher never faltering “Hello, Watcher, comfortable?”

“Oh yeah… definitely, I honestly thought I’d be getting the VIP treatment with my entrails tied around my neck! If I’m still alive, it means you obviously want something from me,” Watcher surmised, glaring at the smug zebra as he let out a chuckle.

“Sharp as ever, my wayward protegé. A pity you never lost your pathetic squeamishness,” Malice said in an ‘oh well’ tone. “But perhaps that’s more my failure as a teacher, to have failed one of my most promising students and see him throw away all that talent and potential… just because he couldn’t let go of that bleeding heart.

“However, I’m sure Nyra here has asked, begged even that you should rejoin us… I can be forgiving, but I’m sure she didn’t tell you that there would be a catch.” Malice smirked, his eyes looking towards his fellow zebra who looked at him confused.

“There always is…”

“Heh, like I said… Sharp as ever. You see, we got hired from a contact who has paid a large sum to our clan to assassinate… this individual. Saying that… she’s a threat to her plans and must be dealt with quietly.” Malice explained, pulling a photo out of his cloak and slipping it through an opening of Watcher’s glass cell.

When he picked it up, his eyes widened as he let out a gasp, dropping the photo of Midnight and Twilight, with her face circled in red marker. “BASTARD!”

“No need for name calling, I am only telling you what the objective is. Besides, it’s not like your cousin here is the target, after all our client wants to deal with him personally.”

“Blood runs thicker than water, Malice, and I would never betray Midnight like that… Even if this wasn’t the catch I made my choice the moment I left… Go fuck yourselves.” Watcher stated, glaring at the zebra intensely, before turning his gaze towards Nyra, who jerked in surprise at his eyes. “And you’re loyal… to this psychotic fuck?”

“Sigh… Watcher, you disappoint me… but that doesn’t mean you aren’t useless. Nyra, gather the others and head out… It’s time to tie up loose ends.” Malice ordered.

“Malice, I don’t think it’s wise-”

“Are you questioning my order, Nyra?” Malice asked calmly, but the look in his eyes, she could tell that if she pushed her luck even an inch further…

“No… We shall leave at once.” Nyra replied, as she made her way towards the door, she turned her head back towards the cell to look at the stallion she once loved, who looked away from her in anger and disgust. She stifled a gasp, feeling a pang of hurt in her heart, along with… regret. With that she exited the room, leaving the three stallions alone.

“Now… Doctor, I believe you should prep our newest lab rat for… our newest project.” Malice stated, Atom Nucleus immediately pulled a lever that began to open a vent just above Watcher’s cell.

“I hope you enjoy our latest experiment… It took time, but we’ve managed to finally find a way to control the substance that they had brought in six months ago,” Atom explained, unable to contain his grin as he looked back at their new guinea pig. “It’s been awhile, but I’m sure you remember it! After all… you were ordered to bring it in~”

With a press of a button and the look of horror as Watcher began to realize what he was referring too, black tar came pouring down and all that he could see was darkness.

432. Hunted from the Past - Part 6

As Midnight began his work on tracking Watcher, Star had been restless as she continued to pace back and forth in the destroyed living room of Watcher’s apartment.

“Star!” Midnight snapped at her, causing her to flinch at him, before Midnight gave an apologetic look before saying, “I can’t concentrate with you pacing like that, this is delicate spellwork.”

“I’m sorry… but what else am I supposed to do? Watcher for all we know is being tortured right now and we can’t do anything!” Star argued, taking a seat on the sofa. “I just… I don’t know what to do when we're stuck!”

“We are not stuck! We have the golem remnants, from which I can magically glean information,” Midnight assured before stating with a tone that implied he was losing his patience, “but only… if I can have absolute QUIET!!”

Star flinched yet again, and Midnight said, “So either sit still or get out and help Mac and Thunder! Because the more time I’m wasting assuring you the less time I’m looking for Watcher!”

Midnight turned his back to Star and levitated the golem remnants in front of himself as he concentrated after doing Cadance’s calming technique. He hated losing his temper on Star, but he didn’t have time to coddle her. Watcher’s life was at stake, and he refused to lose another family member.

He used every relevant dowsing spell he could think of, giving him information on the golem, what it was capable of, how old it was, what kind of magic was used to create it, what its purpose was besides the obvious, and perhaps it would all give him insight into those behind this abduction and allow Midnight to conjecture what they were up to or had planned, whether for Watcher or whatever else.

Then he cast a spell of psychometry, giving him a vision regarding the subject’s history, and Midnight found himself transported through a dark tunnel, images flashing around him, some lingering like the fading knell of a bell, others only for a brief moment like the ding of a xylophone bar being struck.

He saw a large and bruiser-looking diamond dog looking directly at him, but Midnight knew this was sort of like from the subject’s “point of view”.

“...pay forrrr! This… won’t get away frrrrrom! You and your brothers, heheheh,” said the dog’s voice, sounding deviously excited, as though anticipating his goals with a vengeful glee.

Another image appeared and Midnight saw a zebra mare, who was of a fierce and hard beauty, almost like some kind of tribal warrior princess. She regarded the golem with skepticism, asking, “...sure these things will work? Watcher… not so easily…”

So these two sent the golems for Watcher, but we already know that… Midnight considered as he continued to watch.

The golem’s “memories” weren’t like that of a living being. Golems were figures given a semblance of living behavior that acted according to their creator’s desires, almost like a robot behaving in accordance to its programing, following directives inputted into them.

Midnight had studied the art of making golems and automatons, and he knew that while they were useful and could be dangerous, they still had their limits and weaknesses. One in particular was, if one tried to make a golem do too much the harder it was to make it work, and so many alchemists cited the rule that ‘the simpler the better’ when making such constructs. Midnight himself had seen plenty of automatons that turned out to be one-trick poodles, figuratively speaking, of course.

Then another image appeared, and Midnight noticed another zebra, a stallion obviously, and he could see from the golem’s perspective that the mare and the diamond dog immediately seized up and gave him a nod of respect. “Narbus… Are they almost ready?”

“Yes… They’ll BRRRRING Black Death to us… This one in PaRRRticularrr is set to teleport him too us… Causing a magic explosion once he touches him. Coverrrring ourrr trrracks!” Narbus explained as the golem looked over to the tall gator that had attacked him in the beginning.

So the diamond dog’s name is Narbus, but who the heck is this guy?

Another image then flashed before him and he noticed that they were at some kind of dock with several large containing units and ships docked. It looked like there were five of them meeting up with a teal earth pony in a lab coat.

From what Midnight could tell there were four golems made in total by this Narbus character. “FFFFFFFFFIND Black Death! Brrrrring him to us! Mooooove silently! Stay out of sight”

From there Midnight saw the golems making a mad dash into the city.

Wait a minute…!!! Midnight broke his focus, his vision swimming as he returned to the waking world, finding himself exactly where he was prior to his psychometric reading.

He saw that he was alone, but he didn’t care. He conjured his favorite magic bag and from it he drew a mirror, levitating it in front of him as he tapped the looking glass with his horn. His image in the mirror rippled like a surface of water as Midnight’s reflection was soon replaced by that of a large and strong lunar pony, with a brown coat, rust-colored mane, and cobalt-colored wings, as well as golden brown eyes.

“Sir?” he inquired, seeing Midnight through the mirror.

“Sentinel, one of our own has been taken,” Midnight quickly explained how Watcher was abducted by magical golems that exploded when they caught him, teleporting him away, and how he then used one of their fragments to glean information.
“Put the word out to every Hood whose patrols include the shipyards, the docks, anywhere nearby the water! You’re looking for two zebras, a mare and a stallion, a diamond dog whose name is Narbus… and the disgraced doctor Atom Nucleus! I don’t know how but he’s involved in my cousin’s abduction.”

“I’ll see to it, immediately, sir,” Sentinel nodded with an assuring sense of duty.

“Waste no time, Sentinel,” Midnight warned, “and should you find them do not engage! These individuals, save for the doctor, are associated with an international group of assassins. Track them, locate any potential hiding places, but under no circumstances are you to engage them. They will kill you if you do!”

“Understood, my liege,” Sentinel said in emphasis, assuring Midnight that he got the picture, and his image in the glass rippled away, leaving Midnight staring at himself.

Mac and Thunder couldn’t help but feel for Star, seeing her mope so miserably by the window, glancing out every now and then as if she might see something to uplift her hopes. The two stallions shared a look, with Thunderlane gesturing for Mac to say something. Mac shook his head and pointed at Thunderlane, telling him to do it. This went on in a frustrated series of exchanges, each trying to get the other to reach out to Star, until finally, “I can hear you guys back there…”

Thunderlane and Macintosh grimace,d but finally the earth pony broke the ice, “So, uh… you care a mighty lot about Watcher, don’cha, Star?”

“Of course… I’m his handler, it… it’s part of the job,” she replied, though Thunderlane had noticed the hesitation in her words before she'd answered.

“Uh-uh, you wouldn’t be this worried over a guy if you were only interested in supervising him,” Thunderlane pointed out with an understanding smirk. “It’s okay, Star. Be real with us, but more so, be real with yourself.”

“Heh, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised… I didn’t exactly try to hide it. Watcher’s many things: arrogant, annoying, pigheaded, a pain in my flank, and yet he doesn't treat me any differently because I’m a mare.

“Before I joined the Brotherhood, I was part of the royal guard and I pretty much had to prove myself time and time again all because I look delicate and should serve as a maid instead. Sexist assholes… but Watcher didn’t see that. In fact he pretty much saw me a challenge to overcome someday… when he said that… made my heart skip a beat,” Star explained, letting out a deep sigh as a smile curled up her face.

The two stallions shared a look and bobbed their brows, knowing they had arrived at the same conclusion: She’s got it bad.

Then Mac got up and went over to place a comforting hoof on Star’s withers. Looking up at the large red stallion, she felt her anxiety soften a little as Macintosh assured her, “Wer’ gonna get him back, `specially since we got Midnight on our side.”

“He’s not the Element of Faith for nothing,” Thunderlane added in agreement.

“Normally, I’d agree with you… but the House of Assassins… I don’t know why, I think Watcher did talk about somepony before… the way he described him to me. He seemed… scared by him. Like he was his own monster under the bed, but only real and worse,” Star explained as much as she could recall about what Watcher had told her. “He was a zebra that had helped train him, but from the sounds of it… it was almost like he was forced into that life.”

“Are ya serious? Wha’d he do to `im?” Big Mac asked.

“I honestly don’t know… Watcher wasn’t comfortable enough to tell me,” Star replied, sounding fretful, almost as though she were telling a ghost story. “ All I know is that I think that zebra and the House of Assassins are connected somehow.”

“Well, this zebra jerk and his House of Assholes are gonna have to deal with not only the Brotherhood, but the Knights of Harmony!” declared Thunderlane with bold determination.

“Attention!” The three ponies all flummoxed at Midnight’s sudden appearance and stiffened up as the alicorn gave each of them a look, before saying, “I’ve isolated the dweomer, that is, the mana signature in the golem remains, and put the word out to every Hood in all of Manehatten, directing them where to concentrate their searches.

“Assuming all goes well, we should hear from one of them soon with a confirmed sighting of Watcher’s abductors. But we will not assume, because I have an assignment for you, Star and Thunder.”

“And that is, Sir?” asked Star, her anxiety changing from nervous concern to the itching need to take action.

“I need the both you to take these crystals,” Midnight conjured said crystals, two of them, each resembling a miniature obelisk, and looking like clouded quartz, its facets reflecting an opalescent shimmer, “and place them at the highest points you can on opposite sides of the city.”

“Uh, sure, Midnight,” Thunderlane accepted one crystal while Star took the other, “but… what are these things for?”

“As I mentioned earlier, my ability to dowse is powerful, but it's still limited,” explained Midnight, “and I’ve already attempted to scry for Watcher, only for my vision to be clouded.

“This leads me to believe that the House of Assassins is somehow cloaking their present location,or at least Watcher’s. This means dowsing for Watcher’s energy, or the mana signature of the golems’ creator, is our next best solution. I need you to set up these crystals at the highest points you can find on the opposite sides of the city. In doing so, my range to dowse will be increased exponentially.”

“Whatever you need, sir!” Star saluted.
“We’re on it,” Thunderlane added with a wing-salute of his own.

“Very good. Get these crystals where I need them and meet back here within the hour,” Midnight pulled out a map of the city, and used a copy charm to make another. He then circled opposite ends of Manehatten, saying, “These general areas are the most ideal to position the crystals. But you will still need to find the highest points you can in order to maximize my dowsing range.

“Find the best places you can to place the crystals and don’t dally! Going anywhere alone is a risk at the moment, with the House of Assassins out there.”

“Understood, c’mon, Thunder!” Star urged as they grabbed their map and she threw open the window, zooming out with Thunderlane following.

Mac looked over to his brother, asking, “So whaddo we do till they get back?”

“We prepare, we hope…” Midnight sighed with trepidation as he watched Thunderlane and Star n’ Stripe split off into opposite directions, “... and we wait.”

Atom Nucleus was ecstatic with how well his latest lab rat was molding with the black substance. Most of the live subjects he'd used all perished when they first came into contact with the tar and became mindless beasts.

“This is truly astounding! To think Watcher’s own DNA is compatible with the dark substance! All I need to do is find a way to replicate the same thing with other live subjects!”

“I believe you mean we, Doctor, or did you forget it was because of us that you even have your first successful live subject?” Malice spoke, causing the earth pony to jump in surprise at the zebra’s sudden appearance.

“Don’t sneak up on me! Don’t you know how dangerous it is to interrupt a scientist deep in his work? It could have led to a catastrophe!” Atom argued, glaring at the zebra as he merely rolled his eyes.

“You mentioned that my old apprentice was compatible with the substance… What did you mean by that?” Malice asked, his gaze focused on the glass prison containing his former protege.

Seeing that Malice was genuinely curious about this experiment, Atom couldn’t help but feel prideful about his latest work as he began to explain. “Remarkable, isn’t it? The substance here in this very prison is the same that haunted Trottingham for centuries. So far most of the subjects I have tested it on turned my lab rats into mindless abominations that always went on a rampage.

“It’s why we asked for your assistance in making these latest rune stones to control them. However, Watcher here has not only managed to remain stable, but it’s almost like the substance is merging with him, creating a symbiosis of sorts,” Atom marveled at the horrific transformation taking place before their very eyes with the exhilarated thirst for knowledge that came from soulless curiosity.
“I believe that it may have something to do with his bloodline, as it is different from many other ponies… it’s identical to Prince Midnight’s as well. Perhaps a similar ancestor? Anyways, the tar and Watcher are blending together into a new being… in twenty-four hours we’ll be looking at a new entity entirely! Oh how exciting all of this is! The perfect weapon for that bloated hairball, Winkle. But above all else… I’ll go down in history as the greatest scientist in the world!”

“Perhaps, but the one thing that bothers me is whether we can control him. Otherwise he’ll just turn out the same as the Entity that was mentioned in the reports,” he reminded the doctor, recalling the files he read and the horrors that occurred in the tower.

“That, my striped friend, won’t be an issue… the rune stones you brought will help us control it. I was worried that I’d have to use multiple on several individual ones at a time, but now… we only need one." Atom answered with a gleeful smirk as he turned his attention back to the prison.

Clad in their Harmonic Armor, Midnight and Macintosh made their way to the rooftop of Watcher’s apartment building, Midnight having cast a distracter spell to ensure nopony noticed or interfered with them.

Gazing out over the metropolitan mass of Manehatten, the sapphire stallion felt the enormous burden that he carried, as a prince, as a knight, as a leader. As a husband. The thought of his wife brought a melancholy state to his mind, and Midnight hoped to make amends with Twilight once this was over and done with.

“Sumpin’ on yer mind, haystack?” Midnight turned to see the caring look of Macintosh, his brother, not in blood but in all the ways that matter.

“...a lot’s on my mind, Mac,” Midnight sighed, looking back out to the skyscrapers. “What matters most to me at this moment is saving my cousin. I lost him once. I will not lose him again.”

“Funny, I actually thought the same thing…” Midnight and Macintosh suddenly stood back to back, uncertain of where that voice came from.

They saw only the building’s antennae, air conditioners, several solar panels, and a rooftop garden. There weren't many places up here to hide, so Midnight subtly cast a spell.

“...right after he betrayed me,” said that same voice, feminine, velvety, yet laced with bitterness.

It sounded like she was speaking from different directions, preventing them from figuring out where she might be hiding.

“Huh, I think Watcher might have mentioned you in passing,” Midnight responded in a cool manner, “never by name though. Perhaps he saw something in you that just wasn’t there…”

“Arrogant pony wretch!” the voice seethed with undisguised contempt. “Your kind thinks they own the world, that other creatures are beneath you! Up until you realize how little you compare to the strengths and determination of other creatures…”

Before Midnight could rebut that argument, he felt a sharp pain cut across his cheek. Acting immediately, Big Mac tackled Midnight, pushing him behind the emergency exit to the apartment as the panels, conditioners and garden were all penetrated by unknown projectiles that they couldn’t see. The antennae was hit the worst, as the whole thing broke under its own weight, and toppled over into a metallic heap of ruined metal.

It wasn’t long before the invisible projectiles began to unveil to reveal black arrows, one of them having two rune stones attached to it.

“Consider that a warning shot… despite my dislike of your kind, I have no quarrel with you. Take this opportunity to leave Manehatten, and live your life in ignorant bliss… I never miss my shot… you will be no different from the other nameless faces I’ve killed. The many nameless faces Black Death has claimed when he had a spine,” she offered, and from the sound of her voice she sounded genuine but bitter.

“Hahahahahahahaaa…!!” Midnight responded with a grim yet taunting laugh, the kind that would surely rub one the wrong way, as he stepped out into the open, his gaze downward, making no move to defend himself.
“What do you take me for…? A coward? Because that’s the impression I’m getting from you. See, you made two mistakes: The first… was abducting my cousin. I can be a forgiving stallion, but one thing I will not forgive is threatening the well-being of my loved ones.”

“Don’t say I didn’t give you the chance to walk away… Considering you are Black Death’s family and all,” the female voice answered, it wasn’t long before another arrow struck the ground near them, and they noticed a red glow coming from the arrow.

Midnight quickly lit up his horn as he chanted, “Shirudo Trinitas…!”

An explosion followed, unleashing such explosive intensity that the rooftop of the apartment building collapsed, as fire and debris flared out, pieces and fragments of concrete and plaster raining down to the streets below.

Letting out a cough, Big Mac emerged from the rubble mostly unharmed. Within the smoke, he noticed a silhouette within a spherical glow.

“Ya alright, haystack!?” Big Mac called out.

“Just dandy, Mac,” assured Midnight's voice as the dust settled, and Macintosh saw midnight had surrounded himself in a triple-layered spherical shield spell that gave off a turquoise glow from his mana.

He huffed and dispelled the shields, which broke apart into fragments of mana that twinkled out of existence, as Midnight ho-hum’d, “That explosion would have killed an ordinary unicorn, but I think I wasted the effort in casting a triple-layer shield spell when the basic version would have worked.

“So far I'm unimpressed, lady!” Midnight called out to the zebra mare, mocking, “If this is the best you and your mutt have got, I’d stand down and surrender right now. If you insist on prolonging this nonsense, the result is not gonna be pretty.”

“You want my best…?” responded the zebra’s voice in a tone that one would use to say ‘you asked for it’, and then there was a rumbling sound from heavy rubble being displaced before the debris was burst apart.

From it emerged another golem, which immediately lunged for Macintosh.

“MAC!!!” Midnight hadn't been expecting this, and flapped to reach his brother, only for the golem to bear-hug the red pony and there was a burst of power, throwing Midnight for a loop.

After shaking it off, Midnight looked around, and the golem and Macintosh were both gone. The only assurance he had was there was no sign of an explosion in the destructive sense, only the residual wisps and motes of magic that clung to the surroundings like dust and moisture. A quick dowsing spell confirmed it, and he growled, “Another teleportation… Divide and conquer, is it? You’re seriously underestimating me and my friends.”

Taking advantage of the confusion, three more arrows were suddenly flying towards the alicorn at an alarming speed, not giving him enough time to cast a spell to stop them. Swiftly, Midnight maneuvered to avoid them, but when the arrows struck the ground, lightning shot out from them and started to follow him.

Thinking quickly, he teleported to avoid the upcoming attack to a safe distance, but what he didn’t expect was for the lightning to suddenly start following him, even as he’d burst into a different position. He spread his wings and took flight, soaring around the ruined apartment rooftop with the lightning bolts hot on his tail.

“If you truly think we are underestimating you… then you truly have no idea who we are… We know how dangerous you are together, so it’s only right we take this job seriously. You’d want to do the same if our roles were reversed,” the zebra mare called out as she explained, watching from the distance in a new hiding spot as she watched the power of the rune stones at work.

That’s right, keep talking, bitch… Midnight thought as he continued to zoom above the rooftops, evading the lightning bolts as they pursued him relentlessly.
Everything you do, everything you say, it tells a story… and just when you think you’ll win, you’ll see how wrong you are…

Midnight was far from arrogant. To his shame, he’d let arrogance nearly get him killed more than once in his life, and each time he’d survived by the skin of his teeth he’d learned a sobering lesson. Thus, he’d also learned how to psych out his enemies, how to mislead them, lull them into a false sense of security. How to fool them into thinking they had some kind of upperhoof on him. And everything they did, he’d turned the tables and swept victory out from right under them.

And you will be no different… there! Midnight eyed the neighboring rooftop and zoomed towards it.

Once he was close enough, he’d teleported, causing the lightning bolts to strike the rooftop where the zebra had been hiding.

Several blocks away, the skeleton of a building in progress, surrounded by a construction lot, suddenly had two visitors that appeared in bursts of mana. Macintosh was startled to see the metal girders and various platforms forming the skyscraper that was still weeks away from being basically finished.

Before him, the diamond dog glared menacingly at the red pony, and Mac steadied himself as he gave a challenging stamp of his hoof and a bold snort.

The face-off went on for a few moments, when the diamond dog raised a runestone and smashed it under his paw. The act resulted in a thick and blinding mist that instantly surrounded them, and Macintosh was on the alert.

Not a good place t’ be… Macintosh thought as he tapped the platform he stood upon, bridging the spaces between the building’s framework.

He summoned his sword, and spoke, “Stand Tall, Stone Edge…”

The sword released a flashing glow of light that coalesced into pieces of armor that zoomed around Mac, as each piece secured onto his body, one after the other, until he was fully clad, and his sword now had a round shield, emblazoned with Mac’s cutie-mark.

Stone Edge was rather basic in its true form compared to the weapons of the other knights, but they afforded Macintosh the ability to wield them with his mind. As though he were a unicorn levitating them with telekinesis.

Maybe Ah oughta move this dance down t’ th’ ground, Mac thought when he felt something beneath his hooves.

A vibration?

Then he heard the sound of air being sliced at a fast pace, and he quickly spun `round, raising his shield, and the diamond dog collided with it and his knives, a spray of sparks splashing from the points of contact.

Mac grunted as he pushed the diamond dog off his shield and then willed his sword to swing out of nowhere. The dog yipped as he ducked and leapt away. He eyeballed Mac in confusion, puzzled by how an earth pony was moving a sword and shield with his mind, but he shook it off and started pacing towards his right.

Mac mirrored the move and did the same, the two foes circling each other, waiting for the other to make the next move.

Mac knew that while he was clad and armed, he was at a disadvantage, given the venue. He couldn’t fight all-out inside a construction site without causing major damage or endangering any potential bystanders. He’d trained with his fellow knights in mastering their weapons and powers, and what he’d learned of his own meant most of them wouldn’t work inside this building in progress.

That’s when Mac had an idea. He waited in their little circling game until the diamond dog stood directly between Mac and the edge… and charged!

Mac let out a fearsome roar as he raised his shield forward, his sword to the side, and went full-speed ahead with such intensity, the diamond dog yelped and died aside. Exactly what Mac had wanted him to do, as he smugly said, “Thank ya kindly.”

The diamond dog was confused and felt his heart jump into his throat when Mac leapt over the edge while giving the dog a ‘come and get me’ gesture before hurtling down to the ground.

He’s crrrrazy! the diamond dog thought as he rushed to the edge and watched the red pony fall. We over dozen stables up!

But then Macintosh held his shield close and called out “FORTRESS STANCE!!!”

Immediately, a barrier of green mana surrounded Mac, and upon touching down, there was a BOOM of earthy impact, dust and debris filling the air, and the diamond dog was utterly flummoxed.

For a long moment, he stood up there, unsure whether the red pony had just committed suicide or if he was still alive, until he got his answer.

“DIAMOND STORM!!!” Shards of metallic green flew out of the cloud of dust, and they zoomed towards the diamond dog, causing him to yelp as he comically dodged, ducked, and dove for cover.

Then, to his bewilderment, the shards, some of which had nailed themselves into the frame of girders, reversed their trajectory, and zoomed back into the dust, which had settled by then. A sword handle floated up, and the shards all converged upon it, reforming into a knightly blade, that Mac brandished with a twirl and then pointed up at the diamond dog as he said, “Had enough?”

“GRRRRR!!! No! I haven’t had enough!” The Diamond Dog snarled, threw his daggers into the ground, sticking where they penetrated, as he reached inside his cloak and pulled out three rune stones. Throwing two of them to the ground, two golems took shape, one resembling that of a large owl and the other a bear. Cracking the third one in his paw, his arms were suddenly encased in dark purple crystals with markings etched onto them. Immediately clapping them together, a mighty warhammer appeared suddenly in his paws. “Get Crrrrrushed by my might, pony fool! Slaughterrrr him!”

Immediately, the owl and bear golems charged at Big Mac as Narbus started to make his way around them to flank the earth pony. However, Big Mac could tell immediately that this assassin wasn’t like the one that attacked both him and Midnight before. He was strong, but not used to frontal attacks.

Ah’ll start by thinnin’ out th’ enemy ranks, Macintosh thought before he raised his sword, “Terra Spear!”

He stabbed the sword into the ground, and then large spikes of solid stone erupted, extending outwards… right into the path of the bear golem. The golem had run too fast and couldn’t stop itself from running headlong into the solid spikes, as one of them pierced right into the bear’s middle, a craggly crack splitting it in half, leaving both heaped onto the ground as lifeless rocks.

“Hm!” Mac gave the diamond dog a triumphant smirk, which had the intended effect of rubbing him the wrong way.

However, the Owl golem swiftly slashed its talons, knocking the stallion’s sword away right before Narbus brought his hammer down in an attempt to cave the pony’s skull in, but not fast enough as Big Mac raised up his shield and blocked the impact of the hammer.

“Damn you! You’ll dieeee tonight fooorrrr helping Black Death!” he snarled, pushing more of his weight into his hammer as he tried to pile his enemy into the ground.

“Ya say ‘Black Death’ like Ah know who yer talkin’ about,” Mac huffed as he pushed back, with both his muscles and his mind, shoving the diamond dog off and sending him hurtling into a pile of girders.

“Grrah!” Narbus groaned in pain before getting back up. “Black Death… is black unicorrrrn… my mentooorrr… old frrrriend. Trrrraitorrrr to us! He will pay prrrrice with his life! All who know truth of him will die. Malice word is law of our house!”

“Black uni- Ya mean Watcher?!” Macintosh mentally slapped himself in the head for not getting that sooner.

“That name is dead… he no deserrrrve real name. Betrrrrayed ourrrr family! Now he know pain like he gave us!” Narbus barked harshly, immediately charged the earth pony, bringing his hammer for an upward swing as Big Mac dodged to the side, before his shield was suddenly struck by his hammer and he felt a sudden stabbing pain in the back of his neck as the owl had plunged its talons into him.

“Rrrgh! No hitchhikers!” Mac reared up, and let himself fall over, straight onto his back.

Which also meant he fell directly onto the owl golem, which let out a shriek of alarm just before it was crushed under the weight of a fully-grown and hefty-muscled earth pony clad in armor.

Macintosh wasted no time and hurried back up onto his hooves, quickly leaping away from a swing of the diamond dog’s hammer, before throwing him a condemning look, “Y’all jus’ said Watcher meant somethin’ t’ you. Tha’ he was yer mentor, yer friend! An’ jus’ becuz he chose a diff’ernt path an’ wha’ this Malice guy says, yer ready an’ willin’ t’ let `im die?! Didja ever even care about why Watcher even left?”

“He told me! This is ourrrrrr life… We arrrreeee his real family! Me his frrrriend… he lied left us… left sisterrrr Nyrrrra alone brrrrroken. You speak like you know family! Trrrrue?!”

Macintosh gave the diamond dog a hard look. He hadn’t realized it at first, but despite the brute’s hulking stature and deep voice, he was young. Not a kid, no longer quite an adolescent. But while he might have reached adulthood, he was still young and had so much life left to live. And yet… Mac saw pain and hurt.

He’s been through th’ wringer… he thought to himself.

Mac took a deep breath, and answered, “Fam’ly means more t’ me than anythang. Ah have a beau’iful wife, two sweet n’ happy li’l foals, an’ so many fam’ly an’ friends, each an’ every single one of whom Ah’d risk muh life t’ protect.

“An’ now… that includes Watcher,” Macintosh declared. When the diamond dog looked irked, Mac continued, “Yer right, Ah don’ know him as well as Ah’d like. He’s got himself a stubborn streak that would rival any earth pony’s, but in him Ah see a good heart. A heart tha’s heavy with guilt an’ regret. Ah figured he had a past he wern’t proud of, but Ah was willin’ t’ wait fer him t’ share his burdens when he’s ready. Maybe he did wrong by you an’ this Nyra… but th’ stallion Ah’ve come t’ know? Ah think he’d do whatever he could t’ make it right.”

“He was… olderrrr brrrrotherrr to me… I was abandoned as pup! House took me in and Watcherrrr helped me learrrn… You don’t adapt… you no kill… you will be killed. I am now RRRRRune Masterrrrr of House of Assassins! It only life I know,” Narbus explained, lowering his hammer as he looked up somberly.

“But it don’t haff t’ be,” Mac replied, losing all challenge and harshness in his voice. He made no attempts to retrieve his weapons, and even removed his helmet so the diamond dog could see his face without obstruction.

Narbus was baffled. On the red pony’s face, he saw compassion, understanding, something he’d never seen from Malice or his other superiors. The only ones who’d ever looked at him even remotely like that were… Watcher and Nyra. Pointing to him, the dog asked, “W-Who is pony?”

“Macintosh Apple. Mah friends call me Mac or Big Mac,” Mac gave him a gentle and friendly smile. “An’ y’all are?”

“Me is Narrrrbus!” Narbus gestured to himself as the hammer reverted back into a rune stone. He almost gave him a smile, but his frown soon returned as his ears flopped back down. “Malice will kill all who betrrrray House… He not norrrrmal, he is demon in disguise. We all feeeeaaarrr him.

“Take friends and hide… Too late to save brrrrotherrr now… Pony in white jacket is using black ooze! No more Watcherrrrr… only Black Death forrrrreverrr!” Narbus explained with misery and woe.

Macintosh had listened carefully to Narbus’ words, and rattled them around in his head as he puzzled on what to say next.

Th’ way he talked about this Malice, sounds like a mighty bad hombre… If Malice is in charge o’ this chicken outfit, he’s prob’ly th’ one we gotta take down. Or out… but can Ah convince Narbus of helpin’ or at least gettin’ outta th’ way?

Taking a deep breath, Macintosh responded, “Narbus, Ah understand yer afraid o’ this guy. But being afraid is exactly wha’ he wants ya t’ be. Yer fear o’ him is his power over you, an’ as long as he has tha’ power y’all never be free o’ him.

“Watcher… Ah think he left becuz he couldn’t live tha’ way anymore, an’ t’ be fair, he shoulna left y’all behind. But sometimes we gotta make choices where there’s no good choice an’ bad choice. Sometimes there’s only bad choices.”

“...so, how choose if whatever chosen is bad?” asked Narbus with fearful skepticism.

“...If there’s only bad choices, then ya gotta choose th’ one tha’ y’all be able t’ live with, no matter how hard it might be,” Macintosh answered with emotional emphasis. “Sometimes, there’s no good and bad choices. There’s only bad an’ worse choices.

“No matter wha’ ya pick, ya gotta live with it, fer better or worse.”

“Me… believe you Big of Mac… But Watcherrrr say be carrrreful of Malice… Is no lie when say he not norrrrmal. Say he hiding something within… Me want to help though! Pony with horrrrn and wings not farrrr frrrrom herre. Follow, follow! Me explain Pony in jacket plan!” Narbus gestured for Big Mac to follow him.

“...and that should do it,” Thunderlane said once the crystal was in place.

Star had led them to the perfect spot for their task, and the high elevation had been exactly what they’d been told to look for. They’d installed the crystal onto the antennae of a radio tower above a media building. Thankfully, no one was around to raise a stink about their trespassing or fiddling with private property, but they knew this was only the next step of achieving their goal.

“Nice work, Thunderlane,” Star n’ Stripe said as they looked up at the crystal, giving off a prismatic shine on the antennae. “I really hope this is gonna work and help Midnight to find Watcher…”

“Don’t sweat it, Star,” Thunderlane assured with confidence, “Midnight’s our leader, and he’s never let us down. That’s why he embodies the Element of Faith, after all.”

“I guess you’re right,” Star sighed, “I just hope this really will help him dowse for Watcher, or at least for those responsible for taking him.”

“So that’s his game, is it…?” Both pegasi were alarmed and looked around for the source of that voice.

“Who’s there?!” Thunderlane called out while summoning his sword.
“Show yourself!” demanded Star, taking a defensive stance while flapping herself aloft.

“Why would we do that?” the voice of a female answered them, but not before Star was suddenly sent flying to the ground. “HAHAHA!”

“Nimbus, didn’t Malice say we shouldn’t be playing with our food?”

“Star!” Thunderlane zipped down to her, the mare having been knocked down onto the rooftop, near the antennae, before the dark gray pegasus looked up and saw two foes above them.

One of them was a pegasus while the other was a griffon. The pegasus was gray like Thunderlane. But while Thunder was gray like a coming storm, this guy was gray like ashes. His mane was cut short, colored dirty blonde with strange red stains in it, and part of his face was frighteningly scarred. As though his face had been wax and it’d been exposed to heat for too long.

The griffon was female, with white plumage, clad in black armor, and her face was painted red.

The two of them eyed Thunderlane and Star with disturbing looks… and then the pegasus licked his lips while a bead of drool dropped from the griffoness’s beak.

“Thunder…” Thunderlane didn’t look at Star, but her voice was clue enough that she was scared. “These guys… they make my skin crawl!”

“Yeah, no kidding…” Thunderlane replied, before he spoke aloud, “A couple goons from the House of Assassins, I presume?”

“My, my, dinner shouldn’t be asking questions, all you have to do is sit still and let me rip your intestines out!” The Griffoness roared, before flying straight towards Thunder at an alarming speed with what appear to be two sickle blades in her talons.

But Thunderlane was a full-fledged Silverbolt, trained by the legendary Silver Lining himself, and easily maneuvered not only himself but the griffoness around in such a way it seemed seamless, even as she was spent spiraling straight into the pegasus she’d arrived with, much to their mutual flabbergasted headaches.

“What the…?!” Thunderlane thought he’d misheard, but Star beat him to the punch.
“What did you guys just say?!” Star said in alarmed dread.

“You’re pretty fast… Charcoal, sweetie, would you be a dear and deal with him, I think I’d like some white meat for tonight instead?~” the Griffoness asked, licking her beak as she looked at Star.

“Nimbus, I thought you said I could have first picks? I let you have that stallion back in Fillydelphia while I got stuck with that thin mare. I want to have that hood for tonight.”

“Pllllease sweetie… I haven’t had any fun in a while… Besides, I’ll be sure to leave her alive to give you a fun show before we dig in.”

“Hmm… Alright… As long as you share, I won’t mind waiting, I suppose I can enjoy eating one of the famous Silverbolts. I do enjoy eating tough tendons from strong ponies…”

Thunderlane and Star felt a spike of chilling dread run through them as they understood what these fiends were saying. Dread mixed with disgust, as both arrived at the same conclusion: They’re cannibals!

Thunderlane raised his sword and ordered, “Star, stay back and protect the crystal. I’ll deal with these pieces of filth myself…”

“But Thunder!” Star started to protest.

“Relax,” Thunderlane assured as he raised his sword up with determined confidence, “I’m not just a Silverbolt… I'm a Knight of Harmony!

“Pierce the Heavens… Skystrike!”

A bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, striking Thunderlane, leaving Star, Charcoal and Nimbus blinded from the incense light, static filling the air, crackles of energy dancing around them as the smell of ozone hit them like a gust of wind.

As it died down, their vision cleared, and the two cannibals were a little put off by how Thunderlane was now clad in knightly armor. His sword had changed into a bow without a thread. It was shiny black with a golden lightning bolt encircling its length, and from each end extended a blade curving inward, as he raised Skystrike, took aim, and pulled at nothing until a string of electricity crackled, connecting both ends as an arrow of energy was poised and ready to fire.

“Were you anyone else, I’d extend mercy…” Thunderlane spoke with the ominous forbearance of a coming storm, “...but monsters like you must be put down. In the words of my leader and friend, count up your sins!

“CRASHING THUNDER!!!”

Thunderlane angled Skystrike upwards and released his arrow, confusing the two bad guys. Until the arrow reached the apex of its arc and burst in a flash of energy from which rained a volley of lightning arrows, spreading out. Charcoal and Nimbus both cried out in alarm and scrambled to avoid the aerial attack.

“So much for having an easy meal! You just had to speak and let them know we were here!” The one named Charcoal argued with the griffoness.

“Dear, this isn’t the time or place to argue! This is just another hunt for us! He’ll die and we’ll cook him like everypony else we’ve killed!” Nimbus explained, immediately throwing her sickles at Thunderlane who dodged effortlessly but the smirk on her face stated she wasn’t aiming for him.

It was then he realized, she was aiming for the crystal they had set up.

However, Star immediately flew up and deflected both sickles at the same time with her spear. She then took a defensive position in front of it, nodding to Thunderlane that she’d do her job.

They aren’t just here to kill us… if that were the case they would have finished us off a long time ago when we weren’t aware of them. No, they were trying to lure us away from the crystal so they could take it out. They’re trying to stop us from finding Watcher! Star thought, glaring at the griffoness who only licked her beak as she gave a wink, sending a chill up her spine.

“Charcoal, now!” Nimbus shouted, immediately flew out of the way as the pegasus behind her pulled out a bunch of rune stones from the pockets of his cloak and threw them all into the air. Suddenly several golems resembling bats came out and immediately attacked both Thunderlane and Star.

Thunderlane immediately flew over to Star’s side and held Skystrike up, “Lightning Blade!”

Extending from the curved blades on each end of the bow were bolts of lightning made solid, crackling with energy as Thunderlane swung Skystrike around like a dervish.

Charcoal threw his foreleg forward, yelling, “ATTACK!!!”

The golem bats let out fearsome shrieks as they dove towards the two pegasus ponies that kept aloft in front of the crystal. Thunderlane acted as a first line of defense, striking the golem bats with uncanny skill and speed, but every once and a while one or two managed to zoom past him. That left Star to handle the ones that made it through Thunderlane’s defense and she handled herself well.

“Give me your flesh!” Nimbus shouted, appearing behind Thunderlane, about to bring down her sickle to slice off one of his wings with a gleeful grin while the pegasus was distracted.

However, Thunderlane’s training had enabled him to come a long way, not only in flying, but also in battle. He’d mastered the skill of sensing his surroundings and immediately felt when Nimbus appeared behind him.

He wasted no time in pulling his limbs in and focusing his power, before he released it: “TEMPEST AURA!!!!”

His power, combined with that of his pegasus magic and knightly magic, unleashing a burst of energy like a crack of thunder. Lightning and stormy winds blew out from Thunderlane in all directions, much of it striking Nimbus with the near-full brunt of it.

The vile griffoness couldn’t hear herself scream over the zap she got running through her, as well as the air surging in her ears, before she dropped her weapons and herself dropped out of the air.

“DARLING!!!” Charcoal screamed and immediately flew down to her.

Nimbus laid upon the rooftop, fidgeting and babbling, still feeling the after-effects of that supernatural shock, but while she certainly had been given a good fry she wasn’t seriously injured. Charcoal sighed in slight relief, but he threw a vengeful glare at Thunderlane, seething, “I will rip off your wings and serve them to my love, chickenfried!!”

Thunderlane prepared himself for more, as Charcoal readied himself and then lunged straight at Thunderlane! The knight focused his power into the ends of Skystrike, extending lightning blades from them, as he roasted himself around to wind up his next swing, and lashed out sideways towards Charcoal.

But the evil pegasus axle-span his whole body, causing Thunderlane to miss, his blade only inches from the underside of Charcoal’s barrel, and as Charcoal rose up, Thunder turned to face him… only for Charcoal to raise a heavy throwing knife (that had a rune engraved into the blade) and threw it with the skill of a master.

Thunderlane raised his bow to knock it away, but to his confusion, the throwing knife angled its trajectory, actively avoiding being struck by Skystrike… and slit through the air towards its true target: The crystal!

Thunderlane and Star both realized it too late, and the knife struck the crystal they’d set up, and a crackling flash and explosion followed, forcing Thunderlane Star back to avoid the shards blown out from the force of it.

“NO!!!” Star cried out in emotional alarm.

“You’ll pay for that!!” Thunderlane pulled back an invisible string on the bow, a bolt of lightning crackling into existence, poised and ready to fire.

“Nah! I don’t think we will!” Charcoal stated clearly with a smirk as he held his love in his hooves and pulled out another rune stone. “It’s too late anyways! He’s already where he belongs now!”

Throwing the rune stone to the ground, it immediately warped the two of them away.

Hiding in the shadows, trying to catch her breath as she avoided being seen, Nyra knew the risks when she agreed to take on the alicorn alone. Somehow he had managed to strike her despite being cloaked by the rune stone Narbus made for her to avoid detection.

But as the clouds above slowly drifted along, revealing the waxing moon, Nyra suddenly became alarmed by a strange chill.

“Having fun?” Nyra jolted in panic, leaping to her hooves, away from the shaded corner in which she’d hidden.

It’d been just large enough for her to conceal herself, and yet she’d heard a voice right next to her in spite of nopony being around. She got her answer, when the shaded corner darkened… and from it, rose Midnight, clad in his armor as well as garbed in his cloak, his claw-like weapons, Nightfall, poised and ready for more battle.

Although she couldn’t see his face, Nyra had no doubts her foe was smirking in the shadow of his hood.

“Arrogant… just like the others who chose to fight… All of them were sent home in a casket.” Nyra spoke, crushing two ruin stones in her hooves, teleporting far away from the alicorn while simultaneously releasing several large golems towards her foe.

Far enough away, she pulled her crossbow out and pulled out a red arrow with three rune stones attached to it. Taking aim, she pulled the trigger, releasing the arrow as it suddenly ignited in flames mid-flight and multiplied into a dozen arrows all heading directly towards the stallion, reducing the golems to rubble beneath his hoof.

Midnight had been in such situations before, and ordinarily he would have easily avoided such attacks by teleporting or turning to shadow. Only Midnight was standing on a rooftop, and couldn’t put any innocent bystanders at risk.

So he focused his magic, closed his eyes, and cast a spell, “ARRESTO TEMPORUM.”

A spark of light ignited from his horn, before a translucent bubble of mana expanded from that spark, enlarging in all directions, Midnight dead center of it, as it enveloped everything around him.

Nyra’s triumphant counter had just been thwarted, as she watched all her arrows that got caught in the strange bubble suddenly stop in mid-air, as though they’d been…

…frozen in time!!! Nyra realized in alarm. More so, when she saw the bubble was continuing to expand and coming her way.

Immediately, she pulled out another arrow and rune stone and was about to fire it when she heard a strange whoosh around her, and she turned just in time to see Midnight as shadows reached out from under his cloak, immediately engulfing and immobilizing her.

She struggled to escape, but it was no use, as her crossbow was taken, along with her bag of runestones, and she threw him a venomous glare.

Midnight returned it with a stony one, as he stated, “This is over. I’m taking you in, and you will lead me to Watcher.”

“You don’t have a right to speak that name, it’s a name that should have been forgotten when he joined our clan! He’ll come to his senses and he’ll deal with you personally!”

“If you actually think that, I wonder if you ever loved him at all,” Midnight retorted, “I’ll admit, he did you wrong in breaking your heart, but he did right by himself by having the courage to do what you clearly never could.”

“Courage!? Abandoning me, abandoning our clan, this family?! That’s courage!? Don’t make me laugh! It’s because of your family that he’d come to join us! He told me everything about what your family did… He took an oath when he joined our clan, and to break that oath is punishable by death… but Malice believes in him still, like I do… He’ll realize his mistakes.” Nyra explained, still glaring at the alicorn, her gaze was piercing and it sent a cold chill up Midnight’s spine. “I still love him… I’ve never stopped… Especially when his life before joining us has been voidless of that love.”

Wow, this girl’s had a real number done to her… Midnight thought before he considered his next words, and replied, “Family isn’t perfect, Nyra. Family is messy, chaotic, and sometimes family can be a real pain in the butt, and even they can let you down.

“But what you described just now? That’s not family. It’s abuse and cruelty, without compassion or sincere forgiveness. Watcher should not have left you as he did. But at least he had the courage to leave that kind of monstrous treatment behind him of his own will.”

“Really… Like how an older brother leaves the younger one to die?” Nyra asked, seeing the look in his eyes, he knew what she was talking about. “How a mother controls her children, taking away their right to choose for themselves? Or how a father abandons his sons, leaving them alone? You say my family… the one who saved us… gave us purpose… belonging… isn’t a family? What makes yours better? From what Watcher told me… yours is the furthest thing from being a family.”

“You may know the things that happened to my family… but that doesn’t mean you understand,” Midnight narrowed his eyes, but continued to speak emphatically, “My father put me through hell growing up, but it helped prepare me for my future.

“He regretted what happened to his brother, and being unable to make peace with his sister-in-law because she blamed him. And she was right to. My aunt didn’t handle her grief in a healthy way, and it drove her son away out of resentment. And my father did indeed leave me and my brother without him because he left to find the witch who’d robbed us of our mother. Families make mistakes and do wrong to each other, but that doesn’t mean it has to break them apart forever. My mother was returned to us. My aunt made peace with us, and even Watcher found the strength to forgive and move on. Why can’t you?”

“You really don’t understand… I don’t think you could ever understand… Watcher and I are bonded. Our souls are joined as one… we are a mated pair for life.”

Midnight focused his mana into his eyes to take a closer look… and saw Nyra’s own mana was entangled with someone else’s, like a knotted mess of thread ensnaring the core of her being. While her mana was colored white, this mana that tethered her to someone else was a very familiar purple.

“So that’s it… you cursed Watcher, and in doing so you cursed yourself,” Midnight understood, sighing in true empathy. “That’s why you resent him so. You couldn’t let him go, so now you really can’t. Unless…”

“He needs to do it… It hurts… every moment apart hurts… I feel his pain and loneliness. Just like I know he feels mine… The nightmares and ghosts that haunt him. He needs to break this curse in order for me to move on… Or he must die! I don’t want that… but Malice promised that he’ll come back to us… I believe in him just like the rest of us do.”

“Nyra…” Midnight slackened his shadows’ hold on the zebra mare, but he didn’t release her. He looked directly into her eyes, so that she would see the sincerity in his own, as he spoke, “I am not only the leader of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, but its sole assassin.

“I choose to bear the burden and responsibility of deliberately ending a life, in the name of the greater good. So that none of my subordinates need ever take that burden upon themselves unless they were left with no choice. I personally recruit every single new member of the Brotherhood, and I would risk my life for each and every one of them, anytime, anywhere. Because they have chosen, of their own free will, to be a part of something bigger than themselves, including me! I ask for their loyalty and give it to them in return, I never demand it. If a Hood does wrong or betrays their vows, I give them a chance to atone for their misdeed. But I would never bring harm to them unless they forced my hoof.

“Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that Malice is the same? Would he put his own life on the line for any one of you? Would he understand if you had a sincere reason to go against his will? Would he even welcome your perspective on matters where you had doubts or were of a differing opinion.”

“No… None of us question his ways… The House of Assassins has been around for centuries and his family who founded it made it what it is today. No one knew it existed… You are one of the few to know of us now. Those who hire us are under oath to never question the rules and laws set forth. The same goes for us who were rescued and brought it… No one ever questions it… those who do are killed for betraying our clan.” Nyra explained, using her free hoof, she moved the back of her mane to reveal a mark on the back of her neck.

“This mark… proves that we belong to the House of Assassins… those who betray us… the mark will reveal him to us all… you can never escape… never hide… It’s kill or be killed.”

“That’s not loyalty, Nyra,” Midnight was aghast at the sight of that mark and what it meant, “That’s enslavement… Malice doesn’t want you to be loyal, he demands blind and unquestioning obedience.

“And whether any of you go against him or not, when he’s decided you’ve outlived your usefulness, he’ll cast you aside like a broken sword.”

“If that is true… why would he let my love live?”

“Because the likes of Malice…” Midnight responded, dark memories coming to mind, “they don’t let slights against them go unpunished. If he really wanted Watcher alive, it’s to use him, or else to make him suffer…

“Please, Nyra,” Midnight finally released the zebra fully from his shadowy grasp, surprising her, “Watcher hurt you, but whatever Malice intends to do with him, he doesn’t deserve it. If you ever truly loved him, you’ll tell me where to find him.”

“I do… I still do…” Nyra replied, still feeling the wet tear stains on her face. “I’ll… I’ll help you, but I can’t promise that I won’t hurt him the next time I see him… You can relate can’t you?”

“You can slap him silly later, just start talking!” Midnight urged.

“He’s- AHHHHH!” Nyra suddenly collapsed to the ground, gripping her head in her hooves as she was in intense pain. “H-He… Ah… Watcher… No…”

“Are you okay!? What happened!?”

“He’s… He’s…”

“Nyra answer me!?

“Gone… He’s gone…” Nyra collapsed, her eyes widened in quiet despair, “I-I can’t… I can’t… feel him anymore…!”

Midnight channeled his mana vision again, and saw the purple of Watcher’s mana no longer entangled with Nyra’s own. Instead, a flit of it was fading away, leaving the zebra with nothing but the pain of being alone.

No, nononono! He’s not gone… He’s not! It’s faint but there’s still a chance… Hang on, Watch, we’re coming for you…!

433. Hunted from the Past - Part 7

The tension was thick in the apartment, as the diamond dog and zebra mare stood together, getting the skeptical stink eyes from Thunderlane and Star N' Stripe, the latter of whom was especially incensed at them, as she said, "How can you even begin to justify yourselves?! I get it, Watcher left, but at least he had the courage to walk away from something he knew, deep down, was a bad thing!"

"It's not that simple..." Nyra replied, her voice so laced with pain that Narbus pulled her into a hug, which she neither reciprocated nor resisted.

"Not too late, Nyrrrra... save Watcherrr, we still can," the diamond dog assured but he couldn't stop a worried whimper from eking out of his voice.

"Look, the situation is what it is, and arguing isn't going to help us save Watcher," Midnight spoke up, "What matters now is finding him and saving him from whatever the House of Assassins are planning to do with him. Nyra, can you tell me who else is involved in this besides Malice, and whatever they're working on?"

Patting Narbus on his forearm to assure him, Nyra extricated herself from his hug and cleared her throat, "The House of Assassins was recently commissioned by an aristocat from Abyssinnia, Mr. Winkle."

"Aristocat?" echoed Thunderlane.
"Abyssinnia?" repeated Macintosh.

"Abyssinnia is a country to the far east, across the Glistening Eastern Sea," explained Star, "it's even farther than the Griffon Kingdom. It's the nation of the Cats, who are strictly isolationists. Their law is, no one is allowed to enter their country or to leave, except for certain circumstances, like banishment."

"And they are ruled by an aristocracy, the members calling themselves the Aristocats," added Midnight, "They impose, what they call, a 'gentle dictatorship', where the citizens either conform to their society's expectations or else..."

"If they don' like outsiders an' no one inside can leave, how do ya know all this?" asked Macintosh.

"Because, years ago, I infiltrated Abyssinnia by shapeshifting into a Cat myself," explained Midnight, "and I saw with my own eyes what a fascist farce the Aristocats' 'gentle dictatorship' really is. I managed to make allies and even recruit a few Cats to become members of the Brotherhood. I only contact them if I deem it necessary, because I don't want for them to be compromised.

"One of the Cats I recruited, a Dr. Kat Manx, informed me about the Aristocats, and she's mentioned a Mr. Winkle to me before. Some fat cat with a reputation of shady business practices, but very few have ever dared to accuse him of any wrongdoing and even when they did nothing ever seemed to stick."

"This Mr. Winkle is bankrolling some kind of scheme," Nyra brought up, "using some pony doctor named Atom Nucleus."

"Nucleus?!" Midnight and Star both exclaimed.

"You know him?" asked Thunderlane.

"Atom Nucleus... he was a promising up-&-coming scientist," Midnight recalled, "until he wrote a book, filled with unethical and dangerous theories regarding experimental alteration of DNA. Things snowballed from there, and Nucleus was stripped of his doctorate and his reputation was destroyed. After that, he dropped out of the public eye and just vanished."

"From what I know, Atom Nucleus was hired by Mr. Winkle for some strange experiment involving this... foul tar-like substance," Nyra brought up.

Almost immediately, a chill of dread made itself known in Midnight's spine, and he immediately met Nyra's gaze, "...a tar-like substance?"

Knowing what he was about to ask, Nyra confirmed, "From the ruins of the clocktower, where Watcher was supposed to acquire a sample."

"Goddess help us...!" Midnight uttered in sheer horror, "Knights, swords at the ready!"

Mac and Thunder summoned their swords, as did Midnight, "Star, I need you-"

"No, sir! I - am coming - with you!" Star said in definite emphasis, "If Watcher's in danger, I have to be there to help! Please..."

Midnight considered it, as well as the mixture of determination and worry on Star's face, "Fine. But at least send word to the rest of the Hoods stationed in Manehatten. A potential crisis is looming, and should the worst come to pass they need to be ready to deal with whatever happens."

"I'm on it," Star went to the secret compartment in Watcher's apartment, where she knew he kept a special communication device that was exclusive to the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, and got to work alerting the Hoods of Manehatten.

"Midnight, what's this... tar stuff that's got you so on edge?" asked Thunderlane.

"Not too long ago, Watcher called upon me for help," Midnight explained, how he'd reunited with Watcher after years, helped him face a dark entity residing in a clocktower on the outskirts of Trottingham, how his brother Twinken had been involved, and of a malignant tar-like substance.
"I still don't know exactly what this substance is, other than it's dangerous and Faust knows what it can do to a living creature! Nyra, where is the House of Assassins keeping Watcher?"

"Have you a map?" asked Nyra, and Midnight immediately summoned one with a spell.

This Map was magical, appearing initially as a simple yet informative map of Equestria. But then he showed them how its magical functions enabled the user to "zoom in" to certain locations, to get closer looks at different cities, towns, and others throughout the country, along with greater details, helpful notes, tidbits of information, and so on.

He zoomed the Map, which he simply dubbed the Traveler's Map, to Manehatten. Following Nyra's direction, he focused it to Haydes' Trough, in the Westside of the city, and pointed out the pharmaceuticals company, where Atom had his lab set up in the basement level.

"Here," Nyra pointed to a back alley behind the company building, "there's a discrete service door in this alleyway. I checked it out when we arrived there, in order to take note of all the ins and outs of the location. This service door is actually used sparingly, and the hallway it leads to is cluttered with old junk."

"Hmm, anywhere else?" asked Midnight, wanting to keep options open.

"There is a window to the basement, but it's a bit of a tight squeeze unless you were a foal," Nyra pointed out the location of the basement window, "and it's also nearby Atom Nucleus' laboratory. There's a risk they might hear us enter that way or else there could be some kind of alarm. Nuceleus definitely seems the type to set up alarms if his lab were broken into."

"Hmm..." Midnight considered what he'd just learned. The two most promising ways in had their pros and cons, and after discussing it further with Nyra, he ascertained any other access point was too risky. Putting his mind to it, he pieced together a worthwhile strategy, and gestured for everyone to bring it in, "Here's what we're gonna do..."

In Atom Nucleus' laboratory, the not-so-good doctor along with the wicked zebra Malice observed their experiment as it tore apart the poor homeless ponies they'd captured to test the subject's killing capabilities. They'd thrown about a half-dozen victims into the reinforced chamber with their experiment.

The carnage lasted hardly two minutes, and the walls, floor, and ceiling were near-entirely painted red with blood and viscera.

"Amazing... its savagery, its abilities! If it can do this to worthless have-nots imagine what it could do to more capable... prey," Atom Nucleus was scribbling notes with manic interest.

"We shall see soon enough," Malice responded as he watched through the reinforced crystal glass window with a faux look of 'oh well', "Such a pity when a wayward son strays from the true path... we could have accomplished so much more together, my boy..."

"Speaking of 'together''," Atom spoke up, "two of your subordinates have yet to return. The zebra mare and the diamond dog."

"Hmm..." Malice considered that news to him, Did Nyra lose that connection she has with Watcher after...? If she did, she and Narbus...

Malice took pride in "confirming" the loyalty of his followers, but even he was not fool enough to think his followers were incapable of even the slightest possibility of treachery. He had not led the House of Assassins for longer than either of his predecessors by being trusting of his underlings. Indeed, twice in his career had a subordinate dared attempt to kill him, and in each case he'd anticipated and prepared accordingly to make those wretches rue the days they were born.

When it came down to it, Malice knew, for all her angry and bitter bluster towards Watcher, she did in fact love him. As for Narbus, Watcher had been the one to recruit him, and though the mutt knew that the older stallion was the boss Narbus always followed Watcher's lead.

No sense in throwing caution to the wind, he thought before responding to the doctor, "I fear the timetable needs to be moved up, my good mane."

Reaching into his saddlebag, Malice produced a runestone etched with a fiendish-looking mark that glowed a poisonous purple, "Implant this onto the subject, and it will be forcibly made obedient."

"Hmm," Atom examined the stone, and despite being an earth pony he sensed a depraved magic simmering within this little rock, "It will be done, but what do you mean, the timetable has to move up?"

"...I fear our enemies may be closing in on our present location," the zebra ho-hum'd, "so we'll leave the subject, along with the rejects, here as a... welcoming committee. Whether or not they succeed in slaughtering the do-gooder prince and his adorable little friends, it will buy us the time we need to set the stage for the final act."

Atom considered Malice's words before nodding in agreement. He went to a control panel beside the observation window, and began pressing buttons before taking hold of two joystick-like controls.

Inside the chamber, the subject snarled in a guttural roar, as though it were trying to hack out phlegm, as it heard a resonant tone before a crystal-like device emerged from the wall and unleashed a debilitating jolt of energy that spread throughout the chamber. The subject howled in agony as it was stunned and sprawled onto the floor, twitching in spasms.

Then, six cable-like appendages lowered down, spreading and writhing like octopus tentacles, before they lashed out and ensnared the subject around its barrel and neck. A third wrapped around its horn, preventing surges of uncontrolled magic, and the fourth and fifth grappled its forelegs, all but rendering the subject completely immobile.

It roared in impotent outrage as it struggled pathetically to free itself while Atom placed the runestone Malice had given him into a compartment that worked like a drawer, and upon pushing it in a similar compartment opened up inside the chamber. Using the sixth cable, the doctor plucked the runestone and then carefully carried it towards the subject as it writhed in van fury to free itself... before the stone was pressed against its forehead, right below the base of its horn.

The subject let out an unearthly scream as the stone worked its power, tendrils of malevolent purple magic erupting from the stone before they veered inwards and ensnared the subject. It fought more desperately as it felt those tendrils worm their way in, taking root and clutching its mind, full of pain, fear, rage, and confusion, and began to hammer them out with a simple yet undeniable instinct.

To obey.

Atom and Malice watched as the runestone did its work, and once the subject finally seemed to calm down, Malice sneered with satisfaction, before looking to the doctor, and triumphantly requesting, "May I?"

"By all means," Atom stepped back while pointing to the mic.

Settling before the mic, Malice pressed the button and spoke, his voice sounding out into the chamber via a speaker, "You are under my command. Now, bow..."

The subject fidgeted as the cables released their hold on it, and it bowed its head in subservience. Malice laughed with vile sadism before getting a hold of himself, and speaking into the mic again, "Enemies are coming. Among them is Midnight Blaze! Your orders are simple... Destroy Midnight. Destroy the crown!"

When the subject nodded in acknowledgement, Malice shouted, "NO!! Say it..."

"...destrrrroooyyy.... Miidniiiight... dessssstrooooyy theeee c-c-crooowwwnnnn..." the subject responded, its voice deep and sounding putrid with congestion.

"Again!" Malice demanded.

"Desssstrooyy Midnight... destrrrroy the crrrrown," the subject spoke a little more clearly but still sounded ominous.

"SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!!" Malice demanded with a manic grin that disturbed even Atom, who took a step or two away from the zebra.

"Destroy Midnight... destroy... THE CROWN!!!!" the subject roared as its eyes suddenly glowed a furious purple and a pulse of vile power spread throughout the chamber, the walls breaking and crumbling from the sheer power, and even the observation window nearly broke away. It only just held although it was now nearly obscured by spiderwebs of cracks.

There was just enough unblemished glass for Malice to see, his student, turned the subject of Atom Nucleus' abominable experiment, was now perhaps the most diabolical weapon ever created.

A pity I won't be able to see you in action... Malice thought with a sinister sneer, but one thing is for certain: you will be...magnificent!

The alleyway was lit by a single light above the service door, and there was not a soul nearby. The alleyway led to an open area between the pharmaceuticals company and the neighboring building, but was still away from the actual street.

After a quick dowsing spell, Midnight confirmed that there was apparently no one nearby. Not even in the buildings adjacent to the company, which wasn't all that surprising. This corner of Manehatten wasn't the friendliest, and some of the buildings were abandoned, derelict, empty, cleared out, with only petty criminals or destitute homeless in desperate need of shelter daring to hunker down in this part of the city.

Standing on the rooftops overlooking the area that led to the alley in which the service door was located, Midnight, clad in his armor as well as garbed in his cloak, focused on the clip-on earring he wore on his right ear, and thought, Everypony in position?

The earring held a small jewel that was enchanted with a mental link spell, enabling telepathic communication between those who wore the earrings that had been interconnected.

I'm ready, responded Star.

In position, responded Thunderlane.

Eeyup, affirmed Macintosh.

As am I, replied Nyra.

Rrready! Even mentally, Narbus couldn't help but growl.

Good. Now listen, everyone, reminded Midnight, we have no idea what we're walking into other than what Nyra and Narbus shared, but in all likelihood there is going to be some kind of security or even a trap. Thunderlane, maintain your position and watch our backs. Star, stand ready to aid Thunder in case he needs it. Mac, Nyra, Narbus, with me.

Mentally feeling their affirmation, Midnight proceeded, moving as a literal shadow down an alley wall towards the alleyway that led to the open area and was opposite the one that led to the service door. Rising out of the darkness, he flicked his ears, sensing Macintosh, Nyra, and Narbus arrive. Of them, Mac was the loudest even though he was doing his best to be sneaky, given he was in his armor. They'd considered forgoing armor until they needed it, but Midnight decided to err on the side of caution and had his knights wear their armor as well as Star, Nyra, and Narbus wear wear some kind of protection.

The open area before them was almost as large as Ponyville town square, only cluttered with a couple dumpsters overflowing with garbage, along with a few piles of discarded junk. Midnight held his hoof up, signaling them to hold while he cast a dowsing spell to sense anything nearby that was alive.

All he detected were a few rats in the garage, an alley cat, roaches, and some pigeons nesting up on the nearby buildings. There was not a pony soul nearby, which made sense since this wasn't a residential district. This place was so ridden with metropolitan malaise that even the homeless and petty criminals didn't hang around here.

Which was, in a ll honesty, a good thing, as Midnight thought, At least we won't have to worry about bystanders.

Since he was armed with an actual shield, Mac insisted on taking point, followed by Midnight and Nyra, with Narbus bringing up the rear. Shield raised and sword at the read, Mac carefully led the way as they approached the service door. Midnight discretely dowsed for any wards or possible magical traps, and was concerned when he detected none.

"Nyra... I sense no hidden magical surprises nearby," Midnight whispered to the zebra mare, "any thoughts?"

"I suggest you all stay on guard... The runes stones place prevents magic from detecting this place," Nyra responded.

"Hrrmmph... I'm not an expert on runic magic, only in the basics," Midnight berated himself.

"Not a surrrrrprrrrise... zebrrrrras keep this magic secrrrret," Narbus chimed in.

"Unicorns and other creatures practice their own brand of runic magic," clarified Midnight, "but I only ever bothered learning the basics of unicorn runes. Any suggestions?"

Nyra took a moment to contemplate before she reached into the pocket of her saddle and pulled out a empty rune stone and tossed it to the alicorn. "Channel you magic here, you can figure out how to work around the barrier. If you desire to learn, I won't hold your hoof."

Midnight regarded the stone skeptically, but he trusted Nyra and Narbus were sincere. So, taking a deep breath, he focused a steady flow of his power into the stone, unknowingly causing a rune to etch itself upon the stone and glow as it drank up the power.

Nyra took a moment to contemplate before she stopped dead in her tracks and turned towards the alicorn. “Your “runic magic” is appalling to say the least. Your kind have only scratched the surface of what you can accomplish.

“Narbus, give this one a rune stone, please?” Nyra asked, the diamond dog nodded as he pulled out a rune stone and tossed it towards Midnight. “I want you to channel your magic into this stone and ask yourself this question. “What do you want most right now?” truly think about it. And you’ll begin to have an understanding of what our magic is like.”

“Hmmm…” Midnight eyed Nyra as he held the stone, a tad miffed by her condescending earlier, but he shoved that aside and focused. What do I want…?

He considered the question carefully. Did he want to rescue Watcher? Of course, but that didn’t seem like the right question. Nor did finding their enemies click either. So then…

Midnight was struck with inspiration, and held the stone as he thought, I want to see what our enemies are planning…

The stone flared with the turquoise energy from Midnight’s mana, and it crumbled to dust as the magic did its work. Midnight felt a rush of energy concentrate to his eyes, making him squeeze them shut to gather himself… before he opened them and they glowed, enabling him to see into the building. It was like looking through transparent images, seeing past the walls, the wiring, the plumbing, the interior furnishings.

But something in particular gave off a glow, and Midnight focused his perception towards the source… and saw it was some kind of blueprint.

A blueprint of what…? Midnight wondered. He scrutinized it carefully… and realized what he was looking at. The blueprint was unmistakable, depicting the tallest building in Manehatten: The Empony State Building.

What would they be doing with this? Midnight wondered... when chill fell over his withers, a familiar one. A chill he hadn’t felt since…

The door burst open, flying off its hinges, Mac raising his shield to protect them from the errant projectile, and they heard a strange sound. Like a slitherly liquid and a congested growling deeper than the hungry grumble of a dragon’s belly.

They watched as several goopy black monstrosities exited the service door, about a dozen total. All of them had the basic shape of a pony yet each was filthy and wretched, completely covered and dripping with that foul tar, with only their eyes, glowing red or yellow or even purple, all with a hateful malevolence directed straight at the unlikely band of heroes.

But then… they each moved to the sides as another tar-coated figure stepped out, making itself known. It was bigger, it was scarier, it had a horn! And its eyes, seething a dark and furious purple glared a burning rage straight into the sapphire alicorn…

“Desssstroy Midniiight… deeesstroy… the crrrrrroooowwnnnn…!”

“Haystack, Ah think it’s talkin’ `bout you,” Mac whispered the obvious as he kept his shield up.

Midnight did not answer. He looked upon these creatures with a dispirited pity. What had Malice and Atom Nucleus done? The blue alicorn knew that these things were once normal ponies, but no more.

“Destrrrroy Midnight… Desssstroy the crrrrown!” the largest monster’s voice was deep and putrid, sounding like somepony heavily congested though its voice was starting to sound clearer, but then its dark purple eyes began to flare with cursed purple flames.

Wait… no, it- it can’t be! Midnight felt his heart tighten as though it were caught in a vice as he was filled with a cold dread.

He heard Nyra gasp beside him, and his fears were all but confirmed.

“Destroy Midnight! Destroy… THE CROOOOOWWWWWNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!” Throwing its head back, the monster roared with unbridled rage, a force impressing upon them like a terrible pressure, and the other tar monsters began to roar and snarl in response to the one that held dominance over them.

“GET BACK!!!” Narbus barked as he grabbed Nyra and leapt away.

Mac almost ran too, but he noticed Midnight stood stupefied with fear and shock. “Midnight!”

The big red earth pony hurried back to get his brother, but Midnight stood there, staring at the monster even as it glared murderously back, a tear running down Midnight’s cheek… which then suddenly ached from the slap Mac gave him, braying, “MOVE!!!”

Shaking it off, as well as the pain, Midnight reclaimed his wits and followed Macintosh to the open area, where Narbus and Nyra were waiting already. Thunderlane and Star held their post on the rooftop, even as the tar monsters began to approach.

They stood together on the far end, opposite the way the monsters were coming as the beasts began to spread out, the leader coming forward as it continued to glare at Midnight.

He wasn’t sure what to do. His suspicions were not one hundred percent, but every instinct was warning him-

“DESTROY MIDNIIIIGGHHTTT!!!!!!” the lead monster screamed in a bestial manner as its form bunched up like a mass of goo before it launched itself forward, moving so fast Midnight had been unable to react as it engulfed him, cutting off his scream, before it bunched up again and launched itself into the air, arcing over the rooftops.

“MIDNIGHT!!!!” Macintosh and Thunderlane both cried out, but then the other monsters charged, demanding their attention.

As Mac and Narbus fought the fiends directly, Thunderlane began to provide support, shooting them with lightning arrows while Nyra threw some rune stones she’d already prepared.

Only Star broke away and followed after the monster and her abducted leader.

Midnight found himself being unceremoniously dropped onto the wooden surface of a dock, wet with seawater, the salt in the air deeply refreshing as he gasped, having been unable to breathe inside of that filthy monstrosity.

Coughing his throat clear, Midnight looked over to the monster with trepidation, the way it stood there, glaring, waiting, seething with the patient ferocity of a predator.

Gathering himself, Midnight stood up and faced the beast, looking around to confirm they were at the Manehatten docks, with sailboats, yachts, tugboats, and even freighters and a luxury liner moored nearby.

Given the hour, there were few cries from nearby gulls, and hardly a soul in sight.

“Destroy Midnight…” Midnight returned his attention to the foe before him. Its voice was clearer, and sounded all too familiar as it snarled, “Destroy the crown!!”

“...it’s you, isn’t it,” Midnight replied, sounding despondent yet there was a hopeful undertone, “If you’re in there, if there’s a chance… I’m gonna set you free!

“Find the Light, Nightfall!” Midnight’s sword flared with nocturnal brilliance before stellar mist engulfed him as his armor shone with lunar brilliance and his sword became armored gauntlets bearing claws of pristine silvery steel.

His knightly armor gleamed with its nocturnal colors, and his helm lowered a protective visor for his face yet allowed him to see through it perfectly.

Rearing up, Midnight slammed the palms of his gauntlets onto the ground while exclaiming, “Shadow Lassos!”

His shadow extended out from underneath him towards the monster before whips of shadowstuff manifested and writhed like snakes before they lashed out at their target.

The beast reacted by throwing its head back and opening its maw, releasing a terrible gurgly roar as deep and guttural as the bowels of a volcano. Which wasn't a bad analogy, because only a moment later did a burst of purple flames erupt from the monster's mouth, headed skyward. As it began to arc, the purple fireball exploded into numerous smaller flames that rained down, setting the area around them ablaze.

Including Midnight's Shadow Lassos. He watched in unexpected awe as the tenebrous tendrils were incinerated as easily as paper, burning the shadowstuff to ashes before it was blown away in the nighttime sea breeze.

This thing is smarter than it looks... Midnight thought before changing tactics.

Slowly the creature stalked towards the alicorn prince, its maw dripping with tar as smoke seeped from the edges of its mouth.

“Midnight… Crown! Must pay!” It uttered under its breath as suddenly it slammed its hooves to the ground and large black tendrils began rapidly approaching Midnight.

Midnight waved his left gauntlet, declaring, "Half Moon Shield!"

By his word did appear half of a spherical bubble directly in front of him, colored a transparent turquoise, as it not only protected him from the wretched tendrils of tar but even reacted negatively to them, like an ice cube touching the middle of a hot pan.

Among the powers of his sword, Nightfall, Midnight had learned it was not limited to offensive techniques. Half Moon Shield was its basic defensive skill, and it could react negatively to the touch of whatever came in contact with it that had harmful intent.

“SCORCHING… FIRE… SPIDER’S STRIKE!” It shouted, and from the tip of its horn, a flame ignited and was launched directly towards the prince, splitting into at orbs of flames covering every direction of possible escape.

Upon hearing this, Midnight knew for certain that this creature was indeed Watcher.

"Not a bad move, but not good enough!!" Midnight reared up and spun `round, his gauntlets flaring with shadowy fire that gave off lunar radiance as he shouted, "DARKEST LARIAT!!!"

The attack created a vortex of energy rotating at high velocity around himself, permeating with nocturnal power so intense that once the orbs of flame made contact they were blown apart into dying embers.

The monster growled in vexation as the embers, along with smoke and ash filled the air, obscuring its foe... before the rotation stopped, a gust of wind blowing it away... revealing Midnight had vanished!

"Destroy... Midnight! Destroy the crown! Destroy Midnight... destroy... THE CROWN!!!!" The monster roared in frustrated fury before it lashed out with tendrils of tar that blistered with its purple flames.

Nearby boats and vessels were struck, setting them on fire. A nearby fishing store was totaled. The monster was frantically infuriated, looking madly for its prey while Midnight observed.

The Hunter's Moon Cloak was Nightfall's stealth skill, rendering its master invisible under the moonlight.

Midnight watched as the monster continued to damage its surroundings, and he thought, I gotta subdue him or a bystander might get hurt!

Putting a little more distance between them, Midnight lit up his horn to cast a weather spell he had used plenty of times. A spell to summon rainfall.

Plenty of unicorns, even of Gamma level, could use this spell, though weather pegasi were annoyed by it. Depending on the power of the conjurer the rainfall could be light or heavy, lasting from a short shower to a long torrent.

For an alicorn, it could manifest as a rainstorm powerful and vast enough to thoroughly soak a city roughly comparable to Manehatten itself.

Midnight didn’t go that far however, focusing the rain to fall directly over the docks, and threw in a potent counterspell for dark magic to lace the raindrops with.

He watched as his rain did its work and noticed how the monster had paused as it glared up at the rain, snarling with seething rage. Every drop of rain that fell upon it made some seam hiss off its tarry goop.

If the rain is having any effect on him, it’s not nearly enough, thought Midnight as he prepared for his next move, I’m gonna have to try a more direct approach…!

Diving into his own shadow, Midnight, for lack of a better word, swam through shadow space. It was always a somewhat bizarre experience, like he were “swimming” just below the surface of water and seeing the world above him likewise albeit slightly blurry or shaded, depending on where light and shadow actually fell upon the surface of a floor, the ground, a wall, or a ceiling.

But Midnight could not deny the benefits to this power, such as becoming imperceptible to even magical detection or magically augmented senses.

Still, the power did have downsides too. One was, it was as though Midnight were a bubble of air that the “water” was trying to push back to the surface.

As he made his way towards the monster, he noticed it was continuing to seethe loathsomely up at the rain. That suited Midnight fine, and he quickly determined his next tactic as he zeroed in on his target, passing right underneath… before launching out of his shadow, his gauntlet’s claws each trailing a Shadow Lasso to ensnare-

“CHAINS OF ICARUS!!!” the monster snarled immediately, and from out of nowhere flaming chains, metal ringing as though the links were being struck against each other in quick-succession, whipped out.

Midnight was utterly taken aback as the chains looped onto his gauntlets and then his hind fetlocks. Thank Goddess his armor and gauntlets protected his limbs from the fire, but it didn’t change the fact that Midnight had been suddenly and unexpectedly immobilized!

The chains went taut, pulling Midnight’s limbs out and holding him in place, and Midnight was shocked that even his own strength was not enough to ease the chains’ pressure, let alone break them.

For a moment, Midnight was so frantic, trying to get loose, he almost didn’t notice the monster rise up in front of him, suspending itself via three tentacles of tar as thick as tree trunks.

Realizing his situation as it glared him menacingly in the face, Midnight grunted after another vain attempt to pull himself free before saying, “Watcher… You’re in there, I know you are! This isn’t you, it’s the tar!

“You need to remember who you really are! Think of your mom, think of your sisters! Think of your father…!”

“Destroy Midnight…” This time, the monster’s voice was clear and perfectly understandable, and it broke Midnight’s heart to his cousin’s voice as he made no indication that he could hear him, “Destroy the crown…!”

The monster-ized Watcher raised a foreleg, the tar upon it morphing into a long and lethal blade resembling solid obsidian, how it seethed from the rain that continued to drop, and he raised it overhead.

“Forgive me, Watcher…” Midnight hung his head in shame, afraid of what he was going to have to do to-

“WATCHER, NOOO!!!!!”

Midnight felt his heat leap into his throat as the source of the voice made itself known when Star n’ Stripe zoomed in, putting herself between Midnight and Watcher while raising a shield-

KerSHLANG

“Ooh!” Midnight felt Star ram into him as she was forced back by the impact of the blow against her shield, and the tautness of the burning chains gave just the slightest slack and sent Star in reverse trajectory, causing her to crash, shield-first, into Watcher.

The unexpected physical interruption broke Tarred Watcher’s focus, and the chains holding Midnight loosened. The sapphire stallion seized the moment and cast, “Finité Dispel!!”

The counterspell was basic, but the power behind it more than made up for it, as a pulse of turquoise mana that shimmered with its negative color counterpart burst from Midnight’s horn. The magic snuffed out the chains’ fire before each link broke apart like glass, setting Midnight free as he shook off the parts of the chains that had snared him.

Looking, he saw Tarred Watcher snarling viciously at Star, who held her shield to her side while her eyes were on the threat before her.

“Watcher… please hear me,” Star begged, her eyes glimmering with quiet desperation, “You are… one of the most ornery, stubborn, and just plain rude pains in the plot that’s ever been my dumb luck to know!

“But underneath all that, I’ve come to see somepony worthwhile!”

“RRRAAAUUGHH!!!!” Tarred Watcher roared as he snapped with dribbling teeth at Star, forcing her to suddenly back off in alarm as Tarred Watcher held up a foreleg… before lashing out in a tentacle of tar that speared right towards the pegasus mare-

SHLING

-only for a silver slash to cut it cleanly, causing the tar to drop in a goopy kersplot onto the dock where Tarred Watcher and Star stood, the latter seeing Midnight flapping aloft to the side, his weapons’ claws gleaming under the moonlight.

But then, they saw Tarred Watcher shake his head, looking confused, frustrated, or in pain. Or perhaps even all of the above.

Immediately, Midnight wondered before saying, “Keep trying, Star! I’ve got him.”

Landing a few yards behind Tarred Watcher, Midnight focused the full of his power through his shadow, which reached out before a mass of writhing shadowy tentacles flared upwards and quickly ensnared Tarred Watcher. The beast lashed out and struggled to get free, but Midnight didn’t let up. He didn’t slacken his grasp. He couldn’t afford to hesitate.

Seeing her leader giving her the chance she needed, Star cautiously but determinedly approached the poor creature before her, even as it continued to snarl and struggle in desperation to escape Midnight’s hold.

“Watcher… I see you, I see your pain. I’ve seen the struggles you have suffered through, and the burdens you’ve carried. I may not yet understand them all, but I want to. I want to help you, but you have to let me! Life has been unfair to you, so just this once, let me be the one to pull you out of that darkness!”

“Ssssssstar… Goooo… Don’t… GRRRRRAAAAORR!”

He can hear us! Midnight thought as he gritted his teeth before saying aloud, “Star, you’re getting through to him. Keep going!! Rgh…!”

“I know that it’s scary to be vulnerable, Watch,” Star got closer, not letting Tarred Watcher’s snarls and struggles ward her off any longer, “I know how hard it can be, to let down your guard… I did once, and somepony broke my heart. It made me never want to do that again, but I realized that would have meant closing myself off and never finding somepony special, somepony who would make me feel special…

“It’s a risk, yes,” Star now stood directly in front of Tarred Watcher, who had stopped struggling but continued to snarl and growl at Star, as she said, “but the risk is worth it, especially when it pays off. When you find that special somepony… and I believe I have.”

The growls and snarls softened, almost completely stopping, and Midnight felt Tarred Watcher starting to relax though he continued to fidget, as though he was in discomfort.

Star reached up, not caring about the tar, how it stung her hoof as she gently wiped some of it away… and smiled with hope to see Watcher’s eye, his real eye, as he looked upon her with that familiar, beautiful purple, as it shed a tear.

“No, I know I have,” Star uttered softly as she looked Watcher straight in the eye, and tenderly said, “...because I love you.”

434. Hunted from the Past - Part 8

Tarred Watcher’s eye glimmered with emotion, in spite of the wretched filth engulfing his body. How it hurt, how it agonized every inch of his body! The only relief came from lashing out, acting on rage, instinct, fear, but it was always temporary, because the painful effects of not only the tar but the runestone set onto his forehead exerted their cruel influence.

Did- Did …she… love? I… No, no! It’s- It’s a trick! Destroy Midnight, destroy the Crown! De- Love… why…? Ny…ra…? RRRGHHGGHHHH!!!!!

Tarred Watcher threw back his head into a roar of agonized fury, the tar gooping back over his eye as he felt two piercing stabs of torment, in his heart and in his head.

He raised his forelimb, the tar morphing into a viscous sickle, Star gasping in horror as Midnight gritted his teeth, struggling to hold Tarred Watcher in his shadowy snares. But he mustered the will to manifest another to pull Star out of harm’s way, but the lapse had been enough for the creature to finally break free of its restraints.

“STAR, GET OUT OF THERE!!!” Midnight felt a pain in his head akin to whiplash, as his hold was broken, like a rubber band snapping after being pulled too hard.

“OH!!” Star took flight to get away from the agitated creature, but felt her heart jump into her throat as she saw its goopy mass concentrate to its back… and a pair of hideous wings spread.

They resembled distorted and ugly growths of roots with a putrid membrane of purple between them as they dripped before they began to flap. It was clumsy at first, but the monster soon took to the air, and glared with animus towards Star as it pursued her.

Star was no longer safe in the air, but thankfully she was a far better flier than this beast. If only it wasn’t so tenacious as it flew after her.

Back on the dock, Midnight was focusing his mana to regain control as well as to assuage the pain he’d felt from the magical backlash. It was stifling, and slow-going, but he still had enough awareness to see that Star was in trouble, and it wouldn't be long before the monster caught her or else she made a mistake.

Rrgh, I’m no good to her now, but I can’t… recover fast enough! Midnight gritted his teeth, feeling the minor relief contrasting with the debilitating aches holding him back.

“Midnight!!” peering out the corner of his eye, midnight felt his heart soften with more relief to see the others arriving, as Thunderlane immediately flew over to him.

“We defeated the other monsters and got here as soon as we could, are you-”

“Never mind me, help Star!” Midnight pointed to Star, continuing to fly circles around the monster, but it was obvious she was getting tired. “That creature is Watcher, possessed by the tar!”

“Yer kiddin’!” Macintosh gaped at the alicorn, who shook his head. But it was Nyra who confirmed it.

“He speaks the truth…!” All eyes turned to her, and they saw Nyra looking up at the tarred monster with horror and guilt in her eyes, “Malice… what have you done?!”

“Help Watcherrrr, we must!” Narbus snarled, “Narbus grab him, hold him down!”

However, before he could, Tarred Watcher unleashed several black tendrils and began to lash out wildly. Immediately, Midnight and the others leaped out of the way of the oncoming tendrils that swung at them, trying to grab hold of them. Nyra though, despite the heartache Watcher had caused her, she still didn’t want to see the same stallion in agony. Using her sharp eyes, she noticed the glowing rune stone on his forehead, just below the base of his horn.

“The rune stone… upon his head! We need to get it off him, now!” Nyra pointed out, avoiding the tendrils. “Prince Midnight, if you have a way to hold him, we can get the stone off of him.”

Having just recovered from the magical backlash, Midnight charged into the fray, Thunderlane and Macintosh behind him as Midnight and Thunderane took flight and quickly got between Star and the Tarred Watcher.

“Light Side of the Moon!” Midnight raised his gauntlets, the jewels in them emitting a blinding flash right into Tarred Watcher’s eyes.

The lunar luminescence worked, causing Tarred Watcher’s vision to swim and his wings to falter as he tried to shake off the blinding effect while flapping.

“Sonic Arrow!” Thunderlane pulled back a string of energy on his bow, and released an arrow of mana that zoomed at supersonic speeds, striking Tarred Watcher in the shoulder.

Its piercing was augmented by a vibration at sonic level, allowing it to take effect even through the goop coating Watcher’s form. It spread a numbing effect and even caused a break of cohesion in the tar, causing the wings to start to disperse and break with every flap.

“Mac, Narbus! He’s coming your way!” Midnight called down to them.

Macintosh rushed forward and positioned his shield just underneath Watcher, “Fortress Stance!”

A barrier of Macintosh’s magic surrounded him, and the moment Watcher made contact it rebounded his entire body, sending him hurtling right into the waiting arms of Narbus, who immediately bear-hugged him and dropped forward onto the ground, pinning the tormented creature.

There was an initial struggle, but then the Tarred Watcher seemed to give in as he panted heavily, making raspy breaths, sounding exhausted.

Narbus was surprised, but he still held tightly, even as everypony began to carefully close in.

“Is he…?” Thunderlane asked, a lightning arrow at the ready in his bow.

“Seems like he’s finally getting tired,” Midnight furrowed his brows. “Given all he’s been through, it makes sense.”

“Oh Watch…” Star dared to get closer, and Nyra easily saw the look on the pegasus mare’s face.

A look she was rather familiar with. At first, a stab of jealousy made her grit her teeth, but then she felt ashamed. After everything that had happened as of late, she regarded the corrupted form of the stallion she loved, as Nyra thought, Do I even reserve any right to feel jealous…?

Suddenly!

Watcher’s eyes snapped open, and he roared as the tar massed underneath Narbus, causing the diamond dog to whimper and growl as he struggled to keep hold, only for the foul substance to throw him off before Watcher glared directly at Star. The mare was frozen in fear, while the tarred pony and the zebra mare felt a mutual pain in their hearts, and Nyra knew what he was going to do.

He lunged, his forelimbs forming claws, while Nyra didn’t hesitate.

Reaching into her pouch, she leapt to intercept the attack, putting herself between Star and those claws even as the zebra held up a runestone and called out a word in her language. The stone gave off a flash of light before it exploded, and the runestone embedded into Watcher’s head had a reaction before it too broke into pieces.

But not before those claws raked across Nyra’s chest, beads of ruby red flying in a spray as everyone watched in shock.

It’d happened so quickly none could have reacted without the forewarning Nyra had had.

The force of the attack sent Nyra rolling across the ground, while Watcher stumbled, feeling a similar agony both on and within his chest.

“NYRRRAAAA!!!!” Narbus whimpered in terrified concern, rushing over to the zebra mare, and gingerly picking her up. “Nyrrra, talk to me!”

Midnight finally regained his wits and summoned more Shadow Lassos to restrain Watcher while Star stood there, shaken and unsure of what to think or say in response to what had just happened in seemingly the blink of an eye.

“I’ve got him, he’s not going anywhere this time!” Midnight concentrated, and strangely found it much easier to hold Watcher this time.

Because he wasn’t frantically fighting to get free. This time, Watcher struggled as though he were afraid… and Midnight noticed, despite the tar still on his cousin’s face, Watcher’s eyes were upon Nyra, who was being cradled in Narbus’s arms, which were beginning to redden from the bleeding.

“Nnnn….Nnnnyyrraaaa…!” The voice was congested yet there was heartache in it, and Midnight felt a bittersweet relief.

He’s regained his wits, but… He looked over to Nyra, and was relieved as Star hurried over, pulling out a first-aid kit from her cloak.

Midnight was glad, remembering Star was among his Hoods who’d trained as a field medic. He was certain Nyra would be in good hooves.

The zebra’s eyes fluttered open, and she returned Watcher’s fretful gaze with one of deepest shame, as she sorrowfully uttered, “Watcher… you were right… you were right to leave.

“Had only I been as brave as you, perhaps… none of this would have happened…”

“Easy, Nyra, we need to stop the bleeding,” Star tried to gently hush her patient. The elixir in her kit was helping, but then she gestured for Narbus to help hold Nyra up as the pegasus began to bandage the wounds.

“I was so… foolish. No, I was a coward…” Nyra held Watcher’s gaze, and felt her heart swell with loving relief as some of the tar began to slide off the poor unicorn’s face, allowing her to see those purple eyes she loved so much, and the pain in them that was both physical and emotional, deepening her shame, but still she had to say, “I should never have been so selfish, Watcher. Which is why… I forgive you.”

As the madness addling his mind cleared, Watcher gasped at those words, and felt his heart tighten more when Nyra added tearfully, “I only hope, perhaps one day… you may forgive me…”

I… I do, Ny…! Watcher thought and just like that, a great weight was lifted, from his heart and from his spirit.

The dour malaise that had followed Watcher ever since he’d left the House of Assassins suddenly wasn’t there anymore. As though it had never meant anything at all. Or perhaps, it no longer did, for mutual forgiveness had finally set him and Nyra free.

The tar itself began to glow with a gentle golden-white radiance, amazing everyone as it dissolved into glowing mist, and there Watcher was.

Without even acknowledging any of the others or even when Midnight released his hold on him, Watcher stood up and approached Nyra, who gazed up at him with blessed relief. As did Star, who smiled tearfully at Watcher as he knelt down in front of these two mares, and touched them each on the cheek before kissing them both and pulling them into a most tender hug.

Earlier that day, back in Ponyville, Twilight had received her usual postage and was going through them, sorting through junk mail, advertisements, and she'd gotten a few letters from friends around Ponyville.

Like Doctor Whooves, asking Twilight for advice on cracking a quantum equation he was having trouble with. Cheerilee wanted to know if Twilight would accompany her to a teachers’ retreat in order to learn new teaching methods for her students. The Cakes mentioned in their letter to Twilight that Pinkie Pie was busy with some secret project and were wondering if she might know anything about it. She even got a letter from Shining Armor and Cadance about little Cora’s first playdate with some of the baby foals of Shining Armor and Cadance’s friends up in the Crystal Empire.

These welcome distractions however were losing their effect in keeping Twilight’s mind off of how things went with Midnight prior to his departure to Manehatten. Then there was that talk with Faerie Tail that helped put things in perspective. Twilight knew she had to make this right with her husband, truly acknowledging her behavior had been unfair.

Taking a deep breath, she thought of her Midnight Blaze. His compassion, his patience, his creativity, his light, and how it brightened and warmed her heart each and every day. Theirs was truly an unusual journey from foalhood friends to partners in love and life.

Sunset Shimmer’s kiss had shaken things up and Twilight had let that disturbance spur a negative reaction she’d taken out on Midnight for something that wasn’t his fault.

I’ll tell him I’m sorry, Twilight thought with faith melancholy as she continued to look through the mail. Hm?

A letter addressed to her with the seal of Manehatten City Hall stamped onto it, indicating it was one of those “official” communiqués, so she opened it to read:

To Princess Twilight Sparkle, Daughter of House Esther, Lady of Magic, Consort to the Prince of Faith,

You are cordially invited to an award ceremony as the guest of honor in recognition of your scientific contributions to the Magical Science Department of Manehatten University, to take place at the Empony State Building tomorrow afternoon.

If you are able to attend, simply check the checkbox below the signature at the bottom of this letter. We hope you will accept our invitation and eagerly await your response.

Sincerely,
Mayor Joe Pescolt

Well, that’s convenient, Twilight thought with a pleasant surprise. Perhaps she’d get to have that conversation with Midnight sooner than she’d thought.

435. Hunted from the Past - Part 9

Late the next morning, Watcher’s eyes slowly began to creak open. The ashy-gray unicorn felt strangely rested yet wiped. Despite sleeping like a rock, there was a dull ache in Watcher’s bones, the kind one felt after a long day’s work.

As wakefulness washed away groggy somnolence, the stallion became aware of pressure upon his forelegs, and at each of his sides, and he realized… he was not alone in bed. That realization alone all but jolted him awake though he managed to stay still. Before peering out the corners of his eyes.

A confusion of elation and stupor nearly blanked out Watcher’s mind as he was stunned to see Nyra and Star both in bed with him, cuddled up to his sides, each of them looking so beautifully peaceful.

In bed. Together. With him in the middle.

A stirring in his loins restored his cognition as Watcher thought, Oh, Mother Faust, if this is a dream I never wanna wake up!

Meanwhile, Midnight, Macintosh, Thunderlane, and even Narbus were all enjoying breakfast. After their rescuing of Watcher last night and the regrettable putting down the tarred victims, Midnight had led everyone to a safehouse, one of many he’d established for the Brotherhood to use in Manehatten.

The safehouse was located in one of the older apartment buildings of the city, not busy and popular, but one that was still moderately successful. The landlord of the building was one of those “as long as you keep up on rent I don’t care what you do” sorts, although Midnight (through one of his Hoods) had basically bought and paid for this apartment, and then ensorcelled it with many manners of protections and enchantments that misdirected unwanted attention.

After leading everyone here, Midnight had instructed for Watcher to be laid down for a good night’s sleep after having him drink a healing elixir to take care of any injuries or damages to his well-being after all he’d been through yesterday.

Nyra and Star had both insisted on staying with him, and Watcher had been too zonked out from exhaustion and the elixir to protest. Even so, Midnight had discreetly placed an alert charm in the room to let him know when Watcher woke up, and his horn tingled, letting the sapphire stallion know the patient had woken up.

His ears perked when before long, things started to happen in that bedroom, and Midnight smirked to himself before turning his attention back to enjoying breakfast with everyone.

Midnight had shared the other bedroom with Thunderlane (in separate beds) while Mac had crashed on the couch and Narbus was content on the living room floor. Before hitting the sack, Midnight had tasked some trusted Hoods to continue monitoring the situation.

Although they’d rescued Watcher, Malice and Atom Nucleus remained at large, and they were undoubtedly still scheming something.

Mac and Thunderlane had cooked breakfast, welcoming the distraction of cooking to take their minds off recent events. Even so, all that had transpired still bothered them, and they wondered, what now?

“This isn't over.” All eyes at the table turned to Midnight, who propped his chin onto his hoof in contemplation, his eyes furrowed as he gazed downwards.

“Malice and Atom Nucleus are planning something, last night was just a distraction to keep up occupied while they slipped away.”

The earth pony, pegasus, and diamond dog shared concerned looks before Mac asked, “So then, wha’ in Haydes’re they gonna do, Midnight? We ain’t got an idea on where they’ve gone.”

“Or even what they may want to do with that tar other than turn more innocent ponies into monsters,” added Thunderlane.

“Malice… he is crrruelerr than crrruel,” Narbus growled apprehensively, “He not care who he hurrrt… as long as he gets what he wants.”

“In other words, he is a stallion devoid of conscience,” nodded Midnight, “but he’s still an assassin for hire. Watcher said as much about Malice and his followers.

“So the question is, what’s the job Malice is working to fulfill? The tar is just the method, but what’s the endgame of it?”

At that moment, a commotion of sorts drew their attention the the door of the bedroom where Watcher and the mares had spent the night. Followed by muffled words that sounded upset, tense, no one was sure. But a few minutes later, Nyra and Star both emerged, looking peeved, to put it lightly, followed by a bummed and guilty-looking Watcher.

“Er… good morning, everyone,” Watcher said a bit meekly, noticing the guys all looking at him.

They shared a look, but seeing the moods Watcher, Nyra, and Star were each in, well, it was a strong indication that they shouldn’t ask.

“Ooh, are those waffles?” Star perked up and joined everyone at the table, followed by Nyra and then Watcher.

Although he chose to sit apart from the mares, both of whom gave him a light stink eye as they prepared their plates, and Mac politely poured them coffee and orange juice.

“Good morning to you all as well,” Midnight said kindly, with a tone neutral yet benign, before it changed as he asked, “We were just discussing Malice and Atom Nucleus. I apologize for getting right into it after you all just woke up, but we need to figure out what their next move could be.”

Hearing the concern in Midnight’s tone that time, Watcher shared a reluctant look with Nyra and then Narbus. The zebra mare sighed, before she explained, “Malice received a job to acquire a sample of tha tar, and originally… the job was assigned to Watcher.”

Watcher shifted in his seat uncomfortably, but Nyra went on, “When that didn’t pan out, Malice sent me instead. After acquiring the sample, the job continued, and Atom Nucleus was brought into the equation.

“At first, we thought the client was Mr. Winkle. But it turns out, he’s acting on behalf of someone else. The actual client remains anonymous to us, even to Malice.”

“But what’s the goal?” prodded Midnight. “Experimenting on the tar, infecting ponies with it…”

“...to create some kind of army,” Nyra answered with woe, “an army to wage war against the world.”

Midnight, Mac, Thunderlane, and Star shared troubled looks, before Midnight asked again, “Is there anything else any of you can tell us? About the tar, Malice, Atom, Winkle, whatever they may be up to next?”

“I’m not sure if this’ll help…” All eyes turned to Watcher, and the feeling in the room sank as they saw the stallion. The way he hung his head, the look in his eyes, the sound of his voice, as he uttered, “But… it was a nightmare.

“It was like… watching an image, flashing, like one of those old-time projectors. All you can do is watch... and do nothing as your own body is made to do... horrible things. You want to scream... but you can't find your voice. You want to cry... but the tears won't come out. And everything feels so... cold..."

"Watch..." Star whispered in concern, Nyra looking to Watcher with concern that was mixed with guilt.

"And all you feel inside... is fear... anger... hate...!" Watcher went on, shuddering as he recalled every haunting detail, "And all you can do is lash out at whatever you see as the source of it, your mind... overcome with a twisted... enjoyment of the damage you cause, the hurt you inflict..."

It made Midnight's heart hurt to see his cousin like this. Part of him wished to assure Watcher that he didn't have to keep going, but another felt like he had to. To let Watcher get this out, to find a way to make sense of what had happened to him by sharing it. A few questions sprang to mind, but he chose not to voice them, so Watcher could work through the malaise himself.

"I remember... Malice... the psycho doctor..." Watcher held his head, scrunching his eyes closed as he tried to piece it all together, "So much pain... I remember attacking you all. Especially you, Midnight...

"I didn't want to, but... there was something in me that did!" Watcher finally began to tear up, sounding ashamed as he went on, "I tried... so hard to make it stop! But then, I saw strange images in my mind, they distracted me... then... I heard..."

Watcher finally lifted his face up, and they all saw the stains of his tears trailing down his face, as he looked at Nyra and Star.

The miffed feelings were shoved aside as the two mares went over to give Watcher the warmest tender hugs they could, which he welcomed with tearful appreciation, snrrking his nose as it started to run.

Midnight waited a moment, giving his cousin time to enjoy the comfort of the two mares at his sides, before saying most solemnly, “I’m sorry that this happened to you, Watcher.

“Especially after what happened… back in that tower,” Midnight lowered his gaze, recalling that harrowing experience and the cost of their survival. Taking a deep breath, Midnight furrowed his brows and lifted his eyes to see Watcher regarding him with hesitant curiosity, “But we still have a job to do, a duty to ensure that what happened to you and all those other ponies does not happen to anyone else.”

Standing up from the table, Midnight moved towards the window, to gaze upon the city. Seeing the endless traffic of ponies, living the big and busy city life, going to and fro, caught up in the fast-paced chaos of their metropolitan lifestyle, blissfully unaware of the threat that yet loomed over them all.

“Malice and Atom Nucleus remain at large, and there is no doubt in my mind that their true plans are yet to unfold. I don’t know what they aim to do or when they will do it, but we must find them, and we must put a stop to it. Before anypony else becomes the next victim of that vile tar…”

Watcher looked at his younger cousin, and for the first time since reuniting with him, the dark gray unicorn saw not an alicorn prince but a pony who felt the burdens of leadership and duty upon his shoulders.

And to think… he’s been doing this since he was 18, the unicorn thought. Sighing, he gently patted Star and Nyra’s hooves to tell them he was okay, and then stood up to go over to the side of his cousin.

Looking out the window as Midnight did, Watcher searched his feelings and shuffled his thoughts, before finding his voice, “When this is over, I don’t just want a vacation, I want paid-leave.”

“Heheh, absolutely,” Midnight regarded his cousin with brotherly love and held up his hoof, Watcher smiling as he met his cousin halfway for their hoofbump.

Seeing the two stallions finding strength in standing together and their familial love, the others (Macintosh, Thunderlane, Star N’ Stripe, Nyra, and Narbus), all shared a good-natured smile as they felt their own spirits uplifted.

But then Narbus pointed out, “Prrrroblem… no idea where Malice go.”

Huffing out his nostrils softly, Midnight nodded, “He’s right. Manehatten is huge, and even with all the Hoods I have stationed throughout the city, finding them could take weeks, longer if they’ve gone to ground or fled the city entirely.”

“If only we had some kind of clue as to what Malice and the mad doctor intend with that tar,” Star leaned back in her chair, pondering.

A thought crossed Watcher’s mind, and he was reluctant to bring it up. Only the severity of the situation prompted him, and so he said, “I’m… not sure if this means anything, but…

“When I was… tarred,” Watcher kept it together, refusing to shudder, choosing to be strong, before going on, “even though I was… barely able to understand what was going on around me, or… what I was doing… sometimes I got… flashes.”

“Flashes?” Thunderlane echoed.

“Flashes or… images in my mind, messed up as it was throughout the whole thing,” Watcher closed his eyes, “I didn’t really get what I saw, but… the last thing I did, before coming out of it, before Star and Nyra… saved me.”

Watcher looked back to the two mares he loved, smiling at them with deepest appreciation and they returned his smile with smiles of love, before Watcher said, “I can… recall seeing some kind of… building, a-a skyscraper? It wasn’t clear, but… for some reason it felt kinda familiar.”

It was then that Midnight recalled something from last night. Something he came across when he’d entered that old pharmaceuticals building, but everything else that happened had nearly made that detail completely slip his mind.

“Watcher…” Midnight said with subtle woe as he lit up his horn and conjured a semblance of perhaps the most famed skyscraper in all of Manehatten, “Did the skyscraper look like this?”

Gazing upon it, Watcher’s eyes widened with recognition before they turned to Midnight in confused inquiry, and Midnight answered, “At the place where we… found you, I saw a blueprint of this building. I didn’t think much of it at first and, honestly, a buckload happened before I could wonder about it any further.”

“So, you’re saying that’s where they’ve gone,” Watcher looked back out the window, Midnight doing the same, and their lines of sight moved past the nearby buildings, billboards, water towers, to the skyscrapers in the distance.

To the one in particular, to the tallest skyscraper in the entire city, a feat of architectural achievement.

The Empony State Building.

“Huh, Malice always did like to think big,” Watcher commented, “But why? It’s one of the busiest places in the entire city, thousands of ponies and foreign visitors pass through its doors on a daily bas…is…!”

It was then it dawned on Watcher, as it did for the others, as he looked to his cousin and saw Midnight was thinking the same thing.

“Watcher and Nucleus want to make an army? They unleash that tar on everyone in that building,” Midnight furrowed his brows, “that’s what they’ll get.”

“Welp,” Thunderlane spoke up, “we know the ‘where’, but what about the ‘when’?”

“Thunder’s right,” Star agreed, “Malice could strike at any time!”

“Malice isn’t one to just strike at the opportune time, he’s calculative,” Nyra interjected, all eyes turning towards her. “ He always thinks about the execution and reactions of everyone involved. That's why he leads us.”

"Led us. Past tense, Ny..." Everyone turned to Watcher, and they saw a stallion ready for a mission. "What happened to me... what happened to someone I cared about, it's all because of Malice and that damned tar... I am not gonna let that happen to anyone ever again..."

"Aw'right," Mac spoke up and went over to stand with Midnight and Watcher, "So... Malice wants t' tar up ponies, he'll wanna get as many as he can all at once. How's he gon' do tha'?"

Everyone considered that very good question for a moment... when a haze of shimmery particles zoomed in through a crack in the window and towards Midnight, before they coalesced into a rolled up parchment, sealed with Twilight's mark.

"It's a message, from Twilight," Midnight was a tad surprised and opened the parchment.

Everyone waited, and saw the look on Midnight's face turn relieved, then he had a smile... but then there was a troubled look that turned into one on the verge of alarm.

"Midnight... what's wrong?" Thunderlane asked, already getting a vibe of bad news.

"This is how he's going to do it..." Midnight closed his eyes in fret before he read the message aloud:

"'Dear Midnight,

'I hope this message finds you well. I want to apologize for my behavior before you left. I had a little talk with your mother... and I realize, I need to work things out with you, to be fair to you, because I love you, and nothing can ever change that.

'I have been invited by the mayor of Manehatten to be receive an award. The ceremony will be held just outside the Empire State Building this afternoon. I have already arrived, and am at City Hall.

'I hope you will come to the ceremony, and once it's over, I would like for us to go out and have a nice time in the city, and we can have our talk.

'I'm actually quite excited! The mayor is inviting practically half the city!

'I hope to see you there.

'All my love,
'Your Twily'."

"An award ceremony...?!" Star was aghast before taking a breath, "But Midnight, are you certain Malice-"

"It's too much of a coincidence," Midnight asserted, "Malice must be behind this so-called ceremony, in order to gather as many ponies as possible at the site of where he's going to make his move."

"He is behind this..." Watcher said woefully, giving Midnight a look of concern. And perhaps a bit of shame? Watcher took a deep breath and said, "While Malice had me... he offered me 'forgiveness', a way back into the House of Assassins... all I had to do, was take out Twilight."

The look of cold outrage on Midnight's face said it all, but Watcher assured, "I told him no! I swear!"

"I know you did, Watch," Midnight assured, before regarding everypony present and snarled, baring his fangs as his eyes glowed white-hot and bone-chilling cold at the same time, "but Malice has made his last mistake...!"

As noon approached, Twilight waited in the mayor’s office, having been left there to wait as something had suddenly demanded his attention. Given how oddly shaken the stallion had been to receive the notice, Twilight hoped everything was fine, despite the mayor assuring her there was nothing to worry about.

Twilight sat in a cozy armchair and gazed out the window, seeing the Empony State Building not too far away.

It’d been hours since she’d asked Spike to send that message to Midnight, and she was trying not to get antsy about waiting for his response. Although Spike would normally accompany Twilight on occasions such as this, Twilight had decided Spike should stay and assist Faerie Tail, having noticed how the older mare’s pregnancy was coming along.

While Spike being there would have felt more reassuring, Twilight knew, once in a while, she needed to handle such situations on her own.

Getting back to the present moment, Twilight did have to wonder, What ‘contributions’ to science am I getting this award for, specifically?

Granted, Twilight had studied and written various works on various subjects, many of which involved magic, but other subjects included science, mathematics, geometry, linguistics, chemistry, and so on.

She’d even submitted essays of her work to universities, research facilities, even some media outlets, and much of her work got published into articles. Most of the time she wrote under pseudonyms however. Only a few instances did she use her actual name, but most of those had been before she became an alicorn princess.

Twilight’s train of thought derailed when a familiar magical phenomenon occurred, shimmery ashes flying in from nowhere, and coalescing into a message. She smiled to see Midnight’s mark on the seal and eagerly opened it to begin reading.

“‘Dear Twily,

‘I’m happy to hear from you, and I do indeed want to talk things out. The thing with Sunset, well… all that matters is we work through it and don’t let it hurt us anymore. I’m deep into this case with the Brotherhood, but I will be able to make it to your ceremony.

‘You won’t see me there until I come to you, so you know. I don’t want to disrupt anything, since I wasn’t actually invited, and my showing up would likely make waves, however minor.

‘Again, I’ll be there, and when this is all settled, you and I will enjoy the next few days and nights in Manehatten while we patch things up.

‘Love you so,
‘Your Midnight’.

“Mmm!” Twilight beamed with a warm and affectionate relief as she hugged the message to her heart when she heard the door open.

“Princess Twilight!” Twilight Vanished the message as Mayor Pescolt came in, accompanied by a zebra Twilight had never met before. “Oh, pardon me, Princess. I hope we weren’t interrupting anything.”

“Not at all, Mayor,” Twilight assured with a polite smile, “I… just got some good news, personal matters. You understand.”

“Oh, of course, Highness! Now, I must apologize for this impromptu introduction,” Mayor Pescolt gestured to the zebra, “This is Delegate Ro from Zebrabwe.”

Twilight regarded the zebra before her. He was tall, slender, handsome in his own way, and wore a tunic-like garment of orange, brown, yellow, and green. He looked around her father's age, and she could see a scar on his face that seemed to complement his good looks rather than mar them. "It is truly an honor to meet you at last, Your Majesty," Delegate Ro spoke with gentle adulation as he bowed his head before, to Twilight's surprise, having the boldness to take hold of her hoof and give it a kiss like a gentlecolt.

"Ro is the sponsor behind your award ceremony, Princess Twilight," explained Mayor Pescolt, "and he will personally present you with your award at the ceremony this afternoon."

"Indeed. My people and I are indebted to you, Princess Twilight," Ro nodded with a beaming of gratitude on his face, "Your contribution to alchemical research has allowed our shamans and medicine manes and mares to broaden their understanding of their craft, allowing for them to create more effective medicines, potions, elixirs, powders! And this ceremony is but a small gesture of our gratitude and esteem."

"Well, I'm flattered, and relieved to know my research into alchemy and mystical herbs has been of service," Twilight smiled kindly, "but, I'm not really sure if it merits-"

"I assure you, Princess," Ro insisted in a subtle manner, "you are deserving of this. It ill becomes one to belittle their own efforts whether they succeed or fail, as long as such efforts were made in the sincere aim of doing good.

"Just as it ill becomes you to decline sincere appreciation from others whose lives have been bettered by your efforts. The ceremony will be held this afternoon at the Empony State Building plaza, where all of Manehatten can bear witness to your achievement, which I will personally bestow upon you."

Twilight took a moment to digest Ro's words, and took a moment to do Cadance's calming method, before agreeing, "Very well, Delegate Ro, I will accept this award, with grace and humility."

"Then I will see you in just a few hours at the plaza, Your Majesty," Ro said with a smiling nod before he turned to take his leave.

"Wait, Mister Ro?" Ro paused mid-step, hearing Twilight ask, with a smile in her voice, "Will I like this award?"

Unable to resist a sly smirk, Ro responded, "...Princess, it's to die for."

Ro had turned his head back to look at Twilight out of the corner of his eye. And it had been then where Twilight saw something in Ro's eye just before he and the mayor walked out the office. Something that stunned her for a moment.

Something that... made her skin crawl.

As the noonday sun began its descent, everypony was preparing. It pained him to keep his wife in the dark, to risk not only her life but the lives of Manehatten as word quickly spread of the ceremony to take place at the Empony State Building plaza. But Midnight understood the threat was grave and there might not ever be another opportunity such as this.

He’d sent the word out to every Hood living in Manehatten. He’d given them their instructions, their positions, theirs dos and don’ts for when things went pear-shaped.

Now, he addressed his friends.

“Make no mistake… there is a real chance that not all of us will make it through this,” Midnight said solemnly to his knights, his Hoods, his… consultants (Nyra and Narbus), “We face an enemy who holds life in contempt.

“Malice knows we’ll come, he’s too smart not to anticipate that. We may very well be walking into an ambush. As Knights of Harmony…” Midnight regarded Macintosh and Thunderlane, the both of them nodding, “and Evening Hoods…” Midnight looked to Watcher and Star, “that is a risk we signed up for, but the citizens of Manehatten did not.

“Our priority is to save as many of them as we can before we take the fight to Malice and his cohorts. We save them from the tar… and then we make Malice pay for all that he’s done.

“We find out what Malice and Atom Nucleus’s trap is. We protect the citizens and Twilight. We clear the field, keep the fight between us. We will stop Malice, and we will protect this city!” Midnight finished his speech, before noticing Watcher motioning him to follow him. Taking him to the other room where the two could be alone for a moment.

“Is something wrong, cuz?”

“You know, Midnight, the more I think about it, the more I begin to realize that Malice and I aren’t so different,” Watcher said, looking down solemnly. “When Malice trained me, he told me that he had come from a broken home, and he believed that taking lives was a way to deliver his… divine justice to those deserving of it.”

“I became a mercenary… as a way to help ponies from going through the same thing we did with our families, and the more I think about it… maybe we really are monsters, and he knows this,” Watcher explained. “But after being freed from the tar… I had a talk with Nyra & Star, I’ve come to realize that we can’t keep living like this… can we?”

“...A similar thought crossed my mind,” Midnight replied, speaking tenderly, “I began the Brotherhood with the intention to do good… to work in the dark to serve the light. To punish the guilty that the law could not touch. Along the way, I lost sight of my good intentions and was consumed by the determination to punish, when the aim is and should always have been… to serve justice.

“I take lives to serve justice, Watcher,” Midnight clarified with a heavy heart, “Malice takes lives… because he enjoys it, because it benefits him. Because he is, at his core, a killer… There’s nothing ‘divine’ about what we do.”

“Midnight… I’m a killer… Nyra’s a killer… And justice… has been just… an excuse to just take out our anger on the scum of the world… No… Fuck justice, fuck secrecy, no more. You can’t tell me you actually want to keep doing this forever?”

“OF COURSE NOT!!” Midnight snapped with such fury, his eyes flared the blazing blue of a cutting torch, unnerving Watcher into stunned silence. Taking a moment to gather himself, Midnight sighed, and placed an apologetic hoof on Watcher’s shoulder.

“Watch… do you see their faces when you sleep? Hear their voices when you wake? Do you think about who they were and what they might have been?”

“Funny… I was about to ask you the same thing,” Watcher said calmly. “I wasn’t asking because I believed that you wanted to keep doing this… I asked because it needs to end… The House of Assassins, the Brotherhood, all of it… One day… sooner or later… the other hoods could one day be exposed and their lives will be endangered… I think it should be disbanded,”

“You’re not wrong, Watcher,” Midnight looked out the window of the room, looking out to the city, “I can’t tell you how often I’ve wished to hang up my hood and leave this part of my life behind. I won’t lie, there are some parts of it that I enjoy… and there have been times when I enjoyed doing what I do…

“But like it or not, the struggle between good and evil is an eternal one. Times of peace come and go, as do the criminals, the scum, the struggles of the common pony that can either spur them to stay true to themselves… or choose the easy way instead of what’s right. The Brotherhood has come and gone over the centuries, I didn’t create it… and the time for when I disband it, is a time I pray will come soon.”

“You’re not wrong… but maybe… there is a way… to stop the whole secrecy thing and still keep the brotherhood around… bring them into the light, Midnight… because if you don’t, there will be consequences in the future,” Watcher warned him.

Shaking his head, Midnight huffed bitterly, “Tell that to Celestia…”

“I’m not telling you as a member or because of blood… but as a friend who cares about-”

“Your opinion is noted… now gear up,” Midnight responded, clearly in no mood to discuss it any further.

Furrowing his brows, Watcher responded, “Whatever you say, Sir…”

As his cousin left, Midnight closed his eyes, feeling his heart hurt, not only from the weight of the undertaking ahead, but the fear of losing his cousin yet again.

436. Hunted from the Past - Part 10

Two o’clock in the afternoon, thirty minutes before the ceremony begins and the beloved Princess Twilight Sparkle would be given the award for “Recognition to Scientific Contribution” from the Zebrabwean committee.

From his vantage point, Midnight fought every fiber of his being to go out and stop this farce, foil this trap… but he knew this might be the best chance they’d ever get of bringing down the House of Assassins. Even tipping Twilight off to the danger could spoil the venture, and it felt like snakes writhing in his gut that Midnight couldn’t warn his wife of the trap she was walking into.

The fact that he was using her for bait…

“You alright there, Midnight?” Watcher asked, walking up behind him.

“...I will be, when this is over,” Midnight did Cadance’s calming technique, taking the slightest edge off, before facing his team. “We’ve gone over the plan. You all know what to do. Make no mistake, fillies and gentlecolts… when everything goes sideways, it’s gonna be hell.”

The plaza in front of the Empony State Building was bustling with attendees, not just ponies but also several zebras. Excited chatter filled the air as the anticipation slowly grew.

Standing behind a tent built a short trot away from the raised platform, Twilight was feeling, as her good friend Pinkie Pie would say, nervou-cited.

Doing Cadance’s calming technique helped, but as Twilight peered out the tent, eyeing the crowd that had gathered to honor her, a face among them caught the purple princess’ eye.

Is… is that…? Twilight wondered as she was all but certain she could see Atom Nucleus among the sea of faces.

Twilight once studied the works of Atom Nucleus, once a renowned expert in the field of genetic engineering. His theories raised concerns and he was disgraced in the scientific community.

He looked not as handsome and confident as she remembered, but Twilight could swear-

*FWOOSH*

“Ah!” Twilight was startled as a strange gust of wind blew the tent’s tarp in her face, and when she managed to get it down and look again, Atom Nucleus was gone. “Strange… did I really see…?”

“Princess?” Twilight yiped and turned to see the zebra ambassador Ro standing behind her within the tent. The older equine chuckled softly, “Pardon me, Highness. Just wanted to check on you. Nervous, I take it?”

“Nervous, excited… both?” Twilight chuckled sheepishly before sighing, “Mr. Ro’, I… I’m not sure if I really deserve this.”

“Oh, is that all? Your Highness… this… this is your reward for all of your efforts, everypony out there is waiting for you to grace them with your presence for this crowning achievement,” Ro’ explained, smiling as he bowed his head to the princess, but in his mind, it was a reward for himself. “You wouldn’t want to come all this way and disappoint your subjects, do you?”

Despite her misgivings, Twilight understood that it would be wrong, even cruel, of her to turn away from such a reception. How would it look? How would they feel? Would they be hurt? Feel snubbed? To ignore such a grand gesture as this would send all the wrong messages and Twilight knew she could not decline this gesture.

Taking another deep breath, she said, “You’re right… I’m here, so I should at the very least say hello to my… adoring public? Heheheh…”

The weak chuckle from the princess caused Ro’ to smile in understanding, “Of course… Everything should be ready in a few minutes, the Mayor will call for you to come up and that will be when I present you with your reward.”

“Thank you, Ambassador Ro’,” Twilight gave him a grateful bow of her head.

“Please, just call me Ro’... Now if you'll excuse me, I promised to speak to one of my colleagues privately,” Ro’ said, bowing his head one last time as he trotted past the Princess as his smile slowly vanished as his eyes narrowed in annoyance.

“All is ready…” The zebra, after exiting the tent, peered out the corner of his eyes and saw Atom Nucleus, standing in a nearby alleyway.

Furrowing his brows, he (carefully) hurried over to the scientist and dragged him deeper into the alley, away from the excited crowd. Though their eyes were upon the platform, waiting for their princess, it would not do for even a single stray look to give anything away.

Throwing Atom against a dumpster, the zebra snarled, “I told you to keep a low profile!”

“I am! Urgh!” Atom grunted, feeling his shoulder ache a little, wincing as he stood up, “I simply felt it necessary to inform you everything is now in place.”

“Please… You informed me that everything was in place an hour ago, you forget that I come from the House of Assassins. I know everything about you, Nucleus… You went out there because of your jealousy of her majesty’s achievements over yours,” Malice mentioned as the scientist’s scowl was made known to the zebra.

“That insipid princess may have a mind for science… but she’s in no way deserving of even this petty excuse of recognition…!” Atom gritted his teeth, barely managing to keep his temper.

“Your demeanor is that of a pouty child… I don’t care about your pathetic resentment of Twilight Sparkle, but if you ruin this plan… I promise I’ll bathe these walls with your blood!” Malice threatened, slamming Atom against the dumpster as he released his hold on him. “Get into position… Soon, we'll be in command of an army powerful enough to conquer this city! Then Equestria… and then, the world!”

“Fine… but are you certain the plan will succeed?” Atom furrowed his brows, “Those Hooded characters are still out there. What if they show up and spoil everything?”

“And we’ll be ready for them… after all… We still have your experiments lying in wait, correct?” Atom nodded in response. “And Nimbus and Charcoal are on standby, we’ll be fine.”

Patting Atom on the head in a condescending manner, Malice then returned to the tent, leaving the scientist to seethe, “You have your methods, assassin…

“I have mine…” Atom whispered to himself as he held up a phial full of the tar, only it gave off an iridescent shimmer, as he turned to vanish into the alleyway.

“Fillies and gentlecolts!” rang the voice of Mayor Pescolt as he stood at the podium, a magical microphone amplifying his voice for all to hear, “As mayor of Manehatten, it is my honor- No, my privilege! To take this opportunity to express not simply my admiration, but also my deepest respect, for a pony whose mind and heart radiate as brightly as the sun. A pony whose achievements in her, relatively, short life serve as an inspiration to us all.

“That pony is none other… than Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, Daughter of House Esther, and friend to ponies everywhere!” Mayor Pescolt raised his right foreleg to wards the tent near the platform, and out came Twilight, having steeled herself to appear the picture of grace and majesty, as she raised her hoof to acknowledge the cheers of her subjects.

They waited until she stepped up onto the platform, but did not approach the mayor, who then continued, “Today, we gather here, in the Empony State plaza, to witness our Princess as she is recognized by my good friend, Ambassador Ro’,” Pescolt raised his left foreleg to indicate Ro’ as he stepped up onto the platform from the opposite side, carrying a golden trophy, resembling a healer’s mask, not unlike the one once worn by the legendary healer, Mage Meadowbrooke, “who has come all the way from Zebrabwe to act on behalf of his people. Let’s give him a hoof, shall we?”

Mayor Pescolt stepped down while clopping his hooves, everypony doing the same or stamping theirs as they gave rowdy cheers for the zebra ambassador who stepped up to the podium. He basked in their cheers, their adulation, their sad and pathetic ignorance of what was about to transpire… before he raised his hooves, encouraging silence.

When the last applause died down, Ro’ cleared his throat and spoke into the microphone, “Princess Twilight Sparkle, on behalf of my clan in Zebrabwe, it is a privilege to bestow upon you this award… May you continue being of service to all of Equestria, and for what is to come.”

Ro’ held up the award for Twilight to receive, and Twilight smiled as she approached to accept it-

*FWIKSH/SHAPLASH*

“Augh!” Twilight was startled as the golden mask on her award suddenly broke apart… spilling a strange viscous sludge of black onto the floor of the platform.

Ro’ dropped the award, his gracious smile suddenly twisting into surprised outrage, when he noticed a familiar crossl-bolt nailed into the floor beside him, and his outrage focused into seething infuriation as he growled, “Nyra…!”

“Shots from above!” “Everypony take cover!” “Protect the princess!” Policeponies began to take action while the crowd was starting to panic.

The moment is ruined, but it is still now or never! Malice grit his teeth as he pulled out a walkie-talkie and screamed into it, “ATOM!! DETONATE THE DEVICE! DO IT NOW!!!”

“Atom?!” Twilight echoed in confusion before realizing, So I did see him in the crowd?

“Acknowledged,” answered Atom’s voice on the walkie-talkie, and hardly a moment later…

KABOOMSH

From high above, a fiery blast ignited from the top floor of the Empony State Building, broken glass raining down… followed by a wave of the very same black substance, extending outwards, directly over the plaza.

“Your Majesty!” ‘Ro’’ gave Twilight a mocking curtsy before he took a runestone and crushed it under his hoof, releasing its magic and causing him to disappear in a flash of light, just like teleportation.

Twilight didn’t have time to wonder what the zebra was up to, as she watched in dread of the tar and glass coming down to swallow her and everypony present. Finally, the crowd was in full panic, everypony trying to escape the onslaught from above, only to crash into each other, trip over each other, push and knock each other this way and that, desperate to escape.

It was in vain, and just as the blackness was about to engulf them-

*FLASH*

“SHIRUDO TENEBRIS TRINITAS!!!” A blazing shield of turquoise blue manifested as an expanding circle directly above, bearing a familiar cutie-mark, as Twilight’s heart skipped a beat and then swelled with happy relief, as she felt her husband hold her close to him and he gazed down at her with a roguish smile, and said, “I missed you.”

“Not as much as I missed you,” Twilight replied before pulling Midnight into a loving kiss, which motivated Midnight even further and strengthened his magic even more.

The Dark Shield Midnight had cast, so named for being a shield spell for defending against dark magic, amplified by the Triplication Spell, which tripled any spell’s effect, provided one could muster the power, expanded until it covered most of the plaza.

Emphasis on ‘most’, for the tar splashed heavily upon the shield, and its foulness was spread outwards to the fringes, huge dollops of it coming down like molasses, and engulfing several among the crowd all the same.

“Midnight, what in the name of the Faust is going on?!” Twilight was beginning to panic, alarmed with worry to see the poor ponies covered by the tar begin to writhe and scream and snarl as the evil substance took effect.

“A terrorist attack, no time to explain! Star!” Midnight called, and Star arrived, accompanied by half a dozen Hoods, “Get the citizens to safety, leave the afflicted to the knights and myself.”

“Yes, Sir!” Star gestured for the Hoods to follow as they got to work rescuing the citizens who’d been lucky enough to be shielded.

Thankfully, the tarred ponies were still dazed and in agony as the wretched filth began to secure its hold upon their new hosts.

“Twilight, go with the citizens, protect them!” Midnight ordered before looking back, “Mac! Thunder!”

Both Macintosh and Thunderlane arrived, clad in their knightly armor, swords at the ready, while Midnight threw off his cloak, summoned his sword, and its magic washed over him, cladding him in his own armor, as the sapphire stallion declared, “We will handle this.”

“But, hold on!” Twilight protested, “Didn’t you say you came here to see Watcher?”

“Watcher has his own battle to face,” Midnight answered, turning to look up at the Empony State Building, “I only hope he’s up for it…”

When Malice teleported to the roof of the Empony State Building, directly above the floor from which the explosion came from, he was expecting to be meeting Atom Nucleus and his fellow assassins there, like they’d discussed. However, there was no sign of them, instead he found his apprentice, sitting back in a chair with his back leaning against a table beside him.

“Quite the spectacle you’ve thrown… made me almost believe this could have been pulled off by someone who wasn’t a part of the House of Assassins,” Watcher said, hopping off his chair as he unsheathed his sword from its scabbard. A black blade with red marking painted on it with a blue gem at the center of the hilt. “You always taught me about subtly when it came to the job, regardless of what it was, so how come you’ve decided to throw that all out the window?”

“Hehehe… As always, you never fail to surprise me, my apprentice, it’s why I spent so much time training you despite your age,” Malice sneered as he took a careful step and readied a runestone, just in case. “You were cunning, ruthless, even heartless like me. I’ve spent a lot of time serving… never receiving the recognition that I truly deserved, so I made a deal… took those who were either loyal or easy to manipulate if it meant I could escape control of that damn House…!”

“In all the time I spent fighting for you, killing for you… you never told me why. You never told Nyra or Narbus or anyone. Just that we were hired to take care of a job and stupidly we just followed you without question,” Watcher explained, his eyes looking down at his sword. A sword that belonged to his father. “But you weren’t really in charge… were you.”

Malice’s eye twitched when Watcher stated that as a fact. “Judging by your silence, I’m guessing I’m right.”

“Oh, if only you knew the whole story… I was merely a handler for recruits… I trained you and the others to be the perfect killers… Swift, precise, merciless. It was my duty, one I’ve grown weary of, all that effort and nothing to show for it. You think me a monster? You have no idea…” Malice explained, tapping the rune stone he had wrapped around his neck and he summoned a pair of long green blades that glowed with venomous power. “I’m done being the servant… It’s about time I stepped out of the shadows and took control of my destiny, as the master!”

“That I can understand…” Watcher raised his father’s sword, “but I will not allow for the exploitation of innocents. Despite everything, Malice, I still feel some respect for you. It is because of that respect I offer you this choice:

“Stand down and take responsibility for your actions… or else I swear by my father’s sword I will strike you down myself!”

“A true Master teaches his Apprentice well, but he does not teach him everything…” Malice narrowed his eyes as he hunkered down in a challenging pose.

“So be it! RAUGH!!” Watcher charged and Malice roared in return as he propelled himself to answer his former pupil’s challenge.

Macintosh raised his shield, shouting, “FORTRESS STANCE!!”

A barrier of apple-green magic surrounded him and the civilians who hadn’t been able to evacuate the plaza in time.

Midnight’s Dark Shield was still above, keeping the tar at bay but that didn’t stop the tar from seeping over the edges like molasses, cutting the plaza and those still within off as they didn’t dare try to cross the viscous substance while thick and icky globs of it continued to trail down from above, forming the likeness of a large black cage.

If that weren’t enough, over a dozen civvies got engulfed by the tar when it first fell, even with Midnight’s shield. Several more had tried to escape through the tar surrounding them, only to be swallowed up by it as well.

Thus, nearly twenty ponies had been overtaken by the tar, becoming monsters, like Watcher had been, and of course there were six more tarred ponies leftover from Malice and Atom’s initial experiments, leading to about twenty-five in total.

While most of the citizens who’d come to the ceremony had been safely evacuated, some still remained and were being protected by Macintosh’s Fortress Stance while Thunderlane shot Sonic Arrows from his bow, Skystrike.

Midnight had made sure to warn his friends not to harm the tarred victims, because they were innocent and not in control of themselves. The Sonic Arrows were the least harmful power Skystrike afforded Thunderlane, but he knew too many would eventually do lasting harm.

Not to mention, Thunderlane was fighting alone, flapping aloft, launching Sonic Arrows at all the tarred ponies, hoping to incapacitate them. Mac had to keep up his Fortress Stance to protect the remaining bystanders who couldn’t get away, and Midnight was dividing his attention and power between maintaining the Dark Shield above and using his shadow powers to fend off any tarred ponies that came too close to him.

Looking around at the situation, Midnight knew this was a battle of attrition - Thunderlane would either wear himself out or one of the tarred ponies would get lucky and yank him down. Mac couldn’t risk lowering Fortress Stance but even his energy would run out as other tarred ponies rammed and beat against the barrier. Even Midnight knew his own predicament was an increasingly slippery slope.

Looking up at the tar his Dark Shield spell was holding up, Midnight gritted his teeth since more of the tar continued to dribble down, he thought, If only there was a way to redirect the tar somewhere it can’t do any harm…!

“Having trouble, Your Royalness?” Midnight looked and saw a dark pegasus and a griffoness, both stained red, alighting upon each side of the platform where Midnight stood.

Both of them had ravenous looks in their eyes that were focused upon the alicorn, and he recalled Thunderlane and Star’s reports on these two.

“Charcoal and Nimbus, is it? My friends tell me you have… exotic tastes,” Midnight played it cool, refusing to give these creatures the satisfaction of unnerving him.

“And how long we have waited for the opportunity to taste alicorn…!” Charcoal bore his bloodstained teeth, looking more like a wolf than a pony.

“I want his tail!” Nimbus’s talons were on the verge of getting grabby.

“Even with my focus divided, you’ll find me to be no easy prey…!” Midnight bore his own fangs and flared his wings as he snarled at them.

“Any prey bears its teeth when cornered…” Charcoal mocked as he and Nimbus approached. “It’s more a sign of desperation than intimidation.”

“FRIGIS GLACIA!”

A magenta blast of magic zoomed past Charcoal, alarming him as the blast engulfed Nimbus, who screeched as she was momentarily engulfed before the power faded to reveal the griffoness was now frozen solid in glittering ice. “WHAT?!”

Looking back, Charcoal flinched to see Twilight had returned, along with that pesky pegasus mare, Star N’ Stripe.

“Midnight, maintain the shield, I’ll redirect the tar,” Twilight called to her husband as the purple princess began to focus her power, and a construct of magenta mana appeared above the shield overhead, a dome that encompassed the Dark Shield before it enclosed it along with the tar.

Midnight cut off the focus of his power to the spell, the shield vanishing, while Twilight compressed the sphere while casting another spell, which caused the tar to solidify.

“Uh-oh…!” Charcoal raised his wings, opting to make a getaway, only for tendrils of solid shadow to lash out and ensnare him. “N-NOO!! Lemme go, damn you!”

“I insist you stick around.” Charcoal turned to see Midnight just before the stallion’s black hoof knocked the pegasus’s light’s out.

Looking to his wife, Midnight smiled warmly as he went to her, saying, “Didn’t I tell you to leave with the citizens?”

“I had a feeling you might need a little help,” Twilight reached up to touch Midnight’s cheek and felt her heart warm as he tilted his head into her touch. “You taught me there are times I should listen to my instincts and not my head.”

“I suppose that depends on how thick one’s skull is,” Midnight teased.

“Sorry to break up the warm n’ fuzzies!” shouted the voice of Star, and the two alicorns finally noticed Star was helping Thunderlane fend off the tarred ponies, “But we could use some help here!”

Thunderlane’s Sonic Arrows had managed to knock out a few of the tarred ponies, but the majority of them were still kicking. And beating against Mac’s barrier, forcing him to hold his position to protect the civilians in there with him.

Midnight quickly conjured restraints, securing Charcoal in case he woke up, before looking to Twilight, “Our friends need us.”

“Then let’s settle this!” Twilight smirked boldly, “I’ll clean up the excess tar around the plaza, you help them.”

Nodding, Midnight charged to aid his friends while Twilight rushed to the plaza perimeter.

Midnight sent a pulse of telekinetic force to push the tarred ponies away from Mac’s barrier, then hurried to stand between Mac and the tarred ponies.

“Thunder, Star! To my sides, at once!” Midnight called to them. Once both stood beside him, Midnight instructed, “Everypony, cover your ears.”

Knowing what was about to happen, Thunderlane yelled to the civvies protected by Mac’s barrier, “Cover your ears, do it now!”

Midnight took a deep breath, his chest swelling with air, before he expelled it all in a SCREAM.

This Sonic Scream, considered the “evolution” of a Lunar Pony’s natural sense of echolocation, was different from how Midnight normally used it. It was loud, but not so bombastic or shrill enough to shatter glass or split eardrums

He aimed his scream at the tarred ponies, and almost at once all of them threw their heads back in agony, covering their ears, writhing on the ground, but it did no good. The Scream sounded at just the right intensity that it affected the tar more than the ponies.

The tar itself seemed to release their own shrill cries of torment, globs and tendrils of it separating from their hosts, their grips upon these ponies weakening. Seeing it was working, Midnight raised the volume just a little more even though his lungs were starting to ache as they were rapidly running out of breath.

Seeing Midnight needed help, Thunderlane pulled the energy bowstring of Skystrike back and angled it upwards. He had an idea, but he hoped he could hold back on the power, as he called out, “Crashing Sparks!”

Normally, this was one of his offensive powers, Crashing Thunder. But as he held back on his power, Thunderlane had focused it in the hopes that this would result in a weaker version of it, hence the word ‘sparks’ as the arrow launched, arced, and then burst into a shower of sizzling sparks of electricity.

As they rained down upon the tarred ponies, the sparks fizzed and popped with each point of contact, inducing more pain and perhaps the unpleasant sensation of pins n’ needles upon them. It worked, providing just enough of a nudge that the tar finally tore itself free from every victim it had enveloped and gathered together into an amorphous blob.

Seeing his opportunity, Midnight cut off the Scream, took a quick breath, and cast, “Frigis Glacia!”

A blast of freezing cold launched from Midnight’s horn, striking the blob of tar, quickly freezing it over.

Panting now that the tar was dealt with, Midnight took a moment to gather himself. Macintosh finally lowered his Fortress Stance shield, and pointed the civvies to evacuate. Thunderlane and Star rushed to Midnight’s side, Thunderlane asking, “You good, cap?”

“Pant, pant… ‘cap’?” Midnight echoed between his breaths.

“Well, you are the leader of the Knights of Harmony,” Thunderlane shrugged with a good-natured smirk. “But I recall you once said you don’t like to be called ‘boss’. So, I figured calling you cap, for captain, would suit you more.”

“Eeyup,” agreed Macintosh as he came over.

“And it looks like Princess Twilight has just finished collecting all the tar around the plaza,” Star pointed out, and they all smiled to see Twilight magically doing just that.

She’d divided the globs of tar up before freezing them solid with the Ice Cold Spell, and was now bringing them together, along with casting a ward to prevent any melting.

“Then it seems the situation at hoof is handled,” Midnight sighed in relief as he stood up.

“Handled indeed…” All eyes turned to see Atom Nucleus as the mad doctor approached with a disturbing look on his face. “Not the outcome I’d hoped for, but science is all about learning from failure.

“Thank you for gathering the subject matter, Your ‘Highnesses’. I’ll gladly take it off your hooves now.”

“Nucleus…” Midnight narrowed his eyes contemptuously.

“That’s Doctor Nucleus to you,” Nucleus retorted, “And I’ve worked too hard to see it all end like this!”

Reaching into his lab coat, Nucleus pulled out the phial of shimmering tar, “First and last warning, Sire. Step aside…”

“First and last warning, Doctor,” Midnight retorted as he raised his sword, Nightfall, “Stand down…”

“So be it…” Nucleus responded… before he upended the phial and drank it, much to everypony’s alarm.

Nucleus dropped the phial, which shattered onto the plaza floor around him, as he began to heave and broke into a sweat, suddenly feeling flashes of heat and cold while the stuff he drank literally began to boil inside his stomach.

He began to groan as he struggled to stand, looking almost drunk as he swayed and his groans began to turn into cries of agony. Then, to everyone’s horror, veins of black became visible under Nucleus’ coat, spreading throughout his body.

His muscles spasmed as though snakes were writhing beneath his skin. Slow and agonizing, tar began to seep out from the pores of his flesh as his fur began to fall off. Jagged spikes of bone began to burst through his flesh as his body began to grow more in size as sparks of electricity began to surround him. Extra appendages sprouted from his sides as they resembled that of minotaurs arms. Atom’s face though had the most change as he no longer looked liked a pony anymore, his snout- No- his entire face had stretched out as sharp spines came out from the side of his face and contorted antlers sprouted out from the side of his head as his mane fell off.

“ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!” The former doctor bellowed out as he slammed his hooves down, causing the ground beneath them to break with ease.

Everypony looked on in horror at the monstrosity that, only moments ago, had been a lanky couchpotato of an earth pony.

Now, Nucleus was well and truly a monster, larger than a bison (perhaps tall enough to look down even on Prince Sombra), the tar that had erupted from his pores and caused his coat and mane hair to fall out had formed into a scaly skin of black that shimmered colors like oil on water. His arms ended in large and ugly ape-like hands, the fingers extended by sharp talons. His hooves had expanded to be bigger than trash can lids. His tail had extended into a whip-like appendage ending in a reversed spike, like a harpoon.

His face, now resembling the likes of a crocodile, was a mouthful of sharp and crooked teeth as a tongue extended into a fork of three points, and his eyes… At first they seemed mad with bestial fury as he snarled and roared with a deep guttural rage.

And then, they cleared, revealing reptilian pupils, filled with fiendish brilliance as his hideous lips pulled back into a monstrous smile. “Do you see me now, Celestia! Do you see the power I’ve achieved with my own genius, my own hooves! You all mocked me, saying I was a fool! Now who’s the fool now! HAHAHAHAHA!”

“See my power, citizens of Manehatten! This is the power of evolution!” Atom Nucleus declared as he picked up a taxi-carriage with one hoof with ease and threw it in the direction of Midnight so suddenly.

Growling, Midnight waved his hoof, his telekinesis catching the carriage like a mitt catching a ball, and he set it down safely as he glared at the mad doctor, “You’re not evolved. You’re not even a genius! A true genius would never commit the folly of using himself as a laboratory specimen!

“Now all you are is an abomination…” Midnight snarled as he raised his sword, “Reach for the Light, Nightfall!”

The sword shone with nocturnal brilliance even though it was the middle of the day, and Midnight’s cloak dispersed like vapor as the light clad him in his helm and armor, and the sword itself transformed into a pair of clawed hoof gauntlets.

“Knights of Harmony! We must put an end to this fiend! Together!” Midnight led the charge as Thunderlane flew alongside him and Macintosh ran along the other.

“I wouldn’t expect someone who is now beneath me to understand! You can’t stop evolution! You, Celestia, all of you, especially that upstart Twilight Sparkle never understood! All of you hold the key to our evolution as a species, but you keep it to yourselves rather than share that power!” Atom explained, his eyes landing on Twilight Sparkle. “And YOU! You used to share my beliefs! I even shared my notes and research with you! Instead of helping me show everypony our potential, you ratted me out to the science committee and dragged my name through the mud!”

Atom’s hoof punched through the hard concrete of the street, before ripping it out and lunging upwards, dodging the knights’ charge, before he propelled himself towards the alicorn princess. “You took everything from me! So it’s only fair that I take away your freedom! After I kill all these inferior weaklings, I’ll finish what I started and create the ultimate servant of destruction for my client… And you, Twilight Sparkle, as thanks… you’ll be my next guinea pig!”

Taking flight to avoid Nucleus’ attack, Twilight raised a Mana Shield as she responded, “I did report you to the science committee, Atom Nucleus, because your theories, however brilliant, were dangerous!

“I tried to dissuade you, to encourage patience and work the theories out on careful experimentation!” Twilight flew higher as Nucleus threw more clunks of concrete at her, one of which impacted her shield.

It held, but it shook her up a bit, and she started using telekinesis to redirect the projectiles towards areas where no one would get hurt.

“But you were determined to act without regard for the risks and the consequences!”

“Clearly you’ve forgotten… You were also driven and determined, you once told me that science was the only thing that mattered. I thought we were the same, but the day you left for Ponyville was the day everything changed. You got soft… And when you become an alicorn, the next step for our species as a whole! You refused to share those secrets and you reported me! YOU DAMN BITCH!” Atom shouted, leaping into the air towards her at an alarming speed, about to slam his hooves and arms at her, but he was suddenly met by Midnight suddenly rising out of nowhere, waving his gauntlet-clad forelegs in a circle.

“HALF MOON SHIELD!!” Midnight exclaimed, and a half-sphere of lunar energy manifested in front of him, intercepting Nucleus’ attack.

“PIERCING LIGHTNING!” shouted Thunderlane from the mad doctor’s left and he turned just in time to get a lightning bolt to the face, electricity causing his whole body to spasm as he dropped like a stone back to the streets.

Groaning as he shook it off, Nucleus heard, “RISIN’ MOUNTAIN!”

Everypony looked at Macintosh and his sword and shield, Stone Edge, all grew in size as he became a giant, standing nearly three stables tall as he moved in, his every hoofstep a minor quake, to strike Nucleus with his shield.

Snarling, Nucleus raised his arms while planting his hooves into the ground and met Macintosh’s charge, like the unstoppable clashing with the unmovable. It truly was a sight. Even in his mutated form, Nucleus was hardly a third Mac’s enlarged size, and he held firm even as the mountainous Mac gritted his teeth and pressed down on the monster-ized doctor.

“Do you think I’ll let someone as inferior as you stop me! I AM EVOLUTION!” He roared, his muscles suddenly started to expand as his own size started to increase as the jagged bones started to grow larger and sharper. His extra limb grabbed hold of Mac’s face and lifted him off the ground before throwing him, headfirst, into a nearby sign. The ringer got to Mac’s noggin, causing him to pass out and fall flat onto his back in a tremendous KABLAM, followed by the knocked-out knight shrinking back down to his normal size. “Evolution… I am… Evolution… A fitting name for the next leader to lead the world on its path towards glorious evolution!”

“Atom, stop this!” The monster looked to see Twilight land nearby, a look of concern on her face, “This isn’t the way! Evolution is a natural process, it cannot be forced!”

“I’m done listening to your pathetic whimperings! A hypocrite like you has no say in these matters! You and your fellow alicorns would rather stall our progress! If magic was the main focus, science would have gone to greater heights to the point we might have even become technologically advanced.” Atom explained, about to charge the princess of friendship before an idea came to mind. “You’ve seen my power now, princess… You’ve seen my evolution… You could join me, like we talked about before… If you think this is impressive, imagine the power you could achieve if you joined me! What we could accomplish together!””

“Oh Atom…” Twilight shook her head as she even dared to approach the mutated scientist.

Midnight and Thunderlane kept aloft, both of them concerned. But Midnight trusted his wife, and was fast enough to intervene should he have to.

“I once looked up to you,” Twilight explained with true sympathy in her manner and voice, “Your mind, your dreams! Even though we never met, I always looked forward to our correspondence when you offered me tutoring in the various fields of biological science. Don’t you remember?”

“You were the only one who I thought understood… Clearly I was wrong,” Atom replied solemnly, before reeling his hoof and fist back as he let out a monstrous roar as he tried to turn the princess of friendship into paste.

“TWILIGHT!!” Thunderlane cried out in alarm even though Midnight did not. He sensed it before she cast it, as Twilight raised a powerful Mana Shield, protecting herself from Nucleus’ attack.

“RRGHH!!” Nucleus pulled his fist back, but then Twilight spoke again.

“No, Atom. You were wrong,” Twilight responded, “Despite not seeing you face to face until it was too late, you taught me so much… but there was something you taught me that I never forgot.

“The words of the esteemed scientist, Arcane Yord.”

Nucleus gasped softly, as he recalled those words, the words of perhaps his greatest hero in the ways of science. They ran through his mind even as Twilight spoke them aloud:

“No great science should ever put lives in danger.”

Those words had inspired Atom so long ago, when he was a colt. Twilight continued and even dared to approach her old tutor, and place a hoof onto his hand, “Look around, Atom. Look at all you’ve done, what you’ve become!

“Is this ‘great science’ worth the lives you’ve endangered? The peril you’ve done to yourself?”

“SHUT UP!!!” Atom shouted with panic, denying what he was seeing around him. “ATOM NUCLEUS IS DEAD! THERE IS ONLY EVOLUTION!!!”

With a painful roar, Atom, or rather Evolution used his hands to grab hold of his back, his claws digging deep into his flesh as began to rip it off as bones started to sprout free, bones that began to grow long and flesh began to wrap around it. Evolution now had wings.

“I get stronger and stronger with every passing moment! None of you can stop me now! I am invincible, I am the path to the future! I AM EVOLUTIOOOOOON!!!” Evolution roared as he tried to once again strike the princess, but before his fists could land, she had teleported away immediately, his fists only meeting the hard concrete ground, causing a massive wave of destruction in his wake as the ground shattered and buildings around him began to collapse.

Twilight Flashed to Midnight’s side in the air, her husband taking her hoof in his gauntlet as Midnight said, “This has gone far enough, Twilight. He… is too far gone.”

“I thought I could reach him… but perhaps he just can’t be reached in his mutated state,” Twilight sighed with genuine sorrow.

“Then perhaps restoring him may also restore his sense of reason,” Midnight suggested, “The tar is a manifestation of evil magic, Twilight. We both know a spell that can undo it.”

“What if it kills him?” Twilight fretted even as her former tutor began to lash out like a rabid animal, causing more and more destruction to the city around them.

“That… is a risk we’ll have to take,” Midnight said with understanding balanced with a reminder that this was their responsibility.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight said, “Very well… I shall add a woven spell and then we will cast it together.”

“After you, my love,” Midnight gestured for his wife to take the lead.

Furrowing her brows, mustering her power, Twilight began:

“Wayward Scholar, proud and bright

Once your brilliance shone with light

But now is gone the guiding heart

Your tainted darkness we now shall part!”

Taking her husband’s hoof in her own, Twilight nodded and Midnight’s own horn and eyes lit up with his turquoise mana to match the intensity of his wife’s magenta, and both they chanted:

“Omenous Finité.”

The power of two alicorns rained down upon the mutated doctor, turquoise and magenta engulfing him with the purity of light, causing Nucleus to roar in exquisite agony as the light boiled his skin and bones! He howled as the evil that had polluted his being was purged like the infection it truly was, and his form began to shrink and shrivel, the arms atrophying into nothing, the exposed bones crumbling into brittly dust. His maw of teeth shrank back down while the sharp teeth themselves dropped from his lips.

The roars and howls softened into pathetic whimpers and cries as Atom Nucleus was returned to equine form, but his body no longer resembled his former self. His skin was naked and looked rashy and sensitive, red and abrased. His hooves were cracked, his mouth was now gums with no teeth, and his eyes were glazed over and ran with tears.

Floating down, Twilight stifled a sob at the sight of her former tutor. Midnight pulled her into a hug, and promised, “I will make sure he gets the best medical care possible. But he will still have to face the consequences of his actions.”

“I understand…” sobbed Twilight as she broke away from her husband and knelt down beside Atom, and gingerly touched his cheek, wiping away his tears, “Perhaps, with help, he can be the pony he once was…”

KAKRAMSH

Everyone flinched as they looked up and saw the spire on top of the Empony State Building topple and begin to fall. Thinking quickly, Midnight cast a featherweight spell upon the spire, so it would fall as softly as a feather and cause no serious impact once it reached the ground.

“What’s going on up there?” Thunderlane raised his wing to shield the light from his eyes for a better look.

“Watcher…!” Midnight suddenly remembered. Spreading his wings, he looked to Thunderlane and Twilight, “Secure Charcoal and Nimbus and the tar! I have to help Watcher!”

As he took flight, Twilight and Thunderlane watched Midnight rise, just as Mac came around with a groan as he held his head, “Uhh… wha’d Ah miss?”

“Pant… pant…” Watcher struggled to even out his breathing, but the situation was looking grim, as he clutched his injured shoulder.

Looking around the rooftop of the Empony State Building, he saw his friends all knocked out or unable to fight any longer. Narbus lay unconscious under some rubble and debris. Nyra lay paralyzed from a poison Malice had used on her, leaving her struggling to stay conscious but unable to move. Star had shown up recently to join the fight, only to get a broken wing for her courage, and forced by Watcher to sit the rest of this out with the use of a binding spell.

The fight with his former master had been fierce and intense. He’d held his own well-enough but even after Nyra and Narbus came to his aid, it became clear that Malice had indeed kept a few tricks to himself, as the wicked zebra loomed over them all, his blades glowing with poisonous green magic.

“Sigh… Still standing… As usual you never cease to surprise me, Watcher,” Malice stated, looking over his blade before glancing back at his former protege. “If only you had focused on your original mission, you could have stood by my side even, leading my army across these lands to purge it of the weak and create a new world order where the strong rule,”

“Pfft… Yeah, right, you and I both know that you would’ve killed me the moment you perceived me as a threat to your so-called new world,” Watcher replied, grunting as he dashed forward, sword in the grip of his magic. With a swing of his father’s blade, it clashed against the double blades of the zebra, unflinching, Malice only smirked as the unicorn scowled.

“Such fire!” Malice smirked, pushing back Watcher before a glow on his chest appeared, revealing several rune stones attached to an armored chest plate, conjuring several more blades that suddenly launched at him.

Watcher grimaced in alarm as he used his magic to propel himself back, twisting his body in an effort to avoid the blades. Most missed, but he felt one cut into his left foreleg. Immediately, he felt a numbness begin to spread, and he knew he was in trouble.

Landing, Watcher noticed the blades had nailed themselves into the wall behind him, but he kept Malice in his line of sight.

“At least you know better than to take your eyes completely off your opponent,” Malice chuckled darkly, and quickly touched his shield rune to conjure a bubble-shaped shield of mana around himself, foiling Watcher’s Flamethrower Spell. “Oh, come now, my boy. You know me better than that!”

“Grrgh!” Watcher growled in vexation, remembering that Malice’s shield runes were top-notch in protecting him from magical attacks. Malice liked direct combat, to get up close and personal… so he could watch the light leave the eyes of his victims when he killed them.

The problem was, the numbing effect was potent, even as Watcher did his best to use Recovery, a mana wielding skill to recover from minor wounds or counteract minor poisons and such. The numbing was still working in spite of his Recovery, so the poison was anything but mild.

Shit! It’s still spreading… I don’t have a choice! This is gonna hurt…Watcher thought, but that did little to reassure himself as he used his father’s blade to chop off his own hoof. Letting out a guttural scream of deepest agony, he used a quick fire spell to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding, before he was pushed down by the zebra.

“You never cease to impress me, Watcher,” Malice said with a flat expression yet a tone of intrigue. “To amputate a limb on the fly, without even using anesthesia? I can honestly say, I’m uncertain I could be so brave to do the same thing…”

“Damn you… Damn you to TARTARUS! I hope the Pale One makes your death as agonizing as possible!” Watcher screamed, trying to ignore the pain.

“Oh do settle down,” Malice sighed as he cast a minor healing rune, which at the very least dulled Watcher’s pain. “I’m trying to have a conversation here, so stifle that incessant whining, and listen:

“I offer you this final chance, Watcher…” Malice spoke, his tone losing all jest, as serious as a blade to the throat, as he held out his hoof to his former student, “Join me… or die.”

Taking a deep breath, trying to muster his power along with his will, Watcher gave his former teacher a look that gave his answer before he voiced it, “Never.”

They held each other’s gaze for a moment. But Malice sighed with genuine disappointment, before his eyes gleamed like colt steel, and he summoned his blades back from the wall, and they zoomed towards him before orbiting around him as he coldly retorted, “So be it…”

Touching another of his runestones, Malice channeled more power into his blades, each of them glimmering with a strange monochromatic shimmer as they converged together.

“You could have had it all, but I see that foolishness runs in your family,” Malice said with such cold detachment, before shrugging it off, “Ah well, can’t reason with crazy.

“Just know, my deepest failure, that I shall endeavor to find the most creative of endings, for your friends, for your family, for your cousin.. And especially his wife.”

Narrowing his eyes with deepest contempt, Watcher scoffed, “You? Against my cuz? Huh… enjoy Haydes, cuz’ that’s where you’ll be going once he sets his eyes on you.”

“Well, may the best killer win,” Malice responded without the slightest intimidation as he willed for his converged blades to come down upon Watcher, the unicorn refusing to look away, to give Malice that satisfaction-

*VWUP/Shinnn/Vewp*

“WHAT?!” Malice had almost missed it, as a portal of turquoise mana had opened precisely above Watcher, Malice’s weapons vanishing into it, and then the portal had winked out of existence.

“Malice!” The zebra looked past Watcher and was startled to see a particular cloaked pony standing on the ledge of the Empony State Building. “An assassin… who’s about to die!”

“Who the fuck are you?!” Malice demanded, touching more of his weapon runes to conjure backup blades.

The interloper threw off his cloak, and Malice glared with a growl to see… “Midnight Blaze!”

The alicorn prince gave Malice an amused look, but there was no hiding the burning contempt in those turquoise eyes, their sights on the zebra, as Midnight said, “Pleasure to be meeting you, quite a pleasure!

“Because I’m about to end your fucking life!” Midnight declared with sadistic glee as he bared his fangs and stomped his hooves and summoned writhing tendrils of shadowstuff, ablaze with burning blue magical fire.

“Grrrr!! You insolent-” Malice’s runes lit up as he use a Levitation stone to boost his jump as he lunged towards Midnight, his blades spiraling around him as the zebra glared murderously at this upstart who called himself an assassin.

Midnight smirked as his shadow tendrils lashed out, some of them being shredded by Malice’s blades but the rest found their mark and pushed him back and pinned him down.

While Malice fought to free himself, Midnight stepped down from the ledge and gave his cousin a teasing look, “Having trouble, brother?”

“Heh! You certainly decided to take your sweet time. Were you too busy staring into Twilight’s eyes to notice the explosion up here?~” Watcher teased back, taking his cousin’s hoof as the alicorn pulled him up.

“Heheh, here,” Midnight reached into a small portal and pulled out a crystal container, filled with a prismatic liquid, “Drink that elixir and share it with the others. I’ll handle him.”

“I’ll be fine… The ones who really need this… are them,” Watcher gestured to his fallen comrades, eyes landing on Star as his ears fell down. “Keep him busy, I’m gonna help my friends.”

“Take some of that for yourself, as well,” Midnight insisted before leaning over to whisper something into Watcher’s ear, the unicorn’s eyes widening with understanding as he looked at his cousin, and saw him in a new light, as the alicorn winked and said, “Sit tight!”

Charging in, Midnight reached into his Alicorn Dimension, and pulled out two moon-shaped blades, both of them gleaming silver, the inner edges replaced with handles wrapped in faux-leather while the outer edges were razor sharp, each blade set with a perfect sapphire and engraved with stars and swirls, the sapphire stallion spinning around as he hurtled towards Malice.

Seeing his foe incoming, Malice angrily activated a Flux Rune, causing all magic but his own around him to momentarily go into flux. This destabilized the shadow tendrils, allowing him to break free quite easily, and then leap away, avoiding what would have been his bisection.

Rrgh! Damn him, that was my last Flux Rune! Malice thought as he put a few pony-lengths between him and the prince, his ire rising at the cocky rise of Midnight’s brow as he gave Malice an amused look.

Standing up straight, Midnight ho-hum’d, “So, you’re the big-bad assassin Watcher’s told me about?

“Heh. I’m underwhelmed…” Midnight grinned, baring his fangs, showing Malice the height of his respect, which was none at all.

“And you are the head of the Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, am I correct?” Malice asked, letting out a derisive chuckle. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised… My informants spent months trying to uncover who was leading such a deceptive group of unique individuals,”

“Oh, so that was you,” Midnight acknowledged this fact to be true but played it cool, “A few of my Hoods had brought rumors to my attention of someone showing an unhealthy interest in our organization.”

“Well, you can’t exactly blame me, can you? It’s part of the whole assassin thing. When we’re given a task, we’re expected to complete it without fail, it’s why failures like Nyra, Narbus, and Watcher that usually get eliminated. The House of Assassins were founded for one singular purpose: to kill by any means necessary. It’s why I even risked sending some of the best to… find out who was in charge, because you know what happens when you cut the head off a snake, right?”

“Heheheh, well, on one hoof, I must sincerely commend you,” Midnight shrugged in an amicable manner, “I hunted your group a while back, but was never able to find tangible leads. Not a name, not a symbol, not a nothin’... Eventually, other concerns demanded my attention and I, obviously, made a mistake in writing you all off and letting the trail go cold.”

“Well, we wouldn’t have persevered for more than two hundred years… Did you think a group of highly trained killers and mercenaries would be easy to find?” Malice mocked. “Haven’t you ever wondered how ponies who were one day here suddenly vanished? Or when citizens were healthy one day and dead the next?”

“Why, yes, as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what first put me on your scent. Which leads me to the other hoof…” Midnight’s eyes darkened as he glared Malice with such frigid contempt the zebra felt it pierce his marrow, as the alicorn softly seethed, “The Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods… the House of Assassins. Both deal in the business of death… but there is a defining difference between us, Malice… do you know what that is?”

“HAHAHAHAHA! Of course I know! Your pathetic Brotherhood… Are weak… feeble minded who aren’t willing to do what needs to be done! I’ve done my research on your group, such talented individuals, unable to do what needs to be done to bring about your peace. Only one has actually spilled blood… And that’s you, the leader… You would have been a perfect fit for the House of Assassins,” Malice explained, conjuring several blades, swinging them wildly at the alicorn prince who dodged the poisonous blades effortlessly. “Did you know that you were the second one who ever got close to finding us?”

“The second, you say,” Midnight cast a telekinetic pulse of such force Malice winced as he felt his mental grasp on his blades loosen, with some of them dropping to the floor, as Midnight said, “While it’s true I alone hold the duties of assassination in the Brotherhood, I alone don’t have blood on my hooves… but that’s not the difference I’m talking about, Malice!”

Midnight spun around, whipping blades of solid shadow from his tail at Malice, who bunched his remaining blades together, forming a makeshift shield. But one of the shadow blades made it past and found its mark in the zebra’s shoulder, to his gritting agony.

His focus faltered a moment as Malice’s blades-turned-shield dropped and he quickly touched a healing rune to patch himself up. But then he noticed Midnight coming closer.

“I take life in the pursuit of peace and justice… you and your lot… you take life for profit and pleasure!” Midnight spat with deepest contempt, “I’d be lying if I claimed never to have taken pleasure in the kill before, but every life I've taken was in service to my nation and my subjects. Just as I will in taking yours and the rest of the House of Assassins…!”

“The rest of us? You honestly think you can do that!?” Malice asked, confused for a brief moment before he started laughing. “HAHAHAHAHAHA! Fool! You are just as amusing as Watcher! If only I had found you instead of him! You could have even helped me escape that hell hole with ease!

“I’m so impressed, that you deserve to know a tidbit about your precious cousin,”

“What do you mean?” Midnight demanded, narrowing his eyes.

“You see, you were close to finding us, but not as close as the old Mayor of Vanhoover, oh what was his name again… the names tend to blur together after awhile. Ah yes! Mayor Puffer Hoffer! He got close, closer than anyone else to finding out the truth about us.”

“Hmm, I take it his efforts caused you to take greater care in covering your tracks…” Midnight huffed, “Thanks a lot, Mister Mayor, for making my job all the harder…”

“Can’t blame an old bastard for seeking justice against us… A real do-gooder! Which is why… I tasked your precious cousin to… deal with him personally,” Malice grinned, his eyes landing on his former protege. “I still remember the look on that old fool’s face when Watcher burned him alive, the screams of agony and you want to know the best part? The look on that wretch’s wife’s face as she cried, begging Watcher to stop, but he didn’t! And doesn’t your precious laws dictate those who kill government officials are to be… executed? Such a crime shouldn’t go unpunished right?”

“Getting desperate now, are we?” Malice was stunned at that response as Midnight shrugged, “Trying to turn me against my cousin? For such a big-time assassin, that’s really rather pathetic…”

“What did you say…!?” Malice gritted his teeth in outrage.

“Watcher told me his crimes already,” Midnight answered with a detached look, “I know every life he’s taken in service to the House of Assassins, every crime he’s committed, aided, and abetted. And he will atone for his wrongs by serving me in the Brotherhood for the rest of his life… That is his penance.

“And as much as you disgust me, I am willing to offer you the same. All you have to do… is kneel.”

“Kneel… Kneel?!? I am done kneeling to those who think they can control my destiny!” Malice pulled out a rune stone and threw it directly at the alicorn. Suddenly, several hooves of bones appeared, latching onto him as skulls of fallen ponies came out, ready to rip the alicorn prince apart. “I spent years serving a damn Countess and doing her dirty work! But I will say that serving her allowed me the opportunity to… gain some information,”

“Necro Amrro!” Midnight cast a ward that layered his body with magical protection against the undead skulls, causing them to burn up in cinders after coming in contact with the ward while Midnight glared at Malice, “Countess? Information?”

“Huh… Seems that I gave you too much credit, eh? Don’t tell me that you thought I was the head of the House of Assassins?! Pfft! Guess I expected too much!” Malice grinned, pulling out several rune stones from his pocket and threw them to the ground. Summoning dozens of undead, only for Midnight to fuel his ward with more power to fend them off. “You see, it took time, but some of my best assassins found the location of a particular base belonging to your Brotherhood.”

“ErrRAUGH!!” Midnight roared as he incinerated the skulls and then cast a Seal over the rooftop, preventing any more summoning of the undead. “What are you talking about?! My bases and facilities are perfectly hidden!

“I’ll admit your group is effective and formidable, but no one’s ever found even one of my bases since I took leadership of the Brotherhood!”

“Ha! You wouldn’t happen to be thinking of the base hidden in the most remote corner of the Badlands, now would you?” Malice sneered, taking greater pleasure in seeing Midnight flinch. “That’s what I thought! So, if there are no further interruptions…

“Hehehe! Then, allow me to recite the names on this list,” Malice pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. “Ryder of the PAW Patrol… Lightning Dust, currently deep undercover infiltrating the Shadowbolts… Astaur Earthfury of Taurra… Magnus of the Dragonlands… Dr. Kat Manx of Abyssinnia? Ooh, that one should put a smile on Winkle’s face!”

“Impossible…!” Midnight growled, his eyes widening with fury edged with panic as he bore his fangs. “Even if you did find that base, you couldn’t have stolen that list! It’s sealed inside enchanted glass!”

“Please… Do you think that we don’t have our ways?~” Malice smirked, tapping the rune stones on his chest all at once and conjured over a dozen blades, all glowing a bright green as more undead started to come out of the rune stones he had thrown before.

But Midnight’s Seal did its work, causing the undead to turn to ashes the moment they emerged from the evil magic conjuring them, as Midnight glared at the zebra with bloodlust so intense Malice couldn’t help but cackle in delight, even when Midnight spoke in an ominous tone, “You’re not leaving this rooftop with that list…!”

“Oh, this will be quite valuable to my client, I hear she’s quite ruthless… Once she sees what I’ll accomplish, she’ll do me the honor of terminating the Countess for me,” Malice grinned as his undead kept trying to get to the alicorn. “Then, I’ll be the true head of the House of Assassin’s, but I think our time here is at an end.”

“I couldn’t agree more!” Malice turned to find Watcher standing in front of him, his hoof that he had amputated was now replaced with what looked like tar, but its color was completely white apart from a colorful shimmer like oil on water. Suddenly, white tendrils came out suddenly, wrapping around the zebra, hoisting him up into the air so suddenly as Malice looked flabbergasted by Watcher’s sudden control over his tar! “Guess, the tar wasn’t completely out of my system!”

Watcher spun around, swinging his former master in the air before throwing him through the wall. Immediately, he picked him up again before bringing him back towards him, while simultaneously casting several purple flames above his head and launching them at him.

“GRRRAAAH!” Malice yelled as the tendrils continued to tighten around him as he was hit repeatedly by balls of flames. Each one getting more intense with heat, even with Malice’s ward runes passively protecting him from elemental magic. “HOW DARE YOU!!!”

Malice immediately conjured more blades and sliced the tendrils that were wrapped around him while activating his healing rune stone. “You’ll regret defying me! I’m going to cut off all your hooves and make you watch as I slowly kill Nyra, Narbus, that damn hood, and your cousin in the most painful and agonizing ways you couldn’t possibly imagine!”

“Not before I remove your head from your shoulders!” Watcher gritted his teeth, as he levitated his blade and threw it at his master, the blade though, was not aimed at him directly, but rather something on him.

Watcher’s Sword pierced a rune stone that was on Malice’s armor, shattering it to pieces as the zebra’s eyes widened in complete shock. The zebra watched as many of his runestones dropped out of his armor and most of them shattered when they hit the floor. No magic worked however, because breaking the runestones had to be a deliberate act by Malice himself.

It was then he noticed one of the surviving runestones, A Travel Rune! I just have to…!

“Finité Arcanorum!!!” came the voice of Midnight, and a pulse of his magic washed over the remaining runestones and Malice felt his blood run cold as any hope he had of fighting or fleeing literally turned to dust before his very eyes.

He was literally knocked out of his stupor as Watcher sent Malice flying with an uppercut to the jaw, and the zebra stallion was flat on his back, blood dribbling from his lips, and he felt his tongue swish against something in his mouth and spat out, much to his horror and anger, a few of his teeth.

Terror and panic began to flood Malice’s mind as he saw Watcher and Midnight approach him, and he struggled to his hooves while holding one of them out in desperate pleading, “WAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAITWAIT!!! There’s a deal to be struck here!”

“No deals, Malice!” Midnight growled with an unforgiving shake of his head, “You planned to sell the very lives of my subordinates for a dirty profit… and I’ve already made my last offer.”

“Grrrrr… Damn you, Midnight… and damn you, Watcher! You could have had it all, you filthy ingrate! You could have had power! Mares! Riches! Everything you could have ever wanted, all of it would have been yours…!” Malice screamed in rave and rant with the look of a madmane, spittle flying from his mouth, as he glared at his former apprentice with unforgiving hatred. “After everything I’ve done for you, you betray me for petty sentiment!!”

“I chose my side,” Watcher stated, his eyes looking at his former master with not anger or hate, but disappointment? “And I can’t allow you to live… not after everything you’ve done… You tried to turn thousands into your meat puppets and you tried to kill me, my cousin, and his wife! I don’t care what excuses or deals you come up with!”

Watcher’s horn was suddenly enveloped in a purple hue as he pulled the list of names from Malice’s pocket to his robe and passing it to his cousin. “Take this list, and get the others out of here Midnight… This is something I have to do… Alone.”

Seeing the look in his cousin’s eyes, Midnight took the list and burned it to ashes with a single ignition of his mana, before nodding in understanding as he patted his cousin on the shoulder and whispered to him, “Do as you will, brother. Whatever you choose, I am proud of you…”

Midnight spun his horn around, causing portals of his mana to appear over his head, as well as the heads of Nyra, Narbus, and Star, who were all unconscious but alive. The portals came down, taking them away in winks of light, leaving the fallen master and the former apprentice alone on the rooftop of the Empony State Building.

“Do you really think this will be the end?” Malice asked, no longer trying to weasel his way out of this. For this was now his fate as he grinned at the unicorn. “She was most likely watching… She has her ways of knowing, for she is the founder… She is the true head of the House of Assassins.”

“Does it look like I care? Because honestly, I don’t… I spent so much time killing for what I believed to be justice, and… Every. Single. Day, I had to live with those deaths haunting me. Dealing with those voices, but now… I was given a second chance to be better, to truly do some good. You taught me how to fight, how to use my powers… Imagine the good you could do with your knowledge, and skills?”

“You were my mentor and probably the closest thing I’ll have to a father figure… If Midnight of all ponies could offer you redemption… Then I could do the same, right?” Watcher asked, extending his hoof out towards the zebra.

“Hehehe… Sentiment… You never fail to surprise me, Watcher… We could have had the whole world in our hooves.” Malice lamented with a faux ‘oh well’ tone, a bittersweet smile on his face, his hoof reaching into his pocket, pulling out a final rune stone. “Which is why, I’ll be giving you this final bit of information… Mother Miracle… That’s who truly runs the House of Assassins. May Faust have mercy on your souls when you meet her… For what it’s worth… You were like a son to me.”

Placing the final rune stone against his head, the stone activated, blowing the zebra’s head to pieces as his body fell to the ground. The unicorn didn’t react at all as the blood of his former master splattered over the floor, a little bit getting on his cheek.

“Farewell… Master Malice,” Watcher said coldly as he turned his back, deciding to take the stairs all the way down. For once, Watcher didn’t feel like using his magic and wanted to take the long way down, be alone with his thoughts before he talked to everypony else. “May the Pale One have mercy on your soul.”

As Watcher opened the door and started making his way down the building, Malice watched his former apprentice- Nay… his son walk away from the darkness he’d cast the young stallion into for so long.

“Will he be okay?” Malice asked the presence standing beside him.

The Pale One nodded and gently spoke, “He will live a good life, he has so much more to do, before his time…”

Malice peered down at his headless corpse. He’d never really thought it would end this way. Now that it had regrets he’d buried or didn’t even know he’d had began to run through his mind, weighing upon his spirit so heavily that he even began to hunch from the burden of his own sins.

“I wonder… if things could have been different,” Malice sighed heavily. “But I guess, I let the chance come and go.”

“It is time,” the Pale One said, and Malice nodded. He’d take whatever came next. But then the Pale One said, “Perhaps one day, the two of you will have that chance after all.”

That slightest possibility of hope brought the smallest smile to Malice’s face, but he said nothing, as the Pale One spread his wings and gently wrapped his cloak around Malice’s spirit, they moved on.

Author's Note

Shirudo Tenebris Trinitas (Shirudo, Romaji for 'shield' + Tenebris, Latin for 'darkness' + Trinitas, derived from 'trinity') A Shield Spell to defend against Dark Magic, tripled in its power and effect.

Frigis Glacia (Latin for 'Ice Cold') A spell to freeze something in ice

Omenous Finité (Omen + Ominous + Menace, Finité, Latin for 'finite', French for 'finished') A general counterspell to dark magic

Necro Amrro (Necro, relating to the dead + Amrro, derived from 'armor') A defense ward for protection against the undead.

Finité Arcanorum (Finité, derived from 'finite' or Latin Finire 'to end' + Derived from Arcana) a powerful counterspell against magic in general.

Hats off to anyone who can spot a reference and from where they came

437. Hunted from the Past - Epilogue

It took a few days to settle things in Manehatten. The damage was cleaned up, the victims of the tar given the best medical care, Nimbus and Charcoal were taken by Midnight into custody (he didn’t say where though), and even Atom Nucleus was dealt with. To Twilight’s relief, her old tutor was already showing signs of improvement, but the doctors’ informed her that he would likely be invalid for the rest of his life. Twilight made it a mental note to do whatever she could to help Atom, both physically and mentally.

As for Watcher, Star, Nyra, and Narbus, Midnight decided to give Watcher and Star some well-deserved vacation time, while he “invited” Nyra to join the Brotherhood, desiring her knowledge of rune magic.

Oddly enough, Narbus managed to slip away without anyone noticing, though the dog had left behind a message for Watcher and Nyra only. The letter made them sad, but they understood Narbus’s reasons for going his own way, not to avoid punishment but to seize his own opportunities to make up for his misdeeds. After assuring Midnight of this, the sapphire stallion simply shrugged it off and decided, if they needed to, they’d find Narbus eventually.

Watcher then made the announcement that he wished to go back home to Vanhoover, to be close with his mother and sisters again. Star was sad to hear this… only for Midnight to cheer her up by having her reassigned to Vanhoover. Nyra would have to stay in Manehatten for a while, as Midnight was giving her a special assignment, top-secret so she couldn’t even explain what it was to Watcher or Star. But he assured them that once Nyra’s work was done she could join them in Vanhoover.

In the meantime, Midnight had insisted Watcher be examined by a special magical doctor he knew, in concern of the strange white tar that had made itself known in Watcher’s body after he’d been forced to amputate his right forehoof. Due to the long exposure of the tar, some of it had latched onto his internal organs and the only way to remove it was by surgery, but he had refused, puzzling the alicorn prince as to why?

All he said to him was “He’d explain later at the party,” and left it at that.

After sending word ahead to his mother, Blossom Guide, they were treated to a warm and lovely welcome. Blossom was happy to see her son home again, but made a concerned fuss over his hoof until Watcher assured her he was okay. His sisters were equally happy to see him, and as is the prerogative of all younger siblings they teased their big brother about his “relationship” with Star N’ Stripe.

Watcher didn’t care. In fact, he made their teasing pointless when he swept Star off her hooves and kissed her so passionately in front of his family that Blossom and Twilight had to cover the fillies’ eyes despite their protests.

Afterwards, Blossom threw together a hearty feast, with some help from Twilight and Star, who both insisted on helping with the cooking.

While Mac and Thunder kept the girls busy, Watcher pulled Midnight into his old room (touched his mother had kept it) for a private word.

“Oh…! Somepony was a fan of the Masked Matterhorn?” Midnight teased while pointing at the poster on Watcher’s bedroom wall.

“Pfft… Back when… Dad… Back when he was around, after that… Pretty much stopped caring about stuff like this… Still was the coolest of the Power Ponies though,” Watcher replied, fondly as he recalled his dad getting him that poster. “Weren’t you a bigger fan though? I could have sworn you drooled every time you got a new issue of that comic.”

“Heheheh, still am! Of the Power Ponies and the Bronco Busters,” Midnight chuckled before a nostalgic look came over him as he regarded Watcher’s bedroom.

The bed neither of them could comfortably sleep on. The desk still had notebooks and colored pencils. A few action figures were set upon a wall-mounted shelf. To Watcher, this place was a place where his old foalhood dreams had remained, while he had been forced to move on.

“Besides, no matter how old you are, never forget the colt inside,” Midnight said with a bittersweet smile, remembering who told him those words. And how those memories soured after a point in his life, but he saw no reason to bring it up now.

“Anyways, there was something I wanted to talk to you about, but couldn’t because I didn’t want any of the others to overhear,” Watcher cut to the chase, not wanting to keep this information to himself. “Before Malice… ended his life… He told me something that I think you should know.”

Furrowing his brows, Midnight gave Watchier his full and undivided attention, “What is it?”

“He told me the name of the one in charge of the House of Assassins, the one who had been pulling the strings since the beginning. He called her, Mother Miracle,” Watcher replied, his eyes narrowing when he said that.

“Mother Miracle…” Midnight tasted the name on his tongue as he gave it a thought, “Well, I’m sorry to say the name doesn’t ring a bell. You probably heard me when I spoke with Malice, but I chased rumors and shaky leads on the House of Assassins, though I never found anything of real note.

“The fact that Malice wasn’t the real head of the House of Assassins honestly doesn’t surprise me.”

“Unfortunately that’s all he was able to give me, meaning I don’t know how many members there really are. We both know that this… Miracle is a Countess, not sure if she has other aliases or not, but I’ll look into it and Narbus will also be hunting down any of the others that are a part of her group,” Watcher explained. “Even if that’s not a whole lot of information, I figured I’d tell you, rather not keep any more secrets.”

“You’re on paid leave, remember?” Midnight brought up with a teasing smile. “So, I want you to focus on relaxing, getting better, and…”

Midnight paused, looking despondent, so Watcher said, “I appreciate that, Midnight, but I’ve been working for so long, I don’t know if I can stop. Probably because I really don’t want to stop, not until we finish this. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling this Mother Miracle is far worse than anything we’ve faced before… But I’ll try to take it easy… at least for a little bit… Four days at most.”

“Two weeks, not a day less,” Midnight stated firmly. When Watcher started to protest, Midnight spoke over him, “That’s an order. Watcher… you’re home again!

“You’re back with your mother, your sisters, and you have two mares who love you and would want you to take it easy for the time being. And don’t forget!”

Midnight smirked as he twirled his hoof, making a little portal appear and deposit a familiar-looking confection, “You have work to do, remember? I’m already planning to invest in your research and development, and I expect results.”

“Heh… One job for another… You shouldn’t have,” Watcher said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. Figuring that it was already implied, but decided not to say anything about it. “By the way… That list… How do you think he got it? If I recall correctly, that place should be the most secure place in Equestria, right?”

“Heheheh, oh sure, the list was protected, but I wager Malice found it because I deliberately leaked a rumor of the base’s location,” Midnight chuckled deviously.

“Oh you sneaky little- Whatever! I’m not going to admonish you considering all the shit I’ve done. I’d say you’re reckless, but that would be me calling the tea kettle,” Watcher rolled his eyes, figuring the alicorn had his reasons and figured it was most likely a decoy, but even so despite how stupid it was to do that, he couldn’t exactly reprimand him considering he was also as stupid as his cousin. “So… Did you finally have that talk with Twilight yet?”

“...not yet,” Midnight responded, sounding apprehensive, but there was a sparkle in his eyes. “But… I’m looking forward to it, to tell you the truth. And for the record, let it be known that I’d never risk the lives of my subordinates so callously!

“The list was protected by a secret base an’ all, but the real protections are the enchantments on it! Even if Malice had sold the list, the information would have been wiped from the memories of whoever learned of it-”

“... Midnight… I don’t care… SO take it from your older brother and shut up and get down there and make up with your wife, before I kick your ass!” Watcher barked, not realizing that he had unintentionally called Midnight his brother.

“You mean… this ass?” Midnight mooned Watcher, who saw how plump yet firm Midnight’s backside was, “Well, it’s a big target! It wouldn’t be hard! Hahahaha!”

“Oh fuck off! Get out of here already, or am I going to have to convince Twilight that you actually meant to kiss that psycho chick who tried to burn you alive?~” Watcher threatened, smirking as he saw the worried look on his face. “I can be quite convincing you know,”

“Okay, okay! No need to go for the jugular!” Midnight laughed, a bit sheepish, but then he said, “Look, Twily and I already had a quick word, and we decided we’d talk when we go to bed. After the party, which we should be getting back to before your mom gets in here and grounds you.”

“Then we should get moving, after all, I still have a little surprise for everyone that nopony can resist.” Watcher said, opening the door as the two head down. “I think you’ll like it, you could say it’s a way to… help out a little brother.”

Smiling, Midnight pulled Watcher into a hug, surprising the older stallion, but he returned it when Midnight said, “I’d like that… big brother.”

They held that moment for a while, until Midnight broke the hug, “Just… one more thing, Watch.”

“Yeah, what is it?” Watcher was starting to get a bit antsy.

“...Your hoof, and the tar,” Midnight brought up. “What happened? And are you really okay?”

“Hmm… It’s hard to really explain… I just remember being so angry, but I knew I had to stay in control, next thing I knew…It just sprouted out of me. Honestly, I thought it would bother me, which is what I think normal ponies would do. Buuuut I don’t think I’m exactly all… right up here if you know what I mean?” Watcher gestured to his head. “Still, I think it can be useful and help ponies. Will definitely make chores easier.”

“Not… really?” Midnight was confused, before he remembered their first encounter with the tar, “This stuff… it turned out to be something right out of a nightmare, a true manifestation of evil! When it took you over, it took Star and Nyra’s love to reach you, and I thought that powerful sensation of love and goodness purified the tar and freed you from it.

“So then… why would this white tar just show up like it did?”

“Maybe that’s the answer… perhaps it’s because of that love that it turned white,” Watcher answered, he held his hoof out and out came a white tendril, opening the door. “Definitely opens up a lot of possibilities for me to try.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Midnight crossed his forelegs, still puzzled, “I remember Princess Cadance once told me, that True Love doesn’t have to be romantic. She said that True Love… is putting the happiness and well-being of somepony else before your own.

“That kind of self-sacrifice… I guess you could consider that a true example of Good, and because Star and Nyra’s love for you is that pure the tar was purified into… this stuff. Though I don’t think we should call it tar anymore, just doesn’t suit it.”

“Hmm… I don’t know…still feels just as gross as the other stuff, but I think the girls and I will get used to it,” Watcher said, accidentally saying a little more than he intended.

“Be that as it may,” Midnight did a little sleight of hoof and produced a card, which he held out to Watcher, “If you should ever feel like something is wrong because of that stuff, give this doctor a call or contact me. We’ll help you figure it out.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Watcher answered. “Come on, we have a party to get to… Don’t want to miss the big surprise!”

“Big surprise?” Midnight echoed, not knowing what Watcher was talking about.

“Let’s just say… Twilight won’t be too happy with me getting her back for you after your little… spat~” Watcher smirked with a devious gleam in his eye as the alicorn prince could already put two and two together from what he said.

“You didn’t!”

“Oh yeah~”

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

“You gave her that candy?!?” Midnight shouted with a flabbergasted look while everyone looked on either in confused awe or gut-busting hilarity of the purple princess dancing and singing like a fool.

“Yep, a little punishment for her overreacting a little bit. I thought about what you told me and even though she did have a right to be upset, I think she should have been more upset at that chick that kissed you more than you,” Watcher answered. “Plus she can get angry at me and she’ll probably forgive you a bit more. You're welcome.”

Midnight gave Watcher a weirded-out look, before uttering, “I don’t know whether to curse your ass… or kiss you on the lips.”

“Sorry, but I don’t swing that way,” Watcher teased, giving the alicorn a noogie, which spurred a laugh from Midnight before he wrestled his way free. “Now get down there or your going to miss your wife singing~”

“Oh, you don’t, don’t you…?” Midnight gave Watcher a look that sent a chill down the unicorn’s spine.

“Nope! And never will!” Watcher pushed the alicorn aaway and hurried downstairs where they found everyone had suddenly started to join in on the dance.

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

Ain't no lovin’ my maaarre~

Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh

“Wait! How many of those candies did you mak-OP” Midnight was suddenly cut off as Watcher popped a piece of candy into his mouth. And swallowed it in reflex, a dawning look of horror coming over him.

“BOOM! Got you! Enjoy it! Because this is going to be one of many of my magic formula candies! WOOOAH!” Watcher cheered, pumping his hoof in victory as Midnight felt the sudden urge to sing.

“I’m… G-Going… to… Ain’t no lovin’ my maaaarre~ Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh~” Midnight sang, joining in on the dance as Watcher started cackling, as Star trotted up to him.

“Finally got him to taste it?” Star asked with a playful rise of her brow.

“Yep, figured out that it’s not activated by chewing, but by taste, so the moment it hits your tongue, you on your way to ‘Ain’t lovin’ my mare’ city,” Watcher explained, as Star gave him a peck on the cheek and passed him cup of punch.

“I figured you’d say that~” Star teased as Watcher took a sip of his punch with a raised brow. “It’s why I also put a piece of it in your punch~”

Watcher’s eyes widened in horror as he did a spit take, trying to wipe the taste away, but it was too late. “Ain’t no lovin’ my maaaaarre~ Shoo-wop, shoo-wop, ooh~”

“Sorry… He’s still my boss… Only right that I make sure you suffer like everyone else.” Star couldn’t help but smile deviously as she pulled out one of those candies from her cloak, “I’ll make it up to you later~ After all, you did promise to try out that neat little trick with your hoof later~”

As the unicorn’s face turned completely red as he sang and danced away, Star popped the piece of candy into her mouth and immediately began to join in on the fun. After all, she was on vacation and wanted to spend time with her new coltfriend.

Watcher’s sisters joined in on the singing and dancing without even taking the candy themselves, leaving Mac and Thunderlane to watch with flat looks, Thunderlane asking, “Do you remember how long this bit goes on for?”

“Nnope,” Macintosh shrugged.

“Don’t interrupt!” Both stallions looked and saw Blossom was recording the whole thing on her home video camera, “You can’t put a price on memories like this!”

Eventually the party came to a conclusion. Midnight and Twilight, along with Macintosh and Thunderlane, all said their goodbyes to Watcher and his family. The fillies were a little sad to see them go, but Midnight and Twilight promised their little cousins they’d visit again soon.

Midnight and Watcher discussed a few more details about his magical candies before they settled on some agreements, and Midnight made sure to order Star she was to keep Watcher strictly on R & R until their vacation was over (apart from Watcher’s work on his candies) and Star assured her boss that her stallion would be right as rain by the time she was done with him.

Taking The Break of Dawn back home, Midnight and Twilight settled into their private cabin aboard the airship, where at first they cuddled and kissed… until the moment came, the moment they’d both dreaded and yearned to resolve.

Laying together in bed, side by side, the two of them both stared up at the ceiling of their cabin, unsure of where to start, unsure of who should go first. The silence stretched from confusing to uncomfortable to painfully awkward, before finally...

"I'm sorry."

Midnight's ears perked, but he made no other indication that he'd heard, instead choosing to let Twilight speak her piece.

"It wasn't your fault, it... It meant nothing but I turned it into something. I was angry and-and confused! But I got so wound up by the whole thing, I... I took it out on you. I know that's not fair, that I wasn't being fair, but I was just so... emotional, there was... Well, I became so insecure that I let my feelings and anxiety get to me. Especially after... Sniff-sniff..."

Midnight felt his heart waver, hearing his Twilight sniffling, but he let her keep going, as she said, "It wasn't just the kiss, Midnight... it was Griffonstone. We went there to help King Godric and Doran... and we failed! We failed... and now so many griffons are suffering.

"Those feelings I've felt ever since, they... I guess I channeled them into the feelings I got from... from Sunset Shimmer kissing you without your consent. And all those feelings and hurts and doubts!"

"You were overwhelmed..." Midnight finally spoke up, and he reached with his hoof to take Twilight's, giving her the comfort of his touch. "I've been there, Twily... More times than I care to count."

"You have...?!" Twilight's voice shuddered, and her husband continued.

"Leading the Brotherhood always feels like walking a tightrope. There's no safety-net and you can't fly if you make even one misstep," Midnight answered with the voice of a stallion who's felt the weight of the world on his withers. "My work in the Brotherhood hasn't always been success, but the failures were often more costly than I was prepared for... Even when you do your best to plan for every possible outcome, something can and often does go wrong.

"I once ruined what should have been the peaceful resolution of two countries who'd been in conflict for nearly a hundred years. Because of my failure, those countries went to war... and nopony won. Another time, I rescued zebras from being shipped off to a faraway land where they would have become slaves. But when I returned them to their home-village, I learned too late that they'd been sold into slavery by their own leaders, and by the time I went to rescue them again... they were already gone."

"That's horrible..." Twilight was horrified, "I thought that slavery was abolished!"

"Trafficking lives remains an extremely lucrative business for the worst of the worst, Twi," Midnight said solemnly. "The Brotherhood and I have taken down dozens of slave trafficking rings over the years, but the corrupt and influential keep finding ways to bring them back. It's one of the reasons why I recruit creatures besides just ponies, increasing my net as wide as I can around the world.

"And what happened in Griffonstone is my failure as much as yours, perhaps more so."

"Why would you say that?" asked Twilight, finally peering over to look at Midnight and she stifled a gasp to see a tear running down her stallion's cheek.

"If I'd been able to subdue Sunset... if I'd captured Scar and prevented his escape... I should have done more, but, out of respect, I let Godric call the shots. Sure, we advised him, helped him... but I wanted to cut off the head of the snake. Instead, I stood aside at Godric's request because he wanted to handle it himself," Midnight sighed, his eyes closing as he forced himself not to get emotional in that moment. "The worst part of it is, I feel angry at myself for thinking those things about my mentor.

"Godric tried to do the right thing, to give his brother a chance. He chose to rise above his emotions and not sink to Scar's level. There's so many things we could have done differently, Twilight... but what's done is done. We can't keep beating ourselves, or each other, up over it. What good does it do to tear each other or ourselves down when we did the best we could?"

"I guess you're right..." Twilight had to agree. This self-deprecation, this sniping at each other, wasn't going to help them with whatever came their way next. "In all honesty, your mother said this is probably what Sunset wanted to happen, why she kissed you. To hurt our marriage, to hurt us... by getting us to hurt each other. Upon realizing that, I felt so ashamed, because Auntie Faerie Trail's probably right."

"While we're n the subject, I gotta be honest, Twily," Midnight spoke up and he turned his head to look his wife in the eye, "When Sunset... kissed me, well... there was in fact a part of me that... liked it. I didn't realize that consciously, but Watcher helped me see the situation from your point of view."

Seeing the emotional glimmer in his wife's eyes, Midnight went on, "Of course you felt angry, like your marriage was being infringed upon... and seeing that dumb look on my face probably didn't help, huh."

"No... it didn't," Twilight looked away, feeling ashamed.

"But Twilight." Twilight looked back to her husband and gasped softly as he reached over to caress her cheek in his hoof, "I love you! That will never change, and even if I developed feelings for another pony I couldn't love you any less!"

"Are you sure about that, Midnight?" Twilight whispered fretfully.

"Twily... I can't promise you that my heart will never ignore someone else," Midnight explained with greatest care, " To tell you the truth... there've been times I dreamed of having a herd with you and somepony else."

"A herd...?" Twilight knew of herds, of romantic partners numbering more than just two. Sometimes herds weren't even that at all, but just ponies coming together to form extended families, though often it was indeed the former.

Herds used to be more prevalent in Equestria out of necessity, due to the gender ratio of mares outnumbering stallions three-to-one. But in recent generations, more and colts were born, making herds no longer necessary. They still existed, but weren't as common as they used to be.

Twilight never considered herself joining a herd, not even back when she was still a unicorn. Of the pony tribes, unicorns were the most independent compared to earth ponies and pegasi. But she let Midnight keep going, as he explained, "You remember how I told you about Flash, right?"

Twilight did remember, and she remembered that Flash was actually Midnight's first kiss.

Then, Midnight took Twilight's hoof and placed it over his heart, "Flash is gone, but he still remains in my heart, and he always will. But there were times we talked about being together, forming a herd. With each other... with you, and maybe even another mare."

"Really?" Twilight found herself oddly intrigued.

"I should have spoken with you about this when we got married... but, yeah, Twi," Midnight smiled nervously, "If you're open to it, I'd like for us to one day find somepony else, somepony for us to love and loves us both back just as much. We have so much love between us, I can't help feeling what a gift it would be to share it."

Twilight gave those words a careful think. Part of her liked the way Midnight spoke of what it could be like, but another feared it, and that came from her lack of deeper understanding the concept of herds. Seeing that his Twilight was hesitant and perhaps confused, Midnight turned over to his side face Twilight in bed, and she did the same so they were looking each other face to face. They held each other's gaze, Midnight seeing Twilight hesitant yet not technically against his words, Twilight seeing Midnight's patience and understanding that she needed to know more.

He smiled at her with deepest love, with unwavering faith, with genuine understanding, before he said, "Take all the time you need to figure out where you stand."

Taking a deep breath, Twilight smiled appreciatively at her husband, and softly replied, "Thanks, Midnight."

"Let's sleep on it," Midnight suggested, "It's been a long and busy trip..."

"Agreed..." Twilight turned over, letting midnight spoon over her back, hugging her to his front, and smiling when she felt him kiss her neck.

"Good night, Twily..." he whispered to her lovingly.

"Good night, Midnight..." Twilight whispered back.

For a long and peaceful moment, they rested... but out of nowhere, Twilight opened one of her eyes with a glint of mischief, and whispered, "Y'know, Midnight..."

"Hmm...?" Midnight responded, starting to drift away into somnolent bliss.

"She's got a nice ass, that Sunset Shimmer..." Twilight smirked playfully as she felt Midnight stiffen up in stunned response, his eyes popping in disbelief of what he’d just heard, unable to process what he'd just heard his wife say, and she tittered, "Sleep well!"

And she did that, letting her playful mirth carry her off to dreamland while Midnight laid there, his eyes wide yet his pupils shrunk down to pinpricks, unable to think, unable to rest, unable to do anything but replay Twilight's words in his mind over and over again, nudging him just slightly towards the edge of sanity.

Outside the Borders of Abyssinia

“Such a pity…” ho-hum’d the velvety purr of Catrina’s voice before she took a sip of her generous host’s prime serving of tea. “In the end, that little project in Manehatten failed to produce anything worthwhile.”

“Yes, but thankfully, it wasn’t that much of an investment, wouldn’t you agree, Contessa?” asked the sycophantic Mr. Winkle as he added a generous helping of cream to his own cup.

The feline sorceress, Catrina, and the fat cat, Mr. Winkle, both gazed upon their host at the table, a tall, beautiful, white pony with a black and silver curled mane. She wore a black dress embroidered with gold floral patterns on her sleeves. Around her neck she wore a necklace with a bat pendant with a blue gem. The tall beauty wore a black sun hat with a red ribbon and a single red rose adorned on the right.

In most cases, Catrina would have detested even being near a pony (her equine minions a necessary exception), but this mare… she was the furthest thing from being a pony. Seeing her smile, fangs gleamed in the moonlight as bat wings stretched outward for a moment before retracting.

“Oh, pish posh! I did warn you that you should have taken your time, but as usual, you males honestly think with your groins more than your brains. It’s why your little experiment failed,” The mysterious mare answered, taking a sip from her tea cup as she glared at the obese cat sitting beside Catrina. “I even lent you some of my best assassins as a way to protect your little muck project,”

Winkle stifled the inclination to growl, but that didn’t stop him from clenching his fist under the table, while he took a large sip of his tea.

“Tut-tut, Mira,” Catrina waved her clawed finger in a teacherly way, “It ill becomes a lady to demean her allies. And your ‘best’ assassins? We all know those cannibals and that recruiter were hardly the cream of your crop.”

Gulping his tea, Winkle added with a miffed look, “And besides, I can afford indulging in a simple project, but if your subordinates failed to protect it and the doctor overseeing it, what does that say about you?”

“Oo-ho-ho-ho! Astute as usual my old friend!” Countess Miracle replied with glee, ignoring Mr. Winkle’s comment. “Truth be told, I’ve been aware of Malice’s betrayal from the start, and the moment an opportunity arose to seize power, he practically drooled like a rabid dog. As for that idiot scientist, wasn’t it you who hired him, Mr. Winkle? You were also made aware that the black substance wasn’t nearly as potent as it was when the creature from the Ol’tower from Trottingham was killed. Yet, you still invested in something like that?”

Both cats gave Miracle a look, and she realized she’d stepped on the wrong toe when Catrina responded, “Mr. Winkle hired that doctor on my recommendation, Mira. He was an outcast yet had the necessary knowledge and expertise needed for the project Winkle had in mind…”

“And while I admit the substance was inferior compared to its source,” Mr. Winkle admitted, “I made the decision to use it anyway, thinking even a lesser sample could yield desirable results and yet be easier for us to control.

“Well, spilled milk,” Mr. Winkle shrugged before enjoying one of the cakes Miracle had provided to the table.

“Hmm… Maybe, but I did tell you that there are other more efficient sources of powers or even more useful individuals that I could have personally recommended to you, Catrina,” Miracle pouted when the feline looked at her in disappointment. “Not that it really matters now, and Mr. Winkle, I provided you what you asked for, but my sources told me that the Doctor wasn’t going to align himself with my dear friend, and planned to take your… little army for himself, and he did so of his own volition.”

“We can keep arguing over blame or we can be adults and move on,” Mr. Winkle finally let out the subtlest growl, “I can’t remain for long, lest my absence be noticed back in Panthera.”

“Now, we can’t have that,” Catrina nodded with a conspiratory purr, “So then, Mira, my dear… what, pray tell, did you call this meeting for?”

“For the past few years, I’ve noticed a trend that has been occuring and at its center, it all comes back around to the Royals… particularly two. The Prince Midnight Blaze, and Princess Twilight Sparkle. At every turn, they’ve been foiling the plans and been getting in everyone’s way, in your way Cathy,” Miracle explained. “I’d like to offer an opportunity to assist you with them. And as for you Mr. Winkle, I don’t mean to be rude, but you do know how I barely tolerate males, but you are a client at the end of the day, so I’ll be sure to compensate you for this small loss.”

“Fine… I’ll be keeping in touch, considering you took care of my competitor back in Panthera,” Mr. Winkle sighed, finishing his cup of tea.

“Well, how could I turn down the opportunity to remove a potential threat to Cathy's plans? Besides, her blood was divine~” Miracle replied, licking the blood from her fangs.

“And I appreciate the work you do, Mira,” Catrina beamed at her, “The less rivals the better for when I make my move on Panthera… Be that as it may, I would appreciate you showing Mr. Winkle the courtesy he is owed.

“After all, without my mentor’s guidance,” Catrina used her tail to ever so lightly brush the tip of Winkle’s ears, riveting the tom, “my understanding of Abyssnian politics would be lacking. As for Midnight and Twilight, the former is mine to avenge myself upon, but I am open to discussing what we could do to the latter… anything to make my enemies suffer.”

But then Catrina coyly waved Miracle closer with a wag of her finger. When the countess did so, Catrina softly whispered into her ear, “But once he’s served his purpose, by all means… skin him ten times over.”

“Uh? Pardon me, I was distracted,” Winkle stuttered after eating another cake, “What was that?”

“Oh nothing, Mr. Winkle,” Catrina tittered as she and Miracle shared a look of bloodlust between them, “Just girl-talk.”

“Just a bit of gossip between ladies,” Miracle purred as a smirk adorned her lips. “And do be sure to share the details of your fun with that prince, I do enjoy hearing your stories about the victims you’ve left in your wake Cathy~

“Oh, dear, I’ve believe you should be heading back now, Mr. Winkle, it’s a quarter past seven and you did say you didn’t want them to notice you gone for too long, correct?” Miracle reminded, her gaze looking at the clock hanging on the wall.

“Quite so, quite so,” Mr. Winkle agreed, standing up while cleaning his mouth and whiskers with his embroidered handkerchief. He looked at Catrina, “Shall we away, my dear?”

“Yes, I’m running low on my medication anyway. Sunset!” Catrina called, and they looked to see Sunset standing nearby in the chamber, having been standing vigil opposite of another pony, who looked rather similar to Miracle. A mare with a pale ashy gray coat, a mane as white as snow. She wore a dark blue dress, adorned with blue glitter, the sides of the dress revealing her long thick legs. She had a cutie mark of a cup of sugar sprinkling like snow. If Sunset had to describe her in one sentence, she was hauntingly beautiful.

In normal circumstances, she’d have tried to make small talk with the mare, but the way she leered at her with those green slit eyes, they resembled pools of green emeralds, ready to devour her as they looked over every single inch of her body, every curve. A hunger that truly frightened the mare, even when she smiled at her and revealed her sharp fangs.

“Yes, Mistress?” Sunset held her poise as Catrina and Winkle came her way.

“We’re departing now, I trust you… made friends?” Catrian chuckled, knowing that was hardly what was going.

“...Very well, Mistress,” Sunset answered as she led the cats out of the manor.

Miracle followed them to the entryway, where she curtsied and said, “I do enjoy our little get-togethers, Cathy. I’ll be sure to send you the details on how we’ll deal with your little… princess problem in the future. If you ever need a hand, The House of Assassins is here to help you, my friend. With interest, of course~”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Mira,” Catrina said pleasantly.
“I won’t,” Winkle said with an unpleasant yet flat tone, enjoying the subtle look of irk it provoked in the vampiress as he followed Sunset out, followed by Catrina.

The pony who’d been standing in the chamber along with Sunset walked up beside Miracle, a frigid look on her face as they watched their guests leave.

“Shall I… end him, Mother?” the mare asked with a cold tone.

“Nono, my daughter… His time will come, but only when Lady Catrina makes the request,” Miracle replied, looking down at her daughter as she gave a malicious smile. “Did you enjoy having a nice chat with that adorable unicorn?”

“She didn’t want to speak to me… She kept staring at me, but she looked delicious… I almost wanted to bite into her and have a taste,” she commented, licking her lips as she recalled the curves on the light golden yellow unicorn. Oh how she wished she could have had the opportunity to seduce that mare and drink her blood.

“Now, now, Silent Gaze, my friend’s companions are not food,” Miracle snapped her daughter out of her daydream of the unicorn. “Besides, when the world falls to my friend’s claws, I’ll be sure to ask her for that Sunset Shimmer when the time is right, after all… she’s not fond of ponies.”

In the distance, after waiting before opening their mouths, Catrina asked her companions, “Well? What did you think of the lady?”

“Honestly, Catrina?” Winkle responded dryly, “I don’t know how you can stomach being around that tick…”

“I agree!” Sunset added, “The way that other pony looked at me…! Shudders …If I never see another vampire again, it’ll be too soon!”

“I know, they have… exotic tastes, but to be fair,” Catrina shrugged in an uncaring way, “Miracle is a powerful being and leads quite a cadre of dangerous individuals. We’d be fools not to establish mutual interests with them.

“Besides, Mira and I have shared an amicable relationship for years! Not to mention she holds no interest in power… a rather ironic quality for the leader of an organization of assassins, but at the very least it means she’s not against me.”

“But Catrina,” Sunset protested, “You can’t possibly think it’s a good idea to ally with… with them!”

“Have you ever heard the phrase ‘keep your friends close, your enemies closer’?” responded Catrina with a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

“Which one is she?” Winkle retorted with a rise of his brow.

Looking back to the manor, Catrina saw Miracle standing on her balcony, waving to her once she noticed Catrina had turned to look back. Catrina smiled and waved back as well, before saying, with dubious curiosity, “I haven’t decided yet…”

Then she waved her hand around, green and black magic conjuring in the form of flames that surrounded the three of them before they vanished in a burst of emerald flames that snuffed themselves out.

Author's Note

I dedicate this arc to Pen Dragon for all their help in the making of this arc, and the usage of his characters:

Watcher, Star N' Stripe, Malice, Nyra, Narbus, Charcoal, Nimbus, Blossom Guide, and Mother Miracle.

Atom Nucleus, Mr. Winkle, and Silent Gaze we created together

1. Prologue Part 1

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

A hand slammed down on the source of the obnoxious beeping, which had stirred the hand’s owner from a blessed slumber. Although the alarm was silenced, another irritation roused him as the sun glared through the blinds of his window, and unfortunately they were close enough to lighten up the inside of his eyelids.

He considered trying to ignore the sunlight and go back to sleep but the fog of sleepiness cleared enough for him to remember that if he didn’t get up after the alarm his sister would rouse him from bed with a method more unpleasant.

He groaned in irritation but forced himself up, blowing his long hair out of his face, feeling that annoying cling of static, and throwing his feet over the side of the bed. He stretched out his morning aches from his arms and shoulders while taking notice of his clock. It showing the time to be 8 am. A few short hours before he had to go to work.

He got started on getting through his morning rituals. Relieving himself in the bathroom, brushing his shaggy brown hair, washing his face, getting dressed.

“Wolven!”

“In here,” he call from the bathroom and in walked his sister, Jade. She gaped at him in a comical way, then cried, “It’s alive, it’s alive!”

Her laughing provoked a small smirk from Wolven as he shook his head. When she had her laugh, she asked, “I’ll get breakfast started, the usual?”

“Please,” her brother muttered as he carried on.

Several minutes later, they were sitting at the table where Jade had prepared their usual breakfast, scrambled eggs, buttered toast, microwaved bacon, and glass of good ol’ OJ.

As they eat, Jade said, “Good morning, by the way.”

“Uh-huh,” her brother replied, and she must not have liked his tone.

“Well pardon me for living,” she pouted but she knew her brother wouldn’t fall for it. “Look, T-”

“I told you before, don’t call me that,” he reminded her.

“Fine, Wolven,” she says, throwing up her hands. It wasn’t his actual name. T. G. Wolven was his pen-name, the one he planned to use once he became a published author.
“Look, I get it – You’re feeling like you’re in a slump, and I’m sorry you got turned down from the publisher. But ya gotta buck up, big brother!”

“I’m just so sick of it, Jade,” he growled. He honestly was! He hated his job, he’d been suffering writer’s block, his work got turned down. Life, for some reason, just hated him at the moment. He didn’t say so to her however. He didn’t want to worry her.
“I’m just wishing – Hoping! – for… something more.”

“I get it,” she said understandably, reaching over and giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t like my job either. It sucks having to deal with the customers like I do, so you should count yourself lucky in a way.”

“I polish silverware, Jade,” her brother remind her. “Every day, every shift, I polish silverware and distribute it to the stations.”

The both of them worked at a high-end restaurant where she was a hostess while he was a busser. But every day, he took up the job of polishing and distributing silverware because it was simple, it gave him an excuse to not have to deal with the customers, and because no one else wanted to do it. He still got paid the same as his fellow bussers, but every day he would watch the clock, agonizing for the shifts to be over. He appreciated how simple his role was, but it was just getting to the point where he felt like a machine! He could only imagine how much worse it would be if he was a full-timer.

The shifts they got would alternate. Sometimes it was morning shifts, sometime evening shifts. Both had their upsides and downsides. Morning shifts meant getting his lazy butt out of bed, slugging through morning rituals, eating a lousy breakfast, and then going. But then he would have the rest of the day and evening to goof off.

Evening shifts meant he got to sleep in and prepare at his own leisure. But then he’d be stuck there late into the night, and was often part of the wrap-up team for closing.

After breakfast, he went to his room to get into his work clothes, and just like the job he hated them too. Especially having to stuff his shirt into his pants and tie up with the apron.

No one can see that my shirt is untucked because of the apron so what’s the point?! He mentally raged as he tucked the shirt in, feeling the discomfort.

Even though was a morning shift, he also grabbed his sheathed throwing knives. There had been occasions when the evening shifts would end quicker but either Jade had to keep working or she wasn’t in at the time, forcing him to either hitch a ride with one of his coworkers or walk home. He always brought his knives because he’d rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them. He also made sure to have his keys, wallet, and cellphone before heading down but he also put his iPad mini into the interior pocket of his apron and his Bluetooth earpiece, putting it on his ear. Among his coping techniques with work was to listen to music, and his Bluetooth enabled him to listen to the music he’d bought and collected with iTunes.

Among his favorite songs were the ones from my Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a cartoon based on the old girly toy but revolutionized by the visionary, Lauren Faust! She worked on “Quest for Camelot, “Cat’s don’t Dance”, “The Powerpuff Girls”, and “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends”.

How she turned what had always been considered a cartoon and franchise that had always been directed at girls into something amazing, beloved and appreciated by fans of all ages and both genders, was well beyond him. He recalled how when he first heard of the show, he was like ‘it’s a fad, it’ll blow over’. How wrong he was.

He’d kept ignoring it for a while. But every day he would see or hear something of the show, partly because of his high school chum who kept submitting her own MLP fan art on DevArt. So, he caved and gave it a chance and watched the first episodes, and boy howdy was he glad he did!

After watching the beginning, he had to watch more. he found himself liking the art, the stories, characters, their development, the funny situations, and the honest lessons they learned at the end of each episode! So he started writing fan-fiction, or rather FIMfiction! He created his own ponies, as well as an OC he regarded as his Ponysona (Pony + Persona) – Midnight Blaze, a unicorn pony.

Midnight Blaze was everything he wanted to be, based mostly off of his favorite character on the show, Twilight Sparkle. Granted, each of the Mane Six had been an inspiration but Twilight was the one he felt he related to most of all. They were both intelligent, hard on themselves, both of them were (as Rainbow Dash would put it) eggheads because of how much they liked to read, and he honestly liked unicorns most out of the ponies in the show, because of their ability to actively use magic.

Magic, he thought to himself. Such a simple word yet entailed complexities of endless potential. Out of all genres, he loved Fantasy the most. It was why he was a writer, why he wanted to be an author and write children’s books, because there was nothing quite so special as to see his imagination come to life in the pages of a book.

But recently, his manuscript for a fantasy story he wrote got turned down from a publishing company. They said they were sorry, said he’d obviously put a lot of work into it, but they said they had to be extremely selective of the books they considered to publish and for reasons he could not imagine they decided his story couldn’t make the cut.

So yeah, it put a damper on his passion.

Work went by as it usually did, slow, boring, irritating, kept bearable only because he could listen to his music without disturbing his coworkers, and occasionally he would steal into the employees’ restroom to read a little now and then. Besides watching the show and its songs, he loved to read others FIMfics, and marvel at others’ imaginations of the show. Among his favorites were the ones about humans ending up in Equestria (the land where the show takes place) and often being turned into ponies themselves!

He couldn’t help but feel an envious longing for that to be him.
If I could become a pony in Equestria, he mused, go on adventures, hang out with all my favorite characters...!

But reality was a cruel and mocking reminder of the life he was stuck in. Of course, he had plenty in life to be thankful for and happy about, he loved his family an’ all… but it was an honest truth of what he felt. If someone came up to him and gave him the honest and genuine way to Equestria and become a pony, he’d take it without a second thought!

“Wolven!”

He yelped as Jade snapped at him and he realized it was time to go. As they got into the car, she was saying, “Wolven, I know things aren’t going well lately, but ya just gotta stay positive! Before you know it, things’ll be looking up.”

He just sighed and grumped, “Let’s just go home.”

He didn’t like being mister grumpy-pants but he just wanted to get home and relax his aching fingers. Jade took the wheel and pulled them out into the busy street. She kept a sharp vigilance once they came to the first intersection, the red lights causing them to come to a still. He checked his pad to look for a song they might play when the green light flashed.

Then everything went wrong.

As they started to pull towards the left, they came to an abrupt stop, seeing a man and woman attempting to cross the street. However, their sudden stop clearly surprised the guy behind them as they felt him total the back of their car. You'd think they might have gotten out to snap at him but fate didn’t give them the chance. As he started to undo his seatbelt, he heard Jade shout, “Wolven!”

he looked at her and saw she was looking out his window with a look of horror. He turned to see a semi-truck barreling their way. A coldness grasped his heart like a vice as he looked back to Jade.

And the horror on her face was the last thing he saw before everything went black.

The first thing he experienced was a sound. A bird singing, if he wasn’t mistaken. Then he felt warm, the kind of warmth from a nice sunny day. He opened his eyes and realized he was lying on his back, staring up at the sky.
Wait, I’m alive?

He breathed in, and felt his lungs inflating with a nice breeze that smelled of flowers, and breathed out.
Okay, so if I’m alive, how did I wind up… wherever I am?

The last thing he recalled was being in the car, going home with his sister, Jade.

Jade!

He remembered she was in the car too, just before they were hit by that truck, and he sat up, instantly feeling a little lightheaded, and reached up to rub his head. But instead of his fingers, he felt something hard on his forehead, and at the same time he could feel that something bump onto something above his forehead!

He opened his eyes again and look at his hands. Except they were not hands. They were hooves! Black hooves, at the end of his arms, which were covered with blue fur. He looked down at his body and saw that he was covered in fur. His feet had been replaced with hooves as well, and he bolted up to stand, only to stumble and fall flat on his face!
Okay… slow and steady

Groaning, he repeated the process a little slowly this time and he realized he was standing on all fours. He reached up and touched his face, which was now a muzzle.
“No way…” he muttered as he thought of something.

He looked around and found himself in a field of flowers. The distant babble of a brook nearby caught his attention.
“Is it possible?”

He slowly made his way over, being careful not to trip over his hooves again, before he looked into the water.

What he saw looking back at him was not a human – it was a pony!

It’s me! he realized. But then he recognized the pony that is his reflection.
It’s my ponysona… I’ve become my ponysona, I’ve become Midnight Blaze!

The same mane, black with dark blue highlights, the same tail with dark blue streaks on either side, he could see he had a horn so he was certainly a unicorn, and his eyes were turquoise blue. But then he realized there was just one thing wrong here.
I don’t have a cutie-mark! He thought as he peered over and saw for himself that he really was a blank flank!

He recalled the cutie-mark he made for his ponysona, a crescent moon on its back facing upwards, with a five-point star in the crux of the crescent, surrounded by five white twinkles. Yet, for some reason he could not for the life of him figure out, he'd become a pony without a cutie-mark!

He recalled the stuff he’d learned about cutie-marks from the show as he puzzled, Let’s see… Every young filly and colt must learn for themselves exactly what their talent is, and what it is that makes them special. Only when they find that revelation about themselves, whether they know it or not, do they earn their cutie-marks which glorify their flanks. Until then, their flanks are blank.

Sighing, he sat his rump down as he look around some more. Whatever doubts he had were dashed when he saw a distant mountain upon which sat what could only be Canterlot.
“I really am in Equestria!” he smiled but then looked around. “But that doesn’t answer exactly where I am right now.”

He looked the way opposite Canterlot and saw a nearby dirt road. He ambled over, managing to adequately walk on all four hooves, as he looked down the road, and saw it bordered a dense and dark forest.
“I wonder if this could be the infamous Everfree Forest. If it is, then perhaps this road leads to the exact place I wanna be right now.”

Moving on four legs and hooves turned out to be a wobbly and trippy endeavor. But after falling on his face or butt only seven or eight times he somewhat managed to get the hang of it. He’d been walking – or is it trotting? – for a few minutes when he saw something ahead. It looked like a cart with a big pie on a spring on top of it? Curious, he stepped up his pace to get a better look, and he could hear steps ahead of him. Someone was pulling this cart!

He was just behind it when it came to a stop, causing him to skid to a halt. He peered around and was met with a pair of green eyes.
“BWA!” he stumble back, hearing a similar ‘bwa’, and fell on his rump.

He looked and could only gasp!

It was a big red earth pony, with a short ginger mane and tail, a green apple sliced in half taking up his flank, and a workhorse collar around his neck, and he realized he was looking at one of his most favorite characters from the show.
“Big Macintosh…!” he whispered.

The farmer stood up, dusting himself off, and gave me a look.
“Have we met?”

He realized Big Macintosh must’ve heard him, and quickly brainstormed.
“Uh! Uh…No, but…”

I don’t know what to say! He recalled Big Mac being an excellent judge of character, and he honestly didn’t wanna lie to him.
But I have to tell him something without sounding crazy! …Or like some demented stalker.

“I’ve… heard of you, yeah!” He answered, “Sweet Apple Acres and the farmers who run it? You produce the best apples anywhere!”

Big Mac gave this blue stranger a small smile and held out his hoof. Seeing he was being helpful, the blue unicorn grasped his hoof in his and was effortlessly hauled to his feet. The farmer was definitely stronger than he looked, and he looked plenty strong.
“Well then, ya know me, what’s yer name?”

“Uh…” he stalled, pondering. Should I tell him my real name? Or… should I become my ponysona in body as well as name?

He considered but concluded his name didn’t sound like a pony name, and so said, “Midnight Blaze, pleased to meet you.”

Big Macintosh jerked his head in a way that said ‘follow me’ and he started pulling his cart as Midnight walked alongside him.
“So, where ya from?”

This is gonna be harder than I thought. So Midnight was forced to use the one thing that guaranteed a clean slate.
“Well, you see… I don’t know.”

His brow rose in curiosity, and Midnight continued.

“See, it’s strange… Did you pass by a field of flowers and a small brook earlier?”

“Eeyup,” his iconic phrase he was so well-known for. Hearing it in person – or is it in pony? – was amazing but he contained myself.

“Well, I woke up in the field of flowers,” Midnight was making this up as he went along but continued to explain, “and… besides a few things, I have no idea who I am or where I come from.”

“Ya get bonked on th’ head lately or sumpin’?”

“Now that you mention it,” Midnight made a show of rubbing his head, feeling no bumps, “no… I mean, I felt a little light-headed when I woke up but… All I remember is, my name, somehow I know yours, and I also remember a place called Ponyville and your home, Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Hmm,” he chewed on a piece of wheat he has in his mouth (which he didn’t have earlier) and said, “Maybe ya got a spell put on ya? But wha’ really has mah attention, is yer lack of a cutie-mark?”

Midnight looked at his flank and felt his ears droop.
“I don’t know! I woke up and… nothing. I don’t even remember what it was!”

“Well, why don’cha come wit’ me an’ we’ll see wha’ we can do fer ya,” Big Mac offered with a friendly smile.

“Well, that’s very kind of you, Big Macintosh,” Midnight replied, yet for some reason he feel hesitant. “But I don’t wanna be a bother.”

“Nnope,” he asserted with a smirk. “Yee stickin’ wit' me like candy on an’ apple. Ah’ll be glad ta’ help y’out, Midnight.”

Midnight smiled gratefully, and said, “Okay, thanks. So where’re we headed?”

“Well, Ah jus’ made an apple pie-delivery,” he explained, “so Ah’m headed home ta’ Ponyville. Fact, wer’ almost there. Jus’ over this next rise.”

Midnight looked ahead and saw they were ascending a hill. He couldn’t help but feel his heart begins to pump in excitement! In no time at all, they reached the top and he gasped as he take it all in!
“Welcome ta’ Ponyville,” Big Mac declared.

Author's Note

I was originally gonna do this in 1rst person but realized how limiting that would be. So it will be 3rd person

15. Sibling Revelry

Midnight was on his way to the library for another magic lesson when he noticed a few ponies gathering in front of a notice-board. Going over, he asked, “What’s going on?”

“Check it out,” a unicorn mare pointed out a flyer that read ‘Sibling Revelry – Come and be a big brother or sister to little ponies who don’t have them, down at the Ponyville Orphanage.’

“I didn’t even know Ponyville had an orphanage,” Midnight muttered.

“Yeah but it’s not all bad,” said the unicorn. “The little ponies are taken care of and given to good homes and families! Y’know, I’ve always wanted to be a big sister!”

Hearing the mare’s words, Midnight remembered his own sister, and realized how much he was missing her in that moment.
Maybe I should consider this.

At his lesson, Midnight was listening to a lecture from Twilight but his heart wasn’t in it.
I guess those sorts of feelings, being a big brother, never go away.

“Ow!”

He was snapped out of his musing by something hitting against his head, and realized Twilight had launched another piece of chalk at him.
“Now do I have your attention?”

“Sorry, Twilight,” Midnight said with a sigh. “I’m… just feeling a little…”

“Are you sick?” Twilight was suddenly concerned and went over, putting a hoof on her student’s forehead.

“No,” Midnight replied. “I’ve just… Twilight, have you heard of the Sibling Revelry?”

“It’s a program at the Ponyville Orphanage where volunteers go to act as big brothers or sisters to the little ponies there, why do you ask?” Twilight had a good idea.

“Well… It’s just, as soon as I saw that flyer, I suddenly realized…. I’ve been missing my sister for a while.”

“Midnight, do you wanna be a volunteer big brother?”

Midnight looked at her, not sure what to say.
“I’m not sure! I mean, I kinda like the idea… but I’m uncertain whether or not I should.”

“Midnight, have I ever told you that you actually remind me of somepony?” Twilight asked with a smile.

“Whoozat?” Midnight asked absent-mindedly.

“You remind me of my own big brother!” she said with a giggle. “In some ways, you’re a lot like him, you even look like him a little.”

“So what’s your point?” Midnight asked, secretly honored by Twilight’s compliment.

“Midnight, maybe you’re just having a moment in your life where you need to have somepony special, somepony to look after. Like how you used to look after your own sister. I say you should go for it!”

Twilight’s compliment and encouragement was all Midnight needed to hear.
“Okay, Twilight! I’m off!”

But he paused in the threshold and said, "Oh, and Twilight? Thanks."

"For what?" she asked.

"For the comparison," he replied, "I'm honored."

Twilight smiled as she watched her student trot off with a goal.

Finding the Ponyville Orphanage was no big deal. From outside, it looked like a cozy three-story home, well-kept, there was a playground out back, and a nice garden with a pond. Outside, he could see several little fillies and colts playing all sorts of things. In front, he saw several older ponies all lined up in front of a table set up, where a middle-aged earth pony mare was sitting. She had a sandy beige coat, a honey-colored mane pulled back, and her cutie-mark was a tray of cookies.

Midnight took his place in line and waited till his turn.
“Hello, I am Tender Loving Care, call me TLC for short. I’m the matron of this orphanage, are you here to volunteer as a big brother?”

“I am,” Midnight nodded.

“Well, let’s see,” TLC looked at a list. “Hmm, I think… We’ll pair you up with Twinken.”

That name blew Midnight away.
Twinken?! That’s my character’s actual little brother!

He regained his composure, and inquired, “Twinken, you say?”

“Yes, he’s a little unicorn colt, can be kind of a hooful,” TLC explained. “I think having a big brother-figure will do wonders for him. What do you say?”

Midnight wasn’t sure. TLC had described Twinken to be very familiar with his own original version of the character, but could it really be…? He was afraid to find out and yet he so wanted to.
“Okay, lemme at him!”

TLC gave Midnight Twinken’s room number, 5, and found it no problem. Inside he saw the room was share between three colts but only two were present.
“Um, excuse me?” Midnight addressed them. “I’m looking for a colt named Twinken?”

“He’s outside,” one of the colt’s said, “He’s a unicorn with a light indigo coat, blue mane, and red eyes, he doesn’t have a cutie-mark so you know.”

Midnight thanked them and headed outside, almost completely certain this was the Twinken he knew, aside from certain details.

In the playground, he saw all the foals playing, some with the ponies who were volunteer big brothers or sisters.
Light indigo coat, blue mane, with red eyes and no cutie-mark… Midnight thought, scanning the foals.

There were earth pony foals, pegasus foals, unicorn foals, colts and fillies, a few had their cutie-marks but the majority of them didn’t.
I suppose it’s hard to find your special talent when you don’t really have a family

“Hey Twinken! Come play with us!”

Hearing that name, Midnight looked in the direction it came from but out of the corner of his eye, he saw a colt run towards that direction.
It’s him!

He was exactly as Midnight had envisioned, a little unicorn colt about Apple Bloom’s age, his coat was light indigo and his mane and tail were both a brandeis blue while his eyes were a bright and happy scarlet. He was definitely a unicorn and his flank was blank of a cutie-mark he had yet to earn.

He watched as Twinken started kicking a ball back n’ forth between some other foals and he found himself at a loss, unsure what to do.
Whaddoo I do? Do I just walk up and say ‘I’m your new big brother’- No, that’s stupid…

Midnight realized he hadn’t exactly thought this through. In his mind, he’d been expecting TLC to personally introduce him to Twinken but she was understandably busy.

“Look out, mister!”

“Huh?” Midnight looked up and found himself getting bopped in the face by a ball, causing him to tumble over onto his back. Some bystanders laughed a little while he groaned, clutching his aching face.

“Are you okay?”

Midnight lowered his hooves and saw a pair of red eyes looking at him in concern.
“Uh… fine. Say, are you Twinken?”

“Yep!” Twinken hopped back as Midnight sat up on his rump, rubbing his face. “Sorry about that, didn’t mean to use your face for a goal. My friends and I were just playing soccer.”

“Well, it’s okay,” Midnight waved it off. “Um, Twinken? Are you aware of the Sibling Revelry?”

All of a sudden, Twinken gasped excitably, asking, “Are you here to be my big brother?”

Seeing the little colt looking happy made Midnight smile, “Yes, I am! My name is Midnight Blaze.”

“That’s a cool name, wanna play soccer with us?” Twinken asked, the ball in front of him, his hindquarters raised behind him.

“Actually, I was wondering if you’d like to take a trip to Sugarcube Corner,” Midnight offered but started acting sly, “but… if you don’t want to…”

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Twinken had fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker, as he pulled on Midnight’s foreleg.

At Sugarcube Corner, Midnight offered, “Order whatever you want from the menu, Twinken.”

Twinken marveled at the menu, reading all the delicious treats, smelling them too, as the aroma of baked goods and fragrance of ice creams flowed from over the counter.
“Ooh, it all looks so good! Um… I don’t know, you pick!”

“Okay,” Midnight chuckled, and browsed. “Hmm, how about those cinnamon rolls, they look good!”

“With cream, right?” Twinken asked.

“Sure thing,” Midnight promised as he rang the bell, and Pinkie popped up, making Twinken yelp.

“Hi! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, where life is always sweet! Oh Midnight, happy to see you here, who’s your friend?”

“Hey Pinkie, this is Twinken,” Midnight lowered his rump, gesturing for Twinken to get on. Twinken hopped onto Midnight’s back, as Midnight stood up and explained, “I volunteered at the Sibling Revelry to be his big brother.”

“Oh, you’re so nice, Midnight! What can I get’cha, on the house!”

“Oh Pinkie, y’don’t have to do that,” Midnight assured but felt Twinken pull a bit on his mane.

“Free sweets, Midnight!”

“Okay, okay,” Midnight caved with a chuckle at how Twinken protested.

After ordering, the two sat at a table where they began to talk.
“Midnight, how come you don’t have a cutie-mark?”

Midnight looked at his blank flank and shrugged.
“Guess I haven’t found what my special talent is yet.”

“But don’cha want it? I can’t wait to get mine!” Twinken squirmed in his seat.

“Everything comes in its time, Twinken,” Midnight had only known the little colt for an hour and already he was feeling so fond of him, as he ruffled Twinken’s mane.
“Besides, I’m in no hurry! Good things come to those who wait.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Twinken had obviously heard that before. “So whaddya do? Like, what’s your job?”

“Well, I work over at Sweet Apple Acres,” Midnight explained, “live there too. I’m also a student in magic.”

“Oh, I would love to learn magic!” Twinken looked absolutely giddy at the thought. “I heard about a pony named Trixie who was in Ponyville not too long ago, I heard she was really good!”

“She was a show-off,” Midnight corrected, “Don’t get me wrong, she was good at magic, but she was tootin’ her own horn rather loudly, if you know what I mean.”

“Order up!”

They looked to see it wasn’t theirs. Carrot Cake had actually served a couple milkshakes to some nearby foals, both looked very familiar as the earth pony colt said the unicorn filly next to him, “Milkshake race! 1-2-3-go!”

The colt was brown, with amber eyes, his mane two shades of lighter browns, and he wore a little red n’ white beanie with a perpetually spinning green propeller. He slurped his chocolate milkshake a little too fast and started screaming, clutching his head.
“Augh! AAAAUUGGHHHHH!”

He fell over, the filly giving him a look before getting into her own shake. Midnight immediately recognized her, a little alabaster-coated filly with light purple and pink mane and tail, her eyes green. He’d met her once before, when Rarity introduced her as her little sister, Sweetie Belle.

“Not very smart to drink so much of that stuff at once,” Twinken winced as the colt continued to scream.

“Oh, hey a bit!”

Midnight and Twinken both chuckled.

Finishing their snack, they stepped out, Twinken licking the cream off his lips as he said, “Thanks for the snack, big brother!”

Just hearing that made Midnight happy, especially as the little colt smiled up at him.
“Well then, Twinken, whattya wanna do now?”

“Can we go to the park? The playground back at the orphanage is nice an’ all but the park is so much more open!”

But when they got there, they noticed a lot of ponies were busy clearing away loose branches. Midnight also noticed it was getting dark early on what had begun as a sunny day. Looking up he noticed the pegasi were building up a big raincloud which was covering more and more of the sky.
“Keep it up!”

He looked another direction and saw, “Thunderlane!”

The dark gray pegasus with a silvery-blue mohawk flew down, saying, “Yo Night! What’s up?”

“Those clouds for one thing,” Midnight commented, “What’s going on?”

Thunderlane sighed as he said, “Dash forgot to add a drizzle we were supposed to schedule last week so we have to have a rainstorm this week to make up for it. You and the little guy should get indoors soon, don’t wanna be caught in this downpour.”

“Huh…” Midnight considered, he was too far from Sweet Apple Acres and the orphanage, and he was expected to bring Twinken back soon.
“Do you have any suggestions? The farm’s kinda far, and…”

“How `bout you crash with me tonight?” Thunderlane offered. “Rumble and I were gonna have some bro-time tonight, but you’re welcome to join us!”

Thunderlane’s eyes brightened up and he suggested, “We’ll make it a sleepover!”

“Oh can we, Midnight?! Please, please, can we?” Twinken begged hopefully.

“Well, I’m kinda supposed to take you back,” Midnight reminded him, Twinken’s ears drooping sadly. Oh what the hay?
“But… I could say the rainstorm got in the way… Okay, Thunder! A sleepover it is!”

“Awesome!” Thunderlane and Twinken cheered.

After getting the directions, Midnight and Twinken found Thunderlane’s house. It was a two-story house with an added third story made of cloud.
“This is the place,” Midnight declared.

They knocked on the door, and it was answered by a little gray pegasus colt with a swept-back jet-black mane, and purple eyes, and he also lacked a cutie-mark.
“Oh hey Midnight, what brings you by?”

“Hey there, Rumble,” Midnight greeted, “This is Twinken. Your brother offered to let us stay over tonight because of tonight’s rainstorm, he suggested we make a sleepover out of it.”

“Oh cool, come on in!” Rumble cleared the way and they both walked in. “I’m kinda glad you’re here, I was almost afraid Thunder had sent Cloudchaser or Flitter to baby-sit me again.”

“What?!” Midnight got all dramatic. “Your brother pays two mares to actually sit on babies?!”

Rumble and Twinken both laughed at his little joke, when the door opened and in trotted Thunderlane, shaking himself dry as the rain outside had begun to pour.
“Oh good, glad to see you found the place!”

Thunderlane led everypony into a comfortable living room, with a couch, coffee table, armchair, a lamp, and (to Midnight’s surprise) a television.
“I didn’t know you guys had TV!”

“Oh that? Doubt we’re gonna get any channels with this weather,” Thunderlane dismissed it as he went into the kitchen.

“You guys get comfortable,” Rumble suggested, “me and Thunder are gonna get things ready!”

Midnight plopped his rear onto the sofa, Twinken hopping up to sit next to him. In no time at all, Thunderlane came in with soda and snacks while Rumble dragged down a couple sleeping bags and blankets. They moved the coffee table out of the way and set things up.

“So what should we do first?” Rumble asked.

“PILLOW FIGHT!” Twinken screamed all of a sudden and war instantly erupted.

Midnight and Twinken hid behind the sofa while Thunderlane and Rumble used the coffee table for cover. Pillows flew through the air, hitting somepony occasionally but for the most part missing.

Thunderlane threw two which Midnight caught in his aura and launched them back at the weather pony.
“DUCK N' COVER!” he screamed as he dove behind the armchair.

“Fire in the hole!” Twinken threw a pillow from behind the couch. It fell right in front of the coffee table, landing in an explosion of feather.

From the feathery fray, Rumble leapt up, spinning as he threw another pillow aimed for Midnight.
“NOOOO…!!!” Twinken dove to shield Midnight from the fluffy projectile, and got creamed.

“Twinken!” Midnight got dramatic, as did Twinkn, the situation slowing as Midnight held the little colt up.

“Hold me, Midnight… It’s getting dark!” Twinken coughed.

Midnight smirked and dropped the little drama-queen, making him yelp in surprise, much to Thunderlane and Rumble’s amusement, as they both broke out in laughter.

“I think that’s enough,” Midnight suggested, “what’s to eat?”

Thunderlane showed off the doughnuts and pizza he’d brought out, and Midnight poured everypony a glass of soda. As they all ate, Midnight said, “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed pizza!”

“Food of the gods,” Thunderlane agreed as he munched a slice.

“We don’t get pizza often over at the orphanage,” Twinken was savoring every bite.

“How come you live in the orphanage, Twinken?” Rumble asked, earning him the stink-eye from both of the older ponies.
“What?!”

“It’s okay,” Twinken shrugged it off. “I don’t mind the question. To be honest, I’ve lived there my whole life. TLC said I was left on the doorstep when I was still a baby.”

“So you don’t even know your mother or father,” Midnight gathered.

“I try not to let it bother me,” Twinken said though there was a sadness in his eyes. “TLC always says maybe my folks couldn’t take care of me and had to give me up. But every once in a while, somepony teases me, saying my parents didn’t want me.”

Midnight went over and hugged the little colt, promising, “The next time anypony says that to you, come to me and I’ll rough `em up!”

Twinken laughed and hugged him back, Thunderlane and Rumble both smiling.

After a few more games, it was time for bed. Midnight put Twinken to bed on the armchair and tucked him in.
“Thanks for today, Midnight,” Twinken yawned before drifting off to his dreams.

“Thanks for being my little brother,” Midnight whispered, kissing the little colt on the forehead before going into the next room.

He set up a parchment and quill he’d gotten from Thunderlane and wrote a letter.

‘Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned a little something about friendship and brotherhood. This morning, I was feeling a little sad because I was missing my little sister from my old life, when I came upon a flyer for the Sibling Revelry! With Twilight’s encouragement, I became a volunteer big brother and was assigned to a little colt named Twinken. Today we snacked at Sugarcube Corner and had a sleepover with my friend Thunderlane and his little brother Rumble. Twinken told me he was left on the orphanage doorstep and I’ve promised to look after him.

I’ve learned that friends can also be like your brothers or sisters, because that’s what they’re for! Everypony needs someone to look after them, and in a way Twinken will look after me as well.

Your loyal subject,
Midnight Blaze’

In the morning, Midnight awoke to the sun streaming between the drapes. With a yawn, he carefully got up, making sure not to disturb the others, and looked outside. The rainstorm had given Ponyville a good drenching but now the sun shined, refracting through the lingering vapor to make a colorful day.

Looking at his friends, he smiled and went into the kitchen.

Twinken heard something and woke up to the smell of pancakes and eggs. So did Thunderlane and Rumble, and they all went into the kitchen and were surprised!
“Midnight! You prepared this whole spread?” Thunderlane asked.

On the table were four settings, centered by a heap of pancakes, a bowl of scrambled eggs, there was syrup, and a pitcher of orange juice. Midnight was busy at the moment frying some hay-bacon.

“Hope you’re all hungry!” he said with a smile.

The growling gurgles coming from their stomachs answered that question, and they laughed as they sat down together.

Before long, it was time to go.
“Thanks for the sleepover, Thunder, it was great.” Midnight stepped out, with Twinken on his back.

“We’ll have to do it again sometime,” Thunderlane agreed, Rumble adding, “Real soon!”

“Can’t wait,” Twinken said as he waved bye.

As they walked through Ponyville, ponies were stepping out, and starting to clean up the mess caused by last night’s storm. Twinken got all quiet.
“You okay, Twink?” Midnight asked as he carried on.

“Well… I don’t wanna go back to the orphanage,” Twinken said sadly. “I wanna go with you!”

Midnight wanted so much to say yes and bring Twinken home with him, but that wouldn’t be right.
“Twink, I’ll come by again to visit real soon, and we’ll have more fun then.”

“Promise?” Twinken asked hopefully.

“I promise,” Midnight confirmed, and Twinken hopped down to hug the older unicorn, a hug Midnight was all-too happy to return… at least until he gave the little colt a noogie, making them both laugh.

After taking Twinken back to the orphanage, Midnight went to see Twilight at the library, when he got there, he saw Applejack and Rarity step out.
“See you later, darling!”
“We’ll do this again! …Jus' not too soon.”

“What’s up?” Midnight asked as he approached.

The farmer and fashionista looked at each other and shared a private giggle, Midnight looking at them with a confused brow raised.

Author's Note

It just didn't seem appropriate to put Midnight, Thunder, or Mac in the middle of Twilight's first slumber party or Rarity & Applejack's argument. Plus, I wanted to introduce Twinken who is Midnight's little brother from my other stories, but in this case he's an orphan Midnight takes under his metaphorical wing, so expect to see Twinken in future chapters.

This chapter is an example of what some will be like, taking place during episodes that focus for the most part on certain characters from the show or some other reason, while the events of the episodes will be mentioned or alluded to.

I almost put Scootaloo in this as another orphan but didn't because there's no concrete proof of whether or not she is

The artwork is yet another fine commission courtesy of Hoodwink!

18. Swarm of the Century - Part 1

“Phew!”

Midnight wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling the sun on his back warm up his tired muscles. He and Big Mac were busy collecting apples, as Princess Celestia was coming to visit Ponyville tomorrow, and of course, Twilight was turning a molehill into a mountain.

“I really wish Twilight would mellow out, Mac,” Midnight said as he placed a basket off apples into a wagon they had set up.
“The princess is only coming for a casual visit, but – silly us! – there’s nothing ‘casual’ about a visit from royalty.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed as he sauntered over with another basket.

“I swear, one of these days that neurosis of hers is gonna cause a whole heap of trouble,” Midnight took the basket and heaved it in.

He could just as easily have done so with his telekinesis, but Midnight felt that backbreaking labor was more meaningful when you were actually breaking your back laboring, per se. Not to mention it was a good workout. Secretly, Macintosh was proud of his friend for not using his magic. It told the farmer that the new resident of Sweet Apple Acres was a hard-worker.
“Want me t’ pull it?”

“No I’ve got this,” Midnight harnessed himself up and took a deep breath before pulling, and sure enough, the wagon was following.
“So, what do you think we’ll do with this haul here?”

“Twilight’ll prob’ly have it made int’ pies an’ such,” Big Mac replied as he walked alongside the blue unicorn.
“She said th’ princess actually has a sweet tooth.”

“Well, she’ll certainly appreciate some homemade goods made by the Apple Family,” Midnight said with a smile.
“Say Mac, I never took the time to ask you, but are you interested in going to the Galloping Gala? You know, the princess sent tickets to you, me, Spike, and Thunderlane.”

“Ah’ll go, if only t’ make sure AJ don’t cause trouble,” Big Mac responded. “But Ah’m kinda unsure `bout meetin’ with all them high n’ mighty nobles an’ th’ like.”

“Hmph, nothing ‘noble’ about them at all,” Midnight contradicted, “Nobility is earned or proven, Mac, not bought or inherited. There’s no such thing as noble blood, but there is noble spirit, something you’ve got in spades, my friend.”

Big Mac smiled appreciatively, when Midnight asked, “And I’ll have something to say if any of those hoity-toity snobs get on my case.”

“Sumpin’ like this?” Mac asked and he lifted his tail, farting so loud he might as well have been a foghorn.

“Mac!” Midnight scolded but couldn’t help cracking up, and the two stallions had a good laugh. “What exactly did you have to eat this morning?”

“Why d’ ya ask?”

“Cuz you gotta teach me how to do that,” Midnight said with a crude smirk.

And the two laughed again, a feeling a mutual brotherhood.

Later on, Midnight was pulling the wagon through town, taking some of the apples he and Big Mac had collected to Sugarcube Corner for Mr. & Mrs. Cake to turn into treats, when he noticed Fluttershy hurry in through the door.
Now what’s got that filly in a hurry?

He parked the wagon by the side of the building and went in, hearing Twilight say, “They’re amazing! What are they?”

“What are what?” Midnight asked and he saw the answer in the form of three little puffballs with big green eyes and fluttering wings like dragonflies.
“I’m not sure,” Fluttershy said as the little creatures flittered overhead, “I’m also not sure where these other two came from.”

“I’ll take one off your hooves,” Twilight offered, holding one of them, “I’ve never seen anything so adorable!”

“Adorable my hoof!”

They looked to see Midnight glaring at one of the creatures.
“These things have got to go!”

“Midnight! What’s gotten into you?” Twilight scolded.

“These are parasprites,” Midnight informed them, “and unless we act quickly, we’re in for some big trouble.”

“Exactly!”

They looked to see Pinkie bounce over to Midnight, saying, “Come on Midnight, we’re gonna need a trombone!”

As the two stepped out, Fluttershy said, “I wonder how they could not like something so adorable.”

“Oh never mind them,” Twilight sighed, “they’ll come around.”

As they walked away, Pinkie asked, “So where’d you learn about parasprites, Midnight?”

Midnight almost froze, realizing Not again! Gotta think…

“I, uh… was reading a book at my last magic lesson and…” Midnight was making this up as he went along.
“It mentioned that parasprites are a breed of pestilence native to the Everfree Forest.”

“That’s where Fluttershy found `em,” Pinkie confirmed, “and we have to hurry before they take over the town! Now, I have some of what we’ll need at Sugarcube Corner, but there’s still some stuff we’re gonna have to collect.”

Midnight only vaguely remembered what was supposed to happen, but he kept having trouble remembering that the story had already changed and it wasn’t gonna go exactly as he knew it went.
“So… we need a trombone for…?”

“To get rid of the parasprites, silly!” she replied with a giggle.

“Of course,” Midnight muttered and just decided to go along with it. But then Pinkie was holding a list in front of him.

“This’ll be quicker if we split up to find all the stuff we’ll need,” she said. “I don’t know if we’ll get all we need in time so let’s meet up tomorrow before noon.”

Midnight took the list in his aura and read it over.
“Uh… Pinkie? I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find… a pair of maracas, a piccolo, a…”

“Just do your best,” Pinkie told him, “we’ll meet at Sugarcube Corner tomorrow.”

And with that, she bounced off. Midnight sighed.
At least there’s only six instruments.

By the time the sun was going down, Midnight had only found half of the instruments. He’d borrowed the maracas from a travelling mariachi band, had to buy some bongos from a street-performer, and the farm already had a triangle. He’d stopped by the local music store but as luck would’ve had it, the owner had closed shop till further notice.

He sat at the desk in his room, gazing out the window, watching the sunlight slowly vanish over the treetops of the orchard, feeling conflicted.
Maybe I should’ve just told Twilight about the parasprites, but if I don’t let this play out she won’t learn the lesson that’s supposed to be learned! Not to mention the mess those pests are gonna leave for us to clean up once they’re dealt with…

Lately, Midnight had been growing more anxious about events recent and upcoming. On one hoof, his very presence had already changed Equestria by providing another Element of Harmony, along with the additions of the three tests he, Big Mac, and Thunderlane had overcome.

While the story hadn’t gone exactly as it originally went, the lessons had been learned because he’d subtly made sure things would turn out more or less than they should. But did he have the right to do that? Should he just provide the answers and allow corners to be cut? No, Twilight’s objective was to study and learn the Magic of Friendship and if he provided all the answers, the lessons wouldn't be appreciated.

But it didn't help assuage the nagging guilt he felt. Here, he had the answers to almost everything and he was just letting the chaos unfold! All the while he pulled the strings just enough for the lessons to be learned, and it made him feel bad, like he was manipulating his friends’ lives.

As the sun all but vanished, he thought back to his talk with Princess Celestia, how he’d promised her he’d never reveal his knowledge of the future. Had he understood the full ramifications of that promise, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve said to her. Thinking back, with the Princess of the Sun on his mind, he wondered, What would you do?

Author's Note

Midnight's problems are becoming clear, don't you think? He has all the answers but he feels he needs to keep his mouth shut for the lessons to be learned and he's indirectly making sure they are. But it's making him feel guilty, I know it would make me feel so.

It begs the question, what's he supposed to do?

23. Fall Weather Friends - Part 2

The next day, the whole town had turned out for the Running of the Leaves, as dozens of ponies were already taking their places at the starting line. As they all got ready, somepony was yelling, “Pardon me, excuse me!”

Bearing the number, eleven, Rainbow Dash walked through, her nose in the air as she boasted, “Make way for the Iron Pony!”

“The Iron Phony, y’mean!”

Rainbow looked to see Applejack giving her the stink-eye, her number being eight.

“So Applejack! You ready to win… 2nd Place?” Rainbow smirked as she fluttered in place.

“Ah’m ready t’ run a good clean race,” Applejack corrected her, “And Ah don’ think Ah need t’ remind you, you are not t’ use yer wings!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow scoffed as she alighted to the ground, “I could win this race with both wings tied behind my back!”

Had Rainbow Dash not been feeling so braggy, she might have noticed the look on Applejack’s face, for not a minute later, she found herself being mare-handled as the farmpony tied a rope good n’ tight around Rainbow’s barrel, making doubly sure her wings were tied down too.
“Trussed up like a turkey,” Applejack confirmed, “Well, a turkey who cain’t fly, that is!”

“And turkeys can’t fly at all,” said a voice and the two rivals looked to their right and saw…

“Twilight n’ Midnight?!” Applejack and Rainbow gaped to see both their unicorn friends standing next to them at the starting line, Twilight baring the number forty-two, Midnight twenty-five.
“Wha’ in tarnation are y’all doing up here?”

“We’re racing,” Twilight responded with a smile, provoking a derisive laugh from Rainbow Dash.

“Good one, Twilight!”

“She isn’t joking,” Midnight deadpanned.

“What?! But… Well, Midnight, you I can take seriously, but Twilight?!” Rainbow said, “You’re not an athlete, you’re a… Well, you’re a egghead!”

“I am not an ‘egghead’, I am well-read,” Twilight scoffed, Midnight rolling his eyes at all the banter.

“Egghead!” Rainbow whispered to AJ, who couldn't help but crack a smile.
“But- Have y’ever run a race?” asked Applejack with a barely-contained chuckle.

“Well, no… But I do know a lot about running!” responded Twilight.

“And you know this from…?” Rainbow dragged the question, already knowing the answer.

“Book!” Twilight responded, ignoring their teasing chuckles, “I’ve read several on the subject!”

“She’s not kidding,” Midnight added with a deadpan look. “Yesterday, after you both agreed to this race as your tie-breaker, she dragged me to the library for a study session on running races… That was four hours of my life I’ll never get back. Ow!”

Twilight had kicked Midnight in the fetlock, while Rainbow fell on her back in laughter, “What’d you guys study? ‘The Egghead’s Guide to Running’? Di-Didja stretch out your eye-muscles to warm up?!”

“Scoff if you must, Rainbow,” Twilight confidently responded. “But the Running of the Leaves is a Ponyville tradition, and since I’m here to learn, as well as to teach wherever Midnight is concerned, I felt we should experience it for ourselves.”

“I’m only here because she promised me a lesson in a certain art of magic,” Midnight corrected her, Twilight groaning softly while glaring at him out the corners of her eyes.

“Well, Ah think it’s just dandy why yer participatin’, Twilight, good luck,” Applejack said before stifling a laugh.
“Yeah! See ya at the finish-line…" Rainbow seconded before adding with a snark, "tomorrow!”

And the two athletes resumed their teasing laughter when they heard the announcers, Pinkie Pie and Spike, who were in a hot-air balloon.
“Alright, racers, are you ready?!” Pinkie announced.
“Get set…!” Spike slowly raised his voice, adding to the hype.

The moments intensified as the racers started their biological engines.

“GO!!!”

“And they’re off!” Pinkie announced, Spike handling the balloon so they’d follow the racers. “Welcome to the official coverage of the Running of the Leaves! Y’know, Spike, despite its name, the leaves don’t actually run at all to begin with! No, that’s left to my little ponies!”

“That’s… right, Pinkie!” Spike responded, “It’s the running of the ponies that cause the leaves to fall.”

“But this year, the run is about more than the weather…” Pinkie brought up, “It’s about the race to the finish, and two particular runners aiming to win it: Applejack and Rainbow Dash!”

“Y’know, Pinkie, these two ponies have a bit of a grudge match they’re trying to settle,” Spike added, “Trying to prove who’s the most athletic!”

“Yes!” Pinkie agreed, “And ‘grudge’ rhymes with ‘fudge’!”

“Yes, it… does?” Spike gave her a confused look.

“And I like fudge! But if I eat too much fudge, I get a pudge, and then I can’t budge!”

“So… no fudge?” asked Spike, trying the futile task of making sense of what Pinkie was saying.

“Oh, no thanks. I had a big breakfast. Let's check in with our two competitive ponies, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Having come fast out of the gate, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are evenly matched running neck in neck. But what's this? Applejack is making a move, she's now ahead by a nose. But Rainbow Dash won't let Applejack have it and takes the lead. She's ahead by half a nose. Or maybe three quarters of a nose. No, about sixty-three point seven percent of a nose...” She stopped when she saw the look Spike was giving her, a look that read ‘really?’

She smiled sheepishly and went on, “Roughly-speaking. Applejack sees this move and pushes forth with her strong workhorse legs slinking ahead by three hundred and fifty noses!”

Back at the bleachers, the others were listening to Pinkie’s… colorful commentary, as Thunderlane laughed, “Who’s bright idea was it to have Pinkie do the commentary?! Ha-ha!”

“I do believe the dear volunteered,” Rarity answered, a brow raised, “Though I do wish she would take the responsibility a tad more seriously, she is quite descriptive!”

“I bet Rainbow is gonna win!” Scootaloo hopped in place.
“No way, Applejack’s gonna win, right big Mac?” Apple Bloom looked to her big brother.

Big Mac just shrugged, knowing the kind of ponies his sister and Rainbow Dash were: Competitive, which wasn’t always a bad thing if it wasn’t taken too far.

“I think Midnight and Twilight might surprise us,” brought up Twinken but before anypony could respond, they heard more commentary, this time from Spike.

“Ho-hold your horses, Pinkie! Rainbow Dash is catching up the front-runner Applejack!”

“What an upset,” Pinkie commented. “I thought Applejack had this in the bag.”

“Oh no!” Spike yelled, “Looks like Applejack’s tripped! And there go the racers! AJ’s gonna have to hoof it to catch up! And surprisingly, Twilight and Midnight remain dead-last as they keep a pace constant yet slow. What’s up with that?!”

“I dunno,” Pinkie shrugged. “If it were me, I’d be just enjoying the running and ttaking in the scenery! “

“Well, anyway,” Spike went on,” Applejack is already galloping to catch up with the racers!”

“Ha! So much for AJ and Midnight,” Scootaloo boasted at Twinken and Apple Bloom.

“You just wait!” Twinken responded with narrowed eyes.
“Rainbow won’t stay up front forever!” added Apple Bloom.

“No… just till the end of the finish line!” Scootaloo cheered for her hero when…

“I don't believe it” Spike declared. “After a huge setback, Applejack is back at the front of the pack!”
“She's the head of the pack, all right,” Pinkie was getting into it. “The pick of the litter! The cat's pajamas! Oh wait, why would Applejack take some poor kitty's PJs? That's not very sporting of her!”
“Oookay...” Spike gave her a look then looked back to the race. “Let's get back to the race.”

“‘Ha’ yerself!” Apple Bloom boasted to Scootaloo. “Ah knew mah big sister wouldn’t let tha’ rainbow-colored bag o' hot air beat her!”

Back in the race, Twilight and Midnight were trotting together, Midnight saying, “I’m actually glad you got me to participate, Twilight. I’m really liking the scenery!”

“I know, it’s gorgeous!” Twilight agreed when they heard somepony yelp and they looked to see somepony getting left behind by the racers. It was Rainbow Dash.

As they hurried up to check on her, Rainbow was getting up and saying, “I don’t believe it! Applejack tripped me!”

“Don’t you ponies ever look where you’re going?” Twilight called to her as she and Midnight caught up to the rainbow pegasus.

“You tripped on a stump, Dash,” Midnight corrected while pointing at the evidence. “See? It’s right here.”

“Oh I see,” Rainbow scoffed angrily, “A big cheater, is what I see!”

“Rainbow, Applejack would never cheat!” Twilight admonished.
“She’s the Element of Honesty, cheating is the last thing she’d do in a competition.” agreed Midnight.

“Remember, Rainbow, this is just a game,” Twilight reminded as she and her student carried on. “I hope Rainbow Dash doesn’t get too competitive.”

“I dunno…” Midnight shook his head. “Dash and AJ are great friends but they’re both stubborn and competitive. Not to mention their egos won’t settle for less than being the best.”

“Well everypony is best at something but nopony is best at everything,” Twilight debated.

“Welcome back, Ponyvillians, it’s me, Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie declared from the hot-air balloon.

“And Spike! Looks like Rainbow is doing her best to catch up.”

"I'm not sure how ketchup is going to help her in this contest. Now, in a hot dog eating contest it can make them doggies nice and slippery, but personally I prefer mustard,” Pinkie sidetracked, not seeing the look Spike was giving her. “How about you, Spike?”

“Uh... I... like... pickles?” Spike responded dumbly.

“Aaand it looks like Applejack has found herself in quite a pickle as Rainbow overtakes her,” Pinkie returned to commenting on the race.

“As the racers enter Whitetail Woods,” Spike added, “Rainbow Dash is back in the lead!

Back in the race, Midnight and Twilight were still trotting as they made their way through, “Whitetail Wood is just lovely!”

“I have to agree,” Midnight added, “it’s- Say, is that Rainbow Dash up ahead?”

They looked and saw Rainbow standing by the sign at the fork in the road, looking a bit nervous. Midnight was certain he’d seen Rainbow fumbling with the sign, Twilight saying, “Hey Rainbow, shouldn’t you be at the head?”

“I’m sure to win now!” Rainbow Dash chuckled confidently.

“Says the pony who just let all the others racers run past her,” Midnight remarked with a smirk.

“Oh horseapples! See ya!” Rainbow took off in a rev'd up hurry after Midnight had pointed out her oopsy.

“She was acting a little confident just now, don’cha think?” Midnight asked, suspicious.

“Well, like you said, she has an ego,” Twilight reminded him before she trotted on, Midnight sighing as he followed her.

At that moment, Applejack skidded to a halt as she came to a ledge.
“Applejack, what’re you doing here?”

She looked up to see Pinkie and Spike in their balloon, the little dragon adding, “There aren’t any trees!”

“Ah know but th’ sign pointed this way-” Applejack’s eyes suddenly popped then narrowed as she growled, “Rainbow…! Mind givin’ me a lift?”

The others were standing around the finish-line, Thunderlane flying in place as he looked down the racing path with a pair of binocs.
“Hey big brother, can you see what’s happening?” Rumble shouted to him.

“I don’t believe it!” Thunderlane informed them, “Applejack just made the lead by a lift from Pinkie and Spike!”
“I thought she said no flying,” Twinken brought up.
“No, she said no wings!” Apple Bloom corrected.

“I must say, Spike,” they heard Pinkie commenting, “This has been the most interesting Running of the Leaves in Equestrian history!”

“With the most interesting announcing,” they heard Spike mutter into his microphone.

“But it isn’t the running that’s been fascinating,” Pinkie went on, “but the lack of running!”

Down below, Twilight and Midnight trotted past Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were glaring at each other while standing on a slab of rock (the steep hill beside them showing evidence they’d slid down it).
“Excuse us, girls, I admit I’m not an athlete,” Twilight said to them as she and Midnight trotted past, “but shouldn’t the Running of the Leaves actually involve running?”

“Just ignore them, Twi,” Midnight sighed, not giving the two rivals so much as a passing glance. “After all this, I just don't care which of them wins their silly contest.”

“You know, I think Twilight’s right,” Rainbow brought up once Twilight and Midnight had passed them by.

“Ya do?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah, if you wanna beat me, ya better…” she said before suddenly running off without warning, “RUUN!!!”

“Hey!” Applejack yelled as she pursued.

“Once again, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are neck in neck, jockeying for position!” Pinkie commented, Spike giving her a deadpan look for hogging all the commentary, “Applejack inches ahead, now it’s Rainbow Dash, it’s Applejack, it’s Rainbow Dash, it’s Applejack-”

They gasped to see Rainbow Dash deliberately bump against Applejack, Spike saying, “Oh no she di-in’t!”

Applejack bumped back, Pinkie saying, “Oh yes, she di-id!”

Dash bumped AJ again, who snapped, “Cut it out!”

“No you cut it out!” Dash snapped back

“You started it!” AJ reminded her, Dash smirking, “And now I’m gonna finish it!”

“Oh no you won’t!” Applejack pulled Rainbow’s tail and got ahead.

“Oh yes I will!” Dash returned the favor, but Applejack bit the rope on Dash, releasing her wings. “That’s it! All bets are off!”

She started to fly, only for Applejack to shout, “Oh no ya don’t!”

She made a mighty leap and forced Rainbow back down, turning them both into a scuffling cloud of dust, a hoof sticking out now and then or somepony’s head or tail as they fought each other towards the finish line, Pinkie commenting, “It’s Applejack, it’s Rainbow Dash, it’s Applejack, it’s Rainbow Dash…!”

Finally they crossed and stopped fighting, their manes and coats and Rainbow’s wings all frazzled as she declared, “I won!”

“No, Ah won!”

“You tied!” Spike corrected them, the two athletes gaping up at him and Pinkie.

“Tied?!”

“Fer first?” Applejack asked.

“For last!” Pinkie answered as she and Spike landed their balloon.

“Then who won?!” Rainbow asked, when they heard some hoofsteps and saw Twilight approaching them, a medal around her neck.

The two athletes gaped at her, asking, “You?!”

“Oh no, but I did win 5th Place,” Twilight beamed, “which is rather good as I’ve never run a race before.”

Suddenly, Midnight appeared next to her in a flash of light, and was looking pretty darn proud of himself, as he sported a gold medal engraved #1.
“You won?!” The two athletes gasped, Applejack demanding, “How’s tha’ even possible?!”

“You guys went so slow, looking at the scenery!” Rainbow brought up.

“Exactly! We paced ourselves, just like my book said,” Twilight explained.
“Then, when all the other racers were worn out, we sprinted to the finish!” added Midnight with a victorious nod.

“I don’t believe it…!” Rainbow Dash looked at Applejack, saying, “Twilight and Midnight beat us!”

“Well, with all your horsing around it was quite easy,” Twilight reminded them.
“Not to mention the constant workout I get from working around the farm," Midnight flexing one of his forelegs and looking quite satisfied of the bulgy muscle, "So, thanks to you, AJ, I was in perfect shape to win this race.”

Applejack sighed, saying, “Twilight, Midnight, our behavior was jus’ terrible.”

“We weren’t very good sports,” agreed Rainbow shamefully.

“It sounds to me that an important lesson was learned here,” said a motherly voice as several gasps were made, and they all looked to see…

“Princess Celestia?!”

“What’re you doing here?!” Applejack asked as she, Dash, Twilight, and Midnight all bowed respectfully.

“Fall is one of my favorite seasons so I came here to celebrate the Running of the Leaves,” Celestia explained.

“Ah’m sorry ya had t’ see us being such poor sports, Princess,” Applejack apologized, Rainbow nodding in apologetic agreement.

“That’s alright, Applejack, anypony can get swept up in the excitement of competition,” Celestia replied.
“It’s important to remember that the friendship is more important than the competition,” declared Twilight.
“And no competition is worth losing a friend over,” Midnight added.

“Exactly, you two” Celestia agreed with her student and her student’s student before re-addressing the two athletes, “Now, unfortunately as the two of you were so busy tricking each other instead of shaking down leaves, many of the lovely trees around here are still covered.”

Getting the idea, Applejack said, “Why, Princess, Ah bet we could knock down those leaves fer you, lickety-split!”

She gave Rainbow a smile, saying, “Whattya say, friend, wanna go fer another run?”

“I’d love to stretch my legs,” Rainbow agreed before zipping off, Applejack rearing and following.

Princess Celestia, Twilight, and Midnight watched in pride as the two friends ran through the trees, their friendship stronger than ever.

Author's Note

Now before any of you bash me for having Midnight win, just consider it can make sense: He followed Twilight's strategy and he was getting a good workout from constantly working around the farm

41. New Dogs, New Tricks - Part 1

It was late in the afternoon, and Midnight was really excited. The other day, Twilight had told him of a meteor shower would happen tonight and he intended to take Twinken to see it. With a little a red wagon he’d borrowed from Apple Bloom, he made his way to the orphanage, hoping Twinken had done his homework and would be free tonight.

Upon arrival, he knocked on the door, and the matron, TLC answered, “Oh, Midnight, are you here to see Twinken?”

“Afternoon, ma’am,” Midnight replied with a nod. “In case you haven’t heard, there’s a meteor shower happening tonight and I wanted to take Twinken to see it!”

“Well, I don’t see why not, so long as you have him back before the stroke of twelve,” TLC agreed. “I’ll just get him for you, wait here.”

In just a few short moments, Midnight was on his way, Twinken running around him, excitably, “This is gonna be awesome! I’ve never seen a meteor shower!”

“Well, you’re gonna see one tonight,” chuckled Midnight, “but before we head out, we should get ready for the show!”

As the sun began to set, Midnight and Twinken had gotten pizza to go from Pepper Pony’s, a couple two-liters of colt cola and plastic cups from the local grocery, and had even gotten some baked goods from Sugarcube Corner. Night was just falling as they made their way to the park, heading up the hill where they expected to meet all their friends. Upon arrival, they found Twilight watching as Spike set out a spread with a blanket, a bowl of fruit, another of punch, some scrolls and a quill and inkwell (no doubt for Twilight to take notes during the meteor shower), and he got started on setting up a telescope as Rainbow Dash came over and helped herself to an apple.
“Wow, Twilight! You’re lucky to have such a rad assistant!”

“Isn’t she though?” Midnight chuckled as he levitated out his own stuff to add to the picnic and even provided a wastebasket, into which Dash threw her apple core.

As everypony arrived, they complimented the picnic, Rarity asking, “Do we have Spike to thank for this amazing spread?”

“Hey, we provided the pizza, sodas, and the wastebasket,” Twinken said with a clear of his throat as he took a slice.

“Oh, we know that, lil’ haystack,” Big Mac chuckled as he ruffled Twinken’s mane.

“Well, Spike can be such a little star as well,” Rarity insisted as she levitated a red bowtie bejeweled with tiny gemstones. “I just had to make for him this little bow!

Spike smiled as she secured it onto his neck.
“Gosh, you guys are embarrassing me, stop it!”

“Okay, we will,” Thunderlane remarked with a smirk, Spike giving him an indignant look that made the boys and some of the girls laugh.

“Hey everypony! The shower’s starting!” Sweetie Belle announced, and everypony bolted up and looked towards the night sky, the colts and fillies hopping onto the backs of their big brothers and sisters for a better view. Button Mash was allowed onto Big Mac’s back while Spike got onto Twilight’s.

They then marveled as streams of light streaked across the night sky, shooting stars zooming with tails of sparkles. It was beautiful, a moment of wonder, and mysteriously becalming. After a while, the shower sadly ceased and everypony resumed the picnic to discuss the shower.

“Mm-mm!” Big Mac moaned as he ate one of the baked goods, “Tha’s good eatin’!”

“Thank Pinkie Pie,” Midnight said with a smile.

Pinkie popped up beside him as she licked her lips, “You should try these cookies, they’re dee-lish!”

“Spike made them, speaking of,” Twilight said, “Spike, can you bring us some punch?”

She was answered with silence.
“Spike?”

“I think the punch got Spike,” Rumble brought up and they all looked to see Spike snoozing into the punch bowl.

“Oh poor little thing,” Rarity said in a motherly tone.
“Aw, he’s worked himself to the bone!” agreed Twilight.
“He does so much for us,” Midnight commented with a smile.
“And now the punch has been… spiked!” cracked Pinkie.

That one got everypony to crack up and before long it was time to go home for everypony. Midnight collected their trash and stashed it all into a garbage bag, having volunteered to get rid of it, as he placed it onto the red wagon. Carrying Twinken, they made for the orphanage, Twinken just starting to yawn as he nuzzled into Midnight’s mane.

“Thanks for tonight, big brother…” he said in a sleepy voice, and Midnight just smiled as he felt his heart warm up.

Twinken was definitely ready for bed by the time they got to the orphanage and TLC took him off Midnight’s hooves. But before he left, Midnight decided to have a quick word with the matron.
“Um, ma’am… Listen, uh… I’ve been thinking lately, about Twinken, and…”

“You want to adopt him as your legal brother, don’t you?” she presumed, and Midnight nodded. “Well, Midnight, you and Twinken are clearly close, which isn’t that unusual for volunteers to the Sibling Revelry, and you’ve been such a good influence on him! But I must inform you, the channels for adoption are narrow and difficult – You yourself must provide all the necessities for raising a colt. I understand you have a steady job and residence at Sweet Apple Acres, but… the ponies I answer to are… narrow-minded, if you know what I mean.”

“So… what exactly are you saying, ma’am?” Midnight was starting to feel a bit scared.

“What I’m saying, Midnight is… You can certainly apply for legal guardianship of Twinken,” TLC explained. “But the process is shaky and very troublesome. The ponies I answer to are more likely to allow a married couple to adopt Twinken, and… Well, I’ll have a word with Mayor Mare and we’ll keep you in the loop, what do you say?”

“Okay, thank you for your time, ma’am,” Midnght whispered but before leaving, he said, “Tell Twinken good night for me?”

“Of course,” she replied with a sympathetic smile.

By the time he made it to Sweet Apple Acres, Midnight felt very down. The idea of not being Twinken’s big brother anymore was upsetting, and it was even painful to think of losing him to someone else. But then he wondered if Twinken would be better off with a couple who could be his new mom and dad. Would it be selfish of him to deny Twinken a chance at a stable and comfortable family environment?

He sighed as he sat onto one of the porch chairs sulking, not quite ready to go inside. Suddenly, the quiet night was disturbed as he heard a rustling sound. Getting up, he neared the edge of the porch and looked around, and all he saw was the farm around him.

Shrugging, he was about to go inside when he heard a whimpering sound. This time he cast a life-detecting spell and sensed something in the bushes by the corner of the farmhouse. Carefully creeping up, he approached, a spell ready if he had to defend himself, as he telekinetically parted the bushes to reveal…
“A wolf puppy!” he gasped!

It was indeed a wolf pup, with jet-black fur that gleamed under the moonlight, a star of white on his chest, his paws banded in white as though he ran on clouds, and eyes as green as the forest. The little furball growled at him but he was so tiny it was more cute than threatening. Then Midnight noticed the pup’s paw looked hurt.

“Oh you poor little guy…” Midnight took a step closer, only for the pup to raise his hackles, Midnight whispering, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid! I’m not gonna hurt you…”

Deciding not to take any chances, Midnight cast a calming spell and the pup calmed down, and looked sleepy as it looked at him with a whimper. Midnight smiled as he levitated the pup out of the bushes and took him inside.

Author's Note

As you might've figured out, this takes place during "Owl's Well that Ends Well"

I always intended to give Midnight a pet and thought a wolf pup would be perfect but this also addresses an issue I felt would eventually come up.

Midnight, for the time being, is just a volunteer big brother for Twinken, not a legal brother or guardian. From what I know about orphanages, the people responsible for them are very selective about potential adopters of their kids, which is good an' all since not all potential adopters have good intentions. But there can be some biased people who would say someone is not fit to raise an orphan, which is the issue here. The matron TLC is not one of those sorts, she's only warning Midnight that the ponies in charge of the orphanage might not find him legal guardian-material of Twinken.

I'm not sure what to do with this situation, duz anypony have any suggestions?

57. Luna Eclipsed - Part 2

The costumed ponies were still enjoying the festival when they heard screaming and all turned to see a pink pony in a chicken costume run by, followed by costumed colts and fillies, and they wondered what got into them. Their answer came in the form of a fearsome chariot pulled by bat-winged royal guards, Midnight and Twilight just arriving to see who was this mysterious party-crasher, who floated down from the chariot, garbed in a hooded cloak.

The figure then tossed back their head to reveal…
“Princess Luna?” Midnight inquired and noticing how everypony around him was bowing in fear. But before he could approach her, he felt somepony tug him down and saw it was Twinken, who made a ‘shh’ gesture.

The Princess of the Night stepped forward, unfurling her wings, as she smiled and opened her mouth.
“CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!!!” she thundered, her voice creating a wind that almost blew Rain Drops off the ground.
“WE HAVE GRACED YOUR TINY VILLAGE WITH OUR PRESENCE, SO THAT YOU MIGHT BEHOLD… THE REAL PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT!”

Luna walked amongst the bowing partygoers, not noticing their fear, as she went on.
“A CREATURE OF NIGHTMARES NO LONGER, BUT INSTEAD A PONY WHO DESIRES YOUR LOVE AND ADMIRATION!

At this point, the bowing ponies were scooting away from her, but she still didn’t notice.

“TOGETHER, WE SHALL CHANGE THIS DREADFUL CELEBRATION INTO A BRIGHT AND GLORIOUS FEAST!!!”

A crack of thunder and lightning unfortunately helped build on the fearful image she was unintentionally displaying, that Pinkie stood up and said, “Y’hear that, everypony?! Nightmare Moon says she’s gonna feast on us all!”

This baseless accusation drove all the kids into a panic, Pinkie leading them off in a horrified herd.

“What?!” Luna gasped, seeing them run. “No, children, no! You no longer have reason to fear Us! Screams of delight are what your princess desires, not screams of terror!”

Unfortunately, she stomped her hoof near somepony, making her whimper. Luna turned to Mayor Mare, declaring, “Madam Mayor, thy Princess of the night hath arrived!”

Mayor Mare cringed away from Luna’s hoof, so she tried holding out to somepony else, demanding, “What is the matter with you?!”

She soon saw no matter who she held her hoof towards, they would cringe in fear, cover their eyes, or look away.

“Very well then, be that way!” Luna pouted as she stormed off, “We won’t even bother with the traditional royal farewell!”

Feeling bad for her, Midnight stood up and noticed Twilight and went over.
“Something tells me this isn’t what she was expecting…”

“I have a feeling you’re right,” Twilight agreed. “I’m gonna go talk to her!”

She felt a tug on her cape and they turned to see Spike and Twinken, the former yelling, “You can’t talk to her, she’s Nightmare Moon!”
“She’s bad!” Twinken added. “Why would she even come here anyway?!”

“I think it has to do with us,” Midnight said to Twilight, “We used the Elements of Harmony to restore her to good.”

“But it looks like she’s having trouble fitting in after being gone a thousand years,” Twilight concurred.

“Twinken, Spike, stay here and enjoy the festival,” Midnight ordered, “We’re gonna go have a talk with the princess.”

Somehow, the two unicorns knew where to find the princess of the night. She was sitting down in front of the statue of Nightmare Moon, looking down.

“Princess Luna?” Twilight called politely, “Hello, our names are-”

“Star Swirl the Bearded and King Sombra,” Luna interrupted as she looked up on them. “Commendable costumes, thou even got the bells and crown right.”

“Thank you, finally!” Twilight gushed, “Somepony who gets my costume!”

Midnight cleared his throat and indicated the princess, who was looking at them shyly.
“We… just came to welcome you to our celebration, Your Highness! Our actual names are-”

“Midnight Blaze, Element of Faith, and Twilight Sparkle, Element of Magic” Luna again interrupted before she got dramatic, flapping up a gale as stormclouds blocked the moon.
“IT WAS THEE BOTH WHO WIELDED AGAINST US THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY AND TOOK AWAY OUR DARK POWERS!!”

Midnight and Twilight held each other for stability from the mighty wind, Twilight asking, “And…that was a good thing, right?”

“But of course, We could not be happier!” Luna insisted, “Is that not clear?!”

“Um, not to sound rude, Princess,” Midnight spoke lightly, “but it’s kinda feels like you’re yelling at us.”

“But this is the traditional royal Canterlot Voice! It is tradition to speak using the royal “we”, and to use," Luna said before switching volumes, “THIS MUCH VOLUME WHEN ADDRESSING OUR SUBJECTS!”

Twilight and Midnight re-adjusted their costumes, the former politely suggesting, “Y’know that might explain why your appearance was met with… mixed results?”

“I have to agree with Twilight, Your highness,” Midnight agreed, “Perhaps, were you to change your approach, you would be met with a warmer reception.”

“CHANGE OUR APPROACH?” Luna echoed into their faces.

“Lower the volume?” Twilight clarified while Midnight tried to get rid of the ringing in his ear.

“Ohhh…” Luna said as it dawned on her. “We have been locked away for a thousand years. We are… not sure We can.”

“I have an idea,” Twilight proposed, “come on!”

She led them all to Fluttershy’s cottage, Midnight suddenly saying, “Uh, Twilight? Maybe Fluttershy isn’t the pony to go see about this. Big Mac told me she isn’t very… keen to Nightmare Night.”

“Oh nonsense,” Twilight waved it off before saying to Luna, “Don’t worry Princess, Fluttershy can give you some great pointers. She’s delicate and demure, with the sweetest little voice.”

Twilight knocked on the door, only to be responded with “GO AWAY, NO CANDY HERE! VISITORS NOT WELCOME ON NIGHTMARE NIGHT!!”

Luna and Midnight both gave Twilight a flat look, causing her to chuckle awkwardly.
“Fluttershy! It’s me, Twilight!”

The door creaked open, Fluttershy peering to see, “Oh, Twilight, it is you. And Midnight, and… Nightmare Moon?! AUGH!!”

*SLAM*

Luna gave Twilight another look while Midnight facehooved and muttered, “Oh for Faust’s sake! Gimme a moment.”

He barged in and they heard a ruckus, including bells ringing, a horn honking, a cat screeching, a donkey hee-hawing, glass breaking, balloons popping, a tree falling, a “timber” shouting, before the door opened and Midnight pushed Fluttershy out, saying, “Fluttershy…! Princess Luna. Princess Luna? Fluttershy!”

“CHARMED!” Luna boomed, holding out her hoof.

“Eek!” Fluttershy ran back inside but Midnight levitated her out, forcing her to face the princess, nervously saying, “Likewise.”

“TWILIGHT SPARKLE HAS SPOKEN OF THE SWEETNESS OF THY VOICE!” Luna brought up.
“WE ASK THAT THOU TEACHEST TO US TO SPEAK AS THOU SPEAKEST!”

“Ok! Fluttershy replied lightly.

“SHALL OUR LESSONS BEGIN?”

“Ok.”

“SHALL WE MIMIC THY VOICE?”

“Ok…”

“HOW IS THIS?”

“Perfect-lesson-over!”

*SHOOM*
*SLAM*
*CRASH*

Midnight had blinked and missed the whole thing: Fluttershy had streaked up from the ground and tried to run back into her cottage, only for Twilight to slam it shut and cause Fluttershy to crash face-first into it.

How’d I miss all that?! he wondered incredulously.

“A little quieter, Princess,” suggested Twilight.

“HOW IS… this?” Luna tried.

“Better, wouldn’t you say, Flutters?” Midnight asked, the yellow Pegasus only giggling in daze as she slid off her door.

“How… about… now?!” Luna asked hesitantly.

“Now you’re getting it,” Twilight assured her.

“And… how about now?” asked Luna, finally speaking normally. Per se.

“Perfect, Princess!” Midnight said with a smile.

Fluttershy was just reaching for her door when she was enveloped in a blue aura and telekinetically pulled into Luna’s spine-snapping embrace.
“I THANK TEE, DEAR FLUTTERSHY! OUR NORMAL SPEAKING VOICE SHALL SURELY WIN US THE HEARTS OF THY FELLOW VILLAGERS!!”

“Fluttershy, you’ve gotta hide us!”

Midnight and Twilight looked to see Pinkie and the kids approaching, the both of them flinching at what was surely to come.

“Nightmare Moon is here and- Ba-kawk!” Pinkie squawked as she saw Fluttershy dazed from the severe hugging she just got.
“She stole Fluttershy's voice so she can't scream when she gobbles her up!”

They all ran off screaming, Luna calling out “NAY CHILDREN, WAIT!! Uh- I mean… Nay, children! Please wait…”

Seeing how down she was back to, Midnight sighed and said, “Time for Plan B.”

Back at the festival, some ponies cheered as they played the pumpkin catapult challenge, the band was back, ponies dancing to their music, only for it to cut short when they saw who else was back. Midnight and Twilight walked at Luna’s sides as they mingled (for lack of a better term) amongst the partygoers, who all resumed the paranoid position.

“It is of no use, Midnight Blaze,” Luna said woefully, seeing her subjects again in fear of her, “They have never liked Us, and they never shall.”

Midnight scoffed and assured, “You just haven’t met enough ponies like me and Twi here, ponies who don’t let superstition and paranoia-”

He stopped in mid-sentence and gave Twilight a look.
“Well, at least ponies like me!”

Twilight gave him the stink-eye, having an idea of what he meant by that but let him continue.
“But my big bro, Big Macintosh, is one of the most likeable and sensible ponies you’ll ever meet. I’m sure he’ll have an idea or two.”

They soon saw Big Macintosh, garbed in his heavy cape embroidered with a skull/apple symbol, a top hat on his head, a little black eye-shadow to give his face a gaunt look. he was helping some foals off the wagon, having just finished their ride.

“Whoa there!” chuckled Big Mac as he caught one of the colts, who almost fell, and gently placed him down before prodding him along gently with his muzzle. But as he turned to re-hitch himself, he found himself facing Luna and yelped!

Seeing Big Mac react as everypony else, Midnight chuckled sheepishly at Luna’s look.
“Uh, Mac? Princess Luna here would like a little advice on fitting in.”

“Seriously?” asked Big Mac incredulously, and flinching at the scary eye-glow Midnight made as he growled.
“Uh- Ah mean…”

He stood up, and realized he was just a little taller than Princess Luna, only her horn going over his head.
“It’s simple, Yer Highness! Jus’ showin’ a friendly attitude can do wonders! Like… Jus’ mingle, be positive, and have some fun!”

“Fun?” Luna echoed curiously. “What is this ‘fun’ thou speakest of?”

“Howsabout a quick hayride?” offered Big Mac as he hitched himself up, Midnight and Twilight jumping into the wagon and looking at Luna expectantly.

“Pray tell, what is this ‘hayride’ and how is it, as thou describeth, fun?” Luna inquired as she climbed in.

“Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride,” Midnight said as he kicked back.

Big Mac pulled them and Luna looked around as the wagon carried her along, ponies still shying back from her presence. But for some reason, she felt a sense of appeal, an enjoyment of this ride. She found it somewhat relaxing to just let the ride carry her, view the passerby and the scenes of the festival, and as her demeanor relaxed, so did the other ponies around them.

“Huh… Your princess finds this… fun to her liking!” Luna stated before asking, “In what other ways may we experience it?”

Midnight and Twilight shared a smirk.

They were soon standing before the pumpkin catapult challenge, where Luna loaded hers with a big one.
“Fire away, Princess!” encouraged Twilight, everypony watching curiously at the supposed frightful pony they had long known to be Nightmare Moon, as she let `er go… and got a bull’s eye!

“Ha-ha! The fun has been doubled!” Luna declared proudly, everypony cheering for her, when Applejack spoke up.

“Why don’cha try bobbin’ fer apples?” she suggested. “We got th’ best apples in Equestria, Princess!”

“I ask that thou call Us- me… Luna, fair Applejack,” Luna requested before announcing, “Hear me, villagers! All of you, call me Luna!”

The partygoers all chattered in a positive manner, no longer so afraid of the Princess of the Night, as she asked Applejack, “Show me to these bobbing apples!”

But then Luna saw the colt, Pipsqueak, cry out as he fell into the water-trough Applejack was using for apple-bobbing. Gasping, she hurried over and reached in, grabbing Pip by his vest and lifting him out of the water.

“Hey everypony! Anyone seen Pip?”

Midnight, Twilight, Applejack, and Big Mac all had the same though.
Oh buck me…!

They turned to see Pinkie and the other kids, as she said, “We lost him the last time we had to run-”

But then she squawked, seeing Pip hang by his vest from Luna’s mouth.

“Nightmare Moon is gobbling Pipsqueak, everypony run!!”

The screams of the foals made Pip panic and struggle out of Luna’s hold, screaming as he ran, “My backside has been gobbled!”

“Tis’ a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!” Luna yelled with a stamp of her hoof, and unfortunately, another crack of thunder and lightning brought back everypony’s fears as they backed away in intimidation. Luna realized what she’d just done and attempted to save face.
“Fair villagers, please do not back away! Let us join together…”

She teleported onto big Mac’s wagon, “In fun!”

She forced a smile but saw that nopony was being endeared.
“Not enough fun for you? What say you to this?”

Her horn cracked with blue lightning as it struck the wagon, sending it for a wild ride as it crashed through some of the stands, some ponies leaping out of the way just barely. Panic overrode everypony’s minds as they began screaming and running about, crashing into the stand and decorations.
“Do not run away!” pled Luna, trying to calm everypony down but nothing doing. “As your princess We command you!”

But her words could not be heard over the pandemonium, as ponies crashed into each other, ran in all directions, screams filling the air, ruining the festival-

“BE STILL…!!!”

That one command, couple with the thunder that cracked along with it, made everypony freeze and bow in fear, silence resuming. Midnight stood up and begged, “Princess, remember! Watch the screaming-”

“NO, MIDNIGHT BLAZE!” yelled Luna into his face, making him shy away, not just from her voice but from her glowing white eyes.
“WE MUST USE THE TRADITIONAL ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE FOR WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO SAY!”

Midnight looked on in horror as Luna flapped her wings, rising into the air, the wind swirling around her, clouds gathering above.
“SINCE YOU CHOOSE TO FEAR YOUR PRINCESS RATHER THAN LOVE HER AND DISHONOR HER WITH THIS INSULTING CELEBRATION, WE DECREE NIGHTMARE NIGHT SHALL BE CANCELLED! FOREVER…!!!”

The finality in that statement could not have been clearer to all the partygoers as they looked on in horror and sadness, even with the sound of thunder.

Then, in a flash of lightning, Luna vanished!

Silence followed for a few moments before the talk and heartbreak began.

“Shoot, we had everything goin’ our way,” said Applejack morosely.

“Eeyup, Luna was happy, everypony in town was happy,” Big Mac added before waving out his arm ,”Now lookit `em…”

They looked around, seeing everypony down and sad, some of the colts and fillies crying sadly, one of them, a little yellow earth pony filly named Noi dressed as a princess, cried, “But I wanted to be a zombie next year!”

Meadow Song, dressed as a ninja, was trying to console her, but the air of sadness was just too much.

“Big brother?”

Midnight, Twilight, AJ, and Mac turned to see Twinken, Rumble, Button, and Spike, all of them looking sad.
“Can she really do that? Can she cancel Nightmare Night forever?”

Seeing the sadness in his little brother’s eyes, Midnight pulled Twinken into a hug, Big Mac going over to put his hooves on Rumble and Button’s shoulders in a consoling way.

“It’s not over yet!”

Midnight and Applejack looked to Twilight, the latter asking, “What’re ya gonna do?”

“What I do best,” Twilight stated. “Lecture her!”

“Well… you go on ahead,” Midnight encouraged her, “We’ll stay here and… assess damage-control.”

Twilight galloped off, Applejack then saying, “Well, come on y’all. May as well get all this cleaned up.”

Midnight and Big Mac helped as everypony started cleaning up the mess from the earlier panic, doing their best not to listen to the crying colts and fillies. Midnight had left Twinken and his friends with Thunderlane, hoping the pegasus might cheer them up a bit.

He sighed as he put a barrel of apples back into place and threw away the bruised ones.
“I really hope Twilight can get somewhere with the princess. But honestly, I can’t really say I blame Luna for how she feels about Nightmare Night.”

“Eeyup, Ah know Ah wouldn’t wanna holiday makin’ me look bad year after year,” Big Mac agreed.

“And unfortunately, that’s exactly why Luna is too upset to change her mind.”

They turned to see, “Twilight! I take it you didn’t get anywhere?”

“No, but I could tell Luna honestly felt bad by what she did,” Twilight sighed.

“Well, Ah need to get th’ wagon home,” Big Mac sighed as well. “But Ah’ll be back in a bit.”

“No, why don’t you stick around and try to help cheer everypony up,” Midnight suggested. “With any luck, we might be able to salvage tonight.”

“A’ight…” Big Mac obliged before walking off, leaving the two unicorns to ponder their next move.

“Y’know, things would’ve been running smoother if that birdbrain Pinkie didn’t keep yutzing it all up,” Midnight complained.

“Well, maybe we need to get those two to patch up,” Twilight proposed. “Here’s what we’re gonna do.”

As the kids all cried, the older ponies doing their best to dry their tears, Pinkie, still feathered and clucky, noticed a piece of candy on the ground. She pecked at it to remove the wrapper before eating it when she noticed another. And another, and another, leading into an alley. She ate some more before she felt herself rising and suddenly slammed against the wall, a hoof clamping her mouth shut and she saw it was Midnight, looking cross.

“No! No shrieking, squealing, or screaming, or so help me Goddess I will pluck every last feather, got it?!”

“Got it!” muffled Pinkie with a scared look in her eyes.

Midnight calmed, saying, “There’s something Twilight and I want you to see and I give you my word that it’s safe but you absolutely cannot shriek, and I’ll only let go if you promise not to shriek, do you?”

“Mm-hmm,” Pinkie agreed, Midnight lowering his hoof before waving somepony forward.

They turned to the darkened end of the alley and saw Twilight stepping out of the shadows, followed by Luna. Pinkie’s eyes widened and she bucked several times in fear before clamping her beak shut, Twilight saying, “Pinkie Pie, you remember Princess Luna right?”

“Ah, the ringleader of the frightened children,” Luna gathered as she stepped up to Pinkie before looking awkward and hopeful.
“Hast thou come to make peace?”

Seeing a sincere smile, Pinkie slowly reached for Luna’s hoof, not noticing the cloud above her until it cracked with lightning, another frightening effect giving Luna that look.
“Nightmare Moon! Ba-kawk!”

“Rainbow!!” yelled Twilight, looking up at the cackling Rainbow Dash, in her Shadowbolt costume.

As Pinkie scampered for the exit of the alley, Midnight teleported to block the way and wrestle her down.
“She’s changed, Pinkie! She’s not evil or scary anymore, and she definitely doesn’t wanna gobble you up!”

Then Pinkie perked and said, “Well, duh!”

“Huh?!”

“I know that, sheesh Midnight!” Pinkie giggled. “I’m almost as big as her, how’s she gonna gobble me up?!”

“Then why do you keep running away and screaming your lungs out?!” Midnight demanded.

“Sometimes it’s just really fun to be scared!” Pinkie enlightened him.

“Fun…?” Midnight echoed when it dawned on him. “Pinkie Pie! You are a genius!”

“No I’m not, I’m a chicken, ba-kaw!” she responded, making Midnight frown.

Yeah, ‘genius’ is pushing it there…

He let Pinkie go and then consulted with Twilight and Luna, another crazy scheme in mind.

In front of the stage, ponies were collecting the strewn decorations while the foals bemoaned, Pipsqueak saying, “Gosh, I never thought my very first Nightmare Night… would be my last.”

“Come little Pip, now don’t you fret,” Zecora spoke up encouragingly, “Nightmare night’s not over yet.

“We still have candy left to give, so Nightmare Moon might let us live…”

“Yes! Come on little ponies,” Mayor Mare said in realization as she walked up to them. “What’s Nightmare Night without the annual candy offering?”

She then spoke to a filly with an astronaut helmet, saying in a spooky voice, “You don’t want Nightmare Moon to gobble you up… do you…?”

“Ugh, the rainbow wig just kills it for me!”

She looked up and saw a disgruntled Spike walk away, dragging a string of skull decoration.

“Come on, kids, doesn’t that sound like fun?” Applejack encouraged them, Big Mac coming up, saying, “An’ Ah’ll even give y’all a free hayride over.”

Big Mac and Midnight pulled the wagon, Twilight, Mayor Mare, Applejack, and Zecora riding with the kids, and they soon arrived before the statue of Nightmare Moon. The adults helped the little ponies down and they took turns approaching the statue and giving up some of their candy.

Pip was last as he gave some of his candy but sadly looked up to the statue.
“Goodbye Nightmare Night… forever.”

But just as he turned to leave, a gale of wind picked up.
“CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE! YOU WERE WISE TO BRING THIS CANDY TO ME! I AM PLEASED WITH YOUR OFFERING, SO PLEASED I MUST JUST EAT IT…”

Then they all gasped to see the statue was no longer a statue as Nightmare Moon threatened, “INSTEAD OF EATING YOU!!!”

Screams followed as did running, and once they all cleared out, Midnight and Twilight stepped out from behind the pedestal as Nightmare Moon glowed and returned to being Princess Luna, having just disguised herself with her magic. She spat out the fake fangs she had and said, “I am not certain that did what you meant for it to do, Midnight Blaze.”

“Just wait,” Midnight assured her with a confident smirk.

“For what?” Luna asked as she hopped down. “For them to run and scream some more?”

“Um, Princess Luna,” said a little voice and she felt a tug on her mane and she looked down to see Pipsqueak.
“I know there’s not gonna be any more Nightmare Night, but do you suppose maybe you could come back next year and scare us again anyway?”

Luna looked at him incredulously and noticed the other kids hiding by the bushes, all of them having hopeful looks.

“Child! Art thou saying that thou… likest me to scare you?”

“It’s really fun!” Pipsqueak said with a nod and smile. “Scary but fun!”

“It… is?!” Luna was having trouble wrapping her mind around this as Pipsqueak added, “Yeah! Nightmare night is my favorite night of the year!”

“Well then,” Luna chuckled in a modest way, “We shall have to bring… NIGHTMARE NIGHT BACK!!”

“Whoa! You’re my favorite princess ever!” Pipsqueak declared as he then gave Luna’s leg a hug before running back to his friends.
“She said yes, guys!”

“Yay!!!” the kids cheered as Luna looked on in wonder.

“Y’see?!” asked Midnight as he and Twilight came up, the purple unicorn adding, “They really do like you, Princess!”

“Can it be true?” Luna said to herself before throwing her head and arms up, “OH MOST WONDERFUL OF-”

“Ah-hem!”

She looked at Midnight and Twilight rubbing their ears but giving her a good-natured stink-eye.
“I mean… oh most wonderful of nights.”

The festival was back on track, everypony mingling, laughing, talking, comparing costumes, eating sweets, and playing games. Golden Grapes tried the Spider Toss game and missed his target while Luna got a perfect bull’s eye, everypony cheering, and some of the kids offering her some of their candy. Luna smiled gratefully but shared the candy she was offered. At the apple-bobbing game, she couldn’t resist giving somepony a little scare but they laughed it off in good fun.

Later, at the Nightmare Moon statue, Twilight and Midnight were filling out a new friendship report.

‘Dear Princess Celestia,

When you first sent me to Ponyville, I didn't know anything about friendship. Midnight and I met somepony tonight who was having the same problem -- your sister, Princess Luna! She taught us that one of the best things you can do with friendship is to give it to others, and help them find it themselves! And we’re happy to report that all of Ponyville has learned that even if somepony seems a little intimidating, even scary, when you offer them your friendship, you'll discover a whole new pony underneath. And even if my Star Swirl the Bearded costume or my King Sombra outfit didn't go over, this still turned out to be the best Nightmare Night ever!

Your faithful student and loyal subject,
Twilight Sparkle and Midnight Blaze’

Just as they finished and started enjoying some candy, they failed to notice a certain rainbow-maned trickster positioning her cloud overhead. But before she could play her little game…
*CRACK-BOOM*

“AAAAUUUGGHHH!”

They looked up and saw a smoking rainbow trail streak off and looked up to see Luna, resting on a cloud as she lowered herself down, giving them a playful wink, and they all started laughing.

80. It's About Time - Part 1

Stepping out onto the porch of the house, Midnight shook his mane and he took a deep inhale of morning, sighing in satisfaction of that crisp fresh air. Then he went over the side of the porch, lifted his left rear leg, and leaked last night’s apple juice onto a patch of weeds.
“Whoo, much better.”

Before long, Midnight was walking through Ponyville, seeing ponies already getting up and ready for the day, going to their jobs, mares kissing their foals before they trotted off to school, the pegasus ponies clearing the sky for the morning rays. It was just bright and dandy today!

“I hope Twilight’s in a good mood,” he muttered to himself. “I’m certainly looking forward to our first magic session since that incident with that doll.”

He was so excited and feeling like today was a good day he failed to notice the flashing lights coming from the windows of the Golden Oak Library just up ahead. He stepped inside, calling out, “Good morning, Twilight! Ready for our session?”

“Midnight! Thank Celestia you’re here!” Twilight grabbed him by the horn as she ran out, yelling, “Come on!”

“Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow, the horn, the horn!” Midnight whined.

In town, ponies were going to and fro and about their business, and nopony paid any attention to Pinkie, whose barrel was tied with balloons, causing her to float just enough so that her hooves couldn’t touch the ground. Which was odd because she continued to move them as if she were walking, moving at an ever so slight pace.
“C’mon guys! The party can’t start until the party supplies get there!”

Behind her were Big Mac and Fluttershy, both of them carrying bags of various party supplies, although Big Mac had insisted on carrying the lion’s share.
“Happy to help, aren’t we, Mac?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said as he and Fluttershy shared a loving nuzzle, only for Big Mac to grunt, “Oomph!”

Pinkie and Fluttershy looked to see Twilight, whilst dragging Midnight behind her, had crashed into Big Mac. Thankfully the hulking red farmer was sturdy enough to stay on his hooves although he did drop a few supplies, among them a funny pair of joke glasses with a fake nose and mustache falling just perfectly onto Twilight’s face. She got up and zipped over onto a pedestal, declaring, “Listen everypony, I’ve got something really important to say!”

Her declaration was met with laughter at how silly she looked mixed with the conflicting statement.

“Uh, Twilight?” Midnight stifled a chuckle, while pointing to his muzzle, “Ya got a little…”

He finally let it out and Twilight realized what she was wearing. She growled and shook off the glasses.
“This is no laughing matter, we have a crisis on our hooves!”

That one got everypony’s attention, at least until Twilight said, “I’ve just been visited by myself from the future!”

“And just like that, folks, the crazy’s back,” Midnight cracked, spurring an even more guffawing uproar.

“Midnight, this isn’t a joke!” Twilight insisted as she hopped down. “My future self tried to warn me about a horrible disaster that’s gonna occur sometime before next Tuesday morning!”

“Wha’ kinda disaster?” Big Mac asked.

“I don’t know! My future self got whisked back into the future before she could explain!”

“RUN FOR YOUR LI-I-I-I-I-VES!” Pinkie screamed as she slowly drifted while her scurrying hooves got her nowhere fast because of the balloons keeping her aloft.

“What ever shall we do, Twilight?” Rarity worried as she Blueblood approached.
“How can we avert a disaster if we haven’t a clue as to what it is!” Blueblood pointed out.

“We’ll just have to work together to ensure our safety,” Twilight quickly took leadership. “Rainbow, Thunder, Soarin! Split all the pegasi in town into three teams and spread out over Equestria. Look for any kind of problem that could lead to a disaster! And I mean anything!”

“We’re on it, come on boys!” Rainbow streaked off, followed by Thunderlane and Soarin.

Twilight turned to the crowd, saying, “Everypony else-”

But she was interrupted by a screaming Pinkie, still not getting anywhere aside from light drifting. She stopped and addressed them, “Anypony else wanna panic with me? No? AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”

Twilight gave the party pony a look before resuming, “Everypony else… time to disaster-proof Equestria!”

Over the next few hours, the ponies of Ponyville got busy. They sealed up the cracks in Hoofer Dam, made sure the local watertower was full, made sure no screw was loose, cleaned up the streets, spruced every home, not a single hair was left out of place. Literally!

“Done, and done, and… done!” Twilight checked off a very long list before asking, "Applejack, what about the Everfree Forest?”

“Th’ perimeter’s clear.”

“Great! Thunder, how did the pegasus patrols go?”

“Just spoke with Dash and Soar, everything’s clear from Fillydelphia to Las Pegasus!”

“Excellent. Well, we’ve done everything on the list,” Twilight said warily, “but still… Future Twilight looked like she’d been through a horrible ordeal! I just have this nagging feeling we should be looking for something bigger than loose bolts or leaky pipes.”

“Twilight, relax,” Midnight said. “No matter what, you cannot be prepared for absolutely every possible outcome. That’s the way life is, sometimes it throws at you what you least expect.”

As if to punctuate Midnight’s statement, a loud ROAR ripped through the tension and it quickly revealed itself in the form of a humongous black three-headed dog! Ferocious and scary, each head let out a vicious roar.

“Okay everypony, follow my lead,” Pinkie said with a straight face before letting out an ear-piercing scream and panic ensued.

“Me and my big mouth…” Midnight facehooved as he hid in an alley, as did other ponies start hiding.

“What is that thing?!” Spike yelled.

“That’s Cerberus, he’s supposed to be guarding the gates of Tartarus,” Twilight explained as Cerberus started using a building for a chewtoy. “But if he’s here, then all the ancient evil creatures that have been imprisoned there can escape and destroy Equestria!”

“Destroy Equestria?!” Spike and Midnight echoed fearfully.

“Yeah, isn’t it great?” Twilight said with an inappropriately happy tone. “Hey Cerberus!”

Cerberus stopped, his left rear leg risen up, and Midnight had a sudden flash of déjà vu while the beast looked at Twilight.
“You look like you could use some obedience training! Magic obedience training…”

Twilight flared her horn, ready for a tussle when…

“Who’s the cute little three-headed dog?” Fluttershy was rubbing the big behemoth’s belly, all three heads panting happily.

“Wow…!” Midnight walked up cautiously. “I knew you were good with animals but this blows my mind!”

“Aww, he’s just a big furry guy who got out of his yard, that’s all,” Fluttershy waved it off as she continued to baby-talk the hellhound. “Right, Cerberus? Whooza good boy? Whooza good boy?”

“AAAAAAAHHHH!!!”

“Pinkie!”

“Yes, Midnight?”

“I don’t suppose you have a ball I could borrow, would you?”

“I have balls stashed all over Ponyville,” Pinkie reached into a hollow tree and pulled one out, “In case of ball emergencies.”

"Of course," Midnight deadpanned while Twilight took the ball in her aura.

“Hey Cerberus!”

All six eyes were on the ball, tongues lagging, as Twilight said, “Look what I have!”

She started galloping, carrying the ball in her aura, Cerberus following.
“I’ll be back as soon as I’ve returned him to the gates of Tartarus. Once he’s back home there’ll be no disaster!”

Pinkie, Midnight, and Spike all shared a look.

82. It's About Time - Part 3

By the time the train had dropped them off at the Canterlot station, night had long fallen, and the four of them hurried. Each of them was in a skin-tight black suit.
“Okay, the Canterlot Archives are right over there, let’s move!” Twilight whisper-shouted to the others.

While Twilight snuck from hiding place to hiding place, the others just followed a their own leisure.
“Uh, I don’t think we need to sneak around, Twilight,” Spike suggested.
“Yeah, it’s not exactly a crime to walk around Canterlot, even if it’s late,” added Midnight.

“Guard!” Twilight hopped onto a pedestal, posing next to a statue. “Come on you guys!”

Pinkie and Spike posed as statues while Midnight sighed and chanted,

“Like new moon glow unseen at night,
Conceal me from unwanted sight

"Invisibilis Sto”

He was enveloped in a brief silver glow before he was rendered invisible.

A Lunar Guard walked past them, not noticing a thing although he did nearly bump into the invisible Midnight.

“That was close,” Twilight sighed as Midnight shimmered into view after releasing his invisibility spell.

“I don’t know why we have to wear these things either!” Spike pulled his suit out of a very uncomfortable place.

“Aren’t we wearing them for fun?” Pinkie asked.

“Are you kidding?” Midnight was getting snippy. “There’s nothing fun about any of this!”

“Are you sure?” Pinkie asked but Twilight butted in.

“Focus guys! The only way to prevent this disaster is to stop time! Time spells are kept locked up in the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, the most secure section of the archives, that’s why we’re sneaking around!”

“I take it back,” Midnight cracked, “This is kinda fun!”

“No it’s not!” Twilight hissed as she zipped past a bush, not noticing a tear a stray branch made in her suit.

“I still don’t know how sneaking into the archives is gonna help her find out about her birthday present,” Pinkie brought up.
“Pinkie? You are so random,” sighed Midnight in dry response.

Opening a window, Twilight peered through.
“Okay, the coast is clear. Now slowly lift me up through-”

*THWACK/“OH!”*

Twilight groaned from having been pushed a little too hard and then dropping down to the floor, as Pinkie, Midnight, and Spike passed her by, Spike saying, “Let’s get this over with!”

As they snuck about, they avoided the illumination of a guard’s horn as he made his rounds, snuck past a couple sentries, hid on some banners to avoid detection…
“Okay, if my calculations are correct,” Twilight whispered, “the Star Swirl the Bearded wing should be right… here!”

“Uh, Twilight?”

“What?!”

“Isn’t this where we came in?” Midnight asked, gesturing to the window, Pinkie popping in through it.

“Cool! Can we climb through the window again? That was super fun!”

“I don’t understand, it was supposed to be right here! How’re we supposed to find it now?” Twilight worried.

“Maybe we should ask somepony in the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing?” Pinkie suggested while pointing it out. It had been right across the hall from the window they came in.

“Huh, how’d I miss that?” Twilight wondered aloud.

“Only when one steps back instead of scrutinizing every little detail,” Midnight said rather dramatically, “can one see the bigger picture.”

They all gave him a look and he shrugged.
“Yeah.”

“O…kay,” Twilight peered through the door. “Look at all those priceless magic scrolls, there are more than I ever imagined!”

“Uh Twilight?” Midnight said in a causal voice as he pointed down the hall. “The guard.”

“Whadoo we do, whadoo we do?!” Twilight worried as she hunkered down. A pair of hooves stopped right in front of her and she looked up at the guard.

“Hey Twilight! Haven’t seen you in a while,” he said, real nice and friendly. “Lemme open that for you.”

The guard cast an unlocking spell upon the door, causing it to swing open, Pinkie and Spike merrily entering while Midnight was giving Twilight a look. She chuckled sheepishly, and said, “Thanks!” to the guard.

When she went in, Midnight spoke with the guard, “Thank you, sir. Your name?”

“Oh, Sergeant Midnight Shift,” the guard introduced himself.

“Element of Faith and Guardian of Harmony, Midnight Blaze,” Midnight responded, causing both stallions to chuckle. “I’ll put in a good word for you, friend. Later!”

When they were inside the wing…
“Oh no!”

Twilight hurried over to a mirror, “I look just like Future Twilight! The last sign has come true!”

“And that’s bad, right?” Pinkie asked Midnight.
“Depends on how you look at it,” he responded.

“Come on! It’s almost Tuesday morning, the disaster could happen at any moment!” Twilight worried.

“But how do we find a time-stopping spell?!” Spike began to panic.
“There must be a million scrolls and spell books here!” Midnight looked around, uncertain of where to even begin.

“I… don’t… know!” Twilight got to browsing, as did Pinkie, as did Spike.

But Midnight wasn’t really helping. He’d had enough. He simply watched them scramble, deciding he’d take whatever was coming and just deal with it, when he noticed a scroll unroll at his hooves.

“Twilight, it’s over!”

They all looked to Spike who was at the window, “It’s officially Tuesday morning!”

“No!” Twilight groaned as she saw the break of dawn. “The disaster… is COMI-I-I-I-I-ING!”

She hunkered down and prepared for the worst.

…

“Twilight?”

She looked up to Midnight who was peering out the window with a smile and lowered his suit's hood to let his mane out.
“How can there be a disaster on such a pretty nice day?”

“Good morning, Twilight!”

They all looked to see Princess Celestia walking by.
“Love the new hairstyle. Well, Happy Tuesday!”

“Oh, Princess? Just so you know, Midnight Shift does a great job,” Midnight called after her.

“You know what, Midnight? You’re right,” Celestia yelled back. “I think the sergeant’s due for a promotion.”

“Why isn’t anypony surprised to see me sneaking around in here?!” Twilight spazzed. Then, like the morning, it began to dawn on her.
“Is it possible there never was a disaster to begin with? That I’d been driving myself up the wall over nothing?!”

“I don’t get it,” Spike said, “If Future Twilight wasn’t trying to warn you about a disaster, then what was she trying to warn you about?”

Twilight gave herself a look and giggled, “I don’t know, but I do know one thing-”

“You look ridiculous?” Midnight asked with a raised brow, spurring a chuckle out of all of them.

“She does!” agreed Spike.

“And all because I couldn’t stop worrying and let the future handle itself!” Twilight realized. “Well not anymore. From now on, I’m gonna solve problems as they come and stop worrying about every little thing!”

“That’s the Twilight I know and love,” Midnight gave her a one-armed hug but then cracked, “And ‘every little thing’? I wonder how long that vow will last.”

“Oh you…!” she giggled as she punched him in the shoulder, Midngiht laughing but subtly rubbing his shoulder when Twilight wasn't looking. “If only I’d learned this lesson a week ago, we’d never have had to go through all of this.”

“Twilight, Twilight, I found something!”

Pinkie Pie zipped up, holding up a parchment to Twilight as she explained, “It doesn’t stop time but it lets you go back in time. It says you can only use it once and it only last for a few moments.”

In his mind, Midnight had a revelation – This spell! He was about to say something but something in his mind stopped him and he had a shameless chuckle to himself as Twilight said, “Pinkie you’re a genius! Now I can go back in time and tell Past Twilight that she doesn’t need to go berserk with worry about a disaster that’s never gonna come!”

“Yeah, you do that,” Midnight said with a smug smirk, and Twilight began the spell. They watched in marvel as she was surrounded by rings of energy before she was gone in a flash of blinding light.

Midnight chuckled wickedly, much to Pinkie and Spike’s confusion, as he said, “And the cycle continues.”

“Huh?” Spike said.

“You’ll see in a few moments,” Midnight assured him and there was a flash of light as Twilight returned.

“…waste your time… worrying.” she sat down in a groaning sigh.

“Couldn’t get a word in edge-wise to your past self, could you?” Midnight gave her a cheeky smirk.

“No! I can’t believe I just did that!” Twilight facehooved.

“It’s your own fault for ensuring the timeline,” Midnight said with a smarmy voice, all eyes turned to him. “Twilight, you said that future Twilight had a message for you, but, given what you said to us before, she didn’t get to explain before she was whisked back into the future. I didn’t get it until Pinkie brought you that spell, and I realized… you just created a temporal paradox!”

Twilight felt her brain snap with the sort of realization that made her want to kick herself in the rump while Pinkie asked, “Twilight created a temporary pair of ducks?”

“No, Pinkie,” Midnight chuckled, “A temporal paradox! It’s an anomalous event that occurs because of time-travel, somepony goes back in time to stop an event from happening or change an event before it actually happens but instead of preventing the event they accidentally cause it instead or even unintentionally ensure it happened in the first place!”

“Huh?!” Pinkie and Spike didn’t get it.

“Remember last week when Future Twilight came to warn me about something?” Twilight explained. “That was me trying to warn myself not to worry so much!”

“And now, your past self is gonna spend the rest of her week going crazy about a disaster that doesn’t even exist, AH-HAH-HA!” Midnight keeled over in laughter.

“Ugh!” Twilight felt like such an idiot, having not realized that beforehoof.

“Aw, don’t sweat it,” Pinkie assured her, “It’s Past Twilight’s problem now!”

Twilight giggled as Midnight calmed down, and she said, “I guess you’re right, Pinkie.”

“Ahem,” Midnight cleared his throat not-so-subtly.

“And you were right, Midnight,” Twilight conceded. “I obsessed over what might have been I blinded myself to the here and now. If I’d just taken a moment to look at the facts more carefully instead of worrying about the future, I might have realized the spell would throw me into a paradox.”

“Ohhh...!”

They looked to Spike, clutching his belly, “My stomach! Ugh, I think it was all that ice cream… I thought the stomachache would be Future Spike’s problem… but now I am Future Spike, ohhh!”

The ponies couldn’t help but laugh as Midnight levitated Spike onto his back, “And I bet you’re thinking Past Spike is a real douche.”

“Hurk, ya got that right…” Spike whined.

“Come on then, Future Spike, everypony,” Twilight said, “let’s go home!”

But as they made their way out of the wing, Midnight subtly stowed a scroll into his suit, making sure the others didn’t notice.

But somepony did notice. A cloaked somepony who melted out of the shadow of a bookcase, peering from his hood after the blue unicorn.

Author's Note

What did Midnight just steal?!

I originally intended for Midnight to stop the temporal paradox from happening, there would've been a cosmic explosion, everything would reset to the moment where Midnight came into the library saying good morning to Twilight, and she would've said, "Whoa! Deja vu!"

But for some nagging reason I couldn't determine, i felt the story should stay the course because Midnight gets petty and lets Twilight make a fool of herself to herself, partly as revenge for all the crazy she put them all through but also so the lesson in this episode is learned.

Invisibilis Sto - 'I stand invisible'

84. Dragon Quest - Part 2

The next morning, Midnight ran into Soarin and Blueblood.
“Hey guys, where are you off to?”

“We thought we’d go check on Spike,” Soarin said. “After… yesterday, we just wanted to be sure he’s doing okay.”

“Rarity wanted to come herself but I insisted to her she might unintentionally stoke the flames of Spike’s ire further,” Blueblood added.

“Yeah, Dash wanted to come too,” Soarin agreed. “But I got her to go see Rarity and have breakfast.”

“Well, let’s go,” Midnight said as he led the way to the library.

But as they approached the library, the door flew open and who else but Spike would be stepping out… with a classic bag on a stick hanging over his shoulder, signifying he was leaving.

“Spike!” Midnight and the guys galloped up to him. “You’re running away?”

“No, guys, relax,” Spike growled. “I’m not running away.”

“He’s going to join the dragon migration,” Twilight explained as she stepped through the threshold behind Spike. “Late last night, we woke up and decided to look through my books for anything about dragons but…”

You didn’t find anything?” Blueblood asked.

“No! It seems dragons are just too rare and too scary for anypony to talk to or study,” Twilight sighed.

“Which is why I have to go on this quest of self-discovery!” said Spike rather dramatically. “I need to find out what it means to be a dragon and that’s only gonna work if I spend time among them!”

“Spike, that’s nuts!” Soarin gaped at him. “You could get hurt!”

“I must agree,” Blueblood added. “Think of Rarity, she’d be devastated were you to come to harm!”

“I’ve made up my mind,” Spike said in a tone of finality as he stepped past the guys.

They watched him leave and when he was out of earshot, Midnight asked Twilight, “You’re really not gonna stop him?”

“He needs this, Midnight,” Twilight sighed woefully. “I’ve raised Spike since that day he was given to me as an egg, but I never took the time to find out where he came from! I at least owe him my blessing to go on this quest of his… But he won’t be going alone.”

“You’re gonna follow him?” Blueblood asked.

“No, you guys are gonna follow him,” Twilight corrected with a sneaky look.

A look so foreboding the guys couldn’t help but gulp nervously.

“But don’t worry, you don’t actually have to accompany Spike,” Twilight assured them, “Just watch over him from afar, and make sure he gets where he’s going. In the meantime, I’m gonna contact an old friend…”

“Whoozat?” Midnight asked as Twilight went back into the library.

“You’ll know him when you see him,” she answered before she magic'd the door shut.

The guys all looked at each other and sighed.

Spike was well on his way as he followed the dragon migration… on foot, that is. He hadn’t grown his wings in yet although he wasn’t even sure if he’d ever grow wings! Neither wind nor rain nor sleet nor hale would bar this little dragon’s trail. Over the next few days, Spike had to wonder.

What would he find? What would the dragons be like? Would they have the answers he sought?

It was that ambition to answer his questions that drove his little feet forward, no matter how much it ached and how infrequent the breaks.

Finally, he stepped out of a thick wood and beheld a volcanic region just outside the border of Equestria!

It took some doing, but Spike finally managed to climb up a volcano and gasped at the view. Dragons galore, everywhere you looked they were there. While the adult dragons looked too… busy to be bothered with Spike’s curiosity (given one almost barbecued him) he noticed further in, surrounded by heaps of gemstones…
“Teenage dragons, alright!” Spike hurried down towards. “Now that’s more my speed.”

Unbeknownst to Spike, three eyes watched him head down, those eyes belonging to three invisible presences.
"Are you sure these invisibility charms of yours will work?”
"They’ll conceal us from being seen but they won’t keep our presences totally hidden. They only make us invisible, so these scalies could still smell or hear us.”
“So we should keep our muzzles shut for the time being, guys. By the way, when is that guy Twilight told us about supposed to appear?”
“She said he’d be here before Spike arrives, so he should already be somewhere about. As far as I know, he’ll step in as soon as Spike needs his help.”

At that moment however, Spike did indeed need help, as the teenaged dragons he’d approached were picking on him. Particularly, a red dragon named Garble, as he grabbed Spike and held him up by the tail, saying, “…at least he would if he had any wings! Ha-ha-ha!”

The teenaged dragons were so caught up in their bullying they didn’t see a green blur until it was too late, as it zoomed straight into Garble’s stomach, making him ‘oof ‘ and double-over in silent groaning. The blur then zipped about, tripping up or smacking down the other teenaged dragons until it settled next to Spike, a flurry of green flames dispersing to reveal a lime-green pony stallion with a flaming red mane and blazing blue eyes, his cutie-mark an emerald-green sword.

But he was no ordinary pony, for he had the horns and wings of a dragon, his tail serpentine with a darker green and red flame-shaped frill at the end, his eyes were reptilian like Spike’s, and a pair of fangs poked out from his upper lip.

The teenaged dragons all gasped, as did Spike as he said, “Emerald Blaze…?!”

“Hey Spike, what’s up?” he responded in a friendly way, the other teenaged dragons all gasping.

Garble stood up, rubbing his aching stomach as he groaned, “You… know this little guy, Emerald Blaze?”

“Yeah, and it appears to me you guys and my boy Spike were having some kind of problem…” Emerald Blaze’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the dragons, making them all shrink back in intimidation.

“Oh no, no, EB,” Garbled chuckled nervously. “We were just, uh… welcoming… Spike! Yeah, showing him the ropes an’ all?”

“Yeah? Well why don’t you show me just how fast you can run away?” Emerald Blaze said threateningly. “Y’know… before I skin you all alive and wear your sorry hides as dragon-skin belts and the like.”

The teenaged dragons all whimpered as they suddenly made tracks and flapped on out of there, much to Spike’s amazement.

“So Spike, what brings you here?” Emerald Blaze asked, facing the little dragon.

“Well, uh… See, I’ve been… having identity issues lately,” Spike explained the whole thing, not knowing emerald Blaze had already gotten the story from his old friend Twilight Sparkle and had come on the dragon migration to watch over Spike for her as a favor. But he needed to sound curious, as simply taking Spike’s presence for granted might make him look suspicious.

“I see,” Emerald Blaze nodded. “Well, Spike, if there’s anything you wanna know about dragons, I’m your guy. You don’t wanna hang out with the likes of Garble and his bunch of boulderheads.”

“Speaking of them,” Spike brought up, “how come they looked so afraid of you?”

“Because I’ve already established quite a reputation among the dragon community,” Emerald Blaze gestured Spike to walk with him. “See, after a while working as a wandering Royal Guard for the princess, I decided I needed to learn more about my… reptilian side. So I decided to live among and study dragons, partly to learn more about myself and also to share my findings and research with other ponies, as I’m sure you’re aware, the pony community’s understanding of dragons is quite lacking.”

Spike recalled how Twilight’s entire library had next to nothing on dragons, and nodded.

“So I’ve lived among them this past decade, Spike,” Emerald Blaze went on as he spread his leathery wings, and Spike gasped at the view before them. “Learning their ways, discovering their secrets, finally understanding the full extents of my power! I managed to meet a dragon who was not so ferocious enough to accept me as a… student, if you will. My master showed me abilities I never knew I had, and when I mastered my powers I challenged some dragons to various contests they practice and compete in within their culture, and came out on top in almost every single one of them!”

“So that’s why Garble and those guys respect you?” Spike looked up at Emerald Blaze as though he were a shining monument!

“Mm-hmm,” Emerald Blaze said proudly. “I’ve even begun to teach a few dragon hatchlings about ponies, as it’s my hope that someday dragons and ponies can live in harmony with each other instead of completely avoiding the other.”

“Wow…!” Spike was in serious danger of beginning hero-worship.

“Now, if you want to learn more about being a dragon,” Emerald Blaze said, “you’re gonna have to be well-rested, so go find a place to nap or something, and when you awaken we’ll get started on your training. You’re gonna need it.”

“Yessir!” Spike saluted before scampering off.

As Emerald Blaze watched him go, he chuckled, “So Twilight sent you guys to keep an eye on Spike?”

The three presences hid by a cluster of rocks behind Emerald Blaze.
“How did you know we were here?”

“If you’ve learned to use your senses like I do,” Emerald said with a smirk, “you’ll find your ears and nose can be more reliable than your eyes. Anyway, don’t worry about Spike. So long as he’s with me, those jerks won’t come near him. I plan to give Spike quite a workout, perhaps to the point where he either decides to go home after having had enough or until he gets the idea that what he is does not make him who he is…”

Author's Note

Emerald Blaze is (c) by Sarkolov

After heaing what kind of OC emerald Blaze is, I just had to put him in "Dragon Quest" with Spike!

96. The Crystal Empire - Part 5

Meanwhile, in the empire, Twilight was speaking with her brother and Cadance in the throne room. After asking around the crystal pony populace failed to yield any information, they checked the local library and found a book entitled History of the Crystal Empire.

Deciding to take the information she’d uncovered to them, Twilight explained, “A 'Crystal Faire'. According to this book, it was established by one of their nobles and became their most important tradition. The Faire was held every year to "renew the spirit of love and unity in the empire so they could protect it from harm". My friends and I could put it together. Everything we need to know is in the book!”

“That sounds pretty promising,” Shining Armor agreed with an upbeat attitude, hoping it would bring assurance to his wife.

But they both frowned to see Cadance remained in her slump, her horn continuing to shine as she provided light and love to maintain the barrier over the empire. Just looking at her, they knew she didn’t have long before she gave out from total exhaustion, only her will to protect the crystal ponies dashing away the ever-tempting desire to let it go and find solace in the slumber she so desperately wanted.

“We’ll get started on it right away,” Twilight assured them, “Come on, Spike! We’ve got a Crystal Faire to put together!”

The six mares, along with Spike, Blueblood, and Soarin discussed their plans and the Crystal Faire in a counsel room. They studied the book’s information of the faire, and after careful deliberation, they decided who would do what.

Rainbow Dash and Soarin volunteered to perform jousting. Rarity and Blueblood decided to handle the décor, Applejack would handle catering, Fluttershy would take care of the petting zoo of tiny ewes, Pinkie (much to everypony’s chagrin) volunteered to play the crystal flugelhorn, and Twilight, with Spike’s assistance, would oversee everything, as always.

Working together, the faire quickly came together.

“It looks amazing!” Twilight admired everypony’s hard work, as well as the teamwork that helped piece it all together.

There were tents, food stands, a pen full of crystal ewes, a jousting arena, games, all they would need for the Crystal Faire.
“I don’t know how I could’ve done this without you!”

Everypony smiled proudly and gave each other some well-deserved pats on the back as Twilight said, “Just one last check to make sure everything’s in place, and then the festivities can begin.”

“Wha’s this thing for?” Applejack, indicating a crudely-carved heart made of crystal.

“The last page of the book mentioned a crystal heart as the faire’s centerpiece,” Twilight showed the page.
“So I used my magic to cut one out of a crystal block.”

“Nice work, Twi,” Applejack nodded.

“Kind of an eyesore though, isn’t it?” Spike muttered to Blueblood and Soarin, the both of them discreetly nodding in agreement.

“Think we’re `bout ready t’ get this faire up n’ runnin’!” Applejack declared.

Later, up on the citadel’s balcony, Pinkie took a deep breath and blew a few eardrums off with the flugelhorn she held, Twilight, Shining Armor, and Cadance stepping out.

“Hear ye, hear-” Twilight tried to announce, only for Pinkie’s horrid flugel playing to almost make her grit her teeth before she gave the pink pony the stink eye.

Pinkie played a few more notes when she noticed them eyeing her, and she put it away, giggling sheepishly, “My bad.”

Twilight gave her a few more seconds of the stink eye for good measure before clearing her throat.
“Hear ye, hear ye! Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor do cordially invite you to attend the Crystal Faire!”

The mopey, not-so-crystally crystal ponies out and about were intrigued, and almost at once they all began to brighten up, in manner and appearance, as they murmured with interest, approaching the faire with barely-contained excitement.

“Come one, come all!” announced Blueblood as he led them in. “You’ll find food and drink in that direction, games and crafts this way, and the crystal heart centering it all!”

The very mention of the crystal heart, Blueblood noticed, seemed to spur even greater interest and mirth from the crystal ponies.

Soarin was starting to enjoy himself as well, as he glomped into a crystal berry pie, savoring each mouthful that he didn’t care if somepony thought had had lousy table manners.

“Seeing all of this,” he looked up and saw some crystal mares walking and talking together, “I feel like I’m starting to remember. Things from before the king went mad…”
“Me too…!”

They both gasped, as their appearances and eyes brightened with gleaming color.
“The Crystal Heart!” they said together.

“Do you think they really have it?”

“You bet we do!” Soarin yelled to them, waving his wing as he wiped his messy mouth off. “I mean, what’s the Crystal Faire without the Crystal Heart?”

“It isn’t.”

They looked to see the elderly crystal mare Soarin and his friends saw at the library.
“The whole purpose of the Crystal Faire is to lift the spirits of the crystal ponies… so the light within them can power the Crystal Heart… so that the Empire can be protected!”

Soarin felt his spirits go down while the mare’s went up as she gasped, “I do work at the library!”

“Uh, what’s that about… powering the heart?” Soarin asked slowly.

“I just can’t believe you found it!” the librarian exclaimed. “After King Sombra’s own heart turned dark, he hid the Crystal Heart, declaring it would never again see the light of day! I only hope that after all these years, it will be as vibrant as before!”

Soarin whimpered as he realized their goof, the librarian not noticing as she walked away, saying, “Mm, funnel cake!”

*SHOOM, SNATCH, ZOOM, FLAP*

Twilight pulled off what looked to be a tarp, and saw Soarin looking anxious but could not for the life of her understand why he’d concealed the heart she’d made.
“Soarin, what’s gotten into-”

“Twi! We… have a problem,” he groaned.

After getting the whole story from Soarin and sharing it with Shining Armor and Cadance, Twilight worried as they stood on the balcony, her looking through the history book.
“I didn’t know it was an actual relic! The book didn’t mention anything about the crystal ponies powering the heart!”

“Oh horseapples…!” Shining Armor suddenly remembered. “Before Midnight tossed me through the barrier, he told me to tell you… Find the Crystal Heart! I can’t believe I forgot that!”

“But what is the Crystal Heart?” Twilight asked rhetorically, as she sped-read the book until she gasped! “The last page is missing… How did I not notice that?!”

“It’s alright, Twilight…” Cadance whispered before she fainted. Shining Armor catching her, a look of worry on his face.

“Twily…!” he said anxiously.

But before anypony could say more, they gasped to see the barrier surrounding the empire began to falter, tearing down the pristine landscape the barrier had been showing, revealing the true harsh tundra surrounding them all… and a great darkness rose like a tsunami, ready to swallow them all up.

Author's Note

Come on, I couldn't not show what was going on inside the barrier and focus entirely on the battle, could I?

But in retrospect I shoulda added a worry scene for the Guardians of Harmony.

110. The Wonderbolts Academy - Part 2

Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane reached the Wonderbolts Academy in almost no time at all. It was built atop a high plateau encircled with clouds upon which were built several cloud-buildings, and along the plateau was a runway for fliers to get a running start before takeoff. Everywhere they saw cadets training hard and diligent, in aerobatics, in simulated weather conditions, in muscle build-up, flew courses in different formations, and all of them wore cadet uniforms with the same colors as the Wonderbolts uniform. But unlike the latter, the cadet uniform was more like a high-collared skin-tight shirt and didn’t cover the whole body, and each cadet also had a pair of goggles.

As they took it all in on the flyover, Thunderlane asked, “So, Dash, are you ready for this?”

“Oh yeah,” Rainbow Dash smirked, “this is gonna be sweet!”

They checked in at the administrative office and were given directions on where to meet with all the new arrivals. Once they got there, they saw a few familiar faces. They saw Cloud Chaser speaking with their neighbor from Ponyville, Bulk Biceps, while the rest they didn’t know.

But for some reason, one pegasus caught Rainbow’s eye. He was tall with a long wind-swept pale blue mane while his coat was dark blue, his eyes were red like a sunset, and his cutie-mark was a wing over a cloud. For some reason, he looked rather familiar. But she focused on the here and now as she stood between Thunderlane and another pegasus mare, whose coat was turquoise, and her mane was golden orange.

As the new cadets chattered, a voice made them all instantly stop and get in line.
“Lookie what we got here…”

It was Spitfire, Head Captain of the Wonderbolts, Captain of the Wonderbolt A-Squad, looking fierce in her officer’s uniform, sided by a couple stallions who worked as trainers in the academy. As Spitfire began to walk along the line of fresh meat, she said, “Bet you all think your Wonderbolt-material, don’cha?”

“Yes ma’am!” stated all the cadets.

“Think you’ve got what it takes to be an elite flyer?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Well then, let me be the first to tell you… you don’t!” Spitfire snapped, pointing a hoof at a mare with a yellow coat and light blue mane.
“If you had what it took to be an elite flyer, you’d already be a Wonderbolt.”

She then got up in Cloud Chaser’s face, asking with a harsh manner, “Still think you’re something special?”

“N-no, ma’am,” Cloud Chaser replied with shaking knees.

Then Spitfire took in Bulk Biceps, who whimpered a bit as he tried to maintain his stoic profile. She looked at his teeny wings and secretly wondered, How does an overdone beefcake like this even get an inch off the ground?

She flapped up a bit to get eye-level with him and stared him down, “You think you’re hot stuff?”

Bulk simply whimpered at bit as he lowered himself, too afraid to answer.

She then looked at Thunderlane and secretly thought, Hmm… Well, this one doesn’t look like a waste of my time.

To Spitfire, Thunderlane’s mohawk styled mane and short tail were perfect for a flyer in certain ways. The style would cut through the air, the tail wouldn’t drag, and he certainly looked well-built in the right places. But she wasn’t gonna tell him that. So, to save face, she then faced Rainbow Dash and inwardly cheered at having such a promising recruit, but she couldn’t tell her that.
“You look like you’re the worst flyer in the whole academy!”

Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at that snide comment but wasn’t gonna take the bait.

“You’ll prob’ly quit after the first day!”

“No ma’am!” Rainbow disagreed while remaining stoic, “I’d never quit, ma’am!”

Spitfire smirked, liking that tenacious remark before moving onto the mare next to Rainbow Dash.
“What about you? Bet you couldn’t fly past the first flagpole without getting winded!”

“Try me, ma’am…” the mare remarked in a slightly challenging way that Spitfire lowered her sunglasses.

“What was that…?” she asked in a low tone, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane watching the exchange out the left corners of their eyes.

“Let me show you what I’ve got, ma’am!” the mare said confidently.

“So… you want a chance to prove yourself, huh?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the mare replied almost eagerly.

“Then here’s your chance… gimme 500 laps,” Spitfire ordered before adding, “All of you!”

The cadets all groaned at the chore they’d just been given.

“NOW!” Spitfire snapped before harshly blowing her whistle, the cadets quickly taking off.

As she watched them get started, one of her assistant trainers asked, “Um, Captain… Is it really such a good idea to wear them out right off the bat?”

“Don’t you start with me, Fast Clip,” Spitfire said in a testy way. “I’ve already got the Wonderbolt Management Office on my ass, I don’t need it from you as well.”

“Would this have to do with that surprise inspector they told you about?” asked Spitfire’s other assistant, Whiplash.

“You’re damn right it is,” Spitfire said as she watched the noobs. She noticed out of the nine, four of them showed real promise. One of them was obviously Rainbow Dash, another was the one who gave Spitfire the challenging lip without actually disrespecting her. She also saw Thunderlane and noticed how he was maintaining a certain speed that allowed him to keep up with Rainbow Dash and also conserve his energy, hinting he might be more of an endurance flyer despite his impressive speed.
The fourth was the dark blue pegasus stallion with light red eyes. He flew like an amateur but she could tell he had experience, and for some reason she felt like she had seen him before but couldn’t put her feather on it.

The rest were flying at the average speed, some wearing themselves out a little too quickly, others just trying to get through the 500 laps, and all of them kept getting lapped by the four Spitfire had her eyes on.

“Those stuck-up office-types,” she growled to herself, “questioning my work ethics and abilities… I’ll show them, by whipping this sorry bunch into a class by themselves!”

After a while, Rainbow, Thunder, and Lightning, along with the blue stallion with red eyes were coming to their last lap.
“One more lap to go!” Rainbow noted to the others, giving them a challenging look.
“I’m game!” Thunderlane narrowed his eyes.
“You’re on!” added the turquoise mare.

The blue stallion simply smirked and had the nerve to take a head-start, forcing the other three to flap faster to catch up. Rainbow Dash trailed a rainbow, Thunderlane trailed an electric stream of cloud, the turquoise mare trailed lightning, and the blue stallion trailed a stream of vapor laced with electricity.

The stallions, fast as they were, were built more for endurance and so fell behind while the mares were neck in neck!

…and completed the 500th lap, Spitfire checking the stopwatch she had as her four most promising recruits all screeched to a skidding halt. She passed them by saying, with her snoot in the air, “Not bad… for a mob of noobs.”

The four of them shrugged as the mare introduced herself.
“Name’s Lightning Dust.”
“Rainbow Dash.”
“Thunderlane.”
“Call me Glide, seeya.”

The stallion called Glide made off rather quickly but his voice caught Rainbow Dash’s attention.
I could swear I’ve met him before…!

“Hey, I'm headed to the mess hall for some grub. Either of you hungry as well?” Lightning Dust asked Dash and Lane.

“Definitely,” Rainbow nodded.
“As a horse!” chuckled Thunder chuckled in a slightly cocky way.

Back in Ponyville, Twilight and Midnight were discussing some new spells Princess Celestia had sent them to study and were considering how to use them in Midnight’s experiments when there was a knock at the library door.

“Come in!” Twilight called and the door opened to reveal,” Applejack, what’s up?”

“Not Pinkie Pie t’ be sure,” Applejack answered as she came in.

“Oh no, she missing our favorite aspiring Wonderbolts?” asked Midnight with an unsurprised tone.

“Keeps lookin’ int’ her mailbox, hopin’ fer a letter from Dash n’ Thunder,” Applejack explained, “Ah suggested we come see yer new spells but she goes on a rant `bout how not reading a letter from Dash n’ Lane can lead t’ a whole mess o’ trouble. An’ Ah thawt Rarity was a drama-queen!”

“In other words, Pinkie’s being her unexplainable self,” Midnight chuckled understandingly.

“Darn tootin’,” Applejack shrugged. “So what were y’all talkin’ about before Ah came in?”

“It’s one of these spells the princess sent us,” Twilight explained. “It’s a spell that allows somepony to observe another’s dreams while they sleep by making a telepathic connection. Midnight suggested applying it in a way that allows somepony to observe a dream without the telepathic link.”

“The idea I have is to make a… window into a dream, I guess you could call it,” Midnight added. “This would enable us to watch a dream through the theoretical device, like television!”

“Sounds interestin’ but… Ah dunno, don’ tha’ sound a bit like an invasion o’ privacy?” Applejack brought up.

“Not unless the dreamer gives permission,” Midnight amended.

Back at the academy, the cadets had all been given their uniforms and goggles, and were standing single-file in front of Spitfire. Behind her was a large something concealed by a purple tarp, Fast Clip standing next to it while Whiplash was standing next to some kind of oversized and over-complicated speedometer.

“The Wonderbolts are the fastest, best precision fliers in the world,” Spitfire lectured, “but spinouts can still happen. When they do, a Wonderbolt must be able to recover quickly. Say hello to…”

Fast Clip took that cue and pulled off the tarp to reveal, “the Dizzi-tron!”

It was a giant wheel-like structure with a hypno-swirl pattern of purple and green. In the center was a cog interlocking with a bigger one, upon which was some kind of harness. In all honesty, it looked like a wild ride one could find at a carnival.

“It’s going to make you very – I repeat – very dizzy! The goal is to try an’ recover, and fly straight again ASAP! Once you have recovered, you must come in for a smooth landing. Now… who’s first?”

Unsurprisingly, Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust raised their hooves, but Spitfire ignored them as she set her sights on a pink-coated and blonde maned pegasus named Wild Flower who stood at the end of the line closest to the Captain.
“You. You’re up.”

“Me?!” Wild Flower peered around Spitfire to look at the Dizzi-tron. She wasn’t even on it yet and already she was feeling woozy, gulping nervously.

“NOW!” Spitfire spat impatiently, Wild Flower zooming in a panic and getting herself set in. “Ready?”

Deciding to just get it over with, Wild Flower lowered her goggles, saying, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Go!” At Spitfire’s command, Whiplash activated the machine.

Everypony’s eyes followed Wild Flower as the machine accelerated while Wild Flower’s eyes teared up a bit in suspense.

“Release!”

Whiplash pulled a second lever, and the machine’s harness let Wild Flower go, sending her rolling head over tail into the sky.

She just barely managed to regain her sense of up n’ down and wobbly regained control as she went for her landing. However, Spitfire hadn’t been kidding – The Dizzi-tron had left Wild Flower’s eyes spiraling in her head as she came in, skidding and groaning, up to the Captain’s hooves.

“Ah, 15 seconds. Decent, but I wouldn’t go writing home about it. Who’s next?” Spitfire scanned the line. “Alright, Rainbow Dash! Let’s see what’cha got!”

“Yes ma’am!” Rainbow zipped onto the Dizzi-tron, eager to show Spitfire her stuff!

“Okay, go!”

Second verse was not so same as the first. Being a much more experienced flyer, Rainbow used the spinout to her advantage, enabling her to make a U-turn and quickly come in for a perfect landing.

“6 seconds!” Spitfire was impressed, as well as pleased. “That’s an academy record!”

Thunderlane smiled proudly of his friend as she alighted herself back into line, Wild Flower whispering in praise, “You make it look so easy!”

“Huh, I make everything look easy,” Rainbow boasted, Thunderlane rolling his eyes.

Humble as always, Dash.

“Okay, Lightning Dust, you’re up!” called Spitfire and Lightning quickly got ready. But as she got strapped in, her following words surprised everypony.

“Ma’am, can you set the Dizzi-tron at maximum speed? I wanna push my limits.”

The other cadets whispered in disbelief while Spitfire and Fast clip gave each other a look, Spitfire asking Dust, “You sure about that?”

“Yes ma’am!” Lightning Dust punctuated her response by snapping her goggles on.

“Okay, you asked for it,” Spitfire gave an approving nod to Whiplash, who started the machine.

But as the dizzy-tron got started, Whiplash cranked up the accelerator to maximum as Lightning had requested. But Spitfire let it spin for a tad longer than she had allowed for Wild Flower and Rainbow Dash before she yelled, “Release!”

Lightning Dust was sent for a spiral, outlined by her lightning trail, but she managed to use the acceleration and rose up before letting herself fall, keeping her limbs straight and her wings tucked until she came down far enough and she lifted up just enough to zoom along the runway to her landing.

“6.5 seconds, not bad!” Spitfire was blown. Perhaps Rainbow Dash wasn’t the jewel among this collection of newbies as she had originally thought!

Before long, everypony had taken their turn on the dizzy-tron. Rainbow Dash was happy to see Thunderlane had been timed 7 seconds and that other stallion, Glide, had timed 7.1.

Spitfire was pleased as well. There were plenty of promising recruits here, as well as a few that needed to polish their skills yet did show for some potential.
But that Glide character…

She regarded him as he stretched his wings. She’d paid him close attention as he’d taken his turn. Spitfire had a sharp eye, as any good captain should, because she had noticed Glide seemed to have intentionally slowed down just a little bit as he made his landing rather than doing it as quickly as he could. 7.1 was still impressive but she couldn’t help but feel that he’d deliberately held back!
Better keep an eye on that one. An’ perhaps he can help some of these guys.

She noticed Rainbow Dash, Thunderlane, and Lightning Dust talking and called out, “Listen up! For the rest of the camp, you’ll be working in squads of three! Tomorrow morning I’ll post the teams and who will be lead pony and who will be wingponies. Good luck!”

“Like we’ll need it,” Lightning Dust said to Rainbow Dash as the teachers left.

125. The Midnight Dour - Part 5

Everypony was blown! They couldn’t understand what they had just witnessed – Midnight had performed some kind of ritual and the result had created this hellish thing before them, sneering at the looks on their faces and revealing his fangs, his mane and tail blistering flames, his coat black like oil with the same shimmer of oil in water, his eyes red with bloodlust, and a horn that had curved up and smoothed out.

Wherever he stepped he left behind a flaming hoofprint, heat waves shimmered around him, making him look like a bad dream come to life, and that’s exactly what he was.

Behind him, Midnight Blaze laid unconscious, his coat paled and his mane turned white. He looked sickly and helpless, as though his very health had been sucked dry.

“You-” All eyes turned to Twilight, who looked on the verge of spazzing out. “You’re not Midnight!”

“Twilight, you hurt me,” the creature acted upset but his voice and manner were spurious. “Of course I’m Midnight! …Or rather, I was a part of him, a part so vile and depraved he endeavored to hide how disgusting I made him feel from all of you!”

“Well I’m gonna make you feel the hurt!” Rainbow started flying at the creature who smirked and stomped his hoof.

Instantly, a monolith of dark crystal erupted from the ground, into which Rainbow Dash went splat!

“Simmer down, Rainbow Crash,” the creature sniggered, “the grownups are talking.”

He turned his attention to Twilight and went on.
“Although, dear Twilight, you are half-correct that I’m not Midnight Blaze. I need my own identity, it must be alluding, foreboding…”

Twilight was put off by this abomination’s air of aloofness but worked up the nerve to demand, “Who are you and what have you done to Midnight?!”

He mused with an impish smirk before perking, “Ah! Howsabout you all call me… Midnight Terror! Alluding, foreboding, it’s perfect! It’s me… As for your second question, I have done nothing to Midnight! Well… if you’re referring to just now. Because honestly, heh-heh… I’ve been having a lot of fun toying with Midnight these past months…”

“Explain yourself,” Twilight demanded, everypony watching the exchange as Terror sneered.

"Do you recall that night, dearest Twilight, back in the time when friends meant nothing to you, when they were but a distraction to your sad pursuit of being a perfect teacher’s pet? Look back and think… what did poor Midnight do to help you? What was it he did to prove himself worthy of the Element of Faith?”

Everypony looked at each other in confusion, whispering questions while Twilight searched her memory.
What did Midnight do to prove himself as the Element of Faith? …He…

It slowly began to dawn on her as she recollected the night she and everypony sans Blueblood and Soarin journeyed through the Everfree Forest to the Castle of the Two Sisters in order to find the Elements of Harmony to stop Nightmare Moon.

When she had been whisked away by the Mare in the Moon and initially failed to power the Elements, Nightmare Moon had fired an energy bolt at her, but from out of nowhere, Midnight had shielded Twilight with his very body, injuring himself.

“He… he protected me from Nightmare Moon!” she said aloud in realization.

Chuckling, Terror smirked, “Smart girl… You see, my poor, little, pathetic ponies, I am more than just some evil that has haunted Midnight’s dreams and spurred his undesirable habits into light, I am… I suppose you could almost call me… the reincarnation of Nightmare Moon!”

Everypony gasped at Terror’s words as he went on.
“As you all recall, before she was Nightmare Moon, she was her esteemed and Royal Majesty, Princess Luna of the Night! Heh, and because she was jealous of big sister, it made her vulnerable to an evil none of you can begin to understand… This evil took hold of Luna and turned her into that frightful creature you faced on the Thousandth Summer Solstice since Celestia imprisoned her so long ago. When Midnight selflessly took that blow meant for you, Twilight, the evil had left within him a wisp of itself.”

Twilight felt her heart ache as she recalled that terrible moment and how touched she’d been Midnight had literally put himself on the line for her.

“This wisp seeded itself within Midnight. It took time to grow since this waste of flesh here" - He cruelly kicked the unconscious Midnight - " Heh, not exactly the baddest cat in the whole damn town… But in certain moments, when he felt angry at something or someone, when he felt that dark temptation of taking vengeance… the wisp of the evil fed on it, and invigorated Midnight to get down with his bad self, yo, heh-heh-heh! Under the influence of this evil, he tricked a cockatrice into turning itself into stone, and once he made sure nopony was watching… he shattered the helpless creature to pieces!”

Fluttershy gasped in shock as she remembered that night when Midnight protected her and the crusaders from the cockatrice. She had no idea what he’d done to it!

“Then there was the time when that airhead seamstress went and got her dear little self ponynapped by those mongrel diamond dogs who wanted to enslave her and use her nifty little gem-finding spell. After you all went to rescue her and found her not needing it, you all turned to leave. But Midnight remained behind a short moment and cast a spell to bury those beasts alive!”

Rarity was horrified! Sure those brutes had been rough and tried to enslave her, but she wouldn’t wish being buried alive on anyone.

“And when that whiny dragon of yours was having identity issues, and you sent the boys to keep an eye on him, Midnight helped protect your little Spike from some teenaged dragons by crippling their wings!”

Soarin and Blueblood were shocked that Midnight had done something so cruel as to render creatures that could fly forever earthbound.

“And then as the evil began to gain more strength, it formed a consciousness, and I began to haunt Midnight in his dreams… His fear, his anger, his frustrations, all of it and knowing how it made him squirm was just priceless…! But then I got tired of being nothing more than a bad dream – I wanted a body, and I intended to take Midnight over. First however, I had to break the loser down. How he changed, how it made him act, and none of you thought or cared enough to truly be there for the poor thing… How alone he felt, how afraid he was! How desperate he became to be rid of me!”

Now it was all starting to make sense, Twilight feeling the guilt dampen her spark, suffocate her, but Terror wasn’t quite done.

“By a stroke of luck, Midnight came across a tome to a ritual that he wanted to use to exorcise himself of me! And it worked… just not how he had hoped! The means weren’t what I originally intended but the results speak for themselves! I’m out! And before long all of Equestria will be faced with a choice.”

“And what choice is that?” Twilight asked and the answer Terror gave them was devoid of emotion.

“Bow… or burn…!” A wicked glee spread across his face as he began to chuckle darkly before throwing back his head in barking maniacal laughter!

“Seize that creature!” Blueblood shouted and everypony charged past Twilight, Terror sneering.

“Stand back you fools!!!” He reared up and stamped his hooves, igniting a wall of flame to cut them off as he himself was engulfed in cursed fires and Flamed away, his evil cackles lingering in taunting echoes.

“He’s gone!” Thunderlane gasped as everypony looked around to be sure the monster had left.

“Midnight…?”

They all looked and felt their hearts sink as they saw Twilight kneeling down and holding Midnight’s head. He looked so frail, so helpless, and didn’t stir. Only his slight wheezing indicated he was alive. Twilight felt her heart break as it all fell upon her in realization.

Midnight had been struggling, desperate for a solution to find a way to free himself of this burden, and all she had done was stoke the flames that were burning away at his sanity by her confronting him when he’d snuck into her home. Her demanding of answers he was too afraid to give had backed him into a corner, leaving all he could do was to lash out.

And when he realized what he had done, he had been crushed with guilt, a guilt, Twilight, that had only spurred him further into his desperation.

“Sugarcube?”

Twilight looked up tearfully at Applejack, who was also shedding tears as she knelt down in front of her friend and ailed brother.

“We need t’ get him some help,” she stated.

“…You’re right, Applejack,” Twilight gently put Midnight’s head down and looked to Big Mac and he instantly nodded in understanding. Twilight carefully enveloped the unconscious unicorn in her aura and even more carefully placed him onto Macintosh’s back.
“Thunderlane, Blueblood, accompany Big Mac, the rest of us are gonna head to the hospital and alert them of Midnight’s condition!”

In Canterlot Castle, Celestia furrowed her brows as she gazed at the cover of smog over Ponyville, slowly but surely spreading like a destructive oil spill. If nothing was done soon, it would blot out the entire sky, block away the sun, poison the clouds, and all of Equestria – nay, the entire world – would be in danger.
“I can’t believe you’ve done this…”

From the shadow of the awning over the balcony, the Hooded Pony slipped out, his head hung heavy with guilt.
“…I can’t believe I did it either, Your Majesty, but it sickens me to justify myself and the situation with this simple reason – It is necessary.”

“You stole that book from my secret sanctum…” seethed Celestia, her resplendent mane and tail intensifying with a harsh radiance. The Hooded Pony held up his cloak from the heat.
“I should’ve destroyed it long ago.”

“Had you then everything you know, everything you love, all of it would have been for nothing,” the Hooded Pony maintained. “Princess, I had a similar conversation with Shining Armor before the wedding. I told him the events and all involved, good and bad, had a role to play. Furthermore, I told him that as long as he had faith, it would all work out, and it did. I say the same to you, as well as bring up that the time has come for old sins to be redeemed, mine and his.”

“His?” Celestia echoed as she looked curiously at the Hooded Pony. From the folds of his cloak he levitated out a something she had not seen for over a thousand years, and it began to dawn on her.

“…I need a quill. They’ll want to know help is on the way.”

Everypony sat in the waiting room of Ponyville Hospital. Big Mac held a sniffling Fluttershy, as Rarity rested her head on Blueblood’s shoulder, Soarin had his wing around Rainbow, to comfort her as well as discourage her squirming. Pinkie Pie fidgeted so much Applejack had to hogtie her to sit still but out of them all, Twilight alone stood in front of the doors, looking up at the letters that read ‘Emergency Room’.

They had delivered Midnight to Doctor Stable and done their best to explain but Stable had only gotten a gist of what they said before insisting they get out of the way so he and Nurse Redheart could get their patient in for medical diagnosis.

Twilight prayed with all her heart they’d find a way to help her student, her friend. She even dared to think of him as the one.
Please… Don’t give in, Midnight!

“Twilight! Everypony!”

They all jolted to see Spike run in, waving a scroll as he panted, “Twilight…” – Pant! – “The Princess…” – Gasp! – “sent me this…” – “Real… important…”

Spike almost keeled over but Thunderlane caught the little dragon while Twilight took the message and read it aloud for everypony to hear.
“‘My Dearest Twilight,

I have sensed a great darkness has made itself known and fear for the safety of Ponyville. From Canterlot I observe a mass of smog spreading across the heavens over Ponyville and it is for this reason I remain in Canterlot, to use my power to try and contain whatever this haze may be, if only to prevent whatever sinister purpose its origin may have.

But do not despair, I have already sent somepony to help you. He should arrive not long after you receive this message. Who this help is may surprise you but I give you my word he can be trusted and his area of expertise will be vital in stopping the threat, whatever it is.

If you do not have the Elements of Harmony with you, I urge you and your friends to collect them as soon as possible. The spell I placed upon them to protect them from ~~Discord~~ Forgive me, Eris, should prevent this entity from touching them but take no chances.

I pray you are safe and will keep a clear head.

Sincerely yours,
Princess Celestia’.”

For a few moments, silence.

And then Thunderlane asked, “So then… somepony’s coming to help?”

“I wonder who it’s gonna be!” Pinkie gasped, “Maybe it’s Eris, or Shining Armor, or some totally unexpected form of aid we’d never expect in a bajillion years!”

“I just hope that whoever it is really can help,” Fluttershy wiped away her tears as Big Mac held his arm around her shoulders. “But even more, I hope that Midnight will be okay!”

*Ding*

All eyes turned to the emergency room doors as out came Dr. Stable, looking troubled before Twilight asked the million bit question.
“Doctor, how is he?”

“He’s… not good, Miss Sparkle,” Stable explained morosely. “We’ve run every test, considered any feasible explanation, we just can’t accurately diagnosis Midnight Blaze’s condition! What I can tell you, is, although biologically speaking he should be sound Midnight’s health is… deteriorating.”

“What’s that mean?!” Rainbow Dash looked around for anypony who had an answer.
"It means..." Soarin said sadly, "Midnight’s health is just getting worse, Dashie.”

“Exactly,” Stable sighed. “Right now, Midnight is in what appears to be a magically-induced coma. He’s still breathing, his heart’s beating, there are several burns across his body that we healed with little trouble, but right now, he is just… lost in a dreamless sleep.”

Everypony shared troubled looks, shifted anxiously but then Stable added, “There’s one more thing. There is something wrong with Midnight’s mana. Like Midnight himself, it’s growing weaker, but what’s disturbing is… it appears to be missing something. Like… his magic itself is incomplete, I’m not sure how to describe it because I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Perhaps I can shed some light on the situation.”

All attention turned to the source of the voice and everypony gasped, Thunderlane and Big Macintosh especially.
“Sombra!”

It was indeed the former tyrant king of the Crystal Empire, once infamously known as the Unicorn whose Heart is as Black as Night.

Sombra stood there, looking hesitant yet standing his ground. He wore nothing except for saddlebags strapped to his barrel, his ash gray coat recently brushed, his ebony mane swept back, streaked with dark blue, his eyes were green, and his cutie-mark was a three-point cluster of red crystal. He stood taller than everypony present, including Big Mac, and he had a strong build that showed some impressive muscles, large but not bulky.

Blueblood and Soarin stood in front of Rarity and Rainbow Dash respectively, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane’s wings raised as though ready for a fight, Big Mac narrowed his eyes while Fluttershy pressed against him nervously, and Twilight’s horn subtly lit up as she considered what sort of spell to use.

“What’re you doing here?!” Thunderlane demanded.

Sombra opened one of his bags with his magic and levitated out a paper stamped with something that caught Twilight’s eye.
“That’s the Royal Seal!”

“Indeed, Twilight Sparkle,” Sombra nodded sagely. “This document will explain I was charged by Princess Celestia to come to help the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, as well as their Guardians, however I can.”

“Hi!” Pinkie popped up in front of him, startling Sombra, “I’m Pinkie Pie! I’ve heard lots about you, that you used to be a real meany-pants but I also heard Midnight made you nice and good. You seem to know Twilight, so I’ll introduce everypony-”

A zipper conjured and sealed Pinkie’s mouth shut, making her throw a stink eye at Twilight, who shook no, “Not now Pinkie!”

Pinkie pouted and moved out of Sombra’s way as he approached Doctor Stable.
“If I may, doctor, I would like to examine Midnight Blaze myself.”

Author's Note

I had to bring Sombra in at some point since his reformation back to good, and decided this would be just right!

The art is yet another masterful commission courtesy of Hoodwink McShelster.

Can anyone guess what it represents?

136. Magical Mystery Cure - Part 1

It had been quite a while since the Crystal Empire had been chosen to host the Equestria Games. The friends in Ponyville went on as they did, going to a Pinkie Party at least once a week for even the silliest occasion, Blueblood was getting close to completing a new airship he intended to give to Ponyville as a flight service, Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane continued to co-captain their town weather team, Soarin was getting close to completing his degree, Fluttershy and Big Macintosh were starting to get serious with their wedding plans, Rarity managed to wrangle the Cutie-Mark Crusaders into helping her with her new colts & fillies line (she had to promise a favor each to Rumble and Scootaloo while Sweetie Belle managed to drag Button Mash into it), Applejack recently did a catering service with the Cakes at Sugarcube Corner, and Twilight and Midnight carried on with their magical studies.

In fact, a while back, Prince Sombra had given Midnight a magic journal that enabled them immediate correspondence like a two-way radio. Whatever Midnight wrote into the journal would appear in a similar one Sombra had, and vice-versa.

Through their correspondence, Midnight had learned a lot of new magical arts from his new master despite the Prince of Shadow not being present for the most part.

Then he decided to incorporate what he had learned from both his teachers for an experiment in his workshop.

It was late, the crickets a’chirping to the moon, and Midnight had just finished boiling three magical liquids on his stove. They were colorless and continued to bubble as he replaced them onto his worktable via telekinesis.

At first glance, they might be mistaken for bowls of simmering hot water, but he had to act quickly before they cooled. He focused on the first bowl and cast upon it a Spell of Impact!

The spell was meant to cause a magical effect to activate upon some kind of impact, and the bowl turned a purplish magenta.

For the next bowl, he cast the Sphere of Influence Spell, which allowed for one to affect anything within a determined radius of space, and the liquid turned sunny yellow.

Turning to the third bowl, he cast the last, but certainly not the least, spell, the Temporal Delay. This particular spell allowed one to slow time upon a target, making the target in question to appear to move slow, and the liquid turned a cyan color.

The liquids were now imbued with the spell Midnight had cast upon them each, making them into literal liquid spells!

He then levitated onto the table the mold-out he’d prepared and carefully a teaspoon’s worth of each liquid spell in the order he’d created them into the mold. His horn tingled as he felt the spells react and mix with each other, but he sensed no fluctuations, which meant there was no negative reaction. So far so good…

As the mystical mixture began to cool, Midnight concentrated upon the Spell of Crystallization his master had sent him, his horn flaring as he chanted. The magic words flowed from his mouth, falling upon the mix like a cobweb blown from its moorings, glowing like dying candlelight.

The liquid spells had mixed exactly as he had wanted, and he felt them coalesce, forming a crystal and then the spell was complete!

Gingerly, he levitated the crystal to eye-level. It was no bigger than a robin’s egg, shimmered like opal, and looked like a star-cut gemstone! He smiled at his craftsmanship but he hadn’t made it to be a pretty bauble. The time had come to test it. Looking around his workshop, he noticed the spinning top toy his little brother had left the last time he was in his workshop. Resting on his desk, the top had a swirl pattern, and Midnight knew he’d found the perfect test subject!

He cleared away a corner in the workshop and levitated the top over to it… and let it spin! He raised the crystal… and threw it!

The crystal smacked against the wall and almost a split-second after it bounced off…!

A bubble of turquoise energy erected, easily big enough to contain a stallion Big Macintosh’s size, and Midnight peered in. The top was still standing… it was still spinning! He knew, because he could see the swirl pattern slowly rotate!

“I did it…!” he whispered in joyful awe. Rearing up, he flailed his front hooves, cheering, "I did it! My invention works! I-”

Suddenly, he felt a familiar surge of power course through his body, specifically around his flank, his mind going as blank as his flank, leaving him unable to think! Tendrils of energy danced about without direction or rhythm throughout the workshop, everything inside shaking as though there were an earthquake, the magic intensifying…!

*FLASH*

And just like that, it was over, the light dimmed, and the workshop was in disarray. Objects, books, notes, everything scattered about and askew, a total mess! But now, it was empty of a certain blue unicorn.

From afar, the Hooded Pony, having taken in the whole thing, smirked in satisfaction within the shadow of his hood, declared, "Finally! I thought he'd never leave..."

The next morning, the crowing of the rooster stirred Big Mac from his slumber, and he sat up, yawning like a foghorn as he stretched out the morning cricks, and farted out the gas he'd been building up from last night's dinner. The workhorse snorted as he slid out of bed, noticing Celestia’s sun just beginning to rise over the horizon. He smiled at the simple yet inspiring beauty of the sunrise, wondering how nopony besides early-risers like him couldn’t take the time to appreciate the shining promise of a new day.

“Eeyup,” he yawned again to clear out the last of sleep’s tempting haze, and started heading downstairs when he heard a crash from outside.

He hurried out and gasped at what he saw!

“Come… Ergh! On!” There was Pinkie Pie, attempting to drag a hay bale by the twine that held it together, only for it to come undone, and causing the hay to disperse from its nice compacted form into a mess.
“Oh!”

But it wasn’t that Pinkie was on his farm, trying and failing miserably to do farmwork, that got Big Mac’s attention. On her flank, where her blue and yellow balloons cutie-mark should have been was a familiar trio of apples instead! Applejack’s cutie-mark!

“Uh… Pinkie?” Big Mac approached Pinkie Pie, who looked different besides her mismatched cutie-mark.

Her normally poofy and untamable mane and tail were straightened out and looked droopy, as did Pinkie’s manner as she stood up and dusted herself off.
“Oh, hey Big Mac… Ready for some early chores?”

“Pinkie, what’re ya doin’ on mah farm?” Big Mac asked, “And what’s with tha’ cutie-mark?”

“What’re you talking about, Big Macintosh?” Pinkie replied in an odd tone lacking any of her usually happy and positive peppiness. “I’m just doing what I’ve been doing ever since I got my cutie-mark.”

“Well then, wh- Where’s Applejack, mah sister?!” Big Mac demanded.

“Down at her clothing store, I guess,” Pinkie replied in monotone. “Now if you’re not gonna help me, I’m just gonna get back to work.”

Big Mac watched , disturbed, as Pinkie attempted to pick up and carry all the askew hay.

“Maybe Ah should talk t’ Midnight,” he decided.

But when Big Mac went into his brothers’ room, he gasped to see Midnight’s bed was empty!

Hurrying outside, Big Mac ran up to Pinkie, demanding, “Pinkie! Ah don’ know wha’s goin’ on with you, but right now Ah don’ care, cuz Ah need you t’ tell me where Midnight is!”

“Midnight? Midnight who?” Pinkie looked at Big Mac, and the big red stallion, having a good sense of when someone was lying, was horrified to see Pinkie really had no idea of whom he was talking about!

Author's Note

Midnight disappears, cutie-marks are where they shouldn't be, and the mismatched ponies don't remember Midnight?!

On a side-note, the two-way journal Midnight and Sombra share was inspired by the one Sunset Shimmer showed in "Rainbow Rocks"

Illustration by Hoodwink McShelster

146. The Bonds of Harmony - Ending

The eleven ponies and one dragon gazed up sadly at the tree, still ensnared by the vines, dripping with poison, every visible part of it dulled gray and virtually lifeless. It was a dreary sight and although everypony wanted to act now and so something to save the tree, it was Twilight who said what everypony was thinking.

“Well, Midnight? What do we do?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know,” Midnight sighed sadly, “the last time I saw the tree, it was just a sapling! I tried to get rid of the vines but they grow back faster than I can whack `em! I don’t think even that spell I used to help you all earlier could stop it!”

“Hmm,” Twilight flapped up for a closer look, Midnight joining her. Twilight went in for a closer look when a tendril lashed out at her, making Twilight yipe in fright, Midnight shooting it down with a laser of mana. They felt their hearts sink more as the vines tightened their choking embrace around the center-point.

Then Twilight recalled something she’d heard Celestia say while she was under the effects of Zecora’s potion.

Even without these Elements, the Tree of Harmony will possess a powerful magic. As long as that magic remains, it will continue to control and contain all that grows here.

“That’s it!” Twilight whispered, Midnight giving her a questioning look.

Twilight and Midnight alighted onto the ground as she announced, “I know how we can save the Tree… We have to give it the Elements of Harmony.”

“Now wait just a minute!” Thunderlane protested.
“Yeah! How are we supposed to protect Equestria?” agreed Rainbow Dash.
“How are we meant to rein in Eris if we can’t use the Elements to revert her back to stone?” Rarity added.

“Twilight, th’ Elements o’ Harmony…” Applejack stepped up as she placed her hoof over the Element of Honesty. “They’re wha’ keep us connected no matter what.”

“…You’re right about one thing, Applejack,” Twilight stated before giving Midnight a determined look. “The Elements of Harmony did bring us together…”

Midnight understood and clarified, “But it is not nor has it ever been the Elements that connect us. It’s our friendship – A magic far greater and more important than any. Our new roles as a prince and princess may mean we must take up new obligations…”

“And our friendships may be tested,” Twilight agreed before assuring, “but it will never, ever be broken.”

Everypony smiled at the wisdom of the prince and princess before them, for they understood now. That the Magic of Friendship connected them all, not the Elements, and it made Blueblood and Soarin realize they never needed Elements to be a part of something great. Spike smiled proudly at his Twilight, his long-time caretaker, the sister he never had, as she stated, “There’s no time to lose!”

She and Midnight flapped into the air as he asked, “Everypony ready?”

“Ready!” they all replied.

The two alicorns’ horns flared as Twilight took the elemental jewels from their owners’ necklaces while Midnight cast his power onto the vines, willing for them to pull away, not stopping when he felt the elemental jewel of Faith tug off from his crown. Seeing their leader needed help, Big Mac and Thunderlane hurried over, the three of them forming their triad formation.

They concentrated, conjuring walls of golden light between them, forming the barrier that weakens malevolent magicks, causing the vines to shrivel just enough for Midnight to pull them out of the way from the elements’ places on the tree.

First Kindness and Laughter, then Loyalty, Honesty and Generosity!

In the center of the tree, a hole widened for the Element of Magic!

The Tree accepted the fruits it bore so long ago but just as Twilight was about to add the Element of Faith alongside Magic, the opening closed onto Magic, preventing her from inserting Faith!

“What?!” Twilight didn’t understand and she didn’t get a chance to as the Tree was revitalized and shined a blinding light of shifting colors, like a rainbow!

The rainbow light spread along the vines surrounding the tree, making them disappear, before the Tree released a pulse of power! This kaleidoscopic pulse spread all throughout the Everfree Forest, spreading its healing magic to Ponyville, causing each and every vine to vanish in to thin air. Including the one Eris was lying on as she soaked up some rays.

*THUD*

“Oh… poo!”

The friends shielded their eyes, Twilight still holding the Element of Faith, and as the light died down, revealing the sacred splendor of the Tree of Harmony in all its glory! It appeared as living crystal, prismatic and colored a shifting gradient between lavender, magenta, sapphire, and turquoise while the branches were strong and held the other Elements up as though with pride, and the trunk curiously bore two familiar marks, one of a sun, the other a moon.

But then they noticed, on each side of the base of the Tree’s trunk, was a bundle of coiled weeds that were burned away into ashes by the rainbow light from which did appear…!

The Royal Sisters!

Everypony smiled as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna approached them, smiling proudly. Twilight and Blueblood both ran up to them, throwing their arms around the princesses, who gladly returned the embrace.

“We know how difficult it must have been to surrender the Elements,” Celestia spoke in gentle understanding. “It took great courage and no small amount of selflessness to relinquish them.”

Everypony smiled when Midnight approached the Sisters and bowed.
“Your Majesties, it is good to see you safe, but there is something left.”

He levitated the Element of Faith.
“Why didn’t the Tree accept my Element?”

“Hmm,” Celestia gave it a closer look but before she could say anything…

A beam of light shot from the Element of Magic now ingrained into the Tree and struck the Element of Faith. They all gasped and watched as it floated out the cave, all of them following, to watch from the mouth of the cave as the Element of Faith rose up and then fired a beam of bluish-white light towards a moss-covered cliff-face. For some reason, Midnight was feeling a sense of déjà vu.

“What’s it doing…?” Twilight whispered to him in awe.
"I don't know!" answered Midnight with a hushed voice.

Their question was answered when a harsh crack of rock got their attention and there was a small explosion of rubble and dust and they saw a shining orb of light rise out of the dust and float towards the Element of Faith.

“Of course!” exclaimed Midnight, everypony looking at him as he continued to gape at this new development. “Over a thousand years ago, when I met Star Swirl the Bearded, we sensed a great power fall from the sky into the Everfree Forest. When we found it, it had buried itself deep into the cliff face. I tried to release it, and succeeded in getting loose seven strange orbs. They all rolled into this cave and sprouted into the Tree of Harmony as a sapling! Star Swirl believed the object that fell into the cliff face was a star!”

“A Star of Harmony…” Celestia mused aloud as they watched.

They watched as the Element of Faith shot a stream of light into the blinding star and it split apart into five new pieces. To their bewilderment, four of the pieces, as well as the Element of Faith floated down, Faith returning to Midnight while the other four floated down to Big Macintosh, Thunderlane, Blueblood, and Soarin.

The lights they radiated dimmed, revealing them to be gems clear like glass yet reflecting light in prismatic sparkles, but appearing as the original Elements did so long ago. Although they were clear, Midnight sensed it!

“These… They’re also Elements of Harmony!” Midnight realized aloud. “And I think they’re meant for you guys!”

“Us?!” Big Mac was blown.
“No way…!” Thunderlane was bewildered
“Incredible…” Blueblood was intrigued.
“Awesome…!” Soarin was excited.

“But wait!” Spike pointed up, “There’s still one more up there!”

Everypony looked up and saw Spike was right! The sixth new Element remained in the air.

“Why doesn’t it come down?” Twilight queried and as if responding, they watched as the new element rose higher and higher before suddenly… it zoomed off!

“Where’d it go?!” Midnight flew upwards to look in the direction the element had flown, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, and Thunderlane flying up to join him. But even with their enhanced vision, the Element was nowhere in sight.

They landed in worry with Midnight looking to Princess Celestia for answers, except the Princess of the Sun could only shrug.
“I can only guess, everypony, that perhaps… the one destined to wield that Element is not among us.”

“Aw man…!” Spike huffed, spurring a few understanding chuckles from everypony.

“But… if the one who is destined for that Element isn’t here, does that mean it went to look for the one it’s meant for?” Twilight asked.

“As I stated, Twilight, it is only a guess,” shrugged Celestia.

“But you’ve always had a knack for making correct guesses, my sister,” Luna pointed out with a shrewd look and smirk

Celestia smiled impishly before adding, “That is true, but for now, all we can do is… have faith that the last new Element and the one meant to wield it will appear in time.”

Twilight and Midnight regarded each other and smiled in agreement when Twilight sensed something and looked towards the Tree of Harmony. Everypony watched as she approached it and saw the Elements set into the branches focus their energies towards the nexus, and it channeled the combined energies down the trunk, passing through the sun and moon marks, lighting them up, until it reached down into one of the roots, from which did sprout a large purple flower bud.

Everypony continued to watch as Twilight approached the flower and it bloomed to reveal… a crystalline box!

It was shaped like a six-sided pyramid but with a flat top! Its faceted sides bore six keyholes and below them were six slot-like openings. Twilight and Midnight and Celestia and Luna approached for a better look, all of them astonished!
“What’s inside it?”
“How are we supposed to open it?”

“Six locks, six keys…” Celestia pointed out.
“Below the keyholes six openings with distinct interiors, as though something very specific is to be inserted into them!” noted Luna.

“I know not where they keys are or what is meant to-” Celestia was saying when Midnight felt something about one of the slots.

Without thinking, he lifted the Element of Faith and gasped to see it zoom straight into the slot, suddenly glowing a blinding radiance! When it died down, everypony saw that the element of Faith was now inset into the slot, shaped as the pale bluish-white five-point star of Midnight’s cutie-mark, and on the panel surrounding it were five white twinkles and below it the upwards facing crescent moon, completely reflecting Midnight’s cutie-mark!

“Well, that’s one mystery solved,” Midnight announced, “the new Elements must go into these slots, but…”

He looked to the stallions and the Elements they held that were clear and had no distinct shape other than that of gemstones.
“I don’t think it’ll be that easy.”

“But I know that it is a mystery you will solve together,” Celestia declared, everypony smiling at each other.

“Come, everypony,” Luna called, “we have a wedding to prepare!”

As the friends all exited the Everfree Forest… banners with their faces crudely drawn onto them unfurled from out of nowhere, confetti burst into their faces and a party horn tooted loudly into their ears, and Eris flashed in front of them wearing a cheerleader outfit.
“Whoo!! Well done, y’all! Ponyville’s back to normal and now I wanna hear all about how y’all saved the day again! What kinda big-bad did y’all face off with them pretty little things `round your necks?”

She suddenly flashed and reappeared smaller and dressed like a cowgirl astride Applejack, looking past her hair, “Where are them lovely accessories? Y’know, the ones y’all would use to put me in a stone bodysuit?”

Sighing in annoyance, Applejack answered, “Gone, Eris.”

Flashing to her normal size, Eris echoed, “Gone?!”

Quickly, the guys made sure to keep their elements out of sight as Eris started looking conspiratorial, musing, “Gone…?”

“But our friendship remains, and if you want to remain friends” Fluttershy flapped up to Eris’ face who shrunk in size as Fluttershy lectured her, instilling the guilt, “you’ll help us clean up Ponyville.”

Eris flashed to normal size and dressed like a housemaid, with a feather duster and everything.
“Fine, but I do not do windows.”

As they followed Eris into town, Applejack spoke to Midnight, “Ah don’ s’pose you have any idea why all this started.”

“Not a clue,” Midnight shrugged. “Though I’m with you on that, why did all of this appear out of nowhere?”

“It is quite baffling,” Eris spoke up, “them seeds I planted ages ago are o’er a thousand years late!”

“…What was that?!” Midnight snapped with a rise of his voice, him and everypony else throwing a stink eye at Eris.

“Oh well this was back when I was Discord,” Eris snapped her fingers, a window appearing out of thin air to give everypony a look into the past.

They watched as a younger Celestia and Luna confronted Discord, who Eris used to be, in his merry mirth and mayhem.

“Playtime is over for you, Discord!” threatened the past Celestia.

“Oh I doubt that…” said the past Discord as he ate some seeds rather sloppily that they spread all around.

“Well, obviously things didn’t go my way, or Discord’s way if ya wanna be technical,” Eris pointed out the seeds as they burrowed into the ground and started growing. “My plunderseeds were supposed to rob the Tree of Harmony of its Magic and capture the Royal Sisters thousands of years ago.”

They watched as the plunderseed roots grew towards the roots of the Tree of Harmony, only to be barred by its protective magic even after the Sisters had taken the Elements.
“But it seemed that tree had enough magic t’ stop the growth of the seeds and keep `em wrangled in… At least until recently…”

As Eris pulled the window downwards and then releasing it, causing it to roll up and disappear, Midnight growled, “You mean to tell us you could’ve given us important info on this whole mess at any time?!”

“No, not at any time,” Eris sniggered shamelessly, “Only when it was funny!”

Eris zipped off, laughing while Midnight growled, only to feel a hoof on his shoulder and calmed to see Twilight. She sighed and said, “Just let it go…”

He sighed as well and nuzzled her before saying to all their friends, “Come on, everypony! We got a wedding to attend!”

A royal fanfare sounded as all the attendees stood outside before the stage that bore the sun and moon poles where Celestia always stood to raise the sun during the Summer sun Celebration.

But here beneath the moonlight, it served the site for a different occasion.

Princess Luna was leading the ceremony, Prince Sombra garbed in his best royal ware, looking nervous. Dressed in the same uniform he wore at his and Twilight’s coronation and still wearing his crown with a new semi-crescent moon jewel adorning it, Midnight stood by his mentor and noticed his regalia was a little askew and straightened it for him, Sombra giving a thankful smile to his apprentice before they all looked down the wedding aisle to see the bridesmares and groomstallions come down. Eris did so as well, having shrunk down in size to be a flower-filly as she skipped merrily down the aisle, throwing petals in a haphazard way.

They saw Twilight come and join them as the mare of honor, garbed in her coronation dress and wearing a new crown, as a gentle wedding march started, played on an organ by the famous pianist, Frederick Horseshoepin, and all looked to get a glimpse at the royal bride as the peacocks moved their tailfeathers to reveal her!

“Wow.”
“Wow…”
“Wo-ow!”

With an annoyed smirk, Sombra pushed a snickering Eris off the stage, much to Midnight and Twilight’s amusement and they all watched as the Royal Bride stepped up to join her Groom, and he smiled as he levitated the veil away to reveal Celestia’s face, her make-up a little run from her tears of joy as she smiled so happily at her groom, which he mirrored to her with his own as his heart calmed at the sight of the mare he had loved for so long. The bridesmaids included Cadance, an elderly mare who was once an old student of Celestia’s, and the rest were AJ, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.

Sombra’s groom stallions were Shining Armor, the night guard Midnight Shift, Blueblood, Big Mac, Thunderlane, and Soarin.

Finally, the ceremony began as Luna spoke.
“Citizens of Equestria, we are gathered here this early morning, in the presence of Faust, to at long last unite these two souls as one. Do you, Prince Sombra and Princess Celestia, join us here of your own free will to acknowledge the eternal bond shared between you both?”

“I do,” Sombra answered with a resolved smile, Celestia echoing with a joy she thought she’d never experience, “I do!”

“You may face each other and join hooves,” Luna instructed, the two of them doing so, “Sombra, you may recite your vows.”

Sombra took a deep breath and began.
“Celestia, they day you saved my life, I know, in my heart of hearts, is the day I found the one who would mean more to me than anything else in this world. Fate has barred us long enough and despite our mistakes and trials, we have overcome them and been made stronger because of them. I swear to love you, to respect you, to protect you as your husband, as my wife, my lover, my special somepony, and promise that all I am is yours.”

The attendees, even those partaking in the ceremony, were tearing up as Luna wiped her own away and addressed, “Celestia…”

Celestia took a moment to calm her jubilation and wiped her tears away as she steadied her breath.
“Sombra, our paths were long and winding, and for a time too long did they keep us apart. When you were returned to the world with the Crystal Empire, I dared not hope that this moment could still be, that all my mistakes made me unworthy of this second chance, that this wedding to one so pure and beautiful and loving as one as you was too good to be true. Yet, despite it all here we are, surrounded by the ponies I love and care most about and I feel so proud and blessed to finally be your wife. Sombra, I have no doubts in my heart of hearts that we are meant to be.”

The crowd was getting restless, wanting to applaud those most beautiful vows, to praise this occasion where their long-beloved Princess of the Sun had at long last found her Prince, but Luna stilled them with a raise of her wings. She then announced, “Here before witnesses, I sanction this union in the name of Faust and declare these two souls wed. May we have the rings?”

Sombra looked to Midnight while Celestia did to Twilight. The Best Stallion and Mare of Honor levitated the rings they’d been entrusted to the groom and bride, who accepted them and faced each other again. They smiled and presented their horns to the other, levitating the rings onto the other’s horn, and Luna finally said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife - You may kiss the Princess!”

Everypony cheered, doves were released and petals white, purple, and yellow rained down as Luna lowered the moon and then rose the sun, bringing the dawn to glorify this moment. Feeling the warmth of a new beginning shining down upon them the new royal couple then faced their subjects and Celestia smiled her famous smile to her new husband before throwing the bouquet upwards.
“IT’S MINE!”
“NO WAY RARITY, YOU CAUGHT THE LAST ONE!”
“AWAY WITH YOU, LYRA HEARTSTRINGS!”
“STEP ASIDE, I’M CATCHING THIS BOUQUET!”
“GET LOST MINUETTE!”
“DON’T MAKE ME HURT YOU TWO!”

Unfortunately, the three mares were so busy fighting the bouquet fell into the hooves of Rainbow Dash, who blushed at the look Soarin was giving her.
“EESH! I’m not ready for this sappy stuff!”

She threw it towards Twilight and Midnight, yelling, “Take it, take it! I don’t want the wedding curse!”

Then she noticed the slightly hurt look Soarin had that she sighed and whispered to him, “Yet!”

It was enough to give Soarin a hopeful smile, the two of them blushing. Though maybe not as much as the two young royals as Midnight had been the one to catch the flowers. He looked to Twilight, smiling sheepishly, that she giggled and gave him a cheek-to-cheek nuzzle.

The reception started as the royal newlywed took the first dance, dancing to a soft and gentle music, and Twilight didn’t think she’d ever seen her old teacher so happy. When the music ended, they heard feedback and a tap on a microphone before they all looked to see Midnight, asking, “Is this thing on? Oh good, it’s on… Ahem! Fillies and gentlecolts, I’d like to dedicate this number to the happy couple, and I hope you two will like it.”

Midnight gave a signal to the band and they started a new emotional song, with a golden earth pony with a light brown mane on lead guitar.

Look into my eyes
Can you see my soul?
Can you see that
I am losing control?

Can you see the pain?
Can you feel my fear?
This is not what I expected,
And that's why I need you here.

Tell me I am moving on,
Tell me I am growing up,
But don't tell me I'll be all alone.

I found my destiny,
Now what do you make of me?
Will you help me find my way?
Or will I be a memory?

Sombra and Celestia both shed tears and danced some more, their happy looks inviting everypony else onto the dance floor.

IF I CHANGE
I WILL STILL BE ME.
WILL YOU REMAIN
THE FRIEND YOU USED TO BE?
WHEN I GROW,
WOULD YOU KINDLY GROW WITH ME?
WILL YOU LET ME FLY
WHEN I FIND
MY WINGS?

The crowd applauded even though the song wasn’t over and the dancing continued, as did the music, the party, up until it was time for the happy couple to ride off to their honeymoon. Midnight and Twilight were at the carriage, holding the door open for Celestia and Sombra. They arrived and boarded but not before they spoke to their old students.

“Twilight and Midnight, we can’t thank you enough for all of this!” Celestia sniffled as she took them both into a wing-hug.

“Were it not for you, we might not be here,” Sombra added as he shook Midnight’s hoof and kissed Twilight’s forehead. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

“You’re both very-very welcome,” Twilight smiled as she wiped her own tears away.

“Not get outta here,” Midnight cracked, “and you enjoy your little getaway!”

“Oh we will…” Sombra whispered slyly to Midnight, giving him a wink, as he joined his wife on the carriage.

The streets were packed as everypony shouted goodbyes, good lucks, and good wishes to the happy couple as they rode off to their honeymoon.

A hooded figure walked up to the Tree of Harmony, green eyes narrowing with interest at the elements but patience stayed the figure's wanting grasp as she considered, "What an interesting development..."

The figure vanished in a haze of green and purple.

Author's Note

Oy...

this took a little brainstorming, but YES. There are some new elements in play, as well as an addition to the Box. in the show, it was shaped liek a 3-Dimensional Hexagon but here's its lower panels spread outward instead of inward, and these panels have slots for the new elements, including Midnight's element of faith.

The new elements however are like blank canvases, their new wielders, Big Mac, Thunderlane, Blueblood, Soarin, and the yet-to-be-identified sixth have to find out on their own what theirs represent

If you rememebr the "Harmonic Origin" arc of "A Midnight Stroll through Time" you'll also remember I used a fallen star as the origin of the Tree of Harmony and the Elements, along with a foreshadowing.

As for the wedding, i wanted it to be heartfelt but not over the top and the main attraction here, but rather as the happy ending to this arc

Disclaimer:

"When i Find My Wings" by MandoPony

I felt the song would be great as its meanings fit a lot of stuff in this arc

The artworks are by Hoodwink

158. Blueblood's Business Blues - Part 2

After arriving in Canterlot, the guys decided to grab a bite and were treated to lunch by Blueblood at a nice bistro.

As they ate, Midnight asked, “So what’s this trouble going on at your company?”

“I am unsure,” Blueblood replied after a swig of nectar. “Auntie Celestia’s message didn’t elaborate, but she’d made it clear I was to handle this myself, that she couldn’t do it for me.”

“Tell us a little about your business, Blue,” Thunderlane asked, “I’ve always been curious!”

“Well, New Heights Avionics was started by my father,” Blueblood answered as he examined a breadstick before dipping it into marina and taking a nibble.
“As a young stallion, after being inspired by the invention of air-travel, he studied it and started looking for ways to innovate the original airship, improve it for not only air-travel but for shipping cargo, and also to make them more durable to wild weather, like thunderstorms or powerful gales.

“He constructed a prototype and presented it to the Princess, who saw fit to sponsor his invention and help him, which is why my family was able to get such good connections with royalty. But since we were lesser nobility, others among the Canterlot Elite frowned upon us, envied us. When Celestia made me her nephew and an unofficial prince they only started treating us relatively kinder as a way to endear themselves to the princess.

“Anyway, my father founded New Heights Avionics with the hopes of revolutionizing air-travel to become even more significant than traveling by train. But these days, only the richest patrons are able to afford personal airships, and they usually use them to show off their wealth or ship their own cargo.”

“That’s true,” Midnight spoke up, “and some of them are business-ponies who use their airships for crime.”

“Crime?!”

Everypony except Blueblood and Soarin looked at Midngiht in shock, Big Mac asking, “Wha’ do ya mean by that?”

“Don’t forget, guys,” Midnight reminded them, “I acted as Celestia’s eyes n’ ears for several years, and did a lot of cloak n’ dagger stuff. Is it really a surprise that the rich and influential of Equestria wouldn’t deal in illicit activities?”

“Not to me it is,” Blueblood sighed. “It pains me that my father’s dream is tarnished by these sorts who use the byproducts of New Heights to carry out crime but I can’t let that stop me from producing more advanced airships.”

“As a Wonderbolt, I’ve heard my share of rumors about airships being used for smuggling but we could never get anything concrete enough,” Soarin brought up.
“The Wonderbolts might not see as much action as they used to, but we’re still a standing military unit.”

“I once foolishly recommended to Princess Celestia about tightening the control of airships,” Midnight added, “that only officials of the royal court could designate trusted ponies in owning and utilizing airships but she shot the idea down and helped me realize that regardless of what the airships could be used for they deserved their chance to be used to help ponies. Airships can transport passengers, goods, and supplies a lot faster than trains can, even the Pegasus Moving Company pales in comparison.”

“And to deny earth ponies and unicorns the chance to fly, even if it’s not the same as pegasi…” Blueblood agreed. “No, my dream is make air-travel as common in Equestria as traveling by train. There will be those who would abuse the use of airships just as there are for any new advancement in society, but to not take risks is not to advance at all. I wouldn’t have Rarity’s love had I not done the same…”

“Hear, hear!” Midnight cheered.
“That’s the spirit, Blue!” Soarin encouraged.
“Eeyup.”
“So is there anything you can tell us about this business with New Heights?” Thunderlane asked.

“Actually yes,” Blueblood explained, “New Heights Avionics is on the verge of combining with its former long-time rival in the airship production industry, Jet Set’s Get Set Aeronautics. Jet Set had always been my biggest business rival but after my time in Ponyville and learning from all of you my friends, I decided to bury the hatchet.

“The last time I came to Canterlot I invited Jet Set and his wife Upper Crust to a dinner at a high-end restaurant I own. We talked, smoothed things out, and admitted our mutual respect. Truth be told, while my company is the most successful in the industry, Jet Set is the greater businesspony It’s why he comes to such a close-second, but my designs are superior, in engineering, flight dynamics, energy efficiency, but if Jet Set had someone like me on his payroll designing his airships, he could likely overthrow me as the biggest name in the industry.”

The guys listened, quite enthralled by Blueblood’s words, “So we came to the agreement of becoming partners and merging our companies. I even agreed to have Jet Set be in charge of our office here in Canterlot while I move my own personal operation to Ponyville.”

“Wait, so does that mean you’ll be operating a branch of your combined company back home?” Thunderlane asked.

“Exactly. My warehouse will expand, I’ll have my own team of workers,” Blueblood confirmed with a determined smile, “and I won’t have to leave town as much as I used to. Also, Soarin?”

Soarin leaned in when his friend addressed him.

“We’ve been living together as roommates for a while now but I feel it’s time we each got our own place. That’s not to say I’m kicking you out, it’ just… I’ve been thinking of getting more serious with Rarity.”

“Just how serious?” asked Soarin.

Blueblood smiled sheepishly before admitting, “I’m thinking of asking her to marry me!”

Almost at once, the guys cheered and encouraged Blueblood but hushed after he made them shush.
“Lately, I’ve been thinking of Rarity more and more, and now I know she’s really the one! So, while I’m in Canterlot for business, I may go to a jeweler and buy a rock worthy of my sweet Rarity!”

Seeing the smile on his friend’s face, Soarin said, “Huh, seems to me that I’ve gotta consider my own relationship with Dash.”

“Oh yeah, you two are going out, right?” Thunderlane inquired.

“Yeah, but… Now that I think about it, it’s never felt serious,” Soarin admitted, “I really do like Dashie an’ all, but… she’s so self-conscious of her image and ‘mushy stuff’, it took a while just to get her to go out on our first date.”

“Well, Soarin,” Big Mac spoke, “Ah think ya gotta be straight with Rainbow an’ stop beatin’ around th’ bush! Make `er understand jus’ how much ya care about her.”

Soarin considered Macintosh’s words when Blueblood spoke, “As much as I’d like to keep conversing, my friends, I’m pressed for time. Midnight? Would you mind getting everypony settled in the castle while I head to my meeting?”

“Not at all, break a leg, Blue!” Midnight gestured the guys to follow him as they all added their own words of encouragement, making Blueblood smile.

I’m lucky to have such good friends, he thought to himself as they exited the bistro.

Once outside, the guys started towards the castle while Blueblood made his way to New Heights Avionics.

Upon arriving, he gazed up at the facility – Standing tall and proud, with several warehouses holding prototypes in progress next to it, along with an airfield where experimental airships were being tested. The hangars contained the prized airship models they had in production to serve in air-travel and cargo shipments. Straightening his tie and making sure not a hair was out of place, Blueblood entered.

The interior of the entrance was rich and well-flourished, subtle indications to Blueblood’s wealth and success. As he passed through, his employees, going to and fro, all got out of his way, saying hello.
“Good day, Prince Blueblood.”

“Good day.”

“Looking good, Prince Blueblood!”

“Excuse me.”

“How’s your day going, Prince Blueblood?”

“None of your business.”

Blueblood remembered the sucking up and behavior of his employees, how tiresome it was that all these sycophants tried to get on his good side. It, combined with this out-of-nowhere business meeting that had made him miss out on spending Fashion Week with his beloved, began to sour whatever good feelings he still had today.

“Is that a new tie, sire?”

“Back to work.”

“Have you been working out, Your Highness?”

“No lunch for you.”

“How’s life treating ya, sire?”

“Get a life.”

Approaching the reception desk, the receptionist was giving herself a hooficure when she noticed her employer approaching and startled.
“P-Prince Blueblood, sir! Uh, how are you?”

“Alert the board of my arrival,” Blueblood said without giving her a glance as he passed through.

Blueblood knew the building like the back of his hoof – He’d been over every square inch of the property since he was a colt. He still had fond memories of his father taking him to see the airships and riding some of them. He still remembered that very special flight he’d taken with both his parents, back when he was still seven, shortly after his birthday when Celestia had made him her honorary nephew and a prince.

His father had said to the young colt that one day, he would make the company even greater, he would give all ponies the joy of flying and seeing the world in a way they’d never known, and inspire them to find their own paths in life. It had given Blueblood a sense of pride, purpose, and direction, it had inspired him on what he wanted to do – It had enlightened him enough to gain his cutie-mark.

His compass rose meant he knew who he was and what he was meant to do, to lead ponies into a new and glorious era with the company airships, airships of his own design.
Only he had lost that path for a while after his parents were gone, and it had taken his Auntie Celestia and Cousin Cady no small amount of effort to remind him of his dreams and goals and the lessons his parents had given him.

Whatever this is about, Blueblood thought as he approached the board room, it will not get in the way of that…

With his magic, he threw the doors open, revealing the lavish board room, around which sat his board of directors, six in all. They looked up from their conversation, faces stoic and disciplined, just as he had taught them.

However to Blueblood, noticing the flash of nervousness that crossed their eyes, the twitches of their ears and the abrupt end to their previous conversation, it was plainly obvious that his arrival had startled them, and there was clearly something going on.

"Sir, we didn't expect to see you here today. Was there something we need to be made aware of?" the lone earth pony, Number Crunch, asked, the least anxious member since Blueblood's arrival.

Next to him, Air Force, the most recent addition to the board, nodded her head, trying to hide the slight flutter of her wings. Instantly the remaining pegasi and unicorns parroted them and nodded as well. This further concerned Blueblood, as while he had cultivated an aura of respect from the board, they had never seemed so nervous or twitchy speaking with him.

Deciding to cut straight to the issue, Blueblood replied, "I'm afraid there is, Mr. Crunch. Despite having cleared with you all that I would be taking the week off to visit Manehatten with my beloved, the lovely Miss Rarity, I was forced to cancel due to an urgent summons to my company. More concerning is that it did not come from any of you, but from Princess Celestia herself. Up to now, the royalty of Equestria has steered clear of business affairs unless criminal actions have drawn their notice, so having been called by Her Grace to return has given me a great deal of stress and worry. Your behavior here also makes it quite clear you are all hiding something from me, and as I trust you to run the company directly when I am not present, this is very concerning. So, I would like to cut right to the heart of the matter, with no excuses or lies. Why was I summoned by Her Highness to my company, and what are you all hiding from me?"

An aura of concern spread across the board, with all of them turning to look at each other, a silent conversation crossing their eyes as they worked out what to do. After a few minutes, Blueblood cleared his throat to get their attention back to the matter at hoof. Finally, with air of professionalism that had come from years of hard work and dedication, Number Crunch stood up and faced him.

"Sir, we do not intend to hide anything from you, however we had yet to formulate a proper response to you. While I am unsure how Her Majesty came to know what we have been discussing, I can only assume a lower level employee has overheard one of our conversations and gone to her without our consent or knowledge. Nonetheless, while we haven't formally comprised a response for you, we all have had discussions pertaining to the topic and reached a verdict. Sir, I'm afraid that by majority vote we are, effective tomorrow morning, halting the merger with Jet Set's Get Set Aeronautics and having you placed on suspension for behavior unbecoming of a New Heights Avionics corporate member."

Blueblood was speechless for a moment before a flash of anger crossed his face, his brows furrowing, "What vote has taken place without my knowledge or consent regarding the merger, and what behavior have I displayed that would give you the legal authority to lock me out of my own company!?"

This time the unicorn mare Business Sense spoke up, "I am afraid, Sire that the vote occurred to indefinitely suspend the merger, after a vote of no confidence was taken regarding your character. We have seen over several years a number of actions and decisions on your part that have reflected badly for the company. You have displayed very rude, aggressive, dismissive and abusive behavior towards several members of the Canterlot nobility, as well as making decisions that have created significant problems for the company at large, such as your decision to isolate yourself from the company and move to Ponyville, leaving several delays and for advisory decisions, as well as a placing significant pressure upon our engineering and marketing departments."

Before Blueblood could speak up, now the other unicorn member, Clear Oversight added on, "Relating to the merger, we believe the decision to combine our business with a well-known rival is very bad for the company. Having Jet Set in charge of day-to-day operations will severely damage our staff relations as well as commit further delays to our suppliers and put significant risk on our engineering department, which carries great risk, as our airship productions are our most profitable products. It has been decided that, for the safety and security of the company, you must be removed from a control position and the merger must be halted."

Blueblood could barely restrain himself from screaming – They wanted to kick him out of his own company due to his 'Prince persona', of which they all knew was a fabrication, as well as halt a not only profitable, but extremely wise business merger that would help out both businesses in the long term far more than an escalating rivalry and feud ever would. What was going on!
"Now see here! You are all well aware about my nobility persona and the actions needed to maintain. You are also all very aware of the necessity of this merger in the long term, even if it does carry risk. You are all making some very ridiculous decisions and I assure you that if attempt to lock me out of my own company, I will have my lawyers informed!"

While his threat clearly intimidated them, Number Crunch still stood tall. "I'm sorry sir, but the decision has been made. You can have your lawyers brought in, but it will not affect the decision to halt the merger, and we have a several eyewitnesses and security tapes proving to back up our decisions regarding your behavior. Now, unless you’ve anything else to discuss, kindly remove yourself from the premises or else we will be forced to call security."

Blueblood was stunned. They had truly done it – They had truly locked him out of his company and set themselves up to fail by cancelling the merger on Jet Set.

He wanted nothing more than to yell and scream and throw things around the office, but his professionalism and noble behavior that had been drilled into him since he was a child held him at bay.

Remember his cousin’s calming technique, he tempered his outrage and gave them a look so malevolent it made them all cringe as he promised, “You are all going to regret this…”

And like the catastrophic promise of a tsunami, he retreated from the board room with what dignity he had left.

Author's Note

This took a while and I needed help due to the business talk and stuff

Blueblood's curtness and somewhat rude behavior as he entered his company was a ref to a moment from 'Cats & Dogs'

177. The Music Stand - Part 1

The crowing of the local rooster heralded yet another day, courtesy of the much-beloved Princess Celestia. Cheese Sandwich hummed merrily as he trotted off towards Sugarcube Corner. It just felt like another fun-diddly day!

Big Mac and Fluttershy returned a few days ago from their honeymoon, and their friends had helped them move into their new house, Big Mac moving his stuff from his room from the farmhouse while Fluttershy took most of her things along with her animal care possessions. The next day, they’d gone to Mr. Davenport’s to buy a new sofa, and went around to get more furnishings and necessary appliances.

As far as Cheese knew, Big Mac and Fluttershy were still adjusting to their new home, but they were happy. As he got closer to the bakery, he noticed someone else had the same destination in mind.
“Howdy-ho, Daisy Jo!”

The brown and white cow looked to see, “Cheese Sandwich, a fine morning, don’cha know?”

“Lemme guess,” Cheese chuckled as they stepped towards the threshold of Sugarcube Corner, “You’re here for a batch of your favorite cookies.”

“You are correct, because nothing goes so well with my milk, don’cha know?” Daisy Jo giggled.

“Well then!” Pinkie interrupted as she bounced out the door, surprising the cow while Cheese smiled at her presence, having fully expected her.
“You’ll find a fresh batch of oatmeal cookies inside, courtesy of Mrs. Cake!”

“Moo! Sounds delightful,” Daisy Jo exclaimed with a happy grin as she went in, leaving the pink and orange ponies to suddenly notice the other’s presence, and were delighted.

“Cheesie!”
“Pinkie!”

The two party ponies hugged and Pinkie said, “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to hang,” Cheese shrugged, “you’re free today, right?”

“Yeah, just wrapped up a workout,” Pinkie nodded as they trotted off through town. She phew'd before stating, “I tell ya, Cheesie, sometimes the twins really make me work for their laughter!”

“But you got `em in the end, I’ll bet,” Cheese gave her a smirk.

“Yes-indeedy!” Pinkie nodded when she stopped and looked to a flower stand, “Oh Rose! Your calla-lilies look even better than last year! I bet you’ll take first prize in the flower show again.”

“Thanks, Pinkie,” replied Rose Luck, one of the local Flower Trio, “would you and Cheese like some?”

“Absolutely!” Cheese answered excitedly with his tongue hanging out.

Rose Luck threw a couple blooms their way, and they vanished down the party ponies’ throats before they continued on with a loop in their lope as they both hopped and hoof-bumped with their rear hooves.

“Looking fresh as a daisy, Miss Goldie Delicious!” Cheese greeted as they passed the old mare by. “And your shawl looks so pretty today!”

“Well thank ya kindly, dearie,” Goldie Delicious blushed at the young earth pony’s compliment, “You really know how t’ make a mare feel pretty!”

As they approached him, Pinkie said, “Well happy birthday, Caramel!”

“Thanks, Pinks!” Caramel gave her a smile as he passed them by.

“And happy day after your birthday, Bulk Biceps!” Cheese called to the pumped-up pegasus, and got his trademarked ‘YEAH’ in thankful response.

Then Pinkie saw a familiar face, albeit much younger than when she’d first met him. Pinkie remembered Midnight had used a spell to restore Cranky and Matilda to the ages they were when they’d met all those years ago at the gala; that way, they could make up for lost time, and still grow old together.
“And Cranky! Happy birthday to you!”

Cranky Doodle Donkey looked her way, bewildered by her good wishes, as it wasn’t his birthday.

“...In two-hundred-and-thirty-one days!” Cheese clarified, making Cranky Doodle laugh.

“You party ponies are a real wonder!” chuckled the young-again jack. “How is it you remember everything about everypony?”

“Easy! Everypony’s our friend,” Cheese answered.
“And we love to see our friends smile!” added Pinkie.

They carried on as they felt a melody in their hearts, a melody that felt long overdue.

[Pinkie Pie]
My name is Pinkie Pie!

“Hello!”

[Cheese Sandwich]
Cheese Sandwich here to say…

“How ya doin’?”

[Pinkie & Cheese]
We’re gonna make you smile
And then we’ll brighten up your da-a-y!

[Cheese Sandwich]
It doesn’t matter now

“What’s up?”

[Pinkie Pie]
If you are sad or blue

“Howdy!”

[Pinkie & Cheese]
`Cause cheering up our friends
is what we Party Ponies do!

`Cause I love to make you smile-smile-smile!

“Yes I do!”

It fills my heart with sunshine all the while

“Yes it does!”

`Cause all we really need’s a smile-smile-smile…

From these happy friends of ours!

[Pinkie Pie]
I like to see you grin!

“Awesome!”

[Cheese Sandwich]
I love to see you beam!

“Rock on!”

[Pinkie & Cheese]
The corners of your mouth turned up;

The Party Pony Dream!

“Hoof-bump!”

[Cheese Sandwich]
But if you’re kinda lonely…

[Pinkie Pie]
And your face has made a frown…

[Pinkie & Cheese]
We’ll work real hard
We’ll do our best!

To turn every frown upside-down…!

`Cause I love to make you-grin-grin-grin!

“Yes I do!”

Bust it out from ear to ear, let it begin!

Just give me a joyful grin-grin-grin

And you fill me with good cheer!

It’s true some days feel dark and lonely…

And maybe you feel sad, but Pinkie and Cheese will show you it’s never that bad!

There’s one thing that makes us happy, what really makes life worthwhile…!

And that’s when we hang with our friends, and help them all smile! (Smile-smile-SMILE…!)

We really are so happy!

Your smiles fill us with glee!

We give a smile,we get a smile

And that means so much to we!

`Cause we love to see you beam-beam-beam!

“Yes we do!”

Tell me, what more can we say to help you see

“That we do!”

It makes us happy when you beam-beam-beam

Yeah it always makes our day…!

C’mon everypony, smile-smile-smile!

Fill every heart with sunshine-sunshine!

All we really need’s a smile-smile-smile

From these happy friends of mine!

[Townsfolk join in]
C’mon everypony, smile-smile-smile!

Fill every heart with sunshine-sunshine!

All we really need’s a smile-smile-smile

From these happy friends of MINE...!

Yes, the perfect gift for we, it’s as plain as can be
(C’mon everypony, smile-smile-smile!)

Is a smile as wide as a mile,wide as a mile!
(Fill every heart with sunshine-sunshine!)

To make us happy as can be…!
(All we really need’s a smile-smile-smile)

Smile, smile, smile! Smile! SMILE….!!!!

C’mon and smile…!
C’mon and smile!

“Hmm…”

Pinkie and Cheese gaped at the face they were suddenly looking at, and Pinkie gasped, “Matilda! Looking good!”

“Thank you…” Like Cranky Doodle, Matilda was also a young-again jenny, her mane pulled back into a ponytail much like the one she wore when she first met her Doodle at the gala. Without another word, she passed them by, looking annoyed but keeping it to herself.

“So that’s Matilda, huh?” Cheese asked.
“Uh-huh, but… Y’know, for a moment there, she reminded me of how I first met Cranky!” Pinkie pointed out.

“How was that?” Cheese asked.

“I… pointed out to everypony that he was bald,” Pinkie admitted with a sheepish giggle.

“At his age?” Cheese gaped at her, baffled.

“Oh that’s right! You weren’t here then,” Pinkie realized. “C’mon to Sugarcube Corner, I’ll tell you over milkshakes and cupcakes!

*SLURP*

“Careful, Pinkie!” Cheese chuckled, “Don’t wanna get brain-freeze.”

“But it’s just so good!” Pinkie licked her lips, getting some milkshake dribble she’d missed.

“So Cranky and Matilda are really in their sixties?” Cheese was still baffled by Pinkie’s claim.

“Yupper-doodles! See, they met at the Grand Galloping Gala many years ago,” Pinkie explained, “but the next day, Cranky went to Matilda’s hotel room to see her except she was gone! She’d left him a note but he never got it, so he traveled allllllllllll over Equestria looking for her, until finally he gave up! He came to Ponyville to retire from his search, and I cannot tell you how hard it was to finally get him to be friends with me. It got to the point where he yelled at me that he’d never be my friend ever!”

“So how’d you get him to be friends with you?”

“Well, he’d mentioned he’d been looking for a special friend,” Pinkie said, “and I realized he had a very similar scrapbook to one owned by Matilda, and I was able to put two an’ two an’ two together! Midnight and I brought them together and they were so happy to see each other, and the smile Cranky made made it all worth it, especially when he finally called me his friend!”

“But... how’d they get young again?” Cheese reminded her.

“Oh yeah! Heh-ha! Well, Midnight felt it was sad they didn’t get to grow old together! So, a night or two later, Midnight asked Cranky and Matilda to see him,” Pinkie wrapped up, “and he used a spell powered by a full moon to make them both the same ages they were when they first met!”

“Wow! And this was before Midnight became an alicorn prince?” Cheese was bewildered, even after Pinkie nodded. “I’ve heard age spells are super hard to do, that only the very best unicorn wizards can cast them! Usually, only Alpha-level unicorns can do `em, rarely any Betas.”

“But I think something’s up with Matilda,” Pinkie brought up, “she seemed a lot like Cranky when I first met him.”

“Are you talking about Matilda, dearies?”

Cheese and Pinkie looked up to see Cup Cake, who’d come over to collect their milkshake glasses.

“Hi, Mrs. Cake, how’s biz?” Cheese asked as he and Pinked hooved over their glasses.

“Just scrumdiddilyumptious,” Cup Cake smiled, “but what were you just talking about, dears?”

“We saw Matilda today, Mrs. Cake,” Pinkie explained, “and she looked like a real frowny-frown mcfrownpants, almost as frowny as Cranky was when I first met him!”

“Oh dear,” Cup Cake looked troubled, Pinkie and Cheese giving her confused looks. “Well, yesterday Matilda came by and ordered a baker’s dozen of white chocolate chip cookies and ate them all in one sitting, all the while she looked quite sour! I politely asked if there was anything wrong, and she just sighed, said good day and left! But… there was just this look on her face that seemed hurt.”

“Matilda sounds like something’s making her sad,” Cheese commented.

“I have to agree, dear,” Cup Cake nodded, “so I mentioned Matilda to Cranky the next time I saw him, but he didn’t seem aware of Matilda’s behavior. In fact, he seemed in such a hurry he didn’t have time to discuss it.”

“Well, where’d Cranky go?” Pinkie asked, a little surprised that Cranky didn’t seem concerned over his Matilda.

“He just said he was going to visit a friend of his, some… Steven something,” Cup Cake shrugged before leaving to take the glasses to be washed.

“Cheesie,” Pinkie said with a determined look, “I think we oughta find out what’s going on here.”

“Whattya mean, Pinkie?” Cheese raised a confused brow.

“If Cranky and Matilda are having problems, we gotta help!” Pinkie insisted. “They lost so many years to be together because of a simple mistake, and we have to make sure their finding each other and second chance isn’t for nothing. Look, I’ll go see Cranky and you go talk to Matilda.”

“Well… okay, but let’s be careful of what we say, Pinks,” Cheese agreed hesitantly, “let’s find out what they both think of whatever’s going on and then share what we learn before we do anything. Don’t wanna make waves if there is or isn’t some kind of problem.”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!”

Cheese wandered through the Ponyville marketplace, keeping a sharp eye out, thinking, Hmm… maybe she went home already.

He smiled when he saw her, and went over, saying, “Hey Matilda! How’s your day?”

Matilda had been looking at a stand that sold fabrics and sewing tools, and she acknowledged Cheese’s arrival and hello with an indifferent, “Hello, Cheese Sandwich…”

“What’cha shopping for, Matilda?” Cheese asked with exuberant interest, as he peered into Matilda’s bag. “Planning to sew something?”

“I’m considering it,” sighed Matilda, appearing to lose interest in the stand’s wares. “But… perhaps this was just a waste of time.”

“Aw, Matilda, what’s wrong?” Cheese frowned slightly in concern as he pulled Matilda into a one-arm hug. “Just tell your Uncle Cheesie so he can make it all better.”

“I’m old enough to be your grandmother, young colt,” Matilda gave him a look.

“You? Nuh-uh, at best you could be mistaken for a pretty-looking older sister,” Cheese teased with a knowing wink, making Matilda smile just a little bit. “Now c’mon, tell Cheesie what’s rubing you the wrong way.”

They way he emphasized it, Matilda assumed with a small chuckle that ‘rubing’ must be a type of cheese, and gave in.
“Alright, let’s find a seat first.”

Cheese led Matilda to the local park and a nice bench beneath a tree to provide a comfortable shade, and both took a seat on each end.

Taking a deep breath, she began, “...It’s Doodle. He’s been going out all the time, acting out, hardly spending much time with me lately. I brought it up with him, just once, and he goes off saying how much time he lost looking for me that he felt his life passed him by!

“After Midnight restored our youth, Doodle and I had the most wonderful time! We talked about that night we met, the long time apart before we finally found each other again, the folks we’ve met, places we’ve visited, things we’ve done... But… One day, he just started wanting to go out and have fun, and…”

Cheese’s ears pressed down as he felt bad to see Matilda look so upset, “Cheese, he spent so many years looking for me! I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d given up and found someone else, but… We’re here! Together in Ponyville, and it seems he just isn’t interested anymore!”

“Aw, Matilda,” Cheese said reassuringly, “you and Cranky are a match made in heaven! The fact he spent so many years looking for you is proof enough of how much he loves you!”

“But he told me himself that he gave up!” Matilda released a tear and stifled a sob, “The only reason he and I found each other was because he came to Ponyville to retire from his search.”

“Maybe, but you still found each other and got another chance!” Cheese insisted, taking Matilda’s hoof into his own.
“Perhaps he thought you’d moved on with your life, or that his chance to be with you had come and gone. But take it from me, Matilda, it was no coincidence you found each other again here in Ponyville! Look, lemme tell you a little something about myself.

“When I was a little colt, I lived in Manehatten. But I was nothing like the party pony you know me as today! I was so shy and afraid to open up, nopony even knew I existed… so I ran away.”

Matilda could scarcely imagine Cheese being such a colt as he described but the sound of a little colt running away from home like that made her sad.

“But one day, a while after I’d left Manehatten, I tripped on something and stumbled into Ponyville, and what I found was the amazingest-mazing party to ever amazingly maze! The place was so full of cheer, smiles on everypony’s face, I was never happier before than I was that day!

“I was so inspired by that one party, that I vowed to change my life and let go of my past, and wouldn’t you know it? The one who threw that party was Pinkie Pie!”

Matilda gasped a little as she suddenly remembered!

Years ago, she went to visit her neighbors, the Cakes and heard they had a new apprentice baker, who was out saying hello to the locals. Matilda had gone to find this little pony and was blown to see a party with a little pink filly at the center, juggling rubber chickens and balancing on a bouncy ball.

“I remember that party!” Matilda realized. “I hadn’t enjoyed myself so much since.. that night Doodle and I met at the Gala. You were there?”

“Swear on camambert,” Cheese chuckled, “but I didn’t stick around for long. I was still a colt back then and I was discovered and sent back to Manehatten. But as I grew up, I strove to live by the example Pinkie had inspired me with, which is why I struck out on my own after I was old enough to throw parties for others all over Equestria! I tell ya, Matilda, I don’t care if it was coincidence or even fate that caused me to be at that party at that time back then. I’m just glad I was there when it happened! Otherwise, heh… who knows where or what or who’d I be right now!”

The way Cheese said that, how he spoke of whether or not it had been fate or coincidence that brought him to that party that changed his life, it made Matilda ponder.

Cranky trotted merrily through the streets, a wide smile on his face that made his name seem ridiculous. No longer old or tired or unhappy, the young-again donkey was almost completely unrecognizable as that cranky old donkey that had first showed up in Ponyville some time ago. And one of the ponies he had to thank for his joy was now approaching him at a brisk pace.

"Cranky! Cranky, I need to talk with you!"

The donkey looked up at the bouncy pink mare, his smile as wide as ever. However he was curious about the worried expression upon her face.

"Hello, Pinkie Pie. What can I do for you today? You seem troubled."

"Well, I was talking to my good friend Cheesy about you and Matilda and when you first showed up in Ponyville and how I was a bit too forceful and not giving you space until Midnight stepped in and helped me reunite you with Matilda and about how Matilda hasn't been looking happy lately and Mrs. Cake told us she saw her not looking happy just the other day because you were going off somewhere so I wanted to make sure nothing was wrong and you two weren't having problems because I helped you both get together and I would be so sad and upset with myself if I made you guys sad by reuniting you together so please tell me what's happening and if I can help?!"

The pink pony took a gasping breath after belting out the sentence without stopping to breath once. Cranky had to go over everything she said carefully to figure out exactly what she had been talking about.

"Oh, so you're worried about Matilda and me. Well, don't fret Pinkie, things are okay. Matilda is just getting cranky because she can't embrace my new lifestyle."

His admission that Matilda was in fact upset due to his actions had Pinkie clawing for details. "Whattya mean, Cranky Wanky? Why would Matilda get upset about your lifestyle? You always seemed so relaxed and slow like her. Why would that upset her?"

"Well that's the thing, Pinkie. Since Midnight restored Matilda and I to our youthful selves, I've just been so full of life! I can run and jump and do all sorts of things I couldn't do in my old age,” Cranky cheered as he frisked about and jumped, doing an aerial somersault before landing in front of Pinkie.
“Plus, now I can redo my life!"

"Redo your life? What does that mean?" His odd word choice had the pink pony stumped. Why would he change his life? He'd finally found Matilda and was happy, so why would that change things?

Sensing her confusion, Cranky rested a hoof upon her shoulder. "You see, Pinkie Pie, I spent years searching for Matilda. We were both so young when we danced together at that gala forty or so years ago. Since that day, I spent every day searching for my love, going from town to town, always moving, always searching. I spent so long searching that I used up all the years of my youth, until I was worn away into that old cranky donkey you bumped into a while ago, ready to settle down with what was left of my miserable life and just wait it out until my time was up. But now, I have Matilda and I have my youth. I can now use the time I’ve gotten back to explore the youth I missed out on, experience life outside of my search for Matilda! I want to go out on adventures, go crazy and explore all the new paths open to me. I want to live the life I wasn't able to before!"

Pinkie digested his words. What he said made sense. That old cranky donkey she had first met had spent all the good years of his life on the road searching for his lost love. Now that he had her back, and his lost youth, why wouldn't he want to explore his life more, experience things he hadn't or couldn't do before? Pinkie knew that if she were given the same opportunity, she would take it too (well provided she was with her friends of course). Still this left her with another question.

"Then why is Matilda all saddy-waddy? Shouldn't she be feeling all happy now that she has you back?"

The young donkey just gave a dismissive wave of his hoof.

"I know. She should be out in the world with me exploring everything, enjoying life. Instead she just gets all annoyed whenever I want to go anywhere. She says because she didn't spend her years looking for me like I did her, she’s already experienced her youth and now just wants us to spend time together quietly and slowly. I love that, that she wants to spend her time with me, but this is such a glorious opportunity that won't ever happen again! We have a new chance to live our lives, but all she wants to do is sit around the house all day. When we get old and grey again then we can do that. But whenever I say that to her, she just gets all huffy and annoyed. Honestly, she really just needs to lighten up."

Pinkie gave a frown. She could understand both points of view here. Cranky had his youth back and wanted to explore it, but Matilda, who had already explored her youth, just wanted to be with him to make up for lost time. But how could she help them both?

"Well thanks for chatting with me Cranky, but I need to go find Cheesy now. He and I are going to really need to put our heads together to solve this."

"Solve what- Pinkie..." But before the donkey could further inquire what Pinkie was up to, the party pony had zoomed off in a cloud of pink smoke. Cranky was confused for a moment before deciding to adopt Ponyville's policy of just assuming 'It's Pinkie' and ignore the weird retreat. Instead he decided to get back on track.

"Now time to find that paragliding class, I wanna touch the sky!"

Author's Note

Ever since I did the arc based on "A Friend in Deed" and didn't use the Smile Song for it, I've been waiting for the perfect chance to finally use it!

Since Cheese did a skit of the song in his debut episode, and because he's a main character in this story's universe, I felt it would be perfect for him to sing it alongside Pinkie as a duet

For those of you who don't know or remember how I handled "A Friend in Deed", Cranky and Matilda are young again (the ages they were when they met at the Gala all those years ago) and although I restored their youth, I didn't do anything with it

So, this arc addresses that little change in the Grand Design

188. Sleepy is the Head that wears the Crown - Part 1

“Ah’m just not sure she’s ready,” Applejack debated one fine morning, as she sat at the table with Big Mac, Granny Smith, and Midnight in the dining room.

“Oh fingle-fangle, Applejack,” Granny Smith snorted, “yer worryin’ o’er nothin’, as usual.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“Granny Smith’s right, AJ.," seconded Midnight. "At some point, Apple Bloom’s not gonna be a little filly anymore. You’re just being stubborn.”

“She’s still a young’un, fer corn’s sake!” Applejack always got ornery whenever her stubborn streak was brought up. “Ah mean, really! Wit’ all th’ trouble Bloom an’ the Crusaders get into, how can any o’ you not be worried?”

“Because we’re not talking about the Crusaders, AJ, we’re talking about Apple Bloom,” Midnight reminded her.

“Bloom’s gettin’ close to th’ age you were when ya started helpin’ more round th’ farm,” Big Mac pointed out. “An’ one o’ these days, she’s gonna have more responsibilities, which means we gotta treat her like a pony who can handleem.”

“Ah’d jus’ feel better if somepony wer’ here t’ watch her,” Applejack reasoned.

“Well, AJ, right now, there’s jus’ nopony available on short notice,” Granny Smith reminded her granddaughter.
“Ah’m leavin’ soon t’ visit Great Aunt Pine Apple, you an’ Mac got some mighty ambitious deliveries t’ make, an’ Midnight’s takin’ Twinken t’ Canterlot.”

“Not t’ mention Shy’s treatin’ some o’ her ol’ neighbors’ pets,” Big Mac brought up, “an’ she can’t be worryin’bout Apple Bloom gettin’ underhoof.”

Applejack looked to Midnight with an annoyed look, “Well, why can’t `Bloom go wit’ you an’ Twink t’ Canterlot?”

“Because I already promised Twinken it was gonna be just me and him,” Midnight said in a tone that meant he’d never budge. “Besides, what we’re gonna be doing? Heh, Apple Bloom would be bored out of her skull!”

Applejack sighed, as she realized it was a losing battle. In her head, sure, she knew her sister was growing up and deserved a chance to be treated as a pony with responsibility, but in her heart she just couldn’t let go of being Apple Bloom’s big sister, the closest thing Apple Bloom had had for a mother.

“If’n there ain’t nothin’ else t’ say, Ah’d say wer’ all in agreement,” Granny Smith declared, Midnight nodding, Big Mac giving another eeyup, and their eyes turned to Applejack.

She gave another sigh and caved, “Aw’right, let’s step out an’ tell her.”

The four of them stood up and stepped towards the door that led to the hallway where the Crusaders were all waiting, especially Apple Bloom. As soon as the door opened, the Crusaders all stood at attention, as though they were soldiers about to get the grill from a drill-sergeant. First Midnight stepped out, followed by Applejack, Granny Smith, and finally Big Mac, the four of them with unreadable expressions as they faced the foals.

Apple Bloom couldn’t help but sweat as she saw Granny Smith first look to Big Mac at her right, then to Applejack and Midnight at her left, all of them with stern looks.

“So. We here have decided…” Granny Smith paused for dramatic effect, which made the six foals all tense up and puff up their chests, only for it all to brighten up as the four adult ponies smiled, Granny Smith saying, “tha’ yer old enough t’ stay home alone an’ take care o’ th’ chores yerself for this afternoon!”

A collective GASP of smile by the foals was cut short by Apple Bloom who reeled it in and her fellow Crusaders as well, prompting the rest of them to put on mature looks, as she answered, “Ah accept yer decision.”

They watched as the foals all calmly walked down the hall until they vanished around the corner. But as they were turning around to get everything ready-

“YEAH!” “WHOO-HOO!” AH’M STAYIN’HOME ALONE!” “THAT’S SO COOL!” “AWESOME!” “TOTALLY AWESOME!”

The four adults all just smiled and laughed at the young ones’ enthusiasm and excitement for Apple Bloom.

Not too long later, AJ and Mac were getting ready to make their deliveries, loading the orders onto their carts while Midnight and Twinken stepped out, the both of them having packed overnight saddlebags.

“Stayin' home alone, by mahself!”

They looked just in time to see Apple Bloom whisk past between them, balancing a few apple pies on her head when she got a little too excited to watch where she was going and-

*BUMP*

Applejack startled at Apple Bloom knocking into her backside but before she could scold her sister, her eyes popped at the pies soaring through the air and she leapt to catch them… only for a light red aura to envelop them and make them float gently onto Applejack’s cart, and she gave a thankful look to Twinken. The little colt smiled in response but the close-shave hadn’t really sunk in for Apple Bloom as she added, “Ah cain’t believe Ah’m really doin’ it!”

“Now hey there, filly, Ah know yer excited,” Applejack said with a slight raise of her voice to get her sister’s attention. “But bein’ th’ only pony here t’ take care o’ t’day’s chores is a big responsibility!”

“Ah know it!” Apple Bloom saluted with a look of determination as Applejack strapped herself to her cart. “An’ it means everything t’ me that y’all think Ah’m grown p enough t’ handle it. Ah won’ let ya down.”

“Well, if’n Ah’m gonna make muh train Ah’d best be off,” Granny Smith stepped in, her grandchildren all nodding. “When Great Aunt Pine Apple says a pony gots t’ arrive by a certain time, ya’d better be there.”

“We’re gonna be on our way momentarily too,” Midnight added as his keen eyes noticed the approaching pegasus-drawn chariot in the sky.

“This is gonna be so cool!” Twinken reared up and waved his forelegs with happy glee, his older siblings all smiling at how excited he was when Granny Smith stepped up to him and Applebloom.

“You go an’ have a good time, sweetie,” she said to her youngest grandson before giving Apple Bloom a gentle loving pat on the mane. “An’ you be sure an’ take care now, Apple Bloom.”

She then stepped up to AJ and Mac, “Y’all take care as well - I dunno which o’ yer delivery routes is tougher!”

She hoofed them each a map of directions to their destinations, “Yer each headed to a mighty hard-t’-reach town!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac acknowledged as he and Applejack put their maps away.

“We know, Granny," responded Applejack, "Tha’s th’ only reason Ah agreed t’ let Apple Bloom stay home alo-”

*WHA-PISH*

“OW!” Applejack threw an ornery look at Midnight, who returned it with a stink eye and holding his long lion-like tail at the ready. But before she could whip him back…

“Wait!” Apple Bloom stepped up to her sister with a slightly hurt look, “Ya mean, th’ only reason Ah get t’ stay home alone is cuz’ o’ th deliveries yer makin’?”

Applejack suddenly realized why Midnight had tried to shut her trap and quickly said to her sister, “Oh Ah din’t mean it like that, sugarcube! It’s just that…”

Midnight stepped up, giving Apple Bloom a warm look, “It’s a big sister’s job to be concerned for her little sister.”

“Which is why Ah spent all night makin’ this,” Applejack held out a long list for Apple Bloom to see.

But before she could take it, Midnight gave it a look and gave Applejack a flat look.
“And it is for that reason I wrote this for you, AB!”

Midnight made Applejack’s list vanish (much to her ire) and conjured a shorter list with much more sensible information that didn’t border on overprotective and just plain silly.

“Thanks, Midnight,” Apple Bloom accepted the list and saw the helpful hints on it that she thought to herself, Wow! With these hints, takin’ care o’ th’ farm on mah own’ll be even easier than Ah thawt!

Applejack gave Midnight another look, but he said with a calming tone, “Applejack. She’s ready for this.”

Applejack felt her case soften a bit and couldn’t help but smile at the self-assuredness her little sister was projecting and said with a sighing smile, “Ah guess she is…. Ah’m just not shor Ah am!”

Seeing her sister in doubt, Apple Bloom gave her a hug and an expectant smile, “But…! Ya trust me an’ believe Ah’m grownup enough t’ handle this, right…?”

While her brothers and grandmother smiled at Apple Bloom, Applejack sighed, “Right.”

Before she could nitpick the situation further, a loud braying neigh and flap of wings made everypony look up as the Royal Guard-pulled chariot Midnight had seen earlier landed while a taxi coach arrived to take Granny Smith to the train.

Finally the departures came, as Granny Smith rode away on her taxi, AJ and Mac all stated off on their deliveries, and Midnight and Twinken boarded the chariot, and everypony yelled goodbyes and good lucks to Apple Bloom, as she suspensefully watched and wait for them all to vanish from sight until…

“WHOO-HOO! Ah’m alone! At home! AH’M HOME ALONE!!!”

In all her prancing excitement, she landed on her back but looked up towards the sky with bright happy eyes, “This is gonna be so awesome…!”

Meanwhile, Twinken WHOOPED as the ground fell further beneath them with each flap of their royal escorts’ wings.
“Wow, we get to FLY to Canterlot! Awesome!” Twinken exclaimed with joy jumping up and down alongside his brother. Midnight just gave a happy nod and held his wing behind Twinken to make sure he didn’t fall out.

“Well, little bro, being royalty does have its perks!”

Watching the trees of the family orchard growing further and further away made Twinken cheer with excitement. This was his first chariot ride and the trip to Canterlot was gonna be great! The little unicorn turned to the alicorn standing next to him who was also taking in the scenery with a peaceful smile.

“Hey Midnight, I just wanted to thank you again for taking me to Canterlot. I didn’t really get to see much of it back when we came to be a part of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance’s wedding.”

Midnight gave his brother a pat on the head with a chuckle. “You’re welcome bro, everypony should get a chance to sightsee Canterlot at some point. Ponyville is our home, but the beauty of Canterlot is something special in its own right. I promise that you are going to have an awesome time. Just a few days ago I got a letter from Prince Sombra telling me this was the perfect weekend to visit Canterlot. He seemed to really want me to show up, so I think he must have some cool new magic spells to show me. I bet while we’re there he might even show you a few things.”

Twinken’s eyes went wide at this and his smile grew even wider, “Really? That’s so cool!”

Midnight returned the smile and wrapped his little brother in a wing hug as the pegasi continued flying them towards the great mountainside city in the distance.

A hour or so passed and the pegasi came in for a landing at the chariot port towards the outer sector of Canterlot. The two brothers thanked their pegasi escort and departed into the wide open streets of the great city.

All manner of ponies trotted back and forth through the streets, though the majority were unicorns. Unlike the fairly nudist town of Ponyville, almost all the ponies wore some manner of clothing, from jewellery and accessories, to full suit and dress combinations. Ponies chatted amongst themselves, striking business deals and bragging about their status among the sweet and elite of the grand city. Looming over the streets was the glorious visage of Canterlot castle, the light reflecting off its gold majesty to glitter and shine with beauty.

“So, what do’ya think, bro? Does Canterlot hold up or what?”

Twinken turned to his brother, is hooves shaking as he held back the desire to jump up and down in excitement. “This place is awesome! Where do we start!?”

“Stick with me, bro, and I’ll show you the time of your life!” Midnight placed a wing over his brother as the two trotted off into the wide open city.

As they walked, various sights of Canterlot presented themselves. They passed by Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, with dozens of scholars and students rushing about frantically, most with their muzzle shoved in a book or juggling about textbooks, spell books or various alchemical components or unusual-looking instruments of unknown purpose. Midnight tilted his head in confusion as he saw a beige yellow mare garbed in a thick woolen black sweater with thick glasses and a red mane with a lavender streak in an unflattering topknot passed him, a dull bored look on her face and several books held aloft in her magic. Her uncanny resemblance to his Twilight piqued his curiosity, but he shrugged and carried on.

Meanwhile Twinken looked up at a large statue of Star Swirl the Bearded standing proudly at the school’s entrance. He couldn’t help but be impressed by the great wizard and his magical studies. Still, for how great he was, he was nothing compared to his awesome big brother.

After that the two took a walk through the Canterlot park, looking at the beautiful trees and the gorgeous flowers and plants spread around it. Ponies were trotting about, enjoying the beauty, or spending time with their families. Several happy couples sat under trees on blankets enjoying picnics, while others played games with their pets. Midnight remarked that maybe he should bring his pet, Dreamer, along next time, which gave Twinken a chuckle at the thought of the big wolf playing fetch amongst the picnicking ponies, all scattering under his massive paws. Soon they passed through the park and up to the shipyards, watching as several balloons and airships floated in and out carrying supplies or carrying passengers. They laughed as they watched a young noble trying to woo some pegasus mares, only to offend them and receive a slap to the face from both of them before they flapped away.

As the brothers started making their way towards the shopping district to see some of the unique and expensive items for sale, a voice called out to them.

“Midnight! Midnight m’boy!” The alicorn and his little brother turned to see a unicorn pair approaching him. The stallion wore a suit top with a bow tie and a monocle. His parted mane was handsomely brushed and his mustache was perfectly styled on his muzzle. This was the suave and debonair, Fancy Pants.

Beside him was his beautiful wife. Her coat was a pink so light it was practically white, and her mane, a slightly darker pink was elegant and curled gorgeously. She wore some makeup and eyeliner that just further enhanced her beauty to everypony around her. No pony could resist her enchanting looks. This stunning mare was the lovely Fleur Dis Lee.

Besides their reputation preceding them, Midnight couldn’t help but notice just how much the married couple were beaming with joy.

He was cautious in his approach however, as memories surfaced after his last encounter with Fancy Pants. The stallion had placed Blueblood and his company in jeopardy in an attempt to ‘protect’ his friends Jet Set and Upper Crust, not realizing that Blueblood’s vile arrogant behavior in high society was an act he displayed to ward off mares and other undesirable ponies.

Still, for all the mistakes he made in the attempt, it had been out of genuine desire to protect his friends, and he had apologized quite profusely since, even, as Blueblood had told him during one of their meet ups at Pepper Pony's, providing a lot of marketing and financial services to aid the airship project that Blueblood had handed over to Jet Set. Midnight felt he could give the stallion another chance, especially as he had made friends with Fleur during some of his Canterlot trips.

“Hello Fancy, Fleur, it’s good to see you both.” He greeted as the two ponies stepped in front of him. “You seem to be looking well.”

“Quite well, Midnight, quite well indeed. I hope you don’t mind me speaking with you on such familiar terms. You are a Prince after all, and after the unpleasantness with Prince Blueblood…” Fancy Pants started before Midnight raised a hoof to stop him.

“It’s fine Fancy, really. You apologized and made things right with Blueblood, and frankly I prefer leaving my title out of conversations. I am perfectly happy to speak with you as friends.”

“Thank you, Midnight. I told my hubby you weren’t the sort to hold his actions against him after his efforts to make amends, but he can be quite stubborn when he wants to be.” Fleur giggled, rubbing up alongside her husband who now look embarrassed. Midnight just smiled until he felt a pull at his ankle and saw Twinken looking up at him.

“Oh, where are my manners. Fancy, Fleur, I’d like you to meet my little brother, Twinken. Twinken, this is Fancy Pants and Fleur Dis Lee, two of the most important nobles here in Canterlot.”

“Hi! It’s so nice to meet you.” Twinken raised his hoof to shake politely, his Apple Family manners kicking in immediately. Fancy and Fleur were immediately taken by the young colt and both gave his hoof a firm shake.

“Likewise, my boy! I do hope you’re having a pleasant day with your brother here. He’s such an inspirational pony up here in Canterlot. He even helped set me straight after I made some rather bad decisions against one of his friends.”

“Yes, Midnight is such a lovely gentlecolt. You certainly seem to take after him.” Fleur smiled down at him, causing the little colt to blush, alongside Midnight who just rubbed his neck in embarrassment from the complements.

“Midnight is an awesome pony and I’m so glad I get to spend the day with here in Canterlot.” Twinken gabbed excitedly.

The nobles smiled at the young colt, that they then shared a nodding look and Fancy said, “Midnight, your brother here is such a fine chap, that my wife and I would like to share with you both first such smashing news!”

“And what might that be?” Midnight smiled, having a feeling they were about to find out why the couple were in such a bright mood.

“Fancy and I…!” Fleur said with such a smile as she paused and whisper-shouted, “We’re going to have our first foal!”

“That’s wonderful!” Twinken couldn’t help but give Fleur a hug, which she was a little surprised at but was just too happy to care as she returned it while Midnight gave Fancy a hearty hoof-shake.

“Congratulations!” he smiled at the older stallion.

“Thank you very much, Midnight,” Fancy Pants chuckled warmly, “that means a great deal coming from you.”

“But wait,” Midnight looked to Fleur, “what about your modelling career?”

“Oh, I’m still a good while before my little one starts making itself apparent,” Fleur waved off the concern. “But once we come to that, I’ll take a leave of absence, and start working with my agent to help other aspiring models in our business.”

“Speaking of business,” Fancy Pants brought up as he looked past Midnight and Twinken and they all looked to see a Lunar Guard approach with a case of hurry-up.

“Prince Midnight, I have come on behalf of Princess Luna. She is requesting your immediate presence in the throne room. She is not in a good place at the moment sir, so I suggest we make haste.”

Fancy and Fleur nodded their heads in understanding. “Duty calls it seems, Midnight, my boy. It was wonderful to see you again though. I do hope we get a chance to catch up at our leisure before you leave Canterlot.”

“Yes, we’d both love to see you before you leave, both you. It’s always refreshing to spend time with ponies who dwell outside Canterlot and its high society setting.” Fleur nodded, giving the brothers a little wave of her hoof.

“Definitely, we’ll both make some time before we leave. Hopefully this won’t take too long, as I still have quite a lot of Canterlot left to show Twinken. We’ll see you later.” Midnight replied, giving them both a friendly smile in return.

“Bye, it was nice to meet you.” Twinken called as he joined his brother and the lunar guard and started making way to the palace.

Well, he was hoping not to have any issues on his trip here with Midnight, but he was a Prince, so sometimes things just happened. Hopefully this wouldn’t take too long then they could get back to exploring the city.

Right?

Author's Note

The Title is a ref to the phrase 'heavy is the head that wears the crown'

This occurs during 'Somepony to Watch Over Me'

208. A `Bolt of Teamwork - Part 3

The next morning, Midnight went out to the castle gardens, and found his master meditating. The dark alicorn was floating in the air, his horn glowing with his red aura, which levitated four great monoliths of solid obsidian around himself.

Seeing he looked busy, Midnight didn’t dare interrupt his master’s mediating, and instead sat down on the cool green grass. Watching his master, Midnight contemplated about his work, his plans, his goals, sighing with how much he actually had on his plate and wondering how to balance it all.

Granted he wasn’t really doing all that much while he was living in Ponyville, being with his friends and family. Not to mention all the secrets he was still keeping from them, especially from Twilight.

And Twinken…

Why haven’t I told him yet…? Midnight wondered guiltily.

That he and Twinken were truly brothers in blood, that their mother was alive but lost in a magically-induced coma, that their father walked out on them, and that he himself had left Twinken in the orphanage to preserve the timeline.

Midnight knew he couldn’t keep these secrets forever and the longer he did…

“Something appears to be troubling you, my young apprentice.”

Midnight jolted and looked up to see Sombra smiling down at him, and he quickly stood up.
“Master! I-I-uh, I didn’t want to interrupt you an-”

“It’s fine, Midnight,” Sombra assured him before stepping past the younger alicorn and saying, “Walk with me.”

Midnight did as his master bade and followed him through the gardens. For a few minutes, they just walked and enjoyed this little piece of nature painstakingly maintained by the gardeners on the royal staff.

They came to a spot that seemed very familiar to Midnight. A gazebo near a koi pond, a fountain with a seapony statue pouring an urn of water into the fountain, all of it surrounded by fruit trees and berry bushes. Sombra stepped into the shade of an oak tree and sat down, closing his eyes and saying nothing. Unsure, Midnight did the same, sitting next to his master, and wondering what this was about.

“Tell me what your parents were like,” he asked, out of the blue.

Midnight gaped at Sombra, wondering where this was coming from, but took a deep breath.
“Well… My father is or perhaps was Ignitus Enflame, Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“You speak of him as though he were no longer of this earth,” Sombra noted.

“Ignitus hasn’t been seen or heard from for ten years,” Midnight said with a subtle bitterness in his voice Sombra almost didn’t detect.
“Back when I was a little colt, he was… firm, disciplinary, but he was also kind and fun. He was proud and strong, his troops respected him and followed him without question… To be honest, in some ways he was a lot like you.”

Sombra chuckled, feeling honored by the comparison, but then asked, “And… your mother?”

“Faerie Tail…” Midnight thought of his mother, alive and yet unable to live. Every time he saw her in her condition, it broke his heart.
“Beautiful in body and soul, she used to be the Royal Librarian. She loved books and she was an amazing storyteller. The way she read bedtime stories to me when I was little, it always made me feel like I was in the story itself!

“And no matter how bad a day I had, just seeing her smile, that she was there for me, it made all my troubles just go away.”

“...My wife gave me a record she personally made from a long time ago,” Sombra spoke up. “This record was of my lineage, and she gave me such a beautiful gift to go with it, a vision of the daughter I will never know and all the brave and daring sons and giving and beautiful daughters I had that came after her.

“But the greatest gift and honor she gave me was the revelation of having you for a son.”

Midnight gasped and looked at Sombra, who returned the gaze with the look of a father’s love.

“So you know,” Midnight said, “that I am descended from your daughter Radiant Hope ...from you.”

“And the blood we share through your father,” Sombra nodded with a warm smile. “I am not trying to replace him, Midnight, and I would never disrespect him by even trying.

“I am merely saying it has filled me with deepest joy to know that I have family even in these modern times besides only my wife and sister-in-law.”

“Master…” Midnight looked up at the pony who was his master, his ancestor, and right now, the closest thing he had to a father.

“Celestia has informed me of your work and of those you command,” Sombra stated, giving Midnight a firm look. “And it seems to me the secrets are starting to trouble you.”

“It’s more than just the secrets concerning the Brotherhood,” Midnight admitted, “it’s about my mother, and how my brother doesn’t even know she’s alive, what my friends will think of me when they find out everything…

“Master… I’ve done so many terrible things, all in the interest of preserving peace and harmony in Equestria.”

“Well, you’re a better stallion than I was, and still am,” Sombra replied. Midnight knew what Sombra was saying but didn’t interrupt.
“I made so many mistakes, much of them monumental, and many of them I wish I could take back. At first, my own motivations were pure but soon enough they became less than so, enough for an ancient evil to drive me mad.

“Had I accepted an alliance between my old empire and Celestia back then, so much could have turned out differently. But then where would we be now? Would you still be of my blood or would you have never existed? Would Celestia and I have made amends sooner or would we have never moved on and rekindled our spark?

“In the end, Midnight, it doesn’t matter. All we can do is reflect upon the past, learn from it, and strive to live in the present, and look to the future with minds open and hopeful.

“I’m not telling you what to do, but you should know; secrets carry great power by their very nature residing within the unknown. Secrets can be used against you, and while the obvious way of keeping a secret is to not tell anyone, there is ever a temptation of telling a secret, recording your secrets, and learning them. By that simple reason, sooner or later, all secrets come to light.”

“So what are you saying?” Midnight asked, sounding wary.

“I’m saying, my son, is the secrets you carry place a great burden upon you,” Sombra explained. “A burden you can ease by telling your friends the truth before they are made to know them without you having the chance to explain. It will be better if it comes from you, and you must have faith that as bad as you think your secrets are, your friends will not forsake you.”

His master’s words had struck Midnight to the core, leaving him speechless. The answer he had given, simple yet hard, unclear yet obvious. He found himself wanting to confess all his secrets to his friends, only his common sense keeping him grounded, as he pondered, the when, the where, and the how.

*BONG BONG BONG…*

“Huh?!” Midnight and Sombra looked out to the city and with their pegasus eyes, they could see the distant clock tower, still bonging away the time, and Midnight realized the hour.

“OH! I gotta go, I promised Soarin I’d see him off before he leaves for his test,” Midnight stood up, looking to Sombra.
“Thank you, Master, you’ve given me much to consider!”

*FLASH*

Sombra chuckled, and simply lied back onto the grass, enjoying the shade and the fragrant garden air.

Soarin made his way towards the University of Canterlot for his test. He knew he was prepared. He had studied endlessly, both alone and with Twilight. He was sure he would do fine, and he would be one step closer to his dream of working in the weather office.

No… Not just working, running the office! Soarin though with his brows furrowed.

There was no smile on his face. Seeing the reaction from the Wonderbolts and the hurtful words Dashie had said to him, he had a heavy heart. He knew Dashie had just been mad and lashing out. She was headstrong and didn’t always think through her actions, and she had a fierce temper, but he knew she hadn’t meant those things she said to him.

Then why do they still hurt so much?

He was interrupted from his thoughts when a pair of young unicorns bolted past him in a panic. Soarin managed only to catch the tail end of their frantic speech as the sped off.

“…if we find a teacher or something maybe we won’t get in trouble!”

“Who cares about that! If we don’t get help Canterlot is…!”

Soarin gaze at them wide-eyed before he turned forwards where they had come from. A faint purplish magical beam seemed to waft into the air, like smoke rising from a fire. However he noticed with alarm that the clouds above were reacting very badly to the beam, darkening and giving off lightning sparks, colored the same magical purple color.

All at once Soarin realized what had happened, and he took to the sky in a burst of speed, heading for the beam’s ground point.

Those dumb-dumbs must have been fooling around with weather spells and combining them with some other type of magic without using any safeguards! If I don’t do something quickly those clouds will become a huge magical storm and Canterlot will be in big trouble!

Soarin arrived at the scene, just as Midnight and several royal guards did. Whatever the unicorn students had been doing, the spell had almost completely faded now, all absorbed into the purple flashing clouds above, glowing rain droplets starting to fall.

“Soarin, do you have any idea what is going on?!” Midnight called, winds starting to blow at high speed and buffeting those around them.

“I don’t know exactly but I saw two young unicorns running off and it sounded like they started it! Probably some weather spell gone wrong after some poorly-done experimentation!”

Midnight just grimaced, knowing just how dangerous it was to experiment with spells without knowing what you’re doing or taking proper safety measures. He signaled to the guards accompanying him and started to direct them, having them get civilians off the streets as they started to notice the menacing clouds above.

“You have better knowledge of weather magic than I do, Soarin, so I’ll need your help to stop this! I’m going to have my guards set up a perimeter then we’ll…!”

“Don’t worry about it, Prince Midnight, you have some pega-pros here to help!”

Soarin and Midnight looked up to see the Wonderbolts hovering above them, led by Spitfire. It was Rapidfire who had spoken, looking rather cocky and ready to show off his new position.

Soarin however was concerned. He knew damn well the Wonderbolts weren’t trained for this type of weather work. Sure they know how to work weather but they had only a basic understanding of weather mechanics. They didn’t understand weather combined with mismanaged spellcasting equaled a freakstorm of anomalous disaster! There was no way they could deal with this thing safely.

“Spitfire, this isn’t a normal storm! You aren’t trained to deal with…!”

Before Soarin could finish his warning, Spitfire turned a fierce glare on him, along with Fleetfoot and Rapidfire.

“Hey, we’re professionals here, Soarin and we don’t need some quitter telling us how to do our jobs! So how about you sit tight and focus on your stupid studies while pegasi with integrity get this done!” Fleetfoot growled at him. Rapidfire snorted derisively, an almost betrayed look on his face when he stared down at Soarin.

Soarin felt cowed under the fierce glares, while Midnight held a glare of his own. Spitfire however seemed to agree with her team, so without waiting for confirmation or even uttering a word, she took to the skies, her team flying right behind her.

Spitfire led the team into a V-formation, using her own wake as a speed multiplier to help ward off the weather affects.

Even just in the few moments it took to dismiss Soarin and rise to the sky, the storm clouds had turned violent, with massive winds threatening to tear them asunder and purple sparks bursting from the clouds, ready to roast them.

The briefest twinge of worry flashed through the Captain’s mind before she dismissed it. She was a Wonderbolt, and unlike Soarin, Wonderbolts didn’t quit!

With that in mind, she led the team towards the heart of the cloud, where the magical effect had first started to enhance the clouds. She could feel a wave of magic overpowering the air, almost radiating its dangerous effects.

Deciding to try and break the cloud apart into smaller sections before it could continue to grow, the hotshot flier led her team straight into the cloud, trying to break through the center and create a shattering effect with their speed that would disperse the cloud fragments once they broke apart.

Almost immediately things went dangerously wrong.

While the V-formation gave them enough force to breach the cloud layer, they couldn’t break apart the thick cloud with the strike. Within however was absolute chaos. It was like every dangerous weather condition was forming within the clouds. Hail and sharp ice fragments whirled around, just ready to rip a pegasus to shreds. A red sand like substance flung about, almost looking like a cloud of smoke, the sandstorm affects just ready to grind away flesh. The gale force winds were even stronger within, twirling about like a miniature hurricane, somehow not tearing the clouds apart from within. But most dangerous of all was the magical purple lightning everywhere, like webs of energy. From the outside, only sparks and ominous glowing was visible, but within, it was devastating, looking almost like a crackling wall of electrical energy, striking everywhere, melting the hail and ice, and turning the red sand to glass.

One wrong move, one twitch of a wing in the wrong direction, and it was game over.

Spitfire was prideful and skilled, but she was far from stupid. She could tell immediately she and her team stood no chance dealing with the this thing.

It seemed her team agreed, because without any command given, all the `Bolts scattered, flying about in every direction looking for an exit to escape the spiraling death storm around them.

Fleetfoot dived below a hail cloud and narrowly zigzagged through the slicing shards before barrel-rolling out of the cloud bank and back into the open sky. Surprise attempted to copy her, but a bolt of lightning slashed past her and she was forced to pull up to avoid becoming a piece of fried pegasus. Wind Waker dove about left and right, his face in a blind panic and his greenness completely on display. He managed to swerve around the sand storm and out before his tears of fear blinded him.

Spitfire watched as her team panicked and floundered, all breaking for an exit as fast as they could. An overwhelming anger flared through her.

These were the Wonderbolts! The best of the best! Why were they unable to deal with this!?

Her common sense kicked in and she zoomed forward before a lightning strike could nail her. Several more chased her tail, singing the hairs, but she was concentrating far too much to care right then. The ice shards and the sand seem to create a helix affect that threatened to rip her to pieces from both sides, but she didn’t earn the rank of captain for nothing!

With a burst of speed she raced past the initial wave and rode the hurricane winds through the colliding weather, boosting herself as fast as she could go. Then, with one final push, she slammed through the cloud layer and into open sky, just barely escaping a colossal lightning strike that burst out behind her. She let out a sigh of relief and started to look around to assess the status of her team. Fleetfoot had made it to ground and Surprise wasn’t far behind. The Wind Waker had wrapped himself around a fluffy white cloud and wouldn’t let go. Everypony else seemed okay but… wait… where was Rapidfire? Where was her little brother?!

A loud cry made her eyes open wide with fear and she swung around to see a silhouette of a pegasus lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree as a lightning bolt slammed into him. A smell of smoke and burning filled the air as Rapidfire dropped from the cloud bank, his fur charred and burned on the right side of his barrel and his right wing’s feathers breaking apart from fire, a trail of smoke and cloud outlining his fall.

The injured pegasus dropped like a stone, completely unconscious and unable to save himself if he could.

Spitfire zoomed towards him as fast as she could fly, but she knew she wasn’t close enough to make the catch. Below, her team and several pegasus royal guards took to the sky, but they were slow starting and knew they wouldn’t be able to slow the fallen pegasus’ velocity.

Just as it seemed Rapidfire was doomed to become a pancake on the Canterlot streets, an aura of turquoise blue surrounded him with a protective embrace, and slowed him to a gentle stop, placing him safely in front of Midnight, his horn ignited and his expression grave.

“Rapid! Rapid, are you OK?!”

Spitfire zoomed to her downed teammate, her brother, and knelt in front of him. However while he was breathing, Rapidfire was in bad shape, unconscious and severely injured.

“Come on, Rapid, wake up dammit!”

“Guards, get him to the hospital ASAP!” Midnight barked at the guards accompanying him. “Commander Rapidfire needs immediate medical attention.”

At Midnight’s command two of his guard retinue rushed forward and took a hold of the downed pegasus. Gently, they held him between them and took flight, flying as fast as they dared to the hospital.

Spitfire just watched as he was taken, pain and guilt in her eyes. She knew she had failed in her mission, and worse, gotten her brother seriously hurt.

While she sat there, Midnight took a look over the rest of the Wonderbolts who had all regathered, watching as their teammate was flown away, all feeling the same pain as Spitfire, blaming themselves for their inability to get the job done and being unable to help their teammate before it was too late.

The alicorn just gave an irritated sigh. As much as the Wonderbolt Captain’s earlier arrogance had annoyed him, they were still the strongest fliers present, and the best chance at stopping the worsening storm above. He couldn’t risk adding his own alicorn magic to the storm, lest it become absorbed like the unicorn magic from earlier and make it far, far worse. He grimaced as he heard ponies around panicking. Those that hadn’t already evacuated, or had ignored the guards warnings, looked up in horror as the black clouds started to burst, their deadly effects within breaching the cloud wall.

Purple lightning cracked through the air, taking out a roof top point and starting a fire. Sand sliced through the air fast enough to break off walls and injuring several ponies too slow to react. Razor shards of ice rained down, smashing windows, damaging walls and sending ponies scattering about in all directions to avoid being cut to pieces. Gale force winds growing stronger and stronger, threatening to throw ponies into the air and knock them about. All of this while blisteringly cold rain pelted down, like a curtain of darkness.

Midnight struggled to think of a plan, when suddenly, everything happened.

Or rather, Soarin happened.

The blue stallion had stood rigid as Rapidfire, who had been his closest friend in the Wonderbolts, had been injured, watching like his ex-teammates as he had been flown off, and witnessing Spitfire speechless and guilty. Anger welled up within him and before he could help himself he moved forwards and punched his commander in the face, knocking her to the ground. This snapped the captain out of her funk and she growled and pulled herself up, ready to throw her own attack at Soarin, when she froze. She had known Soarin for years now, and never had she seen such intensity, such rage in his eyes. It gave her pause.

“You BUCKING idiot!! I tried to warn you that you had no chance dealing with that storm! But noooo! The great Spitfire doesn’t need my help! No, she’ll once again show off and pretend she’s the greatest thing to ever come from Cloudsdale and ignore all common sense to be the hero!”

The enraged stallion grabbed a hold of her uniform and dragged the very startled Spitfire nose to nose with himself. All around the rest of the Wonderbolts were gobsmacked and Midnight, while certainly pleased to see Spitfire being taken down a notch after her reckless leadership just now, was really unsure where this was going and needed to get things moving lest all of Canterlot fall apart.

“I was a Wonderbolt just as long as you before I left and I know you, Spitfire! Time after time you do this! Put your pride and your arrogance before everything else and it always comes back to bite you in the ass! I don’t know whether it’s because of your self-deprecating need to live up to your grandfather’s legacy or if you are just that narcissistic a pony but right now lives are at stake, so it stops now! It stops and for once in your life you shut up and listen to somepony who knows what they are doing!”

He unceremoniously dropped her then turned to his former team who all just stared in complete shock, just trying to understand how their laid back easy going Soarin had just mustered that absolutely crushing speech to their Captain.

“Look, I realize that since I chose to leave the Bolts things aren’t good between us anymore. But right now I need you guys to listen! Even before I resigned, I have been studying weather conditions, natural, artificial, *and* magical. I’ve always wanted to work with the weather department and help oversee the skies of Equestria. The Wonderbolts only have the most basic weather knowledge to work with. To theBolts, the most important thing has always been speed, not weather control. But I know weather. I know about the different weather conditions above. I know how to handle a sandstorm or a hail shower, or a hurricane and even how to deal with that magically-charged lightning!”

Soarin stepped closer, not realizing that his tirade had silenced any words from Spitfire, and that the rest of the bolts were listening, while Midnight, started to let the ghost of a smile form on his muzzle.

“Right now, all of Canterlot is in danger. I need you to follow my lead and help me stop this. I know how to stop it, but I can’t do it alone. I realize working together again will be hard, but cooperation isn’t always easy. But something you need to understand. Something the `Bolts haven’t understood for a long time. That you aren’t just Equestria’s best flying squadron. You’re also one of the greatest teams in Equestria, period! It might not be easy, but if we work together. If you can work with me, work with each other, completely, we can stop this. We can stop this storm and save Canterlot! …So c’mon, guys. What do you say?”

The team all listened, and hesitated up until Silver Lining stepped forward, his expression inscrutable.

“I said it before but now I’m saying it in front of the team… Ever since you left, Soarin, the Wonderbolts are poorer without you. It takes serious balls to go your own way but it takes some big heavy brass ones to call others out on their piss-poor decisions.”

Hearing that made Spitfire look away in shame but then Silver added, “How can those we care about improve if we don’t point out their faults?”

Spitfire looked at Silver, bewildered at the smug but caring look he was giving her as he helped her to her hooves.
“Captain Spitfire, I served under your grandfather long enough to know one thing. You will never be Hellfire… because you’re supposed to be Spitfire!”

“I-I don’t understand,” Spitfire uttered.

“What Silver means, Spitfire,” Midnight spoke up, “is that you should stop trying to be your grandfather and start being you! You’re supposed to carve your own mark, do things your own way.”

“You’re a good captain, Spitfire,” Silver nodded with narrowed eyes, “but you’ll never be a great one unless you knock off the feeling that you should lead by Hellfire’s example!

“He had his way, it’s time you found your own.”

All eyes were on Spitfire, waiting for her orders, and Spitfire considered everything she’d just been told. For starters, Soarin was right. The Wonderbolts only had basic training in weather-control since their advanced aerial acrobatics, flying maneuvers, and aerial speed was where they truly shined.

They had never trained to handle weather like this. That left only once choice…

“Soarin…” Spitfire said, “I can’t lead the `Bolts effectively in this situation. But you can!”

To everypony’s surprise, Spitfire wing-saluted Soarin, “What’s the plan?”

Silver chuckled proudly at the mare who he’d watched grow up from a little filly and followed her example, saluting Soaring, “I trained you well enough to trust you to lead us through hell.”

Soarin was in awe as the rest of the `Bolts saluted him, ready and willing to follow his lead. Then Midnight stepped forward and his horn lit up as he smirked, “Which means you’re gonna need these!”

In a burst of turquoise light, a Wonderbolt flight suit and pair of goggles appeared, and Soarin looked at Midnight who gave him a salute as well. Smiling gratefully, Soarin suited up, strapped on the goggles, and he found it surprisingly good to be back in uniform. He looked to his old teammates, as they formed a line, ready to receive orders. Soarin had led before but never in this capacity and never for something like this! But there was no backing out. The ponies of Canterlot needed the Wonderbolts and the Wonderbolts needed him to lead them. Taking a deep breath, he began.

“Listen up, everypony! Right now, that storm above us is still brewing, and if we don’t break it up it’s liable to grow worse or even spread! The Wonderbolts have dealt with weather before but never anything like this! I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, this is gonna be dangerous but you’ve already seen that for yourselves.

“However! I trained and flown alongside each of you, led some of you, and I’ve seen each and every one of you do great things! But y’know what? As amazing as each of us are as individuals, it’s when we fly together when we are truly at our best!

“Together is how we’ll overcome this storm! Together is how we’ll save Canterlot! Together… what are we?”

Soarin gave his old team a hard look and they got the idea.

“We are Wonderbolts!”

“Are you all hard of hearing or do you need me to GRAB YOUR UNMENTIONABLES AND GIVE `EM A TWIST?! I’ll ask again: Together, what are we?!”

“WE ARE WONDERBOLTS!”

“Then let’s stop this storm and save Canterlot!”

With that Soarin lowered his goggles over his eyes, spread his wings, determination plastered all over his face and he rocketed into the sky. He looked behind him to see a v-formation had formed and his old… his team was all there. Then he felt a presence beside him to find Spitfire flying there, a harshness on her muzzle. But after a moment of staring, she said nothing, just nodded her head in respect, and let her angry frown fade into a smile before dropping back to complete the formation, leaving Soarin to lead the charge.

Soarin nodded his thanks and felt a powerful warmth in his chest. It had been a while now since he had flown with the Bolts, but even when with them, there had always been a disconnect. A desire to fly and be the best individual.

Now, they were flying together, as a team that none could best.

For the first time, Soarin felt their camaraderie, and it felt amazing.

Author's Note

I did the opening scene, all the editing, and added my own personal touches to the end while Pontiac56 did the scene with the storm and Soarin rallying his old teammates

220. The Loss of Faith - Part 3 (RE-EDITED)

Author's Note

This took a while because I wanted to get it right, and believe you me... The horse apples really hit the fan here

This was also hard to write because of the emotional drama I needed it to have and the effects it's having on the characters. Thanks to the thoughts and suggestions of Creative Quill, Spirals95, and Garuda IV, I finally put this together.

I warn you in advance - This will probably make you hate me

The illustration was commissioned by me from MCShelster

220. The Loss of Faith - Part 3 (RE-EDITED)

The Cutie-Mark Crusaders were all making there way towards the library. They’d made a quick stop at Button's house on the way only to have nopony answer after about six minutes of knocking.

As they trotted towards the library, Sweetie Belle broke the silence.

"I guess Button and his mom had to go somewhere last minute."

"It probably couldn't be helped. I guess will just catch him up on what lessons we have today." Twinken suggested, none the wiser to the exchange of smiles between the other crusaders as they slowed their pace just a bit so Twinken would be walking in the lead.

But as giddy as she felt, Sweetie Belle couldn't help but worry a little. Button told her that he went to find a quick gift for the party. But at very least he could've left a note to tell them he couldn't make it.

While Sweetie Belle was having these thoughts something caught Apple Bloom's eyes. In the distance she could make out a few animals making a beeline towards Fluttershy's cottage.

Normally nothing spooked them that badly.

At the same time Rumble and Scootaloo happen to notice a rather stocky unicorn stallion. From the looks of it he was asking most of the market various questions. What those questions were they had no idea but they noted the look on his face, a mixture of confusion, anger, and determination.

Twinken noticed none of this as he was looking up in the sky to see a pegasus guard, who seemed to be looking frantically for something. But a moment later he flew away.

Each of the Crusaders were now confused and somewhat worried at the happenings of the town, but decided to ignore it for now as another day in Ponyville. They could always question their respective siblings about their worries later.

They had managed to reach the library tree and Twinken opened the door instead of knocking since he knew they were already expected.

"Why is it so dark in he..." Twinken wondered aloud whe-

"SURPRISE!!!!

Lights went on, there were bursts of confetti, balloons and streamers fell down upon Twinken and he shook it all off and gasped at what he saw!

The main room of the library was decorated with balloons, streamers, and twinkling stars. The wooden horse bust that was set on the table in the middle of the library was gone. In its place was a nice spread of cupcakes, pizzas, breadsticks, a few bowls of potato chips and dip, little fancy-looking mini-sandwiches, a punch bowl, along with bottles of sparkling apple cider and colt cola in a cooler of ice.

Attending were all of Twinken’s friends and family, including some of his classmates, Snips & Snails, Shady Daze, Featherweight, Piña Colada, First Base, Twist, Zipporwhill, Blade Runner, Carrot Crunch, Chip Mint, Cotton Cloudy, and (to Twinken’s delight) Dinky Doo!

Besides the colts and fillies, Twinken also saw Dinky’s parents, Doctor Whooves and Ditzy Doo-Whooves, Mrs. Chili Spice, Mr. & Mrs. Cake were here too, Pound and Pumpkin carried in foal-carriers strapped to Mrs. Cake’s barrel, Zipporwhill’s father Nightjar, Cheerilee (who’d come as a chaperone for some of the foals who were here without parents or legal guardians), Cloudchaser and Flitter, Granny Smith, Bulk Biceps (who’d already done his traditional “YEAH”), and of course he saw Applejack, Thunderlane, Big Mac, Rarity, Blueblood, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, Twilight, Spike, and Midnight smiling warmly at his little brother.

Twinken stood there at a loss, filled with confusion but excitement when-

“SurPRISE!!!”

Up popped Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich with a happy and hearty “Happy birthday, Twinken!”

“Wha- B-birthday?!” Twinken echoed, confused as he thought aloud, “But… my birthday was months ago! What’s going on here?”

The excited chatter quieted down as Midnight stepped forward, looking happy but there was a hesitation in his steps as he sat down in front of Twinken, “Little brother, what’s going on is…. Today – this day – is your real birthday, when you were born eleven years ago, that special day when you came into our lives when I was thirteen years old.”

“When you were… !!” Realization began to dawn on Twinken as he looked at the alicorn prince in front of him in a whole new light, this pony who had volunteered to be his big brother for a Sibling Revelry, who’d taken him in, given him a home, loved him, made him happy, and while the adoptive status had never mattered to him, Twinken began to realize what Midnight was saying.
“Midnight! Are-are you really…?”

Midnight answered by pulling the little colt in front of him into a warm and tender hug, even wrapping his wings around Twinken, who peered over Midnight’s shoulder and saw everypony.

Rarity, Big Mac, Mr. & Mrs. Cake, Cheerilee, even Bulk Biceps! They were all shedding tears of joy, and Twinken was set back down as Midnight released him and looked at Twinken with tearful eyes of his own.
“I’m sure you must have questions, and I promise to answer all of them. For now though little brother, here’s your first birthday present.”

Midnight held up his hoof and a turquoise bubble suddenly appeared over it and popped to reveal a small white box tied shut with a golden ribbon. He held it out to Twinken, saying, “I’ve waited for so long to give this to you.”

Twinken accepted the present with trembling hooves, his heart and mind racing, stunned by a mixture of joy, confusion, and plain ol’ shock.
“I… I don’t know what to…”

“Ah-ah-ah, birthday colt!” Pinkie bounced over to Twinken and Midnight, “presents are for after birthday cake!”

“Pinkie Pie, if he wants to open it now, then-” Midnight started to protest.

“Uh, no!” Twinken interrupted, “I… I think I wanna save this present for last.”

Midnight and Pinkie shared a look before the former asked, “Are you sure about that, Twinken?”

“I’m sure,” Twinken nodded with a smile, as he looked at the library again, covered with decorations and seeing all in attendance.
“Besides, it’s… my birthday, after all, so… Let’s get this party STARTED!!!!”

“YEAH!!!” Bulk Biceps yelled over the cheers in response to Twinken’s words and fun and happy times ensued.

Featherweight took pictures for highlights of the party while Thunderlane rolled a video camera. They took all kinds of shots and footage, watching Scootaloo miss her mark in ‘Pin the Tail on the Pony’ and instead hitting Soarin straight in the cutie-mark (his voice showed potential for singing soprano), Cheese Sandwich won the limbo challenge of ‘How low can you go’ (defying the laws of physics in such a way that it made Twilight’s eye twitch at the sight of it), the smiles and laughs on everypony’s faces during the version of Musical Chairs where everypony plays but nopony loses (Spike somehow wound up on top of the pony pile on the last chair), and everypony just had an all-around good time.

“Thanks so much for doing all this, you guys!”
“No problemo, Midnight ol’ pal!”
“Yeah, whenever we Party Ponies put something together we’re happiest when what we do makes everypony smile!”
“Twinken’s got quite a birthday haul.”
“Hey Thunder, if you can, send me a copy of that tape.”
“Sure, but… Is it just me or are a couple ponies missing?”
“Sweetie Belle did inform me that they stopped by Button’s house but nopony answered.”
“An’ Ah ain’t seen `Shy since she moseyed on over t’ her cottage t’ check on her critters.”

*Knock-knock-knock*

“I got it!” Spike answered the door to see it was, “Fluttershy! Come on in!”

“Thank you, Spike, sorry I’m late,” Fluttershy walked in, carrying an envelop with Angel riding on her back, looking a tad skittish.

“Hey there, sweetheart,” Big Mac went over to give his wife a hug and kiss, “Wha’ kept ya?”

“Oh the critters had… a bit of a fright,” Fluttershy didn’t want to think of what she and Angel had experienced in the Everfree Forest. “I finally managed to calm the little darlings and get them home before I finally made my way here for the party.”

“And uh… why’d you bring Angel?” Spike warily asked, not particularly fond of the rabbit.

“Well, Angel just didn’t want me to leave but I didn’t want to miss Twinken’s birthday and give him my present,” Fluttershy continued, “so I brought him along. But don’t worry, he’ll be on his best behavior… though if anypony has a carrot or something for him to nibble on, that would be nice.”

Pinkie suddenly popped up, wearing a fancy waiter costume and fake moustache. Bearing a dish covered by a cloche, which she lifted to reveal a small bowl of carrot sticks with a side of ranch dip as she said (in a bad Prench accent), “Would Monsieur Angel Bunny care to sample ze vittles?”

Seeing what Pinkie was offering, Angel leaned over to take a sniff. At first, he smelled the juicy carrot sticks and rich ranch dip… when another scent tickled his snuffly nose.

He’d smelled that before… Angel felt his heart begin to race and looked in the direction he smelled that scent and squealed at the sight of its source!

He nabbed one of the carrot sticks and threw it.

“Hey!” Midnight reached up with his hoof to his ear where the carrot stick had hit him, and looked confused towards Fluttershy.

“Angel Bunny, why ever did you do that?” Fluttershy looked at her bunny like a parent scolding a naughty child.

The frantic rabbit hid behind Fluttershy’s hair, shivering with fright, while also pointing at Midnight and squeaking!

“What? Midnight, he- Angel, you’re… you’re not making any… sense…!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened in realization as she looked to her friend and saw Midnight looking at her back, the look on his face all but confirming what she was suspecting, what Angel was telling her!

“Midnight…?!”

The sound of her voice cut like a tightening wire, as Midnight began to sweat and the ponies around them began to notice the way Fluttershy was looking at him and the way he was looking at her back. A voice inside was screaming at him to run but his hooves were frozen as Fluttershy hesitantly approached him, Big Mac, Rarity, Blueblood, and Thunderlane looking confused.

“Fluttershy, whatever is the matter, dear?”
“And Midnight, did something happen between you two?”
“Yeah, buddy, you’re looking like you got caught in the act, or something.”
“`Shy?”

More and more ponies were now looking at Fluttershy and Midnight, the two of them sharing a most tense and uncomfortable look, the party music was muted, allowing everypony to hear what Fluttershy said.

“Midnight… was that you I saw in the Everfree Forest?”

Midnight gulped and was really beginning to sweat, as Twilight stepped up, asking, “What’s going on? Fluttershy, what do you mean, you saw Midnight in the Everfree Forest?”

“I… I saw something,” Fluttershy confirmed, keeping her eye on Midnight as she nervously went on. “Angel got fussy and ran off… I followed him into the forest, where… Where we heard a horrible scream! We hid, and I saw… something! It was some kind of creature, covered with this- this… smoky darkness! It chased down and killed a deer! Angel… Angel wouldn’t be acting so afraid right now unless… Unless what we saw eating the deer was here right now!”

Midnight had never looked so nervous but couldn’t think of a word to say as more and more eyes fell upon him.

“N-now hold on, Fluttershy!” Twilight protested, “You just said that, whatever you saw, it was covered with some kind of ‘smoky darkness’, so you didn’t really see whatever it was you think you saw! So, before we go and point hooves-”

“It was me.”

He said it without meaning to, they just slipped out, and now all eyes really were now looking at him as Midnight was hurt to see some of them afraid. A few of them even stepped back a bit. For a moment the silence oozed with trepidation until finally Midnight took a deep breath.

“After… I gave my lecture to Twinken’s class, I… I needed to eat. But I needed something that I couldn’t find in Ponyville, because… I’m part Lunar Pony. Some of you might have seen them, a lot of them as Princess Luna’s personal guard.

“Lunar Ponies are different from regular ponies. Most of them live on the Shetland Isles though in recent years, especially after Luna came back they’ve started making more efforts to integrate with Equestrian society. One of the problems however is, well…”

“They eat meat.”

All eyes turned to Blueblood whose facial expression was neutral as he said “Lunar Ponies are omnivores, meaning their diet includes meat. I’ve met a few Lunar Ponies, even visited the Shetland Isles a couple times when I carried out a few diplomatic duties for my aunt.”

“Blueblood, you mean to say you spent time with- with-” Rarity looked aghast, at Blueblood and especially at Midnight, with a blatant look of disgust for the latter.

“Now hold on, Rarity,” Soarin spoke up, “you can’t blame someone for being the way they are! I’m sure Opalescence has eaten a mouse or fish in front of you, at least once!”

“Yeah, I’ve met a few meat-eating creatures when I was moseying around Equestria to parties in the works,” Cheese added, as though it were no big whoop what they’d all just learned. “I even tried some salted salmon from a restaurant in a fishing village over at Horseshoe Bay! Strong flavor but it was good stuffy, really.”

“Add to the fact that Lunar Ponies need to eat meat on a periodic basis,” Blueblooded brought up. “They can’t survive only on the foods regular ponies eat. Their bodies require them to feed on meat every now and then otherwise their bodies will begin to reject foods like greens, leading to deterioration of their health.”

“Well… I suppose I can’t fault you for needing meat, Midnight,” Fluttershy looked at her friend in a more kindly manner. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go in the Everfree Forest to… well, to hunt!”

“I received a letter from my… supplier in the Griffon Kingdom a while back,” Midnight admitted, “he said until further notice his supply chain would be cut off. I’m sorry you saw all that, Fluttershy, and that all of you had to find out this way.”

Midnight looked away from everypony before saying in a lower tone, “I didn’t want you to find out like this… but I won’t apologize for being different.”

Nopony knew what to say. Awkward silence befell the room, as everypony shared looks, unsure of what to say or do next. Twilight looked around and could see somepony had to break the ice; the longer this went on the more uncomfortable it would just get. She took a deep breath and stepped forward…

“Midnight-”

…only for the library door to swing open and in came a distraught Love Tap and a Pegasus guard. The sobbing earth pony mother was crying as she spoke, “M-my Button! Is he here?! Has anypony seen my son?!”

And just like that, the object of everypony’s interests was shifted, as everypony looked to Love Tap and the guard, the both of them looking out of their minds with worry.

“Love Tap! What’s going on, Button’s missing?” Twilight asked first, the colts and fillies all suddenly looking worried.

The guard stepped forward, giving a wing-salute to Midnight and Twilight, “Your Highnesses, Miss Love Tap and I came here, looking for young Button Mash but it appears he’s not here. I humbly request your help in finding him.”

“Please, your majesties!!” Love Tap went up to Twilight, putting her hooves on the princess’s shoulders, sobbing, “My baby is missing! I-I- I can’t lose him too-hoo-hoo…!!!”

“Him too?!” Twilight echoed as she did her best to calm the weeping mother down.
“Soldier, what does she mean?” Midnight asked, and again all eyes were on the guard.

The royal guard looked down in sorrow, “I came here to deliver some messages, Sire. The first was to Miss Love Tap, to inform her that… that her oldest son, Lieutenant Cheat Code is dead.”

Multiple gasps sounded, especially from the parents present, Love Tap crying even harder that Cheerilee, Mrs. Cake, and Granny Smith came over to comfort her while the soldier continued.

“Young Button Mash arrived just as I gave the news and… I had come to personally deliver a Red Heart of Service. Button figured out the reason why. He ran off crying his eyes out after that.”

Sorrowful silence befell everypony in the library, except for Love Tap, who continued to weep despite the comforting efforts of those around her. Even Sweetie Belle was beginning to sniffle, Rarity noticing and hugging her dear little sister close, knowing how Sweetie and Button were such dear friends. Even Pinkie’s mane started to deflate while the curly forelock of hair above Cheese’s face suddenly drooped.

“I see. Lieutenant Cheat Code is dead,” Midnight spoke solemnly before addressing the guard again, “Do you know the COD, soldier?”

“That’s just it, Your Majesty,” the guard explained, “Cheat Code, and several other guards, they were all killed in action! By unknown assailants.”

Unknown assailants? But who could’ve- Midnight thought a moment, No, Button’s more important right now. We need to fin-

"Sir, there's something else you ought to know..." the guard added, interrupting Midnight's train of thought.

He looked back at the soldier, acknowledging him, "Sure, go ahead."

"We may wish to step out," warned the guard.

Midnight rolled his eyes. He had just been informed of a crushing tragedy for several families that would scar them for life. Whatever else this guard had to say was likely to pale in comparison.

"It's fine, go on."

After clearing his throat and darting his eyes a little, as if struggling to find a way to say it, the guard announced, "Well, it's about the Hossmane case. We found him today... dead at his desk in an apparent suicide."

“WHAT?!?!” Midnight yelled, the news hitting him, flinching the instant he realized everypony in the room had heard their conversation.

Midnight silently cursed himself for failing to go outside with the guard to hear the other news. Now that he'd let him blurt out that information, his cover was blown, and he hesitantly looked around noticing once again all eyes were on him, especially Twilight. The awkward silence returned but it was much shorter this time, as Twilight's eyes stared at him in that special way that means an explanation was due.

“Midnight, wh- I don’t know what exactly is going on here, but… Are you involved somehow with the Blackberry Hossmane case?”

What do I do… what do I say?! Midnight’s mind was racing as he tried to think of how to handle this. Wait… Button Mash! I can remind them he takes priority and-

*BANG*

Everypony flinched at the sound of the library door being forced open and Midnight’s hopes of damage control flew out the window as he saw Joe walk in, glaring at the alicorn prince.

“Doughnut Joe?! What’re you doing here?” Twilight asked the million-bit question.

Joe approached Midnight until they were only a yard apart. They held each other’s gaze but while Joe’s was razor-edged and adamant with a tempered fury, Midnight’s was flickering and nervous, like a lit candle struggling to stay lit in a harsh windstorm.

“…I followed you,” Joe spoke, and Midnight’s sweat turned cold with realization as he remembered where he’d gone that early morning and that if Joe had indeed followed him there could be only one reason he was here, confronting him.
“I lost you in Canterlot General Hospital, but I found her… She looked like she was just sleeping. But there’s somethin’ wrong with her, ain’it?!”

“Joe, who are you talking about?!” Twilight asked, finally noticing the emotional turmoil on her coltfriend’s face and realized how cornered he must feel.
“Whatever the situation is, I’m sure if we all just take a moment and-”

“Why is she in there?!” Joe yelled, his eyes boring into Midnight, who looked desperate for a way out. “And why haven’t I heard from her for so many years?! Did you do something to her, ‘Your Highness’?! You did something and you kept her hidden from me!”

“Joe, that’s enough!” Twilight exclaimed but there was a pleading in her voice, as she saw Midnight fall onto his haunches and cover his face with his wings.

Joe ignored her and pushed at Midnight, “What did you do to her?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!”

“Get away from him!” Twinken yelled, unable to take it anymore as he got between Joe and Midnight-

“SHUT UUUUUP!!!!!” Midnight screamed as a wave of shimmering shadowstuff exploded with a defensive flap of his wings… and Twinken screamed as he took the brunt of it and was hurtled into the partygoers, specifically into Doctor Whooves and Carrot Cake, who just barely managed to catch him.

Joe was blown back too, thrown by the power into one of the bookshelves. He grunted in pain as he fell into a heap, quickly covered in disheveled books.

There were a few screams and cries of fear and confusion, but as it began to wind down, Twilight looked to see Midnight on his hooves, panting and shaking, his eyes bugging out as he struggled to clear his thoughts.

“Ohhh….”

That one groan of pain struck him deep as Midnight froze in realization. As if in a trance, he slowly looked towards Twinken, seeing him being held by Dr. Whooves, Ditzy and Dinky looking at the little colt, concerned as he didn’t respond to their voices.

Midnight didn’t even hear them talking, hear them asking Twinken if he was okay. All he knew in that moment… was he had hurt his little brother.

What have I done...?!

“Midnight!”

That scolding voice snapped him out of it, and he looked to see Twilight looking at him in a way that hurt.

“Upstairs. Now.”

Everypony watched as Midnight shamefully did as Twilight told him, walking up the stairs, disappearing from sight. Twilight then went over to Twinken and gave him a look, “He seems fine, just out of it, right now.”

“Be that as it may, I think Twinken should be examined at the hospital,” Dr. Whooves concurred, “I’ll take him there straightaway.”

“We’ll come too,” Ditzy added as she helped Dinky onto her back.

Twilight nodded before addressing everypony, “Everyone, I’m afraid the party is gonna have to be cut short.”

“What about him?” Carrot Cake pointed out Joe, who was still buried under the books that had fallen on him.

Chili Spice went over to check on him for a moment, “I think we should get this stallion to the hospital as well. He might have a concussion.”

“We got him,” Zipporwhill’s father Nightjar and Bulk Biceps came over, Nightjar hoisting Joe onto Bulk’s back. Zipporwhill and Featherweight followed their fathers out the library, Chili Spice in tow.

Cheerilee and the Cakes, along with all the colts and fillies under Cheerilee’s watch, left after them.

Twilight then looked to Love Tap, who was still sniffling, “Now, Love Tap, while I need to speak with Midnight, I’m sure some of our friends will be more than happy to help you look for Button Mash.”

“We got this, Twilight!” Cheese saluted, Pinkie adding, “It’s time for a search party! I’ll get the night-vision goggles!”

“Th-thank you!” Love Tap hiccupped as Cheese and Pinkie helped her to her hooves and escorted her outside.

Big Mac, Thunderlane, Blueblood, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Soarin, the Cutie-Mark Crusaders followed, Rarity and Fluttershy hanging back as the former asked, “Darling, are you sure you don’t want one of us here with you? I mean… tonight has been quite… eventful.”

“And we’ve learned rather much of some secrets Midnight’s been keeping,” Fluttershy added.

“You’re both sweet to want to help, girls, but…” Twilight looked to the way upstairs. “The way Midnight reacted, it was like a cornered animal lashing out! …I feel he will be more at ease if he’s talking to just me, and I’ll have Spike here too!”

“I’ve always got Twilight’s back!” Spike puffed his chest out as he stood by Twilight.

“Well, if you’re sure…” Fluttershy hesitated.
“Just be careful, Twilight, and you too, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity gave them both a hug, before gesturing Fluttershy out the door.

But before she stepped out, Rarity said to Twilight, “Midnight has clearly kept a great deal of secrets from us, Twilight. You might not like what else he’s been keeping.”

He’d made sure to glamour himself before stepping out onto Twilight’s balcony, he didn’t want anypony to see him as they left the library. He had a perfect view of everypony leaving, and his keen hearing helped him pick up on what some of them said as they left.

Vicious carnivore.
Monster.
What is he involved in?
Did he kill Blackberry Hossmane?
Is he behind the death of Button Mash’s brother?
Is he holding that Doughnut Joe’s sister hostage?

How could he hurt his own little brother?

How dare they?

How dare they judge him? How dare they condemn him? After all he’d done for them and Equestria? After all that he’d suffered and lost? Who were they to accuse him when all he’d ever done was protect them from the worst enemies of society, the ones that dwell within it?

But… they were right.

Oh Twinken… I’m sorry- I’m so sorry! Midnight wept as he leaned onto the balcony railing, feeling like the monster everypony was calling him.
How did it come to this…

“Midnight.”

He inhaled sharply through his teeth and wiped his tears before looking at her, and what he saw on her face… Confusion, disapproval, concern, disappointment.

Underlying all that, not a demand but a request for an explanation.

“Midnight… I don’t even know what to ask or where to start-”

“He’s my uncle.”

Twilight gaped at Midnight, not quite sure of what he’d just said, “Wh- He- Wait… are you talking about Joe?!”

Midnight snorted and collected himself before taking a deep breath, “Joe… He’s my mother’s younger brother, which also makes him my uncle. After I became an alicorn and everything that came with it, Celestia hid me away in the countryside where I could study and train in secret.

“As I told you before, she made everypony in Canterlot, except for my parents and Shining Armor, forget about me… that included Joe. I should have, but… I never approached him after what happened to Mom and…”

He made a shuddering sigh, Twilight sighing as well before she moved things alone.

“And Blackberry Hossmane? Did I hear that guard right? He committed suicide?”

“…It would seem so,” Midnight hesitated.

“But- Why?!” Twilight demanded, “What possible reason could he have to- to… take his own life?! Midnight… did you do something to him?!”

“I threatened to expose him,” Midnight answered, his voice losing its shame and becoming more even and adamant. “I finally compiled enough evidence to have Hossmane convicted of all his crimes. I approached him when I went to Manehatten and showed him the evidence. He realized I really did have him, he tried to threaten me, to bribe me, but he realized there was nothing he could do.

“I gave him a choice between confessing his crimes himself or copies of all the evidence would be anonymously given to the Manehatten police and every major news media in all of Equestria. I gave him the chance to confess and own up to his own misdeeds. But I forgot something.”

“And… what’s that?” Twilight was afraid to ask.

“…Take away his power, take away his money, take away his ability to hide behind the law or even his own anonymity, and all you’ll find is a coward,” Midnight said in a tone so chilling it made Twilight shiver.
“And Blackberry Hossmane did what cowards do – He took the coward’s way out.”

“Midnight, that’s… Whether or not Hossmane was guilty of any crime, what gives you the right to act in that way?!” Twilight was aghast at her coltfriend, “There are laws, regulations, procedures-”

“Which the likes of Blackberry Hossmane have used and manipulated to worm their way out of justice time and time again!” Midnight turned to look at Twilight, stone faced with judgment.
“Do you know what my father once told me, Twilight? Good is restricted by honor but Evil doesn’t play fair!

“Evil, corruption, crime, it preys upon the innocent and denies justice using manipulation, bribery, blackmail, and extortion! It’s even worse when the very laws we create are used to justify wrongdoings or deem actions made to undo the wrongs wrong themselves! Do you know how many cases against criminals I’ve seen get dropped because some idiotic procedure wasn’t followed or broken?! How many criminals have walked or been acquitted because the law saw the evidence that would have put them away as fruit from the poisonous tree?!”

Twilight couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but Midnight wasn’t done yet. He took a moment, using Cadance’s calming technique before he continued.
“I got tired of watching criminals get away with their misdeeds… So I did something about it.”

“Did something about it…?!” Twilight echoed, “Midnight what are you saying?”

“…I am the leader of a covert organization,” Midnight explained, looking out into the night, a dispirited expression falling over his face.
“The Brotherhood of the Evening Hoods, our purpose is to enforce the law and punish the guilty in ways the legitimate law enforcement cannot.”

“Midnight! You’re- You’re talking about taking the law into your own hooves! You’re acting as a vigilante and punishing without giving due process!” Twilight admonished but then noticed Midnight made a heavy folder appear, floating by him.

He turned to face her, his face unforgiving as his horn lit up and the folder opened, revealing documents and photos of ponies, griffons, dogs, minotaurs, even a few yaks, dragons, and zebras. He made them float above their heads, orbiting like Twilight did every week when she rearranged the books in the library.

There are hundreds of them! Twilight thought when a document with a photo of an earth pony mare floated in front of her.

Twilight read the mare’s name, age, cutie-mark… and her crimes! She was convicted of multiple counts of foal-abuse and neglect, with all her victims had been her foster children, most of them she’d taken just to get paid more money from Foal and Family Services! And instead of spending that money on their welfare, she’d spent most of it on herself while subjecting her foster foals to inequine living conditions and barely kept them fed.

Two of her foster foals had almost died from malnourishment and whenever any of them had acted up she’d beaten them and forced them to spend nights in dog kennels!

She was convicted and sentenced to twenty years of prison for each count of abuse, and she only barely managed to get her multiple sentences to be served concurrently instead of consecutively when she provided crucial testimony to an especially heinous sex crime.

Another document, this one of a dog showed him to be a serial killer and pony-eater, having killed and eaten twelve stallions, six mares, four foals, and an unconfirmed number of pony-slaughters and aggravated assaults. He was given multiple life-sentences without possibility of parole.

Each document detailed crimes just as bad, if not worse, and Twilight became more and more disgusted and horrified for each case she looked at.

Murder (serial, spree killings, premeditated, etc.).

Embezzlement (spending money from charities, money intended for public services ,etc.).

Fraud (tax evasion, faulty goods, etc.).

Rape (serial and sometimes rape-murder).

Political corruption (involving bribery, blackmail, payoffs, death-threats, etc.).

Trafficking (weapons, artifacts, drugs, sometimes even of living creatures).

Assault and battery (robberies, hate-motivated, sometimes as warnings, etc.).

Torture (psychological, emotional, or physical, more often a combination. Or worse yet, sexual; including where the victims had been foals).

All motivated by the most selfish, depraved, or despicable of reasons, and some committed by even the most upstanding looking citizens. Most of the crimes were perpetrated in the bigger cities, like Manehatten, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, even in Cloudsdale, but Twilight also noticed some had been done in Canterlot!

But then she began to notice several of the criminals, confirmed or suspected, had been labeled ‘eliminated’.

“Midnight… what does this mean,’ eliminated’?” Twilight looked at him in an accusing way, only for Midnight to look away.
“Midnight…! Tell me you didn’t-”

“I’d be lying,” Midnight answered, “and I’m not gonna lie anymore…”

“Midnight, I- I-! I don’t know wha-” Twilight stammered in horror as she couldn’t look at anymore of these papers. Couldn’t bear to see the faces of those who’d been labeled ‘eliminated’. She finally choked out, “…H-how many?”

“How many labeled 'eliminated' or how many altogether?" Midnight responded coldly but also heavily, not quite guilty but clearly not proud of the blood on his hooves.

"Was Hossmane labeled 'eliminated'?!" Twilight brought up.

“I didn’t kill him,” Midnight responded adamantly.

“You backed him into a corner!” Twilight admonished, horrified by Midnight’s indifference to Hossmane’s suicide. “After what happened tonight, I would think you’d know how that feels!”

“Blackberry Hossmane had a list of crimes longer than my horn,” Midnight snorted callously. “He ruined so many lives that he doesn’t deserve a drop of your sympathy!!”

“Even if that’s true, he still deserved to have his day in court!” Twilight maintained, “He deserved the chance to defend himself!”

“He robbed hundreds of ponies of their money, their livelihoods, and their dignity!” Midnight exclaimed, his eyes burning unforgivingly. “He ruined their lives and left many of them with nothing! He was supposed to answer for his wrongs but from where I stand he deserved the same fate!”

“At least he wasn’t a killer-“ Twilight quickly stuck her hoof into her mouth.

But that damage was done.

She hesitantly looked at Midnight and realized she had hurt him, seeing it in his eyes. The hurt that quickly burned into anger.

“A killer…?” he echoed with a low whisper that it actually frightened Twilight into taking a step back.
“At least he wasn’t a killer…?!”

“Well, even if he did hurt ponies you don’t have the right!” Twilight tried to argue, “You don’t have the right to be judge, jury, and-and… and executioner! Midnight, how could you possibly think this is acceptable?! Princess Celestia would never approve of this!”

…

Twilight felt a chill run up her spine as she felt the look Midnight was giving her more than she saw it. It was cold and pitying, like looking at somepony doing something so stupid it was just pathetic. He levitated all the dossiers that were labeled ‘eliminated’ and flipped them over for Twilight to see.

“No…!”

It was unmistakable. The boldness in the strokes, the elegance of the curves, the way that lowercased ‘a’ was written as a single-storey ‘ɑ’ instead of double-storey ‘a’ at the end of her name.

It was Princess Celestia’s signature!

All of them had her signature!

At first, Twilight thought No, they’re fake, they must be! She cast several charms and spells to be certain, only for her certainty to deflate into mind-numbing shock. It was her signature, nopony had copied it, each paper with her signature had been touched with her mana as she’d signed them.

Midnight voiced her thoughts as the truth began to sink in, “She knows and she approves.”

Twilight was too shell-shocked to respond and Midnight continued.

“How naïve are you, really, Twilight Sparkle…? You honestly believe Equestria is a perfect nation? That everypony in it is a law-abiding citizen living in harmony with each other, without conflict or strife? That is the perspective of a child.

“You’re looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses, Twilight. You see good and evil, and chaos and harmony as though they’re black and white. There are some absolutes in this world, but everything else? It’s a gray area, it’s just a matter of figuring out how dark or light are the shades.”

Twilight couldn’t look at him. She couldn’t think of what to say or what to do with all that she’d just learned. It was as if somepony had taken her whole world and twisted it all up into a tangled mess of knots, like the knots she felt in her insides, causing her eye to twitch and her stomach to bubble and her wings to wrap around her from the chilling enlightenment from the secrets she’d just learned.

Seeing the pony he loved this way, Midnight felt horrible and disgusting. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

*Knock-knock-knock*

“YES?” Midnight responded, barely keeping his tone in check.

The door to Twilight’s room opened and Spike walked in, looking nervous as he held a message.
“Um, Midnight, you… You got a summons, from Princess Celestia. She wants you in Canterlot as soon as possible, and it looks like she really means it!”

That was just what he needed, Midnight growled in vexation. He nodded to Spike and started walking towards the door, saying, “Spike? Look after Twilight…”

“Always, Midnight,” Spike could just feel the bad in the situation and shuddered when he saw Midnight’s shadow rise up and envelop him like a heavy curtain.

It fell away but left behind a heavy black hooded cloak over Midnight’s form, the hood held in place by a hole in its brim. Just before he left, with tears running down his face hidden in the shadow of his hood, Midnight said without looking back, “You’re not as educated as you think you are, Princess…”

He slammed the door, leaving Spike to look after Twilight with deep concern and feeling his heart sink at the sound of her crying.

Deep in the Everfree Forest, within the cave where stood the Tree of Harmony, in front of it the mysterious Chest. Shaped like a six-sided pyramid with a flat top, the upper panels sporting keyholes, below them were the six new Elements of Harmony: Unity, Trust, Music, Sincerity, Devotion, and Faith...

Faith was flashing on and out, like a lightbulb with faulty wiring. The flashes became less and less frequent, until they stopped flashing and became a weakened glow. Like a dying ember, it dimmed before falling out of its slot in the Chest.

As the Element of Faith lay in the dirt, the life in it was all but gone.

The Light of Faith... had gone out.

235. The Loss of Faith - Part 16

They wasted no time. Luna asked Twinken to just stand by and wait patiently while she and Twilight cleared the middle of the room, removing the carpeting (to Twilight’s silent chagrin) to have room to draw the magic circle. Taking simple chalk, Luna and Twilight drew out the simple circle first, then Luna instructed Twilight to add specific runes along the inner edge of the circle’s basic outline while Luna began drawing more elaborate designs, resembling constellations and one large moon symbol mirroring her own moon on her cutie-mark. Progress was delayed a bit because Twilight kept pausing and asking Luna if she was drawing things out right.

Sensing Twinken’s rising anxiety, Luna asked Twilight if there were any candles and when she responded yes, Luna had Twinken bring out as many candles as he could and set them around the room. Having something to do helped Twinken focus and feel less anxious of what was about to transpire. At Luna’s request, he took several candles from Twilight’s old study aid stash (they both gave her a look for having enough candles to fill a store) and telekinetically setting them here and there around the whole room.

After almost an hour of careful work and making sure all was as it should be, Luna announced, “We are ready to begin. Twinken, sit in this space of the circle and I’ll sit in the one across from you. Twilight, close all the curtains and make sure not one beam of sunlight is pouring into this room. For this to work, the magic cannot be disrupted by daylight.”

“Understood,” Twilight willed all curtains closed and went the extra mile by charming all windows to reflect light so as to allow none in.
“Anything else?”

“Set every candle alit all at once and then stand by,” Luna requested, and Twilight’s spell ignited every candlewick, creating an eerie atmosphere within the room as the candlelight reached out with its soft glow, casting dancing shadows around the furnishings upon the walls.
“Now, the both of you, just… stay still… and stay quiet, and… don’t move.”

Twilight wished she could write down her observations of whatever magic Luna was about to work but she didn’t dare interrupt, especially since this was intended to help Midnight. She watched as Luna sat in her space of the magic circle, her eyes closed, her breathing even, while Twinken forced himself to stay still in spite of the building suspense as Luna closed her eyes in concentration and her horn began to glow the soft and guiding radiance of moonlight.

The lines of the magic circle began to light up likewise, spreading out from Luna’s side of the circle, each line and detail coming alive like Luna’s horn. Once the circle was completely aglow, Twinken gasped as he felt an ethereal embrace, his own horn began to glow the same soft red as his eyes.

“Close your eyes,” Luna instructed softly, “steady your breaths, forget what you see, disregard what you know, leave behind your fears, and take me within…”

Twilight watched in awe as the flames of every candle rose up from their wicks, slowly moving around like a nexus ablaze before the licks of flame became something else. Instead of the burning glare of fire it burst into the resplendent radiance of a clear starlit sky!

The stars began to move in a circle, some brighter, others dimmer, until it looked like a swirling galaxy, with two particular stars shining brighter than the rest, one the same Persian blue as the outline of Luna’s mane, the other the soft red of Twinken’s eyes.

Twilight then tore her gaze down from the miraculous magic working right above their heads and looked at Luna and Twinken, noticing they both appeared to be in a trance, and she wondered, I wonder where they are now…

“Ugh…” Twinken moaned as he felt as though he were waking up… but one look around told him he wasn’t awake!

“Whoa…!”

All around was a cosmic void of soft purple-blue, and floating by were hundreds of stars. But when he looked closer, he saw that these were not stars at all – They were dreams! In one, he saw Granny Smith knitting a quilt that became an entirely new orchard of apple trees… and he also saw a big strong earth pony stallion who looked very much like Big Mac, except his coat was yellow and his mane red, like Apple Bloom’s, and he was wearing… Applejack’s hat? With him was an earth pony mare with a pale orange coat and deeper orange curly mane with a tie in it, as well as her tail.

In another dream, he saw… Dinky? Dinky Doo with her parents, Time Turner Whooves and Ditzy Doo laughing and talking as time Turner fiddled with some kind of pen-like gizmo and beckoning his daughter and wife to follow him into some odd blue box.

A third dream showed Bulk Biceps… he was with a pretty mare and his son Featherweight. They appeared to be having a picnic and looking very happy together, especially Featherweight, who looked stronger and healthier than normal.

“Welcome to the Dreamscape, Twinken.”

“Wha-guh!!” Twinken startled and turned around to see, “Princess Luna! Uh…”

Luna was floating towards Twinken, who asked, “I… This is the Dreamscape? But… Last time I was here, back when you helped me with my bad dream, it looked like a hall of doors!”

“As a Dream-Walker, I can manipulate Dreamscape to make it more familiar to my sense of reality,” Luna explained. “Very similar to the way a pony can manipulate his dream through lucid-dreaming.”

“Lucid…? Oh! You mean, when you’re asleep and having a dream but you know it’s a dream and can do what you like,” Twinken pointed out.

“Exactly. When I Dream-Walk, I like to make it appear as a hall of doors that lead to ponies’ dreams,” Luna confirmed, “but for you, Twinken, you must learn to bend the Dreamscape to your will and make it appear as something with which you are comfortable.

“The way we see the Dreamscape now is this place in its natural state. However, before we proceed with you learning how to Dream-Walk, I must first make use of the mystic link the magic circle has established between us.

“Are you ready?”

Twinken looked at the starry void around them and while it filled him with a sense of wonder so too did it instill wariness. Even so, he’d come this far already, and Midnight was counting on him. He took a deep breath before furrowing his brows and looking at the Princess of the Night with a bold and determined smile.

“Let’s do it!”

Luna nodded with a proud smile, thinking, I will be honored to count you among my Children of the Night…

She unfurled her wings, which reached out further and further, becoming the night sky all around them, blocking out the stars representing dreams, until there was only darkness.

“P-Princess Luna?” Twinken tried to light up his horn but gasped when he couldn’t feel his magic! “Wha- What’s… Princess Luna! I can’t feel my magic! Is something wrong?”

“Oh… things couldn’t be more right, my little pony!”

The voice! Twinken had never heard it before but it instantly made him afraid. At that moment, a distant purplish haze shimmered into view, vibrant against the darkness and the only light Twinken could see. It looked like a mist of stars, a nebula of forbidden power, and as it cleared, it revealed a tall and terrible form. A visage Twinken had seen only during a certain holiday!

An evil from a legend he had only heard of as the figure got closer, revealing herself a tall and black alicorn, the nebula her mane and tail, clad in frightful armor, her lips pulled back in a mocking sneer to reveal fangs and Twinken knew this could only be…

“Nightmare Moon…!”

“Welcome to my little corner of the void, my little pony…” Nightmare Moon said mockingly as she looked with spurious warmth upon the little colt.

“How are- Why- …You’re not real!” Twinken tried backing away but his every step moved him no further from Nightmare Moon.
“This-this isn’t real! Luna, where are you?!”

“I’m not real?” Nightmare Moon laughed mockingly, “My sweet child, I am as real as you are!”

“But you were beaten!” Twinken’s heart began to race, as did his mind as he thought fruitlessly how to make sense of what was happening or how to get out of it.
“My brother and Twilight and all their friends used the Elements of Harmony to defeat you and free Luna!”

“And yet here I am…” Nightmare Moon jeered as she began to circle Twinken like a predator, “for as long as Luna exists, so do I. She may think she’s free of me, that I am gone, but she, as well everypony else has forgotten! She is me… as I am her! But enough about me, let’s get to why you’re here…”

Nightmare Moon waved her wing and a burst of stars revealed an open door… and Twinken gasped at what he saw on the other side!

He saw himself, along with, to his shock, “…are those my… parents?!”

Ignitus Enflame, standing strong and proud beside his loving and beautiful wife, Faerie Tail, as she gave the Twinken in there with her a bunch of teasing smooches, that the image of Twinken laughed as he tried to wriggle free of his mom’s hug. Ignitus was laughing as he pulled his wife and son into a big family hug, all of them laughing and smiling.

Twinken felt his heart ache with longing, a tear run down his face, and then he shivered as he felt Nightmare Moon lower her head next to his as they both gazed into the door.

“Tell me, Twinken… would you like to meet your mother and father? Would you like to be with them, as you always should have been? You could make up for lost time, have the life that should have been yours, with your mother and father there, loving you, teaching you. Holding you close, and never letting you go…”

“I… I want...” Twinken raised a shaking hoof towards the door until he noticed something missing from this picture.
“Wait… I don’t see Midnight in there.”

“Midnight…?” Nightmare Moon’s tone changed and Twinken looked up to see her gaze had become cold and steely.
“Why would you want him to be there? After all, he lied to you. He abandoned you! And then out of nowhere, he takes you back just to alleviate his own guilty conscience. Take it from someone who knows, my sweet Twinken, older siblings always let you down!”

“But… I…” Twinken saw the door was starting to become dim, “I… I know Midnight has kept things from me, and… I don’t understand why, but… He’s done so much for me, looked out for me!”

“Forget about him!” Nightmare Moon snarled, “The door is beginning to fade away! If you don’t enter it before it’s gone then you’ll never be with your parents! You’ll regret cutting your worthless brother lose when you had the chance!”

“No! Midnight loves me, and now he needs me!” Twinken glared reproachfully at Nightmare Moon.

“It’s because of him your parents are gone! Because of him you never knew them! And you would relinquish this one chance of being with them truly for a brother who has lied to you all your life?!” Nightmare Moon’s mane rose up and thundered like a storm cloud as her eyes glared spitefully at Twinken.

“I don’t know what happened, and I don’t know why it happened…” Twinken felt a new magic being to ignite within as he found his resolve.

“But what I do know is… He’s out there somewhere and that he needs me! Don’t get me wrong, he owes me one hay of an explanation, for everything. He has let me down before but he’s always gone above and beyond to make up for when he’s disappointed me, and I couldn’t ask for a better brother!

“I don’t know what that door is you’re showing me…”

Twinken looked at it and felt his heart hurt to see the door leading to that happy vision of himself with his parents was almost completely faded away.

“…but it’s not real. And giving him up for a lie…”

Twinken threw a look unyielding at Nightmare Moon so bold it made him step back warily, “My uncle Joe told me a lot about my mom and dad, that Mom was kind and always lent a helping hoof, that Dad was brave and never shied away from doing the right thing.

“And my big brother… He never loses faith in those he cares about and never has he given me a reason not to have faith in him! So thanks but no thanks, Nightmare Moon! I’m here to help however I can and whatever I need to do, and I’ll do it, because I never give up! Not on my friends, not on my family, and not on myself!!!”

Nightmare Moon shrank back as Twinken began to glow with the soft silvery radiance of a full moon, banishing away the darkness and Nightmare Moon along with it. This gave way to the starry abyss of the Dreamscape, revealing Princess Luna as well, looking so very proud.

“Well spoken, Twinken, and congratulations.”

“Princess Luna, you’re- You’re okay!” Twinken floated closer to the moon princess and laughed in relief as she embraced him.
“But- I-I thought that you…?”

“I was always here, Twinken,” Luna assured, “for this was your test.”

“Test?” echoed, Twinken, “I don’t… I don’t understand.”

“You feel it now, don’t you, Twinken?” Luna placed her hoof over Twinken’s heart, and he realized she was right!

“The lunar magic that was always within you, beyond your reach, until I gave you the way. But only by your will could you finally reach within and bring that power to the surface. You are now a lunar pony, and by refusing to give into temptation or contempt, you have proven yourself a light that shines even in the deepest darkness.”

“So… Nightmare Moon wasn’t really here? It was all a test?” gathered Twinken. Then a horrible thought crossed his mind that he had to ask.
“…What if I’d failed? What if I’d…?”

Luna was hesitant to answer, but she owed Twinken an honest one, “…Then you would have shown yourself to be untrustworthy with the power of Dream-Walking, and your chance to help your brother would have been over before it began.”

“…Oh,” Twinken deadpanned with grimace.

“But enough of that!” Luna’s tone snapped Twinken to attention. “You are now a lunar pony, Twinken, but more than that, you are a Dream-Walker. That is the first power I’ve helped you to bring to the surface. In time, other powers may make themselves known, but for now… The real work begins, so I have just one question for you…”

Twinken gulped as Luna brought her face right up to his, her eyes steely, her face as expressionless as stone before she asked, “Are you ready?”

Taking a deep breath, Twinken gave a decisive nod, and Luna stood at the full of her height and said, “Then let’s get started!”

She fanned out her wings and her horn instantly radiated a blinding light!

In the gardens, Elytra ran and laughed, headbutting a ball back towards Spike, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Cheese Sandwich, having the time of her life. Night Light, Velvet, Big Mac, and Rarity were watching on the side, cheering for Elytra whenever she bopped the ball, caught the ball, just cheering her own the way one does for a foal to make them feel good about themselves.

From a window, Celestia, Sombra, Cadance, Shining Armor, Blueblood, and Thorax watched in wonder at this little filly. She was not a pony but she was truly something special in their eyes.

“Amazing… I can see she is a changeling but the first thing I think of when I look upon her is a child, sweet and pure,” Blueblood commented, the others agreeing.

“Thank you all, Your Majesties,” Thorax looked at them all in turn, “this is honestly the happiest Elytra’s been in a long-long time, ever since I took her from the hive and we’d been on the run.”

He looked out the window again, his heart swelling at the sight of his sweet little sister, laughing and playing, “This is the kind of life I want for her to have, where she’s happy and free to live as she would choose for herself.

“But until I’m certain she is free of the Hive Mind, I will fear for her…”

“Perhaps we can figure that out together,” Cadance came up to stand by Thorax’s side, to his surprise. Especially when Shining Armor came up on the changeling’s other side.

“You believe Cadance and I somehow freed you of the Hive Mind when we stopped the first invasion,” Shining Armor brought up, “so maybe we can figure out how to do the same for Elytra.”

“In the meantime, Thorax…” Sombra spoke up with respectful hesitance, “it might be safer for you and Elytra to appear as ponies. While we have accepted you, others may not be so welcoming, and of course there is still the fact that the changelings’ spy remains at large.”

“As much as I would like to think better of my subjects, I must agree with my husband,” Celestia sighed as she looked apologetically at Thorax. “A pony disguise would probably be safer for you and elytra, Thorax, but it’s up to you.”

Thorax nodded and his body was quickly enveloped in his turquoise flame-like mana before giving way to show him in his ‘Crystal Shade’ persona, “Elytra’s safety is my first concern, and I agree it would be safer for her and I to look like ponies. Once we’re done talking, I’ll go down and tell her.”

“Then it’s agreed,” Blueblood gestured for everypony to sit at the conference table, “which brings us to the matter at hoof concerning this spy. Whoever it is has access to information exclusive to the Aristocratic Council, and leaked the classified location and additional information about the energem mine to the hive.

“Is it possible one or more among the council has been replaced by a changeling?”

“It is certainly possible,” considered Celestia, “after all, Chrysalis was able to replace Cadance without anypony but Twilight becoming suspicious.”

“I have another concern. Thorax,” Shining Armor looked to their disguised friend, “when Midnight and I led the expedition to the mine and we were ambushed, there was a… some kind of… changeling monster among them. It looked like a manticore and the changeling in command there – He called himself Thorn – He said the manticore-changeling thing was… I don’t really know how to explain it, but-”

“A hybrid,” Thorax answered, and all ears were his, “Ordinarily, all changelings are birthed using DNA collected from random pony stallions. Essentially, all changelings are either full-blooded siblings, born from the same nest of the same father, or they’re half-siblings, coming from different nests, but all of us birthed by Chrysalis.

“But in rare cases… Chrysalis would send her drones to collect the DNA of… other creatures.”

“Like the manticore-changeling Shining Armor encountered at the mine?” asked Cadance.

“Yes, but… Chrysalis didn’t create hybrids very often,” Thorax confirmed, “because the hybrids’ connections to the Hive Mind isn’t as strong as the sway she has over regular changelings.

“The fact you encountered a hybrid at all, well… It means Chrysalis is- Er… She was really gearing up for an invasion that is absolutely intended to be victorious.”

“Then this may very well be worse than we thought,” Sombra sighed as he leaned forward onto his crossed forehooves. “We must identify this spy and figure out what other intelligence they’ve leaked to the hive!”

“My instincts tell me that at least one member of the Aristocratic Council has been replaced by a changeling spy,” Celestia theorized aloud, “but I am uncertain of trying to determine which one without alerting the infiltrator.”

“I think I could help you with that, Princess,” Thorax volunteered, “Although I’m no longer connected to the Hive Mind, I can still sense the presence of another changeling, if I’m close enough to it, and even if they’re in disguise.”

“Then perhaps, Aunt Celestia,” Blueblood proposed, “you should gather the council members and have Thorax attend! If your theory is correct, he might be able to sense the spy and point them out!”

“So be it,” Celestia nodded in agreement. “I shall call for an impromptu meeting to discuss the breach in security concerning the mine. Either Thorax will reveal the spy to us, or the spy will…”

Author's Note

Luna provided the way for Twinken to unlock his lunar magic but only if Twinken had the will by passing a test of heart

247. The Equestria Games - Part 3

"I can't believe that guy!"

A rose pink stallion with a dark scarlet mane and tail done up in a suave cut, his cutie-mark a volume symbol surrounded by sapphire sparkles, was pacing back and forth in front of the announcers box. The games had just started and in just a few minutes he had to step into the announcer's box to announce the first event.

"Except... I can't do my job without a co-commentator!" he reached up and mussed his mane in exasperation... right as Spike walked around the counter, on his way to go sit with Rarity and the CMC to watch the games. But due to a small accident with a spilled soda and a cotton candy machine the normal way was cut off while the staff cleaned up the mess. Ms. Harshwhinny had already left the young drake to see to her other duties.

"Are you alright?" Spike asked, noticing the stallion looking rather distressed.

"Oh I'm perfectly fine, I'm just worried that I may blow the biggest chance in my whole career because my ex-partner decided to take a job in Manehatten last minute and not tell me till a few minutes ago by letter!" The stallion had moved one from worried to full on panic-mode.

"What do you do, mister...?" Spike asked, eyeing the stallion much like he would Twilight when she was worried about something, like a missed letter to Celestia.

"Flare, Vibrant Flare," he answered, stopping to give his hoof a flourish wave. Spike eyed the stallion a bit more, suddenly seeing a semblance in his behavior to Rarity's.
"I have to handle the announcements and commentary in the announcer's box, which I was supposed to do with Loud, but he decided to abandon me!"

"I bet it could be a bit stressful having so many ponies listening to what you say. I mean, during the Iron Pony competition it was a little worrying to do but-" was all Spike said before Flare's grabbed the little drake with a smile. A smile that Spike would say rivaled the look on Eris's face before doing something chaotic.

"You'll do!" Flare cheered before rushing off with the drake in tow. Going a speed that could rival Pinkie Pie in her pre-party-planning inspiration. Before he knew it, Spike found himself in a make-up artist's chair with a large mirror in front of him that was surrounded with lights.

"Ladies, we need this one done up as of two minutes ago." Flare declared before disappearing from the room, and a few mares appeared almost out of nowhere with brushes and spritzers that made Spike gulp with worry.

They came down upon the hapless dragon like a school of sharks eager to feed, and set to work upon him with their powderpuffs and makeup brushes with fury. A cloud of makeup and perfume was soon dispersed from the area by Spike's coughing, and he was left regaining his composure after the sudden burst of cosmetic chaos. Now that his eyes and sinuses were no longer being violated by makeup particles, he could clearly see a magical recording screen being pointed in his and Flare's direction. The stallion had gathered a stack of papers, eager to receive help from Spike to get them all summarized.

"Dude, I didn't agree to this!" Spike protested with an annoyed edge in his tone.

"I know, but I'm a bit desperate, and I need your help now so I don't screw up my big chance!" Flare apologized before a mare behind them spoke up

"We come back in three, two..." She signaled with a movement of her hoof while counting down, following by mouthing one and pointing to Flare and Spike.

"Welcome back to the Equestrian Games!" Flare said with excitement that if Spike didn't see the stallion before, would have sworn that it was real. "I, Vibrant Flare have been joined by Spike the Dragon, as we cover the live broadcast of the Equestria Games! Do you have anything to say to our energetic viewers out there, Spike?"

"Uh-" Spike hesitated, being put on the spot before he could really 'ready' himself for this.

"Speechless, I know. I'm just the same as we all look forward to an amazing week of competition, sportsmanship, and glory!" Flare exclaimed, interrupting Spike before he could a word in edgewise.

And yet you keep on talking... Spike thought rolling his eyes as he sighed from being roped into another thing. In for a bit, in for a pound

"That's... right, Vibrant! But we should tell the spectators out there what the first event is going to be," Spike finally spoke up, mustering as much of an energetic tone as Vibrant Flare.

"That would be the Air Sprinting event. For those of you who don't know, the Equestria Games Air Sprint event is where each participating team has three racers each partake in one of three races back to back, and how well each teammate does in each race determines who wins the medals of this event," Flare explained as they watched as the first set of competitors began to take their assigned positions for the first race on the jumbotron, a recently developed invention relating to television, so that the spectators could have a better look of the racers before the event began.
"Personally, my bits are on the racers from Team Manehatten, particularly because of their teammate Mighty Boon. With the years of professional training under his build, he's a shoe-in for first place in his race."

"Well, my bits are on the racers of Ponyville." Spike countered with a smirk. "I've seen Thunderlane personally fly with Rainbow Dash and even outlast her with his natural stamina, Helia's sense of timing and execution in her flight patterns are spot-on, and Ditzy Doo never fails to surprise you!"

"Ah, going for the old hometown favorites I see," Vibrant chuckled with a smirk. "But let's check in with Prince Shining Armor down to the field as things get underway."

"Air Sprinters! Take your positions!" Shining Armor called out, and dozens of pegasi, griffons, and even a winged drake took their places on the track.

"Good luck, Ditzy Doo!" Helia waved from the sidelines to her and Thunderlane's teammate, and Ditzy waved back with a smile.

"Participating are the fifteen fliers from the five teams that qualified for this event," announced the voice of Vibrant Flare over the PA system, his voice reaching every corner of the stadium.
"They are... Team Manehatten, Team Stratusburg, Team Mt. Eyrie, Team Fillydelphia, and Team Ponyville!"

"Aaaand remember, game fans," said Spike with a wave of his finger and a snarky tone, "The racers who come in last during the first two races will be eliminated, along with their teams, so that in the final race, the last three teams will be scored based on which of their final racers comes in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd!"

"Alright, Ditzy, you can do this..." Ditzy whispered to herself as she stood ready, "As long as you don't come in last..."

"On your marks!"

The Air Sprinters raised their wings, bent their knees, the itching to take flight all but overwhelming...

"Get set..."

Ditzy wished she could see her husband and little muffin out in the crowd, but knowing they were there, watching her, and no doubt shouting as much encouragement as they could, it gave her the will to fly her hardest. She refused to let them down. She refused to let her team down. But most of all, she refused to let herself down...

"GO!!!"

The Air Sprinters launched themselves off the ground with all their might and flapped their wings!

"AAAAANNNND THEY'RE OFF!!" announced Vibrant Flare, "And it's Manehatten in first, followed by Fillydelphia, followed by Mt. Eyrie, followed by Stratusburg, and bringing up the rear is Ponyville!"

"Uh-oh! The sprinter for Ponyville better flap on it if she wants her team to make it on the next race!" Spike worried.

"Well, if she intends to make that happen, she'd better do it soon, `cuz they're coming to the first bend," Vibrant commentated, "and it looks like the Ponyville Sprinter is hugging the turn, and... Oh, tough luck, she's slipping behind and Manehatten contests the lead with Mt. Eyrie!"

"Ho-hooold your horses, Flare!" Spike cheered as he went on to describe, "The Ponyville Sprinter! She's picking up, she's catching up, is she...? YES! Ditzy Doo catches up with the sprinter from Stratusburg as they both begin to ride up the tail of the drake from Fillydelphia!"

"The sprinters are making the second stretch!" Vibrant went on, "The finish line is just around the next bend, but none of these sprinters are making it easy for each other! Ponyville, Stratusburg, and Fillydelphia are all practically neck-in-neck, daring each other to bring up the rear!"

"And it looks like Manehatten and Mt. Eyrie are still giving it their all to take first place!" Spike added.

"They've begun the final bend- Wait! There's something wrong...!" Vibrant's alarm filled the whole stadium with unease, "The Fillydelphia Drake! He looks like he's in pain!"

"DITZY DOO! LOOK OUT!!!" Spike screamed over the PA.

Despite her bad eye and blind spots, Ditzy saw the threat immediately and angled her wings as the drake, suffering from a massive wing cramp, slowed suddenly from the pain. She narrowly avoided hitting him with a skillful roll to the left, but the drag brought on by the impressive aerial maneuver permitted the sprinter from Stratusburg to overtake her. Not thinking about how she had been passed, Ditzy focused on her objective and pumped her wings at full speed, the air draining from her lungs, her heart pounding in her ribcage... all with the finish line just in sight!

"AND IT'S MANEHATTEN IN 1ST!!!!" Vibrant Flare declared, as the sprinters' faces and the places they came in were displayed on the jumbotron. "The game officials have made the call and while he gave it his all, I am afraid the drake and Team Fillydelphia have struck out!"

"That leaves the teams from Manehatten, Mt. Eyrie, Stratusburg, and Ponyville still in the game!" Spike clarified.

On the field, Ditzy was helped by her teammates to a fold-up chair that had been kindly provided by the game officials for the sprinters who'd just taken their lap.

"Great going, Ditzy!" Helia gave Ditzy a hug.
"You really held your own out there," agreed Thunderlane as he winged over a water bottle, which Ditzy guzzled down greedily to soothe her throat and replenish all the H2O her body had just expended.
"Th-thanks, guys..." Ditzy panted, still sounding a little down, "but... I came in last! Wh-which means... you guys have to work extra h-ha-harder for-"

"Don't sweat it, Ditz," Thunderlane got down to gaze up at Ditzy, smiling warmly, "You did your part and you did it well! We're not here for fame but to do our best and have fun while we're at it.S you go find your family. I bet they want to tell you face to face just how proud they are."

The thought of her hubby and her little muffin was enough to spur Ditzy up and smile at her teammates, "Give it your all, guys."

"You betcha," Helia giggled as she and Thunderlane watched Ditzy leave-

"Sprinters! The second race will begin in five minutes! Prepare yourselves!" called Shining Armor.

"It's only the first race of the first event, and already I'm so excited to see more," Vibrant Flare's voice sounded over the PA. "How `bout you, Spike?"

"Are you kidding?! This has got my scales shivering, and I can't wait to see the rest of the Games!" Spike laughed.

"Well, we'll have to wait a bit, my friend, as will all of you, as we take a short break," Vibrant spoke into the camera, "but stay tuned and don't change that channel!"

"AND IT'S HELIA OF PONYVILLE BY A MIIIILLLLEE!!!" Spike cheered over the PA system, as the crowd went wild!

Helia came to a skiddy landing, barely able to stay on her hooves, panting after a well flown race, "I... I won! I can't believe I came in first!"

"And with the air sprinter from Stratusburg bringing up the rear," sounded Vibrant Flare's voice, "that leaves Ponyville, Manehatten, and Mt. Eyrie's sprinters for the final lap! We're gonna take another short break before the last Air Sprint race begins, so hold onto your hooves!"

"Great flying, Helia, you should've been a Wonderbolt!" laughed the voice of Thunderlane, as Helia turned to see him hurry over to her, with a water bottle and towel.

Helia gratefully accepted both, soaking the towel and sighing with a wet and cool relief as she dabbed her face with it.
"Thanks Thundy... whoo! I'm gonna be feeling these wing-aches tomorrow, but... it was worth it! Now it's all up to you."

"I know," Thunderlane wracked his brain over the scoring based on how each teams' racers had placed, "technically by coming in last, Ditzy put Ponyville on the bottom score, but you coming in first evened us out! Manehatten came in first with Ditzy's race, and second for yours, while Mt. Eyrie was second and then third, so..."

"It's anypony's race now!" Helia concluded, and Thunderlane realized she was right.

"Sprinters! The last race will begin in two minutes!" Shining Armor announced, "Take your positions!"

"Well, this is it!" Thunderlane got psyched up, his brows furrowing, "I'm gonna give it my all!"

"We could ask for nothing less, break a hoof, Thundy," Helia raised a wing, Thunderlane doing the same and they high-winged, Helia tagging out to step aside and making room for Thunderlane to carry on the torch.

To victory, he vowed to himself as he and the last two sprinters, Mighty Boon of Manehatten and Doran of Mt. Eyrie, took their places at the starting line.
He took his position at the right of Mighty Boon, a dark indigo stallion with a physical build comparable to Big Mac or the pegasi of the Royal Guard. His wings where much larger then most ponies and with the odd gradient that left his primaries a snow white. Around his neck was a silver pendant that had something carved into it that matched his silver eyes. Standing at Mighty Boon's left was Doran as the were taking a few moments to stretch their wings.

Alright Thunder, you just have to give it your best, Thunderlane thought to himself as he got himself ready. If he was to be honest with everyone there, he was worried that he's going to mess up during the race. He was picturing how many things could go wrong. His wing could cramp and cause him to go into a tail spin and much worse. Even going as far as to thinking that Ponyville would shun him.

"Don't think about the wills and won'ts" came a voice beside, and Thunderlane looked to see Mighty Boon looking at him.

"What?" Thunderlane asked, a little confused.

"Your worried about what could happen during the race," he said calmly.

"That obvious?" Thunderlane asked with a slightly nervous chuckle.

"It happens to everypony." Mighty Boon said holding out a hoof to him. "Name's Mighty Boon, but you can just call me Boon for short, and you're Thunderlane, right?"

"Yeah." Thunderlane replied shaking Boon's hoof.

"Mind if I give you a little advice?"

"Sure."

"Don't think about the race, just think about your lane and clear your mind. It's only you and the sky. Don't think about the ponies watching, don't think about what will or won't happen. Just think on the here and now," Boon instructed with a calming tone and expression

"That's easier said, then done," sighed Thunderlane.

"Then just find your center," Doran suggested all of a sudden. They turned to see the young griffon look at the both of them.

"Everyone has a moment that they fondly remember. That when things seem hectic or out of control that they can just think of to get them back on track. Focus on that feeling, let it fill you with that feeling so nothing else can creep into that space."

"What's your name, stranger?" Boon asked with a smile.

"My name is Galador, son of Godric of the Knighthood of the Sky," he replied with a respectful nod.

"I've heard of your father, Galador," Boon said with a friendly smile, "and of the Sky Knights! If you're even half the flier he is, I'm looking forward to a great race with both of you here."

"As do I, but please just call me Doran," Doran smiled with a gleam of eagerness hidden in his eyes.

"This race is going to be interesting..." Boon raised a competitive brow and smirk.

"If I may ask, why help your opponents?" Thunderlane asked, a little curious.

"Can't have a fair race when I'm facing off with ponies or griffons wound up too tight. Where's the fun in that?" Boon gave a hearty laugh.

"I agree with Boon. If we are to do our homes and our teams proud, then we have to make sure we give it our all." Doran added.

They all had a smile on there faces as they heard the the loud speakers turn back on.

"Alright everyone it's time for our final aerial sprint race of the day. Who's going to come out on top?" Vibrant said with charisma just oozing from his voice.

"My bits are still on Ponyville," Spike said with such excitement in his voice you could hear how much fun he was having. "But this is still anyones game."

"Right you are, but let's take it down to Prince Shining Armor to get this last race underway." Vibrant said as the racers turned to see Shining clearing his voice.

"On your mark!"

Clear your mind, just think of that one moment. Thunderlane thought as he focused on just his lane. The rest of the racers and colosseum faded away in his mind he began to fall into that zone.

"Get set..."

Time felt like it had stopped for a few moments as the Mighty Boon cracked his neck and focused.

"Don't wait for the right time. Doran mentally ran through a mantra as they waited for the signal. This was an all or nothing race for all of them and they were ready to give it their all.

"GO!!!"

*Kra-BOOM*

Boon and Doran were stunned for a moment until they realized Thunderlane had taken the lead and launched themselves skyward to catch up.

"WHOOOAAAA!!! Thunderlane takes an explosive lead right off the starting line and now he's got a good start ahead of Boon and Doran!!" Vibrant was clearly blown, "What the wide-wide world of Equestria was that?!"

"That, Vibrant, was the Sonic Blastoff!" Spike answered, and murmurs among the spectators as familiarity spread amongst them until Spike confirmed their suspicions, "It's the signature move of former Wonderbolt Soarin, a complicated series of moves done almost entirely at once to launch the flier with the controlled burst of a sonic boom, not unlike that of the Sonic Rainboom!

"I tell ya, Thunderlane trained under Soarin like crazy to master this technique! But... for a pegasus who hasn't had the years of body-training to completely master it, the Sonic Blastoff can be a real double-edged sword!"

"Oh, that's right...!" Vibrant responded in dawning realization, "Game fans and dedicated fans of the Wonderbolts, just a reminder - The Sonic Blastoff isn't just difficult to master, it's difficult to handle! Without the years of training and the right development of body buildup, the Sonic Blastoff can have real consequences on the body as well as the energy it takes to pull it off!

"In other words, I hope Thunderlane has enough energy leftover just to finish his race!"

Yeah, no kidding! Thunderlane gritted his teeth through the throbbing pain in his hind legs and wings, and he feared he'd also gotten some whiplash from that Sonic Blastoff. He was in no small amount of pain, but right now he had a race to win!

He ignored the crowd, he ignored the commentary, he focused on the race; there was nothing but the race. His forelegs were extended, he kept his hind legs as steady as he could, painful as it was, and he flapped to gain as much wing-power as he could. He knew his limits, and he knew how close he was to overextending himself, and as he started making the first turn, he caught Boon and Doran catching up out the corner of his eye.

Having picked up some good speed, he resorted to gliding for a few moments to save even a momentary smidgen of energy. This allowed him to hear the flaps of his rivals' wings as they were coming around the bend almost right behind him. They made the first turn, Thunderlane barely keeping the lead, but they were only halfway through the lap!

Thunderlane had an advantage of being lighter than both his rivals but his disadvantage was the pain. He'd put too much into the Sonic Blastoff and now he was paying for it. Oh why didn't he heed Soarin's constant warnings about the technique?! Too much effort would make him pay, not enough effort would make him fail. However this race turned out, Thunderlane had a feeling he wouldn't be flying for a while.

But now they were coming for the next turn, and around it was the finish line!

Boon and Doran had caught up and it was taking every effort in him for Thunderlane to keep pace with them, and now it was anypony's race right now! The finish line was in sight! He refused to lose!!!

"And it appears to be a draw!!"

Thunderlane gave out and barely managed to land on his hooves but his agonized wings and body caused him to stumble and trip over himself a few times, and some of the spectators gasped!

"Somepony get a medic out here!" called Shining Armor.

"So what happened?!" Spike fretted as he and Vibrant shared a confused look, "Who won the race?!"

"It looked like a draw between all three of them," Vibrant answered hesitantly before somepony came into the announcer's box to give him a note. "Oh, this just in; the judges have made the call and now we'll have a closer look via replay on the jumbotron!"

All eyes turned to the jumbotron as footage played back the moments just before the racers completed the lap together. Then it froze from an aerial point of view, and everypony watched as the replay went in slow-motion, the three racers neck in neck, side by side, and right as they came up and over the finish line together...!

"Well, fillies and gentlecolts, the camera doesn't lie and the judges have confirmed it," Vibrant declared, "the winner of this race and the Air Sprint event is... THUNDERLANE OF TEAM PONYVILLE!!!!"

"Winner by a hair, YES!!!" Spike cheered as the crowd went wild.

Thunderlane was being loaded onto a gurney and he was still conscious enough to notice, So... I won!

"Excuse us, may we have a quick word?"

Thunderlane noticed Boon and Doran talking with the medics, and one of them said, "A quick word, he needs to be looked at right away."

Boon and Doran both nodded and were allowed to approach Thunderlane, the older pegasus saying, "Congratulations, Thunderlane, that was a race I won't forget anytime soon."

"Nor I," agreed Doran, "and that technique you used, a feat and skill worthy of the Sky Knights."

"Well, thanks, Doran, but..." Thunderlane groaned, his wings aching something fierce, "it's not my technique and I wasn't ready for it."

"Be that as it may, you still won, and you deserve to win," chuckled Boon before he sighed, "as the older generations get left behind, it makes way for the generations new. Again, Thunderlane, congrats and get well soon, because I look forward to seeing you fly with the Wonderbolts."

"Sirs, it's time to go," the medic prodded.

Boon and Doran made way and Thunderlane gave them a wave as he was led inside.

"What a race, what a sport! And it's far from over, fillies and gentlecolts!" announced Vibrant Flare.

"That's right, everypony, join us again after a quick break for more awesome sports and competitions yet to come here in the Equestria Games!" added Spike.

"Welcome back, sports fans, and the Equestria Games are off to a kicking start!" Vibrant announced.

"That's right, Flare, the Air Sprints? The Hurdle Dash? Even an old favorite, the Tug o' War! Kudos to Appleloosa for winning that one!" Spike added excitably. "These games are awesome! But not as awesome as the ponies playing them!"

"Which brings us to our next event," Vibrant spoke up, "a charmingly rustic version of an old classic, everypony, this is... the Hay Bale Toss!"

The crowd cheered on as the game officials set everything up and a stallion pulled in a wagonful of hay bales.

"A nod to the time-honored rodeo event itself, the Hay Bale Toss is one of the special events being featured at the Equestria Games this year," Vibrant commented.

"And nopony can Hay Bale Toss like the participants of this event," Spike added as the competitors all made their way out onto the field.

There were a total of seven competitors and each of them would get only one chance to win, and Applejack intended for that to be her as she took her place in the lineup. She was sixth in the lineup and saw her rivals were all burly strong stallions, most of them earth ponies, but one of them was in fact a minotaur, the seventh competitor standing right next to her. Like the rest of his species, he stood tall on two legs with an ape-like torso, arms and hands, all impressively muscled, and he had a proud pair of longhorns over his bovine head, and his fur was dirty white dappled black.

He noticed her looking at him and tipped his head in a greeting kind of way, "Good day for a little friendly competition, eh miss?"

"Sure is, Ah'm Applejack, representin' Team Ponyville," Applejack offered her hoof for a friendly shake, and the minotaur obliged, grasping it and giving it a firm shake.

"Officer Strong Arm, representing Team Minox," he smiled kindly.

"Officer Strong Arm? You th' law in yer town?" Applejack asked, her curiosity piqued.

"That I am, ma'am," Strong Arm nodded with a strong smirk, "Well, I'm a cop, at least. But I do pride myself in serving and protecting my community. Which is why I aim to make my hometown proud by winning this event."

"Same here," Applejack held out her hoof again, "May the best hay tosser win."

"Right back at ya, ma'am," chuckled Strong Arm when the PA system sounded again.

"The rules of this event are simple," Spike explained, "each competitor will be given a hay bale and they have to toss it as far as they can down the designated zone! There will be a quick pause between each toss for the games official to measure the distance. The competitor who throws his or her bale the furthest wins!"

"And each competitor has to wait for the signal from Shining Armor before they toss their bale," Vibrant added, "Anyone who ignores this rule will be automatically disqualified. Furthermore, if your hay bale breaks before it lands, then you're out."

Ah've got this in th' bag, Applejack thought, smirking with confidence.

"Up first, we've got quite a celebrity! Put your hooves together for Buffalo Bull from Dodge Junction!" Vibrant announced and various spectators cheered especially loud, including Cherry Jubilee up in the exclusive box.

Buffalo Bull, an older earth pony stallion and the owner and performer in his own traveling Wild West Show, stepped up to his hay bale. He looked to Shining Armor who gave the signal, and Bull took a deep breath before hoisting his bale onto his back. With years of training and experience, he bucked it hard and everypony watched as it flew a considerable distance. A game official hurried out, levitating a magic measuring tape, checked, and then called out, "15 YARDS, 8 INCHES!!"

Bull's fans, especially Cherry Jubilee, all gave him a happy applause as the ol' bronco bowed and phewed, muttering, "Not as young as Ah once was..."

"Up next we got... Cruger from Sirius!" Spike announced after getting the all-clear signal.

Stepping up to his hay bale was a sapient husky dog, not nearly as fearsome-looking as the Diamond Dogs that once pony-napped Rarity. Cruger gave off a determined look as he seized his hay bale by the twine, hefted it onto his shoulder... and HEAVED!! It soared through the air and landed noticeably further than Bull's bale, and everypony waited patiently as the official ran out to measure the distance.

"17 YARDS, 2 INCHES!!"

"And just like that, Cruger takes the lead, sorry about that, Buffalo Bull," commented Vibrant Flare.

Applejack wasn't worried, so far, and as the competition wore on, the pressure built up a little. Three of the competitors before her managed to toss their bales impressively far, but thankfully the fourth's bale broke mid-toss and he was disqualified. The fifth competitor, the earth pony right before Applejack, he fumbled his toss and didn't throw his bale far enough, but still. Applejack knew in order to win this, she had to toss her bale so far that no one else would be able to compare.

"Now we come to my good friend from Team Ponyville, Applejack!" Spike announced, and AJ smiled at the cheers her friends, teammates, and siblings sent her way. "Mark my words, Flare, there's nopony more cowgirl than this girl - AJ's taken part in lots of competitions in the rodeo circuit and nopony works hard like she does!"

"Well, let's see Applejack put your words to the test, Spike, `cuz it looks like she's about to start..." Vibrant responded with a hushing tone and silence befell the stadium.

Taking a deep breath as she approached her bale, Applejack took a moment to focus and sized her bale up. She knew her bales, the soft spots, the firm spots, how to keep it all together...

"YAH!!!" Applejack bucked that bale like she'd bucked an ex in the family jewels, and the whole crowd gasped to see that bale fly!

Thankfully, it held together, despite some pieces of hay flying free, and landed in a barely-whole heap, and Applejack clenched her flanks as she waited for the official to run up to her bale and make the call.

"23 YARDS, 35 INCHES!!!"

"WOWZA!! That's the farthest distance yet!" Vibrant Flare laughed over the PA, "Applejack of Team Ponyville was just one inch short of making a toss at a professionally athletic level!"

"Way to go AJ!!" Spike cheered, as did the whole crowd, Applejack waving appreciatively while panting from aftermath of her the physical exertion.

"So now that leaves our final competitor in the Hay Bale Toss, Strong Arm from Team Minox," Vibrant Flare brought up, "and the only way he can win this event is by throwing his bale even an inch farther than Applejack's distance!"

"Well, Strong Arm certainly looks impressive, let's see what he's got!" Spike said in an almost challenging sort of way.

Applejack stood with all the other competitors of the event, the lot of them watching as Strong Arm stepped up to his bale, and picked it up by its twine. He rolled his shoulders, working a crick out, before taking a moment to focus... He stepped back, grasping the twine of his bale with both hands, and then span!

He span and span, faster, and faster, and roared as he let it go!

Instead of going for a high arc-sort of toss, Strong Arm had thrown his bale straight like an arrow, and the bale seemed to soar over the ground, passing all the other distance markers... until finally it touched the ground and rolled! The force of the throw kept it rolling, and everyony held their breath as the distance between it and Applejack's marker closed.

And it came to a stop.

Well past Applejack's marker, and she felt her heart sink. The official yelling out the distance ("26 YARDS, 21 INCHES!!!") just added insult to injury, and Vibrant Flare unknowingly rubbed salt into the wound, "And there it is! The winner of the Hay Bale Toss event is STRONG ARM OF TEAM MINOX!!"

"Congratulations, Strong Arm," Spike said graciously but not as exuberantly as Vibrant.

Applejack hanged her head, feeling like crawling under a rock, as the familiar weight of failure bared down on her withers. This felt just like that time she'd gone off to compete in Equestria Rodeo Competition to try and win prize money for Ponyville. She didn't win a blue ribbon in any event and had been too ashamed to go home for fear of letting Ponyville down. Her friends had to track her all the way to Dodge Junction and badger her for the truth until she finally came clean.

She heard hoofsteps and looked up to see Strong Arm, smiling kindly at her as he offered his hand, "Great competition out there, Applejack. To be honest, I was afraid I wouldn't beat you!"

"Y- Th- What?!" Applejack flabbergasted, not understanding.

"When you bucked your hay bale, I actually cringed! I thought 'Glad I'm not on the receiving end of those hooves'," chuckled Strong Arm while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"What I'm saying is... You've got some serious kick in those hind legs of yours, and when I saw that, I realized how much I had to bring my A-game. That's really the farthest I've ever thrown anything! And I wouldn't have been able to do it if you hadn't motivated me."

"Really?" Applejack was starting not feel so sorry for herself.

"How could I lie to the Element of Honesty?" chuckled Strong Arm and he held out his hand again, "It was an honor to test myself against you, Applejack."

Applejack was a little confused but then she felt honored in an odd way. She smiled and accepted Strong Arm's gesture, the two of them sharing a respectful hand/hoofshake.

"With the Hay Bale Toss over, we're gonna take another break before we move onto the next event, sports fans," Vibrant Flare commented, Spike butting in, "DON'T GO ANYWHERE!!"

Author's Note

Vibrant Flare was volunteered to me by DFatman, and I decided to say the Games go on for a whole week because Olympic events in real life have been known to go on for as long as sixteen days

That's another thing I hate about the Equestria Games episode; it wrapped up too quickly and we didn't get to see much - There were at least 35 or 36 events!

Strong Arm is my OC, as is Cruger (the dog; he is NOT a Diamond Dog; in my story canon Diamond Dogs are corrupted dogs)

Buffalo Bull is a character from the comics

260. The Cutie-Map - Epilogue

The sun was setting by the time the Harmonic Twelve came down for a landing in Ponyville Airfield, and they were all so glad to be home. Sighing with just the right amount of drama, Rarity said as they touched ground, "I don't know about the rest of you, darlings, but this girl is looking forward to some well-earned beauty sleep."

"Yeah..." Rainbow Dash gave Soarin a flirting wink, which caused him to whinny under his breath with a smile as he barely kept his wings from popping out in excitement, "Sleep."

"I gotta get back otherwise Cloud and Flit are gonna have my wings for being gone so long!" Thunderlane decided to just take off but he gave Applejack a quick peck and said, "Night, AJ."

"Say hi t' Rumble fer me, sugarcube," Applejack waved after him as he flew off.

"If you'll... excuse us," Soarin and Rainbow Dash took off too, and a gangplank extended out and dropped to the ground.

"See y'all t'morrow," Applejack got off.
"Good night, everypony!" Pinkie bounced off.
"We got some party planning to do!" Cheese added as he and Pinkie headed for Sugarcube Corner.

"Shall we away, love?" Rarity looked to Blueblood.
"You go on ahead, my muse," Blueblood replied, "I have to get the Slipstream into the warehouse, I'll be along."
Giggling, Rarity flicked her tail to make sure Blueblood got an eyeful, "Don't keep me waiting..."

"Whoa...!" Blueblood would never have thought what a fox his Rarity was.

"See ya later, Blue," Midnight led Twilight down the gangplank as Blueblood gave them a salute before hopping down and heading off to recruit his staff to haul in the Slipstream, while Midnight and Twilight and Big Mac and Fluttershy started making their ways home.
"Another day, another adventure."

"And more friends," Twilight reminded them.
"Eeyup!"
"It's just wonderful," Fluttershy agreed, "I really do hope we see them again soon."

"Midnight! MIIIIDNIIIIGHT!!!"

They all looked and saw Spike running up to them frantically, almost keeling over as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Spike, what's got you all worked up?" asked Midnight as they waited for the little dragon to explain.

Wheezing as he held up a claw, requesting a second, Spike finally calmed his beating chest, and blurted out, "IT'S YOUR MOM!!"

"WHAT?!" they all crowded Spike so much he nearly fell over.

"Nurse Redheart showed up and said your mom's condition at the hospital's changed!" Spike explained, "You gotta get over there A-S-A-P!!"

Worry and dread squeezed his lungs as Midnight began to fear the worst-

"Midnight!" He felt Twilight grab him by the shoulders, "Get to your mother, hurry!"

"I-I... Twilight!" Midnight took her hoof, "Fly down to Sweet Apple Acres and bring Twinken! I'll meet you at the hospital!"

"Midnight-" Twilight tried to say, only for Midnight to turn and take flight! They all watched him go, before Twilight thought a moment and looked to Spike, Big Mac, and Fluttershy.
"Spike, head back to the castle. I'll let you all know what's going on as soon as I can, I have to get Twinken!"

She flew off too, and the three of them shared troubled looks, Fluttershy whimpering, "I hope Midnight's mother will be alright!"

"Uh... Ponyville General's got great doctors, Fluttershy," Spike forced a smile, "I'm sure Midnight's mom will be okay! ...Right, Big Macintosh? Mac? Mac, back me up here!"

But Big Mac wasn't paying attention to either of them, and they noticed he was looking towards the setting sun cast the sky in a disturbing shade of red. Like blood. He remained stoic, but a glimmer in his eyes betrayed a wound inside that never fully healed. He felt his `Shy place her hoof on his shoulder, and he spoke softly, "...Th' last time Ah saw a sunset all red like that... th' next day, muh folks were gone...

"Sumthin' terrible's happened."

Fluttershy pressed up against her Mackie, and Spike came over to join in on the hug as they watched the sun set, casting the world into darkness.

To Midnight's surprise, Nurse Redheart was waiting for him at the hospital entrance, and he proceeded inward, her following, as he requested, "My mother, Nurse Redheart, give it to me straight."

"Uh- Prince Midnight, there's no need to worry about-" Nurse Redheart tried to say.

"Don't sugarcoat it for me, Nurse, I'm in no mood!" Midnight kept walking, knowing the way to his mother's hospital room, only for Nurse Redheart to bar his way,

"Prince Midnight!" She looked at him intensely before she said, "It's not what you think! ...It's a miracle."

Miracle?! Midnight gave Nurse Redheard a bewildered look when he heard somepony shouting in the hall ahead.

"I don't need rest, I need answers! How did I get here? Where's my family?!"

That voice! Midnight felt as though his mind had frozen and yet his body kept moving albeit slower. He hadn't heard that voice in over ten years!

"Miss, please calm down. We need to give you a full medical examination," insisted the gentle voice of Doctor Stable. "Just to be certain of your health!"

"I want to see my family! Where's my husband, my sons?! Are they here too?! Are they alright?!"

"Mom?"

She froze, her hooves still on the doctor's shoulders, but she slowly turned towards the door of her room, and saw him. At first, she thought it couldn't be, but it was him! He returned her gaze with one that was at a total loss of words. She was sitting on her bed but, ignoring Doctor Stable, she slid off and almost fell to her knees, finding her legs feeling so weak. But Midnight had suddenly hurried over and caught her.

They look each other in the eyes again as he helped her stand up, and everything and everyone in the room took a pregnant pause, no one moving. Until she reached up, hesitantly placing her hoof on his cheek and uttered out, "M... Midnight?"

Tears welled up in his eyes as he nodded, "Yes, it's me..."

"You're... you're all grown up!" Faerie Tail took a shuddery inhale, and shook a little as her world rattled around, "How can that be?"

"It doesn't matter," Midnight pulled her into a hug, holding back a sob as he whispered, "You're home."

Faerie Tail returned the hug, but then she leaned back to look her grownup son in the eyes again, "I... What's happened?! I have so many questions but... I don't know where to start!"

Midnight understood but before he could say more, he heard somepony clear her throat and they all turned to see Twilight standing in the door. Faerie Tail recognized her too!

"Is... Is that you, Twilight Sparkle?!" She couldn't believe it! Was this really the little filly she used to read stories to and loved as though she were her own?

"Yes, it is, Auntie Faerie Tail," Twilight smiled while shedding a tear and the memories aglow in her mind as they returned, of this mare before her who had been her honorary aunt.
"But there's somepony else here who wants to see you."

She stepped to the side and spoke to somepony in the hall, "Come on, don't be shy."

Then in walked Twinken who looked at the awoken mare, who gasped in shock, holding her hooves to her lips as she recognized her baby! He looked at her with a confusion of emotions, fear, bewilderment, and a growing joy as he whispered, "...Mommy?"

"Twinken...!" Faerie Tail stifled a sob as she knelt down and slowly reached out to him... only for Twinken to close the gap and throw his forelegs around her neck, and finally did she break down in tears, overwhelmed by a bittersweet joy and a confusion of questions that would be answered soon enough.

As mother and child had their moment, Twilight gingerly walked around them to stand by Midnight, who looked on at his mother and little brother. It seemed like a dream he had almost given up on, but here it was! His mother was awake, his brother was smiling and crying and looked like he had all he'd ever wanted. Then he felt Twilight nuzzle up against him.

"It's a miracle..." she whispered to him.

Or is it? Midnight wondered to himself, and then he recalled what Twilight told him about the figure who'd knocked him out and stolen away Starlight.

A consolation prize?

Then, a morbid dread began to weigh down in the pit of his stomach, as he began to suspect who that hooded figure was!

Hours earlier...

Party Favor didn't know how long he sat there, looking at that picture of himself, his parents, and his two younger sisters. Until he ran away, his colthood had been tough and dreary, for his father and mother had no idea how to raise a unicorn foal. They'd thought just raising him as they'd both been raised in their families would be enough, but it hadn't. Party Favor could recall the many times he tried using his unicorn magic in his chores, only for his father to berate him, calling him lazy, and his mother tried to be comforting but she just didn't know how to encourage her son.

It got harder when his sisters were born, and he was expected to work harder while his mother was busy caring for his sisters.

The rare times Party Favor had felt happy often involved his Granny Pie telling him stories and jokes to make laugh. Truly, he felt closer to her than he'd ever felt to his parents, or even his sisters. His first sister was nicer to him. But talking to her was like talking to, well... a rock! His second sister however was very sour-tempered and never hesitated to tattle on him whenever she caught him using magic or, in her and their father's eyes, goofing off.

When his mother was pregnant again, Party Favor began to become increasingly depressed, knowing more siblings would mean his father would be all the harder on him. One day, he finally cracked when his father was lecturing him about responsibility and setting a good example for his sisters, and Party Favor finally just let out his angst. They argued and said awful things to each other, and it reached a point where his father grabbed him by the foreleg and dragged him into his room, saying he was grounded and locked him in with no supper. Party Favor made a mess of his room, crying and yelling himself to exhaustion. But then later, he heard his parents arguing with each other and he was certain he heard his sisters crying.

That night was the final straw, and Party Favor ran away. He left his family's rock farm, he left his hometown of Nickerlite, and he left behind his family and the name he'd been given, Basalt Pie. He took only a few things, including this picture. He hopped the next train out of town and somehow found his way to a circus where he met a wonderful and extremely funny clown named Ponyacci. He took on the name Party Favor and asked Ponyacci to tweach him how to make ponies laugh, and the clown happily taught Party Favor all that he knew, and it was during that time, while making balloon animals that he tried making a balloon pogo-stick, and to the circus workers' delight it worked! As he'd bounced around on his pogo-loon, that was when Party Favor earned his cutie-mark and realized he was meant to make ponies laugh and smile.

"Party?"

Party Favor turned to see Sugar Belle, giving him a slightly worried look, "I-I'm sorry for coming in without permission, you... You were in here a long time. Are you okay?"

Putting the photo away, Party Favor stood up and took a deep breath, "I'm dandy, Sugar. Let's go back out and join the party."

"Um, before we do that..." Sugar Belle came closer, looking shy, "Party... when Starlight asked Fluttershy who'd told her and her friends about the vault, you confessed and said it was only you! How come?"

"Well, uh, I..." Party Favor recalled how uncomfortable that situation had been. And how he didn't want Sugar Belle to get in trouble, "I guess... I didn't want Starlight to do anything to you."

"Just me? Not Night Glider?" Sugar Belle pointed out, causing Party Favor to blush.

"Uh- Well, of course I... didn't want Night Glider to be in trouble either, it's..." Party Favor stumbled over his words and feel his face his heat up, and even more when he suddenly felt a pair of lips press against his cheek causing him to freeze up! He looked to Sugar Belle out the corner of his eye, and saw her blushing as well and holding back a giggle.

"You're very sweet, Party Favor, and I don't mean that because I'm a baker."

Somehow that caused Party Favor to shake it off but he smiled back and said, "Well, anyway... shall we?"

Party Favor offered his foreleg, and Sugar Bell smile as she reached out to put her take it-

*KASHROWF*

An explosion from outside caused the glass in Party Favor's window to shatter, and they both cried out in alarm. Party Favor hugging Sugar to shield her with his own body, and he felt a small piece of glass cut his shoulder. Then... they heard the roar of a raging fire and screams coming from outside! They ran downstairs and out Party Favor's front door and froze in horror to see their village was being set ablaze!

Everypony was screaming and running for cover, a couple were on fire and thrashing about, despite others' attempts to put them out with blankets or any water they could find. But most of the fire was coming from the end of the street, where Starlight's old house was completely ablaze, and standing in front of it were two figures, one garbed in a hooded cloak, the other clad in armor. They were both unicorns, throwing fireballs in random directions, not caring what or who they set on fire, before they suddenly just vanished!

"GET OUT OF THE VILLAGE!" "WAIT! MY SISTER'S STUCK INSIDE!!" "HELP ME, I'M BURNING!!!" "PEGASI, GATHER THE CLOUDS!!"

It was no use. The fires were completely out of control. There was only fear. Hysterical, panicking, terrorizing, scorching, choking fear.

268. The Underdogged Caper - Part 1

Thunderlane groaned with growing impatience as Rarity was taking his measurements in her boutique. The Grand Galloping Gala was growing nearer every day and Rarity had all but demanded she take her friends' measurements so she could design them some new ensembles for the event. When they'd suggested just wearing the same outfits from last time, Rarity had absolutely put her hoof down, and went on and on how making an appearance at the most prestigious event in all of Equestria with the same outfit as before just wasn't done!

"Ugh, Rarity, is this gonna take any longer?" groaned Thunderlane as Rarity measured his wingspan.

"Up-bup-bup! You can't rush art, my dear Thunderlane," Rarity tut-tutted as she got the measurement she wanted and stepped over to her drawing table to jot down some notes.

"I'm not rushing art, I'm rushing you..." Thunderlane grumbled under his breath.

"I heard that!" Rarity retorted, making Thunderlane flinch, which only spurred him to gripe further.

"Honestly, Rarity! If showing up in the same outfit is such a bother to you, I'll just rent a tux or something."

"Oh no, no, no, no, darling!" Rarity shook her head, "We are members of the Council of Friendship, and as such we must look our esteemed best at the gala. Wearing a cheap tuxedo?" - the very thought of it made Rarity shudder - "What kind of message would that send to ponies who look up to us?"

"Don'choo you mean ponies who look down on us?" Thunderlane debated. "You know the gala's always full of froufrou, snobby, and completely stuck-up noble ponies who treat anypony without a pedigree like they're dirt beneath their hooves!"

"Oh that is simply not... entirely true, Thunderlane," Rarity scoffed with a diplomatic tone, "My Blueblood, along with ponies like Fancy Pants, Fleur dis Lee, even Twilight and Midnight and their parents, they are all fine and worthy examples of Canterlot nobility. I'll admit, there are a fair amount amongst the Canterlot Elite that are... less than the sorts of examples they should present themselves as, but it's not fair to judge the entirety of a certain lot based on a few bad experiences."

Sighing, Thunderlane conceded that Rarity was right but he wasn't gonna say that out loud lest he make this measuring session last longer-

That thought was cut short as a faintly familiar tingling on his flanks caused Thunderlane to yelp and he and Rarity both looked to see his cutie-mark was glowing! They looked at each other and both said, "The map!"

Thunderlane arrived at the Friendship Castle in no time at all and wasn't surprised to see Twilight, Midnight, and Spike waiting for him, "Hey guys! I got the call, did anypony else?"

"Actually... no!" Twilight pointed to the map and Thunderlane saw only his cutie-mark, rotating above the city of Vanhoover, "Whatever's going on in Vanhoover, Thunderlane, you're the only one the Map has called upon."

"Which is kinda strange," Midnight added as he and Thunderlane gave the hologram a closer look, "I mean, it's only happened once, but when the map sent us somewhere, it was 'us', plural, as in more than one. Isn't a, a... friendship problem? Yeah that works, a friendship problem best solved with a friend beside you?"

"Well, whatever this problem is, I'm sure Thunderlane has what it takes to find a solution," Twilight said with nary a hint of doubt, although Midnight and Thunderlane shared a look that wasn't quite as confident.

"Well, uh, I guess... I'd better get going," Thunderlane hoped there was a train or airship headed for Vanhoover but as he turned to leave, he felt his hoof tingle and held it up to look at and they all marveled to see Thunderlane's hoof glowing before it brightened in radiance!

"WHOA! That is blinding!" Spike held up his claws to shield his eyes, Twilight and Midnight shielding their own eyes with their wings!

But Thunderlane's eyes weren't bothered at all by the radiance. Rather, it enthralled him, as he felt a familiar sensation that caused him to remember the crystal shards he and the stallions had received from the Map only for those shards to disappear into their hooves after picking them up. This same feeling, it was calling out to something deep inside the dark gray pegasus and whatever it was, that part within him had to answer. The light began to dim and the others heard the ringing of metal and they gasped in awe to see Thunderlane now held a sword!

The blade was dark gray, matching Thunderlane's coat, the handle silvery blue, like his mane, and set into the pommel was a tiny engraving of Thunderlane's storm cloud and lightning bolt cutie-mark!

Thunderlane and Midnight both sensed the power of this sword, and somehow they knew so did Big Mac, Blueblood, Soarin, and Cheese Sandwich, wherever they were in Ponyville.

"Holy guacamole...!!" Spike didn't know what else to say, as he, Twilight, and Midnight crowded Thunderlane as he looked upon this sword in a daze. "That's... a really cool sword, Thunderlane!"

"Incredible...!" Twilight was excited, nervous, confused, giddy, a whole smorgasbord of emotions swirling in her mind as she wondered aloud, "But- What in the wide-wide world of Equestria would you need a sword for if all you're going to do is solve a friendship problem?! This merits further study, research, think of the possibilit- GUP!!"

Midnight stuffed a tea-cozy into Twilight's mouth and said, "Thunderlane, I... Hoo, I don't even know what to say about this!"

"I do! It's like the Sword in the Stone!" Spike brought up, as he excitably recounted "You all know that legend, don't you? Star Swirl made a magic sword that a stable colt named Canter drew from a stone, transforming him into a mighty warrior who went on to found the Knights of the Honorbound Stable! Remember when the Map made those crystal shards apepar to you guys? You picked them up but then they disappeared."

"I remember that, but looking back... it's like those shards... became a part of us somehow!" Midnight considered Spike's words and what they'd just witnessed. "So... I guess that means that once the map calls upon us, we'll each manifest swords of our own."

"Yeah, but..." They turned to look at Thunderlane, who regarded his sword like a critic scanning the details of a painting, "There's something about it that feels... I don't know... how to explain it, but... this sword. I can't help but feel like it holds some kind of secret."

"Well, whatever that secret is, Thunderlane," Twilight spoke, "I'm sure you will come to understand it. Whatever this sword is, it's yours and it must be necessary for whatever problem the map is sending you to Vanhoover to resolve."

"I get that, but isn't there some kind of law against carrying weapons out in pub-" Thunderlane began to ask, only for the sword to give a bright glow as the blade, guard and handle seemed to become transparent energy.... that was apparently sucked up into Thunderlane's hoof.
"Huh?!"

"It... it went inside you?" Spike pointed out rather dumbly.

Having a theory, Thunderlane concentrated on his hoof and as if responding to his will, it ignited a burst of energy that quickly solidified into the handle, guard and blade.
"Well, would ya lookit that? This sword seems to... go inside me and come back out when I will it to."

"Astonishing..." Midnight was even more intrigued by this new development. "But as much as we'd like to learn more about this sword, Thunderlane, I say you are needed in Vanhoover."

"Right," Thunderlane absorbed his sword and waved as he hurried out, "Wish me luck!"

"You won't need it, Thunder!" Twilight called after him as she, Midnight, and Spike waved him off.

By the time Thunderlane's airship arrived in Vanhoover, the sun was beginning to set, and the large city was just a little intimidating to Thunderlane as he began to wander. Wandering the Vanhoover streets, Thunderlane wondered, This city is big. I could probably wander around for days looking for whatever problem the map sent me here to take care of and never come close!

Thunderlane had never been to Vanhoover before, he didn't know anypony who lived here, and having no idea what his task was or even where to start, the prospect was becoming more and more daunting for the gray pegasus. But then he heard a loud chatter of a crowd ahead and saw ponies gathering before a large building, cameras flashing, and apparently somepony was making some kind of public announcement.

"Hmm, that looks like as good a place as any to start," Thunderlane flew over, and saw a nearby sign that read 'Museum of Vanhoover' and a middle-aged earth pony mare was addressing the crowd, which Thunderlane determined was a mob of paparazzi.

"Fillies, gentlecolts, please, please! One question at a time!"

"Madame Curator, is it true there was a theft in the museum early this morning?" "What can you tell us about how the thief got in?" "What was taken?" "Was it a gem?!" "Are Diamond Dogs behind this crime?!" "Who was in charge of security?!" "Was it an inside job?" "Are your employees going to be investigated?!" "Did anypony on your staff help the Diamond Dog access the museum after hours?" "Are the Vanhoover Police Department looking into this?"

"THAT IS ENOUGH!!" the curator all but erupted, and her outburst was enough for the reporters to clam it while she took a deep breath before answering, "I am not at liberty to say what exactly was stolen, but I can tell you that a suspect has already been apprehended by the Vanhoover Police Department, though I can neither confirm nor deny whether this suspect is the culprit or not. The means and methods of the theft are still being investigated, but I have full confidence in the detective who has been assigned this case. That is all, no further questions."

Ignoring her last statement, the reporters called out more questions as the curator left and her security guards barred them, and Thunderlane wondered, A theft at a museum? That's not exactly a friendship problem, but it's a problem nonetheless...

Feeling parched, Thunderlane decided to find a place to get a soda and asked around. A nice junior reporter mare directed Thunderlane to a nearby sandwich diner that had the best submarine sandwiches in all of Vanhoover. Deciding he may as well eat, he bought a hoagie along with a tall and perfectly chilled glass of colt cola, and sitting at one of the cafe tables outside, Thunderlane was finally glad to take a moment to relax after the long flight.

MMM! My compliments to the chef...! Thunderlane relished the hoagie sandwich, which contained shiitake mushrooms, chopped tomatoes and potatoes, melted mozzarella, and a nice helping of salami, along with some exquisite condiments to make it moist and burst with even more flavor. Ordinarily, he didn't eat meat but after his trip to Cloudsdale (where he'd enjoyed a meal with Rainbow's dad that included burgers with bacon in them) he figured why not try something new while he was on this mission?

As he'd wandered Vanhoover, Thunderlane had noticed a fair number of Sirian Dogs mingling with the populace. He remembered the Dogs' Nation, Bargos, was the neighboring country west of Equestria, and their capitol city was Sirius. Considering how close Vanhoover must be, it made sense for some of them to visit. Unlike the Diamond Dogs that once tried to enslave Rarity a long while back, the Sirian Dogs were friendlier looking, not so gaunt in appearance, and their tails didn't have those ugly spikes or protuberances on them, and they didn't look like ugly apes with doggish faces.

"Starting to think we oughta do something about all these Sirian tourists coming into our town..."

Thunderlane's ears perked at that comment and he very carefully peered out the corner of his right eye to see a couple of police ponies enjoying their own sandwiches at the table next to his.

"Yeah, I wonder how many of these mutts are Diamond Dogs in disguise."
"Thieving mongrels, and they still find the nerve to practice slavery!"
"The suspect of the museum theft is a Dog, isn't he?"
"Yep, and I bet he gave the gem he stole to that pup of his."
"Involving your own kid in crime, that's despicable..."
"Well, if this guy is the perp, the guy on the case will certainly crack it wide open."
"Who's the detective assigned to the case again?"
"Heh, he wasn't assigned the case, he volunteered for it! But then, Hard Case always like the hard cases, heh-heh."
"If you're looking to try your hoof in comedy, don't quit your day job, dude."
"Aw screw you, that was funny. Anyway, after Hard Case took the guy in, he asked some questions but then decided to leave him to sweat for a while. I bet he just wanted to go out for a doughnut break."
"Well can you blame him? Breakfast of Champions makes the best darn doughnuts in all of Equestria!"

Heh, I bet Joe would have something to say about that, Thunderlane thought to himself but now he considered what he'd just learned.

While they were here, it seems perhaps Dogs weren't entirely welcome in Vanhoover, and that the suspect the curator had mentioned was a Dog himself, and that this Hard Case was the detective investigating the crime.

"Uh, excuse me, officers?" They looked up to see Thunderlane who was giving them a friendly smile, "Did I hear you just say... the best doughnuts in all of Equestria?"

Thankfully, the cops hadn't realized Thunderlane had been eavesdropping on their whole conversation and were friendly enough to direct him to the 'Breakfast of Champions', a restaurant that, as its name suggested, was well known for serving the most amazing breakfasts. Even from outside, Thunderlane could smell eggs, hay-bacon, flapjacks, syrup, as well as delectable doughnuts and rich coffee.
"Hm, maybe I shoulda come here instead. But I suppose grabbing a doughnut dessert wouldn't hurt."

He started for the doors, blissfully unaware that miles away, Pinkie and Cheese both experienced their ears flopping, their eyes fluttering, and then their knees twitching-

*CRASH/SKLUTTER/"OUCH!"*

"Ooh..." Thunderlane rubbed his head before noticing a large earth pony before him, holding his aching schnozz.

He was big, like Big Mac, with a strong yet husky build, bluish-gray coat, ashy brown mane, a cutie-mark of a file folder with papers spilling out, and opening his royal blue eyes he gave Thunderlane such a dirty look that turned into a look of horror when he noticed his box of doughnuts spilled all over the ground, along with his coffee!
"AAURGH!! My eats, my fuel! URRRRGGGGHHH!!! You jerk, you're gonna pay for this!"

"Hold on, it- It was an accident!" Thunderlane protested when he noticed something else on the ground and saw it was a badge, "Uh- I didn't mean to-"

"Aw, c'mon, Hard Case, cut the kid a break."

They both looked to see another stallion, a unicorn with a dusty white coat, a short mohawk of mud brown, and a golden shield cutie-mark, but most striking was his eyepatch beside a friendly eye of sunny orange, and he was somewhat older.
"You know tinted those glass doors are, and it was your own fault for being in such a rush."

Growling, the earth pony, Hard Case, gave Thunderlane a more subdued look of contempt, so the other stallion amended, "I'll buy you another box of doughnuts and cup of coffee, if it'll cheer you up and spare the kid from you chewing him out."

"Fine..." Hard Case accepted but then he pointed a hoof at the other stallion, "But I want more maple bars, got it, Emblazon Shield?"

"Whatever you want," nodded Emblazon Shield before he looked to Thunderlane and offered him a hoof, "Don't let mister sensitive here get'cha down, son. He just can't handle a case without a steady supply of his favorite doughnuts."

"Uh, not at all," Thunderlane accepted Emblazon's hoof, as he was hauled up.

"I swear, if this job doesn't kill him all those calories will," Emblazon cracked while giving Hard Case a teasing look as the earth pony seemed to have been considering ignoring the five-second rule while looking at one of the ruined doughnuts.

He noticed the ribbing and huffed, "Hey! Piss off, Shield. I'm in the prime of my life! I mean look at me, this body is a temple...."

Hard Case made a show of flexing while sucking in a noticeable pudge that almost distracted from his admittedly impressive muscles, and Emblazon whisper-shouted to Thunderlane, "With a two-wagon garage."

Thunderlane stifled a chuckle while Emblazon made no effort to hide his amusement while Hard Case growled and started throwing a few heated profanities their way.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city of Vanhoover, somepony was double-checking some figures in his office.

*Buzz*

"Mr. Finds, your 5:45 PM Appointment is here."

"Excellent. Send him in and go home."

"As you wish."

The stallion looked up to the double doors that led into his office as they opened and in walked a tall and growling figure...

Author's Note

With the guys, I had to include more than the show's friendship problems, but I'm also adding another spin to this wheel

Hard Case was created by both me and NWRAlicorn while I created Emblazon Shield

Also, in this story, there's a difference between Diamond Dogs and Sirian Dogs (they are sapient, not animals like Winona)

280. High Noon Nonsense - Part 1

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Big Mac phew'd after having just completed his morning chores, and as the sun was climbing up towards it's noon-hour apex the day was becoming increasingly hotter, which contrasted with the breezy autumn air. Taking a break, he went home to find `Shy had prepared a pot of gumbo and was already pouring a bowl. Her ears perked to the sound of her husband's hoofsteps and she smiled at the sight of him while holding out the bowl with her wing. Big Mac eyed the bowl with a lip-licking smile before giving his wife a warm thankful look and coming over as she set the bowl down on the table. Their lips met in a soft and tender kiss before they gazed into each other's eyes while nuzzling noses.

Theirs was truly a close and beloved connection that they hardly needed to speak to each other when they were alone, able to read each other so well and easily that oftentimes they communicated without words. It was usually when something pertained to the world outside of their house or someone that they wanted or needed to discuss. It was no surprise when the farmer was usually a stallion of few words and the mare timid and soft-spoken.

She gestured for him to seat and eat while she got some apple juice from their fridge, and the smell tickled Big Mac's nose with a delectable aroma that his belly rumbled with excitement as he sat down and held his spoon to take his first bite... only for a shuddery sensation on his flanks to startle him so that he dropped his spoon.

He heard Fluttershy gasp and saw she was pointing at his flank and they saw it was glowing, and they both knew what that meant.

The Map was calling him.

Fluttershy insisted (in a worried wife kind of way) on accompanying Big Mac to the Castle of Friendship. When they arrived, Fluttershy almost knocked until Big Mac cleared his throat and she saw him gesture towards the distant silhouette of Canterlot on Mt. Canterhorn, and she remembered. Midnight, Twilight, and Spike had gone to the royal capitol to attend the Grand Equestria Pony Summit. Fluttershy hesitated to enter the castle without Midnight, Twilight, or even Spike present until Big Mac stepped up beside her and opened the doors, saying, "Map's callin', `sides, we got permission."

Her husband's reminder caused Fluttershy to remember that Midnight and Twilight told their friends they were always welcome in the castle, even if they weren't home. Not to mention the map calling Big Macintosh gave them just cause to enter even if the master and mistress of the abode were not present. Entering, they made their way to the Map Room and saw an image of Big Mac's cutie-mark circling over a small town way out in the San Palomino Desert, far south of Las Pegasus, not too far from the south-western coast.

"Only you..." Fluttershy didn't like that, "So far away."

"Sumpin's goin' on tha' needs muh help, `Shy," Big Mac held her close to him, and welcomed the feeling of her wings wrapping around his shoulders, that feeling that he was hers, hers to never let go.
"Ah don' wanna go either, but somepony needs help an' we Apples don' turn away those who need help."

"i know. That's just one of the reasons why I love you so much," Fluttershy smiled before giving her her husband another warm kiss when they noticed a strange light and looked to see it was Big Mac's hoof.

The red pony held his hoof up in confusion, feeling a strange sensation, almost like a high circulation of blood... when his hoof flashed with light and in it appeared a sword!

The blade gave off a ruby sheen while the handle was a deep green, and on the pommel was a piece that resembled Big Mac's sliced green apple cutie-mark to a tee, including how it sparkled. Big Mac found himself in awe as he recalled the story Thunderlane had shared with them about his adventure the map had sent him on and how his sword became a bow that shot arrows of lightning, how it had the name Skystrike. Was this sword in his hoof like that? Did it have another form and a name all its own, waiting for Big Mac to discover that for himself?

He was both enthralled and put off by the sword. On one hoof, it filled him with a familiar excitement he'd often dreamed of as a colt, yearning for adventure, but on the other, he was never fond of weapons and saw their only redeeming trait in that they could be used to protect those that mattered to you. Otherwise, they were just tools for destruction, causes of pain and suffering. Enders of life. It was in that moment Big Macintosh made a vow to himself that he would only ever use this sword to protect all he held dear and to defend those who could not defend themselves.

"Mackie?"

He looked to see his wife, her face slightly worried when the sword gave off a strong glow as the blade became transparent, the edges appearing as outlines of light, before it all collapsed into formless energy that seemed to get sucked up into his hoof. He took a deep breath and said, "Ah gotta go."

"I know," Fluttershy nuzzled up to her stallion before looking up at him and saying, "But not until after you've eaten."

The train ride was a long one, but Macintosh always enjoyed those calm periods where he could ponder his thoughts without interruption. After enjoying the meal his `Shy had prepared him, Big Mac grabbed his saddlebags, packed a few things, and went back to the castle where there was a safe that contained bags of bits or some gems that could be used to buy tickets on airships, trains, or taxi-wagons. Prince Midnight had taken the idea from a mystery novel, which turned out to be a good idea.

It made grabbing money easier and even prevented runarounds at the bank with tellers and lapses in judgement.

Kissing his 'Shy farewell, and taking a closer look at the map, Mac took the next train to the nearest station to his destination, a town way out in the San Palomino Desert called San Clydesdale. He didn't know much about it, so he took the time to read a travel guide and saw San Clydesdale was founded over two hundred years ago after a sizable deposit of coal was discovered by frontier ponies and it became a successful coal mine that was still going strong to this day.

Mac wondered, what sort of problem could be happening there that it needed his particular help? He was a farmer, a provider, a hard worker, a husband. He was apparently the Harmonic embodiment of Devotion, a Guardian. He could recall the moments, far in between as they may have been, when the red earth pony would pause to wonder, what did that mean? What did it mean to be a Guardian of Harmony? What did it mean to represent Devotion? Sure, he'd found an answer in that question when he'd unlocked the Element of Devotion but what did that mean for him specifically?

Thinking about it, Mac had had to step up after his ma and pa were gone. Granny Smith raised him and his sisters well but even she couldn't have done it so well on her own. When he'd gotten a little older, he'd turned out to be quite the blabbermouth, going on and on about his opinions and hardly letting anypony else get a word in edgewise. After a lie told by his sister Applejack that he contributed to almost got him dissected as part of a medical demonstration at Ponyville Hospital (that was a harrowing moment of his life he'd rather not think about again) he'd learned to be a better listener and not only the importance of honesty but also that actions could speak louder than words.

Another thought that crossed his mind was how he was on this train, headed towards a town he'd never been to, to help with a problem supposedly he was best suited for among the Council of Friendship to tackle. His brother, Midnight. Sure, the brotherhood they shared was honorary but Mac had grown to love and respect Midnight that as far as he was concerned they were family in all the ways that truly mattered. Twinken and Faerie Tail too. He loved having two little brothers, and Faerie Tail becoming a part of the family had brought back a feeling of maternal affection he had long missed since his ma had passed and hadn't even realized how much he'd craved. Sure, Granny Smith was his grandmother and he loved her so dearly, but there was just some distinction between the love of a grandmother and the love of a mother. Faerie Tail enjoyed Big Mac's company and he hers. She loved to read stories to the family and was such an amazing storyteller that whenever he listened Big Mac couldn't help but feel as though he were living the story Faerie Tail read to them. It felt a tad silly, him, a grown stallion enjoying story time, but there was just something about it that felt so special and nostalgic that it reminded him of how his ma used to tell him stories as a colt. He also enjoyed being a big brother to Twinken. Sometimes, when Midnight was busy or away Big Mac would spend time with Twinken. He'd taught Twinken things about farming, how to navigate his surroundings if he ever got lost, played hoofball with him, shared comic books, and encouraged Twinken in his magical studies even though Mac was an earth pony.

In some ways, Mac was fascinated by magic that there had been times he'd wondered what it would have been like if he'd been born a unicorn instead of an earth pony. He'd had dreams about it, and even once dreamed of being an alicorn prince, which had turned out to be strange yet enjoyable. But his unicorn dreams were more interesting and frequent.

Then, his thoughts turned to his `Shy. Oh how he loved her, in a way more special than he'd ever loved anypony else. Including his sisters, his grandmother, and his brothers. Fluttershy was beautiful, kind, compassionate, demure, loving, and as timid as she typically was he knew she had a backbone when it counted and could express her opinions strongly if she felt it necessary. It was that inner strength of heart the butter yellow pegasus carried inside that Big Mac most admired about her, but everything else along with it was why he loved her. Even though their work, his taking care of Sweet Apple Acres and her taking care of her animals back at her cottage by the Everfree Forest, tended to take up most of their days that just made the time that they spent together, whether it was at home or otherwise, after a good day's work all the more rewarding.

Not to mention, she could be quite the fox in bed and always gave him a good workout that left them sweaty but perfectly satisfied.

Somehow those thoughts of doing the hanky-panky with his Shy made Mac wonder of what could result of their nightly escapades. Somehow the picture of his mare fat with foal made itself known in his mind, and he couldn't help but think how naturally radiant hisShy would be while she was expecting. The idea of her giving him the greatest gift a mare could give her stallion, a foal. Although he rarely did, the thought of becoming a father and raising his foal to be a good pony was one of his lifelong hopes and dreams, to be as good to his child as his own parents had been to him and his sisters. To see his child grow up happy and have a good life would be his greatest hope. Of course, Mac had no plans to be a parent just yet and he wasn't sure if his `Shy did either. But he knew that one day, maybe sooner rather than later, they would take a moment to talk about it before they decided it was time.

The train's screeching breaks snapped Macintosh out of his thoughts and he looked out the window to see they had just arrived as he hurried to his destination. Granted, taking an airship might have been faster but Big Mac wasn't a big fan of the airships following an incident on one that left them stranded in some tall pine trees for well over eight hours before being rescued.

The journey had swung through Cloudsdale Lower and ran near the seaside before curving away towards Dodge City and Appleloosa. At Dodge City, the line split and ran, as a goods line, to the Macintosh Mountains and to the slate quarries in the area. Continuing straight lead the line into the San Palomino counties and the towns beyond.

It was an open secret that these areas contained the most natural coal deposits anywhere in Equestria, so it had the most employment, in the form of coal miners. However, it was also a hotbed of trouble and chaos. It was this train of thought Big Mac had as he disembarked his train and stepped onto the platform of the station.

Maybe it's all a load of horse apples, he thought.

It wouldn't be the first time he or any of the others were sent on a wild goose chase, thinking it was serious, only to find it had been a wild goose chase after all (The Trouble Shoes incident with the CMC being the most prevalent). He moved away from the past and hoped his mind would conjure something tangible. It was no good at all, but then again, he didn't have much information to go off of.

Just mah luck, he thought.

He saw the train station was set in the middle of scenic nowhere but a quick question to the ticket counter told him that San Clydesdale was just a few miles to the east but there was no wagon service. Sighing, the red pony thought, Guess Ah'm walkin'...

The thought of walking through the desert to his destination, even if it was only a few miles, was uninviting to Big Mac but nothing ventured nothing gained. Stepping off the platform, he saw the sign that pointed directly east and read 'San Clydsdale - 4 Miles' before taking a deep breath and making sure the canteen he'd brought was full. Even though the sun was beginning to set it was still uncomfortably hot out.

Thankfully, there was a path so Big Mac wasn't worried about getting lost. He could tell it was a path due to the hoof prints and wagon tracks and how beaten the path was compared to the ground framing it. He wasn't walking long when he noticed somepony headed his way, an earth pony with a funny hat and overalls, saddlebags stuffed with clown shoes and a wig, and a sour look on his face. Noticing Big Mac, the pony asked, "Don' tell me yer headed t' San Clydesdale because if'n you are Ah recommend ya turn right around and join me on th' next train outta here!"

"Why do ya say that, partner?" asked Big Mac, wondering if this had anything to do with why the Map had sent him here.

"Ooh, a heap of trouble's pilin' up in that town over yonder," the pony explained, shuddering, "Ah'm a clown and just quit mah gig workin' fer Buffalo Bull an' his Amazin' Wild West Show."

"Buffalo Bull?" the name rang a bell before Big Mac remembered, "Muh sister Applejack helped him an' Miss Cherry Jubilee out a while back."

"Uh-huh. After Miss Applejack helped Bull and Miss Cherry make up, hoo boy did the love come back for those two," the pony sighed, "Bull asked Cherry to marry him and she said yes. But first, he's gotta finish a tour `afore he heads back to Dodge Junction so he an' Cherry can tie th' knot. San Clydesdale's actually th' last stop before he goes back but... bad things have happened, partner. Problems around town and somehow Bull and the troupe are gettin' blamed! It got so bad Ah couldn' take it no more.

"So... shames me to say it, but Ah quit the troupe an' Ah'm headed home. Lotta bad's goin' on over there and you'd be wise t' steer clear of it. So long, gotta get mah ticket before th' counter closes."

The pony trotted past Big Mac and looking onward, Mac could see the town becoming visible in the distance. Sounded like the Map had sent him to help out Buffalo Bull but something told him there was a whole lot more to it.

Moseying into San Clydsdale, Mac was reminded of Appleloosa but saw and felt none of the welcoming charm his cousin Braeburn's town gave off to visitors. He noticed several ponies were eyeing him suspiciously but none said a word or made any other acknowledgement of his presence. He also noticed several of these ponies were big and tall, much like how the Crusaders had described their friend Troubleshoes. They were mostly earth ponies, but he saw a few pegasi but no unicorns. But the most unusual locals were a few bulls, none of whom looked at all friendly, what with their nose rings and sharp horns, their black hats and other features made them look like varmints who didn't belong. He saw the sheriff's office, a hotel, a general store, a post office, a diner, a few wagons parked here and there, a distant wind mill, a radio tower even, and of course there was the saloon.

Been a while since Ah've had a strong drink, Big Mac thought and decided he may as well wet his whistle.

But as he approached the establishment he could hear a ruckus that didn't sound too friendly and before he realized it a large form was thrown out the swinging doors, going '"Wh-wh-WHOAOAOAOHOHOHOOAAAGHHFGH!!!"

The form was sent a'tumblin into a some barrels, and an ornery mare stepped out, glaring at the form as she shouted, "An' YOU STAY WELL AN' FAR AWAY FROM MAH SALOON, YA WRECKIN' BALL WITH HOOVES!! Hmph!"

She whipped her tail back before gathering her dignity and stepping back into the saloon while Big Mac went over to help the poor hombre, pushing a barrel off of him, asking, "You alright, haystack?"

The form groaned and sat up, revealing himself to be a large brown earth pony with a white muzzle, and it was the upside-down green horseshoe cutie-mark on his rump that caused Big Mac to realize who this character was as he said, "Jus' mah luck... ya try an' stand up fer somepony an' ya get th' heave-ho."

Noticing Big Mac for the first time, the big brown pony smiled, "Thank ya kindly, stranger. Least some o' th' folk around here got a lil' decency!"

Big Mac could tell Trouble Shoes was shouting towards the saloon but said, "Now c'mon, lemme help ya out."

It was strange to be looking up at somepony and it not being Princess Celestia or Prince Sombra. Here before him was maybe the biggest and tallest earth pony Big Mac had ever met, and he used to think that would never happen to him, of all ponies. It sorta made him feel like a colt looking up at his daddy again.

"Nice t' meet'cha, Trouble Shoes."

"Well, shucks, partner, ya got me atta disadvantage. Ya know me but Ah don' know you."

"Ah reckon you've met mah brothers an' sisters," Big Mac explained, "Apple Bloom, Applejack, Twinken, and Midnight."

"No kiddin'?!" Trouble Shoes smiled which made his sullen face brighten up considerably, "So unless Ah'm mistaken, tha'd make you Big Macintosh! Lil' `Bloom's told me lots about you."

The two earth ponies shook hooves before Big Mac asked, "So... what was tha' all about, you gettin' tossed onto yer ass from th' saloon?"

Sighing, Trouble Shoes put his hat back on and said, "C'mon with me t' th' hotel, Ah'll tell you th' whole story."

295. Aiming High, Falling Short - Part 3

The four stallions convened in the basement of Blueblood’s warehouse, where they could talk freely without fear of being overheard, thanks to various wards and distracter spells. They had the notes and diagrams the two princes had shown them before, the tools, the will, they were ready. But what they were not expecting was Midnight's actual motivation for their meeting.

“A ship?!” Blueblood, Techorse, and Doctor Whooves all exclaimed in response, not understanding.

“Not just any ship,” Midnight clarified, “I am proposing we construct a new kind of airship, into which we’ll install the prototype we make of the Electro-Storm Engine, or the ES Engine for short... to test it! That being said, Blueblood, I am commissioning your company to make this ship for me.”

“So, you want an airship of your own, but you also want it to be the means through which we test this brand new technology,” Blueblood gathered, “Well, I suppose it would be one way of deploying this machine. But don’t forget, Midnight, we still must determine an efficient method of harvesting solar energy to fuel the ES Engine, it will take untold amounts of trial and error to build it, and lastly... there's a matter of the construction costs for building a single vessel in a class of its own!”

“If I was worried about the impact on my finances, I wouldn't be asking you to build it for me,” Midnight couldn’t help but brag subtly, “but that’s besides the point. Tech, Doctor, what about your thoughts on this? You have equal say in whatever we decide regarding this project.”

“Well Midnight, you know how I feel about private military forces,” Techorse stated flatly, making eye contact with his friend, “I have some good ideas as to how we can bring this engine to life, but I hope this airship you want isn't some new initiative by the crown...”

Blueblood couldn't believe the gall Techorse had, this new side of doubting Midnight's intentions. Of course, Midnight felt differently, having gotten to know Techorse and so respect the inventor. His friend just wanted to be sure that his position of authority was not going to be put to the wrong use, and Midnight respected that concept more than Blueblood could be allowed to know.

“I assure you, Tech, I'm not trying to turn you into a defense contractor,” Midnight answered softly, “and I'm not going to let the ES Engine get into the hooves of those who would turn it into a new line of sky battleships for profit at the expense of somepony's blood.”

“Moving along,” Dr. Whooves urged politely, “I also have some concepts in mind as to how we can implement this engine. But it would be nice if you had any more information about it besides the drawings shown during our last meeting.”

“I have compiled the notes and drawings into a couple of schematics that I think will be much easier to understand,” Blueblood answered, levitating a heavy manila envelope the size of a cookie sheet onto the table and letting it land with a solid whack.

Techorse and Dr. Whooves opened the envelope and slid out a healthy stack of blueprints, with white ink drawings representing the basic parts and components of the engine design, including the bonded crystal housing, the suspension system, and the storm cloud injector. All of it seemed to have basis in standard issue pegasus weather brewing technology, which the two stallions were familiar with. Techorse's saddle opened with a hiss of steam, and twin robot arms grabbed a portion of the diagrams and began flipping through them in front of his face as he took in the information rapidly.

To Blueblood's chagrin, Techorse looked through the documents once and then put them back on the table, “Yeeeah, that would fizzle out after a while.”

“I'm pretty sure it wouldn't,” Blueblood grumbled, “stormclouds are the perfect power amplifier and maintain their strength well in a close environment. The engine is fine the way it is, right Doctor?”

“Well, unfortunately Blueblood, I have to agree with Techorse's analysis,” he admitted embarrassingly, “the initial design is good, but it needs a few adjustments before I would be willing to give it the rubber stamp, as you might say.”

“But the general concept works?” Midnight asked with a hopeful look.

Techorse went into a bit of technical detail, “It does, and the schematics you two guys came up with make sense. The engine uses a condenser to continuously evaporate and precipitate water to make a persistent storm system in the engine's chamber, easy enough to follow. It's just that a regular pegasus grade storm cloud suspended in a sealed jar would eventually spread out and become too flat along the perimeter of the jar to produce any more lightning.”

“In addition,” Dr. Whooves added, “the power capture mechanism at the bottom of the chamber doesn't possess a good way to handle the fact that lightning strikes provide unpredictable voltages of electrical power. We will need a way to store or otherwise regulate the amount of electricity generated during each strike in order to provide consistent, steady power.”

“That’s right...” Midnight thought aloud, looking at the ground to think, “cumulonimbus clouds are the best type for generating strong lightning strikes, and they're tall. If we don't have a way to keep them properly shaped, they'll stop producing lightning strikes.”

“...and if the power coming out is going to fluctuate in voltage, it'll fry your ship's systems,” Blueblood added through while facehooving at having made such an oversight, “I see now.”

“Luckily, there's a great way to keep the stormcloud tall,” Techorse answered, batting his eyebrows and raising a metallic finger, “I just need to do something to this blueprint here and then I can explain...”

“As will I!” added the Doctor.

Techorse was provided a white pen from Midnight to change the blueprint he found most suitable, and with a couple of strong edits, he placed the completed design on the table for all the stallions to see. It used the same jar shape and aesthetic Blueblood and Midnight wanted, but there were now two new mechanical devices to bring the idea together.

Techorse's contribution was a set of metal tubes angled at 45 degrees from the side of the jar. They were connected to a rotating metal ring that spanned the circumference of the jar near the top and capped off with a metal dome, meaning the crystal would have to consist of two pieces: a cylindrical body, and a domed shaped 'cap' that would be hidden underneath a metal cover that connected to the ring. As shown by arrows drawn by the earth pony's saddle manipulators, the ring would rotate, spinning the tubes inside around a central point. Each tube was tipped with a showerhead shaped apparatus that lay flat to the two pipes, making the tubes look like two arms reaching for the core of the engine.

“As you can see here,” Techorse explained to his friends while pointing at his complex drawing, “I've created this rotating set of arms supplied power from the wiring through the top of the engine, which we'll have to cap off with some steel over the crystal.”

“And what do they do?” asked Blueblood curiously.

“There's two electromagical devices inside the tips of the tubes,” Techorse answered, “one is a cryo beam that will cool the top of the engine chamber artificially so that it stays cold while your evaporator keeps the bottom equally hot. Previously you were relying on the natural water cycle to keep the cloud going.”

“I'm going to assume this means the engine will start with all the water it needs to make a cloud from scratch,” Midnight asked, “so what's the other device do?”

“The other device is a suspension ray, like a trap rune you might use to keep somepony floating in midair if they broke into your house,” the engineer continued proudly, “The arms then rotate, constantly outputting the cold and suspension beams to keep the cloud system in the shape of an upside-down tear drop... perfect for making lightning!”

“Brilliant!” Blueblood cheered, “We were thinking about the storm clouds we have, not the ones we could make. With this we can keep the cloud system going perpetually.”

“Now, if Techorse is finished, I can explain my own mechanical creation at the bottom of the design,” Dr. Whooves said, having waited his turn patiently.

“Of course,” said the other stallions.

The Doctor motioned for a complex set of gears and horizontally aligned wheels that he had attached to the bottom of the engine chamber.

“This is a set of flywheels connected to a power dynamo which will convert the lightning strikes, no matter how wild they may be, into mechanical energy. The wheels spin and store power as the lightning strikes power the dynamo, then, the wheels are released at a constant and steady pace to generate the proper amount of power at all times for the vessel.”

“That would also mean we have a few minutes worth of power if something happens to the storm system,” Midnight mused, scratching his chin with his hoof, “excellent thinking, Doctor. You too, Tech.”

“Of course, I'll need some electromagical parts, namely the ray of cold and suspension runes,” he said, “plus my usual time and materials to build the electricity to arcane power converters. Both of us know how that goes...”

“All too well,” agreed Midnight, “and I'll assume you'll need the same kinds of items, Doctor?”

“Indeed.”

“Well, you'll all be pleased to know we have most of the components available here in the warehouse just upstairs,” Blueblood said while motioning up to the ceiling “and if I don't have it... I can acquire them quite easily.”

“Wait, so this place is a parts storage facility?” Techorse asked, eyes twinkling.

“It’s my personal workshop and Ponyville branch of my company,” Blueblood clarified, “But I have to store the spare parts somewhere, and I'm sure you'll be surprised by the quality of the materials and level of organization.”

Blueblood brought them to an extension of the warehouse on the ground floor, which housed rows upon rows of neatly color coded and stacked bins upon steel shelves filled the facility. Taking a look around with the wonder of a colt in a candy store, Techorse quickly dashed from box to box at the ground floor, opening it up quickly and going through the contents. He tossed out the parts he wanted with his hooves at an impressive pace, covering the floor with components. Soon he was leaning over the edge of a large blue colored bin with a black lid, hanging over it by his front legs.

“Oh my, there goes your level of organization,” Dr. Whooves teased, “I'll be a bit more careful in my search for the things I need, trust me.”

“No no, by all means, please ruin the place if you must,” answered the prince, pushing his mane back, “If this madness is Techorse's method, it's fine by me. His design was incredible!”

“That's Techorse for you, putting something together out of pure chaos,” Midnight laughed in agreement, “you should have seen what his house looked like when I met him. Total bomb, but he had a lot of cool stuff built and in great condition.”

“Thanks Midnight... I think,” said the stallion digging through the parts bin.

The stallion's tail disappeared into the large floor level bin as he kept rummaging through it for supplies. Of course, the top had closed shut behind him, so only the glow of his saddle's flashlight gadget visible from the seam between the bin and its lid.

“I'm still curious about that brass and leather saddle he's worn to our meetings,” Blueblood brought up, “He's put arms and hands on it like he's trying to be another creature, and a lot of other devices as well. It's very interesting, but I seem to have forgotten how it works.”

“That's his 'battle saddle',” explained the sapphire alicorn, “and I've got to be honest with you, I have no idea how much of that machine is magic and how much of that is technology. He's really adamant about not sharing the plans for it, either way.”

Soon the earth pony had amassed everything he needed, tubing, electromagical base materials, arcane conduits, and everything in-between were on the floor outside of the bin. He climbed out of the container, and trotted over to the pile of devices, beginning work on them with his saddle's gadgets, including a new soldering iron that popped out of the machine's doors on a small motor.

“I'm going to need some electric to arcana power converters, Blueblood,” he said, goggles over his eyes fixed directly on his work which sparked madly, “couldn't find them anywhere.”

“Top shelf, orange box,” he answered from memory, “just make sure you match the voltage to the mana output frequency or...”

“Or it backfires. Had that blow me up a few times, especially when the manufacturer doesn't label things.”

“Oh boy,” said the prince, taken aback, “how many times have you blown yourself up in your career?”

Techorse kept working on putting the first containment tube together but fired back,“Plenty of times!”

“Careful, Tech, it's been eighty days since the last workplace accident here,” Midnight teased while pointing to a nearby chalkboard Blueblood's employees like to use, “don't ruin the warehouse record.”

“With the quality of this stuff? Not going to happen,” he answered with a wink, “probably.”

“Well with all threats of explosion out of the way, I'll help you finish, and then we'll build the flywheels,” the Doctor said cheerfully, “you'll need a little help install those conduits, right?”

“Yes, and the cryo-ray casting piece will have to be cut from a full size one, same thing with the suspension caster,” he answered, nodding at his fellow scientist, “you can work the splicer for me, right?”

“Certainly!”

While watching Techorse give shape, form, and function to his share of the invention, Blueblood took note of the casters being placed into the tubing, and remembered something he should have mentioned again.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he groaned while facehoofing, “Tech, those casters are fantastic magical parts, but they've increased the power requirements of starting the engine and maintaining the storm even further. Sure, it'll produce a hundred times the power it requires to run, but without an input, we're stuck.”

“We forgot the solar power,” Midnight grunted, stomping his hoof on the ground in frustration.

Tech's saddle gave up suddenly and the inventor dropped his soldering iron to the ground. He stood up on all fours again and let out a big sigh of disappointment.

“I knew we were missing something, and that's it. I got carried away once you decided you liked my plan.”

“And to make things more complicated, solar won't be an easy power source to implement,” the Doctor recalled, “but even with storage batteries for that, it will be quite heavy to mount enough solar panels to fly this kind of a vessel.”

“I know,” Blueblood went on, tempted to pace around, “I will have to think on what we can do. Continue working on the engine, Techorse. For now, I have to go check in on somepony.”

Even from a distance, Blueblood could see something was wrong before he hurried to get inside Carousel Boutique. He felt his heart jump into his throat at the sight of the ribbons, gemstones, furniture and mannequins scattered about in disarray, with a despondent Diamond Rose, assisted by Sweetie Belle, attempting to straighten things up and clean.

“What in Tartarus happened here?!” flabbergasted Blueblood as he felt like he was walking into the aftermath of a war zone.

"I....couldn't handle the huge rush," Diamond Rose said weakly. "My store only has about ten or twelve customers a day."

"I came over early because today's a half day. Cheerilee had to go to some school meeting," Sweetie Belle explained as she threw some ruined ribbons into a wastebasket.
"I returned and saw Diamond Rose was in a mess trying to complete everything. So I jumped in and handled the orders as she went to the back to try and get everything sorted. Once the last customer left, I've been attempting to clean this place out."

Sweetie Belle tried to smile, but she dropped it and went back to work before stating, "Oh and there's some boxes of imported fabrics that my sister bought some years ago and they never got used, so she said that if they weren't used by close of business today, that I was to put them out for the trash collectors in the morning."

Blueblood was intrigued.

“Fabrics Rarity imported but never used?” Blueblood looked at the boxes Sweetie Belle was talking about and read a label that said that the contents came all the way from AlpaChile.

Curious, he opened them and levitated out a folded fabric that looked to be made of cotton. It smelled dusty, which made sense if it’d never been taken out of its box until now, and as he held each corner up in his telekinesis, Blueblood noticed the sunlight peering in through the window and catching on the fabric. Some outside shadow, maybe of a tree branch, cast its reach through the window, and Blueblood saw the shadow waving along the fabric, outlined by the light of the sun.

The sun... Blueblood thought as something dawned in his mind, and he noticed, It... looks like a sail held up this way... Wait! The sun... a sail?

And just like that, Blueblood was struck with inspiration as he couldn't help but quote his Rarity and say, “I-DEA!!!”

"Quit turning into Rarity!" Sweetie Belle snapped, as she tallied up the receipts and made sure the math checked out. Blueblood didn’t mind, the filly did seem tired, and it made sense she’d be irritated at having to clean someone else’s mess.

Speaking of Diamond Rose, she was in the kitchen, having offered to make dinner and then she offered to stay behind and clean up. Blueblood thanked her and went back to examine the fabric even more. He had struck gold.

Author's Note

Spirals95 was a big help in this chapter, thanks to his OC Techorse and adding new technical knowledge and details to the Electro-Storm Engine.

312. Herd and Bothered - Part 4

The coach arrived in front of Coltson General Hospital fairly quickly. Midnight paid the cabbie a generous tip and looked to Ledger, who appeared rather uncomfortable.

"I... I don't think I..." Ledger stammered, hesitantly looking at the hospital doors.

"I understand this is difficult," Midnight said patiently, "but at the very least you owe Marshal and his family an apology. Even if an 'I'm sorry' doesn't seem like much, it does. Now come on."

Ledger sighed and followed Midnight in and waited as he had a quick word with the pony at the front desk. He came back and said, "Follow me."

She did, taking in the fluorescent lightning, the sterile smell, nurses and doctors going this way and that, until finally Midnight led her to a waiting room where Ara was sitting and Redsteak and Cozy were napping together in the seat next to her. She noticed Midnight and her face lit up, only to sour when she saw who was behind him.

"What's she doing here?" she spoke softly, not wanting to wake her foals.

"She's not going to cause any problems or do anything to upset you, Ara," Midnight raised a calming hoof, "You have my word. Where's Marshal, with Silk?"

"Yes, I'm out here to keep the kids company," Ara sounded so worried even as she so gently stroked the manes of her children. "Silk has always been strong, but she's also so delicate...

"When the contractions started, she did her best not to let them see how much she was hurting. The nurses gave them something to help them sleep, I didn't want them to spend the whole time worrying."

Ledger said nothing and simply sat down on the furthest chair from Ara as possible. But she couldn't help but notice the warmth in the pegasus mare's voice and eyes as she looked at those two little foals.

The waiting room was silent for a while. Midnight sat across from Ara, who kept her eyes on her foals. But every now and then, she looked up at Ledger, who looked back with uncertainty. Finally, Ara stood up, whispered something to Midnight, who nodded. He took her seat and extended his wing over the foals to keep them warm while Ara stepped over to sit next to Ledger, who shifted uncomfortably, too afraid to look her in the eye.

"What made you hate herds so much?" whispered Ara.

"It's... a long story," Ledger whispered back.

"We have time," Ara finally looked at Ledger.

She looked at her back, and saw no animosity, no judgment, but rather a pony who wanted to listen. She looked over to Midnight, who gave her an encouraging nod. Finally, she took a deep breath and told her story one more time.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes stretched into hours. Finally, after waiting so long, a doctor came in and Ara stood up, looking anxious, Midnight getting up as well while Ledger hesitated to stand too.

"The delivery was a success, Mrs. Armoire," the doctor reported with a smile, "your family now has two more little bundles of joy."

"Twins?" Ara whispered, holding her hooves over her heart as she began to beam, "And-and Silk, is she okay?"

"Exhausted, but she and the foals are perfectly healthy," the doctor assured, "Your wife and husband are both asking for you and the kids."

Ara finally exhaled with deepest relief but then she looked to Midnight and Ledger, "Can I bring them along too?"

"Well..." the Doctor hesitated a little but seeing as Ara was gesturing to the deputy-mayor and an alicorn prince he caved, "Very well, but try to keep it short."

Ara nodded before she went over to gently wake Redstreak and Comfy. They were a little cranky but became excited to hear the news. Midnight gently lifted them both onto his back while Ledger brought up the rear as they followed the doctor.

They came to a hospital room, and inside, Marshal sat on a chair by Silk's bedside, and held a little bundle in his forelegs. Silk looked tired but the smile on her face was of deepest joy as she too held a little bundle, looking at what it contained.

"Remember, kids, be very quiet," Ara whispered to Red and Comfy and they both nodded from Midnight's back. Ara tippy-hooved over to Marshal and whispered to him and he nodded in understanding as he glanced Ledger.

Then Ara went to Silk's other bedside and Silk gazed up at her wife, glad she was there, and smiled at their older foals, "Kids? Wanna meet your new baby brother and sister?"

Red and Comfy both nodded and Midnight very carefully levitated them onto Silk's bed and Marshal got up to bring the other bundle close. He and Silk very gently lifted opened the bundles to show two newborn foals, the filly in Marshal's hold was pale gold with white markings on her face and a wine red wisp of a mane around her teeny horn. The colt Silk held was orange like orange sherbet ice cream and his mane was black. They were snoozing soundly, completely oblivious to the smiles and love around them.

Ledger looked on at them, seeing this herd, this family, and guilt weighed down in her stomach as she now realized how much she'd been trying to tear it apart. She felt a gentle tap and looked to see Midnight, who whispered, "Let's give them some time to themselves."

Midnight took Ledger to a nearby bistro where they ordered a nice lunch and just sat there at their cafe table, watching the passerby of the town. It was a good day, and for a moment, Ledger felt a sense of inner peace.

"You're different."

Ledger looked to Midnight, who was looking upon her with understanding, "You look... lighter."

"...I feel lighter," Ledger nodded, "still a little... mixed up, but now? I understand that herds are no different from any other family. Some families hold it together, and some just... don't. I spent so many years blaming herds in general for how my birth family fell apart. I saw only the bad that I forgot to step back so I could notice the good.

"I haven't changed my mind about resigning my position in town hall, however. I think I need... a fresh start."

"Sounds like a good idea, got anything in mind?" asked Midnight as he took a bite of his hoagie.

"Nothing yet, but... I think I'm overdue for a little vacay," Ledger shrugged, "I have enough in my savings to take a break and then find work elsewhere."

Wiping the crumbs from his mouth, Midnight sat up straight and said, "I apologize for my behavior towards you. Well, you kinda had this coming, but I got so used to, um... punishing that I almost forgot that sometimes ponies make bad decisions because bad things happened to them. In any case, I wish you the best, Ledger Seals."

Midnight offered his hoof, and though she hesitated for a moment Ledger gave Midnight a small smile and accepted his hoofshake, when they heard somepony coming their way. They looked up to see it was Marshal. Standing up, Marshal went over with a smile and offered his hoof, which Marshal happily shook.
"Congratulations, my friend. Your new foals are as cute as can be."

"And they're both healthy, Silk's okay," Marshal added, sighing in relief but also phew'ing as he said, "House is gonna be a little more busy but it's worth it. Red and Comfy are so happy, they're asking their moms to teach them all they can so they can help take care of the twins."

"Marshal."

Marshal looked to Ledger, who hesitantly approached before saying, "To say that I'm sorry doesn't begin to make up for all the wrongs I've done to you, and your family. I was wrong, about so many things, and I-"

She paused a moment, appearing to take a breath, before continuing, "My personal history is no excuse for my actions. I've resigned my position at town hall, and I'm going to be taking some time off. I have... a great many things to reconsider. I hope your foals all grow up happy and healthy."

Ledger turned to leave when Marshal said, "Ms. Seals."

She paused and looked to the firefighting pony who gave her an unreadable look as he walked up to her... and then gave her a gentle smile.
"My wives and I discussed it... and we would like to name you our newborn foals' godmother."

Ledger Seals gasped softly, a mixture of emotions swirling in her heart, which swelled almost painfully in her chest. A tear ran down her cheek as she suddenly felt overwhelmed with a whirlpool of emotions. Surprise. Shame. Astonishment. Elation. Remorse. She couldn't stop the tears and began to cry, falling back onto her haunches as she buried her face in her hooves as she sobbed even more as Marshal came over and gently held her, not saying anything, just allowing her to let it all out.

As he watched this moment, Midnight smiled and felt his flanks shiver and looked to see his cutie-mark glowing, and he knew, My work here is done.

Conjuring his cloak, Midnight started making his way back to his borrowed airship.

Author's Note

This arc felt somewhat like thin ice because I wanted to do it right - I've read stories on this site that included herds and a lot of them were creative, dramatic, and quite the mental chew bone to sink my bookwormy teeth into

When I first started this story, I considered including a herd concept with the mane characters but I didn't trust my ability to write the concept in properly and so I settled for stating herds exist in this story's setting but they're not as numerous as they used to be due to more colts born in recent generations

Ledger Seals was a complicated character; though I wanted for her to look and act like a bigot, I knew she needed to have genuine reason for her original animosity towards hers, which is what led to me fleshing out her unhappy background. There was also a point I realized for this arc and its subject matter to resolve on a positive note I couldn't have Midnight come in, out Ledger's bigotry and leave her to be punished but rather for him to offer sincere guidance so that in the end there's no real bad guy, just bad and misguided choices

327. The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 4

This cycle repeated several more new presents, and in some of them Midnight had a close call or two. Such as nearly being incinerated by Lord Tirek, almost being made into a living marionette by Discord, and narrowly avoiding being crushed by heavy machinery operated by the FlimFlam Brothers. A couple times he managed to glimpse Twilight and Spike but they always vanished before he could get close to them.

Other new presents included an Equestria where everypony was rude and loud courtesy of the famed life coach, Iron Will, many places scorched and hunted by dragons, ponies enslaved as diggers and beasts of burden by Diamond Dog packs to mine for gems, one where Equestria had been frozen over by Windigoes and the tribes had once again been divided by anger and hate, tribes from the Forbidden Jungle spreading curses and diseases under the sway of Ahuizotl, and even one where everypony was oppressed by the Shadowbolts who seemed to have some unmatched power over the weather.

Midnight was growing more and more weary and afraid, fearing that unless this was resolved and soon, then there may come a point of no return.

Stepping out of his Alicorn Dimension (Again...!), Midnight stepped out and found himself in a clearing surrounded by natural forests, but the strangest thing was that this time, instead of daylight, he was bared down upon by a night sky!

"What the...?" All the times he'd avoided the Time Waves and returned to a new present, the sun had still been out. "Did I come to a different time-"

His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of nearby howls, and he recognized them as the howls of Timberwolves on the hunt! He took flight, rising up out of the woods and gasped to see a familiar castle not too far ahead, except...

"The Castle of the Two Sisters?" he whispered in confusion, seeing how it looked rather different. Restored with a dark and eldritch architecture, glowing like phosphorous fungi, with an appeal like that of forbidden fruit.

But then, his lunar pony eyes caught movement and he looked down and gasped to see, Twilight! And Spike! I finally caught up with them!

He flew their way but he saw they were headed for the Castle with haste. They must have encountered the Timberwolves earlier and were running for shelter.

"Twilight! Spike!" he shouted after them, but they'd already reached the castle doors and gone in, forcing him to slow down to avoid crashing into the door. Landing, he suddenly had a very bad feeling about this castle, And whoever lives here... they're no friend to us!

Sinking into his shadow, Midnight slipped under the door crack, and up a wall, and was able to see... the interior of the Castle of the Two Sisters was now as different as its exterior. The place was clean, no sign of ruin or decay, the walls were furnished and wall-mounted torches lit up with blue fires, casting an eerie light, and then he noticed the tapestries and what symbol they glorified.

Uh-oh... Midnight thought in his shadow form but noticed Twilight and Spike venturing further in. I wanna see them, but perhaps I should hang back in case they need backup.

He moved along the walls, watching Twilight and Spike closely as they walked up some stairs, the dragon commenting, "This place is a lot cleaner than I remember."

That's when they all noticed a tapestry levitate up and saw Rarity! However, she wore some kind of uniform of nightly blue colors, her mane and tail tied into tightly woven buns, and she carried herself with a stony disposition as she hung the tapestry up.

"Rarity?" Twilight uttered with a smile, Spike smiling too, but from his hiding place, Midnight knew this wasn't the Rarity they knew.

She made that evident when she threw them an unwelcoming look, "The castle isn't open for viewings today. The tapestries all need changing... again."

"Rarity!" Spike hurried up to her, smiling, "It's me!"

"I don't socialize with dragons," Rarity snubbed while turning away from him, "I don't know anypony who would."

Those hurtful words made Spike begin to tear up while Twilight hurried over to Rarity's front, exclaiming, "Rarity, you have to listen to me. The future of Equestria is at stake!"

"I don't know how you know my name," Rarity scoffed and ignored her, "but I am far too busy to entertain some tourist's ridiculous fantasies."

"But I have to get back to the map so I can stop Starlight from changing the past because every present I come to is worse than the last!" Twilight insisted.

"Time travel, you say...?"

Twilight flinched at the sound of that voice and turned to look to the end of the grand hall where she saw a throne, hidden in the shadows, the figure sitting in it barely perceivable... when finally Twilight and Spike took a better look at the decor. Her image was displayed on tapestries, stained-glass windows, and even the top of the throne bore her cutie-mark in all its nocturnal glory, and they realized whose castle this was!

"Now that's something I would like to see...!" sneered Nightmare Moon, displaying her fangs as she leaned into the light with a menacing look in her eyes!

Then one and then two and then six lunar ponies more stole in from left and from right, each clad in nightmarish armor with helmets that covered their faces with a sharp beak-like mouth plate, Nightmare moon cackling all the while until finally she stopped and came forward.
"Tell me how you came by this magic to travel through time."

Twilight furrowed her brows and held her tongue-

"The princess asked you a question!"

Twilight and Spike looked back to see two guards remove their helmets and gasped to see they were Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane!

"And unless you want to end up in the dungeon, you'll tell her what she wants to know!" threatened Thunderlane.

Gulping to see more of her friends like this, Twilight looked up at Nightmare Moon, who spoke in a low deliberate tone, "Nopony in my kingdom but me should possess a magic powerful enough to change time."

"Your kingdom?!" Spike blurted out, earning him an elbow-jab from Twilight to be quiet.

"Who else?!" snapped Nightmare Moon.

"Um, Celestia, of course," Spike smiled fearfully, which caused some of the guards to share a nervous look... until Nightmare Moon threw her head back in laughter that was amused, boasting, and mocking all at once.

"My sister has been imprisoned in the moon for years!" she pointed to the window and Twilight and Spike gasped to see an image on it they hadn't seen for a while.

The Mare in the Moon.

Only this time, they realized the Mare was Celestia!

"But it is no less a fate than she sentenced me to," Nightmare Moon added bitterly before demanding, "Now... reveal to me the source of this time magic!"

"...Alright," Twilight responded.
"Twilight, no!" Spike protested.

"We have no choice, Spike," Twilight looked to Nightmare moon, "I can take you to it, but you'll have to get past the Timberwolves."

"I am the ruler of all of Equestria! Do you think I can't deal with Timberwolves?" scoffed Nightmare Moon, sounding almost insulted but more amused.

"No, I know you can..." Twilight responded in a submissive voice.

"And if you think of trying to escape..." Nightmare Moon's horn lit up and she took Spike in her magic before putting him in chains and quietly threatening, "it would be very unfortunate for your friend."

Twilight bit her lip with worry, hoping this would work out.

Walking through the woods, Timberwolves were blasted left and right into splinters as Nightmare Moon and Twilight led the party in, four guards escorting the hostage Spike behind them.

"How does it work?" Nightmare Moon demanded in a snatchy tone as they neared the Map.

"A pony from my time used a spell to travel back and change the past," Twilight answered while pointing to the Map.

"And now you will give this spell to me!" Nightmare Moon relished the power she was about to grasp as she gazed down upon the Map, displaying the whole of her kingdom, "With it, I shall ensure that the Elements of Harmony are never found, and my reign lasts forever!"

"I don't think so!"

"What?! Who said that?!" Nightmare Moon looked around while Twilight gasped, having heard that voice as well.

Could it be...? She didn't dare hope.

"In our world, our friends and I found the Elements and used them to defeat you! And there is nothing I won't do to insure that world is brought back and that this one never comes to pass!"

A blast of magic struck the guards, blowing them away while a telekinetic aura safely moved Spike out of harm's way and over to Twilight.

"WHAT?! Who's there?! Show yourself, you coward!" Nightmare Moon shrieked as she prepared a spell to burn this whole forest down-

*SHUNK*

-only for her magic to short out, as Nightmare Moon struggled to breathe, excruciating agony spreading from her stomach, and something began to drip. She felt something yank itself out, a sound of viscous liquid (and other things) splishing upon the dirt beneath her... and her shadow extended towards Twilight and Spike, and from it rose a cloaked figure she'd never seen before!

He lowered his hood and Twilight and Spike both yelled in surprise, "MIDNIGHT!!"

Midnight smiled, so happy to pull his wife and littlest friend into a wing-hug, saying, "Twily! Spike! I've been looking all over for ya!"

"What...?!" Nightmare Moon uttered weakly as she fell to her knees, her blood pooling around her, "You- You are... one of my... Children of the Night! You... dare to betray... your princess?!"

"I would never betray my princess, and she's right here," Midnight responded before giving his Twilight a nuzzle and then glaring at the fallen princess with contempt, "You are but the flawed product of a sad and jealous little filly infected by the darkness of a thousand delusional fools. You may have conquered Equestria in this time, but we will insure that night and day will always bless the world."

"Tu veru, in faciem meam ad hoc proditione. Non es dignus dono ego ita pridem," Nightmare Moon hissed weakly as she finally fell to her side, all the light in her eyes of madness dulling as her mane withered into a wisp as flimsy and thin as cobwebs, and with her final breath, she cursed, "Fututus et moriin igni..."

...

For a long and dreary moment, the three of them said nothing as they stared at Nightmare Moon's corpse... until Twilight uttered, "You killed her... you kill Lu-"

"This isn't Luna, Twilight," Midnight interrupted with a heavy tone before sighing, "She hasn't been Luna for over a thousand years."

"Speaking of ponies not being who they're supposed to be, Midnight!" Spike exclaimed dramatically, "Are you really the Midnight we know? Or are you the Midnight of this different time?"

"No, Spike, it's really me," Midnight assured before looking his Twily in the eye, "and I can't tell you how relieved I am to see you both again."

"Midnight..." Twilight pulled her husband into a hug, finding comfort in his embrace, and pulling Spike in when he hugged them both, the three of them just enjoying that warm moment in the night. Finally, they parted and Twilight asked, "How is this possible? Every time we tried to stop Starlight, we came back to a different present where everything is different! Even our friends become different ponies! But... you're really the Midnight I know and love and married?"

"I am, and let me explain to you how I'm here," Midnight explained about how he always saw the Time Waves whenever he assumed Twilight and Spike went back in time and didn't succeed in stopping Starlight. To avoid the Time Waves, he safely hid in his Alicorn Dimension, which existed apart from their native dimension, allowing Midnight to avoid being affected by the changes in history, "...I've been trying to find you both this whole time, and figure out what it is in the past that Starlight has changed."

"The Sonic Rainboom," sighed Twilight woefully. "Midnight, she was there! During my lecture, and so she heard about how Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom, one way or another, led to me and the girls all getting our cutie-marks!"

"She says it's her revenge for ruining her village and turning her friends against her," Spike added, "by destroying the girls' friendship simply by preventing the event that finally led to them all becoming friends!"

"Starlight truly is depraved..." Midnight growled, "She has to be stopped, whatever it takes! But why haven't you been able to stop her, Twilight? Don't you have her time-travel spell?"

"I do," Twilight pulled it out from her saddlebag, and Midnight quickly recognized it to be the work of Star Swirl the Bearded, "Starlight used this time-travel spell invented by Star Swirl as the basis for one even more advanced, and keyed it to the Map to enable her to travel back to prevent the Sonic Rainboom from happening. The problem is, even though we can use it to do the same thing, Starlight worked the spell so that every time it's used, it pulls her to the same time we travel back to just a little earlier, so she's always there, ready and waiting for us!

"I've tried so many things! I tried freezing her in crystal, shooting her with Magic Arrow spells, but she always manages to turn my actions around and work them to her advantage, allowing her to stop Rainbow Dash from doing the Sonic Rainboom!"

"I hate to admit, but she's thought this out. We can't risk altering the spell to take away that advantage from her," Midnight considered, "That's probably why she stunned me when we first saw her in the castle. She didn't want me to help you interfere with her plans and assumed I'd wind up being changed along with history."

"But you weren't!" Spike smiled, "You used your Alicorn Dimension to avoid being changed as well, which is why the you we know still exists!"

"I think that also explains why I haven't encountered alternate versions of us," Midnight brought up, "I've experienced so many alternate presents, I kept seeing different versions of our friends but I never saw another version of myself, or either of you!"

"Because none of us have been changed along with history," Twilight agreed before giving Midnight another deep hug. "Oh Midnight, I am so glad to see you, and working together I'm certain we can stop Starlight this time!"

"Well, come on then! What're we waiting for?" Midnight smirked, ready for some more action.

"Starlight will be expecting me and Twilight," Spike pointed out, "but she won't be expecting you, Midnight!"

"Right, so Midnight, can you make yourself invisible?" asked Twilight.

"I don't think I can maintain invisibility through a time portal," Midnight responded before summoning his cloak around himself, "but my cloak has all kinds of enchantments and wards, such as a Selective Aversion Ward and a Distracter Spell. Starlight might notice me for a moment after we appear, but she'll quickly lose interest in me. So you can draw her attention while I come up from behind and incapacitate her."

"Sounds like a plan," Twilight held up the spell and looked to the Map, "Are you ready, boys?"

"As we'll ever be," Midnight replied.
"Let's do this..." Spike clenched his fists and furrowed his brows.

Twilight nodded as she raised the spell and channeled her mana...

The time portal opened and out flew Twilight with Spike on her back, followed by Midnight garbed in his cloak. Wasting no time, Twilight cast a spell and it struck, Starlight, who'd been coming her way, only to be encased within a purple crystal, the lavender princess flying up to her, declaring, "Now more than ever, I know how important it is to stop you!"

From within the crystal, Starlight furrowed her brows and her horn lit up, a pulse of magic breaking her free as she mocked, "Well, good luck!"

"TO YOU!!"

"What?!" Starlight turned around and just barely teleported away, avoiding what would have been her horn getting cut off and was stunned to see it was, "Midnight Blaze?! Impossible!! You should have been changed with history!"

Throwing off his hood, Midnight raised his sword, pointing it at Starlight, "Starlight, this has to stop! Whatever grudge you bare against us, it's no excuse to endanger all of Equestria!"

"You just tried to kill me and now you dare lecture me!?!" Starlight shrieked with a disturbing look on her face, the way her eye twitched. She zoomed away, using her own telekinesis upon herself to simulate flight, and Midnight and Twilight chased after her.

They shot Magic Arrow spells at her, trying to stun her, but she continued to counter them with a shield spell, and began lobbing Magic Arrow spells of her own at them. Midnight and Twilight came together to combine a shield spell, and as they held off the attack, Midnight said, "We have to end this as soon as we can! Every second we waste fighting her only increases the chances she's going to succeed somehow."

"Did you really just try and kill her?!" Twilight gaped at him in shock.

"What?! No! I was trying to cut off her horn! "Midnight corrected, but apparently that wasn't all that much better in Twilight's eyes. "Twily... she has proven time and time again that she's dangerous, that she can't be trusted with her magic! It's an old punishment but it still exists, and it's within my right as an Arbiter to punish her that way. When this is all over, she is going to face the consequences of her actions.

"Now cover your ears, you two!"

"What?" Twilight asked.

"Just do it!!" Midnight snapped, and when Twilight and Spike did, Midnight lowered the shield while taking a deep breath... and SCREAMED!!!!

The power and force of the Sonic Scream blew away Starlight's Magic Arrows, and she barely managed to maintain her self-levitation as she covered her ears and struggled to withstand the power of the scream. But while this had temporarily halted Starlight, it became apparent this had been a mistake. The clouds and nearby cloud structures were affected as well, either being blown away or destroyed, and a certain rainbow-maned filly flew away to escape that awful loud scream.

Midnight stopped and realized what he'd done, "No...!"

"Yes... and now that we're done here, I would prefer this stayed between just us girls!" Starlight rubbed her ears before she teleported.

"Where'd she go?!" Spike worried as the three of them looked around.

That's when Midnight felt something strike him in the shoulder, and then a time portal opened not too far in front of him and he felt it suck him away. "NO!!!"

He looked back and saw Twilight and Spike trying to reach him, but he shook no, "Don't, or you'll get taken too!"

Then past them, he saw the victorious sneer of Starlight, and realized what she'd done... just before he vanished through the portal.

The portal dropped him painfully onto the map, which he rolled off of... and then punched the ground, yelling, "DAMMIT!! That smug bitch! Ugh, who am I kidding...?"

He'd messed up! He'd gotten so wrapped up in trying to stop Starlight, he'd forgotten about Rainbow Dash and the Sonic Rainboom! His Sonic Scream obviously drove her away during her race, preventing her from performing the Rainboom.

"No wonder Twilight and Spike have been having trouble..." he sighed, when he felt a familiar power and looked to the distance and saw a Time Wave!

It made sense, he'd just failed spectacularly, so he quickly took shelter in his Alicorn Dimension, and began considering the situation. Now that Starlight knew he was still around, she'd be expecting him and no doubt be all the more dead-set in fighting him, Twilight, and Spike to make sure they didn't stop her from preventing the Sonic Rainboom. She'd likely take even more drastic measures, and so they couldn't afford to keep playing this game over and over again.

"We have to stop her now!" he said as he walked through the snowy forest of his dimension. "But I never got the time-travel spell from Twilight- Damn it! Why didn't I make a copy?!"

Sighing, he accepted what was done was done. He'd have to think of another way. Looking around, finding little comfort in his own piece of paradise.... a thought rose up in his head, as he remembered how many times he'd come here after many of his missions in the Brotherhood. Not only did Celestia teach Midnight how to access his Alicorn Dimension, she'd taught him how to use it to contact her within her own! He could recall the time he'd asked her if she'd ever tried to contact her sister during her millennia-long banishment to the moon.

Celestia had responded she had indeed once. But it didn't help...

But could it help me out here? Midnight wondered.

He couldn't call upon Celestia to help him out this time, but perhaps, just maybe... maybe I could contact Twilight!

The only snag was, Twilight had never entered her own Alicorn Dimension. He'd shown her his, but looking back he'd never taught her how to access hers. But just because she'd never entered it, didn't mean it didn't exist. Every Alicorn gained access to their own pocket dimension, whether they were born or ascended, Celestia had taught him that. A place beyond space and time to be their own special sanctuary in the universe.

Beyond space and time... Midnight thought before he said it aloud, "Beyond space and time!"

An idea formed in his head, a crazy idea, but given the desperate situation he knew this could be the only real shot he had. He'd linked his dimension with Celestia's before, she'd talked him how to do it on his own. Now, sitting down, and concentrating, he willed his being and the being of his Alicorn Dimension to combine and reach out through the void beyond it. He focused upon his Twilight. Everything about her. Her voice, her touch, even her smell. The way her eyes sparkled whenever she learned something new, the way she scrunched her nose just a little whenever she got into writing a research report, how serene and happy she looked whenever she was just enjoying a good book.

What was that...? It was just perceivable through the void beyond his realm, a... a sparkle! Opening his eyes, which radiated with the universal energies around him, he saw it. A star sparkling with a familiar magenta light! He reached out toward it with his power, a pony-shaped figure giving off a turquoise light, its hoof reaching out to that sparkling magenta star... and all of a sudden he felt as though a hook behind his navel jerked him backwards as he felt himself hurtling through a starry void, unable to scream or resist, fearing he might have made a mistake...!

...

Only to cry out in alarm as he fell into a pile of... books? Shaking off the adrenaline, Midnight looked around and found himself in awe. It was a forest, not so different from the forest of his own Alicorn Dimension, but the trees of this forest... they looked very familiar, until he realized, They're just like Twilight's old library tree!

Indeed they were, each tree was a hollowed out building, each filled with shelves and piles and stacks of books, tomes, novels, scrolls, writing utensils, parchments, quills and ink, research tools like globes, compasses, sextants, telescopes of many sizes, scales, astronomical clocks, sundials, orrery models of celestial bodies, metronomes, and when he took a more careful look he realized each tree had a sign that read what sort of subject matter it contained. There was 'History of Equestria', 'Biographies of Obscure Unicorns', 'Science', 'Pony Genealogy', 'Advanced Sorcery 101', 'Beginner's Magic for Unicorn Foals', 'Advanced Enchantments', 'Mathematics', 'Quantum Physics', 'Science Fiction', 'Historical Fiction', 'Children's Books', 'Foreign Culinary Arts', 'World Histories', 'Diplomacy', 'Alchemy', 'Chemistry', 'Biology', and so much more.

It was a true marvel, a whole forest of knowledge!

The ground beneath him was a gentle soft carpet of cool green grass, the sky above through the leafy canopy, it was a twilight sky of dawn or dusk, he wasn't sure which, but even in the twilit heavens above he could see stars and constellations with translucent images adding detail and faces to those constellations, and the feeling in the air!

Warm, inviting, somehow mentally invigorating, a strong sense of curiosity, an urge to cozy up with a good book, Midnight knew without a doubt!

"This is definitely Twilight's Alicorn Dimension!" He'd done it! He'd made it into Twilight's Alicorn Dimension, but would he be able to get out of it, that was the next big step.

Apart from his own, he had no power here. This was Twilight's world and as far as he knew, she'd never even been here herself. Alicorns can bring others into their Alicorn Dimensions to visit, but the visitors had no power over the Alicorn's dimension themselves. They were just guests. In addition, whenever an alicorn leaves his Alicorn Dimension they come out in the same spot in the real world where they first entered.

If I can even get out of here, will I just go back to the present? Midnight wondered, Or will I show up where or whenever Twilight is right now?

At that moment, however, the world around him seemed to take on a dismal glow, and he gazed up at the sky and saw the twilight radiance turn red. He didn't know what it meant, but somehow he was certain, Twilight's in trouble!

There was no time for second guesses, his Twily needed him!

Channeling his power, taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for what was next as he lowered his horn and then... he pierced at the veil that separated this dimension from the real world. Almost immediately, it resisted, like two magnets repelling each other, and then Midnight felt as though an electrical current was flowing painfully through his body. Conflicting magicks began to crackle, the smell of burning ozone filled the air, as the dimension did not recognize him as its master, and its power was acting like a negative feedback. Then... he felt something dragging at him, as though a force was trying to pull him away. He fought against it, trying to ward it off with flaps of his wings. It slowed it, but it began to feel as though it were trying to peel his skin off! Was Twilight's Alicorn Dimension trying to eject him somehow? If it was, he didn't think it would send him somewhere he wanted to be. He forced his magic to spread across his body, and immediately felt the force release its hold on him even though he was becoming increasingly tired from how much magic he was expending. He felt the pain intensify with every surge, his teeth clenching with every pulse, but this was the only way. His only chance!

Driven by his goal to find and protect his wife and their friend Spike, to save Equestria from the insanity of a self-righteous narcissist, he pressed onward, channeling as much of his power into the tear as he could, screaming all the while until...!

He burst free, and immediately saw he was back in Cloudsdale. He immediately sensed Twilight and Spike behind him, and though he wanted to turn around and hug them, he quickly took notice of her!

Standing on a cloud, Starlight, looking deeply distressed, held what had to be the scroll with the time-travel spell in her magic, and there was a tear in it!

"STARLIIIIIIIIGHHTTT!!!!" Midnight screamed in furious desperation as he launched himself at her.

"MIDNIGHT, DON'T!!!

Seeing the angry sapphire alicorn zooming her way, just before he crashed into her, Starlight panicked and tore the spell completely in half-

*KRA-KOOM....*

A crack of lightning struck through Cloudsdale, causing every pony, including Rainbow Dash, to pause in shock of the strange phenomena, and then a cold wind picked up. The nearby pegasi cried out in alarm and flew off to find safety as the wind swirled faster and faster, centering around the four time-travelers, dark clouds forming above them like a hurricane when they rankled with purple, blue, and green electricity... as the eye of the storm burst with bone-chilling power, revealing the opening of a time portal, and they felt it.

The tug of the spell pulling at them. They struggled to resist, even Starlight as she began to panic and fear what was happening, the pegasi around them watching in uncertain horror as history was changed and now time was beginning to reset itself in response. Tendrils of lightning-like mana whipped out of the time portal, and immediately ensnared Midnight, Starlight, Twilight, and Spike, dragging them into the time portal as they screamed as they were pulled into the abyss...

...and dumped out, onto what remained of the Map.

Disentangling themselves from the pony pile, the four of them gazed up and felt their hearts sink at what they saw around them.

Nothing.

No grass, no trees, no rivers, no Ponyville, not even a Canterlot on what remained of Mount Canterhorn, nor a sunny sky. There was only a wasteland, barren, lifeless, a dreary expanse of dust-covered ground stretching as far as the eye could see. What few plants there were, were only just sparse dried weeds dotting the landscape and long-dead trees withered and bare. The sky was completely covered with ashes and dust, and the air smelled stale and rank like an old attic even though they were outside. A lonely wind blew actual tumbleweeds, the only signs of movement across this empty land. No animals, no birds, nopony... No signs of life anywhere.

This wasn't Equestria.

Equestria was long dead...

Author's Note

Nightmare Moon's dying words were:

Tu veru, in faciem meam ad hoc proditione. Non es dignus dono ego ita pridem - "You spit in my face at this betrayal. You are not worthy of the gift I gave so long ago"

Fututus et mori in igni - "Fuck off and die in fire"

Southern Wing suggested the first phrase, I chose the second. They're both Latin (or Pony Latin, to fit in this story, I guess)

Also, I realize these different presents have been out of order from the episode, but don't forget that this is an 'Alternate Universe' with a whole bunch more content and concepts that aren't in the show-canon

340. Different isn't Bad - Epilogue

The candle provided an oddly dismal atmosphere, but that was no surprise given how grungy and spartan the room was. A barrel to use as a nightstand held the candle, which was burned nearly all the way to the candle-holder, her saddlebags were lumped in a corner, and the only other furniture in the room was the cot she was resting on.

It'd been weeks since Lightning Dust had been... invited to join an "exclusive league of truly elite fliers". She'd accepted but instead of meeting her new team, she'd been subject to some of the harshest training she'd ever received! Really, even Spitfire would have been dismayed by what Lightning Dust had been put through. It'd almost been like Lightning Dust was being trained by herself, pushed to her limits, treated with dismissive condescension about her injuries and her insecurities, made fun of, literally pushed around!

Okay, I'll admit I was a jerk back in the academy, Lightning Dust thought, but even I wasn't physical, I was...

Uncaring. Selfish. Arrogant. Full of herself. Competitive. Especially after she put others in danger and didn't even care.

This experience had helped Lightning Dust to take a good look at herself and the pony she was back then. The pony she'd been for a long-long time until she got kicked out of the academy. She'd disappointed her parents, her friends, but her brother.... Oh sweet little Hotshot, you never stopped looking up to me. I've got a lot to make up for once this is all over. I swear the next time I see you, I'm gonna give you the biggest hug I've ever given.

She reached under her pillow and took out the photo that had been the guiding light for her all throughout this miserable period. Of her, her parents, and her little brother, around that sand castle they'd built during that trip for Horseshoe Bay for Hotshot's birthday. She touched each of their faces, missing them so much...

...when a knock at her door jolted Lightning out of her funk and she scrambled to her hooves before quickly hiding the photo back under ber pillow as the knocker didn't wait for a response... and in walked Wind Rider. The disgraced ex-Wonderbolt Veteran. He still wore his jacket but had thrown away his old scarf and replaced it with a new pair of flight goggles. The frames were dark gold and the lenses were a dusky orange and shaped sharp instead of round.

Lightning Dust wing-saluted her teacher, who stated, "At ease."

Lightning Dust tried to look relaxed but she still felt tense, as Wind Rider started, "Well, rookie, you're still here. Which shows just how stuborn you really are."

"With respect, sir, I didn't put up with all your crap just to quit over a scraped knee," Lightning Dust responded in a collected tone of cool.

"Heh, glad to see that mouth of yours hasn't lost its edge," Wind Rider remarked before regarding Lightning Dust fully, "But now let's get down to business, rookie! You've soldiered on through all the training, put up with all the BS, showed respect even when you didn't get it in return... My superiors have kept their eyes on you, and are satisfied."

"Sir?" Lightning Dust gulped.

"Congratulations, Lightning Dust," Wind Rider pulled something out he'd been keeping hidden under his wing, and held it out for his student to see.

It was a folded-up flight suit, colored black and purple with dark golden lines, and a pair of flight goggles just like the ones Wind Rider had, set on top of it. Lightning Dust's eyes lit up as she gazed up at her teacher as he proudly said, "Welcome to the Shadowbolts."

This was it. Her first obstacle overcome in her mission. With a satisfied smirk, she looked up into Wind Rider's face, secretly relishing that this has-been had given her the way in, as she responded, "Excellent."

358. Bite of the Family Sandwich - Part 2

The next few days turned out to be surprisingly beneficial to Tomato's campaign. Cheese would go out with Cirrus and Nimbus to spread Tomato's 'vote for me' posters, with Cheese street performing clownish antics, magic tricks, and entertaining any who paused to look upon the party pony with even a passing interest. He never failed to spread smiles, get them gasping for breath from laughing too hard, or amazing them stupid with his feats of wonder and/or daring.

After every performance, he would then encourage them to vote for Tomato Sandwich, "A pony with your best interests at heart."

And apparently, it was working. The local news anchor reported that support for Tomato was increasing surprisingly fast, and there were brief interviews of random ponies on the streets, all of them expressing support in some way or other for Tomato.

"Indeed, my little ponies, support for candidate councilor of Business & Commerce, Tomato Sandwich, has steadily increased over the past few days alone," declared Vox 5 news reporter Angel Evers as she held her microphone with her wing and looked into the camera her camerapony was holding.
"And it's all thanks to Tomato Sandwich's brother, who, as it turns out, is the nationwide famous party pony and one of the Knights of Harmony, Cheese Sandwich! Cheese has openly expressed his support and encouraged the ponies of Manehatten to show theirs for Tomato Sandwich by performing in public in amazing clownish antics that will not be denied and are sure to put a smile on your face.

"At the rate Tomato's support is building, he is sure to be the favorite to win the preliminary election after the candidacy conference this weekend, where the candidates still in the running will each take turns sharing a speech, the order depending on the popularity of each candidate. So stay tuned, Manehatten, because this election is just getting started!"

*Bwip*

Bluejinx was a little bewildered as to why Tomato had switched off the TV and didn't appear ecstatic by the news coverage as the orange-red earth pony groaned while rubbing his temples.
"Tomato, what's up? Your support's growing and it's all thanks to Cheese!"

"Yeah, I know, Blue, I know, It's just..." Tomato sighed, not sure how to word what he was feeling, "See, I appreciate that Cheese is swaying more ponies to support me, but the problem is how he's doing it!"

"Whattya mean?"

"Bluejinx, I'm running to become a member of the Equestrian Council," Tomato expressed firmly, "perhaps the most powerful position a citizen of Equestria can ever hope to achieve! At least not without becoming an alicorn royal, like Princess Twilight. I have to show everypony that I'm running for this position with a serious frame of mind, but then comes along Cheese who uses clowning and stuff to attract potential voters!

"What kind of message does that send to the ponies I'm lobbying to serve in the political capacity?"

"Well... at least it'll make ponies think you have a sense of humor?" Bluejinx offered lamely with a forced smile, "That you're... an approachable kind of politician?"

"Ugh," Tomato groaned when he felt his stomach grumble and he sighed, "I need a bite."

Eating his usual hoagie from his favorite sub sandwich place helped, but Tomato continued to be troubled over the image Cheese was presenting on his behalf. Sure, Tomato appreciated Cheese's support and he was surprised by how the public was speaking of him in a positive manner. But the way he was doing it bothered the young aspiring politician. How could he expect to be taken seriously if he was relying on his brother, a known party pony, to advocate his campaign with balloons and accordion playing?

"Tom, if it's bothering you that much," Bluejinx spoke up as he sat across from Tomato at their usual table, "why don't you talk to Cheese when he gets back?"

"I suppose I should, but just like with the speech I haven't been able to crank out," Tomato gulped anxiously, "I'm drawing a blank! Look, Blue, I care about my brother. I really do! It's just... well, we're just very different ponies and there's a part of me that I'm ashamed to say is embarrassed of him."

"Well, that's hardly surprising, Mister Sandwich..."

Groaning as he thought, Oh Goddess, just kill me now... Tomato looked to see his rival, Walker Trotrun, ambling his way, a smug smirk on his face.

"While I can respect family support," Walker said condescendingly, "one should always be mindful of the example they set. After all, appearances are everything. And it appears to me that you're letting a clown dupe the public into giving you support that you don't deserve."

Tomato shrank in his booth at Walker's words, but Bluejinx stood up.
"Now hold on a moment there, Trotrun! Sure, it's unorthodox, but let's not forget that so-called clown is a member of the Council of Friendship and a Knight of Harmony! And, of course, Tomato contributed to the defeat of Buck Cheap and helped to prevent his coup. Prince Sombra himself recognized Tomato's part and that counts for something!"

"Yes, yes, Tomato played a role in foiling the 'Coup of Avarice', albeit a minor one," Walker scoffed, "but it's not as though he alone made it possible to defeat Buck Cheap, Goddess rest his soul.

"In any case," Walker straightened his lapel as he gave Tomato another look of arrogance, "I'm here to wish you good luck for the conference this weekend, Mister Sandwich. I hope your little speech will at the very least express why the masses should give you a passing thought compared to that brother of yours. Oh!"

Walker was looking past Tomato and Bluejinx to the restaurant window, "Speak of the devil..."

Tomato and Bluejinx looked outside and saw Cheese Sandwich across the street with Cirrus and Nimbus, the three of them performing a tree-way juggle while wearing 'Vote For Me' t-shirts with Tomato's face on them. They were drawing quite a crowd from the passerby, but Tomato couldn't see the smiles and the cheer that was going on. He saw his own image being cast in a light he didn't want it to be.

Sighing, he stood up from the table and said, "Excuse me."

"Tomato, hold on!" Bluejinx tried to stop his friend, only for Walker to hold up his foreleg to bar the blue unicorn's way.

"Let him go. I think he's starting to understand his position," Walker watched what was about to unfold with a barely-disguised sneer.

Vote Tomato, Vote Tomato, woopty-doo, woopty-doo!

He's your politician, he is on a mission

Just for you, just for you!

Ponies were laughing, whooping, and cheering as they watched Cheese had a great time entertaining them as he moved from juggling to tap dancing with a silly mustache and boater hat. As he danced and sang, Nimbus and Cirrus were going around, offering 'Vote 4 Tomato' pins and other merch to anypony who would take them. While there were a few who declined or were uncertain, a lot of them gladly accepted, which was a good sign... until Nimbus offered a pin to Tomato himself, who was giving his friend a look of disapproval.

"Oh hey, Tom! Finally step out of that classroom and come to see us inspire the masses?" Nimbus smiled.

"Not exactly..." Tomato looked past Nimbus towards his brother as Cheese was now holding cans of silly string and spraying them all over everypony and throwing glitter bombs with his tail that burst with glitter as well confetti and streamers, making the locals laugh and shout. Groaning, Tomato stepped forward, "Cheese!"

Cheese stopped with his merrymaking and smiled, "Tommy! Everypony, here he is! Your future Councilor of Business and Commerce, as long as he gets your vote! Whattya say, folks, who's the pony for the job?! Ponies to my left, shout 'Tomato'!"

"TOMATO!!!" shouted the ponies Cheese indicated and the party pony looked to the ponies at his right.

"And to my right, say 'Sandwich'!"

"SANDWICH!!"

"Left side!"

"TOMATO!!"

"Right side!"

"SANDWICH!!"

"TOMATO!!"

"SANDWICH!!!"

"C'mon everypony!" Cheese tossed ponies some cans of silly string and glitter bombs, "Shower him with your support!!"

Tomato was mortified but helpless to stop everypony from assaulting him with silly string and glitter bombs, leaving him a stringy, glittery, and confetti-covered mess once it ceased. But before he could complain, he found himself being raised up by Nimbus and Cirrus so everypony could see him and Cheese shouted, "C'mon, everypony, sing it with me!"

Tomato's a jolly good pony...

Cheese trailed a bit, holding out his foreleg in an inviting gesture and everypony got the idea and sang along with him.

Tomato's a jolly good pony
Tomato's a jolly good pony...

That nopony can deny!

Despite the cheers and shouts of encouragement to him, Tomato felt increasingly self-conscious and embarrassed. Especially when he noticed Walker Trotrun giving him a disdainful smirk and a shake of his head before he took his leave.

That evening, Cheese walked into the university classroom where Tomato's campaign office was being held and saw Tomato sitting at the teacher's desk, going over some papers.

"You wanted to see me, Tommy?"

"Cheese, have a seat, please," Tomato gestured to a chair he'd put in front of the desk and waited until Cheese had taken his seat before he himself took a deep breath, knowing this was going to be difficult.
"Cheese... I don't know how I can say this in any way that would make it easier, so I'll just come right out and say it: Your services are no longer required."

"My... i don't- Tommy, what are you saying?" Cheese was taken aback, his ears folding down as he felt his heart sink.

Taking a deep sigh, Tomato explained, "Cheese... I appreciate your help and the support for me that you've garnered from the public. It's just... well, it's the way you're doing it."

"What, not loud enough? Not funny enough?" Cheese whipped out some more of his props and joke items, like a funny pair of nose glasses, a fez hat, Boneless Two, and then held up a whoopee cushion and pressed it between his hooves to make a prolonged fart sound.
"Am I not wrangling enough supporters?"

"No, Cheese, it's all of... this!" Tomato held his hooves to Cheese, who was baffled.

"You just gestured to all of me."

"Yes, exactly! Stop being all of you," Tomato responded.

"I still don't see what you're getting at!" Cheese stowed all of his props away, making them vanish into his curly mane and tail, to Tomato's bewilderment but he ignored it.

"Cheese, it's the clowning, the whole party pony thing," Tomato clarified, "I want for my potential voters and supporters to understand that I'm serious about this election. But you're sending the wrong message! How can I sincerely earn the support and votes of Equestria if I'm resorting to having a party pony attract the public to my candidacy?! I know this isn't fair, and I feel awful as it is. But if I'm going to become the Councilor of Business and Commerce on the Equestrian Council, then I have to do it on my own merit and in my own way.

"And... my way isn't the party pony way."

Cheese's big forelock drooped and his face became crestfallen before he replied, "Um, okay... I can understand that. I guess I'll..."

"Uh, Cheese, you don't have to leave," Tomato felt like dirt but he knew he had to stand by his decision, "I still appreciate your support!"

"No, no, i... I don't wanna be in the way," Cheese pulled on his fedora and zarape, his 'pony with no name' shtick taking over as he spoke in a low voice, "Good luck, baby brother..."

And Tomato watched as his only flesh and blood walked out of the room, his head hanging and his tail drooping as it pulled the door closed behind him, and Tomato sighed as he leaned forward onto the desk, supporting his head with his foreleg.

"It's for the best..." he whispered to himself. Even though deep down, he simply couldn't shake the feeling he'd made a mistake.

Street Rat sneered in satisfaction as he watched Cheese Sandwich leave the university, looking despondent, and it appeared what Mr. Trotrun had predicted had come to pass. Taking out the magical walkie-talkie he'd been given, he tuned it to the right channel and pressed the button.
"Mr. Trotrun? Mr. Trotrun, it's Street Rat."

The device buzzed with static a few moments after before it responded, "Trotrun here, what's going on, Street Rat?"

"Sir, it looks like you were right," snickered Street Rat as he watched Cheese mosey on down the street. "Seems the Sandwiches had a disagreement because the party pony is walking away, looking like a surprise was spoiled for him or something."

"Ah youth, so impressionable," responded Walker Trotrun with a derisive chuckle through the walkie-talkie, "so easily suckered into making a bad investment. Without that idiot brother of his, Tomato Sandwich will go back to being the boring and lackadaisical dolt he really is. Nopony will vote for him!"

"Should I follow the party pony, sir?"

"Nah, let him be," Trotrun said dismissively, "odds are, he'll hop the next train or airship out of Manehatten and that'll be the end of it. This election is as good as bought and paid for."

The day of the conference arrived and basically everypony in Manehatten had turned up in Furlong Acre Square, which was jam-packed with ponies ready to vote, reporters, and the candidates' campaign staffs along with the Manehatten Royal Guard garrison who had been assigned to provide security for the preliminary election. First, the candidates for all the ponies running for a seat on the council would make a speech; the order of which seat would be random. After all the candidates for each seat had made their speeches, the voting booths would open and everypony would take turns voting. Once the voting concluded, a ballot would be conducted by officials of the royal court and then the winners of the preliminary would be announced.

As he stood behind the platform with the other candidates and their teams, Tomato gulped as he kept looking through his speech. It still didn't feel right, a lot of it forced or bland, but it was all he'd managed to crank out.

"Nervous?" Tomato looked to see Flora giving him an encouraging smile. At his nod, Flora surprised Tomato with a nuzzle up to his side, "It's okay to be nervous, Tomato. Just remember why you're running in this election and be true to yourself and those around you. The people will vote for who they vote, and who they vote for will be the ones who they feel are the ones that will serve their best interests.

"And win or lose, you're still a great pony."

Although her words were meant to encourage him, Tomato only felt his heart sink as he thought, A great pony? Does a great pony turn his brother away just for the sake of image?

The candidates for some of other seats on the council went before Tomato and the other candidates for Business and Commerce. With each candidate and each speech they gave, Tomato felt more and more insignificant as he heard a lot of words moving and inspirational. Some invoked a lot of thought but there were some who didn't make much of an impression.

After the candidates for a specific seat on the Council were done, the voting booths opened so everypony could make the best decision while the impression they got from the candidates was still fresh in their minds. Tomato himself voted for some of the candidates, one for Agriculture & Nutrition, one for Science & Innovation, and one for Media & Entertainment.

But now it was time for the candidates of Business & Commerce. As the officials got things underway, Tomato was informed that he would be going first, which only made the pressure feel worse. Then of course was the gnawing guilt he still felt, and it became worse when he felt a hoof on his shoulder and looked to see it was Walker Trotrun, giving him yet another condescending smirk.

"Well, Tomato, here we are," Walker chuckled as he straightened his lapel, "The moment we've all been waiting for, where we make or break our first step into the political arena. I trust you've put together a worthy form of the written word that won't be a waste of everypony's time. Oh, I'm sure you'll do fine. After all, you no longer have that insipid brother of yours distracting you."

"Hey," Tomato furrowed his brows, "Say whatever you want about me, Walker. But leave my brother out of this!"

"I don't have to," Walker remarked cruelly, "You already have."

"Mr. Sandwich, you're on!"

Both stallions looked to see Raven Inkwell, the overseer of the conference, gesturing Tomato to step up onto the platform. Here it was, the moment of truth, and Tomato gulped nervously as Walker rudely pushed him forward and scoffed, "Break a leg!"

He righted himself before he could stumble, and Tomato slowly ascended the steps up onto the platform and approached the podium and microphone. But it was the thousand of ponies looking at him and his broadcasted image on the jumbo-tron behind him, so everypony could see Tomato clearly. Which of course meant they could see his anxiety.

Remembering his lessons in public speaking and doing the calming technique of breathing in and breathing out, imagining his troubles leaving him upon the exhale, Tomato centered himself as he stood before the podium, placed his speech before him and took a deep breath.

"Good day to you all, Manehatten," he started, "and for the sake of formality, my name is Tomato Sandwich, and I am here to earn your vote to become Councilor of Business & Commerce."

"Egh, he's not doing very good, is he?" Nimbus whispered to Cirrus as Tomato went on.
"What're ya talking about? I can't stop listening," responded Cirrus with a slight edge of sarcasm.
"Just... give him a chance, everypony," Flora said optimistically. But truly, she was beginning to worry for Tomato.
"C'mon, Tommy, you got this..." Bluejinx prayed, hoping his best friend would find the proper hoofhold.

"...and with proper accounting, taxes will be properly balanced so that everypony..." Tomato could see it among the crowd.

He was boring them. Their eyes were glazing over, some of them were yawning, others looked impatient as though they couldn't wait for his speech to be over. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of from the start.

What was I thinking...? Tomato felt his anxiety rise again, coupled with his guilt for how he'd dismissed his brother. He came all the way here to help me and support me... and I turned him a- !!!

Tomato couldn't believe it. Standing in the front row, right in front of the platform, directly in his path, was a tall and lanky earth pony with an orange coat, wearing a fedora and a zarape... and when he lifted his face, there was Cheese, giving him a supporting smile and even a wink of encouragement. Tomato felt his heart swell as he felt humbled and surprisingly overjoyed to see Cheese was here. And somehow, that gesture and all that it entailed lit a spark in Tomato's mind as he took a deep breath yet again and spoke:

"Folks, let me be frank with you all. The entire week leading up to this conference, I struggled to make a speech and obviously it came out a dud. You see, I'm not a career politician, I have no experience in politics, and apart from a few simple ideas I have no real plan for what I would do even if I were to be elected. I'm just a graduate from Manehatten University with a degree in business management. The truth is, I was encouraged by a lot of ponies, including members of the royal family, to run for a seat on the Equestrian Council, for my part in helping to foil the Coup of Avarice.

"I felt pressured into it, and became afraid of letting down those who believe in me. Well, there's one pony here who not only believed in me, he traveled halfway across the country just to give me his support and do all he can to help me. And being the complete idiot I am, I didn't sincerely appreciate it until now. For despite my mistake on his part, he's still here in support of me!

"Case in point, he's a far better pony than me. He's traveled all of Equestria to spread good cheer and inspire joy, never asking for anything in return and striving to satisfy the ponies he helps with the only payment he required being their smiles and their having a good memory as a result of his hard work."

Tomato reached up to the forelock that always hung above his eyes no matter how many times he tried to comb it down with the rest of his mane, and gave it a yank, causing his neatly-combed mane to explode into a poof of curls very similar to his brother's, and he went on.

"I don't know whether I am the right candidate for Councilor of Business & Commerce. But what I do know is, the mares and stallions who have all stood up here and spoken to you and those who have yet to do so, they are all of them brave and determined individuals who wish to serve you in the political capacity of this reforming government. All of them are deserving of respect and consideration, and all of you must make the best choice each and every one of you can to decide which of these individuals will be the ones to take on this great responsibility. But along the way, each of them, myself included, must remember to stand by their ideals and their integrity lest they lose their way and make the wrong choices.

"I made the wrong choice in putting this election before somepony I care about and despite my mistake he's still here, standing by me as surely as my friends are. It's individuals like these ponies, whom I am lucky to call my family and friends, who will keep us grounded and remember the ideals we must strive for in order to form this council with the right individuals to serve Equestria and everypony in it.

"In other words, fillies and gentlecolts, it's all up to you. Thank you."

Tomato stepped down from the podium and turned to step off the platform... when slowly but surely did an applause begin with scattered hoofstomps before it swelled in intensity and rang with cheers and shouts of approval and admiration. Tomato was stupefied, and was beginning to feel overwhelmed as well as humbled as the crowd applauded and cheered a good long while that the officials finally stepped up and tried to politely ask everypony to cease so that they could move along.

One of them gestured Tomato to step off the platform, and when he did, he saw his friends along with Cheese waiting for him, all of them smiling at him so proudly as Cheese pulled Tomato into a hug, and the rest of them joined in, the party pony whispering into Tomato's ear, "Way to go, baby bro!"

Walker Trotrun bore his dislike at Tomato, but snorted arrogantly as he waited for his turn.

Eventually, the conference ended, and the ballots were completed. As everypony waited, Tomato took the time to speak with his brother, "Cheese, I'm sorry. I let Walker Trotrun and my own insecurity get to me, and..."

He sighed and tried to think of what else to say, only for Cheese to playfully shoulder him and say, "Aw, don't sweat it, Tommy! It's not the first time somepony didn't think I was serious enough for something, and it won't be the last. Just remember - Win or lose, you're a good person and I'm proud to call you my brother."

"Thanks, Cheese," Tomato smiled gratefully when there was a boom on the mic and everypony looked to see Raven Inkwell standing at the podium.

"Alright, fillies and gentlecolts, the votes have been counted and now we shall reveal the candidates who have passed the Manehatten preliminary election and will be moving onto the primary elections that will be held in Canterlot in a few months. Starting with the Manehatten candidate for Councilor of Defense & Security..." Raven levitated an envelope that was handed to her by an aide, and she read aloud, "Officer Hard Knocks of the Manehatten Police Department!"

There was a round of applause as Hard Knocks stood up and gave a wave and grateful smile to everypony and then Raven continued reading the winning candidates. It was after the candidate for Energy & Resources was announced when Cheese noticed some shady-looking characters slipping away from behind the tent where the ballots had been counted by the officials, and one of them was carrying a box. His Cheesy Sense tingled urgently and the party pony was certain something was wrong, and it was confirmed when an aide rushed out of the tent and whispered something to Raven, who gasped!

"What?! Fillies and gentlecolts, remain calm! But it appears the votes for Business & Commerce are missing!"

Immediately, murmurs and gasps of alarm spread throughout the crowd, as Tomato said, "What's going on?! Why would the votes suddenly be missing?"

"Oh, I don't think they're missing," Bluejinx said while glaring over at Walker Trotrun, who appeared concerned but there was a confidence in his eyes, "I bet they were stolen!"

"Stolen?! That's crazy, Blue! Who would be stupid enough to steal votes right in the middle of an election. Right, Cheese?" Tomato looked to his brother... only to see Cheese was no longer there.
"What the...?"

In a grungy alleyway, three thuggish ponies and Street Rat huddled behind a dumpster as Street Rat held the box protectively, saying, "Nice work, boys! Now all we gotta do is count these votes ourselves, replace some of them with votes for the boss, and leave the box somewhere it can be found. Let's get to work."

"Now, that's not good!"

The four ponies all startled to see Cheese Sandwich, garbed in his fedora and zarape, leaning against the wall at the entrance of the alleyway, as he blew a noisemaker before tilting his head up and speaking in his 'pony with no name' voice, "A lotta good citizens thawt long n' hard on who t' vote for, and here y'all are taking away their choices."

"Move it along, Sandwich!" Street Rat sneered, "Unless you'd like to have a word with these gentlecolts."

The three thugs, an earth pony, a unicorn, and a pegasus, all of them ugly bruiser-types, stepped in front of Street Rat, giving Cheese a nasty glare from each of them. An average pony would have backed off and made tracks away from that situation as quickly as possible. However, Cheese wasn't an average pony and he knew too much was at stake to allow himself to be cowed by some common bullies.

"Now, gentlecolts, let's be sensible here," Cheese offered, "tampering with voting procedures is a federal offense, I believe. If you're lucky, you'll each be charged a hefty fine, but odds are you'll be charged with a felony instead. Five years jail time, at minimum!"

The unicorn thug started to look uneasy which Street Rat noticed, "Aw, don't listen to him! What's a party pony know about law and crime?!"

"It's true, I never finished high school because I dropped out in my sophomore year to follow my calling as a party pony," Cheese shrugged, "but I did take a class in law my freshman year, at my mom's insistence. So why don't y'all just fork over the ballot box there and I'll pretend I never saw any of ya."

"Forget this, ice this deadbeat!" Street Rat snapped as he pointed at Cheese, and the thugs moved in.

"Have it your way," responded Cheese in an 'oh well' manner as he pulled out a box with some paper circles. "But before we get physical..."

Cheese pulled a cord on the box, and immediately the paper circles were blown open as fireworks launched straight upwards and exploded into bursts of bright and vaporous color! The vapor gently rained down and one of the thugs had his mouth open and went, "Huh, I taste... strawberry?"

"Fruit-Flavored Fireworks, courtesy of some mad scientist friends of mine," Cheese nodded with a smile as he held out his tongue and let some of the vapor land on it, "Flashy and delicious!"

"Why the buck would you set off...!!!" Street Rat just about had a stroke as he realized ponies were coming towards the alleyway on both ends. "Aw geez, take him down!!"

"Do you all really want to throw your freedom away for whatever jerk is putting you all up to this?" Cheese advised. "Just return the votes and you can leave!"

"The boss is paying you enough your grandfoals will never have to work a day in their lives, just get him!!" Street Rat shrieked as he hopped up and down in frustration, keeping the box of votes close to his chest.

Seeing the thugs weren't going to be dissuaded, Cheese sighed as he summoned his sword,"Have it your way..."

His sword flared with power under his zerape and he felt a rush of energy as the words made themselves known in his mind and he smirked, "Make `em laugh... Wack-a-Doodle!"

Cheese's sword flared with power as his fedora and zerape were blown off to reveal his knightly armor... and his sword had transformed into a large mallet-like instrument, the kind of mallet one would use to play those wack-a-mole arcade games, albeit much bigger. It was as long as Cheese was tall, the handle was colored the same dark pink as Pinkie Pie's mane while the mallet was colored a darker shade of his own cheese-colored coat and looked like an accordion, the flat of each side bearing his cutie-mark, there was an odd funnel on top of the mallet opposite the base of the pole-like handle, and the end of the handle had some other implements on it.

The thugs, Street Rat, and the ponies who'd come to see what was going on stood in awe of the fully-realized Knight of Harmony as Cheese beamed, "Let's PART-AY!!!"

He took the pommel of Wack-a-Doodle's handle to his mouth and blew into it, causing the funnel on top to release a horn-like blare of sound along with an explosion of confetti, glitter, and silly string that got all over the earth pony thug and he was alarmed when he felt himself get sticky and tangled, rendering him helpless.

The pegasus thug took flight, rising up until he cleared the top of the buildings forming the alleyway, and then dive-bombed towards Cheese. Cheese didn't bat an eye, as he fiddled with the implements on the bottom of Wack-a-Doodle's handle, causing two rung-like pieces to fold out and adjust them to slide a hoof up along the handle's length, and he quickly used Wack-a-Doodle like a pogo-stick to avoid the pegasus and front flipped downwards, bringing Wack-a-Doodle smacking on top of the pegasus' head, a comical 'BONK' sound resounding and the pegasus found himself dazed with a silly look on his face, his tongue hanging out, and tweeting birds flying around his head as he keeled over.

"URGH, do something!!" Street Rat snapped at the remaining thug, the unicorn, who charged up his horn and fired several Magic Arrow spells at Cheese.

The party pony knight responded by balancing on his curly tail and using Wack-a-Doodle to quite literally bat the Magic Arrows away, causing each of them to harmlessly dissipate into fading sparks of mana, before Cheese yet again took the handle of Wack-a-Doodle to his mouth and blew. But instead of the built-in horn blaring a sound or releasing silly string, glitter, or confetti, it blew out a large bubble that floated over to the unicorn thug and quickly enveloped him, to his surprise!

"Hey! Lemme outta here!" he yelled, his voice echoing inside the bubble, which refused to pop even when he poked it with his horn, and the bubble gently bounced around like a balloon losing its helium.

"Oh COME ON!!" Street Rat griped before he facehooved... and realized he was surrounded on both sides of the alleyway by the locals, all glaring at him and the box he was holding. Gulping, he nervously said, "Uh- Hi, everypony! Uh... nice day for an election, huh?"

"Who put you up this?"

Street Rat looked to see Cheese was now standing only one pony length from him, Wack-a-Doodle resting against his shoulder as Cheese pointed out, "You said to your buddies that your boss was gonna pay them, and I overheard you saying you were going to go through the votes in that ballot box and change some of them."

"Uh- I..." Street Rat got shifty-eyed as he wracked his brain for an excuse when a sharp pitch of static buzzed inside his jacket.

"Street Rat, what's taking you? Where are those votes?! If you flubbed this job and you're still in Manehatten, I'll make you wish you were never born...!"

Recognizing that voice as he raised a knowing brow at Street Rat, Cheese held out his hoof expectantly, and the sleaze sighed in defeat as he forked over a walkie-talkie while a couple of police officers came over to take back the ballot box and arrest Street Rat and his thugs.

Clearing his throat, Cheese responded to the caller in the walkie-talkie, "Good afternoon, Mister Trotrun, this is Sir Cheese Sandwich. How are you today?"

...

The walkie-talkie finally buzzed as Walker Trotrun hesitantly responded, "I-I'm... I'm completely screwed, aren't I."

Walker Trotrun was arrested, along with Street Rat and his accomplices although they were given a deal of leniency if they testified against Trotrun. The ballot box was returned and looked over to make sure the votes hadn't been tampered with, and finally, Raven Inkwell announced, "And the Manehatten candidate for Councilor of Business & Commerce is..."

All eyes were on Raven as everypony leaned forward while Cheese provided an impromptu drumroll, "TOMATO SANDWICH!!"

Tomato stood there, stupefied, unable to believe he had really won! He'd thought for certain Manehatten would choose one of the other two (remaining) candidates who were more experienced politicians, and yet it had been his name announced from the ballot box. Even as his friends cheered for him, Nimbus and Cirrus hoisting him onto their withers so that everypony could see him (albeit they already could, what with his dumbfounded expression on the jumbo-tron), Tomato's eyes searched for and found the proud and warm smile of his brother, Cheese Sandwich.

Author's Note

Ugh, I am not proud of this arc. It took longer than I intended, mostly because I didn't feel the creative drive spurring me through it. It just felt like a chore to do, but after sitting on it for so long I forced myself to just finish it so I could move on.

So, Cheese unlocks his knightly sword, Wack-a-Doodle. It's not a "weapon" so much as it is the ultimate party favor. It's basically an oversized toy mallet that can be used for a whole bunch of things; it's adjustable with multiple settings, uses, and surprises hidden inside of it

It can be used as a party horn (that can sound a loud horn but also blow a bunch of different surprises), a pogostick, a wacky mallet, and that's just a few things it can do.

Ordinarily "Wack-a-Doodle" is used to describe a crazy person, but I like the name because it sounded funny and the doodle part makes me think of music, which is Cheese Sandwich's Element of Harmony

The elections shown here aren't deciding who is going to be the next members of the new Equestrian Council; it's sort of like a preliminary round that every major city and town in Equestria is having, to narrow down the candidates from all over Equestria in the upcoming primary elections that will determine the council's democratically-elected members

So Tomato Sandwich isn't Councilor of Business & Commerce just yet...

380. Hitting Rock Bottoms - Part 1

"Hmmm..." Rarity's eyes scanned the sketch laid upon the coffee table before her as her husband, Blueblood, sat beside her, looking anxious. "It truly does look ideal, Blueblood, and I think I would indeed prefer this than tearing down some of the boutique's walls.

"Adding to Carousel Boutique would... well, it wouldn't work for the image of my business."

"I'm glad you like it, love," Blueblood smiled in relief as he gestured to the sketch he'd drawn. It was of a new house, two-and-a-half stables tall, with a total of five bedrooms, including the master bedroom, a sizable kitchen next to the dining room to one side and the lounge to another, a private study for himself, a room where Rarity could dedicate some of her own work for the boutique, a basement, and plenty more.
"What's more, we could have it constructed right next to the boutique, if you like."

"But are you sure we can afford this, Blueblood?" Rarity gave her hubby a concerned look, "I know you're quite wealthy an' all, but it is still considerably expensive to have a house constructed. Would it not be more sensible to just buy a house?"

"Perhaps. But Rarity," Blueblood got up and then knelt down in front of his wife, looking up warmly at those gorgeous sapphire blue eyes before saying, "Think of this house as our dream home! We'll plan it out fully, have it designed to suit our needs as perfectly as we can, and then, one day... it'll house not just you and I, but also our family."

Rarity smiled lovingly at her prince before meeting his lips with her own. True, she wasn't ready to become a mother yet, but still the notion appealed to her. Especially the idea of designing clothes for her own little filly or colt she could dress up in the prettiest dresses or snazziest suits. It was however a little concerning.

Still, the timing felt a tad inconvenient.

The day after tomorrow, she was planning to open her next branch boutique, this one in Manehatten's Saddle Row, in order to expand her business. She'd spoken to a Mr. Stripes in order to purchase a unit to set up shop, and her friends were all coming along to help get things started. She'd considered inviting Blueblood along but it seemed he was busy with his own projects lately, along with matters relating to his company, New Heights Avionics.

Regardless, hashing out the details of this dream home proposal of his would be something to look forward to once she'd settled her business in Manehatten.

They were on the verge of getting busy... when Blueblood gasped and parted his lips from hers and he looked down. She did too, and they saw his cutie-mark lighting up and flashing and they both knew what that meant.

"Huh?!" Blueblood gaped at the Map in confusion as well as some disappointment. His cutie-mark was floating over Canterlot.

"We... take it you were expecting somewhere else?" asked Midnight as he, Twilight, Starlight, Sunburst, and Spike were all present.

Sighing somewhat in aggravation, Blueblood responded, "You could say that... I suppose if any place has a problem in need of a knight, it would be Canterlot."

"Actually..." All eyes turned to Sunburst, who was eyeing the map and Blueblood's mark, "if you give it a more careful look, I don't think the map wants you to go to Canterlot."

They leaned in for a closer look and saw that sunburst was right. Blueblood's mark was actually floating adjacent of Canterlot, over towards the opposite side of Mt. Canterhorn. Specifically, it was right above its base.

"The... base of Mt. Canterhorn?" Blueblood was perplexed. "Why would the map send me there? Nothing really around there except wilderness and gritty landscape."

"Except the old abandoned crystal mine shaft!" Again, eyes turned, this time towards Spike who was looking in a book, titled 'Mount Canterhorn: A History'.

"Oh, that's right! There is a mine at the foot of Mt. Canterhorn," Twilight peered over Spike's shoulder to give the pages a look. Her memory refreshed, she recounted, "Over a thousand years ago, around the beginning of the rule of Two Sisters, a vein of precious crystal was discovered at the base of what would later be named Mt. Canterhorn.

"So a mine was set up in order to dig for those crystals in order to acquire needed wealth to build up the nascent nation of Equestria!"

"But then, after Princess Celestia was forced to banished Princess Luna after she became Nightmare Moon," spoke up Sunburst, "Princess Celestia decided to move the royal capitol from the Everfree to Mt. Canterhorn.

"The mining however endangered the construction of the future city of Canterlot, so the mine was closed forever."

"So, if I understand correctly," Blueblood raised a brow, "the only place of interest around the base of Mt. Canterhorn... is an abandoned mine."

The alicorns, their pupils, and their dragon assistant shared looks before looking to Blueblood and all shrugging.

Sighing again, Blueblood unenthusiastically declared, "Tally ho..."

As he turned to leave, Midnight said, "You got your sword?"

"Yes, it's quite easy to keep track of it since I carry it inside my body," Blueblood responded, making his knightly sword appear in his hoof and then reabsorb it as it turned back into formless energy.
"I just hope whatever is down there, it better be worth it."

Blueblood took the Slipstream and piloted it to a private landing zone at New Heights Avionics headquarters. He declined an invite to see his business partner, Jet Set, as he was not here on business or pleasure. Which was why he hadn't flown to Canterlot Castle either.

If I'm going to risk my neck exploring some dusty old abandoned mines, I'm not going unprepared, he thought as he ventured through the streets of Canterlot. Thankfully, Blueblood had learned distracter spells in order to divert unwanted attention from himself, thus he wasn't mobbed by tourists, lesser nobleponies, or anyone else. He didn't need that kind of incessant attention.

He visited a sporting goods store, where he got useful tips on cave spelunking, as well as purchase the right kind of equipment and tools.

After packing his purchases into his saddlebags, Blueblood exited the store as he thought, Now... I suppose I can just fly the Slipstream down to the base of the mountain, but would it be a good idea to get a gui-

"OOF!!/OW!!!"

Blueblood rubbed his sore shoulder when he heard a growling groan and looked to see a unicorn stallion, not quite his equal in physical fitness, but close, rubbing his sore fetlock. This stallion had a shining golden coat, his wavy mane white with a golden hue, he wore a snazzy blazer with a jeweled stickpin, his cutie-mark looked like a golden barrel with a big black drop over it, and when he opened his eyes Blueblood saw they were vivid green that soon turned red with anger.

"Why don't you watch where you're going you...! Well, well! As I live and breath. Prince Blueblood! Heh, not much of a prince these days, ever since you sallied off to Goddess knows where to marry some... huh, I can't even remember the tramp's name or where you went."

Blueblood furrowed his brows but kept a firm rein on his temper, as much as this cretin was testing it.

"My wife is named Rarity, and we live in Ponyville," he responded with the faintest terseness in his tone.

"Ah yes," the snobbish unicorn made a show of taking a sniff and then scrunching his nose, "I thought you smelled of the boonies..."

Blueblood gave the blowhard a flat look of disinterest and responded in deadpan, "Who are you, again?"

"Wha- ?! I- I beg your pardon!" the jerk got his nickers in a twist, "You know very well who I am! Glam Gold, Head of House Petra, owner and CEO of Petra Oil Refinery, and Canterlot candidate for Equestrian Councilor of Energy & Resources!"

"Doesn't ring a bell," Blueblood replied in the same deadpan as he moved to leave, only for Glam Gold to bar his path.

"Now, hold on, Blueblood, ol' boy," Glam Gold started making with the insincere niceties as he threw a foreleg around Blueblood's withers. "Mayhaps we got off on the wrong hoof, here. We both said something we regret, but such boorish talk shouldn't come between old pals...!"

"I don't recall ever being 'old pals' with yo-" Blueblood tried to say, only for Glam Gold to cut him off.

"So! Let's let bygones be bygones, and perhaps we could catch up! Like... what brings a classy stud like you back to the City of the Unicorns? Away from the missus, from the comforts of home?"

"I don't see how any of that is your business," Blueblood magicked Glam Gold's foreleg off of his person. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Blueblood trotted off, resuming a familiar stance of his nose in the air. But this time, the pony he was doing it to utterly deserved it. But Glam Gold wouldn't be deterred so easily. Whatever you're here for, Blueblood, I intend to find out...

Rather than trudge a long way down the mountainside himself, Blueblood rode the Slipstream down to the base of Mt. Canterhorn.

"Now, all I need to do is circle the base of the mountain until I see the mine entrance," Blueblood had piloted the airship to a reasonable altitude and set the controls to autopilot on a set-course. He stood at the port bow with binoculars floating over his eyes to give the mountainside a better look.
"Eventually, I should find it... ah-ha! Wait a minute..."

Blueblood had indeed found the mine entrance, located on the southeastern face of the mountain's base. It was about a stable tall and two wagons wide, and there was a sign boarded above the entrance that read 'Danger, keep out'.

But it was the actual wagon parked outside it that piqued Blueblood's interest.

"This mine seems to be more popular than I thought," he murmured to himself before going back to pilot the ship down.

After touching down, disembarking and mooring the Slipstream to keep it from drifting away, Blueblood approached the mine entrance and gave the parked wagon a closer look. It wasn't brand new but it certainly wasn't ancient. Peering inside, he saw it was empty, but looking around he saw fresh hoofprints and they led into the mine entrance, where some of the boards had been removed to allow an average-sized pony a way in.

"What interest could somepony have in this old mine...? he mused to himself. "Well, granted, there are probably some deposits or untapped veins of crystals in there, but still."

Blueblood stood before the mine for a good long minute before taking a deep breath and saying, "Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained."

He used his magic to tear away some more boards to make the way in wider. He wasn't in the mood to stoop or shimmy his way in. Blueblood was bigger than the average stallion but only because he took pride in his physical fitness and had spent years building up a slender yet sturdy frame that was the picture of superior unicorn physique. His friend and brother-in-law, Shining Armor, would agree.

Due to it still being around midday, the light of the sun didn't reach very far into the mine. Thankfully, Blueblood was a unicorn and lit up his horn as needed. Illumination was a parlor trick any unicorn foal could learn when starting out in learning magic.

The walls of the mines were craggly and flecked with trace elements of crystal. Not enough to be considered valuable, but Blueblood figured whatever crystals had been around this tunnel were dug up and collected centuries ago.

As the light behind him dimmed and the darkness deepened with every step, Blueblood noticed it was getting damp and cold.

Good thing I brought along my jacket, he thought when his ears perked at a distant sound and he froze mid-step. What was that?!

Blueblood dimmed his horn light while hiding behind a nearby boulder. From further in, he noticed a distant light that seemed to be getting brighter, which correlated with the unmistakable sounds of hoofsteps. Along with...

Whistling?

It was a merry kind of a whistling tune.

Wait... I recognize that melody, Blueblood thought as he kept low, That's 'I Whistle a Happy Tune'.

It was easy to tell the light came from a flashlight with the way it's beam pierced through the darkness and bobbed in tune with the whistling. Most likely perched on a head.

As the source of the light came closer and the whistling grew even closer, it became more clear who it belonged to.

A golden yellow earth pony about average height dressed in nothing but a royal purple hoodie and neon green hardhat. He had a curly brown mane stuffed under his headgear and a short and curly tail to match. He carried an oversized picnic basket on his back with saddle bags at both of his sides.

His eyes were closed and the stallion had the happiest look on his muzzle as he perkily pranced along without a care in the world. The sway in his (admittedly wide) hips brought attention to his ordinary anvil cutie mark.

Huh... now this guys seems familiar but I can't put my horn on it, Blueblood thought to himself.

But then the yellow earth pony began to prance Blueblood by, and for some reason he loudly 'ahem'd, alarming the pony and causing him to yelp as he tripped over his own hooves and fell flat on his muzzle.

"Oh, sorry about that, lemme help you," Blueblood stepped out and helped the stallion onto his haunches as he rubbed his poor snoot and blinked the dust out of his eyes. Blueblood levitated the stallion's hardhat off, causing his brown curly mane to POOMF out in volume, as Blueblood set the lit helmet to the side.

"Ack! You're lucky I didn't break my nose, you big...!" the stallion's vision cleared up and his eyes widened to dinner plates when he saw, "Prince Blueblood?!"

"I'm not surprised you know me," Blueblood gave the pony another look-over and noticed apart from the mining helmet he lacked mining equipment, unless there was something in those saddle bags. "But I can't help but feel I know you as well..."

"Huh! Why would you remember me?! I mean, we were just classmates back in Canterlot Academy," the pony harrumphed.

"Oh! So we schooled together?" Blueblood gave the stallion a closer look, and got a look of umbrage in return. "I... gather we weren't bosom buddies?"

"Just buzz off! I kinda doubt this is the kind of place royalty would congregate," the stallion finally stood up and gave a challenging stamp of his forehoof.

"Not the kind of place I think anypony would congregate," Blueblood raised a suspicious brow. "This is an abandoned mine, after all, so what brings you here?"

The stallion uhhh'd for a moment until he responded, "What else would I be here for? To mine, obviously!"

"Oh? Then I suppose you have proper mining equipment in those saddlebags and a permit?" Blueblood asked with rising suspicion.

"Of... course," the stallion grimaced, and Blueblood knew he was lying, even as the stallion unstrapepd his saddlebags and made a show of looking through them. "Huh... I, uh, I guess I must've dropped my permit somewhere in here, heheh."

"Alright, let's cut the horseapples!" Blueblood was losing his patience, "You're no miner! You have that mining helmet, but obviously it's just to light your way through the dark. If you were truly a miner, you'd be filthy and dusty, and have a shovel or pick axe, neither of which could fit into those bags.

"So why don't you stop insulting my intelligence and let me see what you're really doing here!"

"No, wait!" The stallion protested but Blueblood had already levitated the saddlebags towards himself and peered in. To his surprise, he saw raw and uncut gems, crystals and geodes! The smallest were the size of pebbles, the largest the size of coconuts.

Blueblood gave the pony an even more suspicious look, "Now I know for sure you're up to something! Where did you get these? And don't tell me you mined them because I've already figured out you're nothing of the sort.

"Did somepony give you these or sell them to you?"

"GIVE THOSE BACK!!" the stallion shouted, his voice echoing off the walls in both directions as he suddenly tackled Blueblood, much to his utter surprise.

The two stallions tussled and roughhoused, unaware that they were stumbling and rolling down an incline, sending them deeper into the tunnel.

"Ow! Geddoff me!"
"You started it!"
"Well I'll finish it, you thug!"
"Ouch! No biting!"

Finally, the two stallions found themselves in a vast chamber though they didn't notice because of how dark it was. But that didn't stop their skirmish from echoing loudly around them. So loudly that neither of them heard the heavy hoofsteps.

Finally, Blueblood managed to kick the stallion off of himself and groan in vexation, "Alright, that's it! I would have preferred to settle this within reason, but when I drag you out of here I'll have you charged with unprovoked assault!"

"Oh yeah?! Well I'll charge you with..." the stallion's ears perked as he heard a soft yet distinct growl, and realized it was coming from behind Blueblood. "No, wait!"

"Oh don't even try it! But if you stand down, I might show some..." Blueblood stopped talking as he heard something heavy drag along the ground behind him and felt a warm puff of breath on his mane.

Specifically on top of his head.

The breathing grew louder and growlier, and Blueblood gulped nervously as he looked up just in time to see a large mouthful of sharp teeth and a fat pink tongue come down and engulf him! He let out a terrified muffled cry as the mouth and tongue adjusted him. He tried to muster a spell, but couldn't concentrate! Especially as the mouth and tongue seemed to somehow get him out of his coat and saddlebags, which were spat out while he remained trapped inside the mouth, which then rose up and Blueblood let out another muffled scream of terror as he realized he was sliding down towards the back of a throat!

He struggled to resist, but the slobbery confines were too restrictive, and before he knew it, Blueblood vanished in a mighty GULP. Followed by a loud BELCH and satisfied 'ahh'.

It didn't take long for Blueblood to slide into what felt like a slimy sac, and he quickly realized, I'm in a stomach!!!

Blueblood tried to thrash about, to give this beast such a bellyache it'd spit him back up. but nothing doing. The stomach was closing in around him, forcing Blueblood to curl up and pant, and he realized he was finding it harder to breathe.

As the air grew thinner, Blueblood found himself feeling woozy and unable to think clearly. But his ear was pressed up against a stomach wall, and he heard voices, especially a deep one that reverberated around him.

"Terra, are you alright?"
"Praetura! What did you just do?!"
"I protected you! He was threatening you and I heard you two fighting."
"I appreciate that, but you don't even realize who you've just swallowed!!"
"We'll settle this soon enough. Come on..."

Blueblood heard no more as he began to black out. But the last thing he thought as well as uttered was a single word that resonated with familiarity.

"Terra..."

Author's Note

This arc is dedicated to my friend, Secretly Yordle whose OCs Terra and Praetura make their debut in my story

Glam Gold's name was inspired by the Ducktales villain Glomgold, and his cutie-mark is similar to this picture but envision the barrel as golden instead of black while the oil drop is still black

396. Crystal Quest - Epilogue

Somewhere, far from the Crystal Empire, and clear away from the Frozen North, in a hidden location, Pharynx set up an array of four scarabs. Once that was done, he activated them, causing the scarabs to open their wings and release a crossing of beams that formed the image of Queen Chrysalis, looking eager.

"Ah, Pharynx, I was wondering when I'd hear from you."

"Your Majesty," Pharynx bowed his head respectfully, "we've left the Frozen North after completing the mission, but I'm afraid... we lost six changelings. The hybrid got out of control and turned against us..."

"Regrettable, but as long as the objective was fulfilled," Chrysalis ho-hum'd, not at all concerned with the loss of a few drones. She could always just make more, after all.

Pharynx couldn't help but tense up as his guts boiled with anger at her "oh well" attitude, dismissing the loss of their brethren like they'd never mattered as long as Chrysalis got what she wanted, and recalling what Thorax had said about her.

As if sensing Pharynx's umbrage, Chrysalis then lit up her eyes with a menacing green, "The objective was reached, yes...?"

"It was my queen, the Bug has been activated," Pharynx assured quickly, nervous of his queen's temper. "Operation Fly on the Wall... is a go."

Chrysalis closed her eyes to focus... and sneered with satisfaction, "Ah, my wayward daughter... Mommy has missed you!"

In her room in the Crystal Castle, Elytra whimpered in her sleep as the bracelet with a butterfly charm on it glowed green on her tiny hoof.

Author's Note

A special thanks to AstralFlare42 for his OC Astral Flare and for helping in the making of this arc :twilightsmile:

409. Roll of the Dice - Part 3

The intrepid adventurers' journey had finally led them to their destination. As they stood at the crest of a large hill, they had the perfect view of the valley before them, surrounded by small mountain peaks, and filled with a thick and imperceptible fog, dreary and chilling, even from a distance.

"This must be it..." Jin Fuu commented.
"This was once Dream Valley, a beautiful place of natural wonder," Garbunkle said sadly, "and somewhere in there is the lost Dream Castle, where the royal family of Ponyland once lived... until a terrible darkness befell the kingdom and all were forced to flee for their lives. Some didn't make it out, and it's been said that any who ventured in there never emerged again..."
"And somewhere in there is the object of our quest, the Wand of Rule," noted Orion.
"Eeyup," MacBiggun nodded heavily.

"Brrr! Even from here, I can sense an ominous cold emanating from the valley," Jin Fuu shuddered.

"I sense it too," Orion furrowed his brows. "We may very well be going to our doom."

"Listen..." All eyes turned to Garbunkle who looked solemn and fearful, "I know that I asked of you all to undertake this quest with me, but when it comes down to it, this really isn't your concern whether or not Princess Majesty obtains the Wand or not. I will not think ill of you if you wish to turn back. This is my mission, I will not risk anyone else's lives-"

"Oh give it a rest," Orion interjected, but gave Garbunkle a friendly smirk. "We are here because you need our help, and we all agreed to aid you in this quest. Do not sully our honor by trying to go forth alone, we will not hear of it."
"Orion is correct," Jin Fuu agreed, "Honor demands we hold true to our oath to aid you in this quest."
" Eeyup, an' t' walk away now would be a black mark on our honor," MacBiggun stated, "an' we refuse t' live wit' such disgrace on our consciences."

Garbunkle regarded the ranger, the knight, and the monk each with gratitude, admiration, and even a sense of joy. He no longer saw these brave warriors as just adventurers he'd hired. They were his friends, and he felt honored to stand alongside them.

"Very well.. then come, adventurers!" Garbunkle pointed his staff straight for the misty way ahead, "Let us sally forth and claim whatever fortune and glory awaits us!"

"Heheh, great words, Spike!" chuckled Midnight.
"Heeyeah! Your roleplaying is so passionate, you got me believing it!" added Thunderlane.
"Eeyup," smiled Macintosh.

"Haha, thanks guys," Spike got all bashful, "I'm just really having fun with you guys."

"Well, this'll be your greatest challenge yet!" Sunburst promised with a challenging smirk, "For this coming adversity requires keenness of mind, not bruteness of muscle!"

"Is 'bruteness' a word?" commented Midnight from the peanut gallery.

"Moving on...!" Sunburst cleared his throat, "As our unwavering heroes ventured into the fog-enshrouded Dream Valley, they soon find, they are not alone..."

The band of heroes had made their way down the hill and were now braving the shrouded environment, the chill in the air penetrating their skins all the way to the marrow of their bones.

"Ah think we've reached th' valley floor," MacBiggun spoke in a soft voice.

"Can you believe this fog?" asked Garbunkle. He'd tried a spell to light their way, only for his light to sputter out. "It's definitely not natural, I can feel it dampening my magic..."

"It's like having on a blindfold," agreed Orion. "Even my echolocation doesn't work here."

"Stand fast, something moves ahead!" Jin Fuu warned, and they all raised their guard as they look forward.

Though the fog was thick and blinding, they could still make out shapes, such as the trees... and something moving between them. The shapes moved so softly they almost didn't hear them at all. They heard a low and dreary moaning coming from all around them, and they knew they were surrounded. They stood back to back, as Orion readied an arrow, "What're they waiting for? They're just standing there!"

"Ah don' know, but wer' outnumbered," MacBiggun pointed out, raising his sword and shield.

"Maybe, although..." Jin Fuu couldn't help but feel a strange sadness coming from these unseen figures all around them, "I feel as though they mean us no harm."

"Wait, something's coming!" Garbunkle pointed, and they heard hoofsteps approaching them, the faceless figures making way as a tall and cloaked figure, a horn extending from a hole in the brim of their hood, lighting a harsh and creepy purple light.

"So my eyes don't deceive me! At long last, something interesting comes along," spoke a voice unmistakable female with a velvety tone that oozed with a subtle malice. "I can't even remember when last we had company..."

The heroes all tensed at this newcomer, but she continued to speak, "Pay no mind to the others, they're only interested in feeling the warmth of your life.

"Friends, you are most welcome to Nightmare Valley," the figure welcomed with a show of curtsy and a creepy tone of anticipation, "you really can't imagine what a pleasure it is to have you here."

"So who are you, if I may be so bold as to ask?" Garbunkle inquired carefully.

"Why, I am the Ruler of Nightmare Valley, of course," the figure answered, "and you are here to steal my Wand, if I'm not mistaken."

The heroes tensed, expecting a confrontation after such a subtle (yet accurate) accusation, but the figure ho-hum'd "But that's no matter. I kindly invite you to my castle, where we can match wits with a little game! Should you be so fortunate as to win, you have my word that you can have the wand. Right this way...!"

She turned and began to walk away, leaving the heroes hesitant.

"What kind of game could this stranger be talking about?" Orion wondered aloud.
"No idea, but Ah s'pose we oughta follow her," MacBiggun suggested, and they so, reluctantly

They followed the figure deeper and deeper into the misty shrouds of Dream- Or perhaps rather, Nightmare Valley, and after a short walk, the fog thinned just enough for them to see they were approaching the front gates of a large and imposing castle. They gasped and awed as they got closer, and Garbunkle whispered, "Could this be...?"

"Impressive, isn't it?" bragged the cloaked female with a subtle yet imperious tone. "A palace fit for a queen! A Nightmare Palace, that is..."

As if responding to the evil being's words, four monstrous creatures appeared! One was red and looked like an angry bull, snorting fire. Another was a long and thick green serpent, winding around as it flicked its long forked tongue in a conspiring manner. A third yellow, appearing as a cowering cat, hissing and spitting pathetically. The fourth a dreary blue bat, flapping woefully and just barely keeping itself aloft.

The heroes all tensed and readied their weapons again, assuming they'd been led into an ambush, but the cloaked figure chuckled darkly and assured, "Oh put those toys away, these are just my pets! They protect me and keep me company, and you will come to adore them as I do. I even have such lovely names for them.

"Fear, Sorrow, Anger, and Treachery."

"Lovely's not the word I would use..." Jin Fuu commented.

"Hahaha, I adore games and riddles, you see, as well as humor," the female spoke smugly, "Even the names of my pets are rather ironic. They all have one of the faults I mentioned but none of them possess the fault for which they are named.

"Fear is not fearful, Anger is not angry, Treachery is not treacherous, neither is Sorrow, and of course Sorrow is not sorry."

Out of nowhere, the yellow pet lashed out at the blue one, leading to a vicious display of intimidation from both of them, causing the female to raise her voice as though she were a scolding mother, "Calm down, children. Don't make me punish you in front of our esteemed guests."

Almost at once, the two pets calmed and stopped glaring and growling at each other before they sauntered back to their mistress's side.

"It's interesting. the fearful one and the treacherous one are afraid of Sorrow. Though they typically get along, they do get into hissy fits from time to time. Their frustrations eventually boil over and they can't help but erupt. However, Fear almost killed the sorry one over some dinner scraps of all things, hahahaha..."

The cloaked mare ventured in, her pets following, and it was a long moment before the heroes, sharing looks of apprehension before they all nodded and entered the belly of the beast. Inside, they found themselves following a long entry hall behind the cloaked mare and her monsters, as she bitterly stated, "Once upon a time, I was a lady with no equal, beholden to no one, and all adored me as their beloved, but it was by the malice and treachery of others that I lost everything!

"I was driven away from my home, and shunned by all whom I begged for help," the mare spoke bitterly and with a vengeful tone, but then it changed, "Alone and in despair, I took refuge in a forgotten ruin. It was there, at my lowest point, I discovered a power that had been buried away by those too weak and cowardly to embrace it. But I was not so pathetic! No... I accepted all that this power had to offer, and I came to a realization: Light had betrayed me, but Darkness would empower me beyond any force in this world!

"I welcomed this power into my soul, and with it I chose to take what had been owed to me! I descended upon Dream Valley and drove out the wicked ponies who had ruined and shunned me, and transformed this place into my own dominion, the Nightmare Valley! I rule all within this valley, and my subjects will languish in my domain forever... They may waste away and fade in their never-ending nightmares, but they will never cease to exist. This is their fate for all they did to wrong me, and some of them were once like you..." she peered over her shoulder and they saw her face for the first time, not clearly, but still.

She was a mare, unicorn obviously, her coat, judging by her face, was a gloomy gray-blue, and her eyes, sharply glaring with the burning gleam of molten gold, as she said, "They came looking to claim the Wand of Rule!"

The heroes all tensed again, but now they saw the mare and her pets standing before some tall double doors, "But now for some fun, it's time to begin the game!"

At her words, the doors opened, a bright light blinding them for a moment, before they saw what was inside, the mare all a giddy, "I just love this room, it's my favorite in the whole palace!"

The room was merely a modest yet fine-looking library, with comfortable furniture, floor-to-ceiling bookcases crammed with books, as well as scrolls and other written works, there was a carved coffee table, paintings, and other furnishings. But on the other side, opposite of them... was a smaller room, containing a pedestal, upon which stood what they had come for, the Wand of Rule!

"Please, come in, you are going to enjoy this," the mare said with delicious anticipation as she gestured to the wand, "I believe this is what you came for...?"

The heroes all gasped and approached the little room which contained the wand, only to find their way blocked by an invisible wall!

"Should you succeed in matching wits with me, the wand will be yours to claim," the mare proposed, even as MacBiggun began trying to break the invisible wall, which felt like glass yet it didn't give, not even a crack.
"It's no use, my friends! That wall is composed of pure magic, it cannot be forced open. The only way it will open is if you can win the game."

"So we just win and then the wand is ours?" Orion gathered, obviously not buying it. "You'll forgive me if I don't take you at your word."

"Those are the rules and I don't cheat!" the mare snapped but kept her composure.

"An' wha' happens if'n we lose?" MacBiggun was almost afraid to ask, but he knew there was a risk.

"Then you all become mine to keep..." the mare answered with ominous delight and a fiendish smile as she relished in the sounds of their subdued gasps, "like all who have attempted to outwit me, you shall remain here, forever trapped in your own heads, fading away as you caught in a nightmare from which you will never awaken! You will be doomed to wander the mists of Nightmare Valley, eternally living a nightmare!"

Gasping, Garbunkle realized, "You mean we'd wind up like those figures outside?!"

"Exactly..." the mare sneered before challenging, "So will you play or will you run away?"

"Of course we'll play and we'll beat you at your own game!" Orion responded boldly.

"Orion!" Garbunkle gasped worriedly.
"Shouldn't we discuss this?!" Jin Fuu added.

"There's no other choice," Orion said to them, "Princess Majesty is counting on us to bring her the Wand of Rule. Besides, if we put our heads together, surely we can beat whatever game this hag has in store for us."

"Heheheh, I admire your confidence, you impudent colt..." the mare sneered again as she began to leave, "So be it! The game is to find a single word, and you have until the clock strikes six for the break of dawn. If you are still here and haven't opened the door to the Wand by then, you will lose, and become mine forever... Find the correct word and the door will open, sparing you from this fate. That word just so happens to be my name..."

"Wait, so we just gotta figure out your name? That's all the game is?" Garbunkle was perplexed.

"That's all there is to it..." the mare replied, but in a 'not telling' tone of teasing, as she made for the doorway. "All the clues to the riddle are in this room, but you must find the first clue before you can proceed. In a way, it's hidden, but in another it is as obvious as the tip of your nose. As for the rest of the clues, well, I'm sure you're smart enough to figure it out... Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm in need of my beauty sleep. I'll return when the time runs out, so best of luck... hahahahahahha!!"

The doors closed shut with a heavy bang, leaving the four heroes to the game.

"Is this really the final challenge, Sunburst?" Midnight's question caused all eyes to turn to their game master, and Sunburst nodded.

"Yeah, it's right here in the rulebook," Sunburst held up the page, "The 'Quest for the Wand of Rule', it leads to a final challenge involving a riddle! But no peeking for spoilers."

"Alright, fine, I guess I was just expecting something more... you know," Midnight shrugged.

"Oh don't you worry," Sunburst assured with a raised brow, "This'll be much more challenging than you expect... back to the game!"

Hours had passed, and the advneturers were getting nowhere. MacBiggun was busy searching the room for clues while Garbunkle and Orion looked through the books and Jin Fuu was meditating, as though the answer would just come to him.

"Oh, it's useless..." Orion sighed woefully as he tried the next novel, "the answer could be anywhere in anyone of these books!"

"Rgh, maybe we could break through th' door," suggested MacBiggun after looking behind a painting.

"No, we definitely can't do that," Garbunkle interjected, "too risky."

"What do you mean?" asked Orion.

"There is an ancient enchantment on the Wand of Rule that makes it so it cannot be taken through violence or deceit," explained Garbunkle as he gazed over to it, their prize just beyond a invisible wall of magic.
"Misfortune befalls whoever takes the Wand without honor."

"But we'd be takin' it fer th' good o' Ponyland an' t' help Princess Majesty," debated the knight, "Ah mean, how could tha' not be honorable?"

"Even if we could just take it without some enchantment punishing us, I fear the witch or whatever she is spoke plainly when she said it was impossible to try to steal it," Jin Fuu finally came out of his meditation.

"We're just gonna have to figure this out, and quickly," Orion said with a glance at the nearby grandfather clock, "Dawn is less than an hour away!"

"Well, let's stop searching in a rush and just think," Garbunkle said after setting the books aside and gave it a real think, "She said the first clue is hidden yet it's as obvious as the tips of our noses."

"Well, t' look at th' tip o' yer own nose..." MacBiggun pondered before his eyes caught sight of something, "Aha! Tha's it! Ya need a mirror t' see the tip o' yer nose!"

The four of them gathered in front of a large oval-shaped mirror standing in the corner, Orion saying, "Well, I'm looking, but all I see are our reflections."

"There must be something more to this..." Jin Fuu reached up to touch the looking glass, and they all shied back when his touch caused the mirror to shine, its glass rippling like liquid, until it settled and they gasped to see words!

"Look at that!" Orion exclaimed and he read the words:

"My secret name awaits within
The first, the first of Treachery's sin
The second is of the Sorry one's flaw
The third, inverted, brings bad luck to you all
The fourth can come from feeling Blue
The last, you Fear from those around you
Watch your step in this puzzling dance
The first and last, your only chance"

"It's a riddle!" exclaimed MacBiggun.

"This is a big clue!" Garbunkle smiled hopefully, "It tells us the witch's name is made up of five letters."

"So then, the first line states the first letter is Treachery's sin," Jin Fuu brought up, "It must refer to the pet!"

"Ah'm guessing 'T' would be kinda on th' nose there," deadpanned MacBiggun as he rubbed his chin. "So then...?"

"Remember though, she said the pets don't have the flaw they're named after," Orion reminded them, "Which means it's either fear, anger, or sorrow."

"Rrgh! This is givin' me a headache! Let's lookit th' next line!" grumbled MacBiggun and they took another look:

The second is of the Sorry one's flaw

"I guess it means the pet that's sorry, but that would mean it's not Sorrow," Garbunkle gathered. "Still a head-scratcher there..."

"What about the third one?" Jin Fuu pointed it out:

The third, inverted, brings bad luck to you all

"It doesn't sound like it refers to any of the pets," Jin Fuu pondered, "It sounds like something... superstitious, familiar even!"

"Huh, it does feel like it's ringing a bell," Orion agreed. "I could swear I've heard of something like that, something inverted that brings bad luck?"

"Huh! Ain't no such thing as luck `cept th' luck you make yerself," MacBiggun waved his hoof in a dismissive manner, and as he did so, Garbunkle caught sight of something ansd he gasped in realization!

"Wait! That's it!" All eyes turned to the wizard as Garbunkle grabbed MacBiggun's hoof and showed it to them, "That's what the clue is talking about, a horseshoe!"

"Oh right! When you invert a horseshoe, as in you turn it upside-down, it becomes a symbol for bad luck!" Orion remembered.

"That's right, but when you turn it right-side up," Garbunkle pointed out, "it becomes a symbol for good luck."

"So then... th' third letter is 'H' fer horseshoe?" MacBiggun asked, still a bit puzzled.

"No! When a horseshoe turned right-side up" Garbunkle explained, "It looks like...?"

He smiled as he waved his claw in an inviting gesture and that was when they all go it, "U!"

"Exactly! The third letter in the name is the letter U!" Garbunkle pulled out a parchment from his magic bag and wrote down five lines, with U in the middle:

_ _ U _ _

"Yeah! We're on a roll now!" Orion smiled, as did his friends.

"Now, back to the second one," Jin Fuu suggested, "the clue refers to the Sorry one's flaw. But as we know, the pets don't have the flaw they're named after, so the Sorry one can't be Sorrow."

"Let's think about everything the witch said about her pets," Orion suggested before he took a moment to remember and then quoted, "'It's interesting. the fearful one and the treacherous one are afraid of Sorrow. Though they typically get along, they do get into hissy fits from time to time.' Judging by that, Sorrow can't be fearful or treacherous."

"And since they're not what their name is, Sorrow isn't sorry either," Jin Fuu reiterated.

"Which means we're left with one fault, Sorrow is angry!" Garbunkle declared with a big smile and he took his parchment to add another letter, "so the second letter must be A!"

_ A U _ _

"Ah'm surprised th' witch gave us such a big clue," MacBiggun brought up, "but Ah guess since she said it like she were jus' shootin' th' breeze she din' think we'd remember it or somethin'."

"Wait! She said something else, that Fear almost destroyed the sorry one," Orion remembered.

"So that means Fear can't be sorry, and it can't be fearful either" Jin Fuu gathered, "and we already know Sorrow is the angry one. So applying the same logic as before... that must mean Fear is treacherous!"

"That leaves us with Anger and Treachery," Garbunkle brought up. "So if Fear is treacherous, and Sorrow is angry..."

"Tha' means Anger's gotta be sorry!" MacBiggun pointed out before bringing up, "An' remember the riddle? It said th' fourth letter is somethin' ya feel when yer feelin' blue. Sorry!"

"Great work, MacBiggun!" Garbunkle wrote it onto his parchment:

_ A U S _

"So then the last pet, Treachery, has to be fearful, since it's the only remaining fault left," Orion stated. "'The first, the first of Treachery's sin'! It's F!"

F A U S _

"And the last clue, 'The last, you Fear from those around you'," Jin Fuu brought up, "It's referring to the pet as well, and Fear is treacherous, which means..."

An ominous chill fell over the four heroes as the final letter spelled it out for them.

F A U S T

"Wait, the name of the witch is...?!" Garbunkle couldn't bring himself to say it, so the others did.

"FAUST?!" They spoke in flabbergasted disbelief.

"Impossible!" MacBiggun refuted.
"I don't believe it!" Jin Fuu was shocked.
"The witch is... the Holy Mother of Ponykind, the Lady Faust?!" Orion couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Ain't no way tha's true!" MacBiggun protested with a stamp of his hoof. "Th' Lady Faust represents everythang good, pure, an' decent in this world!"
"Not only that, this mare claimed she was betrayed and robbed of everything she had," Orion agreed. "The Church of Faust has had some contentions, but no one has ever dared to desecrate Her places of worship."

But as if to argue, a strange sensation washed over them all, like breeze laced with static, and they looked to the small room where the Wand of Rule was, and the invisible wall of magic gleamed before it shattered into ethereal fragments of mana that tinkled as they touched the floor before dissipating into fading motes of energy and faded away.

The way was clear, the Wand of Rule was theirs for the taking.

They stood up from the furniture they'd been sitting on while figuring out the riddle, and Garbunkle said, "But... if we didn't get the right answer, why did the door open?"

"I... I don't know," Orion didn't want to believe what he was even considering.

"Even if tha' is Lady Faust, it ain't anymore," MacBiggun declared bitterly, "Now she's just a monster... a witch who overthrew an' cursed a good kingdom an' its people."

They moved to stand in front of the little room, which held their prize, when they heard the doors behind them open and they turned to see her again, and she wasn't alone.

"Well done, brave ones, you found the correct answer," the witch chuckled, her manner oozing with a smug cruelty, as she stood behind her monstrous pets. "So do tell, were you surprised to learn you stand before a deity?"

They all tensed but did nothing as the witch continued to vaunt, "You are a rare breed, my friends. I can't tell you how many foolish and so-called 'heroes' struggled in despair to solve my little game, only to be reduced to groveling cowards when they failed to find the right answer in time. The sight of them blubbering and pleading for mercy was delicious...! But it's the terror they constantly live with after I take them that fills me so satisfactorily.

"To tell you the truth, only one other has ever managed to solve my riddle and determine my name! I've all but forgotten him however, it was so long ago, before any of you were born, I'd wager. He found the truth to be so unbearable, so repugnant, that he refused to enter the room and claim his prize. Standing where you are now, he told me that his cause, whatever that may have been, would have nothing to do with something that had been 'tainted' by my touch... He stormed out of here, cursing me with every step. What a fool he was, had he swallowed his pathetic pride he might have saved this valley and restored it to the way it was before I took it over!

Garbunkle's eyes widened as he recalled something back from when he was still a sorcerer's apprentice, when the witch, claiming to be Faust, asked, "So what about you? Will you collect your prize or will you also run away in disgust, now that you know who I really am?"

Orion, MacBiggun, and Jin Fuu turned their gazes to Garbunkle, who clenched his fist onto his staff before raising his head and declaring, "Run away? We have no reason to run away! You promised us if we beat your game then the wands is ours!"

"Indeed I did, little wizard," the witch sneered, "So let us conclude our business...

"Fear!" The green serpent hissed viciously.

"Sorrow!" The red bull bellowed as it prepared to charge.

"Anger!" The blue bat screeched in malcontent.

"Treachery!" The yellow cat snarled, on the verge of panic.

"Oh no!" Jin Fuu raised his hooves, ready to defend himself.

"You lied to us!" Garbunkle accused as he prepared to cast a spell.

"I did nothing of the sort," the witch tut-tutted with fiendish glee, "I said... if you win the game you could claim the wand! I never said I would permit safe departure... Devil's in the details~!

"ATTACK, MY PETS!!!"

The wretched creatures all charged, each hero facing off against one: Jin Fuu faced the serpentine Fear. MacBiggun defended himself from the raging Sorrow. Orion took to the air while avoiding the miserable Anger. Garbunkle stood against the fur-raised and arch-backed Treachery.

MacBiggun used his shield to hold off Sorrow's horns, hooves, and snorting fire, the monster's assault so violet the knight couldn't even raise his sword to strike back.

Orion found Anger to be a tricky opponent, as the wretched bat flew so randomly the ranger couldn't get a good shot to fire his arrow, and he kept having to avoid Anger's claws whenever it got too close.

Jin Fuu had to stay on the move as Fear kept striking at him with its hissing fangs, and lashing out with its long tail, trying to ensnare the monk in its coils.

Treachery was shaking with the verge of panic, and Garbunkle was afraid of what would happen when the cat finally lost its nerve, so he had a shield spell at the ready. A good thing too, as Treachery finally let out a caterwaul before it pounced in a flurry of panicking claw swipes.

"Shirudo!" Garbunkle raised his staff, the jewel glowing as he was surrounded in a bubble of protective mana, upon which Treachery's claws found no purchase yet it continued to spit and slash as though it would not calm down until the little wizard was dead.

"Urgh!" These monsters're tough!" MacBiggun grunted as he tried to push Sorrow back, but the beastly bull didn't give an inch.

"Even one wrong move and they could overwhelm us!" Jin Fuu added as he dodged another strike from Fear's fangs.

"Hahahahaha, I'm afraid you are no match for my beloved pets!" the so-called Faust mocked, "All of you will join my little family of restless dreamers, your own nightmares feeding my power, forever..."

"Hold on!" Orion yelled as Anger finally caught up to him, but he used his bow to hold the bat off from snapping at his face, as he was pinned to the wall, "You've had the Wand of Rule this entire time, so why did you never use it?! Enforce your rule or extend your territory?!"

"Hahaha, it wasn't up to me," the witch scoffed, "The Wand of Rule is tied to the royal bloodline that once lived here, unless the true heir forsakes the Wand. For anyone else, so long as it is acquired honorably, it can be a source of great power. But if obtained out of greed or ill-will, it afflicts a curse of misfortune and misery..."

"But if you knew that, didn't you fear the Wand would do the same to you?" Garbunkle asked as he kept his shield spell up, denying Treachery its desire to sink its claws and fangs into the wizard.

"I FEAR NO SUCH THING!!!" the witch barked as though she'd been insulted, "The Forces of Nightmare granted me the power I needed to take this valley, this castle, and the wand! I chose to use the wand as bait for any so brazen as to challenge my power instead of using the wand directly, because I was not tempted by it! I am immune to its powers for I am the rightful ruler of its kingdom by conquest!"

"You're not immune, you're a fool!" Orion retorted as he pushed Anger off and finally managed to shoot an arrow at the creature, though he only managed to pierce its wing. "The Wand's punishment afflicts you even now!

"Can't you see he's right!?" Jin Fuu timed it just right... and threw a chi-empowered punch straight into Fear's face when the serpent tried to strike him, breaking off one of its fangs as it reared its head back in pain.
"Living alone in this haunted valley you attacked, surrounding yourself with these monsters and the victims you cursed into an endless trance?! Sounds like a punishment perfectly fitting of your crimes!"

"SILENCE!!" screamed the witch, "I live in this palace as a queen! A GODDESS!!!!"

"Yer no goddess, an' Ah don' think yer Faust either!" MacBiggun finally got an opportunity to suckerpunch Sorrow, stunning the bull with a smash of his shield to its face before lopping off one of its horns.
"Yer just a bitter ol' mare being used by evil magic! It's gotcha so crazy, ya can' even see it in th' mirror!"

"NO!! YOU'VE GOT IT BACKWARDS!! I am in control of these powers... I AM ALL-POWERFUL!!!" the witch screamed as her cloak finally flew off, revealing her form.

She was a unicorn mare, as they'd suspected, wearing a gown of silk over her dreary blue coat, her mane was dismay like old cobwebs, and she wore a medallion bearing a frightening eye, with four jewels on it, red, blue, yellow, and green, which glowed in response to her outrage. This in turn seemed to cause the pets to all glow as well, and the heroes gasped to see the monsters grow in size and their wounds were healed.

They cried out in alarm as the pets finally broke through their defenses, Fear finally getting its coils around Jin Fuu and putting the squeeze on him. Sorrow knocked away MacBiggun's sword and shield, and pinned him against the wall with its horns. Anger's wings knocked Orion's bow out of his grasp before the bat launched itself and pinned him to the floor. Treachery's claws finally tore through Garbunkle's shield spell, and cornered him.

"I consider myself a patient mare... but I will not tolerate such insolence from peasants!" the witch seethed as she approached Garbunkle. "Make this easier on yourselves and surrender, wizard! The game is over..."

"The situation is dire... the witch has the upper hoof! There is only one chance left! Roll a 19 or 20, and you may find the means to triumph! Any lower, and you are doomed..."

"I'm calling it, I invoke the Luck buff of my Gilded Four-Leaf Clover talisman! It increases the odds in my favor by a factor of 1 to 4! Depending on this roll here..."

*Dice Roll results in lucky number 7*

"Not bad, so in accordance to that roll, your odds increase, and now your fate depends on a fifty-fifty chance! Roll an 11 or higher, and you may yet win! 10 or lower, and it's over..."

"C'mon, Spike, you can do it...!"
"It's all you, little drake!"
"Eeyup!"

"Okay, here goes nothing! Or everything...!"

The twenty-sided die rolled, every impact on the game board quaked with dread, with suspense, with butt-clenching, teeth-grinding, eye-bulging anticipation as the gamers and game master followed the die's every single move! Finally, it stopped rolling, but it span, slowing, slowing... until finally, it fell over.

And the result was...

"LUCKY NUMBER 13!!!!

Just as all seemed lost, it was then Garbunkle noticed the witch's medallion, and recalled how its jewels had so intensely radiated before the pets had all been empowered, and he realized, That's it!

Pointing his staff directly at the witch and her medallion, he mustered as much power as he could before casting the spell, "INFERNOX...!"

Exploding from the jewel of Garbunkle's staff came a mystic flame of intense blue, brilliant emerald, and ominous indigo! Following the intent and focus of Garbunkle, the Spellfyre went directly for the witch's medallion, and she screamed in alarm as it was set ablaze. In her panic, she ripped it off and threw it away from herself, only to realize her folly a split-second later and was stupefied to see her precious medallion was burned so intensely that despite being made of precious metal and gemstones nothing was left after the flames burnt themselves out. Not even ashes.

"Wha... what- I-! What have I...?! What have you done?!" the witch whimpered in abject terror, feeling a cold dread wash over her as her pets stopped attacking the heroes... and all turned their fearsome gazes at her.
"What're you all doing?! Don't just sit there, destroy them!"

Fear, Sorrow, Anger, and Treachery ignored the words of their former mistress as they all glared and growled at her, their eyes burning with unforgiving hate, before they began to approach her...

"What do you think you're doing?! I am your mistress! I AM YOUR QUEEN, YOU MUST OBEY ME! Stay back, BACK I SAY!! EERRRAAAUUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!" the witch screamed as the monsters all pounced and began to tear at her, even as their bodies began to pale and seemed to give off a sickly haze. Since they were bumping and knocking into each other, they began to fight amongst themselves, completely missing the witch, whose gown was torn and her face and withers raked with bleeding claw marks, as she crawled out from underneath.

"P-Please! Help me, I've lost control!" she whimpered pathetically.

"The monsters are dying!" Garbunkle yelled to his friends, "Without her medallion they no longer have her power to sustain them! We can finish them off!"

"Let's do it!" Orion threw one of his knives to Jin Fuu to use while he raised his bow and readied an arrow, and MacBiggun raised his sword, and Garbunkle cast another spell, manifesting a blade of energy at the top of his staff, as though it were a spear.

"TOGETHER!!!" the four heroes declared and let out the fiercest battle cries as they attacked!

Jin Fuu lopped off Fear's head, its serpentine body left squirming its death throes.

MacBiggun stabbed his sword straight into Sorrow's chest, the bull letting out agonized bellows as it keeled over.

Orin shot a perfectly aimed arrow straight between Anger's eyes, causing the leather-winged fiend to drop dead.

Garbunkle speared Treachery through the gut, the scaredy-cat yowling as it gave in.

The heroes backed away, and gasped as the monsters' bodies all turned to iridescent dust that faded away into nothing, and Garbunkle realized aloud, "They weren't her pets, they were her flaws given shape and form! She must have used her nightmare magic to manifest her fear, sorrow, anger, and treachery as metaphysical monsters."

"Th-that's right..." They all turned and saw the witch, whimpering in the corner, looking despondent and pathetic, tears running down her face, her eyes wide with horror... and remorse?
"The nightmares... the nightmares! They never stopped, every single time when I fell asleep to the point I dreaded just closing my eyes! I created those manifestations... to rid myself of the nightmares! But I found I could only sustain them... by taking victims and subjecting them to endless nightmares of their own, the fear feeding those wretched things!"

"Who are you?" Garbunkle asked, sounding a little sympathetic. "You're not really Faust..."

The witch- No, the mare shuddered as she gave the heroes a look of deepest shame, and said with clear self-loathing, "I lied, I am not Faust. I am no goddess nor am I queen, of anyone or anything. I'm just a worthless wretch who gave into a false promise and was driven mad with hate and bitterness. I was telling the truth before, though. Once, I was a noblemare, wealthy, admired, and beloved by my people, and I loved them!

"But then my downfall came in the form of a handsome prince... He wooed me and though I tried to dissuade and deny him, it wasn't long before he had won my heart. Before long, I fell head over hooves in love! Or rather, I believed I was in love... My prince became my everything, I lost interest in what was going on outside my manse. I accepted his wedding proposal, and in the hall of my old mansion we were married. That was when my beautiful dream turning into a horrific nightmare...

"My husband revealed his true colors on our wedding night, and used his power as royalty to seize my wealth and my land, he stripped me of my titles, and cast me out of my own home, divorcing me for good measure! It was then I finally saw what he had done to my people! While he'd kept me distracted with his flattering, smoozing, and courting, he'd subject my people to outrageous taxes, seized properties, and forced my people out of their homes, doing it all in my name! I begged my friends and neighbors for help to stop my former husband, but I had lost the love and respect of the ponies whose lives and rights I had been tasked with protecting, and I had failed so miserably..."

"Wait..." Orion gasped in realization, "I've heard of you! You're Lady Oneighra, of the House of Morpheus! The Morpheus family was once a noble house that, out of nowhere, was dissolved by the royal family, who claimed Morpheus had defrauded one of their princes, so they were punished by their house being dismantled, their wealth and lands seized, and the family members were either imprisoned or cast out with nothing!"

Gasping at Orion's words, the mare, Oneighra, tearfully confirmed, "That is correct... I failed my people, because I was hoodwinked by an ill-minded prince who claimed to love me, but only brought me utter ruin and shame... That's why, when I discovered the Book of Nightmares, I turned my eye upon the royal family of Dream Valley, for it was one of them that had ruined my life and the lives of my family and my people! I took their kingdom, their castle, and I did indeed tried to wield the Wand of Rule, believing it would make my conquest legitimate... but now I realize, the Wand rejected me and its punishment intermingled with the evil magicks I had foolishly immersed myself into...."

"That may be so..."

Everyone gasped and turned to the doors and saw a tall white alicorn with a mane of royal blue, cream white, and lovely lilac, her cutie-mark a burst of blue stars, and she wore an elegant crown above her brow.

"Princess Majesty!" Garbunkle immediately knelt in respect, and the others followed suit. Only Oneighra did nothing, except gape in shameful horror at the sudden appearance of the true and rightful heir to Dream Castle.

"Rise, my brave heroes, and be at ease," Princess Majesty bade them kindly. "Forgive my sudden appearance, but earlier I sensed the evil magicks over my ancestral home had finally been undone, and came as quickly as I could using a magic mirror that allowed me to travel through its looking glass and emerge in an identical mirror here in the castle.

"It brings great joy to my heart to finally walk the halls of my true home, and that would not have been possible had it not been for your courage and your dedication to see this quest triumphant. But now, I must make amends to this one who was so terribly wronged by a member of my family."

Majesty approached Oneighra, who shied at her presence, but felt her heart ease by the warm and kind smile on the princess's face... and the sadness in her amethyst purple eyes, and was astounded when Princess Majesty bowed to her!

"Words cannot express the sorrow I feel for how my granduncle so wickedly tricked you," the princess spoke, her voice laced with shame and tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
"His actions painted a black mark on our family history, and that disgrace will never be forgotten by us. Lady Oneighra, you have done great evil but all of that never would have been had you never been wronged by my granduncle, whose crimes were discovered after you took over Dream Valley, and he was stripped of his titles, rights, and sentenced to life in prison. The coward instead took his own life rather than accept his deserved punishment with dignity, for he had no honor...

"In spite of all you've done, I wish to make right the wrongs done to you, and to start, I ask you this: Lady Oneighra... will you accept my friendship?"

The princess offered her hoof to Oneighra, who was utterly speechless, and the four heroes watched in anticipation, before finally, Oneighra broke into tears. Tears of remorse, tears of joy, tears of relief, and she did not resist when Princess Majesty took the unicorn into her embrace, and gave her a warm hug that she clearly needed.

After a while, Princess Majesty took Oneighra to another room, using a spell to give her her first good night's sleep in many years, before she returned to the library and regarded Garbunkle and his band of heroes.

"By your actions, Dream Valley has been freed of the evil that has haunted it for so long, and for that you all have my deepest gratitude. I name you all Friends of Dream Valley, and you will always have a home here should ever you need a roof over your heads and a warm meal to fill your bellies. Garbunkle the Wizard, Orion the Ranger, Sir MacBiggun the Knight, and Jin Fuu the Monk, I declare your quest over and victorious! Congratulations!"

"WHOOO!!!" "YEAH!" "That was awesome!" "Great game, everypony!"

"And I hope you'll be ready for our next campaign!" Sunburst warned them, "Just wait till you find out of the Nightmare Forces that originally corrupted Oneighra."

Then they heard a distant sound of opening doors, "Midnight! Spike? We're back!"

Midnight's ears perked happily at the sound of his wife's voice, "Oh! Sounds like the girls have come back from Yakyakistan."

"Eeyup, better go an' see muh `Shy," Macintosh got up from the table, "First thing's she's gonna wanna do is see our foals."

"And I wanna talk to AJ about a recipe we discussed," Thunderlane got up too.

"Great game, guys, same time next week?" Midnight asked, and they all affirmed they'd be there and started for the doors to the entry hall.

"But next time I'm game master."
"That's fine, I wanna play with my own character next campaign. Maybe a priest? A druid? Or perhaps a Tinkerer..."

424. Old Burns - Part 4

The burning pain that had wracked his body slowly abated as Midnight lay upon the ground while Twilight cast her healing spell upon him. It had taken over an hour before the pain even started to recede, but finally, after almost two hours, Midnight could move without even the slightest movement igniting a stinging burn of agony he'd felt.

"Oh... thank you, Twily," Midnight sighed in relief as he sat up and carefully measured the aches and stings leftover. "I can manage now, but I think I'll be feeling this tomorrow..."

"I'm glad you're okay," Twilight nuzzled up to her Midnight, before saying, "But how could Sunset hurt you like that? I thought when you turned to shadow you were immaterial."

"Not exactly. When a lunar pony turns to shadow, it's... more like going underwater," answered Midnight.

"Underwater?" Twilight was confused.

"There are two forms of turning shadow, the first is sorta... trans-dimensional while the other is truly corporeal-to-non-corporeal," explained Midnight, "The trans-dimensional form is when it looks like I am a shadow on the ground, wall, or even a ceiling, when in fact I have moved into an alternate space while my presence is marked in this one as a vaporous shadow on the floor. In this way, I am... 'swimming' through the Shadow Space, able to see into the real world the same as you would if you were underwater and looking to the surface."

"Interesting! And... normally, you can't be hurt while in the Shadow Space?" asked Twilight, wishing she could be taking notes, so she made a mental note to check back on the subject.

"It's never happened before," Midnight said in a tone of disturbed awe while looking around at the damage Sunset Shimmer had done to the old temple. "Somehow, Sunset was able to attack me while I was in Shadow Space... by emitting some kind of magical light! I've never felt pain like that before, Twilight..."

Twilight noticed how intimated Midnight truly was, and placed her hoof on his, giving him assurance, so he went on, "It was like being on fire! Real, actual fire, engulfing my body and I was helpless against it! Even after I returned to the physical plane, the pain lingered, as if I'd been truly burned."

"Your body was experiencing some kind of real pain," explained Twilight, "and though the damage was not physical, it seemed to actually hurt your thaumaturgical system!"

Midnight's eyes lit up, "So that's how it works... makes me even more curious about Sunset Shimmer."

When he felt Twilight take her hoof away, Midnight looked over at her, and felt his heart jump into his throat from the look his wife was giving him.

"Not that way!" insisted Midnight in an indignant manner. "I meant, I wonder what else she is capable of, because I've never encountered an opponent like Sunset! She had a way to attack me in way no one else ever has! She had me at her mercy and she... did that instead! What is she up to, what's her angle?"

"Well... I observed the fight as much as I was able," Twilight reined in her rancor over what had happened earlier, and took a calming breath, as Cadance taught her, "As impressive as Sunset's magic was, she's not on the level of an alicorn. Don't get me wrong, her magic is certainly alpha-level, but to be honest, I think she was just trying to hold her own and was probably waiting for you to go into Shadow Space. In all honesty, Midnight, had that not happened, you would surely have beaten her."

"Hmm..." Midnight considered this, "Sunset has powers I've never seen in a unicorn, and it has to do with the sun- !!!"

Midnight gazed up at the ruined ceiling that had been blown away, letting in all the sunshine, "...that's it! That's why she did this, because somehow the sun gives her a magical boost! Like an arcanum!"

"I suppose that makes sense," Twilight considered, "but I've met other unicorns who were able to draw power from the sun, and none of them came close to Sunset's level."

"Well, none of them were mentored by Princess Celestia," Midnight narrowed his eyes, "Speaking of which, when we report Sunset's involvement to her, we're going to have to ask her what Sunset meant."

"..." Twilight looked troubled and reluctant by those word, but she nodded all the same.

"Now, we'd better get back to Griffonstone," Midnight spread his wings, faltering when he felt a twinge of pain, "Urgh... as steady as we can go."

"I've got you," Twilight pressed up against Midnight's side, the two of them sharing a loving look, before they took flight.

It was almost dusk by the time Midnight and Twilight made it back to Griffonstone, and they noticed they weren't the only ones coming to the city. As they approached the griffon capital, they saw dozens of griffons flying in, along with some wagon caravans making their way in through the city gate, along with many more griffons on the ground.

The two of them shared a confused look, and decided to wait till they made it to the castle and ask Doran what was going on.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by Avalanche and Lyra, the latter saying, "Your Majesties, glad to see you back. The situation here could use your hooves in it."

"What's going on?" asked Twilight.

"My father sent me a message." They all turned to see Doran approaching, a knight at each of his sides, looking troubled, "He has called for the Assembly of Allegiance, a gathering of all griffon nobility, where the attendees swear their fealty before the Feather of M'aat before they are permitted to enter the grand hall and partake in the dance of politics..."

"You don't sound particularly excited by this," observed Midnight.

"No, because my father is letting his emotions get the better of him," Doran sighed woefully, "But he is also king. I can only voice my concerns to him, such as my concerns that Gar may use this Assembly as some kind of opportunity to use against us."

"Speaking of, there's something we must show you," Midnight brought up, "Would you mind boarding our ship, where we can discuss it in privacy? Your knights may come too."

Doran looked at each of his escorts and gave a nod, before saying to his friends, "Lead the way."

The meeting room aboard The Break of Dawn had been perfect for this, since Midnight had woven a number of protective wards and enchantments to make it a secure place to discuss sensitive information. He'd invited Twilight to get her take on his work, and aside from a couple of suggestions and pointing out a flaw or two, she'd called his spellwork a thing of beauty.

Besides Doran and his two knights, Midnight and Twilight had invited their guard lieutenants, along with Skywyrd, to attend the meeting, where they relayed what they had learned at the Temple of Odun. But for some reason, Midnight had opted not to tell Doran of Sunset Shimmer's identity, claiming she'd worn her hood the entire time. Though it confused Twilight, she'd gone along with it.

When they were done, Doran was deeply troubled, "I knew this assembly was a mistake... but it's too late now! Most of the nobles have already arrived, I can't just suddenly send them all home without explaining why."

"Well, we have to assume that every name on that list is compromised," pointed out Midnight, "which means, until we know for certain, we can't trust any of those griffon nobles, and we even have to suspect the ones that weren't on the list."

"But if we doubt them all, we risk dividing the griffon nobility and alienating the crown," Twilight brought up, "The moment we allow fear and doubt to divide us, Gar wins!"

"I know many of these griffon nobles," Doran spoke, "plenty of them are honorable, and some of them are indeed questionable. Even on that list, there are a few I would give the benefit of the doubt. Still, if what you said about magical contracts is true, it won't make a difference... Is there a way to determine who might be under the sway of magical contract?"

"Hmm, perhaps," Twilight considered, already wracking her brains for a possible solution, "I might be able to come up with something to screen the attendees tomorrow. But you said something about a... feather?"

"The Feather of M'aat," Doran nodded, "It's one of the Griffon Kingdom's most sacred of relics. Until Gar and the corrupt nobles and barons were overthrown however, the Feather was locked away. It becomes light in the presence of Truth and becomes heavy in the presence of a lie. After Father was crowned king, he used the Feather in his royal court to hold the griffon nobility on trial so they couldn't bribe or threaten anyone."

"Is that wise? Relying on a relic to judge a trial?" Midnight could see pros and cons to that idea.

"Father decreed that the Feather would only be used for certain reasons, most of them traditional, otherwise the Feather is to be a last resort when taking someone to trial," Doran assured before going on, "Among the legitimate traditions is to use the Feather to determine whether an attendee comes with intent friendly or ill. When the nobles enter the castle gates, they will be asked questions regarding their loyalty to the crown, among other things. The Feather will determine whether they come as friend or foe. But the question is, could the Feather work on someone if they are under some kind of magical influence?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure," Twilight considered the facts, "Often, Truth is a matter of perspective. One could be sincere, but under magical influence, they would have no choice but to do as they are compelled to act. The trick is, whether the Feather of M'aat can tell the difference between real falsehood or magically-compelled falsehood."

"If it can't, then all we'd have to do is ask the right questions," Midnight suggested, "and detain those whose answers raise red flags. Or..."

All eyes turned to Midnight, as he seemed to have been struck with inspiration and gave them a sneaky smirk, "Or perhaps we use this to our advantage."

Raising her brow, Twilight smirked back at her husband, "You have something in mind, haven't you."

"That I do, Twily," Midnight nodded before giving everyone a confident smile, "We're going to outsneak a sneak!"

The next morning, the griffon nobles, having spent the night in the local inns or their own carriages, were lining up to enter Griffonstone castle. King Godric had returned late last night and been apprised of Midngiht and Twilight's report. He wasn't happy that the unicorn responsible for Horus's death had slipped away, but after they explained their plan, he was completely on board.

As the griffon nobles waited in line for admittance into the castle, each one was stopped at the castle gates by four Sky Knights, with a bronze scale set up, one side, empty, the other holding a beautiful feather whiter than freshly fallen snow and as soft as the richest down. Every noble that stepped forward was asked questions, but for some reason those waiting in line could not hear the questions asked or the answers given.

As he waited his turn, Garuda was nervous. Although he had not signed Gar's contract, he knew that if he was asked even one question he was afraid to answer, he would surely be discovered. He knew full well of the sacred power housed within the Feather of M'aat. Back when he had been lord of Griffonstone, Gar had demonstrated the power of the Feather to his closest colleagues, confirming to them that its power was no trickery and would weigh down in response to any attempts at deceit. Gar had even made it a challenge to try and fool the Feather, but none had been successful however tangled the web of treachery they tried to convey as truth. The Feather would not, and perhaps could not, be fooled.

My only hope... is if the knights ask questions to which I can tell a version of the truth, Garuda did his best to keep calm, but his feathers were starting to fluff up from his anxiety.

Finally...

"Approach, Lord Garuda of the Redback Mountain!" called one of the knights, and Garuda took a deep breath as he stepped forward, leaving his bodyguards behind, as per protocol. Once Garuda was standing before the Great Scale with the Feather of M'aat ready, the knight in charge gazed upon the griffon lord.

Garuda had been Lord of the Redback Mountain for almost a decade. He had assumed lordship because his elder brother, Arun, had been hatched prematurely, leading to health problems that he was deemed unfit to inherit their father's mantle. Garuda had cared deeply for his brother, but his mother had always "guided" him towards a path of securing power, for their house and for their community. It was why Garuda had allied with Gar back when the Lord of Griffonstone had been in power. Though he was committed to the path he had taken, more than once had Garuda felt misgivings about his choices and his actions.

Even now, he wondered whether he was making the right choice.

"State your name and title," bade the knight.

"I am Garuda, Lord of the Redback Mountain, and sworn to King Godric of the Griffon Kingdom," Garuda answered, and was relieved when the Feather of M'aat remained in balance on the scale. It allowed him to relax just a bit that first question had been something he could say with genuine candor.

"You are sworn to be loyal and true to our king?"

"I am..." Garuda meant it in the sense of a matter-of-fact. He had indeed sworn to be loyal and true to King Godric. The question had left him just enough room to wriggle out of speaking falsely, for again did the Feather remain balanced.

"And finally..." the knight paused, and Garuda feared this would be it. If the knight asked a specific kind of question and Garuda could not answer without giving himself away before the Feather of M'aat, he was sure to be arrested or at least detained.

"...do you know where your loyalties lie?" Garuda found himself suddenly conflicted. That was the question? It was not what he had expected, not at all. It was so vague and the nature of it...

No, don't overthink it, just... answer, Garuda thought to himself before taking a deep breath even as his heart began to thump in his breast. He simply answered, "I do."

Then, the Feather seemed to quiver and for a split-second Garuda felt a stab of worry, was this it?! But then... the Feather stilled, and remained balanced on the scale. The knight nodded, and stepped aside, "Proceed, Lord Garuda, and welcome to the Assembly of Allegiance."

Garuda should have felt relieved. He had not been seen through. His deception was intact. But as he ventured through the castle gates, moving to join the other nobles who'd been granted passage, a strange feeling weighed upon Garuda's shoulders and he felt it even in the pit of his stomach. He shook his head and thought, You've made your choice, Garuda. You must see it to the end.

That's what Garuda thought.

So why was it not what Garuda felt?

By noon, the throne room of Griffonstone Castle was full of all nobles who'd answered the summons and passed the test judged by the Feather of M'aat. Only a few nobles had failed the test, and it turned out it was because they were dealing with shady characters in exchange for illicit services they could no longer acquire under the reign of their new king, not because they were affiliated with Gar. These crooked nobles were detained and not allowed to take part in the assembly, and as the nobles waited they took notice of the various Sky Knights and guards posted all around.

As the Assembly had yet to actually start and since the king would not appear until then, it didn't take long for hushed discussion to fill the throne room.

"What do you suppose King Godric has called this assembly for?" "Isn't it obvious? His brother is on the loose, along with almost every criminal that was sent to The Point of No Return!" "His eldest son and heir is dead!" "I hear a unicorn was involved." "Does this mean Equestria is conspiring against us?" "Two alicorns came to the castle only yesterday, summoned by the king himself!" "Pah! If the king and his knights are so great, they shouldn't have to call upon outside help." "I heard a rumor about some kind of incident at the Temple of Odun, it involves those alicorns." "What about Gar? What could he be planning?" "How can the king protect us if he can't protect his own son?" "He still has his second son, doesn't he?" "For how long? Gar got the first, who's to say he won't get the other and then Godric himself?" "Perhaps we ought to reconsider our... standing and who we stand with." "Button your beak! Unless you want your head to be next on the chopping block..." "Hush! Something's happening!"

Garuda gazed up towards the throne as two Sky Knights flapped down and let out aquiline screams like a clarion call before one of them cleared his throat, "Presenting their Royal Majesties, King Godric and Prince Galador!"

An opening in the ceiling caught everybirdy's attention and down came King Godric, garbed in his royal ensemble, his crown upon his brow, and with him his son, Doran, now bearing the royal red sash and regal badge, signifying him as Prince and Heir apparent. Godric settled into his throne while Doran stood at his right side. The griffons in attendance all gave a rousing and respectful applause

"And next, please welcome their friends and allies, honored guests from Equestria, Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Midnight Blaze and Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

Instead of flying down from above, Midnight and Twilight each appeared in a sparkling blaze of turquoise and magenta mana, like a burst of flame that quickly gave way, revealing Midnight and Twilight both wearing their own crowns as well as regalias to further emphasize their royalty. Their reception from Godric and Doran's subjects was not as enthusiastic, but the nobles knew better than to express any negativity towards their king's honored guests.

It was then King Godric stood and raised his wings, beckoning silence. Once all noise was quelled, King Godric began.

"Greetings, lords and ladies of the Griffon Kingdom. To start things off, I thank you for answering my summons to this Assembly of Allegiance. That fact you all stand here in attendance is a defining gesture of your loyalties and your honor. For too long did Griffonstone, as well as many other communities in the Griffon Kingdom, live without honor and integrity. Griffonkind allowed greed, distrust, and arrogance to blind us to our faults and our shortcomings, and worse yet too many of us stood idle as the worse among our kind took advantage of our discord and our division. Once the griffon I loved and regarded as my brother was Lord of Griffonstone. Instead of working to prove himself worthy of that honor, he instead exploited it and worsened the corruption infecting our society. Instead of striving to uplift our people, he took advantage of them, all for his own personal gain.

"Finally, his corruption caught up with him, thanks to friends of our friends from Equestria, and Gar, along with those who profited from his corruption, was sent to The Point of No Return, and that should have been the end of it. But no... Gar has broken out and is at large. His treacherous schemings have already cost me my son, Horus, and thanks to evidence uncovered by Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight, we now know... that Gar has reached out to several among you, offering wealth and prestige in exchange for your allegiance as he no doubt plans to overthrow me," Godric let those words sink in and the crowd began to get anxious. He narrowed his eyes as his tone deepened with an edge as he continued.

"I know for a fact... that several among you have taken him up on his offer and have come into my castle, into my throne room, not as true noble griffons sworn to loyalty and honor, but as two-faced traitors, no better than buzzards!"

"You dare impugn our honor?!" "You question our loyalty!?" "Each of us were judged by the Feather of M'aat as noble and true!" "To besmirch our integrity is to dishonor the very symbol of Griffon Truth!"

The cries of outrage and offense were to be expected, but Godric remembered the plan and continued.

"You were indeed judged by the Feather of M'aat," he declared, "but what you did not realize, was there were two feathers!"

Two feathers?! Garuda had held his tongue, but Godric's words just now alarmed him.

Godric held out a talon towards his two alicorn friends, "Prince Midnight and Princess Twilight aided me in a scheme of our own, in order to counter Gar's, knowing that he would see the Assembly of Allegiance as an opportunity. Using a simple Illusion, they hid the true Feather of M'aat close to a duplicate, the very feather you each stood before as you answered the questions made to you.

"Using carefully chosen questions, some ambiguous and others more obvious, we determined who among you have broken your vows and chosen to side with Gar. The Feather of M'aat, hidden behind an Illusion, saw through your attempts at duplicity and even your doubts of the choices you had made that have brought you to this point, while the duplicate Feather was controlled to hide your deceptions, making you believe that your ruses had not been seen through. Make no mistake, a total of eleven traitors stand among us in this Assembly, traitors to the throne, to the kingdom, and to griffonkind as a whole!"

A fake Feather...?! Garuda was on the verge of shaking, doing his best not to lose his composure, but there was something else writhing in his guts. Doubt, misgivings, fear... shame?

Even as the attendees began to squawk and growl and floof in malcontent, Godric raised his wings and spoke again.

"However... before I became king, I was and still am a humble Sky Knight. I swore an oath, to stand for truth, justice, honor, and mercy. Thus, in the spirit of Mercy, I hereby invite the traitors to step forward and make themselves known. This is your chance to turn away from the ill-conceived folly Gar has beguiled you with, and back to the path of true griffon pride! Stand down and be shown leniency. Or follow Gar at your own peril. I ask each and every one of you, my fellow griffons! Whether your loyalty is true or not, what will the future of the Griffon Kingdom be?"

It was here that Godric's tone softened, replacing sharp judgement with gentle consideration.

"It wasn't that long ago, that our capital was a disgraceful heap of vice and apathy. Where the common griffon cared too much for themselves and not enough for one another. Gar and those like him took advantage of our unwillingness to do more, to be more! Their greed and cruelty made living all the harder for our people, that every griffon struggled, to have food on their tables, a roof over their heads! A life worth living, for themselves and for their children. And all the while Gar and the corrupt among our so-called nobility grew fat on their ill-gotten gains, and alas even more griffons lost their way when some, like Wotan, turned to their thieves guilds, preying upon their fellow griffons to make those bloated vultures rich!"

Garuda listened, hanging on every word, as memories and feelings ran through his mind. For all his life, he'd striven to be a worthy scion of his house, to make his elder brother proud when his illness made him unfit to be heir. Alas, he'd allowed his mother to sway him towards decisions that always left a foul taste in his mouth, allied with Gar, believing doing so would make his family proud and great, and while he had benefited and profited well from his "friendship" with Gar, he'd never really liked him. If anything, Garuda had always turned a blind eye to the undertaloned dealings of Gar and his ilk. An ilk with which he had associated himself.

"I accepted the responsibility as king so as to bring true and meaningful change to Griffonstone and in turn all the Griffon Kingdom," Godric went on, "But there are some griffons, like those who were previously aligned with Gar, that oppose change, wanting to make things as they were before. Some of you share this misplaced opinion, but ask yourselves this: Was the way things were really better? Do you truly believe the likes of Gar are the examples by which griffons should live? Will the future of Griffonkind be one of honor or cowardice? Hope or fear? The choice is yours."

Silence followed, and a tense stillness fell over every griffon present. Godric looked upon these nobles he had invited, not with vengeful rage or harsh judgement, but with forgiveness and understanding. Last night, when Godric had spoken with his son, Doran, his friends, Midnight and Twilight, and all his remaining knightly brothers and sisters, a realization had dawned in the griffon king. His son, Horus, was gone, and he was never coming back. He had lost a child, a part of his heart, but he still had his younger son, Doran, and the love and respect of his knights, and the guidance of purpose that came from being a servant and protector to his people, as their king.

He could not give in to anger and hate.

Just as I should never have given into doubt and temptation... Garuda took a deep breath and stepped forward until he stood apart from his fellow nobles, his eyes meeting Godric's as the two of them shared a silent moment before Garuda knelt.

"I confess myself guilty of association with a known traitor to the Griffon Kingdom," Garuda raised his voice, heavy with guilt and a tone of understanding, "I allowed myself, for far too long, to be swayed by the wrong voices, to do the wrong things, and in doing so I betrayed my fellow griffon, and I betrayed myself. No longer. I confess to harboring a fugitive, for being in on his schemes, and for coming to this Assembly with ill intentions.

"King Godric, Your Majesty..." Garuda raised his gaze up to his king with remorse sincere, "I submit myself to your judgement and will accept the consequences of my misdeeds, whatever they may be."

Godric felt elation though he hid it as he gave Garuda a nod. He was glad, that his words had reached at least one among his- Wait...!

Godric was stunned as three more nobles, two males and a female, likewise step forward, before kneeling.

"We also are guilty of breaking our oaths of loyalty, Your Majesty."
"Gar did promise us rewards, but we realize, you are a griffon of your word and he is not."
"We surrender ourselves and only ask for a chance to atone for our errors in judgement, Sire."

Godric couldn't help but smile. Of the eleven who had come to betray him, four had felt his words as much as heard them. Perhaps there was a chance the others-

"TRAAAAIIIITOOOOORRRRRSSSS!!!!"

Cries and gasps of alarm filled the air as many of the griffons were startled by that outburst that echoed throughout the throne room, but none could tell where it had come from. But Godric had a better view and raised his eyes towards the minstrel's gallery (an indoor balcony), located above the throne room doors, and up there, having finally stepped out of the shadow,s stood a seething Gar, garbed in leather armor with metal pauldrons, along with a crimson red and ebony black tabard displaying the blue and green image of the globe grasped between an eagle's talons and a lion's paw, outlined in silver and gold respectively. The ancient symbol of the Griffon Empire during their slave marketing days.

Gar wore a regal helm, like a resplendent commander, but his expression was anything but. He glared furiously at Garuda and the other conspirators who'd thrown themselves at Godric's mercy, and clutched a majestic spear, the spearhead engraved with ancient griffonic artistry while a glyph was engraved into the fixture just beneath it.

Godric narrowed his eyes in reproach, "You dare wield the Spear of Gungir, you unworthy wretch?!"

"I could call you the same, brother, but it seems those four spineless fledglings take the prize!" Gar spat with contempt, "But then again, I learned a long time ago that loyalty is overrated. Luckily, I came prepared..."

Gar raised Gungir and tapped the bottom of it hard onto the floor of the minstrel's gallery, where he stood. The act resulted in a strange ripple-effect of light, seen and felt, as it spread throughout the entire throne room. Immediately, the traitors (except for Garuda) all suddenly glowed as they found themselves unable to move of their own accord... and then reached into their fine garbs and pulled out weapons, such as daggers, maces, glass orbs containing suspiciously colorful liquids, and even miniature crossbows.

"What have you done to them?!" Godric demanded as the ten all raised their arms, ready to fight, even the three who'd followed Garuda's example and confessed to their treachery. All their expressions were alarmed and panicky, as they were no longer in control of themselves.

"Why takes chances on something so unreliable as 'loyalty' when you can have guarantee?!" Gar sneered as he held up a scroll, its writings glowing a harsh metallic gold. "Thanks to my unicorn friend, these ten fools are now mine to control because they foolishly signed themselves over to me via magical contract! I had a feeling something like this might happen, which is why i had to make sure they didn't get cold paws... I admit, though, Garuda, I never thought you'd lose what little pride you had and choose my weak-minded kin over a future of true greatness for griffonkind!! I should have made you sign a contract as well..."

"I lived my whole life thinking I was striving towards greatness, Gar," Garuda retorted, looking ashamed but also determined as he went over to stand with his king, "but I made the wrong choices and valued the wrong things. Even when it didn't sit well with me, I choked it down, thinking the path I was on was the only one I could take. But King Godric is right! I choose a future of honor and hope over the follies of corruption and cowardice. I would advise you to reconsider, but you're already too far gone, a prisoner of your own twisted delusions..."

"Release them, Gar!" Godric demanded as he drew his sword, his knights following suit, "Traitors or not, you have no right to rob them of their right to choose for themselves!"

"They signed the dotted line, brother! I'm merely holding them to their words..." Gar smiled wickedly before pointing Gungir, "You three who dared to attempt violate your contracts! Kill Godric and all will be forgiven!"

The three who'd confessed and surrendered heard the command, but as much as they wanted to refuse their bodies would not obey. However much they struggled, they turned to face Godric, who saw fear and shame and pleas for help in their eyes, raising their weapons as they prepared to pounce. Godric nodded and gave them encouraging smiles before looking over to Midnight and Twilight, "NOW!!"

The two alicorns lit up their horns and immediately, a Magic Circle, spanning the throne room's entire floor, lit up with magenta and turquoise light, intermingled with candlelight yellow and the orange of a sunset! The griffon nobles all startled at the sight of the radiant circle beneath their talons and paws, but none of them were affected save for the ten traitors under the influence of Gar's contract. Cords of mana rose up and ensnared them, rendering them completely immobile, and also disarming them of their weapons.

"WHAT?!?!" Gar couldn't believe it! "What's- How did you-"

"We found evidence of your schemes and planned ahead," Midnight smirked.
"And you, along with your cohorts, wandered directly into our web!" Twilight added, "This Magic Circle has been worked to only affect those within its radius who are magically compelled to act against their own will!"
"So now you're on your own, Uncle!" Doran glared contemptuously.

Gar growled in vexation, but then strangely sneered as he began to laugh arrogantly. "You fools think these puffed-up featherdusters were my only backup?! I didn't become Lord of Griffonstone by using short-sighted methods!"

"What're you talking about?!" Godric demanded.

"Your knights are loyal, Godric, annoyingly so. I knew they'd never be swayed by whatever bribery I attempted, and blackmail just wasn't convenient," Gar raised a mocking brow, "Your guards on the other paw..."

Godric stifled a squawk of alarm as he began to notice the guard griffons in the throne room were now standing poised for a fight, and facing him and his allies.

"Kill all but the seven who didn't give themselves up!" Gar commanded and began to shriek and caw with arrogant laughter.

"Sky Knights! Defend and protect!" King Godric commanded as he charged into battle, followed by the Sky Knights as they rushed to deal with the traitors.

Twilight almost moved to join the fray as well, only for Midnight to bar her way with his wing, "Twilight, stay here!"

"But Midnight-" Twilight protested.

"Stay here and back us up with your magic, and help Doran protect Garuda and the three confessors," Midnight ordered as he raised his sword, "Find the Light, Nightfall!"

A nocturnal flash of light engulfed Midnight as his crown and regalia were replaced with his helm and armor, and his sword had become clawed gauntlets, bearing them as he joined the battle. The many nobles present had panicked and hurried to get away from the traitorous guards before they were stopped by the Sky Knights. Metal rang and clanged as weapons and armor clashed, feathers flew and blood spilled. Several warriors on both sides took to the air while most preferred to keep the fight on the ground. Thankfully, most of the nobles managed to get clear of the battle and either kept to the walls or made it out the doors or windows.

Twilight raised a barrier so Doran and two knights could pull Garuda and the three surrendering nobles into its protective perimeter. They'd had a close call when two guards rushed them as they'd been pulling in the last one, but they'd made it in time, leaving the forsworn guards striking the barrier in screeching frustration.

It didn't take long for Gar to see that his plan was unraveling fast. The guards he'd bribed were no match for the Sky Knights, and with the alicorns aiding his brother it wouldn't take long for them to triumph. He still had one card left to play, but he couldn't pass up this opportunity. He eyed his brother. Always bigger, always stronger, always so self-righteous! Having listened to him spew his talk of "honor" and "justice" had always made Gar want to puke, and the fact Godric would share tables with inferior creatures like those meddlesome ponies?

No... today you die, brother! You and your last brat! Gar raised Gungir and spread his wings, as he poised to strike... and lunged!

Gar screamed a fearsome aquiline cry that filled the entire throne room and all eyes rose up to see him as he held Gungir just so, aimed to impale Godric through the chest! Midnight was distracted with several guards while Twilight had to maintain the barrier to keep the enemy at bay. Doran could only cry out in alarm as his father turned to see Gar almost upon him...!

*Swishlash!!!*

"AAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" The fearsome battle cry was replaced with wretched screams of agony, as Gar was sent rolling across the floor, guards and knights jumping to get out of the way, until finally Gar was on his back, clutching his face as blood seeped through his talons.

"AAAUUUGHH!!!! MY EYE!!! YOU BASTARD!!! YOU CUT OUT MY EEEEEYYYYEEE!!!!!!!!" Gar screamed in excruciating outrage and writhed upon the floor, Gungir having been dropped from his grip and sent clattering out of his reach.

"How did he do that...?!" Twilight was stunned by this unexpected twist.
"My father... he must have anticipated Gar would try to kill him," Doran surmised as he let what happened run through his mind and give it his analysis. "He knew Gar had lunged to attack the moment he heard Gar scream. He made it seem like he was distracted when he was actually prepared. As soon as Gar was within range, he managed to grab the Spear of Gungir and yank Gar closer, and that was when he struck, using his talons to claw Gar's eye out! Then, using Gar's own momentum, Father threw him along, sending Gar rolling across the throne room floor!"

Gar continued to rave and scream and rant while writhing on the floor, blood staining his armor, tabard, and feathers and fur, barely noticing Godric's approach. Godric looked down upon his brother, his heart conflicted with so many emotions. Sadness, regret, pain, anger, hate, and even a lingering remnant of love.

Where did it all go so wrong? How did it come to this? Was there anything he could have done differently? Anything that could have guided his younger brother towards a better way? Or had he always been rotten to the core? It didn't matter. Godric knew that he could not change the past and that Gar's sins were his own to bear. Nor could Godric forgive Gar for his part in Horus's death. But he knew he had to at least try to make peace of some kind with his brother.

"Gar..." Godric's voice was solemn, "this must stop."

Gar's throes of pain settled just a little, as he propped himself up with one talon while holding the left side of his face with the other, where blood continued to seep, and glared up at his brother with sheer hatred from his right eye.

"There was a time when we were truly brothers, in heart as well as blood," Godric urged with gentle nostalgia, "a time when we shared joy and love and hope, a time when we both were innocent by our childhoods. Though we each had different goals in life, we encouraged each other, challenged each other, to strive towards accomplishment and success. But somewhere along the line, our paths divided us further and we both were set astray. It cost us our brotherhood, our caring and faith in one another, and... I don't know. While i sought the righteous path of the Sky Knight, you took the path that led you to standing on the wrong side of the line.

"You have committed numerous misdeeds, harmed and taken advantage of others, whether they were innocent or not, and your schemes have taken from me my son... By all rights, I can take my sword and do away with you right here, right now..." Godric held his sword in emphasis of his words, and though Gar did not look away, he couldn't help shrinking back ever so slightly at the sight of his potential executioner.

Even the nobles, knights, guards, as well as Doran, Midnight and Twilight all held their breaths from the intensity of this moment as they waited for whatever happened next.

*Clang*

Gar was shocked. Godric had dropped his sword, and now offered his talon to him, stating, "I hate you and yet I cannot ignore the love I yet feel for you, brother. I beg of you, Gar. Make the right choice. You will still have to do time for your crimes, but you still have the rest of your life to do better. To be better. When we were fledglings, I told you that I dreamed of becoming a hero, a hero who would protect the Griffon Kingdom. And you told me, that your dream...

"...was to become a leader, a leader who would make the Griffon Kingdom great again," Gar responded with a somber voice.

"You became a leader, but did you make the Griffon Kingdom great again?" Godric asked. When Gar looked away, Godric went on, "No. You abused your power, exploited criminals and corrupt nobles, oppressed your fellow griffon, all for your own personal gain. I don't know when, where, or why, Gar, but somewhere along the path you took, you became consumed by a hunger for power. You told me, long ago, that you wanted to restore honor and pride to the Griffon race, and instead you only created more misery and pain. It's not too late, Gar. You can always choose a new path, brother. What say you?"

Gar did not answer. Silence filled the whole room with such intensity, it almost felt like the suspense of a ticking bomb, as some leaned in slightly for all eyes were upon Gar in anticipation of what he would answer. After a long and pregnant moment, Gar lowered his talon, and Godric felt a twinge of guilt to see the damage he had inflicted upon his brother. The eye was beyond saving, and it continued to bleed even though it had slowed, even if only slightly. Gar closed his remaining eye... and then he began to laugh.

It was cold, cruel amusement that soon erupted into wicked cackle as Gar pulled out what appeared to be a stone, and declared, "I say... I STILL WIN!!!"

With a heave, Gar smashed the stone onto the floor-

*KRABOOM KABLOOF SHAKRASH ZABLAAM*

Screams of terror and confusion filled the air along with dust and smoke and flame as the walls and windows of the throne room were blown apart. Twilight and Doran, along with the two knights, Garuda and the three surrendering nobles were all safe inside her barrier, but they couldn't see what was going on.

"MIDNIGHT!!"
"FATHER?!"

Garuda was shocked. He'd had no idea that Gar had planted explosives for his offensive. It must be because I didn't sign his little contract, so he didn't trust me with the full plan...

"AERIS SPIRALIS!!" A flash of turquoise mana was followed by a sudden whirlwind that quickly blew the smoke and dust away, and the alicorn princess and griffon prince were horrified to see bodies.

Several griffons, nobles, guards, even knights, lay dead, strewn around the chaos and debris. Some were injured, others pinned by rocks, but the magic circle Midnight and Twilight had cast was broken. The remaining seven traitors had been freed from its effect, yet they were still enslaved by Gar, as they had flocked towards him as Gar stood in one of the openings that had been blasted through the walls, overlooking the carnage and destruction he had wrought with a gaze like cold steel.

He growled in disappointment to see Godric still alive as he helped a noble griffoness out from under a toppled pillar. Godric took notice of Gar and returned his gaze with a condemning glare.

"My plot to assassinate you, your son, and these insipid pigeons has failed, brother!" Gar called out to him, "But this... is only the beginning! My dream is no longer a dream, but a goal, for I will see it fulfilled! I hereby declare war upon you and any griffon or creature that sides with you! I will burn down the entire Griffon Kingdom if I must, so that from the ashes it will rise again, be great again, and I will lead it into a glorious future for all of Griffonkind! This I vow, under a new name! A name to represent this wound you have inflicted upon me, a name that all will one day learn to fear! So says I, the future king of the Griffon Kingdom! So says I... Scar...!"

At once, Gar, now Scar, took flight, and was followed by his enslaved thralls, along with any surviving griffon guards that managed to get away, and as the reality of what had just happened sunk in, never had Godric felt so defeated.

"Father! Are you alright?" Godric looked to see Doran had rushed to his side, looking concerned, as did Midnight and Twilight as they approached.

"What now, Sire? Do we go after them?" Midnight asked, still clad in his Harmonic Armor and his gauntlets, Nightfall, bearing claws.
"That explosion, it- It was magic! But, I couldn't-" Twilight was scared and confused, rattled and unsure of what to even think or say.

"No... we must tend to the wounded and get a damage report," Godric groaned as he got back on his feet and gazed out to the horizon, his former brother, and his cohorts, having nearly vanished in the distance, as the Griffon King stated in deepest woe, "The Griffon Kingdom... is now in civil war."